《The Glory After Rebirth》


 Chapter 1 - He Crawled Back

    Chapter 1: He Crawled Back


    The putrefactive odor of dead bodies made one sick with nausea. The flies and maggots were all over the pit. At the bottom of the pit, there was a man, sitting on a pile of rotting corpses, covered in blood and with strangely bent legs. He was completely incapable of moving.


    The nails of his hands were broken, and the blood mixed with the mud from the wall of the pit, making them more like the hands of a fiend.


    His long hair was soiled and knotted, and his forehead was covered by the fringe of his brow. But these could not hide the sad and painful eyes, which were brighter than any star in the sky. These bright eyes burned with the flames of anguish and despair, and the blood gushed from them.


    ¡°Ha-ha-ha¡±


    ¡°Look at his eyes. Ouch, I¡¯m scared!¡±


    ¡°But you are such a rubbish who are doomed to die, and dare to look at me with such eyes. Bah!¡±


    Above the pit came the harsh mockery and the indifferent laughter of those inhuman people with twisted nature liked a devil.


    The person under the pit stared at them as if he were going to carve their faces in his mind and turn to ghost to seek revenge.


    He grinned and looked at the people above the pit.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°That look is disgusting. Kill him!¡±


    That smile stopped the laughter of the men, and they began to look frightened, to hide their fear in anger, and to lift up the stones and smash them down.


    When the stones were down, the loud thud had come. It sounded like a watermelon had been broken, echoing dully in the deep hole. This thud tore into those peoples¡¯ ears, and chilled them out in a cold sweat.


    The flies at the bottom of the pit whirled suddenly and swarmed to the corpse, whose voice had died, and whose head had been broken. However, his eyes were still wide open with a creepy grin at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Shit! Tough luck! Let¡¯s get the hell out of here and report on our finished mission.¡±


    ¡°Pooh, pooh! I¡¯ll have to let my woman prepare bath water for me to wash away the bad luck. ¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha¡­. ¡±


    The evil spirits circling over the pit went away, but the sun did not shine into the bottom of the pit, and the darkness grew cold.


    If there were ghosts in the world, the man at the bottom of the pit would be the most terrible and demanding ghost, that, no doubt, would haunt all his enemies.


    Then a dark-green jade pendant suddenly slipped out from the clothes of the corpse. It had absorbed the blood of its master and turned bloody red as if a revenge-storm had been brewing to claim lives.


    ***


    ¡°Grandpa! Second uncle!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t die!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t collude with bandits! This has nothing to do with our Ling family!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ling Zhang, upright and righteous. I¡¯m not such one of those villains!¡±


    ¡°Your demons are just trying to take over my Ling family¡¯s property. You set us up and mutilated and killed dozens of my family, and I¡¯ll crawl back to take revenge!¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡­ My leg! My leg!¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! What marshal fianc¨¦! Don¡¯t you know how influential the Imperial Yuwen family is! You even want to combine with this great family by marriage!¡±


    ¡°See? This is the divorce paper from Yuwen family. Take a good look at yourself. Who do you think you are? You really think your family can rely on Yuwen family to turn the tide? In your dreams!¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t overrate myself. That¡¯s what the Yuwen¡¯s promised Grandpa. I don¡¯t want¡­ I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t do it. They wronged me¡­ I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to die, I want revenge, I want revenge!¡± Murmurs full of anguish and despair came from Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth, and finally the cry of despair woke him from his nightmare.


    Suddenly sitting up straight, Ling Zhang was perspiring. Then he stared blankly at everything around him, which looked both familiar and strange to him.


    This was a pavilion. There was a fence. Beside the pavilion was a pathway that meandered towards the corner door on the wall, and the corner door was open¡­


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    He remembered that it was the beginning of his nightmare.


    Getting through that corner door, he would be framed with filthy crimes that could never be washed clean; from then on, his life was in a state of agony and despair.


    But he was dead, wasn¡¯t he? He dreamt when he was dead?


    The headache was splitting. Ling Zhang was very confused, and could not tell whether this was the dream or the reality. He held the tabletop of the stone table and staggered to stand up.


    Catching sight of what he was wearing, he was shocked as if he was struck by lightning. The clothes on him was that he had on that day!


    It was so real! How could this happen?


    And his legs. He stomped his feet. His legs were in perfect condition.


    Taking a deep breath to stabilize the mess in his mind, he gave his legs a good thump.


    ¡°Whew, that hurts.¡±


    ¡°This pain is too real, not a dream!¡±


    Outside the pavilion, the cold wind suddenly blew in. It made him shiver. Ling Zhang stood up hard. He was alive. He was alive now!


    He was shaking all over, and he checked himself from top to bottom. He looked at his unscarred hands, he pinched his own bones, felt his waist and face, and began to tremble. It was real. He was back! Back to when he was 17 years old!


    After confirming this fact, Ling Zhang forced himself to calm down.


    If all were true, then Ling family was fine now. He was still the young master of noble birth in Tan Yang, not the one with filth that couldn¡¯t be washed clean. He and Yuwen family¡¯s engagement had not been known. Grandpa was still alive, uncle was still alive, and the rest of Ling family are still alive!


    This was the wish he had prayed for so many times that God had really made it possible for him?


    After about 10 minutes, the cold wind calmed him down completely. Slowly he turned to the corner door, his excited eyes gradually cooling down as the corner of his mouth revealed a silent and cold grin. He lifted his feet and walked through the door.


    Author¡¯s Gossip:


    Ling Zhang: Oh yeah. I crawled back! Villains, aren¡¯t you surprised? Isn¡¯t it exciting?


    Yuwen Tong:


    Poor Marshal doesn¡¯t know anything yet.


    Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert! The marshal doesn¡¯t know anything about breaking off the engagement. He¡¯s merely a scapegoat. The marshal is a good man who loves his wife.

 Chapter 2 - One Bowl of Hangover Soup

    As soon as Ling Zhang passed through the corner door, he ceased his grin, the coldness in his disappeared, replaced by gentleness and clarity.


    His indifferent expression gradually turned into the weary face of a heavy drinking. And his footsteps moved or acted in a shaky unsteady way.


    He pretended like a person who was completely undefended.


    ¡°Here he is, Mr. Ling!¡± There was a shout from somewhere ahead.


    This shout broke the silence in the corner and soon two men came to support Ling Zhang, ¡°Mr. Ling! Where did you go just now? Our young master is very worried about you.¡±


    Ling Zhang leant all the weight of his upper body on the one supporting him and lifted his one hand to smoothly rub his frontal eminence. His voice was full of weariness, ¡°I just went to take a rest at the pavilion over there, but I fell asleep by accident.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! We didn¡¯t find Mr. Ling asleep there. If you caught a cold, our young master will skin us. You¡¯d better come with us to the house and get warm,¡± said by these two subordinates in a tone of consternation.


    Ling Zhang waved his hand and told them that it was all right. The next moment he hissed softly, his eyes half-closed, ¡°I have a terrible headache.¡±


    While apologizing, the servants, in an unfriendly manner, dragged Ling Zhang to the main hall of the courtyard with force and fast speed.


    Along the way, Ling Zhang pretended to rub his frontal eminence, but his eyes swept around at full speed. All the scene here was too familiar.


    Because he had taken the person who owned this place as a true friend and often called on this house and also praised the inviting scenery. But in the end, the beautiful scenery in his eyes became a nightmare which had the power of terror to wake him up in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat.


    The two servants walked quickly, not caring Ling Zhang was comfortable or not. They quickly rushed to the main hall and helped Ling Zhang in.


    When Ling Zhang entered the main hall, there was a strong smell of alcohol mixed with different kinds of food and wine, which made Ling Zhang queasy. In the middle of the hall stood a large table, around which sat five people, one of the empty seats was where Ling Zhang sat before.


    A voice of concern came from a person, ¡°Brother Zhang, you¡¯ve come back. Where have you been?¡± And then he also personally came to support Ling Zhang. His appearance was handsome, and his manner was appropriate and polite.


    However, for a moment, Ling Zhang almost couldn¡¯t bear the touch to even kick off the one supporting him. His half-drop eyelids concealed his uncontrollable cold eyes and his anger.


    As the man didn¡¯t get any reply, he grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and called in a low voice, ¡°Brother Zang?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head and made a look that expressed him tired of answering.


    ¡°Why, Ling Zhang? You¡¯re a terrible drinker, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve only had a few drinks and you¡¯re already drunk?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you damn need Yuanling to hold you now. I don¡¯t mean to look down upon you. But you can¡¯t hold your liquor.¡±


    The people at the table laughed loudly. In the past, Ling Zhang would only feel that it was merely joking between friends, and would not believe that their sarcastic tone carried so much ill-will.


    ¡°Stop it! Zhang has just reached manhood and he can¡¯t get enough alcohol. Getting drunk fast is only natural. Brother Zhang, come and sit down here. I¡¯ll let the maid prepare a bowl of hangover soup for you. Just drink it and go to the wing room to sleep for a while and everything will be all right.¡±


    When Ling Zhang was helped to sit down in the empty seat and heard the words ¡°hangover soup¡± and ¡°sleep for a while¡±, he clenched his fist tightly under the table and tried desperately to suppress the raging fury and murderous intent.


    There was a light ¡°knock¡± on the table, and a bowl of jet-black hangover soup was placed in front of him, which gave off an unpleasant smell.


    Ling Zhang gently lifted his eyelids, looking at this bowl of hangover soup and then looking around at the people around him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhang? Drink up and take a sleep. It will make you feel better.¡± The man sitting opposite towards him showed a gentle and handsome smile and his tone was indulgent.


    The other four stared icily at Ling Zhang, their eyes carrying something which the former Ling Zhang could not see through, but now Ling Zhang could easily see the malicious intents in their eyes.


    Ling Zhang gently curled the corner of his mouth with a hint of sarcasm. Then he slowly lifted the bowl of hangover soup, touched the edge of the bowl with his lips, and drank it down.


    Ling Zhang fixed his eyes on the five people around the table without a blink. As opposed to the confused state he had been in for the last life, this time he clearly saw their exultant sigh of relief.


    Their behavior was disgusting.


    ¡°Come and help Zhang to his room.¡±


    On the way to the room, Ling Zhang quietly took out the dark-green jade pendant hanging from his neck. The moment he put it in his mouth, the faint smell of antidote spread in his mouth and dispelled the drowsiness.


    A great show was about to begin, only this time he would no longer be at the mercy of these people. He had a control over the game.


    Author¡¯s Gossip:


    Ling Zhang: The intense excitement is coming.


    Yuwen Tong: When will I show up?

 Chapter 3 - Past Wrongs

    Two servants, when passing the corner, took Ling Zhang to another direction, not really to the room for a rest.


    They took Ling Zhang to the garden behind the main hall and threw Ling Zhang to the ground rudely. The floor was covered with rough stones and his left arm was scratched to bleed when hitting the ground.


    ¡°Oops! Didn¡¯t wake up at such a bad situation. He is really unconscious.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ling! Mr. Ling!¡±


    ¡°Stop shouting and take his coat off.¡±


    The two men roughly took off Ling Zhang¡¯s coat, loosened his collar, and unbuckled his belt. Then they took his hand and laid it on a slippery, warm thing.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s finger twitched slightly, and the touch of this thing reminded him of a very bad memory. The nausea was almost uncontrollable, but his anger and resentment had kept his physical response in check under his strong will power.


    ¡°All right, get back to report to our young master.¡±


    The two men walked away quickly. Although Ling Zhang closed his eyes, his hearing was very sharp.


    After the sound of the footsteps had disappeared, he opened his eyes. He quickly pulled his hand back and sat up. Then, desperately, he rubbed his hand against the grass by the side of the road to clean it up. His cold eyes swept around and landed on the woman in a coma beside him.


    Her face was ruddy, and her body was covered with the traces and the awful filth after sex. Her clothes were stripped to the ground and the naked body was exposed.


    Ling Zhang had a look and quickly took his eyes away. There was an almost suffocating rage in his heart.


    The woman was Jia Yuanling¡¯s stepmother, a young dancer. Because she was so beautiful that Jia Yuanling¡¯s father, Jia Yin, bought her freedom from the brothel and doted on her.


    In the last life, he had visited the Jia¡¯s family after the coming-of-age ceremony. He had drunk a lot in the feast and went out to take a breath. But he accidentally fell asleep in that pavilion. He could not remember how long he had slept. When he woke up, he returned to Jia Yuanling¡¯s yard in a daze and was fed a bowl of soup to kill the hangover and lost consciousness.


    Later he was wakened by a basin of cold water on the face, and with this woman lying beside him. Her screams and the curses of those around her punctured his eardrum. It was such a mess and also a nightmare to think of now.


    No one believed that he was innocent, and the only woman who could testify for him had chosen silence. Then Jia family took her away. Then he heard that she was dead, but so what, he had become the target of taunts and curses in Tanyang, and the dirty crime poured on him could not be washed away.


    Because of this, Ling family was also implicated. His uncle who was about to be promoted was degraded and his grandpa was humiliated. Ling family became the laughingstock of the whole Tanyang overnight.


    Since then Ling family had suffered a series of blows: his uncle was removed from office shortly after his promotion was ruined; the books and paintings his grandfather had identified suddenly became fakes, rendering a plummet of his fame.


    The worst was that Ling family was accused of colluding with bandits.


    The whole Lu family was killed overnight without any survivor. All the property had been looted. The authorities found his uncle¡¯s pendant on the crime scene and asserted that Ling family colluded with bandits to murder Lu family.


    When the crisis came, his grandfather disclosed his engagement with Yuwen family from the imperial city and revealed the marriage contract.


    This marriage contract intimidated everyone and gave Ling family a time to breathe.


    Although Ling Zhang himself was shocked by the marriage contract, the circumstances of that time did not allow him to think much. They must take this opportunity to find out the truth about the murder of Lu family.


    But one step ahead of them in finding out the truth was a divorce paper from the imperial city. This letter of divorce became the last stone to crush the family.


    The authorities had no scruples. Ling family was wrongly convicted of the crime.


    Dozens of his family were tied to the open space outside the city and scorched to death under the blazing sun.


    He resisted but was thrown into a mass grave outside the city after they broke his legs.


    Up to now, Ling Zhang still remembered his uncle shouting, ¡°The heaven is unfair!¡±


    His uncle had said that Ling family was brought down because they were in the way of some people.


    His uncle was right. When he was thrown into a mass grave, he heard the executioners above the pit say that Ling family¡¯s property had been plundered by other families, and his uncle¡¯s position had been usurped by Jia Yuanling¡¯s second uncle, Jia Zhong.


    At the thought of this past memory, Ling Zhang held back all the emotions in his heart. He then got up, adjusted his clothes, and looked down at the dancer, trying to find a clue to uncover the real adulterer. But there was nothing else and the place was handled very cleanly.


    However, Ling Zhang spread a cold smile and took out a jade pendant, which was very valuable with a ¡°Ling¡± carved on the front. He put it into the dancer¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 4 - The Legacy of Mother

    After putting the jade into the hand of the dancing girl, Ling Zhang was intended to find a place to hide and enjoy the show. But when he just turned around, there came a sudden bursting pain on his head. The severe pain overwhelmed him, blurring his vision, and made him stagger to almost fall down.


    ¡°What, what happened?¡± Ling Zhang pressed hard on his forehead. ¡°Why does my head hurt so badly?¡±


    The worst thing was that his eyes were getting blurry gradually, he even couldn¡¯t see the way ahead.


    Ling Zhang was startled, panic-stricken. ¡°It was not easy to be reborn and gain the chance of revenging against Jia Family. How can I faint here and repeat the tragedy of previous life again?¡±


    No, absolutely not!


    Ling Zhang grinded teeth hard, gasping heavily for air. He fought hard to hold himself not to fall down, and staggered to the remote corner. When he struggled to a shelter with difficulty, he had been out in a sweat.


    Just after he huddled himself up, Ling Zhang could no longer hold on and lose consciousness.


    After falling in a faint, Ling Zhang was still not relieved. A lot of strange things squeezed into his mind, such as small labyrinth formation, trap of claiming lives, trap of hiding, illusive trap¡­


    Ling Zhang felt very strange with the knowledge, which he felt very familiar with but the memory was very vague in the meanwhile. It seemed the knowledge had been learned before but was dug out from the depths of his mind all at one time to force him to grasp again.


    Some of the traps were painted on the paper with his na?ve hands, some were drawn by stroke with someone holding his hand, some were his personal experience that he had been left to the small labyrinth formation and cried for failing to find the way out.


    Who taught him these? The voice of the person was sometimes gentle, sometimes severe, which was so familiar to him that made him want to cry. The warmth and tenderness of kinship rose slowly in his heart, and he remembered, it was the voice of his mother.


    ¡°How long has it been since I heard mother¡¯s voice?¡±


    Since mother died of illness, father disappeared, he had not experienced the warmth and care from his parents thereafter.


    He could still remember that when his mother died, there were many books left by her in the study, many of which were about traps and formations. However, all of them were burned down by his father later, for his father said that it was those books about traps that killed his mother, which were hoodoos.


    His father disappeared just after burning those books. Grandfather and uncle were afraid he would be sad, so they required the family servants to mention his parents as little as possible. Gradually, nobody talked about them. Ling Zhang gradually forgot the traps and formations his mother had taught him as he received formal education in school.


    What if he had insisted on learning traps and remembered them in mind? Would Ling Family be less passive in his last life? At least he would have been able to do something; in that case, would everything be different? After all, he had personally experienced the power of the small labyrinth formation laid by his mother. If he had known how to use the trap at that time, was it possible that he could buy Ling Family the opportunity to escape?


    Unfortunately, there was no if, the tragedy of last life had occurred, and it could not be allowed to happen again this time.


    With that decided, Ling Zhang began to try his best to recall all the knowledge about the traps bit by bit in the mind, and imprinted the knowledge deeply in his mind with all efforts.


    It seemed to be a long time after Ling Zhang had thoroughly rummaged the knowledge out and bore it in mind.


    Actually, only less than ten minutes passed. There was no noise in the garden outside, but someone would come soon.


    Ling Zhang got out of the hiding place upon waking up with eyes becoming deeper.


    ¡°Right on time. Perhaps I should add some fuel to the flames to bring more drama,¡± he thought.

 Chapter 5 - Why Isn’t Ling Zhang Here?

    Chapter 5: Why Isn¡¯t Ling Zhang Here?Translator: DragonRider


    Jia Yuanling¡¯s back garden was in the style of Jiangnan gardens, tortuous and winding, elegant and quiet, which was convenient for Ling Zhang to lay the formations.


    The formations his mother taught him should be used according to different conditions, some of which paid attention to the right place at the right time. But the illusive trap he was going to use did not need the help of the right time or weather but only the right place. With nobody¡¯s disturbance, Ling Zhang was ready to validate whether the trap was as magical as his mother had stated.


    To do so, according to the memory recalled just now, Ling Zhang changed the position of all the potted plants around the garden, pushed down a few small ornamental plants, and moved some fragrant potted plants to the place nearby from a corner of the back garden, and finally changed the posture of the dancer lying unconscious on the ground.


    When the layout was about to finish, Ling Zhang heard a noise coming from outside, he winded up the work in a hurry and was intended to find a place to hide. However, the moment he stood up, he felt dizzy when he accidentally saw the dancer¡¯s body. Startled, he hastened to depart from the only safe-exit in the formation.


    Even Ling Zhang, the one who laid the formation, had been affected, therefore he looked forward to the effect of the trap more than ever.


    At the moment, there came sounds of footsteps coming from the corner of the back garden, with a voice saying, ¡°Father, there must be some misunderstanding. Brother Zhang is a man of virtue. He is drunk and resting in the wing room. How could he do such a thing?¡±


    It was Jia Yuanling.


    Then an angry voice fumed, ¡°Unfilial son!¡± followed with a sound of someone being pushed to the ground.


    ¡°Yuanling, are you all right? Why speak for Ling Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Ling Zhang dared to do such shameful things. Then he must pay for it!¡±


    Hiding in the dark, Ling Zhang watched their acting with sulky face, and the anger repressed in his heart flared up. Jia Yuanling was still acting at this moment! What a marvelous show!


    ¡°How stupid I was to not even see through who he really is!¡± thought Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Master, they are here!¡± Someone shouted.


    It seemed that they had found the dancing girl; presumably, they should have stepped into the illusive trap.


    Ling Zhang took a few steps forward to get out of the shelter, so that he could see the situation in the trap without being noticed.


    Among the crowd, it was Jia Family¡¯s current chief Jia Yin who stood in the lead, behind whom were the guests visiting Jia Family, such as the local magistrate Tao Feng and his son Tao Yi, the chief of He Family, He Zhongming, living in the east of the city, several other men of high status, and even some harems!


    Logically speaking, these were outsiders that should not have appeared in such a private occasion. Perhaps Jia Yuanling wanted to make Ling Zhang¡¯s ¡°scandal¡± known to all, so he designedly led the guests here.


    The situation in previous life was too chaotic for Ling Zhang to distinguish the people around. Ling Zhang could only remember there had been a lot of people watching his embarrassment, as if all the people in Tanyang had been there. And their despite and curses were still fresh in his mind.


    This time he was able to discern their faces clearly and matched them to the contemptuous faces in memory of previous life one by one finally. Gradually, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes became cold.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± A woman screamed suddenly. ¡°Over there!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! How could this be? It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Bitch! You bitch!¡± Seeing the unconscious dancing girl covered with traces of sex, Jia Yin was too angry to say a word, his face turning red and neck veins bulging, ¡°The damn bitch! I¡¯m going to kill her!¡±


    ¡°How did this happen? Brother Zhang really did¡­¡± Jia Yuanling was about to say something but choked down his words as if his neck was grabbed by somebody when he saw there was only a dancing girl lying on the ground, his face distorted. ¡°No. You said it was Ling Zhang who fornicated with this woman, but where is he?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, who was the one committed adultery with the dancing girl actually?¡±

 Chapter 6 - Keep Your Damned Eyes Open

    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    Just while these people were talking, Ling Zhang suddenly appeared behind all of them. He looked neat and tidy. Apart from a whiff of alcohol, he did not show any inappropriateness, let alone the so-called traces left after fornicating with a woman.


    ¡°When I was resting in the wing-room, I heard great noise here and my name being called far away. What happened?¡±


    There followed an extremely awkward silence after his words. No one expected that Ling Zhang would suddenly appear and he looked as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, how dare you show up!¡± Immediately someone pointed at Ling Zhang and cursed, ¡°Yuanling regards you as a brother, but you betrayed him to have an affair with his father¡¯s concubine!¡±


    Others immediately woke up to that, looking suspiciously and contemptuously at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang snorted coldly and his face sank down as he queried, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You know what you have done and do you need us to speak it out?¡± The people around Jia Yuanling tried their best to make a scene.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes chilled down as he suddenly stepped forward. Before everyone could react, he kicked hard at that man¡¯s lower abdomen. There was a bang. The man was kicked backwards and fell, screaming out of pain.


    Everyone was stunned by this kick from Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Who the hell you think you are? How dare you slander me? Keep your snobbish eyes open to see who I am! How dare you offend Ling family?¡± Ling Zhang said in cold tone, looking down at the person who was kicked down on the ground. The anger and murderous intent in his eyes were clearly visible, and the fierce momentum frightened everyone to say nothing.


    ¡°How dare you¡­you kick me?¡± The man sat up awkwardly, and when he saw Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, he stammered without even the gut to stand up.


    ¡°How presumptuous of you to hurt my guest! Where do you think you are? You pay no respect to Jia family.¡± As the owner of Jia family, Jia Yin was the first to recover from shock.


    Ling Zhang turned to look at him. His cold and fierce eyes made Jia Yin and all the people behind him feel chilly and unconsciously took a step backward.


    ¡°Where? I just think your Jia family is a big joke. Is there a father¡¯s concubine who would sneak into his son¡¯s yard? Are your son¡¯s guards all dead? Either the gatekeeper intentionally let her in, or the woman had the means to get in easily. Either way, it only proves that she has been here more than once. Need I remind you of what shameful things she has done?¡±


    ¡°And this place is only a wall away from the main hall. Can¡¯t the people in the main hall hear the movement here? You¡¯d better look into the sordid relationship between your concubine and your son. He played her into a coma, and he wanted to use me as a scapegoat? Although I am here alone today, I am not the one to be bullied.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jia Yin was so angry that his fingers trembled. His eyes, which were fixed fiercely at Ling Zhang, burst with anger as if he were going to eat Ling Zhang alive.


    ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Ling Zhang was not a bit intimidated by his glare at all. ¡°I said your son and the people around him were the ones who have committed adultery with the concubine.¡±


    After Ling Zhang said this, everyone was shocked and looked suspiciously at Jia Yuanling and the people around him.


    At this point, all were shocked as they just noticed that Jia Yuanling and several other people standing near the concubine flushed, their breathing quickening and their eyes reddening as if they were caught by a seizure.

 Chapter 7 - Show the Cloven Hoof

    The politer and decorous Jia Yuanling usually was, the more surprised other people would feel at this moment when they saw him flush as if he wanted to have sex with the woman.


    His father¡¯s concubine was lying on the ground, improperly dressed. Jia Yuanling, as the son, dared to look at the woman all the time. His behavior was so ridiculous. It also proved what Ling Zhang had said before.


    At this time, Jia Yuanling took a deep breath and tried hard to calm down. He did not understand why he felt so hot and had the sexual desire when he looked at the woman¡¯s body, as if the devil controlled him and he could not move his eyes away. But he must hurry to deny it to others!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Zhang, you¡¯d better honestly admit it. Don¡¯t deny it and fabricate a charge against others.¡± Jia Yuanling said.


    Jia Yuanling thought that he had concealed his reaction very well, but he did not know that his ridiculous appearance had long been revealed. If he did not speak with that lecherous look, he might still be able to convince others, but now¡­


    Ling Zhang looked around and clearly saw other people¡¯s suspicion and dislike of Jia Yuanling in their eyes. He knew that no matter what Jia Yuanling said at this time, it was impossible to let others believe him.


    Ling Zhang sneered in his heart. Now, he would let Jia Yuanling and his partners suffer thousands of times more painfully than what he had suffered!


    ¡°Did I wrong you? Jia Yuanling, you should see what the people behind you look like, and take a good look at the mirror to see what you look like now.¡±


    Jia Yuanling¡¯s face suddenly changed. He looked around and finally saw how people looked at him. He also saw his father¡¯s sullen face. His father pointed at him and wanted to blame him, but was too angry to speak a word. Jia Yuanling quickly turned to look back and then he was stunned at once.


    Jia Yuanling saw that the four men, who followed him, all flushed with blurred eyes Saliva drooled from the corner of their mouths as they looked at the dancer on the ground with desire. And they dared to murmur, ¡°¡­This woman looks so erotic. I can¡¯t forget her after having sex with her. Hah, it¡¯s so cold to lie on the ground. Come to my arms.¡±


    Jia Yuanling widened his eyes as he looked at them with disbelief. ¡°How dare you!¡± he cried.


    ¡°Eh? What is this?¡± One of them touched the hand of the dancer and found the jade. He took it out and looked at it carefully before he turned to Jia Yuanling, ¡°Yuanling, why is your jade here? Have you just forgotten it? Take it back, and don¡¯t let people see it.¡±


    Jia Yuanling¡¯s face changed dramatically and he retreated quickly. ¡°Jade? It is not mine!¡± he shouted.


    However, all present saw clearly the word ¡®Ling¡¯ carved on the jade. It looked like the ¡®Ling¡¯ of Ling Zhang at first glance, but the Jia Family¡¯s pattern on its opposite showed the jade was Jia Yuanling¡¯s. And Jia Yuanling often had this jade by his waist so everyone who knew him could recognize this jade.


    ¡°It¡¯s extremely ridiculous. Mr. Jia, your family is so unfortunate to have such a son.¡±


    ¡°That is true. He just pretended that he really didn¡¯t know anything. His words were full of lies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡±


    ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Jia Yuanling looked sullen, his managed calmness gone under the curses from people around. Jia Yin fainted because of anger. The servants of Jia Family were suddenly in a great bustle.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t do it. It must be Ling Zhang. He did that!¡± Jia Yuanling shouted in a loud voice with his finger pointing at Ling Zhang. But no one believed him.


    ¡°You still want to frame Ling Zhang now. Do you think we are all blind?¡±


    Ling Zhang just watched the drama. Seeing Jia Yuanling and the four people behind him were hated by others when they showed their cloven hoof somehow worked off his anger. But at the same time, he also felt sad for the past him.


    In the past, these people could be easily guided by others to curse him himself. Now, even though they all cursed the real culprits, it also led Ling Zhang to believe that it was impossible to rely on these ignorant guys to reach a fair judgment. He must be strong enough to influence others. That was the only way to fight for fair justice for himself.

 Chapter 8 - An Openly Declared War Between Jia and Ling

    Jia Yuanling¡¯s sophistry was useless. The guests present thought they were not fools to be easily deceived and they angrily scolded Jia Yuanling when they saw that he was still framing Ling Zhang at this point.


    Jia Yuanling staggered a few steps backwards unsteadily. Looking at Ling Zhang¡¯s cold and sarcastic eyes, he trembled all over. His dull and muddled mind sobered up a bit under the stimulation as something flashed in his mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Jia Yuanling gnashed the teeth in anger as he shouted, ¡°You did all this!¡±


    Ling Zhang queried with a sneer, ¡°Were you not the ones who committed adultery with your father¡¯s concubine? Aren¡¯t you guys in heat now? Isn¡¯t the jade pendant yours? Were you not the ones who were caught on the spot? What does all this have anything to do with me?¡±


    Jia Yuanling was forced to step back by a series of questions from Ling Zhang. He had a guilty conscience and now understood that Ling Zhang had already discovered their conspiracy; so although he was clear that Ling Zhang did not answer his questions directly, he didn¡¯t dare to confront Ling Zhang in front of others.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want people to know it, never do it. Jia Yuanling, you know clearly about what you have done today so you shouldn¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡±


    Jia Yuanling looked at Ling Zhang in disbelief and panic, ¡°You, you¡­¡­¡±


    Jia Yuanling¡¯s awkward appearance afforded general satisfaction. Ling Zhang clenched his fist tight behind the back to hold back all the excitement in his heart. He finally found a tiny outlet for his resentment that he had accumulated after he crawled back from the evil ghost heap. But it wasn¡¯t enough, and he wanted more than that.


    ¡°Lord Tao, what is the law for a son who has committed adultery with his father¡¯s concubine?¡±


    This sentence suppressed all the voices. The whole backyard was silent and everyone was staring at Ling Zhang.


    Just now Ling Zhang¡¯s vigorous and resolute manner impressed all, and now they looked at Ling Zhang with a subtle exploration.


    This Ling family¡¯s young master had become different. The man who used to be gentle and courteous to almost weak suddenly became cruel and fierce, making people wonder if he was pretending to be fragile before, but now he was the real Ling Zhang.


    Tao Feng, the prefect of Tanyang, thought the same way. People who were used to schemes of official circles all were crafty. The best way to deal with this matter was to let them solve it privately by themselves. Whoever intervened in the matter would incur trouble for himself. So he tried not to be noticed just now, but unexpectedly he still became the focus because of a word from Ling Zhang. If it had been in the past, Tao Feng might have thought Ling Zhang as a big fool, but now Tao Feng couldn¡¯t help wondering if Ling Zhang did this for any other purpose.


    ¡°If Jia family notifies the local government, then according to the law, both Jia Yuanling and the concubine committed adultery. Jia Yuanling should be sentenced to exile for ten years and the concubine executed. If Jia family chooses to solve it privately, then according to the law, adultery can be dealt in private. Jia family can do whatever they want to do with Jia Yuanling and the concubine.¡±


    Tao Feng¡¯s answer was very cautious and it sounded objective without any mistakes.


    But Jia family would certainly choose to deal with this matter privately as long as Jia Yin was not completely out of mind.


    ¡°And if the crime of framing is added? Although I am not talented, I also have a degree as a scholar. Jia Yuanling just slandered me and everyone here heard it. If I insisted on notifying the government, what should Jia Yuanling be sentenced to?¡± Ling Zhang asked again.


    Suddenly, Tao Feng finally understood what Ling Zhang really wanted to do: He was going to declare war with Jia family completely.


    Tao Feng looked into Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, saying slowly, ¡°Falsely framing a person with fame and reputation, Jia Yuanling is unpardonable; and according to the law, he should bear the crime he himself falsely accused, that is being banished for three thousand miles away and forced to do labor for twenty years.¡±


    With a bang, Jia Yuanling fell to the ground feebly and the servants of Jia family were frightened. However, Jia Yin was in a coma, and no other member of Jia family was there to preside over the situation, resulting in chaos.

 Chapter 9 - Confrontation

    Twenty years¡¯ banishment for three thousand miles, once implemented, would mean that Jia Yuanling¡¯s life was doomed with no prospect.


    But if Jia Yuanling had framed Ling Zhang successfully, Ling Zhang would be the one doomed.


    Therefore, everyone present didn¡¯t think that Ling Zhang was cruel. Instead, they were surprised by the sudden change of Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Childe Ling!¡± Suddenly there was a woman¡¯s voice. A noble woman followed by a group of servants walked out from the corner. ¡°Since Yuanling has made a mistake, he should take the consequences, even the banishment. As his mother, I will never screen him. However¡­¡±


    ¡°Please allow me to stop the farce for the present. Domestic shame shouldn¡¯t be made public. All guests please move to the living room for a while. As our Jia family have troubled you so much today, our Master will definitely make apologies in person after dealing with today¡¯s farce.¡±


    This woman was Jia Yin¡¯s wife and Jia Yuanling¡¯s mother, Fang shi. When Fang arrived, the servants of Jia family seemed to have finally found someone they could fall back on. The fainted Jia Yin was quickly taken away to the doctor. An old maid took a cloth to cover the body of the dancing girl casually, and four or five strong men tied the four unconscious young Childes toughly, including Jia Yuanling.


    Fang was quick in action, but Ling Zhang must make sure that Jia Yuanling was convicted today!


    ¡°Mrs. Jia is really awesome, and that makes me, a junior, involuntarily admire. But since I am the victim, I should have the right to ask the government to arrest Jia Yuanling for the case immediately. Am I right, Lord Tao?¡± Ling Zhang looked at Tao Feng.


    Fang¡¯s face froze for a moment as the calmness on her face was gradually replaced by a trace of hatred with a pair of cold eyes looking coldly at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t a bit intimidated. Fang shi was nothing compared to the demons he had seen. Caught in between the two, Tao Feng felt quite awkward, ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao, you are the biggest magistrate of Tanyang. Although our Ling family is not a noble family, it is not worse than their Jia. Is it true that Lord Tao is biased towards Jia family?¡±


    With his heart missing a beat, Tao Feng looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s sharp eyes.


    At this time, Tao Yi behind Tao Feng suddenly said, ¡°Childe Ling has misunderstood it. My father came as a guest today, we need send people to the Prefecture Yamen (public office) to call the yamen runners to arrest Jia Yuanling.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned to look at Tao Yi who looked back leisurely with even appreciation in eyes.


    ¡®Appreciation?¡¯ Ling Zhang felt so puzzled. In his previous life, he and Tao Yi had nothing to do with each other as Tao Yi had been studying in the capital, not in Tanyang all the year round. As far as he had known, Tao Yi didn¡¯t stay long in Tanyang. Tao Yi left Tanyang shortly after what had happened in Jia family, and Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t heard Tao Yi¡¯s return even by the time catastrophe befell Ling family.


    In his previous life, Ling Zhang did not have any impression on Tao Yi. And he did not understand why Tao Yi changed his attitude in this life.


    Temporarily suppressing this doubt, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I see. It¡¯s okay. This junior is willing to wait. Mrs. Jia has no objection, right? After all, you just said that even if Jia Yuanling was banished you would not try to intervene.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s sharp and indifferent eyes met Fang¡¯s cold and ferocious stare. The two sides confronted each other for a moment, and finally Fang looked away. She lowered her gaze, showing a little weakness, ¡°Childle Ling, of course, I will not eat my words. But Yuanling always treats you as his younger brother. Today, he was drunk and confused, so he did stupid things. I apologize to you on behalf of him. Why must you put him to death?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jia is wrong. First, although Jia Yuanling drank some wine today, he could still set a trap calmly with a clear head. And no one here is blind, so we can see that. Second, even if he was drunk, the fact that he committed adultery with his father¡¯s concubine cannot be denied. And he slandered me. Now that these are all facts, it is him who ignored our years of friendship at first. It is undoubtedly logical for me to kick back. Therefore, everything happened today was because of Jia Yuanling¡¯s being shameless and heartless at first and it was not my hope to put him to death. If Mrs. Jia still intercedes for him, you will be the one who throws weight around.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Fang was infuriated and raised her head to glare angrily at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Lord Tao, please inform the yamen runners as soon as possible.¡± Ling Zhang said to Tao Feng.


    Tao Feng was helpless that Ling Zhang was reasonable and he was the victim. With so many people looking, it was unreasonable that Tao Feng didn¡¯t accept the case immediately.


    ÌÕÒåÇÄÇij¶ÁËÒ»ÏÂÌÕããµÄÒÂÐ䣬µÍÉù¶ÔËû˵:¡±¸¸Ç×£¬ÄúºÎ±Ø¿àÄÕ£¬½ñÈÕÊÂÄËÊÇ¼Ö¼ÒµÄ´í£¬ÓÖÊÇÖÚÄ¿î¥î¥Ö®Ï£¬ÄúÖ»¹Ü±ü¹«´¦Àí£¬±ðÈ˶ϲ»»á½ÀÉà¸ù˵ʲô£¬¼Ö¼ÒÒ²ÂñÔ¹²»µ½ÄúÍ·ÉÏ¡£ÄúÒªÊÇÔÙÓÌÔ¥£¬·´µ¹ÊÇÂäÈË¿ÚʵÁË¡£¡± Tao Yi quietly pulled the sleeves of Tao Feng, and whispered, ¡°Father, why do you bother yourself? What happened today is Jia family¡¯s fault, and it is under the public gaze. You only need to handle it according to law. Others will not blame you and the Jia family shouldn¡¯t complain about you. If you hesitate again, you will be blamed.¡±


    Tao Feng¡¯s eyes lit up as he whispered, ¡°Father is confused, and you are right.¡±


    Tao Feng immediately sent someone to inform yamen runners to come here. And instead of feeling being thrown in a dilemma, he took a hard-line stance.


    Fang¡¯s face suddenly became pale. With her hands squeezing the handkerchief tightly, she looked at Ling Zhang as if she would like to cut a piece of meat from Ling Zheng.


    ¡°No, Lord Tao, I was just being silly. And I didn¡¯t really want to slander Ling Zhang.¡± Knowing that Tao Feng really wanted to arrest him to the Prefecture Yamen, Jia Yuanling suddenly panicked, ¡°Please forgive me, you junior, this time, for Jia family¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao,¡± Fang chimed in, ¡°What about inviting the governor here to help you with this case?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned cold. But before he said anything, he saw Tao Feng pulling a long and chilling face, ¡°Mrs. Jia, it is this officer¡¯s own business to deal with the convict and others have no right to intervene.¡±

 Chapter 10 - Do You Want to Rebel?

    Looking at Tao Feng¡¯s expression, Ling Zhang knew that he had won half the battle today.


    Tan Yang was a very special place where the Prefecture Guards had more power to hold down the civil servant group headed by Tao Feng. In Ling Zhang¡¯s last life, the reason the government officials had been directed against Ling Family was because Zhang Chong, the commander of Prefecture Guards, put pressure on the government behind the scenes. Besides, it was also because of the support of Zhang Chong that Jia Family dared to act so presumptuously.


    The Prefecture Guards almost laid down the law in Tan Yang. The Prefecture Guards commander, Zhang Chong, was actually the local tyrant.


    However, Tao Feng extremely hated to obey Zhang Chong¡¯s order when he wanted to do something. What Fang shi said was like a knife poked on Tao Feng¡¯s heart.


    Fang shi bit her lips. She also knew that she had deeply offended Tao Feng. It would be more difficult to restore the relationship with Tao Feng in the future. But Jia Yuanling was crying for help, which stimulated her again and again. Therefore, even if she would offend Tao Feng openly, she had to delay the time to wait for Zhang Chong to save her son.


    Fang shi said, ¡°Your honor, Commander Zhang always appreciates Yuanling and treats him as his own nephew. Now, you don¡¯t tell Commander Zhang before arresting Yuanling. Isn¡¯t it too much?¡±


    After her words were finished, Ling Zhang sneered.


    Fang shi¡¯s eyes, with animosity and coldness, immediately turned to Ling Zhang. Her tone was also as cold as frost, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m laughing at you. You are truly an ignorant and stupid woman.¡± Ling Zhang sneered.


    ¡°How dare you! You not only interrupt when elders are speaking, but also dare to calumniate me. How arrogant of you!¡± Fang shi blamed with anger. She said maliciously, ¡°It¡¯s definitely true that people would lack refinement without parents to teach.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes quickly became cold. ¡°If my parents are like you, I would rather have no parents. Having a stupid mother like you, Jia Yuanling is so unlucky. Having a hostess like you, Jia Family¡¯s deceased ancestors must be infuriated to the extent of even climbing out of their graves.¡±


    ¡°According to the law, Prefecture Guards can¡¯t intervene in local government affairs, and military and political affairs mustn¡¯t be mixed. But now you want the Prefecture Guards to prevent the chief executive of Tan Yang to handle the case, and to threaten him by using the military power to oppress the government. Mrs. Jia, does it follow that your Jia family override all laws? Does it follow that Commander Zhang Chong has been with you to slight the law and ignore the warnings of His Majesty? Does it follow that the whole Tan Yang belongs to Zhang Chong and your Jia Family, and that you have already nursed the treacherous intention to rebel?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s just and severe statement shocked others, and everyone¡¯s face changed slightly.


    Fang shi turned ghastly pale immediately. Under the doubtful eyes of Tao Feng and others, she defended urgently, ¡°No. Your honor, please make a judicious judgement. I never have such an intention.¡±


    Although Fang shi was always calm, as a woman, she was inevitably panicked when Ling Zhang charged treason against her.


    Tao Feng became more serious. He looked at Ling Zhang with satisfaction before he said to Fang shi strictly, ¡°Save your breath. You can save your defense to the court!¡±


    Fang shi stepped back with her tight lips trembling. She was frightened by Ling Zhang and her chest heaved with suppressed rage. But she could not find anything to refute.


    ¡°Ah. Young master!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Five young men, including Jia Yuanling, had been tied up. But one of them suddenly broke free from the bondage and started to kick and smash things. What he broke were the pot plants that had been moved by Ling Zhang to make illusive trap, including the pot of strongly-scented flower.


    Ling Zhang first wrinkled his brow, and then he was happy.


    He had achieved his goal. The illusive trap was no longer needed, he thought. So it was great to be destroyed, in case other people recognized it.

 Chapter 11 - Uncle Appeared

    ¡°Second Master, bad news! Young Master met some trouble at Jia family!¡±


    In the Prefecture Yamen, the servant of Ling family ran straight towards the Tongzhi Office to find the second master of Ling family, Ling Zhaowen, who was on duty at that time.


    T/N note: Tongzhi, a fifth ranked official, is a deputy of Zhifu, the highest magistrate of a prefecture.


    Ling Zhaowen said with a disapproving frown, ¡°Why did you come here shouting so loud along the way? That¡¯s so rude.¡±


    Quickly swallowing, the servant hurried to report the matter after regaining his breath, ¡°Second Master, young master is in trouble. Lord Tao¡¯s attendant, Wang Ke, who took the token of Lord Tao back, urgently dispatched ten yamen runners to Jia family. Seeing me, he told me to inform you that young master got trouble at Jia family. Jia Yuanling of Jia family tried to frame young master for committing adultery with Jia Yin¡¯s new concubine.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face changed greatly, and he suddenly stood up that made the chair bang heavily on the ground with a loud noise. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The servant quickly breathed again, and continued, ¡°¡­But it was penetrated by other people. Now young master has sued Jia Yuanling to court. And Lord Tao arranged yamen runners to Jia family to arrest Jia Yuanling!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen breathed with ease, and because of enormous mood swings, his back was full of cold sweat. ¡°Now hurry up! Let¡¯s go to Jia family!¡±


    Rushing to Jia family with the servant, Ling Zhaowen met a bunch of people halfway with Tao Feng and Ling Zhang in the lead.


    The coldness and fierceness on Ling Zhang¡¯s face was quickly replaced by surprise, and his eyes brightened up upon seeing Ling Zhaowen. ¡°Uncle!¡±


    Even though he had turned the situation of the previous life around and successfully captured Jia Yuanling and the other conspirators, the joy could not be compared with meeting his uncle at this moment.


    It was his uncle who was still alive, safe and sound.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart grew heavy, and his throat felt tight as if being blocked by something. And his eyes quickly reddened. Looking at Ling Zhaowen with those innocent eyes, it seemed that Ling Zhang would burst into cry when he said a word.


    With a quick glance, Ling Zhaowen saw his nephew who wore a look of being severely wronged, and that made he so distressed. Walking towards Ling Zhang quickly, Ling Zhaowen raised his hands and pressed them on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder steadily before calming his nephew with a soothing wink. When he turned his head, Ling Zhaowen changed into an angry face to look at Tao Feng, ¡°Lord Tao, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Zhaowen, Ling Zhang was wronged in this case, and I will do him justice.¡± Tao Feng said.


    ¡°My nephew is the most self-disciplined and well-behaved. How dare the Jia family frame my nephew? What a beastly bully!¡± Ling Zhaowen fumed.


    Tao Feng appeased him, ¡°All of us saw everything clearly. You can rest assured that Jia Yuanling and other people who actually committed adultery with Jia Yin¡¯s concubine, have been caught up. And this magistrate will not let Ling Zhang be treated unfairly.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was shocked, what? He only thought that Jia Yuanling just framed Ling Zhang, but he did not expect that Jia Yuanling had done such an outrageous thing!


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and tugged at Ling Zhaowen¡¯s sleeve. He pulled it gently, and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Although Ling Zhang had fought hard to keep his cool, his voice was still somewhat hoarse.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not block the road of Lord Tao. It¡¯s urgent for him to go back to the Prefecture Yamen.¡±


    Looking at his nephew¡¯s eyes, Ling Zhaowen realized something all of a sudden, and he immediately made the way for Tao Feng. ¡°Lord Tao, please.¡±


    Nodding his head and looking at Ling Zhang cryptically with appreciation in eyes, Tao Feng led the crowd to the Prefecture Yamen.


    Walking side by side with Ling Zhang, Ling Zhaowen whispered, ¡°What was all that about? Tell me about it.¡±


    Telling Ling Zhaowen everything that had happened in Jia family, Ling Zhang later said to Ling Zhaowen, ¡°Uncle, please invite Tongpan to Yamen as soon as possible.¡±


    T/N: Tongpan, a sixth ranked official assisting Zhifu.


    Ling Zhaowen had already known the whole matter. After listening to Ling Zhang¡¯s words, he frowned as he weighed his words, ¡°Zhang¡¯er, you should know that Tongzhi has already been bribed by Zhang Chong. Even if he came, there is no way that he would help with the case.¡±


    Maybe he didn¡¯t want to upset Ling Zhang, Ling Zhaowen said in a tone of hesitation and embarrassment.


    ¡°Uncle, I know that. I don¡¯t expect him to uphold justice, but¡­¡± Ling Zhang then leaned closer to whisper by Ling Zhaowen¡¯s ear, ¡°What if Zhang Chong wants to revolt? Tongpan will leave office and return to the capital a month later. After he learns of the case at this subtle time, do you think that the alignment of interest between him and Zhang Chong can still be so stable? Tongpan will have some suspicions and concerns, so is the case with Zhang Chong.¡±


    ¡°Revolt?¡± Ling Zhaowen was shocked.


    Ling Zhang held his uncle¡¯s hands tightly to calm him down, ¡°Uncle, Zhang Chong would certainly not revolt.¡±


    ¡°Well, why¡­¡±


    ¡°We only guide in words.¡± Ling Zhang fixed his eyes upon him, ¡°Then we have to face the big difficulty that Zhang Chong will definitely come here to save Jia Yuanling. We must make Zhang Chong have scruples so that we can hold him back. Otherwise, everything I did today is in vain.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was not stupid, of course he soon understood, ¡°Would it work?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the advantage in this case. All people who were present at that time are all my witnesses, and I have already made a foreshadowing.¡± Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowen what he said to Fang shi at the time.


    Ling Zhaowen was shocked because he didn¡¯t expect Ling Zhang to say those words. Looking at the sharp light shining in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Ling Zhaowen could not help but change his view towards his nephew.


    ¡°Uncle, we don¡¯t have much time, you have to hurry up.¡± Ling Zhang told him.


    Ling Zhaowen rushed over here to shelter his nephew at first, but he didn¡¯t expect that his nephew had already arranged everything. And unexpectedly, he was actually convinced.


    ¡°All right.¡±

 Chapter 12 - Dont Let Me Down

    After his Second Uncle left, Ling Zhang glanced the people around him in secret.


    What Tao Feng had answered to Ling Zhang¡¯s Second Uncle sounded quite interesting. In fact, their procession passed through many streets, which easily drew many people¡¯s attention. Tao Feng¡¯s words directly spread the news that Jia Yuanling fornicated with Jia Yin¡¯s concubine. It would be disseminated throughout the whole Tanyang soon.


    Ling Zhang walked close to Tao Feng and looked at him. ¡°Your honor, according to the common practice, this kind of case should be heard in open court, right?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Tao Feng looked at him with cunningness flashing in his eyes. The way he looked at Ling Zhang became more different and contained deep meanings. Tao Feng answered, ¡°Yes. It can warn people not to do that.¡±


    After hearing that Tao Feng agreed with him, Ling Zhang knew that Tao Feng had already understood what he meant.


    Today, before Zhang Chong came to save Jia Yuanling, they must prepare well to let him have scruples in many aspects. And under the watchful eyes of the people, they would achieve what they wanted to do next more easily.


    Both of them knew it well. So Ling Zhang just mentioned it without further elaboration.


    At the same time, Ling Zhang also noticed Tao Yi watching him, but he did not look back. He just paid his attention on the whispers of the people around him.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t think about that. Mr. Jia dares to fornicate with his father¡¯s concubine.¡±


    ¡°Is it the dancer who Master Jia just got? I¡¯ve said that woman was a tease. She doesn¡¯t only make Master Jia be interested in her, but also seduces his son.¡±


    ¡°Look at Mr. Jia. It seems that he is out of his mind. He must have been totally enchanted by that woman!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. He isn¡¯t like an intellectual at all now.¡±


    ¡°Pah, what a shame!¡±


    ¡°Jia Family loses its face totally this time.¡±


    ¡°Those young men¡¯s faces seem familiar. They are probably the cousins of Jia Family. Do they also commit something?¡±


    ¡°Were they also caught when fornicating with that coquettish woman?¡±


    ¡°Alas, it¡¯s impossible to judge a man¡¯s heart from his face. They usually look good. But they dare to do such shameless things secretly!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    At first, people just talked about it in a low voice. Later, the sound of discussion became louder and louder. The whole street was talking about this.


    Someone in the crowd began to throw out a stinky egg, which smashed Jia Yuanling¡¯s back. The stench immediately spread out, which nauseated the people around him.


    Jia Yuanling almost fainted because of anger at that time. His face turned deathly pale. His usual elegant appearance was replaced by his ferocious features. Jia Yuanling stared at the back of Ling Zhang who stood in front of him. His eyes were full of hate and panic.


    Jia Yuanling knew that his name had been mudded today. If he was convicted of adultery with concubine in the court, he would definitely have a unsavory reputation!


    ¡°Disperse the people watching in front of us. Let¡¯s go back to yamen quickly!¡± Tao Feng shouted.


    Yamen runners quickly separated the people on both sides before they quickened their steps to the state¡¯s yamen.


    As they left, people curious about the drama also followed them. So when they arrived at the state¡¯s yamen, its door had already been surrounded by the people of Tanyang.


    Before Tao Feng went to change the official uniform, he had a look at Ling Zhang. Normal as the glance may seem, Ling Zhang read a lot of things from it. He calmly looked back at Tao Feng.


    ¡°Mr. Ling, don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    Ling Zhang curled the corner of his lips and said, ¡°Your honor, please don¡¯t worry.¡±


    From now on, Ling Zhang and Tao Feng were on the same boat. However, he was also very clear that in Tao Feng¡¯s view, he was still not someone eligible for cooperation. It was merely mutual backscratching. Ling Zhang must win this time so that Tao Feng would acknowledge his ability and think highly of him.

 Chapter 13 - The Confession of the Four People

    In the northwest frontier, the army of the Great Yue had just returned with victory.


    ¡°Marshal, will you go back to the capital to report on your work?¡± said Jiang Xi, the right deputy of northwest army of the Great Yue, who was following closely behind a tall man.


    ¡°No.¡± The answer of the front person to him was a short and powerful rejection.


    ¡°Marshal, you haven¡¯t returned to the capital for three years. If you don¡¯t go back again, those in the capital will definitely be dissatisfied. By that time, they will vent their anger on me, your humble subordinate. As your humble subordinate has defended you for three times, please go back this time. ¡°Jiang Xi almost cried as he pleaded.


    But unfortunately, the person in front of him still remained unmoved and answered Jiang Xi with a cold back.


    ¡°Lao Jiang, quickly help me to persuade the marshal.¡± The right deputy was hurt by the marshal¡¯s coldness, turning to look at the northwest army¡¯s left deputy ¡ª Jiang Ke, who walked beside Jiang Xi.


    Wearing a calm face, Jiang Ke said to the tall man who was walking in front of them, ¡°Marshal, I heard that your aunt is making arrangement for your marriage. And she frequently visited the noble families of the capital in the past few days, which made your marriage become a hot topic in the capital. There is a possibility that our emperor will take action. Together with this victory, if our emperor grants a marriage with an imperial edict, you will have to go back to the capital whether you want it or not.¡±


    The person in front stopped. And the right deputy saw a glimmer of hope, looking at his back with expectation.


    ¡°Inform others to have a meeting in marshal¡¯s tent two hours later, and I will set off for the capital in three days.¡± The person in front said.


    ¡°What a mighty marshal!¡± The right deputy jumped excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ll go get them here as soon as possible!¡±


    Jiang Ke calmly followed in the footsteps of the person in front, and didn¡¯t feel strange about Jiang Xi¡¯s failure to hide his moods.


    ¡­¡­


    Prefecture Yamen, Tanyang.


    After the sounding of the gavel, the court was immediately in a solemn atmosphere.


    ¡°Jia Yuanling, why did you frame Ling Zhang?¡± Tao Feng asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t frame Ling Zhang. That was what he did!¡± Jia Yuanling said, clenching his teeth.


    Tao Feng hit the gravel on the desk, ¡°So insolent! I witnessed what you did today with my own eyes. How dare you quibble! If you don¡¯t confess, this magistrate can only put you to torture!¡±


    Jia Yuanling was with a pale face, and the four young Childes behind him had gradually woken up. At this moment, scared by the sound of the gravel, they all started to tremble and their faces became pale.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to. It was the dancing girl who seduced us. And it has nothing to do with us. Lord, please forgive us!¡±


    Jia Yuanling turned back and glared at them, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°It is not your turn to interrupt in the court.¡± Tao Feng yelled at Jia Yuanling, and then said to those four people, ¡°It seems that you are not willing to confess. Well, yamen runners, punish those five people under the court by flogging, ten times for each!¡±


    ¡°Yes, lord!¡± The yamen runners answered.


    ¡°No, no, no, please don¡¯t flog us. Lord, we will confess, we will confess right now.¡±


    ¡°This is Jia Yuanling¡¯s idea, and it has nothing to do with us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he told us to put the blame on Ling Zhang, and it has nothing to do with us!¡±


    Those four, who were pleasant to the eye but of little use, had long been scared out of wits by the tension in court. Hearing that they would be flogged, they immediately confessed.


    It was easier to deal with them than Ling Zhang had expected.


    This made Jia Yuanling so angry that he almost fainted. ¡°You, you are talking nonsense! Shut up! And if you keep talking nonsense, our Jia family will never¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡± Another loud sound of the gavel.


    ¡°Jia Yuanling, this is the court, not your Jia family. Yamen runners, slap him in the face for this magistrate!¡± With his stateliness repeatedly provoked by Jia Yuanling, Tao Feng was infuriated.

 Chapter 14 - Put Poison in the Sobering-up Soup

    The yamen runners got a little hesitant, and since they were all natives of Tanyang, they knew well what status Jia Family enjoyed in Tangyang. However, compared with the status of Jia Family, Tao Feng looked even more terrible at the moment. Therefore, they just hesitated for a little while before they went up to slap Jia Yuanling in the face.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Slapped by a yamen runner, Jia shouted with pain at once.


    These yamen runners were all strong, so they naturally got great strength. Just one single slap might not be serious, but with a couple of slaps, Jia¡¯s mouth was bleeding heavily.


    The butler of Jia family who had followed was frightened to kneel down on the spot to beg for mercy for Jia Yuanling.


    Fang, the wife of Mr. Jia, rushed over a moment later; and when she saw his son being slapped, she almost staggered down to the ground. ¡°Oh, my son!¡± she cried out.


    Tao Feng raised his hand to let the yamen runner stop, who then returned to the queue with his hands stained with blood.


    Looking at Jia Yuanling who was weak and limp and pinned on the ground with his face full of blood and tears, and Fang who was crying bitterly and loudly in excessive grief, Ling Zhang felt great relief in the heart.


    ¡°Silence.¡± Tao Feng ordered loudly.


    Catching sight of Tao¡¯s sharp eyes, Fang almost choked on her own cries, and it was not until quite a moment later that she restored her voice, and asked, ¡°Your honor, why did you employ such cruel torture on my son?¡±


    ¡°He disturbed the court, threatened the eyewitness brazenly, despised me, and even refused to admit his guilt, so it was reasonable for me to punish him,¡± Tao got angry. ¡°Fang, you have attempted to query, and hinder me in carrying out my duty over and over again. I wondered whether it is true that you have been too unbridled to despise all the laws of our country just as Ling Zhang stated?¡±


    Fang¡¯s face went ghastly pale at once.


    Ling Zhang was near to applaud for Tao Feng. The evidence Ling had given to Tao Feng had been applied by the latter more skillfully than he himself could.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of despising the law. Your honor, please don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± Fang responded. The lady, who just had attempted to behave aggressively shed tears now. Pretending to be delicate, Fang said, ¡°I just took pity on my son. For the sake of my love for my son, please forgive my impulsion.¡±


    ¡°You honor, my lady didn¡¯t intend to offend you, so please forgive her.¡± The butler pleaded.


    ¡°Your honor, my son just got confused temporarily, and he didn¡¯t mean to slander Mr. Ling. Please judge carefully, your honor.¡± Fang cried.


    ¡°They four have confessed. It was Jia Yuanling who had instigated them to plant the adulterous affair with the dancing girl on me. Mrs. Jia, don¡¯t quibble for your son any more.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Fang¡¯s crying stopped suddenly in shock as her eyes fixed sharply on those four guys who lowered their heads in order not to meet her eyes.


    Glaring at the four guys firmly, Fang grinded her teeth with rage, and said, ¡°They lied.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make my own judgement whether they lied or not¡±, Tao Feng said at the moment, ¡°Unless I ask, Fang, you will be punished with the crime of disturbing the court if you dare to speak again.¡±


    ¡°You four confess honestly how Jia Yuanling instigated you to slander Ling Zhang. What was the process?¡± Tao spoke to the four guys.


    The four guys just looked at each other and hesitated. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t dare to speak like a moment ago with the presence of Fang.


    Ling Zhang frowned. What he wanted was the confession of the four guys. If they refused to identify Jia Yuanling, the matter would get much troublesome.


    He looked at Tao, who gave him a veiled look. Slapping the gavel violently, Tao Feng shouted loudly, ¡°Each of you will be flogged with sticks 20 times if you don¡¯t confess.¡±


    ¡°Your honor, they might not have been instigated, and could have committed the crime on their own initiative just like Jia Yuanling did if they refuse to speak. They might be accomplices. Your honor, I beg you to give them a severe trial, and they should be sentenced to twenty years¡¯ imprisonment and three-thousand Li of exile just like Jia Yuanling.¡± Ling Zhang clamped down.


    With the hint given by Tao, the yamen runners who stood in two lines in the court struck the ground with their sticks cooperatively, the sound of which reverberated throughout the whole court.


    Under heavy pressure, the four guys blanched with fear. One of them couldn¡¯t bear the tension any more, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll confess! It was Jia Yuanling who had told us that he would put poison in the sobering-up soup for Ling Zhang; and after Ling went into a coma, he would take off Ling¡¯s clothes, and throw him beside the dancing girl.¡±

 Chapter 15 - The Reasons for Framing

    Chapter 15: The Reasons for Framing


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Fang shi screamed. With her angry and ferocious face, she was fierce as if she would pounce on to tear that speaker.


    The speaker was shocked to step back repeatedly.


    ¡°So insolent!¡± Tao Feng angrily ordered the Yamen runners to pull Fang shi away, ¡°Gag Fang shi for this magistrate!¡±


    ¡°Lord, lord! Please let her off. Our lady is the hostess of Jia family, and for this reason, please save some dignity for our Jia family.¡± The butler of Jia family shouted loudly.


    ¡°This magistrate has enough of her insolence. How could I connive at her repeatedly provoking my stateliness!¡± Tao Feng fumed.


    The butler of Jia family then persuaded Fang shi, ¡°Madam, please calm down.¡± He whispered to Fang shi, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Commander Zhang.¡±


    The name of Commander Zhang calmed Fang shi. Although she still stared malevolently at the four people, she showed no sign of rushing to them and tearing them apart.


    Ling Zhang looked at Fang shi¡¯s face and sneered sarcastically. This woman had presented a noble and graceful look in Jia family just now, but she showed her true colour here.


    Even the crowd of onlookers outside began to remark loudly as they pointed at Fang shi.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Tao Feng shouted.


    All the people outside were quiet.


    ¡°Go ahead with your confession.¡± Tao Feng looked at the person who spoke before.


    However, that man began to hesitate again.


    With a disapproving frown, Ling Zhang berated coldly, ¡°Why did Jia Yuanling incite you to frame me? I am generous to you and always treat you as my brothers.¡±


    This was also what hurt Ling Zhang most before his rebirth. He treated these people in all sincerity and took them as friends and brothers. But these people stabbed him in the back!


    The four people who were questioned did not dare to look Ling Zhang straight in the eye and bowed their heads in shame.


    ¡°We, we didn¡¯t mean to do that. It is Yuanling who said that your Ling family, and, and ¡­ were so close that you may stand in Jia family¡¯s way. If we throw the responsibility of the dancing girl¡¯s scandal on you, you will lose your reputation. And this will teach your Ling family a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yuan Ling didn¡¯t like you from the very beginning. You were too stupid to not even notice it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How could you blame us? You should blame your own stupidity.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s hands that were put behind his back clenched. He just looked at the four people and Jia Yuanling coldly, his cold eyes sharp like blades.


    Although he had known all this before his rebirth, when hearing it directly again, he still felt his anger burning ceaselessly. And he just wanted to kill these malicious people by himself!


    At this time, Jia Yuanling, who couldn¡¯t speak because of the blood in his mouth, met Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. He saw the anger in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and even gave a bloody and mocking smile. The smile seemed to be laughing at Ling Zhang¡¯s ignorance and stupidity in the past, with disgust and contempt in his eyes.


    When Ling Zhang saw such a gaze, the anger burning in his heart somehow cooled down. He had met this kind of gaze for too many times, and he had even experienced gazes more undisguised and more humiliating than this. Jia Yuanling¡¯s stare was nothing compared to them.


    He had vowed to send these people to hell.


    Ling Zhang quickly calmed down and looked at Jia Yuanling coldly. He said, ¡°It turns out that Jia family has long hated our Ling family. And this is the reason why you have framed me.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang quickly recovered his cool, Jia Yuanling was very surprised. The calmer Ling Zhang was, the more Jia Yuanling appeared to be a real clown. This role of conversion made Jia Yuanling¡¯s face distorted.

 Chapter 16 - The Crowd Were Burning with Rage

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it, so what?¡±


    Maybe having been provoked by Ling Zhang¡¯s calm reaction, Jia Yuanling said that even though he spoke difficultly with his bloody mouth.


    ¡°Now you admitted it.¡± Ling Zhang said, clenching his hands behind the back as he stared at Jia Yuanling fiercely.


    Jia Yuanling laughed with his bloody mouth, which looked so disgusting. He sneered, ¡°Do you think you can convict me according to these men¡¯s words?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Remember that you are kneeling on the court now,¡± Ling Zhang said coldly.


    ¡°Cough, hah, hah, hah¡­¡± Jia Yuanling spat out blood. He looked at Ling Zhang and jeered, ¡°Do you believe Tao Feng can destroy our Jia Family? You must be dreaming!¡±


    ¡°Young master!¡± The butler of Jia Family shouted to stop Jian Yuanling before other people reacted. He was so scared after hearing that and came out in cold sweat.


    ¡°Why did you shout to me?¡± Jia Yuanling suddenly turned his head and cast a stern glance at the butler. He said angrily, ¡°You, you useless thing, didn¡¯t know to protect me when I was beaten. When my Godfather comes, he will strip your skin off.¡±


    ¡°Yuanling!¡± Even Mrs. Fang was shocked this time. To gloss over his words, she scolded Jia Yuanling hurriedly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Tang Feng sat in the front of court and his face turned so dark. He looked at Mrs. Fang, the coldness in his eyes made her blood freeze.


    ¡°Godfather? You dare to regard Zhang Chong as your Godfather,¡± Ling Zhang said to Jia Yuanling.


    ¡°Does it surprise you? I allow you to follow me because I pity you. Do you really think you are the exalted person in Tan Yang? You are just a lowly orphan. Do you believe your grandfather who is going to die can support you? Damn, your Ling Family should be clear about your own place. How dare you block Jia Family¡¯s way? How dare you convict me? Stop daydreaming!¡± Jia Yuanling shouted crankily.


    Everyone in the court was shocked by Jia Yuanling¡¯s arrogant behaviour. People who watched outside were talking about that loudly again.


    Ling Zhang seemed to be overwhelmed with indignation. But he wanted to laugh in his heart.


    Because he got a glimpse of his Second Uncle and another middle-aged man with official uniform. They were in the crowd and would come over soon.


    The timing was excellent. Before he came up with a plan to trap Jia Family, Jia Yuanling had offered an excellent excuse for them.


    ¡°It seems that I was right at the beginning. Jia Family has already despised the government and the law like this because Zhang Chong is Jia Yuanling¡¯s Godfather. Jia Yuanling, as long as our Great Yue dynasty exists, no one can defy the law in the court unless he wants to rebel!¡±


    The middle-aged man, who almost walked into the court, halted his step upon hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words. His face changed a little.


    Jia Yuanling¡¯s face also changed. He stared long at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Since you said that we would get into terrible trouble after Commander Zhang came, I also want to see if Zhang Chong is so powerful and unruly that he controls everything. In front of Tan Yang¡¯s people, everything is exposed openly. I wander whether Zhang Chong dares to destroy the truth, break the law and do whatever he wants to!¡±


    ¡°I guess he would kill us all or besiege Tan Yang with soldiers so that no one can leave! If he really does that, I won¡¯t be scared. But I don¡¯t need to do anything. Because government army will do justice for us!¡± Ling Zhang said aloud.


    The whole yamen was silent. No one dared to make a noise.


    ¡°Right. I also want to see it.¡± Tao Feng broke the silence and said slowly.


    ¡°Yes. We also want to see it!¡±


    ¡°Does he dare to kill us all or what?¡±


    ¡°I always respect Prefecture Guards. But I never knew that Jia Family dared to be so arrogant because his son regarded its commander as Godfather. Is it still the Prefecture Guards that I respect?¡±


    After the silence, it turned noisy. The crowd were yelling and burning with rage.


    A team of soldiers rode their horses quickly and finally arrived at the door of yamen. They heard those words as soon as they closed there. The leader¡¯s face was clouded suddenly.

 Chapter 17 - Commander of the Prefecture Guards-Zhang Chong

    ¡°My commander, how could this be?¡±


    Having raised his hand to stop the subordinate¡¯s words, Zhang Chong walked into the yamen with a long face.


    ¡°Here come the prefecture guards!¡± Someone with sharp eyes shouted.


    People who had been yelling angrily all calmed down, and turned around to look at Zhang Chong with their eyes full of hatred and suspicion.


    The guard beside Zhang Chong couldn¡¯t help pressing the weapon he carried with his hand, and got uptight all over.


    Zhang Chong also noticed even the middle-aged man in official uniform who was standing beside Ling Zhaowen looked at him with inquiry and hesitation.


    Even the magistrate who had been bribed by him showed such a look, Zhang Chong thus soon realized the situation had changed dramatically. All of these people had come for him.


    As for the man who had contributed to such a consequence¡­¡­


    Zhang Chong spotted Ling Zhang who was standing in the courtroom. He glanced at Ling Zhang with his eyes revealing sharp light.


    His ugly face and the scar stretching from his frontal angle to the corner of his mouth made him look ferocious.


    Ling Zhang, the guy who was lukewarm to the extent of being flabby?


    No, he didn¡¯t have such an easy manner.


    Fixing his eyes on Ling Zhang tightly, Zhang Chong led his soldiers straight into the courtroom, and the atmosphere there got tenser.


    Ling Zhang stood there steadily, not a bit intimidated by Zhang¡¯s look.


    ¡°Commander Zhang, we juniors have been waiting for you to come.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    The air Zhang Chong presented made a lot of people present change their complexions. Those who had been filled with indignation just now didn¡¯t dare to breathe at the moment.


    However, Ling Zhang still stood there firmly. With the status of being a scholar, Ling didn¡¯t give a salute even when he met Tao Feng, let alone Zhang Chong who was the commander of the Prefecture Guards, and the official rank of whom was even one level inferior to Tao¡¯s.


    Looking at Zhang Chong calmly, Ling said word by word slowly, ¡°Jia Yuanling fornicated with a concubine of his father. After the adultery, he framed me up, but thanks to the fact that he was exposed on the spot, this junior was not put in the wrong. I was so angry that I decided to sue Jia. With the eyewitness and physical evidence all available, and he himself admitted as well, Jia claimed that he wouldn¡¯t be convicted even we took him to court, because you would not only make sure that he is safe but also make all of us suffer. Commander Zhang, may I ask whether it is true or not?¡±


    After Ling Zhang finished his words, all people present turned their eyes on Zhang Chong.


    Kneeling on the ground of the court, Fang¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she hurried to explain, ¡°No, No, No, that¡¯s not what my son meant¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°My Godfather! Here you are at last. Save me! These men tried to convict me!¡±


    Jia Yuanling shouted to interrupt his mother. And he now took Zhang as a life-saving straw. He staggered over, and grabbed Zhang¡¯s leg.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face looked as black as the bottom of a pot. Looking at Jia Yuanling, Zhang verged on lifting his foot to kick Jia away directly.


    Such an idiot!


    He hurried over in vain as the idiot went so far as to ask for his own death!


    But Zhang Chong was far more restrained than these members of Jia¡¯s family. He spoke to his soldiers calmly, ¡°Somebody, come and pull Jia Yuanling away!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Two soldiers pulled Jia Yuanling away quickly, which led Jia to look at Zhang in disbelief, ¡°My Godfather?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just too disappointed! I took you as my godson because I saw you were always honest and strict with yourself, but I didn¡¯t imagine you would do such an immoral thing. You have the courage to frame others, but don¡¯t have the courage to bear the consequence, do you? Are you daydreaming that I will get you off? Don¡¯t kid yourself! I, Zhang Chong, is an honest man. I hate people like you the most in my life!¡±


    ¡°No, godfather! You can¡¯t just leave me away! Haven¡¯t you said that you are the emperor in Tang Yang¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Even before Jia finished his words, he was suddenly kicked in the chest violently by Zhang Chong, and thrown away, spitting out a mouthful of blood!


    ¡°Ling!¡± Fang screamed.

 Chapter 18 - The Judgement

    Zhang Chong kicked with great strength, and Jia Yuanling was kicked off into the air and knocked against the pillar in the court immediately!


    The blood he spitted spilled everywhere. Jia Yuanling couldn¡¯t believe Zhang Chong would treat him this way. He glared at Zhang tightly, and said, ¡°My godfather.¡±


    ¡°My son! Oh, God, My son!¡± Fang almost fainted from crying.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s violent action quelled many people, whose hatred and suspicion were replaced by fear, and they got silent in a flash.


    After kicking, Zhong Chong withdrew his foot. He got quite satisfied that he had dominated these people. He swept around with swift and fierce eyes, disdain in them when he noticed Ling Zhang and Ling Shaowen.


    ¡°Lord Tao, the unfilial guy should be punished for his mistakes. I can¡¯t allow anything objectionable as this, but my action has exceeded my duties and meddled in your affairs, so Lord Tao, I beg your forgiveness.¡± Zhang Chong said with his face looked even more ferocious.


    ¡°Commander Zhang, you just overstated! Since there is no objection, I¡¯ll enter a judgement over the case of Jiang Yuanling framing Ling Zhang, the Xiucai (one who passed the imperial examination at the county level),¡± said Tao Feng.


    ¡°My godfather¡­¡­please save me¡­¡­¡± Struggling to make a sound, Jia Yuanling intended to crawl over.


    ¡°Commander Zhang, please save my Ling! He just said wrong words, and I apologized for him. But please, please save him from ruin.¡± Fang turned around to make kowtows to Zhang Chong.


    ¡°Commander Zhang, you can¡¯t be softhearted, can you?¡± Ling Zhaowen who was standing together with Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Are you looking down upon me by saying so?¡± Zhang Chong¡¯s face turned cold, looking even more fierce.


    Not afraid of him, Ling Zhaowen wore the expression of waiting and seeing what would happen.


    ¡°I know people in Tanyang have some misunderstanding about me. You can rest assured that I, Zhang Chong, am by no means the kind of person who practices favoritism and fraud. Please don¡¯t let a word or two from others shake your trust in Prefecture Guards.¡± Zhang turned around to speak to the people outside.


    Then he turned back, and said to Tao Feng, ¡°Lord Tao, you just make your own judgement, and I won¡¯t say a word about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you got my admiration,¡± said Tao Feng, who then declared Jia Yuanling and others guilty at once.


    Jia Yuanling was sentenced to 20 years of exile for 3,000 Li away, and the other four received varying punishments respectively.


    Jia Yuanling gasped heavily for breath, and his chest heaved violently out of wrath before he fainted.


    Having witnessed the scene, Fang rolled her eyes, and got fainted too.


    The servants of Jia¡¯s family got so flustered, and didn¡¯t know what to do totally.


    Once the judgement was made, there would be no way to change it.


    ¡°You¡¯re wise, my lord,¡± Ling Zhang said. ¡°You¡¯re just wise and upright, and it is fortunate for people in Tanyang to have you here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord, for upholding justice for us,¡± Ling Zhaowen said too.


    ¡°Wise, my lord!¡± someone outside shouted, and then many people echoed loudly.


    Tao Feng¡¯s reputation got very high for the moment, and those guests who followed him to testify looked at each other before they joined in speaking highly of Tao too.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s expression turned stern, and he and Tao Feng looked at each other in the courtroom.


    When the court was dismissed, Zhang Chong turned to look at Ling Zhang suddenly.


    The expression in his eyes was full of coldness and maliciousness, like a murderous wolf wanting to tear apart Ling Zhang.


    Although it was fleeting, and the people next to him hardly noticed, Ling Zhang still made out the homicidal intent of Zhang Chong.


    Ling Zhao looked at him calmly as it was inevitable to come into conflict with Zhang, and he had already got prepared psychologically for this.


    Just a murderous gaze didn¡¯t matter much, and what he wanted was Zhang Chong¡¯s life.


    He didn¡¯t forget how dozens of people in Ling family had lost their lives before his rebirth.

 Chapter 19 - Have You Ever Heard About Yuwen Family in Capital?

    Within 4 hours, Jia Family, promising and powerful in Tanyang, fell down. Even Zhang Chong didn¡¯t dare to save it.


    Considering the sequence of events, people would find that Jia Family was destroyed by one person¨CLing Zhang.


    At this time, all people who were not stupid clearly realized one thing. That Ling Zhang was not a man to be trifled with.


    The young man used to be moderate and feeble. But suddenly, he became a person who took actions quickly in a ruthless way. It made many people complain in their hearts that they had misjudged him.


    As the old saying went, ¡°A man of substance doesn¡¯t like to flaunt his true worth.¡±


    Ling Zhang was praised by almost all people who went to congratulate Ling Zhaowen that Ling Family had won a lawsuit.


    ¡°Childe Ling is a talented young man. He is stable and decisive when he does things. I really admire him.¡±


    ¡°I just participated Childe Ling¡¯s Puberty Rite a few days ago. But he soon makes us see the adult¡¯s bravery. Zhaowen, your Ling Family has gotten a qualified successor.¡±


    Hearing different kinds of praises, the Second Uncle of Ling Family was still a little confused. He knew well about his nephew. How could he not realize Ling Zhang¡¯s change? He now looked like a different man. The Second Uncle of Ling Family was, at one hand, happy about his nephew¡¯s positive change, but also worried that such change might have derived from something terrible his nephew had been through.


    Ling Zhaowen just thought about it in his heart and didn¡¯t show that on his face. Decent and polite, he accepted people¡¯s congratulations and praises.


    Standing next to Ling Zhaowen, Ling Zhang was not glad nor sad on his face. His movements were deliberate. However, if someone could see the emotion in his eyes, he would be shocked by the indifference and coldness.


    Before Ling Zhang was reborn, these people who congratulated him had avoided Ling Family and some even had added insult to injury. Only few of them had showed kindness to Ling Family.


    Ling Zhang disliked their praises. To put it simply, their praises were like the sugar that was stuck by shit, which made him feel nauseated whenever he smelt or saw it.


    ¡°Childe Ling, you impressed me today. You¡¯re definitely the grandson of Shilang (Vice Minister) Ling. It can be expected soon that Ling Family will rise to power again.¡± Tongpan came over and said.


    Ling Zhang replied as coldness flashed across his eyes, ¡°You overpraised me. What I did is just to seek justice for myself. I don¡¯t have enough ability to manage Ling Family. Besides, Ling Family always does its duty and remains indifferent whether granted favors or subjected to humiliation. In my view, Ling Family never declines. Naturally, there is no such a thing as to rise to power again.¡±


    Ling Zhang of course knew what Tongpan really meant.


    The tenure of his grandfather was very short. His grandfather got that position because of an accident, which rendered him a laughingstock for quite a while in the capital. Even now people in capital still teased his grandfather when they talked about his name.


    This Tongpan used to be an official in capital. How couldn¡¯t he know what had happened in those years?


    So he wasn¡¯t praising Ling Zhang when he said Ling Zhang was like his grandfather.


    It was also a joke in Tongpan¡¯s eyes that Ling Family would be powerful again. Because they always looked down upon Ling Family. So ¡®rise to power again¡¯ apparently wasn¡¯t some sort of compliment.


    Disputed by Ling Zhang softly, Tongpan wore a sullen look when he left.


    After Tongpan went away, other people also gradually left.


    With no one by the side to disturb them, Second Uncle decided to talk about what had happened with his nephew and asked his nephew what made him change a lot. However, Tao Yi came over at that time.


    Tao Yi was the son of Tao Feng, Ling Zhaowen¡¯s immediate supervisor, so Second Uncle of Ling Family had to give him face.


    ¡°What you did today gladdens people¡¯s hearts. Jia Yuanling is unscrupulous. He dares to frame you in a dirty way and even acts so arrogantly. People like him should be put in prison and banished,¡± Tao Yi said smilingly.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude to Tao Yi was a little better, because Tao Yi helped him a lot today.


    ¡°Thank you and your father for helping me today. Otherwise Ling Family can¡¯t win easily.¡±


    ¡°Such a bad thing happened in my father¡¯s term of office. My father, as the magistrate of Tangyang, would never turn a blind eye to it. As for me, it¡¯s no bother for me to help you. I dislike Jia Yuanling. If Jia Family hadn¡¯t frequently invited us over for today¡¯s gathering, I and my father wouldn¡¯t even be there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you and your father went and helped me,¡± Ling Zhang said with a grateful look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. No one wants to miss such an exciting thing. But¡­ you should pay more attention to Zhang Chong. He won¡¯t leave the matter at that. Today you exposed him to public disgrace. He will try to revenge you one day,¡± Tao Yi said seriously.


    Ling Zhang also looked serious. He said, ¡°I know. I¡¯m prepared. Jia Yuanling said that Ling Family blocked their way. Jia Family is close to Zhang Chong. I¡¯m afraid our Ling Family has already been Zhang Chong¡¯s eyesore. If today¡¯s thing doesn¡¯t happen, they will surely scheme something else against us. If I were really wronged today, I could imagine how difficult Ling Family¡¯s situation would be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re psychologically prepared. In Tanyang, the power of Prefecture Guards is too much. Even my father can¡¯t control Zhang Chong.¡±


    Although people didn¡¯t talk about it openly, everyone was clear in their heart. But Tao Yi dared to speak it out today. What did he mean?


    ¡°According to our dynasty¡¯s laws, no one could be more powerful than Zhizhou, the chief of a prefecture. The situation of Tanyang is very dangerous now. Didn¡¯t Lord Tao present memorial report to the royal court to deal with it?¡± Ling Zhang followed Tao Yi¡¯s words to say.


    Tao Yi shook his head and said, ¡°He has done it. But you know, banditry is a serious problem in Tanyang. So Tanyang¡¯s Prefecture Guards keep more soldiers than other places. Many things¡­ Alas, I believe you understand it even if I don¡¯t say much.¡±


    Tao Yi¡¯s tone was¡­ Was it a gesture of being friendly? Did it mean what he himself did in front of Tao Feng took effect?


    Ling Zhang thought about it quickly in his heart. Then he sighed, ¡°It will be better if the royal court sends massive forces to destroy the banditry around Tanyang.¡±


    Tao Yi forced a smile, ¡°I¡¯m afraid no one wants to take this trouble except Marshal Yuwen.¡±


    Marshal Yuwen?


    Ling Zhang frowned secretly for a while and his focus was immediately distracted, ¡°Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Have¡­ Have you ever heard about Yuwen Family in capital?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    Ling Zhang nodded. His eyes became cold for a moment. Then he said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He knew him so much!


    Tao Yi continued, ¡°Marshal Yuwen is the model of men in capital. No. Not only in the capital, he is also the example of the whole country¡¯s men. He totally changed the declining tendency of Great Yue¡¯s war against the enemies within ten years. And he even forced the enemy country to beg for peace by ceding territory many times. Without Marshal Yuwen, Great Yue will¡­ Ahem, in short, Marshal Yuwen can do anything. He is invincible. It¡¯s said that army of Great Yue always advances triumphantly when fighting with Wan Country. The capital must have gotten the good news of victory by now.¡±


    Tao Yi¡¯s eyes were shining. He grew more excited as he spoke. Now he couldn¡¯t calm down at all.


    However, Tao Yi didn¡¯t notice that Ling Zhang looked calm all the time and he was even a little indifferent.


    ¡°Really? It sounds that he is excellent,¡± Ling Zhang said perfunctorily.


    When news about his engagement with Yuwen Family had spread out from Tanyang, they instantly sent a written breach of engagement with a tough attitude. In case that other people didn¡¯t know it, they even publicized it in Tanyang¡¯s street, which had brought disgrace to Ling family and ridded his family of the last hope to survive. Did the Marshal Yuwen come from that Yuwen Family?


    In his last life, only the servants from Yuwen Family had come to break off the engagement. Ling Zhang still remembered the servants¡¯ arrogant faces. The way they looked at Ling Family was like they were looking at some dirty things.


    Ling Zhang understood why Yuwen Family wanted to break off the engagement with him. But he couldn¡¯t understand the way they did it.


    That year, it was Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather who had proposed to engage because Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather had saved him. Ling Family didn¡¯t get it by begging them doggedly and shamelessly.


    In fact, Ling Family had helped Yuwen Family. But they didn¡¯t want to admit it and even tried to disassociate themselves from Ling Family. When they heard of the engagement, even though it was the time that Ling Family was going to be destroyed, they still came to break off the engagement without any delay. Ling Zhang could accept all that. But he couldn¡¯t forgive that Yuwen Family distorted truth and mocked his grandfather in an arrogant way.


    ¡®So, Marshal Yuwen? Bah, he¡¯d better not show up in front of me, or¡­¡¯


    The author has something to say:


    Ling Zhang: Marshal Yuwen? Bah! Hate him forever!


    Yuwen Tong: ¡­Last time only my back got a chance yet this time I only appeared in other¡¯s conversation?

 Chapter 20 - Uncle Will Return the Justice to You

    ¡°Father.¡± After returning to the backyard of the Yamen, Tao Yi met Tao Feng.


    ¡°How is it going? What did Ling Zhang say?¡± Tao Feng asked.


    Tao Yi briefly recounted the conversation between him and Ling Zhang. In the end, he concluded, ¡°I don¡¯t think that Ling Zhang is simple, and he is a careful speaker who is very independent. It is different from the rumors that Ling Zhang is gentle to the point of being weak. Either he had been playing dumb, or he was cornered by what happened in Jia family this time.¡±


    ¡°Which do you think it is?¡± Tao Feng asked.


    Tao Yi thought for a moment, ¡°If Ling Zhang is the same as the one in the rumors, even if he is cornered, he will only point at Jia Yuanling¡¯s nose to curse, and finally sever the relationship with Jia Yuanling. But he acted vigorously and speedily today, and he set the traps when talking and doing everything. He sent Jia Yuanling to the prison step by step, and even forced Zhang Chong to abandon Jia Yuanling because of today¡¯s situation. So, I tend to the first reason that his being gentle and weak is just an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he suddenly expose himself?¡± Tao Feng asked again.


    ¡°Apart from the fact that Jia Yuanling really irritated him, I think he also realized the dangerous situation of Ling family. The conversation just now showed that he understood exactly what Ling family¡¯s situation is now, so he can no longer hide his true nature,¡± Tao Yi answered.


    After answering it, Tao Yi appeared to be somewhat confused, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why Ling Zhang pretended to be gentle and weak?¡±


    Tao Feng was also thinking about it, ¡°This is also what makes me puzzled. Although Ling family lost a lot power after Ling Zhaowu¡¯s disappearance, Ling Zhaowen has taken the position of right Tongzhi through his hard work. And if Jia family didn¡¯t play up to Zhang Chong, it would be an ordinary despotic gentry family that cannot compete with Ling family ¨C a family of public officials for generations. The previous Jia family was not a threat to Ling family. And it also doesn¡¯t make sense saying that they feared Zhang Chong; at least before what happened today, there was no sign that Zhang Chong would do something to harm Ling family. Besides, this is not necessarily related to whether Ling Zhang has pretended to be weak or not.¡±


    ¡°Father, I have a question. How did Ling family block Jia family¡¯s or Zhang Chong¡¯s way?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    Tao Feng explained to him, ¡°You are in the capital all the year round, so you don¡¯t know the mobilization of some officials in Tanyang. Jia Yin¡¯s younger brother, Jia Zhong, once wanted to get the right Tongzhi position. But, finally, Ling Zhaowen got the position.¡±


    Tao Yi frowned, ¡°Jia Zhong? All Tan Yang¡¯s people know clearly how Jia Zhong got the position of Xianling. How dare he want the position of right Tongzhi?¡±


    T/N: Xianling, a seventh ranked official, lower than Tongzhi.


    ¡°Of course, he dared not do it before Jia family played up to Zhang Chong. But after successfully associating with Zhang Chong, Jia Zhong wanted to rely on Zhang Chong, the backer, to get the position. Your father, of course, would not allow Zhang Chong to extend his power to the prefecture Yamen. And it happened that Ling Zhaowen was the most suitable candidate at that time, so I got in first and blocked the way of Jia Yin. Although Jia family didn¡¯t exhibit any displeasure apparently, they actually hated Ling family because of it. Zhang Chong has always wanted to extend his power to Yamen, and of course it became their common purpose to deal with Ling family,¡± Tao Feng said.


    Tao Yi was angry after hearing it, ¡°It is Zhang Chong who is behind the stunt.¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhang also said just now that if only the imperial court could dispatch massive forces to destroy the serious banditry. That is also my wish. Father, should we just watch Zhang Chong tyrannically abuse his power? You still have to stay in the position of Zhizhou for six years. So you have to take insults from him in the following six years? Why¡­ Why don¡¯t you present a memorial report again to beg our emperor¡­¡±


    Tao Feng interrupted Tao Yi¡¯s words, ¡°It¡¯s useless. I have presented memorials for many times these years, but our emperor turns a blind eye to this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Tao Yi frowned.


    Tao Feng shook his head, ¡°I have made you stay in the capital for a long time to learn about the situation. Haven¡¯t you seen clearly about it yet?¡±


    ¡°Please tell me, father.¡± Tao Yi said.


    Tao Feng poked lightly on his son¡¯s forehead, ¡°You just look smart. It¡¯s not that our emperor doesn¡¯t want to solve these bandits, but the thing is too complicated with too many factors and forces involved. And the most important one is related to Marshal Yuwen.¡±


    ¡°Related to Marshal Yuwen? Why?¡± Tao Yi was puzzled.


    ¡°The banditry around Tanyang has existed for a long time, and their forces are complicated. Besides, they have developed connections to various powers. Destroying the banditry means to change the entire situation in Tanyang and surrounding areas, including Prefecture Guards. This is not just an ordinary destruction of the banditry but a serious matter. We can hardly find someone in the court who has the courage to solve the matter perfectly. It is not because these officials are incompetent but because those behind the banditry are too powerful. Once someone is involved, just like a dragon gets stuck in the mud, he would get in trouble, maybe even ruin himself.¡±


    ¡°Those who have the ability, such as Yuwen Tong, are the last persons that our emperor would send here to deal with banditry.¡±


    ¡°Is it because Marshal Yuwen can¡¯t leave the northwest frontier behind?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    Tao Wei shook his head, ¡°Not really. After ten years, the northwest frontier has been as stable as an iron bucket under Yuwen Tong¡¯s management. As long as he is alive, the northwest can be stable.¡±


    ¡°So, why?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    ¡°Because Yuwen Tong has reached the top of honor. As the Grand Marshal of the Northwest Army, he is the only one in the whole Great Yue. Our emperor ¡­ Emm, in short, our emperor will never allow Yuwen Tong to deal with the matter and turn the entire Tanyang and the surrounding places into another northwest,¡± Tao Feng said.


    Tao Yi suddenly got enlightened and he finally understood what was going on, but the more he understood it, the more unfair he felt.


    ¡°Our emperor is gauging the heart of the gentleman with¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Tao Feng hissed.


    Tao Yi shut up unwillingly.


    His father would not want him to talk about the emperor. He should be cautious in the capital, and he should also be cautious when he returned to Tanyang.


    Not as free as¡­ Right, Ling Zhang.


    When he just talked to Ling Zhang about Marshal Yuwen, Ling Zhang listened very seriously. He definitely admired Marshal Yuwen, too. Although he couldn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang everything, it was definitely not a problem to talk about Marshal Yuwen with him.


    Ling Zhang, who returned to Ling family with his uncle, did not know that Tao Yi had made some strange conclusions about him arbitrarily. If Ling Zhang knew it, he would be angry to spit blood.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, tell me every detail about what happened.¡± Upon returning to Ling family, Ling Zhaowen could not wait to pull his nephew into the study.


    When Ling Zhang stepped back into his own home and looked at everything that was familiar to him, his eyes quickly reddened. However, before Ling Zhang got a minute to calm himself, he was pulled into Ling Zhaowen¡¯s study.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s study was also a familiar place to him. Looking at everything familiar in the study and his uncle¡¯s face with eager care, his eyes reddened more.


    Ling Zhaowen was startled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Jia family do something else to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s outrageous. Twenty years¡¯ banishment for Jia Yuanling is letting him off lightly. It is a waste of your time to treat him as a friend all the time! A fair face may hide a foul heart. He is worse than a beast!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen scolded, nothing like the conservative and composed image he showed outside, and he could not wait to curse even the eighteen generations of Jia family.


    Ling Zhang looked at the angry face of his uncle, and all kinds of grievances crept into his mind. He wanted to call ¡°uncle¡± again, but he found that he couldn¡¯t, because the choked voice would be exposed.


    Ling Zhang simply walked over and hugged his uncle like what he did in his childhood.


    Ling Zhaowen turned silent like a smothered firecracker, his body getting stiff. He had never been hugged so intimately since his nephew was ten years old.


    What kind of grievance could force his own nephew to be like this?


    Ling Zhaowen felt distressed and his heart ached for the possible injustice his nephew had suffered. The frozen body gradually relaxed, and he took Ling Zhang tightly in his arms as he comforted Ling Zhang by patting his back like what he did when Ling Zhang was a child, saying in a comforting tone that sounded quite awkward after years of negligence, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Your uncle will kill whoever dares to bully you and let them regret living in this world.¡±


    Ling Zhang blinked his eyes, and secretly wiped the teardrops that accidentally fell out with his uncle¡¯s clothes, tightening his hands around his uncle. Not until quite a moment later did he let go of his uncle.


    Ling Zhaowen noticed that his nephew had loosened his hand and he took back his hands too while saying, ¡°Jia family bullied you this time. Even though Jia Yuanling has been sent to the prison, I¡¯m not going to let this go. You can rest assured that uncle will get justice for your grievances!¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart was slowly moisturized by a burst of warmth. Almost greedily looking at the living uncle, he nodded vigorously, ¡°Thanks!¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Tao Yi: Ling Zhang must be a huge fan of Marshal Yuwen!


    Ling Zhang: Tao Yi must be a fool.


    Uncle Ling: What a lovely day! A warm hug from my dear nephew!

 Chapter 21 - Just Tell me

    Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowen what had happened in Jia¡¯s mansion in detail, and it was not until now did Ling Zhaowen come to know many details he hadn¡¯t known before.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhaowen was observing his nephew carefully.


    He thought his judgement was not wrong, and his nephew had indeed changed a lot.


    It looked as if his nephew had grown into an adult overnight. The sentimental teenager who had behaved in a fit and proper way the other day turned into a young man who was agile, steady, and tactful at the same time, which made Ling Zhaowen not only feel gratified, but also sad.


    What had happened in Jia¡¯s mansion must have upset his nephew much, and the betrayal from his nephew¡¯s friends was heartbreaking too, which made Ling Zhang who had always been kind and gentle change so much.


    He felt sorry to his eldest brother for not taking good care of his nephew.


    Different from others¡¯ various conjecture, Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t hold any suspicion to his nephew, and instead he just felt sorry for Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I have no idea that Jia family has been bearing a grudge on me stealthily. If I was clear about it, I must have prevented you from getting too close to Jia Yuanling, and you might not have suffered so much!¡± Ling Zhaowen got quite angry.


    ¡°My uncle, it¡¯s not your fault. Jia family has been good at acting. And it is also because I didn¡¯t know people clearly, and couldn¡¯t figure out the true colors of Jia Yuanling,¡± Ling Zhao said coldly.


    If he had found out the true colors of Jia Yuanling and his clan in time in his previous life, then he couldn¡¯t have been framed by Jia Yuanling, and he wouldn¡¯t have got Ling family stuck in a passive situation, which had led to his family being suppressed all the time and couldn¡¯t take a favorable turn.


    ¡°Now Jia Yuanling has been sentenced, and instead of saving Jia, Zhang Chong broke off the adoptive father-son relationship with him on the spot. Therefore, the connections between Zhang and Jia¡¯s family are certainly not as close as before. But their ties have depended on Jia Zhong and the mine of the Jias, so I¡¯m afraid even if Jia Yuanling has been exiled, he might be saved. My uncle, I want to do something.¡±


    His heart missing a beat, Ling Zhaowen got slightly confused noticing kind of homicidal intent flash across the face of his nephew. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowen, ¡°To kill him.¡±


    Without a slight hesitation, his words sounded flat as if it was an ordinary thing to kill Jia Yuanling.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s conjecture came true. Having cast a glance at the outside of the study to make sure there were no servants around, he frowned and asked Ling Zhang, ¡°How?¡±


    Now it was Ling Zhang¡¯s turn to feel surprised, and he asked Ling Zhaowen, ¡°Uncle, won¡¯t you be angry?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen got silent for a while, and then said, ¡°It is not too much to say that we and Jia family are mortal enemies now. What¡¯s more, Zhang Chong is glaring like a tiger, and those followers of Zhang won¡¯t mind dealing with us for their master. So it might be well to kill Jia Yuanling. At least, it could frighten those henchmen. But, how will you kill Jia Yuanling?¡±


    Waking up from Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words, Ling Zhang said with a cold face, ¡°The places for Jia Yuanling¡¯s exile are nothing more than the northern and the southern borders. Isn¡¯t it easy to find a vicious killer on the frontier?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled, ¡°Your plan is right, but you don¡¯t have to wait until Jia Yuanling gets to the destination. It is the bailiffs of the prefecture yamen who escort Jia Yuanling to the frontier, so in order to avoid some subsequent troubles, Zhang Chong won¡¯t save Jia midway, and he will wait until Jia Yuanling gets to the destination. We can do something halfway. Since many criminals die in exile, it won¡¯t be too strange if Jia Yuanling dies midway, let alone he has got injured originally.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°But how to avoid the bailiffs?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled again, ¡°Who said we would avoid them? Leave it to me and you won¡¯t have to intervene in this matter.¡±


    Hearing the words, Ling Zhang realized suddenly that being the right-sub-prefect, and having been working in the prefecture yamen for years, it would be easier than anyone else for his uncle to deal with those bailiffs.


    ¡°Then my uncle, you must be careful not to be noticed.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I know what to do.¡±


    Of course, Ling Zhang trusted his uncle. With his eyes sweeping across the waist of his uncle unintentionally, Ling Zhang caught sight of a delicate jade pendant, and its familiar appearance aroused his memory immediately. Ling Zhang got uneasy by it.


    ¡°Uncle, is there any strange guy around you recently?¡±


    Questioned by Ling Zhang suddenly, Ling Zhaowen got confused, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Not knowing how to explain to his uncle, Ling Zhang thought for a moment before he said, ¡°Now that their intention is to get your position, they might think of another stratagem since their current plan has failed. Considering the serious banditry situation in Tangyang and its surroundings, if they spread slanders that we have colluded with those bandits, we will put in a dangerous situation as well. Our servants, especially those personal ones should be sifted strictly.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen felt slightly confused, because Ling Zhang had spoken with a firm tone as if Ling family would definitely be slandered to collude with those bandits.


    ¡°Zhang, why do you think they will definitely slander us to collude with the bandits? Have you found something else?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t expect Ling Zhaowen would be so keen to realize something strange so quickly.


    If he could, how he wished he could tell all things he knew to his uncle so that his uncle could take some precautions. But he didn¡¯t know how to start it, and even if he did, would his uncle believe him?


    ¡°Just tell me! I won¡¯t blame you no matter how you know it.¡± Seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s vacillation, Ling Zhaowen thought Ling Zhang might have some difficulty speaking out for some unknown reasons.


    ¡°Uncle, I had a dream.¡± Breathing deeply, Ling Zhang decided to tell Ling Zhangwen all he knew in the form of a dream.


    Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Zhang, and suddenly noticed that the atmosphere around Ling Zhang got depressing and serious with grief on his face. Even the emotions in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes told Ling Zhaowen that his nephew got extremely uneasy in the heart as if he had borne too much sadness and grief, which made Ling Zhaowen¡¯s heart ache.


    Ling Zhaowen got serious as well, believing the dream must have been unusual.


    ¡°In my dream, I was framed for committing adultery with a concubine of Jia Yin, and was accused of a crime which was hard to shake off. Your promotion to the position of right-sub-prefect had been implicated and thus failed. Then my grandpa went to Jiang Zhou to authenticate scripts and paintings for others; however, the originally well-appraised works were exposed to be fake ones, and grandpa was driven out by others and his reputation was greatly affected. And then all members of Lu family were killed by those ferocious bandits overnight, their belongings ransacked. When the government investigated in the mansion of Lu, they found one of your jade pendants had been gripped tightly in the hand of Lu¡¯s family head. Because of the jade pendant, we were accused of colluding with those evil bandits, and murdering the whole Lu family. But in fact, that jade pendant had disappeared long before that, and you had searched for it but got nothing. You didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, thinking you might have left it somewhere carelessly¡­¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face grew more and more solemn, and he got quite shocked after hearing the last part.


    ¡°Uncle, you also think I have changed a lot all of a sudden, don¡¯t you?¡± Ling Zhang asked Ling Zhaowen.


    Composing himself from shock, Ling Zhaowen asked, ¡°Does it have anything to do with the dream?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°Uncle, do you believe it? I had this dream when I got drunk in the pavilion beside Jia Yuanling¡¯s yard, before everything started. I just felt it so real that I couldn¡¯t help but become alert in the heart. Therefore, I kept the medicinal jade left by my mom in the mouth to detoxify the effect of knockout drops. That¡¯s why I could leave in time before those guys came over, and even had the time to set a trap for Jia Yuanling.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t think it was just a dream, and it is like something that was once alive.¡±


    The more he said, the coldness and hostility on his body got even more obvious, and the cruelty and homicidal intent in his eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed any more.


    Even Ling Zhaowen realized his nephew¡¯s change, which immediately pulled him back from shock. Ling Zhang¡¯s state startled him so he hurried to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s hand tightly, and shouted, ¡°Zhang.¡±


    The warm palm and calling of his uncle pulled Ling Zhang back from those terrible memories of the previous life. The coldness and hostility on his body melted slowly and the cruelty and homicidal intent in his eyes faded away gradually as well. ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Looking at him, Ling Zhaowen said seriously, ¡°You have been put a spell.¡±


    It was not a spell, but real memories. Breathing in slowly and deeply, and then exhaling, Ling Zhang suppressed his rolling emotions.


    ¡°Sorry, uncle. I didn¡¯t control myself well.¡±


    Shaking his head, Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°My stupid boy! Don¡¯t say sorry to me! You had such a terrible dream, and all those things you had dreamed became reality after you woke up. Anyone would have been suppressed by that situation, however you didn¡¯t lose your head, but got an advantage over Jia Yuanling calmly. You did very well.¡±


    Even Ling Zhaowen himself couldn¡¯t keep his cool now.


    He was sure his nephew wouldn¡¯t make up a dream to cheat him. The dream was just so weird and real that it would be far-fetched if all these things were just coincidences. He didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen if his nephew hadn¡¯t had that dream, and hadn¡¯t been alert to rid himself of the knockout drops.


    Maybe everything would develop as his nephew had dreamed, and then Ling family would¡­


    Ling Zhaowen couldn¡¯t help trembling in the heart.


    ¡°Zhang, tell me what you have dreamed in detail once again. Don¡¯t rush, and speak slowly! Now you are not framed, and our family is safe and sound as well. So just calm down.¡± Ling Zhaowen finally decided to analyze the dream of his nephew carefully.


    Although it sounded absurd, Ling Zhaowen would rather make more preparations.


    Let alone¡­


    Ling Zhaowen thought of a secret hidden deep in his heart. He thought of his sister-in-law, Zhang¡¯s mother, who had died long before. His nephew got the blood lineage of her clan, so maybe he was different from the ordinary people in nature.


    Those dreams might be some warnings.


    Ling Zhang got slightly surprised by his uncle¡¯s desire to know more details of the dream, ¡°Uncle, do you believe my dream?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°I believe it is a warning from heaven, or you wouldn¡¯t have escaped from the misfortune.¡±


    Ling Zhang was overjoyed and felt it so wonderful that his uncle chose to believe him.

 Chapter 22 - Family Came Back

    With the dream as disguise and his uncle believing him, Ling Zhang had no qualms and told what happened in his last life clearly.


    Defenseless against his Second Uncle, Ling Zhang tried his best to describe specifically to help Ling Family survive.


    So he didn¡¯t know how shocked Ling Zhaowen was.


    No one¡¯s dream could be so logical and specific that he even remembered every detail clearly, as if he had experienced these things personally!


    No wonder his nephew fell into the illusion just now, Ling Zhaowen thought. Put in his nephew¡¯s shoes, he would also have fallen into it.


    Were the children from that clan really as powerful as the legend described?


    Despite the countless thoughts in Ling Zhaowen¡¯s mind , he didn¡¯t show it on his face. At the same time, he didn¡¯t miss any details that Ling Zhang said.


    At the end, Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face was as cold as irons.


    ¡°¡­ All members of our Ling Family died of long exposure to the hot sun.¡± Ling Zhang choked with sobs as he spit out the last words. He still remembered everyone¡¯s painful groans at that time. The mere thought of the memory would make him feel painful and hard to breathe as if the coldest water was poured into his heart.


    Maybe the coldness wasn¡¯t from the winter, but from the hell. So many ghosts, who were wrongly put to death, were gazing at Ling Zhang and asking him to revenge for them.


    Ling Zhaowen clenched his fists tight as he pictured the tragic scene in his mind.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t forget his nephew.


    How about him? Ling Zhaowen drooped his eyelids and said, ¡°They broke my legs, threw me in to a deep hole in mass graves and smashed my head with a stone.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s breath was paused for a moment. He had a lot of pent-up anger to release.


    ¡°Tanyang at that time was like a hell for Ling Family. Uncle, Ling Family has been on the brink of danger. I will save Ling Family and destroy the threat completely!¡± Ling Zhang said coldly.


    Ling Zhaowen sneered, ¡°Let¡¯s begin with Jia Family.¡±


    ¡°Jia Zhong, the stupid man, dares to covet my position. I must kill him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen unleashed his scaring vigor and his eyes showed his intention to kill.


    ¡°However, Zhang, you shouldn¡¯t tell other people what you just said to me. Understand?¡± Ling Zhaowen warned Ling Zhang seriously.


    Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t stupid to tell others. He was not sure if people would believe what he said. But he could almost foresee what disaster they would face if he told others.


    However, Ling Zhang felt his Uncle seemed to be hiding something behind his serious attitude. He wanted to observe that, but Ling Zhaowen had went to sit down behind the desk.


    ¡°What about grandfather?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Ling Zhaowen paused for a while and said, ¡°It all depends.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. It was good, he thought. Grandfather didn¡¯t need to worry about such things.


    ¡°Sit down. Don¡¯t stand there,¡± Ling Zhaowen said. They had stood for a long time because they had just paid attention to the talking.


    Ling Zhang sat down and asked, ¡°Uncle, do you have any plan to deal with Jia Zhong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to deal with Jia Zhong. But Zhang Chong has developed strong and wide connections in Tanyang, just like a huge net. We can¡¯t confront them directly.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. He said, ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯ve also thought about how to deal with Zhang Chong before. If he is isolated by his partners, it will be easier to beat him. Now the relationship between Jia Family and Zhang Chong has been broken. We should seize the opportunity to destroy Jia Family to make a breach in Zhang Chong¡¯s net. It will help to tear the whole net apart.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was gratified to smile, ¡°Yes. Killing Jia Yuanling is the important step to ruin their relationship.¡±


    Although Jia Family¡¯s mine wasn¡¯t large, Zhang Chong could use the output offered by Jia family to do many things. So Zhang Chong would never break up with Jia Family completely. He also had to do something for Jia Family if he wanted Jia Family to support him. Obviously, Jia Family would ask Zhang Chong to save Jia Yuanling. And Zhong Chong must agree.


    But if Jia Yuanling died, there would be a huge crack in the relationship between Jia Family and Zhang Chong even if they remained friendly superficially.


    ¡°And Lu Family. Uncle, we must comb out the spies in our family,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, saying with a cold face, ¡°It¡¯s time to find out these pests.¡±


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Zhaowen looked at him, gesturing him to elaborate.


    ¡°Can we outwit them with their own trick? Let¡¯s cooperate with Lu Family to kill all the bandits. It will be better if we know who they are working for by interrogating.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen thought about it for a while and said, ¡°This plan needs many people to carry on. Only we and Lu Family can¡¯t find too many hands who can fight with bandits.¡±


    This was really a problem. Ling Zhang thought of Tao Yi who had wanted to make friends with him. He asked, ¡°What about the yamen runners?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s eyes lit up before he considered it silently for a moment and asked, ¡°Did your dream show how many bandits were there?¡±


    Ling Zhang knew it roughly. After the entire Lu Family were killed, there was a rumor in Tanyang saying that more than 30 bandits appeared at that night.


    ¡°It¡¯s about 30 bandits.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded. But he was shocked again in his heart because Ling Zhang gave a specific number to him.


    The dream was way too specific and real.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to mobilize thirty people from prefecture yamen. But the bandits are so cruel and fierce that yamen runners are no match for them. We need to figure out a way to get them all.¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhang also knew it. If yamen runners were competent enough, the banditry problem wouldn¡¯t be so serious around Tanyang.


    ¡°Leave the matter to me. The top priority for us now is to find the spy in our family,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned gloomy immediately at the mere thought that a spy, harboring malice against Ling Family, was lurking somewhere to watch them. He agreed, ¡°Yes, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Second master. First young master!¡±


    A servant ran in from outside and wheezed, ¡°Master comes back! Second madam and second young master also come back!¡±


    Ling Zhang suddenly pressed on his chair¡¯s armrests to stand up. Then he shouted, ¡°Where are they now?¡±


    ¡°They have already entered the city,¡± The servant standing outside replied.


    Ling Zhang instantly went out. He couldn¡¯t wait to see his family, his grandfather, aunt and his younger cousin.


    Ling Zhaowen also followed him to go out. But before he left, he glanced at Ling Zhang¡¯s chair in confusion. His glance came to a pause at its armrests before turning to Ling Zhang¡¯s legs.


    The first thing came to him was that his nephew¡¯s legs were uncomfortable. Because according to his nephew¡¯s action, it seemed that his legs were weak. But then Ling Zhang was walking fast. Though confused, he decided to put his doubt aside.Ling Zhang directly ran to the gate. The carriages hadn¡¯t come over at that time. So he just stood at the gate and craned his neck to look at the road. It seemed that he really wanted to see his grandfather.


    Ling Zhaowen was behind him and when seeing that, Ling Zhaowen¡¯s heart began to ache again for his nephew.


    He got the feeling that his nephew had been separated from them for a long time, especially when they hugged each other in the study.


    Ling Zhang waited patiently for them for a long time. Then he finally saw several familiar coaches turning the corner and coming toward him.


    Quickly running down the steps, Ling Zhang stared at the coaches that were approaching slowly.


    Right at this point, the heavy curtain of the second coach was suddenly lifted a little and a downy head poked out. It barked excitedly when seeing Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Ada!¡±


    Hearing his voice, the curtain was lifted wider and another head poked out. This was a boy who was 7 or 8 years old. His face was chubby but he looked pretty and cute. When seeing Ling Zhang, he shouted with bright eyes, ¡°Elder brother!¡±


    ¡°Maomao!¡± his eyes turned red. He couldn¡¯t wait for the coach to stop in front of the gate and ran to them immediately. His heart raced excitedly. Standing in front of the coach, he stretched out his hands.


    The boy was so happy and went out of the coach to throw himself into Ling Zhang¡¯s arms!


    Ling Zhang held his cousin steadily and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± A woman¡¯s voice, gentle and familiar, came from the coach with the tone of a little blame.


    Ling Zhang just embraced the kid in his arms firmly.


    This was his lively and alive younger cousin.


    ¡°Elder brother, I miss you so much.¡± The boy put his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s neck, buried his head in Ling Zhang¡¯s neck and nuzzled. Then he raised his head to look at Ling Zhang, ¡°I bring you many gifts that were all chosen by me. You must like them!¡±


    ¡°Bark, bark.¡± A yellow and white dog jumped off the coach. Its four limbs looked quite strong. The dog closed to Ling Zhang, walked around him and rubbed against him. The dog also put its two forelegs on Ling Zhang¡¯s waist from time to time, as if it also wanted him to hug it.


    Ling Zhang hugged his cousin for a long time before letting him go. He couldn¡¯t help kissing on his cousin¡¯s cheek and said with red-rimmed eyes, ¡°I miss you, too.¡±


    The kid who was kissed giggled happily. Then he lowered his head and said to the big dog that tried hard to climb onto Ling Zhang, ¡°Ada, don¡¯t try to rob my elder brother.¡±


    As if understanding the words, it barked in a low voice unhappily and stopped putting its forelegs on Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. But the dog still walked around Ling Zhang and wagged its tail.


    Ling Zhang freed one of his hands to pat the big dog¡¯s head and touched its fur from head to back. The big dog became quiet and stopped to let him stroke its fur.


    Meanwhile, the first coach was almost close to the gate. Ling Zhang held his cousin to walk forward. ¡°Maomao, let¡¯s go to greet grandfather and your mother.¡±


    Hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, Ling Maomao looked forward and instantly saw Ling Zhaowen who was staring at him. Ling Maomao quickly embraced Ling Zhang¡¯s neck firmly and said to him anxiously, ¡°Elder brother, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong recently, right? But my father looks so fierce.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t stop walking and hugged his cousin more tightly while comforting, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Uncle just wants you to embrace him.¡±


    Ling Maomao didn¡¯t believe his words at all. He said in a low voice, ¡°I won¡¯t hug him. He will scold me for being unmanly.¡±

 Chapter 23 - Gone Too Far

    Those words instantly brought back a lot of old memories to Ling Zhang¡¯s mind; he remembered the usual way in which his uncle had reprimanded his cousin. Those memories were like currents of warm air, enveloping his frozen heart, thawing it. He couldn¡¯t help holding his cousin tightly in his arms. The first carriage finally came to a halt. Ling Zhang released his cousin and stood before the carriage with reverence as he waited for the passenger inside to step out.


    The expectant look on his oldest grandson¡¯s eyes was the first thing Ling Xingzhong saw when he parted the carriage¡¯s curtain to step out. Whenever he thought of the message that had been brought to him by a messenger on a horse, he felt glad at Ling Zhang¡¯s ability to handle the situation so well; at the same time, he was also filled with rage at those who had tried to harm Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel a sting in his eyes as he stared at the old man on the carriage. ¡°Greetings, grandfather,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Zhang stepped forward and took his grandfather¡¯s hand in his. While helping his grandfather out of the carriage, Ling Zhang did everything he could to calm his tumultuous emotions. ¡°Did you have a smooth journey, grandfather?¡± Ling Zhang said in a steady tone. ¡°You must be tired after such a long journey.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong placed his other hand on top of his grandson¡¯s, looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°They journey is fine. Quite a smooth one, I¡¯d say. I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m still pretty spry at my age. So, no, I¡¯m not tired at all.¡±


    ¡°I already heard about what happened. I received a message on the way back,¡± Ling Xingzhong continued. ¡°You¡¯ve suffered. But you¡¯ve done very well in handling things. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve grown up.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t expect the news to reach his grandfather¡¯s ears so quickly. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Ling Zhang said. ¡°Jia Yuanling tried to set me up. But he¡¯s locked up in jail right now.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong nodded. ¡°You must tell me every single detail about what happened once we get home.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded as a reply and then turned his attention to the lady who was now getting off the second carriage. The lady was dressed modestly; every single one of her movements carried grace and propriety. Then, there was also her eyes which were filled with warmth.


    ¡°Aunt,¡± Ling Zhang greeted.


    Fu Caiwei had stepped out of the carriage just now with the help of Ling Zhaowen. She walked over and stopped in front of Ling Zhang, looking him over with caring eyes.


    ¡°How is it going? You¡¯re not hurt, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m alright, aunt. They¡¯re the ones who¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    After a brief pause, Ling Zhang continued, ¡°How did you know about it so soon?¡±


    ¡°We received a note from a messenger your uncle had dispatched before we even entered the city,¡± Fu Caiwei said. ¡°After that we came back as quickly as we could.¡± Fu Caiwei heaved a sigh of relief the moment she was certain that Ling Zhang was really unharmed. However, a sharp look formed in her eyes as she pulled a long face. ¡°Jia family has really gone over the line this time. Did they really think that they can bully us, the Ling family, so easily?¡±


    ¡°Please do not get angry, aunt,¡± Ling Zhang said. ¡°We will get justice eventually.¡±


    ¡°Alright now,¡± Ling Zhaowen said. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand around at the door, shall we? Head inside and rest. I¡¯ll tell you everything once we¡¯re all inside.¡±


    Ling Zhang picked up his cousin and followed his family back into the house. Ah Da, their pet dog, trotted along with its tail wagging.


    The moment he crossed the threshold of his home, Ling Zhang turned his head around and glanced outside.


    His entire family was here now. This time, he would never allow history to repeat itself; he would never allow Ling family to fall, ever.


    *


    ¡°What did you say!¡± A loud, and furious roar sounded.


    ¡°Second Ma- Master, a disaster has befallen the family. The first master and madam are both in a coma. The young master is currently detained in the prefectural penitentiary for adultery and frame-up charges. He¡¯s been exiled for twenty years.¡± The servant who answered was now kneeling on the floor, feeling like he was walking on pins and needles. Cold sweat kept seeping out on the servant¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°What the heck happened! Who! Who dares to declare Yuanling guilty! Isn¡¯t Tao Feng supposed to be a guest of our family today?!¡± Jia Zhong¡¯s eyes were filled with wrath when he glared at the servant kneeling beneath him. In fact, he was on the verge of losing his temper and kick the servant.


    Trembling in fear, the servant recounted everything that had happened. ¡°¡­Commander Zhang has severed all relations with young master. Right now, Commander Zhang is no longer the young master¡¯s godfather. Madam is also in a coma. We really don¡¯t have the strength to stand up against Tao Feng and Ling family, Master.¡±


    Bang!


    The table beside Jia Zhong toppled over because of Jia Zhong¡¯s kick. And the entire tea set shattered into pieces on the floor, creating a mess.


    ¡°Ling Zhang! Ling Zhaowen! How dare you offend Jia family! I¡¯ll kill every last one of you!

 Chapter 24 - Ling Family Is Indomitable

    Jia Yin woke up trembling. But later when being informed that his son was sentenced to exile and Zhang Chong also cut off the relationship with his son, he got so angry that he nearly fainted again. His son dared to tease his favorite beauty! It was such a slap on his face!


    If Jia Yuanling wasn¡¯t sentenced, Jia Yin would beat the crap out of him!


    However, as soon as he was informed that Jia Yuanling would be sentenced to twenty years in exile, Jia Yin felt his heart was scooped out alive, angry and aching.


    ¡°Master, that dancer is¡­awake.¡± The steward of Jia Family said carefully while wiping the sweat.


    Jia Yin¡¯s eyes became cold as he snapped, ¡°Kill that bitch!¡±


    ¡°I have locked her in the store room. Later, I will give her a bowel of poison and let her die in agony.¡± The steward said cruelly.


    ¡°Scratch her face and cut off her hands before she dies!¡±


    Jia Yin struggled to sit up and then leaned heavily on the bed head with a dark face. He looked at the steward, malevolence in his eyes, ¡°Just let her know what is living death!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will do as you told, my master.¡± The steward replied him immediately.


    ¡°Where is my wife?¡±


    ¡°She just had the herbal concoction the doctor prescribed. And the doctor said she would wake up at dusk.¡±


    Jia Yin didn¡¯t care about his wife at all. On the contrary, he even detested her, ¡°Ling¡¯er was spoiled by this useless woman.¡±


    The steward dared not to answer his words.


    ¡°Where is the Second Master? Do you call him back?¡±


    ¡°I have sent someone to pick up the Second Master. It estimates that he will be back by midnight.¡±


    ¡°How about the Mine field. Is it affected?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine and everything goes well. Yamen didn¡¯t take any action to the Mine field.¡± Looking at Jia Yin, the steward continued, ¡°Commander Zhang didn¡¯t come out after returning to the Prefecture Encampment.¡±


    Jia Yin¡¯s face became darker when Zhang Chong was mentioned. Then he said angrily, ¡°We gave him so much money and treasure, even selling him all the production of Mine field secretly. What¡¯s more, I asked my son to regard him as godfather, why didn¡¯t he save Ling¡¯er?!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­at that time, due to the public outcry, Commander Zhang was also framed to defy the law and revolt by that bastard of Ling Family. Tongpan even began to doubt Commander Zhang. Moreover, young master¡­¡­admitted his guilt himself.¡±


    Jia Yin tossed the teacup away on the table beside the bed suddenly, smashing it into pieces. Jia Yin fumed, ¡°Useless crap!¡±


    ¡°How about Ling Family?¡±


    ¡°They went back. I heard Ling Xingzhong came back.¡±


    ¡°Just in time, they dared to bully our family. Then they should take the consequences!¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± the steward said carefully, ¡°I think the priority now is to sound about Commander Zhang¡¯s intention. We can¡¯t lose Commander Zhang¡¯s support.¡±


    Jia Yin kept silent for a while with anger suppressed in his heart. Then he said, ¡°Let the Second Master meet me the moment he comes back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± the steward replied.


    ¡­¡­


    As Ling Zhang recounted the whole thing, silence and anger reigned the hall of Ling Family.


    Frightened by the depressing atmosphere, Ling Maomao curled himself in Ling Zhang¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Ling Xingzhong thumped so hard on the table that it caused the cups on the table to vibrate. He was so infuriated, ¡°How dare such a vulgar, filthy thing plant a scheme against Ling Family?¡±


    ¡°Father, now the top priority is to take preventive measures, in case Zhang Chong launches any dirty attacks,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    ¡°Our Ling Family is indomitable. We have no guilty either to the king or the ancestry. Will we be afraid of that boor?¡± Ling Xingzhong thundered.


    Ling Zhaowen was rendered a bit speechless. He thought his father had such a bad temper and was not tactful enough compared with his nephew. In the past his nephew was also quick-tempered just like his father. And there was a time when he always worried that his nephew would be bullied for his gaucheness. Fortunately, his nephew had changed, albeit in a painful way.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t notice Ling Zhaowen¡¯s emotion. He knew his grandfather well. What he thought now was that since his grandfather had come back, should he mention about the thing of breaking off the engagement now?


    The author has something to say:


    Ling Zhang: I think it¡¯s time to bring up the engagement breaking.


    Yuwen Tong: What? Though I don¡¯t know about the engagement, there is no way that you can break it, my dear.

 Chapter 25 - I’m Afraid It’s Too Late

    The engagement with Yuwen family was like a stone pressing on his chest. It wouldn¡¯t suffocate him, but could make him feel uncomfortable.


    If possible, Ling Zhang would like to stand in front of the whole Yuwen family and throw the letter of engagement in their faces.


    Unfortunately, Tanyang was far from the capital. He couldn¡¯t go to the capital just for the engagement. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t see the expressions of those people when  the letter of engagement was thrown in their faces.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Ling Maomao, who was sitting in Ling Zhang¡¯s arms, looked up at Ling Zhang, ¡°Grandfather is calling you.¡±


    Ling Zhang quickly came back from the thoughts and looked at Ling Xingzhong.


    ¡°You want to clean up the servants in our family?¡± Ling Xingzhong asked.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Grandfather, I think that we are now at daggers drawn with Jia family and Zhang Chong. They must have hated our Ling family a lot. They won¡¯t do anything bad to us in the open, but they will certainly take action in secret. We have to be prepared, and we¡¯d better clean up those that may have been bought over in advance.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Your words really make sense, then do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ling Zhang answered, and then said to Fu Caiwei, ¡°Aunt knows the arrangement of the servants in our family best. So please give me directions when I clean up them.¡±


    Fu Caiwei said with a smile, ¡°Just the arrangement of the servants, you needn¡¯t call that ¡®directions¡¯. Whatever you want to do, just tell me and I will cooperate with you.¡±


    Ling Maomao raised his head, ¡°I want to help, too!¡±


    Ling Zhang looked down at him, ¡°Well, Maomao is the most considerate boy.¡±


    Being praised, Ling Maomao beamed with big smiles and the eagerness to try.


    The big dog A¡¯da was sitting beside the feet of Ling Zhang. Ada looked up and rubbed its head against Ling Zhang¡¯s knees, grunting in a low voice as if it really wanted to help. Ling Zhang reached out his hand and touched A¡¯da gently on the head.


    Then they chatted about something else. But Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t tell Ling Xingzhong about their plan to kill Jia Yuanling secretly.


    Smelling the alcohol on Ling Zhang that did not disperse, Fu Caiwei let Ling Zhang go to wash and have a rest.


    After Ling Zhang left, Ling Xingzhong changed his tone and said to Ling Zhaowen,¡±Did Zhang¡¯er suffer any other grievance?¡±


    ¡°Although he didn¡¯t fall into Jia Yuanling¡¯s frame-up, he has always treated Jia Yuanlinga as a good friend. Taking such a big hit this time, he must be so sad,¡± Ling Zhaowen replied.


    Ling Zhaowen did not mention anything about Ling Zhang¡¯s dream.


    Ling Xingzhong sighed, ¡°I saw that he was so silent just now, with some hint of depression in his eyes. I hope that he will not be affected too much by this incident.¡±


    I¡¯m afraid it is too late.¡¯ Ling Zhaowen thought. The change of the child was the most intuitive to show the influence, but he did not think that it was a bad thing. Only when Ling Zhang grew up could he face the next storm.


    *


    Ling Zhang returned to his own yard and looked at the exquisite layout and the blossoming flowers in the yard. Seeing the familiar scene and the things after rebirth, he was filled with emotion. Although the time that catastrophe befell Ling family only lasted about half a year in his previous life, he felt it even longer than the over ten years he had experienced. It was so long that he almost forgot the quiet and peaceful days.


    ¡°Young Master, welcome back!¡± As soon as Ling Zhang stepped into the yard, someone came to greet him happily.


    Ling Zhang pulled a chilling face that could reveal his emotions and walked into his yard with a short H¡¯m. He did not go to wash immediately, but sat down in the hall. He said indifferently, ¡°Inform Dongshan and Dongsong to come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that Ling Zhang¡¯s face was long and chilling, the person who answered Ling Zhang was shocked. He did not dare to delay and hurried out to call those two people.

 Chapter 26 - To Execute Those Treacherous Servants

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Young Master? He looks terrifying.¡±


    As soon as Xiafeng walked out of the hall, the servants in the yard gathered around him.


    Xiafeng was the most competent servant around Ling Zhang, enjoying the highest status among these servants in the yard. The house steward came specially to tell him what had happened outside, so he certainly knew more than these servants.


    ¡°Go and call Dongshan and Dongsong over, and don¡¯t pry into even a single word that you shouldn¡¯t ask,¡± Xiafeng said seriously.


    Noticing the tone of Xiafeng was severe, the two servants shrunk their necks, and turned around to call Dongshan and Dongsong, not daring to ask any more.


    After two servants left, Xiafeng pulled a long face. He didn¡¯t follow Young Master to Jia¡¯s mansion to attend the banquet because he had been caught up in something else. He didn¡¯t expect something so serious had happened. If it were not for young master¡¯s calm way of handling it, he would have suffered a great loss today!


    Dongshan and Dongsong had followed young master to Jia¡¯s mansion, so they shouldn¡¯t have let Jia Yuanling get such a chance to harm young master.


    No matter whether they hadn¡¯t done their duty or there had been some turns and twists, they absolutely couldn¡¯t be forgiven today.


    Soon two servants in gray were shown to Xiafeng. They kneeled down directly before Xia could say something. They begged, ¡°Brother Xia, young master will punish us, won¡¯t he? Please intercede for us to young master! We didn¡¯t mean to leave his side. It was the servant of Jia Yuanling who refused to let us into the yard.¡±


    With a straight face, Xiafeng looked at them coldly and said, ¡°If you have anything to say, enter the house and report to young master.¡±


    Having heard the speech outside faintly, Ling Zhang was not to be swayed yet. When he entered the yard of Jia Yuanling, these two servants were still following him, but they disappeared later. Therefore, he didn¡¯t believe at all there had been no dirty trick.


    When it happened in his previous life, he didn¡¯t get time to deal with the two guys because of the disordered situation at that time. It was not until Ling family met with the catastrophe later, and the two guys suddenly ran away without a trace that he realized there was something wrong with them.


    ¡°Bring them in.¡± Ling Zhang shouted coldly.


    Waving his hand, Xiafeng called the servants in the yard to escort Dongshan and Dongsong into the hall.


    Dongshan and Dongsong dropped to their knees the moment they entered the hall, crying and pleading for forgiveness.


    ¡°Young Master, please forgive us. It is not that we didn¡¯t want to be with you. It is the servants of Jia family who stopped us and drove us out of the yard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Young Master! We tried to go back to your side and protect you, but the servants of Jia¡¯s family were just too detestable. They called some helpers to stop us.¡±


    ¡°When were you driven out of the yard? Who did it? How many helpers were there, and where were you stopped?¡± Ling Zhang asked slowly.


    ¡°It was¡­It was Jia Er, Jia Yuanling¡¯s servant, who stopped us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, Yes!¡±


    ¡°We wanted to dissuade you from drinking too much, but he drove us away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, Yes!¡±


    ¡°He¡­He stopped us in the garden behind the corner door.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, Yes!¡±


    ¡°There were five or six helpers, and all of them were servants of the Jia¡¯s family. We were not very familiar with them.¡±


    The other guy was about to nod and echo again, however, Ling Zhang pulled a long face suddenly, and threw the tea cup in his hand onto the ground violently!


    The garden behind the corner door? He was in the pavilion of that garden then. He didn¡¯t hear any noise, nor did he notice a damn shadow of man.


    ¡°Xiafeng, take someone to the rooms of these two men, and search. Bring any suspicious thing here,¡± Ling Zhang ordered angrily.


    Both of their faces got pale, and they crawled on the ground, ¡°Young Master! Young Master! We really didn¡¯t mean to do it! Believe us.¡±


    Although Xiafeng didn¡¯t figure out any loophole in the two guy¡¯s words, he took someone to search their rooms without hesitation since Ling Zhang had given the order.


    Having kicked the door open, Xiafeng shouted with a loud voice, ¡°Search intensively, and don¡¯t ignore even the smallest corner. You will be held responsible if anything is left out.¡±


    The servants who had sent to search the room didn¡¯t dare to be careless, and every corner of the rooms had been rummaged, digging out many things.


    Xiafeng looked through these things one by one. The more he looked, the more serious his face got. He finally yelled in a rage, ¡°Take all of these things back!¡±


    These things were piled before Ling Zhang soon, and Xiafeng went up to report, ¡°Young Master, suspicious things have been searched out, and they both have this, a big pouch with a hundred taels of silver inside. The embroidered pattern and stitches of the two pouches look exactly the same, which were clearly designed by the same person, and were hidden in a corner that was difficult to find.¡±


    When Xiafeng was describing, the faces of Dongshan and Dongsong got paler and paler. Both with dense cold sweats running down from forehead, they didn¡¯t dare to raise their head and look at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Young Master, the embroidered pattern and stitches of the pouch look very much like those of the clothes and pouches worn by Jia Yuanling, which are designed by Wang Sanniang, the female embroider of Jia family. In the beginning of the year, Wang Sanniang once presented an embroidery handkerchief to you. Do you still remember, Young Master?¡± Xiafeng continued.


    How could he ever forget it! Now Ling Zhang looked at Dongshan and Dongsong as if he was looking at two dead creatures. A hint of murderous intention flashed in his eyes.


    ¡°Spare me, Young Master! Spare me! We won¡¯t do it again! Spare me!¡± Being the first one to quit resisting, Dongsong cried to beg for forgiveness.


    With his face looking pale like a ghost, Dongshan raised his head, and met Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. Catching the cold eyes, Dongshan trembled all over, and couldn¡¯t hold on any more. ¡°Young Master! Spare me!¡±


    To spare their lives? If he spared them, who would spare the lives of those dozens of people of Ling family in previous life?


    ¡°To gag them.¡± Ling Zhang spoke in a flat tone.


    But the flatter his voice was, the more frightened the crowd in the hall got. Even Xiafeng didn¡¯t dare to speak, and he gagged Dongshan and Dongsong along with a couple of servants.


    There was a pressing atmosphere pervading in the hall, which weighed so heavily on their hearts that they even didn¡¯t dare to breathe.


    ¡°Give each of them a bowl of medicine, and poison them,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Dongsong collapsed heavily onto the ground, with his head knocking on the ground with a loud sound and the whites of his eyes shown.


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Xiafeng intended to say something, but when his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s, he shivered and swallowed back his words.


    ¡°Shall I ask your help to do it?¡± Ling Zhang said in a cold voice.


    Xiafeng lowered his head. ¡°No, I dare not. I¡¯ll go get the medicine.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t disturb master. If you were seen by accident, tell him it is for acute disease,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± Xiafeng went backwards out of hall with his head lowered.


    The four remaining servants bowed their heads. They pressed Dongshan and Dongsong down firmly with their hands, not daring to raise their heads even one time.


    Xiafeng was quick in action and soon the medicine was presented after having been decocted.


    While carrying the medicine, Xiafeng had recovered his composure. ¡°Young Master, the medicine is ready.¡±


    Seeing Xiafeng had composed himself so quickly, Ling Zhang felt slightly surprised. Xiafeng had followed him for many years, so Xia might tend to behave like him, resembling his former characters to a degree. He thought Xia could have gone to the front hall to lodge a complaint, but Xia not only didn¡¯t do that, but also had already boiled the medicine.


    It seemed that he hadn¡¯t found out the other aspect of Xia¡¯s personality.


    In this world, no one was really weak. But it was great. Since he was going to take a bloody road, people around him couldn¡¯t be that feeble.


    ¡°Force them to take the medicine! Don¡¯t leave even one drop!¡± Ling Zhang said in a flat tone.


    While Dongsong had already fainted without any reaction, Dongshan struggled to stand up. When looking at Ling Zhang, he appeared very frightened as if he was looking at a terrible devil.


    As soon as the cloth in his mouth was taken out, Dongshan began to shout loudly. ¡°No, Young Master! Spare me! Spare¡­¡±.


    He didn¡¯t even finish his words before he was pinched in the cheeks by Xiafeng, and forced to drink down the bowl of medicine.


    All his struggles were in vain. The medicine couldn¡¯t be spat out once it was taken.


    After a while, Dongshan began to have a reaction. He was not only foaming at the mouth, but also kept trembling all over. After about a cup of tea¡¯s time, he lost his breath completely. He died!


    Soon Dongsong died too.


    Sitting on the chair, Ling Zhang looked at the scene calmly as if he was not witnessing the death of two lives, but a most ordinary and indifferent performance.


    He looked so calm, and his calmness even made others involuntarily tremble.


    ¡°Wrap them up and send the bodies to the mass graves.¡±


    Xia shivered slightly. After inhaling deeply, he responded calmly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Carry them away.¡±


    Xia led other four servants to carry the two bodies away swiftly.


    The moment they walked out of the hall, a blast of wind blew. These five guys including Xiafeng all quivered with cold. It was not until now that they began to realize they had got soaked at the backs. Cold sweat, of course!


    Xia raised his hands to have a look. They were shaking.


    Every family had that kind of medicine in their homes, which was a covert secret. What was different was that some of them were so cruel that a couple of people were poisoned to death every year. However, as for the Lings, they had never seen anything like what happened today. The medicine was more symbolic of deterrence than something for people to take. Today, it was the first time for Xia to get to know the reaction of people after taking the medicine.


    Young master changed! He had followed young master for many years, so he could clearly sense the difference. It was also the reason why he finally chose to follow the order, prepared the medicine and presented it after he had hesitated in the kitchen for quite a while.


    His face froze as his thoughts got here. Xia clenched his fists tightly, put his shivering hands at his back, and spoke to the four servants, ¡°You guys have witnessed what happened today. I think you know what to say and what not. You have been sold to the Lings. Since your indentures are in the hands of young master, just shut up your mouths firmly if you don¡¯t want to have a miserable fate like them.¡±


    The four trembled all over, and looked at each other. Gritting their teeth, they nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother! We all got it and won¡¯t speak out. Since they have betrayed young master, and put him in such a dangerous situation, it is their retribution.¡±


    ¡°Good! You are very clear about what kind of person our young master is. He has never treated you harshly. The reason why he is so angry this time is that these two servants have touched the bottom line. As long as you behave yourselves, and don¡¯t go over the line, young master won¡¯t do that to you,¡± said Xia.


    ¡°We get it, brother,¡± responded the four, quite relieved.


    ¡°Go! Wrap their bodies with white cloths, and throw them to the mass graves. Remember if anyone catches sight of it, just tell him they died of acute illness,¡± Xia warned.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ling Zhang who was standing far away didn¡¯t turn around to leave until he heard their whole conversation.

 Chapter 27 - Xiao Fengs Fear

    The two bodies were seen by quite a number of people as they were carried out. Soon the news reached the ears of Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Were they thrown into the mass grave?¡± Ling Xingzhong stared at the steward with sharp eyes.


    The steward answered cautiously, ¡°Yes, they had been shipped out.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong had a serious expression on his face. After a while, he said to the steward, ¡°Ask the servants to mind their words. Don¡¯t let them spread the matter out of the house.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will get right on it,¡± the steward answered.


    The steward¡¯s heart was still fluttering with fear when he thought of the two bodies covered in white cloth. All this while, the young master had given others the impression of being a gentle and modest man. Who would¡¯ve thought that even the young master was capable of such viciousness when driven by desperation?


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Ling Xingzhong added before the steward excused himself, ¡°Keep an eye on the servants in our residence, and report any suspicious behavior to me immediately!¡±


    Being Ling Xingzhong¡¯s most trusted assistant and right-hand, the steward knew what Ling Xingzhong had in mind the moment he heard the order. The steward instantly felt a twinge of fear inside his heart. ¡°Yes, my lord. Your wish is my command.¡±


    After the steward left, Ling Xingzhong looked at Ling Zhaowen and said, ¡°Are those two the ones who followed Zhang¡¯er to Jia¡¯s residence today?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°Yes, I was going to remind Zhang¡¯er to punish them later. But I didn¡¯t expect that Zhang¡¯er would deal with them so soon.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong sighed, overtaken by somewhat mixed feelings. He would admit that his grandson¡¯s decisive and swift way of handling things were advantageous; at least he wouldn¡¯t be easily bullied by others. But at the same time, Ling Xingzhong was worried that his grandson might lose his cool once sufficiently provoked. ¡°Remember when Zhang¡¯er was still a little boy? He was so timid back then. He once ran into the kitchen and got scared because the cook was trying to slaughter chicken.¡±


    ¡°I understand your worries, father. But you don¡¯t have to worry about Zhang¡¯er. He¡¯s an adult now. From how he handled the matter, we can already see that he¡¯s independent, and someone with the will to act. I do not believe that he is some heartless person who disregards human life. Those two servants are very suspicious. They must have done something unpardonable. And I am certain that it is connected to Jia Yuanling¡¯s attempt to set him up. Those two servants knew no loyalty. They had betrayed their master. Pardoning them would only lead to more disaster in the future. Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to warn all the others around Zhang¡¯er in case they harbor any other evil intention,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhaowen knew more about Ling Zhang compared to Ling Xingzhong, especially after he had learned from Ling Zhang about those ominous dreams. That knowledge allowed him to better understand Ling Zhang¡¯s actions.


    ¡°If you are still worried, father, then why don¡¯t we get him here and ask him about it?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong pondered over the matter for quite a while, still hesitating. In the end, he decided to let it go for now. ¡°You are right, Zhang¡¯er has grown up,¡± Ling Xingzhong said. ¡°He¡¯s capable of making his own judgment. We shouldn¡¯t interfere in everything like we used to. But¡­¡­I still think it is better if you look into the matter privately to see whether those two men had really done something to betray their master.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± Ling Zhaowen nodded. ¡°I will get to the bottom of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang had been expecting his grandfather and uncle to question him about his killing two of his servants. Much to his surprise, however, the two elders never send for him even after such a long time. There was no way that he had succeeded in fooling the two elders.


    The servants in the courtyard were all quiet out of fear. No one dared to look Ling Zhang in the eye. Instead, they performed their duties carefully as they were afraid that any carelessness on their part would anger Ling Zhang. In other words, they didn¡¯t want to suffer the same fate as Dong Shan and Dong Song.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t try to offer an explanation to his servants or defend his actions. All he did was ask Xiafeng to keep a close eye on the servants in the yard.


    ¡°Young Master, do you think there¡¯s still a traitor among us?¡± Xiafeng asked.


    Ling Zhang had washed up and had changed into comfortable clothes. His hair had been immaculately washed and fell loosely behind his back after being dried.


    Ling Zhang was pondering about his grandfather and uncle¡¯s intentions when he heard Xiafeng¡¯s question. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far to say that there¡¯s a traitor among us,¡± Ling Zhang said. ¡°The problem is that these servants have yet to be properly screened to see which ones are truly loyal. It will easy for others to manipulate the disloyal ones. So, I want you to spend some time to assess them and see which ones we should keep. Come up with a list in a few days.¡±


    The young master was planning to weed out the disloyal ones among the servants!


    Deep down, Xiafeng felt like he had just dodged the bullet. He wondered what would have happened if he had chosen to report everything to the elders instead of obeying the young master¡¯s orders to start brewing the medicinal herbs. Would he be among the people laid off by the young master?

 Chapter 28 - Family Feast

    On the way to the front hall to attend the family feast, it became obvious to Ling Zhang that the atmosphere in the mansion had changed. Those servants who used to greet him with a smile now merely gave him respectful bows.


    The reason for this was obvious.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t find this to be all that bad. Besides, he was no longer the man he used to be. Asking him to revert back to his usual laughing self was completely impractical.


    When he arrived at the front hall, Ling Zhang noticed that in addition to Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao, Fu Caiwei was also there. Ling family was a relatively small family, so unlike other families, they weren¡¯t too finicky when it came to certain rules.


    Fu Caiwei was waiting in front of the hall. Her eyes brightened the moment she noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s approaching, ¡°Come on over here. The weather has gotten colder. You should help yourself to some hot soup.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurried forward to greet his aunt. ¡°Aunt, you shouldn¡¯t stay out here for so long. It¡¯s too cold out here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine,¡± Fu Caiwei answered.


    The two of them entered the hall together, where they saw Ling Maomao running out excitedly.


    Moments before Ling Maomao reached Ling Zhang, Ling Zhaowen cleared his throat, causing Ling Maomao to stop short. Reluctantly, Ling Maomao changed his demeanor into a respectful one. ¡°Big brother,¡± Ling Maomao greeted.


    With his back to his father, Ling Maomao made a face at Ling Zhang. ¡°My father¡¯s eyes are so sharp,¡± he whispered.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes softened and he winked at Ling Maomao furtively.


    The brothers walked hand in hand until they were standing in front of the table. Ling Zhang bowed to Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen in greeting. Then, he and Ling Maomao took their seats at the table.


    Fu Caiwei placed a bowl of soup in front of Ling Zhang, ¡°Here, drink it while it¡¯s still warm.¡±


    Ling Zhang thanked his aunt and took a sip of the hot soup. Although the soup was a bit hot, it was delicious and fragrant. Warmth spread out in his stomach after he swallowed it, expelling the coldness he had felt during the way here.


    He knew that his aunt had prepared the soup the moment he drank it. How long had it been since he last tasted his aunt¡¯s soup?


    Ling Zhang lowered his head slightly, not daring to expose the intense emotions in his eyes. He finished the soup slowly. Once he had calmed himself, he looked back up again.


    He didn¡¯t notice anything strange in his grandfather and his uncle¡¯s expressions since he got here. Their faces looked completely normal as if they had no idea about the things that had happened in his yard.


    ¡°Hurry up and dig in, everyone. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all starving after the long day,¡± Ling Xingzhong said, which prompted everyone to pick up their chopsticks.


    Ling Maomao was sitting next to Ling Zhang. After two mouthfuls, he reached out and carefully placed a piece of meat in Ling Zhang¡¯s bowl. ¡°Here, big brother. Chicken thigh, your favorite.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced down at the meat in his bowl and swallowed the feelings of bitterness that had risen inside him. Then, he returned the favor by putting a piece of Ling Maomao¡¯s favorite meat into Maomao¡¯s bowl. ¡°This is your favorite,¡± he said.


    Ling Maomao laughed happily. He briskly picked up the meat that Ling Zhao had picked for him and took a big bite.


    Ling Zhang did the same for his grandfather and uncle too. He couldn¡¯t do the same for his aunt, though. It would be inappropriate for a man to place food into a married woman¡¯s bowl unless he was the woman¡¯s husband. Instead, he whispered to his aunt to eat more.


    Ling Maomao copied his brother¡¯s actions; he started placing food into the bowls of Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei.


    ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough. Just help yourself and don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Ling Xingzhong said in a stern voice, despite the smile on his face.


    Ling Maomao sat back down obediently and started biting into the meat that his brother had given him.


    ¡°Grandfather, uncle and aunt, I have something to tell you later.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    The elders must have known about what had happened in his yard. Ling Zhang was sure of it. Ling Zhang could pretty much guess as well why none of them had confronted him yet. Even if the elders trusted him, he still owed them an explanation.


    Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei shared a look with each other. They already had an idea as to what Ling Zhang wanted to say.


    ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll head to the side hall after the meal,¡± Ling Xingzhong said. ¡°We can have the conversation there.¡±


    Ling Maomao gave Ling Zhang a look of dissatisfaction, ¡°Big brother, why can¡¯t I be included in the conversation?¡±


    Ling Zhang stroked the back of Ling Maomao¡¯s head and said, ¡°That is a grown-up matter. I¡¯ll tell you about it once you¡¯re a bit older, okay?¡±


    Ling Maomao curled his lips, ¡°When can I have my coming-of-age ceremony?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have your ceremony when you¡¯ve grown much taller,¡± Ling Zhang answered.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s words filled Ling Maomao with a feeling of hopelessness. With his current body height, it would take forever for him to become as tall as his big brother!


    The heaviness in Ling Zhang¡¯s heart was considerably lightened by Ling Maomao¡¯s presence.


    After the family feast, the whole family (sans Ling Maomao) gathered in the pavilion. Ling Maomao was brought to the bath by the steward.


    Ling Zhang came clean to his grandfather, uncle and aunt. He hid nothing from them and told them everything Dongshan and Dongsong had done. He also told them about the evidence he had found that confirmed their guilt.


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s face turned livid after he had heard everything. Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei were furious as well.


    ¡°You did well. Keeping such treacherous servants in your service will be an extreme threat to you and the Ling family,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t realize anything wrong with those two. And because of that, you nearly fell into a trap. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t say that, Aunt. None of this is your fault. Dongsong and Dongshan had been with our family ever since they were little kids. They¡¯d always been by my side to serve me. It¡¯s my fault for not being strict enough with them,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    No, this wasn¡¯t his aunt¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for his rebirth, he himself couldn¡¯t have seen through their deception either.


    ¡°The fact is that these things are hard to prevent. Looks like we need to carry out Zhang¡¯er¡¯s suggestion as soon as possible. The ranks of our servants need to be reshuffled. The possibility that there are more people like those two in our family doesn¡¯t sit well with me,¡± Ling Zhaowen said with a serious expression.

 Chapter 29 - Big Brother, Are You Getting Married?

    After the discussion with the elders, Ling Zhang returned to his courtyard. He was giving a kid a piggy back ride.


    Ling Maomao held onto Ling Zhang¡¯s neck and began rubbing his cheek against Ling Zhang¡¯s hair. He said in Ling Zhang¡¯s ear, ¡°Big brother, I brought back gifts for you. I¡¯ve already asked the steward to bring them to your room. You must check them later.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I like all the gifts you give me.¡± Ling Zhang reached behind his back and held Ling Maomao¡¯s butt firmly.


    Ling Maomao¡¯s little buttocks were soft and felt good.


    Ling Maomao smiled happily, then he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Most of my gifts are for you. I gave you more gifts than I gave to my father. But you have to promise me that you won¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes revealed a smile. Then he turned his head slightly and nudged Ling Maomao. ¡°Oh, you bad boy. Your dad would be so sad if he ever finds out.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Yeah, right. As if he¡¯d be sad because I didn¡¯t get him enough gifts. He¡¯d even blame me for buying things indiscriminately. He always complained about the gifts I bought for him. I will never buy him gifts again!¡± Ling Maomao complained.


    Ling Zhang felt a bit helpless. He knew that his uncle was just worried about spoiling Maomao too much. His uncle had always been playing a strict father. No matter how much his uncle loved Maomao, he would never express it. Therefore, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t pull the rug from under his uncle¡¯s feet. ¡°Your father is just worried that you¡¯ll end up as a spendthrift,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ling Maomao.


    ¡°Oh, come on, big brother. I won¡¯t turn into a spendthrift. My mother only gives me a fixed allowance. She won¡¯t let me buy anything else once I spent more than that amount,¡± Ling Maomao said.


    ¡°How much did she give you?¡± Ling Zhang asked curiously.


    ¡°Ten taels,¡± Ling Maomao said.


    That was a lot of money. Ling Maomao was just a kid. Ten taels was already a huge sum of money for him.


    ¡°By the way, are you getting married soon?¡± Ling Maomao asked suddenly.


    Ling Zhang was taken aback by that question. ¡°Getting married? Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°I overheard my mother, grandfather and (maternal) grandfather talking about this. My mother said now that you¡¯re an adult, it¡¯s time for you to consider marriage. She also said that you and our cousin are a good match for each other.¡±


    ¡°Maomao, how did you hear this?¡± Ling Zhang interrupted Ling Maomao¡¯s words.


    This concerned a woman¡¯s reputation. He believed that his grandfather and his aunt wouldn¡¯t talk about it easily, not when the matter hadn¡¯t been finalized.


    Ling Maomao poked out his tongue and whispered, ¡°I eavesdropped on their conversation.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone about this. You got that?¡± Ling Zhang said seriously.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s reprimand had Ling Maomao feeling a bit bad. ¡°Oh,¡± he said obediently.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart melted. ¡°I¡¯m not scolding you for no reason, okay? It¡¯ll bring your cousin harm if this ever gets out. Your cousin has always been nice to you, hasn¡¯t she? You don¡¯t want to do anything to hurt her, right?¡±


    Ling Maomao shook his head. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Speak to no one about this,¡± Ling Zhang reminded him again.


    At this point, Ling Maomao realized that he might¡¯ve caused trouble. He said, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll never tell others.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment then asked, ¡°And then? What else did you hear?¡±


    ¡®Please don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re really planning to set me up with Miss Fu,¡± he thought. He wasn¡¯t thinking about marriage at this time. Besides, there is still an engagement¡­¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°Grandpa said that there¡¯s no need to hurry. He said that my cousin is still young. He also said he wanted to hear your thoughts on it. Big brother, are you really getting married soon? Is it true that men get to marry a beautiful wife after going through their coming-of-age ceremonies? When can I get married?¡± Ling Maomao said.


    Ling Zhang was relieved to learn that Ling Xingzhong had postponed the discussion regarding to his marriage. The relief was short-lived and he frowned again.


    He had a feeling that his grandfather¡¯s main concern had nothing to do with Miss Fu¡¯s age but with that marriage contract that not many people knew of. Even if both parties involved in the engagement were men, and the two families who made the contract had been estranged from each other for many years, the engagement was still valid.


    Under such circumstances, it would be a nuisance if Ling Zhang were to end up engaged with someone else; if the other party decided to pursue this matter, Ling Zhang would probably have to face a court case.


    Even though Yuwen Family desperately wanted to keep the existence of this marriage contract under wraps, and they might be eagerly looking forward to know that Ling Zhang was married to another woman, his grandfather didn¡¯t know about it.


    The matter must be brought up as soon as possible. Otherwise, he was really worried that his grandpa might mention this to Yuwen Family on a whim.

 Chapter 30 - Young Master Wants to Learn Kung Fu?

    Ling Zhang woke up at the crack of dawn the next day.


    He didn¡¯t sleep well last night. As soon as he closed his eyes, he would think back to his previous life. Every time he fell asleep, he would wake up immediately, fearing that what he had right now was merely a dream, that it would all be gone when he woke again.


    This had happened several times last night, and now he was completely exhausted. He even thought he would feel less tired if he hadn¡¯t gone to bed just now.


    The first thing he did every time he roused from his fitful sleep was to confirm whether Maomao was still beside him. Only then did he feel relieved.


    Ling Maomao, the little boy that he was, slept like a little piggy; he wasn¡¯t disturbed at all by his brother¡¯s repeated tossing and turning. The heat radiating from Maomao warmed Ling Zhang¡¯s quilt. At one point, he even tucked his head into Ling Zhang¡¯s armpit while he slept; his leg was thrown across Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach while his hand planted firmly on Ling Zhang¡¯s chest. He was dead to the world.


    Ling Zhang looked sideways at Ling Maomao¡¯s hair which was curled up into messy ringlets before he reached over and carefully smoothed them out. The chill in his eyes was gradually replaced with warmth.


    He didn¡¯t think he could even fall asleep last night without Ling Maomao by his side.


    He gently removed Ling Maomao from his body and got out of bed. Then he adjusted Maomao¡¯s position and draped the blanket over his sleeping form. He pinched Maomao¡¯s face before walking away from the side of the bed.


    He got dressed and washed up before heading out.


    Xiafeng quickly came over and greeted him. ¡°Young master, why are you up so early? Have you washed up already?¡± Xiafeng had just left his room and was preparing to order the servants to begin today¡¯s work when he saw Ling Zhang walking out of his bedroom.


    ¡°Yeah, Maomao is still asleep inside. Ask the servants to keep it down when they work. Also, station someone here to keep an eye on him. He can serve Maomao the moment he wakes,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Yes, young master, I will do it at the drop of a hat.¡± Then, Xiafeng asked again, ¡°The servants in the kitchen didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be up so early, so breakfast hasn¡¯t been prepared yet. If you are hungry, I will get some dim sums first to get your stomach fed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry. Just go ahead and do your thing. I¡¯ll be back later for breakfast. But don¡¯t forget to prepare breakfast for Maomao!¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± Xiafeng answered hurriedly. ¡°But where will you go? Do you require escorts?¡± Xiafeng asked.


    ¡°No need,¡± Ling Zhang said and walked straight out of the courtyard.


    Xiafeng felt very confused. But after what had happened yesterday, he dared not ask Ling Zhang so casually like he used to. So he decided to just follow orders.


    The servants in the courtyard were surprised when they heard that Ling Zhang was up; they began working in a frantic pace. Everyone had a tight look on their faces; yesterday¡¯s incident had greatly affected them.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang had already reached the quarters of the guards. He summoned Wang Dashan, the head of the guards.


    The guards were all early birds. As soon as Wang Dashan heard that Ling Zhang was looking for him, he came out in a hurry. ¡°How can I help you, Young Master?¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re someone who knows Kung Fu, Master Wang. Do you think it¡¯s possible for you to teach me a few techniques to strengthen my body? From now on, I¡¯ll join you guys to practice every morning.¡±


    Wang Dashan seemed taken aback. ¡°Young Master, you want to learn martial arts?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Will you teach me? You¡¯ll be paid accordingly, of course,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°This¡­¡­ Of course I¡¯m willing to teach you, young master. But learning martial arts isn¡¯t as easy as you think. At the beginning stage, getting hurt is inevitable. Are you sure about this, young master?¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°I will persevere since I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Why don¡¯t you teach me first, Master Wang, and see if I can stick to it?¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Wang Dashan was instantly reminded of what had happened at Ling Family yesterday when he noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s insistence. He hesitated for a moment, then he finally nodded. ¡°Sure, young master. I have to be thick-skinned to teach you a few tricks. But if you¡¯re really interested to learn, you can invite a Kung Fu expert to stay here with us to teach you.¡±


    Just like that, Ling Zhang managed to persuade Wang Dashan to teach him Kung Fu. Ling Zhang jogged and did laps around the guards¡¯ quarters with Wang Dashan. After that, they did some stretching. It took two hours just to complete these exercises. The sky was already bright by the time they were done.


    Ling Zhang had never exercised like this before. Although Wang Dashan had gone easy on him, Ling Zhang still felt completely drained.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s body was stiff and utterly inflexible. His hands and feet were shaking so much after the workout routine that he could hardly walk. His clothes were drenched in sweat and he felt a burning pain in his throat whenever he took a breath.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, however, was full of vigor. His eyes were brighter than ever.


    Wang Dashan felt very surprised. He had been expecting Ling Zhang to give up halfway through the workout. But Ling Zhang had surprised him by completing the entire workout without a single complaint.


    Wang Dashan was starting to believe that Ling Zhang was serious about learning Kung Fu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here again tomorrow morning,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Okay, young master. I¡¯ll be waiting for you. By the way, young master, might I remind you to rub yourself with medicinal oil after you get back. Otherwise, the pain will be unbearable,¡± Wang Dashan said.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Alright, Master Wang. Thank you for the reminder.¡±


    Ling Zhang left the guards¡¯ quarters and returned to his courtyard. Despite his exhaustion, his gait was strong and steady.


    ¡°Young master, what¡­¡­what on God¡¯s green earth happened to you?¡± Xiafeng was stunned for a while when he saw Ling Zhang walking in half-dead and sweating all over.


    ¡°Prepare some hot water and ointment for me, please,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Xiafeng carried out the order immediately.


    ¡°Is Maomao awake?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Xiafeng answered.


    Ling Zhang looked up at the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to wake him up.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Ling Zhang Wanted to Break Off the Engagement

    Chapter 31: Ling Zhang Wanted to Break Off the Engagement


    ¡°Bark! Bark!¡±


    By breakfast-time the big dog, Ada, ran in from outside. The dog seemed to have played outside early in the morning and its body was so dirty. But Ling Maomao didn¡¯t mind it. He called it happily when he was holding a bowl, ¡°Ada!¡±


    ¡°Young master, I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t prevent Ada from coming here.¡± The servant standing outside apologized. He came in with Ada and puffed heavily after running. Seeing Ling Zhang was there, he shivered and even knelt down. Then he lowered his head and begged for mercy.


    The hall¡¯s atmosphere suddenly changed. All the servants there didn¡¯t dare to make a noise.


    Ling Maomao was confused to look at the servant who knelt down. He didn¡¯t understand why the servant was so scared. In fact, his brother didn¡¯t say anything.


    Only Ada didn¡¯t feel the change of atmosphere. It didn¡¯t realize its dirty body at all. So it directly ran over to rub against Ling Zhang.


    Another servant waiting upon by the side stared at Ada and wanted to prevent the dog. But he didn¡¯t know whether he should do it or not. At the moment of indecision, his forehead even sweated.


    Ling Zhang put down his chopsticks. When Ada was close to him, he stretched out to touch its head and said kindly, ¡°Where did you go to play? Look at your dirty fur.¡±


    Ling Maomao was looking at the servant who knelt down before Ling Zhang said. After hearing his brother¡¯s words, Ling Maomao turned his head to look at Ada. Then he said, ¡°I guess it must have been to next door to play with Ahua again.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°How can you know it played with Ahua?¡±


    Ahua was a female dog that belonged to their neighbor. Ada couldn¡¯t even move a step when seeing Ahua, chasing after Ahua all day long.


    ¡°I of course know it. I saw it fighting with Ahua in the corner of wall in our backyard last time,¡± Ling Maomao answered.


    Did they really fight? Ling Zhang was speechless as he immediately understood the actual meaning of ¡®fighting¡¯.


    So Ling Zhang unhappily stopped touching Ada¡¯s head. He looked down at it and scolded, ¡°You scoundrel always fool around.¡±


    Ada also realized that Ling Zhang felt angry with it. So it whined sadly and rubbed against Ling Zhang¡¯s legs with its head.


    ¡°Ada, don¡¯t make my brother¡¯s clothes dirty. Otherwise we might throw you out.¡± Ling Maomao threatened. He instantly wanted to protect his brother, when he saw that his brother¡¯s clothes got dirty after being rubbed by the dog.


    Ada raised its head and whined at Ling Maomao.


    Ling Maomao was about to stand up with anger. But Ling Zhang patted his shoulder to stop him and said, ¡°Just let it rub. You should focus on having breakfast now and go to school later.¡±


    After hearing that, Ling Maomao was instantly out of spirits and wasn¡¯t angry at all. He complained, ¡°I just came back yesterday. Should I go to school today?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t eat quickly, your father will catch you later and send you to school in person,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    After hearing his father would come to get him, Ling Maomao quickly buried himself to the meal. At the same time, he didn¡¯t forget to glance at the person kneeling on the ground.


    Ling Zhang also looked at the servant and said simply, ¡°Stand up. Don¡¯t stop Ada when it comes here in the future. But you can¡¯t let it enter my bedroom and study.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I get it!¡± The servant who knelt down said. He picked himself up and wiped the sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Take it out and clean it up.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The servant quickly said and was going to take Ada out.


    But Ada stared at the food on the table and didn¡¯t want to leave, its eyes glued to the food. Ling Zhang asked the servant to go out with a bowl of Mulberry Leaf Broth and Ada followed him out merrily.


    Ling Maomao leaned close to Ling Zhang and asked, ¡°Brother, what happened to that person just now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Eat your food quickly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Is second young master up?¡± Ling Zhaowen asked a servant after having breakfast.


    ¡°My lord, second young master has finished the breakfast with eldest young master. Now he is on the way back and prepares to take his textbooks to school.¡± The servant replied.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded satisfactorily and said, ¡°He goes to school actively and doesn¡¯t slack today. He finally grows up a little.¡±


    ¡°What about eldest young master?¡± Ling Zhaowen asked again.


    ¡°Eldest young master goes to old master¡¯s yard.¡± The servant answered.


    Why did Ling Zhang find his grandfather early in the morning? Ling Zhaowen was confused.


    To Ling Zhaowen¡¯s surprise, when he changed into his formal wear and was ready to go to yamen, Ling Xingzhong sent a servant to call him over.


    ¡°My lord, old master asks you to see him.¡±


    It was the time for Ling Zhaowen to go to yamen. His father wouldn¡¯t demand his presence if there was nothing important. Ling Zhaowen thought it might be related to his nephew¡¯s visit to his father this morning.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go there now.¡±


    When Ling Zhaowen arrived, he just saw his father. Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Father, what do you want to say to me?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong pointed at the chair and said, ¡°Sit down before we have a talk.¡±


    ¡°A long talk?¡± Ling Zhaowen thought. Then he sat down after slight hesitation as it was unnecessary for him to arrive at yamen on time. He could be a little late.


    ¡°I ask you, did you tell Zhang the engagement with Yuwen Family?¡± Ling Xingzhong looked at Ling Zhaowen seriously.


    Ling Zhaowen was stunned, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong frowned, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. How dare I lie to you?¡± Ling Zhaowen said. Then he instantly thought of Ling Zhang¡¯s visit to Ling Xingzhong this morning. He asked, ¡°Father, did Zhang say something to you?¡±


    ¡°He wants to break off the engagement with Yuwen Family,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°Break off the engagement?¡± Ling Zhaowen was shocked. It almost immediately reminded him what Ling Zhang had said about his dream yesterday.


    At that time, Ling Zhaowen just felt astonished about the dream¡¯s content and didn¡¯t have time to explain the engagement with Yuwen Family. But his nephew was so smart. He was afraid that his nephew had already been sure that the engagement was real.


    Therefore, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t wait to tell Ling Xingzhong that he wanted to break off the engagement early in this morning.


    Ling Zhaowen thought about much in a short time and felt that he had touched the truth. But he didn¡¯t know that Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have to confirm the engagement with him at all.


    Ling Zhaowen was a little guilty. According to his inference, maybe he was really the person who leaked the news to Ling Zhang. But he didn¡¯t dare to confess it to his father.


    ¡°Well, father, what do you say about that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I sent for you. I also want to know your opinion.¡± Ling Xingzhong looked at him.


    Ling Zhaowen calmed down and considered it for a while before saying, ¡°Yuwen Family hasn¡¯t contacted with us for so many years since you left the capital. If they want to admit the engagement, they won¡¯t alienate us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the old General Yuwen passed away. His second son has the say in Yuwen Family now and Yuwen Tong has been guarding the frontier all these years,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°So what? No one in Yuwen Family knows the engagement besides the old General Yuwen? I don¡¯t believe that even if you do,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    ¡°So you agree with Zhang to break off the engagement?¡± Ling Xingzhong asked.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded certainly and said, ¡°It is true that there have been many examples that two men get married since Yue Dynasty existed. One of our emperors once married a man. However, only few people do that and most of people feel it disgusting. As for Yuwen Family, its first branch only has one son, which is Yuwen Tong. I¡¯m afraid they also want Yuwen Tong to marry a woman. We will humiliate ourselves if we insist the engagement. Besides, our Ling Family¡¯s status is much lower than Yuwen Family. Ling Zhang is also a man. How can we elders have the heart to let him marry into Yuwen Family and be trapped in a man¡¯s backyard?¡±


    After hearing Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words, Ling Xingzhong¡¯s serious expression softened a bit.


    Ling Zhaowen was so clever that when seeing his father¡¯s face softening, he quickly knew that his father had already made a decision. His father just wanted to sound out his intention. With this realization, he didn¡¯t know whether he should cry or laugh.


    ¡°Father, do you think I will force Zhang to marry into Yuwen Family in order to strengthen the tie?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong said, ¡°After all, you are an official now. If he marries into Yuwen Family, they will promote you naturally to maintain their dignity.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen almost wanted to show the white of his eyes. But he had to maintain his public image. He said, ¡°Father, in my heart, Zhang is more important than my position.¡±


    When Ling Xingzhong realized that his son didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to marry into Yuwen Family, he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. But he couldn¡¯t help feeling pitiful for the old General Yuwen. He said, ¡°The old General Yuwen is a good man. His family are loyal to our country for generations and guard the border with their lives for Yue Dynasty. Yuwen Tong is also a real genius. He reverses the decline of Yue Dynasty and guards the border to make sure Yue Dynasty¡¯s safety. If they can treat Zhang well and don¡¯t constrain him, I quite like the idea of Zhang marrying Yuwen Tong. But it¡¯s a pity that Yuwen Family haven¡¯t showed their attitude for so many years. I won¡¯t ask for a snub. In fact, I want to write a letter to break off the engagement later. But I didn¡¯t expect that Zhang would mention it first.¡±


    ¡°Father, that being the case, you don¡¯t need to feel it a pity. Just do it,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Xingzhong nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve written a letter about breaking off the engagement, right there on the desk. You bring it to yamen and find a reliable man to deliver it to capital.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen had guessed that in his heart. His father had already made a decision. Then Ling Zhaowen stood up and walked to the desk where a letter was placed. After reading it, he folded it and put it into an envelop, sealing it with a stamp on its adhesive place.


    ¡°Father, why not ask our butler to go to capital with the messenger?¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Xingzhong thought it for a moment before saying, ¡°Okay. Let him also go then.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen went to the study¡¯s door and asked the servant to bring butler here. Then he told the butler about this matter.


    The butler promised, ¡°Master, second master, please rest assured. I will see to it that the letter is delivered to Yuwen Family. But there are some things here that I have to arrange before leaving. Besides, master asked me to observe the servants in Ling Family yesterday¡­¡±


    The butler had no idea about the content in the letter. But he didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°You just need to arrange other things. I will observe the servants by myself,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to arrange these things soon. Two hours later, I will go to yamen to find second master.¡± The butler said.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    After the butler left, Ling Zhaowen went to yamen with the envelop.


    *


    In his yard, Ling Zhang soon got the clear reply from Ling Xingzhong.


    Knowing the letter was going to be sent to capital, Ling Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that a part of his anxiety and depression was removed.


    Ling Zhang was clear that the engagement would be good for Ling Family if he used it well. But he didn¡¯t want to do that. He just wanted to end it as soon as possible.


    He wished the letter could be sent to capital successfully.


    The author has something to say:


    Ling Zhang: I can finally break off the engagement! Hope it arrives soon. [Anticipating.jpg]


    Yuwen Tong: ¡­ [A surprise gift is on the way(1/1)]

 Chapter 32 - Feel So Uneasy

    Chapter 32: Feel So Uneasy


    In the next few days, Ling family was still in a depressing atmosphere because several servants were fired one after another these days. Although they were given some sliver for their next step when they left, they lost a good job after leaving Ling family. So none of them felt happy.


    Of course, there was one or two who did not get the silver. With broken legs, they were put into the government prison directly.


    Ling family¡¯s action was clear-cut and that didn¡¯t hide from the Jia family who had paid attention to Ling family¡¯s every move carefully. As soon as the servant of Jia family ran back to Jia¡¯s home, he told Jia Yin all he had inquired these days.


    ¡°One of those who were sent to the prison with broken legs is the one we set in Ling family one year ago. He was about to gain Ling Zhaowen¡¯s trust. And he could have direct interaction with Ling Zhaowen and enter his study room to serve him later. I didn¡¯t expect him to be caught and directly sent to the prison.¡± The servant who came back to inform said.


    With his face black with rage, Jia Yin asked, ¡°Did that person confess anything?¡±


    The servant nervously wiped the sweat on his forehead, and replied, ¡°There is no news to date. Tao Yi and Ling Zhaowen are guarding the government prison closely, so our people can¡¯t get in.¡±


    Jia Yin clenched his fists tightly and banged them on the table heavily, ¡°Ling Zhaowen, such an ignorant man, acted so fast! Go to invite Second Master, hope that he will find a way to visit Ling¡¯er in the prison, and get some messages from the one who is being arrested.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The servant answered immediately and then rushed out to find Jia Zhong.


    ¡­¡­


    In Ling family, Ling Zhang¡¯s yard was the place where the atmosphere was the most serious.


    Among the people who were fired this time, nearly half of them were from Ling Zhang¡¯s yard. It was not because those servant all had problems, but because they didn¡¯t meet Ling Zhang¡¯s requirement after these days¡¯ observations. So they were sent out with some silver.


    And those who stayed were all nervous.


    ¡°Young Master, with so many people being sent away, is it necessary to hire some new servants?¡± Xiafeng asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°No hurry, this yard is not so large, and I don¡¯t need so many people here. And the rest servants here still need a period of observation,¡± Ling Zhang answered unhurriedly.


    Xiafeng was dazed, ¡®Will Young Master continue firing some people?¡¯


    ¡°Place quality above quantity,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    After this sentence, Ling Zhang changed the subject asked, ¡°Is uncle back?¡±


    Xiafeng replied, ¡°This servant has already sent a man to wait at the front door. Since he has not come back to report, so Second Master is not back yet.¡±


    Ling Zhang wanted to know if the men who would escort Jia Yuanling to the frontier for banishment were decided or not, and if his uncle had arranged everything perfectly. Did the butler and those people who went to the capital arrive? He didn¡¯t know why he was always feeling so uneasy. Somehow, he just got the feeling that it would not be so easy to send the divorce paper to the capital.


    ¡®Pooh! I¡¯m overthinking,¡¯ Ling Zhang despised himself in the heart.


    ¡°Oops¡­¡± Being immersed in his thought too much, Ling Zhang inadvertently touched the aching point on his body. These days, he had followed Wang Dashan to do exercise every morning. Wang Dashan was in no hurry to teach Ling Zhang basic skills, but told him to limber up his body first. Wang Dashan just took him for a run and some stretches every morning. Ling Zhang never quit in the middle, finishing the two-hour exercise every time. Although Ling Zhang would apply medicated oil to soothe the muscle pain after every exercise, his body was still aching. And it hurt so badly that he winced every time when the muscles were accidentally pulled.


    However, it was better to feel the pain. The more painful he was, the more it proved that he really existed and the more he could feel that he was reborn, which led him to feel more secure and determined.


    And after these days¡¯ observation of the guardians¡¯ situation, he had a plan in mind.

 Chapter 33 - Ling Family’s Counterattack?

    Having spent the last few days observing his house guards, Ling Zhang realized that the level of skills possessed by the guards of his family varied; some of them had genuine skills while others just wanted to put food on their table.


    It was impossible for them to truly protect the Ling family from rampant bandits or the prefecture guards.


    The first thought that occurred to Ling Zhang was to fire the incompetent ones and keep only those with real skills.


    The second idea involved finding a way to train his men to become an elite group of guards!


    Alas, his knowledge in the art of war was too shallow to give his guards a soldier¡¯s training. But he could still apply the tactics that his mother had taught him!


    According to ancient history, the Eight-Diagram Tactics could be employed to trap enemies. This fact had been emphasized over and over again since antiquity until it became a legend. Now, driven by need, Ling Zhang found himself remembering a lot of knowledge about tactics and formations that he had previously forgotten. The Eight-Diagram Tactics was one of them and, considering its legendary status, he thought it was definitely worth a try.


    Well, it was probably impossible for them to achieve the miraculous things that the Eight-Diagram Tactics did, but it was totally possible for him to strengthen the fighting capacity of the guards and to make the guards of Ling family a force to be reckoned with.


    As for the exact tactics to be used or how to incorporate it in training, Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t come up with anything concrete yet, just some rough ideas.


    Besides eliminating incompetent guards, it was also necessary to test the characters of the guards to make sure that those who stayed had the ability to keep secrets.


    Because of his idea, Ling Zhang was trying to remember everything about tactics these days. Whenever he got a minute, he would shut himself in his study and draw out everything he could recall. Luckily, the memories were very fresh, as if he had just memorized them yesterday.


    Then again, it was a pity, because his drawings were all he had at the moment; the books on tactics left behind by his mother had already been burnt by his father.


    ¡°Young master, the second master is back!¡±


    The servant¡¯s announcement pulled Ling Zhang out of his thoughts.


    Ling Zhang got up and left his courtyard to look for Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Uncle, have you arranged the men who would escort Jia Yuanling?¡± The uncle and niece discussed this affair after they entered the study and dismissed the servant.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve done that already. The men who escort Jia Yuanling are Lord Tao¡¯s. So it took me quite a while to convince them into this.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t go wrong, right?¡± Ling Zhang felt uneasy when he heard that the men were Tao Feng¡¯s followers.


    Ling Zhaowen chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s going to be fine. You¡¯re forgetting that Tao Feng is now on the same boat with us. Even if he knew our plan, he would turn a blind eye. He will never expose us.¡±


    ¡°The falling-out between Jia Family and Zhang Chong benefits not only us, but Tao Feng as well.¡±


    Not that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t see it through, but because of the ordeals that he¡¯d been through in his previous life, he developed a sense of wariness and vigilance against anyone other than his immediate family members.


    Sure, Tao Feng was on their side for now. But that might easily change in the future.


    Lin Zhaowen was highly pleased to see Ling Zhang showing his concerns. ¡°It¡¯s wise to be cautious. Indeed, we can¡¯t trust Tao Feng completely. That is why I¡¯ve contacted those officials through indirect means. If things go south, nobody would be able to dig up any dirt on us.¡±


    Ling Zhang was relieved to know that Ling Zhaowen had already planned ahead.


    Ling Zhaowen patted Ling Zhang on the shoulder, ¡°What the Jia family did was despicable. I will never let them off the hook. By the way, I heard that you¡¯ve been joining Wang Dashan, the leader of the guards, every morning in their exercise routines?¡±


    ¡°Currently, my body is too weak, Uncle. I¡¯m planning to take up martial arts to strengthen my body,¡± Ling Zhang answered.


    ¡°Good job. You should ask Maomao to do the same.¡± Ling Zhaowen was confident in his nephew¡¯s judgement and didn¡¯t see the need to question the choices in his nephew¡¯s life. So he never hesitated to put out the suggestion that Maomao should follow Ling Zhang¡¯s footsteps in taking up martial arts as well.


    ¡°¡­¡± Ling Zang was rendered speechless. ¡°Uncle, Maomao is still too young for martial arts. He can start learning in a few years.¡±


    Ling Maomao had to get up early every day to go to school. Ling Zhang was pretty sure that the little brat would cry if he had to get up an hour earlier just to throw a few punches and kicks.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s reminder made Ling Zhaowen realize that his son was indeed a little too young to undergo martial arts training. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait a few more years then.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ling Maomao had no idea how close he came to be forced to get up while the sky was still dark every day in order to practice martial arts.


    ¡­


    In the Prefecture Yamen, Tao Yi rushed into Tao Feng¡¯s study and said, ¡°Father, Jia Zhong went to visit Jia Yuanling.¡±


    Tao Feng put down the book in his hand. ¡°Is everything in the prison arranged?¡±


    Tao Yi nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    In Prefecture Prison.


    Jia Zhong had to go through gate after gate to get to his nephew¡¯s cell. Needless to say, there was a discontented look on Jia Zhong¡¯s face as he walked. He lost his temper as soon as he saw Jia Yuanling in a white prison uniform, huddled in a dingy cell with his life hanging on a thread. ¡°How dare you! How dare you confine my nephew in such a terrible cell!¡±


    ¡°Lord Jia, the cells here are all the same,¡± the jailer said with a smile.


    ¡°Even so, you should clean it up¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡± The light returned into Jia Yuanling¡¯s eyes the moment he heard Jia Zhong¡¯s voice. He struggled to his feet and rushed towards the bars. Overjoyed, he grasped the bars hard and shouted, ¡°Uncle, are you here to save me?¡±


    Jia Zhong winked at Jia Yuanling, telling him to stay calm. Then he turned to the jailer and said, ¡°Open the cell.¡±


    The jailer hesitated. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s against the rules.¡±


    ¡°I command you to open the door! Do you still value your life?¡± Jia Zhong kicked the jailer, and the poor guy staggered backwards.


    The jailer winced in pain, anger flashing across his eyes. Holding back his anger, he lowered his head, and opened the cell door. The jailer watched the two members of the Jia family with resentful eyes as Jia Zhong entered the cell.


    ¡°Uncle, I will be released from prison, right?¡± Jia Yuanling asked, grabbing Jia Zhong¡¯s arm in anticipation.


    Jia Zhong looked at his nephew¡¯s disheveled appearance, and was instantly hit by a wave of emotions. Jia Yuanling¡¯s grip on his arm was so strong that his arm hurt. Suddenly, his expression turned harsh. ¡°Jia Yuanling, calm down,¡± he said.


    Jia Yuanling shuddered at the reprimand. He withdrew his hands and whispered, ¡°Uncle! Uncle, can I go out now?¡±


    Obviously, Jia Yuanling had been tortured in prison; he had lost the aggressiveness that he¡¯d shown in court.


    ¡°Calm down. I am here to save you now,¡± Jia Zhong comforted.


    Thinking that he was finally saved, Jia Yuanling was going to rush excitedly out of the cell.


    Startled, Jia Zhong stopped him quickly. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he growled.


    ¡°I thought you said you¡¯re getting out of here?¡± Jia Yuanling fumed, annoyed at being stopped.


    ¡°Not now. Listen, if you don¡¯t calm yourself right now, you can forget about ever getting out,¡± Jia Zhong reprimanded.


    Jia Zhong¡¯s threat calmed Jia Yuanling down, causing the latter to stare at Jia Zhong expectantly.


    Seeing that Jia Yuanling had finally calmed down, Jia Zhong approached him and whispered, ¡°After a while, there will be some officials who are going to escort you to the frontier. I¡¯ve already bribed those tasked to escort you. So they will take care of you and will not let you be bullied. When you get to the frontier, Commander Zhang will send someone to secretly take you back to Tanyang.¡±


    Jia Yuanling had been about to voice his objection when he heard that he was still going to be exiled. But he quickly calmed down again when he heard that he would be transported back to Tanyang in secret.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to save me? That day, in the court of justice, he didn¡¯t even show me any mercy, he even gave me a hard kick!¡± Jia Yuanling said, clenching his jaw tight. His face became murderous the moment they talked about Zhang Chong.


    ¡°That¡¯s all because of your own stupidity. Commander Zhang was there to save you that day, but you yourself have already confessed. You¡¯ve put him in an awkward situation. It will arouse public rage and everything will go out of control if he handled things carelessly back then,¡± Ji Zhong said coldly.


    Jia Yuanling¡¯s jaw remained tightly clenched; his face becoming more hideous. ¡°This is all Ling¡¯s doing. I won¡¯t let him off lightly.¡±


    ¡°None of us will. You need to focus on healing first. It¡¯s going to be a long journey. You can¡¯t just die halfway in the journey, you understand?¡± Jia Zhong said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand this place for a second longer. How the hell am I even going to recover?¡±


    ¡°I will bribe the jailers to switch you into a better cell. I¡¯ll ask them to get you a doctor too.¡±


    Jia Yuanling calmed down a little.


    ¡°By the way, did you see two men with broken legs who had been brought in here?¡±


    ¡°Over there,¡± Jia Yuanling pointed to a place some distance away from his cell. ¡°Who are they? What do you want from them?¡± Jia Yuanling asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. What you need to do is to get well after the doctor has seen to your wounds.¡±


    Jia Yuanling balled his fists and said nothing anymore.


    ¡­


    ¡°My lord, young master, Jia Zhong is gone.¡±


    As soon as Jia Zhong left, someone in the prison notified Tao Feng and Tao Yi.


    ¡°So, how about it? What did he tell Jia Yuanling?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    ¡°He said that Zhang Chong would rescue Jia Yuanling when Jia Yuanling reached his exile destination. After that Jia Yuanling will be sent back to Tan Yang,¡± the man said.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Tao Yi said.


    Tao Feng glanced at the messenger, ¡°What about the two men with broken legs? Has Jia Zhong contacted them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. But those two men had been tortured beforehand. They all passed out. Jia Zhong didn¡¯t manage to ask them anything,¡± the man answered.


    ¡°Well done! Alright then. That¡¯s all for now. You¡¯re dismissed,¡± Tao Feng said.


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The messenger left Tao Feng¡¯s study.


    ¡°Looks like Ling Zhang is right, Zhang Chong really is planning to save Jia Yuanling,¡± Tao Yi said.


    ¡°Because Zhang Chong doesn¡¯t want to abandon the mine field of Jia Family.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? Are we supposed to just sit around and let Zhang Chong and the Jia family team up?¡±


    Tao Feng gave a sneer. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Tao Yi looked at Tao Feng in bewilderment.


    ¡°Ling Zhaowen have taken action already. They are just waiting for Jia Yuanling to put his neck into the noose,¡± Tao Feng said.


    Tao Yi was taken aback. ¡°Has the Ling family taken action already? I didn¡¯t expect that the Ling family, gentle and kind as they usually are, could be so ruthless to Jia Yuanling.¡±


    Tao Feng sighed. ¡°Ling family wouldn¡¯t have done that before. They¡¯re now forced to act. They¡¯d be destroyed if they don¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 34 - An Encounter with Bandits

    A humble carriage, followed by four horse-mounted guards in front and back, passed through a bamboo forest. The road was muddy, and the sky was drizzling. Although the rain was not heavy, it was cold.


    The four guards and the coachman were all wearing coir raincoats and had large bamboo hats on their head. Even so, they served only to keep them out the rain, not the cold.


    A guard sidled up and shouted to the man inside the carriage. ¡°Uncle Li, the weather is too terrible. I am afraid that the rain will only get worse. Should we find a place to rest first?¡±


    Li Zheng, the butler of Ling family, lifted the curtain of the carriage. He said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find a place to rest first. Young man, do you know any places around where we can find shelter from the rain?¡±


    ¡°We can get to Liantang Town after we go through the bamboo forest and another mountain.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then we will go along with your plan,¡± the butler said.


    Guard Wang nodded, and yelled to the other three men, ¡°Ride steadily, brothers! We can rest after we go a bit further.¡± Then, the butler pulled down the curtain and got back into the carriage.


    ¡°Butler, we¡¯ve been travelling for six days. How long will it take us to get to the capital?¡± asked Stone, the manservant of Ling family, who had followed the carriage from Tanyang along the way.


    ¡°Soon. We will arrive at the capital in about four days,¡± the butler answered.


    ¡°Huh? Four more days?¡± Stone said in disappointment.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the impatience, you brat? Guard Wang is the one riding the horse, and yet he didn¡¯t even complain! And you¡¯re complaining when you¡¯re sitting comfortably in the carriage?¡± the butler complained.


    ¡°Oops, I wouldn¡¯t dare complain. It¡¯s just that this carriage has been shaking too much. And I¡¯ve been sitting for so long time that my body¡¯s aching all over.¡±


    The butler raised his hand and slapped Stone on his head. ¡°I¡¯m much older than you, and yet I never complained! You¡¯re so young and you¡¯re grumbling?¡±


    Stone rubbed his head and dared not complain anymore. He gave an ingratiating smile and then exhaled, rubbing his hands together, after appeasing the butler¡¯s anger.


    Gradually, the carriage passed through the bamboo forest and entered the mountain path.


    Before they entered the mountain path, Stone lifted the curtain and looked outside the window. Surprised by what he saw, he yelled, ¡°Look, butler, there is an official road.¡±


    The butler immediately leaned out to look. As expected, he noticed a wider road which led towards the west.


    Guard Wang said, ¡°That path leads to Sheng Zhou. We¡¯ll arrive at the border if we move further west from Sheng Zhou and cross a small town. This official road is one of the official roads that will take us from Sheng Zhou to the capital. If it doesn¡¯t rain, we should be able to meet someone from the border.¡± Excited, Stone yelled, ¡°So that¡¯s the way to the border. Brother Wang, is it possible to see Marshal Yuwen if we go from here?¡±


    Guard Wang and the three other guards burst into laughter. Guard Wang said, ¡°You still want to see Marshall Yuwen, Stone?¡±


    ¡°Stone, stop daydreaming! There¡¯s no way that you¡¯ll get any chance to see Marshal Yuwen,¡± teased Guard Wang as he burst into laughter with the rest guards. ¡°If only I could be a soldier working under Marshal Yuwen. I mean, I just want to see him one more time,¡± Stone said longingly.


    ¡°Oh, ho, looks like somebody¡¯s got a great ambition!¡± Guard Wang and the other three guards laughed again.


    Feeling humiliated, the steward raised his hand and gave Stone another knock on his head.


    Stone was really an idiot. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t tell anyone in advance that his destination was Yuwen Family.


    ¡°Shut up! Sit there quietly and don¡¯t bother Guard Wang and the others again.¡±


    Stone looked like he had something else to say, but Guard Wang and the others changed the subject before he could get the words out. ¡°We will enter the mountain road in a few minutes. Hey! Pay more attention, brothers! It is hard to travel on rainy days. Lao Liu, you¡¯re manning the carriage, so you need to be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered the coachman. Clearly, he was a man of a few words.


    The carriage inched along the mountain road. Just like Guard Wang said, it was difficult to travel along the mountain road; the path was either potholed or muddy. And it was impossible to judge the actual depth of the pits because of the water. They would run into big trouble if their wheels got stuck in one of the pits. Besides, certain spots on muddy path was so soft that the wheels of their carriage might actually sink down.


    The coachman, Lao Liu kept his eyes fixed on the road and drove the carriage carefully. The two guards were also exploring ahead, alerting those behind them whenever they came across potholes.


    ¡°A part of the road ahead is uphill. Lao Liu, later you get off and walk.¡± Guard Wang said.


    Lao Liu, the coachman nodded.


    After a while, they reached the uphill section. Lucky thing was that there were no potholes and mud. Lao Liu jumped out of the carriage and ran as he urged the horse with whip in hand.


    When the carriage had reached the top of the hill, Guard Wang in front suddenly felt something was wrong. He scanned around with a sharp look in his eyes, finding some suspicious signs that could easily be ignored. He immediately raised his hand and shouted, ¡°Be careful, something is wrong here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The butler¡¯s heart jolted at the seriousness in the words and he immediately poked his head out to ask.


    ¡°Uncle Li, stay in the carriage and don¡¯t came out!¡± Guard Wang said with a grim face.


    ¡°Ha,ha, you guys are a little bit smart. You can actually find the hidden cheval-de-frise!¡± a ferocious laughter broke out. Out of the woods on both sides of the mountain road emerged a dozen bandits with knives in their hands.


    As soon as the bandits came out, the atmosphere changed. The four guards immediately took out their weapons, prepared for battle.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect that we would still run into bandits so far away from Tanyang,¡± the butler turned pale in the carriage.

 Chapter 35 - Help!

    ¡°Now! Hand over all your valuable things! Or¡­¡± the leader of the bandits threatened with a ferocious smile, pointing a sharp blade at Guard Wang.


    ¡°Including this carriage and horses.¡± The bandits were so greedy that they didn¡¯t even plan to pass the carriage and horses.


    Although Guard Wang and the others were all with grim faces, there was no panic in their eyes. The bandits were rampant in the area around Tanyang, so they had seen this a lot. But what they didn¡¯t expect was that bandits dared to blatantly rob on the road near the capital. More importantly, they were outnumbered.


    It was not far from the Liantang Town. So it wouldn¡¯t take them long to get there even if they gave the carriage and horses to these bandits. But were these bandits so simple to get rid of?


    ¡°Butler, what should we do?¡± Stone was so nervous that his hands began to sweat. He even dared not to breathe.


    The butler turned a dark face. He took the envelope out of the bag and stuffed it into his bosom through collar, then repackaged the bag and carried it on his shoulder. ¡°We may have to run for our lives, you should carry your bag on your shoulder well.¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting! Do you want to try the power of my big knife? Open the curtain first and let me see who is sitting in the carriage!¡± The bandits outside were already shouting impatiently.


    Guard Wang leaned close to the window of the carriage and whispered to the people inside, ¡°There are dozens of bandits holding weapons in their hands. And it seems that they are quite experienced. We are no match for them. Uncle Li, you and Stone should come down first, and we will clear a path for you. You should run forward along this road and don¡¯t stop. We will follow up later!¡±


    ¡°Okay, young man, you should be careful!¡± the butler said.


    Then the butler lifted the curtain of the carriage and got off with Stone.


    Those bandits saw two men coming down the carriage and suddenly showed a disappointing look. ¡°Pooh! How can it be two men, really bad luck!¡±


    ¡°Dear Masters, do us a favor please. We will give you both the money and the carriage. Let us go, please.¡± The butler bent down slightly as he pleaded.


    ¡°Cut the crap! Hand in all your bags! If you guys dillydally anymore, we will kill you right away,¡± the bandits threatened.


    The butler tipped a wink to Guard Wang. He pretended to hand the parcel to the bandits and walked towards them with Stone.


    The bandits all began to be very complacent when they found that this man behaved so clever. They looked disdainfully at the butler and the other people with malice.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    The butler and Stone approached the bandits gradually. Just as the bandits were getting carried away, Guard Wang and the other three guards suddenly rushed at them from behind the butler and Stone.


    Lao Liu, the coachman, with a long stick in his hand, followed the guards and ran quickly to the butler and Stone, shouting as he passed the two, ¡°Run!¡±


    Guard Wang and the other three guards attacked suddenly while the bandits were unprepared. They deliberately stabbed the horse¡¯s ass with their knives. The horses, out of pain, rushed at the bandits with a long cry at the moment of being stung.


    Guard Wang and the other guards really cleared a way for them to escape. The butler grabbed Stone and hurried away


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them go!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck! Kill them!¡±


    The bandits kept cursing. At the moment a man pulled the cheval-de-frise up and tripped the horse to the ground. Stone was stumbled unexpectedly, too. He unconsciously grasped the butler tighter, which brought the butler down to the ground too. Seeing this, Guard Wang and the other guards couldn¡¯t help crying out in their heart. The chance to escape was missed for a brief moment. The butler and Stone tried to get up and rush out again, but there was no chance for that.


    The only one who took the chance to escape was Lao Liu, who was holding a stick in his hand and running as fast as he could without even looking back. There were two bandits trying to catch up with him, but they failed and returned back disappointed.


    ¡°Nowhere for you guys to run! Kill them all!¡± The leader of the bandits looked at them combatively with an angry face.


    Although Guard Wang and the others rushed to the butler and Stone immediately, Stone was still cut on the shoulder in the confusion.


    The four of them were outnumbered, not to mention protecting two people who didn¡¯t know Kung Fu.


    The situation at that moment was getting worse.


    Just when they were getting desperate, a group of people rushed out from the other side of the mountain path. Never had they expected that there would be another living soul traveling in such a terrible weather. They heard the tramp of hooves, rapid but orderly.


    There must be a lot of people coming.


    Guard Wang and the others looked back in surprise.


    In the growing rain, a team of horses rushed from the other side of the road. The men on the horse were all dressed in gray and black suits, looking very imposing.


    ¡°Help!¡±

 Chapter 36 - Thank You for Saving Our Lives

    Stone¡¯s voice was so sharp that it cut through the heavy curtain of the rain, disclosing what was happening in the mountain path to the cavalry.


    The man in lead raised his head, shooting sharp glance from beneath his bamboo hat like two sharp knives piercing through the rain into the hearts of all. The momentum was just too overwhelming.


    ¡°Who are you!¡± the bandits¡¯ face changed drastically.


    But no one ever responded, and the whole cavalry was in silence. They broke through the rain and approached with a stern momentum.


    ¡°Stop, or we¡¯ll kill you!¡± The leader of the bandits raged.


    The cavalry didn¡¯t stop, and the leading guy¡¯s eyes were so indifferent and sharp that he paid no attention to the bandit leader at all.


    ¡°Damn it! Brethren, take up your weapons and here come some hard nuts to crack!¡± The bandit leader cursed and ordered loudly.


    Then the number of bandits attacking Guard Wang suddenly reduced, which made the guard and his companions feel relieved. They could be saved!


    ¡°Uncle Li, take the opportunity to hide in the carriage with Stone hurriedly later on, and we¡¯ll handle the rest¡±, guard Wang spoke to the butler.


    ¡°All right,¡± the butler answered.


    At the moment, some bandits had pulled up the cheval-de-frise again, waiting for the cavalry to run over.


    Seeing that the cavalry didn¡¯t stop yet, the guard frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those guys? They didn¡¯t notice the cheval-de-frise?¡±


    Just when Guard Wang was worrying, the cavalry had drawn very near, just about ten meters away from them.


    ¡°Neigh¡­¡± a clear and melodious whinny rang out. The leading guy pulled the reins to stop the horse, and the front hoofs of the horse kicked up high and then dropped down.


    It turned out that he had noticed. Guard Wang got relieved. While dealing with a few bandits who were still pestering them, the guard kept paying attention to the cavalry.


    The man in the lead raised his head to look at them, showing his appearance under the bamboo hat. It was a handsome face with outstanding features as if they had been well-carved by a knife. His long eyebrows stretched to his sideburns, and he got a pair of long and narrow sharp eyes, sweeping everyone keenly.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Pointing his knife to the guy on the horse, the bandit leader yelled ferociously.


    Casting an indifferent glance at the bandit leader, the guy on the horse opened his mouth for the first time, ¡°Don¡¯t feel pity for these murderous bandits, and kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± All of the men behind him shouted in chorus as if they had practiced for numerous times.


    These men who had been silent a moment ago unleashed strong homicidal intent suddenly like a sharp sword unsheathed.


    They got off their horses in unison, and without any hesitation, rushed at the bandits.


    Guard Wang and his companions got shocked by the following scene, and it would take a long time for them to forget it.


    In front of the cavalry who appeared suddenly, those bandits who had been difficult to deal with a moment ago collapsed at the first blow as if a crowd of kids were shaking their fists before adults.


    Every cut got to bones, and blood splashed. These people cooperated perfectly, and their brows didn¡¯t even move a bit while killing the bandits.


    Several bandits who were still fighting with the guards saw this, and their faces turned pale and their hands began to tremble. Guard Wang and his men took the opportunity to knock them down.


    The ground was full of dead bodies, and all those bandits had been killed. The dilemma was solved in a flash.


    However, the butler and Guard Wang looked grave, realizing the team before them was not an ordinary cavalry. They had been so well-coordinated and well-disciplined, and they came from the military.


    Stone was the only one who hadn¡¯t realized it yet. Just now, a streak of blood splashed from the knives of those guys, and stuck to the face of Stone, which directly made him faint after rolling his eyes.


    The butler exchanged a look with Guard Wang before he stood out, bending down deeply to give a salute. ¡°Your Honor, thank you for saving our lives.¡±

 Chapter 37 - Are You Really Marshal Yuwen?

    The man on the horse made a gesture, and those men in black immediately moved quickly to drag all the dead bodies on the mountain path to the nearby woods, and buried them on the spot.


    In this gloomy rainy day, flood went everywhere, and the smell of blood was overwhelming. These men in black, like ghosts and goblins, moved as fast as lightning, which made the butler and the guard feel cold on their backs. Half of the face of the man on the horse was covered by a bamboo hat. Even though he looked handsome, they didn¡¯t dare to raise their heads to have a look.


    ¡°Who are you and how did you bump into these bandits?¡± Just when the butler thought he couldn¡¯t get response, the man on the horse began to ask.


    ¡°Your Honor! I¡¯m the butler of the Ling Family in Tanyang. I¡¯m heading to the capital on my master¡¯s command for some family matter, and these are the guards. We were heading north when it happened to rain. We have intended to go to Liantang town ahead, but we had hardly reached the hill when we met with the bandits. If you haven¡¯t been here in time, we might have lost our lives here today,¡± The butler answered immediately.


    Faced with the overwhelming momentum of the man on the horse, the butler didn¡¯t dare to conceal his identity any more.


    ¡°The Ling Family in Tanyang?¡± the man¡¯s cold and serious tone softened, and he asked, ¡°Is it the mansion of Ling Xingzhong who had been the Ceremonial Master twenty years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is my master.¡± The butler got surprised, and he hadn¡¯t expected the man could actually know the Ling Family, and even the things of the Family twenty years ago. The butler asked carefully, ¡°Your Honor, may I know who you are?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t respond accordingly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am. The bandits have been eliminated. Just take the fainted guy and leave hurriedly.¡±


    The butler got anxious. Although he was curious about the identity of the man, he knew it would be in vain to ask more. Since the momentum of the man was so overwhelming, and he was followed by such a capable and vigorous team, he couldn¡¯t be an ordinary man. And there was no point asking for more.


    Thinking here, the butler expressed his thanks once again, ¡°Yes, thank you for saving us.¡±


    Then he tipped the guard Wang a wink.


    The guard Wang nodded at the butler, and then he called others around to lift Stone who was still in a comma, and carried him into the carriage.


    Stone had been cut on the shoulder, and he even got fainted now, so they had to reach the Liantang town and find a doctor in a hurry.


    After lifting Stone into the carriage, the butler was about to get in too. But because he had stood in mud for a long time, his shoes got wet and slippery. Consequently, he slipped and fell off the edge of the carriage.


    ¡°Uncle Li!¡± the guard Wang hurried to hold him up.


    The man on the horse looked over too.


    There was some water in the place where the butler had fallen, and his body got wet immediately, which made his face change greatly. Regardless of the acute pain, he struggled to get up in a hurry. ¡°Gosh!¡¯


    ¡°Uncle Li, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The guard Wang asked, ¡°Did you hurt yourself?¡±


    The butler, without answering him, took a letter from his bosom quickly, the corner of which was drenched.


    ¡°Damn! The letter our master asked me to deliver to the capital got wet.¡±


    Hearing the words, the guard¡¯s face changed too, and he urged, ¡°Uncle Li, get on the carriage quickly, and find a dry cloth to dry it.¡±


    ¡°Right!!¡± the butler got restless, and he got into the carriage with the help of the guard. He untied the package in a great bustle, taking out all the clothes and pressing them all on the letter, and murmured, ¡°What can I do? This is the letter for Yuwen Family.


    Since he was in the carriage, the butler relaxed a little, thinking no one could hear his words.


    But what the butler didn¡¯t know was that the man on the horse had heard the words with his originally indifferent eyes getting sharp immediately, sweeping directly towards the carriage.


    Guard Wang and his companions were in a hurry to go to the Liantang town, since whether it was for Stone or the letter, they couldn¡¯t find a better solution until they got to the town.


    But just at this moment¡­


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    This simple word stopped the guard and his companions. They looked at each other, and then Wang responded, ¡°Your Honor, what are your orders?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re delivering a letter to the mansion of Yuwen Family, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man on the horse questioned them with sharp eyes.


    The mansion of Yuwen Family? Guard Wang and other followers looked at each other again. It was their task to escort the butler of Ling Family to the capital. As for the details, they had no ideas. It was not until a moment ago that they got to know they were delivering a letter. But as for the destination, they actually didn¡¯t know, because they hadn¡¯t heard the butler¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well, we have no idea where this letter will be sent. So I don¡¯t know whether it is for Yuwen Mansion,¡± the guard answered cautiously.


    He got restless in the heart. They were all very clear what kind of place the Yuwen Mansion was, but why did this man suddenly ask this way?


    ¡°Get the butler of the Ling Family out to answer,¡± said the man on the horse.


    Guard Wang hesitated, but faced with the overwhelming momentum of the man, he finally chose to approach the carriage. ¡°Uncle Li.¡±


    The butler was examining the letter, and he raised his head after hearing the calling, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°The lord asked whether we are delivering the letter to Yuwen Mansion,¡± the guard explained.


    Feeling stupefied, the butler hid the letter on his hand under the clothes subconsciously. He frowned, wondering how could the man get to know it.


    Could it have been noticed the moment the letter was taken out£¿


    The butler got out of the carriage. He looked at the man on the horse, and the moment the butler met with the sharp and exploring eyes of the man, he trembled. But he tried his best to calm down, and soon he got prepared to go through the motions. He was about to open his mouth when¡­


    ¡°You said you were going to send the letter to Yuwen Mansion just now in the carriage, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The butler got shocked. Had he been heard? How could it be? They stood so far away, and besides he spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Your Honor! May I make so bold as to ask whether you are acquainted with the Yuwen Family?¡± The butler thought a lot for a moment, and eventually chose to sound the man out.


    But for the man on the horse, the words of the butler just meant that he had admitted it. So the man just spoke out his identity directly, ¡°I¡¯m Yuwen Tong.¡±


    What?


    The butler was so frightened that he almost fell off the horse again. Guard Wang and other guys also opened their eyes wide, feeling the whole thing unbelievable.


    Marshal Yuwen?! No way! How lucky they were! They unexpectedly came across Yunwen Tong, the most famous marshal of the Great Yue just as Stone had wished.


    Just at this moment, all the men in black had finished burying the bodies of those bandits. They came back one after another and formed a line again before Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Marshal, the mission is done,¡± a man in black in front said.


    Seeing that, the butler got extremely shocked.


    No wonder these guys were so valiant! No wonder the man on the horse got such a powerful momentum.


    Guard Wang and the butler got so nervous and swallowed. The butler asked the man on the horse cautiously, ¡°Are¡­Are you really the Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude! How dare you query the identity of our marshal,¡± the man in black looked over with sharp eyes, showing a hint of homicidal intent.


    The butler waved his hands at once. ¡°No, No, No, I dare not! I just haven¡¯t expected I would come across Marshal Yuwen in person.¡±


    Yuwen raised his hand to stop his man. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk here! Set off now to Liantang Town to have a rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± All the men in black responded in unison. They mounted their horses quickly, and the orderly cavalry returned.


    Seeing the scene, the butler and Guard Wang couldn¡¯t regard the cavalry men as devils or ghosts any more. All they could think of was admiration.


    They were worthy of followers of Marshal Yuwen. They were so well-trained and so powerful! That was what a man should be like!


    ¡°Please.¡± Noticing the butler and his companions didn¡¯t move, Yuwen Tong just said.


    ¡°All right! We¡¯ll go now.¡± The butler answered at once, and got into the carriage immediately.


    Guard Wang and others got on their horses quickly. Their hands trembled slightly as they pulled the reins, and they straightened their backs subconsciously.


    Yuwen Tong just made a gesture, and the team went forward immediately.


    Seeing this, Guard Wang and others followed up at once while escorting the carriage.


    Sitting in the carriage, the butler felt excited for a while, and then felt torn. Although he had believed in the heart that the man was Yuwen Tong, he still kept his head. The letter must not be handed over until he got hard evidence, he thought.


    The butler didn¡¯t give much thought to the question of why the letter should be handed over. It was reasonable after all, wasn¡¯t it?


    His Master ordered him to hand the letter over to people of the Yuwen Family, so who could be more suitable than Yuwen Tong to represent the Yuwen Family?


    Yuwen Tong let his men slow down to coordinate the movement of the carriage. With his eyes flickering slightly, he got confused in the heart wondering why Ling Family would send a letter to Yuwen Family.


    Upon arriving at Liantang town, they settled down in an inn.


    Stone was still unconscious and had a fever, and Yuwen Tong sent someone to find a doctor for him.


    The butler was led to see Yuwen Tong by one of his henchmen. Having taken off his bamboo hat, Yuwen Tong looked calm but dignified while sitting there in an imposing manner.


    ¡°Your Honor,¡± the butler was about to kneel down to pay respect when Yuwen Tong stopped him and said, ¡°Save the empty courtesy, just sit down.¡±


    ¡°No, No, I dare not.¡± The butler responded at once.


    ¡°Why did your master, Lord Ling, let you deliver a letter to Yuwen Family?¡± Yuwen Tong asked directly, with his eyes staring at the butler acutely.


    ¡°I have no idea. My master just ordered me to send the letter to the members of the Yuwen Family.¡± The butler answered.


    ¡°Well, bring me the letter for a look,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The butler was about to nod straightforwardly when he stopped suddenly. He looked at Yuwen Tong with some hesitation, ¡°Marshal, um¡­Do you have any token to prove your identity?¡±


    A token? Yunwen Tong knew immediately what the butler was thinking. The butler was just worried about his identity, and wouldn¡¯t take out the letter easily. He was wise in a sense. Therefore, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t get angry, he took out his token straightforwardly instead.


    After checking the token, the butler returned it to Yuwen carefully, and took out the letter. ¡°The letter had got a corner wet, and I¡¯m not sure whether the writing has been destroyed.¡±


    Taking it over, Yuwen Tong opened the letter after confirming the seal on the envelope.


    The letter did get a corner wet, but thanks to the timely handling and limited affected-scope, it didn¡¯t influence reading, though some writing had become vague.


    But the content¡­


    After reading it, his face got weird. It was¡­really hard to explain in a few words.

 Chapter 38 - Am I a Heart-breaker?

    ¡®Do you want to break off the engagement?¡¯


    ¡®How dare you! Ling Family dares to break off the engagement? Take them to court!¡¯


    A tall man came up to him with his back to the light. Obviously, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, but he knew that man was ferocious and angry now and stared at him as if he was a heartbreaker.


    That man stretched out to seize his collar and thundered, ¡°No way!¡±


    His dangerous eyes fixed on Ling Zhang firmly and shackled him, suffocating him.


    No, it was not like that, I didn¡¯t intend to break off the engagement, I just¡­


    ¡°Ho¡ª¡± Ling Zhang opened his eyes suddenly, staring blankly at the familiar canopy of his bed. That pair of eyes fixing firmly on him in his dream haunted in his mind. His heart fluttered uncannily which made him panic.


    What was going on, why did he dream those strange things?


    Ling Zhang lifted his hands to wipe the sweat on forehead, then he felt heavy on his chest and found it hard to breathe.


    Looking down, he saw a head with soft hair and familiar cowlick. It was like being held by a small stove. The little guy was snoring lying on him.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He remembered clearly that he slept alone before going to bed, when did Ling Maomao come here? Why couldn¡¯t he remember a thing?


    It was a day off for school and it was strange that he didn¡¯t clamor to play outside?


    So that odd dream was caused by the little guy who nearly suffocated him with his head pressing so hard on his chest? Although he comforted himself like this, that pair of eyes still haunted in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind.


    Moving Ling Maomao to the bed from his body, Ling Zhang then pulled quilt for the little guy and leaned on the bed head with an unfathomable look.


    Why did he dream of people from Yu Wen Family coming to square accounts with him?


    People from Yu Wen Family eagerly looked forward to breaking off the engagement, so it was impossible for them to take revenge.


    But why did he always feel uneasy now?


    There was no update from the butler, but according to the time, they might get to capital in a few days.


    Rubbing his forehead, Ling Zhang thought he must be too tired these days that he dreamed terrible things to scare himself.


    When he was about to leave, Ling Maomao who lay beside sensed and stretched out to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s waist in a daze, ¡°Brother, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to get up, you can go back to sleep.¡± Ling Zhang rubbed his head lightly.


    Ling Maomao suddenly woke up and sprang out of the bed, ¡°Brother, I came here to play with you, let¡¯s hang out on the street!¡±


    Ling Zhang now understood why the little guy didn¡¯t go out. Clearly, the boy was waiting for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy now and can¡¯t hang out. I can ask Xiafeng and several people to accompany you.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s alive face turned to aggrieved, ¡°I want to hang out with you. You were always so busy these days and I can¡¯t even meet you at meal time.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart melted for he remembered clearly how Maomao died in his previous life. In this life, he would try his best to let Maomao live well and to protect him and Ling Family.


    ¡°I have to go to school every day. It¡¯s rare for me to have a day off.¡± Ling Maomao continued.


    The last insistence in his heart was broken. Ling Zhang pinched Ling Maomao¡¯s cheeks, ¡°Okay, I will accompany you. Now, smile.¡±


    Ling Maomao hurrahed immediately and jumped out of bed directly, ¡°Come on, be quick!¡±


    ¡°Take it easy, get dressed first!¡± Ling Zhang hissed.


    After getting Ling Maomao dressed, Ling Zhang called Xiafeng and ordered him, ¡°Tell my aunt that I will hang out on the street with Maomao first, then I will find her for the list later.¡±


    Xiafeng nodded, ¡°Yes, young master.¡±

 Chapter 39 - Young Master Will Be Very Happy!

    At the same time, in Liantang Town.


    ¡°¡­¡­Didn¡¯t Lord Ling tell you what this letter says?¡±


    ¡°Marshal, this servant just follows our lord¡¯s order to send the letter to the people in your home. As for what this letter says, this servant knows nothing.¡±


    The butler worried Yuwen Tong would suspect that he had read the letter, so he hurried to explain.


    Yuwen Tong put the letter away and pressed it under his hands. Then he asked the butler a puzzling question, ¡°Does your young master have a beloved one?¡±


    The butler¡¯s mind went blank for a moment, ¡°Ah?¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Any family suitable for marriage?¡± Yuwen Tong asked again.


    The butler was still very confused, ¡°No, the marriage of young master has not yet been settled. Our old master and second master have not yet gotten young master betrothed, and young master doesn¡¯t take a fancy to anyone.¡±


    ¡®No beloved one? No family for marriage? So why does Ling family suddenly choose to break off the engagement at this time?¡¯ Yuwen Tong glanced at the letter under his hand, losing in thought.


    Before this day, Yuwen Tong just knew that his grandfather had been rescued by Ling Xingzhong, but he did not know his grandfather had even made an engagement with the Ling family. However, his grandfather passed away on the battlefield because of the sneak attack. ¡®Maybe grandfather passed away before he could tell me the engagement.¡¯


    Anyway, Yuwen Tong was so shocked when suddenly learning that he had already been engaged.


    Ling Zhang¡­


    Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but mutter the name, unexpectedly, with some curiosity in his mind.


    ¡°What kind of person is your young master?¡±


    The butler wondered why Marshal Yuwen had been asking him about the young master.


    Was young master mentioned in the letter? The butler quickly thought over and over again. Since he was the butler of Ling family, he must put in a good word for young master!


    ¡®Moreover, it is true that our young master is outstanding.¡¯


    Thinking that he had touched upon the truth, the butler replied, ¡°Our young master is a clever person with profound education; he is a man of elegant conducts and treats others modestly and politely. Besides, he is always strict and fair in meting out rewards and punishments towards we servants.¡±


    ¡°Just before this servant went to the capital, our young master had done a very heartening thing which made the whole Tanyang people lavish praise on him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, tell me about it.¡± A hint of light flashed through Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This thing was, the Jia family in Tanyang¡­¡± The butler immediately gave Yuwen Tong a vivid description of every detail about what had happened that day in Jia House and what had happened in the court after it.


    After hearing the description carefully, Yuwen Tong could tell the butler didn¡¯t lie. If so, he was more and more curious about this young master of Ling family.


    Although some details showed that Ling Zhang was still not skillful enough, Yuwen Tong had to praise Ling Zhang¡¯s courage and his way of conduct after knowing that Ling Zhang had decisively taken Jia Yuanling to court and successfully used the public opinion to convict him of a crime against Zhang Chong¡¯s power.


    ¡®With such an eldest grandson, Ling Xingzhong must be quite proud.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong crooked his finger and tapped on the table, with his eyes fixing on the envelope.


    There must be countless troubles waiting for him when he arrived in the capital. The emperor would certainly try all means to bestow an engagement that would bind him, and those family members who were anxious to stir up trouble would be even more annoying to deal with. Better to find some getaway than go back to the capital to deal with them. Although this letter came unexpectedly, it was the right in time for him, providing an excellent excuse to stay away from all the trouble.


    Moreover, Ling family in Tanyang was going through difficult times right now. In any case, his grandfather owed Ling family a favor, so he should also go to Tanyang to visit Ling family even without the engagement.


    Thinking of this, Yuwen Tong picked up the letter and stuffed it into his sleeve, then, he said to the butler, ¡°Take a day off, and tomorrow I will go to Tanyang with you.¡±


    The butler felt very unexpected and quite surprised. ¡®Marshal Yuwen will go to Tanyang?!¡¯


    ¡®This is such good news! Old master must be very happy, and young master, young master will also be overjoyed!¡¯


    Since the letter said something about young master, Marshal¡¯s visit to Tanyang this time must be related to young master!


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ atishoo!¡± Ling Zhang suddenly sneezed violently. Overtaken by a sudden chill, Ling Zhang stood in the street of Tanyang  with a blank look.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong? Why do I get the feeling that a disaster is looming?¡¯


    The author has something to say:


    The butler: Young Master, I¡¯ve got a big surprise for you!!!


    Ling Zhang: ¡­Hell! No!

 Chapter 40 - Marshal Yuwen Was Everywhere

    ¡°Ada, don¡¯t push me. I can¡¯t see it.¡± Ling Maomao stood in front of the dough figurines stall. He stared at the stall¡¯s owner kneading dough figurines. The big dog, Ada, also stood close to him and looked at it excitedly, wagging its tail.


    Holding sugar-coated haws on sticks in each hand, Ling Zhang looked at Ling Maomao¡¯s and Ada¡¯s backs and felt somewhat speechless. They were like birds flying out of the birdcage, going everywhere and staring at everything. These sugar-coated haws were soon forgotten before their attention were drawn to another thing.


    ¡°Maomao, don¡¯t press the stall so hard! Ada, don¡¯t put your claw on the stall!¡±


    ¡°Hah, hah. It¡¯s fine. My stall is solid.¡±


    The stall¡¯s owner kneaded dough figurines with a smile and talked to Ling Zhang. Lots of kid were around his stall, talking and laughing, which was so lively.


    ¡°I also want to knead two dough figurines. One like me, the other my elder brother.¡± Ling Maomao said with his bright eyes.


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± The stall¡¯s owner agreed smilingly.


    Ling Zhang was a little worried. Many children surrounded the stall and waited for kneading dough figurines. It would take really long to be their turn.


    ¡°Maomao, you want to have a dessert in Fengtai Restaurant, don¡¯t you? We won¡¯t get a seat if we have to wait for the dough figurines. Can we just buy two dough figurines of Guan Yunchang and Zhang Fei?¡±


    Note: Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunchang, was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on most of his early exploits.


    Hearing his words, Ling Maomao began to see Guan Yunchang and Zhang Fei, then turned to look at his elder brother. He wanted to stick to his previous choice. However, after seeing his elder brother¡¯s warning look, he didn¡¯t dare to refute anymore. Then he turned his head and stared at Guan Yunchang and Zhang Fei for a long time. Suddenly, he was attracted by another commanding dough figurine next to Guan Yunchang. His eyes lit up and he shouts, ¡°This one! I want this one!¡±


    The stall¡¯s owner had a look at the dough figurine that Ling Maomao pointed at. Then he smiled, ¡°You have such a great taste. This is the most Supreme Marshal Yuwen, the best man in our dynasty.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Ling Maomao shouted in surprise, ¡°Elder brother, I want the dough figurine of Marshal Yuwen!¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say.


    His face changed several times when he stared at the dough figurine called Marshal Yuwen.


    ¡°Maomao, Guan Yunchang is better than him. Let¡¯s buy a Guan Yunchang.¡±


    ¡°Elder brother, but I want Marshal Yuwen.¡± Ling Maomao looked at him with imploring eyes.


    Ling Zhang struggled in his heart. He had asked Maomao to give up kneading two dough figurines. How could he refuse Maomao again? Besides, he didn¡¯t believe the stall¡¯s owner had seen Yuwen Tong. So whether this dough figurine was like the real Yuwen Tong was open to question. He¡¯d better buy it for Maomao.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s buy it.¡± Ling Zhang gritted his teeth and agreed.


    Ling Maomao cheered and took the commanding dough figurine from the stall¡¯s owner. He took it in his hand and stared at it happily. Ling Zhang threw the dough figurine a detesting glance and paid money unwillingly.


    When Ling Zhang saw the two eyes on the dough figurine, he couldn¡¯t help thinking of the dream before he went out. The two dangerous eyes in the dream instantly appeared in his mind.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned dark. He cast a fierce glance at the dough figurine secretly when Ling Maomao wasn¡¯t noticing.


    Such bad luck! Meeting Yuwen Tong even when wandering in streets! He should have checked the almanac before going out. Ling Maomao saw Ling Zhang not moving for a long time. So he retracted his gaze from the dough figurine reluctantly and asked Ling Zhang in confusion, ¡°Elder brother, aren¡¯t we going to Fengtai Restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± Ling Zhang regained his composure and called Ada to follow them. Then he led Ling Maomao, Xiafeng and others to Fengtai Restaurant.


    ¡°Brother Ling.¡± Tao Yi seemed to be surprised to see Ling Zhang. He came over happily to greet him, ¡°Ah, is this your younger cousin? I often heard him from Lord Ling. He is really a smart boy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is my cousin. Maomao, come greet Brother Tao.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Brother Tao.¡± Ling Maomao called him politely. He looked at Tao Yi curiously with a dough figurine in his hand.


    ¡°Brother Tao, you¡¯re going to Fengtai Restaurant too?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Tao Yi nodded. ¡°Today is a good day. So I come to have a drink. I¡¯ve ordered a good place upstairs and it is next to the window. Let¡¯s go there together.¡±


    Having made up his mind to associate with Tao Feng, he naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse Tao Yi¡¯s invitation. He said, ¡°Thanks for your invitation.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be so polite to me. Come on. Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Tao Yi said gladly.


    Then they went to the second floor of Fengtai Restaurant and sat on a good place near the window. Tao Yi looked at the dough figurine in Ling Maomao¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Maomao, your dough figurine is so commanding.¡±


    Ling Maomao seemed to have finally met a friend who understood him. He said to Tao Yi excitedly, ¡°This is Marshal Yuwen!¡±


    Tao Yi became interested. ¡°Oh? No wonder it looks so commanding. Although it isn¡¯t like the true Marshal Yuwen, it got some of his verve. Great. Is it kneaded by the stall¡¯s owner across the street?¡±


    Ling Maomao nodded. He asked Tao Yi with a strong thirst for knowledge, ¡°Have you ever seen Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    Straightening his back,  Tao Yi said proudly, ¡°Only once.¡±


    ¡°What does Marshal Yuwen look like? Is he so strong, clever and commanding?¡± Ling Maomao asked quickly.


    Tao Yi nodded, ¡°Of course. Let me tell you. Marshal Yuwen looks so strong and commanding. He is not only clever, but also extremely handsome. All the girls in capital dream to be his wife.¡±


    Hearing that, Ling Maomao ignored the dough figurine and was attracted by Tao Yi¡¯s words totally. He asked, ¡°Is him as tall as two average persons?¡±


    Tao Yi laughed, ¡°Yes. He is much taller than me and your elder brother.¡±


    The comparison couldn¡¯t make Ling Zhang happy at all. He even felt that he was so unlucky today. Was he doomed to hear the words ¡°Marshal Yuwen¡± today?


    It was a very unwise move for him to accept Tao Yi¡¯s invitation. He forgot that Tao Yi was the big fan of Yuwen Tong. ¡°Wow, I will be that tall in the future!¡± Ling Maomao became excited.


    ¡°Maomao, you can only be as tall as me in the future.¡± Ling Zhang said with a dark face.


    ¡®You are a member of Ling Family,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought. ¡®How can you be as tall as Yuwen Tong? Besides, it is just a rumor. Maybe Yuwen Tong is shorter than me.¡¯


    Ling Maomao was a little disappointed. He asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Tao Yi comforted him in a hurry, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You will grow tall.¡±


    Probably moved by Ling Maomao¡¯s admiration for Marshal Yuwen, Tao Yi even took the initiative to console Ling Maomao.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned darker. He wanted to say something. But after seeing the disappointment on Ling Maomao¡¯s face replaced by smile, he paused for a while and swallowed back the unfinished words.


    Forgot it, he thought. It was Yuwen Tong¡¯s only value if he could let Maomao be happy. Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t have any relationship with Yuwen Tong in the future. There was no point in making Maomao sad because of this little thing.


    Ling Zhang calmed down and called the servant to prepare some dessert, dishes and a pot of hot alcohol.


    Tao Yi was telling Yuwen Tong¡¯s stories to Ling Maomao. Ling Zhang looked at him in confusion. It was said that Yuwen Tong stayed at frontier all the time. When did Tao Yi meet Yuwen Tong?


    And Ling Zhang didn¡¯t hesitate to speak his mind.


    ¡°It has been many years. It was my first time to the capital. Then I met Marshal Yuwen who came back to the capital from frontier and was about to enter the city. I only saw him for a moment. But I never forget it till now.¡± Tao Yi answered.


    Ling Zhang had goosebumps all over. Was Tao Yi insane? How could he say such disgusting words?


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I never meet Marshal Yuwen since then because he stays at frontier all the time. He only came back to capital a few times and left soon. I wasn¡¯t that lucky to see him again.¡± Tao Yi said in a rather regretful tone.


    ¡°I also want to see Marshal Yuwen.¡± Ling Maomao said.


    Ling Zhang was speechless.


    He was a little jealous in his heart. Maomao always admired him. But now, Ling Maomao looked so excited when talking about Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Maomao, I¡¯ve never talked about Yuwen Tong with you. How did you know him?¡±


    ¡°The teacher in school told me as well as my father and grandfather. The cousin in mother¡¯s family also said that he would save money to buy the portrait of Marshal Yuwen.¡± Ling Maomao answered.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t conceal his envy at this time. He said, ¡°Maomao, you have me. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Ling Maomao didn¡¯t understand. But Tao Yi who sat opposite couldn¡¯t help laughing, ¡°Well, Brother Ling, are you jealous?¡±


    Were it not for the fact that Ling Zhang had to be on friendly terms with Tao Feng, he would have slammed the table and left.


    Fortunately, the servant brought the dessert, dishes and a pot of hot alcohol in time, which relieved Ling Zhang of the killing embarrassment.


    ¡°Here comes your favorite dessert. Now eat,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ling Maomao.


    Seeing his favorite dessert, Ling Maomao¡¯s attention was diverted. Gradually, he forgot all about Marshal Yuwen.


    Tao Yi was still laughing. But he didn¡¯t mention it when he found Ling Zhang was a little angry. He changed another topic. They talked about the things happened recently in some families of Tanyang, especially about the actions from Jia Family and Prefecture Guard.


    Tao Yi didn¡¯t say much because they were in the restaurant. Overall, Ling Zhang knew from him that Jia Family began to contact with Zhang Chong frequently. After Jia Zhong came back, he often went to Prefecture Guard¡¯s place.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be careful lately,¡± Tao Yi finally reminded.


    ¡°Thanks for that.¡± Ling Zhang said gratefully. He realized the reason why Jia Family and Zhang Chong didn¡¯t take revenge was Jia Yuanling was in prison and it would attract too much attention if they did anything. However, they must be plotting something against Ling Family. When the event was gradually forgotten, they would surely take actions. That was why he was hurried to train the guards.


    Now he had checked all the servants in his family. Even the close servants had also been investigated seriously. All his stuff that could testify his identity had been listed and put into a safe place, so there was no way that they would be stolen. But it was still too early to say so. He still had to prepare everything in advance.


    He had discussed with his uncle about counterplotting. It was time to take action now.


    After drinking a few cups with Tao Yi, Ling Zhang took Ling Maomao and others back home. Leaving what he bought to Xiafeng, he went to find Fu Caiwei in Ling Zhaowen¡¯s yard to read the list of guards. Since he had decided to train the guards, he should select the proper ones first.

 Chapter 41 - The Roster of the Guards

    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°The roster of the guards is here. You can pick out those who treat we Ling family as foolish spenders to earn living, and directly send them out.¡± Handing Ling Zhang the roster, Fu Caiwei said in all seriousness.


    Ling Zhang took over the roster, and opened it to peruse. He first marked the names of those who were not qualified after these days¡¯ observation. He checked their birthplaces and backgrounds one by one, to confirm that there was no mistake made, and then said to Fu Caiwei, ¡°Aunt, these people can be laid off directly.¡±


    Those marked accounted for twenty percent of the guards¡¯ list, which amounted to 6 since there were only thirty guards in Ling family.


    ¡°These people just pretend to be hardworking, and they are actually gluttonous and lazy,¡± Ling Zhang simply explained to Fu Caiwei why he had picked out these six.


    Fu Caiwei nodded, ¡°Those people really shouldn¡¯t stay in our family any more. Without your observation of the guards, they must plan to drift along in Ling family. It is really outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be angry. In fact, not only in Ling family, this problem must exist in other families. The situation in Tanyang is quite special, and most of these guards can only have a deterrent effect; they can only fight against those villains but can¡¯t fight against the bandits at all. And they are very clear about it in their mind, so they dare to appear hard-working on the surface because they are sure that their master¡¯s family will not let them go and fight the bandits,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Fu Caiwei was very angry after hearing about it, but in several years¡¯ management of the Ling family, such people were not uncommon. So she soon calmed down, ¡°Are there some others to be cleaned out?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, and then marked other three people¡¯s names, ¡°These three people, although they don¡¯t appear hard-working on the surface, they are sticky fingers and they all have debts outside either from gambling or something else. They are easily exploited by others, so we cannot let them stay in the guards¡¯ team.¡±


    Fu Caiwei had let Ling Zhang handle this matter, so she had no objection to Ling Zhang¡¯s disposal, ¡°With these nine dismissed, there are only 21 guards left.¡±


    ¡°Whether the rest guards can stay is yet to be decided; we still need to observe them for some time,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Fu Caiwei was confused, ¡°Will you continue laying off other guards?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°Aunt, I want to train the guards, so that they will have the ability to fight against a group of bandits when meeting them.¡±


    Fu Caiwei was surprised, ¡°You want these guards to fight against the bandits?¡±


    ¡°Just be prepared for all contingencies,¡± Ling Zhang replied.


    ¡°Are you going to do something dangerous?¡± Compared with others, what Fu Caiwei concerned most was Ling Zhang¡¯s safety, so she showed a little disapproval in her face.


    ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s not me who want to do dangerous things, but our Ling family is now in a very dangerous situation. We have offended Jia family, as well as the commander of the Prefecture Guards ¨C Zhang Chong; these people are not upright gentlemen, and they will get rid of dissidents by fair means or foul. Since our family is now a thorn in their flesh, we don¡¯t know what treacherous act they will use in order to deal with us. Training the guards, is a protection for Ling family. Maybe one day, they will fight against the bandits,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    With so many frequent activities in their family, Fu Caiwei was clear about what her husband, father-in-law and nephew would do. She knew what Ling Zhang said was not alarmist talk.


    ¡°However, how will you train them? How can you train such numbered people to have the abilities to fight against a bunch of bandits directly?¡± Fu Caiwei asked.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I want to train them with some battle arrays.¡±


    ¡°Arrays?¡± Fu Caiwei was puzzled, ¡°What kind of battle arrays? Where did you learn it?¡±


    No one could blame Fu Caiwei for asking so carefully, it was because she had always treated Ling Zhang as her own, so it was only natural that she was being overanxious.

 Chapter 42 - Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve

    ¡°What happened?¡± Ling Zhaowen came back to see his wife sitting there frowning, so he asked, puzzled, ¡°Anything happened in our family?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened in our family; it was Zhang.¡± Fu Caiwei saw her husband back, and hurriedly went to him, ¡°My dear husband, do you know where Zhang learned the formations?¡±


    After a pause, Ling Zhaowen asked her, ¡°Formations? What kind of formations?¡±


    Fu Caiwei replied with concern, ¡°Zhang told me he wanted to train the guards and he would teach a formation called Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve¡¯. He said the guards can trap and kill the enemies even when inferior in number. Since he has never learned art of war, where did he know this formation? Is it possible he was deceived by others?¡±


    ¡°¡®Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve¡¯? Ling Zhaowen changed countenance, and questioned Fu Caiwei closely, ¡°What else did he tell you?¡±


    Fu Caiwei was startled by his reaction, ¡°Nothing else, is there a problem with this formation?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen wore a stern expression, and he thought of his missing eldest brother and sister-in-law who died young, as well as the dust-laden past for more than ten years.


    ¡°Nothing to do with the formations. It could not be explained in a few words, and I will explain to you when I come back,¡± Ling Zhaowen said as he hurried out.


    ¡°Where are you going after just coming back?¡± Fu Caiwei asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Zhang.¡± After saying that, Ling Zhaowen quickly walked way.


    Worry appeared on Fu Caiwei¡¯s face.


    In the study, Ling Zhang was carefully looking through the roster of the remain guards. Writing down each person¡¯s birth place and general background, he planned to let Xiafeng verify the information the next day.


    ¡°Young Master, Second Master is here.¡± Xiafeng shouted outside the study.


    ¡®Uncle must have just come back from the Prefecture Yamen. Why did he come here so anxiously? What happened?¡¯


    Ling Zhang quickly put down the roster he was holding, stoop up and went out.


    As soon as he walked out, he saw Ling Zhaowen walking into the study with a serious face, ¡°Zhang, uncle has something very important to ask you.¡±


    Ling Zhang then looked at Xiafeng, ¡°Guard outside the study.¡±


    Xiafeng nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Walking into the study with Ling Zhaowen, Ling Zhang asked with worry, ¡°Uncle, is there something urgent?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen stood still, and seriously looked at Ling Zhang, ¡°I have heard of what you said to your aunt today. So, you have remembered the formations your mother taught you?¡±


    It turned out to be this matter. Doubts cleared, he nodded directly and admitted, ¡°Yes, I remember it.¡±


    ¡°How much and when did you remember it?¡± Ling Zhaowen stared at him.


    ¡°It is because of the dream that day. After that dream, I suddenly remembered what my mother taught me, basically all she taught me,¡± Ling Zhang replied.


    ¡°That day at Jia¡¯s home?¡± Ling Zhaowen asked.


    ¡°Yes, and I tried a simple formation that day.¡± Ling Zhang said, and then told Ling Zhangwen how he simply set an illusive trap and got an unexpected result in detail.


    Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Zhang with disapproval, ¡°Why did you keep it from me? You should tell uncle early. What could you do if Jia family noticed the traces you inadvertently left?¡±


    ¡°The traces were destroyed by Jia Yuanling¡¯s several cousins. They suddenly went mad and broke things in the garden, thus destroying all the traces I had left, so no one would notice.¡± Ling Zhang replied.


    After listening it, Ling Zhaowen finally breathed with ease. Then he remembered why he came here, and wore a stern face again, shooting a sharp look at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Why did you easily try it after you had just remembered? And how dare you keep it from your family?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about how to explain it to you and grandfather.¡± Ling Zhang replied, ¡°After all, no one in our family dares to mention my father and mother these years.¡±

 Chapter 43 - What Else Do You Remember?

    Hearing Ling Zhang mention his parents, Ling Zhaowen slightly changed countenance and his eyes went dim.


    ¡°I know, you are always curious about your parents. But you are so sensible that you just keep it in your heart and never ask.¡±


    After sitting down, Ling Zhangwen motioned Ling Zhang to sit before continuing,


    ¡°The topics of your parents are forbidden in the family because we are worried that you may be sad after hearing it. Your father left home after your mother died, and that made you cry every day. Your grandfather and I were worried that sadness would do harm to your body, so we forbade the servants to mention your parents in front of you. And then we made a lot of efforts to shift your attention and let you recover from grief.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, you suddenly remember what your mother taught you about the formations. But now that you¡¯ve remembered, and become an adult, I should tell you something about your parents. Before this, you should tell uncle what else you have remembered besides the formations?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen carefully looked at Ling Zhang. Obviously, he was worried that Ling Zhang had kept something in mind.


    After listening to his uncle, Ling Zhang became curious. His uncle¡¯s words showed that they had kept something about his parents from him?


    When thinking about it, Ling Zhang raised his hand to touch the jade he was wearing. His mother left him this magic medical jade that can detoxify hundreds of toxins, and he had been very curious what his mother¡¯s origin was.


    ¡°My impression of them is very vague. Besides these formations, I can only vaguely remember that my mother had left some books about formations, and then my father set fire to them. He said that they were ominous things, and they caused my mother¡¯s death.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°That was true but I didn¡¯t expect that you can remember. Anything else?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, ¡°Except it, I can hardly remember other things.¡±


    After all, Ling Zhang¡¯s mother died when he was very young. Suddenly recalling  the knowledge of the formations was surprising enough as he even couldn¡¯t remember what his parents looked like.


    Ling Zhaowen figured out what Ling Zhangwen had probably remembered and then pondered for a moment, as if he was considering about how to start the conversation.


    Seeing Ling Zhaowen being so hesitant, Ling Zhang took the initiative to ask, ¡°Uncle, those words my father said, is it true? Those formations books had something to do with my mother¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°The knowledge of those books itself is innocent, and what your father did at that time was venting his anger on the books.¡± Ling Zhaowen sighed, as if feeling the heavy burden of the past.


    ¡°Venting his anger? Why?¡± Ling Zhang was puzzled.


    ¡°Your mother was very weak before marrying into our family. Although she was very intelligent, she was always in poor health, and in a situation of oversensitive her intelligence would increase the severity of the illness. She was not willing to give up the formations knowledge, and often bothered to teach you. She seized every moment to impart all the formations knowledge to you as if every day was the last day of her life. Your father tried to stop her, but failed. So he always felt that the knowledge of the formations, which your mother regarded as a treasure, was an ominous thing that caused your mother¡¯s death. And he was so distressed that he burnt them after your mother died,¡± Ling Zhaowen explained, grief-toned.


    Ling Zhang suddenly froze when unexpectedly knowing that his mother¡¯s illness increased because she bothered so much to teach him. So in a sense, he also caused his mother¡¯s death?


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, it¡¯s not your fault. You were just a kid that time, and you knew nothing.¡± Ling Zhaowen saw through what Ling Zhang was thinking and comforted him.

 Chapter 44 - Your Mothers Origin

    Chapter 44: Your Mother¡¯s Origin


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°What illness on earth did my mother have?¡±


    Ling Zhang only remembered that her mother died of a serious illness, and he could vaguely remember that time he was accompanied by strong smell of herbs.


    ¡°It was the weakness of the internal organs. Her body constantly became weak, and was finally incurable.¡± Ling Zhaowen answered with a heavy heart.


    ¡°What caused it?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°I only know that your mother was born with the weakness and she had always been dependent on herbs to maintain her health. It was a risk for her to give birth to you. If she had dropped everything to maintain her health, she could have lived longer. However, she had been tiring her body and consuming her energy.¡± Ling Zhaowen replied.


    ¡°The knowledge of the battle arrays was extremely laborious for her, and she always seemed to be worrying about something.¡±


    ¡°What was she worried about?¡± Ling Zhang simply did not understand. Since his mother had married his father, although Ling family was not the top noble family, they had a life without worrying about food and clothing, and the family was in harmony. What else was his mother worried about?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Your mother never told us, but she thought highly of you. And she seemed to have high hopes for you.¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhang was shocked. ¡®My mother had high expectations for me?¡¯


    But since her death, he had slowly forgotten all the knowledge of the battle arrays, and he didn¡¯t think of them even when he died in his previous life.


    He failed to live up to his mother¡¯s expectations.


    Thinking of this, Ling Zhang felt upset. ¡®I was so incapable in my previous life that I not only failed to live up to mother¡¯s expectations, but also failed to save Ling family. Everything was terrible.¡¯


    ¡°Uncle, do you know what my mother expected me to do?¡± Ling couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Ling Zhaowen shook his head and sighed, ¡°Maybe your father knows, but he disappeared.¡±


    Yes, his father disappeared. He disappeared and had also burnt all the battle arrays books that Ling Zhang¡¯s mother left.


    If they hadn¡¯t been burnt, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have forgotten the knowledge so thoroughly, and maybe he could have done something in his previous life.


    But to this day, should he blame that person because of those things happened in his previous life?


    Ling Zhang clenched his fists, and stifled what he thought just now in his own heart. Those complaints were because he was not strong enough, and he shouldn¡¯t think about this senseless thing again.


    Holding back all the thoughts, Ling Zhang asked Ling Zhaowen, ¡°What is it that you want to tell me, uncle?¡±


    Those things he didn¡¯t know must be so important that they made his uncle so solemn.


    ¡°It¡¯s about your mother¡¯s origin.¡± Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°I think you must be curious.¡±


    Ling Zhang made a bitter smile, how could he not be curious. He had never been to his maternal grandparents¡¯ home. When he was a child, his paternal grandfather only told him that his maternal grandfather¡¯s home was far away from Tanyang, even farther than the capital, so the two families never saw each other.


    But how far was it?


    ¡°Cough!¡± Suddenly, there came an abrupt cough from the outside, interrupting what Ling Zhaowen was about to say next.


    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen were both startled, and they quickly stood up and looked outside the study.


    The door of the study was opened, and Ling Xingzhong came in from the outside, giving Ling Zhaowen a stern look as he came in.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Xingzhong with somewhat guilty conscience.


    But Ling Zhang slightly frowned. ¡®Why did grandfather appear so coincidentally to interrupt uncle¡¯s words. Why?¡¯


    Couldn¡¯t they tell him his mother¡¯s origin?


    ¡°Huh.¡± Ling Xingzhong sneered at Ling Zhaowen angrily, ¡°Without telling me a word, how dare you mention it to Zhang. Are you ignoring me?¡±

 Chapter 45 - The Marriage Partner of Marshal

    ¡°Marshal, what are your orders?¡±


    The rain stopped, and it was dark. Outside the inn¡¯s window was the night view of the Liantang Town. Under the darkness, those lanterns shed soft lights. The wet and cold draught of air blew into the room from the window, it was so cold.


    The person who came into the house looked at the window and said, somewhat worriedly, ¡°Marshal, it¡¯s cold at night, better close the window.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t care about this hint of chill, ¡°Yue Qi, tomorrow you continue leading half of the people to the capital, and report my whereabouts to our emperor. Just tell him I am going to Tanyang to find my marriage partner.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Ah?¡± Yue Qi, who was the leader of Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards, froze in astonishment.


    Marriage¡­marriage partner?!


    ¡®Marshal has got a marriage partner?¡¯


    No, when did Marshal get engaged? He had been by Marshal¡¯s side for nearly ten years, how could he never hear of it?


    ¡®So Marshal tells a lie to avoid the possible bestowed marriage from His Majesty?¡¯


    Yue Qi couldn¡¯t help guessing, and began to worry, ¡°Marshal, what you said just now¡­ is it true? If His Majesty knows you tell a lie, it will be the lese-majeste.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, somewhat displeased, ¡°Who told you it is a lie?¡±


    It ¡­Really was true? Yue Qi disbelieved more, ¡°But Marshal, you once said you are not engaged!¡±


    ¡°I just found I am. Well, save the nonsense, do as I ordered.¡± Yuwen Tong said. His exquisite facial features looked more handsome that nobody could compare under the dim light. But his expression was cold and even serious; that really was a waste of such a good appearance.


    Being scolded, Yue Qi dared not to ask more. Although feeling so shocked, he also chose to believe in Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, this subordinate will complete mission successfully.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, do you need to take more people to Tanyang? It is said that the banditry is serious there, not too safe a place to go.¡±


    Yuwen Tong refused, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, you must be careful then,¡± Yue Qi said.


    ¡°I know.¡± Yuwen Tong answered briefly.


    Yue Qi exited the room, before walking out he specially looked at Yuwen Tong. He wanted to ask the Marshal who was his marriage partner, but unfortunately he did not have the courage.


    After Yue Qi went out, Yuwen Tong continued to read the topographic map of Tanyang in his hands. This map was very detailed, and it was absolutely the very rare kind. But because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s noble identity, it was not too hard for him get such a map.


    He looked at places that the bandits might hide one after another, finally his eyes landed on the Prefecture Guards station of Tanyang and became cold, ¡°Zhang Chong.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    In Ling¡¯s home, Tanyang.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words were interrupted because of Ling Xingzhong¡¯s sudden appearance. So Ling Zhang did not learn his mother¡¯s origin from his uncle.


    If Ling Zhang had only been suspicious of his mother¡¯s origin being complex, then he was absolutely certain this time.


    But he just didn¡¯t know what kind of origin can made his mother master so strong formations. Even though Ling Zhang knew little about the art of war, he also knew that these formations were very precious. And they were absolutely those existence that cannot easily be imparted to the world.


    Which family in the Great Yue was proficient in this? Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t even find any possible candidate after ransacking his brains. If he must pick one from those families, it must be the Yuwen family. As a family of general for generations, they were proficient in art of war and formations, but his mother¡¯s last name wasn¡¯t Yuwen, and he felt her family wasn¡¯t related to Yuwen family.


    His paternal grandfather once said that his maternal grandparents lived far away, even farther than the capital.


    Besides, he and Yuwen Tong had been engaged, that was out of the question.


    But if not, what exactly was his mother¡¯s origin?


    And why didn¡¯t his grandfather let his uncle tell him?


    Ling Zhang had no idea for the moment, so finally he could only sigh and temporarily lay down this matter.

 Chapter 46 - Herb Farm at the South of the City

    The back door of Ling Family was closed with a creak. Someone left by the back door with a bundle on his back.


    ¡°What on earth happened that so many guards got fired? People have been leaving here every day for the past few days.¡±


    ¡°This is already the seventh person to be dismissed. I heard that there are two people packing up as we speak.¡±


    The two gatekeepers began to discuss the things that had happened in the past few days as they watched the man left.


    ¡°I heard that this is the Young Master¡¯s orders,¡± said one of the gatekeepers in a muted tone.


    His partner shrugged and said, ¡°Young Master again? What is he up to? It¡¯s like he¡¯s changed ever since the incident involving the Jia family. Everyone is afraid of him now.¡±


    ¡°The Young Master¡¯s mind is not something we gatekeepers can read. I just hope he wouldn¡¯t fire us too.¡±


    Although Ling Zhang didn¡¯t hear what the servants were saying in private, he could already guess it. However, he paid no attention to it.


    ¡°Young Master, I have dismissed those nine people at your command. But now there are nine vacancies. Should we start hiring?¡± Wang Dashan asked in humble reverence.


    After their recent interactions, even Wang Dashan was starting to fear Lin Zhang a little.


    Ling Zhang had only been exercising with Guard Wang for a few days, yet he had already seen through everyone in his place. Even Guard Wang himself had spent a lot of time before he could know everyone under his command inside and out. Wang Dashan realized that he could never match Ling Zhang¡¯s ability to perceive the human heart. Therefore, he was more respectful to Ling Zhang out of fear that Ling Zhang would see through any negligence on his part.


    ¡°Fill in one vacancy first,¡± Lin Zhang said. ¡°Oversee the recruitment process yourself. Remember, hire only those who are truly dedicated to the guard service, not those who are just looking for a job. Avoid those who have criminal records and those with complicated pasts. Come to me once you¡¯ve found a few candidates.¡±


    Recruit only one person? Although Wang Dashan didn¡¯t understand what Ling Zhang was doing, as long as it was Ling Zhang¡¯s instructions, he would definitely carry them out to full completion.


    Wang Dashan¡¯s obeisance and faithful allegiance to Lin Zhang wasn¡¯t just because he was satisfied with the Ling family¡¯s good wages; but more importantly, he suddenly found himself excited to see what Ling Zhang was planning to do.


    After Wang Dashan¡¯s departure, Ling Zhang summoned a servant. ¡°Has Xiafeng replied to my letter?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Young Master,¡± The servant answered dutifully.


    ¡°Notify me immediately once you receive a reply,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± the servant answered.


    Ling Zhang asked Xiafeng to run background checks on the remaining twenty-one guards. Since the results of the investigation would only be known when Xiafeng returned, he was not in a hurry to recruit new ones. He only asked Wang Dashan to recruit a person first to see if Wang Dashan was able to carry out his instructions to the letter.


    That day his uncle wanted to tell him about his mother¡¯s story but was interrupted by his grandfather. It had been four days since then, during which Ling Zhang had rummaged through all his parents¡¯ things in order to discover useful clues to prove his mother¡¯s life experience and origins. Alas, he found nothing.


    Most of his mother¡¯s belongings were buried with her. Even her most useful books were burned. The only things left were some gold and silver rings and a few hand-painted calligraphy and paintings. Other than those, there were nothing left.


    Ling Zhang was greatly frustrated by his grandfather¡¯s stubbornness.


    All of a sudden, a servant arrived with a report. ¡°Young Master, the Second Master has returned and is asking for you,¡± said the servant.


    What? How come Uncle¡¯s already back? He should still be in Yamen now.


    Ling Zhang hurried outside. When he did, Ah Da jumped out of nowhere and began rubbing his feet with a piece of wood in its mouth.


    Ling Zhang lowered his head and looked at it. ¡°What¡¯s that you have in your mouth? Where did you run off to again?¡±


    Ah Da dropped the wood at Ling Zhang¡¯s feet as if to offer him a treasure. Ling Zhang took a look at the piece of wood and found that it was a carved little monkey. A dark look formed on his face.


    Ling Zhang bought it for Maomao that day on the street. Maomao loved it very much and had been holding on to it every day. But now, it was covered in Ah Da¡¯s saliva and peppered with bite marks.


    ¡°Bad boy! How dare you bite it! Let¡¯s just see how Maomao will beat you up once he gets back,¡± Ling Zhang scolded.


    Ah Da whimpered and lowered its head to rub against Ling Zhang¡¯s leg. Ling Zhang took a step back and stared at Ah Da coldly.


    Ah Da dared not approach him again. It sat there with its head turned away from Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was on the way to see Ling Zhaowen, so he had no time to teach Ah Da a lesson. He ordered a servant to take the wooden monkey away and clean it. He then ordered Ah Da to sit still and not move until he got back. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later!¡±


    After Ling Zhang hurried away, Ah Da sat there quietly for a while. Very soon, it got fidgety and slipped away.


    ¡°You wish to see me, Uncle? Is there an urgent matter?¡± Ling Zhang asked when he stepped into Ling Zhaowen¡¯s Court Yard.


    ¡°Lord Tao gave the order earlier. Jia Yuanling will be sent to the border in three days,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Three days? Damn, that was fast. A cold glint flashed in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. The moment Jia Yuanling left Tanyang, he would no longer be the master of his own life. Then, Ling Zhaowen went on, ¡°Other than the official responsible for watching him in Yamen, I also used my connections to hire someone else to shadow him. We don¡¯t want anything to do wrong. Jia Yuanling will die during the journey.¡±


    ¡°You are meticulous indeed, Uncle,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°I have another task for you,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowen in confusion. What is it?


    ¡°There is a batch of important supply herbs from our Herb Farm that we¡¯ll be selling to the north. I¡¯ll ask Supervisor Zhou to brief you on the specific details of the order. Go to them later to supervise them, make sure everything is done perfectly. Also, I intend to transfer the ownership of our Herb Farm to others,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Tanyang had a special geographical location; there were many forests here, so it was easy to grow herbs. In fact, some of the rarer herbs were hard to grow elsewhere. As a result, some farmers grew herbs and managed to make a fortune out of it. This was also why so many businessmen were stationed near Tanyang, despite the threat of bandits.


    The Ling Family also owned a large Herb Farm, which covered a piece of land directly in the south of the mountain. A lot of herbs were produced there, just that was a little far away from Tanyang City. Because of that, most matters of the Herb Farm were delegated to Supervisor Zhou Quanfu.


    There was also a small village at the farm, where a lot of farmers lived.


    The Herb Farm was one of the Ling Family¡¯s main sources of income.


    ¡°Uncle, why are you suddenly selling the Herb Farm to someone else?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°It¡¯s too far away from us. I am going to let go of our current farm, and set up a new one, but this time on the land on the east side of the city.¡±


    The east of the city? It was indeed closer to the center of the city, but the herbs produced there were of inferior quality than those produced on the south.


    Why did uncle make such a call?


    Ling Zhang frowned and thought for a moment. All of a sudden, it hit him.


    The Herb Farm in the south of the city was very close to where the Prefecture Guards stationed¡­


    ¡°Uncle, is Zhang Chong causing trouble for our Herb Farm?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Ling Zhaowen froze for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Lord Tao clued me in on some news. He said that Zhang Chong had already submitted a writ to the court a few days ago. He wanted to expand the scope of the garrison. The place he wanted was the Herb Farm of our family.¡±


    A cold look formed on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. No wonder Zhang Chong has been so quiet recently, it turns out that he has begun to act in secret.


    The Herb Farm was one of the pillars of the Ling Family¡¯s economy. Forty percent of the Ling family¡¯s source of income would be cut off if it was turned into an encampment.


    ¡°Is there no way to stop Zhang Chong?¡± Ling Zhang said, unwilling to give up.


    ¡°It is very difficult. Unless someone in the court rejects Zhang Chong¡¯s request,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Family had little contacts with the Capital ever since the incident twenty years ago.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s method wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°What about Lord Tao?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Tao Feng was different from them; he had a lot of connections in court.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to bring this to Tao Feng¡¯s attention. Although the business of Herb Farm is very important to us, owing favors to Tao Feng will not be beneficial to us in the long run. What¡¯s more, Tao Feng¡¯s jurisdiction and influence applies to the court, so it¡¯s best if we use Tao Feng¡¯s favors for something truly dire. Let¡¯s just let go of the Herb Farm for now,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhang had a feeling that there was something else that his Uncle wasn¡¯t telling him. His Uncle sounded as though he was concerned about something else. After a moment of hesitation, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Uncle, are you still concerned that accident may happen due to negligence because the Herb Farm is too far away from us?¡±


    If it were built in the east of the city, it was easy for them to manage because it was quite close.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhang with approval. Although he didn¡¯t show his worries, his nephew still understood his intention.


    ¡°Correct, we haven¡¯t decided whom to transfer the Herm Farm. So I¡¯m asking you to watch over it until we do.¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°Okay, I will leave right away.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen added after mentioning something else that Ling Zhang needed to pay attention to, ¡°I will ask Wang Qing to assist you. He is quite familiar with the Farm. If you have any questions, ask him for help.¡±


    He had to leave for several days this time, yet the things at the Guards Yard weren¡¯t settled yet. He must think of a way to deal with this.


    When he was about to leave, Ling Zhang suddenly remembered something. ¡°Uncle, have you received a letter from the butler?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°Not yet, don¡¯t worry about it. If there¡¯s anything urgent, he would certainly send word. If he doesn¡¯t, then it means that he should be safely on the way. He should have arrived at the Capital by now.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and said, ¡°If any letter comes, please let me know.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit amused when he noticed that Ling Zhang was still hung up over the divorce agreement.


    Ling Zhang returned to his yard and told servant to start making preparations for his trip. After some thought, he sent a servant to summon Wang Dashan.


    ¡°I am going to the Herb Farm in the south of the city for a few days. Pick 12 people to come with me.¡±


    Wang Dashan asked, ¡°Do you¡­need me to accompany you, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°No, you should stay at here. Other than recruiting a new guard, you have to wait for any news from Xiafeng. If he sends a letter back, bring it to me immediately,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Wang Dashan replied.


    Fu Caiwei knew about Ling Zhang¡¯s upcoming trip to the Herb Farm in the south of the city, so she was busy preparing for Ling Zhang¡¯s clothing and other items of daily use. When Ling Zhang noticed the increase in the number of luggage, he quickly stopped her. ¡°Aunt, take it easy. I¡¯ll only be away for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Bring more of these thick cloaks. The village at the Herb Farm is primitive. You won¡¯t be able to find these things there.¡± Clearly, Fu Caiwei had no intention of stopping.


    ¡°I already packed an entire case of them,¡± Ling Zhang said in a hurry.


    Fu Caiwei hesitated for a while, clearly thinking that whatever he had packed were far from enough.


    ¡°Big brother, I want to go as well!¡± Ling Maomao said from behind Ling Zhang, grabbing Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes and refusing to let go.

 Chapter 47 - Arrival at the Herb Farm

    Ling Zhang lowered his head to look at Ling Maomao, who raised his head to stare at his elder brother.


    Maomao pursed his lips and looked at Ling Zhang in anticipation. ¡°Big brother¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang cleared his throat lightly. He raised his head to look at Fu Caiwei. ¡°Why not allow Maomao to stay with me for a few days?¡±


    Fu Caiwei¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°No, he still has a lot of homework to do.¡±


    Ling Zhang lowered his head again and gazed at Ling Maomao. While Ling Maomao directly hugged Ling Zhang¡¯s leg, ¡°Big brother, I want to be with you, please take me with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang sighed. He didn¡¯t have the heart to turn down Ling Maomao¡¯s request, so he tried to convince Fu Caiwei again. ¡°Let me help Maomao with his homework. Before we leave, I will drop by his school and talk to his teacher.¡±


    Fu Caiwei looked at Ling Zhang for a while, then turned to Ling Maomao, whose eyes were expectant. She said to Ling Zhang, ¡°You indulge him so much that he always tries to take advantage of you.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled. He only had one younger brother, and of course he would love Maomao. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, aunt. I will make sure he works out with me every morning. And I will make sure he completes his homework as well.¡±


    Some light flashed in Fu Caiwei¡¯s eyes. She lowered her head and found that Ling Maomao was giving her a puppy dog eyes. She said, ¡°Fine, take him with you. Just remember to bring him along in your morning workouts.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Clueless about the difficulties that awaited him, Ling Maomao cheered happily and ran out to pack his luggage.


    The two brothers departed after they finished packing their bags. They got on the road with two carriages and an entourage consisting of two servants, Supervisor Wang Qing, twelve Guards and Ada.


    They dropped by Maomao¡¯s school first, where Ling Zhang requested a leave from Maomao¡¯s teacher. Once the leave was approved, they went into a discussion about Lin Maomao¡¯s homework in the next few days. After everything was settled, they set off toward the south of the city.


    It would take half a day to travel from Tanyang city to the Herb Farm. Someone had already rushed ahead to the Herb Farm to prepare for Ling Zhang and Ling Maomao¡¯s arrival. On the road, Wang Qing began explaining the situation at the Farm to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°We have already got a buyer for a batch of newly harvested herbs. The buyer is Jiang¡¯s Herbs. They have been cooperating with our Herb Farm all this while. In the past two years, Jiang¡¯s managed to expand their business to the Capital. This new batch of herbs they ordered from us this time is meant for their new branch at the Capital. This is the order they placed, Young Master, please have a look.¡±


    Ling Zhang took the order form and studied the list thoroughly, taking note of the order details (herb types, prices, quantities). After he had gone through the list, Ling Zhang found himself having a better idea of how to handle the transaction. ¡°When will Jing¡¯s people come?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning. The herbs have already been prepared and ready for your inspection, Young Master,¡± Wang Qing answered.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Who will they be sending over?¡±


    ¡°The shopkeeper will come in person. I heard that this time he is also responsible for transporting the herbs to the Capital.¡± Wang Qing answered. He detailed the situation of this main shopkeeper. ¡°This main shopkeeper of Jiang¡¯s Herbs is a distant relative of Jiang Family. He came to Tanyang to take charge of the herbal business for two years. He is a man in his forties who does things briskly; it is easier to get along with him. The two years he cooperated with our Herb Farm were quite smooth. Besides, in addition to their cooperation with our Farm, they also cooperated with Lu Family and Liao Family.¡±


    Lu Family and Liao Family were also close to Ling Family, especially Lu Family.


    When it came to Lu Family, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes turned cold. He couldn¡¯t help but think of the tragedy that the Lu Family was slain overnight in the previous existence.


    This life the extermination of Lu Family absolutely mustn¡¯t happen again; Ling Family couldn¡¯t be framed again, either.


    ¡°Show me the ledger,¡± Ling Zhang restrained his emotion and said to Wang Qing.


    Wang Qing hurried to hand the Herb Farm ledger to Ling Zhang, and told Ling Zhang some of the points. Ling Zhang made clear the ledger easily after keeping the points in mind.


    There was only the sound of Ling Zhang flipping through the ledger for a time. Wang Qing quietly waited for Ling Zhang¡¯s inquiry. He didn¡¯t interrupt Ling Zhang¡¯s work but observed Ling Zhang secretly. Wang Qing was one of the managers of the Ling family whom Ling Zhaowen trusted. That was why Ling Zhaowen had assigned the business at the Herb Farm to him. He was in his thirties and there were old and young at home. Their whole family served Ling Family. In other words, their fate was closely connected to Ling Family.


    Therefore, Wang Qing pretty much watched Ling Zhang grow up. So Wang Qing could perceive the changes in Ling Zhang during this period of time. He clearly understood that many of the changes that had taken place in the Ling Family were hosted by Ling Zhang. He knew that Ling Zhang was no longer what he had been before.


    This Young Master¡¯s shrewdness had shown, with even some trace of decisiveness and sharpness revealed. He was by no means a man to be trifled with.


    Before they left, Ling Zhaowen had ordered Wang Qing to help Ling Zhang wholeheartedly in dealing with the mattes of the Herb Farm, so he knew what responsibility to take this time.


    Meanwhile, some doubts came into his mind as Wang Qing looked at the twelve Guards outside. He didn¡¯t know Ling Zhang¡¯s purpose of asking the twelve Guards to accompany him. But he guessed that it was probably related to the frequent dismissal of the Guards in recent days.


    Ling Zhang, who was reading the ledger, clearly knew that Wang Qing was observing him quietly, but he didn¡¯t care. Ling Zhang¡¯s status in Ling Family had changed a lot. Those two bodies wrapped in white cloth not only shocked the people in his yard, but also other servants in Ling Family. Moreover, servants in Ling Family were frequently dismissed recently. Those who relied on Ling Family to make a living now all realized that their destiny was in the hands of Ling Zhang.


    Anyone with a clear mind would know what to do and what not to.


    In addition to read this thick ledger, he also had to check the Herb Farm in person. Neither of these things would be done in a short time.


    And he planned to take advantage of the remote geographical location of the Herb Farm to try the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve, which was why he took these twelve guards with him.


    Before Xiafeng¡¯s background check of these twelve guards was clearly done, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t tell them anything about the formation. He intended to first test the mere form of it. He would only start training these twelve when Xiafeng¡¯s letter came and confirmed that their background was all clean.


    For this matter, Ling Zhang almost didn¡¯t sleep last night. He kept deducing the tactic in his mind and thinking about how to get the twelve guards to cooperate well.


    ¡°Big Brother,¡± Ling Maomao¡¯s voice pulled Ling Zhang out of his thoughts. He looked at Maomao, who just woke up from sleep. ¡°You finally woke up.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take to get there?¡± Ling Maomao was very excited when he got on the carriage, but soon he became too bored to doze off.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, half an hour at most,¡± Ling Zhang answered. He lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery outside.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Maomao laid his head on the window, watching the scenery moving slowly backwards. He asked, ¡°Brother, where is Ada?¡±


    ¡°It is following behind. It is so naughty that it can¡¯t sit quietly in the carriage,¡± Ling Zhang answered.


    At this moment, Ling Maomao also saw that Ada was running wildly behind the carriage. ¡°Ada, get up here, don¡¯t run!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that it bit your Wooden Monkey?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Ling Maomao said, ¡°I am broad-minded and I have already forgiven him.¡±


    Wang Qing burst into laughter.


    Ling Zhang turned to Wang Qing and said, ¡°Please tell them to pull over, Steward Wang.¡±


    Wang Qing took the commands then lifted the thick curtain to deliver the order.


    ¡°Maomao, later you should get off the carriage and urinate,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Maomao giggled, not a bit surprised why his big brother knew that he wanted to pee.


    After the carriage stopped, Ling Maomao immediately jumped out of the carriage to pee. Ling Zhang also got off the carriage for some stretches to relax his muscles.


    This place was not far from the place where the Prefecture Guards were stationed. Through the woods, they could see the outlines of the tents in the distance.


    Although the encampment of Prefecture Guards occupied quite a large place, Zhang Chong still wanted to expand the area. Would the court really grant his request? Expanding the station almost meant that he would recruit more soldiers. However, the number of soldiers for each prefecture was strictly regulated. Zhang Chong repeatedly broke this rule under the pretext of Tanyang¡¯s serious bandits. How far on earth was he going to expand his army?


    This was no longer a matter of occupying his family¡¯s herbal farm, but a much more serious issue. It was no exaggeration to say that Zhang Chong had the condition for rebellion. Why didn¡¯t the Court stop him?


    Ling Zhang frowned, looking in the direction of the Prefecture Guard¡¯s encampment with a cold and disgusted look.


    In his previous life, he couldn¡¯t see through this matter. But after the overnight slaughtering of Lu Family in previous life, he was clever enough to see through the plot behind the serious bandits of Tanyang.


    The whole Lu Family was destroyed overnight, followed by the Ling Family being wronged. At that time, the bandits were rampant. However, instead of wiping out the bandits, Zhang Chong was in such a haste to frame Ling Zhang¡¯s family. All this seemed to be planned by Zhang Chong.


    What did it mean? Delving deep into matter would easily notice some horrifying fact.


    Ever since Ling could see the outlines of the encampment of the Prefecture Guards, he began to lift the curtain to look in that direction from time to time when he got on the carriage, pretending like he was just checking the view. He counted how far he had gone from being able to see the encampment¡¯s outline to the moment when it disappeared, and then estimated the rage of the encampment.


    Ever since the encampment of the Prefecture Guards had been stationed there, the area had been completely off-limits to the ordinary people. No one knew how much it had been expanded over the years.


    ¡°Big brother, what are you looking at?¡± Ling Maomao was particularly clever, and soon found Ling Zhang gazing at something. He approached Ling Zhang and followed his gaze out of the carriage window too.


    Ling Zhang, considering that Wang Qing was here too, put down the curtain in a clam manner. ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the farm for a long time, so I am just trying to remember the scenery along the way. You can have a look too.¡±


    Neither Ling Maomao nor Wang Qing doubted his words. And Ling Maomao stared outside for a long time with interest.


    It was an open plain. Ling Family¡¯s herb farm occupied half of this plain.


    On the periphery of the plain were several other families¡¯ herb farms, as well as the fields of ordinary farmers.


    ¡°Here we are. Don¡¯t run around the village. I will show you around when I am done with my work,¡± Ling Zhang warned Ling Maomao.


    ¡°I see.¡± Ling Maomao leaned out of the window, looked at the small plain and cheered with joy. It was also his first time to this herb farm.


    Just as they arrived at the Farm, a fast horse entered Tanyang City from the north gate and went straight to Ling Family.

 Chapter 48 - Our Marshall Will Arrive Tomorrow

    This fast horse caught the attention of a lot of people. The man on the horse in black suit didn¡¯t look like a messenger. No one knew who he was.


    After entering the city, he first asked the way then went straight in the direction of the Ling Family and arrived soon.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Ling Family¡¯s guard asked.


    ¡°Excuse me, is this Ling Xingzhong¡¯s home?¡± asked the man on the horse.


    ¡°Correct,¡± the guard answered.


    The man dismounted and said, ¡°My master asked me to deliver this letter to Master Ling. He told me to hand the letter in person. Please pass the words for me.¡±


    Was he the messenger? He didn¡¯t look like the messenger. These two guards eyed the man from head to toe. Then one of the two guards went in to pass the words.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± soon the guard returned and led the man into the court yard.


    Ling Xingzhong was sitting in the hall when he saw the man come in. When this man moved, he demonstrated such agility that was never seen on an ordinary servant. Ling Xingzhong was confused and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The man in black suit entered the hall and made a bow with hands folded in front. ¡°Are you the Master Ling?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong subconsciously sat up straight and nodded, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    The man in black suit handed the letter to Ling Xingzhong. ¡°This is the letter of my marshal. Please check it.¡±


    Marshal? Ling Xingzhong¡¯s eyelid twitched when he saw the name on the envelope. He took the letter in a hurry and opened it. His face sauddenly changed as he saw the content of the letter. He stood up and asked, ¡°May I ask when the marshal will arrive?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± the man answered.


    ¡°Thank you for delivering the letter, young man. I will schedule it right away, and we will meet the Marshal at the city gate tomorrow morning,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°Our Marshall meant that you should keep his arrival quiet. He didn¡¯t want to disturb anyone on this trip. It is no need to meet the Marshall at the city gate. He will come directly to Ling Family tomorrow morning,¡± the man said.


    Ling Xingzhong was surprised. ¡°Got it. I will never get this out.¡±


    The man smiled and said, ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Master Ling. I shall return to the Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, young man. Please take care.¡± Ling Xingzhong accompanied the man to the doorway, watching the man ridding away.


    No sooner had the man disappeared than Ling Xingzhong ordered immediately, ¡°Hurry up and ask the Second Master to come back.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± The servant hurried to Yamen to find Ling Zhaowen when he heard Ling Xingzhong¡¯s serious tone. He didn¡¯t want to waste any time.


    ¡°Father, what happened?¡± Ling Xingzhong hurried to find his father after he came back home.


    ¡°Read the letter first.¡± Ling Xingzhong calmed down now, handing the letter to Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhaowen was shocked after quick skimming. ¡°Is Yuwen Tong coming?¡±


    ¡°Yes, his people are almost at Tanyang City. He sent words that he would be in city in tomorrow morning,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°Why is it so sudden!¡± Ling Zhaowen was genuinely surprised. ¡°Should we inform Lord Tao? Should we be ready to meet?¡±


    ¡°No, the man who came just now told us that we should keep it quiet. Yuwen Tong doesn¡¯t want to disturb anyone,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    Ling Zhaowen understood what his father said. He calmed down and said, ¡°Father, what do you think the purpose of his visit this time? It is the most reasonable approach for him to keep quiet if he is really not satisfied with this engagement. Now that he has received the letter about breaking off the engagement, why should he come here on purpose?¡±

 Chapter 49 - Hes Coming

    Chapter 49: Hes Coming


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang was busy for checking the herbs on the order and getting familiar with the operation of the Herb Farm as soon as he arrived. He didn¡¯t return to the residence in the village until late at night when Ling Maomao had been already sound asleep in his bed.


    ¡°Has he been naughty tonight? Did he have dinner?¡± Ling Zhang asked the servant.


    ¡°Second young master had been waiting for you to come back. He didn¡¯t go to sleep until just now. And he ate only half of the meal.¡±


    Ling Zhang frowned. Only half of the meal?


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the meal to his taste?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°It seems that this meal suited his taste well. He was just waiting for you to come back and worried about you. That¡¯s why he ate so less.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately realized that Ling Maomao must have lost his temper when he didn¡¯t show up for dinner. ¡®What a naughty boy.¡¯ Ling Zhang really didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He said, ¡°Leave a servant for the vigil, and let others go to rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± the servant answered.


    After washing up, Ling Zhang helped himself to a meal. Then he went to the bedside and gently pinched Maomao¡¯s face. ¡°Little rascal, so naughty on the first day.¡±


    Although he was in an unfamiliar environment, as long as there was Ling Maomao around, he could fall asleep safely.


    He hadn¡¯t dreamed for days. But he didn¡¯t know why he dreamed again this evening and the dream was a little bit familiar...


    A tall man stood silhouetted against the light in front of Ling Zhang. He couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, but he recognized the man through the man¡¯s sharp eyes.


    That was Yuwen Tong in his dream...


    ¡°Never dream to break the engagement!¡±


    ¡°I am coming to find you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was scared to break out in cold sweat as he heard the last words in his dream.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he found that it was already dawn. He woke up even later than usual.


    Ling Zhang was too tired yesterday, and he had a dream in the early hours of the morning, so when he got up, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples to clear his mind. He had no idea why he dreamed about Yuwen Tong again. Damn it.


    Ling Maomao was still snoring. Ling Zhang got up to get dressed and wash up. At this time, the sky was brighter. Ling Zhang faintly heard the sound of people in the village getting to work.


    ¡°Maomao, get up soon. Join me to run around the place.¡± Ling Zhang tried to wake Maomao up.


    Ling Maomao opened his eyes in a daze then looked at his brother in confusion. ¡°Run around what?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled at him. ¡°You will know it soon.¡±


    Ling Maomao was still lingering in his bed, but soon he was pulled up by Ling Zhang. After dressing and washing, Ling Maomao was forced to run around the open space outside the village with his brother.


    The open space was so wide that they could run freely without hindrance.


    Ling Maomao showed an expression of being cheated. ¡°Big brother, you lie to me.¡±


    ¡°After finishing running, I will show you around the village. Hold on,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Maomao almost cried with a bitter face.


    After running two times around the place, Ling Maomao was allowed to have a rest. When the little boy wanted to sit down on the ground directly, he was ordered to walk for a while after running.


    ¡°Take care of him. Massage his arms and legs.¡± Ling Zhang commanded the servants. Then he went on to run alone. After running, he did horse stance and practiced the martial arts.


    At this time, the sun was already high up in the sky, shining over the herbs and bringing out a mixed aroma of bitterness and astringency that tasted a bit sweet after being inhaled.


    While Ling Zhang led his little brother to morning running, a group of men entered Tanyang and galloped along the quiet street in the early morning to Ling Family. Ling Family had already opened the gate as Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen waited for the arrival of the Marshal at the door in person.


    They were coming! The man in the lead demonstrated such majesty and imposing aura that made the two¡¯s eyes brighten up.

 Chapter 50 - Isn’t Your Eldest Grandson at Home?

    Yuwen Tong kept everyone¡¯s face in his mind with only a quick glance at Ling Family¡¯s gate. He didn¡¯t find anyone of the same age as Ling Zhang. It was clear that Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t here.


    Yuwen Tong frowned slightly, and this subtle action was barely noticed by others. ¡®So he isn¡¯t home?¡¯


    He was surprised to learn of this engagement with the Ling Family. But since the Ling Family wanted to end it, he would not force them to do otherwise. The purpose of his visit to Tanyang was mainly to find a new solution to the problem he might face back to the capital, and he also intended to do Ling Family a favor; another purpose was to probe into the situation of Tanyang at his convenience. On the contrary, he didn¡¯t mind the termination of their marriage contract at all.


    But Ling Zhang¡¯s absence left Yuwen Tong with a strange feeling at this moment, a hint of unspeakable and subtle displeasure.


    What did Ling Family mean? Were they afraid that he would fall in love with Ling Zhang at first sight and marry him?


    Despite all the thoughts in mind, he just kept that cool look.


    ¡°Greetings, my lord.¡± Ling Xingzhong said as he led the rest member of Ling family to pay their respects.


    In view of the fact that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity, Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t honor him as Marshal. They had discussed this matter in advance so as not to ruin Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan.


    Yuwen Tong dismounted at once. He came up to Ling Xingzhong and helped him up. ¡°Oh, please, Lord Ling. Let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. As a junior, how can I accept your kneeling.¡±


    ¡°All of you here get up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡± Ling Zhaowen led others to stand up.


    Yuwen Tong was not only tall and straight, but also had a powerful aura, which made people feel oppressive. For a moment he was the center of attention. The Ling Family¡¯s servants had never seen anyone with such an imposing temperament. They instantly became quiet, even breathing carefully.


    ¡°My lord, your coming from afar is really a pleasure for us. I haven¡¯t been to the Capital for many years. How is your family?¡± Ling Xingzhong asked.


    ¡°Thank you for your regards. Everything is fine,¡± Yuwen Tong said. ¡°My grandfather mentioned you many times when he was alive. Your kindness to our family will always be in my mind.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong didn¡¯t expect that Yuwen Tong would take the initiative to mention the past. His tone was sincere, and it was clear that he did remember how the Ling Family had helped them in the past. This surprised and delighted Ling Xingzhong. As long as Yuwen Family still remembered their kindness, they would not blame Ling Family for breaking off the engagement.


    Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen were relieved when they heard Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. Yuwen Tong made a good impression on the two of them.


    ¡°I am glad that your grandfather remembered me. I just did what I was supposed to do in that year. So it was not worth mentioning,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°A favor, even a small one, received during times of dire need should be repaid with redoubled effort. You saved my grandfather¡¯s life, so don¡¯t be so modest. As long as I am alive, I will remember your kindness.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong said with a smile, ¡°I really do not deserve your praise, my Lord. However, if you still feel indebted to me, my Lord, why don¡¯t stay here, and we shall call it even?¡±


    ¡°Thank you a lot. I am serious, Lord Ling. How can your kindness to us be easily forgotten?¡± Yuwen Tong insisted.


    Ling Xingzhong smiled. ¡°My Lord, please.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded, then walked into Ling Mansion with Ling Xingzhong. At the same time, he glanced at Ling Zhaowen and asked, ¡°May I ask who is this?¡±


    ¡°This is Zhaowen, my second son. He is currently holding a position at the Prefecture Yamen of Tanyang as a Right Tongzhi.¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    Ling Zhaowen folded his hands to show respect.


    Yuwen Tong nodded as a response and pretended to inadvertently ask, ¡°I didn¡¯t see your grandson just now. Isn¡¯t he at home?¡±


    Yuwen Tong took the initiative to mention Ling Zhang, which confused Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen. They answered honestly, ¡°Yesterday, he took his cousin to the Herb Farm in the south of the city. So he didn¡¯t know your coming. I have sent a message to the Herb Farm to inform him. And I will get him back soon.¡±


    It turned out that he didn¡¯t shun me. Yuwen Tong¡¯s inexplicable displeasure was immediately replaced by inexplicable happiness.

 Chapter 51 - A Desire to Escape

    ¡°Young Master, someone is looking for you. He seems to be in a hurry.¡± A servant hurried in from outside.


    Ling Zhang handed over the order with the shopkeeper of Jiang¡¯s Herbs, then sent him away. This was the first time that Ling Zhang had dealt with such a transaction so formally. Unfamiliar to so many details, he was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to drink water. It was not until noon that he finished all the work. As soon as he was preparing to sit down and have a rest, someone came in to find him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ling Zhang asked the man who came from the Ling Family.


    ¡°Old Master asks you and the second master to go back home soon, because we have a respected guest,¡± the man replied.


    Back now? A respected guest visited? What kind of distinguished guest demands my presence? Ling Zhang was confused. Why was grandfather in such a hurry to get him back?


    ¡°When did the guest come?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    The man answered, ¡°I set out at dawn. Before I left, Old Master and the Second Master were waiting at the gate for the arrival of the distinguished guests.¡±


    So early. What kind of guest would visit before dawn? He was specially told to go home. If he left now, it must be evening when he got home¡­He couldn¡¯t believe that the guest would stay overnight.


    So the guest must have come from other places. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know why he was a little panicked. He remembered, at an inopportune moment, the dream he had in the early hours of this morning¡­ Damn it, that guest couldn¡¯t be Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Okay. Wait a moment. I will pack up and take Maomao home.¡±


    They had packed their luggage and were about to get into the carriage. At the same time, Zhou Quanfu, the manager of the Herb Farm, suddenly ran over, panting, ¡°Young Master, bad news!¡±


    Ling Zhang stopped and looked at Zhou Quanfu, ¡°What happened?¡±Zhou Quanfu was a thoughtful and careful person who had been in charge of the Herb Farm for a long time. He was experienced in all kinds of emergencies, therefore unlikely to lose his cool before ordinary matters.


    Ling Zhang had a sense of foreboding at this moment.


    ¡°Several farmers are detained by the Prefecture Guard,¡± Zhou Quanfu said.


    As expected. A dark look formed on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. He said, ¡°When were they detained? And why would the Prefecture Guard do that?¡±


    ¡°It happened Just now. There is a pool in the forest to the west of the Herb Farm. Usually our farmers will go to that pool to get the water for the herbs. On the other side of the forest is the encampment of the Prefecture Guard. The herb farmers and the Guards has been at peace for a long time, but today the patrols suddenly showed up, accused farmers of trespassing into their encampment, and arrested the herb farmers back to the encampment for punishment,¡± Zhou Quanfu said.


    Ling Zhang frowned. Zhang Chong¡¯s request for the Court¡¯s permission to expand his encampment of the Prefecture Guard had not yet been delivered to the Capital. Why claiming the land in such a haste? Besides, that forest did not belong to the encampment of the Prefecture Guard at all, why would they detain the farmers?


    ¡°Where are the farmers?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve just been taken away. The farmers are on foot, so they won¡¯t get to the encampment too soon.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at the servant who came to get him home. ¡°Something urgent happened here. So I can¡¯t go back home right now. Please tell my grandfather and my uncle about it.¡±


    The man was in a dilemma because his task was to take Ling Zhang back. But now there was an emergency at the Herb Farm, so he hesitated for a moment and then nodded. ¡°I will go back soon, Young Master.¡±


    After that, the man galloped back to Tanyang City.


    Ling Zhang watched the man left, coldness glistening in his eyes.


    ¡®If he rides fast enough, he can get back to Tanyang in less than two hours. And it may take him another hour to travel from Tanyang to the encampment. It is obviously too late.¡¯


    ¡®It must be Zhang Chong¡¯s doing. What Zhang Chong wants is an excuse to harm the Ling Family. If no one of the Ling Family reach there, Zhang Chong will not punish the farmers.¡¯


    ¡®But if the farmers are brought into the encampment, things will become more difficult to deal with. Unlike in Prefecture Yamen, the encampment is under the jurisdiction of Zhang Chong. He can do whatever he wants. If he dies there, no one will know.¡¯


    The farmers were arrested when Ling Zhang took over the Herb Farm. It was obvious that their target was Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang calmed down when he thought about this. He told himself that he couldn¡¯t act on impulse.


    The best solution was to rescue the herb farmers before they were taken into the encampment.


    A bright idea suddenly occurred in his mind as he looked at the direction of the encampment. He said to Zhou Quanfu, ¡°The people of Jiang¡¯s Herbs set out only moments ago, and their carriages are loaded with herbs, so they won¡¯t go too far. Manager Zhou, send someone to catch up with them and stop them. And tell them that we have something important to ask them for help.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, you mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°The forest doesn¡¯t belong to the encampment of the Prefecture Guards yet. Their purpose is to lure me into a trap. They thought that once I entered their encampment, they could put any charge on me. We must save the farmers before they were taken into the encampment. They are unjustified in this matter, so they certainly don¡¯t hope it to be revealed. Therefore, we need the shopkeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Herbs to do us a favor at this time.¡±


    Zhou Quanfu¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Got it. I will do that right away.¡±


    Ling Zhang summoned the twelve guards and said to them, ¡°Five of you stay to take care of Maomao, the rest of you come with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± They obeyed the order quickly and efficiently to divide themselves into two groups.


    Their performance really surprised Ling Zhang. It seemed that firing the nine guards was with its rewards.


    Ling Maomao didn¡¯t want to be left at the village. He took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Big brother, take me with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t indulge Maomao this time. He said seriously, ¡°No, you should stay here and don¡¯t run around.¡±


    Ling Maomao was clever boy who knew how to behave by the expression of his brother. So when he saw his brother¡¯s serious face, he knew he couldn¡¯t be willful anymore. He let go of Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and said in an aggrieved tone, ¡°Okay, you must come back soon.¡±


    Sensing the tense atmosphere, Ling Maoao knew it must be a tricky matter this time and was naturally worried.


    Ling Zhang perceived Maomao¡¯s fear and nervousness. He patted Maomao on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I will be back soon.¡±


    Ling felt a little relieved finally.


    Without delay, Ling Zhang mounted a horse and went in pursuit of the carriage. Seven of his guards joined the chase as well.


    What a coincidence, when he caught up with the carts of the Jiang¡¯s Herbs, he happened to encounter with the patrols of the Prefecture Guard.


    Ling Zhang reined in the horse in the middle of the road and stopped the patrols, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s sudden appearance caught the patrols off guard. The leader¡¯s face suddenly darkened, ¡°How dare you block the way of the Prefecture Guard?¡±


    Ling Zhang snorted coldly, dismounting the horse. He first glanced at the people of Jiang¡¯s Herbs who stopped at the roadside and nodded to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper calmly nodded in reply and glanced at the patrols and the herb farmers who were detained. Having figured out what was going on, he said after some ponderation, ¡°Young Master, may I help you?¡±


    That question alone was a great gesture of kindness. Ling Zhang said gratefully, ¡°Thank you a lot. . Not for now. Please wait for a moment and then you can return to Tanyang city.¡±


    The shopkeeper was lost in thought after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words. He said, ¡°I will wait for a while then.¡±


    Hearing the conservation between Ling Zhang and the shopkeeper, the leader of the patrols became angrier. He said, ¡°How dare you! Who are you? Take your men and leave, now!¡±


    Obviously, he was unconfident when he said those words. So the shopkeeper completely ignored him.


    ¡°You!¡± The leader of the patrols was flustered and exasperated. ¡°Drive them away.¡±


    ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Ling Zhang said coldly. ¡°You people from the Prefecture Guards have gone too far, don¡¯t you think? First, you detained our farmers on a whim. Now you¡¯re driving us away for no reason at all? Since when did the Prefecture Guards start to act like a bunch of lowly bandits?¡±


    ¡°How presumptuous of you!. How dare you slander the Prefecture Guard? Aren¡¯t you afraid we will arrest you back to the encampment and let our Commander punish you?¡± the leader said.


    ¡°Well, it seems you cannot state their crimes. Do you admit that you are detaining the farmers for no reason?¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± the leader¡¯s face looked unnatural. ¡°They broke into our encampment. Shouldn¡¯t they be arrested?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, please save us. We were wronged. We were just fetching water in the forest next to our Herb Farm to water the field. And it is far from their encampment. It doesn¡¯t belong to the Prefecture Guard at all,¡± the farmer who was arrested shouted.


    ¡°Many herb farmers were present at the time, and they could testify!¡±


    ¡°As they said, they didn¡¯t break into your encampment. You should release them,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    The patrols looked at each other in confusion. They were just acting on orders. And they knew clearly that the forest there did not belong to the Prefecture Guard. So they said with guilty consciences, ¡°If you have anything to say, say it to the Commander when we reach the encampment. The Commander will decide whether you¡¯re being framed or not.¡±


    They were still unwilling to release the farmers. It was obvious that they were trying to force him into their encampment. Ling Zhang burst into anger at this time.


    The shopkeeper of Jiang¡¯s Herbs frowned slightly. He had already seen through what was going on. He said, ¡°You are so unreasonable. People in Tanyang will scorn you! Aren¡¯t you afraid of that?¡±


    ¡°It is none of your business. Get out of here. Don¡¯t get into trouble,¡± the leader said.


    They didn¡¯t even try to cover up their intention.


    Ling zhang sneered. ¡®This is not Prefecture Yamen, but their territory. Without other people around, Jiang¡¯s Herbs alone doesn¡¯t pose any deterrence to them¡¯


    ¡°Listen to my command, go back to Tanyang and invite Lord Tao here to do us justice,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡®Anyway, I can¡¯t let them take the farmers back to their encampment. I need to stall them.¡¯


    A scowl formed on the leader¡¯s face. He said, ¡°This is none of his business.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that my business?¡± Suddenly a cold, deep voice came from afar.


    Behind Ling Zhang, a man, stepping on tree branches, flew over through the forest like a sword. Then, he landed firmly in front of Ling Zhang.


    This man¡¯s strong aura suppressed all the people present. Everyone was shocked.


    Ling Zhang froze when he saw the tall figure in front of him. He had a sense of deja vu as he saw this man. And that familiarity made his fingers shrink at that moment.


    The man was standing too close to Ling Zhang, so close that he could detect the man¡¯s strange scent. The scent was immensely mild, but when it entered his nostril, its effects were far from mild; it traveled to every corner of his body in such a rapid manner that it immediately freshened his mind.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but shaking. Who was this man? Why would he suddenly have a strong desire to escape?


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The patrols pointed this man with their weapons, getting vigilant.


    ¡°You dare to detain the people for no reason. Is this how Zhang Chong manages his subordinates? It seems that he doesn¡¯t want to be the Commander of the Prefecture Guard any more.¡±

 Chapter 52 - Every Part of Him Is Perfect

    Yuwen Tong looked at the soldiers of the Prefecture Guard with cold eyes. ¡®They are just like a group of unorganized and undisciplined people. Are they the Prefecture Guard of Tanyang? Their behavior has dishonored the name of Great Yue.¡¯


    He addressed Zhang Chong by name. His harsh tone made the people present felt very surprised. The patrols, half-angry and half-fearful, demanded in a loud voice, ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Many people in black came down from the sky and landed around Ling Zhang, trying obviously to protect Ling Zhang.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t deserve to know,¡± one of the men in black said ironically. Then he took out a token and showed it to the patrol leader of the patrols.


    The sight of others was blocked, so no one except the patrol leader saw the token. However, the patrol leader¡¯s face turned pale immediately, which led others to guess a thing or two about the identity of the man.


    Legs shaking, the patrols lead knelt on the ground. He said with a pale face, ¡°My lord, please forgive my blindness. I don¡¯t know you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Before the patrol leader said it, the leader of those men in black stopped him angrily.


    The patrol leader lowered his head.


    The soldiers behind him looked at each other in consternation. Finally, they all put away their weapons and dropped to their knees.


    Such a scene made the farmers who were now freed became overwhelmed. They didn¡¯t know if they should kneel down, too.


    Everyone present could tell that the group of people who suddenly appeared were by no means ordinary, especially the tall man with an imposing temperament.


    No one dared to speak at that moment. It was utterly quiet.


    Ling Zhang took a step back quietly. He gasped as he looked at this scene. There was a ridiculous thought in his mind. Although he tried his best to tell himself that this was impossible, the thought wasn¡¯t dissipated but became more and more intense.


    He had fantasized many times of meeting Yuwen Tong for the first time when he would beat Yuwen Tong up and ridicule him.


    But when he really saw Yuwen Tong in person, he couldn¡¯t help but shudder. That scene which once happened in his dream constantly flashed in his mind, giving him an illusion that if he didn¡¯t escape now, he would be in trouble later.


    Yuwen Tong had a keen sense of hearing, so he obviously heard the sound of Ling Zhang¡¯s retreat.


    He raised his eyebrow and turned back briskly out of the curiosity to see this young master of Ling Family.


    Damn! Yuwen Tong¡¯s action caught Ling Zhang completely off-guard. Ling Zhang was scared that his heart skipped a beat.


    At first glance, he saw Yuwen Shuo¡¯s narrow, eagle-like eyes, which were sharp and calm. These were obviously different from the eyes in Ling Zhang¡¯s dreams, but somehow made his scalp numb. An unshakable premonition told him that this person was the one in his dream ¨CYuwen Tong. ¡°I am coming to find you.¡± The words that once appeared in his dream resounded so clearly in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind at the moment that he couldn¡¯t even move a step.


    On the contrary, Yuwen Tong found himself utterly captivated by Ling Zhang¡¯s appearance at the first glimpse, not because of how breathtakingly gorgeous he was, but because his face held a strange and special kind of appeal. What a handsome man he was: huge, round eyes, which stared back at him in surprise; a sharp and chiseled nose which was in just the right length; lips of perfect thickness and width; perfectly sculpted face with a chiseled jawline; ears of beautiful shape and outlines. Even his temperament attracted Yuwen Tong deeply. This perfect man was to Yuwen Tong¡¯s liking, which brightened his eyes.


    ¡°You are Ling Zhang,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s words pulled Ling Zhang back from his thought. The person in front of Ling Zhang gave him a strong sense of oppression, and he couldn¡¯t help but take another step back. He tried to keep himself calm. ¡°Yes, I am, and you¡¯re?¡±

 Chapter 53 - Subtle Enmity from Ling Zhang

    Perhaps this man in front of him was too much to his taste that Yuwen Tong¡¯s usually cold and serious face turned soft as he looked at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, because this is not a good place for that,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡®That is so great. I don¡¯t want to know your name. It would be best if you never told me that,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought quickly.


    The herb farmers had been rescued. The patrols were on their knees and dared not to move. At the moment their crisis had been lifted, but Yuwen Tong turned to the people of Jiang¡¯s Herbs as it seemed they were the only ones who had nothing to do with this matter.


    The shopkeeper was a smart guy and knew that he should leave when he met Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. Although he didn¡¯t know who this man in front of him was, he knew that this man must hold some noble status. The shopkeeper bowed respectfully and said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Young Master, I still have some things to deal with in my shop, then I should go now.¡±


    Hearing the shopkeeper¡¯s words, Ling Zhang soon regained his mind from scolding Yuwen Tong inwardly. He replied immediately, ¡°Thank you for your sincere help. I will visit you to express my thanks when I get back to Tanyang.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Young master. We have cooperated for many years, and we suppose to help each other,¡± the shopkeeper said. They parted after a few pleasantries.


    Although Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to stay here, he knew that the man (maybe Yuwen Tong) in front of him had helped him solve the dilemma. So he couldn¡¯t leave right away. However, he recalled that the man didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity just now¡­


    He thought for a while then turned to the guards behind him and said, ¡°Please escort them back.¡±


    The guards first looked at the herb farmers, and then at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong before asking, ¡°Do you need a few guards to be with you, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°No, go back to the village, all of you. I will catch up with you later,¡± Ling Zhang said after taking a deep breath.


    There wasn¡¯t much that the guards could do even if they stayed. Their presence made no difference before these men in black.


    Yuwen Tong felt a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that Ling Zhang would believe him so soon.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need to keep some guards by your side?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Ling Zhang looked at him and asked, ¡°May I ask if you are the honorable guest who came to my family this morning?¡±


    Since Ling Zhang had already guessed it, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t conceal it. ¡°Correct.¡±


    Ling Zhang had already confirmed the identity of this man. No wonder his grandfather wanted him back in such a hurry.


    ¡°Since you are the guest of my family, then I choose to believe you. Thank you for helping me out of the trouble,¡± Ling Zhang said. Although he didn¡¯t like Yuwen family or Yuwen Tong, the fact remained that Yuwen Tong had done him a favor just now. Like it or not, a favor was a favor, and Ling Zhang would not use his personal dislike of Yuwen Tong as an excuse to deny his act of kindness.


    Yuwen Tong arched his eyebrow and said, ¡°How did you mess with the Prefecture Guard?¡±


    Although Yuwen Tong had already heard it from the Ling Family¡¯s butler, he still wanted to hear what Ling Zhang would say.


    Ling Zhang looked at the guards, who nodded before they escorted the farmers back to the Herb Farm.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I have some conflicts with them.¡±


    What happened among him, Jia Family and Zhang Chong was well known in Tanyang. So he didn¡¯t have to hide this fact.


    However, he was unwilling to explain to Yuwen Tong about the matter. Ling Zhang was a man who knew the boundary between a personal grudge and a gracious act of kindness. But he had not yet forgotten the personal grudge between himself and Yuwen Tong.


    Therefore, he explained nothing after that short sentence.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned cold, which confused Yuwen Tong. ¡®What happened? Why do I get the feeling that he is somewhat hostile to me?¡¯

 Chapter 54 - I didn’t agree to break off the engagement

    Interesting! This was their first meeting. Or had Ling Zhang already guessed his identity?


    If his identity wasn¡¯t the reason for Ling Zhang¡¯s hostility, then the only possible reason would be their engagement.


    It seemed that there were still things he didn¡¯t know. Since he was already in Tanyang, he would surely figure everything out.


    ¡°Marshal, what about these people?¡± the leader of those men in black asked.


    When Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang and noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s lack of reaction at the mention of his title ¡®Marshal¡¯, he knew that Ling Zhang had already guessed his identity.


    ¡°Figure out why they did this and tell them to shut their mouth about today¡¯s matter,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Okay, Marshal.¡± The man turned around and walked toward the patrols who were kneeling on the ground.


    Ling Zhang watched the soldiers being interrogated in turns by the men in black. The soldiers were questioned for only a few minutes before confessing. Then each of them turned pale and seemed to have seen something horrible.


    ¡°Marshal, these people have acted under Zhang Chong¡¯s orders. Zhang Chong knew about Young Master Ling¡¯s arrival at the farm, so he ordered these people to force Young Master Ling into the encampment of the Prefecture Guard.


    Although Ling Zhang had guessed Zhang Chong¡¯s plot, he still couldn¡¯t help but clench his fist tightly.


    Yuwen Tong winked at the man in black, who nodded upon getting the hint and walked to the guards. No one knew what he did or said to the soldiers, who all kept kowtowing and nervously promising that they would keep the events of the day a secret.


    Ling Zhang felt a little strange. He looked at them carefully for a long time, but got nothing finally. Then he couldn¡¯t help looking at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong turned to Ling Zhang and said, ¡°You are not surprised because you¡¯ve figured out who I am?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned stiff. ¡°I am just taking a random guess.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him seriously for a while before saying, ¡°I have the letter about breaking off the engagement written by your grandfather. If I don¡¯t agree, the letter is invalid.¡±


    Ling Zhang froze after hearing his words. ¡°Why?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand Yuwen Tong¡¯s meaning. Wasn¡¯t Yuwen Tong eager to break off the engagement with him? Why did Yuwen Tong disagree with it now?


    ¡°We can¡¯t make hasty decision about marriage, further discussion is necessary, ¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t want to marry me, do you?¡± Ling Zhang asked in a hurry.


    Yuwen Tong gave him a deep look. ¡°Where did you learn that I don¡¯t want to marry you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong only knew the engagement days ago and he had never made a statement about it. Why did Ling Zhang think he didn¡¯t approve of this marriage?


    Ling Zhang was silent now. Should he tell Yuwen Tong that he had the memory of the previous life? That was obviously impossible.


    That was a slip of tongue and he wouldn¡¯t do that again.


    ¡°You are the most famous Marshal of Great Yue, but I am a mere nobody. And the position of our two families is poles apart. It would be a good thing for you if our family gave up this engagement. Countless dignitaries in the capital want to marry their daughters to you, and any one of them is a better choice for you. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Ling Zhang said after calming down.


    Yuwen Tong felt a little funny. He said, ¡°Who told you that I was going to marry the daughter of a dignitary? Where did you hear such nonsense?¡±


    Ling Zhang was stunned. He frowned and thought back to his previous life. Back then, those people came to Tanyang to annul the marriage agreement, claiming that their Marshal was only interested in marrying daughters from noble families. They then told him that their Marshal would never be interested in a lowly nobody like him.


    Who was lying? The servant? Or Yuwen Tong?


    Yuwen Tong saw Ling Zhang¡¯s doubts. Then he said unpleasantly with a cold face, ¡°I, Yuwen Tong, do not need to lie to anyone.¡±

 Chapter 55 - I Won’t Eat You!

    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips formed a tight line when he saw the icy look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face.


    No need to lie to anyone?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Show me around your herb farm.¡± Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want to talk about the engagement anymore.


    Speaking about the herb farm, Ling Zhang immediately thought of Maomao who had been left there. So he decided to put the matters about their engagement aside. But another doubt haunted him. ¡°Why are you here, Marshal?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said with his back to Ling Zhang, ¡°I met your messenger as I was hanging out.¡±


    ¡®So he hurried here to help me after getting the news?¡¯ Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong¡¯s back, feeling a bit complicated.


    ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Yuwen Tong turned back at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang caught up with Yuwen Tong and looked at his horse. ¡°There is only one horse.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hummed, mounted the horse then stretched out his hand to Ling Zhang, ¡°Come on.¡±


    Ling Zhang froze and subconsciously wanted to refuse.


    But he saw Yuwen Tong was looking at him with firm eyes.


    Ling Zhang clenched his fist. Being hesitant and indecisive wasn¡¯t his style at all. They were just going to ride on the same horse, for goodness¡¯ sake! It wasn¡¯t like he feared Yuwen Tong or anything.


    As soon as he reached out his hand, it was tightly held by Yuwen Tong. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in front of Yuwen Tong. They were so close that he could even feel the warmth of Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest on his back. Then, Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms wrapped around his sides as he took the reins.


    Realizing his whole body was totally in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms, he frozen. Why didn¡¯t let him sit in the back?


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not going to eat you,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Somehow, Ling Zhang felt as though Yuwen Yong had gained an upper hand. Unwilling to show his weakness, Ling Zhang forced himself to relax, but failed. He still couldn¡¯t help tightening his back. Yuwen Tong said nothing about Ling Zhang¡¯s strange actions. He continued to drive he horse forward while asking his subordinates to catch up with him.


    Ling Zhang noticed that none of the men in black were riding horses. But they all leaped forward in a very fast speed by virtue of their superb martial skills. Every tree along the way was their foothold.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s ridding skill was obviously much better than Ling Zhang¡¯s. Even though they were riding the same horse, Yuwen Tong could tame the horse easily.


    Ling Zhang was frowning because he felt uneasy all the way. Since he was not as tall as Yuwen Tong, he seemed to be hiding in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms. Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong¡¯s breath was so domineering that he couldn¡¯t even hold back his impulse to resist, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn¡¯t relax his tight back so he had a sore back at last.


    He didn¡¯t know that Yuwen Tong lowered his head and smirked at him at the same time.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s stubborn behavior and suddenly felt that Ling Zhang was like a little hedgehog, a pretty and cute hedgehog. They were in perfect fit while Yuwen Tong was cuddling Ling Zhang. Yuwen Tong¡¯s unpleasantness caused by what Ling just said all disappeared at this moment.


    With the horse galloping fast, Ling Zhang finally arrived the herb farm with his stiff body.When Yuwen Tong reined in the horse, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help taking a deep breath. It seemed that his waist, back, legs and hips were no longer his own¡­


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head, glanced at Ling Zhang then dismounted from the horse with some meaningful smile in his eyes. Besides, he suddenly carried Ling Zhang down from the horse before Ling Zhang could react.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ling Zhang, who was caught off guard, shouted. Ling Zhang glared at Yuwen Tong the moment his feet touched the ground and he got a stable footing.

 Chapter 56 - I Can Walk by Myself

    ¡°Brother!¡± Ling Maomao ran hurriedly to Ling Zhang the moment he saw his brother far away.


    Ling Zhang was immediately attracted by Ling Maomao, and looked at the little boy who was running fast. Unlike in Tanyang, it was easy to trip over in this herb farmland. Ling Zhang did not shout to stop Ling Maomao, but just kept his eyes on Ling Maomao¡¯s step.


    Ling Maomao rushed straight into Ling Zhang¡¯s arms without stopping a second.


    With a slight frown, Yuwen Tong quickly moved and stood behind Ling Zhang.


    As expected, Ling Zhang, who had tightened his body rigidly all the way back and was aching all over, could not afford Ling Maomao¡¯s weight, and directly jerked backward.


    Being a little startled, Ling Zhang held Ling Maomao steadily, with the determination to act as a cushion to protect Ling Maomao being hurt. But instead of the expected fall to the ground, he fell onto a broad chest, greeted by the familiar, cold scent.


    Yuwen Tong steadily held Ling Zhang and Ling Maomao in Ling Zhang¡¯s arms, looking down while saying, ¡°One rushed mindlessly, while the other didn¡¯t know clearly about his terrible physical condition and dared to pick up a kid.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask Yuwen Tong to catch him.


    Ling Maomao raised his head from Ling Zhang¡¯s arms, curiously looking at Yuwen Tong, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Coming back from his thoughts, Ling Zhang hurriedly straightened his back, and let Ling Maomao stand on the ground, ¡°I have told you many times, do not rush around.¡±


    Ling Maomao chuckled and made faces, after that he looked at Yuwen Tong and asked, ¡°Brother, who is this uncle?¡±


    Uncle, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face became rigid.


    Ling Zhang felt so good and almost laughed after hearing that. In fact, although Yuwen Tong had been to the battlefield early, he was only twenty-six years old now; besides, he looked even younger for his age. But in Ling Maomao¡¯s view, he should call Yuwen Tong ¡°uncle¡± because he was so tall and strong.


    ¡°This uncle¡­¡± Ling Zhang deliberately elongated the word ¡°uncle¡±, ¡°He is the guest of our family.¡±


    Giving Ling Zhang a meaningful glance, Yuwen Tong said to Ling Maomao, ¡°Call me ¡®brother¡¯, and my last name is Yuwen.¡± Ling Maomao looked at Ling Zhang, and then at Yuwen Tong, finally changed to call him, ¡°Brother Yuwen.¡±


    Ling Zhang snorted with discontent in his mind. But it was not wise to set himself against Yuwen Tong openly, so he could only let Ling Maomao change to call him ¡°Brother Yuwen¡±.


    Yuwen Tong reached out his hand to rub Ling Maomao¡¯s head, and incidentally took out a piece of white jade, placing it on Ling Maomao¡¯s hand, ¡°A gift for our first meeting.¡±


    Ling Zhang subconsciously wanted to refuse this gift on behalf of Ling Maomao. Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang, as if knowing what he would say, ¡°This is just a common gift for first-time meeting. Why must you refuse?¡±


    ¡®If you say so¡­What else can I say?¡¯ Ling Zhang compressed his lips for a moment, and then said, ¡°This jade is too valuable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I sent it. Or what else should I give him, a blade of grass?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Nonsense and sophistry!


    ¡°Take it.¡± Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Maomao and said.


    Ling Maomao looked at his brother and took the jade after seeing that his brother did not say anything to refuse it, ¡°Thank you Brother Yuwen.¡± His eyes were still full of curiosity about Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong nodded, and then scanned around the herb farm, ¡°This herb farm is quite large. I have already heard that medical herbs grow in abundance in Tanyang, and it is true.¡±


    As some of the herbs were frequently used in the battlefield, Yuwen Tong asked Ling Zhang to show him around the farm to get a better knowledge of them.


    Ling Zhang, however, just wanted to sit down and have a rest now with his sore legs and back.


    But because of the reluctance to show weakness in front of Yuwen Tong, he still agreed.


    Leading Yuwen Tong into the herb field, Ling Zhang was quite surprised by Yuwen Tong¡¯s comprehensive knowledge of almost all the herbs, some of which even he himself wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    It seemed that Yuwen Tong had seen through the doubt in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, and explained, ¡°Medical herbs are indispensable on the battlefield. And as a marshal, it is necessary for me to learn more about medical herbs so that I can save the lives of soldiers at critical moments.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt so shocked. ¡®Yuwen Tong, the great marshal, who commands nearly a million military forces. Yet he still cares for common soldiers?¡¯


    After walking for a long time, Ling Zhang¡¯s legs started to tremble. Actually, he could barely stand when he got down from the horse. He had tried so hard to insist, and now had reached his limit.


    Accidentally tripping over a stone, Ling Zhang almost got down on his knees.


    Yuwen Tong was fast in action, and held him up quickly, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    After holding Ling Zhang up, Yuwen Tong realized that Ling Zhang¡¯s legs were weak and trembling. With a brief thinking, he figured out the reason in a second, so he could not help but frown, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you can¡¯t walk?¡±


    Ling Zhang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I can.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him in disapproval, and at the same time, he also blamed himself because after so many years¡¯ battlefield life, the short horse riding was nothing to him. But he forgot that Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t experienced the tough training as he had.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Yuwen Tong said in a low voice.


    Ling Zhang nodded, turned around and got ready to go after standing still. But his leg felt weak again when he lifted his foot to take a step.


    Taking him in arms, Yuwen Tong picked up Ling Zhang directly, and then carried him to walk back.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face burned with shame, and he had never expected himself being so weak. Since he had taken exercises every morning, he was much stronger than the time of his rebirth! Besides, it was such a shame to be held by Yuwen Tong like this.


    ¡°Put me down, and I can walk by myself.¡± Noticing someone was looking at him, Ling Zhang felt hot with shame and said with teeth gritted.


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and gave him a serious stare, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    It was so strange that Ling Zhang dared not move after Yuwen Tong glared at him.


    ¡°Put me down.¡± Ling Zhang tried to ignore the influence of Yuwen Tong and insisted.


    Yuwen Tong quietly looked at him for a while, and suddenly rose to the sky with Ling Zhang in his arms. Then he crossed over the medical herbs field with several leaps and didn¡¯t put Ling Zhang down until arriving at the village.


    Ling Zhang had been shocked by the quick flying and still had a sense of unreality even when his feet touched the ground.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ling Maomao came over with a look of concern.


    Zhou Quanfu with a few people also gathered over, ¡°Yong Master, what happened to your legs?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just some numbness after bumping against something hard,¡± Ling Zhang hastened to explain.


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better go back to the room and have a rest.¡± Zhou Quanfu advised.


    Those herb growers who had been sent back by the guards all looked concerned because Ling Zhang saved them from the Prefecture Guards, and they were grateful. Of course they also wanted to thank the awe-inspiring man, but they dared not to approach.


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take a rest right now.¡±


    Not until going into the room and sitting down did Ling Zhang finally feel relieved.


    Glancing at Yuwen Tong who followed into the room, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t accompany you to check the herbs.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at his face and found no regret on it, knowing clearly that Ling Zhang actually was quite happy for that.


    ¡°Nothing. I need a break, too.¡± Yuwen Tong lifted the hem of his clothes and found a chair to sit down.


    Ling Zhang stared at him, ¡°This room is so narrow. I¡¯ve ordered them to prepare tea and refreshments in the hall, please have a rest there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about it. Everywhere is the same to me.¡± Yuwen Tong said calmly.


    Ling Zhang had to fight really hard to hold back his impulse to throw the thing in his hands to Yuwen Tong. That was an obvious hint for him to leave, couldn¡¯t he understand?


    He just wanted some moments alone. He didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room with Yuwen Tong!


    ¡°You must have sat on the back of the horse in a wrong way, so you can¡¯t stand stably because of the sore legs. I can help you massage the sore muscles.¡± Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but say something to stimulate him, finding it so interesting to see Ling Zhang hold back his impulse to throw him out.


    As expected, Ling Zhang almost immediately strained his body, and stared at Yuwen Tong cautiously, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Really? Or do you prefer me to hold you if you can¡¯t walk later?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°I said no, and I can walk by myself. I don¡¯t need your help!¡± Ling Zhang finally couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice.


    ¡°Brother?¡± Hearing the sound in the room, Ling Maomao ran in, and nervously looked at Ling Zhang, ¡°What did you say? Are you feeling uncomfortable?¡±


    Ling Zhang had to control his anger, and his face became a bit stiff because of the anger he couldn¡¯t find a chance to vent.


    Yuwen Tong smiled quietly, standing up, then casually rubbed on Ling Maomao¡¯s head and went out.


    ¡°Have a good rest, Childe Ling.¡±


    Seeing Yuwen Tong out, Ling Zhang gradually realized that Yuwen Tong was teasing him just now!


    No longer able to hold back the anger, Ling Zhang thumped hard on the table. And the teacups on the table jumped and clanged.


    Ling Maomao was startled, timidly looking at him, ¡°Brother?¡±


    Taking a few deep breaths, Ling Zhang finally regained his cool and answered, ¡°It¡¯s all right. I am not getting angry with you.¡±


    Ling Maomao felt relaxed and came over, ¡°Brother, who makes you so angry?¡±


    Who else can? Thinking of the laughter of Yuwen Tong just now, he really wanted to beat him up.


    ¡°An annoying fly, and I already killed it.¡± Ling Zhang said in a murderous tone.


    Outside the room, Yuwen Tong, who did not go far, heard all their conversation. He just raised his eyebrow, and could not help but smile again.


    Although it was a faint smile, the subordinate following Yuwen Tong caught it and looked at Yuwen Tong in surprise, ¡°Marshal?¡±


    Yuwen held back that faint smile and said, ¡°There are many people here, pay attention to what you call me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Go get some details about the encampment of Tanyang Prefecture Guards.¡± Yuwen Tong commanded.


    ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± The subordinate answered, ¡°How long will you stay here?¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhang won¡¯t stay here for long. Just go back to Tanyang after your investigation.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at the encampment of Prefecture Guards from far away. The encampment was larger than he imagined, and there must be more soldiers than he expected. He had long heard that Zhang Chong had become the ¡°emperor¡± of Tanyang, and it seemed the rumors were quite true.


    On his way to Tanyang, he had ordered some men to get some information about Tanyang and he knew that local people relied on Prefecture Guards a lot because they were the only ones that all local people could trust to fight against the bandits. But after so many years, bandits never disappeared, or to be precise, were gaining influence. This was abnormal.

 Chapter 57 - You Want to Help Us?

    Chapter 57: You Want to Help Us?


    At the thought of this, Yuwen Tong turned around and retraced his steps back into Ling Zhang¡¯s room.


    Ling Zhang looked at him with a frown on his face as he saw him return.


    ¡°I have no intention of arguing with you, but you¡¯ve been in Tanyang all this time, so you must know clearly about what Zhang Chong has done in Tanyang.¡± Yuwen Tong sat down again and fixed his eyes on Ling Zhang.


    Still angry with him, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to talk with Yuwen Tong at all.


    Ever since Yuwen Tong turned up, violent fluctuations of his mood had never subsided. He really could use some time to think all this through and figure out what he should do.


    ¡°Are you still angry?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    He put it as though Ling Zhang was quibbling over some frivolous matters. With an unnatural smile, Ling Zhang twitched the corners of his mouth and said, ¡°You must be joking, Marshal. Of course I¡¯m not angry. It¡¯s just that I have no idea which aspect Marshal was referring to.¡±


    Since Yuwen Tong had just arrived in Tanyang and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know him well enough, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t stupidly tell Yuwen Tong everything.


    Besides, he still had vivid memories of what that servant of Yuwen family had done to him in his last life. Were people of Yuwen family really trustworthy?


    As a result, though Yuwen Tong had just offered him help, he didn¡¯t dare to take a gamble, since this matter was of great importance.


    Probably having seen what Ling Zhang was hesitating about, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Zhang Chong has a cousin who¡¯s an imperial concubine in the palace. The prince she gave birth to is already sixteen years old and will reach adulthood next year. He¡¯s been making preparations to compete for the throne for a very long time, but he¡¯s not a legitimate son, so he must be powerful enough to defeat his opponents in order to succeed to the throne, and Zhang Chong is one of his backers.¡±


    So this was what it was about. No wonder Zhang Chong had such a solid foundation in Tanyang. It turned out that he had such a powerful ally in the imperial court, who¡¯d been supporting him all the time.


    With a frown on his face, Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°Does Marshal by any chance also think that this prince is the best prospect?¡±


    If Yuwen Tong sided with Zhang Chong, he would be his enemy!


    ¡°The best prospect?¡± Yuwen Tong sneered. ¡°What makes you think I will regard him as the best prospect? The emperor is fatuous, incompetent and has a very suspicions mind. And all his sons are weirdos, who barely have any merits, only heads full of evil thoughts. All of them are terribly incapable. I don¡¯t think any of them would make a prospect for the throne even if they could start their lives from the beginning all over again.¡±


    Ling Zhang widened his eyes with shock. How¡­How dare this man be so bold as to make such disrespectful remarks in front of him? Was he not afraid that he might tell on him?


    Maybe because the surprised look in Ling Zhang¡¯s widened eyes was really very amusing, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help scrutinizing Ling Zhang, deeply feeling that the more time he spent with Ling Zhang, the more he liked this person.


    He began to consider that maybe he should not break off the engagement, that maybe he should just marry the man.


    ¡°Then why are you asking about Zhang Chong?¡± Ling Zhang managed to subdue the shock caused by Yuwen Tong¡¯s disrespectful words and asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any internecine warfare to happen while I¡¯m fighting with foreign enemies outside. Besides¡­¡± After saying this, Yuwen Tong gave a subtle pause before continuing, ¡°Your butler told me that you have an old score to settle with Jia family and Zhang Chong. Your grandfather once saved my grandfather¡¯s life. Though my grandfather passed away, I¡¯ll never forget what your grandfather did for us. Giving you a hand is merely a small gesture of gratitude.¡±


    Giving them a hand? Did Yuwen Tong¡¯s words contain an undertone of his intention to cross Zhang Chong?


    And about the matter of saving his grandfather¡¯s life¡­


    With a serious look, Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, intending to find a trace of Yuwen Tong lying in his eyes, but the expression in his eyes was firm and poised without anything suspicious.


    Yuwen Tong was telling the truth¡­


    ¡°You really want to help us?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°What I¡¯m going to do will tell you the answer. Now Zhang Chong and your family have become mortal enemies. He¡¯s a very powerful man in Tanyang. What happened in the woods today was just a beginning. He will make yet more moves in the future. Trust me, he is by no means an opponent easy for you to deal with,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart lurched. If what Yuwen Tong said about Zhang Chong¡¯s backer was true, then he would have to face not only Zhang Chong but also his powerful allies. Could he really defeat them and protect Ling family single-handed under the circumstances?


    But if he gained Yuwen Tong¡¯s support, the situation would be totally different. With all those troops at Yuwen Tong¡¯s command, he could even overthrow the government in the blink of an eye if he wanted to, since there was no longer any army powerful enough to stop him in the Great Yue.


    In addition, Yuwen Tong had paused for some subtle reason during his talking, which indicated that he indeed wanted to help Ling family, but there must also be some other reasons why he did this.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you everything,¡± replied Ling Zhang after making up his mind.


    This might be his only chance. If he let it slip away, it was very unlikely that he could find another ally powerful enough to be a match for Zhang Chong.


    To this end, he was willing to leave aside the humiliation those servants of Yuwen family had inflicted on him in his last life! He was even willing to forget his hatred towards Yuwen family if Yuwen Tong really offered him help.


    ¡°In Tanyang, ninety percent of businesses have some kind of connection with Zhang Chong. It¡¯s not that they voluntarily choose to fawn on Zhang Chong but that if they don¡¯t curry favor with Zhang Chong, they won¡¯t be allowed to transport their goods out of Tanyang, and even all their family members¡¯ lives will be in danger. Though being robbed of their goods is unfortunate, at least they still get to live. But if Prefecture Guard secretly spread the word that certain businesses were no longer under their protection, those businesses would become the targets of bandits.¡±


    ¡°After a lot of such things happened, all people are scared. Now everybody pays Zhang Chong protection money. Gradually, Prefecture Guard becomes even more powerful than the Prefecture Yamen, and many officials side with Zhang Chong. Lord Tao only has the authority to deal with petty affairs. He barely has any say in major issues in Tanyang, since Zhang Chong has been the one who makes the call for a long time. Though announcements are still issued by the Prefecture Yamen, it¡¯s a mere formality.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s words contained a lot of undertones. Tanyang had now become Zhang Chong¡¯s territory. Even bandits were in collusion with Prefecture Guard.


    ¡°I heard that you once faced Zhang Chong¡¯s down in the Prefecture Yamen not long ago,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    A cold look flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. ¡°I merely took advantage of the indignation of the public. As long as Zhang Chong doesn¡¯t seal Tanyang off, news on some matters will spread out of the city eventually. Currently, he is not bold enough to run the risk of being convicted of rebellion.¡±


    That trick wouldn¡¯t work for a second time, and Zhang Chong was no fool.


    Yuwen Tong said with a serious look, ¡°What about the station of the Tanyang Prefecture Guard? Are you familiar with the situation inside?¡±


    ¡°People like me are not allowed to get in there. We¡¯ll be regarded as spies working for bandits and arrested if we approach that place,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Recalling what his Second Uncle had told him, Ling Zhang hesitated about whether or not to tell Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You got something else on your mind?¡± Yuwen Tong noticed it with his sharp eyes.


    ¡°Two days ago, Zhang Chong submitted an application to the Imperial Court, requesting a permission to expand the station. And my family¡¯s herb farm is the area he wants. If this is really a reasonable need of Prefecture Guard, Ling family is willing to give up this herb farm for free, but the station of Prefecture Guard is already far larger than it is supposed to be by the law. If he manages to expand it further, he will be powerful enough to revolt,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong briefly lifted his eyebrows, but there was no surprise on his face. ¡°You think he¡¯s going to succeed?¡±


    ¡°The Imperial Court has hardly rejected any of Zhang Chong¡¯s requests these years,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true. When something clouds the emperor¡¯s judgement, he can¡¯t even see fallen sky.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in surprise. Yuwen Tong casually criticized the emperor once again. Was he really not afraid that he would tell on him? Or did he believe that he wouldn¡¯t tell on him?


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure his request is denied. Anything else?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    He agreed just like this with no strings attached? Ling Zhang could scarcely believe what he had just heard.


    On the sight of the interrogative look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, Ling Zhang collected his thoughts. After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°Zhang Chong has been secretly buying ore from Jia family¡¯s mine all these years, but I have no idea whether he¡¯s been using it to forge weapons or not, because I¡¯m not allowed to enter Prefecture Guard station.¡± Finally, the look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face slightly changed. He furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°Jia family¡¯s mine?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°It¡¯s right in the West Mountain. Though it¡¯s not a big one, he has bought a considerable amount of ore from it during the past couple of years.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone report such serious matter to the Imperial Court?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Surprised, Ling Zhang looked at him and said, ¡°You think there are a lot of people who can get their words heard by the emperor? I don¡¯t know whether or not Lord Tao has ever mentioned this in his memorials to the throne, but others¡­ Tao Yi once told me his father, for several times, had suggested that the Imperial Court dispatched an army here to eliminate those bandits once and for all, but none of his proposals was accepted.¡±


    Yuwen Tong coldly snorted and an aura of sharpness briefly surged out in a spontaneous manner.


    Ling Zhang quivered and involuntarily slowed down his breathing. Not until now did he realize the reason why he hadn¡¯t felt uncomfortable was that Yuwen Tong had been restraining his Qi all along.


    ¡°Yaoyi,¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly called.


    ¡°My lord.¡± A man in black immediately walked inside.


    ¡°Send a letter to the capital city. Tell them to make sure Zhang Chong¡¯s request never goes into the palace,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The man in black named Yaoyi replied.


    Then Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Where¡¯s the exact location of that mine you just mentioned?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t answer but turned around to the desk, ground some ink, dipped the head of a writing brush into it, drew a sketch map of the West Mountain and handed it to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact location, but it¡¯s roughly within this area.¡± Ling Zhang poked a circle on the paper.


    Yuwen Tong nodded and put it away.


    Ling Zhang was a little puzzled as he saw Yuwen Tong put it away himself. Was he not going to send his men to investigate into it?


    As if having read his thoughts, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll investigate myself.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, confusion and suspicion gleaming in the depths of his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong was giving him a sense of security as well as this feeling that whatever he entrusted Yuwen Tong with would be handled properly, which was very different from what he had imagined. What was going on exactly?


    Ling Zhang silently returned to his seat and sat down, his thoughts and emotions still in disorder.


    ¡­


    ¡°Nobody? Why?¡±


    In the Prefecture Guard station, sitting in the host seat, Zhang Chong questioned them in a slow voice, his eyes sweeping across a dozen men kneeling on the ground.


    These people were the patrol that had arrested those herb farmers.


    ¡°Today those herb farmers have been staying in the herb farm all along. None of them went to the pond in the woods to get water,¡± the captain of the patrol answered, his head down.


    ¡°Those farmers go to the woods to get water every day. Why is today an exception?¡± Zhang Chong queried a man standing on the right side in the uniform of a deputy captain.

 Chapter 58 - A Small and Narrow Carriage

    Yuwen Tong gazed at Ling Zhang for a while. Right at the instant when Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy beneath his gaze, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°This carriage is sure to be spotted when we pass by the station of Prefecture Guard. There¡¯s a high risk that my identity will be exposed if I follow you on horseback.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a brief frown. Indeed, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t afford to be exposed, given the circumstances. Though eager to have him get off the carriage, Ling Zhang forbore from doing so eventually and bade the driver depart. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The driver raised his horsewhip, gave an order to the wheelers and the carriage started moving.


    Ling Zhang was very uneasy with Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence. Not only was the whole carriage filled with Yuwen Tong¡¯s breath, but also he took up half of the room, which made physical contact inevitable. Ling Zhang¡¯s body involuntarily tightened, and his nerves went tense as well. All his attention was concentrated on this small, narrow space.


    ¡°Elder Brother?¡± Ling Maomao, who was leaning against Ling Zhang, also felt uncomfortable after Ling Zhang tensed his muscles. With his mental acumen, the little boy sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s unusual reaction, looking at him with a puzzled face.


    Ling Zhang lowered his head and flicked a glimpse at him, saying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ling Maomao directly stretched out his hand and stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s body, curling his lip. ¡°Uncomfortable.¡±


    Ling Zhang understood and his muscles went even tenser, because he distinctly heard Yuwen Tong chuckle.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard,¡± Ling Maomao added.


    Ling Zhang softly slapped Ling Maomao¡¯s little butt and said, ¡°Sit by yourself.¡±


    Ling Maomao pouted and reluctantly moved aside to sit by himself, but Yuwen Tong stretched out his long arm, put it around Ling Maomao and drew him over.


    Ling Maomao widened his eyes in surprise and soon discovered that Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest was broader, thicker than that of his elder brother and more comfortable to sprawl in. As if having just found something amazing, he delightedly leaned against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Brother Yuwen.¡±


    Ling Zhang was very unhappy to see Ling Maomao gladly let Yuwen Tong hold him. ¡°Maomao, don¡¯t be impolite. Come here.¡±


    Ling Maomao was just about to stand up after hearing this when Yuwen Tong pressed his hands on Ling Maomao¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just sit with me. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Without any hesitation, Ling Maomao sat back.


    Ling Zhang darted an angry glance at him.


    Ling Maomao, who happened to be looking outside scratching his head, didn¡¯t see this.


    But Yuwen Tong did, a meaningful smile in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s expression briefly froze and he withdrew his gaze.


    Fortunately, Yuwen Tong merely rested his eyes on Ling Zhang¡¯s face for a while. He made no other remarks to irritate him further.


    The horse-drawn carriage progressed along the path. When they were crossing the woods outside the station of Prefecture Guard, Ling Zhang specially raised a corner of the curtain to look outside. As expected, he saw someone on a watchtower staring in his direction. And then someone went down the watchtower, probably heading for Zhang Chong¡¯s place to report.


    The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes went sullen.


    ¡°Commander, Ling Zhang¡¯s carriage is going back to the city.¡± In the station of Prefecture Guard, someone immediately reported to Zhang Chong.


    ¡°This is too soon. Send some men to Ling family¡¯s herb farm and check. See if Ling Zhang really left,¡± Zhang Chong said coldly.


    ¡°Commander, should we continue arresting Ling family¡¯s herb farmers if he¡¯s already left?¡± asked the Deputy Commander.


    Zhang Chong said with a chilly face, ¡°Once he returns to the city, it won¡¯t be easy to lure him here again, but even if we can¡¯t kill Ling Zhang for the moment, we can make life difficult for people of Ling family. Stick to the plan. I don¡¯t believe Ling family will keep standing by after problems arise.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered the Deputy Commander.


    The carriage jolted along the way for a long time. Eventually, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. He relaxed his tense muscles, leaned against the inside of the carriage and stealthily moved his hands to his back, gently massaging it.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly raised Ling Maomao to put him down into the seat beside him and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in two hours.¡±


    With that Yuwen Tong left.


    The moment Yuwen Tong left, that intense aura about him disappeared. Ling Zhang involuntarily felt relieved and all his muscles also fully relaxed.


    ¡°Where did Elder Brother Yuwen go?¡± Ling Maomao opened the curtain to look outside out of curiosity and was amazed to discover that Yuwen Tong had disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Ling Zhang had no idea where Yuwen Tong had gone either. That man had superb lightness skills and was able to appear out of nowhere and disappear into thin air, which was really horrifying.


    ¡°Forget about him. Be careful. Don¡¯t crane out of the carriage,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    However, while making these remarks, he couldn¡¯t help wondering where Yuwen Tong was heading.


    That extremely faint scent left by Yuwen Tong still lingered in the carriage. This scent was not that of some kind of incense but an inexplicable smell, which was still affecting his thoughts.


    He couldn¡¯t understand. Given what had happened in his last incarnation, Yuwen Tong wasn¡¯t supposed to be in Tanyang. How come the butler so coincidentally encountered him¡­


    Wait¡­ In his last life, the butler didn¡¯t go to the capital city, which meant that by no means could Yuwen Tong have met the butler even if he went to the capital city at that time!


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face briefly changed. He suddenly realized that maybe his breaking off the engagement ahead of schedule was the exact reason why the butler met Yuwen Tong, which caused him to change his mind and come to Tanyang.


    So it was his decision which led to all this?


    While Ling Zhang was annoyed with himself, Yuwen Tong quietly returned to the station of Prefecture Guard after leaving the horse-drawn carriage. Ling Zhang had told him that Zhang Chong had been purchasing ore. He decided to come here and see it with his own eyes. Around the station of Prefecture Guard was vast emptiness, and the top of that hill in the herb farm of Ling family was the only spot suitable to observe the station.


    Standing on the hilltop, he could see the whole station of Prefecture Guard. There was a forest of tents in it, along with several large-scale drill fields. As he saw the defense disposition in its main areas and the large quantity of troops walking around, the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes went cold. Every year, local authority of Tanyang submitted reports on bandit suppression to the Imperial Court, which contained the number of casualties Prefecture Guard suffered. Zhang Chong requested additional fresh soldiers to supplement his army in every report. There must have been some dirty tricks. Were the casualties really that heavy? Not necessarily. The scale of this station was far larger than that of the station of any other army in any other prefecture. It was almost as large as the one in Sheng Zhou. Sheng Zhou was a border city, so its Prefecture Guard deemed a defense line. But why were there so many troops in Tanyang?


    It was merely because of some people¡¯s ulterior motives.


    But he had fought so hard to defend this country. He wouldn¡¯t allow those people to steal the fruit.


    ¡­


    After two hours, the carriage returned to Tanyang.


    Before they entered the city, Yuwen Tong suddenly materialized again and sat back into the carriage.


    ¡°Wow, your kung fu is so good, Elder Brother Yuwen.¡± This time, Ling Maomao saw Yuwen Tong come back by performing lightness skill, his eyes wide open with amazement.


    ¡°This is lightness skill. Do you want to learn it?¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ling Maomao answered aloud in haste.


    Ling Maomao¡¯s reaction gave Ling Zhang a headache, who then rubbed his temples to ease it. Seeing that Ling Maomao was fixedly staring at Yuwen Tong with expectant eyes, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡®This brat doesn¡¯t worry that Yuwen Tong might be a bad guy. He¡¯s bold enough to agree to anything.¡±


    The carriage slowly entered Ling Family where Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen had already been waiting in anxiety.


    In the morning, Yuwen Tong told them that he was going out for a walk, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye, which terribly scared them. Fortunately, Yuwen Tong was thoughtful enough to send a man back to tell them his whereabouts. Otherwise the two of them would have searched the whole Tanyang.


    But after being informed of Yuwen Tong¡¯s whereabouts, they had their hearts in their mouths.


    There was a wide range of choices open to him. Why did he have to go to the herb farm?


    Yuwen Tong must really have a plan for Zhang¡¯er, didn¡¯t he?


    While Ling Xingzhong was considering the possibility of Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang working together, Ling Zhaowen had begun to worry about Ling Zhang. As the only one who knew about the dreams that Ling Zhang had been having, Ling Zhaowen was well aware of Yuwen family¡¯s attitudes in Ling Zhang¡¯s dreams, so he was not at all as optimistic as Ling Xingzhong was.


    The carriage stopped in front of them. Yuwen Tong was the first one to get out of it. Then they saw Ling Maomao jump off. Ling Zhang was the last one to get off.

 Chapter 59 - Call Me Brother

    Chapter 59: Call Me Brother


    Ling Zhang was stopped by Yuwen Tong before he could get off the carriage. He glanced at the crowd and found they were looking at him and Yuwen Tong with strange eyes. So he withdrew his anger and stared at Yuwen Tong. ¡°I can get off the carriage by myself.¡±


    Yuwen Tong put his hand back and stood there looking at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang ¡°¡­¡±


    Just as he was ready to jumped off the carriage, an unknown thing hit his knee, which weakened his foot.


    Then he was immediately caught before falling and carried down from the carriage!


    Ling Zhang swore that he heard the gasps of the people around.


    ¡°You!¡± Although Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what hit him, his instincts told him it was Yuwen Tong¡¯s trick!


    But Yuwen Tong looked at him with a questioning look, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I saw that you were falling, so I give you a hand. Why are you so angry?¡±


    He was a master of disguise. Angry as he was, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t find any evidence to prove it to himself. He gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    Yuwen Tong put him down readily.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, don¡¯t be rude to His Excellency,¡± Ling Xingzhong reproached.


    ¡°Never mind, he is joking, don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Yuwen Tong explained for Ling Zhang.


    But Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to appreciate his kindness, and said to Ling Xingzhong, ¡°Grandfather, I am fatigued with the journey. Let me to change my clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ling Zhaowen said first before Ling Xingzhong spoke.


    Ling Zhang looked at his uncle with grateful eyes. Then he went back to his courtyard with Ling Maomao.


    Ling Xingzhong was embarrassed to apologize to Yuwen Tong. He said, ¡°I am so sorry. Zhang¡¯er has always been polite. He must be tired with his journey, so he acted so impolite just now.¡±


    ¡°I see. Forget it. How about we find a place for some chat first?¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Xingzhong said in a hurry, ¡°Right, right. This way please, my lord.¡±


    Before Yuwen Tong left with Ling Xingzhong, there was a gleam of joy in his eyes when he looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s back.


    Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t follow them, but told the servant to prepare dinner. To be precise, he went to Ling Zhang¡¯s yard.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, what¡¯s going on? Why did he go to the herb farm? You¡­¡± Ling Zhangwen couldn¡¯t help but aske Ling Zhang after entering the room.


    Ling Zhang answered quickly, ¡°We are fine! Nothing happened between us!¡±¡±


    When he finished, he felt that he had overreacted. At first he was a little annoyed, but he calmed down as he spoke. ¡°Something happened there, and Yuwen Tong happened to show up.¡±


    Hence, he told his uncle that the patrols detained the farmers and Yuwen Tong helped them out of the trouble.


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous!¡± After hearing this, Ling Xingzhong burned with rage. He said, ¡°Zhang Chong expected you to arrive the Farm and was trying to trick you into the encampment. In fact, he was trying to kill you. But luckily, you didn¡¯t take the bait.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to stall the time and send someone back to Tanyang to inform you. I have even thought of a more extreme way to save the farmers. But I didn¡¯t expect Yuwen Tong would suddenly appear and deterred the patrols.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°We really need to thank him. Just now he¡­¡±


    ¡°He was joking. Uncle, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°It seems that he is not like the kind of ungrateful person who looks down on people.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes glinted, ¡°Who knows? We can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen patted Ling Zhang on shoulder and said, ¡°Anyway, he saved you. If he is really as bad as the rumors stated, I will cancel this engagement for you.¡±


    ¡®But what if he is not a bad guy? Would uncle let him marry Yuwen Tong?¡¯


    ¡°Uncle, no matter what kind of person he is, I think we can¡¯t match their family. So it is better for us to¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, you are so perfect. Why do you think you can¡¯t match him? Don¡¯t belittle yourself!¡± Ling Zhaowen said harshly.


    Although Ling Zhang was very moved when he heard his uncle¡¯s words, he really didn¡¯t want to marry such a dignitary. At this moment, self-mockery was a wise approach to save himself.


    ¡°Uncle, Yuwen Tong¡­¡±


    ¡°Young master, Old Master told you to be quick.¡±


    He had hardly finished when he was interrupted.


    ¡°I think your grandfather appreciates Yuwen Tong.¡± Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words really shocked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he arrive only this morning? Why did Grandfather appreciate him so soon?¡± Ling Zhang asked with a puzzled look.


    ¡°It is difficult to break off the engagement, as you are now an adult. And your grandfather always wants to help you facilitate this engagement as soon as possible. Moreover, he is the best Marshal of Great Yue, a man of many merits that is hard not to be appreciate by your grandfather,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    What he didn¡¯t mention was that if he didn¡¯t know in advance what happened in Ling Zhang¡¯s dream, he would now be satisfied with Yuwen Tong, too.


    As soon as Ling Zhang thought of how Yuwen Tong teased him many times today, he felt that Yuwen Tong was not a reliable person. What advantages did he have to make Grandfather like him so much?


    ¡°Change your clothes, and I should go first,¡± Ling Zhaowen said. Meanwhile he called Maomao, ¡°Maomao, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ling Maomao answered and followed his father obediently.


    Ling Zhang freshened up and changed his clothes. He pondered how to change his grandfather¡¯s mind while walking towards the front hall.


    Before he reached the front hall, his grandfather¡¯s bright and clear laughter spread out. Ling Zhang had not heard his grandfather laugh so happily for a long time.


    He paused, not wanting to interrupt his grandfather¡¯s laughter. Didn¡¯t he survive from the purgatory to make his family live well?


    Ling Zhang wondered what on earth Yuwen Tong said to his grandfather.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, come over here.¡± The happy voice of Ling Xingzhong came from inside.


    Ling Zhang walked in and said, ¡°Grandfather.¡± Then he greeted to Yuwen Tong in a cold voice, ¡°Lord.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff. In the view of the relationship between our two family, you¡¯d better call me brother,¡± Yuwen Tong said. Little brother Zhang? Big brother Tong? What the fuck? Ling Zhang¡¯s face froze.


    Ling Xingzhong interrupted Ling Zhang¡¯s silence with a frown, ¡°Zhang¡¯er, what are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, I was shocked by the Lord. I dare not to call him like this.¡± Ling Zhang gnashed his teeth on the sly.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, you are overcautious. Don¡¯t be punctilious. What are you afraid of?¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Brother Zhang, brother Zhang, were you crazy? Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Cough, Zhang¡¯er?¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    Having noticed that a dark look formed on his grandfather¡¯s face, he had an unspoken grievance. Alright, alright, I was just going to call him brother, for goodness¡¯s sake! There was nothing to lose.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Ling Zhang said with his teeth gnashed.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were brightened then he said, ¡°Since you call me brother, any business of yours is mine too. I will protect your forever as long as I am alive.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong in surpise after hearing his words. Everyone knew that Yuwen Tong was a man who acted on what he said. So it was a promise he made, not a joke. But why, why did Yuwen Tong made this promise? Ling Zhang was confused at this moment. He really didn¡¯t understand why Yuwen Tong did this.


    Ling Zhang was very confused.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, why don¡¯t you appreciate the Lord?¡± Ling Xingzhong frowned. ¡®Ling Zhang is by no means an absent-minded boy. What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯


    ¡°Never mind, brother Zhang must be tired,¡± Yuwen Tong said, keeping staring at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang looked down and said, ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±


    Whether he meant it or not, just as he himself said, it just depended on what he did.


    So Ling Zhang told himself not to be rash and not to disappoint his grandfather.


    After a while, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei appeared with Ling Maomao.


    Since Yuwen Tong had already met Fu Caiwen in the morning, Fu was not strange to him.


    He knew that Ling Family was a small family without many rules like other large families. He also knew that Ling Zhang¡¯s aunt, Fu Caiwei, was also very important to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°It¡¯s all home-made food, please don¡¯t mind,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    ¡°How very kind of you! Uncle Ling. I like home-made food. When I was in the border military camp, I ate the same home-made food, too. On the contrary, I am not accustomed to the food of wealthy family,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Yuwen Tong could please whoever he wanted to. Ling Zhangwen immediately had a good impression on Yuwen Tong after hearing Yuwen Tong call him uncle and his polite words.


    The difference between the aggressive Yuwen Tong, who was majestic in the woods during the day, and the amiable one, who was talking happily with his grandfather and uncle, was too big. Ling Zhang had mixed feelings when he thought about this.


    The topic soon changed to what happened at the border. Even Ling Maomao and Fu Caiwei were totally absorbed in the story. Seeing this scene, Ling Zhang felt the meal in his mouth was almost insipid.


    Yuwen Tong glanced at Ling Zhang, and spooned a meatball into Ling Zhang¡¯s bowl.


    Others didn¡¯t notice what Yuwen Tong had done, because their attention was still focused on what Yuwen Tong had said. Ling Zhang stared at the meatball in his bowl for a long time before he reacted. He suddenly turned his head at Yuwen Tong.


    How did Yuwen Tong know his taste?


    This meatball was made by his aunt, so this dish suited his taste; the only dish he could taste even when he was absent-minded.


    Yuwen Tong noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, so he gave Ling Zhang a questioning look, ¡°Is it not enough?¡±


    Ling Zhang withdrew his eyes from Yuwen Tong. He looked at the meatball in his bowl, feeling ambivalent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Zhang¡¯er? Why don¡¯t you eat?¡± Fu Caiwei asked. She noticed Ling Zhang was staring blankly at the meatball in his bowl. Ling Zhang hurriedly pretended to be all right and said, ¡°I was fascinated by what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha-ha,¡± Ling Xingzhong laughed, ¡°I am really looking forward to such a life when I heard you talking about border affairs. It is a pity for a man who didn¡¯t go to the battlefield to defend the territory and make no contributions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lord Ling, you shouldn¡¯t have! A man doesn¡¯t have to go to the battlefield to defend their territory. As long as it is for the welfare of the people, it is also helping to defend the country. I have heard from my grandfather that you made extraordinary achievements in benefiting the people when you held the post of Shilang (Vice Minister).¡±


    Really? That he didn¡¯t know. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but turn to his grandfather.

 Chapter 60 - Yuwen Tong’s Doubts

    Ling Xingzhong couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotion after hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, ¡°The elder Lord overpraised me. I just did what I should for my duty.¡±


    ¡°It is no easy thing to keep this good character. Right?¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    His words obviously touched Ling Xingzhong, which immediately eased the tension between them.


    Ling Zhang had no prejudice against Yuwen Tong at the moment. The old days must have been very important to his grandfather. The fact that Yuwen Tong could remember all about his grandfather¡¯s past started to change the way he viewed Yuwen Tong a bit.


    After all, he didn¡¯t even know these things.


    After dinner, Ling Xingzhong asked Ling Zhang to accompany Yuwen Tong to take a walk in the garden.


    Ling Zhang happened to meet Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes as he looked at Yuwen Tong. Lowering his gaze to dodge the eye contact, he said, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go for a walk then.¡±


    Ling Maomao wanted to go with them, but was stopped by Ling Xingzhong¡¯s harsh look.


    That didn¡¯t escape Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, which made him feel complicated.


    What did grandfather want? Did he think that they could fall for each other after some simple walk?


    ¡°Lord Ling is hale and hearty, and a nice person to talk with,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Since my Grandfather retired, he inevitably feels a little lonely and boring at home. But you¡¯ve just had a lot of fun talking to him about border affairs and the past, which made him feel happy again. Thank you,¡± Ling Zhang expressed his heartfelt thanks to Yuwen Tong.


    Since Yuwen Tong had long been aware of Ling Zhang¡¯s strong feeling for his family, he was not surprised by that. ¡°As an old saying goes, elders are treasures. I learned a lot from talking to your grandfather, too. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    At night, except for the lights in the hallway, all other places were dark, including in the garden. However, many lamp posts were installed in the garden this day, probably because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s coming.


    After walking into the garden together with Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang felt a little uneasy.


    ¡°My grandfather died on the battlefield a long time ago, so did my grandmother. Maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t talked to an elder in years,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    That reminded Ling Zhang of Yuwen Tong¡¯s story that he had heard of some time ago. He couldn¡¯t help asking out of curiosity, ¡°What about other elders in your family?¡±


    ¡°I have a granduncle but he doesn¡¯t live in Yuwen Mansion. I can only talk to him when I go back to the Capital every a few years,¡± Yuwen Tong answered.


    So there was no elder in Yuwen Mansion. And he heard that Yuwen Tong¡¯s parents passed away, too.


    At this point Ling Zhang suddenly realized it might not be a good idea to talk about family with Yuwen Tong, so he changed his topic. ¡°Why don¡¯t you agree to break off the engagement?¡±


    Yuwen Tong stopped, asking, ¡°I hear you don¡¯t have anyone you like. Why you want to break off this engagement in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡®Of course, to keep your Yuwen Family from humiliating Ling Family again.¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned cold as he thought about this.


    Yuwen Tong could obviously feel the enmity from Ling Zhang at this moment. He was lost in deep thought, wondering why Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude towards him changed at every mention of the engagement. And it seemed Ling Zhang¡¯s animosity was specifically toward him. But that was even weirder, which led him to wonder if he had done anything notorious that he himself didn¡¯t know about.


    ¡°Have I ever done anything wrong to you?¡± Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t like to equivocate, so he asked directly.


    Ling Zhang was stumped by his question. Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t done anything yet in this life, and the thing was he couldn¡¯t tell Yuwen Tong what happened in previous life either.


    ¡°I have been garrisoning the border all the year round, and I seldom come back. I don¡¯t think we have met before,¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s words aroused some thoughts in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind that vanished before he could catch.


    ¡°Well, please answer me. This marriage was decided a long time ago, so why haven¡¯t you said anything for all these years?¡± Ling Zhang blurted out but immediately regretted as it sounded like he was complaining.


    A slight grin showed on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, as expected. Just as Ling thought Yuwen Tong was going to start ridiculing him, he heard something quite unexpected, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know about this engagement. If I had known about it, I wouldn¡¯t have been out of touch with you for so many years.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Ling Zang froze, asking in a daze, ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather arranged this engagement for me, then he died suddenly on the battlefield. So he didn¡¯t get the chance to tell me a lot of things. Later my parents died too. At that time, I was too young to know these things. Maybe there are other elders in my family who know about it, but I rarely go back to the Capital and never care about my marriage, so I never ask about it. Fortunately, I happened to meet your butler on my way back to the Capital. Now you are an adult, and it is not too late for me to know about our engagement,¡± Yuwen Tong explained.


    ¡®What did he mean by not too late?¡¯


    No, that was not what Ling Zhang was trying to ask.


    Ling Zhang just didn¡¯t expect that Yuwen Tong also didn¡¯t know about the existence of the engagement.


    ¡®What was going on in previous life?¡¯


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t understand why Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitude towards this matter was so different between this life and the previous life. The only difference was, in this life, he learned about the engagement a lot earlier.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong with doubts. Then it hit him. In the previous life, he had a tattered reputation that everyone would be scared away, let alone Yuwen Tong.


    But now, he was still blameless.


    A scowl formed on Ling Zhang¡¯s face again. His attitude towards Yuwen Tong became colder. ¡°Really?¡±


    Yuwen Tong frowned slightly as he couldn¡¯t understand why Ling Zhang was still so cold after listening to his explanation. His distinct told him that there must be a misunderstanding between him and Ling Zhang. But he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was.


    There was an awkward silence between them. Ling Zhang made it clear that he didn¡¯t want to speak anything, while Yuwen Tong looked at him thoughtfully.


    Yuwen Tong was arranged in the Green Bamboo Mansion, which was a quiet yard next to Ling Zhang¡¯s. Noticing that Yuwen Tong brought a lot of subordinates, Ling Xingzhong specially warned the Ling Family¡¯s servants not to disturb him in Green Bamboo Mansion. He just arranged a few servants on watch outside the yard in case Yuwen Tong needed them in an emergency.


    ¡°Marshal, they are so smart,¡± Yaoyi said.


    They could do whatever they want without being disturbed there.


    Yuwen Tong hummed, ¡°Yaoyi, send a letter to the Capital. Ask Yue Qi to investigate if there are people in Yuwen Family who know about my engagement with Ling Zhang and deliberately hide it from me. And find out whether these people have ever made trouble for Ling Family.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yaoyi said. ¡°Marshal, you think they¡¯ve done something on this matter?¡±


    ¡°Only some suspicion,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Yaoyi coughed, ¡°Marshal, do you really want to marry Childe Ling?¡±


    Yaoyi couldn¡¯t hide his desire to gossip about Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong shoot him a glance, ¡°Ask those who investigate the encampment of the Prefecture Guard to report to me as soon as they return.¡± With that said, he walked straight into his room.


    Yaoyi looked at Yuwen Tong¡¯s back in disappointment. He was really so curious about it!


    Ling Zhang was wide awake in the yard next to Yuwen Tong¡¯s. And it would be strange if he could fall asleep at this moment.


    Ling Zhang was preoccupied with his own thought, tossing and turning in the bed. Then he took a coat and went out to the yard, which startled the servant keeping vigil.


    ¡°I just want some fresh air. You don¡¯t have to be afraid,¡± Ling Zhang said lightly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the servant said, daring not to disturb Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang glanced at the Green Bamboo Mansion, recalling what Yuwen Tong said during the day.


    Even such a person like Yuwen Tong can¡¯t tell right from wrong? Did Yuwen Tong begin to avoid him just because of some rumors?


    Well, whatever. Just let it be. Anyway, he had made up his mind to cancel this engagement. It didn¡¯t matter even if Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t agree, because he would surely find a way to persuade Yuwen Tong.


    What he should consider now was what means Yuwen Tong would use to deal with Zhang Chong. He must remove the source of the trouble once and for all, or there would be serious counterattacks waiting to destroy he and the whole Ling family. Since Yuwen Tong had intervened in this matter, Ling Zhang would never allow him to give up halfway. Zhang Chong must die!


    ¡°Marshal, they¡¯re back.¡± The light was lit up in the Green Bamboo Mansion at the deep night.


    Yuwen Tong got up, took a coat and went out. After sitting behind the desk, he said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Yaoyi opened the door and came in, followed by a few others in black who greeted upon seeing Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a long journey! What did you find?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    He had personally sneaked into the encampment of the Prefecture Guard during the day and had got a rough condition about it. But there were some details that needed to be further explored.


    ¡°Marshal, this is the map of the encampment of the Prefecture Guard that we made. Please check it,¡± a man said.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him with appreciation. He took the map, spread it out and read it carefully. Then he nodded repeatedly in approval.


    ¡°In addition to Zhang Chong, there are four deputy commanders taking office in Tanyang¡¯s Prefecture Guard. They are Dou Li, Bai Jun, Wang Ming and Wang He. Under them were¡­¡± The man who came in just now gave a rough account of the main persons in charge of the Prefecture Guard and what they were responsible for. Besides they wrote down the gist of what they had heard from the soldiers, and gave a general idea of their character.


    ¡°Beyond that, we find out the route and the scope of their patrols. Marshal, please have a look¡­.¡±


    In addition to the number of soldiers, even the scope of their encampment, the army provisions and the horses are far beyond that permitted by the Court. The daily training of these people is also different from the Prefecture Guard elsewhere. They¡­¡±


    ¡°We also found their secret weapons camp.¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought as he listened carefully to what his subordinates had found.


    Yaoyi, who was listening, felt shocked. After the man finished, he said, ¡°Marshal, this is far beyond what is allowed by the court. Are they doing this to rebel?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Obviously, they are not doing this for fun .¡±


    ¡°But Tanyang is far from the Capital. If they want to rebel, it¡¯s hard to get to the Capital quickly,¡± Yaoyi said.


    Yuwen Tong said nothing. After a while he said to Yaoyi, ¡°I need a map of Tantang.¡±


    Yaoyi hurriedly took the map out and spread it out on the desk.


    Yuwen Tong glanced around the encampment of the Prefecture Guard on the map, as if thinking about something. Finally, he pointed at somewhere on the map and said to Yaoyi, ¡°Fetch me the maps of Cangzhou and Yanzhou.¡±

 Chapter 61 - Recruiting New Guards

    Chapter 61: Recruiting New Guards


    Yaoyi couldn¡¯t understand what Yuwen Tong was going to do. He rifled through the baggage doubtfully and took out two maps drawn on the fabric. He and the person standing by the side exchanged a glance before the latter nodded and took one map from Yaoyi. Then the two stood by the desk, each holding an unfolded map.


    Yuwen Tong set his eyes on these two maps. His expression grew serious after some careful observation.


    ¡°Marshal, what do you find?¡± Yaoyi asked.


    Yuwen Tong asked in reply, ¡°Who is in charge of the water route of the Huangsha River in Yanzhou?¡±


    Yaoyi answered after some ponderation, ¡°Li Chong.¡±


    ¡°Now, send someone to investigate whether Li Chong has contact with Imperial Concubine Shu and the sixth Prince. Look into every possible lead, and leave no stones unturned,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Got it, Marshal,¡± replied the man who put the map down and went out.


    Yaoyi watched the man go out and looked at the map again, his eyes widening out of shock, ¡°Marshal, do you mean that Zhang Chong will take this waterway?¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced at him and said, ¡°You are not so stupid.¡±


    Yaoyi wasn¡¯t interested in hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s praise at all. ¡°But the encampment of the Prefecture Guard in Tanyang and Huangsha River are separated by vast mountains, right?¡± Yuwen Tong pointed at those mountains on the map. Eyes following along his fingertip, Yaoyi said, ¡°These palaces have been occupied by the bandits.¡±


    The map was marked with dense red dots, all referring to the massive bandits.


    ¡°Get someone to dig out everything in these mountains,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    The lights in Green Bamboo Mansion were turned off again after an hour. Ling Zhang, who lived next door, still didn¡¯t fall asleep and only slightly relieved the inward fidget by drinking a large cup of cold water.


    It was not until dawn that he finally managed to fall asleep.


    When he got up the next day, he looked terrible. But he changed his clothes, went to the residence of the Guard and continued his morning training.


    Wang Dasan greeted in a hurry as he saw Ling Zhang coming, ¡°Young master.¡±


    ¡°Guard Wang, I need you to fill in for the twelve guards temporary, I am sorry it will be a hard work for you.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°That is what I am supposed to do. Since I took your salary, I will share your concerns. Young master, I¡¯ve found someone to fill the vacancy. When do you have time to test him?¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°So soon? You are well-connected,¡± Ling Zhang said with a smile.


    ¡°I am flattered, I just have a lot of friends,¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°Is he in Tanyang?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°Yes. He lodges at an inn,¡± Wang Dashan said. ¡°He¡¯s from Yanzhou. He originally wanted to join the army to contribute to the country after hearing that the bandit was serious in Tanyang. But he changed his mind after a visit to the encampment of the Prefecture Guard. So I took the chance to propose when he was preparing to return to Yanzhou and he agreed.¡±


    Noticing that Ling Zhang was listening carefully, Wang Dashan continued, ¡°His name is Liu Yi, who ranks third at home, with two elder brothers and a younger one; with an awkward position not favored his parents, he left home at a young age and had worked as escort for some Express. He is quick-witted with good martial skills. The most important thing is, he is a man of integrity, not someone with sticky fingers or lazy character.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°Alright, you take him here. I need to see him first. If he is fine, I will let him stay.¡±


    Wang Dashan said with joy, ¡°Thank you very much, Young Master. I will let someone notify him right away.¡±


    Then Ling Zhang began to run around the residence of the guards. He didn¡¯t feel well when he started running.


    The emergency happened yesterday and the long journey exhausted him. He still felt sore after rubbing the medicine oil. But he insisted on exercising without even frowning.


    Ling Zhang felt particularly grumpy when he thought of being held like a child by Yuwen Tong for a few times. Then he practiced harder because of it.


    A man in black standing on the roof of the Green Bamboo Mansion was surprised when seeing Ling Zhang running around the residence of the guards before dawn, and his surprise increased when Ling Zhang was still running after quite a long time. And he couldn¡¯t help but jump off the roof as he saw Ling Zhang begin practicing horse stance and lifting stones under the guidance of a guard.


    ¡°Marshal, Young Master Ling is practicing horse stance.¡±


    Yuwen Tong also got up and washed up just now. After hearing this he involuntarily raised his eyebrow.


    Leaping to the rooftop, as expected, he immediately saw Ling Zhang was basic skills, with stones tied to his legs. Ling Zhang was sweating and his legs were shaking. Even so, he still insisted. Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang, his curiosity towards this man accumulating. His clothes clung to him because of sweating, which fully exposed his slim figure.


    Yuwen Tong watched this scene with great interest for a long time. Not until Ling Zhang was almost impossible to hold on did he finally jump off the roof.


    Yuwen Tong would very much like to tease Ling Zhang, but then on a second thought he decided to save some dignity for Ling Zhang so as not to annoy him.


    ¡°He gets angry so easily,¡± Yuwen Tong thought.


    A whole morning passed in exercise, and Ling Zhang was soaked in sweat already. He went back to his yard and washed up. Then he rubbed himself with medicine oil to relieve the pain of muscles as taught by Wang Dashan.


    By the time he got changed and came out of the house, it was bright.


    ¡°Young Master, Old Master asks you to have breakfast in the front hall,¡± the servant said.


    Usually they ate in their own room.


    Why the change? Absolutely because of the arrival of Yuwen Tong.


    Much unwilling as Ling Zhang was, he still went to the front hall.


    As soon as he entered, Yuwen Tong eyed him from head to toe.


    ¡°Big brother, you stink,¡± Ling Maomao said.


    Ling Maomao didn¡¯t like the smell of medicinal wine, so every time he smelled that on Ling Zhang, he would say it stank.


    ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well, Brother Zhang?¡± Yuwen Tong asked knowingly.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know Yuwen Tong had seen what he did in the morning so he replied, ¡°Nothing. I just did some exercises.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised him eyebrow. ¡®That was far beyond some simple exercises, but horse stance for the whole morning.¡¯


    Thinking of the shape of the waist and hip when Ling Zhang was practising horse stance, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but secretly glance at the waist and hip of Ling Zhang again.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, don¡¯t forget to show Yuwen Marshal around the city today,¡± Ling Xingzhong said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I still have something to deal with this morning.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Leave it to your uncle,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    Ling Zhaowen froze for a moment before replying, ¡°Right, leave it to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave his grandfather a helpless look and said, ¡°No need to bother you, uncle. I just need to meet someone later. He is my newly recruited guard.¡±


    ¡°Really? I also want to see him if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Ling Zhang really wanted to tell Yuwen Tong that he did mind. But in consideration of his grandfather and uncle, he refrained.


    After breakfast, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were waiting in the front hall together. It was not long before Wang Dashan came to meet Ling Zhang with a man of about 30 years old.


    This person was tall and looked very strong. Everyone could tell from just a glance that he was a man who often practiced martial arts. Although he was plain looking, his eyes showed that he was an honest and calm man.


    ¡°I am Liu Yi. Greetings, Young Master,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Guard Wang mentioned that you are cool-headed and a man of integrity. And he is right about that. Could you please tell me why you want to serve our Ling Family?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Liu Yi glanced at the man sitting next to Ling Zhang. He sensed a terrible aura from him, an aura that was rarely seen in ordinary folks.


    Although he was confused, Liu Yi still answered Ling Zhang, ¡°I just want to earn my living. I heard that Ling Family treats the guards well, so I want to have a try.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you work hard, we won¡¯t treat you badly. You can rest assured that we will pay you a little more than elsewhere. we won¡¯t keep a man who can¡¯t do his duty.¡±


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t have great gift, I am strong enough. Now that I take the salary, I will do everything as ordered,¡± Liu said.


    ¡°Could you perform some martial arts with Guard Wang? Just to broaden my horizon,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Liu Yi agreed, turning to Wang Dashan, ¡°Brother Wang, forgive me for my offence.¡±


    Wang Dashan said, ¡°Never mind.¡±


    Wang Dashan and Liu Yi went out and competed their martial arts in the open space in front of the hall.


    ¡°He has a solid foundation, and stable footwork. His movement are flexible and his eyes are sincere. Eligible a guard.¡±


    Ling Zhang pressed his lips. Though vexed by Yuwen Tong¡¯s insistence to assess the guard¡¯s performance with him, he still trusted Yuwen Tong¡¯s judgment.


    So after their competition, Ling Zhang decided to keep this man.


    ¡°Brother Liu, I don¡¯t mean to pry, but do you have a wife and kids?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Yuwen Tong was shocked by Ling Zhang¡¯s question.


    ¡°I am a single man. My parents and brothers are in Yanzhou, and they all have stable places to live. If you want to investigate me, you can send someone to Yanzhou to check, Young Master,¡± Liu Yi answered.


    ¡®He is straightforward.¡¯ Ling Zhang arched his eyebrow slightly.


    ¡°Please fill in the status of your family simply when you sign the contract with the butler later. I assume Wang Dashan has told you about the content of the contract?¡± Ling Zhang said.


    That was a yes. Liu Yi looked a little relaxed. ¡°He did mention it to me.¡±


    ¡°You can ask me if you have any question,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Liu Yi thought about it and then nodded. ¡°Not for now.¡±


    ¡°Please take Brother Liu to find Butler Li,¡± Ling Zhang said to Wang Dashan.


    Wang Dashan promised happily, then left with Liu Yi immediately.


    After leaving the front hall, Liu Yi asked Wang Dashan, ¡°Brother Wang, who is that one beside Young Master?¡±


    ¡°He is a respected guest of Ling Family. I don¡¯t know where he came from, all I know is that he came with a dozen guards. His Kung Fu is extraordinary, and he certainly doesn¡¯t come from an ordinary wealthy family,¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know him before?¡± Liu Yi asked.


    ¡°No, I have never seen him before. But I sensed something different. They all demonstrate extreme swiftness and sharpness rarely seen in ordinary guards, and exhibit no sign of viciousness. Do you think there is something wrong with him?¡±


    Liu Yi shook his head, ¡°No, I just feel that there is a strong aura on him that makes me feel oppressed. I am definitely no match for him. He makes me feel dangerous.¡±


    Wang Dashan burst into laughter, ¡°Right? I got the same feeling. He must be some big shot.¡±

 Chapter 62 - Jia Yuanling Was Exiled

    Chapter 62: Jia Yuanling Was Exiled


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were still in the Front Hall.


    ¡°I heard that you fired several guards,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang was not surprised that Yuwen Tong knew this. That was not confidential, and it was not difficult for Yuwen Tong¡¯s omnipotent subordinates to inquire about this.


    ¡°They are all people who are lazy or with sticky fingers,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Yuwen Tong nodded. Just as he wanted to say something, Wang Dashan returned, ¡°Young Master, Xiafeng¡¯s letter arrived.¡±


    This news brightened Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. He immediately opened the letter and checked it carefully.


    Although Yuwen Tong only stayed at Ling Family for one night, he was clear about the people who served Ling Zhang. So far as he knew, this person named Xiafeng Feng was sent by Ling Zhang to investigate something classified.


    Seeing Ling Zhang being so happy, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help wondering what was in that letter.


    The letter was long. He explained in detail the background check of all the guards he had found. All the formation was not much different from what they had so far, which made Ling Zhang feel relieved.


    Now that they were clean, he could start training them.


    Xiafeng wrote at the end of the letter that he was in Yanzhou now and if Ling Zhang had no other instructions, he would soon return to Tanyang.


    ¡®Yanzhou¡­¡¯ A bright idea occurred in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind. He got a chance to ask Xiafeng to check Liu Yi¡¯s background.


    He looked at Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°I have to write a letter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang then went back to his yard.


    Yuwen Tong just cast Yaoyi a glance, whom, upon getting the hint, left quietly.


    Therefore, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know that the letter he sent to Xiafeng had been intercepted before it had been sent out of Tanyang. After carefully checking the contents of the letter, Yaoyi put the letter back into the messenger¡¯s package, unnoticed.


    While Yaoyi was doing that, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had already left Ling Family and went all the way to the west gate of the city.


    ¡°Are we going to the west mountain?¡± Ling Zhang asked in surprise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s investigate Jia Family¡¯s mine field you mentioned,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°But it is broad daylight and there are many guards at their mine field. We¡¯ll be spotted if we get close,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Just follow me,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang gave him a suspicious look. But then on a second thought, he realized that Yuwen Tong¡¯s Kung Fu was so powerful and he might be able to sneak in. There were a lot of herb shops in Tanyang City, so there was always the aroma of herbs in the street, which residents of Tanyang had long been used to. Walking along the street with Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong kept an eye on the herb shops as they walked and found that almost every shop had a flag in front of its door, embroidered with a totem similar to the family emblem.


    Noticing that Yuwen Tong was looking at those flags, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Those are the emblems of the family behind each shop. . People can tell the owner of the shop at a glance by the flags. Merchants who often do herb business in Tanyang all know which shop ensures smoothest in and out of the city and which the worst. Once they identify a good shop they think, they will not waste time going elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Are these related to bandits?¡± Yuwen Tong asked immediately.


    ¡°Yes, if a foreign merchant buys herbs from a shop, they will plant the shop¡¯s flag in the cargo when they leave Tanyang so as to get out safely. Otherwise, it¡¯s hard for them to leave Tanyang easily. Merchants who met difficulty when transporting the herbs are not on good terms with Zhang Chong or refuse to bribe him. In fact, merchants in Tanyang are well aware of the secret collusion between the Prefecture Guard and the bandits but just too afraid to expose it. If they want to do business, they must obey this unwritten rule,¡± Ling Zhang said. Yuwen Tong frowned and his eyes turned cold.


    ¡°I guess you also noticed that there is almost no separate house on the outskirts of the city when you entered Tanyang. All the farmers are grouped together, and they plant the flags outside each habitation, right?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Even though it wasn¡¯t dawn yet at the time and it was hard to see everything clearly, Yuwen Tong still found those conspicuous flags.


    ¡°Those are the flags of the Prefecture Guard which have the same effect as the flags outside these shops. They are useful most of the time, but there¡¯re also times when they don¡¯t. And that is normally when bloodshed happens,¡± Ling Zhang said in a cold voice.


    Then he continued, ¡°Which is also the time when Prefecture Guard will launch a massive attack to destroy the rebellious ¡®bandits¡¯ and their chance to display their meritorious deeds and contributions to the Court.¡±


    Tanyang residents were no fools, and they knew it well. But there was nothing they could do. Since they lived on this land, they had to compromise on something.


    The emperor had been very fatuous for years. Even in other Prefectures, people suffered a heavy servitude and taxation, too. They might also face problems of land infertility or other problems even if they left Tanyang.


    Moreover, the roads out of Tanyang were being watched by bandits. Could they leave Tanyang safely? What if they were sick on the road?


    In Tanyang, as long as they paid enough bribes to the Prefecture Guard, they were likely to survive.


    This was what the people thought. That was the life here.


    Yuwen Tong was silent for a moment before finally speaking, ¡°According to your words, not only the merchants, but even the people are voluntarily or forced to obey the Prefecture Guards.¡±


    Ling Zhang said with the cold eyes, ¡°You are right. So it is hard to overthrow Zhang Chong.¡±


    ¡°Yes, which means, it¡¯s no easy task to overthrow Zhang Chong.¡±


    He chose a very difficult path.


    ¡°The biggest problem is the rampant bandits. And the Prefecture Guards rely on those bandits to consolidate their interests. If we want to overthrow Zhang Chong, we must get rid of those bandits,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°It seems that the Court is unwilling to send troops to suppress the bandits. Do you have any idea?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°The reason behind the Court¡¯s decision is complicated, but only on the premise that Prefecture Guards will not threaten the imperial power,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang immediately understood what Yuwen Tong was trying to say. Thinking of his doubts about the Prefecture Guard he asked, ¡°Did you find something?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s expecting eyes and said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now. When the time comes, you will know it.¡±


    Ling Zhang was disappointed. This guy kept him in suspense. However, with the blood feud between him and Zhang Chong, he didn¡¯t have that patience to wait quietly. He would find a way to figure it out himself.


    If Zhang Chong¡¯s action really threatened the imperial power, then his intention was to rebel. If this really happened, Ling Zhang would set off firecrackers to celebrate it.


    As for the consequence of Zhang Chong¡¯s rebellion, that was something beyond his reach .


    Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered that Wang Dashan once told him that Liu Yi had planned to join the army. But when Liu Yi went to the encampment of the Prefecture Guard, he regretted his decision. Did he find any secrets?


    It seemed that he should talk to Liu Yi.


    ¡°Are those people from Jia Family?¡± Yuwen Tong asked suddenly.


    Ling Zhang looked at him with a doubtful look. Yuwen Tong motioned him to look across the street.


    Following Yuwen Tong¡¯s gaze, Ling Zhang saw a sedan parked in front of the opposite restaurant. On the doorframe of the sedan hanged a wooden plaque with the word Jia. A person who looked plump came out of the sedan. He wore like a moneybags, but his face was very gloomy.


    ¡°He is Jia Yin,¡± Ling Zhang said in a cold voice.


    ¡°Really? Jia Yuanling¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    The opposite building was called Guest Pleasing House, which was a two-storey restaurant. Its layout was medium among the restaurants of Tanyang city, and it was a relatively good one around the West Gate. But Jia Family was located in the east of the city. Why didn¡¯t he choose some of the larger restaurants near his home? ¡®What is he doing here?¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯ll go out of the city later,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t care about it. He glanced around then looked at the small tea house behind him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go there then.¡±


    This tea house was also a two-storey building, but it was not spacious. There was a position beside the window on the second floor. So Ling Zhang paid more money and exchanged the seats with the guests who had been sitting by the window. He sat down with Yuwen Tong and looked out of the window. There was a good view of the Guest Pleasing House from here.


    Even more coincidentally, Jia Yin was sitting right next to the window on the second floor of the Guest Pleasing House. He was looking right this way.


    Ling Zhang left the window half closed, blocking himself and Yuwen Tong. Jia Yin was obviously waiting for something. But what was it? Suddenly, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes turned cold. Today was exactly the day when Jia Yuanling was going to be exiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you recall anything?¡± Yuwen Tong poured Ling Zhang a cup of tea.


    ¡°Jia Yuanling is going to be exiled. According to the practice of Tanyang Prefecture Yamen, this is supposed to be the time for Jia Yuanling to be sent to the West Gate,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Yuwen Tong looked at the street through the window. He saw a man in a gray prison uniform in the distance being escorted this way by four yamen runners. Those people caused some commotion. Many pedestrians gave way for them and stood on both sides of the street to watch.


    Yuwen Tong gently rotated the teacup and showed a murderous look.


    Ling Zhang turned to look at the street and immediately saw Jia Yuanling who was being escorted.


    Jia Yuanling was sitting in the prison car with his hair disheveled. Through the scattered hair, he stared ferociously at the people who talked about him till they stopped. With Jia Family backing him up, he showed his arrogance even when he was a prisoner.


    Ling Zhang looked at the prison car with a poker face. ¡®Just enjoy your last days of arrogance. You¡¯re stepping into hell.¡¯


    Perhaps having noticed the gaze of Ling Zhang, Jia Yuanling looked up at the tea house in a sudden.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t evade, but looked right into his vicious eyes.


    Jia Yuanling was infuriated. He stared at Ling Zhang with hatred, trying to tear Ling Zhang apart with that ferociousness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see who laughs last, I will be back,¡± Jiayuan Ling mouthed some words to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang stood there calmly. His indifference was the most powerful taunt to the enemy.


    ¡®Wanna be back? It is not up to you.¡¯


    Jia Yuanling was enraged by Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction. He clenched his fist tightly and stared at Ling Zhang furiously with his reddened eyes.

 Chapter 63 - Exploring the Mine Together

    Chapter 63: Exploring the Mine Together


    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± After the team that escorted Jia Yuanling was far away, Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Ling Zhang said. He trusted his uncle¡¯s arrangement. They wouldn¡¯t allow Jia Yuanling to reach the border alive.


    Yuwen Tong took a glance at Ling Zhang and said nothing. It seemed that he had seen through something from Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the west mountain,¡± Ling Zhang stood up and said.


    Then Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang left the teahouse together.


    ¡°It will take two hours to get to the mine in the west mountain. We need to rent two horses,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Mines and herb farms were located in the distant suburbs of Tanyang, so the horses were the most essential means of transportation and riding. There was a horse shop near the west gate. Ling Zhang rented two horses, and went out of the city with Yuwen Tong. Before going out of the city, Ling Zhang looked around specially, trying to find the traces of those elusive guards of Yuwen Tong, but he didn¡¯t even see a shadow.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°You¡­just you and me?¡± Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrow and said, ¡°I can handle everything. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Thinking of Yuwen Ton¡¯s personal guards who protected him all day long, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think they would give up following him this time.


    After mounting the horse, Ling Zhang went out of the city with Yuwen Tong and headed for the west mountain.


    ¡± We will see a fork at the end of this main official road. And the narrow one on the right leads to Jia Family¡¯s mine,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Had he known that Yuwen Tong would drag him along, he would not work hard to draw a map.


    He had not been to the west mountain for a long time and the Jia Family¡¯s mine was strictly guarded, so he had never been there but just knew its general location.


    They slowed down to avoid going the wrong way or bumping cross the people of Jia Family without the time to dodge after taking the fork.


    The further they went, the more remote the place was. It was so quiet that there was only the chirping sound of birds.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly loosed the rein and patted the horseback. Then he sprang from the horseback, just like an eagle shooting high into the sky.


    Ling Zhang was frightened and hurried to look up at him.


    But Yuwen Tong disappeared in a blink of an eye and he didn¡¯t know where Yuwen Tong was.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Ling Zhang was stunned. Yuwen Tong left without even saying goodbye. Did he want to leave him here alone?


    Just when Ling Zhang was scolding Yuwen Tong inwardly, Yuwen Tong fell from the sky, which dazzled Ling Zhang suddenly. Yuwen Tong landed on the horseback, and turned to Ling Zhang. ¡°It¡¯s not far from there. The road ahead is heavily guarded. We need to tie the horse in the woods. Let me take you there then.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s nervousness was finally relieved. Then a dark look formed on his face. Thinking of his flusteredness just now from worrying that Yuwen Tong would abandon him, his face chilled like ice.


    That obvious anger was hard to be neglected. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Please tell me in advance when you decide to suddenly disappear, my lord.¡± Ling Zhang gnashed the teeth in anger.


    Yunwen Tong knew what was going on. But the way Ling Zhang gnashed his teeth was really cute. So he nodded, deliberately misinterpreting his words, ¡°I will take you with me next time.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. He put it in a way like I can¡¯t tolerate a second without him by the side. Pah!¡¯


    Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong with anger, blushing scarlet with embarrassment.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes turned profound as he saw Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks become rosy. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes gleamed in anger, clear like the surface of a lake under the bright sun where now a cluster of flames was burning. He felt so fascinated by Ling Zhang¡¯s vivid reaction after being pissed off but having no way to vent it out.


    There was also a fire burning in his heart, which aroused his impulse to bully this person in front of him.


    But if he did it, Ling Zhang would leave immediately.


    ¡°Cough. I won¡¯t tease you again. Let¡¯s go and have a look,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath to regain his cool and turned away first. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back his impulse to beat Yuwen Tong up if he looked at Yuwen Tong one more time.


    Yuwen Tong was a clever man. He said nothing but followed Ling Zhang closely.


    As they approached the mine, they faintly heard various noisy sounds.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly stopped, his face turning serious, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Ling Zhang stopped and looked at him.


    ¡°Something wrong ahead. Let me take you there, because there are guards ahead,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang looked in the direction of the noises and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Although he was angry, he never became affectedly bashful when he got down on his business.


    Yuwen Tong put his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°Hold me tight.¡±


    Ling Zhang froze¡­


    Fighting hard to suppress the weird and uncomfortable feeling, Ling Zhang held Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist tightly. The next moment, he felt like he was flying. This feeling of insecurity that he would fall at any time forced him to abandon those complaints about Yuwen Tong and hug Yuwen Tong as tight as he could.


    Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang quietly through the Jia Family¡¯s guard and entered the mine.


    ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t dawdle!¡±


    ¡± Move your lazy asses, you fools!¡±


    Bang! Bang!


    An open pit mine appeared in front of them where hundreds of miners in coarse gray cloth were busy working under the close watch of the guards around. Although these guards were wearing unremarkable black clothes, judging from their standing posture and temperament, they were not ordinary guards. These men kept a close eye on everything that was going on inside the mine.


    A large hole had been dug in the cliff of this open-pit mine, where other miners worked.


    Trolleys shuttled back and forth in the mine. When the trolley was loaded with ore, it would be sent to the furnace on the open space above the mine. The burning ore had raised the temperature here a lot. Many implements were arranged in disorder; and the scorched black stuff piled up like a mountain at the other side.


    However, at the exit of the mine, some miners put the ores of better quality into the cargo containers which were then loaded onto the carriages.


    These people had the same qualities as those men in black who guarded the mine. They were definitely not ordinary guards.


    ¡°These are soldiers,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang got it immediately, ¡®Prefecture Guards.¡¯


    At this time, two people walked into their sight from somewhere else. A dark look formed on Ling Zhang¡¯s face when he saw them. ¡°Jia Zhong and Zhang Chong.¡±


    Jia Zhong and Jia Yin had quite similar facial features, only one fat and the other thin. However, the scar on Zhang Chong¡¯s face was what made him easy to recognize.


    ¡°We are so lucky, we happen to see them trading ores,¡± Ling Zhang said coldly.


    The purpose of Yuwen Tong¡¯s coming here this time was mainly to figure out the scale of this mine. Now he knew it fairly well.


    Jia Zhong and Zhang Chong were talking about something. Jia Zhong showed his flattering smile while Zhang Zhong wore a ferocious look.


    Shortly afterwards Zhang Chong left the mine with the carriages.


    Ling Zhang watched them leaving and said, ¡°Out from here, then cross the main road and go south, and they¡¯ll get to the rear of the encampment of the Prefecture Guard. This is how they transport ores. With some disguise, no one knows what exactly are in their carriages.¡±


    After following Zhang Chong for a while, Yuwen Tong, still carrying Ling Zhang, stopped and whistled, which sounded weird with rhythm in it.


    ¡°I sent someone to follow Zhang Chong and find out their route,¡± Yuwen Tong explained.


    Ling Zhang was dazed for a second before uttering a ¡°oh¡± as reply.


    He didn¡¯t expect that Yuwen Tong would explain this to him.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Ling Zhang asked him. ¡°Shall we go back?¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go back to the mine,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Why? What are you going to do?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°To check something out,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang followed Yuwen Tong back to the mine. They happened to see Jia Zhong talking to someone like a butler. He took something like an account book and wrote something down after reading.


    ¡°That should be the account book. It¡¯s a good thing,¡± Yuwen Tong said coldly.


    A good thing? Ling Zhang was confused.


    ¡°We must figure out a way to get it and see if it records the transaction between him and Zhang Chong,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    It suddenly dawned on Ling Zhang, ¡°This is the evidence.¡±


    ¡°Clever,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°How can we get it?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°Not now. If we act rashly, we will alert the enemy. You wait for me here, I¡¯ll take a look first,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang nodded. Then Yuwen Tong took him to the trunk of another tall tree and let him sit there.


    ¡°This is the signal flare. Pull this ring if you are in trouble.¡± Yuwen Tong handed Ling Zhang a small bamboo tube.


    Ling Zhang took it, held the trunk and sat there steadily. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong arched his eyebrow slightly, surprised. Ling Zhang, the little hedgehog, asked him to be careful.


    Yuwen Tong jumped off the tree and disappeared soon.


    Ling Zhang held the bamboo tube and didn¡¯t dare to move.


    This place was too high.


    After an hour, Ling Zhang¡¯s legs were numb, but Yuwen Tong had not returned yet. He couldn¡¯t help but frown, worrying if Yuwen Tong was in trouble, although he didn¡¯t want to think about Yuwen Tong.


    If he exposed his tracks and was besieged¡­


    Ling Zhang lowered his head and estimated the distance between each branch. He was going to jump off the tree and check if there was anything unusual going on near the mine.


    Just as he held the trunk tight, planning to move to the next branch, suddenly Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice sounded in his ear. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ling Zhang was shocked and slipped down from the tree. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Yuwen Tong hastened to jump off the tree and caught Ling Zhang in midair before landing softly on the ground.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart was beating so fast. He thought he was about to fall to the ground.


    Yuwen Tong put Ling Zhang on the ground and said, ¡°Why do you suddenly want to go down?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been back for such a long time. I want to see what¡¯s going on,¡± Ling Zhang said. He felt safe when his feet touched the ground. However, his feet became weak as soon as he stood up, then he unconsciously grasped Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Your feet numb?¡± Yuwen Tong said. ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Ling Zhang wanted to refuse. But Yuwen Tong was faster. And the moment his warm palm held Ling Zhang¡¯s ankle, a wonderful feeling of warmth spread all over Ling Zhang from where Yuwen Tong touched, reliving the numbness and tingling sensation in a second.

 Chapter 64 - Do You Need Me to Dredge the Meridian Channels for You?

    Chapter 64: Do You Need Me to Dredge the Meridian Channels for You?


    ¡°Lord Yuwen, His Majesty demands your and Mrs. Yuwen¡¯s presence in the Palace.¡±


    Yuwen Mansion was the home of Yuwen Tong, who was the most powerful Marshal of Great Yue. Yuwen Zhi smiled and bribed emperor¡¯s eunuch who called Wang Baolu. ¡°Eunuch Wang, do you know why His Majesty summons us so suddenly?¡± Yuwen Zhi asked.


    Returning the money to Yuwen Zhi, Wang Baolu said with a bothered tone, ¡°Not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, my lord, but I really don¡¯t know what His Majesty wants. But rest assured, His Majesty looks peaceful.¡±


    Bribing the eunuch didn¡¯t work, so Yuwen Zhi felt a bit vexed. Though he kept scolding the eunuch inwardly, he still pretended to be grateful. ¡°Thank you for letting me know. I will go to see His Majesty with my wife right away,¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    ¡°Lord Yuwen, that¡¯s very kind of you. I will be going then. And I will await your arrival in the Palace,¡± Wang Baolu said.


    ¡°Eunuch Wang, take care,¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    As soon as he saw Wang Baolu off, Yuwen Zhi immediately went to find his wife, Zheng shi.


    ¡°Why would His Majesty suddenly summon us?¡± Zheng shi asked with puzzlement while changing her clothes under the serve of her maid. Although she was nearly forty years old this year, she didn¡¯t look her age and still kept her charm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Wang Baolu didn¡¯t want to tell us anything. He returned the money I gave him as well.¡± A dark look formed on Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face as he spoke.


    ¡°What? Is there something wrong?¡± Zhang was shocked. And she became hesitant while dressing herself.


    ¡°No matter what happens, we must to o the Palace right away. Be flexible, this time His Majesty specially asks me to take you, he will definitely ask you some questions. Leave it to me when you don¡¯t know how to answer and I will do it,¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    Zhang responded in panic. After getting dressed, she went to the Palace with Yuwen Zhi.


    In the Palace, the Emperor looked at them with no expression on his face.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what is your order for me and my humble wife? ¡± Yuwen Zhi said after secretly observing the Emperor¡¯s countenance.


    Zheng stood behind Yuwen Zhi and lowered her head. The emperor¡¯s silence frightened her.


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi, do you know where my Marshal is?¡± The Emperor was sitting in there and said slowly.


    Yuwen Tong? Yuwen Zhi was confused as he replied, ¡°He should be on his way back to the Capital.¡±


    The Emperor looked at Yuwen Zhi for a long time with his sharp eyes before speaking, ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t know where he is either.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, did he do something wrong? If so, please forgive his mistake for the sake of his devotion to defending the territory of Great Yue,¡± Yuwen Tong knelt on the ground and said.


    Zheng also hurriedly dropped to her knees.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I didn¡¯t say he did anything wrong. You make excessive demands on Yuwen Tong,¡± the Emperor said.


    Yuwen Tong admitted his error and asked for punishment in a hurry, Zheng did the same.


    ¡°Get up. I have something to ask you,¡± the Emperor said.


    Yuwen Zhi and Zheng stood up. He said, ¡°Please, your majesty. I will tell you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°When did Yuwen Tong get engaged? Why are you keeping this secret?¡± the Emperor said.


    What the Emperor said stunned Yuwen Zhi and Zheng. Engagement? What was that?


    ¡°Engagement? There¡¯s no such a thing.¡± Zheng wore a puzzled look as she turned to Yuwen Zhi.


    The Emperor glanced at Zheng then tat Wang Baolu, who, after getting the hint, said, ¡°Marshal Yuwen has gone to Tanyang to look for his fianc¨¦.¡±


    Tanyang? Zheng was still confused, but Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face changed drastically.


    The Emperor¡¯s eyes had changed too, he stared at Yuwen Zhi and asked, ¡°Do you recall anything?¡±


    At first Zheng looked at her husband in bewilderment, whereafter, something occurred to her. She gradually widened her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°How dare you! Are you questioning His Majesty?¡± Wang Baolu berated.


    Zheng was shocked to repeated kowtows, ¡°Your Majesty, please spare me. I was just surprised to Yuwen Tong¡¯s engagement, I absolutely dare not question you. Please forgive me.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi also joined in the kowtows as he pleaded, ¡°She was indiscreet. Let me take her punishment.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy. Not a big deal, don¡¯t make a fuss. Wang Baolu, don¡¯t scare Mrs. Yuwen,¡± the Emperor said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my fault,¡± Wang Baolu said.


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi, what was on your mind?¡± the Emperor asked.


    Looking at his trembling wife, Yuwen Tong knew that if he didn¡¯t tell the truth, the Emperor would not let him go easily. And the most crucial thing was that Yuwen Tong exposed this matter himself. According to his tough personality, there was no way he could hide this matter. ¡°I just remembered an old past. Please forgive me for not answering your question in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Ah? An old past?¡± the Emperor sounded interested in this matter.


    ¡°This engagement was settled twenty years ago. The other side is the eldest grandson of Ling Xingzhong, who used to serve as the Shilang (Vice Minister), ¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    The Emperor frowned, as if he were trying to recall. After a while, he suddenly realized, ¡°It¡¯s him. I remember that he resigned and returned home very early.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you are so wise. Lord Ling did return to his hometown, Tanyang. When my father and Lord Ling set this marriage contact, the eldest son of Lord Ling was just married, and his elder daughter-in-law was just pregnant. They all didn¡¯t know the gender of the kid, so it was a sloppy decision. Later, Lord Ling returned to Tanyang and our two families didn¡¯t contract each other anymore due to the far distance. Then I heard a businessman from Tanyang who said that Lord Ling¡¯s daughter-in law had a son. At that time, I thought that since his family got a boy, the marriage contact was invalidated. After so many years, I have almost forgotten this matter,¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    ¡°Really? A boy?¡± the Emperor smiled. ¡°That is a bit unexpected. Then why Yuwen Tong said that he was going to Tanyang to find that boy? What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Your Majesty, I haven¡¯t seen my nephew for three years. I never wanted to tell him about it. And I have no idea exactly where he learned about it. I never thought he¡¯d go to Tanyang to find the boy. After all, they are both men and can¡¯t get married,¡± Yuwen Zhi took it for granted.


    An ambiguous smile appeared on the Emperor¡¯s face, ¡°You are too blinkered. The empress of the founding emperor of our country is a man. The marriage of two men is no longer a novelty in our civilized country.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi froze. ¡®What does the Emperor mean? Does he support Yuwen Tong marry Ling Family¡¯s eldest grandson?¡¯


    ¡°Your Majesty, what do you think of it?¡± Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t dare to make a final decision.


    The Emperor¡¯s answer was very ambiguous, ¡°We can talk about it after Yuwen Tong comes back to the Capital. No need to rush things.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    Zheng, beside Yuwen Zhi, turned pale. After getting out of the Palace, she asked in a hurry, ¡°Master, how could Yuwen Tong know about this engagement? We never told him.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing now is not how he learned about it, but this matter has been known by the Emperor!¡± Yuwen Tong looked extremely gloomy.


    ¡°What should we do? Our plan¡­¡± Zheng shi asked anxiously.


    ¡°Put it aside. Let me think it over,¡± Yuwen Zhi said. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s attitude towards this matter was so strange just now. So we have to stop finding in-laws for him.¡±


    Zheng was shocked, ¡°But, but didn¡¯t we just promise¡­¡±


    ¡°Hum, promise? It¡¯s just a polite formula,¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    Then he hit the wall of the carriage angrily. That sound startled Zheng.


    ¡°Master,¡± Zheng yelled.


    ¡°What exactly is he thinking? He hasn¡¯t come back home in so many years, and every time I talked to him about his marriage, he never cared. Now he went to look for the man who comes from a declined family. Now this scandal is well known. Does he mean to disgrace our Yuwen Family?¡± Yuwen Zhi said angrily.


    ¡°Master, now we just sit by and see him marry that man?¡± Zhang said unwillingly.


    ¡°I will never agree to it,¡± Yuwen Zhi said.


    Zheng wanted to say something, but stopped while seeing Yuwen Zhi was in a temper.


    *


    Tanyang¡­


    The wonderful feeling of warmth was flowing around Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body, which made him feel amazing. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask Yuwen Tong, ¡°Is this inner power?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yuwen Tong looked up at him and said, ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good now,¡± Ling Zhang said. Seeing that Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand was still on his ankle, he hurried away. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Yuwen Tong got up and said, ¡°I have found that some parts of your body¡¯s meridians are not very smooth, which will affect your heath. If you like, I can help you to improve it.¡±


    After listening to what he said, Ling Zhang was very interested. But as soon as he thought that doing so might bother Yuwen Tong, he hesitated.


    ¡°To help you clear your meridians not only requires my inner power, but also a medicated bath. I found a lot of herbs in Tanyang, so it is not difficult for you to find those herbs. When the meridians of your whole body are cleared, your body will improve, and it¡¯ll also be easier for you to learn martial skills,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang was tempted. He had been practicing every morning so that he could learn martial arts. Yuwen Tong¡¯s suggestion was perfectly tailor-made for him, which was difficult for him to refuse.¡±Of course, you can take your time to think about it carefully. I¡¯m not in a hurry to leave,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang agreed without much hesitation, ¡°Would it bother you much?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It is also a kind of inner power training for me,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Thank you, please then,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll give you the prescription when we get back. And then you can ask someone to prepare these things for you. These two methods must be used together for good results,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°Okay, I will have the herbs ready as soon as possible.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude towards Yuwen Tong softened unwittingly because of this offer. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think he could accept Yuwen Tong¡¯s kindness yet treat him uncivilly after. He was never a man so ruthless.


    The two returned to the woods to lead their horses out, and headed back to Tanyang. After giving the horses back to the shop, they walked back to Ling Family. However, they heard the some noises before they got into the house.

 Chapter 65 - Trouble at the Gate

    ¡°What happened?¡± Ling Zhang quickened his steps.


    Yuwen Tong followed closely after and, with good eyesight, already got a clear view of what was happening.


    There were four men and four women in costly raiment kneeling at the gate of Ling Mansion and kowtowing. They seemed to keep shouting something like, ¡°Young master Ling, please let go of our son.¡± The Ling Mansion¡¯s servants tried to drive them away, but this group of people still lingered around and wouldn¡¯t go. The servants couldn¡¯t drive them away by force but only prevented them from entering. Ling Zhang frowned when seeing the stalemate.


    After approaching, Ling Zhang heard and saw who these people were.


    ¡°It¡¯s them,¡± Ling Zhang sad with a scowl.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°They are the parents of the four people who had conspired with Jia Yuanling to frame me. Jia Yuanling, the ringleader of the affair, was sentenced to exile; the four men, each of whom being punished differently, are now in the prison of the Prefecture Yamen,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Their sentence had been announced for long ago. Why did their parents suddenly show up here at this time and act as disgusting rascals?


    Ling Zhang walked over with a cold face, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    As soon as Ling Zhang appeared, these people immediately surrounded him. As if some fresh meat thrown towards a pack of hungry wolves. Ling Mansion¡¯s servants quickly stood in front of Ling Zhang to prevent him from getting hurt.


    These men knelt on the ground with a thud.


    They cried, ¡°Please give my son a break! My son was drunk; he wasn¡¯t in his right mind, which was why he did something shameless. Young master Ling, please put a word for my son and let Lord Tao show mercy!¡±


    ¡°Young master Ling, please! Please forgive my son! I¡¯m willing to do anything for you!¡±


    What happened in front of the Ling Mansion attracted many onlookers.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang¡¯s look turned colder.


    ¡°If I kill them and ask for your forgiveness, will you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Young master Ling, why do you want to kill my son?¡± a man shouted.


    ¡°Then why should I forgive them? Just because you kneel down to me and beg my pardon? Get them out of here! If they refuse to leave, go to the Prefecture Yamen and call the Yamen runners. Tell them that some people here are trying to break into the Ling Mansion, they act insanely as if they are going to do violence,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Got it!¡± a servant said.


    Wang Dashan came with the guards, planning to drag them away.


    ¡°Ah¡­they are trying to kill us, the Ling Family¡¯s people want to kill us! There is no justice at all!¡± This man who was dragged by Wang Dashan kept talking nonsense, which attracted a lot of onlookers.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. There is no time to waste. Sue them,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Wang Dashan nodded then sent someone to notify the government in a hurry.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, on what ground are you suing us? My son just got drunk and made a small mistake, why did you ruin him? You are so cruel. Now you want to put us in jail, too? We have no crimes and you can¡¯t do that. Do you want to bully us because your uncle is a government official?¡±


    ¡°Young master, this¡­¡± Wang Dashan frowned.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Ooh, my god. The Ling Family¡¯s people are so unreasonable. We didn¡¯t do anything wrong, we just ask for forgiveness here. But they not only refused our apology, but are trying to put us in jail and kill us. They want us dead!¡±


    ¡°The Ling Family wants to misuse their power to oppress us. They flout the law themselves, though they keep telling everyone to obey it. They think they can look down on us, just because someone in their family is an official.¡±


    They were going too far and there were more and more onlookers. Funny thing was, the onlookers blindly sympathized with those who looked weak. No matter what the truth was, they were already gossiping about Ling Family.


    Ling Zhang looked at their charade with a cold look. If this happened in the past, he must have panicked. As for now, he had become very composed. What could these people do except gossiping? They wouldn¡¯t make any difference. Everything would come to light after going to the court.


    No matter how loud those people shouted, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t care. However, Ling Family¡¯s servants could not help but worry because these shameless guys redoubled their efforts to slander when seeing the servants not taking any measures at the behest of Ling Zhang.


    Though there were more and more onlookers, the Ling Family¡¯s people still stayed perfectly cool, calm and collected. These people were shouting even harder, louder and more outrageously.


    Those gossips gradually quieted down. Especially after Yuwen Tong, who was behind Ling Zhang, unleashed his powerful aura. Many people here were silenced by his imposing temperament.


    These people were beginning to lose patience when they saw that the head constables of Yamen were about to coming. One of them tried to break free from the guards and rushed to a pillar in front of Ling Family¡¯s gate, but was caught before he could break through and pinned to the ground.


    ¡°Indecent assault¡­¡±


    Her shouting came to sudden stop as a stone hit the woman¡¯s mute acupuncture point.


    Ling Zhang pretended not to see anything, though he clearly saw the stone shooting from behind him. This was obviously done by Yuwen Tong.


    The woman looked pale when she found herself suddenly speechless. She tried to break free, but failed.


    Ling Zhang had seen through the tricks of these people already. What they wanted to do was to make some trouble so as to turn Ling Family into the target of public criticism.


    More importantly, Ling Zhang¡¯s uncle would be promoted to left Tongzhi in a few days. If something bad happened at this critical moment, the promotion of his uncle would come to nothing.


    In his previous life, they had taken advantage of Ling Zhang¡¯s youth, ignorance and recklessness to make his uncle lose his position. And now they wanted to use the same dirty tricks in this life. How disgusting they were!


    ¡°Stop! What do you want to do? How can you do this¡­¡±


    Two thuds sounded in succession, the man froze suddenly not able to either speak or move. Ling Zhang sneered at this man. He knew that these men were in desperation, they just tried to humiliate the Ling Family in public. But what a pity! As long as Yuwen Tong was present, he would certainly not let them do what they want.


    Suddenly another man appeared in the crowd, trying to say something in anger. Then another two sounds of little puff came, which froze the man before he could speak.


    Finally, someone in the crowd sensed something strange and changed their countenance. Although they didn¡¯t know who did that, they could feel that the person must be a Kung Fu master and they couldn¡¯t afford to mess with him. These people looked around themselves, trying to find the one doing this.


    It was interesting that Yuwen Tong was standing behind Ling Zhang, head slightly lowered, and his powerful aura restrained, which made him difficult to be found by others. In this way, those people would only regard him as Ling Zhang¡¯s subordinate, rather than the master they were looking for.


    The people of the Prefecture Yamen also came at this time, which made those men completely lose their opportunity to frame Ling Family.


    Together with these Yamen runners, Ling Zhang escorted the four men and four women to the Prefecture Yamen. Tao Feng was willing to offer a helping hand, and cooperated with Ling Zhang to do the same thing they did last time. Tao Feng allowed all the people to watch the trial process and figured out the culprits. In the end, he punished everyone with ten lashes then released them.


    It was indeed a fact that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t do anything to these people, but the punishment was enough to keep them in bed for a while.


    Ling Zhang had already known who was behind this.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, you should be grateful to the Marshal for helping us today. Otherwise, this matter can¡¯t be handled smoothly,¡± Ling Zhaowen whispered to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang looked at his uncle with a mixed feeling. He began to doubt if his uncle was still on his side. It seemed Yuwen Tong had won his uncle over.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Why do you look so strange?¡± Seeing Ling Zhang walk over, Yuwen Tong asked with doubt.


    Ling Zhang glanced at him and said, ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s a piece of cake.¡±


    He seemed to know why Ling Zhang looked so strange. It turned out that this little hedgehog was not used to apologizing to or thanking him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Don¡¯t keep Lord Ling waiting,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang nodded. He was relieved that Yuwen Tong had no special reaction to his thanks.


    A few days ago, Ling Zhang was still fantasizing about how he would humiliate Yuwen Tong when they first met. And he originally wanted to throw the divorce letter on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. But what he didn¡¯t expect was that he apologized to Yuwen Tong just a few days later.


    What happened these days was like a dream to him. Although only a few days passed, it was like going through a long time for Ling Zhang.


    Ling Xingzhong was waiting for him as expected. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    Ling Zhang told Ling Xingzhong the result.


    Ling Xingzhong nodded with satisfaction. ¡°You handled this well today. Of course, don¡¯t forget to thank the Marshal.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He had heard such words once just now!


    ¡°I already thanked him.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong gave him a disapproving look and said, ¡°It is not enough. Stay with the Marshal these days. If you have anything to do, just leave it to your uncle.¡±


    Alright, just a few days. Anyway, he had to ask Yuwen Tong to help him smooth his meridian channels. So Ling Zhang nodded and promised at last.


    ¡°Good boy. I know you are the most sensible,¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    So if he hadn¡¯t promised to stay with Yuwen Tong, he would be a bad boy? Ling Zhang was in a complicated mood right now.


    He would be a fool if he didn¡¯t see through his grandfather¡¯s intention. His grandfather did so to enable him and Yuwen Tong to build deep feelings through more contact.


    ¡°Young master, Liu Yi has settled down, he can be on duty tomorrow,¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°Okay. Well done, Captain Wang,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to do,¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°Inform him to come to me. I have something to ask him.¡± Thinking of what happened at the encampment of the Prefecture Guard, he quickly asked Wang Danshan to deliver a message to Liu Yi.


    He wondered if Liu Yi had discovered something. After all, Yuwen Tong told him that Zhang Chong had the intention of threatening the imperial power.


    Although he had suspected Zhang Chong before, it was just a guess. Yuwen Tong wasn¡¯t a man who talked nonsense. And he believed that Zhang Chong must be plotting something.


    Liu Yi came soon, ¡°Young master, did you send for me?¡±


    ¡°I have something to ask you, Brother Liu. I heard you planned to join the army in Tanyang, didn¡¯t you? Why did you choose to come to Tanyang instead of going to Yanzhou?¡± Ling Zhang asked.

 Chapter 66 - The Formation Drawing

    Although being suddenly asked about this question, Liu Yi answered without hesitation, ¡°Yanzhou is safer than here. Its Prefecture Guard has enough soldiers so that it doesn¡¯t need me too much. But I heard that Tanyang is a bandit place and its Prefecture Guard recruits new soldiers every year. So I came to have a try. I want my martial skills fully exploited.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you join them?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Liu Yi didn¡¯t answer instantly this time and hesitated for a while.


    ¡°Tell me what you think. I will keep the secret.¡± Ling Zhang guaranteed.


    Liu Yi said, ¡°I am not worrying about it. Young master, I know you have conflict with Zhang Chong, the commander of Prefecture Guard. Can you resolve it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ling Zhang didn¡¯t show his attitude hurriedly, but waited for his explanation.


    ¡°The Prefecture Guard in Tanyang is abnormal. With strong soldiers and horses, they never suppress bandits. They are either planning to exterminate bandits at one fling or plotting something else. I¡¯ve inquired about the Prefecture Guard during the period since I came to Tanyang. And I feel they are so strange.¡± Liu Yi said.


    ¡°Are you worrying about them rebelling?¡± Ling Zhang concluded directly.


    After hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s blunt words, Liu Yi¡¯s face changed. But he finally nodded, ¡°Yes. Ling Family has conflict with them. If they really rebel, it will be hard for Ling Family to resist.¡±


    Ling Zhang believed that Liu Yi sincerely wanted to remind him.


    ¡°Thanks for your words. Ling Family has already been involved and the conflict with Zhang Chong can¡¯t be resolved. If you feel scared, you can leave now. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Liu Yi looked at Ling Zhang seriously for a long time before saying, ¡°Thanks for your kindness. I¡¯ve made a decision since the moment I chose to be Ling Family¡¯s guard.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Ling Zhang stood up and said, ¡°Brother Liu, you are so loyal. Let me tell you the truth. If Ling Family wants to live, we must kill Zhang Chong who is our enemy. We will have more frictions with him in the future. You¡¯d better be prepared.¡±


    ¡°The reason why I let you come is that I heard you had explored Tanyang¡¯s Prefecture Guard Station. Did you find anything special?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Liu Yi understood Ling Zhang¡¯s thought. He thought for a moment before replying, ¡°I once sneaked into its periphery to search at night. And I found a group of people acting suspiciously went to the station. Although they were in casual wear, their behaviour was like bandits.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure they are bandits?¡± Ling Zhang asked quickly.


    Liu Yi thought back again and said more firmly this time, ¡°I think it is most likely true.¡±


    Even though Ling Zhang had believed the Prefecture Guard colluded with the bandits living in mountains, he didn¡¯t find any hard evidences. At present, he finally knew that they connected in the dead of night.


    Zhang Chong would definitely lose his power if Ling Zhang caught them when they were together with bandits or got tangible proofs about the Prefecture Guard collaborating with bandits.


    ¡°Brother Liu, I want you and Captain Wang to do something.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Young master, please tell me.¡± Liu Yi said.


    ¡°I want you and Captain Wang to stay at the Prefecture Guard¡¯s Station at night. If someone like bandits appears again, you should follow them to find where they are from.¡± Ling Zhang told him.


    Liu Yi agreed immediately, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You might have to watch them for a long time. Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me if you have any problems. I will solve them all for you.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Young master, don¡¯t worry. I often served as a bodyguard on a journey and walked at night many times before. We are all good at Kung Fu. And we can do it in turn.¡± Liu Yi said.


    *


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling wrote a letter to Xiafeng to let him check the background of Liu Yi, the new guard.¡± Yao Yi told Yuwen Tong instantly what he had found as soon as Yuwen Tong came back.


    Yuwen Tong nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling investigates the guards so cautiously. Is he planning anything?¡± Yao Yi asked.


    When Yao Yi mentioned Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong¡¯s face turned soft. He said, ¡°Ling Family¡¯s situation now is not good. He checks all the servants and guards because he is afraid someone seek chances to harm Ling Family.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. The people making a scene at the gate just now must be instigated by someone.¡± Yao Yi said.


    Yuwen Tong took a look at him and asked, ¡°Since you know someone wants to wrong Ling Family, don¡¯t you know what to do next?¡±


    Yao Yi was stunned for a while before he began to understand Yuwen Tong¡¯s meaning. He said, ¡°I will let our people investigate it soon!¡±


    Yuwen Tong drew back his sight satisfactorily and said, ¡°Zhang Chong traded with Jia Family today. It isn¡¯t a big deal. But they have traded many things for two years, which can enable them to produce a large number of weapons and other military supplies. Zhang Chong must hide them in a place. We should find it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Jia Family records each deal with Zhang Chong in a book. The book is very important. Find it. You are not familiar with the fake account book. Tell Yue Qi to inform Xiao Liu that he should come to Tanyang quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Get it done soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Yao Yi left, Yuwen Tong took a writing brush and wrote all the herbs that the medicated bath needed to dredge main and collateral channels. After that, he also wanted to add something. But he finally stopped writing after thinking for a moment. He murmured, ¡°I¡¯d better teach him personally about this kind of thing.¡±


    Some light flashed in his eyes when he thought about something.


    Folding the prescription, he stood up and went out.


    Ling Zhang began to prepare the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve after he assigned the task to Liu Yi and Wang Dashan. There were twelve guards in Ling Family when Liu Yi came. Ling Zhang believed Liu Yi was reliable. He had asked Xia Feng to investigate Liu Yi, just in case. After getting Xia Feng¡¯s letter, he would teach them the Formation.


    Twelve people stood in twelve different directions with twelve variations, which needed much time to let them learn it completely.


    Which variation they should know first? Ling Zhang pondered as he painted twelve changes on the paper.


    ¡°Young master, Lord Yuwen comes.¡± A servant outside the study said.


    Ling Zhang stopped drawing quickly and used a white paper to cover it.


    He just saw Yuwen Tong. Why did Yuwen Tong come to see him again?


    ¡°Let him in.¡± Ling Zhang stood up and left the desk.


    Yuwen Tong came from outside. His hands were behind him and seemed to be holding something.


    ¡°This is the prescript. Take it and prepare all the medical materials mentioned in it. After that, we can begin to dredge your main and collateral channels.¡±


    Ling Zhang took it and read carefully. It was easy to get them except a few kinds of herbs.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better have a medical bath seven times, which is an uncomfortable process. I hope you won¡¯t complain at that time.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t bear it and blame you, I won¡¯t be worth your help. You can stop helping me at that time.¡± Ling Zhang said calmly.


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see.¡±


    As they spoke, Yuwen Tong glanced at Ling Zhang¡¯s desk casually. A thin wind blew through the window and snatched at the upper paper, showing a half of the formation drawing. The ink was still fresh. Yuwen Tong paused to look at it for a moment. Then he looked away as if nothing had happened before Ling Zhang could notice.


    Although he just saw a half of it, Yuwen Tong knew it was a subtle formation. It was different from the Yuwen Family¡¯s formation carried on from generation to generation because it had something more.


    To his surprise, Ling Zhang knew the very great formation.


    Yuwen Tong was lost in thought. He looked at the study secretly when talking with Ling Zhang. But he didn¡¯t find anything about formation besides the formation drawing.


    According to what he heard and saw in Tanyang, people from Ling Mansion didn¡¯t know that Ling Zhang mastered formation. It might either because Ling Zhang hided it or because Ling Family concealed it intentionally. So no one knew it.


    Well, he must check Ling Family¡¯s history and background seriously.


    Yuwen Tong stopped thinking these speculations and confusions temporarily. He asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Do you know who asked these people to make trouble in front of the gate today?¡±


    ¡°It must be Jia Family and Zhang Chong. Jia Family is always jealous about my uncle¡¯s position, which is the contradiction between our family and Jia Family. They make trouble to Ling Family at this time because my uncle will be promoted to the Left Tongzhi and people from Lu Family will replace his position to be the Right Tongzhi. As a result, Jia Family still can¡¯t find the chance to get it. Then they become desperate.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°I get it. What about Lu Family?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°Lu Family is also famous in Tanyang. Its head, Lu Kui, is my uncle¡¯s close friend and now is the County Magistrate of Wu County. He will be promoted to the Right Tongzhi this time.¡± Ling Zhang explained.


    At the mention of that, Ling Zhang inevitably thought of the miserable condition that the entire Lu Family was killed in his last life.


    He realized that Lu Kui taking the position of Right Tongzhi was also a reason why the murderers killed Lu Family.


    ¡°Lu Family also has a herb plantation in the east of city, which is a little smaller than ours.¡± Ling Zhang continued.


    Yuwen Tong nodded, ¡°Since they have this intention and fail this time, they will surely think of another way to make trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I know. There will be more troubles before my uncle becomes the Left Tongzhi. Do you want to live in another place? If your identity is exposed, you will be hard to check Zhang Chong secretly.¡±


    ¡°No, I like it here.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang touched the top of his finger slightly. Yuwen Tong¡¯s words made him comfortable even though he didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°Besides, if I live here, I can help you in time if something happens. Don¡¯t you want me to help you?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Ling Zhang paused for a while and said, ¡°Do you think I will dislike such a big patron?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m shocked that you admit I am a big patron.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face tightened a little. He didn¡¯t want to say that at all. But admitted or not, he was not so wary of Yuwen Tong these days.


    In addition, it didn¡¯t need him to admit Yuwen Tong¡¯s power..

 Chapter 67 - Would You Like to Go to the Capital with Me? To Meet Marshal Yuwen.

    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t conceal the news that I¡¯ve come to Tanyang from those in the capital for long. People in Tanyang will also hear it within half a month at the latest.¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised to ask, ¡°Do we only have half a month?¡±


    Yuwen Tong agreed slightly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ling Zhang frowned and looked at him. Half a month was too quick but they still had many things to do.


    ¡°Half a month is enough.¡± Yuwen Tong said. He seemed to know what was on Ling Zhang¡®s mind.


    ¡°What we should do now is to find hard evidences to catch Zhang Chong, Imperial Concubine Shu, the Sixth Prince and their partners off guard. We don¡¯t need to put up a desperate fight with Zhang Chong. The hidden weapons, the account books about trading with Jia Family, collusion with bandits and the secret routes are what we need to find.¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    Ling Zhang could understand that they should find weapons, books about Jia Family¡¯s trades and collusion with bandits. But what was the secret route? Was that the reason why Yuwen Tong believed Zhang Chong threatened the imperial power and the reason that led the emperor to dispatch army to kill bandits and Zhang Chong?


    ¡°I will tell you after I find hard evidences.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    So Yuwen Tong had already come up with a plan to deal with Zhang Chong?


    ¡°I need to tell you something.¡± Ling Zhang told him Liu Yi¡¯s words and said, ¡°I asked Liu Yi and Wang Dashan to watch it. If they find the bandits, they will follow them to see where they come from.¡±


    Ling Zhang wanted to check it by himself. But they didn¡¯t have much time. So he thought he¡¯d better let Yuwen Tong know about it.


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows. He finally knew Ling Zhang¡¯s intention to let Liu Yi and Wang Dashan to watch.


    ¡°They are all good at Kung Fu. It¡¯s okay to let them do it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought, since Ling Zhang believed in Liu Yi and Wang Dashan, it was not bad to let them have a try. Anyway, Yuwen Tong had asked his people to watch too. Nothing could go wrong.


    ¡°Formation?¡± Yao Yi was confused, ¡°I never heard that Ling Family was good at formation.¡±


    ¡°Just do as I told. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll investigate it right now.¡± Yao Yi went out soon.


    After Yao Yi left, Yuwen Tong used his brush to draw the half of the formation drawing he saw in Ling Zhang¡¯s study. And he could remember all the details with just a glance. Ling Zhang would be so shocked if he were here. Because Yuwen Tong had such a good memory!


    Looking at the formation drawing, Yuwen Tong had to praise its subtlety even though he just saw the half of it. By virtue of his profound knowledge about formation, he observed it and thought for a moment before he began to draw the other half of it.


    What he drew was the same as Ling Zhang¡¯s formation drawing!


    ¡°Great.¡± Yuwen Tong looked at the formation drawing and murmured, ¡°But¡­ it must be changeable. It won¡¯t be hard to destroy the formation if twelve people stand in fixed positions. Only the moving formation can be the true one.¡±


    Then he even painted another formation. Twelve people changed their places in it.


    He didn¡¯t stop until he drew eight different ones.


    Ling Zhang would be so surprised if he were here at this time.


    Yuwen Tong still wanted to continue. But he stopped before painting a new one. He muttered to himself, ¡°I have to let my men perform it first. Then I can find the rest variations of it.¡±


    ¡°Twelve¡­ Ling Family has twenty-four guards, which can form two sets of formation. Is it just a coincidence?¡± Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows. No wonder Ling Zhang checked these guards so clearly. He must want to use them to practice the formation. After thinking about it, Yuwen Tong burnt all the eight drawings.


    Such a great formation must make a difference in war. He had never heard of this kind of formation. Where did Ling Zhang or Ling Family learn it?


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Brother Tao, sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± Ling Zhang went to the front hall in a hurry.


    Tao Yi suddenly came. Ling Zhang was afraid that Yuwen Tong was found. So he asked the servant to bring Tao Yi to the front hall. Then he ran here quickly.


    Tao Yi was bored to sit there. Seeing Ling Zhang, he said happily, ¡°You finally come. What are you up to in your yard?¡±


    ¡°Just checking some account books. I come right after hearing you are here.¡± Ling Zhang said. He of course didn¡¯t check books. But Yuwen Tong was in his study and it would be impolite let him leave. After Yuwen Tong finally left, Ling Zhang walked here quickly.


    ¡°Why do you come to see me?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some secrets.¡± Tao Yi smiled mysteriously, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the restaurant. We can chat and drink.¡±


    ¡°Brother Tao, since it is a secret, it¡¯s not good to say outside. If you want to drink, I will ask the servant to prepare something good.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Tao Yi complained, ¡°It¡¯s boring to stay at home. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve ordered a room in restaurant and no one will bother us. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless and had to go out with Tao Yi. They went to the Fengtai Restaurant again.


    Entering the room, they ordered wine and dishes. After closing the door, Tao Yi said, ¡°I heard from the capital that Marshal Yuwen would come back to report on his work this year. Well, do you want to go to the capital with me?¡± Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say. Tao Yi just wanted to tell him this secret?


    Why should he go to the capital to see Yuwen Tong specially?


    Yuwen Tong was in his house! If he were Tao Yi, he wouldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Brother Tao, why do you invite me to go to the capital city with you?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°You like Marshal Yuwen very much, right? Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡± Tao Yi said.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s feeling was complex. When did he say that he liked Yuwen Tong? Did Tao Yi become really stupid?


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ling Zhang suddenly stopped, if he said he didn¡¯t like Yuwen Tong, Tao Yi must argue with him. Besides, Yuwen Tong was the great marshal and the God of Army. It might be true that some people didn¡¯t care about him. But it would be a little strange if Ling Zhang hated him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to. But my uncle suddenly asked me to manage the herbs plantation. So I¡¯m busy every day and have no time to leave.¡± Ling Zhang said with regret.


    Tao Yi was disappointed, ¡°Why do you suddenly run the herbs plantation? Why doesn¡¯t your uncle urge you to study and achieve the first place in the Imperial Examination?¡±


    Ling Zhang explained, ¡°You know that I worry about my family¡¯s situation. My family has conflict with Zhang Chong and Jia Family. At present, I can¡¯t focus on studying.¡± If he couldn¡¯t revenge and survive, it would be useless to achieve the first place in the Imperial Examination.


    Thinking of Ling Family¡¯s situation, Tao Yi sighed, ¡°Yes. Zhang Chong turned more arrogant recently. Few days ago, Jia Zhong called many County Magistrates to send gifts to Zhang Chong, which made my father so angry. Jia Yuanling¡¯s thing just finished. But Jia Family forgave Zhang Chong so fast.¡±


    ¡°Did Jia Yin go?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°Jia Yin? He stays at home and refuses to see anyone.¡± Tao Yi said.


    ¡°So there must be some hard feelings between them.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°You are right.¡± Tao Yi nodded.


    ¡°You really won¡¯t go to the capital with me?¡± Tao Yi asked him again to make sure.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Brother Tao, you just came back to Tanyang. Will you go to the capital so quickly?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go back so fast. But Marshal Yuwen is coming back. I have to go there as soon as possible. Maybe I can see him once.¡± Tao Yi said.


    Ling Zhang looked at him silently. A long time later, he began to say, ¡°Brother Tao, you are behaving like a young girl yearning for love.¡±


    Tao Yi spitted out a mouthful of wine and was almost choked to death. He corrected, ¡°What are you talking about? I just admire him.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him quietly and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Putting down the drinking glasses, Tao Yi said, ¡°You also like Marshal Yuwen, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Come on! How did Tao Yi find he liked Yuwen Tong? He just echoed Tao Yi at that time and didn¡¯t say more. Ling Zhang looked expressionless but was speechless in heart.


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen won¡¯t run away. You will see him even if you go back late. Why are you leaving in such haste?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°You are wrong. Marshal Yuwen will really run away.¡± Tao Yi said mysteriously, ¡°You don¡¯t know. Marshal Yuwen never stayed at the capital more than ten days each time when he goes back to report on his work. He will sure leave on the tenth day. And his reason is so perfect every time that even the emperor can¡¯t refuse him.¡±


    Ten days? Ling Zhang was stunned slightly. Yuwen Tong always stayed at the capital for less than ten days. Why?


    Ling Zhang thought of something in his mind. But before he caught it, Tao Yi said again, ¡°In addition, I heard that Marshal Yuwen didn¡¯t have a good relationship with his family. So he didn¡¯t want to stay at the capital for a long time.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get on well with his family?


    ¡°His uncle¡¯s family are his only relatives and he doesn¡¯t have any other elders to control him. How can he have a bad relationship with his family?¡± Ling Zhang was confused.


    Tao Yi looked at him and joked, ¡°Look, you also know about his family situation so clearly. How daredyou tease me just now?¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless.


    Yuwen Tong told him that. He didn¡¯t try to know Yuwen Tong¡¯s family at all!


    But he couldn¡¯t explain it. Otherwise Yuwen Tong would be exposed.


    Tao Yi laughed in a strange manner. He said, ¡°I find that you are not honest. You look uninterested in him. But you hear about his situation secretly.¡±


    Ling Zhang interrupted him with his emotionless face, ¡°Brother Tao, I have to go back.¡±


    Then he prepared to stand up.


    Tao Yi stopped him immediately and said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t joke you again. You can still like him secretly.¡±


    Ling Zhang almost lifted the table out of anger.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know why he has a bad relationship with his family. Yuwen Family always concealed it. But¡­¡± Tao Yi hesitated.


    ¡°Complicated?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really true. Well, Marshal Yuwen¡¯s uncle, Yuwen Zhi, is a little arrogant. He looks at others in a condescending way, which makes people uncomfortable. He is totally different from Marshal Yuwen. I feel it is not strange that he can¡¯t get on well with Marshal Yuwen.¡± Tao Yi said.


    ¡°Have you ever made contact with his uncle?¡± Ling Zhang asked. Tao Yi¡¯s words reminded him of the servants of Yuwen Family in his last life. He felt disgusted suddenly.


    ¡°How could I have any dealings with him? I just saw him in some occasions. But I was unpleasant each time. If you have an opportunity to go to the capital and see him, you¡¯d better avoid him.¡± Tao Yi said.

 Chapter 68 - Telling Stories About Marshal Yuwen

    Chapter 68: Telling Stories About Marshal Yuwen


    Tao Yi decided to go to the capital city two days later. Seeing Tao Yi was so excited, Ling Zhang regretted a little. But he couldn¡¯t tell Tao Yi the truth that he wouldn¡¯t see Yuwen Tong even if he went to the capital right now.


    Yuwen Tong guessed that the news he was in Tanyang might spread out in the capital soon. Tao Yi would spit out blood with anger when he knew it.


    Ling Maomao came back from school when Ling Zhang and Tao were in the restaurant. He rushed to Ling Zhang¡¯s yard with his big dog, Ada, and shouted, ¡°Elder brother! Elder brother!¡±


    ¡°Second young master,¡± A servant said, ¡°First young master is not here.¡±


    ¡°Where is my elder brother?¡± Ling Maomao asked.


    The servant didn¡¯t know Ling Zhang went to see Tao Yi. So he answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know, either. He is out for an hour.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes lit up suddenly. He said, ¡°I know. He must have gone to see Brother Yuwen.¡±


    After that, he ran out of Ling Zhang¡¯s yard and to the Green Bamboo Mansion with Ada hurriedly. The gatekeepers didn¡¯t stop Ling Maomao and Ada. After all, Marshal Yuwen had already told them that Ling Zhang and Ling Maomao could enter directly without his permission.


    ¡°Elder brother! Brother Yuwen!¡± Ling Maomao shouted as he ran.


    Yuwen Tong heard it and went out. He asked, ¡°Maomao, looking for your elder brother?¡±


    ¡°Brother Yuwen, is my elder brother here?¡± Ling Maomao ran to ask him. Ada ran fast behind him. But it stopped as soon as it saw Yuwen Tong and stood behind Ling Maomao, daring not to come close to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Your elder brother went out. Someone wanted to see him.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Ah? Who is it?¡± Ling Maomao looked so disappointed.


    ¡°Tao Yi.¡± Yuwen Tong answered.


    ¡°Oh. Brother Tao? Then they must be drinking in Fengtai Restaurant now.¡± Ling Maomao said.


    Drinking? Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°You call him Brother Tao. Are you familiar with him?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°Brother Tao is my elder brother¡¯s friend. I don¡¯t know him well. But he is a good man because he always tells me stories about Marshal Yuwen.¡±


    It was interesting that Tao Yi told Marshal Yuwen¡¯s stories to Ling Maomao. Yuwen Tong touched his chin.


    ¡°What did he tell you? Would you like to share with me? I also heard some of his stories. If yours are great, I will tell you what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes lit up quickly, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I never lie.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Maomao told Yuwen Tong in haste that he and Ling Zhang met Tao Yi when they walked on the street the other day. He said, ¡°Brother Tao said that Marshal Yuwen is more handsome than the dough figurine my elder brother bought for me!¡±


    Yuwen Tong curled the corner of his mouth. He felt that he found another character of Ling Zhang. To his surprise, Ling Zhang actually bought a dough figurine of him for Maomao.


    ¡°He is right. I¡­ Marshal Yuwen is more handsome and stronger than the little dough figurine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you that. You should tell me stories about Marshal Yuwen!¡± Ling Maomao urged.


    ¡°Okay. Come here and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Yuwen Tong brought him into the house.


    Ling Maomao followed and sat on the chair obediently, looking at Yuwen Tong with expectation.


    ¡°What do you want to hear?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°I want to hear everything about him!¡± Ling Maomao said loudly.


    ¡°There are so many stories. You are too young to hear the bloody facts in war. I¡¯ll tell you a story about how scared the enemies got when seeing Marshal Yuwen.¡± Yuwen Tong said without any shame.


    ¡°Okay, great.¡± ¡°Do you know Wan Country?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡°Yes. It is our enemy with wild ambition.¡± Ling Maomao answered.


    ¡°You are right. There was a general called Chen Feng in Wan Country. He was is empress¡¯s younger brother and got his position with the help of his elder sister. He was a stupid fat man. But he was so arrogant and ambitious, craving for greatness and success. When he came to the front line, he dared to provoke me¡­ Marshal Yuwen on the first day. He claimed that he would behead Marshal Yuwen and take his head back to be rewarded.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Maomao gasped in astonishment and asked anxiously, ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen didn¡¯t say anything to him. He took an arrow and shot him directly. The arrow went straight into his hair, bruising his scalp. His blood fell down, which frightened him so that he wetted his pants. Then he tumbled off a horse and his fat body didn¡¯t stop after rolling several times. Everyone was laughing at him.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Wow. Marshal Yuwen is so great!¡± Ling Maomao said with his shiny eyes.


    Yuwen Tong was happy in his heart. He asked, ¡°Guess what happened next?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ling Maomao asked him quickly.


    ¡°Chen Feng suffered from a serious illness when he went back, which made him become thin. Then he escaped to the capital if Wan Country as soon as he recovered.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Ah? He ran away.¡± Ling Maomao said disappointingly.


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen did that intentionally.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ling Maomao couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°Although Chen Feng was a fool, he had an elder sister who loved him so much. In order to avenge him, she vilified Xue Chi, the general of Wan Country, in front of the emperor. Xue Chi was in frontier at that time. Then he lost his position and went back to stay at home in Wan Country.¡± Yuwen Tong explained.


    Ling Maomao did not fully understand. He asked, ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    ¡°Later, the new general of Wan Country was worse than Xue Chi and was killed by Marshal Yuwen.¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    Ling Maomao was shocked. Then he finally understood it and praised, ¡°Marshal Yuwen is so clever!¡±


    ¡°He is not bad.¡± Yuwen Tong was not humble at all.


    ¡°You told him that. What if he inadvertently disclosed that to others?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s voice came from the door.


    Yuwen Tong turned back and looked at him, ¡°What do you think of the story?¡±


    Ling Zhang walked into the house and said, ¡°Great.¡±


    Hearing it, Yuwen Tong felt he was happier than hearing Ling Maomao¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Maomao, you can¡¯t tell others the story Brother Yuwen just told you. Do you understand?¡± Ling Zhang said in a serious tone.


    Ling Maomao nodded, ¡°I get it. I won¡¯t tell others.¡±


    ¡°Brother Yuwen, do you know other stories?¡± He looked at Yuwen Tong with expectations.


    Yuwen Tong took a look at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Only story a day. I need some time to recall them¡±


    Ling Maomao was a little disappointed, but also pleasant when he knew that he could hear a story every day. He promised, ¡°I¡¯ll come here every day.¡±


    ¡°Maomao, you can¡¯t always come to bother Brother Yuwen.¡± Ling Zhang looked at him seriously.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I will ask people to tell him if I am busy.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang looked at him disapprovingly. But he didn¡¯t have the heart to turn down Ling Maomao¡¯s request when seeing the expectation in his eyes. So he had to agree with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Elder brother, when did you come back?¡± Ling Maomao asked.


    ¡°I came back when you were immersed in the story.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°I have a day off tomorrow. Let¡¯s go out to play!¡± Ling Maomao suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy tomorrow. I have no time to play with you.¡± Ling Zhang said. Yuwen Tong said they had only half a month. So he had to make some arrangements.


    ¡°What are you busy with?¡± Ling Maomao was a bit disappointed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe outside recently. Let¡¯s go out next time. I will ask the kitchen to prepare your favorite dessert tomorrow.¡± Ling Zhang comforted him.


    ¡°Okay. Why is it dangerous outside?¡± Ling Maomao asked.


    ¡°There are some bad guys.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Ling Maomao asked again.


    ¡°They want to harm our Ling Family.¡± Ling Zhang explained.


    Ling Maomao was shocked. Did anyone plan to hurt Ling Family?


    ¡°So you should be vigilant when at school. You can¡¯t walk around. When seeing strangers, you should avoid and ignore them. Do you understand? You¡¯d better stay with guards and servants. Don¡¯t be out of their sights.¡± Ling Zhang told him.


    Seeing his elder brother¡¯s serious attitude, Ling Maomao didn¡¯t dare to refuse.


    After staying at Yuwen Tong¡¯s house for a short time, he finally left with Ada.


    ¡°The story that you told Maomao¡­ is it real?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Of course it is.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°What happened after the new general was killed?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°The Wan Country sends emissary to sue for peace. They will arrive at the capital soon.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang finally understood that Yuwen Tong¡¯s story was about the war this time.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Chen Feng because you believed he would let his elder sister try to get Xue Chi back?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Yuwen Tong poured a cup of tea and drank it before saying, ¡°I was not sure. But I thought it would probably happen. Besides Chen Feng, Chen Family has always wanted to aim at Xue Chi. The emperor of Wan Country was afraid that Xue Chi would threaten his power because he had got military power for a long time. The two parties wanted to weaken Xue Chi. But they didn¡¯t find an opportunity. And Chen Feng was the opportunity I offered to them.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Wan Country dared to change the general in the war just because of such a ridiculous matter.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Yuwen Tong smiled mysteriously, ¡°Wan Country might be stupid sometimes. But it is also clever.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°After that, our emperor would definitely insist on asking me to stay in the capital. Wan Country doesn¡¯t want me to go back to frontier, either. They sue for peace this time, but their true intention is to frame me up before our emperor. Our old emperor has a very suspicious mind. My military exploit is so high that he can¡¯t sleep well. With the instigation of Wan Country, it won¡¯t be long before he schemes something to find fault with me.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang was shocked, ¡°Why did you come to Tanyang? You should go back to the capital soon.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang was worried about him, Yuwen Tong felt quite happy in his heart. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He always wants to let me stay in the capital. But he never succeeded. No one can make me stay in the capital if I want to leave.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a long sign of relief, ¡°But how do you resolve this problem?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan. We just have to be patient.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    What was all that secrecy about? But Ling Zhang was assured by Yuwen Tong¡¯s confident attitude.


    ¡°Nevertheless, he is the emperor, the most powerful man in our country. If he decides to do you harm, how could you avoid it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°The imperial power sometimes is nothing.¡±


    Then his face changed suddenly. He said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Since you worry about me, why don¡¯t you go to the capital with me?¡±


    Ling Zhang was stunned. ¡®Go to the capital with Yuwen Tong?¡¯

 Chapter 69 - It Wasnt Proper

    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t expect that Yuwen Tong would invite him to go to the capital. After all, their relationship was not that good.


    ¡°It is not proper for me to go to the capital with you.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it proper?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Why? Ling Zhang slightly frowned. He didn¡¯t have any relationship with Yuwen Tong. How could he go to the capital with him?


    In this life, Yuwen Tong came to Tanyang. He said that he remembered the favor and was willing to help Ling Family. Ling Zhang appreciated that. However, besides that, there was only an awkward marriage contract between them.


    Ling Zhang turned his head and didn¡¯t look at Yuwen Tong, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later.¡±


    After he finished Zhang Chong, he could go everywhere he wanted. He didn¡¯t need to go to the capital.


    Yuwen Tong looked a little serious in his eyes. Ling Zhang¡¯s passive attitude showed that he didn¡¯t want to go to capital with him. Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude to him had softened obviously. But he still rejected. Why? At night, the delicious dinner was still put on the front hall. Ling Xingzhong was more and more satisfied with Yuwen Tong. And even Ling Zhaowen became kinder to Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Maomao called Brother Yuwen frequently because of the stories about Marshal Yuwen. Ling Maomao even wanted to sit next to him but was stopped by his father.


    Ling Zhang was the most silent person. Ling Zhaowen took a look at him, hinting Ling Zhang with his eyes to talk something more. But Ling Zhang pretended not to see it.


    Ling Zhaowen was speechless.


    Yuwen Tong glanced at Ling Zhang, his face unchanged but the look in his eyes getting profound.


    ¡°Zhang, what¡¯s your opinion? Tell me.¡± After dinner, Ling Xingzhong called Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen to his yard. Then he asked Ling Zhang his view about the engagement with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Grandpa, I still want to break it.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Why? I think you get on well with him these days.¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°I treat him as my elder brother. But it doesn¡¯t mean I will marry him. Grandpa, we have reached an agreement, right? Why do you want me to marry Yuwen Tong now?¡± Ling Zhang said and his tone became a little serious.


    Seeing he got angry, Ling Xingzhong was somewhat shocked, ¡°Zhang, you dislike him so much?¡±


    Did he dislike Yuwen Tong? Ling Zhang was not sure about that. But he couldn¡¯t forgive Yuwen Tong completely at present. How could he have time to think if he liked Yuwen Tong or not?


    Ling Zhang turned silent and he didn¡¯t look well. Seeing that, Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°Zhang, something might not be true.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s feeling was complicated. His uncle believed what he said was just a dream not something that had really happened in his last life.


    ¡°Grandpa, uncle, are you sure that Yuwen Tong wants to marry me?¡± Ling Zhang sneered slightly.


    Ling Xingzhong looked at him in confusion, ¡°Yuwen Tong never mentions that he wants to break off the engagement. He also gets on well with you. It has showed his attitude.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s merely your wishful thinking.¡± Ling Zhang refuted.


    ¡°Zhang, watch your tongue,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath and looked at Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen seriously, ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to maintain the engagement. Grandpa, uncle, please respect my thought.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Ling Xingzhong looked at him for a long time. He finally sighed, ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t force you if you reject it. In terms of marshal¡¯s attitude, he will live in Tanyang for a while. During this period, you can have more with him. If you still don¡¯t want to marry him by the time he leaves, I will tell him.¡±


    Ling Zhang was silent for a moment. Then he nodded, ¡°All right. Thank you, grandpa.¡±


    His grandpa didn¡¯t want to give up. But he wouldn¡¯t change his mind, either.


    Yuwen Tong was kind to him and was willing to help him to defeat Zhang Chong. In addition, he took initiative to dredge his collateral channels and invited him to go to the capital together. He even said that he didn¡¯t agree to break off the engagement.


    Besides, he said that he helped Ling Family because he wanted to requite favors.


    But in his last life, Yuwen Family broke the engagement directly and didn¡¯t offer a hand when Ling Family was in danger.


    So he still had many doubts in his mind and didn¡¯t know what Yuwen Tong was thinking about.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t care about his marriage because he just wanted to revenge.


    ¡°Go back. I heard that you slept late these days. You¡¯d better go to bed early today.¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°I know.¡± Ling Zhang said. Then he said good-bye to Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen.


    Seeing Ling Zhang going away, Ling Zhaowen asked Ling Xingzhong, ¡°Father, let¡¯s give up if Zhang doesn¡¯t want it.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong sighed, ¡°I agreed to break off the engagement because Yuwen Family has never mentioned it for all these years. So it took it that they didn¡¯t take it seriously. But now Yuwen Tong comes to Tanyang and takes a fancy to Zhang. If they can get married, it will be a good thing for Zhang.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Although you never told me anything, I am not blind or deaf. The situation of our Ling Family in Tanyang is not good. If Yuwen Family supports us, these problems will be solved easily. Yuwen Tong is powerful enough, and he has the ability to protect Zhang.¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    ¡°Protect? Zhang is also a man. I don¡¯t believe he needs others¡¯ protection.¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    ¡°How stupid you are. Do you forget the background of Zhang¡¯s mother? Zhang needs a powerful backing, in case it is exposed one day.¡± Ling Xingzhong said.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face changed instantly and he said after quite a while of silence, ¡°Father, I finally understand your intentions.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong snorted, ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that it was you who told Zhang about his engagement with Yuwen Family? At that time, as your father, I didn¡¯t want to reveal it. But you even dared to tell Zhang something about his mother. If I didn¡¯t stop you in time, the situation now will be terrible.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen looked embarrassed, ¡°Father!¡±


    Oh god, he didn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang about the engagement. But he couldn¡¯t tell his father that Ling Zhang learned it from a dream.


    However¡­


    ¡°Father, I can¡¯t understand. Why did you stop me? He will know it sooner or later. He can prepare for it early if we tell him. Otherwise he might be taken by surprise.¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    ¡°Alas, let¡¯s talk about it later.¡± Ling Xingzhong sighed.


    Ling Zhaowen was speechless but didn¡¯t dare to disobey his father. So he had to give up.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t realize what his grandpa and uncle were talking about after he left. Tao Yi invited him to see Marshal Yuwen in the capital first. Then Yuwen Tong wanted him to go to the capital together. Now his grandpa and uncle also wanted him to marry Yuwen Tong. Why did everyone believe that he liked Yuwen Tong?


    Where on earth did they find he liked Yuwen Tong?


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face changed many times. He kept silent in the yard. Then he raised his head to see the moon overhead.


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling has stood in the yard for a long time.¡± Someone instantly reported to Yuwen Tong in the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    Yuwen Tong remained silent for a while. Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen called Ling Zhang to have a talk after dinner. Although Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t hear their words, he could guess it according to Ling Xingzhong¡¯s passionate attitude toward him at the dinner.


    ¡°Yao Yi, he feels it is inappropriate to go to the capital with me. Why would he think so?¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly asked Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi was dazed for a moment. He didn¡¯t know how to answer this question, either. Long time later, he faltered, ¡°Maybe Childe Ling thinks he is not familiar with you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took a look at him and said, ¡°I appear in front of him every day. Is it not enough?¡±


    Yao Yi felt the pressure and explained, ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s just a guess.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face turned dark quickly. He complained, ¡°Then you can just keep mute.¡±


    Yao Yi closed his mouth soon and didn¡¯t dare to say a word. He was bitter in his heart. Marshal asked it! How could marshal blame him when he couldn¡¯t give a proper answer? He didn¡¯t have any engagement with Childe Ling!


    Well, hold on, did marshal mean that he wanted to take Childe Ling to get married in the capital?


    Did marshal really want to marry Childe Ling?


    Yao Yi became excited instantly. He asked, ¡°Marshal, will Childe Ling become our Mrs. Marshal?¡±


    Yuwen Tong paused for a while. Mrs. Marshal?


    That sounded great.


    ¡°Got a problem with that?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him coldly.


    ¡°Of course not. I couldn¡¯t agree more if you like him. And Childe Ling is good-looking and has a good temper. He is also kind to others, which is different from other arrogant noble ladies. Lord Ling once helped our old marshal. You also have an engagement. It¡¯s a good thing that you get married with him!¡± Yao Yi said soon without any hesitation.


    Yuwen Tong snorted coldly and was finally satisfied.


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling is still standing there. It is colder than last night.¡± The person came in to report again.


    Yuwen Tong frowned and finally went out.


    Ling Zhang was thinking about his engagement with Yuwen Tong. Seeing the moon, he gradually started to think of other things and forgot where he was.


    He didn¡¯t come back to himself until his body felt warm.


    A cloak was put on him.


    He turned his head and saw Yuwen Tong standing behind him.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? You almost become a stone.¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang wanted to give the cloak back to him. But Yuwen Tong stopped him and said, ¡°You should either go back to your house or wear it.¡±


    Ling Zhang pursed his lips and turned to walk to his house. His feet were a little rigid because of the long standing. So he walked slowly.


    Ling Zhang took off his cloak and handed it to Yuwen Tong after arriving at the door of his house.


    Yuwen Tong took a look at the cloak in his hand and held it. He asked, ¡°Did your grandpa say anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I was just lost in thought suddenly. How do you know I was standing in the yard?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t answer. But Ling Zhang had guessed it. He looked at the house next to him and said, ¡°I almost forgot you have a group of great guards.¡±


    ¡°If it is related to me, I hope you tell me directly.¡± Yuwen Tong stared at him.


    ¡°Will you break off the engagement if I tell you?¡± Ling Zhang also looked at him.


    It was truly about the engagement. Yuwen Tong thought. Then he answered quickly, ¡°No.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him for a long time quietly and said, ¡°Then you¡¯d better not ask me about it.¡±

 Chapter 70 - You Are Not Being Honest

    ¡°We can have a discussion about why you want to break off the engagement.¡± Yuwen Tong suggested.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°There is no reason. We are just not right for each other.¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head, ¡°No. I think we are.¡±


    Ling Zhang almost laughed in his exasperation due to him. Then his eyes turned cold, ¡°Are you serious? Answer me with your heart.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t think I need to tell a lie.¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him seriously.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang stretched out to close the door and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. You¡¯d better go back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong held the doors with his arms and asked, ¡°No one told you that you can¡¯t sidestep the problems?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure what you said to me is real?¡± Ling Zhang asked angrily.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve be struggling about? You think I¡¯m lying?¡± Yuwen Tong was a little mad, ¡°What makes you have such a false impression?¡±


    ¡°No. I was just asking casually.¡± Ling Zhang was discomposed at present. He shouldn¡¯t have asked the question. But he can¡¯t help it. Yuwen Tong forced him all the time. But he couldn¡¯t tell whether Yuwen Tong was willing to marry him or not.


    Yuwen Tong had treated him like that in his last life. But at present, Yuwen Tong changed his attitude just because they met earlier and no one vilified him. Yuwen Tong even claimed they were right for each other. How could Ling Zhang believe such a person?


    ¡°Ling Zhang, you are not being honest.¡± Yuwen Tong lowered his head to look at Ling Zhang. He stood near the door and blocked the scene outside. There was no light in the room. So Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t see his expression. But he could see Yuwen Tong¡¯s fierce and deep eyes clearly.


    Feeling the strong pressure and danger from Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help stepping backward.


    At the next moment, Ling Zhang felt the back of his waist was hugged by Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm. Then he was dragged into Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms.


    Feeling the warmth on his lips, Ling Zhang was stunned and became angry.


    When he tried to push Yuwen Tong away, Yuwen Tong had already left his lips. Lowering his head to look at Ling Zhang, he said, ¡°Well, I found you are really difficult to deal with. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worrying about. But if you are not sure, you can just wait and see what I¡¯ll do next.¡±


    ¡°Go to bed if you like. I will find you tomorrow.¡±


    Then Yuwen Tong loosened his arms and turned to leave.


    Ling Zhang stood there quietly watching him go away. He raised his hand to touch his lips and wiped it hard. Finally he stopped and stood in silence.


    Did he just need to see what Yuwen Tong would do?


    How could Yuwen Tong become so confident?


    ¡°Marshal, you come back.¡± Yao Yi and others were talking about something in the yard. They scattered as soon as they saw Yuwen Tong back, all wearing ingratiating smile.


    Yuwen Tong looked at them coldly, ¡°You got quite a nerve.¡±


    They dared to eavesdrop on his conversation with Ling Zhang.


    ¡°We¡­ We didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Yao Yi said.


    Yuwen Tong snorted coldly, ¡°Go away.¡±


    Yao Yi and others ran away quickly. In the twinkling of an eye, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t see a person in the yard.


    It was the first time for the guards to see their marshal fail. They couldn¡¯t bother their marshal at this time! However, Childe Ling definitely matched their marshal. He was so brave.


    ¡°Captain, should we help marshal?¡± Someone asked.


    Yao Yi turned to look at him and said, ¡°What can we do? Are you a moron? Marshal said that he can make it by himself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Marshal will peel off our skin if he knows we do something secretly.¡±


    ¡°Captain, we won¡¯t do anything to Childe Ling. Marshal is confused why Childe Ling doesn¡¯t trust him, right? We can investigate it.¡±


    ¡°Investigate?¡± Yao Yi thought of that letter marshal asked him to write to Yue Qi. Then he frowned and said, ¡°No need to rush. Let¡¯s wait for some time.¡±


    In the capital.


    ¡°Vice captain, there is a letter from Tanyang.¡±


    Yue Qi took the letter sent by his men and opened it, looking surprised before he burnt the letter.


    ¡°Come over here, we¡¯ve got an order from marshal.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Young master, everyone is here.¡± Wang Dashan called all the guards to come before dawn.


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°A few days later, I will teach you a set of formation, which is used to trap and kill enemies. It can take full use of your power to kill a person who is stronger than you easily.¡±


    Formation? Even Wang Dashan and Liu Yi were so shocked, let alone others.


    ¡°Young master, what kind of formation is it?¡± Wang Dashan asked after exchanging a glance with Liu Yi.


    ¡°You can call it Small Trapping and Killing Formation. It needs a good teamwork between you twelve. After the twelve guards come back from the herbs plantation, they should also practice it. When you all grasp it, it will become a Big Trapping and Killing Formation. At that time, you will be a strong troop.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Big Trapping and Killing Formation? Wang Dashan, Liu Yi and others were more astonished at what they just heard.


    ¡°Well, do you have anything else to ask?¡± Ling Zhang looked at them.


    ¡°Young master, at your service.¡± The guards said.


    ¡°Okay. I have to tell you in advance. We must practice many times to learn it as it requires good cooperation, which will be very hard. Everyone has to hang in there.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°Young master, don¡¯t worry. We can endure hardship.¡± Wang Dashan promised.


    ¡°Yes. We also practice very hard to learn Kung Fu. If the formation can kill people stronger than us like you said, we¡¯d like to have a try.¡± Liu Yi said.


    ¡°Yes. We are all willing to practice it.¡± Others also said.


    After screening all the guards and some of his tough way of handling matters, Ling Zhang was now highly respected by the guards.


    ¡°Good. Empty boasts are useless. I will know your resolution when you begin to practice. Now I need to know what you are good at. Don¡¯t hide it. Show me all your skills.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Although Ling Zhang came here to exercise every morning and almost knew what they were good at, he still wanted to observe it carefully.


    Wang Dashan quickly arranged everyone to show their Kung Fu to Ling Zhang.


    Some were good at boxing, some kicking, some could use knifes, some like swords, some whips, and others spears. Of course, by ¡®good at¡¯ it didn¡¯t mean that could compare with the soldiers of Yuwen Tong.


    After seeing it one by one, Ling Zhang remembered each one¡¯s advantage. Then he said, ¡°Besides that, I need to know whether you can work with each other well. Captain Wang, you are more familiar than me in that. Please.¡±


    Wang Dashan nodded, ¡°Please leave it to me.¡±


    The method that Wang Dashan came up with was really interesting, which included all twelve people. But their teamwork was so terrible.


    Ling Zhang frowned deeply.


    The guards were a little nervous when they saw Ling Zhang frowning.


    ¡°I knew your teamwork would be bad before practicing. But I never expected it would be so terrible. You¡¯d better try hard to train it before practicing the formation.¡±


    All guards didn¡¯t dare to make a noise.


    Wang Dashan said, ¡°Young master, I believe they will make progress if we give them some time.¡±


    ¡°Please give us some time.¡± Guards said.


    Ling Zhang agreed, ¡°I can give you time. But you must do it well.¡±


    ¡°From the teamwork test just now, I find some of you were quite rigid in cooperation. Are you on bad terms at ordinary times?¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at a few guards with his fierce eyes.


    The ones being stared looked awkward and didn¡¯t dare to meet Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s normal to have frictions. But we must resolve it. Now you can tell me. I hope I can mediate in your dispute.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    The guards were so embarrassed. Looking at each other, they faltered and didn¡¯t say a complete sentence.


    ¡°Is it hard to say?¡± Ling Zhang said, ¡°Well, others can leave now. You guys stay.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Liu Yi went away with others.


    Only the three persons and Wang Dashan left.


    ¡°Now you can tell me what happened.¡± Ling Zhang required.


    ¡°We, we¡­¡± One of them raised his hand to scratch his head and smiled awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s about a girl.¡±


    ¡°A girl?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Do you three like the same girl?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s not true. We were once in a brothel¡­¡± The man was too shameful to say with his red face.


    The brothel? Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes became fierce. He asked, ¡°You have a conflict due to a prostitute?¡±


    ¡°It has been such a long time. How could you still argue with each other about that?¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°Captain Wang, do you know it?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    ¡°Ha, sorry to let you know it. The three went to the same brothel on the same day. Then they all took a fancy to the same beautiful girl. In the end, the girl didn¡¯t choose any of them. But they fought with each other.¡± Wang Dashan said.


    ¡°You guys, tell me what happened.¡± Ling Zhang looked at the three men.


    The three men looked at each other. Then person at the right stood out and said, ¡°At the beginning, the girl wanted to stay with Qiu Bing. But Zhou Xiang wasn¡¯t happy and said he saw the girl first and he should get her. Qiu Bing didn¡¯t agree. He said that the girl had chosen him and Zhou Xiang couldn¡¯t grab her. Then Zhou Xiang blamed that he was too selfish. Gradually, they began to fight. I wanted to stop them. But they didn¡¯t listen to me and hit me. Finally, we three fought with each other. The girl also went away with someone else.¡± Both Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang lowered their heads out of embarrassment.


    ¡°Zhao Kun, you don¡¯t like that girl?¡± Wang Dashan asked.


    Zhao Kun said, ¡°The girl isn¡¯t so beautiful.¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless.


    ¡°Zhao Kun just wanted to help. But you two hit him. As friends gathered by fate, you two should apologize to him first.¡± Ling Zhang looked at Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang.


    Qiu Bing scratched his head and looked at Zhao Kun, apologizing, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to say sorry. But I feel shameful to say that.¡±


    Zhou Xiang also said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, grandson.¡±


    ¡°Grandson?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes became cold instantly and stared at Zhou Xiang.


    Zhou Xiang got a chill over his spine quickly and explained in a hurry, ¡°Young master, don¡¯t get me wrong. I didn¡¯t curse him. It is his nickname s. It¡¯s just a joke.¡±


    Zhao Kun snorted, ¡°You¡¯re just taking advantage of me. I will forgive you if I can punch each of you once.¡±

 Chapter 71 - Something About Your Uncle

    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang looked at each other, gnashing their teeth, and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chen hit them one by one without any unnecessary ceremony.


    ¡°Oops, you beat me so hard,¡± Zhou Xiang couldn¡¯t help but laugh after saying that.


    ¡°Great, it¡¯s settled then. All that has left is for you two to work things out,¡± Ling Zhang said, looking at Qiu Xiang and Zhou Bing meaningfully.


    Sensing the coldness in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang trembled, ¡°Young master?¡±


    ¡°Since you wanted to compete, then duke it out. Whatever the result is, I hope you don¡¯t haggle over the things happened in the brothel. An upright man should not do such a short-sighted thing ever. I am ashamed of what you have done. Don¡¯t bear any grudge if you lose, it must be because you are incompetent. All you can do is practice hard and win the next match.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang were a little relieved, but when they looked at each other again, their eyes were full of passion.


    They repressed themselves at the beginning of the competition because of Ling Zhang¡¯s presence. Neither of them used weapons, fighting hand to hand. They exchanged several rounds of fists and hit each other hard. Gradually, their anger rose and fought with their full might.


    Ling Zhang pulled a poker face while watching them fight but could barely hold back his impulse to roll his eyes as he didn¡¯t expect that these two men would fight this hard for a prostitute¡¯s favor. They must be having a real boring life.


    A fight was the best way for them to resolve the conflict. Anyway, there was no animosity between them.


    Gradually, the anger dissipated between Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang, instead that was a battle about winning and losing.


    Qiu Bing was thinner than Zhou Xiang, and more flexible; Zhou Xiang was not as flexible as Qiu Bing, but more powerful. In this hand-to-hand combat, Zhou Xiang gained the upper hand. They both threw a punch, and as their fists collided, Qiu Bing backed a few steps, while Zhou Xiang only took a step back.


    They both stopped, panting hard. And their face looked funny. Besides his flexibly, Qiu Bing also had sharp fingernails, which left bruises and scratches on Zhou Xiang¡¯s face.


    Therefore, judging from the injuries on their faces, Zhou Xiang looked more miserable.


    ¡°End of the competition. Zhou Xiang won,¡± Wang Dashan said.


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang¡¯s tensed up bodies were relaxed immediately, and then the two of them lay on the ground together, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Your face is much uglier than mine,¡± Qiu Bing said to Zhou Xiang.


    ¡°Pah, you fight like a woman, I didn¡¯t try my best,¡± Zhou Xiang said.


    ¡°So why did you still beat me?¡± Qiu Bing shouted.


    ¡°Even so, you lost, what a shame,¡± Zhou Xiang said.


    Qiu Bing shouted, ¡°You can count on it, I will take you on when I can stand up.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can scare me? Come on!¡± Zhou Xiang said.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t stop them, because he could tell that there was no grudge between them. As for what they wanted to do in private, that was their own business.


    ¡°From now on, all the grudges should be written off. If you guys act like a bunch of jealous women, get out of house.¡±


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang didn¡¯t dare to be loquacious again, and they hurriedly promised that they wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again.


    ¡°Captain Wang, get a doctor for them,¡± Ling Zhang said to Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Thanks, but we don¡¯t need it, young master. We all have rough skin, so we just need to apply some medicated wine,¡± Qiu Bing said in a hurry.


    ¡°Only if you guys recover early can my plan be carried out soon,¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    Qiu Bing scratched his head awkwardly, ¡°Thank you then, young master.¡±


    Standing above the roof of the Green Bamboo Mansion in the distance, Yuwen Tong had been watching what happened at the guards¡¯ residence the whole time. He rubbed his chin, saying, ¡°It has been settled so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, is this the reason why you asked me to find out where Ling Family learned about this formation? Is that a great one?¡± Yao Yi asked curiously.


    ¡°Curious?¡± Yuwen Tong glanced at him.


    Yao Yi nodded honestly. A tactical formation that made the Marshal curious must be unusual.


    ¡°You will know it when they start trainning,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Yao Yi hummed in disappointment. ¡°Why bother to ask if you didn¡¯t intend to tell me, marshal?!¡±¡­


    The Jia Family¡­


    ¡°Your Lordship, the plan failed, are we really going to let Ling Zhaowen get the position of left Tongzhi? And there¡¯s also that Lu Kui.¡± A middle-aged scholar with beard said to Jia Zhong.


    ¡°Adviser Qian, I invite you here for advices, not for questions,¡± Jia Zhong stared at him with cold eyes.


    Adviser Qian gave a reluctant smile. ¡°I do have an idea, but the successful implementation of this idea needs your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Tell me then,¡± Jia Zhong¡¯s attitude softened a bit.


    ¡°Do you still remember that Ling Zhaowen made an inspection tour in Tai Countylast May and stayed at the Liu Family for a night?¡± Adviser Qian asked.


    Jia Zhong nodded, ¡°County Yamen was being overhauled at that time and there was no place to live, so Liu Family vacated a yard for all Yamen officials. That¡¯s when he came. So what?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about it. At that time, there was an affair.¡± Adviser Qian¡¯s eyes turned bright.


    ¡°An affair? Is that related to Ling Zhaowen?¡± Jia Zhong looked at Adviser Qian doubtfully.


    ¡°Right, it is said that the daughter of Liu Family, Liu Chengfang, fell in love with Ling Zhaowen. But Liu Weiling never agreed. In fact, Ling Zhaowe has gotten married, even if she married him, she could only be his concubine. Because of this, Liu Chengfang had several conflicts with her family. Liu Weiling worries that this will tarnish the family reputation once it is exposed, so he asks the Liu Family to keep this a secret,¡± Adviser Qian said.


    Jia Zhong hummed in a cold tone, ¡°Liu Chengfang has such a bad taste that she falls in love with Ling Zhaowen.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, Liu Chengfang hasn¡¯t given up until now. Recently, Liu Weiling wants to betroth his daughter to someone, which makes his daughter make a scene. Finally she is grounded by Liu Weiling. You probably don¡¯t know that Liu Chengfang has a beautiful face and a nice figure. She is a darn beauty.¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhaowen is a man, do you think he can restrain himself if he knows that there is such a beauty determined to marry him? What we should do is to create him a chance, then¡­¡±


    Adviser Qian then leaned over to whisper in Jia Zhong¡¯s ear.


    ¡°He really takes a big advantage,¡± sneered Jia Zhong after hearing the proposal.


    Adviser Qian gave a sinister smile and said, ¡°Your Lordship, don¡¯t worry. After what we set up, Liu Chengfang will be a woman with bad reputation. You will have her as you please by that time.¡±


    Evil thoughts flashed in Jia Zhong¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Adviser Qian said.


    As they two planned all this, a man in black crawled on the roof, and slipped away after a long time when he found that the men in the house had left.


    ¡­


    After staying the guards¡¯ residence for a whole morning, Ling Zhang got a basic idea of the ability of the twelve guards. All they needed was some time to cultivate tacit understanding. When the right time came, Ling Zhang could teach them the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve.


    But Formation was changeful, so it was difficult for the guards to grasp the essence of it. It would take a long time for them to learn it well.


    After getting changed in his own room, Ling Zhang got a message from Fu Caiwei¡¯s maid.


    ¡°Young master, this is the list of herbs you need. Madame asked me to bring it here for you to check.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, taking the multi-page list and examining it carefully. He found that the names of the two herbs on the list were circled with red ink. ¡°Can¡¯t find these two herbs?¡±


    The maid said, ¡°No, but these two herbs need to be bought from the north. Butler Wang had made some inquiries, finding that Jiang¡¯s Herbs happen to have a batch of goods to be transported from the north to Yanzhou, including th two kinds of herbs you need. Madame has talked to the shopkeeper of Jiang¡¯s Herbs. So we just need to wait two more days for them to deliver the herbs.¡±


    ¡°Okay, say thanks to her for me,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    The maid bowed and said, ¡°Young master, is there anything else you need me to pass on?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked through the list and found that the deployment of each was clearly written by his aunt, which could be understood at a glance.


    ¡°No, you can go back.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll excuse myself, young master.¡±


    When he got Yuwen Tong¡¯s prescription, he knew immediately that some herbs were hard to get. Fortunately, they got the help of Jiang¡¯s Herbs this time. Otherwise they would have to go to the north to buy these herbs, which would take him several times longer than it did now.


    After putting down the list, Ling Zhang came to the desk. He wrote down all the Kung Fu that the twelve guards were good at and put their names one by one in the twelve directions of the formation drawings. Meanwhile, he wrote down on paper the various plans he had come up with while thinking about how to arrange these people perfectly.


    He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn¡¯t notice how many times the servants had come to invite him to lunch, and he didn¡¯t even notice that the servant who invited him was no longer the previous one.


    Standing at the door, Yuwe Tong noticed what Ling Zhang was busy about and had guessed it all. So he asked, ¡°What keeps you so concentrated?¡±


    Startled by the voice, Ling Zhang¡¯s hand that was holding the brush trembled, and an ink drop spread on the paper. Looking up, he found that Yuwen Tong was already standing at the door. He quickly put away the things on the table and asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You didn¡¯t come to lunch after being invited several times by different servants, so I volunteered here to find you.¡±


    Not until Ling Zhang had put away his things did Yuwen Tong walk into the room, leaving Ling Zhang enough time to react.


    Ling Zhang got up and left his desk. ¡°I just casually answered, but almost forgot.¡±


    As he approached Yuwen Tong, he somehow remembered the soft kiss last night, which made Ling Zhang pause his step and feel uncomfortable.


    Yuwen Tong, as if not noticing anything, walked naturally to Ling Zhang, ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I would like to talk to you about something after lunch.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Ling Zhang naturally bypassed Yuwen Tong and took the lead in going out.


    Yuwen Tong was so close to him that he involuntarily tightened his back.


    A vague smile flickered in Yuwen Tong¡¯ eyes when he glanced at Ling Zhang¡¯s tight back. Then he said, ¡°Something about your uncle.¡±


    ¡°My uncle?¡± Ling Zhang stopped suddenly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°Not about what your uncle did, but what someone is going to do to him,¡± Yuwen Tong said.

 Chapter 72 - Honey-Trap

    ¡®Someone is going to do something to uncle?¡¯


    Ling Zhang frowned immediately.


    Standing in front of him, Yuwen Tong suddenly reached out and tapped between his brows with his finger. ¡°What are you panicking about? Since I know about it, I won¡¯t let anything happen to him.¡±


    Ling Zhang froze, leaning back slightly. He pushed aside Yuwen Tong¡¯s finger, wearing an unnatural look.¡±Then let¡¯s go for lunch now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his hand, pretending not to see Ling Zhang¡¯s uneasy look.


    Ling Xingzhong felt sorry again for his eldest grandson¡¯s decision while seeing Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walk in side by side.


    ¡®They make such a perfect match, but why does Zhang¡¯er not like this engagement?¡¯


    Looking at his father¡¯s gloomy expression, Ling Zhaowen also felt helpless. He didn¡¯t expect that his father was so satisfied with Yuwen Tong.


    Although it was lively during the meal, the atmosphere was obviously not the same as before. Except for Ling Maomao, others all knew well about the reason for this change.


    ¡°Can you tell me what happened now?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help asking after leaving the front hall.


    ¡°Jia Zhong is trying to frame your uncle up in a honey trap,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°A honey trap?¡± Ling Zhang felt it unbelievable, ¡°My uncle and aunt are true to each other. They have been married for so many years, and my uncle never gives another woman a second look. Some people say my uncle is a typical henpecked husband. People all over Tanyang know about it. So how can Jia Zhong use honey trap?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why he is planning that. Once your uncle falls into the trap, he will be more seriously affected,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°What are they going to do?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°Did your uncle ever make a stopover in Liu Family of Tai County last May?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    ¡®Last May?¡¯ Ling Zhang was dazed for a moment. This memory seemed very distant for him, a man who had lived through two lifetimes. He thought it over for a long time before he finally recalled that it had really happened. His uncle got angry after coming back from the Tai County, saying that Tai County¡¯s Yamen extorted money from the Prefecture Yamen under the pretext of maintaining the house.


    ¡°It did happen,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    ¡°During your uncle¡¯s stay in the Liu Family, he was taken a fancy by Liu Chengfang, the unmarried daughter of Liu Family. She really wanted to marry your uncle, but her father, Liu Weilng, didn¡¯t want her to be your uncle¡¯s concubine. So her father grounded her at home. Jia Zhong knows about it, wanting to take advantage of Liu Chengfang to frame your uncle up,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang clenched his fist in anger. ¡®Those scumbags!!! Trying to frame our Ling Family again and again!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t believe that his uncle would be bewitched by this Liu Chengfang. But once the other side used some sinister tricks, his uncle could easily fall into their trap when he was unprepared.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong in earnest.


    Yuwen Tong must have sent someone to keep a close watch on Jia Family, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have known so much in detail quickly.


    ¡°I told you that your business is also mine, so don¡¯t say thanks,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Ling Zhang looked at him, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back before the words came out of his lips as he simply didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Remind your uncle now,¡± Yuwen Tong said. He seemed to have a pair of eyes with insight into Ling Zhang¡¯s mind.


    Ling Zhang, lips zipped, nodded and turned to leave.


    Ling Zhaowen had to go to the Yamen in the afternoon, so he went back to his house and tidied up his clothes again before going out.


    Ling Zhaowen was a bit confused when Ling Zhang came, ¡°Zhang¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    That evening, many people came out of the Prefecture Yamen. Ling Zhaowen still had some things to discuss with Tao Feng, so he didn¡¯t leave on time. If on normal days, there would be few people outside. But he saw someone waiting for him when he went out.


    ¡°Lord Ling, you haven¡¯t been dining together with us for a long time. How about joining us?¡±


    The people waiting for him at the gate were all his colleagues at the Prefecture Yamen. Usually they got together once in a while. Ling Zhaowen sometimes joined them but sometimes not, depending on where they were going.


    ¡°I still have something to deal with in my family. I am so sorry. Maybe next time,¡± Ling Zhaowen declined.


    ¡°Your father is at home, and your nephew is so capable. What kind of emergency is it that makes you in such a hurry to get home now? You have refused our invitation three times. So you must join us for a drink this time.¡±


    ¡°They are right, Lord Ling. Don¡¯t worry, we know that you don¡¯t want to upset your wife, so we choose to go to the restaurant instead of any other place.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen wanted to refuse, but two men came up to him and pulled his arms. ¡°Come on, come on. Just have a drink. It won¡¯t take you too long.¡±


    Feeling it impossible to refuse again, he went with them finally.


    The restaurant they went to was called Fengtai Restaurant, which was not far from the Ling Family. Ling Xingzhong felt a little relieved.


    ¡°We have already ordered a private room upstairs. The wine we have ordered is also the latest from Taifeng Restaurant¡¯s cellar. We¡¯ve also asked a hunter to go up the mountain and hunt for today¡¯s meal. We have asked this restaurant to prepare the dinner. We planned to come here at the right time, but we delayed for a while to wait for you. Now, the meal should have been served.¡±


    These people clustered round Ling Zhaowen into the Fengtai Restaurant and went straight to the second floor.


    They did book a room, which was completely cut off from the outside. It was also spacious and undisturbed, definitely a right place for drinking and chatting.


    The dishes in the room were indeed served and hot. They could enjoy these dishes at anytime.


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you relieved? These people are all our colleagues.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen indeed relaxed his vigilance, and was invited to sit at the head of the table.


    ¡°We won¡¯t talk about work today, just little chat. What do you say, Lord Ling?¡± Someone asked.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°We all know that you are so forthright. Lord Ling, please try these dishes and see if you can tell what it is.¡±


    Now that Ling Zhaowen had been invited to the head of the table, he must take the first bite. He first tried the braised meat in front of him, which was soft, tender and delicious.


    ¡°What do you think of it? Did you taste what kind of meat it is?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was a little surprised, ¡°Venison?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It took the hunter quite a long time to catch the deer.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, everybody try it.¡±


    With the delicious food, they naturally began to drink wine. After a few cups of wine, everyone¡¯s face turned a little hot.


    After a few more drinks, everyone flushed.


    Ling Zhaowen had a moderate drinking capacity and was slightly tipsy after several cups. After being urged several times to drink, he drank some more and became drowsy.


    ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t drink any more. I¡­I would be scolded by my wife if I was drunk,¡± Ling Zhaowen said.


    ¡°Lord Ling, you¡­you are so henpecked that you are ruled by your wife!¡±


    ¡°Yes, if my wife dares to bind me like this, I¡­I shall have to divorce her!¡±


    All began to talk nonsense and boasted how they dominated their wives at home after getting drunk. And they complained bitterly about their wives and concubines in an arrogant way.


    Ling Zhaowen never complained about his wife, so he didn¡¯t join them. He staggered to his feet and said, ¡°I really have to go back, you guys enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Lord Ling, don¡¯t go, let¡¯s have more.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, if you refuse, you despise us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have more.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was tugged back to the seat, and the cup in front of him was filled again. So he had no choice but to drink.


    After the first drink, there came the second, the third¡­ At last, he could hardly get up.


    The rest of people were drunk, some even lying on the ground. They were either asleep or talking nonsense; anyway none of them was sober.


    Ling Zhaowen struggled to get up, but it made no difference even after he tried for a long time. His vision gradually blurred, and he had difficulty to concentrating. He didn¡¯t even see clearly when the door of the private room was opened.


    ¡°Hum, as expected, he is drunk. Hurry up, take him next door.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was lifted from the chair and carried outside. He was completely drunk that he thought the men supported him were his servants and coachman who usually served him, so he didn¡¯t struggle.


    The men carried him out of the room and put him next door directly.


    A woman was waiting for him in the next door. Her face was half veiled except for her eyes; she was wearing pink clothes and delicate jewelry; only a woman of wealthy family would dress up like this.


    ¡°Miss Liu, we have brought Lord Ling to you. Whether you can take this chance depends on yourself.¡± The man who brought Ling Zhaowen in looked at the woman with evil eyes, saying in a disgusting tone.


    The veiled woman kept her eyes on the drunken Ling Zhaowen. She didn¡¯t care at all about the eyes cast by others. She said, ¡°Now that I have promised you, I will not go back on my word. You guys get out.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The man who brought Ling Xingzhong in gave a disdainful laugh before he took others out from the room and closed the door.


    Ling Feng was sitting on the chair in the room, completely stoned, and almost fell into a stupor.


    The woman came over in delight. ¡°Lord, lord, do you still remember me?¡±


    She looked at Ling Zhaowen obsessively, reaching out to touch his face. ¡°Dear Lord.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen frowned slightly. Although he was no longer conscious, the strange voice of this woman made him instinctively wary. He wanted to resist and wake up.


    ¡°Lord, soon you will be mine. You must marry me. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time. I can do anything for you!¡±


    The woman stared at Ling Zhaowen like crazy. She took off the veil from her face. Her red lips should have been beautiful, but now her face looked distorted and demented with excitement, which made her as frightening as a ghost.


    ¡°¡­¡± The woman put her hands on the handle of the chair that Ling Zhaowen was sitting on then slowly approached him.


    When she was about to touch Ling Zhaowen, she was suddenly hit by a stone shot through the window. The stone hit her right on the acupuncture point, which made her unconscious.


    Ling Zhaowen, who was drunk, suddenly opened his eyes, looking much sober than before.

 Chapter 73 - Ling Zhangs Confusion, Yuwen Tongs Enlightenment

    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhaowen got up, staring at the woman who had fainted on the ground. If he had not been told in advance that someone would plot against him, he would have fallen into a trap today!


    "Are you okay, Tongzhi Ling?" A man in black came in through the window, asking in a low voice.


    Ling Zhaowen shook his head, "Nothing serious."


    The man in black nodded, threw the sack on his back to the ground, and released the unconscious man out of the sack. It was Jia Yin. He placed this woman on Jia Yin¡¯s body, creating a scene where the two were committing adultery. "...Lord, he is in there!"


    There was a noise outside the room, and the sound of footsteps was approaching, too.


    "Tongzhi Ling, come with me." The man in black looked at Ling Zhaowen immediately.


    Ling Zhaowen said gratefully, "Sorry to trouble you."


    The man in black said, "You shouldn''t be." Then he jumped out of the window with Ling Zhaowen and brought Jia Yin back from his unconsciousness by striking his acupoint before they left.


    The next second, the door was kicked open.


    Suddenly there was a loud bang, which awakened Jia Yin. Before he could reflect on his situation, he was stopped by a surprised voice.


    "Big brother?!"


    Jia Zhong led the way, followed by Tao Feng and others. Everyone saw what was going on inside.


    Jia Zhong didn''t expect that the man who hugged Liu Chengfang was his eldest brother. ¡®Shouldn''t it be Ling Zhaowen?¡¯


    The others stood there dumbfounded. Jia Zhong took them here to expose adultery, but caught his brother right on the spot.


    There was a light flashing in Tao Feng''s eyes. Just now, Jia Zhong went to the Yamen and told him that Ling Zhaowen had a secret meeting with an unmarried woman and had some indiscretions, trying to take him here to expose the adultery. Although he was worried that this was a trap, he had no chance to notify Ling Family. Originally he thought Ling Zhaowen would have a big trouble this time, but he didn''t expect that things would have a fortunate turn.


    "Jia Zhong, you dare to ask us to come here without knowing whether the person involved is your eldest brother or Ling Zhaowen. Jia Yin is not a member of Prefecture Yamen. Since this is a privacy of your family, you should handle it by yourselves."


    With that Tao Feng was ready to leave, but heard a flurry of footsteps coming from the downstairs.


    "Where is Jia Yin?" A shrill woman¡¯s voice sounded.


    Fang Shi ran upstairs with some people. She froze when she saw Tao Feng and others. Then she shifted her gaze from those people to the next room and went straight in. A dark look formed on her face when she saw Jia Yin holding a disheveled woman.


    "Jia Yin, you shameless asshole!"


    "Sister-in-law, this is a mistake." Although Jia Zhong had no idea why his brother was here, he knew that they had fallen into a trap.


    "I am not blind!"


    "What are you shouting at?" Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "How can you, as a woman, shout so rudely? What a bad manner!"


    "Why are you blaming me? Look at what you have done!"


    Jia Yin and Fang Shi had a fierce quarrel, which spread far away.


    Jia Zhong clenched his fist, gnashing his teeth. "Ling Zhaowen!"


    The Ling Family.


    After drinking a bowl of hangover soup, Ling Zhaowen became much more sober. He thanked Yuwen Tong for many times.


    "Uncle Ling, I am glad you are fine." Yuwen Tong said. Otherwise, Ling Zhang might not sleep well.


    Ling Zhang stood beside Yuwen Tong, looking at his uncle without saying a word.


    Ling Zhaowen knew his nephew well, so he reminded, "Zhang''er, hold your horses."


    "Uncle, don''t worry, I won''t act recklessly," Ling Zhang answered calmly, but he was not at peace inwardly.


    " Jia Family is determined to remove Xingzhong from the position of Tongzhi. They always resort to despicable means that are hard to take precautions against. They are so abominable!"


    Ling Xingzhong was very angry. He had never felt sorry for losing his position, but this was the first time that he felt powerless. If he were still holding an important post in court, how dare such a insignificant Jia Family plot against his son?


    Fu Caiwei¡¯s eyes turned red, but she didn¡¯t shed any tears. Because she knew that she couldn''t act cowardly. She needed to take care of the whole family. Only by taking care of the affairs at home can her man fight for their family without worries.


    Ling Zhaowen had drunk much. Although he had hangover soup, he still needed a rest. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left together after Ling Zhaowen explained about what had happened.


    Looking at the lonely figure of his grandfather, Ling Zhang felt very sad.


    After learning of Jia Zhong''s plot, he had planned to knock Jia Zhong out then replace his uncle with Jia Zhong. But with Zhang Chong backing him up, the worst result for Jia Zhong was that he married Liu Chengfang as his concubine, which wouldn¡¯t cause much trouble for him. If it were Jia Yin, it would be different. Once they enticed Fang Shi into coming to that restaurant, it would cause trouble for the Jia Family for a while.


    At bottom, it was because he couldn''t shake the power of the Jia Family. Instead of getting rid of such clowns as the Jia Family, to wipe out Zhang Chong, the backing of the Jia Family, was the most intractable thing for Ling Zhang. He wouldn''t act rashly until he got the key evidences Yuwen Tong had mentioned that could bring eternal doom to Zhang Chong.


    Ling Zhang said nothing all the way. Yuwen Tong knew that he was upset now. "I know your vexation, but you still need patience. Only in this way can you get rid of them once for all."


    "I see, thank you. If you hadn''t sent someone to keep watch on Jia Zhong''s every movement, my uncle would have a big trouble."


    This was also what made Ling Zhang feel sad. He was too weak. He kept on saying that he wouldn''t take what Yuwen Tong said with a grain of salt, but every time it was Yuwen Tong who helped him at a crucial moment. Without Yuwen Tong, could he manage to keep his uncle and his whole family safe in the endless conspiracies of the Jia Family and Zhang Chong?


    "I told you many times that your business is mine, I don''t want to repeat it again."


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang. What he needed was not Ling Zhang''s gratitude. And for now, Ling Zhang had lost in depression.


    "Did it make you feel bad to get my help?"


    Ling Zhang didn''t expect that Yuwen Tong''s words were so straightforward, which shocked him. He would look down on himself if he admitted. But if he didn''t, then why he felt disgusted with himself?


    "Once I was put in danger too, and I also hated my weakness."


    Yuwen Tong suddenly talked about his past and admitted that he had hated himself for his weakness.


    Ling Zhang was shocked. "..."


    "Are you surprised? No one is born strong. The reason why today¡¯s Emperor can ascend to the throne is because he has undergone the most severe trials and finally survived the sea of dead bodies. And I have seen and experienced more than he did. At that time, Wan Country was very strong, and they constantly attacked the border of Great Yue, almost taking both Shengzhou and Youzhou. And it was in that battle that my grandfather was killed in a sneak attack by the enemy. His body was badly trampled by the horses, but fortunately, it was preserved at last. I was very young at that time, but I wanted revenge, I wanted to guard against Great Yue''s border. All I could do was keep fighting, keep improving myself, keep learning the art of war, and keep dealing with the power struggle of the court, the family, the border, and the countless secret plots by the enemy. If I didn''t stick to it, there wouldn¡¯t be a Grand Marshal in the Great Yue? If that''s the case, I am afraid the Great Yue would have already ceased to exist."


    "I am not telling you this to prove how hard I used to be, but to tell you that I have been through some tough times, too. There''s nothing shameful about getting help from others. On the contrary, the shameful thing is that when others are willing to offer help, you fail by not taking the chance."


    After saying that, Yuwen Tong fixed his eyes on Ling Zhang. His eyes were bright with indestructible light that illuminated Ling Zhang''s soul.


    It was late at night, and they were still standing in the yard. The moon overhead lit up the yard.


    Ling Zhang looked up slightly at Yuwen Tong. He was shocked by Yuwen Tong''s experience and couldn''t dissipate it from his mind for a long time.


    The hardships of the previous life and the difficulties of this life made him stronger, meanwhile, he was also bound by these experiences; the hatred bound his mind; the situation of Tanyang and the Ling Family also tied him firmly in this place, making it difficult for him to realize his aspirations.


    Did he not look forward to a beam of light to illuminate his path and help him break through all obstacles?


    Now Yuwen Tong''s eyes was that beacon.


    At this moment, he finally relieved and kept what Yuwen Family had done in previous life and all of his suspicion of Yuwen Tong in this life in his mind.


    What was hard for him to understand and see through now, he would figure it out one day. It was better to let it go than entangled in it.


    "Thank You." Ling Zhang showed his heartfelt thanks to Yuwen Tong.


    "Thank you for telling me. You are right, I should take advantage of your power. I have said that you are my solidest backing, so I will count on you well. And I will depend on your help before you get out of these matters."


    Yuwen Tong stared into Ling Zhang''s eyes, noting the grit, resolution as well as unwavering conviction that were slowly gathering in them. A smile slowly adorned Ling Zhang''s face. Simple, pure, elegant, and beautiful, just like a flower blooming under the moonlight.


    "Young master, Lord Yuwen, Old Master asks me to inform the two of you to have dinner," a servant came and said.


    Their worry about Ling Zhaowen robbed them of their appetite. So the dinner was postponed.


    "Let''s go."


    Ling Zhang restrained his smile, but obviously his attitude towards Yuwen Tong softened a lot.


    Yuwen Tong arched his eyebrow, following Ling Zhang with joy. Ling Zhang''s attitude brightened his eyes.


    "They were haunted all night by the farce made by Jia Yin. Fang shi and Jia Yin even got into a fight. Jia Yin said that Fang was a jealous hellcat, and that he wanted to marry Liu Chengfang as his second wife and let her enjoy the same status as Fang."The next morning, the guard, who spied on the Jia Family all the night, reported.


    "Don''t spend too much time watching these two people. The most important thing is to keep an eye on Jia Zhong."


    "Got it."


    "Did you find anything wrong about Zhang Chong?"


    "Zhang Chong never showed up again after transporting the ores back to the encampment. Ling Family''s herb farm is under the close watch of guards and steward, so Zhang Chong didn¡¯t find any chance to arrest the farmers. The guards sent by Childe Ling to keep watch at night also found no suspicious targets."


    "Keep a close eye on him. With the new ores, there will be a new batch of weapons in the near future. Barring accidents, he''s gonna hide them. All we need to do is find out where he''s hiding his weapons."


    "Got it."


    "Call Yao Yi to come in."


    "Yes, Marshal."


    After a while, Yao Yi came in and said, "Marshall, are you looking for me?"


    "In a few days, I''m going to find out the hideout of bandits. You stay and give Ling Family a hand if anything bad happens."


    "Got it, Marshal. You going there in person?"


    "Right."

 Chapter 74 - A Tough Start

    Translator: DragonRider


    Although Ling Zhang could take advantage of Yuwen Tong¡¯s power, he never relaxed himself at all. After dinner, he went back to his study and studied how to arrange the twelve guards in the most appropriate position in the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve; after looking at the several options he had previously considered, he was trying to make more plans.


    The Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve had twelve different variations, each of which could turn into a new one; these formations looked completely different, but in fact, they were all connected with each other and they were also flexible. Now even Ling Zhang found it difficult to apply and grasp this formation completely, so it was impossible for those guards to do the same. They could only practice it one by one.


    The problem was, in addition to the most basic formation, which formation should he choose for the guards to begin with?


    Once Ling Zhang immersed himself in his thinking, he would forget the passage of time.


    ¡°Marshal, the light in the childe Ling¡¯s room is still on.¡±


    The guard of Green Bamboo Mansion squatted on the wall between the two courtyards, turning his head to shout toward the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t sleep either. On his desk was a map of Tanyang and some detailed topographic maps of each county of Tanyang, which were collected in special ways by Yaoyi these days. One of them was a topographic map of Qi County, which was located in the southwest of the Tanyang city. This map was specially marked with a big red circle by Yuwen Tong.


    Hearing the guard¡¯s words, Yuwen Tong put the map aside, and glanced at the water clock. It was already in midnight.


    He had wanted to get up but gave up the idea after some thought. Ling Zhang was no longer a child and had his own way of handling matters. So he couldn¡¯t decide everything for Ling Zhang. He thought that it was hard for Ling Zhang to have a good sleep before getting rid of Zhang Chong. Why not let him do what he wanted? Maybe keeping busy would make him feel a little at ease.


    In the early morning of the next day, Ling Zhang showed up at the residence of the guards on time. Wang Dashan had expanded the original training ground according to Ling Zhang¡¯s orders, and he had removed all the sundries around the ground.


    ¡°Young master, are you still going to train our cooperation today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In order to follow Ling Zhang¡¯s instructions, the guards did nothing else but continue to practice the cooperation with each other. It was not until evening that their practice worked a little.


    For the next two days, Ling Zhang continued training the guards¡¯ ability to cooperate with each other.


    Yuwen Tong was not in the Mansion these days, and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know and hadn¡¯t asked where he had gone. Yunwen Tong would tell him if he wanted to. Since Ling Zhaowen was almost framed last time, now there were more than three attendants accompanying him to Yamen every day. He was quite safe under the protection of these attendants these two days.


    On this day, Fu Caiwei came to tell him that Jiang¡¯s Herbs had sent those two herbs here and all the herbs he needed had been collected.


    Yuwen Tong was not here, so Ling Zhang was not in a hurry to start the medicine bath. ¡°Aunt, I am really sorry to trouble you. In a few days, I will visit Jiang¡¯s Herbs and express my gratitude to them in person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Well, Lord Yuwen is away lately, do you know where he¡¯s gone?¡±


    Fu Caiwei looked at Ling Zhang with her probing eyes.


    Ling Zhang knew what his aunt was thinking. He knew that she was wondering if the relationship between he and Yuwen Tong had developed in a good way and if Ling Zhang might change his mind to break the engagement. Instead of exposing her, he replied, ¡°He doesn¡¯t tell me, and I didn¡¯t ask him, either. But the guard said he will be away for a few days.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s answer almost perfectly avoided what Fu Caiwen wanted to know, which made her feel a little disappointed. She was quite satisfied with Yuwen Tong; she thought her nephew, Ling Zhang, was good enough, too, and only a man like Yuwen Tong could deserve Ling Zhang; however, she also understood that it was all Ling Zhang¡¯s choice to make.


    Fu Caiwei left with disappointment. Ling Zhang stood for a while before going to the residence of the guards.


    Xia Feng had come back from Yanzhou the day before. He checked Liu Yi¡¯s background and found nothing suspicious.


    So they were officially going to start practicing the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve.


    However, things did not go as smoothly as Ling Zhang had expected. It took Ling Zhang half a day to explain the Trap and Kill Formation to the twelve guards. If he wanted them to keep every position in mind, he needed to impart some basic knowledge about formations to them.


    Ling Zhang pulled a long face the whole morning. And the guards were silent with guilty.


    ¡°Young master, we are all uneducated boors who know nothing about formation. Please don¡¯t be angry with us.  I will urge them to practice hard and grasp the knowledge you taught us as soon as possible.¡± For fear of provoking Ling Zhang, Wang Dashan said cautiously.


    Ling Zhang knew that it was all because of his own thoughtlessness. After taking a deep breath, he said, ¡°Suspend the afternoon training. I¡¯m going to teach you the basics of orientation discrimination, location selection, terrain identification and distance measurement. I was too hasty today in this matter, so it¡¯s not all your fault. Have a rest now. I will come again this afternoon.¡±


    The guards felt a sense of relief. Qiu Bing scratched the head, saying, ¡°Young master, do we need to bring brush and ink?¡±


    Other people were concerned about it, too. Compared with practicing martial arts, reading and writing were more difficult for them!


    ¡°No, I will tell you what to do.¡±


    ¡°Got it, young master, we¡¯ll study hard this afternoon.¡±


    Ling Zhong nodded, letting them to have a rest. Then he had a talk with Wang Dashan and Liu Yi. ¡°You have to keep watch tonight, can you stand it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s OK. We will take turns at night, so that we will both have good rest and keep energetic at day. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    Both Wang Dashan and Liu Yi said that the training would not have an impact on their evening activities. If they were really tired, they would tell Ling Zhang on their own initiative.


    Ling Zhang found that they didn¡¯t seem to be in low spirits, so he didn¡¯t say anything more. After leaving the guards¡¯ residence, he passed on a message to the servants in the kitchen that they should provide more nutritious meat dishes to the guards every noon.


    Although the person in charge of the expenditure of the kitchen was Fu Caiwei, she had said that as long as it was Ling Zhang¡¯s request, they had to follow even if it would cost more money. So the servants in the kitchen promised him right away.


    At noon, there were a few more meat dishes in the food for the guards, which deeply touched the group of men.


    At the moment they were very happy, but Ling Zhang was not. After helping himself some lunch, he began to write down the knowledge points to be taught to the guards; then he sorted out and refined these points one by one. He had been sitting here since he started doing this. Not until the appointed time came did he take the things he prepared to the guards¡¯ residence.


    ¡°That will keep Childe Ling busy for a while. These guys are a group of illiterates. It will take a lot of effort to let the knowledge sink in.¡±


    Yao Yi, who was on guard on the roof of the Green Bamboo Mansion, looked at what was happening in the residence of the guards in the distance while complaining to the other guard.


    ¡°If I were him, I would rather have martial arts competition with them than to teach them the knowledge. It is too hard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why Marshal dislikes you.¡±


    ¡°Cough! Captain, what are you talking about? If he knows it, we will be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Marshal is not here. What are you afraid of?¡±


    Yao Yi folded his arm on his chest, eyes on what was going on in the guards¡¯ residence. However, the other guard beside him was looking around warily, he was afraid that their Marshal would suddenly pop up like a ghost.


    The guards had been waiting on the practice ground on time. When Ling Zhang arrived, no one was absent and they all looked more energetic than in the morning. It seemed that the extra meals at noon had worked wonders.


    ¡°Take it easy, and don¡¯t worry about the learning. I will explain in detail and demonstrate them one by one. All you need to do is focus on what I¡¯m talking, remember it and reflect on it.¡± Ling Zhang said.


    These guards were also experienced. Although the formation drills confused them, they were not lazy in the afternoon study.


    This time, Ling Zhang slowed down his pace and patiently explained the most basics to them first. Then he gave them a demonstration over and over again. He wouldn¡¯t move on to the next step until each of them had a clear understanding of each knowledge point.


    Things were going on like this, in a rather slow and hard way. He spent an afternoon explaining only four basic knowledge points.


    When he left the guards¡¯ residence, he couldn¡¯t help but touch his forehead. He needed to tell himself to be patient over and over again to actually keep his cool. In fact, he was really anxious. If at the current pace, it would take years before he could reach his goal .


    After taking a bath, Ling Zhang looked at the formations he had picked on his desk and sighed. He was too na?ve, thinking that he could teach them all three formations in half a month. But now, he would be overjoyed if they could master one. Green Bamboo Mansion had been quiet these days, which meant that Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t come back. Ling Zhang guessed what Yuwen Tong was doing exactly. But he was so tired that he finally fell asleep. In the middle of the night, there was something going on in the Green Bamboo Mansion. Yao Yi immediately knew who it was. ¡°Marshal, you are back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Anything new about Ling Mansion these days?¡±


    Yao Yi then told Yuwen Tong what had happened in the Ling Family in the past few days. He highlighted two points. The first was that Ling Zhang had collected all the herbs; the second was the process of their training.


    Hearing that those guards spent an afternoon learning only four basic knowledge points, Yuwen Tong frowned. ¡°They are too stupid.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. They are too stupid that I couldn¡¯t even bear to watch. Fortunately, young master is still patiently teaching them. Can these rough fellows learn that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought about it seriously then asked, ¡°Did he stay up late?¡±


    ¡°No, maybe he is too tired, so he rested early today.¡±


    ¡°Such a group of waste.¡± Yuwen Tong scolded and his face had turned cold.


    Seeing that he was really angry, Yao Yi didn¡¯t dare to say anything more.


    ¡°Remind me when he goes out tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong changed the nocturnal clothing and washed up. Sitting behind the desk, he unfolded a piece of paper. Then he took out his pen and began to draw a diagram of the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve. He drew eight pictures and picked out two of them.


    Then he drew a big circle on a blank piece of paper and began to illustrate on it.

 Chapter 75 - Did You Complete It by Yourself?

    The Capital.


    The Palace gate had just been opened before dawn. Then the officials went straight to the Golden Hall.


    Half an hour later, a eunuch hurried into the residence of the Sixth Prince. ¡°Your Highness, this morning Commander Zhang¡¯s request to expand the encampment of the Prefecture Guard was rejected by His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What? When did Zhang Chong¡¯s memorial to the throne arrive in the capital? How come it was taken out at today¡¯s morning court?¡±


    The sixth princes, Zhou Mingshen, still looked delicate and pretty. The childishness hadn¡¯t faded from his face, which made him look younger than his age. He, who was supposed to be a lively and cheerful young man, looked a bit gloomy at the moment.


    ¡°It was submitted by the Ministry of War. Zhao Zheng of the Ministry of War said the matter was discussed in the court because Commander Zhang had requested an expansion larger than previously requested, and it was far beyond the scope of the encampment for the Prefecture Guard prescribed by law.¡±


    ¡°Damn it. Zhao Zheng, the bastard!¡±


    Zhou Mingshen got up and paced anxiously in the room. Then he stopped, asking, ¡°When was Zhang Chong¡¯s last letter?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, eight days ago. It was sent by carrier pigeon.¡±


    ¡°If at top speed, his letter can arrive at the Capital from Tanyang in seven days. And this letter should have been submitted to the Emperor two days before. Why did the Ministry of War delay the submission?¡±


    Zhou Mingshen frowned, feeling something was wrong. ¡°I am going out to see my uncle.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t do that. His Majesty rebuked her highness, the imperial concubine, yesterday, and he also blamed you. You can¡¯t leave the palace again at this time. If His Majesty knows that, I am afraid he will be more dissatisfied with you.¡±


    The eunuch hurried to dissuade Zhou Mingshen, afraid that he would leave the palace on impulse.


    A scowl formed on Zhou Mingshen¡¯s face. He said after a while, ¡°Well, then go and deliver my message.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    As soon as Zhou Mingshen finished the letter, he asked the eunuch to deliver it out of the palace. Then he went to his mother, Imperial Concubine Shu.


    ¡°Mother, Zhang Chong¡¯s request was rejected. The Ministry of War delayed the submission of his request for two days.¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu was a middle-aged woman. But she was well maintained in the palace, which made her look like a sixteen-year-old girl. Even her eyes were utterly bewitching.


    ¡°Zhao Zheng? He is a man His Majesty trusts, and he doesn¡¯t belong to any party. Why did he delay the submission of the memorial that delivered from Tanyang?¡±


    The Imperial Concubine Shu frowned and was lost in a deep thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a letter to my uncle. I hope my uncle can find out something.¡±


    ¡°Good job. Now the memorial from Tanyang was rejected. I am afraid that your uncle can¡¯t submit any matter to the throne within a short time. His power in Tanyang is our backing, so don¡¯t upset him into thinking that we are good-for-nothing. Write a letter to placate him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    After watching her son leave, Imperial Concubine Shu pulled a long face. ¡°It¡¯s all Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s fault, she is such a bitch. If it weren¡¯t for her plot, I wouldn¡¯t forget my manners in front of His Majesty. Otherwise, I will have a chance to put a few words before His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be angry. We just need to be patient. When His Majesty¡¯s anger dissipates, it¡¯ll be easy for you to handle her.¡±


    ¡°That bitch!¡± cursed the concubine as she tried to hold back her anger. ¡°In the past, His Majesty never rejected the memorials from Tanyang, I don¡¯t know why he did it this time.¡±


    The Yuwen Mansion¡­


    ¡°Captain, Zhang Chong¡¯s request has been rejected, and Sixth-brother has set off for two days. When are we leaving for Tanyang? Is Marshal really going to marry Childe Ling?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s yard was a forbidden area in Yuwen Mansion. Even if Yuwen Tong was not in the capital, his yard was off limits to everyone. Yue Qi and others were hiding in this yard after they got back to the capital.


    ¡°It will arrive all in good time. The task assigned by marshal isn¡¯t completed yet. What did you find about Li Chong?¡±


    ¡°I just got some leads. I am investigating according to the clues. Barring accidents, we¡¯ll get findings in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yue Qi nodded. ¡°Has everything been arranged in Wuhu Yard?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s settled. The second Master said that he will stay in Wuhu Yard tonight. There will be no one at the study except those on duty.¡±


    ¡°Good, be careful you guys. The study is the last place we need to investigate.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve investigated for two days and found no evidence that Second Master and Second Madam had sent someone to make difficulties for the Ling Family. If we can¡¯t find any clues in the study tonight, do we still need to continue the investigation?¡±


    ¡°Tell Marshal the results. We can¡¯t let down our guard, though. And leave no stones unturned.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Now, the news that Marshal is in Tanyang has not been leaked out, so the capital appears relatively calm. Once this matter is put on the street, I¡¯m afraid that there will be a big mess. Put other disputes aside, the sixth prince¡¯s gonna doubt the Marshal once he knows this matter. Marshal has never been involved in any of these royal rivalries, and I have no idea what he is going to do this time.¡±


    Yue Qi kept a straight face and wondered.


    ¡­¡­


    Ling Zhang appeared at the residence of the guard on time the first thing at the morning. He felt revitalized after a night¡¯s rest. Even if the guards were difficult to teach, he would persist.


    The guards didn¡¯t want to back down, either. He thought these guards would forget some of the basics of what they had learned the day before after a night of rest. But to his surprise, they not only remembered all but also could skillfully distinguish the basic position.


    ¡°Young master, we got up early and started practicing here over and over again this morning. Liu Yi has a good memory of what we have learned, and he corrected us again and again.¡±


    Looking at Ling Zhang¡¯s surprised expression, Wang Dashan came over and said proudly.


    Liu Yi came over when Ling Zhang was looking at him. ¡°I remember better of what you taught us yesterday. They also want to master the knowledge quickly and they all want to live up to your teachings.¡±


    A smile formed on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you. You guys did a good job.¡±


    ¡°Young master, you are so kind. It is our duty to work hard to achieve your wish.¡±


    Ling Zhang was in a good mood at once. He could see the hope now. With the knowledge they learned yesterday, today¡¯s teaching went much more smoothly. Ling Zhang spent only a morning teaching the general knowledge of the orientation. Then he was about to detail the branches of the orientation and the characteristics of the orientations of these branches in the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve.


    Ling Zhang was not hasty this time. He knew that the guards were new to this knowledge, so it was not easy for them to grasp it quickly. Therefore he just taught them some basics, which helped to form a simple framework of knowledge in their minds. Then he would ask them to remember exactly the orientations according to the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve, to keep practicing and make the practice a habit. In the end, they would be able to master and apply the skill slowly.


    Only when they were able to utilize these formations could his goal be realized. It didn¡¯t matter if his goal came a bit later.


    Ling Zhang had a busy morning. Seeing Yuwen Tong was waiting for him at the gate of the court yard, Ling Zhang was surprised.


    ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    ¡°Last night. I heard you went to bed early, so I didn¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes glinted when he saw Ling Zhang soaked with sweat. At this moment, the sun was shining brightly, and the beads of sweat on Ling Zhang¡¯s face were glittering and translucent under the shining sunlight; his face, just like the flawless jade, had a pink flush caused by long-time exercising. As he approached, the youthful vibes on him almost immediately caused Yuwen Tong¡¯s physiological reaction.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Is there anything dirty on my face?¡±


    Ling Zhang rubbed his face in bewilderment. He felt strange when he found Yuwen Tong fixed his eyes on him.


    ¡°Nothing, I just saw that you soaked with sweat. Go back and get changed quickly.¡±


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his slightly aggressive eyes, going into the yard with Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang noticed that he was holding a wad of paper. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Something helpful. I will tell you after you get dressed.¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept Ling Zhang guessing, which made Ling Zhang desperate to know it. So he immediately went back to his house to change his clothes.


    ¡°Young master.¡±


    A man came over from the corridor and bowed to Ling Zhang respectfully.


    ¡°Xia Feng, help me get changed and re-comb my hair, too. And, ask them to get me some water, I want to wash up.¡±


    Ling Zhang ordered Xia Feng naturally; and Xia Feng was quick in responding to the order and immediately let other servants get the water. Then he followed Ling Zhang back to the room. The two of them reached a tacit understanding in their every movement.


    Yuwen Tong frowned, keeping his eyes on Xia Feng from head to toe.


    Xia Feng, whose demeanor was steady, was a few years older than Ling Zhang. He was different from other servants in Ling Zhang¡¯s yard. Obviously, Ling Zhang trusted him. ¡®He comes back from Yanzhou so soon?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his gaze, entering the hall. The servants knew that Yuwen Tong was a man in exalted position and he was on good terms with Young master. So they dared not to slight him.


    Ling Zhang finished washing up pretty soon.


    ¡°Can you tell me now?¡±


    Ling Zhang understood what Yuwen Tong meant when he glanced at Xia Feng and the other servants. So he said, ¡°You all get out. Xia Feng, go to the kitchen and ask them to bring lunch here. I will have lunch with Lord Yuwen. By the way, tell my grandfather that we won¡¯t join him for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    Xia Feng turned and took all others with him when he left.


    Ling Zhang urged Yuwen Tong with his expectant eyes.


    ¡®He is really no longer as coy as before.¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought as he unfolded the pile of paper and handed it to Ling Zhang.


    Taking it from Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang was surprised with only one glance. Then he suddenly looked up at Yuwen Tong, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I knew it from you. Do you remember that day I came to find you when you drew it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s honesty calmed Ling Zhang down.


    ¡°I remembered that I covered it with something.¡±


    ¡°The paper was blown up by the wind, so I saw half of it.¡±


    ¡®Does he see only half of it? But what he has in his hand is a complete one!¡¯


    A thought suddenly occurred to Ling Yong, he looked at Yuwen Tong in disbelief. ¡°Did you complete the rest part yourself?


    Yuwen Tong nodded, ¡°Yes, it is not hard to know the other part of the formation. This formation has its rules. So I just have to reason it out.¡±


    Ling Zhang was utterly shocked. How could it be so easy? It was even more shocking than the fact that Yuwen Tong knew about his formation. If he was not very proficient in the knowledge of formation, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. Yuwen Tong¡¯s attainments in formation were really excellent. He was really worthy of being a member of the Yuwen Family and the best Marshal of Great Yue.

 Chapter 76 - Unblocking Meridians

    Ling Zhang was deeply shocked by Yuwen Tong. After browsing them carefully, he found that Yuwen Tong had drawn diagrams of three formations, which shocked him even further.


    ¡°I picked these three formation diagrams which are relatively suitable for them to begin with. I also offered some advice on their respective positions for your reference. You may have a try.¡±


    Ling Zhang resumed browsing quickly and did find more detailed diagrams, on which there were not only positions of all twelve security guards but also annotations.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Just ask if you have any questions.¡±


    Ling Zhang lost his tongue for quite a while in shock. He had thought that it would be amazing enough if Yuwen Tong was able to complete the formation diagram half of which was missing, and which he had only had a glimpse at, but remarkably, Yuwen Tong gave him three. He had thought that these three formation diagrams were all Yuwen Tong had managed to deduce, but Yuwen Tong said that these three were the ones he picked for him, which meant that he knew more than these. Now Yuwen Tong was fully acquainted with the security of his home, and there were even detailed positions of guards and annotations.


    Was this man really only a human?


    In shock, he even had a feeling that what he had known about Yuwen Tong so far was merely the tip of the iceberg.


    ¡°I¡­ How come you know so well about the security of my home?¡±


    ¡°I can see everything people in the Guards¡¯ yard do from the rooftops of the Green Bamboo Mansion.¡±


    The expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face instantly turned a little unnatural. So Yuwen Tong could see distinctly what he did in the Guards¡¯ yard if he wanted to?


    Did he still have any privacy in front of Yuwen Tong?


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯d got all required herbs ready. Start having medicated bath to unblock your meridians tonight. You¡¯ll surely feel the difference when you practice kung fu tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded faintly stiffly and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s suggestions were more penetrating than the plan Ling Zhang had thought of by his own. The longer Ling Zhang read them, the more strongly he felt the gap between him and Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them try these a few days later.¡±


    Judging by how detailed these things were, Yuwen Tong must have spent a lot of time on them. Though having known about the formations, Yuwen Tong could have kept it a secret from him, but he still chose to tell him and even offered him help. He owed Yuwen Tong yet another favor.


    On that night, he was ready to unblock his meridians.


    Before this day, Ling Zhang had already specially had his warm-room (A small room connected to a bigger one, where a stove is set to heat rooms.) converted into a bathroom. Since medicated bath required constant water temperature, he had some craftsmen build a bathing pool in the room, under which there was a stove chamber connected to the outside, so that servants could heat the bathing pool to ensure fixed water temperature.


    Herbs were put into the bathing pool following the proportions given by Yuwen Tong. As he walked into the bathroom, he was greeted by a strong smell of medicinal materials as well as billows of warm steam.


    ¡°Should I take the medicated bath first or¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll use my internal energy to help unblock your meridians while you¡¯re soaking in the water.¡±


    Yuwen Tong followed him inside and started undressing.


    Ling Zhang stood transfixed for quite a while.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Don¡¯t waste the medicine. Hurry,¡± Yuwen Tong urged him.


    He didn¡¯t seem to have any indecent thoughts at all. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help feeling that he was being unduly timid, so he also took off his coat.


    Yuwen Tong turned aside and flicked a glance at him. It seemed casual, but actually his eyes had already swept through Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body, and with his extraordinarily good memory, he had quickly memorized every detail.


    ¡°Take off some more clothes. To make it more convenient for my internal energy to run through your meridians and easier for you to absorb active constituent of the medicine, you should wear only underpants. It¡¯s best if you take off all your clothes.¡±


    Take off all clothes? Ling Zhang¡¯s fingers on his clothes froze. ¡°I think I¡¯ll keep my pants on.¡±


    By comparison, keeping his pants on was more acceptable to him.


    There was a disguised regretful look in the depths of Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, but he felt it was good enough to have Ling Zhang undress until he had only underpants left.


    Ling Zhang clenched his teeth, trying hard to make himself look natural. When he had only underpants left, he quickly stepped into the bathing pool and sat down cross-legged. Billowing water vapor blocked his view, so his embarrassment partially abated.


    But for Yuwen Tong, the vapor was no obstacle. He could still distinctly see Ling Zhang¡¯s lean but muscular body. Maybe because of his recent strenuous workout, 17-year-old Ling Zhang didn¡¯t look thin at all, his shoulders broad, his hip narrow, his skin white, and there was no flab in his arms or any other parts. He affected a calmness, but what he didn¡¯t know was that the blushes on his face had already betrayed him.


    Even the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes changed. He also undressed himself and stepped into the bathing pool, wearing only a pair of underpants.


    Concentrating on relaxing and making himself look natural, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t notice that Yuwen Tong, who didn¡¯t need to absorb the medicine, had also undressed and was wearing only underpants.


    He didn¡¯t even turn his head back, so he missed the chance to see how good a figure Yuwen Tong had, which was quite a pity in Yuwen Tong¡¯s view.


    After sitting down in the bathing pool, Ling Zhang was right before him. Yuwen Tong had always known that he had been growing fonder and fonder of Ling Zhang all along. This scene in front of him was an intense stimulation for him.


    Though having always had excellent self-control, he also had to secretly give himself a warning to keep his cool.


    As Ling Zhang sat down in the bathing pool, medicine contained in the slightly hot, chest-deep water began to seep into his body from all sides giving him an inexplicably pleasant feeling.


    A palm was pressed against his back and Ling Zhang¡¯s heart lurched on this physical contact.


    ¡°Stay cool and concentrate your mind. You¡¯ll feel a little uncomfortable later on. Just hang in there.¡±


    After these words, Yuwen Tong became serious. He confirmed that Ling Zhang was ready, and then mobilized his internal energy and slowly sent it into Ling Zhang¡¯s body. His Qi started circulating in Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians bit by bit.


    Ling Zhang began to feel numb, itchy and painful all over. When that mysterious stream of warmth went through some joints of meridians, the pain was so unbearable that he felt as if numerous ants were gnawing at his heart. Ling Zhang¡¯s face blushed scarlet and he gritted his teeth against the agony.


    Those positions were probably those partially blocked acupoints in his meridians network that Yuwen Tong had mentioned. Yuwen Tong was using his internal energy to slowly expand them, which was definitely not an enjoyable process.


    Ling Zhang was sweating buckets. As the stream of warmth circulated inside him, the medicine contained in the water began to permeate into his body again, which made the numbness, itch and pains intensify. Blue veins stood out on his forehead.


    Yuwen Tong was also sweating profusely. He knew Ling Zhang was in anguish, but he didn¡¯t pause for a single instant.


    Vapor in the bathroom was getting thicker and thicker. When it thickened to a certain degree, it suddenly began dissolving at a gentle pace. The medicine carried by the vapor was slowly absorbed by Ling Zhang worming its way into his body.


    As time passed bit by bit, Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth was filled with taste of blood due to tightly gritted teeth. Fighting against agony had cost him so much mental strength that his consciousness began to blur. The only thing he could feel was the mixture of numbness, itch and pain.


    The water was gradually becoming cleaner. When it became completely clean, Yuwen Tong finally stopped.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s tense nerves abruptly relaxed and he blacked out falling backwards.


    Yuwen Tong hurriedly stretched out his hand and caught him. Heedless of the fact that both of them were nearly naked, he held unconscious Ling Zhang in his arms, stood up from the bathing pool, and took a piece of soft thick cotton cloth to wrap him up before carrying him out of the warm-room.


    The moment Xia Feng waiting outside saw Yuwen Tong, who was half naked and holding Ling Zhang in his arms, walk out, he immediately hurried over and asked in anxiety, ¡°What happened to my childe?¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced at him and said, ¡°The medicine was too potent for him to withstand and he passed out. Get him some clean clothes.¡±


    Xia Feng was unwilling to leave, since he didn¡¯t know Yuwen Tong well enough to place trust in him.


    ¡°Hurry,¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him with piercing eyes.


    Xia Feng felt a shiver from head to toe. Eventually, he still obeyed and went to look for clean clothes for Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong carried Ling Zhang into an inner room, put him down on the bed and wiped him dry with a piece of cloth.


    When Xia Feng returned, he quickly covered Ling Zhang with a quilt and said with a sullen look on his face, ¡°Put the clothes down and get out.¡±


    ¡°My lord, please let me take care of my childe.¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Xia Feng had an intense feeling of pressure once again, which was even more intense than the one he had had a while before, and which nearly caused him to lose his footing. Gritting his teeth, he eventually chose to draw back step by step, but he stopped in the corridor between the inner room and the ante-room, silently standing there staring fixedly at the bed behind a curtain in the distance.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong had sensed that Xia Feng didn¡¯t really leave the room. But there was a distance between them as well as a curtain which made it impossible for him to have a clear view of the inner room, so he said no more.


    He lifted the quilt, took off Ling Zhang¡¯s wet pants and after that he was briefly transfixed, unable to move his eyes.


    After a while he took a piece of cotton cloth, wiped Ling Zhang dry, quickly clothed him in clean clothes and tucked him in.


    He removed Ling Zhang¡¯s hair stick, reached out and felt his forehead as well as his pulse. After confirming that everything was steady, he stuffed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand back under the quilt, stood up and left the bedside.


    When walking past Xia Feng, he said, ¡°Keep a close eye on him tonight. If anything happens, come to the Green Bamboo Mansion to inform me immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xia Feng slightly lowered his head and answered.


    Yuwen Tong retrieved his clothes from the bathroom and left.


    Xia Feng hastily walked to the bed and checked Ling Zhang. It was not until he confirmed that Ling Zhang was fine that he exhaled in relief and wiped the sweat off his brow.


    Just now, the aura about that man was so horrifying that he could barely bear it. His young master would surely be angry with him the next day if he knew that he was so useless. Fortunately, he had eventually managed to withstand it.


    Well aware that he couldn¡¯t afford to let anything go awry, Xia Feng stayed on the bed in the outer room keeping watch at night himself.


    After returning to the Green Bamboo Mansion, Yuwen Tong took a bath, changed his clothes, picked up a document on the desk and started reading, sparing part of his attention for the room next door.


    It was fairly cold at night. Yao Yi put a thick cape on him and said, ¡°Marshal, let me keep watch here. I promise I¡¯ll inform you if anything happens to childe. Why don¡¯t you go and have some sleep?¡±


    Xia Feng had just woken up when he heard Ling Zhang¡¯s voice. He was just about to go inside to check when a figure flashed past him and entered the room before him.


    Watching Yuwen Tong who had abruptly shown up, he widened his mouth in shock.


    Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows as if in pain, and his limbs briefly twitched.


    Yuwen Tong held him in his arms and started giving him a massage. The massage seemed to be very effective. Gradually, Ling Zhang¡¯s body relaxed and his eyebrows unknitted. Against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, he resumed his deep sleep.

 Chapter 77 - Undercurrents

    ¡°Officers, two officers, something bad happened!¡±


    In a courier station in a small town in the south-west, before daybreak, a staff member yelled, ¡°The prisoner died!¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    People went out of their rooms, hurried to the canopy of the courier station and immediately saw Jia Yuanling who had died in the prison wagon.


    ¡°What happened? Wasn¡¯t he fine yesterday?¡±


    ¡°You think he was fine? After leaving Tanyang, he¡¯d been suffering from the climate all along, vomiting and having loose bowels constantly. I told you we should get him some medical treatment lest he die and bring us trouble. Now what do we do!¡±


    ¡°Suffering from the climate? Jia Yuanling was a young man. How was it possible that he died so easily of an unaccustomed climate?¡±


    ¡°Hey! What are you talking about, Old Four? Jia Yuanling was tortured in the yamen first, and then Zhang Chong gave him a hard kick and wounded his heart and lungs. He¡¯d never recovered from the injury and had been having a bad cough all along.¡±


    The yamen staff member whose nickname was Old Four also had a deeply concerned look on his face. ¡°No matter what, we have to find someone to perform an autopsy. Otherwise there will be consequences we¡¯ll have to face after returning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Jia Yuanling¡¯s death itself might be insignificant, but the Jia family surely won¡¯t let this go. We¡¯d better have someone perform an autopsy.¡±


    ¡°An autopsy it is. I don¡¯t want to be held responsible for this either. But first things first, everybody has to pay their share of the fee.¡±


    ¡°Money is the only thing you can think about.¡±


    A crowd of residents gathered around the doorway of the courier station. Some people felt that this might bring them bad luck, so they left. Others were still looking on.


    The post-mortem examiner of the town was soon invited to the station. After examining Jia Yuanling¡¯s body, he said, ¡°This man¡¯s heart and lungs had been seriously injured. He went on a long tiring journey without recovering from the injury first, and he also had a weak constitution, which was why he died of a mere unaccustomed climate.¡±


    The four staff members of yamen exchanged glances. One of them said, ¡°I told you by no means had he died of an unaccustomed climate. In the final analysis, it was that kick Zhang Chong gave him that was the fundamental cause.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Accepting this task was such a stupid decision. How are we supposed to report this after going back?¡±


    ¡°We tell them the truth.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the only thing we can do.¡±


    ¡°Should we bury him or just¡­. ¡± The four people kept silent for a while. The staff member whose nickname was Old Four said, ¡°Let¡¯s put him in the mortuary temple first and then have someone in the courier station send a letter back to Tanyang as soon as possible. Then we wait for our lord¡¯s response.¡±


    ¡°O¨COkay, then. Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    ¡°What an ominous matter.¡±


    The rest of the lookers-on also cleared off. Soon the body in the prison wagon was sent to the mortuary temple in the town.


    Among the crowds clearing off, someone flicked a look in the direction of the prison wagon with a frown and then secretly followed.


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang woke up the next day, he felt his body was filled with warmth, as if he had inexhaustible strength. His spirits were also much better than before.


    As he recalled the anguish he suffered the night before, his heart still fluttered with fear.


    He remembered that he had eventually passed out, but he had no idea what had happened in the wake of that.


    ¡°Xia Feng.¡±


    On hearing Ling Zhang calling his name, Xia Feng immediately walked inside and said, ¡°You woke up, childe.¡±


    ¡°What happened after I fainted last night?¡±


    ¡°It was Lord Yu who carried you out of the room. He also helped you change your clothes. In the latter half of the night, you suddenly went into convulsions in misery. It was also Lord Yu who hurried here and gave you a massage. He stayed tending you until you fell into deep sleep after a certain amount of time.¡±


    Xia Feng told Ling Zhang what happened the night before. His wariness of Yuwen Tong had been greatly dissolved after what Yuwen Tong did the night before, and his tone of voice was more natural.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyelids twitched as he heard the story. Yuwen Tong helped him get changed?


    ¡°It is said that the oil lamp was on all night in the Green Bamboo Mansion.¡±


    With a mixed expression on his face, Ling Zhang wondered whether Yuwen Tong had stayed up all night in case he needed help.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He raised his hand, clenched his fist and threw a punch at the air with great force, which generated a gust of wind he could distinctly feel. Not only was he able to punch in a much more relaxed manner, but also his body was easier to control.


    Surprisingly, Yuwen Tong¡¯s method was so effective.


    After thinking for a while, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t directly go to his dwelling in the Guards¡¯ yard but took a detour to the Green Bamboo Mansion next door.


    ¡°Did your marshal wake up?¡± On entering the Green Bamboo Mansion, instead of going deeper inside, Ling Zhang stopped and asked the guard on duty.


    The guard was just about to answer when Yao Yi walked out and said, ¡°Childe Ling, our marshal has woken up. Would you like to come inside?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep last night?¡±


    On the sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s expression, Yao Yi realized it had already come to Ling Zhang¡¯s knowledge that the marshal stayed up all night the night before, so he answered, ¡°He didn¡¯t. The night before last, Marshal was writing something and didn¡¯t sleep until very late. And last night he stayed up all night. I tried to persuade him to get some sleep but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    The night before last night? It was the stack of paper full of formation diagrams and words that Yuwen Tong had given him. Having barely had any sleep for two days in a row, even Yuwen Tong must have been tired.


    Ling Zhang briefly tightened his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check on him.¡±


    ¡°This way please, childe.¡± Yao Yi turned aside making way for Ling Zhang.


    After watching Ling Zhang entering the room, Yao Yi gave a smile.


    Standing beside him, the guard on duty said in an undertone, ¡°Captain, our marshal¡¯s internal energy is excellent. Even if he doesn¡¯t sleep for seven days and seven nights in a row, he¡¯ll still be fine. Did you just say that on purpose?¡±


    Yao Yi gave him a dirty look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so talky.¡±


    The guard flinched, gave a giggle and with that the serious look reappeared on his face, leaving no trace of the fact that he was gossiping just a moment ago.


    Ling Zhang walked across the courtyard onto the winding corridor. Standing there looking inside, he saw that Yuwen Tong was standing before a wall observing various maps on the wall and thinking about something.


    ¡°You came around. How are you feeling?¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t turn his head back but he seemed to have known that the visitor was Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang walked over and took a look at the map on the wall first. The familiar terrain briefly stunned him. A map of Tanyang?


    ¡°I feel a lot more relaxed and my spirits are also in a much better state,¡± Ling Zhang answered. ¡°I heard that you stayed up all night tending me. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Last night, it was the first time that you¡¯d taken a medicated bath and had your meridians unblocked by somebody else with internal energy, so you might convulse and have trouble sleeping, or maybe some other problems would arise. I figured it was best if I kept an eye on you myself. Now that you survived last night, there will be no further problems.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Finally, Yuwen Tong moved his eyes off the map, turned around and looked at him. ¡°Um? Do you still remember what I told you?¡± Of course Ling Zhang didn¡¯t forget. Yuwen Tong had told him to never thank him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve barely had any sleep for two days. You¡¯d better go and take a rest.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows, thinking, ¡®Not bad. He probably began to care about me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ve just performed Qi circulation and finished several circuits. I don¡¯t feel tired. It¡¯s about time. You should go and teach those morons.¡± ¡°Though your kung fu is pretty good, you can¡¯t keep depriving yourself of sleep.¡± Ling Zhang was insistent.


    Yuwen Tong watched him for a while and then said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get some sleep right away. Just go. If we keep talking, it¡¯ll be daybreak soon and I won¡¯t be able to sleep.¡±


    Seeing that he had been convinced, Ling Zhang was secretly relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll drop by again at noon.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded.


    After Ling Zhang left, Yao Yi walked inside. ¡°Marshal, rest assured. We¡¯ll keep an eye on Childe Ling for you. Just have a good sleep.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a sideway glance at him and then moved his eyes back onto the map on the wall. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Who told you I was really going to take a sleep?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve just promised Childe Ling that.¡±


    ¡°I did that merely to have him leave. I haven¡¯t punished you yet for your being a busybody a moment ago, and you began to interfere with my business again.¡±


    Yao Yi shut his mouth immediately, thinking, ¡®It was for your sake that I did that, marshal. How would Childe Ling know it if you don¡¯t tell him what you¡¯ve done for him? How would his heart ache for you if he doesn¡¯t know it? And how would his feelings for you deepen if his heart doesn¡¯t ache for you?¡¯ Marshal not only didn¡¯t praise him, but also blamed him, totally unaware of his good intentions and thought for him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop grumbling inside right now, I¡¯ll send you back to the capital.¡±


    Terrified, Yao Yi turned around and left immediately. It was not until he was far away from the room that he exhaled in relief.


    He didn¡¯t say anything but the marshal somehow guessed what he was thinking as if he could read his mind, which nearly scared him to death.


    In the Prefecture Encampment¡­


    ¡°Commander, County Magistrate Jia requires an audience with you.¡±


    Zhang Chong gave a sneer with a twitch of his heavy face and then said, ¡°Bring him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    Jia Zhong was led into Zhang Chong¡¯s tent. On the sight of Zhang Chong, he immediately bowed respectfully with a smile and said, ¡°Your humble subordinate pays his respect to you, Commander Zhang. You seem even more dignified than the last time I saw you a couple of days before, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Save it, Jia Zhong. There¡¯s no need for formalities. What did you come here for?¡±


    ¡°I mean every word, Commander. Originally, I planned to give Commander some good stuff earlier, but unfortunately, some domestic chores have been delaying me until this day.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Jia Zhong clapped his hands and signaled Adviser Qian waiting outside to come in. Adviser Qian was holding a tray on which there was something covered with a piece of red silk.


    Jia Zhong removed the silk and said, ¡°Please take a look, Commander.¡±


    Zhang Chong flicked a glance at it and with that an interested look appeared in his eyes. He said in a milder tone of voice, ¡°Not bad, Jia Zhong. I didn¡¯t expect that you would be able to come by this thing.¡±


    Jia Zhong smiled, ¡°You¡¯re the one I have to thank for all this, Commander. And you¡¯re the only one who deserves this thing.¡±


    Zhang Chong waved his hand, gesturing his bodyguards to take it. Then he looked at Jia Zhong and said, ¡°I heard that there was quite a scene in your family two days ago.¡±


    The smile on Jia Zhong¡¯s face briefly froze. ¡°We must have incurred Commander¡¯s ridicule.¡±


    ¡°Ridicule? I¡¯ve long ago lost my interest in ridiculing you. The Ling family got the best of you again and again, yet you never learned your lesson. Liu Chengfang was such a good pawn but you wasted her. You not only failed to cause Ling Zhaowen any harm but also got yourselves in deep trouble. Liu Weiling has already been to your home to shit on you, I suppose?¡±


    Jia Zhong was so embarrassed that he could barely retain his smile. ¡°Yes. That old dog is determined to bite a piece of meat off our family and he won¡¯t relax his bite until he gets it. What a bastard.¡±


    ¡°It is rumored that your elder brother insists on taking Liu Chengfang as his concurrent wife?¡±


    ¡°He was just joking with my sister-in-law. How could he really take her as his concurrent wife? She could be nothing more than a concubine.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it that you want me to help with this time? Do you want me to help you get rid of Liu Weiling?¡±


    Zhang Chong stared at Jia Zhong, as if he could see right into Jia Zhong¡¯s soul with his piercing eyes.


    Jia Zhong broke out in a layer of fine beads of cold sweat covering his back. He affected a calmness he did not feel and said, ¡°The petty matter of Liu Weiling is not worthy of Commander¡¯s trouble. I came here today to ask Commander whether you have any good plans to help me eliminate Ling Zhaowen.¡±


    Zhang Chong slowly leaned against the back of the chair and said with a cold look in his eyes, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking about. Ling Zhaowen is nothing. This time I¡¯ll annihilate all those who disobey me.¡±


    ¡°If Commander has any plans, I am at your service,¡± Jia Zhong said delightedly. He couldn¡¯t wait to hear Zhang Chong¡¯s plan.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯ve had this matter worked out. Just go back and wait. I¡¯ll let you know if I need your service.¡±


    As a very discreet man, Zhang Chong had no intention of disclosing anything to Jia Zhong.


    Though unreconciled in mind, Jia Zhong didn¡¯t dare to offend Zhang Chong. Knowing that the Ling family would soon be eliminated, he said in patience, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for Commander¡¯s orders.¡±

 Chapter 78 - Trails of the Last Incarnation

    ¡°Commander, are we really going to do that?¡±


    Zhang Chong, who was sitting in repose with his eyes closed, didn¡¯t even open his eyes after hearing this question. ¡°Ling Zhaowen is a henchman of that uneducated guy named Tao Feng, to whom he owes all his promotions. And now this Lu Kui turned up. It is already difficult enough for me to interfere with affairs of the Prefecture Yamen. If both these two people become Tao Feng¡¯s right-hand men, not only will the Prefecture Yamen be harder to handle, other aspects will surely be handicapped by them as well, which is unfavorable for me.¡±


    ¡°Besides, during that matter of the Jia family last time, that bastard, Tao Feng, dared to inflict a humiliation like that on me. Even a fledgling brat of the Ling family dares to mess with me. I must eliminate them to restore my prestige among the masses.¡±


    ¡°But this is going to catch too many people¡¯s attention after all. If by any chance it comes to knowledge of people in the capital city¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sixth Prince is reaching adulthood. We must be ready. In no circumstances should Tanyang be a hindrance to the big plan. This is going to catch many people¡¯s attention, so we shall quiet them down. Moreover, if people in the capital city can¡¯t even handle this petty matter, there will be no need for me to stake everything on them.¡±


    ¡°Your vision dwarfs me, Commander. I was being short-sighted.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Then learn harder. By the way, has there been any letters from the capital city?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, which is very strange. By convention, the courier pigeon carrying the letter from the capital city should have arrived yesterday, but this time it didn¡¯t arrive on time. I wonder if anything happened in the capital city.¡±


    Zhang Chong opened his eyes. After a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for two more days.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After leaving the Prefecture Encampment, Jia Zhong returned to Tanyang. The moment he arrived home, the sound of a teacup smashing to pieces on the floor was heard, followed by explosive arguments.


    ¡°Let me tell you something, Jia Yin. If you take Liu Chengfang as your concurrent wife, I¡¯ll leave and go back to my parents¡¯ place.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me! You shrew are stirring up trouble every single day. If it weren¡¯t for that you made such a scene, Yuanling would never have vented his anger on her and ended up in exile!¡±


    ¡°Everybody knows it was you who invited that bane of our family into this house and got our son in exile, and you still have the nerve to blame me. Jia Yin, you confound black and white. Shame on you! My son, how poor you are! It¡¯s all your father¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for him, you would never have been exiled!¡± Mrs. Jia burst into tears, crying so loud that even people at the front gate could hear her. Blue veins stood out rippling on Jia Zhong¡¯s temples.


    ¡°Cry, cry, cry ¡ª crying is the only thing you¡¯ve ever done! This family is shrouded in bad luck because of your crying. We¡¯ve suffered enough humiliation already!¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, no humiliation would ever have been inflicted on our family! You¡¯re the one who brought the biggest shame on us! And now you want to marry that bitch Liu Chengfang. I¡¯m telling you ¡ª no way!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! I¡¯ll lock you up if you don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Jia Yin, your conscience has been eaten by a dog!¡±


    With an almighty bang, even the ground quaked. Jia Zhong hurried over and saw that the hall was in a state of total disorder, all tables and chairs overturned by Jia Yin. Mrs. Jia was sitting on the ground at the doorway screaming and crying at the top of her lungs.


    Jia Zhong took a deep breath and said loudly, ¡°Enough! Elder brother, sister-in-law, people can hear you quarreling even from outside the front gate. This family has been through enough chaos. Would you please keep it down for a while?¡± On the sight of him, Mrs. Jia lowered her voice but was still sobbing, covering her face with a handkerchief.


    Seeing that she was still weeping, Jia Yin wanted to scold her again but Jia Zhong stopped him, saying, ¡°Say no more, elder brother. Don¡¯t anger sister-in-law any further.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, we have to accept Liu Chengfang into this house. Otherwise, how would outsiders think of elder brother? How would they think of our family? This is the last fig leaf, and you¡¯re going to put it on even if you don¡¯t want to. As regards Liu Chengfang¡¯s status, a woman like her is not eligible to be a concurrent wife. The title of a concubine will suit her fine.¡± Jia Yin knitted his eyebrows together. He didn¡¯t like Jia Zhong interfering in his business.


    ¡°Elder brother, Liu Weiling is insistent on taking a slice of the pie from our family. You¡¯re going to swallow this?¡± Jia Zhong said in a timely manner.


    It was after Jia Yin heard these remarks that the expression on his face became faintly milder. ¡°Liu Weiling is still picking on you?¡±


    ¡°He refuses to leave the County Yamen.¡±


    ¡°His daughter came to Tanyang to have a tryst with her lover, yet he¡¯s still on his high horse. If he keeps doing this, tell him I¡¯ll never marry Liu Chengfang even if it means our family¡¯s reputation will be ruined.¡±


    Seeing that Jia Yin finally showed willingness to change his mind, Jia Zhong showed relief on his face.


    Mrs. Jia stopped crying after hearing that Liu Chengfang would be a concubine at the most after she married into this family. The status of a concubine was far lower than that of a concurrent wife. As Jia Yin¡¯s official wife, she could easily torture a concubine to death.


    The man in black lying on the rooftop of one of the Jia family¡¯s houses curled his lip. He was enjoying the conversation very much when it was interrupted, which made him feel bored.


    On the other side, news of Jia Zhong¡¯s visit to the Prefecture Encampment was immediately sent back to Yuwen Tong, and Ling Zhang happened to be in the room.


    ¡°Zhang Chong¡¯s tent was heavily guarded, and it¡¯s daytime, so I wasn¡¯t able to get close enough to hear what they talked about.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and asked, ¡°Did Jia Zhong go there alone?¡±


    ¡°An advisor was with him, and they brought a gift, which was covered by a piece of red silk. I don¡¯t know what it is. But Jia Zhong had a rather concerned look on his face before he went into the tent, and when he walked out, he appeared much more relieved, as if he had resolved some tricky issue.¡±


    What kind of tricky issue did he resolve? The Jia family and Zhang Chong must have long ago made some arrangements for the matter of Jia Yuanling, so it was definitely not this issue that had been bothering Jia Zhong. In regard to the matter of Jia Yin and Liu Chengfang, though it was rumored that there had been intense quarrels between Jia Yin and Mrs. Jia, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Jia Zhong to handle it, given how sinister he was. All these excluded, what was the problem left?


    Jia Zhong wanted the position of Tongzhi and had already tried to kill his uncle twice.


    Zhang Chong must have promised something to Jia Zhong, and there was no doubt that it was very unfavorable to his uncle, no matter what it was.


    Ling Zhang immediately became vigilant. ¡°I¡¯ll go and inform my uncle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you in a moment,¡± Yuwen Tong said to him, ¡°but right now we have to figure out how Zhang Chong is going to do it first.¡±


    How was he going to do it? Ling Zhang knitted his brows. Somehow, he recalled what happened to the Lu family in his last incarnation.


    His uncle, Lu Kui, would also be promoted to Tongzhi this time. In his last incarnation, all members of the Lu family were slaughtered. Members of the Ling family were wronged and also massacred. According to the trail of his last incarnation, neither his uncle nor Uncle Lu got their deserved positions. Did this mean that¡­!


    Ling Zhang abruptly stood up with a drastic change of his expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him in concern. ¡°Did anything occur to you?¡±


    He needed someone to consult with and Yuwen Tong was the obvious choice, but he couldn¡¯t tell him what had happened in his last incarnation. After dithering for a while, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I have to go and consult with my uncle first.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him for a while and then said, ¡°Then you go first. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Ling Zhang cast an apologetic look at him, turned around and left the room.


    ¡°Marshal, there was something wrong with Childe Ling¡¯s reaction. He seemed to know something.¡±


    Yuwen Tong watched Ling Zhang¡¯s receding figure, as if absorbed in thought. Then he said, ¡°Have your eye on Zhang Chong. Under no circumstances should anything suspicious escape the surveillance, no matter how small it is.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    On this day, Ling Zhaowen happened to be on leave at home. On the sight of Ling Zhang who came to his house with a worried look, he couldn¡¯t help asking concernedly, ¡°Zhang¡¯er, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m afraid something is going to happen to Lu family,¡± Ling Zhang said, looking solemn.


    Ling Zhaowen immediately understood what Ling Zhang was referring to. He asked, ¡°Did you hear anything?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and told him the matter of Jia Zhong¡¯s visit to the Prefecture Encampment as well as his own deduction. ¡°Undoubtedly, Zhang Chong is going to make an attempt on you and Uncle Lu.¡± He once used that insidious tactic of killing two birds with one stone in his last incarnation. He was definitely going to use it again in this life.


    ¡°Uncle, did you remind Uncle Lu?¡±


    The look on Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face also became solemn, ¡°I indicated this to him several times. He should have taken some precautions by now. It¡¯s just that, in order not to arouse anybody¡¯s suspicion, unlike us, the Lu family didn¡¯t act overtly, but Lu Kui has already secretly prepared a place where his family members can hide.¡±


    ¡°But what concerns me is that they might not have enough time to hide. No matter what, hiding is not the best solution. We have to figure out a way to resolve it.¡±


    ¡°There are thirty bandits. I¡¯m afraid even if all Yamen runners are dispatched, they still won¡¯t be enough to handle them.¡±


    ¡°What if we send our security guards to join hands with them?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen pondered over it for a while and said, ¡°That might work.¡±


    Then he sighed, ¡°Originally I¡¯ve already set a trap waiting for Jia Zhong to walk into it. If he does, he and the Jia family will be eliminated once and for all. But judging from what you¡¯ve just said, I¡¯m afraid misfortune will happen to the Lu family before Jia Zhong gets caught in the trap.¡±


    ¡°What kind of preparations did Uncle make?¡±


    ¡°The Jia family¡¯s mine. I sent someone to make contact with the director of the mine. He¡¯s already gained the trust of the director and will get his account book in just a few days. Once this account book is delivered to the capital city, not only the Jia family is doomed, Zhang Chong will also be incriminated.¡±


    Startled, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Who did you send to the mine?¡±


    ¡°That director is an old goat. A woman will be more than enough to handle him.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, please tell that woman to stand by for the moment. On no account should any rash action be taken!¡±


    Ling Zhang went anxious. Once that account book was stolen, which would alarm the Jia family and Zhang Chong ahead of schedule, Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan would be ruined.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why should she stand by? You don¡¯t want to get your revenge anymore?¡± Ling Zhaowen was puzzled.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong came to Tanyang this time not only to pay a visit to grandfather but also to investigate Zhang Chong. He has already had someone make a duplicate of that account book. Apart from that, he also has other plans. Jia family and Zhang Chong must not be alerted for now.¡±


    Ling Zhang disclosed part of the matter which he had consulted with Yuwen Tong about. ¡°It was my fault for not having told you this earlier, uncle.¡±


    But Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t get angry. ¡°So that¡¯s how matters stand. I nearly ruined your big plan. Rest assured, I¡¯ll send her a message and tell her to stand by.¡±


    ¡°But Zhang¡¯er, you¡­ you and Yuwen Tong seem to keep no secrets from each other. Is he never wary of you?¡±


    Ling Zhang made no response.


    He understood why there was a meaningful look in his Uncle¡¯s eyes, but they were talking business, and his Uncle shouldn¡¯t have steered the conversation away to another topic.


    ¡°We can talk about this later, Uncle. The crisis facing the Lu family requires immediate resolution.¡±


    ¡°Since Marshal Yuwen intends to eliminate Zhang Chong, there¡¯s no need for us to go to that much trouble. We only need to adopt a smarter approach.¡±


    A smarter approach? Ling Zhang watched Ling Zhaowen in perplexity.


    ¡°Ha-ha, what a silly kid. How come you still haven¡¯t gotten the point? Like you¡¯ve just said, Marshal Yuwen has already formulated a plan to handle Zhang Chong, which means that soon Zhang Chong will no longer be a problem, so it¡¯s totally unnecessary for us to fight Zhang Chong head-on. All we need to do is adopt delaying tactics and wait for the job to be done.¡±


    ¡°Delaying tactics? Are you saying that¡­¡±

 Chapter 79 - Countermeasures

    ¡°Just dispatch Yamen runners on whatever pretext you can think of, such as searching for burglars or something like that. Impose a curfew and have Yamen runners patrol the streets every night. Make an excuse to focus the defense on the Lu family. Those bandits will surely have misgivings once they see the defense line. Even if they¡¯re bold enough to launch a frontal attack, we can fight back against the enemies with righteous cause.¡±


    That was right. How come he didn¡¯t think of this! Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    As long as they managed to make it through the next half a month, Zhang Chong would be eliminated, and all worries about this issue would be totally unnecessary.


    ¡°Most importantly, we can also force Zhang Chong to keep his grievance to himself,¡± Ling Zhaowen added.


    ¡°Zhang Chong?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled, ¡°You forgot the duty of Prefecture Guards? Yamen runners are indeed not enough, but Prefecture Guards are more than enough to handle the bandits, right?¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Ling Zhang said excitedly. When something happened in the city, Prefecture Guards were obliged by law to provide assistance, and Zhang Chong couldn¡¯t refuse. Moreover, Zhang Chong had to stop those bandits from getting into the city. Otherwise, how would residents think of Prefecture Guards?


    With this plan, Ling Zhang was relieved.


    After the consultation between the two was over, Yuwen Tong arrived.


    It was not until Ling Zhang saw Yuwen Tong that he recalled he had to find a way to explain to Yuwen Tong his previous reaction as well as the plan of him and his Uncle. After all, his knowing in advance what Zhang Chong was going to do was the very prerequisite for this plan.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was in no hurry. On entering the room, he first greeted Ling Zhaowen. ¡°My men are having their eye on both Zhang Chong and Jia Zhong. If anything happens, we¡¯ll be informed immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m much obliged to you, marshal.¡± Ling Zhaowen thanked Yuwen Tong. ¡°We have only ourselves to blame for getting into this mess, yet we put you to so much trouble. I feel deeply ashamed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, Uncle Ling. The Ling family is a benefactor of my family. Since I¡¯m in Tanyang, I won¡¯t let any harm comes to the Ling family.¡±


    Ling Zhang was fretting about how he should explain himself to Yuwen Tong, but it turned out that Yuwen Tong had no intention of asking him about it at all. After having a brief talk with Ling Zhaowen, he stood up ready to take his leave.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m going back as well,¡± Ling Zhang also hurriedly said as he saw this.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left, the former following the latter. A rather meaningful smile appeared on Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face as he watched them leaving.


    After leaving the courtyard of Uncle Ling, Ling Zhang had been waiting for Yuwen Tong to ask him all along, but Yuwen Tong kept silent all the way.


    Finally, when they returned to the Green Bamboo Mansion, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask him first, ¡°Was there nothing you wanted to ask me about just now?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me right now?¡±


    So Yuwen Tong had been deliberately waiting for him to run out of patience and tell him on his own account? Ling Zhang was secretly angry with himself for not having been more patient.


    ¡°Just now, I saw that Uncle Ling looked unworried. Manifestly you¡¯ve already come up with some kind of countermeasure. Do you need my help?¡±


    Having noticed that there was a ghost of annoyance in his eyes, Yuwen Tong knew that he probably had displeased him, so he stopped teasing Ling Zhang.


    Surprisingly, after his annoyance dissolved, Ling Zhang was less anxious and less worried. He knew that he was no match for Yuwen Tong, that Yuwen Tong probably knew all his thoughts.


    ¡°Do you still remember I mentioned that my men once found some people, presumably bandits, entered the Prefecture Encampment?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Zhang Chong is going to directly adopt coercive measures and try to eliminate my family through the hands of those bandits, so I consulted with my Uncle and we came up with a countermeasure.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a half-genuine, half-sham account of the matter but had no idea whether Yuwen Tong believed him or not. There was nothing he could deduce from the expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face.


    ¡°My Uncle will impose a curfew on the pretext of searching for burglars in the city. Then he¡¯ll dispatch patrol teams. Apart from those Yamen runners, the Prefecture Guards will also send some men to help with the defense. In that case, even if Zhang Chong wants to take action, he won¡¯t be able to do it for the moment. Besides, as long as we manage to make it through the next half a month during which Zhang Chong and the Jia family will be eliminated, all problems will be readily solved.¡±


    After hearing his remarks, Yuwen Tong nodded and said, ¡°This countermeasure is pretty good. A lot of trouble will be resolved. But the mere pretext of searching for burglars might not be convincing enough. It would be better if we put on a show.¡± ¡°Put on a show?¡± Ling Zhang was confused.


    ¡°Imposing a curfew and dispatching a great many of men to catch common burglars is a little dramatic. Zhang Chong probably won¡¯t buy it and might even see through it, but if there¡¯s bloodshed, it will be a different story, since ferocious and outrageous burglars are far more convincing.¡±


    ¡°But how can we make sure that it¡¯s only acting? That nobody dies? We may find more helpers, but the more people involved, the higher the risk of leak.¡±


    ¡°All you have to do is tell me the target. I¡¯ll have my men handle the rest.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a sudden inspiration. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll consult with my Uncle and give you a reply later.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had no objection to this.


    Ling Zhang went back to Ling Zhaowen¡¯s place and told him Yuwen Tong¡¯s suggestion.


    Ling Zhaowen smiled, ¡°Marshal Yuwen¡¯s reputation is not unwarranted. Even the way he does things is more discreet. Where do you think is the most suitable target?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Uncle Lu for help. It will also make a convenient excuse to have Yamen runners focus defense on the Lu family. We can even request Yamen runners to stay in the Lu family. Besides, there will be a lot of people going to the Lu family to offer their condolences, which will make it even more difficult for them to do whatever it is they want to do to the Lu family.¡±


    Watching Ling Zhang in gratification, Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°Then let¡¯s do this your way. I¡¯ll tell Lu Kui the plan.¡±


    ¡°Do it as soon as possible, Uncle. I¡¯m afraid Yuwen Tong needs to make some arrangements. If there¡¯s too little time, they might not be able to make enough preparations.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ll go to the Lu family right away.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan take a few guards to escort you there.¡±


    Ling Zhang went to his dwelling in the Guards¡¯ yards and told Wang Dashan to bring his men to escort Ling Zhaowen. Then he exhaled in relief. Finally, half of this issue was resolved.


    ¡°Young master, are you teaching us today?¡± Qiu Bing ran over and asked.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ll tell Captain Wang and the others when they return.¡±


    In the Green Bamboo Mansion, a guard saw that Ling Zhang was teaching those guards again. He went to Yuwen Tong and reported, ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling is teaching those security guards again.¡±


    On hearing this, Yao Yi said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal, Second Master Ling has also just left the house. It¡¯s said that he was heading for the Lu family. Why do you think Childe Ling was so sure that Zhang Chong would collude with bandits to attack the Ling family?¡±


    ¡°The Ling family is a local family here in Tanyang, so it¡¯s normal that they have some sources of intelligence that we don¡¯t know about,¡± Yuwen Tong said with a calm look. ¡°Go and make some arrangements for what I just bade you to do. When people of the Ling family are ready, cooperate with them and make sure nothing goes awry during the acting.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After an hour, Ling Zhaowen returned and told Ling Zhang that he had consulted with the Lu family, that they could start the cooperation once Yuwen Tong¡¯s men were ready.


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll tell Yuwen Tong right away.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly went back to the Green Bamboo Mansion and said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°We found our cooperator. It¡¯s the Lu family.¡±


    As if not having known anything about this in advance at all, Yuwen Tong bade Yao Yi to make arrangements once again in front of Ling Zhang. Yao Yi obediently took the order without any changes of his expression.


    ¡°We can do this tonight.¡±


    ¡°So soon? I¡¯ll send someone to-¡±


    ¡°Just sit down and have a rest. Yao Yi, go and inform Uncle Ling.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Fairly concerned, Ling Zhang still wanted to do it himself.


    ¡°Both your Uncle and the one you called Uncle Lu are not three-year-old children. Certainly they can handle this small issue.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang forbore from going. He lowered his head to look at his partially sweat-soaked clothes and said in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ll go and change my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang returned to his room and changed. Though everything had been planned out, he kept having this feeling that he seemed to have overlooked something.


    After changing clothes, he was about to go next door when suddenly he recalled what he had overlooked. ¡°Xia Feng, go and get Liu Yi. Tell him that there¡¯s something I want him to do.¡±


    Xia Feng hurriedly left. Before long, Liu Yi arrived. ¡°Young master, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°You and Captain Wang have to stay sharp at night in the next few days. It¡¯s very likely that those people we¡¯ve been expecting will show up.¡±


    Liu Yi was secretly startled. ¡°Did Childe have any messages?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. Anyway, you must keep your eyes peeled and stay vigilant during the next few days. If my deduction is right, those people will definitely show up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master. Captain Wang and I will keep our eyes skinned.¡±


    If things went well, this time he would be able to find out which gang those bandits in direct collusion with Zhang Chong belonged to!


    On that very night¡­


    ¡°Can I go with you?¡± Ling Zhang asked, watching Yuwen Tong with a pleasantly surprised look on his face.


    Yuwen Tong said that he could bring Ling Zhang to the Lu family, which was a pleasant surprise for Ling Zhang, since he had thought that he would have to wait at home in boredom.


    ¡°Of course, but you have to change into night-suit first.¡±


    The so-called night-suit Ling Zhang changed into was in fact merely an outfit of a dark color. He didn¡¯t have any pitch-black clothes like those worn by Yao Yi and others.


    The outfit was fairly skintight, which not only accentuated his figure but also provided a perfect foil for his white skin. In the candlelight, his skin stood out in sharp, almost dazzling relief against the clothes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do I look weird?¡±


    Upon seeing that Yuwen Tong was staring at him, Ling Zhang mistakenly believed that he looked strange in that outfit. Somewhat awkwardly, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any night-suits. This outfit¡­¡±


    ¡°This outfit is pretty good,¡± Yuwen Tong said. After walking around Ling Zhang with his eyes fixed on his neck, he withdrew his gaze and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s about time.¡±


    ¡­


    The Lu family was located in the southern part of the city, actually not very far away from the Ling family. Unlike the Ling family which had a simple family structure, the Lu family was a large family with numerous members. Lu Kui alone had three sons and four daughters.


    The one who was going to cooperate with them in the trick was Lu Kui himself. Originally, Mrs. Lu volunteered to help but her offer was declined. After all, Mrs. Lu was a woman and there were some things inconvenient for her to do. Besides, there might be some unfavorable rumors if she got involved in this.


    ¡°To prevent divulgence, currently my wife and my father are the only ones aware of this in my family apart from me, so there might be confusion and disorder in my home when it happens.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Uncle Lu. My Uncle will come here to help you keep things under control in your home as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Kui nodded solemnly. ¡°Then what should I do now?¡±


    ¡°This is Guard Yao. Just do whatever he tells you to.¡±


    Ling Zhang signaled Yao Yi to come over and introduced him to Lu Kui.


    ¡°Rest assured, County Magistrate Lu. We¡¯ll fake a wound on you, which requires some disguise skills. When the operation starts, we¡¯ll give you a pill which will temporarily send you into suspended animation. Your breathing will be undetectably weak and nobody will be able to find out that you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    Of course, this kind of means was miraculous and mysterious in Lu Kui¡¯s eyes. He had only heard some rumors about it in the past but had never expected that the medicine, which could send people into suspended animation when ingested, did exist.


    ¡°Okay, then. Thank you, Guard Yao,¡± he said.


    From start to finish, Yuwen Tong, who had been standing beside Ling Zhang all along, kept silent. Lu Kui just thoughtfully flicked a glimpse at him but sensibly asked no questions.

 Chapter 80 - The Theft in the Lu Family and the ‘Death’ of Lu Kui

    Late at night, when the whole Tanyang was in a deathly hush, a sudden dismal screech emanated from the mansion of the Lu family in the southern part of the city.


    ¡°A man was killed!¡±


    ¡°Somebody help us! Burglars! Master was assassinated!¡±


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Brass gongs were sounded, and the whole Tanyang was alarmed. At this late hour, bursts of crying issuing from the mansion of the Lu family sent chills down people¡¯s spines.


    ¡°Goodness me. How did this happen? Those bandits and burglars have already entered the city?¡±


    ¡°Check the doors and windows. Make sure they¡¯re all firmly locked. Move that cabinet here to block this door!¡±


    Soon, the whole Tanyang was thrown into confusion and chaos. Many residents got up and, too concerned to light their candles or lamps, hurried to check their windows and doors, blocking the gates with heavy furniture.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who were standing on the rooftop of a high pavilion in the backyard of the Lu family, could almost see three-quarter Tanyang. They could also faintly hear noises coming from all sides.


    Ling Zhang felt a little guilty about frightening so many residents, but his sense of guilt lasted only a brief moment.


    The clanging of gong indicated that the one sounding it was heading directly for the Prefecture Yamen. Before long, all Yamen runners on the night shift were dispatched. About eleven or twelve people rushed towards the mansion of the Lu family located in the southern part of the city.


    ¡°There.¡± Ling Zhang stared at a moving luminous spot in the distance. That was lighted torches held by Yamen runners.


    Children of the Lu family were also woken up, crying out loud. They were totally unaware of what was really going on, and their heartache was real, which was why their weep sounded exceptionally heart-rending.


    Standing on the rooftop, Ling Zhang stared down at the chaotic situation in the Lu family, his eyes gradually growing thoughtful. Maybe on that night in his last incarnation, the Lu family was in even deeper confusion and horror as cacodemon-like bandits broke into their houses killing everybody on sight regardless of their age and gender.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice came into his ears. Ling Zhang, who was abruptly brought back from his recollection, gazed forward and found that staff members of the Prefecture Yamen had already arrived.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the Yamen runner heading the team asked.


    ¡°Officer, a burglar intruded into our master¡¯s study. Our master happened to be sleeping in the study and was killed by the burglar!¡± the butler of the Lu family hastily ran out and said in a tearful voice, weeping.


    ¡°What? Lead us to the scene right now.¡± Shocked, Yamen runners strode towards the depths of the mansion of the Lu family.


    Lu Kui¡¯s study was in a mess with blood all over. Lu Kui was lying right on the floor. There were several saber wounds in his body. The fatal one was in his abdomen, which was caused by a saber that had gone straight through him.


    A Yamen runner put a finger before Lu Kui¡¯s nostrils to check his breathing. Then with a frown, he stood up, his eyes sweeping around the study which had been rummaged.


    ¡°Little Three, Little Four, go back and report this case to Lord Tao. Request him to issue an order to conduct a citywide hunt for the murderer immediately. In addition, send someone to inform Lord Ling.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Mrs. Lu nearly cried herself to faint. She was sitting on the ground against the door, weeping bitter tears of grief. Upon seeing that the Yamen runner confirmed Lu Kui¡¯s ¡®death¡¯, she was secretly relieved and started crying even louder.


    ¡°What a goddamn burglar! Why did you kill my husband? My darling, what a tragic fate you had!¡±


    With his eyebrows knitted, a Yamen runner flicked a glance at Mrs. Lu and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Lu. Please go outside and have a rest. I promise we¡¯ll find clues, bring the murderer to justice and avenge Lord Lu¡¯s death.¡±


    Crying uncontrollably, Mrs. Lu was guided out of the room by her handmaids.


    The Yamen runner performed an intensive search in the study, which took him quite a long time. Then he queried the servant responsible for routine cleaning of the study. After confirming the stolen valuables in general terms, he came to a conclusion.


    ¡°All stolen things were expensive carvings made of either gold or jade. It seems that the burglar intruded into the study to steal but was spotted by Lord Lu who was sleeping inside, so he killed him.¡±


    ¡°Guys, search the whole mansion carefully, in case the murderer is still hiding here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Old Master Lu, please tell your family members not to walk around lest they encounter that murderer.¡±


    Lu Kui¡¯s father, Lu Fengnian, nodded in deep grief and said, ¡°Thank you for kindly reminding us of this.¡±


    With Lu Fengnian¡¯s presence, all members of the Lu family soon gathered together. Servants also collected, trembling, too afraid to go anywhere alone.


    Before long, Tao Feng and Ling Zhaowen arrived, bringing half a dozen Yamen runners with them.


    The search lasted until daybreak, Yamen runners checked everywhere in the mansion of the Lu family, but other than bloodstained footprints on the wall of the backyard, they didn¡¯t find anything suspicious. Following the string of footprints, they went outside and checked the perimeter but there was no other trace.


    Due to this horrific murder, Tao Feng¡¯s face was extremely sullen. He ordered a four-hour delay in opening the city gate and a citywide hunt for the murderer.


    All residents of Tanyang were jittery, discussions on the matter of the Lu family everywhere.


    Naturally, people of the Jia family also heard the news. At first, Jia Zhong was stunned, but then he burst into laugh. ¡°This is great news! With his death, I got one fewer enemy standing in my way! What a divine intervention!¡± Having had enough laugh, he said with a regretful look, ¡°It¡¯s a pity. Why wasn¡¯t it Ling Zhaowen who was killed?¡±


    ¡°My lord, Lu Kui¡¯s death means that you got a chance to compete for the position of the Right Tongzhi. Though Ling Zhaowen is still alive, will it not be easy for you to finish him after you take office?¡±


    ¡°Humph! It seems that I have to let Ling Zhaowen live for a few more days. He¡¯s such a lucky dog!¡±


    Four hours later, there was still no clue to the whereabouts of the burglar who committed the murder, but Tao Feng had no choice but to give the order to open the city gate.


    However, the citywide hunt was unaffected by this. There were also ten Yamen runners in the Lu family on duty in case the burglar returned.


    When the news reached Zhang Chong, it was accompanied by Tao Feng¡¯s request.


    ¡°Lu Kui was killed? How did it happen?¡± His bodyguards standing beside him were astounded.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face was dark with rage. ¡°He could have died either earlier or later, but he stupidly died right at this time! Damn it!¡±


    ¡°I wonder which gang that burglar belongs to. This is so unruly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care which gang he belongs to. Have your men send word out. Tell them to find that guy. I¡¯ll skin him alive!¡±


    Zhang Chong angrily smacked his fist down onto the table which instantly broke apart.


    The bodyguard¡¯s eyelids twitched with fear. He unnoticeably drew back a little further away and said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do it right off.¡±


    ¡°Captain, take a hundred man and follow me to the city.¡±


    After his anger subsided, with a sepulchral look on his face, Zhang Chong stood up and walked outside. After a 100-men team was formed, he quickly led the team out of the encampment, heading directly for Tanyang.


    People of the Lu family had already built a mourning hall, in which the coffin containing Lu Kui¡¯s body was placed.


    When Zhang Chong arrived, Ling Zhang, as the eldest son of the Ling family, was condoling with members of the Lu family in the hall along with his uncle.


    ¡°Commander Zhang, please make sure the murderer gets his just deserts and our master¡¯s death is avenged!¡± the butler of the Lu family cried.


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lu, who was weeping with her head down in the hall, briefly moved her eyes sideways, then turned around to face Zhang Chong and knelt down before him, saying, ¡°Commander Zhang, please help us get justice!¡±


    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen exchanged glances and then both of them quietly drew back to the side.


    Zhang Chong, who had already put on a sorrowful face, said, ¡°Rest assured, Mrs. Lu. As Commander of Prefecture Guard, I promise I¡¯ll bring the murderer to justice and avenge Lord Lu¡¯s death!¡±


    His words sounded earnest, but his fierce-looking face ruined the ¡®grief¡¯ he affected, making him seem somewhat hideous.


    ¡°Commander Zhang, I¡¯m relieved to hear your promise.¡± Lu Fengnian also walked out.


    ¡°Old Master Lu, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. You can trust me with the hunt for the murderer.¡± Zhang Chong said to Lu Fengnian.


    ¡°Alas. Tanyang had been in peace all along under the protection of Prefecture Guards. Nobody could have expected that a ruffian would intrude into the Lu family to steal, and he even took Lord Lu¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Isn¡¯t this a great humiliation for the Prefecture Guards?¡±


    A guest, who had come here to express his condolences, mumbled. The look on Zhang Chong¡¯s face went colder and colder.


    ¡°May I check Lord Lu¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead, Commander Zhang. A post-mortem examiner came here and performed an autopsy this morning. He said that the murderer slashed my son four times in a row, and then stabbed him after seeing that he was still alive¡­¡± Lu Fengnian was unable to continue, his face full of deep grief.


    After making a comforting remark, Zhang Chong walked up to the coffin, stooped down to check Lu Kui¡¯s body and didn¡¯t stop until he confirmed that the wounds in Lu Kui matched Lu Fengnian¡¯s description.


    ¡°Old Master Lu, would you mind if I take a look at Lord Lu¡¯s study?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Let me show you the way, Commander Zhang.¡±


    Lu Fengnian led Zhang Chong out of the mourning hall. While leaving the hall, Zhang Chong flicked a glance at Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang calmly made eye contact with him, while Ling Zhaowen ignored him.


    The look in Zhang Chong¡¯s eyes went cold and with that he followed Lu Fengnian and left.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s guards had put some efforts into faking the murder scene, so Zhang Chong didn¡¯t find any questionable points in the study. The blood on the floor hadn¡¯t been cleaned yet, and the smell of it was still lingering in the air.


    ¡°What did the burglar steal?¡±


    Lu Fengnian named five valuable items.


    ¡°So he came here for money?¡±


    ¡°Yes. By some unlucky chance, my son kept reading and commenting on documents in this study until very late last night, and he chose to sleep right here. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have encountered that ruffian.¡±


    ¡°Who know about these valuables in this study?¡±


    ¡°Well, the existence of these things in this room was never a secret. Apart from people living in this mansion, those who have visited us also know it.¡±


    The range of possible suspects was too wide, which made it difficult to investigate.


    If there was a mole in the Lu family, the burglar definitely would have been informed that Lu Kui would sleep in the study that night.


    With a frown, Zhang Chong left. Having failed to find any clue, he appeared very angry.


    Others mistakenly believed that he was angry at the murderer, but Ling Zhang was well aware of the reason for his anger. He slightly lowered his eyes to conceal the cold look in them.


    Lu Kui was a county magistrate and his death mattered much. Even Zhang Chong didn¡¯t dare to close the case in a careless manner, since public indignation might be aroused if he did so. As a result, he had no choice but to dispatch some soldiers of the Prefecture Guards to the city to perform the citywide murder hunt with Yamen runners as well as patrol the streets at night and enforce the curfew.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong after they returned to the Ling family. ¡°Currently, Zhang Chong has to do it this way. Since his plan has already been delayed till this day, even if he wants to carry it out, he won¡¯t be able to find the chance.¡±


    ¡°Incidentally, how did you make Uncle Lu¡¯s body cold? Even Zhang Chong failed to see it through.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong out of curiosity. Back then when Zhang Chong stretched his hand into the coffin, he was so worried Zhang Chong might find out the truth that his heart nearly stopped beating, but it turned out that Zhang Chong didn¡¯t find anything. He had to admit that the skills of Yuwen Tong¡¯s subordinates were so amazing.


    ¡°This is an occult skill. Yao Yi and his men were masters of it. If you¡¯re interested, I can have them teach you, but it¡¯s not something that could be mastered in a short time. Do you want to learn it?¡±

 Chapter 81 - Getting Wind of It

    Of course he wanted to learn this. It was such a fantastic camouflage skill. Ling Zhang nearly blurted ¡°Yes¡±, but eventually he forbore to do so after some rational thinking. There were too many unresolved issues waiting for him to address at the moment, and he had no time to learn this skill.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was not surprised by Ling Zhang¡¯s refusal at all. He said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You may learn it in the future. After you take enough medicated baths, I¡¯ll teach you something else. Currently, it is indeed not the wisest choice for you to be distracted by the learning of this kind of skill which is of less significance.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡± Ling Zhang was confused. Were there by any chance any other methods apart from taking medicated baths and unblocking his meridians with Yuwen Tong¡¯s internal energy?


    ¡°There are some special breathing exercises. They will not only prove beneficial to your meridians but also facilitate your cultivation of internal energy as long as you keep practicing them.¡±


    Cultivation of internal energy? Ling Zhang thought that he must have just misheard. ¡°Are you saying that I can cultivate internal energy like you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yuwen Tong said. He could totally understand why Ling Zhang was shocked.


    Ling Zhang was in not only shock but also delight. Originally he had started practicing horse stance and boxing from Wang Dashan merely to build himself up, but now Yuwen Tong told him that he could cultivate internal energy, which was such a temptation for Ling Zhang!


    ¡°I want to learn them!¡± Ling Zhang nodded unhesitatingly for fear that Yuwen Tong might change his mind.


    Watching Yuwen Tong with an expectant look in his eyes, Ling Zhang had no idea at all that his eager face bore a close resemblance to that of Ada.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s fingers briefly twitched. He wanted to draw Ling Zhang over and hug him but eventually restrained himself from doing so.


    ¡°You need to take seven medicated baths in total. And then I¡¯ll teach you how to perform those special breathing exercises.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    He took a medicated bath every other day, which meant that he would be able to start learning those breathing exercises in less than half a month! As Ling Zhang thought of what he would start doing after half a month, a fever of excitement involuntarily surged inside him.


    On account of this, he drastically changed his attitude towards Yuwen Tong, waiting on him hand and foot, by which even Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards were amazed.


    ¡°Exactly how did Marshal manage to do this? It¡¯s been such a short time, but Childe Ling¡¯s attitude makes him seem like another person.¡±


    ¡°If Marshal invites Childe Ling to the capital with him this time, surely Childe Ling is going to agree, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°I imagine he¡¯s going to say yes.¡±


    ¡°Marshal¡¯s reputation is well-earned. People like us will never be a patch on him.¡±


    As his subordinates gazed at him in admiration, Yuwen Tong began to enjoy Ling Zhang¡¯s solicitous care Ling Zhang accorded him. It happened to be lunch time and the dining table was full of delicious food that had been prepared under Ling Zhang¡¯s supervision. He told Yuwen Tong that these courses were the most famous specials of Tanyang, and also gave Yuwen Tong a guarantee that they would lead him to endless aftertastes.


    Beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s ardent gaze, Yuwen Tong blandly picked up a piece of fresh and tender tofu with his chopsticks and sent it into his mouth.


    ¡°What do you think? Is it delicious? The tofu was stewed in the freshest and thickest chicken soup, and all spices used to season it are specific to Tanyang, which made it tender, smooth and tasty!¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded and said, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Have a taste of this. It¡¯s venison. Unlike recipes adopted in those restaurants on the streets, the culinary method for this dish used by my family chef, whose family has been in catering industry for generations in Tanyang, is peculiar to his family. No outsiders are able to cook venison of this kind of taste.¡±


    Ling Zhang pointed at another course to show Yuwen Tong. They could literally see the tenderness of the venison with naked eyes. The tempting smell of it wafted up into their nostrils, making their mouths water.


    Even Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but flick an extra glance at it. After having a taste of it, he made a favorable comment. ¡°It¡¯s truly of great look, delicious smell and terrific taste.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°This is pretty good, too. Have a try¡­ ¡±


    Every time Ling Zhang recommended a course, Yuwen Tong tasted it, gave a nod and paid it a compliment in a very cooperative manner.


    The delicious smells of the tableful of food wafted far away outside. Guards on duty in the Green Bamboo Mansion could hear their bellies grumbling. Though they didn¡¯t see how those dishes looked like, the smells alone made their mouths water. And they found Ling Zhang¡¯s distinct, vivid descriptions simply unbearable.


    Facing such tempting delicacies, the Marshal could still calmly make comments on them. His self-control was truly amazing.


    ¡°All right. Just sit down and enjoy the meal with me.¡± After sampling each and every one of those courses, Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang onto a chair beside him.


    Ling Zhang was indeed hungry. He sat down without any pretence at politeness, took up a pair of chopsticks and had lunch with Yuwen Tong.


    While the two people were leisurely having lunch, the atmosphere in the whole Tanyang was still tense. All residents were worried that the burglar who killed Lu Kui the night before might suddenly show up again, so nobody was in the mood for having lunch delightedly like Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    In the afternoon, Jia Zhong and Jia Yin arrived at Lu family to express their condolences.


    At the sight of tight security, Jia Yin softly snorted.


    ¡°I never expected that such an accident would happen. What a pity that Lord Lu¡¯s rare talents were wasted. I think I¡¯ll never be able to meet another man as learned as he was,¡± said Jia Zhong in a regretful tone, a dejected look on his face.


    ¡°Did they catch the thug?¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao and Commander Zhang¡¯s men are performing a citywide hunt. The murderer is still at large, but I never doubted that Lord Tao and Commander Zhang would catch him for Lu family.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything Jia family can do for you, please let me know, Lord Tao. We¡¯ll do whatever it takes to see justice done!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Lord Jia. I appreciate it. Since Lord Tao and Commander Zhang are on it, I don¡¯t dare to put Lord Jia to trouble.¡±


    Jia Zhong didn¡¯t really mean to help. After hearing Lu Fengnian¡¯s polite refusal, he made a couple of remarks in affected concern and then left with Jia Yin. Before leaving, he specially cast a glance at Lu Kui¡¯s body in the coffin. On confirmation of Lu Kui¡¯s death, he walked out of the hall unhesitatingly.


    The moment they were out of Lu family, Jia Zhong couldn¡¯t help burst into laugh. ¡°Fantastic! Simply fantastic!¡±


    But Jia Yin wasn¡¯t as overjoyed as he was. ¡°Due to the murder of this Lu Kui guy, soldiers are searching every house in the city. This is so ominous. You saw it yourself in Lu family ¨C Yamen runners and guards are everywhere, as if Lu family is really of great importance. If I were that burglar, I would never stoop to go back there again.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be angry about it, elder brother. Lu family is merely being mean,¡± said Jia Zhong.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ling Zhaowen supposed to assume personal command in Lu family? Why wasn¡¯t he there?¡± asked Jia Yin.


    Jia Zhong¡¯s face darkened. ¡°He saw us coming and didn¡¯t dare face us, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t that burglar go to Ling family instead? If it were Ling Zhaowen who got killed, we would have been spared a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°No burglars would have found anything worth stealing in the poor Ling family.¡±


    The two brothers of Jia family got onto a carriage and left the mansion of Lu family.


    When they returned to their home, Mrs. Jia went up to them and asked, ¡°Is Lu Kui really dead?¡±


    ¡°As dead as mutton,¡± answered Jia Yin coldly.


    As Mrs. Jia heard his cold tone of voice and saw his sullen look, her face instantly darkened. A quarrel was about to break out.


    Jia Zhong hurriedly made an excuse and left.


    After Jia Zhong walked out of sight, Mrs. Jia snorted coldly, ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly amiable to your kind younger brother. Someday he¡¯ll betray you and you won¡¯t even be able to find out how!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Jia Yin thundered.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I telling the truth? Wasn¡¯t he the one who was behind the matter of the tavern? He plotted against Ling Zhaowen but ended up victimizing you and allowing that Liu Chengfang to be part of our family!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already agreed that this matter should never be mentioned again? Will you please stop bringing it up?¡±


    ¡°I just hate the way he puts on airs. He¡¯s merely a County Magistrate, and we both know how he got that position, yet he has the nerve to affect an air of authority in front of us.¡±


    ¡°Fang shi, if you don¡¯t shut your mouth right now, I¡¯ll lock you up!¡±


    Mrs. Jia stormed out of the house in rage, slamming the door as she left.


    Jia Yin sat there with a gloomy look on his face. Surprisingly, the anger he had in his eyes a moment ago when Mrs. Jia was present was no longer there.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Second Master?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, my lord. I¡¯ve been on the lookout outside. Second Master has walked far away. He didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± The butler of Jia family walked inside.


    It was not until this moment that the look on Jia Yin¡¯s face became slightly milder. ¡°Have you found out exactly who it was that knocked me out and took me to that tavern?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Please forgive me for my incompetence, my lord. I haven¡¯t found out the definite identity of that person yet.¡±


    ¡°You good-for-nothing. Tell me why I should keep paying you!¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll simmer down in the knowledge that the results of my investigation aren¡¯t thoroughly disappointing, my lord. Do you still remember that Second Master once sent some men to Ling family to make trouble but Ling Zhang ruined his plan? I eavesdropped on the conversation between Adviser Qian and Second Master. They said that on that day, apart from Ling Zhang, there was also a kung fu expert present, who secretly offered Ling Zhang help and struck the acupoints of those men sent by Second Master. That¡¯s why the plan failed.¡±


    ¡°It was in the garden that you were suddenly knocked out and taken away. In Tanyang, there have never been any kung fu experts who are able to sneak in and out of that place without being seen. I¡¯ve been considering all kinds of possibilities and I speculate ¨C if I may be so bold as to do so ¨C that there¡¯s some kind of connection between that man and Ling family. Second Master was targeting Ling Zhaowen who was clearly already in the room, but who suddenly disappeared into thin air, so there must have been some kung fu expert helping him, and there was a ninety-percent chance that this man was the very person who knocked you out and took you away.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to speculate. He was definitely working for Ling family,¡± Jia Yin concluded in anger, ¡°but when did Ling family hire a kung fu expert to secretly help them? We didn¡¯t get wind of this at all.¡±


    ¡°Not long ago Ling Zhang suddenly ordered an investigation into the background of the servants in his family and evicted all spies we planted in Ling family. Currently, we don¡¯t have a clue what the situation in Ling family is, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°It is rumored that a few days ago, before daybreak, a team entered the city heading for Ling family the moment the city gate opened. I wonder whether those people have anything to do with this matter.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you report this to me earlier?¡±


    ¡°Please turn from your anger, my lord. Actually, it was not until a couple of days ago that someone began to spread a rumor of this matter. There were no pedestrians on the streets when those people entered the city. It was some Yamen runners on guard duty and a couple of vegetable growers who saw them. Those vegetable growers live in the suburbs, and those Yamen runners are under Tao Feng¡¯s firm control. It requires a certain amount of money to get them to talk.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°What was really weird was that those people disappeared afterwards, and people of Ling family has been acting as if nothing has ever happened.¡±


    After pondering over something for a while with a cold look on his face, Jia Yin said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of means you¡¯ll resort to, but I want you to find out the current situation in Ling family irrespective of the expenses. Come to me when you need money. One more thing, whatever you find, keep it out of Second Master¡¯s knowledge for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ Yes, my lord.¡±

 Chapter 82 - Spotting and Stalking the Target

    Chapter 82: Spotting and Stalking the Target


    Beads of scalding sweat were streaming down his cheeks. Ling Zhang was sweating buckets from somewhat hot medicated bathwater and scorching steam. Though this was the second time that he had taken a medicated bath, he still found the numbness, itch and pain exceptionally unbearable, as if numerous ants were gnawing at his heart. He clenched his fists. His fingertips had deeply sunk into his palm. Fortunately he had no sharp nails. Otherwise his palms would have been mangled and bloody by now.


    This was such a miserable experience.


    Ling Zhang gritted his teeth to prevent any groan from escaping his lips, as if that would be a signal that would throw him into a breakdown.


    Yuwen Tong, whose palms were pressed against Ling Zhang¡¯s back, was continuously injecting warm energy into his body, expanding his meridians bit by bit. He was also sweating profusely.


    ¡°Hang in there.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang was suffering from the process, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help encouraging him.


    The first time was the most painful, but the second time was the most intolerable.


    Only by enduring the first two times accustoming himself to the effects of the medicine would Ling Zhang feel less miserable.


    Finally, it was over. Not surprisingly, Ling Zhang passed out again when he abruptly relaxed his concentration.


    Like the last time, Yuwen Tong carried him out of the bathing pool, helped him change his clothes and then left.


    Since Xia Feng had already seen this kind of thing happen once, he had been quiet from start to finish. After Yuwen Tong left, he stayed in the ante-room.


    When Ling Zhang was asleep, something unusual happened outside the Prefecture Encampment as well.


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, we got company.¡±


    Liu Yi hiding outside the Prefecture Encampment pushed Wang Dashan who was sleeping soundly beside him. Though Wang Dashan seemed to be in a deep sleep, he woke up immediately after Liu Yi touched him, and his eyes lit up. ¡°They arrived?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Liu Yi pointed in a direction. ¡°There.¡±


    Wang Dashan craned out of the cover and, as expected, saw half a dozen tough hombres, who were dressed like common residents but walking very like bandits, go to the entrance of the encampment, show the guards something like an ID plate and then enter the encampment swaggeringly.


    ¡°Young Master was right. These guys indeed come here tonight!¡±


    Wang Dashan stared at the Prefecture Encampment with piercing eyes, trying to figure out what those people did in there. Pity his eyesight was not that good, so he angrily gave up.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be anxious, Elder Brother Wang. Don¡¯t let fretfulness cloud your judgement. Since young master only bade us stalk those bandits, all we need to do is follow them closely after they come out. The Prefecture Encampment is heavily guarded. Even if we manage to sneak in, we won¡¯t be able to eavesdrop on them.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m angry because as the commander of the Prefecture Guards, Zhang Chong is so unruly as to let those bandits into the encampment with no misgivings whatsoever. He¡¯s in thorough collusion with bandits!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I informed you of this long ago? Why are you still so indignant?¡±


    ¡°Because now I saw it with my own eyes.¡±


    Speechless with resignation, Liu Yi ignored him and re-concentrated his attention on the front gate of the Prefecture Encampment, waiting for those bandits to come out.


    On a branch of a tree in the distance sat a man in black against the trunk, leisurely chewing a cracker half of which was between his lips. Compared with vigilant Wang Dashan, he literally seemed to be on an outing.


    ¡°Those two morons,¡± after hearing the conversation between Liu Yi and Wang Dashan, the man in black sneered. ¡°They had the nerve to say that they were here to spy on people. I¡¯ve been spying on you for several days, yet you didn¡¯t spot me even once. If it weren¡¯t for that I have orders from Marshal not to let Childe Ling know about this, I would have taught you a lesson long ago.¡± Neither Liu Yi nor Wang Dashan was aware that there was someone else who was staking out the Prefecture Encampment like they were. Finally, after about two hours, those bandits went out of the encampment, every one of whom was walking with a rolling gait. Manifestly they had drunk a lot of wine!


    ¡°Zhang Chong entertained these bandits at a banquet. As the Commander of the Prefecture Guards, he brought such a shame on the Great Yue.¡±


    ¡°Stop cursing and follow them.¡±


    Liu Yi gave Wang Dashan a pull and followed those bandits. Gradually, they walked further away from the front gate of the Prefecture Encampment into a pitch-dark wood, where they saw that those bandits found their horses and were about to ride away.


    ¡°Hurry. Hurry. Pursue them,¡± Liu Yi anxiously urged.


    ¡°How the fuck are we supposed to do that? They got horses. You are going to run after them?¡± Wang Dashan cursed in an undertone, running rapidly.


    Running side by side with him, Liu Yi said, ¡°They¡¯ve just drunk wine, so they can¡¯t ride fast.¡±


    ¡°Well, lucky for us, they¡¯ve just drunk wine.¡± Wang Dashan broke out in a cold sweat. ¡®If these bandits had not drunk wine, would we be able to catch them up with our average lightness skills?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to prepare horses next time.¡± Wang Dashan made a belated suggestion which was clearly a pointless afterthought.


    Liu Yi speechlessly flicked a glance at him.


    Like Liu Yi said, these bandits, having drunk much wine, didn¡¯t dare to ride fast. They progressed slowly, talking dirty and laughing along the way.


    After an hour.


    ¡°This direction¡­ ¡± By moonlight, Wang Dashan looked around. ¡°They¡¯re heading for Qi County?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything special about Qi County?¡± Liu Yi asked him.


    ¡°The largest den of bandits is in Qi County. They hide in the Grand Mang Mountain. Since this mountain is too vast and there is also miasma in it, bandits hiding there are the most difficult to eliminate. Every year, the Prefecture Guards¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Now I even have my doubts about whether they have ever put any real efforts into suppressing bandits. Anyway, the bandit gang in the Grand Mang Mountain is the most powerful one. It is rumored that they relocate their stronghold all the time. Though numerous bandit-suppressing operations have been carried out, never once has the den of those bandits been found, and the total number of them remains unknown as well.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Mang Mountain¡­¡± Liu Yi mumbled, as if something had just occurred to him. ¡°It seems to extend into Yanzhou. The Yellow Sand River flows past a canyon in the Grand Mang Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the Grand Mang Mountain I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Judging by your description, this Grand Mang Mountain is really huge. Those bandits are good at hiding, so it¡¯s indeed not easy to handle them.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Bandits in the Grand Mang Mountain were also the first to pop out. Though they didn¡¯t control the main road built by the local government, they were responsible for all slaughter and raids in nearby villages. They are a bunch of cold-blooded and vicious outlaws. During the past few years, some Jianghu scum have gone to the Grand Mang Mountain and joined the gang after hearing its reputation, which made those bandits an even more powerful force.¡±


    ¡°Does young master really want to mess with those bandits regardless of the current situation?¡±


    Liu Yi asked in deep concern, hesitatingly slowing down his steps.


    Wang Dashan gave him a pull and said, ¡°Don¡¯t stop. No matter whether young master decides to fight them or not, we have to finish our job first. Besides, if we go there and do some scouting first, we will be able to get some first-hand information about the real strength of those bandits, which will make our words more convincing when we try to persuade young master to give up the thought of messing with these people.¡±


    On hearing this, Liu Yi speeded up. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    The man in black, who had been following them and eavesdropping on them, seemed to have thought of something. ¡®It seems that the place Marshal had been investigating into during the couple of days was probably this Grand Mang Mountain. Are there by any chance really some secrets in the Grand Mang Mountain? Tsk. Never mind. Currently, I should keep an eye on these two people lest they get killed during this task.¡±


    In Tanyang.


    After falling into a coma, Ling Zhang had been sleeping all along until daybreak, totally unaware of what had happened. This time he didn¡¯t suffer any convulsions late at night and had a sound sleep. When he woke up, he had a feeling, which was even stronger than the one he had two days ago, that he had become more robust and also more energetic, that even his eyesight and hearing had improved somewhat. When he looked into the distance, he found that his range of vision was wider and he could also see distant things more distinctly. Thanks to the improvement of his hearing, he was now able to faintly distinguish sounds from the front gate of the courtyard.


    ¡°There have been such remarkable benefits after merely unblocking meridians. If I begin to cultivate internal energy, how many more amazing changes does the future hold?¡±


    With subdued excitement, Ling Zhang got out of bed and started washing his face and combing his hair. Suddenly, footsteps came from the doorway. He stood up in confusion, wondering, ¡®Dawn has just broken. Who came here at such an early hour?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, Captain Wang and Guard Liu arrived,¡± Xia Feng walked inside and said.


    ¡®It¡¯s them? Does this mean that¡­¡¯


    ¡°Let them in!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, we have something urgent to report to you,¡± said Wang Dashan and Liu Yi the moment they entered the room, looking travel-stained, their clothes dew-soaked and covered in dust, their faces full of fatigue, as if they had been through a torturous long journey.


    ¡°Xia Feng, go get some hot washing water, towels and some food,¡± Ling Zhang said to Xia Feng.


    Xia Feng nodded and left the room.


    Liu Yi and Wang Dashan walked up to the chairs and sat down.


    ¡°Young Master, we found out which gang those bandits belong to.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Have a rest and drink some warm water.¡±


    On the sight of the two people, Ling Zhang knew they must have been laboriously running around for a whole night and were definitely exhausted.


    Xia Feng did things very quick. Soon he returned with a couple of servants carrying hot washing water, towels, newly-made tea and food.


    ¡°You may go wash your faces to ease the fatigue first.¡±


    Liu Yi and Wang Dashan exchanged glances and then, without any pretence at politeness, washed their faces and wiped their necks clean with the hot water brought by servants. After that, they sat down, drank some hot tea and each ate half a dozen steaming steamed stuffed buns. It was not until then that they perked up.


    Ling Zhang patiently waited until they ate and drank enough. Then he asked, ¡°Which gang do they belong to?¡±


    Wang Dashan put the teacup down and answered, ¡°The gang in the Grand Mang Mountain, Young master.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Mang Mountain?¡± Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows, immediately realizing that this was a tricky issue. ¡°Are you sure about it?¡±


    ¡°Positive. Liu Yi and I stalked them and saw them ride onto the mountain. They kept riding deeper into it. Originally, we planned to continue to follow them, but afterwards¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened afterwards?¡± Seeing that Wang Dashan was a little hesitant, Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°A bodyguard of Lord Yuwen who lives next door suddenly showed up and stopped us from continuing to follow those bandits, saying that there were traps everywhere on the mountain, which we might stamp on even during daytime, that we would surely end up dead if we followed them at night. He told us to come back,¡± Liu Yi answered the question for Wang Dashan.


    A bodyguard of Yuwen Tong? It occurred to Ling Zhang that on that day, he told Yuwen Tong that some men, presumably some bandits, entered the Prefecture Encampment. He believed that Yuwen Tong probably had also sent someone to stake out that place.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll talk to him about this matter later. Tell me your other findings, if there are any.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all we¡¯ve got for the moment, but I want to say those ferocious bandits in the Grand Mang Mountain are far more dangerous than those of any other gang. You really want to mess with them, young master?¡± Wang Dashan asked worriedly.

 Chapter 83 - A Secret Route

    ¡°Captain Wang, you still don¡¯t understand? Even if I stand by and leave them alone, they will no doubt come here and make trouble for me. Moreover, we¡¯re on Zhang Chong¡¯s opposing side, which means that this is inevitable. I value my own life. I value my family¡¯s lives. And I also value your lives. I won¡¯t take any rash action, which is a promise I¡¯m making to you. Like I once said, it¡¯s not too late for you to absent yourselves from this matter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take me wrong, young master. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re mortally afraid of death. Since the determination of Young master is still grim, we promise we¡¯ll stand by your side and see this through,¡± Wang Dashan hurriedly said after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words.


    ¡°Good. Be it so, I hope you¡¯ll never mention what you¡¯ve just said ever again. Meanwhile, I¡¯ve already given you two chances to choose, so I hope you¡¯ll hang in there. Don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    ¡°We understand.¡±


    Seeing that Wang Dashan and Liu Yi had understood his words, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Last night has been tough for both of you. Have a break this morning. Tell all our bros to have half a day off. We¡¯ll resume the training in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you for your kindness, Young master.¡±


    After Wang Dashan and Liu Yi left, Ling Zhang went to the Green Bamboo Mansion to meet Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Did you send someone to stalk Wang Dashan and Liu Yi last night?¡±


    ¡°My men have been staking out the Prefecture Encampment with them all along for the past few days. It¡¯s just that they failed to spot my men.¡±


    This was exactly what Ling Zhang had speculated. He didn¡¯t feel ashamed that his guards failed to find that Yuwen Tong¡¯s men had been stalking them all along. After all, there was such a wide gap between the strength of the two sides.


    ¡°How do you know that there are traps in the Grand Mang Mountain?¡± This was what confused Ling Zhang.


    ¡°All my subordinates are highly experienced veterans who have been through a lot of battles, so it¡¯s very normal that they can detect the danger in the Grand Mang Mountain before your men do.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Are you sure it was not because you scouted out that place before?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°You think I went there and scouted that place out previously?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Not long ago, you went missing for a couple of days. And when you returned, you began to study maps and records of counties near Tanyang. You also circled Qi County in red ink on that map on the wall in your room.¡±


    All these things were traces that Yuwen Tong had not intentionally tried to conceal. Naturally, Ling Zhang could notice them as long as he observed carefully enough, which was why Yuwen Tong was not surprised at all. He said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I did go to scout out the Grand Mang Mountain. And I also located their den and have a general knowledge of which area they might be hiding, but I didn¡¯t tell them these things.¡±


    ¡°You know where their den is?¡± asked Ling Zhang, a mixture of surprise and delight on his face.


    ¡°Yeah. You want to know it?¡± Yuwen Tong deliberately tried to whet his appetite.


    Ling Zhang nodded unhesitatingly. Of course he wanted to know it!


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I cannot tell you, but you have to promise me that you won¡¯t do anything rash. You must consult with me before you make any decisions.¡± Grabbing this opportunity, Yuwen Tong requested him to make a promise.


    Ling Zhang was briefly stunned. He was somewhat unwilling to agree to this, but then he recalled that during the past few days, though not deliberately, he had scarcely made any decision without prior consultation with Yuwen Tong, so it wouldn¡¯t really make any difference whether he agreed to this or not.


    ¡°Okay. I promise.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°The den of those bandits is located in the depths of the Grand Mang Mountain. That mountain separates Tanyang and Yan Zhou. The den of those bandits is on the border between the two districts. Given the traveling speed of common Yamen runners, finding the den of those bandits alone will take them a day and a night.¡±


    ¡°A day and a night? How come they hide themselves so deep in the mountain?¡±


    ¡°Did those guys in the Grand Mang Mountain do anything else apart from raiding villages and slaughtering villagers in the past few years?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him instead of answering the question.


    Ling Zhang did some recollecting and answered, ¡°Very few, as far as I can recall. They do rob traders of their goods and money, but there have been very few occasions that they did that. Firstly, the Grand Mang Mountain is not close to the main road leading to Tanyang. Secondly, every time they raid somewhere, they take back huge amounts of money which is enough for them to squander for a long time.¡±


    ¡°The two reasons you just mentioned do sound plausible, but the most important reason is that what they really want is neither money nor killing. It is something else that they are after.¡±


    They were after something else? Ling Zhang had an intuition that this had something to do with Zhang Chong. ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°They want to build a passage connecting Tanyang and the Yellow Sand River in Yan Zhou with their den as a hub. When it¡¯s done, it will only take a day and a night to travel from here to Yan Zhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astounded and also somewhat puzzled by the undertone contained in Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that finding their den alone would take a day and a night?¡±


    ¡°If they take the normal route to search the mountain, yes. Outsiders have no idea that those bandits have already unblocked a secret route which allows an army to pass.¡±


    ¡°So those bandits in the Grand Mang Mountain have unblocked the shortest route connecting Tanyang and Yan Zhou, but for what?¡±


    Ling Zhang was perplexed. They were just bandits. Why did they laboriously build a road? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Though a flash of inspiration seemed to have just crossed his mind, it was too fast and he failed to grab it.


    Yuwen Tong continued, ¡°The Yellow Sand River which flows through Yan Zhou also flows past the capital city. It¡¯s only a four-hour journey from the capital city to the nearest crossing point on the bank of Yellow Sand River. And the Yellow Sand River flows downstream almost all the way from Yan Zhou to the capital city, and it takes only a day and a night, if the water speed is fast, to get to the capital city. In other words, it takes seven full days to travel from Tanyang to the capital city by the original route even if the horse is fast, but by this elaborately designed route, armies in Tanyang can get to the capital city in two days and nights.¡±


    Ling Zhang gasped in shock. Now he thoroughly understood!


    ¡°Zhang Chong has indeed been conspiring for a long time! No wonder bandits in the Grand Mang Mountain are the most difficult to deal with. Zhang Chong launches an attack on them each and every year but has never shaken the foundations of that gang.¡±


    ¡°Year. All other bandit gangs are nothing but guises. The one in the Grand Mang Mountain is what really matters.¡±


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help wondering, ¡®In my last life, after both my family and Lu family were eliminated by Zhang Chong, Tao Feng was single-handed and helpless, and the whole Tanyang fell into Zhang Chong¡¯s hands. At that time Yuwen Tong never came to Tanyang, and nobody knew about Zhang Chong¡¯s intrigues. Did Zhang Chong really mount a military coup in the end?¡¯


    ¡°If the existence of this route comes to the knowledge of the emperor, even beheading Zhang Chong ten times won¡¯t be enough to atone for his crime.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Will everything not be over if we go straight to the capital city and expose him?¡±


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t understand how Yuwen Tong managed to stay here and forbear to do this. As long as he went to the emperor and made an accusation, wouldn¡¯t Zhang Chong be beheaded right away?


    ¡°The emperor has a very suspicious mind. He won¡¯t entirely believe it if there¡¯s nothing else apart from my words. He will merely send someone here to verify my story. And once he sends people to Tanyang to investigate, Imperial Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince will surely be alerted. In that case, all they need to do is destroy that route or covertly adopt some other countermeasures, and then I¡¯ll be the one who suffer losses in the end. Many things are not as simple as you think they are. Therefore, apart from this route, we need more proof that Zhang Chong is planning a revolt to alarm the emperor who will then order Zhang Chong¡¯s immediate execution.¡±


    ¡°This matter concerns a revolt and a prince¡¯s personal ambition of usurping the throne. Even I have to wait until the time is a-hundred-percent ripe to deal the enemy a lethal blow. Otherwise there¡¯s a high risk of failing on the eve of complete success.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks, Ling Zhang gradually regained his composure. Now he understood why Yuwen Tong had just now asked him to promise that he would consult with him before taking any action.


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured. I said half a month. It will be no longer than that. As long as you do it my way standing by for the next half a month, everything will turn out as you hope.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s words oozing with confidence and composure affected Ling Zhang, who began to calm down pondering over what else he could do.


    ¡°About that person you mentioned who¡¯s good at forging account books, when will he arrive?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    ¡°If his horse is fast, he should arrive in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°One of my uncle¡¯s subordinates has already gained trust of the director of Jia family who¡¯s responsible for keeping the account book. That person has access to the account book. If necessary, I can mention this to my uncle and have that person cooperate with you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows. ¡°Good.¡±


    That director had been under surveillance of his men all along, so naturally he was well informed of what that director did every day, but his men really didn¡¯t find out which person was planted there by Ling Zhaowen.


    While Ling Zhang was elaborately preparing lunch for him in the kitchen, Yuwen Tong summoned Yao Yi.


    ¡°Do you know whom that director of Jia family relatively trusts more?¡±


    ¡°That director is also a very discreet man. Speaking of people he trusts, there¡¯s a servant of his who once saved his life. Apart from that man, there¡¯s nobody that he places relatively more trust in, none that I could tell.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave an inexplicable smile. ¡°Either Ling Zhaowen was so visionary that he planted that servant around the director long ago, or you and your men omitted to notice.¡±


    Yao Yi was taken aback by this remark. ¡°That servant has been working for the director since childhood. As regards other people¡­ I¡¯ll go and have some men investigate into this again right now!¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked an apathetic glance at him. ¡°You have only half a day.¡±


    ¡°I take my leave.¡± Yao Yi immediately turned around and left in such haste that his figure disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darkened. He felt that ever since they came to Tanyang, in the absence of the serious atmosphere of the army, Yao Yi had become a little slack, that it was time to remind him of the discipline.


    Yao Yi, who had quickly started to recheck the director¡¯s interpersonal relationship, abruptly gave a violent sneeze which caused a shiver of his whole body.


    Ling Zhang had solicitously prepared lunch for Yuwen Tong two days in a row. Naturally, news of this matter soon spread to Ling Xingzhong and others. Even Ling Maomao got wind of it. He unhappily pouted his mouth and said, ¡°My elder brother has never done that even for me.¡±


    Fu Caiwei poked him in the forehead with her forefinger. ¡°What are you talking about? Your elder brother has always favored you the most.¡±


    ¡°But there are many dishes that I like as well, and elder brother never prepared any of them for me. I¡¯d like to have them, too,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young. You can¡¯t have all those dishes all at once. Otherwise you¡¯ll end up suffering from over-nutrition. Your elder brother has prepared a lot of other dishes for you before,¡± said Fu Caiwei.


    Ling Maomao snorted and unhappily ran outside. ¡°No. I want to go and see!¡±


    ¡°Stop, Maomao! Don¡¯t disturb your elder brother and Lord Yuwen. You hear me? Come back!¡± Fu Caiwei hurriedly called.


    But Ling Maomao rapidly ran away, having no intention whatsoever to obediently stay.

 Chapter 84 - A Woman

    ¡°This brat runs so fast,¡± sighed Fu Caiwei.


    Ling Xingzhong, however, didn¡¯t lose his temper. He was very glad to hear the news. Stroking his beard, he said, ¡°It seems that there¡¯s still hope.¡±


    ¡®My eldest grandson has already begun to proactively court Yuwen Tong¡¯s favor. Would it be long before he agrees to the marriage?¡¯ he whispered to himself in delight.


    ¡°But we still have to remind Zhang¡¯er that he must not be excessively solicitous. He must adopt a moderate finesse.¡±


    Fu Caiwei pulled a wry face when she heard his words. It was this man who had wanted Ling Zhang to establish a close relationship with Yuwen Tong, but now he wanted Ling Zhang to keep a moderate distance from him.


    ¡®Alas. This old man¡¯s thoughts are so unpredictable.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Ling Maomao rapidly ran to the Green Bamboo Mansion. The moment he entered the courtyard, he was greeted by tempting aromas. Instantly, a wave of pique flooded him and he yelled, ¡°Elder brother!¡±


    On hearing Ling Maomao¡¯s silvery voice, Ling Zhang, who had prepared some novel dishes to entertain Yuwen Tong, did a double take. ¡°Maomao?¡±


    ¡®He should be having lunch at this hour. Why did he come here?¡¯ he wondered.


    Yuwen Tong also put down his chopsticks, watching Ling Maomao running into the room. The first thing Ling Maomao did after entering was glance at those dishes on the dining table, and then he flicked a rather aggrieved glimpse at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was confused at first. And then, as he saw Ling Maomao ran to Ling Zhang with a faintly sulky pout, he had a general idea of what was going on, but he kept his countenance in silence, waiting to hear what Ling Maomao was going to say to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Elder brother, I haven¡¯t seen you for days. Are you very busy?¡± Ling Maomao complained in an aggrieved tone of voice.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyebrows lifted. ¡®This kid¡¯s not bad. He adopted a roundabout method in pursuit of his ends.¡¯


    But Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have a clue what kind of grievance Ling Maomao had been nursing, so naturally his heart was softened as he heard his aggrieved voice. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have neglected you. I apologize to you. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Then can I sleep with you tonight?¡± Ling Maomao raised his head and pitifully looked at him.


    Ling Zhang recalled that he didn¡¯t have to take a medicated bath on this day, so he nodded. ¡°By all means. You¡¯re always welcome at elder brother¡¯s house.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Maomao gave a smile. ¡°And you¡¯re also telling me stories about Marshal Yuwen.¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless with embarrassment.


    He gave a soft cough and glimpsed at Yuwen Tong who was watching him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care whether he would lose face. His younger brother being happy was the most important to him.


    Ling Maomao cheered and held his belly. ¡°I hurried here to meet you and I haven¡¯t had lunch yet.¡±


    ¡°Then have it here. Come on. Take a seat.¡± Without any suspicions, Ling Zhang drew Ling Maomao to the dining table and settled him on a chair.


    Xia Feng, who had carried these dishes to the Green Bamboo Mansion with Ling Zhang previously, was an observant man. He gave the boy a spare bowl and a pair of spare chopsticks and said, ¡°Enjoy your meal, Second Young Master.¡±


    Ling Maomao happily took the bowl and chopsticks and cast a smile at his elder brother. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, elder brother.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ling Zhang replied and sat down on a chair beside him.


    Yuwen Tong gazed at the two brothers, the responsive little one of whom was smugly watching him while his elder brother wasn¡¯t paying attention, and the other one of whom seemed to be completely oblivious of what was going on, which Yuwen Tong found a pretty amusing sight.


    ¡°Err, let me continue offering you some information about these dishes. So this one¡­¡± Ling Zhang resumed providing Yuwen Tong with information on the next course.


    And then the look in Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes turned from smugness into envy. Beneath his gaze, Yuwen Tong picked the best and also most delicious part of that dish for himself.


    Ling Maomao went speechless.


    He abruptly took a mouthful of rice in a fit of anger.


    Yuwen Tong deliberately picked the best part of every other dish, which Ling Maomao desired the most. The little boy could barely forbear to throw a tantrum.


    Finally, Ling Zhang also sensed that something was not right. In perplexity, he looked at Yuwen Tong and then moved his eyes onto Ling Maomao. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    As eager as Ling Maomao was to tell on Yuwen Tong, when he saw the look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, an inexplicable unwillingness to admit defeat clutched at his heart. His cheeks bulging, he said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang didn¡¯t believe him. He looked at Yuwen Tong. Naturally, which parts of those dishes this marshal had just picked didn¡¯t escape his notice. ¡®Surely it was not by sheer coincidence that this guy took away the part Maomao liked the most every time he used his chopsticks?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve heard of these dishes. After having a taste of each of them, I found that they¡¯re pretty appetizing. Very good.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, Ling Zhang thought, ¡®This is the first time that this guy has tasted these dishes, so he shouldn¡¯t have known what Maomao liked the most. It must be a coincidence. But the resemblance between their preferences is so uncanny.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have them serve these dishes again in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Maomao cast a glance at his elder brother, wondering, ¡®These dishes will be served again in a couple of days? Will I be allowed to come here to freeload one more time?¡¯


    Though Ling Zhang believed that it was a mere coincidence that Yuwen Tong behaved this way, he was well aware of what Ling Maomao was thinking about as well as which dishes he liked the most, so he said, ¡°You¡¯ll get a serving of this menu as well. I promise all courses will be your favorite.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes lit up. It was not until this moment that he felt happy again. ¡°Thank you, elder brother.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had merely been teasing Ling Maomao on a whim. It was not that he really wanted to cross him, so during the rest of the lunch time, he no longer gave Ling Maomao tit for tat, and Ling Maomao secretly sighed with relief.


    After lunch, Ling Maomao, who had run out of good reason for staying in the Green Bamboo Mansion, reluctantly left the mansion, frequently looking back at his elder brother on his way out.


    ¡°The brotherly affection between you two is unduly saccharine. It¡¯s not that you won¡¯t be able to see each other again,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Maomao is still a little boy,¡± Ling Zhang explained.


    It was mainly because he always had an urge to make up for Ling Maomao and make Maomao happy, which was what he had failed to do in his last life as well as his greatest regret.


    ¡°He¡¯s already seven, an age at which I¡¯ve already had my experience of the cruelty of war,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang flicked a resigned glance at him. ¡°How could Maomao compare to you? I only hope he spends his life in peace and happiness.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle. ¡°If you keep doing this, he will only end up being spoiled. You should find the guts to subject him to discipline and toughen him up if you really want the best for him. Only by becoming strong enough can he protect himself and ensure his safety and happiness.¡±


    Ling Zhang seemed to be absorbed in thought. After a while he said with a wry smile, ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying, but in any case, I have to resolve the present crisis first.¡±


    Seeing that he had understood, Yuwen Tong made no further remarks.


    Meanwhile, Ling Maomao, who had returned to the ante-room of his home, was summoned by Ling Xingzhong. ¡°Maomao, how are your elder brother and Lord Yuwen getting along?¡±


    On hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s name, Ling Maomao pouted, ¡°As usual.¡±


    ¡°Be more specific. Tell me,¡± Ling Xingzhong urged.


    Ling Maomao looked at his grandfather in perplexity, wondering, ¡®Even grandfather regards Elder Brother Yuwen as such an important person. Why?¡¯


    ¡°Maomao, why are you keeping silent?¡± Ling Xingzhong watched him.


    ¡°Elder brother prepared a tableful of delicious food for Elder Brother Yuwen and also offered detailed information about them. Elder Brother Yuwen said that those dishes were pretty good, and then elder brother said that he would prepare them again for Elder Brother Yuwen a couple of days later.¡± Though Ling Maomao was unwilling to do so, he still told Ling Xingzhong what had happened during lunch.


    ¡°Oh? He¡¯ll cook meals for him again? Good. That¡¯s good.¡± Ling Xingzhong burst into laughter.


    ¡°Grandpa, why do you like Elder Brother Yuwen so much?¡± Ling Maomao couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Um? You like him, too, do you not? You don¡¯t want him to tell you stories about Marshal Yuwen any longer?¡± Ling Xingzhong looked at him.


    Ling Maomao briefly froze. ¡°We ¨C Well, I do. Elder Brother Yuwen is a pretty good storyteller.¡±


    ¡°You like his stories, so does grandpa,¡± Ling Xingzhong told him.


    Ling Maomao thought for a while. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He decided to let go of what had happened during lunch, considering it as a payment for all those stories Elder Brother Yuwen had told him.


    In the afternoon, Ling Zhang went to the guards¡¯ yard. Wang Dashan and Liu Yi had also got up after catching up on their sleep for half a day. All the twelve security guards had basically mastered what Ling Zhang had taught them, which greatly relieved Ling Zhang who had been worrying that these guys might not be able to acquire these skills after ten days even half a month.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll officially start formation training. This afternoon I¡¯ll introduce you to the first formation of this tactical deployment as well as your respective position in it.¡±


    It would take a long time to elaborate on the principles of Trap-and-Kill Formation. Ling Zhang expounded it carefully, telling those guards their positions according to Yuwen Tong¡¯s suggestions.


    They found that their current positions were different from those designated to them on the first day. Wang Dashan asked in uncertainty, ¡°Young Master, our positions have been changed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have made some adjustment to your positions. Have a try. See if you can cooperate with one another more effectively.¡±


    After hearing his words, Wang Dashan and others made a few moves and, as expected, found that they could now play their parts better in the formation. Wang Dashan said delightedly, ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    ¡°I think the teamwork of you is now good enough. All you need to do is firmly memorize your respective positions and familiarize yourselves with the way you¡¯re supposed to cooperate with people around you. And our final goal is the twelve of you working as one. I want all of you to show diligence in your training. We¡¯ve been working so hard for quite a few days. And this moment is all we¡¯ve been waiting for.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master. We¡¯ll do our level best!¡±


    It would take more than a day and a night for these twelve people to work as one in the formation. First they had to force themselves to memorize the details, and then after some training, they would be able to utilize the formation proficiently and then flexibly.


    Ling Zhang spent the whole afternoon teaching in the guards¡¯ yard, while Yuwen Tong received a letter which said that Little Liu, a member of the guard team that he had ordered Yue Qi to dispatch to Tanyang from the capital city, had arrived waiting for Yuwen Tong¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Tell him to enter the city after dark. Remind him to stay out of people¡¯s sight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, marshal.¡±


    ¡°Did Yao Yi come back?¡±


    ¡°The captain is back, marshal.¡±


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Yao Yi, who had been waiting outside for some time, hurried inside on hearing that the marshal finally summoned him. ¡°Marshal!¡±


    ¡°Um. So how¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°The result of the investigation suggests that the mine director of Jia family has been visiting a private brothel named Pear Blossom Garden more and more often recently. We¡¯d actually investigated the owner of the Pear Blossom Garden, who¡¯s called Lady Jingwu. Originally, we thought that the mine director was merely a regular customer of hers. Unexpectedly, the mine director cared about her more than we¡¯d imagined. It was just that he didn¡¯t intervene personally but secretly sent a couple of intermediaries providing shelter for the Pear Blossom Garden.¡±


    ¡°Then I found that sometimes, when the mine director went to the Pear Blossom Garden, he even carried the account book on him, as if he didn¡¯t mind the owner reading it. So the owner of the Pear Blossom Garden is another person who has access to the account book apart from that servant of the mine director of Jia family.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A woman.¡±

 Chapter 85 - Are You Beginning to Regard Your Uncle as an Outsider?

    ¡°The mine director is a discreet man but has a lust for women. Apart from his wife, he has several concubines and is also a regular customer of various brothels. That Lady Jingwu in the Pear Blossom Garden is his new sweetheart, but somehow she managed to gain the trust of the mine director, which is very surprising.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s just a common prostitute, Ling Zhaowen wouldn¡¯t have dispatched her to manipulate the mine director.¡±


    ¡°Second Master Ling also wants the account book of Jia family. We¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Now that he has already figured out a way to get the account book without alarming the mine director, which will spare us a lot of needless trouble, I¡¯ll consult with Ling Zhaowen after Little Liu arrives tonight and send him to the Pear Blossom Garden.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It was almost dusk. All households were in the busiest hour, and Ling family was no exception. Masters had returned. Servants were either serving their masters or bustling around in the kitchen, not having a moment they could call their own.


    The back door of Ling family was also opened. A hunter who had just returned from hunting on this day came to deliver game. There was also a fisherman who specially brought a big bucket of fish which were still alive and kicking.


    The game and the big wooden bucket required quite a few men to carry. Servants were going in and out of the back door, yelling constantly. The butler of Ling family was doing accounts with the hunter and the fisherman, making the next deal.


    It was a sight of busyness and uproar with all kinds of sounds and voices.


    A servant in a blue gown was dragging a handcart laden with firewood, which had just been sent here by a firewood seller, into the backyard. After that, he was bidden to help carry game, sweating buckets. It was not until all work at the back door was finally done and the door was closed that he got some time to have a rest. He raised his hand to wipe off the sweat and took a sip of water.


    Out of force of habit, the man stretched out his hand intending to fish a towel out of his clothes to wipe his face but touched something else. After a brief change of his countenance, he stood up and hurriedly left.


    ¡°Wu Er¡¯niu, where are you going?¡± someone called from behind.


    ¡°To the latrine.¡±


    ¡°Bah. You¡¯re such a frequent latrine-goer.¡±


    Wu Er¡¯niu hurried to the latrine and took a piece of paper out of his clothes. As he read it, his face paled visibly, but his eyes were fixed on one of those lines for quite a long time.


    After a while, when he came out of the latrine, his face had returned to normal.


    It was getting dark. Masters¡¯ meals had already been served. Chefs also prepared a meal for servants with a cauldron. There were meat dishes, vegetable dishes and also soup. Servants, who had had another hectic day, sat down to enjoy the supper, chatting and laughing. Some were bragging and some others were telling dirty jokes. Everybody was talking whatever it was that they felt might perk up their spirits, which made the kitchen an uproarious sight.


    It was not until night fell and all oil lamps had been lit that the group of people finished the meal and returned to their respective rooms.


    After going back to his bedroom, while nobody was paying attention, Wu Er¡¯niu secretly broke his finger with his teeth, hastily and messily wrote a couple of words on a piece of cloth torn off from his clothes, then quickly stuffed it into his front inner pocket for fear that somebody might notice. He kept looking left and right, a thinly disguised nervous look on his face.


    When leaving the room, he appeared a little hesitant, paused and then turned around several times on the spot.


    ¡°What are you doing, Wu Er¡¯niu? Go and wash. There won¡¯t be any water left if you don¡¯t hurry, and then we¡¯ll have to put up with your foul odor for another night!¡± A man walking by the doorway yelled at him after seeing his inexplicable behavior.


    Wu Er¡¯niu froze with a somewhat unnatural expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯m going right now. I¡¯m going right now.¡±


    The man who had just yelled at him flicked a glance of confusion at him, mumbled something and then left, ignoring him.


    Wu Er¡¯niu hurriedly walked to the bathhouse, roughly took a bath and then left. Most servants had already returned to their bedrooms. There was only one lamp hanging outside the bathhouse giving off dim yellow light.


    Wu Er¡¯niu looked left and right. After confirming that nobody else was around, he walked into the shadows on the side and felt his way to the foot of the wall. This was an outer wall of the mansion, on the other side of which was a narrow alley. It was very high and people had to climb up to the top of it to see the outside. Crouching down, Wu Er¡¯niu meowed. In response, another meow came from outside. Both meows sounded unprofessional. Anybody could tell they were made by poor imitators.


    He quickly fished out the strip of material on which a couple of illegible words had been written in blood, frantically picked up a stone, wrapped it up in the strip of material, firmly tied it and then heavily threw it over the wall outside.


    A thud was heard and then another shoddy meow came.


    On hearing it, Wu Er¡¯niu sighed with relief and then hastily left the foot of the wall.


    Not long after he left, a man walked to the position where he had been, checked around in suspicion and murmured perplexedly, ¡°It¡¯s so weird. There¡¯s no cat. Why did Wu Er¡¯niu come here?¡±


    Having found no cat, the man left as well.


    ¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s completely dark already. When will your man come?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong.


    After Yuwen Tong said that Little Liu, who was good at forging account books, would arrive on this night, Ling Zhang had been looking forward to meeting him all along.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Yuwen Tong bade him to be more patient.


    ¡°By the way, the local government has enforced martial law and also imposed a curfew. He won¡¯t get caught, will he?¡± Ling Zhang was worried.


    But his words aroused no concern whatsoever in Yuwen Tong. ¡°This task is of the lowest level of difficulty. If he gets caught, I don¡¯t see why I should let him stay in my team.¡± Speechless, Ling Zhang silently forced back the words on the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°What do you think about the suggestion I made a while ago?¡± Seeing that he kept silent, Yuwen Tong asked him.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll talk to my uncle. But¡­ you did it so quick. I didn¡¯t even know who the woman sent by my uncle was yet, and you¡¯ve already found out every detail.¡±


    ¡°It was not that difficult to find out,¡± Yuwen Tong replied calmly.


    Upon hearing this, Yao Yi standing not far away silently raised his head to look into the sky. The marshal nearly skinned him alive because of this matter, the thought of which still sent chills down his spine.


    Ling Zhang waited sitting in the Green Bamboo Mansion until the Hai Hour (21:00). At exactly the Hai Hour, Yao Yi walked inside and reported, ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling, Little Liu arrived.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked outside. As expected, a man in black took a flying leap over the rooftop of his house and landed onto the courtyard of the Green Bamboo Mansion. He was wearing a black night-suit just like the next guard, only that he looked thinner, the lower half of his face behind a piece of black cloth.


    There was a striking resemblance between his gait and that of Yao Yi and others, which was neat, clean and sure-footed. He didn¡¯t seem travel-worn at all.


    ¡°Your subordinate Zhang Liu pays his respect to you, Marshal!¡± The man knelt down on one knee, lowered his head and saluted Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You may rise. It has been a long journey. You must be tired.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m performing my sworn duty. I don¡¯t feel tired at all.¡±


    Zhang Liu rose to his feet, respectfully standing before Yuwen Tong. He seemed to be a little surprised by the presence of Ling Zhang and flicked a glance of curiosity at him.


    ¡°This is Childe Ling, the eldest grandson of Lord Ling. You should pay your respect to him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, marshal.¡± Zhang Liu nodded and turned to face Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯m Zhang Liu. It¡¯s my honor to meet you, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very courteous of you, Guard Zhang,¡± Ling Zhang smiled and then stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to my uncle first. I suppose you have a lot to catch up on as well.¡± Yuwen Tong knew that he was trying to give them some privacy. Originally, he wanted to ask him to stay, but then, as if something had just occurred to him, he changed his mind and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be here waiting for your message to come.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Ling Zhang, who then nodded at Zhang Liu and left.


    After Ling Zhang walked out of the room, Zhang Liu immediately removed the mask and looked at Yuwen Tong, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. ¡°Marshal, is this Childe Ling the one you have an engagement to?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Yuwen Tong was not at all surprised by the curiosity of his subordinate.


    ¡°He seems to be a lot younger than you.¡± Zhang Liu gave an innocent sigh of amazement.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darkened.


    Yao Yi hurriedly gave a cough and said to Zhang Liu, ¡°Little Liu, tell us about the situation in the capital city.¡±


    Zhang Liu grunted ¡°Oh¡±, left this matter aside and immediately started talking about what had happened in the capital city. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any noticeable changes in the capital city, except for that Second Master and Second Mistress were summoned to the imperial palace once. They looked very unhappy when they came back. Second Master even closed the door and lost his temper. He criticized you, saying that you¡¯d been neglecting your family since you reached adulthood, that you were ungrateful, that you put your family in a dilemma and disgraced the family name, that¡­¡±


    Yao Yi deliberately gave a cough again, an embarrassed look on his face. After casting a glance at Yuwen Tong, he said to Zhang Liu, ¡°Little Liu, skip the criticism and go straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhang Liu gave a nod and continued, ¡°He knew that you¡¯d come to Tanyang, and he has already secretly sent some men to find out how your engagement to Childe Ling came to your knowledge. Furthermore, on the very night Deputy Captain received your letter, Zhang Chong¡¯s memorial to the throne arrived, which was temporarily distrained by Lord Zhao.¡±


    ¡°I see. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°When I left the capital city, nobody else knew you were in Tanyang. They all thought that you would return to the capital city soon and went to visit Second Master and Second Mistress.¡±


    After saying this, Zhang Liu fell silent again.


    Yao Yi covered his forehead, speechless.


    Clearly Yuwen Tong had become used to this. ¡°Now I have a full knowledge of the situation in the capital city. There¡¯s a task for you.¡±


    ¡°At your service, Marshal.¡±


    In the courtyard of Ling Zhaowen¡¯s abode, Ling Zhang conveyed the suggestion of Yuwen Tong to Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhaowen had no objection. ¡°I¡¯m glad to help. Later, I¡¯ll have someone send word to the Pear Blossom Garden and arrange for Guard Zhang to enter the Pear Blossom Garden.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, uncle. I¡¯ll go back and tell Yuwen Tong.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. We¡¯re family. Are you beginning to regard your uncle as an outsider?¡±


    Ling Zhang was stunned. After quite a while he understood the undertone contained in Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words. His face faintly flushed. ¡°That was just a casual remark of mine, uncle. What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°What am I thinking about? I¡¯m not thinking about anything.¡± Ling Zhaowen watched him with a mischievous look on his face. ¡°Why are you angry?¡±


    Ling Zhang tightened his lips, abruptly turned around and left.


    Seeing that his nephew left without saying goodbye just like what he used to do when he threw a tantrum in childhood, Ling Zhaowen couldn¡¯t help feeling amused.


    ¡°It seems that the old man¡¯s eyes are indeed sharper. This time things might really turn out as he expected.¡±


    ¡°My dear, what was it that you and Zhang¡¯er were talking about just now? Why are you smiling so happily?¡± Fu Caiwei carrying a tray of snack walked inside and put the tray down onto the table of Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Let me tell you something interesting,¡± Ling Zhaowen lowered his voice and described Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction to Fu Caiwei.


    ¡°Don¡¯t snatch at every chance to tease that kid. What if he alienates Marshal because of this?¡± Fu Caiwei asked worriedly in disapproval of her husband¡¯s making fun of Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Rest assured. Though Zhang¡¯er has always been mild and obedient since childhood, when it comes to dealing with his own matters, he always makes decision himself. He¡¯s not the kind of person who will change his attitude merely because of a couple of remarks of mine,¡± Ling Zhaowen said with certainty. He was totally unworried.

 Chapter 86 - Jia Zhong’s Anger

    Chapter 86: Jia Zhong¡¯s Anger


    When Ling Zhang returned to the Green Bamboo Mansion, he found that Zhang Liu was no longer there, so he asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°You¡¯ve finished talking already? Where¡¯s Guard Zhang?¡±


    ¡°I had Yao Yi take him to his room to have a rest. How was your talk with your uncle?¡±


    ¡°My uncle said that he would make arrangements for Guard Zhang to enter the Pear Blossom Garden.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen took quick action. The next noon, he returned from the Pear Blossom Garden and came to Yuwen Tong¡¯s place, informing him that necessary arrangements had been made, that Zhang Liu could enter the Pear Blossom Garden in the afternoon.


    After putting some efforts into it, Zhang Liu disguised himself as a blind physician who specialized in gynecology. He had changed into scholar¡¯s clothes and undergone simple countenance transformation. His eyes closed, a medicine chest on his back, a bamboo cane in his hand, his gait slightly unsteady, he was now someone furthest removed from the bright-eyed, sure-footed and brisk guard he was the night before.


    Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°You are such a master of disguise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment, childe.¡± Yao Yi accepted Ling Zhang¡¯s praise without any pretence at politeness, a smug smile on his face.


    Ling Zhang also smiled, ¡°Previously, you helped Uncle Lu disguise himself, and today you helped Guard Zhang in the same way. Have you been learning disguise for a long time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for twelve years,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    ¡®That was quite a long time,¡¯ Ling Zhang secretly sighed in the knowledge that as he had expected, this amazing skill could not be mastered without years of practice.


    ¡°My uncle and I have to pay a visit to Lu family later today. I arranged for those guards to begin learning the first formation in the morning,¡± Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I saw it. They were pretty good. In a way, they have made a considerable improvement after the foundation was laid,¡± Yuwen Tong commented.


    Since Ling Zhang had put quite some effort into teaching those guards, he felt proud to hear Yuwen Tong praise them.


    ¡°After all things here are handled, I¡¯ll recall the twelve men in the herb farm.¡±


    ¡°Are there any unresolved issues in the herb farm?¡±


    ¡°Since Supervisor Zhou and the twelve guards are there, and those herb farmers are also vigilant, the farm is fairly safe for the moment.¡±


    Ling Zhang believed that Zhang Chong probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find the time to send his men to the herb farm to make trouble.


    As chance would have it, he chanced upon Zhang Chong again when he visited Lu family in the afternoon that day.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang made no gesture of friendliness whatsoever at Zhang Chong. It was because of Ling Zhaowen¡¯s presence that he blandly greeted Zhang Chong.


    Zhang Chong briefly sized up Ling Zhang and then inexplicably observed, ¡°Childe Ling also came here. It¡¯s been a couple of days since our last meeting. You seem to be in even better health.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Commander Zhang. I owe my good health to your kindness,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to claim the credit for it. I only hope that Childe Ling does not hold grudges against me,¡± said Zhang Chong.


    ¡°Never would I do that. Commander Zhang must be joking,¡± Ling Zhang said calmly.


    Zhang Chong softly snorted and then walked into the mourning hall, followed by his attendants.


    He lit three joss sticks and paid his respect to the deceased before saying to Lu Fengnian, ¡°May I ask when Lu family will hold a funeral for Lord Lu? I¡¯ll schedule some time and come here to see Lord Lu off.¡±


    Lu Fengnian heaved a sigh and replied with a sorrowful and indignant look on his face, ¡°The murderer is still at large. Yesterday, an eminent Buddhist monk who came here to help my son find his path to the Pure Land said that the spirit of my son was filled with resentment, that now was not the perfect time to bury him. It¡¯s best if we hold the funeral after the murderer is brought to justice.¡±


    Zhang Chong unnoticeably knitted his eyebrows and then said, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll keep waiting leaving Lord Lu¡¯s body in this hall? Isn¡¯t that synonymous with stopping Lord Lu from resting in peace?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t wait for long. In a few days, if they still can¡¯t find the whereabouts of the murderer, we¡¯ll invite the eminent monk around again to hold a dharma assembly.¡±


    It was after hearing this that the look on Zhang Chong¡¯s face grew faintly milder. ¡°Prefecture Guards have been searching for the criminal all along these days, but that ruffian fled so quick that his whereabouts is still unknown. I failed Lu family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done your best, Commander Zhang. I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. In any case, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to make sure Lu family gets the justice it seeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to you, Commander Zhang.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for formalities, Old Master Lu. If you need any help, feel free to inform me.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you.¡±


    Zhang Chong finished his talk with Lu Fengnian and left. He didn¡¯t look at Ling Zhang or Ling Zhaowen before walking out of the mansion.


    ¡°It¡¯s been only a couple of days, yet Zhang Chong couldn¡¯t wait to ask about the time for Uncle Lu¡¯s funeral,¡± Ling Zhang said with a cold countenance.


    ¡°Hump! Jia Zhong has been proactively trying to bribe Lord Tao into helping him get the position of the Right Tongzhi which has just become available, but Lord Tao didn¡¯t agree. He even said that it had only been a couple of days since Lord Lu¡¯s death and the murderer was still at large, so this matter should be left aside for the moment. Jia Zhong probably has gone to ask Zhang Chong for help in his anxiety,¡± Ling Zhaowen explained.


    ¡°No wonder,¡± said Ling Zhang in a cold tone of voice.


    After leaving the mansion of Lu family, Zhang Chong didn¡¯t go straight back to the Prefecture Encampment. Instead, he went to a tea house to meet Jia Zhong.


    ¡°How did it go, commander? When will Lu family bury Lu Kui?¡± Jia Zhong asked expectantly on the sight of him.


    ¡°Lu Fengnian said that he didn¡¯t want to hold the funeral when the murderer was still at large. He was merely saying that to put pressure on me. That old bastard,¡± answered Zhang Chong with a sullen look on his face.


    ¡°What? How come he and Tao Feng used the same excuse? Did they by any chance do this on purpose?¡± Jia Zhong said immediately.


    ¡°Even if they did it on purpose, we have to show some patience for the moment. If Lu family still doesn¡¯t bury Lu Kui in a couple of days, I have plenty of methods of making them do it!¡± Zhang Chong smacked his hand down on to the surface of the table.


    Anxious as Jia Zhong was, he didn¡¯t dare urge Zhang Chong to force people of Lu family into burying Lu Kui right now. Having no choice but to subdue his anxiety, he returned home and started breaking things in his study to vent his anger.


    ¡°Please calm your anger, my lord. Now that Commander Zhang has made a promise that he wouldn¡¯t let Lu family stall on this, let¡¯s just be patient and wait for another couple of days,¡± Adviser Qian, who was standing on the side, observed, trying to persuade him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited for such a long time and I¡¯m so close to getting that position, but Lu family and that old bastard Tao Feng stubbornly refuse to let go. My anger is killing me!¡± Jia Zhong thundered.


    ¡°Just relax, my lord. Since Lu family has just received a heavy blow and is no longer a threat to us, how much longer could Tao Feng possibly last out the pressure Commander Zhang exerts on him? He will compromise eventually,¡± Adviser Qian consoled him.


    Unreconciled, Jia Zhong snarled another couple of curses before his anger gradually subsided.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going in the first master¡¯s house? What have they been doing during the past few days? Why aren¡¯t they quarreling?¡±


    ¡°Liu Chengfang has moved in with them. The first madam has been busy bullying her, so she doesn¡¯t have the time to quarrel with the first master. As regards the first master¡­ He has been quiet over the past couple of days and has barely gone out of his mansion.¡±


    Jia Zhong knitted his eyebrows. He had been bustling around dealing with all kinds of issues all along, while his elder brother and his sister-in-law had been doing nothing but leisurely enjoying the fruit of his hard work!


    Adviser Qian noticed the sullen look on Jia Zhong¡¯s face, but since this matter concerned Jia Yin, who was Jia Zhong¡¯s full brother after all, if he talked too much, he might end up offending Jia Zhong, so he decided to keep silent.


    ¡°Have you had any news of Yuanling?¡± Jia Zhong suddenly asked about Jia Yuanling.


    Adviser Qian answered, ¡°Not for now, but I calculated the time and I think they¡¯ll reach the destination soon. It shouldn¡¯t be long before news comes in. All people in that place work for Commander Zhang. They will send us a message immediately after the successful rescue of young master.¡± Jia Zhong gave a nod and observed, ¡°Tell your men to keep a close eye on people in this house lest they should make any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡­


    Though Ling Zhaowen was eager to stay and have a talk with Lu Kui, Lu Kui could only get out of the coffin for some fresh air at night when nobody was around. Suspicion would, without doubt, be aroused if he was still in Lu family at that hour of the night, so he had no choice but to leave Lu family after finishing his talk with Lu Fengnian.


    ¡°Rest assured, uncle. With the presence of Yuwen Tong¡¯s men, nothing¡¯s going to happen to Uncle Lu.¡±


    ¡°I know. Alas. If it weren¡¯t for that Zhang Chong must be handled, this kind of inauspicious method would never have been¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I believe Uncle Lu won¡¯t mind, as long as Zhang Chong gets his just deserts.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    At the same time, in the Pear Blossom Garden, Zhang Liu, who had disguised as a blind physician, entered the brothel without arousing any suspicion and was assigned a room.


    As luck would have it, the mine director of Jia family came to the Pear Blossom Garden on that very night. On observing the existence of Zhang Liu, he frowned and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this guy?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling myself lately and I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll take a long time for me to recover. All competent female physicians outside have been hired by other people. Those available either are charlatans or have treated numerous prostitutes. I¡¯m afraid to let them treat me for fear that they might be unclean, so I had this blind physician invited over. He came to Tanyang not long ago. It is said that his medical skills are pretty good, that he could diagnose diseases by simply feeling a patient¡¯s pulse. And unlike other physicians, he doesn¡¯t need to perform those kinds of¡­ Anyway, I just drank a bowl of decoction he prescribed me this afternoon and I feel much better now,¡± explained Lady Jingwu.


    It was not until the mine director heard her words that his frown dissolved. After confirming that Zhang Liu was indeed blind and would only quietly stay in his room, the director finally let down his guard somewhat, but he still told servants in the Pear Blossom Garden to keep a weather eye on the physician, ordering that the physician should not leave his room unless summoned to treat patients.


    ¡°Rest assured, Director. The courtyard has a gate. I¡¯ve already told him that he must stay in his room with the gate locked unless summoned. I¡¯ll have him leave after I recover. I doubled the payment and he agreed willingly.¡±


    ¡°Humph. He¡¯s yet another money-grubber.¡± After hearing that the gate would be locked, the mine director of Jia family finally let go of this matter.


    Just like this, Zhang Liu stayed in the Pear Blossom Garden without any trouble.


    It would take quite a few days to forge the whole account book. On the first night, instead of rushing into taking action, Zhang Liu merely observed the mine director¡¯s daily schedule, habits and some other details concerning various aspects.


    Lady Jingwu was very cooperative. For her, after fulfilling this task, she would get a large sum of money, pay off her debts, leave Tanyang, change her identity and start life anew somewhere else.


    ¡°The matter of the account book can wait. Our first priority is to find out where Zhang Chong hides the armaments,¡± Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang in the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    ¡°The Prefecture Encampment is heavily guarded. It is indeed very difficult to find where the armaments are in full view of Zhang Chong.¡±


    ¡°The Prefecture Encampment is not the only suspicious location.¡±


    ¡°Where else could he possibly be hiding them?¡± Ling Zhang was confused.


    ¡°There are too many people in the Prefecture Encampment, which makes it unsafe to store armaments there. If I were Zhang Chong, I wouldn¡¯t put them there. As for where he¡¯s hiding them¡­¡± Yuwen Tong looked at the map before him. ¡°There is indeed a place that I suspect, but I need to find some clues first.¡±


    ¡®Since even Yuwen Tong is not sure of it, Zhang Chong must be hiding the armaments in a very secret location,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.

 Chapter 87 - Exposure of the Covert Operations of Wu Er’niu

    ¡°Hey, Wu Er¡¯niu, you¡¯ve been absent-minded all day. What is it that you are thinking about?¡±


    Someone slapped Wu Er¡¯niu on the back with great force causing him to totter.


    ¡°No¡­Nothing.¡±


    ¡°You must be missing some girl.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha¡­¡±


    At dusk, servants who had just finished their work grabbed this opportunity to make fun of Wu Er¡¯niu. In his embarrassment, Wu Er¡¯niu gave a smile, his eyes gleaming with alarm that he had failed to conceal, which even he himself was unaware of.


    One of those servants who had been surrounding Wu Er¡¯niu teasing him skeptically looked at Wu Er¡¯niu, feeling that the reaction of Wu Er¡¯niu was a little weird.


    On that night, after all servants had supper, Wu Er¡¯niu was, as usual, the last one to go to the bathhouse.


    ¡°Why are you still here, Wu Er¡¯niu?¡± asked the man who had previously found the behavior of Wu Er¡¯niu somewhat weird.


    ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Wu Er¡¯niu answered.


    The man flicked a glance of perplexity at Wu Er¡¯niu and then left.


    Wu Er¡¯niu wiped the sweat from his forehead and fished a note out of his inner pocket. After he read the words on it, his countenance grew slightly more composed. Then he crumpled the note up into a ball, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it.


    Like how he did it the day before, Wu Er¡¯niu torn a strip of cloth off his clothes, wrote a couple of words on it in blood, stuffed it into his inner pocket and then went to the bathhouse.


    When he walked out of the bathhouse, there was nobody else around. He vigilantly looked left and right, which was yet another thing he did the day before, and then wormed his way into the thicket.


    What had escaped his notice was that there was another person who sneaked out of the bathhouse and had been quietly following in his wake. The man mumbled, ¡°This guy has been acting absent-mindedly during daytime and furtively at night. He¡¯s definitely been in fornication with some handmaid working in this mansion. Let me find out which girl is stupid enough to have an eye on this moron Wu Er¡¯niu.¡±


    Oblivious of the stalker, Wu Er¡¯niu felt his way to the foot of the wall and meowed several times. Someone outside meowed in response and with that Wu Er¡¯niu wrapped the strip of material around a stone and threw it outside.


    Like the day before, after hearing a thud and another meow given by the person outside, Wu Er¡¯niu sighed with relief and then left the foot of the wall.


    ¡°He¡¯s not fornicating with a handmaid? Then what is it that Wu Er¡¯niu is doing?¡± A figure wormed his way out of the shadow and stared fixedly in the direction of the outer wall, deeply perplexed.


    ¡°There were meows on both occasions. Did that moron come here to feed some cat? If so, why was he doing it so stealthily? And he¡¯s been absent-minded all day long.¡±


    At this very moment, someone walking in his direction spotted the figure and yelled, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    The man wondering in confusion was taken aback by this yell. He hurriedly turned around and found that there were two people coming. One of them was carrying a lantern and the other one was wearing steward¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Steward He,¡± he smiled obsequiously and walked over to pay his respect to the steward.


    The one who was addressed as ¡°Steward He¡± was in charge of miscellaneous affairs in the kitchen of Ling family, which was an important duty. As a trusted henchman of Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei, he had always had a stern look on his face and dealt with everything in a businesslike, serious manner, which was why all servants somewhat feared him.


    Seeing that it was this steward who had spotted him, the man who had mumbled to himself in suspicion just now couldn¡¯t help feeling mentally disturbed, though there was an obsequious smile on his face.


    ¡°Ma Sanshui, why are you still here at such a late hour of the night?¡± Steward He fixed a penetrating gaze at him.


    Ma Sanshui buckled at the knees. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve just finished my bath and I¡¯m on my way back.¡±


    ¡°Speak the truth! This dark narrow path does not lead to the quarters!¡± Steward He snapped, his eyes so piercing that he seemed to be staring right into Ma Sanshui¡¯s soul.


    Ma Sanshui¡¯s face paled visibly. Since he wasn¡¯t here to do any bad things, he couldn¡¯t help but tell the truth after Steward He put pressure on him. ¡°I¡­ I followed Wu Er¡¯niu to this place. Wu Er¡¯niu was stealthily doing something over there at the foot of the outer wall last night, and I noticed that his mind had been wandering all along during daytime today, so I¡¯d been paying some extra attention to his behavior. A moment ago I saw he come here again and I stalked him trying to find out what he wanted to do.¡±


    Steward He knitted his eyebrows. ¡°Wu Er¡¯niu? What did he do at the foot of the wall?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it clearly. Originally, I had thought that he was here to meet someone, but he only stayed here for a short while and then left. There was nobody else. I merely heard a couple of meows,¡± answered Ma Sanshui.


    ¡°Meows?¡± Steward He became suspicious. ¡°No wild cats would come here at this season. Let¡¯s go and check.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man carrying the lantern for him replied and then looked at Ma Sanshui.


    Ma Sanshui immediately took the hint and led the way for them.


    After worming their way through the thicket, they arrived at the foot of the outer wall. Steward He took the lantern himself and carefully checked the perimeter but didn¡¯t found anything suspicious, and neither did he find any cat footprints on the wall.


    ¡°Are you sure what you heard were meows?¡± Steward He asked Ma Sanshui again.


    Ma Sanshui first nodded and then said in a somewhat uncertain tone of voice, ¡°That thing sounded a little weird. It gave a couple of meows and then disappeared.¡±


    The face of Steward He darkened. He searched the spot with great care one more time and then ordered, ¡°Go and wake all of them. Have them gather together at the mess hall. Remember ¨C don¡¯t disclose anything to Wu Er¡¯niu. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to take dire consequences!¡± After hearing his words, Ma Sanshui realized that this seemed to be turning into a serious matter. He couldn¡¯t help feeling a little scared. ¡°Steward He, Wu Er¡¯niu didn¡¯t do anything bad, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your place to decide whether he did anything bad or not. Move! Now!¡± Steward He glared at him.


    Frightened, Ma Sanshui ran away immediately.


    After the duration of burning joss stick (roughly 5 minutes), all servants assembled in the mess hall. Apart from Steward He, there was also another steward present whose surname was Li. This Steward Li was the eldest son of Butler Li and all servants of Ling family respected him very much. On the sight of Steward Li, those servants were briefly stunned. Though they had no idea what it was that had happened, everybody had sensed that it must be something urgent, since the two people had grim faces. Nobody dared to be the first one to speak.


    ¡°Let me ask you something. Did anybody hear any meows in the past few days?¡± asked Steward He.


    Meows? All servants shook their heads in confusion, offering negative responses.


    Wu Er¡¯niu also shook his head. It was just that the look on his face was somewhat unnatural.


    ¡°Then did anybody see any cats?¡± Steward He asked another question.


    Wu Er¡¯niu shook his head again like everybody else, but fine beads of sweat were oozing out of his forehead.


    Steward He and Steward Li saw both times that he shook his head, even Ma Sanshui who was standing beside him could tell that something was wrong.


    ¡®Wu Er¡¯niu is trying to hide something!¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°All right. Now, except for Wu Er¡¯niu, everybody go and wait outside,¡± Steward He ordered.


    Wu Er¡¯niu felt a shiver from head to toe and began to panic, his eyes darting back and forth. Flustered, he couldn¡¯t help asking aloud, ¡°Why? I didn¡¯t hear any meows or see any cats either!¡±


    This remark was very loud and also very abrupt. All others looked at him in confusion, and naturally they saw his rather unnatural countenance, feeling that he was acting a little weirdly.


    Neither Steward He nor Steward Li responded to Wu Er¡¯niu. They just stared at him with piercing eyes.


    More fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead. He moved, intending to leave the hall with other servants.


    ¡°Wu Er¡¯niu, where do you think you are going?¡± Steward He asked coldly.


    Wu Er¡¯niu didn¡¯t dare to take another step, standing there at a loss what to do. When everybody else left, there was nothing he could hide behind. He was in now in full view of Steward He and Steward Li.


    ¡°Wu Er¡¯niu, here¡¯s my question for you. Why did you stealthily go to the foot of the wall in the backyard last night and tonight?¡± Steward He began to interrogate him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the foot of the wall in the backyard. There must be some kind of mistake, steward.¡± Wu Er¡¯niu¡¯s legs were trembling, but he stubbornly tried to deny it.


    ¡°Is that so? It seems that infliction of torture is inevitable. Guards!¡± Steward He yelled. The look on his face instantly went cold and severe.


    Two tough hombres immediately walked in from outside, each having a stick in hand.


    ¡°Flog Wu Er¡¯niu ten times.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The two strong men walked over with an apathetic face. One of them aimed a kick at a bench which slid up to Wu Er¡¯niu facing him vertically. The other man kicked the back of Wu Er¡¯niu¡¯s knees and forced him into lying prostrate on the long wooden bench.


    ¡°Steward, Steward Li, please help me. I have no idea what I did wrong. On what basis does Steward He think I deserve this punishment?¡± shouted Wu Er¡¯niu, who was forcibly pinned against the surface of the bench, unable to move.


    ¡°On the basis that you furtively did something but refuse to admit it. If you confess right now, I¡¯ll have them stop. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll show you no mercy.¡± Steward He threatened him, staring him with an icy look in his eyes.


    ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t¨CI didn¡¯t do anything. You wronged me!¡± Heedless of due formality, Wu Er¡¯niu began to resist fiercely.


    ¡°Beat him!¡±


    Slap! A blow ruthlessly landed on Wu Er¡¯niu¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ah¨C¡± Wu Er¡¯niu let out a pained cry.


    The stick was made of wood of high density, so when the strong man raised it high up and swung it downwards, the blow was uncommonly heavy. Blue veins stood out on the forehead of Wu Er¡¯niu due to the great pain.


    Slap, slap, slap¡­


    Blows were landed on Wu Er¡¯niu one after another, each followed by an anguished screech of him, which sounded exceptionally horrifying. Servants standing outside the mess hall were so nervous that they were involuntarily trying to make their breathing shallow. None of them knew what it was that Wu Er¡¯niu had done wrong.


    Ma Sanshui was the only one who had a vague idea, his face ghastly pale. He was not a fool and had already deduced something from the immediate action Steward He had taken ¨C Wu Er¡¯niu fornicated with some outsider!


    Ten blows were meted out to Wu Er¡¯niu and executed right away. No mercy whatsoever was shown.


    When the punishment was over, Wu Er¡¯niu¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat. Fighting against agony had cost him so much mental strength that his consciousness began to blur.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me the truth? Or would you prefer another ten blows?¡± Steward He fixed him with a cold stare.


    Wu Er¡¯niu, who was groaning in agony gripping on to the edges of the bench with all the strength he had left, looked at the stick in the hands of the tough hombre, and said in a quivering voice, ¡°I¡¯ll confess. I¡¯ll confess.¡±


    Steward He waved his hands, gesturing for the two strong men to back off.


    ¡°Now, tell me the truth. I want every detail.¡±


    ¡°Some¨CSomeone offered me a hundred taels of silver to provide him with information on Ling family.¡± Gritting his teeth, Wu Er¡¯niu falteringly finished making this remark with difficulty. After this confession, his face went ashen, as if he had seen the consequences that he would have to face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that person? When did he make contact with you? What have you told him?¡± Steward He angrily questioned.


    ¡°I¨CI haven¡¯t found the time to tell him yet¡­¡±

 Chapter 88 - Send for a Physician. Don’t Let Him Die.

    ¡°¡­Steward He is interrogating him. Steward Li is also there. The two stewards sent me here to report this to Young Master and request his instructions. Will Young Master go there himself or¡­¡±


    Outside the courtyard of Ling Zhang¡¯s dwelling, Xia Feng was standing at the gateway. After hearing the servants¡¯ words, he replied with a cold look on his face, ¡°I¡¯m informed about this matter. Young Master is too busy to be distracted by this. Go back and tell the two stewards to keep the man alive for the moment. Young Master might want to go there and interrogate him himself when he finds the time.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you inform Second Master and Second Mistress of this?¡± Xia Feng recalled something and asked.


    ¡°Not yet. I came here to report to Young Master first,¡± responded the servant.


    Xia Feng cast a meaningful glance at him and told him, ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you, but the next time this kind of occurrence arises, inform Young Master and Second Master at the same time. Do not report to any of them sooner than the other. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Uncertain about whether this was a compliment or a criticism, the man was somewhat alarmed and didn¡¯t dare raise his head to look at Xia Feng.


    ¡°Now go and tell Second Master and Second Mistress,¡± ordered Xia Feng.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man responded and hurriedly left.


    Xia Feng returned to the courtyard and entered Ling Zhang¡¯s room. He looked around, unsure as to whether he should go inside and report this to Ling Zhang right away.


    At this point, Ling Zhang was taking a medicated bath with Yuwen Tong behind him trying to unblock his meridians with his internal energy. Compared with the previous two baths which had been agonizing and torturous, the third bath was much more bearable. Though he still felt miserable, the pains were much less intolerable and he could also spare part of his concentration for something else.


    After unblocking his meridians twice, he found that his hearing had become much more acute than before. At night when all was still, he could even hear sounds from the gateway of the courtyard. This time, though he hadn¡¯t distinguished the contents of the conversation between Xia Feng and that servant, he was well aware that someone had come to talk with Xia Feng, that Xia Feng was now pacing the floor outside the bathroom.


    ¡°Xia Feng, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly called Xia Feng¡¯s name, which took Xia Feng aback. Then he realized that his pacing up and down outside had come to the knowledge of the man inside, so he stopped dithering and replied immediately, ¡°Young Master, Steward He just caught a greedy servant who intended to provide an outsider with inside information about Ling family in exchange for money. The name of the servant is Wu Er¡¯niu. He¡¯s an odd-job man in the kitchen. It is said that someone delivered a note to him via a firewood seller offering to buy intelligence about the identity of the kung fu expert hiding in Ling family.¡±


    ¡®The kung fu expert hiding in Ling family?¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s heart lurched.


    ¡°It seems that someone has noticed something,¡± said Yuwen Tong. Then he raised his voice and asked Xia Feng, ¡°What else did he say?¡±


    Xia Feng was not surprised to hear Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice. Having heard no further questions from Ling Zhang, he realized that this was also what his young master wanted to know, so he answered, ¡°The one who made an offer to buy intelligence also intended to find out how many kung fu experts there are in Ling family as well as whether it was the day Young Master went to the herb farm that they entered Ling family.¡±


    ¡°Who was the one that offered to buy intelligence?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Even Wu Er¡¯niu himself didn¡¯t know the identity of the buyer. He said that he ignored the note at first, that it was after he saw the offer of a hundred taels of silver that he was swayed. Tonight he made contact with a person outside the wall to confirm the time and place for their meeting. Wu Er¡¯niu has a one-day leave after two days, and he planned to meet the buyer on that day. Just now, it was a man sent here by Steward He that I was talking to. He asked whether Young Master wanted to go there and interrogate Wu Er¡¯niu. I made an excuse and told him that Young Master was busy. I also bade him to tell Steward He to keep Wu Er¡¯niu alive and wait for Young Master¡¯s further instructions.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did a good job. What about my uncle? Did you send someone to inform him of this?¡±


    ¡°That servant is on it. I think Second Master probably has already been informed by now.¡±


    ¡°I see. You may take your leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Xia Feng left, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Your existence has already attracted the attention of either Jia family or Zhang Chong or somebody else.¡±


    ¡°The buyer specially asked about the day when my people entered the city. It seems that some opponent of ours noticed.¡±


    ¡°If the buyer works for Zhang Chong, will he have misgivings because of this? If by any chance our plan is compromised¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Zhang Chong is the one behind this, but if the buyer is from the Jia family, Zhang Chong will be informed very soon. However, it doesn¡¯t matter whether Zhang Chong knows about it or not. They have no clue whatsoever who that kung fu expert is. Zhang Chong is now a local despot nobody dares to defy in Tangyang. He¡¯s not necessarily going to be alarmed by this matter.¡± Yuwen Tong appeared totally unworried.


    ¡°Anyway, it will never occur to him that it was me who had been crossing him in Tanyang. As regards other people, whom do you think he possibly fears?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    He had to admit that Yuwen Tong¡¯s words made sense.


    A man like Zhang Chong who had always been acting domineeringly like a tyrant in Tanyang would never be worried by an issue of this kind.


    ¡°If it bothers you, I¡¯ll have Yao Yi go and do some interrogating. That Wu Er¡¯niu will take a day off in two days. We can just send someone disguised as him to meet the buyer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Currently, this matter is the focus of all people¡¯s attention in Ling family. I must do something to send them a message, to remind them that there are some things they should do but there are also some they must not do, that no matter how much money they are promised, they need to consider whether they would be able to live long enough to spend it before saying yes.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°All right.¡±


    The medicated bath was over and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t pass out this time. He still felt exhausted, but after moments¡¯ rest, he regained enough strength to get dressed by himself.


    Yuwen Tong appeared faintly regretful. Beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, he left the bathroom, face full of regret.


    Of course Ling saw this distinctly, the color of his face alternating between red and normal. As he recalled that it was Yuwen Tong who had helped him change on the previous two occasions when he fell unconscious after bath, his cheeks burned with embarrassment. Then the regretful look Yuwen Tong had on his face a moment ago re-appeared in his mind, and he couldn¡¯t help clenching his teeth. ¡®Asshole,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Marshal, why did you come back so soon today?¡± Yao Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask when seeing that Yuwen Tong returned sooner than he did the previous two times.


    Clothes in hands, upper body naked, Yuwen Tong walked straight into his room. ¡°This time he didn¡¯t faint.¡±


    Yao Yi uttered ¡°Oh¡± and understood. This time the marshal failed to take advantage of Childe Ling.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going in Zhang Chong¡¯s encampment? Any unusual movements of his troops?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday Zhang Chong received a letter from the capital city and was informed that his memorial to the throne had been intercepted. He got furious, but after reading another letter, the writer of which stays unknown, his fury dissolved considerably. The last batch of ore he purchased from the mine of Jia family is about to be used up, which means that he¡¯s probably going to set about hiding this batch of armament in a couple of days. I¡¯ve already bidden our men to keep their eyes peeled for all their activities.¡±


    After getting changed, Yuwen Tong walked outside and said, ¡°The writer of that letter is probably Zhou Mingshen. It was merely an attempt to appease Zhang Chong. We must find out where Zhang Chong has been hiding those armaments in the next few days, because it won¡¯t be long before word about me being in Tangyang spreads here from the capital city.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Little Liu doing in the brothel?¡±


    ¡°Lady Jingwu really knows her stuff. That mine director of Jia family decided to spend the night in the Pear Blossom Garden again. Little Liu has already set about forging the account book.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded before saying, ¡°Go and check whether there are any rumors about our entering the city on that day. If there are, find out the contents.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    The next morning, Ling Zhang summoned Steward He.


    ¡°How¡¯s Wu Er¡¯niu?¡±


    ¡°He received ten staff blows yesterday and is now lying in bed. He¡¯s okay for the moment,¡± answered Steward He respectfully.


    ¡°Are you sure he doesn¡¯t know who the buyer is?¡±


    ¡°Wu Er¡¯niu indeed has no idea who that person is, but they have already agreed on the date and place for their meeting. As long as we follow up this lead, we will find out the identity of the buyer,¡± replied Steward He. ¡°Wu Er¡¯niu and the buyer agreed to meet in a noddle stand in the eastern part of the city at early Chen Hour (07:00-08:59 a.m.).¡±


    ¡°Send for a physician to treat Wu Er¡¯niu. Make sure that he gains his mobility in two days.¡±


    On hearing this, Steward He had a general idea what Ling Zhang intended to do. He hurriedly responded, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send for a physician the moment I return.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, tell all servants who know about this matter not to disclose anything about it to anybody. Otherwise they¡¯ll be convicted of the same crime as that of Wu Er¡¯niu.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did my uncle give any instructions?¡±


    ¡°Second Master bade me to ask you for your opinion first, Young Master. He said that if you don¡¯t have the time to deal with the matter of Wu Er¡¯niu, you could inform him.¡±


    Touched by his uncle¡¯s thoughtfulness, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll talk with my uncle. Now go and send for a physician.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    While Ling Zhaowen was still at home, Ling Zhang hurried to his dwelling and told him his plans.


    ¡°All right. Do it your way. If you need any help, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I will. For the moment, everything¡¯s within my grasp.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded. He was more and more impressed with Ling Zhang¡¯s competence.


    ¡°By the way, word has it that you¡¯ve officially started to teach those guards how to perform the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve. How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°They are still familiarizing themselves with the first array. I¡¯m going to ask Yuwen Tong to do me a favor and have someone enter the formation to test it out.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen let out a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re trying to deal a blow to the confidence of our guards by asking the marshal¡¯s man to test the formation.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to think it¡¯ll be a motivation for them.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Just be moderate and don¡¯t go too hard on them. You don¡¯t want them to think that they¡¯re hopeless, do you?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°But, just now you mentioned the first array, so there¡¯s a second one? Is this Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve really so complicated?¡±


    ¡°This formation consists of twelve arrays. I plan to have our guards learn three of them first.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was startled. He had never expected that this formation consisted of as many as twelve arrays. Since it was so complex, he was very worried that those guards might not be able to live up to Ling Zhang¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Maybe you should go and watch them training a couple of days later, uncle. You¡¯ll find out about their exact proficiency in the formation.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled gently and began to discuss the effects of the guards¡¯ training with his nephew in high spirit.


    After Ling Zhang left, a thought struck Ling Zhaowen. He abruptly looked in the direction of Ling Zhang¡¯s receding figure.


    ¡®Deducing from what Zhang¡¯er just said, Marshal Yuwen has already known that our guards have been practicing the formation?¡¯ thought Ling Zhaowen. After thinking for a while, Ling Zhaowen felt that he should have realized this earlier. All subordinates of Yuwen Tong were masters of kung fu. He probably knew almost everything happened in Ling family.


    ¡®Never mind. If Zhang¡¯er and Yuwen Tong actually get married, Yuwen Tong will know about these things sooner or later anyway. But¡­ exactly what is Zhang¡¯er thinking about? Is he willing to marry Yuwen Tong or not?¡¯ Ling Zhaowen wondered.

 Chapter 89 - Zhang Chongs Pressurizing His Opponents and the Agitation of Bandits

    ¡°The physician said that he prescribed Wu Er¡¯niu some potent medicine, that Wu Er¡¯niu would be able to walk the day after tomorrow.¡±


    In the morning, when Ling Zhang was still in the guards¡¯ yard, Xia Feng went to the yard and told him that a physician had treated the wounds of Wu Er¡¯niu.


    ¡°I see. Bid the physician not to disclose the injury of Wu Er¡¯niu to anybody.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, young master. I¡¯ve already told him this. Physician Lin has always been on good terms with us. On top of that, he is a man of discretion.¡±


    Knowing that the physician who had treated Wu Er¡¯niu was Physician Lin, Ling Zhang said no more, since Physician Lin had always been in cooperation with Ling family and Ling Zhang trusted him.


    It was the third day after the guards of Ling family started training the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve. They were getting more and more proficient in it. Back on the first day of the training, the guards¡¯ yard was designated a restricted zone that nobody was allowed to enter without permission. At this time, guards formed up into the first array of the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve. The atmosphere in the drill field instantly became tense. Even a leaf carried by a wind, once it entered this array, wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of it.


    Xia Feng standing beside Ling Zhang felt exceptionally nervous after merely watching the array for a few moments. These guards had really changed drastically and were not who they used to be. Though he was merely standing in front of the formation, he still felt great pressure. He believed that if he was trapped in the formation, there was a very high chance that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of it.


    ¡°Train for another day, brothers. Tomorrow I¡¯ll find someone to test out your formation. I hope you won¡¯t let me down.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t!¡±


    They had practiced for quite some time. The teamwork among them had reached such a whole new level that they actually made their responses in unison.


    After all these days¡¯ training, every one of them noticed the changes that had been brought to them. Apart from better teamwork, everybody discovered that their bodily movement techniques had improved significantly. Sometimes, when they were sparring in pairs, they would, in an almost subconscious manner, perform the footwork that they had memorized to sidestep the blow of the opponent. Among the twelve guards, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi had the best kung fu skills. In order to confirm their discovery, the other ten guards took turns to spar with Wang Dashan and Liu Yi at dusk every day during the past few days, and never once had they been disappointed.


    This kind of discovery was a pleasant surprise for them who were kung fu practitioners.


    As a result, when Ling Zhang said that he would find them a training partner, the enthusiasm of all guards ran high.


    ¡°Young Master, is it the bodyguard of our distinguished guest?¡± Wang Dashan asked in haste.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Zhang was not surprised that Wang Dashan guessed right.


    Wang Dashan and other guards were overjoyed at this answer. They exchanged glances and said, ¡°Rest assured, Young Master. We won¡¯t fail you!¡±


    Ling Zhang made no response. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that they have confidence in themselves, but¡­ I hope they¡¯ll be able to recover from the setback that they¡¯re going to suffer tomorrow.¡±


    At the time when Ling Zhang was training his guards, a large-scale murder hunt had just come to an end outside Tanyang. Soldiers of the Prefecture Guards were the main force, but they still failed to find any clues to the criminal who had murdered Lu Kui. As if the murderer had vanished into thin air, they didn¡¯t find a single trace of him or her whatsoever.


    ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve been searching for three full days. Today is the fourth day already, but there¡¯s no trace of the guy who killed Lu Kui. Some citizens are complaining about our repeated large-scale search.¡±


    Zhang Chong darkened his face. ¡°What did those bastards say?¡±


    ¡°They said that the murderer was not one of them, that they didn¡¯t send anyone to kill Lu Kui.¡±


    ¡°Humph! As far as I can tell, they just don¡¯t have the balls to admit what they¡¯ve done!¡± Zhang Chong thundered. ¡°Surely they won¡¯t tell me the murderer is an outside burglar!¡±


    ¡°Please calm your anger, Commander. I¡¯ve sent some men to conduct a covert investigation into this. If it was really some local gang that was behind the murder, there are definitely traces to be found.¡±


    ¡°Yet how long do you think it¡¯ll take you to find the truth? That old bastard Tao Feng still refuses to let go of the position of the Right Tongzhi no matter how hard I try to make him to. If it weren¡¯t for that his mentor is one of the most influential figures in the Imperial Court, I would have cut off his head long ago!¡±


    His subordinate lapsed into a frightened silence before Zhang Chong¡¯s fury.


    ¡°Send word to those bastards. None of them is to leave their mountain strongholds for the duration of the murder hunt. Anyone who dares to go downhill shall be killed on sight! In addition to this, since those cowards refuse to admit and are covering for each other, each gang is to make a compensatory payment of 10,000 taels of silver to the Prefecture Guards to cover the expense of this murder hunt! If they refuse to pay compensation, I¡¯ll flatten their strongholds in five days!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Commander, are you not worried that this might arouse their grudges?¡±


    ¡°Grudges? As far as I can tell, they just have been slacking for too long, and they could use a reminder of who¡¯s the boss. If any of them should hold grudges against me because of this, tell them to come and talk to me. Those who still resist shall be put to my saber! The emperor has just turned me down. Another opportunity to make a request is the very thing I¡¯m seeking.¡± Zhang Chong¡¯s voice was cold and harsh like the sound of a saber scratching someone¡¯s bones, which scared his subordinates to such an extent that none of them dared to dissuade him again.


    Soon, Zhang Chong¡¯s order spread through all mountain strongholds of bandits near Tanyang.


    ¡°Chief, why is Zhang Chong doing this? We¡¯ve already told him we¡¯re not the ones responsible for the murder. Why is he being so pushy?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it! Forbidding us from leaving the mountain is synonymous with forbidding us from robbing people. And he also wants us to pay 10,000 taels of silver in compensation. Isn¡¯t he trying to starve us to death? Zhang Chong is even greedier than we are!¡±


    ¡°Screw it! Zhang Chong scares many, but not me. I¡¯ll grab my saber and go down there to fight him right now!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! Don¡¯t be so impulsive!¡± the gang-leader thundered, a sullen look on his face.


    ¡°Zhang Chong is doing this to send a message to the one who¡¯s responsible for the murder of Lu Kui. He wants to force the murder to stand into the light,¡± explained the gang-leader.


    ¡°But we have nothing to do with this whatsoever. Why do we have to pay him 10,000 taels?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡±


    The gang-leader was also full of righteous indignation, but he was manifestly more rational than his subordinates. ¡°I¡¯ll go and consult with other gangs tonight. We¡¯ll figure this out after I come back. Don¡¯t take any rash action for the duration. Otherwise there will be consequences.¡±


    ¡°Well, then. Don¡¯t keep us waiting for too long, chief.¡±


    This kind of agitation arose in every bandit gang. Zhang Chong¡¯s order was undoubtedly as unacceptable as asking them to cut meat from their own bodies, and none of them was willing to obey. Violent and fierce by nature, all bandits were indignant and on the verge of staging an uprising.


    ¡°Tsk. Surprisingly, it really doesn¡¯t concern Zhang Chong that those bandits might riot,¡± said a man who was staking out the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°He¡¯s a wildly arrogant man,¡± another man said.


    Soon, news spread to Tanyang.


    ¡°Zhang Chong got anxious,¡± Ling Zhang concluded after hearing the report.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction to this message was bland. ¡°He¡¯s always been holding those bandits in contempt, but now some of them dared to inflict humiliation on him. How could he not be anxious?¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your opinion? Will these bandits really stay on the mountains as they¡¯re ordered to and pay Zhang Chong 10,000 taels of silver?¡±


    ¡°10,000 is no small number. Relatively bigger gangs might afford it, but for those smaller ones, a compensatory payment of 10,000 taels will bankrupt them. They might have to choose otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯ll¡­ they¡¯ll riot?¡±


    ¡°If we fuel their anger.¡±


    ¡®Fuel their anger? Is Yuwen Tong saying that he wants those bandits to riot?¡¯ Ling Zhang wondered.


    ¡°For one thing, there will be less robberies around Tanyang. For another, it¡¯ll make it more convenient for us to look for the place where their armaments are stored.¡±


    Ling Zhang understood. Yuwen Tong intended to distract Zhang Chong by forcing him to deal with those bandits.


    In the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°Commander, except for the Red Maple Fastness and a couple of gangs near it, no gangs agreed.¡±


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face went dark with rage, which made the scar on it seem frighteningly hideous. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve been too nice to them, which is why they forgot who¡¯s the one they owe their allegiance to in Tanyang.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do, Commander?¡±


    ¡°Go and give the order to fall in. Make it loud so that those bandits can hear. For those who still refuse to obey, I¡¯ll lead the army myself and stamp their strongholds into oblivion tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    Bandit gangs nearby, naturally, had been paying close attention to the movement of troops in Prefecture Encampment, and the news of Zhang Chong mustering an army soon came to their knowledge.


    ¡°Son of a bitch! Zhang Chong is really going to launch an attack on us!¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t scare me. Let him try. I¡¯ll fight to the last breath. Under no circumstances will I let him get a single coin!¡±


    ¡°Chief, something is not right. Didn¡¯t you say that Zhang Chong merely wanted to force the one who killed Lu Kui into showing himself? Why is he mustering his troops to attack us?¡± Someone with a sharp mind sensed that something was wrong.


    ¡°He¡¯s seeking to make an example of us. The hunt for the one responsible for Lu Kui¡¯s death is taking too long, so he begins to question our loyalty to him.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? Surely, we won¡¯t just stand by and let Zhang Chong kill our brothers just to send a message to others, will we?¡±


    Though the leader of a bandit gang, he was still a bandit whose wits were merely average. Eventually, he decided to compromise. ¡°We pay the 10,000 taels of silver. Take all our silver ingots out of the cellar.¡±


    ¡°Chief, we¡¯ve been working hard for years to save that money. You¡¯re going to give it to Zhang Chong just like this?!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t watch my brothers die. We can always make more money, but we only live once.¡±


    ¡°Chief, I do not agree. I¡¯d rather die fighting Zhang Chong!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Chief. I¡¯d rather die fighting Zhang Chong as well!¡±


    ¡°What about other people? Have you asked our brothers if they share your opinion? Some of their wives and children are here. You¡¯d watch them be slaughtered as well?¡±


    Instantly, the whole gang fell silent.


    ¡°The deadline for response is tomorrow morning, Chief. There¡¯s still some time for us to think. Maybe there¡¯s another way.¡±


    ¡°Shit! This is fucking unbelievable! I¡¯ve been a robber in my whole life, but now I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to be robbed!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. How am I supposed to swallow this?¡±


    ¡­


    On that night, a lot of leaders of bandit gangs secretly gathered together to consult with each other on how to deal with Zhang Chong¡¯s demand.


    ¡°If I give him 10,000 taels of silver, my brothers won¡¯t even have enough money for food. Who will follow my orders if I can¡¯t even fill their bellies?¡±


    ¡°Exactly who¡¯s so fucking brainless as to kill that Lu Kui guy? He¡¯s got us into such deep trouble!¡±


    ¡°We either find the murderer or pay the money. I don¡¯t see that there¡¯s another choice!¡±


    ¡°Actually, there is.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We kill Zhang Chong. And then nobody will ask us for money ever again.¡±


    ¡°I agree. We chose to cooperate with Zhang Chong to make money. Now Zhang Chong seeks to starve us. He¡¯s the one who failed to keep his end of the bargain. Why are we still following his orders? We¡¯re bandits, not the Prefecture Guards!¡±


    ¡°But how can we kill him? The Prefecture Encampment is heavily guarded.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re really thinking of killing him? Zhang Chong is the commander of the Prefecture Guards. If he dies, the Imperial Court definitely won¡¯t let us get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Then we flee. We kill Zhang Chong, take his money and flee.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan. Zhang Chong has us cornered leaving us no choice anyway. We might as well go for broke!¡±

 Chapter 90 - Heavily Armored Infantry

    ¡°Chief, are we really going to stage an uprising?¡±


    In a den of bandits sat a circle of people. Some were repulsively ugly and sly-looking. Some were fat and flabby. Some had lascivious eyes. Anybody could see it a mile off that all of them were evil-doers.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let them go first. After those fatheads take action, we wait to see how things go and then decide whether we should fight or pay the money,¡± answered the gang-leader.


    ¡°Ha ha¡­ You¡¯re such a wise leader, Chief.¡±


    However, there was a theft in the vault of the stronghold. All silver ingots in it were stolen.


    ¡°What happened?!¡±


    ¡°Who stole our money?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Humph. Now you have no choice. I¡¯d like to see whether you¡¯ll fight or not,¡± Yao Yi mumbled. ¡°Retreat.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At midnight, Yao Yi and his men returned. ¡°Marshal, the operation is a big success.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong who was reading a letter raised his head and looked at Yao Yi. ¡°Did you hide it?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Remember to inform them to transport it back to the north-west.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    After this, Yuwen Tong resumed reading the letter.


    ¡®Whose letter is that?¡¯ Yao Yi wondered.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Yue Qi,¡± someone standing beside him told Yao Yi in a muted voice.


    ¡®I see.¡¯ After dithering for a while, Yao Yi walked over and asked, ¡°Marshal, is the letter from Yue Qi? Did he confirm that Li Chong has been in contact with the Sixth Prince?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t read that part yet,¡± answered Yuwen Tong in a bland voice.


    ¡®Haven¡¯t read that part?¡¯ A thought suddenly occurred to Yao Yi and with that he realized what Yuwen Tong was reading. ¡®Marshal must be trying to find out whether anyone from Yuwen family has ever bullied Ling family.¡¯


    After a while, Yuwen Tong put the letter down, softly tapped his fingers on the table and said, ¡°Yue Qi said in the letter that nobody from Yuwen family had ever come to Tanyang before, that my family had been actively doing matchmaking for me over the past year and nearly got me betrothed. They had long ago forgotten my engagement to Ling family.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s probably not forgotten yet. Second Master is¡­ Well, though he is unreliable, he always holds Ling family in contempt, so it¡¯s very unlikely that he has ever specially sent someone here to make life difficult for Ling family.¡±


    But given Ling Zhang¡¯s previous attitudes, Yuwen Tong was indeed skeptical. Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t have held that weird attitude towards him if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Since the truth about it is beyond investigation, leave it aside for the moment. This matter will be made clear sooner or later. As regards Li Chong, Yue Qi confirmed that he had indeed been in covert contact with the Sixth Prince¡¯s men all along. Yue Qi has already found a witness and is keeping him under control. It won¡¯t be long before he gets physical evidence like correspondence, paperwork, etc. We have to do our job faster in Tangyang in case the situation in the capital city changes.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The next morning, Zhang Chong got up early waiting for those bandits, whom, he believed, must have been scared shitless, to flock to his encampment and hand the money to him on a silver platter. He waited the whole morning but only three gangs delivered the money to him on time. People of all other gangs were nowhere to be seen.


    The expression on Zhang Chong¡¯s face went colder and colder. Added to this the scar, he appeared as terrifying as a ferocious ghost. All his subordinates were so nervous that they were involuntarily trying to make their breathing shallow.


    ¡°How dare they! They¡¯re nothing but a bunch of bandits who stupidly think that they¡¯re powerful enough now and no longer need me. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson and show them who¡¯s the boss. Give the order to fall in! Today we¡¯ll stamp those bastards¡¯ dens into oblivion!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    Zhang Chong mustered a 5,000-strong army and left the Prefecture Encampment, heading straight for the nearest stronghold of bandits.


    ¡°They ca¨Ccame to blows!¡± A lot of residents flooded into Tanyang through the city gate like refugees, panic on their faces.


    ¡°Who came to blows?¡± asked a soldier of the garrison.


    ¡°The Prefecture Guards and those bandits are fighting. There are so many of them!¡±


    ¡°What? Where are they fighting?¡±


    ¡°Near the Lee Mountain. Several bandit gangs living near that mountain went there and are having a fierce fight with the Prefecture Guards. Some people said that soldiers of the Prefecture Guards were lured onto the Xiaojing Mountain at first where there were a lot of traps, that they suffered heavy casualties. Afterwards, we saw a large number of soldiers charge out of the Prefecture Encampment!¡±


    ¡°And then? What happened next?¡±


    ¡°We have no clue. All those who lived near the battlefield failed to flee in time and got killed. We didn¡¯t dare to stay nearby and fled here.¡±


    ¡°How come such a major battle broke out so abruptly? Hurry! Report this to Lord Tao!¡±


    A soldier immediately rushed to the Prefecture Yamen and informed Tao Feng. Ling Zhaowen happened to be present as well. He was taken aback on hearing this news.


    ¡°All bandit gangs on nearby mountains joined the fight? The Prefecture Guards suffered heavy casualties?¡± Ling Zhaowen was manifestly amazed. He exchanged glances with Tao Feng, both of them feeling that this had happened in suspicious circumstances. They both knew very well about the relationship between those bandits and the Prefecture Guards. All previous bandit-suppressing efforts of the Prefecture Guards were mere formalities, but this time they not only fought the bandits in public but also suffered heavy casualties?


    This was so strange and went far beyond expectation of Ling Zhaowen and Tao Feng.


    ¡°Lord Tao, what do you think we should do? Do we go there to take a look or¨C¡±


    Tao Feng raised his hand and softly gestured Ling Zhaowen to calm down. ¡°The real situation is still unclear, so there is no need for us to get involved in this, but we can¡¯t just stand by and watch either. I¡¯ll send a couple of men there to check. Let¡¯s wait for further information.¡±


    As regards whether the Prefecture Guards would be wiped out by those bandits, it had never crossed the mind of Ling Zhaowen or Tao Feng. In their opinion, the Prefecture Guards had been building up strength and storing up energy for so many years. Their soldiers were well-trained and their horses were strong. Those bandits would, without doubt, suffer a heavy defeat.


    ¡°Your Lordship, should we also send some men to find out which gangs participated in this armed rebellion and which ones didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. This is yet another issue to be figured out.¡±


    Tao Feng immediately sent some men to investigate into it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go through the motions and make ourselves seen on the Southern Gate Tower.¡±


    ¡°After you, Lord Tao.¡±


    When news of the battle reached the Prefecture Yamen, Ling Zhang had known about it for some time. Since Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards sent back intelligence reports at regular intervals, he was among the first few persons to be informed of the battle in Tanyang.


    ¡°How did you manage to do this?¡± asked Ling Zhang as he couldn¡¯t wait to know exactly how Yuwen Tong managed to do it. Remarkably, he had half a dozen bandit gangs stage an armed rebellion against Zhang Chong, and one of them was pretty large ¨C with at least one thousand gang members. Bandits who joined this battle numbered two even three thousand. They were definitely a force to be reckoned with.


    They hid themselves on the mountain, and they were also far more familiar with the terrain than the Prefecture Guards. More importantly, they were capable of laying all kinds of traps for their enemies, which were very hard to guard against.


    ¡°They lost their money, so they naturally staged an uprising.¡±


    ¡®They lost their money?¡¯ Ling Zhang did a double take. ¡°You stole all money of those bandit gangs?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said with a smile, ¡°More or less. All their money was filthy lucre. Since the money was snatched from civilians, naturally it should be used on civilians.¡± The money would be used to purchase provisions for the north-west army, the duty of which was to protect the territory and people of the Great Yue.


    As for the Prefecture Guards, since they had been building up strength and storing up energy for such a long time, it was high time that they showed their strength and made themselves worthy of the money that had been spent on them, given that they had been serving some treacherous official as his tool all along.


    On hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s confirmation, Ling Zhang felt that what he had done was incredible. ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯s subordinates are so versatile. They actually managed to steal all the money in those bandits¡¯ dens?! If only I also had a group of all-round subordinates like his. It¡¯s a pity that these skills cannot be mastered in a short time. I should have them learn the formation first,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    ¡°If these bandits are eliminated, the total number of bandits near Tanyang will be reduced by forty percent. The gang in the Grand Mang Mountain and a couple of other gangs on separate mountains will be the only ones left.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll have to get rid of these bandits sooner or later. Using Zhang Chong to eliminate some of them will save us a lot of trouble.¡±


    Instead of fighting the Prefecture Guards head-on, those several thousand bandits in the Lee Mountain chose to hide themselves in the mountain taking advantage of various kinds of traps to fight the enemies. Though Zhang Chong was an experienced commander, he had no effective tactics to finish the battle quickly. His army suffered heavy casualties shortly after the fight began and he had to dispatch reinforcements from the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°Commander, these goddamn bandits on the mountain are as cunning as monkeys. Our men are very prone to be caught in their traps!¡±


    Face dark with rage, Zhang Chong clenched his teeth and ordered, ¡°Dispatch the Third Team here!¡±


    ¡°Commander, they are kept in reserve for-¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t finish this battle quickly, we¡¯ll lose control of all other bandit gangs. Understand? Now cut the shit and dispatch them here!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    The Third Team that Zhang Chong mentioned was a team of soldiers armed to the teeth. Their eyes behind their helmets were cold and the air about them was entirely different from that about other soldiers. When they stamped forward step by step, people nearby could even feel the ground quake. Though slow, they were totally unafraid of the traps laid by bandits and walked straight into them.


    ¡°Impossible. Who are those people?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we pierce their armor?¡±


    ¡°Shit! Our traps are useless now!¡±


    Bandits on the mountain panicked and began to retreat uphill.


    Finally, with these heavily armored soldiers as the vanguard, Zhang Chong¡¯s men no longer had to worry about miscellaneous weird traps. Slowly, they began to advance higher onto the mountain.


    ¡°Those are¡­ Go and inform the Marshal of the weird armor that those soldiers are wearing!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Distantly, someone saw those heavily armored soldiers and immediately sent a message back to Tanyang.


    On receiving the message, Yuwen Tong briefly knitted his eyebrows. ¡°I never expected that Zhang Chong had a team of this kind.¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡± Ling Zhang was confused.


    ¡°An infantry unit wearing armor made of special material, armed to the teeth, proof against spear thrusts and saber cuts. They move slowly but are perfect human shields. Traps laid by those bandits could barely cause them any harm. With this team at Zhang Chong¡¯s command, those bandits wouldn¡¯t be able to last long in this battle.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly frowned. ¡°Is it very difficult to train a team like this?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. The expense of keeping such a team is equivalent to that of supporting the whole Prefecture Encampment. No matter how much money the Imperial Court allocated to Zhang Chong, by no means could Zhang Chong have built a team like this with that allocation. Someone must have been covertly funding him, and that person¡¯s purpose is not to eliminate bandits,¡± Yuwen Tong explained to Ling Zhang, seeming to be in a pretty good mood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    ¡°Why should I? With the involvement of this team, those bandits will soon be eradicated, which will lower the casualties of the Prefecture Guards. In terms of the interests of our country, given that I¡¯m the Grand Marshal of the North West Army of the Great Yue, I naturally hope there will be as less casualties as possible. In terms of my personal interests, since Zhang Chong has dispatched heavily armored soldiers, once someone reports this to the emperor, he will be convicted of yet another felony.¡±


    Ling Zhang understood. This was favorable for them in terms of interests of both the country and themselves.

 Chapter 91 - A Secret Location

    With the help of those heavily armored infantry, Zhang Chong¡¯s army smashed its way into enemy territory like a hot knife cutting through butter and soon cornered those bandits on the top of the mountain when the daytime was over.


    There was a natural chasm on the mountaintop, which was the last line of defense that those bandits could rely on. Because of densely laid traps around it, even those heavily armored infantry were having trouble advancing further.


    Zhang Chong and his men encircled the mountaintop ring upon ring. Then he had a soldier yell at those bandits, demanding their surrender.


    ¡°Bah! No way are we going to surrender. I¡¯ll wring Zhang Chong¡¯s head off even if the price is my own life!¡±


    Such was the hatred those surviving bandits bore towards Zhang Chong that they would literally drink his blood and eat him alive if they had the chance. Though in a hopeless dilemma, none of these outlaws was willing to surrender. The two sides of the battle just confronted each other at the mountaintop in an impasse.


    ¡°Commander, do we take them by storm right now or do we just besiege them and wait for them to run out of food?¡±


    ¡°Besiege them? I don¡¯t have that much time for this. Go and tell all captains to come here. We¡¯ll formulate an operation plan and then storm the enemy position.¡±


    ¡°But there will be heavy casualties if we do it this way.¡±


    On hearing this, Zhang Chong smiled hideously, ¡°That¡¯s the very result I want. The emperor has just rejected my request. Now is my chance to show him the consequences of it. I¡¯ll have him willingly offer to enlarge my army and encampment.¡±


    Zhang Chong¡¯s expression and words sent chills down the spine of his subordinate, who was afraid to look at Zhang Chong¡¯s eyes again. ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    On that night, there were torches all over the Lee Mountain. Even residents in Tanyang could see them distinctly.


    Tao Feng and Ling Zhaowen were still on the South Gate Tower, their eyes fixed on the Lee Mountain.


    Tao Feng said, ¡°Scouts brought news back saying that many gang-leaders went to the Prefecture Encampment to deliver gifts to Zhang Chong early this morning, that there were also some who didn¡¯t. And all those who didn¡¯t are now on the Lee Mountain.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was amazed. ¡°All because they didn¡¯t send him gifts? What the hell is Zhong Chong thinking of?¡±


    ¡°The gift he wanted was 10,000 taels of silver.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a gasp of astonishment. ¡°10,000 taels? That¡¯s a huge amount of money. Why did Zhang Chong suddenly demand those bandits to pay him so much money?¡±


    Naturally, Tao Feng didn¡¯t have the answer to this question. Had he known the reason, he wouldn¡¯t have been so perplexed.


    Ling Zhaowen thought for a while and then said, ¡°Your Lordship, I¡¯d like to go back home and consult with my father about this matter.¡±


    Tao Feng nodded.


    Ling Zhaowen hastily returned home. But instead of going to Ling Xingzhong¡¯s dwelling, he headed for the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    ¡°Second Master Ling?¡± The guard was rather surprised to see him.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to consult the Marshal about. I wonder if this is a convenient time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Second Master Ling. The Marshal happened to have just left and is not in at the moment. But Childe Ling is here. Would you like to see him?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was sent into a brief trance by this response. Then he nodded. ¡°All right.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was led into the room and found that Ling Zhang was sitting behind Yuwen Tong¡¯s desk reading something. Enthralled, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t even notice his arrival.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his head and saw the visitor. He hurriedly stood up and walked over. ¡°Uncle, why did you come here?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s lips twitched with amazement. ¡®This brat. He sounds as if he¡¯s the owner of this house. Yet that day he told me he never regarded me as an outsider,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Marshal? Why are you here alone? And why did you mess his stuff on his desk? If by any chance he finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly interrupted his uncle, pulling a wry face. ¡°Those are just some maps. Yuwen Tong gave me his permission to read them.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen sized up Ling Zhang for a while and asked, ¡°Is that so? Does he really trust you so much as to let you stay in his study where a lot of important documents are stored?¡± Ling Zhang was speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡°Uncle, will you please stop acting like I¡¯m going to do some bad things. Exactly whose uncle are you? Mine or Yuwen Tong¡¯s?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen let out a laugh and took a seat. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t dare to claim to be the Marshal¡¯s uncle.¡±


    Ling Zhang sat down beside him. ¡°Are you here to talk with me or Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°I came here to meet the Marshal, but the guard told me he isn¡¯t in.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s just left. There seemed to be some urgent business that he had to deal with.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded. Then he looked at Ling Zhang and restrained the words which had sprung to his lips.


    ¡°Uncle, if you¡¯ve got something to say, just say it. I¡¯m your nephew. There should be nothing that can keep you from being honest with me.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen leaned forward and lowered his voice, asking, ¡°How¡¯s your relationship with the Marshal going?¡±


    Ling Zhang could hardly forbear to roll his eyes. ¡®Yet another question of this kind. Why couldn¡¯t uncle just let this go?¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Same old, same old. Don¡¯t overthink it, uncle.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen significantly uttered ¡°Oh¡± and then said in a serious tone of voice, ¡°As far as I can tell, he trusts you very much and has never guarded against you. These are quite some strong affections. No matter what your eventual decision will be, as your uncle, I hope you¡¯ll make it discreetly.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a while and then nodded. ¡°Rest assured, uncle. I know when and to whom I should show my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very reassuring.¡± Ling Zhaowen gave a gasp of relief and asked a further question. ¡°You heard that Zhang Chong staged a precipitous fight with those bandits on the Lee Mountain, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°I did.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang had a calm countenance on his face, Ling Zhaowen thought, ¡®He must know something.¡¯ So he asked, ¡°Do you know the reason?¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang instantly understood what his uncle had come here for. Somewhat amused, he responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I should make myself worthy of Yuwen Tong¡¯s trust? It was Yuwen Tong who told me all these things. Will it not be an act of betrayal if I disclose them to you?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen clicked his tongue and then said, ¡°Stop juggling with words before your uncle. I have a shrewd idea which questions I can ask and which ones I can¡¯t. Just tell me what you know.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled. There were indeed some things that he was not supposed to disclose, such as Yuwen Tong having his men steal those bandits¡¯ money, as well as the role of Yuwen Tong in this matter, but the cause of the armed conflict between Zhang Chong and those bandits was not one of them.


    ¡°Since the ruffian who killed Uncle Lu is still at large after such a long time, Zhang Chong got anxious and put pressure on those bandits¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a sketchy account of the reason why Zhang Chong decided to attack those bandits.


    ¡°Zhang Chong felt that those bandits humiliated him, while those bandits believed that Zhang Chong¡¯s demand was beyond the pale, over which they came to blows.¡±


    Light suddenly dawned on Ling Zhaowen after he heard the explanation. He was not a fool, so naturally he knew there were definitely some details that he was not supposed to ask, so he raised no further queries but said, ¡°No wonder Zhang Chong launched an attack so decisively. It turned out to have something to do with us.¡±


    They were the ones who helped fake the death of Lu Kui, so they were fully aware of whether that ¡®murderer¡¯ really existed or not.


    Ling Zhaowen was very glad to see this battle between Zhang Chong and those bandits.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been standing on the gate tower all day?¡± Ling Zhang sized his uncle up, a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t actually think that I was really standing there, do you? There were chairs. Lord Tao is still there. I can¡¯t leave him standing there alone for too long. I have to go back.¡±


    ¡°You should have dinner first.¡±


    ¡°You silly boy. How can I have dinner at home? I¡¯ve already had them prepare two portions of food, and I¡¯ll take them to the gate tower and have dinner with Lord Tao.¡±


    Ling Zhang uttered ¡°Oh¡±. He understood what his uncle meant.


    Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t stay for long and left the mansion after a short while.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and then returned to his own dwelling. This was the day that he was supposed to take a medicated bath. Though Yuwen Tong was not present to help unblock his meridians with internal energy, he still had to do what he should do.


    After going back to his dwelling, medicinal herbs had been soaked in the bathing pool long enough.


    Ling Zhang entered the bathroom, took off his clothes and stepped into the bathing pool.


    Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong was in the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°Marshal, all those weapons have been boxed up. They would probably be transferred tonight.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes swept around the Prefecture Encampment. ¡°Those heavily armored infantry suddenly showed up today. We¡¯d been totally unaware of their existence before that. There must be some other secret locations in this encampment. We must find them tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Stake out the weapon workshop. I¡¯ll go and look for them.¡±


    ¡°We can handle this, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Cut the shit and go.¡±


    The man beside him instantly fell silent.


    Yuwen Tong did nothing special. He directly prostrated himself on the spot, pressed his ear against the ground and listened carefully, letting not even the faintest quake escape his ear.


    Among miscellaneous sounds, there were some unusual, muffled ones emanating from somewhere.


    Yuwen Tong stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes and then looked in the direction of the arsenal in the Prefecture Encampment.


    The arsenal was a heavily guarded, restricted area. Even soldiers stationed in the encampment were not allowed to approach without permission. However, under the cover of the night, Yuwen Tong easily entered the arsenal and then lay prostrate again listening to the sounds.


    This time, those unusual, muffled sounds were more distinct, mixed with some voices that were barely audible.


    ¡®There is a basement down here. If my guess is right, this basement is the very place used for hiding the heavily armored infantry. But I have to find the entrance and go inside to confirm,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    As luck would have it, Zhang Chong dispatched the heavily armored infantry to the mountain this day. Yuwen Tong soon observed that one of those numerous tents was somewhat different from its likes. Since this was the area where lots of soldiers would be walking around at ordinary times, nobody could tell that the frequency of soldiers walking in and out of this tent was different, except for someone who spent a full day watching and counting.


    ¡®That tent is the entrance to the basement,¡¯ he thought.


    Yuwen Tong observed for quite a while, during the process of which he saw quite a few people entering and exiting the tent. Those people were dressed as common soldiers, but the way they raised their feet, their paces as well as the way they landed their feet were slightly dissimilar from those of common soldiers.


    All these were habits that heavily armored infantry would inevitably develop.


    Yuwen Tong left in the knowledge that there was a secret basement under the arsenal, that there was a ninety-percent chance that it was where the heavily armored infantry were hiding.


    After returning to the weapon workshop, Yuwen Tong suddenly paused and raised his head to look into the sky.


    ¡°Stay here and keep your eyes peeled. I¡¯m going back to the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong quickly left the Prefecture Encampment, went straight back to the city and directly landed onto the ground in Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard.


    Xia Feng, who was on guard duty outside, was startled when he caught sight of a man descending from mid-air. When he saw that it was Yuwen Tong, he hurriedly saluted him. ¡°Lord Yuwen.¡±


    ¡°Is Ling Zhang already inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Young Master is in there.¡±


    Without pausing, Yuwen Tong strode into the house, walked to the bathroom and pushed the door open.


    ¡°Why did you come back so soon?¡±


    Ling Zhang, who was in the bathing pool, had already heard the conversation between Yuwen Tong and Xia Feng. To his knowledge, Yuwen Tong had gone to the Prefecture Guards to investigate into something, which, he supposed, would take Yuwen Tong a whole night. After all, given that Zhang Chong had led a large number of troops out of the encampment, this was a golden opportunity. ¡®How come he suddenly came back?¡¯ wondered Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 92 - The Butler of Jia Family

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave after unblocking your meridians,¡± Yuwen Tong answered Ling Zhang¡¯s question.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat amazed by this response. ¡°You specially came back to help me unblock my meridians?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yuwen Tong replied and quickly stripped, his eyes sweeping across Ling Zhang¡¯s slim neck, pretty shoulder blades and smooth back.


    ¡°If you have urgent business to handle, just go. Please don¡¯t change your plans on my account,¡± Ling Zhang felt a little uneasy. ¡®How could he waste such a good opportunity?¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Stop talking. Concentrate your mind and calm down.¡± Yuwen Tong pressed his hands against Ling Zhang¡¯s back. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes slightly squinted on the warm and humid touch.


    Ling Zhang had wanted to dissuade him, but on the thought that Yuwen Tong specially came back to help him, he felt that he ought not to hurt Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings, that he would only waste more time if he made further efforts to dissuade Yuwen Tong, so he said no more, trying hard to concentrate.


    After he calmed down, Yuwen Tong slowly mobilized his internal energy and cautiously injected it into Ling Zhang¡¯s body.


    Ling Zhang began to feel the familiar mixture of numbness, itch and pain again¡­


    After over two hours, Yuwen Tong stood up, walked out of the bathroom and soon disappeared. Clearly, he was in a hurry to return to the encampment.


    Ling Zhang got changed, sat down and began to ponder what he should do with the buyer after catching him the next day, but gradually, his mind drifted onto Yuwen Tong. He wondered whether Yuwen Tong would be able to find out what he wanted to find out. The scene of Yuwen Tong hastily coming back to help him unblock his meridians as well as the one of his hastily leaving were also replayed in his mind.


    At last, even he himself couldn¡¯t recall what he had thought about. When he came back from the trance, he found that he had drawn several diagrams of tactical formation on the paper. Every one of them had been drawn with painstaking attention to detail, as if he had intended to give them to someone as gifts.


    Ling Zhang briefly paused. Seeing that the ink on the tip of the writing brush was about to drip down, he hurriedly moved it aside.


    Surprisingly, he had subconsciously wanted to do something for Yuwen Tong and unhesitatingly started drawing these diagrams of formations.


    Leaving aside whether Yuwen Tong would deem them useful, these formations were imparted to him by his mother. Given that his grandfather and uncle had tried so hard to conceal the existence of them, his mother definitely wasn¡¯t someone from a common family. If the existence of these formations came to any outsiders¡¯ knowledge, there might be trouble, so he must be discreet about this matter.


    With this in mind, Ling Zhang, who was supposed to stop, finished those diagrams of formations stroke by stroke.


    There were six of them in total.


    He blew on those pages to dry the ink, put them together, elaborately made a front cover and bound them.


    The expression on the face of Ling Zhang changed several times as he stared at the thin book. Eventually, instead of destroying it, he chose to hide it.


    He decided to observe Yuwen Tong for another certain amount of time and give this book to him after confirming that he was truly reliable.


    Since Yuwen Tong was a marshal of the Great Yue¡¯s army, Ling Zhang believed that these things would be of greater use in Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands than they would in his own.


    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s late. You should go to sleep,¡± urged Xia Feng as he walked inside and saw that Ling Zhang was still awake.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose from the chair and returned to his bedroom to sleep. He had just had some of his meridians unblocked and was feeling comfortably warm all over. In fact, if he wanted to, he could fall asleep immediately after his head touched the pillow, but he didn¡¯t close his eyes to sleep after lying down. Instead, he told Xia Feng, ¡°Remember to wake me up when Lord Yuwen comes back.¡±


    Xia Feng was a little hesitant. ¡®It¡¯s already late Hai Hour (21:00-22:59) and it will soon be Zi Hour (23:00-00:59). Who knows when Lord Yuwen living next door will come back?¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Xia Feng?¡±


    Mistakenly believing that Xia Feng didn¡¯t hear him, Ling Zhang called him again.


    Xia Feng came back from the brief trance and hurriedly answered ¡°Yes¡± in the knowledge that it was very hard to have Ling Zhang change his mind, that he would definitely be punished the next morning if he forgot to wake Ling Zhang up when Yuwen Tong came back at night.


    After giving the instruction to Xia Feng, Ling Zhang soon drifted off to sleep.


    At this time, in the Prefecture Encampment, Yao Yi had just finished covertly interrogating a soldier abducted by him. Then he had one of his subordinates disguise as that soldier and helped him enter that mysterious tent in the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°You have two tasks. First, find out how many heavily armored infantry and armaments there are in the basement. Second, confirm whether that batch of weapons are also stored down there.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°After the job is done, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to stay here in this disguise until Zhang Chong is handled.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    After making these arrangements, Yao Yi said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal, I¡¯ll keep a close watch on the weapon workshop. You may go back and have a rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was determined to identity where those weapons were hidden.


    Soon after Zi Hour, some kind of sound emanated from the weapon workshop. Yuwen Tong, who was sitting repose with his eyes closed, immediately opened his eyes.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang woke up the next morning and summoned Xia Feng. ¡°Those living next door still haven¡¯t returned?¡±


    Xia Feng shook his head. ¡°I waited all night but Lord Yuwen didn¡¯t come back.¡±


    With a frown, Ling Zhang stood up, washed his face, got dressed and told Xia Feng, ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep last night. Take a day off and have some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    Ling Zhang went next door, saw the guard on duty and asked him, ¡°He didn¡¯t come back last night?¡±


    The guard smiled, ¡°Yes, that means Marshal must have found something.¡±


    Ling Zhang shared his opinion, so he observed, ¡°Would you be kind enough to inform me when he returns?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± The guard agreed to it willingly.


    Originally, he had planned to ask one of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards to test out the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve, but since Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t come back yet, and there was nobody in the mansion except for a couple of guards, so Ling Zhang had no choice but to delay it.


    Those security guards of Ling family, who had been irrepressible all morning, were somewhat disappointed after hearing that the test had been delayed. They felt an urge to vent the enthusiasm that had been building up for a night and a morning.


    ¡°Just keep practicing and improving your skills. There will be plenty of chances for you to have a competition with them. Don¡¯t slack because of this.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After practicing fist techniques in the guards¡¯ yard for two hours, Ling Zhang discovered that he had been making increasingly greater progress during the past few days. Remarkably, he was now able to last a few rounds with Wang Dashan.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been making progress at an impressive rate, Young Master. I admire your efforts.¡±


    But Ling Zhang was fully aware that he owed all this to Yuwen Tong, who had been helping him unblock his meridians. Now he had better hearing and sharper eyes. His other senses had also become keener than before. He was now able to anticipate the tracks of Wang Dashan¡¯s fists the moment Wang Dashan made his move, but his reflexes were still not quick enough, which was why most of the time, he was unable to sidestep the blows.


    If his bodily reflexes were quick enough, it would be difficult for Wang Dashan to hit him.


    ¡°Captain Wang, do you know any methods of improving bodily reflexes?¡±


    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m afraid your horse stance and fist technique still need a little improving. If you¡¯re not very anxious to learn it, I suggest that you wait for a few more days.¡±


    Ling Zhang understood what Wang Dashan was saying. Wang Dashan was advising him to lay a solid foundation first.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for your advice, Captain Wang.¡±


    Wang Dashan was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t blame me for being gabby, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°You offered me helpful advice. Why would I blame you for that? By the way, I¡¯m going somewhere and I want you and Elder Brother Liu to accompany me. Meet me at the gateway an hour later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Wang Dashan answered. Since Ling Zhang didn¡¯t tell him where they were going, he asked no questions.


    The time that Wu Er¡¯niu and the buyer had agreed on was about to come. Ling Zhang, followed by Wang Dashan and Liu Yi, left the mansion. After taking a detour, the three of them found a place near the noodle stand in the eastern part of the city and sat down. They had all changed into common, unobtrusive clothes and were talking with their heads down, so nobody noticed them.


    After sitting for a while, Ling Zhang had sized up all people in the noodle stand. He recognized one of them ¨C the butler of Jia family.


    Unsurprisingly, Jia family was behind this.


    Having confirmed the truth of his conjecture, Ling Zhang gave a gasp of relief. ¡®The buyer isn¡¯t Zhang Chong¡¯s subordinate, so at least Yuwen Tong¡¯s existence hasn¡¯t come to Zhang Chong¡¯s knowledge yet,¡¯ he thought.


    Right at this moment, Wu Er¡¯niu finally turned up. He was walking at a gentle pace, looking somewhat sickly.


    ¡°What took you so long? Didn¡¯t we agree to meet at Chen Hour (07:00-08:59 a.m.)?¡± The butler of Jia family impatiently complained at Wu Er¡¯niu in a low voice.


    The countenance of Wu Er¡¯niu was rather unnatural. He was trying so hard to subdue the urge to look around that he couldn¡¯t even speak fluently. ¡°I¡­I just got up a little late.¡±


    The butler of Jia family knitted his brows and suspiciously sized up Wu Er¡¯niu. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I had a fall in the bathhouse and hit my waist on the ground. It still hurts,¡± replied Wu Er¡¯niu.


    The butler flicked a disgusted look at him, fished a pouch out of his inner pocket and put it on the table. ¡°See? Here¡¯s the money. As long as you tell me what you know, the money is yours.¡±


    On the sight of such a large sum of money, Wu Er¡¯niu swallowed hard reflexively, which further disgusted the butler.


    ¡°Hurry. Stop dithering. Tell me what you know and the money is yours.¡±


    ¡°There have indeed been a couple of special visitors. I made some inquiries. They¡¯re relatives of Second Mistress. One of them is the son of a certain lord,¡± Wu Er¡¯niu told the butler what Ling Zhang bade him to say the night before.


    Now that someone saw Yuwen Tong and his men enter the city that day, he might as well admit it. Saying that they were relatives of Fu Caiwei was a mere expedient.


    ¡°Which lord? Be specific.¡± The butler of Jia family asked a further question.


    ¡°I have no idea. Those people stayed in the mansion for a couple of days. Then someone came and told them that there was an emergency in their home. They left on that very night. It was Young Master who received them. We didn¡¯t dare to go to Young Master¡¯s courtyard,¡± Wu Er¡¯niu flinched and answered.


    The butler of Jia family went impatient. ¡°You good-for-nothing. This is all you know? You didn¡¯t even find out who that person is!¡±


    ¡°This is all I know.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure they were those who entered the city that morning?¡±


    Wu Er¡¯niu nodded. ¡°Yes. Except for them, there had been no visitors, still less of people who came to spend the night.¡±


    ¡°On which night did they leave?¡±


    ¡°Eight days ago.¡±


    Eight days ago? The look in the eyes of the butler suddenly changed. It was the very night when his master was kidnapped and then left in the tavern!


    ¡®I knew it! It was indeed people of Ling family who did that. Those people left the city after doing those things, because they were afraid people might find out!¡¯ the butler thought.


    Believing that he had found the truth, the butler of Jia family pushed the pouch to Wu Er¡¯niu and asked in a severe tone of voice, ¡°Did anything else happen in Ling family apart from this? I want every detail.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m only an old-job man working in the kitchen. Without the permission of a steward, I can¡¯t go anywhere except for the kitchen. I really don¡¯t know what happened in other areas of the mansion,¡± Wu Er¡¯niu panicked.


    ¡®Young Master didn¡¯t tell me how to answer this kind of question. What am I supposed to say?¡¯ he thought anxiously.

 Chapter 93 - Appeasing Herb Farmers

    Chapter 93: Appeasing Herb Farmers


    Fortunately, the reaction of Wu Er¡¯niu didn¡¯t arouse suspicions of the butler of Jia family, but in the realization that Wu Er¡¯niu was so useless, he angrily snatched the pouch from Wu Er¡¯niu¡¯s hands, took eighty taels of silver out of it and then tossed it back to Wu Er¡¯niu. ¡°Bah! You expect me to pay you a hundred taels for this? Stop dreaming!¡±


    Wu Er¡¯niu also got angry. In order to get this money, he had suffered so much, and there were probably severer punishments to come after he returned to Ling family, yet this guy went back on his word halfway through the deal?


    He abruptly rose to his feet, grabbed his stool and swung it at the butler of Jia family with great force.


    The butler failed to dodge in time and was heavily hit on the back. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­What are you doing! Ouch!¡± The butler made an attempt to snatch the stool from Wu Er¡¯niu¡¯s hands but was hit by another blow. Seeing that he was unable to snatch the stool from the opponent, he raised his own stool and fought back. During the fight, the table was overturned with bowls smashed to pieces and chopsticks scattered all over the ground. Customers sitting beside nearby tables also suffered.


    The owner of the noodle cursed angrily. ¡°What are you doing! You broke so many bowls and scared my customers away! I¡¯ll report this to Yamen and sue you!¡±


    On hearing the owner¡¯s threat to sue, both Wu Er¡¯niu and the butler of Jia family stopped. Neither of them could afford to let the authority get involved in this matter.


    Wu Er¡¯niu hurtled over, snatched the eighty taels of silver from the butler, turned around and quickly ran away.


    Consumed with rage, the butler of Jia family tried to pursue him but was stopped by the owner of the noodle stand.


    Watching this farce from the distance, Ling Zhang was utterly speechless.


    ¡®Never mind. At least they wouldn¡¯t be able to find out about the existence of Yuwen Tong and his men any time soon. People of Jia family have no reason to suspect. Anyway, just like Yuwen Tong said, it would never come to their knowledge that it is him who has been crossing them in Tanyang, no matter how hard and for how long they rack their brains.¡±


    Immediately after Wu Er¡¯niu left the noodle stand, two security guards suddenly materialized and took him back to Ling family.


    Ling Zhang was just about to leave when he heard some people talking.


    ¡°¡­I wonder if the Prefecture Guards has won.¡±


    ¡°It is said that the battle is still ongoing. Lord Tao and Lord Ling stayed up on the gate tower all night, but there¡¯s been no news of victory from the Prefecture Guards so far.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say so. Surely, they¡¯re not on the losing side? How are we supposed to defend ourselves if by any chance those bandits intrude into the city? This is bad. I¡¯m going back home right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d better return home as well. If worse comes to worst, I can at least take my wife and kids and run for our lives.¡±


    With unnoticeably slight movements of his ears, Ling Zhang quietly listened to the conversation between nearby residents about the battle between the Prefecture Guards and bandits.


    The fight had already lasted a day and a night but the stalemate between the two sides on the Lee Mountain continued. A lot of residents were beginning to panic.


    ¡°Young Master, should we go out of the city and check?¡± Wang Dashan made a suggestion.


    Ling Zhang nodded. In fact, the reason why he had brought Wang Dashan and Liu Yi on this trip in the first place was that he intended to leave the city to take a look. Though there was a long distance between the herb farm and the Lee Mountain, herb farmers in there must be terrified, so he had to go and appease them.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the herb farm. Elder Brother Wang, rent three horses and meet me at the southern city gate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Liu Yi walked straight to the southern city gate. The gate was heavily guarded and all people going in or out of the city through it had to go through rigid security check.


    ¡°Childe Ling, the area to the south of the city is very dangerous at the moment. You shouldn¡¯t go south if you don¡¯t have any urgent business there,¡± a gate guard advised.


    ¡°Thank you for reminding me, but there are many herb farmers and a supervisor in my herb farm in the southern suburb. They must have been in panic after such a major battle broke out. I have to go and check on them. If things go south, I¡¯ve got to help them evacuate from the farm as soon as possible.¡±


    Everybody in Tanyang knew that Ling family owned an herb farm in the southern suburb. Seeing that Ling Zhang insisted on going out of the city, the guard had no choice but to let him through.


    However, after Ling Zhang and his two men left the city, the guard immediately sent someone to report it to Ling Zhaowen.


    On hearing that Ling Zhang had gone to the herb farm taking only two security guards with him, Ling Zhaowen was taken aback. ¡®What is Zhang¡¯er trying to do? It¡¯s so risky to go out of the city at this time,¡¯ he wondered in concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t inform Old Master of this unless I tell you to.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Followed by Wang Dashan and Liu Yi, Ling Zhang was heading directly for the herb farm. When they passed by the Prefecture Encampment, they distantly saw that the whole station was shrouded in tension with guards on duty all around. And their usual path to the herb farm had also been barricaded.


    ¡°Young Master, there are roadblocks in the path.¡±


    Having made a resolution to go to the herb farm, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Dismount. We take the alternative path beside the stream and detour to the farm.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang¡¯s determination to go to the herb farm didn¡¯t waver, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi exchanged glances, and, along with Ling Zhang, dismounted and then led the horses into the dense wood.


    There was a small stream in the wood, which started from a col to the east of the herb farm and would lead them to the herb farm. It was just that there was thick undergrowth sparsely mixed with thistles and thorns beside the stream.


    Therefore, ordinarily, only wild animals would come here. Hardly anybody would choose to take this path, since it was too difficult to proceed along the stream.


    Lucky for them, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi carried sabers on them. They slashed their way through the undergrowth with the sabers and found that the progress speed turned out to be acceptable.


    The moment they reached the herb farm, Ling Zhang observed that no farmer was working in herb fields. He looked around and there was no one in sight. Since the estate had high perimeter walls around it, he couldn¡¯t see the situation inside.


    ¡°Young Master, there might be something at work here. You and Liu Yi may stay here and wait. Let me go and check,¡± said Wang Dashan alertly.


    After some brief thinking, Ling Zhang agreed, ¡°Be careful, Elder Brother Wang.¡±


    Wang Dashan nodded and then detoured around those herb fields. He progressed very quick and soon arrived at the perimeter of the estate.


    First he pricked up his ears and listened. When he heard normal conversation between herb farmers, he gave a gasp of relief but, to be on the safe side, didn¡¯t make any sounds.


    It was not until he approached the front gate of the estate and saw four people guarding it with weapons in their hands that he fully relaxed. ¡°Yang Liuzi!¡±


    At first the guard was startled, but as he sighted the face of the visitor, he exclaimed delightedly in astonishment, ¡°Elder Brother Wang!¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Elder Brother Wang?¡±


    Another three men quickly ran outside, all of whom rejoiced at the sight of Wang Dashan. ¡°Elder Brother Wang, it¡¯s really you. I¡¯m so glad to see you!¡±


    ¡°You came here alone?¡±


    Wang Dashan didn¡¯t answer but asked them, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why isn¡¯t anybody working outside?¡±


    ¡°The battle on the Lee Mountain has lasted a day and a night. Supervisor Zhou had herb farmers to stay inside for fear that the battle might spread here. If by any chance the fight does spread over, we can defend ourselves for some time with these high perimeter walls around the estate.¡±


    ¡°Let me go inside and take a look.¡±


    Wang Dashan followed them into the estate. After verifying their account of the situation, he told them, ¡°Young Master came here as well. He¡¯s waiting outside. I¡¯ll go and lead him here.¡±


    On hearing that Ling Zhang had also come, Supervisor Zhou and the others were first amazed and then overjoyed. ¡°Young Master has come!¡±


    Herb farmers also rejoiced on hearing the exclamation of Supervisor Zhou.


    ¡°Young Master is here.¡±


    ¡°Great. Young Master came to see us.¡±


    The gloom and tension in the atmosphere dissolved considerably and smile finally found its way back to people¡¯s faces.


    It seemed that though the battle on the Lee Mountain didn¡¯t spread to the herb farm, people living here had been in fear all along.


    Wang Dashan walked outside the estate and waved in the direction of the spot where the two people had been waiting.


    Ling Zhang saw the signal and, along with Liu Yi, walked towards the estate.


    They had just arrived at the gateway when a group of herb farmers flooded outside.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, good to see you!¡±


    Surrounded by enthusiastic herb farmers, Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised at first, but soon he realized what this was about.


    ¡°Uncles and aunts, don¡¯t be afraid. The battle on the Lee Mountain will not spread here. Just calm down. There¡¯s no need to panic.¡±


    Nothing could have reassured these herb farmers more effectively than Ling Zhang¡¯s remarks did. Soon, everybody regained their composure.


    ¡°Young Master, are you sure the fight won¡¯t spread here?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured. You¡¯re safe here.¡±


    After Ling Zhang gave an affirmative answer, the burden that had been weighing herb farmers down instantly dissolved and they naturally cheered up.


    ¡°Young Master, we didn¡¯t go to work this morning¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everybody take a day off and have a good rest. There¡¯s plenty of time to finish the farming work in the fields. Supervisor Zhou, would you be so kind as to make arrangements for uncles and aunts to have a rest? After that, I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡±


    Supervisor Zhou hurriedly answered ¡°Yes¡± and told the crowd to clear off. There was also plenty of work to be done inside the estate, so he assigned some tasks to them. Soon, herb farmers dispersed and the gateway became quiet again.


    ¡°Supervisor Zhou, I¡¯d appreciate it if you would appease them. It¡¯s been over a day and a night and all of you have suffered a lot from panic and fright.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of my job and I¡¯ll see it done. Fortunately, the battle never did spread over. How come they came to blows without any warning?¡±


    ¡°Those bandits has been entrenched on the Lee Mountain and nearby areas for so many years. The Prefecture Guards should have taken action and eliminated them some time ago. They¡¯re merely performing their sworn duty which they probably just recalled yesterday.¡±


    On hearing this, Supervisor Zhou gave a smile. A local Tanyang citizen as well as a supervisor of Ling family, he had dealt with numerous people from all walks of life, so naturally, he was well aware of the illegal deals between the Prefecture Guards and those bandits, and he disbelieved the reason why the Prefecture Guards were fighting bandits being that they just had recalled their duties.


    But since Ling Zhang said so, Supervisor Zhou felt that he might as well accept it as the truth.


    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s too risky for you to come here with only two security guards. Yesterday, Yang Liuzi and some others tried to go back to the city to report to you, but it turned out that the road was barricaded. How did you manage to get here?¡±


    ¡°We came here along that stream.¡±


    Light dawned on Supervisor Zhou the moment he heard this answer. He knew that path was fairly difficult to walk on. Ling Zhang had taken that path to come here to check on them at the risk of being spotted by the Prefecture Guards, which touched Supervisor Zhou.


    Though he was working for Ling family, he risked life and limb to serve his master the day before. For a day and a night, he had been trying to comfort those herb farmers when he himself was also in scare, but since Ling Zhang came here to check on them early in the morning, he felt that his service had been well rewarded.


    ¡°Young Master, now that this farm is safe, you¡¯d better go back to the city as soon as possible. I fear that the Prefecture Guards might take some unexpected action, and things would get tricky if you cannot return.¡± Supervisor Zhou advised Ling Zhang with heartfelt concern.


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve already taken the risk and come here, why don¡¯t you tell me how everything¡¯s going in the farm these days?¡±


    Ling Zhang could tell that Supervisor Zhou was sincere in his words, and he also understood what Supervisor Zhou meant, but he felt that since he had already come to the farm, how could he leave so soon? He should at least stay until noon so that the herb farmers would be more composed.


    Besides, if his guess was right, those bandits on the Lee Mountain would be wiped out by the end of this day.


    Supervisor Zhou made a couple of further remarks to convince Ling Zhang but Ling Zhang insisted on staying, so he gave up trying to persuade him, fished out an account book and began to report to Ling Zhang on a couple of small deals of herbs, the growth of all kinds of herbs in the fields as well as some minor difficulties they had encountered during the breeding of herbs.


    Wang Dashan and Liu Yi were standing outside acting as lookouts on the two sides of the door. Seeing this, Yang Liuzi ran up to them.

 Chapter 94 - Setting the Mountain Afire

    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, who is this?¡± Yang Liuzi briefly sized up Liu Yi out of curiosity.


    ¡°This is Liu Yi. He¡¯s new to our group, one year older than you. You may call him Elder Brother Liu,¡± Wang Dashan introduced Liu Yi to Yang Liuzi.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Elder Brother Liu. My name is Yang Liuzi. You may call me Liuzi for short if you like,¡± Yang Liuzi greeted Liu Yi heartily.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too, Brother Liuzi.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha. There¡¯s no need to be so courteous, Elder Brother Liu. Just call me Liuzi.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Liuzi.¡±


    Maybe because Yang Liuzi found Liu Yi an interesting man, he started chatting with Liu Yi.


    Wang Dashan shook his head. ¡°Young Master and Supervisor Zhou are talking business in there. You¡¯re disturbing them.¡±


    Yang Liuzi hurriedly lowered his voice in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve always been talking this way on the farm these days and I¡¯ve already made a habit of it.¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell, there has been nobody disciplining you for quite some time and you guys have forgotten how to behave.¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, please don¡¯t wrong me. I¡¯ve been giving them strict training on a daily basis.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Supervisor Zhou finished talking and walked outside with the intention to walk around the estate and take a look.


    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡±


    ¡°Is there a fire?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Lee Mountain¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang and Supervisor Zhou paused and looked in the direction of the Lee Mountain at the same time. They saw that the mountain was shrouded in billows of thick smoke. They couldn¡¯t see any flames, but judging by the thickness of the smoke, the fire must be really big!


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? Did the Prefecture Guards set the mountain aflame on purpose? Such a big fire is not going to burn out any time soon,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    Ling Zhang, Supervisor Zhou, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi went to the top of the hill behind the herb farm. Watching from the hilltop, they managed to find out what was happening on the Lee Mountain. The whole mountaintop was in a sea of flames, and there seemed to be distant screeches of despair coming from that direction¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s the top of the Lee Mountain. I¡¯ve been there once before the mountain was occupied by bandits. There was a natural chasm there. On one side of the mountaintop was a cliff, and on another side of it was a precipice separating the mountaintop and the mountainside. If those bandits retreat to the mountaintop and make a position of it, it won¡¯t be easy for Zhang Chong¡¯s army to take their position, but from the vantage point of the present, Zhang Chong has directly set a fire to the mountaintop,¡± observed Supervisor Zhou.


    Liu Yi said, ¡°If Zhang Chong besiege those bandits, they might not necessarily refuse to surrender. As far as I can tell, it was because he wanted to kill each and every one of them that he set the mountaintop on fire.¡±


    Anguished screams of despair could be heard from such a long distance. They could only imagine how horrifying the scene of the fire was on that mountain. Though those people were bandits, picturing them being burnt alive still chilled them to the bone.


    Ling Zhang had been silent all along. He just stared in the direction of the Lee Mountain with a frown. Zhang Chong¡¯s deed was not only an act of extreme cruelty but also a dire warning ¨C which one of other bandit gangs would dare to defy him after seeing how these bandits ended up on the mountaintop? After this battle, even if Zhang Chong wanted those bandits to pay him 100,000 taels of silver, they would resort to any means to get the money, not to mention 10,000 taels.


    ¡°Supervisor Zhou, please tell all our herb farmers to stay in the estate during the next few days. They may come out after all soldiers of the Prefecture Guards return to the encampment. Remember, under no circumstances should they leave the farm. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be receiving any orders for herbs from any of those drug stores in the city any time soon. Collect ripe herbs and store them up. There¡¯s no hurry to sell them. Try not to go into the city unless you have to, lest you encounter any soldiers of the Prefecture Guards.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, Elder Brother Liu, let¡¯s go back to the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang did not utter a word on their way back to the estate. Others also had heavy hearts and kept hearing those screeches.


    ¡°The fire is on the top of the Lee Mountain. From the vantage point of the present, it won¡¯t spread to our farm, but you should still stay alert and keep a close eye on the fire before it burns out.¡±


    All people in the estate responded in obedience, ¡°Rest assured, Young Master. We¡¯ll take care of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the city. You may take an extra day off. Stay in the estate during the next two days. Don¡¯t go out of the farm unless you have to. Just wait for this to be over.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow your orders, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother Yang, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you to guard this farm for another few days.¡±


    Hearing Ling Zhang address him as ¡°Elder Brother Yang¡±, Yang Liuzi was rather embarrassed. ¡°Young Master, please just call me Liuzi. As your subordinate, I really don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of that form of address.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Okay, Liuzi.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master. My brothers and I will keep this farm safe.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, said his farewells and left the farm to double back, followed by Wang Dashan and Liu Yi.


    As they passed by the Prefecture Guards, Ling Zhang looked in the direction of it, wondering whether Yuwen Tong was still in there. Zhang Chong should be returning with his men soon. If by any chance Yuwen Tong was still in the encampment and somehow spotted by Zhang Chong¡¯s men, he would be in danger.


    But at this time, Yuwen Tong was not in the Prefecture Encampment but on the Grand Mang Mountain.


    Zhang Chong had been hiding his armaments in the den of bandits on the Grand Mang Mountain. Yuwen Tong stalked his men for a whole night and finally managed to find out approximately where the armaments had been hidden in that den of bandits.


    ¡°Marshal, all your previous conjectures turned out to be true. It is indeed this place that Zhang Chong has been hiding armaments.¡±


    ¡°This place is not only on their route to the capital city but also the best cover for them,¡± explained Yuwen Tong. The moment he knew the existence of this batch of armaments of Zhang Chong, he asked himself where would he hide the armaments if he were Zhang Chong, and he believed that, after some careful thinking, the Grand Mang Mountain was undoubtedly the best choice. If Zhang Chong led his men onto the mountain in the name of cracking down on bandits, took those armaments and headed straight for the capital city, they would reach the destination before anybody else knew it.


    ¡°He¡¯s such an old fox,¡± said Yao Yi. ¡°Then what should we do? There are too many armaments here. We won¡¯t be able to take them away even if we find them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not taking any of them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was just about to explain when suddenly, as if having just observed something, he leaped onto the highest position nearby and looked into the distance.


    He saw the billows of thick smoke on the Lee Mountain.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhang Chong. That bastard set a fire to the mountain.¡± Yao Yi followed Yuwen Tong and couldn¡¯t help but curse as he saw the smoke. ¡°With this fire, his victory is secured. He may withdraw his man by the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve already known almost everything we need to know about the encampment. Currently, this place is the key. Go and gather all our men here. I have a task for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi went back to the city and returned the horses to the livery stable. On the way, they heard a lot of residents talking about the fire on the Lee Mountain.


    ¡°I heard that those bandits screamed in despair before death, that even their bones were burnt to ashes.¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless. ¡®It has barely been a couple of hours since the fire started. The Lee Mountain is besieged circle upon circle. From whom could this guy possibly have heard this? It¡¯s confusing that there are actually people who believe him. But seen from another aspect, this is also an indication that the fire is really big. People could actually see it from Tangyang.¡¯


    ¡°Young Master, finally you came back. Second Master has been worrying about you. Please go home.¡±


    Ling Zhang and the other two had just walked out of the livery stable when they saw a servant of Ling family, who immediately ran up on the sight of them with a mixture of delight and amazement on his face before asking Ling Zhang to go home in an anxious tone of voice.


    ¡®It must be the gate guard who told uncle¡­¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go back right now.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, did you encounter any bandits?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    The servant gave a gasp of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Second Master has been keeping your trip to the herb farm a secret from Old Master all along, but since you were absent from the lunch table, and you were not in your dwelling either, Old Master became skeptical. Then Second Master told him that you had gone out to have lunch with Lord Yuwen. He bade me to tell you to stick to this story and be careful not to give the game away after going back.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment. ¡®How will grandfather think when he sees that Yuwen Tong isn¡¯t with me when I get back? There were so many other excuses that were far better choices yet uncle chose this one saying I went out with Yuwen Tong. I hope Yuwen Tong hasn¡¯t returned before me,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    As they turned into the street where Ling family was, Ling Zhang suddenly felt that something was not right, as if he was being watched. He jerked his head around to take a look but didn¡¯t see anybody.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master?¡± Wang Dashan and Liu Yi were also alerted immediately, looking around.


    Seeing that there was nobody else around, Ling Zhang was suspicious. Since his senses had become far keener than before, he was eighty-percent sure that someone had been watching him from somewhere just now.


    ¡°I was watched a moment ago.¡±


    Wang Dashan and Liu Yi quickly split up and searched around but didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.


    ¡°Either Young Master made a misjudgment, or that sneaky stalker left really quick.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a slight frown. He would rather it was just a hallucination. Otherwise he would be in lingering concern for a long time.


    ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    No matter who that person was, he or she would show the cloven foot sooner or later.


    They speeded up and quickly returned to Ling family so that the stalker would no longer be able to spy on Ling Zhang.


    After Ling Zhang entered the mansion of Ling family, a man walked out of a nook and stared at the front gate of the mansion for a while. A faintly scornful look flashed across his eyes, and with that he turned around and disappeared into the shadows.


    Unsurprisingly, Ling Zhang had just arrived home when he caught sight of Ling Xingzhong in the ante-room, but Yuwen Tong was not in view, which gave Ling Zhang a faint sense of relief.


    ¡°Grandfather, are you by any chance specially waiting here for your beloved grandson to come back?¡± Ling Zhang walked up to him, smile on face.


    ¡°You tell me. Taking such a precipitous trip without telling anybody was madness. Did it ever cross your mind that your family would be worried about you?¡± Ling Xingzhong stared at him with a severe look.


    ¡®Oh, no. Did he find out?¡¯ Ling Zhang wondered in concern.


    ¡°I just went for a walk with Yu¡­ him.¡± Heedless of the occasion, Ling Zhang nearly blurted out Yuwen Tong¡¯s name out of force of habit. Fortunately, he saw the servant standing outside and changed the form of address in time.


    Ling Xingzhong sized him up with piercing eyes for a while. Ling Zhang was worriedly wondering whether his grandfather had seen through the fabricated story of him and his uncle when Ling Xingzhong said, ¡°It¡¯s time you grow up. The identity of Lord Yuwen should be kept a secret. Don¡¯t you ever take Lord Yuwen outside again.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lord Yuwen?¡±


    ¡°He said that he had to go somewhere to handle something. I don¡¯t know where he went either.¡±


    Ling Zhang was telling the truth. Even he had no clue where Yuwen Tong currently was.


    Ling Zhang had no idea whether his grandfather believed him or not, but Ling Xingzhong didn¡¯t ask for any further details, which relieved Ling Zhang.


    In the afternoon on that day, Yuwen Tong finally came back, returning directly to the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    Ling Zhang had been paying attention to the Green Bamboo Mansion for signs of activity all along. After Yuwen Tong¡¯s return, he immediately went up there.


    ¡°So how¡¯s it going? You didn¡¯t get spotted, did you?¡± Seeing that Ling Zhang hastily walked up to him and expressed concern for his safety immediately after his return, Yuwen Tong instantly brightened up and felt that the weariness in the wake of a day and a night¡¯s journey dissolved completely. ¡°Have you been waiting for me all along?¡±

 Chapter 95 - Testing the Trap-and-Kill Formation

    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°There was such a big fire on the Lee Mountain. Zhang Chong¡¯s army will soon return to the encampment. I worried that you might not be able to get out of there in time,¡± replied Ling Zhang frankly.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°I was on the Grand Mang Mountain.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a vague idea what it was that Yuwen Tong took advantage of the opportunity going to the Prefecture Encampment to investigate the night before, but he had never expected that Yuwen Tong would travel all the way from the Prefecture Encampment to the Grand Mang Mountain.


    ¡°Are those armaments hidden on the Grand Mang Mountain?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re well concealed. It took me a long time to find them.¡±


    ¡°Well, how do you plan to get them out of the mountain?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t touch those armaments and I ¡¯won¡¯t bother to think about how to move them either.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t touch them? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It has to be the emperor who finds out about the existence of those armaments. After the account book is forged, all Zhang Chong¡¯s purchases of ore is recorded. There will be some other proofs as well. Anyway, currently, the emperor is keeping a weather eye on me. He will surely find out even if I take only one weapon from that place, which is why not only I should not transfer those armaments, I have to make sure that nobody else move them before any of the emperor¡¯s men take over.¡±


    ¡®This is so tricky. Even Yuwen Tong has to be so cautious about it. That emperor in the capital city thousands of miles away is really a¡­¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°Yao Yi didn¡¯t come back. Is he still there staking that place out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I told him to look for something while at it. If things go smoothly, this matter of ours in Tanyang will soon be over. By the way, I promised you I¡¯d help you test the Trap-and-Kill Formation. Let¡¯s go there and see it done while I have the time.¡±


    Seeing that he was walking outside, Ling Zhang asked in surprise, ¡°You want to do it now? But you have just returned and barely had any rest.¡±


    Yuwen Tong paused, turned around to look at him and heaved a sigh. ¡°If you keep caring about me so much, I might misunderstand it.¡±


    It took Ling Zhang a moment to understand the undertone contained in Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯ve helped me so much. Isn¡¯t it a natural thing that I care about you?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Yuwen Tong resignedly. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    ¡®Just like this?¡¯ Watching Yuwen Tong walking away, Ling Zhang felt that Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction was somewhat incredible. He had already steeled himself for Yuwen Tong¡¯s teasing him.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Yuwen Tong in front urged him.


    Ling Zhang had no choice but to quickly follow him.


    After entering the guards¡¯ yard, Ling Zhang told Wang Dashan to gather all security guards with the intention to test the Trap-and-Kill Formation for power.


    ¡°Wait. You are doing this yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m of far greater use than they are.¡±


    ¡®Who talks about himself like this? Besides, I¡¯m just worried that he might tire himself out. He can totally have one of his men handle this trifle for me,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    However, Yuwen Tong seemed to have made up his mind to do this himself. After Wang Dashan gathered all guards together, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Come on. I won¡¯t use my lightness skills. Perform your formation and see if you can trap me.¡±


    All security guards were fully aware that this honored guest was not the average man, that he had a group of bodyguards with excellent kung fu skills, but none of them had ever seen Yuwen Tong himself use his martial arts, so they exchanged glances with each other in uncertainty after hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words.


    On the one hand, they felt that Yuwen Tong was arrogant, but on the other, they were concerned that they might hurt the honored guest.


    ¡°Hey. Stop dithering. Just bring it on.¡±


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong was determined to test the formation himself, and that his security guards were taking the opponent lightly, Ling Zhang reminded them.


    ¡°Brothers, today let¡¯s show Young Master the fruit of your several days¡¯ training. Don¡¯t disappoint Young Master,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Inspired, all security guards responded in unison, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless.


    ¡®I¡¯m bound to be humiliated today,¡¯ he thought.


    Ling Zhang had selected the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve from a variety of formations that his mother had left him. It was designed mainly for multiple soldiers to trap and kill enemies. The power of the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve increased as the proficiency of each unit of the formation improved. If every unit of the formation was a kung fu expert as powerful as Yuwen Tong, then there was probably nobody that this formation could not trap. However, currently, it was twelve common security guards that were performing this formation.


    Standing amid the formation, Yuwen Tong could distinctly feel the ingeniousness of it. Though the kung fu skills of these security guards were merely average, their teamwork was impressive. After encircling him, they had managed to react to his every strike. In his eyes, the reflexes of these security guards were mediocre, but he believed that they were more than enough to trap the average kung fu expert.


    Wang Dashan and the others were also in shock. Ever since they started practicing this formation, they had been well aware of its power. At least in their sight, there was no way anyone who got trapped by this formation could break through it. However, in face of Yuwen Tong, they could tell that there was a manifest strength gap between them and Yuwen Tong.


    They had to make strenuous efforts every time they fought back, but Yuwen Tong seemed to be casual and at leisure when he attacked.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re the quickest.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at Liu Yi, a faintly thoughtful look in his eyes.


    The expression on the face of Liu Yi fell slightly unnatural and with that he rapidly launched a counterstrike. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m just a little more proficient than they are.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and then concentrated his attacks on Liu Yi, regarding him as a breakthrough point.


    Gradually, a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on the forehead of Liu Yi. Beside him was Wang Dashan. Among all the twelve security guards, these two had the best kung fu skills, and the teamwork between them was also the strongest. Though the two of them joined hands, after Yuwen Tong quickened his blows, they still began to feel that their strength fell short of their will. Both of them were under great pressure.


    At first, the directions from which Yuwen Tong attacked them were common, but gradually, his blows started to come at them from unexpected angles. Every one of his attacks was unpredictable and very hard to guard against.


    Slowly, Wang Dashan were caught short, and Liu Yi also seemed to be running out of strength.


    Yuwen Tong squinted his eyes and made a couple of moves in quick succession. His attack speed had exceeded the speed at which those security guards fought back or parried, so it was natural that he broke out of the encirclement.


    The defeat of one man meant the breach of the integrity of the Trap-and-Kill Formation. Soon, all others were defeated as well.


    It had been merely the duration of burning joss stick (roughly 5 minutes) since Yuwen Tong entered the formation.


    It was so quick. And the opponent still had plenty of strength to spare.


    All twelve people, except for Wang Dashan and Liu Yi, went limp and lay down on the ground with exhaustion. This fight with Yuwen Tong turned out to be more tiring than a full day¡¯s training.


    ¡°We lost, Young Master.¡± Even Wang Dashan couldn¡¯t help admit defeat in depression.


    ¡°I warned you not to underestimate your opponent,¡± said Ling Zhang, a sullen look on his face.


    Nobody dared to utter a word. At the beginning, they had indeed taken the opponent lightly, but afterwards, even though they had realized this mistake, they were still unable to save the day, because the opponent was too powerful.


    ¡°This is one of the most ingenious trap-and-kill formation that I have ever seen. Even if one man is down, the other eleven can still keep the formation operating, but just now, after one of you was defeated, the others panicked, which was why you barely lasted five minutes before all of you went down,¡± Yuwen Tong said as he looked at those twelve security guards, a calm look on his face.


    ¡°We¡­We lost merely because of a momentary lapse of alarm. This is only the first array of the formation. We will definitely be able to trap you after we master all three arrays,¡± one of the guards was unconvinced.


    ¡°Judging from your current skills, you still have a long way to go. Next time I¡¯ll have one of my bodyguards to spar with you. Only after you are good enough to trap him will you be deemed qualified to challenge me again. I won¡¯t waste my time on a bunch of good-for-nothings,¡± observed Yuwen Tong in a cold tone of voice. With that, he turned around and left.


    Ling Zhang knew he was deliberately trying to provoke the emulation of these security guards, but hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s tone of voice, even he couldn¡¯t help but feel great pressure.


    All twelve security guards remained silent, their faces sullen. Clearly, they were unconvinced, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s words were beyond contradiction. The ambience on the drill field instantly fell oppressive.


    After Yuwen Tong left, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to give up just like this?¡±


    Twelve security guards kept silent for a while. Qiu Bing was the first to stand up. ¡°No. I won¡¯t give up!¡±


    ¡°Me neither!¡± Zhou Xiang stood up in the wake of him and declared aloud, ¡°Young Master, please teach us the next two arrays. We¡¯ll surely be able to trap him after we master them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Young Master. Please teach us.¡± All others agreed with Zhou Xiang.


    ¡°This is how you express your unwillingness to give up?¡± Ling Zhang knitted his brows, staring at them with a sullen look on his face. ¡°You haven¡¯t even mastered the first array yet, but you want to start learning the second and the third? Let me tell you something. It was not because you haven¡¯t learned all three arrays that you were defeated today. Not to mention three arrays, even if you manage to memorize all twelve arrays, you still don¡¯t stand a chance of trapping him. Do some careful thinking and figure out why you failed. Your failure doesn¡¯t trouble me, because Lord Yuwen is a very powerful man. I¡¯m fully aware of this, and I¡¯ve also anticipated the result of your fight with him, but if you can¡¯t see your weaknesses and what you should do to overcome them, I¡¯ll be very disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Today you don¡¯t have to train. Go and have some rest. Think about this after you calm down. I¡¯ll come here tomorrow morning and I want to hear your opinions.¡±


    All twelve men remained silent with heavy hearts. After Ling Zhang left, Zhou Xiang, who blushed scarlet, gave the giant rock on the side of the drill field a good hard kick and cursed.


    ¡°Zhou Xiang.¡± Wang Dashan walked up to him. ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just unconvinced. Do you believe it? That we can¡¯t trap that Lord Yuwen even if we manage to master three arrays? Young Master thinks so highly of him, as if we are really just a bunch of good-for-nothings compared with that Lord Yuwen.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think Young Master went to so much trouble to teach us this formation if he really perceives us as a bunch of good-for-nothings?¡±


    Zhou Xiang swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°I think you still remember how Young Master taught us rudimentary knowledge of formations in the guards¡¯ yard on a daily basis over the past few days. At that time we didn¡¯t know anything about formations and our skills were far poorer. Did Young Master give up on us at that time?¡±


    Zhou Xiang¡¯s mouth tightened.


    ¡°To be honest, Lord Yuwen is indeed very powerful, but he is only a guest of Ling family. What Young Master wants is for us, security guards of Ling family, to toughen ourselves and be more competent so that he can rely on us. He puts so much effort into training us because he expects us to become a sharp blade in his hand. If you give up at this point, Young Master will really be disappointed.¡±


    Zhou Xiang gradually collected himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I gave up.¡±


    ¡°Then cool down.¡±


    Seeing that he had already settled down, Wang Dashan said aloud to everybody, ¡°I think all of you heard Young Master distinctly when he said that this formation consisted of twelve arrays, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    On hearing this, all other men, who had been depressed and unreconciled, pulled themselves together, ¡°Yes. I heard that.¡±


    ¡°I thought that this formation had only three arrays. There are actually twelve?¡±


    ¡°Goodness me! It took us such a long time to get to where we are in the learning of merely one array. Can you imagine how long it will take us to master all twelve?¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± yelled Wang Dashan. ¡°I just want to ask you one question ¨C do you want to continue learning or not? If any one of you who doesn¡¯t want to learn any more, just tell me. I¡¯ll report to Young Master and he¡¯ll grant you the permission to leave. But once you leave, your place will be taken by someone else immediately. Don¡¯t forget that we have another twelve brothers in the herb farm. They can substitute you at any time! If they do, they¡¯ll become stronger and stronger, while you will become a coward who doesn¡¯t have the courage to challenge yourself!¡±

 Chapter 96 - The Arrival of the News on Jia Yuanlings Death

    Wang Dashan¡¯s words sent all others present into deep thought. ¡®Yeah. While we¡¯re complaining here, there are some people eager to get a chance to practice this formation. Once we give up, there are plenty of people who can substitute us!¡¯


    ¡®That would be so shameful!¡¯


    They were all self-respecting men and none of them was willing to be regarded as a coward.


    They found the motivation they needed, and the subdued mood on the drill field finally dissolved. Liu Yi, who was not good at doing this kind of things, secretly gave a gasp of relief as Wang Dashan winked at him.


    Ling Zhang, who had been standing in shadows observing them, also sighed with relief.


    Yuwen Tong said to him on the side, ¡°That Wang Dashan is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, Elder Brother Wang understood what I meant.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s in an army, he won¡¯t be a mere soldier.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned his head side and looked at him. ¡°You have thousands of troops at your command. Surely you wouldn¡¯t poach any security guards of my family, would you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong cracked a smile. ¡°Relax. I wouldn¡¯t. Actually, it is that Liu Yi who interests me somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother Liu? Why him?¡±


    ¡°This guy seems to be concealing something.¡±


    ¡°Concealing something?¡±


    ¡°His kung fu should be better than what he displayed.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°So you think he has some ulterior motive?¡±


    ¡°He does, but his loyalty should be no problem. He doesn¡¯t seem like a spy or anything like that.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang was slightly relieved, ¡°I did some research into his background. He¡¯s clean.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. If he is really up to anything, sooner or later he¡¯ll betray himself. I¡¯m telling you this because I want you to keep a weather eye on him.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    The two began to head back. After they returned to the Green Bamboo Mansion, Yuwen Tong asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Did you find anything about that buyer?¡±


    ¡°It was the butler of Jia family who bought Wu Er¡¯niu.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a sketchy account of what happened in the morning.


    ¡°Since the buyer was the butler of Jia family, the mastermind must be Jia Yin. He is Jia Yin¡¯s henchman. Few people saw you enter the city that day, but still, someone spread the news.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. It was unsurprising that Jia Yin made an attempt to find out whether someone had been offering covert assistance to Ling family after he was knocked out and then ditched in a tavern that day. He could just throw dust in their eyes and muddle through.


    Considering that Yuwen Tong had just returned and no doubt could use some sleep, Ling Zhang believed that it would be inconsiderate of him if he stayed longer, so he left after saying this.


    To prevent Wu Er¡¯niu from divulging any secrets, Ling Zhang locked him up in a woodshed, planning to fire him after this matter was properly handled. By no means should a man like him be allowed to stay in Ling family. Given that what he did on that day counted as atonement for his crime to some extent, Ling Zhang showed mercy on him.


    After Ling Zhang left, Yuwen Tong summoned one of his subordinates, ¡°Go and contact Little Liu. Find out how much more time he needs to finish forging the account book.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhang Liu soon made a reply. The director of Jia family stayed in the Pear Blossom Garden for several consecutive days, so he had made rapid progress in forging the account book. He needed only one more night to finish the job.


    After receiving this definite answer, Yuwen Tong soon made a lot of further arrangements. Most guards in the Green Bamboo Mansion were dispatched somewhere. Only two men stayed guarding the mansion.


    ¡­


    In Jia family.


    On being informed that it was Fu Caiwei¡¯s relatives who knocked him out that day, and that those men had already left Tanyang on that very night, Jia Yin angrily smashed his tea bowl to pieces. ¡°They might¡¯ve fled, but Ling family will never get away with it!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡­Master! A misfortune arose!¡± Suddenly, a servant ran into the hall yelling, face full of panic.


    ¡°What is it that makes you so flustered?¡± the butler of Jia family hurriedly reprimanded.


    ¡°Master, news came in from the Prefecture Yamen saying that¡­ saying that something happened to Young Master when he was being escorted to the destination!¡± The servant slumped to his knees.


    Jia Yin sprang to his feet, his movement so abrupt that it gave him a twinge of dizziness and a brief stagger. ¡°Wha¡­What did you say?!¡±


    ¡°Something happened to Young Master when he was being escorted to the destination. Lord Tao sent someone here to deliver his request for your presence.¡±


    Jia Yin¡¯s face went ghastly white and with that he immediately hurtled out of the hall.


    When Jia Yin arrived at the Prefecture Yamen, he directly ran up to Tao Feng, heedless of due formality. ¡°Lord Tao, what happened to my son?¡±


    Tao Feng looked at him, shaking and sighing, grief visible on his face.


    As Jia Yin saw this, his head began to spin and he nearly passed out. ¡°Your Lordship!¡±


    Tao Feng handed Jia Yin an official document marked with ¡°urgent¡± and said, ¡°Read it yourself.¡±


    Jia Yin snatched the document and started reading it in haste. Eventually, when he finished, he stood transfixed on the spot, his face ashen, his lips dark purple.


    ¡°Master? Master!¡± The butler of Jia family was taken aback.


    Jia Yin abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood and with that he closed his eyes and blacked out.


    Shocked, the butler was at a loss what to do, ¡°Master¡­ Thi¡­This¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao, please help my master!¡±


    Both resigned and anxious, Tao Feng said, ¡°Alas. How come he spat blood? Someone come here! Quickly! Send for a physician!¡±


    The butler of Jia family gave a gasp of relief, a terribly ominous premonition in his mind. ¡°Lord Tao, exactly what happened to my young master?¡±


    ¡°He suffered from an unaccustomed climate and died.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The butler couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. ¡®He died of an unaccustomed climate? How come!¡¯


    ¡°A post-mortem examination has already been performed there. It was because that hard kick Zhang Chong gave him had seriously wounded his heart and lungs that a mere unaccustomed climate took his life.¡±


    The butler¡¯s face darkened. All of a sudden, he burst into wail. ¡°Young Master¡­ How come you died this way!¡±


    Tao Feng was taken aback by this abrupt reaction of his. Seeing that he was wailing so hard but there were barely any tears on his face, Tao Feng felt very uneasy.


    Soon, a physician arrived. After feeling the pulse of Jia Yin, he told them that the sudden stab of grief caused a rise in Jia Yin¡¯s blood pressure, which exceeded the tolerance of his heart and resulted in his shock, that the mouthful of blood he had spat out abated the severity of the condition somewhat, that he would recover after ingesting some tonics.


    Before long, Fang shi also hurried over from Jia family. After being told what had happened, she thudded to the ground on the spot and burst into wail.


    ¡°My son! My son!¡±


    When the news reached Jia Zhong, Jia Yin had already come around. He was sitting in a chair, breathing feebly.


    ¡°How come Ling¡¯er died? I¡¯m absolutely sure those Yamen runners had been decently paid before they departed. How did this happen!¡±


    Tao Feng still handed the official document to him.


    The color of Jia Zhong¡¯s face restlessly alternated between dark and pale after he read the document.


    ¡°It¡¯s all Zhang Chong¡¯s fault. Instead of saving my son, he gave my son a kick on the chest which eventually led to his death!¡± Fang shi wailed and cursed while pointing in the direction of the doorway of the Yamen,.


    Gasping weakly, Jia Yin also had a mixture of extreme grief and rage on his face.


    Jia Zhong made another attempt to defend himself. ¡°Before he left the city, I had had a physician treat him and he was much better.¡±


    Tao Feng cut in, ¡°One cannot recover from heart and lung injuries in merely a few days.¡±


    Jia Zhong¡¯s face went sullen as he heard this.


    ¡°Lord Tao, is my nephew¡¯s body still in that town?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Four Yamen runners are guarding him, waiting for you to gather him into a coffin.¡±


    ¡°I suppose Lord Tao wouldn¡¯t mind if I take a post-mortem examiner and a physician there, would you?¡± Jia Zhong stared at Tao Feng.


    Tao Feng gave his consent willingly. ¡°Of course not. After all, Prefecture Yamen is responsible for this to some extent. I can have some men escort you there if you want.¡±


    Jia Zhong failed to detect anything in Tao Feng¡¯s reaction, his heart sinking deeper.


    ¡®Was it really because that kick of Zhang Chong hurt my nephew¡¯s heart and lungs that he died?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Elder brother, sister-in-law, would you like to go there with me?¡± Jia Zhong asked Jia Yin and Mrs. Jia.


    Jia Yin tottered to his feet, intending to express his willingness to go with Jia Zhong. However, seeing the state of his elder brother, Jia Zhong was too concerned for him to let him join the journey.


    ¡°Elder brother, you¡¯ve just spat out blood. Maybe it¡¯s best if you just stay at home to recover. Sister-in-law, please take good care of my elder brother. I¡¯ll see that this matter is properly handled.¡±


    On hearing this, Mrs. Jia burst into tears again.


    Shortly after, Jia Zhong took some men and left Tanyang. Jia Yin and Mrs. Jia returned home.


    News of Jia Yuanling¡¯s death soon rippled through the whole Tanyang.


    Ling Zhang had just finished dinner with his family and Yuwen Tong and all of them were sitting in the side hall when a servant came in and reported this to them.


    He flicked a quick glance at Ling Zhaowen, who then unnoticeably nodded at him.


    Ling Zhang slightly lowered his eyes, concealing the cold look in them.


    ¡°Jia Yuanling¡¯s death will intensify the contradictions between your family and Jia family. Make sure you¡¯re well-prepared when that happens,¡± Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang after they walked out of the side hall.


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Ling Zhang. He had anticipated this some time ago.


    However, what Ling Zhang failed to anticipate was that the next day, Jia Yin stormed towards the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Confused, Ling Zhang went to Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°An official document was delivered here. The post-mortem examiner Jia Zhong took there examined the body and concluded that the root cause of Jia Yuanling¡¯s death was the heart and lung injuries resulted from that kick Zhang Chong had given him,¡± Ling Zhaowen explained.


    The puzzlement of Ling Zhang deepened as he heard this. ¡°But¡­ Wasn¡¯t it our people who¡­¡±


    Ling Zhaowen raised his hand and stopped Ling Zhang from continuing. Then he observed, ¡°His internal injuries were so severe that even the slightest amount of unclean food could have taken his life. That escorted journey had been quite an ordeal for him. There¡¯s no way that those Yamen runners could have rendered him adequate care. There are numerous precedents for tortured prisoners losing their lives during escorted journeys, and the case of Jia Yuanling has just become one of them.¡±


    Ling Zhang instantly understood. His uncle had once told him that many prisoners would die during escorted journeys due to tough travel conditions.


    In other words, there was no need whatsoever for them to go to any trouble in order to have Jia Yuanling killed. As long as those Yamen runners failed to take good care of him, either an unaccustomed climate or a mere cold would be more than enough to have Jia Yuanling meet the end of his life. And under no circumstances would Yamen runners sensitively tend to prisoners on an escorted journey. In fact, a prisoner should feel lucky if Yamen runners gave him or her a bowl of rice.


    Ling Zhang still remembered what kind of food he was offered when he was in jail in his last life. Rice? No. All he got was spoiled, rotten food, which was even worse than pig feed.


    Clean water? Also unavailable. The very thought of what he had once drunk disgusted Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Now, apart from us, Zhang Chong has also become a mortal enemy of Jia family. It¡¯s just that Jia Yin and Fang shi might make impulsive moves, but Jia Zhong won¡¯t, because he¡¯s more rational than them. But unfortunate for them, Jia Zhong is not in the city for the moment. As long as someone adds a tiny little bit of fuel to the flames of Jia Yin¡¯s rage, he will no doubt go to the encampment to settle the score with Zhang Chong,¡± Ling Zhaowen continued.


    Ling Zhang was secretly startled. ¡®Is uncle saying that he planted someone in Jia family who incited Jia Yin to go to the Prefecture Encampment to settle a score with Zhang Chong?¡¯


    ¡°Jia family planted moles in my house. It seems only fair that I planted some of my men in his house in return.¡±

 Chapter 97 - Escalation of the Conflict Between Jia Yin and Zhang Chong

    An official document, along with a man sent by Zhang Chong to covertly follow Jia Yuanling, came back by a fast horse of the courier station. Originally, the man had intended to wait until Jia Yuanling was escorted to the destination to rescue him. Unexpectedly, Jia Yuanling halfway.


    ¡°Are you sure it was unaccustomed climate that he died of?¡±


    ¡°Positive. I¡¯ve already examined Jia Yuanling¡¯s corpse covertly. I¡¯m a-hundred-percent sure. On top of this¡­¡± ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Commander, that kick you gave Jia Yuanling in Prefecture Yamen on that day seriously wounded his heart and lungs. As a result, Jia Yuanling had severe internal injuries, which the local post-mortem examiner concluded was the root cause of his death after performing a post-mortem examination. The official document brought back by people of the courier station made this very clear. Jia family probably have already been informed of it by now.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    Finally, the look on Zhang Chong¡¯s face changed. ¡°You moron! Why didn¡¯t you stop them?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon, Commander, but the courier station delivered the document to Jia family very urgently and I didn¡¯t have enough time to stop them.¡±


    Zhang Chong smacked his palm onto the table in rage. Originally it had been a mere trifle, but the death of Jia Yuanling, the root cause of which was that hard kick he had given him, had just complicated this issue.


    ¡°Get horses prepared. We¡¯re going downtown right now.¡±


    ¡°Commander! Jia Yin requires an audience with you.¡±  ¡®So soon? The dawn has just broken yet Jia Yin has already arrived?¡¯


    Zhang Chong had intended to go into the city immediately to appease people of Jia family. Unexpectedly, Jia Yin came to his encampment so soon, which reduced him to a passive position.


    Face dark with rage, Zhang Chong thundered, ¡°What¡¯s the problem with Jia Zhong? Why didn¡¯t he stop Jia Yin? Or did he come here as well?¡±


    ¡°Commander, word has it that last night, County Magistrate Jia took some men and went to that town to bring the body of Jia Yuanling back to Tanyang.¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Zhang Chong cursed in fury. ¡°Let Jia Yin in!¡±


    Jia Yin was led into the hall. On the sight of Zhang Chong, he pointed at him and shouted, ¡°Zhang Chong! Give me my son back!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, bro? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Zhang Chong played dumb.


    ¡°My son died on his way to the frontier all because that kick you gave him caused him severe internal injuries. You¡¯re so cold-blooded. As the man my son called godfather, you not only didn¡¯t try to help him in Prefecture Yamen on that day but also kicked him. Now he¡¯s dead because of you!


    We sold all our ore to you. We trusted you and supported you. But you! This is how you treated us in return?!


    Mark my words, Zhang Chong. From this moment on, I, Jia Yin, will be your mortal enemy! I will avenge my son¡¯s death!


    You are not going to get a single ore from our mine ever again!¡±


    Jia Yin blushed scarlet as he cursed loudly on and on, which made Zhang Chong¡¯s face as black as the bottom of a wok.


    ¡°Bro, there¡¯s something you need to know. Under the circumstances on that day, if I hadn¡¯t gone through the motions, that issue would never have been resolved. Besides, that kick I gave him was merely a gesture I made to convince others present. I didn¡¯t mean to cause Yuanling any harm. It was the absence of due care that caused him to die of illness, for which those Yamen runners should be held responsible. In the final analysis, people of Ling family are the real culprits who got Yuanling killed. Instead of hating them, you came here to blame me?¡±  ¡°Bullshit! People of Ling family are scum. You are no better than them!¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk to Commander like this!¡± yelled a bodyguard standing beside Zhang Chong.


    ¡°Why should I be afraid to say this? Zhang Chong ungratefully refused to save my son. Instead, he got him killed. Am I supposed to be thankful for his ¡®kindness¡¯?!¡±


    ¡°As far as I can remember, I have never, ever, treated Jia family shabbily. Surely you are well aware of how Jia Zhong got the position of County Magistrate, aren¡¯t you? If it weren¡¯t for me, Tao Feng would have skinned each and every one of your family members alive some time ago!¡± But this kind of words were far from convincing enough to sway Jia Yin, since he had been harboring grudges against Zhang Chong all along because of his previous refusal to help Jia Yuanling, and now, to make things worse, Jia Yuanling had died due to that kick given by Zhang Chong. Even Jia Yin¡¯s eyes were blood-red with rage.


    Jia Yin kept venting his fury on Zhang Chong in the Prefecture Encampment for quite a long time. At first, Zhang Chong patiently tried to reason with Jia Yin, but eventually, he lost his temper and had his men force Jia Yin out of the encampment.


    ¡°Commander, if Jia Yin keeps doing this, will the mine of Jia family continue providing us with ore?¡±


    ¡°A mere Jia family dared to be so bold as to threaten me? I showed him respect but he threw it away to my face. Only when the mine is in the hands of Jia family is it called Jia¡¯s Mine. When it¡¯s not in their hands, Jia family is just an expendable pawn that I can give up at any time I want to!¡±


    ¡°So Commander¡¯s plan is¡­¡±


    With a sepulchral look in his eyes, Zhang Chong observed, ¡°Since Jia family has gone out of control, let¡¯s eliminate them!¡±


    ¡­


    In Tanyang.


    All those who knew that Jia Yin had headed for the Prefecture Encampment were waiting to see how he would return from the encampment, and Ling Zhang was no exception. He had sent Xia Feng to the southern part of the city to wait for news to come in.


    ¡°Young Master, all of us have thought it through. By no means should we give up so easily. We must improve our proficiency in this formation and retrieve the reputation of Young Master!¡±


    After a night¡¯s thinking, all security guards had cooled down. They seemed to have regained their morale.


    Zhou Xiang added, ¡°We promise we¡¯ll master those arrays one by one and we won¡¯t get impulsive again.¡±


    ¡°Good. This is all I can ask for. In a few days, I¡¯ll invite one of Lord Yuwen¡¯s bodyguards here to spar with you. If you can keep him in the formation for the duration of drinking a pot of tea (approximately 10 minutes), I¡¯ll begin to teach you the second array.¡±


    All guards were very excited to hear this and promised that they would do their level best to trap the opponent.


    Seeing that they were still confident and enthusiastic about learning the formation, Ling Zhang was relieved. After working out in the guards¡¯ yard for two hours, he headed for his dwelling. As he passed by the gateway of the Green Bamboo Mansion, he caught sight of Zhang Liu.


    ¡®He came back at this time of the day. It seems that he has already finished forging the account book.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned and walked into the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    ¡°Childe Ling.¡± Zhang Liu greeted Ling Zhang as he saw him.


    ¡°Your clothes are sweat-soaked. Why didn¡¯t you change first? You might catch a cold.¡± Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him. Seeing his clothes wet with sweat, he knitted his brows and walked up to him.


    ¡°I saw that Zhang Liu had returned, so I came here to ask if the account book had been successfully forged,¡± said Ling Zhang after wiping off the sweat on his sideburns.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Tong turned around, picked up a clean handkerchief from the desk and began wiping Ling Zhang¡¯s face with it, saying, ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ll have him deliver it to Yao Yi in a while.¡± ¡°To Yao Yi? Isn¡¯t Yao Yi still in the Grand Mang Mountain? Why send it there?¡± Ling Zhang was puzzled and also somewhat uneasy. Yuwen Tong was wiping the sweat off his face in such a natural manner that he felt that it would be weird if he dodged aside, but standing on the spot letting Yuwen Tong help him wipe his face, beneath the curious gaze of Zhang Liu, he could feel his cheeks burning, even though sweat had just been wiped off them.


    ¡°Yao Yi is going to the capital city. He¡¯ll bring the account book to the emperor.¡±


    Though talking in a serious tone of voice, Yuwen Tong was also secretly observing Ling Zhang and none of his subtle movements and minute changes of his expressions escaped his notice. Seeing that he faintly flushed with embarrassment but could not dodge aside for fear of being deemed impertinent, Yuwen Tong felt that he was a sight so pleasing to the eye that flushes of delight were sweeping through him.


    ¡°If he departs today, it will take him at least seven days to get to the capital city, right?¡±


    ¡°It might be shorter than that. This is an opportunity to try the route that Zhang Chong prepared. If things go smoothly, he¡¯ll reach the capital city in two days.¡± Too concerned to consider whether this would be an unnatural reaction, Ling Zhang blurted, ¡°Isn¡¯t the route guarded by bandits on the Grand Mang Mountain? It¡¯s too risky!¡±


    ¡°His lightness skills are pretty good. Under the cover of night, getting through the Grand Mang Mountain unseen by those bandits shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him.


    Get back and change. Or¡­ ¡± Yuwen Tong stooped down and whispered the rest of his sentence into Ling Zhang¡¯s ears.


    The color of Ling Zhang¡¯s face alternated between red and normal. Eventually, he shot Yuwen Tong a dark glance, turned around and left.


    ¡®I thought that Yuwen Tong had converted to a decent man. I was terribly wrong!


    It is such a humiliation for the Great Yue that a man like him occupies a position as important as the Grand Marshal of the North West Army.¡¯


    Ling Zhang returned to his dwelling in anger and quickly changed while wiping his sweat-soaked hair. When walking past the full-length mirror, he paused, looked into it and saw that there were pink flushes on his cheeks, which made him seem rather shy¡­


    Ling Zhang felt a twitch of disgust and believed that he must be hallucinating. Angered by this, he called Yuwen Tong names again.


    Due to the frivolity of Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang forgot that there was something he wanted to ask Yuwen Tong about. It was not until he changed into clean clothes and walked out of his room that he recalled this.


    He quickly calmed himself down and was just about to go and pay another visit to the Green Bamboo Mansion when someone showed up.


    ¡°Young Master, there¡¯re visitors requiring an audience with Old Master, but Old Master happened to have gone to Lu family. Second Mistress is occupied in the backyard and is not available for the moment.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go and see. Who are they?¡± ¡°They look strange to me. I think they are outsiders. They came with a letter of introduction.¡±


    ¡°A letter of introduction?¡± Confused, Ling Zhang quickly walked to the ante-room.


    ¡®Though they have a letter of introduction, it was very inadvisable for them to show up here so abruptly. They¡¯re so ignorant of formality,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°May I have your names?¡± Ling Zhang entered the ante-room and saw two middle-aged men sitting in there, one fat and the other thin, both of whom did seem strange to him.


    On the sight of Ling Zhang, the two men hurriedly rose to their feet. ¡°You must be Childe Ling. I¡¯m Zhang Huan. This is my cousin Zhao Xiangrong. We came here from Jiangzhou to visit Old Master Ling. Originally, I meant to bring a visitor¡¯s card here, but I worried that I might not be let in if I did that, so I directly showed them my letter of introduction. Please forgive me for my impertinence.¡± ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re from Jiangzhou. Since you specially came here to meet my grandfather, may I ask what it is about?¡± Ling Zhang also skipped usual pleasantries and directly asked them what they wanted.


    These two people said that they were from Jiangzhou, but for some inexplicable reason, Ling Zhang kept feeling that he was missing something.


    ¡°I¡¯m from a commercial family. By a stroke of fortune I acquired a couple of antiques in the north, and I wonder if I could trouble Old Master Ling to help me verify their authenticity,¡± the fat one said politely.


    But Ling Zhang was transfixed with shock on hearing these words. ¡®Jiangzhou¡­ antique authentication¡­ ¡®


    It suddenly struck him what it was that these two men had come here for!


    In his last life, his grandfather went to Jiangzhou to help two people verify the authenticity of a couple of antiques, but afterwards, news suddenly came that those antiques were fakes. The commercial family in Jiangzhou specially sent some men to Ling family, who made quite a scene. That matter came to the knowledge of all residents of Tanyang. His grandfather was disgraced and, for quite a long time, suffered from depression, frequently found mumbling to himself that by no means could he have made that kind of mistakes.


    At that time, people of Ling family demanded that those antiques be authenticated again publicly, but those people in Jiangzhou flatly refused. They affirmed that Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather was a liar and insisted that his grandfather compensate them for their losses.


    ¡®How dare these people come here again in this life!¡¯


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance fleetingly froze and soon returned to normal, but those who were familiar with him could tell that the look in his eyes had become much more apathetic.

 Chapter 98 - The Madness of Jia Family

    ¡°There¡¯s quite a long distance between Jiangzhou and Tanyang, and I¡¯m pretty sure my grandfather is not the only one in the Great Yue who has the expertise in authenticating antiques. What was it that made you decide to come to Tanyang to ask my grandfather for help?¡±


    Ling Zhang sat down in the left-hand seat without the courtesy to ask the guests to take a seat first, a bland look on his face, which made it difficult for people to gauge his mood. Unable to tell what Ling Zhang was thinking about, the two middle-aged men became cautious.


    ¡°We admire Old Master Ling for his wide knowledge of antique authentication, and we also heard that Old Master Ling used to be in charge of the restoration work of sacrificial vessels of the last dynasty during his tenure as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites, which was why we took the liberty of coming here to trouble Old Master Ling to take a look. We know this is very impertinent, so we¡¯ve prepared handsome honoraria to express our gratitude.¡±


    Handsome honoraria? a cold look flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Just now you mentioned sacrificial vessels. Was it by any chance sacrificial vessels of the last dynasty that you acquired?¡± ¡°Well, we are not sure, which is the very reason why we came here to ask Old Master Ling for help.¡±


    These two men had very sufficient reason. Either they had been preparing for this for quite some time, or someone would intervene halfway to the end of this matter, which would lead to the eventual turn of events that happened in his last life.


    In his last life, he suspected that there was something behind this antique authentication thing, because it was very unlikely that a man as discreet as his grandfather would make this kind of mistakes. It seemed as if someone had taken advantage of this matter to undermine Ling family.


    And it was not that difficult for him to guess who that person was.


    As regards whether there was any kind of relation between these two merchants from another city and Jia family, it would only take a few inquiries to find that out.


    Originally, he had had no time to fix these two men. Now that they came to him on their own account, they had only themselves to blame for what was going to happen to them.


    ¡°It has been years since the last time that my grandfather authenticated any antiques for others. Besides, we don¡¯t have the heart to let an old man go on such a tiring long journey. I hate to say this, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. Please go back.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Childe Ling, we¡¯ve covered quite a good deal of ground to come here. Please at least let us have an audience with Old Master Ling.¡±


    The two people were unwilling to be dismissed like this.


    ¡°Somebody come and see our guests out,¡± Ling Zhang ordered directly.


    The two men had never expected that Ling Zhang would be so unfriendly to them. Not only had he been giving them the cold shoulder from start to finish, now he even ungraciously asked them to leave.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Surely you won¡¯t be so ungracious as to insist on staying?¡±


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± The fat one gave the thin one a pull, forced a smile at Ling Zhang, said ¡°Thank you for your time¡± to him and then dragged the thin one out of the room.


    ¡°That Childe Ling was so rude. We came here to invite his grandfather with total sincerity, but he didn¡¯t even have the common courtesy to let us take seats. We had barely made any remarks when he asked us to leave ¨C without even asking a single further question about who we are. This is unbelievable. They don¡¯t seem like a literary family at all. As far as I can tell, they are even more ignorant of formality than country folks are!¡± observed the thin middle-aged man after they left Ling family.


    ¡°Next time, let¡¯s go and talk to Old Master Ling directly. By some unlucky chance, he¡¯s not in today.¡±


    After the two men walked far away, someone immediately went out of the mansion of Ling family and followed them. There was also another person who immediately returned to report to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Find out where those two people stay and report to me without delay.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Did Old Master say when he would come back from Lu family?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Inform me when he returns.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Xia Feng came back at around noon, saying that Jia Yin had an exceptionally sepulchral look on his face when he returned to the city. It was rumored that Zhang Chong¡¯s men forced him to leave after he made a scene in the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°After Jia Yin returned to Jia family, someone covertly sent word out that Jia family severed their business relationship with Zhang Chong and would never sell ore to him again, that they intended to find a new buyer and also said¡­¡± ¡°Said what?¡±


    ¡°They said that from now on Ling family would be an implacable enemy of Jia family, and anyone who had contact with Ling family were also enemies of Jia family. There was also a lot of other bluster.¡±


    Ling Zhang sneered, ¡°When Jia family had Zhang Chong at their back, nobody dared to mess with them. But now, Zhang Chong is no longer their ally. Jia Yin really thinks people would still follow his orders like they used to? He has just dug his own grave.¡± ¡®In no circumstances will Zhang Chong give up that mine. If Jia Yin keeps acting so arrogantly, ha¡­


    But a dog will fight if cornered. Jia Yin is now like a rabid dog, which might launch an attack on us at any moment. I have to warn grandfather to try not to leave home during the next few days so that Jia Yin won¡¯t be able to grab any chances to hurt him,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°Young Master, is there anything we should do about it?¡±


    ¡°Of course there is. This is such a golden opportunity. It would be such a shame if we don¡¯t take advantage of it and add some fuel to their conflict.¡±


    After thinking for a while, Ling Zhang waved his hand gesturing for Xia Feng to come close to him, and then minutely whispered something into his ears.


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master. I know what to do,¡± replied Xia Feng after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words. ¡°Shall I go and make arrangements right now?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Yuwen Tong walked over and happened to see this scene. He leisurely sized Xia Feng up with penetrating eyes.


    Xia Feng inexplicably felt a cold shiver of fear. ¡®Lord Yuwen seems to be somewhat displeased with me.¡¯


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t notice this. On the sight of Yuwen Tong, he recalled the two remarks that Yuwen Tong had made beside his ears. As a result, when he spoke, his tone of voice was somewhat unnatural, ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°To talk to you about something, of course. I happened to see you guys whispering to each other. What was it that you were talking about? I¡¯d like to hear it.¡±


    ¡°We were not whispering. I was giving Xia Feng an assignment.¡±


    ¡°You could have just done it in your normal voice. There¡¯s nobody else around to hear you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are here.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured. Your secret is safe with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so thick-skinned.¡±


    ¡°Sort of. Would you like to give me a pinch and confirm it?¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    He really felt an urge to pinch him to death.


    Then he flicked a glance at Xia Feng.


    Xia Feng took a hint and left. With that the alarm in him dissolved and he involuntarily gave a gasp of relief.


    Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help but turn his head back to glimpse at the house. He didn¡¯t know if he was imagining things or not, but he kept having this feeling that the way his young master and Lord Yuwen communicated with each other was somewhat weird. ¡®That Lord Yuwen¡¯s background and identity have always been shrouded in mystery. Even Old Master acts respectfully in front of him. And there has been frequent spells of his mysterious absence during his staying in Ling family. Who is he exactly¡­¡¯


    ¡°What is it that you want to talk about?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong in the room.


    Yuwen Tong said with a serious look on his face. ¡°I have to go out against tonight. Take the medicated bath two hours ahead of schedule, if it¡¯s convenient for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused. ¡°Go out again? Haven¡¯t you already got everything figured out?¡± Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something else that I want to find out about, which is why I need to pay another visit to the Prefecture Encampment.¡±


    Ling Zhang held back the words which had sprung to his lips. After keeping silent for a while, he observed, ¡°Just because your¡­ your kung fu is good doesn¡¯t mean that you can go in and out of that dangerous place whenever you want. If they spot you, you¡¯ll be in deep trouble.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong was very pleased to hear this. ¡°You¡¯re actually worrying about me, which is pretty rare, but rest assured, I won¡¯t get spotted by Zhang Chong¡¯s men.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied. ¡°What worries me is that the big plan will be compromised if you get exposed.¡±


    Yuwen Tong heaved a long sigh. ¡°A couple of days ago, someone gallantly prepared all kinds of delicacies for me. It¡¯s been only such a short time, but that person has already forgotten how good I¡¯ve always been to him.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡®This guy is acting as if I hurt his feelings. If it weren¡¯t for that he made those frivolous remarks in the morning, I would never have been reduced to feeling uneasy even though I¡¯m merely sitting in the same room with him,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    Maybe because the tense back of Ling Zhang melted Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart, the latter said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll stop teasing you. You don¡¯t really seem like any of those pedants who were spoon-fed with outworn knowledge in The Four Books( (The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Confucian Analects, and The Works of Mencius) and The Five Classics(The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites and The Spring and Autumn Annals). How come you cannot even handle a couple of jokes?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him and disagreed with Yuwen Tong. ¡°Do you joke this way with everybody you know?¡±


    ¡°If I tell you that you are the first one that I¡¯ve joked with in this manner, is there any chance you will immediately fall sulky again?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong suddenly grew serious. ¡°I won¡¯t push you, so there is no need for you to be nervous.¡±


    Ling Zhang was stunned and left at a loss for words by Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°It has come to my knowledge that Jia Yin went to the Prefecture Encampment and made a scene there. He¡¯s gone too far, which made it very difficult for Jia family and Zhang Chong to trust each other like they used to. Zhang Chong has a strong demand for ore, and he won¡¯t stand by and watch Jia family sell their ore to another buyer. It¡¯s advisable for you to add some fuel to the flames of their rage and have them start a dog fight.¡± Yuwen Tong abruptly steered the conversation away from their relationship and started talking business. Ling Zhang, who was still in a trance, did a double take.


    ¡°So you actually heard what I said to Xia Feng just now?¡±


    ¡°I did. Would you like me to help?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I think Yao Yi and Guard Zhang have enough tasks to perform. And I have no intention of burdening them with my own problems.¡±


    ¡°I see. Anyway, if by any chance you need my help, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. And in case of my absence¡­ I assigned two of my subordinates to stay in the Green Bamboo Mansion. You can contact them when in need of help.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was indeed a very busy man. After staying in Ling Zhang¡¯s place for only a short amount time, he took his leave, saying that he would come over again to help Ling Zhang unblock his meridians at night.


    Originally, Ling Zhang had had a lot of issues waiting for him to figure out, but it was not until he sat there for quite a long time that he recalled this.


    ¡®Exactly what did Yuwen Tong mean by that remark? What is he going to do about our engagement?


    I have already expressed my intention of breaking off the engagement, but after such a long time, there has still been no sign of his agreement.


    Does he really want to marry me?¡¯


    Ling Zhang hurriedly shook his head, believing that he must have been affected by the couple of frivolous remarks of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, which was why, surprisingly, he was actually considering the possibility that Yuwen Tong really wanted to marry him. ¡®Have I really been too close to Yuwen Tong recently?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡®But currently, we¡¯re allies. I need Yuwen Tong¡¯s help to get revenge, and I can¡¯t avoid meeting him because of this petty matter of my personal feelings.


    It¡¯s been almost half a month and the deadline is drawing near. Soon Yuwen Tong will have to leave Tanyang. One way or another, this matter will surely come to an end. I might as well cross that bridge when I come to it.¡¯


    Ling Zhang put all these miscellaneous thoughts aside. In order to collect himself, he specially sat down and wrote two full pages of Chinese characters in Xiaokai(regular script in small characters, as used in Chinese calligraphy exercises).


    ¡°Young Master, Second Master returned and required your presence.¡± He had just finished writing when a servant called him from outside.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ling Zhang believed that it must be about the matter of Jia family.


    As expected, after Ling Zhang entered the study of Ling Zhaowen, Ling Zhaowen told him, ¡°Stay at home and don¡¯t go outside unless you have to during the next few days. Jia Yin is like a rabid dog which bites everybody in its sight.¡±


    This was the very advice that Ling Zhang had planned to give his family members. Ling Zhaowen anticipated him.


    ¡°Earlier today, a close colleague of mine had a minor disagreement with a member of Jia family. A couple of servants of Jia family put a sack over his head and beat him up. While striking him, they also threatened to beat him every time they see him if he keeps in contact with anyone of Ling family. Due to the absence of any definite proof, there is nothing he could do about it. Currently, he¡¯s staying at home recuperating from the injury.¡± Ling Zhang had anticipated that Jia Yin would do something crazy, but that person was merely a man who was relatively close to Ling family, yet Jia Yin still attacked him like a rabid dog?

 Chapter 99 - A Chance Encounter of Two Foes

    The name of the one who had been beaten up was Lin Yuan, a petty official working for the Prefecture Yamen, who was mainly in charge of construction projects and restoration work. He was also one of the most competent subordinates of Ling Zhaowen.


    After giving Ling Zhang a word of warning, Ling Zhaowen intended to pay a visit to Lin Yuan.


    Though it was people of Jia family who had attacked Lin Yuan, their hatred towards Ling family was the reason why they had done that, which obliged Ling Zhaowen to call on him.


    ¡°Uncle, let me go with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat concerned. The abode of Ling family happened to be located in the eastern part of the city, so there was a high risk that Ling Zhaowen would encounter people of Jia family on his way there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring some men with me.¡±


    ¡°It was because of us that Supervisor Lin got beaten up, so I should accompany you. The more people go and see him, the more comforting it would be for him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a smile. Though he deemed it totally unnecessary for his own nephew to do this for him, he appreciated Ling Zhang¡¯s heartfelt concern. ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Dad, elder brother, where are you going? I want to go as well!¡± As chance would have it, Ling Maomao, who had just come back home from school, overheard their conversation and yelled his intention to go with them.


    ¡°Behave yourself. Dad and your elder brother are going out to handle some Yamen affairs.¡± Ling Zhaowen put on a sulky face.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be quiet. Take me with you, dad. Please,¡± Ling Maomao pleaded, looking up at his father with expectant eyes.


    The appealing look of the little boy made refusal a difficult choice, but Ling Zhaowen, his natural father, made it without even blinking. ¡°No.¡±


    The look in the sparkling eyes of Ling Maomao instantly dimmed. Seeing this, Ling Zhang gave a soft cough and said, ¡°Just now, when I was on my way here, I smelt sweet dumplings. Your mother seemed to be cooking them. She must be specially preparing them for you. Why don¡¯t you go and check it out?¡±


    Ling Maomao, who had just finished school, was hungry, so his eyes lit up as he heard this. ¡°We¨CWell then, I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    With that, the little boy immediately turned around and hastily ran outside.


    On the sight of the running little boy, Ada let out two barks and followed in his wake.


    Ling Zhaowen shook his head resignedly. ¡°I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve told him to try to develop a steady demeanor, but he never listened.¡±


    ¡°Being naughty is a privilege boys of his age enjoy. I made no less trouble for you and grandfather when I was his age.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled. ¡°You were much more sensible than him when you were a young boy.¡±


    Ling Zhang summoned Wang Dashan, Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang to accompany them. Apart from these three and Li Fu who was an attendant of Ling Zhaowen, Physician Lin was also on the carriage drawn by four horses. Ling Zhaowen had specially invited him over to help treat Lin Yuan. The group of people departed, heading for the east of the city.


    After entering the east of the city, they progressed straight towards Lin family and eventually reached the destination without any trouble.


    Lin Yuan¡¯s wife came to their welcome with her children. People of Lin family had a simple family structure. Lin Yuan¡¯s parents were living with his elder brothers in the countryside. Apart from Mr. and Mrs. Lin, their two children and four servants were the only ones dwelling in this house.


    Not yet old enough to go to school, their two children standing behind Mrs. Lin timidly cupped their hands before their chests and bowed to Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhang.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality, Mrs. Lin. It was because of me that Younger Brother Lin suffered this misfortune. I feel guilty and I¡¯m utterly unworthy of your courtesy.¡±


    Mrs. Lin observed with a calm look, ¡°Please don¡¯t beat yourself up over this, Your Lordship. Both my husband and I are sensible persons. People of Jia family were the ones who committed this crime. On no account should we lay the blame for it on you.¡±


    ¡°Your words made my conscience suffer even more, Mrs. Lin. This time, I brought Physician Lin here to help treat Younger Brother Lin¡¯s wounds. Would you be so kind as to lead us to his room if it¡¯s convenient?¡±


    Mrs. Lin bobbed her head. ¡°Your Lordship, Childe Ling, Physician Lin, this way please.¡±


    Lin Yuan was lying prostrate in bed and a servant was tending him.


    Ling Zhang and the others were greeted with smells of medicine the moment they entered the room. Manifestly, some physician had been here and rendered Lin Yuan medical treatment.


    Ling Zhaowen quickly walked up to the bed and called, ¡°Younger Brother Lin.¡±


    Eyes closed, Lin Yuan was somewhat sleepy. On hearing the voice of Ling Zhaowen, Lin Yuan opened his eyes in a mixture of surprise and delight. ¡°Lord Ling, to what do I owe the honor?¡±


    Upon saying this, Lin Yuan made a struggling effort to rise from the bed.


    Ling Zhang preceded Ling Zhaowen to the bedside and supported Lin Yuan. ¡°You¡¯re still recovering, Supervisor Lin. There¡¯s no need for you to get out of bed. My uncle doesn¡¯t really care much about formality.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Please just lie down, Younger Brother Lin,¡± said Ling Zhaowen. ¡°I invited Physician Lin over here to treat your wounds. Let him do his job first. We can have our talk later.¡±


    With Ling Zhang¡¯s assistance, Lin Yuan conveniently lay back to his original position and observed. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for quite a long time, Childe Ling. It¡¯s a pity that I have to lie in bed. Otherwise we may have a good talk.¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll come here more often to chat with you after you recover from the injury, Supervisor Lin.¡±


    Taking the hint, Physician Lin came over and sat down beside the bed to feel the pulse of Lin Yuan.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Physician Lin,¡± said Lin Yuan.


    Physician Lin replied, ¡°This is what I do. Besides, we bear the same surname. It¡¯s my pleasure to be able to help.¡±


    Most of Lin Yuan¡¯s wounds were in his arms and back. On that day, after someone put a sack over his head, he immediately realized what was coming next and sensibly curled up in an effort to protect his head, chest and abdomen. As a result, though his back and arms had been badly hurt, his head and internal organs were fine.


    Watching Physician Lin checking the wounds on the back and arms of Lin Yuan, Ling Zhaowen, with a solemn expression on his face, observed angrily, ¡°What Jia family did is beyond forgiveness! By no means will I let them get away with this.¡±


    ¡°Please turn from your anger, Your Lordship. Currently, Jia family is like a rabid dog. Please be careful and make sure you are adequately accompanied when you are out on the streets. In no circumstances should you go outside alone,¡± said Lin Yuan.


    Then Ling Zhaowen and Lin Yuan had a fairly long conversation. Lin Yuan gave him a sketchy account of his previous disagreement with people of Jia family as well as their attack on him. After hearing it, Ling Zhaowen indignantly rose to his feet with the intention of going to Jia family to seek justice but Lin Yuan stopped him, trying to persuade him to calm down.


    Ling Zhang had been listening on the side all along. If it weren¡¯t for that he was well aware of what kind of man his uncle was, he might have been convinced that just now his uncle had really intended to go directly to Jia family to bring Lin Yuan¡¯s attackers to justice.


    Though it was more likely that his uncle had done that as a pose for Lin Yuan to see, as Ling Zhang found that Lin Yuan seemed to be in a much better mood, he realized that Lin Yuan had actually needed his uncle to stake out his position on this issue.


    He didn¡¯t really have the talent for this kind of finesse, but ¨C


    ¡°Young Master, all necessary arrangements have been made,¡± Qiu Bing said after entering the room, an expectant and excited look on his face.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. ¡°Good.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen flicked a questioning glance at Ling Zhang, as if asking him what he had done.


    Ling Zhang made no immediate response. On their way out of Ling family, Ling Zhang said to Mrs. Lin who was seeing them off, ¡°Mrs. Lin, you could expect to hear a pleasant message tonight. Though it cannot really be taken as a vengeance on the attackers of Supervisor Lin, I hope it¡¯ll help abate the anger of Supervisor Lin and you. Rest assured, Mrs. Lin. Soon Jia family will no longer be a threat to us.¡±


    Mrs. Lin stared at him in amazement. After quite a while, she collected herself only to find that Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen had already got on the horse-drawn carriage and were on their way back.


    Mrs. Lin hurriedly returned and told this to Lin Yuan, who was also amazed by it.


    ¡°What do you think Childe Ling meant by this remark, darling?¡±


    After meditating on it for a while, Lin Yuan replied, ¡°Since Childe Ling told us to wait until night, we might as well show patience.¡±


    Mrs. Lin was rather concerned. ¡°Do you think Childe Ling by any chance has gone to Jia family and done anything? What if people find out about it?¡±


    Lin Yuan asked her, ¡°Did His Lordship say anything?¡±


    Mrs. Lin responded, ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention, but it seemed as if His Lordship was uninformed about the arrangements Childe Ling made as well.¡±


    After another few moments¡¯ silence, Lin Yuan observed, ¡°Childe Ling has really changed considerably these days. Scarcely has Jia family ever gained any advantage over Ling family during the two previous conflicts between them, both of which were resolved by Childe Ling himself. And I suspect that Childe Ling was also the one who made some covert arrangements which eventually brought about the resolution of the crisis Lord Ling encountered in that tavern. I think we should trust Childe Ling and wait to find out what that good news he mentioned is.¡± Slightly relieved, Mrs. Lin gave a bob of her head.


    ¡°By the way, Childe Ling said that soon Jia family would no longer be a threat to us. Darling, do you think¨C¡±


    Lin Yuan signaled her to lower her voice and observed, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it, but the tension between Ling family and Jia family is rapidly approaching flashpoint. It could be said there will soon be a fight between them in which only one side will survive. Judging from what people of Ling family have been doing recently, they definitely have no intention of waiting for death.¡±


    Mrs. Lin made no further remarks, looking forward to the arrival of night.


    Ling Zhaowen had been meaning to ask Ling Zhang what he had done all along ever since they took their leave of Ling family, but due to the presence of Physician Lin, he had no choice but to subdue his urge. All he could do was cast Ling Zhang a glance of warning.


    Ling Zhang flicked him a comforting look in response.


    Ling Zhaowen was speechless. ¡®You brat.¡¯


    They had thought that they would have an uneventful trip out of the east of the city. Unexpectedly, what they did have was a chance encounter with people of Jia family, their mortal enemies. The carriage in front of them was also escorted by a great many guards.


    Both sides paused. The street was broad enough to allow two carriages to get through, but people of Jia family, on the sight of the carriage of Ling family, parked their carriage squarely in the middle of the road, blocking their path.


    Seeing that the two carriages belonged to Jia family and Ling family respectively, residents nearby who knew about the hatred between the two families instantly drew back for fear of potential collateral damage, but they didn¡¯t walk far away but kept a safe distance from the scene, waiting to see whatever it was that was going to happen next.


    ¡°A good dog never gets in people¡¯s way!¡± yelled a servant of Jia family, a malicious smile on his face.


    Ling Zhaowen knitted his brows, thinking that it was such an unpleasant coincidence that they met people of Jia family when they were so close to leaving the east of the city.


    Ling Zhang slightly raised the curtain of the carriage and gestured Qiu Bing to come over to him. ¡°You know how to swear?¡±


    Qiu Bing nodded. ¡°I do, Young Master. Do you want me to swear at them?¡±


    Ling Zhang lowered his voice whispering something into Qiu Bing¡¯s ears. Qiu Bing¡¯s eyes gradually lit up as he listened. At last, he patted his own chest and replied, ¡°Consider it done, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen, who had pricked up his ears and heard everything, amusedly derided, ¡°Where did you learn all these mean tricks?¡±


    Somewhat embarrassed, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°They came into my mind on their own account when I caught sight of these guys of Jia family.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a smile but raised no objection. Clearly, he was also waiting to see Jia family be humiliated.


    ¡°Eek? Whose dog barked so loudly just now? Bark again so that I can tell which family you belong to. I might feed you some meat If your barks please me!¡± Qiu Bing rode to the front of the carriage and yelled at people of Jia family on the other side.


    ¡°Why are you asking them questions? They¡¯re dogs, and dogs cannot understand human language. Can¡¯t you see that they are also blind? The road is right in front of them but instead of taking it, they chose to bark.¡± Zhou Xiang rode to Qiu Bing¡¯s side and joined his effort.


    ¡°You¡­ Humph! You¡¯re just two guard dogs. Tell your master to show himself!¡± shouted the man on the other side.


    ¡°Eek? Did you hear that? It sounded like a vicious dog of Jia family.¡± Qiu Bing affectedly pricked up his ears and then pretended that light suddenly dawned on him.

 Chapter 100 - An Unfriendly Young Man

    ¡°It absolutely is. It is rumored that not long ago, Jia Yin had a tryst with some woman in a tavern. He didn¡¯t even have the patience to get a decent room and actually attempted to do that thing right in the tavern. So many people saw him on the spot but he had no shame whatsoever, claiming that he would marry that woman, that she would be his concurrent wife. Alas. He forgot that he already had a wife. It¡¯s true that only shameless people get to enjoy life to the fullest,¡± said Zhou Xiang.


    ¡°If I were Jia Yin, I would no doubt be too ashamed to be seen by anybody and spend the rest of my life staying at home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. I heard that Mrs. Jia had a fierce quarrel with Jia Yin, that their voices were so loud that people could actually hear them from outside their mansion. The moment that woman moved into Jia family, Mrs. Jia started victimizing her, which eventually caused the loss of her newly-conceived child and almost the death of herself as well. Now all residents in Tanyang are saying that one should stay as far away from Fang shi as possible, that she is even more dangerous than a yaksha(a malevolent spirit). It is said that people can stop their children from crying at night by merely saying the name of her.¡± ¡°If I were Fang shi, I would definitely hide myself in Jia family so that nobody would be scared by me.¡±


    On hearing this, Fang shi, who was sitting in the carriage opposite people of Ling family, went furious and was just about to storm off the carriage to swear at them when her handmaid stopped her in time. ¡°Don¡¯t go outside, Mistress. If you do, you¡¯ll end up becoming a laughing stock of those uneducated people out there.¡±


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang cooperated with each other and disclosed the disgraceful deeds of Jia Yin and Mrs. Jia one after another. They did it in such a fluent manner that it seemed as if they were professional storytellers.


    ¡®People of Jia family want to block our path? Okay. There happens to be a lot of people here. As long as people of Jia family are still in our way, Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang will keep talking on and on. During the years when Jia family still had Zhang Chong at their back, they had done so many evil deeds that it would probably take more than a full day to expose them all,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    Most lookers-on lived in the east of the city, and many of them were victims of those evil deeds done by people of Jia family. The more they heard Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang talk, the angrier they went. Eventually, someone couldn¡¯t help but throw vegetable leaves and eggs at the carriage of Jia family. Soon, some others followed suit and the carriage of Jia family became a target for a lot of residents.


    Guards of Jia family whipped out their sabers with the intention to resort to violence ¨C


    ¡°Oh. What do they want to do? They want to kill people?¡±


    ¡°Let them try. His Lordship is right here. They¡¯ll be locked away immediately if they do that.¡±


    Never had people of Jia family ever seen Ling family act this way. As far as they could remember, people of Ling family had always set great store by courtesy, which was why they had believed that it would be an easy job to humiliate Ling family. Unexpectedly, it was themselves who ended up falling victim to humiliation powerless to contradict.


    Mrs. Jia nearly passed out due to overwhelming rage. Eventually, she gave the order to make way through gritted teeth.


    ¡°They could have spared themselves all the humiliation by doing this earlier,¡± sneered Qiu Bing.


    ¡°You know, not everyone possesses self-knowledge.¡± Zhou Xiang slid a sideways glance at the carriage of Jia family.


    The carriage of Ling family slowly proceeded past people of Jia family. After they left, Mrs. Jia gave a cry of fury in the carriage.


    On hearing the female voice, lookers-on guessed the identity of the woman inside, turned around and left. Soon, the street became quiet with hardly any pedestrians in sight, which was a solid verification of the rumor that Fang shi was like a yaksha(a malevolent spirit) repelling all.


    Mrs. Jia¡¯s head ached with rage. When she arrived home, on the sight of servants making preparations for the memorial service with white cloth all around the house, she felt a twinge of grief and nearly spat a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Where have you been? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay at home waiting for my younger brother to bring Ling¡¯er back?!¡± Jia Yin reprimanded Mrs. Jia as he caught sight of her.


    ¡°I went to order Ling¡¯er¡¯s favorite snacks. I want him to taste them on the day he comes back,¡± replied Mrs. Jia.


    Jia Yin had an urge to rebuke her, but seeing that she might faint at any moment, he forbore to do so.


    ¡°I encountered Ling Zhaowen¡¯s carriage on my way back. He¡­ He¡­¡± Mrs. Jia was too indignant to continue. Her handmaid finished the account of the event for her.


    In the knowledge that Ling Zhaowen dared to openly humiliate them on the street, Jia Yin was also consumed with rage, a hideously sepulchral look on his face. ¡°Ling Zhaowen!¡±


    ¡­


    Originally, Ling Zhaowen had intented to ask Ling Zhang what he had meant by those remarks that he had made in Lin family, but due to the presence of Physician Lin, he had forborne to do so. When that confrontation with Jia family was over, noon had passed and it was almost time for him to go to Yamen to work. Since there was not enough time to go back home, he had no choice but to let Ling Zhang get off the carriage at an intersection. Before leaving, in a veiled manner, he warned Ling Zhang not to take any precipitous action.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I know where the limit is, uncle.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen shot him a dark glance. ¡®You¡¯d better do.¡¯


    Ling Zhaowen and Physician Lin headed for the Prefecture Yamen by carriage, followed by Li Fu.


    Ling Zhang had offered to let one of his three bodyguards to go with Ling Zhaowen, but Ling Zhaowen declined, saying, ¡°Li Fu has some kung fu skills as well, and the Prefecture Yamen is a rather safe place, so I¡¯ll be fine. Let them escort you home.¡±


    That Li Fu was an attendant of his uncle, who had been serving his uncle for quite a long time, but it had never come to Ling Zhang¡¯s knowledge that he had any kung fu skills.


    Ling Zhang asked Wang Dashan, ¡°Elder Brother Wang, can you tell how good Li Fu¡¯s kung fu is?¡±


    After pondering over it for a while, Wang Dashan replied, ¡°As far as I can tell, that man probably does have some internal energy. He¡¯s more sure-footed than us, but I think he¡¯s not as good as any of Lord Yuwen¡¯s guards.¡±


    ¡®So he does know some kung fu. Though not a match for Yuwen Tong¡¯s guards, he¡¯s more powerful than my security guards.¡¯


    Li Fu had never displayed his kung fu skills before, and neither had he ever struck Ling Zhang as a kung fu practitioner.


    This intersection was near the entrances of a couple of streets. Ling Zhang and the other three turned into another street which was also crowded with people.


    As they progressed along the street, Ling Zhang kept feeling that something was not right, as if¡­


    Someone was watching him.


    This was the same feeling that he had on that day!


    Pretending that he was unaware of the stalker¡¯s existence, Ling Zhang unnoticeably looked around, but there were so many people on the street that it was very difficult to locate that person in a short time.


    ¡°Young Master, are you looking for something?¡± Wang Dashan, who was a very observant man, noticed that Ling Zhang¡¯s behavior was different from normal.


    ¡°I sensed that the man who stalked me near the mansion on that day is secretly watching me again.¡±


    Wang Dashan briefly frowned and told Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang in a muted voice, ¡°Someone¡¯s stalking us. You two split up, enter the alley in the front, detour behind the stalker and find out who he or she is.¡±


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang replied in undertones. ¡°Yes, captain.¡± ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s enter the alley. Please stay behind me,¡± Wang Dashan said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was also eager to find out who that person was, so he agreed.


    ¡°Go and buy some snacks for me. I¡¯ll take them back to Maomao.¡± Ling Zhang deliberately raised his voice and bade Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang.


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang answered ¡°Yes¡± and then walked towards a nearby store selling dried fruit and snacks.


    Following Wang Dashan, Ling Zhang kept walking. He could still feel that person watching him. Unsurprisingly, the stalker ignored Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang.


    Ling Zhang and Wang Dashan walked out of the street and turned into an alley with relatively fewer pedestrians.


    Ling Zhang proceeded with the feeling of being watched. All of a sudden, Ling Zhang stopped and, along with Wang Dashan, abruptly turned around.


    There were not many people in the alley, so it was much easier for Ling Zhang to identify the target.


    Since his entry to the alley, Ling Zhang had specially observed every person he walked past. Currently, leaving aside those people he had observed, there were only four persons who had entered the alley after him ¨C a woman with a basket on her arm, a pedler carrying two large bamboo baskets with a shoulder pole, a scholar and a young man. The clothing style of the young man was rather low-key, which did not accord closely with his temperament, as if he was trying to conceal his true identity.


    Ling Zhang fixed his eyes on that young man almost in the blink of an eye.


    That pedler was a native of Tanyang who appeared in various streets regularly. Ling Zhang himself had seen him several times before. The scholar was from Tanyang Academy. The woman was of advanced years, somewhat plump, her pace fairly unsteady, her eyes rather dull. All three of them could be temporarily excluded. Therefore, Ling Zhang immediately fixed the young man with a stare and made eye contact with him, waiting to see how he would react.


    As expected, the young man¡¯s expression slightly changed.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you stalking me?¡± Ling Zhang stared at him with a cold face.


    Surprisingly, after the young man was exposed, there had been no trace of nervousness or uneasiness whatsoever on his face except for the brief change of expression. Instead, he stared squarely back at Ling Zhang. ¡°Ling Zhang, you¡¯re not bad. I didn¡¯t expect that you would be able to detect me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a native of Tanyang.¡± Ling Zhang instantly noticed that the man was not speaking with local Tanyang accent.


    ¡°It¡¯s capital-city accent,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    ¡®The capital city?¡¯ Ling Zhang was sent into a brief trance.


    The man was not annoyed about the exposure of where he came from. He even sized Ling Zhang up like a censorious woman picking clothes. ¡°I happened to have just grown tired of stalking you. Do you have the balls to find a place and have a talk with me?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? And why should I do that?¡±


    ¡°Because of that person who lives in your home. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t dare. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to Ling family and directly talk with Ling Xingzhong first thing in the morning.¡±


    The young man addressed Ling Xingzhong by his full name in a wildly arrogant tone of voice.


    But Ling Zhang noticed that this man had specially mentioned the person who lived in his home. ¡®Was he referring to Yuwen Tong?


    And he speaks with capital-city accent¡­


    This guy¡¯s from the capital city and he¡¯s aware that Yuwen Tong lives in my home!


    Yuwen Tong once said that news of his stay in Tanyang hasn¡¯t spread to the capital city yet, but this man not only knows about it but also has come here.


    But why did he come to me when he could just directly go to meet Yuwen Tong? And why did he so impolitely address my grandfather by his full name?¡¯ he wondered.


    Judging by the attitude of this man alone, Ling Zhang knew that he was no friendly visitor of any kind.


    ¡®Let me find out exactly who he is and to what end he came here.¡¯


    After a lot of thinking, Ling Zhang gave a covert wink at Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang, who had just showed themselves at the entrance of the alley, then said to the young man, ¡°I accept your invitation.¡±


    ¡°Good. Pick a spot ¨C somewhere quiet. I¡­ I don¡¯t want any disturbance.¡±


    Wang Dashan looked disapprovingly at Ling Zhang. ¡°Young Master, we have no idea who this guy is. It¡¯s too risky. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°What a coward ¨C just like I¡¯ve always known. You don¡¯t have to come if you¡¯re scared,¡± said the young man in a provocative tone of voice, scornfully looking in their direction.


    At this moment, both Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang saw Ling Zhang¡¯s wink and quietly walked out of the alley.


    On the sight of this, Wang Dashan had a vague idea what Ling Zhang¡¯s plan was. ¡°Young Master, if you¡¯re really doing this, please take me with you.¡±

 Chapter 101 - Yuwen Qi

    Chapter 101: Yuwen Qi


    Ling Zhang picked a tea house at random and paid for a quiet private room.


    The young man sized up the tea house. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, there was thinly concealed disgust in his eyes.


    The reason why Ling Zhang had agreed to have a talk with this man was because he feared that this man might make trouble for Yuwen Tong if he refused, so he ignored the man¡¯s dislike of the tea house, asking, ¡°Who are you exactly? And what is it that you want to talk about with me?¡±


    The young man reluctantly took a seat and, in a very unseemly tone of voice, replied, ¡°You don¡¯t really deserve to know who I am, Ling Zhang. I¡¯ve been observing you for days and as far as I can tell, you¡¯re merely a nondescript childe. It puzzles me exactly what it is that that person sees in you. Your look is just average, and you never stops making trouble. I¡¯ve been in Tanyang for only a couple of days, but I hear people talking about you all around. Is it because one of your family members holds a petty post in Yamen or because that person living in your home that you are so unruly?


    ¡°Never mind. I don¡¯t really care what you think. I just want to tell you that there¡¯s no way that you will marry into Yuwen family. That inappreciable favor your family did to Yuwen family back then is utterly unworthy of being repaid with the marriage of a member of Yuwen family. That person is the Supreme Commander of the Great Yue¡¯s armed forces ¨C what kind of family you¡¯re from? I can¡¯t believe you have the nerve to even think about this.


    If you insist that that petty favor be returned, Yuwen family is willing to give you a large sum of money and promote your uncle, but that¡¯s all, no more. If you dare to make any further requests, there will be consequences. Needless for me to remind you that Yuwen family is capable of having your family destroyed at a hand¡¯s turn.


    This is all I have to say. I¡¯ll give you a moment to think it through.¡±


    With an arrogant face, the young man spoke unceasingly from start to finish, giving Ling Zhang no chance to make any response. He looked at Ling Zhang as if he were looking at a bug, scorn and disgust glinting in his eyes.


    Originally, Ling Zhang had worried that this man meant to make trouble for Yuwen Tong, but as he listened, he came to realize what this man¡¯s intention was, his face darkening.


    This man had come to Tangyang to warn him not to try to form any bonds with Yuwen family. There was a striking similarity between his attitude and that of those haughty servants of Yuwen family that he met in his last life!


    ¡°You¡¯re a member of Yuwen family.¡±


    Hearing this, the young man replied impatiently, ¡°I told you that you don¡¯t deserve to know. Be quick and make a choice, so that I can decide sooner whether I¡¯ll kill you or let you live.¡±


    His threat and disdain were so naked that he sounded as if he were a deity of the utmost superiority who had the right to decide the fate of Ling family.


    Angered, Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°Who do you think you are to threaten me? You¡¯re cocky, flippant, impertinent, and you fear to state your identity. Even countrymen couldn¡¯t be more ignorant of courtesy than you are. Me spending all this time talking with you has been a waste of time as well as an honor above your station for you.¡±


    After saying this, Ling Zhang rose from his seat and, without casting a single extra glance at that young man, said to Wang Dashan who had been in shock from start to finish, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± The young man was infuriated by Ling Zhang¡¯s remarks. ¡°Did I give you the permission to leave? How dare you talk to me like that! You¡¯re just a bug. Have you any idea who I am?!¡±


    ¡°No matter who you are, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re vulgar and shallow, so I¡¯m no longer interested in knowing your identity. If you really think you¡¯re capable of putting an end to the engagement between Ling family and Yuwen family, go to Yuwen Tong and have a try. I¡¯ll wait and see.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a cold, sideways glance at him and walked towards the doorway with Wang Dashan.


    The young man thundered, ¡°How dare you be so unruly!¡±


    He heavily smacked his palm onto the table bouncing a teacup upwards, then gave the teacup a push shooting it squarely towards the back side of Ling Zhang¡¯s head.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Wang Dashan rapidly landed a punch on the teacup sending it flying to the wall. The cup hit the wall with a smash and shattered into pieces which then dropped to the ground.


    Seeing this, that man reprimanded, ¡°You cheap slave dared to block my teacup. I¡¯ll take your worthless life!¡±


    With that he suddenly fished something out of the waist of his clothes and shot it at Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang, who had gained considerable enhancement of senses recently, promptly detected danger and quickly dragged Wang Dashan aside.


    With that the faint sound of something penetrating into the wall behind Wang Dashan was heard. Ling Zhang fixed his eyes on it and found that it was a thin needle half of which had gone into the wall. If this thing had hit any of the vital acupoints of Wang Dashan, he would have died an instantaneous death.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Ling Zhang howled. ¡®This guy¡¯s so callous. He meant to kill because of a mere squabble!¡¯


    ¡°To my knowledge, Yuwen Tong had long ago informed His Majesty of his coming to Tanyang to look for his betrothed, so His Majesty is fully aware of this engagement between Yuwen family and Ling family. You have no business judging whether this engagement will continue to exist or not. It¡¯s a right above your station. Now get lost!


    If you dare to cause me any harm, I¡¯ll go to the capital city and report it to His Majesty telling him that you people of Yuwen family are ungrateful and intend to go back on your word. As the Supreme Commander of the armed forces of our country, if he¡¯s really so cruel and unscrupulous, he will surely be regarded as a bastard and relieved of his command!¡±


    ¡°What did you just say? How dare you threaten me!¡± Consumed with rage, the young man heedlessly tried to deal another blow to Ling Zhang.


    However, before he could pull out another silver needle from the waist of his clothes, a small stone suddenly shot through the door of the private room and directly hit him on the waist with a snap. It seemed as if one of his bones broke.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± The young man let out a pained cry. ¡°Who dared to hurt me?¡±


    ¡°Hurt you? Nobody would dare to judge me even if I kill you.¡±


    The door of the private room was pushed open and Yuwen Tong walked inside, coldly staring at the young man with his piercing eyes, a flinty look on his face. ¡°Yuwen Qi, I never expected you to be so bold as to hurt my people.¡±


    ¡°Cousin?¡± Holding his wrist, face ghastly pale, the young man watched Yuwen Tong in amazement. He seemed to be somewhat afraid of Yuwen Tong.


    ¡®Cousin?¡¯ Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows. ¡®This young man is none other than Yuwen Tong¡¯s cousin?¡¯ He remembered that Yuwen Tong had an uncle. This person was the son of his uncle?


    He was not a fool. A moment ago, when Yuwen Qi was making those threatening remarks, he had already come to a vague understanding of a lot of matters puzzling him. Now, after some detailed thinking, he had a general idea what was going on. There were indeed someone in Yuwen family objecting to the engagement between him and Yuwen Tong, but that person was not Yuwen Tong but Yuwen Zhi, who was Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle. And this Yuwen Qi, his cousin, also shared his uncle¡¯s opinion. However, there were still some issues he didn¡¯t quite understand, and he couldn¡¯t drew an immediate conclusion that Yuwen Tong had nothing to do with the attitude that Yuwen family held towards him in his last life. He needed to ask some further questions before he could confirm it.


    ¡°Who sent you to Tanyang?¡± asked Yuwen Tong flintily.


    Holding his wrist, Yuwen Qi was fairly afraid to look Yuwen Tong in the face. ¡°I¨CI came here on my own account.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°I think it was your father who sent you here, didn¡¯t he? You¡¯ve got some balls interfering in my engagement.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m being a busybody trying to interfere in your engagement. This Ling Zhang guy is utterly unworthy of you,¡± Yuwen Qi observed aloud.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your place to lay comment on whether he¡¯s worthy or not. Get your ass back to the capital city right now or else I¡¯ll make you to.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, come back to your senses. Do you know that His Majesty means to marry Her Highness to you? If you don¡¯t stop this madness, how could His Majesty betroth Her Highness to you? You¡¯ll end up becoming the laughing stock of the whole capital city!¡± Watching Yuwen Tong, Yuwen Qi couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. He wondered why his cousin was so insistent on staying in Tanyang with this childe from some obscure family.


    ¡°How dare you! Who are you to judge me? Guards! Throw Yuwen Qi out of Tanyang!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Two guards in black walked inside, grabbed Yuwen Qi¡¯s arms and dragged him towards the doorway.


    ¡°Cousin!¡± Yuwen Qi yelled in alarm. ¡°My hand is injured. You are really going to force me leave Tanyang alone? You promised uncle that you would take care of us. Now you¡¯re going to break your word just because of some impoverished family?¡±


    Yuwen Tong frowned.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been dealing with Zhang Chong recently. Do you want me to be found by him?!¡± Yuwen Qi continued yelling.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Two guards in black stopped and looked back at him.


    Ling Zhang observed, ¡°He knows about the issue of Zhang Chong. If by any chance he discloses anything, our plan might be compromised. Let him stay for the moment.¡±


    The two guards immediately loosened their grip on Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Qi couldn¡¯t believe what he had just seen. His cousin had always been the only person that these guards in black answered to, but surprisingly, on this day, they followed Ling Zhang¡¯s order!


    ¡°Then locked him away. Heal him of the injury in his hand. Just don¡¯t let him starve.¡± Yuwen Tong finally made a decision.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The two guards replied, struck Yuwen Qi¡¯s Dumbness Acupoint, grabbed his arms and forced him out of the room.


    Yuwen Qi widened his eyes and tried to speak to Yuwen Tong but couldn¡¯t, struggling all the way.


    After Yuwen Qi was taken away, Ling Zhang, who also had a sullen look on his face, turned around with an intention to leave.


    Yuwen Tong gripped his arm. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Seeing this, Wang Dashan took the hint, walked outside and closed the door. He still couldn¡¯t believe that Lord Yuwen was actually Yuwen Tong, the Supreme Commander of armed forces, a legendary, undefeated war hero. He felt as if he was dreaming.


    In the private room, Ling Zhang darted a dark glance at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Let go of me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang to the front of him and then released his grip. ¡°It was my fault. It has never crossed my mind that they would do this kind of thing. Forget what he just said. Don¡¯t let it bother you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s also a member of Yuwen family. Your uncle is against this. You still want to marry me?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°He has no business to interfere,¡± replied Yuwen Tong blandly. ¡°He was never the one who calls the shots in Yuwen family.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Have I not already told you I want to break off our engagement?¡±


    ¡°I never agreed.¡±


    Ling Zhang could feel his heart fluttering. He asked, ¡°If, instead of coming to Tanyang, you had returned to the capital city, how long would you have intended to stay there?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know this?¡± Yuwen Tong was confused.


    ¡°Just answer the question.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been longer than ten days.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that His Majesty was not going to let you leave the capital city easily this time?¡±


    ¡°I also said that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me. If anything happens in the northwest, he will be scared to death. You think he dares to have me stay?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart was hammering in his chest, but he was in a very sober state of mind.


    He remembered Yuwen Tong had once told him that he had been completely unaware of the engagement between them all along. If Yuwen Tong had never met the butler in his last life, would he have stayed unaware of it? Yuwen Tong had left the capital city immediately after reporting on his work, which meant that he wasn¡¯t in the capital city when news spread there from Tanyang. It was Yuwen Zhi, Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle, who had gone back on his word.

 Chapter 102 - You Like Me?

    Chapter 102: You Like Me?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you so quiet? Are you still mad?¡± Seeing that Ling Zhang kept silent, Yuwen Tong worried that he was still angry, so he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t let Yuwen Qi¡¯s words bother you. They¡¯re not calling the shots in Yuwen family. After we get married, you¡¯ll be the one in charge and they¡¯ll be at the mercy of you.¡±


    Ling Zhang still hadn¡¯t got over the shock of finding the truth when he heard Yuwen Tong talking about them getting married.


    ¡°Who told you I¡¯d marry you? Didn¡¯t I say that I want to break off this engagement?¡±


    ¡°I never agreed.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°I kind of like you. You should¡¯ve known this. Why will I agree to break off our engagement?¡±


    What? Ling Zhang was somewhat perplexed. ¡°You like me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was speechless.


    His face darkened.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t my behavior made this obvious enough?¡±


    In a somewhat unnatural manner, Ling Zhang drew a few steps back. ¡°You never told me.¡±


    His countenance being a mixture of deep resignation and embarrassment, Yuwen Tong directly put his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and landed a kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s soft, red lips.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    He pushed Yuwen Tong away with great force. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Does this ring a bell?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him with a serious look on his face. ¡°If not, I can do this one more time.¡±


    His heart pounding with excitement and his face burning, Ling Zhang wiped his lips with the back of his hand, ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯ve made your point. Even so, we don¡¯t necessarily have to come to marriage.¡±


    ¡°Why not do it when it¡¯s such a natural thing? Surely you won¡¯t have me live with you without acknowledging me as your legal spouse? Don¡¯t you think it would be ¡­ a little irresponsible of you to do that?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth was wide open with astonishment. What? He was irresponsible? Was Yuwen Tong out of his senses?


    ¡°The point I¡¯ve been trying to make is that what you feel for me won¡¯t last long. You¡¯ll forget it after some time. And then you can find someone else to marry. There¡¯s no need for you to marry me in such haste!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in midlife already.¡±


    ¡°Why should I care?¡±


    ¡°If I were to fall for another guy, I would have been married for a long time. You¡¯re the only one I like and will like.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡®He keeps saying this word ¡®like¡¯. Has he no shame?¡¯


    Face burning, Ling Zhang blushed scarlet and thundered, ¡°I don¡¯t like you!¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows and observed significantly, ¡°Some soldiers I met on the battlefield once said that enough sex makes two people love each other, no matter how far apart their hearts stand originally. How about we give it a shot? Though I haven¡¯t done any research into it before, I have incredible stamina.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell utterly speechless. ¡®Yuwen Tong is such a brazen hooligan!¡¯


    His cheeks were burning so badly that he felt as if he would explode on the spot if he stayed in this room for an extra moment.


    In indignation, Ling Zhang turned around, opened the door and strode away.


    Seeing Ling Zhang walking outside, Wang Dashan had no idea what had just happened inside the room, but judging from the blushes of anger on Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks, he figured that there seemed to have been some kind of disagreement between the two.


    Having knowing about the true identity of Yuwen Tong, Wang Dashan didn¡¯t dare to leave directly. In embarrassment, he cupped his hands before his chest and bowed to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Marshal, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to go back with my young master.¡±


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head and said blandly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to call me ¡®Marshal¡¯. I¡¯d like to have my identity stay a secret for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Yuwen.¡±


    With that, Wang Dashan quickly walked away to catch up with Ling Zhang. Before he reached the landing, the angry voice of Ling Zhang came from downstairs. ¡°Wang Dashan, what are you doing? Get your ass down here!¡±


    Wang Dashan gave a shiver on hearing this and speeded up.


    ¡®It seems that Young Master really got angry. He¡¯s always been so polite to me, but now he¡¯s calling me by my full name!


    Exactly what it was that Marshal has done to him?!¡¯ Wang Dashan wondered.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong also heard this remark. Recalling the pink flush on the cheeks of Ling Zhang, he leisurely performed lightness skills and left the tea house.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang stormed his way back to Ling family, followed by Wang Dashan who dared not say a single word.


    Seeing the angry face of Ling Zhang, the guards on duty at the gateway had no idea what had happened. Nervously, they bowed to Ling Zhang and greeted him. ¡°Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang grunted ¡°Um¡± in a deep voice, intending to enter.


    ¡°Old Master¡¯s carriage approaches.¡±


    Hearing this, Ling Zhang halted and turned around. As expected, his grandfather¡¯s carriage returned.


    He took a deep breath in an effort to subdue the anger aroused by Yuwen Tong, trying to calm himself down. Then he walked down the flight of steps to welcome his grandfather.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhang guided Ling Xingzhong off the carriage. ¡°How¡¯s everything going in Lu family?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s just that Lu Fengnian, their old master, is somewhat concerned that Zhang Chong might become suspicious if this takes too long. The plan of our guest is definitely going to work, right?¡± Ling Xingzhong asked him in a low voice.


    Another wave of anger swept through Ling Zhang as he heard Ling Xingzhong mention Yuwen Tong. Trying hard to cool down, he replied, ¡°Sure thing. Everything is going as planned. People of Lu family will see it as long as they show patience and wait for another couple of days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ling Xingzhong gave a gasp of relief on hearing this.


    After helping his grandfather into the mansion, Ling Zhang saw the servant that he had sent in the morning to stalk the two merchants from Jiangzhou. He gave a wink at that man.


    The servant softly nodded and left to wait for further instructions.


    Ling Zhang saw his grandfather back to his room, patiently talked with him for a while and then took his leave.


    For the moment, he had no intention of letting the visit of the two merchants from Jiangzhou come to the knowledge of his grandfather, so he didn¡¯t mention it.


    After leaving Ling Xingzhong¡¯s dwelling, Ling Zhang summoned that servant to his place and asked him, ¡°Where are the two people staying?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, they checked into the Rising Sun Inn, along with a couple of servants, all of whom also speak with Jiangzhou accent,¡± answered the servant respectfully.


    ¡°Did any of them make any special contact with anybody?¡±


    The servant did some careful recalling and then shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any particular person contact them. The two people never left their rooms after returning to the inn.¡±


    With that, as if something had just occurred to him, he added, ¡°Oh by the way, I happened to see Mrs. Jia order a lot of snacks in a snack store beside the Rising Sun Inn.¡±


    ¡®Fang shi?¡¯ A thoughtful look appeared on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°About that snack store you just talked about, is Fang shi a regular customer there or did she show up there suddenly?¡±


    The servant replied immediately, ¡°Fang shi goes to that snack store regularly. You might have forgotten, Young Master. The snacks that store sells were Jia Yuanling¡¯s favorite. You used to¡­¡±


    The servant hurriedly broke off in the middle of a sentence. ¡°I beg your pardon, Young Master. I talked too much.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance slightly changed. He did recall something. In his last life, when he mistakenly believed that Jia Yuanling was his close friend, he frequently saw Jia Yuanling eat a kind of snack. He also asked Jia Yuanling about it and even specially went to that snack store to buy it for Jia Yuanling once. It was just that those things happened in his last incarnation and he had long ago forgotten them.


    ¡°Jia Yuanling is already dead. I wonder why Mrs. Jia ordered so many snacks. Were those for her deceased son?¡± added the servant. When he finished the last word, his face paled visibly with fright.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    The servant felt a cold shiver of fear run through him and answered immediately, ¡°I¡¯m not scared, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Then go back there and keep a close watch on the two merchants from Jiangzhou. Remember, pay close attention to any locals who might have been in special contact with them. See it done and your reward shall not disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    After the servant left, Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡®It was too coincidental to be true. Jia family is indeed behind this, as I¡¯ve always expected.¡¯


    After seeing the servant walked out of the room, Wang Dashan, who had been waiting outside all along, hurriedly entered bursting with impatience.


    ¡°Young Master, is that Lord Yuwen really Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    It was not until this moment that Ling Zhang recalled that Wang Dashan had been waiting. His anger having subsided, he was somewhat embarrassed about having called him aloud by his full name at the tea house a while ago.


    ¡°Yes. His identity is supposed to stay hidden. Remember to keep it secret from others. And I¡¯m sorry for taking it out on you back at the tea house just now.¡±


    Flustered by Ling Zhang¡¯s apology, Wang Dashan hurriedly responded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Actually, I feel more close to you when you call me by my full name. There¡¯s no need for you to be too polite to us. But¡­ Young Master, is it true that you are betrothed to Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    Wang Dashan¡¯s face was full of curiosity that he was unable to conceal. Clearly, he still hadn¡¯t got over the shock of hearing those words.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡°It¡¯s true but also untrue.¡±


    ¡®Ah?¡¯ Wang Dashan was puzzled. ¡®What kind of answer is this?¡¯


    ¡°Just keep this to yourself, Elder Brother Wang. Don¡¯t tell anybody else about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I get it, Young Master.¡±


    Though Wang Dashan didn¡¯t quite understand what was really going on, he was well aware that Ling Zhang had no intention of telling him the truth. He was a man of discretion who knew very well which things he was allowed to talk about and which things were supposed to be kept secret.


    ¡°But, Young Master, that Yuwen Qi seems to be hostile to you. Members of Yuwen family are not common dignitaries. Please be sure to take care,¡± Wang Dashan concernedly reminded Ling Zhang.


    Having heard so many news on this day, Wang Dashan was both shocked and worried. Unlike Zhang Chong, Yuwen family was really a formidably powerful force in the Great Yue.


    Touched, Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head and replied, ¡°I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Elder Brother Wang. In the next few days, there might be some upheavals in Tanyang. When it happens, just stay calm, keep others in composure and make sure no harm comes to any of my family.¡±


    Taken aback by Ling Zhang¡¯s words, Wang Dashan vaguely guessed what he was referring to. He responded in a solemn tone of voice, ¡°Rest assured, Young Master. I promise I¡¯ll keep them safe, whatever the cost!¡±


    ¡°Good. And I¡¯d like to express my gratitude to you in advance, Elder Brother Wang. There¡¯s nothing else I want to talk to you about. You may leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    After Wang Dashan left, Ling Zhang sat down leaning against the back of the chair, exhaled deeply with relief and then raised his hand to hold his eyes.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong is a hooligan, and his subordinates are no better than him. They are jackals from the same lair.¡±


    A guard in black, who had orders from his Marshal to come here to inform Ling Zhang of where Yuwen Qi was imprisoned, was just about to leap off the rooftop when he heard Ling Zhang¡¯s last remark and stood transfixed, wondering whether he should jump off at this time.


    ¡®If I jump off, Childe Ling will definitely be mad at me. If I don¡¯t, when I return, Marshal will no doubt ask me what takes me so long to finish the job. How am I supposed to answer?¡¯


    In this dilemma, the guard in black had a distressed look on his face.


    Fortunately, Ling Zhang said no more after making that critical remark.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the guard in black hurriedly leaped off the rooftop and deliberately made some noises.


    Unsurprisingly, Ling Zhang noticed. ¡°Who is there?¡±


    ¡°Childe Ling, I have orders from Marshal to inform you that Yuwen Qi is imprisoned in a wing-room of the Green Bamboo Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I see.¡±


    ¡°Marshal also told me to remind you of tonight¡¯s medicated bath.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    Through gritted teeth, he replied, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all, Childe Ling.¡± The guard in black immediately leaped back onto the rooftop and left.


    ¡®Childe Ling was clenching his teeth when he made the last remark, as if he was angry. No wonder Marshal wanted me to deliver the message instead of coming here himself.¡¯

 Chapter 103 - You Are Trying to Gauge the Heart of a Gentleman with…

    ¡°I¡¯m not eating this!¡±


    Yuwen Qi violently swept the bowls and chopsticks off the table, which then dropped down to the ground with a mixture of clanks and smashes, rice and dishes scattered everywhere.


    ¡°What are these things? You call them food? How dare you offer me this kind of meal? Are you courting death?!¡±


    Without even a slight frown, the guard looked at him, a calm look on his face. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to let anybody of Ling family know about your presence here. There¡¯s no alternative food.¡±


    This meal, which had been specially prepared by the chef of Ling family, was meant for the Marshal. ¡®It¡¯s of better quality than that of any other people in Ling family. Yet he still thinks this is not good enough?¡¯


    The guard felt that Yuwen Qi was even pickier than the emperor.


    ¡°I want to see my cousin!¡± Yuwen Qi said angrily.


    ¡°Marshal is occupied. He doesn¡¯t have the time.¡± After saying this, the guard cleared the food, chopsticks, pieces of bowls from the ground with a broom and a dustpan, and then left.


    Angered, Yuwen Qi kept yelling for quite a long time but nobody showed up. Eventually, he thundered, ¡°You goddamn lackeys! How dare you treat me like this! One day when I return to the capital city, I¡¯ll skin each and every one of you alive with my bare hands!¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who was sitting in his study, distantly heard the yelling from the wing-room and observed in a bland tone of voice, ¡°Let him be. I¡¯d pay to see him starve himself to death.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± the guard answered, feeling that Yuwen Qi had got his just deserts.


    Yuwen Qi cursed loudly for a long time, but there was still nobody coming to his service. Consumed with rage, he gave the table a kick and overturned it. ¡°Bastards!¡±


    Then he slumped down to the chair. His movement was so precipitous that it tensed his injured wrist, his face twisted with anguish. As he recalled that Yuwen Tong had wounded him for a man from an obscure family, the fury inside him went more unbearable. Realizing that he was under house arrest in this room where no help of any form was accessible to him, he nearly spat blood due to the rage.


    ¡®No. I can¡¯t just stay locked up here. I¡¯ve got to find a way out.¡¯


    Yuwen Qi fished a bamboo tube out of his pocket and stared at it for a while, a sneer on his face.


    ¡­


    At dusk, Ling Zhang finished dinner earlier than usual, roughly washed and then bade the servants to make preparations for the medicated bath.


    ¡°All necessary arrangements have been made according to your instructions. There should be rumors on the streets by tomorrow. Young Master¡­Young Master?¡±


    Puzzled, Xia Feng looked at Ling Zhang whose mind seemed to be wandering. There had been very few occasions when he saw Ling Zhang act like this, so he was somewhat surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master?¡±


    On hearing Xia Feng¡¯s voice, Ling Zhang collected his thoughts and hurriedly asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°All necessary arrangements have been made according to your instructions. There should be rumors on the streets by tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, ¡°I see. You¡¯ve done a good job.¡±


    With a worried look on his face, Xia Feng looked at him. ¡°Young Master, are you tired?¡±


    Cheeks burning slightly, Ling Zhang gave a soft cough and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You may leave.¡±


    Xia Feng was still somewhat concerned. ¡°Then call my name aloud if you need me. I¡¯ll be here immediately.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Just go.¡±


    Xia Feng watched Ling Zhang¡¯s face carefully for a few moments. Confirming that there was indeed nothing wrong, Xia Feng took his leave. Hot water for the medicated bath had to be prepared in advance, and two of Ling Zhang¡¯s servants were occupied with something else, so Xia Feng had to keep a watch on the fire.


    The moment Xia Feng left, Ling Zhang gave a gasp of relief and looked around. Seeing that there was nobody else nearby, he raised his hand and held his forehead. Lingering heat of the previous flush on his cheeks could still be felt.


    ¡®Yuwen Tong is such a brazen hooligan. Why did he say those shameless to me?¡¯ On the thought that he and Yuwen Tong would be half-naked in the same bathing pool in a while, Ling Zhang felt terribly uneasy.


    On the first two occasions when he took a medicated bath, he concentrated his mind on fighting against the pains caused by unblocking meridians, and he directly blacked out at the end of the process without any chance to see what Yuwen Tong was wearing. But during the last medicated bath, he didn¡¯t pass out, and he surprisedly saw that Yuwen Tong was wearing only a pair of shorts just like him!


    At that time he had no suspicions, believing that Yuwen Tong just didn¡¯t want to wet his clothes, but now¡­


    ¡°Put your coat on!¡±


    The whole bathroom was filled with billows of steam. Yuwen Tong began to undress the moment he entered. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyelids twitched involuntarily as he saw this. When Yuwen Tong was taking his coat off, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help yelling at him with alarm.


    Yuwen Tong paused, watching Ling Zhang who had been sitting in the bathing pool with almost his whole body in water for quite some time. ¡°Why? I¡¯d like it to stay dry.¡±


    He made this remark in a serious tone of voice, as if he really minded his clothes getting wet.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving you any particular reason. Just put it on.¡± Ling Zhang insisted.


    ¡°You¡¯re so difficult to deal with,¡± said Yuwen Tong, walking over with a resigned look on his face. He stepped into the pool full of medicated bathwater and stared at Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders and neck above the surface of the water with his keen, sparkling eyes.


    Beneath his gaze, Ling Zhang felt uneasy and couldn¡¯t help moving a step backwards in the pool. ¡°Where are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both men. The previous few times we did this, you were not so hard to get along with.¡±


    ¡®What a nerve.¡¯ Ling Zhang shot a dark glance at him. ¡°Stop playing dumb. You know what you said in the tea house that day.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyebrows slightly lifted. ¡°What did I say?¡±


    Ling Zhang clenched his teeth. ¡®Jerk.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch anywhere you¡¯re not supposed to or else I¡¯ll kick your ass.¡±


    Yuwen Tong could barely forbear to laugh. With a sulky look on his face, he observed, ¡°You¡¯re trying to gauge the heart of a gentleman with the mean measure of vile characters.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®This is the gentleman everybody¡¯s been talking about? Bah! He¡¯s nothing but a shameless hooligan.¡±


    ¡°Get over here. There¡¯s somewhere I have to go after unblocking your meridians,¡± urged Yuwen Tong, poker-faced.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    He turned around and moved to Yuwen Tong¡¯s side.


    Yuwen Tong stretched out his hands and held his shoulders.


    As if some kind of weird feeling had just swept over him, Ling Zhang felt a shiver from head to toe and let out a cry of alarm. ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    Taken aback by his overreaction, Yuwen Tong slapped him on the arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m trying to adjust your posture here.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me where I should move. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°With this uncooperative attitude of yours, you won¡¯t be able to get your posture right even if I give you half a day. Okay, it¡¯s done. Just sit cross-legged like this.¡±


    Yuwen Tong moved his hands off the shoulders of Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang relaxed slightly and sat cross-legged, but he could still feel Yuwen Tong¡¯s fervent gaze from behind.


    After a while, Yuwen Tong still didn¡¯t begin. Ling Zhang turned his head back and asked in surprise, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I need a moment to calm down.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®What did he mean?¡¯ Ling Zhang was puzzled.


    After a few moments, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get down to business. When we get started, get rid of all distracting thoughts and concentrate your mind on feeling my internal energy circulating in your meridians, which will prove helpful for you to comprehend the breathing exercises I¡¯m going to teach you in the future.¡±


    This time, Yuwen Tong¡¯s tone of voice was very sober, and Ling Zhang felt that the fervent gaze was no longer there.


    After a brief trance of surprise, Ling Zhang answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Unconsciously, he had also cooled down.


    ¡°Now collect your thoughts and concentrate your mind.¡±


    Sitting still, Ling Zhang adjusted his breathing and gradually got all distracting thoughts out of his mind. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    He had just finished the last word when Yuwen Tong pressed his palms against his back. Originally, he had thought that he would feel uneasy when Yuwen Tong¡¯s palms came into contact with his body, but to his surprise, he didn¡¯t feel anything special. And then a stream of warm internal energy slowly flew into him through the palms of Yuwen Tong. With this familiar feeling setting in, he quickly got into gear.


    On the three previous occasions when Yuwen Tong helped unblock Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians, he always cautiously kept his internal energy under control and circulated it in Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians at a low speed, but since his meridians had been considerably broadened after the three previous baths, this time the warm stream of internal energy was flowing rapidly and freely inside him, which was a very marvelous feeling.


    Following Yuwen Tong¡¯s instructions, Ling Zhang began to memorize the names of the acupoints that the stream had passed as well as the route of the circulation. Unconsciously, as the internal energy circulated inside him, his breathing gradually changed. The circulation of internal energy and his breathing were following the same pattern.


    Yuwen Tong, who had an uncommonly keen sense of hearing, noticed the change of Ling Zhang¡¯s breathing, a glimmer of smile in his eyes.


    ¡®Ling Zhang is indeed very smart. Some people need a long time to get the hang of this breathing exercise, but he began to slowly grasp the regularity in it in such a short time after concentrating his mind,¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought.


    Both of the two people were in deep concentration, attentively unblocking the meridians.


    Time passed by bit by bit. After two hours, the medicated bathwater gradually became clean. Ling Zhang¡¯s lower abdomen, where his Dantian was, felt comfortably warm, and his five senses had been enhanced significantly again. He could distinctly make out what the two servants beside the stove chamber were talking about.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him after withdrawing his internal energy.


    ¡°My Dantian feels very warm, and I can hear more distant sounds more clearly,¡± replied Ling Zhang delightedly. He had completely forgot those disagreements that he had had with Yuwen Tong previously.


    ¡°You were performing the special breathing exercise just now because of my internal energy inside you and the help of the medicine. That warm stuff you felt in your Dantian is a small amount of prototypical internal energy. It¡¯ll start to grow when you begin cultivating internal energy. You¡¯ll feel it by then.¡±


    On hearing that there was a small amount of prototypical internal energy in his Dantian, Ling Zhang rejoiced. He lowered his head to look at his abdomen, curiously stroking it.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes gradually changed as he watched Ling Zhang stroking his own belly. His composure was dissolving, his breathing growing heavy. Yuwen Tong decisively rose to his feet and left the bathing pool. ¡°Okay. Go outside and get some fresh air. Change clothes and have some rest.¡±


    Having heard him stand up, Ling Zhang turned around to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re going out now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger, right?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯ll be back by early morning.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want to investigate?¡±


    ¡°Just some tail-in work I have to handle. Yao Yi has already departed for the capital city. There are still some matters requiring my presence.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang any details because he didn¡¯t want him to worry, while Ling Zhang didn¡¯t persist with his questioning because he trusted Yuwen Tong. There was a kind of curious tacit agreement between the two.


    ¡°Well, then. Be careful. By the way, is it okay to lock Yuwen Qi up in a mere wing-room?¡±


    ¡°Some of my men are guarding him. Yuwen Qi is a known troublemaker. Don¡¯t go there, for your own sake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never do that,¡± responded Ling Zhang, affecting an affirmation he didn¡¯t feel. ¡®It¡¯s so strange. How did he come to know I want to talk to Yuwen Qi?¡¯ he wondered.


    Ling Zhang just intended to worm some information out of Yuwen Qi. Since Yuwen Qi had once said that the emperor wanted to betroth the princess to Yuwen Tong, he wanted to find out some details. Hopefully, he might be able to figure out a way to have Yuwen Tong cool down his fevered desire to marry him.


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him, the look in his eyes seeming to be suggesting ¨C ¡°It¡¯s written right on your face.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched, and he got a feeling that Yuwen Tong was like a devil capable of reading people¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Fine. I promise I won¡¯t go there. Just go and do what you¡¯ve got to do lest anything be delayed.¡±


    Yuwen Tong picked up his clothes, turned around and left the bathroom.


    When Yuwen Tong was out of sight, Ling Zhang walked out of the bathing pool, intending to quickly ran to his bedroom to get changed.


    Unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong abruptly returned and Ling Zhang, who was just about to exit the bathroom, ran squarely into him. Yuwen Tong instantly held him in his arms.

 Chapter 104 - The Second Verbal Duel with Yuwen Qi

    Chapter 104: The Second Verbal Duel with Yuwen Qi


    Ling Zhang ran so fast that he failed to notice the sudden appearance of Yuwen Tong, while Yuwen Tong had never expected that Ling Zhang would abruptly hurtle out of the bathroom. Thus the two people bumped against each other.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Ling Zhang held his nose and gasped. Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest was as hard as rock and caused him great pain.


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Yuwen Tong tossed the clothes in his hands aside, held Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder with one hand and raised Ling Zhang¡¯s chin with the other, scrutinizing his nose. Seeing that Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes had gone red and there were even tears, Yuwen Tong knew that this bump must have been pretty hard.


    ¡°You ¡­ Hiss¡­ Why did you suddenly come back?!¡± Ling Zhang asked with a heavy nasal accent.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡± Yuwen Tong stared at Ling Zhang, painfully concerned. ¡°Don¡¯t hold it. Let me see whether you got hurt.¡±


    Ling Zhang shot him a dark glance and moved his hand off his nose.


    After checking his nose carefully, Yuwen Tong breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Your nose is okay. It¡¯s just a little red. The pain should go away in a short while. Why did you rush out so abruptly? Was there an emergency?¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that I might catch a cold, so I ran very quick,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Since this incident had happened so fast, it was not until this moment that Yuwen Tong observed that Ling Zhang was merely wearing a pair of water-soaked shorts. His face instantly darkened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you grab that blanket?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Ling Zhang told a thinly disguised lie.


    Yuwen Tong knitted his eyebrows and made way for Ling Zhang. ¡°Go to your bedroom. Hurry!¡±


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for that you suddenly came back and bumped into me, I would have been in my bedroom for some time now. Yet you still have the nerve to yell at me?¡¯ he thought angrily.


    Ling Zhang walked back to his bedroom. Seeing Yuwen Tong following him, he asked, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to talk to you about. Go and change clothes first.¡±


    Ling Zhang stood speechless.


    Silently, he took some clean clothes and went behind a screen to change.


    While changing, he asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°What is it that you want to talk with me about?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll join you for breakfast. Wait for me to come back.¡±


    ¡®So this trifle was why he came back and almost hurt my nose?¡¯ Ling Zhang could barely forbear to curse.


    ¡°I have to go now.¡± Probably having sensed that Ling Zhang was on the verge of beating him up, Yuwen Tong made this remark and left.


    After getting changed, Ling Zhang walked out and was somewhat amazed to find that Yuwen Tong was gone. ¡®He really left?¡¯


    Suspicious, he went to the outer room and looked around. Confirming that Yuwen Tong had really left, he heaved a soft sigh of relief, as if that bump had caused him some kind of psychological shadow.


    But he still had an inexplicable feeling that something was not right, and for the first time, it struck him that this house he had been living in was somewhat too spacious.


    In the Green Bamboo Mansion next door, Yuwen Tong, who had just changed clean clothes, intended to leave. Before leaving, he asked, ¡°Why is Yuwen Qi so quiet?¡±


    The guard answered, ¡°His wrist aches, so he doesn¡¯t have the strength to make any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°Keep a close watch on him. Don¡¯t be careless.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    After a brief pause, Yuwen Tong added, ¡°If by any chance Ling Zhang comes here and requires a meeting with Yuwen Qi, you¡­ Never mind. If he wants to do this, don¡¯t stop him, but remember to offer him help if he needs any. Don¡¯t let Yuwen Qi get the best of him.¡±


    The guard was surprised but still responded quickly, ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    It was not until these arrangements had been made that Yuwen Tong appeared slightly satisfied and left the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    Ling Zhang stealthily came to the Green Bamboo Mansion only a few moments after Yuwen Tong left. First, he tentatively called, ¡°Yuwen Tong.¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Childe Ling, I¡¯m afraid Marshal is not in.¡± A guard in black suddenly craned beyond the edge of the rooftop.


    Taken aback by his appearance, Ling Zhang somewhat embarrassedly gave a soft cough. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°May I ask if there is any particular issue that you came here to talk with Marshal about? Would you like me to take a message?¡± asked the guard in black, watching Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang waved his hand. ¡°Nothing special. I¡¯m just taking a walk.¡±


    The guard in black grunted, ¡°Oh.¡± Then he returned to his original position, thinking, ¡®Marshal¡¯s guess was right. Childe Ling did come here.¡¯


    Ling Zhang, who was ¡°taking a walk¡±, gradually approached the wing-room. Seeing this, the guard in black on the rooftop mumbled, ¡°Unbelievable. He¡¯s really here for Yuwen Qi.¡±


    The candlelight in the room was not very bright. Yuwen Qi was lying in bed. Ling Zhang had no idea whether he was asleep or not.


    Ling Zhang deliberately made his footsteps more detectable but Yuwen Qi still made no reaction.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡®Is he really asleep?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Beat it.¡± Yuwen Qi abruptly spoke.


    Ling Zhang sneered, ¡°Yuwen Qi, didn¡¯t you try to threaten me? Is there any chance you¡¯ve already given up?¡±


    Yuwen Qi immediately opened his eyes and flintily looked in the direction of the doorway. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    He sat up from the bed and sneered, ¡°You think you have my cousin at your back, so you came here to swagger before me? Ling Zhang, has it ever crossed your mind that you¡¯re courting death by doing this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re locked up in my place. Actually, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that you¡¯re a prisoner. Are you sure you still want to act so arrogantly?¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    ¡°A prisoner? You really think my cousin is going to punish me? Well, I can¡¯t really blame you, a guy who was born in an impoverished family, for being so ignorant.¡± Yuwen Qi sized up Ling Zhang, as if Ling Zhang was a hateful sight that would dirty his eyes. ¡°As a man, you actually stoop so low as to compete against women for a man. What makes you think you stand a chance of winning? Attractive looks? Good figure? Noble identity? High status? You have none of these, which is why spending your whole life in this God-forsaken shitty place is exactly what you deserve, yet you¡¯re stupid enough to have the fond hope of marrying into Yuwen family?¡±


    These words didn¡¯t arouse the faintest twitch of anger or any other emotion whatsoever in Ling Zhang, since he had already heard of these words in his last life. Compared with what he had been through in his last incarnation, these remarks were nothing.


    However¡­


    He intentionally put on an angry face and glared at Yuwen Tong. ¡°There¡¯s an engagement between me and Yuwen Tong, which is undeniable.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang ¡°got angry¡±, Yuwen Qi was very pleased. ¡°That engagement is nothing. Do you have any idea how many ladies from noble families are eager to marry my cousin? Even if we stand by, as long as word spreads out, numerous people will take action to force you into breaking off the engagement. You really believe that engagement paper is something you can rely on? What an uneducated clodhopper.¡±


    ¡°Ladies from noble families?¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s also a princess. What¡¯s wrong with your tone? You¡¯re scared?¡±


    Ling Zhang was eager to roll his eyes but still said, ¡°You can¡¯t fool me. Whether the princess wants to marry him or not won¡¯t make any difference. We are already engaged to be married. Even His Majesty cannot inflict arbitrary interference on this. Is he not afraid to become the laughing stock of the whole world?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so naive. Who would care about that engagement if you¡¯re dead? Eradicating Ling family is as easy as blowing away a speck of dust for us,¡± replied Yuwen Qi, a venomous look on his face.


    Ling Zhang secretly frowned. It suddenly occurred to him that, in his last incarnation, people of Yuwen family were fully aware that Ling family was confronted with a crisis of life and death, that Ling family would be thrown into everlasting perdition if the engagement was broken off, but they still chose to end it. ¡®Is there any chance that Yuwen Qi was telling the truth? That there was someone behind that misfortune who was only too anxious to see me die immediately?¡¯ he wondered.


    The more time Ling Zhang spent with Yuwen Tong, the better he was aware of what Yuwen Tong was capable of. Having the whole Northwestern Army at his command, Yuwen Tong might even be able to usurp the throne if he wanted to. The very reason why Zhang Chong feared to launch an attack on Ling family at that crucial juncture in his last life was because of his engagement to Yuwen Tong. Once he actually married Yuwen Tong, neither Zhang Chong nor Imperial Concubine Shu nor the Sixth Prince would dare to cause him any harm. At least Ling family would have the power to fight back against them instead of being powerless to resist.


    But people of Yuwen family ¨C or Yuwen Zhi¡¯s men, to be precise ¨C arrived too soon. The moment they declared the annulment of the engagement, Zhang Chong immediately took action, as if he was afraid that undue delay might bring trouble.


    This was why Yuwen family broke off the engagement in his last life but merely came here to threaten him in his current incarnation¡­


    Because this matter had already come to the knowledge of Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened. Coldly staring at Yuwen Qi, he suddenly found that his determination to break off his engagement to Yuwen Tong was no longer as firm as it always had been.


    But Yuwen Qi mistakenly believed that Ling Zhang was scared. He added, ¡°Here¡¯s my advice for you, Ling Zhang. Break off the engagement on your own account, if you wish to live.¡±


    The guard in black crouching on the rooftop was unaware of what was on Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, but he felt that Ling Zhang had been at a disadvantage from the very beginning during his verbal duel with Yuwen Qi. ¡®How can I stand by and watch this happening? My task is to protect Childe Ling and make sure that Yuwen Qi doesn¡¯t bully him.¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Qi, I¡¯ll tell Marshal each and every word that you just said. Shut your mouth if you don¡¯t want to be beaten to death by Marshal.¡±


    ¡°You goddamn lackey. Are you blind? Have you any idea who your master is?!¡±


    ¡°My master is Marshal. Childe Ling is Marshal¡¯s wife-to-be, which means he is also my master-to-be. You¡¯re neither of these.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang, however, was somewhat amazed. ¡®It turns out that Yuwen Tong¡¯s guards see me this way?¡¯


    ¡°Childe Ling, don¡¯t fall for Yuwen Qi¡¯s shit. Marshal got your back and nobody dares to lay hands on Ling family, not even His Majesty,¡± said the guard in black, thinking, ¡®So just say ¡®yes¡¯ to Marshal and cling on to him for shelter, Childe Ling!¡¯


    Ling Zhang was indeed swayed. ¡®Don¡¯t those people want me dead? Their disappointment is certain. It¡¯s true that Zhang Chong and Jia family are hateful, but aren¡¯t these people hateful as well?!¡¯


    The reason why he hadn¡¯t cared much about his engagement to Yuwen Tong before this day was because he could console himself that the man his grandfather had rescued was an ungrateful bastard, but now, it came to his knowledge that there had been so many hidden facts behind the annulment of his engagement to Yuwen Tong in his last life, that he had been blaming Yuwen Tong wrongly all along, that he hadn¡¯t even figured out whom he was supposed to hate. Anger surged through him.


    ¡®I was so stupid.¡¯


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth tightened, his fists clenched.


    ¡°Childe Ling?¡± Seeing that Ling Zhang had stood there silently for such a long time, the guard mistakenly believed that Yuwen Qi¡¯s words had hurt his feelings. He hurriedly consoled him, ¡°Childe Ling, it¡¯s totally unnecessary for you to mind Yuwen Qi¡¯s remarks. Just take his words as bullshit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s foul,¡± replied Ling Zhang abruptly.


    ¡°What?¡± The guard was puzzled.


    Ling Zhang turned around and was just about to leave when suddenly a weird odor was smelled. He paused and twisted his head back to look at Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°What are you looking at? If you¡¯re scared, break off the engagement.¡± Yuwen Qi coldly looked back at him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes swept through Yuwen Qi from head to toe. He was rather suspicious. There was a strange, fishy smell just now. It was faint but he was positive that he had smelled it. The medicinal jade he wore before his chest happened to give off a very light herbal smell which negated that fishy one.


    ¡®What kind of weird thing is Yuwen Qi carrying?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at you because you¡¯re uncommonly ugly,¡± replied Ling Zhang flintily. Then he turned his head back and left the doorway of the wing-room.


    ¡°You!¡± Angered, Yuwen Qi smacked his fist onto the bed.


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± He took out the bamboo tube from behind him and stroked the plug. ¡°Tonight Yuwen Tong will surely be absent. Otherwise that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to come here. This is the perfect opportunity I need¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, after walking out of the sight of Yuwen Qi, Ling Zhang informed the guard, ¡°Yuwen Qi is carrying something weird on him. I think it¡¯s some kind of poisonous creature.¡±


    The guard was taken aback. ¡°Poisonous creature? Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I smelled a disgusting fishy odor. If it were harmless, my¡­ Just be careful.¡±


    Believing that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t slander anybody, the guard replied seriously, ¡°I will. Thank you for reminding me, Childe Ling. By the way, Childe Ling, don¡¯t ever believe any of Yuwen Qi¡¯s bullshit. Don¡¯t be fooled by him.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled. ¡°I know. Just now I was merely trying to worm some information out of him. Those words of his were nothing to me and caused me no harm. Okay. I have to go now. If Yuwen Tong comes back¡­ Uh¡­ Never mind. He definitely has already guessed that I would come here to talk to Yuwen Qi.¡±

 Chapter 105 - A Fright Inflicted on Jia Family

    After hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s reply, the guard wondered in astonishment, ¡®How did Childe Ling come to say the same thing that Marshal once said? They¡¯ve already developed such amazing tacit agreement even though they haven¡¯t got married yet?¡¯


    Silently, he reached out his hand and held his chest where the heart was, feeling as if his heart had just suffered some kind of damage.


    The guard followed Ling Zhang with his eyes until he was out of range. Then he returned to his original position outside the wing-room to resume his guard duty. To be on the safe side, he scattered some medicinal powder over his body to prevent unwanted contact with any poisonous bugs, poisonous snakes or poisonous ants.


    As the night got darker, quietness gradually descended on Tanyang.


    In Jia family.


    ¡°Master, Mistress Liu is in one of her moods again. Do you want to go there and talk to her?¡± the butler of Jia family cautiously asked Jia Yin.


    ¡°Will she never stop making trouble?!¡± There were strips of white cloth everywhere in the mansion, which had been causing Jia Yin¡¯s eyes suffering. As a result, comforting a woman was the last thing he wanted to do. Moreover, he had never really liked Liu Chengfang very much. He had threatened to make her his concurrent wife merely to anger Mrs. Jia. Taking Liu Chengfang into this family as his concubine had been an unavoidable choice. He remembered vividly that Ling Zhaowen was the reason why Liu Chengfang showed up in the tavern that day. The very thought of Ling Zhaowen stirred his dislike for Liu Chengfang.


    ¡°Tell her she¡¯ll end up in a temple if she doesn¡¯t stop the madness right now!¡±


    The butler of Jia family obediently answered ¡°Yes¡± in a muted voice. Then he went to Liu Chengfang¡¯s place and delivered the message but was abused by the furious woman and forced out of the house by her servants.


    ¡°Bah! This bitch really regards herself as a mistress now. She needs to be taught a lesson.¡±


    Consumed with anger, the butler of Jia family returned to Jia Yin¡¯s dwelling and dramatized Liu Chengfang¡¯s reaction to Jia Yin¡¯s words. Infuriated, Jia Yin directly grounded Liu Chengfang.


    ¡°Go and find out where Master is spending the night,¡± Mrs. Jia said to a maidservant beside her. Though the death of her son had come as a terrible blow to her, she still wanted to stay informed of which woman her husband favored.


    The maidservant hurriedly left and made some inquiries. Before long, she came back and reported to Mrs. Jia the news of Liu Chengfang being grounded, and then added, ¡°Master didn¡¯t go anywhere. He¡¯s sleeping in his own room.¡±


    On hearing that Liu Chengfang had been grounded, Mrs. Jia coldly gave a snort. ¡°That bitch got her just deserts.¡±


    In the knowledge that Jia Yin was not with any women that night, Mrs. Jia believed she would have a sound sleep. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, a sudden commotion was heard in the mansion.


    ¡°Mistress! Mistress!¡± Mrs. Jia¡¯s maidservant urgently ran into the room, calling her. ¡°Something happened to Master. You need to go there immediately.¡±


    Taken aback, Mrs. Jia hurriedly got up. ¡°What happened to Master?¡±


    ¡°The butler said that Master had blebs all over, that it seemed like¡­ like smallpox!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Mrs. Jia was transfixed with horror, her face deathly pale. Then she shrieked, ¡°Smallpox?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no confirmed diagnosis for the moment. The butler has already sent for a physician!¡± The maidservant was also scared.


    On hearing this, Mrs. Jia had a fleeting blackout. ¡°Hel¨CHelp me get up. Let¡¯s go and hear the physician¡¯s opinion.¡±


    The maidservant hastily helped Mrs. Jia get up and get changed. Then they hurried towards the dwelling of Jia Yin.


    The whole Jia family was shocked by the incident. Everybody was afraid to get close to Jia Yin¡¯s dwelling. The butler of Jia family was also horrified. Legs trembling, he invited a physician over but didn¡¯t dare to enter Jia Yin¡¯s bedroom for fear of being infected with the disease.


    Wearing thick attire, mouth and nose covered, the physician went into Jia Yin¡¯s room.


    Agonized screeches of Jia Yin occasionally came from inside.


    Mrs. Jia gripped the hand of her maidservant, wavering between going in and staying outside. Eventually, she chose not to take the risk, her face wild with ill-concealed terror.


    After quite a while, the physician walked out of the room, took off his outerwear, burnt it and then observed, ¡°What Master Jia developed doesn¡¯t seem like smallpox. It¡¯s more like he got bitten by some kind of poisonous bug or ant. The blebs on him are going red and swollen and festering. I¡¯ll prescribe Master Jia some medicine and prepare some ointment. Then we¡¯ll have to wait and see how it works.¡±


    The physician¡¯s words slightly eased the concern of Mrs. Jia and others, but they still didn¡¯t dare to enter Jia Yin¡¯s room. After all, even the physician wasn¡¯t a-hundred-percent sure that it was not smallpox. What if it was indeed smallpox? They could get infected and die if they took the risk.


    At last, it was the butler who was forced to go inside. The moment he entered, Jia Yin angrily swore at him. ¡°You cheap lackey! Are you really so afraid of death?! I¡¯ll have you meet it right now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. I¡¯m really sorry. Just now I went to the physician¡¯s. I was too occupied to spare a moment to come here.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mistress!¡±


    ¡°Mis¨CMistress is outside.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to come in here!¡±


    ¡°Ye¨CYes, Master!¡± The butler rejoiced at the instruction and immediately ran out of the room to inform Mrs. Jia. ¡°Mistress, Master requires your presence.¡±


    ¡°What? I¨CI¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯ll just stay here. You people go,¡± replied Mrs. Jia hesitantly.


    The butler instantly saw through Mrs. Jia¡¯s thinly disguised excuse. But if Mrs. Jia didn¡¯t go inside, he would have to enter the room again, which was against his wish to stay alive.


    ¡°Mistress, Master said that he needed to see you. Maybe you should go in and tell this to Master yourself. Only in this way will my task be deemed fulfilled.¡±


    Mrs. Jia tightened her grip on her handkerchief. ¡®Son of a bitch! He dare to pressurize me with Master¡¯s authority!¡¯


    The maidservant grabbed Mrs. Jia¡¯s hand and shook her head vigorously, begging her not to go into the room.


    ¡°Mistress, please hurry. Master is waiting for you.¡± The butler deliberately raised his voice to make himself heard by Jia Yin who was in the room.


    Unsurprisingly, Jia Yin heard the butler¡¯s words and, in the knowledge that his wife was unwilling to go into the room, thundered, ¡°Fang shi! Get your ass in here immediately or see yourself disowned!¡±


    Such was the rage of Jia Yin that he actually threatened to repudiate Mrs. Jia.


    Mrs. Jia felt a shiver of fear run through her, her face ghastly pale.


    ¡°Mistress, the physician said that Master¡¯s illness didn¡¯t seem like smallpox. Maybe you should have faith in the physician.¡± Eventually, an old wet nurse walked up to Mrs. Jia, trying to console her.


    The fear on Mrs. Jia¡¯s face dissolved somewhat. She replied, ¡°You are right. It can¡¯t be smallpox.¡±


    Quaking in her shoes, Mrs. Jia stepped into Jia Yin¡¯s bedroom and saw that Jia Yin was lying in bed, his clothes undone. The sight of his chest covered with red, swollen, festering blebs struck horror into her heart, leaving her too afraid to take another glance at him. ¡°Ma¨CMaster, I was supervising the physician prescribing medicine for you just now. I came here immediately when it was done. The physician has already confirmed that you were just bitten by some poisonous bug. He said that you would recover soon after drinking the medicine and applying the unguent.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you standing there for? Get your ass over here and clean my body.¡± Jia Yin stared fixedly at Mrs. Jia.


    The very sight of those blebs gave Mrs. Jia goose pimples. Step by step, she moved closer to the bed, her lips twitching involuntarily. ¡°Someone get some hot water here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I¡¯ll clean your body after the servant brings hot water here.¡±


    As Jia Yin saw her walking over to the bed, the anger on his face was allayed and he slowly loosened his grip on the quilt.


    Those blebs on Jia Yin were both itchy and painful, filling him with fright. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so insistent that Mrs. Jia come inside.


    News that Jia Yin¡¯s body was covered with blebs spread very quick. Since people of Jia family made a lot noises when they were anxiously looking for physicians and informing other people of the situation, this matter came to the knowledge of all residents nearby.


    Mrs. Lin had been waiting all along. The Zi Hour (23:00-01:00) was almost over, yet there was still no news. She couldn¡¯t help asking Lin Yuan, ¡°My dear, why is there still no news? Was Childe Ling by any chance just joking with us?¡±


    Lin Yuan was more patient than his wife. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. It¡¯s midnight. Even if anything does happen, news of it won¡¯t spread here so soon. Since Childe Ling made those remarks, he must have done something. He had no reason to fool us.¡±


    After hearing this, Mrs. Lin calmed down. When word came that something had happened in Jia family, she immediately sent someone to stake out the gateway of Jia family¡¯s messuage to find out details about it.


    The servant was a clever man. When he saw those physicians hastily going in and out of the mansion, he knew that there must have been some kind of emergency, though he had no idea exactly what it was. He returned and reported everything he had seen to Lin Yuan and Mrs. Lin in detail.


    ¡°They sent for physicians so urgently. Do you think Jia Yin was¨C¡± Mrs. Lin¡¯s face paled somewhat.


    Lin Yuan knew what she was going to say. He interrupted her, ¡°He wasn¡¯t. If the plan were to kill him, Childe Ling wouldn¡¯t have told us about it. He would have done it covertly.¡±


    Mrs. Lin gave a bob of the head. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, my dear. I wonder exactly what it was that had happened.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until tomorrow morning. Definite news should have spread out by then,¡± Lin Yuan replied calmly.


    ¡®Since there has indeed been an incident in Jia family, Childe Ling¡¯s plan must have turned out to be a success. He kept his word. All we have to do is show patience and wait until tomorrow morning to find out what has happened,¡¯ Mrs. Lin thought.


    A faint smile appeared on her face. ¡°Infliction of suffering of any form on people of Jia family would be a comfort to me.¡±


    Lin Yuan shared the feeling of his wife. Anybody who got beaten up by people of Jia family for no good reason would harbor hatred towards them.


    Ling Zhang was also waiting for the news.


    After midnight, Qiu Bing quietly came to Ling Zhang¡¯s dwelling.


    Seeing him show up at such a late hour of the night, Xia Feng, who was on night duty, asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Supervisor Xia, please inform Young Master that the job is done,¡± said Qiu Bing in an undertone.


    Xia Feng was slightly surprised, but judging from the look on Qiu Bing¡¯s face, it was obvious that Ling Zhang knew Qiu Bing would return at this hour, so he walked inside, woke Ling Zhang up and delivered the message.


    Ling Zhang, who was woken up from a light sleep, replied, ¡°Let Qiu Bing in.¡±


    Xia Feng walked outside and led Qiu Bing into the room. Qiu Bing reported with a delighted face, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s done. Jia Yin did develop that disease. Physician Lin¡¯s method proved amazingly effective.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Keep this matter to yourself. The assistance Physician Lin offered us shall stay secret. Make sure it is known to nobody else.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Rest assured, Young Master. I¡¯ll button up my mouth,¡± Qiu Bing promised.


    ¡°People of Jia family hastily sent for a physician. I sneaked into the mansion and eavesdropped on them for half a night. They did believe that Jia Yin developed smallpox. Everybody there was scared shitless and the situation nearly went out of control. But that physician was pretty good. He managed to find out that it was not smallpox. Currently, most people of Jia family have regained their composure.¡± There was manifest disappointment in Qiu Bing¡¯s tone of voice when he was making the last remark.


    ¡°Smallpox is fatal and highly infectious. It¡¯s very likely that news of this matter would bring the whole city into panic, which is exactly what we need. Jia Yin will be confined to bed for quite some time. Tomorrow, word will get out and Zhang Chong is bound to take immediate action. The mine would have changed hands when Jia Yin recovers from the disease.¡±


    ¡°Will Jia Yin reconcile himself to that?¡±


    ¡°Of course he won¡¯t, but what could he possibly do about it? By no means will Zhang Chong be stupid enough to have his men storm into the mine and take it by force. He will definitely make up some excuse. Let¡¯s just wait and see. Jia family is going to suffer.¡±


    Qiu Bing nodded in delight. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Go. Have some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    After seeing Qiu Bing out of the dwelling, Xia Feng returned and asked, ¡°Young Master, will Zhang Chong really do that?¡±


    ¡°He will,¡± affirmed Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 106 - I Accept Your Invitation to the Capital City

    Chapter 106: I Accept Your Invitation to the Capital City


    Before dawn the next day, when most residents of Tangyang were still asleep, Yuwen Tong returned.


    As soon as he showed up in the mansion, the guard informed him of Ling Zhang¡¯s talk with Yuwen Qi the night before. Yuwen Tong wondered after hearing the message, ¡®To what end did Ling Zhang ask Yuwen Qi those questions?¡¯


    ¡°How was his expression last night?¡±


    ¡°Childe Ling said that he just wanted to worm some information out of Yuwen Qi. The look on his face was normal, but when he left the wing-room, he seemed a little angry.¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought for a while and went into his room to change. Then he walked out and asked, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Then Childe Ling returned to his place. Before leaving, he told me that there was something weird about Yuwen Qi, that he had smelled some kind of disgusting fishy odor. He suspected that Yuwen Qi was carrying some poisonous creature on him. I kept a close watch on Yuwen Qi outside the room for a whole night but have noticed nothing suspicious so far.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s movements briefly paused. Then he turned around, went to the wing-room and directly kicked the door open.


    The door of the wing-room swung open with a loud bang. Yuwen Qi, who was still sleeping, was taken aback. ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong walked up to him, dragged Yuwen Qi out of the bed and said to the guard, ¡°Come here and search him.¡±


    Startled, Yuwen Qi yelled, ¡°Why are you doing this to me, cousin!¡±


    Regardless of Yuwen Qi¡¯s efforts to resist, the guard forcibly searched him. Apart from some money, a pouch and an official seal, there was also a bamboo tube.


    As soon as the bamboo tube was revealed, an extremely faint, fishy smell emanated from it.


    The guard was instantly on the alert. ¡°Marshal.¡±


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes went cold. He took the bamboo tube and asked Yuwen Qi, ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±


    Beads of cold sweat seeped out of the forehead of Yuwen Qi. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just a bamboo tube. I¨CI use it to contain letters.¡±


    ¡°Letters?¡± Yuwen Tong smiled wryly and then unplugged the tube.


    ¡°Be careful, Marshal!¡± the guard hurriedly reminded him.


    Unexpectedly, there was nothing in the tube. It was empty.


    Yuwen Qi observed immediately, ¡°I told you I use it to contain letters. There¡¯s nothing special about it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised the tube to his nose, took a sniff and then said with a cold, sullen look, ¡°Snake.¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s countenance changed. He couldn¡¯t believe that Yuwen Tong actually found out by merely taking a sniff.


    ¡°Snake? What are you talking about, cousin? You can¡¯t wrong me like this!¡±


    ¡°What did you send it to do?¡± Yuwen Tong stared fixedly at him.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t send out any snake.¡± Yuwen Qi briefly rolled his eyes sideways and added, ¡°It¡¯s just that this bamboo tube was once soaked in special medicine to make it poisonous, so that only people who have ingested the antidote beforehand can take the letter out of it without being poisoned. It¡¯s for the sake of confidentiality. I got this tube before coming to Tanyang and carried it on me in case I need it in an emergency.¡±


    His explanation aroused the guard¡¯s suspicions. ¡®Is he by any chance telling the truth? After all, there are indeed people who would adopt this kind of method to keep their letters safe.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t even believe a single word of Yuwen Qi, but due to the absence of any definite proof, he couldn¡¯t mete out any punishment to Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°If you dare to play any tricks, or hinder my plan, or hurt any of my men, I will not let you get away with it, even though I¡¯ve made a promise to my father that I would take care of you. Yuwen Qi, you¡¯d better behave yourself. Don¡¯t test me.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, I really didn¡¯t do anything. I made those remarks yesterday because I feared that you might force me out of Tanyang. Why on earth would I want to ruin your plan? And I won¡¯t stoop so low as to harm that Ling Zhang either,¡± responded Yuwen Qi immediately.


    ¡°Is that so? Then how did you find out that I¡¯m dealing with Zhang Chong?¡± asked Yuwen Tong, staring at him.


    Yuwen Qi fumbled awkwardly for words. Seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s darkening face, he didn¡¯t dare to hide the truth any longer. ¡°I heard about the feud between Ling family and Zhang Chong the first day I arrived in Tanyang. Ori¨COriginally, I had intended to take a glimpse at Zhang Chong and see what he looked like, but after I entered the Prefecture Encampment, I accidentally found that one of your guards was covertly staking out that place.¡±


    The guard was taken aback by Yuwen Qi¡¯s words. ¡®How¡¯s this possible? One of us got spotted by Yuwen Qi but has been oblivious of it all along. And that person also failed to notice Yuwen Qi¡¯s appearance in the Prefecture Encampment.¡±


    ¡°You went there with the intention to have Zhang Chong deal with Ling family, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Yuwen Tong flintily.


    Under great pressure from Yuwen Tong, Yuwen Qi instantly broke out in a sweat. ¡°To what end would I do that? Although I believe you are way out of Ling Zhang¡¯s league. I will never do that kind of thing. You misunderstood me, cousin. I was just curious as to what kind of man Zhang Chong is and why he came into conflict with Ling family.¡±


    ¡°What else did you find apart from these?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Nothing else.¡± Yuwen Qi quickly shook his head. ¡°I realized the reason why you¡¯d been spying on Zhang Chong must be that you were trying to deal with him, so I didn¡¯t dare to conduct any further investigation for fear of compromising your plan.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to Ling family to meet me at the very beginning?¡± Yuwen Tong asked another question. ¡°Was threatening Ling Zhang in private part of your original plan?¡±


    Yuwen Qi was startled. ¡°Of course not. It was after my arrival in Tanyang that I came to know your presence in Tanyang was a secret. It greatly surprised me, which was why I didn¡¯t come to Ling family immediately.¡±


    Yuwen Tong coldly gave a snort. ¡°Stay here and behave yourself.¡±


    After having the guard release his grip on Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Tong left the wing-room.


    The guard locked the door and followed in Yuwen Tong¡¯s wake. ¡°Marshal, was Childe Qi telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°You tell me,¡± replied Yuwen Tong coldly.


    ¡®It was in a covert manner that Yuwen Qi came to Tanyang, so his intention was no doubt to lay threat on Ling family and put an end to this engagement. Anything suggesting otherwise is bullshit,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°I think he wasn¡¯t. He came to covertly threat Ling family,¡± said the guard.


    ¡°Your stupidity is not incurable,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    The guard gave a soft cough. ¡°But Marshal, it has already come to Childe Qi¡¯s knowledge that you¡¯re preparing to deal with Zhang Chong. If by any chance he discloses this¡­¡±


    ¡°Judging from his previous remarks, it has been only two or three days since his arrival in Tanyang. Even if he saw something, he couldn¡¯t have inferred much from it. As regards potential disclosure, worries about it are totally unnecessary. When Zhang Chong¡¯s conspiracy is brought to light, will there be a single person in the capital city who will remain unaware I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been conducting behind-the-scenes investigation?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± answered the guard. ¡°I was being foolish.¡±


    ¡°Then, that bamboo tube¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong halted, turned around and looked at him. ¡°Spare a couple of detoxifier pills.¡±


    The guard immediately produced five detoxifier pills, put them into a little porcelain phial and handed the phial to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong took the little porcelain phial and walked out of courtyard, heading straight next door.


    Ling Zhang, who had just got up as well, was bidding Xia Feng to tell servants in the kitchen to prepare breakfast when he saw Yuwen Tong coming.


    ¡®He came so early. The breakfast isn¡¯t ready yet.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    Ling Zhang nodded. Seeing that Yuwen Tong was wearing dry clothes, he came to realize that Yuwen Tong had changed clothes before coming. ¡°So how did it go? Was there any trouble?¡±


    ¡°So far so good. Everything¡¯s going as planned.¡± Yuwen Tong entered Ling Zhang¡¯s room, sat down, fished out the porcelain phial and put it on the table. ¡°There are five detoxifier pills in the phial. Keep one and give the other four to your grandfather and others.¡±


    ¡°Detoxifier pills?¡± Ling Zhang was confused about why Yuwen Tong gave him detoxifier pills.


    ¡°The poisonous creature carried by Yuwen Qi has gone. It should be a venomous snake. I don¡¯t know what his intention is, so keep these detoxifier pills, just in case.¡±


    On hearing that the poisonous creature carried by Yuwen Qi was gone, Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows. Since the person Yuwen Qi worked for didn¡¯t want him to marry Yuwen Tong, it was not impossible that he or she would resort to dirty tricks to take his life. Therefore, he put away the porcelain phial. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him.


    Ling Zhang gave a cough in the knowledge that he had just displeased Yuwen Tong with that remark ¡°Thanks¡± once again. ¡°I¡¯ll deliver these to my grandfather and others later.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I know Yuwen Qi is definitely an eyesore, but I can¡¯t evict him right away,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I understand. He¡¯s locked up anyway. The worst thing he could possibly do is swear, which won¡¯t really bother me,¡± said Ling Zhang, slightly lowering his eyes to conceal the cold look in them.


    ¡®In this incarnation, they haven¡¯t got the opportunity to do that yet, and I¡¯ll make sure they never get one,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°You once said that you wanted to invite me to the capital city. Is that offer still available?¡± Ling Zhang raised his eyes to look at Yuwen Tong and asked in earnest.


    A delighted look unnoticeably flashed across the eyes of Yuwen Tong. ¡°Sure. It¡¯ll always be available.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. After all these matters are handled in Tanyang, I¡¯ll go with you to the capital city,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    The day before, he spent the whole night contemplating and eventually he made up his mind. Since those people resorted to every expedient to kill him in his last incarnation, he wanted to go to the capital city and make life difficult for each and every one of them in this life. Besides, even if he chose to let it go, there was no guarantee that those people would do the same. Only by removing all threats would he find peace of mind.


    Yuwen Tong had no idea why Ling Zhang had suddenly come to this decision, but he was positive that it had something to do with those remarks made by Yuwen Qi.


    ¡®Exactly which words made Ling Zhang change his mind?¡¯


    ¡°Do you know what it means to go to the capital city with me?¡± Yuwen Tong fixed Ling Zhang with a stare, a meaningful look in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang felt a fleeting twitch of alarm. ¡°I do.¡±


    Acceptance of Yuwen Tong¡¯s invitation to go to the capital city was synonymous with approval for continuing his engagement to Yuwen Tong.


    Watching him with deep eyes, Yuwen Tong suddenly rose to his feet and drew Ling Zhang to him. Putting an arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, he raised Ling Zhang¡¯s chin with the other hand, quickly lowered his head and landed a kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s soft and rosy lips.


    Ling Zhang was dragged over to him and held tightly. The tender touch on his lips was different from the ones he had had during the previous two kisses. This time, Yuwen Tong was really kissing him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body involuntarily tensed. His hands were stiff for quite a while before he could reach them out and grab the front of Yuwen Tong¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°If you give me your word, there¡¯s no coming back.¡± After a while, Yuwen Tong let go of Ling Zhang and made this remark.


    Ling Zhang panted for a while and swallowed hard. Yuwen Tong¡¯s gaze froze his blood. Just for an instant he felt an urge to give up, but he never shrank from doing what he had made up his mind to do. ¡°I never go back on my word.¡±


    The fervency in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes instantly deepened significantly. He put his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist again and pinned Ling Zhang tightly against him with great force. With his lips within an inch of touching Ling Zhang¡¯s, he said, ¡°Remember your words.¡±


    With that, he immediately pressed his lips onto Ling Zhang¡¯s again.


    Ling Zhang gasped for a few moments. He moved his lips aside but Yuwen Tong¡¯s lips immediately found their way back to his, as if Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t let him go until he deemed this kiss long enough. The thought that Xia Feng might come back at any time worried Ling Zhang, his heart fluttering, a pink flush on his cheeks and ears. ¡®I just agreed to go with him to the capital city. Why is he reacting so dramatically?¡¯ he wondered.


    But Yuwen Tong¡¯s aura was very intense, and the movements of his lips and tongue blunted Ling Zhang¡¯s response.


    The translator has something to say:


    Gosh!!!!!! I¡¯m dying!!!!

 Chapter 107 - A Guard Testing the Formation

    Chapter 107: A Guard Testing the Formation


    ¡°Young Master, breakfast is¡­¡±


    Since Ling Zhang had bidden him to get the breakfast ready as soon as possible, Xia Feng walked into the room in haste to report. On entering the room, he saw his young master abruptly pushed Lord Yuwen away. Xia Feng widened his eyes, wondering what he had just seen, ¡®What were they doing? Was it what I think it is?¡¯


    ¡°You may serve,¡± Ling Zhang quickly wiped his lips and said as calmly as he could, his back to Xia Feng.


    Xia Feng was still in an astonished trance, barely able to believe what might have just happened.


    Not having heard Xia Feng moving, Yuwen Tong cast a penetrating stare at him.


    On contact with this kind of gaze, Xia Feng abruptly shuddered and collected himself. Lowering his head, he answered, ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    ¡®That must be a hallucination. It must be. How was it possible that Young Master and Lord Yuwen were hugging? I must be imagining things,¡¯ Xia Feng thought.


    Keeping telling himself that he had been hallucinating, Xia Feng bade servants outside to bring the meal boxes into the room and place them on the table.


    While the servants were serving breakfast, Xia Feng couldn¡¯t help stealthily sizing up Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    On the sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s slightly swollen lips and the blushes on his cheeks, Xia Feng was transfixed with shock as if he had just been struck by lightning. All those words that he had said to himself stood feeble in the face of reality¡­


    ¡°Xia Feng.¡± Ling Zhang called Xia Feng in a cold voice as he saw Xia Feng staring at him emptily.


    Xia Feng abruptly snapped out of trance. As his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s cold ones, he hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°I was being disrespectful and I deserve to be punished, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again. You may leave. None of you is needed here,¡± Ling Zhang replied blandly.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Xia Feng and those servants left the room immediately. After walking outside, Xia Feng heaved a deep sigh of relief and then fell into a light trance again.


    ¡®So Young Master has been in that kind of relationship with Lord Yuwen?¡¯


    After Xia Feng and those servants left, the room went deadly quiet. Ling Zhang immediately glared at Yuwen Tong and reprimanded, ¡°Obviously you heard Xia Feng coming in just now. Why didn¡¯t you let go of me right away?¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with letting him see it? He¡¯ll find out about our relationship sooner or later.¡±


    Ling Zhang stood speechless.


    ¡®I just agreed to go to the capital city. My engagement to him merely stands temporarily! I never gave him my word that I would marry him! Yet this guy is acting like we¡¯re a couple-to-be,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought angrily.


    ¡°Our engagement stands but only temporarily. I never promised I would marry you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong merely flicked a glance at him. ¡°Do you want to go back on your word in front of a Marshal or are you afraid to take responsibility for me?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes rounded. ¡®He sounded as if I¡¯m forsaking him after having dallied with him.¡¯


    ¡°Finish your breakfast,¡± said Yuwen Tong as he down a bowl of congee before Ling Zhang. ¡°After that, we¡¯ll go and check how your security guards are doing with their training. We can have one of my bodyguards test them.¡±


    Ling Zhang stood speechless.


    He took up the bowl, having no intention to utter another word.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes softly swept across his cheeks and then his lips before he withdrew his gaze, recollecting the pleasant feeling of that kiss a moment ago, a deep look in his eyes.


    Neither of them made any further remarks during the breakfast. Ling Zhang finished first. He put down his bowl, wiped his lips, gargled and intended to stand up and leave.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Yuwen Tong. He hadn¡¯t finished breakfast yet.


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched. Believing that he would be a fool to listen to Yuwen Tong and wait for him, Ling Zhang unhesitatingly rose to his feet and walked straight out of the room.


    Yuwen Tong put down his bowl, looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s receding figure and chuckled, ¡°What a little hedgehog.¡±


    Then he rose from his seat and followed in Ling Zhang¡¯s wake.


    When they arrived at the guards¡¯ yard, all security guards were startled as they caught sight of Yuwen Tong. ¡®Is it this Lord Yuwen who¡¯s going to spar with us again today? Didn¡¯t Young Master say that it would be a bodyguard?¡¯ they wondered.


    Wang Dashan, who had already been informed of Yuwen Tong¡¯s true identity, involuntarily straightened himself on Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival, excitement gleaming in his eyes.


    Apart from anything else, this man in front of him was the Supreme Commander of armed forces, a legendary war hero. It was in his nature to revere the strong. Though Wang Dashan was a security guard of Ling family, whose first duty was to Ling family, his admiration for Yuwen Tong and his duty were not mutually exclusive.


    ¡°Today I¡¯ll have my guard spar with you,¡± Yuwen Tong said. As soon as he finished his sentence, a guard in black descended from mid-air and landed on the drill field.


    All security guards gave a gasp of relief. ¡®Fortunately, it is not Lord Yuwen who¡¯s going to test our formation.¡¯


    While they refused to admit defeat and were confident that one day they would be able to trap Lord Yuwen, clearly that day hadn¡¯t arrived yet. They were bound to suffer a quick and disastrous defeat if the opponent was Lord Yuwen, and none of them was willing to find out how it felt to suffer a quick and disastrous defeat.


    The guard in black¡¯s eyes swept across the twelve people. ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    Those security guards exchanged glances, thinking, ¡®Fuck! We¡¯re indeed no match for Lord Yuwen, but by no means will we fail to trap this guard. This kind of underestimate is beyond the pale!¡¯


    ¡°Brothers, form up!¡±


    All security guards yelled ¡°Aye!¡± and with that the twelve of them formed into Trap-and-Kill Formation, encircling the guard in black at the center ring upon ring.


    ¡°Begin,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    On hearing the order, the guard in black immediately launched an assault.


    Those security guards were instantly on full alert. After their fight with Yuwen Tong on that day, they had been specially training their reflexes during the past two days. As a result, instead of being flustered, they stood more able than the last time when dealing with the sudden and violent attack of the guard in black, and the teamwork among them had also improved.


    ¡°Not bad. They sort of made progress,¡± Yuwen Tong standing beside Ling Zhang said in a low voice.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang had also noticed the betterment of the skills of those security guards, feeling gratified.


    ¡°Did you see that? Liu Yi¡¯s counterattack is the quickest and also the steadiest. The way he reacts is more unhurried than that of others, which means that he¡¯s not using his full strength,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks, Ling Zhang naturally began to pay more attention to Liu Yi. Ever since Yuwen Tong told him that Liu Yi was keeping something behind on that day, he had been observing Liu Yi all along. There had also been some occasions when he had Liu Yi stay out of an assignment. He knew Liu Yi would come wary, but he was deliberately doing this to sound him out. He meant to send a message to Liu Yi that he had noticed something, and he wanted to find out how Liu Yi would react.


    He believed that Liu Yi was by no means sent here by Jia family or Zhang Chong, but he had no intention to risk being fooled.


    But Liu Yi¡¯s reaction had greatly surprised him. He had been acting calmly all along, without any unusual response to his alienation and wariness.


    When he had no assignments for Liu Yi, Liu Yi would put all his efforts into performing his duties as a security guard. He had also been doing formation training with others and occasionally offered advice to them.


    Ling Zhang stood uncertain to what was on Liu Yi¡¯s mind.


    At this time, he stared squarely at Liu Yi in the knowledge that Liu Yi would surely notice, but there had still been no particular reaction of Liu Yi so far. He was not flustered, and neither did he make any attempts to conceal his strength or anything like that. He was just doing what he had been training to do.


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty good at retaining his composure,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You said that he didn¡¯t seem like a spy. Then to what end do you think he came here?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help asking Yuwen Tong.


    As Yuwen Tong, who had been waiting for Ling Zhang to speak to him, heard the question, a faint smile crossed the bottom of his eyes and with that he replied, ¡°I¡¯m not Mr. Know-all, so of course I have to do some research before I can give you an answer.¡±


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. He had thought that Yuwen Tong had already found out about this.


    Yuwen Tong cast him an amused look. ¡°Have I always been so almighty and omniscient in your eyes?¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Even if it were true, he wouldn¡¯t admit it.


    As regards Liu Yi, he would find an opportunity to directly talk with him. Intuitively, he knew that Liu Yi meant no harm, so he chose to have a frank talk with him and find out what kind of reply Liu Yi would make. As for the investigation in Yanzhou, Xia Feng had already been there to investigate that matter. Ling Zhang believed that Xia Feng definitely had spared no effort to figure out the truth, but without any luck, he hadn¡¯t found anything, which had served as a proof that with his current manpower, he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve anything in the investigation, so he had decided not to waste any more time on it.


    If Liu Yi refused to tell the truth, he would have no alternative but to ask him to leave.


    Though he had an intuition that Liu Yi was currently no threat to him, there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t become one in the future.


    On the drill field, the guard in black and the twelve security guards had already exchanged dozens of blows. Since security guards had only mastered the first array, their strategy for dealing with the opponent was not flexible enough. While this guard of Yuwen Tong¡¯s had been through numerous trials and tribulations and was extremely experienced. There had been many occasions when the guard in black caught those security guards unawares and nearly broke out of the encirclement, which had struck terror into their hearts several times. As a result, all of them sharpened their vigilance and concentrated all their attention on the moves of the guard.


    After watching for a while, Ling Zhang perceived something. ¡°The guard never performed his lightness skills, but he never mobilized his full strength to attack either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I told him not to finish this test too quick. It is meant to be another form of training.¡± Yuwen Tong gave an honest answer.


    Ling Zhang was like this: ¡­lol, completely speechless.


    ¡®So for all this time, my security guards believe that they successfully restrained the guard when actually he is merely sparring with them?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°This won¡¯t take long,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Unsurprisingly, after some time, the guard in black launched an all-out assault. Soon, he downed the weakest one of the twelve men and broke the formation apart.


    But this time, the situation was different from that of the last time that Yuwen Tong had tested the formation. On that day, after Yuwen Tong defeated a security guard, the other eleven were unable to maintain the formation.


    And Yuwen Tong even sneered at them on that occasion. But this time, maybe it was because they had learned their lesson, after one of them was downed, the others quickly managed to form up and besieged the guard in black again, which was rather surprising.


    The guard in black was also somewhat surprised, and the look in his eyes slightly changed when he gazed at those security guards. Previously, he had merely been trying to fulfil the task assigned to him, but now he was taking these men much more seriously, showing them more respect as well.


    Eventually, when there were only seven men in the formation, the guard downed them all with one blow and broke out of the encirclement. This time, all security guards were lying on the ground, too tired to make a single movement.


    ¡°Good. This time you did very well. You outshined yourselves by a considerable margin. I think you¡¯re ready to start learning the second array,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Since his security guards had been striving so hard, he believed he should give them more goals to strive for.


    As expected, on hearing his remark, all security guards cheered. ¡°Great! Thank you, Young Master!¡±


    ¡°You may take a day off if you feel tired,¡± offered Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Young Master. We can resume training after a short rest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Young Master. Don¡¯t worry about us. We have enough strength to continue training.¡±


    Maybe because they had managed to restrain the guard in black for a rather long time, they seemed to have regained some confidence. All of them stated categorically that they were not tired, that they were willing to continue training.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that they have this kind of drive.¡¯ Ling Zhang was only too anxious to let them continue training, so of course he wouldn¡¯t force them to rest.


    ¡°Well, then. But do it in moderation. Don¡¯t push yourselves too hard.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    The guard in black walked up to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. ¡°Childe Ling, Your Lordship, this is indeed an ingenious formation.¡±

 Chapter 108 - Priceless

    Chapter 108: Priceless


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any formation as ingenious as this one before,¡± observed the guard in excitement.


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong¡¯s guard seemed to be very interested in the Trap-and-Kill Formation, Ling Zhang suddenly recalled that pamphlet hidden by him.


    He believed that Yuwen Tong probably could grasp the secret of the couple of formations within a very short time, given his good memory and excellent comprehension.


    Now that he had already confirmed that Yuwen Tong was not the one responsible for the annulment of their engagement for marriage in his last life, he believed that this Yuwen Tong in front of him was trustworthy.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± asked Yuwen Tong as he saw the absent-mindedness on Ling Zhang¡¯s face.


    ¡°I want to show you something.¡± Ling Zhang snapped out of his trance. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    A little curious about what Ling Zhang intended to show him, Yuwen Tong returned to his abode with him.


    Ling Zhang took out the pamphlet that he had been hiding and handed it to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Seldom will I have the chance to use any of these formations. Since you are a master of formations, I think they would prove helpful to you in case of a battle. Take a look.¡±


    Surprised, Yuwen Tong took the pamphlet, opened it and started reading it.


    The Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve was already ingenious enough, but the formations in the pamphlet were even more ingenious and more powerful.


    Moreover, they were also formations that Yuwen Tong had never seen before. They were elaborate and suitable to use in a battle. Yuwen family had been renowned as a family of prominent military commanders since the previous dynasty. Though Yuwen Tong had grown up in a family with such a long and rich history, these formations were still strange to him.


    Most importantly, only those with full knowledge of the power and value of these formations could understand how precious these six sheets of paper were, and Yuwen Tong was one of them.


    ¡°Why are you offering these to me?¡± Yuwen Tong gazed fixedly at Ling Zhang.


    Feeling somewhat uneasy beneath his gaze, Ling Zhang turned his head aside and replied, ¡°I hope these will bring you more victories.¡±


    Yuwen Tong silently stared at him for quite a while. Perplexed, Ling Zhang twisted his head back to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are they useless?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. They¡¯re priceless.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you say something? And you look fairly unhappy.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re too silly.¡±


    Ling Zhang stood speechless.


    ¡®Why did he criticize me for no good reason? Does he really think I¡¯m a pushover?¡¯ he thought angrily.


    ¡°It was silly enough of you not to get mad at me when I peeked at the Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve. And now you¡¯re handing me these formations on a silver platter. Aren¡¯t you worried that I might turn against you after taking them?¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    With a serious face, Ling Zhang looked at him and said, ¡°I trust you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh, solemnly put the pamphlet into his inner pocket and then replied, ¡°I won¡¯t betray your trust, but you should never easily show this kind of thing to anybody else again. These formations are very powerful. Even I have not seen any of them before. They¡¯re extremely precious and must be of uncommon origin. Misfortune might come if you show them to the wrong people.¡±


    These had crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind before. It was because he had trust in Yuwen Tong that he had given this to him. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad.¡± Yuwen Tong looked deeply at Ling Zhang. Such was the preciousness of this trust that he decided to store it at the depths of his heart and cherish it forever.


    Ling Zhang gave a soft cough. ¡°Okay, then. This is it. You may go and do what you¡¯ve got to do.¡±


    Of course Yuwen Tong was not the kind of man who could be dismissed with a single remark. Since they were having such a good moment, he would be a fool if he didn¡¯t make full use of it.


    ¡°When will you tell your grandfather we¡¯re going to the capital city together?¡± Yuwen Tong naturally sat down beside Ling Zhang and had him sit down as well.


    It was after sitting down that Ling Zhang reacted, making a response. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him after these issues are handled. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡°How about we take your grandfather with us? There should be some old friends of Lord Ling in the capital city,¡± Yuwen Tong offered.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and declined. ¡°My grandfather is a man of advanced years. He¡¯s no longer in a fit state to have a long and tiring journey. Besides, there¡¯s nothing there that my grandfather would deem worthy of a visit ¨C you¡¯re aware of what happened when he left the capital city back in that year, I suppose. And he never mentioned he had any old friends there either.¡±


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong had heard about what happened to Ling family in the capital city in that year. He did want Ling Xingzhong to go with them, since it would be more convenient to confer with him about their wedding, but if Ling Xingzhong would feel uneasy in the capital city, then it wouldn¡¯t be necessary.


    ¡°I want to teach six arrays to Elder Brother Wang and the others before I leave. I think that will spare me some worries when I¡¯m away from home. So I might need some more time. How much longer can you stay in Tanyang?¡± asked Ling Zhang. Now that the matter of going to the capital city had been brought up, he told Yuwen Tong his considerations.


    ¡°It depends on when the imperial edict arrives. His Majesty won¡¯t let me stay in Tanyang for long. If the imperial edict is urgent, I won¡¯t be able to delay leaving for more than five days.¡±


    With whip and spur, it would take a courier seven days to travel from the capital city to Tanyang, which meant that he still had at least half a month.


    After thinking for a while, Ling Zhang came up with a general plan. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Wang Dashan and his group have already learned the first array, so it won¡¯t be difficult for them to master another five within this amount of time, but I¡¯m afraid the other twelve men in the herb farm wouldn¡¯t be able to do the same,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I plan to take the twelve of them to the capital city with me,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong was not surprised by his decision. ¡°All right. You do need some men to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Think it through and see if there are some others that you want to bring with you apart from those twelve. Living conditions won¡¯t change much when we arrive in the capital city. Beside my place, there¡¯s also a courtyard house that has stood unoccupied for a long time. Your men may live there. Nobody¡¯s going to disturb them.¡±


    It had never crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind that Yuwen Tong had already had his accommodations planned out. Originally, he had meant to live elsewhere, but now he was too embarrassed to tell Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± asked Yuwen Tong as he saw Ling Zhang keeping silent.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to live somewhere else. I don¡¯t want to live in the mansion of Yuwen family,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°It¡¯s safer to live in the mansion of Yuwen family. My place is pretty far away from those of others, and there¡¯s also a wood in between. Nobody dares to go there without my permission, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry that anybody will bother you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang did dislike living with other members of Yuwen family. It would make him feel very uncomfortable.


    But after he heard Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, living there struck him not bad.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make a decision when we get there.¡±


    Seeing that he had already been swayed somewhat, Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He was going to marry Ling Zhang, so of course he wanted Ling Zhang to stay close to him. How could he allow Ling Zhang to live far away?


    Several plans instantly crossed Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind. He was a-hundred-percent sure that Ling Zhang would live in the mansion of Yuwen family after he entered the capital city.


    Apart from these, Yuwen Tong also asked Ling Zhang many questions about his living habits. Though a lot of them had already come to his knowledge after his observation, there were still some he was unaware of.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was brought to perplexity. ¡°Even if I decide to stay in Yuwen family, somebody else is going to take care of these things. Why bother asking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more comfortable with taking care of your needs myself,¡± replied Yuwen Tong with a natural face.


    But this remark made Ling Zhang¡¯s heart flutter. He twisted his head aside and said, ¡°Well, we can talk about these after we get to the capital city. There¡¯s no need to make a decision right now. If you¡¯ve got anything to deal with, just go.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. Remember to inform me when you¡¯re ready to tell Lord Ling.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Bursting with impatience, Ling Zhang quickly saw Yuwen Tong out of the courtyard. Then he hurried back to his room and gulped down a cup of tea which had already gone cold. And with that, the weird feeling was finally allayed.


    Yuwen Tong returned to the Green Bamboo Mansion and fished out that pamphlet. He read it carefully and then closed his eyes, replaying every detail of the six formations one by one in his mind. After confirming that he had lodged them firmly in his memory, he burnt the pamphlet.


    Its existence meant a higher risk of leak.


    Ling Zhang trusted him, but he couldn¡¯t afford to put Ling Zhang in danger.


    ¡°Guard.¡±


    ¡°Marshal.¡±


    His bodyguard showed up at the summons.


    ¡°Are there any messages from those responsible for finding out where Ling family got those formations?¡±


    ¡°Negative, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knitted his eyebrows. ¡®Is it really so difficult? There has to be someone who taught Ling Zhang these formations. They couldn¡¯t even get any information about the identity of this person?¡¯


    ¡°Keep me informed of any developments.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡±


    ¡­


    After daybreak, servants of Lin family, after quite some inquiries, finally managed to find out what happened in Jia family the night before. It turned out that Jia Yin had been bitten by some poisonous bug and his body was covered with red, swollen, festering and extremely terrifying blebs. The illness had once been suspected to be smallpox, which brought all people of Jia family into horror.


    Mrs. Lin¡¯s spleen was dissolved considerably after hearing that people of Jia family had nearly been scared to death. She stealthily said to Lin Yuan, ¡°I wonder how Childe Ling managed to do that.¡±


    Lin Yuan replied, ¡°Since Childe Ling avenged our sufferings, all we need to do is keep this favor in mind. How he did it is not something we are supposed to dig into.¡±


    In embarrassment, Mrs. Lin gave a nod of agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right, my dear.¡±


    ¡°Master, Mistress, I¡¯ve also heard some other news,¡± the servant said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mrs. Lin asked him.


    ¡°It is rumored that last night Cao Dong, who¡¯s responsible for managing the mine of Jia family, got drunk at a brothel. In front of a great many prostitutes and guests, he openly claimed that Jia family was not afraid of Zhang Chong, that Zhang Chong had been secretly purchasing ore from Jia family¡¯s mine and all transactions were recorded in an account book, that Jia family would hand the account book over to the authority if Zhang Chong dared to cause Jia family any harm,¡± replied the servant.


    Mrs. Lin was struck dumb. Lin Yuan was astounded as well. ¡°Did he really say that?¡±


    The servant responded, ¡°I think so. There are a lot of discussions about this matter out there. Incidentally, when I was making inquiries at the residence of Jia family, I saw a Yamen runner go there to deliver a visitor¡¯s card. It seemed like Lord Tao was going to pay a visit to Jia family.¡±


    Mrs. Lin said in a displeased tone of voice, ¡°Jia family assaulted you, yet Lord Tao still intended to go and check on Jia Yin?¡±


    ¡°No. It must be because of that account book that Cao Dong mentioned last night,¡± Lin Yuan observed. ¡°I wonder if this matter has come to Lord Ling¡¯s knowledge. Lee, go to Ling family and inform them what you¡¯ve heard.¡±


    The servant answered, ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll see it done.¡±


    The servant was a quick runner. He hurried to the residence of Ling family and required an audience with Ling Zhaowen, but Ling Zhaowen had gone to Prefecture Yamen, so it was Ling Zhang who came out to meet him.


    After hearing the servant¡¯s remarks, Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°Please tell Supervisor Lin I¡¯m grateful to him for his kind word of warning.¡±


    Ling Zhang had Xia Feng tip the servant of Lin family and the servant happily took his leave.


    ¡°Young Master, since even people of Lin family have heard about this matter, the news must have spread across the whole Tanyang. I think it will come to Zhang Chong¡¯s knowledge very soon,¡± observed Xia Feng.

 Chapter 109 - A Riot in the Mine of Jia Family and the Murder of the Director

    ¡°What did you say? People of Jia family want to give the account book to Tao Feng?¡±


    Before long, Zhang Chong was informed what had happened in Tanyang. In the knowledge that a mere mine director of Jia family dared to talk so wildly and threat him, Zhang Chong was infuriated. In fact, not only was he infuriated, he couldn¡¯t wait to kill that mine director named Cao Dong.


    ¡°Commander, if that account book falls into the hands of Tao Feng, he will get the goods on us. If by any chance he has it delivered to the capital city, His Majesty will surely order an investigation into it ¨C if he doesn¡¯t believe it immediately. In that case, what we¡¯ve been doing here will definitely be brought to light,¡± said Bai Jun, a Deputy Commander, an anxious look on his face.


    ¡°Jia family is in a hurry to meet its end,¡± replied Zhang Chong in a malevolent tone of voice, his face murderous. ¡°Go and find that Cao Dong immediately. Kill him. Destroy the account book.¡±


    ¡°But now everybody in Tanyang knows that Cao Dong has the account book. If he dies, we¡¯ll be prime suspects.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re facing an imminent crisis, and you still care about this? Do it clean. Even if they guess the truth, there will be nothing they could do in the absence of any definite proof.¡±


    ¡°Ur¡­ Yes, Commander!¡±


    After Deputy Commander Bai Jun left, Zhang Chong thought for a while with a sullen face. Then he gave an order to his personal guard. ¡°Get Wang Ming and Wang He here.¡±


    The personal guard followed the order and brought Wang Ming and Wang He, both of whom were Deputy Commanders, to the tent of Zhang Chong.


    ¡°Commander, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Jia family must be eliminated, but the mine must stay in our hands. Wang Ming, make arrangements for one of your men to disguise as a rich merchant, go to Jia family and offer to buy the mine. If Jia Yin refuses to sell it, make him!¡±


    Hearing the order, Deputy Commander Wang Ming was rather embarrassed. ¡°Commander, it¡¯s very difficult for a strange merchant from another city to get Prefecture Yamen¡¯s permission to buy a mine. Even if I have someone disguise as a merchant and manage to force Jia Yin into agreeing to sell, we won¡¯t be able to get the mine without Tao Feng¡¯s consent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Make it work or see yourself relieved of your command,¡± replied Zhang Chong.


    Wang Ming and Wang He exchanged glances. Then Wang He said to Zhang Chong, ¡°Commander, I have an idea. Would you please be so kind as to hear me out?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°If a strange merchant makes a sudden offer for the mine, Tao Feng will no doubt turn it down, which is why we need to ask a local squire for help ¨C someone from He family or Zhou family, for example. They¡¯re local squires, and we got the goods on them. As long as we put some pressure on them, they will obediently work for you, Commander.


    This is the first half of my suggestion. As regards the other half, since Commander has already had an intention of eliminating people of Jia family, we might as well tamper with the mine and incriminate them. And then they¡¯ll be at your mercy and you can do whatever you want to them, and no suspicions will be aroused. Since your last memorial to the throne was turned down by His Majesty, I fear that there might be something covert at work in the capital city, so maybe we should stand low-key in Tanyang lest we catch anybody¡¯s attention and compromise the big plan of the Sixth Prince.¡±


    Wang He made these remarks in a very calm tone of voice. The sullenness and murderousness on Zhang Chong¡¯s face gradually dissolved. Seeing this, Wang Ming was secretly relieved.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. Be it so, how to tamper with the mine will be left to your discretion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see it done. Please rest assured, Commander.¡±


    After leaving Zhang Chong¡¯s tent, Wang Ming said to Wang He, ¡°Thanks to your timely proposal, Commander changed his mind.¡±


    ¡°You were just too inflexible, elder brother,¡± said Wang He.


    ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± Wang Ming asked him.


    A sepulchral look flashed across Wang He¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve already got a plan. Just go and tell He family and Zhou family to do what they¡¯re told to do. I¡¯ll have Jia Yin put in jail by dusk tomorrow at the latest. And then He family and Zhou family will handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do this your way.¡± replied Wang He.


    ¡­


    After hearing the news about what had happened in the brothel, Yuwen Tong asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Was it you who sent someone to add fuel to the matter of the mine director of Jia family?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head and answered, ¡°The account book that Cao Dong has in hand is a counterfeit. It won¡¯t do us any harm if Zhang Chong destroy it. On the contrary, he¡¯ll be lulled into believing that he has destroyed the evidence, leaving no loose ends. And the contradictions between Zhang Chong and Jia family will also be intensified, which will cause Zhang Chong to take action sooner. It¡¯s almost been half a month and the deadline is drawing near. News from the capital city is likely to arrive in Tanyang at any moment. Once it comes to the knowledge of Zhang Chong that you are in Tanyang, he will call a halt to whatever it is that he has been doing. This is such a golden opportunity to induce a dogfight between them. How can we miss it?¡±


    ¡°That Cao Dong probably won¡¯t make it through tonight,¡± observed Yuwen Tong. ¡°Tao Feng suddenly paid a visit to Jia family in the morning. Was it you who asked him to do that?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°That was just a stratagem to trick Zhang Chong. Actually, Lord Tao just stayed there for a little while and then left.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled. ¡°It has never crossed my mind that you¡¯ve already had the ear of Tao Feng.¡±


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. ¡°He was merely pushing the boat with the current.¡±


    Tao Feng was a man of great shrewdness. The only time that he had offered help to Ling Zhang was when the case of Jia Yuanling was in progress. After that, Tao Feng had been standing by and profiting from two opposing sides all along.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t like Tao Feng. It was just that Tao Feng was not on friendly terms with Zhang Chong, so at least Tao Feng inclined to side with Ling Zhang. Had Yuwen Tong not come to Tanyang, Ling Zhang would have taken more proactive action to co-opt Tao Feng, who might have become Ling Zhang¡¯s most powerful backer. But Yuwen Tong had arrived in Tanyang before that could happen.


    On that night, a riot suddenly broke out in the mine of Jia family. Dozens of miners who had had enough of oppression from Jia family abruptly rose in revolt, injured guards of the mine, killed the mine director Cao Dong, burnt down the couple of houses of Jia family in the mining area, took the money, destroyed all important sales records and the account book, and then took to the hills.


    News of this matter soon spread to Tanyang and brought the whole city into shock.


    Before Tao Feng sent Yamen runners to settle the disturbed situation, Zhang Chong, under the banner of protecting people of Tanyang, led his men to the mine of Jia family, ringed it and restrained half of the rioters.


    When people of Jia family heard about this incident, those arrested miners had already been escorted to Prefecture Yamen, and the mine was under the control of Prefecture Guards.


    Jia Yin spat blood in undue rage and passed out in bed.


    Struck all of a heap, Mrs. Jia limply slumped down onto a chair, her face ghastly white. ¡°How did this happen?!¡±


    Not only people of Jia family but also Tao Feng was greatly surprised. It had never crossed his mind that Zhang Chong would make such a ruthless move!


    The body of Cao Dong was beyond recognition due to the fire and the account book had also been burnt to ashes, along with everything else in the houses.


    Those arrested rioters kept on proclaiming that Jia family had inflicted abuse on them, that they had been forced to work as miners against their will, that they had never been paid or given enough food. They also stated many heinous crimes committed by Jia family, including arbitrarily executing miners in the mining area¡­


    All arrested miners told the same story and also provided information about a couple of locations where people of Jia family had buried bodies.


    Tao Feng led some men to those locations and, as expected, dug up over ten corpses.


    All those bodies were identified as miners.


    Ling Zhaowen, who was also present, was shocked by the scene. In fact, many people knew that Jia family had been oppressing and exploiting miners, but covert murders of miners had never been brought to light. If it weren¡¯t for this riot, this horrific crime might continue to stay secret.


    Ling Zhang, who had secretly come to the scene with Yuwen Tong, was also astounded, having difficulty calming himself down.


    Though it was him who had played Zhang Chong off Jia family, he had never expected that Zhang Chong would directly take advantage of the mine of Jia family to make trouble, and neither had he expected that so many bodies would be found.


    Most of those over ten corpses had only bones left. Only the one at the top had been newly buried.


    ¡®People of Jia family did such atrocious things of brutality. Why didn¡¯t they get their just deserts in their last life?¡¯


    Ling Zhang had an icy look on his face, anger bubbling beneath the surface. ¡®It shows that in most cases, there are no such things as fairness or justice.¡¯


    ¡°Turn your eyes away from it.¡± Seeing the look on his face, Yuwen Tong thought that the scene of those corpses were making him feel uncomfortable.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Ling Zhang was grieving for and indignant about the fate of these miners, of Lu family and of Ling family in their last life.


    He believed that in his last life, after they died, people of Jia family undoubtedly colluded with Zhang Chong and started bullying residents of Tanyang, living a comfortable life. ¡®They must have stamped on the bodies of victims like my family reveling away the time! Why did they get to do that!¡¯ Ling Zhang thought angrily.


    Worried that Ling Zhang might lose control of his mood, Yuwen Tong hurriedly took him away from the scene.


    ¡°Jia family committed all sorts of wicked actions, and they will definitely get their just deserts this time. There¡¯s no need for sorrow,¡± Yuwen Tong consoled him.


    After a long silence, Ling Zhang answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± He did this in revenge for the murder of his family in his last life. Debts of blood must be repaid in kind, since it was the only way to let the souls of the deceased rest in peace.


    ¡°People of Jia family are so inhumane. It would be a humiliation for humanity to regard them as human,¡± observed Tao Feng indignantly, standing beside the burial ground.


    All Yamen runners who had dug up those bodies had angry faces. ¡°Your Lordship, when should we arrest people of Jia family?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Your Lordship. We can¡¯t let Jia family get away with such atrocity.¡±


    ¡°Dig up all bodies with care. Bring those miners here and see if they can identify the bodies. As regards the mine¡­¡±


    ¡°The mine won¡¯t be distraction for you, Lord Tao. Please let me handle it,¡± Zhang Chong interrupted Tao Feng.


    Tao Feng¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡®Has Zhang Chong made up his mind to take control of the mine?¡¯


    ¡°Commander Zhang, currently, this mine still belongs to Jia family. I¡¯ll decide its ownership after a trial.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Lord Tao. I have no intention of taking forcible possession of it. It¡¯s just that this riot was a very serious incident. As the commander of Prefecture Guards of Tanyang, I have a duty to maintain order and peace. Keeping this mine under temporary guard of Prefecture Guards is the best choice, given that there are still many miners in it and there¡¯s no guarantee that they won¡¯t riot again,¡± replied Zhang Chong.


    Tao Feng subdued his anger and said, ¡°Then thank you for going to the bother of guarding the mine for the moment.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± said Zhang Chong.


    Tao Feng coldly gave a snort. ¡°Tongzhi Ling, please go back to the city first and have your men encircle Jia family lest Jia Yin escape.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ling Zhaowen answered and led his men away.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang said, ¡°We should go back as well. It concerns me that my uncle stands to lose when a conflict arises between him and Jia family. I want to go there and see if I can help.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two people followed Ling Zhaowen and returned to Tanyang. Residents of Tanyang knew that a serious incident had happened in the mine of Jia family, but the discovery of those bodies hadn¡¯t come to their knowledge yet, so there was a semblance of quiet in the city for the moment.


    Ling Zhaowen hurried to Prefecture Yamen, summoned all Yamen runners and headed for the residence of Jia family.


    Keeping a low profile, Ling Zhang brought Wang Dashan and some others with him and followed in the wake of his uncle. Since it was inconvenient for Yuwen Tong to show himself, he returned to the mansion of Ling family.

 Chapter 110 - he Encirclement and Imprisonment of Jia Family

    Chapter 110: The Encirclement and Imprisonment of Jia Family


    Large numbers of Yamen runners abruptly ringed the residence of Jia family. All people inside were brought into panic. Since Jia Yin was in a coma, Mrs. Jia had no alternative but to come out to meet Ling Xingzhong.


    ¡°Lord Ling, why did you have Yamen runners encircle our residence?¡±


    ¡°Jia family secretly executed miners with utter disregard for human life. By order of Lord Tao, all members of Jia family shall be put in jail awaiting trail,¡± said Ling Zhaowen with a serious face, twenty Yamen runners standing behind him.


    On hearing that these Yamen runners came here to arrest them, all members of Jia family panicked.


    ¡°Nonsense. We¡¯ve always been law-abiding merchants. Someone must have framed us!¡±


    ¡°Those miners killed our mine director and snatched our money. Why didn¡¯t Lord Tao arrest them instead of us?!¡±


    ¡°We want to see Lord Tao!¡±


    Members of Jia family started yelling.


    Ling Zhaowen coldly snorted. ¡°It was Lord Tao who has ordered your arrest. If you want an audience with Lord Tao, come with us to Prefecture Yamen. Restrain them!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Who are you to arrest us?¡± Mrs. Jia let out a scream. ¡°My brother-in-law Jia Zhong is the County Magistrate. We are all family members of the County Magistrate. You have no right to arrest us!¡±


    ¡°Even His Majesty enjoys no privilege whatsoever before law, not to mention people of Jia family. What are you standing there for? Restrain them,¡± Ling Zhaowen ordered coldly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yamen runners didn¡¯t dare to delay. They rushed into the mansion and arrested everyone on sight.


    ¡°Stop! What are you doing? I¡¯m the hostess of Jia family. Don¡¯t touch me! Let me go!¡± Mrs. Jia screamed constantly when being grabbed,, her face deathly pale with fear.


    ¡°Mistress, help us! Please help us!¡±


    ¡°We have nothing to do with that. We¡¯re just servants. It was our master who did all those things. Please don¡¯t arrest us.¡±


    ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t you touch me! I want to talk to Lord Tao! I want to talk to Commander Zhang! Ling Zhaowen, you must have faked Lord Tao¡¯s order. You¡¯re abusing public power to get your own private revenge. You¡¯re so vicious. My son has already died because of you, and now you want to take our lives as well?!¡± Mrs. Jia screamed constantly.


    There had already been a lot of residents looking on near the gateway. After hearing this, they all started whispering to each other, occasionally pointing at Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Soon bodies of those miners who were secretly killed by Jia family in the mine will be transported back to Prefecture Yamen. Anybody who holds objection may go directly to Prefecture Yamen to take a look at those over ten corpses. Maybe you¡¯ll find your friends or relatives among them.¡± Ling Zhaowen turned around to face those lookers-on and made these remarks in a cold tone of voice.


    After he said this, the buzz of discussions gradually died down. Those people were somewhat afraid to look at Ling Zhaowen¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Zhang and his men were standing on the other side, watching those lookers-on, an apathetic look on his face.


    ¡®These people always jump to conclusions from insignificant evidence. Even the likelihood of a red rain is greater than that of these people analyzing things rationally,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Young Master, shall we go to Second Master¡¯s help?¡± asked Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang replied with a cold face, ¡°Not for now. We¡¯re not staff members of Prefecture Yamen, so we should not take any action unless there¡¯s an emergency lest my uncle be put on the spot.¡±


    ¡°Let me go! Get your hands off me!¡± Mrs. Jia was dragged out of the mansion, struggling and cursing angrily along the way. All her curses were aimed at Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Ling Zhaowen, how dare you treat us like this! You¡¯re going to die a violent death! I swear to God I¡¯ll kill you!


    You¡¯re using your position to bully us. Is there still justice in this world? God, please open your eyes. This evildoer named Ling Zhaowen is forcing law-abiding good people to die!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you shrew. Your family treat people¡¯s lives as no more than grass. You murdered so many miners, yet you still have the nerve to malign His Lordship. Bah!¡± Finally, having had enough of her slanderous words, a Yamen runner pointed at Mrs. Jia and reprimanded her.


    ¡°What did you say? You¡¯re just a stooge of Ling Zhaowen. You and him are jackals from the same lair!¡± yelled Mrs. Jia.


    The Yamen runner was infuriated. ¡°Lord Ling is a good official. Don¡¯t you vixen wrong him! Your family murdered people in cold blood. All of you will be sentenced to death!¡±


    ¡°No! We didn¡¯t do that! You¡¯re slandering good people!¡±


    Ling Zhang winked at Qiu Bing, who gave a bob of the head and wormed his way into the crowd.


    After a while, someone yelled, ¡°Hey, Mrs. Jia were you a good person, the sun will rise from the west. Would you please tell me who disfigured the face of a pretty maidservant and evicted her from your house leaving her to die?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I heard that there was once a good-looking maidservant in Jia family whose hands were white and delicate. Just because Jia Yin had his eye on the maidservant, Mrs. Jia had her hands broken.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Not long ago, didn¡¯t she just abort the child of the concubine whose surname is Liu?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. She¡¯s such a malicious woman. I don¡¯t know how she has the nerve to slander others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve long ago heard that people of Jia family abused their miners. People as vicious as them might really dare to kill!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I heard that, too. People of Jia family assaulted Supervisor Lin just because of a petty disagreement!¡±


    ¡°One time, when Jia Zhong was on his way back home, just because someone accidentally walked in front of his palanquin, he professed that the man deliberately blocked the path of an official with malignant intent, and put the man in jailhouse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. These years, Jia family¡­¡±


    At first there were only a couple of people criticizing Jia family. Soon, more people joined them. Before long, almost all lookers-on started discussing. One after another, all evil deeds committed by people of Jia family were brought to light.


    Anger of the crowd gradually built up as the discussion went on. Eventually all lookers-on pointed at Mrs. Jia laying curse on her. Some women who were good at cursing doused her in a torrent of abuse, which made her blood boil. Cheeks burning with rage, she reprimanded, ¡°You uneducated country bumpkins. Shut up! All of you! Otherwise I¡¯ll tear your mouths!¡±


    ¡°Bah! Who do you think you are to call us uneducated country bumpkins? If it weren¡¯t for that you¡¯ve got money, nobody would have given a damn about you!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. You really think you were born in the purple? You¡¯ve got nothing but some filthy money! And you got that by exploiting people!¡±


    While Mrs. Jia were exchanging abuses with lookers-on, Qiu Bing wormed his way back to Ling Zhang¡¯s side and said stealthily, ¡°Young Master, mission accomplished.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be handsomely rewarded after we get back.¡± Ling Zhang flicked a satisfied glance at him.


    With a grin, Qiu Bing expressed his gratitude and returned to the group beneath the envious gaze of his fellows.


    ¡°You¡¯re not bad, Qiu Bing. It never crossed my mind that you have this kind of talent.¡± Zhao Shen smacked a fist onto Qiu Bing.


    Qiu Bing smugly raised his head. Lately, he had fulfilled several tasks for his young master, and his young master¡¯s trust in him had been growing, which he found more fulfilling than money reward.


    In the crowd, Liu Yi glanced at him and then took away his eyes which gleamed with disappointment and resignation.


    ¡°Jia Yin was carried out,¡± Wang Dashan reminded others.


    Everybody looked in the direction of the gateway and, as expected, saw that Jia Yin lying on a rough stretcher made of wooden planks was carried out of the mansion by Yamen runners. He was wearing thin clothes and the blebs on his face stood swollen, making him a sight of disgust and terror.


    ¡°Those things on Jia Yin¡¯s face are so nauseating.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. This must be the retribution for all the evil he has done.¡±


    Lookers-on began to point fingers at Jia Yin.


    Jia Yin had already come around but was aching all over and thus unable to sit up. Because of that mouthful of blood he had spat out previously in overwhelming rage, his face was still ashen and he couldn¡¯t even articulate properly. As he caught sight of Ling Zhaowen, he stared fixedly at him as if he wanted to eat him alive. Panting, he observed, ¡°Ling Zhaowen, you base bastard!¡±


    Standing on the staircase looking down at Jia Yin, Ling Zhaowen replied in a moderate, cold voice, ¡°Jia Yin, you slew some innocent miners. This is the day you get your just deserts.¡±


    Jia Yin glared fixedly at Ling Zhaowen, his face twisted in fury. He struggled trying to sit up but all his attempts proved unsuccessful. Having no alternative, he pointed at Ling Zhaowen with his trembling fingers. ¡°You¡­You¡­¡±


    Then his next breath failed him and he fell into unconsciousness again.


    ¡°Master? Master!¡± Seeing this, Mrs. Jia let out a screech and burst into loud sobbing.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive. There¡¯s no need for you to wail so soon,¡± observed Ling Zhaowen after flicking a cold glance at her.


    Mrs. Jia wept even louder.


    After Jia Yin was carried outside, many other people were also escorted out of the mansion. The gateway was crowded with people.


    There was still white cloth hanging on the walls beside the front gate of Jia family¡¯s mansion, which had been prepared for the memorial service of Jia Yuanling. The combination of the sight of white cloth and that of those arrested people sent shivers of fear down the spines of lookers-on.


    They had a sudden yet exceptionally distinct realization that Jia family was toast.


    The nose count alone took quite a long time. Mrs. Jia had already fainted due to excessive weep. Eventually, she was carried to Prefecture Yamen along with Jia Yin.


    Escorting members of Jia family, Yamen runners headed for Prefecture Yamen, followed by a lot of lookers-on.


    Ling Zhang thought for a few moments, then bade Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang to bring more than half of his men back to Ling family, which he himself took four men, including Wang Dashan and Liu Yi, and followed in the wake of the procession.


    When Liu Yi heard Ling Zhang let him to stay, a slightly surprised look crossed his face, and then he silently followed.


    Wang Dashan glanced at him and wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. He also had no idea why Ling Zhang suddenly gave Liu Yi the cold shoulder, but he believed that there must be a reason. He had asked Liu Yi about it, but Liu Yi hadn¡¯t told him anything.


    Wang Dashan was fairly concerned. He regarded Liu Yi as a close friend who, like himself, had had the good fortune to work for Ling family, so he didn¡¯t want Liu Yi to be fired.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    While the crowd progressing towards Prefecture Yamen, sounds of gongs came from the street near the western city gate. Someone was beating a gong to clear the way.


    Tao Feng and his men, who had gone to the mine on the West Mountain to dig up bodies of victims, returned to the city.


    Yamen runners were carrying wooden planks. Things on those planks were covered with white cloth. Anybody could tell what those things were without having to guess.


    Residents found that during daytime, this scene was even more scary than that at the gateway of Jia family a moment ago.


    All lookers-on were frightened somewhat and drew back.


    ¡°Are those bodies of miners murdered by Jia family that Lord Ling mentioned?¡±


    ¡°He was telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Those goddamn people of Jia family really murdered miners!¡±


    ¡°Look at those planks. There are over ten of them. So many people died.¡±


    ¡°Goodness me. A relative of mine who lives in the countryside of Qi County works in the mine of Jia family. I haven¡¯t contacted him for a long time. I don¡¯t know if one of these¡­ Bah! I shouldn¡¯t have jinxed him.¡±


    As those planks were carried nearer, people saw more distinctly. Beneath the white cloth were none other than bones.


    Many residents didn¡¯t even dare to look. They drew back to the side in fright.

 Chapter 111 - The Conviction of Jia Family and the Betrayal of Servants

    Those corpses of miners brought back by Tao Feng were concrete evidence. This time, words failed all people of Jia family, as if their necks were being squeezed. After a few moments¡¯ silence, they dissolved into tears.


    ¡°I wonder if they still have anything else to say,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    ¡®Just now all these people indulged in sophistry acting like they were really wronged,¡¯ he thought angrily.


    Those corpses covered with white cloth were carried into Prefecture Yamen, followed by people of Jia family and a great many lookers-on. The hall was filled with people waiting for Tao Feng to hold a trial.


    Tao Feng quickly changed into his official robe and announced the commencement of the trial. Jia Yin had been woken up by a physician. Mrs. Jia was kneeling on the ground beside him, sobbing with her head down. Behind the couple knelt other members of Jia family.


    ¡°Jia Yin, state your motives for exploiting, abusing and killing miners working in your mine,¡± Tao Feng snapped.


    Jia Yin briefly gasped and then slowly replied, ¡°Your Lordship, it wasn¡¯t me who killed those miners. We never murdered any miners.¡±


    Tao Feng reprimanded, ¡°Liar! More than a hundred miners working in the mine testified that those people were killed by members of your family. Yamen runners! Bring the witnesses!¡±


    Before long, Yamen runners brought all miners to the hall. Some of them were in shackles and the others were not.


    Tao Feng said to them, ¡°State the reason why you rioted. Give an account of how Jia family killed those miners and tell us the identities of all victims.¡±


    All miners were trembling. Clearly the atmosphere of this law court filled them with fear.


    ¡°Our work in the mine is very dangerous, and we have to work very long hours every day. But people of Jia family never paid us agreed amount of money on the agreed date. They frequently delay making payments and they dock our wages all the time. We were displeased and we requested Jia family to pay us the money they had promised, but Jia family not only refused but also said that we were too greedy. Some of us wanted to quit and asked Jia family to give them their wages for the last month, but Jia family threatened them, saying that they wouldn¡¯t get a single coin if they quit. All of us are from poor families. Our family members are counting on us to support them. We can¡¯t afford to give up the money, so we have no choice but to continue working there under the exploitation.


    But as time passed by, we found it harder and harder to get by. Tunnels are growing in both number and depth every day, and it¡¯s also getting increasingly dangerous to work down there because of the high risk of collapse. Once anybody got stuck in there, death is almost certain. If anyone dies in the tunnel, Jia family will make a meager compensatory payment when his family members come to the mine to claim the body. Those who are injured may survive if the wounds are not severe. For those who are seriously wounded, Jia family will just ignore them and let them die, because treating them costs more than compensating family members of the dead.


    Many of us found this unacceptable and intended to leave, but because these things have come to our knowledge, people of Jia family are even more unwilling to let us go. In no circumstances will anybody working in the mine be allowed to leave. We couldn¡¯t stand it anymore so we rose in revolt with the intention to have Cao Dong, the mine director, inform the patriarch of Jia family that we were willing to waive our claim for wages as long as he agreed to let us leave. But Cao Dong refused and had the guards beat one of us to death. During the conflict, someone pushed Cao Dong. He lost his balance and accidentally hit his head on the corner of a table and died. The oil lamp on the table was overturned and then the account book and other things were set aflame. We got scared and fled, and the fire burnt everything to ashes.¡±


    Head down, a miner in shackles gave a detailed account of what had happened in the mine of Jia family.


    Standing among the crowd, Ling Zhang heard the miner distinctly. He believed that most of the miner¡¯s words were definitely true, but the death of Cao Dong and the reason for the riot were by no means so simple, that Zhang Chong must have played a part in this.


    ¡°Why and how did Jia family murder those miners? What do you know about those bones?¡± Tao Feng asked a further question.


    ¡°Your Lordship, all those people were miners who attempted to put up a resistance to Jia family. They tried to flee from the mine under the noses of guards but got caught and beaten to death.¡±


    This remark of the miner sent a ripple of exclamation through the crowd. People found it hard to believe that people of Jia family were so cold-blooded.


    ¡°Every time someone was beaten to death, the mine would be quiet for a very long time, because everybody is afraid and doesn¡¯t want to die. But every certain amount of time, there would always be someone who failed to forbear from fleeing and then was beaten to death. We¡¯ve already lost count of such things.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, please help us get justice! We really didn¡¯t mean to kill Cao Dong. All we wanted was to quit the job. We sought an audience with Jia Yin and Jia Zhong but were denied the chance, which was why we caused Cao Dong¡¯s accidental death. Please take this into consideration, Your Lordship.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, all of us are poor people forsaken by fortune, and we all have aged parents and young children awaiting us at home. We don¡¯t want to die in the mine of Jia family.¡±


    ¡°Please help us get justice, Your Lordship!¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, people of Jia family have no sense of humanity. They don¡¯t deserve to be deemed human.¡±


    Miners kept talking and soon threw the hall into hubbub.


    Tao Feng brought his alarming-block (An alarming block is a cuboid block of wood shaped like a brick, which is used by an official in feudal China and served as the counterpart of a judge¡¯s hammer.) down on the table and ordered, ¡°Quiet.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯ve just pleaded has come to my knowledge. Those who killed people, intentionally or unintentionally, shall be punished in accordance with law. But since Jia family committed such horrific crimes, I will also make sure all of you see justice served.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you, Your Lordship.¡± Miners kept kowtowing.


    Tao Feng had to smack the alarming-block down onto the table again to have them quiet down.


    Face livid with rage, Jia Yin subdued his fury and observed, ¡°Your Lordship, all of them were lying. We have nothing to do with the deaths of those miners. It was these people who secretly murdered them and buried them to frame me.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! There were guards everywhere in the mine. Each and every move of ours were under their surveillance. How was it possible for us to kill anybody in there?¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, Jia Yin is trying to shift responsibility onto us. Please don¡¯t believe him. It was indeed his men who killed those people.¡±


    Jia Yin clenched his teeth and gasped quickly, his face deathly white, which made him seem very scary. ¡°Your Lordship, all these people are cheap and uneducated country bumpkins. You can never trust them. They are defaming us!¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, never have we killed anybody,¡± Mrs. Jia also urgently said.


    ¡°Jia Yin, Fang shi, both human testimony and physical evidence are available, yet you are still trying to deny your guilt.¡± Tao Feng was very angry. ¡°Yamen runners! Bring another witness here so that they¡¯ll be sincerely convinced.¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s yet another witness?¡¯ Everybody was astonished.


    Even Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. ¡®Who¡¯s this extra witness?¡¯


    It turned out that the one brought to the hall by Yamen runners was the butler of Jia family.


    On the sight of the butler, Jia Yin was infuriated and nearly passed out again. ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±


    As soon as the butler entered the hall, he knelt down to the ground and dissolved into tears. Sobbing, he said to Tao Feng, ¡°Your Lordship, I can testify that it was Master and Second Master who gave orders to kill those miners. I myself communicated orders from them several times. My stupid loyalty clouded my judgement at that time. Please show clemency on me, Your Lordship!¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows. ¡®When in a life-and-death situation, this so-called ¡°loyal servant¡± is nothing more than this.¡¯


    Seeing that even the butler of Jia family betrayed the master, all other servants of Jia family followed suit. They kept disclosing more illegal acts committed by Jia Yin and Jia Zhong as well as other members of Jia family.


    ¡°Those who provide information on the crimes committed by the Jia brothers will receive lenient sentence,¡± said Tao Feng.


    As soon as he finished the last word, more servants decided to betray Jia family. They raced to inform on their masters for tear that there wouldn¡¯t be anything left for them to disclose if they didn¡¯t hurry.


    Jia Yin watched these servants, his face growing paler and paler. ¡°You fucking lackeys. Don¡¯t forget who you are indentured to.¡±


    ¡°Jia Yin, you¡¯re already a prisoner, a criminal, which means you¡¯re no longer eligible to keep these people¡¯s service indentures. And openly threatening witnesses in a law court is an unforgivable act. Yamen runners! Give him ten staff hits,¡± said Tao Feng coldly.


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡±


    When Jia Yin was pinned against the surface a bench prostrate, he caught sight of Zhang Chong. Instantly, the look in his eyes went ferocious and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Zhang Chong, it¡¯s you. It must be you! You want my mine. You want to take our lives. You base bastard will die a violent and miserable death!¡±


    After cursing Zhang Chong, Jia Yin turned his head aside to swear at Ling Zhaowen. ¡°And you, Ling Zhaowen. You framed me, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yamen runners started the flogging and Jia Yin let out a pained cry, no longer able to curse anybody. His body was covered with blebs and he had also spat blood previously, which meant he had both trauma and internal injury, so the flogging was beyond the tolerance of his body. Soon, before the Yamen runner counted to ten, Jia Yin blacked out.


    Kneeling on the side, Mrs. Jia trembled uncontrollably. She had understood Jia Yin¡¯s remarks. Afraid to raise her head to look at Zhang Chong, she crawled her way up to him, grabbed the lower hem of his robe and pleaded, ¡°Commander Zhang, you¡¯re a man of generous mind. Please have mercy on us and forgive us for our wrongs this time. Spare us. Please.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Mrs. Jia? It¡¯s you who committed crimes, none of which concerns me. Walk away.¡± Zhang Chong grinned hideously and kicked Mrs. Jia aside.


    Mrs. Jia let out an anguished screech but soon crawled over to him again and implored in a tearful voice, ¡°Commander Zhang, I¡¯m begging you. Spare us. Please.¡±


    ¡°Get your hands off me or else I¡¯ll give you another kick!¡± Zhang Chong looked at Mrs. Jia in impatience.


    But Mrs. Jia refused to release her grip. Since Zhang Chong had already kicked her once, it was inappropriate for him to aim another kick at her, so he said to Tao Feng, ¡°Lord Tao, please have your men get Mrs. Jia away from me.¡±


    Tao Feng winked at a Yamen runner, who then walked up to Mrs. Jia and grabbed her, trying to drag her aside.


    Mrs. Jia clung on to Zhang Chong¡¯s legs and beseeched him. ¡°Commander Zhang, I¡¯m begging you. Please spare us! We won¡¯t blame our son¡¯s death on you any longer, and neither will we sell the ore of our mine to anybody else. Please forgive us, okay?¡±


    ¡°Stop your nonsense, woman. Beat it!¡± In order to cover the truth, Zhang Chong gave Mrs. Jia another kick which sent her flying.


    Mrs. Jia landed on the ground and burst into weep.


    Seeing this, all lookers-on fell into discussion in a muted voice. Zhang Chong¡¯s face went extremely sullen.


    The fate of Jia family stood unaffected by Mrs. Jia¡¯s tears. Since servants of Jia family disclosed everything, and the butler of Jia family, who was a key witness, also testified against the Jia brothers, people of Jia family were convicted on charges of abusing miners and multiple murder.


    Because Jia Yin had fallen unconscious during the flogging, and all testimony and confession needed recording, Tao Feng declared that a sentence would be passed three days later. He also ordered people of Jia family be taken into custody awaiting sentence.


    In the realization that the situation had gone beyond salvation, Mrs. Jia rolled her eyes and fainted.

 Chapter 112 - Concerns

    Chapter 112: Concerns


    The whole crowd of residents stayed outside the law court for a very long time, looking on. After all, this time, all members of Jia family had been put in jail and were definitely finished. From this day on, there wouldn¡¯t be an inch of land for anybody of Jia family to stand on in Tanyang. Since the verdict had not been handed down and the ownership of the mine still stood undetermined, Tao Feng could not take back the mine even if he wanted to. Therefore, he had no choice but to stand by watching the mine fall into the hands of Zhang Chong.


    Li Fu, one of Ling Zhaowen¡¯s men, walked outside, found Ling Zhang and told him, ¡°Young Master, Second Master bade me to ask you if you want to talk with Jia Yin. Necessary arrangements have been made in the prison. You can go there any time you want.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and then asked him, ¡°Are my uncle and Lord Tao doing additional recording of Jia family¡¯s confessions in the prison?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Jia family is a large family. It¡¯ll take them quite some time to finish the job.¡±


    Ling Zhang wanted to consult with Tao Feng about some issues, so he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go there and see.¡±


    There were so many members of Jia family involved in this case that all cells in the prison were filled with people, and all staff members of Prefecture Yamen were bustling around. Ling Zhang entered the prison and saw his uncle and Tao Feng recording confessions of the butler of Jia family. In the knowledge that they were very busy, he randomly picked a spot and sat down waiting.


    After Ling Zhaowen and Tao Feng finished recording the confession of the butler of Jia family, someone came up to Ling Zhang and led him to his uncle.


    Ling Zhang first asked Tao Feng¡¯s pardon for having disturbed him and then said, ¡°Your Lordship, if what happened today comes to Jia Zhong¡¯s knowledge, he will surely flee. Do you have any plan for that?¡±


    Tao Feng responded, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent some men to hunt Jia Zhong. Taking pre-emptive action before the news reaches him is a wise choice.¡±


    Ling Zhang left the prison secure in the knowledge that Tao Feng had already dispatched his men.


    After returning home, Ling Zhang pondered for a while and it struck him that he should have Wang Dashan take some men and covertly follow those Yamen runners dispatched by Tao Feng. It was not that he didn¡¯t trust Tao Feng but that Jia family had been a powerful force in Tanyang for many years, so there were, without doubt, some people who were willing to tip off Jia Zhong on this kind of occasion. He would feel more secure if more manpower had been put into the hunt for Jia Zhong.


    But currently, Wang Dashan and others were receiving training in Trap-and-Kill Formation. He needed to have them master six arrays in merely half a month, which meant time was short. Moreover, Zhang Chong was still eyeing his family with hostility, so he couldn¡¯t precipitously dispatch so many security guards to another city.


    As a result, the shortage of manpower brought him into vexation.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing the troubled face of Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong walked over and asked.


    Knowing that he could rely on Yuwen Tong¡¯s discretion, Ling Zhang told him what he was thinking about.


    ¡°It is a breeze. I¡¯ll send a message to the garrison there and have them help with the hunt.¡±


    At first Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up on hearing this, but then he calmed down. ¡°Will there be any trouble if you do this?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯ll be merely a request for assistance with a hunt for a criminal, not a revolt. They¡¯ll be very glad to do me this little favor.¡±


    ¡®Is it really okay for him, the Supreme Commander of armed forces of the Great Yue, to talk about revolt so casually?¡¯ Ling Zhang kept silent for a while. He had noticed some time ago that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t have as much respect for the imperial family as he had imagined. In fact, Yuwen Tong seemed to scorn them. ¡®If any of his opponents finds out his attitude towards the imperial family and take advantage of it¡­¡¯ Ling Zhang thought in concern.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put you to some trouble and help me out, because I¡¯m really short-handed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­ act like this in front of other people as well?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was puzzled. ¡°Like what?¡±


    In a very serious tone of voice, Ling Zhang observed, ¡°Even if you really think little of the imperial family, you should keep it to yourself. If by any chance any of your enemies finds out, they might use it against you.¡±


    Light dawned on Yuwen Tong and he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Ling Zhang knitted his brows.


    Seeing that he was really in concern, Yuwen Tong gave a smile and answered in a voice just as serious as that of Ling Zhang, ¡°I know where the limit is. Apart from Yao Yi and his men, you¡¯re the only one to whom I¡¯ve said these words.¡±


    This reply brought Ling Zhang into a brief trance of amazement and gave him mixed feelings. ¡®Why does he trust me so much?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°So there¡¯s no need to worry,¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    ¡°Are you not worried that I might disclose this to other people?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask him.


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Yuwen Tong replied.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth tightened in amusement. ¡°You¡¯re having too much faith in me. I¡¯m not the kind of person you can entrust all kinds of secrets to.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m a shrewd judge of character.¡±


    Ling Zhang was a little unhappy. ¡®He sounds like he knows me quite well.¡¯


    In the knowledge that Ling Zhang was somewhat displeased, Yuwen Tong wisely steered the conversation away to another topic. ¡°Jia family is no longer a threat, and it won¡¯t be long before Zhang Chong becomes suspicious of what happened in Lu family. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll go to Lu family and force Lu Fengnian into burying Lu Kui in the next few days.¡±


    Indeed, since the ¡®burglar¡¯ who had murdered Lu Kui had been at large for such a long time, Zhang Chong probably had already became suspicious. It was just that the news of Jia Yuanling¡¯s death had come out of the blue and blindsided Zhang Chong, leaving him too occupied to conduct any investigation. Now that he had successfully eliminated Jia family and also taken control of the mine, he had plenty of time to find out the truth about the matter of Lu family.


    ¡°If all goes as planned, Yao Yi will reach the capital city tomorrow at the latest. We¡¯ll have to wait another four days in order to give enough time to people in the capital city to think it through. It¡¯s best if Zhang Chong is caught unprepared. In that case, the situation will be the most advantageous to us,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Have you had any news from the capital city? Did word about your presence in Tanyang reach there?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    ¡°The latest courier pigeon hasn¡¯t arrived yet,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang pondered, ¡®If word from people in capital city arrives in Tanyang earlier than that of Yao Yi, we¡¯ll have to face squarely up to Zhang Chong.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There are only two eventualities. Either Zhang Chong has misgivings and decides to stand by making no move, or he takes such bold action as to launch an attack on me. I tend to believe the former will be the case. Even if he has a well-trained and powerful army, it¡¯s not the right time for him to stage an armed revolt, because his allies in the capital city are far from ready. His death is certain if he takes action under the circumstances.¡±


    Ling Zhang did some thinking and asked, ¡°So it¡¯ll be favorable to us if the news is sent back?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Exactly. Now is the perfect time. By no means could Zhang Chong have guessed that I¡¯ve already found out about everything he¡¯s been hiding in the Grand Mang Mountain. Instead of trying to kill me, he will only treat me with the utmost courtesy, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°But once people from the capital city arrives, everything will come to his knowledge and Ling family will be facing dire danger.¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly rose to his feet. ¡®That¡¯s right! Why hasn¡¯t this ever crossed my mind? Once Zhang Chong finds out that all his deeds have been exposed, he will no doubt go to extremes. In that case, my family will be the most vulnerable target and Zhang Chong will surely come at my family!¡¯


    ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen. I must transfer my grandfather and others immediately!¡±


    Yuwen Tong pressed his hands onto Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be anxious. They will be transferred, but we must do it without arousing Zhang Chong¡¯s suspicions.¡±


    How could Ling Zhang not be anxious? Keeping his family safe was his lifelong goal in this second incarnation. ¡®If anything happens to my family, what is the point of me coming back to life?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask my grandfather and others to¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Ling Zhang paused. A thought had just struck him and he immediately walked towards the outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing this, Yuwen Tong hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    ¡°There are some arrangements I have to make.¡± Ling Zhang made this remark in haste and quickly ran outside.


    In resignation, Yuwen Tong followed in his wake.


    ¡°Recall the one staking out the Rising Sun Inn. Now!¡± Ling Zhang gave an order to Xia Feng.


    Xia Feng nodded and left the mansion immediately.


    Yuwen Tong arrived at Ling Zhang¡¯s place shortly after. Seeing that Ling Zhang was standing in the ante-room with a grave expression, he asked, ¡°Rising Sun Inn? Those two traveling merchants from Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°You know about it?¡± Ling Zhang watched him in surprise and then added, ¡°That figures. By no means could your bodyguards have not investigated this matter.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    ¡°Those two men¡­¡± After a fleeting pause, Ling Zhang continued, ¡°Originally, those two people intended to invite my grandfather to Jiangzhou to authenticate a couple of antiques for them. I didn¡¯t let them, because I don¡¯t trust them, but now, as chance would have it, this is a good opportunity to get my grandfather and others out of Tanyang.¡±


    ¡°You said that you don¡¯t trust them. Why do you still want your grandfather to go with them?¡± Yuwen Tong was confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pretext. After they leave Tanyang, I¡¯ll send my grandfather and others to somewhere else,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    If his guess was right, in his last incarnation, those two traveling merchants from Jiangzhou indeed came here to invite his grandfather to authenticate antiques for them, but Jia family took advantage of that matter, ruined the reputation of his grandfather and disgraced Ling family¡¯s name. They brought the renown of Ling family to oblivion step by step and eventually framed Ling family for collusion with brigands, which sounded like a believable accusation. After all, he had ¡°committed adultery¡± previously, and then his uncle had been removed from office due to ¡°wrong doings¡±, and after that his grandfather was disgraced ¨C in outsiders¡¯ eyes, people of Ling family had every reason to collude with brigands. Who would still believe people of Ling family were innocent under the circumstances?


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have someone go with them and escort them to Yanzhou,¡± offered Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°All of your bodyguards have more important issues to deal with. How can any of them find the time?¡± asked Ling Zhang in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had only two bodyguards around him currently, and all others had been dispatched elsewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I only need one bodyguard,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang tightened his mouth. ¡®Yuwen Tong is a Marshal. Adequate protection of him must be ensured. It¡¯s too risky to leave only one guard protecting him.¡¯


    ¡°Trust me. One is enough,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Getting your grandfather and other relatives to a safe place is the first priority.¡±


    Ling Zhang hesitated for a while and gave a bob of the head eventually. ¡°I¡¯ll do my level best to protect you. Wang Dashan and others will also prove helpful. If anything does happen, we¡¯ll do whatever we can to get you out of Tanyang, even if the cost is our own lives.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was sent into a fleeting trance of surprise, and then he smiled, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Yuwen Qi is still here. What do you think we should do about him?¡± asked Ling Zhang. It was not that he had any concern for Yuwen Qi but that if Yuwen Qi died here, Yuwen Tong would have great trouble handling the matter.


    ¡°Him? I¡¯ll make arrangements for him to leave tomorrow,¡± answered Yuwen Tong unconcernedly.


    Xia Feng soon recalled that servant, who asked, ¡°Young Master, may I ask what it was that you urgently called me for?¡±


    ¡°Where are those two traveling merchants from Jiangzhou? What did they do?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°This morning they went to Prefecture Yamen to look on as well. After returning, they stayed in the hall of the inn discussing with others. Then they said something about buying some gifts and paying Old Master another visit. Incidentally, they bought a couple of waiters of the inn, asking them to help find out whether Old Master is at home,¡± answered the servant.


    ¡°Send word to them that I agree to let them have an audience with my grandfather. Tell them to come here right away,¡± Ling Zhang instructed.

 Chapter 113 - Elder Brother, You Are Not Coming with Us?

    Chapter 113: Elder Brother, You Are Not Coming with Us?


    ¡°Now?¡± The servant was briefly stunned. ¡®It¡¯s already afternoon,¡± he thought.


    ¡°Yes. You heard me. Hurry,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Afraid to ask any further questions, the servant immediately turned around and left.


    The two traveling merchants from Jiangzhou were somewhat surprised as they were told that someone from Ling family had come to the inn to meet them. ¡°Someone from Ling family?¡±


    ¡°Did Old Master Ling by any chance agree?¡±


    ¡°Our young master said that he consented to let you have an audience with our old master, but you have to go there immediately,¡± replied the servant of Ling family.


    The two traveling merchants from Jiangzhou exchanged glances. ¡®It¡¯s already late in the afternoon, which is not the right time for paying anybody a visit.¡¯


    ¡°You should be quick. Otherwise our young master might change his mind and this long journey of yours will be in vain,¡± urged the servant.


    The fat middle-aged man immediately made a decision. ¡°All right. We¡¯ll go there right now.¡±


    Hearing this, the thin one raised no objection. ¡°Let me get the presents upstairs.¡±


    The servant had meant to give them another prod but forbore to do so in the knowledge that these two men might feel Ling family was looking forward to their visit if he hurried them again.


    Fortunately, after only a short while, the thin middle-aged man walked downstairs, a casket in his hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said the servant at the sight of him.


    The two traveling merchants nodded and, following the servant, soon arrived at the mansion of Ling family.


    Ling Zhang was waiting for them in the ante-room. Seeing the two merchants, he didn¡¯t show any signs of anxiety but said, ¡°Please have a seat. I mentioned your invitation to my grandfather. He took an interest in it and would like to meet you.¡±


    Unsuspicious of anything, the two merchants from Jiangzhou rejoiced. ¡°Really? Thank you, Childe Ling!¡±


    Previously, the two men had had a somewhat unfavorable impression of Ling Zhang because of his attitudes, but now, on hearing that the situation had taken a favorable turn, they were overjoyed.


    Given the expression on the faces of the two men, Ling Zhang believed that the they were not pretending. As a result, he grew more certain that people of Jia family were at work in that matter of Jiangzhou in his last incarnation. Otherwise, these two people wouldn¡¯t have been so insistent on inviting his grandfather to Jiangzhou, given that Jia family had already been defeated.


    However, though this matter had been made clear, he still decided that these two men had to pay for what they had done. He had already come up with a plan, but given the circumstances, he had no alternative but to shelve it until his grandfather and some other family members left Tanyang.


    ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go and inform my grandfather of your presence.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Childe Ling,¡± replied the two merchants in delight.


    A moment ago, after the servant went to the inn to meet the two traveling merchants, Ling Zhang, along with Yuwen Tong, had talked to Ling Xingzhong and told him the plan. At first Ling Xingzhong was unwilling to leave Tanyang, but eventually he was convinced.


    As a result, when Ling Zhang offered to inform his grandfather, he was merely posturing. Actually, Ling Xingzhong was sitting right in the back hall.


    ¡°Grandfather, they¡¯ve come,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Xingzhong gave a bob of the head, rose to his feet and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a talk with them.¡±


    Ling Zhang walked up to him and guided him to the ante-room.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Old Master Ling.¡± At the sight of Ling Xingzhong, the two traveling merchants gladly cupped their hands and respectfully bowed to him.


    ¡°May I have your names?¡± With Ling Zhang¡¯s assistance, Ling Xingzhong slowly walked to the host seat, sat down and then looked at the two men with a confused face.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wang Xingfeng. This is Zhou Gaoyi, my blood brother. We are businessmen from Jiangzhou, reselling northern goods to southern people as well as the other way around. We own a couple of Yongxing Variety Stores in downtown Jiangzhou and managed to earn some money. Not long ago we acquired a couple of antiques dated at the former dynasty, which seem to be sacrificial vessels. We hired a local connoisseur to help appraise them, who confirmed that they were sacrificial vessels used in the previous dynasty but was unable to offer any further information. We really like those antiques pretty much, so we have an itch to find out about their authenticity. We made a lot of inquiries about antique connoisseurs, and one day, Lord Zhao, whose full name is Zhao Fu, told us that Old Master Ling possessed outstanding prowess in antique authentication and sacrificial vessel authentication. Though fully aware that it was thick-skinned of us to do so, we still requested Lord Zhao to write a letter of introduction for us, and then traveled a long way here from Jiangzhou, intending to seek help from Old Master Ling,¡± observed the fat middle-aged man who went by the name Wang Xingfeng.


    ¡°Oh? So it was Zhao Fu who recommended you to come here,¡± replied Ling Xingzhong. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhao talks about you a lot. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was otherwise engaged, he would have come to Tanyang to visit you with us,¡± said Wang Xingfeng.


    ¡°That¡¯s very nice of him.¡± Ling Xingzhong gave a smile and then asked, ¡°What do those sacrificial vessels look like?¡±


    Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi gave a sketchy description of the antiques they had acquired. After hearing it, Ling Xingzhong slightly nodded with a fairly interested expression on his face. ¡°Judging by your description, they do sound like sacrificial vessels of the previous dynasty. If they turn out to be authentic, you will be able to deem yourselves fortune¡¯s favorite.¡±


    Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi were very happy to hear this. ¡°Old Master Ling, you also think they are authentic?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong stroked his beard and replied, ¡°I cannot make such conclusion until I see them with my own eyes.¡±


    Wang Xingfeng said excitedly, ¡°If Old Master Ling is willing to come with us to Jiangzhou, we¡¯ll make sure your kindness is repaid with satisfying honorarium!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m just interested in those sacrificial vessels that you mentioned. How about this ¨C since I happen to be free today, I¡¯ll make some arrangements, and tomorrow we depart for Jiangzhou,¡± offered Ling Xingzhong.


    Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi were filled with joy. It had never crossed their minds that Ling Xingzhong would consent to go with them to Jiangzhou so willingly, and they would be on their way back the next day without any delay.


    ¡°We¡¯re much obliged to you, Old Master Ling!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us, we¡¯d like to return to the inn first. We¡¯ll come back here to pick you up early in the morning tomorrow.¡±


    After saying this in delight, the two people handed the gift they prepared to a servant of Ling family standing on the side. There was a piece of jade ware in the casket. It seemed to be of fine quality and was definitely very expensive.


    Ling Xingzhong accepted it without any pretence of politeness. ¡°How very thoughtful of you.¡±


    The two people grew more delighted. Smiling, they took their leave and happily walked out of the mansion.


    The first time that they had visited here, they had ended up being given the cold shoulder and asked to leave by Ling Zhang, and they had been consumed with anger and thought that this journey to Tanyang would be for nothing. Unexpectedly, the situation took a favorable turn so soon. Both of them felt that fortune smiled on them.


    ¡°Old Master Ling is so much nicer than that Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Shh, keep your voice down. No matter what, Old Master Ling has agreed to help us, which made this long journey of us worthwhile. Let¡¯s just hope that Old Master Ling was right, that those antiques are authentic. In that case, we¡¯ll get rich overnight and won¡¯t have to work a single day for the rest of our lives.¡±


    ¡°Elder brother, you¡¯re right. Those antiques are definitely worth making this journey.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll never cross path with that Childe Ling again, so don¡¯t you do anything that might anger him.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, elder brother. Why would I mess with him? He looks even scarier than a county magistrate when he wears that sulky expression on his face.¡±


    Talking and walking, Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi returned to the Rising Sun Inn and began making preparations for picking up Ling Xingzhong to leave Tanyang the next morning.


    In the residence of Ling family, Ling Zhaowen still hadn¡¯t returned from Prefecture Yamen yet. Because of the case of Jia family, he didn¡¯t even come back to have lunch.


    ¡°Father, Zhang¡¯er, you want me and Maomao to go to Jiangzhou with you?¡± Fu Caiwei was dismayed by the remarks of Ling Zhang and Ling Xingzhong.


    Ling Xingzhong gave a bob of the head. ¡°Yeah. There are going to be upheavals in Tanyang during the next few days, and it¡¯ll be unsafe to stay at home as well. You and Maomao should go to Jiangzhou with me, so that Zhang¡¯er and Lord Yuwen will be able to carry out their plans without the worries behind.¡±


    It was not until this moment that Fu Caiwei came to understand why she and Maomao were meant to go to Jiangzhou. But since they had been asked to leave home to take refuge elsewhere, what Ling Zhang had to do next must be both very tricky and very dangerous. Thinking about this, she was very worried.


    ¡°But what about Zhang¡¯er and my husband? It¡¯s too dangerous. I can¡¯t just leave them like this.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, uncle and I will be fine. Marshal is here,¡± Ling Zhang replied and then specially flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong took the hint and promised, ¡°Rest assured, Second Mistress Ling, I¡¯ll keep Ling Zhang and Second Master safe.¡±


    Fu Caiwei answered, ¡°Thank you, Marshal, but you¡¯re too important a person to take this kind of risk for us¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt, just take Maomao and go to Jiangzhou with grandfather. I promise we¡¯ll take good care of ourselves,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Still in concern, Fu Caiwei frowned, ¡°Maybe you should leave with us.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t. If we leave, Zhang Chong will be alerted and trouble will come. Aunt, I know that you¡¯re worried about uncle and me, but this time, you must listen to me and grandfather. Take Maomao and leave here with grandfather. Only in the knowledge that you¡¯re safe and sound will uncle and I stay focused on what we¡¯re going to do and thus be rid of the risk of getting ourselves in danger.¡±


    Fu Caiwei swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue and hesitated for quite a while, looking rather worried.


    Ling Xingzhong said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Go and get everything ready as soon as possible. We leave early in the morning tomorrow.¡±


    Since Ling Xingzhong had made up his mind, Fu Caiwei had no choice but to obey, no matter how unwilling she was. After heaving a sigh, she went to do packing, a frown of concern on her face.


    Ling Maomao was brought back. At first, he was very happy to hear that he was going to Jiangzhou and no longer had to go to school, but when he was told that Ling Zhang would stay in Tanyang, he went unhappy. ¡°Elder brother, why don¡¯t you go there with us?¡±


    ¡°Elder brother has some business to attend to and doesn¡¯t have the time to go with you,¡± Ling Zhang explained.


    ¡°But you were absent from our last journey, and now you¡¯re doing this to us once again.¡± Ling Maomao was displeased. ¡°Back then, you promised me that you would be with us on our next journey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to break my word this time. I¡¯m sorry. But elder brother really cannot leave. Be a good boy and stop being unhappy, okay?¡±


    Ling Maomao kept silent. Clearly, he was still out of humor.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to scoop the boy up in his arms. ¡°There, there! Stop being unhappy. How about elder brother helps you pack your stuff?¡±


    Ling Maomao pouted his lips. ¡°You¡¯re just coaxing me, like you always do.¡±


    Ling Zhang pinched his cheek playfully. ¡°Who else is elder brother supposed to coax other than you?¡±


    Ling Maomao widened his eyes and looked at him. ¡°You also coax Lord Yuwen.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Didn¡¯t you specially prepare a lot of delicacies to please him?¡± replied Ling Maomao.


    It surprised Ling Zhang that Maomao still remembered that matter. ¡°Didn¡¯t elder brother prepare delicious food for you as well?¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t count,¡± answered Ling Maomao. ¡°Only dishes specially made for me will count.¡±

 Chapter 114 - A Hunt at Night

    Ling Zhang carried Ling Maomao to his uncle¡¯s place, where Fu Caiwei was racing against time packing up. Maidservants and wet nurses were bustling all around. All servants had no idea what their master¡¯s plan was. They only knew that the master suddenly decided to go on a journey to Jiangzhou, that they were departing early the next morning and time was very short.


    ¡°Maomao, get down. You¡¯re too old to have your elder brother carry you.¡± Seeing Ling Zhang carrying Ling Maomao to the room, Fu Caiwei scolded the boy while quickly moving around, busy packing things.


    Ling Zhang put down Ling Maomao and said to him, ¡°Go and start packing. See if there are things that you want to take with you in particular. Don¡¯t forget anything.¡±


    Knowing that his elder brother really couldn¡¯t go with him on the journey, Ling Maomao was in fairly low spirits, but after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words and seeing that all servants were busy packing things, he ran inside and reminded a servant to pack his little pillow.


    Seeing that the boy¡¯s frustration had dissolved somewhat, he quietly left the room and returned to the ante-room.


    Early the next morning, Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi came to pick up Old Master Ling.


    When informed that Fu Caiwei and Ling Maomao were going as well, the two merchants were somewhat surprised. After hearing that they wanted to visit some relatives and were going the same way, the two men immediately promised that they would safely escort the woman and the boy to the destination.


    This time, Ling Zhang had hurriedly recalled five security guards in the herb farm to Tanyang the day before. He had assigned them to go with his family members to Jiangzhou and protect them. One of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards, who had disguised as a security guard of Ling family, would also join them, along with a maidservant, one of Ling Xingzhong¡¯s personal attendants and two carriage drivers. With two carriages and six horses, people of Ling family soon departed, following the team of Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi.


    Ling Zhang had Wang Dashan keep a close watch on them. After Ling Xingzhong and others safely got through the city gate and then smoothly traveled across the boundary of Tanyang, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, staff members of Prefecture Yamen had finally finished the recording of testimonies and confessions. Because people of Jia family had committed so many evil deeds, including both minor offences and serious crimes, and those over ten miners murdered by Jia Yin and Jia Zhong were not servants of Jia family but law-abiding commoners, which were deemed aggravating circumstances, the Jia brothers were sentenced to death.


    Mrs. Jia and other female members of Jia family were condemned to life-long exile to the frontier in the bitter cold far north doing menial work, while punishment meted out to male members of Jia family was to serve as coolies building defense works in border areas. Servants of Jia family also received penalties which were imposed according to how involved they had been in the crimes committed by Jia Yin. After the sentence was passed, official notices issued by Prefecture Yamen were put up everywhere in the city saying that Jia Yin would be executed at noon ten days later, and others would be escorted to the frontier on the same day. Meanwhile, the hunt for Jia Zhong was still ongoing.


    Thus, Jia family was brought down and the residence of Jia family was also sealed with white strips of paper by Prefecture Yamen.


    Finally, half of the huge debt of blood was repaid. After reading the notice on the bulletin board, Ling Zhang returned, locked himself in his study and had been silent all along.


    Xia Feng was somewhat worried, but since Ling Zhang had ordered that nobody go near his study, he didn¡¯t dare to ask his young master. Since Ling Zhaowen was in Prefecture Yamen, and Ling Xingzhong had left Tanyang, after pondering for quite a while, Xia Feng went to the Green Bamboo Mansion to seek help from Yuwen Tong.


    After hearing Xia Feng¡¯s words, Yuwen Tong was more composed than Xia Feng had imagined. ¡°Give him some time to be alone. Don¡¯t disturb him. You were actually a disturbance of him when you were pacing up and down near the study.¡±


    Xia Feng was shocked. ¡®I followed the order and never approached the study, yet I still disturbed Young Master?¡¯


    Eventually, he took Yuwen Tong¡¯s advice and didn¡¯t go anywhere near the study.


    Ling Zhang was sitting quietly in his study, but his heart was unquiet. In his mind, all those things happened in his last incarnation and this one were being replayed again and again.


    After Jia family fell apart to pieces, he felt delighted by the revenge but also lamented what had happened in his last life. His sensible self in the corner of his mind was trying very hard to remind him to calm down. After all, he had only got half of the vengeance, and there was still a long way for him to go. All kinds of emotions were having a fierce fight inside him, making his whole body tense. It was not until after two hours that he gradually settled down.


    When he opened the door of the study and walked out, it was already dusk.


    On hearing the sound of the door opening, Xia Feng came over to him immediately. ¡°Young Master, finally you walked out. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m going next door. Get things ready for the medicated bath tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang was indeed all right, Xia Feng was relieved and quickly went to make preparations for the medicated bath.


    Yuwen Tong standing in the corridor in the Green Bamboo Mansion was watching in the direction of the gateway, as if waiting for Ling Zhang to show up.


    ¡°Are you in a better mood?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°I was just having trouble sorting out some thoughts.¡±


    With an understanding look in his eyes, Yuwen Tong stretched out his hand.


    Having no idea why he was doing this, Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement.


    Yuwen Tong briefly waved his hand. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    Ling Zhang had no choice but to reach his hand out, which was immediately grabbed by Yuwen Tong. The next instant, he was drawn over by a great force and his view blurred. He had a sensation of rapidly ascending into mid-air, an arm around his waist.


    ¡°The scenery this dusk is pretty good. It¡¯s a perfect time for relaxation.¡± Yuwen Tong had brought him to the rooftop of a two-story building in the Green Bamboo Mansion, which overlooked more than half of the residence of Ling family. From where they stood, a seemingly boundless sea of roof ridges could be seen.


    Thin clouds in the west glowed orange in the setting sun. Standing there, Ling Zhang watched for a while and then directly sat down on the rooftop, his mind considerably more peaceful. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°There are a lot of things yet to be handled, but right now we can relax a little bit.¡±


    Ling Zhang knew Yuwen Tong was doing this out of kindness. He softly grunted ¡°Um¡±, then turned aside and raised his head to look at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong sensed his gaze and lowered his head to look back at him, as if asking what the matter was.


    ¡°Sit down with me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sat down beside Ling Zhang. The two people just sat there on the rooftop. After a while, Ling Zhang turned aside facing another direction and then rested his head on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder.


    Ling Zhang did this in such a natural way that Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but give a smile.


    Neither of the two uttered a word. They just watched as the sun sank below the horizon. Night fell and coldness set in.


    ¡°Young Master, Lord Yuwen, dinner is ready,¡± yelled Xia Feng at the gateway of the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    Ling Zhang sat upright, twisted his head back to look over Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder and let out a soft cough. ¡°Is it numb?¡±


    Maybe it had been because of the quietness on the rooftop, or maybe because leaning against Yuwen Tong had been a very comfortable position, originally, he had intended to lean against Yuwen Tong for merely a while, but unexpectedly, he had gradually forgotten the time and nearly drifted off.


    Yuwen Tong rose and pulled Ling Zhang to his feet. ¡°No, not by any means. No part of me will go numb even if you lean on me sleeping for a whole day. You can do this anytime you want.¡±


    Ling Zhang faintly flushed, thinking that he had been too careless this time, that he would never do this again.


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Having received no response, Xia Feng called him again.


    The two of them hurriedly got off the rooftop and returned to the dining room of the Green Bamboo Mansion. Xia Feng had already had the dinner served.


    ¡°Young Master, the medicated bath is ready.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After dinner, Ling Zhang took another medicated bath. As usual, Yuwen Tong used his internal energy to unblock Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians. This was the second last medicated bath that he needed to take.


    During all these medicated baths, he always followed Yuwen Tong¡¯s instructions, carefully felt the way that the internal energy circulated inside him, and adjusted his breathing. Though Yuwen Tong had not imparted the special breathing exercise to him yet, Ling Zhang had already had a general idea how it worked.


    On that night. In the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°Jia Yin¡¯s death sentence is not a surprise, but Jia Zhong is still at large. If what happened to Jia family comes to his knowledge, he will definitely be on the run. Commander, should we send someone to assassinate Jia Zhong? He knows a lot, after all,¡± Deputy Commander Bai Jun asked Zhang Chong.


    ¡°Commander, Deputy Commander Bai has got a point. I also think it advisable to kill Jia Zhong. What concerns me is not only that he knows a lot about our plan but also that he might disclose it to Tao Feng to take revenge on us, so we might as well strike the first blow and eliminate him,¡± observed Deputy Commander Wang Ming.


    Zhang Chong replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it up to you. This time, your work in the mine of Jia family was impressive.¡±


    Wang Ming was delighted. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Commander. I¡¯ll depart right away and finish Jia Zhong tonight.¡±


    ¡°Go. See it done and the reward won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡±


    Zhang Chong glanced at Bai Jun and asked, ¡°There¡¯s still no news of the murderer of Lu Kui?¡±


    Bai Jun hurriedly answered, ¡°I beg your pardon, Commander. I still haven¡¯t found that person yet.¡±


    ¡°What did those bandits say?¡±


    ¡°Ever since Commander wiped out those bandits on the Lee Mountain, all other gangs have been obedient and very cooperative, but the murderer is still nowhere to be found. I believe that they weren¡¯t lying. The murderer of Lu Kui is indeed not one of those bandits.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°There has been no clue whatsoever except for those blood footprints found in Lu family that night. It seems as if the murderer has disappeared into thin air. We¡¯ve searched every inch of Tanyang as well as all dens of bandits, but the whereabouts of the ruffian is still unknown. I figured that guy is probably not in Tanyang any longer, and he¡¯s not a member of any of those bandit gangs either.¡±


    ¡°Then who do you suspect?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I think that the murderer is either a burglar from another city or a local in disguise.¡±


    Bai Jun stated his speculations and waited for Zhang Chong¡¯s response.


    Seeming to find the speculation of Bai Jun unsurprising, Zhang Chong asked, ¡°Then who do you think it was that disguised as that burglar?¡±


    ¡°That person is a kung fu practitioner, and his lightness skills are not bad. I¡¯ve investigated all households in Tanyang and I did find a couple of suspects. Right now, they¡¯re under surveillance,¡± answered Bai Jun.


    But Zhang Chong said, ¡°Stop the surveillance. Arrest them directly and interrogate them.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ What if Tao Feng intervenes?¡± Bai Jun was somewhat hesitant.


    ¡°What could Tao Feng possibly do about it? Just grab them and conduct the interrogation. I want the results tomorrow. This murder case must be settled immediately.¡± Zhang Chong had an impatient expression on his face.


    Afraid to raise any objections, Bai Jun hurriedly answered, ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    On that very night, Bai Jun led his men into the city and restrained the couple of persons he deemed suspicious. The sudden hunt alarmed most residents in the city. Ling Zhang staying at home was also informed of it.


    ¡°It was Bai Jun. Why did he suddenly arrest those people?¡± Ling Zhang was baffled.


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at the guard who had just come back to report to him. The guard answered, ¡°Bai Jun suspects that one of those people is the murderer of Lu Kui.¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. Fully aware of the truth about the ¡°murderer¡± of Lu Kui, he knew those people had been wronged.


    ¡°They directly arrested those people without official permission. It seems that they intend to extort a confession by torture. Clearly Zhang Chong doesn¡¯t want to waste any more time investigating. There will be only one outcome if he gives those people the third degree ¨C he¡¯ll be more skeptical of the identity of the murderer of Lu Kui,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    After all, whether any of those people was the murderer or not would be made clear immediately after the interrogation was conducted.


    ¡°The worst-case scenario would be they make one of those people a scapegoat.¡±

 Chapter 115 - The Burglar in Prefecture Yamen

    If nobody intervened, those people might not survive after being taken into the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stand by and let this happen,¡± said Ling Zhang after a few moments¡¯ silence. He had had no original intention of getting any innocent people involved, but he needed to figure out a way to stop Zhang Chong. ¡°Those people have already been taken to the Prefecture Encampment. If, while they are in there, the burglar who ¡®killed¡¯ Lu Kui committed another theft, those people will naturally be cleared of suspicions.¡±


    This would also be a delaying tactic. As long as they managed to delay Zhang Chong for a couple of more days, he would definitely be too occupied with saving his own life to investigate the murder case.


    ¡°It sounds like a pretty good plan. What are you going to do?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid common people cannot endure the interrogation of Prefecture Guards¡­¡± Ling Zhang said after pondering for quite a while. ¡°I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan disguise as a burglar and come to steal from Ling family. Ask that guard who went to Lu family that day to leave some more footprints.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay to have him leave footprints, but if soldiers of the Prefecture Guards come here to investigate, they will find the secrets in Ling family.¡±


    Ling Zhang was vexed. ¡°I got anxious and forgot about this. Then what should we do?¡±


    Suddenly his eyes lit up. ¡°I can just ask Lord Tao to do me a favor.¡±


    ¡®Isn¡¯t a theft in the Prefecture Yamen far more serious than it¡¯s like in my family?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to ask him for help. If by any chance you disclose too much, Tao Feng will guess the secrets of Lu family. Just send someone to pay a visit to Prefecture Yamen.¡±


    ¡°How do you plan to do it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong summoned his bodyguard and gave him some instructions.


    The bodyguard answered, ¡°I¡¯ll go there right now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Wait until after Zi Hour (23:00-01:00).¡±


    ¡°Those people will be tortured if we don¡¯t take immediate action.¡±


    Ling Zhang watched Yuwen Tong in confusion. Yuwen Tong explained in a calm tone of voice. ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let them die. They will only have to endure some lashing or something like that. It¡¯ll be more favorable for us if we make this bigger.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a while but raised no objections.


    Late that night. In Prefecture Yamen.


    Except for Yamen runners on patrol and those on night duty, most people in Prefecture Yamen were asleep. It was very quiet and all areas beyond the lighting range of lanterns were pitch-dark. Tao Feng and all his family members lived in the rear yard of Prefecture Yamen, which Yamen runners on night patrol focused their attention on.


    A Yamen runner on patrol let out a big yawn. It was very natural that people felt sleepy late at night.


    The patrol team had just walked past the door at the corner of the rear yard. The door was tightly closed and locked from the inside. There was nothing unusual about it and Yamen runners didn¡¯t pay any extra attention to it. They all believed that nobody would be so bold as to steal from Prefecture Yamen.


    However, something beyond all their expectations was going to happen on this night.


    The Yamen runner, who had just finished the yawn, was just about to lower his head when suddenly he saw a black figure flash across the corner of the walls of the rear yard. He gave an instantaneous shudder and yelled, ¡°Who is it!¡±


    All others were taken aback and on the alert. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°A black figure jumped into the rear yard. I think it was a person,¡± replied the Yamen runner who had seen the black figure.


    ¡°What? Let¡¯s go inside and check,¡± the leader of the patrol team hurriedly said.


    ¡°Chief, the door is locked from the inside. We can¡¯t get in,¡± another man said.


    ¡°Knock the door!¡± ordered the leader of the patrol team.


    Two Yamen runners immediately grabbed the knockers and started knocking. ¡°Anybody in there? Open the door. A burglar intruded!¡±


    They kept yelling for quite a while and finally someone woke up and lighted a lantern. A voice asked aloud, ¡°Who intruded? The door is still locked.¡±


    ¡°We saw someone jump inside from the top of the wall!¡± said a Yamen runner anxiously. ¡°Open the door immediately so we can go inside and catch the intruder.¡±


    The voice of the man inside went nervous. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll get Supervisor Wang here to open the door.¡±


    Yamen runners looked at each other in dismay, worrying that the burglar would have been long gone when the door was opened.


    ¡°What if the burglar intended to hurt Lord Tao?¡± someone asked in nervousness.


    ¡°Someone run to the front gate and tell the guard to report!¡± the leader ordered immediately.


    ¡°Yes!¡± A Yamen runner rapidly rushed towards the front gate.


    Soon some others hurried over after hearing the noises. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°A burglar jumped inside from the top of this wall. We¡¯re waiting for someone to open the door,¡± replied the leader of the patrol team.


    Right at this moment, the door was opened and Yamen runners hurtled inside.


    Tao Feng had already been woken up by the noises. Hearing that there was an intruder, he was shocked. ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, that person was wearing night suit and moved very quick. I didn¡¯t see his face,¡± answered the Yamen runner who had spotted the black figure.


    ¡°Your Lordship, I brought bad news. There was a theft in the vault!¡± Someone came to report in haste.


    Tao Feng¡¯s face went cold. ¡°What were stolen?¡±


    ¡°Several pieces of jade ware that you purchased at high prices are gone!¡±


    Tao Feng went furious. ¡°This is unbelievable! A burglar actually dared to steal from a county official. Search the city! Nobody stop until the burglar is caught!¡±


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    All of sudden, a commotion came from the front hall, mixed with constant footsteps and yelling.


    Tao Feng¡¯s countenance changed. ¡°Go and check!¡±


    When Tao Feng hurried to the scene, the burglar was already gone, while all Yamen runners had a strange expression.


    ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s the burglar?!¡± thundered Tao Feng.


    ¡°That person¡¯s lightness skills are very good. I regret to report this to you, but we failed to catch him. Head Constable Zhao has taken some men to go after him,¡± someone answered, ¡°and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what? Keep talking.¡± Tao Feng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°That burglar was wildly arrogant. He said¡­ He said¡­¡±


    ¡°He said what!¡±


    ¡°He said that if Your Lordship kept investigating the murder of Lord Lu, he would come back here and apart from stealing things, he would also¡­ he would also cut your head off.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous!¡±


    Tao Feng¡¯s face changed drastically, fury and alarm bubbling up inside him. ¡°How dare a mere burglar threaten me!¡±


    Everybody kept silent for fear of angering Tao Feng further.


    ¡°Pursue him. Send out more men to hunt him down. Nobody come back until you get him!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡±


    There were a lot of noises in Prefecture Yamen, and Yamen runners also made quite some noises during the hunt for the burglar late at night. Though residents who heard the commotion had no idea exactly what was going on, it did come to their knowledge that something had happened and Yamen runners were hunting someone.


    These days, there had been a string of crimes in Tanyang, and the murderer of Lu Kui was still at large. It had been a few days after the murder, and residents had just let down their guard somewhat when Yamen runners were dispatched to hunt a burglar at night. All people tightly closed their doors and windows, too afraid to go outside.


    The city gate was shut. All Yamen runners intended to catch the burglar before daybreak when the city gate would be opened, but the hunt lasted a full night yet the burglar was still at large.


    That burglar had tricked Head Constable Zhao and his men into running around for a whole night and they had actually been to every corner of Tanyang, but they hadn¡¯t even once approached the burglar. Head Constable Zhao¡¯s face was dark with rage.


    What they found more annoying was that they could no longer find any traces of the burglar when the dawn was about to break, as if he had vanished into thin air.


    Head Constable Zhao and his men searched every inch of the area where the burglar¡¯s figure had been last seen. They even intruded into civilian dwellings but still found nothing.


    ¡°Damn it. The burglar ran so fast. He was literally toying with us!¡± said a Yamen runner who had been chasing the burglar all night with Head Constable Zhao.


    ¡°No wonder we had never found any clues to the identity of the murderer after investigating for such a long time. Head Constable Zhao, that burglar is a kung fu expert!¡±


    ¡°I thought that the murderer had already fled from Tanyang. It never crossed my mind that he¡¯s still in the city. This guy¡¯s unbelievably arrogant!¡±


    Other Yamen runners were also very indignant and started cursing.


    Face dark with anger, Head Constable Zhao brought his men back to the Prefecture Yamen and gave an account of the hunting process to Tao Feng, who listened with anger bubbling beneath the surface.


    ¡°So you failed to catch the burglar?¡± asked Tao Feng flintily.


    ¡°Please punish me for my incompetence, Your Lordship,¡± replied Head Constable Zhao with a sulky face, head lowered.


    Tao Feng was consumed with rage. He had never expected that some burglar would act so boldly as to threaten him in Prefecture Yamen, which was an unmistakable indication that the burglar showed total disregard for his authority.


    ¡°Continue the investigation and bring me the burglar or see yourself relieved of your position!¡±


    Head Constable Zhao involuntarily tensed his back and answered in a deep voice, ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡±


    As soon as Head Constable Zhao left, Tao Feng rose to his feet. ¡°Prepare the palanquin. Let¡¯s go to Ling family!¡±


    After Lu Kui¡¯s ¡°death¡±, Ling Zhaowen had once asked Tao Feng to help him delay Jia Zhong and Zhang Chong and prevent them from taking advantage of this event. Though having no idea exactly what was going on in Lu family, Tao Feng had an intuition that people of Ling family knew something about it, but now a burglar had intruded into the Prefecture Yamen and threatened him right in front of him!


    Early in the morning, Ling Zhaowen met Tao Feng and was very surprised to hear what had happened in the Prefecture Yamen. ¡°A burglar intruded into yamen?¡±


    Tao Feng stared at Ling Zhaowen. After he confirmed that Ling Zhaowen was not affecting that expression, his face grew slightly milder. ¡°That burglar has never left Tanyang. Last night, he boldly came to yamen and made threats against me. Tongzhi Ling, do you by any chance know anything? Is the matter of Ling family really as simple as it seems?¡±


    The night before, Ling Zhang had informed Ling Zhaowen of his plan. Ling Zhaowen knew very well that Tao Feng would surely become suspicious, so he had already thought of an idea how to deal with Tao Feng.


    He feigned a shocked expression and then replied with affected grief that he didn¡¯t feel, ¡°Your Lordship, had I known anything, Lord Lu wouldn¡¯t have been murdered. I just feel that the timing of the murder was too coincidental ¨C I was about to be promoted to the Left Tongzhi, and Lord Lu was about to be promoted to the Right Tongzhi, but suddenly he was murdered by a burglar, one who was familiar with his study. I¡¯m just worried that the burglar was hired by someone.¡±


    ¡°By ¡®someone¡¯, are you referring to¡­ Zhang Chong?¡± asked Tao Feng.


    Ling Zhaowen gave a bob of the head. ¡°Exactly. Jia Zhong had always been coveting the post of Tongzhi. During this appraisal concerning official promotion, the competition between Jia Zhong and Lord Lu had been very intense, but regrettably, he still lost to Lord Lu. How could he have been convinced? In the last appraisal, after he lost to me, people of Jia family made several attempts to frame my family, which made it very difficult for me not to suspect Jia family and Zhang Chong of the murder of Lord Lu.¡±


    Tao Feng had already believed Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words. After all, Lu Kui had indeed died. Since Ling Zhaowen and Lu Kui had always been close friends, he believed that Ling Zhaowen wouldn¡¯t keep anything back about the murder of Lu Kui.


    At this time, Ling Zhaowen said through gritted teeth, ¡°It never crossed my mind that the burglar has been staying in Tanyang all along, watching us as we searched every inch of this city. I can only imagine how many times he laughed at us. This goddamn burglar. Incidentally, Your Lordship, have you been informed that Prefecture Guards arrested several people last night?¡±


    Tao Feng had been having headaches for a whole night due to that burglar, so he had paid no attention to this matter. Hearing that Prefecture Guards arrested some people, he knitted his eyebrows. ¡°Who did they arrest?¡±

 Chapter 116 - Zhang Chongs Suspicions

    ¡°It was a couple of men having kung fu skills that got arrested. It is rumored that they are under the suspicion of the murder of Lord Lu. They were apprehended last night and are now in custody in the Prefecture Encampment, but the problem is that the burglar has shown himself again, which means that those people were wronged. How they have been treated in the Prefecture Encampment is still unknown,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Tao Feng had a displeased look on his face. ¡®Zhang Chong arbitrarily arrested those people but didn¡¯t even have the courtesy to inform me?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to have Zhang Chong release those people immediately.¡±


    In the Prefecture Encampment, Zhang Chong had also heard that Lu Kui¡¯s murderer threatened Tao Feng the night before. He instantly came to realize that Bai Jun had arrested the wrong people, and Tao Feng would no doubt hold him responsible for this.


    ¡°Bring Bai Jun to me!¡± Zhang Chong thundered.


    Bai Jun was interrogating the couple of men he had arrested. Because none of those men made any confessions, he tortured them.


    After being told Zhang Chong summoned him, Bai Jun was worried that Zhang Chong was eager to know the results, but he had got nothing yet. Somewhat anxious, he intended to delay the audience and resort to heavier torture to force those men into confessing.


    ¡°Deputy Commander Bai, Commander seems to be very angry. You¡¯d better go there right now.¡± Seeing that Bai Jun had no intention of leaving, the messenger gave him a prod.


    Bai Jun was surprised. ¡°Angry? Why is Commander angry?¡±


    The messenger sighed, ¡°Word has it that there was another burglary in Tanyang, that the burglar even intruded into the Prefecture Yamen to threaten Tao Feng.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Bai Jun¡¯s face changed drastically and it suddenly struck him why Zhang Chong got angry.


    ¡°Please hurry. Otherwise Commander might vent his anger on me, which I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be able to survive,¡± the messenger pleaded.


    Several different expressions crossed the face of Bai Jun consecutively. At last, he clenched his teeth and walked outside.


    Unsurprisingly, Zhang Chong hurled a torrent of rebuke at Bai Jun and barely forbore from giving him a kick sending him flying.


    Bai Jun broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°I made a misjudgement. Please give me a chance to make amends for my guilt by meritorious service.¡±


    ¡°Make amends for your guilt by meritorious service? I¡¯ll give you a second chance only if you deem yourself capable of catching the burglar. If not¡­¡± Zhang Chong looked at him coldly.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll catch him!¡± Bai Jun hurriedly made a promise.


    With a sepulchral look on his face, Zhang Chong watched as Bai Jun left the tent. He felt that all circumstances had been conspiring against him recently. ¡®Originally, all people in Tanyang were afraid to disobey me, and everybody was respectful to me no matter how displeased they were with me, but ever since¡­ Yes, ever since Jia Yuanling failed to frame Ling Zhang who afterwards retaliated, I keep having this feeling that somebody has been deliberately making things difficult for me.¡¯


    Even that fledgling of Ling family had dared to mess with him, and there had been nothing he could do to immediately sort him out. When he had intended to set about eliminating Ling Zhang, the murder of Lu Kui had happened. Originally, Lu Kui¡¯s death could have been favorable for him, but the murderer had been at large all along, which was a humiliation for him. Those bandits had also disobeyed him at first, and he had had to risk compromising his big plan dispatching the heavily armored infantry to handle them. The emperor had turned his request down, and there seemed to be some secret forces at work in the capital city. Not long ago he had lost Jia Zhong who had always been his right-hand man, and Jia Yin had nearly got him into deep trouble. Now, he wanted to cut the Gordian knot and put a quick end to the matter of Lu family, but the operation was forced to stop midway¡­


    With a deeply concerned look on his face, Zhang Chong sat down. Previously he had never done any careful thinking about this matter, but now he came to realize that this string of happenings were unduly coincidental. His intuition told him that there was more to these things than semblance suggested, but he had no idea where to start even if he wanted to investigate.


    ¡®Exactly where does the problem lie?¡¯ he wondered.


    Before Zhang Chong could figure it out, the man sent by Tao Feng arrived and asked Zhang Chong to release the couple of innocent commoners, saying that their family members had already gone to the Prefecture Yamen demanding that the injustice be redressed.


    Zhang Chong heavily smacked his fist onto the table and nearly broke it apart.


    ¡°Go and bring those men here. Send for the medic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    Zhang Chong decided to investigate the burglary committed in the Prefecture Yamen himself. He felt that this case was not as simple as it seemed either, that this matter might prove to be a breakthrough.


    ¡­


    ¡°Young Master, Zhang Chong sent the couple of men back to the city. He also had a medic treat their wounds and gave them a lot of money as compensation. Family members of those men making trouble in the Prefecture Yamen have been appeased and returned home.¡± Li Fu, Ling Zhaowen¡¯s attendant, came back from the Prefecture Yamen and reported to Ling Zhang what had happened there.


    ¡°What about Zhang Chong? Did he go back to the Prefecture Encampment?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯s still in the Prefecture Yamen questioning those Yamen runners who saw the burglar. Head Constable Zhao and some others who conducted the hunt for the burglar were also summoned.¡±


    ¡°I see. If there¡¯s anything else, I¡¯ll have to ask you to take the trouble to go there again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been an honor to serve you, Young Master. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯d like to go back now.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and followed Li Fu with his eyes as he left.


    Yuwen Tong walked out and said, ¡°Zhang Chong probably has sensed that something is not right.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be able to find out anything?¡± Ling Zhang was fairly worried.


    ¡°The guard was in disguise and faked an accent as well. Besides, they didn¡¯t catch him. Even if Zhang Chong intended to investigate, he won¡¯t be able to find anything anytime soon.¡± Yuwen Tong was very composed.


    Just like Yuwen Tong said, Zhang Chong had indeed asked those Yamen runners, who had witnessed the burglar, about the burglar¡¯s clothing, accent, kung fu skills and bodily movement techniques. However, Yamen runners¡¯ answers suggested that the person was nondescript, and Zhang Chong didn¡¯t find anything of value.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also asked them about these. That burglar is very cunning, and his kung fu is very good as well, so no clue has been found, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Feel free to say what¡¯s on your mind, Lord Tao.¡±


    With a somewhat concerned look on his face, Tao Feng replied, ¡°It is rumored that a lot of Jianhu scum have joined the bandit gang on the Grand Mang Mountain. All those people are kung fu practitioners. Is it possible that the burglar is one of them? Has Commander Zhang ever been to the Grand Mang Mountain to investigate?¡±


    Zhang Chong unnoticeably knitted his eyebrows briefly and said, ¡°Of course I have. Unfortunately, bandits on the Grand Mang Mountain haven¡¯t left the mountain for a long time. None of my men at the monitoring points around the mountain have never spotted any bandits coming out.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s no omission?¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao, you may suspect me, but please don¡¯t suspect my soldiers. All of them are dedicated to their duties. Speaking of duties, may I ask when Lord Tao will appoint a new County Magistrate of Tai County, County Magistrate of Wu County and select the successor of the Right Tongzhi? If Lord Tao has difficulty finding suitable candidates, I can make some recommendations.¡±


    For an instant Tao Feng¡¯s face was sullen. ¡®Three job vacancies have popped up all at once. Is Zhang Chong bursting with impatience to plant his men around me again?¡¯


    ¡°Maybe you should put your concern elsewhere, Commander Zhang. I¡¯ve already had a plan. What Commander Zhang needs to do is keep your soldiers under control. It is bandits and bushrangers that Commander Zhang should figure out a way to handle. The battle on the Lee Mountain has proved that Prefecture Guards are powerful enough to eradicate those outlaws. Why don¡¯t you continue your victorious pursuit and eliminate the couple of bandit gangs on other mountains as well? If you do that, people of Tanyang will be able to embrace long-lost peace, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be forever grateful to you for your kindness.¡±


    Zhang Chong had a flinty look in his eyes. ¡°Prefecture Guards suffered heavy casualties during the battle on the Lee Mountain. Lord Tao saw our victory but overlooked those who died securing it. Currently, what Prefecture Guards need to do is recuperate and build up strength. Given that Lord Tao doesn¡¯t have the expertise, it¡¯s advisable for you to stop making suggestions.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. I¡¯d appreciate it if Commander Zhang would stop interfering with my duties.¡± Tao Feng talked back immediately.


    Zhang Chong flintily looked at Tao Feng, who looked back at him.


    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll make no further remarks. But Lord Tao, no good luck lasts forever. You should keep this in mind.¡±


    Hearing Zhang Chong¡¯s threat, Tao Feng remained composed. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please return. I have a lot of official business to attend to.¡±


    Zhang Chong coldly snorted and took his men out of the Prefecture Yamen. The moment he walked through the front gate, his face darkened.


    If it were in the past, Tao Feng would never have dared to provoke him like this, no matter how displeased with him Tao Feng was, but now he had become so bold as to make confrontational remarks of this kind in front of him.


    Three posts ¨C County Magistrate of Tai County, County Magistrate of Wu County as well as the Right Tongzhi, had fallen vacant all at once. He didn¡¯t believe that he wouldn¡¯t be able to plant his men into these positions.


    ¡°Commander, should our men continue to patrol the streets in the city?¡±


    Originally Zhang Chong had wanted to give a positive answer, but then something came to mind and he replied, ¡°Pull out them all.¡±


    ¡°What kind of explanation should we give to Lord Tao?¡±


    ¡°Explanation? So many soldiers of Prefecture Guards died and even more were injured in the battle on the Lee Mountain. We¡¯re terribly short-handed. Can you not see it?¡±


    ¡°Please pardon me for my stupidity, Commander.¡±


    Soon, news that Zhang Chong had withdrawn all patrol teams came to the knowledge of everybody. Tao Feng was nearly infuriated to death by Zhang Chong¡¯s shameless excuse.


    ¡°What is Zhang Chong trying to do? This is sheer effrontery!¡±


    A thoughtful look flashed across the eyes of Ling Zhaowen who was standing on the side. ¡®Zhang Chong suddenly pulled all patrol teams out of the city and also offered an acceptable reason. There won¡¯t be any dramatic reaction of residents in the city, even if they have grievances.


    But why did he do this? Last night, there was a burglary in the Prefecture Yamen, and early this morning, he withdrew all patrol teams. Does he by any chance want to see more misfortunes happen to the Prefecture Yamen?


    It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Zhang Chong has always been good at pretending in front of residents. It¡¯s not like him to have done such a thing which has manifestly left him vulnerable to criticism,¡¯ pondered Ling Zhaowen. It struck him that there was something else at work behind this matter.


    Ling Zhang, who was in the mansion of Ling family, shared his uncle¡¯s opinion. ¡°Now that Zhang Chong has already fallen suspicious, by no means will he give up investigating. As far as I can tell, he is intentionally doing this to lull the ¡®burglar¡¯ into a false sense of security, and he will, without doubt, covertly have his men stake out the Prefecture Yamen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This concerns his own life, so Tao Feng will definitely continue the investigation. Since the burglar made a threat, Zhang Chong believes that the burglar will surely intrude into the Prefecture Yamen once again, so as long as he sends someone to keep a close watch on that place, he will find a clue sooner or later.¡± Yuwen Tong agreed with him.


    ¡°If there were really a burglar, his method will prove pretty effective. Unfortunate for him, there isn¡¯t one,¡± said Ling Zhang coldly. Then he brought up another issue in a different tone of voice. ¡°But people of Lu family might not be able to delay any longer.¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept silent, which was a manifest indication of tacit agreement.


    Lu Kui¡¯s ¡®body¡¯ had been placed in the residence of Lu family for quite a few days, and his family members were under great pressure and might not be able to conceal the truth any longer.


    ¡°After my uncle comes back, I¡¯ll pay a visit to Lu family with him and sound out Old Master Lu. Hopefully, they could hang in there for a couple of more days.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded, ¡°Okay. Certain parts of the plan are of little confidentially, which you may disclose to them, so that they¡¯ll be slightly more assured and less anxious.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After saying this, Ling Zhang bade someone to prepare the horse-drawn carriage with the intention to visit Lu family with Ling Zhaowen after he came back from the Prefecture Yamen.

 Chapter 117 - Brushing Past Each Other

    Meanwhile, on the main road leading to Jiangzhou.


    ¡°We should arrive in Jiangzhou before noon,¡± said Wang Xingfeng.


    After hearing this, Ling Xingzhong looked at the guard named Xie Shi, who had been assigned to protect them by Yuwen Tong. In an undertone, Xie Shi informed Ling Xingzhong, ¡°There is a branch not far away ahead. We may take it and head for Yanzhou.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong gave a nod. Before departure, they had consulted with each other and decided that they would part from Wang Xingfeng and others when they reached the fork.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear friend, but I¡¯m afraid we have to take another road and go to Yanzhou first.¡±


    Wang Xingfeng was stunned. ¡®Go to Yanzhou?¡¯


    ¡°Ur¡­ Old Master Ling, did anything happen? Why did you suddenly decide to go to Yanzhou?¡± Zhou Gaoyi couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°No more questions, my friends. We have some urgent business to attend to and must go to Yanzhou. Please pardon us,¡± said Xie Shi flintily with a sulky face.


    From their departure from Tanyang until now, Xie Shi had caught the attention of Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi many times, because Xie Shi seemed very different from other security guards. There was an air of sternness and callousness about him, which was impossible to ignore and also deterred people from messing with him.


    Seeing that Xie Shi stated his stand, Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi exchanged glances. ¡°Well, Old Master Ling agreed to come with us to Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°I did agree to go with you to Jiangzhou. How about this? We¡¯ll go to Jiangzhou after we return from Yanzhou. What do you say?¡± said Ling Xingzhong.


    Xie Shi flicked a glance at Ling Xingzhong. ¡®As far as I know, Childe Ling seems to dislike these two traveling merchants very much, as if he holds some kind of hatred towards them, but why does Ling Xingzhong seem to be unaware of this?¡¯


    ¡°This¨C¡± Zhou Gaoyi wanted to insist.


    But Wang Xingfeng interrupted him, ¡°We got it. Then we shall wait for Old Master Ling in Jiangzhou. May I ask what kind of urgent business that Old Master Ling has to go to Yanzhou to attend to? Is there anything we can do to help?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, but there¡¯s nothing we have to bother you with for the moment,¡± replied Ling Xingzhong.


    ¡°Then I wish you a safe journey, Old Master Ling. We¡¯ll go to Jiangzhou first to await you,¡± said Wang Xingfeng.


    Zhou Gaoyi intended to say something but eventually swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.


    As soon as Ling Xingzhong and others took the branch heading for Yanzhou, Zhou Gaoyi blurted, ¡°What is wrong with Ling Xingzhong? He agreed to come to Jiangzhou with us. Why did he suddenly want to go to Yanzhou?¡±


    Wang Xingfeng said, ¡°Stop it. Let¡¯s go back to Jiangzhou and wait.¡±


    ¡°What is this fucking thing? All circumstances conspired against us in Tanyang. First we were rudely asked to leave by that Ling Zhang, and then when we believed that they had finally changed their minds, they decided to go to Yanzhou halfway! They are clearly toying with us, don¡¯t you think? Maybe we should give up inviting Ling Xingzhong and find someone else to help us with the appraisal instead,¡± said Zhou Gaoyi angrily.


    Wang Xingfeng frowned, ¡°I¡¯m afraid people of Ling family have never meant to help us from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Why did they leave the city with us if they had no intention of helping us?¡± Zhou Gaoyi was puzzled.


    ¡°Their destination should have been Yanzhou all along,¡± responded Wang Xingfeng.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Gaoyi was completely baffled. ¡°Why did they do this? Were they really toying with us?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Wang Xingfeng shook his head. ¡°It puzzles me as well, but no matter what, we¡¯d better not offend Ling family. Did you not see that security guard? He is by no means just a security guard. The look in his eyes was cold like hell, as if he once killed anybody.¡±


    Zhou Gaoyi was taken aback. ¡°Killed anybody?¡±


    Wang Xingfeng gave a bob of the head. ¡°If we had dared to stop them just now, he would no doubt have killed us unhesitatingly.¡±


    Zhou Gaoyi broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    Wang Xingfeng said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s money that we are after. There¡¯s no need for us to risk our lives. We should return to Jiangzhou first and figure out the rest of this matter after that.¡±


    Scared by the speculation of Wang Xingfeng, Zhou Gaoyi made no further remarks and returned to Jiangzhou with Wang Xingfeng and their men.


    Right at the moment when Ling Xingzhong and others took the turn heading for Yanzhou, another team brushed past them, galloping in the direction of Yanzhou.


    One of those people on horseback was very arrogant. He rode in front of others and, when approaching Ling Xingzhong¡¯s team, yelled, ¡°Move aside! Get out of our way!¡±


    Since Ling Xingzhong and others needed to keep a low profile on their way to Yanzhou and couldn¡¯t afford to attract anybody¡¯s attention, it was advisable for them to try not to have any disagreements with anybody.


    Seeing that those people were so aggressive, the carriage drivers hurriedly drove the carriages to the side and made way for them.


    Those people left clouds of dust in their wake.


    Xie Shi, who had been slightly keeping his head down, darted a cold glance at the team of people and faintly knitted his brows.


    ¡°What is the matter, Guard Xie? Are there any problems with those people?¡± Yang Liuzi riding side by side with him hurriedly asked after seeing this.


    All of them had been recalled from the herb farm and assigned to escort Ling Xingzhong and others to Yanzhou. They didn¡¯t know much about Lord Yuwen, who was an honored guest, or any of his bodyguards, but during this journey, the air about Xie Shi had brought them into an instinctive realization of the difference between them and Xie Shi. Added to this was Ling Xingzhong¡¯s trust in Xie Shi, which had left them thinking highly of Xie Shi all along.


    ¡°Nothing. Keep heading for Yanzhou. If we encounter that team again, try to stay away from them,¡± replied Xie Shi.


    Yang Liuzi, who had become somewhat wary of that group of people after hearing this, said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At noon, they arrived in a small town of Yanzhou and found themselves an inn.


    The inn was very small and also rather far away from the town center, so there were few customers. The inn-keeper was very happy to see people of Ling family and received them with warm hospitality. ¡°Greetings, Master. Is it accommodations or a meal that you are seeking?¡±


    ¡°A meal. Please prepare some food for us,¡± a personal servant of Ling Xingzhong told the inn-keeper.


    The inn-keeper was somewhat confused. He had thought that these people would spend the night in his inn. Unexpectedly, they were just here to have a meal.


    He could see it a mile off that these people were visitors from the south, the likes of whom would, ordinarily, check into the large inn on the main street after entering this town. Only when there were no rooms available in the large inn would they come to his inn to seek accommodations. If these people just wanted a meal, any restaurant on the main street was a better alternative for them than his inn.


    The inn-keeper couldn¡¯t help mumbling in his mind, but he was not a fool who would say no to money, so he didn¡¯t show any suspicion on his face but just hurriedly bade the waiter to tell the chef to prepare food.


    When the meal was ready, Xie Shi was gone.


    Yang Liuzi and others were somewhat dismayed, having no idea how he suddenly came to disappear. They didn¡¯t even notice when he had left. ¡®He¡¯s indeed a kung fu expert!¡¯ he exclaimed in his mind.


    Xie Shi, the kung fu expert that Yang Liuzi thought he was, had scouted all of the several large inns and restaurants in the town, and eventually located the targets. They were in a restaurant.


    Those people paid for a private room. The door was closed and there were two guards on duty at the doorway.


    ¡°¡­ Second Young Master, why did Marshal suddenly want you to leave Tanyang? We had already received your message and were about to enter the city,¡± said one of the men.


    An angry snort was heard. Then someone replied, ¡°Who the fuck knows? It was already unlucky enough of me to have been spotted by him, and now he even evicted me from Tanyang. The task my father assigned me still stands unfinished. You think I¡¯m willing to return to the capital city like this?¡±


    ¡°Then, what does Second Young Master plan to do?¡±


    ¡°Going back to Tanyang is not a choice for the moment. Who knows what that maniac is going to do?¡± said Yuwen Qi in an indignant tone of voice. Though bitterly unreconciled to the situation, he didn¡¯t dare to rashly challenge the authority of Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°But what about Ling family? Master wants us to do whatever we can to have people of Ling family call off the engagement on their own account.¡±


    ¡°Currently, Ling Zhang is under his protection and my hands are tied. I have to switch to a different target,¡± said Yuwen Qi in a fidgety tone of voice.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Ling Xingzhong. He was the one who concluded the marriage contract with my father. If he objects, Ling Zhang will definitely listen to him.¡±


    ¡°But Marshal is living in the residence of Ling family. What should we do to prevent Marshal from making contact with Ling Xingzhong?¡±


    Yuwen Qi paced up and down in the room for a while and eventually replied, ¡°Have someone deliver a letter to Ling Xingzhong. Invite him to somewhere and talk about this. Do it yourself. I cannot go back to Tanyang for the moment, so you¡¯re on your own. Don¡¯t be spotted by him again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Second Young Master. I¡¯ll go back to Tanyang right now. You may just stay in this town. I¡¯ll keep you informed of any developments.¡±


    ¡°So be it.¡±


    After eavesdropping on their conversation, Xie Shi left with a cold face.


    ¡°Guard Xie is back. Where have you been?¡± Yang Liuzi asked Xie Shi the moment he returned to the inn.


    Xie Shi flicked a glance at him and then said to Ling Xingzhong, ¡°Lord Ling, after this meal, we should leave here immediately without any delay.¡±


    Seeing the serious look on his face, Ling Xingzhong couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Xie Shi shook his head. ¡°I must escort you, your wife and your youngest son to Yanzhou where it¡¯s safe. And I¡¯m perturbed because the job stands undone.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong believed him and nodded. ¡°All right. Then we depart after the meal.¡±


    But Yang Liuzi felt that there was more to this matter than what Xie Shi had just said. He had an intuition that this had something to do with the group of people they had met on their way to this town.


    After the meal, Ling Xingzhong and others got on the carriages. While riding side by side with Xie Shi, Yang Liuzi asked him, ¡°Guard Xie, is the team we met halfway in this town as well?¡±


    Xie Shi cast a glance at him and grunted, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yang Liuzi asked nervously, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    Xie Shi replied in a bland tone of voice, ¡°Just a bunch of loafers. Yuan¡­ Marshal will sort them out. We can just ignore them and keep going.¡±


    Yang Liuzi had only a vague notion of this matter, but when he persisted with his questioning, Xie Shi made no further reply, which made Yang Liuzi very confused.


    The group of people soon left the town heading directly in the direction of Yanzhou.


    At the same time, a couple of Yuwen Qi¡¯s men departed from a large inn in the town going back to Tanyang.


    In Tanyang, Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen had just returned from the residence of Lu family.


    Lu Fengnian had indeed been in concern, since Lu Kui seemed to have lost a lot of weight these days, appearing rather haggard, while Zhang Chong looked pretty well. Not knowing anything specific about the plan of Ling family, Lu Fengnian was very worried that Lu Kui might fall ill before Zhang Chong was brought down.


    Ling Zhaowen had had to spend a lot of time consoling Lu Fengnian, telling him that all he had to do was wait for another couple of days.


    ¡°Alas. I¡¯m afraid Lu Fengnian has to endure another several days¡¯ wait. Fortunately Zhang Chong has never been to Lu family lately. Otherwise he will definitely have noticed that something has been bothering Lu Fengnian,¡± Ling Zhaowen observed.


    ¡°Rest assured, uncle. Soon Zhang Chong will be too busy to spare any time making trouble for Lu family, and Uncle Lu will be rid of the pressure,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The deadline was drawing near. News from the capital city would definitely arrive during the next several days. When informed of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence in Tanyang, Zhang Chong would surely be alarmed and brush these matters aside.

 Chapter 118 - So That Man Is Ling Zhang?

    The capital city.


    ¡°Mr. Gu! I finally finished the assignment you gave me. Look! What do you think?¡±


    Tao Yi excitedly ran out of his room, holding a pile of test paper about half a palm in thickness in his hands, so slovenly that he looked like a primitive man who had been living in some cave for years.


    ¡°Mr. Gu is otherwise engaged. What took you so long? Something big has happened in capital city,¡± a school friend told him.


    ¡°Was it that Marshal Yuwen finally returned?!¡± asked Tao Yi in excitement.


    His school friend looked at him as if he was a weirdo. ¡°Tao Yi¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tao Yi had no idea why the man was giving him that look.


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen isn¡¯t back.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t? Is it possible that something happened and he was kept? Do you think Country Wan by any chance has gone back on their word and decided to go to war?!¡±


    His school friend shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. An envoy of Country Wan arrived a couple of days ago. The imperial court is consulting with Country Wan on the details of a peace agreement.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Marshal Yuwen come back?¡± Tao Yi fell perplexed.


    ¡°The very day you went into your room to start writing your article, news spread that Marshal Yuwen didn¡¯t return to capital city but went to look for his betrothed!¡±


    ¡°What? Marshal Yuwen is engaged?! Who¡¯s his betrothed? Which family is that lady from? What does she look like? Is she a match for Marshal Yuwen?¡± asked Tao Yi emotionally, who nearly threw away the wad of test paper.


    His school friend looked at him with a weird smile. ¡°I guessed you would act like this some time ago. I know the reason why you specially came back here ahead of schedule was that you wanted to behold the elegant demeanor of Marshal Yuwen, but you might want to prepare yourself for what I¡¯m going to tell you next.¡±


    ¡°Is it because that lady is awful? But it can¡¯t be. I mean, how would a man like Marshal Yuwen come to be engaged to an awful lady?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lady that he¡¯s engaged to.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Tao Yi failed to get the point. ¡®What does he mean by ¡®not a lady?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s engaged to a man.¡±


    Tao Yi nodded. ¡°Oh¡­ What?! A man?!¡±


    His school friend sighed, ¡°Yeah. It is rumored that their engagement was concluded twenty years ago, that it was the grandfather of Marshal Yuwen who made that decision.¡±


    ¡°Old General Yuwen concluded the engagement? But why did he betroth Marshal Yuwen to a man?¡± Tao Yi felt that his mind was not big enough to hold so many astounding news.


    ¡°Word has it that Marshal¡¯s betrothed wasn¡¯t even born yet at that time.¡±


    ¡°Then the engagement is invalid. How can a man marry another man?¡±


    On hearing this, the school friend looked at Tao Yi with an amused expression, as if silently telling Tao Yi that he was too naive. ¡°You forgot that the consort of Emperor Gaozu was male. From the times of Emperor Gaozu, the tradition and social mode of our country has been increasingly open and tolerant. There have been a lot of precedents for a gay marriage during the past few hundreds of years. The most recent one is the Governor of Sheng Zhou, Governor Xu, who married a man last year.¡±


    As if in a trance, Tao Yi gave a nod. ¡°I did hear about that. Governor Xu is the youngest governor in our country, full of talent and having boundless career prospects. He suddenly married a man. Even residents of capital city gossiped about it for a long time. Everybody speculated that Governor Xu would never get another promotion, that he might even be demoted.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. But it¡¯s been such a long time, and His Majesty still hasn¡¯t done anything to him so far. Governor Xu has been in office for three years. Sheng Zhou is such a key area. Three years is more than enough for him to get established. I think his position is secure. As regards a promotion, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll remain a pie in the sky.¡±


    Tao Yi also heaved a sigh. Suddenly, he recalled the unanswered question. ¡°Well, you still haven¡¯t told me which man Marshal is engaged to!¡±


    The regretful expression on the face of his school friend was instantly replaced by that weird countenance. Watching Tao Yi, he said, ¡°I think you know him.¡±


    ¡°I know him?!¡± Tao Yi gave a jump. ¡°Who?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s from Tanyang, your hometown. His surname is Ling, and his grandfather¡¯s name is Ling Xingzhong. Rumor has it that his grandfather is that very Assistant Minister Ling who took office twenty years ago but only stayed in that position in the Ministry of Rites for a very short time, a flash in the pan. Oh, what is the name of that Marshal¡¯s betrothed again? Ling Zhang! Yeah, that¡¯s his name. Tao Yi, you traveled thousands of miles to get here, but I guess it¡¯d never crossed your mind that Marshal was actually in Tanyang, the same city that you were in at that time, right? Tsk, tsk. You literally brushed past him. I feel sorry for you, really.¡±


    Tao Yi stood speechless.


    Finally, he failed to keep his hold on the wad of paper, which dropped with a rustle and scattered all over.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    He let out a roar of shock. Even people in the distance were startled and looked in his direction, wondering what had happened.


    ¡°You¨CYou¡¯re overreacting. Why did you yell so loud? Have you no shame?¡± His school friend hurriedly drew him aside.


    Shame? Tao Yi watched him, face full of disbelief. This had gone beyond shame. He felt he was deeply hurt!


    ¡®Ling Zhang is such an asshole. No wonder¡­No wonder he declined when I invited him to come to the capital city with me. I could tell a mile off that he liked Marshal very much, and I wondered why he seemed totally uninterested in coming to the capital city. It turns out that he and Marshal have long ago¡­¡¯


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true. I¡¯d never heard about Marshal¡¯s arrival in Tanyang when I was there. And there¡¯d been no particular reaction in Ling family either. They didn¡¯t look like they had an honored guest in their home.¡±


    The school friend observed, ¡°I have no idea why that was the case. I just heard that Marshal departed for the capital city a long time ago. He was supposed to arrive here more than half a month before. Do the calculation yourself.¡±


    After calculating the time, Tao Yi had an urge to burst into tears. ¡®Why did I come back here so excitedly?! I should have stayed in Tanyang!!¡¯


    ¡°No. I¡¯m going back to Tanyang right now!¡± Tao Yi immediately turned around, intending to leave.


    His school friend grabbed him. ¡°Wait. Pick up your test paper! By the way, word has it that Marshal will return soon. So what¡¯s the hurry? Oh! There¡¯s yet another more serious issue.¡±


    Tao Yi looked at him in disbelief. ¡®There¡¯s another thing that is more astounding than the fact that Marshal is in Tanyang and is engaged to my bosom friend?¡¯


    ¡°Yesterday morning, His Majesty suddenly ordered the house arrest of Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince. It is rumored that half of the troops of the Garrison Battalion and the Reserve Battalion stationed in southern city were dispatched before daybreak yesterday, and nobody knows where they have gone to,¡± said his school friend, a grim look on his face.


    On hearing this grave incident, Tao Yi quickly calmed down. ¡°What do you think has happened?¡±


    His school friend shook his head, craned closer to him and told him in a quiet voice, ¡°It was unmistakably because the Sixth Prince did something and angered His Majesty that has led to such large-scale troop movement, but there has been no related news so far. Everybody in the capital city is speculating about it. And this is also the very issue that Mr Gu is occupied with. He should know something.¡±


    Tao Yi observed disapprovingly, ¡°Mr Gu intends to get involved? If by any chance¨C¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, it¡¯s not that Mr Gu is trying to involve himself in the competition between the princes but that His Majesty summoned him. He has gone to the imperial palace with a couple of lords. I don¡¯t know any details either.¡±


    Tao Yi heaved a sigh of relief, then knitted his eyebrows with a serious countenance. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out a way to make some inquiries. So many troops were suddenly dispatched. There¡¯s got to be someone who knows about their destination.¡±


    ¡­


    At dusk on that very day. Near the Yellow Sand River.


    ¡°Li Chong is in jail, and his troops are also under control, which means the waterway of Yellow Sand River has been rid of safety risks. Where¡¯s the secret entrance to the Grand Mang Mountain that you mentioned?¡±


    Dai Cheng was the commander of the Garrison Battalion stationed in southern capital city as well as one of the emperor¡¯s henchmen. Tall and stalwart, he struck people as a simple-minded tough hombre, but actually he was a cautious precisian who was loyal to the imperial family and deeply trusted by the emperor.


    ¡°Ten miles ahead along this river,¡± responded Yao Yi in a bland tone of voice.


    Dai Cheng flicked a glance at him. ¡°Yao Yi, may I ask why you are willing to serve under Yuwen Tong as a mere captain of guards? I mean, you¡¯re clearly competent to be a marshal.¡±


    Yao Yi replied calmly, ¡°A second marshal is not needed, and there is but one who is marshal to me. All others, including myself, are insignificant in my sight.¡±


    Dai Cheng said in a regretful tone, ¡°What a pity. You should know that His Majesty thinks the world of you, and there has been more than one occasion when he said to me that your choice was regrettable.¡±


    ¡°I feel very much honored to be in good graces of His Majesty, and I appreciate General Dai¡¯s kind offer, but my decision stands unchanged, and it won¡¯t change in the days to come.¡±


    Dai Cheng unnoticeably knitted his brows and observed, ¡°Yao Yi, why are you being so stubborn? Serving under Yuwen Tong is not going to get you anywhere.¡±


    Yao Yi inexplicably flicked a glance at him. ¡°Have I not distinguished myself already? I mean, even His Majesty thinks highly of me. Who else¡¯s recognition do you think I have to win to count myself as outstanding?¡±


    The question let Dai Cheng at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? That it was not enough? Wouldn¡¯t that be synonymous with disrespectfully stating that someone else¡¯s recognition outvalued that of the emperor?


    ¡°Yao Yi, you know that¡¯s not what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just drop it, General Dai. If you keep talking about this, I might suspect that you¡¯re trying to drive a wedge between me and the Marshal. You should know that in our eyes, the Marshal matters more than our own lives. If it weren¡¯t for the Marshal, we wouldn¡¯t have still been breathing.¡±


    Dai Cheng let out a laugh and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I just feel it a pity that you¡¯re wasting your talent. I mean nothing else.¡±


    Yao Yi slid a sideways glance at him. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better that General Dai concentrates on how to get so many men onto the Grand Mang Mountain without alarming those bandits. If you cannot even handle this matter and have to bother me with it, I will lay scorn on you.¡±


    Dai Cheng gave a smug smile. ¡°All you have to do is lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Let me get this straight beforehand ¨C if by any chance you alarm those bandits on the Grand Mang Mountain and Zhang Chong and botch up this favorable situation, then you¡¯ll have to clean up all the mess in the wake in Tanyang. Our marshal is not going to intervene and get shit on his shoes,¡± observed Yao Yi flintily.


    The corners of Dai Cheng¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched. ¡°I won¡¯t bother Marshal Yuwen if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Dai Cheng fell speechless with embarrassment.


    As night fell, after traveling ten miles by boat along the Yellow Sand River, an army quietly went ashore at a secret dock and entered the Grand Mang Mountain.


    The silent Grand Mang Mountain was shrouded in the dark night. The only audible sounds were occasional bursts of weird caws coming from the distance, which made people¡¯s blood freeze.


    ¡°There are bandits on guard ahead. The only way to get through without alarming others is to eliminate them quietly. If any of them sends word back, we¡¯ll be in deep shit,¡± observed Yao Yi.


    Ever since Dai Cheng saw that there was indeed a secret route leading to the capital city, his face had been tense and grim all along. ¡°I know. You¡¯re familiar with this area. Just tell me the approximate positions of those on sentry duty.¡±


    Yao Yi flicked a glance at them and felt an urge to sarcastically tell him to go and find it himself, but then it occurred to him that time was short, so he forbore from satirizing him and provided Dai Cheng with information about the positions of bandits that he was aware of.


    Dai Cheng listened carefully, summoned his henchman and made arrangements for those hidden bandits to be handled.

 Chapter 119 - A Beauty in the Candlelight

    Tanyang was also very quiet on this night. Since a burglar intruded into the Prefecture Yamen and even threatened Lord Tao a few days before, all residents in Tanyang were left afraid to go outdoors at night. All doors and windows were tightly closed, and those of Ling family were no exception. Only few rooms had oil lamps still ablaze.


    ¡°Young Master, please go to sleep. It¡¯s getting late.¡± Xia Feng tried to persuade Ling Zhang.


    There was a candle still on in the room. Ling Zhang was not sleepy at all. According to Yuwen Tong¡¯s deduction, Yao Yi should lead the army back to Tanyang on this night. If the army managed to get over the Grand Mang Mountain, their plan would be smoothly carried out. If the army got stuck in the Grand Mang Mountain, he and Yuwen Tong would be thrown into grave danger in Tanyang.


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Seeing that there was no reaction, Xia Feng called Ling Zhang once again.


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. You may leave and hit the sack. I¡¯ll take care of myself.¡±


    Xia Feng intended to make another attempt to convince him, but Ling Zhang started walking towards the door. He hurriedly followed in his wake and asked, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s cold out there. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Next door,¡± Ling Zhang answered without turning his head back.


    Next door? With a slightly weird look on his face, Xia Feng halted.


    Ever since he saw Ling Zhang and the one living next door hugging and also presumably¡­ Xia Fen, though a rather poised man, had been somewhat in confusion about where he was supposed to stand with these two men. On such occasion when his young master went next door to meet Lord Yuwen at such a late hour of the night, should he dissuade him or wink at it?


    After dithering for a few moments, he made a choice, hurriedly went back into the room, found a cape after some fumbling, ran outside and called, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s cold. You should put on this cape.¡±


    Ling Zhang had walked far away some time ago. Hearing Xia Feng trying to catch up with him, he didn¡¯t pause but directly walked out of the courtyard gate, took a turn and headed for the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    A guard on duty in the Green Bamboo Mansion was somewhat surprised to see him. ¡°Childe Ling? Are you here to meet Marshal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Has he gone to sleep?¡± Ling Zhang paused and asked.


    The guard shook his head and answered, ¡°Not yet. He¡¯s waiting for the message to come. Please come in, Childe Ling. I¡¯m sure Marshal will be very glad to see you.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    Ling Zhang let out a cough in embarrassment and grunted, ¡°Um.¡±


    As expected, after entering the house, he saw that Yuwen Tong was reading something wearing what he usually wore during daytime, as if he was ready to leave at any moment.


    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep?¡± asked Yuwen Tong at the sight of Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried. Have you had any news from Yao Yi?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong put down the pamphlet he had been reading and looked at him meaningfully. ¡°I thought that you would show some concern for me first, given the late hour.¡±


    Ling Zhang was sent into a brief trance. ¡®This guy is still in the mood for joking!¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk with you about something sensible.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong replied in a very serious tone of voice, ¡°What I¡¯m talking about is also sensible. Your concern means a lot to me.¡±


    Such was the explicitness of Yuwen Tong¡¯s last remark that Ling Zhang was left at a loss for words for quite a while. What he found weirder was that he was unable to recall why he had come here in the first place after Yuwen Tong steered the conversation away.


    ¡°There has been no news from Yao Yi so far, which means that everything is going as planned, so we might as well just wait. There¡¯s no need to get anxious.¡±


    Eventually, it was Yuwen Tong who, after seeing Ling Zhang remaining silent for quite a while, curved the corners of his mouth and changed the topic.


    Hearing this, Ling Zhang collected his thoughts and looked Yuwen Tong in the eye. Surprisingly, his cheeks burned somewhat. A moment ago, he had just criticized Yuwen Tong for being frivolous, but now it turned out that he himself was the one whose mind was wandering. ¡®No. It¡¯s all Yuwen Tong¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for that remark of his¡­ Forget it. In the final analysis, I¡¯m too easily distracted by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words.¡¯


    Trying hard to get these miscellaneous thoughts out of his mind, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you ready to go out at any moment? I mean, you¡¯ve already changed clothes.¡±


    ¡°Preparedness averts peril. Besides, I¡¯m a kung fu practitioner. It takes me only a few moments¡¯ meditation and Qi circulation to recover from fatigue,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Is my young master in there?¡± At this time, a faint voice came from outside. It was Xia Feng speaking to the guard.


    Ling Zhang looked in the direction of the doorway.


    Before long, Xia Feng walked inside, a cape in his hands. Seeing that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were just sitting there talking, he inexplicably felt a sense of relief. He gave the cape a shake unfolding it and then walked towards Ling Zhang. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s cold at night. You should put on your cape.¡±


    In the knowledge that Xia Feng was doing this out of his concern for him, Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head.


    Xia Feng hurriedly walked up to Ling Zhang and put the cape on him.


    Yuwen Tong glanced at the cape Ling Zhang was wearing and then cavalierly cast a look at Xia Feng.


    Xia Feng sensed Yuwen Tong¡¯s blithe gaze, which was somewhat putting him under pressure, but for the sake of his young master, he still steeled himself and ventured, ¡°Young Master, Lord Yuwen, it¡¯s getting late. Health is the most important. Please go to sleep.¡±


    Not having detecting any undertone in these remarks, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Okay. You may go back first. I¡¯ll return and hit the hay in a short while.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, just sleep here. It¡¯s late. Why bother walking back?¡± offered Yuwen Tong.


    Before Ling Zhang could make a reply, Xia Feng immediately responded, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Lord Yuwen, but I¡¯ll wait outside and carry the lantern for Young Master on his way back.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded.


    Yuwen Tong watched as Xia Feng turned around, walked outside and stood waiting in the corridor. Then he said to Ling Zhang, ¡°This servant of yours is somewhat being overprotective. Does he fear that I¡¯m a monster capable of swallowing you?¡±


    ¡°Xia Feng is merely worried about me.¡±


    ¡°But what is it that¡¯s causing his worry? Is he worried that you might encounter any danger in my place? Just sleep here if you¡¯re tired. The bed is broad enough.¡±


    ¡®Is he inviting me to sleep with him?


    I have my own bed. Why would I stay here?¡¯


    Ling Zhang cleanly rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my sleep light tonight. If there¡¯s any news, have your guard inform me. I¡¯m going back.¡±


    He wondered what had got into him when he decided to come here and have this stupid talk with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong watched as Ling Zhang walked outside and left the mansion. It was not until Ling Zhang completely disappeared from view that he withdrew his gaze, sitting still on his seat.


    ¡®Was he unaware that it was very provocative of him to come to my room with so little clothes at such a late hour of the night? His thin inner shirt couldn¡¯t even conceal his clavicles, which looked partly hidden and partly visible. In the candlelight, they seemed smooth and tender, as if sparkling. I could barely forbear to touch them.¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    A moment ago, when Xia Feng put the cape on Ling Zhang and fastened it up, Yuwen Tong did feel that Xia Feng was a nuisance. If it weren¡¯t for that he still had his senses, he would have directly sent Xia Feng flying out of the room with one blow. And that cape was of dark color, which provided a perfect foil for Ling Zhang¡¯s skin and left Yuwen Tong unable to move his eyes off him¡­


    Leaning against the back of the chair, Yuwen Tong was too distracted to resume reading the pamphlet. The scene of the beauty sitting in the candlelight replayed itself in his mind again and again.


    Meanwhile, it was not until Ling Zhang returned to his room that he noticed that the cape he was wearing was a red, silk one. After a brief trance, he asked, ¡°Why did you give me this one?¡±


    ¡°This cape was aired just a couple of days ago and was put on top of others. I worried that you might get a cold and was in a hurry to catch up with you, so I took this one,¡± answered Xia Feng. Concerned that Ling Zhang might be angry with him, he gave a very detailed explanation.


    Ling Zhang was not angry but just a little surprised. After hearing Xia Feng¡¯s explanation, he let this matter go, took off the cape and asked Xia Feng to put it away, but then he said, ¡°Wait. Leave it here. Don¡¯t put it away yet. I¡¯ll need it when I go out tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll go out again?¡± Xia Feng was amazed.


    ¡°Yeah. I have some trouble sleeping tonight.¡± Ling Zhang gave a simple explanation and said no more. After all, this was a matter of the utmost importance, so he wanted to keep it secret for as long as he could.


    As a result, this dull-red cape was not put into the bottom of the case but temporarily hung on the screen.


    What Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know was that Yuwen Tong living next door was reliving the scene of him in this cape.


    At last, Yuwen Tong had to raise his hand and knead his forehead to get rid of the headful of fantasies.


    He had never expected that he would some day be in this kind of situation as well. When he had been in the army camp, he had never tried to stop his soldiers from going to brothels to satisfy their sexual needs, but he himself had been rather uninterested in this kind of thing all along. No girls, however beautiful they were, had ever made him feel aroused, let alone those rugged soldiers. The main reason why he had come to Tanyang was that he wanted to rid himself of those troublesome issues in the capital city. How could he have expected that he would fall for Ling Zhang at first sight? And he also couldn¡¯t help but begin to have all kinds of eager anticipations of the matters that he used to think were boring.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got to burn more Zhiqian (paper made to resemble money and burned as an offering to the dead) in front of grandfather¡¯s grave,¡¯ Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help thinking.


    ¡®I had thought that I would be single for the rest of my life, but unexpectedly, by a strange twist of fate, God sent such a beauty to the front of me.¡¯


    ¡°Ha,¡± Yuwen Tong chuckled.


    Ling Zhang returned to his bed and had been trying to prevent himself from drifting into deep sleep, for fear that he might not be able to wake up in time when Yuwen Tong¡¯s guard came to deliver a message, but it turned out that nobody living in the Green Bamboo Mansion had come, and he slept the whole night.


    The moment dawn broke, Ling Zhang, bursting with impatience, hurried to the Green Bamboo Mansion.


    ¡°Is there still no news from Yao Yi?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him. Seeing that he had changed out of the clothes he wore the night before that had made him an attractive sight, Yuwen Tong felt somewhat regretful.


    ¡®No news means that everything is going as expected. Yao Yi has successfully led those men into the den of those bandits!¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°They should have found everything they need by now. All we have to do is wait for them to get out of the Grand Mang Mountain. It won¡¯t be long before Zhang Chong finds out about this. What¡¯s coming next is a real, tough battle,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang sat down. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯ve been waiting for this day to come for a very long time.¡±


    ¡®As long as there¡¯s a chance to eliminate Zhang Chong, any risk is well worth taking!¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°Young Master, Young Master! Comman¨CCommander Zhang of Prefecture Guards and Lor¨CLord Tao suddenly came here together!¡±


    All of a sudden, a servant¡¯s anxious and flustered voice came from the courtyard next door. Unaware that Ling Zhang was in the Green Bamboo Mansion, the servant had gone directly to Ling Zhang¡¯s place.


    ¡°What happened? Why did Commander Zhang and Lord Tao suddenly come here?¡± Xia Feng¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°I have no idea. But Commander Zhang and Lord Tao brought a lot of people here. Second Master has been informed and already gone there!¡± replied the servant.


    Ling Zhang exchanged glances with Yuwen Tong and immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± A possibility suddenly struck Ling Zhang. ¡°Are you saying that the news might have spread here?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go there together and check.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡±

 Chapter 120 - Confrontation

    Shortly after daybreak on this day, residents of Tanyang who had got up at an early hour first saw Zhang Chong, the Commander of Prefecture Guards, hastily enter the city, followed by four deputy commanders, galloping straight towards the residence of Ling family. Almost at the same time, Lord Tao, head of the Prefecture Yamen, was also seen hurrying towards Ling family with his subordinates.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did anything happen in Ling family?¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like it. Before dawn, I saw the butler and some servants of Ling family go to the market to do grocery shopping, and as far as I could tell, none of them were acting like anything had happened.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get wind of anything either.¡±


    ¡°Then what on earth is all the fuss about? Shall we go and check?¡±


    Since both of the two big shots of Tanyang hastily went to Ling family with subordinates at daybreak, people¡¯s curiosity was aroused and a lot of them gathered at the gateway of Ling family, craning their necks trying to find out what was going on inside the residence.


    At this time. Inside Ling family.


    Neither Zhang Chong nor Tao Feng had uttered a word. They just stood still opposite each other with serious faces, their moods different from one another.


    One of them received an urgent letter delivered by a courier pigeon late at night the day before, and the other shortly before dawn on this day. Both letters said that Yuwen Tong, the Supreme Commander of armed forces of the Great Yue, was living in Ling family in Tanyang, that Marshal Yuwen had come to Tanyang to see his betrothed who was Ling Zhang from Ling family, that this news had spread through the whole capital city and caused a major sensation.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this going to cause a sensation in Tanyang as well?¡¯ Though Tao Feng had a grave face, he had actually been in shock all along.


    ¡®Yuwen Tong is such a big noise. With his current status and the number of troops at his command, he is actually the second most powerful man in this country. There¡¯s not a single person who doesn¡¯t know his name in the whole Great Yue. This person is right in our city but we¡¯ve been totally unaware of his presence all along. He¡¯s been in Tanyang for so many days! Yet we never got wind of it!


    Ling Zhaowen is such a bastard. Marshal has been in his home all along but he has never disclosed a single word about it!¡¯


    At this moment, Tao Feng¡¯s mood was an uncommonly weird mixture of delight and alarm.


    What alarmed him was that he had never detected any trances of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence in Tanyang, and people of Ling family had been keeping this secret and never disclosed anything about it. Blindsided by this news, he had to recall again and again all occurrences during the past almost half a month in Tanyang to confirm whether there had been any unjust or misjudged cases in his jurisdiction, whether there had been any news that might jeopardize his reputation, for fear that a minor mistake might bring his official career to an end.


    What delighted him was also related to Ling family ¡ª ¡®Ling Zhang is engaged to Yuwen Tong! And it was Old General Yuwen who concluded the marriage contract. Now the news has spread through the whole capital city, which means that the whole Great Yue will soon know about this and it¡¯ll be an unchangeable fact! This is such a good news. Since Ling Zhang is engaged to Yuwen Tong, it is only too obvious whose side Yuwen Tong will take. It¡¯s definitely not me but Zhang Chong whose life is going to get tough!


    With the support of Yuwen Tong, Ling family¡¯s position in Tanyang will be firm and solid. Given the feud between Zhang Chong and Ling family, it will be an easy job to crack down on Zhang Chong if Ling family decides to use the power of Yuwen family!¡¯ thought Tao Feng.


    After being under the threat from Zhang Chong for so many years, Tao Feng finally saw a favorable turn of situation. How could he not be delighted? He felt that he might burst into laugh in his dream and wake up at night.


    Thinking about this, Tao Feng moved his eyes onto Zhang Chong¡¯s face with the intention to find some traces of his thoughts.


    Unfortunately, that hideous scar on the face of Zhang Chong was so obtrusive that Tao Feng found it very difficult to gauge his mood.


    Tao Feng coldly gave a snort, thinking, ¡®Stop your ridiculous pretence. I know you¡¯re as anxious as an ant running in a heated pan.¡¯


    The letter from the capital city that he had received told him that, for some unknown reason, the emperor had ordered the house arrest of both Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince after being angered by something they had done, that all people on the side of the Sixth Prince were in deep anxiety. Since Zhang Chong and the Sixth Prince had common interests in a lot of aspects, and now Yuwen Tong had suddenly shown up in Tanyang, Zhang Chong was no doubt in alarm and fluster.


    It was very quiet in the residence of Ling family. Though two big names ¡ª the commander of Prefecture Guards and the governor ¡ª had both come here, all servants of Ling family acted as usual, each calmly performing their respective duties.


    The two men waited for quite a while but no member of Ling family came to the hall to receive them. Zhang Chong was just about to lose his temper when Ling Zhaowen hurriedly arrived.


    ¡°Lord Tao, Commander Zhang, please pardon me for not having welcomed you with due formality. May I ask what the urgent matter is that brings both of you here so suddenly?¡±


    Tao Feng immediately put on a smiling face. ¡°Well, Zhaowen, you¨C¡±


    ¡°Of course you know what brings us here. Stop playing dumb.¡± Zhang Chong flintily gave a snort and interrupted Tao Feng, looking at Ling Zhaowen with his piercing eyes. ¡°Tell me ¡ª is Marshal in your home?¡±


    After a brief pause, Ling Zhaowen smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand your words, Commander Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Well, Zhaowen, I know you have some misgivings, but the news has already spread out, and soon people of Tanyang will know about it as well,¡± observed Tao Feng.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face remained unchanged. ¡°Lord Tao, may I ask¡­ what the news is that you are referring to?¡±


    ¡®You want me to admit that Yuwen Tong is in Ling family? It won¡¯t be that easy,¡¯ thought Ling Zhaowen.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face went cold. ¡°Tongzhi Ling, Marshal Yuwen is of noble identity. We can¡¯t afford to let the slightest harm come to him. If you keep deliberately hiding things from us and something does happen because of it, all people of Tanyang will have to pay for the mistake of Ling family with their lives.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had just come with Yuwen Tong out of worry about his uncle, happened to hear this remark and his face fell cold.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to threaten my family, Commander Zhang. Tanyang is under the protection of the Prefecture Guards. What could go wrong?¡±


    Hearing this, all people in the ante-room looked in the direction of the doorway and saw Ling Zhang as well as Yuwen Tong standing beside him.


    Tall and well-featured, calm but having something awe-inspiring about him, Yuwen Tong blandly glanced at those people in the ante-room with his penetrating eyes, which gave all of them a sweaty back.


    This mere first sight brought all people ¡ª aware or unaware of the man¡¯s identity ¡ª into realization of who this person was.


    ¡®Yuwen Tong is indeed in Ling family!¡¯


    ¡®The news from the capital city is true!¡¯


    ¡°Inferior official Tao Feng is honored to kneel before you, Marshal!¡±


    Tao Feng was the first to react, who immediately knelt down onto the ground and kowtowed to Yuwen Tong. On seeing this, all others collected their thoughts.


    With a slight change of his countenance, Zhang Chong also made a bow with hands folded in front to pay his respect to Yuwen Tong, saying, ¡°Inferior officer Zhang Chong is honored to bow before you, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re honored to bow before you, Marshal.¡±


    Zhang Chong¡¯s four deputy commanders ¡ª Bai Jun, Wang Ming, Wang He and Dou Li, all followed suit. Their attitudes had involuntarily become respectful. Their will had been overborne by Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence, which made it difficult for them not to behave respectfully in front of him. After all, this man was the Supreme Commander of armed forces of the Great Yue, a legendary war hero who had countless confirmed kills.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality,¡± said Yuwen Tong, walking side by side with Ling Zhang into the ante-room.


    ¡°Thank you, Marshal.¡± Seeing Yuwen Tong walking side by side with Ling Zhang, all of them had mixed feelings.


    Naturally, the expression on their faces didn¡¯t escape the notice of Ling Zhang or Yuwen Tong. The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes was still icy, but Yuwen Tong, who had a cold look on his face, observed, ¡°The two of you never struck me as so well informed. My visit to Tanyang is a private matter, but unexpectedly, it still failed to escape the two of you¡¯s notice.¡±


    The questioning note in this remark took Tao Feng aback, who hurriedly replied, ¡°Marshal, news of your presence in Tanyang spread through the capital city a couple of days ago. It was not until I received a letter from my mentor which was delivered by a courier pigeon that your presence came to my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then how did Commander Zhang come to know this?¡± Yuwen Tong moved his eyes onto Zhang Chong.


    The mood in the ante-room instantly fell serious, even somewhat subdued.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face was rather stiff, but in face of Yuwen Tong who had just hurled a question at him, he had no choice but to lower his head and answer, ¡°I beg your pardon for taking the liberty of doing this, but it was because of the news from the capital city that this matter came to my knowledge. Before I came here, I didn¡¯t fully believe the news, but there are too many bandits in areas near Tanyang. The night before last, there was even a wildly arrogant burglar who posed a threat against Lord Tao. Out of worry for Marshal¡¯s safety, I made a decision I was not in a position to make and came here to check.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Who¡¯s the burglar that dared to act in such unruliness?¡±


    Yuwen Tong asked in a puzzled tone of voice. Meanwhile, the tension in the air dissolved considerably and the atmosphere grew milder.


    Both Tao Feng¡¯s subordinates and those of Zhang Chong couldn¡¯t help heaving a sigh of relief and they abruptly found that their backs felt cold with sweat.


    ¡°Has Marshal not heard about it during your stay in Ling family? A burglar murdered the magistrate of Wu County whose name was Lu Kui, and then threatened Lord Tao.¡±


    Zhang Chong affected a surprise he did not feel but fixed his eyes on Yuwen Tong, trying to find some traces on his face.


    Yuwen Tong merely flicked a bland glance at him. ¡°I never heard of it. This matter is under the jurisdiction of the Prefecture Guards and Prefecture Yamen. Of course I won¡¯t act beyond my authority.¡±


    Neither Tao Feng nor Zhang Chong believed this remark, but Tao Feng was very observant. He immediately walked forward and gave an account of the savage murder committed by the burglar.


    ¡°I see. But as far as I know, the Prefecture Guards recruits soldiers and expands the encampment every year. It¡¯s still not powerful enough to wipe out those bandits?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to this matter than you know, Marshal. Those bandits are entrenched in mountainous areas with natural defence, which are easy to hold but hard to attack. There are mountains all around Tanyang. Those bandits are hiding in the depths of those mountains, taking advantage of the precipitous terrain and poisonous miasma to defend themselves. If I order my men to go in and launch a frontal attack, there will be extremely heavy casualties, so I have no alternative but to resort to a defensive strategy.¡±


    ¡°You are the commander of the Prefecture Guards, and it¡¯s your job to handle bandits, so I¡¯ll leave it up to you to use your discretion, but if any of those bandits sneaks into the city and acts so boldly as to murder an official appointed by the imperial court, that will be a dereliction of duty of yours.¡±


    This pointed remark struck such alarm into Zhang Chong that his expression changed, and there was also thinly disguised panic on the faces of his four deputy commanders.


    ¡°It was indeed remiss of me not to prevent that from happening. I¡¯ll see to it that the burglar is arrested and brought to justice as soon as possible,¡± Zhang Chong had no choice but to reply.


    Zhang Chong felt that he had been put at a disadvantage to Yuwen Tong during his first confrontation with him. He was unreconciled but there was nothing he could do.


    Having fully enjoyed this scene, Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°Marshal, two lords, maybe we should sit down first and then resume our talking.¡±


    Tao Feng, Zhang Chong and others all looked at Yuwen Tong. Their faces changed again when they saw Yuwen Tong sit down beside Ling Zhang.


    Tao Feng was the first one to speak. ¡°Now that Marshal has come to Tanyang, may I take the liberty of giving a reception in honor of Marshal¡¯s arrival?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Soldiers of the Prefecture Guards are also looking forward to beholding Marshal¡¯s elegant demeanor,¡± said Zhang Chong.


    Yuwen Tong replied blandly, ¡°I came to Tanyang to deal with some private affairs, and I have no intention of imposing on anybody.¡±


    ¡°Private affairs? Is the hearsay true?¡±


    ¡°What kind of hearsay is Commander Zhang referring to?¡±


    ¡°It is said that Marshal came to Tanyang for your marriage contract, that you are engaged to Childe Ling of Ling family.¡±


    As Zhang Chong made this remark, all others rested their eyes on Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang who was sitting beside him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Yuwen Tong responded calmly, ¡°That¡¯s true. I am indeed engaged to Ling Zhang.¡±


    This reply confirmed that the rumor was true.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face slightly froze.


    Tao Feng immediately rose to his feet and smiled, ¡°Congratulations, Marshal. This is such a joyous news!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Tao. I¡¯d like to invite you to come here to have a drink on my wedding day.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    He flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong but forbore to cut the ground from under his feet.


    Tao Feng rejoiced and replied, ¡°I feel greatly honored to be invited!¡±


    There was a sharp contrast between Tao Feng¡¯s delighted face and the faces of Zhang Chong and his deputy commanders. Zhang Chong managed to retain his affected composure but faces of Bai Jun and the other three seemed rather frozen with shock.

 Chapter 121 - Shock

    ¡®Does Yuwen Tong know about the conflict between Ling family and the Prefecture Guards?¡¯


    Staring speechless at one another, all four deputy commanders felt that the matter of Ling family had become tricky.


    It would take only a minor mistake for them to make an enemy of Yuwen Tong, which would leave them in the most unfavorable situation. Currently, even the emperor had to give precedence to Yuwen Tong out of courtesy under certain circumstances. Surely they didn¡¯t dare cross Yuwen Tong, confronting the tough with toughness. Even a fool knew they didn¡¯t stand a chance. Yuwen Tong was no soft target!


    ¡®Now that a frontal attack is not a choice, I¡¯ll have to figure out another way.¡¯


    Zhang Chong stood up. ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a boor and I have little acquaintance with courtesy, but Marshal and Childe Ling can count on me coming here with lavish presents and my soldiers to congratulate you on your wedding day.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can also be counted on bringing liberal gifts here to congratulate Marshal and Childe Ling on your wedding day.¡±


    Four deputy commanders raced to stand up and made a promise.


    ¡°Previously, I failed to recognize Jia family for who they are and fell prey to their instigation. Although people of Jia family had been convicted and jailed, my conscience still stands guilty. Fortunately I didn¡¯t wrong any good people in a moment of impulsion. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to atone for my guilt even if I die ten thousand times.


    Childe Ling, please forgive me if any previous deeds of the Prefecture Guards offended you or your family. From now on, the Prefecture Guards will be Ling family¡¯s most powerful backer. If Ling family encounters any difficulties, please feel free to contact me. I swear I¡¯ll do everything I can to help Childe Ling out.¡±


    Zhang Chong made the first half of his remarks in an apologetic tone, and then sincerely staked out his position. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Ling Zhang still had memories of what happened in his last life, he would probably have been moved by Zhang Chong¡¯s knowing when to yield and when not.


    Unfortunately, Ling Zhang had long ago found out what kind of person Zhang Chong actually was, and Zhang Chong owed him a huge debt of blood, which was impossible to be repaid with one or two remarks.


    ¡°You spoke so seriously and strongly that I feel embarrassed, Commander Zhang. I¡¯m your junior and unworthy of such courtesy and kindness of yours. Besides, there have not really been any conflicts between Ling family and the Prefecture Guards, and I actually admire Commander Zhang.¡±


    ¡®Who doesn¡¯t know any polite formulas? And the time to shed all pretences of cordiality has not come yet anyway. It¡¯ll take only a couple of more days¡¯ wait for me to get my wish, so why bother angering Zhang Chong on this occasion?¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s tactful remarks made Zhang Chong feel very pleased. The four deputy commanders also secretly felt relieved, thinking that it was very fortunate of them not to have carried out those plans they had formulated to undercut Ling family¡¯s position, otherwise things might end ugly on this day.


    However, they had come to understand the situation, but Tao Feng was reduced to confusion. ¡®Is Ling Zhang trying to¡­ make peace with Zhang Chong? If Ling family and Zhang Chong write off all their old scores, won¡¯t I be left with a hopeless future? Will the Prefecture Yamen by any chance never be rid of the repression of Zhang Chong?¡¯


    Tao Feng¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed. As Zhang Chong saw this, a faint sneer of complacency flashed across his eyes.


    ¡®Tao Feng intends to use Yuwen Tong to deal with me? Humph. Even Yuwen Tong himself doesn¡¯t want to come into conflict with the Prefecture Guards of Tanyang for no good reason. That Ling Zhang is fairly tactful, yet this Tao Feng really thinks he can turn the tide and be the boss? Wake up, dude.¡¯


    The hostility glinting in the eyes of Tao Feng and Zhang Chong when they made eye contact didn¡¯t escape the notice of Ling Zhang whose senses were becoming more and more acute, let alone Yuwen Tong.


    Both of the two men kept silent, pretending that they didn¡¯t see it at all.


    And then the mood in the ante-room became relaxed and friendly. Though Tao Feng was displeased with Ling Zhang¡¯s stand, he wouldn¡¯t show it on his face. Zhang Chong made several attempts to sound out Yuwen Tong about what he had done during his stay in Tanyang, but Yuwen Tong tactfully evaded the issue and Zhang Chong didn¡¯t get any information.


    Half a day past. There were more and more onlookers gathering at the gateway of the residence of Ling family, but Zhang Chong and Tao Feng had never come out, and there had not been any signs of particular activity either, which left all lookers-on perplexed about what was happening in Ling family. The longer they were kept in suspense, the more curious they grew, and the more speculations they made.


    Unlike these residents, servants of Ling family were all trembling in fear, involuntarily keeping their breathing shallow.


    ¡®Lord Yuwen, that mysterious, honored guest that has been living in this mansion all along is none other than Marshal Yuwen!¡¯


    ¡®That is Marshal Yuwen!¡¯


    ¡®My goodness. I¡¯ve got to be in a dream!¡¯


    Those servants who had talked with Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t even concentrate their attention on what they were doing. ¡®I talked with Marshal Yuwen! The spirit of one of my ancestors must have manifested and this is a blessing from him!¡¯


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, is that man really Marshal Yuwen?!¡±


    Security guards in the guards¡¯ yard had been wild with excitement for quite some time. ¡®That¡¯s Marshal Yuwen! I scrapped with Marshal Yuwen!¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter whether they were in a dream or not, because in neither of the cases could they believe this.


    ¡°Yeah. In the flesh.¡± As the only one who had been informed of the true identity of Yuwen Tong long ago, Wang Dashan was in absolute composure.


    All others admired him very much. ¡®Elder Brother Wang¡¯s reputation is well-earned. No wonder he was named captain. He¡¯s far more poised than us.¡±


    Enjoying the admiration in other people¡¯s gaze, Wang Dashan involuntarily threw his chest out, saying, ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised at? If it comes to the knowledge of Marshal Yuwen that your minds are so easily boggled, he will definitely hurl another torrent of criticism at you.¡±


    Hearing this, the others hurriedly subdued their shock and tried to make themselves seem collected.


    ¡°You are right, Elder Brother Wang. If Marshal Yuwen finds out that we made such a fuss about this, he will surely scold us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t let Marshal Yuwen look down upon us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¨CWe can¡¯t make Young Master feel embarrassed.¡±


    All of them started discussing so animatedly that anybody could tell they had not calmed down at all. They were just expressing their shock in a different way.


    Before they knew the true identity of Yuwen Tong, they had just felt that Lord Yuwen¡¯s kung fu was very good, and they more or less had borne grudges against him. And each of them had the intention to get even with Yuwen Tong for the humiliating defeat he had inflicted on them. After all, anybody would feel unconvinced after being exposed to ridicule from someone who was indeed more powerful.


    But now, they had been told that Lord Yuwen was actually Yuwen Tong. Grudges? They didn¡¯t even remember what that word meant. All of them began talking about how they performed the Trap-and-kill Formation to fight with Yuwen Tong on that day. Each and every one of the details that had already fallen vague suddenly became distinct and vivid. They talked about the fight again and again. The one who had exchanged the most moves with Marshal Yuwen during that fight would probably keep bragging about it for a whole day ¡ª no, a whole year.


    Among the crowd, Liu Yi was the most composed other than Wang Dashan, but since he had always been like this, this reaction of his didn¡¯t strike any of the others as strange.


    Liu Yi¡¯s composure was the that-accounts-for-it kind of composure. On that day, after merely exchanging a couple of moves with Liu Yi, Yuwen Tong found out that he was deliberately concealing part of his strength, and then Ling Zhang became suspicious of him, so he had felt wronged all along, but he couldn¡¯t tell anybody about it.


    ¡°Bro, I know you must be shocked as well. There¡¯s no need to subdue it. Just spit it out. I¡¯m not going to laugh at you,¡± said Wang Dashan in a very considerate tone of voice, who had just walked over and thrown a reassuring arm around Liu Yi¡¯s shoulders.


    Liu Yi fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, did you actually find out about the identity of Marshal Yuwen some time ago?¡±


    Wang Dashan hurriedly let out a cough. Others were still excitedly talking about their fight with Marshal Yuwen that day and were too occupied to notice other things, which relieved Wang Dashan. He lowered his voice and told Liu Yi, ¡°It was merely a couple of days ago that this matter came into my knowledge. Young Master told me to keep it to myself.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s not that I want to blame you,¡± Liu Yi said. ¡°Is it true tha¨Cthat Young Master is engaged to Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    Wang Dashan rounded his eyes and hurriedly looked around. Then he asked in a muted, nervous voice, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Having mixed feelings, Liu Yi looked at him. ¡°It was me who brought the news back just now. Who did you think told them about this?¡±


    Wang Dashan scratched his head. ¡°Yeah¡­ I almost forgot.


    But you must not disclose this to another person. Young Master wants this to stay secret.¡±


    Liu Yi watched him, his feelings still mixed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before news of this matter spreads through the whole Tanyang ¡ª no, the whole Great Yue and neighboring countries as well.¡±


    Wang Dashan widened his mouth in shock, asking, ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°Servants who went to the ante-room to serve tea have already known, and I think servants working in the rear yard have come to know about this as well. It is rumored that this news has also spread across the whole capital city. Soon it¡¯ll reach Tanyang.¡±


    Light suddenly dawned on Wang Dashan and he nodded. ¡°I see. You nearly scared me to death. I thought there was a leak.¡±


    ¡°So Young Master is really engaged to Marshal Yuwen,¡± observed Liu Yi in a positive tone.


    ¡°I think he is. Young Master didn¡¯t deny it that day,¡± said Wang Dashan. Then he chuckled, ¡°It has never crossed my mind that some day, I, Wang Dashan, would also get to ride the crest of wave.¡±


    Liu Yi looked at him in disbelief.


    Wang Dashan continued on his own account, ¡°Young Master is engaged to Marshal Yuwen. Judging from the closeness between them I¡¯ve observed during these days, they will definitely get married. Doesn¡¯t it mean that we, Young Master¡¯s henchmen, will become Marshal Yuwen¡¯s henchmen?¡±


    Liu Yi kept silent for a moment and then commented, ¡°Elder Brother Wang, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    ¡°Overthinking it? No, I¡¯m not.¡± Wang Dashan believed that he didn¡¯t overthink this matter at all. On the contrary, he felt that he was thinking too little about it. ¡®Given that Marshal Yuwen went so far to defend Young Master in the teahouse that day, he must like Young Master very much. As Young Master¡¯s henchmen, as long as we loyally serve Young Master, Marshal Yuwen will surely think differently of us. Maybe we would even get a chance to fight a war with him some day!¡¯ thought Wang Dashan.


    Wang Dashan couldn¡¯t help but fall into his own fantasies. Liu Yi slightly shook his head and heaved a sigh of resignation. Then he also started pondering something.


    Ling Zhang was unaware of the shock that all people in his family had been thrown into. Sitting in the ante-room of Ling family, Tao Feng and Zhang Chong didn¡¯t dare to stand up to leave, as if there was paste on the chairs they were sitting on and their robes had been stuck on them.


    Originally, Ling Zhang had become impatient, but then he recalled the situation on the Grand Mang Mountain and decided to show more patience, believing that maybe Zhang Chong would miss some important intelligence reports if he stayed in Ling family for a longer time, which would buy Yao Yi and others some more time.


    ¡°Marshal, may I ask if you could spare some time and live in the Prefecture Encampment for a couple of days so that soldiers who long to see you can behold your dignified demeanor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Marshal. If they know they get to see you, they¡¯ll definitely be too excited to sleep at night.¡±


    Zhang Chong and his four deputy commanders invited Yuwen Tong to go to the Prefecture Encampment. They showed such enthusiasm that it seemed as if they really wished Yuwen Tong to go there.

 Chapter 122 - Weve Got Marshal Yuwen. What Have You Got to be Afraid of?

    In the dark prison of the Prefecture Yamen, apart from flaming torches positioned at intervals along the corridor, a peephole about the size of a bowl was the only source of light. The whole place was damp and foul-smelling. Anybody who was locked up in here would feel very miserable.


    Jia Yin, his wife and some of his relatives were the only ones from Jia family that were still in this prison. Servants and handmaids found not guilty had been released, and those found guilty had also been convicted and then transferred elsewhere. Despair on the faces of Mrs. Jia and others deepened as servants and handmaids left one after another. At first, they had still had enough strength to hurl curse, but after a couple of days, anger in them was gradually replaced by fear and they fell powerless to swear.


    Jia Yin was restrained in a separate cell. He had been sentenced to death. When the time came, he would be beheaded at the entrance of the food market.


    Waiting to meet his end was distressful. During the first few days of the custody, Jia Yin had managed to maintain his pretence of composure by dint of the resentment and indignation bubbling beneath the surface, but as the execution day drew near, Jia Yin finally began to panic.


    He didn¡¯t want to die, so he made an attempt to escape.


    With some finesse, he managed to make contact with a prison guard. When he was finally on conversational terms with the prison guard, Jia Yin stated his intention to escape and promised to give the prison guard a lot of treasure if he helped him successfully get out of the prison.


    The prison guard didn¡¯t believe him. ¡®All Jia family¡¯s assets have been confiscated. By no means will Jia Yin be able to fulfill his promise. Moreover, I¡¯ll face execution if anybody finds out that I assist Jia Yin in his escape. What¡¯s the good of treasure if I won¡¯t be able to live long enough to spend them?¡¯


    But Jia Yin refused to give up. He persistently tried to convince the prison guard to come to his help.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m questioning your credibility, but can you please say something sensible? All your family assets have been confiscated. What else can you possibly offer to have me come to your assistance?¡± The prison guard was reduced to impatience.


    ¡°I do have something else to offer. Believe me. They only confiscated those they found. There¡¯s plenty more gold, silver and jewels that I hid elsewhere. As long as you help me escape from this place, I¡¯ll tell you where they¡¯re buried, and all of them will be yours!¡± said Jia Yin anxiously, trying to make himself sound convincing lest the prison guard disbelieve him.


    The prison guard did stand somewhat skeptical of his remarks. ¡°Leaving aside whether those jewels truly exist or not, by no means will you be so generous as to give them to me even if they do exist. You¡¯re just trying to trick me into helping you. Don¡¯t treat me like a fool.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not lying. I can tell you another location of hidden treasure. There¡¯s less treasure there, but it¡¯s still worth quite a fortune. Consider it as earnest money. I¡¯ll tell you another location of treasure after you help me escape from here. I¡¯ll never go back on my word. If I do, you can always report to the Prefecture Yamen and have me hunted down. Nobody will find out you are the one who set me free anyway. When you arrest me and bring me back here, you¡¯ll be deemed to have rendered outstanding service and get promoted. You won¡¯t be a prison guard any more. You¡¯ll be the chief of prison, even a head constable.¡± Jia Yin proceeded with his efforts to convince the prison guard.


    The prison guard sneered and looked at him, ¡°You should know that if I am to arrest you and bring you back here, I¡¯ll have to kill you first, because that will be the only way to ensure you won¡¯t inform on me.¡±


    After hearing this, Jia Yin didn¡¯t appear to be afraid but rather felt a sense of relief, since the prison guard¡¯s words were an indication that he was swayed.


    The prison guard briefly rolled his eyes sideways and then said, ¡°Tell me. Where¡¯s the first location of hidden treasure?¡±


    A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Besides, Jia family is one of the richest families in Tanyang. If what Jia Yin said was true, he would make a big fortune.


    In the knowledge that the prison guard had risen to the bait, Jia Yin felt greatly relieved and informed him, ¡°Come closer. I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    The prison guard pressed his ear against the railings and listened as Jia Yin told him the first location of hidden treasure in a whisper.


    Eyes of the prison guard slightly lit up. After hearing it, he observed, ¡°If it¡¯s true, I¡¯ll help you get out of here. If not, you should know what consequences you¡¯ll have to take. In this dark prison where no laws or justice can reach, I have plenty of methods for infliction of torture.¡±


    ¡°Just go and do some digging. You¡¯ll see that I¡¯ve told you nothing but the truth.¡± There was no panic whatsoever on Jia Yin¡¯s face. He looked confident and unhurried.


    Seeing his expression, the prison guard half was half convinced.


    A ghost of mysterious smile flashed across Jia Yin¡¯s face after the prison guard fell prey to his trick.


    At the same time. In Ling family.


    Zhang Chong invited Yuwen Tong to pay a visit to the Prefecture Encampment.


    Ling Zhang stood skeptical, having no idea how Zhang Chong came to be so bold as to invite Yuwen Tong to the Prefecture Encampment. ¡®If Yuwen Tong really accepts the invitation and goes there, many secrets in the Prefecture Encampment will surely be exposed. Why is Zhang Chong unafraid of this?¡¯


    Ling Zhang was in puzzlement, but Yuwen Tong was fully aware of what was going on. The night before, Zhang Chong buried more than half of the weapon workshop and also directly blocked the entrance to the underground chambers built for heavily armored infantry. All heavily armored infantry had been temporarily reassigned to different platoons¡­ ¡®In order to deal with me, Zhang Chong went to a lot of trouble and made all these arrangements overnight.


    It seems that it would be a shame if I don¡¯t accept the invitation, given that he had been bustling around for a whole night. Unfortunately, news might come from the Grand Mang Mountain at any moment. This is not a good time to go to the Prefecture Encampment,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Now that Commander Zhang has issued an invitation, I think I should accept it despite the risk of showing my thick skin. It¡¯s just that I happen to have some business to attend to. Would you mind waiting two days?¡±


    Did Zhang Chong dare to mind? Not only did he not mind, he was only too anxious to have Yuwen Tong delay the visit for two days so that he would get more time to make preparations.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll come here myself to pick Marshal up and escort you to the encampment of Tanyang Prefecture Guards in two days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you.¡±


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong had accepted Zhang Chong¡¯s invitation to the Prefecture Encampment, Tao Feng, who was unreconciled to lagging behind Zhang Chong in establishing a good relationship with Yuwen Tong, immediately invited Yuwen Tong to live in the Prefecture Yamen, but Yuwen Tong declined the invitation and only agreed to attend a welcome feast there.


    ¡®Attending a feast sounds good enough.¡¯ Tao Feng was perfectly content with it and had already come up with some ideas of how to tell on Zhang Chong and convince Ling family not to make peace with Zhang Chong.


    The secret struggle between Tao Feng and Zhang Chong didn¡¯t escape the notice of Ling Zhang or Yuwen Tong.


    The reason why they had not disclosed anything about their plan to Tao Feng was that they didn¡¯t have that much trust in Tao Feng for the moment. Furthermore, the more anxious Tao Feng was, the less alert Zhang Chong would be. Tao Feng¡¯s anxiety would lull Zhang Chong into a false sense of security.


    Tao Feng and Zhang Chong stayed for lunch at the invitation of Ling family. And then, seeing that Yuwen Tong was not really in the mood for further conversation, the two of them took their leave.


    ¡°Finally this is over,¡± said Ling Zhang. During lunch at the dinner table, he had been trying hard to subdue his urge to kill Zhang Chong all along, and all his muscles had been tense.


    Yuwen Tong had noticed that Ling Zhang had barely eaten anything.


    ¡°Tell those in the kitchen to prepare some food for you. You barely ate anything during lunch.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. His deep nervousness had spoiled his appetite and he felt no desire for food.


    The sight of his tense face brought it into Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge that Ling Zhang was still worried about the situation in the Grand Mang Mountain, so he offered, ¡°You seem to be in deep concern. I can take you to the Grand Mang Mountain and check if you want.¡±


    First Ling Zhang was delighted but the next moment he calmed down and shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I think I¡¯ll just stay here waiting from news to come.¡±


    ¡®What can I possibly do after going there? I probably would end up being more of a hindrance than a help. Besides, my family members here need my protection. I can¡¯t let anything happen to them. I can¡¯t willfully leave,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    After seeing Zhang Chong and Tao Feng out of the residence, Ling Zhaowen returned and said, ¡°Marshal, your presence has come to the knowledge of them. Will this somehow affect your plan?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Ling. All this is within my anticipation. It won¡¯t bring any influence on my plan, but Uncle Ling should not go outside during the next few days. If there¡¯s a matter of utmost urgency and you do have to leave this mansion, make sure you¡¯re accompanied and protected.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded with a serious look on his face. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, let me be by your side,¡± offered Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Stay with Marshal.¡± Ling Zhaowen disagreed in the belief that no place was safer than the side of Yuwen Tong, that it was best if Ling Zhang stayed with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Li Fu and a couple of security guards protect me, and I won¡¯t go outside, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about me,¡± Ling Zhaowen interrupted him.


    But how could Ling Zhang not worry about him. ¡°Uncle, maybe you should stay in my place during the next two days. Yuwen Tong is living right next door. We can better take care of each other if we stay closer, and it¡¯ll spare me some worry as well.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen thought for a few moments but still shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea. Currently, stabilizing the situation is the most important thing. If I move to your place, somebody on the opposing side might become suspicious, and we¡¯ll lose more than gain.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Ling¡¯s got a point. Keeping the situation stable is the first priority. If it bothers you, I¡¯ll have my bodyguards provide secret protection for Uncle Ling,¡± Yuwen Tong informed Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang shook his head and declined. Most of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards had been dispatched elsewhere, and it was because a flashpoint was drawing near that a couple of his bodyguards came back several days ago, but currently, Yuwen Tong still had only three bodyguards around him. ¡®They should stay with Yuwen Tong protecting him. I¡¯ve already ¡®borrowed¡¯ a bodyguard named Xie Shi to protect grandfather and others. I can¡¯t ask Yuwen Tong for another one,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan and some others to protect you, uncle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll also be obtrusive if I suddenly have some personal guards.¡±


    ¡°Not if there¡¯s an obvious reason.¡±


    The reason that Ling Zhang created was simple and direct. He bade one of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards to wear black clothes, put in an appearance outside the dwelling of Ling Zhaowen, and deliberately let a servant catch sight of his figure.


    The servant was taken aback and started yelling.


    Since a suspicious person, presumably a burglar, had shown up, people of Ling family searched the whole residence. Eventually, Ling Zhang, with good cause, assigned Wang Dashan and several security guards to protect Ling Zhaowen.


    Those security guards were still animatedly discussing the matter of Marshal Yuwen when a servant told them that someone suspicious had been seen in the residence. In the knowledge that Marshal Yuwen was still in Ling family, they got thrilled and literally searched every inch of Ling family¡¯s residence. The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched as he watched them doing the search.


    ¡°Young Master may rest assured that we will not let Second Master out of our sight,¡± said Wang Dashan after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s decision.


    ¡°I wonder who that burglar is that acted so boldly as to intrude into here when Marshal Yuwen is present.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t find that guy. He was definitely scared away by Marshal Yuwen.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you. That burglar must have found out that Marshal Yuwen is here.¡±


    Apart from security guards, servants were also discussing with each other in private. But surprisingly, as if by some kind of tacit agreement, they all believed the reason why the burglar had not been found was that he had found out about the presence of Yuwen Tong and immediately got scared away.


    After all, Marshal Yuwen was a legendary war hero. Which burglar would not be scared when Marshal Yuwen was present? If there was indeed such a burglar, he must be blind, which was the only explanation for a burglar being unafraid of Marshal Yuwen.


    The spirits of people of Ling family were exceptionally high. Though a suspicious man, presumably a burglar, had just shown up in the residence, none of the servants seemed to be afraid. All of them walked with their heads up and their chests thrown out, their faces unafraid.

 Chapter 123 - Victimization by Jia Yin

    Why were they unafraid? Because Marshal Yuwen was in Ling family.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence in Ling family emboldened all servants. As if there was a protective talisman on each of them, they looked courageous and seemed likely to yell ¡°Come at me, burglar!¡± at any moment.


    When Ling Zhang saw a handmaid walking almost like a soldier marching forward in a formation, he couldn¡¯t help rolling his eyes.


    ¡®Have these people taken leave of their senses?¡¯ he wondered.


    Behind him, Yuwen Tong could barely forbear from laughing. ¡°Your servants are pretty interesting, just like you.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned his head back and gave Yuwen Tong a dirty look. ¡®Has this guy developed some kind of eye disease? With which eye is he seeing any resemblance between me and those maniacs?¡¯


    This dirty look given by Ling Zhang sent waves of hotness through Yuwen Tong, who felt an instant urge to hug him, knead him and kiss him, but currently, Ling Zhang was in deep concern over the situation in the Grand Mang Mountain as well as the imminent conflict with Zhang Chong. ¡®If I do that, he will no doubt get angry.¡¯


    Marshal Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but sigh secretly, thinking, ¡®If only I can get back to the capital city right now and figure out a way to have him marry me.¡¯


    Ling Zhang was unaware of what Yuwen Tong standing behind him was thinking about. If he had known, he would definitely give Yuwen Tong another dirty look and say to him, ¡°You are daydreaming. Who said I would marry you?¡±


    When Ling Zhang justifiably made arrangements for security guards to stay with Ling Zhaowen protecting him, Zhang Chong and Tao Feng had returned to their respective places.


    The moment Zhang Chong entered his tent, his face fell sullen in the extreme.


    ¡°Commander?¡± Deputy Commander Bai Jun looked at him in perplexity. ¡®Wasn¡¯t everything going smoothly in Ling family?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Commander, are there any remaining problems?¡± asked Deputy Commander Wang He.


    ¡°It¡¯s that fledgling, Yuwen Tong. As long as he¡¯s in Tanyang, I¡¯ll never find peace of mind,¡± replied Zhang Chong, a sepulchral look on his face.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t everything go as planned during this visit? Ling Zhang didn¡¯t bring up any of our previous disagreements, which was a wise choice. And we¡¯ve removed all problematic facilities in the encampment. Even if Yuwen Tong comes here right now, he definitely won¡¯t be able to find anything suspicious,¡± commented Bai Jun in puzzlement.


    ¡°Deputy Commander Bai, the situation is far more complicated than you think it is.¡±


    Before Zhang Chong could vent his annoyance, Wang He observed, ¡°First, we have no idea when Yuwen Tong arrived in Tanyang, and neither do we know how long he has been here. Whether he has found out about anything during his stay in Tanyang is also unknown. In other words, we¡¯re totally unaware of whether or not he has got the goods on us. Second, even if we have removed all questionable things in our encampment, Yuwen Tong is no common person. Can you guarantee that he won¡¯t find any traces? It¡¯s very risky to let him come here. We invited him only because we didn¡¯t have any choice. Only by inviting him here on our own account can we prevent him from laying suspicions on us. Third, that Ling Zhang guy of Ling family is no fool either. Never once did Jia family get the best of him during their several previous conflicts. And now he¡¯s got Yuwen Tong at his back, which means that Ling family has become a force no less powerful than us. Why did he choose to make peace with us so willingly? I keep having this feeling that there¡¯s more to this matter than semblance suggests.¡±


    Bai Jun was transfixed with shock after hearing this. He manifestly had never thought that there were so many hidden risks.


    Zhang Chong flicked an appreciative glance at Wang He and then gave Bai Jun a displeased look, his eyes piercing.


    Bai Jun felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°Please punish me for my being foolish, Commander.¡±


    ¡°If you are incompetent to perform the duties of a deputy commander, I¡¯ll find someone else to replace you,¡± observed Zhang Chong directly.


    Bai Jun knelt down on to the ground. ¡°Commander, I promise I¡¯ll do better. Please take into account all these years¡¯ service of mine and all those things I did for you and for our encampment. Give me a second chance, Commander.¡±


    Zhang Chong looked at him flintily, ¡°Make sure this is the last time. Otherwise you¡¯ll end up cutting firewood in the kitchen!¡±


    After hearing this, Bai Jun didn¡¯t even dare to raise his head.


    ¡°Then what do we do now, Commander?¡± asked Wang Ming.


    The three points of Wang He instantly brought all others, whose wariness of Yuwen Tong had dissolved somewhat, on alert.


    ¡°Keep working on it. Destroy all other facilities except for the underground training chambers of heavily armored infantry. We¡¯ve got more than enough weapons already. There¡¯s no need to forge new ones for the moment. Since Yuwen Tong said that he would come here in two days, he will surely be here. Don¡¯t let him get the goods on us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Wang He, send some men to stake out Ling family. Keep a close watch on Yuwen Tong¡¯s every move. Find out exactly what it is that he intends to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Wang Ming, make contact with those bandits on the Grand Mang Mountain. Tell them to make themselves scarce and not to leave the mountain during the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    With a sepulchral look on his face, Zhang Chong thought for a while and then observed, ¡°That fight we had with those bandits on the Lee Mountain actually has an advantage ¡ª since Yuwen Tong is here, we can just spill out all our troubles to him. Make sure that he will send word to the emperor and have the emperor approve our plan to expand our encampment and recruit more soldiers. We¡¯ve lost a lot of men during that fight and we could use some replacements.¡±


    ¡°Commander, should we inform bandit gangs on other mountains and tell them not to leave their dens lest they offend Yuwen Tong?¡± asked Wang Ming.


    ¡°A word of warning would be enough. Nothing more than that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    Wang He had a slight frown on his face, as if pondering over something. He opened his mouth and dithered for quite a while but eventually said nothing.


    Zhang Chong was deep in his own thoughts and didn¡¯t notice this.


    After walking out of the tent side by side with Wang He, Dou Li, another deputy commander, who had been silent all along, asked Wang He, ¡°What was it that you intended to say to Commander Zhang just now?¡±


    ¡°I felt that Yuwen Tong is too dangerous. If he has been in Tanyang for only a short time, there will be nothing to worry about. But if he arrived here quite some time ago, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have every reason to be concerned,¡± answered Wang He.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°That there¡¯s some kind of relation between him and all those troubles we¡¯ve encountered in the Prefecture Encampment these days.¡±


    Dou Li fell silent. After a few moments, he asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell Commander about this?¡±


    ¡°Commander probably has also guessed something. It¡¯s just that he is not certain about it, and he doesn¡¯t want to make any rash decisions. After all, the identity of Yuwen Tong is so special. One tiny mistake and the whole Prefecture Encampment will be doomed,¡± replied Wang He.


    As a result, it was fairly reasonable that Zhang Chong thought highly of Wang He, who was indeed the most resourceful one among all four deputy commanders.


    Unfortunate for him, no matter how resourceful he was, it could never have crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong had cast a giant net at them head-on, and the time to close the net was drawing near.


    ¡­


    After the noon shift relieved him, the prison guard that had made contact with Jia Yin started his vacation. He walked out of the Prison of the Prefecture Yamen and then left yamen.


    Appearing somewhat listless, the prison guard walked back home at a gentle pace. Everything seemed normal.


    But the moment he got home, he immediately perked up. The fatigue on his face, which seemed to have resulted from staying up for a whole night, instantly disappeared, and there was even an expectant look in his eyes.


    He changed into a low-key, unobtrusive outfit and then left home through the back door. To get rid of potential stalkers, he intentionally traveled several winding circuits of the city center before heading for the location of hidden treasure that Jia Yin had told him.


    It was a deserted dwelling located at one end of eastern city, while the residence of Jia family was located on the other end. There was a rather long distance between the two.


    The dwelling had been deserted for many years, and weeds and spider webs were everywhere. Worms and ants were crawling around in clusters of weeds, and there was even a wild cat that had made a home of this place.


    It took the prison guard some efforts to get over the wall and enter this abandoned dwelling. Subduing his unwillingness, he managed to get through those tall, dense weeds and arrived at a relatively more spacious area. After searching more than half of this place, he finally found the orange tree that Jia Yin had told him about. Due to a lack of regular trims, this orange tree had been growing rampantly for years and was tall and big.


    The treasure was said to be buried under the mound beside the orange tree. He had to remove the mound first.


    But the mound was pretty big, and it would take him a long time to remove it. There had been several occasions when the prison guard intended to give up, but for the sake of the treasure that Jia Yin had mentioned, he forbore from doing so and kept digging.


    After about four hours, he finally managed to dig a deep pit in the mound, and there was indeed an iron case at the bottom of the pit. The prison guard rejoiced. Bursting with impatience, he quickly dig up the iron case and cracked the lock on it with his tools.


    The outside of the iron case was somewhat rusty but when he opened it, he beheld a whole case of shiny gold!


    ¡°It¡¯s real! Jia Yin didn¡¯t lie to me!¡± The prison guard was wild with joy. Eventually, he didn¡¯t take the case away but buried it elsewhere, planning to come back to get it at night.


    He doubled back to the wall, climbed over and left the dwelling, intending to go back home, rest in the afternoon and come back here to get the gold at night.


    Thinking about the gold, the prison guard was in very high spirits. His heart was full of excitement and he didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. For several times, he had felt an urge to go back to the dwelling and dig up the case for fear that somebody else might find out about it and all his efforts would be in vain.


    ¡°¡­My goodness. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. The nephew of the uncle of my maternal aunt was one of the guards who accompanied Lord Tao to Ling family. He was wild with excitement after going out and nearly set off firecrackers to celebrate. You tell me whether he really saw Marshal Yuwen or not.¡±


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen is really in Tanyang! My goodness. Then is it true that Childe Ling is engaged to Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely true!¡±


    Instantly, all people who heard these remarks fell into discussions with each other. Soon, people in the whole street were animatedly talking about this unexpected engagement.


    The prison guard stood transfixed with shock for quite a while, unable to believe what he had just heard. ¡®Marshal Yuwen? Marshal Yuwen is in Ling family? And he¡¯s engaged to Childe Ling?!


    Is Ling¨CLing family going to make its way in the world?


    These people are going to reach Heavens at a single bound!¡¯


    Everybody was envious, particularly the prison guard, whose eyes nearly turned green, but soon an awful thought struck him ¡ª Jia Yin.


    ¡®All people in Tanyang know about the feud between Ling family and Jia family. If Jia Yin escapes from the prison, what will happen?¡¯ The prison guard felt a cold shiver of fear run through him. He didn¡¯t even dare to think about potential consequences.


    ¡®If it comes to the knowledge of Marshal Yuwen that I¡¯m the one who helps Jia Yin escape, will I stand a chance of survival?! No, I¡¯ll sure as hell end up dead. Jia Yin is trying to get me killed!¡¯ he thought in horror.

 Chapter 124 - Spitting Blood from Rage for the Third Time

    On that very night, the prison guard went back to relieve the afternoon shift. At the sight of him, Jia Yin couldn¡¯t help becoming excited and tried to find an opportunity to talk to him.


    But the prison guard ignored all his signals. Gradually, Jia Yin came to realize that something was wrong. He stopped gesticulating and started yelling to attract the prison guard¡¯s attention.


    Since other prison guards looked in Jia Yin¡¯s direction, that prison guard had no choice but to walk up to the cell of Jia Yin. ¡°Stop that! You¡¯re faced with imminent death. Why are you still making trouble? If you wish to kick the bucket earlier, I can do you a favor!¡±


    ¡°You¨C!¡± Through gritted teeth, Jia Yin lowered his voice and questioned, ¡°You dug up the case, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I did. Maybe I didn¡¯t. What are you going to do about it?¡± replied the prison guard in a flinty tone of voice.


    ¡°You took my gold. You owe it to me to offer me help!¡± Jia Yin said angrily.


    ¡°Offer you help? Jia Yin, who told you that I took your gold? That case was empty. There was nothing in it. You should consider yourself lucky I didn¡¯t kick your ass for cheating me. Yet you still have the nerve to request my help?¡± The face of the prison guard fell sullen.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± Jia Yin raised his voice. ¡°I buried that case myself. Nobody but me knew about its existence. There¡¯s no way that anybody had taken the gold in it before you. It has got to be your doing. Stop denying it!¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± The prison guard reached out his hand and gripped Jia Yin¡¯s neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t lower your voice, I¡¯ll snap your neck right now!¡±


    ¡°You¨CYou don¡¯t have the balls to do that. If I suddenly die here, somebody will come to investigate! You won¡¯t be able to get away with it!¡± said Jia Yin with great difficulty, trying hard to remove the hand around his throat, a scarlet flush on his cheeks.


    ¡°Then go and tell on me. You¡¯re just a convict awaiting execution. Nobody cares if you die a day or two earlier. The worst-case scenario would be for me to lose my job, but nothing more than that,¡± the prison guard smiled wryly, tightening his grip.


    Jia Yin immediately tried harder to remove the hand from his neck, the misery on his face deepening. ¡°Are you not afraid that I expose you taking my gold?!¡±


    ¡°Nobody will believe you in the absence of any proof. If I say the case was empty, nothing can prove otherwise.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you something, Jia Yin. You¡¯ll never make it out of here. Even if Lord Tao were willing to spare you ¡ª and that¡¯s a big ¡®if¡¯ ¡ª by no means will people of Ling family let you get away. Have you any idea which big shot has come to the support of Ling family? The sound of his very name will scare the shit out of you!¡±


    After saying this, the prison guard gave Jia Yin a hard push, who lost his footing and fell backwards onto the ground. Then he let out a pained groan and dissolved into terrible cough.


    The loud noises caught other people¡¯s attention. A couple of prison guards walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Cells of Mrs. Jia and relatives of Jia family were not far away. The noises brought them into panic. ¡°Master? Are you okay?¡±


    Coughing repeatedly, Jia Yin was unable to make a response.


    ¡°This old fox was trying to play tricks again. I taught him a lesson,¡± said the prison guard who had squeezed Jia Yin¡¯s neck.


    Other prison guards took a look at Jia Yin and, after confirming that he would survive, ignored him and reminded the prison guard, ¡°Don¡¯t kill him. Otherwise we¡¯ll have trouble giving Lord Tao a plausible explanation.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured. I know where the limit is,¡± replied the prison guard.


    The couple of other prison guards walked away and sat down near the peephole where there was more light. Maybe because they had just laid eyes on Jia Yin, one of them brought up what had happened outside. ¡°Hey, guys. Did you hear the rumor today?¡±


    ¡°What rumor?¡±


    ¡°Tsk. That bigwig living in Ling family!¡±


    ¡°I heard about it.¡±


    Some were unaware of which big name the two men were referring to, but seeing that the two men became excited when merely mentioning the person, others couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat curious.


    ¡°If the rumor is true, then members of Ling family are going to make rapid advances in their careers. They won¡¯t have to stay in this godforsaken place any longer.¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck did they get to have such good luck?¡±


    ¡°Shh! Guard your tongue. If this by any chance reaches the ears of His Lordship, all of us will be incriminated.¡±


    ¡°Ur¡­ Don¡¯t you guys tell anybody else.¡±


    ¡°Were I engaged to a dignitary of such high status, I would have let it be known to everybody. People of Ling family are so good at keeping secrets. I mean, not a single person has ever found out about this marriage contract over the past so many years.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. This is what people say ¡®A lean camel is bigger than a horse¡¯. After all, Old Master Ling used to be a high-rank official in the capital city. It¡¯s not too surprising that he found Childe Ling such a good spouse.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Jia family is not half as powerful as Ling family. As far as I could tell, even if Jia family had not been convicted this time, they would still end up in jail sooner or later. Even their backer in the Prefecture Guards won¡¯t be able to make any difference. There¡¯s no way that Ling family will let them get away with what they have done.¡±


    Overhearing this conversation, Jia Yin, who was in the cell, paled visibly from anger. He had no access to information about what had happened outside, so he naturally was unaware of which big shot had come to Ling family, but judging from the conversation, that big shot seemed to have become an in-law of Ling family, and Ling family was going to have a meteoric rise, but members of Jia family were in prison. Such sharp contrast sent waves of rage through him, brought his stomach into churning, and he nearly spat blood again.


    ¡®Why did Ling family get to be so lucky? Previously, fortune had been smiling at Jia family all along.¡¯ Jia Yin was bitterly unreconciled to the situation.


    ¡°Puh!¡± Finally, Jia Yin spat out a mouthful of blood from rage and passed out.


    Prison guards heard the sound and walked up to the cell of Jia Yin. After seeing what had happened, they looked at each other in astonishment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s report this to His Lordship and ask him if we should send for a physician.¡±


    ¡°This Jia Yin guy was reduced to spitting blood from anger by merely a couple of remarks. What a good-for-nothing.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Ha-ha¡­.¡±


    Mrs. Jia and relatives of Jia family, who were further away from the spot that those prison guards had been sitting, had failed to distinguish their previous words and thus had no idea why Jia Yin had spat blood. Panic-stricken, Mrs. Jia repeatedly called Jia Yin¡¯s name, but Jia Yin was in a coma and unable to make a reply.


    ¡°Shut your mouth or see it torn!¡± A prison guard walked over and rebuked her aloud.


    Mrs. Jia was scared and didn¡¯t dare to call Jia Yin¡¯s name again.


    After being informed that Jia Yin had spat blood and blacked out, Tao Feng instructed, ¡°Send for a doctor and treat him. Make sure he lives long enough to face execution.¡±


    Given the deep hatred between Ling family and Jia family, people of Ling family definitely would prefer to see Jia Yin beheaded at the entrance of the food market, so he might as well do Ling family a favor.


    ¡­


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a palm against Ling Zhang¡¯s back, and the other on Ling Zhang¡¯s lower abdomen where the Dantian was.


    The medicated bathwater in the bathing pool was gradually growing clean. Slowly and constantly, beads of sweat were flowing down Ling Zhang¡¯s fair-skinned body into the bathing pool. Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were in pain as he watched this scene ¡ª pain caused by his efforts to subdue the surges of desire he had been feeling. This would be the last time that Ling Zhang took a medicated bath, and it would also be the last time that he helped Ling Zhang unblock his meridians. He had to take advantage of this opportunity to teach Ling Zhang a special breathing exercise.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡± Yuwen Tong asked again, trying hard to stop himself from concentrating his attention on Ling Zhang¡¯s body.


    After a while, Ling Zhang opened his eyes and answered in excitement, ¡°I did!¡±


    ¡°Okay. Do it this way one more time. Focus on that warmth in your Dantian and try to concentrate your Qi in there every time you breath.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡±


    Bursting with impatience, Ling Zhang immediately closed his eyes. Following Yuwen Tong¡¯s previous instructions, he performed Qi circulation once again. His Dantian felt nice and warm. Compared with the previous few times, the prototypical internal energy in there seemed to have grown significantly. It was warmer and made him feel very cozy.


    Pressing his palm against the Dantian of Ling Zhang and feeling the patch of his skin that was manifestly warmer than other parts, Yuwen Tong clenched his teeth and managed to forbear from kneading and stroking it in the knowledge that there was a high risk of wasting all previous efforts of Ling Zhang if he alarmed Ling Zhang.


    Consumed with the excitement of feeling that small amount of internal energy, Ling Zhang was totally oblivious of the battle that was raging in Yuwen Tong¡¯s head.


    After quite a while, Ling Zhang managed to convince himself to open his eyes and stopped the Qi circulation that had been giving him a curiously comfortable feeling. ¡°I did it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. From now on, practice this breathing exercise for two hours every morning and every night.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡±


    Ling Zhang was very excited.


    ¡°This is just a breathing exercise. Will I be able to feel it more distinctly after you teach me the mental cultivation method of internal energy?¡±


    ¡°This breathing exercise is meant to help you lay a foundation for the mental cultivation method of internal energy I¡¯m going to teach you. Keep practicing this during the next half a year. After that, I¡¯ll teach you something else and then you¡¯ll get the secret of it, and your internal energy will also reach a whole new level instantly.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up as he heard this. He wished only if he could experience what Yuwen Tong had just described right away.


    ¡°Be patient.¡± Yuwen Tong lowered his head and looked at him.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside, looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek, ear lobe, neck, etc, and then moved his hands off Ling Zhang¡¯s Dantian and back.


    ¡°Okay, then. So much for the medicated bath. You may rise now, and you don¡¯t have to do this ever again.¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I see.¡± Actually, he had begun to enjoy this. The first few medicated baths had indeed been torturous, but after toughing them out, the next few baths had turned out to be considerably more tolerable, and he could feel the improvement he had made after each of them. This medicated bath, like each of the previous six ones, had also made his five senses more acute. Currently, he could keep practicing fist technique for two hours in the guards¡¯ yard without feeling tired.


    His horse stance was very steady now, so Wang Dashan had taught him an elementary-level fist technique, which he had been practicing every morning over the past few days.


    ¡°You may practice some simple fist techniques and leg techniques. After those matters are handled, I¡¯ll teach you some external martial art that best suits you.¡±


    ¡®External martial art?¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s heart lurched and he abruptly turned his head back to look at Yuwen Tong.


    Unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong was standing very close to him and his lips nearly touched Yuwen Tong¡¯s face when he twisted his head back. Dismayed, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why¨CWhy are you standing so close to me?¡±


    The bathroom was filled with humid vapor, which was why he had failed to feel Yuwen Tong¡¯s breath, though Yuwen Tong had been standing so close.


    Staring at Ling Zhang¡¯s tender and rosy lips, Yuwen Tong succumbed to the temptation, lowered his head and kissed Ling Zhang.


    When their lips touched, Yuwen Tong fell powerless to stop.


    Ling Zhang was not surprised by this kiss. A moment ago, he had noticed that the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes had been alarmingly deep, and there had seemed to be flames of desire in the depths of his eyes. Though he had had a puzzled look when he had asked that question, actually he had already come to realize what Yuwen Tong was going to do, so he was not surprised at all that Yuwen Tong kissed him, and he would have been astonished if Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t kissed him.


    As a matter of fact, he found that Yuwen Tong¡¯s kiss was not bad. Instead, it was a little intoxicating.


    But Ling Zhang felt that he was too inexperienced, that Yuwen Tong had led him by the nose during every kiss, and his reaction had always been under Yuwen Tong¡¯s control. Ling Zhang was somewhat unreconciled to this kind of situation. Besides¡­


    ¡®Why do I let him kiss me so frequently? Am I really going to marry him?¡¯


    Ling Zhang quickly collected himself and shook his head repeatedly.


    Yuwen Tong was thrown into perplexity by his reaction. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡®Am I a bad kisser?¡¯

 Chapter 125 - Heres His Majestys Handwritten Edict. Stay Out of This

    ¡®If this was the real reason, it would be kind of hurtful,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong in embarrassment.


    A flush in his cheeks, Ling Zhang had also come to realize what he had just done, appearing somewhat awkward. ¡°I¨C¡±


    The unmistakable discomfort on his face brought Yuwen Tong into deeper misunderstanding. A somewhat vexed look in his eyes, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Did I make you uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡®Ah? What kind of question is this?¡¯ Ling Zhang raised his head to look at him and saw the vexation in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. Light suddenly dawned on him and the next moment, all his embarrassment disappeared from his face and he dissolved into chuckles, surprised that a man like Yuwen Tong would also be vexed at this kind of matter.


    His chuckle made Yuwen Tong more annoyed, and his face fell tense. Eventually, with a sullen look in his eyes, he abruptly stepped out of the bathing pool.


    Believing that he got angry and was about to leave, Ling Zhang hurriedly tried to stop him. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯m not¡­Hey!¡±


    Before Ling Zhang could finish his sentence, Yuwen Tong picked up a blanket, turned around, wrapped it around him, scooped him up in his arms and carried him out of the bathing pool, heading towards the outside.


    Ling Zhang was startled. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Wiping out the humiliation,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡°What humiliation are you referring to?¡±


    ¡®Surely it¡¯s not what I think it is?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and flicked a glance at Ling Zhang. ¡°You tell me.¡±


    Ling Zhang directly gave him a dirty look. ¡°Put me down. I don¡¯t want any part in your so-called¨C¡±


    Before he could finish his remark, Yuwen Tong gagged him.


    It had not happened in his memory when he was carried to the inner room, nor when he was laid on the bed, nor when Yuwen Tong removed that blanket from him. In order to ¡°wipe out the humiliation¡±, Yuwen Tong went to quite some trouble to ¡°serve¡± Ling Zhang, who was struck all of a heap and was totally unaware of what was going on.


    Ling Zhang had no idea how much time had passed, but when he collected his thoughts panting heavily, he found that he was lying in bed and the blanket around him had been removed by Yuwen Tong¡­


    Propping himself on his hands with Ling Zhang lying down below, Yuwen Tong watched him with smiling eyes. Clearly, the intoxicated expression Ling Zhang had had on his face had greatly pleased Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Shall we continue?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡®Continue what?¡¯ Ling Zhang instantly pushed Yuwen Tong aside. ¡°Cut the shit. I want to change clothes. Go back to your own place right now! You might miss Yao Yi¡¯s message if you don¡¯t hurry.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s words would have been more convincing if there had not been a pink flush on his cheeks and he had not been trying to avoid Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    Yuwen Tong stretched out his hand and gently scratched Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek, feeling that the soft, tender touch was incredibly good.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and was just about to push Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand away when he caught sight of the deep look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes and paused.


    The air in the room seemed to have instantly warmed up. Ling Zhang uneasily turned his glance away, afraid to look at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, but this time Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t do anything. He withdrew his hand and walked away from Ling Zhang¡¯s bed. ¡°Get dressed right away or else you might catch a cold. I¡¯m going back.¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly raised his head to look at Yuwen Tong. The look in the depths of Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes suggested that he was subduing something. Seeing this, Ling Zhang briefly paused again and then said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong turned around, went to the bathroom, retrieved his clothes and left.


    Ling Zhang also got out of bed. While changing, he absent-mindedly replayed in his mind Yuwen Tong¡¯s deep look a moment ago. As he came to realize that Yuwen Tong valued him, a sense of security spontaneously rose in him.


    He was not a woman, but the feeling of being cherished like treasure, which transcended gender or identity, still touched him.


    ¡®Did I make the right choice to agree to go to the capital city with Yuwen Tong?¡¯ He had a premonition that he probably would have to marry Yuwen Tong after he went to the capital city with him.


    ¡°Young Master, Yao Yi¡¯s letter arrived. Marshal requests your presence.¡± Suddenly, the voice of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguard came from outside the window.


    Ling Zhang immediately rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°What did Yao Yi say? Did it work?¡± asked Ling Zhang after entering the Green Bamboo Mansion, bursting with impatience.


    Yuwen Tong signaled him to calm down. ¡°It took the army longer than we¡¯d expected to find the den of those bandits. Currently, all bandits are under control. Their correspondence with Zhang Chong and some other evidence as well as the hidden stockpile of armaments have also been found. This operation in the Grand Mang Mountain is extensive. Zhang Chong will get wind of it by tomorrow morning at the latest. Yao Yi informed us that we should get prepared.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately nodded. ¡°Okay. Should we go to Lord Tao¡¯s place right away?¡±


    According to the plan, they were to meet Lord Tao and have him give the order to shut all city gates lest Zhang Chong lead the Prefecture Guards into the city and took all residents hostage, which would reduce them to a passive position.


    Unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong fell silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ling Zhang nervously, sensing that something was not right.


    Yuwen Tong fished out a thin, folded pamphlet and handed it to Ling Zhang. There was a pattern of a dragon on the cover of the pamphlet.


    Ling Zhang was sent into a brief trance. Then he took it and opened it.


    ¡°The emperor ordered me to stop my intervention in this matter. Dai Cheng must have got this handwritten imperial edict quite some time ago. It was after the situation on the Grand Mang Mountain was verified that he asked Yao Yi to have this edict delivered here,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    After reading the pamphlet, Ling Zhang felt anger rising inside him. ¡°What is he trying to do? Why does he wants you to stay out of this? Wouldn¡¯t he have still been kept in the dark about these things in Tanyang if it weren¡¯t for your investigation?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason manifest enough? The emperor stands concerned that my prestige is already alarmingly high, that troops might switch their allegiance from him to me if I¡¯m the one who successfully settle this issue, that it will impose a threat to his reign if my prestige among Tanyang residents grows unduly high.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous. Has he by any chance already forgotten to whom he owes this country¡¯s survival? He¡¯s treating you like a potential usurper.¡± Ling Zhang was filled with indignation.


    But Yuwen Tong seemed very composed. Apparently he had foreseen this as well. ¡°What kind of man he is has come to my knowledge quite some time ago, and I didn¡¯t defend the Great Yue so that I could be a deputy ruler of it. Currently, we should go and have Tao Feng give the order to seal off the city first. We can discuss other issues after this thing is over.¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows, rose to his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and inform my uncle.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was not allowed to intervene, so Ling Zhang had to ask his uncle for help.


    Fortunately, news of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence in his home had already spread out, and Tao Feng had also had an audience with Yuwen Tong. Though Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t overtly intervene, Tao Feng would guess what was going on and he wouldn¡¯t decline.


    ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll have my bodyguards secretly follow you protecting you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang nodded and watched Yuwen Tong, intending to say something, but then he felt it was not the right time, so he forbore from doing so, turned around and left the room.


    ¡®I have to inform Tao Feng immediately. Otherwise city gates will be opened at daybreak and things will be tricky,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯s issue¡­¡¯ Ling Zhang had an increasingly clear realization of how bad the terms Yuwen Tong had been on with the emperor. Though the wording of this handwritten imperial edict was mild and tactful, the meaning was definite. The emperor was unmistakably telling Yuwen Tong that he didn¡¯t trust him. ¡®Why did the emperor shed his pretence of cordiality so thoroughly? Was he not afraid that such bitterly disappointing deed might send Yuwen Tong into an armed revolt? Or does he by any chance have somebody to back him up and have nothing to fear?¡¯


    Previously, Yuwen Tong¡¯s lack of due respect for the emperor had worried Ling Zhang. But now, he realized that this so-called emperor didn¡¯t deserve to be respected at all. During these years, though there had been a semblance of peace in the Great Yue, arbitrary corvee and exorbitant tax levies had been a heavy burden on people¡¯s shoulders all along, and most officials had been indulging in corruption. The whole country had been rotten to the core for a long time.


    ¡®Instead of carrying out an anti-corruption campaign and giving the people real peace, all this emperor has been doing is suspecting meritorious officials and military officers. Has it ever crossed his mind that he wouldn¡¯t have been sitting on that throne if it weren¡¯t for Yuwen Tong?¡¯


    Anger built up in Ling Zhang while he was thinking about this. He felt that an emperor like this was totally unworthy of Yuwen Tong¡¯s service, that one day, when the emperor believed he didn¡¯t need Yuwen Tong any more, he would surely try to get rid of him.


    ¡®No. When this mater is over, I must warn Yuwen Tong to take adequate precautions. Everything might not go smoothly in the capital city as well after we go there. We must make contingency plans.¡¯


    With a cold face, Ling Zhang stormed to the gateway of Ling Zhaowen¡¯s dwelling.


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Wang Dashan, who was guarding the gate, was somewhat surprised to see Ling Zhang coming at such a late hour.


    ¡°I need to see my uncle. It¡¯s urgent,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan hurriedly let him in, asking in a low voice, ¡°Did anything happen? Should we make any preparations?¡±


    Ling Zhang paused, turned his head back and looked at him. ¡°Elder Brother Wang, tell all our brothers to stay alert. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s going to be an upheaval in Tanyang tomorrow. All you have to do is protect Ling family. If things go south, my uncle¡¯s safety shall be your first priority.¡±


    The look on Wang Dashan¡¯s face immediately became serious. ¡°Young Master may rest assured that we will do all we can to keep them safe!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°This is what I do. Please go inside, Young Master. I¡¯ll go and make arrangements right now.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and walked into the courtyard.


    It was Li Fu who had been on night duty outside Ling Zhaowen¡¯s bedroom. He was not surprised to see Ling Zhang come at midnight. ¡°Please wait a moment, Young Master. I¡¯ll go and wake up His Lordship.¡±


    Li Fu walked inside and woke up Ling Zhaowen, who simply put on a coat and walked out. ¡°Zhang¡¯er, did it begin?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put you to the bother of paying a visit to the Prefecture Yamen with me and having Lord Tao give the order to keep the city gates shut.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was startled. According to the original plan, Yuwen Tong was the one who should do this. ¡°Did anything happen to the Marshal?¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious. Just a minor hindrance. I¡¯ll tell you on our way there. Please go and get changed right now,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen gave a bob of the head and said no more. He went back inside, changed and soon walked out, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them hastily left the residence, heading for the Prefecture Yamen along streets of Tanyang at midnight.


    ¡°Exactly what happened?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen in a muted voice. He and his nephew were the only ones in the horse-drawn carriage.


    ¡°It was His Majesty. He ordered Yuwen Tong to stay out of this matter of Tanyang. It is said that Dai Cheng has taken over,¡± answered Ling Zhang, a cold look on his face.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Dai Cheng?¡±


    ¡°The commander of the Garrison Battalion stationed in southern capital city and also the commander of the troops dispatched here this time. He¡¯s one of His Majesty¡¯s henchmen,¡± Ling Zhang explained.


    Ling Zhaowen kept silent and pondered for a while. Clearly he had come to grasp something. ¡°What did the Marshal say?¡±


    ¡°He wanted us to guard Tanyang. As long as the situation in Tanyang stays stable, Zhang Chong won¡¯t be able to spare any time to deal with us after Dai Cheng¡¯s army arrives. It won¡¯t take long. All we have to do is hold our ground. Though he cannot offer us any overt assistance, he can secretly direct the defense of the city,¡± Ling Zhang informed Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded and his frown lightened somewhat. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    After saying this, he lapsed into silence again, pondering over something, his frown deepening.


    The horse-drawn carriage hurriedly drove to the back door of the Prefecture Yamen. Seeing the carriage coming, a Yamen runner guarding the door was alerted, yelling, ¡°Stop! Identify yourselves!¡±

 Chapter 126 - The Night Before the Conflict

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± responded Ling Zhaowen.


    The Yamen runner recognized Ling Zhaowen¡¯s voice and Ling family¡¯s carriage. Startled, he asked, ¡°Lord Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhang got off the carriage and walked up.


    ¡°Lord Ling, Childe Ling, may I ask what it is that you came here for at such a late hour of the night?¡±


    ¡°We are here to seek an audience with Lord Tao. It¡¯s urgent. Please pass word of our presence,¡± said Ling Zhaowen, a grave expression on his face.


    The Yamen runner noticed the seriousness on Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face. Though unaware of exactly what kind of urgent matter it was, he still answered immediately, ¡°Please wait a moment, Lord Ling. I¡¯ll go inside and report right now.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The Yamen runner nodded and immediately went through the back door.


    Tao Feng was woken up. On hearing that Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhang had come here to meet him at such a late hour, he was taken aback, mistakenly believing that something had happened to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Then let them in! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡± The Yamen runner hastily ran out.


    Flustered, Tao Feng quickly get dressed and hurried out of the room.


    ¡°Lord Ling, what happened? Why did you come here at such a late hour of the night?¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao, there¡¯s a matter of urgency that we need your help with,¡± replied Ling Zhaowen before flicking a glance at the others present.


    Tao Feng took the hint and immediately had others leave the room. Then he asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Please give the order to seal off the city. All city gates must stay closed tomorrow,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°What?¡± Tao Feng was astounded. Sealing off the city would generate extensive influence on people¡¯s life. Even on that occasion when County Magistrate Lu Kui was murdered, the opening of city gates was only delayed for two hours to hunt the murderer. Keeping city gates shut for a full day was no small thing.


    ¡°Exactly what happened?!¡± Tao Feng asked anxiously, fearing that it was something he was unable to cover up.


    ¡°Zhang Chong has been plotting to revolt all along. You probably have some conjectures about this, I suppose?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen.


    Tao Feng gave an involuntary shudder and then nodded. ¡°I do. Are you saying that Zhang Chong is going to put it into action?¡±


    ¡®This can¡¯t be happening. Yuwen Tong is right here in Tanyang, and it¡¯s by no means the right time to stage an uprising. Under no circumstances would Zhang Chong choose to revolt at this time!¡¯ Tanyang thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that Zhang Chong wants to mount a rebellion but that it has come to His Majesty¡¯s knowledge that Zhang Chong has been offering assistance to the Sixth Prince who¡¯s been plotting to usurp the throne. An army dispatched from the capital city has crossed the boundary of Tanyang already and will arrived at the city gate tomorrow morning at the latest. And Zhang Chong will probably get wind of it by daybreak. Lord Tao, there¡¯s no time for delay. Zhang Chong and his men could enter the city at any moment and all lives in the city will be at stake,¡± Ling Zhaowen observed quickly.


    Tao Feng was deeply shocked. Then he said with a grave countenance, ¡°Are you sure about this? You have to know that if this is not true, the consequences of delaying opening city gates for a full day will be our dismissals from our posts as well as implication of our family members!¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao, I assure you the truth of my statement is absolute. You¡¯re fully aware of the identity of the one living in my house, aren¡¯t you? In no circumstances will I risk the lives of myself and my family,¡± commented Ling Zhaowen.


    Tao Feng immediately turned around and started pacing the floor restlessly. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll give the order right now. All four city gates will stay shut tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Lord Tao, maybe it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t alarm anybody else for the moment. You may send some of your trusted men to the four city gates to keep an eye out, and then give the order shortly before daybreak. Maybe it¡¯s short notice this way, but it¡¯ll lower the risk of leak which might lead to Zhang Chong¡¯s immediate action. Secondly, by doing this, we can prevent Zhang Chong¡¯s men in the city, if there are any, from hindering us,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Tao Feng looked at him, thought for a while and then replied. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Childe Ling. Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    In this way, he would also get some time to observe the development of things and find out whether Ling family were telling the truth. If it was a false alarm, he would be able to do some damage control.


    But Tao Feng knew very well that there was a ninety-nine-percent chance that this matter was true.


    Since Yuwen Tong had been quietly staying in Tanyang for so many days, Tao Feng believed that he must have been making covert preparations for something. He had been wondering all along, and now what Yuwen Tong had been planning finally dawned on him!


    The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he had found out the truth. Tao Feng secretly rejoiced. ¡®I thought Ling family made peace with Zhang Chong, but it turns out that their real game is this!


    Once Zhang Chong is brought down, all the sufferings that he has inflicted on me these years will be avenged!¡¯


    ¡°Your Lordship, the southern city gate is of greater importance than the other three. Please concentrate the defence on it. It¡¯s not convenient for me to be seen in public for the moment, but I secretly go to the southern city gate and offer you assistance if the necessity arises,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Tao Feng gave a bob of the head, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t agree with this plan and intended to raise an objection. Ling Zhang looked at his uncle with an appealing expression. Ling Zhaowen paused, a hesitant look on his face.


    At this time, another issue suddenly occurred to Tao Feng. ¡°Where¡¯s the Marshal? Why¡­isn¡¯t he intervening?¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°His Majesty dispatched Dai Cheng here, who is capable of keeping Tanyang safe, so the Marshal¡¯s intervention won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Tao Feng was sent into a brief trance. ¡®What the hell? Dai Cheng?¡¯


    ¡°Is the army entering the city through the northern city gate?¡±


    ¡°The western city gate.¡±


    ¡°The western city gate?¡±


    Tao Feng fell more puzzled. ¡®The army will have to make a long detour if they want to enter the city through the western city gate, which will take them many days longer. Why the western city gate?¡¯


    ¡°Your Lordship, everything will be made clear after Zhang Chong is apprehended. Please pardon me for being unable to tell you any details beforehand.¡±


    Tao Feng was somewhat displeased, since he was now on the side of Ling family after all, and Ling family should not keep anything back from him, but at the thought of Yuwen Tong, Tao Feng felt that their deed was justifiable. ¡°All right. I believe you.¡±


    But Tao Feng was still somewhat surprised that Yuwen Tong was staying out of this. It was not until after instructing his henchmen to lead some men to four city gates that he came to grasp something, but it was not enough for him to draw any conclusions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the southern city gate as well. None of us is getting any sleep tonight, I guess,¡± said Tao Feng when Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen were taking their leave.


    ¡°Your Lordship, maybe everything will turn out as you wish after this night. Won¡¯t that be better?¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    Tao Feng exchanged glances with Ling Zhang and both of them smiled. Then Tao Feng said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    The moment they left the Prefecture Yamen, Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Zhang with a displeased face. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that the southern city gate is going to bear the brunt. Why are you going there? It¡¯s so dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I won¡¯t be able to set my mind at rest if I stay elsewhere,¡± replied Ling Zhang. He wanted to see it with his own eyes because it was not only the sole way to spare himself the worry but also the sole way to vent his spleen.


    Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t want him to go, since it was too dangerous.


    Ling Zhang had no choice but to try to convince his uncle. ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll take care of myself and come back in one piece, uncle.¡±


    ¡°How is it possible for me to rest assured? If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to face your grandfather, or your father, or your mother? This madness of yours is killing me!¡± said Ling Zhaowen angrily.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face slightly changed. He could understand why his uncle mentioned his grandfather and his mother, but his father? ¡®Will my father give a damn about this? Ha.¡¯


    ¡°Uncle, if there¡¯s any danger, I promise I¡¯ll flee as quick as possible. Okay?¡± said Ling Zhang. He even used the word ¡°flee.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was still worried, but Ling Zhang was now an adult unwilling to let others make decisions for him. If he forced him to stay at home, Ling Zhang might stealthily sneak out, which would be more dangerous.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you want to go there, but you must bring Wang Dashan and his men with you.¡±


    ¡®Wang Dashan and his men? No way. They are meant to protect Ling family and uncle. None of them is leaving,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    But since it had taken him so much doing to get his uncle swayed, Ling Zhang pretended to agree, planning to figure out another way afterwards.


    Then the two of them returned to Ling family and went straight to the Green Bamboo Mansion to meet Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Tao Feng has agreed and sent some men to all four city gates, but the gate guards won¡¯t be informed for the moment. He will wait until an hour before the opening time to give the order,¡± Ling Zhaowen told Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. He had sent a guard to each of the four city gates. If there were any problems, they would help solve them in time.


    ¡°Marshal, I¡¯m afraid the situation will be extremely dangerous tomorrow. Do you think it¡¯s advisable that you go somewhere else for the sake of safety?¡± After a short while¡¯s hesitation, Ling Zhaowen still chose to express his concern.


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Ling. You may rest assured that I can protect myself even if the nightmare scenario arises. Zhang Chong won¡¯t be able to cause me any harm.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded. In fact, he had felt somewhat embarrassed when he asked Yuwen Tong whether he would like to go somewhere safe. Given Yuwen Tong¡¯s identity, he would never choose to leave in this kind of circumstances. By making that suggestion, he had risked arousing suspicion of tricking Yuwen Tong into disgracing himself. Fortunately, Yuwen Tong understood his good intentions well and didn¡¯t think any differently of him.


    This was destined to be a sleepless night for them. Tanyang was shrouded in quiet, but there was also tension secretly spreading. Some dogs barked for a while and then hush descended once again. Residents in the city who heard the barks still had an inkling that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual.


    ¡°Is it possible that something bad happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, because I didn¡¯t hear any gong sounds.¡±


    ¡°But my dear, I keep feeling somewhat uneasy.¡±


    The man kept silent for a few moments and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go and check after daybreak. Stay at home with the kids before I return.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Guards on duty at the four city gates had also sensed a ghost of unusualness in the atmosphere, but none of them had any idea exactly what was going on. They just felt that time seemed to be going slower than usual, as if daybreak had somehow been delayed.


    Tao Feng had quietly brought his men to the southern city gate, but he didn¡¯t alarm the guards.


    Ling Zhang had also arrived, but he was not with Tao Feng. Beside him stood Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°If Uncle Ling finds out you ordered Wang Dashan and his men to go back so soon, he¡¯s definitely going to be mad,¡± Yuwen Tong smiled.


    ¡°I told Elder Brother Wang and others to stay out of my uncle¡¯s sight,¡± said Ling Zhang, believing that it would be fine as long as his uncle didn¡¯t find out that he had sent security guards back. As for what might happen the next day, he planned to cross the bridge when he came to it.


    ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Hearing this, Ling Zhang felt his ears slightly burning. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of myself. You¡¯re the one who should be careful. Make sure you don¡¯t take any risks. I really don¡¯t know how I can face people of the Great Yue if anything happens to you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Why people of the Great Yue? Are you saying that you yourself don¡¯t care about me?¡±


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m among people of the Great Yue, so of course I care.¡± Ling Zhang darted a dirty look at him. ¡°Stop twisting my words.¡±


    ¡°Fine. All I want to know is that you care about me. For your sake alone, I won¡¯t let anything happen to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    Yuwen Tong took the liberty of distorting the meaning of his words once again.


    When the night was at its darkest, a courier pigeon flew into the Prefecture Encampment, bringing with it news that was going to throw the whole encampment into shock.


    ¡°What?!¡± After Zhang Chong was woken up and read the letter delivered by the courier pigeon, an extremely horrifying momentum burst out of his whole being, his fists clenched, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°Yuwen Tong!¡±

 Chapter 127 - Zhang Chongs Route of Retreat and Yuwen Tongs Precautions

    ¡°Supervisor Zhao, do you think anything has happened in Tanyang? There were some unusual barks a moment ago.¡±


    When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went to the southern city gate, someone knocked at the door of room A of an inn in eastern Tanyang, and asked this question the moment he was allowed in.


    Another man sat up in bed in a flurry of clothes. ¡°Is there any news from the Prefecture Yamen?¡±


    ¡°Not for now.¡±


    ¡°What about Ling family?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Shall I go and recall the one staking out that place?¡±


    Before long, the man who had just left came back. ¡°Your Lordship, it is said that Ling family¡¯s carriage went to the Prefecture Yamen late at night and then returned not long after that.¡±


    ¡°What happened in Ling family?¡± snapped Supervisor Zhao.


    ¡°Ur¡­ we failed to find that out, but after that carriage returned, Ling family has been quiet all along, and there has been no news since then. Is it possible¡­Is it possible that something happened to the marshal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible. The marshal is under protection of personal guards.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do now? Because of the presence of the marshal, sneaking into Ling family to check is not an option for us. Given that Ling Xingzhong has left Tanyang, we won¡¯t be able to fulfill the task Second Young Master assigned us any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Then figure out a way to invite Ling Zhaowen to somewhere else tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make some arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Do it quick.¡±


    After the man left, Supervisor Zhao secretly cursed his bad luck. They had returned to Tanyang at a bad time ¡ª Ling Xingzhong had left Tanyang, which made Ling Zhaowen the only member of Ling family that was still in Tanyang. He had made some inquiries and had been informed that this Ling Zhaowen was far more difficult to deal with than Ling Xingzhong. ¡®If we are to have Ling family call off the engagement, achieving this by threatening Ling Zhaowen is definitely a long shot. It seems that I¡¯ll have to resort to adopting more ruthless means to this end,¡¯ thought Supervisor Zhao.


    ¡­


    In the Prefecture Encampment.


    ¡°Commander, what do we do now?¡± Like Zhang Chong, all four deputy commanders had just been woken up, their clothes untidy, their faces ghastly pale.


    Even Wang He, who had always been the most composed one in ordinary times, had a flustered look on his face. It was true that they had made a lot of preparations for mounting an armed revolt, but they would never take any action until their allies in the capital city were ready and success was certain. Currently, the time was far from ripe, not by any means, but everything was brought to light ahead of schedule.


    To make things worse, both the Sixth Prince and Concubine Shu had been placed under house arrest, which meant that they didn¡¯t even have anybody to serve.


    The army dispatched from the capital city had arrived. The secrets on the Grand Mang Mountain had been exposed. Would they be able to get away with this?


    Submitting to arrest with folded hands? They would undoubtedly be sentenced to death.


    ¡®No. We can¡¯t wait to be arrested!¡¯


    ¡°Commander, let¡¯s revolt!¡± said Wang He through gritted teeth.


    All people looked at Wang He.


    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t revolt, we¡¯ll still end up being beheaded. If we revolt, at least we¡¯ll have a glimmer of hope of survival.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. How are we supposed to revolt? The route on the Grand Mang Mountain has been blocked. Without a shortcut to get us to the capital city in a short time, we¡¯ll be wiped out midway!¡±


    ¡°We retreat.¡±


    ¡°Retreat? To where?¡±


    ¡°To the south-west.¡±


    ¡°The south-west? You think troops stationed in the south-west will let us through? Would you please say something sensible?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we should do?! Our deaths are certain if we stay here, so we might as well retreat to the south-west. As long as we figure out a way to convince Sun Qi, the commander of the south-west army, we definitely stand a chance of holding that area in the south-west. The south-west is easy to hold but hard to attack for both enemies coming from outside and those from inside. The imperial court won¡¯t be able to overpower us any time soon. We¡¯ve still got a chance.¡±


    ¡°What if Sun Qi refuses? The reason why the emperor assigned Sun Qi to defend the south-west was because Sun Qi is on nobody¡¯s side. You think we stand a chance of convincing someone like him? We would probably be wiped out by pursuers before we convince him.¡±


    ¡°Bai Jun! You keep dramatizing the enemy¡¯s power and disparaging that of ourselves. How about you tell us what we should do?! If you have a way to get us out of this difficult situation, I¡¯m all ears!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Zhang Chong thundered. Trying hard to subdue his anger, he managed to forbear from kicking them. ¡°Wake up everybody immediately! We¡¯re going to Tanyang!¡±


    ¡°Tanyang?¡± The other four men were amazed.


    ¡°Commander, from the vantage point of the present, going to Tanyang won¡¯t do us any good!¡± said Wang He anxiously.


    ¡°And you think we stand a chance of surviving if we go to the south-west? In no circumstances will that son of a bitch Sun Qi let us through, let alone rise in revolt with us,¡± observed Zhang Chong.


    ¡°But Commander, if we don¡¯t try, we¡¯ll never know, will we? If we go to Tanyang, we¡¯ll surely end up being besieged by Dai Cheng¡¯s army, even if we somehow manage to take the city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Commander. Let¡¯s just retreat!¡±


    Zhang Chong clenched his teeth. ¡°Who said I want to take Tanyang? We can go through the east city gate and take the main road leading to the east. Our destination is in the east, and Tanyang will serve as a buffer zone and buy us some time.¡±


    ¡°The east?¡±


    ¡°From the vantage point of the present, our only choice is to retreat to the east. Japanese and pirates have been making trouble all along this year. The South-eastern Navy has been occupied dealing with them and won¡¯t be able to spare any men to stop us. We should take this opportunity and retreat to the Donghai Sea. With our power, it won¡¯t be difficult for us to take an island to be our foothold. We can accumulate our strength there and some day, we¡¯ll make a comeback.¡±


    ¡°You are so visionary, Commander!¡± Wang He rejoiced. ¡°That¡¯s true. We can take an island. Under no circumstances will the South-eastern Navy be able to spare any troops to deal with us. This is exactly what we need to start anew!¡±


    ¡°Then what about Tanyang?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the city,¡± said Zhang Chong in a sinister and ferocious tone. ¡°I¡¯ll capture Yuwen Tong and he¡¯ll beg for death when I torture him!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    All soldiers in the encampment were woken up by the alarm bell, unaware of what was going on, at a loss what to do.


    The bodyguard disguised as a member of heavily armored infantry was instantly on alert. ¡°It¡¯s happening.¡±


    Outside the Prefecture Encampment, another bodyguard, who had been keeping a close watch on the Prefecture Encampment, saw what was happening inside and immediately sent a message back to the city in the knowledge that Zhang Chong had been informed and was going to take action.


    ¡°Judging from what they are doing, the Marshal¡¯s prediction has actually been confirmed. They¡¯re going to Tanyang first,¡± observed a bodyguard staking out the encampment.


    ¡°Retreating to the east is their only option now, which Zhang Chong will undoubtedly take, as long as he¡¯s not a fool,¡± said a man standing beside him.


    ¡°Humph. Fortunately the Marshal anticipated this and took precautions.¡±


    Two hours later, headed by their commander, Zhang Chong, all soldiers of the Prefecture Guards marched towards Tanyang.


    At the same time, a signal flare was seen sent up into the sky in Qi County, the bright color of which struck alarm into the hearts of many residents.


    ¡°It¡¯s Yao Yi. They got out!¡± chorused the bodyguards in delight.


    But Zhang Chong and his men, who also saw the signal flare, were not in a mood as good.


    ¡°Commander, that¡¯s a signal flare. Does it mean that Dai Cheng has already made it out of the Grand Mang Mountain?¡± Bai Jun¡¯s face paled visibly with fright.


    ¡°There¡¯s a long distance between Qi County and Tanyang. We¡¯ll definitely get to Tanyang before them. As long as we hurry there and enter the city, Dai Cheng¡¯s army will be shut out,¡± commented Wang He.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s face fell even more sullen. ¡°Speed up. We must get to Tanyang as soon as possible!¡±


    At this moment, all of them were burning with anxiety, wishing only if they grew wings and flew to Tanyang, but none of them seemed to still remember that though Dai Cheng¡¯s army had not reached Tanyang yet, the Supreme Commander of the armed forces of the Great Yue was in there!


    Maybe it was not that they had forgotten this but that they believed Yuwen Tong was no threat, because he didn¡¯t have any troops stationed in this area. What they were unaware of was that Yuwen Tong was still able to bring Zhang Chong down, even though currently he had no troops at his disposal.


    Distantly, people on the Southern Gate Tower of Tanyang saw countless lighted torches heading their way. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡±


    ¡°Zhang Chong is really staging a rebellion!¡± exclaimed Tao Feng, who was standing on the gate tower, angry and somewhat alarmed.


    The Prefecture Guards had so many troops. They were vastly outnumbered. Would the city gate hold?


    ¡°Childe Ling, why is the Marshal still absent? Will we be able to defend the city gate against their attack?¡± Tao Feng couldn¡¯t help but look at Ling Zhang who was standing beside him.


    In fact, Yuwen Tong was hiding right behind them on the rooftop of the gate tower. It was just that Tao Feng and others were unable to spot him.


    ¡°We will, as long as Lord Tao does as what I just told you,¡± replied Ling Zhang, looking collected.


    Tao Feng saw the calm on Ling Zhang¡¯s face and cooled down somewhat. Recalling the plan that Ling Zhang had just told him, he regained some of his composure.


    Actually Ling Zhang¡¯s calm was only pretence. His palms were wet with sweat.


    Those lighted torches were as thick as huckleberries and almost lit the sky in the south. The troops number of the Prefecture Guards was huge. Though having faith in Yuwen Tong, he was still worried that they might not be able to hold the city gate for over an hour.


    If they failed to defend against the attack, residents in the city as well as themselves would be in grave danger.


    Zhang Chong and his men were now rebels. No matter they were to flee or fight, they would need money, which meant they would surely rob and even kill Tanyang residents if they entered the city.


    ¡°Rest assured, we can hold them back for much longer than an hour.¡± Suddenly Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice was heard.


    Thinking that Yuwen Tong jumped off the rooftop, Ling Zhang hurriedly twisted his head around but there was nobody behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m still up here. Stop looking around lest Tao Feng notice,¡± said Yuwen Tong. His voice was very soft yet could be heard distinctly.


    Ling Zhang hastily turned his head back facing the front. He stole a glance at Tao Feng and, unsurprisingly, found that he indeed didn¡¯t hear Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice. Unaware of what kind of kung fu this was, Ling Zhang wondered in amazement. Since he didn¡¯t have any skills of this kind and was incapable of talking to Yuwen Tong without being heard by Tao Feng, he had no choice but kept silent.


    ¡°Yao Yi and Dai Cheng are quicker than we have expected. They¡¯ll arrive in less than an hour. Zhang Chong is anxious to get out of Tanyang, so he will definitely stamp on the trap, which would delay them for half an hour or so, and when they arrive at the city gate and launch an attack, it will be too late for them. But that will also be a real tough battle, and all we have to do is hold the gate until reinforcements come,¡± Yuwen Tong informed him.


    Ling Zhang grunted ¡°Um¡± in an extremely soft voice. They had talked about this some time ago. Yuwen Tong repeated it only to rid Ling Zhang of worry.


    Those torches were moving continuously, heading straight for Tanyang. Surprisingly, as they got closer and closer, Ling Zhang gradually calmed down, and his palms stopped sweating as well.


    ¡°Lord Tao, they¡¯ll be here soon. Please leave the gate tower lest you get hurt by any stray arrows after the attack starts.¡±


    Naturally, Tao Feng himself also wanted to leave. He was not as composed as Ling Zhang. Till this moment, he had still been worried that those traps might not work, but he was also aware that he couldn¡¯t leave. Through gritted teeth, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. As the governor of Tanyang, I¡¯m obliged to rise and fall with this city.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    There was nothing wrong in Tao Feng¡¯s remarks, but hearing his words in these circumstances, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help wondering, ¡®Why am I feeling this is inauspicious?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s chuckle was heard. ¡°Tao Feng¡¯s legs are trembling.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence again. Unnoticeably, he stole a glance at Tao Feng¡¯s legs and, as expected, did see some movements, presumably trembles.

 Chapter 128 - Traps and Negotiations for Surrender

    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t say anything in the knowledge that Tao Feng would undoubtedly take great offence if he laid this bare at this, given the circumstances.


    No matter what, Tao Feng buckled at the knees but still decided to stay, which definitely made him deserve some credit.


    ¡°Enemies approach!¡± A soldier on guard yelled in a nervous voice, which brought all people¡¯s attention onto the south.


    Countless lighted torches as thick as huckleberries were getting closer and closer. Before long, people on the city wall felt that the wall was quaking. Hordes of troops and horses were charging towards Tanyang.


    Tao Feng raised his hand, wiped the sweat off his forehead and, surprisingly, observed, ¡°Fortunately, Zhang Chong withdrew his guards stationed in the city that day. Otherwise we would have had to face enemies from both inside and outside. Can you imagine how doomed we would have been if that¡¯s the case?¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t it worry him that this kind of words might undermine the morale of our soldiers?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Lord Tao, stay cool.¡±


    Tao Feng gave an embarrassed smile, adjusted his clothes and put on a sulky face, which not only concealed his nervousness but also made him seem fairly dignified.


    In the distance, large numbers of warhorses were closing in to the quake of the ground. The concentrated clatter of horses¡¯ hoofs threw people into deepening tension, as if those horses were stamping on their hearts. The daunting momentum of the powerful army was also sending waves of fear over them.


    Ling Zhang involuntarily clenched his fists again. When actually faced by this advancing army, he still felt some pressure.


    Apart from the sounds of horses¡¯ hoofs, there were also footsteps of infantry following in the wake of the cavalry. Sharp blades in their hands were reflecting torchlight, looking wicked.


    All people at the city gate swallowed hard in nervousness, tightening their grip on their weapons.


    They were all staring at the army closing in on them, their eyes fixed on the same spot.


    They laid some traps there the night before. Apart from traps, there were also rows of sharpened tall stakes in front of the city gate.


    Ling Zhang also couldn¡¯t help gazing at that place. Those traps were simple and ingenious, which had been laid under Yuwen Tong¡¯s instructions. Soon they would find out whether these traps were effective or not.


    As if time had slowed down, all people had their hearts in their mouths, and they were even holding their breath involuntarily.


    Meanwhile, soldiers of the Prefecture Guards had also caught sight of the southern city gate where there were lanterns ablaze everywhere. Four deputy commanders clenched their teeth and cursed in their mind.


    ¡°Commander, Tao Feng is there, along with that Ling Zhang of Ling family!¡±


    ¡°Sons of bitches. It seems that they have been in collusion all along!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see Yuwen Tong.¡±


    Miraculously, the last remark sent others into silence. Everybody was secretly delighted.


    None of them put it into words, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s very existence was a great threat. They were aware that currently Yuwen Tong had no troops at his disposal, but however hard they tried to pretend to be indifferent, deep down there, they knew exactly how they actually felt. They were afraid ¡ª afraid to frontally engage Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°He must be hiding. Yuwen Tong is merely a man with unearned reputation,¡± someone stated his opinion first.


    After this person took the lead, others immediately followed suit.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It turns out that we¡¯ve been overestimating Yuwen Tong all the time.¡±


    ¡°What a shame. I thought that I would get to fight Yuwen Tong in open battle this time. This is so disappointing.¡±


    Every deputy commander made a remark, but Zhang Chong kept silent. He just stared fixedly at the gate tower, eyes glinting with rage, killing intent and deep vigilance.


    Seeing that Zhang Chong remained silent, the other four shut up.


    They themselves were the only ones who knew whether they meant the words they just said or not.


    ¡°Commander, they are so bold as to wait for us on the gate tower. Is this by any chance a trap?¡± Bai Jun couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°Stop acting like a paranoid. In Tanyang, except for gate guards, those Yamen runners with average kung fu are the only ones who can fight. No matter how good at fighting they are, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are vastly outnumbered,¡± observed Wang He after flicking an admonitory glance at him.


    ¡®This guy¡¯s such an idiot. What good could it possibly do to say this under the circumstances? It would only undermine the morale of our troops. No matter it is a trap or not, charging forward and is our only option!¡¯ thought Wang He.


    That admonitory glance Wang He gave him brought him into the realization that he should never have said that, so he hurriedly shut up.


    They were closing in on the city gate, but surprisingly, people on the gate tower took no action. They just kept staring at them, which made others involuntarily fall suspicious.


    ¡®Is this by any chance really a trap?¡¯ they wondered.


    But they knew very well how many troops the garrison of Tanyang had. ¡®What could they possibly do?¡¯


    Zhang Chong also squinted his eyes. He stared at Tao Feng and Ling Zhang on the gate tower for a while, and then his eyes swept through others. ¡°Keep your fucking eyes peeled!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Sensing that the enemies were slowing down, people on the gate tower had their hearts in their mouths. ¡®Did they find out?¡¯


    Ling Zhang was also worried, but he kept his worry to himself.


    Yuwen Tong, who had been on the rooftop observing the enemies, sneered. It surprised him that Zhang Chong was pretty cautious.


    Unfortunately for him, he was cautious about the wrong thing. He fixed his eyes on the gate tower but failed to notice the trap beneath his feet.


    The army was getting closer and closer.


    Ling Zhang clenched his fists.


    All of a sudden.


    An alarmed neigh was heard.


    The first horse suddenly knelt down to the ground, followed by the second one, the third, the fourth¡­ In the blink of an eye, a great many horses were downed. Almost all horses of vanguards fell victim to the traps. With their horses down, the soldiers on horseback also fell over. Anguished screeches were heard constantly.


    The moment these soldiers fell to the ground, their bodies were penetrated by something sharp. Great pain shot through their whole bodies and blood splashed all over the ground. The smell of blood instantly started spreading.


    Though they had slowed down somewhat, their speed was still very fast. After the first row of cavalrymen were brought down to the ground, the second row, caught off guard, were also downed. It was not until the first three rows of cavalrymen were tripped consecutively that others managed to rein their horses in and halted.


    ¡°Traps! Watch out!¡± Bai Jun, who was among the vanguard and also nearly fell over, hurriedly raised the flag in his hand and let out a yell in fear.


    ¡°What are those things?!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. It¡¯s too dark!¡±


    The army instantly stopped advancing. Zhang Chong¡¯s face immediately went ferocious and twisted. ¡°Dismount and check!¡±


    Torches in hands, Bai Jun and some of his men hurriedly got off their horses, walked forward and started rooting round the thick grass, trying to find out exactly what it was that had cost them so many men before the battle began.


    At the same time, Zhang Chong darted a piercing, murderous look at the southern city gate. Yuwen Tong was still nowhere to be seen, which filled Zhang Chong with rage. These traps were so well hidden that he could tell with half an eye that it was the work of highly experienced people. He couldn¡¯t think of any people in Tanyang other than Yuwen Tong who was capable of doing this, but on an occasion like this, Yuwen Tong was absent, which Zhang Chong felt was an act done out of sheer scorn!


    The more Zhang Chong thought about it, the angrier he went. He had the almost overwhelming desire to seize Yuwen Tong immediately and cut him to pieces.


    While Zhang Chong was consumed with fury, Ling Zhang standing on the gate tower was greatly relieved. ¡®It worked!¡¯


    Others were also very excitement. Though nobody was moving or talking, they could distinctly sense the delight in each other.


    Tao Feng, in particular, rejoiced and his legs stopped trembling.


    ¡°Those traps worked. They are stopped as planned!¡± exclaimed Tao Feng in delight.


    ¡°Your Lordship, it won¡¯t be long before they find those traps and remove them. We cannot let our guard down,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Tao Feng replied, ¡°I know.¡±


    But the longer they held back the Prefecture Guards, the more time they would get to wait for the arrival of reinforcements.


    As a result, Tao Feng secretly prayed that the enemies wouldn¡¯t find those traps too soon.


    Unfortunately, Zhang Chong¡¯s men soon found out what had stopped their horses.


    ¡°I found them!¡± someone yelled.


    Those were some weird nails sticking in the ground beneath thick grass. These nails had extremely pointed heads below which there were sharp barbs. Once horses stamped on them or people lay on them, the nails would penetrate horses¡¯ hoofs or people¡¯s bodies. If they pulled the nails out, the barbs would aggravate their wounds and speed up the bleeding.


    Soldiers of the Prefecture Guards hurt different parts of their bodies when they fell down and hit those nails. Though they wouldn¡¯t die, their wounds caused by those seemingly inconspicuous nails were rather serious. What they found more frightening was that these nails were everywhere. Removing them would take some doing, and they must be removed if the army was to advance.


    ¡°Zhang Chong, if you submit yourself to arrest, I¡¯ll send a memorial to the throne to intercede with His Majesty, and maybe you¡¯ll be spared!¡± While the Prefecture Guards were stopped, Tao Feng took advantage of this opportunity and let out a yell, trying to convince Zhang Chong to surrender.


    ¡°Rebellion is a felony punishable by deaths of all your family and relatives. Even the ones you serve have been imprisoned. For whom are you risking your life and limb doing this? Have you no concern for your wife, your children and your parents? If you don¡¯t care for your own family, at least think about those at your command. Originally, they represented the just cause of defending this city, but now, because of your ulterior motive and wild ambition, they have ended up becoming traitorous rebels. You reduced them to inhumanity and injustice and also incriminated their family. Have you the faintest consideration for them?!¡±


    Tao Feng¡¯s voice was carried far away beyond the southern city gate by the night wind and heard by many soldiers of the Prefecture Guards. They silently looked at each other, manifest doubts and hesitation gleaming in their eyes.


    ¡°All those serving in the Prefecture Guards, are you really going to forsake your family? Are you really going to convert from honorable soldiers of the Prefecture Guards to rebels cast aside by all?!¡± Ling Zhang also yelled.


    Since his meridians had been expanded with Yuwen Tong¡¯s help, and he had also accumulated a small amount of internal energy in his Dantian, his voice was far more sonorous and traveled much further than that of Tao Feng. More than half of the soldiers of the Prefecture Guards heard him.


    ¡°Most of you are locals in Tanyang. Think about your parents, your wives, your children and your siblings. How can you bear to let them be executed because of your doings?!¡±


    After hearing these remarks, more soldiers of the Prefecture Guards found themselves on the verge of deserting, their movements showing their dither.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s eyes squinted and swept through his men. Then he said in a cold tone of voice, ¡°Anybody who dares to take a single step backward will immediately die at my hand! Those who remain loyal to me shall be rewarded with glory, splendor, wealth and rank more than you can imagine! You¡¯ll have as many wives and children as you wish!¡±


    A lot of soldiers who were in fear regained their determination after hearing Zhang Chong¡¯s words.


    ¡°You really think Zhang Chong is capable of giving you what he just promised you? From this day on, he will be a traitorous rebel wanted by the whole country. Even he flees to the remotest corner of the world, he will still be hunted down. Never will he be able to find a single moment¡¯s peace of mind. You are just pawns that he needs to defend himself against pursuers. Do you really believe Zhang Chong¡¯s selfish ambition is worth dying for?!¡±

 Chapter 129 - Siege, Engagement and Hunt (1)

    Nobody wanted a fugitive life. The original reason why they had chosen to follow Zhang Chong had been that Zhang Chong had promised them good career prospects, but now the bubble had burst, and they had ended up being reduced to rebels before they could achieve anything. As a result, many people wavered in their allegiance.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang immediately winked at Tao Feng, who hurriedly yelled, ¡°As long as you put down your weapons, all your past misdeeds will be forgiven. I¡¯ll petition His Majesty, who will grant you permission to be demobilized and return home!¡±


    ¡®Demobilize us and let us go home? Really?¡¯ many soldiers wondered.


    ¡°I swear with my post that I will let each and every one of you go back home safe and sound!¡± added Tao Feng.


    ¡®We¡¯ll be allowed to go home?¡¯ A soldier who had wavered released his grip on his weapon, which dropped to the ground with a clang. Soon a second one followed suit, and then the third, the fourth¡­ Almost one third of the Prefecture Guards dropped their weapons.


    ¡°You are courting death. Kill them!¡± Zhang Chong thundered.


    Some soldiers dithered, having no intention to aim their weapons at their companions, but some others, without misgivings, drew their weapons at their army comrades who had dropped weapons to the ground¡­


    ¡°Zhang Chong! All of them are soldiers who used to fight for you. You cold-blooded son of a bitch! Do you really have to kill them?!¡± Tao Feng yelled anxiously.


    Ling Zhang clenched his fists, overwhelming fury surging inside him. ¡®Zhang Chong is worse than a beast!¡¯


    The face of Yuwen Tong, who was hiding in the dark, also fell cold. There was sheer iciness in his eyes which were staring at Zhang Chong.


    Dai Cheng¡¯s army was still nowhere to be seen, and the traps outside the city didn¡¯t kill anybody. However, at least a sixth of the soldiers died at the hands of their companions, which was a horrifyingly gory sight.


    Even the four deputy commanders were scared, watching the bodies of slaughtered soldiers, fright in the depths of their eyes.


    Others who had wavered didn¡¯t dare to think about surrender again. Some hurriedly picked up their weapons and dared not drop them again.


    ¡°Throw those bodies onto the nails,¡± instructed Zhang Chong.


    What?!


    ¡°Zhang Chong! The deceased deserve respect. You would stoop so low as to torture their bodies?!¡± reprimanded Ling Zhang, fists clenched.


    ¡°You fucking animal!¡± Tao Feng jumped with rage and cursed aloud.


    The atrocious acts of brutality were carried out under Zhang Chong¡¯s command. After those traps were filled with bodies, the Prefecture Guards charged towards the city gate again.


    This time, nobody on the gate tower felt any fear. Rage bubbled just below the surface of everybody¡¯s mind, and they felt an almost overwhelming urge to kill Zhang Chong immediately!


    ¡°Everybody hold your ground. Defend the city gate, whatever the cost. Reinforcements are coming soon. We must stop Zhang Chong from entering the city. Otherwise all residents will be slaughtered!¡± Tao Feng yelled.


    ¡°Yes!¡± All people answered in unison.


    Archers stayed on the gate tower, while others went down to the gate.


    Zhang Chong¡¯s army reached the city gate and launched an attack.


    The fierce attack put all defending troops under pressure. Archers on the gate tower only managed to fire one volley of arrows before being forced to draw back and take shelter by more concentrated salvo of the enemies.


    The city gate was being impacted again and again. In order to hold the gate, all defending soldiers were pushing it sparing no strength.


    Yuwen Tong hiding on the rooftop squinted his eyes, put on a black mask, leaped off the rooftop, walked through the crowd of defending troops and pressed his palm against the city gate. With a loud bang, the city gate abruptly closed tightly and the impacts of the enemy¡¯s battering ram couldn¡¯t even budge it.


    ¡°I got this. Go up to the gate tower, all of you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Except for Ling Zhang, nobody knew the identity of this masked man who had suddenly shown up. All defending soldiers were shocked to see that he was powerful enough to defend the city gate against so many enemies all by himself.


    Ling Zhang caught his breath, twisted his head around and instructed the soldiers, ¡°Go up to the gate tower!¡±


    The soldiers collected themselves. ¡°Ar¨CAre you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I got this. Just go up to the gate tower. Hang on for a while longer and reinforcements will arrive,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Seeing that he was really capable of single-handed holding the city gate still, the soldiers hurried to the gate tower after merely a fleeting dither.


    Ling Zhang intended to go with them but Yuwen Tong grabbed his arm with the other hand. ¡°You stay here.¡±


    After a brief trance of surprise, he came to understand that Yuwen Tong was doing this out of his concern for him, so he said, ¡°No, I want to help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Yuwen Tong stared at him.


    ¡°I know, but go I must,¡± Ling Zhang replied, then removed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, turned around and ran away.


    Yuwen Tong knitted his eyebrows, whistled and with that someone immediately hurried over. ¡°Marshal!¡±


    ¡°Go and protect him. Don¡¯t let any harm come to him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    When Ling Zhang climbed up the gate tower, a soldier of the Prefecture Guards had also reached the edge through a ladder. He immediately hurled over, conveniently wielded a long staff and hit the soldier off. The fist technique that he had been practicing these days had an extra advantage ¡ª though a staff technique was different from a fist technique, they shared the way of employing strength. Added to this his physique that was far stronger than before and he easily hit four enemies off the the gate tower in a row.


    He joined forces with a defending soldier and pushed the ladder down to the ground. Then he spared a moment glancing in the direction of Qi County, eyebrows knitted tightly together. Without reinforcements, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the gate tower much longer. Though they had Yuwen Tong, he was but one man, who was single-handedly performing the task of defending the city gate¡­


    Right at this moment, a signal flare was sent up into the sky from somewhere not far away, the light of which brightened the night sky. Meanwhile, waves of loud yelling were emanating from that very spot!


    Ling Zhang rejoiced. ¡°Reinforcements. Reinforcements arrived! Hold your ground!¡±


    Everybody saw the signal flare. Spirits of exhausted, wounded defending soldiers rose up. Finally, they managed to hold back the enemy until the arrival of reinforcements!


    With a sepulchral expression on his face, Zhang Chong watched the approaching enemy¡¯s reinforcements and yelled, ¡°Wang He, I want you and your men to keep attacking the city. All others turn around and hold back enemies from the rear!¡±


    However, with his troops being forced to multitask, it became even more difficult for Zhang Chong to take the city.


    The troops number of the newly arrived reinforcements was no smaller than that of the Prefecture Guards!


    The battle lasted until daybreak. Countless soldiers of the Prefecture Guards were killed or wounded, and a lot more surrendered. Not seeing any hope of taking the city, Zhang Chong fled to the east, followed by his two surviving deputy commanders, Wang He and Dou Li, as well as some personal guards.


    The road leading to the east was bad, and Zhang Chong would have to cut his way through an area covered with thorny bush if he was to get to the main road. He had chosen to flee in that direction because he had run out of choice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± Dai Cheng and his men pursued Zhang Chong.


    Ling Zhang had been fighting all night, and his hands were trembling hard uncontrollably. If it weren¡¯t for his strong will power, he would have collapsed some time ago.


    The Prefecture Guards had been defeated and Zhang Chong was on the run. In no state to pursue the enemies, Ling Zhang leaned against the city wall and slowly slid down to the ground, his lips and tongue feeling dry, too exhausted to utter a single word.


    Since it was inconvenient for Yuwen Tong to be seen at the city gate, he had left after Dai Cheng¡¯s troops entered the city, leaving a bodyguard tending Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Childe Ling, let me see you back home to get some rest.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, struggled to his feet and looked in the direction that Zhang Chong had fled. ¡°I¡¯m staying here waiting for news to come.¡±


    Zhang Chong must die. Otherwise he would never find peace of mind.


    ¡°Rest assured, Childe Ling. Apart from Dai Cheng, the Marshal also took some men to pursue Zhang Chong. I assure you Zhang Chong will die by the Marshal¡¯s saber.¡±


    Ling Zhang was taken aback. ¡°What if Dai Cheng finds out? It will give the emperor an excuse to punish him!¡±


    ¡°Marshal won¡¯t let that happen,¡± said the bodyguard.


    But Ling Zhang had already stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to find him.¡±


    ¡°Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll spare me from worry if I go there and be by his side. Ca¨CCan you help me get there?¡±


    The bodyguard thought for a while and then nodded. ¡°Okay, but if you by any chance don¡¯t feel well on our way there, you must tell me.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head. The bodyguard carried him on his shoulders, took a flying leap towards the outside of the city wall, tapped his feet on it to take another leap, and so on, heading away from the city gate.

 Chapter 130 - Siege, Engagement and Hunt (2)

    The place that Zhang Chong had fled to was an upland covered with thorny bush. For some reason, the whole area was full of thick thorns and thistles ridden with barbs extremely prone to hurt people, making it almost impossible to get through.


    Driven by an overwhelming desire to survive, Zhang Chong steeled himself and ordered his men to cut through the thorny bush. At the cost of dozens of soldiers¡¯ lives, they made it through the area and fled into woods.


    The main road leading to the east was right on the other side of the hill. Once he got over it, it would be rather difficult to catch him. As a result, Dai Cheng was hotly pursuing him sparing no effort, and there had been several occasions when he was within an inch of intercepting Zhang Chong successfully.


    ¡°Should we lend Dai Cheng a helping hand, Marshal?¡± asked one of the men covertly following Dai Cheng.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Dai Cheng could be counted as an experienced commander. We shall stand by unless he really fails to catch Zhang Chong.¡±


    However, Yuwen Tong, who regarded Dai Cheng as an experienced commander, ended up being disappointed. Despite the fact that Dai Cheng was within an inch of catching Zhang Chong for several times, he still failed to stop Zhang Chong from getting out of the woods. What was more embarrassing was that Dai Cheng himself was trapped in the woods by Zhang Chong who managed to advantage himself by making full use of the terrain!


    The corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What a bunch of good-for-nothings.¡±


    His bodyguards didn¡¯t dare to utter a word.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± ordered Yuwen Tong. He ignored Dai Cheng and his men who were trapped, led his bodyguards out of the woods and successfully intercepted Zhang Chong who had already reached the main road.


    At this time, apart from his two surviving deputy commanders, Wang He and Dou Li, Zhang Chong had only a dozen personal guards by his side.


    As the interceptors popped out of nowhere and blocked their path, faces of Zhang Chong and his men changed drastically with alarm. ¡°Who are you!¡±


    Since Yuwen Tong was in inconspicuous clothes and also wearing a mask, Zhang Chong and his men didn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°People who are going to kill you.¡± Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at a bodyguard beside him, who then answered Zhang Chong¡¯s question.


    Right at this moment, Ling Zhang, carried by another bodyguard, also arrived. Seeing the two sides confronting each other in the front, he didn¡¯t precipitously run over. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    The bodyguard put him down.


    Ling Zhang looked around and noticed the absence of Dai Cheng, which brought him into the realization that Dai Cheng must have been lost by the targets.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any feuds between us. Why do you want to kill me?¡± said Zhang Chong flintily.


    ¡°You¡¯re a rebel. Do I need a reason to kill you?¡± replied the bodyguard standing beside Yuwen Tong, and with that, in a cold voice, he instructed the others, ¡°Finish them!¡±


    Immediately, all bodyguards launched their attack.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards were all highly experienced kung fu experts with numerous confirmed kills. And their combat capability was far greater than that of common soldiers. Soon, Zhang Chong and his two deputy commanders were the only ones still alive.


    ¡°I surrender. Please spare me.¡± Unexpectedly, Wang He dropped his weapon and capitulated.


    Zhang Chong, went angry. In his disgust for those who betrayed him or surrendered to the enemy, he tried to take Wang He¡¯s life.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards stopped him. ¡°Zhang Chong, surrender yourself or die.¡±


    ¡°Just kill me if you can! In no circumstances will I surrender!¡±  Zhang Chong brandished his weapon and charged forward.


    Dou Li knitted his eyebrows. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t capitulate but followed Zhang Chong launching an attack.


    ¡°Since they are impenetrably thickheaded, kill them,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong in a low voice.


    ¡®This voice sounds familiar.¡¯ Zhang Chong became suspicious and, surprisingly, managed to fight his way up to Yuwen Tong with sheer brute strength.


    Since Zhang Chong had come at him, Yuwen Tong naturally wouldn¡¯t choose to draw back. The two of them started fighting.


    Seeing this, all bodyguards took a few steps backward, making room for them.


    Far from a match for Yuwen Tong, Zhang Chong was soon reduced to the losing side, but he still refused to give up. Naturally, Zhang Chong¡¯s efforts couldn¡¯t cause Yuwen Tong any restrictions, and neither did Yuwen Tong show him any mercy.


    All of a sudden, with some kind of weird move, Zhang Chong managed to grab Yuwen Tong¡¯s mask and tore it off.


    ¡°I knew it¡¯s you! Yuwen Tong!¡± Zhang Chong yelled in rage.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes went cold and with that he decisively took Zhang Chong¡¯s life with one blow.


    The deadly blow was caused by a sword that had gone through Zhang Chong¡¯s chest. In the last few moments of his life, he was still glaring at Yuwen Tong in fury. ¡°It was you¡­ You did all this.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flintily watched him, making no response. Zhang Chong glared fixedly at Yuwen Tong. Eventually, he fell to the ground with a thud and breathed his last.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang standing in the distance abruptly exhaled deeply. He felt that something that had been restraining him suddenly loosened.


    Zhang Chong died and he finally got his revenge.


    Dou Li also didn¡¯t last long. He was killed by the bodyguards and fell down to the ground.


    Wang He, who had surrendered, was the only one left.


    ¡°Marshal, please don¡¯t kill me. I surrender. I can testify to all Zhang Chong¡¯s doings!¡± offered Wang He immediately.


    Yuwen Tong briefly knitted his eyebrows. This kind of man disgusted him.


    ¡°Take him back,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Second Master.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, Dai Cheng is coming. Please leave here first.¡±


    A sudden commotion came from afar.


    A bodyguard heard the noises and hurriedly informed Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong nodded, took a flying leap and left.


    Ling Zhang patted the shoulder of the bodyguard who had carried him to the scene. ¡°Let¡¯s go out there.¡±


    Carrying Ling Zhang, the bodyguard gave a bob of the head, leaped off the slope and landed on the main road.


    ¡°Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°What did you come here for, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a glance at the bodies on the ground and replied, ¡°Two of you may stay. Others should leave lest any suspicions be aroused in Dai Cheng when he sees this.¡±


    ¡°Ur¡­ All right.¡± The bodyguards nodded. One of them stayed, along with the one who had carried Ling Zhang to this spot.


    Instead of checking the bodies of Zhang Chong and Dou Li, Ling Zhang gazed at Wang He, the look in his eyes somewhat weird, which made it hard for others to tell what he was thinking about.


    ¡°Childe Ling?¡± The two bodyguards were rather puzzled.


    ¡°Will it cause Yuwen Tong any trouble if this guy tell others he saw Yuwen Tong?¡±


    This question sent one of the bodyguards into a brief trance. He pondered over it for a while and responded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think the Marshal can handle it.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s still a risk,¡± Ling Zhang frowned. ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Wang He rounded his eyes. ¡°No. Ling Zhang, you can¡¯t kill me!


    I won¡¯t do that. I won¡¯t disclose anything!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± replied Ling Zhang flintily.


    The two bodyguards thought for a while and believed that Ling Zhang had got a point. ¡°Then let¡¯s get this over with. Dai Cheng will soon arrive.¡±


    In the knowledge that they were really going to kill him, Wang He immediately rose to his feet and attempted to flee, but he had only ran two steps away when a sword was run through his heart.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he breathed his last and fell down to the ground.


    Ling Zhang withdrew his sword, tossed it to the side of the body on the ground, then flicked a glance in the direction where sounds of people running were emanating from and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Both of the two bodyguards were fleetingly taken aback by the decisive action of Ling Zhang. Then they exchanged glances, nodded and left, one of them carrying Ling Zhang on his shoulders.


    Almost as soon as they left, Dai Cheng and his men arrived and were greeted by the three corpses on the ground.


    ¡°They died?¡±


    ¡°Who killed them?¡±


    With a serious expression on his face, Dai Cheng kept silent for a while before ordering, ¡°Take these bodies back. Remember, it¡¯s us who killed them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Second Master.¡±

 Chapter 131 - Closure in the Wake of Obtained Revenge

    Yuwen Tong returned to the residence of Ling family, but Ling Zhang was nowhere to be seen, which sent him confused, since he had assigned a bodyguard to tend Ling Zhang, and both of them should have come back by this time.


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling also joined the hunt for Zhang Chong. He got there almost as soon as you left,¡± said a bodyguard who had returned shortly after Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Then where is he? Why am I not seeing him?¡± Zhang Chong was already dead. Why kept him from coming back?


    ¡°Here he is,¡± replied a bodyguard.


    Yuwen Tong turned around and saw a bodyguard, who was carrying Ling Zhang, land in the courtyard.


    With a slight frown on his face, Yuwen Tong walked over and helped him get off the back of the bodyguard. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just need some time to regain my strength, which was why I had this bro carry me,¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Go inside and get some rest. Dai Cheng is in charge of the matter of Tanyang now. Let¡¯s leave it to him.¡± Yuwen Tong supported Ling Zhang with his hand.


    ¡°I killed Wang He.¡±


    Yuwen Tong cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at him.


    ¡°He saw your face and is definitely going to tell Dai Cheng about it. If Dai Cheng reports this to the emperor, you will be condemned as defying an imperial edict and the emperor will no doubt use it against you.¡±


    ¡°He may testify about Zhang Chong¡¯s crimes.¡±


    ¡°You think we need a witness to testify that Zhang Chong was a rebel?¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his brows and, heedless of the presence of bodyguards, scooped up Ling Zhang and strode towards the room.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? People are watching!¡± Ling Zhang patted him.


    Before Yuwen Tong could say anything, those bodyguards quickly turned around and chorused, ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    A pink flush spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks and ears with embarrassment. ¡®This is ridiculous¡­ They are lying through their teeth.¡¯


    ¡°I have to go to my uncle¡¯s place and put in an appearance. He must have been very worried about me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and tell him you¡¯ve come back.¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    ¡°Trust me. I got this. What you need to do now is get some sleep. You¡¯ll be informed of all other things after you wake up.¡±


    ¡®Then see me back to my own place. Why are you carrying me into your bedroom?!¡¯ Ling Zhang complained in his mind. However, maybe because he was really too exhausted and also had no intention of arguing with Yuwen Tong, he almost drifted into sleep before being put down on to the bed.


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head to look at him and, with even greater caution, placed him on the bed very, very gently.


    But Ling Zhang still opened his eyes. After seeing where he was, he closed his eyes and mumbled, ¡°Two hours¡¯ sleep is all I need. Wake me up after two hours.¡±


    ¡°Just sleep,¡± Yuwen Tong coaxed him in a low voice.


    This voice was so hypnotic that Ling Zhang fell asleep almost immediately after hearing it.


    It was after dark that he woke up from hunger. He opened his eyes and was still a little sleepy and unclear-minded, but the unfamiliar furnishings instantly sent him fully awake. It was already night and there was no lighted lamp in the room. A lantern overhanging the corridor was shining soft light through the window.


    His coat had been removed and placed on a teapoy beside the bed. He was covered with Yuwen Tong¡¯s quilt, which was giving off that faint fragrance of Yuwen Tong, making him feel that his whole body was enwrapped in this scent.


    Memories of occurrences of this morning instantly came back to him. He recalled being carried into this room by Yuwen Tong, but what had happened next was just a blur, since he had fallen asleep shortly after that due to overwhelming sleepiness.


    He wondered what the current situation was like outside.


    Hastily, he got out of bed and dressed. The clean clothes with a refreshing smell brought him into another fleeting pause. ¡®Yuwen Tong prepared these clean clothes for me.¡¯


    Since these clothes had been in this room for some time, they also had that faint fragrance on them. After putting them on, Ling Zhang felt as if he were still in Yuwen Tong¡¯s bed, which made him very uneasy. He kept having this feeling that something was not right.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As if on cue, Yuwen Tong walked into the room and saw that Ling Zhang was sniffing at his clothes with his head down and a faint flush on his cheeks.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly lowered his arm. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡®He thinks this reaction of his suggests nothing?¡¯ Yuwen Tong walked up to Ling Zhang, craned closer to him and took a sniff. ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything weird. I took these clothes here from your bedroom last night. They should be all right.¡±


    Of course the clothes were okay. It was something else that wasn¡¯t. But Ling Zhang felt that it would be a little strange if he specially brought this to Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong straightened himself. ¡°Are you hungry? Dinner is ready.¡±


    Hunger had happened to be the very reason why he had woken up. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked to the dinning room. As expected, there was food on the table. It seemed that the dinner had just been served.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner either?¡± Ling Zhang could tell with half an eye that the food was more than one serving.


    People of Ling family were never wasteful. They always prepared the exact amount of food that could meet their needs.


    Yuwen Tong nodded, held his hand and brought him to the table to sit down. ¡°I just came back, so I thought I might as well wait a while and dine with you.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s everything going out there? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up at noon?¡± asked Ling Zhang after taking a seat.


    ¡°Because I figured you were exhausted and could use some more sleep. Dai Cheng has taken over the Prefecture Encampment. Statistical work on casualties in this battle is ongoing. Those things on the Grand Mang Mountain have been transported outside. After inventorying them, Dai Cheng will report to the emperor and ship them to the capital city, so we can still stay in Tanyang for some more time. It will take at least half a month for his memorial to the throne to reach the capital city and then be delivered back here, which means you have more than enough time to do what you have got to do in Tanyang.¡±


    ¡°What about the bodies of Zhang Chong and his deputy commanders?¡±


    ¡°Dai Cheng had them brought back. I don¡¯t know what his intention is. He only claimed that he was the one who killed them. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Will he by any chance guess that you were the one who killed them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any motives for killing Zhang Chong. He might conjecture that Zhang Chong was killed by some foes of his, but he won¡¯t be able to find out anything else.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s true. There was no known hatred between Yuwen Tong and Zhang Chong. Even if Dai Cheng has some suspicions, there¡¯s no way he can confirm them. Besides, he doesn¡¯t have any evidence.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Ling has told Tao Feng about the matter of Lu family. This afternoon, they went to the residence of Lu family. News of Lu Kui faking his death has spread through the whole Tanyang. He claimed that he faked his death because he offended Zhang Chong and was afraid of his retaliation. It is known to all residents in Tanyang that Zhang Chong was a traitorous rebel, so they all believe that Lu Kui¡¯s faking his death is justifiable, and there has been no disturbance. But it is rumored that people of Lu family are going to hire some Taoist priests to hold a ritual so as to expel bad luck from their house.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±


    Though Lu Kui was merely faking his death, it was still pretty inauspicious. People of Lu family might have trouble sleeping at night if they didn¡¯t do something to rid their house of ill luck.


    ¡°By the way, there is yet another matter,¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Jia Yin almost died in his cell.¡±


    ¡°How did he come to survive?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was not surprised by this reaction of Ling Zhang¡¯s at all. He gave a smile and replied, ¡°Because Tao Feng was afraid that you might get angry if Jia Yin died, so he sent for a physician who stopped Jia Yin from breathing his last. When the day arrives, he¡¯ll be beheaded.¡±


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. He didn¡¯t really care whether Jia Yin would die in the jailhouse or on a chopping block.


    ¡°What was it that almost killed him?¡±


    ¡°It is said that he vomited blood from fury.¡±


    ¡°What a shame his fury didn¡¯t take his life.¡±


    While taking about Jia Yin, Ling Zhang thought of Jia Zhong. Given that it had been quite a few days, Yamen runners should be on their way back escorting Jia Zhong had the hunt gone smoothly.


    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ve got Jia Zhong or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to make some inquiries,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Recently, they both had been too occupied to find the time to follow up the hunt for Jia Zhong.


    ¡°Are Guard Yao and Guard Zhang back?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. ¡°They both returned.


    I¡¯ve already had someone deliver a message to Xie Shi. I think he should receive it tomorrow. Old Master Ling and your aunt will come back in a couple of days.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Since Zhang Chong¡¯s attempt to intrude into the city had failed, Ling family was pretty safe, but he had no intention of taking even the slightest risk.


    With this burden removed, Ling Zhang felt fully at ease.


    The blood debts had finally been repaid in kind. Both of the two forces that had been running roughshod over Ling family had been eliminated, and they had rid themselves of life-threatening danger.


    After the bitterness and longing for vengeance that had been building up in him dissolved, not only he himself felt much more relaxed, outsiders also sensed that he had changed considerably. Yuwen Tong, for instance, had always felt that Ling Zhang had been like a tense string, that even when he was smiling, there was always something other than happiness in his smile, as if something had all along been stopping him from being happy. But now, with Zhang Chong dead and the Prefecture Guards brought down, Yuwen Tong could distinctly sense that something joyous and vigorous had come back to Ling Zhang, as if even his eyes had become much brighter and sparkling.


    Yuwen Tong found it hard to withdrew his gaze on Ling Zhang.


    ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± Having noticed that Yuwen Tong had been gazing at him for some time, Ling Zhang lowered his head in confusion and checked his clothes wondering if there was anything strange about him.


    ¡°You seem more attractive after having a good sleep.¡±


    It was not until after a short while that Ling Zhang came to realize that Yuwen Tong was taking liberties with him. ¡°I¡¯m a man. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a man? In my eyes, you¡¯re far more charming than any other man or woman.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡®Did he really have to be so explicit?! How am I supposed to reply to this?!¡¯ he thought angrily.


    Ling Zhang believed that Yuwen Tong must have taken leave of his senses. Otherwise he would never have deemed him, a man, more good-looking that women.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± asked Yuwen Tong. ¡°Have you ever heard of that saying?¡±


    ¡°What saying?¡±


    ¡°Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    He wished for this conversation to come to an end.


    Yuwen Tong watched him with smiling eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re better than anybody.¡±


    ¡°Enough. No more nonsense.¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly stopped him. He couldn¡¯t bear to hear any more words of this kind. ¡®Has Yuwen Tong any idea how to be euphemistic?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle. ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s change our topic. With Zhang Chong¡¯s death, necessity of eliminating those forces he had been colluding with as well as those bandits has arisen. There will be some more fights before people of Tanyang could embrace peace. Do you have any plans?¡±


    This serious matter was brought up very abruptly¡­


    Ling Zhang cleared his throat. ¡°The relationships between local forces in Tanyang are quite complicated. Many of them had deep involvement with Zhang Chong¡¯s rebellion and will be uprooted this time ¡ª He family, Zhou family, to name but two. And those county officials who colluded with Zhang Chong will also be eliminated. Too many things have to be done. I¡¯ll have to consult with my uncle first.¡±


    If Ling family was to consolidate its position in Tanyang, they had to make full use of this opportunity.


    There were so many things they could do!


    In front of him was such a golden opportunity that Ling Zhang would never forgive himself if he let it slip away.


    Seeing the determined look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got an idea?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head. ¡°It¡¯s just an idea.¡±


    After dinner, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t bear to sit there any longer, since Yuwen Tong kept staring at him with that strange look in his eyes.


    He returned to his own place, walked into his study, sat down and finally regained his composure.


    Having noticed that Ling Zhang seemed to be trying to avoiding him, Yuwen Tong itched to go after him, but Yao Yi happened to come back, so he had no choice but to meet Yao Yi first.


    ¡°In order not to alarm Zhang Chong, the emperor merely made an excuse and placed Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince under house arrest. Now that Zhang Chong had been brought to justice, they probably won¡¯t be able to regain their previous power. The brother of the wife of the six prince had also been in direct contact with Zhang Chong. All those on the Sixth Prince¡¯s side will be eliminated, which will no doubt bring some influence on the balance of power in the capital city. Marshal, all those in the capital city are aware that it was you who masterminded this operation targeting Zhang Chong. What do you think they will think about you?¡±


    ¡°Currently, what concerns them the most is simply that I might be colluding with some prince, that I¡¯ve chosen my side. I have no intention to deprive them of the fun of guessing.¡±


    ¡°May I ask if there are any particular things you plan to do after returning to the capital city? Are there any necessary arrangements that you¡¯d like me to make beforehand?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Send a message to Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi first. Tell them I¡¯ll stay in the capital city for a longer time. Instruct them to make sure that everything is all right in the Northwestern Army. This army means the world to us.¡±

 Chapter 132 - Marry Me

    ¡®Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? What¡¯s got into him¡­¡¯


    The very thought of this remark brought Ling Zhang¡¯s heart fluttering and his cheeks burning, and his composure was lost. He was a little annoyed by the fact that every time Yuwen Tong began to flirt with him, he would flee out of embarrassment, which was fairly shameful. Ling Zhang believed that he needed to bring some credit to himself, but he found it too embarrassing to flirt in the way Yuwen Tong did. ¡®I¡¯m better than that hooligan-like marshal.¡¯


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Xia Feng, who had just walked inside to deliver Ling Zhang¡¯s midnight snack, was taken aback when he saw Ling Zhang¡¯s facial expression change from timidity to a smile and then to a frown. He was worried whether there was anything wrong with his young master. ¡®Was the battle last night too much for him?¡¯


    ¡°Are you okay? Did the battle last night scare you too much? I¡¯ll go and get Physician Lin here to feel your pulse!¡± asked Xia Feng anxiously while quickly walking over carrying the midnight snack.


    On hearing the panic-stricken voice of Xia Feng, Ling Zhang was too embarrassed to keep savoring that remark of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, his heart no longer fluttering, his cheeks no longer burning. He put on a sulky face and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to send for Physician Lin.¡±


    ¡®If Physician Lin comes here at this late hour of the night only to find that he has a wasted trip, he will no doubt burst into anger no matter how good-tempered he is,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    Upon seeing that Ling Zhang had returned to normal and his expression was no longer shifting, Xia Feng gave a gasp of relief. He steadily placed a platter of midnight snack in front of Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you¡¯re okay, Young Master. Please have some midnight snack.¡±


    Watching the elaborately prepared midnight snack, Ling Zhang nodded.


    Though he had just had dinner with Yuwen Tong not long ago and was not really very hungry, he still found the sweet-smelling midnight snack irresistible.


    ¡°I was out there fighting last night. Was everything all right at home?¡± asked Ling Zhang, who conveniently picked up a smooth, tender radish ball and put it into his mouth.


    ¡°At first everybody was startled when they heard the noises. Some of them intended to go outside and check but were stopped by Captain Wang and others. With the presence of Second Master, servants soon calmed down and closed all doors. They guarded the mansion carrying sabers and staffs on their own account. Some gangsters taking advantage of the occasion when everybody was in panic came here and asked for money. We kicked their asses and chased them away.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised to hear that his servants had had the balls to do such things.


    ¡°All of you did a good job. Issue a proclamation tomorrow morning ¡ª because of their meritorious service, every servant shall be rewarded with three taels of silver, four for every supervisor, and ten for every security guard. The money will be from my personal savings.¡±


    Xia Feng¡¯s eyes slightly lit up, but he still appeared poised and calm. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Young Master. I¡¯ll see to it tomorrow morning.


    By the way, Steward He asked whether Wu Er¡¯niu should be dismissed or not.¡±


    ¡®Wu Er¡¯niu? I almost forgot him.¡¯


    ¡°Dismiss him. It would be a waste of food keeping him here.¡±


    ¡®Dismissing him would also spare me the risk of seeing him and getting angry. And I might change my mind when I get angry,¡¯ he thought.


    Xia Feng answered, ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± After Ling Zhang finished the midnight snack, he took the platter and left.


    The moment Xia Feng walked out of the room, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief and the sulkiness on his face dissolved. And the matter that he had been keeping himself from thinking about popped into his mind again. The more unwilling he was to think about something, the harder he found it was to forbear from doing so.


    What Yuwen Tong, that hooligan who had dared to take liberties with him, was doing at this moment, for instance¡­


    ¡°Are you missing me?¡±


    As if on cue, Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice was heard, which taken Ling Zhang aback, but when he looked in the direction of the doorway, he found that Yuwen Tong was really standing there. He had no idea when Yuwen Tong had arrived, since he had not heard any sound of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯s something sensible that I was thinking about,¡± Ling Zhang replied without a second thought. Of course he wouldn¡¯t tell Yuwen Tong that he was thinking of him, because Yuwen Tong would definitely start talking nonsense if he knew.


    A regretful expression appeared on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. ¡°I miss you every day. You are not even willing to think of me?¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡®What¡¯s got into Yuwen Tong today? Why does he keep flirting with me?¡¯


    ¡°What is it that you came here for?¡±


    Upon seeing that Ling Zhang ignored his question, Yuwen Tong decided that this time he was not going to let Ling Zhang change the topic easily.


    ¡°Without your presence, the Green Bamboo Mansion feels cold and cheerless. I¡¯ve been living in the Green Bamboo Mansion alone all this time and I cannot do it any longer. I think you should move into my place after we arrive in the capital city. Have your security guards live in the house next door.¡±


    ¡®Is this guy insatiable? At first he asked me to live in the residence of Yuwen family. Now he wants me to move in with him?¡¯ Ling Zhang looked Yuwen Tong deeply in the eyes and commented, ¡°We are not a married couple yet.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll get married first when we¡¯re in the capital city.¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯d marry you?¡±


    ¡°How can we move in together if we don¡¯t get married first?¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯d move in with you?¡±


    ¡°We are engaged, which means that sooner or later we¡¯ll get married and move in together, so why not make it happen earlier? Why waste time waiting?¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you worried that anybody would try to stop us?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t figured out whether I want to marry you or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you dumping me after stealing my heart?¡±


    Ling Zhang grabbed the paperweight on the desk and hurled it at Yuwen Tong, who easily caught it.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face slightly flushed from anger and embarrassment, which made him look like a piece of beautiful jadeware in the candlelight. No, even beautiful jadeware wasn¡¯t as charming as he was.


    When Ling Zhang glared at him with his sparkling eyes, Yuwen Tong almost failed to catch the paperweight, staring fixedly at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang had hurled the paperweight at Yuwen Tong to prevent him from talking nonsense, but unexpectedly, it seemed to be having the opposite effect. Yuwen Tong was gazing at him unblinkingly, as if there were a flower on his face.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    As if the chair had become hot suddenly, he felt that neither sitting there nor standing up was the right thing to do. His heart was fluttering, his face burning worse.


    ¡°Have you seen enough?!¡± Ling Zhang slowly dropped the words one by one in a threatening tone of voice.


    After hearing this, Yuwen Tong slightly moved his ardent gaze and walked over, paperweight in hand. He didn¡¯t put it down but gently played with it. ¡°I¡¯d never see enough of you.¡±


    For some reason, watching Yuwen Tong playing with the paperweight, Ling Zhang felt his cheeks burning even worse. He stretched out his hand, snatched the paperweight from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and placed it back onto the desk. ¡°Did you come here at such a late hour of the night merely to derive pleasure from embarrassing me with these remarks?¡±


    ¡°Well, if this is what you believe, I feel wronged. And I think you also have a bias against me. I¡¯m not doing this because it pleases me. You know the real reason.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°You think you can sleep after waking up just a few moments ago?¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that it was better to lie in bed awake than to stay here listening to Yuwen Tong¡¯s nonsense. ¡®This guy is so not a gentleman!¡¯


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t sleep. Come. Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere we can feast our eyes on the stars and the moon.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡®What¡¯s the good of seeing stars and the moon? I have a lot of arrangements to make.¡¯


    Though believing so, when he collected his thoughts, he was already lying on a rooftop with Yuwen Tong, stars and the moon right above them in the night sky.


    Yuwen Tong also brought a pot of wine. ¡°Have a try. Yao Yi brought this here from the capital city. It¡¯s the latest batch of Pear Blossom Wine made by the Fragrance Winery. It¡¯s a little strong, so don¡¯t drink it in gulps.¡±


    Ling Zhang took the pot and had a sip of it. Mellow taste of the wine pervaded his mouth and the intense fragrance instantly spread through his throat and nasal cavity. He swallowed the wine and exhaled deeply. All that the wine touched was burning, but not in an unpleasant way.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°The owner of the Fragrance Winery used to be my grandfather¡¯s subordinate. When I was defending the border, he would have a batch of wine delivered to me every year. A few days ago, after hearing that I was going to return to the capital city, he sent some wine to my residence and said that he would deliver more to our place the day we get married.¡±


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but take another sip. Maybe because the wine was delicious, he didn¡¯t bother to remind Yuwen Tong once again that he had never agreed to marry him but just languidly responded, ¡°Um.¡±


    Yuwen Tong twisted his face aside to look at him. ¡°Are you really getting sleepy?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that these stars and moon turn out to be a pretty enjoyable sight.¡±


    Added to this was the state of utter relaxation he was in.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°For what? Why are you thanking me on this occasion?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I really don¡¯t know how long it will take me to bring down Zhang Chong. The assistance you provided for me was the sole reason why everything went so smoothly. You once said that you were returning the favor, but I have to say what you repaid us far outweighed what you owed to us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the mathematician, aren¡¯t you? Actually I was not merely repaying the favor. You¡¯re also part of the reason why I did all this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You really want to thank me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong suddenly turned his upper body aside to look at him.


    Ling Zhang twisted his head and looked back. ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°Then close your eyes.¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong for a while and then did what he¡¯d just been asked to.


    The next moment, he sensed Yuwen Tong getting closer to him and with that his upper lip was gently bitten. And then his both lips were clamped by another two. His upper teeth were parted with the lower ones by a soft but determined tongue which seemed to be inviting his tongue to a dance.


    Mouths of both of them were filled with fragrance of wine. The Pear Blossom Wine intoxicated both the drinker and the one who kissed the drinker.


    This was the longest and also the most intoxicating kiss the two of them had ever had. Supporting himself on two hands with Ling Zhang below him, Yuwen Tong shielded off the cold night wind, the warm air about him making Ling Zhang feel as if he was wrapped in a comfy quilt.


    Of course, what was really heady was the kiss. Gradually, Yuwen Tong¡¯s gentle tongue movement grew intrusive, and Ling Zhang¡¯s cooperative one fell passive, as if by some kind of subconscious, tacit agreement.


    It was not until after quite some time that lips of the two of them were slightly parted.


    Yuwen Tong watched Ling Zhang, a serious look on his face. ¡°Marry me.¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly gazed at him. Due to the long kiss, there was faint tears in his eyes, accompanied by reflections of starlight and Yuwen Tong. Seeing this, Yuwen Tong succumbed to the temptation and couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and kiss him again.


    After a while, Ling Zhang slightly moved his lips away, took a few deep breaths to steady his breathing and then replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some very careful thinking about it. I don¡¯t want to rush into any decisions that I might regret making in the future. Since I¡¯ve already given you my promise to go with you to the capital city, why don¡¯t you give me some more time and let me think it through?¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll wait for you to figure all this out,¡± responded Yuwen Tong, looking him deeply in the eyes. He would not take no for an answer and would make sure Ling Zhang replied to him in the affirmative. Hopefully, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t keep him waiting for too long.


    ¡°Are you ready to do it again?¡± Ling Zhang gave him a push. He found it very difficult to calm down with Yuwen Tong gazing at him like this.


    Yuwen Tong curved the corners of his mouth and lowered his head. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again.¡±


    Then they had another kiss, which was even longer than the one they had just had. It lasted so long that Ling Zhang suspected that Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t stop until daybreak. When the kiss finally came to an end, he kept his arms around Yuwen Tong, unwilling to loosen them.


    ¡°Just maintain this position, and you may sleep if you want. I¡¯ll carry you back.¡±


    As regards where he would carry him and then sleep with him, that would be up to him.

 Chapter 133 - Identify Yourself, You Sneaky Fraud

    The next morning, when Ling Zhang woke up in Yuwen Tong¡¯s bed, he was calm and not surprised at all. He had guessed that under no circumstances would Yuwen Tong take him to his own bedroom.


    There was an arm around his waist, and he knew whose it was without having to turn his head back to check.


    Maybe because he went to watch stars and the moon with Yuwen Tong the night before, he was now much more composed than he was the day before. Calmly, he moved Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm off him.


    A chuckle came from behind and with that the arm sprang around his waist and dragged him back. Hot air was breathed over his neck. ¡°You woke up.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me. I want to get up.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yuwen Tong replied and then landed a kiss on his neck. ¡°Off you go.¡±


    Since the neck was a very sensitive area, that kiss almost brought all Ling Zhang¡¯s hair rising. He immediately jumped off Yuwen Tong¡¯s bed, turned around and shot him a dark glance. ¡°Do that again and I¡¯ll kick your ass.¡±


    Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look, dressed into his overgarment, straightened his clothes and then, without even flicking another glance at Yuwen Tong, swaggeringly walked out of the room.


    Hearing the bodyguards outside repeatedly calling ¡°Childe Ling¡±, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t conceal the smile on the corners of his mouth no matter how hard he tried. ¡®If some day, these guys address Ling Zhang as ¡°Mistress¡±, I would probably be the happiest man in the world,¡± he thought.


    Beneath the meaningful and delighted gaze of bodyguards, with a relaxed expression on his face, Ling Zhang walked out of the Green Bamboo Mansion. And then, to the stare of Xia Feng and some others whose faces were full of shock as if the sky was going to collapse, he returned to his bedroom.


    ¡°Xia Feng, get some hot water here. I need to take a bath and then change clothes.¡±


    ¡°Ye¨CYes, Young Master!¡±


    Xia Feng collected himself. ¡®Young Master wants to take a bath and change clothes? Surely it¡¯s not what I think¡­¡¯


    As if half-conscious, Xia Feng arranged for hot water to be delivered to Ling Zhang¡¯s bathroom. ¡°Young Master, would you like me to help you bathe?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You may leave.¡± Ling Zhang paused, thought for a few moments and then declined.


    Xia Feng swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue, answered ¡°Yes¡± and then took the servants out of the room.


    Then he flicked a glance at the Green Bamboo Mansion next door, and with that deep distress showed on his face. He secretly made up his mind to keep his young master under close protection. ¡®On no account should I let the man living next door do this to young master again!¡¯


    If Ling Zhang came to know what Xia Feng had pictured in his mind, he would definitely laugh so hard as to spew his tea onto Xia Feng¡¯s face and query him, ¡°What the hell has got into you?¡±


    After taking a bath and changing clothes, Ling Zhang went to Ling Zhaowen¡¯s place.


    ¡°Uncle, has everything been handled in Lu family?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Have you had breakfast?¡± Ling Zhaowen, who happened to be having breakfast, invited Ling Zhang to dine with him. ¡°Come and grab a bite.¡±


    Ling Zhang sat down and a servant immediately placed a bowl and a pair of chopsticks before him.


    Breakfast was a bowl of congee with slices of lean and vegetable in it, five little steamed stuffed buns, a dish of saut¨¦ed bok choy, and six meatballs made of mashed pork and mushroom pur¨¦e.


    Ling Zhang quietly had breakfast with his uncle, who then informed him, ¡°Everything¡¯s properly dealt with. The mourning hall and all other related stuff have been removed. Ling family hired a taoist priest who¡¯s going to hold a ritual in their house to expel bad luck the day after tomorrow which is believed to be an auspicious date for a ritual of this kind. I want you to go with me.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± answered Ling Zhang. ¡°Did Yuwen Tong tell you about grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He told me that your grandfather would arrive tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out of the city and pick him up.¡±


    ¡°It may not be a bad idea. Remember to take some men with you. Although Zhang Chong¡¯s dead, some of his minions might still make trouble for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Second Master.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on in the Prefecture Yamen and I might be too occupied to be able to spare any time to come back during the next few days, so you¡¯ll have to spend more time at home keeping things in order. As regards the Marshal¡­ If my guess is right, Dai Cheng is paying us a visit later today. Make sure we¡¯re ready for it.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, you didn¡¯t raise any objections when I mentioned your engagement to the Marshal that day. Are you still against it?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen suddenly brought up his engagement. After a fleeting trance of surprise, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve already promised Yuwen Tong that I would go to the capital city with him. The engagement still stands.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s eyes lit up and he couldn¡¯t help but slap himself on the lap and observed excitedly, ¡°Good! I¡¯m very glad to know that you¡¯ve thought it through and changed your mind!¡±


    Ling Zhang fell silent. The excitement on his uncle¡¯s face brought him wondering how eager his uncle was to see him marry Yuwen Tong.


    He felt an urge to tell his uncle not to count his chickens before they were hatched, but after some thinking, he forbore from doing so, believing that he could always tell his uncle if he really decided to break off his engagement to Yuwen Tong, that it was unnecessary for him to cast a chill over his uncle on this occasion.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to inform your grandfather of this the moment he returns. He¡¯d be very happy to hear this good news.¡±


    Ling Zhang was at a loss for words.


    After breakfast, Ling Zhaowen had a short rest and then left home heading for the Prefecture Yamen. When he was about to reach the yamen, somebody got in the way and stopped his palanquin.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Second Master, someone is blocking our path saying that he¡¯s here to deliver a letter.¡±


    ¡®A letter?¡¯ Ling Zhaowen knitted his eyebrows, opened the palanquin curtain and saw a stranger standing in front.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out after reading the letter, Tongzhi Ling.¡±


    ¡®This accent¡­ He¡¯s from the capital city.¡¯ Ling Zhaowen took the letter that Li Fu had checked, opened it, ran an eye over it and his face slightly changed.


    As if having guessed what Ling Zhaowen was thinking about, the man who had delivered the letter said, ¡°They¡¯ll be waiting for you at the Fengtai Pavilion, Tongzhi Ling.¡±


    After saying this, the person walked away and soon disappeared into the crowd.


    Ling Zhaowen stared at the letter in his hands, deep concern on his face.


    ¡°Did anything happen, Second Master?¡± asked Li Fu in a low voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the yamen first.¡± Ling Zhaowen put away the letter.


    People of Yuwen family had invited him to a meeting at the Fengtai Pavilion. Yuwen Tong was living right in his house. He wondered why some other members of Yuwen family specially invited him to have a meeting elsewhere.


    The only matter that concerned both Ling family and Yuwen family was the engagement between Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhaowen was not as naive as his father. At the very beginning, he had suspected that the reason why people of Yuwen family had never staked out their position on this engagement was because they were not very happy about it, but after Yuwen Tong came to Tanyang and offered Ling family a lot of help, Ling Zhaowen¡¯s suspicions had dissolved, but now¡­


    ¡®It seems that some people of Yuwen family see this matter differently.¡¯


    ¡°Li Fu, make some inquiries and find out the identities of those who invited me to room A on the second floor of the Fengtai Pavilion. Remember, try not to be spotted, and keep it secret. Don¡¯t tell Zhang¡¯er about this matter for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Second Master.¡±


    At the corner of the street.


    ¡°Is it done?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw Ling Zhaowen read the letter with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Supervisor, what if Ling Zhaowen refuses to come?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡­


    It was almost noon. Li Fu returned to the Prefecture Yamen.


    ¡°How did it go? Did you ascertain who those people are?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°I did. There are three of them. The owner of the Fengtai Pavilion said that those three people¡¯s clothing was low-key, but they were clearly rich. Their accent suggest they are from the capital city. They are very arrogant and have their noses in the air. I made some inquiries and found that they seem to have been staying in an inn in eastern city for two days,¡± replied Li Fu.


    ¡®Those must be them.¡¯ Ling Zhaowen thought for a while and then said, ¡°Go there with me at noon. Stay alert. We shall leave at the first inkling of trouble.¡±


    Li Fu nodded, ¡°How about I go to the Fengtai Pavilion right now and make some arrangements in advance?¡±


    ¡°All right. Try to do it undetected.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    At noon, Tao Feng invited Ling Zhaowen to have lunch with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Lordship, but I have an appointment and have to go to the Fengtai Pavilion this noon.¡± Ling Zhaowen had no choice but to decline.


    Tao Feng gave a smile. ¡°An appointment in the Fengtai Pavilion at noon? Is it the Marshal that you¡¯re going to meet?¡±


    ¡°Not the Marshal, really. You may rest assured that I¡¯ll mention the banquet to the Marshal after I return, Your Lordship.¡±


    Tao Feng chuckled happily, ¡°Now we¡¯re talking. It seems that none of my thoughts can escape your eyes.¡±


    After a quite wordy conversation, Ling Zhaowen managed to take his leave of Tao Feng and walked out of the Prefecture Yamen. Li Fu, who had been waiting outside, saw him and gave a bob of the head, indicating that all necessary arrangements had been made.


    Ling Zhaowen got on the palanquin and went to the Fengtai Pavilion.


    ¡°Are you here to have lunch, Lord Ling?¡±


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s expecting me in room A on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡ª ¡± the owner drawled meaningfully and then informed Ling Zhaowen in an undertone, ¡°Those three people arrived here a short while ago. They¡¯re already in the room.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen nodded and went upstairs.


    Li Fu rewarded the owner of the restaurant and thanked him.


    The owner happily put the money away and added, ¡°Those three people seem to be from some powerful background. I¡¯m afraid they have a high-ranking backer. Please remind Lord Ling to be careful lest he fall victim to their tricks.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Li Fu responded and then walked upstairs as well.


    Because of Yuwen Tong, all residents of Tanyang were very respectful of members of Ling family. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the battle the night before had alarmed them, many of them would have gone to the gateway of Ling family and prostrated themselves there to show their worship of the legendary war hero.


    But people of Ling family found this rather embarrassing.


    On the second floor, Li Fu knocked at the door of room A for Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Come in, please,¡± said someone inside the private room.


    Li Fu opened the door and his eyes swept around the private room. There were indeed three people inside. Originally, all of them had been sitting, and it was not until they saw the door open that one of them stood up.


    Li Fu took a small step backward to make way for Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°May I ask if you are they ones who request my presence here? Please pardon me for my ignorance, but I don¡¯t know who you are,¡± said Ling Zhaowen before any of the three people could talk.


    The three men exchanged glances and then the one sitting in the middle seat, who was relatively shorter but looked more imposing than the other two, responded to Ling Zhaowen, ¡°I¡¯m Zhao Fugui, a supervisor of Yuwen family in the capital city. It was rather curt of me to invite Tongzhi Ling here. I hope Tongzhi Ling won¡¯t lay any blame on me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t really take any offence, but I do suspect your identities. After all, there are now too many people who are aware of the Marshal¡¯s presence in my house. Some even impersonated as members of Yuwen family to trick us into sending them gifts. Do you have anything that can prove you are who you claim to be?¡± Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t put up any pretence of politeness and there was even coldness in his tone of voice. He didn¡¯t sit down but just stood at the door watching them.


    This rather unfriendly manner brought frown to the faces of the three men. Supervisor Zhao asked, ¡°What do you mean, Tongzhi Ling? Are you suspecting that we are frauds?¡±


    ¡°If you are really from Yuwen family, it would be far more reasonable for you to come to Ling family to meet me, but you chose to invite me to this place, making this meeting and yourselves stealthy. Is it not a natural thing that I suspect you¡¯re frauds?¡±


    ¡°You! How dare you regard us as frauds!¡± a man standing beside Supervisor Zhao thundered. ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re nothing but a petty official. What gave you the courage to lay scorn on us?¡±


    ¡°No matter whether I¡¯m a petty official or a top-ranking one, I would never be polite to frauds. So tell me, are you frauds or are you really members of Yuwen family? Show me some proof.¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous! Ling Zhaowen, you¡¯d better get rid of that attitude!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen sneered and reprimanded, ¡°So you have no proof? Then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be taken into custody awaiting trial. You dared to impersonate members of Yuwen family. I have to admit that you really have quite some balls!¡±

 Chapter 134 - My Uncle Is Too Kind-hearted

    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s reprimand instantly brought down the momentum of the three men, leaving them speechless with rage.


    This was exactly what Ling Zhaowen wanted. The seal on the letter that he had received in the morning seemed to be authentic, and he believed that there was an eighty-percent chance these three people were really from Yuwen family, but their stealthy behavior was a manifest indication that they harbored evil intentions. ¡®These guys want to bully me? I¡¯d like to see if they¡¯re capable of it!¡¯


    ¡°Li Fu, send for Yamen runners. I want these three frauds locked up in the prison of the Prefecture Yamen!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Supervisor Zhao hurriedly stopped him. Through gritted teeth, he said, ¡°I do have proof of identity.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then show me.¡± Ling Zhaowen stared at him.


    Hands trembling with rage, Supervisor Zhao gritted his teeth to calm himself down and produced his ID plate to show Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhaowen winked at Li Fu, who walked forward, took the ID plate and scrutinized it before handing it to Ling Zhaowen. Naturally, this spiteful course of action added fuel to the fury bubbling inside the three men.


    ¡°As far as I can tell, this is not a counterfeit. So you are really servants of Yuwen family. Then why did you intentionally avoid the Marshal, your master, and request an audience with me at this restaurant? Isn¡¯t this too bold an action for servants to take? Or are you hatching some kind of sinister plot?¡±


    After checking the ID plate, Ling Zhaowen slightly adjusted his attitude, reluctantly acknowledging their identities, but the tone in his voice didn¡¯t soften at all. Instead, it went even colder.


    The wording of Ling Zhaowen ¡ª ¡°servants¡±, ¡°audience with me¡±, ¡°master¡± ¡ª was a manifest indication that he didn¡¯t take these three servants seriously. When in the capital city, Supervisor Zhao and the other two had always been acting arrogantly on most occasions. Because of Yuwen family¡¯s position and powerful influence, even high-ranking officials in the capital city would show some respect to Supervisor Zhao and the other two, which was why they could barely keep their temper under control after being treated this way.


    ¡®What a clodhopper. He really thinks that just because we¡¯re servants of Yuwen family, he gets to talk to us like this. He forgets that he¡¯s a mere Tongzhi!¡¯


    ¡°Tongzhi Ling, now that you¡¯ve put it this way, I¡¯m afraid we might have to stop saving your face. Our master is Marshal Yuwen¡¯s uncle as well as the current patriarch of Yuwen family. He sent us, a couple of servants of his, here to deliver a message to you.¡±


    Supervisor Zhao, who was infuriated by Ling Zhaowen¡¯s deeds, directly mentioned Yuwen Zhi in an attempt to face Ling Zhaowen down.


    ¡°Is that so? The fact that your master is Marshal Yuwen¡¯s uncle makes it even more unreasonable of you to try to keep this visit of yours secret from Marshal Yuwen. You¡¯re but a couple of servants. Surely none of you is closer to the Marshal than his uncle is? Actually, your remarks have just aroused suspicion in me that this ID plate is a forgery.¡± Ling Zhaowen left Supervisor Zhao no chance to speak.


    ¡®The attitudes of these guys alone suggest that they are not going to say anything kind!¡¯ thought Ling Zhaowen.


    But then he was on the alert. ¡®What is Yuwen Zhi trying to do? Why does he want this engagement annulled?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Supervisor Zhao¡¯s face was dark with rage. ¡°Ling Zhaowen, our master stated expressly that by no means would he allow anyone of Ling family to marry into Yuwen family, because you¡¯re far from worthy. You¡¯d better call off the engagement on your own account. Otherwise you¡¯ll find that the flame of anger of Yuwen family is not something Ling family can survive!¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Ling Zhaowen snapped. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re undoubtedly frauds. How dare you impersonate servants of Yuwen family trying to ruin the marriage contract. This marriage contract was concluded by Old General Yuwen himself. Lord Yuwen is his son. He would never question his father¡¯s decision. Who are you? Why are you trying to disgrace Lord Yuwen?! Li Fu, send for Yamen runners! They shall be taken into custody awaiting Marshal Yuwen¡¯s further instructions!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    This time, without any pretence, Li Fu really ran out to inform Yamen runners.


    Seeing this, the three men were thrown into panic. ¡°You¡­You¡­ Ling Zhaowen, we¡¯re trusted followers of our master. How dare you do this to us! Even if some day your nephew marries into Yuwen family, life is not going to be easy for him! I advise you to come to your senses before things reach the point of no return!¡±


    With a sullen look on his face, Ling Zhaowen refused to make any concessions. Of course he knew these people were really sent here by Yuwen Zhi, but if he compromised with them on this occasion, his nephew would surely be bullied by them after marrying into Yuwen family.


    If it were before this morning, maybe he would have chosen to handle this matter in a more delicate manner, but his nephew had staked out his position on this issue saying that he was willing to stay engaged to Yuwen Tong, which meant that he would marry Yuwen Tong sooner or later. This being the case, he had decided to do whatever he could to support his nephew. Under no circumstances would he allow these people any chances to cause any harm to him.


    ¡°Supervisor, there are really some Yamen runners coming. We should leave!¡±


    A man standing beside Supervisor Zhao craned out of the window and discovered that there were really a team of Yamen runners approaching quickly from the end of the street. His expression instantly changed and he anxiously informed Supervisor Zhao of it.


    ¡°Young Master bade us not to openly cross the Marshal. Let¡¯s just go!¡±


    Staring fixedly at Ling Zhaowen, Supervisor Zhao said through gritted teeth, ¡°Ling Zhaowen, you¡¯re not getting away with this!¡±


    With that, he quickly left the private room with the other two and fled as fast as they could.


    Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t try to stop them in the knowledge that they might resort to more aggressive methods if he pushed them too hard. ¡®Let this be a deterrent to them.¡¯


    After they left, Li Fu waved at the Yamen runners in the distance. The captain gave a bob of his head, led his men into another street and disappeared.


    ¡°Second Master, all of them left.¡±


    ¡°Mount a watch outside that inn. Inform me if they leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, second master,¡± Li Fu answered.


    After leaving the Fengtai Pavilion, Ling Zhaowen returned to the Prefecture Yamen. He didn¡¯t go home to question Yuwen Tong about this matter, since he knew very well what Yuwen Tong had been doing these days, and he believed that Yuwen Tong had nothing to do with this matter, but a word of warning was still necessary, so he had to figure out how to do it in a tactful way.


    At this time. In the residence of Ling family.


    ¡°This way please, General Dai.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As expected, Dai Cheng came to Ling family seeking an audience with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Marshal, you have been in Tanyang for over half a month. May I ask when you plan to go back to the capital city? His Majesty misses you very much.¡±


    After taking a seat, Dai Cheng merely exchanged a couple of pleasantries before asking Yuwen Tong when he would return to the capital city. Though Yuwen Tong had made no intervention whatsoever in the matter of the Prefecture Guards of Tanyang, Dai Cheng and the emperor still seemed to be deeply concerned, bursting with impatience to have him depart for the capital city.


    ¡°I intend to go to the capital city with my betrothed. There are a lot of business to attend to in Ling family, so we need some more days to make preparations,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang watched Dai Cheng, an apologetic look on his face. ¡°Surely General Dai wouldn¡¯t blame me for it, would you? I have a great deal of arrangements to make. As you know, we don¡¯t have many family members, and my grandfather is absent. I have to make sure everything is properly handled.¡±


    Dai Cheng looked at Ling Zhang and let out a laugh. ¡°You overthought it, Childe Ling. I was just relaying His Majesty¡¯s message. Actually, it¡¯s better if Childe Ling makes adequate preparations. After all, you¡¯re engaged to the Marshal. There¡¯s no doubt that you¡¯ll be in the limelight when you¡¯re in the capital city. You could never be too prepared.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for reminding me.¡± Ling Zhang showed faint timidity on his face.


    There was no way to tell what Dai Cheng was actually thinking, but on the surface, he was laughing heartily.


    After Dai Cheng left, faces of both Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang went cold.


    ¡°They want you back so badly. Why are they so wary of you?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been like this ever since I took command of the Northwestern Army. They¡¯re wary of me but they also need me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you what you plan to do in the future.¡±


    Since the emperor had such a suspicious mind and was so wary of Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang believed that sooner or later he would try to eliminate Yuwen Tong. ¡®What would Yuwen Tong do when that day comes?¡¯ he wondered.


    Watching him, Yuwen Tong gave a mysterious smile and then craned to his ear, saying in an undertone, ¡°Stay with me and you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡®Stay with Yuwen Tong?¡¯


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait and see, but you have to make sure I don¡¯t die with you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong briefly squinted his eyes. ¡°Dying together sounds pretty good.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. ¡®Who wants to die with you? Isn¡¯t it better to stay alive and enjoy my life?¡¯


    Amused by the dirty look given by Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let you die.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ve merely held your hand and kissed you for a couple of times. It would be such a shame to let you die,¡¯ he thought.


    At dusk, Ling Zhaowen returned. After having dinner, Ling Zhaowen invited Yuwen Tong to the side hall.


    ¡°Is there anything you want to talk with me about, Uncle Ling?¡±


    ¡°Marshal, may I ask if there are any people in Yuwen family against the engagement between you and Zhang¡¯er?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face slightly changed. ¡°Did anybody tell you anything?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a smile. ¡°It seems that nothing escapes your eyes, Marshal. This morning, a man who claimed to be a supervisor working for Yuwen family came to me. He wanted me to call off the engagement on my own account, saying that he¡¯s your uncle¡¯s trusted follower.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Where are they?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled, ¡°I was worried that they might be frauds, so I threatened to lock them up. They got scared and ran away.¡±


    After a short silence, Yuwen Tong let out a soft cough and observed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to been through this farce. Rest assured, I¡¯ll see to it that this matter is properly handled.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great relief to hear that Marshal is going to put this matter in capable hands, but Zhang¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him the truth without holding anything back.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a satisfied smile. ¡°Then I shall ask no further questions. After all, this matter concerns Marshal¡¯s family. Of course, there¡¯s no need for you and Zhang¡¯er to rush into marriage. Zhang¡¯er has just reached adulthood after all. You might as well wait for a certain amount of time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong fell speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have this issue handled after I return to the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen raised his eyebrows and steered the conversation away from this matter to another topic.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darkened after he walked out of the side hall.


    He had just got rid of Yuwen Qi when these servants showed up. For fear that this matter might come to his knowledge, they had even dared to secretly invite Ling Zhaowen outside and threatened him. It seemed that he had been away from home for too long, and those people had forgotten what kind of person he was.


    ¡°Yao Yi, go and find those people and bring them to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Seeing the cold, sullen look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, Ling Zhang thought that something bad had happened.


    ¡°Did my uncle tell you anything? Is it serious?¡±


    Yuwen Tong meant to keep it secret from Ling Zhang, but then he recalled that he had just promised Ling Zhaowen that he would tell Ling Zhang the truth. If he held this matter back, Ling Zhaowen might ask Ling Zhang about it afterwards and find out. He had no idea what Ling Zhaowen would say if that was the case. ¡®What if he asks Ling Zhang to call off the engagement?¡¯


    He still remembered that the very reason why he had come to Tanyang in the first place had been that divorce paper.


    Marshal Yuwen felt a fit of vexation, which was very rare.


    ¡°A couple of servants of my family came to Tanyang in the wake of Yuwen Qi¡¯s leaving.¡±


    The worry on Ling Zhang¡¯s face was replaced by apathy after he heard this remark. ¡°They talked to my uncle?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a cough and then ventured, ¡°Uncle Ling believed that they were frauds and threatened to lock them up. They were scared away.¡±


    ¡°They were scared away? My uncle was being too kind-hearted. If I were him, I would have directly broken their legs, put them in jail and left them to die.¡±


    While saying this, Ling Zhang was staring at Yuwen Tong, which made Yuwen Tong¡¯s blood freeze.

 Chapter 135 - Apprehension and Interrogation

    Chapter 135: Apprehension and Interrogation


    Translator: DragonRider


    Yuwen Tong was well aware that he would definitely be faced with immediate trouble if he didn¡¯t stake out his position on this issue right now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent Yao Yi and some others to catch them. You¡¯ll get your chance to vent your anger on them in whatever way you like.¡±


    ¡°What if I want them dead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand you a saber myself.¡±


    ¡°Humph.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until after hearing this remark that Ling Zhang withdrew his stare at Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°I¡¯ll decide after they¡¯re brought here.¡±


    Yao Yi finished the job very soon. On that very night, Zhao Fugui and the other two men were restrained, brought to the courtyard of the Green Bamboo Mansion and dropped onto the ground.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± The three men heavily landed on the ground and yelled in pain.


    ¡°Which bastards were so bold as to abduct me?! Are you courting death?!¡± Cursing, they picked themselves up and wanted to find out who had dared to kidnap them. ¡®Do they not know we work for Yuwen family? They must be seeking to meet their end!¡¯


    But on rising to their feet, they caught sight of Yuwen Tong who was watching them flintily. Instantly, they buckled at the knees, knelt down to the ground and broke out in a cold sweat. Face ghastly white, Zhao Fugui called in a trembling voice, ¡°Mar¨CMarshal.¡±


    ¡°Am I eligible to kidnap you?¡± asked Yuwen in a cold tone of voice.


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I mean, Marshal. It¡¯s me who¡¯s courting death. I¡¯m as blind as a bat. I failed to guard my tongue. What I said is punishable by death!¡± Zhao Fugui raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.


    The other two men were also terribly scared, trembling all over, too afraid to utter a word.


    ¡°Indeed, you should pay for what you did with you lives. Under whose order did you act so boldly as to threaten my future father-in-law? Was it Yuwen Zhi?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding¡­ misunderstanding!¡± After cursing Ling Zhaowen, who had told on him, numerous times in his mind, Zhao Fugui quickly replied, ¡°Master cares about you the most, Marshal. It was because he worried that you might fall prey to the tricks of Ling family that he sent us to Tanyang to warn them. If they have any sinister motives, our warning would surely serve as a deterrent to them.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So Yuwen Zhi did not send you here to pressurize people of Ling family to call off the engagement on their own account? I wronged you?¡±


    ¡°No, no, nobody¡¯s wronged. As servants, we did that for your own good, Marshal. Please don¡¯t blame yourself.¡±


    These words sent all those looking on speechless. ¡®What a plausible lackey this guy is!¡¯


    ¡°You dared to come here and threaten people of Ling family right under my nose. I doubt whether there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t dare to do. Where¡¯s Yuwen Qi?¡±


    ¡°We¨CWell¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong flintily stared at Zhao Fugui, who felt a cold shiver of fear run through him and replied, ¡°Second Young Master is waiting for us in a small town in Yan Zhou.¡±


    ¡°I expressly bade him to go back to the capital city, yet he still chose to stay. It seems that I went too easy on him,¡± Yuwen Tong observed angrily. ¡°Yao Yi, take these three people away and have them talk about what they¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Finally, Zhao Fugui and the other two had an inkling that something was not right. Horrified, Zhao Fugui hurriedly crawled up to Yuwen Tong and grabbed the tail of his robe. ¡°Marshal, I¡¯ve realized my mistake. Please have mercy on me!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face went cold.


    For fear that Yuwen Tong might get angry, Yao Yi and some others quickly grabbed the three men and dragged them away.


    ¡°Marshal, please have mercy on us! Please!¡±


    ¡°Marshal, we¡¯re servants of Master. What you are doing will compromise Master deeply!¡±


    ¡°Marshal¨C¡±


    The next moment, all yelling stopped. Yao Yi and some bodyguards gagged Zhao Fugui and the other two.


    ¡°They¡¯re just a couple of lackeys. Why are angry with them?¡± said Ling Zhang blandly after walking over.


    Yuwen Tong responded immediately, ¡°Of course my anger has nothing to do with a couple of lackeys. I¡¯m angry because they were so bold as to disturb Uncle Ling and you.¡±


    ¡°They were merely following orders. Even if you kill them, it won¡¯t make any difference.¡± The mastermind was still hiding in the capital city. Those who didn¡¯t like the idea of him marrying Yuwen Tong would definitely dispatch a second, even a third subordinate like Zhao Fugui. If he was to have them handled once and for all, he must go to the capital city.


    ¡°They are your family. Are you sure that you still want to marry me when so many people are against it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and then watched him and replied in a serious tone of voice, ¡°I should be the one asking this question. Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡®Are you afraid of these obstacles? Even if you are, I won¡¯t let you give up.¡¯ Yuwen Tong gazed fixedly at Ling Zhang but didn¡¯t tell him these thoughts.


    Ling Zhang appeared very composed. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    ¡®Why would I be afraid? I have a score to settle with those people. It is them who should be afraid.¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Ling Zhang went outside the city to meet Ling Xingzhong and the others. He took twelve security guards with him in case anything unexpected happened.


    Originally, Yuwen Tong had intended to go with him, but Dai Cheng chanced to pay him a visit, so he had to stay. He offered to have his bodyguards see Ling Zhang out of the city but Ling Zhang declined.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had twelve security guards with me. There¡¯s no need for any more people.¡±


    Even a team going on a tiger hunt wouldn¡¯t require so many members.


    Besides, the duty of Yao Yi and other bodyguards was to protect Yuwen Tong. If any of Zhang Chong¡¯s minions by any chance had survived the battle, they might seek to make trouble for Yuwen Tong.


    After waiting nearly an hour outside the city, Ling Zhang caught sight of the horse-drawn carriages of Ling Xingzhong and the others.


    Delighted, Ling Zhang hurried up to them.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± He first greeted Ling Xingzhong.


    Due to several days¡¯ tiring journey and his worry about the situation in Tanyang, Ling Xingzhong seemed fairly drawn.


    Ling Zhang was grieved to see this. ¡°Let¡¯s go home right away, grandfather. It¡¯s very undutiful of me to have put you through all this.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong patted Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over this. You¡¯ve always been a dutiful kid. Grandfather is very gratified.¡±


    After saying this, he gave Ling Zhang an appraising look and observed with a frown on his face, ¡°Why do I feel that you¡¯re thinner than the last time I saw you? Is it because you¡¯ve been worrying about too many things these days? I¡¯ll tell the chef to prepare some nourishing food for you. Look at you. Your cheekbones show.¡±


    It was obvious that his grandfather himself was the one who was thinner. Ling Zhang was almost reduced to tears. ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s because I¡¯m still growing. Actually I¡¯m much stronger now.¡±


    He stretched out his arm to let Ling Xingzhong feel it. Ling Xingzhong felt his arm and found that his grandson had indeed become somewhat stronger, which dissolved his worry.


    ¡°Your aunt and the others are on the second carriage. Go and greet them. Then we¡¯ll go home.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang went to the next carriage and saw Fu Caiwei. Ling Maomao had fallen asleep midway and had not woken up.


    Watching Ling Maomao, Ling Zhang reached out his hand and gently scratched the boy¡¯s cheek, then said to Fu Caiwei in a muted voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have put you through two long journeys, aunt.¡±


    ¡°All that matters is that our family are safe. It¡¯s well worth a couple of journeys. I can see that your face is so much thinner. Have you been picky about food again during my absence?¡± Fu Caiwei¡¯s gaze rested on his face, a reproachful look in her eyes.


    He used to be a picky eater in childhood but had got rid of that habit long ago.


    Ling Zhang embarrassedly repeated what he had just said to Ling Xingzhong. Fu Caiwei reluctantly accepted his explanation.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things going on in the yamen, so uncle didn¡¯t come here to meet you, but he¡¯ll return at noon.¡±


    ¡°Nobody cares whether he comes here to meet us or not. Your presence alone makes aunt very happy.¡±


    Ling Zhang chuckled, ¡°Then let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You must have had a bellyful of wind. Get on the carriage.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, aunt. Maomao will be woken up if I get on.¡±


    The group of people slowly headed for the city gate. Yang Liuzi and the others were very happy to see Ling Zhang, and their delight deepened when they saw Wang Dashan and other security guards. Instantly, all of them fell into joyous chatting with each other.


    However, Xie Shi, who was a man of few words, kept silent.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Guard Xie. Your protection of my grandfather and others is the very reason why I¡¯ve been at ease.¡± Ling Zhang walked up to him, thanked him and then brought up the matter of Yuwen Tong. ¡°He¡¯s okay as well. Originally, he had wanted to come here with me, but Dai Cheng paid him a visit, so he had to give up. Yao Yi and others have also returned. They are all in my home.¡±


    Xie Shi gave a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Thank you for telling me this, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s totally unnecessary. Now I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Xie Shi smiled again and steered the conversation away. ¡°Childe Ling, have you accepted our Marshal¡¯s offer?¡±


    Caught off guard by this question, Ling Zhang blushed with embarrassment and gave a cough. ¡°Why ask about this?¡±


    However, Xie Shi had got the answer from Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction. ¡°In the past, all the Marshal cared about was winning battles. Even if he got any leisure time, he would spend it on drinking and riding. He has never got any soul mates by his side. All of us grew up with the Marshal. After the old general passed away, the Marshal¡¯s parents also died one after another. The Marshal had been lonely all along. For such a long time, you are the first person that the Marshal would gaze at with that kind of special look in his eyes. All of us are very glad that the Marshal met you. The spirit of the deceased old general must be secretly blessing and protecting him, which is why the Marshal has put an end to the days of being alone.¡±


    Ling Zhang listened very carefully and then said, ¡°Why do you trust me so much? Are you not afraid that I was lying to him?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to disparage yourself, Childe Ling. You¡¯re a very good person. All of us have faith in you.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that. No matter whether I¡¯ll marry Yuwen Tong or not in the end, never will I do him any harm. I, Ling Zhang, is not an ungrateful man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very much relieved to hear this remark of Childe Ling. But all of us want to see you and the Marshal get married. Nobody else will get our recognition.¡±


    Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. ¡°Such certainty might prove inadvisable.¡±


    Xie Shi smiled yet again, ¡°You¡¯ll understand what I mean when you get to know the Marshal better, Childe Ling. The Marshal has come to the belief that you¡¯re the one he¡¯s meant to be with, and it¡¯s never going to change.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s never going to change?¡¯ Ling Zhang made no comment but felt undeniable delight.


    The procession slowly progressed into the city. Seeing Ling Zhang, all residents on the street spontaneously made way.


    ¡°It¡¯s Master Ling coming back home, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Whom else do you think Childe Ling went out of the city to meet?¡±


    ¡°Is Childe Ling by any chance really going to marry Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. The news has spread through the whole world. They¡¯ll definitely get married.¡±


    ¡°If only I could go and see the ceremony on their wedding day.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about it is all that you can do. Their wedding is no doubt going to take place in the capital city. You think you stand a chance of going to the capital city?¡±


    ¡°Stop acting like you can go there.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t either. But my damn husband wants to go real bad. Incidentally, did you go and kowtow this morning?¡±


    ¡°I did. Pity I didn¡¯t see Marshal Yuwen.¡±


    ¡°Alas. Neither did I. What a pity. I wonder when Marshal Yuwen would come out. All I want is a glimpse of him.¡±


    Ling Zhang on horseback, who had distinctly overheard the conversation, fell speechless.


    Xie Shi, who was beside him, asked in perplexity, ¡°To whom did they kowtow?¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°To your Marshal.¡±


    This answer sent Xie Shi into a surprised trance. ¡®What? They kowtowed to the Marshal? What¡¯s going on?¡¯

 Chapter 136 - The Apprehension of Jia Zhong

    Chapter 136: The Apprehension of Jia Zhong


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°They regard him as a legendary war hero worth worshipping,¡± explained Ling Zhang in a resigned tone of voice. ¡°This morning, I had some men stop them from doing that. Dai Cheng is still in Tanyang. This kind of doings of the residents would never escape the notice of Dai Cheng. If news of it reaches the emperor¡¯s ears, there would almost definitely be some extra trouble.¡±


    He had been left powerless to comment on the deeds of those residents.


    This time, Xie Shi understood. He said, ¡°This kind of things are not without precedents, which is why the Marshal almost always keeps his identity secret to others to avoid attracting any attention, unless he¡¯s in the border area or the capital city.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±


    Xie Shi thought for a while and then said, ¡°Maybe you can try distracting the attention of those residents. It won¡¯t be long before the Marshal returns to the capital city.¡±


    ¡®Distracting the attention of those residents?¡¯ Ling Zhang started pondering over it.


    ¡°Hey, everybody, that Jia Zhong of Jia family was caught and escorted back. Let¡¯s go and see!¡± somebody on the roadside suddenly yelled.


    This news immediately drew the attention of a lot of residents. Ling Zhang also instantly looked in that direction.


    ¡°At the west city gate. They have already entered the city!¡±


    ¡®They¡¯ve entered the city?¡¯ Ling Zhang reined in his horse.


    ¡°Childe Ling, should we go and take a look?¡± asked Xie Shi.


    Ling Zhang twisted his head around, flicked a glance at the horse-drawn carriages behind him and thought for a while before answering, ¡°Let¡¯s go back home first.¡±


    ¡®Grandfather and others are not going to be happy to see that guy. Today is the day of their return. They deserve a good mood. Since Jia Zhong has already been apprehended, he¡¯s definitely going to be held in custody in the Prefecture Yamen. Grandfather can see him at any time,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    However, as chance would have it, they had just walked out of the street near the north city gate when they encountered the escorts that had entered the city through the west city gate.


    The procession of escort was very long. Surprisingly, apart from Yamen runners dispatched by the Prefecture Yamen, there were also garrison from that town. Ling Zhang could tell with half an eye that those garrison were the ones who had helped with the hunt for Jia Zhong after receiving the message of Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Is that Jia Zhong? They caught him?¡± Ling Xingzhong opened the curtain of the carriage, looked in that direction and saw that there seemed to be someone in a white prison uniform sitting in the prison wagon. Judging by the figure of that man, he believed him to be Jia Zhong.


    ¡°They are passing by in a while. Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Since they had already encountered the escorts, Ling Zhang decided that they might as well take a look and find out.


    The team of escort was getting closer. The man in the prison wagon was sitting still with his head down. The Yamen runners leading the way at the head of the procession recognized people of Ling family and raised their hands to signal those behind them to halt. The head constable in charge of the escort task walked up to Ling Zhang and made a bow with hands folded in front, saying, ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Head Constable Li.¡± Ling Zhang also briefly folded his hands in front as a gesture of courtesy. ¡°Thank you for all the efforts you¡¯ve put into this task.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too courteous. Jia Zhong committed unforgivably evil deeds. It¡¯s my duty to bring him back to face justice,¡± responded Head Constable Li. Then he looked at the horse-drawn carriage and asked, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°My grandfather.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong opened the carriage curtain to look out the window.


    Head Constable Li paid his respect to Ling Xingzhong and said, ¡°Okay, then. If you¡¯ll excuse us, we have to resume escorting Jia Zhong to the prison.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please go ahead, Head Constable Li,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Head Constable Li gave a smile and then raised his hand to gesture the procession to progress.


    A man dressed like a deputy commander flicked a curious glance at Ling Zhang and nodded when his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    Ling Zhang also politely gave a bob of his head.


    The Prison wagon slowly approached. When it reached the front of people of Ling family, Jia Zhong was still silently sitting unmoved, his head down.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. Under no circumstances would the Jia Zhong he knew stay indifferent in the knowledge that people of Ling family were present.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Head Constable Li instructed his men to stop. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, Head Constable Li, but I¡¯d like to have a quick word with Jia Zhong,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Head Constable Li had Yamen runners beside the prison wagon make way. Ling Zhang rode up to the wagon and called the name of the man in the prison wagon. ¡°Jia Zhong.¡±


    The man in the wagon made no reaction.


    The surprise in him deepening, Ling Zhang knitted his brows and, with an intention to provoke him, said, ¡°Are you longing to see your elder brother in the prison? Has it ever crossed your mind that some day Jia family would end up this way?¡±


    Jia Zhong slightly moved but still didn¡¯t look at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Jia Zhong, Childe Ling asked you a question. Answer it!¡± A Yamen runner heavily swung his whip at Jia Zhong.


    The whip landed on Jia Zhong¡¯s arm. Originally it had been aimed at Jia Zhong¡¯s body, but he parried the blow in time.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows and suddenly asked, ¡°Head Constable Li, would you please open the door of the prison wagon?¡±


    After a brief trance of surprise, Head Constable Li answered in awkwardness, ¡°Childe Ling, if by any chance Jia Zhong escapes¡­¡±


    ¡°Jia Zhong could use neither his hands nor his shoulders. Where could he possibly flee to? Besides, there are so many people here.¡±


    Eventually, after hesitating in embarrassment for a short while, Head Constable Li agreed and instructed his men, ¡°Open the door of the prison wagon.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful, Childe Ling. He might try to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Ling Zhang, watching as the door of the prison wagon was opened.


    Surprisingly, Jia Zhong remained still in the corner with his head down, as if totally unconcerned about what was going on around him.


    Ling Zhang dismounted from his horse, walked up to the prison wagon and looked at Jia Zhong. After carefully sizing him up, he said in a cold tone of voice, ¡°You¡¯re not Jia Zhong. Who are you!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± His words dismayed everybody.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Is there any chance you are mistaken, Childe Ling? This man is indeed Jia Zhong,¡± observed Head Constable Li watching Jia Zhong in the wagon after quickly walking over.


    ¡°Jia Zhong knows nothing about kung fu, but just now, when the Yamen runner swung the whip at this man, he anticipated the direction of the blow before the whip hit him, slightly moved his body and parried the blow with his arm. Though he did it deftly and the movement was fairly subtle, I saw it distinctly.


    On top of that, given Jia Zhong¡¯s constitution, such a long and tiring journey in harsh conditions would definitely have taken a toll on him, and his breathing should have been much heavier than before, but this man¡¯s breathing is light ¨Clighter than that of most people standing here, actually. His constitution is a hundred times stronger than that of Jia Zhong!¡±


    ¡°Identify yourself! Now!¡±


    Instantly, Head Constable Li and his Yamen runners whipped out their sabers and pointed them at the man in the prison wagon.


    Others around the wagon took a few steps back and nervously stared at the prison wagon.


    Finally, the man sitting in the prison wagon slowly raised his head, and people were greeted by his face which looked exactly the same as that of Jia Zhong.


    ¡°Thi¨CThis man is indeed Jia Zhong,¡± someone said.


    ¡°I am. How can you be so sure that I have no kung fu skills? I just never told anybody about it, Childe Ling.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was almost identical to that of Jia Zhong as well.


    But Ling Zhang still snapped, ¡°You are not! If Jia Zhong is to conceal his kung fu and make himself seem like a common person, his internal energy has to reach the peak of perfection. Otherwise, he could never hide it from us for such a long time. And if Jia Zhong¡¯s internal energy is really that good, how did he come to be seized? Who are you exactly? Where is the real Jia Zhong!¡±


    Before Jia Zhong left Tanyang, Yuwen Tong had unblocked Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians, which had greatly enhanced his power of observing. He had seen Jia Zhong before, so of course he remembered how Jia Zhong¡¯s breathing was like.


    Besides, this man¡¯s attitude was also suspicious. Jia Zhong would never have reacted in this way. ¡®This must be some kind of trick!¡¯


    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s not impossible for one to alter their appearance and voice,¡± added Ling Zhang.


    Having seen what the bodyguard of Yuwen Tong could do with disguise skills, Ling Zhang would never be easily deceived by someone¡¯s appearance and voice.


    ¡°Ha-ha. It has never crossed my mind that my disguise would be seen through by a childe in Tanyang. It seems that I was not careful enough.¡±


    The ¡°Jia Zhong¡± inside the prison wagon suddenly let out two ghoulish laughs and made these remarks. His voice had changed drastically.


    ¡°Watch out, Childe Ling!¡± Xie Shi, who had been standing behind Ling Zhang all along, suddenly yelled. With that, he smacked his hand down on to the saddle, took a flying leap forward and exchanged a palm strike with the ¡°Jia Zhong¡± who had abruptly sprung out of the prison wagon swishing towards Ling Zhang head-on!


    Surprisingly, after exchanging this palm strike, both of them landed on to the ground and uncontrollably took a couple of steps backward.


    ¡°Who are you that can parry my palm strike?!¡± Finally, face of that ¡°Jia Zhong¡± changed.


    Xie Shi also had a rather grave expression. ¡°Childe Ling, this guy is no common kung fu practitioner. Go and get help. I¡¯ll keep him busy and buy you some time.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. After thinking for a while, he instructed Wang Dashan, ¡°Elder Brother Wang, form up and join hands with Guard Xie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± replied Wang Dashan, waves of thrill running through him.


    Ling Zhang had taught them the second and the third arrays of the Trap-and-kill Formation these days. They had developed a high level proficiency and had been looking forward to sparring with any of the bodyguards of Yuwen Tong. This occasion happened to be a golden opportunity for them.


    ¡°Brothers, form up!¡±


    With a string of concentrated footsteps, the twelve security guards immediately ringed both Jia Zhong and Xie Shi.


    ¡°Liuzi, go back to get help,¡± Ling Zhang instructed Yang Liuzi.


    Yang Liuzi gave a bob of his head and immediately rode away.


    After being surrounded, the impersonated Jia Zhong sneered, ¡°You are just a bunch of fledglings. You think you stand a chance of stopping me with your average kung fu skills?¡±


    Xie Shi, calm and collected, didn¡¯t bother talking with that impersonated Jia Zhong. He directly launched an attack.


    The two men instantly fell into a tangled fight. There were several occasions when the impostor was within an inch of getting out of the encirclement ring but, surprisingly, was forced back.


    The impostor was astonished. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡±


    ¡°Humph. This is so happening. Your kung fu is nothing compared with that of Marshal Yuwen,¡± Qiu Bing observed sarcastically, holding his weapon.


    ¡°What?¡± Before the impostor could make a response, Xie Shi threw a palm strike at his head, leaving him no choice but to immediately somersault backwards.


    ¡°Letting yourself be distracted is going to get yourself killed,¡± commented Xie Shi flintily.


    Trapped in the formation and reduced to passively defending against Xie Shi¡¯s attack, totally powerless to get out of the ring of encirclement, the impersonated Jia Zhong was sweating buckets with anxiety.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face was colder than that of anybody. Since Jia Zhong had been at large for such a long time, he had always known that something was not right. And now, things did go awry. He wondered exactly how Jia Zhong had managed to have this kung fu expert come to his help.


    ¡°Head Constable Li, where did you seize this man?¡± Ling Zhang asked Head Constable Li.


    Sweat was trickling down the forehead of Head Constable Li, who could only imagine how heavy a toll this mistake would take on his career prospects. On hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s question, he hurriedly wiped the sweat off his face and replied, ¡°I caught him in the courier station in that town. At that time, Jia Zhong had already gathered the corpse of Jia Yuanling into a coffin, planning to transport it back to Tanyang. When we arrived, they had not received any messages from Tanyang yet and were unaware of what had happened in Tanyang, so we apprehended this man without any trouble. It has never crossed my mind that¡­¡±


    He was too concerned to finish his sentence.


    A piercing look fell across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. If he had failed to see through this impersonated Jia Zhong and he was sent into the prison, there would have been unimaginable consequences, since Jia Yin and some other members of Jia family were still in there under custody.


    Given the excellent kung fu and disguise skills of this old man, his intention was, without doubt, to enter the prison and rescue those people!


    In other words, no matter how Jia Zhong had convinced this old man to help him, his purpose was definitely to rescue Jia Yin and the others.


    ¡®Is there any chance Jia Zhong is hiding somewhere nearby and watching at this moment?¡¯


    Ling Zhang immediately looked around, carefully sizing up everybody on the scene. All of a sudden, his gaze rested on someone among the crowd.

 Chapter 137 - You Want to Kill Me? Go to the Underworld and Wait

    Chapter 137: You Want to Kill Me? Go to the Underworld and Wait


    Translator: DragonRider


    That was a man disguised as a rich, middle-aged merchant, who had a couple of attendants with him and was standing among the crowd gazing in this direction. On the surface, he appeared very curious, just like any of the residents looking on around the scene, but the nervousness and anxiety in his eyes were manifest. He stared fixedly at the impersonated Jia Zhong who was being surrounded and attacked. When it was clear that the impostor wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the ring of encirclement, he made an attempt to worm his way out of the crowd, which was an unmistakable indication that he was trying to flee.


    Most importantly, the figure of this merchant bore an uncanny resemblance to that of Jia Zhong!


    Ling Zhang summoned Head Constable Li and whispered something into his ears. Eyes of Head Constable Li lit up and he beckoned all Yamen runners over with a wave of his hand, who then followed him into the crowd.


    Ling Zhang swung himself into the saddle, gazing in that direction.


    Eyes of the man dressed like a rich merchant encountered Ling Zhang¡¯s and immediately moved away, as if he was hiding a guilty secret. Seeming to have come to realize that his identity was about to be exposed, he tried harder to elbow his way out of the crowd.


    If Ling Zhang had been only seventy-percent sure before seeing this, now he was ninety-percent sure of it.


    Head Constable Li was eager to make amends for the failed task by some good services, so this time he took exceptionally quick action. Soon, he and his men ringed the crowd that the rich merchant was among. Gradually, onlookers near the merchant sensed that something was not right and fled the ring of encirclement in alarm one after another. Yamen runners slowly gained ground and soon the rich merchant and his attendants were the only ones left within the ring of encirclement.


    Having come to the realization that he had been surrounded, the rich merchant still intended to bluff his way out. He followed in the wake of others trying to flee the encirclement but was held back by Head Constable Li.


    ¡°Well, Officer, would you please be so kind as to let me through? I have some urgent business to attend to and need to get out of the city right away.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the city? Are you sure you¡¯re not making haste to flee?¡± asked Head Constable Li aloud, staring at the merchant angrily, his eyes carefully appraising him up and down. Having taken warning from the trick of the impostor, he wouldn¡¯t take anybody for what they seemed once again.


    ¡°You must be joking, Officer. We did no wrong. Why would we try to flee?¡± replied the rich merchant, an obsequious smile on his face. ¡°I really have some business of urgency to attend to and must get out of the city. Any delay will cause me heavy losses.¡±


    After saying this, he fished out a signed check and tried to stuff it into Head Constable Li¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯d greatly appreciate it if you do us this favor.¡±


    Head Constable Li sneered and pushed the signed check back without even glancing at it. ¡°Jia Zhong, this is what you want to buy me with? You think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    The look on the rich merchant¡¯s face changed, his eyes trying to dodge contact with those of the head constable. ¡°Pardon my ignorance, Officer, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Is there any chance that you are mistaking me for someone else? I¡¯m a traveling merchant from Yan Zhou. We¡¯re just passing through on our way to another city. If this offer of mine is not generous enough in officer¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m willing to double it. Would you please be so kind as to let us through?¡±


    As the severity of the disturbance behind him built up, beads of cold sweat appeared on the forehead of the rich merchant, the anxiety on his face deepening. Seeing the unsympathetic expression of Head Constable Li, he doubled his offer once again.


    Head Constable Li was almost swayed. If it weren¡¯t for the knowledge that failing to seize Jia Zhong would reduce him to facing dire consequences, he might have accept the money. In a harsh tone of voice, he yelled, ¡°Jia Zhong, how dare you attempt to bribe a government official! Submit to arrest right now!¡±


    ¡®What? Jia Zhong?¡¯


    His yelling attracted the attention of all onlookers, who soon gathered around the spot. Those garrison who had escorted the prison wagon to this city also encircled the area ring upon ring, leaving the rich merchant nowhere to flee to.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing? You failed to catch Jia Zhong and you want to randomly make someone else a fall guy? You think being a foreigner makes me a soft target? Are all Tanyang people bullies ignorant of the law?!¡±


    Uncertainty appeared on faces of residents around the scene as they heard his words.


    Ling Zhang, who happened to have just walked over, stared at him flintily and said, ¡°We¡¯ll find out whether you¡¯re a merchant or a criminal once your fake face is ripped off.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You would make this place a kangaroo court and inflict torture here? Is the local government really going to watch this happen?! This is outrageous. I demand an audience with Lord Tao!¡±


    However, no matter how loud he yelled, Yamen runners around him remained indifferent. Even those garrison troops from another town also stood still. Residents looking on were swayed, but none of them said anything. They just looked on.


    ¡°You!¡± Anxiety on the face of the rich merchant went deeper and deeper, his eyes darting back and forth to see if there were any gaps that he could take advantage of.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, Head Constable Li? Rip off his mask,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Head Constable Li gave a wave of his hand and with that a dozen Yamen runners threw themselves forward, seized the rich merchant and brought him to the ground.


    ¡°Somebody help! You are not getting away with this!¡± Restrained, the rich merchant was still yelling. He was pinned with half of his face against the ground and, through a gap between Yamen runners, caught sight of Ling Zhang and stared fixedly at him, the expression in his eyes instantly ferocious and murderous.


    Ling Zhang flicked an apathetic glance at him and then watched as Head Constable Li fumbled on his face. Eventually, he found a crease, pinched it and heavily ripped the mask off!


    ¡°Ouch!¡± The fake face was torn off and the man let out a pained screech, but meanwhile the disguise on his face was thoroughly removed.


    ¡°I knew it was you, Jia Zhong,¡± Ling Zhang sneered, watching Jia Zhong whose true face had been revealed.


    ¡°My goodness. That¡¯s really Jia Zhong.¡±


    ¡°His disguise was so good. I could never have seen him through.¡±


    All residents around the scene exclaimed in astonishment and fell into discussion with each other, pointing at Jia Zhong.


    After being dragged to his feet, Jia Zhong spat heavily in the direction of Ling Zhang and then blustered, ¡°Ling Zhang, you snot-nosed fledgling. Enjoy this victory while you still can. I swear I¡¯ll take your life with my bare hands!¡±


    ¡°You want to kill me? Go to the underworld and wait. I¡¯m afraid spirits of those wronged and killed due to your evil doings have been expecting you in the underworld, eager to throw you into the depths of purgatory.¡± Ling Zhang looked at him coldly.


    ¡°Jia Zhong, your family committed numerous crimes. Both you and your elder brother have been condemned to decapitation. Your execution is to be carried out in three days,¡± reprimanded Head Constable Li.


    Jia Zhong¡¯s face abruptly paled visibly. ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡±


    ¡°Humph! Three days later, you¡¯ll find out whether it¡¯s possible or not!¡±


    ¡°Jia Zhong, so many people have died at your hands, yet you still have the fond hope of getting away with it? Stop dreaming!¡±


    The conversation jogged onlookers¡¯ memories of the day when those remains of miners were carried back to the city on wooden boards. All of them went indignant and started cursing and throwing things at Jia Zhong.


    The indignation of those residents was overwhelming. Jia Zhong was hit constantly on the head by all kinds of things and couldn¡¯t even speak.


    Ling Zhang secretly felt a sense of relief in the knowledge that Jia Zhong had finally been caught. A while ago, when he found that the man in the prison wagon was an impostor, he could feel his pulse throbbing in his throat.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± somebody suddenly yelled.


    Ling Zhang failed to react in time and was knocked down to the ground by a great force. In that instant, he only saw Jia Zhong¡¯s hideous, murderous face and the dagger raised high in his hand. ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    Taken aback, Ling Zhang rolled himself aside. Jia Zhong¡¯s dagger brushed past him and slit his arm, bringing burning pains spreading all over him.


    After the first blow missed the target, Jia Zhong raised his dagger intending to gave a second stab. This time Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge. The sharp, wicked-looking dagger was abruptly thrust at Ling Zhang!


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a kick sent Jia Zhong flying high and then heavily landed on the ground with a loud bang mixed with the sound like that of bones breaking. Jia Zhong spat out a mouthful of blood, briefly convulsed and then fell still.


    Ling Zhang, still badly shaken, was scooped up by a pair of strong arms, and with that, faint, familiar fragrance enwrapped him, worming its way into his nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡±


    A familiar voice immediately consoled him and Ling Zhang¡¯s rapid heart rate slowly returned to normal.


    He turned around to look at Jia Zhong who was lying still on the ground. ¡°What had just happened? How did he come to attack me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong carefully held Ling Zhang¡¯s wound, an icy look on his face.


    Sweating buckets, Head Constable Li walked over in fear. ¡°Jia Zhong suddenly bit the man restraining him, fished out a dagger and wounded another two. He was very fast and they failed to stop him.¡±


    Ling Zhang cocked an eye at those men and, as expected, saw that two constables were holding their wounds which clearly had been caused by Jia Zhong¡¯s dagger.


    ¡°You must clean the wound and dress it carefully after returning,¡± said Yuwen Tong in a deep voice.


    People around the scene were still suffering from a delayed reaction to the shock. The corpse of Jia Zhong on the ground, in particular, made them so nervous that they were involuntarily trying to keep their breathing shallow.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mu Fang. It¡¯s a great honor to bow before you, Marshal.¡± Right at this moment, the deputy commander, who was in charge of the team escorting the prisoner back to Tanyang, walked up to Yuwen Tong and made a bow with hands folded in front. ¡°I¡¯m guilty of negligence. Please mete out punishment to me, Marshal.¡±


    His words sent a ripple of gasp through the crowd. Everybody was shocked even more and didn¡¯t dare to make any sounds.


    All of them had been looking forward to seeing Yuwen Tong for a long time. Now Yuwen Tong was right in front of them, yet none of them dared to walk forward to take a close look.


    Too concerned about the injured arm of Ling Zhang to stay in this place any longer, Yuwen Tong, with a cold look on his face, instructed Mu Fang, ¡°Help transfer Jia Zhong¡¯s body to the Prefecture Yamen and then meet me in Ling family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± Mu Fang answered with his head down.


    ¡°Yao Yi, go and give Xie Shi a hand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    Yao Yi joined Xie Shi¡¯s fight against the impostor and soon overpowered him.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had returned to the horse-drawn carriage of Ling family. Ling Xingzhong, who had already got off the carriage and was heading in their direction, saw the wounded arm of Ling Zhang and also became worried. ¡°Send for Physician Lin. Tell him to go to my place.¡±


    A servant hurriedly ran in the direction of Physician Lin¡¯s house.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded.


    Ling Maomao was also woken up by the noises outside. He got out of the horse-drawn carriage and was greeted by the sight of his wounded elder brother, which drained all the color from his face. Eyes red, he looked at the injured arm of his elder brother and called, ¡°Elder Brother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just a minor injury. Get in the carriage. We¡¯re going back,¡± Ling Zhang consoled the boy.


    Ling Maomao inclined his head, watched in worry as Ling Zhang was guided into Ling Xingzhong¡¯s carriage, and then hurriedly get into his own carriage. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. Hurry.¡±


    Fu Caiwei also had a frown of concern on her face.


    When they returned to the residence of Ling family, Physician Lin also arrived. He examined Ling Zhang¡¯s wound, cleaned it, applied drug to it, dressed it and then informed Ling Zhang, ¡°It¡¯s just a superficial injury. You¡¯ll fully recover in seven days, eight at the latest. Be careful and try not to use this arm during this time.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Physician Lin.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s face was somewhat pale. The process of applying drug to the wound had been rather painful.


    All members of Ling family were present. On hearing the words of Physician Lin, they all sighed in relief.


    Yuwen Tong carefully settled Ling Zhang¡¯s arm on the bed, his face still rather flinty.

 Chapter 138 - The Occurrence of a Squabble

    Chapter 138: The Occurrence of a Squabble


    After the other members of his family left, Ling Zhang held Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Stop being angry, okay?¡±


    ¡°Given your enhanced sensory ability, you must have sensed it beforehand when Jia Zhong launched an attack. Why didn¡¯t you sidestep him?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was indeed angry, but what he felt more strongly was a panic fear after the incident. The very thought of that attack still sent fits of scare through him. What could have happened had he not arrived in time? He didn¡¯t dare to imagine the answer to this question. Though having witnessed countless deaths on battlefield, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of the same thing happening to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°It was just a momentary lapse of concentration. It had never crossed my mind that Jia Zhong would be able to free himself so quick, given that he had no kung fu skills and was under restraint.¡±


    Ling Zhang lowered his head in self-accusation and annoyance.


    After watching the guilty look in his eyes and his pale face for quite a while, Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh. ¡°You face is very pale. Have some sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when the medicine is ready.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his head to look at him, his hand still holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. I promise.¡±


    He himself had also been through terrible horror this day. He was not afraid of being hurt, but being hurt in this way was pointless and had also scared everybody.


    As Yuwen Tong saw that Ling Zhang was still holding his sleeve, his heart melted, leaving him powerless to lay any more criticism on him.


    ¡°All right.¡± He took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and enwrapped it in his palms. ¡°Sleep. I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡±


    Realizing how he had just behaved, Ling Zhang was already somewhat embarrassed ¨Ctoo embarrassed to accept Yuwen Tong¡¯s offer of company. He was not a young boy like Maomao and didn¡¯t need anybody¡¯s company after suffering a minor injury, so he tried to withdrew his hand. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Isn¡¯t Mu Fang waiting for you out there? You should go.¡±


    But his attempt to withdraw his hand failed, because Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°Let him wait. Given that he failed to see through the impostor, I think I¡¯m going easy enough on him by merely keeping him waiting.¡±


    ¡°That old man¡¯s disguise was excellent, and Jia Zhong was far from an acquaintance of them, so it¡¯s unsurprising that they got the wrong people.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t clear them of responsibility.¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Tong released Ling Zhang¡¯s hand.


    Believing that he was going to leave, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed, but then he saw that Yuwen Tong began undressing. Surprised, he asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep with you for a while,¡± replied Yuwen Tong in an exceptionally natural tone of voice. After taking off his overgarment, he quickly got in the bed, lay beside Ling Zhang, moved Ling Zhang¡¯s head from the pillow onto his arm and naturally put the other arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    But remarkably, Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence gave him a feeling of comfortableness that he had never felt before. Before long, he really drifted off to sleep. After a certain amount of time, he was woken up, drank a bowl of medicine and then fell asleep again.


    When he awoke again, Yuwen Tong was already gone. He believed that he must have left after waking him up and watching him drink the decoction.


    Xia Feng walked inside, helped him get dressed and then brought him some food.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°The Marshal is having a conversation with Master in the ante-room. After leaving in the afternoon, he had come back here to check on you several times for fear that you might have a fever.¡±


    After a brief while¡¯s silence, Ling Zhang uttered ¡°Um¡± and then asked, ¡°How¡¯s everything going out there?¡±


    ¡°Jia Zhong¡¯s body has already been transferred to the yamen. It is rumored that Jia Yin raised a stink in his cell, but Lord Tao made him shut up. As regards that old man who impersonated Jia Zhong, Guard Yao neutered him of his kung fu and threw him into the prison.¡±


    Ling Zhang relaxed safe in the knowledge that everything had been properly handled.


    ¡°There¡¯s another issue. I¡¯m not sure whether I should tell you,¡± said Xia Feng in a somewhat hesitant tone of voice.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement.


    ¡°Since you got hurt, the Marshal flied into a temper and punished all those who were on the scene but failed to keep Jia Zhong under tight control. He had a cold look on his face all day. We¡¯re all very afraid.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°What kind of punishments did he mete out to them?¡±


    ¡°For Head Constable Li and most of his men, it was six months¡¯ unpaid work plus flogging. That General Mu was rebuked and a lot of people heard it. The Marshal also seems to have written a letter and instructed him to take it back to a competent authority which will mete out penalty to him. And¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Captain Wang and his men were also punished. The Marshal said that Captain Wang and his men were on the scene with you and should have kept you safe, but they put first things last and none of them was by your side when you were in danger. He observed that they were brainless and had them run in the guards¡¯ yard carrying large rocks on their heads. They are still running at this moment.¡±


    ¡°They are still running?¡±


    Ling Zhang was startled. It was already dark and had been six, maybe eight hours since his arm was injured!


    ¡°We have to go to the guards¡¯ yard right now,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly said.


    ¡°Be careful, Young Master. You¡¯re still recovering.¡± Seeing him got up very quick, Xia Feng was taken aback and sprang to his support.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go and tell them to stop. Hurry. They were trying to stop that impostor under my orders. Surely there was nothing wrong in following my instructions?¡± Ling Zhang felt that even if Yuwen Tong had had reason to punish them, he shouldn¡¯t have gone this far.


    Ling Zhang was bursting with impatience to go to the guards¡¯ yard, but he had just walked out of the door when Yuwen Tong came back.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Seeing Ling Zhang was trying to go outside putting his overgarment on, Yuwen Tong knitted his eyebrows.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the guards¡¯ yard. It was me who had Elder Brother Wang and the others surround the impostor. They were merely following my orders.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face fell sulky as he saw that Ling Zhang was so anxious and, heedless of his injury, wanted to go to the guards¡¯ yard to ¡°save¡± those security guards. ¡°You think they don¡¯t deserve to be punished?¡±


    ¡°At least they did nothing wrong. If anybody is to be blamed, it should be me. It was me who was being careless.¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°Protecting you was their first priority, but they put first things last and went to fight with some insignificant person, leaving your safety aside. If I don¡¯t punish them this time, would they ever learn from their mistakes? Would they remember to take their brains with them when going outside? Inflexibly following orders is the only thing they¡¯re capable of. You were already out of their sight but none of them had the sense to be flexible and make appropriate adaptations. They hadn¡¯t the faintest idea of what they should do the most. What use could this kind of security guards possibly be of? You might as well send them packing right now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks drained all the color from Ling Zhang¡¯s face. He knew what Yuwen Tong said was right, but that incident had happened without any warning. Who could have anticipated that Jia Zhong under restraint would manage to free himself and hurt him?


    ¡°Like I said, this time it was my fault, not theirs. Even if they are partially responsible, you¡¯ve already punished them. It is night already. They are kung fu practitioners, but they¡¯ll collapse if they run for any longer.¡±


    ¡°Collapse? If they are so useless as to collapse after running for such a short time, what else could you count on them to do?¡±


    No matter how pale Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned, Yuwen Tong refused to listen to reason.


    ¡°How could they compare with you? They have no potent internal energy, only some fighting skills. How is it possible for them to run such a long time?¡±


    Yuwen Tong stared at him with a sullen face. Eventually, he said, ¡°Go back to your room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the guards¡¯ yard.¡±


    Without making any further remarks, Yuwen Tong directly scooped up Ling Zhang and walked towards his bedroom.


    ¡°You¨C¡± Ling Zhang tried to push him aside, but the moment he raised his hand, sharp pain shot up his arm and his face changed drastically.


    Yuwen Tong stopped and looked at him, a frown on his face. ¡°Stop fidgeting.¡±


    ¡°Put me down. I need to go to the guards¡¯ yard. You¡¯ve punished them already. Even if their inflexibility was some kind of mistake, they¡¯ve paid their price by running for such a long time, so would you please let them stop?!¡±


    Wang Dashan and his men blindly worshiped and trusted Yuwen Tong, and they no doubt had followed Yuwen Tong¡¯s instructions without any hesitation and might even be deeply self-condemned. They definitely wouldn¡¯t stop unless Yuwen Tong told them to.


    Ling Zhang struggled and the wound in his arm reopened under the strain and began to bleed again, dyeing red the cloth wrapped around it.


    Yuwen Tong fixed him with a stare for quite a while and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to stop. You are to redress the wound immediately or I¡¯ll have them keep running until tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ling Zhang breathed a sigh of relief in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong was willing to let them stop.


    After redressing the wound, Ling Zhang, bursting with impatience, looked at Yuwen Tong with the intention to have him give the order.


    Seeing this, Yao Yi, who had specially come over to help Ling Zhang redress the wound, couldn¡¯t help but inform him, ¡°Actually, the Marshal had instructed them to stop before he came here.¡±


    Amazed, Ling Zhang abruptly shot a look at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong had a sulky face, keeping silent.


    Instantly, a blend of emotions rose in Ling Zhang ¨Cregret, self-accusation, guilt¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was unaware of it. I thought you were having them running all along.¡±


    Xia Feng on the side directly knelt down to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I got the wrong message.¡±


    Ling Zhang gazed at Yuwen Tong, his mouth a thin line.


    Yao Yi let out a sigh, gave Xia Feng¡¯s arm a pull and winked at him. After a brief trance of surprise, Xia Feng hurriedly rose to his feet and walked out of the room with Yao Yi.


    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. If it weren¡¯t for that I knew you would be worried, I would indeed have ordered them to run until midnight.¡±


    Ling Zhang rounded his eyes looking at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting mad again?¡±


    Ling Zhang hastily shook his head. ¡°No. I was overreacting just now.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be soft on them, not when they are still working as security guards of Ling family, and you know why.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a few moments and then inclined his head. ¡°I do.¡±


    After thinking for a while, he rose to his feet, walked up to Yuwen Tong, let out a soft cough and then, lowering his voice, in a softened tone, observed, ¡°If you¡¯re still mad at me, I¡¯m willing to accept punishments of any form. You may even have me run like my security guards did. What happened just now was all my fault. I¨C¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Yuwen Tong lowered his head and kissed him, his arms around him. The kiss was more intense than all the previous ones they had had.


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t dare to move his injured arm, quietly put the other arm around Yuwen Tong¡¯s back.


    Yuwen Tong merely paused fleetingly, and then began kissing him even harder.


    Except for the occasional faint crackling emanating from the lighted candle, the sound of their kiss was the only sound in the room, which sounded exceptionally distinct.


    As a pink blush rose to Ling Zhang¡¯s ears, he began having difficulty thinking clearly. After all, he had suffered an injury earlier this day, and his mind had been fairly unclear all along.


    Having sensed this, Yuwen Tong slowly withdrew his tongue, released his lips and looked at him, flames of desire in eyes.


    A moment ago, when Ling Zhang had ventured to walk up to him and apologize in a tender voice, he had felt an overwhelming urge. ¡®If only he would be so tender forever. In that case, I would be able to have him by my side all the time and I wouldn¡¯t let any harm come to him,¡¯ he thought.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s liquid eyes, as sparkling as stars in night sky, stared at the flames in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. Mind still fairly unclear, he didn¡¯t withdraw his gaze like before, as if fascinated.


    Yuwen Tong secretly gave a soft sigh, raised his hand and covered his eyes. ¡°If you keep gazing at me this way, I might not be able to control myself.¡±

 Chapter 139 - Motivation

    Chapter 139: Motivation


    Translator: DragonRider


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks brought a warm flush to Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks. He hurriedly shifted his gaze elsewhere, too embarrassed to stare at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes any longer.


    Yuwen Tong felt a sense of relief mixed with regret. After all, this was the first time that Ling Zhang had fixed him with a fascinated gaze.


    ¡­


    ¡°Please punish me, Young Master.¡±


    After Yuwen Tong left, Xia Feng knelt down in front of Ling Zhang, admitting his error and requesting punishment.


    Technically speaking, Xia Feng¡¯s mistake lied in drawing a conclusion without confirming whether Wang Dashan and his men had still been punitively running or not.


    However, at that time, Xia Feng had been serving Ling Zhang in the room, which was fairly far away from the guards¡¯ yard, so there was no way he could have known the change of situation there.


    ¡°Xia Feng, do you still remember, when the betrayal of Wu Er¡¯niu was found out, that servant sent by Steward He came here and informed you of it without any delay?¡±


    ¡°I remember, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of it?¡±


    ¡°They are in awe of Young Master, so they came here to report immediately.¡±


    Ling Zhang let out a sigh. ¡°Is this the only reason you could think of?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xia Feng broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°These days, every time something happens in this house, big or small, some servant would report it to you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just mentioned the reason yourself ¨Cthey are in awe of me. But this is only the reason why they do these things. Have you ever tried to harness them as a source of intelligence?¡±


    Words failed Xia Feng thoroughly.


    ¡°If I were you, with such a golden opportunity in front of me, I would definitely have seized it and taken control of all servants in this house, establishing an intelligence network. Just like a spider sitting at the center of its web, once you finish this web, even the slightest movement of the web will come to your knowledge in a timely manner. But currently, you are just passively receiving the information that the servants provide for you, which is why the messages you get are not the latest. They might even be mistaken ones if the servants want them to be.¡±


    Xia Feng could actually feel the cold sweat on his back, so ashamed that he couldn¡¯t even raise his head.


    ¡°You are considerate and poised, which is one of the strengths of yours, but you are not audacious enough, not ambitious enough, and not far-sighted enough.¡±


    Xia Feng prostrated himself, his forehead against the ground. ¡°I was terribly wrong and I¡¯m sorry to have put you to such bother, Young Master. Please give me a second chance. I promise I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already got it, but it¡¯s not to be taken as a precedent. If you fail to fulfil your promise before I depart for the capital city, you will be left behind in Tanyang.¡±


    ¡°Young Master! Please don¡¯t give up on me, Young Master!¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    Xia Feng kowtowed heavily and promised to his young master that he wouldn¡¯t fail him, a determined expression in his eyes.


    In fact, Ling Zhang had no intention of replacing Xia Feng with somebody else. Xia Feng had been serving him for many years, and there was a strong bond between them. But in a few days, he was going to leave Tanyang, which was a tiny place compared with the capital city. He must not take a single step without prior contemplation, since he couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes, neither could he afford to let people around him make any.


    After contemplating for a whole night, Ling Zhang had come to realize how wrong he was to lose his temper with Yuwen Tong the day before.


    Yuwen Tong, who saw things more clearly than he did, had punished Wang Dashan and the others not only because he had been angry about their failure to keep him safe, but also to motivate Wang Dashan and other security guards, reminding them that they should prepare themselves for going into the capital city.


    After motivating Xia Feng, Ling Zhang went to the guards¡¯ yard.


    Surprisingly, Wang Dashan and his men, who went to sleep rather late the night before because of the punishment, had got up very early this morning and were training more actively and harder than before.


    Ling Zhang had already taught them all three arrays. They could now perform the Trap-and-Kill Formation in a fairly proficient way and even stood a decent chance of defeating a kung fu expert.


    On this day, he was going to teach them the fourth array of the formation. Of course, before that, he needed to have a talk with them.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    ¡°What did you come here for, Young Master? You got injured yesterday. Maybe you should stay at home and rest today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Young Master. You¡¯re still recovering from the injury in your arm and should try not to move around before it heals up. You can always practice fist technique after recovery.¡±


    On noticing Ling Zhang coming to the yard, all security guards walked up to him and expressed their concern for him.


    ¡°Young Master, we stand at fault for failing to keep you safe yesterday.¡±


    On hearing Qiu Bing¡¯s remark, all security guards fell silent, fixing Ling Zhang with a look of guilt.


    ¡°I¡¯m partially responsible for what happened yesterday as well. I should have been punished together with you,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    ¡°How can you blame yourself for it, Young Master? It was our negligence that caused the incident. Marshal rebuked us yesterday and we are still in a panic fear. Yesterday, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that Marshal arrived in time, we would never be able to atone for our guilt, not even by our deaths.¡±


    All security guards had guilty consciences, gazing at Ling Zhang, faces full of uneasiness.


    ¡°Young Master, if you have to be punished for this as well, none of us would have the nerve to show our faces in front of you again,¡± observed Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Okay, then. Since we are all at fault for what happened yesterday, we should improve ourselves together. Let the incident yesterday be a lesson to us, a reminder that we are not to make the same mistake,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± chorused all security guards aloud.


    ¡°Today I¡¯m going to teach you the fourth array of the formation. I want all of you to cheer up and put some serious efforts into the learning. Put what happened yesterday behind you.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Ling Zhang spent two hours teaching them the fourth array of the formation. They still needed a lot of practice. It was not something that could be mastered in a short time.


    Seeing Ling Zhang had been standing for such a long time, all security guards tried to convince him to go back and have some rest.


    Ling Zhang, having no intention of playing tough, said, ¡°I¡¯ll come back and check your progress in it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master, we won¡¯t let you down tomorrow,¡± replied Qiu Bing in a loud voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± all others also hurriedly yelled.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and shifted his gaze on to Liu Yi who was always rather quiet. Liu Yi sensed it, looked back at Ling Zhang and walked up to him. ¡°Young Master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to have a talk with you tomorrow,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    From the vantage point of the present, Ling Zhang could basically confirm that Liu Yi harbor no evil intentions, but he had never found the time to talk with Liu Yi to find out what Liu Yi had been keeping back from him. Now that Zhang Chong had been eliminated, he believed that now it was the time.


    Liu Yi¡¯s face instantly went grave. In a serious tone of voice, he replied, ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    After agreeing with Liu Yi on the time for their talk the next day, Ling Zhang summoned Yang Liuzi and some others. A while ago, when Wang Dashan and others had been practicing the formation, Yang Liuzi and a couple of others had been watching on the side, green with envy.


    ¡°Young Master!¡± On hearing Ling Zhang summon them, Yang Liuzi and his fellows immediately gathered around Ling Zhang, gazing at him enthusiastically and expectantly.


    Fully aware of what they were thinking, Ling Zhang gave a smile and asked, ¡°Do you want to learn it as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Badly!¡± replied Yang Liuzi immediately. Others, bursting with impatience, also expressed their desire to learn the formation.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll teach you,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Overjoyed, Yang Liuzi and the others couldn¡¯t help but ask in a delighted tone of voice to confirm it, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ling Zhang didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Terrific! Thank you, Young Master!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ling Zhang added slowly. This word immediately dissolved the excitement on the faces of Yang Liuzi and the others. In nervousness, they looked at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°But you have to go back to the herb farm first. Zhang Chong is dead, and the Prefecture Guards won¡¯t go there to make trouble for you, but those bushrangers and bandits are still a threat. The new garrison should lay siege to the dens of those bushrangers and bandits in the next few days. I fear that some of them might flee to the herb farm, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put you to the trouble of guarding the herb farm for another couple of days. You may come back after the new garrison eradicate those bushrangers. And then I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Yang Liuzi and the others had thought that there would be some unexpected turn of events, but it turned out that Ling Zhang just wanted them to guard the herb farm for another couple of days, which was nothing for them, since they could definitely afford to wait for a few more days. As a result, they immediately promised that they would keep the herb farm safe and wouldn¡¯t let those bandits and bushrangers cause any harm to people on the farm.


    ¡°Okay, then. Liuzi, take them back to the herb farm right now, and deliver this letter to Supervisor Zhou in passing.¡± Ling Zhang fished a letter out of his inner pocket and handed it to Yang Liuzi.


    Yang Liuzi took the letter and put it away. ¡°We¡¯ll return to the herb farm right away, Young Master. Please take good care of yourself. I hope you¡¯ll get better soon.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    Yang Liuzi and the others quickly packed and then departed for the herb farm immediately.


    All these things had been handled, Ling Zhang had to go with Ling Zhaowen to Lu family.


    However, when he returned to his place, he was greeted with Yuwen Tong¡¯s sulky face.


    After a brief trance of surprise, Ling Zhang hurriedly walked up to him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡®Is he still angry about what happened yesterday?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°You are still recovering. Why were you in such a hurry to go to the guards¡¯ yard to mess around? Are you not afraid that your wound might reopen?¡± Yuwen Tong fixed him with a disapproving stare, worry gleaming in the depths of his eyes.


    Ling Zhang instantly felt a wave of warmth run through him. Meanwhile, a feeling of awkwardness also welled up inside him, as if he had just been caught misbehaving, though he actually believed that he had done nothing wrong.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t practicing fist technique. I just told them about the positions and required footwork concerning the new array of the formation. Look, I didn¡¯t even work up a sweat. And the wound is fine as well. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Upon saying this, Ling Zhang intended to raise his arm to show Yuwen Tong but was stopped by him. ¡°Okay, I get it. Try not to move your arm. Go inside and dig in. Are you not hungry after messing around for the whole morning?¡±


    Yuwen Tong held the other hand of Ling Zhang and led him into the room. Breakfast had been served, but Xia Feng was not the one waiting on them.


    Yuwen Tong slightly squinted his eyes, saying nothing about it.


    But Ling Zhang knew that Xia Feng had finally straightened out his thinking and come to realize that instead of making his young master the center of everything he did, he should put more efforts into achieving more.


    This servant in the room had also been serving Ling Zhang since childhood, whose background information was clear and definite. He was a man of few words but also unquestionable loyalty.


    ¡°Start eating. You still have a bowl of medicine to drink after breakfast.¡± Yuwen Tong guided Ling Zhang to his seat, filled a bowl with rice congee and put it down before him.


    After instructing those security guards for a whole morning, Ling Zhang was indeed hungry, but a bowl of rice congee without a shred of meat in it¡­


    ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s medicated soup in the congee, which helps to heal wounds. Though it tastes fairly bland, you¡¯ll find it satisfactory. Please have a try,¡± explained the servant after seeing him staring emptily at the rice congee.


    Ling Zhang took a scoop of it and, like the servant had said, it was a little bland but not utterly tasteless. It was just that the taste of it was slightly weird.


    But it didn¡¯t change the fact that there was no meat in it.


    ¡°They have already begun preparing lunch for you in the kitchen, so please rest assured, Young Master, there will be meat at noon,¡± added the servant.


    Ling Zhang blandly gave a bob of his head and the servant, making no further remarks, quietly walked back to the side.


    Yuwen Tong sitting in a seat beside him chuckled, ¡°Your family chef is being overprotective. During a war, food for injured soldiers is the same as that of unharmed ones. There¡¯s no such fastidiousness.¡±


    Ling Zhang silently gave him a dirty look. ¡®Isn¡¯t he supposed to console me under the circumstances? How could he tease me instead?¡¯


    Comments (14)

 Chapter 140 - The Softened Version of Ling Zhang Was Gone (1)

    ¡®He chose to tease me under these circumstances. Is he not worried that I might refuse to marry him because of this?¡¯


    Ling Zhang quietly stared at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong could scarcely stop himself from laughing, ¡°Okay, okay. Dig in.¡±


    ¡®Then stop laughing!¡¯ Remaining silent, Ling Zhang cast another glance at him and privately snorted. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he still had a guilty conscience due to what happened yesterday, he would never have tolerated Yuwen Tong laughing so arrogantly.


    After breakfast, Ling Zhang changed clothes and then went to Lu family with Ling Zhaowen. Yuwen Tong, heedless of his identity, decided to go with them.


    ¡°With you accompanying us, there will no doubt be a sensation. We¡¯ll be besieged by those people,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Relax. They won¡¯t dare,¡± replied Yuwen Tong, clearly very confident about his experience of handling that kind of situation.


    It turned out that those people indeed didn¡¯t dare to approach. When they were in Lu family, Yuwen Tong maintained a sulky face from start to finish, deterring everyone who had the intention to have a close look at him.


    They did admire this legendary war hero of iron will, but they couldn¡¯t withstand his killing intent and the air of coldness about him.


    Lu Fengnian and Lu Kui walked up to them. Originally, they had meant to accompany Yuwen Tong, but Yuwen Tong drove them away with just a couple of remarks and then stayed by Ling Zhang¡¯s side from beginning to end.


    Those people indeed didn¡¯t dare to approach, but they seemed to have trouble guarding their eyes. Each and every one of them kept looking in his direction, which made Ling Zhang feel very uneasy.


    The Taoist priest who was going to perform a ritual even observed that Yuwen Tong was the incarnation of the God of War, that around him was an aura of sacredness deterring all ghosts and evil spirits, that his presence in Lu family was more effective than his performing dozens of rituals.


    His remarks sent Ling Zhang into silence. ¡®If it¡¯s really so efficacious, shouldn¡¯t I and my family count ourselves extremely lucky?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong even whispered into his ears, ¡°Now you know how much good I can do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ling Zhang was sent speechless with astonishment.


    ¡®What a narcissist.¡¯


    After quite a long time, the ritual in Lu family was still ongoing. In the realization that they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back in time for lunch, Ling Zhang bade a servant to hurry back home to inform them lest his family chef be kept waiting.


    Finally, at noon, the ritual was over. Normally, it was time for guests to take their leave, but due to Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence, everybody remained on their seat. None of them had the intention of leaving.


    Ling Zhaowen was a close friend of Lu Kui¡¯s, so he couldn¡¯t be the first one to leave.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to leave with Yuwen Tong first on the pretext of having to return home to change fresh dressing for his wound.


    The moment they left, all guests sighed regretfully and then took their leave one after another.


    Lu Kui had been busy for a full day, which made his meagre face seem even thinner.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t look very well. Has anything been bothering you?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen in a worried tone of voice.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m trying to lose weight. I gained a lot of weight a few days ago and the physician said that I should keep in shape, and I was vexed about it for quite some time. Now it¡¯s no longer a problem,¡± laughed Lu Kui heartily. Though looking rather thin, he was in pretty high spirits.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhaowen was relieved. ¡°You¡¯ll be inaugurated as the Right Tongzhi in the Prefecture Yamen in a couple of days and there will be tons of work waiting for you. You should take some tonics to improve your health before taking office, while you still have the time.¡±


    A lot of officials in Tanyang, high-ranking or low-ranking, had been relieved from office. As a result, Tao Feng and Lu Kui had been having quite hectic schedules and wished that if only they had the ability to magically conjure up half a dozen duplicates of themselves to share the burden. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Lu Kui was obliged to be present at this ritual of Lu family, Tao Feng would actually never have granted him the permission to take a day off.


    Lu Kui smiled, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll manage. In fact, I think there¡¯s no need for me to wait for a couple of days. I¡¯ll go there tomorrow.¡±


    But Ling Zhaowen disapproved. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea. You should take some tonics first. Just rest during the next few days.¡±


    Seeing the insistent look on his face, Lu Kui had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°The vacancies for county magistrates of the Wu County, the Tai County and the Qi County are a matter of the official circle. What about the others?¡± asked Lu Kui.


    Ling Zhaowen slid a sideways glance at him. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°This is a golden opportunity!¡± Lu Kui craned closer to him and observed in an undertone. ¡°None of those rich merchants and squires deeply involved in Zhang Chong¡¯s revolt is going to get away with it this time. There are so many properties registered in their names that we can make use of. I¡¯m not talking about doing anything illegal. What I¡¯m saying is that we can buy those properties fair and square. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It will be such a shame if we let it slip away!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a smile and replied, ¡°Had I waited for this to occur to you to take action, it would have been far too late. Rest assured, I¡¯ve already consulted with Zhang¡¯er and started handling procedures concerning those that we can buy or directly take for free.¡±


    ¡°What?! You are leaving me out of this?!¡± On hearing this, Lu Kui went anxious.


    The corners of Ling Zhaowen¡¯s mouth briefly twitched. With that he gave two snorts and fished a piece of paper out of his sleeve. ¡°Take it. Stop acting like I abandoned you. We are not really that close.¡±


    Bursting with impatience, Lu Kui hurriedly took the paper and unfolded it. While reading it, he smiled, ¡°How could you say that? We¡¯ve been friends for so many years. You really have the nerve to deny it?¡±


    His remarks sent Ling Zhaowen utterly speechless.


    Lu Kui carefully put away the piece of paper, as if it were some kind of treasure, and then beamed from ear to ear, ¡°Thanks, bro. I¡¯ll stand you wine some other day.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen, whose favor was going to be returned in merely some wine, angrily rose to his feet, snorted and left.


    Lu Kui, who didn¡¯t mind at all, turned around and went to make arrangements.


    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen had some time ago consulted with each other on the issue of how to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance Ling family¡¯s strength. With what Ling family currently had and Yuwen Tong¡¯s support, they could achieve anything. But Ling Zhang and his uncle decided not to go too far. Though their family could never be too powerful, and they could never have too much money, they believed that it would be better if they helped their allies thrive with them.


    There were many other business owners whom Zhang Chong had been bullying and exploiting for many years. Many of them had been oppressed by Zhang Chong in this way because they had been unwilling to collude with him, so they were morally worthy of cooperation.


    Ling Zhang had secretly sent Butler Li to contact with these people and offered them some advice.


    All these people appreciated Ling family¡¯s advice very much. They were also aware that Ling family and Ling family¡¯s backer, Yuwen Tong, were the ones who had managed to change the situation in Tanyang, that they owed it to people of Ling family. As a result, all of them were very cooperative, poised to bring the balance of power in Tanyang to a radical change once the occasion arose.


    And this was merely a matter of time. After the new Prefecture Guards eradicated those bandits, they would make their move.


    From now on, there would be a situation of tripartite confrontation.


    Tao Feng and his subordinates and allies were one of the three forces. The new Prefecture Guards of Tanyang was another. And the third force was the one headed by Ling family.


    Among the three forces, given the personal relationship between Ling Zhaowen and Tao Feng, these two forces would be on the most harmonious terms. At least people of Ling family knew very well what they were supposed to do. Ling Zhaowen was not a fool, and he was fully aware of where Ling family should stand with the other two forces.


    As regards the new Prefecture Guards, the troops number of it would definitely suffer a significant reduction, given the revolt of Zhang Chong. On top of this, the threat from bushrangers and bandits no longer existed, so the Prefecture Guards would never be able to rid itself of Tao Feng¡¯s authority over it, which meant that, eventually, it might be partially under Tao Feng¡¯s command.


    But the case of Ling family was too special. Under no circumstances would Tao Feng be stupid enough to offend Ling family or their backer, Yuwen Tong, so it was hard to say which force the new Prefecture Guards would side with. It was a mystery yet to be solved by time.

 Chapter 141 - The Softened Version of Ling Zhang Was Gone (2)

    In the residence of Ling family, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had just returned when Yao Yi came.


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling, Zhao Fugui hasn¡¯t been offered any food for two days. We¡¯ve already got all the information we can get from him. What should we do with him next?¡±


    Had Yao Yi not mentioned him, Ling Zhang would probably forget this man named Zhao Fugui.


    The thought of Zhao Fugui inevitably brought Yuwen family in the capital city to his mind. As a result, the expression in his eyes was less mild when he looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong fell speechless.


    ¡®He¡¯s been mild to me for less than a day!¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought. That version of Ling Zhang, whose gaze was as tender as water even when he was giving him a dirty look, disappeared just like this¡­


    ¡®Zhao Fugui? That damn Zhao Fugui!¡¯


    Filled with annoyance, a cold look on his face, Yuwen Tong went to the place where Zhao Fugui and the other two men had been in custody,


    Yao Yi, who had been following in the wake of Yuwen Tong, was aware that it had been reckless of him to bring up this matter in the presence of Ling Zhang a while ago. As a result, he was trying his best to keep a low profile for fear that Yuwen Tong might vent his anger on him.


    Zhao Fugui had almost lost all mobility due to hunger. Though a servant, he had always been provided with high-quality food and clothing, living a life more decent than those of most rich squires when he had been in Yuwen family. Never once had he ever been treated this way, and neither had it ever come to his knowledge that hunger could be such a cruel penalty. On seeing Yuwen Tong coming, he instantly slumped to his knees in front of Yuwen Tong, panic and fear glinting in his eyes, and implored in a tearful voice while repeatedly kowtowing, ¡°Please have mercy on me, Marshal. I will never do any stupid things ever again. Please give me some food, Marshal. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°You want food?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him expressionlessly.


    Zhao Fugui immediately swallowed hard and answered, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Then tell me all that you know. Otherwise, it¡¯ll not be food but your death that you¡¯ll be given.¡±


    After being starving for two full days, Zhao Fugui, who had already begun to have dizzy spells due to hunger, didn¡¯t dare to play any tricks and sprang to full confession. ¡°It was under the order of Second Master that I came to Tanyang. Originally, Second Master only sent me here to threaten people of Ling family, Ling Xingzhong being the first choice. He wanted me to scare Ling Xingzhong into calling off the engagement on his own account, said that Ling Xingzhong was the old patriarch of Ling family, that if he decided to annul the engagement, even you would have no choice but to accept it. I followed the order and came here. What was beyond my expectation was that Second Young Master wanted to come as well. The moment we arrived here, Second Young Master said that he would be in charge of this matter, that we were to do everything he told us to. I didn¡¯t dare to disobey him, so I followed Second Young Master¡¯s order and stayed in a small town not far away from Tanyang City. Second Young Master entered Tanyang alone and I thought that he would seek an audience with Ling Xingzhong. It had never crossed my mind that he would go to talk with Childe Ling. And then you found out about his course of action¡­


    Second Young Master sent us a message instructing us to come and rescue him from Ling family. We were just about to enter Tanyang City when Second Young Master exited and said that you evicted him. We returned to the town in Yan Zhou and Second Young Master, who was unreconciled to leave empty-handed, sent me back to Tanyang. According to the plan, I tried to reach Ling Xingzhong but Ling Xingzhong happened to have left Tanyang, which was why I¡­I went to Ling Zhaowen.¡±


    ¡°Anything else? Did my uncle send you to Tanyang before?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Zhao Fugui hurriedly shook his head in fright. ¡°No, absolutely not. Please believe me, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Yuwen Tong cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at him.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. Really. Second Master he¨Cheld Ling family in contempt. He said that people of Ling family were nothing but a bunch of insignificant country bumpkins. Added to this Childe Ling¡¯s gender and he¡¯d believed that Ling family would call off the engagement on their own account, so he had never sent anybody to Tanyang before.¡±


    Recalling the results of Yue Qi¡¯s investigation, Yuwen Tong temporarily believed him.


    ¡°All of you knew about this engagement? And you chose to keep it back from me?¡±


    Cold sweat continuously flowing down his head, Zhao Fugui kowtowed and answered in a low, muffled voice with his forehead against the ground, ¡°I stand guilty of this! Second Master and Second Mistress were the only ones aware of this matter. I know about it because my father once mentioned it. Even Second Young Master and others were unaware. So¨CSo there are four people at the most in Yuwen family who know about this matter¡­¡±


    Zhao Fugui¡¯s father, Zhao Laifu, was a trusted subordinate of Yuwen Zhi.


    Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No¨CNothing else. This is all I know about this engagement.¡±


    ¡°Apart from this engagement,¡± said Yuwen Tong in a flinty tone of voice, ¡°it is said that my uncle and aunt had been actively trying to pair me off with someone before I returned to the capital city. Why? They¡¯d never been so keen on doing this before that.¡±


    Zhao Fugui started trembling. ¡°Be¨CBecause¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak!¡±


    ¡°Because on the Spring Festival, when the sister of Second Mistress came to pay a New Year call, Second Mistress saw her daughter and felt that she could be a suitable match for you, so she wanted to marry her niece to you¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown, disgust gleaming in his eyes. ¡°Keep talking!¡±


    ¡°Since her sister¡¯s husband is not a dignitary, Second Mistress worried that it might not work, so she consulted with Second Master. Second Master figured out a way. He wants you to ma¨Cmarry¡­¡±


    ¡°Marry whom?!¡± Yao Yi aimed a kick at Zhao Fugui, which nearly killed him.


    Zhao Fugui, who didn¡¯t dare to be halting any longer, immediately responded, ¡°Second Master wants you to marry the daughter of the Minister of Revenue.¡±


    ¡®Daughter of Minister of Revenue? Why?¡¯ Yuwen Tong, who had not been in the capital city most of the time and thus didn¡¯t know any girls there, was thrown in utter perplexity.


    But Yao Yi had heard some news on the grapevine during his stay in the capable city not long ago. In a muted voice, he informed Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal, it is rumored that the daughter of the Minister of Revenue is sick, but what kind of disease she¡¯s caught is unknown. It¡¯s just that there have always been rumors saying that the lady is dying, but she never really died.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes went cold. He immediately came to realize that Yuwen Zhi intended to have him marry a girl who didn¡¯t have many days left, and after that girl died, Yuwen Zhi would have him make an official wife of Zhen shi¡¯s niece. Maybe, in order to deter other competitors, Yuwen Zhi would even spread the rumor that Yuwen Tong had been predestined to bring bad luck to his wife. Even if that girl survived, there wouldn¡¯t be much that she could do due to her serious illness, and eventually, Zhen shi¡¯s niece would be the one who wielded de facto power in the family.


    ¡°Yao Yi, prepare a confession document and have him sign it,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± replied Yao Yi, who then prepared a confession document and had Zhao Fugui make his cross on it. Though Zhao Fugui was unwilling to do this, he had no alternative.


    From this moment on, Zhao Fugui would be under their control.


    ¡°Make arrangements for Zhao Fugui to return. Don¡¯t let Yuwen Qi see through anything,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong. Then he said to Zhao Fugui, ¡°Zhao Fugui, you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¨CI do! From now on, I¡¯ll serve Marshal with unquestioning obedience and unswerving allegiance!¡± Zhao Fugui hastily promised.


    Yuwen Tong coldly gave a snort. He was totally uninterested in the loyalty of a man of this kind. Zhao Fugui was merely a pawn to him.


    He turned around and left the detention room.


    Yao Yi, who followed in his wake, asked, ¡°Marshal, may I ask why Second Master tried so hard to have you marry the niece of Zhen shi?¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Yuwen Tong answered with a sulky look on his face, ¡°The specific reason is unknown, but it has got to have something to do with the power I currently wield, and it depends on what it is that he is after.¡±


    Yao Yi was thrown into puzzlement. ¡®Second Master and the Marshal are kins! All they have belong to Yuwen family. What difference does it make whether it is the Marshal or Second Master wields the power?


    But these years, Marshal and Second Master have indeed been drifting further and further apart. And Second Master has been getting increasingly inclined to go to extremes. Exactly what is he thinking?!¡¯

 Chapter 142 - A Request of Liu Yi

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly halted.


    ¡°Marshal?¡± Yao Yi was confused.


    ¡°It was after receiving Yuwen Qi¡¯s message that Zhao Fugui came to Tanyang with the intention to rescue him. How did Yuwen Qi send out the message at that time?¡±


    Yao Yi widened his eyes and immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask him right now!¡±


    Seeing Yao Yi returned, Zhao Fugui, unaware of what Yao Yi¡¯s intent was, narrowed his shoulders.


    ¡°How did Yuwen Qi send that message to you?¡± asked Yao Yi, a cold expression on his face.


    Zhao Fugui had already made his cross on the confession document. In the knowledge that there was no way back, he answered without any misgivings, ¡°Second Young Master did it by means of a snake he kept, which has received special training and is able to smell a certain sort of strange, unique odor.¡±


    Snake? Yao Yi asked in a suspicious tone of voice, ¡°What kind of snake?¡±


    ¡°A very small snake. It can slither a very long distance. Second Young Master always carries a bamboo tube with him, which is used for containing that snake.¡±


    ¡°So you have something that gives off the odor that can lure the snake to you?¡±


    Zhao Fugui nodded, unfastened a sachet from his belt and handed it to Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi did smell a weird odor and reached out his hand to take it.


    But Zhao Fugui withdrew it. ¡°This odor is not strong but very lingering. It can last about people who touch it for a very long time. I don¡¯t know how, but the snake can detect it. If you touch this sachet and that snake by any chance finds you, Second Young Master will definitely lay suspicions on me. And, you must not tell Second Young Master what I just informed you of. Otherwise I¡¯ll be dead before I could do anything for Marshal.¡±


    Yao Yi coldly gave a snort and left.


    After walking out of the place, Yao Yi reported to Yuwen Tong what Zhao Fugui had just told him.


    Yuwen Tong recalled what Ling Zhang said that day, amusement gleaming in his eyes. ¡®Ling Zhang has a pretty keen sense of smell.¡¯


    ¡°So be it.¡±


    Yao Yi gave a bob of his head.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Ling Zhang, like the day before, went to the guards¡¯ yard to check the security guards¡¯ progress in their training.


    After the previous day¡¯s training, they were significantly more proficient in the formation and indeed didn¡¯t let Ling Zhang down.


    ¡°Young Master.¡± Liu Yi walked over.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Ling Zhang brought Liu Yi back to his dwelling. Liu Yi had been to this place many times, but he had not had a single occasion to visit here recently. As a result, when he stepped into the courtyard, he couldn¡¯t help but secretly sigh in sentiment.


    ¡°You should know what I want to ask you about,¡± Ling Zhang, who had no intention of beating around the bush, observed straightforwardly after the two of them sat down.


    Seeing Ling Zhang had a calm face with no trace of anger, Liu Yi actually felt a sense of great relief.


    He had really feared that Ling Zhang might directly send him packing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve indeed been keeping something back from you, Young Master, but I¡¯m only doing this because I have to. By your leave, I¡¯d like to explain it to you in detail.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Ling Zhang flicked a bland glance at him. ¡®What do you think I brought you here for? Tea?¡¯ he thought.


    Liu Yi let out a soft cough and hurriedly said, ¡°When I was a child, a kung fu expert instructed me in martial arts, so I learned some moves. Since there¡¯s something sensitive about the background of that kung fu expert, he exhorted me not to disclose his whereabouts. That day, when we were sparring with the Marshal, I concealed part of my strength because I was uncertain about Marshal¡¯s identity and worried that I might bring trouble to that kung fu expert if I performed the moves he had taught me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. ¡®It¡¯s as simple as that?¡¯


    Liu Yi inclined his head in a sincere manner. ¡°It¡¯s as simple as that. I¡¯m really not hiding anything else. What I once told you is also true. I didn¡¯t lie to you, Young Master. It¡¯s just that I really cannot disclose anything about this kung fu expert. He¡¯s my benefactor and I cannot do anything that might endanger him, but I can guarantee that he had never crossed the path of anyone of Ling family, and I will never do anything that might cause Ling family or Young Master harm.¡±


    ¡°What about your visit to Tanyang? Did it have anything to do with this kung fu expert?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Liu Yi replied in an embarrassed tone of voice, ¡°The kung fu expert did mention that bandits were a terrible scourge in Tanyang. He said that it was a pity he had to live in seclusion due to his past. Otherwise he would have come here to do something for Tanyang people. It was after hearing his remarks that I had the intention of coming to Tanyang.¡±


    Liu Yi didn¡¯t seem to be lying. And Ling Zhang¡¯s observation during these days also suggested that Liu Yi harbored no evil intentions.


    Ling Zhang believed that there was an eighty-percent chance that he was trustworthy. As regards the other twenty percent, it was because Ling Zhang wanted to stay wary and observe Liu Yi for a longer time.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t push you, but if you do anything against the interest of Ling family and I find out, I will not let you get away with it.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Young Master. If that happens, you may punish me in whatever way you deem necessary.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, I wonder if I may take the liberty of making a request,¡± Liu Yi suddenly added.


    Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°May I ask if Young Master will go to the capital city with the Marshal?¡± asked Liu Yi.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. What do you have in mind?¡± Ling Zhang believed that it was unnecessary to keep his plan to go to the capital city secret from him.


    ¡°May I have the honor of going there with you, Young Master?¡± Liu Yi looked at Ling Zhang, an expectant look on his face.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead corrugated in a frown. ¡°You want to go to the capital city?¡±


    Liu Yi gave a bob of his head. ¡°I want to go to the capital city to look for someone. Before I left Yan Zhou, I promised that kung fu expert that I would go to the capital city to look for an old friend of his for him if occasion arose. Actually, my original plan was to ask for a leave of a month half a year later and pay a visit to the capital city.¡±


    ¡°Is it of great importance?¡±


    Liu Yi thought for a few moments and then inclined his head. ¡°I think it means a lot to the kung fu expert. Given that he had never implored me to do anything for him, it must be very important.¡±


    After pondering over it for a while, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°You have to allow me some time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master,¡± said Liu Yi.


    Later that day, Ling Zhang went to see Yuwen Tong and told him about the explanation of Liu Yi.


    ¡°Kung fu expert? What kind of Kung fu expert?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang shook his head.


    ¡°Then what do you think? You want him to go to the capital city with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still considering. Actually, I don¡¯t see that there¡¯s any harm in letting Liu Yi go to the capital city with us. The only thing that concerns me is whether what he¡¯s going to do will bring any influence on us.¡±


    After all, even he himself would be a total stranger in the capital city.


    ¡°Then let him go with us. You actually have made a decision already, haven¡¯t you?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Ling Zhang slid a sideways glance at him. ¡°Yes, Mr. Know-it-all.¡±


    He had indeed already made a decision. Since he was still slightly uncertain of the allegiance of Liu Yi, he believed that he might as well take Liu Yi with him to find out exactly what it was that he intended to do. At least it would be better than leaving him in Tanyang ¨Cif anything bad happened, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help, given the long distance between Tanyang and the capital city.


    ¡°If this matter really bothers you so much, why not just send him packing?¡± Yuwen Tong made a suggestion.


    ¡°You are not helping. If I really have him leave, you will definitely tease me again.¡± Ling Zhang refused to fall for his trick.


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°When did I ever tease you?¡±


    Ling Zhang shot him a dark glance. ¡®What a nuisance!¡¯


    ¡®Having Liu Yi leave is simple, but what would others think of me if I fire him for such a petty thing? Those security guards, Wang Dashan in particular, wouldn¡¯t they be bitterly disappointed by it? I didn¡¯t put so much effort into training them for fun,¡¯ he thought.


    Moreover, Liu Yi was actually competent in his work. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have the heart to fire him.


    ¡°What about you? Why did you release Zhao Fugui?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong gave him a sketchy account of the matter concerning Zhao Fugui but skipped the part about Yuwen Zhi¡¯s attempt to pair him off with the niece of Zhen shi.


    ¡°I got the goods on him. He has no choice but to follow my orders.¡±


    ¡°A base man like him might double-cross you. You¡¯ve got to be careful,¡± observed Ling Zhang. He held a deep dislike for Zhao Fugui and his likes. The sight of any of them always jogged his memories of what happened in his last incarnation. ¡®Maybe the one who took some men to Tanyang and ridiculed my family in my last life was Zhao Fugui¡¯s father, that man named Zhao Laifu or something,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll take over all affairs in Yuwen family after I return to the capital city. Previously, since I was defending the border area, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to take a personal interest in the matters at home. Now that we are going to live in the capital city for a long time, I definitely won¡¯t wink at family matters any longer.¡±


    ¡°You are going to live in the capital city for a long time?¡± Ling Zhang was thrown into a trance of surprise. ¡®Why does Yuwen Tong want to live in the capital city for a long time?¡¯ he wondered.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Yeah. At least I¡¯m not going to leave the capital city before our wedding day, unless there is another war. But theoretically, the Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t wage another war during the next few years.¡±


    Ling Zhang was sent speechless with astonishment.


    ¡®Why is Yuwen Tong so sure that we¡¯ll get married?


    And about the war, why is he so positive that the Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t wage another war? There has been numerous frictions and also frequent battles between the Great Yue and the Wan Kingdom in the past. There has never been any long periods of peace.¡¯


    ¡°How can you be so certain that the Wan Kingdom won¡¯t wage another war?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a mysterious smile but didn¡¯t answer the question. ¡°Some day you¡¯ll know.¡±


    Strangely, Ling Zhang had a sneaking suspicion that Yuwen Tong must have done something covertly.


    ¡­


    Another day passed and the date for Jia Yin¡¯s execution arrived.


    Many residents congregated around the chopping block at the entrance of the food market, waiting to see Jia Yin be beheaded.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were sitting near the window in a private room on the second floor of a nearby teahouse, which happened to be a good vantage point for watching the execution ground.


    Jia Yin was escorted to the place of execution, skinny, in striking contrast to the image of a rich man that he was ten days ago before being imprisoned. Clearly, this ten-day-long wait for death had cost him all his vital energy. He scarcely had enough strength to keep his balance, staggering along the way.


    The color of his face was a deathly white twined with sickly blue, which was, for all intents and purposes, identical with that of a dead man¡¯s face.


    When Jia Yin was escorted to the chopping block, he still didn¡¯t utter a word, staring vacantly at the ground.


    ¡°It is said that after Jia Zhong died, he kicked up a stink, spat out a mouthful of blood and ended up like this,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang blandly responded ¡°Um¡±, thinking that Jia Yin got his just deserts.


    Apart from Jia Yin, other members of Jia family were also escorted to the execution ground. They were here to watch the execution. After Jia Yin died, they would be escorted to a defense works construction site near the border, where they would spend the rest of their lives.


    On their arrival at the execution ground, they burst into tears. Fang shi was wailing the hardest, but none of the onlookers nearby felt any sympathy for her.


    At Wuzheng (12:00), Jia Yin was beheaded.


    Fang shi passed out and was carried into a prison wagon to be sent to the border, along with all other convicted members of Jia family.


    Jia Yin¡¯s corpse was collected and then casually thrown to a mass grave.


    Thus, Jia family was consigned to oblivion, leaving no traces of its existence whatsoever in Tanyang.


    Jia family had been eradicated and Zhang Chong had died. Ling Zhang¡¯s remaining enemies were those who, adding to the misfortunes of Ling family, had carved up Ling family¡¯s assets. All those people used to be Zhang Chong¡¯s lackeys and were the next ones to be eradicated. As regards how to deal with them, Ling Zhang had already had a plan.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang left the teahouse. While leaving, Ling Zhang unintentionally noticed two men, who had been hiding among the crowd, leave the scene. The figures of the two men were very familiar to Ling Zhang. One of them was the patriarch of He family, and the other the patriarch of Zhou family. The two men appeared panic-stricken, unable to disguise the fear on their faces.

 Chapter 143 - You Dont Know?

    Yuwen Tong glanced in the direction Ling Zhang was looking and asked, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Zhang Chong¡¯s lackeys. Since Zhang Chong¡¯s dead and Jia family ended up like this, they got scared.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lost his interest in the two men after hearing this and withdrew his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯re still recovering.¡±


    ¡­


    In the small town in Yan Zhou, Yuwen Qi, who had been waiting in the inn for quite some days, was informed of Zhang Chong¡¯s death before Zhao Fugui and the other two, whom he had been expecting, could return to report.


    It threw him in astonishment that Zhang Chong had met his end only a couple of days after his leaving Tanyang. He also heard about Dai Cheng¡¯s presence in Tanyang, which also greatly perplexed him, since he had been in this town all along but never seen any armies pass by. He specially made some inquiries and was told it had been through a passage in the Grand Mang Mountain that the army had got to Tanyang.


    ¡°Zhang Chong had been hiding such a secret route. It seems that the Sixth Prince had long ago made preparations. What a pity¡­¡± Yuwen Qi didn¡¯t finish his sentence, secretly muttering that the Sixth Prince and those on his side had been so unlucky. ¡®They¡¯d been concealing this trump card so well yet Yuwen Tong still found it and destroyed it.¡¯


    ¡®This matter would definitely cause quite a stink in the capital city. What¡¯s been keeping Zhao Fugui? Why is he still not back after such a long time?¡¯ He wanted to return to the capital city immediately to take a look.


    Yuwen Qi had just privately complained about Zhao Fugui¡¯s not coming back in time when the next moment Zhao Fugui and the other two men showed up.


    Surprisingly, apart from Zhao Fugui and the other two men, he also saw Xie Shi, Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguard!


    ¡°You¨CYou!¡± Yuwen Qi was filled with anger and anxiety.


    Zhao Fugui, face full of depression, didn¡¯t dare to look at Yuwen Qi. The other two men were also keeping their heads down.


    ¡°Second Young Master, I brought word from Marshal that if you don¡¯t take your men and go back to the capital city right now, he¡¯ll make sure you never get back.¡± Xie Shi threatened him in a flinty tone of voice.


    Yuwen Qi flied into a temper. How dare a mere bodyguard talk to him like this!


    ¡°Son of a bitch! Who do you think you are? How dare you threaten me!¡±


    ¡°This is the Marshal¡¯s order. If you¡¯ve got a problem with it, please go and talk to the Marshal.¡±


    ¡°You think you can scare me by mentioning Yuwen Tong¡¯s name?!¡± thundered Yuwen Qi after overturning an inn stool with a hard kick.


    Xie Shi coldly looked at him and folded his arms across his chest, saber in hand. ¡°Second Young Master, please hurry and start packing.¡±


    After panting with gritted teeth for quite a while, Yuwen Qi furiously turned around and abruptly slapped Zhao Fugui hard across the face, reprimanding, ¡°Start moving, good-for-nothing! You want me to do it myself?!¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Zhao Fugui let out a pained cry and, frightened out of his wits, hastily went upstairs to pack.


    No matter how reluctant he was, Yuwen Qi didn¡¯t really dare to challenge Yuwen Tong¡¯s authority. Though barely able to forbear to kill people due to extreme rage, eventually he was still forced into leaving the town.


    Xie Shi followed them and didn¡¯t leave until they were out of the town, which infuriated Yuwen Qi to such an extent that he nearly vomited blood.


    When they were far away from the town, Yuwen Qi kicked Zhao Fugui off his horse and thundered, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why did you lead Yuwen Tong¡¯s man to me?!¡±


    Zhao Fugui was trembling all over from the pain caused by the heavy landing, but he still rose to his knees in the knowledge that his young master¡¯s question was not to be ignored. Head hanging, hate and ferocity glinting in his eyes, he replied in a loud and tearful voice, ¡°Second Young Master, it was all because of that wild-card Ling Zhaowen! We were tricked by him real bad!¡±


    Zhao Fugui skipped the part where he had been coerced into disclosing the secrets and signing the confession document, and told Yuwen Qi about Ling Zhaowen¡¯s threatening to put them in jail.


    ¡°That Ling Zhaowen was very arrogant. He was fully aware of our identities but refused to show us a shred of respect, laying ill-concealed humiliation and total disregard on Yuwen family. It was outrageous!¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s face was livid with rage. ¡°It was not Yuwen family but us, people of secondary Yuwen family that he was humiliating! Ling family are nothing but a bunch of uneducated country bumpkins. I¡¯ll have them know just because they have Yuwen Tong at their back doesn¡¯t mean they get to scorn secondary Yuwen family. They should have peed on the ground and looked into it to find out what they look like!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, what should we do?¡± asked Zhao Fugui, weeping.


    ¡°We return to the capital city,¡± replied Yuwen Qi through gritted teeth. ¡°Since Ling family have such a strong death wish, my father¡¯s fury will befall them.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhao Fugui secretly felt a sense of relief and hurriedly got on his horse.


    After they left, Xie Shi showed up again, a shallow frown on his face.


    Xie Shi returned to Tanyang, reported Yuwen Qi¡¯s remarks to Yuwen Tong and then observed, ¡°Marshal, Second Master would probably do something to harm Ling family. We have to take precautions.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a cold expression on his face all along.


    Yao Yi and a couple of others exchanged glances with one another, all looking somewhat worried.


    ¡°Yao Yi, send word to the Shadow Battalion and tell Qi San to dispatch a team to Tanyang. They are to keep their identities secret protecting Ling family covertly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    However, this was merely an expedient after all. In the final analysis, the root of the problem was in the capital city. But the crux of it was that Yuwen Zhi was Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle. Yao Yi and others were all privately worried about Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°This is a matter concerning the Marshal¡¯s future marriage. Why does Second Master have to get involved in it? Back then when Marshal was having a tough time, they didn¡¯t even¨C¡±


    Yao Yi shot a dark glance at the speaker.


    The speaker shut up but looked rather unreconciled.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Do what the Marshal told us to do. I believe the Marshal will have it properly handled,¡± said Zhang Liu.


    After the others left, Zhang Liu and Xie Shi exchanged glances, both their faces sullen.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the last words of the Old Master, the Marshal would never have to put up with Second Master and his men,¡± commented Zhang Liu in a contemptuous tone of voice, manifest disgust in his eyes.


    ¡°Even a lifeless statue has its own little temper, not to mention Marshal. Let¡¯s just wait and see,¡± replied Xie Shi blandly.


    ¡­


    At the same time. In Jiangzhou.


    A downtown variety store in Jiangzhou was suddenly ringed by a large team of Yamen runners. Seeing this, all customers in the store were scared and hurriedly left.


    ¡°Excuse me, officers. May I ask why are you doing this?¡± asked the keeper of the variety store in a surprised and bewildered tone of voice.


    ¡°Where are your bosses?¡± asked the head constable, a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Well¡­our bosses are otherwise engaged. Can I take a message for you?¡± replied the storekeeper discreetly.


    ¡°Go and get your two bosses here. Tell them that their presence is requested in the yamen.¡± The head constable, still having a cold expression on his face, didn¡¯t disclose any details.


    Seeing their unfriendly faces, in the fear that something bad might have happened, the storekeeper went to inform Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi without asking any further questions.


    Both Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi were greatly surprised to hear that their variety store had been surrounded by a lot of Yamen runners headed by some constables, and that their presence was requested in the yamen. In their perplexity, they wondered whether any of their previous doings had offended people of the yamen.


    Perturbed, the two of them arrived at the hall of the variety store and met the head constable. Wang Xingfeng put on a smile. ¡°Greetings, Head Constable Wang. May I ask if I can be of service to you?¡±


    ¡°Your service is unwanted. The two of you stand accused of illegal possession of important antiques as well as bribing the county magistrate of the Lotus County into granting you permission to open an unlawful gunpowder workshop with the intent to make profits, both of which are felonies. We¡¯re here to arrest you. Constables, restrain them!¡±


    Faces of Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi changed drastically. They turned around with the intention to flee but their path had already been blocked. After a short while¡¯s resistance, they were put under restraint.


    ¡°All properties in the names of Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi have been seized awaiting further check of the yamen. You people are not allowed to live in this place any longer, and neither are you allowed to leave the city. Be ready to go to the yamen at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    Head Constable Wang gave an instruction to the storekeeper and store assistants and then took Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi away with Yamen runners.


    From start to finish, Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi had on idea how their deeds had suddenly been brought to light.


    The next day, the yamen ordered the seizure of all properties in the names of Wang Xingfeng and Zhou Gaoyi, who were convicted of the felony of running gunpowder workshop without official consent and sentenced to life imprisonment. Before long, their businesses in Yan Zhou, both big ones and small ones, were carved up by other business owners.


    When news of this matter reached Ling Zhang, his countenance stood unchanged. Of course, he was the one who had sent his men to Jiangzhou to do those things.


    Even Yuwen Tong had been unaware of this matter. ¡°When did you send people to Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡®All these people in Ling family have been here all along. When did Ling Zhang send people to Jiangzhou?¡¯ he wondered.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Surprisingly, there were things that even Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t know about. He had thought that Yuwen Tong knew everything he had done.


    It had never crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind that this matter would escape Yuwen Tong¡¯s notice. He couldn¡¯t help but secretly feel a little smug.


    The rhetorical question asked in a surprised tone and the ill-concealed complacency on Ling Zhang¡¯s face brought Yuwen Tong to an instant realization of what he was thinking. ¡®Um¡­ He looked pretty cute with this smug little expression on his face, as if there¡¯s a tail behind him that¡¯s going to be cocked up.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know. Please tell me,¡± Yuwen Tong replied in an appealing tone of voice, feeling as if he was acting.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°It was actually very simple. I had my uncle¡¯s men go there.¡±


    ¡°Your uncle?¡± Yuwen Tong was sent into a brief trance of surprised. Then he couldn¡¯t help but give a chuckle. ¡®That figures. Ling Zhaowen is a Tongzhi of Tanyang after all.¡¯


    ¡°How did you come to be so sure that the two men were up to something?¡± asked Yuwen Tong. Ling Zhang had been rather hostile towards the two men from the very beginning. As far as he knew, there had not been any conflicts between them and Ling family.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes went flinty. ¡°Those two guys harbored evil designs. The day has eyes, the night has ears.¡±


    Even if the two men had done nothing illegal, Ling Zhang would have figured out a way to set them up. Under no circumstances would he show them any mercy. But apparently the two men had committed a serious crime. They had been so bold as to secretly run a gunpowder workshop without official consent. It was a pity that the gunpowder workshop was not of a large scale. Otherwise, it was likely that what they had been condemned to would have been death instead of life imprisonment.


    Yuwen Tong felt that this matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed, but he had no idea how he could figure out exactly which part of it was not right. This feeling was just like Ling Zhang¡¯s previous attitude towards him ¨Cit had come under suspicious circumstances, but there was no way to find out the reason.


    ¡®Exactly what secrets has Ling Zhang been hiding?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong was eager to know the answer, but he wouldn¡¯t make Ling Zhang tell him. He had plenty of time, and he would slowly have Ling Zhang open his heart and willingly tell him about it.


    ¡°When do you plan to tell you grandfather about going to the capital city?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my grandfather about it later this day,¡± said Ling Zhang. The very thought of talking with his grandfather about going to the capital city with Yuwen Tong made his blood freeze. He had already had a premonition that his grandfather, inevitably, was going to ask him some questions about Yuwen Tong, his engagement to Yuwen Tong undoubtedly included.


    ¡®Alas¡­¡¯ Thinking about this, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t feel like talking with his grandfather any longer.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuwen Tong, who saw the strange expression on his face, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there anything bothering you?¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked an inexplicable glance at him. ¡°No.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong disbelieved him. ¡°Are you worrying that your grandfather would disapprove? That¡¯s not very likely. I remember very well that he supported you in your remaining engaged to me.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s his being over-supportive that is vexing me!¡¯


    Ling Zhang softly snorted, believing that Yuwen Tong would definitely be smug if he told him about this.


    ¡°I¡¯m going there right now. Talk later.¡¯


    Watching Ling Zhang leave with a somewhat annoyed look on his face, Yuwen Tong was thrown into perplexity, unaware of which remark of his had caused offence to Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 144 - Im Going to the Capital City with Yuwen Tong

    ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m going to go to the capital city with Yuwen Tong.¡±


    Ling Zhang told Ling Xingzhong about his decision. Ling Xingzhong, as expected, beamed with delight and said ¡°Good¡± several times in a row.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve changed your mind,¡± observed Ling Xingzhong, a big smile on his face.


    Ling Zhang was sent speechless with astonishment.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied.


    Ling Xingzhong stroked his beard, smiling, ¡°When do you plan to depart?¡±


    Surprisingly enough, his grandfather didn¡¯t ask him any questions on the details about his relationship with Yuwen Tong ¨Cquestions like when he had changed his mind, whether he had fallen for Yuwen Tong, whether he was going to marry Yuwen Tong soon, etc.


    After a brief trance of surprise, Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to be in Tanyang for a few more days. We¡¯ll depart when the imperial edict from the capital city arrives recalling Yuwen Tong to return.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong nodded and commented, ¡°Since you have already made up your mind to go to the capital city with him, you¡¯ll have to take care of yourself. The capital city is a prosperous and bustling place, but be careful not to be blinded by its prosperity. You must stay alert at all times and be discreet about your words and deeds. It takes only a momentary lapse to get yourself in trouble.¡±


    ¡°I understand, grandfather,¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The capital city¡­¡± Ling Xingzhong fleetingly paused and then continued, ¡°We don¡¯t have any relatives or social contacts in the capital city, and neither do we have any good reputation there because of those things happened in the past. This time around, when you are in the capital city, there will inevitably be some people who are going to rake up those matters. When they do, don¡¯t get mad, since those things were in the past. Try to smooth things over whenever you can. All you have to know is that the Marshal is your most powerful backer. No matter what those people say, they won¡¯t dare to do anything to you. If there¡¯s really anything you cannot handle by yourself, you can always consult with Marshal.¡±


    He was surprised that his grandfather had so much trust in Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I understand, grandfather. I¡¯ll be discreet.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong gave a bob of his head, rose to his feet, walked inside, took out a casket, and handed it to Ling Zhang. ¡°There are some signed checks in this casket. Take it. When you arrive in the capital city, buy a house first, or you can send someone to the capital city beforehand and buy one for you. Keep the rest of the money. There will be a lot of occasions when you find yourself in need of money in the capital city. If you¡¯re in short of money, write us in advance so we can send some to you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was greatly surprised. There were a lot of signed checks in the casket. Judging by the denominations of them, they were worth at least 50,000 to 60,000 taels of silver in total!


    ¡°Grandfather, this is too much. I¡¯ve had some savings myself. Uncle and aunt have also transferred a lot of money to me. I can¡¯t accept so much money.¡±


    Ling Zhang returned the casket to Ling Xingzhong but Ling Xingzhong refused to take it back. ¡°Keep it as a contingency fund. This money will offer you a greater degree of flexibility in your life. You may resume your study, or buy a couple of stores, be it drug stores or variety stores, to start a business career. In that case, our herb farm will prove helpful. With the new military presence, Tanyang will soon be rid of the scourge of bandits and after that, it¡¯ll be a lot easier and safer to go in and out of Tanyang. Speculative reselling of sundry goods between the south and the north is rather lucrative. It¡¯ll provide with you a steady income, sparing you from the worry about money.


    We mean Wang Qing and Li Sicai to go with you to the capital city. Wang Qing is pretty familiar with medicinal material business. Li Sicai is also an intelligent man. No matter you want him to be a butler or a storekeeper, he will prove himself competent. I know you¡¯ve been training Xia Feng. When Xia Feng is able to take charge as chief at one of the fronts, Li Sicai will focus on helping you handle the stores.


    Apart from this, the president of the Tanyang Academy, who has some social connections in the capital city, has written a letter of recommendation for you. Added to this your scholarly honor of Xiucai (One who passed the imperial examination at the county level in the Ming and Qing dynasties of feudal China), you may go to the Oriental Rite Academy to continue your study. If you have the intention to take part in the imperial examination, the Oriental Rite Academy is just the place you should go to. You won¡¯t regret it.


    Grandfather is old. Originally, I wanted to go with you to the capital city, but after some careful thinking, I think I should let you go and seek your fortune alone. You are not going to blame grandfather for it, right?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong made a lot of remarks. As Ling Zhang listened, astonishment built up inside him. Manifestly, his grandfather had been making these preparations ¨Cboth those signed checks and the servants who were supposed to go to the capital city with him ¨Cfor quite some time. Among all the supervisors in his family, Wang Qing and Li Sicai were indeed the most suitable to go with him. Zhou Quanfu excluded, Wang Qing was the most acquainted with medicinal materials. Li Sicai, Butler Li¡¯s son, who had been instructed by Butler Li since childhood, was even more intelligent than his father. In fact, Ling Zhang had also meant these two people to go to the capital city with him¡­


    And there was also the letter of recommendation from the president of the Tanyang Academy.


    The Oriental Rite Academy was a highly prestigious academy in the capital city. Except for the state-run academy, the Oriental Rite Academy was the most famous. Moreover, its management was more flexible than that of the state-run academy, since there were not as many rules and regulations in it as there were in the state-run academy. It was rumored that many students from aristocratic families in the capital city chose to study in the Oriental Rite Academy.


    ¡°How could I blame you for it, grandfather? It¡¯s just that my heart aches at the thought of leaving you.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong smiled, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll go to the capital city to attend the wedding of you and the Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± Ling Zhang was almost reduced to tears.


    Ling Xingzhong patted him on the shoulder and observed, ¡°It¡¯s just the capital city, not the edge of the world. Stop crying. Grandfather no longer has enough strength to scoop you up and coax you.


    You may make some preparations yourself during the next few days before departure ¨Cservants you want to take you with, things you might need, etc. Make sure you don¡¯t forget anything. And¡­¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ hesitation, Ling Xingzhong commented, ¡°Grandfather does want you to marry the Marshal, but if by any chance you are not comfortable with how things are going, don¡¯t force yourself into anything. Though Ling family is not as powerful as Yuwen family, they don¡¯t really scare us.¡±


    Ling Zhang was slightly surprised. ¡®Did anybody of Yuwen family threaten grandfather?¡¯


    ¡°Grandfather, what do you mean by the last remark? Did anything happen?¡± Ling Zhang ventured a question.


    Seeing the nervousness on his face, Ling Xingzhong responded, ¡°Relax. Nothing unpleasant happened. It just that the two of you have not walked down the aisle yet. Nobody knows whether there will be any turns of events. You have to stay sharp before getting married. Don¡¯t trust everything people of Yuwen family say. Use your eyes to observe.¡±


    His grandfather¡¯s reminding him of these things surprised Ling Zhang even further.


    ¡®I thought that grandfather would be grinning from ear to ear with his eyes being two lines throughout this talk¡­ Ur¡­ This is too disrespectful to grandfather.¡¯


    Ling Zhang hurriedly dismissed these frivolous thoughts from his mind.


    The look on Ling Xingzhong¡¯s face suggested that he had a lot more to say to Ling Zhang. Unsurprisingly, he started talking about the people he had met and the things he had been through back at the time when he had been in the capital city. He told Ling Zhang about each and every single person that he could find in his memories, giving him tips for dealing with them.


    Eventually, he added, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to visit Lord Tao. Lord Tao¡¯s respected teacher is in the capital city, and so does Tao Yi. It¡¯s likely that he is even more acquainted with the capital city than the Marshal is, so I think we should go and hear what he has to say.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡®Preparedness averts peril,¡¯ he thought, though he did not at all believed that Yuwen Tong¡¯s acquaintance with the capital city would be inadequate. The longer he stayed with Yuwen Tong, the the deeper his realization of how great power Yuwen Tong wielded. Given the importance of the capital city, how could he be unacquainted with it?


    However, seeing this issue from another perspective, he felt that hearing information about the capital city from another person might prove helpful for him to get an overall acquaintance with the capital city.


    News on Ling Zhang¡¯s plan to go to the capital city with Yuwen Tong soon spread across the whole Ling family. Ling Zhaowen was unsurprised at it, since he had some time ago been informed of it, but Fu Caiwei and Ling Maomao were shocked, in particular the latter.


    Ling Maomao was transfixed by the news. At the thought that his elder brother was going to the capital city and he wouldn¡¯t be able to see him for a long time, he was nearly reduced to tears, eyes reddening with sadness.


    ¡°Elder Brother, I don¡¯t want you leaving.¡±


    Ling Zhang also didn¡¯t have the heart to part with his family. Seeing Ling Maomao¡¯s red eyes, he sank into heartaches. ¡°I¡¯ll come back to see you every certain amount of time, and you may go to the capital city to visit me as well.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. You don¡¯t want to go to the capital city?¡±


    ¡°I want to!¡±


    Ling Maomao let out a yell and then flicked a glimpse at Yuwen Tong who was standing beside Ling Zhang. In his eyes were admiration but defensiveness as well, making an expression of extreme complexity.


    Ever since the real identity of Yuwen Tong came to his knowledge, on the one hand Ling Maomao had been greatly surprised in a pleasant way, but on the other, after being informed of his elder brother¡¯s engagement to Yuwen Tong, he had also been filled with broken-heartedness and anger because the news made him feel that someone had taken his elder brother away from him. As a result, every time he was faced with Yuwen Tong, he had mixed feelings.


    ¡°Are you going to the capital city because you want to marry the Marshal?¡± asked Ling Maomao in a muted voice after pulling his elder brother to the side.


    Ling Zhang was like: ¡­speechless.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just going to the capital city to see what kind of place it is.¡±


    Relieved, Ling Maomao replied, ¡°Oh.¡± Clearly, he had been deeply worried that his elder brother might be kidnapped.


    To Yuwen Tong, who had an amazingly keen sense of hearing, Ling Maomao¡¯s whisper was of no secrecy whatsoever. The sight of the relieved expression on the boy¡¯s face brought an involuntary twitch to the corner of his mouth.


    ¡®Your elder brother will be mine sooner or later. The relief you just felt is not going to make any difference,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong after privately giving a cold snort.


    Soon, apart from people of Ling family, others also heard the news.


    Ling Zhang and Ling Xingzhong paid Tao Feng a visit. After being informed of their intention, Tao Feng readily told Ling Zhang a lot of things about the capital city, including some secrets known to not many.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful for his straightforwardness.


    ¡°As regards the Yuwen family, I¡¯m sure Marshal will tell you everything you want to know, so I think it¡¯s advisable for me to keep my mouth shut.¡± Tao Feng specially avoided talking about Yuwen family.


    ¡®It figures. He knows very well that it¡¯s not his place to lay comment on matters of Yuwen family. Besides, offending Yuwen Tong is the last thing he wants to do.¡¯


    Ling Zhang, who had anticipated this some time ago, felt no disappointment. Moreover, he had already known what he needed to know.


    ¡°Tao Yi is living in his teacher¡¯s place. This is the address. And this one is the letter of recommendation. You may go there to see him when you are in the capital city. There are a lot of things that he knows better than I do.¡± Tao Feng handed Ling Zhang two things, a piece of paper with the address of Tao Yi¡¯s teacher on it and the letter of recommendation.


    Ling Zhang took both. ¡°I owe you a debt of gratitude, Lord Tao.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality. You two may have each other¡¯s back during your stay in the capital city,¡± observed Tao Feng.


    ¡°I will,¡± replied Ling Zhang. Since Tao Feng had done him a favor, naturally he agreed to take this advice. Furthermore, he found Tao Yi a pretty nice person and believed that Tao Yi¡¯s company sounded not bad, given that he had no other relatives or friends in the capital city.


    ¡®It¡¯s just that¡­ Yuwen Tong might not be happy to hear about this,¡¯ he thought.


    Yuwen Tong had every intention of having him live in the residence of Yuwen family, but both his grandfather and uncle meant him to find another place to live in, and he himself was more inclined to take the advice of his grandfather and uncle. ¡®How am I supposed to convince Yuwen Tong?¡¯


    After returning home, Ling Zhang started pondering over it.


    Before he could come up with any ideas, Yuwen Tong gave him a big surprise, but not really a pleasant one.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had some men start preparing the courtyard house. Yue Qi sent a message back saying that craftsmen have begun to revamp it, that the construction work will be finished by the time we arrive in the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. ¡®Under the circumstances, what is the appropriate way of telling him without hurting his feelings?¡¯

 Chapter 145 - The Marshal Was Instructing Us Himself?

    It was Yuwen Tong who noticed that there seemed to be something behind Ling Zhang¡¯s silence. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Subconsciously, Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong squinted his eyes. Clearly, Ling Zhang was keeping something back from him.


    Ling Zhang, beneath his gaze, was afraid of being found out and intended to change the topic. Before he could speak, Yuwen Tong persisted, ¡°You don¡¯t want to move into the residence of Yuwen family?¡±


    Taken aback, Ling Zhang immediately responded without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s not about that!¡±


    Yuwen Tong squinted his eyes even further, which were alarmingly piercing, as if he would see straight into Ling Zhang¡¯s soul.


    Ling Zhang was transfixed with such nervousness that he was involuntarily trying to keep his breathing shallow.


    ¡°Someone told you something. Tell me ¨Cwas it your grandfather or your uncle?¡±


    This reply sent Ling Zhang speechless.


    He had not uttered a single word about it, yet somehow Yuwen Tong guessed everything. ¡®How did he come to know me so well?!¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°It¡¯s¨CIt¡¯s just that¡­¡± Ling Zhang gave a soft cough, steeled himself and told the truth. ¡°I intend to buy a house in the capital city, a spacious one.¡±


    Before Yuwen Tong could make a reply, Ling Zhang hurriedly continued, ¡°Let me explain. I plan to start a business. Currently, my family sell our herbs to other stores in the city. This time, I want to open a drug store in the capital city selling medicinal materials transported there from Tanyang. I know it¡¯s not going to be easy, of course. Building a trade caravan alone will take quite some doing, but at least Ling family will gradually gain a foothold in the capital city and will no longer be so vulnerable as to have no other social contacts there. Apart from this, I also have a plan to study in the Oriental Rite Academy.¡±


    Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong about his general future plan. In order to make his words more convincing, he added through gritted teeth, ¡°You also don¡¯t like the idea of me being able to leave whenever I want to, I suppose? If Ling family has a business foundation in the capital city, theoretically, I will settle down there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gazed at him, making no instant response.


    Ling Zhang looked back at him in perturbation and nervousness.


    Suddenly, Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh and replied, ¡°Then let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    Eek? Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°You agreed?¡±


    ¡°If I disagree, will you be racking your brains trying to figure out a way to convince me?¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked him an embarrassed glance, thinking, ¡®O¨COf course I will.¡¯


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it your way. You¡¯ve got a point, actually. With your family business there, I won¡¯t have to worry that you might leave. But I¡¯ll buy the house for you. The capital city is more familiar to me than it is to you, so I stand a better chance of buying you a house in an area with more convenient transportation. Also, I¡¯m more experienced than you in how to revamp a house to make it more defensively advantageous. Rest assured, after buying it, I¡¯ll consult with you before the revamp.¡±


    Ling Zhang fixed him with a look in silence for quite a while and then replied in a deep voice, ¡°Okay.¡±


    What could possibly worry him when Yuwen Tong had promised to handle this for him? It was just that he had owed Yuwen Tong yet another favor¡­


    ¡°But,¡± Yuwen Tong added, ¡°I¡¯ll also revamp the courtyard house in the residence of Yuwen family as planned. That place is meant for you, and you may move in there whenever you like. I will not take no for an answer.¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t refuse. Yuwen Tong had already made a compromise. If he refused, he would no doubt be denied the chance of living elsewhere.


    Yuwen Tong let out a sigh. ¡°Since you insist on finding another place to live, you have to pick up the pace in training those twenty security guards of yours lest they be unable to be of service when they are needed to.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I sent them to the herb farm. They¡¯ll be back after the new Prefecture Guards eradicate those bushrangers and bandits.¡±


    ¡®Strangely enough, it¡¯s been several days already, why isn¡¯t Dai Cheng taking any action?¡¯ he wondered.


    Clearly, Yuwen Tong had also thought of this, the look on his face slightly cold.


    Naturally, shortly after, Yuwen Tong went to the encampment of the Tanyang Prefecture Guards. The content of the conversation between him and Dai Cheng was unknown, but the next day, Dai Cheng obediently led his men out of the encampment to deal with bushrangers and bandits.


    Surprisingly, the bushrangers had foreseen that the new Prefecture Guards would sooner or later launch an operation against them, and around half of them had already fled!


    The remaining half of them were real outlaws, who were ferocious and totally unafraid of the Prefecture Guards. Having made preparations for this day, they fought against Dai Cheng¡¯s men.


    Due to the adequate preparations of those outlaws and Dai Cheng¡¯s unfamiliarity with the terrains of Tanyang, the battle, unexpectedly, reached an impasse.


    When the battle situation came to the knowledge of Yuwen Tong, his face went cold. After quite a while, he said angrily, ¡°What a good-for-nothing!¡± and then instructed Yao Yi, ¡°Yao Yi! Go and give Dai Cheng a hand.¡±


    The flinty tone of Yuwen Tong sent a cold shiver of fear running through Yao Yi, who immediately followed the order.


    ¡®The Marshal was not just angry. There was murderousness on his face!¡¯


    ¡®But why was the Marshal so anxious this time?¡¯ Yao Yi wondered for quite a while but failed to grasp the reason.


    When Dai Cheng saw Yao Yi coming, the corners of his eyes involuntarily twitched for quite some time before he managed to forbear from asking him to return.


    ¡°The Marshal said that you were not doing your job fast enough and sent me here to give you a hand.¡±


    This remark sent Dai Cheng into huffing and puffing, but what could he possibly do about it? Of course he had no alternative but to accept the offer of help. He couldn¡¯t just go back to argue with Yuwen Tong. Even if he did that, he didn¡¯t really stand a chance of besting Yuwen Tong.


    Given the circumstances, Dai Cheng had every reason to be angry.


    ¡°General, it¡¯s our fault. We¡¯re useless,¡± observed a trusted man of Dai Cheng, head hanging.


    ¡°Save it. I know very well whether you are useful or useless. These bushrangers are worming their way here and there in these mountain forests of Tanyang. They are even more cunning than foxes. Given their familiarity with the terrains and their topographicalal advantages, it¡¯s impossible for us to eradicate them in one breath, so stop belittling yourself and pull it together. Don¡¯t give Yuwen Tong another chance to laugh at us!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    Yao Yi had brought with him a topographical map of Tanyang. On the map, all special terrains, particularly those mountain forests where bushrangers were hiding, were expressly marked.


    Dai Cheng goggled at the map for quite a while before asking in an amazed tone of voice, ¡°How did you come to get this thing?!¡±


    ¡®Even Yuwen Tong himself wouldn¡¯t have shown this thing to me like this!


    Besides, even Yuwen Tong is not allowed to possess a map of Tanyang as detailed as this one. Does he not know that His Majesty is already in constant fear of him?! Is he not afraid that I might report to His Majesty that he put this map right in front of me?!¡¯ Dai Cheng wondered.


    Yao Yi replied in a calm tone of voice. ¡°Lord Tao gave me this.¡±


    In the yamen, Tao Feng gave a sneeze, unaware that someone had just made him a scrapegoat.


    ¡°Tao Feng gave you this?¡± Dai Cheng¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown.


    ¡°There used not to be any bushrangers here, and every five years, some staff members of the yamen would come here to scout out the lie of the land and update the topographical map. What¡¯s so strange about it? These years, there haven¡¯t been any earthquakes or other geological calamities severe enough to change the terrains, so this map could still be of service to us.¡±


    The light dawned on Dai Cheng. ¡®It was stupid of me to have forgotten this.¡¯


    However¡­


    ¡°What about these?¡± Dai Cheng pointed at the detailed annotations on the map. ¡®This is way too exhaustive,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°I caught a fleeing bushranger and had him make some supplements,¡± responded Yao Yi.


    This answer sent Dai Cheng into silence.


    Yao Yi¡¯s explanation sounded perfectly plausible, leaving no room for contradiction.


    With the topographical map and some suggestions that Yao Yi provided, Dai Cheng¡¯s men finally broke the deadlock. They quickly found a breakthrough point and broke into the den of those bushrangers at one fell swoop.


    This battle lasted a full day before came to an end.


    Yao Yi quietly left in the knowledge that Dai Cheng was able to finish the job by himself.


    Seeing him leaving, Dai Cheng secretly felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, he also nursed a grievance. Having no other ways to vent his anger, he channeled it into the fight against those bushrangers. Before long, he wiped out all enemies ¨Cliterally all of them ¨Ctaking no prisoners.


    Finally, the scourge of bushrangers and bandits that had been haunting Tanyang for so many years was brought to an end.


    People on the herb farm were also relieved to hear the news. Ling Zhang hired another five security guards and assigned them to the herb farm to perform routine guard duty. Yang Liuzi and the other eleven men were recalled to the residence of Ling family.


    Shortly after their return, Yang Liuzi and the others were subjected to harsh training given by Ling Zhang. The rudimentary knowledge of formation alone gave them frequent headaches and dizzy spells. What was more horrifying was that Wang Dashan and some others were eyeing them on the side with severe faces. If any of them dared to slack off, ruthless punishment would immediately be meted out by their brothers.


    Yang Liuzi and the others had been tense for a whole day. When the night finally fell, all of them lapsed into sleep almost immediately after their heads touched the pillow. They slept so deeply that even the collapse of the sky might not be enough to awake them.


    ¡°Tsk, what a bunch of good-for-nothings. It¡¯s just some elementary-level knowledge, yet they got so exhausted. Yang Liuzi and his fellows are so disappointing,¡± observed Qiu Bing at the doorway, arms folded across his chest, watching Yang Liuzi and some others who, heedless of what kind of scene they might be, were huddled together sleeping.


    ¡°Tell me about it. Fortunately it was us that Young Master instructed first. Otherwise Young Master would definitely have been terribly angry,¡± replied Zhou Xiang standing beside him, arms folded across his chest as well.


    Wang Dashan walked up to them from behind and gave each of them a hard clout with his fingers. ¡°You two are always the talkiest. What makes you think you get to be so smug? You were no better than them when you started your training. Go and turn in right now!¡±


    Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang, holding the back side of their heads, hurriedly ran away.


    Wang Dashan looked at Yang Liuzi and others who were sleeping inside in an undignified manner. After quite a while, he shook his head, heaved a sigh, turned around and left. Before leaving, he commented, ¡°So disappointing.¡±


    Had Yang Liuzi and the others been still awake, they would probably brush side the so-called brotherhood and pick up a fight with them.


    The next day, Yang Liuzi and others were dragged out of their beds. This time around, it was not Ling Zhang but Yuwen Tong who was going to teach them.


    Legs of Yang Liuzi and others started trembling with horror after they were informed of this. ¡°The Mar¨CMarshal?!¡±


    ¡®My goodness. Will we be able to survive?!¡¯


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s impassive expression alone struck fear into their hearts. Since Ling Zhang, who went to the Qi County with Ling Zhaowen on this day, didn¡¯t have the time to teach them, Yuwen Tong substituted him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware of what you were taught yesterday. Now you are to repeat it in front of me. I¡¯ll ask you some questions. If any of you gives a wrong answer or a wrong demonstration¡­Heh.¡±


    The threatening chuckle at the end of Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks made calves of Yang Liuzi and others tremble even more violently.


    ¡°Mar¨CMarshal, I¡¯m ready to answer your questions!¡± said Yang Liuzi aloud who had managed to stop his legs from trembling after taking a deep breath and bracing his legs for quite a while.


    ¡®The Marshal is teaching me, which is something enough for me to brag about for the rest of my life! What else can I possibly ask for? I won¡¯t feel any regret even if I¡¯m going to die right here right away!¡¯ thought Yang Liuzi.


    The others, apparently, had also come to the same realization. All of them threw their chests out and volunteered to be the first one to answer Yuwen Tong¡¯s questions.


    ¡®They do have some fight, and they also collected their thoughts pretty quick. Maybe they are not as good-for-nothing as I think they are,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    Wang Dashan and some others watched in this direction, green with envy.


    ¡®The Marshal is teaching them himself! How exactly did they come to be so lucky?!¡¯


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    Minds of all of them raced and soon they came up with their respective ideas of how they would kick those people¡¯s asses to best vent their anger.


    Yang Liuzi and others had already sensed the killing intent of their brothers, but they were not scared. Instead, they straightened their back even further. ¡®Go ahead. Be jealous all you want. I¡¯m not afraid!¡¯


    Seeing this, Wang Dashan and others went even angrier. They clenched their teeth, bursting with impatience to teach them a lesson.

 Chapter 146 - Yuwen Tong Probably Wills His Ass to Be Kicked

    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen left in the morning on this day and didn¡¯t return until the next day. The reason why they had paid a visit to the Qi County was that there was a herb farm for sale there. The previous owner of it was the magistrate of the Qi County, who had already been taken into custody, and whose properties had been confiscated. The local government had decided to sell the herb farm.


    The herb farm was a large-scale one, and a lot of people intended to purchase it, but after people of Ling family mounted a bid for it, all those people gave up.


    It took quite some doing for Ling Zhang and his uncle to officially take over the herb farm. They discharged all previous works on the farm except for herb farmers. Ling Zhaowen seconded Zhou Quanfu to this herb farm to take charge of it. The herb farm in the southern city was now in the charge of Wu Kang, who was Zhou Quanfu¡¯s apprentice and had just got a promotion.


    There was a long distance between the Qi County and Tanyang City. It would take a long time to travel between the two places, so they needed some security guards to guard the herb farm.


    Ling Zhang spent the night there. After handling most important issues with Ling Zhaowen, Ling Zhang assigned Butler Li to stay, recruit some security guards and then return to Tanyang after everything is back on track.


    During his stay in the Qi County, Ling Zhang had discovered that over 10,000 troops of the new Prefecture Guards had passed by the Qi County before going to the Grand Mang Mountain, their intention unknown.


    ¡°I saw Dai Cheng¡¯s men going to the Grand Mang Mountain. There were a lot of them,¡± Ling Zhang informed Yuwen Tong after returning home.


    ¡°The shortcut on the Grand Mang Mountain considerably shortens the time that it takes to get to the capital city. The emperor fears that someone else might take advantage of it and mount another revolt, so he ordered Dai Cheng to block it, which will be a huge project. Zhang Chong¡¯s men had been secretly digging in there for years. It¡¯ll take a month or two to block it,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°So Dai Cheng is going to stay in Tanyang for one even two months?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The emperor has nobody else he can trust to do this for him. Moreover, the commander of the new Tanyang Prefecture Guards still stands undecided.¡±


    ¡°I wonder who will be assigned here.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat worried that the new commander might be like Zhang Chong. In that case, people of Tanyang would suffer again.


    Yuwen Tong appeared rather composed, as if he had got it all worked out some time ago.


    Ling Zhang, who found his reaction somewhat suspicious, craned closer to him and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got some news, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him. ¡°You want to know?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him with an expectant expression in his sparkling eyes. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows and suddenly flicked his chin signaling Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang watched him, confused. ¡®What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong just gazed at him.


    It was after pondering for quite a while that Ling Zhang came to understand. With that he flushed and gave him a dirty look. ¡°Keep it if you like it so much.¡±


    ¡®He wants me to kiss him on my own account? No way!¡¯ he thought.


    The next moment, Yuwen Tong suddenly craned over and kissed his lips hard with a distinct sound.


    This reply sent Ling Zhang speechless.


    ¡®Does Yuwen Tong wish to be beaten up?!¡¯


    ¡°The emperor intends to assign He Xiao here.¡±


    He Xiao? Ling Zhang was instantly distracted. That visit he paid Tao Feng a couple of days ago turned out to be helpful. He had already had a shrewd idea of who this He Xiao guy was.


    He Xiao was loyal to the emperor and counted as one of the emperor¡¯s trusted high-ranking military officers, just like Dai Cheng, only that he was of humble blood and young, promoted from the Number One Warrior (title conferred on the one who came first in the highest imperial examination of martial arts).


    He had been working under Dai Cheng from the very beginning of his military career. After Dai Cheng left the capital city, he had been named acting commander of the Garrison Battalion, which was an unmistakable indication of the emperor¡¯s trust in him.


    ¡°But He Xiao is so young. Is the emperor really going to appoint him as the commander of the Prefecture Guards?¡± Ling Zhang was greatly surprised.


    ¡°Because He Xiao is from an unquestionably clean background. He had been scouted and trained by Dai Cheng himself before the title of the Number One Warrior was conferred on him. It could be said that he has been a loyal member of the emperor¡¯s faction from the very beginning. On top of this, He Xiao is a man of great dash. He once openly stated that he was unconvinced of my reputation. Three years ago, when I returned to the capital city, he, who happened to have just been assigned to the Garrison Battalion under Dai Cheng¡¯s command, challenged me to a competition. His kung fu is pretty good, and so are his military strategy and tactics. He¡¯s a talented officer. The emperor thinks pretty highly of him.


    Besides, after the post of the commander of the Tanyang Prefecture Guards fell vacant, a lot of people in the capital city have been secretly pulling strings trying to get this position. There are very few people that the emperor deems trustworthy after the attempted usurpation of the Sixth Prince and Zhang Chong. Under no circumstances will he assign any of those people to Tanyang.¡±


    ¡®When all is said, the fact remains that the reason why the emperor is going to send this He Xiao guy to Tanyang is because he doesn¡¯t get along with Yuwen Tong!


    He¡¯s trying to make life difficult for Yuwen Tong!¡¯


    Ling Zhang lost its composure. ¡®Given the relationship between Ling family and Yuwen family, that He Xiao guy is probably going to make trouble for Ling family.¡¯


    He was utterly unwilling to see that He Xiao come to Tanyang.


    But there was no trace of worry whatsoever on the face of Yuwen Tong.


    After thinking for a few moments, Ling Zhang still couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can you stop him from coming to Tanyang or have him replaced?¡±


    ¡®Someone from another faction would also be okay. Those people will never come into conflict with Yuwen Tong as long as they are not stupid,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    This time, Yuwen Tong made no reply. Once again, he flicked his chin.


    This reply sent Ling Zhang speechless.


    He stared at Yuwen Tong silently.


    Yuwen Tong let out a sigh in the knowledge that he had to make the first move again. He put his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and gave him a kiss.


    ¡°It would be safer to let He Xiao come to Tanyang than to let anybody else come.¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡¯ Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, puzzled. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Though He Xiao and I never get along, he has a sense of propriety, and is also open and aboveboard. Compared with those who like to play underhand tricks to trip people up, he¡¯s more unlikely to cause any harm.¡±


    Ling Zhang generally understood what Yuwen Tong had said, but he still kept feeling that something was not right. ¡®There¡¯s definitely something else that Yuwen Tong is keeping back from me.¡¯


    But in terms of trust, he had absolute trust in Yuwen Tong in this regard. Since Yuwen Tong had said that He Xiao was the most suitable person, then he definitely was.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go and talk with my uncle so that he can make preparations.¡±


    After talking with his uncle, Ling Zhang went to the guards¡¯ yard.


    He had just arrived at the guards¡¯ yard when he spotted something strange. Yang Liuzi and some others either had a black eye or bruises on his face, as if having been beaten up.


    At first Ling Zhang was taken aback, thinking, ¡®Was Yuwen Tong too harsh on them? He beat them up?¡¯


    But he soon dismissed this thought. If Yuwen Tong intended to punish them, he would never have done it this way. This kind of punishment but inflicted pains lasting only a short time. If he had punished them, it would have struck in their hearts dread that would linger for a very long time. He would definitely, without causing them any physical harm, have had them regret having been born to this world.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes swept from face to face.


    Young Master and others were somewhat afraid to make eye contact with Ling Zhang. ¡°Young Master, we¡­we accidentally fell over.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened. Eyes staring flintily at them, he kept silent.


    The atmosphere instantly changed. Taken aback, Yang Liuzi and others didn¡¯t dare to keep the truth back. ¡°Young Master, that¡¯s a slip of the tongue. We¨CWe were beaten up.¡±


    ¡°By whom?¡±


    Yang Liuzi and others cast a glance at Wang Dashan and his men.


    On making eye contact with Yang Liuzi and others, Wang Dashan and his men couldn¡¯t help but clenched their teeth secretly, feeling that these guys were such a bunch of wusses.


    But when their eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s, Wang Dashan and his men immediately cringed, quicker than Yang Liuzi and others had.


    ¡°Young Master, we were just roughhousing with them.¡±


    ¡°We were testing their formation knowledge. It was because they were so bad at it that we beaten them up.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face went sullen. ¡®They think I don¡¯t know what they have done? If there had been only these two reasons, they would never have beaten them so hard.¡¯


    ¡°Are you telling me the truth or not?¡± Ling Zhang was angered.


    Wang Dashan and others were instantly scared and told the truth in one breath, ¡°Young Master, we were just jealous of their being instructed by the Marshal himself!¡±


    This reply sent Ling Zhang speechless.


    He kept silent for quite a while, at a loss what to say to them.


    ¡°What a bunch of good-for-nothings!¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s so special about Yuwen Tong? He¡¯s only human, with one head and two arms just like everybody else. What¡¯s the point of all this fuss?


    This is so disgraceful!¡¯


    ¡°The rocks Yuwen Tong had you put on your heads while running, are they still here?¡±


    On hearing this question, Wang Dashan and others were somewhat scared. ¡°Ye¨CYes.¡±


    ¡°Go and put them on your heads. Run for two hours.¡±


    This instruction instantly brought woebegone expressions to their faces, but they didn¡¯t dare to disobey. Having no choice, they obediently went to carry those rocks and put them on their heads.


    ¡°You¡¯re my men, but you beat your brothers up because of Yuwen Tong, which is something only good-for-nothings would do. I¡¯ll suffer huge humiliation if anybody else finds out about this. Let this be a lesson to you. If this becomes a precedent, you won¡¯t get away with a mere punishment of running with rocks on your heads. Now go and start running!¡±


    Wang Dashan and others were taken aback and hurriedly ran away.


    Seeing them running, Ling Zhang felt slightly more at ease and looked at Yang Liuzi and some others. ¡°Now show me what you learned yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Yang Liuzi and others, who also didn¡¯t dare to hesitate, immediately began demonstrating the moves they had learned.


    It was after running far away that Wang Dashan and his men dared to secretly talk to each other. ¡°Young Master was so angry.¡±


    ¡°What did Young Master mean by the last remark?¡± Qiu Bing asked in puzzlement. ¡°Was he warning us not to show any excitement when we see the Marshal from now on?¡±


    ¡°Stupid. Young Master was saying that we are his men, that we are not supposed to be unbridled, otherwise we might bring shame on him,¡± observed Zhou Xiang.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. We were indeed being reckless, which is a mistake that ought not to be repeated. Even if we are to beat them up again, we must make sure that Young Master won¡¯t find out,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang is right,¡± other men chorused.


    Liu Yi flicked a glance at them and commented in a bland tone of voice, ¡°Some day Young Master will marry the Marshal. Given that Ling family¡¯s social status is not as high as that of Yuwen family, Young Master will be reduced to an unfavorable position if we stand overawed by Marshal Yuwen. People might regard what happened today as some kind of joke, but if it¡¯s made a precedent, they will no doubt think differently of us, which will inevitably bring negative influence on the reputation of Young Master.¡±


    Wang Dashan and others were all startled. Clearly, this had never crossed the mind of any of them.


    All of them lapsed into silence.


    ¡°We are so useless. We disgraced Young Master,¡± said Qiu Bing in a muted voice.


    ¡°Elder Brother Liu, your perception of this matter is indeed the most insightful. If it weren¡¯t for your reminding us, we wouldn¡¯t have come to realize this,¡± Zhou Xiang also observed.


    ¡°You can see things from a perspective none of the rest of us can. Please give us a warning if we¡¯re in this kind of situation again, so that we can handle things more cautiously,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Liu Yi replied, ¡°Okay.¡± As regards the prospect that he might go to the capital city with Ling Zhang in a few days, he decided to keep it to himself for the moment.


    Wang Dashan and others, in the realization that they had made a stupid mistake, ran rather vigorously, and they didn¡¯t dare to talk any more nonsense as well.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised to see this, but since all of them seemed to have realized their mistake and be willingly accepting the punishment, he felt even more gratified. When two hours¡¯ time was up, he instructed them to stop.


    Wang Dashan and others hurriedly put the rocks down and gathered around Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Keep practicing the fourth array of the formation. Nobody slack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    The martial formation that Wang Dashan and his men were practicing threw Yang Liuzi and others into deep admiration, which greatly motivated them to work harder on the rudimentary knowledge of martial formations.

 Chapter 147 - A New Balance of Power in Tanyang

    On that night, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were consulting with each other about some details concerning their journey to the capital city when Wang Dashan came bringing with him a message.


    ¡°Young Master, people of He family left the city under cover of night!¡±


    ¡°How long has it been since they left?¡±


    ¡°About a quarter.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet. ¡°Did the yamen take any actions?¡±


    Wang Dashan shook his head. ¡°No. People of He family had disguised themselves before leaving, so the guards at the city gate were unaware that they were trying to escape. It was the man we¡¯d planted in He family who discovered that the patriarch and his family were gone and reported to me.¡±


    ¡°What about Zhou family?¡±


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any messages from Zhou family so far.¡±


    ¡°Send someone to inform the yamen. All others are to follow me to the city gate. We¡¯ll go out and hunt them down.¡±


    Yuwen Tong also stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    The two of them took the security guards and left the city on that very night. The guards at the city gate were startled when they saw the group. Though unaware of why they were leaving the city with so many men in the dead of night, none of them dared to stop Yuwen Tong and inquire about it.


    People of He family had manifestly made preparations some time ago. They had had some horse-drawn carriages and horses ready outside the city beforehand. After their family members split into small groups and got through the city gate, they began fleeing.


    They had been very discreet. Nobody except their most trusted servant had been informed of their escape plan, and they even directly abandoned all their estates and businesses!


    ¡°People of He family must have been scared shitless when they saw how Jia family ended up,¡± observed Ling Zhang, but at same time, he was somewhat surprised. People of Jia family had been involved in multiple murders, which was why severe penalties had been meted out to them, but people of He family, though having colluded with Zhang Chong, their crimes were not punishable by death. Exactly what it was that they were afraid of?


    ¡®Have He family by any chance also committed some other evil doings known only to themselves?¡±


    It took them some time to overtake He family. People of He family paled visibly with terror when they saw Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and their men catch up.


    He Zhongming got out of his horse-drawn carriage and made a bow with hands folded in front. ¡°I¡¯m honored to humbly bow before you, Marshal. May I ask why Marshal and your men intercepted us?¡±


    ¡°I have a question as well. Why did you take all your family and make such a hasty escape in the dead of night?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    ¡°Ur¡­ I¡¯m afraid you misunderstood, Marshal. We are but on our way to Yan Zhou to visit someone,¡± replied He Zhongming.


    ¡°To visit someone? At this hour of the night?¡± asked Ling Zhang rhetorically in a flinty tone of voice.


    He Zhongming flicked him a glance. ¡°There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know about this matter, Childe Ling. One of our relatives had an emergency. It was really short notice, which was why we departed at night.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s not because you are afraid that somebody will find out about your evil deeds, that all your family will end up in prison like people of Jia family did?¡±


    Beads of cold sweat were oozing out of the brow of He Zhongming. ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ve always been doing business fair and square. Never once have we done anything as evil as what Jia family did.¡±


    ¡°But to my knowledge, He family owns a tavern in the Qi County. And you covertly deliver grains to bushrangers on the Grand Mang Mountain on a monthly basis, so it¡¯s safe to say that He family will be convicted of collusion with bushrangers,¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly said.


    Even Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised to hear it. He had been unaware of this matter.


    As if having just been struck by lightning, He Zhongming paled visibly and slumped to his knees.


    Other members of He family nearly passed out from horror. He Zhongming¡¯s parents, who were of advanced years, looked at their son in shock and involuntarily pointed at him. Their fingers trembled for quite a while before they blacked out due to unduly intense anger.


    People of He family were instantly thrown into confusion.


    He Zhongming kowtowed and, with his forehead against the ground, pleaded in a quivering voice, ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling, He family are willing to give up all assets in change for our lives. Please have mercy on us, Marshal, Childe Ling!¡±


    ¡°He Zhongming, you really have some balls. You dared to bribe me,¡± commented Yuwen Tong flintily.


    ¡°Please spare my family, Marshal. I promise all my family will lead a secluded life and never get involved in anybody else¡¯s business ever again,¡± He Zhongming continued.


    ¡°The Great Yue has its national law. One cannot draw a circle absent compasses, nor a rectangle absent a carpenter¡¯s square. Since He family dared to commit such a felony, you should have had the mental preparation for being found out. During these years, those bushrangers on the Grand Mang Mountain have slaughtered all people in several villages, committing heinous crimes. Yet people of He family have been providing grains for these cold-blooded murderers. Your crimes are no less grave than theirs. I won¡¯t let you get away with it on those deceased villagers¡¯ account alone.¡±


    ¡°Marshal!¡± He Zhongming was reduced to a loud cry. In a tearful voice, he implored, ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Please have mercy on my family. I¡¯m willing to go back with you to be punished. But my children and parents have done nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°He Zhongming!¡± Ling Zhang snapped. ¡°Those villagers butchered by bushrangers were no less innocent than your family. Some of them were in their advanced age, and some of them were still learning to speak. Did anybody spare them when they were begging for their lives? You and your family have been enjoying the wealth gained at the cost of so many innocent people¡¯s blood. None of you is going to get away with that. Stop playing piteous. If you¡¯ve got anything else to say, say it to Lord Tao when you are in the court of law. He will decide according to the law who shall be spared and who shall be punished.¡±


    ¡®This He Zhongming guy is so hateful. Is he trying to put pressure on Yuwen Tong with the lives of his family? Is he going to accuse Yuwen Tong of being merciless if his request is denied?¡¯ Ling Zhang wondered.


    He Zhongming raised his head and stared fixedly at Ling Zhang. ¡°Childe Ling, He family never offended Ling family.¡±


    ¡°Neither did those villagers massacred by bushrangers offend He family. You are being ridiculous.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s face was even colder than that of He Zhongming. ¡°Guards! Escort all people of He family back to Tanyang and hand them over to Lord Tao!¡±


    Unexpectedly, in the knowledge that things had reached the point of no return, He Zhongming, face deathly white, felt a fit of resentment, rose to his feet and abruptly charged at Ling Zhang¡¯s horse with a ferocious look on his face.


    This time, Wang Dashan and others who were behind Ling Zhang quickly reacted. They immediately moved to the front of Ling Zhang¡¯s horse and Wang Dashan gave He Zhongming a kick which sent him flying. ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± He Zhongming let out a pained screech and nearly fainted.


    That hard kick left him powerless to make any more trouble. Along with his family, He Zhongming was escorted back to Tanyang. Tao Feng held a court trial on that very night and then put all people of He family in jail.


    News of He family¡¯s evil deeds soon spread through the whole Tanyang. The next day, Tanyang witnessed one upheaval after another. Apart from that of He family, property of Zhou family, Li family and all other squires who used to be deeply involved in Zhang Chong¡¯s crimes were inventoried and then confiscated. And more people were thrown into prison.


    After that, all these people, who used to be unruly in Tanyang in the past, were investigated. Penalties were meted out to them according to how deep their involvement in Zhang Chong¡¯s rebellion had been. Their estates and businesses were also inventoried and then confiscated.


    After a couple of days, residents of Tanyang found that, from the fall of these families, some obscure families began to rise. These families, as if having made preparations for this some time ago, replaced those fallen ones and quickly filled the vacancies in Tanyang. Covertly headed by Ling family and Lu family, they became a new powerful force to be reckoned with in Tanyang.


    All those with discerning eyes had come to understand what had happened. Those who failed to see the truth also knew that these people were now the new elite of Tanyang, that for Tanyang, a new era had come.


    What was particularly noteworthy was that the mine of Jia family had been acquired by a couple of upstarts and was under their common ownership.


    After another couple of days, tension brought by this disturbance gradually died away and with that laughter and joy returned to the streets and alleys of Tanyang.


    Those strange flags and banners were gone. Residents could now do business and go in or out of Tanyang secure in the knowledge that bushrangers and bandits were no longer a threat.


    Those living in towns and villages near Tanyang were the happiest. Finally, they had been rid of the concern that some day, when they were unable to pay enough protection money, bandits would come and slaughter them all.


    Tanyang, as if having been reborn, was in a new and dynamic atmosphere.


    At this time, Yang Liuzi and the other eleven security guards, who had caught up on rudimentary knowledge of formation, were receiving training in the first array of the Trap-and-kill Formation.


    ¡°You should bring Wang Dashan and his men to the capital city as well. Doesn¡¯t this formation convert into a 24-men formation that is powerful in both attack and defense? Bring Wang Dashan¡¯s men and you won¡¯t be needing anybody else.¡±


    Yuwen Tong advised Ling Zhang to take Wang Dashan and others with him.


    ¡°But if I take them to the capital city, who¡¯s going to protect my family?¡± asked Ling Zhang. He couldn¡¯t take all family security guards away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already dispatched a team here to provide covert protection for your family, and they may recruit some new security guards and take their time training them. It is you who will be in greater need of guards and protection, because you¡¯ll be in the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in surprise. ¡°You dispatched some men here? Are they your soldiers? If by any chance anybody finds out about this, they might use it against you. You¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Under certain circumstances, they are my soldiers, but under other circumstances, they are not.¡±


    Ling Zhang was thrown into confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They are just my men. When I am the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue, they are my soldiers, but if some day I¡¯m no longer in command, they are just my men who have nothing to do with the armed forces of the Great Yue, which is also the case for Yao Yi and my other bodyguards,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes widened with shock. Though Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t put it in an explicit way, there was an unmistakable undertone which suggested that these men were his private army¡­


    Startled, Ling Zhang hurriedly looked around vigilantly for fear that somebody might be eavesdropping.


    ¡°There¡¯s nobody around,¡± Yuwen Tong informed him.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang was relieved, and then said, ¡°Ar¨CAre you not afraid of being found out? What if somebody finds out about it? This is a felony!¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a mysterious smile. ¡°If the day comes when I¡¯m convicted of this felony, this country¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ling Zhang, who failed to distinguish the latter half of the sentence, fixed him with a gaze of perplexity.


    ¡°I know where the limit is. Are you afraid of being with me?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Ling Zhang also stared back at him. Eventually, he heaved a sigh. ¡°Whatever. But remember to inform me if anything does happen, so that I¡¯ll have a chance to make my escape.¡±


    Yuwen Tong cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at him. ¡°And forsake me?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a soft snort. ¡°I¡¯ll take you with me ¨Cgrudgingly.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled.


    ¡°This might not be a bad idea. More manpower will provide extra convenience when I¡¯m in the capital city. I think I should recruit more men before departure.¡±


    His plan was upset and, in the realization that some more matters had just been added to his to-do list, Ling Zhang, who began to have headaches, ignored Yuwen Tong and fell to making arrangements.


    Yuwen Tong, who had just been disregarded, was speechless.


    And he also felt faintly annoyed.


    Ling Zhang decided to recruit some new family security guards. Wang Dashan and his men rejoiced in the knowledge that all of them were going to the capital city with Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen told Ling Zhang, ¡°Let me handle this. All you need to do is make sure that you have everything you need in your traveling bag.¡±


    Then Ling Zhaowen quickly took over this matter and soon recruited twenty-four new family security guards. Preliminary inquiries showed that all of them came from clean background.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. ¡®Since when did uncle start making preparations for this?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong also made another offer. ¡°If you want these people to learn the Trap-and-Kill Formation as well, I¡¯ll tell Xie Shi to stay. He may instruct them first and then return to the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t decline. Yuwen Tong¡¯s man¡¯s assistance with the training would spare him from a lot of trouble.


    Things went as planned and after another couple of days, someone on a fast horse from the capital city arrived in Tanyang, galloping directly towards the residence of Ling family, who brought with him a message bound to cause another sensation.

 Chapter 148 - The Arrival of An Imperial Edict

    ¡°An imperial edict is going to be delivered to your family tomorrow morning. Please get prepared to welcome the edict bearer.


    Marshal, His Majesty also specially sent a message to you, so please get prepared as well.¡±


    The one who had come to Ling family was responsible for informing them beforehand that an imperial edict was about to be delivered to them, so that they could make preparations for welcoming the edict bearer.


    Ling Zhaowen, on behalf of the whole family, expressed gratitude to the messenger. The man then told Yuwen Tong about the message from the emperor.


    ¡°I see,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Then I think it¡¯s time for me to leave. I still have to go to the Prefecture Yamen and the Prefecture Encampment to inform them,¡± said the man.


    Ling Zhang saw that man out of the residence. At the gateway, the man declined Ling Zhang¡¯s kind offer to walk him further and then left.


    The arrival time of this imperial edict would be neither too early nor too late. It would be the exact time that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had anticipated.


    ¡°Once the imperial edict arrives, we shall depart for the capital city,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Though having been prepared for this for quite some time, the thought of leaving home still made his heart ache.


    Because of the imperial edict that was going to be delivered to them, people of Ling family started bustling again.


    The next morning, the team responsible for delivering imperial edicts arrived in Tanyang. They came to the residence of Ling family first, so people of Ling family had not waited long.


    The day before, when the messenger told people of Ling family there was an imperial edict for them, they thought that the emperor just sent them a short message in passing, that the edict meant for Yuwen Tong was the more important one.


    Unexpectedly, in the first imperial edict, the emperor complimented Ling family ¨CLing Xingzhong, to be precise. The general meaning was that the early resignation of Ling Xingzhong had been quite a pity, that if it weren¡¯t for the old age of Ling Xingzhong, he would have recalled Ling Xingzhong to the capital city and reinstated him. After that, the emperor praised Ling Zhaowen and motivated him to work hard, saying that he would grant Ling Zhaowen a promotion as long as he passed the test two years later. After praising Ling Zhaowen, the paid Ling Zhang a compliment, saying that since Ling Zhang was intellectually talented and moral, he had decided to specially offer him a place at the Imperial College. The last part of the edict was about a handsome reward granted to Ling family.


    At first they were confused, but afterwards they understood what was going on.


    The emperor¡¯s compliment was nothing but fancy words. The place at the Imperial College granted to Ling Zhang was the only thing with practical meaning, and there was nothing else.


    But even if Ling Zhang had not been offered this place at the Imperial College, he could still go to the Oriental Proprieties Academy, which was just as good as the Imperial College. Since the academic atmosphere had raised some concerns during these years, Ling Zhang believed that by comparison, the Oriental Proprieties Academy was actually a much better choice.


    Ling Zhang felt rather awkward but still had to respectfully express his gratitude and take the edict with both hands.


    Yuwen Tong also had a slightly cold look in his eyes in the knowledge that there had been a lot of scandals concerning the Imperial College over the past few years, that the emperor¡¯s offer to let Ling Zhang study in that college was by no means a kind one.


    In the second imperial edict, which was meant for Yuwen Tong, the emperor praised him for his great victory in the battle in the north-west against the Wan Kingdom, asked him to returned to the capital city to accept his reward, and also ordered that Yuwen Tong was to depart within three days.


    All of them were very reluctant to obey the orders of the emperor written in these two imperial edicts. It was just that they didn¡¯t show their reluctance on their faces.


    The eunuch who had delivered the imperial edicts seemed to be well acquainted with Yuwen Tong. In a joyous tone of voice, he congratulated Yuwen Tong on the great victory he had secured as well as his enviable engagement, his smile so big that the wrinkles on his face deepened considerably.


    ¡°Then I shall wait for Marshal¡¯s further notice at the courier station after I deliver another two imperial edicts.¡±


    Yuwen Tong blandly gave a bob of his head. ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang saw that Yao Yi secretly stuffed a signed check into the hand of the eunuch when he was leaving, which Ling Zhang believed was definitely of a large denomination.


    Ling Zhaowen also had a servant do the same thing.


    The money that this eunuch had received during this visit to Ling family to deliver imperial edicts was more than the yearly overall expenses of a common squire.


    Yuwen Tong, who noticed the puzzlement on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, explained to him, ¡°These eunuchs stay in the imperial palace serving the emperor almost all year around, which means that they can easily make trouble for you if they intend to. This money is just a small price to pay. There¡¯s no need to offend them for such a petty matter.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Oh.¡± He felt that he had learned yet another piece of finesse.


    After the incense burner table was removed, people of Ling family returned to the ante-room, sat down and had the servants leave.


    ¡°Exactly what did His Majesty mean by having Zhang¡¯er go to the Imperial College to study?¡± asked Ling Xingzhong with a frown on his face.


    ¡°Tao Yi once told me that the atmosphere in the Imperial College had been rather questionable these years, that there had been intense wrangles between factions. If Zhang¡¯er suddenly goes to the Imperial College just like this¡­¡± Ling Zhaowen also knitted his eyebrows.


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± asked Fu Caiwei in a worried tone of voice.


    ¡°Grandfather, uncle, aunt, what¡¯s done is done. No matter how bad the situation is in the Imperial College, sooner or later people will sort things out. It¡¯s just that His Majesty¡¯s wording in the edict was somewhat obscure, and I don¡¯t know what his true intention is,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Though the imperial edict¡­¡± Ling Zhaowen gave a little cough and then continued, ¡°but almost every remark was suggesting another possibility.¡±


    No matter what the true intention of the emperor was, he had not categorically stated his stand in the imperial edict, neither expressing his displeasure with this engagement between them nor offering to directly promote any members of Ling family to higher positions. He had just been ambiguously describing some possibilities, so people of Ling family were somewhat confused about what the emperor truly had in mind.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, and so did the others.


    ¡°Marshal, you should know His Majesty better than we do. What do you think His Majesty meant?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen.


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°His Majesty dislikes others conjecturing his intentions. No matter what the purpose of this imperial edict is, it¡¯s not making life any more difficult for you. I¡¯ll figure it out when we are in the capital city. Old Master Ling, Uncle Ling, rest assured, since I¡¯ve decided to take Ling Zhang to the capital city, I promise I¡¯ll keep him safe and no harm will come to him.¡±


    Ling Zhang sitting beside him gave a slight frown. ¡®Why is this guy being so conservative? He definitely has already come to understand what the emperor meant.¡¯


    When they returned to the Green Bamboo Mansion, Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°Why wasn¡¯t you being honest just now?¡±


    Yuwen Tong took his seat and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t want your grandfather and others to be worried. What else could the emperor possibly mean? He likes speaking ambiguously the most, because he wants to hide his true intentions from other. Given that the engagement between us was disclosed quite suddenly, there were definitely many of his plans in the capital city that were upset. The emperor is taking a wait-and-see attitude. He is also uncertain about where he should stand with Ling family, so he wants us to go back to the capital city as soon as possible, since only after we go back to the capital city will he be able to make a final decision.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang felt even more uneasy. ¡°Plans? What else does he want to do?¡±


    The expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was a little strange.


    Ling Zhang fixed him with a stare of suspicion and slightly squinted his eyes. ¡°What? You can¡¯t tell me?¡±


    Yuwen Qi gave a cough and replied, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already heard it from Yuwen Qi?¡±


    Ling Zhang was reduced to speechlessness.


    He stared at Yuwen Tong for quite a while and suddenly sneered.


    ¡°Were you referring to the emperor¡¯s intention of marrying the princess to you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence in the realization that it was dangerous to speak at this moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Isn¡¯t it amazing to marry a princess? It¡¯s the kind of marriage most people only dream about.¡± Ling Zhang kept gazing at him.


    Yuwen Tong immediately observed, ¡°Those princess? They are either obstinate and wilful or terribly calculating. Even if ¨Cand that¡¯s a big if ¨Cthere is one of them who is an exception, she would definitely be someone¡­¡± Yuwen Tong gave a cough and continued, ¡°Had I wanted to marry a princess, I would have done it years ago. You are the only one I want to marry, and I will say so to any other woman, no matter she¡¯s a princess or a goddess.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, if I am to fall for anybody, that person will definitely be you. And if I am to marry anybody, that person will also definitely be you. If you forsake me, I¡¯ll have to die a bachelor ¨Cno, that¡¯s a little too sad ¨CI¡¯ll follow in your wake for the rest of my life.¡±


    Ling Zhang was reduced to speechlessness.


    ¡®Alas, this guy didn¡¯t even pause for breath while saying these words. What a thick-skinned guy.¡¯


    ¡°Since it has already come to your knowledge that the emperor wants you to marry the princess, what do you plan to do after returning to the capital city?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a tap on the surface of the table and replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t you who are supposed to think about what to do? You should at least try figuring something out. I mean, I¡¯m your future husband.¡±


    The last remark brought an involuntary twitch to the corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Husband? Ha. It¡¯s hard to say who will be who¡¯s husband.¡±


    Yuwen Tong subtly gave a brief pause and then responded stubbornly, ¡°Even so, you should also try to figure out a way. Surely you are nervous about it, aren¡¯t you? I mean, someone¡¯s been coveting me!¡±


    Ling Zhang cocked an eyebrow at him. ¡°If you choose somebody else, I¡¯ll forsake you. Why should I let this thing bother me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong fell speechless.


    He felt a little upset.


    And he believed that he had to do something to console himself on an occasion like this.


    So he reached out his hand, drew Ling Zhang into his arms and said, ¡°I fear that it might be you who chooses somebody else.¡±


    After saying this, he kissed Ling Zhang.


    An astonished look flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and eventually, he stretched out his hands, held Yuwen Tong¡¯s back and kissed him back of his own accord.


    This reaction dissolved Yuwen Tong¡¯s composure, leaving nothing but how to kiss in his mind which was smart enough to lead the whole Northwestern Army¡­


    After quite a while, Ling Zhang, whose lips had swelled due to the long vigorous kiss, had no choice but to push him away and, panting for breath, reprimanded, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    With a fervent expression in his eyes, Yuwen Tong adjusted some part of Ling Zhang¡¯s body and said in a husky voice, ¡°That¡¯s far from enough.¡±


    This remark made Ling Zhang¡¯s blood freeze. His body felt as though it would explode.


    Naturally, such a long kiss had brought a normal reaction to his normal body. When Yuwen Tong did that, his waist instantly fell limp.


    Yuwen Tong immediately held him tight and whispered something into his ears.


    A pink flush spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks. ¡°No!¡±


    After quite a while, Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh. ¡°You are being so cruel.¡±


    Ling Zhang pushed him away and didn¡¯t dare to hug him again for fear that something bad might happen.


    It took the two of them quite some time to calm themselves down. Then Ling Zhang said, ¡°Just now my uncle sent someone to tell me that he¡¯d like to talk to me. I¡¯ve got to go there.¡±


    After saying this, he adjusted his clothes and then left.


    Yuwen Tong watched him leaving and then sat down, a cold look in his eyes.


    The eunuch, who had come to deliver the imperial edict this morning, had clearly been unenthusiastic to people of Ling family, which Yuwen Tong believed was definitely because the emperor had given the eunuch some kind of order.


    ¡®He¡¯s not dealing Ling family a head-down blow at the first encounter. He¡¯s trying to face me down.


    This is ridiculous. Has he any idea to whom he owes his throne?¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought.


    Originally, Yuwen Tong had had no intention of taking any action in the next few years, but after what happened on this day, he felt that he should carry out the plan ahead of schedule to spare himself some bad moods.


    ¡­


    On the other side of the residence, Ling Zhang went to see Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°Uncle, is there anything particular that you want to talk to me about?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen inclined his head and produced a letter from behind his desk. There was no words on the envelope.


    Ling Zhang cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at Ling Zhaowen and took the letter.


    ¡°You grandfather wants me to keep the matter of your mother secret from you, but after some thinking, I feel that you deserve to be informed of it. Don¡¯t open the letter when you are still at home. You may read it after your departure,¡± Ling Zhaowen told him, a serious look on his face.


    Startled, Ling Zhang held the letter tight. ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame you grandfather. He did it out of his own concerns,¡± said Ling Zhaowen. ¡°You¡¯ll come to understand after reading the letter.¡±


    Ling Zhang put the letter into his inner pocket. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Do take care of yourself during this journey to the capital city,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head with a solemn face. ¡°I will.¡±

 Chapter 149 - A Competition Between the New One and the Old One

    After returning to his own courtyard with the letter in his inner front pocket, Ling Zhang reached into the pocket and held a corner of the envelope. He was eager to open it and read the letter right away, but his uncle¡¯s previous words came to mind and he held the impulsion back.


    ¡®All I want to know is in this letter.¡¯ Thinking of this, he felt an urge to depart for the capital city immediately.


    Yuwen Tong, who noticed that he was in a trance, asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I can see that your mind is wandering.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, making no reply. It was not that he didn¡¯t trust Yuwen Tong but that even he himself had no idea what was inside the letter, so he didn¡¯t know how to explain.


    For a few moments, Yuwen Tong seemed to be pondering over something, but he didn¡¯t persist with his questioning. Instead, he offered, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the street tomorrow.¡±


    This was the first time that Yuwen Tong had invited him to go to the street. Ling Zhang asked curiously, ¡°What do you want to buy?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°We¡¯ll have to pay a visit to my uncle after we return to the capital city. It¡¯ll lift his spirits even more if you bring him some Tanyang specialties.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately understood but also went nervous. ¡°Ur¡­ Are there any preferences of your uncle?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°He likes liquor.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. Tanyang was famous for a variety of medicinal wine, each of which had its own curative effects against certain medical conditions, and many of which were suitable for people of advanced years.


    Ling family had their own herb farms, so of course they also made medicinal wine.


    Actually his grandfather had treasured up quite a lot.


    Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong about this. ¡°What do you think? I can go and get a jar or two from my grandfather.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡±


    Ling Zhang observed in an animated tone of voice, ¡°His medicinal wine is milder than the Pear Blossom Wine that you brought here that day. It¡¯s of less pungency, but after you drink it, its taste lingers. It helps with sleep and reduce ostalgia caused by rheumatism as well. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know whether your uncle prefers liquor or something milder. If he is used to drinking liquor, I¡¯m afraid this medicinal wine might not be strong enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. My uncle will love it as long as it¡¯s good. If it¡¯s really beneficial to health, that¡¯ll be even better. My uncle is at his advanced age, and his shoulders ache every time it gets windy or rainy.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang came to realize what kind of medicinal wine the old man needed.


    Ling Zhang went to Ling Xingzhong¡¯s place, stated his business and eventually asked, ¡°Grandfather, can I have a jar or two of medicinal wine?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong chuckled, ¡°By all means. Did Marshal mention whether or not there are any chronic medical conditions that his uncle has been suffering from for years? If there are any, you should take the kind that has the needed efficacy. If there are not, take the kind that is good for health.¡±


    ¡°He did mention this.¡± Ling Zhang related to his grandfather what Yuwen Tong had told him earlier.


    Ling Xingzhong gave a bob of his head and bade some servants to get four jars of wine from the wine cellar. Two of them had the curative effect against ostalgia caused by rheumatism, and the other two helped improve people¡¯s constitution. The amount of time that medicinal materials had been soaking in them was perfect.


    ¡°Grandfather, two jars will suffice,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly said.


    His grandfather had preserved the wine for himself. And the jar was pretty big, so two jars would be more than enough.


    ¡°The more the better. Nobody gets blamed for bringing too many gifts.¡± Ling Xingzhong, who didn¡¯t begrudge the wine, insisted and had the servants get four jars out of the cellar.


    Since his grandfather insisted, Ling Zhang had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°But with these jars of wine on the horse-drawn carriage, you should be more careful on your journey to the capital city. It would be a great pity if any of them broke,¡± Ling Xingzhong exhorted him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    These jars of wine happened to give them reason to take their time on the journey, and they wouldn¡¯t have to make haste.


    Apart from getting these four jars of wine, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong also went to the street to buy some more gifts.


    His family had prepared a couple of bags of precious medicinal herbs of high quality, which had been growing for many years before being harvested and preserved, so Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have to buy any gifts of this kind.


    But there were also some other local specialties in Tanyang, so when the shopping was over, they found that they had bought a lot of things.


    On their way back, Ling Zhang specially paid a visit to Tao Feng on his own, asking Tao Feng whether or not there was anything particular he would like him to deliver to Tao Yi.


    Tao Feng had indeed prepared a lot of things that he wanted Ling Zhang to deliver to Tao Yi in the capital city, but none of them were for Tao Yi. They had been meant for the teacher of Tao Yi as well as Tao Feng¡¯s own teacher.


    Heedless of whom these things Tao Feng had meant for, Ling Zhang agreed to help him deliver them to his son. Because there were too many of them, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t take them home but told Tao Feng to have them loaded onto a horse-drawn cart, saying that he would sent someone here to drive the horse-drawn cart away three days later when he departed for the capital city.


    But Tao Feng said, ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to drive the cart, so there¡¯s no need for you to send another cart-driver here. I myself will go to the city gate to see Marshal off. Let¡¯s meet there.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that this was even better. ¡°So it¡¯s settled.¡±


    There had also been an imperial edict meant for Tao Feng, in which the emperor praised him for his meritorious service in this incident in Tanyang. There was also a vague indication in it that Tao Feng might be transferred to the capital city when his tenure as a governor was over.


    During Ling Zhang¡¯s stay in Tao Feng¡¯s place, there had never been a single instant when smile was absent from Tao Feng¡¯s face.


    After taking his leave of Tao Feng, Ling Zhang went back home.


    In the afternoon, he took Maomao to the street and specially brought him to the Fengtai Pavilion to enjoy snacks. The two brothers had a good time and didn¡¯t return home until night.


    After returning home, Ling Maomao first took a bath and then came to Ling Zhang¡¯s bedroom, his pillow in his arms, followed by Ada wagging its tail.


    Ling Zhang came to know what his younger brother wanted the moment he saw him. He gave the boy a gentle slap on the hip, told him to put the pillow on the bed and instructed a servant to wash Ada clean.


    The Hai Hour (21:00-22:59) was almost over when they got everything done and went to bed. Ling Maomao went sleepy almost immediately after lying down. Leaning against Ling Zhang, he said, ¡°Elder Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Sleep. I can see that you could barely keep your eyes open,¡± said Ling Zhang affectionately.


    Ling Maomao replied ¡°Um¡± and forced his eyes open to glance at him. After confirming that his elder brother was indeed on the bed with him, the boy, unable to resist the overwhelming sleepiness, closed his eyes and fell asleep almost in an instant.


    Ling Zhang craned beyond the edge of the bed, blew off the candle and laid back down, his heart weighed down by the unwillingness to leave as he watched Ling Maomao sleeping soundly.


    This was going to be the first time that he journeyed to a distant city in both this incarnation and the last one, and he would be away from home for quite a long time. Even he himself had no idea what the future held for him.


    He was just following his heart. He had already collected the huge debt of blood, and now, because there were some people in the capital city with whom he had a score to settle, and also because of¡­ Yuwen Tong, he must go to the capital city. And he also had a premonition that only by leaving Tanyang could he be able to find more information on his mother and that person. No matter what, he must find more about the truth, so that this second incarnation of his wouldn¡¯t fall meaningless, and it was also the only way for him to find peace of mind.


    As a result, no matter how much he begrudged leaving, he must do it.


    ¡­


    The departure for the capital city was only two days away. Wang Dashan and other security guards, who had just mastered a new array of the Trap-and-kill Formation, were racing time practicing the sixth array of it.


    Yang Liuzi and some others were still learning the first array.


    The first array was fundamental to future progress. Once they laid a solid foundation by mastering the first array, it would be easier and easier for them to learn the subsequent ones.


    The training of Wang Dashan and his men had been a concrete proof of this. Originally, Ling Zhang had only meant them to learn three arrays, but unexpectedly, after laying a solid foundation by mastering the first and the second arrays, they had been developing proficiency in the following arrays at an increasingly fast pace, and the amount of time they needed to master an array had been getting shorter and shorter, which had been quite a pleasant surprise for Ling Zhang.


    What was different was that, on this day, apart from them, who numbered twenty-four, there were also twenty-four newly recruited security guards present in the guards¡¯ yard.


    Knowing that these men were here to substitute for them as security guards of Ling family, Wang Dashan and his men were both happy and subtly hostile towards them.


    They were happy because they could now follow their young master to the capital city secure in the knowledge that some other men would be performing their duties after they left.


    But they were also subtly hostile towards them because these men were going to replace them becoming family security guards of Ling family. During the past over a month, Wang Dashan and his men had been having an increasingly strong sense of group identity while serving Ling family, and they had almost subconsciously begun to regard this place as their home. As a result, they couldn¡¯t help but show faint hostility when these newcomers showed up trying to ¡°snatch¡± their positions.


    They found this even more unacceptable after hearing that their second master had long ago selected these men as substitutes for them, that all of them had some skills.


    Therefore, Wang Dashan and his men had already covertly made some trouble for these newcomers by, without Ling Zhang¡¯s knowledge of it, challenging them to a secret competition.


    Twenty-four men versus twenty-four men. Single combat. There were twelve rounds in total. And they took turns to fight.


    At first, Qiu Bing and some others took the opponents lightly, believing that these newcomers were by no means their match, but when Zhou Xiang was defeated by his opponent, they dismissed their underestimation of those men from their minds immediately.


    After over a month¡¯s training, all of them had changed considerably and become much more discreet.


    ¡°Given the current circumstances, none of you are to preserve any strength. Do your level best. This is about the reputation of all the twenty-four of us. Don¡¯t give these new guys the chance to look down upon us!¡± instructed Wang Dashan from behind them.


    After they adopted a more serious attitude towards this competition, situation took a favorable turn. Though they suffered another couple of defeats, Wang Dashan and his men secured more victories than the other side.


    Seeing this, Wang Dashan secretly felt a sense of relief. If their young master found out that they challenged newly recruited security guards to a competition and lost it, they would definitely have some serious trouble justifying themselves.


    The other side, after suffering the seventh defeat, began to take Wang Dashan and his men seriously. ¡°We lost, and we will run in the guards¡¯ yard for two hours with rocks on our heads as agreed.¡±


    Qiu Bing and others exchanged glances and gave a chuckle of complacency.


    Wang Dashan stepped forward and said, ¡°We were just joking when we said that losers were to run with rocks on their heads. We challenged you to this competition mainly because we intended to get to know our new brothers. We are also family security guards of Ling family just like you. Though we are going to the capital city with young master very soon, our identities will never change, so we are brothers. ¡®No discord, no concord.¡¯ Please don¡¯t take that joke seriously.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t be ridiculous. How am I supposed to explain if I have you guys run and young master sees?¡¯ he thought.


    The twenty-four men on the other side exchanged glances and one of them replied, ¡°All right.¡±


    In fact, these twenty-four men had had little acquaintance with each other, and remarkably, after having this competition with Wang Dashan¡¯s men as a group, they became much more acquainted with each other and also more united, and the teamwork between them also improved somewhat.


    After generously stated that this competition had merely been meant as a method of getting acquainted with new brothers, Wang Dashan and his men, who believed that they had successfully dealt newcomers a head-on blow at their first encounter, hurriedly resumed their training in the formation.


    These newly recruited security guards had actually some time ago noticed what they had been doing, but they couldn¡¯t understand their moves, so all of them were very curious.


    They had felt too embarrassed to ask, but after the competition, an inquiry about it seemed to have become a less difficult task. As a result, someone asked, ¡°Captain Wang, may I ask what you are doing?¡±


    It was after a few moments¡¯ trance that Wang Dashan realized that the man was asking him a question, but he made no immediate response. Instead, he asked a question, ¡°Well, this is good stuff. Did any of you get a grasp of it?¡±


    Those twenty-four men exchanged glances with one another in private and then one of them stepped forward. ¡°Are you training in some kind of martial formation?¡±


    ¡®Oh, there is indeed someone with discernment among them,¡¯ Wang Dashan thought.


    Not only Wang Dashan and his men but also Xie Shi, who had been covertly observing them, flicked an appraising glance at the speaker after hearing the question.

 Chapter 150 - Before Departure

    Translator: DragonRider


    The speaker was a young man around twenty years old, who seemed full of youthful vigor and dash. The most obtrusive characteristic of him was his upright hair bun, which differentiated him from all others. As he saw that Wang Dashan and his men seemed to have been surprised by his question, a somewhat smug expression appeared on his face.


    ¡°I once went to a border city in the north-west and had the good fortune to see the Marshal¡¯s soldiers drill a formation similar to this one.¡±


    This reply made the others even more surprised. ¡®This guy saw the North-western Army drilling a formation?¡¯


    Even Xie Shi couldn¡¯t help but start pondering. Of course the drill ground of the North-western Army was not open to the public. Only those who entered the station would have a chance to see soldiers practicing a formation. ¡®Did this young man by any chance enter the station?¡¯


    Wang Dashan inquired of the man, ¡°What is your name, bro?¡±


    ¡°Wu Feng,¡± the young man replied.


    ¡°Were you serious when you said that you once saw the North-western Army practicing a formation? To my knowledge, the station of the North-western Army is heavily guarded, and no common people can get inside without permission,¡± observed Wang Dashan in a fairly serious tone of voice.


    Wu Feng responded, ¡°Of course we¡¯d been granted entry before going in. Two years ago, when some of my elder sect-brothers and I traveled to Shengzhou, we happened to discover some people from the Wan Kingdom sneaking across the border into our country. We stalked them and foun¨Cfound that they intended to¡­¡± Wu Feng gave a cough and then continued, ¡°Anyway, they harbored evil intentions. We went to the station of the North-western Army, had an audience with the Marshal and reported it to him. That was the only occasion when I had the good fortune to enter the station of the North-western Army.¡±


    Wang Dashan flicked a glance at Qiu Bing, who took the hint, gave a bob of his head and left.


    Seeing Wang Dashan suddenly have one of his man leave, Wu Feng was confused at first and then queried anxiously, ¡°Hey, surely you don¡¯t suspect that I¡¯m lying, do you?¡±


    Wang Dashan gave a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro. We just want to verify your story. After all, the relationship between our young master and the Marshal is rather special, which is why we are obliged to pay some extra attention to those who approach Ling family and the Marshal. Rest assured, he¡¯s just going out to verify your version of events. We mean nothing else.¡±


    Wu Feng slightly flushed. He didn¡¯t contradict Wang Dashan but still gave him a dirty look.


    ¡°Wu Feng, did you really get in there?¡± someone beside him also asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Of course I entered that place. Why would I lie to you about it?¡± answered Wu Feng, but in fact he was somewhat worried. He was telling the truth. What concerned him was that the Marshal would be disturbed by such a petty matter of his. ¡®What should I do if the Marshal happens to have forgotten this thing?


    The Marshal is such a busy man. Besides, it wasn¡¯t the Marshal himself that we reported to on that day¡­¡¯


    Wu Feng¡¯s worry partially showed on his face, which brought suspicion to the eyes of others.


    Wang Dashan and his men all stopped training and looked in this direction.


    Originally, Qiu Bing, after leaving the guards¡¯ yard, had meant to go to the Green Bamboo Mansion, but unexpectedly, he chanced upon Xie Shi midway between the two places. He hurriedly greeted him. ¡°Guard Xie!¡±


    Xie Shi had been specially waiting for him at this place, because after hearing Wu Feng¡¯s story, he had recalled that there had indeed been such an occurrence.


    ¡°You are going to your young master¡¯s place?¡± queried Xie Shi in a seemingly casual tone of voice.


    Qiu Bing explained, ¡°Actually it¡¯s an audience with the Marshal that I seek. Ah, maybe Guard Xie knows about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Xie Shi looked at him.


    Qiu Bing told him what it was about.


    Xie Shi nodded, ¡°There does seem to be such a thing in my memory. Take me there. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    Qiu Bing led Xie Shi to the guards¡¯ yard. None of those newly recruited security guards had seen Yuwen Tong. When they saw Qiu Bing bringing a strong man, who had a dignified look on his face and was of commanding presence, to the guards¡¯ yard, all of them fell anxious and doubtful, wondering, ¡®Is this man by any chance Marshal Yuwen?¡¯


    Thinking of this possibility, they got excited and intended to walk up to the man to pay their respect.


    Fortunately, their expression brought Xie Shi to an instant realization that they had mistaken him for somebody else. He informed them, ¡°I¡¯m a bodyguard of the Marshal. You are Wu Feng, I suppose? Is Wu Daolin your elder sect-brother?¡±


    All those men went somewhat disappointed in the knowledge that the man was not the Marshal but the Marshal¡¯s bodyguard, but when they heard the man ask Wu Feng a question, they quieted down again.


    Pleasantly surprised, Wu Feng stepped forward. ¡°You know my elder sect-brother?¡±


    Xie Shi gave a bland smile. ¡°Back then when you and your elder sect-brothers came to the station, I was in a tent right beside the one you were in.¡±


    This reply instantly dissolved Wu Feng¡¯s worry. He nodded repeated. ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯s us!¡±


    Xie Shi¡¯s eyes briefly appraised Wu Feng. All of a sudden, his figure seemed have instantly disappeared into thin air, and the next moment, he materialized before Wu Feng and launched an attack on him.


    Wu Feng was startled, but surprisingly, he quickly reacted and exchanged a few moves with Xie Shi.


    When the moods of others were still alternating between anxiety and doubt, Xie Shi had already separated from Wu Feng and returned to his original position in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°People of the Wu Stockaded Village excel at fist techniques. Your fist technique is pretty good.¡±


    After hearing Xie Shi¡¯s compliment, Wu Feng, who had been in shock, replied in delight and embarrassment, ¡°Mine is just average. My elder sect-brother is the one who is a real master.¡±


    ¡°But the Wu Stockaded Village is in Cangzhou. How did you come to be in Tanyang and enter Ling family to be a security guard?¡± Xie Shi inquired in puzzlement.


    A faint flush spread over the cheeks of Wu Feng. ¡°It was after hearing about the Marshal¡¯s presence in Tanyang that I specially came to this city. Since the Marshal is engaged to Childe Ling, I decided to work as a security guard in Ling family.¡±


    Other security guards remained silent.


    Xie Shi gave a soft cough and observed, ¡°But if you work as a security guard, you¡¯re not going to the capital city with the Marshal but staying in Ling family. Ling family needs the kind of security guards who sign up because they are ready for long-term service, not the kind who do it out of momentary curiosity.¡±


    Wu Feng hastily replied, ¡°I know. Please don¡¯t misunderstand me. I had been informed of this before I was recruited, so I¡¯m not doing this out of momentary curiosity. Besides, I had already promised Ling family that I¡¯d stay here for a full year.¡±


    Xie Shi gave a bob of his head, feeling relieved in the knowledge that the man knew what he was doing.


    ¡°My elder sect-brother had me come out to travel for experience and toughen myself, and he didn¡¯t say anything about what I should or should not do. I made the decision to become a security guard of Ling family and protect Ling family for a year of my own accord. Childe Ling is engaged to the Marshal, so I¡¯ll do whatever I can to keep Ling family safe!¡± added Wu Feng.


    Other security guards remained silent.


    They were not very happy to hear this. ¡®This guy sounded as if he were capable of keeping Ling family safe all by himself.¡¯


    What Xie Shi was worried about was that this man might be erratic, but from the vantage point of the present, Wu Feng seemed to have made up his mind, so Xie Shi made no further remarks about this matter.


    ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll start training you in martial arts and formations, including the formation that Wang Dashan and his men were practicing just now. Though today is not the day for the training to officially begin, let¡¯s just take this as an opportunity to get to know each other ahead of schedule. My surname is Xie.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯ll be none other than a bodyguard of the Marshal¡¯s who¡¯s going to train us?¡¯ all the twenty-four newcomers were secretly surprised and delighted to hear this.


    Wu Feng, in particular, was overjoyed. ¡®This alone will make it all worthwhile!¡¯


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Guard Xie!¡± All others paid their respect to Xie Shi.


    Xie Shi inclined his head, talked with them for a short while and then left.


    After Xie Shi walked out of the yard, Wang Dashan and his men looked in the direction of Wu Feng and others and then withdrew their gaze.


    ¡®All that fuss over Guard Xie! Wouldn¡¯t you be scared shitless if we tell you that we once fought the Marshal?¡¯


    Qiu Bing and some others despised Wu Feng and other newcomers when they saw their pleasantly surprised faces.


    ¡®You got so excited at the prospect of Guard Xie training you. Wouldn¡¯t you be scared to death in the knowledge that Marshal Yuwen himself once taught us fundamentals of formations?¡¯ thought Yang Liuzi and some others.


    Most importantly, Wang Dashan and some others could faintly see themselves in these newcomers¡­


    Thinking of their running with rocks on their heads in this yard on that day, all others looked at Wang Dashan and Liu Yi.


    Liu Yi was rather composed. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡®Let them have their moment of joy and excitement,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡­


    On the other side of the residence, Xie Shi had just left the guards¡¯ yard when he saw Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling.¡± Xie Shi was not surprised to see them. Clearly, he had sensed their arrival beforehand.


    ¡°About that incident Wu Feng mentioned, how did it end?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong curiously.


    ¡°Those people were spies of the Wan Kingdom. My men stalked them, found the locations where other spies were hiding and eventually eliminated all spies planted in Shengzhou and Cangzhou by the Wan Kingdom,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang relaxed safe in the knowledge that no loose ends had been left behind.


    As regards Wu Feng¡¯s reason for becoming a security guard of Ling family, Ling Zhang was rather undisturbed by it. Since he was going to depart for the capital city from Ling family, he didn¡¯t have the time to handle this matter, but he believed that his uncle will deal with it. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have hired this man to be a new security guard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ling Zhang turned around and left first.


    Yuwen Tong caught up with him.


    Xie Shi followed in their wake.


    Only two days away from the scheduled departure, Ling Zhang decided to spend these two days with his family at home.


    In the afternoon, he played chess with his grandfather. At night, he had a couple of games of chess with his uncle, going over the situation in Tanyang once again in passing.


    Ling Zhang had already informed Ling Zhaowen of He Xiao, and Ling Zhaowen had made adequate preparations.


    Had the emperor approved it, Tao Feng would also have to wait for a couple of years to get the transfer he wanted, and nobody knew what might happen before that.


    With luck, Ling Zhaowen might get a promotion. If not, the new governor would be someone from another city. Either way, it was something that wouldn¡¯t happen until a couple of years later, and by that time, Ling family would definitely have gained a strong and firm position in Tanyang.


    ¡°I¡¯ve consulted with your grandfather about whether we could promote a couple of talents in the collateral branches of our family,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and nodded. ¡°It sounds like a good idea. We are not a large family after all, and we will indeed be in need of more manpower as our family flourishes.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a smile. Clearly he shared his opinion.


    But thinking of this, he also felt somewhat regretful. The only disadvantage of the future marriage between his nephew and Yuwen Tong would be that they couldn¡¯t have children.


    He actually wanted to say something to his nephew, but then it occurred to him that his nephew had not married Yuwen Tong yet, and it was too early to talk about this issue, so instead of making any further remarks, he just mulled over these things in his mind for a while.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that his uncle had already considered the issue of children for him. His attention was still concentrated on the game of chess.


    At night, Ling Maomao once again went to Ling Zhang¡¯s bedroom to sleep with his elder brother. This time the boy was not as naughty as the night before. Ling Zhang just checked Ling Maomao¡¯s homework and then the two brothers lay down on the bed talking aimlessly. Ling Maomao was asking questions most of the time, to which Ling Zhang gave the answers.


    Slowly, while chatting, both of them drifted off to sleep.


    Early the next morning, Fu Caiwei prepared Ling Zhang¡¯s favorite foods, a tableful of them.


    In normal times, Ling family were never so extravagant with food, but since Ling Zhang was about to depart from home, nobody laid any criticism on it. Instead, they kept asking Ling Zhang to eat more.


    Ling Zhang repeatedly responded ¡°Okay¡± to his family while eating. This was the last day that he would be at home before departure.


    For the rest of this day, Fu Caiwei had been bustling around all along, frequently asking Ling Zhang whether he had packed this thing or that thing. There had not been a single moment when she sat down to rest. She just kept checking his baggage again and again.


    Ling Zhang patiently walked around with her without showing any signs of impatience.

 Chapter 151 - Departure for the Capital City

    Heedless of his unwillingness to part from his family, the day for departure still arrived.


    On this day, all people of Ling family got up very early and started bustling around loading prepared baggage onto horse-drawn carriages. Those working in the kitchen were also racing time preparing breakfast for their masters. Servants on the go could be seen everywhere in the residence.


    After clothing himself presentable, Ling Zhang scooped Ling Maomao out of bed, helped him wash his face and dressed him.


    ¡°Old Master, Second Master and Second Mistress are on their way to the ante-room, Young Master. The Marshal is ready. He¡¯ll come here to pick you up and then go there with you,¡± Xia Feng informed him after walking inside.


    That talk he had with his young master on that day had brought many changes of Xia Feng, the most noticeable one of which was that he had indeed managed to get access to all intelligence within his grasp in Ling family, and stay well informed of what was happening and was going to happen, and all servants of Ling family were rather obedient to him.


    ¡°I see.¡± Ling Zhang patted Ling Maomao on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s about time.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ling Maomao answered, but he sounded in low spirits. His elder brother was going to depart for the capital city on this day, which meant that they wouldn¡¯t be able to see each other for a very long time.


    The two brothers walked out of the house together. Servants in the courtyard were occupied carrying prepared baggage outside. On seeing Ling Zhang and Ling Maomao coming out, they all stopped and respectfully greeted them. ¡°Young Master, Second Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. Since Xia Feng would stay in the courtyard taking care of the loading of baggage, he and Ling Maomao left the courtyard.


    Yuwen Tong, who had just arrived, flicked a glance at the bustle in the courtyard and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t keep the elders waiting too long.¡±


    Ling Maomao looked at him, walked to the other side of his elder brother and held his hand, ignoring Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong fell speechless.


    He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at Ling Zhang, as if asking why Ling Maomao was acting like this.


    ¡®This is the first time that this little boy has refused to greet me at a meeting,¡¯ he thought.


    Ling Zhang looked back at him, helplessness on face, as if replying, ¡°What else could the reason be? This little guy doesn¡¯t want me leaving, and he is blaming you for it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyebrows lifted. Since blame from a child wouldn¡¯t really do him any harm, he decided to let it be.


    There were also many people packing things in the Green Bamboo Mansion. Yao Yi and some others, who had worked very quick, had already got their baggage ready.


    They walked into the ante-room and saw that Ling Xingzhong and others had been waiting for them.


    All members of Ling family and Yuwen Tong sat down and had breakfast. At this time, servants had already got all baggage loaded onto horse-drawn carriages which had been driven to the front gate, waiting for their master to give the order to depart.


    After breakfast, they sat in the ante-room talking for a while, and then it was time for departure.


    Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao would see them out of the city, but Ling Xingzhong and Fu Caiwei had to bid them farewell at the gateway.


    Before leaving, Ling Zhang respectfully knelt down and kowtowed to his grandfather and aunt.


    Fu Caiwei, eyes red, raised him to his feet and exhorted him to be careful on the journey, send a letter back after reaching the capital city and not to be sparing with money when it came to food or clothing or accommodation¡­


    Though having heard these words many times during the past few days, Ling Zhang still gravely promised that he would do as told to.


    Eventually, Ling Xingzhong instructed him, ¡°Go. Don¡¯t keep the Marshal waiting too long.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather,¡± Ling Zhang replied, clenched his teeth to fight down his sorrow, turned around, walked down the stairway and mounted his horse. He didn¡¯t dare to glance back, which he knew positively would shatter his determination instantly.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and gave the order bringing the long fleet of horse-drawn carriages to departure.


    When they were turning into another street, Ling Zhang failed to forbear to toss a glance over his shoulder. The sight of his grandfather and aunt who were still standing at the gateway instantly reduced him to tears.


    ¡°If some day you get homesick, I¡¯ll come back here with you. Or maybe when the occasion arises, we¡¯ll be able to take your grandfather to the capital city,¡± Yuwen Tong consoled him.


    At this time, they had already turned into another street and the residence of Ling family was no longer in sight.


    Ling Zhang twisted his upper body back and, after a long silence, replied, ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that my heart aches at the prospect of being away from home for such a long time.¡±


    When he had been at home, he had never felt it so strongly, but when he was really parting with his family, he couldn¡¯t help but miss them.


    Yuwen Tong had spent many years in the border areas, and all his elders he used to be close to had passed away. Nevertheless, he still had a hearty empathy for Ling Zhang¡¯s feelings.


    He didn¡¯t say anything but just kept Ling Zhang company.


    Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao were in the horse-drawn carriage following in their wake. Seeing his elder brother so sad to leave home, Ling Maomao asked his father, ¡°Why is elder brother going to the capital city when he¡¯s clearly so unwilling to leave us?¡±


    There was no sulkiness on Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face when he answered the boy¡¯s question, which was rather rare. ¡°You¡¯ll come to understand when you are old enough.¡±


    Ling Maomao curled his lip. ¡®This is so clich¨¦. When will I be old enough?¡¯ The boy felt that he had grown up quite some time ago.


    When the procession was getting close to the city gate, many residents showed up of their own accord to see Yuwen Tong off.


    It took the procession quite a while to get to the north city gate due to the crowd.


    At the north city gate, Tao Feng and a lot of officials of different ranks working in Tanyang also turned up to bid farewell to them, which inevitably entailed a lot of pleasantries exchanging and formality.


    These people offered to go with Ling Zhaowen and others to see them out of the city, but Yuwen Tong declined.


    Tao Feng secretly winked at Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang took the hint, bobbed his head and arranged for the horse-drawn cart brought by Tao Feng to join the fleet.


    Apart from Tao Feng and his subordinates, the eunuch and some palace guards were also present. They had been waiting outside the city gate and seemed to have the intention of going to the capital city with Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, who had little acquaintance with them, merely exchanged civilities with them, making no further remarks.


    But when those people looked at Ling Zhang, the expressions in their eyes were different from the one Ling Zhang had in his eyes when he looked at them. Seeing the long fleet of horse-drawn carriages and carts, those servants and the twenty-four security guards, they believed that even a childe from a rich and aristocratic family couldn¡¯t have been more ostentatious when departing from home, yet Ling Zhang was merely the nephew of a petty Tongzhi of Tanyang.


    ¡°This Ling family really possesses such wealth? It seems that they wouldn¡¯t necessarily be bullied when they are in the capital city,¡± an eunuch observed in a muted voice.


    ¡°With these? It¡¯s hard to say how Ling family will turn out, but this Ling Zhang guy has indeed got himself someone he can rely on.¡± At first, Zhang Xi, the head eunuch, was disapproving, but he seemed to be sighing in sentiment while making the latter half of his remarks.


    ¡°Rely on? Whom could he possibly rely on? Ling family has no relatives or any other social contacts in the capital city.¡±


    ¡°You dumb-ass. Isn¡¯t it obvious enough that Yuwen Tong is his most powerful backer? It¡¯s been so many years, yet this is the first time that I¡¯ve seen Yuwen Tong care about anybody so much. This matter¡­ Ha¡­ We¡¯d better keep our mouths shut¡­ ¡±


    The sight of the disbelieving expression on the face of the young eunuch standing on the side brought the corner of Zhang Xi¡¯s mouth to a brief, involuntary twitch. ¡°Time to go! Get on the carriage and catch up with them! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± the young eunuch hastily replied, guided Zhang Xi onto their horse-drawn carriage, sat down in the seat beside the carriage driver and instructed aloud, ¡°Depart!¡±


    At a place called the Wuli Pavilion not far from the city, the procession came to a halt.


    Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao had to bid farewell to Ling Zhang at this place.


    Having already told his nephew all he needed to be told, Ling Zhaowen just exhorted Ling Zhang to take good care of himself during the journey.


    Ling Maomao fixed his red eyes on Ling Zhang, which made Ling Zhang¡¯s heart ached terribly. He talked with the boy for quite a while and finally managed to coax him out of sorrow.


    They stayed at this place for a long time. Those palace guards at the rear didn¡¯t dare to hurry them, since Yuwen Tong was standing right beside Ling Zhang. Who would dare to show impatience when even the Martial was patiently waiting?


    However, long or short, every farewell had an end. Eventually, Ling Zhang grudgingly took his leave of Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao, mounted his horse and departed again.


    In the distance, he waved at his uncle and younger brother and told them to go back to spare themselves longer exposure to the strong wind.


    But Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao refused to leave so soon. It was not until Ling Zhang and the others were completely out of sight that the two of them turned around to get back.


    Ling Zhang, who was riding side by side with Yuwen Tong, didn¡¯t utter a single word. On this occasion, he was not in the mood for talking.


    It was not until they crossed the boundary and entered another prefecture that he gradually recovered from deep sorrow and other expressions found their way back to his face. And at this time, it was almost noon.


    Their pace was not fast, which was why they had not yet reached the next town.


    ¡°It¡¯s noon. We shall take an hour¡¯s rest where we are and then resume our journey.¡± Yuwen Tong gave the order to rest.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and stroked his chest where the inner pocket was. The letter given to him by his uncle was still there, but now was not the right time to take it out and read it. He felt that at least he had to wait until they were having a rest in a courier station or an inn.


    It had not been long since their departure from the city, so most of the foods they brought with them were still fresh. Yao Yi and his fellows, together with servants of Ling family prepared lunch and all of them enjoyed a hot heal.


    Palace guards bringing up the rear wasn¡¯t lucky enough to enjoy such treatment. All of them ate solid food that they had brought with them.


    Yuwen Tong had a subordinate deliver some hot food to Zhang Xi, who accepted it and specially came over to express his gratitude.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, Gonggong Zhang (Gonggong is a respectful form of address for an old eunuch whose rank is higher than that of common eunuchs). It¡¯s just some food. You should go and get some rest. We¡¯ll resume our journey when the time is up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for reminding me, Marshal.¡±


    With a smile on his face, Zhang Xi returned.


    After Zhang Xi left, Ling Zhang flicked a glance at Zhang Xi¡¯s receding figure. Yuwen Tong had once warned him that he should try not to stare at these eunuchs, because they were very sensitive to other people¡¯s gaze due to their living in the imperial palace, a place full of conspiracies and intrigues, year in year out as well as some other particular reasons.


    ¡°Does the emperor trust Zhang Xi much?¡±


    ¡°The emperor has a suspicious mind. Wang Lubao is the only one he trusts. Zhang Xi and another two, Dou He and Zhu Xiang, could be counted as his favored eunuchs. You might get a chance to see them some day.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Holding a bowl of hot soup in his hand, he took a sip of it and then couldn¡¯t help but subconsciously reached out the other hand to stroke his chest so as to confirm whether the letter was still in there.


    This movement of his was rather plain, and he did it in a natural way, so there was nothing affected about it, and it wouldn¡¯t raise any doubts in common people¡¯s minds.


    It took Yuwen Tong only a few extra moments¡¯ observation of Ling Zhang to come to realize that this movement had some special meaning in it.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything but just conjectured that there was probably a letter or something like that in the inner pocket of Ling Zhang.


    He did some careful recollecting and then had a shrewd idea where Ling Zhang had got that thing. ¡®It is ever since Ling Zhang returned from that meeting with Ling Zhaowen on that day that Ling Zhang has been acting like this.¡¯


    ¡®What kind of letter is making Ling Zhang so nervous?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong pondered for a while. The only secret of Ling Zhang¡¯s that he had not yet found out about was the origin of those formations. ¡®Is this what it is about?¡¯


    The inquiry into Ling family¡¯s background that his men were carrying out seemed to have reached a bottleneck. Yuwen Tong had always been very confident about the competence of his subordinates. He believed that either his subordinates were not as competent as he believed them to be, or some people had been keeping this matter highly confidential. Or maybe the inquiry had been going in the wrong direction.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face instantly went grim. He felt that maybe he had indeed directed the inquiry towards the wrong direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Zhang, who had just called Yuwen Tong¡¯s name but received no response, was confused.


    Yuwen Tong collected his thoughts. ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking about something.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head and didn¡¯t persist with his questioning in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had too many secrets, some of which he felt it inconvenient for him to ask about.


    ¡°You want to get some rest?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Not really. I¡¯d like to go for a walk. And we may depart as soon as I get back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong rose to his feet. ¡°Let me keep you company.¡±

 Chapter 152 - A Chance Encounter with the General Storekeeper of the Jiangs

    The two of them left together. An eunuch who had been covertly keeping watch on them immediately reported it to Zhang Xi.


    ¡°Gonggong (Gonggong is a respectful form of address for an old eunuch whose rank is higher than that of common eunuchs), they went to the nearby woods.¡±


    Zhang Xi raised the curtain of the horse-drawn carriage he was sitting in, glanced out of the window and saw that Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were very close to each other, casually walking forward while talking, and there was nobody else around them. He let down the curtain, took a sip of the hot soup and mumbled, ¡°Yuwen Tong is taking this seriously?¡±


    ¡­


    An hour¡¯s time was up and the group resumed the journey.


    At dusk, they arrived at a county-level courier station and decided to spend the night there.


    A palace guard told Zhang Xi, ¡°Gonggong, we are still in Tanyang after traveling for almost a full day. If we keep going at this pace, it might take us half a month to get to the capital city. Should we talk to the Marshal and advise him to give the order to pick up speed?¡±


    Zhang Xi replied with an awkward expression on his face, ¡°Uh¡­ I saw four jars of wine and a lot of other things on the carriages of Ling family. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s very difficult for them to speed up. How about Commander Zhao go and sound the Marshal out about it?¡±


    The last remark brought an involuntary twitch to the corners of the mouth of Commander Zhao of the Palace Guards. With a forced smile on his face, he responded, ¡°I think we might as well wait for another couple of days and then decide.¡±


    After Commander Zhao left, Zhang Xi uttered ¡°Bah!¡± and then muttered, ¡°Asshole.¡±


    ¡°Gonggong, why did Commander Zhao give up his intention of making the suggestion?¡± asked a young eunuch.


    Zhang Xi aimed a kick at him. ¡°You moron. Why do you think he came to talk to me? He but wanted to use me and have me offend Yuwen Tong. It¡¯s going to be an offensive thing. You tell me why he decided not to do it.¡±


    The young eunuch conveniently rolled on the ground after being kicked. Then he picked himself up and replied, ¡°I was being stupid. Please don¡¯t get angry, Gonggong.¡±


    Zhang Xi gave a cold snort and remarked, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be tricked into taking this kind of offensive course of action. His Majesty only instructed that Yuwen Tong depart for the capital city within three days after receiving the imperial edict, but he didn¡¯t impose a deadline for his return to the capital city.¡±


    ¡®Besides, even if there were a deadline, what could I possibly do about it provided Yuwen Tong intentionally tries to delay the return? Though Yuwen Tong has been acting courteously so far, it is merely because he¡¯s willing to save my face for the moment. If by any chance someday he¡¯s no longer willing to do so¡­¡¯ Zhang Xi¡¯s face suddenly fell cold, as if something had just occurred to him.


    In a procession like this, nothing could escape the notice of Yao Yi and his men.


    After Zhao Si of the Palace Guards talked with Zhang Xi, information about this matter soon reached their ears.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were having supper when Yao Yi walked inside the room and reported this to them.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong. Yuwen Tong replied in a casual tone of voice, ¡°Never mind. Since they didn¡¯t come here, we might as well pretend to be unaware of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Martial.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they will eventually fail to forbear to come here and make the suggestion?¡± Ling Zhang asked him after Yao Yi left.


    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡®How does he come to be so sure?¡¯ Ling Zhang cocked a confused eyebrow at him.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°The emperor merely wants me to leave Tanyang as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t impose a deadline for my return to the capital city. Otherwise he would have had Zhang Xi inform me of it. Since they didn¡¯t say anything on that day, now it¡¯s even more unlikely that they¡¯ll get a chance to do it.¡±


    The light dawned on Ling Zhang. It meant that Zhang Xi and those palace guards had no choice but to put up with the situation even if they were not willing to.


    ¡°You want to go for a walk after supper?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You are really taking this for a sightseeing tour?¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t at all see why he shouldn¡¯t be doing this. ¡°Why not? I mean, it¡¯s not like we are in a hurry or something.¡±


    Ever since Ling Zhang suffered an injury on that day, the chef of Ling family had been preparing highly nourishing food for him each and every day for quite a long time. In order not to get fat, after recovering from the injury, he had been working very hard on fist techniques, and had even been making steady progress in developing proficiency the breathing exercises taught to him by Yuwen Tong. And he even involuntarily breathed according to the pattern when he slept at night. His constitution had become significantly stronger than before.


    Though having spent a full day on horse back, he didn¡¯t feel tired at all.


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Ling Zhang agreed. ¡°But where should we go? There¡¯s a certain distance between this courier station and the county seat.¡±


    This place was called the Cheng County, which was under the jurisdiction of Tanyang. In fact, the County Magistrate of the Cheng County had been among the group of officials who had gone to the city gate to see Yuwen Tong off. Whether he had returned or not was unknown.


    ¡°It¡¯s not far,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡®It seems that he intends to go to the county seat.¡¯ Ling Zhang thought for a few moments and informed him, ¡°If my memory serves me well, there¡¯s a pretty distinctive herbal garden in the Cheng County, which is located between this courier station and the county seat. People grow some kind of medicinal herbs with a unique fragrance in there, and the flowers of the herbs are very beautiful. This is the exact season when the herbs blossom. A lot of people will specially come to this county to enjoy the scenery at this time of the year. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how the view is at night.¡±


    The herbal garden was a manor covering a rather vast area. He remembered that there was an inn in it, but he had only been to that place once with his uncle when he had been a young boy, so he wasn¡¯t sure about it.


    Yuwen Tong merely wanted to go for a walk with Ling Zhang, and he didn¡¯t really care where they were going.


    As a result, the two of them left the courier station after supper, heading for the herbal garden.


    ¡°Where are the Marshal and Childe Ling going at such a late hour?¡± A palace guard was confused when he saw them.


    ¡°They are going out for a walk. It helps digest the food.¡± Wang Dashan, who happened to be walking past, heard the question, gave an answer to it and then left.


    This reply sent the palace guard speechless.


    ¡®Going for a walk to help with digestion when it¡¯s pitch-dark?¡¯


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were not going on their own. Yao Yi and Liu Yi were following in their wake.


    The herbal garden was indeed not far away from the courier station. Distantly, they caught sight of a manor. The big lantern overhanging the front gate of the manor was very bright, and there was also a road lamp about a hundred paces away from the gateway where a lot of horse-drawn carriages had been parked. Some people happened to have just got off their carriage and were entering the manor when they arrived at the gateway.


    It had not been long since it got dark. The night was still young.


    ¡°It seems that they are still receiving visitors,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang secretly felt a sense of relief.


    The four of them walked over to the front gate and, unsurprisingly, there were a couple of receptionists, all of whom were briefly stunned when they saw that the four of them not only had come to this place by foot but also looked strange.


    ¡°May I ask where you are from, my guests? You don¡¯t seem like locals,¡± asked a man at the front gate.


    ¡°The courier station,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    The man at the gateway, as if light had just dawned on him, smiled, ¡°Oh, I see. You must have come here to participate in the Tea and Flowers Party as well, I guess? This way, please.¡±


    ¡®Tea and flowers?¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes slightly lit up. ¡®It seems that our timing is perfect.¡¯


    After exchanging glances with each other, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went inside first.


    Yao Yi and Liu Yi followed in their wake.


    They entered the manor and were greeted by a large garden, inside which there were unconventionally shaped flower nurseries where the medicinal herbs Ling Zhang had mentioned were grown. At this time, all the herbs were laden with purple blossoms. There was a road lamp beside each flower nursery, so the garden was well-lit.


    Ling Zhang took a sniff. ¡°This is the exact fragrance I remember.¡±


    It was precisely the same as the scent he had smelled when he had been here in his childhood.


    But this place had become far prettier than the one in his memory. Back then when his uncle had taken him here, there had not been these arrangements.


    They walked across the garden and arrived at the front of an inn and a teahouse, which were two-story buildings standing side by side.


    The teahouse was very uproarious, as if all visitors were in there.


    ¡°You want to check it out?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head and the two of them walked into the teahouse.


    The moment they entered, a waiter greeted them and offered to lead them to available seats.


    Though this teahouse was a two-story building, it was rather spacious. In the middle of it, there was a large courtyard, looking up from which they could see the second floor.


    There was a dome above the courtyard, and at the center of the courtyard was a platform one step higher than the ground. A woman wearing a veil was playing qin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither) on it.


    When they entered the teahouse, all people¡¯s eyes were almost instantly drawn to them, since their presence was out of the ordinary, especially that of Yuwen Tong.


    It was because the two of them were strangers to them that nobody had accosted them so far.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t really mind those people¡¯s gaze. A moment ago, when entering this place, he had noticed that the second floor had no walls to block the view of the sea of flowers in the garden. As a result, he asked the waiter, ¡°Are there any seats available upstairs?¡±


    The man answered with an awkward look, ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m afraid most of the seats on the second floor have been booked.¡±


    A regretful expression appeared on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°Then we¡¯ll sit on the ground floor.¡±


    The waiter was just about to lead them to available seats when someone on the second floor called, ¡°Hey, guests downstairs, you are welcome to come up here and share a table with us if you want.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his head and his eyes met a man¡¯s, who was standing beside the balustrade looking down. That was a middle-aged man dressed like a merchant. ¡®He¡¯s¡­¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s you, General Storekeeper.¡±


    The man folded his hands in front at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong as a gesture of friendliness, respectfully bowed his head to Yuwen Tong and then replied, ¡°Yes, in the flesh. Would Childe Ling care to come up here and share the table with me?¡±


    This man was the general storekeeper of the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain which had been in cooperation with Ling family¡¯s herb farm in doing herbs business all along. Back at the time when Zhang Chong¡¯s men detained Ling family¡¯s herb farmers, this man came to their help in the woods.


    Yuwen Tong also had a vague memory of this person.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who then inclined his head.


    ¡°Sure. A chance meeting like this is far from a daily occurrence,¡± Ling Zhang said to the storekeeper.


    The general storekeeper walked to the bottom of the staircase and led them upstairs. The table happened to face the sea of flowers in the garden and the view from it was excellent.


    Surprisingly, the general storekeeper was the only one occupying the table.


    The general storekeeper said to Yuwen Tong in an undertone, ¡°After you, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head and took a seat.


    Ling Zhang politely suggested that he and the general storekeeper sat down at the same time. Then he observed, ¡°It never crossed my mind that General Storekeeper might also be in such a good mood for presenting yourself in this herbal garden for the beauty of flowers.¡±


    The general storekeeper gave a smile. ¡°This must sound like a frivolity to you, Childe Ling. I happen to be on a visit to this herbal garden consulting with the owner about herb business. I saw this tea party going on here and decided to come and check it out. Are you on a journey to the capital city with the Marshal and passing by?¡±


    They were a certain distance away from nearby tables and other customers wouldn¡¯t be able to overhear their conversation, so Ling Zhang didn¡¯t remind the general storekeeper not to address Yuwen Tong as ¡°the Marshal¡±.


    ¡°Yes. We just checked in at the courier station. When I was young, I came to this herbal garden once, so I decided to come and take a look. This tea party is a pleasant surprise to me.¡±


    The general storekeeper flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong who had been silent all along. Seeing he seemed to have no problem with letting Ling Zhang do all the talking, the general storekeeper was secretly startled and his attitude towards Ling Zhang became even more respectful.


    ¡°You don¡¯t come here often enough, Childe Ling. Actually, in this season when the herbs are in blossom, a tea party at night is a near daily occurrence here.¡±


    Light dawned on Ling Zhang and he gave a smile. ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Though this was a mere chance encounter with the general storekeeper of the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain, Ling Zhang sitting here came up with a business plan.


    He intended to open a drugstore in the capital city, and the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain had long ago located a branch in the capital city, which he had heard was of a pretty large scale.


    He believed that he might be able to get some very useful information if he consulted this man about it.


    ¡°General Storekeeper, may I ask when you¡¯ll go to the capital city?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    The general storekeeper was somewhat surprised by this question. After thinking for a while, he responded, ¡°It happens that I¡¯ll deliver a batch of medicinal herbs to the capital city in half a month.¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯d like to pay you a visit when you are there. May I ask if it would be convenient for you, General Storekeeper? There¡¯s something that I want to consult you about,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°You are being too courteous, Childe Ling. With our acquaintance, I¡¯ll never hesitate for a single moment about paying you a visit myself if you need any help. How about this? I¡¯ll go to the capital city half a month later, and we¡¯ll meet immediately after I get there,¡± replied the general storekeeper.

 Chapter 153 - An Assassination and a Sneak Attack

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Ling Zhang smiled.


    It was natural that the general storekeeper had agreed, since Ling Zhang was not only the owner of the herb farm that had been in business cooperation with the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain for years, but also had Yuwen Tong at his back. The general storekeeper would never say no to an opportunity of having their acquaintance develop further, as long as he still had his senses.


    ¡­


    After enjoying tea and the beauty of the sea of flowers with the general storekeeper of the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain at the teahouse in the herbal garden, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong decided to return.


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet and looked around, an awkward expression on his face. Since he had drunk a lot of tea, he needed to go to a privy to answer the call of nature.


    Fortunately, the waiter of the teahouse was very observant. Since this was a teahouse, the occasion when a customer needed to use a privy was a frequent occurrence here.


    Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°Just go.¡±


    They had been here for several hours, but this was the first time that the general storekeeper of the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain had seen Yuwen Tong¡¯s face soften and have a smile on it, which made him even more surprised. ¡®Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang really have feelings for each other. Does this mean that I did the right thing by making a decision to cultivate a closer relationship with Ling Zhang?¡¯


    Thinking about this, the general storekeeper couldn¡¯t help but get excited, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of it on his face.


    Ling Zhang, led by the waiter, went downstairs. Liu Yi followed in their wake.


    The privy was not far away from the teahouse. It was clean and the surroundings were pleasantly quiet.


    Ling Zhang walked inside and Liu Yi waited at the doorway.


    There were lanterns still ablaze in the teahouse ahead and a babble of voices was emanating from it, making it even more uproarious than many nightclubs in a city.


    Liu Yi took a few glances at the place and then lowered his eyes, calmly waiting for Ling Zhang to come out, but right at this moment, some faint, unusual sounds were heard. He abruptly opened his eyes and the sound of something swishing towards him through the air came from behind!


    Liu Yi hurriedly sidestepped. A steel saber brushed downwards past him. Had he sidestepped a single instant later, he would have died to the saber.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Liu Yi whipped out his sword fastened to his belt, quickly turned around and swung it at the assailant.


    The assailant, who was in a black night suit and a white mask leaving only his eyes showing, dodged the blow just as quick.


    After his first strike missed the target, Liu Yi came at the attacker and launched another attack. The moment he engaged the opponent, his brow corrugated. ¡®This guy¡¯s no common kung fu practitioner!¡¯


    To make things worse, another assassin in black jumped out of the dark and hurtled towards the privy.


    Liu Yi hurriedly went to the doorway of the privy, blocked the path of the two assassins and fought them.


    There was nobody else around, and the teahouse ahead was all astir. If he waited for anybody to notice this fight and come to his help, it might be too late.


    The expression on Liu Yi¡¯s face changed and with that, as if his wrist grew more flexible, his sword moves switched to another style. His swordsmanship, which had been merely average so far, instantly became swift and fierce. Caught off guard, the two men in black were fought off.


    At the same time, he raised his left hand, put two fingers into his mouth and with that a shrill whistle of alert issued from his lips.


    Seeing this, one of the two men in black immediately launched a more ferocious attack with an attempt to kill Liu Yi. Meanwhile, the other one tried to get into the privy sparing no efforts!


    At this moment, Ling Zhang in the privy heard the sound of fighting, quickly finished, hurriedly put on his pants and intended to rush out to help.


    Hearing the footsteps, Liu Yi hastily yelled, ¡°Stay inside, Young Master! There are two assassins here. I can only hold them back. Wait for the Marshal to come!¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brows were furrowed. ¡®Two assassins? Am I the target?¡¯


    Not having the time to think it through, he hurriedly looked around, walked to the exit and vigilantly watched, guarding against the possibility of extra assassins showing up.


    ¡°Step aside or meet your end.¡± Unable to overpower Liu Yi any time soon, the assassin wearing a night suit and a white mask threatened him.


    Liu Yi sneered, ¡°Bring it on if you are really capable of that!¡±


    He held his ground at the entrance and his sword strikes became quicker and more powerful. The two opponents couldn¡¯t even get a single pace closer to the privy!


    In the teahouse, Yuwen Tong, who had grown somewhat restless shortly after Ling Zhang left, was just about to rise to his feet and leave when suddenly a shrill whistle was heard. His face changed drastically.


    ¡°It¡¯s Liu Yi!¡± Yao Yi¡¯s face also changed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± instructed Yuwen Tong. He directly leaped down from a relatively spacious area of the second floor, landed on the ground and swished in the direction of the source of the whistle.


    Yao Yi hotly followed in his wake.


    Countenance of the general storekeeper of the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain also changed. In the realization that Ling Zhang must have been in some kind of danger, he immediately had a waiter of the teahouse inform the owner of the herbal garden telling him to take some men to the outhouse.


    Yuwen Tong was the first one to arrive at the scene. As he saw that Liu Yi was struggling against two men in black and Ling Zhang was standing behind Liu Yi in anxiety, his face instantly went cold. In mid-air, he raised his hand and aimed a palm strike at one of the two men.


    The heavy blow hit the target, who involuntarily spewed out a mouthful of blood with a puff and yelled, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The two men quickly got clean away. Clearly, their lightness skills were excellent.


    ¡°You want to escape?!¡± Seeing this, Yao Yi, who had just arrived, immediately pursued them and soon disappeared as well.


    Yuwen Tong landed on the ground and walked up.


    Liu Yi sheathed his sword and made way for Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang walked out of the privy and asked with a sullen expression on his face. ¡°Elder Brother Liu, are you hurt?¡±


    Liu Yi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just that my Qi is churning inside me. It¡¯ll be fine after a few moments¡¯ Qi circulation.¡±


    Ling Zhang was relieved. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Brother Liu, I would probably have died to the sabers of the two men.¡±


    Ling Zhang had been observing the fight all along. Sabersmanship of the two men in black were pretty good, and they also possessed internal energy. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Liu Yi had suddenly switched to some kind of powerful swordsmanship he had never seen before, he might not have successfully held back the two attackers.


    Ling Zhang believed that Liu Yi probably had learned this swordsmanship from that kung fu expert he had once mentioned. On that day, Liu Yi told him that it was inconvenient for him to perform this swordsmanship in front of outsiders.


    But on this day, in order to save him, Liu Yi used this swordsmanship, which was a clear indication of his allegiance to him. Ling Zhang was very grateful.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong walked to the front of Ling Zhang, sized him up, felt his pulse and heaved a sigh of relief in the knowledge that Ling Zhang was indeed unharmed.


    Ling Zhang had been out of his sight for only a short while, yet these people had taken advantage of it and attempted to assassinate him!


    Yuwen Tong was consumed with anger at the thought of this, his face sullen.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang, whose wrist was held tight by Yuwen Tong, felt his anger. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head and looked at Liu Yi.


    Liu Yi immediately informed him, ¡°It was shortly after young master went inside that the two men showed up. At that time, there was nobody else around here. They must have been stalking us for quite some time and decided to assassinate young master with a surprise attack when he was alone. Both assailants were wearing black night suits and white masks. The sabers they used were common steel sabers and there was nothing special about them, not that I could tell, but their sabersmanship gave me this feeling that they were not common Jianghu (the martial arts world) kung fu practitioners. On top of this, the way they cooperated with each other in attack and defense was pretty efficient, which is something that could only be acquired through years¡¯ training.¡±


    Eyes as icy as snow water, Yuwen Tong inquired, ¡°Did they make you feel that they had a military background?¡±


    Liu Yi was stunned. After hesitating for a few moments, he replied, ¡°Sort of, but the feeling they gave me was different from the one given by you and your bodyguards. They didn¡¯t have any smell of blood about them, and their moves were more defensive than offensive, too.¡±


    Having trouble finding the right words to give an accurate description of that feeling, Liu Yi appeared somewhat anxious.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and gestured him to calm down. ¡°I¡¯ve got a shrewd idea of their identity.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who are they?¡± queried Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Think about it ¨Cwho will try to kill you in these circumstances?¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and then replied, ¡°Surely they are not Zhang Chong¡¯s surviving minions?¡±


    Since the attackers seemed to have a military background, the only foe he could think of was Zhang Chong. Although Zhang Chong was dead and most of his henchmen had also been eliminated, it was possible that some of them had escaped unpunished.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°No. Zhang Chong is dead. His subordinates are not really that loyal to him. Even if there are any of them who managed to escape, they would stay hidden instead of exposing themselves to life-threatening danger of their own accord. To say the least, even if those people wanted to take revenge, they would have tried to kill me first, because, after all, I was the one Zhang Chong hated the most.¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused. ¡®Whom could they be if they are not Zhang Chong¡¯s men?¡¯


    At this time, Liu Yi interposed, ¡°It was unmistakable that the two men were targeting young master. Even their intention of killing me was not very strong.¡±


    ¡®I was their only target?¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed.


    ¡®The possibility of them being Zhang Chong¡¯s men has been excluded, but surely they were not sent by Jia family?¡¯


    ¡°Jia Zhong had managed to hire that old man good at disguise. Is it possible that some other forces are trying to avenge his death?¡±


    ¡°It is crystal clear that that old man is a mere Jianghu kung fu practitioner,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang really couldn¡¯t think of who else could have hired the two attackers.


    Yuwen Tong let out a sigh. Ling Zhang had failed to guess the answer. He didn¡¯t know whether he should feel relieved or worried.


    At this time, the two of them arrived at the teahouse and happened to see that the general storekeeper of the Jing¡¯s Drugstore Chain, along with the owner of the herbal garden, followed by a lot of security guards, were heading in their direction. Both sides were surprised to see each other.


    ¡°Childe Ling, are you okay?¡± the general storekeeper hurriedly asked.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Thank you for asking. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what happened out there?¡± The owner of the herbal garden was somewhat perplexed.


    ¡°Two assassins suddenly showed up. They have escaped,¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    Since he and Yuwen Tong had come to this place on a whim, he believed that the owner of the herbal garden was not the mastermind who had been plotting against him behind the scenes. After all, there had never been hatred between them.


    ¡®That¡¯s right. I came to this herbal garden on a whim, which meant it must be in the courier station that the two assassins came to know Yuwen Tong and I left for this place.¡¯


    Ling Zhang quickly looked at Yuwen Tong. In the knowledge that Ling Zhang had thought of something, Yuwen Tong gave a bob of his head, a grave look on his face.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face immediately went cold. None of those working in the courier station harbored any resentment towards him, so it was more likely that someone among the group was responsible for this.


    All his own men were trustworthy, and Yuwen Tong¡¯s men more so, which meant that the only possibility was¡­


    ¡®Is there anybody else who wants me dead apart from Zhang Chong and people of Jia family?


    Those who don¡¯t want me marrying Yuwen Tong and wish me dead are just like those who added to the misfortunes of my family in my last life!


    Who on earth is this person? The emperor?


    Both Zhang Xi and those palace guards work for the emperor.


    But it doesn¡¯t make any sense. This attack was too suspicion-prone an approach to have been ordered by the emperor, because Yuwen Tong would have instantly regarded him as the most possible culprit. Under current circumstances, directly falling out with Yuwen Tong will undoubtedly be detrimental to his reign, so it couldn¡¯t be him who has done this.


    Then who is this person?


    Palace guards, Zhang Xi¡­ Of course it¡¯s also possible that I got this wrong¡­¡¯


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply, hoping that Yao Yi could catch up with the two men, so that he wouldn¡¯t have to rack his brains guessing any longer.

 Chapter 154 - A Swoop

    Face of the owner of the herbal garden instantly changed with horror as he heard that some assassins had shown up. ¡°How¨CHow come some assassins suddenly came to my place?¡±


    He was unaware of the identity of Ling Zhang or Yuwen Tong and just believed that the two of them were childes from some rich family, who had come to his herbal garden for fun but encountered assassins.


    ¡°Childe, may I ask what those people wanted? Money or anything else?¡± The owner of the herbal garden hurriedly asked another question.


    Seeing his face had paled visibly with fright, Ling Zhang, though having no idea who it was that had sent the two assassins, believed that the owner of this herbal garden had nothing to do with this incident.


    ¡°Those assassins¡¯ target was me. I¡¯m sorry for the horror I have put you through.¡±


    On hearing these words, the owner of the herbal garden heaved a sigh of relief and replied, ¡°Childe paid a visit to my manor, so you are my guest. I should have done better with the security. Fortunately, you are unharmed, Childe. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to absolve myself from the blame.¡±


    The general storekeeper, who had been standing on the side, worried that there might be any other accidents if they stayed in this place, so he said, ¡°How about you have some of your men escort these two honored guests back? I mean, there are too many people here and some of them might not be what they seem. If by any chance there are some other assassins among them, we might have trouble defending against them.¡±


    The owner of the herbal garden was unaware of the general storekeeper¡¯s consideration, but he was only too anxious to see these two men out of his manor, so he repeatedly inclined his head and responded, ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ There are too many customers in the teahouse tonight, and we don¡¯t know for sure if any of them are assassins in disguise. For the sake of your safety, I¡¯ll have my security guards escort you back home.¡±


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s wait for my bodyguard to return first and then make a decision. I¡¯d appreciate it if you sent someone to the County Yamen to get some yamen runners here.¡±


    Upon saying this, he fished out an ID plate and informed the owner of the herbal garden, ¡°In case there¡¯s anything bothering you ¨Ctake this ID plate with you.¡±


    The owner of the herbal garden had a somewhat awkward expression on his face as he heard Yuwen Tong ask him to report this incident to the authorities, but when his eye fell on the ID plate in Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, all the color drained from his face due to fright; his legs buckled and he slumped to his knees. ¡°I let my eyes fall prey to my ignorance and failed to recognize the Grand Marshal. I deserve the death penalty for not having received Marshal with due formality!¡±


    ¡®Marshal?! This is Marshal Yuwen?¡¯


    All others were taken aback. Seeing the owner of the manor kneeling on the ground, they also slumped to their knees.


    At this time, legs of the owner of the herbal garden were trembling violently with fear. The very thought that Marshal Yuwen had encountered assassins in his manor nearly sent him unconscious.


    ¡®The¨CThen the man standing beside the Marshal is Childe Ling, Marshal Yuwen¡¯s betrothed?


    Though it was not the Marshal himself that those assassins tried to kill, there will still be dire consequences!¡¯


    While everybody was shuddering with fear, Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such a high level of formality, and no blame attaches to the unconscious doer of wrong, but since there are assassins in this place, we shall show them no indulgence. Have this manor surrounded immediately. Make sure every inch is searched and nobody goes out of this place without being questioned first!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The owner of the manor didn¡¯t dare to hesitate for a single moment. He immediately had his men seal all entrances and exits of the manor and then headed for the county seat to report this incident to the county yamen himself.


    Such a commotion soon came to the notice of customers in the teahouse and the inn.


    All of them were frightened in the knowledge of what had just happened.


    ¡®Marshal Yuwen and Childe Ling came here to enjoy tea but nearly got hurt by some assassins?¡¯


    All entrances and exits of this manor had been sealed and an intensive search of this place was going to be carried out. Everybody had been ordered to stay where they were. Any acts of disobedience were punishable by death.


    The entertainer playing qin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither) in the teahouse didn¡¯t dare to perform any more. Customers were no longer in the mood for drinking tea, not to mention other things.


    They all respected the Marshal, but they also feared him.


    None of them had the sneaking suspicion that this whole thing was a lie. After all, news of Marshal Yuwen¡¯s presence in Tanyang had spread through the whole country.


    At this moment, most of them had had a shrewd idea that the two visitors of great presence they had seen earlier this night had been Marshal Yuwen and Childe Ling. They also recalled that the two of them were looking for available seats at that time¡­


    ¡°Had I known that that man is Marshal Yuwen, I would have volunteered to serve tea for him, let alone give up my seats on the second floor!¡±


    ¡°Who could have imagined that Marshal Yuwen would suddenly come to this place?¡±


    ¡°I wonder which goddamn bastards attempted to assassinate Marshal Yuwen. They must had a really strong death wish!¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that they were sent here by the Wan Kingdom?!¡±


    ¡°My goodness! Are you saying that there are probably some assassins from the Wan Kingdom standing right here among us?¡±


    That remark threw all customers into panic and they instantly started searching around with their eyes appraising one another, trying to find anything suspicious on others.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were standing in front of the teahouse. Circle upon circle, security guards of the manor, on full alert, gathered around protecting the two of them for fear that some other assassins might show up.


    After subduing his urge for quite a while, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but inquired of Yuwen Tong under his breath, ¡°Do you really think that there are some assassins hiding in this herbal garden?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ve got to have this place searched.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    Before Ling Zhang could finish his sentence, Yuwen Tong raised his hand and gesticulated at him.


    Seeing the gesture, Ling Zhang swallowed back the words that had sprung to the tip of his tongue. He conjectured that the assassins were among those who were close to them and well informed of their whereabouts. Since he had guessed this, he believed that Yuwen Tong definitely had guessed it as well. ¡®Why did Yuwen Tong still decide to go to so much trouble to search this herbal garden?¡¯


    And Yao Yi still had not returned. He wondered if he had caught up with the two assassins.


    Finally, after nearly two hours, staff members of the county yamen, seemingly the whole yamen, arrived. After such a long run, all of them were panting heavily, faces pale.


    ¡°We¡¯re honored to kneel before you, Marshal Yuwen!¡± It was the registrar and the general head constable of the county yamen who had taken their men to the manor. On seeing Yuwen Tong, the two of them, bursting with anxiety, knelt down to the ground, admitted their error and asked his pardon . ¡°Please forgive us for not having arrived sooner, Marshal.¡±


    May I ask if any harm came to Marshal? We brought a physician with us.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°You may rise. There¡¯s no need for such a high level of formality.


    I¡¯m unharmed and in no need of medical treatment. Have your men start searching this place and questioning everybody right now. Find out if there are any assassins or their accomplices hiding here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± The two men, without any delay, hurriedly took their men to search the manor and question the customers.


    After a while, Yao Yi returned, empty-handed, looking somewhat weary and untidy.


    Ling Zhang had an inkling that things had not gone very well.


    As expected, Yao Yi informed them with a grave expression on his face, ¡°Marshal, Childe, the two assassins split up the moment they got out of this manor. I pursued the injured one, but I had not expected that the man had a firearm on him. When I was within an inch of catching up with him, he fired on me forcing me into a halt and got away from me.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a somewhat heavy heart. ¡®A firearm?¡¯


    ¡°What kind of firearm?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    Yao Yi hesitated, a rather awkward look on his face.


    ¡°Speak,¡± Yuwen Tong instructed flintily.


    Yao Yi lowered his voice and replied, ¡°Judging from the power of that shot, I think it¡¯s a government-issued firearm. It looked very much like the batch of firearms that the Ministry of War delivered to our station last year.¡±


    If that was a government-issued firearm, it was undoubtedly out of the reach of common people.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart sank as his previous conjecture occurred to him.


    Yao Yi¡¯s words sent everybody else into silence.


    ¡°Marshal, it¡¯s very unlikely that any of them is still in this manor. Why bother conducting such a thorough search?¡± queried Yao Yi.


    However, instead of giving an answer to the question, Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°I want you to quietly go back to the courier station immediately, have our men question all people in the courier station, especially those from the capital city. Go.¡±


    After a slight change of his expression, Yao Yi inclined his head and left straight away.


    Ling Zhang, who had had a vague idea what it was about, queried Yuwen Tong, ¡°Did you send for these yamen runners in order to lull those assassins into believing you would be occupied searching the manor so that they would let their guard down and return?¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked an approving glance at him. ¡°That¡¯s only half of the reason. The other half is that it would be more favourable for your safety if this goes public.¡±


    Ling Zhang generally came to understand what was going on. ¡°Then is it necessary for us to send someone to the courier station to inform them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be more convenient for Yao Yi and others to conduct the inquiry if we don¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong quietly returned to the courier station and informed Xie Shi and others of what had happened in the herbal garden. Having been working under Yuwen Tong for years, they instantly came to understand what Yuwen Tong intended to do and took immediate action.


    Wang Dashan and his men were alarmed. They were the first ones to be checked out. Of course, the inquiry concerning them was aimed at finding out whether any of them were impostors in disguise.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wang Dashan and others were not fools. They immediately came to realized that something had happened and couldn¡¯t help but go anxious.


    After confirming that none of Wang Dashan¡¯s men were impostors, Yao Yi replied, ¡°Marshal and Childe Ling were attacked by some assassins in the herbal garden.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± This news brought Qiu Bing to an instant jump. ¡°Are young master and the Marshal okay? Why did you come back instead of staying there protecting them? Where are the assassins? Shouldn¡¯t we be on our way there at this moment?¡±


    Xie Shi flicked a cold glance at Qiu Bing, which gave Qiu Bing an intense feeling of constriction in the heart and immediately calmed Qiu Bing down, as if somebody had just poured a bucket of cold water right over his head.


    ¡°The Marshal and Childe Ling are okay. They are searching the manor. We have to check out people in this place.¡±


    ¡®Check out people in this place? What is this supposed to mean?¡¯


    Before Wang Dashan and his men could raise any questions, Yao Yi gave a general explanation of why they were taking this course of action.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you make any rash decisions. If anybody ruins the plan, I¡¯ll report to Childe Ling and have that person return to Tanyang,¡± remarked Yao Yi in a serious tone of voice.


    Since even Qiu Bing, who was the most impulsive of them, had calmed down, all others stayed composed and nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Go and question the supervisor and waiters of this courier station, all of them.¡± Yao Yi looked at Wang Dashan.


    Wang Dashan inclined his head in the knowledge that this matter must be handled properly. ¡°All right. Consider it done.¡±


    ¡°Remember, be quiet. Don¡¯t alarm anybody,¡± Yao Yi exhorted.


    ¡°Okay!¡± replied Wang Dashan.


    Yao Yi said to Xie Shi and others, ¡°We¡¯ll handle the rest of them.¡±


    Xie Shi and others nodded.


    The staff members of the courier station numbered around twenty, including grooms working in the stable, chefs working in the kitchen and menials. First Wang Dashan and his men went to the supervisor, forced him into handing over the register of names of all staff members of the courier station, questioned him about the backgrounds of all of them and then verified them one by one.


    Yao Yi and other bodyguards directly swooped on the rooms of palace guards.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± On being raided, those palace guards were stunned at first and then went annoyed.


    ¡°Hunting for assassins under orders of the Marshal,¡± replied Yao Yi in a flinty tone of voice, his eyes sweeping through everybody in the room. All palace guards were staying in a separate building, which had already been surrounded.

 Chapter 155 - A Suicide Committed by Biting Through a Poison Capsule

    ¡°Assassins? What are you talking about? Why did we not hear anything about this?¡± Zhao Pingchuan, a commander of palace guards, asked after walking out, a cold look on his face.


    ¡°All people in this building are palace guards. There are no assassins here,¡± said another man aloud in an unfriendly tone of voice. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go and hunt the assassins instead of messing around in our place?!¡±


    ¡°Even Yuwen Tong himself has no right to come here and search our rooms this way. We¡¯re immediately affiliated to His Majesty! You are just Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards. This doing of yours is beyond the pale!¡± yelled Commander Zhao with an attempt to scare Yao Yi and others into leaving.


    Were Yao Yi scared into leaving, he wouldn¡¯t be Yao Yi any longer.


    In his eyes, even Dai Cheng didn¡¯t really carry much weight, not to mention palace guards.


    ¡°Search the room.¡±


    Zhang Liu and some others immediately walked out from behind him.


    ¡°How dare you! Yao Yi, does it really not concern you that His Majesty will get angry and vent his anger on your Marshal after being informed of this?!¡± thundered Zhao Pingchuan.


    ¡°We are just searching this courier station in an effort to hunt for the assassins. Why are you getting so excited about it? Is it because you are really harboring any assassins here?¡± Yao Yi fixed him with a suspicious gaze and then seemed to start pondering over something.


    Zhao Pingchuan was sent at a loss for words. ¡°You¡­¡±


    While they were talking, Zhang Liu and some others had already started searching the room. They also checked faces and backs of those palace guards to see if they were in disguise and whether they had any injuries in their backs.


    ¡°What are you doing? Just search the room if you want. Get your hands off me!¡± A man restrained was infuriated.


    At this time, Zhao Pingchuan finally noticed what was happening. ¡°Stop!¡±


    He was just about to walk over to free his subordinate when Zhang Liu and some others turned around and blocked his path.


    Seeing this, other palace guards stood behind Zhao Pingchuan, confronting Zhang Liu and some other bodyguards.


    ¡°Let go of him,¡± instructed Zhao Pingchuan through gritted teeth. ¡°You are going too far. If I stand by and watch you do this today, how are we supposed to show our faces in the future?!¡±


    ¡°Humph! I think you are just trying to hide something from us. As far as I can tell, the assassins are standing right here among you. That¡¯s why you are so nervous and scared,¡± observed Zhang Liu.


    ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Someone whipped out his saber.


    ¡°You want a fight? Okay. Let¡¯s do it. We can conveniently find out which one of you is injured during the process. It¡¯ll save me checking you one by one,¡± Zhang Liu sneered.


    ¡°Commander Zhao, you were supposed to depart for the capital city immediately after Gonggong Zhang delivered all the imperial edicts. Why did you linger in Tanyang for such a long time and choose to leave on the same day we departed for the capital city? Even we won¡¯t be able to believe you if you tell us that none of you have been entertaining ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. The reason why they waited so many days to depart for the capital city with the Marshal was that they were scheming an assassination.¡±


    ¡°They definitely harbor evil intentions, which is why they don¡¯t even dare to let us search them.¡±


    ¡°I think we might as well just skip the search, directly inform the Marshal that the assassins are right among these people, and let the Marshal mete out penalties to them. Since they attempted to assassinate the Marshal, His Majesty won¡¯t lay blame on the Marshal even if he directly executes them right here.¡±


    As Zhang Liu and some others kept talking non-stop, all the palace guards were further infuriated. They whipped out their sabers and decided to fight to the death.


    ¡°Yao Yi, exactly why are you doing this? Why are you so insistent on crossing us and framing us?!¡± Zhao Pingchuan looked at Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°Framing you? That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡±


    ¡°Yao Yi! We are palace guards. You will not act with such unruliness in our place!¡±


    ¡°Palace guards? As palace guards, if you refuse to be cooperative when suspected of shielding assassins, will it not be synonymous with trying to bring disgrace on His Majesty? If news of this matter spreads out, what will our people think of him?¡±


    ¡°You think we are afraid of you? Why should we care what others will thin¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough! Shut your mouths! All of you!¡± Zhao Pingchuan flintily stared at Yao Yi for quite a while and then instructed, ¡°Let them search.¡±


    ¡°Commander?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Any uncooperative behavior will be regarded as a sign of having a guilty conscience.¡± Zhao Pingchuan turned around, looked at those behind him and deterred them from making any further remarks.


    Then he said to Yao Yi, ¡°But if you fail to find anything, you must give us an explanation we deem acceptable!¡±


    Yao Yi responded blandly, ¡°Of course.¡±


    After disarming the Palace Guards, Zhang Liu and some others started searching them.


    After quite some time, all palace guards in the room were searched but nothing suspicious was found.


    Seeing this, someone immediately sneered, ¡°What did we tell you? Kneel down and kow¨C¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I remember that you guys number thirty, but I¡¯m counting only fifteen in this room. Where are the other fifteen men?¡± asked Zhang Liu in a cold tone of voice.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan raised his hand and instructed with subdued anger, ¡°Let them finish the search!¡±


    His face and back had also been checked, which was why he was consumed with anger.


    Yao Yi winked at Zhang Liu, who inclined his head and brought some men upstairs.


    This was a two-story building. The place they had just searched was a hall on the ground floor, where those palace guards were drinking. Upstairs, there were some rooms, and the rest of the palace guards were in there.


    Since there had been quite some noises coming from downstairs, some men had walked out of their rooms to take a look, but some doors were tightly closed.


    Unsurprisingly, some men refused to be searched. Yao Yi and Zhao Pingchuan went upstairs and the latter instructed those men to give up resistance.


    Zhang Liu, along with other bodyguards, searched those rooms one by one. When there were only two rooms left, they still hadn¡¯t found the assassins. Zhang Liu¡¯s brow slightly corrugated in a frown.


    ¡®Did we get this wrong?


    No matter what, this search has to continue,¡¯ he thought.


    He kicked open the door of the second last room with a loud bang. As if having just been woken up by the noise, someone in the room asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Authorized search.¡± Zhang Liu¡¯s eyes swept around the room. There was only one man inside, but the bedding suggested that there had been two people living here. ¡°I see only one man. Where¡¯s the other one?¡±


    The man sat up from the bed, looking rather sleepy. After recognizing Zhang Liu, he asked aloud, ¡°You are Marshal Yuwen¡¯s bodyguard? What are you doing in my room?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, Zhang Liu winked at Xie Shi who was behind him.


    Xie Shi walked up to the doorway of the last room, kicked the door open and saw that there were four men inside, all of whom were asleep. On the table was an overturned porcelain liquor bottle. Air in the room was filled with a strong smell of alcohol.


    The drunkenness of the men spared Xie Shi from confrontational talk. He carefully checked the faces and backs of the four men and confirmed that there was nothing suspicious on them.


    He walked out of the room and informed Zhang Liu and Yao Yi, ¡°There are four men in this room, all terribly drunk and having no traces of injury on them. I¡¯ve just hit at some of their acupoints to stimulate them. They¡¯re indeed drunk.¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan remarked, ¡°Now I think it¡¯s safe to say that we¡¯ve been rid of suspicions, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s yet another room remaining unchecked,¡± Zhang Liu replied and twisted his head around to look at the man in the room, who had got out of bed and was eyeing him watchfully. That man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight and of a lean build.


    Yao Yi walked into the room and flicked a glance at him. His eyes rested on the man briefly and then he searched the whole room thoroughly. Eventually, he tossed a glimpse at the man¡¯s shoes and queried him, ¡°Where¡¯s the other one living here?¡±


    The man answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He must have left after I fell asleep. I think he upset his stomach tonight, because he¡¯s been having loose bowels all along. He¡¯s gone to the outhouse several times tonight and is probably in there right at this moment.¡±


    ¡®Having loose bowels? In the outhouse?¡¯


    Yao Yi gave a sneer. ¡°This is such an excellent excuse, but it¡¯s too coincidental to be true. Does he think that it¡¯s inconvenient for us to enter the outhouse to search him?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± the man responded in a vigilant tone but was trying to affect a confused expression on his face.


    Yao Yi winked at Xie Shi, who took the hint and led others away.


    The man, following them with his eyes, hurriedly said, ¡°What are you doing? I said he went to the outhouse!¡±


    ¡°Your lightness skills are pretty good, but skills in lying less so,¡± commented Yao Yi.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand,¡± the man responded.


    Zhao Pingchuan said with a frown on his face, ¡°Yao Yi, stop talking in riddles. Don¡¯t you dare arbitrarily make my subordinate a scapegoat to cover up your inability to find the real culprits.¡±


    ¡°See? He even prepared some excuses in advance to stop us. Commander Zhao, surely you are not in collusion with these two people, are you?¡± Zhang Liu looked at him flintily.


    Zhao Pingchuan was sent speechless with anger once again, glaring at Zhang Liu in vain. There had already been several occasions when he nearly vomit blood from rage caused by Zhang Liu¡¯s words on this night.


    However, no matter whether this was true or not, he must protect his subordinate! But if by any chance it was true, there would be unimaginably dire consequences!


    ¡°Like I said, all my men have been staying in this courier station all along tonight. Given that you didn¡¯t find anything, I suggest you leave here right away. I¡¯m willing to let this go and I won¡¯t report it to His Majesty, but if you keep unreasonably pestering us, I will make you pay!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big word.¡± Zhang Liu coldly satirized him.


    Right at this moment, Yao Yi abruptly launched an attack on that palace guard!


    ¡°Yao Yi, what are you doing?!¡± Zhao Pingchuan thundered immediately after a brief moment of shock.


    However, Yao Yi had been aiming to kill from the first move, and his attack was extremely quick and powerful, leaving no room for maneuver.


    With his life under threat, the palace guard fought back almost instinctively.


    But the moment he counter-attacked, his face immediately paled visibly.


    Yao Yi fell back, sneering, ¡°I knew it was you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± The palace guard cautiously backed off and didn¡¯t dare to confront Yao Yi any longer.


    ¡°There is dirt on your shoes, which you failed to find the time to wipe off ¨Cthis is the first doubtful point. When I got close to you, I found that there was a very faint and unique smell of flower ¨Cor smell of medicinal herb, to be precise ¨Con you. This smell is specific to the medicinal herbs in that herbal garden, which means that you must have been to that herbal garden not long ago ¨Cthis is the second doubtful point. In fact, these two doubtful points alone are more than enough to prove that you are one of the suspects. Just now, when I attacked you to test you out, I found that you had an injury in your right wrist, which was why you showed a manifest lack of strength when trying to parry my last blow. Before I came back, Liu Yi had told me all the details of the previous fight between you and him, so I knew your hand had been wounded by his sword.¡±


    After saying this, Yao Yi suddenly launched another attack on the man with a move the route of which was very unconventional. Aimed at the man¡¯s wrist, the move was also swift and fierce. Taken aback, the man subconsciously tried to protect his wrist.


    Naturally, this defensive movement came to the notice of Zhang Liu and Zhao Pingchuan.


    Zhao Pingchuan¡¯s face changed drastically in the inkling that what he had been worrying about was about to be confirmed. He couldn¡¯t afford to let Yao Yi reveal that wound in the man¡¯s wrist. Thinking about this, he attempted to stop him.


    Zhang Liu, who was quicker than him, immediately blocked his path. ¡°Commander Zhao, what¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    ¡°Step aside.¡±


    Zhang Liu coldly snorted, ¡°No way.¡±


    Meanwhile, Yao Yi successfully tore the sleeve of that palace guard, revealing his wrist around which there was a very obtrusive white bandage.


    ¡°Do you still have any sophistries at your disposal?¡± Yao Yi asked coldly.


    With a sullen look on his face, the man stared at Yao Yi and replied through gritted teeth, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you are talking about. This injury in my wrist was merely the result of a moment of carelessness of mine. I¡¯ve never been to any herbal gardens, and I have no idea why I have this smell of medical herb on me. I¡­ Uh!¡±


    All of a sudden, his face paled visibly, blood flowing from the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Yao Yi hurriedly stepped forward and rapidly hit at several of the man¡¯s acupoints, but it was still too late. The man went limp and fell to the ground.


    ¡°He bit through a poison capsule hidden in his mouth and killed himself,¡± remarked Zhang Liu in a cold tone of voice, his face sepulchral.


    Surprisingly, Zhao Pingchuan exhaled deeply in relief.


    ¡°There¡¯s another one alive. I hope Xie Shi will be quicker than me,¡± said Yao Yi with an icy expression.

 Chapter 156 - A Breach of the Rules

    ¡°Wanna leave?! You wish!¡±


    The sound of fighting emanated from the backyard of the courier station.


    On hearing it, Yao Yi quickly rushed out of the room towards the scene, while Zhang Liu stayed inside guarding the body.


    When Yao Yi got to the backyard, the one trying to escape had just been overpowered by Xie Shi. Secretly rejoicing that he had arrived in time by a fluke, Yao Yi immediately hit at a couple of acupoints of the assassin¡¯s to neuter him of his mobility, then decisively dislocated the assassin¡¯s lower jaw and fished out a ball of wax hidden in his mouth.


    Xie Shi¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. ¡°What¡¯s going on? He¡¯s hiding poison in his mouth?¡±


    Yao Yi nodded. ¡°Due to a momentary lapse of concentration of mine, the one upstairs bit through the wax ball in his mouth and committed suicide. Fortunately we stopped this guy from doing the same thing.¡±


    The man lying on the ground was the very assassin who had previously been hit by Yuwen Tong on the back. He had sustained an internal injury after receiving that palm strike of Yuwen Tong, and now his face was frighteningly pale. With a resentful look in his eyes, he stared at Xie Shi and Yao Yi, but since his acupoints had been hit, eyeing his enemies belligerently was the only thing he could do.


    ¡°Lock him up first. Keep him alive. Marshal will decide how he shall be dealt with,¡± instructed Yao Yi.


    Xie Shi gave a bob of his head and escorted the assassin away with some others.


    When Zhao Pingchuan arrived at the yard, he found that his subordinate was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where is he? He escaped?¡±


    Yao Yi flicked a bland glance at him. ¡°Why am I feeling that Commander Zhao seems very happy to know that he managed an escape?¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan immediately replied, ¡°I just worry that he might try to hurt someone else.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Didn¡¯t Commander Zhao claim with absolute certainty that there was no assassin whatsoever hiding among palace guards? How are you going to explain this?¡± asked Yao Yi.


    Zhao Pingchuan¡¯s face darkened as he heard this.


    ¡­


    All visitors in the herbal garden had been carefully questioned, every corner of the manor searched, but no accomplices of the assassins had been found.


    The owner of the herbal garden heaved a deep sigh of relief and, as if having been drained of energy, was within an inch of going limp and slumping to the ground.


    Yuwen Tong was sitting in a seat with a highly commanding presence, striking fear into the heart of anyone that laid eyes on him.


    ¡°Marshal, we searched everybody and every inch of this place. No accomplices of the assassins were found,¡± the head constable of the county yamen reported after wiping the sweat off his forehead and walking over.


    ¡°Your trouble is appreciated. I¡¯ll keep your meritorious services in mind and see them properly rewarded later. It¡¯s been a long tough night. You may go back and get some rest now,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You are too kind, Marshal. We but performed our sworn duty,¡± replied the head constable, secretly relieved. ¡°Marshal, would you and Childe Ling care to go back to the inn? If you would, may I take the liberty of offering to escort you and Childe Ling there?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°It may not be a bad idea. Thanks in advance for the trouble.¡±


    ¡°You are too courteous, Marshal,¡± the head constable responded and hurriedly walked away to make arrangements for Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang to be escorted back to the courier station.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you and your guests today,¡± Yuwen Tong said to the owner of the herbal garden. ¡°I¡¯ll compensate for all the losses. Please calculate them and deliver the total number to the courier station tomorrow. I¡¯ll pay double the amount.¡±


    The owner of the herbal garden was shocked. It had never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would offer to compensate him. Though having been busy and on tenterhooks for the whole night, the owner of the herbal garden was very gratified to hear Yuwen Tong say this. ¡°Marshal, I¡¯m already deeply indebted to you for absolving me from my failure to provide up-to-standard security. How dare I accept a compensation from Marshal?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another issue. Besides, you are just victims of an undeserved catastrophe,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    The owner of the herbal garden was deeply moved, thinking, ¡®Marshal Yuwen¡¯s reputation as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue as well as the God of War is well-earned. Marshal Yuwen is indeed different from those generals or other officers.¡¯


    ¡°Marshal, though you wish to make up for me, there¡¯s no need to pay me any money. Just take it as a petty donation of mine to the North-western Army. I have no fighting skills and therefore am not capable of going to the battlefield to defend our country against enemies, which has always been a great regret of mine. And I¡¯ve always had great admiration for soldiers of the North-western Army, so I¡¯d like to make a contribution in my own way,¡± said the owner of the herbal garden tactfully.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile, ¡°Such sense of patriotism stands something of a rarity these days. Then so be it. I guess you¡¯ve had enough of us disturbing you, so we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you and Childe Ling to the gateway, Marshal,¡± said the owner of the herbal garden.


    Before leaving, Yuwen Tong went to the teahouse and had a brief talk with those customers, expressing his gratitude for their being cooperative this night.


    Though feeling it regrettable that no accomplices of the assassins had been found, on hearing that Yuwen Tong was leaving, all customers went out of the teahouse with the intention to see him back to the courier station.


    At the gateway of the manor, Yuwen Tong stopped them and declined their kind offer, letting only the yamen runners of the county yamen be the escorts.


    After seeing Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang to the doorway of the courier station, those yamen runners took their leave and returned.


    It was not until there was no outsider present that Ling Zhang relaxed his back muscles which had been tense all along. ¡°You have a very high personal prestige among the people.¡±


    ¡®No wonder the emperor fears him.


    Yuwen Tong not only has powerful armies at his command but also possesses great renown which considerably overshadows even that of the emperor. How could the emperor not be on pins and needles?¡¯ he thought.


    However, Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction to this was rather bland. ¡°Some matters are not as simple as they seem. ¡®While water can carry a boat, it can also overturn it.¡¯ People have already grown accustomed to the rule from the imperial family.¡±


    After some thinking, Ling Zhang felt that he had got a point. Apart from everything else, in his last life, his family had done nothing wrong but those people, whose judgement had been clouded, vented their anger on and hurled curses at his family.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and find out if Yao Yi and others caught the assassins,¡± said Yuwen Tong, breaking into Ling Zhang¡¯s thoughts.


    Ling Zhang pulled his mind back to the current moment and went into the courier station with him.


    Yao Yi had already walked out of the back yard. ¡°Marshal, we caught both of the two assassins. One of them ingested poison. We tried to save him but he didn¡¯t make it. The other one is in custody. Both of them are palace guards.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Yuwen Tong answered without even glancing at Zhao Pingchuan who had just hurried up to him with the intention to talk.


    Ling Zhang softly gave a bob of his head and then left with Yuwen Tong.


    Zhao Pingchuan briefly clenched his teeth and followed in their wake.


    A young eunuch, who had been standing in the corridor occasionally popping his head around the corner to sneak a glance at them, saw they leave and quickly ran back to the room of Zhang Xi.


    ¡°Gonggong, the Marshal returned. Zhao Pingchuan is bound to suffer this time.¡±


    Zhang Xi had a grave expression on his face. ¡°Go get the supervisor of this courier station. Tell him that I need a courier pigeon to deliver a letter to the capital city.¡±


    The young eunuch answered ¡°Yes¡± and hurriedly trotted out of the room.


    Zhang Xi muttered in a surprised tone of voice, ¡°Exactly who was it that planted assassins in the Palace Guards? Those two men look rather familiar¡­ Are they by any chance under anybody¡¯s instigation?¡±


    The frown on Zhang Xi¡¯s face deepened as he thought about this. Eventually, he still wrote a letter and had the supervisor of the courier station use a courier pigeon to deliver it to the capital city.


    No sooner had he taken this course of action than it came to the knowledge of bodyguards of Yuwen Tong, who immediately reported this matter to Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Let him be,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while but made no remarks about it. Such was the severity of this incident that people in the capital city would inevitably get wind of it sooner or later. And it was almost impossible to stop Zhang Xi from reporting it.


    The assassin restrained was still lying on the ground. A pained expression appeared on his face when someone fixed his dislocated bottom jaw.


    ¡°Who sent you here to assassinate Childe Ling?¡± Yao Yi inquired.


    The assassin closed his eyes and kept silent.


    Yuwen Tong, who could tell at a single glance what kind of person this man was, couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any time on him. ¡°Drag him away. Do whatever necessary to get him talking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± Xie Shi curved the corners of his mouth in a sneer and dragged the man away.


    Ling Zhang looked at the assassin, who was literally being dragged forward, and then withdrew his gaze impassively.


    He was eager to know exactly who it was that was so determined to see him dead!


    The reason why Zhao Pingchuan had followed Yuwen Tong was that he wanted to see if Yuwen Tong would be able to get any information from the assassin, but unexpectedly, he only ended up helplessly watching the man being dragged away, which sent him into vexation.


    ¡°Commander Zhao, are these two assassins members of the Palace Guards?¡± Yuwen Tong queried.


    Ling Zhang also looked at Zhao Pingchuan.


    Being coldly stared by the two pairs of eyes, Zhao Pingchuan briefly froze and then replied, ¡°They are indeed members of the Palace Guards.¡±


    ¡°Was their plan to assassinate me in your knowledge?¡± Yuwen Tong asked another question.


    Ling Zhang secretly tossed a glance at Yuwen Tong, saying nothing. ¡®It was unmistakably me that the assassins attempted to kill. Why did Yuwen Tong say that he himself was the target?¡¯


    But Zhao Pingchuan failed to notice this minor inconsistency between Yuwen Tong¡¯s statements and the facts. Face tense, he replied, ¡°They did it without my knowledge. I would have killed them before they could take action had I known about it. Marshal Yuwen, neither I nor any of my other brethren was aware of why they did that. They¡¯d been working under me for several years and they had always been honest and loyal. As regards this incident, I believe there must be some kind of mistake, some kind of misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯d brought some bodyguards with me, my head wouldn¡¯t have remained on my shoulders,¡± observed Yuwen Tong in a cold tone of voice after putting down the teacup.


    Zhao Pingchuan was stressed out by Yuwen Tong¡¯s aggressiveness and beads of cold sweat immediately oozed out of the forehead of him. ¡°With all due respect, I still believe that my judgement of their character stands correct. They are by no means evildoers.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out whether they are evildoers or not when the interrogation is over,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid this kind of covert interrogation is against the rules, Marshal,¡± said Zhao Pingchuan, steeling himself against the pressure from Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Then what do you think the rules suggest I should do?¡±


    ¡°I should be present, so that I¡¯ll be able to report to His Majesty according to the truth provided he asks about it someday.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a sneer. ¡°As you wish. Yao Yi, take him to the room.¡±


    Yao Yi flicked a glance of sympathy at Zhao Pingchuan. ¡°This way, please, Commander Zhao.¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan had an inkling that something was not right, but he still braced himself and walked forward.


    After both of them left, Wang Dashan and a couple of others entered the room and looked at Ling Zhang, anxiety on their faces. ¡°Young Master, are you okay?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Elder Brother Liu was there protecting me.¡±


    This reply sent Wang Dashan and others relieved. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I should have brought more men and gone there with you. Those assassins wouldn¡¯t have dared to show their faces had I done that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for that. It was me who decided to take only Elder Brother Liu with me. Elder Brother Wang, did you find anything after checking out staff members of this courier station?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan responded, ¡°Nothing. None of them has ever made any contact with the assassins.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    ¡°But the two assassins are palace guards. Why did they try to assassinate young master?¡± Qiu Bing queried in a confused and worried tone of voice.


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°We¡¯ll find that out when the interrogation is finished.¡±


    Feeling that something was not quite right, Qiu Bing intended to persist his questioning, but Wang Dashan gently knocked him with his shoulder.


    Qiu Bing took the hint and shut up.


    After they left the room, Qiu Bing, bursting with astonishment, queried, ¡°Elder Brother Wang, why did you hush me just now?¡±


    Wang Dashan looked at Liu Yi, who flicked a glance at them and said, ¡°I think it has something to do with the engagement between young master and the Marshal.¡±


    ¡°The engagement between young master and the Marshal?¡± Qiu Bing was perplexed at first and then the light dawned on him. ¡°Are you saying that someone is trying to stop young master and the Marshal from getting married?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, this is the only plausible explanation.¡±


    ¡°What kind of son of a bitch would be so keen on being a busybody? I mean, to whom could the marriage between young master and the Marshal possibly cause any harm?!¡± remarked Qiu Bing angrily.


    Both Wang Dashan and Liu Yi kept silent, but there were somewhat worried expressions in their eyes.


    ¡®In order to stop them from getting married, these people actually resorted to assassination. It seems that this journey of young master¡¯s to the capital city will be long and dangerous,¡¯ Wang Dashan thought.

 Chapter 157 - What Do I Need to Do to Make Young Master Happy?

    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Uh¡­Ooh!¡±


    In a quiet corner of the courier station, Zhao Pingchuan, propping himself with his left hand on the wall, bent from the waist and vomited, his face terrifyingly pale.


    ¡°What happened to Commander Zhao? Why is he barfing so badly?¡±


    Many palace guards observed Zhao Pingchuan walk to the corner and, distantly, saw him throwing up so terribly like he would puke his guts out. All of them felt very surprised.


    A bodyguard of Yuwen Tong¡¯s walked out, contemptuously gave a sneer, and walked up to him while saying, ¡°Commander Zhao, do you want a pill? Our medic made it by a secret formula. It¡¯s a very effective treatment for vomiting.¡±


    However, on hearing the voice of this man, Zhao Pingchuan vomited even worse.


    Those palace guards were speechless with astonishment.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ they wondered.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who happened to be standing by a window of a room on the second floor of the courier station, saw what was taking place down there.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Commander Zhao go to the room to bear witness to the interrogation? What happened to him? Did he eat bad food and upset his stomach?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°He probably just exposed himself to something too scary.¡±


    ¡°Something too scary?¡± Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°Did Xie Shi interrogate the assassin in a¡­ scary way? Is it really scary enough to cause a man to throw up for so long?¡±


    In fact, Ling Zhang had wanted to use the word ¡°cruel¡± or ¡°gory¡±, but after a brief moment¡¯s thinking, he felt that it was somewhat inappropriate to use either of the two words to describe it.


    ¡°A living assassin will be of more use to us than a dead one. Should we go easier on him?¡± Ling Zhang continued.


    Yao Yi broke in, ¡°Rest assured, Childe Ling, Xie Shi knows very well where the limit is and he never tortures anybody to death. Actually the assassin might not even have lost a single drop of his blood.¡±


    ¡®Not even having lost a single drop of his blood? Then what was it that could possibly have been so scary as to cause Zhao Pingchuan to vomit so badly?¡¯ Ling Zhang wondered.


    ¡°Zhao Pingchuan gets scared too easily,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head approvingly, believing that this was probably the real reason. ¡®Who would have thought that he appears a tough hombre but is actually so cowardly?¡¯


    ¡°If only that assassin were also as much of a coward as Zhao Pingchuan is. He would have made a full confession some time ago provided that were the case.¡±


    Yao Yi gave a soft cough but made no response.


    Yuwen Tong twisted his head around, flicked a glance at him and warned him in a cold tone of voice, ¡°Go and see if Xie Shi has got anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡± That glance sent chills down Yao Yi¡¯s spine and he hurriedly left.


    Downstairs, Zhao Pingchuan had already walked out of the corner. Although he was no longer vomiting, he seemed to have been drained of energy and was in a state of prostration, his face so pale that people worried he might pass out at any moment.


    ¡°Commander Zhao, how about you go back to your room and have some rest? We¡¯ll get a physician here to offer you medical treatment.¡± The bodyguard who had offered to give Zhao Pingchuan a pill a while ago walked up to him.


    On seeing him, Zhao Pingchuan subconsciously took a step backward, as if he caught sight of something horrifying.


    After this backward step, Zhao Pingchuan came to realize what was going on. His face immediately darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t need any physicians. Marshal Yuwen¡¯s means of interrogation widened my knowledge today. He¡¯s indeed admirable.¡±


    The bodyguard replied, ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you to say that, Commander Zhao, but actually I feel relieved for you ¨Cfortunately that assassin didn¡¯t rat you out.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡± Zhao Pingchuan clenched his fists.


    The bodyguard stared fixedly at him. ¡°I think you know exactly what I mean, Commander Zhao.¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan responded through gritted his teeth slowly stressing each syllable, ¡°I do not know!¡±


    The bodyguard shrugged his shoulders, turned around and left, a porcelain bottle in his hand, which he had originally meant to give Zhao Pingchuan. ¡®Since Zhao Pingchuan is so insistent on playing tough, saying he doesn¡¯t need any pills, why should I waste my pills?¡¯


    Eyes wide with anger, Zhao Pingchuan watched the bodyguard walk far away and heaved a sigh of relief, but with that his face went sullen.


    A lot of people were standing nearby looking on. These people had seen it all when he had been vomiting in an undignified way!


    ¡°What are you looking at?! Go back to your rooms!¡± Zhao Pingchuan thundered at his subordinates. Deterred by Zhao Pingchuan, all palace guards obediently followed the order.


    But Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards and those family security guards brought here by Ling Zhang showed a total disregard for his anger and were still staring at him.


    Zhao Pingchuan¡¯s face turned livid with rage but there was nothing he could do about it. Having no alternative, he indignantly strode back to his room to change clothes.


    ¡°It seems that Guard Xie¡¯s interrogation of that assassin scared that Zhao Pingchuan guy really bad. I wonder what kind of methods Guard Xie adopted,¡± said Qiu Bing, excitement gleaming in his eyes.


    Wang Dashan flicked a warning glance at him. ¡°Be smart. Stay away from the interrogation room.¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother Wang, I¡¯m just curious. I won¡¯t go there or make any trouble,¡± responded Qiu Bing.


    ¡°I know you and your little tricks too well to believe this.¡± Wang Dashan gave him a dirty look.


    Upstairs.


    ¡°The assassin made a confession. It was the Ninth Princess who ordered the assassination.¡±


    After saying this, Yao Yi hung his head and didn¡¯t dare to look at the face of Yuwen Tong or Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The Ninth Princess?¡± said Ling Zhang slowly, his face impassive. ¡°The one that the emperor intends to marry to you?¡±


    But Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him with a disbelieving expression in his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong explained in a resigned tone of voice. ¡°The emperor¡¯s idea of marrying a princess to me is currently just an idea. There are many princesses in the imperial family and I don¡¯t have any acquaintance with any of them. Who knows which princess the emperor plans to use?¡±


    ¡°Then why did the Ninth Princess try to have me assassinated?¡± Ling Zhang was puzzled. After a few moments¡¯ thinking, he asked, ¡°Is it possible that she¡¯s the one the emperor has chosen?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It¡¯s inadvisable to draw a conclusion after merely hearing the one-sided story of the assassin. I¡¯ll have some men conduct an inquiry into it. To be on the safe side, I suggest you share a table and a bed with me until we reach the capital city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with sharing a table, but I think I¡¯ll pass on sharing a bed.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Although I¡¯m a male, my identity is different now. Besides¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang tossed an apathetic glance at Yuwen Tong. He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the meaning of it had been made very clear.


    He was very angry at the moment. ¡®Yuwen Tong should count himself extremely lucky not to have to face my anger, yet he dared to have the fond hope of me sharing a bed with him? What a nerve.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong was reduced to an embarrassed silence.


    ¡°Childe Ling, Marshal is innocent.¡± Yao Yi hurriedly interceded on behalf of his marshal.


    However, this remark sent Yuwen Tong even more embarrassed. He instructed Yao Yi, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Leave us. Tell Xie Shi to keep a close watch on that assassin. If there¡¯s anybody else secretly having their eye on us, they would almost certainly take another action to make sure the assassin doesn¡¯t make it to the capital city alive. Figure out a way to safely escort him to the capital city.¡±


    Yao Yi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go and consult with Xie Shi about it right away.¡±


    The moment Yao Yi left, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°No matter to what end did the Ninth Princess resort to this, I¡¯ll ascertain the facts and give you an explanation you deem acceptable.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a princess. What could you possibly do about this?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°Well, the Sixth Prince is a prince, yet I¡¯ve successfully got him condemned to lifelong house arrest, haven¡¯t I?¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    He made this remark in a bland tone of voice, but if anybody else had heard it, they would definitely be deeply shocked.


    However¡­


    Ling Zhang was aware that Yuwen Tong was indeed capable of doing this. Besides, when he arrived in the capital city, he would almost undoubtedly be faced with restrictions in various aspects, so he might as well leave this to Yuwen Tong.


    It had been a long hectic night. Originally, Ling Zhang had planned to read the letter given to him by his uncle after returning to the courier station on this night, but it had never crossed his mind that there would be an assassination. And now it was almost daybreak.


    ¡°Go and get some sleep. Today we¡¯ll stay in this courier station and rest. We depart tomorrow,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just depart in the afternoon. Try not to let news of this incident spread to Tanyang. I don¡¯t want my family worrying about me.¡±


    This would be very difficult. The night before, there were many visitors in the herbal garden, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy to have all of them keep their mouths shut, but Yuwen Tong told them that it was him who had been attacked by some assassins, so they were unaware that the actual target of the assassination had been Ling Zhang.


    Thinking about this, Yuwen Tong immediately agreed. ¡°Then we¡¯ll depart in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡®Departing earlier has its compensations. If by any chance Uncle Ling and others hear about this and change their minds asking Ling Zhang to go back home, things would get really tricky,¡¯ he thought.


    Ling Zhang had no idea what Yuwen Tong was thinking about. Unlike Yuwen Tong, he didn¡¯t have powerful internal energy, so he was indeed very tired.


    After returning to his room, Ling Zhang casually changed clothes and went to bed.


    It was not that he did not want to read the letter but that¡­


    ¡°Young Master, please get some sleep. We¡¯ll be here on watch.¡±


    Xia Feng was standing right at his bedside. Wang Dashan and other security guards were outside the room. Even Li Sicai and Wang Qing, who had been terribly scared, refused to leave and insisted on staying outside the room. There were people both in and outside the room.


    ¡®How am I supposed to read the letter with all these people present?¡¯


    Ling Zhang resignedly raised his hand and kneaded his brow. ¡®It is true what they say, ¡®Man proposes, God disposes.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, are you suffering from headaches? I¡¯ll send for a physician right now.¡± Xia Feng immediately went nervous.


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m just tired. I¡¯ll be okay after a sleep,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly replied.


    ¡°Then please lie down and sleep, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang lay down, put his hand on his chest where the letter was, and said to Xia Feng, ¡°Go there and take a seat. I can¡¯t sleep with you standing here.¡±


    Thinking that he could still keep a watch on the bed from that position, Xia Feng obeyed.


    Ling Zhang softly let out a sigh. Apart from anything else, he was indeed exhausted, so before long, he drifted off to sleep.


    Shortly after Ling Zhang fell asleep, something else occurred in the courier station. The captured assassin bit off his tongue and committed suicide.


    Yuwen Tong flew into a temper and hurled a torrent of rebuke at Xie Shi and others who had been responsible for guarding the assassin. Even Zhao Pingchuan fell victim to Yuwen Tong¡¯s rage. He didn¡¯t even dare to raise his head while being reprimanded.


    The whole courier station was shrouded in a subdued mood. Nobody dared to utter a single word. All people were trying to make themselves scarce for fear of further angering Yuwen Tong.


    Zhao Pingchuan heaved a sigh of relief after returning to his own room.


    In another room, Zhang Xi was also secretly relieved.


    ¡°Gonggong, that assassin is dead. Was it a good thing or a bad thing?¡± queried the young eunuch.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a good thing. Yuwen Tong refuses to disclose a single word about the result of the interrogation. Whether he really got anything or is just bluffing is still unknown. The man¡¯s death was a favorable turn of events. His Majesty has got more room for maneuver,¡± observed Zhang Xi.


    The young eunuch inclined his head, as if suggesting that he had learned something from the old eunuch.


    ¡°Guide me to my bed. We¡¯re going to depart in the afternoon, yet I didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep last night. I¡¯m at my advanced age. This sleep deprivation could have killed me.¡±


    The young eunuch hurriedly guided Zhang Xi to his bed and helped him lie down. ¡°Gonggong, your physical condition is far better than mine. You¡¯re not old at all.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Is it done?¡± asked Yuwen Tong calmly, who was in the largest and the most comfortable room of the courier station. On his face, there was no trace whatsoever of the fury that he had been showing a while ago.


    Yao Yi standing on the side replied, ¡°It¡¯s done. They¡¯ve already departed.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to be careful and not to let his death become the truth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already exhorted them. They¡¯ll be cautious.¡±


    After a few moments, Yao Yi asked, ¡°Marshal, did Childe Ling get angry with you just now?¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him. ¡°For your own sake, I suggest all of you be on your best behavior and figure out a way to get him brighten up during the next few days.¡±


    ¡®We figure out a way to brighten Childe Ling up?¡¯ Yao Yi widened his eyes. ¡°Marshal, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you do this yourself?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°I don¡¯t really need you to remind me about this. Just concentrate your efforts on making him happy.¡±


    Yao Yi had no choice but to answer, ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡± However, in his mind, he was muttering to himself. ¡®I¡¯ve never done this kind of thing before. What should I do to cheer Childe Ling up?¡¯ Thinking about this, he hurriedly went outside to consult with Zhang Liu and others.


    After hearing this, Zhang Liu and some others looked at each other, at a loss for words.


    ¡°What do we need to do to make Childe Ling happy?¡±


    ¡°This is tricky.¡±


    ¡°Tricky how? All we need to do is cheer Childe Ling up.¡±


    ¡°This is exactly why we always say you¡¯re stupid. This task of making Childe Ling happy needs to be performed in moderation. If we make Childe Ling too happy, all his attention will be drawn to us. In that case, the Marshal will definitely get angry once again!¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we should do?¡±


    ¡°How about we go and ask Wang Dashan and his men for advice?¡±

 Chapter 158 - Secrets in the Letter

    Wang Dashan and a couple of others were on guard duty outside the room of Ling Zhang when Yao Yi suddenly came into sight, beckoned to them and said in a lowered voice, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Wang Dashan walked over and asked him, ¡°Guard Yao, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yao Yi drew him a few paces further away from the others and replied, ¡°Childe Ling is still asleep?¡±


    Wang Dashan tossed a glance at his hand which was still being held by Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi hurriedly released his hand and gave an apologetic giggle, ¡°Sorry. Please don¡¯t take me wrong.¡±


    Wang Dashan was thrown into speechlessness.


    ¡®I just asked you to release my hand. What could I possibly have misunderstood?¡¯


    In a resigned tone of voice, he said, ¡°Our young master is still asleep. Is there anything particular that the Marshal wants to see our young master about?¡±


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°Not really. It¡¯s my intention of consulting with you about something that brings me here.¡±


    Wang Dashan was rather surprised, ¡°What is it? Does it have anything to do with the assassin?¡±


    Yao Yi shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s¡­¡± He gave an unnatural cough and continued, ¡°Do you know how to make Childe Ling happy?¡±


    Wang Dashan¡¯s eyes dilated with astonishment goggling at him. ¡°Guard Yao, how dare you attempt to poach from the Marshal?¡±


    Yao Yi was sent into embarrassment and hastily gestured for him to lower his voice, ¡°What are you talking about? The Marshal will have me beheaded if this reaches his ears!¡±


    Wang Dashan also felt somewhat awkward. He had just blurted that out in a jolt of dismay. ¡°Then why did you take it into your head to win my young master¡¯s favor?¡±


    Yao Yi answered in a deep tone of voice, ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of Childe Ling that I¡¯m doing this.¡±


    Wang Dashan looked at him in puzzlement. ¡®For the sake of young master?¡¯


    Yao Yi observed, ¡°The attempted assassination must have scared Childe Ling pretty bad. We can even see it on his face. It¡¯s just that we want to know if there¡¯s anything we can do to cheer Childe Ling up.¡±


    Wang Dashan gave a bob of his head. ¡°We are not as considerate as you are. This never crossed the mind of any of us.¡±


    Yao Yi patted Wang Dashan on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re too young to be blamed for it.¡±


    Wang Dashan, who was no younger than Yao Yi, fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡°In the past, every time our young master feels depressed, our second mistress will cook him dishes that she¡¯s best at cooking, and young master always cheers up after enjoying them.¡±


    Yao Yi raised his head and pondered for a while. ¡°Is there an alternative?¡±


    ¡®The level of difficulty of this method is too high. Surely we can¡¯t just return to Tanyang and take Second Mistress Ling here?¡¯


    ¡°Sometimes, when our young master feels a bit down, he would play with our second young master and Ada. We can always hear his laughter when he is with them.¡±


    Once again, Yao Yi responded in resignation, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to pass on this one as well. Hey, bro, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m being picky, but neither of these two is an option for us. Childe Ling is now away from Tanyang.¡±


    Wang Dashan looked at him with a deeply meaningful expression in his eyes and remarked, ¡°As far as I could tell, our young master is actually pretty happy when he¡¯s with the Marshal.¡±


    Yao Yi was delighted to hear this, but soon something occurred to him and with that his face darkened again. ¡®This one is not doable either. The reason why the Marshal wants us to cheer Childe Ling up must be that it¡¯s not very convenient for him to do it himself. Thinking about this, Yao Yi frowned and said, ¡°Is there by any chance another way? For instance, Childe Ling¡¯s favorite food, what he likes to watch the most, what he likes to listen to the most, etc. Whatever and wherever it is, we¡¯ll figure out a way to bring it to Childe Ling.¡±


    Wang Dashan looked at him with a resigned expression on his face. ¡®Did I not tell you that our young master likes dishes cooked by our second mistress, likes to watch Childe Maomao playing with Ada and also likes hearing the Marshal say¡­¡¯ Thinking of this, Wang Dashan secretly gave a cough.


    Wang Dashan stopped deliberately making impracticable suggestions, which had put Yao Yi in an awkward situation. ¡°Our young master likes Ada pretty much, which he was unable to take with him on this journey to the capital city. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, I could tell that he feels somewhat regretful. So maybe you could try get him a puppy?¡±


    Yao Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thanks, bro!¡±


    After saying this, he left like the wind.


    Wang Dashan stroked his nose and returned.


    Liu Yi flicked him a glance. For fear of waking up Ling Zhang, Wang Dashan didn¡¯t say anything about the conversation.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, the group resumed their journey. Ling Zhang had just woken up and was still a little sleepy, so Yuwen Tong settled him in a horse-drawn carriage instead of on the back of a horse.


    All palace guards and Zhang Xi were bring up the rear. In the knowledge that Yuwen Tong might vent his anger on them, all of them kept quiet.


    Ling Zhang looked back, lifted his left brow and then let down the carriage curtain.


    ¡°Would you like to get some extra sleep, Young Master?¡± asked Xia Feng.


    Originally, Ling Zhang had wanted to shake his head, but after a brief moment¡¯s thinking, he replied, ¡°Yeah. I do want to catch up on my sleep. You may go out there and sit with the driver.¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s nobody else around. I should take advantage of this opportunity and read the letter as soon as possible,¡¯ he thought.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s instruction aroused no doubts in Xia Feng¡¯s mind. He immediately went outside, sat down beside the driver and even let down the front curtain for fear that the sunlight and the wind might be a disturbance to Ling Zhang.


    This was exactly what Ling Zhang wanted. After the front curtain was let down, he hastily fished the envelope out of his inner pocket, unsealed it and started reading, his heart involuntarily fluttering with nervousness.


    The letter written by his uncle was very long. In it, he gave an account of the series of events happened within a couple of years, from the first meeting between Ling Zhang¡¯s parents to his mother¡¯s death and his father¡¯s missing.


    It was not until Ling Zhang read this letter that he discovered that his mother had also been a very important reason why his grandfather had chosen to leave the capital city in that year.


    It had been his father who had rescued his mother. Back at that time, all the handmaids of his mother had been killed, and his mother was the only one left struggling with the enemies, trying to survive. His father, who had some kung fu skills and mistakenly thought that those men were bandits, sprang to her help without much hesitation. After his parents joined hands and disposed of the enemies mobbing them, his mother, drained of energy, passed out and was taken home by his father.


    Originally, people of Ling family had thought that his mother was from some family in the capital city, intending to ask his mother about it and then have her escorted to her home after she came around. Unexpectedly, after reviving, his mother was instantly on the alert, overreacted and almost killed his father. People of Ling family were startled and intended to report this to local authorities, but eventually his father stopped them from doing so. After that, his mother lived in the residence of Ling family. Because of her injuries and weak constitution, it took her a long time to make a full recovery. During her stay in Ling family, she and his father fell in love with each other. After his mother recuperated, his father asked his grandfather for permission to marry her.


    At first, his grandfather disagreed, saying that she was a very dangerous woman because her family background was known and she had Jianghu kung fu skills. His father implored his grandfather for a very long time. His mother, not having the heart to see his father suffering from the tough situation, decided to leave, but his father didn¡¯t agree, saying that he would leave Ling family as well if she left. Eventually, unwilling to see his father part with his family, his mother told people of Ling family about her parentage.


    His mother was not from the Great Yue or the Wan Kingdom but the Millennium Pavilion, all members of which had been living in seclusion for generations.


    It was rumored that the Xia (about 2100-1600 BC), the last dynasty, used to have a department called the Foreseers Agency, that foreseers were descendants of phoenixes and capable of foreseeing the future developments of all events in the world as well as bringing peace.


    The Millennium Pavilion had grown out of the Deca-millennium Pavilion. At that time, the Xia was a country far larger than the Great Yue. With the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kindom and the Fangcun Kingdom, to name but three, under its rule, this whole land was under its sole dominion. The Deca-millennium Pavilion, having been serving the imperial family of the Xia for hundreds of years, were highly revered. However, as the Xia fell apart, the Deca-millennium Pavilion suffered an unprecedentedly heavy blow and disappeared from history.


    No one could have foreseen that the Deca-millennium Pavilion had not really been erased from existence. A few surviving members, taking with them the imperial family of the Xia and manuals on unique skills that had been treasured by the Deca-millennium Pavilion for centuries, escaped from pursuers from various sides, secluded themselves in remote mountains and renamed themselves the Millennium Pavilion. From then on, they started living in seclusion, staying away from all disputes in the world. Their secluded life lasted hundreds of years. As daughter of the head elder of the Deca-millennium Pavilion, Ling Zhang¡¯s mother possessed the blood of the foreseers clan. The reason why she left the mountain was that she wanted to find her younger brother who had also secretly left. Unexpectedly, her younger brother, after leaving the mountain, was framed in a sudden misfortune and died. Ling Zhang¡¯s mother, in a fit of rage, with the martial formations of the Deca-millennium Pavilion, killed the man responsible for her younger brother¡¯s death and all his family members¡­


    Those dispatched by the Deca-millennium Pavilion to look for Ling Zhang¡¯s mother and her brother found out about this matter and reported it back. Those in charge decided that the unsanctioned use of martial formations of Ling Zhang¡¯s mother was against the rules, caused quite a stink and was punishable by death. Unconvinced, Ling Zhang¡¯s mother, taking her handmaids with her, tried her best to flee from the killers sent by the Deca-millennium Pavilion. After a couple of fights, both sides suffered serious injuries. The last time they engaged each other was in the suburbs of the capital city, when both sides were like spent arrows. All handmaids of Ling Zhang¡¯s mother died protecting her, and she was reduced to an extremely unfavorable situation. Had his father not suddenly shown up, she would have met her end as well.


    Deeply shocked by the truth told by Ling Zhang¡¯s mother, Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather raised an even stronger objection to his father marrying her. In the end, his father had a long private talk with Ling Xingzhong in the study, the contents of which were unknown to Ling Zhaowen. After that, Ling Xingzhong changed his mind and agreed.


    Their wedding was a very low-key affair. When his mother conceived him, she kept feeling somewhat worried that some others from the Deca-millennium Pavilion might find her. As chance would have it, something else happened and his grandfather conveniently resigned from office, took his family out of the capital city and retired to Tanyang. After returning to Tanyang, his mother finally managed to rid herself from fear. However, she insisted on giving birth to Ling Zhang despite the risks and the delivery took a heavy toll on her. Drained of vital energy, his mother, on heavy medication, lingered on for a couple of years and passed away.


    At the end of the letter, his uncle conjectured that the reason why Ling Zhaowu had suddenly left home was because he intended to find the Millennium Pavilion, because rumor had it that a descendant of a phoenix was capable of rising from the dead. His father, not resigned to accepting his wife¡¯s death, wanted to figure out a way to resurrect his wife.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a deep frown. After reading the letter, the only feeling he had was that this whole thing was ridiculous. ¡®Resurrection? How is it even possible?! Ling Zhaowu must have taken leave of his senses when he came to believe that. In order to chase a shadow, he chose to forsake his family. What a heartless bastard!¡¯


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang felt a terrible constriction in the chest as well as an urge to vent his anger but didn¡¯t know how.


    ¡®And about that so-called Deca-millennium Pavilion or Millennium Pavilion, given that they had never shown up in Tanyang for so many years, it was almost certain that they had failed to find anything. Under the circumstances, Ling Zhaowu should have kept his head down and stayed with his family, but he was actually stupid enough to go to their place on his own account!


    No, if he had found them, we wouldn¡¯t have heard no news of it for so many years. It must be that he had never found any traces of them whatsoever.¡¯


    Ling Zhang barely slept the night before and merely had a few moments¡¯ sleep in the morning. At this time, he was suffering from spells of headache, which made his face somewhat pale.


    By this moment, he had also managed to figure some things out. ¡®No wonder uncle believed me so willingly when I told him that I¡¯d been having dreams about those things. It turns out that there was a reason for that.¡¯


    All the martial formations his mother left to him, along with the medicinal jade, were from that so-called Millennium Pavilion.


    Ling Zhang fished out the medicinal jade he was wearing, which was blackish green and giving off a mild glow. People had to pay great attention to be able to detect an extremely faint smell of medicine.


    He remembered that when he had been young, the smell of medicine had been stronger, but now it was very light. Only when in contact with something of the opposite medicinal property would the jade give off a stronger smell of medicine, just like the poisonous creature carried by Yuwen Qi the last time they¡¯d met.


    ¡®Its medicinal efficacy has been getting weaker¡­¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 159 - A Gift for Childe Ling

    ¡°Are you suffering from headaches?¡± At this time, Yuwen Tong got into the horse-drawn carriage and saw that Ling Zhang was leaning against the wall of the carriage with one hand kneading his forehead, face pale.


    He sat down beside Ling Zhang, held him in his arms and started kneading his temples for him.


    Ling Zhang merely flicked a glance at him and then closed his eyes.


    At first, seeing that Ling Zhang obediently let him hold him in his arms, Yuwen Tong thought that Ling Zhang was no longer angry with him, but he was just secretly delighted when the expression in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes brought a frown to his face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± queried Yuwen Tong.


    With Yuwen Tong kneading his temples, Ling Zhang felt much more comfortable, the twitches of pain in his forehead alleviated. ¡°There¡¯s some information that I¡¯ve just found out, but I cannot tell you for the present.¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Does it have anything to do with what your uncle previously informed you of?¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly sat upright and looked at him. ¡°How did you come to know it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands were pushed aside by him. Seeing the wary expression on his face, Yuwen Tong felt somewhat upset and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just my guess, a lucky one made after I noticed that you¡¯ve been frequently checking something in your inner pocket and having an absent-minded look on your face over the past few days.¡±


    Ling Zhang was slightly surprised to hear that Yuwen Tong had observed some time ago something had been bothering him.


    Just a few moments ago, he had been wondering whether Yuwen Tong had seen the envelope while he had not been paying attention. The parentage of his mother might be a matter of little significance, but it was also possible that this matter was of great importance. In either case, it was not yet the right time to let this come to the knowledge of anybody else. For the moment, he couldn¡¯t tell this to anybody in a worry-free way, and even Yuwen Tong was no exception.


    ¡®And there¡¯s also the issue of our engagement. Given my complicated family background, if I marry Yuwen Tong¡­


    Wait a moment.¡¯


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but raise his head and kneaded his temples again. Now he came to a general understanding of why his grandfather, ever since Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival in Tanyang, had been so insistent that he marry Yuwen Tong. He also had a shrewd idea why his grandfather had still been wavering on whether he should tell him about the parentage of his mother.


    But no matter what, since this matter had already come to his knowledge, he decided that he couldn¡¯t marry Yuwen Tong, at least not when Yuwen Tong was unaware of this.


    In other words, he had gone to so much trouble to avenge the sufferings of his family and himself only to find that Ling family were still faced with at least two formidable enemies either of whom could destroy them at any moment.


    Yuwen Tong moved Ling Zhang¡¯s hands off his temples and started kneading them for him again. ¡°No matter what it is, I want you to know that I¡¯ll be here with you. I respect you and I won¡¯t pressure you into telling me, but if by any chance it involves some kind of danger, you must tell me.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Um.¡±


    However, because of this single moment¡¯s subtle silence, Yuwen Tong guessed something. His eyes squinted softly and briefly.


    ¡®I knew it. What Ling Zhang is keeping back from me indeed entails danger,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to give me some time to think it through,¡± Ling Zhang suddenly added.


    ¡®This is enough for me.¡¯ Yuwen Tong, who was brought to a much better mood by this remark, responded, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Take your time.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his eyes and looked at him. ¡°Take my time? I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was reduced to an embarrassed silence.


    ¡°No. You should figure it out as soon as possible. I was just trying to be polite. Don¡¯t take my word for it.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a soft snort. After a few moments¡¯ thinking, he leaned back against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest to make it more convenient for Yuwen Tong to knead his temples for him.


    Seeing Ling Zhang lean against him of his own accord enjoying the massage he was giving him, Yuwen Tong was only too anxious to hug him and give him a good long kiss. However, he was still faced with the task of kneading Ling Zhang¡¯s temples, so he had no alternative but to regretfully dismiss this thought.


    Maybe because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence, though what his uncle told him in the letter had given him a heavy heart, Ling Zhang was not very nervous or afraid. With Yuwen Tong kneading his temples, the headaches gradually disappeared and eventually he drifted off to sleep.


    Yuwen Tong shifted Ling Zhang to a more comfortable position and carried him in his arms while he was asleep.


    Xia Feng looked over his shoulder. After seeing this through the gap between the curtains, he exhorted the driver to slow the horse-carriage down.


    With their carriage decelerating, those behind them naturally slowed down as well. After this speed reduction, the procession, which had not been traveling fast, was almost crawling, as if they were on an excursion.


    Noticing that carriages ahead were slowing down, Zhao Pingchuan and others bringing up the rear had no choice but to decelerate as well.


    ¡°Come on, not again. Have they any idea how long it¡¯ll take us to get to the capital city if we keep going at this rate?¡±


    On hearing this, Zhang Xi smiled, ¡°How about you go and ask them about it, Commander Zhao?¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan immediately fell silent. ¡®This guy wants me to risk angering Yuwen Tong on an occasion of this kind? Does he really think I¡¯m a fool?!¡¯


    Zhang Xi flicked him a glance, let down the curtain and his face became expressionless after he sat back in his seat.


    He had a sneaking suspicion that the attempted assassination with Yuwen Tong as the target the night before had been conducted with Zhao Pingchuan¡¯s full knowledge. He even suspected that it had been a secret task assigned to Zhao Pingchuan by the emperor, one he was not privy to.


    During this journey, he had tried to worm something out of Zhao Pingchuan but failed to get anything, which was why Zhang Xi had been sullen all along.


    The young eunuch, scared by him, didn¡¯t dare to stay close to him and had been sitting outside the carriage with the driver.


    ¡­


    It was not until night fell that Ling Zhang woke up. The procession had just past the boundary marker of Tanyang. They would have to sleep in the open this night.


    Preoccupied with his own thoughts, Ling Zhang seemed absent-minded even when he was having supper.


    After traveling this way for another two days, they arrived in a county in northern Yanzhou.


    The county seat covered a rather vast area and this day happened to be the date for some kind of festive occasion, which was why all streets were uproarious.


    Yuwen Tong gave the order to rest for a day in this county.


    Ling Zhang had been in a state of preoccupation and his security guards had been worrying about him for two days.


    At noon, they had just finished lunch when Yao Yi walked up to Ling Zhang and informed Ling Zhang in a mysterious tone of voice, ¡°Childe Ling, we sent you a gift. It¡¯s right in your room. Would you care to go and check it out?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him with a disbelieving expression on his face. ¡°A gift to me?¡±


    Yao Yi inclined his head. ¡°Yeah. All of us pitched in a couple of copper coins to buy it.¡±


    ¡®All of them pitched in money to buy it?¡¯ Though Ling Zhang felt somewhat surprised, since this gift had been sent collectively by so many people, he believed that he must not trifle with it. Immediately, he rose to his feet and returned to his room.


    Yuwen Tong, who had instructed Yao Yi to cheer Ling Zhang up, followed in his wake. ¡®Finally these guys made their move,¡¯ he thought.


    Ling Zhang pushed open the door and first looked in the direction of the table, but there was nothing on it. Then his eyes swept around the room but the gift was still nowhere to be seen. Suspecting that Yao Yi and others were playing a trick on him, he was just about to leave when his eye suddenly fell on a curious object on his bed. After a brief moment¡¯s hesitation, he walked over.


    It was a thin cotton-padded jacket with something wrapped inside, something moving!


    Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡®What is this thing? It¡¯s alive?¡¯


    He cautiously stepped closer and observed a small patch of soft, smooth and white fur showing amid the cotton-padded jacket¡­


    Ling Zhang softly unfolded the cotton-padded jacket and, when he saw what it was that had been mysteriously wrapped in it, he was thrown into shock, eyes dilated with pleasant surprise gleaming in them.


    ¡°Is this¡­¡±


    A little soft fluffy creature had curled into a ball lying in there, its limbs and tail beneath its body, two small ears pricked up, eyes shut¡­


    It looked like a little fox.


    As if this little soft creature had struck something into his heart, Ling Zhang stared fixedly at it, eyes sparkling. Slowly, he stooped down to take a closer look, fascinated by it.


    Yuwen Tong, who had followed Ling Zhang and entered the room shortly after him, naturally had seen the whole process. He squinted his eyes and looked at the little white ball-like creature. ¡®A living thing?¡¯


    ¡°A fox! It¡¯s a fox cub! A white one!¡± Ling Zhang excitedly beckoned to him to check it out.


    Yuwen Tong walked up to the bed and confirmed the species of it. ¡°It¡¯s a white fox. The color of its fur is pure and it has a pretty healthy constitution, too. It¡¯s really something of a rarity.¡±


    Ling Zhang reached out his hand and softly stroked the little fox from the back of its head to its neck and to its back. The soft, warm touch of it even brought a involuntary twitch to his hand. It reminded him of Ada, his dog, which had also been like a little ball of fur when it had been a cub.


    ¡°How did they come to get this? They are amazing,¡± Ling Zhang observed delightedly.


    Yuwen Tong softly uttered ¡°Um¡± and then replied, ¡°I¡¯ll reward them later.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯ll express my gratitude to them as well.¡±


    ¡°They did this to cheer you up. My reward for their service will be enough,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°It¡¯s very considerate of them to do so. I¡¯ll thank them in person.¡± Eyes fixed on the white fox cub, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t even have the time to give a backward glance at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°When Ada was a cub, it also looked like a fluffy ball like this little fox. It was stunning. Maomao was much younger at that time as well. They were two little guys. The two of them used to race each other trying to find me on their little short legs. The way they toddled along never failed to make me laugh.¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but talk to Yuwen Tong about the past.


    Surprisingly, as he was reminiscing, memories of those days seemed to be a long long time ago. Those things that had happened in his last life filled him with nostalgia.


    These words also gradually melted Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart. It was not because of the two little guys Ling Zhang had mentioned but because of Ling Zhang. He couldn¡¯t help wondering what Ling Zhang had looked like at that time ¨Che must be a teenager who would affect an air of sophistification and stoop down to pick up his younger brother. He might even feign sulkiness and lecture him. Yuwen Tong believed that it must have been a very, very pity-inducing scene.


    Yuwen Tong slowly exhaled, looked at this Ling Zhang in front of him and asked, ¡°Would you like to take it outside and go for a walk?¡±


    Ling Zhang pulled his mind out of memories, shook his head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s too young. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to expose it to too much wind. Let it stay here. By the way, I have to go and ask Yao Yi and the others about how to raise a fox cub.¡±


    ¡®Yeah. I bet those guys know all about it,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong after secretly giving a snort.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be someone in the county seat who knows about how to raise it. Maybe we should go and make some inquiries.¡±


    Ling Zhang straightened himself up. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He affectionately stroked the fox cub again. This time, the little fox let out a faint grunt which sounded as soft as its body and sent Ling Zhang powerless to leave. ¡°It woke up!¡±


    However, the fox cub merely woke up for a few moments and gave two grunts. It didn¡¯t even open its eyes. After rubbing itself against Ling Zhang¡¯s hand when he was stroking it, the fox cub fell asleep again, showing no sign of awaking soon.


    Ling Zhang regretfully watched it fall asleep. ¡°I thought it woke up.¡±


    Yuwen Tong found that he had been standing in this room for quite some time but Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes had been fixed on that fox cub all along, that he had been totally ignored.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The county seat is bustling today. With luck, we might encounter someone with the right expertise in the street.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. This time, he finally took his eyes off the little fox.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yuwen Tong brought Ling Zhang out of the room. When the little white fox was no longer in sight, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes found their way back onto Yuwen Tong. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s a good idea to take it to the capital city.¡±


    However, the next remark of Ling Zhang¡¯s was still about the little white fox.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darkened with annoyance.

 Chapter 160 - Go Wherever You Find Comfortable and Leave Me Alone

    After being informed that the gift Yao Yi and others had given to Ling Zhang was a white fox cub, Wang Dashan had a somewhat different expression in his eyes when he looked at Yao Yi.


    Just like a craftsman who feared that his apprentices would some day obsolete him after they learned all his skills, Wang Dashan was deeply worried that Yao Yi and others might some day replace him and the other twenty-three security guards as trusted subordinates of their young master.


    ¡°Where did you get that white fox cub?¡± Wang Dashan inquired of Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi, unaware of Wang Dashan¡¯s complicated feelings, replied in a delighted tone of voice, ¡°We bought it. Originally we had intended to buy a puppy, but as luck would have it, a hunter was selling fox cubs he¡¯d found in a fox den, so we purchased the best one.¡±


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± asked Wang Dashan.


    ¡°There were only three in total. And all of them were sold almost immediately. A lot of childes and ladies from rich families were fascinated by those little creatures at first sight and scrambled for them. Fortunately we were quicker than them,¡± responded Yao Yi smugly.


    Wang Dashan felt slightly regretful in the knowledge that all of them had been sold so soon.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the streets and did find someone who knew about raising foxes. They bought adequate food the white fox cub needed and also wrote down all the tips on raising it.


    After that, they resumed their journey carrying the white fox cub with them.


    After ten days, they arrived in northern Cangzhou. On that night, they checked into the largest inn in the city. They were only two days¡¯ journey away from the capital city.


    Given that they had been traveling for ten consecutive days, Yuwen Tong decided to let them have a day¡¯s rest in the city before departure. Except for a couple of small counties, the capital city would be the only place that they could get a good rest, but currently, it was inadvisable to hurry into the capital city.


    This time even Zhao Pingchuan and Zhang Xi didn¡¯t feel any displeasure. After ten days¡¯ non-stop travel, the two of them were also exhausted.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Since they were very close to the capital city, Yuwen Tong asked Ling Zhang whether he was nervous or not.


    After hearing this question, Ling Zhang carrying the white fox cub replied, ¡°I would be lying if I tell you that I¡¯m not nervous, but what I¡¯m nervous about is why there is yet another guy who wants me dead.¡±


    This reply gave Yuwen Tong a somewhat guilty conscience. ¡°Maybe you should move in with me. I¡¯m not comfortable with the idea of you living elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I cannot run from them forever. And I¡¯d like to find out who it is that want to see me dead. I might be weak, but I¡¯m not going to let them get what they want too easily.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, seeing Ling Zhang was still stroking the white fox cub in his arms and didn¡¯t even raise his head to glance at him, felt somewhat upset. ¡°I got your back. I¡¯ll see that you come to no harm.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his eyes and flicked him a glimpse. ¡°You¡¯ll be having no less troubles than I will when we¡¯re in the capital city.¡±


    The troubles waiting for him in the capital city didn¡¯t really bother Yuwen Tong, because every time he returned to the capital city, there were always pulsing undercurrents of various kinds running through the city, which was something he had long ago become accustomed to.


    ¡°That person has already been escorted to the capital city, I suppose?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of his head. ¡°He¡¯s been taken to Yuwen family.¡±


    ¡°News of the assassination has spread through the whole capital city, hasn¡¯t it? Did your men staying in the capital city find anything? Has the Ninth Princess taken any particular course of actions?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°The Ninth Princess went to the Zhaohua Temple to pray to the Buddha for blessings half a month ago and has not returned to the capital city yet.¡±


    ¡°This is so coincidental. Do you think she is intentionally doing this to avoid us?¡±


    ¡°No matter whether she¡¯s deliberately avoiding us or not, we will find some traces, one way or another, as long as that was indeed her doing. Besides, we¡¯ve already escorted the assassin into the capital city. With the testimony of this witness as a line of inquiry, the one behind the scenes will undoubtedly be found out, no matter whether this person is the Ninth Princess or not. There should be definite news by the time we arrive in the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡®That¡¯s great.


    But about the Ninth Princess¡­ ¡®


    ¡°Exactly how many daughters does the emperor have? And how many of them are of marriageable age?¡±


    After a brief moment¡¯s surprised silence, Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°Why do you ask? You¡¯ve got me.¡±


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance, as if warning him not to steer the conversation away.


    Yuwen Tong was thrown into resignation. Since his attempt to change the topic had failed, he had no choice but to honestly answer the question. If he didn¡¯t, Ling Zhang might take the white fox cub and leave him for good.


    ¡°The emperor had twelve daughters. Four of them died young, so there are actually eight princesses. The Eighth Princess and the The Tenth Princess, who are elder sister and younger sister of the Ninth Princess respectively, are of marriageable age. The other two princesses are still young.¡±


    Ling Zhang stroked the white fox cub, a fairly satisfied expression on his face. In fact, Tao Feng had some time ago informed him of this.


    ¡°So apart from the Ninth Princess, there are at least the Eighth Princess and the Tenth Princess who might be betrothed to you by the emperor?¡±


    This remark brought embarrassment to Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. ¡°Even if the emperor did have such intention, that was in the past. Currently, it is us who are officially engaged.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. ¡°What is it that you think I¡¯m going to say? The point I¡¯ve been trying to make is that if the other two princesses also intend to marry you, they would also want me dead, which means I¡¯ll have to keep an eye out.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hurriedly said, ¡°The Eighth Princess was betrothed to someone long ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Ur¡­ That was several years ago. Everybody knows.¡±


    Ling Zhang decided to let this go. ¡°And the The Tenth Princess?¡±


    This time, Yuwen Tong was somewhat hesitant. ¡°It is said that the Tenth Princess has mental deficiency, but I never paid any attention to her, so I didn¡¯t try to verify whether the rumors are true.¡±


    Ling Zhang was dismayed to hear this. ¡°Mental deficiency?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Her mother is an unfavored concubine of the emperor. She suffered a lot during childhood, which resulted in her mental retardation.¡±


    Something seemed to have just occurred to Ling Zhang. ¡°During childhood? So she¡¯s been have mental retardation for many years?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°As things stand, it is indeed the most likely that the Ninth Princess is the one the emperor intends to marry to you. The Eighth Princess has already been betrothed, so she¡¯s not an option. As regards the Tenth Princess, no matter whether she really has mental deficiency or not, she is retarded in the eyes of the people and the emperor, which means she is also not suitable to be married to you, since the emperor will have to face revilement from his subjects if he betroths her to you.¡±


    This meant that, from the vantage point of the present, everything indicated the Ninth Princess was the one who had ordered the two palace guards to assassinate Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The Ninth Princess is daughter of the Concubine De. I heard that the emperor favors her very much, that the Fourth Prince is her elder brother, who bears the title of the Huiwang King and is a force to be reckoned with in the imperial court.¡±


    Ling Zhang slowly repeated what Tao Feng had told him.


    ¡°If the Fourth Prince is just as ambitious as the Sixth Prince, he would definitely marry his younger sister to you trying to co-opt you, given how easy it¡¯ll be for him to eliminate the Crown Prince and ascend the throne providing he has you at his back. It seems that I¡¯ve probably got in the way of the Fourth Prince. I haven¡¯t reached the capital city yet, but I¡¯ve already become a thorn in his flesh.


    As it stands, those on the side of the Crown Prince are actually the ones who don¡¯t want the Ninth Princess marrying you the most. People on the side of the Third Prince who was given birth to by the Concubine Xian, as well as those on the side of the Fifth Prince whose natural mother is the Concubine Liang definitely hate the idea of you marrying the Ninth Princess as well. However, much as they don¡¯t want the Ninth Princess marrying you, they no doubt wish to marry their younger sisters or elder sisters to you, which makes them no less anxious to see me dead. Uh¡­ Taking all these into account, I believe there are a lot of people having every reason to kill me. Do you think some other assassins will show up during the next two days?¡±


    At a loss for words, Yuwen Tong fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡°Was it Tao Feng who told you you all this?¡±


    Ling Zhang lowered his head and stroked the white fox cub. ¡°Yeah. Lord Tao is a pretty interesting man. If some day I¡¯m really somebody, I¡¯ll definitely return the favor.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was reduced to an embarrassed silence.


    Never had he wished so strongly that Ling Zhang were less intelligent.


    However, the thought that Ling Zhang had willingly followed him to this place dissolved his worry considerably.


    ¡°You specially allowed them to have a day¡¯s rest here because you know what¡¯s coming for us, right?¡± Ling Zhang added.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse was throbbing in his throat again. Now he deeply felt that Ling Zhang was being too smart, which made him a little panic-stricken.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you into the capital city in one piece.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°I know. If you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    He raised his head, looked at Yuwen Tong and gave a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t stop haunting you even after I die and become a ghost.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was reduced to an embarrassed silence.


    ¡°You have only your charm to blame. And all those attracted to you are so powerful that every one of them is capable of crushing me to death with a single finger of theirs.¡±


    Yuwen Tong started an in-depth introspection. For the first time, he felt it a trifle regrettable that he was such an eligible man. After a few moments thinking, he apologized to Ling Zhang in a sincere tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for having been working so hard to improve myself. It¡¯s not really my wish to have become a man of such magnetism.¡±


    Ling Zhang was thrown into speechlessness.


    His cheeks bulged with annoyance.


    And then the Marshal was evicted from the room.


    ¡°This little fox is far better company than you are. Go wherever it is that you find comfortable and don¡¯t come back.¡±


    And then the door was slammed shut.


    Yuwen Tong stroked his nose. Though the door nearly knocked his nose flat, he still couldn¡¯t help but curve up the corners of his mouth in a faint smile.


    ¡°Marshal?¡± Wang Dashan and others guarding outside the room watched him in dismay.


    ¡®Is he in trouble with young master? But it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Young master is so angry, yet the Marshal is still smiling?¡¯


    All of them were in puzzlement.


    Yuwen Tong stopped smiling and said, ¡°Do your job and stay alert. Under no circumstances should this room be left unguarded.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± Wang Dashan and others chorused, subconsciously throwing their chests out.


    It was not until Yuwen Tong left that Wang Dashan and others pulled themselves out of awe and looked at each other, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Did young master and the Marshal have a quarrel?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Then why was the Marshal smiling?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Some kind of personal preference?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All others fell speechless. As bachelors, they couldn¡¯t quite understand what that was. After all, it was somewhat hurtful to think about this kind of matters.


    Before long, lunch was delivered to the doorway. Liu Yi examined the food by sticking a silver needle into it. After confirming that there was nothing wrong, he took the lunch box and knocked at the door. ¡°Young Master, your lunch is here.¡±


    ¡°Bring it in.¡±


    Liu Yi pushed the door open and was greeted by the scene of Ling Zhang teasing the white fox cub.


    The white fox cub had become less somnolent during the past two days and had opened its liquid black eyes. It had some kind of inexplicable and innate affinity for Ling Zhang, which was manifested in the total disregard it showed to all others, including Yuwen Tong.


    At this time, the white fox cub, head up, was letting out faint soft cries, rubbing itself against the tip of Ling Zhang¡¯s nose.


    There was manifest delight on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, who didn¡¯t at all seemed to have just had a quarrel with Yuwen Tong.


    Liu Yi thought for a few moments and believed that maybe they did overthink it. ¡®So that was really some kind of¡­ Ur¡­ personal preference.¡¯


    He put the dishes and the soup cup down onto the table and then placed a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks in suitable positions.


    ¡°Young Master, would you like me to take care of the white fox cub for you?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Let it stay where it is,¡± replied Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯ll get it something to eat later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. I take my leave. Please call me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Go and have lunch. There¡¯s no need for all of you to be on guard at the same time. Do it in shifts. You need enough strength to perform your duties well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll relay your instruction, Young Master.¡±

 Chapter 161 - The White Foxs Saving Its Master from Being Poisoned

    Ling Zhang affectionately rubbed the tip of his nose against the white fox cub¡¯s nose and said, ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll get you something to eat after I finish my lunch.¡±


    The white fox cub let out a soft cry in response, as if having understood Ling Zhang¡¯s words, which melted Ling Zhang¡¯s heart and gave Ling Zhang an almost overwhelming desire to give up the meal.


    He flicked a glance at the dishes on the table, all of which were of appetizing looks and delicious smell, making his mouth water.


    Ling Zhang took up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and was just about to send it into his mouth when he saw that the white fox cub suddenly started sniffing in this direction crying urgently.


    After a brief trance of surprise, Ling Zhang put down the chopsticks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you terribly hungry? I¡¯ll feed you immediately after I finish lunch. I¡¯ll be quick. Just hold on for a few moments.¡±


    With that he picked up that piece of meat intending to eat it, but the white fox cub started crying urgently once again, and the cries were even sharper and somewhat brittle. Its sparkling black eyes were staring at Ling Zhang with manifest anxiety in them.


    This time Ling Zhang was really amazed. He put down his chopsticks again. ¡°You want this piece of meat?¡±


    And then his brows were furrowed. ¡°But the raiser told me that it¡¯s inadvisable for you to eat this kind of food for the moment.¡±


    He thought that he should finish the meal as soon as possible and then feed the white fox cub.


    However, the white fox cub was very anxious. Seeing Ling Zhang was about to send that piece of meat into his mouth, it abruptly rose to its feet in the cotton-padded jacket and leaped towards Ling Zhang, crying urgently.


    Ling Zhang was taken aback, subconsciously dropped his chopsticks and quickly went to catch the white fox cub.


    Unsurprisingly, still young and unable to jump far, the white fox cub hit its head on the edge of the table and fell to the ground, groaning in pain repeatedly.


    Heart aching badly for it, Ling Zhang hurriedly picked it up, checked it carefully and asked in an anxious tone, ¡°Did it hurt? Are you injured?¡±


    After being picked up by Ling Zhang, the white fox cub curled up in his arms, occupied both of his hands, raised its head and softly cried at him. The cries sounded not as urgent as the previous ones.


    Ling Zhang, no longer in the mood for lunch, carried the white fox cub outside and informed Liu Yi and some others, ¡°Get it something to eat. I think it¡¯s starving.¡±


    Liu Yi and other security guards had become accustomed to feeding the white fox cub. They nodded and spared one of them to prepare fox food.


    At this time, the white fox cub was quietly lying on Ling Zhang¡¯s hands and no longer crying, as if aware that somebody was preparing food for it.


    Relieved, Ling Zhang pulled a wry face and observed, ¡°It¡¯s a short-tempered little guy.¡±


    However, he was still somewhat surprised. In fact, the little fox cub had just had a small meal in the morning. According to the dietary habits it had developed during the past half a month, this was not its usual mealtime. Even if it was really hungry, it wouldn¡¯t behave so anxiously. ¡®Was it because it had grown somewhat and needed an extra meal?¡¯ Ling Zhang wondered.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong, who had left the inn earlier this day to pay a visit to somewhere, returned. Seeing Ling Zhang standing at the doorway with the white fox cub in his arms, he was somewhat surprised. ¡°Why are you standing there? Have you had lunch?¡±


    Heedless of the disagreement they had had in the morning, Ling Zhang told him about the white fox cub¡¯s reaction a while ago.


    Yuwen Tong looked at the white fox cub thoughtfully and commented, ¡°It is said that white foxes are highly intelligent animals.¡±


    Ling Zhang was puzzled. ¡°So they have low tolerance to hunger?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head, entered the room and looked at the meal on the table. Then he took up and sniffed at those dishes one by one while his eyes gazing at the white fox cub.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang was just standing beside the table carrying the white fox cub. Seeing what Yuwen Tong was doing, he immediately understood, a grave expression on his face. The white fox cub, in particular, craned out of his arms and watched Yuwen Tong with vigilant eyes.


    It was noteworthy that the white fox cub tended to give Yuwen Tong the cold shoulder. Never once had it shown such interest in Yuwen Tong¡¯s every move.


    When Yuwen Tong took the chopsticks¡­


    A brittle cry was suddenly heard. The white fox cub warily eyed the chopsticks in Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands, crying in intense anxiety.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face slightly changed. He raised the chopsticks, sniffed at them and eventually put them down.


    Ling Zhang looked at the pair of chopsticks. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything particular, but it¡¯s also possible that the strong smell of these dishes is concealing that of whatever on the chopsticks.¡±


    After saying this, he raised his voice telling Wang Dashan to get Xie Shi.


    Wang Dashan standing at the doorway had seen what was going on inside the room. In the knowledge that this was a serious matter, he immediately left and brought Xie Shi to the room.


    Xie Shi walked inside and was informed of what had happened. He took the chopsticks away and, after the duration of drinking a pot of tea(approximately 10 minutes), returned and told them in a grave tone of voice, ¡°There¡¯s poison on the chopsticks. It¡¯s colorless, odorless and was applied to the chopsticks and then dried, which was why Childe Ling failed to detect it. This poison has a very high level of toxicity and takes immediate effect after coming into contact with anyone¡¯s throat. Someone did this to the chopsticks with the intention of killing Childe Ling.¡±


    With a deep frown on his face, Ling Zhang held the white fox cub tighter. If it weren¡¯t for this little fox, he would have been dead for quite some time.


    His security guards always checked the food before delivering it to him, and of course they checked the chopsticks as well, but even Yao Yi might not be able to detect a poison of this kind, not to mention these security guards. Only Xie Shi, who was well acquainted with detoxication, was capable of detecting its presence.


    ¡°Find out who did this!¡± Yuwen Tong had an icy look on his face, an intense aura of thinly disguised murderousness about him.


    His bodyguards quickly took action and soon ascertained whose hands the chopsticks had gone through, and then who applied the poison. It was a waiter of the inn, but¡­


    That man had died after taking poison, which was the same as the kind of poison found on the chopsticks.


    Yuwen Tong was angry, unprecedentedly angry, and his anger soon affected the whole city.


    The inquiry started from the waiters of the inn. His bodyguards managed to get a lot of key information within two hours.


    Their checking into this inn had not been scheduled in advance. Yuwen Tong never told anybody beforehand where he would be staying. He always informed his bodyguards of which inn they would check into for accommodations shortly before check-in.


    Either someone had been waiting in the city for them to walk into the trap, or there were moles in the group.


    This time, it was ascertained that a stranger had made contact with the waiter in the morning.


    With clues provided by other waiters of the inn, the bodyguards started a citywide inquiry into this incident.


    The culprit definitely wouldn¡¯t leave so soon, since he or she had to confirm whether or not Ling Zhang had been poisoned.


    This gave the bodyguards enough time to identify that person!


    When the man was found, Yao Yi unhesitatingly dislocated his lower jaw lest he bite through a wax ball with poison inside to commit suicide like the assassin disguised as a palace guard had done.


    All of them were aware that Yuwen Tong had really been angered this time, so they didn¡¯t dare to waste any time, directly inflicted torture on the man and had him disclose who the mastermind was.


    ¡°It was Peng Fang working for the Ministry of Works. Marshal, Peng Fang used to serve the Sixth Prince. After the Sixth Prince was put under house arrest, he had switched his allegiance to the Third Prince,¡± reported Yao Yi. News they received from the capital city had been getting more and more detailed as they got closer to the capital city. Yue Qi had been having intelligence reports delivered to them from the capital city non-stop.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were as cold as a saber. ¡°Investigate Peng Fang. It must be ascertained whether it was Zhou Mingshen or Zhou Mingyuan that gave the order.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    ¡°Zhang Liu, depart for the capital city right now. Find out everything about Zhou Mingyuan. Not a single omission or mistake of any kind is to be tolerated.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Ling Zhang had been silent all along, not because he was scared but because he had just come to realize that he was faced with far more dangers than he had expected.


    During his talk with Yuwen Tong in the morning, he stated that he had already found out the identities of all those in the capital city who wanted him dead. However, he had forgotten that the mastermind had a lot of stooges. There were so many people who intended to kill him!


    The only thing that made him feel lucky was that he had got this white fox cub, which he had Yao Yi and some others to thank for. If it weren¡¯t for this little fox, he would really have ended up dead in this inn.


    This was also the reason why Yuwen Tong was furious. This incident had happened right under his nose. He had thought that the security arrangements he had made were tight enough, but the enemy still managed to find a loophole.


    ¡°Stop being angry. It¡¯s not you but all of us who are responsible for this omission,¡± Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Let it serve as a warning to us.¡±


    With a sullen face, Yuwen Tong thought for quite a while and then replied, ¡°I understand.¡±


    He was Yuwen Tong, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue, who had numerous men around him protecting him, and who had made it out of mountains of corpses and sea of blood several times. Over the years, he had long ago got accustomed to the conceit resulted from the idea that everything was under his control, which was why he had almost forgotten that some tricks were so dirty and venomous that they were impossible to be defended against effectively!


    And¡­


    Yao Yi slumped to his knees. ¡°I¡¯m guilty! I deserve to be punished, Marshal!¡±


    They had been serving Yuwen Tong from the very beginning and had always been vigilant and discreet, but maybe just like Yuwen Tong who had become unduly conceited, they had made a careless mistake despite the fact that they had been vigilant and discreet for years, which resulted in the present situation.


    After quite a while, Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°You¡¯ll be punished after returning to the capital city. Now go and do what you are supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Ling Zhang frowned, intending to intercede on behalf of Yao Yi and others. He didn¡¯t think this was their fault. Besides, if it weren¡¯t for the white fox cub given to him by Yao Yi and others¡­


    ¡°Only by getting the punishment they deserve will they be able to learn the lesson, lodge it firmly in their minds and save everybody¡¯s life at a crucial moment. There¡¯s no need for you to intercede for them.¡± Yuwen Tong seemed to know what Ling Zhang was thinking about.


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence after hearing these words.


    At this time, Wang Dashan and other security guards were having such a guilty conscience that they could barely forbear from committing suicide to atone for their negligence.


    The food and chopsticks had gone through their hands but they had failed to detect the poison and allowed it to be delivered to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t mete out any punishment to any of them. He merely asked, ¡°Who¡¯s interested in learning detoxication?¡±


    Yao Yi and other bodyguards wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him forever. A group of trained and skilled subordinates of his own would solely be what he could rely on.


    Wang Dashan and other security guards raced each other to state their willingness ¨C


    ¡°Young Master, I want to learn it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested!¡±


    ¡°Me, too!¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Since all of you want to learn it, when Guard Xie is available, I¡¯ll ask him to help test you to find out which one of you has the greatest talent for this. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m partial towards anybody but that I want to use the best material at the key point. When we are in the capital city, you¡¯ll have to learn a lot more other skills apart from the trap-and-kill formation and detoxication skills.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master, all of us understand.¡±


    Naturally, palace guards and Zhang Xi, who were staying in the rooms on the second floor, heard the commotion upstairs and came to Ling Zhang¡¯s room to see. After being informed of what had happened, all of them involuntarily tensed their back muscles.


    Zhao Pingchuan was particularly nervous, fearing that once again any of his subordinates would be found responsible for this incident.


    On hearing that the culprit was an outsider, Zhao Pingchuan breathed a sigh of great relief.


    ¡°Gonggong (Gonggong is a respectful form of address for an old eunuch whose rank is higher than that of common eunuchs), I really wish I could return to the capital city right now,¡± Zhao Pingchuan informed of Zhang Xi.


    Zhang Xi also had a worried expression on his face. ¡°You must be joking, Commander Zhao. Neither of us is calling the shots here. Let¡¯s just hope there will be no more surprises during the next two days.¡±


    Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be able to say for sure that neither of them would be implicated.

 Chapter 162 - A Beautiful "Fairy Maiden"?

    The white fox cub became the star of the group. Not only Ling Zhang but also everybody else came to regard the white fox cub with special esteem, feeling that this was unmistakably a highly intelligent creature!


    Nobody dared to trifle with the white fox cub, neither food-wise nor accommodation-wise. All of them were trying their level best to make sure that the white fox cub enjoyed its life to the full.


    Yuwen Tong had also no longer felt the white fox cub an eyesore, which had been a rare change of attitude, considering what kind of man he was. ¡®It turns out that this little guy could be rather useful at a crucial moment.¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°Your Lordship, we lost contact with our men in the Wu City!¡±


    ¡°How did this happen?!¡±


    In the residence of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, Peng Fang¡¯s face changed drastically with alarm when he was informed that they had lost contact with those dispatched to the Wu City.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid something bad happened. So far, there has been no news about Ling Zhang being poisoned from the Wu City. Your Lordship, what should we do?!¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. Our approach was of extreme covertness. How was it possible that Ling Zhang managed to detect the colorless and odorless poison?!¡± Peng Fang didn¡¯t believe that his plan had failed.


    ¡°But, Your Lordship, there has indeed been no news about Ling Zhang being poisoned from the Wu City so far. We need to think of another plan immediately!¡±


    Ling Zhang had not been poisoned, and they had lost contact with the men dispatched there. Under these circumstances, the only plausible explanation was that their doings had been exposed!


    After anxiously pacing up and down for a few moments, Peng Fang instructed, ¡°Go and inform the Third Prince of this right now. Beseech him to figure out a way.¡±


    His subordinate hesitatingly swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. Seeing this, Peng Fang stared at him and queried, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, we gave the Third Prince a written guarantee promising him that we would get this job done. Now it was botched up. I¡¯m afraid the Third Prince¡­¡±


    With a sullen look on his face, Peng Fang no longer insisted on asking the Third Prince for help. After thinking for quite a while, he remarked, ¡°There are two things I need you to do. First, send someone to the Wu City to make some inquiries. I want to know exactly what happened in the Wu City. Second, I need you to¡­¡±


    Peng Fang lowered his voice and whispered quite some arrangements in the ear of his subordinate, who, after hearing them, inclined his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll do it straight away.¡±


    After his subordinate left, Peng Fang¡¯s face abruptly fell venomous.


    ¡°Even if they¡¯ve really found out, what could they possibly do about it? I can still get away!¡±


    In the Wu City.


    The caravan resumed their journey after a day¡¯s rest. It was just that every one of them was much more vigilant than before.


    They would reach the capital city in merely two days. Those who intended to take action would definitely make another attempt.


    However¡­


    Ling Zhang looked at the veil hat he was wearing, shifted his gaze to the white fox cub in his left arm, and then glanced at his right hand that was being held. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is it really necessary to wear this hat?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a backward glance at him and, with an approving look in his eyes, replied, ¡°It¡¯s better if you keep wearing it, so that nobody will recognize you.¡±


    ¡°Who on earth would be able to recognize me?! Actually it surprises me why you are not wearing a hat, given that we are so close to the capital city now and there are so many people who can recognize you,¡± remarked Ling Zhang in indignation.


    Yuwen Tong stroked the beard that he had stuck to his face. ¡°I¡¯ve got a beard here.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had disguised himself as an upstart master. He was wearing not only sumptuous clothes but also quite some jewelries, and there was a thick beard stuck to his face, which was an image bearing no resemblance to his true appearance. Ling Zhang, who found him somewhat an eyesore, was fairly unwilling to walk side by side with him who insisted they stay hand in hand.


    Compared with Yuwen¡¯s disguise which was offending the eye, this hat indeed seemed to be rather more acceptable.


    However, this white over garment he was wearing was made of very light material. Added to this the veil hat, it was quite difficult for people to tell whether he was a man or a woman. He had already encountered several men whose eyes had appraised his figure and stared at his veil hat.


    And he was carrying a white fox cub in the crook of his arm, too. The white fox cub looking like a ball of fur was napping in the crook of his elbow, which had attracted the attention of numerous passers-by.


    This was giving Ling Zhang headaches. ¡°Are you sure this is the right way to hide our identities?¡±


    ¡®Aren¡¯t we making ourselves more obtrusive?!¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Everything will be fine as long as nobody find out who we really are. Do you not want to walk around and see this place? We¡¯ll never be rid of worry if we travel with the others,¡± observed Yuwen Tong. He was very satisfied with how things were going currently. There was no shadow whatsoever, just the two of them, and they could do whatever they felt like doing!


    ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go to that tavern at the front and get something to eat first.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡®It¡¯s been only a short while since we departed! We haven¡¯t even walked out of the downtown of the Wu City!¡¯


    However, Ling Zhang was still drawn into the tavern by Yuwen Tong. After entering a private room, Ling Zhang, indignant, reached out his hand to take off the veil hat.


    ¡°Yo, wait a moment, darling. You may take it off after the dishes are served. If by any chance anybody else beholds your matchless beauty, I¡¯ll be suffering a great loss.¡±


    Yuwen Tong grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and stopped him.


    It happened that a waiter walked in to deliver the menu. On hearing this, he couldn¡¯t help but gaze at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Withdraw your eyes right now or see them gouged out!¡± Yuwen Tong said, feeling his tone possessive enough.


    Beneath his ferocious gaze, the waiter hurriedly took his eyes off Ling Zhang and didn¡¯t dare to look at him again. After respectfully taking their order, he immediately left.


    However, no sooner had he walked out of the door than he uttered ¡°Bah¡± and murmured that a fresh flower had been stuck in a heap of cow-dung, that the moral degeneration of the world was getting worse day by day and the God was turning a blind eye to it.


    Inside the room, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were sent speechless by his words.


    Originally, Ling Zhang had been rather angry with Yuwen Tong after being addressed as ¡°darling¡±, but on hearing the waiter¡¯s words, his anger instantly dissolved. ¡°He¡¯s referring to you, cow-dung.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile typical of that of a lecher, reached out his hand and pinched Ling Zhang¡¯s chin with the veil between his fingers and Ling Zhang¡¯s skin. ¡°Little flower, you are such a delicate beauty.¡±


    Face full of embarrassment, Ling Zhang abruptly slapped Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand aside. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. You look like a hooligan. Shame on you.¡±


    He had almost forgotten that Yuwen Tong was indeed a hooligan. ¡®It was so stupid of me to have agreed to come out with him bringing no attendants.¡¯


    Soon, the dishes were served. While Yuwen Tong was not paying attention, the waiter, on his way out, contemptuously and disdainfully gave Yuwen Tong a dirty look.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang sitting on the opposite side fell speechless but quite amused.


    The waiter¡¯s jaw would probably sag with shock if anybody informed him that the man he had just scorned was Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Can I take it off now?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Ling Zhang rolled his eyes, took off the veil hat and put it aside.


    Then he placed the white fox cub on his lap and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to get something to eat for Whitie. We can¡¯t let it suffer from hunger.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at the white fox cub which was comfortably lying on the lap of Ling Zhang. In a somewhat envious tone of voice, he replied, ¡°Just wait for a few moments. I¡¯ll have the tavern-keeper get something for it later.¡±


    In fact, there was some food prepared for the white fox cub right in the traveling bag beside Yuwen Tong, but it was solid food. Since they were not in the wild, Yuwen Tong believed that they should get some fresh food for the white fox cub.


    Ling Zhang gently stroked the white fox cub and said, ¡°Whitie, you seem to have become thinner.¡±


    The white fox cub gave a soft, faint cry.


    Yuwen Tong stared at it for a while and remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s thinner, not that I can tell. It¡¯s right in the period of life when it grows the quickest. And the food we¡¯ve been feeding to it lately is fine and nutritious. It has grown a lot.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ling Zhang was very skeptical.


    Yuwen Tong was reduced to an embarrassed silence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just eat. The dishes are getting cold.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. It was a little early for lunch, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to find another tavern as good as this one to enjoy this kind of high-quality food after leaving downtown area.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Suddenly, a pained cry came from outside, followed by a babble of voices.


    ¡°You damn old man. Are you blind? How dare you bump into me!¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so unreasonable, young man? Clearly it was you who bumped into me ¨Can old man. You not only didn¡¯t apologize but also are being so domineering!¡±


    ¡°This is such a broad road. Why didn¡¯t you walk on the other side of it? If you answer back again, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?! You¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang put down his chopsticks, scooped up the white fox cub, walked up to the window and looked down.


    In the street down below, a lot of people gathered around an old man and a youngster. The old man, who was lying on the ground propping himself up on his hands, seemed to have trouble rising to his feet. The youngster was standing there hurling abuse at the old man.


    Lookers-on around them were pointing and discussing, accusing the young man of being undignified and ignorant, but none of them dared to come to the old man¡¯s help.


    The young man had a couple of attendants behind him and his attire seemed rather sumptuous as well, which indicated that he was probably a childe from some rich family in this city.


    Feeling this unacceptable, Ling Zhang turned around, took a chopstick from the table, shot it downwards and hit the childe squarely on the foot with which he was about to kick the old man. The childe let out an anguished cry. ¡°Ouch! What the hell is this?¡±


    Ling Zhang had already accumulated some internal energy inside him, which had made his strength considerably greater than before, so that shooting chopstick had definitely been quite a heavy blow.


    However, compared with that of Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang¡¯s strength was still not great enough. Had it been Yuwen Tong who had shot that chopstick, it would have gone straight through, if not shattered, the foot bone of the young man.


    Attendants of the childe were instantly on the alert and looked around trying to find out who had attacked their master. One of them saw the chopstick on the ground and informed his companions. With that, all of them twisted their heads around to look at the tavern on the side.


    Yuwen Tong had quickly put the veil hat back onto Ling Zhang¡¯s head, feeling that that good-for-nothing, domineering playboy down there was totally unworthy of laying eyes on Ling Zhang¡¯s looks.


    Originally, Ling Zhang had had a rather cold expression on his face, but after Yuwen Tong did this, he felt somewhat resigned and stared at him.


    People down below soon noticed Ling Zhang standing beside a window, who had a graceful figure and was carrying a little white fox in ¡°her¡± arms. The white veil hanging from the brim of the hat was flying gently in a breeze, making ¡°her¡± seem like a fairy maiden who had descended to the mortal world!


    ¡°A fairy maiden!¡±


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡®What the hell has got into these people?¡¯ he wondered.


    That domineering childe was no longer angry. He leered fixedly at Ling Zhang for a while, then turned around and aimed a kick at the attendant standing behind him. ¡°Wh¨CWhat are you standing there for? Go upstairs right now and invite the fairy maiden down here! All of you!¡±


    The childe had conveniently shown a total disregard for Yuwen Tong who was standing beside Ling Zhang, as if he weren¡¯t there.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darkened. A sulky look appeared in his eyes.


    Before long, a couple of men were thrown out of the tavern one after another, all of whom were attendants of the childe. After landing onto the ground, each of them spat out a mouthful of blood. One of them heavily bumped into the childe, leaving him half dead.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Pained cries escaped from the lips of those men non-stop.


    This sudden change sent a ripple of exclamation through the crowd around the scene. Fear gleaming in their eyes, they tossed a glance at Ling Zhang and then none of them dared to stare at him any more.


    The old man, who had just been raised to his feet from the ground, said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Thank you for your help, kind lady.¡±


    Ling Zhang: ¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± he replied after a while.


    All people on the street were instantly thrown into a stunned silence. ¡®That¡¯s a man?!¡¯


    The childe who had been knocked half dead spat out a mouthful of blood and blacked out.


    All lookers-on cleared off with disappointed faces. ¡°What makes this guy think he needs a veil hat to prevent people from being attracted to him? He must be going soft in the head!¡±


    These people were discussing while leaving and Ling Zhang heard them distinctly. The corner of his mouth involuntarily twitched with awkwardness several times.


    But the old man gave no special reaction. He added, ¡°I was mistaken. Thank you for saving me, Childe. And please forgive me for my incorrect use of form of address just now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize for that, old gentleman. Are you hurt? Maybe you should go and see a physician,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Alas. I¡¯m a quite robust old man. I sustained no injury, but I do feel a little hungry¡­¡± While saying this, the old man looked at Ling Zhang with meaningful eyes.


    Neither of them said anything in the next few moments. Eventually, Ling Zhang responded resignedly, ¡°Please come upstairs, old gentleman.¡±

 Chapter 163 - A Mysterious Old Man

    Chapter 163: A Mysterious Old Man


    The old man went upstairs. Before Ling Zhang could detect anything, Yuwen Tong briefly squinted his eyes.


    ¡°Waiter, another place setting, please,¡± Ling Zhang said to the waiter.


    The waiter had some time ago dismissed his previous thoughts from his mind, including the ¡°a fresh flower sticking in a heap of cow-dung¡± part. Despite the fact that they were a gay couple, that man looking like an upstart master had just now given each of those men a kick sending them flying out of the tavern. ¡®He¡¯s by no means a common person!¡¯ the waiter thought.


    On hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, the waiter repeatedly answered ¡°Yes¡± and quickly left. Soon, he brought another place setting to their table and obsequiously asked, ¡°Would you care for another few courses?¡±


    Ling Zhang tossed a glance at the dishes on the table and replied, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You may leave.¡±


    There were a tableful of courses, which should be more than enough for three men.


    ¡°Please take a seat, old gentleman.¡± Ling Zhang pointed at the seat beside him.


    The presence of an outsider made it inconvenient for him to take off his veil hat, so he decided to just sit here and eat later.


    Yuwen Tong glanced at the old man and asked, ¡°Your internal energy is pretty potent. How did you come to be knocked over by a childe too frail to stand a gust of wind?¡±


    Ling Zhang was taken aback by this remark and immediately looked at the old man.


    Surprisingly, the old man¡¯s countenance remained rather natural. He gave a chuckle, took his chopsticks, picked a piece of food and sent it into his mouth. Chewing, he responded, ¡°He¡¯s just a young man. I was afraid that I might knock him dead if I mobilized my internal energy. I didn¡¯t have the heart.¡±


    ¡°You are such a kind-hearted old gentleman,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Alas. I just couldn¡¯t help it. Soft-heartedness is my only weakness,¡± said the old man. With that, he took another bite of a dish. It seemed that he was really hungry, since he had gulped down a bowl of rice within just a few moments.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang reached out his hand with the intention to refill the old man¡¯s bowl but the old man stopped him and said, ¡°One bowlful is enough for me. Thank you for your kindness, Childe.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sitting on the side observed, ¡°Oral thanks show a lack of sincerity. How about expressing your gratitude with something more practical?¡±


    Ling Zhang remained silent. Though Yuwen Tong¡¯s words somewhat surprised him, he had always believed that Yuwen Tong was not a man who would do things aimlessly.


    Unexpectedly, the old man did not feel Yuwen Tong¡¯s proposal inappropriate to the occasion. After thinking for a moment, he answered, ¡°Actually you are right. I can¡¯t just freeload and walk away without giving anything in return. How about this? I¡¯ve got a secret manual on internal energy here. I¡¯d like to give it to you as a gift, Childe.¡±


    After saying this, he fished a handbook out of his bosom and handed it to Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong intercepted it and was just about to open it when the old man stopped him.


    The old man chuckled, ¡°This is not for you, my friend.¡±


    After a rapid blur of movement, the handbook in Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand suddenly disappeared. Meanwhile, Ling Zhang felt someone stuff something into his hand. He cocked an eye at it and found that it was that handbook.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes slightly changed and he fixed the old man with a stare.


    After handing the handbook to Ling Zhang, the old man remarked, ¡°Childe, you are the only one suitable for the internal energy cultivation method recorded in this secret manual. Please see to it that this manual is taken good care of. Don¡¯t let it fall into the hands of anybody else.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept having this feeling that this old man seemed to have had all this planned out. After thinking for a few moments, he replied, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The old man let out a laugh, looked at Ling Zhang with bright piercing eyes and said, ¡°You stood me a meal, and I but returned the favor. It¡¯s about time I stopped imposing on the two of you. So, until our paths cross.¡±


    With that, he walked out of the private room and closed the door as he left.


    After the old man left, Yuwen Tong remarked slowly, ¡°This man has reached the peak of perfection in both internal energy and lightness skills.¡±


    Holding the handbook, Ling Zhang handed it to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Do you want to check it out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought for a few moments, shook his head and replied, ¡°There must be a reason why he didn¡¯t want me to read it. Keep it yourself.¡±


    Hearing this, Ling Zhang withdrew the handbook and asked, ¡°Was it because you had known he¡¯d got this thing on him that you said those words?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Who do you think I am? A seer? It¡¯s just that the old man was clearly a pretty good kung fu practitioner, yet he acted like a vulnerable victim down there and then specially went upstairs to have a meal. I figured he was definitely up to something, which was why I said that.¡±


    ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯s discernment is indeed greater than mine,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    Ling Zhang took off his veil hat and opened the handbook. He had just taken a glance at it when he froze. And then he was shocked and immediately closed the handbook.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ling Zhang tightened his mouth into a thin line, stuffed the handbook into his bosom, rose from the seat and walked out of the private room. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly walked downstairs to look for the old man only to find that the old man was nowhere to be seen in the street.


    There were only two lines on the first page of the handbook ¨C¡¯A phoenix secluded itself in mountains shall transcend eternity.¡¯


    This old man had shown up not long after his mother¡¯s parentage come to his knowledge. It wouldn¡¯t really be an exaggeration to say that Ling Zhang was shuddering with fear.


    ¡®Exactly why did the old man do this just now? He¡¯s clearly a member of the Millennium Pavilion, but why did he give me a secret manual about internal energy? Didn¡¯t people of the Millennium Pavilion intend to kill my mother? I¡¯m her son. Shouldn¡¯t they want to kill me as well?¡¯


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was in a whirl. He was eager to find that old man and have him answer all these questions.


    He also wanted to know whether or not Ling Zhaowu had really found the Millennium Pavilion, and why he had never returned home¡­


    However, the street was crowded with people, and he was unable to find any traces of the old man no matter how hard he tried.


    In anxiety, he kept walking around on the street aimlessly and fruitlessly.


    Yuwen Tong had already followed him out of the tavern. He held Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°What seems to be the problem? Is there anything wrong with the old man?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head with a heavy heart. He had not yet figured out how to explain this matter to Yuwen Tong, but this old man had already shown up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the tavern.¡±


    He wanted to find out more information about that secret manual on internal energy. Just now he had been too anxious to find the old man and had not had the time to read it carefully.


    Without asking any further questions, Yuwen Tong returned to the tavern with him.


    Seeing the two of them return, the tavern-keeper was somewhat stunned. In a quivering voice, he asked, ¡°My guests, is there anything wrong with the food?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯d like to order another couple of dishes,¡± replied Yuwen Tong. He ordered another few courses and told the waiter to deliver the food to the private room they had been staying in.


    Ling Zhang had barely eaten anything just now.


    They returned to the private room. After all dishes were served, they had the waiter close the door.


    Ling Zhang, bursting with impatience, took off his veil hat and opened the handbook in his hand.


    In the handbook was indeed a mental cultivation method of internal energy, and the handbook also said that this mental method was suitable for descendants of the Phoenix Clan, that they would be able to get twice the result with half the effort and would be almost invincible after achieving perfection of it.


    Ling Zhang was aware that he had her mother¡¯s blood in him. His uncle had also mentioned something about blood of the Phoenix Clan. But he had always thought that this was merely a fabrication, that those foreseers had merely made up this story to consolidate their position in the imperial court. It had never crossed his mind that this was a real thing.


    The mental cultivation method of internal energy recorded in the handbook seemed highly ingenious and profound. Someone had even annotated many paragraphs in detail lest he had trouble comprehending them.


    If this handbook was telling the truth, the current conditions were ideal for him to start cultivating it!


    However, Ling Zhang soon calmed himself down in the knowledge that people of the Millennium Pavilion were not to be trusted for the moment. He decided not to follow this handbook to cultivate internal energy until he confirmed it was safe to do so.


    He believed that Yuwen Tong was, without doubt, the most suitable to help him confirm whether this handbook was problematic or not.


    However, with so many confused thoughts in his mind, he had no idea how to explain this matter to Yuwen Tong.


    Seeing Ling Zhang raise his head to look at him, Yuwen Tong inquired, ¡°Now can you tell me what the matter with the handbook is?¡±


    Ling Zhang put away the handbook and shook his head. ¡°Please give me some more time. This is of great importance. I need to think it through.¡±


    When they had been in Tanyang, there had barely been any occasions when Ling Zhang kept things back from Yuwen Tong. The only thing that he had not yet told Yuwen Tong about was the one that Yuwen Tong had not ascertained to this day.


    Feeling that it was inadvisable to let things stay this way, Yuwen Tong decided to make the first move, so he asked, ¡°Does it have anything to do with the martial formations that your family know about?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in surprise. ¡°Why did you connect it with this?¡±


    ¡°Because no member of Ling family is ever known for mastery of martial formations, not to mention that those martial formations are stunningly ingenious, which will cause an immediate sensation once brought to light,¡± Yuwen Tong responded in a serious tone of voice.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth tightened. After a few moments¡¯ thinking, he said, ¡°Those martial formations have nothing to do with Ling family. You won¡¯t be able to find anything.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle. ¡°I know.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately fixed him with a stare and squinted his eyes. ¡°You held an inquiry into it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong let out a soft cough. ¡°Back at the time when I just moved into the residence of Ling family, I was surprised to see you teach Wang Dashan and others those martial formations, so I sent some men to ascertain it, but they didn¡¯t find anything.¡±


    With a severe look in his eyes, Ling Zhang remarked, ¡°Stop doing that.¡±


    ¡®If by any chance they trace it to the Millennium Pavilion and alarm anyone, things will get very tricky.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know, so stop the inquiry,¡± Ling Zhang informed him.


    He knew Yuwen Tong well. Yuwen Tong was not someone who would easily give up what he started. The more difficult it was to find out, the harder he would try, and it was only a matter of time before he traced this to his mother.


    Seeing the expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°You are afraid? Those martial formations, the thing your uncle told you about and the handbook that the old man just gave you, are they all related?¡±


    Ling Zhang held his forehead with resignation. He had known that he should not give Yuwen Tong a single hint, because this guy was amazingly smart and could find a lot of relations between things with merely the vaguest clue.


    ¡°Yes. So stop the inquiry.¡±


    ¡°The knowledge that you are in some kind of danger unknown to me is unbearable for me,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang sighed. As if his mind was wandering, he said, ¡°So far, I myself have not yet figured out whether or not I¡¯m in danger.¡±


    His uncle had told him that people of the Millennium Pavilion were dangerous, but the old man had just gifted him with a secret manual about a mental cultivation method of internal energy.


    ¡°Then you are indeed in danger,¡± Yuwen Tong said. ¡°You cannot let your guard down if you are not a-hundred-percent sure.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I see. Give me some time to think it through. I¡¯ll make a decision before we enter the capital city.¡±


    People of the Millennium Pavilion had already found him. Nobody knew what was going to happen next. If he kept concealing this from Yuwen Tong, he would end up being reduced to a passive position.


    It was just that he still needed to do some extra thinking so as to find an appropriate way to explain this matter.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Fortunately, Yuwen Tong had trust in him and was willing to wait for him to think it through.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. We¡¯ll leave after this meal.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. Finally, he managed to dismiss those miscellaneous thoughts and started enjoying the food.


    Yuwen Tong went to the tavern-keeper, got something a fox could eat, returned and fed the white fox cub.


    And then the two of them left the Wu City.


    ¡­


    After they left, an old man showed up outside the north city gate of the Wu City, looked in the direction of the capital city, let out a sigh and then headed for the capital city as well.


    Meanwhile, news of what had happened in the Wu City previously had spread back to the capital city. By the time when someone had attempted to poison Ling Zhang, it had come to the knowledge of all citizens in the capital city.


    Everybody had been waiting to see what kind of action Yuwen family would take. However, it had been half a day, yet there had still been no reaction from Yuwen family, as if they were totally unaware of this incident.


    Tao Yi, who had been following the developments all along, angrily jumped up and thundered, ¡°Why are Yuwen family being like this? What is it they¡¯re trying to do?!¡±

 Chapter 164 - Entry into the Capital City and a Confrontation at the City Gate

    While all people in the capital city were focusing their attention on Yuwen family, the caravan from Tanyang finally entered the capital city.


    There had indeed been another assassination attempt halfway to the destination, which, fortunately, had been more alarming than dangerous.


    It was when the caravan was about to reach the capital city that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong showed up. Seeing the two of them return safe, everybody felt a sense of relief.


    ¡°Young Master, has there been any trouble on your way back?¡±


    ¡°Not really. What about you? Did anybody get hurt?¡±


    Ling Zhang scrutinized Wang Dashan and others one by one and observed that Yang Liuzi and a couple of others had injuries on them. ¡°How bad are your wounds? What did the physician say?¡±


    ¡°Just some minor injuries. The physician said that our constitutions were strong and we would soon recover.¡±


    Yang Liuzi and other injured ones embarrassedly scratched their heads. Actually all of them felt that the reason why they had got hurt was because their kung fu skills were not good enough. Yao Yi and his men were all unharmed, which showed a striking contrast that was making the injured ones feel rather awkward.


    ¡°Young Master, we are useless.¡±


    With a solemn expression on his face, Ling Zhang informed Yang Liuzi and a couple of others, ¡°None of you are useless if you tried your best. Don¡¯t belittle yourselves. If you really feel that your kung fu skills are far from good enough to qualify your for your jobs, put more efforts into practice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    Ling Zhang began to consider whether he should hire a master of kung fu to train his security guards after he settled down in the capital city. They had been staying with Yao Yi and other bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s all the time these days, and sometimes even an outsider could tell from the look in their eyes how much they admired their kung fu skills.


    ¡­


    ¡°The residence has already been cleaned. It¡¯s big enough and not far away from Yuwen family, and there¡¯s a spacious drill ground, too. Originally, I had wanted to make it more tasteful and elegant, but given that it would be inconvenient for guards to keep the residence under surveillance, I changed my mind and merely planted some bamboo along the yard wall of your courtyard house. There is also a garden in front of the drill ground.¡±


    Yuwen Tong handed Ling Zhang the title deed of the residence that he had purchased for Ling Zhang in the capital city.


    Ling Zhang put the title deed away and said, ¡°I see.¡±


    With the residence ready, he could soon fall to making necessary arrangements.


    Before long, the caravan reached the outside of the capital city. There were a lot of people who had come to meet them. Among them, all men were wearing robes and their ranks seemed to be fairly high. The most obtrusive one of all was a female, who was sitting in a horse-drawn carriage. The carriage was unique and very luxurious. Unlike common carriages which usually focused on providing shelter from wind, this carriage had no carriage boards, only four bearing posts, a ceiling and layers of curtain hangings made of gauze which was fluttering in breezes. People of the caravan could smell wafts of perfume carried over by the breezes as well.


    Most importantly, there were a lot of palace guards standing at attention behind this horse-drawn carriage and also some eunuchs and court maids in front of it. Only an member of the imperial family was eligible to own retinue of this kind. ¡®Is she a princess? The Ninth Princess has gone to the Zhaohua Temple. The Eighth Princess is betrothed and it¡¯s very unlikely that the emperor has sent her here to welcome Yuwen Tong. And the Tenth Princess has mental retardation. So exactly who is this one? It would be somewhat ridiculous if a young princess comes here to meet Yuwen Tong,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    Apart from the owner of this sumptuous horse-drawn carriage, there was also a young man wearing a gold hat and a robe with the pattern of a four-clawed golden dragon on it. Though well-featured, this young man had a piercing and somewhat sinister look in his eyes. He not only didn¡¯t seem cordial but also sent chills down the spines of people who laid eyes on him. Though unaware of specifically which prince this young man was, Ling Zhang could tell with half an eye that he was a member of the imperial family.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong got out of their horse-drawn carriage together. Seeing this, those people waiting for them came up to them. Even the female in that luxurious carriage got out of her carriage. It was just that she was wearing a veil. Though unable to see her features clearly, Ling Zhang could distinguish the elegant contours of her face. Clothed in rich floor-length attire, she was looking at Yuwen Tong with her sparkling, liquid eyes.


    ¡°Welcome back to the capital city, Marshal. We¡¯ve been eagerly anticipating your return for quite a few days. Finally, you¡¯ve come back,¡± observed the young man in a luxurious robe with the pattern of a four-clawed golden dragon on it, who was the first one to greet them.


    Yuwen Tong made a bow with his hands folded in front. ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, King Duan.¡±


    As the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue, Yuwen Tong had been granted the privilege of merely making a bow instead of kneeling down when having an audience with a member of the imperial family.


    Ling Zhang, along with all others who didn¡¯t enjoy such privilege, had to kneel down to pay his respect.


    However, the King Duan, or the Third Prince, whose full name was Zhou Mingyuan, had probably been the one who had ordered Peng Fang to poison him. Ling Zhang lowered his eyes to conceal the coldness in them.


    Zhou Mingyuan glanced at Yuwen Tong and then looked at Ling Zhang. With a smile on his face, he raised Ling Zhang to his feet and said, ¡°This must be Childe Ling, I suppose? You are indeed of striking appearance and great presence. It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®Knowing a person by repute is not as good as seeing him in the flesh.''¡±


    Zhou Mingyuan held Ling Zhang¡¯s arms in a vise-like grip, using great strength. Ling Zhang secretly frowned, but the look on his face was very calm. In composure, he replied, ¡°Thank you, King Duan.¡±


    Yuwen Tong turned his head aside and stared at Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s hands, a somewhat cold expression in his eyes.


    Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s face briefly froze and with that he released his grip and said, ¡°Are you jealous, Marshal? I was just raising Childe Ling to his feet, but the look in your eyes makes me feel that you are going to eat me alive. Oh, Marshal, I never expected that you would end up in this kind of situation as well.¡±


    All officials standing behind the prince dissolved into polite laughter.


    But Ling Zhang felt an urge to hurl abuse at Zhou Mingyuan. ¡®Bullshit!¡¯


    ¡°Brother, you scared Childe Ling. Childe Ling, why don¡¯t you come here and stay with me? Don¡¯t lower yourself to the same level as men.¡± A gentle and lovely female voice suddenly chipped in.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes briefly went cold. Seeing Yuwen Tong was about to flare up, he raised his hand and stopped Yuwen Tong, then said to that female, ¡°May I ask who this lady of noble presence is? It must be that your veil blurs your vision, or the sound of wind hinders you from hearing clearly. As a man with a fair sense of decency, I think it¡¯s advisable for me to just stay where I am lest I stain your reputation. If I keep you company today, people will think differently of you and your chance of finding a husband might be compromised, for which I will be held responsible.¡±


    A hush descended over the crowd. Many people looked at Ling Zhang in shock. It had never crossed their minds that Ling Zhang would dare to directly answer the female back.


    Saying that her veil blurred her vision was no different from saying that she had poor eyesight, and was almost synonymous with saying that she was blind. Likewise, saying that the wind hindered her from hearing clearly was no different from saying that she had poor hearing, and was almost synonymous with saying that she was deaf. Eventually, he had even spitefully implied that she might not be able to find a husband¡­


    ¡°Outrageous! You are but a commoner. How dare you talk to our princess like that! On your knees and admit your guilt!¡±


    A brittle voice of a eunuch was heard. A fair-skinned beardless eunuch standing beside that female pointed at Ling Zhang and reprimanded him angrily.


    ¡°Each and every single word of mine was sincere and honest. I have no idea which one of them was offensive to Your Highness. Since Your Highness is so unhappy, I¡¯ll have no alternative but to kneel down and apologize. Yuwen Tong, it seems that coming to the capital city with you was a bad idea. I haven¡¯t even walked through the city gate yet, but I¡¯ve already offended a member of the imperial family. I¡¯m afraid my life will be a disaster if I stay in the capital city, which will make our marriage pointless. Whatever¡­ it seems that this fancy military rank of yours, ¡®Marshal¡¯, is no big deal. You fooled me into believing that you were a high-ranking official. Shame on you. After I kneel down and apologize, I¡¯ll go back to Tanyang where life will be easier for me.¡±


    All people present were stunned by his words.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I apologize to you,¡± Yuwen Tong gently said to Ling Zhang in a low voice after turning around. ¡°Please stop being angry.¡±


    Then he twisted around, a much colder look on his face, and said to the female, ¡°Your Highness, Ling Zhang is new to this place and has little acquaintance with the rules here. Please excuse him for his offensive words. If it really bothers Your Highness, I¡¯ll kneel down and make an apology to you for his impertinence right now.¡±


    After saying this, he twitched aside the lower front part of his robe and was about to kneel down.


    ¡°Marshal!¡±


    Yao Yi and other bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s cried out in alarm at the same time.


    Faces of all officials present also instantly changed.


    King Duan hurriedly stopped Yuwen Tong. ¡°No, no. Please don¡¯t, Marshal. My sister was just joking.¡±


    The Ninth Princess, whose face was behind the veil, remarked in a quivering voice, ¡°My brother is right. I was just kidding Childe Ling. It was all this flunkey¡¯s fault. He made such a fuss about it and caused this misunderstanding. Guards, teach him a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The sound of someone¡¯s face being slapped was heard repeatedly. The eunuch who had pointed at and rebuked Ling Zhang just now was punished. Soon his mouth became bloody.


    King Duan winked at those standing behind him and with that someone among the crowd of officials walked forward and said, ¡°Marshal must be tired after such a long journey. How about you go back to the city and have some rest? His Majesty is going to give a reception to welcome you back in the Taiqing Palace tonight. His Majesty has been eagerly anticipating your return all along. Our country owe you the complete victory of this war against the Wan Kingdom. Now they¡¯ve come here to sue for peace with their tails between their legs, which gladdens the hearts of all of us!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal. We¡¯ve been looking forward to hearing you talk about how you inflicted a crushing defeat on the armies of the Wan Kingdom at the welcome banquet tonight. I¡¯m sure your story will satisfy the craving of all people like me who didn¡¯t have the chance to fight on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°What do you say, Marshal? I think Childe Ling must be weary as well,¡± King Duan said with a smile.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll follow King Duan¡¯s suggestion.¡±


    On hearing this, King Duan dissolved into laugh. ¡°Great. Then let¡¯s return.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head and then turned around to ask Ling Zhang, ¡°Are you still mad?¡±


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. ¡°Was I ever? You are indeed plausible enough to talk white into black.¡±


    Yuwen Tong immediately responded, ¡°It was me who misunderstood. Let me guide you onto the carriage.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I can manage it with my own hands and legs. There¡¯s no need for you to go to such bother.¡±


    However, Yuwen Tong still carefully helped Ling Zhang get onto the carriage. It was not until the curtain was let down that he heaved a sigh of relief. Then he turned around with the lukewarm face he had had a moment ago and said to King Duan, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, King Duan. After you.¡±


    With a brief and slight change of the look in his eyes, King Duan smiled, ¡°This way, please.¡±


    Those officials exchanged glances with each other and then all of them unnoticeably stole a glance at the horse-drawn carriage of Ling Zhang.


    The caravan departed once again. This time, with the attendants of King Duan and those officials of all ranks and descriptions joining them, the column seemed even longer and mightier.


    When they were leaving, the slap could still be heard. That eunuch was disregarded just like this, along with the Ninth Princess. She was so angry that she kept twisting the handkerchief in her hands with great strength, clenching her teeth so hard that they almost broke. The expression on her face was terrifyingly cold as well, leaving all court maids and eunuchs too afraid to raise their heads to look at her.


    Ling Zhang, who was sitting in the horse-drawn carriage leaning against the inside of the carriage, also didn¡¯t seem as tough as he had appeared to be a moment ago, his face sullen.


    ¡®The Ninth Princess was supposed to be in the Zhaohua Temple, yet she specially came back here. What¡¯s she thinking? That all assassins are dead and unable to rat her out?


    And the King Duan¡­


    This is so fucking coincidental. One of them tried to have me assassinated, and the other one tried to have me poisoned. Both of them came here to welcome Yuwen Tong.


    It¡¯s just that the King Duan is smarter than the Ninth Princess. Just now his pretence was excellent. Who could have guessed what he had done behind the scenes?


    This is what members of the imperial family are like.


    In the capital city, Yuwen Tong is the only one I can rely on. No matter in terms of attitudes or otherwise, I must keep up my own pretence.


    Fortunately Yuwen Tong was sophisticated enough to take the hint just now or else I would really have to return to Tanyang!¡¯

 Chapter 165 - The Marshal Doesnt Really Care?

    News of what had happened at the city gate, like a gust of wind, soon spread through the whole capital city. The caravan had not reached the residence of Yuwen family yet, but all people of Yuwen family had already heard about it.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face was terrifyingly sepulchral. The servant who had just delivered the message was so nervous that he was involuntarily trying to keep his breathing shallow.


    With a frown on her face, Zheng shi, worriedly twisting her handkerchief, said, ¡°Master, that Ling Zhang guy is so arrogant and domineering. If we really allow him to marry into this family, he will no doubt make our life unbearable.¡±


    Yuwen Qi remarked indignantly, ¡°He¡¯s such a tough bastard. How did he come to survive the journey?!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. He¡¯s in the capital city now. The very thought of having to face such a male courtesan every day makes me feel sick,¡± Zheng shi said in disgust.


    Then she added, ¡°Master, you need to figure something out. Surely you won¡¯t just stand by and let it be? My niece is a thousand times, if not ten thousand times, better than that Ling Zhang guy. Anyway, if that Ling Zhang guy really marries into this family, I¡¯ll go back to live with my parents. On no account will I stay here letting him bully me.¡±


    ¡°Mother, this is Yuwen family, and you are the mistress. Who is he to have you make way for him?¡± observed Yuwen Qi in displeasure.


    Zheng shi winked at him, signaling him to keep quiet. Then she continued her talk with Yuwen Zhi. ¡°Master, Yuwen family used to be home to so many martyrs who died honorable deaths for our country. Surely you won¡¯t let a male courtesan ruin the reputation of this family, will you?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi replied in a flinty tone of voice, ¡°Enough.¡±


    But Zheng shi persisted with her efforts. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for the sake of our family. Currently, our family enjoys very high prestige among all people in this city, but once we allow that male courtesan to marry into this family, we¡¯ll instantly end up becoming a laughing stock of them!¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, Mother,¡± another man suddenly said, who had been sitting quietly in a right-hand seat all along. ¡°You are dramatizing things.¡±


    When faced with Yuwen Qi, Zheng shi was able to hush him, but when faced with this person, Zheng shi didn¡¯t dare to do the same thing.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, surely you also disagree with letting that male courtesan marry into our family, don¡¯t you?¡± Zheng shi asked worriedly.


    Yuwen Feng was the eldest son of Yuwen Zhi, whom servants of Yuwen family usually addressed as ¡°First Young Master¡±. He was now working in the Ministry of Rites. What was quite coincidental was that he was the current Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites.


    Both Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi were natural sons of Zheng shi, but Yuwen Qi was arrogant and domineering, while Yuwen Feng was usually poised, calm and very discreet.


    In Yuwen family, except for Yuwen Zhi, Yuwen Feng was the one held in the greatest awe by servants.


    ¡°Mother, you are the Second Mistress of Yuwen family, a woman of high status who are not supposed to utter words like ¡®male courtesan¡¯ without thinking twice first. People might look down upon our family because of this.¡± Yuwen Feng even dared to lecture his own mother.


    Surprisingly, Zheng shi was afraid to contradict. ¡°I¨CI said that because I¡¯m in my own house with no outsider present.¡±


    ¡°A ready tongue is an evil. We need to be cautious with our words and actions at all times.¡± Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t fall for his mother¡¯s excuse.


    Yuwen Qi went impatient and felt an urge to contradict his brother but hesitated. Evidently, he was somewhat afraid of him. Eventually, he merely gave a frown.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t met this person named Ling Zhang yet, so don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Indeed, what he did at the city gate today seemed rather arrogant, but he successfully established his authority and made it distinctly known to everybody how much my cousin cared about him. Actually Ling Zhang is not the one we should be afraid of. He knows very well that my cousin is the key to everything. No matter what kind of man he really is, by no means is he someone to be taken lightly,¡± commented Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face was still cold and sullen, but he gradually calmed down while hearing Yuwen Feng¡¯s words.


    ¡°My cousin and the team will soon arrive. We¡¯d better try not to anger him. Now let¡¯s go outside to welcome him.¡±


    Yuwen Qi responded contemptuously, ¡°I¡¯m not going, not when that Ling Zhang guy is among them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Feng¡¯er. You really think we should go outside to welcome that man? Your father and I are elders, even to your cousin,¡± said Zheng shi.


    Yuwen Feng shook his head, rose to his feet and said, ¡°These words of yours were unthoughtful, Mother. It¡¯s true that you are an elder to him, but he¡¯s the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue. Even His Majesty has to send the King Duan to welcome him. Surely you won¡¯t think your status is even higher than that of the King Duan, do you? If this comes to the knowledge of any outsiders, they will only say that we are undisciplined and unobservant.¡±


    A vexed look appeared on Zheng shi¡¯s face. Though her eldest son was telling the truth, she still felt his words quite displeasing.


    ¡°Master¨C¡± She twisted her head aside and looked at her husband with the intention to ask him for support.


    Unexpectedly, Yuwen Zhi rose from his seat, as if ready to go outside to welcome the group, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zheng shi clenched her teeth. Though bitterly unconvinced, she had no alternative but to stand up and follow in her husband¡¯s wake.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the imperial palace to have an audience with the emperor first. You may go to your house first. I¡¯ve already sent Yue Qi there in advance. He¡¯s familiar with that area. If you need any help, just talk to him. I¡¯ll go there to see you after finishing the business in the imperial palace,¡± Yuwen Tong informed Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°I don¡¯t have to visit the residence of Yuwen family first?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face went cold. ¡°That can wait. Just go to your own place. Tomorrow I¡¯ll take you to visit my uncle. And then we¡¯ll go to the residence of Yuwen family.¡±


    Originally, he had wanted to convince Ling Zhang to live in the residence of Yuwen family, but after so many terrible things happened during the journey, people of the secondary Yuwen family, who were headed by his second uncle, couldn¡¯t even be bothered to state their stand, so he decided to show a tit-for-tat disregard for their feelings.


    After thinking for a while, Ling Zhang responded, ¡°All right. Then I¡¯ll go back to my own residence first. You should be careful. His Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Originally, the King Duan had been walking side by side with Yuwen Tong, but Yuwen Tong had suddenly slowed down and gone to the horse-drawn carriage to talk with the one inside about something.


    A thoughtful look flashed across the eyes of the King Duan. With that, he flicked a glance at the horse-drawn carriage and soon took his eyes off it.


    When they reached a fork, the King Duan and others watched as all people of Ling family and half of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards left the columns and turned into a branch.


    ¡°Marshal, where is Childe Ling going? That road does not lead to the residence of Yuwen family,¡± the King Duan couldn¡¯t help but said in surprise.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Ling family have their own residence in the capital city.¡±


    ¡®Really? Why is this my first time hearing this?!¡¯ the King Duan wondered in astonishment.


    Even those officials behind him were amazed. ¡®When did Ling family purchase a residence in the capital city?¡¯


    ¡°King Duan, how about we go into the imperial palace together?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    The King Duan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You want to seek an audience with my father?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Exactly. Naturally the first thing I should do after returning to the capital city is visit His Majesty to pay my respects. I¡¯m his servant and this is part of my obligation.¡±


    The King Duan dissolved into laugh. ¡°You are just as courteous as always, Marshal. All right. I¡¯ll go to the imperial palace with you right now.¡±


    Thus, news of this reached the ears of Yuwen Zhi and some others who had been waiting at the front gate.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face instantly went cold once again.


    Yuwen Qi immediately said, ¡°I told you so. There¡¯s no need whatsoever for us to welcome him. Now this whole thing has become a big joke.¡±


    Yuwen Feng flicked him a disapproving glance.


    Zheng shi had never wanted to come. Feeling that she had been humiliated, said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back right now.¡±


    Yuwen Qi immediately guided her towards the inside of the residence and observed, ¡°It was all elder brother¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for his insistence on us coming here, we would never have ended up becoming a laughing stock.¡±


    Yuwen Feng, who was following in their wake, heard these words but his face remained unchanged. What worried him was that Yuwen Tong had not chosen to return home first. The only plausible explanation for this was that Yuwen Tong was angry. It seemed that he had been angered by Yuwen family¡¯s turning a blind eye to the fact that someone had resorted to assassination and poison to have Ling Zhang killed.


    Yuwen Feng halted and said to Yuwen Zhi, ¡°Father, I¡¯d like to have a talk with you in the study.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi inclined his head and then headed for the study with his eldest son.


    Seeing this, Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were rather upset, feeling that they were keeping something back from them.


    In a quite unhappy tone, Yuwen Qi commented, ¡°Elder brother is always like this. He regards us as fools.¡±


    His mother neither rebuked him nor agreed with him.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, news of Ling Zhang¡¯s going to another residence instead of Yuwen family soon spread through the whole capital city.


    ¡°This is so surprising ¨CYuwen Tong didn¡¯t take him to pay a formal visit to his elders. What¡¯s this supposed to mean exactly? This is not really the way to show that he values his betrothed.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Is it because Yuwen Tong actually does not think as highly of that Ling Zhang guy as he appeared to at the city gate?¡±


    Soon all kinds of rumors started circulating, most of which had it that Ling Zhang didn¡¯t mean much to Yuwen Tong.


    The Ninth Princess also heard the news.


    ¡°Your Highness, it seems that the Marshal doesn¡¯t really value Ling Zhang that much. What happened at the city gate was merely because that Ling Zhang guy was too plausible. The Marshal fell prey to his instigation and mistakenly believed that someone was trying to make him lose face, which was why he acted like that,¡± said a handmaid of the Ninth Princess.


    The Ninth Princess removed her veil revealing her elegant and well-featured face. With a sarcastic expression in her eyes, she replied, ¡°Of course I know. He¡¯s but a man knowing nothing about being tender and gentle, yet he intends to compete with women for the heart of a man. This is ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, the Marshal has entered the imperial palace. Should we go there right away? You may spend more time with the Marshal. In the palace, you don¡¯t have to wear the veil. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. The Marshal will be transfixed with shock when he lays eyes on your beauty,¡± the handmaid added.


    With a smug expression on her face, the Ninth Princess said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should be quick.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡­


    Wheels of the horse-drawn carriage kept rolling forward with a continuous purr. After traveling and looking for quite some time in the large capital city, Ling Zhang finally found the messuage that Yuwen Tong had purchased.


    There were a lot of citizens following in their wake. Originally, these people had been following Yuwen Tong. When they had seen the carriage of Ling family take a turn, they changed their direction out of curiosity.


    Yao Yi flicked a glance at those people and, in a somewhat resigned tone of voice, said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Childe Ling. Those residents follow the Marshal every time he returns to the capital city. Now you are also quite a celebrity, so they followed you here.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°Please spare me the embarrassment. I¡¯m well aware of what kind of reputation I have.¡±


    At this moment, Yue Qi, who had been waiting at the doorway of the residence, walked up to the horse-drawn carriage with some others.


    After Ling Zhang got out of the carriage, Yue Qi and others made a bow with hands folded in front. ¡°Your humble subordinate Yue Qi, along with ten bodyguards, respectfully welcome you to your residence, Childe.¡±


    Ling Zhang had heard Yue Qi¡¯s name several times, but this was the first time he saw Yue Qi in the flesh.


    ¡°Your reputation precedes you, Guard Yue.¡±


    Yue Qi was slightly surprised. As he saw the amiable smile on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but embarrassedly gave a smile. ¡°You have a fair sense of humor, Childe. I¡¯m but a boor.¡±


    Ling Zhang observed, ¡°You are by no means a boor. Quite the opposite, you have a wide range of capabilities, all of which I¡¯ve been fully informed. And I owe you a debt of gratitude for your work in this residential compound. You gave me a place of my own the first day after I arrived in this city.¡±


    Having never expected that Ling Zhang was such a courteous man, Yue Qi and others were somewhat pleasantly surprised. All of them replied, ¡°You are too kind, Childe.¡±


    ¡°Childe, please allow us to lead you into the residence. You must be tired and could use some rest.¡±


    ¡°Childe, may I take the liberty of helping you carry your baggage?¡±


    All bodyguards looked at Ling Zhang, curiosity gleaming in their eyes.


    Ling Zhang gave a soft cough and replied, ¡°I¡¯m obliged to you for your help.¡±

 Chapter 166 - Uninterested

    After sparing a couple of men to help carry the baggage, Yue Qi and other bodyguards got acquainted with Wang Dashan and his men as well as Xia Feng and a couple of supervisors. Then they showed Ling Zhang around the residence.


    Just like Yuwen Tong had told him, this residence covered a vast area. After walking through the front door, he was greeted by a spacious and quite imposing front yard. On the right side of the yard was the first row of houses, among which there was a generously and ingeniously furnished reception hall.


    On each of the two sides of the first row of houses was a corridor, and there was broad open space, too. Behind these houses was an altogether different world all its own, which was two even three times the area of the front yard. This was a garden. Ling Zhang believed it was probably the one Yuwen Tong had mentioned. There were two-story buildings with attic on both sides of the garden, the furnishings of which had their own respective characteristics.


    Further ahead was a lake, where lotuses had been planted. Currently, the whole surface of the lake was covered in lotus leaves. Behind the lake was a large drill ground. An ingenious part of the layout of the garden was that there were rockeries, pavilions and platforms in the garden, which meant that people were not able to see the drill ground from the other side, so the concealment of this drill ground was satisfactory. Beside the drill ground were small courtyards and rows of living quarters for security guards.


    Amid those living quarters was an exquisite main courtyard house that had been prepared for Ling Zhang. All furnishings and arrangements inside it had cost a lot of money and efforts. The more of the abode Ling Zhang saw, the fonder of it he grew.


    Apart from these, there were also a couple of other courtyard houses, which were reserved for people of Ling family who might come to the capital city some day.


    All necessary facilities were readily available, such as the kitchen, living quarters for servants, utility rooms, stables etc.


    In a word, Ling Zhang was very satisfied with this residential compound.


    Yue Qi and others had already had the whole compound thoroughly cleaned. All furniture and daily essentials were new.


    The management of messing arrangements had not started yet. Since Ling Zhang and his men had arrived, chefs and other servants working in the kitchen would prepare the first meal after all baggage was properly handled.


    They had moved into this place in a haste, so Ling Zhang decided to make it simple.


    First they set off firecrackers at the front door. Then a wooden board engraved with the name of Ling family was hung on top of the door. After that servants in the kitchen made a fire in the stove.


    When it came to the first meal in a residence, chefs were well acquainted with related customs. After going through a series of ceremonies and making quite some auspicious remarks, everybody took a seat around the tables, waiting for food to be served.


    Having just finished such a long and weary journey, all of them were satiated by the feast. Chefs were still busy preparing all kinds of food in the kitchen and probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get any spare time until the next day.


    After the meal, they drank some wine.


    Wang Dashan and other security guards had some time ago started chatting and messing around with Yao Yi and his men, their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, which was an uproarious and frivolous scene.


    Yue Qi and other bodyguards, holding their fellows they had not seen for quite a long time, sighed in sentiment, ¡°It¡¯s been really difficult for us to find a place like this to let off steam since we returned to the capital city. We had to behave very cautiously in the abode of the Marshal and never got to relax in this way. It seems that life in the north-west is the most comfortable.¡±


    Qiu Bing instantly craned over. ¡°Bro, you get to drink and mess around like this in the encampment?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why shouldn¡¯t we? But we have to get the Marshal¡¯s consent first. There are a great number of men in the encampment, and it¡¯s quite a scene when all of them start having fun. This is nothing compared to that,¡± said Yue Qi.


    Once a conversation was stuck up, these bodyguards who seemed to be cold and unapproachable in ordinary times seemed unable to stop talking, but Wang Dashan and others happened to like this kind of stories. All of them gathered around listening carefully.


    Even Xia Feng, Wang Qing and Li Sicai couldn¡¯t help but walked up to them.


    Ling Zhang himself also failed to forbear from becoming one of the listeners. He lay down on the side with the white fox cub in his arms, listening to their aimless chat. It had been such a long travel, and he had been haunted with fear during the past few days. Now he could finally relax safe.


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply and stroked the white fox cub. On this occasion, he had completely forgotten about Yuwen Tong. Not only he but also all others in this room had put the existence of the Marshal on the shelves at the back of their minds. ¡®The Marshal? What¡¯s that? Is it edible?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s much more fun to drink and chat with brothers.¡¯


    After all of them got tired from talking and drank enough liquor, servants brought them sweet dumplings from the kitchen, which excited exclamation of all bodyguards.


    ¡°Oh, I miss this. We¡¯d been eating solid food all along when you were in Tanyang. The very thought of it makes me sympathize with myself!¡± yelled Yue Qi.


    As Ling Zhang heard this, his heart involuntarily ached for them, but he also could barely forbear from laughing.


    Yao Yi rolled his eyes, nudged Yue Qi and said, ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you guys had been sneaking outside to buy food?¡±


    ¡°But we couldn¡¯t do that often, and we couldn¡¯t afford to be spotted either. It was really difficult!¡± Yue Qi¡¯s voice was still tearful.


    Seeing a tough hombre behaving like this, Ling Zhang nearly laughed to death.


    Yao Yi simply kicked him on the hip and said,  ¡°Beat it. Find yourself somewhere else to weep. You are ruining my appetite.¡±


    Yue Qi accused him of caring little about brotherhood. Yao Yi rolled his eyes and butted Yue Qi with the back of his head.


    Yue Qi looked around and directly walked up to Ling Zhang. He sat down on a short stool beside the deck chair, looked at Ling Zhang and the white fox cub in his arms and said, ¡°Childe, where did you get this white fox cub? It¡¯s pretty good-looking.¡±


    Ling Zhang almost dissolved into laugh as he saw him. ¡°Yao Yi and some others gave it to me as a gift.¡±


    Yue Qi widened his eyes. ¡°What? Those boors sent you a gift? It seems that they¡¯ve developed some cunning. They didn¡¯t use to be like this!¡±


    After saying that, he added, ¡°Childe, if there are any other animals you like, just tell me. I¡¯ll deliver them to you tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang forbore to laugh. ¡°Not really. The company of this white fox cub is enough for me. You¡¯ve already done me too many favors, Guard Yue.¡±


    Yue Qi gave a wave of his hand. ¡°Hey, you are being too courteous, Childe. There¡¯s no need to address me as ¡®Guard Yue¡¯. We¡¯ve drunk wine together and that means something. Just call me Old Yue.¡±


    He had just finished his sentence when Xie Shi aimed a kick at him and said, ¡°Stop such undisciplined behavior. The Marshal will kick your ass if this comes to his knowledge.¡±


    ¡°The Marshal?¡± Yue Qi was confused. After quite a while, he recalled who this person was, smacked his palm onto his chest and replied, ¡°The Marshal won¡¯t find out, not if you and I don¡¯t tell him.¡±


    He openly expressed his intention to keep this back from his superior. It seemed that he was somewhat drunk.


    Xie Shi¡¯s temples involuntarily twitched. He disregarded this drunkard and said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Childe, please just ignore him. This is typically him. He talks nonsense when drunk.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m pretty comfortable with him behaving this way. Actually I feel a little embarrassed when you guys are being polite to me.¡±


    Xie Shi gave a smile, picked up a sweet dumpling with his chopsticks, swallowed it and then continued, ¡°Childe, is there anybody you¡¯d like to visit in the capital city? If there is, we¡¯ll deliver a visitor¡¯s card to their place for you tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a few moments and replied, ¡°There¡¯s indeed a particular person. Those gifts I brought here for Lord Tao have to be delivered to two different places, so I do need to send them visitor¡¯s cards first. I¡¯ll get the cards ready later.¡±


    Xie Shi inclined his head. ¡°All right.¡±


    After saying this, he kicked Yue Qi off the stool and sat down on it himself.


    Yue Qi who got kicked was in a daze. After quite a while, he realized what had happened and came at Xie Shi.


    Seeing them roughhousing, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help smiling. The white fox cub in his arms gave a soft cry and watched Yue Qi and Xie Shi playfully fighting, amusement gleaming in its sparkling black eyes.


    Ling Zhang had thought that he would feel very uncomfortable during the first few days after his arrival in the capital city when he was unaccustomed to it. However, with the company of this group of men, he didn¡¯t feel lonely any more.


    Xie Shi and Yue Qi, after roughhousing for a while, challenged each other to a kung fu competition. The drill ground happened to be nearby. After they started fighting, all others came to spectate.


    ¡°The two of them started fighting once again. I wonder who will be the winner this time.¡±


    ¡°Well, Yue Qi is drunk and Xie Shi is a wily old fox. Yue Qi is definitely going to lose.¡±


    Ling Zhang, whose interest was aroused by their words, carried the white fox cub and followed in their wake to watch the fight.


    These two men proved themselves to be kung fu experts subordinate to Yuwen Tong. Their moves were fierce and powerful. Gusts of wind generated by their punches and palm strikes could be distinctly felt even by people outside the drill ground.


    Gradually, Ling Zhang was fascinated. His eyesight was much better now, which enabled him to distinguish the rapid movements of these kung fu experts.


    Xie Shi¡¯s fighting style was ferocious and aggressive, while that of Yue Qi was flexible and artful. This fight between these two men was also an intense confrontation between two fighting styles, which was a real feast for spectators.


    Watching the fight, Ling Zhang spontaneously thought of the mental cultivation method of internal energy recorded in the secret manual in his bosom.


    He wondered whether his kung fu would some day be as good as that of Xie Shi or Yue Qi if he started practicing it.


    And he had also promised Yuwen Tong that he would make a definite reply to him after settling down in the capital city.


    In fact, he knew that deep down there, he had made up his mind some time ago.


    Thinking of this, he finally recalled Yuwen Tong who he had completely forgotten. It had been quite some time since Yuwen Tong went to the imperial palace. He wondered how things were going in there.


    ¡­


    ¡°Are you sure you want to marry that Ling Zhang guy of Ling family?¡± The emperor stared at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I¡¯m positive of this. I¡¯ve already started making preparations.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The emperor¡¯s face remained unchanged. ¡°So soon?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he might change his mind, so I want the wedding held as soon as possible. I might be reduced to living in regret for the rest of my life if I don¡¯t hurry.¡±


    The emperor fell speechless.


    ¡®Why does Yuwen Tong like that Ling Zhang guy so much?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China), Ling Zhang is a man after all.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I know very well that Ling Zhang is a man. Never have any women taken my fancy, so I think I¡¯m only interested in men.¡±


    The emperor fell speechless once again. ¡®Yuwen Tong is a gay?¡¯


    Even the King Duan standing on the side had a somewhat weird expression on his face. ¡®How could this have never occurred to us before?!¡¯


    ¡°What a pity. Originally, I wanted to marry a princess to you,¡± said the emperor in a regretful tone of voice.


    ¡°Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m unworthy of such blessing,¡± Yuwen Tong responded.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do you any harm to have a try, would it?¡± the emperor was somewhat unresigned.


    Yuwen Tong kept silent for a few moments and then replied in a very explicit manner, ¡°I¡¯m uninterested.¡±


    Both the emperor and the King Duan were reduced to an embarrassed silence.


    ¡®This remark is almost synonymous with an admission of his inability to be sexually aroused by women!


    Has Yuwen Tong any idea what he just said? There won¡¯t be any room for maneuver!¡¯


    However, both of them also knew what kind of person Yuwen Tong was ¨Ca man of great credibility, who never went back on his words.


    Having just been informed of such a piece of ¡°grave¡± news, the emperor was clearly not in the mood for continuing this private talk with Yuwen Tong. Finally, seeing his travel-soiled clothes, he let Yuwen Tong take his leave.


    ¡°Bring Ling Zhang with you to the welcome reception tonight,¡± the emperor suddenly added.


    Yuwen Tong thought for a while and replied, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your patronage, Your Majesty, but he is still weak after the horrifying experience during our journey and needs more rest.¡±


    On hearing the words ¡°horrifying experience¡±, the emperor naturally recalled the ¡°near misses¡± that Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had been through on their way to the capital city. After his countenance changed several times, he asked, ¡°Have you found out who acted so boldly as to resort to assassination, Aiqing?¡±

 Chapter 167 - Dog Eat Dog

    ¡°Both the assassins and the poisoner were very cunning. I¡¯m still investigating.¡±


    After hearing that the inquiry was still on going, the emperor gave a bob of his head and said with a grave look on his face, ¡°I myself have also ordered the Dali Temple (the Supreme Judicial Court in feudal China) and the Ministry of Penalties to hold a thorough investigation into the two palace guards¡¯ attempted assassination targeted at Ling Zhang. If you have any clues, feel free to tell me. Rest assured, I promise I¡¯ll bring those responsible for this to justice.¡±


    Back then when news of these incidents reached the ears of the emperor, he had almost jumped from horror, since at that time Yuwen Tong was still in Tanyang and could have mistakenly believed that he was the mastermind and decided to stage an armed revolt! Had Yuwen Tong really done that, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have managed to stop him! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he continued to read the letter and found out that the target of the two assassins was Ling Zhang, he would probably have ordered enforcement of martial law in areas along their way to the capital city.


    However, even though Yuwen Tong had not been the target, the severity of this incident was still uncertain. It depended on how much Ling Zhang meant to Yuwen Tong. What had just happened at the city gate seemed to have suggested that Yuwen Tong cared about Ling Zhang very much. However, he had not taken Ling Zhang to meet his family immediately after entering the city. Instead, he had let Ling Zhang go to another place alone. These facts confused the emperor.


    As a result, the emperor had taken this so seriously because, firstly, he wanted to state his stand, and secondly, he wanted to sound out Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m much obliged to you, Your Majesty. Currently, I have not yet confirmed the authenticity of the clues, so I¡¯m afraid Your Majesty will have to give me some more time.¡±


    ¡®Haven¡¯t confirmed the authenticity of the clues? Exactly what did he find out?¡¯ the emperor wondered in uncertainty.


    The King Duan¡¯s attitude towards this issue was much more relaxed. He interposed, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need my help with, all you have to do is ask, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong expressed his gratitude to the King Duan, making no further remarks.


    ¡°In that case, I think I¡¯ll just wait for the results of your investigation, Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China),¡± observed the emperor. ¡°It¡¯s been a long and weary journey and you must be tired. I¡¯ll let you be rid of my nagging voice and have the King Duan see you out of my palace.¡±


    ¡°I take my leave, Your Majesty.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s eyes followed Yuwen Tong and the King Duan until they walked out of the hall. With that, his face instantly darkened. Where Yuwen Tong was concerned, he always had mixed feelings, but distrust and fear definitely accounted for a dominant proportion. No matter how respectful Yuwen Tong seemed, he could never let his guard down and trust him without misgivings.


    The reason why the Wan Kingdom had so willingly come to the Great Yue to sue for peace had been that it had suffered several defeats in a row these years, and that people of the Wan Kingdom were having trouble providing enough resources required to proceed with the war. Since the Wan Kingdom had already shown signs of decline, normally, the emperor of an neighboring country, if he was ambitious, would take advantage of the opportunity to invade the Wan Kingdom, expand his domain and even annexed the Wan Kingdom. However, what worried the emperor of the Great Yue was that Yuwen Tong might refuse to obey his orders after entering the Wan Kingdom. The Wan Kingdom covered a good deal of territory, and if by any chance Yuwen Tong grew a desire to become a king himself, betrayed him and launched an attack on the Great Yue, he would undoubtedly be powerless to fight back!


    As a result, after the Great Yue overwhelmingly triumphed the Wan Kingdom during this battle, the emperor had, bursting with impatience, ordered Yuwen Tong to return to the capital city for fear that Yuwen Tong might get out of control, but unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong had changed his route halfway, gone to Tanyang and stayed there for half a month. What had angered him even more had been that Zhang Chong had attempted to stage an armed uprising. Had Yuwen Tong not gone to Tanyang, some day Zhang Chong might lead his rebellious forces to the capital city before he knew it.


    Apart from everything else, the Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince had been put under house arrest, and the fraction headed by them had also just been uprooted, so the emperor had been in a terrible fix lately as well.


    ¡°Tell Zhang Xi and Zhao Pingchuan to come in.¡±


    Zhang Xi and Zhao Pingchuan had hurriedly come to the imperial palace after returning to the capital city and were waiting outside at this moment.


    ¡°Your loyal servant is honored to kneel before you, Your Majesty!¡±


    The emperor¡¯s cold eyes appraised the two of them back and forth. After quite a while, he queried, ¡°Is it true that the two assassins are dead?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, one of them bit through a wax ball with poison inside and killed himself. The other one also committed suicide by biting off his own tongue. I examined their bodies and confirmed their deaths myself,¡± Zhao Pingchuan hastily answered.


    ¡°Did any of them confess anything?¡±


    ¡°The one who poisoned himself died an instant death on the spot. Yuwen Tong¡¯s men didn¡¯t have the chance to challenge him. The other one was interrogated but didn¡¯t say anything, as if having some kind of grave misgivings about confessing. Maybe somebody had something on him.¡±


    The emperor lapsed into silence. Uncertain about what the emperor¡¯s intention was, both Zhao Pingchuan and Zhang Xi were afraid to raise their heads to look at the emperor¡¯s face.


    ¡°Zhao Pingchuan, were you really unaware of it?¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan was taken aback and hurriedly replied, ¡°I swear on my life they did it without my knowledge, Your Majesty. Both of them had served in the Palace Guards for many years and had been nothing but loyal and honest. It had never crossed my mind that they would suddenly attempt to assassinate Ling Zhang. Had I had any prior knowledge of their plan, I would no doubt have had them executed before they could take action.¡±


    The emperor fell silent once again. Zhao Pingchuan had already broken out in a cold sweat, shuddering all over in fear.


    After quite a while, the emperor instructed, ¡°Go back and rectify the situation in the Palace Guards as soon as possible. Keep your eyes peeled for anybody who has questionable allegiance and might dare to betray his commander. If you find any, have them beheaded. It is worse to let a guilty one get away than to mistakenly kill ten innocent ones.¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan felt an instant sense of relief. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I will conduct an intensive appraisal of all of them! I take my leave.¡±


    After Zhao Pingchuan left, the emperor inquired of Zhang Xi, ¡°You went to Tanyang. How¡¯s everything going there? I¡¯d told you to pay extra attention to Ling family and that Ling Zhang guy. Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, currently the Tanyang Prefecture Guards is under sole command of General Dai Cheng. This is a secret report that General Dai asked me to relay to you.¡±


    Zhang Xi fished out a secret report and, with the emperor¡¯s permission, rose to his feet and handed it to the emperor.


    The emperor¡¯s face slightly softened after he read the secret report. ¡°It seems that Yuwen Tong has indeed stopped his intervention in the military affairs of Tanyang.¡±


    Maintaining a bow, Zhang Xi said, ¡°As regards Ling family, I made some inquiries and found out that Ling Xingzhong had no longer been the patriarch for years. It was Ling Zhaowen, his second son, who had been dealing with all kinds of family affairs. However, that Ling Zhang guy is not someone to be taken lightly¡­¡±


    Then Zhang Xi informed the emperor of some of the things that had previously occurred in Tanyang.


    After hearing his story, the emperor commented disapprovingly, ¡°Those were just some trivial performance made in Tanyang which is a small city. He wouldn¡¯t have managed any of those without Yuwen Tong¡¯s help.¡±


    Zhang Xi replied, ¡°I stand awed by your wisdom, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong and the King Duan had just walked out of the imperial study when they saw the Ninth Princess walking towards them head-on.


    She was wearing a luxurious floor-length pink gown, followed by a group of reverent and respectful court maids and eunuchs. Wafts of perfume were carried over by breezes before she approached.


    The Ninth Princess had taken off her veil and, before coming to this place, applied a dot of cinnabar to the middle of her forehead, which provided a perfect foil for her elegant and well-featured face. In front of Yuwen Tong, she slightly bent her knees in a graceful way and asked, ¡°Marshal, you finished the audience with my father and are leaving the palace?¡±


    The expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was just as bland as it had been a while ago, and there was no amazement in his eyes as he saw the looks of the Ninth Princess. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I¡¯m indeed on my way out of the palace. Allow me the honor of making way for you. After you, Your Highness.¡±


    The Ninth Princess briefly twitched her long eyelashes, raised her head and looked at Yuwen Tong, expecting to see in his eyes signs of him being amazed by her beauty. However, to her disappointment, Yuwen Tong seemed totally unaffected by her presence!


    Dismayed, the Ninth Princess was at a loss for words. ¡®How is this possible!


    No matter how good his self-control is, there¡¯s no way he could stay totally indifferent!¡¯


    But the King Duan standing on the side knew very well what was going on. He recalled what Yuwen Tong had said in the imperial study ¨C¡±Never have any women taken my fancy.¡±


    ¡®So he was telling the truth?!¡¯


    The King Duan had extremely mixed feelings, but he was somewhat glad to see that Yuwen Tong was unconcerned with the beauty of the Ninth Princess. After all, the Ninth Princess was not on his side but on the side of the Fourth Prince.


    ¡°Sister? What are you standing there for? Go to the study right now while father is still there.¡±


    The Ninth Princess was pulled out of her trance and, for an instant, there was a somewhat embarrassed look on her face. When she saw that Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was still bland and he had even made way for her, in particular, the Ninth Princess felt a twinge of intense awkwardness. She was unable to find a plausible explanation for what had just happened no matter how hard she tried. Never once had she been treated this way by a man!


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, Brother? Are you by any chance taking the Marshal to somewhere fun?¡± The Ninth Princess was unwilling to leave just like this. She had come here to see Yuwen Tong, not her father.


    ¡°What do you mean by that remark, Sister? The Marshal is tired after the long journey and I¡¯m seeing him back home. As a girl, you are not supposed to have that kind of thoughts in your mind,¡± the King Duan snapped with heavy sarcasm.


    The Ninth Princess¡¯ face changed. ¡°You!¡±


    However, because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence, she had no choice but to subdue her anger. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, Brother.¡±


    The King Duan replied, ¡°I hope for your own sake that¡¯s true. You are a princess of the Great Yue. Act like one.¡±


    The Ninth Princess¡¯ face turned livid with rage.


    Yuwen Tong had no interest in watching his enemies having a dog-eat-dog quarrel in this place. Eager to go back to see Ling Zhang, he said, ¡°Your Highnesses, if you¡¯d like to have a talk, I¡¯ll give you some privacy.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll see you back,¡± the King Duan and the Ninth Princess chorused.


    The King Duan immediately observed, ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you here to have an audience with father? Surely you are not here to see the Marshal on the pretext of having an audience with father, are you? It¡¯s not that I take pleasure in lecturing you, but you are a girl. You should have been more reserved.¡±


    Before the Ninth Princess could react, Yuwen Tong walked away.


    The King Duan hurriedly caught up with him.


    ¡°Y¨CYou!¡± The Ninth Princess was left behind, face livid with rage, staring fixedly at the receding figure of the King Duan with venomous eyes. ¡°Zhou Mingyuan, I will make you pay for this!¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Your Highness. Don¡¯t lose your temper. The imperial study is not far away. His Majesty will hear you.¡± A court maid hurriedly tried to persuade him.


    The Ninth Princess clenched her fists, her eyes red. Clearly she felt humiliated and was reduced to tears by fury.


    ¡­


    After Yuwen Tong left, the King Duan returned to his residence, looking in a good mood.


    ¡°Your Highness, Peng Fang came here last night but you happened to be not in. He said that even if Yuwen Tong found out the truth of the poison incident, he would still be able to rid himself of suspicions and at the same time help you eliminate a political opponent, that you might rest assured.¡± A henchman of his immediately walked up to him and reported to him.


    The pleasure on the face of the King Duan instantly disappeared. He reprimanded, ¡°What a good-for-nothing! He couldn¡¯t even handle a commoner, yet he still has the nerve to seek refuge with me? If he dares to implicate me this time, I¡¯ll skin him alive!¡±


    The henchman was reduced to a scared silence.


    However, the next moment, something seemed to have just occurred to the King Duan and he suddenly instructed his henchman, ¡°You, go and made some inquiries. Find out as much information as you can about the personality, likes and dislikes of Yuwen Tong¡¯s betrothed, Ling Zhang.¡±


    The henchman was surprised. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask why?¡±


    ¡°Just do it. I have my own plans. By the way, have someone with relevant expertise draw a portrait of Ling Zhang,¡± added the King Duan.


    The henchman was shocked, having no idea what his master¡¯s intention was. ¡®He not only wants to find out that man¡¯s personality, likes and dislikes, but also wants a portrait of him. Is this what I think it is?¡¯

 Chapter 168 - Refusal of Entrance

    The capital city was swarming with spies, which was why news of Yuwen Tong¡¯s leaving the imperial palace soon reached the ears of all those who believed they ought to be informed of it¡­


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t go back to the residence of Yuwen family. Instead, he went to a residential compound where a board engraved with the name ¡°Ling Family¡± had just been fixed above the front door.


    Everybody knew Yuwen Tong was going there to see Ling Zhang.


    Apart from other people¡¯s reaction, Yuwen Zhi, on being informed of this, smashed his teacup to pieces, an extremely sullen look on his face. Yuwen Tong¡¯s not returning home first after entering the city had already made him feel shamed, and he had been struggling to keep his temper all along, but now, after leaving the imperial palace, Yuwen Tong had gone to Ling Zhang¡¯s place instead of returning home, which he found unbearably humiliating.


    Yuwen Zhi had always been highly status-conscious and cared about face very much, regarding himself head and shoulders above all other dignitaries in the capital city. Except for members of the imperial family, he never compromised with anybody in any circumstances, and almost everybody would think twice before doing something that might be offensive to him. It was true that he had not really been on good terms with Yuwen Tong, but in the past, every time Yuwen Tong returned from the border areas, he would always come back home to visit him first. Never once had Yuwen Tong been so disrespectful to him like this.


    ¡®How am I supposed to show my face after this?! What would others in this city think of me?!¡¯


    Yuwen Zhi was within an inch of failing to catch his breath, feeling that nobody had ever inflicted such humiliation on him.


    ¡°I told you so. That Ling Zhang guy is a male courtesan. Feng¡¯er criticized me for using that word. Now you see what¡¯s happening. Didn¡¯t that male courtesan bewitch Yuwen Tong and have Yuwen Tong in the palm of his hand?! He forgot where his home is. Does he still have a shred of respect for us? Does he still remember you¡¯re his uncle and I his aunt? I doubt he still remembers his surname is Yuwen!¡± Zheng shi was also very indignant.


    Yuwen Tong had repeatedly humiliated them on this day. How was she supposed to show her face in front of those officials¡¯ wives in the future? She felt that she might have to stay at home for the rest of her life!


    Yuwen Qi angrily sprung to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Ling Zhang¡¯s place. I don¡¯t believe that Ling Zhang guy would be so shameless and bold as to take my cousin from us like this!¡±


    Yuwen Feng also had a frown on his face, but he was not an impulsive man like Yuwen Qi was, and neither did he lose his head. ¡°Sit down,¡± he said.


    ¡°Elder Brother! How could you bear to just sit there after this? Yuwen Tong refused to return home, showing a total disregard for our feelings!¡± Yuwen Qi was very displeased.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Yuwen Feng repeated, looking at Yuwen Qi.


    Consumed with indignation, Yuwen Qi sat back into his seat and replied, ¡°If I¡¯m not to go there, what do you think we should do? Just sitting here watching that Ling Zhang guy swaggering around?¡±


    Brow furrowed, Yuwen Feng said, ¡°Father, I think he¡¯s doing this because he¡¯s angry with you for sending my younger brother to Tanyang. Judging from what happened earlier this day, he cares about Ling Zhang very much.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi looked at him and responded, ¡°Are you laying blame on me?¡±


    Yuwen Feng said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare, Father. I¡¯m just trying to point out the fact to you. Currently, our first priority is to mollify him. No matter how displeased you are with Ling Zhang, it should be a family matter concerning nobody but us, rather than a laughing stock of the whole city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. What do you suggest we should do?¡±


    Though anger was bubbling inside Yuwen Qi, he had no choice but to obey his elder brother. It was just that his obedience was tinged with unwillingness. He didn¡¯t know why, but he just disliked it when Yuwen Feng acted as if he had got everything sorted out, as if he was better than him in everything.


    Yuwen Feng rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Ling Zhang¡¯s place.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Qi also stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡±


    Yuwen Feng declined. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Yuwen Qi was displeased. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I go there?¡±


    Zheng shi chipped in, ¡°Maybe you should let Qi¡¯er go with you, so that the two of you can keep each other company.¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown, as if saying that only a three-year-old child needed company. However, it was inappropriate for him to contradict his mother too often, so eventually he inclined his head.


    Yuwen Qi gave a smug chuckle, thinking, ¡®Mother is on my side. Even Elder Brother has to obey her.¡¯


    ¡­


    When Yuwen Tong arrived at Ling Zhang¡¯s residence, people in there were still partying. Yao Yi and other bodyguards had not seen Yue Qi for a month. On top of that, they had drunk a lot of liquor with Wang Dashan and other security guards, so they were having a really good time and it seemed as if the party would never end.


    Yuwen Tong walked to the sidelines of the drill field, looked around but didn¡¯t see Ling Zhang. Instantly, he fell into a foul mood, his face sulky. ¡°Where¡¯s Younger Brother Zhang?¡± he asked.


    Yao Yi and others had stopped messing around when they saw Yuwen Tong return. On seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darken, all of them flinched.


    ¡°Childe Ling was tired, so he went back to his room to sleep,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    ¡°He¡¯s sleeping inside, while you are here partying. Tell me, what do you think you are doing?¡± asked Yuwen Tong in a flinty tone of voice.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have done this, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong coldly snorted, ¡°Your punishment is standing here. Nobody leaves without my consent.¡±


    Instantly all people on the drill ground fell silent in fear, standing where they were like a group of quails. ¡®All right. So much for the party.¡¯


    After walking into Ling Zhang¡¯s dwelling, Yuwen Tong first changed out of his travel-soiled overgarment, quickly washed his face and hands and then entered Ling Zhang¡¯s bedroom.


    Ling Zhang had fallen asleep. It seemed that he was indeed exhausted, given that he was sleeping so soundly in a strange bed.


    The white fox cub, like a ball of fur, was lying beside his pillow, its eyes closed. It was hard to tell whether the fox was having a deep sleep or just a nap.


    No sooner had Yuwen Tong walked up to the bedside when it vigilantly opened its eyes. It flicked Yuwen Tong a glance with its sparkling black eyes and then closed them again.


    Feeling this reaction fairly acceptable, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t lay any condemnation on it for occupying the pillow beside Ling Zhang. He reached out his hand, scooped up the fox cub and put it down onto the teapoy at the bedside. There was a wooden box on the teapoy, which had been specially prepared for the fox cub, but sometimes Ling Zhang would carry it to the bed.


    The liquid black eyes of the fox cub were full of dismay and displeasure after it was taken away from its master and put into its den to sleep alone. If it could speak, it probably had already been reduced to hurling abuse at Yuwen Tong, and maybe had scratched him with its claws as well.


    This little creature could never pose any threats to Yuwen Tong. After putting the fox cub into the wooden box, Yuwen Tong went to bed and lay down in the spot where the fox cub had been lying. Then he put his arm around Ling Zhang and drew him against his chest. Feeling satisfied, he closed his eyes.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang was woken up by this movement, but the smell of the man beside him was familiar, and so was the touch of his chest, so he just reached out his hand and gave Yuwen Tong a push. Having failed to push him aside, Ling Zhang ignored him and drifted off to sleep again ¨Che was really tired.


    Yuwen Tong gave him a kiss on the cheek and lay down again, then closed his eyes and slept.


    The fox cub glanced out the window and then looked at Yuwen Tong who was sleeping with Ling Zhang as if this was how things should be like. Its eyes were full of perplexity.


    The bedroom was very quiet, and servants outside didn¡¯t dare to make any sounds.


    Surprisingly, Yuwen Tong really fell asleep, which was rather rare.


    However, this sleep of his was destined to come to interruptions.


    A horse-drawn carriage of Yuwen family halted at the front door of Ling Zhang¡¯s residential compound. Seeing this, guards on duty exchanged glances and wondered, ¡®Whose carriage is this?¡¯


    When they saw Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi get out of the carriage, both of the guards made a bow with hands folded in front and greeted them. ¡°Childe Feng, Childe Qi.¡±


    Face full of impatience, Yuwen Qi flicked a disgusted glance at the wooden board engraved with the name of Ling family, sized up the front door and commented, ¡°What kind of shabby place is this? This guy¡¯s so stingy.¡±


    However, this place was actually by no means shabby. The predecessor of it was the residence of a high-ranking official, who had resigned from office and returned to his hometown. Yuwen Tong had purchased it and converted it into this residential compound. It was not far away from the residence of Yuwen family and was rather convenient for various public facilities as well. It could be said that people couldn¡¯t buy a residential compound like this in the capital city if money was the only thing they had.


    After hearing Yuwen Qi¡¯s words, both of the two guards had a bland face and made no response.


    ¡°May I ask what it is that you are here about, Young Masters?¡±


    Yuwen Feng gave a smile. ¡°We¡¯re here to see my cousin. It¡¯s said that he came here after leaving the imperial palace.¡±


    The guards were Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards, which gave Yuwen Feng a new recognition of how much Ling Zhang meant to Yuwen Tong, and his adopted a more discreet attitude.


    ¡°The Marshal is indeed inside. Please allow me to pass word of your presence,¡± said a guard.


    ¡°Pass word of our presence?¡± Yuwen Qi glared at him. ¡°What do you mean by that remark? You know who we are yet you are having us wait outside? You are guards of Yuwen family not Ling family! Are you soft in the head?!¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment, Young Master Qi.¡± Unswayed, the guard turned around and went inside.


    ¡°You! Stop right there!¡± Yuwen Qi yelled angrily and intended to pursue him, but the other guard blocked his path.


    Yuwen Qi was just about to hurl abuse when Yuwen Feng stopped him. ¡°Younger Brother, this has always been our cousin¡¯s rule. Show some patience.¡±


    Even when Yuwen Tong was in the residence of Yuwen family, nobody was allowed to enter his courtyard house without his consent, and even his uncle was no exception, which was a fact known to all members of Yuwen family, but this was not Yuwen Tong¡¯s courtyard house¡­


    Yuwen Feng also secretly frowned, feeling that Yuwen Tong was getting too emotionally involved with Ling Zhang.


    It was due to his elder brother¡¯s intervention that Yuwen Qi managed to keep from hurling curses at the guard, but still, his face was extremely sepulchral. He couldn¡¯t help but recall how he had been humiliated before being put under house arrest when he was in Tanyang. Rage had been simmering inside him from the very moment he laid eyes on on the board with Ling family¡¯s name on it, and now even his eyes became ferocious.


    ¡°Younger Brother.¡± Seeing this, Yuwen Feng hurriedly shook his head at him, trying to dissuade him from taking any rash actions.


    He was even suffering from headaches. He had anticipated Yuwen Qi would be reduced to this kind of reaction, which had been the very reason he had tried to stop Yuwen Qi from coming.


    It was after quite a while that a man walked out. He was the guard that had talked to them just now. ¡°Sorry, Young Masters, the Marshal is sleeping. I¡¯ll inform the Marshal of your visit later. Please go back.¡±


    After hearing this, even Yuwen Feng failed to stop Yuwen Qi from flying into a temper. He directly raised his foot and aimed a kick at the guard, yelling, ¡°Bullshit! How dare you talk to me like that, you motherfucker! I¡¯ll kick you to death!¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face also darkened, but he still had his senses. ¡°Younger Brother, stop!¡±


    The guard¡¯s kung fu was much better than that of Yuwen Qi, so he easily sidestepped Yuwen Qi¡¯s kick. In a flinty tone of voice, he observed, ¡°Young Master Qi, if there¡¯s anything you are displeased with, you can just talk with the Marshal about it after he wakes up and nobody¡¯s going to stop you. Venting your anger on us is a conduct unbecoming to a young master.¡±


    ¡°Is my cousin really sleeping? Hasn¡¯t he just come back a moment ago?¡± queried Yuwen Feng disbelievingly.


    ¡°Childe Ling was sleeping, so the Marshal went to sleep with him,¡± replied the guard candidly.


    ¡®What? He went to sleep because of that?¡¯ Yuwen Feng wondered in dismay.


    ¡°But we came here to see my cousin because our parents asked us to. It would be somewhat impertinent if my cousin has us return just like this, wouldn¡¯t it? I mean, we¡¯re family after all. He¡¯s really going to shut the door on us like we were strangers to him?¡± remarked Yuwen Feng.

 Chapter 169 - Blandishments of Yuwen Feng

    ¡°My cousin just came back to the capital city earlier this day, and he has already given people reason to gossip about him by not having returned home to see his elders. If we go back like this, soon rumors will be floating around in every corner of this city, which will seriously undermine my cousin¡¯s reputation,¡± Yuwen Feng added.


    With a frown on his face, the guard thought for a few moments and replied, ¡°Then please wait a while. I¡¯ll go inside and ask again.¡±


    Yuwen Feng felt a sense of relief. ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    The candid guard went through the front gate and, when he was out of the sight of those outside, rolled his eyes upwards. ¡®They think I¡¯m a fool? Had the Marshal not instructed me to let them wait longer, I would never have bothered walking back here.¡¯


    A few moments ago, Ling Zhang had been woken up by the voice of the guard coming to pass word of the presence of the visitors, but he had not distinguished his words. After a while, it had fallen quiet and he had drifted off again. At this moment, he was having a dream, in which he was still in Tanyang. He was enjoying himself in the dream when he was woken up again by the voice of the guard coming to report. Sleepy, he got a little annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it really too much to ask for them to let me have a good sleep?¡±


    In the realization that Ling Zhang had been woken up twice in a row, Yuwen Tong, who didn¡¯t have the heart to let him be awoken for a third time, got out of bed, held him in his arms and patted him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just go back to sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang rubbed his head against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and then rolled over with his butt to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was very much enjoying the rub given by Ling Zhang when Ling Zhang rolled over, leaving his arms empty and his heart filled with disappointment.


    He felt an urge to put his arms around him and roll him over to let him rub his chest again but kept from doing so for fear that he might be woken up again.


    Eventually, he resignedly straightened himself and went outside to deal with the two fools who had caused interruptions to their sleep.


    ¡­


    ¡°Cousin.¡±


    Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi were finally led into the residential compound and also met Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Sit. What is it you want to see me about?¡± After telling them to sit down, Yuwen Tong picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.


    ¡°Cousin, why didn¡¯t you go home after returning? We waited for quite a long time,¡± said Yuwen Qi in a reproachful tone of voice immediately.


    Yuwen Qi didn¡¯t feel there was anything wrong with his tone at all. He believed that the reason why Yuwen Tong had not returned home was because that male courtesan, Ling Zhang, had bewitched him, that this was the sole reason. He had some time ago forgotten what his elder brother had reminded him of at home, why Yuwen Tong was angry, as well as the fact that he himself had been the one who went to Tanyang and threatened Ling Zhang. He had only himself to blame for Yuwen Tong¡¯s giving him the cold shoulder.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t even glance at him. He took another sip of tea and then put the teacup down on the table.


    Seeing Yuwen Qi¡¯s somewhat sulky face, Yuwen Feng hurriedly said, ¡°Cousin, you and Childe Ling must be really tired after journeying for so many days. Given that Childe Ling has just moved into this residence, there must be many inconveniences here. You and Childe Ling might as well go back home. There are more servants there. My mother could also save you much bother of dealing with domestic chores, and you can rest better.¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s words were much more tactful than those of Yuwen Qi. He had avoided mentioning the fact that Yuwen Tong had not returned home, and just focused on the convenience of living at home in order to convince Yuwen Tong to go back.


    ¡°My parents have also been looking forward to your return. After hearing that Childe Ling would come to the capital city with you, they have been eagerly anticipating the day they would see him in the flesh. Since Childe Ling is your betrothed, all of us are very curious about him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile, thinking, ¡®Yuwen Feng is still as he always has been. Both his words and acts are rather diplomatic. No matter what he truly thinks, at least he never shows any signs on his face.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s very considerate of you. It¡¯s just that Younger Brother Zhang and I are not there yet. I¡¯m afraid there would be rumors and gossip if I let him live into the residence of Yuwen family just like this. Of course, he will move in with me after we get married.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already decided to marry Childe Ling? This is such good news.¡± Yuwen Feng appeared to be pleasantly surprised but was secretly taken aback. ¡®Yuwen Tong is talking about getting married now. Is he really going to marry that Ling Zhang guy?¡¯


    ¡°What? Are you out of your mind, Cousin? You really want to marry that Ling Zhang guy?! Ling Zhang is a nobody from an obscure family in a small place, and he¡¯s a man! You are seriously going to sacrifice yourself just to honor that engagement?!¡± But Yuwen Qi jumped in a startled fashion.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s smile froze, feeling somewhat annoyed. ¡®Yuwen Qi is such an idiot!¡¯


    ¡°An obscure family in a small place? Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at Yuwen Qi flintily.


    Yuwen Qi was shocked. ¡°What do you mean, Cousin? How could you compare me to that Ling Zhang guy? I¡¯m in a totally different league from him!¡±


    ¡°You have neither learning nor skill, and are capable of nothing but acting arrogantly and domineeringly. Younger Brother Zhang outshines you in every aspect. Yuwen Qi, I told you not to be a busybody as far back as when I was still in Tanyang. It seems that my words just went in one ear and out the other.¡± Yuwen Tong replied in a cold tone. His words were so sharp that it took Yuwen Qi quite a while to pull himself out of shock.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not¡­¡± Yuwen Qi subconsciously tried to defend himself.


    ¡°Cousin, my younger brother is like this by nature. He has a quick tongue and always say what he thinks without much deliberation, but he means no harm, so cut him some slack. It is because he cares about you that he said those words. After all, neither of us have met Childe Ling, so we are somewhat uncertain about what kind of person he is. And we worry that you might get yourself into an unhappy marriage,¡± Yuwen Feng hurriedly remarked.


    No matter how slack Yuwen Qi was, they were still brothers. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and let his younger brother anger Yuwen Tong. These years, as Yuwen Feng¡¯s rank rose, he had been feeling more and more deeply how formidable Yuwen Tong was, while Yuwen Qi barely had any acquaintance with the situation in the imperial court and was also opinionated, so he naturally couldn¡¯t see this.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about anything. I know very well what kind of person Younger Brother Zhang is. Besides, this is my marriage; it¡¯s inadvisable for you to get too involved. After all, I¡¯m in sole charge of the primary Yuwen family, and I¡¯ve never interfered in any of the secondary Yuwen family¡¯s affairs. Respect should be a two-way process. Am I right, Younger Brother Feng?¡± said Yuwen Tong slowly.


    After a brief change of his face, Yuwen Feng replied, ¡°You put it too seriously, Cousin. We have no intention to interfere with your marriage. We¡¯re just fairly worried. Never has either of us meant any disrespect for you. Apart from anything else, we are family, and blood is thicker than water. You are our cousin. How could we not wish you the best?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite gratified to hear this, and I hope others share your opinion.¡± Yuwen Tong slowly flicked a glance at Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Qi gave an involuntary shudder as he saw the unmistakable warning in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes.


    For fear that Yuwen Qi might make some other offensive remarks, Yuwen Feng said, ¡°Where¡¯s Childe Ling? Can we see him?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping.¡±


    ¡®Still sleeping? He¡¯s treating us like some insignificant nobodies?¡¯ Yuwen Qi¡¯s face changed and was about to make some sarcastic remarks.


    Yuwen Feng, quick of eye and deft of hand, hurriedly kept him from speaking, rose to his feet and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think we should stop disturbing you and take our leave. When are you going back home, Cousin? My parents have been anxiously waiting for you. They haven¡¯t seen you for quite a long time and miss you very much.¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll visit my father¡¯s uncle and then return home.¡±


    ¡®Tomorrow?¡¯ Yuwen Feng secretly frowned. ¡®Judging from Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, it¡¯s impossible to get him back home today. No matter what, it¡¯s good news that he¡¯s not moving in with Ling Zhang. We can wait another day.¡¯


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell my parents after we get back, so that they could stop worrying. By the way, all of us are going to the welcome reception tonight. They¡¯ll be able to see you,¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Okay. Now if you have no other business here, you should be on your way back. Pardon me for not going to see you out myself.¡±


    Yuwen Feng gave a smile. Before leaving, he suddenly put on a serious face and said, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot this. Congratulations to you on your victory against the Wan Kingdom. After this crushing defeat, the Wan Kingdom won¡¯t be able to regain enough strength to make trouble for us during the next few years. This is such a great victory that my parents have already burnt joss sticks in front of the memorial tablet of our ancestors to inform them of this good news. You should do the same when you get back, Cousin. Grandfather, uncle and aunt will no doubt be very happy to see you back.¡±


    The last remark brought a slight change to Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance. When he spoke again, his tone had softened considerably. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go back early in the morning.¡±


    Yuwen Feng felt a sense of relief and said with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave, Cousin.¡±


    Yuwen Qi had been kept from speaking by his elder brother all along. Eventually, he had no choice but to utter ¡°See you later¡± and then followed his elder brother out of the room.


    After they left, Yuwen Tong pondered for a while and then rose to his feet and walked inside.


    ¡®Yuwen Feng is indeed quite different from others. At least he knows what will sway me,¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought. If there was still anything in Yuwen family he held dear, it would be what Yuwen Feng had mentioned. Indeed, after returning to the capital city with a victory, he should go to the ancestral hall and light some joss sticks.


    At this moment, Ling Zhang, who had got up and taken a bath, was drying his hair. Seeing Yuwen Tong return, he asked, ¡°Was it Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi who came here? They were here to ask you to go home?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°They were anxious because I didn¡¯t go back.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I also thought that you would go home first after leaving the imperial palace.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°They showed such a lack of respect for you. I feel obliged to help you get even with them.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°Thank you, Grand Marshal. You should go back tomorrow. No matter what, that¡¯s your home. You have to return and take a look.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll pay a visit to my father¡¯s uncle first. Then we¡¯ll go back to the residence of Yuwen family.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a few moments but didn¡¯t decline. ¡°All right, but know this, if they mess with me again, my words might get quite offensive.¡±


    Meeting people of Yuwen family was unavoidable, so he might as well go and take a look. As the saying goes, ¡®Knowing oneself as well as their enemy is the only way to stay undefeated.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°They won¡¯t dare in the presence of me.¡±


    Hearing his words, Ling Zhang could barely keep from laughing. ¡®It turns out that Yuwen Tong is the most arrogant guy.¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s a welcome reception in the imperial palace tonight. Are you coming with me?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    ¡°They invited me as well?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°The emperor asked me to take you there. I said that you were tired,¡± Yuwen Tong responded.


    Ling Zhang thought for a few moments and said, ¡°Give me some time to think about it.¡±


    If he went there, those people would definitely focus their attention on him like a money. Some of them might resort to covert tricks or even stab him in the back. However, this was also an opportunity to strike up acquaintance with all dignitaries in the whole capital city, and only by getting acquainted with them could he find out who¡¯s who according to what Tao Feng had told him previously. Since he had already come to the capital city, he couldn¡¯t just hide in his own house. Sooner or later he would have to face these people, and the difference between facing them sooner and facing them later was merely that he would have gained more acquaintance with those involved forces in the capital city and be in a less passive position if the latter was the case.


    ¡°Okay. There¡¯s still plenty of time left before the evening banquet starts. Take you time,¡± said Yuwen Tong, having no intention to try to rush Ling Zhang into making a decision.


    When Ling Zhang said that he needed some time to consider, he had actually made a choice already. It was just that he had now developed a habit of weighing and balancing before taking action.

 Chapter 170 - A Negligible Favor

    Chapter 170: A Negligible Favor


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile, eyes gleaming with ill-concealed appreciation for Ling Zhang¡¯s decision.


    Ling Zhang had risen to his feet and summoned Xia Feng. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the imperial palace with Yuwen Tong tonight. Bring me all clothes in my wardrobe suitable for that kind of occasion.¡±


    It was no exaggeration to say that this welcome reception would be a war without bullets, and he didn¡¯t want to end up being an embarrassment to Yuwen Tong because of his poor taste of attire. As regards Ling family, Ling Zhang knew very well what level Ling family was at, but thinking of Ling family, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but recall those matters concerning his grandfather¡¯s past. In the knowledge that this time, when he was in the imperial palace, there would definitely be some unthoughtful people raking those things up, Ling Zhang had a fairly flinty look in his eyes.


    He was standing with his back to Yuwen Tong, so his facial expression didn¡¯t come to Yuwen Tong¡¯s notice. In an amused tone, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There will be something entertaining tonight.¡±


    ¡°Something entertaining?¡± Ling Zhang turned around. His eyes had returned to normal. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and whispered something in Ling Zhang¡¯s ears. Ling Zhang slightly squinted his eyes and looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be beyond the pale?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be a good thing? I thought we¡¯d be celebrating my returning to the capital city,¡± Yuwen Tong replied, as if what he had just suggested were a matter of course.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.


    ¡®This guy¡¯s indeed wildly arrogant!¡¯


    Yuwen Tong walked into the inner room to check the garments that Xia Feng had picked. A lot of them had been rushed out before they departed for the capital city. After thinking for a while, Yuwen Tong picked one and said, ¡°This will do.¡±


    Ling Zhang followed inside, run an eye over all the attire selected by Xia Feng and looked at Yuwen Tong, a confused look on his face. ¡°Why this one?¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s not that this one is unsuitable. It¡¯s just¡­ a little too sumptuous,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to dress so¡­ ur¡­ cockily the first time meeting those people.¡¯ Ling Zhang preferred to be low-key. ¡®If I put on the finest clothes this time, how am I suppose to best myself in the future?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°This looks pretty good. It suits you.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment. After a few moments, he commented, ¡°It¡¯ll make me appear a little cocky.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I mean, your behavior earlier this day was already cocky enough. Don¡¯t you think, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang exchanged glances with Yuwen Tong and with that his eyes gradually lit up. ¡®That¡¯s right. I appeared cocky enough earlier this day anyway. It would be a divergence from my previous behavior at the city gate if I wear low-key attire.¡¯ Thinking of this, he said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take this one.


    Fortunately you reminded me of this. Otherwise I might let the cat out of the bag.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Just the two of you? Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong?¡±


    The moment Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi returned home, their mother, bursting with impatience, asked them where Yuwen Tong was, since whether she would be able to show her face in front of all those wives of officials in the capital city depended on this matter.


    ¡°Ask my elder brother.¡± After making a brusque reply, Yuwen Qi stormed into the living room.


    Zheng shi, who failed to stop her younger son, had no choice but to look at her elder son and asked expectantly, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°My cousin will come back tomorrow,¡± Yuwen Feng responded.


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Zheng shi¡¯s face changed. ¡°He¡¯s not coming back today?¡±


    ¡°I would never have taken ¡®tomorrow¡¯ for an answer had elder brother not been keeping me from speaking!¡± Yuwen Qi yelled in the living room.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Had I let you do the talking, he wouldn¡¯t even set foot in this house again, let alone come back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what happened there? Can either of you two give me a clear explanation?¡± huffed Zheng shi.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong said that he would pay a visit to his father¡¯s uncle early tomorrow morning before coming back here,¡± Yuwen Qi informed her.


    ¡°His father¡¯s uncle?¡± Zheng shi¡¯s forehead corrugated in a frown. ¡°What did Yuwen Tong mean by that? It¡¯s us who are the most closely related to him. Master, why do you think Yuwen Tong is doing this?¡±


    Zheng shi anxiously went inside. ¡®The root of Yuwen family is here. Yuwen You and his offspring are merely an offshoot. Yuwen Tong decided to visit them first instead of coming back here. Is he out of his mind?¡¯


    ¡°How dare he!¡± Yuwen Zhi flew into a temper. With a piercing look in his eyes, he looked at Yuwen Feng. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d get him back? Tell me exactly what happened.¡±


    ¡°Father, elder brother didn¡¯t have the balls to say a single word carrying weight. He agreed to Yuwen Tong¡¯s every remark and made no efforts whatsoever to convince Yuwen Tong,¡± huffed Yuwen Qi loudly.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yuwen Qi, curb your desire to stir up trouble.¡±


    However, Yuwen Zhi instructed him, ¡°Enough. Tell me the details.¡±


    Resigned, Yuwen Feng had no alternative but to tell the whole story from beginning to end. ¡°Cousin was displeased with us getting too involved in this matter. He cares about Ling Zhang more than we expected. Father, he¡¯s sending a word of warning to you.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi heavily smacked his fist onto the teapoy sending the tea set jumping. ¡°Who does Yuwen Tong think he is!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. You¡¯re his elder, Father. How could he treat you like this?¡± said Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°Stop being so talky, will you?¡± Yuwen Feng looked at him in displeasure.


    Yuwen Qi reluctantly shut his mouth.


    Zheng shi walked over. ¡°Qi¡¯er is right. It was indeed too arrogant of Yuwen Tong to show such a lack of respect for his elder. Master, I think I¡¯m beginning to see the light ¨Che¡¯s trying to show favor to that Ling Zhang guy by humiliating us. That male courtesan is so crafty. It¡¯s been such a short time yet he¡¯s already had Yuwen Tong in the palm of his hand. And Yuwen Tong dared to commit such deed in contravention of all the heavenly laws of morality and filial love.¡±


    Face stamped with coldness, Yuwen Zhi replied, ¡°Humph! I¡¯d like to find out how much longer that Ling Zhang guy could keep doing that!¡±


    Yuwen Feng frowned. ¡®It¡¯s really inadvisable for us to have another disagreement with Yuwen Tong. Why can¡¯t father and mother see this?¡¯


    ¡°Father, if this does bother you, please wait until my cousin comes back to discipline him. Right now maybe you should subdue your anger lest there be any further disagreement with him.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi looked at him in displeasure. ¡°You have always had a pretty good sense of propriety. How did you come to be so short-sighted this time around? If I don¡¯t state my stand categorically right now, that Ling Zhang guy will definitely turn this house upside down after he marries your cousin. Besides, he¡¯ll have to get my consent first if he wants to marry into Yuwen family!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Feng¡¯er. If we don¡¯t make our position known, outsiders will mistakenly believe that we are afraid of Ling Zhang. What kind of awkward situation will we be reduced to if that¡¯s the case? Members of the honorable Yuwen family compromise with an unpresentable countryman? How are we supposed to show our faces if we let that happen?¡± Zheng shi agreed.


    ¡°Mother! Let¡¯s not forget that we owe a debt of gratitude to Ling Xingzhong, Old Master Ling. If we go too far, what will outsiders think of us?¡± Yuwen Feng said.


    ¡°That¡¯s just an insignificant favor,¡± commented Yuwen Qi in a scornful tone of voice.


    ¡°He saved our grandfather¡¯s life,¡± Yuwen Feng solemnly corrected his younger brother. ¡°One should repay the droplet of water received in raging thirst with a bubbling spring. It¡¯ll be dishonorable of us to make life difficult for Ling Zhang, and we¡¯ll be reduced to a terribly passive position once Ling Zhang fights back.¡±


    ¡°Even that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t just stand by and watch Ling Zhang behave so cockily.¡± Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes briefly rolled left and right and with that he continued, a sinister look in his eyes, ¡°We may figure out a way to¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± His brother¡¯s words were giving Yuwen Feng headaches. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take any rash actions, unless you want us to part ways with our cousin, which I¡¯m absolutely certain will be detrimental to us!¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, why do you keep defending them? I thought you were supposed to be on your family¡¯s side,¡± remarked Yuwen Qi who was hiding behind his mother.


    Zheng shi¡¯s face was stamped with displeasure. Clearly she shared her younger son¡¯s opinion.


    Yuwen Feng, who no longer had the patience to reason with the two of them, looked at Yuwen Zhi and said, ¡°Father, on no condition should we fall out with my cousin.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi replied, ¡°I know where the limit is.¡±


    Worry bubbled up inside Yuwen Feng. He kept feeling that things were going in the direction towards an end he wouldn¡¯t like to see.


    ¡­


    ¡°Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi returned home empty-handed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t leave Ling Zhang¡¯s place at all.¡±


    ¡°Why did Yuwen Tong do that? How did he come to be so disrespectful to his family?¡±


    Soon, similar conversations and various kinds of conjectures could be heard in streets and alleys of the capital city.


    Tao Yi, who had also heard this, was in confusion, having no idea what was going on.


    ¡°Tao Yi, didn¡¯t you say that you and that Ling Zhang guy were friends? How about you go and pay a visit to him?¡± A school friend of his egged him on.


    But Tao Yi didn¡¯t fall prey to his instigation. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time for me to visit him yet. Marshal Yuwen is still there. How can I turn up like this?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Pooh, I forgot that you are a big fan of Marshal Yuwen. You want to dress up first?¡± smiled his school friend.


    Tao Yi gave a wave of his hand. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. No matter what, I¡¯ve got to prepare a present. I don¡¯t want to strike the Marshal as frivolous. And¨C¡±


    ¡°Tao Yi!¡± someone suddenly yelled.


    Tao Yi looked in that direction and saw that it was another school friend of his.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    ¡°Mr Gu requests your presence. Someone from the Ling Mansion delivered a visitor¡¯s card here!¡± the man replied aloud.


    Tao Yi widened his eyes. ¡°What?! Which Ling Mansion are you referring to?¡±


    There were a lot of surnames in the capital city, Ling included, but when hearing the name ¡°the Ling Mansion¡±, everybody in the capital city would only think of the one that had just been put to use earlier this day.


    Tao Yi was afraid that he might have misunderstood.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®which Ling Mansion¡¯? The Ling Mansion, of course,¡± the man stressed the word ¡°the¡±. ¡°The Marshal¡¯s betrothed. Your fellow-townsman, from Tanyang!¡±


    Pleasantly surprised, Tao Yi immediately ran away.


    ¡°Is it really necessary to run so quickly?¡± asked the one who had been talking with Tao Yi, but after a few moments¡¯ careful thinking, he believed that he himself might have become just as excited as Tao Yi was had he were in Tao Yi¡¯s shoes.


    ¡°Mr Gu!¡± yelled Tao Yi after running into the courtyard house of his teacher.


    ¡°Stop yelling! It¡¯s very undignified!¡± A sonorous voice like a crash of thunder was heard, which immediately sent Tao Yi into an awed silence.


    Tao Yi hurriedly halted, adjusted his hat and clothes, slowed down his breathing and then made a bow with hands folded in front. ¡°Mr Gu.¡±


    The sonorous voice snorted, ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr Gu.¡±


    Tao Yi obediently entered the room.


    This was a spacious hall. There was no wall only a half-folded bamboo curtain at the far end of it, which allowed visitors to see the view of the back yard. The most obtrusive item inside was a desk in the front of the hall. A old man was sitting behind the desk, glaring at Tao Yi, a severe look on his face.


    Tao Yi, as if having a guilty conscience, hung his head.


    ¡°How many times have I told you not to be so reckless and to develop some self-control? Look at yourself, you are still like this. For the sake of my reputation, you are not to tell any outsider you¡¯re my student,¡± remarked the old man in a stern tone of voice.


    Tao Yi listened quietly and then meekly admitted his mistakes.


    Eventually, seeing the old man¡¯s anger was allayed, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Mr Gu, is it true that someone from the Ling Mansion sent a visitor¡¯s card here?¡±


    The old man slid him a sideways glance and replied, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s said that your father had a lot of stuff delivered to the capital city. In order not to cause me disturbance, they sent a visitor¡¯s card here first. Those things will be taken here tomorrow before their visit.¡±


    ¡°Wha¨CWhat about Ling Zhang? Did he say that he would come? And¡­¡±


    ¡°And what? You are not seriously expecting the Marshal to pay you a formal visit, do you?¡±


    Tao Yi lapsed into an awkward silence again.


    ¡°This card is for you. Take it.¡± The old man tapped at the table where a visitor¡¯s card was.


    Delighted, Tao Yi stepped forward and picked it up, but after he read it, half of the delight on his face was replaced by disappointment.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡± the old man inquired of him.


    ¡°Ling Zhang is coming here to see me, but the Marshal isn¡¯t,¡± replied Tao Yi.


    The corners of the old man¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched. ¡°All right, go back to your books. Prepare yourself to receive the guest. Don¡¯t be so frivolous. There¡¯s no point dwelling on things that are not meant for you.¡±

 Chapter 171 - A Disturbance at the Gateway of the Imperial Palace

    The gateway of the imperial palace was thronged with people and horse-drawn carriages. All palace lanterns were ablaze with light, making the compound so bright that it seemed as if daytime had not yet come to an end. There was a welcome reception meant for Yuwen Tong on this night. Surprisingly, apart from all court officials of all ranks and descriptions who had come here to help entertain the guest of honor, there were also a group of people wearing foreign-style attire present.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were sitting in a carriage. Lifting up the curtain, Yuwen Tong looked out of the window. The sight of this group of people instantly filled his eyes with amusement.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Ling Zhang, who couldn¡¯t see the outside from his position, had no idea what Yuwen Tong was looking at, but judging from the mischievous look in his eyes, he believed Yuwen Tong must have come up with a stomachful of pranks.


    ¡°Those fools from the Wan Kingdom are still in our capital city. This welcome banquet is meant for me, yet they are so thick-skinned as to take the liberty of coming here as well. It seems that they could use another lesson.¡±


    Yuwen Tong twisted his upper body aside and pointed at a group of people at the gateway of the palace to show Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang craned over, looked out and asked in dismay, ¡°How come they are still here?¡±


    ¡°Who knows what they are dragging out their stay in our capital city to plot? They are not really on good terms with me. It¡¯s very likely that they¡¯ll stoop to dirty tricks. Stay close to me when we¡¯re in there,¡± exhorted Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°This is the capital city of the Great Yue. Surely they won¡¯t dare to do anything stupid with so many people present?¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. After all, they are a bunch of morons. Don¡¯t try to gauge their thoughts from a normal people¡¯s perspective.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s comments on this group of people from the Wan Kingdom were utterly harsh and critical.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    All guests ahead of them got out of their carriages and palanquins at the gateway of the imperial palace. The horse-drawn carriage of Ling Zhang also slowly drove up to the gateway and came to a halt. The plain carriage was a rather sorry sight and naturally attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention. On top of that, there was no coat of arms or emblazonment of any kind on it, which gave people the impression that it had come to this place by mistake. As a result, some palace guards on duty at the gateway immediately walked up to the carriage with grim faces.


    ¡°Stop. This is the imperial palace. Identify yourselves.¡±


    A team of palace guards surrounded the horse-drawn carriage, their weapons pointed at it.


    Some of the people who were about to walk through the palace gate paused and turned around to look on, while others, who had a good opinion of themselves and scorned to waste their time watching the follow-up of some ignorant commoners¡¯ failed attempt to sneak into the imperial palace, ignored this and entered the palace. Some sharp-eyed ones of those who stayed noticed that though this plain carriage bore no coat of arms, there was a makeshift identity board overhanging its door frame, which was engraved with the words ¡°Ling Mansion¡±.


    ¡°The Ling Mansion?¡± someone exclaimed in a muted voice.


    As if the two words ¡°Ling Mansion¡± were something that could stimulate their nerves, all of them instantly focused their attention on that carriage.


    ¡°Is he by any chance the one who just entered the city earlier this day?¡±


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen¡¯s betrothed?¡±


    ¡°The one who angered the Ninth Princess to tears at the city gate?¡±


    Immediately, all lookers-on fell into private discussions with each other, staring at the carriage while talking. Some of them were merely curious, but more were waiting to see how the one inside the carriage would tackle this situation, malice glinting in their eyes.


    ¡°It is rumored that earlier this day, that Ling Zhang guy did something wildly arrogant ¨Che was bold enough to talk back to the Ninth Princess. Yet he still dared to come here to attend the banquet. Has he taken leave of his senses? He¡¯s but a countryman with neither scholarly honor nor an official rank. Does he seriously think he can get the permission to attend a palace banquet?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really taken himself for somebody. Marshal Yuwen has not married him yet. Isn¡¯t this kind of behavior too cocky?¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s a man. Tsk, tsk.¡±


    These people sneering thought that their voices were low enough, but Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, with their excellent hearing, naturally heard each and every single word. Yuwen Tong¡¯s face fell frosty, and the air about him changed drastically, as if he were giving off an aura of iciness.


    Ling Zhang was impassive. Though he had some time ago guessed that some people in the capital city would gossip about him, it had never crossed his mind that they would do this as soon as he arrived at the palace gate, and in the presence of the envoys from the Wan Kingdom. ¡®These guys are virtually like those gossipy women on the streets of Tanyang.¡¯ Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. ¡®This is how court officials of the Great Yue are like?¡¯


    ¡°What? Yuwen Tong¡¯s betrothed? The one for whom Yuwen Tong went to Tanyang and stayed there for a month? I heard that it¡¯s a man. Well, this is new. As a man with a king¡¯s title, I¡¯d like to find out how charming a man has to be to bewitch Yuwen Tong. Had I known this earlier, we would never have resorted to war. We send a handsome male entertainer to Yuwen Tong and our victory will be certain, without a single casualty. Alas, what a misjudgment.¡±


    There words were followed by some even meaner remarks. The man spoke with a heavy Wan-Kingdom accent, which was an unmistakable indication of his identity.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know, King Ming¡¯en. That Ling Zhang guy is merely a countryman. How charming could he be? Our Marshal will never let a person of this kind cloud his judgement,¡± an official of the Great Yue commented contemptuously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. Hey, you, Yuwen Tong¡¯s chick inside the carriage, why don¡¯t you come out and let us behold your beauty?¡± the previous speaker yelled at the carriage.


    The curtain of the carriage was lifted up and all people stared unblinkingly. However, at the sight of the one emerged from inside, they were thrown into franticness and all the color drained from their faces.


    ¡®Mar¨CMarshal Yuwen?!¡¯


    The palace guards besieging the carriage forgot to lower their weapons, goggling at Yuwen Tong in shocked silence, unaware of how come Yuwen Tong was on a carriage like this.


    Yuwen Tong stood on the horse-drawn carriage. His piercing, cold eyes slowly swept through the people present, the anger and killing intent in them so horrifying that all people who had gossiped just now couldn¡¯t help but give a cold shiver of fear. Everybody hung their head and didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with Yuwen Tong, their eyes darting back and forth.


    A hush instantly descended over the crowd at the gateway of the palace. Even the sound of a needle falling to the ground would have been heard.


    Among the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom, face of a man dressed in sumptuous clothes also froze when his eyes met Yuwen Tong¡¯s. The air about Yuwen Tong was so powerful that the man could barely breathe. He managed to force a smile and said, ¡°It turns out Marshal Yuwen is also here. How come you traveled here on such a nondescript carriage?¡±


    Yuwen Tong ignored him, turned around, lifted up the curtain and guided Ling Zhang outside.


    Disregarded, the richly clothed man clenched his fists, but when he saw Yuwen Tong guide a young man out of the carriage, he found that the man was indeed exceptionally handsome. Wearing an exquisite, sapphire blue garment, in the light of the palace lanterns which were making this place as bright as day, the man looked like a jade statue coming to life, cutting quite a fine figure.


    Expression in the eyes of the man in rich attire briefly changed. ¡®This must be Ling Zhang, the one all those rumors are about, Yuwen Tong¡¯s betrothed.¡¯


    It was not until Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang got off the carriage together that those palace guards collected themselves, hurriedly put away their weapons and lowered their heads, sweating buckets.


    Without even glancing at them, Yuwen Tong walked up to the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom.


    Seeing Yuwen Tong walking up to him, the sumptuously clothed man involuntarily straightened his back and was just about to say something when his vision briefly blurred, and with that someone kicked him hard sending him flying. He landed on the ground and his inner organs felt as if they had been displaced. The pain was so sharp that stars were dancing before his eyes.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness!¡±


    All people present were startled. In alarm, members of the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom hurriedly ran up and raised the gorgeously clothed man, who was unable to stand up by himself, to his feet.


    ¡°Why did you do this, Yuwen Tong?! Do you wish to see the peace accord between our countries invalidated?!¡± Envoys of the Wan Kingdom were both shocked and indignant, but they couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid when they saw the frosty face of Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching him how he¡¯s supposed to conduct himself.¡± Yuwen Tong walked up to the man again. Seeing this, those envoys of the Wan Kingdom hastily guided the gorgeously clothed man backwards for fear that Yuwen Tong might resort to violence again.


    ¡°Shan Congwen, if you wish to die sooner, I can offer you some help with that.¡± Standing before the gorgeously-clothed man, Yuwen Tong flintily looked down at him, stooped down and said in a low voice, ¡°Why do you think I merely took seven cities of yours this time? Your head is on your shoulders only temporarily. If you have a death wish, I don¡¯t mind taking it from you ahead of schedule.¡±


    This remark struck fear into all envoys¡¯ hearts. ¡°You¨CYou are way too arrogant!¡±


    ¡°Arrogant?¡± Yuwen Tong straightened himself, looking askance at them. ¡°You may have a try if you want. Sooner or later I¡¯ll collect the huge debt of blood you owe to Yuwen family.¡±


    ¡®What does he mean?¡¯ All envoys were rooted to the spot by this remark.


    The gorgeously clothed man eyed fixedly at Yuwen Tong with hatred.


    Yuwen Tong turned around and said, ¡°If I were you, I would cower like a rat lest I can¡¯t even make it out of the Great Yue.¡±


    Then he returned to Ling Zhang¡¯s side and exchanged glances with him. Ling Zhang briefly bobbed his head and then walked to the palace gate hand in hand with Yuwen Tong.


    While walking past the couple of officials who had just gossiped about him, Ling Zhang suddenly halted and slightly raised his chin. After his eyes ran down their faces, he queried in a casual tone of voice, ¡°May I have your names, Your Lordships?¡±


    The couple of officials who were asked forced an awkward smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zuo Yi working for the Ministry of Works.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Zhang Zhengqing working for the Ministry of Vehicles.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ji Ting working for the Ministry of Vehicles.¡±


    Ling Zhang could vaguely connect their names with the information that Tao Feng had told him previously. Zuo Yi, that Councilor of the Ministry of Works, was Peng Fang¡¯s immediate subordinate. Zhang Zhengqing and Ji Ting, both of whom worked for the Ministry of Vehicles, were pretty old and mediocre. Except for Zuo Yi, all of them were the kind of people who held an office and enjoyed all the privileges without doing a stroke of work.


    ¡°Just now, I heard your words and feel that you have amazing eloquence. I¡¯m Ling Zhang, a worthless person. I just arrived in the capital city earlier this day. A couple of my servants went to the market to buy food but were bullied due to their lack of acquaintance with the rules of this city. If they were as eloquent as you, that would never have happened. May I ask when you will be at your leisure? I¡¯d like to take them to your places to learn from you.¡±


    At first, people nearby didn¡¯t understand what he meant. When they saw the light, the expression on their faces became weird.


    Cheeks of Zuo Yi and the other two, in particular, flushed as scarlet as the color of pig liver with rage. ¡°You mean fellow. Y¨CYou!¡±


    ¡°You are unwilling?¡± Ling Zhang affected a confusion he didn¡¯t feel. ¡°I once read this sentence in a book, ¡®An official should regard bringing commoners fortune and happiness as his meritorious service, and bringing them poverty and misery his sin.¡¯ I thought that this was a general consensus among all high-ranking officials, that they all wanted the best for the people and were readily willing to help the people. All of us are from the countryside, and we had no one to help us get justice after being wronged. When I saw your amiable faces, I thought that you must be the kind of good officials that some people kept talking about, but it turns out that I, a countryman, was mistaken. The capital city swarming with high-ranking officials is literally overshadowed by Tanyang, which is a small city surrounded by rice paddies, for our Lord Tao is a good official who truly wants the best for his people.¡±


    Eventually, he added, ¡°Yuwen Tong, now I really regret having come to this city with you. It falls far short of what you described.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took the hint and was very cooperative. He flicked a glance at the three officials, who were on the verge of fainting due to fury, and said coldly, ¡°This came as a surprise to me as well. It seems that the capital city has changed during my several years¡¯ absence.¡±


    Feigning astonishment, Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°It turns out that you didn¡¯t know this either. Alas. It makes sense. If I were you, I would have been unwilling to return to this city as well. It¡¯s been less than one day since your return, yet people here have already started pointing at you and gossiping about you. Poor guy, you have so little respect from others for a marshal.


    Let¡¯s just go. The stink here is penetrating.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Upon saying this, the two of them entered the palace, leaving the three officials consumed with rage and others transfixed with shock.


    Inside a horse-drawn carriage that had just approached sat two old men. One of them said, ¡°That man is Ling Zhang?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite sharp-tongued and has a gift of gab. Look at those fools, they were nearly reduced to coma due to anger,¡± the other one laughed.


    ¡°This afternoon, he had a visitor¡¯s card sent to my place, saying that Tao Feng had had him deliver some stuff here, that he wanted to inform me first before visiting me so as not to cause me disturbance. This kid¡¯s pretty polite.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting gifts as well? Me, too. Tao Feng is still as thorough as always.¡±


    ¡°You are his son¡¯s teacher. How dare he not send you gifts? You might abuse your power and deliberately make life difficult for his son if he hadn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What do you take me for?!¡±

 Chapter 172 - Ungrateful and Treacherous?

    The unpleasant incident at the gateway of the imperial palace soon seemed to be forgotten. Even the envoys of the Wan Kingdom lapsed into silence after entering the palace, clearly having no intention to bring up this occurrence.


    The venue for the welcome reception was the Taiqing Palace, which was rather spacious. In the normal course of events, only on an important festival would this palace be used for a banquet, but evidently Yuwen Tong was an exception. The reason why he was given such honor was not only because of his identity but also his victory in this war. He had taken seven cities of the Wan Kingdom at one fell swoop, and the Wan Kingdom had even sent a diplomatic corps here to sue for peace with their tails between their legs, which had gladdened the hearts of all subjects of the Great Yue. During these years, as a result of incessant wars, the exchequer of the Great Yue had almost been depleted. Now, with this great victory, they could finally relax safe. In this regard, the emperor of the Great Yue was the most delighted one of all.


    By the time Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong arrived, more than half of the attendees had been seated. Naturally, the two of them attracted the attention of almost everybody present when they walked inside. Yuwen Tong was handsome, stalwart and tall, and Ling Zhang was of great presence. The two of them walking hand in hand was such a pleasant sight that many guests were thrown into amazement.


    However, some others were not very pleased to see this. Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face darkened. Yuwen Qi was rooted to the spot by shock, feeling that Yuwen Tong was out of his mind. Only Yuwen Feng, with a surprised and thoughtful look on his face, rose to his feet and walked up to Yuwen Tong to greet him. ¡°Cousin.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head.


    Smiling, Yuwen Feng looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°This must be Childe Ling, I suppose?¡±


    Ling Zhang folded his hands in front, ¡°Yes, nice to meet you.¡±


    Yuwen Feng also made the same gesture of courtesy and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Yuwen Feng. I¡¯ve been hearing people talking about you for quite some time. Today I finally saw you in the flesh. For fear that you might be embarrassed, my cousin refused to let us visit you, which made all of us quite anxious. My father and my younger brother are also here. Would you like to meet them, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s common courtesy to pay respects to my elder.¡±


    Yuwen Feng led him to Yuwen Zhi and introduced him. ¡°Father, this is Childe Ling. You¡¯ve been looking forward to seeing him, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ling Zhang. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Lord Yuwen.¡± Ling Zhang made a bow with hands folded in front to show respect.


    Unsurprisingly, Yuwen Zhi was not as enthusiastic as Yuwen Feng. With a lukewarm look on his face, he flicked Ling Zhang a glance, blandly uttered ¡°Um¡± and then ignored him, which was an unmistakable indication that he held Ling Zhang in icy disregard.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face changed. It had never crossed his mind that even on such an occasion when so many people were present, his father still refused to take into consideration of Ling Zhang¡¯s feelings. Seeing Yuwen Tong walking in this direction with a sullen countenance, he hurriedly introduced Yuwen Qi in an attempt to defuse this awkward situation. ¡°This is my younger brother, Yuwen Qi. He¡¯s about your age. I think the two of you will get along quite well.¡±


    Ling Zhang secretly sneered. ¡®Get along quite well?¡¯


    Seeing his father¡¯s lukewarm attitude, Yuwen Qi, who didn¡¯t feel like talking to Ling Zhang, directly disregarded him as well. He even said, ¡°Elder Brother, you should think twice before bringing people to father. Do you not know that father doesn¡¯t have the time to talk with a nobody?¡±


    Ever since Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong entered the hall, all people present had fixed their eyes on the two of them, and they were staring at them at this moment as well. A few moments ago, when they had seen Yuwen Feng walk up to Ling Zhang to talk to him with a smiling face, they had thought that people of Yuwen family were very fond of Ling Zhang, and begun to suspect that there had been some particular reason why Yuwen family had turned a blind eye to the failed attempts to assassinate and poison Ling Zhang, but then, when they saw the attitudes of Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi, the light suddenly dawned on them. ¡®So people of Yuwen family don¡¯t like this Ling Zhang guy at all. It seems that what¡¯s going to happen next would be quite interesting.¡¯


    Before Yuwen Tong could say anything, Ling Zhang remarked, ¡°Before I came to the capital city, my grandfather once told me that Yuwen family is home to a great number of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our country, that it is an admirable family. He also warned me that just because he had once saved Old General Yuwen¡¯s life doesn¡¯t entitle me to put on airs, that I¡¯m supposed to respect elders of Yuwen family, be nice and try to get along with and learn from peers in Yuwen family, that he didn¡¯t expect me to achieve any unequaled accomplishments, only wished me to be as loyal to our country as martyrs of Yuwen family had been. He said that if some day I have the good fortune to become an official, I should dedicate myself to making life easier and happier for the people, that even if becoming an official is not what the future holds for me, I should also help others whenever I could. I¡¯ve been keeping all these words in mind and not for a single instant have I ever forgotten any of them, but I¡¯m afraid my grandfather¡¯s worry is unnecessary, for some people of Yuwen family have already forgotten what he did for their family, which makes it impossible for me to get a chance to learn from my peers in Yuwen family. What a pity. Such being the case, I think it¡¯s advisable for me to stop imposing on your patience. Please pardon me for my being presumptuous.¡±


    After saying this, he turned around and said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°I¡¯m such an embarrassment, and I brought shame on you as well. I might as well go back right now.¡±


    With a drastic change of his countenance, Yuwen Feng hurriedly stepped forward and stopped Ling Zhang. ¡°Wait a moment. You misunderstood, Childe Ling. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just that my father and my younger brother failed to recall you are grandson of Old Master Ling in Tanyang. They didn¡¯t mean to embarrass you.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face had turned dark with rage while Ling Zhang made those remarks, and at this moment, the fury inside him had reached such a pitch that he could scarcely keep from losing his temper. However, all civil officials as well as military officers present in the hall were gazing in this direction. The look in their eyes so piercing that it seemed as if they wanted to cut his head open to see what was really in his mind. It would take only one tiny mistake to cause him to be branded as an ungrateful bastard.


    It was far beyond his expectation that Ling Zhang was so sharp-tongued!


    Consumed with anger, Yuwen Qi sitting on the side was just about to rise from his seat to hurl abuse when Yuwen Zhi quickly stopped him. Teeth gritted, Yuwen Zhi stared at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you are the eldest grandson of Old Master Ling. What happened just now is indeed a misunderstanding. It is engraved in the very heart of every member of Yuwen family that Old Master Ling once saved my father¡¯s life. How could we forget that? It¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t state your identity and I didn¡¯t know you. How could I have known you were Old Master Ling¡¯s grandson at first glance? Please don¡¯t jump to conclusions, Childe Ling. This might reduce our family to being regarded as ungrateful.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned around, looked at him and replied, ¡°That¡¯s a lesson well taught, Lord Yuwen. I was being extreme in that moment. I thought that¡­¡±


    After saying this, he flicked a somewhat embarrassed glance at Yuwen Tong and continued, ¡°I thought that you should¡¯ve known whom Yuwen Tong was engaged to. You are his uncle after all. It never crossed my mind that you are unaware of it. I¡¯m so sorry. I offer you my solemn apology once again. Please forgive me, Lord Yuwen.¡±


    Suddenly, a chuckle escaped the mouth of someone in the corner, but soon that person stopped and fought back his urge to laugh.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face twisted. ¡°Of course I know who my nephew¡¯s betrothed is. It was just that I failed to recall. I¡¯m a pretty busy man, and just now I was preoccupied with some public affairs, which caused a lapse of concentration of mine.¡±


    ¡°I see. It was indeed rude of me to have misunderstood you consecutively tonight, Lord Yuwen. Please pardon me.¡± Ling Zhang apologized, pushing the boat along with the current.


    Although things seemed to have been smoothed over, all people present were fully aware of what had really happened.


    ¡°Ha ha¡­ It turns out that was a misunderstanding. Lord Yuwen probably got overjoyed when he saw that his nephew had returned, and all his attention was focused on his nephew, so he forgot whom his nephew had brought to the capital city.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Lord Yuwen is still so affectionate towards the Marshal. The affection between the two of them is so deep.¡±


    ¡°As far as I could tell, it won¡¯t be long before Yuwen family starts making preparations for a wedding. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be two happy events coming one after another? I mean, the Marshal has just won a victory when he got himself a beauti¨C¡± The speaker gave a cough and continued, ¡°A considerate spouse. Childe Ling is of such great presence ¨Cas great as that of¡­ his grandfather!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. Joy be with you!¡±


    With a seemingly timid smile on his face, Ling Zhang glanced at Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi out of the corner of his eyes and saw that the expression in their eyes seemed to have nothing to do with the smile on their faces. Of course, from his current position, he could not see anybody else¡¯s face.


    Both Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi had a sullen look in their eyes.


    Hand in hand, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were led to their table by a palace servant, which was right next to Yuwen Zhi¡¯s table on the left and also the one closest to the emperor¡¯s seat.


    Beneath the appraising gaze of all civil officials and military officers in the hall, Ling Zhang unhurriedly took a seat.


    It was just that¡­


    Yuwen Tong, who was sitting by his side, was the only one aware that the hand he was holding was quivering. ¡®This little guy hurled a torrent of criticism only a few moments ago, but now he is so nervous.¡¯


    He gave a chuckle. ¡°You feel better now?¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly parted his lips and replied in a muted voice, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    Yuwen Tong still didn¡¯t release Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, his right hand and Ling Zhang¡¯s left one clasped together under the table.


    Though appearing composed, Ling Zhang was secretly worried. ¡®With so many eyes fixed on us, Yuwen Tong still dared to conduct himself this way. Wouldn¡¯t us be embarrassed to death if anybody finds out?¡¯


    Right at this moment, two old men walked inside the hall, one of whom was wearing a robe of the first-ranked official, and the other second-ranked, but there was something special about their robes, so Ling Zhang came to the realization that these two men probably used to be a first-ranked official and a second-ranked official respectively and had now retired, who, though still having their ranks, would hardly get involved in any official affairs. Instantly, he guessed who these two men were. The older one should be Tao Feng¡¯s teacher, and the other one Tao Yi¡¯s.


    Though no longer performing any official duties, these two old officials still carried a lot of weight, and the emperor still thought highly of them. It was rumored that whenever something important came up, he would always consult with the two of them, which was a clear indication that he trusted these two men very much. As a result, the two of them had always been conducting themselves in a low-key manner, trying not to get involved in the business of any faction. However, though they had drawn a clear line of demarcation with all factions, their students in themselves were an extensive and complicated network of relationships: Tao Feng and Tao Yi, to name but two.


    As expected, after the two old officials entered the hall, many people rose from their seats and folded their hands in front to pay respect.


    Yuwen Tong also stood up, and so did Ling Zhang. The two of them walked up to pay respect to the two old men.


    ¡°Congratulations on your victory and welcome back, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve also got yourself such a good partner. I really envy you.¡±


    The two old men each made a remark. Voices of both of them were rather sonorous, their smile very hearty.


    For the first time since he had walked into this hall, Ling Zhang felt comfortable and at ease.


    ¡°Both of us received the visitor¡¯s cards from Childe Ling. Thank you for delivering the gifts here for Tao Feng. I heard that you were planning to go to the Imperial College to study?¡± asked an old official.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to claim credit for that. Before coming to this city, I had the great honor to be granted by His Majesty the admission to the Imperial College.¡±


    The old official inclined his head and said, ¡°Then it¡¯s safe to say that this won¡¯t be our last meeting.¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused. After they returned to their seats, still in puzzlement, he asked Yuwen Tong in an undertone, ¡°What did that old official mean by that remark? I didn¡¯t hear anything about him teaching in the Imperial College.¡±


    As if something had just occurred to him, Yuwen Tong patted Ling Zhang on the back of his hand, signaling him to show some patience.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head and recovered himself.


    After all these interludes, the emperor finally arrived.


    ¡°His Majesty approaches!¡± A eunuch showed up at the doorway and announced the arrival of the emperor and with that all people in the hall rose to their feet and bowed with their hands folded in front to pay their respects.

 Chapter 173 - The Instigator Was the Ninth Princess

    Chapter 173: The Instigator Was the Ninth Princess


    Ling Zhang had never seen the emperor before, not even in his last incarnation. This was the first time that he had laid eyes on him. Before this day, he had thought that the emperor was a very portly man, but unexpectedly, he was very thin. It was just that he didn¡¯t look very well, as if he had been born with a fairly weak constitution, but even if this were the case, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was an emperor, and the commanding presence of him deterred most people present from looking him in the eye.


    ¡°You may rise, my Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China). This banquet is meant for Aiqing Yuwen, who has just returned to this city with a great victory. I¡¯d like to drink this glass of wine first and, on behalf of all my subjects, thank Marshal Yuwen and all troops of the North-western Army for the valor they displayed on the battlefield. Without them, this great victory would never have been gained.¡±


    After saying this, the emperor drank the glass of wine in one gulp. Naturally, civil officials and military officers of all ranks followed suit and also made some remarks the meanings of which were similar to that of the emperor¡¯s.


    Yuwen Tong drank several glasses in a row and the first round was finally over.


    Among all attendees, envoys of the Wan Kingdom who had unabashedly attended this welcome reception were the only ones in embarrassment, their faces dark with anger, which made them quite a sorry sight.


    Ling Zhang was not the only one in this hall who had a gift for gab. Those civil officials and military officers were also masters of sarcasm, and some of them were even more sharp-tongued than Ling Zhang was. With everybody contributing to the discussion, those envoys of the Wan Kingdom were nearly reduced to vomiting blood due to anger, but they had no alternative but to swallow all those remarks.


    Ling Zhang was puzzled. ¡®What is it that they are after? Why did they put themselves in this awkward situation? They enjoy being ridiculed?¡¯


    No matter what the intention of this group of people from the Wan Kingdom was, the thing that Yuwen Tong wanted to do on this night was carried out as planned.


    Halfway through the banquet, someone walked in from the outside, saying that he had something to report to Yuwen Tong.


    However, right at the time when everybody believed that it was about some special military situation, the man reported, ¡°Your Majesty, Marshal, the assassin who attempted to assassinate Childe Ling has been safely escorted into the capital city. The escort team is waiting right outside.¡±


    ¡®An assassin?¡¯ All officials were somewhat perplexed. They had heard about the assassination, but rumor had it that all assassins were dead. ¡®Are they by any chance still alive?¡¯


    ¡°Aiqing Yuwen, what¡¯s going on?¡± queried the emperor.


    ¡°Your Majesty, one of the two assassins caught in Tanyang bit through a wax ball with poison inside and we failed to save him. The other one bit off his own tongue trying to commit suicide as well but was afterwards found still breathing by me, so I hurriedly forced some medicine into him to keep him alive and then had my personal bodyguards take him to a famous physician in Cangzhou who offered him medical treatment. Since I wasn¡¯t sure whether this assassin would survive or not, to be on the safe side, I kept this to myself. Now that he¡¯s been escorted back to the capital city, I think he must have survived. I¡¯ll go outside and ask him who gave the order. It won¡¯t be long.¡±


    ¡°Since this matter concerns the Palace Guards, I should not stand by. Have him brought inside,¡± said the emperor.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Yuwen Tong replied and then instructed the man, ¡°Go and bring him here.¡±


    The man followed the order. There was a deathly hush in the hall. Everybody was speculating exactly what was going on. After all, the assassins were palace guards. Though their target had not been Yuwen Tong himself, the intention of the behind-the-scenes mastermind afforded much food for thought. There were indeed some conjecturing that the emperor had been the one who had sent the assassins, that the statement of Ling Zhang being the target was but a cover-up, that Yuwen Tong had been the actual target.


    All those who made such conjectures were people who more or less knew about the true thoughts of the emperor, but now, hearing the emperor give the order to interrogate the assassin in front of so many people, they were somewhat puzzled.


    ¡®Is His Majesty by any chance not the one responsible for this?¡¯


    As a matter of fact, the reason why the emperor had decided to openly interrogate the assassin was indeed to rid himself of suspicions. He did want Yuwen Tong killed, but not at this time, and he wouldn¡¯t resort to this kind of method, because this would reduce him to infamy. If he suddenly had Yuwen Tong killed for no good reason and the palace guards were the ones who did it, what would his subjects think of their emperor?


    The emperor had a suspicious mind but also knew that this kind of ill name was something he didn¡¯t want.


    Soon, the assassin was brought inside and forced to his knees in the middle of the hall, all his thoughts dashed, his face ghastly pale. ¡°Your guilty servant pays his respect to you, Your Majesty. Please sentence me to death, though dying ten thousand deaths will not be sufficient to atone for my crime.¡±


    ¡°You do deserve a death sentence for being so bold as to make an attempt to assassinate Aiqing Yuwen¡¯s wife-to-be. Answer this question ¨C who gave you the order?!¡± the emperor demanded in a severe tone of voice.


    The assassin kowtowed with a loud bang and kept his brow against the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous! His Majesty is right in front of you. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. Answer the question right now, or else!¡± reprimanded an eunuch standing beside the emperor.


    ¡°I fear that all my family will be killed if I confess,¡± wept the assassin.


    ¡°Someone threatened to kill all your family and coerced you into doing that? Who is it?!¡± The emperor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I assure you all your family will be safe. Make a full confession in front of us all.¡±


    The assassin raised his head to look at the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, can you really guarantee that all my family will be safe?¡±


    ¡°How dare you! His Majesty¡¯s words are an imperial edict, on which you are in no place to lay doubt!¡± the eunuch reprimanded him again.


    As if having set his mind at rest, the assassin heaved a sigh of relief and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll confess. It was under orders fro¨Cfrom the Ninth Princess that I went there to assassinate Ling Zhang. The Ninth Princess instructed me to do whatever it took to kill Ling Zhang, or else she¡¯d have all my family executed.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous! The Ninth Princess is a noble member of the imperial family. How dare you frame Her Highness?!¡± the eunuch hurriedly snapped, taken aback.


    Even all civil officials and military officers present in the hall burst into an uproar. ¡®The Ninth Princess?!¡¯


    The King Duan rose to his feet and remarked, ¡°Father, there must be some kind of misunderstanding. Ninth Younger Sister has always been a good-natured person. It¡¯s impossible that she was the one who did this. No matter how bad she wants to marry Marshal Yuwen, she will never try to have innocent Childe Ling killed.¡±


    ¡°Third Elder Brother, Ninth Younger Sister never said anything about wanting to marry Marshal Yuwen. Don¡¯t you slander her!¡± The Fourth Prince, otherwise known as the King Hui, hurriedly stood up and sprung to his sister¡¯s defence for fear that his sister¡¯s reputation would be ruined before she could rid herself of this accusation.


    ¡°Fourth Younger Brother, there¡¯s no need for you to cover for Ninth Younger Sister. It¡¯s not like this is something she should be ashamed of,¡± the King Duan commented with great confidence and then walked up to the assassin. ¡°Hey, let me ask you something. You said that the Ninth Princess was the one who gave the order, but do you have any proofs to back that up? If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be convicted of the felony of framing a princess and all your family will be executed along with you!¡±


    ¡°This assassin made that up! How is it possible that he has proofs? Ninth Younger Sister is a girl living in the imperial palace. She could never have made contact with this man, let alone incite him to kill anybody. This assassin is definitely trying to frame her. Guards! Drag this assassin out of here right now and flog him to death!¡± the King Hui hurriedly remarked.


    ¡°Why are you so anxious, Fourth Younger Brother? Even if Ninth Younger Sister was innocent, the culprit would be someone else, and this assassin is a key witness. If you have him flogged to death¡­ Well, Fourth Younger Brother, are you having a guilty conscience and afraid of what this assassin might say next, by any chance?¡± The King Duan immediately directed the suspicions against the King Hui.


    The King Hui was both shocked and infuriated. ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    ¡°Enough! Shut your mouths! Both of you!¡± The emperor¡¯s face was as cold as a pond. ¡°Go back to your seats. Such behavior is unbelievably undignified!¡±


    Though unresigned, the King Hui had no choice but to sit back into his seat, while the King Duan was unable to conceal the complacency on his face no matter how hard he tried.


    It had never crossed his mind that the Ninth Princess had been involved in this matter, which had turned out to be a great favor to him. If the King Hui, who was a backer of the Ninth Princess, would be incriminated as well, he would be even more pleased.


    Ling Zhang had been looking on all along. The truth of this matter had been ascertained before Yuwen Tong decided to bring this assassin to the imperial palace. It was indeed the Ninth Princess who had ordered the assassination, not anybody else.


    ¡°I have proof,¡± the assassin suddenly said. ¡°I didn¡¯t make that up. Please spare my family, Your Majesty. I was really coerced by the Ninth Princess.¡±


    ¡°Then show us the proof!¡± The King Duan glared at him.


    The King Hui rose to his feet and was just about to say something when the emperor darted him a piercing look and with that he had no choice but to sit back into his seat.


    ¡°Before I left the capital city, the personal handmaid of the Ninth Princess once came to me and I stole the plate hanging on her belt from her when she was not paying attention. It was a security pass for the palace of the Ninth Princess. On that day, she went back to my place to look for it. I lied to her, saying that I had never seen it. She didn¡¯t know it was taken by me. I have it right in my bosom!¡± said the assassin.


    Soon a palace servant searched the assassin and found the plate. It was indeed a security pass for the palace of the Ninth Princess.


    ¡°Who knows whether you are lying or not? You could have accidentally found the plate of the handmaid somewhere and deliberately said that you stole it from her,¡± remarked the King Hui.


    ¡°Interrogate her and the truth will be revealed,¡± replied the assassin in an utterly unafraid tone of voice.


    The emperor instructed flintily, ¡°Guards, restrain that handmaid and have her interrogated.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    After the joyous banquet was reduced to this kind of incident, everybody was no longer in the mood for food. Speaking of this assassination, Ling Zhang was the target who had narrowly escaped death, but attention of none of the civil officials and military officers in the hall was focused on him. Their gaze was shifting between the King Hui, the assassin, the King Duan, the emperor and Yuwen Tong back and forth. All of them were trying to find traces of the truth. Ling Zhang felt that this must be quite an effort for them.


    After the emperor gave the order, palace guards took immediate action and soon arrested the personal handmaid of the Ninth Princess to interrogate her.


    At this moment, the palace of the Ninth Princess was in total confusion. Originally, handmaids had been helping the Ninth Princess dress up, making preparations for her romantic ¡°chance meeting¡± with Yuwen Tong after the banquet this night, but some palace guards had suddenly intruded into the room and took the personal handmaid of the Ninth Princess away.


    The Ninth Princess¡¯ face changed drastically and asked them why they were doing this. A palace guard informed her, ¡°The assassin who tried to assassinate Ling Zhang has been escorted back. He ratted out you and this handmaid beside you. Please stay in this palace and wait for His Majesty¡¯s further instructions, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What?! This can¡¯t be happening! Isn¡¯t the assassin already dead?!¡± The Ninth Princess¡¯ face instantly paled visibly. The reason why she had returned from the Zhaohua Temple was because she heard that both of the two assassins had died. ¡®How did that assassin come to suddenly raise from the dead?!¡¯


    Nobody knew what that palace guard was considering, but he told her how that assassin had survived and she instantly slumped to the ground, her face deathly white.


    ¡°Your Highness, what should we do now? If Sister Xiang by any chance rats you out, things will be very tricky!¡± a handmaid beside her commented urgently.


    With a sullen look on her face, the Ninth Princess responded, ¡°She¡¯s already been taken away. What else could I do?¡±


    ¡°If she really rats you out and His Majesty asks you about it, you need to assert that you don¡¯t know anything about this matter, and shift the blame onto Sister Xiang. Ju¨CJust say that Sister Xiang grew a sneaking affection for the Marshal during a chance meeting with him, that after hearing the Marshal was engaged to someone, she incited the two palace guards to perform the assassination in your name without your knowledge!¡± the handmaid anxiously advised.

 Chapter 174 - The Ninth Princess Punishment

    On hearing these words, the Ninth Princess, as if having just grabbed a lifesaver, rose to her feet with the help of a palacemaid and quickly recovered herself. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    After saying this, she raked faces of the palacemaids and eunuchs in the room with a ferocious look and said, ¡°None of you are to breathe a single word of what you are not supposed to disclose. Otherwise I¡¯ll have all of you beheaded!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I heard nothing and won¡¯t say anything to anybody. Please have mercy on me!¡± implored all palacemaids and eunuchs in horror.


    The Ninth Princess was still unsure of their loyalty. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that having all of them executed would arouse others¡¯ suspicions, she would have given the order already.


    Though voices of people inside the room were not very loud, people outside, if they pricked up their ears, could still distinguish some key words of the conversation.


    The palacemaid named Xiang¡¯er, who was kneeling on the ground, was chilled by what she heard. Originally, she had made up her mind not to disclose anything. However, to her bitter disappointment, she was determined to sacrifice her own life for her mistress, yet the so-called mistress had unhesitatingly decided to abandon her!


    Intellectually, she told herself that she originally had not wanted to implicate her mistress, but there was a difference between defending her mistress of her own accord and being abandoned by her mistress. She found this unacceptable no matter how hard she tried to excuse her mistress. ¡®Why? Why does Her Highness have so little trust in me? If this is how it¡¯s going to be, I have no other choice¡­¡¯


    ¡°Move.¡± Palace guards escorted her away.


    Seeing them walking out, a palace guard waiting outside said to the captain under his breathe, ¡°Chief, why did you tell Her Highness those things? It¡¯s not likely that she¡¯ll appreciate the kindness.¡±


    ¡°Since we serve the imperial family, we should be of service whenever we can. I informed Her Highness beforehand so that she could make preparations,¡± the captain replied with a calm face.


    Light suddenly dawned on the one who had asked the question. ¡°Your considerations are far more thorough than mine, Chief.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Taiqing Palace, after waiting for some time, people saw the guards whisk a palacemaid into the hall.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we brought Her Highness¡¯ personal handmaid named Xiang¡¯er here as instructed.¡±


    ¡°So you are Xiang¡¯er? Let me ask you something. Did you or did you not meet palace guards in private, threaten them and have them assassinate Ling Zhang?¡± the emperor demanded in a stern tone of voice.


    A mixture of hesitation and misery appeared on the face of Xiang¡¯er who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡±


    There was an intense struggle going on in her mind, which made her seem quite abnormal. Everybody could tell that she was hiding something.


    The emperor furrowed his brow as his eyes went piercing.


    The King Hui hastened to yelled at Xiang¡¯er, ¡°What a bold handmaid. You were asked a question and you are supposed to answer it. Why are you being faltering? Is it because you harbor evil intentions?!¡±


    Originally Xiang¡¯er had been hesitating and struggling with her conscience, but the King Hui looked so ferocious that it seemed as if he would eat her alive, and he had also accused her of harboring evil intentions, so Xiang¡¯er, bitterly disappointed, clenched her teeth and heavily kowtowed. Brow against the ground, she replied, ¡°I deserve to die. I know my mistake now. I shouldn¡¯t have intended to cover for the Ninth Princess. I¡¯m the Ninth Princess¡¯ personal handmaid and I don¡¯t want to betray her, but I also don¡¯t dare to lie to Your Majesty. I¨CI deserve to die ten thousand deaths for my crime.¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± The King Hui flied into a rage. He had never expected that Xiang¡¯er would dare to ignore his warning.


    ¡°Shut up! One more word and I¡¯ll have you escorted to your chambers to introspect straight away!¡± the emperor thundered.


    The King Hui replied in anxiety, ¡°Father, this handmaid made that up!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. The Ninth Princess adores the Marshal. After hearing that the Marshal was betrothed, she was very angry and¡­ and came up with the idea of having his betrothed assassinated. It was her who sent me to threaten the two officers of the Palace Guards. I didn¡¯t have a choice. I tried to dissuade Her Highness from doing the wrong thing, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me and was bent on having her own way. She coerced the two officers into assassinating Childe Ling halfway, threatening to kill all their family if they refused,¡± wept Xiang¡¯er.


    ¡°You!¡± The King Hui¡¯s face was dark with rage.


    In wrath, the emperor smacked his hand down on to the table. ¡°Bring the Ninth Princess to me!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, some palace guards are coming!¡±


    An eunuch, who had been standing at the gateway to act as a lookout, saw ranks of palace guards hastening menacingly towards the palace of the Ninth Princess. Scared, he immediately ran inside to report.


    Countenance of the Ninth Princess abruptly changed and with that she tightly gripped the arm of the palacemaid who was supporting her and, fierce outwardly but shaky inwardly, reprimanded, ¡°Let them come. What¡¯s so scary about palace guards?!¡±


    The eunuch knelt down to the ground and didn¡¯t dare to utter another word.


    Soon palace guards arrived, all of whom were somewhat surprised to see that the Ninth Princess was waiting for them in the hall.


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence in the Taiqing Palace,¡± said a palace guard.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The Ninth Princess tightened her grip on her handkerchief and winked at a palacemaid beside her. The palacemaid nervously inclined her head and then guided the princess towards the outside, a large group of eunuchs following in their wake.


    The look on her face seemed to be suggesting that she was totally unaware of what was waiting for her in the Taiqing Palace, which astonished the palace guards.


    In the Taiqing Palace, all people were somewhat puzzled as they saw the Ninth Princess entering with so many palacemaids and eunuchs.


    ¡°Father, may I ask what it is you want to see me about?¡± asked the Ninth Princess after paying her respect to the emperor.


    ¡°Let me ask you something. Did you or did you not coerce two palace guards with the lives of their family into an assassination attempt targeting Ling Zhang?¡± The emperor fixed her with a penetrating stare.


    The Ninth Princess appeared shocked. ¡°What are you talking about, father? Never have I done such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Your equanimity is remarkable, Your Highness. I stand outshined,¡± said Yuwen Tong in a flinty tone of voice.


    The Ninth Princess seemed to be baffled even further. ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean, Marshal? You must have heard some slanderous remarks. Be careful not to be fooled by those base characters harboring evil intentions.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what happened?¡± The emperor¡¯s face slightly softened.


    Apart from the emperor, there was also the King Hui. He had worried that his younger sister would impulsively kick up a stink, but now, seeing she was so composed, he inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®As long as younger sister¡¯s composure holds, there¡¯s still a chance of saving the situation!¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Father, younger sister is definitely innocent. You cannot believe this palacemaid¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. In order to compel the two officers to submit, Her Highness once sent someone she trusted to their homes to warn them. You¡¯ll find my words true if you have their family questioned, Your Majesty. On top of this, Her Highness also gave the two officers some kind of poison and ordered that they poison themselves if they failed, otherwise she¡¯d have their family executed. This poison was prepared by Xingli, another personal handmaid of Her Highness. Ingredients needed to prepare this kind of poison could still be found in Xingli¡¯s room. I saw her put them away yesterday. They¡¯re hidden right under Xingli¡¯s bed. You¡¯ll know I¡¯m telling the truth if you send someone there to search.¡±


    As the Ninth Princess¡¯ personal handmaid, Xiang¡¯er knew much more inside information than others did, which was also the most lethal for the Ninth Princess. She had gone straight to the heart of the matter, dealing a heavy blow to the Ninth Princess.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± After hearing these remarks, the Ninth Princess, who had originally seemed calm, failed to keep up her pretence and her face instantly went ghastly pale.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I petition you to have Xingli¡¯s room searched immediately and the two assassins¡¯ family brought here to be questioned,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Of course the emperor could not reject a request like this.


    Though the King Hui intended to stop this from happening, his hands were tied. Yuwen Tong was determined to do this, which was obvious to all people present.


    Soon some palace guards went to the room of the palacemaid named Xingli, searched it and then escorted Xingli to the Taiqing Palace. Like Xiang¡¯er had said, there were indeed ingredients of poison in the room. After an imperial physician of the imperial hospital confirmed it, the emperor flied into a temper.


    ¡°Unbelievable! What else do you have to say?!¡± thundered the emperor, face dark with rage.


    The Ninth Princess slumped to her knees. ¡°I¨CI¡­¡±


    As things stood, it was very clear that the Ninth Princess was the behind-the-scenes mastermind.


    The handmaid named Xingli, unable to endure the painful torture, soon made a full confession, which made it unnecessary to summon the two assassins¡¯ family.


    Weeping, the Ninth Princess implored, ¡°Father, I¡¯m just unreconciled. I¡¯m much more eligible than a man on all aspects. Why is the Marshal so insistent on marrying a man?¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched. Seeing the Ninth Princess pointing at him with a resentful look in her eyes, he said flintily, ¡°So this was why Your Highness wanted me killed? It turns out that in your eyes, you can kill anybody whenever you feel like it.¡±


    The Ninth Princess replied in spite, ¡°You are nothing but a cheap commoner. You are in no position to talk to me like that. You are in no position to compete with me for a man!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The emperor couldn¡¯t bear it any more. In heartache and headache, he observed, ¡°All those efforts I made to educate you turn out to be in vain. It never crossed my mind they only served to crack your brains making you an unworthy princess. Your deeds will not go unpunished. Guards, escort the Ninth Princess to the imperial temple. From this day forth, she is to practice Buddhism without tonsure and is not to walk out of the door of the imperial temple without my permission!¡±


    ¡®The imperial temple? Practice Buddhism without tonsure?¡¯ On hearing the emperor¡¯s order, the Ninth Princess passed out. The King Hui¡¯s face paled visibly.


    For a youthful girl, practicing Buddhism without tonsure in the imperial temple would ruin her whole life. The emperor didn¡¯t sentence the Ninth Princess to death, but this punishment was already severe enough for her.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m sure my younger sister merely did that in a momentary confusion. Please have mercy on her.¡± The King Hui knelt down and interceded with the emperor.


    ¡°Confusion? Then she will have enough time to clear her mind in the temple,¡± responded the emperor apathetically.


    He had indeed intended to marry the Ninth Princess to Yuwen Tong so as to keep Yuwen Tong under his control. Had the Ninth Princess succeeded in having Ling Zhang killed, he might have made different arrangements, but she not only had failed in her attempt to kill Ling Zhang but also had been exposed. Only by meting out this punishment would he be able to dissolve Yuwen Tong¡¯s anger. Besides, the Ninth Princess¡¯ conduct had terribly shamed the imperial family. He was already lenient enough with her by having her practice Buddhism in the imperial temple.


    The King Hui lapsed into dejection in the knowledge that the die had been cast.


    The King Duan was inwardly excited. All civil officials and military officers in the hall, who had been looking on all along, kept silent trying to pretend as if they had not seen anything. Envoys of the Wan Kingdom, however, enjoyed the whole thing very much. ¡®This is a scandal involving the imperial family of the Great Yue. If it spreads to other countries, reputation of the emperor of the Great Yue will be terribly undermined.¡±


    ¡°Aiqing Yuwen (Aiqing is a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China), I hope you find my sentence satisfying,¡± the emperor said to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°That¡¯s a wise and righteous decision, Your Majesty. There¡¯s nothing else I could ask for.¡±


    The emperor inclined his head, looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the fright my undutiful daughter put you through, Childe Ling. If there¡¯s any particular kinds of compensation you have in mind, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet and stepped forward. First he paid his respect to the emperor and thanked his kindness, then he said, ¡°You¡¯ve always been so wise, Your Majesty. I don¡¯t dare to claim any compensations. It¡¯s fortunate of me to have been born in the Great Yue, a land ruled by such a sagacious emperor.¡±


    All others were amazed. Clearly they had never expected that Ling Zhang would make these remarks.


    The emperor, however, felt very comfortable after hearing these words. No matter Ling Zhang really meant it or not, at least he saved his face, so he commented, ¡°You might not dare to claim compensations, but I¡¯m obliged to make some.¡±

 Chapter 175 - Contracting an Alliance by Marriage? Save Me the Embarrassment

    The emperor still made it up to Ling Zhang, but those were just some cloth, precious medicine, gold ingots etc. They were merely a token gesture.


    Ling Zhang expressed his gratitude and walked back to Yuwen Tong¡¯s side. Yuwen Tong unnoticeably scratched Ling Zhang¡¯s palm. Ling Zhang pretended nothing had happened but secretly gripped Yuwen Tong¡¯s restless fingers. ¡®He¡¯s merely going through the motions. Anybody can do this. I may not be as sophisticated as these civil officials and military officers filling this hall, but I¡¯m not a fool either,¡¯ he thought.


    After what had happened, not only the emperor was no longer in the mood for a banquet, those civil officials and military officers also knew it was inadvisable for them to stay. As a result, they all rose from their seats intending to take their leave.


    Ling Zhang flicked an uncertain glance at the envoys of the Wan Kingdom, wondering, ¡®Exactly what was it that they came here for?¡¯


    Maybe because Ling Zhang¡¯s confusion was so deep that it somehow generated some kind of influence on the envoys, they finally made their move. The gorgeously clothed man sitting at the front, whose name was Shan Congwen, who was the King Ming¡¯en from the Wan Kingdom, rose to his feet and said to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s a particular matter I¡¯d like to consult with you on behalf of my country.¡±


    The emperor, who was leaving and suddenly stopped by Shan Congwen, grew impatient. ¡®What is wrong with this Shan Congwen guy? He¡¯s been in this city for such a long time. What is it that he waited until this occasion to bring up?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°What do you want to consult with me, King Ming¡¯en?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I on behalf of my father petition you for your consent to unite our two countries by marriage. My father is willing to marry one of my sisters into the Great Yue, sealing amity between us with a marriage alliance,¡± replied Shan Congwen.


    ¡®A marriage alliance? This matter was discussed once, but Shan Congwen had been hesitating all along and never given an official response. Why did he bring this up on his own account today?¡¯ some officials wondered.


    ¡°Originally, my father had intended to have my sister marry into the imperial family of the Great Yue, but she was very wilful and wanted to choose her husband herself,¡± Shan Congwen continued.


    ¡®Choose her husband herself?¡¯


    All officials patiently sat back into their seats with the intention to find out what this prince of the Wan Kingdom had got up in his sleeve.


    ¡°Oh? May I ask which meritocrat Her Highness has her eye on?¡± the emperor asked in a lukewarm tone of voice. ¡®She refused to marry into the imperial family and insisted on choosing her husband herself? These guys from the Wan Kingdom probably don¡¯t quite understand the current circumstances. They¡¯re here to sue for peace, not to put on airs.¡¯


    ¡°She has her eye on Marshal Yuwen and wishes to make an affectionate couple with Marshal Yuwen,¡± responded Shan Congwen, looking in the direction of Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong directly rolled his eyes upwards. ¡®Fuck! I knew these fools of the Wan Kingdom harbored evil intentions.¡¯


    Ling Zhang curved his lips in a sneer. ¡®Does this Shan Congwen guy regard me as invisible? And Yuwen Tong is also an asshole. It¡¯s annoying enough that he attracts the attention of so many girls in the Great Yue, and now even a princess of the Wan Kingdom intends to marry him.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong had just rolled his eyes upwards when he saw the sneer on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Taken aback, he hurriedly adjusted his attitudes and responded in severe and categorical terms, ¡°I refuse. I don¡¯t like women of the Wan Kingdom, especially princesses. A single glance at them would ruin my appetite for food. I would rather let His Majesty have me beheaded than marry her. No, that won¡¯t work. If I die, Younger Brother Zhang would end up being a widow. Jesus, it never crossed my mind that you were such a sly devil, Shan Congwen. You are doing this because you want not only to have me killed but also my Younger Brother Zhang living in widowhood. Is there really not a single eligible man left in the Wan Kingdom? She doesn¡¯t even want to marry into the imperial family of the Great Yue? Who does she think she is? If His Majesty is willing to make a response to her, that would be because he¡¯s kind enough to save her face. If not, she would end up becoming a woman nobody wants to marry. She really thinks she¡¯s more beautiful than a goddess? Get out of here and save me the embarrassment, will you? If you insist on staying and making yourselves uncomfortable, I happen to be itching for another war. And I assure you this time I won¡¯t take just seven common cities. My troops will directly occupy the capital city of the Wan Kingdom. And after that¡­ Humph!¡±


    Yuwen Tong made a torrent of words. Faces of envoys of the Wan Kingdom were dark with rage and they were nearly reduced to vomiting blood with fury. Even the emperor and civil officials and military officers in the hall were sent open-mouthed. It had never crossed any of them¡¯s mind that Yuwen Tong, who had always been a man of few words, would in certain circumstances talk in such a flow of eloquence. And his terms were so¡­ so ¡­


    ¡®Is this man really Yuwen Tong? Is he by any chance an impostor?!¡¯


    There was a deathly hush in the hall. Everybody was dumbfounded.


    Ling Zhang covered his forehead with his hand, his facial expression manifestly suggesting that he couldn¡¯t bear to watch this scene any longer. ¡®Isn¡¯t Yuwen Tong being unduly arrogant?!¡¯


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, You¡¯re going way too far. You really think we are afraid of having another war with the Great Yue?!¡± Finally, Shan Congwen was angered to the verge of tearing up the peace accord.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, how dare you insult our princess! We will make you pay for this, whatever the cost!¡± Other envoys also flied into a rage.


    Yuwen Tong gave a sneer. ¡°You want to quarrel? Were you not the ones who refused to be reasonable in the first place? Actually I¡¯ve seen tons of such deeds of your country. It¡¯s like a thief crying ¡®Stop the thief¡¯. You guys of the Wan Kingdom always want to profit yourselves at the expense of others whenever you have the chance. What kind of trick are you trying to play this time? Force me to marry your princess?¡±


    ¡°Yo¨CYou!¡± It probably had never occurred to envoys of the Wan Kingdom that Yuwen Tong was so ¡®shameless¡¯. They rolled their eyes upwards in fury and nearly lapsed into unconsciousness.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Aiqing Yuwen. Stop being rude to the King Ming¡¯en and envoys of the Wan Kingdom. They are our honored guests. Don¡¯t give others the excuse to accuse us of being impertinent.¡± The emperor finally collected his thoughts and kept Yuwen Tong from making any more remarks to anger the envoys further.


    ¡°King Ming¡¯en, you heard it yourself. Aiqing Yuwen is unwilling to accept the offer of marriage of your country. Aiqing Yuwen is betrothed to Childe Ling, and I wouldn¡¯t force him into marrying anybody even if the engagement didn¡¯t exist. I think it¡¯s only advisable if you talk to your sister and have her reconsider it, King Ming¡¯en.¡±


    This time, the emperor was heartily on Yuwen Tong¡¯s side. ¡®Yuwen Tong is a marshal. If he married a princess of the Wan Kingdom, wouldn¡¯t he be able to stage a revolt any time he wants?¡¯ The emperor would do anything to stop that from happening. It was impossible for him to let Yuwen Tong forge an alliance with the Wan Kingdom by marrying their princess.


    It took Shan Congwen quite a while to recover himself. He had almost been enraged to death by Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong is such a vulgar man. Even if my sister insists on marrying him, I will never agree.¡± Shan Congwen spitefully criticized Yuwen Tong.


    Then he tried to incite Ling Zhang. ¡°Childe Ling, you saw it yourself. Yuwen Tong is nothing but a boor of brawn. I suggest you think twice before marrying him.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied frostily, ¡°Such concern of yours is unnecessary, King Ming¡¯en. No matter what kind of man Yuwen Tong is, it¡¯s me who¡¯s going to marry him, not you. Surely you don¡¯t¡­ have your eye on Yuwen Tong as well, do you?¡±


    Shan Congwen¡¯s face twisted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even if I were blind!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very reassuring,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    All others were speechless.


    Yuwen Tong appeared quite contented, without a shred of displeasure on his face.


    The emperor gave a soft cough and remarked, ¡°All right, so much for the discussion about contracting an alliance by marriage. I¡¯m tired and would like to take my leave early. You may continue. I¡¯d appreciate it if you would keep Aiqing Yuwen company making sure he fully enjoys this banquet.¡±


    The emperor, bursting with impatience, quickly left for fear that Shan Congwen might make any other irritating remarks.


    Since even the emperor had left, Yuwen Tong, who had no intention to stay in this place mingling with these people, also rose from his seat and said, ¡°I¡¯m also tired. I think I¡¯ll go back. I hope you guys enjoy the wine.¡±


    Ling Zhang also stood up, made a bow to the officials with hands folded in front and then followed Yuwen Tong out of the hall.


    Civil officials and military officers exchanged glances in embarrassment and then excused themselves from the banquet one after another on all kinds of pretexts.


    The King Duan had followed in Yuwen Tong wake when he saw him leave. The King Hui, who had been having a sullen face all along due to the matter of the Ninth Princess, was among the last ones to leave.


    People of Yuwen family also lagged behind. Yuwen Zhi¡¯s countenance had been sulky from start to finish. Seeing there was nobody else around, Yuwen Qi directly observed, ¡°Is Yuwen Tong out of his mind? He turned down a princess¡¯ proposal!¡±


    Yuwen Zhi rose from his seat and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go back home first and talk later.¡±


    He was still sensible enough to know that this was not the right place to talk about this matter.


    Yuwen Zhi was shamed once again on this day. Except for the King Hui, he was the one whose face was the sulkiest.


    After people of Yuwen family also left, a young eunuch stealthily glanced around the hall and didn¡¯t leave until he confirmed that there was nobody else left.


    Meanwhile, the King Duan caught up with Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang. ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling.¡±


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had no intention to hear whatever nonsense the King Duan had to say, but they didn¡¯t have a choice, for the King Duan had already kept pace with them.


    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to talk about, Your Highness?¡± queried Yuwen Tong.


    The King Duan replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m leaving the palace as well. We¡¯re going the same way, so I¡¯d like to walk along with you two.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hated to be going the same way with this man.


    ¡°What you just said back in there really made me feel avenged. The Wan Kingdom is the vanquished, yet they still acted so cockily. Just now Shan Congwen was so angry that even his face twisted,¡± said the King Duan who believed that he had started the conversation with the right topic. The expression on his face seemed to be suggesting that he and Yuwen Tong were bound by a common hatred for enemy.


    Yuwen Tong inwardly gave a sneer. ¡®Even if I had not made those remarks, the emperor would still have declined the request of the Wan Kingdom on all kinds of pretexts. There¡¯s no way the emperor will allow me to contract an alliance with the Wan Kingdom by marriage. Feel avenged? No words can help anybody get revenge. Without the blood of several hundred thousand troops of the North-western Army as the price, my words, no matter how powerful they sounded, would be of no more use than bullshit.¡¯


    ¡°I merely said what¡¯s really on my mind. Is this what you want to talk to me about, Your Highness?¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Seeing Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t seem to be happy, the King Duan hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Of course not. Actually, I want to invite you and Childe Ling to my place to have dinner the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I was never a politician. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing I can help you with. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯d like to take my leave,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You are being too modest, Marshal. In fact, I just want to invite you and Childe Ling around to have some fun. It has nothing to do with politics,¡± explained the King Duan.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you, for I won¡¯t be able to find the time in any of the next few days.¡±


    The King Duan¡¯s face briefly froze and with that he replied with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize, Marshal. I¡¯ll invite you again when you are available.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    On the rest of the trip, the King Duan said no more about inviting Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang to anywhere. He walked Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang to their horse-drawn carriage and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Safe journey home, Your Highness,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    The King Duan got into his carriage and left. Officials of all ranks and descriptions, who had just walked out, saw that Yuwen Tong got into the carriage of Ling Zhang. Those who were aware of what had happened earlier at the front gate knew what was going on, while those who were unaware of it watched in astonishment.


    ¡°Why did the Marshal get into Ling Zhang¡¯s carriage? Is he by any chance still going back to the Ling Mansion?¡±


    ¡°Shh, you forgot that tonight in the Taiqing Palace, Lord Yuwen didn¡¯t seem to like that Ling Zhang guy at all, and Ling Zhang is no pushover either. It¡¯s now crystal clear whose side the Marshal has taken.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising that this Ling Zhang guy is so manipulative.¡±

 Chapter 176 - A Reminder from Li Sicai

    ¡°Why did you make those remarks just now?¡± inquired Ling Zhang in the horse-drawn carriage.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Shan Congwen is not really a fool, and neither is anybody in the imperial court of the Wan Kingdom. The ruler of any country is wary of subordinates whose personal prestige threatens to exceed his or hers. Of course those people of the Wan Kingdom knew that a proposal to contract an alliance by marriage would one way or another be rejected by the emperor. They made it anyway only to drive a wedge between me and the emperor, deepening the emperor¡¯s wariness of me. There¡¯s no doubt they will make a further move. I cannot let them seize the initiative and reduce me to a passive position.


    Besides, given that the Wan Kingdom specially waited until I returned to the capital city to make the proposal, they¡¯re definitely confident that they can make trouble for me with their next move. I¡¯ll upset their plan first and then find out exactly what it is that they¡¯re up to.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Although those remarks that Yuwen Tong had just made in the palace sounded arrogant and domineering, they had kept envoys of the Wan Kingdom from saying whatever it was that they¡¯d planned to say next. If the Wan Kingdom had still insisted on having their princess marry into the Great Yue after Yuwen Tong put it that way, it would be a reproach to not only Shan Congwen but also the whole Wan Kingdom. It was just that the intention of the Wan Kingdom was still unknown.


    Seeing the two of them return to the Ling Mansion, Wang Dashan and others, who had been in deep concern because this was the first time that Ling Zhang had visited the imperial palace, heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Young Master, how¡¯s everything going at the banquet in the imperial palace?¡± Li Sicai walked over and took the cape Ling Zhang had just unfastened.


    Li Sicai had been designated butler in this residence after arriving in the capital city with Ling Zhang. Xia Feng and Wang Qing were assistant butlers. Li Sicai had been teaching Xia Feng on the journey to this city all along in the knowledge that Ling Zhang thought much of and also had high expectations of Xia Feng. Though he was the chief butler now, he had given Xia Feng a free hand in many affairs in the residence and had also been offering him directions. As regards Wang Qing, he knew very well why he had been assigned to the capital city. He just offered some assistance and never interfered in these things.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    At the banquet in the imperial palace this night, Ling Zhang had matched those officials of different ranks to the names and information he had been told. Thanks to Yuwen Tong, he had witnessed several interesting occurrences this night, which had helped him come to a preliminary understanding of the situation in the capital city.


    ¡°Did you meet those people of Yuwen family?¡± Li Sicai inquired of him in a low voice.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head and noticed that Yuwen Tong, Yao Yi and a couple of others, though looking in other directions, actually had pricked up their ears. He inwardly gave a cold snort and then gave Li Sicai and others a sketchy account of his confrontation with Yuwen Zhi at the banquet. Then he exhorted them, ¡°Today I thoroughly offended Yuwen Zhi, so there will no doubt be some trouble in the future. You have to be careful. If anybody of Yuwen family comes here to make trouble, you don¡¯t have to be forbearing or conciliatory, but you do need to have a sense of propriety. Don¡¯t let them get anything on you.¡±


    Li Sicai and others nodded, their faces solemn.


    In fact, before coming to the capital city, they had also predicted that people of Yuwen family, which was a noble family of high social status, might look down upon their young master, but because of Yuwen Tong, they had been very well disposed towards other members of Yuwen family, believing that even if they thought little of their young master, they wouldn¡¯t stoop to such ungrateful things, but now it came to their knowledge that they had been mistaken, that Marshal Yuwen¡¯s uncle and his family didn¡¯t welcome their young master. For Li Sicai and others, their young master¡¯s origin was indeed not as noble as that of people of Yuwen family, but he was the best master in their eyes, and they wouldn¡¯t let anybody bully him.


    ¡°You may rest assured that we will never let those people bully anybody in this place, Young Master.¡± Wang Dashan patted himself on the chest. All security guards behind him threw out their chests and patted them, promising that they would never allow people of Yuwen family to bully their young master.


    Yuwen Tong, who had been listening with his ears pricked up all along, was speechless.


    Yao Yi and others, having mixed feelings, looked at their marshal. In their eyes, there were sympathy, reproach and also anxiety¡­ Anyway there were many different meanings contained in that look, which they didn¡¯t know whether their Marshal would be able to understand or not.


    ¡­


    Shortly before bedtime, Ling Zhang washed, changed clothes and planned to go to bed. Outside, Yuwen Tong wanted to enter but Li Sicai standing at the doorway stopped him.


    ¡°Marshal, our young master is going to bed. It¡¯s pretty late. If your business is not urgent, please wait until tomorrow.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was speechless.


    ¡®What a moron. Isn¡¯t it obvious enough that the reason why I¡¯m here at this late hour is because I want to sleep with Ling Zhang? We have finally left Tanyang, and there are no other eyes watching us here, and I have good reason to spend the night in the Ling Mansion. This guy expects me to give up this opportunity of sleeping with my wife and go back to sleep in a cold bed alone? I¡¯m no fool,¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought.


    However, Li Sicai looked Yuwen Tong in the eyes and didn¡¯t move an inch, standing solidly at the doorway.


    ¡°I have an urgent business to consult with him.¡± Yuwen Tong had no choice but to make a decent excuse.


    Li Sicai asked respectfully and politely, ¡°Must it be handled tonight?¡±


    Beneath Li Sicai¡¯s gaze full of sincerity and trust, Yuwen Tong found it difficult to keep lying. After a few moments, he replied, ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Then please wait until tomorrow morning.¡± Li Sicai¡¯s voice was still respectful and courteous.


    After hearing the conversation, Ling Zhang inside the room had already guessed Yuwen Tong¡¯s intention. He directly sat down, waiting to see whether Yuwen Tong would be able to get over this hurdle of Li Sicai.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong outside the room also came to realize what was going on. During the day nobody had tried to stop him from getting into this room, but now at night, Li Sicai refused to let him in. Obviously, after Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi deliberately picked on Ling Zhang at the banquet earlier this night, these servants of Ling family had grown more protective of their young master, and Li Sicai was doing this to remind him of it. ¡®No wonder Old Master Ling assigned Li Sicai to come here with Ling Zhang. This guy¡¯s far smarter than Xia Feng,¡¯ Yuwen Tong pondered.


    ¡°Okay, you made your point. I¡¯ll figure out a way to have my troublesome uncle and his family change their attitudes, and before it¡¯s done, I won¡¯t take your young master to the residence of Yuwen family where he might be subjected to unkind treatment. It¡¯s just that you shouldn¡¯t underestimate your young master. I don¡¯t think there are any circumstances in which my uncle can get the best of him.¡±


    Li Sicai smiled, ¡°That¡¯s very reassuring, Marshal. Although we don¡¯t have the numbers, we¡¯ll never let our young master be wronged by anybody.¡±


    Finally, Li Sicai made way for him. On entering the room, Yuwen Tong saw that Ling Zhang sitting in a chair was leisurely watching him. Clearly he had been listening to his conversation with Li Sicai all along.


    ¡°Why did you come to my place at this late hour of the night instead of sleeping?¡± Ling Zhang cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at him.


    As if he were doing this as a matter of course, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°That¡¯s the very thing I came here to do ¨Csleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang lightly gave a sneer, ¡°This is my house.¡±


    Yuwen Tong walked up to him, drew him to his feet, held him and said, ¡°Your house is my house. Everybody knows about our relationship now. Is it really necessary to make it clear what¡¯s yours, what¡¯s mine?¡±


    Both the warm embrace and the faint fragrance were familiar. Ling Zhang, who was very sleepy, couldn¡¯t help but relax completely in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms, like a weary bird in its nest that it returned to after a long journey. He felt so comfortable that he involuntarily heaved a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless.¡±


    ¡®How could face compare to sleeping with my wife in my arms?¡¯ Yuwen Tong, who had very keen senses, heard distinctly Ling Zhang¡¯s soft sigh of comfort and couldn¡¯t help holding him tighter. In a lowed voice, he remarked, ¡°You mean much more to me than face does. Are you sleepy?¡±


    Ling Zhang lightly uttered ¡°Um¡±. The ends of Yuwen Tong¡¯s hair were tickling the tip of his nose, and he subconsciously rubbed his face against Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck.


    The rub quickened Yuwen Tong¡¯s breathing and also brought a change of look to his eyes. With that, he scooped up Ling Zhang and soon the two of them were in bed.


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and gave him a kiss. Ling Zhang, whose eyes were almost closed, opened them after being kissed. With an admonitory expression on his face, he looked at Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do that again. Sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep after I have my share of kiss.¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Tong gave him another kiss, which lasted quite a long time.


    The feeling of lips and tongues rubbing together was indeed intoxicating. Originally Ling Zhang had wanted to push him aside, but spontaneously, he put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Whh¨C¡± Suddenly, a thin soft cry came from beside their ears.


    Ling Zhang instantly sobered, pushed Yuwen Tong aside, looked at the inner side of the bed and saw a ball of snow-white fur wriggle its way out of the quilt. It twisted its fluffy head around and curiously stared at him and Yuwen Tong with its sparkling black eyes.


    The two of them fell speechless.


    They had forgotten about this white fox cub. Seeing the pure look in the fox cub¡¯s eyes, Ling Zhang felt as if he and Yuwen Tong were setting a bad example for a child. He immediately withdrew his hands and gave Yuwen Tong a dirty look. ¡°Get out of my way. Now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had inwardly cursed the white fox cub numerous times. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for this white fox cub, I would be able to kiss him a while longer and maybe I would even get to kiss some other parts of him. This guy¡¯s definitely a Fox Demon.¡¯ With a sullen face, he lifted the white fox cub, got out of bed and walked towards the door.


    Ling Zhang also hastily got out of bed and followed him. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Finding it someone else to sleep with!¡±


    In his hand, the white fox cub cried waving its legs around frantically in an attempt to grab something. It looked at Ling Zhang with a beseeching expression in its liquid black eyes, the thin soft cry from its throat making Ling Zhang¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Whh¨CWhh¨C¡±


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t have the heart to let Yuwen Tong take it away, caught up with him like the wind and snatched the white fox cub from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand. ¡°If Whitie is to leave my room, you¡¯ll have to leave as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was speechless.


    With a displeased countenance, he secretly clenched his teeth as he looked at the white fox cub which had already wormed its way into the crook of Ling Zhang¡¯s arm curling with its head against his chest.


    ¡°This white fox cub has grown a lot bigger now. You¡¯ve got to stop letting it sleep in your arms every day. A child will never grow up if parents refuse to wean them. In border areas, eagles always push their young out of the nests to let them learn to fly. It¡¯s time this little white fox learned to be independent of you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong poignantly made these remarks, feeling that Ling Zhang was pampering this white fox cub like his own child, which, of course, he disapproved of.


    Ling Zhang briefly paused and then replied in a disbelieving tone of voice, ¡°Those are eagles. Whitie is a fox. You are not comparing like with like.¡±


    ¡°In this regard it¡¯s the very same case. You¡¯re spoiling it. If you don¡¯t stop this and it ends up becoming a fox that is unduly dependent on you and cannot live on its own, you¡¯ll be the one to blame,¡± observed Yuwen Tong seriously.


    Ling Zhang wondered in uncertainty, ¡®Is that really the case?¡¯ Watching the little fox in the crook of his arm, he really didn¡¯t have the heart to let it go.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like the idea of it sleeping with someone else, you¡¯ve got to let it sleep alone,¡± added Yuwen Tong hurriedly as he saw that Ling Zhang seemed to have been swayed somewhat. Ling Zhang would definitely disagree with having the fox cub sleep in another room, but he might find it acceptable to let it sleep in its own box.


    ¡°Well, okay,¡± Ling Zhang inclined his head reluctantly.


    The box of the fox cub, which had been expanded considerably, was soft, warm and very comfortable.


    After a few moments¡¯ thinking, Ling Zhang put the white fox cub into the box and exhorted, ¡°Sleep in your den. Don¡¯t take the liberty of climbing onto my bed again.¡±

 Chapter 177 - A Visit to Yuwen Tongs Fathers Uncle

    The white fox cub¡¯s sparkling black eyes were full of confusion. It didn¡¯t quite understand why climbing into the bed was suddenly banned. What happened just now?


    It had been a hectic tiring day. Ling Zhang vaguely felt that there was something he had been meaning to talk with Yuwen Tong about, but he couldn¡¯t remember what it was no matter how hard he tried to. After a short while, he drifted off to sleep.


    Yuwen Tong, who didn¡¯t have the heart to cause him any disturbance, slept beside him.


    ¡­


    The two of them were sleeping soundly in this room, while in the residence of Yuwen family, lamps had been ablaze all along. Yuwen Zhi, who had almost been infuriated to death at the banquet in the imperial palace earlier this night, smashed more than half of the things in his study.


    Yuwen Feng was kneading his brow. He had some time ago reminded his father not to pick on Ling Zhang, because they would be reduced to a passive position if Ling Zhang played the favor card. Unfortunately, everything he had said to his father had gone in one ear and out the other. However, after this matter, it had come to his knowledge that Ling Zhang was not as gentle as he seemed. His father had merely cold-shouldered him at the banquet, yet he had counter-attacked almost immediately¡­ ¡®It seems that father has already made an enemy of Ling Zhang due to what he sent those people to Tanyang to do,¡¯ Yuwen Feng thought.


    The reason why Yuwen Feng was unwilling to offend Ling Zhang was that he didn¡¯t want to offend Yuwen Tong, but what if Ling Zhang had felt offended already? Moreover, from the vantage point of the present, it was very unlikely that his parents would change their minds. ¡®What should I do? No matter what, I¡¯ve got to convince father. Tomorrow Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang will come back here. We can¡¯t afford to screw things up.¡¯


    ¡°Father¨C¡±


    With a smash, a teapot was dashed to pieces beside Yuwen Feng¡¯s feet. He had barely finished the first word when the smash interrupted him.


    The situation in the chambers of the King Hui and the Concubine Liang was almost the same as that in Yuwen family. The punishment of the Ninth Princess was, for all intents and purposes, synonymous with stripping her of her identity as a princess. All of them were bound to have a sleepless night.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning. In the Ling Mansion.


    Yue Qi and some other bodyguards were somewhat surprised to see the twenty-four security guards start training so early. And they were amazed even further when they saw that they were training in two groups. ¡°What kind of formation is this?¡± Yue Qi asked.


    ¡°How about you give it a try?¡± Yao Yi egged him on.


    Yue Qi, who was sharp-eyed, could tell a mile off that the formation Wang Dashan was in was the ripe one. He took a flying leap charging at Wang Dashan and others in the formation. Wang Dashan and others quickly reacted and surrounded Yue Qi before he even landed.


    ¡°Eek, you guys have pretty quick reflexes,¡± Yue Qi observed appreciatively and with that the look in his eyes went piercing and he suddenly made his move without warning.


    With a loud bang, his blow was deflected by a counter-strike. Feeling the strength of his opponents, Yue Qi perked up and abruptly quickened his moves. He had originally believed that Wang Dashan and his men would be flustered, but unexpectedly, there was not a shred of fluster in their movements. Not only were they very composed, their flexible and varied formations had won them an edge over Yue Qi.


    ¡°Ha! Not bad. You know what you¡¯re doing.¡± The look in Yue Qi¡¯s eyes grew serious as he observed this changeable formation consisting of twelve.


    ¡°Yue Qi took them lightly and paid the price. Ha!¡± commented Yao Yi gloatingly.


    With that he flicked Xie Shi a glance and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you training Yang Liuzi and the others?¡±


    Xie Shi answered in a leisurely tone of voice, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯d like to finish watching this fight.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Exactly how did you best Du Shi¡¯er having him left in Tanyang?¡±


    Xie Shi¡¯s voice was still leisurely. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. It¡¯ll lose its magic if I do.¡±


    The corners of Yao Yi¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched. ¡®This guy wants to keep it secret so he could use it against us again? Du Shi¡¯er is such a poor guy. He clearly could have returned to the capital city with us. Xie Shi tricked him and had him stay in Tanyang helping train those new recruits. It¡¯s so surprising that the Marshal was okay with that.¡¯


    Thousands of miles away, in the guards¡¯ yard of Ling family in Tanyang, newly recruited security guards were also training, but their training was different from that of Wang Dashan and others ¨Cthe Horse Stance.


    They had been practicing the Horse Stance for almost half a month!


    ¡°Guard Du, when can we start practicing formations? We¡¯ve been practicing the Horse Stance for half a month!¡± a newly recruited security guard finally couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Hearing this, Du Shi¡¯er lying on a giant rock with a length of green bristlegrass clamped between his teeth, made no reply but threw a stone which hit the man¡¯s knee, and with that the man fell to the ground with a dull thud.


    ¡°When you can take the hit of a stone without losing your balance,¡± responded Du Shi¡¯er.


    Newly recruited security guards exchanged glances in speechlessness. ¡®When will that day be?!¡¯ they wondered.


    ¡°Your foundations are on various levels, yet you want to start practicing formations?¡± Then Du Shi¡¯er added, ¡°This trap-and-kill formation requires tacit understanding. You guys couldn¡¯t even rid yourselves of your messy thoughts, let alone develop tacit understanding. I¡¯m already going easy on you by merely having you practice the Horse Stance. If any of you utter another word of complaint, I¡¯ll make you rue the days you were born.¡±


    All newly recruited security guards gave a cold shiver of fear and thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this already tough enough to make us rue the day we were born? After practicing the Horse Stance, we have to do pile-driving, and after that, there¡¯ll be footwork practice on quincuncial piles or something like that. Anyone who fails to keep his balance and falls off will have to stand for two hours with a vat on his head.¡¯ They not only rued the days they¡¯d been born, they were on the verge of going crazy.


    ¡®If there¡¯s anything even harsher to come¡­¡¯


    They recoiled from the idea of it.


    In the capital city, Xie Shi¡¯s eyes raked faces of Yang Liuzi and the others. There was some kind of meaningful look in his eyes. Those who accidentally made eye contact with him felt cold shivers of fear run through them.


    Yao Yi flicked a thoughtful glance at him and thought, ¡®There¡¯s something not quite right with this guy. Is he by any chance up to anything?¡¯


    Those security guards were training in full swing and Ling Zhang was woken up by the loud noises they were making. A whole night¡¯s dreamless sleep had refreshed him considerably.


    Seeing him wake up, Yuwen Tong, who had already got up, washed and changed clothes, walked over and asked, ¡°Do you feel like sleeping for a little while longer?¡±


    Ling Zhang sat up and shook his head. ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve already overslept today.¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re scheduled to visit Yuwen Tong¡¯s father¡¯s uncle this morning and we can¡¯t be late. It¡¯s impertinent to keep an elder waiting,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡­


    The horse-drawn carriage of the Ling Mansion slowly came to a halt at the doorway of a residence. The day before, Yuwen Tong sent someone to inform his father¡¯s uncle beforehand that he and Ling Zhang would visit him this morning, so a lot of people had been waiting at the doorway.


    The old man at the front bore a resemblance to Yuwen Tong, but not a striking one. He stood there with firm footing, cutting a hale and hearty figure. The old man¡¯s clothes seemed to be of high quality but low-key in color and style. Apart from his, clothes of all those behind him were unobtrusive, which was a clear indication that they were different from Yuwen Zhi and his family.


    Theoretically, Yuwen You was Yuwen Tong¡¯s elder and didn¡¯t have to come to his welcome, but obviously Yuwen You was not the kind of person who liked to put on airs. Seeing Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang getting off the carriage, he walked up to them with a smile.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang hastened to walk towards him.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Yuwen Tong greeted him.


    ¡°My name is Ling Zhang. I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Your Lordship.¡± Ling Zhang respectfully knelt down and prostrated himself before the old man.


    Smiling, Yuwen You held Ling Zhang¡¯s arms and said, ¡°You may rise, good boy. There¡¯s no need for such formality. Just call me grandfather as Tong does.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet with a faint flush on his cheeks and replied somewhat timidly, ¡°Then I think I¡¯d better do as you ask instead of standing on ceremony, grandfather.¡±


    Yuwen You burst into hearty laughter, which was very sonorous and resonant. The laughter traveled far away and there were even echoes sent back.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat shocked, thinking that Yuwen Tong¡¯s father¡¯s uncle was so robust. ¡®If only my own grandfather¡¯s constitution was as strong as his.¡¯


    ¡°Come here. Let me introduce them to you. This is Yuwen Chi, my eldest son. He¡¯s works in the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. This is Yuwen Si, my second son. He holds a post with very little to do in the Imperial Academy. This is Fang shi, my eldest daughter-in-law, and this is Liu shi, my second daughter-in-law. These boys are your peers: Yuwen Hong, Yuwen Han, Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Jin. You¡¯re of similar age and should hang out more. Later this year, Jin will go to study in the Imperial College. I heard that you were going to study in the Imperial College as well. You two may keep each other company there.¡±


    Respectfully and cautiously, Ling Zhang greeted the elders one by one by making a bow with hands folded in front. When he was introduced to Yuwen Hong and other peers, they acknowledged each other with due formality.


    Yuwen You was very approachable, and so were the others. Yuwen Chi and Yuwen Si, who were high-ranking officials, also appeared very polite and amiable, with no bureaucratic airs. Fang shi and Liu shi were nice people as well. As regards his peers, both Yuwen Hong and Yuwen Han were a lot older than Ling Zhang; Yuwen Qian was two years older than him. All three of them had married. Their wives were occupied with the luncheon and thus had not come to welcome them. Yuwen Jin, the only one unmarried, was of the same age as his. Apart from these four men, there were also some female members, all of whom, except for Yuwen Yan, a ten-year-old girl, were married.


    All these people struck Ling Zhang as approachable and sociable. On some aspects, they bore a striking similarity to Yuwen Tong who was straightforward, brisk and neat. Ling Zhang had a feeling that these people were Yuwen Tong¡¯s true family.


    ¡°Cousin, I thought that you¡¯d be bachelor your whole life. It surprised me that you found yourself someone willing to marry you,¡± Yuwen Jin archly said to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Our uncle¡¯s father accumulated a lot of good karma. Otherwise our cousin would¡¯ve still been a bachelor,¡± Yuwen Hong also remarked.


    ¡°Younger Brother Ling, what do you see in him, anyway? You need to be cautious. Don¡¯t be fooled by him.¡± Yuwen Han was even more direct.


    Their words surprised Ling Zhang somewhat. ¡®They are really on such good terms?¡¯


    Yuwen Tong put his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and replied with two words, ¡°Beat it.¡±


    The three of them who had been told to get lost didn¡¯t mind at all and even dissolved into laughter.


    Ling Zhang, however, was somewhat embarrassed by Yuwen Tong and hurriedly freed himself. ¡®What is this guy thinking? There are elders here. This kind of conduct is so undignified.¡¯


    Yuwen You and others all appeared cheerful and gay. Judging from the look in their eyes, they believed these youngsters were merely joking with each other, and there was no sign of displeasure on their faces.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. You may continue to have your fun inside the house. Let Xiao Zhang have some rest. You guys should be careful not to scare him. It took Tong a lot of doing to find the right one. If you scare him away, your uncle¡¯s father will scold you in your dreams,¡± said Yuwen You.


    After hearing an elder¡¯s words, those youngsters naturally didn¡¯t dare to mess around any longer. They crowded around Ling Zhang and walked him into the house, while Yuwen Tong was left alone with only his own shadow.


    Yuwen Tong quickly walked forward, drew Ling Zhang out of their encirclement to his side and cast each of them an admonitory look.


    ¡°Tsk, what are you doing? Why so possessive? Are you afraid that we¡¯ll tell Younger Brother Ling any dirt on you?¡± queried Yuwen Han.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, cousin. We¡¯re not going to tell Elder Brother Zhang about the shameful things you did in your childhood,¡± remarked Yuwen Jin. Though merely a couple of months Ling Zhang¡¯s junior, he was calling Ling Zhang elder brother, and he did it in a very natural way, not at all regarding him as an outsider.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and hit him hard on the head. ¡°Shut up. You weren¡¯t even born when I was a boy!¡±

 Chapter 178 - A Sharp Contrast

    Yuwen Jin¡¯s father in front flicked a backward glance at them and gave an affected cough.


    This time it was Yuwen Tong who shut up.


    Ling Zhang at a loss for words.


    Yuwen You had long ago moved out of the residence of Yuwen family to maintain an independent house, but his family was now much larger than Yuwen family. The reason for this was known to everybody ¨C too many members of Yuwen family had died on the battlefield. Even Yuwen Zhi had only two sons left. In the large residential compound of Yuwen family, a lot of courtyard houses had stood unoccupied for years, which was quite a poignant contrast to the liveliness in Yuwen You¡¯s family.


    Thinking of this, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel sad for Yuwen Tong, but Yuwen Tong seemed to have long ago got used to this kind of scene and didn¡¯t feel upset at all.


    ¡®It would be so nice if Yuwen Zhi were not out of tune with Yuwen Tong. At least things wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this ¨C Yuwen Tong wasn¡¯t even willing to go back to his own home first after returning.¡¯ Ling Zhang thought a lot. Even he himself was startled by some of his thoughts after they occurred to him, but after flicking a glance at Yuwen Tong, he still didn¡¯t dismiss those thoughts from his mind, for he didn¡¯t have the heart to do that.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The moment Ling Zhang¡¯s mind wandered away, Yuwen Tong noticed it.


    Ling Zhang collected himself and shook his head in an effort to keep Yuwen Tong from guessing what he was thinking. Nobody wanted other people¡¯s sympathy in this kind of circumstances, especially Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that you¡¯re on such good terms with them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°They don¡¯t stir up trouble.¡±


    After having been fighting enemies at the front risking life and limb for so many years, he was fully aware of which ones had never been a drag on him, and which ones had never made trouble for him.


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh. He could fully empathize with Yuwen Tong.


    On the other side, Yuwen Hong and a couple of others, seeing Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong whispering to each other, exchanged knowing winks and dissolved into snicker.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind that some day our cousin would end up like this as well,¡± observed Yuwen Jin under his breath.


    ¡°Previously, when he came back here and saw me talk with your sister-in-law for just a short while, he would always say that we were saccharine. Now I think he himself is much more saccharine than us,¡± said Yuwen Hong.


    ¡°This is so weird. Do you think by any chance our uncle¡¯s father¡¯s spirit is really at work? Otherwise, how did he come to get it into his thick skull that it¡¯s time he found himself someone and got married?¡± commented Yuwen Han.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, who had exceptionally good hearing, heard each and every word of the three brothers¡¯ private conversation.


    Embarrassed, Ling Zhang immediately stepped aside, keeping a certain distance away from Yuwen Tong.


    But the expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was extremely natural and unhurried. ¡®How could Yuwen Hong and his wife compare with me and Ling Zhang?¡¯


    They entered the living room and sat down. Yuwen You first asked Yuwen Tong about the situation in border areas, and then asked Ling Zhang about the situation in his family. After hearing the replies of Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, he inquired of them, ¡°Do you have any specific plans? Have you fixed a date for your wedding?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°There are still many things I have to make arrangements for in the capital city. I have to have these things handled first before making preparations for our wedding. There¡¯ll be many complex ceremonies which require prior arrangements. Besides, Younger Brother Zhang¡¯s family are all still in Tanyang. Things that our two families need to consult with each other about have to wait until they come, so I think we¡¯ll have to take this step by step.¡±


    All others were somewhat surprised to hear Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. Yuwen You looked at him, ¡°Are you saying that you are going to stay in the capital city longer than usual?¡±


    It would take half a year even a full year to make preparations for all these miscellaneous things. Judging from Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks, there were also some other things he needed to deal with, so Yuwen Tong had to stay in the capital city for at least a year.


    From the day Yuwen Tong was assigned to the border areas until this day, he had always been in haste when he returned to the capital city or left it. Seldom had his stay lasted longer than half a month, but this time he was going to stay in this city for such a long time, which greatly surprised Yuwen You and others. But soon their surprise was replaced by delight.


    ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re really going to stay in the capital city for a long time? Does this mean that you¡¯ll have enough time to fulfill your promise of teaching me military strategy and tactics?!¡± asked Yuwen Jin excitedly.


    Yuwen You uttered ¡°Um?¡± and then gave Yuwen Jin a dirty look and said, ¡°Behave yourself.¡±


    Yuwen Jin replied, ¡°Grandfather, haven¡¯t you already approved of it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a whole lot of matters your cousin has to attend to. You think everybody is as idle as you? Keep out of mischief and focus on your study when you are in the Imperial College,¡± commented Yuwen You.


    Yuwen Jin was unreconciled, but seeing the severe look in his grandfather¡¯s eyes, he had no alternative but to sit back into his seat.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat confused. ¡®Are there by any chance any members of this family disapproving of Yuwen Jin learning military strategy and tactics?¡¯


    After Yuwen You and Yuwen Jin finished speaking, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Just like grandfather said, I¡¯m indeed going to be fully occupied for quite some time. Let¡¯s talk about this when I¡¯m at my leisure.¡±


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s eyes instantly became expectant again as he detected in Yuwen Tong¡¯s words the implication that there was still room for maneuver. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re available.¡±


    This time Yuwen You didn¡¯t say anything, as if he wouldn¡¯t raise any objections to Yuwen Tong¡¯s opinions.


    Ling Zhang believed there was definitely something behind this that was unknown to him.


    The two of them stayed for lunch. Yuwen You showed great appreciation of the for jars of wine brought by Ling Zhang. The old man drank a lot, his cheeks glowing. If, before drinking, his attitude towards Ling Zhang had been tinged with politeness, then after drinking, there were no civilities whatsoever. He called Ling Zhang ¡°Xiao Zhang¡± in a very natural way, and also asked Ling Zhang to take him back to Tanyang to find out how the best wine there tasted.


    Of course Ling Zhang consented without much deliberation. It struck him that Yuwen You, when half-drunk, bore some resemblance to his own grandfather, which naturally further deepened the rapport between him and this old man.


    After lunch, Yuwen Tong and Yuwen You went to the study to have a talk, while Yuwen Hong and the other peers of Ling Zhang stayed to keep Ling Zhang company.


    ¡°Elder Brother Zhang, I heard about what happened last night. I think what you said in there was absolutely right,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Hong gave him a dirty look. ¡®This guy¡¯s airing dirty laundry again. Why is he bringing this up at this time?¡¯


    Yuwen Jin, feeling that there was no harm in talking about this, ignored his elder brother.


    After this short amount of time¡¯s acquaintance with Yuwen Jin, Ling Zhang had got a general idea of what kind of person he was, so he replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Lord Yuwen has already said what happened back there last night was a mere misunderstanding. We cleared the air, so there¡¯s no hard feeling.¡±


    Yuwen Hong smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you see it that way. Actually, though Second Uncle is somewhat arrogant, he is always good to family members of the younger generation. Give it some time. I¡¯m sure you two will get along well.¡±


    Ling Zhang also gave a smile. If Yuwen Zhi was really willing to stop picking on him and live on good terms with him, he might not necessarily find it difficult to come to reconciliation with him. It was just that he feared Yuwen Zhi wouldn¡¯t change his mind.


    Ling Zhang recalled those thoughts that had crossed his mind when he came here in the morning, and with that some other ideas occurred to him.


    ¡°Humph. If only that would be the case.¡± It was Yuwen Jin who made a remark on that.


    Yuwen Hong shot him another dark glance, warning him to guard his tongue.


    Having seen all this, Ling Zhang came to a general realization that Yuwen Hong and some others had no intention of getting involved in domestic affairs of Yuwen family.


    Yuwen Jin, who had been warned several times, stealthily made faces at Ling Zhang, expressing his displeasure with Yuwen Hong.


    Ling Zhang inwardly gave a smile. He didn¡¯t really mind this, and he could understand what Yuwen Hong was thinking. The kind and gentle attitude that Yuwen Hong and his brothers had towards him indicated that they were on the side of Yuwen Tong and him. This was enough for him. The situation would be thorny if they fell out with Yuwen Zhi on account of him and Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Elder Brother Zhang, when are you going to the Imperial College?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°In a few days. What about you? When will you go?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    After a few moments¡¯ thinking, Yuwen Jin replied, ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m in no hurry anyway.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, this time Yuwen Hong raised no objection. He also said, ¡°Someone from the Imperial College will come and send you an official notification. They¡¯ll have to make some preparations as well.¡±


    After Yuwen Tong and Yuwen You finished their talk, the two of them took their leave. They still had to pay a visit to Yuwen family.


    Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°This time around you¡¯ll stay and live there, right?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°It¡¯s too soon to make a decision. Let¡¯s go there and take a look first.¡±


    ¡­


    Soon, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang¡¯s visit to Yuwen You came to the knowledge of everybody who had been paying attention. Now they were all waiting to see what the two of them would do next.


    As the carriage of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left, the two of them sensed that some people were staring in their direction. They both knew very well whom those people worked for.


    ¡°They really care much about your every act and every move,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    When they arrived at the gateway of the residential compound of Yuwen family, they saw that Yuwen Feng was waiting, but Yuwen Zhi and others were absent.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face gave little away, but Ling Zhang knew that Yuwen Tong actually was not very happy about it.


    ¡°Cousin, Childe Ling, it¡¯s nice of you to finally show up.¡± Yuwen Feng gladly walked up to their welcome. ¡°A moment ago my parents were waiting for you at the gateway as well, but I could tell they were tired after a long wait, so I had them go back to sit and have some rest. I never expected you¡¯d arrive right in the next moment.¡±


    ¡®Yuwen Feng seriously expects us to believe that Yuwen Zhi and Zheng shi were here waiting for us?¡¯ Ling Zhang was very skeptical.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s go back right now. We didn¡¯t dare to enter your house, so we cleaned a courtyard house nearby. You and Childe Ling may make whatever arrangements you like, cousin. My mother has been bustling around in the kitchen since noon. She prepared a lot of dishes you like. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be surprised at dinner. None of us have any knowledge of Childe Ling¡¯s tastes in food, so we hired a chef from Tanyang and had him cook some courses of Tanyang flavor. I hope you¡¯ll like them, Childe Ling.¡±


    Yuwen Feng appeared hospitable but also showed a sense of propriety; his tone of voice was amiable and didn¡¯t strike people as unpleasant. Servants of Yuwen family, seeing Yuwen Tong return, were all submissive and deferential to him, which was an unmistakable indication of Yuwen Tong¡¯s absolutely dominant position in this family.


    However, after Ling Zhang saw Yuwen Zhi and Zheng shi, his fairly good mood was ruined to some extent.


    These two people were sitting in host seats facing the doorway of the hall. Seeing Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walking inside, the two of them seemed to have no intention of standing up to welcome them. ¡®From the perspective of elders, they are not doing anything wrong, for Yuwen Tong is their nephew and indeed should pay respect to them, but they are kins after all, and blood is thicker than water. On top of that, they haven¡¯t seen each other for such a long time, and it¡¯s the battlefield that Yuwen Tong has returned from. Is it really so difficult for them to show a little affection, to stand up, walk over and say something nice? Do they really have to sit upright in host seats?¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    It was not that Ling Zhang was a fault-finder but that after he met Yuwen Tong¡¯s father¡¯s uncle and his family, the attitude of Yuwen Zhi and Zheng shi really made Ling Zhang feel sad for Yuwen Tong, for it was such a stark contrast.


    ¡°You are back. I¡¯m so glad. No place compares with home. Look at you, you seem thinner after staying elsewhere for one day,¡± Zheng shi said with a smile but still didn¡¯t rise from her chair.


    After hearing the last remark of hers, Ling Zhang was secretly amused. ¡®What did Zheng shi mean by the last remark? That Yuwen Tong had been subjected to abuse during his stay in my place? Besides, had she met Yuwen Tong before that? She knows how much Yuwen Tong weighed in the past few years?¡¯

 Chapter 179 - Point at Me Again and Ill Make

    Yuwen Tong simply gave a bob of his head in response to Zheng shi¡¯s words and then blandly greeted them. ¡°Uncle, Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lord Yuwen, Madam Yuwen,¡± Ling Zhang also said.


    ¡°So you are Ling Zhang.¡± Zheng shi, as if she had just noticed Ling Zhang, sized him up from head to toe and then remarked, ¡°It must¡¯ve been quite an ordeal for you to travel thousands of miles with them from Tanyang to the capital city. Situation in a small place like Tanyang is uncomparable with that in the capital city. If a brick falls off a building in this city and hits three men, one of them would be an official of some description. Given that you have no knowledge of how things are done around here, it¡¯s almost inevitable that you¡¯ll offend someone. Now that you¡¯ve already come, why don¡¯t you move here to live with us? People won¡¯t dare to pick on you if they know you live in Yuwen family. And when you decide to go back to Tanyang, we¡¯ll be able to have you sent back in one piece. You may take it as a favor in return for what Old Master Ling did for our family that year. What do you say?¡±


    Zheng shi was sitting there with grace and decorousness, but there was a sarcastic and tart undertone in her words, which made her presence rather hollow.


    Of course Ling Zhang was angry after hearing these words, not because Zheng shi was picking on him but because Zheng shi showed a total disregard for Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings. ¡®Yuwen Tong and I have just come here and not even taken a seat yet. Does Zheng shi really have to be so anxious to pick on me? She¡¯s Yuwen Tong¡¯s aunt and, in a sense, the mistress of this large residential compound of Yuwen family. What harm could it do to keep up a pretence? What harm could it do to save her nephew¡¯s face? Even if she wants to pick up on me, is it really so difficult to at least wait until we sit down? Yuwen Tong had just returned home, is letting him take a sip of tea first really too much to ask?¡¯


    Ling Zhang was indeed very angry, feeling that Zheng shi literally couldn¡¯t hold a candle to his aunt, Fu Caiwei.


    ¡°Those considerations of yours are unnecessary, Madam Yuwen. I¡¯m an uneducated countryman and not used to living in a noble family. I find small houses more comfortable to live in. Besides, Yuwen Tong and I are engaged to be married. It would be somewhat awkward if I move in here just like this. Even if I¡¯m to move in some day, we should wait until after the wedding day of Yuwen Tong and I,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡®Zheng shi didn¡¯t even mention the engagement between me and Yuwen Tong, yet she wants me to leave the capital city? Fine. What she doesn¡¯t want to talk about is exactly what I¡¯ll bring up!¡¯


    As expected, Zheng shi¡¯s face darkened. ¡®What is wrong with this Ling Zhang guy? Does he not understand my words? He really thinks he could marry into Yuwen family?¡¯


    ¡°Pooh, Ling Zhang, do you really not understand or are you just pretending not to? You are not welcome here in Yuwen family, so stop drea¨C¡±


    Bang!


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s tone was sarcastic from the first word, but unfortunate for him, he hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when Yuwen Tong gave him a kick sending him flying.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yuwen Qi¡¯s pained cry mixed with Zheng shi¡¯s scream. The living room was instantly thrown into confusion.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er! What are you doing, Yuwen Tong? He¡¯s your cousin. You want to kick him to death?!¡± Zheng shi nervously helped Yuwen Qi to his feet, drew him behind her and rebuked Yuwen Tong coldly.


    Yuwen Zhi smacked his hand down onto the table and reprimanded Yuwen Tong, ¡°How dare you throw you weight about like this!¡±


    Yuwen Feng hurriedly walked to the middle and tried to persuade them. ¡± Father, cousin, we can discuss this. Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, face frosty and sullen, appeared very angry. In a tone of voice not as polite as before, he said to Yuwen Feng, ¡°Even His Majesty is staying out of my marriage. You are in no position to interfere. If you hold any differing opinions about the marriage between me and Younger Brother Zhang, we may discuss and work things out. If there are any misgivings, we may figure out a solution, but if all you are capable of are sarcasm, pointing fingers and making trouble, I¡¯ll stop being nice to you.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous! I¡¯m your uncle, your elder! Is this the way you are supposed to talk to me?!¡± Yuwen Zhi flied into a rage.


    ¡°From the moment I walked in here until now, I haven¡¯t even been offered a cup of tea, nor a single word of greeting from you. I¡¯m treating you in the exact way you¡¯ve been treating me. During the past over twenty years, there hasn¡¯t been a single day that passed when you did what an uncle should do, nor a day when I interfered in any domestic affairs of this family. Given that it¡¯s been like this for so many years, I¡¯d like it to stay this way,¡± commented Yuwen Tong coldly.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face was dark with rage. ¡°It¡¯s me who¡¯s the patriarch of this family. Are you challenging my authority, Yuwen Tong?¡±


    His words struck Yuwen Tong as amusing. ¡°Now that you want to make things clear, I¡¯ll get this straight. There are some ridiculous rules that I don¡¯t really give a damn about, but on this particular day, I think I might as well state my opinions of them. In every sense of the word, you are not the patriarch of this family, uncle. It¡¯s true that my father passed away, but I still draw breath. You know very well who should be the rightful patriarch of this family. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve always been in border areas and have seen too many deaths on the battlefield, so I don¡¯t really care about these things. Since you live in the capital city, I think it¡¯s not altogether inexcusable that you take charge of this family, but if you think that just because of this you get to interfere in my marriage, then you are mistaken. I can tell you, in a definite way, that I¡¯ll be staying in the capital city for a very long time. You will not be the patriarch of this family if I don¡¯t want you to be. And you certainly have no power over me.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Yuwen Zhi was infuriated by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words so terribly that he almost passed out.


    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s not that my father is picking on you about anything. Your words are too hurtful to him,¡± remarked Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Tong flicked a contemptuous glance at Yuwen Feng and replied, ¡°Your thoughts are no secret to me as well. Given that you always know your position, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you, but you¡¯d better try to talk some sense into your father.¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face froze.


    Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang out of the living room, heading directly towards the ancestral hall.


    After entering the ancestral hall with Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong burnt joss sticks in front of the memorial tablets of his ancestors, quietly contemplated for a while in front of the tablets of his grandfather and parents, and then looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t got married yet, but if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you to burn some joss sticks for my grandfather and other elders. What do you say?¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang didn¡¯t mind. He inclined his head, took some joss sticks, lit them, deferentially bowed three times in front of the memorial tablets of the elders, and then stuck the joss sticks into the censer.


    Finally, a hint of smile appeared on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. He said, ¡°After we get married, I¡¯ll hold an official sacrificial rite here.¡±


    Ling Zhang laid no contradiction to his words about them getting married. Seeing smile had finally found its way back to Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, he felt a sense of relief.


    But when he thought of other members of Yuwen family, Ling Zhang¡¯s heart sank again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    After a few moments¡¯ thinking, Ling Zhang held his arm and stopped him. ¡°Go back? But we just came here. Is it really okay to leave so soon?¡±


    ¡°You want to stay?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°This is your home. How could I not like this place? As for those regarding me as an unwelcome visitor, I can just ignore them.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want Yuwen Tong to leave this place in such haste. After all, this place, and this place alone, was Yuwen Tong¡¯s home.


    ¡°I want to see where you live.¡± Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong with an expectant look in his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong was briefly surprised. Then he smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s courtyard house was very, very large. There was even a vast drill ground in it. Apart from the main house that he dwelt in, there were also some other buildings. ¡®No wonder Yue Qi and the others stayed hidden in this place for such a long time,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    There was hardly anybody inside. After going through a wood, they had scarcely seen any servants walking around. It was very quiet and cheerless.


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t have the heart to walk too quick, kept looking around, scrutinizing this place that Yuwen Tong had grown up in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like servants touching my stuff. On top of that, sometimes Yue Qi and the others would secretly go back here, and they have to stay out of the sight of servants, so I ordered nobody get in without my permission, which is why this place has always been very quiet. Only when I return, when Yao Yi and others are also present, will this place be a little more lively,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°That drill ground is so large. Has it always been there?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of his head. ¡°Yes. It was the very place where my grandfather taught me kung fu when I was young.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took him to the drill ground and showed him all kinds of marks on it, telling him how that groove had been caused, and when he had accidentally left those cuts in the giant rock on the side during a training session, and which of those weapons had previously been used by him and survived the years.


    After hearing Yuwen Tong talk about so many things, Ling Zhang gradually had a vague picture of Yuwen Tong¡¯s childhood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you my chambers.¡± It lifted Yuwen Tong¡¯s spirits to see that Ling Zhang was very interested in his past. He took Ling Zhang to the main house that he lived in.


    To Ling Zhang¡¯s surprise, Yuwen Tong¡¯s main house was very simple and plain, and most of the furnishings served the purpose of being practical. Next to the bedroom was a commodious study, where there was a broad bookshelf behind a desk. On the bookshelf were ranked books of various descriptions, most of which were about military strategy and tactics.


    ¡°I put away those important ones. I read all these books in those years,¡± Yuwen Tong informed him.


    Ling Zhang conveniently took one of the books, opened it and saw that there were all kinds of annotations on every page. Judging from the style of handwriting, those annotations must have been made in different stages of Yuwen Tong¡¯s life. Some of them were tinged with immaturity, and some others were sharp and strong. Reading those words, Ling Zhang felt as if he was seeing images of Yuwen Tong at different ages, who was fired with enthusiasm.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°I can see why you are now a marshal.¡±


    Annotations on each page seemed to be more incisive than those on the last.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong was happy to hear the compliment.


    And then Ling Zhang looked at the wall on the side. There were some special decorations on it, which gave him a general idea of what this wall was used for ¨C hanging maps.


    ¡°When I¡¯m at home, I hang the maps I need to read on this wall,¡± Yuwen Tong explained.


    Ling Zhang spent a lot of time in Yuwen Tong¡¯s study. He skipped Yuwen Tong¡¯s bedroom, for he was too embarrassed to go inside, but he was just about to turn around to leave when Yuwen Tong held him and asked beside his ears, ¡°This is an important place. Why not go and take a look?¡±


    A flush rose to the tips of Ling Zhang¡¯s ears. ¡°What¡¯s worth seeing in it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong playfully bit the tip of his ear and lowered his voice. ¡°You tell me.¡±


    It was the two of them that would be living in this place in the future.


    Eventually, Ling Zhang was still led into the bedroom by Yuwen Tong. As Ling Zhang had expected, the furnishings in it were just as simple, but they manifestly displayed Yuwen Tong¡¯s style and preferences. Ling Zhang even had an illusion that there was Yuwen Tong¡¯s smell lingering inside this room.


    Ling Zhang looked around and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve seen it. Now let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was standing right behind him. After hearing this, he put his arms around Ling Zhang from behind, affectedly pondered for a few moments and then said, ¡°Actually there¡¯s something else of great importance.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ling Zhang was perplexed.


    Yuwen Tong whispered something in his ear and then carried Ling Zhang to the bedside. The two of them lay down on the bed.


    Both the bedding and the mattress were clean and tidy. Yue Qi and some others had some time ago got these things ready in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong would soon return.


    After lying down, Ling Zhang felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s smell fully envelop his whole being. ¡°Hey!¡± he called.

 Chapter 180 - A Fall-Out

    Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi had not really been on intimate terms. Previously, Yuwen Tong, after returning to the capital city, without exception would leave and go back to the border areas within ten days. The whole capital city knew about the sour relationship between him and his uncle.


    However, this was the first time that Yuwen Tong had made such explicit remarks in the presence of his uncle. Yuwen Zhi was so angry that he smashed several teacups in a row. He believed that he was a figure of considerable fame and prestige in the capital city, that even the emperor had to show him some respect, but Yuwen Tong had never regarded him as someone to be reckoned with, and this time he had even threatened him to his face!


    ¡®What distinguished Yuwen Tong was merely some battle achievements. If the deceased stubborn old man had not intervened, it would have been me who went to the battlefield, and Yuwen Tong would never have dared to act so cockily in my presence!¡¯ he thought bitterly.


    Unlike her husband, Zheng shi was more worried about the undertone contained in Yuwen Tong¡¯s words ¨C he wanted to come back and take the position of the patriarch of Yuwen family!


    ¡°I told you that male courtesan¡¯s a master of subterfuge. He hasn¡¯t married into this family yet, but he already successfully fooled Yuwen Tong into coming back to compete for the position of the patriarch. Master, you must not let that male courtesan have his way!¡± The more Zheng shi thought about it, the more anxious she went.


    The look in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s eyes fell even colder as he heard Ling Zhang¡¯s name. ¡®This Ling Zhang guy is the cause of all this. If it weren¡¯t for him, none of these things would have happened. He¡¯s not a member of this family yet, but he egged Yuwen Tong on to stay elsewhere instead of coming back home. And now Yuwen Tong even threatened me on Ling Zhang¡¯s account. This Ling Zhang guy is undoubtedly a scourge.¡¯


    ¡°I told you under no circumstances would I let him marry into Yuwen family,¡± replied Yuwen Zhi, a fierce look in his eyes.


    Zheng shi felt a sense of relief, tightened her grip on her handkerchief and observed, ¡°This is going far enough. We¡¯ve got to figure out a way to send that Ling Zhang guy back to Tanyang and let my niece take his place.¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s plan was very simple. She wanted her niece to marry Yuwen Tong. After that, even if Yuwen Tong intended to take the position of the patriarch of Yuwen family, her niece would still be in charge of the inner compound. Given the bond between her and her niece, she would remain the mistress who could do whatever she wanted in Yuwen family, and Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t dare to cross her.


    Yuwen Feng, after being warned by Yuwen Tong, had just collected himself when he found that his parents had already made a decision and were now consulting with each other about how to force Ling Zhang into returning to Tanyang, which instantly gave him headaches.


    ¡°Father, mother, I know what concerns you, but the day will come when my cousin has to go back to the border areas. Even if he marries Ling Zhang, Ling Zhang will be single-handed and helpless after my cousin leaves, and he will definitely choose to stay on good terms with us unless he¡¯s a fool. Moreover, who knows whether or not Ling Zhang will go to the border areas as well? If they leave, this family will remain in your charge. It¡¯s utterly inadvisable for us to offend my cousin in these circumstances.


    Father, mother, currently my cousin cares about Ling Zhang very much. As long as we make an overture to Ling Zhang and ease the tension between us, given the personality of my cousin and uncle¡¯s exhortation to him, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t make things difficult for us ever again.¡±


    Yuwen Feng made an effort to persuade his parents. Yuwen Tong¡¯s warning kept thrusting itself before his mind. This cousin of his had always been a man of his word. Since he had already given them a word of warning, he would definitely take action if they stepped on his bottom line again, but at the same time, it was also in Yuwen Feng¡¯s knowledge that this cousin of his was not the kind of person who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance against their kin or make a promise he could not keep.


    ¡°Feng¡¯er, it¡¯s not that I take pleasure in lecturing you, but you are too naive. Anybody can tell a mile off that Ling Zhang is a troublemaker. You¡¯ve seen it yourself ¨C he¡¯s not a member of our family yet, but he sweet-talked your cousin into being so disrespectful to his elders. You think he would leave us an inch of land to stand on if by any chance he really marries your cousin?¡± Zheng shi felt that her eldest son was having unrealistic expectations.


    Yuwen Feng responded, ¡°Mother, my cousin is not the kind of man who¡¯d let affections cloud his judgement. If you humble yourselves and make an overture to Ling Zhang but Ling Zhang refuses to let it go, then my cousin would definitely come to see his true colors, take a dislike to him and leave him without us making any further moves. Wouldn¡¯t we get what we want as well if that¡¯s the case?¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, have you taken leave of your senses? You want us to humble ourselves and fawn on him? Are you really my elder brother? As far as I can tell, you just want to curry favor with our cousin, which is why you are trying to have us pave the way for you!¡± Yuwen Qi yelled.


    Yuwen Feng took a deep breath. ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±


    ¡®Yuwen Qi is such an idiot. Does he have brains or not? All I¡¯ve been trying to do is ease the tension between us and Yuwen Tong. Why does Yuwen Qi have to be a moron who cannot understand that falling out with Yuwen Tong in these circumstances wouldn¡¯t do us any good whatsoever?!¡¯ Yuwen Feng thought.


    But clearly, he was the only one who saw things this way. There was no circumstance in which his father or mother would humble themselves playing up to Ling Zhang. The very thought of ingratiating himself with that male wife-to-be of Yuwen Tong, to whom he was an elder, just to have Yuwen Tong stop cold-shouldering him made Yuwen Zhi trembling all over with rage. In a flinty tone of voice, he instructed Yuwen Feng, ¡°Enough! There¡¯s no need for you to utter another word about this. I know very well what¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±


    Yuwen Feng still wanted so say anything but eventually swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue in the knowledge that his father wouldn¡¯t be swayed by his persuasion.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stayed in the residential compound for over two hours. It was almost time for dinner, but no servant had brought them any messages. Clearly the host had no intention of inviting the two of them to have dinner with him.


    Seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s increasingly sullen face, Ling Zhang also flew into a rage. Before he came, he had considered whether he should dismiss some of his grudges, subdue the rest of them and try to get along with Yuwen Zhi and his family. After all, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t really have many relatives left, and he hated to see the day come when Yuwen Tong came back to the capital city but didn¡¯t even have a relative whom he could dine with, but now he rather suspected that maybe he was too naive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Ling Mansion,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    This time Ling Zhang didn¡¯t try to stop him, planning to leave the residential compound of Yuwen family with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Cousin, Childe Ling!¡± Yuwen Feng quickly walked up to them and informed them with an apologetic look, ¡°There¡¯s been an accident in the kitchen and the dinner has just been prepared. My father and the others have been waiting for you. Let¡¯s go to the dinning room right now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked him a glance but didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Yuwen Feng let out a sigh and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what happened earlier this afternoon, Childe Ling. Those remarks of my mother¡¯s were beyond the pale, but it was because she knew little about you and Ling family that she sounded somewhat mean. I¡¯ve already talked some sense into her and I hope you¡¯d forgive her. My younger brother is also a little overbearing. And that¡¯s because my mother spoiled her. You may rest assured that I¡¯ll discipline him myself. I apologize to you for his impertinence.¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at him and suddenly smiled, ¡°You¡¯re being too courteous. I¡¯m not a narrow-minded man.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Feng felt a sense of relief. Then he looked at Yuwen Tong and said in a somewhat beseeching tone of voice, ¡°Cousin, please stay for dinner. It¡¯s been several years since the last time you were home. As a family, we haven¡¯t had a reunion dinner yet.¡±


    Yuwen Tong still stood still. Ling Zhang squeezed his hand, hinting that he should accept the invitation.


    Finally, Yuwen Tong spoke, but his words were a refusal. ¡°Tell uncle that I¡¯ll wait for him to think things through.¡±


    After that he took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and the two of them left.


    Yuwen Feng stood for a few moments and then hastened to see them out.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t utter a word in the horse-drawn carriage on their trip from the residential compound of Yuwen family to the Ling Mansion. Ling Zhang was aware that he was unhappy, but he didn¡¯t know how to cheer him up. If he were in Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoes, he wouldn¡¯t be happy either.


    ¡­


    ¡°They left before dark? It seems that the relationship between Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi is just as sour as always, and this time Ling Zhang, a third party, is also involved. Yuwen Zhi cold-shouldered Ling Zhang even at the welcome reception, which was a self-evident inclination that he¡¯s unwilling to welcome Ling Zhang into Yuwen family.¡±


    The King Duan rejoiced after hearing the information obtained by a servant. ¡°From the vantage point of the present, Yuwen Zhi will eliminate Ling Zhang, who¡¯s also our obstacle, for us, which will save us a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Your Highness, wouldn¡¯t you¡­¡± His henchman looked at him, a somewhat weird expression on his face. ¡°Should we prepare a dwelling?¡±


    ¡°Dwelling? For whom?¡± The King Duan cast a perplexed glance at his henchman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to invite Ling Zhang to live here?¡± asked his henchman.


    The King Duan fell speechless.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Why would I do that?!¡±


    His henchman was astounded. ¡°You don¡¯t have your eye on him?¡±


    The King Duan gave his henchman a hard kick. ¡°Bullshit! In what universe do I have my eye on him?! I like girls!¡±


    Though having just been kicked, the henchman seemed to feel greatly relieved. ¡°Previously, you instructed me to make some inquiries about Ling Zhang¡¯s personality, likes and dislikes, which was why I mistakenly believed that¡­¡±


    The King Duan looked at him like an idiot. ¡°You fancy you have a monopoly on wisdom, don¡¯t you? Of course I asked you to inquire about these things for a reason!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡± His henchman knelt down.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± queried the King Duan.


    His henchman answered with a guilty conscience, ¡°Things with that servant working in the Ling Mansion haven¡¯t been going smoothly. He¡¯s very discreet. I could hardly worm anything out of him. It¡¯s said that people of the Ling Mansion are planning on recruiting new servants. I¡¯ve been making preparations to plant some men in there to make further inquiries.¡±


    The King Duan¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. After a few moments¡¯ thinking, he commented, ¡°That¡¯s too slow¡­ Whatever. Do it your way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± his henchman hurriedly answered.


    ¡­


    The recruitment of new servants of the Ling Mansion was in Li Sicai¡¯s sole charge. They had not brought many men here from Tanyang, which made it inevitable for them to recruit or buy some new servants.


    After some consideration, between recruiting servants and purchasing servants, he had chosen the latter, for a master had the right to kill his servants indentured to lifelong servitude, which made them easier to control and less prone to commit betrayal.


    ¡°You want to buy servants? The Ya Market in the west of the city is just the place to go to.¡± Yue Qi made a recommendation. ¡°There are servants for sale in that place, who have been transferred here from other cities. I¡¯ll go there with you when you have the time.¡±


    Naturally Li Sicai was glad to hear this. ¡°Thank you, Guard Yue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. We both want the best for our young master,¡± Yue Qi responded with a wave of his hand, sounding very generous.


    ¡°Butler, young master and the Marshal returned.¡±


    Li Sicai raised his head and looked at the color of the sky to gauge the time. ¡®At this hour?¡¯


    Yue Qi also slightly furrowed his brow and then went with him.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had just returned, both their faces sullen.


    Li Sicai walked up to them. ¡°Young Master, Marshal, did everything go smoothly?¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked Yuwen Tong a glance and then said to Li Sicai, ¡°Start preparing dinner.¡±


    Li Sicai¡¯s heart lurched and with that he answered ¡°Yes¡± and then took his leave.


    ¡®They didn¡¯t even stay there for dinner. Was it because people of Yuwen family did not invite them or something else happened?¡¯ Li Sicai, mind working really fast, had a shrewd idea of what had happened on this day as he made arrangements for servants to prepare dinner.


    Meanwhile, Yue Qi went to see Yao Yi and the others, who were watching Xie Shi test Wang Dashan and other security guards one by one to see if anyone of them had medical talent. The testing method was somewhat frightening. Wang Dashan and the others, all of whom were tough hombres, were reduced to cold sweat, watching Xie Shi in horror.


    ¡°Guard Xie, wi¨Cwill we still be alive after the test?¡±

 Chapter 181 - Hes Indeed a Talent

    On the table was a long, unrolled piece of cloth, on which rows of thin needles of different lengths were fixed. These needles alone made the security guards¡¯ blood run cold. There was also a large bathtub on the side, which contained black decoction giving off a weird odor beyond description. Xie Shi informed them that the decoction inside was poisonous, that Wang Dashan and others were to go in there one by one to test their sensitivity to the decoction. Apart from these, Xie Shi had also prepared quite a lot of phials and pots, some of which contained poison, and the others antidotes. Wang Dashan and other security guards were to observe the contents with all methods they could think of, ingest those they believed to be antidotes and then state the reason.


    In other words, it was very likely that they might mistakenly consume poison.


    Even Yao Yi and other bodyguards were somewhat scared as they saw the things that Xie Shi had prepared, let alone Wang Dashan and other security guards. If anyone of them survived all these, he could definitely count himself extremely lucky. Wang Dashan and others were so nervous that cold sweat was oozing out of their backs continuously, and their clothes were soaking wet. They feared that they might kick the bucket after a small mistake. As a result, when Yue Qi showed up, all of them looked in his direction with expectant eyes, as if he were their savior.


    Yue Qi, who was just about to speak, was startled by their gaze and gave a hiccup. ¡°Wh¨CWhy are you giving me that look?¡±


    ¡°What business do you have here?¡± Xie Shi impatiently slid him a sideways glance.


    Yue Qi pointed in the direction of the main courtyard house and responded, ¡°The Marshal and Childe Ling returned.¡±


    Yao Yi was amazed. ¡°At this hour?¡±


    Yue Qi inclined his head. ¡°The Marshal didn¡¯t seem very happy.¡±


    On hearing this, Xie Shi put down the needle in his hand. ¡°The Marshal took Childe Ling back to Yuwen family this afternoon. It seems that things didn¡¯t go very well there.¡±


    No longer in the mood for these things, they all went to the main courtyard house.


    At this time, Ling Zhang had changed into a lighter outfit and walked outside. Seeing Yuwen Tong was not in the room, he was surprised and called, ¡°Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the study.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice came from the study.


    Ling Zhang hurried there and found that Yuwen Tong had also changed clothes. Seeing him writing something, he walked over and asked, ¡°What are you writing?¡±


    ¡°A dispatch to my men in the border area,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Ling Zhang queried in worry.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°A small group of soldiers were seen wandering near the border with unknown intentions. Jiang Ke wrote me a letter and reported it to me.¡±


    While speaking, he finished the letter and with that he put it into a special correspondence-tube and had someone take it out to be delivered to the border areas.


    Ling Zhang carefully observed Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance and saw that the displeasure he had returned with was gone. Feeling slightly relieved, he said, ¡°Envoys of the Wan Kingdom are still in our capital city. It¡¯s not likely that they would be so bold as to make any trouble that might lead to another war.¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°Waging another war is definitely not on their to-do list, but they might not necessarily be afraid to make trouble. I told Jiang Ke and others to keep a close watch on them and find out what it is that they intend to do.¡±


    The two of them were talking when Yao Yi and others showed up at the doorway, craning their necks to glance inside.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    Even he had seen them, let alone Yuwen Tong!


    Unsurprisingly, the next moment, Yuwen Tong shot out the writing brush in his hand and hit Yue Qi, who had just poked his head into the room, on the head, leaving his forehead covered in ink.


    ¡°Why are you acting stealthily?¡±


    ¡°Marshal, we¡¯re worried about you and our young master.¡± Wang Dashan stepped inside.


    Ling Zhang was confused. ¡°Worried about us? Why?¡±


    Since Yuwen Tong was present, Wang Dashan and others felt it inconvenient to tell the truth, hemming and hawing.


    But Ling Zhang came to realize what was going on and observed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. There¡¯s no need for such fuss. Go back and do what you¡¯ve got to do.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s a mere trifle,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought. What had happened in the residential compound of Yuwen family actually had caused him neither pain nor itch. It was Yuwen Tong that concerned him more.


    But manifestly Yuwen Tong had some time ago prepared himself for this kind of situation. Seeing Yao Yi and other bodyguards of his were also present, he called them in and instructed, ¡°Have my uncle and his family under surveillance. Keep me informed of their conduct.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± Yao Yi answered and immediately left to make arrangements.


    Before long, the dinner was ready. Chefs in the kitchen prepared a sumptuous meal, most courses of which were Ling Zhang¡¯s favorites. Of course, there were also some that Yuwen Tong liked, but Ling Zhang could tell at a glance that his favorite dishes were disproportionately more than Yuwen Tong¡¯s, and he also vaguely guessed that Li Sicai had done this on purpose. Feeling somewhat amused, he shook his head.


    Naturally, what Ling Zhang could understand was also within Yuwen Tong¡¯s grasp. He commented, ¡°I have to admit Li Sicai is indeed a talent.¡±


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ll have them prepare two more dishes.¡±


    In fact, though dishes Yuwen Tong liked were not as many as those Ling Zhang liked, they still numbered three. Given Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong¡¯s habit of being thrifty, three dishes were enough for either of them. Ling Zhang made this offer merely to cheer Yuwen Tong up.


    Yuwen Tong declined the offer. He reached out his hand, picked up a piece of food from a dish before Ling Zhang with his chopsticks and observed, ¡°I¡¯m not a picky eater.¡±


    So Ling Zhang didn¡¯t rise from his seat to make arrangements but merely lifted his eyebrows.


    In fact Yuwen Tong was indeed not a fussy eater. Living conditions in the encampment in border areas were poor, which made it impossible for him to be fussy about food. As a result, he had been an omnivore for many years.


    Ling Zhang picked up a piece of pork and put it in Yuwen Tong¡¯s bowl. Then he glanced at the tableful of courses and asked, ¡°How about some wine?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°All right.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a servant bring some wine and the two of them had a drink together.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s tolerance to alcohol was not as high as that of Yuwen Tong. A flush spread over his cheeks after a couple of glasses of wine. Yuwen Tong pressed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to the table and said, ¡°I think you¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°One more glass.¡±


    Beneath his beseeching gaze, Yuwen Tong felt it utterly impossible to refuse, so he refilled Ling Zhang¡¯s glass and exhorted, ¡°This is the last glass.¡±


    It was not that he didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to drink more but that¡­ Ling Zhang looked very seductive after drinking, and Yuwen Tong was worried that he might not be able to control himself if he allowed Ling Zhang to drink more.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes he was now as appealing to him as an appetizing steamed bun to a starving man. After drinking another glass, he gave a hiccup heavy with smell of wine and comfortably remarked with a sigh, ¡°It tastes so good.¡±


    Tanyang abounded with medicinal herbs and was also famous for medicinal liquor, but Ling Zhang, maybe because he was a young man, didn¡¯t really like medicinal liquor very much. He preferred stronger drinks. This Pear Blossom Wine brought by Yuwen Tong, for example, took his fancy very much. After drinking it, he felt fully relaxed and warm all over.


    ¡°You see, I¡¯m still sober, am I not?¡± He even specially said to Yuwen Tong in a smug tone, ¡°So I can definitely handle another glass.¡±


    At this moment, a thin soft cry was heard. Surprisingly, the white fox cub, after smelling the wine, ran up to them, raised its head and looked at the two of them.


    Ling Zhang scooped it up, put it on his lap and lowered his head to look at it. ¡°You want to try it as well? Good boy, Whitie. You¡¯re so brave. Come on. Here you are.¡±


    At this time he was already somewhat drunk. While saying this, he really reached out his hand to pour some wine for the white fox cub.


    Yuwen Tong hurriedly stopped him. ¡°It is a fox, not a human being.¡±


    Ling Zhang blinked and queried, ¡°Don¡¯t those books say that foxes love drinking?¡±


    After a brief moment¡¯s silence, Yuwen Tong asked him, ¡°What books?¡±


    ¡°Scripts for story-telling,¡± Ling Zhang replied.


    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s true. In those stories, foxes can not only drink but also turn into human beings,¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought disapprovingly, took the white fox cub from Ling Zhang¡¯s arms, dipped the end of a chopstick into wine and sent it to the mouth of the white fox cub. The fox cub flicked out its tongue, licked the chopstick and briefly shivered.


    Yuwen Tong put it down and said to Ling Zhang, ¡°It had a try.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head after a few moments¡¯ thinking and then lowered his head to look at the white fox cub which had been put down on to the ground. ¡°How do you like it, Whitie?¡±


    The white fox cub, which was still recollecting the pleasant flavor of the wine, shook its head and gave another thin soft cry.


    Ling Zhang dissolved into laugh. With one arm on the table, he leaned his upper body on it, looked sideways at the white fox cub and reached out the other hand to stroke its back. ¡°Good boy. You does have something in common with me, your master. I¡¯ll let you drink a whole glass when you grow a little bigger.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know whether the white fox cub understood his words or not, but it raised its head to face him and gave another thin soft cry, as if extremely pleased.


    Ling Zhang laughed again, a pink flush on his cheeks, which made him look as radiant as a cottonrose hibiscus blossom.


    Yuwen Tong stretched out a hand and held Ling Zhang¡¯s with which he was stroking the white fox cub. Then he craned over and pressed his lips precisely against those of Ling Zhang who had just raised his head in puzzlement.


    Ling Zhang squinted his eyes and opened his mouth.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes instantly went deeper and with that he drew Ling Zhang over from the chair to his lap, put a hand behind Ling Zhang¡¯s waist to support him, raised his chin with the other hand and deepened their kiss.


    Taken aback by this sudden, wide-range motion of theirs, the white fox cub let out a screech and jumped aside. Then it squatted down onto the ground, raised its head and watched the two men who were kissing passionately showing a total disregard for everything else. After giving another thin soft cry, it lowered its head and licked its fur in a quite unhurried way, as if a trifle scornful of this kind of intimacy between lovers. It was surprising that at such a young age, this fox cub displayed a worldly-wise demeanor typical of a seclusive master.


    Feeling comfortable while kissing, Ling Zhang relaxed his body resting his whole weight on Yuwen Tong. The range of their motions was a little too wide and they accidentally overturned Yuwen Tong¡¯s wine glass on the table, which rolled and came to a halt at the edge, wine spilled out of it all over the ground.


    Eyes of the white fox cub lit up. It rose to its feet and cockily walked over. After a lick of the wine, it squinted its eyes and let out a thin soft cry. This lick of the wine was far more intense a stimulation than the chopstick dipped in wine had been. It was so pungent that its hair stood on end.


    Indulging himself in his kiss with Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang failed to notice what the white fox cub was doing. Besides, groans from throats were far more pleasant to hear than the thin soft cry of the white fox cub was. Yuwen Tong enjoyed them very much and had tightly put his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist.


    A bodyguard at the doorway vaguely saw what was happening inside and quietly walked away. Soon all others were informed of it.


    In fact, Yao Yi and others had been worried that Ling Zhang might be angry with Yuwen Tong after being aggrieved in the residential compound of Yuwen family earlier this day, that their marshal¡¯s chance to marry Ling Zhang would be lost for good, which would be very tragic.


    On hearing that the two of them were making out in the room, they all heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It seems that Childe Ling is no longer angry,¡± remarked Yao Yi.


    ¡°Alas, had our master and second master known so many things would happen, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have allowed our young master to come to the capital city,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Yao Yi and the others had a somewhat guilty conscience. After all, they were aware that Yuwen Qi and Supervisor Zhao had gone to Tanyang and threatened Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen, but they didn¡¯t disclose this to others for fear that their marshal might die a bachelor if they did.

 Chapter 182 - A Reunion of Old Friends

    Yuwen Tong was unaware that his subordinates had been worried that he might die single and alone. If it came to his knowledge that they had so little confidence in him, he would undoubtedly fly into a rage and have them stand in the drill ground for a full day as a punishment.


    Yuwen Tong scooped up Ling Zhang, who had been in dizziness during the kiss and eventually drifted off to sleep, and carried him into the bedroom. Ling Zhang unconsciously rubbed his face against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, sleeping soundly with his mouth slightly open. Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest felt nice and warm, an intense desire churning inside him. He couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and kiss Ling Zhang on forehead, cheek and mouth.


    What had happened earlier this afternoon had indeed made him very unhappy. He felt that his uncle had been growing increasingly interfering. He had warned his uncle several times in an effort to persuade him stay out of his business, but his uncle was too stubborn and refused to listen to reason; even Yuwen Feng had more sense than he did. Yuwen Tong knew that his uncle had been harboring grudges against his grandfather for his keeping him from joining the army. When young, his uncle had been a very conceited man who believed that he would definitely be able to render meritorious service on the battlefield with his wide knowledge of military strategy and tactics, who was unaware that those theories he¡¯d learned from books were totally useless when faced with the cruelty of an actual war. Besides, at that time, the Great Yue had been in decline for years, and every battle was of utmost significance; any small careless mistake might lead to the subjugation of this country, which meant that people couldn¡¯t risk letting his uncle gain experience through mistakes. As regards the situation in Yuwen family, Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather and parents had all gone to the front, and his uncle was the only pillar of this family left. In those trying times when the future of the whole country were hanging in the balance, having his uncle stay in the capital city had actually been a precaution against extermination of this family. However, his uncle didn¡¯t ¨C or was unwilling to ¨C see things this way, always believing that his grandfather¡¯s decision had ruined his whole life, that Yuwen Tong had snatched from him the glory that was rightfully his.


    In that year, Yuwen Tong¡¯s father, on his deathbed, exhorted Yuwen Tong to come back home more often and take good care of his uncle and other family members if he could. During these years, he had always been true to his word. Though he had had to stay in the border areas most of the time, he had planted some men in the capital city, who¡¯d been keeping a close watch on the residential compound of Yuwen family. This was also a protection for his uncle and others. The emperor was wary and afraid of him, but the more so, the more misgivings he had about causing any member of Yuwen family any harm. Instead, he had to ensure their safety, which was yet another form of protection for members of Yuwen family.


    However, in recent years, his uncle had been growing more and more discontented with the current situation. He had even interfered in his marriage. Not only had he tried to keep the engagement between him and Ling Zhang secret from him, he also had the fond hope of gaining a final say on his marriage. In the final analysis, he merely wanted to stay in sole charge of the whole Yuwen family and have Yuwen Tong in the palm of his hand, which might be just two smaller ones of his ambitions¡­


    Yuwen Tong took no pleasure in assuming the worst about the intentions of his kin, but he really felt he should teach his uncle a lesson, because if not, his uncle would always be as oblivious of the reality as he had been since youth, mistakenly believing that everything was under his control, which would only reduce Yuwen family to a more disastrous situation.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had been in a sound sleep, was woken up as Yuwen Tong took the liberty of kissing him. He unhappily uttered ¡°Uh¡± and twisted his head aside trying to avoid Yuwen Tong¡¯s lips.


    Yuwen Tong raised his head to look at Ling Zhang and with that all the thoughts that had been bothering him were dismissed from his mind.


    The next morning, Ling Zhang woke up very early and his head felt a trifle uncomfortable. He removed the arm around his waist and got out of bed, intending to go and wash his face to clear his head.


    Seeing him get up, Yuwen Tong, who had been awake for quite some time, also got out of bed and asked, ¡°Are you going to visit Tao Yi today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ling Zhang inclined his head and vaguely recalled what happened the night before. Feeling that being kissed to sleep was really somewhat shameful, he gave Yuwen Tong a dirty look. ¡°Where¡¯s Whitie?¡±


    ¡°I had Yao Yi take care of it.¡±


    ¡®We were having such a good moment last night. You think I would let that white fox cub ruin it? I¡¯m not a fool,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched. He had a servant bring hot water and towels into the room. After he washed his face, his mind felt a lot clearer.


    Yuwen Tong kneaded Ling Zhang¡¯s temples and said, ¡°I had them prepare lean pork congee and stir-fried bok choy.¡±


    The night before they drank some liquor, so he believed that it would be best if they had a light breakfast.


    Since the breakfast wasn¡¯t ready yet, Ling Zhang went to the drill ground, where he practiced fighting skills for two hours. Then he returned, changed clothes again and sat down to have breakfast with Yuwen Tong.


    It was after he sat down that Ling Zhang recalled something that he had forgotten for quite some time. With that he queried Yuwen Tong, ¡°Are there any particular places you need to go to today?¡±


    ¡°I have to go to the Ministry of War first, and then the imperial palace. I think I won¡¯t be able to return until night.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to you about it at night.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t ask him what it was about, since he would find out after he came back at night.


    Before leaving, Ling Zhang summoned Liu Yi. ¡°Elder Brother Liu, you once told me that you needed to look for an old friend of that kung fu expert. If it¡¯s urgent, you may go and attend to it first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Young Master. I¡¯ll go out and make some inquiries today,¡± replied Liu Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. After a few moments¡¯ thinking, he exhorted, ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    Liu Yi responded earnestly, ¡°Rest assured, young master, I¡¯ll be cautious.¡±


    ¡®Young master didn¡¯t ask any further questions about where I¡¯m going to look for that person. Clearly we ought to be discreet, given that we have just arrived in the capital city. This shows how much young master trusts me, and I must be cautious when I¡¯m out there. Though looking for an old friend for the kung fu expert is a promise of great importance, it has compromised young master¡¯s safety,¡¯ Liu Yi thought.


    ¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Tao Yi. Have you any idea how many clothes you¡¯ve tried on?! You¡¯re meeting a fellow-townsman, not going to a blind date. Is this really necessary?!¡±


    Tao Yi tore his clothes off again, changed into another outfit and replied, ¡°He¡¯s not just any fellow-townsman!¡±


    ¡®Ling Zhang is now Marshal Yuwen¡¯s betrothed, which means that some day they¡¯ll get married and he¡¯ll be the wife of the Marshal. I¡¯ll be lending Ling Zhang a certain dignity if I dress up. How can I risk letting others say that Ling Zhang has dealings with a poor guy who cuts a sorry figure? That would undoubtedly take a heavy toll on Ling Zhang¡¯s reputation,¡¯ he thought.


    As a result, when Ling Zhang saw Tao Yi, he was almost dumbfounded by Tao Yi¡¯s unduly gorgeous clothes.


    ¡°Elder Brother Tao, why are you dressing like this?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him in astonishment.


    Tao Yi replied happily, ¡°What do you think? I specially dressed so formally in order to be in tune with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately came to realize that Tao Yi had done this out of kindness, and he did feel slightly touched. ¡°Well, thanks. That¡¯s very kind of you, Elder Brother Tao.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. We¡¯re friends, remember?¡± replied Tao Yi after patting himself on the chest, but the next moment, his countenance changed drastically. With a ferocious look, he looked at Ling Zhang and observed, ¡°No. There¡¯s a score I¡¯ve got to settle with you first. You sly old devil, when we were in Tanyang, you didn¡¯t mention a single word about this to me. I was so kind-hearted as to specially ask you whether you wanted to go to the capital city with me to see Marshal Yuwen, but you couldn¡¯t even be bothered to drop a hint to me when the Marshal was staying right in your home! I traveled thousands of miles to come here only to be informed that the Marshal was in Tanyang! Tell me how you are going to make up for my several-thousand-mile wasted journey. Know that I won¡¯t forgive you easily if your answer is not satisfactory.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had a somewhat guilty conscience, replied cooperatively, ¡°How about you tell me what kind of compensation you want? I¡¯ll do anything I can.¡±


    Instantly, a smile as bright as a blossom lit up Tao Yi¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯d like an audience with the Marshal.¡±


    Ling Zhang was not surprised at all that Tao Yi wanted him to make it up to him this way. After a few moments¡¯ thinking, he responded, ¡°All right, but you have to wait until Yuwen Tong is available. He has just returned to the capital city and there are a lot of things he has to attend to.¡±


    Naturally, Tao Yi raised no objection whatsoever. He agreed almost immediately for fear that Ling Zhang might go back on his word, but ¨C


    ¡°You called the Marshal by his full name?!¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in surprise. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have? What am I supposed to call him other than ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯?¡±


    Tao Yi was open-mouthed for quite a while. And then in a resigned tone of voice, he remarked, ¡°You got me on that one. It didn¡¯t occur to me that you two are going to marry each other. Ah, ah, ah, I¡¯m so not reconciled to this. Why isn¡¯t my surname Ling?!¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    He squinted his eyes and looked at Tao Yi. ¡°Why did you say that? You want to compete with me?¡±


    Tao Yi replied dramatically, ¡°I¡¯m a man of striking appearance and great presence, one of the very few prodigies in the capital city. I¡¯m telling you, if anybody is to marry me, one of his ancestors¡¯ spirit would definitely have to manifest and lend him extremely good luck!¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll introduce you to Yuwen Tong and see if his ancestor¡¯s spirit would manifest or not.¡±


    Tao Yi hurriedly wiped the dramatic expression off his face. ¡°No, no, I was just joking. Don¡¯t take my word for it. The Marshal might hack me to death.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. After all, you are of both striking appearance and great presence, and also one of the very few prodigies.¡±


    Tao Yi was reduced to imploring once again. It was not until Ling Zhang was pleased that he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°By the way, those things were delivered to me yesterday. My teacher asked me to tell you this and thank you on behalf of him.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°The old lord¡¯s gratitude is something I don¡¯t deserve. I merely brought those things here in passing. Where¡¯s the cart-driver of your family? He went back?¡±


    ¡°No. My father told him to stay in the capital city, saying that he could be of service to me,¡± responded Tao Yi. After a few moments, he queried seriously in a lowered voice, ¡°I heard about what happened at the city gate and at the banquet in the imperial palace the day you entered the city. You are not in some kind of trouble, are you?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s some others who are in trouble.¡±


    Tao Yi smiled, ¡°My teacher told me that you were quite eloquent and didn¡¯t let any of them get the best of your confrontation with them at the banquet.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat embarrassed. ¡®Does this mean that I left a bad impression on the old lord?¡¯


    Tao Yi consoled him, ¡°My teacher is not like any of those pedantic people. He said that your criticism was well-founded and full of dash. I think he held an approving attitude towards what you said back there.¡±


    ¡®Really?¡¯ Ling Zhang felt even more embarrassed.


    ¡°How¨CHow¡¯s everything going with you and Yuwen family? I don¡¯t think you know this ¨C the two of you leaving the residential compound of Yuwen family early last night has come to the knowledge of everybody in the whole city. Did Yuwen Zhi pick on you back there?¡± Tao Yi asked.


    Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brow. ¡°The whole city know about it now?¡±


    Tao Yi gave a bob of his head and commented in a serious tone, ¡°This is the only downside to being in the capital city: news spreads really quick here, especially news about you, who now have a special identity. Remember, you must be very cautious about your every move in this city. Otherwise you will be surprised by how many eyes have been covertly watching you.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Thank you, Elder Brother Tao. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡®But I¡¯m afraid no matter how careful I am, what¡¯s meant to happen will still happen to me,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Then¡­ may I ask what happened in the residential compound of Yuwen family?¡± Tao Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously.


    Ling Zhang responded with a smile, ¡°Nothing serious. It¡¯s just that Yuwen Tong had something to attend to, so we left early.¡±


    There was no telling whether Tao Yi bought it or not, but he clearly knew very well how to behave in this delicate situation. Instead of persisting with his questioning about it, he asked, ¡°Do you still remember what I mentioned to you about the situation in Yuwen family when we were in Tanyang?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I believe that, no matter what, you have a grasp of the situation you¡¯re in and know what¡¯s the right thing to do. All in all¡­ Alas, since you¡¯ve already come to the capital city, you¡¯re definitely willing to marry the Marshal. The Marshal is your most powerful backer, and you must hold tight to him. With the Marshal on your side, nobody will dare to cause you any harm. If anything does happen, you can always come to me. Though there might not be much I could do, at least I can help you figure something out.¡±

 Chapter 183 - A Lady of Su Family

    Ling Zhang thanked Tao Yi for his kindness and at the same time came to understand one particular thing more clearly ¨C Yuwen Zhi¡¯s disapproval of the marriage between him and Yuwen Tong probably had come to the knowledge of everybody in this city, and maybe in the eyes of some of them, what he had been doing was no different from a moth flying into the fire.


    ¡°But you really did a good job.¡± Tao Yi changed the topic and paid Ling Zhang a compliment.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°First you stood up to the Ninth Princess at the city gate, and then you shot down those gossips at the gateway of the imperial palace. After that, you even directly confronted Yuwen Zhi, and even he failed to get the best of the confrontation. News of all these things has spread. His Majesty having the Ninth Princess practice Buddhism due to her attempt to have you assassinated, in particular, shocked a lot of people. Before you entered the capital city, situation in the capital city had been different. It¡¯s been less than two days since you arrived, but now all people in this city know that it¡¯s inadvisable to mess with you.¡±


    Tao Yi was looking at Ling Zhang in admiration while making these remarks. Clearly he was gratified at Ling Zhang¡¯s capabilities.


    ¡°This is exactly what I want.¡±


    Deterring those people was exactly what Ling Zhang intended to do. Only by having them know that he was no soft target would others think twice before deciding to do things that might be offensive to him.


    The two old friends continued to talk about the old days and neither of them had any pretence of courtesy. After a while, Tao Yi offered to take Ling Zhang to the most famous tavern in the capital city to enjoy a meal.


    ¡°Their signature dishes are very well-known. I¡¯ll let you have a taste of every one of them,¡± observed Tao Yi smugly.


    The tavern Tao Yi talked about was the Taibai Tavern. It was located in the eastern avenue, which was an uproarious street crowded with people.


    Ling Zhang and Tao Yi went into the Taibai Tavern together, followed by Wang Dashan and Zhang Liu. None of their faces was familiar to many in this city, so their arrival didn¡¯t attract anybody¡¯s attention.


    Tao Yi was the one who ordered the dishes. He also ordered a pot of wine for the occasion.


    The Taibai Tavern was a three-story building. Rooms on the third floor were all private rooms. On the second floor were comfortable seats and tables separated by screens. And in the hall on the ground floor, there were neither private rooms nor screens. When the two of them arrived at the Taibai Tavern, it was almost filled to capacity. Fortunately, there were still a couple of comfortable seats available on the second floor, which happened to serve as a convenience for them.


    ¡°This place is pretty popular.¡± Ling Zhang specially observed this tavern and found that most customers were sumptuously clothed.


    ¡°The food here is good, and it¡¯s located in a busy street, but most importantly, many respected figures in this city dine here regularly. Every year, before the imperial examination, a poem competition or something like that will be held in this tavern, and a lot of talented students will come here to participate, which is why it¡¯s so popular,¡± explained Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and looked outside, thinking about opening a drugstore. When it came to opening a drugstore in the capital city, choosing the right site was very important, but most importantly, it was not easy to get the ownership of a good site. ¡®All things are difficult before they are easy¡¯, as the saying goes. ¡®No matter how difficult it will be, I must figure out a way to get it done,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°You see the guest at that table? They both work for the Dali Temple (the Supreme Judicial Court in feudal China). They didn¡¯t even change out of their robes,¡± said Tao Yi, stealthily pointing at two guests at another table.


    Then he pointed at guests sitting beside another few tables.


    ¡°Those are the King Hui¡¯s subordinates. You can recognize them by the ID plates on their belts.¡±


    ¡°Those students sitting there are from the Imperial College. They are wearing Confucian scholar¡¯s robes.¡±


    ¡®From the Imperial College?¡¯ Ling Zhang flicked another glance at them. A Confucian scholar¡¯s robe issued by the Imperial College was of blue and white, the main part blue, the piping white, which lent an air of vigorousness to the wearer.


    ¡°My teacher told me that you were going to the Imperial College to study?¡± queried Tao Yi, who recalled something after seeing Ling Zhang flick another glance at those students of the Imperial College.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Tao Yi commented, ¡°Pity I¡¯m in the Oriental Proprieties Academy. If I were a student of the Imperial College, we would be classmates.¡±


    ¡®Tell me about it. It¡¯s all the emperor¡¯s fault. It¡¯s his interference that caused this,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    Tao Yi, who had come to this city a long time ago, had not been in Tanyang when those events happened there, so he took advantage of this opportunity and asked Ling Zhang a lot of questions.


    ¡°In those days, Tanyang was not the only place shrouded in panic. The atmosphere in the capital city was also extremely tense. The Sixth Prince was put under house arrest. The Concubine Shu was sent to the cold palace (a palace where an emperor installs members of the imperial family who do something wrong). All hard-core members of the faction headed by the Sixth Prince were stripped of their titles. Oh, there¡¯s also that Li Chong guy. He¡¯s the most unfortunate one. It is said that he was dragged out of his bed before he could make any reaction. In a word, there were quite some upheavals in the capital city as well. It was not until shortly before you and the Marshal arrived that the situation stabilized,¡± remarked Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang had also heard Yuwen Tong talk about the previous situation in the capital city. ¡®Speaking of people on the Sixth Prince¡¯s side, that Peng Fang guy working in the Ministry of Works used to serve the Sixth Prince. Now he has switched allegiance to the King Duan. He also tried to have me poisoned in the Wu City,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang. He wondered how Yuwen Tong¡¯s investigation into this case was going. In fact, he was more inclined to believe that Peng Fang had had orders from the King Duan. After all, the Sixth Prince had already been put under house arrest. Besides, even if they intended to take revenge, their target should have been Yuwen Tong rather than him.


    ¡°You know who¡¯s going to fill the vacancy left by Zhang Chong¡¯s death and become the new commander of the Tanyang Prefecture Guards?¡± asked Tao Yi mysteriously.


    Ling Zhang had been informed of this by Yuwen Tong quite some time ago. ¡°He Xiao.¡±


    Tao Yi was amazed. ¡°You knew about this?¡±


    ¡°Someone told me, of course.¡±


    The light dawned on Tao Yi. ¡°I almost forgot that you¡¯re with the Marshal. There¡¯s probably nothing you don¡¯t know about.¡±


    ¡°You specially mentioned He Xiao. Is there anything particular you want to tell me about?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Tao Yi gave a inclination of the head. ¡°He Xiao departed for Tanyang early yesterday morning. I¡¯ve heard about something before, so I want to inform you.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart briefly lurched. He had a general idea of what Tao Yi was going to say.


    ¡°It is rumored that He Xiao is not really on good terms with the Marshal. There¡¯s no telling whether or not he would make things difficult for your family after going to Tanyang. I think you should write Tongzhi Ling a letter telling him to keep an eye open,¡± said Tao Yi.


    As expected, it was indeed about this matter. Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Thank you for reminding me, Elder Brother Tao. Yuwen Tong mentioned this to me as well. I¡¯ve consulted with my uncle before I came here.¡±


    Faintly disappointed to know that the information he offered wasn¡¯t of help, Tao Yi sighed, ¡°Alas, having a marshal as a backer indeed makes a lot of difference.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him somewhat amusedly. ¡°There are many things that I could use your help with as well. You see, I knew nothing about all those people that you just told me about. You¡¯ve been in the capital city for many years. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of things that you have a better understanding of and know more about than I do.¡±


    After hearing this, Tao Yi smugly responded, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. If you have any questions about any of these things, I¡¯m the very person you should go to.¡±


    Zhang Liu, who had been standing on the side as still as a painting hanging on a wall, quietly flicked a glance at Tao Yi who had a self-satisfied expression on his face, thinking, ¡®This Tao Yi guy really knows about a lot of things, including even the fact that He Xiao and the Marshal don¡¯t get along.¡¯


    After three cups of wine, the two of them almost finished half of the meal. Right at this time, on the avenue, a couple of sumptuous horse-drawn carriages escorted by a team of guards slowly came to a halt in front of the doorway of the Taibai Tavern.


    What made them conspicuous was that, apart from guards, there were also some maidservants beside those carriages. Anybody could tell at a glance that the passengers in the couple of carriages were female.


    Of course, there was yet someone else even more eye-catching. It was a young man who had just jumped off the first carriage, gorgeously clothed, a haughty look on his face.


    ¡°Cousin, we¡¯ve arrived at the Taibai Tavern,¡± said the man after walking up to the second horse-drawn carriage.


    The carriage curtain was lifted and a luxuriously dressed fair maiden walked out, who had pretty features and looked a trifle artless. She called the young man cousin with a smile, held his hand poised to support her, and with that the young man guided her off the carriage.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since the last time I¡¯ve come here. Thank you for bringing me here, cousin,¡± remarked the maiden.


    The young man replied with an arrogant face, ¡°I can take you here anytime you feel like to come. Let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯ve reserved a private room on the third floor and also ordered many dishes you like. I guarantee you¡¯ll have a good time today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, cousin!¡± the maiden smiled.


    The group of people walked into the Taibai Tavern and the tavernkeeper himself came to their welcome. ¡°To what do I owe this honor, Second Childe? Your gracious presence has added glitters to my humble tavern.¡±


    ¡°Tavernkeeper Wang, is the private room I booked ready?¡±


    ¡°It is, and all the dishes you ordered are poised to be served anytime.¡±


    ¡°You may have them served now.¡±


    ¡°You got it, Second Childe.¡±


    The commotion from downstairs attracted many customers¡¯ attention.


    Tao Yi sitting beside the balustrade flicked a downward glance. At first he didn¡¯t notice anything special, but after a few moments, as if something occurred to him, he hurriedly craned beyond the balustrade, took another look and muttered with a frown on his face, ¡°How did he come to be here?¡±


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang was somewhat curious. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Tao Yi looked at him, fairly hesitating.


    Ling Zhang was perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Yuwen Qi,¡± replied Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brow. ¡®Yuwen Qi?¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s a maiden with him, whom I don¡¯t recognize, but the horse-drawn carriage seems to belong to Su family. If my guess is right, that maiden is daughter of the patriarch of Su family,¡± said Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s corrugated brow flattened out as he queried, ¡°Daughter of the patriarch of Su family? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Well, not really. It¡¯s just that this lady of Su family is Yuwen Qi¡¯s cousin. Her mother and Yuwen Qi¡¯s mother are cousins as well. Originally, her father was an official in another city. It was not until half a year ago that he was transferred into the capital city. His rank is not high, but because of the kinship between his family and Yuwen family, nobody dares to deal them a head-on blow, even though they¡¯re new to this city. It¡¯s said that Yuwen Qi dotes on this cousin of his,¡± explained Tao Yi.


    ¡®His cousin?¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance fell weird and with that he looked at Zhang Liu.


    Zhang Liu was speechless.


    ¡®Bad luck. How come Childe Ling so coincidentally encountered someone from Su family in a tavern?!¡¯ he thought.


    Zhang Liu inclined his head very grudgingly, suggesting that this cousin of Yuwen Qi¡¯s was probably the one whom Zheng shi wanted to marry into Yuwen family. Quite unfortunately, the one she was meant to marry was their Marshal¡­


    Ling Zhang sneered. ¡®Very good.¡¯


    Tao Yi, who had not yet noticed anything wrong, was still talking. ¡°¡­ Anyway, the third floor is the only place Yuwen Qi would be every time he comes here. We won¡¯t have to see them. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡®Worry? What could possibly worry me? Yesterday Yuwen Tong gave Yuwen Qi a kick, but he¡¯s still in the mood for coming here today. It seems that that kick was not hard enough,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    While they were talking, footsteps came from the landing. Unsurprisingly, it was Yuwen Qi, and the maiden by his side was indeed pretty. A lot of male customers in the tavern were eyeing her. Yuwen Qi¡¯s piercing eyes raked those men. Having received the warning, all those male customers hastily took their eyes off the maiden and didn¡¯t dare to look in her direction again.


    The maiden was still chirping on to Yuwen Qi about something, looking as lively as a lark. Yuwen Qi listened to her, a very doting expression on his face.


    Just like Tao Yi had speculated, they were going to the third floor, totally unconcerned with customers on the second floor.


    Ling Zhang merely cast a glance at them and then immediately withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes, making it difficult for others to see the look in them.


    Zhang Liu stealthily observed him but failed to find any traces of his mood. Somewhat anxious, Zhang Liu made a suggestion, ¡°Childe Ling, how about we go to the book market in the third east alley for a walk? You can conveniently find out if there are any particular books you¡¯d like to buy.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m toast. Is Childe Ling by any chance angry?¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 184 - On Your Knees

    At this moment, Zhang Liu felt an urge to hit his head hard on a wall to punish himself. Had he known earlier that they would encounter Yuwen Qi and people of Su family in the Taibai Tavern, he would never have let Ling Zhang come.


    Ling Zhang softly threw a quick glance at him and asked, ¡°Why are you being so anxious?¡±


    It was not until this moment that Tao Yi finally came to sense that something was not quite right with the mood at the table. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    But Tao Yi had a thoughtful expression on his face. He tossed a look at the landing, pondered for a few moments and remarked, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the book market for a walk. There happens to be some books I need to buy, and you¡¯ll have to go to the Imperial College soon. We can go there together and see if there are any books suitable for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head. ¡°That might not be a bad idea.¡±


    Seeing the nervous face of Zhang Liu, Ling Zhang believed that if he sat here for a while longer, Zhang Liu¡¯s anxiety would go above the threshold and reduce him to running to Yuwen Tong¡¯s report.


    The four of them left the Taibai Tavern together, heading for the book market in the third east alley.


    On arriving at the book market, Zhang Liu secretly heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that he had rid himself of the risk of being punished after returning.


    ¡°Young Master, please slow down a little bit. You must stay close to us in a crowded place like this.¡± Wang Dashan, however, involuntarily tensed his back. There were too many people in the book market. Though at first glance all of them seemed to be students, crowdedness was synonymous with danger.


    Tao Yi, after tossing a backward glance at Wang Dashan and Zhang Liu who were closely following in Ling Zhang¡¯s wake, said to Ling Zhang, ¡°These two bodyguards of yours are pretty conscientious in their work.¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°Elder Brother Wang is my bodyguard, but Guard Zhang is not. He¡¯s just here to render me protection.¡±


    After hearing this, Tao Yi craned over and asked under his breath, ¡°Is he by any chance the Marshal¡¯s bodyguard?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    Tao Yi cast another backward glance at Zhang Liu, who calmly looked back at him. Tao Yi immediately gave a smile at him. Zhang Liu fell speechless.


    There were bookstores and book stands everywhere in the book market. Scents of ink and paper were mixing together, shrouding this place in an intense air typical of the literati.


    Ling Zhang secretly sighed in sentiment. Except for some occasional short-time reading at night, from his last incarnation until the present day, he hadn¡¯t done any serious reading for a long time. Speaking of which, he was actually somewhat worried that he might not be able to keep pace with the tempo of teaching of teachers in the Imperial College.


    ¡°I wonder what they teach in the Imperial College,¡± Ling Zhang said. Had he known, he could buy some books and start learning in advance.


    Tao Yi knew something about it and recommended several books to Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang purchased them all.


    Estimating that these might not be enough, he decided to consult with Yuwen Tong about hiring a private teacher to teach him after he returned.


    Inside the Taibai Tavern.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a walk, cousin.¡± Su Yaoyao, standing beside the window of the private room, egged Yuwen Qi on to take her to the streets to stroll around.


    Yuwen Qi responded, ¡°My mother¡¯s been expecting you at home. We¡¯d be keeping her waiting if we go to the streets for a stroll.¡±


    A disappointed look appeared on Su Yaoyao¡¯s face. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s heart ached as he saw the disappointment on her face, so he said, ¡°Just a while then. After that, we go back.¡±


    ¡°Great! Thank you, cousin!¡± Su Yaoyao said delightedly.


    The look in Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes briefly changed as he saw a happy smile light up Su Yaoyao¡¯s pretty face.


    ¡°Yaoyao, did your mother mention how long you¡¯re allowed to stay in my home?¡±


    Su Yaoyao answered, ¡°My mother just told me to spend as much time as possible with my aunt. She didn¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my mother will be very happy to hear this. She¡¯s been talking a lot about wanting to see you recently,¡± commented Yuwen Qi. Of course, her mother had, inevitably, mentioned another person when talking about Su Yaoyao, the thought of which made Yuwen Qi¡¯s face fell slightly sullen.


    Su Yaoyao observed happily, ¡°I always know that aunt is the kindest to me.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Yuwen Qi looked at her.


    Su Yaoyao immediately replied, ¡°You¡¯re also the kindest to me, cousin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the answer I want to hear,¡± said Yuwen Qi.


    As the conversation was steered to the topic of things in Yuwen family, Su Yaoyao recalled something and faintly flushed. There seemed to be a particular question she would like to ask Yuwen Qi, but eventually, she swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue in embarrassment. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯d like to go to the Jinyu Fang and take a look.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go there with you.¡±


    ¡­


    At this time, Ling Zhang and Tao Yi were still shopping in the book market. Wang Dashan had already had a high stack of books in his arms.


    Ling Zhang, who saw this as he twisted his head back, hurriedly halted and remarked, ¡°Elder Brother Tao, I think these are enough. If we buy any more books, Elder Brother Wang and Guard Zhang won¡¯t be able to carry them for us.¡±


    Tao Yi gave a bob of the head. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s a teahouse outside this book market. We may have some rest there.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had observed the terrain of this book market on their way, queried Tao Yi, ¡°Is this place filled with shoppers every day?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are several book markets of considerable scale in this city. This one in the third east alley is one of the two largest. In addition, this place is actually not far away from the Imperial College, so many people come here to buy books.¡±


    ¡°The Imperial College?¡±


    Tao Yi pointed in the direction of the college, where high garrets and cornices could be vaguely seen. ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡±


    Ling Zhang gauged the approximate location of it and lodged it in his mind.


    ¡®So many people come to this place every day. Is it advisable to buy a property nearby and open a drugstore? But almost all people coming here are students. These people are probably only interested in books and may not necessarily pay any attention to a drugstore. I should give this some more thought¡­¡¯


    While he was thinking, the four of them had walked out of the book market and turned into the street where the teahouse Tao Yi had mentioned was. This street was slightly broader than the one the book market was on. Apart from a teahouse, Ling Zhang also saw plenty of jewelry stores. ¡®It seem that this is also an area for jewelry merchants and antiquarians. It¡¯s indeed not the right place to open a drugstore,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    The four of them were just about to cross the street to go to the teahouse when a horse-drawn carriage drove around the corner.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t pay any special attention. He merely tossed a quick glance at it and then paused.


    This was so coincidental. They encountered that horse-drawn carriage of Su family once again. If he saw right, it was the very carriage parked in front of the Taibai Tavern previously. There were guards and maidservants following in its wake, which was sheer ostentation and extravagance.


    ¡°Eek? Will we never be rid of them?¡± Tao Yi also noticed the carriage.


    Zhang Liu appeared as if he were faced with a formidable enemy. Seeing the carriage heading their way, he was only too anxiously to rush over, push it back into the alley and make sure it never came out.


    They were just about to go to the teahouse when the horse-drawn carriage drove over and blocked their path. It seemed that the destination of passengers inside the carriage was the Jinyu Fang on the side, which was why the carriage was parked there blocking the street.


    Yuwen Qi jumped off the carriage and saw Ling Zhang at a glance. With that, his countenance instantly changed. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    ¡°Who is it, cousin?¡± Su Yaoyao got out of the carriage. Seeing the look on Yuwen Qi¡¯s face was not quite right, she turned around in confusion and her eyes raked Ling Zhang and other three.


    ¡°A sparrow wishing to fly onto a high branch to become a phoenix,¡± replied Yuwen Qi flintily.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang felt an urge to roll his eyes upwards. ¡®What kind of lousy metaphor is this? Yuwen Tong is not an emperor. How can I possibly become a ¡®phoenix¡¯ by marrying him? Besides, I¡¯m a man. This whole ¡®phoenix¡¯ thing is nothing but bullshit,¡¯ he thought.


    The very sight of Yuwen Qi made him bored. Ling Zhang, who couldn¡¯t be bothered to make a reply, said to Tao Yi, ¡°Let¡¯s just ignore him and go.¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhang!¡± However, Yuwen Qi was agitated by the indifferent look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. He flied into a temper and let out a cry. ¡°Now you know you don¡¯t have the nerve to show your face now? It didn¡¯t cross your mind that you¡¯d be reduced to this situation when you swaggered around in my home yesterday, did it? Now you want to leave?¡±


    On hearing Yuwen Qi¡¯s remarks, those guards instantly gathered around.


    Seeing this, Tao Yi stepped to the front of Ling Zhang and said disgustedly, ¡°What do you think you are doing, Yuwen Qi? You want to assault us on a street? Have you no shame?¡±


    Ling Zhang was briefly surprised as Tao Yi hurried to his protection. He raised his hand and patted Tao Yi on the shoulder. ¡°This is between me and him. You should stay out of this. Otherwise your name might end up on the target list of that rabid dog.¡±


    Tao Yi refused to move, believing that Yuwen Qi harbored evil intentions.


    ¡°You think I can¡¯t see you when you¡¯re hiding behind someone else¡¯s back? Weren¡¯t you pretty cocky when my cousin was by your side? Now you¡¯re afraid? Let me tell you something. You need to get back to Tanyang immediately, otherwise I¡¯ll break your legs where you stand and you¡¯ll be confined to bed for the rest of your life.¡± Yuwen Qi walked over and stared at Ling Zhang, a ferocious look in his eyes.


    Yuwen Qi had been harboring grudges against Ling Zhang due to the humiliation inflicted on him in Tanyang that day. On top of that, after Yuwen Tong gave him a kick the day before, he had been consumed with anger all along. Therefore, seeing Yuwen Tong was no longer by Ling Zhang¡¯s side, he was unable to subdue his rage and all he wanted to do was beat Ling Zhang up.


    Ling Zhang held Tao Yi¡¯s arm, put forth some of his strength and, giving Tao Yi no chance to speak, drew Tao Yi aside, stepped forward and coldly looked at Yuwen Qi, ¡°Those are quite some big words, Second Childe Yuwen. I¡¯m not going back to Tanyang. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll beat you until you beg me to stop!¡± Yuwen Qi smiled sinisterly with a sullen face.


    ¡°Then do it. I¡¯d like to find out whether you¡¯d be able to survive tomorrow after beating me today,¡± commented Ling Zhang frostily.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Your life is of no more value than that of an ant. You think I¡¯d have to pay with my life after beating you to death? Stop dreaming,¡± Yuwen Qi responded. With a wave of his hand, those guards around them started closing in on them.


    Wang Dashan immediately stepped forward and thundered, ¡°How dare you! The Marshal will not let you get away with it even if you touch a single hair of my young master!¡±


    ¡°The Marshal? I don¡¯t believe Yuwen Tong would still have his eye on you after I disable you. Boys, teach him a lesson!¡± Yuwen Qi instructed.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Zhang Liu cried flintily and exerted his internal energy on the guards around them, deterring them from getting closer.


    ¡°Childe Qi, I advise you not to be so slow-witted as to make trouble for Childe Ling. Otherwise the Marshal will make you pay for it even though you are a member of Yuwen family.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you threaten me!¡± Yuwen Qi was consumed with anger.


    ¡°You are utterly impervious to reason. Younger Brother Zhang is Marshal Yuwen¡¯s betrothed, and his grandfather once saved your grandfather¡¯s life, yet this is how Yuwen family is supposed to treat him? Now I see the true colors of you. You are an absolute disgrace to Marshal Yuwen. You are ruining Marshal Yuwen¡¯s reputation! Marshal Yuwen is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue, the incarnation of the God of War in the Great Yue. How come he has family members like you people? This is unbelievably disappointing. You people are utterly unworthy of being Marshal Yuwen¡¯s family!¡± Tao Yi, angered by Yuwen Qi¡¯s conduct, flushed scarlet, glaring at Yuwen Qi as if he were an enemy who owed him a huge debt of blood. He could barely keep from rushing over to eliminate this degenerate for Marshal Yuwen.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Yuwen Qi raged, slowly stressing each syllable, and his face instantly went murderous. ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are?! You are in no position to speak! Guards! Beat this talky fly to death!¡±


    ¡°Guard Zhang, restrain Yuwen Qi and bring him to me,¡± Ling Zhang said frostily, his fists clenched.


    Zhang Liu gave a bob of his head. None of the others saw exactly how he did it, but when they were about to react, Yuwen Qi had already been brought to the front of Ling Zhang by Zhang Liu.


    Yuwen Qi was taken aback. ¡°You goddamn flunkey! Let go of me! What do you think you are doing?!¡±


    ¡°On your knees.¡±


    Ling Zhang coldly walked over and gave the hollow of Yuwen Qi¡¯s knee a hard kick. With that, Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs buckled and he slumped to his knees.


    Instantly, a deathly hush descended over the whole street.

 Chapter 185 - Yuwen Qis Venomous Snake

    ¡°You are courting death, Ling Zhang!¡±


    At this moment, Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes were blood-red, sheer murderousness glinting in them. All of a sudden, a small eerily blue snake shot out of nowhere like greased lightning and bit Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist!


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    ¡°Younger Brother Zhang!¡±


    Zhang Liu, Wang Dashan and Tao Yi were taken aback. None of them saw how that snake appeared, and neither was any of them able to react promptly to stop it. Besides, this snake was giving off a strong foul odor and of a weird color. Anybody could tell at a glance that it was venomous! Many venomous snakes had virulent venom which could cause instantaneous death!


    Ling Zhang himself had also never expected that a snake would shoot out of nowhere to bite him, so he was caught off guard. The pointed sharp fangs of the venomous snake penetrated through the skin of his wrist. Not only was it causing him stabbing pain, his whole arm immediately went numb, which showed how high the level of toxicity of this snake¡¯s venom was! Feeling dizzy, he briefly staggered and nearly lost his footing, his vision blurring¡­


    Wang Dashan tossed aside the books in his arms and quickly stepped forward to support Ling Zhang with Tao Yi. Wang Dashan rapidly gripped the neck of the venomous snake. He did it with so great strength that the snake¡¯s neck was directly broken. With that, the snake let go of Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist but its fangs were still in Ling Zhang¡¯s flesh. Wang Dashan removed it, heavily threw it to the ground and stamped it flat.


    Zhang Liu, too worried to keep Yuwen Qi under control, kicked him aside and hurriedly went to check Ling Zhang.


    After being kicked aside, Yuwen Qi picked himself up. Seeing the body of the snake, he was both painfully regretful and furious, but when he saw Ling Zhang suffering from the poison, he instantly had a smug look on his face, fully enjoying the feeling of being avenged. Through gritted teeth, he remarked, ¡°Ling Zhang, this is what happens when you mess with me. My precious snake was far more valuable than your life. You should count yourself lucky.¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Qi, hand over the antidote!¡± Zhang Liu, seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s life was hanging in the balance, gripped Yuwen Qi and demanded that he hand over the antidote.


    At this time, Ling Zhang had regained his footing. He fished out the jade pendant around his neck with his other hand that was not numb and put it into his mouth. Immediately, a stream of mild but energetic medicinal power coursed through all veins inside his body and with that his mind instantly cleared, and the numbness in his arm also dissolved. The black poison of the snake was forced back to his wrist, flowed out of the wound and then disappeared thoroughly.


    ¡°Young Master¡­ Yo¨CYou recovered?¡±


    ¡°The poison was detoxified?¡±


    Wang Dashan and Tao Yi, who had been supporting Ling Zhang, saw with their own eyes that the snake poison inside Ling Zhang instantly disappeared. The two of them were overjoyed, feeling as if their hearts had gone back to their chests from their mouths.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay now. You may let go of me.¡±


    Ling Zhang patted Wang Dashan and Tao Yi, who were supporting him, on the arm, as a sign for them to let go of him, and then, beneath the shocked gaze of everybody, he walked towards Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°Thi¨CThis can¡¯t be happening. How did you come to survive that?! The venom of this snake is the most virulent in the world! Without specially prepared antidote, you would surely be dead! Why are you still alive?!¡±


    Yuwen Qi was both astounded and furious. Ling Zhang had already taken the jade pendant out of his mouth and put it back into his collar. Yuwen Qi had not seen it because Zhang Liu blocked more than half of his view. He had no idea whatsoever how Ling Zhang had detoxified his body.


    All this had taken place so quick. Before any of the onlookers who had seen this could figure out exactly what was going on, the situation took another drastic turn. All guards of Su family whipped out their sabers and pointed them at Ling Zhang and the other three. Su Yaoyao also ran to the side of Yuwen Qi and nervously stood beside him. ¡°Cousin!¡± she called.


    ¡°Yuwen Qi, you are so vicious! You set a venomous snake on him. What kind of benefits could you possibly gain from Younger Brother Zhang¡¯s death?!¡± Tao Yi¡¯s heart was hammering. He was still suffering from the shock. The very thought that Ling Zhang would¡¯ve been dead by now had he not had a special jade pendant which could detoxify poison struck terrible fear into his heart. Even his hands and feet were icy cold with fright. As a result, he hated Yuwen Qi very much.


    ¡°Benefits? I¡¯d be happy if he dies. You tell me what benefits I could gain. It¡¯s such a pity. I wonder what kind of evil thing you used to detoxify the poison immediately. My snake died for nothing,¡± said Yuwen Qi with a sepulchral face.


    ¡°Yuwen Qi, originally I merely wanted to teach you a lesson and then let you go, but now that you tried to poison me¡­ Guard Zhang, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you to bring him to me once again,¡± Ling Zhang observed, eyeing Yuwen Qi flintily.


    Without saying anything, Zhang Liu hurtled into the circle of protection formed by guards of Su family.


    ¡°What are you doing? Do you know my cousin is the second young master of Yuwen family? If you dare to make another move, both Yuwen family and Su family will make you pay for it!¡± yelled the lady of Su family as she saw Zhang Liu charged over.


    Zhang Liu¡¯s kung fu was far better than that of any of the guards of Su family. He had restrained Yuwen Qi once, and he could definitely do it again.


    Seeing Yuwen Qi was grabbed, Su Yaoyao screamed, ¡°How dare you! Let go of my cousin!¡±


    Zhang Liu, showing a total disregard for her, brought Yuwen Qi up to Ling Zhang and said, ¡°He¡¯s all yours, Childe Ling.¡±


    After saying this, he looked at Ling Zhang somewhat worriedly. What Yuwen Qi had just done was far beyond the pale. He feared that Ling Zhang wanted to take Yuwen Qi¡¯s life. If that was the case, he really didn¡¯t know whether he should stop him or not. This incident was bound to escalate as well. However, though having such worry, Zhang Liu didn¡¯t dare to say it out before Ling Zhang actually tried to do it.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, if you dare to touch a single hair of mine, not only you but also all your family members will pay with your lives!¡± Yuwen Qi, whose vital acupoints had been hit by Zhang Liu, couldn¡¯t move an inch, consumed with rage. ¡®These guards of Su family are all good-for-nothings! They couldn¡¯t even stop one man!¡¯


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance grew increasingly colder as he heard these words, his face full of anger. ¡°You should count yourself lucky that you are Yuwen Tong¡¯s cousin. Apart from everything else, I still have to take his face into consideration. Otherwise I would never let you get off like this after what you did today. Guard Zhang, bring him with us. We¡¯re going to the residential compound of Yuwen family!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhang Liu, after hearing that Yuwen Qi was merely going to be brought to the residential compound of Yuwen family, felt a sense of relief.


    ¡°Cousin!¡± Su Yaoyao ran up and stopped them. ¡°Let go of my cousin!¡±


    ¡°Step aside!¡± Ling Zhang instructed coldly.


    Su Yaoyao fixed him with a resentful stare. ¡°You are nothing but a shameless man. You think just because you are engaged to the Marshal gives you the right to wilfully do whatever you like? The Marshal hasn¡¯t married you yet, and he¡¯s definitely not going to take someone like you as his wife. Let go of my cousin!¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a sneer and asked rhetorically and explicitly, ¡°Surely you don¡¯t imagine he¡¯d marry you instead of me, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yo¨CYou!¡± Su Yaoyao flushed scarlet with embarrassment, at a loss for words of contradiction.


    ¡°I said ¡®step aside¡¯. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t go easy on you even though you are a woman. I have Yuwen Tong at my back, so be smart,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Shame on you!¡± Su Yaoyao blushed furiously.


    Ling Zhang rolled his eyes upwards, and then his face darkened as he fixed his icy eyes on Su Yaoyao.


    Beneath his gaze, Su Yaoyao was somewhat scared, and surprisingly, when Ling Zhang started walking forward again, she didn¡¯t dare to stop him any more but just eyed Ling Zhang in resentment with her lower lip clamped between her teeth, as if Ling Zhang had just committed a heinous crime.


    Ling Zhang, showing a total disregard for her, took Yuwen Qi and headed for the residential compound of Yuwen family.


    ¡°What do you plan to do, Childe Ling?¡± asked Zhang Liu. ¡°Do you want me to have someone inform the Marshal of this?¡±


    Tao Yi on the side also remarked nervously, ¡°If we go to the residential compound of Yuwen family just like this, we might end up losing out, don¡¯t we? I think we should inform the Marshal and go there with him!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Yuwen family¡¯s place, so what? Yuwen Qi tried to have our young master poisoned. Our young master has every right to go there and get justice, doesn¡¯t he?¡± commented Wang Dashan.


    After an unsuccessful attempt to free himself, Yuwen Qi observed frostily through gritted teeth, ¡°Get justice? With your power? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Ling Zhang, I suggest you release me right now, or you will regret it.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied without even a backward glance at him, ¡°Regret? You know what, I do feel somewhat regretful. I regret not having directly broken one of your legs a moment ago.¡±


    Zhang Liu¡¯s eyelids involuntarily twitched. He had an intuition that Ling Zhang was telling the truth.


    ¡°Then what kept you from breaking his leg, Young Master?¡± asked Wang Dashan angrily. ¡°Yuwen Qi tried to poison you!¡±


    Ling Zhang made no reply. He wanted more than just breaking his leg ¨C he wanted Yuwen Qi dead. Yuwen Qi had not only tried to poison him but also threatened him with deaths of all members of Ling family in Tanyang, which was something he found most unforgivable. However, Yuwen Qi was Yuwen Tong¡¯s cousin. If he beat him to death or disabled him, Yuwen Tong would be put in an awkward position. No matter what, he shouldn¡¯t be the one who did that.


    ¡®Let people of Yuwen family account for this action of his!¡¯ he thought.


    Of course Zhang Liu had not been the only one that Yuwen Tong had dispatched to go out with Ling Zhang, which was why when Ling Zhang escorted Yuwen Qi to the gateway of the residential compound of Yuwen family, Yuwen Tong also showed up, along with Xie Shi who had been hastily told to come.


    ¡°Cousin, help me!¡± yelled Yuwen Qi at the sight of Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong threw a flinty glance at him. The iciness and bloodthirstiness in his eyes transfixed Yuwen Qi, as if he were frozen by some kind of enchantment. Feeling chills run through him, he stuttered, ¡°Cousin¡­Yo¨CYou¡­¡±


    ¡°Xie Shi.¡±


    Xie Shi had walked up. He first felt Ling Zhang¡¯s pulse, and then briefly examined him. Feeling relieved, he said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. The poison in Childe Ling has been detoxified. It¡¯s just that his body will be somewhat weak after detoxification and he needs tonics to help him recover.¡±


    Ling Zhang put down his wrist and looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took his hand and the two of them walked into the front gate of the residential compound of Yuwen family.


    Thus Yuwen Qi was escorted into the residential compound.


    Both Yuwen Zhi and Zheng shi were caught off guard by their arrival, especially when they saw Yuwen Qi pushed to the ground, who cut a sorry figure.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er! What are you doing?! What did you do to my son?!¡± Taken aback, Zheng shi hastened up to Yuwen Qi, helped him to his feet and hastily examined him from head to toe. ¡°Qi¡¯er, are you all right? What did they do to you?¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s hands, which had been tied at the back all the way to this place, had gone numb some time ago. Having just been released, he was unable to speak due to the itch, numbness and pain in his hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡± Yuwen Zhi was not as talkative as his wife was, but he also stared at Yuwen Tong with extremely deterrent eyes.


    ¡°Uncle, aunt!¡± At this moment, someone called from outside and with that Su Yaoyao ran into the living room helter-skelter.


    ¡°Yaoyao?¡± Seeing the tears on her cheeks, Zheng shi inquired of her, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, that Ling Zhang guy is a shameless wretch. He injured my Second Cousin and refused to let him go, saying that he wanted to take Second Cousin here and seek justice,¡± Su Yaoyao huffed, pointing at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°What?¡± Zheng shi¡¯s face instantly went angry and her penetrating eyes glared at Ling Zhang. ¡°You dared hurt my son?¡±

 Chapter 186 - Choices Offered by Yuwen Tong

    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t even cast a glance at Zheng shi. He directly ignored her, raised his head and coldly said to Yuwen Zhi, ¡°Lord Yuwen, even if you people of Yuwen family disapprove of the engagement between me and Yuwen Tong, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no need for any of you to poison me on sight, is there? Or has this been Yuwen family¡¯s intention all along?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi had ignored Ling Zhang when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong entered the living room a moment ago. It was not that he had not seen Ling Zhang but that he had deliberately pretended not to notice with the intention of showing his disdain for Ling Zhang and humiliating him, but now he had no choice but to look at Ling Zhang. ¡°What did you mean by that remark?¡±


    ¡°I was just walking on a street, not doing anything else, but Yuwen Qi showed up and threatened to beat me and disable me. After being restrained by Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguard, he even set a venomous snake on me, which gave me a bite. Had I not carried on me some medicine that can detoxify any poison, I would have died on the street by now. You people of Yuwen family are really good at doing one thing before a man¡¯s face and another behind his back. In the presence of outsiders, you told me that you didn¡¯t dare forget my grandfather¡¯s great favor of saving your father¡¯s life, that you would see it decently returned, but when there¡¯s nobody else around, your son resorted to every means to have me killed. After he failed to beat me to death, he made an attempt to poison me, which was a real eye-opener for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Zhi, sarcasm glinting in his eyes. ¡°How do you explain this, Lord Yuwen? Am I not supposed to come here to seek justice after what happened?¡±


    ¡°Yo¨CYou are lying! My cousin didn¡¯t cause you any harm.¡± Originally, Su Yaoyao supporting Yuwen Qi had wanted to hurl abuse, but she immediately swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue as her eye fell on Yuwen Tong. Looking at Yuwen Tong, she accused Ling Zhang of lying.


    Ling Zhang gave a sneer. ¡°Miss Su, no barefaced lie can help you become Yuwen Tong¡¯s wife. All those who have eyes saw what happened on that street. It¡¯s okay if you people of Yuwen family are unconvinced. Originally, in order to save Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, I didn¡¯t want to make too big a fuss about this matter, which was why I came to this place to seek justice. If you are unconvinced, I don¡¯t mind reporting this to the yamen. Given that a great many people saw the incident, I think people of the yamen wouldn¡¯t dare to close this case without an intensive investigation and they would probably have to refer it to His Majesty. If you are not afraid of this matter coming to the knowledge of everybody in this country, do whatever you want. I, Ling Zhang, will take you on right to the very end.¡±


    ¡°Yo¨CYou¡­ That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Su Yaoyao, whose true thoughts had been exposed, flushed scarlet, cheeks burning with embarrassment. Deeply worried, she looked at Yuwen Tong, fearing that Yuwen Tong believed Ling Zhang¡¯s words but also hoping that Yuwen Tong would look at her. ¡®If he looks at me, he¡¯d see how pretty I am and know that I¡¯m far better a choice for him than Ling Zhang is, who¡¯s a man knowing nothing about being tender or gentle,¡¯ she thought.


    However, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t even glance at her, as if she were as invisible as air, which rendered Su Yaoyao angry, annoyed and ashamed.


    ¡°Uncle, what¡¯s your opinion? Younger Brother Zhang is not only my betrothed but also the eldest grandson of the man who once saved my grandfather¡¯s life. Do you want this matter settled here or in the court of law?¡± queried Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s tone of voice was very flinty. At this moment, he was trying hard to subdue his anger. Had Ling Zhang not taken Yuwen Qi to this place to seek justice, he would have broken Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs some time ago.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, Qi¡¯er is your cousin. How could you side with an outsider instead of coming to his support?!¡± Zheng shi looked at Yuwen Tong, unable to believe his words. ¡°Exactly what kind of sweet talk did he use to beguile you? Why do you always take this outsider¡¯s side at every turn?! And what kind of lifesaver is Ling family anyway? Is that petty favor really worth bringing up again and again? They¡¯re just taking advantage of it to do just as they please. You¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Yuwen Tong icily looked at her.


    Both Zheng shi and Su Yaoyao were taken aback by the bloodthirstiness and murderousness in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. They not only gave a gasp of horror but also recoiled two steps, afraid to utter another word due to the deterrent effect of the expression in his eyes.


    At this time, Yuwen Qi, who had recovered, demanded, ¡°Why on earth are you so insistent on marrying this Ling Zhang guy, cousin? What is it that you see in him, anyway?! Yaoyao is ten thousand times better a choice for you than he is!¡±


    There was not a shred of regret in his voice.


    Anger surged inside Yuwen Tong and he could barely keep from losing his temper. Yuwen Feng, who suddenly returned in haste, walked up and slapped his younger brother across the face. ¡°Shut your mouth! You did something wrong yet have no intention of mending your ways?!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Qi¡¯er!¡±


    Su Yaoyao and Zheng shi, who were standing on the side, let out a scream. That slap given by Yuwen Feng was very hard, which broke Yuwen Qi¡¯s mouth, blood spattered.


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brow. ¡®The timing of Yuwen Feng¡¯s return was perfect.¡¯


    ¡°Cousin, my younger brother is ignorant. I apologize for his words and deeds. From today onwards, he¡¯ll be locked up in the ancestral hall introspecting about his faults. Under no circumstances will we let him leave the hall without your consent. I hope you and Childe Ling could let go of your anger. We are family, and things didn¡¯t reach the point where a life-or-death fight is unavoidable,¡± remarked Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken, Childe Feng. It¡¯s not that things didn¡¯t reach the point where a life-or-death fight is unavoidable. Your younger brother almost got me killed on the street just now. He wanted me dead, which was something everybody present saw with their eyes,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Feng looked at him, bowed down and replied, ¡°I know. It was all my younger brother¡¯s fault. I¡¯ll throw him into the prison of the yamen myself as long as you give the word, but please take into consideration his kinship with my cousin and forgive him this time.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Feng¡¯er?!¡± Zheng shi screeched.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown once again. ¡®If I don¡¯t pardon Yuwen Qi, would I strike others as a narrow-minded person who seeks revenge for the smallest grievance?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Yuwen Feng.¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly spoke and he directly called Yuwen Feng by his full name. Yuwen Feng jolted, straightened himself and looked at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°There are circumstances when you cannot expect others to let things go for your sake,¡± Yuwen Tong commented, looking him in the face.


    Yuwen Feng paled visibly. Of course he knew what Yuwen Tong meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fact that Yuwen Qi stopped Younger Brother Zhang on the street threatening to disable him and force him to go back to Tanyang, and so was that he tried to have Younger Brother Zhang poisoned with a venomous snake. It¡¯s impossible for me to pretend that neither of these happened. Today I have no intention of talking with you people about anything else. I just want to ask you one question, uncle. How do you plan to punish Yuwen Qi?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were no longer on Yuwen Feng but on Yuwen Zhi.


    Yuwen Zhi had an uncommonly sullen look on his face. ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Break a leg of Yuwen Qi¡¯s, have him introspect about his faults in the ancestral hall for a month, and from now on, none of you are to lay any comment on or interfere in the marriage between me and Younger Brother Zhang, or introduce any unsavory women to me, for they will only serve as eyesores to me. Do these and I¡¯ll let this go; we¡¯ll still be family; I¡¯ll render Yuwen family protection as long as I still draw breath; and you¡¯ll still get the power, status and reputation that you want. If you¡¯re unwilling, then from today onwards, the secondary Yuwen family and I will go our separate ways, which is not without precedents in our family history, and nobody will deem it inappropriate. After that, you¡¯ll have to move out of the residential compound of Yuwen family. The promise I made my father will still stand ¨C unless any of you do anything life-threatening to me or Younger Brother Zhang, I¡¯ll do my best to keep you alive, even if you poked holes in the sky. Think this through, uncle.¡±


    After Yuwen Tong finished speaking, there was a deathly hush in the room. Everybody was shocked.


    Yuwen Qi was the first one to react. His face instantly went frighteningly pale and with that he immediately looked at his father, an imploring expression in his eyes. ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want my leg breaking! I don¡¯t want to be a cripple!¡¯


    Zheng shi stepped to the front of Yuwen Qi and vigilantly eyed Yuwen Tong. ¡°You are going too far, Yuwen Tong. He¡¯s your cousin! Have you taken leave of your senses?!¡±


    Su Yaoyao was terrified out of her wits, and the two words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s ¨C ¡®unsavory women¡¯ ¨C were as hurtful as a sharp splinter sticking right in her heart, which rendered her face both ghastly white and embarrassed.


    Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Zhi were the only ones remaining silent.


    Yuwen Feng was astounded by Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision, for Yuwen Tong had said that he¡¯d part with the secondary Yuwen family. Nobody knew better than they did about what Yuwen Tong¡¯s separation from their family meant. Everything they currently had was based on Yuwen Tong¡¯s illustrious military exploits, which was a fact that Yuwen Feng had an increasingly clearer conception of as he rose through the ranks. Meanwhile, he had also seen clearly many turbulent undercurrents. In fact, currently Yuwen family was like a house built on the frozen surface of a lake, which could collapse at any moment. Despite the semblance of glory and wealth, Yuwen family actually was faced with many dangers, and the most crucial factor in all this was Yuwen Tong. It could be said that every decision he made was a matter of life and death for Yuwen family!


    ¡°Cousin, please don¡¯t be impulsive,¡± Yuwen Feng tried to persuade him.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were still on Yuwen Zhi. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s your call.¡±


    The sullenness on Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face was beyond description. He fixed Yuwen Tong with a stare and said, ¡°Have you any idea what you are talking about? You think you can separate this family as you please? His Majesty will not allow it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about that, uncle. As long as I¡¯m willing, His Majesty will definitely consent to the separation between us,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You¡¯ll hand over the command of the armies? You cannot do that!¡± Yuwen Zhi huffed.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, uncle. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to consider these things. All you have to do is make a decision.¡± Yuwen Tong was unwilling to let the conversation be steered away.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong!¡± Yuwen Zhi was consumed with rage. He had never expected that Yuwen Tong would dare to push him so hard ¨C he was trying to pressurize him into making a choice between breaking his son¡¯s leg or separating this family!


    Once he and Yuwen Tong went their separate ways, no matter how it would affect Yuwen Tong ¨C and he didn¡¯t really care ¨C he would definitely no longer be the patriarch of Yuwen family but just patriarch of an offshoot family! His identity and status, along with everything else, would be different. Yuwen Zhi didn¡¯t want to see any of these happen, and neither would he allow any of them to. What angered Yuwen Zhi even more was that Yuwen Tong had removed a fig leaf ruthlessly revealing a fact that was as humiliating to him as a slap across his face: he and his family owed everything they enjoyed to Yuwen Tong, and his status was vitally interrelated with Yuwen Tong as well; once Yuwen Tong was no longer on their side, he would lose everything!


    This was virtually more embarrassing for Yuwen Zhi than slapping his face, and it was also a fact that Yuwen Zhi had been unwilling to admit all along. However, now Yuwen Tong had brought up the separation of Yuwen family. No matter how unwilling Yuwen Zhi was to face these facts, they had been put right before him.


    ¡®Yuwen Tong is threatening me ¨C either I accept Ling Zhang or I lose everything.¡¯


    Fists clenched tightly, Yuwen Zhi stared fixedly at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Good. Good. This move of yours is very good.¡±


    ¡®No wonder the old man designated him to be trained as a successor before death,¡¯ thought Yuwen Zhi. Yuwen Tong was aiming at his Achilles heel. Now, conversely, he had to fawn on Yuwen Tong and take Ling Zhang into this family on my own initiative. Ling Zhang and he had instantly switched positions. As Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle, he meant less to his nephew than an outsider did now.

 Chapter 187 - Yuwen Zhis Choice

    Beneath Yuwen Zhi¡¯s angry gaze, Yuwen Tong remained unswayed. ¡°How it¡¯s going to be solely depending on your choice, uncle?¡±


    As a matter of fact, Ling Zhang was also somewhat surprised. Originally, he had merely intended to take advantage of Yuwen Qi¡¯s mistake to cut Yuwen Zhi and others down to size, so that they would no longer dare to make trouble for him at every turn; he might really end up being killed if what had happened earlier this day repeated itself a couple of times. Though the choices Yuwen Tong offered Yuwen Zhi were surprising, this was a good solution to this troublesome issue. If Yuwen Zhi wanted to keep the glory, splendor, wealth and status he and his family currently enjoyed, he must mete out punishment to his son and stop being a busybody. If he wanted his son to keep his mobility, then he¡¯d have no alternative but to separate from Yuwen Tong, which would also deprive Yuwen Zhi of the right to interfere in Yuwen Tong¡¯s business. As a result, no matter which option Yuwen Zhi took, he would have to stop sticking his nose where it didn¡¯t belong.


    Of course neither of the two sounded acceptable to Yuwen Zhi, but he was not the one calling the tune in this matter, Yuwen Tong was.


    ¡°Ah¨C!¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg was still broken. Yuwen Zhi did it himself. Zheng shi failed to stop her husband in time, though she wanted to.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er! My Qi¡¯er! How could your father be so heartless!¡± Zheng shi burst into loud wail, as if it were not a leg but his life that her son had just lost. Su Yaoyao standing beside her had paled visibly some time ago. The sight of Yuwen Qi lying on the ground crying in anguish chilled her blood to the bone, deterring her from giving another glance at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Lock Yuwen Qi in the ancestral hall for a month,¡± instructed Yuwen Zhi through gritted teeth after dropping the staff in his hand, his icy eyes fixed on Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Feng, standing on the side with a sullen look on his face, tried to help Yuwen Qi to his feet but was pushed aside by him. ¡°Get off me!¡± thundered Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang, I swear to God I¡¯ll make you pay for what you did to me today! Father, how could you do this to me, father?!¡±


    Yuwen Qi yelled furiously, screeching in pain, but neither Yuwen Tong nor Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Zhi made any replies to Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Tong said to Yuwen Zhi, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve made a choice, I hope uncle and aunt will not interfere in my or Younger Brother Zhang¡¯s business again. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll keep my promise.¡±


    Exercising all his self-restrain, Yuwen Zhi suppressed his rage, fists clenched tightly shaking in his sleeves.


    After resolving the issue of Yuwen Qi and also having Yuwen Zhi make a choice, Yuwen Tong, along with Ling Zhang, left the Langya Garden which was the abode of his uncle.


    Nobody uttered a word along the way. It was not until they went through the wood that Ling Zhang broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯ll walk Elder Brother Tao home first. You¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I need to pay a visit to the Ministry of War. There¡¯s a luncheon in the imperial palace at noon. I¡¯ll return as early as I can in the afternoon.¡±


    Originally, Tao Yi had wanted to decline Ling Zhang¡¯s offer of walking him home, but after hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks, he held back the words that had sprung to his lips. He had been very eager to see Yuwen Tong all along but what happened this day was so unexpected that he didn¡¯t know what to say to Yuwen Tong. After all, he had just witnessed an intense domestic strife of Yuwen family¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong came to a temporary separation at the gateway of the residential compound of Yuwen family. Both of them had a lot to say to each other, but they knew this was not the right time to talk.


    After Yuwen Tong left, Ling Zhang said to Tao Yi, ¡°Elder Brother Tao, I¡¯m really sorry to have put you through all this today.¡±


    Tao Yi, whose tense back muscles finally relaxed as he walked out of the front gate of the residential compound of Yuwen family, shook his head and responded, ¡°We¡¯re friends. This is a mere trifle. It¡¯s just¡­ I never expected that things would be so difficult for you in Yuwen family. Just now, what happened back there on the street was so dangerous. If it weren¡¯t for that thing you carried that could detoxify poison, there might have been unimaginable consequences.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I think they¡¯ll behave themselves for some time after this.¡±


    Tao Yi, however, was not as optimistic as he was. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Yuwen Zhi and his family hate you to the core after what happened today. The influence they wield in this city is far greater than you can imagine. You must be extremely careful. Because of the Marshal, they won¡¯t dare to overtly do anything to you, but they might resort to underhand means. You must make sure you¡¯re accompanied by enough guards when going out, and¡­¡±


    Tao Yi had a frown on his face. In his eyes, Ling Zhang thoroughly offended Yuwen Zhi on this day, and there would definitely be a lot of trouble in the future. Ling Zhang was new to the capital city. As the saying goes, ¡®A spear thrust from front is easy to dodge, but an arrow shot from ambush is difficult to guard against.¡¯


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Elder Brother Tao. I¡¯ll be cautious. It¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about. You offered me help today, so Yuwen Qi definitely has put your name on his enemies list. I implicated you. If anybody of Yuwen family make trouble for you in the future, you must come to us and never fight them head-on on your own.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a somewhat guilty conscience. ¡®Tao Yi could have avoided getting involved in this.¡¯


    Tao Yi smiled, ¡°My teacher is not someone anybody dares mess with either. He loves me dearly. Yuwen Qi is a junior and certainly doesn¡¯t have the balls to offend my teacher. As for Yuwen Zhi, if he dares to do anything to me, my teacher will handle him.¡±


    ¡®Tao Yi¡¯s attitude suggests that nothing in the world scares him, that even if the sky collapsed, people taller than him would hold it for him. This is so¡­¡¯


    Ling Zhang, somewhat resigned, could only repeatedly exhort Tao Yi to be careful.


    ¡°Okay, okay. You¡¯ve said that many times. I won¡¯t forget,¡± observed Tao Yi, ¡°and you and the Marshal may rest assured that I won¡¯t breath a word to anyone about what the Marshal and Yuwen Zhi said today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. By the way, given that it was on a street that you came into conflict with Yuwen Qi, I¡¯m afraid news of it has already reached a lot of people¡¯s ears. If anybody tries to bust your chops with irritating words, just regard them as farts and ignore them.¡±


    After seeing what happened this day, Tao Yi had come to realize that Yuwen Tong cared about Ling Zhang very much. ¡®Marshal Yuwen even suggested he and Yuwen Zhi break up the family and live apart, which is an unmistakable indication that his feelings for Ling Zhang are uncommonly deep,¡¯ he thought. It was just that there were a lot of outsiders who were unaware of this and not afraid to spread all kinds of ungrounded rumors which he worried Ling Zhang might be displeased to hear.


    Ling Zhang, who understood what he meant, said, ¡°I know. It¡¯s not any of those gossips that I¡¯m going to marry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you see it this way. Then¡­ should we pay the book market another visit? We lost all the books.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d surely end up being the focus of everybody¡¯s attention if we go back there.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. You¡¯ve got a point.¡±


    ¡­


    After walking Tao Yi home, Ling Zhang returned to the Ling Mansion. Just like Tao Yi had said, news of what had happened earlier this day had no doubt already spread through the whole city. There was no telling how many eyes were watching him at this very moment, so he believed it was inadvisable for him to go anywhere else providing those people with yet more topics to chat about in their spare time.


    As soon as he returned to the Ling Mansion, Xie Shi exhorted him to consume more tonics to build up his health. Given that the poison of the snake had finished a circulation inside his body, it must have inevitably caused his body some harm.


    It was not until shortly before dark that Yuwen Tong returned. News of what had happened on the street during the day had quickly reached the emperor¡¯s ears, and he had made a lot of attempts to sound Yuwen Tong out, but Yuwen Tong tactfully handled all those questions without disclosing any details.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. How¡¯s it going? Is everything all right?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    As Yuwen Tong saw Ling Zhang, his cold face softened as quick as spring snow melted under scorching sun. ¡°Those were just some routine affairs. There¡¯s no problem.¡±


    He wanted to go up and sat down, but then he recalled that his clothes were travel-soiled, so he went to take a bath first and then came back.


    ¡°You must feel aggrieved after what happened in the morning. Yuwen Qi tried to kill you, but I had to spare him.¡±


    Ling Zhang conveniently ladled steaming soup into a bowl and put it down before him. ¡°He¡¯s kin to you after all. I don¡¯t really want him dead that bad. Knowing that he won¡¯t be able to make trouble for me again is enough for me. It¡¯s you who should be concerned. Because of what you did today, you uncle holds grudges against you now. It¡¯ll be very difficult for you to get along with him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d warned him several times before. If he had for a single moment taken into consideration the relationship between me and him, he wouldn¡¯t have connived at Yuwen Qi¡¯s conduct. Let this be a deterrent to them for the moment.¡± Yuwen Tong, while saying this, stealthily look at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s five senses were far sharper than before now, so naturally this petty action of Yuwen Tong¡¯s didn¡¯t escape his notice. He pulled a wry face and looked at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yuwen Tong put down the bowl, held Ling Zhang with his arm and replied with a sigh, ¡°I fear that you¡¯re angry and would forsake me and go back to Tanyang.¡±


    His childish words sent Ling Zhang into chuckle. ¡°If I were Maomao¡¯s age, I would definitely have returned to Tanyang by now.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s smile slightly faltered as he recalled Tanyang. ¡°I¡¯m worried about my family in Tanyang.¡±


    Yuwen Tong held him tighter. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll have those covertly protecting them be more vigilant.¡±


    Ling Zhang was secretly relieved somewhat, for he didn¡¯t dare to write to his uncle about this matter for fear of worrying him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering exactly what your uncle are thinking. Why does he dislike me so much? Does he really want you to marry your aunt¡¯s niece so bad? She indeed looks quite pretty. What do you think?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was instantly on the alert. This was a question fraught with traps, and a tiny lapse of judgement could put him in danger.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Yuwen Tong asked, affecting a puzzlement he didn¡¯t feel.


    Ling Zhang slightly raised his eyebrows. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her?¡±


    ¡°When? You saw her? You praised her as pretty. Surely you don¡¯t have your eye on her, do you? This conception of yours is a little dangerous,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang secretly rolled his eyes upwards. He didn¡¯t believe that Yuwen Tong really had not seen her.


    ¡°The lady standing beside your aunt during the day. You really didn¡¯t notice?¡±


    As if light had just dawned on him, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Oh, you were referring to that kid. I didn¡¯t notice. Why were you staring at her?¡±


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡®This guy¡¯s learned to make unfounded countercharges.¡¯


    ¡°During the day Yuwen Qi was shopping with her on the street, which was why they met us, and I took a few glances at her. She seems to be fifteen or sixteen and is of fine, delicate features. Her voice is as beautiful as that of a lark. Uh, and¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You seem to have so much to say about her. She¡¯s just a shriveled little girl. Why did you pay so much attention to her? I¡¯m unhappy now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong punitively held Ling Zhang¡¯s waist tighter, lowered his head and seriously looked at him.


    ¡°You said that you didn¡¯t notice. If that were true, how do you know she looks shriveled?¡± Ling Zhang snorted.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°My whole attention was fixed on you.¡± After saying this, he slid his hand downwards.


    Ling Zhang instantly pressed his hand upon Yuwen Tong¡¯s and glared at him. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a full day. I miss you.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s reply was very frank.


    Ling Zhang felt an urge to give him a dirty look. ¡®We saw each other in the morning, yet this guy sounds as if it¡¯d been a year since we last met. He¡¯s so thick-skinned.¡¯


    But after hearing these frivolous remarks of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, Ling Zhang was indeed in a much better mood. Yuwen Tong was worried that he was angry, but in fact, he was more worried that Yuwen Tong was upset. Just like Yuwen Tong had said, if Yuwen Zhi had for a single moment taken into consideration Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings, he wouldn¡¯t have ignored Yuwen Tong¡¯s repeated warnings. Though in the morning Yuwen Zhi had chosen to punish Yuwen Qi, he definitely had some ulterior motive.

 Chapter 188 - An Honest Disclosure of Some Secrets

    ¡°It was this jade pendant that detoxified the poison.¡± Ling Zhang fished out the jade pendant hung around his neck.


    In the morning, after Yuwen Qi¡¯s venomous snake bit him, he had used this medicinal jade to detoxify his body, so he felt he owed Yuwen Tong an explanation.


    ¡°This is a medicinal jade?¡± Yuwen Tong looked in astonishment at the blackish green jade pendant hung around Ling Zhang¡¯s neck. He had always known Ling Zhang¡¯s possession of this jade pendant but had been unaware that it was a medicinal jade which could detoxify almost all kinds of poison.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°My mother left it to me.¡±


    ¡®Ling Zhang¡¯s mother?¡¯ Yuwen Tong recalled what he had read in the intelligence report presented to him by Yao Yi. Ling Zhang¡¯s mother had passed away many years ago. At that time, Ling Zhang was still young. Her parentage was somewhat mysterious. People of Ling family had claimed that she was an orphan girl rescued by Ling Zhaowu, whose surname was Ji, but other than that, no further information about her had ever been disclosed. Since so many years had passed, there was no way to ascertain the facts.


    But now it turned out that this supposed orphan girl had possessed a medicinal jade which could detoxify almost all kinds of poison. ¡®It seems that the identity of Ling Zhang¡¯s mother was not as simple as it was professed,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°The medicinal efficacy of this jade pendant has been in decline. Its smell of medicine was quite strong when I was a boy, and now it¡¯s very faint, but fortunately it still detoxified the poison of the snake,¡± remarked Ling Zhang, feeling lucky. Had it not been for this medicinal jade, he really might not have managed to escape death. ¡°That snake was the source of the foul odor given off by Yuwen Qi that I smelled on that day, I suppose?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. ¡°It was. The way he came by this kind of poisonous creature was by no means decent. It could even deliver messages. Xie Shi is well acquainted with this kind of stuff. I¡¯ll ask him in detail later and find out the origin of that snake.¡±


    Soon Xie Shi was summoned. After that snake was trampled to death by Wang Dashan in the morning, its body had disappeared. He had gone to that street afterwards but failed to find it. Fortunately the poison in Ling Zhang had indeed been detoxified, which had greatly relieved Xie Shi.


    ¡°It¡¯s blue all over in a very eerie way; not big, merely as thick as a little finger. Its coils are about the size of a palm. My arm went numb very soon after being bitten by it, and my vision blurred, too.¡± Ling Zhang gave a general description of the snake.


    After a few moments¡¯ thinking, Xie Shi told them, ¡°It¡¯s a virulent snake inhabiting south Xinjiang. The level of toxicity of its venom is extremely high. On top of that, someone specially domesticated that snake. If they fed pharmaceuticals to it, its venom would be even more poisonous. Anyone bitten by this kind of snake must ingest antidote immediately, or else the poison will take effect very soon and kill them. Fortunately Childe Ling promptly detoxified the poison with the medicinal jade he carried. Had there been a few moments¡¯ delay, I¡¯m afraid he would¡¯ve¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang was still experiencing a carry-over of fear, while Yuwen Tong had an icy look on his face. ¡®I let Yuwen Qi get off too lightly by merely having his leg broken!¡¯


    Ling Zhang patted the back of Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand consolingly. ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong held his hand and asked Xie Shi, face frosty, ¡°Can you prepare antidote to the venom of this kind of venomous snakes?¡±


    Xie Shi replied, ¡°I think so, but if the snake has been fed special pharmaceuticals, then I can only inhibit the toxicity of the poison with alexipharmic pills first and then figure out a way to detoxify the poison according to its properties.¡±


    ¡°Then prepare some alexipharmic pills right away. After that, ascertain the source of that venomous snake of Yuwen Qi¡¯s. Find out where he got it,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong.


    Xie Shi inclined his head. ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    All of them had a lingering fear after what had happened on the street earlier this day. None of them had thought Yuwen Qi would resort to murderous means of this kind.


    Yuwen Tong had already meted out severe punishment to Zhang Liu for his failure to render effective protection. Zhang Liu, having a guilty conscience, accepted his punishment without a single word of defense.


    Xia Feng, Li Sicai and others had sullen faces, feeling that their young master had merely been in the capital city for a couple of days but had already encountered so many troubles, that this city was virtually no less hazardous than a dragon¡¯s watery lair or a tiger¡¯s den. What angered them even more was that people of Yuwen family were responsible for all these things. Though aware that Yuwen Tong had put pressure on those people, they were still in concern. Li Sicai had felt an urge to persuade Ling Zhang into going back to Tanyang, but eventually he restrained himself from doing so.


    ¡°Young Master, the next time you go out, you must take us with you. Please don¡¯t leave this place with only two men again,¡± said Xia Feng.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, if you encounter Yuwen Qi or any of the others again, don¡¯t ever fight them head-on on your own like you did today. It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± remarked Li Sicai.


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡±


    A couple of people exhorted him one by one. It was not until Ling Zhang promised he¡¯d heed their words that they stopped nagging.


    After they left, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yuwen Tong had been standing right on the side. Just now when Li Sicai and others had been, in the presence of him, telling Ling Zhang how to guard against possible underhand means of Yuwen family, none of them had made any attempts to sugar-coat their words, and he hadn¡¯t dared to utter a single word of contradiction.


    The two of them exchanged glances. Ling Zhang was the first to speak. ¡°They know you had nothing to do with it. It¡¯s just that¨C¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Yuwen Tong interrupted him.


    ¡­


    At night, before they went to bed, Yuwen Tong suddenly recalled a particular matter. ¡°What was it that you wanted to talk with me about in the morning?¡±


    Ling Zhang, on being reminded, also remembered what he had meant to tell him. He replied, ¡°It was about the old man we met in the Wu City on that day. I want you to take a look at the secret manual of internal energy for me and see if I should practice it or not.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was surprised. This matter involved some of Ling Zhang¡¯s secrets. He could tell that Ling Zhang had known that old man, and that secret manual of internal energy was definitely related to some secrets that were not supposed to be told. ¡®Ling Zhang is willing to let me read it?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°And there are also some things that I¡¯d like to tell you about. You¡¯ve always been meaning to find out the origins of those martial formations that I have acquaintance with, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    Yuwen Tong looked back at him. ¡°You told me to stop investigating, and I¡¯ve been waiting for you to tell me the truth all this time.¡±


    Ling Zhang informed him, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. There are some things that I cannot tell you about for the moment, but there are also some that I can disclose to you. I¡¯m very sorry that I cannot tell you everything.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hurriedly observed in an earnest tone of voice, ¡°It¡¯s enough for me if you¡¯re willing to tell me about some of them. I¡¯m willing to wait longer for you to tell me about the rest.¡±


    In fact, it had never crossed his mind that Ling Zhang would choose to disclose these things to him in these circumstances. After all, ever since he¡¯d taken Ling Zhang into the capital city, so many dangerous things had happened in succession, in all of which Ling Zhang had been the target. He had been in fear all along that Ling Zhang would regret having come to this city with him, regret not having called off their engagement. If that was the case, it was possible that Ling Zhang might directly leave him and go back to Tanyang. Unexpectedly, Ling Zhang chose to tell him some secrets in these circumstances.


    ¡°It was my mother who taught me those martial formations. At that time, I was still young. She taught me a lot, spoon-fed all that knowledge to me regardless of how much I could memorize, because she really didn¡¯t have much time left. For many years I couldn¡¯t remember these. It was not until a few days ago that they came to mind,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡®Ling Zhang¡¯s mother?¡¯ Yuwen Tong, though surprised, didn¡¯t find this too unexpected, for his men had found out the family history of Ling family almost down to the last detail. It was certain that nobody of Ling family had ever shown any talent for martial formations. The only thing that remained unknown to Yuwen Tong was the parentage of Ling Zhang¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Why did your mother have acquaintance with these formations?¡± queried Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the part I cannot tell you right now. From the vantage point of the present, you may rest assured that not knowing this won¡¯t do you any harm. There¡¯s not much I can tell you. Apart from those formations and this medicinal jade of mine, that old man who suddenly showed up that day as well as the secret manual of internal energy he gave me are also related to my mother.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a thoughtful look on his face. ¡°You said that you wanted me to check that secret manual of internal energy for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, rose to his feet, fished out the secret manual of internal energy and solemnly handed it to Yuwen Tong.


    After taking it, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t hasten to read it but felt burdened by Ling Zhang¡¯s deep trust in him. ¡®This thing must be very important. By letting me read it, Ling Zhang is placing no less trust in me than he did when he gave me that pamphlet with knowledge of those formations in it that day. Possibly, this manual is even more precious,¡¯ Yuwen Tong thought.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°I¡­ trust you more.¡±


    Indeed, he had far more trust in Yuwen Tong than he did in the Millennium Pavilion which was as insubstantial as a shadow. Besides, he wasn¡¯t even sure whether the Millennium Pavilion was an ally or an enemy to him yet, so of course Yuwen Tong, with whom he had been through life-or-death moments and shared weal and woe, was more trustworthy.


    Yuwen Tong turned the title page and was greeted and slightly surprised by a line of words, an uncertain look in his eyes, feeling that this sentence seemed somewhat familiar, as if he had once read this sentence somewhere before, but he couldn¡¯t recollect any details.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang, who had been observing his face all along, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is it? You¡¯ve seen this sentence before?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought for a few moments and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that these words strike me as slightly familiar. I seem to have read or heard them somewhere before.¡±


    A thoughtful expression appeared on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. After a while, he said, ¡°Then keep reading.¡±


    Of course, he himself had already read this secret manual of internal energy, and he had not found anything questionable. However, he knew he was inexperienced and rather undiscerning when it came to appraisal of this kind of things, so he trusted Yuwen Tong¡¯s discernment more.


    Yuwen Tong opened it and started reading carefully from the first page. Gradually, his countenance grew solemn. As he finished a third of it, he suddenly closed the secret manual of internal energy as well as his eyes. Not only was his face solemn, he also seemed to be in an unstable mood.


    Ling Zhang was taken aback, thinking that there was something wrong with this secret manual of internal energy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head but made no reply. After a while, his countenance returned to normal and he responded, ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that although I was merely reading this manual, the contents of it somehow exerted an influence on me. Just now my internal energy went somewhat unstable.¡±


    Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡®This thing is so powerful?¡¯


    ¡°I told you this before ¨C I was gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory. Not only will I not be able to forget this mental cultivation method of internal energy after reading it, possibly it would even shake the foundations of my internal energy. I¡¯ve got to stop reading it, but judging from the first one third of this manual that I¡¯ve already read, this mental cultivation method of internal energy is not only unproblematic but also very profound and ingenious. You can practice it,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang took the secret manual handed to him by Yuwen Tong, unable to disguise the shock on his face. He had really never thought that this mental cultivation method of internal energy was so powerful, that even a man like Yuwen Tong, who had amazingly strong will and great self-control, would be influenced by it.


    ¡°Merely reading those lines in my head causes my internal energy to be mobilized and go turbulent,¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything when I read this manual. It¡¯s just that I cannot understand those words,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong replied resignedly, ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t even learned the ABC of it. This secret manual of internal energy is not as simple as it seems. The mental cultivation method of internal energy I¡¯ve been practicing is already one of the best cultivation methods in the world, but the contents of this manual still influenced me very easily. You must keep it somewhere safe and be cautious when you cultivate. Make sure not another person apart from me finds out about its existence!¡±

 Chapter 189 - Successful Comprehension of the Mental Method

    Yuwen Tong told him that he needed to be prudent, so of course Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare to take it lightly.


    ¡°Now that you happen to have the time, you should give it a shot.¡± Yuwen Tong made a suggestion.


    Ling Zhang had been itching to try it after hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s explanation. Though still unaware of the reason why people of the Millennium Pavilion had given him this secret manual of internal energy, he believed that it would be such a waste if he put away this gift unheeded when it could be very helpful. As a result, he inclined his head. ¡°All right.¡±


    Although Yuwen Tong had found it difficult to continue after reading one third of the manual, helping Ling Zhang lay a foundation was within his capabilities.


    Back then when they had been in Tanyang, Yuwen Tong had already unblocked and expanded Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians (each of a set of pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow), and Ling Zhang had had some first-hand experience of internal energy and knew how it worked. Added to this the secret manual and Yuwen Tong¡¯s assistance, he soon got the hang of it and also learned how to circulate Qi inside his body.


    Yuwen Tong, who had found Ling Zhang¡¯s comprehension extraordinary back in Tanyang, was secretly amazed once again by how quick Ling Zhang had got the hang of it. ¡®If Ling Zhang had started cultivating according to this mental cultivation method of internal energy a few years earlier, his current internal energy would definitely have been no less powerful than mine,¡¯ he thought.


    At this moment, Ling Zhang was immersed in the comfortable and curious feeling of warm power slowly circulating through his meridians. In fact, the pithy formula of this mental cultivation method of internal energy was somewhat difficult to understand, but with Yuwen Tong explaining those terms to him one by one, this was no longer a problem.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s Dantian was slightly burning. This feeling was far stronger than what he had felt back in Tanyang when a small amount of prototypical internal energy had first come into being in him. If at that time it had merely been a small patch of vapor that could only be faintly felt, now it had grown considerably, condensed into water and converged into a trickle, which was circulating constantly through the network of meridians inside him following the route described by the mental method. Because his meridians had been unblocked previously, this trickle flowed smoothly without any hindrance and eventually converged in his Dantian. Finally, he distinctly felt what that small stream of internal energy was like. It seemed to be some kind of ever-growing power, which was making his Dantian burning and at the same time making him feel full of energy, and his mind was clearer than before as well.


    As Yuwen Tong saw that Ling Zhang was oozing a completely different aura and his complexion was growing ruddy, he came to appreciate that this time Ling Zhang had succeeded.


    Since this was the first time that Ling Zhang had entered this kind of mysterious state of internal energy cultivation, it was a golden opportunity for him to get a better grasp of this cultivation method, so Yuwen Tong had everybody else leave the main courtyard house and forbade anybody to approach lest any interruptions come to Ling Zhang.


    Moreover, this time Ling Zhang spent the whole night meditating and comprehending. It was not until the crack of dawn that he slowly came around from the fascinating mysterious state. His eyes, when he opened them, seemed even brighter than the first light of day, sparkling and brimming with radiating vigor. His temperament was also subtly different now. Even his skin seemed to be more brilliant than before, glowing like a pearl that had just been rid of the layer of dust concealing its luster.


    After a careful recollection of what he comprehended the night before, Ling Zhang gave a happy smile. Finally, he could count himself as a practitioner of martial arts now.


    In fact, he had barely felt the passing of time when his mind was in that mysterious state the night before. It was not until he saw daylight that he came to realize that he had been sitting here for a full night.


    Yuwen Tong, who had been on the side all along, saw the qualitative change of Ling Zhang when Ling Zhang opened his eyes, thoughts surging in his mind.


    ¡°I did it!¡±


    Ling Zhang excitedly jumped from the bed, but unexpectedly, this jump was far higher than usual. Taken aback, he failed to control his strength and was about to hit himself against the desk and cabinet on the opposite side. Fortunately, Yuwen Tong, who had been watching him all along, quickly leaped forward and held Ling Zhang in his arms. Thus, Ling Zhang ended up jumping right into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I was nearly scared to death.¡± Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief after being caught by Yuwen Tong.


    During that jump, his body felt as thought it had become significantly lighter. In the normal course of events, he could only jump a few paces far, but now since his body was considerably lighter, that jump was far longer than expected.


    Yuwen Tong holding him first consoled him and then put his hand on Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist. Feeling his pulse, he observed, ¡°You achieved a lot last night. Of course internal energy would bring a lot of changes in your body. You feel you can control your body a lot more easily now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I figured. Gradually you¡¯ll get used to it. And you need to learn how to control you body and strength more precisely,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    So Ling Zhang, who had just woken from the state of internal energy cultivation, first adapted himself to his body. He was pleasantly surprised by the lightness of his body. Now his every punch was accompanied by a big whoosh of air, which was an unmistakable indication that his strength was more than one level higher than before.


    ¡°There is a set of palm technique complementary to this mental cultivation method of internal energy. You¡¯ll be ready to learn them after you finish the first chapter of this manual, so we¡¯re in no hurry to find you an external martial art to practice. This set of palm technique and this mental cultivation method of internal energy are supplementary to each other. Master them and you¡¯ll be powerful enough to handle most kung fu experts in Jianghu (the martial arts world). After that, if you want to learn another martial art ¨C a swordcraft, for example ¨C with internal energy, you¡¯ll be getting twice the result with half the effort during the learning process, which means you¡¯ll master it very easily.¡±


    Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang about his cultivation prospects. He had already made a plan for him and Ling Zhang raised no objection. Haste makes waste. Since Yuwen Tong said that the set of palm technique complementary to this cultivation method of internal energy would be powerful enough for him to use to protect himself, he believed it was his best choice. And he was in no hurry to learn a swordcraft, too.


    ¡°When we were in Tanyang, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to improve your reflexes? Now you¡¯ve learned the rudiments of internal energy, and your five senses are far sharper than those of common people. Both your hearing and sight are many levels higher than before. What you need to learn is how to better control your body and have it keep pace with your reflexes. This¡¯ll take time as well. Just finish the first chapter and lay a solid foundation. After that I myself will help you train.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded repeatedly while hearing this, believing that there was nothing he should be worried about if Yuwen Tong would help him with the training.


    ¡°Are you hungry? If you are, we may go and grab a bite first, and then we¡¯ll go to the drill ground and I¡¯ll help you develop a better control of your body.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, eyes brimming with energy and vitality. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Actually I feel that I have inexhaustible energy. Let¡¯s go to the drill ground right now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, seeing the yearning and expectant look on his face, didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse and agreed.


    The two of them walked to the drill ground. Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three men, as usual, had got up very early and were practicing martial formations. Even Xie Shi was also present. These two days, Xie Shi had been instructing Yang Liuzi and the other eleven in martial formations for Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Young Master, Marshal.¡±


    All the twenty-four security guards, seeing Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walk over, greeted them.


    In the ordinary course of things, they only saw Ling Zhang come to the drill ground to practice kung fu at this hour; seldom had they seen Yuwen Tong show up as well. As a result, they all couldn¡¯t help but pause, wondering whether their young master and the Marshal were adding something new to their training.


    ¡°You guys may continue. We can manage ourselves.¡±


    Ling Zhang, seeing the mixture of nervousness and anticipation on their faces, was secretly somewhat amused, but this time he was here to be instructed by Yuwen Tong rather than instruct them. However, even so, he still observed how the training of his twenty-four security guards was going. When his eye fell on Liu Yi, he briefly paused. The day before, he allowed Liu Yi a day¡¯s leave to attend to his own business, but a lot happened the day before, so he had not yet found the time to ask Liu Yi about it.


    Liu Yi perceived Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze and walked up to him of his own accord. ¡°Young Master.¡±


    He also looked back at Ling Zhang and suddenly felt that Ling Zhang looked different somehow, as if about him was an air of something that hadn¡¯t always been there before. Involuntarily, a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.


    Of course Ling Zhang noticed the confused expression of Liu Yi. He just had never expected that Liu Yi would be so observant as to become conscious of his change so quick when none of the others had perceived it.


    ¡°Did you get your business handled yesterday?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Liu Yi nodded and replied, ¡°Thank you for allowing me a day¡¯s leave, Young Master. I¡¯ve already finished the task that kung fu expert entrusted me with. I took a load off my mind.¡±


    The day before, Ling Zhang gave him permission to go out but didn¡¯t ask him anything, granting him enough discretion and also showing him enough respect, which he appreciated very much and would always bear in mind. He couldn¡¯t disclose to his young master what he had promised that kung fu expert he would keep secret, but it was no hindrance to him being loyal to his young master.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. If there¡¯s nothing else, you may go back to your training,¡± said Ling Zhang. Wang Dashan and the others had developed a very high level of proficiency in the first six arrays of the trap-and-kill formation. Ling Zhang planned to spare some time to teach them the seventh in the next few days.


    Liu Yi gave a bob of his head but then still failed to keep from asking in a puzzled tone of voice, ¡°You seem somewhat different now, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Really?¡±


    After saying this, he didn¡¯t give any explanation but abruptly launched an attack on Liu Yi. His fist materialized before Liu Yi, accompanied by a big whoosh of air. With a sudden change of expression in his eyes, Liu Yi quickly raised his arms in an effort to parry the blow. A muffled bang was heard and his arms briefly trembled. He even felt faint numbness in them.


    ¡°Young Master?¡± At first Liu Yi was dismayed and then he looked at Ling Zhang with a mixture of surprise and delight in his eyes. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Others also noticed it and gathered around, fairly surprised. Ling Zhang practiced kung fu with them every day, and they knew very well how much power his punches held, but the punch he just threw was manifestly of a different level from that of those he did the day before!


    ¡°I¡¯ve started cultivating internal energy.¡±


    Seeing the astonishment and confusion on the faces of the security guards, Ling Zhang merely gave a simple explanation, but thoughts were surging in his mind as well. He had sparred with Liu Yi many times before, but this time he felt that his strength was really far removed from what it had been previously. The reacting force from Liu Yi¡¯s arms had given him a distinct feeling of how powerful that punch of his had been. At the same time, he¡¯d also come to a new perception of Liu Yi¡¯s kung fu skills. Just now, Liu Yi had firmly deflected that punch without the slightest sway of his body, which had been a definite proof that Liu Yi¡¯s kung fu was far better than he had imagined. ¡®No wonder on that day Yuwen Tong said that Liu Yi¡¯s kung fu was not as it seemed,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    All security guards were surprised to hear Ling Zhang¡¯s explanation but also felt happy for him. ¡°You just got started, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve already made such great progress. You¡¯re going to become a master of internal energy very soon, Young Master, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Looking at their expectant faces, Ling Zhang replied honestly, ¡°This is just the beginning, and I have no idea how far I can get either. You¡¯ve got to keep this to yourselves. Don¡¯t tell anyone else about it.¡±


    All these security guards, who had been with Ling Zhang all the way from Tanyang to the capital city and had a sense of propriety, immediately promised that they wouldn¡¯t breathe a word.

 Chapter 190 - A Surging Yearning

    Chapter 190: A Surging Yearning


    Translator: DragonRider


    After informing the security guards of how things stood, Ling Zhang, following the training methods provided by Yuwen Tong, started adjusting himself to his body which now held strength of a whole new level.


    What Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang to do first was go all out to attack him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about me getting hurt, because currently you¡¯re not powerful enough to cause me any harm.¡±


    Since Yuwen Tong put it this way, of course Ling Zhang chose to believe him. He launched an all-out attack on him sparing no efforts.


    However, even so, Yuwen Tong still deflected Ling Zhang¡¯s every blow as easy as falling off a log without even moving an inch.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± asked Yuwen Tong. ¡°Have you got used to your strength now?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, a somewhat excited look on his face. ¡°I think so.¡±


    In the past he had merely felt that Yuwen Tong¡¯s kung fu was very good, but now he came to a more distinct perception of it ¨C if his kung fu was likened to a trickle, then Yuwen Tong¡¯s would be a mighty ocean; if his kung fu was likened to a mound, then Yuwen Tong¡¯s would be a lofty mountain. Even so, a moment ago Yuwen Tong had told him that the mental cultivation method of internal energy he was cultivating right now was more powerful than the one Yuwen Tong himself was cultivating.


    This was the first time that Ling Zhang had deeply felt a surge of yearning clutch at his heart, along with¡­ ambition. Nobody would say no to an access to power, especially power more potent than that of anybody else. This was an inborn longing. It was just that Ling Zhang had never had any clear conception of this before because of the trammels of conventional education imposed on his mind. Though he had been reborn, it was the strong desire for vengeance that had been motivating him to improve his power. This time, however, things were different. This was a very clear, very pure yearning for greater power. He wanted to surpass himself, to reach the apogee.


    ¡®If some day I do reach the top of a lofty mountain like Yuwen Tong does, what kind of scenery would I be seeing?¡¯ Ling Zhang suddenly felt an urge to find out and as well as a craving to stand side by side with Yuwen Tong on the peak to enjoy the same view.


    Now he had an opportunity. What else could possibly be more exciting than this?


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again!¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. He sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s thirst, which was very familiar to him, for he used to be like this as well. And this time Ling Zhang¡¯s yearning was giving him a different feeling. As if affected by Ling Zhang¡¯s craving, he couldn¡¯t help but anticipate the day that Ling Zhang would be as powerful as he was, which he firmly believed would be the most exciting moment in his life.


    Ling Zhang still threw every punch with full strength, and he came to a clearer perception of his strength every time he went all out. He could even feel a wave of warmth surge out of his Dantian as well as the changes it brought inside him every time he threw a punch. Now he had come to a realization of the condition his body was in.


    Yuwen Tong, seeing Ling Zhang had had some acquaintance with his bodily strength, began to teach him how to control it, which was more difficult than launching an all-out attack, but this was his own body after all, so it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Zhang to get the hang of it.


    ¡°With the experience of what you¡¯ve just done, you¡¯ll gradually know what to expect in different circumstances and what kind of condition your bodily strength is in without any particular extra training. You won¡¯t feel unadapted again,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, feeling that he was beginning to know the ropes, gave a bob of his head.


    Motivated, Ling Zhang had Yuwen Tong spar with him on the drill ground for quite a while. Yuwen Tong understood very well why he was doing this. Ling Zhang was still in excitement, and the best way to help him cool down was to let him vent it.


    At this moment, the two of them were the only ones left on the drill ground. Ling Zhang¡¯s security guards and Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards were all standing outside the drill ground, watching Yuwen Tong training Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Childe Ling achieved such great progress after merely one night,¡± Yue Qi exclaimed in amazement under his breath.


    Unlike Wang Dashan and other security guards of Ling Zhang¡¯s, Yue Qi and other bodyguards were all internal energy experts and had a keener nose for this kind of changes. It had taken Ling Zhang only one night to achieve such progress. There was something called comprehension that was involved in this, which they felt was even more formidable.


    ¡°Not only does our young master have extraordinary comprehension, the mental cultivation method of internal energy he¡¯s been following is also uncommon, I¡¯m afraid,¡± commented Xie Shi, earnestly watching Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong sparring in the drill ground.


    As Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards, they were all top-notch kung fu experts compared with martial arts practitioners in Jianghu. Naturally, the mental cultivation methods of internal energy they had been using were also pretty good, which was why they had such discernment.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s no inferior than that of the Marshal,¡± Xie Shi continued.


    Yue Qi gave a gasp of astonishment and said in a lower voice, ¡°The mental cultivation method of internal energy of the Marshal is already one of the best. If Childe Ling¡¯s is no inferior than his, it has to be at least one of the best as well. If that¡¯s really the case, I¡¯d be very surprised. The Marshal couldn¡¯t be the one who gave him this cultivation method, so it must be from Childe Ling¡¯s own family. Ling family has such a powerful cultivation method?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this matter is not as simple as it seems,¡± observed Xie Shi.


    All of them had an intimate knowledge of the background of Ling family, for they had conducted an inquiry into Ling family back at the time when they had just arrived in Tanyang. Furthermore, in order to find out the origin of those martial formations of Ling Zhang, they had also gone to a lot of trouble to look into it, but eventually they¡¯d got nothing, which was quite surprising. Of course, there was someone they suspected: Ling Zhang¡¯s mother; but what scared them the most was that they followed this lead and continued their investigation but still found nothing¡­


    They were all Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards, soldiers that had been toughened by countless fights on the battlefield. At the same time, they were also Yuwen Tong¡¯s most capable intelligence agents. They had really never encountered any situations like this before, especially in recent years.


    Eventually, Yuwen Tong had told them to stop the inquiry, saying that he had already known the ins and outs of it.


    Of course they had guessed that Ling Zhang had told Yuwen Tong something. During these days, they had come to a perception of what kind of person Ling Zhang was and how much they could trust him. Since Yuwen Tong told them further inquiry would be unnecessary, they naturally stopped.


    ¡°Knowledge of uncommon martial formations; a medicinal jade that can detoxify all kinds of poison, and the likes of which could hardly be found in the world; and now such advanced and powerful mental cultivation method of internal energy ¨C Childe Ling never ceases to surprise us,¡± remarked Yao Yi.


    ¡°No matter what, we just do what we¡¯re supposed to do,¡± said Xie Shi.


    ¡°Yao Yi¡¯s right. I have faith in the Marshal¡¯s judgement, and Childe Ling is a pretty nice person. I trust him,¡± commented Yue Qi.


    Yao Yi, Xie Shi and a couple of others twisted their heads around to look at him. Yue Qi was thrown into perplexity by their gaze. ¡°Why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    Yao Yi, Xie Shi and the others took their eyes off him. All of them had got acquainted with Ling Zhang as early as when they had been in Tanyang, so surely they knew Ling Zhang better than Yue Qi did. Of course they also trusted Ling Zhang. It was just that they had a subtle feeling that Yue Qi beat them to some kind of opportunity. ¡®Why am I having this feeling?¡¯ they wondered.


    It was like they were the ones who found a treasure first, but then someone else showed up and claimed to be the discoverer, which made them subtly annoyed.


    Yuwen Tong, though sparring with Ling Zhang, had been on the alert all along, so naturally the private conversation between Yao Yi and the others didn¡¯t escape his quick ears.


    He was very pleased with Yue Qi¡¯s words and of course not surprised that his subordinates were intelligent enough to sense Ling Zhang¡¯s secrets were not what they seemed.


    It was not until another two hours passed that Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang to stop. Ling Zhang, who was still in excitement, didn¡¯t notice, but Yuwen Tong had perceived that Ling Zhang was already exhausted. If they sparred a while longer, Ling Zhang probably would have to spend the rest of the day lying in bed.


    It was not until the two of them stopped that Ling Zhang came to realize that his body had almost been pushed to the limit. Though he was panting heavily and sweating buckets with trembling limbs and his every muscle was tired, his spirits were very high, and his eyes were even more sparkling than they¡¯d been before the training started.


    Yuwen Tong walked up. ¡°You need to get some rest.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and tried to lift his foot to walk only to find that he barely had enough strength to move his foot without his internal energy circulating. A moment ago he had been totally at ease, but now his whole body felt uncommonly heavy.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hands and slowly kneaded Ling Zhang¡¯s arms. And then, holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, he took him for a walk around the drill ground at a gentle pace. After Ling Zhang¡¯s heart rate returned to normal, he slowly took him back to the main courtyard house, had a servant bring some hot water into the room, helped Ling Zhang strip and wiped his body for him. After Ling Zhang changed into clean underclothing, he kneaded Ling Zhang¡¯s limbs, massaged medicinal liquor into his skin and kneaded his aching muscles again, which kept him busy for quite a while.


    Ling Zhang just watched with sparkling eyes as Yuwen Tong did all this. Following Yuwen Tong about, his eyes were even brighter than those of the white fox cub when it was waiting to be fed. And there was also an involuntary silly smile on the corners of his mouth.


    Yuwen Tong, when looking at Ling Zhang, also had a passionate look in his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but kiss Ling Zhang several times in a row.


    ¡®This little guy still hasn¡¯t come to himself yet,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang meekly let him kiss and even raised his head and opened his mouth. He was so cooperative that Yuwen Tong could barely forbear to stop what he was doing, pin Ling Zhang to the bed and strip him naked.


    Unfortunately, not only was Ling Zhang exhausted, his stomach started grumbling as well ¨C he was starving.


    Yuwen Tong applied some extra medicinal liquor to Ling Zhang¡¯s skin and gave him a massage. After changing clothes, Ling Zhang came to himself and happily put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist.


    Being hugged, Yuwen Tong lowered his head to look at him and gave him a kiss. ¡°You recovered yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy,¡± said Ling Zhang with a sigh.


    ¡°I can see it on your face. Your excitement has cost you your sanity,¡± commented Yuwen Tong with a smile.


    Ling Zhang was not annoyed by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, his arms still around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist. ¡°It feels so good to have internal energy at my disposal.¡±


    ¡°Um. You are a kung fu expert now.¡± Yuwen Tong was still smiling, feeling that Ling Zhang at this moment was unexpectedly clingy and had thoroughly melted his heart.


    ¡°Now I cannot even force you to move an inch in a fight, but I¡¯m sure some day I¡¯ll be your match,¡± Ling Zhang said, eyes full of fervent yearning and self-confidence.


    Yuwen Tong thought for a few moments and replied, ¡°Then I think I¡¯ll have to work harder. I don¡¯t want to be defeated by you.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately felt somewhat distressed. ¡®Yuwen Tong will work harder? Then how long will it take me to be his equal?¡¯


    ¡°All right. I can hear your stomach grumbling. Let¡¯s go and have breakfast,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, whose arms were still around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist, didn¡¯t move.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes lit up and then he directly held Ling Zhang and walked forward. Just like that, the two of them in each other¡¯s embraces left the bedroom, as if they¡¯d been stuck together.


    It was not until Ling Zhang saw the surprised look in eyes of servants waiting outside that he abruptly realized how embarrassing what the two of them were doing was. He hurriedly loosened his arms, freed himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, gave a soft cough, walked up and sat down.


    He had just regained part of his strength and his limbs still felt somewhat limp, so his movements seemed fairly soft.


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle and then sat down beside him.

 Chapter 191 - Fence-sitting of Other Sides

    Having had a fascinating glimpse into internal energy, Ling Zhang showed great diligence in his cultivation. For the next few consecutive days, he immersed himself in it. Every time he sat in meditation, he entered a state of such concentration that he himself didn¡¯t seem to exist anymore. And each of his cultivation sessions lasted very long ¨C either all night or all day. Surprisingly, as if having got some kind of magic formula for it, he was really in his element during these days¡¯ cultivation, encountering no hindrance whatsoever.


    Everybody was amazed by this, for Ling Zhang¡¯s perception was so amazing.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the Marshal unblocked Childe Ling¡¯s meridians (each of a set of pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow) beforehand, but the progress he¡¯s been making is still too quick.¡± Yue Qi and the others clicked their tongues in astonishment.Please visit on our NovelFull


    Wang Dashan, other security guards, Xia Feng and Li Sicai all had little knowledge of this, so they had no choice but to strictly restrain the servants from approaching the main courtyard house. At this moment, after hearing the compliment Yue Qi and the others paid their young master, they naturally were secretly delighted.


    Yuwen Tong was also surprised, but he was the one who had unblocked Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians, and who had read the secret manual of the mental cultivation method of internal energy, so he knew more about it than Yue Qi and the others did. He was aware that the mental cultivation method of internal energy that Ling Zhang was following was not suitable for everybody, that there were some highly exacting requirements. Even for him, some of the requirements and cultivation reactions mentioned in the manual were impossible to achieve, but for Ling Zhang they seemed very easy. It was not that his comprehension or constitution was not as good as that of Ling Zhang but that this cultivation method seemed to be tailor-made for Ling Zhang. It conformed to Ling Zhang¡¯s physical condition in a very ingenious way, which meant that this mental cultivation method of internal energy was solely suitable for a particular kind of people, and Ling Zhang was one of them.


    As a result, Yuwen Tong was getting more and more curious about the parentage of Ling Zhang¡¯s mother. All members of Ling family were common people without any specialness, so what distinguished Ling Zhang had to be something he¡¯d inherited from his mother.


    ¡®Exactly what kind of family background was her from?¡¯ Even he couldn¡¯t find any information about it. And about this matter, Ling Zhang had also adopted a cautious attitude tinged with subtle nervousness and wariness to; he hadn¡¯t even dared to try the mental cultivation method of internal energy given to him at first. Therefore, Yuwen Tong deduced that not only was Ling Zhang¡¯s mother¡¯s parentage shrouded in mystery, there was also something dangerous involved in this.


    The fear Ling Zhang had been trying to conceal had been the very reason why he¡¯d instructed Yao Yi and others to stop inquiring into Ling Zhang¡¯s mother¡¯s family background. He was worried that they might alarm some people if they kept digging into it. Maybe this was also the reason why that old man showed up on that day. Although from the vantage point of the present, the old man seemed to mean no harm, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want to take any risks for no good reason.


    But playing a passive role was also not Yuwen Tong¡¯s style. Though he had told Yao Yi and others to stop digging into Ling Zhang¡¯s mother¡¯s background, he had already started inquiring into the pamphlet on martial formations given by Ling Zhang as well as that sentence he read on the inner side of the title page of the secret manual on that day. It was impossible that formations of such ingenuity had never been used before, and there must be some traces left behind; and that sentence that sounded familiar to him must have some particular connotations. The reason why it sounded familiar to him must be that he had read it somewhere before. During the past few days, he had returned to the residential compound of Yuwen family and consulted the ancient books and records left by his forebears. It was just that there were too many of them and he hadn¡¯t finished all of them; and for the moment he hadn¡¯t recalled where he had read a sentence similar to that one.


    And there was also that mysterious old man. Since he had shown up in the Wu City once, it was almost certain that he would show up again, and maybe he was in the capital city right now. Given how important that mental cultivation method given to Ling Zhang was, it was impossible that the old man didn¡¯t care about what would happen next. The greatest possibility was that he was covertly observing Ling Zhang¡¯s each and every move right at this moment. After all, because of him, both Ling Zhang and the Ling Mansion were in the limelight, which made it very easy for anybody having the intention of keeping watch on Ling Zhang to find this place.


    He had already instructed his men to keep every corner in the Ling Mansion under secret surveillance, but nothing suspicious had been found so far. Either that old man had not shown up or the old man¡¯s kung fu was so good that his men were unable to detect him. Yuwen Tong was more inclined to believe that the latter was the truth. He had had a brief meeting with the old man in the Wu City, and even he couldn¡¯t tell how good the old man¡¯s kung fu was. But he was not anxious; he believed that old man would show up again, especially when Ling Zhang was making such quick progress in his cultivation.


    Thinking of this, Yuwen Tong decided to let Ling Zhang continue cultivating. When it came to cultivation of internal energy, comprehension was very important. Ling Zhang was now in a critical phase, and all other matters had to be put aside.


    ¡°Originally Zhang planned to teach you the seventh array of the formation in the next few days, but he doesn¡¯t have the time, so I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Yuwen Tong informed Wang Dashan and others.


    He had given clear-cut orders for matters on his to-do list to be handled, and he had also visited the emperor and asked for a couple of days¡¯ leave, which had been permitted by the emperor without any questions asked. As a result, he was at leisure now.


    After hearing this, Wang Dashan and other security guards, who had had a previous experience of being instructed in formations by Yuwen Tong, were all very composed. ¡°Yes, Marshal. We¡¯ll concentrate our mind on learning!¡±


    Unlike Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong was much stricter and less forgiving. Wang Dashan and others had learned their lesson the hard way. Under no circumstance would they dare to be slack. On top of that, with their mastery of the first six arrays, they had an increasingly deeper perception of the trap-and-kill formation, so they made very quick progress in learning the seventh array.


    In addition, with directions of Yao Yi and others, their kung fu skills had improved significantly. Practicing the trap-and-kill formation had brought a marked difference in them, and their kung fu skills were now several levels higher than before; and now after Yao Yi and others gave them some directions, they were far more powerful than the security guards they had been in Tanyang.


    Yang Liuzi and the other eleven, however, were somewhat anxious. They had started learning the second array. Seeing the progress the other group was making, they were quite envious and only too anxious to reach the level of them immediately, but the training given by Xie Shi was very strict. He¡¯d adopted a different method from the one used by Ling Zhang to teach the other group. Since Ling Zhang had only a superficial knowledge of kung fu, his training method focused on the formation itself, but Xie Shi was a kung fu expert, and seemingly for some particular reason, he was almost perversely stern to Yang Liuzi and the other eleven. The past few days had been torturous for Yang Liuzi and others.


    What was gratifying was that Yang Liuzi and the other eleven had all made considerable progress, and the change in them could almost be deemed qualitative. If they were to fight their former selves, every one of them would prove to be worth three. Because of the awareness of their progress, Yang Liuzi and the other eleven, though jealous of the progress of Wang Dashan and others, were not really bitter about it.


    Xie Shi had told them, ¡°As long as you do what I tell you to, you¡¯ll be able to keep pace with them in the near future.¡±


    Yang Liuzi and the other eleven all trusted and respected Xie Shi very much and they laid no doubt whatsoever on his remarks.


    ¡°Xie Shi has been working his ass off these days. Every day he not only gives strict training to Yang Liuzi and others but also selects people suitable to learn detoxification skills, which makes him even busier than the Marshal and also make us look like idlers,¡± Yue Qi said to Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi, however, cherished his leisure very much. ¡°We haven¡¯t had such opportunity to relax for quite some time, yet you seem to dislike being at leisure. I think I can do you a favor and talk to the Marshal. I¡¯m sure the Marshal will gladly assign you a lot of tasks to keep you occupied.¡±


    On hearing this, Yue Qi hurriedly shook his head. ¡°Please don¡¯t! I was just saying. Don¡¯t you do that to me. Otherwise I will fight you, tooth and nail, even though you are our captain.¡±


    Yao Yi, who had anticipated that Yue Qi would put it this way, gave a sneer.


    ¡­


    When all people in the Ling Mansion were engaged in their respective business, many people in the capital city were perplexed.


    Because the Ling Mansion was too quiet; Yuwen Tong was too quiet; and the residential compound of Yuwen family was too quiet as well. Just a couple of days ago, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Zhi had a dispute, which took a heavy toll on the reputation of Yuwen family. Yuwen Zhi hadn¡¯t walked out of his home for several days, which showed how humiliating it had been for him. But this was the end of the story?


    A lot of people in the capital city were counting on Yuwen Zhi to make trouble for Ling Zhang. All of them didn¡¯t like the idea of Yuwen Tong marrying Ling Zhang. They either wanted to co-opt Yuwen Tong onto their side or had some other intentions. How could they just stand by and watch people of Yuwen family resign themselves to the situation?


    ¡°Did you find out what¡¯s going on? What on earth happened to Yuwen Zhi? Why did he suddenly lie low?¡± the King Hui inquired of his henchman in his residential compound.


    It was not that the King Hui intended to marry anybody to Yuwen Tong or draw Yuwen Tong over to his side but that he wanted to avenge the sufferings inflicted on his younger sister. Only one day after Ling Zhang entered the capital city, his younger sister had been sent into a temple to practice Buddhism, which was a punishment synonymous with stripping her of her title. He and his wife had also been implicated and scolded by his father. In the past few days, at the meetings in the imperial court, other princes had picked on him and he had had no choice but to swallow it in order to allay his father¡¯s dislike for him, which had rendered him bitterly aggrieved.


    ¡°Your Highness, I did find something. It¡¯s said that Yuwen Zhi broke Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg and locked him in their ancestral hall to have him introspect about his faults. Zheng shi nearly cried her eyes out, but Yuwen Zhi still seemed to have no intention of releasing Yuwen Qi. He only sent for a physician to treat Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg. And there¡¯s Yuwen Feng. These days he enters and exits the Ministry of Rites in a very punctual fashion, and he goes to no other places apart from the workplace and his home. No matter who sounds him out, he refuses to breathe a single word. He¡¯s very discreet about it,¡± reported the henchman.


    ¡°Yuwen Qi was forced to his knees on the street. Though his snake bit Ling Zhang, it caused Ling Zhang no harm. Given how much Yuwen Zhi dislikes Ling Zhang, it¡¯s so confusing that he broke Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg to pacify Ling Zhang.¡± The King Hui was puzzled.


    ¡°On that day the Marshal went back home in a great hurry. He definitely put pressure on Yuwen Zhi. It¡¯s rumored that there was a quarrel. Pity because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence, all servants didn¡¯t dare approach the living room and nobody overheard anything. All those who know inside information are Yuwen Zhi¡¯s trusted subordinates and can¡¯t be bought,¡± observed the henchman regretfully.


    The King Hui¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. ¡°A man like Yuwen Zhi will by no means yield merely because Yuwen Tong puts pressure on him. There¡¯s definitely something else that happened that day. Make some inquiries and figure out a way to find out what Yuwen Tong did to his uncle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± his henchman hurriedly answered.


    ¡°What about my third brother? Did he do anything particular?¡± The King Hui asked another question.


    ¡®On that day he gave me tit-for-tat and afterwards went so far to fawn on Yuwen Tong. How is it possible that he didn¡¯t make any further moves?¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°And didn¡¯t you say that the one who tried to poison Ling Zhang in the Wu City had been seized by Yuwen Tong¡¯s men? Why has Yuwen Tong been lying low all along? Any news from the Ministry of Penalties and the Dali Temple (the Supreme Judicial Court in feudal China)?¡±


    The henchman wiped the sweat from his forehead and cautiously replied, ¡°The King Duan didn¡¯t do anything particular in the past few days. He¡¯s been staying at home all this time. And Marshal Yuwen didn¡¯t report the case to the Ministry of Penalties or the Dali Temple. There¡¯s no telling what his intention is.¡±


    The King Hui furrowed his brow, feeling dissatisfied.

 Chapter 192 - The First Layer of the Mental Cultivation Method

    Chapter 192: The First Layer of the Mental Cultivation Method


    Translator: DragonRider


    This mental cultivation method of internal energy had twelve layers in total. Ling Zhang had immersed himself in his cultivation of internal energy for almost ten days, so absorbed that he¡¯d totally forgotten his self. Unexpectedly, on the tenth day he managed to make a breakthrough and reach the first level.


    Maybe because Yuwen Tong had unblocked his meridians (each of a set of pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow), or maybe because the cultivation method suited him perfectly, things went so smoothly that it was literally amazing.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a palm strike with all his strength, aiming at a large rock on a side of the drill ground. As if hit by a giant hammer, the large rock broke into several smaller blocks.


    Ling Zhang looked at his palm with a mixture of delight and surprise in his eyes, feeling it hard to believe that he wielded such great power now.


    He had just finished his closed-door cultivation. Though he reached the first layer of this mental cultivation method of internal energy, he had no specific concept of what it meant. It was not until he broke the large rock with a palm strike that he distinctly realized how powerful he was now.


    Ten days ago he still needed Yuwen Tong¡¯s help to control his strength, but now he had come to know how to mobilize his internal energy to throw a good enough palm strike.


    Not only he but also Yuwen Tong was excited with joy and surprise. He asked, ¡°You finished the first chapter of the manual?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. ¡°Nothing unusual happened to my body so I kept practicing, and I finished the first chapter without my noticing it, but after that, I found the second chapter really difficult, so I stopped. Am I progressing too slow?¡±


    ¡®Too slow? This is anything but slow. Hardly anybody could make such quick progress as you did, no matter how hard they work,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°When it comes to cultivation of internal energy, never rush into anything. Whenever you encounter hindrance of any form, just stop. You need to comprehend the first layer to the fullest before you try the second,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    He didn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang how amazing the speed his cultivation had been progressing was, because he didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to have any doubt about himself. All Ling Zhang needed to do was focus on his cultivation.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang listened to Yuwen Tong. Since Yuwen Tong told him to take baby steps, he didn¡¯t think too much about it. Besides, being able to break a large rock with a single palm strike was something he had never dreamt of.


    ¡°Congratulations, Young Master.¡± Wang Dashan and other security guards as well as Yao Yi and other bodyguards all came up to congratulate Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan and his men were just delighted, while the delight of Yao Yi and others was mixed with shock. After all, the progress Ling Zhang had been making was too shockingly quick.


    Yuwen Tong, who was still worried that there might be a problem, carefully examined Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians. It was not until he confirmed everything was fine that he dismissed his worry from his mind.


    ¡°The palm technique recorded in the first chapter is elementary, but as long as you get proficient enough in it, it could also be quite powerful. Now let¡¯s do some sparring. You don¡¯t have to worry about me getting hurt by your palm strikes. Just attack with all your strength,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°But I can break a large rock now,¡± Ling Zhang stressed.


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯m much sturdier than a large rock.¡±


    Ling Zhang was rather dubious about it. After first, he didn¡¯t dare to go all out, but gradually he found that his palm strikes indeed couldn¡¯t harm Yuwen Tong. Emboldened, he came at Yuwen Tong with all his strength.


    His level of proficiency in this palm technique was indeed still very low, and he had only a couple of moves at his disposal, which he was using repeatedly, but with Yuwen Tong¡¯s guidance, he gradually came to understand how much internal energy he should mobilize when throwing a palm strike as well as when was the best time to throw it.


    Ling Zhang spent another two days practicing the palm technique. Right at the time when many people who had been keeping watch on the Ling Mansion were running out of patience, someone delivered a calling card to the Ling Mansion. It was for Ling Zhang.


    After reading it, Ling Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s from the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain. He came into the city yesterday. In this card, he asks me when I¡¯ll have to time to meet him.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for this calling card, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t have recalled this matter. During the past half a month, he had immersed himself in cultivation of internal energy and almost forgotten the situation outside this house.


    Ling Zhang answered the calling card, telling the general storekeeper that he would meet him in the Taibai Tavern the next day.


    ¡­


    The next day. In the Taibai Tavern.


    The general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain had arrived before Ling Zhang and booked a private room on the third floor, which showed that he took this meeting with Ling Zhang very seriously and had put quite some efforts into it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Childe Ling. There¡¯s been a several-day delay and it was not until afternoon of the day before yesterday that I arrived in the capital city,¡± said the general storekeeper.


    Ling Zhang conveniently made a manifestation of his concern. ¡°A several-day delay? What happened?¡±


    The general storekeeper replied with a smile, ¡°After Tanyang was rid of the scourge of bandits, many drug merchants flocked to Tanyang scrambling for herbs. Our drugstores also want to deliver as many herbs as possible to this city. All carts were heavily loaded, so we traveled slower than usual. People of Tanyang owe a great debt of gratitude to the Marshal and you, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a credit I don¡¯t deserve, General Storekeeper. I¡¯m a beneficiary as well. I wasn¡¯t really of much help,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    After an exchange of courtesies between the two, Ling Zhang went straight to the point. ¡°General Storekeeper, the reason why I asked for an appointment with you on that day when I wasn¡¯t even in this city yet is because I want to open a drugstore in the capital city. You know, my family have herb farms of our own. Apart from the one to the south of Tanyang, we also bought a herb farm to the west of Tangyang, so besides cooperation with your drugstores, I also want to try setting up a caravan of my own to transport herbs into the capital city. Sorry, I know you represent the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain, and it¡¯s probably somewhat inappropriate for me to ask you about this matter, but you are the only one in this city that I¡¯m acquainted with and trust. If this is too difficult a decision for you to make, I won¡¯t insist, and no change will come to the cooperation between us.¡±


    Facial expression of the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain suggested that light had just dawned on him. Instead of rejecting Ling Zhang¡¯s request, he replied crisply, ¡°I understand what you mean, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll answer any question of yours as long as it doesn¡¯t involve anything confidential of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain.¡±


    Ling Zhang was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Thank you, General Storekeeper.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s influence was definitely part of the reason why the general storekeeper agreed so willingly, but no matter what, this was a great favor.


    Ling Zhang asked a lot of questions. He had done some thinking and believed that he needed to find the right place first, but he had little acquaintance with which area was the most suitable for opening a drugstore, and neither did he know whether there were any particular details about a drugstore he needed to be aware of. The general storekeeper was frank and supportive and gave him a lot of suggestions.


    The general storekeeper also offered to show Ling Zhang around the capital city and help him find the right place for the drugstore.


    Ling Zhang declined the offer in the knowledge that the general storekeeper was a busy man. ¡°I¡¯ll select a couple of places according to the tips you just gave me, and then I¡¯ll pick you up and let you take a look so that you can give me further advice.¡±


    The general storekeeper responded, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see what I can do to help after you find the places, Childe Ling.¡±


    And then the two of them talked about a lot of matters concerning a drugstore that needed attention. After lunch, they parted.


    On his return to the residential compound, Ling Zhang instructed Wang Qing and Li Sicai to look for suitable places.


    Yuwen Tong had also made arrangements in advance for some men to go with the two of them.


    The capital city was huge, and there were a lot of places suitable for opening a drugstore, many of which happened to be for sale. After several days¡¯ searching, Wang Qing and Li Sicai finally found five places meeting Ling Zhang¡¯s requirements.


    Ling Zhang, after hearing the two of them give a description of the five places, weighed the advantages and disadvantages and then selected three of them which he believed to be the best. One was located in a sundry goods market. This market was actually a large-scale trading center, where goods from various cities of the Great Yue, even goods from the Wan Kingdom, were traded. If he opened a drugstore in this area, then it would be block trade that he was going to be dealing with, and he¡¯d be vying with not only drugstores in the capital city but also those in other cities.


    But at the same time situation in this area was rather chaotic. People who wanted to do business here would find it difficult to gain a foothold if they didn¡¯t have any powerful backers.


    However, currently, finding a powerful backer was the last thing that Ling Zhang needed to worry about, for everybody in this city knew about the relationship between him and Yuwen Tong.


    Of course, apart from this one, there was also another one in the east of outer city. Though the street this shop was located on was not a main street, it was also quite busy. On this street, there were also another two drugstores. Since he would only be selling herbs and wouldn¡¯t hire any full-time physicians, this place was perfect for him.


    The one in the west of the city was his first choice. The general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain kept his promise and went to see that place with Ling Zhang.


    It was not until Ling Zhang arrived at the trading center himself that he came to know how disorderly this area was. People from different cities and goods of all descriptions, the authenticity of which was unknown, crowded the place so tightly that not a drop of water could have trickled through. Every day the bustle and hustle lasted from the opening of city gate early in the morning to the start of curfew at night.


    But at the same time, there were also plenty of herb merchants here, and people having high-quality herbs never had to worry about finding buyers.


    Even the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain had no branch in this area. The general storekeeper, when told that Ling Zhang was going to the trading center in the west of the city, was briefly stunned.


    ¡°Childe Ling, this store used to belong to Minister Wei. After he was brought down, all properties of Wei family were confiscated. This store was put up for sale after confiscation. The for-sale sign was hung up merely two days ago. A lot of people offered to buy it, but the Marshal had long ago given the word, so people in the department secretly reserved its ownership. You may have a look first. If it takes your fancy, you may directly close the deal. If not, we¡¯ll look for another one.¡±


    The speaker was Miao Shisan, one of Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards, who had searched more than half of the capital city with Wang Qing and Li Sicai in the past couple of days. Apart from him, there was also a middle-aged man in a special uniform, who looked like a petty official. After hearing Miao Shisan¡¯s words, the middle-aged man said to Ling Zhang with a smile, ¡°Would you like me to open the store and let you take a look, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head in the knowledge that this man was probably the official in charge of the sale of stores. ¡°All right. Open it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t show any courtesy, mainly because before he came here, Yuwen Tong had exhorted him not to forget his public image.


    Ling Zhang believed that Yuwen Tong had made an excellent point, so though the petty official was smiling at him, he kept up his pretence of coldness instead of smiling back.


    As expected, the petty official didn¡¯t feel that there was anything wrong with Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude. He even became more deferential and opened the door of the store with profound respect and humility to let Ling Zhang in. ¡°This way please, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang stepped into the store and found that it was very large. There was not only a spacious hall but also a quite roomy rear warehouse. All kinds of ancillary facilities were also available. In addition, behind the rear warehouse was a courtyard. The back door of the yard led to another street, which made it very convenient for carts to carry goods into the store, for they didn¡¯t have to go through the crowded street in front of the antechamber.


    ¡°This place is pretty good,¡± remarked the general storekeeper under his breath after seeing it. ¡°It¡¯s just that this store needs a revamp if you want it to be a drugstore.¡±


    ¡°Needing a revamp is not a problem as long as it¡¯s suitable,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Then I suggest you choose this one, Childe Ling. It¡¯s the best,¡± said the general storekeeper in a low voice.


    Ling Zhang understood what the general storekeeper meant. ¡°How about we go and take a look at the rear warehouse?¡±


    The general storekeeper gave a nod.

 Chapter 193 - Missing Him

    Chapter 193: Missing Him


    Translator: DragonRider


    This store was suitable in every regard, and revamp, along with some other flaws, were just minor problems, so eventually Ling Zhang selected this one.


    That petty official readily led Ling Zhang back to the property exchange affiliated to the yamen without raising any questions. Between a purchase contract and a lease, Ling Zhang chose the former.


    Although the price was very high, Ling Zhang believed that this was not going to be a losing proposition. Even if his herb business turned out to be money-losing, he would still be able to make a small fortune by reselling the store. Of course, it was impossible for the owner of a drugstore in a place like that to lose money.


    After signing the purchase contract and going through all necessary procedures, Ling Zhang officially became the owner of the store located in the west of the city.


    Seeing this, the general storekeeper secretly clicked his tongue. ¡®Even my boss would¡¯ve found the price of this store pretty high. No, without a powerful backer, nobody will be able to get the ownership of this store, no matter how much money they have. Ling Zhang has just arrived in the capital city, yet he managed to purchase a store like this. Though he has Yuwen Tong at his back, only by signing the contract would he become the owner of this store.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you for sparing time to help me pick a store, General Storekeeper. I might have to bother you with some other questions in the future,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The general storekeeper replied that the two of them had been cooperating with each other in herb business for many years, that he had undertaken to offer Ling Zhang help, so there was no need for Ling Zhang to be so courteous.


    As a result, Ling Zhang no longer stood on ceremony and consulted him about the revamp issue.


    The general storekeeper, accompanying Ling Zhang, went back to the store and consulted with Ling Zhang as well as artisans hired by Ling Zhang. Eventually, they decided which parts of the store were to be revamped. The revamp project would take quite a long time. Wang Qing was designated to supervise artisans revamping the store for the duration.


    On this day they visited the store several times and some artisans started revamping it, which some time ago attracted the attention of many people in the trading center.


    It had also come to the knowledge of a lot of people keeping a close watch on the Ling Mansion that Ling Zhang had bought a store in the trading center in the west of the city and was revamping it.


    Those who had been waiting for Ling Zhang to come into conflict with people of Yuwen family so that they could profit from it were thrown into perplexity, wondering why the first thing Ling Zhang did after staying at home for half a month was purchase a store.


    ¡°Is buying a store by any chance more important to him than marrying Yuwen Tong?¡±


    This was a question that confused most of them. In their eyes, if they were in Ling Zhang¡¯s shoes, they would definitely have regarded marrying Yuwen Tong as soon as possible as the top priority. ¡®What¡¯s the point of buying a store? If in the end he fails to marry Yuwen Tong, how could he possibly keep the store?¡¯


    Ling Zhang had stood up to several powerful figures in a row after arriving in the capital city; even the Ninth Princess had been sent to a temple to practice Buddhism without tonsure as a punishment for her attempt to have Ling Zhang assassinated; also because of him, Yuwen Zhi broke Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg ¨C these things seemed to be suggesting that Ling Zhang was going to destroy anybody in his way, so a lot of people had very high expectations of Ling Zhang, anticipating a fight between he and Yuwen Zhi which would cause destruction to both sides, but the current situation terribly disappointed all of them.


    ¡°He seems a guy who knows some petty tricks, but it turns out that he¡¯s soft in the head.¡±


    Tao Yi was probably the only one who felt at ease after this long-time peace between Ling Zhang and Yuwen family. Every day he would make some inquiries about the situation outside before he could get down to studying safe in the knowledge that everything was fine.


    A school friend of his, seeing his behavior, couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°You are acting like his old man. Is this really necessary?¡±


    Tao Yi gave him a dirty look, ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I understand it very well. You are just worried that Ling Zhang would get hurt if he comes into conflict with Yuwen Zhi, aren¡¯t you? If I had Marshal Yuwen at my back, I wouldn¡¯t give a shit about Yuwen Zhi ¨C nobody in this city would dare to mess with me, okay?¡± commented his school friend.


    Tao Yi, in heartache and headache, looked at him. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s someone like you that the Marshal has his eye on.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s hurtful. What¡¯s wrong with people like me? I¡¯m remarkably eligible! I¡¯m not only handsome but also talented. If the Marshal were to have his eye on me, he would definitely find me worthy of him,¡± replied his school friend.


    ¡°Stop dreaming. The Marshal is meant to be with Brother Ling.¡±


    ¡°Look at you. You still want to deny you¡¯re not like his old man? I just made a single remark and you got tensed up.¡±


    Tao Yi put an end to the frivolous chat with his school friend, since his teacher summoned him.


    ¡°What have you been doing these days? Where did your mind wander to? Look how lousy your essay is!¡±


    Tao Yi, being scolded, felt somewhat aggrieved, believing that his essay was pretty good.


    ¡°Answer me! What have you been thinking? Why are you so slack in your study?!¡±


    Originally Tao Yi had had no intention of telling the truth, but on second thought, he stepped closer to his teacher and said, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you think Lord Yuwen will pick on Brother Ling again? And there¡¯s another thing ¨C many people outside say that Brother Ling is silly, that in these circumstances he should have the Marshal fix a date for the wedding. Did Brother Ling by any chance really do the wrong thing? Please give me some advice, Mr. Gu. If he¡¯s really mistaken, I¡¯ll go and warn him right away.¡±


    His teacher speechlessly glared at him for a few moments and then reprimanded in a sonorous voice, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! Stop being a busybody!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my friend. I can¡¯t just look on unconcerned,¡± replied Tao Yi in severe and categorical terms.


    ¡°Enough. You think you are smart? As far as I can tell, Ling Zhang is far smarter than you are.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Tao Yi believed that was not true, that he was definitely smart.


    ¡°Those people say that because they want Ling Zhang to come into conflict with Yuwen Zhi, so that they could profit from it, while Ling Zhang has been unhurried and poised because he knows what those people are trying to do. Otherwise he would¡¯ve ended up being other people¡¯s pawn. If he really takes any rash actions, there¡¯s a high chance that eventually he¡¯d lose more than he¡¯d gain. Yuwen Tong is not the kind of person who likes to be pressurized into doing anything. In these circumstances, he still has the leisure to buy a store, which is an unmistakable indication that Yuwen Tong values him very much and gives him enough confidence that his herb business wouldn¡¯t be a losing proposition. So there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Just focus on your study.¡±


    Light suddenly dawned on Tao Yi and even the look on his face was much more relaxed. ¡°You¡¯re indeed a man of great wisdom, Mr. Gu.¡±


    ¡°Stop licking my boots and get your ass to your desk.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gu, although there¡¯s nobody else around, you shouldn¡¯t forget your identity. How could you say such rude words?¡±


    His teacher directly threw a writing brush at his head in response to his question, which frightened Tao Yi into fleeing hastily.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang was unaware of how people on various sides in the capital city were speculating about his conduct. After making arrangements for the store to be revamped, he got down to setting up a trade caravan.


    There was one thing that Tao Yi¡¯s teacher was wrong about: Yuwen Tong actually would be very glad if Ling Zhang tried to pressurize him into marrying him. Seeing Ling Zhang was fully occupied building a trade caravan, Yuwen Tong particularly hoped that Ling Zhang would be anxious to marry him as outsiders expected.


    Ling Zhang practiced kung fu at night and went to see another man ¨C the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain ¨C during daytime. Yuwen Tong was suddenly forsaken, feeling that his life was as miserable as that of an unfavored concubine in the cold palace (a palace where an emperor installs members of the imperial family who do something wrong).


    In fact, he did want to help Ling Zhang handle the trade caravan and all others matters, but the problem was that Ling Zhang would by no means let him.


    ¡°Any news on Peng Fang?¡± Out of sheer boredom, Yuwen Tong had no alternative but to find someone to vent his anger on.


    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that the reason why Peng Fang tried to have Childe Ling poisoned was because he wanted to give the King Duan a written guarantee of allegiance. After we lay low for half a month, Peng Fang began to panic. He made some underhand arrangements and thought that we¡¯d be misled into suspecting Qian Kang of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. He¡¯s already prepared to scapegoat Qian Kang, but since we¡¯ve been lying low, he began to get paranoid. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s started suffering from insomnia since a couple of days ago, and he¡¯s got noticeably thinner, too,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong gave a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s about time we took action. Let¡¯s start with him.¡±


    ¡®This time Zhou Mingyuan is lucky to get away. Peng Fang just wanted to use this as a guarantee of allegiance, and Zhou Mingyuan was not directly involved. Otherwise I would by no means let Zhou Mingyuan walk away unpunished,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll send word to them and have them hand over that person right away.¡±


    Yuwen Tong uttered ¡°Um¡± and then queried, ¡°How¡¯s everything going in the Langya Garden?¡±


    ¡°Childe Qi is still locked in the ancestral hall. It¡¯s been confirmed that he will never fully recover from his broken leg. He¡¯ll be a cripple for the rest of his life. These days, Second Mistress has sent for each and every famous physician in the capital city but none of them could make a difference. There¡¯s been several occasions when she kicked up a stink and wept in front of Second Master. Childe Qi also made a scene in the ancestral hall and drove all physicians away,¡± responded Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong had a cold look on his face. Yuwen Zhi had broken Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg but showed mercy to him, making sure the injury was curable. In the normal course of events, the wound in his leg could be healed. But how was it possible that he would let Yuwen Qi fully recuperate? By crippling him, Yuwen Tong was already being merciful.


    ¡°Let them be. Yuwen Zhi doesn¡¯t dare to release Yuwen Qi. Kicking up a stink wouldn¡¯t make any difference. It¡¯s Yuwen Zhi himself that we should keep an eye open for in case he secretly plays some dirty tricks.¡±


    Yao Yi shook his head. ¡°Strangely enough, during the past half a month Second Master has been staying at home all along except for meeting time in the morning. And he refuses to receive any visitor.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. He knew his uncle very well, and this was not what his uncle would normally do. ¡°Find out what he¡¯s been doing hiding in there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    A guard ran inside like the wind and reported, ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling returned!¡±


    On hearing that Ling Zhang had returned, Yuwen Tong, who had been sitting there bored stiff, instantly perked up and waved his hand motioning for Yao Yi to leave immediately and do what he¡¯d got to do, so that he wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance to him.


    Yao Yi was speechless.


    Ling Zhang had just come back from outside. A while ago, he had consulted with the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain about the trade caravan. About setting up a trade caravan, he had got a general idea of what kind of preparations he had to make, and also written a letter to his uncle in Tanyang telling him to build a trade caravan according to the contents of the letter. For its maiden journey to the capital city, his caravan was to go together with the trade caravan of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain. After they were familiar with the route, they would be able to do it on their own.


    Of course, the most important issue was security of the trade caravan, which was also the main business he consulted with his uncle.


    No matter what, he had to wait for people in Tanyang to make a reply to him. He had some leisure now, so he returned early after everything was handled.


    He had just reached the drill ground when he saw Yuwen Tong walking squarely towards to him. Ling Zhang had been fully occupied these days. Though he still had dinner and talked with Yuwen Tong every day, Ling Zhang missed Yuwen Tong very much, which was a feeling he found quite strange. When he finished his business and returned on this day, in particular, he somehow felt fairly excited.


    As a result, what he failed to realize was that his eyes lit up as he saw Yuwen Tong walking towards him, which Yuwen Tong felt was exceptionally charming.


    ¡°You returned earlier than usual. Everything¡¯s finished?¡± Yuwen Tong gazed fixedly at him.

 Chapter 194 - Going to the Imperial College

    Chapter 194: Going to the Imperial College


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Yeah. All I have to do next is wait for a letter from Tanyang and for the revamp of the store to be finished,¡± replied Ling Zhang. It had been a long time since the last time he¡¯d been so engaged on something. Every day felt very fulfilling. It was just that after so many days together, he had got used to Yuwen Tong¡¯s company, so sometimes when he was out there too occupied to make a decision on a particular matter, he would subconsciously raise his head with the intention to ask Yuwen Tong for advice only to find that Yuwen Tong was nowhere to be seen.


    Ling Zhang, eyes gleaming with delight, fixed Yuwen Tong with a gaze, which brought Yuwen Tong to an intense emotional arousal. He reached out his hand to take Ling Zhang¡¯s and even his voice was somewhat husky with longing. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Ling Zhang, oblivious of Yuwen Tong¡¯s anomalousness, followed Yuwen Tong into the house obediently.


    The moment he entered the house, the doors were slammed shut behind him and with that a shadow fell across him and, against the doors, he was swept into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace. His chin was slightly lifted and he was given a passionate kiss, lips enveloped, teeth parted as a tongue came through them into his mouth to tease him tempting his tongue into joining the dance. After only a few moments, he was intoxicated by the kiss, oblivious of the trickles from the corners of his mouth.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s thumb first lightly brushed past his lower jaw, and then, as if he could no longer refrain, Yuwen Tong heavily pressed it down and started kneading his jaw in a somewhat rough way, so urgent and passionate that it felt as if he wanted to swallow Ling Zhang in a gulp.


    Ling Zhang felt his body getting hotter and hotter. His whole body was burning and even his eyes were hot. Since his eyes were closed, he felt as though he was entrusting Yuwen Tong with his whole being, allowing Yuwen Tong to guide him anywhere even if it meant he would lose his ability to think.


    It was not until after quite some time that Ling Zhang slowly came around from the confused state of mind in which he was utterly unable to think. At this time, he was already in bed, soft quilt beneath him, Yuwen Tong¡¯s burning body upon him. He was clasped in Yuwen Tong¡¯s tight embrace, whose arms were clamped so tightly around him that they were hurting Ling Zhang somewhat, as if he was trying very hard to subdue something which could overwhelm him at any moment.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s head was beside Ling Zhang¡¯s neck, his hot and heavy breaths being sprayed onto it one after another. The two of them were against each other gapless and they were intimately aware of each other¡¯s states. Their vibrant heartbeats, like drumbeats, were hammering at their eardrums.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare to move an inch in the knowledge that even the slightest movement of his would cause Yuwen Tong to lose control of himself.


    It was not until after another long time that Yuwen Tong released Ling Zhang from his tight embrace and propped himself up on his hands. Finally, there was some space between them.


    Ling Zhang also felt fully relaxed after being released. There were faint pains in both his arms and his back, which had been caused by Yuwen Tong¡¯s unduly tight embrace. But these were nothing. Yuwen Tong¡¯s gaze, which was still brimming with craving at this moment, was the reason why he didn¡¯t dare to look at Yuwen Tong.


    However, as his head tilted to one side, his smooth long fair-skinned neck was revealed, which stood out in sharp relief against his black hair and dark-colored quilt, appearing so white that it was almost dazzling. Calming down his churning blood had taken Yuwen Tong a lot of efforts, but it instantly boiled again as his eye fell on Ling Zhang¡¯s neck.


    Though Yuwen Tong had propped up his upper body, his lower body was still pressed tight against Ling Zhang¡¯s, so naturally Ling Zhang immediately felt his bodily reaction. Almost in an instant, Ling Zhang in dismay adjusted his head back into place and looked Yuwen Tong in the face. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong heavily took in a large gulp of air and his eyes shifted back and forth between Ling Zhang¡¯s neck and red swollen lips several times. Eventually he hardened his heart, took his eyes off Ling Zhang and abruptly got out of bed.


    He poured himself a cup of tea and quickly drank it in one gulp, as if he were about to charge at thousands of enemies and destroy them all, which was quite scary.


    Ling Zhang sat up and looked at Yuwen Tong¡¯s ferocious face. The sexually romantic mood in the room abruptly struck him as somewhat amusing and he dissolved into chuckle.


    Yuwen Tong paused, put down the teacup and fiercely twisted his head around to look at him. ¡°You think this is funny?¡±


    Seeing him acting like that, Ling Zhang chuckled even more happily. He tossed a glance at a particular part of Yuwen Tong¡¯s body with his amused eyes and said, ¡°You are acting like I abused you.¡±


    After being glanced by him, Yuwen Tong once again was sent to the verge of succumbing to temptation. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go and have someone select an auspicious day for us. We¡¯re getting married.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡®It seems that I went too far in this,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong really hired someone who did some research and selected an auspicious day for him, but he didn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang when. It was just like he seemed to be in a good mood when he returned.


    Ling Zhang sounded him out several times but failed to worm anything out of him. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder in confusion, ¡®Why is Yuwen Tong so confident that I¡¯ll agree to marry him? The last time when he mentioned it, I told him I needed some time to think it through and I haven¡¯t given him a definite reply yet.¡¯


    But after some careful thinking, Ling Zhang felt that although he hadn¡¯t made a definite reply to Yuwen Tong, he was not against it and had no dislike whatsoever for the idea of marrying Yuwen Tong. He had even involuntarily been vaguely anticipating it.


    However, this was not something that could be done in a short time. The two families were very far away from each other. Apart from those miscellaneous preliminary ceremonies and preparations, the consultation about the date for the wedding, which would entail several journeys between the capital city and Tanyang, would probably take half a year. After the date was fixed, there would be some other preparatory work, which would also be quite time-consuming.


    Even ordinary families had to spend a lot of time preparing a wedding, let alone Yuwen Tong who had uncommonly high social status.


    ¡®No matter what, even if we start preparing right now, the wedding would be after New Year¡¯s Day. How come Yuwen Tong still looks pretty happy?¡¯


    Ling Zhang was totally perplexed.


    Right at the time when Ling Zhang was wondering what Yuwen Tong had up his sleeve, another incident happened in the capital city after half-a-month peace¡­


    Peng Fang, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, was found to be the one who had attempted to have Ling Zhang poisoned in the Wu City. There was concrete evidence, leaving him unable to deny the charge. The emperor, in order to maintain the semblance of how much he valued Yuwen Tong, had dispatched staff members of the Dali Temple (the Supreme Judicial Court in feudal China) to arrest Peng Fang. After verification of his crime, Peng Fang was thrown into prison. The whole process took merely one day.


    Since Ling Zhang had been lying low during the past half a month, all those people in the capital city who had a watch-and-wait attitude believed that Ling Zhang had gone soft in the head, but unexpectedly, this case involving Peng Fang suddenly came up. Peng Fang was a high-ranking official of the imperial court, and the Ministry of Works was a department in which officials could easily line their pockets. There were great powers going with his post and he had always been somewhat supercilious, but now he was brought down just like this, so those people who, after half-a-month¡¯s waiting for Ling Zhang to make further moves, had planned to take some covert actions, chose to continue to wait and see.


    ¡°Exactly what¡¯s wrong with this Ling Zhang guy? I¡¯d like to say he¡¯s a fool, but all those who messed with him have now ended up burning their fingers; sometimes I feel he¡¯s smart, but he seems to be in no hurry to marry Yuwen Tong.¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong¡¯s behavior is also inexplicable. If he doesn¡¯t care much about Ling Zhang, he shouldn¡¯t have sprung to Ling Zhang¡¯s defense so often; but if he cares about him, why is he not anxious to get married either?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong has been staying in the Ling Mansion for more than half a month, hasn¡¯t he? Is he by any chance never going to return to Yuwen family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising Yuwen Zhi is tolerating all this, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Right at this time, a notification from the Imperial College was delivered to the Ling Mansion, telling Ling Zhang it was time to go to the Imperial College to study.


    During the past half a month, Ling Zhang had been occupied with cultivation of internal energy and preparatory work for the drugstore, and he had forgotten that he was supposed to go to college. It was not until someone from the Imperial College visited him that he recalled this matter.


    Shortly after that, Yuwen Jin also paid him a visit. ¡°Brother Zhang, are you ready? When are we going to the Imperial College?¡±


    The last time when Ling Zhang visited Yuwen Tong¡¯s father¡¯s uncle, he and Yuwen Jin had agreed to go to the Imperial College together.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. We leave tomorrow,¡± replied Ling Zhang. Although he had forgotten this matter, Li Sicai and the others bore this in mind. They had made some inquiries and found out all he needed to know and also got all necessities ready. All Ling Zhang had to do was take those things they¡¯d prepared for him and go to the Imperial College the next day.


    ¡°I¡¯m also ready. Tomorrow I¡¯ll come and pick you up and then we¡¯ll go there together, okay?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Having received a definite reply from Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin happily walked around in the Ling Mansion out of curiosity and then went back home.


    As soon as Yuwen Jin left, Ling Zhang immediately went into his study and shut the door.


    During these days, after coming back, if he had the time, he would also read some books that the teacher hired by Yuwen Tong had told him to read. It was just that there were a pile of books, and he had only finished reading half of them.


    With only half a day left, it was impossible for him to finish the remaining half of the books. Ling Zhang had no choice but to cast an eye over them to get a general idea of what kind of books they were. He had read some of them before when he¡¯d been at home, so he sifted them out. And then he selected the couple of relatively important ones from the rest of the books and concentrated his mind on reading them. Even so, it still took him the rest of the day. Until midnight, there hadn¡¯t been a single occasion when he left the study, except for when he needed to eat or go to the privy. Fortunately, he had internal energy now, and a sleepless night had no negative influence on him, which was why he successfully finished reading the couple of books with his full attention.


    The next day was the day for him to go to the Imperial College. Yuwen Jin would come here to pick him up very early. Ling Zhang gathered the rest of the books, had Xia Feng tidy them up for him and then went to take a bath.


    Yuwen Tong also didn¡¯t sleep the night before. He had kept Ling Zhang company in the study for a whole night, saying that he couldn¡¯t sleep without Ling Zhang by his side. While Ling Zhang was reading school books, he was reading books on the art of war.


    A short while after the two of them had breakfast together, Yuwen Jin showed up.


    ¡°Cousin, Brother Zhang.¡± Yuwen Jin walked inside, well dressed, oozing vigorousness.


    Seeing him come so early, Ling Zhang asked him in concern whether he had had breakfast. Yuwen Jin responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to complain, but my father pinched my ear and dragged me out of bed before daybreak. I had breakfast quite some time ago.¡±


    Yuwen Si, Yuwen Jin¡¯s father, had not only woken up his son but also reminded him once again of the situation in the Imperial College and exhorted him to take good care of Ling Zhang.


    With a distressed face, Yuwen Jin added, ¡°I could literally recite those words of my father¡¯s, but he still told me once again, and I had to listen to him. My ears are growing calloused.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was surprised, but Yuwen Jin exclaimed, ¡°You are going with us, cousin? Great!¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can talk on the way up.¡±


    Since Yuwen Tong was going together with them, the group naturally was larger.


    The three of them were sitting in a horse-drawn carriage. Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, a somewhat confused look in his eyes. Previously, Yuwen Tong had never mentioned to him that he would go together with him.

 Chapter 195 - First Arrival at the Imperial College

    Chapter 195: First Arrival at the Imperial College


    Translator: DragonRider


    Maybe afraid that his father would nag him again if he failed to do what he¡¯d been told to, Yuwen Jin intensively analyzed the situation in the Imperial College for Ling Zhang on their way to the college.


    Even in an ordinary academy of classical learning, there were cliques of students. Students from rich families and those from impoverished families, for example, almost inevitably would detest each other on sight, and students of the Oriental Rite Academy were no exception in this regard.


    However, the reason why the situation in the Imperial College struck people as chaotic was because in the Imperial College something more complicated was involved apart from strife between students of noble birth and those from humble beginnings. Due to its special position, almost all students in the Imperial College were of noble blood, and students from poor families only accounted for a very small proportion. There was a great disparity in number. Students of humble origins were totally outmatched and could barely breathe under the pressure from their rivals.


    As a result, the strife between these two sides in the Imperial College was negligible. The source of the chaotic situation in this college was related to the factions at students¡¯ back. The incumbent emperor had a suspicious mind and was fond of using checks and balances to make sure his subordinates toed the line. Partisan wrangle between rival factions was very intense. Moreover, princes had all reached adulthood, each of whom represented a particular side. Most students of the Imperial College were children of dignitaries, so they unavoidably were affected by the factions in the imperial court and engaged in internal strife in the Imperial College.


    Ling Zhang would never choose such a troublesome place if he really wanted to learn some academic knowledge. His best choice was the Oriental Rite Academy, but the emperor had interfered and upset Ling Zhang¡¯s plan with an imperial edict, which was why Ling Zhang now had no option but to enter the Imperial College where he would almost certainly be dragged into things he want no part of.


    ¡°Why did you choose the Imperial College instead of the Oriental Rite Academy?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Jin blinked and replied, ¡°I just like its uproariousness. The Oriental Rite Academy is so boring. The Imperial College is the kind of place where I can pursue my talents. It¡¯s as chaotic as a battlefield where a general like me is needed to bring peace. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I discover earlier Yuwen Jin was such a narcissist? Is this guy reliable?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Be careful not to be bested by a bunch of kids, general. Otherwise you won¡¯t even be able to find a shoulder to cry on,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Jin immediately replied, ¡°Then teach me some military strategy and tactics, cousin. I¡¯m the one who has the duty to protect Brother Zhang, and I cannot do that if you don¡¯t teach me military strategy and tactics.¡±


    Ling Zhang vaguely saw the light. ¡®Yuwen Jin has been waiting for this moment all along.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Though your father has separated from Yuwen family, he still has a lot of books on the art of war in hand. Why ignore them and ask me?¡±


    Yuwen Jin responded, ¡°But my grandfather is unwilling to let me read them. Besides, you are a marshal. I¡¯m sure you know more.¡±


    In order to have Yuwen Tong teach him military strategy and tactics, Yuwen Jin made a lot of remarks of praise and tried his level best to fawn on Yuwen Tong. Eventually, his efforts paid off. Yuwen Tong reluctantly said, ¡°Maybe I can teach you some.¡±


    Yuwen Jin cheered. ¡°You¡¯re the best, cousin!¡±


    For fear that Yuwen Tong might go back on his words, Yuwen Jin quickly told Ling Zhang that he would go to the Ling Mansion to learn from Yuwen Tong whenever there was a day off at the Imperial College.


    Now that Yuwen Tong himself had agreed, so naturally Ling Zhang raised no objection.


    ¡­


    The Imperial College was very far away from the Ling Mansion. It took them almost an hour to get there by horse-drawn carriage.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s horse-drawn carriage was inconspicuous, but Yuwen family was very famous. Though Yuwen You had separated from Yuwen family, his surname was still Yuwen. Apart from the fact that Yuwen Tong was close to Yuwen You¡¯s family, Yuwen Jin¡¯s father, uncle and grandfather were all officials of the imperial court, not a bunch of nobodies, so the Imperial College designated someone to welcome them.


    Yuwen Jin was the first one to get out of the carriage. Ling Zhang was the second. Seeing Ling Zhang, the one coming to their welcome was confused. ¡°May I have your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Ling Zhang. I¡¯m also here to enter school,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Expression in the man¡¯s eyes slightly changed as he heard the name. He was just about to say something when he saw Yuwen Tong get out of the carriage. With a drastic change of his countenance, he hastily walked up. ¡°I¡¯m Feng Zhangshi. It¡¯s a great honor to meet you, Marshal.¡±


    The man had only expected to see two students entering school. It had never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would show up, so he immediately greeted him with profound respect and humility.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°I just happened to be going their way, and I have no intention of alarming anybody.¡±


    ¡®Happened to be going their way? Who¡¯d believe this? This college is in such an out-of-the-way area. Who would happen to be going this way?¡¯ Feng Zhangshi wondered.


    The name of the one who had come to their welcome was Feng Zhangshi. He was an executive in the Imperial College, and also a well-informed man, so naturally he knew who Ling Zhang was to Yuwen Tong, and he had also heard all those rumors in the capital city. Now seeing Yuwen Tong had specially seen Ling Zhang to this place, he came to realize that Yuwen Tong¡¯s intention was manifestly to tell everybody in this college that he was at Ling Zhang¡¯s back.


    In an instant a lot of thoughts crossed Feng Zhangshi¡¯s mind. The one he was most certain about was that Yuwen Tong valued Ling Zhang, which differed from some rumors claiming otherwise. The principal, by sending him here to welcome Yuwen Jin and Ling Zhang, was seemingly treating Ling Zhang the same way he did other students from noble families, but in fact, this suggested that the principal didn¡¯t really think highly of Ling Zhang. If any of these two students were son of a high-ranking official, the principal would no doubt have personally come here to welcome them.


    Nobody had expected that Yuwen Tong would come here together with them.


    Seeing there was nobody else behind Feng Zhangshi, Yuwen Tong, who was worldly-wise, immediately came to understand what was going on. He was not the kind of person who liked to abuse their position and throw their weight about, but in a place like the capital city, the political hierarchy could literally be suffocating, particularly in the Imperial College where the situation was terribly chaotic. If he didn¡¯t do anything that could act as a deterrent to those people, who knew what kind of underhand means they would use to make trouble for Ling Zhang?


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in the Imperial College before. May I go inside with them to take a look?¡±


    Feng Zhangshi naturally agreed immediately and led Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin towards the front gate.


    What was happening at the gateway also attracted the attention of some students coming in and out of the college. Since Yuwen Tong stayed in border areas almost all the year around, many students had only heard his name but never seen him before. As a result, at first nobody recognized him; they were just somewhat surprised to see that Feng Zhangshi was behaving so deferentially, and they also cast an appraising look at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin.


    Surprisingly, in these circumstances, Yuwen Jin seemed to be the relatively famous one, for someone recognized him.


    ¡°That Yuwen Jin from the offshoot of Yuwen family also gained admission?¡±


    ¡°Who are the two men beside him? That taller one is quite imposing. I don¡¯t even dare look back at him when he looks at me.¡±


    Hearing the discussion of those students, Feng Zhangshi led Ling Zhang and the other two forwards, planning to take them to see the principal. Yuwen Tong, who could tell at a glance what his intention was, refused to be led by the nose, saying, ¡°Where are we going? If there are any particular things that students entering school need to do, just directly take us there.¡±


    Feng Zhangshi was briefly surprised and then immediately replied, ¡°We don¡¯t dare to put you to the bother, Marshal. We¡¯ve already handled all admission procedures for Childe Yuwen and Childe Ling some time ago. All they need to do is go directly to the professor to confirm it and then the courses may directly start.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s go and meet this professor.¡±


    Feng Zhangshi flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. Seeing his flinty dignified countenance which deterred people from looking him in the eyes, Feng Zhangshi was uncertain of Yuwen Tong¡¯s intention, so he had no choice but to obey, ¡°Of course, of course. This way please, Marshal. This way, childes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare. After you, sir,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Feng Zhangshi cast a look at him. ¡®Rumor has it that Ling Zhang is domineering and arrogant, but he doesn¡¯t seem that kind of person.¡¯


    The Imperial College covered a large area. All necessary fields and buildings were included. Apart from classrooms for teaching, there were also courtyard houses for professors to live in as well as various chambers to accommodate students. By foot, a trip around the Imperial College would take more than a day.


    This was also the first time that Ling Zhang had seen the scenery in the Imperial College, which came as a real revelation to him.


    At this moment, finally some people recognized Yuwen Tong. It was a group of students walking towards them, all of whom were wearing students¡¯ uniform. The one heading them was of noble demeanor. His countenance and presence were different from those of others as well.


    As he saw Ling Zhang and the others, he merely flicked a casual glance at him, but to his surprise, Yuwen Tong was among them. He immediately halted and exclaimed in a pleasantly surprised tone of voice, ¡°Marshal?¡±


    His voice was loud. All students nearby heard him, paused and looked in astonishment at the man who had just called Yuwen Tong, and then they shifted their gaze to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Marshal? Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°What brings you to the Imperial College, Marshal?¡± The one who called Yuwen Tong walked up to him, face full of excitement.


    Ling Zhang flicked an appraising look at this man, somewhat confused. ¡®This guy seems to be pretty happy to see Yuwen Tong. Is he by any chance someone Yuwen Tong knows?¡¯


    Unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong was also briefly puzzled as he saw that person. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It was after hearing this that the man realized he hadn¡¯t made a self-introduction yet, so he said, ¡°Please pardon my impoliteness. I¡¯m Jiang Yu. My grandfather is Jiang Changfeng, the Prime Minister. Three years ago, I had the good fortune to attend a banquet in the imperial palace with my grandfather, where I saw you once. It was just that you were too busy back then and didn¡¯t notice me.¡±


    ¡®Jiang Changfeng?¡¯ Ling Zhang unnoticeably gazed at Jiang Yu. ¡®He¡¯s grandson of Jiang Changfeng, the incumbent Prime Minister?¡¯ If Yuwen Tong was the most influential military commander, then Jiang Changfeng would be the most influential civil official in office. On top of this, Jiang Changfeng was also a relative of the emperor. The emperor¡¯s mother was a member of Jiang family, which meant Jiang Changfeng was the emperor¡¯s uncle.


    ¡®So this Jiang Yu guy is also kin to the emperor. It¡¯s true what they say that many students of this college are of noble birth,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    He decided to keep quiet first. This man named Jiang Yu was grandson of Jiang Changfeng and had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and it was hard to say what kind of person he was.


    ¡°So you¡¯re grandson of the Prime Minister.¡± Yuwen Tong blandly gave a nod. He had amazingly good memory and was capable of memorizing anything at a glance, but he had no familiarity with this man named Jiang Yu. Three years ago, he attended and left the palace banquet in such haste that he didn¡¯t pay attention to most invited guests, so of course he didn¡¯t notice Jiang Yu.


    After making that remark, Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence. Seeing Jiang Yu was still standing before him, he was somewhat puzzled.


    For an instant Jiang Yu¡¯s countenance subtly froze, for the puzzlement on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was too noticeable, which was almost synonymous with directly asking him why he didn¡¯t just walk away.


    ¡°Is there any particular business that you came here to attend to, Marshal? Do you need me to lead the way for you?¡± Jiang Yu quickly concealed the hint of unnaturalness on his face and looked at Yuwen Tong with a smile.


    As regards Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin who were standing beside Yuwen Tong, Jiang Yu seemed to have already forgotten their existence.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin exchanged glances but neither of them said anything.


    Clearly Jiang Yu was here for Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, seeing Jiang Yu throwing himself at Yuwen Tong, couldn¡¯t help but think of Tao Yi. He had already classified Jiang Yu into the type of idolaters like Tao Yi.


    But Yuwen Jin secretly gave Ling Zhang¡¯s sleeve a pull and observed under his breath, ¡°This Jiang Yu guy is so supercilious. I can tell at a glance that he¡¯s an asshole. You mustn¡¯t let my cousin agree to it.¡±

 Chapter 196 - A Test

    Chapter 196: A Test


    Translator: DragonRider


    Some other thoughts occurred to Ling Zhang after he heard Yuwen Jin¡¯s remarks, and with that he couldn¡¯t help but tossed another glance at Jiang Yu. ¡®Though this Jiang Yu guy is overweening, he¡¯s quite handsome¡­¡¯


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Childe Jiang. Mr. Feng here will handle it.¡± Yuwen Tong looked at Feng Zhangshi who was standing on the side.


    With that Jiang Yu also shifted his gaze to Feng Zhangshi, who saw the well-concealed warning in Jiang Yu¡¯s good-looking eyes and immediately replied, ¡°The professor teaching Childe Jiang is the very one I¡¯m taking Childe Yuwen and Childe Ling to meet. The two of them and Childe Jiang will be classmates. If Childe Jiang leads the way, the three of them would be able to get acquainted with each other sooner, which I believe will do them some good.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Yuwen Jin immediately whispered indignantly. ¡°That Feng Zhangshi guy doesn¡¯t dare cause even the slightest offence to Jiang Yu. Now Jiang Yu is getting what he wants. I don¡¯t like him, nor the idea of him coming along with us.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Feng Zhangshi, who accidentally made eye contact with him. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes seemed very calm, but Feng Zhangshi involuntarily tensed his back muscles. This pair of eyes were even more frightening than the look that Jiang Yu had given him just now. A layer of fine beads of sweat oozed out of Feng Zhangshi¡¯s back as he came to the realization that he¡¯d pleased Jiang Yu but offended Ling Zhang. He knew what kind of person Jiang Yu was, but Ling Zhang, who had struck him as modest and courteous a few moments ago, suddenly seemed to be in a shroud of uncertainty.


    Before Feng Zhangshi could figure out a way to rid himself of this dilemma, Yuwen Tong abruptly observed in a flinty tone of voice, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Lead the way, Feng Zhangshi.¡±


    Feng Zhangshi jumped in the knowledge that even Yuwen Tong was displeased with him now. Too afraid to glance at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes or use any other finesse, he hastily turned aside and responded, ¡°This way please, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and the two of them walked past Jiang Yu. Yuwen Jin hurriedly followed in their wake, throwing Jiang Yu a smug glance in passing.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s face abruptly darkened and with that he turned around to look at the receding figure of Yuwen Tong. Seeing him holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, he finally shifted his gaze to Ling Zhang.


    Originally students looking on nearby had wanted to gather around, but when they saw Jiang Yu rejected by Yuwen Tong, they refrained from doing so, eyes following Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang. After appraising the two of them for a while, they looked at Jiang Yu, a mixed expression in their eyes, all kinds of thoughts flashing across their minds.


    Jiang Yu watched Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang hand in hand walk far away and then turned around to inquire of those standing beside him, ¡°So that¡¯s Ling Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I think so,¡± replied one of his lackeys beside him. None of them had ever seen Ling Zhang before, so they couldn¡¯t say for certain.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s brow briefly corrugated in a frown and then returned to normal.


    ¡­


    ¡°Fortunately, you rejected it, cousin. Had you let that Jiang Yu guy lead the way, I would definitely have bailed,¡± said Yuwen Jin, flicking Feng Zhangshi a frosty glance.


    Though having been given a dirty look by Yuwen Jin, Feng Zhangshi didn¡¯t dare to utter a word in the knowledge that he had offended not only Yuwen Tong but also Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like your first meeting with Jiang Yu. You two have history?¡± Ling Zhang inquired.


    Yuwen Jin replied, ¡°It¡¯s not me who has history with him. It¡¯s my elder brother. On one occasion, my elder brother bandied words with him at a banquet, and he snitched on my elder brother after returning home. Jiang Changfeng, that old bastard, impeached my father at a meeting in the imperial court. Fortunately His Majesty¡¯s wise enough not to fall for Jiang Changfeng¡¯s trick. Since then, there¡¯s been open hostility between our two families.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a glance at Feng Zhangshi in the middle of Yuwen Jin¡¯s remarks and had intended to interrupt, but then he found that Yuwen Jin, who had a fairly good sense of propriety, knew how to choose the right expressions when mentioning the emperor, so eventually he didn¡¯t cut him off.


    ¡°Just now Jiang Yu was very nice to your cousin and didn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯d make trouble for you in revenge for a petty quarrel,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Jin curled his lip. ¡°My cousin was also the only one he bothered to talk with just now. I think he cares about nobody but my cousin.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face went cold. ¡°Bullshit. It¡¯ll do you a lot more good if you focus on your study instead of these unsavory characters.¡±


    While saying this, he held Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist tighter, softly rubbing his thumb against it in an effort to fawn on him.


    Ling Zhang: ¡­.


    Just now he had failed to realize the situation. ¡®We are not at home but in the Imperial College. There are students all around. It¡¯s so undignified to be hand in hand like this.¡¯ Ling Zhang instantly made an attempt to free his hand.


    He had just moved when Yuwen Tong tightened his grip further and also turned his head aside to look at him in confusion.


    ¡°Haha. Cousin, if these words of yours reach Jiang Yu¡¯s ears, he would definitely be angered to death.¡± Yuwen Jin, instead of being deterred by Yuwen Tong¡¯s rebuke, dissolved into happy laugh.


    Feng Zhangshi on the side was trying his best to pretend he hadn¡¯t heard any of their words. ¡®Everybody saw how fervent Jiang Yu was a moment ago, but it turns out that in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, he is merely an unsavory character. If this comes to Jiang Yu¡¯s knowledge, he would indeed be infuriated. Many students of this college are children of dignitaries, but only a couple of them are really of noble blood, and Jiang Yu is definitely one of them. Given Jiang family¡¯s position, nobody in this college will dare mess with Jiang Yu, but though Jiang Yu is grandson of Jiang Changfeng who¡¯s the most powerful civil official, Ling Zhang¡­ is the betrothed of Yuwen Tong, the most powerful military commander who wields dominant military power and saved the situation for the Great Yue against overwhelming odds, and Yuwen Tong cares about Ling Zhang so much¡­¡¯


    Thinking of this, Feng Zhangshi raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead, feeling that he shouldn¡¯t have succumbed to Jiang Yu¡¯s threatening eyes and said those words, that it was an unwise move resulted from a momentary lapse of judgement.


    During the rest of the trip, Feng Zhangshi was noticeably more deferential than he had been previously. He also paid more attention to Ling Zhang¡¯s needs. There were several occasions when he specially paused to tell him what the nearby building or field was for, or to brief him on professors of the Imperial College, etc. Ling Zhang quietly flicked a glance at him, feeling somewhat puzzled as to why Feng Zhangshi suddenly adopted a considerably different attitude towards him.


    Yuwen Tong appeared natural, as if there was nothing strange about this at all.


    Yuwen Jin briefly curled his lip and didn¡¯t even bother to give another glance at Feng Zhangshi.


    After they arrived at the destination, Feng Zhangshi took Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin to see the professor who was going to test them. He was an elegantly-bearded old man with piercing eyes, brimming with energy and vitality. Seeing Yuwen Tong, he simply made a bow with hands folded in front, neither humble nor arrogant, which was very different from the highly servile and deferential way that Feng Zhangshi had behaved.


    This was what teachers in the Imperial College were like. No matter what his intention truly was, he was clearly different from people like Feng Zhangshi.


    As he stared at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin, both of them involuntarily straightened themselves and tensed their back muscles.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve enrolled in the Imperial College, you are now students of this school. I don¡¯t care who you are out there. In this place, you have to follow my instructions. If you cannot do that, you may leave right away.¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin wouldn¡¯t give up because of this mere remark. Ling Zhang knew very well what kind of person he himself was, and Yuwen Jin had been repeatedly reminded and warned by his elders some time ago. As a result, after hearing these words which had clearly been meant as a deterrent, they just respectfully expressed their willingness to obey him, giving no other reaction.


    Yuwen Tong sitting not far away didn¡¯t interpose, and neither was there any change of his countenance in response to the words of the professor. He just sipped his tea in a natural manner.


    The old man sneaked a glance at Yuwen Tong out of the corner of his eye. As he saw the bland look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, the corners of his mouth involuntarily twitched. ¡®The meaning of my words was explicit enough. Why do these people seem so calm?¡¯ he wondered. Other children of officials had reacted very haughtily after hearing similar words of his. This was the first time that he had seen someone who appeared totally unaffected.


    After a soft cough, the old man continued, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve heard my words, you should act in accordance with them in the future. Now tell me what the two of you have learned before, and what you are capable of.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin in turn told the old man what books they had read, what their perceptions of those books were, what they were capable of, etc.


    It took them quite some time to finish all this. The old man also had each of them write an essay on the spot, which was also a time-consuming task.


    At first Ling Zhang was somewhat punctilious. Rumors about the chaotic situation in the Imperial College didn¡¯t make him scornful of this professor. He respected and was willing to obey any teacher who was truly learned. What relieved him was that the old man was indeed knowledgeable. He not only commented on the books Ling Zhang had read but also expressed his views on Ling Zhang¡¯s perceptions, some of which were approving, and others critical. All these were pertinent instructions. Ling Zhang, hearing them, unconsciously dismissed all other thoughts from his mind and concentrated on learning knowledge as he used to do in the Tanyang Academy.


    Therefore, when he was writing his essay, he was also very intent, taking it seriously.


    Yuwen Jin beside him was also focused, but because of his obsession with the idea of learning military strategy and tactics and then applying them on the battlefield, every time he was writing an essay, he frequently felt an urge to stand up to walk around or do something else, which was a somewhat bad habit.


    All of a sudden, with a slap, Yuwen Jin was hit by a teacher¡¯s ruler. The old man standing beside Yuwen Jin glared at him. ¡°Your sitting position is very problematic. Are there any nails on your chair? I want you to sit bolt upright!¡±


    After being hit by the ruler, Yuwen Jin not only gasped in pain but also was taken aback. Seeing the stern look of the old man, he immediately behaved himself and didn¡¯t dare fidget any more, as if the old man were his father.


    Ling Zhang merely stole a glance in that direction and then resumed writing his essay.


    The old man cast a look at him, stroked his beard with satisfaction and then glared at Yuwen Jin again, which frightened Yuwen Jin deterring him from looking sideways again.


    Yuwen Jin, in his head, was yelling at the top of his lungs, but he didn¡¯t dare to utter a single word.


    ¡®Why did nobody tell me teachers of the Imperial College punish students with rulers?! I¡¯m not a three-year-old kid! It hurts so much!¡¯


    As the old man turned around to walk away, Yuwen Jin hurriedly winked at Yuwen Tong with the intention of having his cousin offer him some help, but Yuwen Tong just leisurely enjoyed his tea without giving any response, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed his distress signal at all.


    Yuwen Jin lapsed into despair, gazing at the paper on the desk, teeth gritted. It was not until after quite a while that he wrote a sentence with difficulty.


    At this time, Ling Zhang, who had already filled his paper with words, took out another piece of paper and continued writing.


    Yuwen Jin sneaked a glance at it and widened his eyes, unable to believe that Ling Zhang had written so many sentences. He himself hadn¡¯t even finished half a page yet. ¡®A comparison between people can be so hurtful,¡¯ he thought. Previously, he had believed that he and Ling Zhang were on a level, because Ling Zhang¡¯s admission to the Imperial College had been the result of a sudden decision of the emperor.

 Chapter 197 - Sparking Public Debate

    Chapter 197: Sparking Public Debate


    Translator: DragonRider


    Yuwen Jin had an aggrieved look in his eyes. He had thought that Ling Zhang disliked school as much as he did, but now it turned out that Ling Zhang liked school, which he believed boded ill for his future ¨C there would be nobody receiving punishment from the teacher with him, and his father would definitely compare him with Ling Zhang and scold him every time he was punished by his teacher. ¡®How am I supposed to survive if that¡¯s the case?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡®No¡­¡¯


    He hoped that Ling Zhang would stop writing so many words, stop writing so quick, stop behaving so well and allow him a chance of survival, but there was no telepathic connection between the two of them. Ling Zhang was unable to receive his ¡°distress signal¡± and soon finished another page. Seeing this, Yuwen Jin was nearly reduced to tears.


    Ling Zhang completed his essay before Yuwen Jin could finish his. The old man, after reading it, gave a nod. ¡®Although this kid¡¯s essay is not as good as those of honor students in this college, it¡¯s coherent and well-grounded. His viewpoints are different from those of most students but not really unorthodox, and some of his perceptions are pretty unique,¡¯ he thought.


    The old man, secretly satisfied, stroked his beard. Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence had made it very clear to him who Ling Zhang was. He had thought that academic performance of a student like Ling Zhang, whose admission to the Imperial College had been granted by the emperor, and who came from a small city and was rumored to be rather arrogant and domineering, definitely couldn¡¯t hold a candle to that of other students. And he had expected to see an essay riddled with mistakes or one of strained interpretation, but unexpectedly, this essay could be deemed excellent.


    The old man unnoticeably flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong out of the corner of his eye, and then looked at Ling Zhang who was respectfully standing before him with a calm face. ¡®There are indeed some resemblances between these two people. They¡¯re both composed and unhurried,¡¯ thought the old man.


    ¡°Though there are some defects in your essay, it also has something to its credit. The central theme of it is unique and rigorous, but it also shows a lack of depth. Now that you¡¯ve enrolled in the Imperial College, you should concentrate your mind on studies and learn from others with modesty. Do not muddle along because of external influences. Otherwise you¡¯ll be stranded where you are and end up among the mediocre, and all your time spent in this college would be for nothing.¡±


    The old man exhorted Ling Zhang in a serious tone of voice. Though pleased with Ling Zhang¡¯s essay, he didn¡¯t show it on his face.


    ¡°Thank you for your admonishment, professor. I¡¯ll keep this in mind at all times,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    The old man stroked his elegantly-trimmed beard, uttered ¡°Um¡± and then told him to wait on the side.


    Ling Zhang stood on the side. Though still looking very calm, he was secretly relieved somewhat. Actually he hadn¡¯t focused his mind on learning for a long time, and he¡¯d worried that he might have forgotten all he¡¯d learned, but after he hit his stride, things had taken a favorable turn. Moreover, although he hadn¡¯t really spent much time on study during these days, he had acquired a lot of perceptions unobtainable from books, which had significantly broadened his horizons. The Imperial College set great store by Confucianism, and many opinions in Confucian classics had been corroborated by what he had seen with his own eyes. Because of this, he had gradually formed his own perceptions. In fact, many of the views in that essay were not a full display of his true thoughts. It was not because he wanted to hide his weak points, but because he was aware that these viewpoints of him were divergent from the teaching principle of the Imperial College, that if he wrote them down, he not only wouldn¡¯t get the old man¡¯s recognition but also would be harshly scolded by him.


    He¡¯d also found that though he stayed up all night reading those books the day before, he still felt fairly energetic and what he¡¯d memorized during his last-minute preparation was still in his mind. It seemed that after his proficiency in internal energy reached the first layer, not only his five senses had been heightened, his memory had become much better as well.


    ¡°Thi¨CThis is the best I can do¡­¡±


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s tentative voice broke the silence in the room and also interrupted Ling Zhang¡¯s train of thought.


    The old man standing before Yuwen Jin was frothing at the mouth, glaring at him with rage. Yuwen Jin, shoulders in, had an aggrieved and scared face, fearing that the old man might hit him with the ruler again.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Eventually the old man sharply criticized Yuwen Jin for his one-page essay which he¡¯d managed with great difficulty. Yuwen Jin, head hanging low, was in such deep shame that he wished the ground could have swallowed him up.


    ¡°I did my best.¡±


    The old man, ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang felt somewhat sympathetic towards him.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was still as unconcerned as always. Watching his cousin standing there like a frightened bird, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood, which slightly surprised Ling Zhang.


    Though Yuwen Jin¡¯s essay was criticized by the old man as unreadable rubbish, in the end he was still assigned to the same class as Ling Zhang¡¯s, and the two of them were supposed to promptly attend classes in the Imperial College from the next day on.


    Yuwen Jin, though having received a harsh scolding, was still very happy to know that he was now Ling Zhang¡¯s classmate. ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯ve still been assigned to the same class.¡±


    And then he implored Yuwen Tong, ¡°Cousin, can you please not tell my father what happened today?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, feeling that Yuwen Jin was very tenacious in some way.


    After Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin left the campus, news of the two of them having enrolled in the Imperial College soon spread through the whole city. Leaving aside reactions of people from other walks of life, in the Imperial College alone there was a wide variety of opinions.


    ¡°The Marshal accompanied Ling Zhang here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Jiang Yu wanted to lead the way for the Marshal but the Marshal rejected his offer, which made him seem so awkward.¡±


    ¡°Pooh, his family background is the only thing he could rely on, yet he actually believes everybody would show him respect because of who his father is. Marshal Yuwen is not the kind of person who¡¯d give a damn about his respectability.¡±


    ¡°It seems that we¡¯ll be crossing paths with Ling Zhang quite often from now on. Who gave him the test?¡±


    ¡°That old man surnamed Gu.¡±


    ¡°Him? This Ling Zhang guy was so unlucky. The old man chewed him out, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ not really. Actually it¡¯s said that Professor Gu was fairly satisfied with his essay, which is kind of surprising. It was Yuwen Jin who got chewed out.¡±


    ¡°The old man has always been as stubborn as a mule, yet he took into consideration Marshal Yuwen¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Ling Zhang¡¯s essay was actually not bad?¡±


    ¡°Pooh, I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s true. He¡¯s a countryman. Back then in that year, it was by sheer luck that his grandfather got the position of assistant minister, which he resigned from very soon because of his incompetence. That Ling Zhang guy is his grandson. How able could you possibly expect him to be?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. That Ling Zhang guy is so cocky and bossy. He dared to talk back to the Ninth Princess when he hadn¡¯t even entered the city yet. Rumor has it that he also angered Lord Yuwen so bad that he hasn¡¯t left home for over half a month. I wonder what the Marshal sees in him and why he cares about him so much.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet him and find out when he comes to school tomorrow.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, after sparking a heated debate in the whole Imperial College, leisurely went back home. Wang Dashan and others had been waiting for him. On hearing that Ling Zhang had passed the test, they all offered their congratulations to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Imperial College like, Young Master? Is it a messy place?¡± asked Wang Dashan. He and a couple of others had got a bad impression of the Imperial College when they¡¯d been told about the rather chaotic situation in it.


    After a few moments¡¯ thinking, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°It¡¯s not bad. At least the professor giving me a test is truly a learned man.¡±


    Today he and Yuwen Jin had merely gone there to take a test, and they hadn¡¯t got acquainted with any students except for Jiang Yu.


    On hearing this, Yuwen Jin standing on the side had a sulky face. ¡®I was hit and got a harsh scolding from that old man. How is it ¡®not bad¡¯?


    Besides¡­¡¯


    ¡°Seeing that Jiang Yu guy will be a daily occurrence for us, and I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can keep from beating him up.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Jiang Yu?¡± Wang Dashan and the others, who were unaware of who Jiang Yu was, asked about it when they saw that Yuwen Jin seemed to be quite contemptuous of this person.


    ¡°Jiang Changfeng¡¯s grandson. Earlier this day, he was so presumptuous as to try to stop my cousin, showing a total disregard of me and Brother Zhang. The very sight of him disgusts me,¡± remarked Yuwen Jin.


    Wang Dashan and the others, though uneducated, were quite scrupulous where Ling Zhang was concerned. In addition, ever since they¡¯d come to the capital city with Ling Zhang, they had dealt with a lot of people and grown very wary of people in this city.


    ¡°So that Jiang Yu guy is a troublesome character?¡± queried Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Jiang Changfeng is the incumbent Prime Minister and His Majesty¡¯s uncle. His grandson probably has a lot of followers in the Imperial College.¡± Liu Yi also expressed his opinion.


    ¡®The Prime Minister¡¯s grandson?¡¯ Others also pricked up their ears and looked at Yuwen Jin.


    Beneath their gaze, Yuwen Jin felt his flesh creep. ¡°Wh¨CWhy are you giving me this look?¡±


    ¡°How does that Jiang Yu guy look?¡± inquired Qiu Bing.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yuwen Jin was puzzled. ¡°Just like everybody else ¨C two eyes, two ears, a nose and a mouth. He¡¯s not even as handsome as me.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Qiu Bing replied, ¡°so he¡¯s less attractive than you.¡±


    Yuwen Jin wondered, ¡®Why would any man care so much about his appearance? But Jiang Yu is definitely not as handsome as me.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he stop the Marshal?¡± asked Zhou Xiang.


    Yuwen Jin responded, ¡°Who knows what got into him? He even insisted he lead the way for us. My cousin didn¡¯t even know him. He came to us of his own accord and his eyes were on my cousin from start to finish, as if Brother Zhang and I were just passers-by.¡±


    ¡®His eyes were on the Marshal from start to finish?¡¯


    Qiu Bing and the others who had just relaxed became vigilant again, clustering closer around Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang, seeing they were scaring Yuwen Jin, told them to take their leave so that Yuwen Jin could be at ease.


    Of course Wang Dashan and others wouldn¡¯t disobey Ling Zhang. Though looking somewhat worried, they still cleared off.


    Yuwen Jin heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t know why these security guards were acting like this, but he kept feeling that he had just had an escape from something unpleasant, which he knew wasn¡¯t true.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I think I¡¯ll go back home first. I¡¯ll come back and pick you up tomorrow morning.¡±


    After saying this, he hurriedly slunk away.


    Yuwen Jin had just left when Ling Zhang¡¯s face slightly darkened. ¡®That Jiang Yu guy doesn¡¯t seem to have any particular intentions for the moment, but him having history with Yuwen Jin means that he regards me as an enemy as well. I should indeed keep an eye out for him in the future.¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, according to your instructions, I found someone suitable in terms of both appearance and personality. Would you care to meet him?¡±


    In the residential compound of the King Duan, Zhou Mingyuan had just returned from the court meeting when his henchman came to his report, as if claiming credit.


    ¡°Where is he? How¡¯s his background?¡± queried the King Duan, his countenance slightly changing.


    ¡°He lives elsewhere in the city. As regards his background¡­ You might find this quite coincidental ¨C this person happens to be a student of the Imperial College as well, but his father is merely a county magistrate in Youzhou. Because of his achievements in his official career, His Majesty granted special permission for his son to study in the Imperial College. It¡¯s been only half a year since his son enrolled,¡± replied his henchman.


    Zhou Mingyuan gave an inexplicable smile. ¡°Bring him to me when it¡¯s convenient. I¡¯d like to see him in person.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± answered the henchman. ¡°Have you heard that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin showed up in the Imperial College together today? It¡¯s said that Marshal Yuwen personally accompanied them there.¡±


    ¡°Um. It turns out Yuwen Tong is quite protective of that Ling Zhang guy,¡± observed Zhou Mingyuan.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± his henchman responded. Then he added, ¡°I also heard that Jiang Yu of Jiang family chanced upon them and offered to lead the way for Yuwen Tong but Yuwen Tong rejected his offer categorically.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu? I almost forgot that he is also studying in the Imperial College. You¡¯re to keep a close watch on him. I¡¯d like to spend some time and reconnect with my cousin when the occasion arises.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

 Chapter 198 - Ill Let You Play a Dirty Trick First

    Yuwen Tong believed that he had nothing in common with Jiang Yu. It was true that Jiang Yu was Jiang Changfeng¡¯s grandson, kin to the emperor, but even the emperor himself didn¡¯t really carry much weight in his eyes.


    Jiang family had come up in the world by dint of the authority of the empress dowager. Prior to that, there had been merely a couple of members working as middle-ranking government officials in their family, while among every generation of members of Yuwen family, there had been one or two top-ranking generals, so Yuwen family held much greater influence in the circle of military officers than Jiang family did in the circle of civil officials. Furthermore, for some reasons, Jiang Changfeng had always been deliberately avoiding running in the same circles with him, which was a fact they both had tacit knowledge of.


    He said to Ling Zhang, ¡°People of Jiang family wouldn¡¯t mess with you provided they¡¯re smart enough. If that Jiang Yu guy is really insensible, just do what you have to do. I got your back.¡±


    Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. ¡°It is Yuwen Jin who has history with him, and whom you should say this to.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, after giving some careful thought to this remark, replied very vigilantly, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you might be implicated by Yuwen Jin. That kid¡¯s born a troublemaker.¡±


    ¡®Good. The blame has been safely shifted to Yuwen Jin.¡¯


    Ling Zhang looked at him with meaningful eyes. ¡°Rest assured, now the whole capital city knows how cocky I am, and I¡¯m not the type of person who would swallow it after being bullied.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Others may swallow it all they want, but we must not do that. No matter how messy the situation in the Imperial College is, there¡¯s no need for you to be afraid. Just go and do whatever you have to do. The emperor knows exactly what kind of place the Imperial College is, yet he still put you in there regardless, so you don¡¯t have to go easy on anybody; if anyone dares mess with you, just sort them out. Even if you leave a trail of awful shambles in your wake, the emperor would have to clean it up if he doesn¡¯t want to face my anger.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say.


    He raised his hand and kneaded his temples. ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrogance is going wild.


    But this guy is indeed capable of doing that. Even a prince and a princess have been brought down by him, so of course he¡¯s not afraid of any relatives of the emperor. If he¡¯s bolder¡­¡¯


    Thinking of this, Ling Zhang flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong and sized him up.


    Yuwen Tong straightened himself. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong with the words I said just now. I think I¡¯ve made my stand pretty clear. Why is he still giving me this look?¡¯ Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind was working really fast as he reviewed his previous words trying to find out whether he had said anything wrong.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget your words. I¡¯ve put Wang Qing in charge of the drugstore. If anything urgent comes up, I hope you can go there and handle it for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang withdrew his gaze and entrusted Yuwen Tong with the drugstore, deciding not to dwell on that dangerous idea.


    ¡®So this is what it¡¯s about.¡¯ Yuwen Tong was secretly relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on it.¡±


    Since Ling Zhang would be in the Imperial College studying during daytime from the next day, Yuwen Tong was somewhat upset at the thought that he would no longer be able to see Ling Zhang during daytime. In the study, he pondered over something for a while, and then Ling Zhang, who was sharp-eyed, saw him fold a piece of paper and stuff it into his bosom. This piece of paper bore somewhat special patterns on the back, which looked familiar to Ling Zhang. It was the very paper that Yuwen Tong brought back after going out to have someone select some auspicious days for a wedding on that day. On that paper were probably the dates selected.


    Ling Zhang was perplexed, wondering why Yuwen Tong pondered over this matter alone in the study and also kept that piece of paper in his bosom.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ling Zhang inquired.


    Seeing him come in, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Nothing special.¡±


    Ling Zhang was skeptical. Seeing Yuwen Tong had no intention of telling him, he put this matter aside and then remarked, ¡°I gave it some thought and feel that I should go to the drugstore to take a look. Do you¡­ want to come along?¡±


    Yuwen Tong rose to his feet and walked out. ¡°Why not?¡±


    After the two of them left the house, a personal bodyguard of Yuwen Tong¡¯s had a courier pigeon deliver a letter to Tanyang. If Ling Zhang read that letter carried by the pigeon, he would see that it was full of dates and hours transcribed by Yuwen Tong.


    The two of them arrived at the trading center in the west of the city and then directly went to the rear yard of the drugstore. There were piles of lumber and other materials in the yard, which were going to be used for converting this place into a drugstore. Artisans were going in and out of the place, looking quite busy. Wang Qing, who was in the rear warehouse supervising craftsmen revamping it, saw Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong arrive and intended to pay respects to them but was stopped by Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong had been in border areas almost all the year around, and not many people could recognize him even in the capital city, so naturally these artisans had never had any chance to see Yuwen Tong. They just paid some extra attention to him, feeling that that Yuwen Tong¡¯s attire was out of the ordinary as that of Ling Zhang was.


    Wang Qing followed Ling Zhang¡¯s instruction and didn¡¯t address Yuwen Tong as ¡°Marshal¡±. Whenever someone asked him about it, he told them that Yuwen Tong was one of the owners of this store.


    After being informed that Yuwen Tong was one of the owners as Ling Zhang was, craftsmen became more respectful to him and worked quicker and harder.


    ¡°Young Master, as you¡¯ve seen, the rear warehouse is taking shape as the revamp progresses.¡±


    Wang Qing led Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong into the rear warehouse. It was rather disorderly, so Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong took a quick look and then walked outside.


    ¡°The revamp of this place is mostly being conducted according to the suggestions offered by the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain. Before the revamp started, I¡¯d visited some other drugstores and found that they were indeed generally the same. I also hired a couple of experienced artisans to handle some particular details.¡±


    Wang Qing was scrupulous when talking about this. Instead of blindly following all suggestions of the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain, he had paid a couple of visits to other drugstores in advance. All artisans he¡¯d hired were skilled and practised. Overall, the revamp of the rear warehouse had been progressing smoothly despite the fact that there had been some minor difficulties.


    Ling Zhang was satisfied with it after taking a look, feeling that Wang Qing was a very poised man worthy of his trust.


    After walking around in other areas of the drugstore and coming to know how the revamp was going, Ling Zhang relaxed and reminded Wang Qing, ¡°Make sure these craftsmen are paid with the agreed amount of money at the agreed time.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master, I promise their payment won¡¯t be a single coin less than agreed. I even awarded bonus to those who did a good job and offered constructive advice,¡± responded Wang Qing.


    Ling Zhang paid Wang Qing a compliment, for Wang Qing had done better than he had expected.


    Wang Qing had followed Ling Zhang and traveled thousands of miles to the capital city not only because of Ling Xingzhong¡¯s instructions but also because he had ambition and intended to further his career by serving Ling Zhang, so naturally he spared no effort to perform his duty. On top of this, previously he had been acting as an assistant of Li Sicai and Xia Feng in the Ling Mansion, and the revamp of this drugstore was the first task that he had been put in sole charge of. He was unwilling to be outdone by Xia Feng or Li Sicai, which made him even more motivated. Seeing Ling Zhang was satisfied with his work, he was also secretly delighted.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, after having a look at the drugstore, went to the trading center. It was said that there would be a large-scale bazaar in this place the next day, which was why more trade caravans were delivering goods here. Even though the roads in the trading center were quite broad, they were still packed with people.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong mainly wanted to get some information about the types of goods being traded in this trading center. At first, Ling Zhang was doing it purely out of curiosity, but as he saw more of this place, some other ideas were conceived in his mind. ¡®After I have my own trade caravan and gain more experience, I¡¯ll be able to start some other businesses apart from selling medicinal herbs from Tanyang, such as speculative reselling of sundry goods between the south and the north. As long as one is bold and resolute in action, all of them could be lucrative businesses,¡¯ he thought.


    He found that in the trading center, apart from merchants from the Wan Kingdom, there were also merchants from the Luohai Kindom and the Fangcun Kingdom. The Luohai Kindom was in the north where the climate was severely cold, but there were also many precious medicinal herbs growing there, which was why most goods from that kingdom were fur and medicinal herbs; the Fangcun Kingdom was an island country, and goods from there were all marine products. Except for dried seafood accounting for only a small proportion, all of them were decorative commodities like coral products, pearls, etc. The Great Yue also had territorial sea, but some of these goods were indeed specific to the Fangcun Kingdom, among which there were also some done with ingenuity beyond common people¡¯s imagination.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were dazzled, and of course he had also broken out in a sweat due to the jostling.


    Yuwen Tong had been staying by his side protecting him from start to finish. When they finally walked out of the place, Ling Zhang was starving, so the two of them hurriedly found themselves a restaurant to have a meal.


    ¡°I can transport these goods here myself if I have a trade caravan with enough capacity.¡±


    After eating and drinking his fill, Ling Zhang allowed free rein to his imagination picturing him making tons of money.


    For Yuwen Tong, building a large-scale trade caravan was not difficult. The tricky part was how to keep people from finding out that he was the boss. The emperor was already wary enough of him because of the military power he currently wielded. If he also possessed huge wealth, the emperor would probably spring to his feet from the throne and hack him to death.


    However¡­


    ¡°Although people of Yuwen family seldom talk about this, after so many generations there¡¯s indeed been a considerable amount of savings accumulated. If you marry me, all those will be yours.¡±


    Ling Zhang tossed a quick glance at him and suddenly commented, ¡°Those will be mine sooner or later. Why would I waste time dwelling on them? What I should think about is money that can be made through other means.¡±


    At first Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t get the point. After a brief moment¡¯s surprise, a giant, enormous smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if a big flower had magically sprouted from his face with unstoppable momentum.


    It was as if a moment ago he had been an unhurried and poised marshal, but the next moment he had become an utter fool. He even gave a giggle.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say.


    And then Yuwen Tong put his arms around him, rubbed himself against him and kept chuckling beside his ear. ¡°You agreed.¡±


    Ling Zhang, with his sharp eyes, looked over the screen and saw guests goggling at the two of them while walking by the door. Instantly his cheeks started burning and he tried to free himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace with great force. ¡°What did I agree to?¡±


    ¡°You agreed to marry me,¡± replied Yuwen Tong delightedly.


    ¡°When did I agree to that?¡± Ling Zhang failed to have Yuwen Tong let go of him. On the contrary, he was held even tighter and involuntarily began to pant.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that mine would sooner or later be yours?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang: ¡°¡­¡±.


    ¡°Do you by any chance want to give them to someone else?¡±


    Yuwen Tong immediately replied, ¡°There¡¯s nobody else. They¡¯ll be all yours!¡±


    ¡°Then I said nothing wrong,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong thought carefully for a few moments, released him and then looked down at him.


    Ling Zhang felt his flesh creep somewhat beneath his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and kissed him on the lips. ¡°I¡¯ll let you play a dirty trick first.¡±


    Ling Zhang clicked his mouth and looked at him with an innocent face. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave two snorts, kissed him again and then sat back into his seat.


    After they left the restaurant, on their way back, Ling Zhang secretly curled up the corners of his mouth.


    ¡®Yuwen Tong has only himself to blame. He stared at that piece of paper pondering over something without telling me what it¡¯s about, as if that piece of paper were some kind of treasure that could have me marry him if he stared at it long enough. Where did he get it, anyway? It¡¯s definitely not from the Imperial Observatory, otherwise the whole city would have known it by now; it¡¯s probably not from someone holding a wide reputation for divining auspicious dates, otherwise all people in this city would still have guessed the truth from Yuwen Tong¡¯s visit. Exactly who helped him select the dates?¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.

 Chapter 199 - A Provocation on the First Day of School

    Chapter 199: A Provocation on the First Day of School


    Translator: DragonRider


    Early the next morning, Yuwen Jin came to pick up Ling Zhang and the two of them went to the Imperial College together.


    In the carriage, apart from Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin, there were also Yuwen Jin¡¯s study-servant (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study) and that of Ling Zhang. The latter was Miao Shiba, the youngest member of the squad of bodyguards of Yuwen Tong, who was thin and seemed to be fifteen or sixteen but was actually nineteen. He was also younger brother of Miao Shisan who accompanied Ling Zhang to the trading center to check the store on that day. Both of the two brothers were Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards.


    Yuwen Tong had eighteen personal bodyguards in total, whom outsiders called ¡°the Eighteen Guards¡±. Everyone of them was kung fu expert. When on the battleground, they were also valiant and well-trained soldiers. Currently there were fourteen of them around Yuwen Tong, the other four staying in border areas. They were also Yuwen Tong¡¯s most trusted subordinates.


    Since Ling Zhang was going to study in the Imperial College, Yuwen Tong had had Miao Shiba disguise himself as Ling Zhang¡¯s study-servant to provide protection.


    Miao Shiba looked even thinner than Ling Zhang, which was why even Yuwen Jin didn¡¯t suspect his identity.


    Students who had come to the capital city from other parts of the country to study in the Imperial College lived on campus. Those who were locals, in the normal course of events, would choose to live at home. As a result, when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin arrived at the Imperial College, there were a lot of horse-drawn carriages parked on the broad level ground in front of the gateway of the college. The time they arrived was still relatively late, so they had to hastily find a vacant lot and parked their carriage.


    The two of them got out of their carriage. Before they came, they had changed into Confucian scholar¡¯s robes which were the same as what other students were wearing, so they didn¡¯t attract anybody¡¯s attention.


    Miao Shiba and Yuwen Jin¡¯s study-servant named Changle closely followed in the wake of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin.


    Right at this moment, there was a disturbance at the front gate. A gorgeous broad horse-drawn carriage drove up. There were some other resplendent horse-drawn carriages parked on the open space, but none of them was as magnificent as this one. Besides, this horse-drawn carriage was escorted by a team of guards, which was even more ostentatious than an official on his way to a court meeting.


    ¡°Pooh, will we never be rid of him?¡± Yuwen Jin¡¯s face darkened as soon as his eye fell on that carriage.


    After a brief moment¡¯s pondering, Ling Zhang queried, ¡°Jiang Yu?¡±


    ¡°Who else could be so flaunty other than him? This guy¡¯s only too anxious to have the whole world know who he is,¡± sniffed Yuwen Jin.


    That horse-drawn carriage came to a halt precisely at the gateway of the Imperial College, and the team of guards also blocked the path of students on the open space. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin, who had just got out of their carriage, hadn¡¯t had the time to enter and thus their path was also blocked.


    Ling Zhang observed that a lot of students hastened to make way for that carriage as they saw it. There were also some who specially walked closer to look on. Some others furrowed their brows at the sight of the horse-drawn carriage and then strode away without a backward glance.


    ¡°Those who made way were trying to avoid offending Jiang Yu or Jiang family; those who stepped closer to look on are either on good terms with Jiang family or want to curry favor with Jiang Yu; most of those who swaggered off are ill-disposed towards Jiang family.¡±


    Yuwen Jin on the side, who noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, explained the situation to him. So although this guy appeared quite naughty, he was also pretty observant.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and, along with Yuwen Jin, stood silently where they were, waiting, for they didn¡¯t really have another choice¡­


    There were many other students waiting not far away from the two of them, a group of whom happened to be standing on their left side; and Ling Zhang noticed that this group of students all seemed to dislike Jiang Yu, for they either had a frown or a sulky face, and they clustered around two students who seemed to be their leaders. The two seemed to be of similar height and weight, but one of them was handsome, and the other somewhat rugged.


    ¡°Those are Qian Qingchuan and Shi Changgen. Both of their families had sour relations with Jiang family, and they are on hostile terms with Jiang Yu,¡± Yuwen Jin gave another explanation.


    Ling Zhang quickly matched the information he had heard with these two people and asked, ¡°So one of them is a childe from the family of Qian Kang who¡¯s Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, and the other a childe from the family of Shi Dongming who¡¯s Assistant Minister of Taichang Temple (a department in charge of religious affairs)?¡±


    Yuwen Jin looked at him in dismay. ¡°You know them?¡±


    ¡®It seems that I guessed right.¡¯ Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I just heard of them before.¡±


    Yuwen Jin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Qian Qingchuan is Qian Kang¡¯s son. Shi Changgen is Shi Dongming¡¯s grandson.¡±


    Then he craned to Ling Zhang¡¯s ear and informed him in a lowered voice, ¡°Both Qian Kang and Shi Dongming are on friendly terms with Gu family. The Crown Prince¡¯s mother is a member of Gu family. Back in that year, Gu shi, the Crown Prince¡¯s mother, and Jiang shi, a lady from Jiang family, were married to His Majesty at the same time. Eventually, Gu shi became queen and Jiang shi died in the palace without bearing any children. It is widely rumored that Gu shi was the one who murdered Jiang shi. Anyway, after that, Gu family and Jiang family became deadly enemies, but both of them are kin to His Majesty. One of them is His Majesty¡¯s uncle, and the other his father-in-law. In a word, Jiang family wouldn¡¯t be able to get the best of their wrangle with Gu family nor vice versa. Their respective followers have also been in intense strife, so naturally Qian Qingchuan and Shi Changgen are on hostile terms with Jiang Yu.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after hearing this, generally grasped the core of the situation and said, ¡°Shi Changgen¡¯s grandfather is the Assistant Minister of Taichang Temple, so that Professor Gu we met yesterday is¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a member of Gu family as well, the Crown Prince¡¯s mother¡¯s uncle. According to the family hierarchy, he should be the Crown Prince¡¯s maternal granduncle.¡± Yuwen Jin had a somewhat worried look on his face while talking about this man, which was a clear indication that the old man¡¯s ruler inflicted some kind of psychological scar on him that day.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but secretly sigh in sentiment, thinking, ¡®It¡¯s indeed too easy to meet children of dignitaries in the Imperial College. There are so-and-so¡¯s so-and-so everywhere. Besides, speaking of the Crown Prince, this is my first time dealing with someone related to him.¡¯


    It was said that the Crown Prince, whose name was Zhou Mingtang, was ill and hadn¡¯t shown his face in the imperial court for quite a long time, which was why he and Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t seen him after entering the capital city. Yuwen Tong had told him that, after the Crown Prince fell ill and the Sixth Prince was brought down, the balance of power in the imperial court had been through a quick realignment before the two of them entered the capital city, that the King Duan, the King Hui and the Fifth Prince ¨C also known as the King Yu whose name was Zhou Mingyi ¨C had formed a situation of tripartite confrontation. In order to have their own subordinates fill the vacancies left by the Sixth Prince¡¯s followers, the three sides had been fighting each other intensely all along. Because of this, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t even be bothered to attend the daily morning meeting in the imperial court and directly took a sick leave. He would rather stay at home than go there and watch their undignified quarrel.


    ¡°He¡¯s getting out,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Jiang Yu got out of his carriage, followed by a study-servant and two bodyguards. His horse-drawn carriage and the team of bodyguards left heading in the other direction. With that, the congestion at the front gate of the Imperial College was greatly eased.


    All those waiting for Jiang Yu to get out of his carriage gathered around him, but Jiang Yu appeared quite bland.


    ¡°Pooh, putting on airs? I can do that as well. But I feel it¡¯s tiring and boring to live the way he does. Do you agree with me, Brother Zhang?¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang hesitated for a brief moment and then replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    From the time when Jiang Yu got out of his carriage until the current moment when he was surrounded by students, Yuwen Jin had whispered criticism of Jiang Yu in his ear several times, each of which had ended with a question. If Ling Zhang made no reply, he would ask again, showing great ¡°perseverance¡±.


    ¡°Oh, Childe Jiang, look, aren¡¯t those Qian Qingchuan and his errand boys? They have such unhappy faces at such an early hour, as if someone owed them eight hundred taels of silver and refused to repay the debt.¡± One of those clustering around Jiang Yu suddenly made this remark and with that all others¡¯ eyes darted in this direction.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin fell speechless.


    ¡°Yuwen Jin?¡± Someone recognized Yuwen Jin.


    Abruptly all people nearby lapsed into silence and looked in this direction.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but secretly suspect that Yuwen Jin had committed some heinous crime to arouse widespread indignation and discontent, which was why all people fixed their eyes on him immediately after they heard his name.


    Yuwen Jin himself was also secretly startled. He glared at them. ¡°What are you looking at? You¡¯ve never seen anyone as handsome and elegant as me?¡±


    On hearing this, a lot of people rolled their eyes upwards. As a matter of fact, it was not Yuwen Jin but Ling Zhang that they were interested in.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Ling Zhang?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite plain-looking.¡±


    Just like this, those students started either discussing Ling Zhang¡¯s appearance or criticizing him from head to feet, and everyone of them ended their remarks with the same question asked in astonishment ¨C ¡°That¡¯s Marshal Yuwen¡¯s betrothed? The guy who caused the Ninth Princess to be sent to a temple, Peng Fang to be thrown into prison, and Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg to be broken?¡±


    All these people were discussing in very low tones, believing that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t hear them, but Ling Zhang¡¯d hearing was now amazingly good and he could distinguish words of everyone present at the front gate of the Imperial College if he wanted to.


    ¡°I heard that yesterday Jiang Yu tried to stop Marshal Yuwen and was abused roundly on the spot by Ling Zhang. Professor Gu rejoiced over this and praised Ling Zhang up to the skies for his essay, as if only a god could write an essay like that.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face was full of embarrassment as he heard this. ¡®It¡¯s been merely one day, yet rumors have already grown so dramatic?¡¯


    ¡°So you are Ling Zhang?¡± It was not Jiang Yu and his followers but Qian Qingchuan and his friends standing in front of them on their left who were the first ones to come up to the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m Qian Qingchuan. He¡¯s Shi Changgen. We¡¯re both students of the Imperial College. Would you mind going in with us?¡± said the one at the front of the group, who was relatively well-featured.


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but two dogs of Gu family. Childe Jiang is still here. You are in no position to speak,¡± remarked someone among those clustering around Jiang Yu.


    The speaker was the same person who had yelled ¡°Aren¡¯t those Qian Qingchuan and his errand boys?¡± and then Yuwen Jin¡¯s name causing all others to fix their eyes on Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yet another nuisance showed up,¡± observed Yuwen Jin in disgust.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Ling Zhang looked at the speaker among the group, a somewhat cold expression in his eyes. Clearly this man was deliberately working against them.


    That person standing among the crowd had thought that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be able to spot him, but unexpectedly, Ling Zhang suddenly stared squarely at him. His calm eyes seemed to be seeing right into his soul, which made him subconsciously tense his back muscles.


    ¡°Zuo Yuanping, son of Zuo Yi who works for the Ministry of Works. He¡¯s Jiang Yu¡¯s lackey, and his father is no better,¡± responded Yuwen Jin.


    ¡®Zuo Yi working for the Ministry of Works?¡¯ Ling Zhang immediately recalled the couple of officials who privately talked about him at the front gate of the imperial palace and, after being shot down by him, flushed scarlet and nearly passed out with fury. ¡®It turns out that this Zuo Yuanping guy is Zuo Yi¡¯s son. Now I know why he¡¯s working against us.¡¯


    ¡°This is so funny. Jiang Yu¡¯s dog is barking. Look, Brother Shi, he¡¯s barking so happily. Pity he¡¯s not speaking human language. Probably only his master can understand him. He¡¯s indeed a good dog which is good at currying favor with its master.¡±


    Qian Qingchuan and Shi Changgen standing on the side, whom Zuo Yuanping called dogs, had started swearing back at the other side. Both their reactions and their speed of speaking were very quick, which was an indication that these two opposing sides verbally dueled with each other quite often.


    Ling Zhang fell speechless as he heard this.


    He wondered whether it was too late or not for him to request the emperor to rescind his decision, feeling a trifle unaccustomed to this kind of ¡°verbal morning exercises¡± of students of the Imperial College.

 Chapter 200 - A Confrontation with Jiang Yu

    Chapter 200: A Confrontation with Jiang Yu


    ¡°Guard your tongue,¡± reprimanded someone among the group of people clustering around Jiang Yu.


    ¡°Surely you know very well who started this, don¡¯t you?¡± sneered Qian Qingchuan.


    Jiang Yu, with a frown on his face, raised his hand and said, ¡°Enough. We¡¯re at the front gate of the Imperial College. It¡¯s undignified to quarrel here.¡±


    Qian Qingchuan coldly gave a snort and made no further remarks, but he seemed just as hostile to Jiang Yu as he was to the others. Then he looked at Ling Zhang, softened his tone and asked, ¡°Childe Ling, shall we?¡±


    Surprisingly, Jiang Yu standing on the other side looked in this direction and also spoke. ¡°Childe Ling, given that you¡¯re new to the Imperial College, I suggest you be more cautious about your choice of friends. And you should bear in mind your identity. Your each and every move might affect the Marshal and even cause him trouble.¡±


    As the main focus of attention, Ling Zhang merely replied with one sentence in a calm tone of voice, ¡°Thank you for reminding me, Childe Jiang, but I¡¯m fully aware of what I should do, so there¡¯s no need for you to bother worrying about it.¡±


    Jiang Yu furrowed his brows and fixed Ling Zhang with a stare. ¡°Childe Ling seems to be a rather poor judge of character.¡±


    Ling Zhang cast him a perplexed look. ¡°I find your words confusing, Childe Jiang. If my memory serves me correctly, this is the first time that we¡¯re talking with each other. We¡¯re not really well acquainted, and neither do you know much about me, yet you precipitously put yourself in the position of my betrothed, laid comment on me and made this ungrounded charge against me. Don¡¯t you think you overstepped the mark a little?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Elder Brother Zhang is my cousin¡¯s betrothed. Of course he¡¯ll always take my cousin into consideration. You are so unreasonable, Jiang Yu. You sound as if you have the final say in my cousin¡¯s business. From what standpoint are you saying this? What¡¯s your intention?¡± Yuwen Jin questioned in a sarcastic manner.


    After hearing this, others present had a subtle expression in their eyes when they looked at Jiang Yu, and Jiang Yu became the focus of all kinds of speculative gaze. They all knew about the engagement between Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, feeling that this conduct of Jiang Yu¡¯s was so strange. ¡®Does he by any chance have feelings for Marshal Yuwen? If that¡¯s the case, there would be high drama once again in the capital city,¡¯ many of them thought.


    Jiang Yu, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, was of noble blood. Never once had anybody fixed him with this kind of stare since he¡¯d enrolled in this college. He felt as if he were stripped naked, as if his private thoughts had just been roughly pulled out of his mind and exposed to numerous prying eyes, leaving his heart filled with shame and anger. ¡®Who are these people to affront me like this? They are just a bunch of lowly people who are too cheap to even hold shoes for me. Who do they think they are? How dare they look at me like that! They¡¯ll pay for this!¡¯


    ¡°Now I have no doubt you¡¯re the one who shot down the Ninth Princess rendering her speechless and also made mincemeat of Lord Yuwen at the palace banquet. Today I saw with my own eyes how you can make black look white, and white look black, Childe Ling. No matter whether you believe it or not, I just gave you a reminder out of goodwill. Marshal Yuwen is a national hero of the Great Yue, and I said that because I didn¡¯t have the heart to see him subjected to gratuitous abuse because of you. Now that you have no appreciation for my kindness, I have nothing else to say.¡±


    After saying this, Jiang Yu turned around with the intention to leave, but Ling Zhang said in a deep tone, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Jiang Yu paused, looked at him and asked flintily, ¡°What else do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re better with words than I am, Childe Jiang. The Ninth Princess is a noble member of the imperial family. No matter what happened in the past, as a subject of His Majesty, I should lay no more remark on her, but just now you said that I confused right and wrong. Were you suggesting that what happened and has already been confirmed previously by His Majesty was a mistake? If you have any evidence to prove it, I don¡¯t mind accompanying you to the palace of His Majesty and make things clear. After all, this is not a small issue,¡± Ling Zhang said to Jiang Yu with his eyes on him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s tone was sincere, and his countenance unhurried, but Jiang Yu¡¯s face darkened, his eyes chilly.


    Ling Zhang directly suggested the two of them confront each other in front of the emperor, which was a manifest indication that he was not afraid of getting into trouble. Of course Jiang Yu didn¡¯t fear Ling Zhang, and neither did he fear to see the emperor, but if they went to the emperor and he couldn¡¯t show any proof¡­ And Ling Zhang¡¯s bearing unmistakably indicated that he had something secure to rely on, and it was only too evident who his backer was. The more Jiang Yu thought about this, the sullener his face grew.


    ¡°Maybe you should be more careful with your words, Childe Ling. It¡¯s okay that you have little acquaintance with the rules in this city, for you just came here not long ago, but an audience with His Majesty is not something you can have as you please.¡± Jiang Yu made this remark, turned around and hurriedly left. All those behind him followed in his wake. It was not that they were afraid of Ling Zhang but that they suddenly recalled what Ling Zhang had once done ¨C or what he and Yuwen Tong, his backer, had done during the past half a month since their arrival in the capital city: even the Ninth Princess had been sent to the imperial temple; Peng Fang, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, had been imprisoned; and Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg had been broken¡­ After Ling Zhang arrived in the capital city, all issues involving him had led to serious consequences. Now even Jiang Yu had left, and these people believed it was inadvisable for them to confront Ling Zhang with toughness, given that they didn¡¯t have powerful family background as the Ninth Princess did.


    ¡°Pooh, what a wimp. He got scared the moment you suggested the two of you confront each other before His Majesty.¡±


    Yuwen Jin satirized Jiang Yu, enjoying this moment very much. Ever since he¡¯d made an enemy of Jiang Yu, this had been the first time that he had seen Jiang Yu shot down. Instantly, he couldn¡¯t help but idolize Ling Zhang madly. ¡°Brother Zhang, you¡¯re indeed worthy of my cousin, so badass.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a calm look at him, but there was no triumphant delight on his face. ¡®The reason why Jiang family has such high status and Jiang Yu has so many followers is the strength Jiang family represents. What happened today was merely a verbal confrontation, and it won¡¯t cause Jiang Yu any losses, and neither will it shake the foundations of Jiang Yu¡¯s position. Just now Jiang Yu chose to avoid further conflict because he thought highly of himself and didn¡¯t want to lower himself by arguing with me. Now I¡¯ve openly fallen out with Jiang Yu. In the future, the two of us will meet frequently in the College and there will inevitably be a lot more confrontations between us. Once Jiang Yu mobilizes the resources his family possesses to work against me, I might really get the worst of it, given that I have so few allies in this college.


    It seems that those words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s might turn out to be a prophecy. The reason why Yuwen Tong told me not to be afraid of getting into trouble was probably that he had anticipated this kind of situation and also prepared himself to back me up when I¡¯m in need,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll be late if we don¡¯t get inside right away,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    At this time, Qian Qingchuan, Shi Changgen and some others, who had been waiting on the side all along, issued a second invitation. ¡°Would you care to come along with us, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked in their direction. Though family members of both Qian Qingchuan and Shi Changgen served the Crown Prince, it didn¡¯t mean that making friends with them was totally okay, but since the two of them had made overtures to him, he wouldn¡¯t give them the cold shoulder for no reason.


    The invitation from Qian Qingchuan and Shi Changgen was accepted. Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin and their study-servants passed through the front gate of the Imperial College with them.


    ¡­


    Although what happened at the front gate of the Imperial College were merely between students, since the identities of those involved ¨C both Jiang Yu and Ling Zhang who had recently been in the limelight in this city ¨C were uncommon, news of this matter was bound to spread through the whole city very soon.


    Yuwen Tong, after hearing this, squinted his eyes.


    Seeing this, Yao Yi and other bodyguards all didn¡¯t dare to utter a word in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong was angry. In fact they were puzzled as to what Jiang family¡¯s intention was either. ¡®Why did they let that Jiang Yu guy pick on Childe Jiang?¡¯


    ¡°Prepare the carriage.¡±


    ¡­


    This was Ling Zhang¡¯s first day of school in the Imperial College. From morning until noon, he had been the focus of attention all along, and there hadn¡¯t been a single moment when his classmates were not whispering about him. Even the professor frequently glanced at him. He didn¡¯t know why, but the professor, for several times, specially asked him to express his opinions. Fortunately, what they were learning on this day was not difficult, and the professor was fairly satisfied with his answers and didn¡¯t pick on him.


    Yuwen Jin sitting beside him, however, had been in misery the whole morning, as if the textbook were a book from heaven totally beyond his grasp. Every time the professor called Ling Zhang¡¯s name, Yuwen Jin got terribly nervous as if he were the one asked, afraid that he would be the next. But maybe because the professor could tell that Yuwen Jin was never meant for college, he didn¡¯t ask him to answer any questions or have him demonstrate the meaning of the expression ¡°hem and haw¡±, so Yuwen Jin was greatly relieved.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat confused about this. ¡®Why people of the offshoot of Yuwen family are so insistent that Yuwen Jin study at this college?¡¯


    At noon, they had lunch in the Imperial College. People in the Ling Mansion and Yuwen Jin¡¯s family had lunch delivered to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin respectively. The Imperial College was sited in an out-of-the-way area, and they would have to do everything in great haste if they went back home at lunch break. They still had classes to attend in the afternoon.


    Just like this, he made it through his first day of school in the Imperial College. After the whole morning¡¯s adjustment, in the afternoon Ling Zhang got used to both the gaze others gave him and those whispers. Because of this he had even learned to rehearse the pithy formula of the mental cultivation method of internal energy during class, which was helpful in concentrating his mind and ignoring those people.


    In the afternoon, when students left, Yuwen Jin even heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally I can rid myself of those people¡¯s gaze and finger-pointing.¡±


    Although Yuwen Jin¡¯s hearing was not as good as that of Ling Zhang and he couldn¡¯t hear those people¡¯s discussion, he had still been under great pressure after being constantly eyed and pointed at for a whole day.


    Ling Zhang consoled him, ¡°This is the first day. Things will get better.¡±


    Yuwen Jin curled his lip. ¡°I hope so. You¡¯re far more poised than I am, Brother Zhang. You seemed totally unaffected by them.¡±


    Surprisingly, when the two of them left, they encountered Jiang Yu and his followers once again, which made the two of them wonder whether it was true what they said that one couldn¡¯t avoid one¡¯s enemy. Faces of both sides went sullen as they met.


    Ling Zhang took his eyes off them and continued walking forward, ignoring them.


    ¡°This is such bad luck. Will we never be rid of them?¡± remarked Yuwen Jin unhappily.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°The Imperial College is not as vast as it seems, and sometimes it can feel rather small. This won¡¯t be the last time that we encounter them. If you get angry every time, you might not have any time for other things.¡±


    Yuwen Jin responded, ¡°That can¡¯t be true. Please don¡¯t jinx me, Brother Zhang. I really don¡¯t want to encounter them too often.¡±


    While talking, the two of them arrived at the gate of the College. As the two sides approached each other, students nearby who had noticed this all looked in this direction with various kinds of inexplicable expression in their eyes, anticipating what was going to happen.


    Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brows, feeling it rather annoying to be watched like a monkey by so many people.


    Right at this moment there was another disturbance outside the front gate. It seemed as if some big shot had just arrived, and all students nearby fell into excited discussions with each other.


    Ling Zhang distinguished their words and was sent into a brief trance of surprise. He hurriedly walked through the front gate and saw that there was a nondescript horse-drawn carriage parked outside, beside which a man was standing looking over the crowd at him.

 Chapter 201 - For a Beauty

    Chapter 201: For a Beauty


    It was Yuwen Tong. Ling Zhang had never expected that he would come. Apart from Ling Zhang, Jiang Yu and his followers also saw him and were amazed.


    ¡°Come here. What are you waiting for?¡± said Yuwen Tong right at this moment, eyes on Ling Zhang.


    It had been merely a day since students of the Imperial College heard about Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival at this college the day before, and a lot of them regretted not having seen him with their own eyes, but unexpectedly they saw Yuwen Tong after only one day. Everyone of them was both delighted and perplexed. It was not until someone mentioned Ling Zhang that light suddenly dawned on them. At this moment they happened to see Ling Zhang walking out and also hear this remark of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, so they all turned around to look at Ling Zhang.


    Instantly Ling Zhang became the focus of attention once again. Though he had been in the limelight for a full day and was now able to retain his composure, he still felt somewhat embarrassed at this instant. The jealousy these students felt was manifest in their eyes.


    Even Yuwen Jin had a somewhat different expression in his eyes when he looked at Ling Zhang. ¡°It surprised me that my cousin came here to pick you up, and his voice was so tender. He indeed treats his betrothed differently, as I expected. I could barely believe that¡¯s my cousin.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He hastily walked up to Yuwen Tong, closely followed by Miao Shiba who had disguised himself as a study-servant (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study in feudal China).


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came to take you home. Get in the carriage. Tonight we¡¯re going to have dinner in the Taibai Tavern and after that we¡¯ll go to the riverside to see ship-lanterns.¡±


    Ling Zhang found having dinner in the Taibai Tavern understandable, but enjoying the scenery of ship-lanterns¡­ ¡®Why does Yuwen Tong suddenly want to see ship-lanterns tonight? Is there going to be some special event, by any chance?¡¯ Ling Zhang didn¡¯t give any more thought to this matter. Since Yuwen Tong had said they were going to see ship-lanterns, he wouldn¡¯t refuse. He inclined his head and intended to get into the carriage.


    ¡°Marshal.¡±


    Someone walked over and greeted Yuwen Tong. This voice was fairly familiar to Ling Zhang. After all, he had had a verbal duel with this person in the morning. He turned around and looked at him.


    Jiang Yu had come over with his followers and directly walked up to Yuwen Tong. With a smile on his face, eyes on Yuwen Tong, he remarked, ¡°It never crossed my mind that I¡¯d see you again after merely one day, Marshal. Did you specially come here to pick up Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°Anything I can do for you, Childe Jiang?¡±


    The tenderness Yuwen Tong had on his face when facing Ling Zhang was replaced by a very bland look as he turned around.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance had changed very quick. In the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had such a gentle side, Jiang Yu appeared a trifle unreconciled to the situation as he saw the chilly face Yuwen Tong had when facing him. In the morning he had given Ling Zhang a contemptuous look during his confrontation with Ling Zhang, but now Jiang Yu found that peace of mind was far out of his reach on this occasion.


    ¡°Yesterday you were in a great haste and I didn¡¯t have the chance to have a good talk with you. Just now I heard that you were going to the Taibai Tavern to have dinner. We happen to be going to the Taibai Tavern as well. I wonder, if I might ask, if we can go with you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yuwen Tong refused in a very categorical manner. Jiang Yu¡¯s smile could barely hold. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why?¡±


    Yuwen Tong suddenly gave an inexplicable smile and replied, ¡°Younger Brother Zhang and I are going out together without anybody else¡¯s company. Anyone with discerning eyes can understand what this means, I suppose? All of you are from noble families. How come you¡¯re so unobservant as to impose? Did you spend too much time studying and go soft in the head?¡±


    There was a deathly hush at the gateway.


    ¡°Pooh,¡± Yuwen Jin sneered without any considerations of Jiang Yu¡¯s face whatsoever.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s countenance virtually stiffened. ¡°I was being inconsiderate.¡±


    Under no circumstances could Jiang Yu have expected that Yuwen Tong would put it so explicitly, which was why he had a quite embarrassed expression on his face at this moment, unable to extricate himself from this awkward situation. After making this remark in embarrassment, he backed off, his face darkening as his eyes swept across Ling Zhang who had been enjoying this scene on the side.


    Yuwen Tong guided Ling Zhang into the carriage and then got in as well. Miao Shiba sat down beside the driver and with that the horse-drawn carriage slowly started progressing, heading away from the front gate of the Imperial College.


    There was a variety of expressions on the faces of students at the gateway. Those standing behind Jiang Yu didn¡¯t dare to look at Jiang Yu. In the morning these people had merely speculated about Jiang Yu¡¯s intention, but now they had a vague idea of it, which left them even more afraid to say anything that might anger Jiang Yu.


    It could be said that Jiang Yu was humiliated twice in a row on this day. Fists clenched, he stared fixedly at the receding horse-drawn carriage.


    ¡­


    ¡°Are there any special events going on at the riverside tonight?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    As Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s innocent eyes, he came to know that Ling Zhang misunderstood, but clearly Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t realized it, and Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want him to realize it, so he replied, ¡°Sort of. There are many gaily-painted pleasure-ships and entertainment-ships by the riverside, and the night view¡¯s going to be pretty good. We may see lanterns in a teahouse on the bank of the river and celebrate your first day of school in the Imperial College.¡±


    The driver sitting outside and Miao Shiba exchanged glances. They both knew that there weren¡¯t any gaily-painted pleasure-ships or entertainment-ships anchored at the riverside on this day. Those boats only parked there on the first day and the fifteenth day of every month, and this day was neither of them. But since the Marshal said that there were boats there, then there definitely were.


    When the horse-drawn carriage arrived at the Taibai Tavern, Miao Shiba made an excuse and left. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t pay any extra attention to this and directly went to a private room on the third floor of the Taibai Tavern with Yuwen Tong.


    The Taibai Tavern¡¯s reputation in the capital city was well-earned. Ling Zhang tasted an authentic Tanyang course in this place, which surprised him in a pleasant way.


    ¡°This is¡­ The last time I came here, I just heard that their signature dishes were pretty famous. I didn¡¯t know that they could prepare such authentic Tanyang dish as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang was pleasantly surprised. It had been quite some time since he¡¯d left Tanyang, and sometimes he missed local Tanyang dishes very much.


    Seeing him enjoy the dish, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Culinary skills of the head chef of the Taibai Tavern are pretty good. He used to tour around the country and also stayed in Tanyang for some time, so he knows how to prepare Tanyang dishes.¡±


    Ling Zhang was happy. He knew that Yuwen Tong must have specially had the chef of the Taibai Tavern prepare this. Since Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t like it when he thanked him, Ling Zhang kept all this in mind.


    ¡°About that Jiang Yu guy, you can just ignore him. If he makes trouble for you again, tell him to come to me,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang flicked a glance at him. ¡®Tell Jiang Yu to go to you? How did you come up with this lousy idea? I would be a fool if I let Jiang Yu who clearly harbors some ulterior motive to meet my lover.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t go to the Imperial College to pick me up again.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was somewhat unwilling and asked him why.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anybody with ulterior motives to hook up with you.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong instantly realized what was going on. It was very rare that Ling Zhang showed such ill-concealed jealousy. Yuwen Tong¡¯s judgement was clouded by excitement and he nearly decided to pick Ling Zhang up every day. It was not until Ling Zhang saw through him and cast him a cold look that he promised he wouldn¡¯t go to the Imperial College to pick him up unless there was a special circumstance. As regards what kind of circumstance could be deemed special, of course Yuwen Tong was the one to decide.


    It took them over an hour to finish their dinner in the Taibai Tavern. After that, the two of them left for the riverside. When they arrived, night started to fall, and the originally quiet riverside was beginning to hum with life. A lot of gaily-painted pleasure-ships and entertainment-ships anchored by the bank. Ship-lanterns of every description were lighted, and the night view at the riverside was aglow with lantern light.


    All other people seeing this were very confused, wondering, ¡®Today is neither the first day nor the fifteen day of this month. Why the riverside is so uproarious?¡¯ Gradually more and more people congregated on the bank. As the news spread, more were coming to enjoy the night scene.


    It was at this moment that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong arrived at the riverside, which was congested with people already. Due to the crowds, the two of them were unable to get a clear view of ship-lanterns. All they could see was a patch of bright light. Yuwen Tong took him to the private room that Miao Shiba had booked for them in advance, which was on the second floor of a teahouse on the bank of the river and was next to a spacious balustraded platform. In the ordinary course of things, on the first day or the fifteenth day of every month, rooms like this would be booked out quite some time beforehand, for many people wanted the best position to enjoy the night view on the river.


    Standing beside the balustrade, watching the patch of gaily-painted pleasure-ships and entertainment-ships, Ling Zhang was awed by the prosperity of the capital city. There was no such night view in Tanyang.


    Yuwen Tong standing behind him held him. ¡°The night scene in border areas is also very beautiful. I¡¯ll take you there to see it after we get married.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. He had always wanted to go to the border areas to take a look. After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, he immediately agreed without hesitation.


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong kissed him. The key point of what he¡¯d just said was still the two of them getting married, which Ling Zhang didn¡¯t contradict. Then Yuwen Tong recalled what Ling Zhang said in the restaurant in the west of the city the day before. At this moment, he felt fully satisfied and content and even spared a few moments to think about the fact that there were at least two days before people in Tanyang could receive his letter delivered by a courier pigeon. He couldn¡¯t help but hope the courier pigeon would fly faster so that Ling Zhang¡¯s uncle¡¯s reply would come sooner.


    ¡°Had I known about this ship-lantern show beforehand, I would have reserved that room in the teahouse. What a pity.¡±


    ¡°Surely the owner of the teahouse would immediately spare the room for you if you tell him want it?¡±


    ¡°The owner said that he had an honored guest today, whom he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. No matter how much money I offered, he just wouldn¡¯t relent.¡±


    ¡°An honored guest he would rather offend you than offend? Who¡¯s this person that carries so much weight?¡±


    ¡°The owner refused to tell me.¡±


    ¡­


    Suddenly, a group of people walked past the doorway of the teahouse. In the bright lantern light from the riverside, the two of them saw that all those people were young childes, who were gorgeously clothed and of quite casual and elegant bearing. The sound of their voices wafted into ears of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong on the second floor.


    At first Ling Zhang, who only noticed them talking about the rooms of the teahouse, thought, ¡®This is such a coincidence. They were the ones who booked all rooms in this teahouse.¡¯ But after pondering for a while, he realized that something was not quite right. ¡±Had I known about this ship-lantern show beforehand¡¯¡­ What did he mean by ¡®beforehand¡¯? Judging from their conversation, these people are regulars of this teahouse and come here to see ship-lantern shows quite often as well. They should know very well when a ship-lantern show will be held.¡¯


    ¡°Is this kind of ship-lantern show a daily occurrence here or is it held on a regular basis?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong.


    When Yuwen Tong had heard those childes¡¯ words, he had known that Ling Zhang would ask about this. Having no intention of keeping the truth from Ling Zhang, he replied, ¡°In the normal course of events, it¡¯s held on the first day and the fifteenth day of every month.¡±


    ¡°Today is neither the first day nor the fifteenth day¡­ Is this show the result of a snap decision?¡± Ling Zhang was puzzled. ¡°Was there a particular reason for it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him, waiting for his answer.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It¡¯s held for a beauty.¡±


    ¡°A beauty?¡± Ling Zhang became interested. ¡°What kind of beauty? Why didn¡¯t the owner of this teahouse talk about it? Where is she?¡±


    Yuwen Tong held him tighter, kissed him and said with a smile, ¡°So close, yet so far away.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately looked down but didn¡¯t see anyone who might be the beauty Yuwen Tong talked about. People down there were either enjoying the beauty of the ship-lanterns or walking by.


    ¡°Where? I didn¡¯t see any beauties.¡± Ling Zhang was really curious.


    Yuwen Tong, watching Ling Zhang in his arms who was restlessly trying to find the beauty and even had an anxious face, secretly snorted, pulled him into his embrace and remarked fiercely beside his ear, ¡°Isn¡¯t the beauty right in my arms? Why are you looking elsewhere?¡±

 Chapter 202 - A Threat of Expulsion from the Imperial College

    Chapter 202: A Threat of Expulsion from the Imperial College


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong in surprise. ¡®If I understand him correctly, is he saying that this ship-lantern show ongoing out there is for me?¡¯


    ¡°Ho¨CHow did you come up with the idea of arranging this stuff?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be quite fond of studying in the Imperial College, and I figure I¡¯m the one to blame, because if it weren¡¯t for me, the emperor wouldn¡¯t have interfered and upset your plan. Currently, the situation in the Imperial College is rather complicated, and you almost certainly wouldn¡¯t find your life in there enjoyable. From the vantage point of the present, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to put up with it until the day we get married. After that, I¡¯ll be able to get you out of this city with good reason. I brought you here to see ship-lanterns because I felt you could use something to cheer you up.¡±


    Ling Zhang leaning against him looked at the splendid night view on the riverbank and then shifted his gaze to the sparse hazy lamplight on the opposite side of the river, finding his words quite sweet. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯d prepared myself for all this before I decided to come to this city. The Imperial College is indeed something of a disappointment, but my teachers are not. They¡¯re all truly learned. Now that I¡¯ve already enrolled in the Imperial College, I¡¯ll make good use of this opportunity and learn as much as I can from them.¡±


    Ling Zhang was seeing this matter in a fairly simple way. He just didn¡¯t want to waste this chance of studying in the Imperial College and hated to see all this time go to waste as well. He was determined to learn something in this college. Although in the morning the professor teaching Confucian classics had frequently asked him to express his opinions, he had also given Ling Zhang some directions, all of which had struck home and made Ling Zhang felt that light had suddenly dawned on him. In the afternoon he had attended an etiquette lesson, which was one of the Six Arts (six subjects taught in an aristocratic school in feudal China: etiquette, music, archery, carriage-driving, reading and calculation). He had heard that each of the Six Arts was taught by a different teacher. The etiquette class on this particular day happened to be about military salute, and what the teacher had taught them differed somewhat from what the teacher of the Tanyang Academy had taught him previously. Unlike the teacher of the Tanyang Academy, who had limited the teaching to military salute and never mentioned anything concerning any other aspects of etiquette, what the teacher in this college had taught him had been more in-depth and also more extensive, and Ling Zhang was very interested in all of them. Though some of his classmates had been giving him stealthy glances and talking about him behind his back all along, he didn¡¯t really find it intolerable.


    ¡°All teachers of the Imperial College are truly erudite. It¡¯s a pity that most students in there are frivolous and slack. I sat in the classroom for a whole day and they stared at me talking about me for just as long. They didn¡¯t even hear what the teacher said. I don¡¯t see they¡¯d achieve anything in the future.¡±


    Thinking about what had happened during the day, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but get angry. ¡®Most teachers of the Imperial College are quite renowned. Everyone who has the chance to attend their classes should seize it and listen to them attentively. There are a lot of people who would kill to get such an opportunity. Pity those students are unaware of what they¡¯re missing out on.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s been like this for quite some time. Otherwise there wouldn¡¯t have been a general public perception that situation in the Imperial College is messy,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Most students in the Imperial College are children of influential officials. It¡¯s very likely that these people will become the backbone of the Great Yue in a decade or two. Is His Majesty not afraid that they might not be competent enough to be entrusted with important duties? This concerns the stability of his country, doesn¡¯t it? Why is he standing by watching the situation getting worse instead of doing something to make a difference?¡± Ling Zhang was perplexed.


    ¡°He wants to but can¡¯t. The messiness in the Imperial College resulted from the complex situation in the capital city, for which the emperor himself is responsible. Besides, all princes have reached adulthood, and almost everybody in the imperial court inevitably has to pick a side¡­ In the final analysis, the political situation and social mode in the capital city led to all this. Think about what kind of personality the emperor has, and what kind of persons his sons are. A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow. Courtiers themselves have grown apt to be skeptical and jealous, seeking quick success and instant benefits. You think their children could still concentrate on studies under their influence?¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. He was not the emperor, and he was in no position to consider the well-being of people in this country either. The current situation in the Imperial College alone made him worry about the future of the Great Yue. After all, he was a subject of the Great Yue, and he hated to see this country declining. And there was also Yuwen Tong. His heart ached whenever it occurred to him that when Yuwen Tong was risking life and limb defending the northeastern border, these people in the capital city were doing nothing but scramble for power, the emperor bitterly jealous and suspicious of him. ¡®No wonder Yuwen Tong disliked returning to this city in the past and is ill-disposed to the emperor,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop all this. You want to go aboard a ship to take a look?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    ¡°Where did you get those pleasure-ships and entertainment-ships?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    ¡°I rented most of these pleasure-ships. The rest of them belong to residents living nearby and¡­ ¡± Yuwen Tong gave an unnatural cough and then continued, ¡°and they¡¯re just along for the ride; so are those entertainment-ships,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Previously, on the first day or the fifteenth day of every month, most ships would be rented by people who wanted to come along for the ride. Due to the short notice, Miao Shiba hadn¡¯t been able to have residents do these things, and it would have alarmed a lot of people had he tried to do that, so he directly rented these pleasure-ships and entertainment-ships himself. Other things hadn¡¯t been much of a trouble either. He¡¯d had all of them handled by throwing money at them.


    Ling Zhang had a shrewd idea of what had happened. Yuwen Tong had specially made arrangements for all this, and he wouldn¡¯t let Yuwen Tong¡¯s efforts go to waste, but¡­


    ¡°Will there be any trouble if we go out there and someone recognizes you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°How could there be? Surely being a marshal doesn¡¯t equal a waiver of the right to see ship-lanterns with a loved one, does it?¡±


    ¡®Loved one¡­¡¯ A flush spread to the upper edges of Ling Zhang¡¯s ears and with that he gave Yuwen Tong a push. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them left the teahouse, hand in hand all along. As expected, someone recognized Yuwen Tong when they reached the riverbank. Soon news of Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang showing up to see ship-lanterns spread.


    Yuwen Tong, seeing more and more people gathering around, put his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, took a flying leap and the two of them instantly landed onto the fore deck of a gaily-painted pleasure-ship on the river. Then they went into the cabin, ridding themselves of all prying eyes and the babble of voices of onlookers on the riverside.


    Ling Zhang, after entering the cabin of the pleasure-ship, saw a table inside with a pot of wine and several dishes on it, which confirmed his previous guess that some arrangements had been made beforehand.


    ¡­


    It had been three days since Ling Zhang had started his studies in the Imperial College, and finally students of this college no longer fixed their eyes on him. Also, he hadn¡¯t encountered Jiang Yu and his followers for two consecutive days. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin gradually became accustomed to the curriculum in the Imperial College.


    Ling Zhang thought that he would be left in peace for a certain amount of time, but unexpectedly, this morning, an unpleasant occurrence thrust itself on him.


    It was a substitute teacher giving a lesson to his class this morning, and it was about The Book of Changes. For some unknown reason, this professor, several times, specially asked Ling Zhang to answer his questions as well. Ling Zhang, who had already got used to this, didn¡¯t feel any surprise and just stated his opinions. He believed that these opinions of his, even if not perceptive enough to satisfy the professor, should be up to standard, that there was no glaring error in them. However, the professor was nit-picking. He split hairs over words and severely scolded Ling Zhang three times in a row.


    ¡°You would never have been admitted into this college if it weren¡¯t for His Majesty¡¯s kindness. You should have returned to that small city called Tanyang where you belong. Your presence here is a humiliation for the Imperial College.


    Your identity doesn¡¯t give you the right to laze days away, not under my watch. If you answer my question with such nonsense again, I¡¯ll report it to His Majesty and request your expulsion from this college.


    You are an utter disgrace to the Imperial College. What gave you the courage to let words of such superficiality and ignorance go out of your mouth? Whatever. I was being so kind as to give you another chance to prove yourself worthy of your place at this college, but it turns out that your stupidity is beyond redemption. From now on, whenever I¡¯m the one giving a lesson here, you may be anywhere but this classroom.¡±


    There were various reactions to this among students in the classroom. Some were secretly sneering at Ling Zhang; some were watching him with malicious eyes waiting to see him make a show of himself; some kept silent; some were gazing at Ling Zhang sympathetically, and there were also a couple of students looking at the professor, their brows furrowed.


    Of course Ling Zhang, with his sharp five senses, could see all the reactions of his classmates at a single glance around. He secretly lodged the reaction of each and every one of them in his mind.


    After the professor finished scolding Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin failed to keep his temper and intended to jump up to contradict the professor but was stopped by Ling Zhang. Clearly this professor was deliberately picking on him. He was not the kind of person who would swallow unfair remarks, but now was not the right time to put up a fight. He didn¡¯t believe that this professor had never heard about his reputation for ¡°being cocky¡± before. The reason why this professor had still resorted to such vulgar means to provoke him must be that he was waiting for him to kick up a stink, so of course he wouldn¡¯t play right into his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself. If that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯d be brazen of me to keep staying in this classroom. I¡¯ll leave straight away.¡±


    After saying this, Ling Zhang really walked towards the door.


    All other students burst into an uproar, amazed that Ling Zhang gave in just like this. Even that professor was sent into a brief trance of surprise, but with that he reprimanded, ¡°Stop right there. Who gave you the permission to leave? Have you a shred of respect for your teacher?!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said a moment ago that I was not to appear in this classroom whenever you¡¯re giving a lesson here? I¡¯m just following your instructions. May I ask why you charged me with this, professor?¡± replied Ling Zhang in a calm tone of voice.


    ¡°I heard it, professor. You did instruct Brother Zhang not to show up in your lessons again,¡± remarked Yuwen Jin through gritted teeth.


    Yuwen Jin was consumed with anger, feeling that this professor harbored malicious intentions and was deliberately making an issue of this. Had Ling Zhang not stopped him, he might have hurtled over and beaten him up! But just now Ling Zhang had motioned him to control himself. Though unaware of the reason, he believed that Ling Zhang must have his own plan.


    ¡°I heard that as well,¡± someone else suddenly said.


    Astonished, everybody looked in the direction of the owner of the voice. It was a student whose seat was in front of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin on their left. He was sitting bolt upright behind his desk, eyes on the professor, a very earnest expression on his face. ¡°Just now I also heard you tell Ling Zhang not to show up again, professor.¡±


    The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes slightly changed. In fact, he had noticed this classmate of his some time ago. During the past three days, almost all his classmates around him had been staring at him and talking about him. Of course there had also been a small number of exceptions, who had just focused on lessons ignoring the others. This person had been one of them and had also been one of those frowning at the professor¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°Me, too, professor,¡± said another student, who was sitting beside the student who¡¯d spoken just now.


    And then, one after another, another five students stated that they¡¯d heard the professor¡¯s words.


    The professor was trembling with rage. ¡°How dare you! Have you the faintest idea of how you should behave in the presence of your teacher? This is how you ¡®honor the teacher and respect his teaching¡¯? Don¡¯t think just because your fathers are officials I don¡¯t dare to scold you. This is the Imperial College, not home of any of you!¡±


    ¡°I was just telling the truth, and I don¡¯t have a clue which part of that meant disrespect for you. If you think I insulted you, professor, I¡¯ll leave as well.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    The five students who had just spoken rose to their feet one after another, bowed to the professor and left the classroom heading for Ling Zhang.


    Naturally, Yuwen Jin immediately stood up, walked outside and didn¡¯t even bother to utter a word.


    ¡°You¨C! Good, very good. Since you¡¯re so heretical showing such disregard for orthodoxy, I¡¯ll report this to the principal and have all of you expelled from the Imperial College!¡± raged the professor, threatening Ling Zhang and others with expulsion from the Imperial College. He stared at them, waiting for them to regret what they¡¯d said.


    However, Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin and the other five students all remained indifferent, totally unafraid of his threat.


    Other students in the classroom, looking at each other in dismay, finally came to realize that this matter seemed to have escalated into something serious.

 Chapter 203 - Punishment Must Be Meted Out According to Regulations

    Chapter 203: Punishment Must Be Meted Out According to Regulations


    Translator: DragonRider


    In fact, anger had been bubbling inside Ling Zhang for quite some time. It was very evident that this professor¡¯s intention was to provoke him, and once he talked back, he would end up becoming the wrongdoer, no matter the circumstances. The professor wanted him to be expelled from the Imperial College. Even if it didn¡¯t work, his reputation would be damaged. There were indeed rumors that he was wildly arrogant, but during his conflicts with the Ninth Princess, Peng Fang and Yuwen Qi, these three people had been the ones in the wrong. Even if he had acted arrogantly, there was nothing that anybody could say he shouldn¡¯t have done. But if word got out that he defiantly contradicted a professor, or showed a lack of respect for a professor, or even insulted and beat a professor, things would be totally different. It would give those people an excuse to charge him even Yuwen Tong. After coming to understand all this, he had realized that he must subdue his anger, no matter how intense it was, and he also needed to figure out a way to change the current situation. The only thing that had never crossed his mind was that these five students would follow suit after he took the lead.


    The commotion here was too loud and the principal soon came, along with some others, including the old man who tested Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin that day.


    Some students who¡¯d heard the babble of voices also showed up, Jiang Yu and his followers among them.


    ¡°These several students set my authority at naught and talked back to me defiantly, which is utterly detestable.


    This Ling Zhang guy, in particular, is incurably foolish. He dared to leave the classroom without permission after merely receiving a couple of critical remarks from me. I tried to stop him, yet he incited other students to leave with him, which inflicted a terrible effect on the class!¡±


    Taking advantage of his identity as an elder, the professor took the initiative and branded them rebellious and unruly, Ling Zhang being his main target.


    Of course Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t stand idly by after someone blackened his name. He stepped forward, made a bow first and then said, ¡°Principal, I meant no disrespect for my professor. This is how it came to this¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang told the whole story exactly as it happened without any exaggerations.


    ¡°I was aware of my stupidity, and I found it understandable that my professor didn¡¯t want to see me in his classroom. Too ashamed to keep sitting there, I followed my professor¡¯s instruction and left. I don¡¯t know what I did wrong. Please don¡¯t be misled, principal, professors.¡±


    ¡°What a glib tongue. It¡¯s an unmistakable fact that you defiantly talked back to me and incited your classmates to raise a stink with you, believing that your backer would shield you. How dare you try to justify your misbehavior?¡± snapped the professor.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. There¡¯s not half a word of my remarks that¡¯s against the fact, to which all my classmates in this classroom can testify,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I can testify to this. Each and every single word of Ling Zhang¡¯s statement was factual,¡± commented the student who had been the first to stand up for Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I can testify for him as well.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    Some other students also came to his support.


    That professor¡¯s face was dark with rage.


    In the final analysis, this professor had been deliberately picking a quarrel. Ling Zhang had never uttered a single word disrespectful to him from start to finish. The reason why he had walked out of the classroom had been because the professor had instructed him to. He had merely obeyed the instruction, so the professor couldn¡¯t get the goods on him.


    The look in the principal¡¯s eyes briefly flickered. He was not a fool, so of course he had got a shrewd idea of what had really happened.


    Once this matter escalated, it would be the statement of this professor that would prove ungrounded. It would be them who¡¯d be found in the wrong.


    ¡°Principal, professors, if all of you believe that I should leave this college, I¡¯ll leave right away, and no matter who asks me about it, I¡¯ll tell them the truth.¡±


    The principal furrowed his brow. If he expelled Ling Zhang because of this matter in which clearly they were in the wrong, Yuwen Tong definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go at that. And if the emperor asked about this, he might have difficulty justifying his decision, so he believed that he had to appease Ling Zhang first.


    ¡°Repeat your answers to those questions.¡± At this time, the old man who¡¯d tested Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin previously suddenly spoke.


    Ling Zhang, having nothing to hide, repeated his answers, word for word.


    After hearing his answers, the old man gave his beard a stroke and commented, ¡°Please pardon my stupidity, but I don¡¯t see any mistakes in these three answers. Though unduly conventional, they¡¯re far from causing an expulsion from the Imperial College. If the one who gave these answers should be expelled, more than half of the students in this college would deserve to be expelled as well.¡±


    That professor¡¯s face went even more sullen. Of course he had been deliberately picking on Ling Zhang. As soon as this matter had alarmed the principal, he had come to realize that he would be found in the wrong, but hearing someone point out the truth so explicitly, he still felt rather awkward. He unnoticeably sent a quick glance in the direction of Jiang Yu, but Jiang Yu didn¡¯t look back at him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s five senses were sharp and he could distinctly see every subtle movement of people present, so naturally this glance didn¡¯t escape his notice. His eyes instantly went cold.


    The principal observed, ¡°Professor Gu is right. There was indeed nothing wrong in Ling Zhang¡¯s answers. I think it must be that Professor Du is a little too demanding, which is why he¡¯s so strict with his students. Ling Zhang is new to the Imperial College, and he probably hasn¡¯t accustomed himself to this place and couldn¡¯t quite understand why Professor Du is rigorous with him, which resulted in this misunderstanding. Let¡¯s end this matter right now. Ling Zhang and the other five students shall go back to the classroom to continue the study. Professor Du, you should take into consideration the fact that Ling Zhang is new to our college and is still adjusting himself to campus life. Cut him some slack.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang came to realize that this principal was trying to smooth things over without blaming anybody by blurring the line between right and wrong. He disguised a major incident as a minor one and wanted everybody to pretend it¡¯d never happened.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow slightly corrugated in a frown. He wasn¡¯t satisfied with this outcome, and neither was Yuwen Jin, who intended to express his opinion.


    At this time, Ling Zhang noticed that Professor Gu, who had backed him up a while ago, briefly shook his head at him. Ling Zhang paused, took a step forward and stopped Yuwen Jin.


    Professor Gu thought that Ling Zhang had decided to let this go, but he had just felt a sense of relief when he heard Ling Zhang say to the principal, ¡°If it were my fault, I wouldn¡¯t utter another word about this, but you just said it yourself that there was nothing wrong in my answers, which meant that just now Professor Du reviled me for no reason, forced me into leaving the classroom, and threatened to have me expelled from this college tomorrow. I respect my teachers and elders, but I¡¯m not going to swallow this kind of insults.


    Though a student, I¡¯m also the Marshal¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Apart from my own dignity, I have to take account of his reputation as well. If you don¡¯t bring this matter to a clear-cut settlement and word gets out, people might come to the mistaken belief that I was making a great fuss over a mere trifle harboring evil intentions. What would others think of the Marshal if the wrongdoer gets away and I, the blameless party, takes the blame? Or is it the case that professors of the Imperial College can do no wrong and students here have no right to get justice? If that¡¯s true, I¡¯ll leave this college straight away! Since His Majesty specially granted me admission to this college, I don¡¯t dare to keep this matter from him. I will inform him of this exactly as it happened.¡±


    Ling Zhang grew increasingly indignant as he spoke. When he finished his remarks, the look on his face seemed to suggest that an unbearable humiliation had been inflicted upon him, his eyes staring fixedly at the principal.


    ¡°Brother Zhang is right. We are here to study, not to be humiliated.¡± Yuwen Jin finally got a chance to speak.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s remarks brought a scarlet flush to Professor Du¡¯s cheeks. He furiously pointed at Ling Zhang and thundered, ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    The principal also had a rather sullen countenance. He had thought that Ling Zhang would take Yuwen Tong into consideration and let this go, but unexpectedly Ling Zhang had done exactly the opposite connecting this matter with Yuwen Tong¡¯s reputation. If this only involved Ling Zhang, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have any misgivings, but if Yuwen Tong was concerned, a minor mishandling of this matter would lead to an eventual outcome that he definitely wouldn¡¯t want to see.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, Professor Du is your teacher. By being so confrontational, you¡¯re showing a total ignorance about the virtue of ¡®honor teachers and esteem truth¡¯. Just now the principal has already told you that Professor Du was just being excessively demanding. He meant no harm, so stop measuring the motive of an upright man with the yardstick of a knave,¡± huffed Jiang Yu, stepping forward.


    Ling Zhang gave a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s the principal that I¡¯m making a request to, and I think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to chip in on this occasion, Childe Jiang, isn¡¯t it? This is the Imperial College. Am I to take it that Childe Jiang or Jiang family is involved in this matter?¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s face changed. ¡°Don¡¯t you pin this on me.¡±


    ¡°Then may I ask what did you by those remarks, Childe Jiang? That because I¡¯m new here I deserve to be insulted?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, Professor Du was just being over-demanding, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far by being so pushy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see that Professor Du was being demanding. I¡¯m talking about but the fact, and the fact is that he not only humiliated me but also threatened me, which all my classmates here can testify to.¡±


    Yuwen Jin also said, ¡°Brother Zhang, let¡¯s call my cousin here. People of this college are so unreasonable!¡±


    Immediately after saying this, Yuwen Jin summoned Changle, his study-servant (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study). ¡°Changle, go and call my cousin here. Brother Zhang is being bullied!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Finally, the principal spoke. He looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not alarm the Marshal with such a trifling matter. What I just suggested just now about how this should be settled was indeed fairly thoughtless. Professor Du¡¯s previous words and conduct were against the working ethics of the teacher, which made it inappropriate for him to continue his teaching career in the Imperial College. By the powers vested in me, I hereby relieve Professor Du of his professorship in the Imperial College, effective immediately. May I ask if you find my decision satisfying, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°All I want is a fair settlement. Now that it¡¯s been equitably settled, I have no further requests.¡±


    Professor Du lapsed into despair, unable to believe what he had just heard. Of course he was unconvinced by this settlement, but the principal, determined to punish him, refused to give him a chance to defend himself. He looked at Jiang Yu, an appealing expression in his eyes.


    Jiang Yu, with a sulky face, railed at Ling Zhang, ¡°You seem to take great pleasure in assuming others¡¯ authority as your own. Professor Du merely gave you some criticisms, but you threatened to snitch to the Marshal. This is the Imperial College, not the residential compound of the Marshal!¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯m truly amazed, Childe Jiang, by your glib tongue and ability to evade the crucial point, making black look white, and white look black. Professor Du insulted and threatened his student, and the principal meted out punishment according to the regulations, but in your eyes I¡¯m the wrongdoer? Is this what Jiang family taught you? Calling a stag a horse? Talking black into white?¡± Ling Zhang sneered.


    ¡°Ling Zhang! Don¡¯t you be so cocky! You¡¯re merely taking advantage of your identity as the Marshal¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Are you trying to have the Marshal accused of conniving at your misbehavior and forcing a professor of the Imperial College?!¡± Jiang Yu reprimanded, trembling with rage.


    ¡°Did you forget to take your brain with you, Childe Jiang? It¡¯s an unmistakable fact that Professor Du is in the wrong in what happened today, and the principal has already made a decision as to how it should be settled, but you are still here pestering us, calling black white. Exactly what¡¯s your purpose? Are you saying these words to mislead everybody into believing that I assumed Yuwen Tong¡¯s authority as my own and coerced the principal of the Imperial College into making an unfair decision? So that you can blacken his name?! For over ten years Yuwen Tong fought enemies in border areas, bathing in blood. He risked life and limb defending the Great Yue for His Majesty, for the imperial court and for the people of this country, but this is how you people repay him? Throwing mud at him and plotting against him? If you don¡¯t stop being unreasonable right now, I will seek justice, even if it means I have to report this to His Majesty! I will not tolerate you slandering me and Yuwen Tong like this!¡± Ling Zhang raged.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, there¡¯s no need to continue talking with him. Let¡¯s go and find my cousin. Then we go together to His Majesty and let him be the judge of this!¡± Yuwen Jin clenched his fists with indignation. Had a warning voice not warned him that he would get himself into trouble if he picked up a fight on this occasion, he would definitely have beaten Jiang Yu to death.

 Chapter 204 - An Invitation

    Chapter 204: An Invitation


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Enough!¡± thundered the principal. He deeply looked at Ling Zhang with his penetrating eyes and then said to Jiang Yu, ¡°Jiang Yu, you are not to forget that this is the Imperial College. As a student, you are in no position to question my decision.


    And, Ling Zhang, you don¡¯t have to make such a serious accusation. It¡¯s too much for the Imperial College.


    This ends now.¡±


    The principal gave each side a word of warning and then left, followed by others. Professor Du was also taken away.


    Jiang Yu clenched his teeth. Though bitterly unreconciled to this outcome, he had no alternative but to let this go. Before leaving, he admonished Ling Zhang, ¡°Ling Zhang, I¡¯d like to see how much longer you can keep up your pretence of toughness.¡±


    Ling Zhang watched as they walked away, a cold look in his eyes.


    Yuwen Jin was still very angry. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll crack that son of bitch¡¯s head the next time I lay eyes on him!¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had recovered himself, turned around and said to the five students who had just now stood up for him, ¡°Thank you for coming to my support, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve implicated you, and Jiang Yu might make life difficult for you.¡±


    The one standing at the front, who¡¯d also been the first one to spring to his defence just now, replied, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve already stepped forward, what he¡¯ll do doesn¡¯t really scare me. There¡¯s no need for you to thank me. I did that because Professor Du was not being fair. Actually it surprised me that you had the principal expel him from this college. Even if we hadn¡¯t stood up for you, you wouldn¡¯t have come to grief.¡±


    ¡°Without your help, I couldn¡¯t have so smoothly had the principal make the decision,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, since during the past few days you¡¯ve been keeping a low profile without making any trouble, I was beginning to suspect that those rumors were untrue, but it turns out that you¡¯re really quite badass,¡± said another student, amusement gleaming in his eyes.


    The other three students also felt a sense of relief and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. It was so badass of you to have Professor Du fired.¡±


    Ling Zhang, seeing they were sincerely making these remarks with awe and not satirizing him, pulled a wry face and replied, ¡°You sound as if I was being domineering and unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. We saw it clearly. It was Professor Du who¡¯s in the wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We just didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d make that move. Just now Professor Du¡¯s sulky face almost scared the life out of me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the retribution for his evil intentions.¡±


    As Ling Zhang watched them discussing, his foul mood caused by the unpleasant matter that had happened just now gradually lightened.


    It was not that he wasn¡¯t forgiving enough to let this matter go, but he had just thought about pardoning the professor when he¡¯d recalled Yuwen Tong had once told him that he should punish all those who dared to mess with him, that he shouldn¡¯t be soft-hearted. He had a different identity now, which in many cases represented not only his own reputation but also that of Yuwen Tong, who was the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue. As Yuwen Tong¡¯s betrothed, if he was too soft, people would only think less of Yuwen Tong.


    Besides, he had built a reputation as an arrogant man the day he arrived in the capital city. If he had cowered on this occasion, he would only have given people the impression of being weak, which would not only have caused people to look down upon him but also bring him more trouble. On top of this, in this college where situation was quite messy, this matter of Professor Du was virtually a golden opportunity to make an example of someone, which had presented itself right before him. If he¡¯d let it slip away instead of taking it to deter those who secretly harbored malicious intentions towards him, how was he supposed to survive future campus life in the Imperial College?


    As regards Jiang Yu¡­


    If his guess was right, Jiang Yu had been the one who had incited Professor Du to pick on him and make trouble for him. Had he acted impulsively on this day, he would have fallen prey to their trick, and it would have been him rather than Professor Du who had been expelled from the Imperial College. Provided that he had really been expelled from this college, not only him but also Yuwen Tong would¡¯ve become laughing stocks of the whole capital city.


    ¡°Professor Du was in the wrong in this matter today, so you got the best of it, but if anybody wants to do something to you in the future, they would definitely be more cautious, so you¡¯d better be careful and guard against back-stabbing,¡± the student who¡¯d been the first one to speak previously informed of Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was dismayed for a few moments and then earnestly expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you for reminding me.¡±


    Of course he was fully aware that he needed to be more discreet in the Imperial College, but he hadn¡¯t expected that this person would specially remind him of this.


    ¡­


    With a bang, a table was overturned by a hard kick. Jiang Yu¡¯s handsome face was twisting in anger, teeth gritted. He and his study-servant (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study in feudal China) were the only ones inside the room. His guards were standing at the door to act as lookouts, vigilantly eyeing every student walking by lest anybody approach and see what their young master was doing to vent his anger.


    ¡°A subordinate of mine was expelled for nothing. Ling Zhang, you will pay for this!¡±


    The study-servant flinched, shoulders in, standing in a corner, too afraid to make any sounds. Previously he had seen the whole thing from start to finish. Never once had anybody in this college dared to act with such disregard for his young master¡¯s respectability; even the principal always made allowances for his young master whenever he could. Never had his young master failed to get what he wanted in the Imperial College. This was the first time that he had seen his young master suffer a failure; even the principal gave his young master a reproachful look. ¡®That Ling Zhang guy is really not bad. No¡­ bah, I shouldn¡¯t dramatize the enemy¡¯s power and disparage that of ourselves. Young Master is the most favored son of Old Master, and even His Majesty likes him very much. That Ling Zhang guy is nothing but a country bumpkin. Though he¡¯s Marshal Yuwen¡¯s fianc¨¦e, they might not necessarily get married in the end,¡¯ thought the study-servant.


    Guards at the doorway, hearing the noises coming from inside, exchanged glances in astonishment. After all, this was the first time that they had seen Jiang Yu vent his anger in this way, almost totally regardless of his personal image.


    ¡®It seems that that Ling Zhang guy people keep talking about is really someone to be reckoned with. Young Master indeed suffered a defeat this time,¡¯ thought a guard.


    ¡­


    What happened on this day was not a small matter, and all students of the Imperial College had heard about it. In the afternoon, after the Six Arts (six subjects taught in an aristocratic school in feudal China: etiquette, music, archery, carriage-driving, reading and calculation) lesson was over, Ling Zhang was followed by many people¡¯s eyes when he was on his way back. Students whose curiosity about him had just dissolved began staring at him again, but this time things were different: their voices were considerably lower than before, and they were a trifle afraid of Ling Zhang, too.


    ¡°They seem to be somewhat afraid of you,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang gave no particular reaction to this. ¡®It¡¯s better that they fear me a little. Maybe there won¡¯t be any more unobservant guys making trouble for me.¡¯


    On this day, apart from Yuwen Jin, the other five students were also with Ling Zhang. The seven of them left the Imperial College together.


    The next day happened to be a day of rest in the Imperial College, and they would enjoy a day off from school. Ling Zhang, in order to express his gratitude, had invited the five students to go out and all the five of them had willingly accepted the invitation, so at this moment Ling Zhang was fretting about the next day¡¯s arrangements. They had agreed to meet in the Ling Mansion first, and he still had to consult with Yuwen Tong on further arrangements after he returned.


    The seven of them walked out of the college together and then went their separate ways.


    When Ling Zhang returned to the Ling Mansion, Yuwen Tong was waiting for him.


    Seeing him, Ling Zhang told him what had happened earlier this day. ¡°What do you think of the way I dealt with this matter?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you should do.¡±


    In fact, Yuwen Tong had some time ago been informed of what had happened earlier this day. After all, he had some of his men keep a constant watch on the Imperial College. ¡®That old bastard dared to pick on my man. I¡¯m not going to make him suffer, though he¡¯s already been expelled from the Imperial College. And there¡¯s also Jiang family¡­¡¯


    Humph, they could have chosen to continue their peaceful life, yet they¡¯re so insistent on getting themselves in trouble.¡¯


    Before Ling Zhang came back, Yuwen Tong had already come up with an idea of how to make trouble for those people.


    ¡°That principal is also an asshole. He tried to smooth things over by blurring the line between right and wrong. Fortunately you¡¯re smart enough and didn¡¯t let him muddle through,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Actually I nearly got fooled. Today Professor Gu came to my help, and so did some of my classmates. They¡¯re both nice people. The five of them and I have already agreed to go out tomorrow. I¡¯ll stand them a meal to express my gratitude to them for standing up for me today. I haven¡¯t decided where to go yet. Do you think the Taibai Tavern would be a good choice? Just now, before I came in here, I¡¯ve instructed Li Sicai to reserve a private room. I wonder whether there¡¯re still any rooms available for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If he fails to book a room, I¡¯ll handle it,¡± said Yuwen Tong, but in his head he gave a sigh. He had waited several days for Ling Zhang to have a day off from school, and originally he had planned to spend the next day with Ling Zhang alone, but unexpectedly this thing came up¡­


    ¡®Never mind. Younger Brother Zhang could use some friends in the Imperial College,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong, who had already ascertained the background of the five students and believed that it should be okay for Ling Zhang to make friends with them. ¡®A couple of friends will keep Younger Brother Zhang from feeling lonely in the college. After all, it¡¯s too boring to have only Yuwen Jin by his side. Moreover, Younger Brother Zhang is new to this city, and maybe he wouldn¡¯t miss Tanyang too often if he socializes more with friends.¡¯


    As a result, Yuwen Tong made a suggestion. ¡°How about you invite Tao Yi as well? You haven¡¯t seen each other for quite a while, have you?¡±


    He had no worry about Ling Zhang mixing with Tao Yi in the knowledge that Tao Yi was one of his huge fans.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Tao Yi would probably enjoy socializing with the five of them. Besides, he¡¯s more familiar with the capital city than I am, so it¡¯ll be easier for him to find a topic we can talk with them about.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately had someone go to Tao Yi¡¯s to deliver a message.


    Tao Yi¡¯s reply came quite soon. He agreed very readily and also said that had Ling Zhang not sent him this invitation, he would soon fail to keep from going to the Imperial College to look for him.


    Just like this, after Tao Yi accepted the invitation, Ling Zhang was in noticeably higher spirits.


    ¡°I have a suggestion. The Taibai Tavern is a small place, after all. Apart from eating, there is nothing else you could do there. I have a manor in the suburbs, and the view in it is pretty good. How about you guys go there tomorrow?¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°A manor?¡± Ling Zhang was curious.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s one of my family properties. When I was a boy, there was once a very long period when my grandfather stayed at home, and it was in that manor that I spent that period with him. These years I¡¯ve been in border areas almost all the time, and every time I return, I stay only for a few days before leaving in haste, so I couldn¡¯t even remember the last time I went to the manor, but sometimes Yao Yi and the others would return to the capital city to attend to some business, and they would stay in that manor when they¡¯re not in my courtyard house. There are some servants there maintaining the manor as well, so it¡¯s not really deserted.¡±


    ¡°But given that you and your grandfather used to live there, I think it must be a very important manor. Aren¡¯t you worried that we might mess that place up if we go there?¡± said Ling Zhang, hesitating about it.


    ¡®Memories of being together with his grandfather must mean a lot to Yuwen Tong,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang. Since this place was so important to Yuwen Tong, he hated to see it reduced to disorder due to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. That place is very roomy. Except for a couple of areas, you may go wherever you want in there.¡± Yuwen Tong was very generous. Most importantly, he added, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll go there as well. We may meet there.¡±


    Ling Zhang was very happy to hear this. ¡°You are going as well?¡±

 Chapter 205 - A Gathering

    Chapter 205: A Gathering


    Translator: DragonRider


    This was Ling Zhang¡¯s first vacation since he¡¯d enrolled in the Imperial College. Under no circumstances would Yuwen Tong let this chance slip away. ¡°Of course I am,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was very happy. This kind of one-day vacation was not really a daily occurrence for students, so certainly he¡¯d like to enjoy it with Yuwen Tong. It was just that he felt obliged to express his gratitude to his classmates for their help.


    The next morning, the five classmates of his showed up at the agreed time.


    When they arrived, everyone of them seemed rather formal and unrelaxed. Ling Zhang knew that it was not because this was the first time they came here but because of Yuwen Tong. In order to help them set their mind at ease, he friendlily greeted them first and then told them, ¡°Today we¡¯re going to a manor of Yuwen Tong¡¯s in the suburbs. He¡¯s otherwise engaged, so he won¡¯t be with us. A friend of mine named Tao Yi will join us. He¡¯ll be here in a short while. We¡¯ll go there together.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had left for the manor first in the knowledge that his presence would make these people feel uneasy. He could also help Ling Zhang make preparations for the feast in passing.


    The five students, on hearing that Yuwen Tong was not in, felt a sense of relief but were also somewhat disappointed.


    After a while, Tao Yi arrived. The moment he entered, he remarked, ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late. When I was leaving, my teacher summoned me and had a word with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce these five classmates of mine to you: Zhao Jiusi, Zhao Turui, Xun Huo, Ji Feng, Xie Qing¡­¡±


    ¡°This is Tao Yi. He¡¯s my friend and studies at the Oriental Rite Academy.¡±


    Ling Zhang introduced them to each other. Tao Yi gave a hearty laugh, pointed at Zhao Jiusi and Zhao Turui and said, ¡°I know these two. We met a couple of times.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi was the one who was the first to stand up for Ling Zhang the day before, and who was also the most poised of these five people. He and Zhao Turui were cousins. Both of them were members of Zhao family. Many of their elders were courtiers, and the most powerful one of them was Zhao Zheng, their father¡¯s eldest brother, who was the Minister of War.


    Xun Huo¡¯s father was Xun Yi, a ministry councillor of the Ministry of Penalties. His family members were also respected figures in the capital city.


    Xie Qing¡¯s father was Xie Dongsheng, the new Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works. It was actually quite coincidental: Peng Fang¡¯s attempt to have Ling Zhang poisoned had been the reason why Xie Dongsheng was promoted to the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works. The causality in this was very subtle.


    The name of the last one was Ji Feng, who was of the highest standing among the five of them. His grandfather was the Zhongxin Marquess, whose legal wife was Ji Feng¡¯s father¡¯s birth mother. The Zhongxin Marquess¡¯ way of doing things was relatively low-key compared with those of other marquesses living in the capital city, but unlike most of his counterparts who merely had a fancy title, the Zhongxin Marquess had some real powers, which was why members of the Zhongxin Marquess¡¯ family were held in higher regard by citizens.


    Tao Yi, who had lived in the capital city for many years, had heard of all these five people before, and he had met and talked with Zhao Jiusi and Zhao Turui on a few occasions.


    Since two of the five of them were acquaintances of Tao Yi and Tao Yi was a great talker, their feelings of estrangement soon dissolved.


    Before long, the seven of them, accompanied by twelve security guards of Ling family, departed for the manor in the suburbs of the capital city.


    All seven of them went aboard Ling Zhang¡¯s carriage, heedless of the fact that it might be a little crowded. Fortunately, the carriage was big enough. Though it was indeed a trifle crowded, they managed to fit in.


    The weather this morning was pretty good, with a sunny sky and gentle breezes. It was at the end of spring and the beginning of summer. The temperature was neither cold nor hot, which was perfect for an outing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this manor before. It¡¯s been there since the time when Old General Yuwen was still alive. Rumor has it that there¡¯s a huge drill ground in it, which even dwarfs the one in your residence. I don¡¯t know whether we¡¯ll be able to see it in a while,¡± said Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang had never heard Yuwen Tong mention the drill ground in the manor, but he was not surprised. He replied, ¡°We may look for it and find out after we get there.¡±


    Others also looked at Ling Zhang. Clearly they were all very curious about this.


    The horse-drawn carriage wasn¡¯t going very fast, so it took them almost two hours to get to the manor. At the gateway, a butler and some servants had been waiting for them for some time.


    ¡°My name is Zhao Shude. It¡¯s a great honor to meet you, Childe Ling. Everything in the manor is in readiness. I¡¯m sure you and your friends will enjoy your time here,¡± observed the butler.


    The butler seemed to be in his early sixties. Though having gone gray, he looked quite robust. Standing bolt upright, he was emanating a special air, which bore some similarity to the air about Yuwen Tong and his personal bodyguards. Ling Zhang guessed that he probably used to serve in the army and had been in the battlefield.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I merely did what I was supposed to do. Please come in, Childe Ling. And you, childes, this way, please.¡±


    The manor was very large. It was more spacious than Ling Zhang had imagined. Maybe because Yuwen family was a family of military officers, this manor was bold and generous in overall style.


    This was also Ling Zhang¡¯s first time coming to this place. He slowly appraised everything in this manor, which was the same thing that Tao Yi and others were doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost the same as I imagined it to be,¡± Ji Feng smiled to Ling Zhang and the others. ¡°My family also owns a small manor in a nearby area, and occasionally I¡¯d pass by this place. I¡¯ve always been wondering what it¡¯s like inside here. Thanks to you, Ling Zhang, today the agony came to an end.¡±


    ¡°This place is indeed rather far away from the capital city. I never thought that your family owned a manor in a nearby area,¡± said Zhao Turui.


    ¡°Haha. My grandfather, after seeing Yuwen family built a manor here, felt that he could use some company, that this area was not as crowded as downtown, so he petitioned His Majesty and then built a small manor nearby. And then some others followed suit, so gradually this area shed its uninhabited image,¡± explained Ji Feng.


    ¡°But nobody could have foreseen that after Old General Yuwen passed away, this manor would stand unoccupied with gates closed almost all the year around, and neither does anybody know why members of Yuwen family won¡¯t come here,¡± added Ji Feng.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make us the first batch of outsiders visiting this place in so many years?¡± asked Zhao Turui in excitement.


    Ji Feng was also very excited. ¡°Exactly. This trip will be something I could boast about for a whole year, and those people will be so jealous.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    The seven of them were of similar age and they were all students, so they felt no generational divide during their conversation. Gradually, they became more and more relaxed. Even Zhao Jiusi, who appeared to be rather reticent, grew a lot more willing to talk.


    They found the drill ground. It was indeed very large. The seven of them, all of whom had some fighting skills, took off their overgarments and started sparring. Ling Zhang, in order not to expose his internal energy, curbed his power and fought them with common technique, but even so, due to the training Yuwen Tong had given him during these days, his attacks were more effective than theirs, and many of his moves were beyond their defensive capabilities.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, your kung fu is so good. None of us is a match for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding it so well.¡±


    If their previous chat had merely served to narrow the distance between them, this close-quarters fight sparked a quick development of their acquaintance, and there was not a shred of punctiliousness in their words or bearing, especially after Ling Zhang defeated them. They were all utterly convinced by the great disparity in strength. Ling Zhang¡¯s kung fu skills were very good, so they naturally held Ling Zhang in higher regard, for they were all men and had innate reverence for power.


    ¡°Just now that move of yours scared the life out of me. I thought you were going to break my neck.¡± Tao Yi sprawling in the chair on the side of the drill ground was too tired to move. Recalling the process of exchanging blows with Ling Zhang, he was still experiencing a carry-over of fear.


    ¡°I had the same feeling. Just now, when Ling Zhang made that move, I even felt emanation of intent to kill.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being far too dramatic,¡± Ling Zhang commented. ¡°That¡¯s not emanation of intent to kill. It¡¯s just a gust of wind generated by the punch.¡±


    ¡°Even I was unaware you¡¯d learned such badass moves. You¡¯d never shown any of them before,¡± said Tao Yi.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong taught me these,¡± remarked Ling Zhang. There was no need for him to keep this secret from them.


    ¡°No wonder I kept feeling that your moves were frighteningly aggressive. Anybody could tell at a glance that only an experienced fighter could throw punches that way,¡± observed Ji Feng.


    All moves that Yuwen Tong had taught Ling Zhang were effective moves aiming to kill, each and every one of which was deadly. None of them served to bluff. Though Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t used his internal energy, the changes that cultivation of internal energy had brought were not that easy to conceal, and they naturally made his moves appeared more powerful than those of common people.


    Zhao Shude showed up and said, ¡°Childe Ling, lunch is almost ready. You and your friends may go to the dining room to have your meals.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. Noon had arrived without any of them noticing it, but at this moment, they were all soaking wet with sweat, and it was inappropriate for them to directly go to have lunch.


    ¡°Have you brought a change of clothes?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yeah. In the carriage,¡± replied Ji Feng. Others also answered in the affirmative.


    The five of them had been friends well acquainted with each other and all had some kung fu skills, and when the occasion arose, they would spar with each other in private or do some other things, so they always brought a change of clothes with them on an outing, just in case.


    Their servants brought them their changes of clothes. Meanwhile, Zhao Shude had someone prepare hot water. The seven of them took a quick bath, changed into clean clothes and then went to the dining room and had lunch.


    They spent the afternoon playing Go and chatting. Ji Feng led off and brought up some matters in the capital city.


    First he talked about recent amusing anecdotes about officials in the capital city, and then, very naturally, the topic was shifted to the political situation, and the quarrel between courtiers about a couple of vacancies at the morning court meeting was mentioned.


    A thought flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s mind. He remembered that Yuwen Tong had once told him about the couple of vacancies. Dismissed followers of the Sixth Prince removed from office had left a lot of vacancies; many of them had been filled, but some positions of responsibility were still vacant, causing relentless wrangling. The reason for this was very simple ¨C all princes wanted their own followers to fill those vacancies, and none of them was willing to compromise, so there was a deadlock over this issue.


    ¡°At first my father earnestly submitted some proposals. Afterwards, quarrels between those people got too intense, and he decided to stay out of it. Every morning, he just goes to the imperial court and hears them quarrel from start to finish,¡± remarked Ji Feng.


    On hearing Ji Feng¡¯s words, Xie Qing, whose father, Xie Dongsheng, was the new Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works and also attended morning court meetings, felt a deep empathy with him. Moreover, his father, unlike the Zhongxin Marquess, didn¡¯t even dare to speak at morning court meetings unless spoken to, for he was terribly afraid that any of the factions might find his words offensive.


    What was a trifle surprising in this situation was that Xie Dongsheng didn¡¯t side with any princes. It¡¯d been the emperor who¡¯d promoted him.


    Ling Zhang conjectured that Xie Dongsheng was probably standing in the middle among all sides, or on the emperor¡¯s side, to put it in a more in-depth way.


    ¡°Jiang family is also involved in this. They recommended a close relative of theirs, but His Majesty didn¡¯t say anything. As far as I could tell, Jiang family might not necessarily succeed,¡± observed Ji Feng.

 Chapter 206 - A Stroll After Lunch

    Chapter 206: A Stroll After Lunch


    Translator: DragonRider


    As Ling Zhang heard these remarks of Ji Feng¡¯s, a particular thought occurred to him and he inquired, ¡°Is there a certain kind of relation between that Professor Du and Jiang family?¡±


    After he asked this question, Ji Feng and all the others fell silent. After a few moments, Zhao Jiusi flicked a glance at him and replied, ¡°It seems that you guessed it.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile and said, ¡°Jiang Yu obviously loathes me, which makes it difficult for me not to connect the two of them.¡±


    ¡°I did hear that Professor Du had dealings with Jiang family. Many people know about this matter,¡± Ji Feng also said.


    Tao Yi, who had just got acquainted with them earlier this day, didn¡¯t know who Professor Du was, but he did know about Jiang Yu and Jiang family, so he queried, ¡°What about Jiang Yu? Is there a problem with Professor Du?¡±


    Ji Feng was well disposed towards Tao Yi, so after hearing this, he told him about what happened the day before.


    Tao Yi went indignant. ¡°This is sheer effrontery. They were so insidious. Brother Zhang would¡¯ve fallen prey to their tricks had his impulse got the best of him.¡±


    Ji Feng exchanged glances with the others and then informed Tao Yi, ¡°Ling Zhang is more badass than we gave him credit for. Professor Du paid dearly for his deed.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should transfer to the Oriental Rite Academy, which you originally planned to enroll in,¡± said Tao Yi.


    After hearing this, Ji Feng and all the others looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°I have orders from His Majesty to study in the Imperial College. An imperial edict is not to be defied.¡±


    Tao Yi furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you have the Marshal talk to His Majesty about it?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I¡¯d be admitting defeat if I leave in these circumstances. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be cautious. Besides, this troublesome matter was the very reason why I got acquainted with Brother Zhao, Brother Ji, Brother Xie and Brother Xun, which could be deemed a blessing in disguise.¡±


    Tao Yi looked at Ji Feng and the others. In the knowledge that some of his opinions shouldn¡¯t be expressed in the presence of these students of the Imperial College, he observed, ¡°That may be true, but there might be more trouble if you keep staying there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out and handle whatever it is that¡¯s coming for me. Nothing scares me,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re just unacquainted with the Imperial College because you¡¯re new. After you familiarize yourself with it and the situation in it, things will be a lot easier,¡± commented Ji Feng.


    After hearing this, Tao Yi felt it inappropriate for him to make any further remarks. He just suggested Ling Zhang reconsider it with discretion.


    ¡­


    After another few rounds, Ji Feng and the other four, along with Tao Yi, returned to the city first.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t go back with them. They all had a shrewd idea of the reason but willingly left without asking any questions.


    After seeing them off, Ling Zhang inquired of Zhao Shude, ¡°Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°The Marshal is waiting for you in the Roosting Dragonfly Pavilion, Childe Ling,¡± answered Zhao Shude.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head and had a servant lead him to the Roosting Dragonfly Pavilion. On his arrival at the banks of a lake in the north part of this manor, he was greeted by a two-story pavilion by the lakeside.


    He vaguely saw that, half a lake away, on a platform extending from the pavilion to the middle of the lake, Yuwen Tong was standing before a table drawing something, head down.


    Ling Zhang hurried up, entered the waterside pavilion and walked to Yuwen Tong¡¯s side. To his surprise, Yuwen Tong was drawing a picture. ¡°You¡¯re drawing a picture?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°When I was young, my grandfather didn¡¯t allow me to read only books on the art of war and ignore calligraphy and painting, so he specially hired someone to teach me. Afterwards, my grandfather and my parents died, but I don¡¯t dare forget what they wanted me to learn, so I practice it whenever I have the time, which I take as something done in honor of them. As time passed, I developed enough proficiency to draw a presentable painting,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang felt that this painting was not just presentable. It was indisputably a fine work, better than paintings of most of the literati. Moreover, it was of a heroic style and also exuded boldness and generosity, which works of many men of letters lacked.


    It was a drawing of the lakeside scenery on the opposite side of the lake. In it, there were an old man and a child, who sat side by side fishing by the lake. Of course, at this moment there wasn¡¯t an old man nor a child on the opposite side. Ling Zhang conjectured that they were Yuwen Tong and his grandfather.


    Yuwen Tong confirmed Ling Zhang¡¯s conjecture. ¡°I used to live here when I was a boy. My grandfather would take me here to fish after I finished practicing kung fu. He¡¯d tell me war stories. Sometimes we didn¡¯t get any fish after fishing for half a day, probably because our voices scared the fish away.¡±


    After a while, Yuwen Tong put away his writing brush and looked at Ling Zhang, ¡°They all left?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°How was it? Did you get along?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. They¡¯re basically as I¡¯d imagined.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. He was fully aware of what Ling Zhang and his friends had done during this day, and he had got a general idea of what kind of people they were. Apart from this, previously he had conducted an inquiry into the background of these people.


    ¡°What do you think of Tao Yi¡¯s suggestion?¡±


    At first Ling Zhang was confused, and then he realized what Yuwen Tong was referring to, and it was not a surprise to him that Yuwen Tong knew about this. He replied, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve already enrolled in the Imperial College, I will not shrink back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had anticipated Ling Zhang¡¯s choice some time ago, was not surprised by this.


    Since those causing disturbance had finally left, Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang to the hill behind the manor for a walk and they picked a lot of seasonal fresh fruit. There was a large mulberry tree, which astonished Ling Zhang who had thought that this kind of trees were peculiar to the south. He couldn¡¯t help but pluck a lot of mulberries and eventually his stomach was filled with them, his lips, tongue and hands dyed blackish purple. Amused, Yuwen Tong burst into laugh several times.


    Ling Zhang silently gave him a dirty look, unable to understand what was so funny about this.


    Seeing he was annoyed, Yuwen Tong walked up to him and kissed him, holding the back side of his head, the other arm around his slim waist¡­


    It was not until after quite a while that their lips parted. The two of them hugged each other for quite a while and finally cooled down.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Now my lips are dyed purple as well, so I¡¯m in no position to laugh at you now.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Purple my ass.¡¯


    At dusk, Yuwen Tong went fishing at the lakeside. Ling Zhang, for fear of scaring the fish away, quietly stared at the float all the time until his eyes went sore. He was just about to give up when Yuwen Tong got a bite and caught a big fat grass carp. Since hardly anybody had come to this lake to fish during these years and servants in this manor regularly threw fish food into the lake, fish in it were fat and in great numbers. With this one as the start, Yuwen Tong soon caught over twenty fish, which crowded two big barrels. The very sight of them made Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth water.


    Zhao Shude had a servant take the two barrels of fish to the kitchen. Yuwen Tong told them to reserve two servings of fish for him and Ling Zhang and share the rest among the others. Wang Dashan and other security guards were in for a real treat. Thus all people in the manor enjoyed fish on this night.


    Chefs prepared these fresh fish in various ways, and the fish soup was very appetizing. Ling Zhang, who failed to refrain and overate once again, sprawled on his chair with a full stomach for quite a while before being drawn out of the dining room by Yuwen Tong to go for a walk.


    It was pitch-dark everywhere in the manor, so they just walked around the courtyard house in which they were going to spend the night. Eventually they arrived at the side of the drill ground. Yuwen Tong reached out his hand to stroke Ling Zhang¡¯s belly. Ling Zhang got an itch and kept feeling his flesh creep, so he slapped Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°We spend the night here. Tomorrow morning we get up early and hurry back.¡±


    Ling Zhang had guessed Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan some time ago, for Yuwen Tong had never mentioned a word about going back. It seemed that in order not to be late for school, he would have to ride back to the city the next day, which would cut the time he¡¯d have to spend on the road in half.


    ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    After the two of them circled the courtyard house for another couple of times, Ling Zhang stroked his belly and said, ¡°I think I need to walk a while longer.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong failed to forbear from laughing again.


    Ling Zhang, who had developed a thick skin, ignored his laugh and just kept strolling.


    Seeing him stroking his belly, Yuwen Tong informed him, ¡°In the past, there were several occasions when the North-western Army was in short of food during a war; my troops and I could hear our stomachs grumbling almost every time before a meal. Afterwards provisions were finally delivered to the encampment and I had cookhouse squads prepared food enough for all people to have their fill. At that time, everybody, just like you, didn¡¯t stop eating until they overate. After that meal, the encampment was swarming with soldiers stroking their bellies strolling around to help digestion. Jiang Xi joked that they seemed like pregnant women going into labor, that if they really gave birth to children, the North-western Army wouldn¡¯t be able to support so many babies.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang tossed a quick glance at him but didn¡¯t take his hand off his stomach. He kept kneading it leisurely and queried, ¡°And then? Did you win the war?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We recovered the last lost territory and chased armies of the Wan Kingdom away,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang thought that though Yuwen Tong was telling the story in a relaxed way at this moment, the actual situation at that time might be quite difficult.


    ¡°Why were you in a shortage of provisions that dire? Was it because the imperial court was unable to gather enough provisions for you?¡±


    ¡°Not because they were unable to gather enough provisions but because those glib-tongued civil officials in the capital city were being a drag on us, and the team delivering provisions were delayed for some time on the journey, which was why the whole army suffered from hunger. Fortunately my troops¡¯ morale was not affected and the war was won. After winning the war, I returned to the capital city with a stomachful of anger and had the couple of black sheep removed from office with some finesse. From then on, delivery of provisions for the North-western Army has never again been delayed for that long.¡±


    Ling Zhang slowly exhaled and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to been through that.¡±


    Slowly walking around the courtyard hourse with him, Yuwen Tong gave a smile and said, ¡°Although I was not a marshal at that time, I was the commander-in-chief of the whole army and the last person who would suffer from hunger. It was just that empty bellies of my troops meant lower hope of winning the war. Those people must be soft in the head to do such wicked things in a crucial moment.¡±


    Afterwards, in order to prevent similar things from happening, Yuwen Tong had begun to set great store by the capital city which was the home front, making a lot of covert arrangements. After so many years, these arrangements had thrived like seedlings that had grown into towering trees. Nobody would dare to lay hands on the provisions for the North-western Army.


    It would probably take more than three days and three nights to tell Ling Zhang all these matters, and Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want to upset Ling Zhang with these, so he steered the conversation away to another topic.


    Ling Zhang had just had his fill and was not as sharp-minded as usual, so he failed to notice that Yuwen Tong was changing the topic, his attention soon distracted.


    It was not until the two of them strolled for quite a while that Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach no longer felt overfilled and they returned.


    After taking a bath and changing clothes, Ling Zhang had a feeling that his body was lightened. He didn¡¯t know whether Zhao Shude had received instructions from Yuwen Tong or not, but only one room was prepared for the two of them. On entering the room, Ling Zhang saw that Yuwen Tong had also bathed and changed into pajamas and was now sitting there reading a book. Seeing him walking in, Yuwen Tong tossed the book aside, walked up to him, took his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°This is such a huge manor yet they prepared only one room for us?¡±


    ¡°Given our relationship and the fact that we¡¯ve slept together so many times, surely you don¡¯t have the heart to have me sleep alone, do you?¡±

 Chapter 207 - A Second Meeting with the Old Man and the Impeachment of Jiang Family

    Chapter 207: A Second Meeting with the Old Man and the Impeachment of Jiang Family


    Translator: DragonRider


    After Zhao Jiusi and the other four classmates of Ling Zhang¡¯s had an outing with him during the one-day vacation, their acquaintance with him had developed by leaps and bounds. They¡¯d been keeping each other¡¯s company all the time during the last few days. Ji Feng and Zhao Turui were relatively out-going, and Zhao Jiusi was poised, while Xie Qing and Xun Huo were somewhere in between. With their company and Yuwen Jin¡¯s quips and jokes, Ling Zhang¡¯s campus life in the Imperial College finally brightened up.


    News of the matter of Professor Du had spread through the whole college and nobody dared to mess with Ling Zhang now. This allowed Ling Zhang some quiet days, which were not something he had enjoyed very often.


    These days, he attended classes during daytime and cultivated internal energy at night. In the morning Yuwen Tong would instruct him in palm technique. Though his cultivation of the second layer of internal energy was progressing rather slow, his foundation was becoming increasingly solid. Yuwen Tong was the most experienced mentor and also a sparring partner whom he could attack with all his strength without any misgivings. On top of this, there were also a lot of guards he could spar with, so his foundation was inexorably getting firmer.


    This afternoon the lesson was about the Six Arts (six subjects taught in an aristocratic school in feudal China: etiquette, music, archery, carriage-driving, reading and calculation). The professor giving this lesson was a new face. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t pay any special attention to him until he found that this new professor was an acquaintance of his¡­


    It was that mysterious old man who gave him the handbook on a mental cultivation method of internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion on that day.


    Ling Zhang sat bolt upright and stared unblinkingly at the old man in astonishment.


    The look in the old man¡¯s eyes was calm and mild, which showed a contrast with Ling Zhang¡¯s amazement. He gave a slight inclination of his head at Ling Zhang, as if having been aware of Ling Zhang¡¯s presence in this place for quite some time.


    After that brief meeting in the Wu City, Ling Zhang had tried to seek out the old man but failed. Afterwards, he¡¯d started cultivating internal energy according to the handbook given to him by the old man, and Yuwen Tong had reminded him that the one who¡¯d gifted him with the handbook was probably keeping a close watch on him covertly. Now he had mastered skills of the first layer and was temporarily stranded in the second layer. It didn¡¯t really surprised Ling Zhang that the old man showed up again. What he did find surprising was that the old man¡¯s new identity as a professor of the Imperial College. Not everybody could land a job as a professor of the Imperial College. The job required great learning and also fame, but Ling Zhang had never heard of this old man before.


    Apart from Ling Zhang, other students also eyed their new professor in astonishment.


    ¡°My surname is Li. I¡¯m a substitute teacher who¡¯ll be taking your professor¡¯s place teaching you the Six Arts. For the duration I¡¯ll do my best to instruct you and answer your questions. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t quite understand or if you have any queries, feel free to ask me. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to see your questions answered.¡±


    ¡®His surname is Li?¡¯ Ling Zhang remained skeptical. Since this old man had given him a handbook on internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion, he must be a member of the Millennium Pavilion, but in the letter his uncle had told him that members of the Millennium Pavilion were forbidden to get involved in earthly affairs. He didn¡¯t know why this old man had come to the Imperial College and how he¡¯d managed it, but since he was a member of the Millennium Pavilion, would he really expose his true surname so easily?


    The old man¡¯s voice was unhurried and composed, and it sounded neither light nor loud, but even those sitting in the last row could hear him distinctly. Students sitting in the rearmost row subconsciously sat bolt upright, amazement washing over their faces.


    Retaining their curiosity about their new professor, students waited to see how this new professor was going to give a lesson.


    At first, all students, including Ling Zhang, were just curious about how this old man was going to give a lesson, bur gradually they were absorbed by the content of the lesson. Every one of them was listening attentively.


    Ling Zhang was slightly more astounded than his classmates were, for the old man was lecturing on this subject from a perspective different than that of the previous professor, which helped him come to a new perception of calculation. Most importantly, without him noticing it, diagrams of the martial formations he¡¯d learned appeared in his mind, resonating with the content of the old man¡¯s lecture in a subtle fashion, which enabled him to grasp those formations from a different, intriguing angle.


    It was just that this intriguing inspiration vanished before he could form a perception, which brought a slight frown to his face. He felt that there was definitely more to this point that the old man was trying to impart, but the old man seemed to have no intention of explaining it in depth. Gradually, the lecture returned to the normal course.


    Ling Zhang had very complicated thoughts in his mind. He didn¡¯t know whether the old man was doing this intentionally or unintentionally, though he faintly felt there was a bigger chance that the former was the case.


    However, because of what his uncle had told him about his mother in that letter, he¡¯d been having feelings of hostility towards people of the Millennium Pavilion all along, and subconsciously, he was also very wary of them, which was why he still kept a vigilance over the old man, though he had gifted him with a handbook on internal energy.


    After all, back in that year, his mother defied rules of the Millennium Pavilion and was hunted by the organization, which showed that his mother¡¯s conduct was deemed intolerable. As her son, he wondered what people of the Millennium Pavilion thought of him. Giving him the handbook on internal energy had been a gesture of goodwill, and so had been the seemingly unintentional interpretation just now, but he didn¡¯t know what the old man¡¯s intention was.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but give it a lot of thought. He conjectured what the old man would say to him after the lecture was over; he even worried that if the old man intended to do him harm, he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect himself, given his current kung fu skills¡­


    Finally, the lecture was over. Students respectfully stood up and followed the old professor with their eyes as he left the classroom. Ling Zhang, seeing the old man had given no particular signal from start to finish, couldn¡¯t help but feel confused once again. ¡®He has nothing to talk with me about? That was really just a coincidence?¡¯


    ¡°Brother Zhang? Brother Zhang?¡± Yuwen Jin¡¯s voice interrupted Ling Zhang¡¯s train of thought. He asked Ling Zhang, ¡°What are you thinking about? You¡¯re not leaving?¡±


    The lecture in the afternoon was over. All other students had left their classrooms, either going back to their dormitories or returning home. Yuwen Jin, Zhao Jiusi and the other four had put away their things and were waiting for him. Miao Shiba had also entered the classroom and cleared away his school supplies on the desk for him, standing by on the side.


    ¡°Professor Li is a total stranger to me. Do any of you know him?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of them.


    Yuwen Jin shook his head. He barely knew any men of letters.


    Zhao Jiusi and the other four also had a puzzled face. ¡°None of us have ever seen this professor before. It seems that he¡¯s really new. Ji Feng, you¡¯re more informed than us. Do you know the background of Professor Li?¡±


    Ji Feng contemplated for quite a while and then shook his head. ¡°No. Just now I was also amazed when I found that this new professor was a complete stranger to me, that I hadn¡¯t even heard of his name before. Maybe he came to the capital city not long ago.¡±


    ¡°He came to the capital city not long ago?¡± Xie Qing asked in confusion, ¡°but the Imperial College would never hire anybody without fame, talent and learning. Is he by any chance a quite renowned scholar somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then all this would make sense. If he¡¯s a local in this city, we¡¯d probably have recognized him; if he¡¯s from some provincial city, it¡¯d be normal that we¡¯ve never heard of him, but given that he¡¯s landed a job in this college, he¡¯s definitely achieved some academic success, which means he¡¯s no doubt won fame. I¡¯ll make a few inquiries,¡± said Ji Feng.


    All others nodded. From the vantage point of the present, this seemed to be the only way.


    Though the old man¡¯s identity was still unknown, at least some things were now clear: first, the old man was a newcomer; second, the old man was not a local in the capital city, and neither was he widely known in this city, which was almost confirmation of Ling Zhang¡¯s conjecture that the old man¡¯s coming to the Imperial College had not been a coincidence.


    ¡®This means that it¡¯s very likely he¡¯s really after me.¡¯


    Ling Zhang, retaining his vigilance, left the classroom with the others, but until he walked through the front gate of the Imperial College, there¡¯d still been nobody showing up to stop him. He couldn¡¯t help but get more confused and skeptical. Just like this, he returned to the Ling Mansion.


    Yuwen Tong happened to have gone out in the afternoon and wasn¡¯t back yet. Unable to consult with Yuwen Tong about all those matters that had been troubling his mind, Ling Zhang gave them a lot of thought and then started reading the handbook on mental cultivation method of internal energy.


    Finally, at dusk, shortly before night fell, Yuwen Tong returned. Ling Zhang told him about the old man.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the Imperial College?¡± Yuwen Tong had a thoughtful look. Because of his previous conjecture, he had checked all ancient books and notes left by his grandfather during the past few days but still hadn¡¯t found any sentences similar to the one in the handbook on internal energy of Ling Zhang¡¯s, and neither had he found any clues to the origin of the formations. He¡¯d been meaning to open his grandfather¡¯s book chamber and scour it, but now the old man had shown up, and he¡¯d become a teacher in the Imperial College, which was something that couldn¡¯t have been done without both connections and finesse.


    ¡°Almost all teachers of the Imperial College are distinguished scholars. This guy has never shown his face in this city, but the Imperial College still hired him to be a professor. There¡¯s no way he could have done this without the principal¡¯s assistance. I¡¯ll do some digging into this,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head in the knowledge that this was the only thing they could do at the moment. He had no connection whatsoever in the capital city, so Yuwen Tong was the only one he could rely on to inquire into this matter, but currently, what confused him more was the old man¡¯s intentions as well as whether there would be any serious disruptions if the old man was found to be a member of the Millennium Pavilion¡­


    Ling Zhang was very hesitant about informing Yuwen Tong of the Millennium Pavilion. After giving it some thought, he decided to wait until Yuwen Tong finished the inquiry into the role of the principal in this matter.


    Given that the old man had dared to show his face in the Imperial College, he clearly had taken precautions against investigation into his true identity, so Ling Zhang suspected that an inquiry into the principal¡¯s role in this would eventually lead to nothing.


    Besides, now that the old man had shown up, Ling Zhang believed he definitely would try to make contact with him again, either tonight or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and his intentions would surely be exposed.


    On this very night, Yuwen Tong instructed Yao Yi to conduct an inquiry into the background of this new professor as well as the role of the principal in this matter.


    The next morning, Ling Zhang arrived at the Imperial College at an early hour. The old man who gave them a lecture the day before was still nowhere to be seen, but Ling Zhang was a lot more undisturbed now.


    He ran into Ji Feng and the other four who happened to have just arrived at the college as well, and they talked about what happened the day before.


    ¡°It¡¯s so weird. Last night I made a few inquiries after returning home, but none of them had ever heard of that professor who gave us a lecture yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    All five of them had made a few inquiries after going back home but had found nothing.


    ¡°Do we have to ask the principal about it, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be the only way.¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly listened to them and thought, ¡®Yesterday nobody knew about the background of the new professor. Today there¡¯s got to be some news.¡¯


    At noon, there¡¯d still been no hearsay about the background of the new professor surnamed Li, but news about something else came.


    ¡°Jiang Yu¡¯s father was impeached because of his subordinate¡¯s deeds. The prefectural governor of the Xiang City in Cangzhou, whom he once highly recommended, arbitrarily had over ten commoners executed without a fair trial, which resulted in a riot. It was brutally suppressed and a lot of people lost their lives. Originally this matter had been hushed up well, but somehow it was suddenly brought to light. Such was the severity of this incident that even Jiang Yu¡¯s father was harshly rebuked by His Majesty. Now he¡¯s already been removed from office and instructed to introspect about his faults at home.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say! When did that happen?¡±


    ¡°This morning, at the court meeting. News of it has spread through the whole city.¡±

 Chapter 208 - Were You the One Who Did This?

    Chapter 208: Were You the One Who Did This?


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°At today¡¯s morning court meeting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just now I saw Jiang Yu make haste to go back home.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. It caused so many deaths and also a riot, yet his punishment was merely removal from office.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how things work here. He¡¯s a member of Jiang family, and also kin to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Changfeng is unaffected?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge. I think he¡¯s fine. After all he¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s uncle.¡±


    At midday break, news of this matter quickly spread across the college and there were people discussing it everywhere.


    Ling Zhang shared a table with Yuwen Jin and the others at lunch time. Yuwen Jin was so excited to hear the news that he could barely keep from jumping up and setting off firecrackers to celebrate. ¡°About time! People of Jiang family have always been so cocky. Now they got their just deserts.¡±


    Ji Feng and the other four, who were not as ill-disposed to Jiang Yu as he was, didn¡¯t react so dramatically, but this was big news after all, so they also couldn¡¯t help but fall into discussion. ¡°Jiang family must¡¯ve been thrown into total confusion.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Changfeng¡¯s still in office, so the situation in their family won¡¯t be serious. Although Jiang Yu¡¯s father was dismissed from his position, he was still His Majesty¡¯s cousin. After some time, when the waters are calmed, maybe he¡¯ll be reinstated in his post.¡±


    ¡°Even if he is reinstated, his standing won¡¯t be restored to its original height, and there¡¯ll be a long trying time ahead of him. Jiang Changfeng is getting old, and there¡¯s no telling how much longer he could hang in there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Actually Jiang Changfeng looks pretty robust.¡±


    Yuwen Jin was unhappy to hear this. ¡°He made such a serious mistake, and you think His Majesty will reinstate him some day?¡±


    Having been socializing with Yuwen Jin during these days, Zhao Jiusi and the others had come to know the personal history between him and Jiang Yu, so they found his indignation understandable.


    ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s call.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no need for you to be frustrated.¡±


    Yuwen Jin was not frustrated but angry. Since his excited reaction just now had already been conspicuous enough, Ling Zhang had him by the shoulders in an effort to keep him from showing his anger in a noticeable way, lest there be any unfavorable rumors.


    It had never crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind that Jiang Yu¡¯s father would be removed from office, but what had happened in the Xiang City was such a serious event. A riot was no joke, and citizens would never have done such a thing had life not been unbearable. It¡¯d been Jiang family who¡¯d recommended the prefectural governor of the Xiang City, and in the normal course of things, all members of Jiang family would have been punished. Like those students had commented, the emperor had shown mercy to Jiang family by merely dismissing Jiang Yu¡¯s father from his position.


    ¡°Why did the prefectural governor of the Xiang City have those over ten commoners executed? Have any details been disclosed?¡± queried Ling Zhang.


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any news about the specific reason for that. I¡¯ll have to wait until school is over to ask my father about it and find out, but it¡¯s always about those dirty, mean tricks.¡±


    ¡°Given that local yamen of Cangzhou had been keeping it secret for such a long time, the chief and many others were definitely involved. This¡¯ll be another case of the whole leadership being thrown into prison.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. On top of that, Cangzhou is so close to the capital city. Think about it, had the riot escalated into something bigger, there might have been unimaginable consequences. Although His Majesty merely dismissed him from his position for the sake of Jiang family¡¯s reputation, he actually¡­ must be very angry,¡± Ji Feng remarked, lowering his voice.


    Ling Zhang looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. ¡®Ji Feng¡¯s got a point. Cangzhou is so close to the capital city. Given the severity of this event, at least the emperor¡¯s anger at Jiang family won¡¯t subside any time soon.¡¯


    People in Cangzhou were shocked. Apart from officials in Cangzhou and Jiang Yu¡¯s father, some courtiers would definitely be held responsible as well, for it undoubtedly had taken more than Jiang family to hush up an event like that.


    ¡°I think Jiang Yu won¡¯t be coming to school for quite some time,¡± Ji Feng added.


    Yuwen Jin replied, ¡°It won¡¯t really sadden me if he doesn¡¯t. The very sight of him gives me an urge to kick his ass.¡±


    Because of this matter, all their classmates were too occupied sharing news of Jiang family to pay any attention to their new professor.


    In the afternoon, they had a music class. More than half of the students were absent-minded and didn¡¯t hear a single word of what their professor had said.


    In fact, they were not the only ones whose minds were wandering. Ling Zhang was also somewhat inattentive.


    After school, he returned home in haste, found Yuwen Tong and asked him about what had happened at the morning court meeting.


    Yuwen Tong, who was drawing a diagram of a martial formation with a calm look on his face, replied, ¡°His Majesty removed Jiang Chengfeng from office and had him stay at home introspecting about his faults. He also dispatched some men to the Xiang City to arrest others involved. Some courtiers who¡¯d helped hush things up for officials of the Xiang City were also sent packing. These people were not as lucky as Jiang Chengfeng. All of them are now in prison. After apprehension of those in the Xiang City, they¡¯ll go on trial together and receive punishment. Almost all of them have complicated relations with Jiang family one way or another, so this¡¯ll be a rather heavy blow to Jiang family.¡±


    From his calm face, Ling Zhang came to realize something. ¡°You went to the imperial palace earlier today?¡±


    ¡°No. This concerns only those courtiers. I¡¯m still on vacation. The emperor won¡¯t be missing me unless there¡¯s a fight in the northwest,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°We once went past Cangzhou but didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. It never crossed my mind that those officials would be so bold as to do this kind of thing. Do you know the root cause of it?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°It¡¯s about fields. Brother-in-law of the prefectural governor of the Xiang City forcibly occupied some fertile paddy fields, exploited tenant farmers, forced a commoner¡¯s daughter to be his concubine and also caused several deaths. People sued him in the prefecture yamen, but the prefectural governor, instead of dealing with it in a just fashion, had the accuser thrown into prison and beaten to death, which aroused public indignation. After angry citizens ringed the prefecture yamen, he had all of them arrested and imprisoned. In the prison, another couple of people were killed. During the whole process, nearly twenty people lost their lives. Eventually, a riot broke out. Many civilians participating the riot got killed during the suppression and a lot more were executed after the suppression. In total, there were almost a hundred casualties. Some people intended to come to the capital city to report this to the emperor but were intercepted by his men and then directly executed as well. People there were intimidated by his brutal means and nobody dared to come to the capital city to charge him any more. On top of that, those bureaucrats shielded one another and paid hush money to persons higher in the hierarchy. Those who were bribed hushed up the whole thing for him, making sure nobody else found out.¡±


    The frown on Ling Zhang¡¯s face deepened as he listened. ¡®That was virtually atrocious and utterly inhumane. He killed so many people.¡¯


    ¡°When did this happen? And how was it brought to light?¡±


    Yuwen Tong put down his writing brush and looked at the diagram of the formation he¡¯d just finished. Feeling fairly satisfied, he replied, ¡°That was about half a year ago. As regards how it was brought to light¡­ Someone had the commoners involved found, escorted to the capital city and then to the doorway of the public procurator. With so many people involved, there¡¯s no way the public procurator could hush it up even if he wanted to, which was why it was brought to light.¡±


    Ling Zhang got the key point. ¡°Someone had the commoners involved found and escorted to the capital city? You mean somebody had this planned out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but persist, ¡°Who?¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him but made no reply.


    At first Ling Zhang didn¡¯t realize the truth, gazing at Yuwen Tong who was silent. After a while, he widened his eyes. ¡°Were you¡­ the one who did this, by any chance?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°It took some doing.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s indeed Yuwen Tong who did that!¡¯ Ling Zhang was astonished and some kind of inexplicable pride rose inside him, which was approximately the kind of feeling he¡¯d have when finding that Yuwen Tong was indeed the kind of person he¡¯d always known to be. But after cooling down, he asked in a worried voice, ¡°When did you find out about this matter? You were making enemies of Jiang family and those officials by doing this. If by any chance they find out, wouldn¡¯t they retaliate against you? Is there anybody else who knows you did this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered these questions one by one. ¡°Originally I just wanted to teach them a lesson for you. People of Jiang family definitely have done quite some sordid things to get to where they are today. It never crossed my mind that my men would find something so big. It was not long ago that they found out about this. Don¡¯t worry. I did it in a very secret way. Nobody¡¯s going to discover I was the one behind it.¡±


    Ling Zhang was still concerned. ¡°But what about those commoners? Wasn¡¯t you who had them brought to the capital city? If by any chance they rat you out¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I never personally interfered. My men just covertly helped them escape from Cangzhou. Though the riot was suppressed, a lot of people remained unreconciled to the situation and wanted to come to the capital city to prosecute. I just bought them some time and paved the way for their arrival in the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhang was slightly relieved. At this moment, that remark of Yuwen Tong¡¯s ¨C ¡°teach them a lesson for you¡± ¨C involuntarily appeared in his mind. ¡°Were you¡­ referring to that matter of Professor Du?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod. ¡°Yeah. They dared to try to have you expelled from the Imperial College. How could I not return the favor?¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth and watched Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, the expression on which seemed to be suggesting that what he¡¯d done was a matter of course. He felt his heart pounding violently and his throat felt as if it were blocked by something. He wanted to speak but was afraid that something might be exposed if he did, so he just gazed at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong gave a light cough and then directly opened his arms at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang quietly walked up and hugged him.


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong gave him a kiss. ¡°Do you feel revenged?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. After a few moments¡¯ efforts, he cooled down and replied, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just worried that people might find out you were the one who did that. The timing was too perfect.¡±


    Yuwen Tong coldly gave a snort. ¡°People of Jiang family have a great number of political opponents. Even if they suspect me, they won¡¯t be able to find any proof to confirm it. Even if they confirm that it was me who did it, what could they possibly do about it? I was indeed targeting Jiang family, and I did that to send them a word of warning. They¡¯d better see sense, do the right thing and keep Jiang Yu on a leash, making sure he never bites anybody else.¡±


    Ling Zhang tightened his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist, rubbed his face against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and asked, ¡°What about His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°When there are too many debts, one stops worrying about them.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°The emperor has been wary and skeptical of me for quite a long time. He won¡¯t be able to find anything, and even if he did, there won¡¯t be anything I should be concerned about either.¡±


    Ling Zhang knew that Yuwen Tong had always been so arrogant. Previously he hadn¡¯t felt this, but recently he¡¯d kept feeling that something was not quite right. Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitudes towards the emperor seemed to have never changed. He was not afraid of the emperor ¨C truly not afraid. It struck Ling Zhang that Yuwen Tong had strong backing, that he had something in hand that could effectively keep the emperor under control¡­ Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know whether this was merely his misconception or not.


    ¡°Did the old man who gave you the handbook on internal energy talk to you today?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No. In addition, Ji Feng and the others asked their elders after returning home last night but didn¡¯t find anything out about the background of that old man. All of them speculate that the old man is from some provincial city. They want to ask the principal about it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a mysterious smile. ¡°I got something.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his head from Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest to look at him. ¡°What did you find out?¡±

 Chapter 209 - Im Your Maternal Grandfather

    Chapter 209: I¡¯m Your Maternal Grandfather


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Professor Gu recommended that old man, and the principal gave his consent,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡®Professor Gu? The old man who gave me and Yuwen Jin a test that day?¡¯ Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°It surprises me that he knows someone from the Mille¨C¡±


    Realizing what he was disclosing, Ling Zhang stopped in time and didn¡¯t finish his sentence. He was really astonished. ¡®Aren¡¯t members of the Millennium Pavilion forbidden to go into the society? How come Professor Gu is acquainted with a member of the Millennium Pavilion? He even recommended him and helped him get into the Imperial College. Professor Gu would never have done this if he doesn¡¯t know the old man well enough. Professor Gu has acquaintance with the Millennium Pavilion?¡¯


    Though Ling Zhang had broken off promptly, Yuwen Tong still heard the syllables ¡°mille¡±. It was just that he was not sure whether it was ¡°mille¡± or a homophone of it. Yuwen Tong came to realize that undoubtedly, Ling Zhang knew about the background of the old man. Back then when Ling Zhang¡¯d shown him the handbook on internal energy, he¡¯d expressly told him that there were still some secrets he couldn¡¯t tell him about¡­


    Moreover, Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction at this moment seemed to be suggesting that Professor Gu was not supposed to know about the old man¡¯s true identity. ¡®It seems that this old man¡¯s background is even more mysterious than I imagined,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Do you feel that Professor Gu should have no acquaintance with the old man?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°To my knowledge, it should¡¯ve been the case. They¡¯re supposed to keep their identity secret from others, for severe penalties will be meted out to them if they don¡¯t.¡±


    Yuwen Tong contemplated for a few moments. ¡®Severe penalties? What kind of organization has this kind of rules?¡¯ he wondered.


    In astonishment, Ling Zhang was unable to calm himself down for quite a while. He felt that there was one particular thing he needed to figure out first, which was whether Professor Gu knew about the old man¡¯s background or not. If he knew, then it would be a proof that members of the Millennium Pavilion were not really secluded, that they were still in contact with some courtiers. If that was the case, Ling Zhang believed that it would be totally unnecessary for him to have so many misgivings, that he at least had to tell Yuwen Tong everything down to the smallest detail.


    ¡®But how can I find that out?¡¯


    After giving it some careful thought, Ling Zhang decided to directly go to the old man and ask him about it. The old man had already shown himself on his own account, which he believed was an unmistakable implication that he was welcome to go and talk to him.


    With this in mind, the next day, after arriving at the Imperial College, Ling Zhang made a few inquiries and found out where the old man was staying. At midday break, he went there.


    Fortunately for him, when he found it, the old man happened to be in. The tricky part was that Professor Gu was also present.


    Professor Gu, who was somewhat surprised to see Ling Zhang showing up, asked, ¡°What business do you have here?¡±


    Ling Zhang was not sure what kind of attitude the Millennium Pavilion had, and neither was he certain whether Professor Gu knew about the relationship between him and the Millennium Pavilion. Unwilling to let his relations with the Millennium Pavilion come to the knowledge of anybody else, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you, professor, but there¡¯re some study questions I¡¯d like to consult Professor Li about.¡±


    After hearing this, Professor Gu looked at the old man and said, ¡°This is surprising ¨C you¡¯ve given them only one lecture, but a student came here to ask you questions.¡±


    The old man, whose smiling face gave little away, replied, ¡°We may continue our game of chess tomorrow.¡±


    Clearly he was showing Professor Gu the door, but Professor Gu didn¡¯t take offence. He rose to his feet and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you tomorrow.¡±


    Professor Gu left and Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief. Originally, he had worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to ask about it in the presence of another professor. After the old man specially had Professor Gu leave, Ling Zhang wondered whether or not this was an indication that Professor Gu was unaware of his relations with this old man ¨C or with the Millennium Pavilion; or that maybe Professor Gu simply didn¡¯t know about this old man¡¯s true identity yet.


    ¡°I thought that you¡¯d come to me yesterday. Your restraint surprised me.¡± The old man looked at Ling Zhang, a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve already reached the second layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy. This is impressive. You showed great perception, and you¡¯re more talented than all those in the organization, which is a proof that the Force of Blood you inherited from your mother is very strong. In so many years, this is the first time that I¡¯ve seen a clansman with such strong Force of Blood.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked deeply at the old man, his mouth a thin line. ¡°May I ask why you gave me that handbook?¡±


    He had many questions to ask, but eventually he asked this one first, because giving him a handbook on internal energy had been an overture to him, which he couldn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°Given that you have the blood of Ji family coursing in you, and someone unblocked your meridians, wouldn¡¯t it be a pity that you don¡¯t cultivate?¡± replied the old man.


    ¡°Are you not afraid that I might disclose it to other people?¡± queried Ling Zhang.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t, did you?¡± said the old man. Ling Zhang was still gazing fixedly at him, a very confused look in his eyes, as if he had a lot to say. Seeing this, the old man couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping watch on you. Of course I¡¯ll stop you if you want to disclose the mental cultivation method to other people.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly moved his lips but refrained from telling him that he¡¯d already let Yuwen Tong read the handbook, for he didn¡¯t know whether or not the old man would do Yuwen Tong harm if it came to his knowledge.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong informed me that the best age to start practicing kung fu is seven or eight. If the reason was really the one you just told me, why didn¡¯t you give me the handbook earlier?¡±


    By asking this question, Ling Zhang was not complaining that people of the Millennium Pavilion should¡¯ve given him the handbook earlier. He was just wondering why people of the Millennium Pavilion had suddenly shown up in these circumstances.


    The old man, who seemed to have some time ago anticipated that Ling Zhang would ask about this, responded, ¡°Because nobody else in the Millennium Pavilion knows about your existence.¡±


    ¡®Nobody else knows about my existence?¡¯ Ling Zhang furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you¨C¡±


    The old man raised his hand and interrupted Ling Zhang. With a serious face, he looked at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°I gave you this handbook without other people¡¯s knowledge. Nobody else in the Millennium Pavilion is aware of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang widened his eyes and looked at the old man, both surprised and perplexed. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you have blood of Ji family inside you, and you¡¯re talented. It¡¯d be a pity if you don¡¯t cultivate,¡± replied the old man.


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. ¡®Merely because of this? If nobody else in the Millennium Pavilion knows about my existence, how did this old man come to know? Who is he?¡¯


    Seeing Ling Zhang was silent, the old man inquired, ¡°You¡¯re not surprised by the existence of the Millennium Pavilion. Did your mother tell you about it?¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a brief moment and inclined his head.


    His uncle and grandfather were both common people. He was not sure whether people of the Millennium Pavilion would do anything to his uncle and grandfather if any member of it found out about their existence.


    As a result, he added, ¡°I read about it in a letter my mother left me. Others are still unaware.¡±


    The old man seemed to have no intention to persist with his questioning. He merely gave a bob of his head and said, ¡°I saw your security guards practicing the Trap-and-Kill Formation. Was it your mother who taught you that as well?¡±


    Ling Zhang, somewhat surprised, answered, ¡°My mother taught me that when she was still alive. At that time I was still young, and I just memorized it because she told me to. Originally, I¡¯d almost forgotten all of it. Not long ago I was nearly poisoned. Afterwards I suffered from severe headaches and dreamt about my childhood. It was not until then that I gradually remembered many things that I¡¯d forgotten.¡±


    Ling Zhang, while saying this, was observing the changes of the old man¡¯s facial expression but found that the old man was merely listening and didn¡¯t give any particular reaction to his remarks, and neither did he ask whether there were any others aware of those martial formations, as if he didn¡¯t care at all. Ling Zhang really could no longer refrain from wondering, ¡®Uncle said that people of the Millennium Pavilion were forbidden to get involved in earthly affairs. Doesn¡¯t it mean that they¡¯re unwilling to let outsiders know about these unique skills? Why is this old man not angry about it?¡¯


    ¡°You mother died an early death, which has always been a regret of mine. Had she agreed to go back to the Millennium Pavilion, she would¡¯ve still been alive. Pity everybody has their respective fates, and it was understandable that she refused to return in those circumstances,¡± observed the old man.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown and his voice went cold. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because you people wanted to punish my mother that she had to flee?¡±


    ¡°The punishment was not her death,¡± said the old man. ¡°In order to get revenge, she exterminated her foe¡¯s entire family, including innocent ones. Besides, her deeds attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention. Once anybody found any traces, the existence of the Millennium Pavilion would be exposed. She was willful and without scruple. Shouldn¡¯t she be punished?¡±


    ¡°But those people killed her younger brother,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    For a moment the old man was silent, a flicker of grief crossing his eyes. Then he said, ¡°But some of the victims were blameless.¡±


    Ling Zhang was unwilling to lay comment on her mother¡¯s deeds. Those things were in the long distant past after all. Since he hadn¡¯t been there to see with his own eyes what the circumstances had been, he felt he was in no position to judge. Besides, as far as he could remember, his mother had always been a tender woman. He didn¡¯t believe that his mother had been the kind of person who¡¯d hurt innocent people¡­


    Of course the old man understood his attitude. He said, ¡°Your mother was a good person. It¡¯s just that sometimes she was too strong-minded and also too obstinate, and her temper was too violent as well. Back in that year, your uncle died a somewhat miserable death, which was why she lost her sense of propriety and went too far.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped tightly together. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, so I¡¯m not going to lay any ungrounded comment on my mother¡¯s deeds. She avenged my uncle¡¯s death all by her own. How do you know some of the victims were blameless?¡±


    The old man gave a faint smile. He was not angered by Ling Zhang¡¯s confrontational tone. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid as well. Because of you, your mother¡¯s journey in this world was worthwhile.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to hear this kind of remarks. ¡®Nobody wants their own mother dying an early death. Had I had the choice, I¡¯d let my mother live a long happy life.¡¯


    ¡°Who are you exactly? What¡¯s your position in the Millennium Pavilion? What are your relations with my mother? Why do you know about my existence when nobody else in the Millennium Pavilion does?¡±


    Finally, Ling Zhang failed to forbear and asked all the questions he wanted to ask.


    Just now he¡¯d noticed a subtle detail several times ¨C the old man would always soften his tone considerably when talking about his mother, and he seemed to be well acquainted with his mother. Ling Zhang had a sneaking conjecture but was uncertain.


    The old man showed much patience after hearing the string of questions of Ling Zhang. He even poured Ling Zhang a cup of tea. ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious. I¡¯ll answer all your questions one by one.¡±


    No matter what, this old man was an elder, who¡¯d never done anything unfair to him. Ling Zhang, unable to treat the old man with impertinence, thanked the old man after he poured him a cup of tea.


    However, what the old man told him next still dumbfounded him.


    ¡°I¡¯m your mother¡¯s father, your maternal grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his head to look at the old man in astonishment. Though he¡¯d speculated that there was some kind of relationship by blood between this old man and his mother, it¡¯d never crossed his mind that he was his mother¡¯s father, his maternal grandfather¡­


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The old man raised his hand and rubbed his neck. Then he found something and ripped it off, his arm a rapid blur of movement. When Ling Zhang¡¯s eye fell on the old man¡¯s face again, he found himself looking at another person!

 Chapter 210 - An Unquiet Mind

    Chapter 210: An Unquiet Mind


    Translator: DragonRider


    The senile-looking old man with a seamed face had turned into someone a lot younger in a trice. There were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes but not on his face. He looked like a middle-aged man!


    The old man¡­ No, he didn¡¯t look old at all.


    Ling Zhang was sent open-mouthed. If it weren¡¯t for this man¡¯s clothes and gray hair, he would¡¯ve appeared even younger. He didn¡¯t look the age his grandfather should be of at all!


    But an undeniable fact of great importance was that features of this man standing before him closely resembled his.


    Even if this man was not his grandfather, there must be some kind of relationship by blood between the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached the tenth layer of the mental cultivation method. Thanks to my powerful internal energy, I don¡¯t really look my age, but I¡¯m indeed your grandfather.¡±


    After saying this, he bowed his head. Before long, he raised his head and his face had returned to what it¡¯d looked a few moments ago.


    It took Ling Zhang quite a while to recover from shock. With a myriad of thoughts and ideas in his mind, he was suddenly at a loss how to face this old man. In that letter, his uncle had told him that his mother was daughter of an elder of the Millennium Pavilion. He had thought that his grandfather should be someone at his declining years. Besides, as an elder of the Millennium Pavilion, he should be the kind of person who strictly observed disciplines and would never leave the Millennium Pavilion, a stuffy, stern and heartless old man. The mental image of his grandfather he¡¯d had was at any rate different than this old man standing before him, who¡¯d shown him his true face.


    ¡°My surname is Ji, and my first name is Yin. I¡¯m an elder of the Millennium Pavilion. Twenty years ago, after your mother¡¯s younger brother archly sneaked out, she anxiously left with the intention to find him. Nobody could have foreseen what happened next. It was the clan leader who gave the order to have your mother taken back. In that year, outside the capital city, your mother killed those who tried to restrain her. The clan leader was infuriated, but your mother had hidden herself by that time. I implored the clan leader to stop hunting her and forgive her, promising him that she was no longer a member of the Millennium Pavilion and would never come back. The clan leader agreed and rescinded the order to hunt for her. From then on, nobody had ever heard any news of your mother ever again.


    About ten years ago, an outsider made inquiries all around about the Millennium Pavilion, which attracted some people¡¯s attention. The clan leader worried that if the man kept doing so, those in power would discover the existence of the Millennium Pavilion, which might reduce the Millennium Pavilion to a tool of those in power once again, so he sent some men to have that person seized and brought back. However, for some unknown reason, the man was seriously wounded and dying when they found him. Those having orders to escort him back intended to leave him be but heard him mumbling your mother¡¯s name, so they took him back. With the help of my internal energy, he came around for a few moments. I was astounded to know that he was your mother¡¯s husband. Pity he soon blacked out and was on the verge of death. I pleaded with the clan leader, who eventually went to his help personally and revived his cardiac meridian rescuing him from imminent death, but whether he would survive or not remained unknown.


    Just like that, he remained unconscious for many years, neither dead nor alive. I wanted to inquire into what he had done and ascertain his identity, why he¡¯d shown up alone, and how your mother was, but I encountered some obstacles ¨C he¡¯d used a pseudonym and concealed his family background. I went to a lot of trouble trying to find out but got nothing. Since he¡¯d been in a coma for so many years, I was about to give up, but not long ago he suddenly revived ¨C nobody knew the reason but he abruptly came around. It was just that he seemed to have suffered some kind of mental trauma and was delirious. It was from his disjointed ramblings that I came to know about your mother¡¯s death, that they had a son ¨C you. Then I left the mountain to look for you. When I found you, you¡¯d left Tanyang planning to come to this city with Yuwen Tong. I discovered that your meridians had been unblocked, which was why I came up with the idea of imparting the mental cultivation method to you.¡±


    The old man informed him of a lot of things, every one of which struck Ling Zhang as shocking. He¡¯d been totally unaware of any of these antecedents.


    ¡®That man¡­ Father really found the Millennium Pavilion. The reason why he never came back home was because he suffered severe injuries and was in a coma all along¡­¡¯


    ¡°How is he¡­ my father?¡± Ling Zhang sounded somewhat rusty when he uttered that word. He couldn¡¯t remember how many years it had been since the last time he¡¯d said this word.


    The old man, Ji Yin, replied, ¡°He¡¯s still in a state of delirium. To cure him thoroughly, I need to find a very rare crude drug, which even the Millennium Pavilion doesn¡¯t have in hand for the moment.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s throat felt rather sore and constricted. He was eager to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡®That man didn¡¯t forsake us. He¡¯d been in a coma and almost died. And even now he is still delirious¡­¡¯


    Ji Yin, noticing that something was not quite right with Ling Zhang¡¯s mood, sighed, ¡°I also had someone dig into his past. Don¡¯t blame him.¡±


    Ling Zhang made no response, having no idea whether he should blame him or not. Sometimes he felt that man was to blame, but he¡¯d just been in a coma after being seriously wounded; sometimes he wanted to forgive him, but he¡¯d indeed left home brushing aside his duties as a father. In his last incarnation, those things that had happened to Ling family were so horrible but his father was not there for his family and didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of what they suffered.


    There was an intense struggle ongoing in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood for talking at all, but he had to say something.


    ¡°In a sense you¡¯d already evicted my mother from the Millennium Pavilion, why are you still willing to help my father? And why are you still willing to help me?¡±


    The Millennium Pavilion¡¯s disownment of his mother, to some extent, might have been the cause of his mother¡¯s death¡­


    ¡°My mother was ill. Had you not disowned her, she might have still been alive.¡±


    ¡®And that man¡­ wouldn¡¯t have chosen to leave home because of that.¡¯


    Ji Yin remained silent for quite a while. A flicker of grief crossed his eyes as he remarked in a somewhat low and deep voice, ¡°Had she not been disowned, the Millennium Pavilion would¡¯ve kept sending more men to hunt her, and she would¡¯ve still refused to go back. The conflict would¡¯ve been irreconcilable, which eventually would still lead to a terrible final outcome. The rule of the Millennium Pavilion has been there for hundreds of years. This strict rule is the very reason why people of the Millennium Pavilion have managed to live a secluded life for centuries. We couldn¡¯t abandon it on your mother¡¯s account. Otherwise the consequence would probably have been the loss of our peaceful life. There¡¯re so many people in the Millennium Pavilion. Aren¡¯t they innocent? The clan leader has his responsibilities, and I have mine.¡±


    However, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to hear any of these. Maybe these remarks were right, but it was his mother that they were talking about. It¡¯d been his mother who¡¯d died, and he was unable to remain sensible without feeling he was heartless.


    ¡°I know you have a grudge against us, but we couldn¡¯t change these things at will. The clan leader rescued your father when he was dying, and he didn¡¯t stop me from leaving the mountain. He showed great tolerance for your mother¡¯s deeds,¡± sighed Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang had been informed of so many things in such a short time, but he found it difficult to accept all of them.


    ¡°Good boy. I know you need more time to accept all this. Let¡¯s call it a day. We may continue our talk after you¡¯re more collected,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang was indeed unable to calm himself down at this moment. He had mixed feelings and there was a multitude of thoughts in his mind. Right now the only thing he wanted to do was find a place to spend some time alone and then find someone to confide what was on his mind. He wanted to go back to Yuwen Tong.


    He rose to his feet, took his leave and then walked out of the house with an unquiet mind.


    Ji Yin was still sitting in his chair, following Ling Zhang with his eyes as he left. Eventually he heaved a sigh of disappointment. He had stated his identity but hadn¡¯t heard Ling Zhang call him grandfather. ¡®Maybe I really did the wrong thing in that year,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t go back to attend class. He asked for leave and returned to his residence.


    Seeing the preoccupied look on his face, all guards worried that something had happened.


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°The Marshal went back home to look into something,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang frowned, raised his hand to knead his temples and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll be in my study. If he returns, tell him that I¡¯ve come back and would like to see him.¡±


    Yao Yi and other bodyguards looked at each other in dismay, feeling that something was not quite right with Ling Zhang¡¯s mood. ¡°Childe Ling, is everything really okay? You don¡¯t look very well. How about I go there and call the Marshal back right away?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. Since Yuwen Tong had gone back to look into something, it must be a matter of importance. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll wait for him to return.¡±


    Yao Yi and the others were all in deep concern. Ling Zhang walked into the study, cutting a lonesome figure. Seeing this, they all went somewhat anxious.


    ¡°Did anything happen in the Imperial College?¡± Yao Yi and the others immediately inquired Miao Shiba.


    Miao Shiba shook his head, ¡°Nothing happened in the Imperial College. Everything was normal. It was after paying a visit to the new professor that Childe Ling had a sullen face and came back on leave.¡±


    ¡°The new professor? Isn¡¯t he the one that the Marshal instructed us to investigate? Damn it. That professor seems to have come out of thin air, and it¡¯s rather inconvenient to start from Gu family. We cannot find anything about him in a short time.¡±


    ¡­


    At the time when all guards in the Ling Mansion were deeply worried, Yuwen Tong was rooting around in the book chamber left by his grandfather. This book chamber was of a special design, impervious to moisture and proof against worms. It had been specially built to preserve precious books. The key to the door of it was in his hand, and even Yuwen Zhi couldn¡¯t get in, but since he hadn¡¯t come back very often ¨C once every few years ¨C nobody had entered this book chamber for a very long time. Not only was there a strange odor in it, many books needed to be taken outside, exposed to sunshine and rebound.


    However, Yuwen Tong came here to look into something on this day, so he didn¡¯t have the time to take care of those books.


    He¡¯d spent the whole morning in this place. After browsing through quite a few books, he¡¯d finally found a clue.


    It was about martial formations. Though there was no diagram of them, there were some descriptions. The manuscript said that a long time ago, there was an extraordinarily talented man who was good at martial formations. The formations he designed were very ingenious and held enormous anti-personnel force. The then emperor, after hearing it, forced him into serving him. Thus, all martial formations designed by that man fell into the hands of the then emperor and nobody could get any information about them. The book also mentioned that those things were preserved in the Foreseers Agency, which was a department very much in the then emperor¡¯s confidence.


    ¡®The Foreseers Agency?¡¯ Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. The Foreseers Agency had been consigned to oblivion a long time ago. The incumbent emperor of the Great Yue was not a believer in this kind of things and forbade them, which was why this name ¡°the Foreseers Agency¡± sounded somewhat strange to Yuwen Tong, but clearly at that time this department had had very high standing and had been trusted very much by the then emperor. It could be said that in terms of status, those foreseers had literally been second to only the then emperor!

 Chapter 211 - Yuwen Tongs Effort to Straighten Ling Zhang Up

    Chapter 211: Yuwen Tong¡¯s Effort to Straighten Ling Zhang Up


    Translator: DragonRider


    Yuwen Tong read the next few pages and found something intriguing. The manuscript said that all emperors of the Xia dynasty had great trust in the Foreseers Agency, that they not only stored in the department manuals on martial formations they collected, but also wanted the department to stand for all eternity, as they believed the Xia would, which was why they conferred on the Foreseers Agency another name ¨C the Deca-millennium Pavilion.


    ¡®The Deca-millennium Pavilion¡­¡¯ He remembered that the words written on Ling Zhang¡¯s handbook were A phoenix secluded itself in mountains shall transcend eternity.


    ¡®Deca-millennium, eternity¡­ there seems to be some kind of connection between the two.¡¯


    His speculation was confirmed in the next few pages of the manuscript, the author mentioned foreseers of the Deca-millennium Pavilion were descendants of phoenixes, which were ancient sacred birds.


    First the saying ¡®A phoenix secluded itself in mountains shall transcend eternity.


    Now this manuscript, plus Deca-millennium¡­


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t think this was a coincidence.


    Back in that year, as the Xia, a powerful united nation, fell apart splitting into four smaller countries, the Foreseers Agency of the Xia also disappeared in that disaster, but maybe it didn¡¯t thoroughly perish, maybe it survived.


    At the end of the manuscript, there was another sentence: A phoenix flying out of seclusion shall rule all.


    Yuwen Tong recalled that when he¡¯d been a young boy, he¡¯d once followed his grandfather into this book chamber and accidentally disarranged the books on one of the bookshelves. One of the books had fallen down. He¡¯d picked it up out of curiosity, casually cast an eye over it and seemed to have read this sentence. But he¡¯d been too young, and his memory had not been as amazingly retentive as he¡¯d been afterwards. On top of this, at that time his vocabulary had been quite limited, and after picking up that book, he¡¯d just casually browsed it for a few moments when his grandfather had taken it away and put it back onto the bookshelf, which was why that sentence on Ling Zhang¡¯s handbook had seemed familiar to him but he couldn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d read it no matter how hard he¡¯d tried.


    Yuwen Tong finished reading the manuscript in his hand. Most of the contents were about martial formations of the last dynasty. Information about the Deca-millennium Pavilion in it was rather sketchy. The main point of it was about those martial formations collected by the imperial family of the Xia. The manuscript said that diagrams of many formations had been consigned to oblivion with the division of the Xia.


    ¡®Maybe those formations Ling Zhang know about were among those.


    Ling Zhang once said that it was his mother who taught him those formations. His mother¡¯s family background was very mysterious, and Ling Zhang has been quite secretive about it¡­¡¯


    Yuwen Tong checked some other books and found that there was no other useful information, but at least he was now positive about one thing: though the Xia had perished, the Foreseers Agency of the Xia had not really disappeared. It¡¯s been hidden in the shadows and unknown to the whole world for centuries.


    From Ling Zhang¡¯s unwillingness to talk about his mother¡¯s parentage, it could be deduced that this organization had very strict rules, and members of it were not allowed to disclose its existence to outsiders.


    After locking the door of the book chamber, Yuwen Tong, who had a shrewd idea, planned to had his subordinates look into it as soon as he returned.


    However, on his arrival at the Ling Mansion, he sensed that something was not quite right in the residence.


    ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling came back. He¡¯s in a filthy mood. I think something happened. He wants you to go to the study to see him after your return.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. ¡®At this hour?¡¯


    Miao Shiba walked up on his own account and told Yuwen Tong what Ling Zhang had done earlier this day.


    ¡®The new professor, in all likelihood, is a descendant of a member of the Foreseers Agency of the last dynasty. Did Ling Zhang by any chance go to meet him because he is¡­¡¯


    Yuwen Tong immediately hurried to the study and pushed the door open.


    Ling Zhang was sitting inside contemplating, appearing in low spirits. As he saw Yuwen Tong walk inside, his face softened noticeably.


    ¡°Yao Yi said that you went back home to look into something. Did you find what you want?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°I did.¡±


    He felt Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead, stroked his cheek and said, ¡°What did that old man say to you to make you so down?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped tightly together. After a long silence, he replied, ¡°It was about my parents.¡±


    ¡®Then it was definitely not some very good news. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been in such a foul mood,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong. Recalling what he¡¯d just ascertained, he queried, ¡°You want to talk about it?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. Before Yuwen Tong¡¯s return, he¡¯d been hesitating over it, but now he¡¯d made up his mind.


    ¡°Do you know that there used to be a department called the Foreseers Agency in the last dynasty?¡± Ling Zhang inquired.


    ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart gave a slight lurch. He answered, ¡°I do. When the Xia still ruled this land, the Deca-millennium Pavilion¡¯s standing was second to only that of the emperor. It was very influential at that time. Rumor has it that foreseers of the Deca-millennium Pavilion were descendants of phoenixes and wielded great powers. Afterwards the Xia perished and the Foreseers Agency disappeared¡­¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang what he had just found. ¡°Just now I went back home, checked the books in my grandfather¡¯s book chamber and found out one thing ¨C the mental cultivation method you¡¯ve been following is related to the Deca-millennium Pavilion of the last dynasty. Am I right?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in amazement. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would find out about this so quick.


    ¡®It seems that even if I don¡¯t tell him anything, he would ascertain everything sooner or later.¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With this as a start, telling the rest of the story was much easier. Ling Zhang informed Yuwen Tong of all that his uncle and the old man ¨C the one who claimed to be his maternal grandfather ¨C had told him previously.


    ¡°¡­ He hasn¡¯t come back home for so many years, showing a total disregard for our feelings. I should¡¯ve kept hating him, but when it came to my knowledge that he¡¯d sustained severe injuries and narrowly escaped death and had been in a coma all these years, I found that I no longer hated him that much, but the very thought of him leaving me and my grandfather keeps me from granting him forgiveness. And there¡¯s also the matter of the Millennium Pavilion ¨C the relations between my mother and this organization was too complicated, but it was also the reason why my father survived. Right now I¡¯m totally confused as to what my attitude should be towards it. Just now I was in an unquiet state of mind, and I left in such haste that I didn¡¯t even call him grandfather.¡±


    Yuwen Tong a few moments ago had got a shrewd idea of what was going on, but it surprised him that the context of it was so complex. No wonder Ling Zhang was now in a somewhat troubled state of mind.


    He was aware that Ling Zhang was telling him these things not only because he trusted him but also because he wanted him to help him make a decision.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°From the vantage point of the present, the Millennium Pavilion harbors no hostility towards you. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to teach those martial formations to others. Also, your grandfather specially gave you a handbook on mental cultivation. On top of this, they saved your father¡¯s life. As regards what happened to your mother¡­ I understand what you feel, and I think instead of mulling over it in this room, you might as well ask them, get to the bottom of the business and put an end to it.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s perplexed mind gradually cleared. He looked at Yuwen Tong and asked, ¡°Are you saying that I should go to the Millennium Pavilion and figure everything out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d talk to people of the Millennium Pavilion face to face and settle it once and for all. You have hatred for the Millennium Pavilion, so you should go there and bring this hatred to an end, but because they saved your father¡¯s life and you don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s right or not to keep hating them, you should also go there and repay this favor. The two of them are not mutually exclusive. Given that these things have just come to your knowledge, it¡¯s normal that you¡¯re in a confused state of mind and your judgement feels clouded, but be it resentment or gratitude, once you talk things through with them face to face, you¡¯ll know what you should do. Besides, you father is still healing his wounds in the Millennium Pavilion. We have to go and see him, no matter what.¡±


    The puzzlement in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes gradually dissolved. ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯s right. I should go and talk it over with them instead of staying here overthinking. No matter whether I should have hatred for or gratitude to them, sooner or later the day would come when I have to get this matter settled.¡¯


    As if a giant rock weighing him down had just been removed, he couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh of relief.


    Yuwen Tong, seeing his relieved expression, came to know that he¡¯d come round, so he offered, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you if you like.¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang would like Yuwen Tong to go with him. Yuwen Tong¡¯s company always gave him the feeling that no harm could ever come to him.


    ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll pay another visit to¡­ my grandfather and talk things through with him.¡±


    The words ¡± grandfather¡± still felt unacquainted. Ling Zhang entertained a complaint against the old man as well, but contrary to the complaint, there was also gratitude, for the old man had come to his father¡¯s rescue¡­ Just like Yuwen Tong had said, these were separate issues, and it was undeniable that the old man was his maternal grandfather.


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat hesitant. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know yet that I¡¯ve told you about these things. I fear that¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who understood what Ling Zhang was worrying about, remarked, ¡°As far as I could tell, given that he¡¯s given you the handbook, he should¡¯ve anticipated that you¡¯d tell me about these things. Tomorrow I¡¯ll pay him a visit with you. After we meet him, we listen to him and play it by ear.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    A while ago his mind had been in a whirl, but Yuwen Tong had helped him sort his thoughts out in such a short time. Ling Zhang, having figured out what he should do, was naturally in a much better mood.


    He opened his mouth intending to thank Yuwen Tong, but then recalled that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t like it when he said thanks to him, for it made him feel like a stranger. Therefore, he walked up to Yuwen Tong, hugged him and rubbed his face against his chest. ¡°I feel much better now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who understood what he meant, gave a smile, lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead, putting his arms tightly around his waist.


    The matter of the Millennium Pavilion was by no means a trifle. Even if the imperial family of the Great Yue didn¡¯t believe this kind of things, once the existence of the Millennium Pavilion came to their knowledge, they would definitely take action, and the other countries would no doubt make their move as well, so for the moment, the fact that the Millennium Pavilion still existed must be kept secret.


    It was Ling Zhang¡¯s maternal grandfather that the two of them would be meeting the next day. Though it¡¯d been merely one day that Ling Zhang had come to know the old man¡¯s true identity, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was Ling Zhang¡¯s elder, which was why Yuwen Tong was now pondering what presents he should bring the old man the next day.


    People in the residential compound, seeing Ling Zhang was in a much better mood after Yuwen Tong¡¯s return, all felt a sense of relief.


    Had it not been the case, they might have resorted to kidnapping the new professor of the Imperial College.


    ¡°The Imperial College is so troublesome. Young Master suffers wrong in there every two or three days. The way I see it, Young Master might as well drop out!¡± huffed Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Tell me about it. Young Master¡¯s admission to it was granted by the emperor, so what? He cannot forbid people from dropping out, can he? Clearly Young Master¡¯s original choice was the Oriental Rite Academy,¡± sniffed Qiu Bing.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Cut the chatter. We cannot talk this matter to a settlement,¡± observed Liu Yi.


    Having already returned, Ling Zhang had no intention to go back to school this day. He consulted with Yuwen Tong about what he should say to his grandfather when they met him the next day.


    ¡°By the way, my grandfather is in disguise. I don¡¯t know whether Professor Gu is aware of it or not. Maybe people of Gu family have no knowledge of my grandfather¡¯s true identity,¡± confided Ling Zhang. He felt that this was more likely to be the truth. After all, Gu family had too many dealings with the imperial family. If the Millennium Pavilion really wanted to stay in seclusion, they should avoid getting involved in Gu family¡¯s business.

 Chapter 212 - A Horse Race

    Chapter 212: A Horse Race


    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Tomorrow let¡¯s sound him out. If there¡¯s some kind of connection between the Millennium Pavilion and Gu family, we¡¯d have less misgivings,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave it a brief thought and felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point. ¡®If people of the Millennium Pavilion themselves have already made contact with Gu family, then they¡¯d have no reason to request me to keep these things secret from Yuwen Tong,¡¯ he thought.


    In the afternoon, Yuwen Jin and Zhao Jiusi dropped by. Ling Zhang had suddenly left school in the morning without telling them why, so they were all worried about him.


    ¡°Did anything happen, Brother Zhang?¡± Yuwen Jin was the first one to ask him.


    His eyes appraised Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Seeing him look well, he felt slightly relieved.


    ¡°Not really. I came back because I suddenly recalled there was something urgent I needed to consult with Yuwen Tong about. I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t have the time to tell you,¡± replied Ling Zhang in an apologetic tone of voice. His heart seemed to expand and glow as he sensed his friends¡¯ concern for him.


    Seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s bearing, Zhao Jiusi, Ji Feng and the others felt that there was probably no problem. Although they were aware that what Ling Zhang just told them might not be the real reason, none of them asked any further questions about it, for it was enough for them to know that Ling Zhang was fine.


    ¡°Incidentally, this afternoon the professor said that in a few days he¡¯d take us to the hunting ground in the western suburbs for a horse race, so don¡¯t forget to make preparations,¡± Yuwen Jin informed him.


    ¡°A horse race?¡± Ling Zhang found it confusing that they were suddenly asked to participate in a horse race.


    Seeing his puzzled look, Zhao Jiusi explained, ¡°This is one of the traditions of the Imperial College. Every year, there are two horse races of this kind. This¡¯ll be the first one this year. Apart from horse races, there are also shooting contests, music contests, calligraphy contests and so on, which are held at different times of the year. You¡¯ll have your chance to take part in them in the future. They¡¯re pretty interesting.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had got a general idea of what this was about, inclined his head.


    ¡°Some people have already gone to the hunting ground in the western suburbs to make preparations. It¡¯s said that the prizes are pretty handsome,¡± said Ji Feng.


    ¡®There are prizes?¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s interest was aroused. ¡°What kind of prizes?¡±


    ¡°Well, money is not on the list; they say that it¡¯s too vulgar. Just some calligraphy works and paintings ¨C all by renowned masters. There were occasions when His Majesty personally presented the prizes. Rumor has it that this time His Majesty would do it again,¡± Ji Feng informed him.


    ¡°His Majesty will participate in the contest as well?¡± queried Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Of course not. His Majesty has a myriad of state affairs to attend to every day, so he¡¯ll just present the prizes, but¡­ it¡¯s not that there¡¯s no precedent for that. His Majesty took part in some of the contests held in the couple of years following his enthronement, but he hasn¡¯t in recent years,¡± responded Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang was slightly relieved. ¡®If His Majesty is also going to be a participant, the situation would be very different. It¡¯s best that he won¡¯t take part.¡±


    ¡°Incidentally, it¡¯s said that the Oriental Rite Academy will be competing against us,¡± said Zhao Turui.


    ¡°Students of the Oriental Rite Academy compete with students of the Imperial College in a horse race? Wouldn¡¯t there be a fight?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be,¡± answered Zhao Turui. ¡°Why would they fight?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there rumors that there is open hostility between students of the Oriental Rite Academy and those of the Imperial College? This is a competition we¡¯re talking about. Wouldn¡¯t there be a fight if the losing side refuses to accept defeat?¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly thought for a few moments and, surprisingly, found that Yuwen Jin actually had got a point, so he looked at Ji Feng and the others.


    Zhao Jiusi claimed in a very calm and positive tone, ¡°The Imperial College will not lose.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He¡¯d begun to act so competitively before the contest even started, yet he believed there wouldn¡¯t be a fight?


    ¡°Actually your words served as a reminder to me. It seems that I¡¯ve got to make some preparations. Maybe I should carry a piece of iron or something like that in my sleeve that day,¡± said Ji Feng, stroking his chin.


    Surprisingly, Zhao Turui, Xun Huo and Xie Qing also started considering it. They even consulted with each other about what would be their best choice ¨C pieces of iron or something else, and where they should hide them. Seeing this, Yuwen Jin who had always had a desire to stir up trouble, immediately offered them a lot of suggestions.


    ¡°Ling Zhang¡¯s kung fu is very good, right? And he knows some badass moves as well. We should have him teach us a couple of those. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d prove helpful,¡± remarked Xie Qing, very composed.


    Ling Zhang remained silent. ¡®Really?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Zhang. Teach us, so that we can kick those bastards¡¯ asses during the fight!¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. ¡°You really wish there¡¯d be a fight?¡±


    ¡°They will almost certainly be unreconciled to the situation after losing to us. It¡¯s rumored that they have kung fu lessons in the Oriental Rite Academy, that they¡¯re supposed to be adept with both the pen and the sword. The way I see it, they¡¯re just a bunch of boors. You expect them to listen to reason?¡± sniffed Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a brief moment and then decided to come to his friend¡¯s defense. ¡°Tao Yi, for one, is not an impulsive person.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Brother Tao does look gentle and refined.¡± It was after hearing this that Ji Feng recollected Tao Yi.


    ¡°There are a great number of students in the Oriental Rite Academy. Brother Tao is indeed gentle and refined, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the others are gentle and refined as well. To be on the safe side, we should take some precautions,¡± commented Xie Qing.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Tao Yi?¡± Yuwen Jin inquired.


    On that day when they went to the manor, Yuwen Jin didn¡¯t join them on the trip because of some family matter, so he had no knowledge of who Tao Yi was.


    Ling Zhang explained to him that Tao Yi was his friend whom he had known when he had been in Tanyang.


    Yuwen Jin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great. I may make his acquaintance in the contest.¡±


    Eventually, Ling Zhang was still drawn to the drill ground by them, asked to teach them some badass moves that they could use to defend themselves.


    Ling Zhang felt that they were just anxious to see the world in disorder, that deep down inside they all liked to go along for the ride, and maybe on that day they would add fuel to the tension and turn a controllable situation into a fight.


    But this was not really a serious matter, so after giving it some thought, Ling Zhang agreed. Of course the moves he taught them were not dangerous ones, just some practical defensive moves and some flexible unconventional ones, which were difficult to defend against and would enable them to secure victory in an ingenious and unexpected way.


    The seven of them spent over two hours practicing in the drill ground, sweating buckets. Ling Zhang felt that it¡¯d be inappropriate for him to let them go back just like this, so he had some servants prepare hot water to let them take a bath.


    After the bath, it was a little late, so naturally Ling Zhang had them stay for dinner before seeing them off.


    Yuwen Tong had never made an appearance so far. Ling Zhang guessed that he probably had left the residence to attend to something.


    Unsurprisingly, it was after dinner that Yuwen Tong came back. His travel-soiled clothes seemed to be suggesting that he had gone through a long journey.


    Ling Zhang helped Yuwen Tong take off his overgarment and handed it to a servant, telling the servant to bring the food reserved for Yuwen Tong. Then he asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°First the imperial palace, and then the hunting ground in the western suburbs. The emperor suddenly told me he¡¯d pay a visit to the hunting ground a couple of days later, and he wanted me to accompany him. It¡¯s been quite a long time since the last time I set foot in the western suburbs, so I went there in advance to scout out the lie of the land in the hunting ground lest any accident happen on that day,¡± replied Yuwen Tong, who then sat down and directly dug in, seeming fairly hungry.


    Ling Zhang was amazed to hear this. ¡°His Majesty is actually going to participate?¡±


    ¡°You know about it?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Ling Zhang informed Yuwen Tong of the horse race between the Imperial College and the Oriental Rite Academy, and also told him that in the afternoon he had taught Yuwen Jin and the others a couple of moves in case there was a fight on that day.


    ¡°Now we can relax safe. With His Majesty¡¯s presence, nobody would dare to pick a fight.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had thought that the emperor had decided to go to the hunting ground on the spur of the moment, for just now the emperor had put it in a quite casual way, as if he was merely asking a couple of officials to accompany him for a walk to relieve boredom. It surprised him that the emperor¡¯s intention was to watch a horse race held by the Imperial College.


    If that was the case, then it wouldn¡¯t be just a small matter of the emperor going on an outing in casual clothes. Probably courtiers of all descriptions would be present as well.


    As if something had just occurred to him, Yuwen Tong pondered for a few moments and then resumed eating. He asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Do you want to win a prize?¡±


    Ling Zhang was fully aware of his proficiency in riding. He was barely able to ride a horse in a normal way and definitely couldn¡¯t hold a candle to those with consummate skills, but Yuwen Tong should know very well how his horsemanship was. He¡¯d specially asked this because¡­


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ling Zhang first answered in the affirmative, and then stared at Yuwen Tong, waiting to hear what he had to say.


    ¡®Who would say no to a chance of victory?¡¯ Ling Zhang believed that he was also a young man of ardour and competitiveness.


    Yuwen Tong raised his head, looked at him and replied, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll teach you horsemanship in the next few days.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®I knew it!¡¯


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask for a couple of days¡¯ leave after we visit my grandfather tomorrow,¡± said Ling Zhang, safe in the knowledge that his request for leave wouldn¡¯t be denied as Yuwen Tong would go there with him the next day.


    Seeing he was in high spirits with excitement gleaming in his eyes, Yuwen Tong believed that what had happened in the morning would no longer affect Ling Zhang¡¯s mood, so he also felt happy. Had he not been eating, he would give Ling Zhang a kiss.


    Beneath his ardent gaze, Ling Zhang, recalling how intimate the two of them had been these days, fully understood what Yuwen Tong meant. He took his eyes off him, a flush spreading over his cheeks.


    Yuwen Tong quickly finished his meal, wiped his mouth, rose to his feet and drew Ling Zhang towards the outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk to help digestion.¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly followed him towards the outside. On the day when the two of them had taken a walk around the drill ground after he overate, Yuwen Tong seemed to grow fond of this exercise. Every day after dinner, Yuwen Tong would draw him outside to go for a walk, saying it helped digestion, which sometimes made Ling Zhang feel as if he and Yuwen Tong had been married for years. And he had an inexplicable premonition that this might be how life would be like after he and Yuwen Tong got old.


    There was only one brazier beside the drill ground. Sometimes those guards would come here to practice kung fu at night, but since their two masters were now having a walk here, they naturally wouldn¡¯t be so insensitive as to show up causing a disturbance at this time. In the dim light from the brazier, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, hand in hand, slowly strolled around the large drill ground. Night breezes, warm and sweet, were softly blowing by, and their hearts seemed to be involuntarily expanding and glowing.


    ¡°The revamp of the drugstore is finished. Let¡¯s go there and take a look after our visit to the Imperial College tomorrow,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    It was Yuwen Tong who had been taking care of the revamp project of the drugstore for Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Wang Qing had reported this matter to him. Earlier this afternoon, he had wanted to go there, but Yuwen Jin and the others had shown up so he had had to give up.


    ¡°Reply from Tanyang should arrive during the next few days,¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    Ling Zhang nodded again, oblivious of the expectant look in the eyes of Yuwen Tong who was walking beside him. As soon as the reply from Tanyang arrived, Yuwen Tong would come to know Ling Zhang¡¯s uncle¡¯s opinions and be able to start making preparations¡­


    Ling Zhang was thinking about building a trade caravan. Since the revamp project had been finished, the moment herbs from Tanyang were delivered here, the drugstore would be ready to open for business.


    But before that, he had to pick an auspicious date and invite a couple of friends to the grand opening to roll logs for him.


    Business prospects in the trading center in the west of the city were very good. The general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain had even specially paid him a visit and acted as a go-between for him, introducing him to a couple of big clients. All he needed to do was wait for herbs from Tanyang to be delivered to the capital city

 Chapter 213 - A Frank and Straight Talk

    Chapter 213: A Frank and Straight Talk


    Translator: DragonRider


    The next day, the two of them arrived at the Imperial College together, heading directly for the courtyard house of Ji Yin.


    Though Yuwen Tong had been trying to keep this visit of his low-key, it still attracted much attention. The principal, on hearing that Yuwen Tong had come again, widened his eyes drastically. ¡®I think I handled that matter impartially and without bias that day. Professor Du has been stripped of his title of a professor of the Imperial College and expelled. What else does Yuwen Tong want?¡¯ he thought.


    Somewhat anxious, the principal hurriedly tried to find Yuwen Tong, but the one keeping watch on Yuwen Tong¡¯s whereabouts informed him that Yuwen Tong had gone to see the new professor surnamed Li.


    ¡®The new professor surnamed Li? Was there some kind of conflict between Professor Li and Ling Zhang?¡¯


    The principal didn¡¯t relax after hearing this. On the contrary, he hastened towards Ji Yin¡¯s courtyard house, fearing that Yuwen Tong might kill that new professor in a fit of temper.


    He arrived at Ji Yin¡¯s place only to find that the door was guarded by bodyguards and he was denied entry.


    ¡°The Marshal has some private affairs to talk with Professor Li about. Please wait a few moments, principal,¡± said Yao Yi.


    The principal ventured, ¡°Was it because Professor Li came into conflict with Childe Ling, by any chance?¡±


    Yao Yi responded, ¡°That¡¯s not the case. There¡¯s no need for you to be anxious, principal.¡±


    The principal heaved a sigh of relief in the knowledge that there was no conflict between the two. ¡®But that professor is new here. Did he and Yuwen Tong know each other?¡¯


    Apart from the principal, Professor Gu hurried to this place as well, and he also went skeptical and confused after being told that Yuwen Tong had some private affairs to talk with Professor Li about. It was him who¡¯d recommended Professor Li to the principal, but he had never heard Professor Li say anything about his acquaintance with Yuwen Tong. He remembered that the day before Ling Zhang suddenly came here saying that he wanted to consult Professor Li about some questions, and then Professor Li sent him away on a pretext. ¡®Did Professor Li make acquaintance with Ling Zhang first, by any chance?¡¯ A succession of questions flashed across Professor Gu¡¯s mind, but he was unable to get in to find out what was going on inside, so he had no choice but to wait with the principal, both of them in puzzlement.


    In the house, Ji Yin seemed to have anticipated that Ling Zhang would come back on this day, and he was not surprised to see Yuwen Tong.


    On entering, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong made a bow with their hands folded in front to pay respects to Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin hurriedly led them to the seats.


    Although Ling Zhang had had no problem saying the word ¡°grandfather¡± when consulting with Yuwen Tong in private, he still found it rather difficult to address the old man as such in the presence of him.


    Ji Yin looked at Ling Zhang with a mild and expectant expression in his eyes, which naturally was tinged with guiltiness and uneasiness. He was waiting to hear that form of address from Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth.


    Eventually, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    He felt that since he had already made up his mind to admit he owed the Millennium Pavilion a favor, he ought to address this old man as ¡®grandfather¡¯.


    Just as Yuwen Tong had said, his grudge against them and the favor he owed them deserved to be dealt with in separate ways. Besides, there was bond of blood between them, which was unerasable.


    Ji Yin¡¯s eyes gradually lit up. He was very happy to hear Ling Zhang call him grandfather. Holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hands, he said, ¡°Good boy, thank you for calling me grandfather,¡± all sorts of feelings welling up in his mind.


    Both his son and his daughter had died. For him, the past was also a deep scar on his heart. Ling Zhang calling him grandfather brought tears to his eyes. It was with considerable restraint that he managed to keep his emotions from showing on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re my grandfather; nothing would ever change that, and I think my mother would want me to address you this way were she still alive,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    This remark brought Ji Yin¡¯s thoughts surging like the tide and his mind was flooded with memories for quite a while. It was after involuntarily uttering ¡°Good boy¡± several times in a row that he calmed himself down.


    After the three of them sat down, Ji Yin threw Yuwen Tong a glance and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve told Marshal Yuwen everything.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°I trust him more than anyone. We¡¯ll get married and become one with each other, sharing weal and woe. I won¡¯t keep anything from him.¡±


    While saying this, Ling Zhang was waiting to see Ji Yin¡¯s reaction to his words. If Ji Yin went angry and tried to do anything to them, then they would immediately leave, regarding this visit as a waste of time.


    Fortunately, Ji Yin appeared very composed and had no intention of blaming Ling Zhang for that. He just asked Yuwen Tong a question. ¡°Since this has come to your knowledge, may I ask whether you¡¯re going to tell your emperor about it, Marshal?¡±


    Yuwen Tong understood what Ji Yin meant. He answered, ¡°Just because I¡¯m a servant to the emperor doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m under obligation to inform him of everything I know. I understand your misgivings. This matter is a secret between me and Brother Zhang, and I¡¯m not going to divulge it to anybody else. Also, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about me coveting unique kung fu skills of the Millennium Pavilion. I, Yuwen Tong, have been an honest and righteous man all my life. Never once have I broken my promise, and neither have I ever been scared by anything.¡±


    There was a faint change of expression on Ji Yin¡¯s face. He believed Yuwen Tong. Though members of the Millennium Pavilion had been leading a secluded life, they had some knowledge of great events in the outside world. Ten years ago, Yuwen Tong made his appearance on the battlefield and against overwhelming odds saved the situation for the Great Yue, which was on the verge of subjugation. Even the clan leader had paid him a compliment. The clan leader had even remarked that Yuwen Tong was the only one in the world who could have achieved that goal.


    In addition, the relations between Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong and their feelings for each other had already come to his knowledge when he¡¯d found Ling Zhang. Before making contact with Ling Zhang and giving him the handbook on internal energy, he¡¯d anticipated that Ling Zhang would tell Yuwen Tong about these things.


    ¡°Grandfather, today we came here to see you because there are a couple of matters that I¡¯d like to ask you about,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin looked at him. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You said that it was the clan leader who saved my father¡¯s life. Did that really happen?¡± queried Ling Zhang earnestly.


    Ji Yin inclined his head. ¡°Yes. The clan leader is the only one in the Millennium Pavilion who has reached the eleventh layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy. Your father¡¯s cardiac meridian would¡¯ve failed had he not gone to his help.¡±


    ¡°Why was he willing to help my father?¡± Ling Zhang asked another question.


    Ji Yin replied, ¡°I know you have a grudge against him because of what happened to your mother, but actually he¡¯s a man firm in speech but soft in heart. Otherwise in that year he wouldn¡¯t have eventually agreed to let your mother leave unpunished. Also, the reason why he saved your father was very simple ¨C he¡¯s your mother¡¯s husband, my son-in-law; I beseeched him, and he agreed.¡±


    ¡°Was he not afraid that my father might disclose the existence of the Millennium Pavilion to outsiders after he saved him?¡± Ling Zhang inquired.


    Ji Yin answered, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have saved him were he afraid of that.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. Indeed, he wouldn¡¯t have saved him were he afraid of it. This was very simple logic.


    ¡°You said that my father sustained some kind of mental trauma and was still in delirium, that a very rare crude drug was required to cure him. What kind of crude drug is that? And what needs to be done to effect a cure if we get it?¡±


    Ji Yin responded, ¡°This rare crude drug is the fruit of a panacea medicinal herb which fruits every twenty years. It can help your father recuperate from his medical condition, and at the same time, it is also a key article that descendants of the Phoenix Clan need to reach the eleventh layer of the mental cultivation. Whether or not we can get it to cure your father is still unknown. If we do get it, a consummate physician in the Millennium Pavilion will be able to treat him.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong exchanged glances. Both of them had come to the realization that the chance of obtaining a precious fruit of this kind was probably very slim, but since there was still hope, Ling Zhang was willing to give it a try. ¡°When will it fruit? What needs to be done to convince the clan leader to use it to treat my father?¡±


    Ling Zhang, though having a complaint against his father, didn¡¯t want him dying delirious.


    Ji Yin sighed, ¡°It¡¯s very difficult. There are not many descendants of the Phoenix Clan left, and those who succeeded in reaching the tenth layer of the mental method are few and far between, which is why this kind of fruits are very precious to descendants of the Phoenix Clan in the Millennium Pavilion. It won¡¯t be easy to convince the clan leader to consent.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s half a year before the herb fruits,¡± he added.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. ¡°May I have an audience with the clan leader, grandfather?¡±


    Ji Yin looked at him in surprise. ¡°You want to see the clan leader?¡±


    ¡°I have to save my father, and I need to meet him,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin understood and said, ¡°If you want to see him, I¡¯ll take you to him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, grandfather,¡± said Ling Zhang sincerely. Were it not for his grandfather, people of the Millennium Pavilion might not necessarily have gone to his father¡¯s rescue, and neither would they necessarily have allowed him to cultivate the mental cultivation method. In this regard, he was grateful to them.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my second question. Back in that year, were you really unaware of my mother¡¯s whereabouts? You didn¡¯t know she was seriously ill and passed away only a couple of years after that matter?¡±


    The look in Ji Yin¡¯s eyes went dim as he heard Ling Zhang¡¯s question. ¡°After the clan leader rescinded the order to have your mother taken back to the mountain, nobody had ever conducted any further inquiries into her whereabouts. The clan leader granted my request, and I couldn¡¯t break my promise to him, which was why I also stopped my efforts to seek her out. Her constitution was not suitable for cultivation of internal energy, but she¡¯d been intelligent since childhood and had a very good grasp of martial formations. Even those sent to hunt her by the clan leader were unable to restrain her and instead got killed by her. I thought that she was more than able to protect herself. It¡¯d never crossed my mind that she would die such an early death.¡±


    Ji Yin felt very guilty about his daughter¡¯s death. ¡°In the final analysis, it was my fault. She would¡¯ve still been alive had I not given up on her.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after a long silence, remarked eventually, ¡°I¡¯m partially responsible for my mother¡¯s death as well. She wouldn¡¯t have died such an early death had she not given birth to me.¡±


    His uncle had once told him that his mother¡¯s health wouldn¡¯t have deteriorated had she not insisted on giving birth to him. After that, she spared no efforts teaching him knowledge of formations, which drained her of energy and led to her death in the end. He had no idea exactly what expectations his mother had had for him, but it was a fact that his mother had died because of him.


    So he was in no position to lay blame on others.


    Yuwen Tong held his hand and said, ¡°Your mother loved you deeply. If you feel guilty, bear her love for you in mind and live well. Don¡¯t fail her last wish. You still have your grandfather and uncle¡¯s love and expectations. You still have me.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. He knew that self-accusation couldn¡¯t change what had happened. If his birth had been his mother¡¯s wish, then he should live well. He had no knowledge of what his mother¡¯s expectations for him had been, but he believed that as long as he stayed alive, sooner or later he would find out.


    Ji Yin, seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words help Ling Zhang pull himself together, came to a new understanding of how much Yuwen Tong meant to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°May I accompany Brother Zhang to the Millennium Pavilion?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired.


    Ji Yin was somewhat hesitant. He responded, ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the clan leader first before I could give you an answer.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°I¡¯d be obliged to you for that.¡±


    Ji Yin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for my grandson. I failed to save his mother, and I must save his father.¡±


    After talking with Ji Yin, Ling Zhang had made a decision. Because of what had happened to his mother, he still bore grudges against the Millennium Pavilion, but people of the Millennium Pavilion had once gone to his father¡¯s rescue, so he was willing to call it even in this regard. He would try his level best to convince the leader of the Millennium Pavilion, and no matter whether his father eventually recovered or not, he would take his father away with him.

 Chapter 214 - Snowflake

    Chapter 214: Snowflake


    Translator: DragonRider


    After this talk with Ji Yin, Ling Zhang had made up his mind and come to know what he should do next.


    The two of them took their leave. Ji Yin, though unwilling to part with his grandson, saw them out of the house.


    At the front gate, they met the principal and Professor Gu. Seeing they indeed didn¡¯t seem to have any conflict, both of them felt a sense of relief, which was why when Yuwen Tong said Ling Zhang needed a few days off from school, the principal unhesitatingly gave his consent.


    After the request was granted, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left the Imperial College, heading directly for the drugstore located in the trading center in the west of the city.


    Wang Qing had been waiting for them in the drugstore. Seeing them coming, he walked up to their welcome. ¡°Young Master, Marshal.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the rear yard, appraising the newly revamped drugstore. The more they saw it, the more satisfied they felt, particularly with the rear warehouse, which was not only spacious but also had many newly added designs suitable for storage of crude drugs. All other ancillary facilities were also in readiness.


    ¡°¡­ Apart from that, all craftsmen have been fully paid. The next step is to hire some sales clerks with the right expertise. I¡¯ve been putting up employment ads during the past two days. Yesterday some men came here to apply. I tested them and hired two. The hiring will continue and I¡¯ll offer a chance to whoever has the requisite qualifications. After the medicinal herbs are delivered here, I¡¯ll appraise them. If their performance is acceptable, they may all stay, and those who prove incompetent shall be fired,¡± Wang Qing reported.


    At this time, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had walked up to the second floor of the drugstore, where there were some booths specially reserved for VIP customers as well as some rooms provided for the storekeeper and store assistants staying in the store to take care of things.


    After checking the whole drugstore, Ling Zhang was very satisfied. Wang Qing, who received praised for his work, was also very happy.


    ¡°There¡¯re probably still a few days before the trade caravan departs for this city from Tanyang. You might as well pay some visits to the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain and see if you can get more pointers from him,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Wang Qing replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been in constant contact with the general storekeeper and also told him I¡¯d pay a visit to some branches of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain.¡±


    The general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain had stayed in the capital city for quite some time but didn¡¯t seem to have an intention of going back to Tanyang in the near future.


    ¡°Schedule a time for me to meet the general storekeeper. I want to thank him personally after the horse race,¡± instructed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Wang Qing answered.


    Ling Zhang, after seeing the drugstore, began to anticipate the day when the trade caravan built in Tanyang would arrive in the capital city. He was eager to find out what the future held for this drugstore of his.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is such a promising commercial area, and the medicinal herbs from the farm of your family are of pretty high quality, too, so I¡¯m sure the business will be good.¡±


    Ling Zhang beamed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Medicinal herbs from the farm of my family are well-known to locals in Tanyang.¡±


    The two of them, after leaving the trading center in the west of the city, made for the racetrack to practice riding. Because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s high rank, they entered the place unimpeded by anyone.


    Miao Shiba holding halters of two horses had been waiting for them in the hunting ground.


    Neither of these two horses were from the racetrack. One of them was a winged steed of Yuwen Tong¡¯s which had been with him for many years. Its entire body was glittery-black, with glossy hair, sturdy legs and an air of arrogance about it. Its name was North Wind.


    The other one, which appeared relatively docile, was specially prepared for Ling Zhang. It hadn¡¯t been named yet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it Snowflake.¡±


    This was a white horse. Its legs were just as sturdy as those of the other one, and its white hair was well groomed and very clean. Seeing Ling Zhang coming over, it didn¡¯t go wary or restless. Instead, it curiously stepped up and sniffed at him. As if smelling something making it feel close to him, Snowflake swished its tail.


    Ling Zhang ventured to stroke its head and it willingly let him. He was very happy, growing to like it.


    Compared with Yuwen Tong¡¯s North Wind which seemed quite haughty, Snowflake looked much meeker. Ling Zhang fed some fodder to it, and it rubbed its head against Ling Zhang, as if there was a natural affinity between the two of them.


    Even Yuwen Tong was astonished by this. He had thought that it would take some doing for Ling Zhang to tame Snowflake. It was surprising that Snowflake liked Ling Zhang so much and things went so smoothly.


    ¡°Childe Ling, it seems that this horse is meant for you. Although it looks very docile right now, previously it refused to let anybody approach it or touch it, except for me and the groom. I never thought it¡¯d let you stroke it on first acquaintance. Just now it struck me as a pet of yours,¡± observed Miao Shiba in an envious tone of voice.


    Ling Zhang became even happier after hearing this. He¡¯d taken a liking to Snowflake at a glance, feeling that Snowflake had an uncommonly imposing presence and fit perfectly his mental image of a horse that could cover a thousand miles a day. Now, after being informed of Snowflake¡¯s exceptional attitude towards him, he couldn¡¯t help but put his arms around its head and gently rubbed his forehead against that of Snowflake.


    Snowflake meekly let him and gave a snort of delight in response.


    Ling Zhang decided to spend some more time cultivating good relations with Snowflake before trying riding it.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s North Wind had been having an arrogant bearing all along, but surprisingly, when Ling Zhang afterwards failed to keep from giving it a tentative stroke, it willingly let him, which amazed Miao Shiba even further. ¡°North Wind is actually letting you touch it, Childe Ling!¡±


    Ling Zhang was also somewhat surprised. He had thought that North Wind would dodge aside.


    This horse of Yuwen Tong¡¯s obeyed nobody but Yuwen Tong. Even the groom and Miao Shiba could merely approach it. If any of them tried to get on its back or do something else, it would definitely fly into a temper.


    Yuwen Tong gave his loved horse a praising look, feeling that his horse indeed would never let him down.


    Ling Zhang, out of curiosity, stroked all horses in the racetrack one by one. To everybody¡¯s surprise, all horses didn¡¯t mind Ling Zhang touching them. Though none of them affectionately rubbed their heads against Ling Zhang as Snowflake had done previously, all of them acted very docilely.


    All staff members of the racetrack were shocked, for many of these horses were temporarily left in the care of them by others, every one of which had its particular type of temper. Apart from the groom and their masters, in the normal course of events they wouldn¡¯t let anybody else get close to them, but strangely enough, they were all very meek to Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang, a thoughtful expression on his face. He remembered that those horses hadn¡¯t shown such docility back then when they¡¯d been in Tanyang.


    Ling Zhang returned from his horse-stroking trip and said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°It¡¯s so surprising. None of them is afraid of me. Previously when we were in Tanyang, horses owned by my family were the only ones obedient to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang himself had also sensed the anomalous part of this situation. ¡°Is it because horses in this racetrack are relatively docile?¡±


    A staff member of the racetrack replied, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Childe Ling. You see that horse over there? The General Zhongwu¡¯s (AKA. General of loyalty and valor) nephew left it with us. It¡¯s a pedigreed horse from the Western Regions (the area west of Yumenguan, including what is now Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia). Except for its master and the groom, it doesn¡¯t allow anybody to get close to it, not even its own kind, and the stable for it is the roomiest in this racetrack, but it didn¡¯t show a shred of temper when you walked up to it a moment ago.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished, looking at Yuwen Tong in perplexity, a confused expression in his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong, face impassive, gave him a wink, as if suggesting he show patience. Then he said to the staff member of the racetrack, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because Brother Zhang has a mild disposition. Also, the incense he used today has the efficacy of easing nervous tension. Horses are intelligent animals, and they naturally don¡¯t shun those meaning no harm.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s explanation, the staff member of the racetrack, who didn¡¯t know the exact reason for this situation, felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point, so he merely made a few remarks about Ling Zhang possessing some natural attribute appealing to horses. After that, he said no more.


    ¡°Today you don¡¯t have to wait upon us. We¡¯ll just be practicing riding in the racetrack,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The staff members answered ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± and then all left.


    After they took their leave, Ling Zhang cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at Yuwen Tong. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The aroma about him was from his clothes which had been incensed with a spice after being washed by servants. It was faint, and he wasn¡¯t carrying any sachets on him. This was a fact both he and Yuwen Tong were fully aware of.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure either, but I guess it has something to do with the mental cultivation method you¡¯ve been following.¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised. The mental cultivation method of internal energy he¡¯d been following was from the Millennium Pavilion. It could make him attractive to horses?


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything different you¡¯ve been doing after coming to this city from Tanyang, it¡¯d be your cultivation of internal energy. I¡¯m not certain about this, of course. We may pay some extra attention to this matter in the future,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, feeling that they had no alternative.


    After Snowflake finished the hay, Ling Zhang led it out of the stable, walking it in the racetrack and talking to it along the way with the intention to bond with it, heedless of the fact that Snowflake might not understand him.


    Yuwen Tong leading North Wind walked side by side with him. The two of them, leading two horses, walked around the racetrack several times. During the process, Ling Zhang had tentatively tried riding it several times. Finding that Snowflake was okay with him riding it, he¡¯d felt greatly relieved.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Take your time,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    There were some horses in Yuwen family that had been tamed and were very docile, and anybody could ride them, but none of those horses compared with Snowflake. Ling Zhang would have a better chance of winning a prize if he used Snowflake as his racehorse during the competition.


    Next, Ling Zhang swung himself onto Snowflake¡¯s back and slowly walked along the racetrack, trying to establish a stronger bond with it.


    There were three days left before the horse race. This was the first day. Yuwen Tong was in no hurry to teach Ling Zhang advanced riding skills.


    ¡°Bonding with Snowflake is more important than any riding skills,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    Snowflake was a good horse which was of great inwardness and intelligence. Ling Zhang would get twice the result with half the effort during his practice of riding after building a basic rapport with it, which would save him a lot of time.


    They spent the whole day in the racetrack. When it was time to return home, Yuwen Tong suggested that Ling Zhang ride back to the city, that he groom Snowflake and spend more time with it at home.


    Ling Zhang, feeling that Yuwen Tong had got a point, rode back to the city with him.


    Both Snowflake and North Wind were progressing at a gentle pace, and their masters were in no hurry. They leisurely returned to the city, dismounted and walked along the street side by side. The two of them seemed to be meant for each other, and so did their horses. All pedestrians looked at them.


    There was a restaurant on the street, which was crowded with customers, one of whom was wearing a student¡¯s uniform of the Imperial College. Hearing the commotion from the crowds outside, he also looked at the street and caught sight of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who were proceeding abreast of each other, talking and laughing. His eyes rested on Yuwen Tong, a mixture of misery, jealousy and intentness in his eyes. It was not until the two of them walked far away that he turned around and resumed eating the food in his bowl.


    Ling Zhang, after leaving that crowded section of the street with Yuwen Tong, flicked a backward glance at that restaurant, looking somewhat confused. A moment ago, he had sensed that someone had been staring at them. The gaze of that person had been different from that of other people and struck him as very strange, but he had no idea who that person was.


    When he had returned to the Ling Mansion, everybody was astonished and excited by Snowflake¡¯s appearance in the residence. All of them gathered around it, but just as Miao Shiba had said, Snowflake was not as friendly to other people as it was to Ling Zhang. Qiu Bing curiously ventured to touch it but nearly got kicked by it. Seeing this, Ling Zhang thoroughly believed Miao Shiba¡¯s words.

 Chapter 215 - Another Encounter with Jiang Yu

    Chapter 215: Another Encounter with Jiang Yu


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang gave Snowflake a bath. The delighted horse swished its tail and splashed water all over him.


    ¡°Well, I wish you nothing but happiness.¡± Ling Zhang looked at it resignedly.


    He spent the next two days learning riding skills from Yuwen Tong, and then the day for the horse race came.


    Early in the morning, Yuwen Jin, Zhao Jiusi and the others came over to his residence.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, are you ready?¡±


    Yuwen Jin, Zhao Jiusi and the others were finally allowed to change out of student¡¯s uniform of the Imperial College. In light riding outfits, they all looked a lot more youthful, expectation and excitement washing over their faces.


    On top of this, all of them brought their respective favorite horses with them. Ling Zhang flicked a glance at their mounts and found that his Snowflake was the prettiest.


    ¡°Wow, Brother Zhang, your horse is gorgeous!¡± Yuwen Jin exclaimed.


    ¡°This is Snowflake,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Jiusi and all the others gathered around, but Snowflake didn¡¯t like it when people crowded around it. It looked rather impatient, as if on the verge of losing its temper. Ling Zhang soothed it and told Yuwen Jin and others not to get too close to it lest Snowflake get angry and kick them.


    ¡°This horse is so individual, and it¡¯s of such great presence as well. Where did you get it, Brother Zhang?¡± Yuwen Jin had backed off a few steps, but his eyes were still fixed on Snowflake, as if glued to it.


    Ling Zhang gave a cough and replied, ¡°Yuwen Tong found me this horse.¡±


    Yuwen Jin huffed indignantly, ¡°My cousin is so partial. I¡¯m his cousin, and I¡¯m participating the horse race as well. Why didn¡¯t he get me a horse like this?!¡±


    Ji Feng gave him a dirty look. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a horse of your own already?¡±


    Yuwen Jin was just deliberately saying this with affected jealousy and wasn¡¯t really angry with his cousin. Ling Zhang, who was fully aware of this, gave a smile and made no remarks.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been on leave for several days. Do you know that His Majesty will be present in the racetrack?¡± asked Ji Feng. Though believing that Ling Zhang was probably aware of this, he still reminded him.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. ¡°I do. Yuwen Tong told me about it.¡±


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s my cousin? His Majesty must have requested his presence on an occasion like this, I suppose?¡± Yuwen Jin inquired.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone to the imperial palace and will depart with His Majesty. I¡¯ll go with you guys,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s move,¡± said Yuwen Jin in excitement. He couldn¡¯t wait to see how fast Snowflake could run.


    Ling Zhang could tell what he was thinking, and it was indeed high time to get going, so he departed with Yuwen Jin and the others, followed by Wang Dashan, Liu Yi, Xie Shi and Miao Shiba.


    It was on horseback that this group of people exited the city. On their way, Ji Feng asked Ling Zhang, ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to the Imperial College to attend class for several days. Did anything happen?¡±


    ¡°I was worried that my defeat would be too humiliating, so I practiced riding for two days,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    On hearing this, all others observed that Ling Zhang was too cunning. Ji Feng said, ¡°I would have asked for leave as well had I known beforehand this was doable.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve reminded us, Brother Zhang,¡± Yuwen Jin complained.


    ¡°I¡¯d have got myself several more rivals had I reminded you, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Ling Zhang joked.


    ¡°You¡¯re indeed a wily old fox,¡± others chortled.


    After they finished laughing, Ling Zhang replied honestly, ¡°I¡¯m a terrible rider. These two days¡¯ practice was nothing but a frantic last-minute effort. I still cannot hold a candle to any of you.¡±


    ¡°Haha. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about that. Xun Huo¡¯s riding skills are definitely poorer than yours,¡± said Ji Feng, pointing at Xun Huo.


    Xun Huo, with a rather embarrassed countenance, said, ¡°I¡¯m not good at riding.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a few glances at him. He could tell that Xun Huo was somewhat nervous on horseback, which was a stark contrast with others¡¯ unhurried bearing.


    ¡°It¡¯s something he was born with, and he once made an effort to overcome it. Previously he couldn¡¯t even ride. It¡¯s a great improvement that he is now capable of staying on horseback,¡± Zhao Turui also said.


    Ling Zhang reminded him, ¡°Then you need to be cautious during the horse race, Xun Huo. Try not to get too close to those people.¡±


    All riders would be galloping fast during the race, and there was a high risk that an uncontrollable situation would come up. If Xun Huo¡¯s horse crashed into any of those people¡¯s, things would definitely get very tricky.


    Xun Huo inclined his head. ¡°I know. Ji Feng and others also told me to take it easy. Actually, I¡¯ll get nervous when they pick up speed, and I won¡¯t dare approach them.¡±


    ¡°Given the situation you¡¯re in, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll only let you take part in the first round. Keep your safety in mind. Nobody would blame you even if you leisurely trotted your horse across the finishing line,¡± said Ji Feng.


    ¡°But His Majesty will be watching the race. It he rides too slow, wouldn¡¯t he be accused of being disrespectful to the game?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    After hearing this, Xun Huo got somewhat nervous. ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a few moments and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just do as much as your strength permits. Given your situation, I think it¡¯ll be very easy to tell whether you¡¯re deliberately being disrespectful to the game or not, and His Majesty would probably see the truth as well.¡±


    After all, given the situation of Xun Huo, he would be more nervous than anybody else when the race started. People couldn¡¯t fake this kind of reaction, and the emperor would know what kind of state Xun Huo was actually in as long as he was not blind.


    ¡°Ling Zhang¡¯s got a point. You just have to focus on the race. Don¡¯t think too much,¡± said Zhao Jiusi.


    Xun Huo nodded, growing more composed.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s yet another thing,¡± Ji Feng suddenly informed Ling Zhang. ¡°Jiang Yu is a participant of today¡¯s horse race as well.¡±


    During the past two days, Ling Zhang had been occupied learning riding skills from Yuwen Tong and had almost forgotten this person named Jiang Yu. ¡°Jiang family¡¯s trouble is over?¡±


    Ji Feng answered, ¡°How could it be? Jiang Yu¡¯s father is staying at home introspecting about his faults. Jiang family also proclaimed that they wouldn¡¯t be receiving any guests anytime soon, that they needed some time for introspection. Officials of the Xiang City haven¡¯t been escorted into the capital city yet. Everybody is waiting for them to be escorted here, so it¡¯s been fairly quiet during the past few days. But Jiang Changfeng is His Majesty¡¯s uncle after all. His Majesty invited Jiang Changfeng to this horse race. Naturally Jiang Yu has to come. If he manages to rank among the top three, he¡¯d be able to find favor with His Majesty again and slightly alley His Majesty¡¯s displeasure with Jiang family.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t let Jiang Yu win,¡± Yuwen Jin said immediately.


    Ling Zhang looked at him resignedly. ¡°I suggest you think twice. What if any member of Jiang family impeaches your father in the imperial court once again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of that. Jiang Changfeng didn¡¯t have his way the last time he impeached my father. This time around, the chance of His Majesty believing him would definitely be even slimmer if he tries again, given the mistake Jiang family made,¡± replied Yuwen Jin.


    But Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t draw a conclusion with such certainty. Yuwen Tong had once told him that the emperor was a big fan of checks and balances and also had a very suspicious mind. It was true that the emperor had disbelieved Jiang Changfeng¡¯s accusation and rejected his request the last time, but he might agree with Jiang Changfeng this time.


    After all, this time Jiang Yu¡¯s father had been dismissed from his position, which could be regarded as a heavy blow to Jiang family. As long as the emperor still relied heavily on Jiang family¡¯s service and had to take into consideration his uncle¡¯s respectability, he would try to avoid making any decisions that would undermine Jiang family¡¯s reputation further.


    Of course these were only Ling Zhang¡¯s conjectures. As regards what the emperor¡¯s actual thoughts were, he, a humble commoner, really couldn¡¯t guess them.


    ¡°Anyway, just do what you¡¯re supposed to do in the race. No tricks,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Jin casually undertook that he would, but the look on his face unmistakably suggested otherwise.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head, believing that he had to keep a closer eye on Yuwen Jin in the horse race.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy for Jiang Yu to win the race. There are a lot of people who can ride better than him. Besides, students of the Oriental Rite Academy are also participating,¡± commented Ji Feng.


    Indeed, students of the Oriental Rite Academy were not bad either. During these years, the situation in the Imperial College were rather messy, while the Oriental Rite Academy, on the contrary, was at the crest of a wave, so it was hard to say which side would be the final winner of this horse race.


    The group of people exited the city, heading directly for the hunting ground in the western suburbs.


    The hunting ground in the western suburbs covered a vast area which was more than enough for a horse race. By convention, this was approximately the time for hunting. Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang that since the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom, though having stayed for quite a few days, still hadn¡¯t left yet, the emperor had invited them to attend this year¡¯s hunting.


    The very thought of the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom brought a frown to Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Yuwen Tong had always believed that those people had chosen to stay for ulterior motives. On the day when the two of them had arrived in the capital city, those people had tried to make mischief at the banquet in the imperial palace. There was no telling whether they would play any other tricks. But strangely enough, those people hadn¡¯t made any particular move after that. It was just that the King Duan and the King Hui took Shan Congwen to tour around the city every couple of days, as if it was to do some sightseeing that Shan Congwen was still lingering.


    ¡°Pooh, speak of the devil and he appears. Since when did we become so prophetic?¡± Yuwen Jin¡¯s voice was suddenly heard.


    At first Ling Zhang was confused, and then, looking in the direction Yuwen Jin was gazing, he found that Jiang Yu and his followers were right ahead of them. They were riding slower than them, and the distance between them was closing.


    ¡°Jiang Yu is not with his grandfather. This is so surprising,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Seeing the puzzlement on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, Zhao Jiusi explained, ¡°On all previous similar occasions, he went to the field with his grandfather ¨C with His Majesty, to be precise. Never once did he go with students like us.¡±


    ¡°Solely because he¡¯s kin to the emperor and believes he¡¯s a cut above us,¡± observed Yuwen Jin.


    At this time they approached Jiang Yu and his followers, who had also noticed Ling Zhang and the others. All their faces were familiar ¨C faces of those who always stayed by Jiang Yu¡¯s side in the Imperial College. Zuo Yuanping was among them.


    Jiang Yu glanced across Ling Zhang¡¯s horse and then took his eyes off it.


    ¡°Oh, Childe Jiang, why are you condescending to travel with students like us today?¡± Yuwen Jin asked.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Yuwen Jin¡¯s such a busybody. Will he never cease to make trouble until we¡¯re in one?¡¯


    Unsurprisingly, someone on Jiang Yu¡¯s side immediately huffed, ¡°Yuwen Jin, I suggest you stop poking your nose into other people¡¯s business!¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu can travel with anybody he feels like to travel with. You¡¯re in no position to lay comment on him.¡±


    Yuwen Jin crossed his arms across his chest and said, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that Childe Jiang is doomed to sustain a defeat without making a fancy appearance.¡±


    Ling Zhang placed a hand on his forehead. This remark was so provocative.


    ¡°Cut that bullshit, Yuwen Jin. Jiang Yu¡¯s victory in today¡¯s game is certain. You, on the other hand, should think about how to make your defeat seem less humiliating, lest you burst into tears and run back home to your dad to seek comfort.¡±


    ¡°He has a tough cousin, doesn¡¯t he? Maybe it¡¯ll be his cousin that he runs back to.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    People on the opposite side sneered at him with heavy sarcasm. Yuwen Jin, infuriated as usual, forgot he was still on horseback, and intended to hurtle over to fight them.


    Ling Zhang on Snowflake moved forward and said, ¡°Save your breath if you have real skills. We¡¯ll see who¡¯s better in the racetrack.¡±


    Then he turned to Yuwen Jin. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no point wasting time here.¡±


    It was after hearing these words that Yuwen Jin forbore from charging up to fight them, but before leaving, he had another few rounds of a verbal duel with those people.


    Jiang Yu, on horseback, eyes cold, watched as they left. Eventually, with a flinty face, he spurred his steed and rode into the hunting ground with his followers.

 Chapter 216 - Before the Horse Race Started

    Chapter 216: Before the Horse Race Started


    Translator: DragonRider


    On arriving at the hunting ground, they found it heavily guarded, palace guards checking ID plate of everyone going in or out of the place.


    Standing behind those guards on duty flicking stern looks at those entering was someone familiar to Ling Zhang ¨C Zhao Pingchuan.


    As his eyes fell on Ling Zhang, Zhao Pingchuan did a double take and then gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Commander Zhao.¡± Ling Zhang returned his salutation.


    The two of them didn¡¯t really have much acquaintance with each other. They just had once been travel companions during the journey from Tanyang to the capital city, and two members of the Palace Guards had attempted to assassinate Ling Zhang. Although Zhao Pingchuan had nothing to do with this matter, he could hardly be absolved from dereliction of duty.


    Anyway, Zhao Pingchuan had a fairly mixed countenance as he laid eyes on Ling Zhang, and Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude towards him was rather bland.


    Zhao Jiusi and the others got the impression that Ling Zhang and Zhao Pingchuan clearly knew each other but were not well acquainted ¨C seemingly on bad terms, to some extent.


    They didn¡¯t ask about it immediately. After they went through the security check of palace guards and entered the hunting ground, Ji Feng couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°You and Commander Zhao know each other?¡±


    Zhao Pingchuan was a commander of the Palace Guards, and there were immediate superiors he had to answer to, but even so, since he was responsible for protecting the emperor and imperial palaces, his identity was somewhat special. Most people, if acquainted with him, would try to strengthen their relations.


    ¡°We journeyed to the capital city from Tanyang together,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Feng remembered, and naturally also recalled two palace guards¡¯ failed attempt to assassinate Ling Zhang, which had given rise to wild rumors and heated discussion in the whole capital city. He let out a soft cough and said, ¡°I forgot that.¡±


    What with the previous incident, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the two of them were not on friendly terms.


    The others also didn¡¯t ask any further questions about it and dismissed this unexpected encounter from their minds, which was quite sensitive of them.


    Apart from students of the Imperial College, many of students of the Oriental Rite Academy had also arrived. Ling Zhang was trying to find someone in the racetrack when a familiar voice called him. ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    Ling Zhang looked in the direction of the sound source and spotted Tao Yi happily walking towards him from a large group of students of the Oriental Rite Academy.


    ¡°That¡¯s Tao Yi?¡± Yuwen Jin asked Ji Feng and the others.


    Ji Feng and the others bobbed their heads. Previously, they had had a good time talking with Tao Yi in that manor and also got a very good impression of him.


    Many of Tao Yi¡¯s schoolmates also looked in this direction. Their eyes appraised all six of them and eventually rested on Ling Zhang.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang noticed the appraising gaze those people were giving him. He looked back at them one by one. Those people didn¡¯t feel embarrassed. They just nodded in acknowledgement. Ling Zhang also inclined his head and then took his eyes off them.


    Tao Yi had walked over. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°A brief moment ago. I was looking for you just now,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I arrived just a moment ago and was looking for you as well. Your horse is so obtrusive. It caught my eye the moment you came here,¡± said Tao Yi excitedly. He even walked around Snowflake, scrutinizing it and exclaiming in astonishment.


    ¡°This horse is so good.¡±


    ¡°Its name is Snowflake.¡±


    Ling Zhang stroked Snowflake¡¯s head. It rubbed its head against him and gave a snort. During the past few days, Ling Zhang had been with Snowflake all along and had established a necessary degree of rapport with it.


    Just as Tao Yi had said, Ling Zhang¡¯s white horse was attracting much attention. A lot of eyes were looking in this direction.


    Tao Yi, after walking around Snowflake, made the acquaintance of Yuwen Jin and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Given such a good horse you¡¯ve brought here, you must be aiming at a place near the top, I suppose?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied in neither the affirmative nor the negative, ¡°I believe as a participant, all I need to do is try my best.¡±


    Tao Yi said, ¡°All people in my academy are discussing how to win the top three prizes.¡±


    ¡°Wow, top three prizes? That¡¯s quite some ambition!¡± Yuwen Jin sniffed.


    Ji Feng standing beside Yuwen Jin also goggled at Tao Yi.


    ¡°Brother Tao, your schoolmates are way too conceited. The top three prizes are ours,¡± Xie Qing also said.


    Tao Yi giggled, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to demoralize you, but there are several consummate riders in our academy.¡±


    ¡°So what? Our college has more than several superb riders,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Quiet as Ling Zhang was, the gaze he fixed Tao Yi with was expressing, for all intents and purposes, the same meaning, and he even gently patted his horse, as if telling Tao Yi he shared his classmates¡¯ opinion.


    Tao Yi raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°How about we have a competition, Brother Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll rank higher on the list.¡± Of course Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t shrink from accepting the challenge.


    ¡°Okay. What do you say we have a private talk later and decide what the loser shall give the winner?¡± suggested Tao Yi.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Oh, one moment, we want in as well,¡± Ji Feng said, raising his hand.


    Yuwen Jin, Zhao Jiusi and two others also stated their willingness to participate. Only Xun Huo looked at them with a wry smile.


    Tao Yi¡¯s eyes rested on Xun Huo. ¡°What about you, Brother Xun?¡±


    Ling Zhang briefly explained to Tao Yi the special circumstances Xun Huo was in. Tao Yi nodded. ¡°Okay, then. Leaving Brother Xun aside, there are six of you in this, but I¡¯m the only one on my side, so I¡¯ll go and get five school friends over here. What do you say?¡±


    Ji Feng and the others exchanged glances and then chorused a response, ¡°Bring it on!¡±


    Tao Yi immediately ran away and soon brought back five students. Faces of all five of them were full of excitement. Clearly they were more than willing to be part of this bet.


    Just like this, six students of the Imperial College, Ling Zhang included, secretly made a bet with six students of the Oriental Rite Academy. The losers were to stand the winners a meal in the Taibai Tavern.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal. We¡¯re going back to make some preparations,¡± said Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and temporarily parted from Tao Yi and his schoolmates.


    Yuwen Jin cracked his knuckles and claimed, ¡°I¡¯ll have them admit defeat with tears in their sorry eyes.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Don¡¯t take them lightly. As far as I could tell, those school friends of Brother Tao¡¯s seem very confident. I think all of them are pretty adept at riding.¡±


    ¡°You may rest assured that our horsemanship is superb as well,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Xun Huo looked at them and gave another mirthless smile. On this occasion, he was unable to pitch in with it.


    As time slowly passed, almost all students had arrived. Students of the Imperial College and those of the Oriental Rite Academy were standing on opposite sides with a considerable distance in between.


    Before long, noises came from outside the hunting ground, marking the arrival of the emperor, who was accompanied by a lot of high-ranking courtiers, Yuwen Tong among them.


    Ling Zhang looked in that direction and, after the imperial guard of honor entered the hunting ground, spotted Yuwen Tong at a glance, and his eyes involuntarily lit up.


    On the other side, Yuwen Tong also saw him at a glance. Their eye contact lasted quite a while before Yuwen Tong withdrew his gaze.


    Yuwen Tong was a marshal. Leaving the emperor aside, Jiang Changfeng was the only one among all officials present whose powers compared with his.


    Ling Zhang, along with all other students, bowed to the emperor with their hands folded in front to pay their respects and didn¡¯t straighten themselves until the emperor uttered aloud ¡°You may rise.¡± When Ling Zhang raised his head and looked in that direction, the emperor had settled himself in his exclusive chair, with Yuwen Tong sitting in the first seat to his right, and Jiang Changfeng the first seat to his left. There were also several other high-ranking courtiers, including Yuwen Zhi and his son Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Zhi didn¡¯t even glance at people sitting down there. Yuwen Feng, however, made eye contact with Ling Zhang and gave a nod of acknowledgement with a smile.


    Though his relations with Yuwen family had soured due to Yuwen Qi, Ling Zhang still bobbed his head at Yuwen Feng in response, for as the saying goes, ¡®A smiling face never gets slapped.¡¯


    Apart from these people, the King Duan, the King Hui as well as the Fifth Prince, also known as the King Yu, were present as well. All princes that had reached adulthood had arrived, except the Crown Prince, who was rumored to be ill and still receiving medical treatment in the Eastern Palace. Among all those bearing king¡¯s titles, the King Yu was also among the few whom Ling Zhang laid eyes on for the first time. Unlike the King Duan and the King Hui, the King Yu seemed to resemble his mother more, and his features were relatively feminine.


    The emperor looked somewhat different from he had appeared on the day of the welcome banquet in the imperial palace. He seemed much more vigorous. Maybe it was because that welcome banquet had been held at night and this was daytime.


    Since the emperor had specially come here, he definitely had prepared a pep talk to arouse students¡¯ enthusiasm.


    Ling Zhang quietly listened, and he himself was the only one knowing how much of the speech he¡¯d heard; after all, in the stands, Yuwen Tong had been gazing at him all along, having no scruple about it whatsoever, as if everybody was aware of the relations between the two of them. All those who had noticed where Yuwen Tong was staring at shot occasional glances in Ling Zhang¡¯s direction; even Jiang Yu¡¯s grandfather Jiang Changfeng, whom Ling Zhang had only heard of from rumors, looked at him sizing him up. Naturally, the emperor had also observed this, and Yuwen Tong¡¯s behavior seemed to strike him as rather rare, he fixed Ling Zhang with a curious gaze several times, as if trying to find out what was so special about Ling Zhang that had attracted Yuwen Tong to him.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    What could he possibly do? He could only stand there, keeping his composure, not moving an inch no matter who was appraising him. In a small window of opportunity, he darted Yuwen Tong a dark look.


    However, this dark look was misinterpreted as an affectionate one by those who noticed it, and the expression in their eyes grew even weirder.


    Yuwen Jin unnoticeably nudged Ling Zhang and reminded Ling Zhang under his breath, ¡°You and my cousin need to keep a lower profile. I¡¯m being blinded by you two people.¡±


    Ling Zhang moved only his lips, saying, ¡°He¡¯s too far away. I cannot stop him.¡±


    Yuwen Jin silently rubbed his nose, feeling that this was an outpouring display of public affection in disguised form, jealousy bubbling inside him, regretting having turned down his parents¡¯ offer to arrange a marriage for him.


    Probably having sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s displeasure, Yuwen Tong finally tore his eyes off him, but after that, he stared emptily into space, as if nobody else apart from Ling Zhang could arouse his interest, as if all other people in this place were as commonplace and unattractive as cheap cosmetics.


    Others were secretly shocked by this bizarre analogy they drew, goosebumps all over them.


    Of course, in this situation, there were also some people who were relatively special. When they looked at Ling Zhang, in their eyes was not curiosity or envy but a mixture of well concealed jealousy and resentment, but when they looked at Yuwen Tong sitting up in the stands, all their eyes were gleaming with infatuation. Since these people were among crowds of students, hardly anybody noticed them.


    After quite a while, the emperor¡¯s pep talk was finally over. A master of ceremonies hosting this horse race made his appearance. The principal of the Imperial College and the president of the Oriental Rite Academy stepped in front of their respective arrays of students with whom they looked at the master of ceremonies listening as he stated the rules of the horse race as well as the prizes.


    When all this was over, the horse race finally came to an official start. Given the large number of participants, there would be multiple rounds, and naturally the two opposing sides were students of the Imperial College and those of the Oriental Rite Academy.

 Chapter 217 - The Official Horse Race and a Short Bolt

    Chapter 217: The Official Horse Race and a Short Bolt


    Translator: DragonRider


    The line-ups of the two sides would be decided by drawing lots; the first three of each round would advance to the next round, and the race would end when the top three were decided.


    There were six participants in the first round, three from the Imperial College, and the other three the Oriental Rite Academy.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s round was among the last few, while Xun Huo who was not very good at this sport was to ride in the second round, which was fretting him so badly that he could scarcely get on his horse.


    ¡°Relax, just do as we previously agreed,¡± Ling Zhang consoled him.


    ¡°Take it easy. Just stay out of their way and focus on riding. Put your safety first,¡± Ji Feng also said.


    All the others came to Xun Huo¡¯s comfort as well, telling him not to be nervous. Xun Huo inclined his head, took a deep breath, swung himself onto the horseback and trotted his horse to the starting line with great caution.


    Since so many of them gathered together, a lot of people were tossing glances at them. Seeing Xun Huo¡¯s tense face, almost all of them had a shrewd idea of what was going on.


    Students of the Oriental Rite Academy were very happy, while their opponents furrowed their eyebrows. One of the other two students of the Imperial College who were going to ride in this round with Xun Huo said, ¡°What is wrong with you, Xun Huo? If you can¡¯t ride, quit right now so someone else can replace you. We don¡¯t need you to hold us back.¡±


    ¡°I know how to ride. I¡¯m just a little nervous, and I might not be able to ride as fast as you do,¡± said Xun Huo, his face going scarlet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you have the nerve to tell us you cannot ride fast. You want us to lose?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be an absolute disgrace to our college. I think you should withdraw.¡±


    The two students didn¡¯t respond to Xun Huo¡¯s candidness with understanding. Instead, they were annoyed and suggested Xun Huo quit.


    Xun Huo, who had just relaxed somewhat, went nervous once again, his hands gripping the reins tightly.


    ¡°He¡¯d only be an absolute disgrace to the Imperial College if he chickens out. Why are you instigating him to back out? Is it because you¡¯re moles planted by the Oriental Rite Academy?¡±


    Suddenly, a voice was heard. Xun Huo¡¯s countenance instantly grew relaxed. He twisted his head back and saw Ling Zhang, Ji Feng and the others walking over. Ling Zhang was the one who spoke.


    The other two students of the Imperial College, seeing the speaker was Ling Zhang, were noticeably less cocky. One of the two huffed, ¡°Cut the nonsense. Given the state Xun Huo is in, wouldn¡¯t it be better if he lets someone else substitute him? He¡¯d only waste an opportunity if he rides.¡±


    ¡°All students of our college present are allowed to ride in this race. Anybody withdrawing will be wasting an opportunity. If you¡¯re afraid to lose face, why don¡¯t you just outride your opponents?¡± sniffed Ling Zhang.


    The speaker still wanted to say something, but was stopped by his friend, so he had no choice but to shut his mouth, unconvinced.


    Ling Zhang said to Xun Huo, ¡°Ignore them. Just do what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡±


    Xun Huo gave an earnest nod. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°For what? We¡¯re friends, remember?¡±


    Xun Huo also couldn¡¯t help but give a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Seeing the two schoolmates of theirs didn¡¯t dare say anything else, Ling Zhang and the others returned to their original positions.


    ¡°These bastards always bully the weak but cower before the tough,¡± Ji Feng huffed, glaring at the two schoolmates of his.


    ¡°Let them be. There¡¯s no need to get angry because of people of their kind,¡± said Zhao Jiusi.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting close to the finish line,¡± Yuwen Jin reminded them.


    Ling Zhang and the others hurriedly looked in the direction of the finish line of the racetrack. The hunting ground was vast, and there was more than enough room for holding a horse race. The finish line was rather far away from the starting line, and people with average eyesight might not be able to see clearly the situation near the finish line, but Ling Zhang had a very distinct view of that area.


    ¡°Two of the students of the Oriental Rite Academy finished in the first and the second places. One of us came in third.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say! Are you sure you¡¯re right about this? Why couldn¡¯t I see it clearly?¡± Yuwen Jin jumped up straining to get a clearer view.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± replied Ling Zhang with certainty.


    Since Ling Zhang¡¯s tone was positive, naturally none of the others doubted him. The Oriental Rite Academy had got the upper hand after the first round, which rendered Ji Feng and the others rather unreconciled to the situation. They felt that a start like this did not bode well for their college.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. At least one of them advanced to the next round.¡±


    ¡°Bah, what are you talking about?¡±


    Soon the next round started. Xun Huo, in his nervousness, could barely keep his horse running forward and didn¡¯t dare pick up speed, so he lagged behind immediately after the race started, which made him rather conspicuous.


    When he finished one third of the course, those ahead of him were approaching the finish line. Though repeatedly telling himself to take it easy, he was still sweating buckets with anxiety. People in the stands, seeing his sweaty face and his lousy riding skills, generally guessed what was going on.


    Many students of the Imperial College were discussing this, and their words were not very kind.


    Ling Zhang and the other five, with sullen faces, shot dark glances at their schoolmates. Those who made eye contact with them sensed something and shut their mouths, but there were also some big-mouthed ones still complaining. Yuwen Jin, who had a short temper, rolled up his sleeves intending to teach them a lesson but was stopped by Ling Zhang.


    ¡°His Majesty is in the stands. Control yourself.¡±


    Ji Feng and the others also helped keep Yuwen Jin from losing his temper. ¡°Chill out. Don¡¯t be impulsive. We¡¯ll fix those big mouths after we get back. Currently the race is the most important thing.¡±


    It was after hearing these words that Yuwen Jin managed to calm down. ¡°Those guys really could use a beating.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat resigned. Yuwen Jin¡¯s temper was indeed rather short. Exactly whom did he inherit this from? Neither his father nor any of his brothers was impulsive.


    Xun Huo steeled himself staying on horseback and finally made it to the finish line, drenched in sweat all over. His tense face instantly relaxed and his hands went rather limp. Sitting on the back of the horse, he could barely keep his balance, swaying. Fortunately, those responsible for protecting participants at the finish line saw this, ran up to him, steadied his horse and helped him dismount. No sooner had Xun Huo got off his horse than he sat down onto the ground, raised his head and wiped the sweat from his face. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°This is no place to sit. You might get run over by riders of the next round.¡±


    Xun Huo was heaved to his feet and went to where the crowds were to rest. Seeing him, one of the two schoolmates of his who¡¯d just ridden with him coldly snorted, ¡°What a disgrace.¡±


    Of course Xun Huo heard him, but he made no response. He just sat there quietly, trying to recover himself.


    His silence deepened the disgust on the two students¡¯ face, but neither of them made any further remarks due to their misgivings about the warning that Ling Zhang, a man who had even had a professor expelled, had given them a while ago. Although unconvinced, they were also afraid to end up on Ling Zhang¡¯s enemies list.


    Next, Zhao Jiusi, Xie Qing, Zhao Turui, Ji Feng and Yuwen Jin rode one after another, and to their delight, all of them advanced to the next round.


    Then it was Ling Zhang¡¯s turn. As soon as he set foot on the track, countless spectators¡¯ eyes were drawn to him, not only because his horse Snowflake was very imposing but also because a lot of people had been covertly having half an eye on him. Now it was no exaggeration to say that Ling Zhang was quite the celebrity in the capital city.


    Except for a glance at Yuwen Tong in the stands, Ling Zhang showed a total disregard for all spectators. He mounted Snowflake in an unhurried manner and reached out his hand to give it a pat. ¡°We¡¯ve got to try our level best in this race, buddy. If we win, I¡¯ll give you something good to eat and a nice bath after we return.¡±


    Snowflake neighed, as if responding to his words, growing excited.


    As its spirits rose, Ling Zhang also felt his blood involuntarily pumping. He cast a few appraising glances at his opponents, got a general idea of the situation and then shifted his gaze to the finish line. Having just watched so many rounds, he was now very familiar with the track.


    ¡°Ready, go!¡±


    As soon as the starter gave the order, Snowflake with Ling Zhang on its back hurtled forward like a shooting arrow. It went into the lead at the very beginning and its lead was commanding.


    All Ling Zhang was doing was cooperate with Snowflake. Yes, he was cooperating with Snowflake rather than the other way around.


    Snowflake was a very intelligent horse capable of understanding its master¡¯s will and feeling what its master felt. During the past few days, what Yuwen Tong had been teaching him most of the time was how to bond with Snowflake. Snowflake knew what it was supposed to do, and it was also the fastest horse, so all it would take for Ling Zhang to win this race was to trust Snowflake.


    And the fact soon confirmed this. Snowflake, the horse easiest to ride, carrying Ling Zhang, dashed out like greased lightning, with all spectators¡¯ eyes fixed on it, and valiantly streaked towards the finish line.


    Ling Zhang felt a kind of unbridled pleasure which was making not only his blood course violently through his veins but also his heart hammer. ¡®If only the finish line were further away and I could gallop a while longer with Snowflake,¡¯ he thought.


    At the time when he was getting close to the finish line, and a beam of thrill was spontaneously widening on the face of Ling Zhang indulging himself in the delights of riding, a faint anomalous sound of something being fired came from the wood not far away to his left. A sense of dire, life-threatening danger made Ling Zhang¡¯s blood freeze and instantly put him on the alert. Almost at the same instant, he mobilized all his internal energy and unleashed it forming it into a protective shield of Qi around him. What spectators saw was that the space within a short radius of Ling Zhang seemed to briefly twist, as if a sudden wave of scorching heat erupted from the ground changing the density of the air.


    Snowflake gave a long neigh and reared up on its hind legs. The snow-white horse, as if startled, abruptly came to a halt.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang felt something hit his shield of internal energy and kept from going any further. He gripped the reins tightly with both hands to prevent himself from falling off the horse, cocked an eye at it and found that it was a short bolt which was very thin and totally different from common bolts. It had been aimed at his temple and would probably have gone straight through his head by now had it not been deflected by his internal energy.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened. He instantly grabbed the short bolt as Snowflake¡¯s forelegs sank back to the ground where they¡¯d been.


    It was in a single instant that this unforeseen change had happened. Nobody else had yet come to realize what had just occurred.


    Ling Zhang shot a piercing look in the direction of the wood and spotted a black figure hiding in there, who unhesitatingly shot a second bolt at him the moment his eyes darted towards the wood. This time, Ling Zhang saw distinctly that the attacker hiding in the shadows was holding a very special crossbow.


    No sooner had that short bolt shot out of the wood than a sharp sword was swung downwards in mid-air and cut it in half. A figure of quite soldierly bearing had rapidly lunged into the wood.


    For an instant Ling Zhang was dumbfounded and with that a voice was heard. ¡°Keep riding.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance abruptly changed. At this time, his competitors had caught up with him. Ling Zhang raised his horsewhip and yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s move, Snowflake!¡±


    Snowflake once again proved itself to be an intelligent horse. It immediately sprinted forward once again, instantly outran its rivals and eventually was still the first one to cross the finish line.

 Chapter 218 - Complicated and Confusing Circumstances

    Chapter 218: Complicated and Confusing Circumstances


    Translator: DragonRider


    It was not until this moment that spectators came to realize what was going on.


    ¡°Assassin!¡± Someone bawled.


    Palace guards immediately ran to the protection of the emperor and courtiers in the stands, and the horse race was suspended. Everybody was looking in the direction of the wood that Yuwen Tong had just torn into.


    ¡°Hurry! Go and protect the Marshal! Enter the wood and seize the assassin!¡± bawled the emperor.


    Guards of the hunting ground streaked towards the wood. At this time, Ling Zhang had turned at the finish line, galloping for the wood as well.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t go in there!¡± yelled the emperor subconsciously, taken aback.


    However, Ling Zhang, as if not having heard him, disappeared into the wood in the twinkling of an eye.


    At this time, the whole place was in a babble of voices. Some were yelling ¡°Protect His Majesty!¡±; some were shocked to see Ling Zhang dashed into the wood; and there were also some who were still perplexed as to what was going on. Students were gathered together, under the protection of guards.


    ¡°BROTHER ZHANG!¡± Yuwen Jin made an attempt to run out but his arms were tightly gripped by Ji Feng and the others.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this. It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Both my cousin and Brother Zhang are in there!¡± Yuwen Jin was losing it with anxiety.


    At this moment, Yuwen Tong in the wood had caught up with the assassin, but the man had poisoned himself already, his crossbow nowhere to be seen.


    Snowflake was faster than guards of the hunting ground, so Ling Zhang was the first to find Yuwen Tong. At a glance he saw the body of the assassin. With a frown on his face, Ling Zhang dismounted his horse and quickly walked up to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The assassin poisoned himself,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, after confirming Yuwen Tong was unharmed, heaved a sigh of relief. His eyes vigilantly swept around and then appraised the corpse on the ground. ¡°His crossbow is gone.¡±


    ¡°What kind of crossbow was it?¡± queried Yuwen Tong.


    After a few moments¡¯ recollection, Ling Zhang gave a sketchy account of what had happened a while ago and finally made a summary. ¡°¡­ It was very special, unlike any crossbow I has knowledge of, and it was very dainty as well.¡±


    Saying this, he handed the short bolt to Yuwen Tong, who took it, scrutinized it for a while, put it away and said with a grim face, ¡°The daintier a crossbow is, the harder it is to make. At that time this assassin was quite far away from you, but the bolt still had such momentum when it approached you, which showed that his crossbow was not only dainty but also very powerful. It¡¯s impossible to produce weapons of this kind in large quantities. I¡¯m sure there are only a small number of them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong paused after making these remarks.


    Ling Zhang, who could feel that Yuwen Tong had something else to say, was just about to ask him when he found that a group of guards had arrived. He instantly understood why Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t continue.


    The guards clustered around the two of them. ¡°Are you hurt, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ the assassin¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°He poisoned himself,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°There¡¯s nothing suggesting his identity on him. Judging by his features, he¡¯s probably a subject of the Great Yue. Bring his body back. Send for a court physician and have him find out what kind of poison this assassin ingested to commit suicide.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    ¡°Scour this wood as quick as possible and see if there are any accomplices. I want every inch of this place searched.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Then Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Actually Ling Zhang wanted to join the search, but Yuwen Tong was firmly drawing him towards the outside, so he had no choice but to leave, bringing Snowflake with him.


    Though there were a few questions in his mind, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t ask any of them on this occasion and had to keep silent for the moment, not with the guards escorting them outward.


    After returning to the stands, the two of them had an audience with the emperor, and Yuwen Tong gave him a general report on what had happened in the wood and also handed the halved short bolt to him.


    The emperor cast an appraising look at the short bolt and furrowed his brow. He had some acquaintance with weapons, though not much. ¡°This bolt is so short.¡±


    The first bolt fired at Ling Zhang had been caught by him but nobody had noticed, for it had happened too quick, and some spectators¡¯ view had been partially blocked, and the space around Ling Zhang had seemed to be twisting in that instant. The emperor and courtiers around him all believed that this short bolt had been taken from the assassin by Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°When I found the assassin in the wood, he was already dead, and the weapon he¡¯d used to fire this kind of bolts was gone. Although I didn¡¯t find his weapon, I guess it was probably some sort of crossbow that fired this bolt.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no crossbow that could fire a bolt this short, is there?¡± The King Duan expressed his doubt.


    The others shared his opinion. After all, currently, nobody had made a crossbow that could fire a bolt of such short length.


    Yuwen Tong, after a few moments¡¯ silence, said, ¡°This is just a conjecture of mine, Your Majesty. It might have been some other kind of weapon. Pity it was nowhere to be found. Either the assassin had hidden it somewhere before his death or his accomplice took it. No matter which one is the case, this place is dangerous. I petition you to return to the palace, Your Majesty. Your safety is of supreme importance.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, all other people naturally tried to convince the emperor to go back to the imperial palace.


    The emperor raised his hand to hush them. He said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry about returning to the palace. Mingyuan, take some men and search that wood. Find whatever it was that fired this short bolt.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± answered Zhou Mingyuan, also known as the King Duan.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Jiang Changfeng called him to a pause and then said to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, there might still be the assassin¡¯s accomplices in the wood. The King Duan is a member of the imperial family after all, which makes it inadvisable to let him take such risks.¡±


    But the emperor sniffed, ¡°They¡¯re just a couple of assassins, and I¡¯m still here, what should he possibly be afraid of? Go.¡±


    The King Duan answered ¡°Yes, father¡± once again and then left.


    Jiang Changfeng, seeing the King Duan had walked away, made no further remarks.


    Ling Zhang kept feeling that by saying these words, Jiang Changfeng, rather than helping the King Duan, seemed to have kept others from trying to convince the emperor into sending someone else to scour the wood. A couple of courtiers had originally wanted to say something, but now they had all refrained from making suggestions.


    ¡°Just now the assassin was aiming at Ling Zhang?¡± The emperor looked at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Your Majesty, the short bolt did seem to be fired at me. My horse is quite intelligent and also very vigilant. It sensed danger before I could and gave me a warning, which was why I promptly found that something was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that was not the case. Given the speed of Brother Zhang¡¯s horse at that moment, it was impossible for that bolt to hit him,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Nobody else had seen the first bolt, but the second one had been seen by some people when it was fired. And it was also the second bolt that Yuwen Tong had shown the emperor. Although Ling Zhang was confused as to why Yuwen Tong was keeping the first shot secret from others, he naturally, considering the circumstances, chose to cooperate with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Had Snowflake not come to a sudden halt, I would indeed have galloped by before the bolt could approach me.¡±


    The emperor stared at the halved bolt, pondering over something.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange. That direction¡­ ¡± hesitated the King Hui. Then, after some recollection of the attack, he inquired, ¡°Apart from Ling Zhang who would ride past that place, was there anybody else who might¡¯ve been the target?¡±


    On hearing his words, all others seemed to see the light. Immediately, some men were dispatched to look into it.


    Soon the answer was found out. Someone reported, ¡°Your Majesty, there were two others in that direction: Marshal Yuwen in the stands, and the president of the Oriental Rite Academy.¡±


    A while ago Ling Zhang had indeed happened to be riding past the stands, and that short bolt had been fired diagonally. Given the angle, it was indeed possible that the assassin had been aiming at Yuwen Tong, or the president of the Oriental Rite Academy, or the principal of the Imperial College standing beside him, but the principal¡¯s position had been a little off that direction.


    ¡°Was the target my cousin, by any chance? Someone wanted to assassinate my cousin?¡± Yuwen Feng exclaimed in alarm.


    An attempted assassination of Yuwen Tong was no less severe than that of the emperor. After all, everybody was fully aware of the situation in the north-west. Once Yuwen Tong died, the north-west would definitely be thrown into chaos, and apart from everything else, the Wan Kingdom would surely take advantage of the opportunity and wage another war.


    Face of everybody present changed.


    ¡°But that wood is quite far away from the stands. Could this bolt really cover a distance that long? If that¡¯s the case, whatever fires this kind of bolts would be horrifyingly powerful. What kind of weapon could it possibly be?!¡± Someone was taken aback.


    The emperor¡¯s countenance also noticeably changed.


    ¡°If this kind of thing does exist, then¡­ This place is too dangerous! Your Majesty, maybe you should return to the palace right away!¡± Even Jiang Changfeng involuntarily paled.


    The emperor, however, staring at the short bolt, still hesitated for quite a while. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while longer.¡±


    Ling Zhang, seeing him staring at that short bolt all along, wondered whether or not the emperor was trying to figure out what it was that had fired it.


    But Ling Zhang, who knew what had happened, was aware that no weapon whatsoever had a shooting distance that long, and it was indeed him that had been the target of that short bolt.


    Due to this turn of events, Ling Zhang was confused once again. Though who wanted him shot was still unknown to him, clearly the situation was even more complicated now.


    It took quite some time for the guards to scour the wood. The horse race had been suspended. It was not until noon that the search was over. Everybody was starving, but since the emperor hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about leaving, nobody dared to take his leave. They had no choice but to endure hunger along with the emperor.


    ¡°Father, we searched every inch of that wood three times but still didn¡¯t find that weapon,¡± reported the King Duan, a rather awkward look on his face.


    ¡°Third Elder Brother, the wood is such a small place. How is it possible that you didn¡¯t find it? Are you sure you searched it carefully enough?¡± said the King Hui immediately.


    The emperor also shot a piercing look at the King Duan.


    The King Duan, breaking out in a sweat, explained, ¡°There¡¯s no way that the assassin hid the weapon somewhere far away, given how little time he had and the fact that the Marshal was chasing him. I even had the whole place dug over and also carefully checked each and every single tree in there. Eventually, to prevent omissions, we also scoured the whole wood as well, but we indeed didn¡¯t find the weapon. If you don¡¯t believe this, Fourth Younger Brother, you may ask any of the palace guards conducting the search. Father, I suspect that it was taken away by accomplices of the assassin.¡±


    ¡®The King Duan doesn¡¯t seem to be lying,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought.


    ¡°Your Majesty, His Highness might be right. It¡¯s very possible that the assassin had some accomplices,¡± said one of the courtiers who had previously intended to come to the King Duan¡¯s support but been stopped by Jiang Changfeng.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for reports from palace guards conducting the search. After all, this is a huge hunting ground. If the assassin¡¯s accomplices want to hide themselves, capturing them will take some doing,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The emperor nodded. ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s wait.¡±


    ¡®So this means that¡­ we¡¯re still not leaving?¡¯ All courtiers appeared distressed.


    ¡°Father, noon has passed, and you haven¡¯t had lunch yet. Would you like me to have them prepare it?¡± asked the King Hui.


    The emperor inclined his head and the King Hui immediately went to make arrangements.


    The King Duan resentfully sneaked a glance at him from behind, bitter and vexed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the court physician might have got something. Maybe we should ask him what kind of poison the assassin ingested.¡± Yuwen Tong made another suggestion.


    The emperor instructed, ¡°Get the court physician.¡±

 Chapter 219 - A Direction? Yuwen Tongs Conjecture

    Chapter 219: A Direction? Yuwen Tong¡¯s Conjecture


    Translator: DragonRider


    Soon a court physician hastened over, named the poison and explained, ¡°Your Majesty, what the assassin consumed was a poison of an extremely high level of toxicity. It was not difficult to prepare. Anybody with the right formula can get all the ingredients in any drugstore.¡±


    All other people¡¯s faces slightly darkened at the court physician¡¯s explanation. This meant that tracking down the culprit by tracing the source of the poison was no longer an option.


    ¡°Court physician, does this kind of poison has any defects?¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly asked.


    The court physician replied, ¡°Well, speaking of defects, this kind of poison inflicts great misery on the consumer before their death, which is why in the ordinary course of things people tend not to give it to a member of a death squad. On top of this, ingredients need to be added in strict orders and very precise amounts during the process of compounding it, because even the minutest error would cost its efficacy of inducing instantaneous death, which means people might be able to rescue the consumer, so normally, members of a dare-to-die corps don¡¯t use this kind of poison to commit suicide. It¡¯s too risky. Because there¡¯s a very high chance that the amounts of ingredients haven¡¯t been handled with required precision and they won¡¯t be able to die an instant death.¡±


    After hearing the court physician¡¯s answer, all others lapsed into contemplation.


    The emperor inquired of Yuwen Tong, ¡°Was it because something occurred to you that you asked about this, Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China)?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Your Majesty, I just felt that since the assassin was carrying a weapon nobody had ever seen before, those he served are definitely no common people, and they don¡¯t seem like the kind who would use this sort of ordinary poison. This is slightly against common sense, so I asked the court physician that question, whose answer made this departure from reason even more distinct. Therefore, I conjecture that the mastermind¡¯s identity is very special. They have at disposal the kind of poison specially compounded for a death squad, but they don¡¯t dare to use it, because once they use it, they would instantly be identified. What kind of poison would result in sure exposure of the consumer¡¯s identity? Maybe the kind that is uncommonly rare and unique ¨C the growing areas of the herbs needed to prepare it are easy to ascertain, for example, or maybe those people are the only group in possession of this kind of poison, and it has become one of the symbols of their identity.¡±


    Light suddenly dawned on Ling Zhang who had been standing on the side listening. Yuwen Tong was right. The mastermind clearly was aware that this kind of poison had the defect the court physician had just mentioned that would probably led to exposure of their identity, but they had chosen to use it anyway, which showed that use of the poison they had at their disposal was even likelier to cause exposure of their identity than that of this defective poison!


    ¡°The Marshal is right. I think the schemer is probably still in the city, and he or she has under their command someone adept in compounding poison. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have used this kind of poison and ensured the assassin¡¯s death,¡± observed Jiang Changfeng.


    ¡°But this doesn¡¯t make much sense. I mean, he or she could have chosen to use another kind of poison of more reliable toxicity instead of this kind. After all, there are drugstores everywhere in the capital city. Maybe the reason was that this kind of poison was the only choice the plotter had rather than that he had misgivings?¡± said the King Duan.


    Yuwen Tong commented, ¡°You¡¯re neither right nor wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the King Duan.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s true that this poison was the only choice he had, but that would be because this is the only kind of poison his subordinate is capable of preparing that is both common in the Great Yue and made from easily accessible ingredients.¡±


    After Yuwen Tong said this, faces of others grew thoughtful once again, and this time they seemed to have come to a new understanding of the situation. Even the emperor appeared to be deep in thought.


    Ling Zhang felt that by making this remark, Yuwen Tong was faintly insinuating something.


    Unsurprisingly, the court physician said, ¡°Indeed, just like the Marshal said, there are many widely-known poisons in our country that could cause instantaneous death if ingested, any of which could¡¯ve ensured immediate death of that assassin and been a safer choice than the one consumed by him, unless the behind-the-scenes mastermind had no acquaintance with any of those virulent poisons or was incapable of compounding any of them, but given that they¡¯d managed to successfully prepare this poison of a high failure rate, they must have a very high level of proficiency in compounding poisons ¨C at least in the Great Yue, it¡¯s very unlikely that someone with this degree of mastery is not capable of preparing other poisons. Assassinating people under the nose of Your Majesty is a very risky task, and the schemer should know very well what consequences they¡¯d have to take once their identity is exposed. As long as there¡¯s an alternative, I believe they would never have chosen to use this one.¡±


    There was even more manifest insinuation in the court physician¡¯s remarks.


    Everybody present was no fool and came to realize whom he was referring to.


    At this moment, Yuwen Tong added, ¡°Of course, we should not exclude the possibility that the mastermind was so conceited as to be one-hundred-percent sure that his poison would produce the desired effect.¡±


    This could indeed have been one of the reasons, a less likely one compared with the previous conjectural one, though.


    The emperor said, ¡°No matter what, first the court physician is to make a list of the ingredients of the poison, and then a citywide search is to be conducted to find out who has recently purchased medicinal herbs required to compound it.¡±


    Naturally, someone immediately left to execute the orders given by the emperor.


    Though nobody present expressly pointed it out, almost all of them, including the emperor, actually had begun to suspect the Wan Kingdom.


    Moreover, in the eyes of those who didn¡¯t know any inside information, the attempted assassination had been targeted at Yuwen Tong, and the possibility of the president of the Oriental Rite Academy being the target had been completely ruled out by all others. Who else could hate Yuwen Tong so much apart from people of the Wan Kingdom?


    In the sight of others, this was a very reasonable deduction, and a conclusion could almost be drawn.


    But Ling Zhang was aware that he was indeed the one that the assassin had tried to kill, that he was indeed the target. Judging from the poison, it was very likely that the Wan Kingdom was behind this, but why did the Wan Kingdom want him dead? Because he was Yuwen Tong¡¯s betrothed? But what difference could it possibly make if he died?


    As a result, Ling Zhang himself was more inclined to believe that the preparer of the poison had been so wildly arrogant as to be positive that the poison would kill the assassin had he failed, and this also meant that this person was probably one of those in the capital city.


    After the discussion about the poison, the emperor had palace guards pitch some tents for him and officials to rest in. Yuwen Tong naturally had a tent of his own. Ling Zhang followed him heading for the tent to get some rest. He happened to have a lot of questions to ask Yuwen Tong. All those remarks made by Yuwen Tong a while ago had been aimed at the Wan Kingdom, which greatly puzzled Ling Zhang. Had Yuwen Tong by any chance found something else?


    While leaving, Ling Zhang could sense that a lot of people¡¯s eyes were fixed on him. All their gaze was different from the one they¡¯d given him previously. It was somewhat inquiring.


    Ling Zhang guessed that this was probably because his using internal energy to defend against that bolt had been a trifle conspicuous and might have aroused some people¡¯s suspicions.


    But he decided not to dwell on this matter for the moment. After all, nobody could forbid him from practicing kung fu.


    After entering the tent, Ling Zhang, bursting with impatience, was just about to ask questions when Yuwen Tong raised his hand and stopped him, saying, ¡°You must be frightened at that time, weren¡¯t you? It¡¯s okay now.¡±


    Ling Zhang fixed Yuwen Tong with a confused gaze. Seeing Yuwen Tong was looking out of the tent, Ling Zhang realized why he¡¯d said this and answered, ¡°I was almost scared to death. Just now Snowflake suddenly halted and I nearly fell off its back. I¡¯m worried about you, for someone wants you assassinated. This place is too dangerous. Let¡¯s just go back, shall we? How about you tell His Majesty about it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve got palace guards here, and His Majesty is still here as well. There won¡¯t be any more assassins.¡±


    Ling Zhang cooperatively made some further remarks and then said he was tired and could use some rest. Yuwen Tong conveniently told him to have a nap, saying he would wake him up when the food was delivered to the tent.


    And then the tent fell quiet. Ling Zhang pricked up his ears, listening to audible signs of activity nearby.


    After quite a while, a faint sound reached his ears, followed by an utter hush.


    Ling Zhang was secretly astounded. After all, his hearing was amazingly good now, but just now he still hadn¡¯t heard this eavesdropper¡¯s breathing, which was an indication that this person¡¯s internal energy was greater than his.


    ¡°He left,¡± said Yuwen Tong in an undertone.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head, heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°You sensed his existence on entry? I couldn¡¯t even hear that guy¡¯s breathing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Though faint, it was still audible. You¡¯ll be able to detect it as well after you reach a higher level of proficiency in internal energy. The eavesdropper was probably one of the emperor¡¯s secret bodyguards. There are not many of them, but they¡¯re all kung fu masters. From now on, you have to be careful about what you say when you¡¯re not at home, unless I¡¯m by your side.¡±


    Ling Zhang solemnly inclined his head.


    ¡°You used your internal energy back there. All those having discerning eyes should have noticed, and it¡¯s impossible to keep it from coming to the knowledge of the emperor as well. In the future you may just let nature take its course, and there¡¯ll be no need for you to conceal the fact that you have internal energy, for you might arouse people¡¯s suspicions if you do,¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    Ling Zhang nodded again. ¡°All right.¡±


    And then he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why did you say that just now? And why didn¡¯t you show them the short bolt I gave you when we were in the wood? Why did you mislead them into the belief that the assassin was aiming at you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°I hid the short bolt for two reasons. First, I want them to believe that I was the one the assassin tried to kill, which makes it difficult to explain why this bolt was found; second, it might prove helpful in conducting further investigation. As regards why I misled them into believing that the assassin was aiming at me, naturally it¡¯s because I want to find out who sent the assassin.¡±


    Ling Zhang was perplexed. ¡°Find out who sent the assassin?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod. ¡°Ever since I took you out of that wood, I¡¯ve been observing each and every move of everybody around us, including the emperor and those in the stands. If it was one of them who sent the assassin, he would surely, no matter how great restraint he has, give himself away when I tried to mislead others into believing I was the target ¨C at least he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the change of his breathing from being detected by me. Besides, afterwards I also brought up the poison and insinuated that the Wan Kingdom was behind this. If the behind-the-scenes mastermind was in the stands just now, he definitely would have taken advantage of the opportunity pushing the boat with the current.¡±


    Ling Zhang carefully replayed in his mind what everybody had said just now. The King Duan had expressed some of his doubts, but all others had been quite silent, and none of them had appeared suspicious.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Either the mastermind is too cunning or he is indeed not among them. I tend to believe the latter is the case.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Why? And who do you think is the best suspect?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°The Wan Kingdom.¡±


    Ling Zhang widened his eyes. ¡°But wasn¡¯t that what you deliberately misled them into believing?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Although I was intentionally misleading them, some of my words were facts ¨C for example, the poison, and the crossbow you talked about.¡±


    Ling Zhang fixed him with an earnest gaze, waiting for him to explain.


    Yuwen Tong continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the situation in other countries, but when it comes to people in the Great Yue ¨C as least these people in the capital city ¨C I¡¯m fully aware of whether they¡¯ve been covertly developing new weapons or not. Most weapon developers hidden by the Ministry of War are top weapon makers in the Great Yue, and if they invent something new, I would definitely be informed. I¡¯m absolutely positive that currently no such crossbow exists in the Great Yue. Given that the assassin sacrificed his own life to delay me buying time for his accomplice to transfer that crossbow, it is not only precious but also something the schemer has to do whatever they can to make sure it doesn¡¯t fall into the hands of me or anybody else serving the Great Yue.¡±

 Chapter 220 - An Unsuccessful Hunt

    Chapter 220: An Unsuccessful Hunt


    Translator: DragonRider


    If Yuwen Tong¡¯s words were true, did it mean that the mastermind was really from the Wan Kingdom?


    ¡°But why do they want me dead?¡± Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity. ¡°Just because Shan Congwen was humiliated at the front gate of the imperial palace that day?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°Risking being tracked down to avenge a humiliation in a minor conflict? Shan Congwen won¡¯t do such a thing as long as he¡¯s not soft in the head.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± Ling Zhang was really very puzzled. How could they possibly benefit from his death?


    ¡°To frame somebody?¡± Ling Zhang himself shook his head first. Given what had happened earlier this day, people of the Wan Kingdom might not even be able to rid themselves of suspicions, let alone frame somebody else.


    Yuwen Tong was also contemplating. Then he said, ¡°Maybe this has something to do with the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s long stay in the Great Yue. Since they have made their move, there are definitely traces left behind that we can find.¡±


    Before this day, the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom had been biding their time all along, touring the city every day, which had made it difficult to conduct investigation into their intentions, but now they had taken action, so there must be some leads they could find to inquire into this attack.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s also a ten-percent possibility that the Wan Kingdom has nothing to do with this, but currently, the emperor is even more anxious to ascertain who sent the assassin than we are. The harder other interested parties try, the easier it would be for us to identify what we need.¡±


    At this time, Ling Zhang came to a better understanding of the situation. ¡°Was this why you had me keep the existence of the crossbow secret and provided His Majesty and the others with the assumption of a powerful weapon?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Yeah. With the existence of such powerful weapons in mind, the emperor, for one, would definitely suffer from insomnia, and he would also be bent on getting them.¡±


    Ling Zhang squinted at Yuwen Tong. This guy was pretty sly.


    Yuwen Tong drew him into his embrace and sighed, ¡°Just now it was so dangerous. If you hadn¡¯t reached the second layer of that mental cultivation method of internal energy¡­


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but he was clearly experiencing a carry-over of fear. He cuddled Ling Zhang close, unwilling to let go of him, dead silent.


    Ling Zhang also hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Me cultivating internal energy is something of inevitability. There¡¯s no ¡®if¡¯. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    From the moment he¡¯d been reborn, the course of his life had been changed forever. After rebirth, he would want to take revenge and break off his engagement for marriage, which meant that his making Yuwen Tong¡¯s acquaintance had been inevitable; his leaving Tanyang had been inevitable; and his living long enough to be found by his maternal grandfather had also been inevitable. Although there had been perils along the way, the prerequisite of all of them had been that the course of his life had been altered. There was no point making assumptions, and he didn¡¯t want Yuwen Tong to bear any unpleasant thoughts in mind.


    Ling Zhang consoled Yuwen Tong for another few moments, telling him that he would eventually get through these dangers unharmed. He also said, ¡°I¡¯ll grow stronger and stronger in the future, and I won¡¯t allow anybody a single chance to do me any harm. I¡¯ll go and consult my grandfather after we get back, and maybe he¡¯ll give me some tips that¡¯ll help me reach a higher level. Will you go with me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ling Zhang, hearing that his tone of voice had returned to normal, felt a sense of relief and added, ¡°Though the assassin was aiming at me, those people¡¯s real target is definitely you, no matter who they are, so you¡¯re the one who¡¯s really in danger. This time we must track down the mastermind.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were cold and sepulchral. ¡°We will.¡±


    No matter who this person was, they must pay the price for this.


    The two of them had rested for only a short while when Yuwen Jin and the others showed up.


    ¡°Cousin, Brother Zhang, are you okay?¡± said Yuwen Jin anxiously on entry.


    Tao Yi, Zhao Jiusi and the others also appeared to be in anxiety. They first paid their respects to Yuwen Tong and then looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, still in one piece.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to hear that.¡± Yuwen Jin heaved a sigh of relief and then hurried up to his cousin to check on him. It was after confirming that Yuwen Tong was also unwounded that he slumped into a chair on the side, raised his hand and wiped the sweat away. ¡°I was nearly scared to death. We couldn¡¯t go to the stands, and neither could we find out whether you were okay or not, and just now, before we came here, we were challenged for quite a while. Fortunately Guard Yao turned up and brought them here.¡±


    Tao Yi, Zhao Jiusi and others didn¡¯t dare behave casually as Yuwen Jin was. All of them were standing on the side, formal and unrelaxed, but their eyes were also on Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Now the horse race has been suspended, and the principal has been summoned by His Majesty. There¡¯s no telling whether the race will resume or not. If it doesn¡¯t, maybe the principal will take all of us to leave after he comes out. We might not stay here long. What about you and Brother Zhang, cousin?¡± Yuwen Jin continued.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait until the guards conducting the search return,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Jin said, ¡°Can I stay? I just want to know who was so bold as to make an attempt on you!¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Save me some trouble, will you? Someone wants me assassinated. It¡¯s not necessarily safe staying by my side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s yet another reason why I should stay with you ¨C I have to protect you!¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, as if restraining the words that had sprung to his lips, a somewhat disbelieving look in his eyes.


    Yuwen Jin, though finding the expression in his cousin¡¯s eyes rather hurtful to him, still refused to compromise.


    ¡°Marshal, we have some kung fu skills as well, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something we can help with, however insignificant it might be!¡± Ji Feng ventured an offer.


    As Yuwen Tong looked at them, Ji Feng and the others subconsciously straightened themselves.


    ¡°I appreciate that, but I can protect myself. You should stay close to the principal. Don¡¯t leave the team for no good reason.¡±


    It had been after summoning up all his courage that Ji Feng managed to make that remark, and it would take more balls than he had to contradict Yuwen Tong, so he had no choice but to obey.


    ¡°What about Brother Zhang?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay. You guys may go back to the principal first.¡±


    Yuwen Jin said reluctantly, ¡°Fine.¡±


    And then after another few moments¡¯ talking, Yuwen Jin, Tao Yi and the others were escorted back to the team of students of the Imperial College by Yao Yi under Yuwen Tong¡¯s orders. As expected, before long, the principal of the Imperial College and the president of the Oriental Rite Academy led their respective teams of students out of the hunting ground.


    Then Yuwen Feng showed up, along with eunuchs delivering food.


    ¡°I personally supervised them preparing this meal. You and Childe Ling may rest assured that these foods are safe, cousin,¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    Ling Zhang could tell that Yuwen Tong had rather mixed feelings about this. After all, currently Yuwen Tong was on quite bad terms with his uncle¡¯s branch of Yuwen family, which was why Yuwen Feng making an overture made Ling Zhang feel that his forbearance was quite impressive.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t decline Yuwen Feng¡¯s offer. Instead, he invited him to sit down and dine with him.


    Yuwen Feng, somewhat pleasantly surprised, thanked his cousin and then sat down with Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang.


    During the meal, from start to finish, Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t mention any of his family members, not even his father. He just talked with them about this attempted assassination.


    Ling Zhang noticed that Yuwen Feng seemed to have changed his attitude and given up on the idea of acting as a mediator shuttling between his family members and Yuwen Tong, but he had no idea why Yuwen Feng had made this decision.


    After the three of them finished the meal, the eunuchs cleared away the bowls, dishes and meal boxes. After a short while, someone showed up reporting that the emperor requested Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence in the stands.


    Yuwen Tong, unwilling to leave Ling Zhang in the tent alone, took him along, and the eunuch delivering the message made no remarks about it.


    The three of them went to the stands. The emperor and those courtiers clearly had also had their lunch, seeming in higher spirits. The reason why Yuwen Tong had been summoned was that palace guards conducting the hunt had sent someone back.


    ¡°They have an intimate knowledge of this hunting ground and have already fled,¡± said the King Duan.


    Yuwen Tong was not surprised, for word got out several days ago that the emperor was going to come here to watch the horse race. Anybody intending to assassinate someone here definitely had scouted out the lay of the land in this area beforehand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to go back to the palace first. Mingyuan will be put in charge of supervising them continuing searching this hunting ground. What do you think, Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China)?¡± said the emperor.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°That¡¯s a very wise decision, Your Majesty. I second it.¡±


    The emperor inclined his head and then gave the order to return to the city.


    Ling Zhang staying by Yuwen Tong¡¯s side followed the emperor¡¯s guard of honor, heading for the city. Maybe because of the attempted assassination, apart from Yao Yi and other personal bodyguards, around Yuwen Tong were also many palace guards, who were clustering around him and Ling Zhang circle upon circle protecting them against potential attack.


    Along the way, it was inconvenient for Ling Zhang to talk with Yuwen Tong about anything, so he just kept silent.


    Occasionally he would gave Snowflake a consoling pat. What had happened on the racetrack previously must¡¯ve scared Snowflake, but it was still willing to let him stay on its back and behave affectionately towards him, which deeply touched Ling Zhang. He decided to take care of Snowflake¡¯s needs first after he returned, and he would also offer it some first-class fodder and a good bath as previously promised.


    The traveling speed of the team was not slow, but maybe because the attack had cast a shadow on his mood, the emperor gave instructions to return to the city as quick as possible. Afterwards, Yuwen Tong was still summoned to the imperial palace by the emperor and had to leave Ling Zhang to Yao Yi and the others.


    Though knowing very well that it was much more difficult to assassinate him in the city, and the mastermind, in order not to be identified, wouldn¡¯t make another attempt, Yuwen Tong was still a trifle worried.


    Ling Zhang gave his hand a little squeeze, told him to relax and then return to the Ling Mansion with Yao Yi and some others.


    The first thing he did after entering the residence was lead Snowflake to the stable to fulfill his promise.


    What had happened in the hunting ground had also come to the knowledge of other people in the residential compound. Even on his way to the stable, Ling Zhang was escorted by over ten guards. Though somewhat resigned, he raised no objection, for he knew that it was because they were concerned about his safety.


    After feeding Snowflake some first-class fodder, Ling Zhang groomed it, which took him quite some time. Snowflake kept rubbing its head against Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, after bathing it, led it outside to enjoy the sunshine. It was almost dusk. Worrying that Snowflake¡¯s fur might not dry off before dark, Ling Zhang wiped it with a piece of soft cloth.


    He said to Snowflake, ¡°It¡¯s been a tough day for you. Though the horse race was called off in midstream, you¡¯re still the best.¡±


    The big thrill that he had felt when he was on Snowflake¡¯s back in the racetrack earlier this day seemed to be coursing through him once again. Ling Zhang, eyes glinting, looked at Snowflake and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be another chance in the future, and we will finish first place.¡±


    Snowflake gave a neigh, as if in response to his words.


    ¡°You think so as well, right? I always know you¡¯re a good boy,¡± said Ling Zhang, stroking its head.


    After sunset, Ling Zhang led Snowflake back into the stable, returned to his house, took a bath, changed and then asked Yao Yi, ¡°There¡¯s still no news from the imperial palace? When will Yuwen Tong come back?¡±


    ¡°The Marshal should return soon,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    As expected, Yuwen Tong came back before long. After return, he also took a bath and changed first, and then enjoyed dinner with Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The emperor wanted me to send some men to the Wan Kingdom to look into that weapon.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°Does this mean that His Majesty has now fully believed that the Wan Kingdom was behind the attack?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He has a very suspicious mind after all. Even if concrete evidence is found, he would still suspect other forces, not to mention that all he has now is merely a conjecture. He¡¯s anxious to find out what kind of weapon that thing is, so he couldn¡¯t wait to ascertain the identity of the schemer.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°He wants you to send some men to the Wan Kingdom to investigate¡­ Surely you¡¯re not going there as well, are you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll have others do it.¡±

 Chapter 221 - A Pre-emptive Strike

    Chapter 221: A Pre-emptive Strike


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang secretly heaved a sigh of relief in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong was not personally going to the Wan Kingdom. He suddenly realized that he couldn¡¯t do without Yuwen Tong. The very thought of a separation of some time from Yuwen Tong made him feel upset.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°That kind of weapon doesn¡¯t exist. If by any chance the truth is found out, His Majesty would know that the assassin¡¯s target was me rather than you. Would it be regarded as the crime of deceiving the emperor?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°They themselves were the ones who drew the conclusion that I was the assassin¡¯s target. From start to finish, that short bolt was the only thing they saw. Given the circumstances back then, if you hadn¡¯t stopped and I hadn¡¯t cut the second bolt in half, it indeed would¡¯ve missed you, which is an unquestionable fact. The worst case scenario is they suspect us. Without evidence, nobody could accuse us of deceiving the emperor.¡±


    Ling Zhang was still worried. ¡°What if the mastermind is seized and then states their intentions?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Again, there¡¯s no evidence, is there?¡±


    Ling Zhang did a double take. Indeed, those people wouldn¡¯t be able to show any proofs, because that short bolt was now in their hands.


    After the two of them finished dinner, Yao Yi returned, telling them that there had been no message from the courier hostel so far, and news of the attempted assassination in the horse race had spread to the capital city. It had come to the knowledge of people in the courier hostel, but Shan Congwen, who was very poised, as yet had been behaving as usual.


    Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°What about those going in and out of the courier hostel?¡±


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°The diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom are the only customers staying in the courier hostel today. Shan Congwen hasn¡¯t received any invitations and been in the courier hostel all day along with other members of the diplomatic corps. As regards people going in and out of the courier hostel, apart from a small band of people delivering food there in the morning, there were also a group of people going there to transfer goods at night. Both the two bands only stayed in the rear yard for a very short time. There were nobody else.¡±


    Yuwen Tong queried, ¡°Did you look into the background of those delivering food and those transferring goods?¡±


    Yao Yi answered, ¡°Yes, but nothing anomalous has been found so far. Tonight nobody has entered or exited the courier hostel except for the band of people going there to transfer goods, and the communication between them and staff members of the courier hostel were under our close watch.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, after a few moments¡¯ contemplation, said, ¡°Shan Congwen¡¯s being quiet is itself something abnormal. Keep an eye open for them. These days the emperor¡¯s men as well as people of other sides definitely have all been staking out the courier hostel. Be careful not to be exposed.¡±


    Yao Yi nodded. ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    Nothing unusual happened the rest of the night. All sides were very quiet, as if waiting for someone hiding in the shadows to make their move.


    The next day, Ling Zhang had to go to school. Yuwen Tong accompanied him there, and they paid a visit to Ji Yin once again.


    The principal, after being informed that Yuwen Tong had come again, was almost as alarmed as the last time. Given the serious incident the day before, he started to fret the moment he heard about Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival. For fear that an assassin might show up in his college, he hurriedly had Feng Zhangshi instruct college security guards, who were few in number, to stay close to Yuwen Tong providing protection.


    Ling Zhang, on seeing the sweat on the principal¡¯s forehead, felt some sympathy for the principal who was clearly in panic.


    The first thing Ji Yin did as he laid eyes on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong was also ask about the assassin.


    Neither of them told him the assassin¡¯s target had been Ling Zhang. After hearing their words, Ji Yin said, ¡°It¡¯s rumored that the assassin was sent by the Wan Kingdom. Was it true?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°All those are just speculations. There¡¯s no proof that the Wan Kingdom was behind it.¡±


    Ji Yin inclined his head. Though Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival had come as a surprise to him, he was very pleased to see them.


    Ling Zhang stated the purpose of their visit, telling his grandfather that he¡¯d encountered some difficulties during the process of cultivating the second layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy.


    Ji Yin, after hearing it, answered all Ling Zhang¡¯s questions one by one in the presence of Yuwen Tong and then said, ¡°You¡¯ve reached the second layer after cultivating for merely one month. There¡¯s no need to hurry. You¡¯ll naturally enter the third layer in due course. Your comprehension is very impressive, far better than that of any of your peers in the Millennium Pavilion. More haste, less speed. I suggest you maintain composure and take baby steps.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after hearing Ji Yin¡¯s replies to his questions, came to understand a lot that had been puzzling him previously. Feeling that he was seeing the light, Ling Zhang took Ji Yin¡¯s advice willingly without any contradictions.


    ¡°Grandfather, it was Professor Gu who recommended you. Does he know who you truly are?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin responded, ¡°He doesn¡¯t. To his knowledge, I¡¯m a scholar well-known in Youzhou. A few years ago he encountered a crisis in Shengzhou and I saved his life, which was why this time around when I asked him to help me land a job in the Imperial College, he came to my help without asking any questions.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°This is where you¡¯re living, grandfather? I¡¯m afraid people might find something out about your identity if you stay in this place for long. You¨C¡±


    Ji Yin smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no need for such worries. If anything does happen, I can always leave and hide. You may rest assured that your grandfather is still robust and knows a thing or two about making himself scarce.¡±


    Ling Zhang recalled what Ji Yin looked like when not wearing disguise. He was more than just robust; he was literally quite young!


    ¡°You know where I live, and given your kung fu skills, it¡¯ll be very easy for you to find me. If trouble comes, please don¡¯t hesitate to go to the Ling Mansion.¡±


    Ji Yin inclined his head, very glad to receive this invitation from his grandson. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a letter back to the clan stating your request. It¡¯ll take a couple of days for the reply to arrive.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. Even if he had got the permission already, he wouldn¡¯t be able to depart for the Millennium Pavilion right away, for currently it was inconvenient for him and Yuwen Tong to leave the capital city.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that since yesterday the horse race was canceled in midstream, the principal consulted with the president of the Oriental Rite Academy and the two of them agreed that a second horse race shall be held in a few days. I think you¡¯ll hear people talking about it very soon,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang was amazed. A second horse race?


    It seemed that the principal actually set great store by this horse race, probably because he wanted the Imperial College to win.


    Unsurprisingly, after returning to the classroom, Ling Zhang heard the news from Yuwen Jin and others.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that this time the venue is not the hunting ground in the western suburbs but a racecourse in the eastern suburbs,¡± said Ji Feng.


    ¡°A racecourse in the eastern suburbs? Is it broad enough?¡± asked Ling Zhang, privately mulling over another matter.


    Those assassins¡¯ target was him. Would they make another attempt in this race? Secretly, Ling Zhang was somewhat excited, having an intuition that this might be an opportunity to lure the enemies out.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a racecourse registered in the name of the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). It¡¯s exceptionally spacious. The principal specially paid a visit to the General Zhongwu and also petitioned His Majesty before he could convince the General Zhongwu to agree to lend the racecourse to him,¡± Ji Feng said.


    Ling Zhang nodded. He had once heard of who the General Zhongwu was, and had a general idea about why he had such a large racecourse to his name.


    ¡°This time His Majesty and those big shots won¡¯t be there to spectate. There¡¯ll be only students of our college and those of the Oriental Rite Academy present, so the mood will be a lot more relaxed, and the bet we made with Brother Tao and his schoolmates that day is still unfinished yet,¡± Ji Feng added.


    Absence of those big names meant less tight security. If he were the assassin, he would definitely make another attempt.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was racing. He had already thought of how he should talk with Yuwen Tong about his plan for catching the assassins this time.


    ¡°Have they fixed a date?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    ¡°In three days,¡± answered Ji Feng.


    Three days was not too long, but neither was it too short.


    ¡­


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± said Ling Zhang, eyes on Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t agree immediately. After all, this was too dangerous.


    ¡°There¡¯s three days before the event. If it was really those from the Wan Kingdom that attacked me, they no doubt would take action again, for a chance has presented itself right in front of them. You and your men could take advantage of this opportunity to track them down as well, which I believe is a far better move than waiting passively, isn¡¯t it? Also, we have a trip to the Millennium Pavilion to make with my grandfather, so it¡¯s best if we settle this as soon as possible,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong let out a sigh, looking at him. The price of settling this matter as soon as possible was to use Ling Zhang¡¯s own life as bait, which was a decision he found it impossible to make.


    Ling Zhang, who could understand his misgivings, said, ¡°We¡¯ll make watertight preparations. If that still doesn¡¯t sound reassuring enough for you, I¡¯ll have my grandfather go with us. With him protecting me overtly and you protecting me covertly, there should be nothing to worry about.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was aware that Ling Zhang was trying his best to convince him, and he also knew Ling Zhang was right ¨C it was wiser to launch a pre-emptive strike than to wait passively.


    ¡°This time we¡¯ll be fully prepared. If we keep waiting passively not knowing when they¡¯ll make another attempt, we might not be able to defend against their attack when it comes,¡± Ling Zhang added.


    Of course Yuwen Tong understood this. After quite a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Then first let¡¯s talk about the preparations we need to make. Tomorrow I¡¯ll pay another visit to my grandfather.¡±


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head, walked into the study with Ling Zhang and fished out a map of the capital city. In the normal run of things, maps of the capital city were accessible to only the emperor, the commander of the city patrol and the commander-in-chief of the Palace Guards, so Yuwen Tong¡¯s possession of this map needed to be kept secret from others.


    Beside every mark on the map were minute notes, and there were even many secret alleys explicitly indicated. On seeing this, Ling Zhang came to know that drawing this map must have taken a lot of doing.


    The racecourse of the General Zhongwu was located in the eastern suburbs. There was also a topographical map of the eastern suburbs, on which the location of the racecourse and its surroundings were also clearly indicated, but Yuwen Tong was still worried.


    ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll pay a personal visit to that place.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to be careful not to be spotted.¡±


    With the map convenient at hand, the two of them briefly consulted on the plan. Meanwhile, Yao Yi and some others were staking out the courier hostel. News of a second horse race between the Imperial College and the Oriental Rite Academy undoubtedly would spread through the whole city in no time, and maybe those living in the courier hostel would make their move very soon.


    Of course, Yuwen Tong was also having other sides under constant watch, for after all, there was a ten-percent chance that the Wan Kingdom was not the one responsible for the attempted assassination.


    No matter what, the truth would be revealed three days later.


    At night, after Ling Zhang fell asleep, Yuwen Tong got out of bed, returned to the study and watched the map, his face somewhat apathetic, gently drumming his fingers on the table, pondering over something. After quite some time, he summoned Yao Yi and gave him some instructions in a quiet voice.


    Yao Yi¡¯s face slightly changed, but he soon collected himself and inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll do it straight away.¡±


    The next day, Ling Zhang, under covert protection of guards, arrived at the Imperial College and paid another visit to Ji Yin, inviting him to watch the horse race that was going to be held three days later.


    Ji Yin fixed Ling Zhang with a gaze, a thoughtful expression on his face. Ling Zhang held his breath, waiting for Ji Yin to ask the reason, but eventually Ji Yin didn¡¯t ask any questions but just undertook that he¡¯d be there.


    Ling Zhang secretly felt a sense of relief, deciding to tell Ji Yin the truth after this matter was settled.


    After Ling Zhang returned to the classroom, Ji Feng informed him, ¡°Our afternoon lessons of this day and the next two have all been changed ¨C we¡¯re going to the Back Hill to practice riding.


    ¡°The Back Hill?¡± Ling Zhang had little acquaintance with the hill behind the Imperial College.


    ¡°There¡¯s an open space there which could pass as a field broad enough for riding, though it¡¯s not as convenient as a racecourse,¡± explained Ji Feng, ¡°and there¡¯s a wood there, which I think we¡¯re going to circle around.¡±

 Chapter 222 - Horses on the Rampage, an Emergency on the Back Hill

    Chapter 222: Horses on the Rampage, an Emergency on the Back Hill


    There were open areas on the Back Hill behind the Imperial College, but they had to ride around a hillock, on which there was a small wood. Since the view here was just average, and the ground was rather bumpy, students didn¡¯t typically hang out on this hill.


    But this time, maybe because he had specially petitioned the emperor for resumption of the horse race, the principal had become a lot more competitive than before. Students were, in batches, taken to the Back Hill to practice riding.


    When Ling Zhang and his classmates arrived, they found that there were some unfamiliar faces present, as well as some familiar ones, such as Jiang Yu and his followers.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s face was the first to fall. Ling Zhang admonished him, ¡°Keep your shirt on. This is not the right time to kick up a stink.¡±


    Jiang Yu and his cronies had also seen Ling Zhang and the others. There was ill-concealed hostility in the eyes of both sides, but none of them made any provocative remarks as they had done previously. They just ignored each other¡¯s existence.


    Near the opening space on the Back Hill was a small valley with a brook flowing through it. Beside the brook were water meadows covered with grass which was horses¡¯ favorite. A lot of students would lead their horses there for a stroll in breaks between riding sessions. Ling Zhang patted Snowflake on the hip, sending it to the meadows to have a saunter. Snowflake went there but for some unknown reason soon returned. It seemed to have taken an instant dislike to the valley and wasn¡¯t even willing to approach it.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think much about it, believing that Snowflake just didn¡¯t like walking with those ¡°mediocre¡± horses. After all, Snowflake was of uncommon blood and would be the head horse if placed in a herd, so it was fairly haughty.


    Half the afternoon passed, and all students were somewhat sweaty. A lot of them appeared rather tired.


    At first there was something wrong with a student¡¯s horse, which suddenly went restless and a trifle out of control. Caught flat-footed, the student on horseback, who had just finished the tenth lap and was sweating buckets, nearly fell off.


    Someone on the side reminded him to be more cautious, believing that it was merely a minor accident, but unexpectedly, more horses grew agitated and refused to obey their riders, rearing and jumping uncontrollably. Worse still, some even started rampaging. Students on horseback failed to react in time, screaming in fright.


    Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin and the others, who had just finished a lap and were having a break, were not on their horses. On seeing this, they were all taken aback and hastened to their schoolmates¡¯ help.


    Fortunately for them, half of these horses, which had suddenly went fretful, had no students on their backs. Also, the riding instructors all reacted very quick. One after another, they helped those students dismount their horses, but those restless horses were still in fidgets and started running around madly in all directions. Some of them even hurtled into the wood.


    ¡°AAARGH!!! HELP!!!¡±


    Cries for help came from the other side of the wood. Faces of students still suffering from the shock changed again. ¡°Damn it. Some are still practicing. They are on the other side of the wood.¡±


    Although a lot of horses had suddenly started fidgeting, there were also many horses unaffected, such as Snowflake.


    Ling Zhang took a flying leap, landed onto Snowflake¡¯s back and galloped forth.


    The sight of this brought Yuwen Jin and the others back to their senses. They quickly went to their horses, mounted and followed Ling Zhang.


    Some relatively bold students also got on their unaffected horses and followed in their wake.


    The rest of the students were nearly frightened out of their minds. On top of this, there were horses rampaging all around and anyone run over or stamped by one would no doubt sustain serious injuries, so they hastily rushed towards safer areas. Riding instructors and guards were having a hard time trying to bring those horses back under control, their faces drenched with sweat.


    Snowflake, galloping like the wind, soon carried Ling Zhang into the wood heading squarely towards the place where the cries had come from.


    Distantly, he saw where the disturbance was happening. As he dashed up, a couple of students in their panic were running madly in his direction. When they saw Ling Zhang on horseback streaking over, their eyes lit up first and then fell fairly disappointed, maybe because they believed that Ling Zhang¡¯s arrival wouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    ¡°Those horses ran wild. Some were thrown off their horses and got trampled. Jian¨CJiang Yu¡¯s horse has gone mad as well. He¡¯s still on horseback. It¡¯s getting out of control.¡±


    Though disappointed, those students still gave an account of what was going on.


    Ling Zhang, with a frown on his face, told them, ¡°You guys go back as quick as possible. Be cautious on you way back. Horses at the opening space have also run wild. Be careful not to be run over.¡±


    After saying this, he yelled ¡°Giddy up!¡± and tore forward with Snowflake.


    On reaching the scene, he found that, unsurprisingly, half a dozen students on horseback were too scared to approach it. A black horse was chasing them like crazy, and they had no choice but to ride around trying to dodge it. A man was being dragged by the black horse, one of his feet stuck in a stirrup, unable to free himself, half-dead due to the mad horse¡¯s dragging him.


    Ling Zhang dismounted and walked straight towards the frenzied black horse.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t go over there!¡± yelled someone frantically.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face grew serious as he mobilized all his internal energy and concentrated it in his right palm. While the black horse was charging straight at him, he stood still on the spot.


    ¡°Run!¡± One of his schoolmates shouted.


    ¡°Brother Zhang!¡± Seeing this, Yuwen Jin who had just arrived was thrown into such fear that his heart was in his mouth, veins standing out on his neck from the bellow.


    Right at the time when the darting black horse was merely a couple of feet away from Ling Zhang and everybody present thought that he was going to be run over and trampled by it and die where he was, Ling Zhang made his move.


    At this instant crucial instant, Ling Zhang threw a palm strike with all his might and hit the black horse on the head.


    Bang!


    In the moment when the black horse was hit by his palm, its skull shattered with a snap, as if it had just violently bumped against a wall of bronze or iron. Its neck twisted drastically due to its body that had been brought a few inches forward by inertia. After a brief moment the horse, which had breathed its last, sank to the ground with a thud.


    All people who saw this scene were still holding their breath, dumbstruck, their eyes widened with shock.


    What had just happened? They had thought that Ling Zhang would undoubtedly meet his end, but he had killed the black horse with a palm strike?


    Right at the moment when everybody else was unable to believe his eyes, Ling Zhang had stepped up, freed the foot of that unlucky student from the stirrup and laid him flat on the ground. He was covered in bruises and bloody marks, cutting a sorry figure, which was indicating that he¡¯d been severely wounded.


    That person¡¯s breathing was feeble but he still had a small part of his consciousness. He opened his eyes, uttered ¡°Thanks¡± to Ling Zhang and then passed out.


    Yuwen Jin had hurried over. ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    ¡°Get him out of here right away. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to survive without immediate medical treatment,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    After saying this, Ling Zhang rose to his feet and resumed walking forward. Yuwen Jin wanted to block his path but knew better than to leave the injured on the ground, so he bawled, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Brother Zhang! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Ling Zhang replied, went through the wood and came to know what that student he¡¯d just encountered halfway had meant by saying Jiang Yu¡¯s horse had gone mad as well.


    At this time, there were also a couple of students standing on the side, who were shouting in anxiety and fear but didn¡¯t dare step forward, and Jiang Yu¡¯s horse was in utter frenzy. Jiang Yu, face pale and drenched with sweat, was trying to regain control of his horse but couldn¡¯t. After nearly being thrown off by the horse, he quickly clasped its neck in his arms, which brought the horse rampaging madly.


    But what made this situation dangerous was that the area the horse had just torn into was a very dense wood. Though Jiang Yu was clinging on to the neck of the horse, his back was still badly scratched.


    Ling Zhang arrived just in time to see the frenzied horse carrying Jiang Yu streak into thick woods. Quite unfortunately for Jiang Yu, his clothes were entangled in low-hanging branches, but his horse was still running, and for the moment he was unable to free his foot from the stirrup, which put him in dire danger. If nobody went to his help immediately, he would definitely end up being injured even more seriously than that unlucky student Ling Zhang had just saved.


    After merely a brief moment¡¯s hesitation, Ling Zhang dashed up.


    Yuwen Tong had already helped him get his revenge for Jiang Yu¡¯s previous attempt to frame him. Besides, this was a moment when someone¡¯s life was hanging by a thread, and there was no time for him to give it any more thought. He swished forward and did the same thing he had done a while ago.


    Blocking the path of the frenzied horse, he mobilized all his internal energy and threw a palm strike at it.


    Bang!


    With the sound of bones breaking, the neck of the horse unnaturally twisted to one side.


    Jiang Yu had been stunned by Ling Zhang¡¯s abrupt appearance, and with that he¡¯d seen his horse, which was about to send him to meet his Maker, die at Ling Zhang¡¯s hand after he gave a palm strike.


    Unduly shocked, having trouble digesting what had just happened, Jiang Yu fixed his eyes on Ling Zhang.


    The horse slumped to the ground. Ling Zhang, quick of eye and deft of hand, promptly freed Jiang Yu from the stirrup and then looked at Jiang Yu who was clearly in a trance. He furrowed his brow and thought, ¡®Whatever. Let me just go the whole hog.¡¯ He untangled Jiang Yu¡¯s clothes from the branches and helped him to his feet.


    Jiang Yu, drained of his energy, staggered, buckled at the knees and directly fell into Ling Zhang¡¯s arms.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Yu, who was also terribly embarrassed, made an attempt to rise to his feet from Ling Zhang¡¯s chest, but since his hands were badly bruised and riddled with cuts from his desperate grip on the reins, and his arms were stiff and limp as well, he was utterly unable to get himself to his feet. After merely a brief struggle, he bumped back into Ling Zhang¡¯s chest once again and hit his nose, seeing stars.


    Ling Zhang helped Jiang Yu to his feet. On feeling Jiang Yu trembling all over, he came to know that it was impossible for Jiang Yu to stay on his feet unaided, so he said, ¡°Sit. I¡¯ll go and get help.¡±


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t utter a word. With a complicated expression on his face and Ling Zhang¡¯s assistance, he sat down on the ground. And then, when Ling Zhang turned and was about to leave, he said, ¡°Thanks,¡± in a low and deep voice.


    Ling Zhang, without a pause, went to inform other students.


    Jiang Yu watching Ling Zhang¡¯s receding back recalled the close shave he¡¯d just been through, his heart still hammering violently. Unable to regain his composure anytime soon, he simply leaned against the trunk behind him, not giving a glance at the dead horse on the side.


    All the students brought back by Ling Zhang were among those who typically stayed with Jiang Yu almost all the time, but on this occasion many of his cronies were nowhere to be seen. Only a couple of them were present.


    All of them were somewhat astounded at the sight of the dead horse and Jiang Yu covered in bruises and lacerations. The horse had died?


    ¡°Are you okay, Jiang Yu?¡± One of the students hastened up to Jiang Yu intending to help him to his feet.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this on your own. Someone needs to carry him on his back,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at them.


    Those students glanced at Ling Zhang, a somewhat complex expression on their faces. Though unaware of any details, they all knew that it was Ling Zhang who had saved Jiang Yu¡¯s life. At this moment, after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, all of them were fairly at a loss how they should respond.


    Eventually, one of the students carried Jiang Yu on his back and walked out of the wood.


    Ling Zhang was walking in front, and all those behind him were as quiet as him, but for some inexplicable reason, they all followed closely in his wake until Jiang Yu was transferred out of the wood.

 Chapter 223 - That Ling Zhang Guy Saved You?

    Chapter 223: That Ling Zhang Guy Saved You?


    Translator: DragonRider


    They were just about to walk out of the wood when a riding instructor bringing some men with him arrived in haste. At first they were surprised at the sight of Ling Zhang and the others, and then as their eyes fell on Jiang Yu carried on a student¡¯s back, their faces changed drastically and they all asked about what had happened.


    A student gave them an account of the accident. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t stay to listen but just directly left.


    It was when that student got to the part about Ling Zhang that the others noticed his absence. All their faces grew somewhat unnatural.


    The riding instructor said, ¡°Go back right now. Someone has sent for a physician.¡±


    The student carrying Jiang Yu on his back clenched his teeth and resumed walking forward. Fortunately, the riding instructor perceived that the student was running out of strength and carried Jiang Yu himself.


    Jiang Yu on the riding instructor¡¯s back saw Ling Zhang¡¯s receding back in the distance, an inexplicable look on his face.


    As Ling Zhang walked out, he found that most of those frenzied horses had been brought back under control, but a small number of them were lying on the ground ¨C obviously they¡¯d been directly killed.


    Yuwen Jin and the others, on seeing him walk out, ran up and clustered around him all at once. Yuwen Jin asked, ¡°Brother Zhang, just now it was so dangerous for you to rush in there. Are you hurt?¡±


    Ling Zhang lightly swung his right arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where¡¯s that student?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been transferred to a physician,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, you killed a horse with a single palm strike back there. That¡¯s so badass,¡± Yuwen Jin added.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just have great strength.¡± However, right now his arm was aching dully. Having killed a frenzied galloping horse with a single palm strike twice in a row, he felt his right arm not only throbbing painfully but also trembling, but the tremble was not very noticeable, so Yuwen Jin and the others hadn¡¯t observed it.


    But not all of them were unobservant. As Zhao Jiusi¡¯s eyes fell on Ling Zhang¡¯s right arm, a knowing look appeared in his eyes. He urged, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here. Go back straight away and see a physician.¡±


    Yuwen Jin agreed, ¡°Yeah, yeah. You should let the physician examine you, to be on the safe side.¡±


    There were a lot of injured students, but most of them had merely suffered minor traumas. Only two had been rather seriously wounded: the one who had been dragged by a horse, and Jiang Yu.


    It was impossible to keep news of Ling Zhang rescuing Jiang Yu from coming to more people¡¯s knowledge, but most students, on hearing that Ling Zhang had killed a horse with a single palm strike, had a shocked and scared look on their faces. After all, even their riding instructors were not powerful enough to do such a thing.


    Of course, there were also a few inharmonious voices¡­


    ¡°Jiang Yu¡¯s horse was from the Western Regions (the area west of Yumenguan, including what is now Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia) and of a well-known breed. His grandfather specially bought it and gave it to him as a birthday present, but Ling Zhang struck it to death just like that? Isn¡¯t he too cocky?¡±


    The speaker was Zuo Yuanping, whose face was full of indignation, as if Ling Zhang had just killed one of his relatives.


    Yuwen Jin and the others were not happy to hear this, the former rolling up his sleeves with the intention to beat him up.


    As luck would have it, the riding instructor carrying Jiang Yu on his back returned, and everybody shifted their gaze to Jiang Yu and Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes darted to them, a chilly expression on his face. Jiang Yu, instead of looking at Ling Zhang, fixed Zuo Yuanping with a stare and said coldly, ¡°Shut your mouth.¡±


    Zuo Yuanping was stunned. Some words had sprung to his lips but he clenched his teeth and held them back as he saw the look in Jiang Yu¡¯s eyes.


    Soon Jiang Yu was also transferred and before long people of Jiang family arrived and took him home.


    This was such a major incident that the principal had a terrible scowl on his face after being informed of it. When it came to his knowledge that it was Ling Zhang who had rescued two students, especially when he heard one of them was Jiang Yu, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he was still very grateful to Ling Zhang. Had anything worse had happened to these two students, particularly Jiang Yu, he would definitely be removed from principalship.


    But he still hastened to Jiang family immediately.


    Yuwen Jin made a remark heavy with sarcasm. ¡°He acts like Jiang family were his natural parents.¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhang,¡± someone called.


    ¡°Eek? Professor Li? Why did he come here?¡± Yuwen Jin turned to look at the man.


    Ling Zhang walked up to him. He couldn¡¯t address him as ¡®grandfather¡¯ in the presence of outsiders, so he also called him Professor Li.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ji Yin glanced at Ling Zhang and then his eyes moved to his right arm. ¡°You hurt your arm?¡±


    ¡°I feel a little exhausted, but I¡¯ll be fine after having some rest at home,¡± said Ling Zhang, but in fact he had a conjecture that his bone was slightly injured, for it had just begun to sting terribly.


    Ji Yin seemed to have come to know what the problem was, but he couldn¡¯t help heal Ling Zhang¡¯s wounds under this identity, so he said, ¡°Go back right away. Have a physician carefully check out your arm.¡±


    Professor Gu also arrived in haste, accompanied by Feng Zhangshi. They made arrangements for most students to go back home as a measure of expediency, and the cause of these horses suddenly falling into frenzy must be ascertained.


    Ling Zhang wanted to say something, but after a brief moment¡¯s thinking, he refrained from doing so.


    Firstly, his speculation would not necessarily turn out to be the truth; secondly, investigators would surely look into that place. It was inappropriate for him to talk about this, and he might end up arousing people¡¯s suspicions.


    After he got into the horse-drawn carriage heading home, Miao Shiba had Ling Zhang take a pill. ¡°This is high-quality medicine prepared by a military surgeon. It helps ease pain and restore strength.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. He did feel much better.


    Having mobilized all his internal energy twice, he was now drained of not only physical strength but also internal energy.


    Back there on the hill the situation had been dire. Had he used his powers with more deftness, he might have avoided causing such serious consequences, but at that time he hadn¡¯t really had enough time to give it more thought and had adopted the most direct and most violent method.


    Yuwen Jin was also in the carriage. He had also just come to know that Ling Zhang had hurt his arm. ¡°Brother Zhang, why did you go to Jiang Yu¡¯s help?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more important than human life.¡± Ling Zhang gave an answer in a soft voice.


    ¡°But previously he schemed against you trying to frame you,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a few moments, a thoughtful look on his face. It was inconvenient for him to tell Yuwen Jin that Jiang family had already paid the price. Moreover, back then when he¡¯d rushed to Jiang Yu¡¯s rescue, these thoughts flitting across his mind had been rather vague. In the final analysis, he had acted following his heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really regret having done that. If some day he messes with me again, I surely wouldn¡¯t go easy on him,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    He was not the kind of person who would requite ingratitude with kindness, but he did have his own principles and line in the sand.


    ¡­


    They returned to the residential compound to find that the physician had been waiting. It was a court physician.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s bone had indeed sustained an injury, but the court physician told him that as he was young and of strong constitution, he¡¯d fully recover after proper treatment and enough rest.


    Yuwen Tong, face sullen, had someone see the court physician out, personally decocted the medicine, watched Ling Zhang drink it and then asked, ¡°Why did those horses get out of control?¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask Ling Zhang why he¡¯d rescued Jiang Yu. He knew Ling Zhang too well to ask such questions.


    Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong about Snowflake¡¯s unwillingness to go to the brook for a stroll. ¡°I suspect that those horses went mad after consuming something beside the brook, but this is just my speculation. I don¡¯t really know it for sure.


    This was probably not aimed at me. Snowflake was fine. Horses running wild were not in the majority, and their riders don¡¯t seem to follow some particular patter either.¡±


    Ling Zhang had specially observed the situation at that time.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. He definitely would hold an inquiry into this incident and get to the bottom of it.


    Seeing Ling Zhang lying in bed pale-faced, Yuwen Tong kept feeling something weighing his heart down, which was why his face was rather sulky.


    Ling Zhang reached out his unharmed hand to hold Yuwen Tong¡¯s. ¡°The court physician said that I¡¯d fully recover after some rest and proper treatment.¡±


    Besides, currently what concerned Ling Zhang more was whether the horse race two days later would be held as scheduled. If their plan fell through because of this, their golden opportunity to get out of their passive position and take the initiative would be wasted.


    Yuwen Tong, seeing he was still dwelling on the horse race, looked at his right arm and remarked, ¡°You¡¯re not in a fit state to ride anymore.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I just hurt my arm, not my legs.¡±


    Aware of what Yuwen Tong was worrying about, he assured him, ¡°I won¡¯t be using any strength of my right arm ¨C I¡¯ll just be pretending to. The purpose of our plan is to lure the enemies out anyway. If I¡¯m not getting any prizes in it, so be it. Besides, given how smart Snowflake is, I won¡¯t have to use much strength.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had originally wanted to take a hard line on this, but his heart softened without him noticing as he saw that Ling Zhang was gazing at him, eyes gleaming with expectation tinged with cautiousness. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see whether the horse race would be held as scheduled.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head, secretly wishing the principal would be more insistent and wouldn¡¯t back out.


    ¡­


    In the residential compound of Jiang family.


    Jiang Changfeng, seeing the bruises and lacerations on his grandson¡¯s back, appeared extremely sepulchral. Jiang Yu was the apple of his eye, and he favored Jiang Yu more than any other grandson of his. Never once had Jiang Yu come to any harm under his watch, but now he had returned with wounds in every part of his body. Jiang Changfeng was nearly infuriated out of his mind.


    The principal, who had been standing in the living room of Jiang family for quite some time without a single person coming to receive him, came to realize that this time he might have to suffer severe consequences.


    In Jiang Yu¡¯s bedroom, his mother sitting at his bedside was sobbing, ¡°My poor son, it wrenches at my heart to see you like this. It was that damn crazy horse and that so-called horse race that did this to you. What am I supposed to live for had anything worse happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, mother. These wounds will heal in a few days.¡± The crying of his mother was giving Jiang Yu a headache.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s father Jiang Shennian, who had been staying at home unemployed, was also wearing a terrible scowl. By some bad luck, he had been discharged from his position and been hiding at home, not daring to go outside or meet any visitors. He had thought that the situation couldn¡¯t get any worse, but unexpectedly, after merely a couple of days, his son had been caught in this accident. Jiang Shennian was only too anxious to eat the principal alive.


    ¡°How did a healthy horse suddenly come to run wild? Did anybody tamper with your horse, by any chance?¡± said Jiang Shennian.


    Jiang Yu thought for a few moments and then shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Apart from mine, many others¡¯ horses ran wild as well.¡±


    Jiang Shennian¡¯s face was sullen. ¡°Maybe that was just a deceptive trick of the culprit.¡±


    Jiang Changfeng was more composed than him. ¡°Since there were so many horses involved, it would be much easier to ascertain the truth. Yu¡¯er, tell us again how it happened.¡±


    Jiang Yu, after thinking back for a few moments, gave them a full account of the incident for a second time.


    Jiang Changfeng asked, ¡°You mean it was that Ling Zhang guy who saved you?¡±


    With a mixed expression on his face, Jiang Yu kept silent for quite a while and then replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Tell me again how he saved you,¡± said Jiang Changfeng.


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t refuse. He carefully replayed the incident in his mind and then told his family the whole story once again, but he skipped some details: his falling into Ling Zhang¡¯s arms twice, for instance.


    Jiang Shennian sniffed, ¡°Does this Ling Zhang guy have to get involved in everything?¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s mother, unaware of the history between her son and Ling Zhang, merely observed, ¡°Rumor has it that Ling Zhang is arrogant and domineering. It¡¯s so surprising that he came to Yu¡¯er¡¯s rescue.¡±


    Jiang Shennian made no remark on this, as if in his eyes what Ling Zhang had done was a matter of course.


    Jiang Changfeng said, ¡°Since he saved your life, we owe it to him to pay him a visit and express our gratitude.¡±


    Jiang Yu looked at his grandfather, who looked back. After quite a long silence, Jiang Yu said, ¡°I see.¡±

 Chapter 224 - A Gratitude Visit from Jiang Changfeng

    Chapter 224: A Gratitude Visit from Jiang Changfeng


    Translator: DragonRider


    On hearing that they were going to visit the Ling Mansion to express their gratitude, Jiang Shennian furrowed his brow. ¡°He¡¯s just a kid. There¡¯s no need for you to personally pay him a gratitude visit. Having a couple of servants deliver some thank-you gifts there will suffice.¡±


    But Jiang Changfeng said, ¡°He might be a kid, but Yuwen Tong is not.¡±


    Jiang Shennian sneered, ¡°They haven¡¯t got married yet, have they? Yu¡¯er is of far nobler birth than he is. Surely he wouldn¡¯t dare think we owe him a favor?¡±


    Jiang Changfeng looked at his son, his face fairly displeased. ¡°We definitely owe him a favor. End of discussion. Tomorrow I¡¯ll personally visit him and thank him, and my decision is final.¡±


    Jiang Shennian was shocked. ¡°Father?!¡±


    Jiang Changfeng had risen to his feet. ¡°Let Yu¡¯er have some rest if you don¡¯t have any other business here. The principal of the Imperial College is still waiting in the living room. I¡¯ll go and meet him. And it¡¯s about time you left as well.¡±


    Jiang Shennian still felt it unbelievable that Jiang Changfeng was going to personally pay Ling Zhang a visit to thank him. ¡°Is father out of his mind?¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s mother, however, was quite confused. ¡°He saved Yu¡¯er¡¯s life. What¡¯s the problem with thanking him for that? Surely, we can afford some thank-you gifts, can¡¯t we? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯m a woman and it¡¯s inappropriate for me to go, I would pay him a visit and express my gratitude as well. I don¡¯t care whether or not he is arrogant and domineering. Nothing would stop me from being grateful to him for saving my son¡¯s life.¡±


    Jiang Shennian was displeased with her wife¡¯s words but knew better than to quarrel with her in the presence of his son, so eventually he gave a flick of his sleeves and left.


    Because of Jiang Changfeng¡¯s words, Jiang Yu¡¯s mother also didn¡¯t stay long. After a short while, she also walked out of the room.


    Jiang Yu, lying in bed with an inscrutable countenance, pondered over something. Eventually, he smacked a fist down onto the bed and closed his eyes to rest, unreconciled to this situation, but no sooner had he closed his eyes than the scenes of Ling Zhang killing the horse and himself embarrassedly falling into Ling Zhang¡¯s arms twice uncontrollably started replaying themselves in his mind, which made Jiang Yu feel exceptionally awkward and ashamed. But back there in the wood, he¡¯d already lapsed into despair; when his clothes had been caught on branches and his horse had still been dragging him forward, in particular, he had believed that his death was certain. When Ling Zhang had shown up and killed the horse, he had really heaved a great sigh of relief, feeling as if he had been reincarnated. But every time he recalled himself twice falling into¡­


    All in all, Jiang Yu was having very mixed feelings. One moment, he felt embarrassed and ashamed, and the next, he wished he would never have to feel again for the rest of his life what he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d been rescued. The sense of relief and gratitude that had surged inside him at Ling Zhang¡¯s appearance was still vivid¡­ These two contradictory and confused thoughts caused Jiang Yu¡¯s mood to fluctuate violently, which along with the painful wounds conspired to make him seem somewhat fidgety.


    In the living room, Jiang Changfeng met the principal of the Imperial College but said only two or three sentences from start to finish before dismissing the principal, who wiped the sweat from his forehead while leaving.


    Jiang Changfeng was sitting in a chair contemplating. Sure enough he didn¡¯t want to say ¡®thank you¡¯ to a youngster his grandson¡¯s age, but Ling Zhang was more than Ling Zhang ¨C it was his backer Yuwen Tong that concerned Jiang Changfeng.


    A few days ago, Jiang Yu exploiting his name had pressurized Professor Du into cooperating with him, scheming to have Ling Zhang expelled from the Imperial College, but Ling Zhang had counter-attacked and got Professor Du fired instead. At that time he had merely felt this Ling Zhang guy was not bad but hadn¡¯t given it much thought, for that had been a matter between his grandson and his classmate after all, but immediately after that, the incident of the Xiang City had incriminated Jiang family and resulted in his son¡¯s removal from office. He was positive that the riot of the Xiang City had been well hushed up. How had it come to be suddenly brought to light? Jiang Changfeng had wondered whether his son¡¯s dismissal from his post had really been a coincidence. He had suspected Yuwen Tong. Others might not know much about it, but he was fully aware of how formidable Yuwen Tong was. Someone who had not only recovered the lost territory against overwhelming odds but also reduced the Wan Kingdom to how it was today definitely had finesse and subterfuge beyond common people¡¯s imagination. Jiang Changfeng also knew very well how suspicious and wary of Yuwen Tong the emperor was.


    As a result, Jiang Changfeng couldn¡¯t help but lay suspicions on Yuwen Tong, though he had no proof.


    And of course he loathed Ling Zhang, who was possibly the cause of all this.


    But he couldn¡¯t help but give more thought to what had happened earlier this day. It had come as a great surprise to him that Ling Zhang had saved his grandson¡¯s life.


    So no matter what, he must pay a visit to the Ling Mansion to express his gratitude. Also, it was high time he had a meeting with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    When Jiang Changfeng arrived at the front doors of the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang was lying in a deck chair, and Xie Shi changing his dressing said, ¡°Had His Majesty not sent a court physician here, the treatment for your injury would have been a lot simpler, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a good thing that he saved you some trouble?¡±


    Xie Shi had been very busy recently, instructing Yang Liuzi and some others in martial formations and inducting a select few security guards into detoxification skills.


    Xie Shi gave a snort, clearly displeased with the court physician who had stepped on his toes.


    At this time, someone came from the outside reporting Jiang Changfeng¡¯s arrival to Ling Zhang, who was astonished and looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong stood up. ¡°Stay here and have your dressing changed. I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    Ling Zhang was amazed to learn that Jiang Changfeng had personally come here to thank him. Seeing Yuwen Tong walk out, he believed Jiang Changfeng would leave after having a talk with Yuwen Tong, but unexpectedly, Jiang Changfeng came over with Yuwen Tong.


    As he caught sight of Jiang Changfeng, Ling Zhang, though unaware of what was going on, still attempted to rise from his chair.


    On entry, Jiang Changfeng saw Ling Zhang having his dressing changed and realized that Yuwen Tong had been telling the truth when he¡¯d told him about Ling Zhang¡¯s injury in the ante-room. He stopped Ling Zhang from standing up by saying, ¡°You may continue to have your dressing changed, Childe Ling. There¡¯s no need for such formalities. Besides, you saved my grandson¡¯s life, so I should bow to you, not the other way around. Thank you for your great kindness, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really deserve such compliment. Childe Jiang is my school friend. I but did what a school friend should do, nothing more,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang appeared very composed at Jiang Changfeng¡¯s sudden appearance and words from start to finish, and his attitude was quite usual as well.


    Leaving aside the brief meeting he had with Ling Zhang in the stands of the hunting ground on that day, this was the first time that Jiang Changfeng had talked with Ling Zhang in person. He found that though Ling Zhang was rather different from his public image as a cocky and domineering youth, his calm and unhurried bearing was quite consistent with the Ling Zhang who had dared to directly snap back at the Ninth Princess at the city gate, insulted Zuo Yi and some others without scruple, and also stood up to Yuwen Zhi at that palace banquet by shooting down his excuses. Jiang Changfeng, with a thoughtful look on his face, flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong who had no respect for him at all, and came to realize what the source of Ling Zhang¡¯s confidence was.


    Jiang Changfeng didn¡¯t stay long. He left after only a short while. Before taking his leave, he said that Jiang family wouldn¡¯t forget this favor Ling Zhang had done them, and also gave Ling Zhang a thank-you gift.


    After Yuwen Tong returned from seeing Jiang Changfeng out, Ling Zhang asked him, ¡°Why did Jiang Changfeng personally come here to thank me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°This wily old fox definitely has guessed that I interfered in the matter of the Xiang City. Currently he doesn¡¯t dare make an enemy of me, and you saved Jiang Yu¡¯s life, so he conveniently paid you a visit to clarify his position.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already known but has no intention of taking revenge for his son¡¯s dismissal?¡± Ling Zhang was puzzled.


    ¡°He¡¯s fully aware of the truth about your being picked on in the Imperial College on that day. Today, by expressing his gratitude to you in my presence, he was also stating his stand on that matter,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lip curled. In other words, Jiang Changfeng, who had an intimate knowledge of the history between them, had taken advantage of this opportunity and made an attempt to put an end to it.


    Each of these people was more calculating than the last. Now that even Jiang Changfeng had paid him a personal visit to thank him, it would be inappropriate if they refused to let it go. Besides, he had saved Jiang Yu¡¯s life, which seemed to have indicated that he had no intention to take further retaliatory action.


    After closing the topic about Jiang Changfeng, Yuwen Tong brought up the horse race. ¡°The emperor seems to have no intention of canceling the horse race. I think it¡¯s going to be held as scheduled.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief. ¡°Then the racecourse¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s in readiness,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°Already?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°The emperor won¡¯t be present, and neither will those courtiers, so there will only be students. The General Zhongwu (AKA. the General of Loyalty and Valor) seems to have no interest in the event as well, which makes it quite convenient for me to make arrangements.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°News of it must have spread through the whole city during the past two days. Were there any unusual occurrences in the courier hostel and other places?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Counting today, we still have two days. There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t let such a good opportunity slip away.¡±


    As long as those people really wanted to kill Ling Zhang.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong was in a foul mood as he thought of this. He gave Ling Zhang a general idea of the arrangements.


    Ling Zhang, who was unable to find any flaws in Yuwen Tong¡¯s watertight arrangements, eagerly anticipated the day when the horse race would be held.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, Yuwen Feng paid the Ling Mansion a visit, saying that he came to see Ling Zhang who had been injured.


    Ling Zhang, who happened to be having a walk around the drill ground, went to meet him. Yuwen Feng, like the last time they¡¯d met, didn¡¯t mention anything about his family members, which was quite sensible of him. He gave Ling Zhang some high-quality medicinal herbs and then took his leave.


    And then Tao Yi showed up, who said on entry, ¡°I heard that you killed a horse with a single palm strike, which was so badass. Was it true?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He specially raised his right arm to remind Tao Yi that he shouldn¡¯t stray from the matter of importance, that he should have asked about his injury first and shown some concern for him.


    However, Tao Yi just stared at Ling Zhang¡¯s right arm, gave a tap on it and, after ¡°confirming¡± that it was nothing serious, continued, ¡°How did you do that? Killing a horse with a single palm strike ¨C that¡¯s something even many famous generals might not necessarily be able to do. Your kung fu is so good, and you¡¯ve been keeping it secret all this time.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that he might have to put an end to his friendship with Tao Yi, for this guy was so insensible and had no concern for him whatsoever.


    But he believed that maybe he was not incurable, so he raised his arm again signaling Tao Yi to put his attention on the important point.


    Tao Yi, probably having sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s displeasure, finally manifested some concern for his injured arm. ¡°How¡¯s your arm? This doesn¡¯t even seem to be as serious as the fracture I once had when I was young. I think it¡¯s nothing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ling Zhang finally huffed, ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    Tao Yi stared at him for a brief moment and then burst into laugh. He fished out a casket from behind, handed it to Ling Zhang and said, ¡°This medicinal herb helps heal bone injuries. I got it from my teacher after begging him for quite a while. Take it.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a snort, took the casket and motioned a servant on the side to open it. He flicked a glance at the herb inside and then hurriedly had the casket closed. It was good stuff.


    It was after seeing the gift that a smile appeared on his face. ¡°You¡¯re not incurably heartless. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    Tao Yi grinned, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have come here to see you if I was, so stop making little digs at me. Seriously though, how exactly did you manage to kill a horse with a single palm strike?¡± Tao Yi persisted with his questioning.

 Chapter 225 - A Second Draw

    Chapter 225: A Second Draw


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been cultivating internal energy.¡±


    Tao Yi widened his eyes which were full of incredulity. ¡°The internal energy people talk about?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    Tao Yi was very excited. ¡°This kind of thing really exists? What¡¯s internal energy like? Tell me more about it.¡±


    Tao Yi asked Ling Zhang a lot of questions pestering him for details. Eventually Ling Zhang ran out of patience and stopped talking, fixed him with a calm stare.


    It was not until this moment that Tao Yi came to realize that he had asked too many questions. He scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re still recovering and need more rest, so I¡¯ll stop disturbing you. When you¡¯re better, I¡¯ll pay you another visit. By the way, it seems that the horse race will be held as scheduled. You won¡¯t be participating, I suppose?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I will.¡±


    Tao Yi wore a worried look on his face. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t your injured arm be a problem?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Not if I don¡¯t use it. Snowflake is very intelligent. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll survive one lap.¡±


    Tao Yi was still somewhat disapproving, but seeing Ling Zhang was insistent, he realized that if Ling Zhang was really not in a fit state to take part in the competition, Yuwen Tong would be even less likely to let him. As a result, he said no more.


    ¡­


    The day before the competition, the cause of those horses running wild was identified ¨C the grass beside that brook.


    The grass there was the kind that horses liked, so theoretically it shouldn¡¯t have been a problem, but for some unknown reason, all the grass beside the brook had been contaminated with some kind of poison which would cause horses to go mad if ingested. It seemed that the brook had washed the poison ashore. Therefore, investigators had specially walked upstream to look into it.


    So far the search had been fruitless.


    Strangely enough, people in the courier hostel had been quiet all along as well. Ling Zhang was beginning to suspect that it was not those people from the Wan Kingdom who wanted him dead, that he and Yuwen Tong had wronged them.


    Ling Zhang was not in a good mood. Originally he had wanted to lure his enemies out, but what if the enemies refused to take action? Wouldn¡¯t all his efforts be in vain?


    But Yuwen Tong was much more composed than him. ¡°People in the courier hostel hasn¡¯t made any move, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the assassins haven¡¯t either.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point. Even if they¡¯d really had a wrong guess and those people from the Wan Kingdom were not responsible for the attempted assassination, those who wanted him dead would no doubt still take action, and all he needed to do was wait to see who would betray himself.


    On the day of the horse race, Ling Zhang arrived at the racecourse in the eastern suburbs promptly, which astonished a lot of people. His arm injury was known to many, and they wondered why Ling Zhang was still participating in this event. Even the principal was sent into a brief trance of surprise by his appearance.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, here!¡± Yuwen Jin yelled, his arms lifted above his head.


    Ling Zhang, followed by Miao Shiba and some others, walked up to him, spotting Ji Yin standing behind the principal on the way.


    ¡°You really did come here, Brother Zhang. It surprises me that my cousin agreed to let you do this,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m only going one round, and I won¡¯t be using my right arm. Snowflake will carry me to the finish line, so there¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡±


    Ling Zhang was appraising this racecourse and its surroundings all along while saying this.


    Previously he had read the map of Yuwen Tong¡¯s and roughly come to know that at one side of this racecourse was a hill, which in fact was just a mound covered with trees. It was slightly higher than the hillock behind the Imperial College. At another side of it was a row of stables close to the hill, which people could look through and see what was behind, and which was not really the perfect place for hiding. The other two sides of the racecourse were completely unobstructed, with large areas of meadows outside, the grass on which was fairly lush, and which didn¡¯t seem barren. Therefore, if anybody was going to make underhand arrangements in this place, they would surely choose to hide somewhere near the small wood. The side of that small hill facing this racecourse was rather steep and difficult to climb, with plenty of rocks and barely any footholds, looking as if it had been hewed by people a long time ago. However, climbing-unfriendly for common people as it was, people with some kung fu skills and masters of lightness skills could get up and down the hill along this side quite easily.


    Most of Ling Zhang¡¯s attention was on that grove. Sure enough he wasn¡¯t staring straight in that direction but was observing it out of the corner of his eye.


    Yuwen Tong had told him that he had made adequate arrangements in this racecourse, details of which Ling Zhang was unaware of. It seemed that apart from students of the Imperial College, the only ones present were students of the Oriental Rite Academy, the headmasters of these two schools, some riding instructors and some security guards; there was nobody of any other particular identity in sight.


    ¡°Brother Zhang?¡± Yuwen Jin called, noticing Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was wandering.


    Ling Zhang wrenched his attention back, looking at him.


    ¡°Brother Tao and the others are coming,¡± Yuwen Jin informed him, pointing in the direction of students of the Oriental Rite Academy.


    Tao Yi, accompanied by the couple of schoolmates of his, walked over. Ling Zhang¡¯s injury had come to the knowledge of them all, so they first politely asked Ling Zhang about it.


    And then a schoolmate of Tao Yi¡¯s said, ¡°We have to count Ling Zhang out because he¡¯s wounded. Does the bet still stand for the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°Of course it does. A bet is a bet. There¡¯s got to be a winner today,¡± said Ji Feng.


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Students of the Oriental Rite Academy were very pleased. After reconfirming the number of participants, they took their leave.


    ¡°They thought we¡¯d be afraid to lose and back out of it. How¡¯s that even possible?¡± Ji Feng rolled up his sleeves in a combative mood, eager to make his riding skills known.


    But Ling Zhang was thinking that if assassins did show up later during the horse race, this private competition of theirs would once again be interrupted. He felt a trifle guilty, but it was inconvenient for him to disclose these things to any of them, so he had no choice but to keep silent.


    Just now his eyes had searched the whole racecourse, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s men were nowhere to be seen, and he hadn¡¯t even spotted Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°These guys are so good at hiding,¡± he mumbled under his breath and then looked at Miao Shiba and a couple of others behind him. After a moment¡¯s thought, he still said to Yuwen Jin and the others, ¡°There¡¯s something I need to consult Professor Li about. I¡¯ll be back in just a little while.¡±


    Yuwen Jin and his other schoolmates didn¡¯t suspect anything. Ling Zhang, accompanied by Miao Shiba and a couple of bodyguards, walked away.


    Originally Ling Zhang had wanted to bring only Miao Shiba as he usually did, but eventually he¡¯d still decided to have Xie Shi and a couple of others go with him. Firstly, the situation might get very dangerous in a while, and secondly, as Yuwen Tong had reminded him previously, the assassins were fully aware that he knew they were going to make another attempt on him, which meant that he would arouse their suspicions if he went alone without bringing any guards with him, so he might as well have more men accompany him.


    This was why on this occasion Ling Zhang had a group of bodyguards in his wake wherever he went. All students of the Imperial College were somewhat familiar with a scene like this, and they recalled someone else who had done such a thing before Ling Zhang ¨C Jiang Yu of Jiang family. Currently Jiang Yu, because of his injuries, was staying at home confined to bed, and Ling Zhang had taken his place doing the same thing. Moreover, all the bodyguards behind Ling Zhang seemed to be even tougher than those of Jiang family. Because of this, students of the Imperial College were sneaking appraising glances at Ling Zhang, their countenance somewhat subtle.


    Ling Zhang, who was aware that many students were staring at him, was not disgruntled, for he had anticipated this situation.


    The principal, however, seeing him walking in his direction, mistakenly believed that Ling Zhang was coming to talk to him, but Ling Zhang merely bowed to him in salutation and then turned his head around to look at Professor Li beside him.


    ¡°May I have a few moments of your time, professor? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to consult you about,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin, who guessed that the matter Ling Zhang wanted to talk with him about was probably supposed to be kept in confidence, rose to his feet and led Ling Zhang a couple of steps away.


    The principal suspiciously looked at them. There had been several occasions when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went to meet Professor Li in private, and the principal had some time ago suspected that the relations between them were not common. Now he was even more certain of this. But he was perplexed as to what kind of relations Ling Zhang had with this new professor exactly.


    ¡°Grandfather, there might be some trouble in a while. You need to be careful, and you should remind the principal to evacuate students when it happens,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin, who seemed to have some time ago guessed something, inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll give him a prompt reminder. Is the trouble coming for you?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him an honest answer. ¡°Yeah. Someone wants to kill me.¡±


    Ji Yin knitted his eyebrows. Soon something occurred to him and he asked, ¡°In the hunting ground of the western suburbs, the assassin¡¯s target was not Marshal Yuwen but you?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°I have no idea who it is that wants me dead, but I think they¡¯ll make another attempt today, given how good an opportunity this is.¡±


    A piercing and disgruntled look flitted across Ji Yin¡¯s eyes. Clearly news of someone intending to kill Ling Zhang displeased him. ¡°There¡¯s nobody you suspect?¡±


    Ling Zhang hesitated for a brief moment. ¡°There is someone, but neither I nor Yuwen Tong knows why he wants to kill me.¡±


    Ji Yin said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll keep a close watch on these students, and I think it¡¯s needless for me to remind you that you should be careful not to get more injuries ¨C you¡¯ve already hurt your arm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be cautious,¡± replied Ling Zhang in the knowledge that his grandfather was saying this out of concern for him.


    Ji Yin¡¯s eyes moved to the bodyguards behind him. He sized up all of them one by one and then withdrew his gaze.


    Miao Shiba, Xie Shi and the others, who were appraised, noticed a formidably piercing look suddenly appear in the eyes of this nondescript-looking old man who seemed to be seeing straight into their souls. This made all of them jumpy, a mixture of dismay and wariness involuntarily rising inside them.


    But Childe Ling called this old man grandfather¡­


    The old man withdrew his gaze after sizing them up, the air about him mild and restrained. He didn¡¯t strike them as hostile.


    Miao Shiba, Xie Shi and the others still had instinctive trust in Ling Zhang, so although astonished by the awe-inspiring martial-arts attainments that this old man had briefly displayed, they managed to maintain their usual demeanor.


    ¡°These bodyguards are pretty good. You probably have your own plans. Remember that safety always comes first, whatever the circumstances,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I will.¡±


    Since it was inconvenient for the two of them to have a long talk, Ling Zhang soon parted from Ji Yin and returned to the side of Yuwen Jin and his schoolmates.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, the horse race will soon start, and there will be a second draw,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head and walked up to the draw-pot with Yuwen Jin and the others, ready to draw lots for a second time. However, he was just about to reach into the draw-pot when Xie Shi stopped him and said, ¡°Allow me do it for you, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang was briefly surprised and then withdrew his hand. ¡°All right.¡±


    The teacher standing behind the draw-pot, who was also fleetingly astonished, furrowed his brow and wanted to say something, but Xie Shi had already fished a piece of bamboo out of the pot and show him the number on it.


    The teacher had no choice but to hold back the words that had sprung to his lips, pretending he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Some of the other students were not very happy about this, but none of them said anything, for Ling Zhang was now a celebrity in the Imperial College, and they all knew what Ling Zhang was capable of and didn¡¯t dare offend him for no good reason. Besides, Ling Zhang had a group of bodyguards at his back, who they could tell at a glance were no common people. A lot of students were muttering in their heads, ¡®Marshal Yuwen is spoiling Ling Zhang. He¡¯s actually sent his bodyguards here. Is it really necessary? And Ling Zhang seems to be getting better at putting on a show.¡¯

 Chapter 226 - A Groom

    Chapter 226: A Groom


    First the horse race had been interrupted due to the sudden appearance of an assassin, and then horses of students of the Imperial College had run wild, leaving many injured. The succession of incidents had demoralized all participants in the horse race, especially students of the Imperial College, some of whom lost their fight the moment they mounted their horses and naturally underperformed.


    The principal sitting in the stands watched one round after another, a scowl on his face.


    Ling Zhang swung himself onto his horse. He and Snowflake were still the focus of attention in the racecourse. Miao Shiba and the other bodyguards, along with Ling Zhang himself, all found themselves tensing their backs after Ling Zhang mounted. They were all poised to rush to Ling Zhang¡¯s help at the first sign of anything.


    But curiously enough, nothing had happened from start to finish. Everything was so normal that it seemed as though this was going to be an utterly uneventful day.


    Ling Zhang felt that something was not quite right. Had he made a wrong guess, by any chance?


    Speculations exploded in his mind, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that nothing unusual had happened. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but look around the whole racecourse. His eyes raked faces of all people in view and even the mound on the side but still didn¡¯t spot anybody who might be an assassin.


    He himself, however, had performed pretty well on the back of Snowflake despite his injured arm and broke into the top ten with ease.


    So far, all today¡¯s occurrences had struck Ling Zhang as unexpected, and the quieter the current situation, the more strongly he felt that something was wrong.


    After returning from the track, Ling Zhang dismounted, his face somewhat pale. Though Snowflake had run very fast as usual, he was still recovering from his arm injury after all, and the jolt had given him a hard time.


    ¡°Childe Ling,¡± Xie Shi walked up and supported him off his horse. ¡°Your arm needs nursing, and it¡¯s inadvisable for you to subject it to another bumpy ride.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more round. I¡¯ve already gone this far. It¡¯ll be a shame if I give up at this point,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The main reason was that he kept feeling something was not quite right ¨C he had finished so many rounds, but there had still been nothing unusual, which left him rather worried.


    Right at the time when Ling Zhang was talking to Xie Shi, he noticed out of the corner of his eye someone walking over. After finding that it was a groom, Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t really on the alert, for after each round, some grooms would help the students groom, feed and water their horses to make sure that the horses were in fit states.


    Although Snowflake didn¡¯t like it when strangers approached it, all grooms of this racecourse were very experienced. They knew where the limit was and never crossed it while tending Snowflake, which was why Snowflake had been fairly cooperative so far. Ling Zhang had gone several rounds in a row, and it had been the same groom who served him.


    Ling Zhang had observed this groom some time ago. After a couple of rounds, he had found that this groom was dutifully doing his job, so he didn¡¯t stop him from approaching Snowflake.


    But this time around, at the moment the groom passed him, Ling Zhang suddenly sensed a murderous air. This feeling was very subtle and even made his scalp prickle somewhat. As if something dangerous was imminent, he instantly tensed his muscles and almost at the same instant heard a whizz coming from behind him and unhesitatingly dodge aside!


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The assassin thought that his attack was soundless and Ling Zhang had let his guard down, so it was impossible for Ling Zhang to sidestep this blow of his, but unexpectedly, his saber missed the target. His nondescript face instantly went murderous and the dagger in his hand abruptly jerked shooting at Ling Zhang from a direction that made this dagger attack very difficult to defend against!


    Ling Zhang, after dodging the first strike, had come to realize that the assailant was the groom. Though he had narrowly escaped death, it was evident that this groom was a kung fu practitioner. The dagger followed him in a second attack like his shadow and the tip of it was within an inch of reaching Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes!


    Bang!


    When Ling Zhang had dodged the first blow, Xie Shi standing opposite him had reacted. Though that broom was very quick, Xie Shi still managed to parry the second blow in time by giving him a kick on the arm which deflected his dagger.


    Ling Zhang, taking advantage of this opportunity, left the striking distance of the groom and finally turned around to face him.


    The groom¡¯s kung fu was not as good as that of Xie Shi. After his first and second blows were dodged and parried respectively, he had no more chance to make an attempt on Ling Zhang. Miao Shiba and other bodyguards had quickly clustered around Ling Zhang, keeping a weather eye on possible accomplices of the groom.


    But what was rather surprising on this occasion was that the groom was the only assassin and was soon restrained by Xie Shi.


    Xie Shi took the dagger away from the groom. All this had happened too quick; many students were watching the horse race with rapt attention, and Snowflake was blocking the view of people in the stands, so when some people finally noticed, the incident was already over.


    A supervior of the Imperial College came over and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°This groom was trampled by my Snowflake and hurt his leg. It was my fault. I should¡¯ve kept Snowflake under better control. I¡¯ll take him to see a physician right away and cover the medical expenses as well.¡±


    Seeing the groom was pale-faced and supported and indeed seemed to have trouble walking, the supervisor didn¡¯t suspect anything after hearing that the groom had been wounded by a horse and that Ling Zhang was willing to take him to see a physician. Besides, he had heard much about Ling Zhang¡¯s reputation and didn¡¯t want to cross him, so he said, ¡°All grooms in the racecourse are subordinates of the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). You need to inform the supervisor of this place first before taking him to see a physician.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for reminding me, supervisor,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The supervisor, seeing Ling Zhang was fairly respectful to him, felt somewhat pleased, turned around and left.


    Ling Zhang winked at Miao Shiba and the others and with that Miao Shiba took that groom away.


    Watching the groom being supported away, Ling Zhang was secretly relieved, thinking, ¡®No wonder it had been quiet all along. It turns out danger had been lurking right by my side. Also, this assassin is so cunning ¨C he managed to attack me from close quarters instead of trying to assassinate me from a distance like the last one did in the hunting ground that day. And it was very smart of him to unnoticeably gain my trust first before making his move. Had I not sensed the murderous air, I would have wound up either dead or seriously injured.¡¯


    The assassin had been captured, and Ling Zhang who had been tense all along finally relaxed in the knowledge that he had turned the corner. Moreover, they had caught that groom. In order to prevent that groom from poisoning himself as the assassin in the hunting ground had done, Xie Shi had dislocated the groom¡¯s lower jaw and blocked some of his acupoints, so the situation should be perfectly under control now, and all they needed to do was interrogate the assassin and find out who had sent him.


    But since the assassin had posed as a groom, Xie Shi and the others were keeping a close watch on all other grooms of this racecourse and he had even personally talked with the one in charge of this racecourse sounding him out. They found that all these people were behaving in a very normal way and none of them seemed to have any knowledge that that groom was an assassin.


    Xie Shi secretly sent out a message to inform Yuwen Tong hiding in the dark of what had just happened in this place.


    Yuwen Tong had been staking out the racecourse all along, and naturally he had seen the incident. The groom had been brought to him immediately after Miao Shiba took him out of the racecourse, and all staff members of the racecourse were now under surveillance of Yuwen Tong¡¯s men.


    Students in the racecourse were not alarmed, and the horse race was still going on as planned.


    Ling Zhang was in the last round. Though the assassin had been caught just now, he was still on the alert. Eventually, by dint of Snowflake, he finished in second place. It was because his arm was wounded and he had to spare some attention guarding against possible attack that he missed the championship. But all people present were aware that he was still recovering from his arm injury. Seeing he had come second with an wounded arm, every one of them was green with envy.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on these people¡¯s opinions, and there hadn¡¯t been a second assassin attempting to kill him until he left the riding track. Yuwen Jin and the others all excitedly gathered around him.


    A while ago, when the assassin had made his move, Yuwen Jin had happened to be riding in the track, and Ji Feng and the others had gone to the other side, so none of them was aware of what had happened earlier on this side.


    Yuwen Jin said, ¡°You¡¯re so badass, Brother Zhang! You came in second with an injured arm!¡±


    Ling Zhang, seeing they were rapturous and unaffected by the incident, also felt happy. He said, ¡°Pity the title was taken by someone of the Oriental Rite Academy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still recovering. Otherwise you¡¯d have won the title,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    The third winner was also a student of the Imperial College, which somewhat came as a surprise to Ling Zhang and the others. Though having more than once claimed that many of the students of the Imperial College were excellent riders, subconsciously they had believed that the Oriental Rite Academy would probably defeat the Imperial College in this horse race, for after all, the latter had indeed been performing rather badly in recent years.


    But because of this, Ling Zhang also vaguely came to understand why the principal had been so anxious to hold this horse race ¨C clearly he had started making preparations some time ago.


    ¡°Two of the top three are from our college. On top of that, anybody not blind knows that you would have been the champion were it not for your wounded arm, which I¡¯m sure has brought the Oriental Rite Academy down a peg or two.¡±


    ¡°Do any of you know the second runner-up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that guy. He¡¯s the principal¡¯s nephew.¡±


    Light dawned on Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Brother Tao and his schoolmates are coming,¡± said Ji Feng excitedly.


    This time, because of Ling Zhang, their overall performance was better than that of Tao Yi and five of his schoolmates, so the Imperial College was the winner of this private competition between them.


    ¡°You guys win the bet. It happens to be about time for lunch. What do you say we go to the Taibai Tavern?¡± said Tao Yi crisply after walking over with his schoolmates, accepting their defeat with good grace.


    Their gracefulness was just to the liking of Ji Feng and the others. Immediately, they threw their arms around their shoulders addressing them as brothers. ¡°The Taibai Tavern it is. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xie Shi asked Ling Zhang, ¡°You¡¯re going with them as well, Childe Ling? I think you should go back and have your dressing changed first.¡±


    On hearing this, all others twisted their heads around to look at him. ¡°Your injury worsened during the horse race, Brother Zhang?¡±


    ¡°It was impossible for the wound to remain unaffected by a ride that bumpy. How about you return and change your dressing for a fresh one, Brother Ling?¡± one of the couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy also said. Since Ling Zhang had defeated them despite his injured arm, they had all been convinced.


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t want to be a buzzkill, said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll just have my dressing changed in the carriage.¡±


    Ling Zhang had come to the racecourse in a horse-drawn carriage in the morning, just in case, and there were all kinds of vulneraries available in the carriage.


    Ling Zhang looked at Xie Shi. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put you to the trouble of changing my dressing in the carriage in a while, Guard Xie.¡±


    Xie Shi, after a brief moment¡¯s thought, inclined his head. The main reason why he had asked that question was that he wanted to give Ling Zhang an excuse to take his leave. Now that Ling Zhang was in no hurry, naturally he¡¯d let Ling Zhang make all the decisions.

 Chapter 227 - A Set of Interlocking Stratagems

    Chapter 227: A Set of Interlocking Stratagems


    The group of people arrived at the Taibai Tavern, all in high spirits, heading directly for the third floor where private rooms were. Fortunately, there were still some private rooms available, and it didn¡¯t take them much time to settle themselves in a suitable one.


    ¡°Order whatever you want, guys. None of us is going home sober today.¡± Students of the Oriental Rite Academy seemed much more unstinting than those of the Imperial College.


    Ji Feng and the others, who found these people the very kind they liked to mix with, rolled up their sleeves and started ordering dishes without any hesitation, showing no concerns whatsoever about how much students of the Oriental Rite Academy would have to pay for this meal.


    Tao Yi, watching Ji Feng and the others launch into ordering dishes, pulled a wry face, squeezing his wallet and sighing in his head, ¡®It seems that I¡¯m doomed to suffer a hemorrhage today.¡¯ As his eyes fell on Ling Zhang, something occurred to him and he said, ¡°Brother Zhang, given your arm injury, I suppose it¡¯s inadvisable for you to drink liquor, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking any.¡±


    Though students of the Oriental Rite Academy felt it rather regrettable that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t drink liquor with them, Ji Feng quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll handle all the liquor that Ling Zhang is supposed to drink but couldn¡¯t on this occasion. None of you are to order less liquor on the pretext of this, not even a single pot.¡±


    ¡°You may rest assured that nobody¡¯s going to find himself short of liquor today, and we will take offence if the cup of any of you is not empty at the end of this meal,¡± said a student of the Oriental Rite Academy.


    Ji Feng and the others giggled, rubbing their hands.


    As the liquor was served and Ling Zhang had smelled it, he suddenly had a feeling that he indeed shouldn¡¯t have come here, for the liquor smelled so good but he could only watch others drink it. It struck him that he had made a rod for his own back.


    ¡°Wow, this is the best liquor people could find in this tavern. My goodness, it¡¯s really so generous of you to order this,¡± exclaimed Yuwen Jin, his eyes glittering.


    The couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy exchanged glances, smiling. Though they were not studying at the Imperial College and their status might not be as high as that of Ji Feng and the others, they were definitely no less rich than Ji Feng or any of the others. One of them was even son of the richest man of a prefecture. If there was anything these people would never have to worry about, it was money.


    At the sight of the liquor, Tao Yi, who was begrudging the money he¡¯d have to pay, came to realize that his worry was unnecessary. As things stood, he probably wouldn¡¯t have to pitch in a single coin.


    Ling Zhang was the only one in misery. It was virtually a torture for him to smell the liquor knowing that he couldn¡¯t drink it. Frustration was washing over his face.


    All others burst into laugh at the sight of this, showing no compassion for him whatsoever. ¡°Alas, what a pity. This liquor is so good, but you cannot drink a single drop of it, Brother Zhang.¡±


    Ling Zhang frostily looked at him, his face impassive. ¡°Cheer up, Brother Zhang. I¡¯ll drink it for you,¡± snickered Yuwen Jin, thrown his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders.


    Ling Zhang jabbed Yuwen Jin with his left elbow. ¡°Beat it.¡±


    He could barely refrain from kicking his ass.


    After all their courses were served, a waiter entered bringing their place settings. He walked around the table getting everything ready very quickly. Ling Zhang, who was the last one to be served and was talking with Tao Yi sitting beside him, subconsciously gave a downward glance and saw the waiter make a strange hand movement when setting his bowl and chopsticks ¨C fingering the brim of his bowl, and whether it was intentional or unintentional was unknown to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t get suspicious immediately and was still listening to Tao Yi, but then he flicked a look at the waiter only to find that his eyes quickly moved away after a brief eye contact with him.


    Ling Zhang felt even stranger. After the waiter left, he fixed his bowl with a gaze and pondered for a few moments. Seeing Yuwen Jin and the others had started to pour the liquor, he said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    On hearing this, all the others looked at him and were fleetingly surprised at the sight of the serious expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, and they all involuntarily put down their wine pots.


    ¡°What seems to be the problem, Brother Zhang?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the liquor yet.¡± Ling Zhang told them to stay put and then summoned Xie Shi who was waiting outside. ¡°Guard Xie, I want you to check my bowl and see if there¡¯s anything wrong with it.¡±


    Xie Shi¡¯s face slightly changed. He immediately picked up the bowl in front of Ling Zhang, scrutinized it carefully and even sniffed at it. After a while, with an uncertain look on his face, he simply fished a porcelain phial out of his bosom and tipped a droplet of potion of a somewhat weird color out of it onto the brim of the bowl. Instantly, the droplet of potion hissed with white bubbles where it touched the brim and a very foul odor started spreading.


    ¡°What is this?!¡± All the others were shocked.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face also went cold, his eyes looking at Xie Shi.


    Xie Shi¡¯s also had a rather grave countenance. ¡°Poison. It¡¯s colorless and odorless but dries very slow, which was why I perceived something weird.¡±


    ¡°Just now that waiter stroked the brim of my bowl with his finger pulp before leaving, and he showed signs of guilty conscience when his eyes met mine,¡± Ling Zhang informed them and then described the looks of that waiter.


    Xie Shi immediately put down the bowl and said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t go outside, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    Xie Shi walked out of the room, exhorted the guards at the doorway not to let anybody in and then hastened off.


    ¡°There¡¯s no telling whether your bowls were poisoned as well. Anyway, just don¡¯t touch them,¡± Ling Zhang told the others.


    It was after hearing his words that others in the room realized how serious this was. Yuwen Jin immediately rose from his seat and said with a worried face, ¡°Why did someone try to have you poisoned?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either, but I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to continue this meal.¡±


    He had a faint inkling that these two attempts on his life this day had been a set of interlocking stratagems. They had thought that they would be fiercely attacked in the racecourse, but it turned out that only a groom had made his move and been easily overpowered, who clearly had been designed to have them lower down their guard. It was in the Taibai Tavern that they had planned to deal him a deadly blow.


    This was probably the reason why there hadn¡¯t been a massive attack in the racecourse. Those who wanted him dead had known that he would come to the Taibai Tavern, which meant that he had been aware of the bet they had made with students of the Oriental Rite Academy. No matter if they won the bet or not, their coming to this tavern was certain, and once he entered this tavern, they would have a chance to poison him. Had he not observed the waiter¡¯s strange conduct and flicked a glance at him, he¡¯d probably have fallen prey to the poison already.


    Ling Zhang had a sneaking suspicion but didn¡¯t tell anybody in the room about it for fear of alarming his enemies.


    Either the bet concerning a meal in the Taibai Tavern was disclosed on that day or one of them had been in collusion with his enemies. If he expressed his suspicions right away, it would be very difficult to find out who that person was.


    The mood in the private room had instantly gone grave. This turn of events had been so unexpected that all of them had been caught flat-footed.


    ¡°Do you have any idea whom you might¡¯ve offended, Brother Ling?¡± inquired a student of the Oriental Rite Academy.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s reputation had even come to the knowledge of students of other colleges. After all, he was now a real celebrity of this city.


    Ling Zhang smiled wryly, ¡°A lot of people have taken a dislike to me ever since I arrived in the capital city. Honestly speaking, I really don¡¯t have a clue who wants to poison me.¡±


    The couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy looked at each other in dismay and then one of them said, ¡°It surprises me how difficult life has been for you, Brother Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t use the word ¡®difficult¡¯. Actually I¡¯d anticipated it before I chose to come to this city.¡±


    Tao Yi quietly fixed him with a gaze for a few moments and then sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not envious of you at all now.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°What did you once envy me?¡±


    ¡°I envied you being engaged to the Marshal, of course,¡± replied Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang was not at all surprised by this answer.


    And then Tao Yi continued in a serious tone, ¡°But this time they really went too far. On that day they tried to assassinate the Marshal in the hunting ground in the western suburbs, and now someone attempted to poison you. This is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°We got him, Childe Ling.¡± Xie Shi walked inside and added, ¡°The Marshal is here.¡±


    As expected, before long, Yuwen Tong entered the room. All others inside hurriedly rose to their feet to pay their respects to him.


    Yuwen Tong just briefly gave a bob of his head and then looked at Ling Zhang. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who was also aware that he shouldn¡¯t stay here long, stood up and said to the others, ¡°I have to return now, guys. As for this meal¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find another time. Our word cannot be fulfilled without your presence,¡± said Tao Yi.


    All others left the table, obviously agreeing with Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s arrange a meal some other time. Since I¡¯m the one responsible for this wasted meal, next meal¡¯s on me.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened the moment he walked out of the Taibai Tavern.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that waiter?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡±


    Ling Zhang rubbed his forehead. ¡°This is so troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already got a clue,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him in amazement. ¡°What kind of clue?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first and talk later.¡±


    The two of them got on the horse-drawn carriage and left the Taibai Tavern.


    In the carriage, Yuwen Tong first checked out Ling Zhang¡¯s injured arm. With a darkened face, he observed, ¡°It went somewhat swollen.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who knew that this had been caused by his insisting on participating in the horse race, felt fairly guilty.


    ¡°You are not to do anything else without my prior consent until you fully recover.¡± Yuwen Tong stared at him.


    Sure enough Ling Zhang immediately gave a nod of agreement. ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡±


    Yuwen Tong seemed to have really gone mad, and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare anger him any further.


    ¡°What kind of clue is it?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but query.


    ¡°The King Hui,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°The King Hui? Not Shan Congwen?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said with a flinty and darkened face, ¡°Shan Congwen is not above suspicion yet. I just found a clue pointing to the King Hui.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who got a general idea of what Yuwen Tong meant, was eager to ask for details, but at the sight of the scowl on the face of Yuwen Tong who was still examining his wounded arm, he came to realize it was not persisting with his questioning but coaxing Yuwen Tong out of his temper that was what he should do first.


    ¡­


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Yao Yi was leaning against the door of the private room, watching Xie Shi who had just finished checking all bowls, chopsticks, food and wine in the room.


    Xie Shi shook his head. ¡°Childe Ling¡¯s bowl is the only thing poisoned.¡±


    ¡°They were indeed targeting Childe Ling,¡± huffed Yao Yi, his face falling.


    The reason why the two of them had been uncertain was because that waiter had committed suicide not by poisoning himself but by stabbing himself. To be on the safe side, they had still checked everything in this private room lest there be a mistake.


    ¡°Did you send some men to look into the couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy?¡± inquired Xie Shi.


    Yao Yi inclined his head. ¡°I did. The results should come out by dusk.¡±


    Xie Shi said, ¡°What about that groom?¡±


    ¡°I locked him up in the residence. The Marshal personally interrogated him and he made a full confession, but there wasn¡¯t much useful information. That groom was bought by someone, not sent there by the mastermind. The one who hired him only provided him with a method of communicating, which is probably useless now, but the Marshal has found something else.¡±

 Chapter 228 - A Clue

    Chapter 228: A Clue


    In the courier hostel.


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡­ failed!¡±


    Shan Congwen sprang to his feet. ¡°How could you? Wasn¡¯t the plan watertight?¡±


    ¡°We have no idea what happened in there. Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t poisoned. The waiter trying to poison him has committed suicide.¡±


    Shan Congwen paced up and down in the room twice, looking very anxious. ¡°What about the groom of the racecourse?¡±


    ¡°He was taken away. Yuwen Tong¡¯s men had him. Fortunately that groom is merely a contract killer. He doesn¡¯t know it was us who hired him to do that. Just now I¡¯ve had the go-between disposed of beforehand.¡±


    Shan Congwen¡¯s countenance slightly softened but was still sulky.


    ¡°The King Hui probably has been informed as well. Given that we¡¯ve failed to kill Ling Zhang twice, I¡¯m afraid there might be a change of the deal between us and the King Hui.¡±


    Shan Congwen, cold-faced, said, ¡°There won¡¯t. As long as he still wants to ascend the throne, cooperating with us will remain his only choice, for besting the King Duan, the King Yu and the Crown Prince unaided is no easy job.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We wait for another opportunity,¡± said Shan Congwen through gritted teeth, clenching his fists tightly.


    ¡°But¡­ the emperor has already begun to suspect us because of what happened in the hunting ground and would probably have us leave the Great Yue immediately after the hunting, which means we¡¯re running out of time. Your Highness, the most important purpose of this journey of us to the Great Yue is to keep Yuwen Tong from contracting an alliance with the imperial family of the Great Yue by marriage, cast in a bone between Yuwen Tong and the imperial family and eventually have the emperor of the Great Yue kill Yuwen Tong, but we¡¯ve stayed here for such a long time and the mission is still unaccomplished. Is pinning our hopes on the King Hui really going to help us get what we want?¡±


    Shan Congwen¡¯s face grew impatient and fretful. ¡°I¡¯m just as anxious to get this fucking job done as you are. It¡¯s all that goddamn Ling Zhang guy¡¯s fault. His fucking arrival upset many of my plans. Originally I believed that the Ninth Princess not marrying Yuwen Tong meant our task was half fulfilled, but then the emperor¡¯s attitude became uncertain because of it ¨C Yuwen Tong had a falling out with Yuwen Zhi and intends to marry a man, which means that he won¡¯t have any children, and he also willingly let the emperor get the goods on him. Now the emperor is not as determined to kill Yuwen Tong as he used to be before, leaving me no fucking choice but to go to so much trouble to cooperate with the King Hui, which is unbelievably unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°How about we directly have Yuwen Tong assassinated?¡±


    Shan Congwen spat, ¡°You think I would¡¯ve waited so long if that¡¯s an option?!¡±


    His subordinate felt rather awkward in the knowledge that what Shan Congwen said was true. They wouldn¡¯t have gone to so much bother had they stood a chance of assassinating Yuwen Tong.


    Shan Congwen continued, ¡°Besides, having Yuwen Tong assassinated is too risky. We¡¯ll be the first ones people suspect. What we¡¯re supposed to do is split the North-western Army, rather than give them an excuse to launch an attack on our country with boosted morale. We must figure out a way to have Yuwen Tong die at the hands of people of the Great Yue. It would be best if a member of the imperial family takes his life. Only in this way can we shake the foundations of the North-western Army¡¯s allegiance and get the opportunity we need.¡±


    Shan Congwen had gradually calmed down while making these remarks. ¡°The Crown Prince of the Great Yue claims to be ill, but there¡¯s no telling whether it¡¯s true or not, and we couldn¡¯t even have an audience with him. There¡¯s no conflict of interest between Yuwen Tong and the King Duan or the King Yu, and the latter two are even bent on curry favor with the former. Cooperating with them would be a very risky move as well, for they¡¯re too inclined to switch sides; one mistake and we¡¯ll be doomed. Driving a wedge between Yuwen Tong and the emperor of the Great Yue is our best choice. It¡¯s a pity that the emperor, though having a very suspicious mind, is also fully aware of Yuwen Tong¡¯s value, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have put up with Yuwen Tong for so many years. He¡¯s a wily old fox. We can but make some covert arrangements, and we cannot afford to let him find out that we¡¯re involved in this, or else it¡¯d be having the opposite effect. This also makes me feel my hands are tied. Yuwen Tong is the one to blame for this ¨C it was because of him that all the important pawns we planted in the capital city of the Great Yue were eliminated. Now I have nobody at my disposal except for some insignificant lackeys.


    ¡°Though our cooperation with the King Hui promises no quick results, it¡¯s likelier to succeed. Since we have something on him, he¡¯d have no choice but to execute Yuwen Tong after ascending the throne, even if he regrets. On top of that, it¡¯ll be easier for us to keep the new emperor under control if the King Hui is the one to be enthroned, and it¡¯ll also be easier to take the Great Yue. We may also incite civil strife in the Great Yue to undermine its power while assisting him in striving for the throne so that our country wouldn¡¯t be disturbed during the period of recuperating and building up strength.¡±


    His subordinate, after hearing Shan Congwen¡¯s analysis, lowered his head and said, ¡°You¡¯re so wise and visionary, Your Highness. Just now I was being impulsive. If I understand you correctly, cooperating with the King Hui is a must for us. But the King Hui stated categorically that the prerequisite of him cooperating with us is we kill Ling Zhang. Given that we¡¯ve suffered a spate of failures and the Great Yue has begun to suspect us, do we still stand a chance of getting it done?¡±


    Shan Congwen said through gritted teeth, ¡°We¡¯ll create another chance if we don¡¯t. That Ling Zhang guy has to go to the Imperial College every day, doesn¡¯t he? Although it won¡¯t be easy to gain entry into the Imperial College, current circumstances leave us no alternative. Figure out a way to infiltrate into that college.¡±


    That subordinate of his, though finding this task of a very high level of difficulty, still earnestly bobbed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go and start collecting intelligence right away. The courier hostel is under very close surveillance these days, and I think we have to wait a few days before contacting the King Hui once again lest we be identified.¡±


    Shan Congwen waved his hand. ¡°I know. Just go and do what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    After his subordinate left, Shan Congwen abruptly smacked his fist down onto the table. ¡°Shit! That Ling Zhang guy actually escaped from death twice in a row. Does he really have some kind of guardian angel who always helps him get out of the jaws of danger, by any chance?¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe that he couldn¡¯t kill this man named Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°What do you mean you have a clue pointing to the King Hui?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong after sitting down, bursting with impatience. After all, he had never suspected the King Hui before this day, and Yuwen Tong had once said that the King Hui acted very normally making no special response in the hunting ground in the western suburbs on that day.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Someone interfered with the line-up of the horse race in the hunting ground in the western suburbs on that day. The official in charge of the draw tampered with the draw-pot at the King Hui¡¯s behest.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°How did you come to be suspicious of the line-up?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°There¡¯s a long distance between the wood and the riding track. The waiting area where students stay is even further away and there are trees in between, too, which means it was very difficult for the assassin to see with his own eyes you were in the next round. Didn¡¯t you find that given the distance between you two, the assassin could only see you face clearly when you were very close to him? Furthermore, though you¡¯ve been very famous in the capital city recently, there are not really many people who can recognize you, so the assassin must¡¯ve been informed beforehand of which round you¡¯d be in.¡±


    Ling Zhang carefully thought back to that horse race and found that what Yuwen Tong said was true. No wonder Yuwen Tong had become suspicious of the official in charge of the draw.


    Yuwen Tong added, ¡°That master of ceremonies has admitted that he made some underhand arrangements, but but I cannot mete out punishment to him straight away because the mastermind might be alarmed if I do.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Then he continued, ¡°That assassin was also a subject of the Great Yue. Was it really the King Hui not those from the Wan Kingdom who sent him, by any chance?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°That crossbow was by no means from the residential compound of the King Hui. As early as the time when I was still in border areas, I had heard rumors that the Wan Kingdom had been secretly developing ingenious crossbows, but it¡¯s never been confirmed. That day, after hearing what you said, I basically narrowed down the suspect list to the Wan Kingdom. Even if it wasn¡¯t those from the Wan Kingdom who sent the assassin, it¡¯s unmistakable that they were involved in this matter.¡±


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply. ¡°That accounts for it. If I understand you correctly, you¡¯re saying that the King Hui is in league with the Wan Kingdom?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°It¡¯s very likely.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°The diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom have been laying low all along lately, touring the city with either the King Hui or the King Duan, which makes it convenient for them to make contact with the King Hui. Previously I¡¯d always been suspicious of the purpose of their prolonged stay in the Great Yue. After this thing happened, I vaguely guessed something.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked him, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s only a speculation, and I have to do some digging before I could confirm it. You¡¯ll have to take a few days off from school. Just tell them that your arm injury worsened after the horse race and need nursing. The trade caravan will enter the capital city in approximately nine days. I know you want to go there to make arrangements yourself very much, but it¡¯s not the right time for you to go outside. I¡¯ll have some men help Wang Qing handle it. Just wait until I rid ourselves of all threats. If you feel bored, I¡¯ll invite your grandfather around. What do you say?¡±


    Ling Zhang first gave a nod and then looked at him in confusion. ¡°How do you know the trade caravan will arrived in the capital city in nine days?¡±


    Even he himself had just come to know this after receiving a letter from his uncle who was in Tanyang. Because of the attempted assassination and the belief that it would take the trade caravan another few days to arrive, he hadn¡¯t consulted with Yuwen Tong about this matter immediately. Had he had a lapse of memory and actually already told Yuwen Tong about it?


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes unnoticeably flickered and with that he replied, ¡°Your uncle sent me a letter as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him curiously. ¡°What does he say in the letter?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He wants me to take good care of you.¡±


    Nothing else? Ling Zhang didn¡¯t suspect anything. He just felt that this was somewhat too simple.


    Yuwen Tong immediately steered the conversation away from this topic. ¡°Anyway, the matter of the trade caravan can wait. Even if they had already arrived, I¡¯d be able to have everything handled properly.¡±


    On hearing Yuwen Tong talk in such a serious tone, Ling Zhang who had a sense of propriety came to realize that this matter was probably related to something of great severity which had made the one wanting him dead determined to kill him.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll stay here,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong, seeing his meek bearing, felt that his sweetheart was so adorable, his heart brimming over with affections for Ling Zhang.


    But if anybody tried to do Ling Zhang harm, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let the threat exist. Now that some people were so insistent on flirting with the line he¡¯d drawn in the sand, he didn¡¯t mind have them know how it felt to regret.


    ¡°Young Master, Childe Tao came,¡± someone reported outside the room.


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°Tao Yi? We parted just a while ago. Why did he come again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Young Master, but judging from his countenance, Childe Tao is rather anxious,¡± said the servant.


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet, exchanged glances with Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and meet him. Maybe it¡¯s something urgent.¡±

 Chapter 229 - Wang Deguang

    Chapter 229: Wang Deguang


    Translator: DragonRider


    On hearing the servant say that Tao Yi looked very anxious, Ling Zhang hastened outside to meet him in the belief that something bad had happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did anything happen?¡± Ling Zhang directly asked Tao Yi at the sight of him. The two of them were friends with years¡¯ acquaintance, which made pleasantries totally unnecessary.


    Tao Yi, seeing Ling Zhang walk out, said with a guilty face, ¡°I¡¯m the one to blame for what happened in the Taibai Tavern earlier today.¡±


    Ling Zhang was perplexed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Tao Yi replied, ¡°Someone tried to poison you in the Taibai Tavern, and there¡¯s only one explanation for that: one of us disclosed to others that we¡¯d stand you a meal there. I sounded them out and the one who paid the bill today told me in private that one of my schoolmates divulged our bet.¡±


    Ling Zhang, whose face remained unchanged, remarked, ¡°None of us had ever said the bet should be kept secret, so it¡¯s not really surprising that one of us mentioned it to other people. This is not your fault.¡±


    Tao Yi said, ¡°But I feel very upset about this matter, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to find peace of mind if I don¡¯t come here and inform you of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang queried, ¡°Who told others about the bet?¡±


    Tao Yi answered, ¡°Wang Deguang.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after a moment¡¯s recollection, came to know which one that person was.


    ¡°Maybe Brother Wang did that unintentionally. It¡¯s best if this stays between me and you. I¡¯ll have this matter looked into later. You should pretend this talk never happened in the presence of Wang Deguang. If you don¡¯t and it turns out to be a misunderstanding, we¡¯d be in a very awkward situation.¡±


    Tao Yi inclined his head. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Tao Yi indeed had every reason to feel distressed after what happened earlier this day. If it was really because one of his schoolmates had disclosed their whereabouts that had nearly caused Ling Zhang to be poisoned, he would have a terrible conscience knowing he¡¯d put his friend in danger and would be ashamed to see anybody for the rest of his life.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Let me be honest with you ¨C someone wants me dead, and nothing could prevent them from finding out my whereabouts. Also, that bet was never really confidential.¡±


    ¡°Who wants you dead? Is it Jiang Yu?¡± asked Tao Yi, a grave look on his face.


    It had never crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind that Tao Yi would link it to Jiang Yu. He shook his head. ¡°He and I do have history, but I don¡¯t think he has anything to do with this.¡±


    Tao Yi persisted, ¡°Then do you know who that person is? Does the Marshal know?¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°We have a vague guess, but it¡¯s inconvenient to talk much about it in these circumstances. I¡¯ll tell you when the truth is ascertained.¡±


    Seeing Ling Zhang was insistent on keeping it back from him, Tao Yi, though anxious, had no choice but to give up asking for more details. He said, ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°We can handle this by ourselves, so stay out of it. It¡¯s dangerous. And do not visit me again in the next few days. If by any chance you come to any harm, I wouldn¡¯t be able to show my face in front of Lord Tao.¡±


    Tao Yi observed, ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°That¡¯s the very reason I need you to do this. The knowledge that my friends are safe is the only thing that can help me get rid of the worries behind. If you¡¯re dragged into this because of me, I would be bound hands and feet and have to worry about you as well.¡±


    Tao Yi widened his eyes. ¡°You might as well directly say that I¡¯m utterly useless!¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°It surprises me that you got the undertone.¡±


    After glaring at Ling Zhang in annoyance for quite a while, Tao Yi said, ¡°Fine, but you must let me know when you need my help. Although my powers are limited, I have my teacher at my back, so there¡¯s got to be something I can be of assistance to you.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°All right.¡±


    Tao Yi was right about this ¨C his teacher at his back was a big shot keeping a low profile, who could be of help to them in a lot of things, but this was also the very reason why this old lord never exerted his influence unless there was a very good reason for doing it. Otherwise the emperor wouldn¡¯t have still been relying heavily on his service till this day.


    After seeing Tao Yi off, Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong about Wang Deguang.


    ¡°Currently I¡¯m not quite sure whether or not it had anything to do with him. How about you have him looked into?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Yao Yi has already sent some men to look into the couple of students, and the results should come out by night. I¡¯ll have him pay extra attention to Wang Deguang.¡±


    ¡­


    The news of the unsuccessful attempt to poison Ling Zhang in the Taibai Tavern hadn¡¯t spread yet. All those present on the scene that day kept this matter secret of their own free will.


    But the sudden suicide of that waiter of the Taibai Tavern had still attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention. For the moment, nobody had connected it with Ling Zhang.


    At night, people sent to look into the couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy returned, not empty-handed.


    Some of Wang Deguang¡¯s family members worked in the Department of Court Artisans. All the horse-drawn carriages and pleasure-ships that the King Hui and Shan Congwen used to go sightseeing a few days ago had been provided by Wang family. The relations between Wang family and the King Hui were not simple. During these years, the former had been offering monetary support to the latter on a regular basis.


    It had indeed been Wang Deguang, and Tao Yi had guessed right. Wang Deguang had always been fairly unobtrusive when staying with Tao Yi and the others, and it was not very obvious that he was from a quite wealthy family. The couple of schoolmates of his, however, were more inclined to attract people¡¯s attention.


    Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°Dig into Wang family¡¯s recent dealings with the King Hui.¡±


    Yao Yi answered, ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang had an application for leave delivered to the Imperial College and stayed at home on the pretext of nursing his arm injury. Yuwen Tong dispatched almost all his bodyguards to the Ling Mansion to provide security.


    Ji Yin, on arrival at the Ling Mansion, was slightly surprised to see that this place was so heavily guarded.


    ¡°Grandfather,¡± called Ling Zhang.


    A smile broke across Ji Yin¡¯s face as he caught sight of his grandson, his mild and loving eyes watching Ling Zhang walking towards him.


    But at the thought of the incident in the Taibai Tavern, he went somewhat worried. ¡°I heard what happened in the Taibai Tavern. Did you come into contact with the poison?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No. I detected it. Besides, I was carrying the medicinal jade given to me by my mother.¡±


    Ling Zhang fished out the blackish green jade pendant around his neck and showed it to Ji Yin, smiling.


    A reminiscent look of grief gleamed in Ji Yin¡¯s tender eyes as they fell on the jade pendant. ¡°Every member of the Phoenix Clan carries a jade pendant like this. It was the previous clan leader who personally put this pendant around your mother¡¯s neck the day she was born. At that time, your grandmother was still alive. Now both of them are gone. So many years have passed but it feels like an instant.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang, in the knowledge that he had unintentionally evoked his grandfather¡¯s painful memories, stuffed the pendant back into his clothes and said to Ji Yin, ¡°Grandfather, you still have me keeping you company.¡±


    The reminiscent expression of grief on Ji Yin¡¯s face was replaced by a happy smile. ¡°Your willingness to call me grandfather is a great gratification to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh in his heart. Those things had happened many years ago, which made it so hard to judge who had been in the right or who had been in the wrong. No matter what, this old man had saved his father¡¯s life and also gifted him with a handbook on internal energy. He was his benefactor, so of course he was willing to call him grandfather and spend more time with him.


    ¡°Grandfather, the loyalty of all people in this residential compound has withstood strict test, and they won¡¯t breathe a word of what they¡¯re not supposed to disclose. You may come and stay here for a couple of days whenever it¡¯s convenient for you.¡±


    On hearing this, Ji Yin bobbed his head with a beam on his face. ¡°Okay.¡±


    With his kung fu skills, he could sneak into the Ling Mansion unseen with the greatest ease.


    ¡°Let me have a look at your right arm,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang stepped closer to him and swiveled aside.


    Ji Yin lightly pressed his hand onto Ling Zhang¡¯s arm and stroked it all the way down to his wrist, asking Ling Zhang how he felt.


    Ling Zhang described his sensations one by one. Ji Yin said, ¡°Your wound worsened somewhat during the couple of rounds of horse race earlier today. You must not use this arm again in the next few days.¡±


    Ling Zhang promised he wouldn¡¯t. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything other than nursing my arm injury before a full recovery.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had gone out to look into the relations between the King Hui and Shan Congwen, was not in at this moment. Ji Yin, seeing that he was absent, asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    ¡°He is investigating who tried to poison me.¡±


    Ji Yin queried seriously, ¡°You found out who want you dead?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°We have some suspects.¡±


    Ji Yin inquired, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a brief moment and then said, ¡°The King Hui and Shan Congwen from the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    Ji Yin knitted his eyebrows and immediately identified the key point. ¡°There¡¯s no conflict of interests between you and the Wan Kingdom. It must be because of someone else that Shan Congwen wants you dead. As for Zhou Mingci, he wants to kill you probably to seek revenge for his younger sister¡¯s being sent into the imperial temple.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod of agreement. This was also what he had speculated. The King Hui¡¯s motive was easy to guess, but that of Shan Congwen wasn¡¯t. And it surprised him that his grandfather knew so much about this matter as well, so he expressed his confusion. ¡°If it¡¯s because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s previous deeds that Shan Congwen wants me dead, then his intention would purely be to vent his anger and reduce Yuwen Tong to grief and fury. But it¡¯s unmistakably detrimental to him and the Wan Kingdom to infuriate Yuwen Tong merely because of this. Surely he knows better than that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong had once said that Shan Congwen was actually not a fool, that otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been put in charge of the diplomatic corps dispatched to the Great Yue to negotiate. A lot of tricky issues had to be settled first before a peace accord could be achieved by the two sides. As long as the Wan Kingdom had even the faintest idea of struggling for interests, they would never have sent a fool to the Great Yue.


    As a result, although Shan Congwen got kicked by Yuwen Tong for his tart words on the day they¡¯d just arrived in the capital city, that had been because Shan Congwen held him in icy disregard and didn¡¯t know Yuwen Tong was in that horse-drawn carriage that day. Compared with Yuwen Tong, Shan Congwen was at a disadvantage, though he was smart, which was why he was kept down by Yuwen Tong. Otherwise the Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t have sustained a defeat that disastrous.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°Shan Congwen bears the title of the King Ming¡¯en in the Wan Kingdom. Rumor has it that the emperor of the Wan Kingdom doesn¡¯t really think highly of him, but according to some secret intelligence reports of the Millennium Pavilion, Shan Congwen is actually very much in the emperor¡¯s confidence. A man like this is by no means a fool.¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°Grandfather, hasn¡¯t the Millennium Pavilion already decided to stay in seclusion for eternity? How come you still have so much acquaintance with the situation of the outside world?¡±


    Ji Yin smiled and then let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s true that the Millennium Pavilion will stay secluded, but we cannot be utterly blind to the political situation in the outside world. We do this to better protect ourselves. Otherwise the Millennium Pavilion wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed hundreds of years¡¯ peaceful life.¡±


    Though now was not the right time to change the topic, Ling Zhang still couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You said that in the previous dynasty the Millennium Pavilion was under the control of the imperial family, forced to serve the ruler against their will, but to my knowledge, the Millennium Pavilion wielded enormous power in the previous dynasty and were highly revered by the whole country, and even the then emperor was respectful of its authority and trusted its members very much. Why¡­¡±


    Ji Yin, not surprised by Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity about this, replied, ¡°You said it yourself ¨C the then emperor trusted the Foreseers Agency very much, but it¡¯s not easy to gain people¡¯s trust, especially that of an emperor, not to mention all previous emperors¡¯ great trust in the Foreseers Agency. Although this involved some secrets, the fundamental reason was that the head foreseer himself was under the control of the imperial household. Foreseers, though respected by all, were in fact no more than puppets of the imperial household, which was why when the Xia fell apart, all members of the Foreseers Agency still alive unhesitatingly chose to leave. And they loathed the idea of getting involved in any political strife as well, because none of them wanted to lose their freedom again.¡±


    Though unaware of what those secrets were, Ling Zhang could understand what Ji Yin meant. The Foreseers Agency, which had been world-famous in the Xia dynasty, had actually been a tool of the imperial household at that time.

 Chapter 230 - Pointers from His Grandfather and a Real Eye-opener

    Chapter 230: Pointers from His Grandfather and a Real Eye-opener


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang, who had a sense of propriety, didn¡¯t persist with his questioning but said, ¡°Since Shan Congwen is in the emperor of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s confidence and not a fool, this suggests that Yuwen Tong was not the reason why he tried to kill me. Even if he did that because of Yuwen Tong, venting his anger was not the purpose. There was some deeper reason, and I was just a springboard for it.¡±


    Ji Yin remarked seriously, ¡°This is the tricky part. Given that Shan Congwen has stayed in the Great Yue for such a long time, he must have some ulterior motive. It was undoubtedly to a certain end that he waded in, so he probably would stop at nothing to take your life.¡±


    Ling Zhang saw what Ji Yin meant. Shan Congwen had attempted to kill him for a purpose, one he would resort to whatever means necessary to achieve.


    Shan Congwen was the King Ming¡¯en of the Wan Kingdom and represented the interests of the Wan Kingdom. What was motivating Shan Congwen to do this was, without doubt, beneficial to the Wan Kingdom and detrimental to the Great Yue.


    If only he could ascertain what Shan Congwen¡¯s intention was exactly.


    The King Hui was in league with the Wan Kingdom¡­ Wasn¡¯t it no different from a hen cooperating with a weasel? Was he not afraid that the Great Yue would be put at a disadvantage again? After such a heavy price was paid to bring a turnabout of the situation between the Great Yue and the Wan Kingdom, he intended to hand this advantage to the enemy on a silver platter?!


    Ling Zhang¡¯s impression of the King Hui worsened even further.


    Ji Yin kept nothing back while instructing Ling Zhang in internal energy. Though Ling Zhang was still recovering from arm injury, it was no hindrance to him mobilizing his internal energy. Ji Yin stood right beside him, carefully offering him useful tips. This was different from Ling Zhang cultivating alone. With Ji Yin instructing him, he was getting twice the result with half the effort. Ling Zhang had got a general idea of how far away he was from the third layer.


    Ji Yin was the best mentor. He was not only experienced but also capable of identifying at a glance which part Ling Zhang was not doing right. No matter what question Ling Zhang asked, he could always give an answer that struck home.


    As a result, during the next two days, with Ji Yin in the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang made great progress in his cultivation of internal energy, though he couldn¡¯t go outside.


    Two days later, Yuwen Tong seemed to have found something during the inquiry, but he was still not back.


    Ling Zhang guessed that he must be very busy ¨C after all, it was a prince that he was working against. The King Hui couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Yuwen Tong, but because he had a great number of followers who formed a very complicated network in the imperial court, bringing him down was not something that could be done in a day or two, though he was not really a formidable opponent.


    Ling Zhang patiently waited, but on this day Ji Yin told him that he would teach him martial formations after he finished the cultivation of the second layer and reached the third layer.


    Ling Zhang, who could comprehend the many formations his mother had taught him all by himself, was somewhat confused. Were there any formations he needed to reach the third layer of the mental cultivation method first to be ready to learn, by any chance?


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t answer him directly but took him to the drill ground.


    It had come to the knowledge of almost everybody in the Ling Mansion, except for some servants, that Ji Yin was grandfather to their young master. They also knew that their young master¡¯s grandfather was a kung fu expert with formidable martial arts prowess, who gained entry into the Ling Mansion unseen by all of them every day.


    The first time he¡¯d made his appearance, Yao Yi and the other bodyguards had been reduced to cold sweat.


    Now seeing Ji Yin and Ling Zhang walking over, all of them stopped at the same time what they were doing, as if there was some kind of tacit agreement among them. ¡°Young Master, Mr. Ji.¡±


    There was a confused look in their eyes. Ling Zhang, who was also perplexed, looked at his grandfather.


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t utter a word, but all of a sudden he raised his hand and, without moving an inch, transferred a couple of boulders from a side of the drill ground to the middle of it, as if by telekinetic powers. The positions of those boulders didn¡¯t seem to follow a particular pattern, but as they landed, both the space and the atmosphere on the drill ground changed. The drill ground, which had been quite spacious a moment ago, instantly made Ling Zhang feel that he had just entered a forest of boulders. Not only were people around him out of sight, even what he saw, heard and sensed was different now. At the same time, he went restless and subdued in spite of himself.


    Also, he didn¡¯t know when, but gusts of wind accompanied by sand had started howling outside the drill ground. Weirdly enough, the dusty wind was whirling around the drill ground like a gigantic tornado, engulfing the whole place.


    Ling Zhang, who had been standing beside his grandfather all along, had a vague idea of what Ji Yin had done to conjure up this tornado, but there were still many details he couldn¡¯t comprehend for the moment. More importantly, this formation had been finished in an instant and almost with the greatest ease. In his eyes, it would require concerted efforts of quite some men to finish a formation like this, but Ji Yin had made it happen all by himself.


    Ling Zhang, watching the drill ground in shock, raised his hand to shield his eyes against the dusty wind, mind filled with incredulity.


    ¡°Grandfather, h¨Chow¡¯s this possible?¡±


    Ji Yin smiled, ¡°This is just one of the most common containment formations. After you reach the third layer, you¡¯ll master more and more formations every one of which you could finish laying in a flash all by yourself, each more powerful than the last. When you reach the same level as mine, it¡¯ll even be possible for you to lay a containment formation holding enough power to trap a city.¡±


    Ling Zhang widened his mouth in astonishment. Some day he could do that as well?


    Ji Yin said, ¡°Your comprehension of the formations taught to you by your mother is at a decent level, but you still need more men to realize their full potential. The formations you¡¯re capable of laying by yourself could only trap one or two men. As regards formations of larger scales, you need cooperation of multiple helpers to lay them in an acceptable amount of time, and the helpers have to have adequate acquaintance with the formations and the teamwork between you and them has to be good enough, too. Neither of them could be achieved in a short time. They require years¡¯ practice. But if the level of your internal energy is high enough, you¡¯ll be able to lay these formations unaided, and only when laying a formation of a very large scale ¨C the kind Marshal Yuwen uses on the battlefield, for example ¨C will you need many others to cooperate with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were glinting with excitement. The existence of such formations had never crossed his mind before. This was a real eye-opener!


    The dusty wind around the drill ground slowly died down. Ling Zhang had seen Ji Yin throw a couple of palm strikes generating lasting and powerful currents which stopped the dusty whirlwind. After Ji Yin removed those boulders as well as some other items that he had previously transferred here in a seemingly telekinetic way, the drill ground returned to normal, spacious and open, and those who had been stuck in the formation finally could see the situation outside the formation now, all of them sweating buckets from horror.


    When trapped in the formation, all of them had been scared to death lest Ji Yin might bottle them up in the formation and abduct Ling Zhang¡­


    As for why they¡¯d been worried Ling Zhang might be abducted, they had no idea. They just had had an inkling that it might be the case.


    They didn¡¯t dare imagine what kind of punishment the Marshal would mete out to them after return had Ling Zhang been taken away from under their noses.


    When the drill ground returned to normal and they saw Ji Yin and Ling Zhang standing where they¡¯d been, they felt their hearts landed back into their chests from their mouths.


    ¡°Childe Ling, Mr. Ji, what was going on just now?¡± queried Xie Shi. ¡°Was it a formation?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°My grandfather did that. Awesome, right?¡±


    Xie Shi and the others exchanged glances in dismay and then all nodded at the same time.


    Of course it¡¯d been awesome. It¡¯d nearly scared the life out of them!


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes glinted with excitement at the prospect of him wielding such great powers, as sparkling as stars in the night sky, making it difficult for people to tear their eyes away from them.


    ¡°Someday I¡¯ll be just as awesome.¡±


    All the others were sent into a brief trance of astonishment and then looked at Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°Zhang¡¯er is right. I¡¯ll be teaching him myself.¡±


    The first reaction of Wang Dashan and his men was to congratulate Ling Zhang, every one of them delighted, while the joy of Yao Yi and other bodyguards was mingled with concern. This old man¡¯s kung fu was so good ¨C virtually better than that of their marshal. If some day Childe Ling became as adept at kung fu as him, wouldn¡¯t their marshal be outshone? In that case¡­ when Childe Ling was unhappy, would the Marshal still be able to overpower him?


    Ling Zhang was unaware of what Yao Yi and the others had in mind. Right now he couldn¡¯t wait to make a breakthrough and reach the third layer, but he hadn¡¯t cultivated long enough, and he still needed to deepen his comprehension of the mental cultivation method and accumulate more experience as well, so there was really a long way to go before he could reach the third layer.


    Of course Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be deflated because of this. Now that he had a clear goal in mind, all he had to do was strive for it, ignoring all other matters. Though currently he was not quite there yet, he had no doubt that someday he¡¯d meet the requirements and make a breakthrough as long as he worked hard enough at it.


    Ling Zhang suddenly started cultivating internal energy even more diligently then before. A door to a new realm had been opened in front of him, and he was eagerly anticipating the day he would step over the threshold.


    Yuwen Tong bustling outside was still unaware that when he¡¯d been occupied with other business, his wife-to-be had found the gate to a new realm and couldn¡¯t wait to explore it. When this came to his knowledge, his inquiry into that matter was coming to an end.


    In a sense, he had that student named Wang Deguang to thank for it. If it weren¡¯t for this clue which had led Yuwen Tong to Wang family, he wouldn¡¯t have found out so soon what kind of deal the King Hui had struck with the Wan Kingdom.


    What he needed to do next was evict Shan Congwen from the Great Yue, and tar and feather the King Hui who had dared to beard the lion in his den, having them know the consequences of attempting to harm his sweetheart over and over again.


    After returning to the Ling Mansion, Yuwen Tong filled with longing to see Ling Zhang asked his bodyguards where he was. They all replied, ¡°Childe Ling is in closed-door cultivation.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had been given the same answer the last two times he¡¯d returned, fell speechless.


    Someone in the residential compound told him, ¡°Ever since Childe Ling¡¯s grandfather came, he¡¯s been even more obsessed with his cultivation of internal energy.¡±


    Yuwen Tong furrowed his brow. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Yao Yi informed him of what happened in the drill ground that day.


    A surprised look appeared on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. He immediately realized what this was about, and it was also at this moment that he came to know that formations could be laid in this way, and the internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion seemed to conform to this approach and complementary to it in a natural way.


    ¡°No wonder he got excited and has been in closed-door cultivation for so many days,¡± muttered Yuwen Tong. Though aware of the reason now, he still had an urge to hold Ling Zhang in his arms and give him a good long kiss.


    Yuwen Tong, who knew better than to disturb Ling Zhang when he was cultivating, went sulky, his face dark.


    Fortunately for him, Ling Zhang, as if having sensed Yuwen Tong¡¯s displeasure, finished this stint of closed-door cultivation a short while later. His eyes lit up at the sight of Yuwen Tong. ¡°You¡¯re back. Have you had dinner? Have you bathed? Do you want me to have them¨C¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Yuwen Tong took him in his arms with care, holding him tight, but not too tight so that Ling Zhang¡¯s injured arm wouldn¡¯t be affected. Then he comfortably sighed, ¡°Those things can wait. Let me have a hug first.¡±


    He only mentioned a hug, but actually after merely a few moments he lowered his head and gave Ling Zhang a kiss, a rather vigorous one.

 Chapter 231 - Figure Out a Way to Kill Them

    Chapter 231: Figure Out a Way to Kill Them


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang, who hadn¡¯t made out with Yuwen Tong for so many days, missed him very much. Yuwen Tong was kissing him passionately, and he kissed him back with even more passion, which sent Yuwen Tong to the verge of losing control of himself, leaving him no choice but to hold Ling Zhang tighter.


    How long their kiss lasted was unknown to both of them. When Ling Zhang came back to his senses, he found himself no longer in his original position. He didn¡¯t know when, but he and Yuwen Tong had transferred to the bathroom, and not only were his robes undone, the skin on his collarbones was covered with hickeys. Yuwen Tong was sucking and biting him, which was giving him an intense arousal.


    ¡°Bathe with me.¡± Yuwen Tong gazed at him, his voice husky with longing, his eyes aflame.


    Ling Zhang, watching his handsome face which was drenched with sweat from his efforts to suppress his desire, felt that he was unbelievably attractive. On hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, he craned over and gave him a kiss in response.


    Yuwen Tong thoroughly succumbed and the two of them stripped naked in the blink of an eye¡­


    Because of Ling Zhang¡¯s arm injury, their relationship was still not consummated on this occasion, but they did help each other, which was somewhat inevitable. At the end of this bath, Ling Zhang could even feel his legs trembling, and the air in the bathroom was almost unbearably hot. Originally the bathwater had merely been tepid, but now it actually felt a little scald. Was it because of their unduly high body temperature or the unduly fevered mood?


    Anyway, it wasn¡¯t over until they eventually had the bathwater changed and had a second bath.


    Yuwen Tong dressed Ling Zhang and another spasm of desire washed over him as he felt Ling Zhang wearily leaning against him as though he was too tired to move. Seeing the pink flush on his ears and cheeks which made him as charming as a lotus flower, Yuwen Tong felt that what they¡¯d just done was far from enough. He still had a longing for more.


    Ling Zhang was even more surprised, even somewhat distressed. Just now he and Yuwen Tong had helped each other, but why was Yuwen Tong still so energetic as though he could go directly outside and run around the whole city dozens of times when he was so exhausted?


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    He had finished a stint of closed-door cultivation a while ago and hadn¡¯t had dinner yet.


    Yuwen Tong took him in his arms and the two of them made out for another while before leaving the room heading for the dining room.


    After they took their seats, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I heard that your grandfather demonstrated to you how to lay a formation with internal energy. Was it true?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, his eyes brightening. ¡°You have no idea how awesome it was because you weren¡¯t there to see it. My grandfather is so badass. He said that I¡¯ll be able to lay a formation with internal energy as well once I reach the third layer.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, seeing his excited and expectant face, was happy for him. ¡°It seems that both the mental cultivation method and formations of the Millennium Pavilion are indeed unique skills handed down from ancient times and are out of the ordinary.¡±


    Ling Zhang, with a longing look in his eyes, said, ¡°I can see how far away I am from the third layer now, and I believe after some time I¡¯ll be ready to try laying formations with my internal energy.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sincerely felt happy for him. As a man of broader outlook and more experienced than Ling Zhang, he offered a lot of constructive suggestions when they were assuming the situation after Ling Zhang reached the third layer.


    Ling Zhang, overjoyed, rewarded him with a piece of meat.


    Yuwen Tong happily ate the piece of meat given by his wife-to-be and asked, ¡°May I have another piece?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°When the fruit is scarcest, its taste is sweetest. I¡¯ll reward you the next time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile. He promised that he would seize the next opportunity when it presented itself and try his best to earn another reward as soon as possible.


    After joking with him for a few moments, Ling Zhang queried, ¡°You came back so early today. Was it because you found something?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod and informed Ling Zhang of what he had ascertained, mainly the deal between the King Hui and Shan Congwen.


    Ling Zhang, after hearing it, coldly snorted, ¡°Shan Congwen has been daydreaming a lot lately.¡±


    It turned out that this was what Shan Congwen had been after. He was indeed a henchman of the emperor of the Wan Kingdom. The emperor had sent him here to make mischief.


    Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong that Shan Congwen was in the emperor of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s confidence, which Ji Yin had previously informed him of. Yuwen Tong, who was unsurprised, nodded and said, ¡°Shan Congwen could indeed be regarded as one of the emperor¡¯s henchmen. Although this guy does stupid things from time to time, it¡¯s inadvisable to take him lightly.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°From the vantage point of the present, the reason why he¡¯s prolonged his stay in the Great Yue is that he wants to figure out a way to drive a wedge between you and the emperor, but it seems that me coming to this city with you upset many of his plans.¡±


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°So you¡¯re my lucky star.¡±


    But Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think so. Before he died in his last incarnation, he hadn¡¯t heard Yuwen Tong come to any harm, which meant that Shan Congwen hadn¡¯t had his way at that time.


    However¡­ Never mind, there was no point dwelling on those things in his last life.


    ¡°The King Hui¡¯s choosing to cooperate with Shan Congwen is synonymous with willingly let Shan Congwen get the goods on him. In the future ¨C at least in the first five years after his enthronement ¨C he¡¯d be like a puppet of the Wan Kingdom. And at that time if you really¡­¡± Ling Zhang gave a cough and then continued, ¡°The five years would be more than enough for the Wan Kingdom to make a long drive all the way into the Great Yue and subject this country to its rule.¡±


    Ling Zhang was very indignant. He really couldn¡¯t understand why the King Hui had resorted to cooperating with an ambitious schemer like the Wan Kingdom. At a disadvantage as the Wan Kingdom currently was, it would undoubtedly stage a comeback if the occasion arose.


    ¡°Of course he knows this. He did it anyway because it¡¯s very difficult for him to best the King Duan, the King Yu and the Crown Prince and successfully accede to the throne.¡± Yuwen Tong made a very practical and realistic remark.


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. No matter what, as a subject of the Great Yue, he would never do anything that might contribute to the subjugation of this country by the Wan Kingdom.


    ¡°Now it has come to our knowledge why they want me dead. How should we counter-attack?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    There was no reason he should swallow the spate of attempts on his life of Zhou Mingci and Shan Congwen. Shan Congwen was an envoy sent by the Wan Kingdom, whose mission was to achieve a peace accord. The current peace was hard-earned. Not only the Wan Kingdom but also the Great Yue needed time to recuperate and regain strength. In order to prevent the outbreak of another war, they couldn¡¯t let Shan Congwen die in the Great Yue, but it was very hard to get revenge without killing him.


    Ling Zhang lapsed into rumination, his chopsticks poised.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Actually there is a way to have him disgraced and ensure he suffers from shame for the rest of his life even if he returns to the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately fixed Yuwen Tong with a gaze, his eyes glinting.


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong looked from Ling Zhang to his bowl.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Very smart. Very good at creating opportunity, marshal.¡¯


    He picked up a piece of meat and put it into Yuwen Tong¡¯s bowl. ¡°Your reward. Now talk.¡±


    With a happy and relaxed countenance, Yuwen Tong enjoyed the meat and then leisurely told Ling Zhang about his plan.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes glittered more and more excitedly as he listened. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t help but give Yuwen Tong an awestruck look. ¡°This is just brilliant!¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows, enjoying the look of admiration and compliment from Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Then when do we take action?¡± Ling Zhang inquired, bursting with impatience.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let me send that stupid Zhou Mingci to meet his Maker first.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s ears pricked up at this reply. ¡°How are you going to do that? He¡¯s a member of the imperial household.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Nobody would blame me if he stews in his own juice, would they?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°You got a plan for that as well?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a plan. I¡¯ll just create an opportunity which Zhou Mingci will take and walk to his doom.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity was boosted as Yuwen Tong talked. ¡°What kind of opportunity?¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked another glance at his bowl.


    Ling Zhang quickly picked up two pieces of meat and put them into his bowl!


    ¡°A handsome reward. Can you tell me now?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who was evidently pleased with the handsome reward, slowly enjoyed the two pieces of meat beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze which he found just as enjoyable, and then unhurriedly confided his thoughts.


    After hearing it, Ling Zhang sighed, ¡°Well, Zhou Mingci has only his bad luck to blame.¡±


    He¡¯d messed with Yuwen Tong entirely on his own volition, hadn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Once this plan succeeds, the political landscape in the imperial court will undergo another radical change. With only the King Duan and the King Yu remaining in the game, the strife will surely be even more intense.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You forgot that invalid,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang realized who he was referring to. ¡°You mean the Crown Prince?¡±


    When talking about the Crown Prince, Yuwen Tong had a noticeably more serious face than he¡¯d had when talking about the King Hui and the King Duan. ¡°Zhou Mingtang is smarter than his brothers. He¡¯s just been ill. During the period of his illness, first the Sixth Prince was brought down, and the King Hui will soon follow ¨C two opposing forces down and he doesn¡¯t have to do anything.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°But this is just because he¡¯s ill. It¡¯s you who¡¯s behind all this, not Zhou Mingtang.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance was inscrutable. ¡°I might¡¯ve been used. Who knows?¡±


    Ling Zhang was startled. What did Yuwen Tong mean by this remark?


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Relax. The mantis stalking the cicada might fall prey to the siskin following in its wake, but who knows whether or not there¡¯s a hunter eyeing the siskin? You may rest assured that I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief, but after hearing these words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, Ling Zhang finally grew slightly wary of the Crown Prince who was rumored to be too sick to get out of bed.


    ¡­


    During Ling Zhang¡¯s stay at home on leave, Yuwen Jin, Ji Feng and some others had paid him a couple of visits.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, you probably don¡¯t know this ¨C the Imperial College has been boringly quiet lately. All those who used to make trouble on a daily basis have been laying low ¨C no quarrel, no fight, and I¡¯m being bored out of my mind.¡±


    ¡°You sure it¡¯s not because the teacher told on you to your father informing him of your poor academic performance and then you got beaten up by your father?¡± said Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Jin in astonishment. ¡°Your father beat you?¡±


    Yuwen Jin clapped a hand to his hip almost reflexively and then took it off with a pretence of indifference. Straightening his neck, he replied, ¡°My father was just trying to scare me into working harder. He would never really beat me.¡±


    However, Ling Zhang who had already seen that reflexive movement didn¡¯t believe him at all. He thought, ¡®Yuwen Jin is such an anomaly. Both his father and elder brother are of manifest academic demeanor and are gifted scholars, too, but Yuwen Jin is totally uninterested in a literary career and has every intention of joining the army and going to the battlefield like Yuwen Tong did.¡±


    Ji Feng and the others, without any consideration of Yuwen Jin¡¯s face, had dissolved into snicker. ¡°Then who was the guy that didn¡¯t even dare sit down and stood in the Horse Stance in the classroom for a whole morning yesterday?¡±


    Yuwen Jin went purple in the face. ¡°I was practicing kung fu!¡±


    ¡°How very diligent of you. Your father wouldn¡¯t have beaten you had you shown as much diligence in your schoolwork,¡± said Xie Qing.


    Yuwen Jin gave him a dirty look. ¡°You¡¯re lecturing me as well?¡±


    Xie Qing looked at him, an innocent expression on his face. What was wrong with him saying that?


    Zhao Jiusi said, ¡°I¡¯m really curious about this ¨C what did the teacher tell your father exactly? Why did he beat you so hard?¡±


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s countenance changed at these questions, his face twisting in distress, probably because something unpleasant had just occurred to him.


    Ling Zhang, however, found his interest piqued at the sight of this reaction of his.

 Chapter 232 - A Premonitory Dream?

    Chapter 232: A Premonitory Dream?


    Translator: DragonRider


    Late at night. In the imperial temple.


    The Ninth Princess had been having a very hard time ever since she¡¯d been penally sent to the imperial temple to be an un-tonsured Buddhist nun. In this place, there was no magnificent palace, no high-class delicacies, and no crowds of eunuchs, only terribly ugly, grayish clothes, a changeless menu on which all dishes were bland and unpalatable, a shabby bedroom, and a reticent handmaid. To make things worse, every morning she had to get up early for Buddhist matins, and there were Buddhist vespers at night. Overall, life here consisted of only two things: Buddhist chant and trance, which were driving her crazy.


    Although her mother and elder brother had been having someone covertly take care of her, it didn¡¯t make much difference. She was still stuck in this temple, and there was always someone following in her wake whenever she walked out of the main area, as if she were a prisoner never to have her freedom back.


    On this night, as usual, the Ninth Princess threw a tantrum and exhausted herself before going to bed.


    Incense had been lit in her bedroom. The aroma of it slowly wafted through the mosquito curtain and into the Ninth Princess¡¯ nostrils.


    ¡­


    The lofty palace was right in front of the Ninth Princess and she went wild with joy. Finally, she got out of that godforsaken temple and returned to the place she was familiar with.


    ¡°I knew it. Father would never really have me become a Buddhist nun. Father still favors me!¡± crowed the Ninth Princess happily, hurrying towards the hall with the intention to look for her father.


    On entering the hall, she found that it was full of kneeling people, all of whom were chorusing aloud, ¡°Long live the emperor.¡±


    The Ninth Princess was startled, fearing that she had done something wrong once again and might be sent back to the imperial temple. She anxiously raised her head to look at the one sitting on the throne, but whom she saw dumbfounded her.


    ¡°Brother?!¡±


    Sitting on the throne was not his father but his elder brother, Zhou Mingci, the King Hui.


    Her brother had ascended the throne!


    Her brother had finally ascended the throne!


    From now on nobody in the world would ever dare cross her!


    The Ninth Princess gazed in utmost excitement at Zhou Mingci sitting on the throne and noticed that her brother was wearing a bluish white imperial robe with gold piping, which she had never seen before. She couldn¡¯t help but fix it with a careful stare. The sleeves and lower hem of the imperial robe had been embroidered with wavy dark lines to make the robe exquisite and sumptuous.


    As if he had finally observed the Ninth Princess¡¯ presence, Zhou Mingci sitting on the throne said, ¡°You came, sister.¡±


    The Ninth Princess jerked out of her trance and looked at Zhou Mingci delightedly. ¡°Brother!¡±


    She woke herself up with this greeting. The beautiful and imposing hall slowly faded away, and so did Zhou Mingci on the throne. Both of them were replaced by the dark bedroom, which was terrifyingly quiet.


    Someone carrying a lamp walked over. The reticent handmaid asked, ¡°Did you have a dream, Your Highness? Tomorrow the King Hui would come here to see you. You may relax and continue to sleep. Dawn will break soon.¡±


    But the Ninth Princess could barely keep from wailing. She snapped, ¡°Get out!¡±


    She clearly had already returned to the palace and seen her brother sitting on the throne as emperor. How come she was still in this godforsaken place!


    ¡­


    The next morning, the King Hui went to the imperial temple and met his younger sister.


    The Ninth Princess¡¯ haggard face made his heart ache. He asked, ¡°Why are you not looking well? A bad night¡¯s sleep?¡±


    The Ninth Princess burst into tears at the sight of the King Hui. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore, brother. Please figure out a way and get me back home!¡±


    The King Hui had an awkward countenance. It was the emperor who had ordered the Ninth Princess to practice Buddhism without tonsure. Besides, it had been only a few days, and the emperor was still angry. Even if he was to help the Ninth Princess get back, he had to wait until the emperor¡¯s anger subsided to take action.


    But the Ninth Princess, who was unwilling to listen to the King Hui¡¯s explanation, said, ¡°Brother, our father has given up on me. He would never let me get back. Please help me. You and mother are my only hope now.¡±


    The Ninth Princess reached out her hands and grabbed her brother¡¯s. With a beseeching look on her face, she implored, ¡°Help me, brother. Please.¡±


    Seeing this, the King Hui instructed the others to leave and consoled his sister, ¡°Just show some patience. I promise I¡¯ll get you out of here the moment father cools off. Trust me, sister.¡±


    The Ninth Princess shook her head. ¡°Father no longer has any love for me, brother. Once you become the emperor, I¡¯ll regain my freedom. Yes, brother ¨C you should mount the throne as soon as possible!¡±


    The King Hui¡¯s face paled and he hurriedly clapped a hand over the Ninth Princess¡¯ mouth. ¡°Stop that nonsense, sister. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne.¡±


    The Ninth Princess, her mouth held, was still shaking her head, a muffled sound emanating from her throat.


    This gave the King Hui a terrible headache. Resigned, he huffed to the Ninth Princess under his breath, ¡°You may repeat what you just said if you wish to die in this place, and I don¡¯t mind dying with my sister.¡±


    The Ninth Princess gradually recovered herself after hearing this remark.


    The King Hui took his hand off the Ninth Princess¡¯ mouth, heaving a sigh of relief. In an undertone, he reproved, ¡°What got into you just now? Why did you say that so loudly? You want to get the two of us killed?¡±


    The Ninth Princess, who also had a lingering fear on her face, flicked a glance at the door.


    The King Hui said, ¡°I don¡¯t think any of them heard it. Don¡¯t say that kind of crazy things again. Otherwise I won¡¯t dare pay you another visit.¡±


    The King Hui was the only one that the Ninth Princess could count on to help her, so of course she didn¡¯t dare behave like that again. After calming down, she found her back drenched with cold sweat. Immediately, she promised, ¡°I won¡¯t. I really won¡¯t dare. Please don¡¯t be mad at me, brother.¡±


    The King Hui looked at her, his countenance a mixture of resignation and vexation. Apart from anything else she was his younger sister, and his heart still ached for her. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since you were sent here. Though I want to get you out of this place, I have to wait until father¡¯s anger subsided. Otherwise whatever I do will have the opposite effect. You have to endure this a few days longer. Mother is worried about you and has been having a hard time trying to save you. Don¡¯t let her efforts go to waste.¡±


    The Ninth Princess gave a bob of her head. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll wait for you and mother to save me.¡±


    After a few moments, she said, ¡°The reason why I said that just now was because of a dream I had last night.¡±


    The King Hui asked blithely, ¡°What kind of dream?¡±


    The Ninth Princess said in an undertone, ¡°I dreamed that you were enthroned, and all courtiers chorused to you ¡®Long live the emperor¡¯ while you were sitting on the throne which our father sits in every day.¡±


    The King Hui¡¯s eyes briefly lit up. ¡°Oh? That doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡±


    The Ninth Princess chuckled. In the knowledge that her brother was no longer angry, she felt a sense of relief and continued, ¡°I saw you wearing a bluish white imperial robe with gold piping, the sleeves and lower hem of it embroidered with wavy dark lines. It was just gorgeous. I¡¯d never seen anything like that before.¡±


    However, no sooner had she finished speaking than the King Hui¡¯s face changed. ¡°Did you say that it was bluish white, with gold piping, and the sleeves and lower hem of it were embroidered with wavy dark lines?¡±


    The Ninth Princess nodded and gave a more detailed account of what she had seen in that dream of hers. ¡°You were brimming with health and spirits just as you are right now. After I woke up, I felt that it won¡¯t be long before you ascend the throne, which was why I said that nonsense just now. Please stop being angry with me, brother.¡±


    The King Hui slowly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. What else did you see in the dream?¡±


    After thinking for a few moments, the Ninth Princess also shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been suffering from insomnia since the day I was sent here. Even if I fall asleep, I always wake up with a start. The only occasion when I had a sound sleep was last night, and I dreamt about you, brother. Maybe it was because I subconsciously knew you¡¯d come here to see me today.¡±


    The King Hui, however, didn¡¯t think so, because the Ninth Princess was right about one thing ¨C he did have a prince¡¯s robe which was bluish white and had gold piping. It¡¯d been rushed out only a few days ago, and its sleeves and lower hem were embroidered with wavy dark lines. It was very sumptuous, and he had specially had it made for the hunt meeting. This robe had just been delivered to him, and his henchmen, who were few in number, were the only ones aware of its existence. There was no way this matter had come to the Ninth Princess¡¯ knowledge.


    But now the Ninth Princess told him that she¡¯d dreamt about it, and she¡¯d also seen him wearing it sitting on the throne in her dream. What did this suggest?


    The King Hui was more inclined to believe that his sister had had a premonitory dream, that this was some kind of herald!


    After leaving the Ninth Princess¡¯ room, the King Hui summoned the subordinates he¡¯d planted in this temple and asked them about the Ninth Princess¡¯ recent daily life. After hearing their replies, the King Hui was positive that it was impossible for the Ninth Princess to have known the existence of that robe. This gave his spirits yet another great lift.


    ¡°This is your reward. Make sure you take good care of my sister. If anything happens to her, all of you will be held responsible.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness, we¡¯ll do whatever we can to take good care of Her Highness.¡±


    The King Hui left the imperial temple in a good mood, and he appeared to be full of pep even on horseback. After an hour or so, the imperial temple was out of sight.


    At a fork not far away from the city gate, he encountered a man riding over from the distance along the other branch road. He was wearing a white robe of a special style which bore some similarity to a Taoist robe, a bamboo tube tied with red string fastened to his felt.


    The King Hui reined in his horse and looked at that man, a somewhat astonished expression on his face.


    This branch road led to the Star Observation Platform of the Imperial Observatory, and that rider was a messenger working at the Star Observation Platform. His bamboo tube contained a dispatch, and the red string around it typically meant it was to be delivered to the emperor.


    On no account would his father summon any members of the Imperial Observatory, particularly those working at the Star Observation Platform, except for on the New Year¡¯s Day, when by convention he would inquire the Imperial Observatory of their deduction of the run of international situation in the new year, making a token gesture towards praying to providence for blessings, because his father wasn¡¯t really a believer in this kind of things ¨C none of his predecessors had been, as a matter of fact.


    Therefore, members of the Star Observation Platform never sent any letters to his father of their own accord, which was very sensible of them. Why did they suddenly deliver a dispatch to him on this occasion?


    The King Hui believed that the Star Observation Platform would never have done this had there not been an important event. Something definitely had happened.


    He opened his mouth and was just about to stop that man when he, maybe startled by the King Hui and his attendants who had abruptly shown up, was sent into a brief trance. Meanwhile, his horse seemed to have accidentally trod on something and suddenly went restless, nearly throwing the messenger off.


    The King Hui gestured for his attendants to offer the man some help. After calming his horse down, the messenger wiped sweat from his face, dismounted and said, ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to bow before you, Your Highness. Thank you for coming to my help.¡±


    The King Hui nodded, suggesting that there was no need to thank him, then looked at the bamboo tube fastened to the messenger¡¯s belt and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly sending a letter to my father? Did anything happen?¡±


    The messenger replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. This is the result of the head star-watcher¡¯s observation last night. I have orders from him to deliver it to His Majesty as a matter of urgency.¡±


    The King Hui¡¯s countenance grew thoughtful. ¡°May I have a look at it?¡±


    An awkward look appeared on the messenger¡¯s face. The King Hui imagined that he was going to refuse, but unexpectedly, the man inclined his head. ¡°Thank you again for helping me just now, Your Highness, but you must not let a second person read this letter, and what you¡¯re about to learn must be kept in the strictest confidence.¡±


    Sure enough, seeing he was so tactful, the King Hui smiled, ¡°Of course.¡±


    The messenger unfastened the bamboo tube, removed the seal, fished a piece of paper out of it and handed it to the King Hui.


    The King Hui, as if thinking of something, looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re not reading it with me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Your Highness,¡± said the messenger.


    The King Hui found this man fairly interesting. He then took the paper and glanced at it. At first he was confused, but after a few moments his face changed drastically and with that he abruptly fixed the messenger with a penetrating stare. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s in this letter?!¡±


    Seeing this, the messenger shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t, Your Highness. If you¡¯ve finished reading it, please give it back to me. I¡¯ve returned the favor, and from now on we¡¯re even. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, it¡¯s about time I delivered this letter into the imperial palace.¡±


    The King Hui, gazing at those words on the letter paper, suddenly had a murderous expression on his face, stifling a wild laughter. Instead of giving the letter back to the messenger, he said, ¡°Then you might as well go the whole hog.¡±


    It had never crossed the messenger¡¯s mind that the King Hui would break his word. All the color drained from his face. ¡°You!¡±

 Chapter 233 - Give Them a Hand

    Chapter 233: Give Them a Hand


    Translator: DragonRider


    After snatching the messenger¡¯s letter and coercing him into pretending to have already delivered it into the imperial palace and not to breathe a word of this matter to anybody, the King Hui returned to his residential compound in a great hurry, hastened into his study, shut the door and read the letter from the head star-watcher to the emperor once again.


    The King Hui, restraining his excitement, muttered to himself, ¡°Even the head star-watcher says so. It seems that my sister¡¯s dream was indeed a herald as well!¡±


    ¡°Guards, get my aides here!¡±


    The King Hui had a couple of aides living in his residential compound, all of whom were very much in his confidence. These people gave counsel to him, sharing life and death with him. The King Hui believed that they would never betray him, so he confided to them the Ninth Princess¡¯ dream and what the head star-watcher said in the letter.


    The look on his aides¡¯ faces turned from shock to rapture and then a mixture of nervousness and fright.


    ¡°Your Highness, originally this could¡¯ve been unbelievably good news, but now it has come to the knowledge of the head star-watcher. You intercepted this letter today, but how could you intercept a second one? We must make sure the head star-watcher keeps his mouth shut about it,¡± an aide said immediately.


    Certainly the King Hui himself was also aware of this. Earlier this day when his eyes had fallen on that letter, he¡¯d felt a great thrill and broken out in a cold sweat. Had his father been informed of the head star-watcher¡¯s prophecy, given his suspicious mind, he would no doubt figure out a way to have this potential usurper executed, though he wasn¡¯t really a big fan of star-watchers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent some men to stake out the Star Observation Platform, keeping their each and every move under surveillance. The head star-watcher must die, but my father would definitely order an investigation into it if he dies a sudden death, so this matter has to be handled with great caution, and it¡¯ll take a lot of doing,¡± said the King Hui.


    His aides exchanged glances. They could see the mixture of delight and concern on each other¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Your Highness, there could be many a slip between the cup and the lip, so I believe we should seize the initiative and strike first!¡± suggested one of the aides.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no telling whether there will be a second head star-watcher after this one is down. Also, somebody else with knowledge of astrology might foresee this as well and report it to His Majesty. In that case, there¡¯d be nothing we could do, so we might as well launch a pre-emptive strike before anybody could react,¡± another aide also said.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t made any preparations whatsoever. It¡¯ll be too hasty,¡± said a third aide.


    The King Hui hadn¡¯t made any remarks so far. On the surface, he was sitting in his seat listening to his aides¡¯ opinions with utter composure, but excitement had actually been bubbling inside him for quite some time. As a matter of fact, on his way back from the imperial temple, he had already made a decision ¨C striking first before the prophecy came to the knowledge of his father.


    But as regards how to do it, as one of his aides had said, they were totally unprepared.


    ¡°Your Highness, once you take action, the King Duan, the King Yu and the Crown Prince would definitely come to stop us like wolves smelling blood. Moreover, His Majesty is still in good health. Unless we adopt special means, he¨C¡±


    ¡°Then we adopt special means!¡±


    ¡°But we could give this matter further thought, made a long-range plan and confound our rivals step by step. If we are to suddenly face them all at once, what kind of special means could we possibly find to defeat all of them?¡±


    Finally, the King Hui knitted his eyebrows in spite of himself. ¡°Making a long-range plan is no longer an option. For us, that prophecy is not only a good omen but also a death sentence. Once my father or any of my brothers finds out about it, we will meet our ends in no time.¡±


    All his aides lapsed into silence. In other words, making their move as soon as possible was their only choice!


    After a short while, one of them said through gritted teeth, ¡°Your Highness is right. Things came to this too suddenly. We must take this path wherever it might lead us. For Your Highness¡¯ great undertaking to succeed, we must create opportunities if there aren¡¯t any in sight!¡±


    On hearing this, the King Hui inclined his head, very pleased. Even wealth couldn¡¯t be achieved without taking risks, let alone a position representing supreme power and utmost glory!


    ¡°Your Highness, our original plan is to cooperate with the Wan Kingdom. Do you think we could still join hands with Shan Congwen in these circumstances?¡± said an aide.


    ¡°Indeed, Shan Congwen has at his disposal some marksmen and also powerful crossbows suitable for assassination. Maybe he could lend us a hand,¡± another aide commented.


    The King Hui pondered over it for quite a while. ¡°That might not be a bad idea. I¡¯ll contact Shan Congwen. Also, I¡¯ll talk to my mother and my uncle about it. But first I need you to figure out a way to create that opportunity for me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡­


    Shan Congwen was astounded by the letter from the King Hui.


    ¡°Your Highness, why did the King Hui decide to make his move so suddenly?¡± his henchman was very confused.


    Shan Congwen also had a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Something must have happened. Go and make some inquiries immediately! Find out whether there was any recent news spreading in this city that we neglected!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness! And, should we reply to the King Hui in the affirmative?¡± said his henchman.


    Shan Congwen coldly snorted. ¡°Zhou Mingci wants us to help him take the throne when there is no marriage contract or a solid alliance of any form between our two families. He really should stop kidding himself. Just ignore him. Ascertain what it was that had made Zhou Mingci rush into a decision like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    The next day, the one sent to make inquiries returned to the courier hostel.


    ¡°Your Highness, there haven¡¯t been any special occurrences in the capital city lately, and none of the other sides have taken any action.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Something definitely has happened. What¡¯s Zhou Mingci been doing these days?¡±


    ¡°He just paid a visit to the imperial temple¡­ By the way, previous to his visit to that temple, he had stated that for him to cooperate with us, we had to kill Ling Zhang first, but after his return from the temple, he suddenly changed his mind. Could it be that something happened in the imperial temple?¡±


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Go and find out!¡±


    Meanwhile, the King Hui, who had written Shan Congwen a letter but hadn¡¯t received any replies so far, was rather anxious and soon sent another man to sound Shan Congwen out.


    Shan Congwen, seeing the King Hui was in such anxiety, fell even more dismayed, but on no account would he take any precipitous action without knowledge of what had happened exactly.


    Shan Congwen made an ambiguous reply. The King Hui immediately came to know what Shan Congwen meant after reading it.


    ¡°What does Shan Congwen think he¡¯s doing? Not long ago he was fawning on me trying to convince me to cooperate with him, but now he¡¯s adopting a totally different attitude!¡± The King Hui was both angry and afraid ¨C angry with Shan Congwen¡¯s fence-sitting, and afraid that Shan Congwen might disclose his plan to usurp the throne.


    ¡°I think you might as well pay Shan Congwen a personal visit, Your Highness,¡± an aide of his suggested.


    The King Hui, though indignant, took his aide¡¯s advice eventually.


    Shan Congwen¡¯s men returned from the imperial temple empty-handed, which sent him even more restless.


    It was not until after having a meeting with the King Hui that Shan Congwen came to know the reason.


    He found it hard to believe that there was a prophecy saying Zhou Mingci was to be the next emperor.


    Shan Congwen immediately understood why the King Hui was so anxious, but he was still hesitating, because he couldn¡¯t put his trust in the King Hui, though the reason had now come to his knowledge.


    ¡°I think you know very well what I desire. Yuwen Tong¡¯s head is the only thing I want in return for helping you take the throne. If you refuse to kill Yuwen Tong after ascending the throne by dint of my assistance, wouldn¡¯t all my efforts be in vain?¡± said Shan Congwen.


    The King Hui remarked, ¡°Under no circumstances will I break the promise I made you. When I become emperor of this country, Yuwen Tong naturally will be a mortal malady for me, one I will stop at nothing to eliminate even without my promise to you.¡±


    Shan Congwen was hesitant, for this had happened so suddenly and he kept feeling that there were so many uncertainties.


    Shan Congwen replied, ¡°Please give me some time to consider this. I know time is not something you have in abundance. You shall have my reply by tomorrow at the latest.¡±


    The King Hui was disgruntled, but there was nothing he could do about it. He said, ¡°This is a golden opportunity. As long as you offer me help, all terms of our previous deal will remain unchanged, and I¡¯ll fulfill all my promises to you, but if you give up this opportunity, the consequences¡­¡±


    Shan Congwen¡¯s face slightly changed.


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Zhou Mingci did have an audience with Shan Congwen, but neither of them has taken any action after such a long time. Surely they¡¯re still going to take the bait, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Ling Zhang, after hearing the message sent back promptly by Yao Yi and the others, was deeply worried. Not long ago, when Yuwen Tong had told him about the plan, it had struck him as very ingenious, but now neither Zhou Mingci nor Shan Congwen had made their move, so he feared that they might not rise to the bait.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that Zhou Mingci will fall prey to the trap. It¡¯s probably Shan Congwen who¡¯s being the problem. He is worrying that Zhou Mingci might refuse to hold up his end of the deal after he helps him.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought for a while and then said, ¡°Shan Congwen¡¯s going after two goals. The first one is to kill me, and the second one is to throw the Great Yue into disarray and make a puppet of the new emperor. If one of these two is achieved, he would no longer have that many misgivings.¡±


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brow. ¡°If one of these two is achieved?¡±


    The having sensed something, he asked, his countenance slightly changed, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Help him achieve the first goal of his.¡±


    An I-knew-it expression appeared on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, but the problem was that it was Yuwen Tong¡¯s life that Shan Congwen wanted to take.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just pretend to be severely wounded and is close to death,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang felt that even this was very difficult. ¡°But how? Once word gets out that you¡¯re injured, there¡¯ll be an unbroken stream of people coming to sound you out. How are you going to fool all of them? On top of that, in what way will you be able to keep up the pretence of a serious wound without arousing people¡¯s suspicions?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Most people are easy to fool. After the incident in the hunting ground in the western suburbs, they all believe that the Wan Kingdom wants me dead, but this time around, apart from them, we also have to trick Shan Congwen, which will take some other finesse.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Actually finesse is not important. What¡¯s important is the fact that I¡¯m seriously wounded and dying.¡±


    As a result, this time Yuwen Tong had no intention whatsoever of playing any elaborate tricks. He planned to directly arrange an assassination and then fake grievous injuries.


    On that very night, the whole capital city was thrown into confusion ¨C Marshal Yuwen had sustained severe wounds in an attempted assassination and was at his last gasp.


    Shan Congwen was briefly dumbstruck as the news reached his ears. ¡°Yuwen Tong is dying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is rumored to be ambushed by some assassins. Their emperor has hurried to the Ling Mansion bringing with him a large group of court physicians.¡±


    Shan Congwen had a subtle expression on his face, feeling both overjoyed and worried that this was some kind of subterfuge. He instructed, ¡°Figure out a way to get some definite information about this. I need to confirm Yuwen Tong is really dying!¡±


    Meanwhile, the King Hui, who had also received the news, was almost delirious with joy, feeling that this was help from heaven!


    ¡°If Yuwen Tong really dies, Shan Congwen would no doubt join hands with me, and it¡¯ll spare me the trouble of eliminating him after my enthronement, too. Divine intervention ¨C this is definitely divine intervention!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we must confirm as soon as possible that Yuwen Tong is really dying from grievous wounds. We cannot afford any mistakes.¡±


    ¡°You are right. We need confirmation.¡± The King Hui exercised all his self-restraint and recovered himself.


    Very soon, the threshold of the front doors of the Ling Mansion was worn smooth by shoes of a steady stream of visitors coming to pry. As regards Yuwen Tong¡¯s injury, even physicians of the imperial hospital found it incurable. It seemed that he was really near his end.

 Chapter 234 - The Forthcoming Hunt Meeting

    The wounds Yuwen Tong had sustained in the sudden assassination deteriorated, and all court physicians said that he didn¡¯t have much time left.


    The emperor, keeping up a pretence of wrath, ordered an intensive investigation into the attempted assassination.


    The Ling Mansion was besieged circle upon circle by Ling Zhang¡¯s security guards and members of the Palace Guards. Half of the court physicians of the imperial hospital had been dispatched to this residential compound.


    Even getting close to Yuwen Tong¡¯s bed was not easy for Ling Zhang. At the sight of Yuwen Tong covered in blood, although he was aware that Yuwen Tong was faking it, his heart still did a somersault, and he felt as though his insides had turned to ice. The fear was unbearable, especially after it became almost impossible for him to approach Yuwen Tong¡¯s room. Originally he had been quite firm in the belief that all this was not true, but because he couldn¡¯t personally confirm it, various unpleasant speculations began to arise in his mind, and his face was terrifyingly pasty.


    Yao Yi and the others, however, seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance, mistakenly believed that Ling Zhang was faking it. All of them felt that Ling Zhang was so adept at acting. Every time Ling Zhang tentatively asked them about it, they would cooperate with Ling Zhang in his ¡°acting¡±, sparing no efforts, thinking that Childe Ling was more discreet than all of them, that even when they were meeting in private, he was still keeping up his pretence in the knowledge that currently there were eyes everywhere both inside and outside this residential compound. They felt that he was really admirable.


    But Ling Zhang was actually on the verge of a mental breakdown. No matter what kind of hint he dropped to Yao Yi and the others, the replies they gave were always full of grief. He was growing increasingly uncertain as to whether or not Yuwen Tong was faking his injury.


    And maybe Ling Zhang¡¯s unduly pallid and haggard complexion was the very reason why people coming to visit became more convinced of Yuwen Tong¡¯s wound.


    Currently, nobody was allowed to enter this house except for members of Yuwen family, and it was by a special permission from the emperor that Ling Zhang was staying here.


    At this time Yuwen You and all his family as well as Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Feng were all present. This small courtyard house in the Ling Mansion was crowded with people.


    A day passed, followed by another. Yuwen Tong seemed to be slowly on the mend, but actually his injury was just no longer worsening. It was under control, but he was far from out of the woods.


    Gradually, people from other sides stopped coming to pry, and now nobody had any suspicion that Yuwen Tong was faking his injury.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but you must marry my sister after ascending the throne.¡± Finally, Shan Congwen made up his mind.


    Naturally, the King Hui was overjoyed. He replied, ¡°The hunt meeting is in eight days. Everybody will be there, including that invalid. We¡¯ve already formulated a plan. All you need to do is lend me your crossbows and your marksmen.¡±


    Shan Congwen was unsurprised that the King Hui chose to make his move on that occasion, for this was the only way to eliminate all his rivals in one fell swoop in the near future.


    But after hearing that even the Crown Prince who was an invalid would be present, Shan Congwen gave an almost unnoticeable frown. In the presence of the King Hui, he didn¡¯t show any sign of what he was thinking. On his return to the courier hostel, he said to his henchman, ¡°If the plan succeeds, Zhou Mingci¡¯s enthronement will be assured, but it¡¯s detrimental to us if we let him mount the throne too easily.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not every day that such a good opportunity presents itself right in front of us. We stand to benefit much more if we take advantage of this opportunity to throw the Great Yue into civil strife. Figure out a way to let the King Yu or the King Duan survive, so that Zhou Mingci will still have an opponent he could have fun with.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so visionary, Your Highness!¡±


    Shan Congwen coldly snorted. He was always visionary. Had it not been for that damn Yuwen Tong¡­ No, Yuwen Tong was also about to die, and there was nobody in the Great Yue that he should be afraid of now. It was rumored that Yuwen Tong¡¯s injury was no longer deteriorating, but unfortunately, after he helped Zhou Mingci with this plan, he would send Yuwen Tong to meet his Maker!


    ¡­


    The hunt meeting was almost called off because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s injury.


    But surprisingly, Yuwen Tong came around briefly. Nobody knew what he¡¯d said to the emperor in that rare lucid moment, but after their talk, the latter decided that the hunt meeting would be held as scheduled.


    Ling Zhang felt that this was too coincidental, that Yuwen Tong¡¯s timing was too perfect¡­ Finally, after being in violently fluctuating moods and the verge of breakdown for quite some time, he slowly regained his composure. Now he was sure that Yuwen Tong was indeed pretending, though why so many court physicians couldn¡¯t see through it was still a mystery to him.


    As the hunt meeting drew near, there seemed to be ominous dark clouds gathering in the sky above the capital city. It was a lull before the storm.


    Finally people stopped showing up at the front doors of the Ling Mansion causing disturbance, except for court physicians, palace guards and members of Yuwen family.


    Ling Zhang also found a chance to see Yuwen Tong. On entering the inner chamber of the bedroom, amid the strong smells of various kinds of decoction and a faint smell of blood, he smelled another bizarre odor. Very subtle as it was, he still smelled it.


    Ever since he¡¯d started following the mental method of the Millennium Pavilion to cultivate internal energy, his five senses had been growing increasingly sharp. His sense of smell was far better than that of common people.


    In addition, he didn¡¯t know whether this was an illusion or not, but the furnishings in this room struck him as somewhat eccentric, and for an instant he felt that his mind was not very clear. He thought it was just a dizzy spell caused by hunger, for these days he had been in deep worry which had resulted in loss of appetite. He quietly circulated his internal energy for a few moments before his mind became clear again.


    Due to his fears for Yuwen Tong¡¯s condition and the limited time, he hurried to the bedside in the knowledge that he shouldn¡¯t dwell on the intense weird feeling lingering in him. Yuwen Tong was lying in bed in a trance, his chest bandaged, pale-faced, his eyes closed. Though having confirmed that his injury was fake, Ling Zhang still couldn¡¯t help but feel sorrowful at the sight of Yuwen Tong in this state.


    There was no telling whether it was a coincidence or for some other reason, but there was no court physician in this house at this moment.


    But Ling Zhang was worried that someone might be staking out this room, so he still assumed an air of grief, crouching down beside the bed, holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand. As he thought of what he would feel if Yuwen Tong was really hurt, his eyes reddened in a twinge of sadness and he squeezed out a couple of teardrops.


    There was no reaction from Yuwen Tong whatsoever except for a slight movement of his fingertips when Ling Zhang had held his hand.


    That slight movement gave Ling Zhang a sense of relief, but he still wept for a while crouching at the bedside, swaying as though he was about to pass out.


    When he slumped to the ground, someone walked inside and supported him out of the room.


    A thought flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, and he maintained his pretence of deep sorrow regardless of who the one guiding him was. It was not until someone walked him back to his own chamber that he slowly stopped sobbing.


    Faking tears was also skilled work, and this was the first time that Ling Zhang had found that he was so good at acting.


    Miao Shiba, who was still dressed as a study-servant (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study), had been staying in Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard house. While nobody was watching, he sneaked into Ling Zhang¡¯s room and stealthily gave Ling Zhang a thumbs up. ¡°You were so good, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a glance at the doorway. It was true that his hearing was much sharper than before, but on that day when they were in the hunting ground in the western suburbs, he¡¯d failed to sense the presence of that secret bodyguard of the emperor, so he didn¡¯t dare let down his guard.


    Miao Shiba said in a quiet voice, ¡°Xie Shi is on the rooftop. They won¡¯t hear us if we speak in undertones.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief, asked Miao Shiba about the situation in this residential compound and relaxed slightly after being informed of what was going on in other areas.


    ¡°There are so many court physicians here. How come none of them see through Yuwen Tong¡¯s faked wound?¡±


    Miao Shiba said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It seems that some expert has been helping the Marshal.¡±


    Expert?


    Ling Zhang was confused. Who was this expert?


    The answer presented itself that very night. He was frightened when he saw his grandfather noiselessly materialize in his room and with that a thought occurred to him in a flash of inspiration.


    ¡°Grandfather, is it you who¡¯s been helping Yuwen Tong?¡±


    Ji Yin said with a smile, ¡°Yeah. Marshal Yuwen is indeed worthy of his title. He has a supple mind. After I demonstrated the formation that day, he came to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that the weird feeling he¡¯d had in that room a while ago had not been his illusion, and nor had it been a dizzy spell resulted from malnutrition. It was because there¡¯d been a formation.


    Ji Yin had personally laid that formation, which was more or less of the same style as the Illusive Trap that Ling Zhang had laid in Jia family, only that it was far more powerful than the latter. The one laid by Ling Zhang previously had been just a simple and crude formation, but this one in Yuwen Tong¡¯s room was so ingenious and profound that even Ling Zhang was unable to find any flaws in it.


    ¡°The peculiar odor you smelled did exist. It¡¯s from an inducer drug. Your blood has special properties and you¡¯ve been following mental cultivation method of the Millennium Pavilion, so you were unaffected by it.¡±


    On top of these, Ji Yin had been hiding in the dark at that time, so naturally he hadn¡¯t exerted all his power on Ling Zhang.


    A formation, an inducer drug and a half-illusory effect created by Ji Yin hiding in the shadows with his internal energy had been ensuring that nobody would see through Yuwen Tong¡¯s faked injury, no matter how many visitors or court physicians came.


    ¡°You¡¯re awesome, grandfather.¡± Ling Zhang expressed his heartfelt admiration once again.


    ¡°Your comprehension is even better than mine. The mental cultivation of the Millennium Pavilion will, to a greater degree, help you fulfill the potential of the Force of Blood in you. Someday you¡¯ll be more awesome than me,¡± Ji Yin smiled, looking at Ling Zhang with proud and expectant eyes.


    This was the first time that Ling Zhang had heard that cultivation of internal energy would affect the Force of Blood in him. He wanted to ask for more details, but this was not the right time, so he had to subdue his curiosity for the moment.


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t stay long. After talking with Ling Zhang for a while, he took his leave, going back to Yuwen Tong¡¯s room to resume watching over him lest the plan go awry. The reason why he had found some time to come here to talk with Ling Zhang was that after so many days, people had finally stopped visiting Yuwen Tong¡¯s room as frequently as they had previously.


    The next morning, Ling Zhang was given permission to tend Yuwen Tong at his bedside as well.


    When Ling Zhang entered the room, Yuwen Zhi happened to be present. Seeing Ling Zhang walking inside, he made no effort whatsoever to conceal the revolted look on his face.


    Ling Zhang pretended not to notice, showing a disregard for his existence.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s countenance went apathetic. Had it been in ordinary circumstances, he would have started picking on Ling Zhang already, but maybe because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s serious wound, he was not in the mood for discomfiting Ling Zhang. He had no love for his nephew, but whether Yuwen Tong would survive or not was bound up with the well-being of all members of Yuwen family, so he had to take this matter seriously.


    During Ling Zhang¡¯s stay in the room, Yuwen Feng, Yuwen Han and some other members of Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the family also come to visit. With a heavy heart, nobody felt like talking about any other topics.


    Uneventfully, another few days passed. Yuwen Tong seemed to be on the mend, and slowly, he had improved enough to come around on a daily basis.


    Meanwhile, the hunt meeting had started.


    Yuwen Zhi, Yuwen Feng and some members of Yuwen You¡¯s branch of Yuwen family all participated. Yuwen Jin and Yuwen Han were the only two staying keeping Ling Zhang company at Yuwen Tong¡¯s bedside.


    ¡°You guys are not going?¡± Ling Zhang asked them.


    Yuwen Han shook his head. ¡°My grandfather and the others went there because they had to. I¡¯m staying watching over Tong.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, his face wan, also said, ¡°I¡¯m staying with my cousin as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at their drawn faces with a surge of guilt, thinking that he must apologize and make it up to them after this matter was settled.

 Chapter 235 - The Day of the Hunt Meeting

    Although having a guilty conscience, Ling Zhang, who had been deprived of chances to whisper to Yuwen Tong by the presence of Yuwen Han and Yuwen Jin, felt fairly frustrated.


    Eventually, resigned, Ling Zhang made an excuse, went outside and found Yao Yi to get some information about the situation in the hunting ground.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Rest assured, Childe Ling, the Marshal has some time ago made some secret arrangements, so the King Hui wouldn¡¯t really have his way.


    Currently, everybody invited has gone to the hunting ground except for the King Yu. Yesterday when he was on his way back home, the horses of his carriage were abruptly alarmed by a crazy horse and he suffered a minor injury, leaving him unable to participate in the hunt. Also, half of the palace guards have been dispatched there.¡±


    Ling Zhang went skeptical. ¡°The King Yu was hurt? This is so coincidental.¡±


    Yao Yi observed, ¡°I think someone did it on purpose.¡±


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brow. ¡°Who? There are others aware of this?¡±


    Yao Yi shook his head. ¡°Not really. It was Shan Congwen.¡±


    Shan Congwen? Ling Zhang was bewildered. Why had Shan Congwen tried to stop the King Yu from going to the hunting ground? Had these two people had any dealings in private, by any chance?


    Yao Yi remarked, ¡°The reason is still unknown to us, but it was by no means because Shan Congwen suddenly decided to have mercy on him. There¡¯s no doubt he did that for a particular motive.¡±


    Ling Zhang pondered over it. The only thing he worried about was whether there was anything that had escaped their notice and, if there was, whether it would upset Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan.


    Also, the situation in the hunting ground still concerned him, for he was unable to go there to see for himself. But since Yuwen Tong was ¡°grievously wounded¡± and the whole residential compound was being staked out, it was inconvenient for him to leave.


    ¡­


    The hunting ground.


    Because of the attempted assassination that happened here in the horse race, palace guards in preparation for this event had some time ago checked the whole hunting ground several times, including the perimeter. And on this day the security in this place was exceptionally tight.


    The King Hui had anticipated this situation, so he hadn¡¯t arranged for any assassins to hide in the hunting ground. Instead, he¡¯d had some explosives planted beneath the grandstand. Meanwhile, 20,000 soldiers who had been dispatched over as a matter of urgency were lying in wait outside the hunting ground, along with the marksmen equipped with the kind of crossbows that Shan Congwen had lent him.


    All people in the grandstand would be wiped out in an instant once he detonated the explosives, and the possibility that some might survive the explosion didn¡¯t concern him at all, for his men and the marksmen of the Wan Kingdom would immediately hurtle in, making sure nobody escaped. Though there would be some friendly fire, he deemed it necessary sacrifices for his great undertaking.


    Shan Congwen as the representative of the Wan Kingdom had some time ago accepted the emperor¡¯s special invitation. Like the King Hui, he also had a seat in the grandstand, but the two of them would make an excuse and take their leave as soon as the time was ripe.


    The emperor glanced around before his eyes rested on the commander of the palace guards, who gave a nod implying that all defense and security arrangements had been properly handled.


    The emperor inclined his head with satisfaction and then started making an opening address for the hunt meeting.


    Courtiers of every description were all listening with undivided attention. The King Hui was also listening attentively on the surface but in fact had been running out of patience. Previously, every time his father was giving a speech, he¡¯d listen in fear and try not to show even the slightest sign of perfunctoriness, worrying that his father might suddenly mention him or ask him a question, to which, if his father did, he would have to strain every nerve to give an answer his father deemed satisfactory.


    But now, when this operation was over, he would finally be rid of that kind of misery, and never again would he have to observe anybody¡¯s face gauging their mood to decide what he should or should not say. With the mountain-like, suffocating authority gone, the whole world would be his to rule, and he would be the one giving others whatever looks he felt like giving, and having them tremble in front of him! And those people ¨C the King Duan, the Crown Prince, the King Yu ¨C none of them would be able to cause him any trouble ever again!


    Though the King Hui had been doing a great job with his pretence, a hint of smugness still appeared on his face in spite of himself at the thought of this, his eyes sweeping through the opposite side.


    Opposite him, sitting in the first seat to the emperor¡¯s right was a gorgeously-clothed man in a crown prince¡¯s robe, but he didn¡¯t look very well, striking people as rather sickly. However, this invalid was the crown prince of the Great Yue, and also the emperor¡¯s most favored son. His seat was in the top row, overlooking everybody, including the King Hui who was also a prince just like him.


    The King Hui fixed him with a stare, a mixture of jealousy and disgust involuntarily glinting in his eyes. Though there was merely a ghost of it, the Crown Prince still sensed it, looking in the direction of the King Hui.


    Had it been in the past, the King Hui would definitely put on a smile and make a couple of flattering remarks to curry favor with the Crown Prince, but on this occasion the King Hui, who firmly believed that he was about to win, found himself unable to fake an obsequious expression as he had done many times before. After making eye contact with the Crown Prince, he directly swiveled his head aside.


    Naturally, this reaction of the King Hui¡¯s, which was a manifest diverge from the norm, aroused the Crown Prince¡¯s suspicions. He gazed at the King Hui for a while, a somewhat uncertain and thoughtful gleam in his eyes.


    The King Hui, after taking his eyes off the Crown Prince, looked at the King Duan. In recent days, there had been quite some conflicts between the King Duan and the King Hui. The two of them hated each other¡¯s guts and could sense each other¡¯s gaze almost immediately. At this moment, the King Duan shot a glance back at the King Hui, his eyes full of contempt and sarcasm, and coldly snorted.


    The King Hui had an apathetic countenance. If what he felt for the Crown Prince was disgust and jealousy, then what he had for the King Duan would almost be hatred. The strife between the two of them in the imperial court had never ceased and neither of them was willing to budge an inch, and nor would any of them hesitate to resort to crooked means to do the other side harm when the occasion arose. There had been several occasions when the King Hui had fallen prey to the King Duan¡¯s dirty tricks, suffering great losses, and even he himself had nearly come to grief. As a result, he hated the King Duan so much that he would literally eat him alive and drink his blood had he got the chance.


    He was even considering whether or not he should whip the King Duan¡¯s body to vent his resentment after blowing him up a while later.


    The confrontational eye contact between the two of them lasted only a brief moment, but the disgust in their eyes had been so manifest that everybody else present had perceived.


    Eventually, the King Hui cast a demonic and bloodthirsty sneer at the King Duan and then withdrew his gaze.


    The King Duan was briefly stupefied by that murderous sneer tinged with bloodthirstiness from the King Hui, and then knitted his eyebrows and wondered, ¡®Was Zhou Mingci the damn fool trying to provoke me just now? No, that smile was heavy with murderousness. Does Zhou Mingci want to kill me, by any chance?¡¯ Whatever that sneer had been about, the King Duan was on the alert.


    After making eye contact with the King Duan, the King Hui looked in the direction of the seat of the King Yu only to find that he was not there. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. What was going on?


    He twisted his head aside and cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at one of his personal bodyguards, who saw the questioning look in his eyes and explained under his breath, ¡°Last night the King Yu was alarmed by a crazy horse and suffered minor injuries which affected his mobility, so he¡¯s not attending this hunt.¡±


    He was alarmed by a crazy horse and got hurt last night? Wasn¡¯t this too coincidental? The King Hui¡¯s heart jolted. Why was it that stupid Zhou Mingyi who¡¯d got hurt? Had it been a mere coincidence or had he smelled anything?


    ¡°Where did that crazy horse come from? And how come it so coincidentally ran into my fifth brother¡¯s carriage?¡±


    The personal bodyguard answered, ¡°Your Highness, that crazy horse escaped from a stud farm. As luck would have it, the King Yu happened to be on his way back home. The wheelers of his carriage were alarmed and went wild, which caused him to bump his arm against the side board and get his foot jammed in the door as well. Fortunately all those are just superficial injuries. He¡¯ll fully recover after nursing them for a few days.¡±


    A horse from a stud farm? The King Hui was suspicious. How was it possible for a horse of a stud farm to escape and go into the streets? But if it hadn¡¯t been a coincidence¡­


    Even he himself had made arrangements in great haste for this operation in the hunting ground. There was no way his fifth brother had found out about it. Even if it had come to his knowledge, he would never have had enough time to take any precautions.


    But he had expected to wipe them out. How come his fifth brother was now going to slip through the net?!


    ¡®Fuck! What makes Zhou Mingyi think he could sit idle and enjoy the fruits of my work? I¡¯m definitely having his little neck snapped immediately after these people are handled. On no account will I give him any chances to compete with me for the final victory.¡¯


    As a number of ruthless methods for killing the King Yu flitted across the King Hui¡¯s mind, the emperor had finished his opening speech.


    All those that were supposed to go hunting on this occasion stood up, ready to enter the hunting ground, but the King Hui was still sitting in his seat. Everybody else looked at him. The emperor appeared disgruntled, while the Crown Prince sitting to the emperor¡¯s left had a thoughtful expression on his face once again.


    His personal bodyguard very quickly nudged the King Hui, reminding him in an undertone, ¡°Time to go, Your Highness.¡±


    It was at this moment that the King Hui jerked out of his trance. Finding that everybody was looking at him, he subconsciously tensed his back and sprang to his feet, too nervous to sneak a glance at his father¡¯s displeased eyes, fearing that his father might become skeptical.


    The emperor originally had wanted to reproach him, but refrained from doing so as his eyes fell on Shan Congwen and other members of the diplomatic corps.


    The King Hui hurriedly left the stands with the others. Shan Congwen watched his hastily receding back, a flicker of impatience crossing his eyes.


    What a moron.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going down there to have some fun?¡± Shan Congwen looked at the Crown Prince.


    There were also a lot of courtiers staying in the grandstand, civil and military. All those going down to hunt were those in the prime of life. Most of these high-ranking courtiers were of advanced years, and they felt no need to compete with young officials for anything.


    At this moment, all of them looked at him after hearing Shan Congwen¡¯s words.


    Zhou Mingtang, the Crown Prince, who hadn¡¯t shown his face in public for a long time, not only had a sickly face but also was more white-skinned than everybody else ¨C it was the ghastly kind of white.


    By asking this question the answer to which he clearly knew, Shan Congwen had meant it as a thinly disguised provocation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a fit state to perform this kind of activity, which I suppose you might find amusing, King Ming¡¯en. Actually you should join the hunt. I heard that you¡¯re widely known as a marksman in the Wan Kingdom. Today, a lot of young talents of the Great Yue are present. Why don¡¯t you go out there and have a competition with them? You¡¯re not afraid to lose to any of them, are you?¡± said the Crown Prince.


    Without the slightest change of his countenance, Shan Congwen gave an utterly immodest smile. ¡°I think I¡¯ll spare them the embarrassment of being routed.¡±


    The Crown Prince said, ¡°That figures. You¡¯re a prince of the Wan Kingdom after all, and if you lose to youngsters of the Great Yue, you might have quite some trouble justifying your defeat after returning home. Reputation does mean a lot.¡±


    Originally Shan Congwen had intended to provoke the Crown Prince, but it¡¯d never crossed his mind that his opponent would be able to checkmate him with a counter-attack. The Crown Prince was obviously trying to goad him. He had glossed it over once, but if he refused for the second time and word got out about it, people would no doubt make very unfavorable remarks on him.


    Shan Congwen felt that he had made an unwise move, but¡­


    He tossed a glance at the unoccupied seat of the King Hui, feeling totally uninterested in sitting in this explosive-laden place any longer. Who knew whether or not this place would be accidentally blown up ahead of schedule? These people were sitting on explosives but were totally oblivious. They couldn¡¯t blame him for their deaths.


    Their beloved prince would be the one they should blame.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve put it this way, I feel obliged to display my skills.¡± Shan Congwen rose to his feet and really went down into the hunting ground.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. He had thought that this verbal duel between him and Shan Congwen would last a little while longer, but unexpectedly, his opponent admitted defeat so soon.


    First it¡¯d been Zhou Mingci, and now Shan Congwen¡­


    A peculiar expression appeared in the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes and with that he stole a glance at his father.


    The emperor didn¡¯t notice this. He seemed fairly pleased, a faint smile on his face, as if in a good mood because of something pleasant.

 Chapter 236 - The King Huis Failure

    In the Ling Mansion.


    Ling Zhang finally found a window of opportunity to talk to Yuwen Tong without the presence of Yuwen Han or Yuwen Jin or any court physicians.


    Unsure whether or not there was anybody in the dark spying on him, he held Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and started writing on Yuwen Tong¡¯s palm with his finger.


    He had just finished two strokes when his fingers were tightly wrapped up in Yuwen Tong¡¯s warm palm.


    Ling Zhang blinked and fixed Yuwen Tong with a stare.


    Yuwen Tong opened his eyes and looked at Ling Zhang who was gazing at him. Then he drew Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to his mouth and kissed it.


    Ling Zhang nervously glanced around. ¡°You¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Relax. It¡¯s high time I, a ¡®seriously wounded man¡¯, came around.¡±


    Ling Zhang let out a sigh of relief, watching Yuwen Tong give him another kiss on the hand. The gentle touch of Yuwen Tong¡¯s lips on his fingers made them bend in spite of himself.


    ¡°You must be having a tough time,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave a light cough and commented under his breath, ¡°Not as tough as yours.¡±


    He had been lying in bed for days.


    Yuwen Tong, who hadn¡¯t made out with Ling Zhang for several days, missed him very much, unwilling to release his hand, his affections spontaneously gleaming in his eyes, which gave Ling Zhang a flush on the cheeks.


    Ordinarily, he didn¡¯t blush so easily when the two of them were in intimate moments, but on this occasion, somebody might be hiding in the shadows keeping watch on them, and sure enough his grandfather might be watching as well¡­


    Ling Zhang slightly moved his hips, feeling somewhat uneasy. To make things worse, Yuwen Tong was still gazing unblinkingly at him.


    ¡°A kiss?¡± Yuwen Tong suggested.


    Ling Zhang secretly gave him a dirty look. Maybe someone was watching!


    Yuwen Tong parted his lips and said in a very low voice, ¡°I was hurt so badly and have just come to. It¡¯d be weird if you make no gesture of affections for me, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He craned over and gave Yuwen Tong a kiss.


    Yuwen Tong was savoring this kiss, but Ling Zhang¡¯s lips parted from his too quick and he felt he hadn¡¯t had enough of it. Smacking his lips, he wished the kiss had lasted longer. ¡°How about another one?¡±


    Ling Zhang made an attempt to pull his hand out of Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip but failed. Yuwen Tong kissed his hand once again and finally felt slightly satisfied.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about the situation in the hunting ground. What the King Hui did has come to the knowledge of the emperor,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang widened his eyes. ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Of course, I played a small part in that.¡±


    Ling Zhang was puzzled. ¡°Why did you inform the emperor of it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I can¡¯t let so many people die there. It¡¯ll take a heavy toll on the Great Yue. And I¡¯m ¡®injured¡¯, so the best way is to disclose it to the emperor. What the King Hui has done is done, and there¡¯s nothing he could do to make any difference.¡±


    Indeed, just like Yuwen Tong said, on the surface the emperor seemed to be happy, but in fact flames of wrath was leaping in his chest.


    The Crown Prince had sensed the peculiarity in the conduct of the King Hui as well as that of Shan Congwen ¨C of course he had.


    He was extremely disappointed with the King Hui.


    ¡­


    At noon, almost all people hunting in the hunting ground had left the woods one after another. The King Hui made an excuse and lingered for quite some time before returning to the entrance.


    Like the King Hui, Shan Congwen also delayed his return by a considerable amount of time.


    Standing beside him, Shan Congwen looked through the woods at the grandstand which he only had a vague view of, and said, ¡°Almost all of them are there now. When are you going to do it?¡±


    The King Hui clenched his teeth, a tic going in his cheeks. Eventually, his intent to kill got the best of him. ¡°Now.¡±


    He decided to make his move right now when all these people were in the stands, lest there be any unexpected changes.


    Shan Congwen gave a soundless sneer, gazing at those people in the stands, finding the King Hui¡¯s callousness somewhat disgusting, but he felt no regret. He was just somewhat sympathetic to these people of the Great Yue who were going to die such violent deaths. Many of them probably would die before they could realize what happened.


    It was so unfortunate of the emperor of the Great Yue to have a son like this.


    The King Hui raised his hand, instructing the subordinate beside him to send out word.


    After a while, the King Hui¡¯s order was communicated to his men in the stands, and the explosives were about to be detonated.


    The King Hui had started a countdown in his head, waiting for the moment when everybody in the stands would be blown to pieces.


    He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes staring fixedly at people in the stands.


    Even Shan Congwen couldn¡¯t help but hold his breath, expecting the arrival of the startling moment.


    As the final moment drew near, the atmosphere went increasingly repressive. Feeling that it was about time, the King Hui suddenly closed his eyes, waiting for that moment to pass.


    ¡­


    After quite a while, the King Hui abruptly opened his eyes and looked at the intact grandstand and the people in it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Shan Congwen¡¯s face also changed, a foreboding feeling rising in him as he found himself drawing back.


    Time was ticking away, but still nothing happened in the stands. There weren¡¯t even any unusual sounds, not to mention an explosion.


    The King Hui shot out his hands to grab the collar of the robe of his henchman standing beside him and demanded, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why haven¡¯t anybody lit the fuse?¡±


    The henchman had been sweating buckets for some time. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. I personally sent your order there. They definitely have lit the fuse.¡±


    The reason why the explosives still hadn¡¯t detonated was either they¡¯d suddenly malfunctioned or¡­


    Nobody dared to give the second possible reason any more thought. The only feeling they had at this moment was dread mixed with anxiety, their legs trembling.


    ¡°You good-for-nothing! What are you standing here for?! Go and tell them again! Have them light the fuse immediately!¡± The King Hui¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head.


    His henchman was terribly scared. Even if he were a fool, he would have realized that the arrangements they¡¯d made in the stands had gone awry, but the King Hui¡¯s face was even more frightening than what might be waiting for him in that place, so he had no alternative but to go there once again to send the instruction, staggering and almost falling over when leaving the King Hui.


    Shan Congwen, who had quietly backed off quite a few paces, winked at the man beside him.


    He was ready to retreat at any moment.


    After quite a while, the one he¡¯d sent to check out the lay of the land was still not back. This was the worse-case scenario.


    Shan Congwen stopped hesitating and turned around with the intention to leave.


    ¡°Where are you going, King Ming¡¯en?¡± Shan Congwen¡¯s body went rigid at the sudden voice. He looked in the direction of the speaker only to find that numerous armed men were abruptly showing up one group after another in the woods. The one in command was unfamiliar to him but seemed to be a commander of the Palace Guards.


    Naturally the King Hui had also heard this voice. He spun around to look at the countless men that were emerging from the woods, his teeth gritted. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    All these men were palace guards ¨C half of the Palace Guards who were supposed to be on guard duty in the capital city!


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence in the grandstand,¡± said the commander in an apathetic tone, looking at him with a face just as apathetic.


    The King Hui, who felt as though his insides had turned to ice, stared fixedly at these palace guards, unable to understand why his plan had been exposed, and why these hurdles had arisen when there had been an unmistakable prophecy saying that he was to be the next emperor?!


    He was toast. He was indeed toast.


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence in the grandstand,¡± that man repeated.


    The King Hui clenched his fists. His subordinates beside him looked at each other, panic washing over their faces.


    ¡­


    When the King Hui was marched to the grandstand, many people were still perplexed as to what it was about. Even the King Duan was bewildered for a few moments.


    But at the sight of the emperor¡¯s cold and angry countenance, everybody realized the severity of whatever it was that was going on, and none of them dared to utter a word.


    A palace guard walked over and reported, ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Your Majesty. All explosives beneath the grandstand have been dug out.¡±


    Explosives?! Buried right beneath this grandstand?!


    Many of those that had come to understand what could¡¯ve happened to them broke out in a cold sweat, their faces drained of colors. Meanwhile, they had got a shrewd idea of what was going on!


    The King Duan incredulously eyed the King Hui. He had always believed that the King Hui was stupid, but it¡¯d never crossed his mind that he would resort to adopting this kind of method!


    ¡°You! Exactly what have you done, Zhou Mingci?!¡±


    The King Hui raised his head and flicked him a frosty glance, his eyes manifestly suggesting that he was despairing, indignant and unreconciled to the situation.


    ¡°What have I done? I¡¯ve tried to get above all of you!¡±


    ¡°Outrageous!¡± thundered the emperor. ¡°You vile spawn. How dare you talk such nonsense when your death is imminent!¡±


    The King Hui, upset by the emperor¡¯s furious face, not resigned to his fate, sniffed, ¡°Father, have you never thought about this? I¡¯m also your son, and I clearly outshine all of them. Why didn¡¯t you make me the heir to the throne? The Crown Prince is an invalid, yet you¡¯re still going to enthrone him? Aren¡¯t worried that he might not be able to outlive you?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Shut up!¡± The emperor was almost reduced to vomiting blood with ire, repeatedly hitting the armrest of the chair so heavily that the armrest almost broke.


    ¡°Zhou Mingci, are you out of your mind?!¡± The King Duan looked at the King Hui in shock. ¡°What makes you so confident that you are the best?¡±


    Was he soft in the head?


    This remark infuriated the King Hui even more than the emperor¡¯s reprimand had, and his eyes reddened. ¡°Zhou Mingyuan!¡±


    At this time, the King Duan had cooled down, fully aware of what was going on. Though astounded by the King Hui¡¯s madness, he soon felt a thrill of rapture. With the downfall of a rival, he was yet another step closer to the throne. As long as he figured out a way to have the sickly Crown Prince die of illness and then eliminate his fifth brother, he would be the only heir to the throne! And his father would have to crown him emperor even if he didn¡¯t want to!


    Thinking of this, the King Duan could barely keep from laughing, but he must refrain on this occasion, which was why his face twisted somewhat. Others mistakenly believed that he was angry, but in fact it was because he was exercising all his self-restraint to stifle his laugh.


    ¡°Guards! Flog this evil creature to death!¡± The emperor, who had almost spat blood from wrath, finally recovered himself.


    Everybody was startled. Flog him to death?


    After a while, the Crown Prince stood up. ¡°Father, please turn from your anger. It¡¯s true that my fourth brother made a mistake, but that doesn¡¯t make him any less of your son, and nor does it make him any less of my brother. Please spare his life, father.¡±


    The courtiers were also brought back to their senses, realizing they had to do something to allay the emperor¡¯s anger, otherwise the King Hui might really be beaten to death.


    At first the King Duan was stupefied, but eventually he also hastened to intercede for the King Hui, though he was actually only too anxious to see the King Hui dead.


    Finally, the emperor¡¯s fury slowly subsided. He was just about to speak when another palace guard came over to report.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we found fifty packs of explosives in total. They were densely planted beneath the grandstand. Had all these explosives detonated¡­¡±


    The emperor¡¯s countenance went purple with anger once again, and he stared at the King Hui, an extremely icy expression in his eyes. This traitorous son of his had actually planned to blow all of them to pieces!

 Chapter 237 - Just the Two of Us

    The King Hui was thrown into the Court Prison; the Imperial Concubine De was placed under house arrest in the cold palace (a palace where an emperor installs members of the imperial family who do something wrong); all those involved in the attempted usurpation by the King Hui were subjected to thorough search of their abodes and confiscation of their property. What the future held for the King Hui was an execution in private.


    Shan Congwen had gone for wool but come home shorn. The Great Yue taking advantage of this opportunity claimed a considerable amount of indemnity. Had it not been for a dispatch from the emperor of the Wan Kingdom, a border province of the Wan Kingdom would have to cede a city to the Great Yue.


    Shan Congwen left the Great Yue with his tail between his legs. Waiting for him in the Wan Kingdom were fierce condemnations and severe punishments. It could be said that his diplomatic mission had turned out to be a complete failure.


    In the meantime, Yuwen Tong improved very quick. Maybe because the King Hui¡¯s maniac attempt at exterminating the whole imperial court had distracted people in the capital city, when they finally shifted the focus of attention from the King Hui¡¯s crime to other matters, Yuwen Tong had already ¡°regained¡± his mobility, and he even went to the imperial palace to express his gratitude to the emperor.


    Even court physicians of the imperial hospital were astonished by how quick Yuwen Tong had made such a recovery, but no matter what, it was a fact that Yuwen Tong¡¯s ¡°wounds¡± had healed very soon.


    The assassins that had ambushed the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of the Great Yue had also been found to be sent by the Wan Kingdom. Shan Congwen, who had already left the Great Yue, was unable to defend himself even though he wanted to.


    The Ling Mansion finally found itself in peace again. Ji Yin personally checked the residential compound and confirmed that those secret bodyguards had left. As regards the perimeter, secret bodyguards out there could only gather some basic intelligence about who went in and out of the Ling Mansion and when. Other information was beyond their reach, and they were by no means powerful enough to perceive the presence of a kung fu expert like Ji Yin without seeing him directly.Visit website our Listnovel.com


    After bringing down the King Hui and forcing Shan Congwen into returning to the Wan Kingdom with a humiliating defeat, both Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang felt relaxed and delighted.


    ¡°It turns out that you were right ¨C the Crown Prince did make his appearance,¡± said Ling Zhang, gnawing at a peach.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and wiped the juice from the corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth with his thumb, staring at Ling Zhang¡¯s rosy lips, passion building up in his eyes. He said, ¡°Those courtiers might have forgotten about him had he not put in an appearance that day.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t notice that Yuwen Tong was gazing at him like a hungry wolf at a lamb, his eyes glinting. ¡°You said that the Crown Prince might have made some underhand arrangements. What did you mean by that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had ascertained the truth about a lot of matters these days, replied, ¡°The reason why Shan Congwen tried to kill you was because Zhou Mingci meant your death as a precondition for their cooperation. It¡¯s true that we made an enemy of Zhou Mingci by having the Ninth Princess punished, but it was because of the suggestion of Zhou Mingci¡¯s aide that he suddenly requested Shan Congwen to kill you, and this aide was planted in the King Hui¡¯s residence by the Crown Prince.¡±


    Ling Zhang, finding this message very unpleasant, finished the peach in three gulps and said in a cold voice, ¡°Why did the Crown Prince do that? He and I have no history.¡±


    ¡°He has no history with you. He just wanted the King Hui to infuriate me,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    A flurry of thoughts flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s mind and with that he frowned, ¡°Will he connect you with the downfall of the King Hui?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He has no proof. Besides, given that so many court physicians and the emperor personally confirmed the severity of my injuries, he has no choice but to accept it as true even if he doesn¡¯t want to.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, feeling slightly relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    ¡°What about the prophecy?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside and cast a mysterious smile at him. ¡°Prophecy? What prophecy?¡±


    Ling Zhang, slowly lifting his eyebrows, came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant, but about the head star-watcher¡­


    Yuwen Tong confided in a muted voice, ¡°The head star-watcher never made any prophecies. That messenger faked it. He is just an insignificant messenger, for whom it¡¯s very easy to quietly go underground. Even if someone traced it to that part, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything.¡±


    It¡¯d merely been a trick to make the whole thing more complicated and bewildering. Let them have some fun guessing.


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang still couldn¡¯t help but stare at Yuwen Tong for quite a while. Yuwen Tong, who had been growing increasingly aroused with his eyes on Ling Zhang, succumbed to the temptation moments after Ling Zhang¡¯s unblinking gaze rested on him, threw his arm around Ling Zhang and instantly drew him into his embrace, kissing him.


    The kiss didn¡¯t last long before their desire overpowered their self-restraint. The two of them did the same thing they did in the bathroom that day, and Ling Zhang¡¯s legs were limp when it was over.


    This time Yuwen Tong also tentatively gave Ling Zhang¡¯s privates a gentle touch, feeling fully satisfied and content.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance was as pink as a lotus flower.


    When the two of them recovered themselves, Ling Zhang said, ¡°My arm injury has almost healed, and it¡¯s time I went back to the Imperial College.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been able to spend much time with Ling Zhang in private when pretending to be injured, and it¡¯d only been a couple of days when the two of them had their carefree life back, so he was unwilling to let Ling Zhang return to the Imperial College so soon. He said, ¡°You still want to learn formations from Mr. Ji, don¡¯t you? How about we go to the manor? Just take a few more days off from school.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I can do that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Why can¡¯t you? Just tell them your arm still hurts. Surely they won¡¯t dare pressure you to go back.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang could barely keep from leaving right away. ¡°Then let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Seeing that his interest was piqued, Yuwen Tong added, ¡°But Mr. Ji still has to give lessons in the Imperial College. He took several days off from work because of me, and I don¡¯t think he could spare any more time.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat disappointed.


    Yuwen Tong consoled him in a slow voice, ¡°Although Mr. Ji won¡¯t be able to be with us in the manor, we can go there ourselves. You may first digest what Mr. Ji taught you previously, and then return to the Imperial College to consult Mr. Ji after you master all of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point, so he nodded. ¡°All right.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, pleased, playfully nibbled his rosy cheek once again, holding him tightly. ¡°We go there today.¡±


    The manor was very quiet, and it¡¯d be just the two of them.


    Yuwen Tong gave some instructions to his subordinates and then had a message delivered to the emperor, saying that he was going to his manor to nurse his injury. The emperor, having no reason to stop him, gave his approval.


    Yuwen Tong in contentment took Ling Zhang to the manor. Zhao Shude, as usual, was waiting for them at the front gates. ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhao,¡± smiled Ling Zhang, greeting Zhao Shude.


    After serving Ling Zhang for a day during his last stay in this manor, Zhao Shude was now more genial to Ling Zhang than he¡¯d been the first time they¡¯d met. ¡°Have you recovered from the arm injury, Childe Ling?¡±


    Seeing he didn¡¯t ask about Yuwen Tong¡¯s injury, Ling Zhang thought that Zhao Shude probably was aware Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t really been wounded, so he replied, ¡°Almost. I ate all those goodies you delivered to my place. Look, I even gained some weight because of them.¡±


    A faint smile broke across Zhao Shude¡¯s serious face and he said, ¡°We¡¯ve raised quite some rabbits lately. I¡¯ll have them cook some for dinner and you may give it a try.¡±


    Ling Zhang was happy to hear this, looking at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said to Zhao Shude, ¡°We¡¯ll be staying here for a few days. Is there anything else apart from rabbits?¡±


    Zhao Shude answered, ¡°Yeah. We raised a lot of livestock in the rear. They¡¯re all over the place.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was fairly pleased with it. After entering the manor, he and Ling Zhang went to the Roosting Dragonfly Pavilion first and spent the whole afternoon there fishing. Dinner was fish soup and various dishes made with rabbit. Ling Zhang overate without noticing like the last time.


    Yuwen Tong happily took Ling Zhang outside for an after-dinner walk. Ever since faking his injuries previously, he had missed out on several after-dinner walks, so of course he had to catch up on them.


    The weather was getting increasingly hot these days. There were more trees in this manor than there were in the residential compound in the capital city, so it was cooler here. As a night breeze blew by taking away with it the stuffiness that had been lingering for a whole day, Ling Zhang felt so comfortable that he slightly narrowed his eyes.


    When passing a pond where frogs were croaking, Ling Zhang casually commented, ¡°I think it¡¯s going to rain tomorrow.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Given how sultry today is, there¡¯s probably going to be a heavy shower tomorrow afternoon. We may go to the hill in the rear when it does. There¡¯s a pavilion overlooking this whole area.¡±


    After giving it a brief moment¡¯s thought, Ling Zhang feeling it a good idea agreed.


    Yuwen Tong was thinking that he would have Ling Zhang all to himself in that pavilion, and maybe they could do something else apart from enjoying the beautiful rain. The very thought of this gave him a twitch of arousal. He let out an unnatural cough, bridling his imagination that was going wild, telling himself to show some patience.


    Ling Zhang was unaware of what had just occurred to this man beside him. The pleasant, bracing night breezes made him feel fully relaxed and comfortable, and at this moment there wasn¡¯t anything of complexity in his mind. He was just amazed by the feeling of happiness walking side by side with Yuwen Tong was giving him. This was something he had never expected before. Recalling that he might not have made Yuwen Tong¡¯s acquaintance had he not tried to call off their engagement after rebirth, that their current relationship was actually the result of a strange twist of fate, he felt that what people called destiny was such an indescribably intriguing thing. At the thought of this, his eyes flickered towards Yuwen Tong beside him in spite of himself.


    Sure enough Yuwen Tong immediately sensed this glance at him that Ling Zhang sneaked. Though Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes merely grazed him and it was at night, Yuwen Tong still saw it distinctly.


    In this glance was so much more than there seemed to be that for an instant he was stupefied, and when he was back to his senses, he and Ling Zhang had been in a lip-lock for quite some time, his arms holding Ling Zhang around the middle.


    It struck Yuwen Tong that he might not be able to wait until the next day ¨C he wanted to do something else right now.


    Ling Zhang, feeling Yuwen Tong¡¯s physical response, held him around the waist instead of pushing him aside.


    What was he waiting for when they were having such a moment? As chance would have it, after walking for a while, their stomachs didn¡¯t feel as stuffed now, so Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and started walking back. Halfway to the courtyard house, he let out a curse in a frustrated low voice and then pinned Ling Zhang to the trunk of a big tree in a corner. Arms around Ling Zhang, he lowered his head and nibbled from Ling Zhang¡¯s neck all the way downwards, clenching Ling Zhang¡¯s collar between his teeth to undo his clothes, so urgently as though there was some kind of fire burning inside him and he had to do something immediately to put it out.


    Originally Ling Zhang had been feeling pretty cool, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s feverish passion infected him and he was now feeling rather hot as well.


    One of Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands, in particular, was rubbing his hips and waist in a very restless way, which immediately jogged Ling Zhang¡¯s memories of the previous few times the two of them had made intimate contact. He could feel his cheeks burning, but was subconsciously cooperating with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong, taking this as an incentive, was rid of all misgivings¡­


    Soon the hush beneath the tree was broken by loud breathing.

 Chapter 238 - A Stay in the Summer House, the Trade Caravan’s Entry into the City

    Ling Zhang had no idea what had got into him. He¡¯d actually done that with Yuwen Tong in the open air. On their way back, they encountered a couple of servants working in the manor. Although they greeted the two of them and paid their respects in the usual way and Ling Zhang was sure that nobody had seen what they¡¯d just done under the tree, he still felt somewhat uneasy, an embarrassed look on his flushed face. Despite the after-effects and his fairly limp legs, he managed to draw Yuwen Tong off like the wind.


    Yuwen Tong was being drawn forward by him, but Ling Zhang was faintly unsteady on his feet and his Qi circulation was slightly irregular as well, so he didn¡¯t have the heart to let Ling Zhang tire himself any further, obediently following Ling Zhang who was merely holding the lower hem of his clothes.


    There was a contented smile on the corners of his mouth. They had just made out a while ago, but seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s adorable bearing, he still felt a surge of longing.


    Ling Zhang was quickening his pace. Worrying that he was exhausting himself, Yuwen Tong took a stride forward catching up with him, his arm poised behind Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. ¡°Slow down a little bit.¡±


    Ling Zhang, having just done something that he was afraid of being found out by others, wished he could grow wings and fly back indoors. He slapped Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm away from his waist and grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s wrist, drawing him forward even faster.


    Yuwen Tong, both amused and somewhat resigned, had no choice but to speed along with Ling Zhang so that he wouldn¡¯t tire himself out.


    The two of them ran into Zhao Shude when they returned to the courtyard house. The butler had been fairly worried about his two masters who had gone out for quite a long time late at night. Distantly seeing Ling Zhang walking in this direction with Yuwen Tong in his wake, a blush on the former¡¯s cheeks, a satisfied smile in the latter¡¯s eyes, Zhao Shude who was not a fool could tell at a glance from the weird mood that something definitely had happened between the two of them.


    ¡°You may go and rest, Uncle Zhao. It¡¯s so late. Yao Yi and the others will be on guard. There¡¯s nothing you need to be concerned about,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Zhao Shude.


    Zhao Shude, having no intention of being the third wheel, gave a nod and took his leave.


    After Zhao Shude left, the two of them had the house all to themselves. Yao Yi and the others had got bathwater ready in the bathroom some time ago. In this kind of weather, it would be preferable to have a cold shower. Besides, the two of them had just had some passionate moments, and both their bodies felt somewhat sticky and sweaty, so they directly went to the bathroom without further ado.


    Finally, the two of them had some private space. Ling Zhang quickly stripped off and then Yuwen Tong walked inside. ¡°Let¡¯s bathe together.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s legs still felt weak. A while ago the two of them had stopped at the third base as the last time, but Yuwen Tong had been¡­


    His crotch was red even at this moment!


    ¡°Get out. I¡¯ll bathe first. You may come in after I finish my bath.¡±


    Yuwen Tong closed the door without turning around, walked over and got undressed even faster than Ling Zhang. ¡°That¡¯ll be such a waste of time. It¡¯ll be quicker if we bathe together.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    His eyes accidentally fell on something private and he flushed scarlet and spun around. Originally he had planned to scoop water with a water ladle to have a shower, but now he wanted to go straight into the bathtub and crouch in it.


    However, he had just swiveled around when Yuwen Tong held him around the middle from behind, his warm even slightly scalding skin against his. Ling Zhang¡¯s scalp instantly prickled. He turned to look at Yuwen Tong only to find his lips met those of Yuwen Tong who had clearly been waiting for this¡­


    ¡­


    They were supposed to feel cool and refreshed after this bath, but when it was over, Ling Zhang was totally limp and bodily carried out of the bathroom by Yuwen Tong, wearing thin underclothing, terribly drowsy.


    Yuwen Tong put him down on the bed. Ling Zhang comfortably let out a sigh on the cool bamboo sleeping mat, turned over and lay prostrate on it. In a quick surge of sleepiness, he closed his eyes, ignoring Yuwen Tong, and drifted off almost in an instant.


    Yuwen Tong, worried that he might catch a cold, put a thin quilt over his waist, and then his palm slid downwards until it reached Ling Zhang¡¯s perfectly round nice buttocks. He gently kneaded it in satisfaction for a while and then got into bed as well and lay down beside Ling Zhang. After a few moments¡¯ thought, he put his arm around Ling Zhang and drew him over to his chest.


    Ling Zhang, who was going into deeper sleep, subconsciously gave Yuwen Tong a push after being taken into his embrace, but his arm was limp, and this push devoid of strength. Yuwen Tong comfily squinted his eyes, took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and kissed it.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± sniffed half-asleep Ling Zhang in a barely audible voice.


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong gave him a kiss on the forehead. ¡°Sleep. I won¡¯t cause any more disturbance.¡±


    Ling Zhang said no more. After an unknown amount of time, feeling a little hot in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms, he turned over in an unconscious effort to get away from the heat source and return to the cool, comfy part of the bamboo sleeping mat. After Ling Zhang lay prostrate in a spot further away from him, Yuwen Tong moved over, put a hand onto his waist and drew him closer to his chest. Soon, Ling Zhang was in a sleeping position where his back was against Yuwen Tong¡¯s breast, Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms around him.


    Too sleepy to make any more efforts to get rid of him, Ling Zhang angrily gave him a kick and then gradually fell into a sound sleep, a faint snore issuing from his nostrils.


    This sound was, for all intents and purposes, celestial music to Yuwen Tong, who finally closed his eyes in contentment.


    It was a very good night¡¯s sleep, and Ling Zhang missed his usual morning cultivation the next day. The exuberant tree in front of the courtyard house they stayed in, which blocked the morning sunlight, was also responsible for this. Its dense foliage kept sunlight from reaching the rooftop as well. And there were also some Nan bamboos (phyllostachys pubescens) growing in a corner of the backyard. Though servants had been taking care of them making sure they didn¡¯t overgrow the whole place, those tall bamboos in the corner also overshadowed part of the house. On top of this, there were some ingenious horticultural designs around the house, so even when the sun was riding high, it¡¯d still be bracing inside.


    This courtyard house was a summer home. Since the weather was getting hotter by the day, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had chosen to stay in this place, which had turned out to be a wise decision.


    Seeing the daylight, Ling Zhang who had just woken up came to know that it was pretty late, that he¡¯d overslept.


    Yuwen Tong was sitting in a deck chair in the house reading a book, wearing thin underclothing, looking as if he had been staying indoors all along.


    Ling Zhang, who could barely remember any occasions when Yuwen Tong had dressed like this at home reading a book in a lying position, couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat surprised. ¡°You didn¡¯t go out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong put down his book. It seemed that he had been totally absorbed in the book, which was why he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier that Ling Zhang had awoken. He tossed the book aside, rose to his feet and walked up to him. ¡°How did you sleep last night?¡±


    The night before, they first made out in a pitch-dark spot in the manor, and then once again in the bathroom, but Ling Zhang¡¯s constitution had been greatly improved by dint of cultivation of internal energy. As a result, though he had felt very drowsy before turning in, now after a good night¡¯s sleep, he felt fully refreshed and very comfortable.


    Ling Zhang shook his head, got out of bed and stretched. ¡°Not bad. This place is pretty comfy. It¡¯s still very cool in here at this hour of the day.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a house in the Ling Mansion in the capital city that was so liveable. It was getting hotter and hotter, and sometimes when he woke up in the morning in the Ling Mansion, he could feel his underclothing cling to his body due to sweat.


    ¡°If only I could stay here for the whole summer,¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but say wistfully.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°We can stay here and wait until summer is over to return to the city if you want.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I still have to go to the Imperial College. Also there¡¯s no way you could idle around in this manor all summer. So forget about it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t think this was merely a fond hope. As long as Ling Zhang really wanted to do this, he definitely would figure out a way to make it happen.


    Since he felt cool and comfortable, there was no need for him to take a morning bath. After a quick wash, he combed his hair, changed and took a couple of bites of breakfast to ease his hunger. There would be a hearty lunch at noon.


    Before lunch, Wang Dashan came over to Ling Zhang¡¯s place and reported, ¡°Young Master, Supervisor Wang said that the trade caravan had entered the city, and all herbs had been unloaded. He checked them all and no problem was found. They have started purchasing goods as planned, and the caravan will be ready to set off to return to Tanyang in a couple of days.¡±


    Ling Zhang was happy to hear this. ¡°Tell him I got the message, that I¡¯ll reward him after going back. Remind him to pay extra attention to the procurement and see to it that nothing goes awry.¡±


    Wang Dashan inclined his head. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Originally Ling Zhang had wanted to do this himself, but the recent events had upset his plans, so he had had no choice but to put Wang Qing in charge of it. Wang Qing had proved himself a competent supervisor, and there hadn¡¯t been a single matter that Ling Zhang had had to personally intervene to help handle.


    Wang Qing and Li Sicai shared the responsibility for the procurement of goods to be transported back to Tanyang. Wang Qing was mainly in charge of the purchase of herbs and didn¡¯t really have much acquaintance with other commodities. Li Sicai had specially visited all trading centers in the capital city recently and, with Yuwen Tong as a backer, had also modestly consulted many outstanding merchants in various industries and learned a lot, adequately preparing himself, which was why Ling Zhang believed he could relax safe knowing this task was in Li Sicai¡¯s capable hands.


    During the process, Xia Feng in the Ling Mansion had rid himself of the need of Li Sicai¡¯s assistance. He had changed considerably these days. Everything in the Ling Mansion was neat and in order under his watch. Even at the time when Yuwen Tong had been faking his serious injuries and the Ling Mansion had been in disarray, Xia Feng had still managed to retain his composure. Because of his presence, none of the servants in the mansion had buckled at the knees or fainted even when faced with the emperor. Everything had been dealt with in a proper and orderly fashion, which had greatly gratified Ling Zhang.


    In the trading center, an auspicious date for the grand opening of the drugstore had been selected, all in readiness.


    Also, the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain had specially helped with the publicity, offering them a lot of constructive suggestions. Ling Zhang, after taking into consideration all others¡¯ opinions and his own judgement, had invitations sent to all those whom he should invite, and soon received their replies promising that they would go to the drugstore on the day of the grand opening to offer their congratulations to him.


    Half of the invitees were people that either Ling Zhang himself or Li Sicai or Wang Qing had had some dealings with recently. Some others had been introduced to him by the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain. Of course, there were also some invitations that had been sent merely because it was the right thing to do according to the professional etiquette. Although Ling Zhang had Yuwen Tong at his back, he had no intention of taking advantage of this to do whatever pleased him. Opening a drugstore was only the first step. Adapting himself to the rules of this industry and socializing more with other practitioners would help him better integrate into this business, avoid giving rise to anybody¡¯s displeasure with or exclusion of him, and spare himself needless trouble as well.


    Sure enough, not all his invitations had been replied in the affirmative. Some had been ignored. All these people had powerful backers to rely on, and their disregard of the invitations provided much food for thought. Ling Zhang put their names down but had no intention of sending men to ask them about the reason. He just told his men to have half an eye on news concerning these people, planning to stand by first and wait until identities of these people¡¯s respective backers were ascertained to decide what he should do next.

 Chapter 239 - Till Death Do Us Apart

    After Wang Dashan took his leave, Ling Zhang was in a pretty good mood. Everything was going as planned. Those who had made an attempt on him had either been thrown into prison or fled with their tails between their legs; others harboring grudges against him had all been laying low lately, and none of them had been so bold as to mess with him. He planned that after his drugstore successfully opened to business and went on the right track, he would focus on his cultivation and try to reach the third layer of the mental cultivation method as soon as possible, and then when the reply of the Millennium Pavilion arrived, he and Yuwen Tong as well as his grandfather would pay a visit to the Millennium Pavilion; and when they returned from that journey, it would be about time they started making preparations for the wedding ¨C if nothing unexpected happened during their stay in the Millennium Pavilion.


    Although having not given a definite answer to that question of Yuwen Tong¡¯s yet, he and Yuwen Tong were no doubt getting married, given how much their relationship had advanced.


    Yuwen Tong clearly had come to know his thoughts, which was why he had acted much more boldly the last few times they¡¯d made out. Yuwen Tong had sounded him out every time, and maybe the next time he would¡­ Ling Zhang dismissed this thought from his mind and raised his head, pondering, ¡®I¡¯m a man as well. I shouldn¡¯t resign myself to this situation so easily. It¡¯s true that my kung fu is not as good as his, but if I put more efforts into it, maybe the next time I¡¯ll be the one on top. If I don¡¯t give it a try, I¡¯ll never know for sure whether it¡¯s possible or not. So I must not give up. Next time I¡¯ve got to find a chance and get on top of Yuwen Tong.¡¯


    Seeing the weird glint mixed with a faraway expression in his eyes, which was somewhat spooky, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Nothing. It¡¯s just that Uncle Zhao said there¡¯d be a hearty lunch at noon, so I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who trusted Yuwen Tong wholeheartedly, had been immersed in thought when he¡¯d heard Yuwen Tong¡¯s question, and he¡¯d almost made an honest response subconsciously. Fortunately he¡¯d realized what he was talking about and stopped himself in time from letting the cat out of the bag.


    Yuwen Tong knew Ling Zhang too well to fall for these words. Besides, the look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face just now hadn¡¯t really been like that of someone thinking about lunch; in fact, it had seemed that he was pondering over something strange, and he had specially kept it back from him¡­ Did it have anything to do with him, by any chance?


    Yuwen Tong had quite some speculations in his mind, but though he was resourceful and secretive and had many a conjecture, he still couldn¡¯t guess what Ling Zhang had thought about just now. After all, the Marshal who had always been very confident had never considered the possibility of anybody getting on top of him some day.


    ¡­


    On that day, the lunch was indeed sumptuous. There was meat of pheasants and roe deer, which Yao Yi and some others had personally caught on the hill behind the manor; there was also some kind of vine with small, oval leaves, which tasted somewhat bitter and was typically used for preparing drugs, but which, when dried and added to pheasant soup, imparted to the soup an appetizing flavor leading people to endless aftertastes. This kind of soup was particularly suitable to drink in this season. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes glinted with sheer contentment every time he took a sip of it.


    Also, the braised chicken nuggets were extremely tantalizing and tender. The roe deer meat had no strong smell and was so delicious that Ling Zhang nearly bit his tongue. The former chef in the manor was said to be a mess cook serving in the army under the command of Old General Yuwen. He¡¯d been a famous chef before joining the army. After being wounded in a war when serving in the old general¡¯s unit, he¡¯d come to the capital city, and all his family had been living in this manor since then. The current chef was the former one¡¯s son, and his culinary skill was just as consummate as, if not better than, that of the head chef of the Taibai Tavern.


    The day before, the reason why he and Yuwen Tong ended up doing that under a tree was because he overate first and then went on an after-dinner walk with Yuwen Tong. Therefore, earlier this day Ling Zhang had planned to control his portion. Besides, it was noon, and the weather was hot; there was no place out there suitable for an after-meal walk, so Ling Zhang really didn¡¯t want to overeat, but¡­ he still did. Had Yuwen Tong not stopped him, he would have consumed another bowl of soup.


    Ling Zhang, feeling that he had so little self-control, reproached himself for quite a while after having his fill of food and drink.


    Yuwen Tong, however, believed this couldn¡¯t have been more normal, for Ling Zhang had barely reached adulthood and was still growing, and any virile young man at his age was in a period of his life when his appetite was supposed to be the heartiest. Furthermore, he had been practicing kung fu, which entailed a lot of strenuous exercise, and the day before the two of them had several consecutive bouts of making out, too. It would¡¯ve astonished him had Ling Zhang managed to keep from overeating.


    Since it was inadvisable to go for a stroll, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to sit for a while and then slowly walk around the house along the corridor outside.


    ¡°Alas, I feel an old man,¡± Ling Zhang sighed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush into your advanced years,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong. He had almost blurted, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll beat you to an old age,¡± but forborne to do so after a brief trance. He didn¡¯t want to say that. Merely in his late twenties as he was, he had an illusion that he was Ling Zhang¡¯s senior by many years. Before this day he had never felt this way, and on this occasion it suddenly struck him like a stab in his heart.


    He also recalled that Ling Zhang had once told him his grandfather was wearing a disguise, that his true face actually looked as young as that of a thirty-year-old man. Ling Zhang had started cultivating internal energy following the mental method of the Millennium Pavilion ¨C did it mean that he¡¯d appear young in his declining years like his grandfather?


    For an instant, Yuwen Tong was panic-stricken. He scrupulously searched his brain trying to find out whether the cultivation method he¡¯d been following would generate the same effects as that of the cultivation method of the Millennium Pavilion. After a few moments, he came back to his senses and remembered that ageless appearance resulted solely from powerful internal energy. Given that the cultivation method he¡¯d been following was also top-notch and not necessarily inferior to that of the Millennium Pavilion, he believed as long as he put more effort into his cultivation and reached a higher level, he would be able to retain his thirty-year-old looks as Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather did.


    As this thought occurred to him, he felt that this was a task which virtually brooked no delay. Yuwen Tong had always regarded himself as a boor and had never paid much attention to how he looked, but surprisingly, after he started a romantic relationship with Ling Zhang, he¡¯d grown to care about his appearance so much.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that a flurry of thoughts had flitted across Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind in a brief instant. After hearing Yuwen Tong say there was no need to hurry into his advanced years, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Do you think there¡¯ll be a day when the two of us need the help of walking sticks to have a walk in this place? If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll be supporting each other ¨C two old men strolling around, each holding a walking stick ¨C I bet that¡¯ll be quite a funny scene.¡±


    The whirl of thoughts in Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind quieted as he heard this remark of Ling Zhang¡¯s, the look in his eyes growing mild. Ling Zhang had already started picturing the two of them leaning on canes in the evening of their lives, walking hand in hand. Didn¡¯t that mean the two of them growing old in each other¡¯s company till death did them apart?


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you on my back if you¡¯re too old to walk,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang gave a snort, wanting to say that there was no telling who¡¯d be the one needing to be carried, but then he suddenly recollected that Yuwen Tong was older than him. What if Yuwen Tong died of old age before him? Ling Zhang felt a twitch of panic, subconsciously dismissed this idea from his mind and said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to pay extra attention to your balance when you¡¯re carrying me. I¡¯m still growing and have been eating a lot. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be quite heavy when I¡¯m old.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let you fall.¡±


    Thinking that it would be quite fun being carried by him, Ling Zhang stopped this walk, stepped back inside and said, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll let you have a try in a while.¡±


    His eyes glinting dangerously, Yuwen Tong looked at him. Have a try? He could lift him up with one hand, not to mention carrying him on his back.


    Of course he would carry him, but¡­


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand to stroke Ling Zhang¡¯s belly and said with a worried face, ¡°It¡¯s so much bigger. How did you manage to stuff all those in it, anyway?¡±


    ¡®I should keep an eye on him from now on. Binge eating is definitely bad for his health.¡¯


    Ling Zhang had no idea what Yuwen Tong had just made up his mind to do, that in the future, whenever Yuwen Tong was having dinner with him, he would always be stopped from eating more after having a moderate portion, no matter how delicious the food was, and there would be several occasions when he, in his anxiety, was only too anxious to eat Yuwen Tong alive.


    Sure enough Ling Zhang was unaware of any of these at this moment. He removed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand from his belly and said, ¡°Keep your hand under control.¡±


    Something occurred to Yuwen Tong and he dissolved into snicker.


    At first Ling Zhang was confused as to what was so funny, and after a few moments, he got a shrewd idea of it and chucked Yuwen Tong out of the house into the sun.


    Yuwen Tong raised his head to look into the sky, feeling the sultry air. Thinking that it was about time, he drew Ling Zhang outside and the two of them slowly walked towards the hill behind the manor.


    ¡°Your stomach will feel much better by the time we reach the pavilion.¡±


    They made some preparations the day before. Also, Zhao Shude had some time ago had the pavilion cleaned. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, each wearing a large bamboo hat to shield themselves against the sunlight, headed for the hill at a gentle pace. When they were on the hill, there was a lot of tree shade and the bamboo hats were no longer necessary, so they took them off, carrying them with their hands.


    When they¡¯d been wearing the bamboo hats, the two of them had had to walk with a certain distance between them. Now the bamboo hats were no longer a problem, so Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s hat, stacked it on top of his, carried them with one hand and reached out the other hand to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    Ling Zhang, whose palm was wet with sweat because of this, grumbled about it but made no attempt to withdraw his hand.


    There were cicadas singing on the trees all around. Though the weather was very hot, minds of the two of them were in perfect peace.


    All bloodshed and fighting in the border areas as well as those interfering troublemakers in the capital city had been ejected from Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang¡¯s heads respectively.


    Yuwen Tong, holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, walked to the pavilion located on the hillside. In front of the pavilion on its side stood a tree as big as the one outside the courtyard house in the manor that they stayed in. Yuwen Tong said that this tree had been transplanted here under his grandfather¡¯s orders during the construction of this pavilion, that the tree had been sizeable at that time, and now it was even larger.


    The towering tree was of a height greater than that of the two-storied pavilion, overshadowing it.


    Hanging from protruding cornices on the rooftop of the pavilion were many eaves-bells, which made a pleasant jingling sound when wind blew by.


    The pavilion covered a considerable area. In front of it was an even open space, and there were stone tables and stone chairs under the towering tree. Areas on the two sides of the building had also been paved. Standing beneath the tree, Ling Zhang could even hear the sound of water gurgling.


    Yuwen Tong walked over and said, ¡°Behind the mound on this side of the pavilion is a small waterfall and a lake.¡± Then he led Ling Zhang round the giant tree behind which was a walkway with steps built with rock. Proceeding along the walkway, they turned a corner and their view suddenly widened. In front of them was a lake, beside which was a small waterfall. Because of the hot and rainless spell, the water was not abundant, but it was quite cool. Trees flanked the lake and the falls, shielding them from the sun.


    A winding brook was carrying water of the lake away down an incline. It was not steep, so the water was not flowing very fast.


    ¡°This stream leads to the manor. The water in the lake at the Roosting Dragonfly Pavilion comes from this place,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes slightly brightened. He scooped up some water with his hands and splashed it on his face. ¡°It feels pretty cool.¡±


    Right at this moment, the sky began to darken slowly, the sunlight gradually blocked, wind starting to blow in gusts.


    ¡°A heavy shower is coming. Let¡¯s go back to the pavilion first. We may have another stroll after the rain,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet and headed back with him. When they reached the pavilion, it was already very dark, branches of trees on the hill wobbling in the wind, their leaves whooshing, Ling Zhang¡¯s robes fluttering as well. The sultriness of the weather was being blown away by the wind, and the rain was looming, a boundless canopy of black clouds overhead.

 Chapter 240 - Watching the Falling Rain in a Pavilion with a Happy Marshal

    Some fallen leaves and sand were raised and pinned to Ling Zhang¡¯s face by the wind, leaving him unable to open his eyes. The wind had come very quick, and so had the rain.


    Yuwen Tong immediately grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, drew him into the pavilion and shut the doors and all the windows.


    They were in such a haste that Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have the time to observe the place. He only knew that this floor was pretty spacious.


    Yuwen Tong took him to the second floor which was actually a bedroom, a quite roomy one. There were bookshelves, a desk, armchairs as well as a weapon rack on which a sword was placed.


    The side windows of the bedroom had been closed, but it was totally fine to leave the one facing the manor at the foot of the hill open, for there was a balustraded balcony outside them. Yuwen Tong left the front window ajar and stood beside it with Ling Zhang, watching the pouring rain accompanied by howling winds outside.


    The sky was now completely dark, and the rain was very heavy. Also, the raindrops were falling diagonally. Fortunately, the wind was not blowing squarely towards the pavilion, or else the raindrops would¡¯ve been thundering on the front window.


    Looking out through the gap between the window and its frame, they couldn¡¯t even get a clear view of the manor at the foot of the hill due to the torrential rain, let alone places further away. And they were smelling wet dirt. Large clouds of vapour were floating amid the woods, carrying the heat from the ground into the air.


    The two of them sat down beside the window. Yuwen Tong fished out a chess board and they finished a game of chess to the rainstorm ongoing outside.


    This downpour after noon which had come abruptly stopped in equal haste, and a while later the hot vapor rising from the ground lifted, and the wind became much cooler.


    Drops of water were dripping down emerald green leaves washed by the heavy rain. The windows of the pavilion had been opened, and sitting in the room, they could enjoy the scenery on the foot of the hill.


    The chess board had been put away. Yuwen Tong found a small jar of wine somewhere. As the mud seal was removed, the aroma of the wine instantly pervaded the whole pavilion. Ling Zhang took a deep sniff of it, staring at the jar, his eyes glinting longingly.


    Yuwen Tong had everything planned out the day before, so of course this jar of wine had been prepared quite some time beforehand.


    Although the rain had come to an end, the sky was still shrouded in clouds and leaden. Also, bracing breezes were blowing in from all sides through windows in the walls, and the mugginess of the noon was long gone. There was mist coiling around the hill opposite this one, and the view was very enjoyable.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes had been fixed on the jar all along since he¡¯d smelled the aroma of the wine. Yuwen Tong holding the jar walked towards him, raised the jar and took a mouthful of the wine. When he reached the front of Ling Zhang, he put his arm around his waist and kissed him, the wine going from his mouth to Ling Zhang¡¯s as their tongues intertwined.


    A gust of wind whistled in from the outside, fluttering the lower hems of their robes. It was cool, but both the two of them had fire in their chests at this moment. As the pungent wine coursed into their stomachs, their lips inched apart, but they were still very close to each other, face to face. Yuwen Tong slightly lowered his head, his forehead against Ling Zhang¡¯s, barely any distance between the tips of their noses, the scent of wine wafting around them. Ling Zhang failed to refrain first, gently rubbed the tip of his nose against that of Yuwen Tong¡¯s and tilted his head, but what he said was, ¡°Another gulp.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, straightened himself, his arm still around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, lifted the jar with the other hand and took another mouthful of the wine, which the two of them shared as they had done a few moments ago.


    After the second gulp of wine was consumed, Ling Zhang found his breathing somewhat uneven. Just now Yuwen Tong had deliberately held him tightly kissing him hard, almost leaving him unable to catch his breath.


    ¡°This is the best wine I¡¯ve ever had,¡± Yuwen Tong remarked significantly and then lowered his head to give the edge of Ling Zhang¡¯s red lip another peck.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s waist had gone a trifle limp. Maybe because what they did the night before was too vigorous, his body still had quite vivid memories of it. Waves of numbness mixed with weakness were spreading through his back, softening him quicker than usual.


    Naturally Yuwen Tong had perceived Ling Zhang¡¯s physical reaction, holding Ling Zhang around the middle, his hands moving downwards¡­


    The look in his eyes which were gazing at Ling Zhang was also slowly changing, his longing move intense than ever. Though not a word had been uttered, he had come to know Ling Zhang¡¯s answer, and his self-restraint was overwhelmed by the temptation. On the previous few occasions, he had taken tentative steps trying to help Ling Zhang adjust. At the thought that he was going to get what he wanted on this day, even his eyeballs felt hot. He heavily pinned Ling Zhang to him with his arm on Ling Zhang¡¯s hips, and in the instant their bodies impacted on each other, both of them couldn¡¯t help but let out a short sigh in their heads.


    Maybe because of the aroma of the wine about him, Ling Zhang felt his body burning up very quick. Though Yuwen Tong¡¯s body was clearly even hotter, he still found himself involuntarily clinging tighter to Yuwen Tong. His sparkling eyes now had a layer of mist over. He blinked in an effort to disperse the hot fog to get a better view, oblivious of the fact that he swallowed hard in spite of himself, his plump, smooth-skinned and rosy lips twitching, his Adam¡¯s apple briefly rolling, a groan escaping from his throat.


    The expression in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes abruptly changed once again. He inclined his head and clamped Ling Zhang¡¯s lips, which were so tempting that even his eyeballs were burning, between his teeth, nibbling and rubbing them. With a bang, the jar of wine was put down onto the table, and he flung the now-available hand to the back of Ling Zhang¡¯s head to help him withstand his increasingly vigorous kiss.


    After a while, Ling Zhang panting raised his neck, gripping Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulders, more pressing Yuwen Tong tighter against him than pushing him away.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands had moved to Ling Zhang¡¯s back, supporting him, nibbling from his plump and smooth lips all the way downwards. Ling Zhang¡¯s collar had been loosened some time ago, hanging over his half-naked shoulders. Yuwen Tong¡¯s lips came to a fleeting pause as they reached a particular part of Ling Zhang¡¯s body, his eyes staring fixedly at it. Merely a brief moment¡¯s gaze made his throat unbearably dry, and only by resuming the kiss would he be able to ease this thirst which was making his blood boil.


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang sat down on the windowsill, his robes had been taken off and were on the crook of his arm. He bowed his head to look at the man who would stop at nothing to drain the last bit of energy from his body. The mist of tears that had been lingering in his eyes all along finally flowed down his cheeks, mixing with sweat, and dripped onto Yuwen Tong, his hands tightly clutching on to the window frames, his knuckles white due to the strain, his toes curling hard, his insteps tense.


    ¡­


    The lamplight from the manor at the foot of the hill marked the fall of night. Clouds in the sky had been dispersed by the wind some time ago, countless stars twinkling in it. On the desk near the front window was the only lighted oil lamp in the pavilion. The pool of its dim light could barely cover the whole room. On the bed not far away, a quilt was churning violently, clothes scattered all over the ground. A small and exquisite fat-bellied porcelain bottle had fallen to a pile of garments, overturned, giving off a faint unique perfume. It was empty, something wet and creamy remaining on its opening, and a small amount of the substance had stained the clothes beneath it.


    ¡­


    Purr¡­


    It was the grumbling of his stomach that woke Ling Zhang up. He tried to open his eyes only to find them so sore that he had to leave them shut. When he moved his body, the soreness in his waist and back was so sharp that his face twisted for an instant. He had no alternative but to flex his hands first and then fumbled on the bed, but before he could find anything, a warm palm sneaked beneath the thin quilt, grabbed his hand and brought it back inside.


    He was shrouded in heat waves from a giant stove at the bedside. To make things worse, Yuwen Tong was cuddling up against him tightly.


    All his memories of what happened the day before in the afternoon and at night came flooding back. For a moment Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was blank. They¡¯d stayed here for so long¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re awake. I heard your stomach rumble.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave him a kiss on the top of his head, stretching his arm to hold him tighter.


    Ling Zhang, who ached all over with even the slightest moment of his body, gulped painfully.


    Yuwen Tong was briefly stupefied and then quickly let go of him, sat up and said worriedly, ¡°You feel awful?¡±


    Ling Zhang, after waiting a few moments for the pain to ease, felt anger surging inside him at this question. Wasn¡¯t it obvious enough?!


    Yuwen Tong, who came to realize that he¡¯d asked a stupid question, didn¡¯t dare touch Ling Zhang any more. After thinking for a while, he gingerly helped Ling Zhang turn over, and then got out of bed and brought back something. Ling Zhang felt him applying something ointment-like to his waist and legs, which was giving off the smell of some kind of medicinal herb.


    And then Yuwen Tong started massaging Ling Zhang, who gasped again at the first press. ¡°Gently!¡± he huffed.


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head to give him a kiss and then resumed kneading his waist more lightly. Even so, Ling Zhang still found it painful, but he endured it in the knowledge that the suffering would only be longer if he refused to let Yuwen Tong massage his aching muscles hard enough.


    Aside from the soreness, he felt fine. Even his private parts were not really miserable. He vaguely remembered that the night before, Yuwen Tong holding him gave him a quick wash and then applied some kind of drug on his intimate parts.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s annoyance resulted from the soreness dissolved considerably and he groaned.


    On hearing his groan, Yuwen Tong, who was massaging him sparing no efforts, looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s body, took a deep breath and said, ¡°I might lose control of myself if you don¡¯t stop groaning.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Lying propped against the pillow, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I feel miserable,¡± in a soft and aggrieved tone of voice.


    Feeling an instant twinge of overwhelming guilt, Yuwen Tong leaned over with his whole body against Ling Zhang but not putting any weight on him, kissed him on the cheek and apologized, ¡°It was all my fault. I should¡¯ve shown more self-restraint,¡¯ in the tone of someone whose heart was aching.


    But if he were to travel back in time, Yuwen Tong felt that he still wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself.


    In fact his mind was wandering right now. He didn¡¯t need to relive the night before; the familiar touch of his body on Ling Zhang¡¯s alone was turning him¡­


    Subduing his impulsion, he cajoled Ling Zhang for quite a while. It was not until Ling Zhang urged him to resume the massage that he rose to his feet and continued kneading his aching muscles.


    Ling Zhang was lying prostrate, his flushed face buried in the pillow. Yuwen Tong¡¯s words embarrassed him so badly that he felt he might have trouble showing his face again.


    Yuwen Tong, suppressing his various wild fantasies and impulsion, massaged Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body, helped him put on his underclothes, which had been prepared in advance, then held Ling Zhang in his arms and made out with him for quite a while before assisting Ling Zhang out of bed and dressed. The twinkle in his eyes had never disappeared for a single instant since he¡¯d opened them. This was the first time that Yuwen Tong had experienced the contentment coming with the fulfillment of his wish, and he was only too anxious to draw Ling Zhang into his embrace and just stay where they were, but Ling Zhang was hungry and he had to fill his sweetheart¡¯s belly as soon as possible.

 Chapter 241 - A Hint of Jealousy

    A servant working in the manor delivered their meal to the pavilion. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked downstairs and saw the food on the table. There was no wine or any of the meat dishes that Ling Zhang had imagined, only bland congee. Neither the shredded chicken in it nor its good taste could change the fact that it was just congee.


    Ling Zhang looked very depressed. He had done some over-strenuous exercise and felt that he¡¯d depleted his vital energy and was in dire need of nourishing food like fish, meat, etc. The very thought of those delicacies made his mouth water. His face went expressionless at the sight of the congee.


    As Yuwen Tong saw the change of his countenance, his heart ached, but he also felt a twinge of guilt. When his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s remonstrative ones, he almost changed his mind and granted Ling Zhang¡¯s wish but caught himself just in time.


    It took him quite some time to cajole Ling Zhang into drinking a large bowl of chicken soup congee. Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh of relief. His back was fairly wet with sweat, because he¡¯d been having trouble enduring the look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes.


    Though it hadn¡¯t been a sumptuous meal, Ling Zhang¡¯s spirits still rose to normal after finishing the big bowl of chicken soup congee. Some precious tonics had been added to the congee, and they produced the desired effects almost immediately. His stomach felt comfortable now, so naturally he looked much better, appearing a trifle languid.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t dare have a hearty meal in the presence of Ling Zhang in these circumstances. He had also drunk a generous helping of congee just as Ling Zhang had. Ling Zhang was full and seemed to have no intention of leaving his seat, lazily leaning against the back of the chair, looking just like the white fox cub of his. He slightly raised his eyes, the outer corners of which were faintly slanted, gazing at Yuwen Tong. On seeing the gleam in his eyes, Yuwen Tong briefly held his breath, in spite of himself, his lower abdomen involuntarily contracted, and he felt an urge to carry Ling Zhang back onto the bed.


    Ling Zhang gave a soft snort and asked him, ¡°What do you think of the congee?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inched closer to him. ¡°All my attention is on you. I don¡¯t have the faintest idea of how the congee tastes.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched. It seemed that this guy was getting smooth-tongued. After a while, he took his eyes off Yuwen Tong, whose gaze was making him very uneasy. He felt as though Yuwen Tong wanted to strip him naked right away. The very thought of what they had done the day before brought a blush to his cheeks, and he didn¡¯t feel like going back to that bed with Yuwen Tong at all, for that would be so not Ling Zhang.


    He rose to his feet heading outside. Except for the faint soreness in his legs and waist, he was in a much better state than the one he¡¯d been when he¡¯d just woken up.


    Yuwen Tong immediately followed in his wake. A very cautious look appeared on his face in spite of himself when he spoke, and his voice was low, deep and tender, too. ¡°As it rained yesterday, there should be more water in the falls. You want to go there and take a look?¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly paused. Yuwen Tong¡¯s expression and tone had been odd ever since he¡¯d awoken. It was not until this moment that he came to realize this. He spun around and glared at him. ¡°Be normal, will you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong felt a little aggrieved. He was trying to be normal. His heart was brimming over with deep affection for Ling Zhang ¡ª to put it in a saccharine way, his heart was filled with sweetness. Everything seemed so pleasant, and Ling Zhang was the apple of his eye. He found himself staring at Ling Zhang¡¯s feet when he was walking, worrying that he might stub his toe or trip up on the threshold. His talking gingerly was totally subconscious, and he didn¡¯t at all realize that he was being quite touchy-feely.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Eventually, the two of them still went to see the waterfall. When it was time to go back, Yuwen Tong crouched down, offering to carry Ling Zhang on his back. ¡°Yesterday I promised you I¡¯ll carry you. I didn¡¯t dare do it on our way here because you overate and your stomach was too stuffed.¡±


    It was true that they¡¯d agreed on this when they¡¯d been in the manor the day before, but Ling Zhang didn¡¯t feel it the right thing to do on this occasion and directly walked past Yuwen Tong, heading downhill. ¡°It¡¯s just a downhill trip. I can manage.¡±


    Yuwen Tong quickly caught up with him. ¡°The path is slippery because of yesterday¡¯s rain.¡±


    Though it rained yesterday, the ground must have dried some time ago, given the hot weather. How was it possible that the path was still slippery?


    Ling Zhang ignored him and kept walking towards the foot of the hill, itching to give Yuwen Tong a hard bite.


    Seeing he was so unwilling to let him carry him on his back, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to watch Ling Zhang¡¯s every step with great care, ready to spring to his support at any moment.


    Halfway through their way back, they heard a noise from the woods, which sounded like some kind of animal treading on withered leaves. After a short while, a white figure tore out of the woods and pounced on Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong penetratingly stared at that thing which was throwing itself at Ling Zhang and firmly grabbed it before it could reach him, not letting it move an inch closer.


    The little thing gripped by him aggrievedly let out a soft and cute whimper, and there seemed to be an urgent expression in its beady, black eyes.


    Ling Zhang had seen what that little thing was the moment it¡¯d leapt at him and opened his arms, poised to catch it. He was stupefied when Yuwen Tong stopped it.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart ached somewhat at the sight of the little thing wriggling anxiously and aggrievedly. He shot Yuwen Tong a dark glance and then took the little white fox into his embrace.


    The last time they¡¯d come to this manor, Ling Zhang had discovered that a servant in it had some acquaintance with raising fox, and the surroundings were pretty suitable for the white fox, so he¡¯d left it in the manor. It had been a few days since he¡¯d last seen it, and this little guy was considerably fatter and heavier.


    Since the two of them hadn¡¯t seen each other for several days, they missed one another very much. The little white fox kept rubbing its head against the crook of Ling Zhang¡¯s arm, whimpering softly. Its fluffy body and tail were very comfortable to the touch. Except for the soles of its feet, the little guy was very clean all over. It probably had run to this spot from the manor.


    The hairy tail of Whitie the fox was sweeping Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist back and forth. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but hold it and gently stroke it, feeling like raising it to give it a kiss.


    Seeing Ling Zhang had been disregarding him ever since the appearance of the fox, Yuwen Tong slightly knitted his brows, and fixed the white fox with an unhappy stare, manifest jealousy in his eyes.


    Maybe because it had sensed Yuwen Tong¡¯s ¡°murderous air¡±, Whitie craned out of the crook of his arm, stole a look at Yuwen Tong and then burrowed its way back, but this time it didn¡¯t stay there for long. Soon it raised its head again somewhat confusedly to look at Ling Zhang, softly sniffing as if having detected something. Apart from attachment to Ling Zhang, there was something else in its sparkling beady eyes. It not only had a deeper affinity for Ling Zhang but also seemed to begin to acknowledge him as its master.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know whether this was his illusion or not, but he felt that Whitie was showing much more affection for him now. Previously, even in the presence of Ling Zhang, it¡¯d had a somewhat haughty expression on its face, looking like an arrogant little prince, but now it was completely a clingy little fox.


    Yuwen Tong was growing increasingly disgruntled, eyeing the white fox like an enemy, only too anxious to grab it by the scruff of its neck, drag it out of Ling Zhang¡¯s arms and throw it away.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s smearing your robe. Let me carry it for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t mind it at all. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Then he happily resumed walking downhill, the fox in his arms.


    Yuwen Tong followed, his gaze at the fox very hostile. But he didn¡¯t insist for fear of angering Ling Zhang, so he had no alternative but to put up with it.


    The little white fox probably got scared by Yuwen Tong¡¯s stare. After all, Yuwen Tong had spent many years in the army, and common people always found the brooding air about him quite daunting. Hardly anybody could withstand his unfriendly gaze.


    As a result, the little fox adjusted its position, burrowing itself into the other crook of Ling Zhang¡¯s elbow with its butt to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong ground his teeth.


    Whether Ling Zhang had perceived this was unknown to Yuwen Tong. Anyway, he had a smile on the corners of his mouth all along, stroking the little fox¡¯s tail while walking.


    They also encountered a little squirrel standing on a branch of a pine beside the path. At the sight of Ling Zhang, it suddenly jumped off the branch, landed squarely onto Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and stared at him curiously, showing a certain degree of closeness to him.


    Ling Zhang stopped in astonishment and looked at the little squirrel standing on his shoulder, wondering why it had suddenly jumped off.


    Seeing yet another little thing show up to distract Ling Zhang¡¯s attention, Yuwen Tong felt another twitch of disgruntlement, but he was somewhat surprised by it as well. This little squirrel was unafraid of humans?


    Ling Zhang tentatively reached out a hand to stroke the little squirrel. To his amazement, that little thing not only didn¡¯t flee but also rubbed itself against his palm of its own accord.


    Ling Zhang immediately looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Are all squirrels on this hill so daring?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought for a while and then replied, ¡°Do you still remember that back then when we were in the racecourse, even the most unmanageable horse allowed you to approach it?¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang remembered. At that time Yuwen Tong had also told him that maybe it had something to do with his cultivation method.


    Ling Zhang gave the little squirrel another stroke and pondered for a few moments. Before he could figure anything out, Whitie the fox got angry, bared its teeth at the squirrel on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder, and showed its ferocious side. It was very possessive and refused to allow the squirrel to stand on its master¡¯s shoulder.


    The squirrel was taken aback by the fox. Though rather unwilling to leave Ling Zhang¡¯s palm, it still jumped away.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t blame Whitie. He said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°My grandfather once told me that the Force of Blood in me, which is peculiar to descendants of the Phoenix Clan, would grow with my internal energy. I always feel it¡¯s somewhat insubstantial. After all, it sounds more like a pretentious statement than a fact, and it doesn¡¯t seem to have much practical meaning. Do you think what my grandfather said could be true, by any chance?¡±


    After hearing this, Yuwen Tong gave it some careful thought and then said, ¡°I¡¯ve also never heard anything about cultivation of internal energy enhancing some kind of force of blood. The so-called ¡®the Blood of the Phoenix Clan¡¯ is more like a myth. But this change in you is indeed happening. Let¡¯s believe his story for the moment. If such a thing does exist, there would definitely be more obvious signs after you reach a higher level in your cultivation of internal energy, and then the truth will be revealed. At least from the vantage point of the present it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Yuwen Tong was right. They¡¯d find out the truth sooner or later. Thinking about this, Ling Zhang raised the little white fox to eye height, staring at its beady jet-black eyes which were staring back at him. It softly whimpered at him, showing evident affection for him.


    Whitie was his pet, so naturally it liked him. Maybe he should try some other animals? Putting the little white fox back into the crook of his arm, Ling Zhang decided to give it a shot after returning to the manor.

 Chapter 242 - Application of Ointment

    Chapter 242: Application of Ointment


    On his return to the manor, Ling Zhang went straight to the area where animals were kept, planning to verify whether the speculation of him and Yuwen Tong was right. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yuwen Tong left Yao Yi in charge of the little white fox. Ling Zhang let him as if he was unaware of Yuwen Tong¡¯s true intention.


    After Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked far away, Yao Yi and some others exchanged glances. Even if they hadn¡¯t heard any sounds issuing from the pavilion the night before, they would have come to know what had happened, because this morning, when their Marshal had come back from the pavilion on the hill and instructed servants working in the kitchen to prepare congee and deliver it to the pavilion, there¡¯d been a smile on the corners of his mouth all along, and now he was acting as though Childe Ling were the only person his eyes could see, showing a total disregard for the others.


    When Ling Zhang arrived at the place, he found that there were indeed a lot of animals as Zhao Shude had previously told him: pheasants, rabbits, roe deer, and so on, all of which had been caught on the hill and then brought back. Also, servants of the manor had designated a large area to keep them as fowls and livestock, which was something typically only rich people would do.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat hesitant. After all, these animals were supposed to be their food. He would eat them someday, so it was inadvisable for him to forge a bond of any kind with any of them. ¡®Alas.¡¯ Ling Zhang who hadn¡¯t eaten any meat this day secretly felt sad for himself.


    As a result, he asked the stockman, ¡°Are there any other animals on nearby hills?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You feel like hunting, Childe Ling?¡± queried the stockman. As Ling Zhang was asking about animals on the hills instead of these domestic ones, the stockman felt that Ling Zhang wanted to go hunting. After all, it was very common that childes of rich families in the capital city went hunting on a whim.


    It was inconvenient for Ling Zhang to tell the stockman about the test he was going to carry out, so he nodded ¡ª at least going hunting was a normal excuse.


    He and Yuwen Tong left the manor and detoured to a mountain on the other side of a creek. Originally Yuwen Tong had disagreed to go so far for fear that Ling Zhang might tire himself out, but Ling Zhang had insisted, leaving him no choice but to compromise.


    Walking did make Ling Zhang feel somewhat uncomfortable, but as Yuwen Tong had promptly applied pretty effective ointment to his body and massaged his muscles with his internal energy this morning, Ling Zhang found the remaining soreness endurable.


    They caught sight of a couple of rabbits, which were instantly on full alert as they saw two humans, but when Ling Zhang approached them, they didn¡¯t flee and just stayed where they were, goggling at Ling Zhang curiously.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t get close to the rabbits. He stood watching from a distance.


    Ling Zhang tentatively walked up to them, treading quietly, trying his best not to look hungry and eager to eat meat. While he closed in, the rabbits fidgeted briefly but still didn¡¯t try to escape. Ling Zhang kept edging closer and eventually crouched down before them, slowly stretching out a hand to stroke one of them.


    The rabbit dodged aside, but when Ling Zhang tried for a second time, it let him. Its body was soft and warm to the touch. Ling Zhang stroked each and every one of them and then swiveled his head around to look at Yuwen Tong.


    With that Yuwen Tong walked up to him, but the moment he approached, those rabbits pricked up their ears. Before Yuwen Tong could get any closer, they fled in all directions like the wind.


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed me alone who has some kind of influence on them.¡±


    And then he and Yuwen Tong did the same thing to some other animals, all of which reacted the same way. When Ling Zhang was the only one present, they were all very obedient and meek, but once Yuwen Tong approached, most of them got scared and ran away.


    After confirming their conjecture, the two of them returned to the manor.


    Lunch was still congee, which Ling Zhang drank with an impassive face. The moment he finished the bowl of congee, he scooped up Whitie the fox and left. Yuwen Tong, in the knowledge that Ling Zhang was displeased with the meatless meal, drank his own congee in two gulps and quickly followed him outside.


    Ling Zhang was sitting in the corridor near the doorway of the bedroom, which was overshadowed by big trees. Though it was noon, this place was quite cool. A servant had put a deck chair there and placed some fruits, snacks and tea on a small table beside it. What with the two meatless meals he¡¯d had this day, Ling Zhang was rather unhappy and naturally found the fruits and snacks unappealing. He merely took a sip of the tea and then lay down in the deck chair with the little white fox in his arms, unnoticeably wiggling his waist and hips.


    Yuwen Tong entered the room just in time to see this. At the sight of the slight frown on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, he came to realize that Ling Zhang was probably beginning to feel a little miserable now, because he¡¯d walked for almost the whole morning.


    He stepped over, motioned the servant to leave with a wave of his hand and then started massaging Ling Zhang¡¯s waist gently. ¡°You feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his eyes, slid a sideways glance at him and then closed them again with a snort.


    Yuwen Tong looked at the little white fox in his arms, thought for a brief moment and then scooped up Ling Zhang. The fox got alarmed and jumped off Ling Zhang with a squeal.


    Ling Zhang who had been abruptly scooped up like a child by Yuwen Tong was thrown into perplexity. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Getting you to the bedroom where I¡¯ll give you a massage,¡± Yuwen Tong said, carried Ling Zhang into the bedroom and shut the door in Whitie¡¯s face.


    Ling Zhang felt that it was lucky of him to have been seen by no one just now. Had anybody caught sight of him being carried like a child by Yuwen Tong, he would feel terribly ashamed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way to ease the soreness in your waist,¡± added Yuwen Tong in an effort to explain.


    Originally Ling Zhang had been on the verge of losing his temper, but after hearing his explanation, the anger in him ebbed away. Still, he sniffed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just let me walk there myself?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I want to carry you in my arms. I haven¡¯t done this since we returned from the hill.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face glowed at his explicit words. Yuwen Tong had only his own conduct to blame for that ¡ª he¡¯d woken up early in the morning to a grumbling stomach but only been provided with a bowl of congee; and the night before, he told Yuwen Tong he didn¡¯t want any more sex, but this guy who was formidably energetic kept pestering him and eventually did it another several times; he was even suspecting he might die on the bed.


    Yuwen Tong carefully put him down on the bed, looking at him earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯ll let you vent your anger on me.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent, eyes on him.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and stroked his slightly blushing face, his thumb gently fingering the corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s eye as the expression in his own grew deeper. ¡°You may beat me and call me all the names you want.¡±


    Hearing him put it this way, Ling Zhang found himself enjoying this pretty much but also felt that something was not quite right. Eventually, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who¡¯d do unreasonable things like that.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, craned over and planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. ¡°I know. It was me who was being unreasonable.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong had him lie prone on the bed and then mobilized his internal energy to ease the soreness in Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and thighs, his every movement scrupulous.


    Ling Zhang lying in bed twisted his head aside but couldn¡¯t see Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance, only his profile. However, seeing Yuwen Tong so quiet, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether he was being too hard on Yuwen Tong and hurting his feelings.


    But in fact Yuwen Tong was now staring fixedly at Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and hips, longing glinting in his eyes. Maybe because he was reliving in his mind the pleasure of what the two of them had done in the afternoon and at night the day before, his desire was growing increasingly intense.


    ¡°Hey, I was just saying. I¡¯m not really mad at you.¡±


    Ling Zhang suddenly spoke, jerking Yuwen Tong out of his fantasies. The corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth curled as he distinguished Ling Zhang¡¯s words, but his voice was still low and deep. ¡°I know. You just want to eat some meat.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Why was this guy being so blunt?


    But¡­


    ¡°What Uncle Zhao had them cook yesterday was so delicious,¡± muttered Ling Zhang, his voice heavy with yearning.


    Yuwen Tong almost burst into laugh, but he stifled it for fear that Ling Zhang would be infuriated if he laughed on this occasion. In a toneless voice, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll roast some rabbits for you to eat. I¡¯m not really good at cooking other dishes, but roasting meat is kind of my forte.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up at this, and he recalled the roast meat Yuwen Tong had made for him during their journey from Tanyang to the capital city, his mouth watering. ¡°Really?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth curled in a smile. In a much better mood, he snorted, ¡°Okay then. I think I¡¯ll just manage another bowl of congee as dinner.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll apply some ointment to your body again in a while, and once again before you go to bed at night. You¡¯ll fully recover by tomorrow morning.¡±


    First Ling Zhang inclined his head, but then he inquired, ¡°How did you come to be so good at this?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this kind of ointment supposed to be known to experienced men only? Yuwen Tong had never been in a relationship before, so where did he learn about this kind of stuff?


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang propped himself up on his elbows and turned his head around to piercingly look at Yuwen Tong, heedless of the fact that Yuwen Tong was in the middle of massaging him.


    Yuwen Tong was fleetingly astonished and then hastily replied, ¡°A physician told me!¡±


    ¡°Which physician?¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang was relieved, and then went uptight again, wondering which physician Yuwen Tong had consulted. Hadn¡¯t the physician come to know what Yuwen Tong was going to do?!


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°A court physician working in the imperial palace. My grandfather once did him a favor, so I have some acquaintance with him in private. He specialized in treatment for this kind of conditions before he was hired as a court physician, but has been prescribing medications for headaches and fever ever since he entered the palace.¡±


    ¡°He specialized in this kind of conditions?¡± Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°There are actually such physicians?¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Of course there are. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve never met or heard about one before. Xie Shi checked the ointment he gave me and confirmed it¡¯s safe to use. How did you feel this morning after I applied it to you last night?¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I did feel a lot better.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°So it¡¯s pretty effective.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. After a while, his face went set. Why was he talking about this kind of thing with Yuwen Tong so casually? It was clearly such an embarrassing topic¡­ Yuwen Tong had successfully steered their conversation away once again.


    Ling Zhang lay back onto the bed and said, ¡°That court physician won¡¯t breathe a word of it, right?¡±


    Never mind. Given that the talk had already gone this far, he would appear stagy and also feel awkward if he acted bashfully.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands had moved to Ling Zhang¡¯s hips, eyes gazing on the two half-moons, his nose itchy, his throat terribly dry. In a husky voice, he said, ¡°Rest assured, he won¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Zhang failed to immediately sense that something about his tone was not right. He relaxed safe in the knowledge that the court physician wouldn¡¯t disclose it to anybody else. What he feared the most was him returning to the capital city only to find that rumors about Yuwen Tong getting some ointment were spreading through the whole city. He wouldn¡¯t be able to show his face in front of anybody else if that were the case.


    It was not until after quite a while that Ling Zhang pulled his mind back to the current moment from these thoughts, and the reason for this was that the hands of Yuwen Tong massaging him had moved to his crotch and were even¡­


    A hot breath was spurted onto his butt and Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body went rigid as he realized what was going on.

 Chapter 243 - The Grand Opening of the Drugstore

    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong spent four days in the manor. On the last day of their stay, he enjoyed roast meat Yuwen Tong personally made for him, along with fish soup.


    Early the next morning, Ling Zhang carrying Whitie the fox returned to the city with Yuwen Tong. This was the day of the grand opening of his drugstore and he had to be present.


    Yuwen Tong wanted to go with him, but Ling Zhang disagreed, saying that it would be like using a sledge-hammer on a gnat if Yuwen Tong went there, that Yuwen Tong who was of such high status shouldn¡¯t degrade himself.


    But Yuwen Tong insisted and accompanied him to the trading center in the west of the city.


    News about the opening of Ling Zhang¡¯s drugstore had reached the ears of not only people in the trading center but also those in all other parts of the city. This place had always been crowded with people, and on this particular day, the uproariousness was unprecedented.


    The front doors of the drugstore had been very festively decorated. There was even a band playing music. Wang Qing was standing at the doorway with store assistants behind him, all of whom were well trained and politely receiving guests coming to offer their congratulations. Almost all invitees had arrived. There were also many people looking on outside. Some foreigners, whose facial characteristics were different from those of subjects of the Great Yue, had also come along for the ride out of curiosity.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s horse-drawn carriage instantly arrested everybody¡¯s attention as it parked in front of the store.


    To their surprise, the first one to get out of it was not Ling Zhang but¡­


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Marshal Yuwen!¡±


    The whole crowd was amazed by the sudden appearance of Yuwen Tong. Soon their amazement turned into a mixture of delight and excitement.


    After Ling Zhang got out of the carriage, Yuwen Tong walked him onto the stone steps at the doorway of the drugstore, Whitie the fox crouching on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder, its beady black eyes curiously glancing around.


    Almost everybody present was aware of the relations between the owner of this drugstore and Yuwen Tong, but they still hadn¡¯t expected that they would be able to see Yuwen Tong on the day of the grand opening. How much the owner of this drugstore meant to Yuwen Tong went beyond their imagination once again.


    Most of the guests present had had some direct or indirect dealings with Ling Zhang recently, but there were also some who¡¯d come because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s respectability. At the sight of Yuwen Tong, they all walked up to him and rapturously greeted him, smile on their faces.


    In fact Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t really have much acquaintance with these merchants. What he knew well about was the forces behind them. These people were strangers to him, so his reaction to their enthusiasm was rather lukewarm ¡ª merely a brief nod. After all, there were very few people in the whole city to whom he¡¯d show an expression different than that when meeting them.


    But these merchants didn¡¯t mind Yuwen Tong¡¯s bland reaction. As a matter of fact, they felt greatly honored when Yuwen Tong nodded at them.


    These people¡¯s rapturousness at the sight of Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t strike Ling Zhang as surprising. He saw the general storekeeper of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain, beside whom stood a gorgeously clothed man around thirty years old. If his guess was right, this man was probably the proprietor of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain. He walked up to the man.


    ¡°Childe Ling.¡± The general storekeeper, seeing Ling Zhang walking over, introduced the man beside him with a beam on his face. ¡°This is my boss.¡±


    Ling Zhang folded his hands in front and smiled, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang. The general storekeeper and the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain have been offering me a lot of help lately, and your corporeal presence in my humble drugstore highly graced me.¡±


    Jiang Hong also folded his hands. ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Childe Ling. Ling family and the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain have been in cooperation for many years, and the partnership between us is very deep. Helping with the opening of your drugstore was the least I could do.¡±


    As the owner of the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain, Jiang Hong naturally knew very well about the dealings between the general storekeeper and Ling Zhang. It could be said that he¡¯d offered the general storekeeper his full support. Ling Zhang¡¯s relatively young age didn¡¯t make Jiang Hong think any less of him. He had heard about what Ling Zhang had achieved in Tanyang, and his deeds after his arrival in the capital city had indicated that he was a quite able man. Also, Jiang Hong could tell that Ling Zhang¡¯s relationship with Yuwen Tong was very solid, so he was willing to lend Ling Zhang a hand, and he was looking forward to Ling Zhang¡¯s future performance.


    As soon as Ling Zhang walked away, Yuwen Tong noticed and naturally followed him.


    Jiang Hong hurriedly bowed at the sight of Yuwen Tong walking over. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to meet you, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had merely given an inclination of his head with a bland face in response to the others¡¯ greetings, reached out a hand to support Jiang Hong¡¯s arm as a token gesture, a mild expression on his face. ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡±


    Although he¡¯d just lightly touched Jiang Hong¡¯s arm, his attitude towards Jiang Hong had been made clear. It was obvious that his attitude towards the general storekeeper and Jiang Hong was different from his attitude towards the others.


    Jiang Hong felt overwhelmingly flattered and hurriedly straightened himself, overjoyed. Yuwen Tong¡¯s remembering them was definitely something worthy of celebration for them. Though most of Yuwen Tong¡¯s power was limited to the military, he was the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of the Great Yue, who was in direct charge of the Northwestern Army and had hundreds of thousands of troops at his command. Leaving everything else aside, the medication supply alone could be an enormous order for him! Though Yuwen Tong had Ling Zhang now, Jiang family had other businesses apart from medications. Even a tiny portion of the orders from the military would bring Jiang family huge profits. This was only the first step, but as long as Yuwen Tong remembered their favor, the rest of it wouldn¡¯t be far away!


    Others also could tell that Yuwen Tong was treating Jiang Hong and the general storekeeper differently. All those who had made some inquiries about Ling Zhang and the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain were aware that Jiang family was an upstart who had just gained a foothold in the capital city not long ago. Unlike these merchants who had solid business foundations and wide networks of distributors, Jiang family was still a green hand, but on this occasion, Jiang Hong clearly had gained an edge over them by being the first one to make Yuwen Tong¡¯s acquaintance, and the reason for it was that the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain had offered Ling Zhang much help in his preparations for the opening of this drugstore.


    As the only army that never ran short of provisions and funds these years, the North-western Army was a big, fat target for numerous merchants, all of whom dreamed about doing business with it. However, none of them had managed to scrape acquaintance with Yuwen Tong ¡ª even their masters were unable to do that, let alone themselves. They had almost given up trying, but now it turned out that Jiang family had succeeded. How could they not be alarmed?


    Ling Zhang perceived the subtle changes of the look in these people¡¯s eyes when they were looking at him. If a while ago these people had been polite to him, then now they were eyeing him like a piece of free meat.


    He was somewhat bemused, unaware of how these people¡¯s attitude had come to change so drastically.


    Next, Ling Zhang hosted a series of ceremonies concerning the opening of his drugstore and declared that the Ling¡¯s Drugstore officially opened for business.


    After the ceremonies were finished, many of the guests stated that they¡¯d be purchasers of medicinal herbs from the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, expressing their intentions of cooperating with Ling Zhang.


    Immediately, Ling Zhang became too occupied to think about anything else, bustling around with Wang Qing.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t leave and sat on the second floor, waiting for Ling Zhang to finish his business.


    As Yuwen Tong stayed, many guests naturally were unwilling to take their leave, so nearly all seats on the second floor had been taken.


    It was only when almost all medicinal herbs the trade caravan had transported to the capital city were ordered that Ling Zhang had everything sorted out. He also found that Yuwen Tong¡¯s influence was of far greater help than he¡¯d previously expected. Originally he had thought that he¡¯d have to consider himself lucky as long as there were a couple of orders on the first day, but unexpectedly, all his medicinal herbs had been ordered shortly after the grand opening.


    Fortunately Wang Qing had made some preparations beforehand. Apart from the trade caravan of their own, there had also been another two trade caravans which had departed from Tanyang to the capital city afterwards. Wang Qing figured out a way and managed to have them spare one third of their herbs for him, which would be delivered to the warehouse of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore early the next morning.


    The reason why there had been so many orders on this day was because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s presence in the drugstore. From the next day on there would be far less orders, and the stock would be last until the arrival of the next trade caravan.


    ¡°Tell my uncle he¡¯s free to expand the load of the trade caravan,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Apart from this, Ling Zhang had also made contact with some trade caravans of the Luohai Kindom and the Fangcun Kingdom. Wang Qing and Li Sicai had negotiated with them and the two sides had basically agreed on the terms of the cooperation agreement. Soon medicinal herbs from the Luohai Kindom and the Fangcun Kingdom would be transported into the warehouse of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore.


    Ling Zhang had found out about a matter of considerable significance during his dealings with a trade caravan of the Fangcun Kingdom. There was a kind of very special medicinal herb in the Fangcun Kingdom which were miraculously effective in staunching blood, but it was very rare and highly expensive. Common trade caravans typically carried only small amounts of it and didn¡¯t even dare tell others about it. They only traded this kind of herbs in private for fear that they might be robbed if others got wind of it.


    Xie Shi had told Ling Zhang that the North-western Army was in dire need of this kind of medicinal herbs, that it would be best if he could purchase as many as possible.


    Previously medication supplies for the North-western Army had been in the sole charge of the imperial court, but on one occasion, after the whole army was subjected to the risk of being wiped out due to shortage of provisions, Yuwen Tong had intervened and covertly taken charge of one fourth of the medication supplies for the North-western Army. These matters had been delegated to the Shadow Battalion, but even so, some scarce medicinal herbs were still very difficult to come by. This kind of herbs specific to the Fangcun Kingdom, for example, were sold to only a fixed list of customers, and most of them were ordered by dignitaries before getting ashore. Since they were very rare and the army could only get a small number of them at a time, military surgeons had to use them very sparingly and their hearts ached every time they did it.


    Ling Zhang knew what Xie Shi meant, so he¡¯d been proactively making contact with this trade caravan from the Fangcun Kingdom.


    ¡­


    By dusk, all guests had left. After checking the orders his drugstore had received this day, inventorying the stock and handling some other petty matters, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. Wang Qing took some men and hastened to have a meeting with heads of the two trade caravans that had agreed to transport medicinal herbs to this drugstore the next morning.


    Overall, though it had been a hectic day and everything had not been going in an orderly way, Ling Zhang had learned a lot. There were many things that Ling Zhang had come to know about on this particular day when he¡¯d started managing his own drugstore. In all likelihood, he would have to stay in the drugstore for a few days to put things on the right track.


    After returning to the Ling Mansion with Yuwen Tong and taking a bath, Ling Zhang, tired as he was, didn¡¯t go to bed immediately. Instead, he sat in his study for quite some time, thinking back to all the matters that had happened this day. He gave each and every one of them some thought and figured out which ones were of urgency, what needed to be improved, and what preparations he had to make¡­


    Although one fourth of the medications supply for the North-western Army was covertly in the charge of Yuwen Tong, he was not the one that had been personally handling it. It was his subordinates that had been dealing with these things, so there had also been some matters that he¡¯d been as much in the dark about as Ling Zhang had been until this day. Seeing Ling Zhang was deep in thought, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t disturb him, but he was not willing to leave either. He sat down in the study with him, reading reports and files from various places that he needed to go over.

 Chapter 244 - Rumors

    The successful opening of Ling Zhang¡¯s drugstore had stung a lot of people.


    In the living room of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of Yuwen family, Zheng shi smashed a teacup to pieces and spat disgustedly, ¡°All that fuss over a small drugstore! Yuwen Tong is such an ungrateful character. Never once has he helped with our family business, and now he is openly offering support to that brat of Ling family!¡±


    Su Yaoyao standing on the side was startled. ¡°Aunt¡­¡±


    Su Yaoyao had been staying in the residential compound of Yuwen family all along lately, keeping Zheng shi company and helping taking care of Yuwen Qi. As the saying goes, ¡®It takes at least a hundred days for a tendon injury or a fracture to heal.¡¯ Since both Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs had been broken, it would only take longer than that for him to recover. Zheng shi had sent for almost all famous physicians in the capital city and finally Yuwen Qi had made an acceptable recovery. However, though he could walk now, physicians had advised him not to run or jump, and he had trouble standing longer than a certain amount of time at a time. After hearing the physicians¡¯ diagnosis, Zheng shi had hated Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong for quite some time, regarding the two of them as her foes.


    ¡°Master once personally wrote to him, asking him to offer some help with Su family¡¯s business, but he categorically refused without any consideration of our face. Now he became a backer of an outsider whom he hasn¡¯t married yet, showing a total disregard for his respectability. Isn¡¯t he deliberately trying to revolt us?! Fortunately I haven¡¯t married you to him. I cannot imagine how hard life would¡¯ve been for you had you married that ungrateful bastard who was heartless enough to force his uncle into breaking his cousin¡¯s legs!¡± Zheng shi huffed to Su Yaoyao.


    Su Yaoyao had a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, what with not only Zheng shi¡¯s words but also her recollection of the apathy and disgust for her shown by Yuwen Tong on that day.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Aunt. Anger is bad for your health,¡± consoled Su Yaoyao, massaging Zheng shi¡¯s back.


    Zheng shi sniffed coldly, ¡°How could I not be mad? Your cousin¡¯s legs¡­¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s eyes reddened as she said this. In a resentful tone, she continued, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll have them pay for it. They want to run a drugstore in the capital city? In their dreams!¡±


    But Su Yaoyao was somewhat worried. She still remembered the terrifying look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes that day. ¡°What are you going to do about it, Aunt?¡±


    Zheng shi replied, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that country bumpkin¡¯s drugstore goes bankrupt, reduce him to a laughing stock of this city and have him evicted!¡±


    ¡°What did you just say you¡¯re going to do?¡± A voice was heard. Yuwen Zhi walked inside, looking at Zheng shi with a cold face.


    Zheng shi had also come to hate Yuwen Zhi when he¡¯d broken Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs, but Yuwen Zhi was the patriarch of this family and her husband, so Zheng shi didn¡¯t dare show her resentment in his presence for fear of angering him. She replied humbly, ¡°Master, Yuwen Tong is such an ungrateful bastard. He¡¯s openly become a backer of that rustic of Ling family. Back then when you personally wrote a letter to him, he showed a total disregard for your feelings, but today he went to that yokel¡¯s support without a second thought. Isn¡¯t he trying to humiliate us? How can we swallow this?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s expression went even colder at Zheng shi¡¯s words. ¡°So what do you plan to do?¡±


    Zheng shi answered, ¡°Since that country bumpkin wants to run a drugstore, we need to make sure he doesn¡¯t have his way. Qi¡¯er suffered so much because of him. We cannot let him get away with that.¡±


    But Yuwen Zhi appeared indifferent. ¡°All you need to do is take good care of Qi¡¯er. Do not get involved in any other matters.¡±


    Zheng shi was unwilling to obey. ¡°I know you promised that ungrateful bastard you won¡¯t make trouble for Ling Zhang, but as long as we do it secretly, Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t be able to find out. It¡¯s not like he has three heads and six arms or something. Besides, even if Yuwen Tong finds out, what could he possibly do to us without any proofs?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi flintily looked at her and said in a frosty voice, ¡°Which part of my words do you not understand?¡±


    Zheng shi gave a start at his icy eyes and tone. In the knowledge that Yuwen Zhi got angry, she didn¡¯t dare make any more remarks.


    Yuwen Zhi said, ¡°None of you are to make trouble for Ling Zhang or offend Yuwen Tong without my permission!¡±


    Unresigned to the situation as Zheng shi was, she didn¡¯t dare contradict Yuwen Zhi, so she had no choice but to reluctantly undertake that she wouldn¡¯t.


    After Yuwen Zhi left, Zheng shi who was unconvinced cursed him, but Su Yaoyao¡¯s tense back muscles relaxed ¡ª she feared Yuwen Zhi very much.


    ¡°Worthless wretch! Coward!¡± Zheng shi angrily called her husband names.


    Su Yaoyao, taken aback, hurriedly looked left and right. Seeing servants were all waiting outside, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Aunt, if by any chance uncle hears you¡­¡±


    Zheng shi was indignant, but she was indeed afraid of Yuwen Zhi. After hearing this, she swore no more, though her face was still sullen. She just observed bitterly, ¡°He doesn¡¯t dare cross Yuwen Tong for fear that Yuwen Tong might disown us. That day he showed Qi¡¯er no mercy whatsoever, and now he still chose to swallow insult and humiliation.¡±


    Su Yaoyao held back the words that had sprung to the tip of her tongue. Who was not afraid of Yuwen Tong?


    Zheng shi clenched her teeth. ¡°No. Even if I cannot do anything about this myself, on no account will I let that rustic of Ling family have his way. Yaoyao, I want you to take a message to your parents for me. There¡¯s a particular matter I need them to handle for me.¡±


    Su Yaoyao was startled and wanted to decline. Even Yuwen Zhi didn¡¯t dare mess with Yuwen Tong. Her father was merely a common official in the capital city. What could he possibly do?


    Zheng shi seemed to have noticed that Su Yaoyao was hesitating. With a cold face, she piercingly stared at Su Yaoyao. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that for me?¡±


    Su Yaoyao started at the change of Zheng shi¡¯s countenance and tone and broke out in a cold sweat. She replied, ¡°I¡¯d love to. What is it you want me to tell my parents, Aunt?¡±


    Zheng shi gave a cold snort somewhat contentedly and then told Su Yaoyao her plan.


    ¡­


    Three days after the opening of the drugstore, some rumors suddenly started to spread in the capital city, all of which were directed at the Ling¡¯s Drugstore.


    Someone had died after taking the medicine bought at the Ling¡¯s Drugstore.


    The Ling¡¯s Drugstore didn¡¯t retail medications. Since it was located in the trading center in the west of the city, its customers were merchants who went to the center to do business and only purchased things in bulk, not common residents who typically bought drugs at drugstores on the streets.


    Anybody with some discernment could tell that these rumors were quite unfounded. All those who had purchased medicinal herbs from the Ling¡¯s Drugstore had checked the goods and knew that there was no quality problem.


    However, not everybody was discerning enough to tell rumors from the facts. Many residents in the capital city didn¡¯t know such inside information. After hearing that someone had died because of the medication of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, they kept snowballing the rumors like crazy, and soon it spread through the whole city. Citizens blinded by the hearsay gritted their teeth when circulating it, as if they¡¯d seen it with their own eyes, disdaining and cursing the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, claiming that they¡¯d never buy any drugs from it.


    Ling Zhang knew that somebody definitely had done this on purpose to make life difficult for him, but if he didn¡¯t do anything about it, the business of his drugstore would no doubt be affected.


    Merchants from other cities who were unaware of the truth naturally would be deterred from going to the Ling¡¯s Drugstore.


    Ling Zhang asked with a cold face, ¡°Have you ascertained the source of the rumor?¡±


    Li Sicai answered, ¡°It started at a food market near the South Alley in the east of the city, which is a place all sorts of people go in and out of every day. It¡¯s very difficult to confirm who¡¯s the initiator.¡±


    All these rumors circulating in the city were about the death of someone, but nobody knew for sure who had died exactly. Though even the identity of the victim was unknown, numerous residents believed that such a thing had indeed happened. Li Sicai was also very annoyed, but the food market was crowded with people of every description: common citizens, servants, ruffians and hooligans, businessmen living in and outside the city, thieves etc. It was a very messy place. Some said that it was a woman who had started the rumor; some others said that they¡¯d heard it from a market trader. Li Sicai had asked them one by one, but all those market traders and businessmen told him that they¡¯d heard it from someone else. The large number of floating population made it very hard to find out the truth.


    Apart from foes, those who were in conflicts of interest with the Ling¡¯s Drugstore could also be the one who¡¯d worked against Ling Zhang, so it was not easy to narrow down the list.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Tell those looking into this matter to continue the investigation. Now our first priority is to clarify this issue. We cannot let the rumors put us in a one-sided situation.¡±


    Soon, new hearsay contrary to those rumors started circulating, stating the location and clients of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, saying that the drugstore didn¡¯t retail drugs, that none of the registered clients had ever made any complaints about poor quality, that someone had been deliberately spreading malicious rumors to ruin the reputation of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore.


    The trading center in the west of the city was very large, and all residents in the capital city knew what kind of place it was. After hearing that the Ling¡¯s Drugstore was in the trading center in the west of the city and only took bulk orders, some people stopped spreading the rumors. Malevolent rumors had spread very quick, but the clarification circulated just as quick. The two statements were mixed together. Most people were in doubt about both of them, and the rampant circulation of the malicious rumors was curbed.


    But before long, a new rumor was started, saying that the sole reason why Ling Zhang had successfully opened a drugstore was because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s support, that all medicinal herbs in there were actually of inferior quality, that all the merchants who¡¯d made deals with Ling Zhang had done it on Yuwen Tong¡¯s account, and the medicinal herbs of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore were no good.


    This time, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have to clarify it himself. The Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain came to the defense of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore. The general storekeeper personally took some medicinal herbs and let customers examine them, proving that herbs of the Ling¡¯s Drugstore were of high quality. Apart from the Jiang¡¯s Drugstore Chain, owners of some other drugstores who had seen Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitude towards Jiang Hong, were fully aware of what was the right thing to do and naturally wouldn¡¯t lag behind again. All of them made an effort to explain the issue, not sparing themselves.


    With these people¡¯s help, the second bout of circulation of rumors was also contained.


    But soon a third rumor was started. This time it was directed at not the drugstore but Ling Zhang himself. It was said that Ling Zhang had driven a wedge between Yuwen Tong and his uncle Yuwen Zhi, incited Yuwen Tong to force Yuwen Zhi to divide up family property, that Ling Zhang was a male courtesan.


    Apart from slanderous words about Ling Zhang, events that happened twenty years ago were also part of the rumor, which said that it was by sheer fluke that Ling Xingzhong had been promoted to Assistant Minister of Rites, that he had no solid learning at all and had left the capital city with his tail between his legs after being satirized by officials in the capital city, that Ling Xingzhong was just as narrow-minded and unforgiving as Ling Zhang was.


    Ling Zhang had kept his temper when the rumors had been only about him, but on hearing that his grandfather had been defamed, he flied into a rage.


    ¡°Have you found anything?¡± asked Ling Zhang, a cold look on his face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found a couple of suspects and are investigating them one by one,¡± answered Li Sicai.


    If the first rumor had been the only one, they might have still been in perplexity, but those people had started another two rumors, which had allowed Li Sicai to find some traces.


    ¡°Give me the names. I¡¯ll handle it myself,¡± instructed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± replied Li Sicai and then informed Ling Zhang of the suspects¡¯ names.


    Icy-faced, Ling Zhang rose to his feet and said, ¡°There¡¯s another matter I need you to deal with.¡±


    Li Sicai look at him, ¡°At your service, Young Master.¡±


    With a flinty look in his eyes, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Even if it were by accident that my grandfather was appointed as Assistant Minister of Rites, they should not forget that it was not my grandfather but the former emperor who made that mistake. My grandfather wouldn¡¯t have got the job had the former emperor not issued that erroneous imperial edict. Though the former emperor must be true to his word and was unable to rescind an issued imperial edict, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was the one who made a mistake. Those who regard my grandfather as a laughing stock only dare ridicule him in private. Never has anybody been so bold as to talk about it in public. Whoever started this rumor is questioning the former emperor¡¯s decision. After all, in that imperial edict, the former emperor expressly praised my grandfather as a talented and knowledgeable man. By spreading this rumor, aren¡¯t these people actually laughing at the former emperor and accusing him of muddle-headedness and incompetence?¡±

 Chapter 245 - Counter-attack

    Li Sicai came to understand what Ling Zhang meant at these remarks. He said, ¡°Rest assured, Young Master, I know what needs to be done.¡±


    Li Sicai took action very quick, and the way he counter-attacked was radical and efficient. Instead of circulating hearsay on the sly, he chose to do it in the Taibai Tavern, the busiest place where the youngest intellectuals congregated.


    It was from the mouths of young intellectuals that some statements began to spread. They indignantly assailed the rumors, charging the initiator with calumniating the former emperor.


    When the criticism reached the mastermind¡¯s ears, the whole city was talking about this matter.


    ¡°Why is this happening? Who started the rumor about Ling Xingzhong? I never instructed any of you to do that!¡±


    ¡°Have mercy on me, Master. It wasn¡¯t us who started the rumor. None of us told those people anything about Ling Xingzhong. We have no idea who started it.¡±


    In the residential compound of Su family, Su Zhi, Zheng shi¡¯s brother-in-law, was beside himself with rage and alarm. At the request of Zheng shi, he¡¯d had some of his men spread rumor. Much unwilling to offend Yuwen Tong as he was, it¡¯d been with Zheng shi¡¯s assistance that Su family had managed to gain a foothold in the capital city, so he couldn¡¯t disobey Zheng shi and ordered his men to gingerly spread those rumors about Ling Zhang.


    But he¡¯d never expected that eventually things would come to this. Though his position in the government was low, he was not stupid and immediately came to realize that someone was taking advantage of their rumors and spreading the hearsay about Ling Xingzhong on purpose, but why this person was doing this was unknown to Su Zhi. What he did know was that once anybody found out he was the one responsible for the circulation of the rumors, in no circumstances would he be allowed to go unpunished.


    His eyes instantly went murderous as he looked at his two servants, who perceived it and were horrified. ¡°Please have mercy on us, Master. Please!¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong had just exited the imperial palace. After rumors started spreading that he was trying to pressurize Yuwen Zhi into meeting his demand that the two of them divide up family property and live apart, the emperor had summoned him and Yuwen Zhi to the palace and asked them about it.


    Sure enough Yuwen Tong had denied it, and so had Yuwen Zhi. Eventually, the matter had been left unsettled.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes got cold as he thought of the one who¡¯d started the rumor.


    When he returned to the Ling Mansion, angry accusations of young intellectuals in the Taibai Tavern had reached his ears.


    Countenance unchanged, Yuwen Tong got a shrewd idea of why those intellectuals were doing this.


    ¡°Childe Ling had Li Sicai do that,¡± explained Li Sicai.


    Yuwen Tong, who hadn¡¯t seen Ling Zhang since his return, inclined his head and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Li Sicai found some people who might be initiators of the rumors, and Childe Ling has personally set out to investigate them,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    After thinking for a few moments, Yuwen Tong turned around and started walking outside, planning to find Ling Zhang.


    Li Sicai had narrowed down the list to some women responsible for buying groceries for a couple of rich families. These women worked for different families, and it was very easy for them to hide themselves, for entering a large residential compound was like entering another world. It had been their repeatedly starting rumors that had given Li Sicai the opportunity to track them down.


    Ling Zhang had looked into the background of these families and found that all patriarchs of them were officials working in the capital city, but there was nothing noteworthy about any of them; none of them had had any dealings with Ling Zhang or had any powerful backers; they¡¯d always kept a relatively low profile compared with other officials in the city and their ranks were rather low; no sides would consider them worth co-opting, which was why none of them belonged to any particular faction.


    After going through the background information of these families, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t directly visit any of them to query their patriarchs. Instead, he found a way to have those women sought out and interrogated them one by one.


    The couple of women were all very scared when faced with Ling Zhang, especially when their eyes fell on the ¡°ferocious-looking¡± bodyguards beside him. They made a full confession immediately after being threatened. Someone had paid them to do that. The one responsible for contacting them was a market trader living outside the city who entered the city to sell vegetables in a stall every day.


    At their words Ling Zhang came to know that these women had done this multiple times ¡ª there was actually a fixer they were in regular contact with.


    After dragging out of those women how to make contact with that market trader, how they usually got things done, and some other details they needed to pay attention to, Ling Zhang took some men and went to look for that market trader.


    As that market trader was someone those women went to the market to contact on a regular basis, he definitely went there very often. Even if he wasn¡¯t there, there was no doubt that some others would be able to offer information about where he might be, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to find him.


    As a result, when Yuwen Tong arrived at the market, he was told that Ling Zhang had just left. He hurriedly went in the same direction.


    ¡­


    ¡°Tell me. Who paid you to spread those rumors?¡±


    ¡°It wa¨Cwas a peddler near the end of the bridge in front of the food market in the east of the city.¡±


    A peddler?


    ¡°Did that peddler contact you regularly or just this once?¡±


    ¡°Just this once.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that peddler? Does he show up often or occasionally?¡±


    ¡°He used to show up every couple of days, but these days he goes there daily.¡±


    He went there on a daily basis probably to make contact with this market trader.


    ¡°Did he turn up today? What does he look like?¡±


    Trembling all over, the market trader described the peddler to them and then added, ¡°This morning he was there for a while and then left.¡±


    ¡°Is he usually like that? Staying only for a while?¡±


    ¡°No. Normally he peddles his goods in nearby streets and alleys until dusk.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow furrowed. This was too coincidental. It¡¯d been in the morning that those intellectuals had shown up in the Taibai Tavern. That peddler seemed to have got wind of it and fled.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat frustrated, feeling that he should have waited until the peddler was caught to have Li Sicai talk to those intellectuals.


    ¡°Have the peddler¡¯s portrait drawn and start searching for him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice was suddenly heard. Ling Zhang turned around and saw Yuwen Tong walking over with Yao Yi and some others in his wake.


    Yao Yi and some other bodyguards surrounded the market trader, had him give a description of the peddler¡¯s features and soon, a portrait was finished. Then they immediately set out to look for the peddler.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°My men have some contacts. They can handle it quicker.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and said, ¡°Was it because of those rumors that His Majesty summoned you to the palace?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Yeah. He asked me if I demanded my uncle and I break up the family and live apart.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him anxiously. ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t. My uncle denied it as well. Nobody has to hear about this matter from any of us as long as it is not brought to light.¡±


    This was a fact that Yuwen Zhi was also fully aware of.


    ¡°Did His Majesty say anything else?¡±


    ¡°He just warned me not to break up Yuwen family.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sounded indifferent. The emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him if he really decided to do it.


    Ling Zhang, however, was rather worried. The only reason why the emperor didn¡¯t want Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi to break up the family and live apart was that he¡¯d have nothing to keep Yuwen Tong under control if the two of them did that. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t allow such a thing to happen for no good reason. Previously Yuwen Tong had told him that he had found a way. Ling Zhang had no idea what it was specifically, but he was sure that there would be great aftermath. No matter what, it would cause a lot of trouble.


    The problem was that when they¡¯d been confronting Yuwen Zhi, even servants of Yuwen family hadn¡¯t dared approach the room, and this matter should¡¯ve been kept in the strictest confidence. How had it come to the knowledge of the initiator of the rumors?


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°It¡¯s probably my loving uncle who¡¯s having a headache.¡±


    He and Ling Zhang would never disclose it, which meant it was definitely a member of his uncle¡¯s branch of the family who¡¯d done that.


    Indeed, just like Yuwen Tong said, Yuwen Zhi lost his temper after returning home. Staring at Zheng shi, he demanded angrily, ¡°Was it you who started the rumors?!¡±


    Zheng shi was taken aback by Yuwen Zhi¡¯s furious tone. She had indeed had Su Yaoyao go back to tell Su Zhi to do that, but the angry look on Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face scared her and she didn¡¯t dare admit it. Shaking her head repeatedly, she said, ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t me, Master. Who told you that? You wronged me.¡±


    ¡°Who told me that? Nobody except us knows about this matter. Who else could have done that except you?!¡± stormed Yuwen Zhi. He had warned Zheng shi not to stir up trouble, but his words had gone in one ear and out the other. She¡¯d been ignoring his warning and making trouble for him!


    Zheng shi subconsciously defended herself. ¡°Didn¡¯t Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong also¡­¡±


    She realized the problem and broke off in the middle of a sentence. The rumors were directed at Ling Zhang, who would never do this kind of thing to himself as long as he wasn¡¯t soft in the head.


    Yuwen Zhi eyed her coldly. ¡°It seems that my words mean nothing to you.¡±


    It was only at this moment that Zheng shi came to realize that by spreading those rumors, she¡¯d made a rod for her own back. On this occasion, it was no good trying to deny it.


    Yuwen Zhi stared flintily at her, fists clenched with anger. Yuwen Tong¡¯s crossing and humiliating him had been tough enough for him, but this stupid woman was making life even more difficult for him. Had she any idea that he¡­


    A butler hurried inside and reported, ¡°Master, yamen runners are all over the streets.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi furrowed his brows, looking at him. ¡°What is it about?¡±


    The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, ¡°It¡¯s said that His Majesty got angry and ordered a hunt for those who started the rumors in the past couple of days.¡±


    The butler was in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s confidence, so of course he knew about Yuwen Tong¡¯s previous threat to break up Yuwen family. He was not a fool and naturally had guessed that Zheng shi probably had something to do with this matter. As a result, he was somewhat anxious.


    Yuwen Zhi said, ¡°Why is this happening? His Majesty didn¡¯t say anything about a hunt when I talked with him in the palace.¡±


    ¡°It was because of some intellectuals in the Taibai Tavern.¡± The butler informed Yuwen Zhi of those intellectuals¡¯ remarks. ¡°Everybody is talking about this. These words probably have reached His Majesty¡¯s ears, which is why he gave arrest orders for initiators of the rumors.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi fiercely looked at Zheng shi and gave her a slap across the face. ¡°You blockhead!¡±


    Zheng shi was flabbergasted after being slapped hard across the face, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, eyes full of incredulity.


    The butler quickly hung his head in alarm and retreated to a corner, trying to pretend he didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Do you want to get us killed? Do you?!¡± Yuwen Zhi was confused with ire. ¡°Exactly what the hell have you done?! Tell me!¡±


    Holding her face with one hand and clenching the other, trembling all over, Zheng shi said through gritted teeth, ¡°I had Su Zhi do it. It has nothing to do with us. His Majesty won¡¯t be able to trace it to us.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi almost suffered a sudden death with rage. ¡°Everybody knows Su Zhi is my brother-in-law!¡±


    All the color drained from Zheng shi¡¯s face.


    Yuwen Zhi instructed the butler, ¡°Go find Su Zhi immediately. Tell him to have all those involved in this disposed of, that he is to keep his mouth tightly shut if it¡¯s traced to him, and if he breathes a single word of it to anybody, I¡¯ll make sure his whole family suffers despite the fact that he¡¯s my brother-in-law!¡±


    Not daring to waste a moment, the butler immediately trotted out.


    Yuwen Zhi felt dizzy from fury. Zheng shi was shocked by his words, her face ghastly white.

 Chapter 246 - The Death of Su Zhi

    The peddler had fled after getting wind of the hunt, but he was not a stranger to the whole city. Though he¡¯d appeared in that area only occasionally, over the years a lot of people had made his acquaintance.


    Yao Yi and some other bodyguards soon found out the peddler¡¯s address and went there.


    When they arrived, the peddler¡¯s house was in a total mess, overturned furniture scattered all over the ground. There were also chairs and tables badly damaged by sharp weapons. The peddler¡¯s shoulder was hurt. He was clutching the wound, his robes blood-soaked, face full of horror. At the sight of Yao Yi and the others, he gave a start like a frightened bird and loudly implored them to spare his life.


    Plainly there had been a fight in this place, and judging from the scene, it¡¯d been a rather intense one. Apart from the peddler¡¯s blood, there was also someone else¡¯s blood.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yao Yi queried the peddler.


    Still in fright, the peddler didn¡¯t dare speak at all.


    With a frown, Yao Yi stepped up to the peddler, hit a couple of his acupoints to stop the bleeding and said, ¡°We¡¯re not here to kill you, but I will if you refuse to answer our questions with honesty.¡±


    The peddler was stupefied with shock. When Yao Yi asked him again, he didn¡¯t dare keep silent any longer.


    ¡°So¨CSomeone came here to kill me. I dodged. He stabbed my shoulder. And then a man in black suddenly showed up, killed him an¨Cand took his body away.¡±


    Yao Yi knitted his eyebrows. It was understandable that someone wanted the peddler dead, but who would want to save him?


    No matter what, they had found the target, and they must drag the mastermind¡¯s identity out of him, which meant they needed him to stay alive for the moment.


    ¡°Who hired you to spread those rumors?¡± Yao Yi inquired.


    The peddler¡¯s face changed at this question, which showed that he knew exactly what Yao Yi was talking about.


    ¡°Speak!¡± Yao Yi whipped out his sword.


    The peddler cried in terror, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you. Don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Then he swallowed hard and continued, ¡°Please spare my life, sir. Someone paid me to do that. It was a servant of Su family that hired me to circulate the rumors.¡±


    Su family?


    Yao Yi asked, ¡°Which Su family?¡±


    The peddler hurriedly answered, ¡°The family of Su Zhi, the ministry councillor who took office not long ago.¡±


    Su Zhi? Yao Yi¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. Then he remembered. That was Zheng shi¡¯s brother-in-law.


    Yao Yi got a general idea of what had happened. A somewhat disgusted look appeared in his eyes and with that he started worrying about the marshal. That damn Zheng shi had made mischief once again, and it hadn¡¯t been long since the last time she¡¯d been warned. It seemed that breaking Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs hadn¡¯t been deterrent enough for her. She still dared stir up trouble, and this time her target was Childe Ling, who would definitely get angry when he found out about it.


    Alas.


    But even so, Yao Yi didn¡¯t dare keep the truth back.


    He was just about to take the peddler away when a guard rushed over and reported, ¡°Captain, the imperial palace has dispatched some men to carry out a hunt.¡±


    The imperial palace?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yao Yi was surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the rumor about Old Master Ling. Since the former emperor¡¯s reputation was undermined, His Majesty got angry and gave arrest orders for the initiator of it,¡± answered the guard.


    Yao Yi looked at the peddler, hesitating about whether he should take him away or let him stay.


    The peddler asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Whi¨CWhich Old Master Ling?¡±


    Yao Yi looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Old Master Ling Xingzhong. Wasn¡¯t you who started the rumor? How is it possible that you don¡¯t know?¡±


    The peddler yelled, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t start this rumor. That servant of Su family only asked me to spread rumors about the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, and those about Marshal Yuwen¡¯s threat to separate from Lord Yuwen because of Childe Ling. I have nothing to do with the other rumors!¡±


    A frown creased Yao Yi¡¯s forehead. After thinking for a few moments, he instructed, ¡°Take him away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t them who started that rumor? So there¡¯s someone else involved?¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused. If it wasn¡¯t Su Zhi, which meant Zheng shi wasn¡¯t responsible for that, then who could this person be? Had this person deliberately mixed the third rumor with the former two to mislead people into believing that Su family was behind it?


    ¡°That market trader also said that he wasn¡¯t the one who started this rumor.¡± Yao Yi returned from his trip and said, ¡°Childe Ling, Marshal, His Majesty¡¯s men have already traced it to the couple of women. It won¡¯t be long before they track down that market trader. Given how bad secret-keepers those people are, His Majesty¡¯s men will probably soon come to know what we¡¯ve found out. What should we do with the peddler? Let him return?¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept silent. Clearly there was someone else at work. First they¡¯d started a third rumor mixing it with the former two, and then someone covertly rescued the peddler¡­


    ¡°Send the peddler back. Remember, wait until the arrival of His Majesty¡¯s men to release him lest he get killed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    After Yao Yi marched the peddler away, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Who do you think intentionally started these rumors? What¡¯s their intention?¡±


    ¡°By circulating the rumor about Old Master Ling, they merely made you a target for some gossips, and you didn¡¯t really come to any harm, but by rescuing the peddler, they clearly were trying to expose Su family. Assuming that the one who started this rumor was the same person who saved the peddler, then their target would be Su family; if not, then their intention would be a mystery.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Zhang said, ¡°This might sound weird, but I have an intuition that it was the same person.¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought for a while and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s find out what the mastermind wants to do exactly.¡±


    What with the couple of women, the market trader selling vegetables, and the peddler, Su Zhi wouldn¡¯t be convicted of calumniation of the former emperor, but conviction for slander was inevitable. The punishment for it ranged from a fine to dismissal from his post, totally subject to the emperor¡¯s will, but in any case, Su Zhi wouldn¡¯t die. What was the mastermind¡¯s intention?


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°No matter what, it was definitely Zheng shi who instructed Su Zhi to spread those rumors. Yuwen Zhi promised us he wouldn¡¯t interfere in any of our matters ever again, but Zheng shi¡¯s conduct suggested otherwise.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a thoughtful expression. ¡°Maybe this is just what the mastermind wants.¡±


    Ling Zhang was puzzled.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Though Su Zhi won¡¯t be condemned to death, this matter has indeed reached the emperor¡¯s ears, and given my agreement with Yuwen Zhi, I cannot turn a blind eye to this matter. But I and Yuwen Zhi have just talked with the emperor, saying that I never demanded the two of us break up family and live apart.¡±


    Ling Zhang was startled and immediately came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant. ¡°You mean someone is trying to force you into breaking the agreement?¡±


    Yuwen Tong face darkened. ¡°It seems that way.¡±


    Once he broke the agreement, his agreement with Yuwen Zhi would be invalidated, and Yuwen Zhi would continue to interfere in their matters without scruple and with ever-increasing intensity.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that¡­ your uncle did this?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t say anything. Clearly he also had such a suspicion, but he wasn¡¯t sure because of the absence of any definite proof.


    ¡­


    Though Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had got some sneaking conjectures, things changed before they could confirm any of them.


    Su Zhi had indeed been found responsible for the circulation of those rumors, but he categorically denied that it was Zheng shi who¡¯d incited him. He merely said that he bore resentment towards Ling Zhang because of Su Yaoyao, who originally stood a chance of marrying Yuwen Tong. Ling Zhang¡¯s engagement to Yuwen Tong had shattered his hopes, so he¡¯d decided to make trouble for Ling Zhang.


    Since Zheng shi hadn¡¯t been ratted out, Yuwen Tong naturally didn¡¯t have to break the agreement, which accorded with Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong¡¯s speculations. At least it proved that this hadn¡¯t been yet another Yuwen Zhi¡¯s scheme.


    Shortly after that, something even more unexpected happened ¡ª Su Zhi died. He committed suicide, allegedly because of his guilt about failing Yuwen family.


    This unforeseen event had come as a surprise to everybody.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe Su Zhi committed suicide because of his conscience about letting down Yuwen family. Someone definitely pressurized him into doing that,¡± said Ling Zhang, frowning.


    It¡¯d been in the Court Prison that Su Zhi had died. He¡¯d been in custody under orders of the emperor, who had intended to call a consultation first before deciding his punishment, but unexpectedly, Su Zhi had died shortly after being put in prison.


    The most immediate aftermath of Su Zhi¡¯s death was a drastic change of the relations between Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the family. Zheng shi¡¯s sister fainted after a long hard wail at Su Zhi¡¯s funeral. Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi in a wheelchair had all attended the funeral. Zheng shi¡¯s sister and Su Yaoyao had been accommodated in a courtyard house of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the family.


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi had pinned Su Zhi¡¯s death on Yuwen Tong, and there had been a thorough breakdown in relations between the two sides.


    Thinking about the series of changes, Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows, feeling that something was not right, as if someone had pressurized Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the family into breaking completely with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Feng was the only one who had been relatively sensible all along, but there was nothing he could do to make a difference.


    ¡°If this is what the mastermind wants ¡ª you making an enemy of Zheng shi, then what is their final goal? Could the mastermind somehow benefit from this kind of thing?¡± Ling Zhang was totally bemused.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was must more unhurried than him. ¡°Even if Su Zhi was still alive, you think Zheng shi and I would stand a chance of getting along with each other? I forced my uncle into breaking Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs, and she hates my guts because of it. This matter just gave her another reason to hate me more.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Zhang felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point. In no circumstances would Zheng shi or Yuwen Qi live in peace with Yuwen Tong after that incident.


    ¡°That person definitely has an ulterior motive in deepening the hatred between me and Zheng shi,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong had come up with a plan. Given that Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi harbored resentment against him, there was a very high possibility that they¡¯d been used. As long as he kept close watch on Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi, sooner or later he would find out what the mastermind intended to do by taking advantage of the two of them.


    Ling Zhang felt that Yuwen Tong¡¯s analysis of the situation made a lot of sense, his anxiety ebbing.


    Surprisingly, after this event, those rumors about the Ling¡¯s Drugstore and Ling Zhang disappeared. People seemed to have forgotten about the whole thing.


    Since the business of the drugstore was now on track, Ling Zhang believed it was time he returned to the Imperial College to resume his study.


    After hearing that Ling Zhang was going back to the Imperial College, Yuwen Tong, who was still ¡°recovering from his injuries¡± and thus had a lot of leisure, wishfully said he¡¯d go with him.


    Sure enough Ling Zhang refused. How was he supposed to learn anything if this guy went with him?


    Thus, after some days off from school, Ling Zhang returned to the Imperial College to continue being a college student.


    As luck would have it, this day, on his arrival at the Imperial College in the morning, he chanced upon Jiang Yu, as he had on his first day of school at this college. As usual, Jiang Yu had a group of cronies around him, including Zuo Yuanping who had always been ill-disposed towards Ling Zhang, and who was the son of Zuo Yi, the official working for the Ministry of Works whom Ling Zhang had once taunted at the gateway of the palace.

 Chapter 247 - A Sequel of the Riot in Xiang City

    ¡°Look how smug he is. It¡¯s just a drugstore. Big deal!¡±


    Ling Zhang ran into Jiang Yu at the front gates of the Imperial College. They saw each other, but Ling Zhang didn¡¯t make any gestures of acknowledgement, and Jiang Yu merely glanced at him and then walked away. While leaving, Zuo Yuanping taunted Ling Zhang, his voice heavy with sarcasm.


    ¡°One more word and you¡¯ll find yourself unwelcome in this group,¡± said Jiang Yu coldly without even turning his head around.


    It¡¯d never crossed Zuo Yuanping¡¯s mind that his remarks would earn him scolding from Jiang Yu instead of recognition. Dismayed and indignant as he was, he didn¡¯t dare show a shred of his feelings on his face, obediently shut his mouth and flicked a backward glance at Ling Zhang with resentful eyes.


    Ling Zhang pretended not to notice. He had got used to the jealousy and hate in other people¡¯s eyes, feeling that it¡¯d be a big waste of time to stare back at everybody who gave him this kind of look, that saving the strength for study would be a wiser choice.


    Yuwen Jin and the other couple of friends of Ling Zhang¡¯s were the happiest to see him return to the college.


    Previously, when Yuwen Tong had been ¡°recovering from his injuries¡±, Yuwen Jin had also taken a few days off from school. At that time he¡¯d looked listless all day long like an eggplant exposed to frost, and his spirits had only risen to normal after Yuwen Tong ¡°achieved a recovery¡±. When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had gone to the manor, his father had had him go back to the Imperial College, exhorting him to focus on his study.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, you¡¯re finally back. How¡¯s my cousin? Does his wounds still hurt?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    Beneath Yuwen Jin¡¯s gaze, Ling Zhang who still had a somewhat guilty conscience hurriedly replied, ¡°They¡¯re no longer painful. The physician said that he made a full recovery. You know, Yuwen Tong has an uncommonly strong constitution.¡±


    Yuwen Jin said happily, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Ji Feng and the others also expressed their concern for Yuwen Tong. They had visited the Ling Mansion with the intention to look up him after he ¡°sustained an injury¡±, but at that time the whole residential compound had been heavily guarded by palace guards, and nobody except members of Yuwen family had been granted permission to go inside, so they hadn¡¯t been able to gain entry. Afterwards, the King Hui¡¯s attempted usurpation had shocked both officials of the imperial court and residents in the city; they all had some elders working in the imperial court, so naturally they¡¯d been paying close attention to that event. When it¡¯d finally come to an end, Yuwen Tong had gone to the manor to have a good rest to recuperate with Ling Zhang keeping him company, and they¡¯d felt it inconvenient to pay them a visit which might be a disturbance to them.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d invite us to the grand opening of your drugstore,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang first apologized to them and then said, ¡°There were too many guests, and I feared I might not be able to have you well entertained, so I want to specially invite you around to take a look another day. I hope you¡¯ll grace me with your presence.¡±


    Ling Zhang fished out a wad of invitations and gave one to each of them.


    Ji Feng and the others were confused as to why Ling Zhang was being so official as to send them invitations, but after opening and reading it, he dissolved into laugh. ¡°Look at this. I thought it was a decent invitation.¡±


    There were no words in the invitation, only a sketch of a wine pot and seven wine cups


    ¡°Drinking wine in a drugstore ¨C that¡¯s quite some ingenious idea you¡¯ve got here, but I think maybe the smells of medicinal herbs would impart some unique flavor to drinking,¡± observed Zhao Turui.


    The seven of them burst into laughter.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang stayed in the Imperial College for a full day and heard that the inquiry into the incident of horses running wild on the Back Hill was still fruitless, that the road leading to the Back Hill had been sealed, and students were forbidden to approach that area.


    After returning home, Ling Zhang informed Yuwen Tong of this matter. ¡°I wonder why they still haven¡¯t found anything out about it after such a long time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It¡¯s the Dali Temple (the Supreme Judicial Court in feudal China) that¡¯s working on this case. I¡¯ll send someone to make some inquiries.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. Though eager to know what was going on, he knew fretting about it wouldn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Have they found any clues in the Court Prison?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°The Court Prison is used to hold criminals guilty of serious crimes, and the emperor always personally selects the prison guards of it, so it¡¯s very difficult to worm anything out of any of them. All those Su Zhi made contact with after entering the palace are not above suspicion. As regards the Court Prison¡­ If it was in there that he was threatened¡­ There are very few people whose reach is wide enough to cover the Court Prison.¡±


    Therefore, in the final analysis, they still had to investigate those people one by one, which would definitely take some time. More importantly, the culprit had probably obliterated all traces already. After all, although Yuwen Tong had eyes in the imperial palace, that place was not his turf and there were some limitations, so he was unable to ascertain the truth immediately.


    Right at this time, the prefectural governor of Xiang City and all the other guilty officials who had been the cause of Jiang Chengfeng¡¯s removal from office were escorted into the capital city.


    The local government of Cangzhou was undergoing a radical reorganization.


    In the imperial court, another bout of intense disputes were ongoing, all of which were about punishment for these guilty officials and appointment of their successors. On this occasion, people of Jiang family who originally had had a considerable say in Cangzhou affairs chose to keep a low profile, and all other forces were happy to see this.


    To Ling Zhang¡¯s surprise, Yuwen Tong also became busy because of this. Though he was still staying at home, Yao Yi and the others were bringing letters to him one after another.


    He had an intuition that what Yuwen Tong was occupied with had something to do with Cangzhou.


    Ever since he and Yuwen Tong had returned to the capital city, on the surface all other sides appeared happy to see Yuwen Tong back and it seemed that Yuwen Tong was able to rally multitudes at his call, but in fact hardly anybody had paid Yuwen Tong any private visits.


    Ling Zhang had scarcely seen any other callers coming to the Ling Mansion to see Yuwen Tong apart from members of Yuwen You¡¯s branch of Yuwen family, as if Yuwen Tong had no well-acquainted friends in the capital city whatsoever, which didn¡¯t really accord with Yuwen Tong¡¯s identity.


    At first this hadn¡¯t struck Ling Zhang as odd, but gradually he came to realize that something was not right.


    Yuwen Tong had always been well informed of everything in the capital city except for those that happened in the imperial palace. Even if Yao Yi and other bodyguards had all had three heads and six arms, there was no way they could gather information about all things so quick. It must be that a lot of people had been secretly sending messages to Yuwen Tong. Though he was seemingly isolated, there was actually a hidden network through which intelligence of various kinds was being passed on to him.


    Yuwen Tong had moved into the Ling Mansion on his return to the capital city. Apart from his disgruntlement with deeds of his uncle¡¯s branch of Yuwen family, another reason for it had probably been because of the avoidance of a lot of trouble. Yuwen Tong was still Yuwen Tong, but for him, living in the residential compound of Yuwen family was evidently far removed from living in the Ling Mansion ¨C at bottom, the owner of the Ling Mansion was Ling Zhang, not Yuwen Tong, which meant that even if some people had the intention of visiting Yuwen Tong, they¡¯d feel it fairly inconvenient to come to this place.


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong who was consulting with Yao Yi and some others about something.


    Yuwen Tong immediately sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze and looked back. The expression in his eyes instantly softened at the eye contact.


    ¡­


    ¡°Father, are we really going to give up Cangzhou like this?¡±


    In the residential compound of Jiang family, Jiang Chengfeng asked Jiang Shennian a question, unresigned to the situation. These days the wrangling in the imperial court was reaching such a pitch that every meeting was in total confusion, but Jiang family still hadn¡¯t taken any action, giving Cangzhou up completely. Considering how close Cangzhou was from the capital city, for a powerful force like Jiang family, giving it up, which meant losing all sources of information they¡¯d planted there, was like giving up half its eyesight, and this was unacceptable, whatever the reason was.


    After hearing Jiang Chengfeng¡¯s question, Jiang Shennian sitting with an unhurried face said, ¡°It¡¯s inadvisable for us to get involved in the competition for Cangzhou in these circumstances.¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng was unconvinced. ¡°But if we don¡¯t do anything, it¡¯ll be very difficult for us to plant men in Cangzhou in the future. We have a lot of businesses in Cangzhou. There¡¯s no telling what those vicious vultures will do to squeeze us out after they come to know that we no longer have helpers there.¡±


    Jiang Shennian said, ¡°Tell them to inventory those properties and businesses. Sell the less important ones. Be cautious with those of significance ¨C transfer them if possible.¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng was astounded. ¡°Father?!¡±


    Jiang Shennian looked at him in displeasure. ¡°Although His Majesty merely dismissed you as a punishment for your mishandling of the event of Cangzhou, his eyes are still on us, and he might vent his anger on us immediately if we take any action. His Majesty is definitely angrier over this riot than he appears. There¡¯s only a short distance between Cangzhou and the capital city. Once a riot breaks out, the capital city will be at stake. It compromised the stability of his rule, which was a crime no less serious than usurpation! You are still standing here only because His Majesty was lenient with you for the sake of Jiang family. If you wade in the disputes over Cangzhou instead of laying low, not only you but also our whole family will be in danger!¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng looked abashed after being scolded by Jiang Shennian. ¡°I think you¡¯re being a little dramatic, father. I just offered some help with the cover-up. Dismissal from my post is a rather harsh punishment. There¡¯s no leniency in that.¡±


    Jiang Shennian shook his head, looking at Jiang Chengfeng disappointedly. ¡°This is all I have to say. Go back and give my words some careful thought.¡±


    Unable to convince Jiang Shennian to change his mind, Jiang Chengfeng had no choice but to obey.


    After Jiang Chengfeng left, Jiang Shennian shifted his gaze to Jiang Yu who¡¯d been listening quietly on the side all along. ¡°Yu¡¯er, what do you think?¡±


    Jiang Yu said, ¡°I might be unsophisticated, but I think I understand what you mean, grandfather.¡±


    Unlike Jiang Chengfeng who was bigoted, Jiang Yu had a calm look on his face. Seeing this, Jiang Shennian felt a sense of relief and said, ¡°Thriving and powerful as our family seems, in the final analysis we¡¯re still but an appendage to the imperial household. There are many things you can do wilfully, but you must not go near anything that might threaten the emperor¡¯s rule. There have been a lot of incidents lately. All the couple of cousins of yours want that position, but look how they ended up. Even His Majesty¡¯s own sons are no exception¡­ You must see this clearly and lodge it firmly in your mind. In addition to this, try not to have any dealings with your cousins these days. Their personal ambition has been growing with their age. Jiang family has enough wealth and fame now. We don¡¯t need any more. Besides, your father has just made a mistake and His Majesty has his eye on him. One more mistake and we¡¯ll be in big trouble. His Majesty is still in the prime of his life. There are many things that we have plenty of time to make preparations for.¡±


    Jiang Yu lowered his head. ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡±


    Jiang Yu had a darkened face all along after he left Jiang Shennian¡¯s abode. First the Sixth Prince, and then the Ninth Princess, and then the King Hui¡­ All of them were the emperor¡¯s children, but after they made mistakes, the emperor had disowned them without any mercy. There had been no news of the King Hui whatsoever since he¡¯d been put into prison. The likelihood was that he had some time ago been secretly executed¡­


    Jiang Yu was no fool. He¡¯d come to see a lot of things more clearly after the recent events.


    ¡°Young Master, a visitor from the King Duan¡¯s residential compound seeks an audience with you.¡±


    On hearing his servant report this, Jiang Yu who was thinking about something furrowed his brows. After a few moments, he instructed, ¡°Let him in.¡±

 Chapter 248 - A Word of Warning from Jiang Yu

    The King Duan had arranged to meet Jiang Yu at the Taibai Tavern. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been visiting the imperial palace lately, cousin? My father was talking about you only yesterday.¡±


    Jiang Yu said, ¡°My whole family have terrible conscience about my father¡¯s mistake, and I¡¯m ashamed to go to the palace disturbing His Majesty.¡±


    The King Duan sighed, ¡°It was for your father¡¯s own sake that my father had him stay at home introspecting about his faults. That was such a serious incident. All officials found guilty have been escorted into the capital city, and the principals are bound to be beheaded. But due to the many vacancies that have suddenly appeared in the yamen of Cangzhou, there¡¯s been a lot of disputes in the imperial court over the past few days, which has been giving me headaches. The Prime Minister is always a resourceful man. Without him offering suggestions, everything¡¯s in a muddle. I know because of your father¡¯s case, it¡¯s inconvenient for him to say anything in public, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to offer us some advice in private. May I ask if he¡¯s got any ideas?¡±


    Jiang Yu instantly came to understand what the King Duan was up to. Well sugar-coated as his remarks were, he was just trying to worm Jiang family¡¯s intentions out of him.


    ¡°My grandfather never talks with me about state affairs. He thinks I¡¯m still a child. Actually I indeed have little acquaintance with those things. How I wish I were as intelligent as you are, cousin,¡± said Jiang Yu, looking rather depressed.


    Unable to get any information from Jiang Yu, the King Duan went somewhat displeased and casually made a few perfunctory remarks. After a while, he sudden said, ¡°How¡¯s everything in the Imperial College?¡±


    Jiang Yu, confused as to why the King Duan was asking about this, gave him a reply in an offhand manner, for there were only a limited number of things students could do in the Imperial College anyway. Besides, he¡¯d just spent a few days nursing his injuries caused by his horse not long ago, which the King Duan hadn¡¯t even bothered to mention so far. Maybe he didn¡¯t even have any knowledge of that event, but Jiang Yu was not inclined to remind him of it.


    At this moment, something seemed to occur to the King Duan and he said, ¡°Incidentally, a few days ago I heard that that Ling Zhang guy was pretty cocky in the Imperial College, that he also made trouble for you. You want me to teach him a lesson for you?¡±


    Jiang Yu inwardly knitted his eyebrows. Ling Zhang? The King Duan was doing this because of none other than Ling Zhang?


    ¡°I¡¯m much stronger than you give me credit for, cousin. That was just a minor disagreement. I got it settled some time ago. We haven¡¯t laid eyes on each other for quite a few days, and I don¡¯t give a damn about the likes of him. It¡¯s totally unnecessary for you to go to any trouble on my account, cousin. He¡¯s just not worth that,¡± said Jiang Yu disdainfully.


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t know what the King Duan wanted to do, and neither did he care. He admired Yuwen Tong, but his father had lost his post after a single unsuccessful attempt of his to frame Ling Zhang. Though the reminder from his grandfather had been very veiled, he had got a shrewd idea of what had really happened. Yuwen Tong was such a ruthless man. Had there been any careless mistakes during the handling of that matter, it wouldn¡¯t have been merely his position that his father had lost, and Jiang family would¡¯ve taken a far heavier blow.


    He had paid the price for his actions and at the same time come to see that Yuwen Tong was not someone he could afford to mess with. On top of that, he had his own dignity. How could he throw himself at Yuwen Tong again after being given such a dire warning?


    Also, however embarrassed he was to admit, it was an indisputable fact that Ling Zhang saved his life on the Back Hill that day. With this being the case, he¡¯d decided to wipe the slate clean and stay out of Ling Zhang¡¯s way in the future.


    The King Duan had thought that Jiang Yu would be very happy to hear these words of his and bursting to use him to deal with Ling Zhang, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yu had unconcernedly declined the offer.


    The Jiang Yu he knew would never let Ling Zhang get away with the crowning humiliation he¡¯d inflicted on him. Why was Jiang Yu giving him this kind of reaction? Was there anything else that had happened and was unknown to him?


    After returning home, the King Duan who¡¯d had his offer turned down by Jiang Yu instructed his men to find out what else had happened between Jiang Yu and Ling Zhang. Before long, he was informed of the incident of horses going wild on the Back Hill as well as Jiang Yu¡¯s owing Ling Zhang his life.


    Cold faced, the King Duan said, ¡°It seems that I underestimated Ling Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Should we keep working on Childe Jiang, Your Highness?¡± his henchman asked.


    The King Duan said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Jiang Shennian has been acting like a coward in the imperial court; Jiang Yu must¡¯ve been given a word of warning of some sort; and now we¡¯ve found out about this matter. Stop wasting time on him. Go talk to that person. Tell him to get ready. I¡¯m going to hold a banquet in a few days, and Yuwen Tong will be among the guests.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡­


    On this day, in the afternoon, Ling Zhang and his classmates, along with Jiang Yu and some others, were having an archery lesson in the Imperial College.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t give it much thought after seeing Jiang Yu, and he felt that Jiang Yu appeared to have no intention of having any dealings with him either. ¡®Good. He finally began to see senses,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    But unexpectedly, on this occasion Jiang Yu walked up to him on his own account. Though it seemed that the two of them had been coincidentally paired up to practice shooting arrows, Ling Zhang had an intuition that Jiang Yu had something to say to him.


    Unsurprisingly, Jiang Yu sent all his cronies away, raised his bow, loaded it and asked Ling Zhang a question as he fired the arrow. ¡°You and the King Duan have history?¡±


    The King Duan? For a moment Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was racing. ¡°Why ask?¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s arrow hit the bull¡¯s-eye. He turned around and said while walking away, ¡°I just want to give you a word of warning. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t follow Jiang Yu¡¯s receding back with his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face. In outsiders¡¯ eyes, the two of them were ill-disposed towards each other and weren¡¯t even on speaking terms.


    The only plausible explanation for Jiang Yu¡¯s suddenly bringing up the King Duan was that the latter was planning to do something to him. Ling Zhang gave a sneer. Back in Wu City, Peng Fang had tried to have him poisoned in order to cross over to the King Duan¡¯s side. Though the King Duan had been quiet these days, the two of them had actually become enemies long ago. He was not at all surprised that the King Duan was going to take action. What he did find surprising was that it was Jiang Yu who¡¯d come to warn him.


    It seemed that his action of saving Jiang Yu¡¯s life on the Back Hill that day was not totally fruitless.


    At dusk, school was over. Ling Zhang returned home and mentioned this to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows, produced an invitation and handed it to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang took and opened it and ran an eye over it. ¡°The King Duan invites you to a banquet?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll find out what tricks he¡¯s going to play.¡±


    Originally he¡¯d wanted to ignore it, but now he decided to go and see what the King Duan had got up his sleeve.


    This invitation was for Yuwen Tong only. Clearly the host was trying to have Ling Zhang stay out of the banquet. Ling Zhang sneered.


    The banquet was in three days. When the day arrived, Yuwen Tong set off for it.


    The location of the banquet was a side yard of the King Duan¡¯s, the layout of which was of great ingenuity. Apart from Yuwen Tong, there were a lot of others invited. Yuwen Tong¡¯s status was the highest, so naturally he became the focus of attention on his arrival.


    The King Duan personally went outside to welcome him and walked him to the frontmost guest seat. ¡°Originally I had no intention of disturbing you, Marshal, because I know you need more time to nurse your wound, but it¡¯s been so long since I last saw you, and I miss you very much. Thank you for coming.¡±


    The King Duan¡¯s touchy-feely words didn¡¯t seem to bother the others. Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance remained unchanged and there wasn¡¯t even the slightest movement of his eyebrows. He just regarded the King Duan¡¯s words as fart.


    ¡°There¡¯ll only be fruit wine at today¡¯s banquet, which won¡¯t have any negative effect on your injury, Marshal. You may drink a cup or two.¡± The King Duan seemed to be very considerate.


    Fruit wine? It was not strong, and Yuwen Tong would never get drunk on it, but as wine had nothing to do with the trick, it must be something else. Yuwen Tong remained vigilant.


    The moment the banquet began, the King Duan took the lead and started flattering Yuwen Tong, and all other guests followed suit. Yuwen Tong was merely half-listening. All flattering remarks went in one ear and out the other. These people¡¯s flattery meant nothing, and he would be a fool if he believed a single word of theirs.


    Foods and drinks were sumptuous, and there was also singing and dancing. It seemed a very normal banquet that was all about eating, drinking, mutually flattering and bullshitting.


    Halfway through the banquet, the King Duan still hadn¡¯t made any particular move. Yuwen Tong was in no hurry. He was quite confident that nobody could outdo him when it came to patience.


    The King Duan had been secretly observing Yuwen Tong all along, and found that Yuwen Tong was very composed and didn¡¯t take anybody¡¯s flattery seriously. When people talked to him, he didn¡¯t cold-shoulder them, but it was very clear that he was offhand with them, showing no interest whatsoever. He¡¯d tried some of the dishes but hadn¡¯t eaten much, as though they weren¡¯t to his liking.


    Feeling that the time was ripe, the King Duan finally put down his wine cup. The singing and dancing had also stopped at this moment. He said, ¡°It¡¯s a little boring to have only singing and dancing. I suggest we have someone play qin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither) for entertainment. This qin master of mine might not be consummate, but his tunes are of unique artistic conception. Would you care to give it a shot?¡±


    All of them were the King Duan¡¯s guests, so of course nobody raised any objections.


    The King Duan specially looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°What do you think, Marshal?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Your banquet, your call.¡±


    The King Duan clapped his hands and had someone call the qin master in. It was a man in light turquoise robes that fitted him perfectly, slender-figured, well-featured and of a cultured demeanor. With a qin in his arms, he walked inside and made a bow to pay his respects. He had well-shaped brows and beautiful eyes, but his standing position was rather arrogant.


    At first Yuwen Tong merely flicked a nonchalant glance at him, but he suddenly paused and then looked at the man again. This person¡¯s figure, features and temperament had struck him as a trifle familiar when he¡¯d seen him out of the corner of his eye just now.


    While introducing the qin master to his guests, the King Duan unnoticeably observed Yuwen Tong. As he noticed that Yuwen Tong had a different countenance for the first time since the beginning of the banquet, a flicker of complacency crossed his eyes.


    ¡°I remember that you excel at playing a tune called Commencement of War. Since the Marshal happens to be present, I want you to play it. Maybe the Marshal will offer you some advice after hearing it.¡±


    The young qin master shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong, a trace of admiration and longing on his face, but his bearing was still neither servile nor bumptious, and the look in his eyes seemed to be faintly suggesting that he was a little unconvinced. These were very contradictory but also very attractive.


    A servant placed a qin table in the middle. The young qin master carrying his qin sat down behind it, carefully put the qin down onto the table and started playing the tune called Commencement of War adeptly. Sometimes the notes were rising and falling in cadence, and sometimes they were vehement and exciting, bringing guests¡¯ mind to a battlefield around which the sound of war drums and bugles mixed with yelling were resounding.


    The tune seemed to have last a long time, but it also felt like a mere instant. A lot of people were still in fascination when it ended.


    ¡°Terrific! You proved yourself worthy of the King Duan¡¯s compliment. Your performance indeed displayed the unique artistic conception of this tune!¡±


    ¡°Marshal, did you find it enjoyable?¡±


    Everybody moved their eyes to Yuwen Tong at the last remark.


    Slowly turning the wine cup between his fingers, Yuwen Tong tossed a glance at the qin master, seeing the King Duan out of the corner of his eye. With an inscrutably calm countenance, he remarked, ¡°How could a tune played by a student compare with the beats on war drums on a battleground?¡±

 Chapter 249 - Unromantic

    The qin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither) master¡¯s face was full of embarrassment at Yuwen Tong¡¯s frosty, explicit comment as though it¡¯d never occurred to him that Yuwen Tong, a marshal, would act so ungracefully. Even the King Duan had never expected that Yuwen Tong would make such a tactless remark. He pondered in confusion, ¡®Just now Yuwen Tong clearly flicked a second glance at the qin master. Isn¡¯t this the part where he expresses his appreciation of the qin master¡¯s skills? Besides, this performance of Commencement of War was pretty good, if not superb.¡¯


    ¡°I find your remark rather unfair, Marshal.¡± The young qin master straightened his back, an unyielding and somewhat aggrieved expression on his face. ¡°Although I cannot hold a candle to soldiers and officers on the battlefield, comparing my performance of the tune with the sound of a war drum is as unfair as it is to compare me with you. It¡¯s a total disregard for my many years¡¯ hard work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re being over-demanding, Marshal. Not many qin masters could display a hint of the artistic conception of this tune in their performance,¡± a guest also said.


    After hearing other people¡¯s accusations of his lack of discernment, Yuwen Tong just replied, ¡°I never said he didn¡¯t work hard enough. I¡¯m just stating the facts. You asked me, a boor who serves in the army and is used to the beats on war drums and the sound of bugles, to comment on the performance of this tune, and it¡¯s a fact that to my ears, this performance is inferior to drumbeats. Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate for you, a group of literary men who greatly outnumber me, to lay criticism on me on this occasion?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s words rendered the others speechless.


    ¡°Haha¡­ You¡¯ve got a point, Marshal.¡± The King Duan hurriedly made an attempt to smooth things over. ¡°It turns out that we¡¯re the vulgar ones. How about this ¨C let the qin master drink a toast to you, and then all of us put this matter behind us.¡±


    The qin master rose to his feet and drank a toast to Yuwen Tong.


    The King Duan continued, ¡°Decorating this side yard of mine took a lot of doing, and it¡¯s barely worth a walk around. Sitting and drinking is a little boring. I suggest we go outside for a stroll. What do you think?¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no reply.


    The King Duan asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your opinion, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, your banquet, your call.¡±


    The King Duan smiled, ¡°Marshal is as straightforward as always. Then please accompany me for a saunter, Marshal.¡±


    The King Duan invited all guests to a sightseeing tour in the garden. The qin master seemed to be very much in favor with the King Duan and was also invited. The King Duan and Yuwen Tong were walking in front, the qin master following in their wake with the qin in his arms.


    When they were crossing a bridge, the qin master tripped over something, let out a sudden yell and toppled towards Yuwen Tong, seeming to be about to fall off the bridge.


    Normally, people beside him would reflexively try to help him, but ¨C


    There was no telling whether he did it intentionally or it was just a coincidence, but Yuwen Tong sidestepped with a nimble movement of his foot, leaving the qin master nothing to hold on to¡­


    Plop!


    The qin master, along with his qin, fell over the balustrade down into the lake with a big splash of water and cried in panic, ¡°Help! Hel¡­Ugh¡­Help!¡±


    Everybody else was stunned. After a while, someone reacted, hastily instructing servants to get down into the lake to save the man.


    ¡°Hurry! Help him!¡±


    The King Duan looked from the qin master struggling in the lake to Yuwen Tong who was standing beside him and had a quite surprised look on his face as everybody else did. His lip twitched. Did Yuwen Tong move aside intentionally or unintentionally just now?


    Eyes on the man splashing in the lake, Yuwen Tong said to the King Duan, ¡°Well, so much for the stroll.¡±


    The King Duan, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    While Yuwen Tong was at the banquet, Ling Zhang was in the Imperial College.


    At noon, when the class was over, Miao Shiba walked inside. ¡°Shall we go, Young Master?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod, looking at Yuwen Jin and the others.


    Yuwen Jin had been scolded by the teacher during the class and looked despondent ever since, but the moment the class came to an end, he instantly perked up, leapt over and threw his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Go, go, go. I¡¯ve been waiting for this meal too long.¡±


    Ji Feng and the others were standing on the side and all of them had bagged their stuff up.


    Tao Yi and a couple of classmates of his were standing them a meal in the Taibai Tavern this day. The last time they¡¯d gone to the Taibai Tavern to have a meal, someone had tried to poison Ling Zhang and they¡¯d had to reschedule it. This time they¡¯d still decided to go to the Taibai Tavern.


    Sure enough on this occasion Wang Deguang was not present.


    When they arrived at the Taibai Tavern, Tao Yi and the others whose school was closer to the place had already been waiting. The room they¡¯d booked was on the third floor. Tao Yi craned out of a window and yelled, ¡°Brother Zhang, here!¡±


    Ling Zhang looked up at him, gave a smile and suddenly saw a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head aside and spotted a man standing beside the window of the room next door to the one Tao Yi was in, who seemed to have just walked to the window to look at him after hearing Tao Yi¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Shit. Why is Jiang Yu also here? This is such bad luck!¡± Yuwen Jin also noticed him, his delighted face falling.


    Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t thought to run into Jiang Yu in this place either. Jiang Yu walked away from the window after seeing them. Ling Zhang also withdrew his gaze.


    ¡°Just pretend he¡¯s not. Today we¡¯re here to enjoy a sumptuous meal for which Tao Yi and his classmates are paying, so cheer up.¡±


    It was only after hearing this that Yuwen Jin¡¯s spirits rose again. Excitedly chirping, he marched Ling Zhang and the others onto the third floor into the private room booked by Tao Yi and his classmates.


    ¡°Eek, why are we missing one?¡± said Yuwen Jin, glancing around the room.


    For an instant Tao Yi and the others appeared awkward. They all looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang replied calmly, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s otherwise engaged and couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    Tao Yi immediately agreed, ¡°Yeah, Wang Deguang has left the capital city to help deal with some family matters.¡±


    Yuwen Jin inclined his head, a suggestion of regret on his face. ¡°I see.¡±


    Ji Feng and Zhao Jiusi who were relatively observant detected something in this subtle atmosphere, but they both sensibly chose to keep quiet.


    Before digging in, Tao Yi nervously started checking all the dishes and wine with great care. Clearly the incident that day had been traumatic for him.


    Ling Zhang pulled a wry face and said, ¡°Brother Tao.¡±


    Tao Yi explained, ¡°Alas, I¡¯m just worried that some other fool might try to make trouble for us.¡±


    Others were also experiencing a carry-over of fear. They not only didn¡¯t laugh at Tao Yi but also carefully checked the dinnerware with him.


    ¡°This time around I sent an old trusted servant of mine to supervise them. He¡¯d been keeping close watch on them all along,¡± said a student of the Oriental Rite Academy who was going to pay the bill.


    He was the same student who¡¯d paid for the last meal. On that day all the good dishes and wine were wasted, and this time he was determined not to let that kind of thing happen again.


    Ling Zhang felt both touched and somewhat guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you guys have to go through this. It¡¯s all because of me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. We¡¯re friends now, and this is not what friends are supposed to be like, is it?¡± said the man.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was being a little stagy.¡±


    In order to thank his friends for their cautiousness, Ling Zhang drank a cup of wine in one gulp first.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s drink a toast together.¡±


    Two rounds of wine made the atmosphere in the room much more relaxed. Yuwen Jin and Ji Feng were always a guarantee of a party mood, and Tao Yi and his classmates had a gift for gab as well, so the noise of talk and laughter never stopped.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang felt that they definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to the college to attend lessons in the afternoon, and he wondered what kind of punishments their teacher would mete out to them the next day.


    Like Ling Zhang had expected, the meal lasted over two hours, and all their faces were scarlet from wine. Even Ling Zhang himself was somewhat drunk, feeling groggy, his mind much less clear.


    ¡°Next ti¨Ctime, let¡¯s go to the manor of my family. I¡¯ll treat you to some opera,¡± said Ji Feng, belching and hitting the table with his palm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal. If you go back on your word, we¡¯ll call you dog every time we see you,¡± said Tao Yi, pointing at Ji Feng¡¯s nose.


    Ji Feng pooh-poohed this remark, knocked Tao Yi¡¯s finger aside and said, ¡°A man¡¯s word carries the weight of nine tripods. I¡¯ve always been a man of my word.¡±


    They were the only ones sitting. Others had low tolerance to alcohol and were sprawled face down on the table. Xun Huo was not only a timid rider but also a lousy drinker, groaning with his head on the table, red-faced, unable to open his eyes.


    Zhao Turui reached out a hand to tap him on the face. ¡°Hey. Seriously? You¡¯re already so drunk?¡±


    Xun Huo was too drunk to feel the tap.


    Zhao Jiusi stopped Zhao Turui¡¯s hand from patting Xun Huo¡¯s face again. ¡°Let him be.¡±


    ¡°All right. I think we¡¯ve all had our fill. We¡¯ll have trouble getting back home if we drink more wine. Let¡¯s not worry our elders and just call it a day. We may drink again some other day.¡± Zhao Jiusi was relatively sober compared with the others and called for an end to the drinking.


    Miao Shiba had worriedly entered the room when Ling Zhang had become a bit tipsy, and had been standing behind him keeping an eye on him. ¡°It¡¯s about time we got back as well, Young Master.¡±


    Miao Shiba supported Ling Zhang to his feet. Others also stood up with the help of their respective study-servants (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study) or attendants.


    As luck would have it, when they walked out of the room, people in the next-door room were also exiting. Jiang Yu and a couple of gorgeously-clothed childes, who were also slightly pink in the face, seemed to have also drunk a lot of wine and were leaving.


    Both groups were somewhat surprised to see each other. Yuwen Jin had got drunk and couldn¡¯t think straight. At the sight of Jiang Yu, he pushed aside the servant supporting him, gave a jump and snapped pointing at Jiang Yu, ¡°You annoying character, why do I keep running into you wherever I go? You¡¯re such a haunting ghost!¡±


    Jiang Yu furrowed his brows. Faces of the couple of people beside him also darkened.


    This situation gave Ling Zhang a headache. He massaged his forehead, stepped forward to stop Yuwen Jin, and coaxed, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go back right now. If your father finds out you not only got drunk but also made trouble, he¡¯ll definitely flog you after you return.¡±


    On hearing Ling Zhang mention his father, Yuwen Jin subconsciously flinched, not daring say another word.


    Jiang Yu, seeing that Yuwen Jin had backed down, had no intention of staying. He turned around and started walking away.


    ¡°You must have a death wish!¡±


    All of a sudden, the door of the room on the opposite side was violently broken from inside and slumped to the ground into several pieces with an almighty clank, on which lay a man who seemed to have just been kicked, curling up in pain with his hands holding his stomach.


    Ling Zhang and the others, drunk and happening to be walking by, were all taken aback by this unexpected event.


    Apart from this, there also seemed to be a fight going on in the room. Clashes of swords and sabers could be heard.


    Ling Zhang was instantly a lot more sober, a frown on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. Hurry.¡±


    No matter who it was that were brawling in there, it was none of their business. Judging from the way those people fought, they had all lost their marbles. Though these students had some kung fu skills, they were all drunk and could easily get hurt by accident.


    Unfortunately, what he was worried about was already happening. After finishing his sentence, Ling Zhang urged Yuwen Jin forward, but before they¡¯d gone two paces, a saber was hurled out of the room heading squarely for Yuwen Jin. Breaking out in a cold sweat, Ling Zhang hurriedly drew him back with great force, helping him dodged that shooting saber.

 Chapter 250 - The Taibai Tavern Was the Bane of Us?

    ¡°Jiang Yu!¡± At this moment, a cry of alarm was heard from the group of people opposite them. Ling Zhang looked sideways and saw a man hurtling out of the room straight towards Jiang Yu, who gave a start and subconsciously tried to dodge aside. Seeing that Jiang Yu was about to be hit by that saber, Ling Zhang inwardly cursed, threw Yuwen Jin onto those behind him, lunged forward and grabbed the hilt of the saber, the tip of which stopped just short of the middle of Jiang Yu¡¯s back.


    This dangerous situation reduced all others to screaming with horror. Jiang Yu swiveled his head aside to look at it but lost his balance, staggered and then toppled towards the tip of the blade.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes went grim, flipped his wrist and hurled the saber in another direction. It went squarely into the room and with that an anguished screech was heard. Some unlucky guy in there was hit. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t bother to find out who the victim was, believing that all those people deserved it. Jiang Yu, however, instinctively grabbed Ling Zhang as he realized he was falling over to the floor. Ling Zhang also tottered at the pull and then toppled over.


    ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu!¡±


    With a thud, Ling Zhang and Jiang Yu landed together, Jiang Yu on the floor, and Ling Zhang, accidentally, on Jiang Yu. To make things worse, because of the inertia, Ling Zhang abruptly bumped his chin on Jiang Yu¡¯s shoulder, and the sharp pain stupefied him for a moment.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s shoulder also ached terribly due to the hit. He subconsciously looked aside but the moment he twisted his head, his lips brushed past something warm and soft, leaving him transfixed on the spot.


    That bump was so painful that Ling Zhang failed to feel Jiang Yu accidentally kiss his ear lobe and cheek. He propped himself up on one hand in an effort to get to his feet.


    Fortunately, the others had got over their shock at this moment and hurriedly helped Ling Zhang get off Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang carefully held his lower jaw, gave a shake of his head and finally got his mind out of the stupefaction caused by the great pain.


    Jiang Yu had also been heaved to his feet by his friends, a peculiar expression on his face. As it had happened in such a sudden manner, nobody had noticed that small detail. He flicked a glance at Ling Zhang who was shaking his head, he briefly tucked his lips in and with that something occurred to him and he hurriedly loosened them. Then he raised his hand with the intention to wipe them, but felt that it might have the opposite effect, so he stiffly put his hand down.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± someone standing beside him asked.


    Miao Shiba examined Ling Zhang and looked at his chin. ¡°Did you hurt your mouth with your teeth just now?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Miao Shiba said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll be okay after the pain ebb away.¡±


    Yuwen Jin also checked Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother Zhang, did you get hurt by that saber?¡±


    ¡°No. It was the hilt that I grabbed.¡±


    ¡°Which one of you threw that saber just now? You want to die?!¡± At this moment, two bands of men walked out of the room, all looking ferocious. One of them had a wound in his shoulder, which clearly had been caused by the saber that Ling Zhang had just thrown inside. These people were here to find the one responsible and settle the score.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes instantly went cold. These people had the nerve to come here and bluster?


    The noises on this floor was so loud that soon people of the Taibai Tavern arrived. At the sight of Ling Zhang and the others, the taverner respectfully hastened over and said, ¡°May I ask what happened here, childes?¡±


    Yuwen Jin had been glaring at those men all along. ¡°These people were fighting and yelling here. We almost got hurt by a saber of theirs when walking by. Inform the garrison patrol. These guys gathered a crowd, made disturbances and hurt Brother Zhang. On no account will we let them get away with it.¡±


    Those men didn¡¯t seem to be locals and had no idea who Ling Zhang and the others were. One of them said haughtily, ¡°You want us arrested? I¡¯ll break your¨C¡±


    Bang!


    All people on the scene saw a flicker of a figure and with that the speaker was sent flying into the room by a kick, overturning the table and chairs as he landed. The man held his chest and abruptly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face going pale.


    Everybody¡¯s countenance changed.


    Miao Shiba withdrew his foot and stepped back to Ling Zhang¡¯s side, coldly eyeing those men. ¡°Whoever utters another word ends up the way this man did.¡±


    The one who had just been knocked off his feet was the chief of these men. After seeing this, none of them dared make any other remarks.


    Soon a garrison patrol came and escorted those men away. All these childes were from powerful families. None of those men stood a chance of getting out of prison in one piece.


    As Ling Zhang had saved Jiang Yu once again, Yuwen Jin, seeing Jiang Yu walk away with his cronies, said unhappily on their way out of the tavern, ¡°Something always happens whenever we meet Jiang Yu. Do you think there¡¯s a jinx on him?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually I feel that the Taibai Tavern is the bane of us. Let¡¯s never come to this place to dine again,¡± said Tao Yi, having a lingering fear.


    Thinking about the last incident and this one, every one of them, including Ling Zhang, couldn¡¯t help but flick a backward glance at the Taibai Tavern, a weird expression in their eyes.


    ¡°Next time let¡¯s go to the side yard of my family,¡± suggested Ji Feng in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s change the location next time. I will never come to this tavern ever again,¡± said Tao Yi.


    ¡°Alas, it¡¯s always Brother Zhang who suffers in the end. If the Taibai Tavern is really the bane of anybody, it¡¯s Brother Zhang,¡± observed Yuwen Jin.


    Everybody lapsed into silence, looking at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart did a somersault, and the expression in his eyes grew even odder as he gazed at the Taibai Tavern. Even he himself could barely refrain from suspecting that the Taibai Tavern was the bane of him.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go home right away. I¡¯ve actually sobered up after this incident,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Xun Huo, who was thoroughly drunk and fast asleep on his servant¡¯s back, was the only one totally unaware of what had just happened.


    ¡­


    After returning home, Ling Zhang surprisedly found that Yuwen Tong had already come back. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t answer immediately. He looked at him with a frown, walked up and sniffed at him. ¡°You drank wine?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°A few cups. With Yuwen Jin, Brother Tao and some others. That day the meal was called off, and we rescheduled it for today.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and removed a splinter from Ling Zhang¡¯s sleeve, then looked at the dusty lower hem of his robes. ¡°You fell over for drinking?¡±


    Ling Zhang was sent into a fleeting amazed trance. How did Yuwen Tong come to know he¡¯d fallen to the floor? He twisted his head around to look at Miao Shiba, who shook his head ¨Che hadn¡¯t found the time to tell the Marshal anything yet.


    ¡°What happened?¡± On seeing his facial expression, Yuwen Tong knew he had indeed fallen over.


    Ling Zhang gave an account of what had happened in the Taibai Tavern earlier this day, and then said with a smile, ¡°The Taibai Tavern is the bane of us. We¡¯ll go there again. I think not only are we afraid of the tavern, the taverner is probably scared to see us as well.¡±


    After hearing this, Yuwen Tong looked at Miao Shiba. ¡°Who were those people?¡±


    ¡°Out-of-towners. They seemed like contract deliverers,¡± answered Miao Shiba.


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head and drew Ling Zhang inside to let him change clothes and bathe.


    Watching their receding backs, Miao Shiba raised his head and thought for a while, feeling that Jiang Yu¡¯s bumping against Ling Zhang had merely been an accident and no big deal, that it was unnecessary for him to specially report it to the Marshal, so he also turned around and left.


    Ling Zhang took a bath to rid himself of the smell of wine, changed into clean robes and asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°Did anything happen at the King Duan¡¯s banquet?¡±


    A couple of days ago Jiang Yu suddenly warned him against the King Duan, and then Yuwen Tong had happened to be invited to the King Duan¡¯s banquet. Both of them had speculated that something would happen at the banquet, but seeing that Yuwen Tong had come back so early, Ling Zhang was uncertain about it.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Nothing. He was just a clown.¡±


    ¡°A clown?¡± Ling Zhang was bemused.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°The King Duan curried favor with me, trying to draw me over to his side, but I didn¡¯t fall for it.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Back then, he¡¯d tried to have me poisoned in order to make an in-law of you. He had no plan to do anything to that end on this occasion?¡±


    This didn¡¯t make any sense. Jiang Yu wouldn¡¯t have given him that word of warning were it the case.


    Yuwen Tong subtly paused and then said, ¡°So many things happened these days. Anybody could tell that nothing can drive us apart.¡±


    Ling Zhang could have noticed Yuwen Tong¡¯s brief pause, if the latter half of Yuwen Tong¡¯s words hadn¡¯t given him a twinge of embarrassment.


    Had Yuwen Tong known beforehand about those lame arrangements of the King Duan¡¯s, he would never have gone there. He had thought that the King Duan had some kind of elaborate scheme, but it¡¯d turned out that that trip of his was merely a waste of time.


    ¡°Young Master, this is your Sobering Soup.¡± A servant brought Ling Zhang some Sobering Soup.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who said, ¡°Drink some, though you¡¯re not really drunk.¡±


    Ling Zhang drank only half a bowl of it. It was not very tasty.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Whitie? It¡¯s been quite a while since my return. Why haven¡¯t I seen it?¡± asked Ling Zhang. Whitie the fox always stayed with him when he was at home ¨Cunless Yuwen Tong got annoyed and left it in someone else¡¯s charge.


    Yuwen Tong inwardly snorted and then said, ¡°It¡¯s with Xie Shi.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    ¡°In a house in the front in the east. He¡¯s instructing Qiu Bing,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    After strict selection, Xie Shi had chosen Qiu Bing to be his apprentice. Qiu Bing had been having a tough time and complaining a lot. Those intimidating medicated baths alone made Ling Zhang¡¯s flesh creep. However, though the training Xie Shi had been giving him was harsh, it was also pretty fruitful. Originally Qiu Bing had been completely clueless about detoxification, but he was learning very quickly, making steady progress.


    After drinking some Sobering Soup, Ling Zhang became sleepy.


    While he was drifting off, Yuwen Tong took him in his arms, kissing him and fondling him. Ling Zhang on the verge of sleep was annoyed, chucked Yuwen Tong out, lay prostrate onto the bed and fell asleep.


    Yuwen Tong waited until Ling Zhang was deep in sleep to walk inside and adjust his sleeping position. Then he had a servant bring a basin of ice into the room and put it under the window.


    As this place was not as cool as the manor, Ling Zhang had slept badly for several consecutive days since his return, which was why he was sleepy during the day.


    Gently stroking his face, Yuwen Tong felt that maybe they should go back to the manor and stay there. Ling Zhang¡¯s study in the Imperial College wasn¡¯t really something of urgency anyway.


    ¡°Marshal,¡± Miao Shiba called from outside.


    Yuwen Tong stood up, walked out with noiseless steps and closed the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the study to talk.¡±


    As soon as he left, Ling Zhang turned over to lie prone on the bamboo sleeping mat, briefly rubbed his face against it and soon was sound asleep. In his dream, he reached the third layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy, mastered the unique skills taught by his grandfather, acquired the ability to conjure storm and rain, and was almost capable of flying in the sky and traveling freely underground. It was a really sweet dream.

 Chapter 251 - A Rich and Generous Grandfather

    After those contract deliverers were apprehended, Jiang Yu still appeared rather sulky. One of his friends consoled him, ¡°Those boors have been arrested already. You may vent your anger on them in whatever way you like. Stop being sullen. I¡¯ll take you to a brothel tonight, and I guarantee all your anger will be completely dissolved there.¡±


    Jiang Yu threw a glance at him, uninterested in brothels. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so shy? It¡¯s just a brothel. You still don¡¯t dare set foot in one till this day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not very struck on girls of that sort. Have you been hiding some kind of beauty in your house, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°You may go without me. I¡¯m going back home.¡±


    After parting from his companions, Jiang Yu returned home with a cold face and immediately instructed servants to prepare bathwater for him. It was only when he washed himself clean in the bathroom that his face which had been stern all along slightly softened. Sitting in the bathtub, he involuntarily recalled that scene in the Taibai Tavern once again, tucking his lips in. Then he raised his hand to wipe them, but when his hand was halfway to the other corner of his mouth, he heavily smacked it onto the surface of the water, his face alternating between green and pink, looking very bizarre.


    ¡­


    ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°I heard that yesterday when you were dining in the Taibai Tavern, another group of daredevils made trouble for you?¡±


    In the morning, Ling Zhang arrived at the Imperial College and paid a visit to Ji Yin first. Naturally, all others in the college believed that Ling Zhang and Ji Yin were just on very good terms, and none of them was aware that they were family. The first thing Ji Yin did at the sight of Ling Zhang was ask about the incident in the Taibai Tavern, which made Ling Zhang go slightly red in the face. What happened the day before wasn¡¯t really a serious event, but the knowledge that his grandfather had been worrying about him made him feel somewhat guilty.


    ¡°Two groups of contract deliverers from out of town got drunk and started fighting. We happened to be walking past and narrowly avoided being hurt. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Taibai Tavern before. It¡¯s said to be the best tavern in the capital city. The way I see it, its reputation is unearned. First one of their waiters was bought and tried to poison you, and then people carrying weapons brawled in it. It seems to be a terribly troubled place.¡±


    Ji Yin¡¯s voice grew unhappy as he talked. He felt that fame was the only thing the Taibai Tavern had ¨C their management was not strict enough; they allowed all kinds of customers to get in, and his grandson¡¯s life had been threatened there. It¡¯d taken him, an old man, so many years to find his grandson, and he hadn¡¯t found the opportunity to make up to him for these years¡¯ absence of love in his life, but these nasty incidents had happened one after another, in which his grandson had been faced with danger. Ji Yin was very disgruntled at the thought of this.


    Seeing that Ji Yin was angry, Ling Zhang, worried that anger might compromise his health, said, ¡°I¡¯ll never dine in the Taibai Tavern again. It turns out eating at home is the best choice.¡±


    ¡°How about grandfather buys you a manor outside the city or a second residence in the city? So that you and your friends will have a place to stay in when it¡¯s not inconvenient for you to take them home, and it¡¯ll save you going to any of those taverns on the streets to dine, and spare you worries about safety.¡±


    After hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, Ji Yin suddenly offered to buy him a manor or another residence, sounding as casual and natural as if he were talking about buying two steamed buns.


    ¡°And about those twenty-four security guards of yours, don¡¯t just leave them at home as though they were some kind of decorations. You should take them with you when you go out. They¡¯ve been practicing those martial formations for such a long time, and it¡¯s about time they made themselves useful. In a few days I¡¯ll talk to the principal and resign my professorship, so that I¡¯ll have time to help you reach the third layer of the mental cultivation method and teach those brats some discipline. Um, I think a manor will be a better choice. Grandfather will personally select one for you. When it¡¯s done, you and your security guards may move into it immediately.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell open-mouthed as he heard Ji Yin¡¯s decision. ¡°Wait, Grandfather. There¡¯s no need to go to that much trouble. Buying a manor is too¨C¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any trouble. It¡¯s just a manor. I¡¯ll buy a big one and have it revamped. There¡¯ll be a spacious drill ground, and a quiet chamber for you to cultivate internal energy. And you don¡¯t have to worry about the hiring of servants. I will handle it for you. If nothing else works, I¡¯ll drug them to keep them under control. You may rest assured that all of them will be absolutely loyal and obedient.¡±


    Hearing this, Ling Zhang came to realize that his grandfather had already had everything planned out, including even what kind of manor to buy, and how to revamp it. He hurriedly tried to talk him out of it. ¡°Buying a manor is too big a move, Grandfather. What if someone notices and becomes suspicious of you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuss. I¡¯ll be in disguise.¡±


    ¡°But a manor costs a fortunate, Grandfather. I¡¯ll buy one myself after I earn enough money. You should keep your money in case you¡¯re in need some day.¡±


    ¡°A manor doesn¡¯t really cost that much. I have more than enough money to buy a city, and I seldom find myself in need of any. Those silver ingots are getting moldy in there.¡± After saying this, Ji Yin, as if something had just occurred to him, told Ling Zhang, ¡°You¡¯re still young, and there¡¯ll be a lot of occasions when you need money. Besides, you¡¯re with Yuwen Tong and your identity is different now. That money will be of much more use to you than it is to me.¡±


    A hint of urgency appeared in his voice as he talked about this. Ji Yin felt that previously he¡¯d been too careless. His grandson¡¯s status was different now, and maybe the reason why he¡¯d encountered so much trouble from the beginning of his journey to the capital city till this day was because people believed he was weak and from a poor family.


    ¡®No. I¡¯ve got to do something for my grandson right away,¡¯ thought Ji Yin.


    ¡°You have a lesson to attend, don¡¯t you? Hurry. Go back to the classroom. Grandfather¡¯s got some business to deal with.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ji Yin¡¯s anxious face, dazed. He kept feeling that his grandfather would definitely create a sensation if he let him go out like this. ¡°Grandfather, you really don¡¯t need to buy a manor for me. I¡¯ve already got a residence. Also, Yuwen Tong owns a manor in the suburb¡­¡±


    Ji Yin¡¯s eyes which were fixed on Ling Zhang went piercing as though he¡¯d thought his grandson knew better than this. ¡°You said it yourself ¨C that manor belongs to Yuwen family, and it¡¯s different from a manor of your own. You¡¯re my grandson, which means you¡¯re of very noble blood. How can I let anybody look down upon you? It¡¯s true that members of the Millennium Pavilion live in seclusion, but you¡¯re not. In no circumstances should this matter be taken lightly.¡±


    Back at the time when Ji Yin had just found Ling Zhang, what with his worrying about Ling Zhang holding resentment towards him, he¡¯d been overcautious, not daring to do anything that might upset Ling Zhang, but over the past half a month, the two of them had been getting along better and better. Ji Yin was very happy, so naturally he began to consider some other matters. Although the Millennium Pavilion had been in seclusion for centuries, there were countless treasures and manuals of unique skills hidden in it, the total value of which was greater than that of a country, and the branches of it that had been covertly operating these years were also making profit. It was probably the wealthiest place in the world. Ji Yin, as the Prime Elder of the Millennium Pavilion, naturally was a super-rich man. In the realization that Ling Zhang was his only family member left and he himself didn¡¯t need that much money, Ji Yin who was on increasingly better terms with Ling Zhang had come up with the idea of doing something for his grandson.


    Ling Zhang had only felt the existence of the Blood of the Phoenix Clan on the few occasions when he¡¯d been easily accepted by animals. There was nothing else, and he didn¡¯t have any other expectations, which was why he was a little confused when Ji Yin reminded him that he was of noble blood.


    ¡°Pity I cannot mobilize the secret resources planted by the clan.¡±


    Ji Yin felt it a great pity that he couldn¡¯t use the resources of the secret branches of the Millennium Pavilion, which had been established to make sure that the clan was not utterly uninformed of the outside world. These were the Millennium Pavilion¡¯s ears and eyes, and were of great importance. They must not be exposed, otherwise there would be trouble. Ji Yin would unhesitatingly make use of them to offer Ling Zhang help if it weren¡¯t for these limitations.


    Ling Zhang was overwhelmed by this unexpected favor. ¡°Please do not use them, Grandfather.¡±


    If his grandfather was subjected to punishment because of it, he would have a terribly guilty conscience.


    Ling Zhang still wanted to talk Ji Yin out of the idea of buying him a manor, but he had just started when Ji Yin shooed him out of the house, and then he himself also left in a hurry.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang had no choice but to have Miao Shiba inform Yuwen Tong of it and tell him to pay attention to events in the city and keep his grandfather safe.


    What with this matter, Ling Zhang appeared absent-minded during the lesson and almost got scolded by the teacher.


    ¡­


    When Yuwen Tong received the message from Miao Shiba, a muscle twitched at the corner of his mouth. It was not that he disapproved of the way Ji Yin was showing his affection for Ling Zhang, but that he had a premonition that his manor in the suburb would probably become useless, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide his sweetheart there or have private time with him in it as he pleased¡­


    As the weather got hotter, this residence would be even more unsuitable for spending the summer compared with that manor. Yuwen Tong had originally wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and trick Ling Zhang into going back to the manor. If Ling Zhang got his own manor, he definitely wouldn¡¯t go there again. Also, Ji Yin would be in Ling Zhang¡¯s manor¡­


    Yuwen Tong immediately instructed Yao Yi and some others to keep their ear to the ground and pay special attention to the real estate trading center.


    If it were anybody else, Yuwen Tong could directly have his men keep close watch on them, but when the target was Ji Yin, even he himself might not be able to spy on him, not to mention any of his subordinates. The old man always came and went like a shadow, and also had mysterious abilities of laying all kinds of formations. The very thought of this gave Yuwen Tong severe headaches.


    Yuwen Tong massaged his temples. Ling Zhang¡¯s powerful grandfather had become something of a vexation.


    At this time, he missed Ling Zhang¡¯s uncle and the others very much, all of whom were so adorable compared with Ji Yin.


    ¡­


    Although Yao Yi had assigned some men to the real estate trading center to keep watch, he still failed to stop Ji Yin. In the afternoon, Ji Yin, through an unconventional method, directly purchased a large manor of the Marquess Ning¡¯an (AKA, the Marquess of Peace), along with some private courtyard houses nearby and a piece of land.


    Theoretically, not everybody could build manors in the suburbs of the capital city. The site and size of a manor had to be reported to and approved by the emperor before people could start the construction, and there were certain constraints on the manors trade, but the problem was that the piece of land bought by Ji Yin happened to be on the verge of the suburb of the capital city, just out of the boundary.


    When the Marquess Ning¡¯an had been at the climax of his political career, a large area of land had been awarded to him; though his fief had gone beyond the boundaries, nobody had dared raise any objections. Afterwards, as the family¡¯s influence had gradually declined, its fief had dwindled, and eventually, all its land within the boundaries had been sold. They¡¯d kept the part outside the boundaries to maintain the family¡¯s dignity.


    Sure enough, it was not that the land outside the boundaries was too out-of-the-way to catch buyers¡¯ fancy. In fact, that area was moderately populated. The reason was that the emperor couldn¡¯t domineeringly take possession of all the suburbs. Construction work within the boundaries required his approval, but when it came to the area beyond the boundaries, the emperor had permitted merchants of every description and rich families to build houses on it, which had been meant as a privilege.


    Though the manor was far away from downtown, there was also an upside in this regard ¨C it wouldn¡¯t be easy for people living in the city to pry into the personal life of the owner of the manor.


    Moreover, Yuwen family¡¯s manor was not far away from this place. Old General Yuwen had chosen a remote area to build his manor because he¡¯d enjoyed the quiet.


    Ji Yin had purchased the whole piece of land of the Marquess Ning¡¯an in that area. When Yao Yi and the others got wind of it, he had already finished the hiring of artisans who were going to do the revamp. Ji Yin had directly bought the manor along with everything inside it. At this time, the butler and servants who had been working in it were leaving, baggage in hands.


    Yuwen Tong, after being informed of it, lapsed into a long silence. The old man had got it done so quick that there was nothing he could do now. The silver lining was that the two manors were not very far away from each other.

 Chapter 252 - A Warning from Yuwen Tong

    Ling Zhang was still having a class and unaware that his grandfather had acted so quick that the revamp of the manor had already started. There hadn¡¯t been any rumors about the transaction in the capital city, because the family of the Marquess Ning¡¯an were unwilling to disclose it to outsiders for fear of losing face. Former owners of those courtyard houses were merchants, and the merchant circle was very different from the dignitary circle, so it was impossible for news of this kind of things to reach their ears.


    During the riding lesson in the afternoon, however, there was a blip.


    As coincidental as it had been the last time, Ling Zhang and his friends were attending a riding lesson with Jiang Yu. Another group of people were also present.


    Snowflake the horse, which was Ling Zhang¡¯s steed, drew numerous people¡¯s eyes as it made its appearance. Added to this was his reputation in the Imperial College. Almost everybody present knew who he was, and he naturally was the focus of attention in the field.


    When Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin and the others arrived, Jiang Yu and his cronies were already there. Their arrival was accompanied by a lot of noises, so naturally Jiang Yu and the others noticed.


    ¡°This Ling Zhang guy is getting cockier by the day.¡±


    As usual, it was Zuo Yuanping standing behind Jiang Yu who spoke. After saying this, he specially looked at Jiang Yu to see his reaction. On that day, at the front gates of the Imperial College, Jiang Yu rebuked him after he made a nasty remark about Ling Zhang, and he was astonished, wondering why Jiang Yu suddenly changed his attitude. He had a history with Ling Zhang and didn¡¯t want to see Jiang Yu and Ling Zhang bury the hatchet, but he didn¡¯t dare offend Jiang Yu either, so after saying this, he flicked a tentative glance at Jiang Yu. Seeing no particular reaction from Jiang Yu, unaware of what Jiang Yu was thinking about, he added, ¡°Marshal Yuwen is nursing injuries at home, but he, instead of staying with him and tending him, came to this place. Why does the Marshal has his eye on a man of this kind when he obviously deserves someone much better?¡±


    ¡°Would you knock it off?¡±


    Jiang Yu turned around and looked at him coldly. ¡°Like I said that day, if you say another word about this, you¡¯ll have to leave this group.¡±


    Zuo Yuanping went pale-faced and somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Jiang Yu, don¡¯t you think Ling Zhang is being unbearable?¡±


    ¡°Beat it.¡±


    Since Jiang Yu had given the word, all his cronies acted accordingly and soon forced Zuo Yuanping out of the group. Zuo Yuanping was no longer welcome in Jiang Yu¡¯s clique.


    Zuo Yuanping was indignant but didn¡¯t dare say anything, his fist clenched. ¡®Jiang Yu!¡¯


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± someone beside him suddenly said.


    Zuo Yuanping looked in that direction and saw that a student walked up to Ling Zhang, said something and with that everybody beside Ling Zhang had an odd expression on his face.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Ling Zhang. Can you play qin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither)?¡±


    Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity by this person who had suddenly shown up and asked him whether he knew how to play qin.


    ¡°I want to have a qin competition with you. Both of us play the tune ¡®Commencement of War¡¯.¡±


    A muscle twitched at the corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth. Commencement of War? What was this guy talking about?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to play the tune ¡®Commencement of War¡¯. Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t compete with you just because you asked. You haven¡¯t identified yourself, and none of your words make any sense. How about you tell me why you want to compete with me on the proficiency in ¡®Commencement of War¡¯?¡±


    Seeing the hint of inexplicable hostility in this person¡¯s eyes, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but give a sneer.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s and the others¡¯ faces also fell, their eyes fixed on this student who had suddenly come to challenge Ling Zhang. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Who is he? Yesterday¨C¡±


    A hiss was heard.


    A person beside the student had just wanted to say something when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his knee, and with that his legs buckled and he slumped to his knees.


    ¡°Is such a high level of formality really necessary?¡± Ling Zhang looked down at the person kneeling on the ground, an flinty look on his face.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Seeing his companion suddenly kneel down with a miserable face, the student who had just challenged Ling Zhang to a qin competition went somewhat flurried.


    Because of the noises, all others moved their eyes in this direction, wondering what was going on.


    With an apathetic expression, Ling Zhang glanced at Miao Shiba out of the corner of his eye. Just now there¡¯d seemed to be a gleam shooting into that person¡¯s knee. If he had seen correctly, it was Miao Shiba who¡¯d done it.


    With a thoughtful look, Ling Zhang ignored the two people, one kneeling and the other crouching, and said, ¡°No matter who you are, I¡¯m not interested in this kind of farce, and neither do I have the time for it. Be smart and stay away from me or there will be consequences.¡±


    Seeing his companion yelling ¡°My leg¡¯s broken!¡± with an anguished, pallid face, the student who had challenged Ling Zhang to a competition also paled visibly. He turned to look at Ling Zhang, a faint mixture of wariness and fear in his eyes. ¡°You did this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a weirdo. We have every reason to suspect that you¡¯re trying to frame Brother Zhang. This guy had barely finished a sentence when he knelt to the ground and started whining as though we did something to him. Use your brain, will you? And tell us who sent you here to make trouble for us.¡±


    Yuwen Jin frostily eyed the two people, arms crossed on his chest.


    On hearing the rebuke, the student clenched his teeth. ¡°Arrant nonsense! I just want to have a qin competition with Ling Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Qin my ass! Get lost!¡± Yuwen Jin glared at him, his fists clenched, making it obvious that he¡¯d beat him up if he didn¡¯t leave right away.


    ¡°My leg¡­ My leg hurts so badly! Help me! Send for a physician!¡±


    The man wailed in pain on the ground was reduced to tears. The student¡¯s face was full of anger but there was nothing he could do to vent it. His companion was tightly holding on to him asking him for help, and he couldn¡¯t ignore him¡­


    Ling Zhang rolled his eyes upwards, couldn¡¯t be bothered to say another word, turned around and left.


    Yuwen Jin and the others naturally followed in Ling Zhang¡¯s wake. Before leaving, Zhao Jiusi thoughtfully tossed an appraising look at that person¡¯s figure and looks, a flicker of suspicion crossing his eyes.


    Seeing Ling Zhang walk away, Miao Shiba felt a sense of relief. When he looked at the student again who¡¯d tried to provoke Ling Zhang, the expression in his eyes was icy cold and highly admonitory.


    Distantly, lookers on fell into discussion after seeing this.


    ¡°I think that man is that what-d¡¯you-call-him living in Tangfeng Garden who comes from a small city and is good at playing qin.¡±


    ¡°Why did he try to provoke Ling Zhang? He¡¯s got a lot of balls.¡±


    ¡­


    At dusk, before Ling Zhang returned home, Yuwen Tong came to know this matter, his face darkening. Because of Peng Fang¡¯s previous attempt to have Ling Zhang poisoned, he had been meaning to fix Zhou Mingyuan for quite some time. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the time was not ripe yet, he would never have tolerated this kind of thing. He had let Zhou Mingyuan get away with his ridiculous arrangement for that qin master to seduce him, but making trouble for Ling Zhang was beyond the pale.


    ¡­


    That very night, the King Duan¡¯s henchman returned to the King Duan¡¯s residential compound in haste and went to the study.


    ¡°Your Highness, that qin master came here to ask for help. A meridian in his left wrist got hurt and he can never play qin again. Also, the Imperial College expelled him, saying that he committed misbehavior. He implores you to offer him help.¡±


    The King Duan knitted his eyebrows. ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    His henchman hesitated for a while and then said, ¡°He went to Ling Zhang and kicked up a stink, which came to Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge.¡±


    The King Duan¡¯s face fell. After quite a while, he instructed, ¡°Send him home. Tell him not to show his face in the capital city again.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    The King Duan had a sullen countenance. He originally had intended to use the qin master to curry favor with Yuwen Tong, but Yuwen Tong had not only shown no interest whatsoever but also wounded the qin master. Yuwen Tong knew the qin master served him, but he¡¯d done it anyway. This was clearly a warning for him!


    ¡°Send him away.¡±


    ¡°Ur¡­ Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    After his henchman left, the scowl on the King Duan¡¯s face still hadn¡¯t ebbed. The reason why he¡¯d always wanted to draw Yuwen Tong over to his side was because of his military leadership, but Yuwen Tong was unbelievably insensible ¨C he¡¯d given various hints to Yuwen Tong, but he still remained indifferent. And today he¡¯d inflicted such a humiliation on him.


    If it weren¡¯t for his longing for the throne, he would never fawn on Yuwen Tong again and again!


    The only thing that was luck for him was that though Yuwen Tong refused to side with him, he hadn¡¯t made overtures to any other sides. It was okay that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want to serve him, but if he was insensible enough to take anybody else¡¯s side, he would have no choice but to eliminate Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    After returning home, Ling Zhang took a bath first and changed into clean robes.


    ¡°Mr. Ji bought a manor outside the city and has hired some craftsmen to revamp it.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had just sat down, dilated his eyes at this message. ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ji did it very fast, and not via the real estate trading center. I think he¡¯d had everything planned out some time ago.¡±


    Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang where the manor Ji Yin had purchased was, a rather resigned expression on his face. He couldn¡¯t stop Ji Yin, so he¡¯d had no choice but to quickly send some men there to help. Fortunately Ji Yin hadn¡¯t declined his offer, and Yuwen Tong had heaved a sigh of relief after being informed of it.


    When stopping him was not an option, helping him was his only choice.


    Ling Zhang was astounded by the efficiency with which his grandfather had handled this matter.


    ¡°The Marquess of Ning¡¯an feels ashamed to have sold the manor, so he didn¡¯t disclose it to anybody, and neither did any of the other merchants. So far hardly anybody has come to know about this matter.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang felt a faint sense of relief. He¡¯d been worried that what his grandfather was going to do would attract a lot of people¡¯s attention and get himself in trouble.


    Yuwen Tong took a dry towel to wipe Ling Zhang¡¯s hair, gently massaging his acupoints. ¡°I heard that someone tried to make trouble for you. Was it true?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes flickered briefly, and he replied, ¡°Nothing serious. Just a little thing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to be unhappy, was slightly relieved. Although those annoying flies had been the King Duan¡¯s doing, he still had a somewhat guilty conscience and worried that Ling Zhang might be angry.


    ¡°By the way, the trade caravan sent a letter here, saying that everything¡¯s fine and they¡¯re close to Yanzhou.¡±


    In the afternoon a letter for Ling Zhang had been delivered to the residence. As it was from the trade caravan, Yuwen Tong had taken the liberty of reading it. The originally obscure trade caravan had shot to fame because of Ling Zhang and him. When it¡¯d left the capital city heading back for Tanyang, it¡¯d been more than twice its original size, and it had departed in massive, streaming columns. There was no need for them to worry about its safety. Any gang who wanted to lay hands on this trade caravan had to consider whether they stood a chance of defeating Marshal Yuwen¡¯s army before making their move.


    Ling Zhang, being massaged, felt very comfortable and gradually became languid, his broad collar hanging askew, revealing his long, white-skinned neck, pert collarbones and gracefully shaped shoulder, all of which were gleaming in the lamplight. The look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes changed at the sight of it. Slowly, his hands massaging Ling Zhang¡¯s crown acupoints started misbehaving, sliding to his shoulders.


    Enjoying the massage very much, Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t noticed the change of mood in the room. It was only when Yuwen Tong nibbled his shoulder, the tip of his tongue tracing circles on it, that he came to realize what was happening. As the soft touch of Yuwen Tong¡¯s tongue circled a spot repeatedly, a limp and numb sensation rapidly shot from his tailbone to the back side of his head, and his waist gave a shudder.


    ¡°Um¡­ Stop that.¡±


    Ling Zhang tried to pull his shoulders in but failed. The last syllable of his words was quivering, which further aroused Yuwen Tong. Satisfied with Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction, he curled the corners of his mouth in a smile, the longing in his eyes deepening.

 Chapter 253 - Stay with Grandfather for Two Days

    Yuwen Tong seemed to have become addicted to that thing after they consummated their relationship. He was very keen on doing it and refused to let any opportunity to do it slip away, and he always did it two or three times in a row. What with this, Ling Zhang had been having a sore waist and a backache all along recently. As he had to attend lessons during the day and do this thing at night, there was barely any time left for him to cultivate internal energy.


    He had tried to refuse, but for him, this was a new and thrilling experience as well. Also, he was in his youth and full of enthusiasm. How was he supposed to control himself? Every time he attempted to walk away, Yuwen Tong would persist and he would soon succumb to temptation.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s tongue moved from his shoulder to his shoulder blades, and then the back of his neck. Ling Zhang nearly lost his balance because of the itch, involuntarily pulling his shoulders in, his chest out. Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand went through his open collar, sliding straight downward. The smooth and fine touch of Ling Zhang¡¯s back made Yuwen Tong¡¯s lower abdomen abruptly contract and with that his palm quickly moved to a half-moon¡­


    The towel with which Yuwen Tong had wiped Ling Zhang¡¯s hair dropped to the ground, and Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes to the crook of his arm. He reached out a hand and grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s wrist but couldn¡¯t at all stop him.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Suddenly, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes widened and went dazed, an unnaturally seductive look on his face. Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand stroking his chest slid upwards and held his cheek, his thumb fingering Ling Zhang¡¯s lips, and with that his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed and his mouth took the place of the hand.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong made out with him for a whole night. The next day, when Ling Zhang arrived at the Imperial College, his waist and legs were still fairly limp. He inwardly cursed Yuwen Tong for a few moments.


    After Ling Zhang walked inside, Yuwen Jin told him under his breath, ¡°Let me tell you something ¨C that student who tried to provoke you yesterday has been expelled from our college. It seems that he was found to be guilty of some kind of misbehavior. This morning someone said that he packed up his stuff and left the city with his tail between his legs last night.¡±


    ¡°Last night?¡± After sitting down, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare change his position, trying to make himself appear normal.


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s already left,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang had a thoughtful look on his face. Because of Miao Shiba¡¯s deed and Yuwen Tong¡¯s cautious questions the day before, it was not difficult for him to guess that the qin master must be the one who¡¯d appeared at the King Duan¡¯s banquet that day. As things stood, someone had done something.


    After hearing about how that student had ended up, Zhao Jiusi on the side slightly paused. The day before, after seeing that student, he¡¯d felt rather weird but hadn¡¯t figured out the reason immediately. It¡¯d been after he returned home and did some careful thinking that he realized that that student¡¯s figure bore some resemblance to Ling Zhang¡¯s, and his looks slightly resembled Ling Zhang¡¯s as well. Originally he¡¯d worried that this person would work against Ling Zhang with some subterfuges, but unexpectedly, he¡¯d been forced into leaving the capital city so soon.


    Maybe because the weather was getting hot, students were more inclined to gossip than usual. They talked about this matter for quite a long time, making all kinds of speculations about whom that student had offended. Ling Zhang listened for a while and then lost his interest. He asked the college for two days off. The next day he was going to the new manor to meet his grandfather and see if there was anything he could help with.


    He hadn¡¯t told Yuwen Jin and the others about the manor yet, planning to wait until the revamp was over.


    ¡°All the fuss over such a petty matter. I wonder whether they could get the better of those courtiers in an argument if they¡¯re brought to the imperial court.¡±


    Ji Feng took the folding fan his study-servant (a boy serving in someone¡¯s study) handed him, unfolded it with a jerk of his hand and started fanning himself vigorously. What with the hot weather, all students were sweating buckets, and even their tones were slightly more confrontational than usual. This was the time when everybody was particularly prone to pick a fight at a minor disagreement.


    ¡°What happened in the imperial court?¡±


    Ling Zhang asked about it. Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been attending court meetings and couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay any attention to what the courtiers were disputing about, so when it came to the situation in the imperial court, Ling Zhang was not as well informed as Ji Feng and the others whose elders attended court meetings regularly.


    ¡°The appointment of new officials, of course. What else could it be? The Gu family recommended someone, vouching for his competence. This guy is a toady and wily old fox, who seldom does anything practical and spends most of his time currying favor with superiors. My grandfather believes that allowing a man of this sort to be promoted will undermine the foundation of our country, so he raised a strong objection, but His Majesty clearly had already been convinced by Gu family and would probably appoint that guy to the position in the next two days. My grandfather¡¯s so angry that he couldn¡¯t even eat.¡±


    Ji Feng, a scornful look on his face, evidently loathed the one that the Gu family had vouched for. Xie Qing¡¯s and Zhao Jiusi¡¯s countenance also changed somewhat, seeming to have also heard about this matter from their elders as well.


    Yuwen Jin asked curiously, ¡°Someone the Gu family recommended and vouched for? Who is it?¡±


    Ji Feng gave a soft cough and confided in an undertone, ¡°Wang Cai.¡±


    Wang Cai? This name was completely strange to Ling Zhang. He¡¯d been in the capital city for quite a few days and the inquiries he¡¯d made should be enough for him to know about all those he needed to know, but he¡¯d never heard of this Wang Cai guy before, as though he was a newcomer.


    Not only Ling Zhang but also Yuwen Jin and Xun Huo appeared puzzled.


    ¡°Wang Cai is a member of the Wang family in Haizhou. The Wang family used to be very powerful in the reign of the former emperor, but afterwards returned to Haizhou in dejection due to mishandling of a particular event. It¡¯s been a couple of decades and they seem to have gathered enough strength and want to gain a foothold in the capital city again, so they hooked up with the Gu family. People of the Gu family have been losing their sense of propriety these years, recommending all kinds of people to His Majesty, heedless of their qualifications, stopping at nothing to expand the Crown Prince¡¯s faction.¡±


    Ji Feng made these remarks in a very low voice audible only to Ling Zhang and the couple of others.


    ¡°After the Sixth Prince and the King Hui were brought down in succession, the King Duan, the King Yu and the Crown Prince carved up their forces. As the Crown Prince had been nursing his illness for years, the other two princes got larger shares. Now the Crown Prince has returned to the imperial court, so the Gu family, naturally, wants to help him gather enough helpers so as to oppose the other two sides. His Majesty adopted the suggestion of the Gu family and decided to give the post to this Wang Cai guy because he wants to use him as a counterbalance to the powers of the other two princes. My grandfather said that His Majesty¡­¡± Ji Feng let out a cough and continued, ¡°Anyway, if Wang Cai gets promoted, he¡¯d be nothing but a disgusting douche bag.¡±


    After hearing Ji Feng¡¯s words, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but inwardly heave a sigh. The emperor was indeed inextricably bogged down in the idea of checks and balances; all he could think about was how to enforce his rule, and these years he hadn¡¯t really made any achievements in terms of improving people¡¯s lives. The riot in Xiang City of Cangzhou, on the surface, had been caused by local officials, but in fact, the political climate in the whole Great Yue was fairly degenerate these years, and people had long been in discontent.


    ¡°If it were in the past, the Jiang family would definitely have intervened and make life difficult for the Gu family, but because of the matter of Jiang Chengfeng, Jiang Shennian has been keeping his head down lately, and my grandfather is unable to handle the many underlings of the Gu family single-handed, so there¡¯s nothing he could do. He just stays at home sulking in his room.¡±


    ¡°The King Duan and the King Yu just stood by watching it happen?¡±


    ¡°They want to stop it, but recently His Majesty has been cold-shouldering the two of them because of the King Hui¡¯s attempted usurpation. They don¡¯t dare risk antagonizing him further.¡±


    Hearing them talk about the situation in the imperial court, Ling Zhang came to realize that the outcome of this matter was probably a foregone conclusion now, which was why Ji Feng¡¯s grandfather was so angry.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s stop talking about these unpleasant things. Would you like to go to the summer house of my family in a day or two? It¡¯s so hot, and I think we could all use somewhere to get out of this heat,¡± suggested Ji Feng.


    Naturally all others agreed willingly. The summer house of the Ji family had been built after they saw the manor of the Yuwen family. It was also far away from the city and near the manor that Ji Yin had just purchased. Ling Zhang, thinking that he was going to visit the new manor anyway, agreed. ¡°There¡¯s some business I have to attend to these days. You guys fix a date first, and I¡¯ll go directly to you on that day.¡±


    Thus they agreed to meet three days later.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang was sitting in a horse-drawn carriage and it was a long, bumpy ride. He¡¯d departed early in the morning, but it was shortly before dusk that he arrived at the new manor.


    Ling Zhang had brought Wang Dashan and other security guards with him, planning to let them stay in this place, help with the revamp and meanwhile learn some moves from Ji Yin.


    He got out of the carriage. Whitie the fox crouching on top of his head was unwilling to get down and Ling Zhang resignedly let it. Not many people could bear wearing a fluffy ¡°hat¡± in such hot weather.


    ¡°Whitie, here we are. Get down.¡±


    Whitie, probably feeling intolerably hot as well, let out a cry, jumped to Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and then to the ground. After another soft cry, it streaked forward and soon disappeared, seeming to have set off to find somewhere cool to stay.


    The hotness had made a cool spot much more appealing to it than Ling Zhang was.


    Ling Zhang gave a slight sigh of relief and looked up at the manor in front of him.


    Before his departure, Yuwen Tong had been called to Yuwen You¡¯s place and would arrive later. At this time Ling Zhang and his security guards were the only visitors.


    The group of them walked up to the front gates of the manor and were stopped. ¡°Please identify yourselves. Our master has purchased this manor. If you¡¯re here for an audience with the Marquess Ning¡¯an (AKA, the Marquess of Peace), you¡¯ll have to go back to the capital city to find him.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes appraised the two tough hombres guarding the gates, who were tall and thickset. Due to the heat, they were bare-backed, but it didn¡¯t make them any less ferocious-looking. Those not bold enough might be deterred from getting close to the gates.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here for an audience with the Marquess Ning¡¯an. It¡¯s the new owner of this manor that we came here to see. I¡¯d appreciate it if you informed him of my presence. My name is Ling Zhang.¡±


    The strong men neither knew Ling Zhang nor had heard of his ¡°wide¡± reputation. After hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, one of them told him to wait a moment and then went inside to report.


    After a while, Ji Yin walked outside and said with a smile, ¡°Why did you come so soon, my boy? Grandfather hasn¡¯t finished the revamp yet.¡±


    ¡°I cannot let you carry the burden all on your own, Grandfather. I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    The two strong gatekeepers sized up Ling Zhang in amazement. It was not until this moment that they came to know this childe they¡¯d just stopped was grandson to the owner of this manor.


    Ji Yin had changed out of his Confucian scholar¡¯s robes, dressed like a common rich old man, looking unobtrusive. In the capital city, apart from students of the Imperial College, very few people had laid eyes on him, and there was certainly no need for him to worry about anybody recognizing him in this manor.


    Hearing that Ling Zhang wanted to help, Ji Yin smiled, ¡°It¡¯s just a little thing. The craftsmen will handle it. Also, quite some people came here to help yesterday.¡±


    Ling Zhang knew Ji Yin was referring to the helpers sent by Yuwen Tong. Walking into the manner with Ji Yin, he told him, ¡°Something¡¯s keeping him. He¡¯ll be here later.¡±


    As there were outsiders present and Ling Zhang, Ji Yin and Yuwen Tong all preferred to keep a low profile, neither of them mentioned Yuwen Tong¡¯s name.


    Fully aware of the situation, Ji Yin nodded and said, ¡°This place is not very habitable for the moment, and all artisans have arrived, so you may tell him not to come. Doesn¡¯t he have a manor nearby? Tell him to live there. I want you to stay here with me for a couple of days.¡±

 Chapter 254 - Ascertainment of the Reason for the Rebirth?

    With a few words, Ji Yin had decided where Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong would be staying for the next two days. Ling Zhang was okay with this, because staying here to help his grandfather for two days was his plan all along, but thinking about Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help smiling inwardly. That guy definitely would feel aggrieved.


    This might not be a bad idea, for he happened to need a break. These days Yuwen Tong had been snatching at every chance to do that thing with him, which had made him begin to wonder whether he was going to die of Shenkui (a culture bound syndrome native to China in which the individual suffers somatic symptoms with anxiety, believed to be caused by a loss of semen). It would be a terrible shame to die a death like that. He could also take advantage of this opportunity to figure out how to get on top of Yuwen Tong. Humph.


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang raised his head, turned around and instructed Wang Dashan, ¡°Have someone deliver a message to them. Make sure they¡¯re aware of my grandfather¡¯s decision.¡±


    Wang Dashan secretly snickered and answered, ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang accompanying Ji Yin had a walk around the manor. As this manor was being expanded by incorporating several next-door summer houses, it covered a vast area and a stroll around it would take a long time. Also, some walls separating this manor and the summer houses were being demolished, and it was inconvenient to go there.


    Artisans could be seen bustling around everywhere. At the sight of Ling Zhang, all of them greeted him in the knowledge that he was also an owner of this manor.


    Ling Zhang had Liu Yi and some others buy some melons, cool them in a well, cut them into slices and deliver them to the artisans. He also instructed a servant to cook some mung soup which helped relieve summer-heat, cool it in the well and proffer it to the artisans, so that they wouldn¡¯t catch heatstroke. Servants had been instructed to do this daily until the revamp was over.


    It wasn¡¯t everyday these artisans met an employer so kind. They were all very happy and thanked him respectfully.


    ¡°Thank you for coming to help in such a hot weather. Each of you will get an extra ten-percent of the agreed remuneration as a bonus when the revamp is finished.¡± After saying this, Ling Zhang said to Ji Yin under his breath, ¡°I¡¯ll pay this extra money, Grandfather.¡±


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t try to stop him and happily nodded. ¡°Okay. Do it your way.¡±


    On hearing that they were getting extra pay, all artisans became even more excited and motivated and, naturally, worked harder, paying more attention to the details, trying to make everything perfect, and sure enough their work was different from that done by perfunctory craftsmen. The revamp of a building, no matter in terms of woodworking or tiling, entailed a lot of techniques unknown to outsiders. Some artisans who knew about some underhand methods, when they encountered a mean employer or a foe, would resort to dirty tricks and have them suffer losses without knowing how. Of course this kind of artisans were few in number. Most craftsmen were honest and moral, and always repaid kindness with kindness. Ling Zhang was kind to them because he was considerate enough to empathize with them. Laboring in such hot weather was a miserable thing to anybody. It didn¡¯t really cost him much to make it easier for these artisans, who would work harder for him in return.


    Before long, it was time to knock off, and all artisans returned to their temporary accommodation. Ling Zhang and Ji Yin also went to the courtyard house that Ji Yin would be staying in for the duration of the revamp project. The layout of it was not bad, and it was spacious, too. Beside it was a pond. At night, when breezes blew by, it was pretty cool.


    Whitie the fox finally had enough fun out there and rushed back. Once he was in the house, he threw himself onto Ling Zhang, oblivious of the stains he was leaving on Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes, crying softly as if trying to look cute, his black, beady eyes sparkling, rubbing himself against Ling Zhang in an effort to cotton to him.


    ¡°You got yourself dirty all over and now you came back to stain my clothes. You¡¯re not behaving, Whitie.¡±


    Ling Zhang resignedly let out a sigh, reached out a hand and gently hit Whitie¡¯s head with his knuckles. Whitie instantly put on an aggrieved face, looked at Ling Zhang with his piteous, watery eyes, and softly whimpered at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good playing pitiful. Now you¡¯re not Whitie but Darkie.¡±


    The fox was dusty from head to pad. Ling Zhang had no idea where he had been.


    ¡°Tell me ¨C did you get into some hole?¡± queried Ling Zhang, looking down at him.


    Whitie swished his fluffy tail, wrapped it around Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, and innocently whimpered at him again as though saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m a good boy. Go easy on me.¡±


    Amused, Ling Zhang curled the corners of his mouth in spite of himself. Sharp-eyed Whitie noticed it and immediately got excited, raising his head high and crying.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll give you a bath in a while.¡±


    Ji Yin caught sight of Whitie in Ling Zhang¡¯s arms and observed, ¡°This little white fox looks pretty intelligent.¡±


    Talking about Whitie, Ling Zhang recalled that he needed to ask about the changes in him. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d been meaning to ask you about but forgot, Grandfather. Does the mental cultivation method of internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion bring changes to¡­ the cultivator¡¯s body? I¡¯ve noticed that apart from Whitie and Snowflake, all other animals don¡¯t fear me as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang told Ji Yin about the squirrel jumping to his shoulder, the horses in the racecourse, as well as he and Yuwen Tong testing it on some animals on the hill that day. Then he added, ¡°The moment Yuwen Tong approached them, they get scared and immediately fled.¡±


    Gratified, Ji Yin inclined his head, looking at Ling Zhang with glinting eyes. ¡°The Force of Blood in you is indeed very powerful.¡±


    ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Ling Zhang, who had got a shrewd idea of the reason, was not surprised to hear Ji Yin mention the Force of Blood. And then Ji Yin continued to explain it.


    ¡°Phoenixes are ancient miraculous birds. Their blood holds enormous power, and naturally other animals succumb to it after sensing it. The Force of Blood of the Phoenix Clan coursing in us is very thin ¨C there¡¯s barely any of it left, actually. Only by following the mental cultivation method of internal energy handed down from generation to generation in our clan could we strengthen the Force of Blood which is so thin that it is barely detectable, but even in the Millennium Pavilion, the clan leader is the only one to whom all animals submit themselves at the sight of him. You have only reached the second layer of the cultivation method, but the Force of Blood in you has already begun to have influence on animals. Zhang¡¯er, your Force of Blood is stronger than I expected previously.¡±


    Ji Yin stared at Ling Zhang, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes. He wondered why the Force of Blood in Ling Zhang was so powerful when it should be very weak. But no matter what, this was definitely something to rejoice at!


    It was only after hearing Ji Yin¡¯s explanation that Ling Zhang came to know that the Force of Blood in him was stronger than it was in other clansmen. Of course the suggestion of confusion in Ji Yin¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t escaped his notice. As the reason was unknown to even Ji Yin, he certainly didn¡¯t stand a chance of figuring it out.


    Thinking about this, he felt it rather strange that in his last incarnation, he had died before Ji Yin could find him, and at that time his blood hadn¡¯t struck him as special in any way.


    At this moment, Ji Yin suddenly added, ¡°Outsiders have many speculations about descendants of the Phoenix Clan, and rumors were even wilder when the Xia ruled this land, but none of those are reliable.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°I heard this from my uncle ¨C it is said that in the past foreseers could foretell everything, that descendants of the Phoenix Clan could rise from the dead, which is the very reason why my father left home and tried to find the Millennium Pavilion to have my mother resurrected¡­¡±


    As Ling Zhang said this, a flash of inspiration rapidly crossed his mind, but he failed to grasp it. He kept feeling that he was on the verge of coming to understand something.


    Ji Yin, who hadn¡¯t noticed the fleeting change of Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance, said, ¡°Actually that¡¯s not entirely false¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°That¡¯s true?¡±


    Ji Yin replied, ¡°The reason why the imperial household of the Xia made us their servants in the first place was because of a prodigy in our clan. The Force of Blood in him was extremely powerful ¨C several times more powerful than yours, actually. After he made great achievement in his cultivation of internal energy, elevating the Force of Blood in him to the highest possible level, he acquired the ability to foretell the development of everything. It was with the help of this particular ability that the first emperor of the Xia managed to establish the empire. There¡¯s never been a second clan member who wields that kind of power. The most powerful ones of us could merely control animals, as the current clan leader does.¡±


    Ling Zhang was flabbergasted. It turned out that those statements were true.


    And the leader of the Millennium Pavilion was actually capable of controlling all animals?


    ¡°As for rising from the dead¡­ it¡¯s really just a myth. There aren¡¯t any records about it even in the Millennium Pavilion. A real phoenix definitely can do that, but those mythical birds disappeared a long, long time ago. They only exist in tales now. After all, humans are humans, not mythical beasts. How could anybody actually rise from the dead?¡±


    Ji Yin had a somewhat regretful look on his face while saying this. The one Ling Zhaowu wanted to resurrect was his daughter. If this kind of miracle were possible, he would do anything to make it happen, but the fact was that it was but a legend, impossible to achieve.


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang felt somewhat weird. Of course he also felt it ridiculous to try to bring someone back from the dead, but inexplicably, his own rebirth occurred to him. Did it have anything to do with the phoenix¡¯ ability to rise from the ashes, by any chance?


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart raced at this thought, his arms involuntarily pressing Whitie tighter against him. Feeling pain, Whitie confusedly raised his head and let out a howl, which made Ling Zhang jerk out of his trance.


    After his mind came back to the present, tension and excitement quickly ebbed away in Ling Zhang. Even his grandfather had said that it was impossible. Maybe this had nothing to do with a phoenix¡¯s ability to rise from the ashes, and was just a coincidence?


    Ji Yin noticed that there was something not quite right about his grandson¡¯s mood. Believing that he was feeling disappointed about not being able to resurrect his mother, Ji Yin reached out a hand and clapped Ling Zhang on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, calming himself down but beginning to take this matter seriously. Maybe he¡¯d found the reason why he¡¯d been reborn.


    Whitie let out another growl, urging his master to take him to the bathroom.


    Ling Zhang lowered his head and stroked Whitie. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take you to have a bath right away.¡±


    Whitie happily let out a cry and wrapped his fluffy tail around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist again, making his palm wet with sweat.


    At night, Ling Zhang moved into the room next to Ji Yin¡¯s. Wang Dashan and other security guards voluntarily took over the security of the courtyard house and other duties. Seeing their well-trained demeanor and good teamwork, Ji Yin inclined his head.


    ¡°These security guards of yours are not bad. I think they¡¯d be able to perform more important tasks after I give them some training.¡±


    Ling Zhang was very happy to hear this. ¡°Thank you, Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°The Trap-and-Kill Formation you taught them mainly focuses on defense. It¡¯s about time they learned some formations with more anti-personnel force.¡±


    Sure enough Ling Zhang would like to see his security guards growing more powerful. He himself had started cultivating internal energy and would become more and more stronger. Only by keeping improving their kung fu would his security guards be able to keep pace with him.


    But Ling Zhang was somewhat worried that it might fluster Wang Dashan and the others to have them start learning other martial formations when they hadn¡¯t even mastered the Trap-and-Kill Formation yet.


    But Ji Yin said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. In fact, all martial formations are interlinked, which means every formation could be changed into any of a variety of other formations. The Trap-and-Kill Formation is mainly a defensive formation. With some changes, it could be turned into an extremely offensive one. Your security guards have laid a very solid foundation and they¡¯ll have no problem whatsoever adjusting themselves to the changes.¡±


    ¡°How about I have them perform the formation tomorrow morning to let you have a look, Grandfather?¡±


    Ling Zhang was in no hurry, planning to let Ji Yin see his security guards¡¯ grounding first the next morning before he made a decision.


    Naturally, Ji Yin agreed, feeling that his grandson was poised, intelligent, had great comprehension and would definitely become somebody in the future, gratification spontaneously deepening inside him.


    Meanwhile, in another residence.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face briefly went set at the message. He¡¯d been away from Ling Zhang¡¯s side for just a while, and the price was having to wait two days to see him again?

 Chapter 255 - Equally Eager

    The next morning, Wang Dashan and other security guards found a vacant lot and performed the formation they¡¯d mastered in the presence of Ji Yin.


    After seeing it, Ji Yin thought for a few moments and said, ¡°You guys may move in while the revamp of this manor is ongoing. There is plenty of open space on the hill behind this manor. You can practice there.¡±


    On hearing Ji Yin¡¯s approving remarks, Wang Dashan and others, who had been informed beforehand of why Ji Yin wanted to see them perform the formation this day, were all very excited. After seeing Ji Yin lay that containment formation with formidable power in the Ling Mansion that day, they had all come to know that Ji Yin was a consummate kung fu master. Naturally, an opportunity to learn from an kung fu expert was something they dreamed of. Besides, this old man was their master¡¯s grandfather, not an outsider, so there was nothing they needed to be cautious about.


    ¡°Grandfather, there¡¯s no need to make yourself too occupied. Maybe you should wait until the revamp is finished.¡±


    Ling Zhang worried that Ji Yin would have difficulty juggling the revamp of the manor and the instructions in formations the security guards needed.


    Ji Yin thought nothing of it. ¡°The revamp is just a little thing, and so is instructing them. It won¡¯t be much trouble. Just have them move in.¡±


    Seeing Ji Yin was insistent, Ling Zhang, feeling it in appropriate to object to his grandfather¡¯s decision again, gave him some extra information about his security guards. ¡°Yang Liuzi and the other eleven have been learning the formation from Xie Shi. Currently, they are working on the fourth array of it. They¡¯re not at the same pace as Brother Wang and the others¡¯. I fear they might not be able to meet your standards, Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know what to expect,¡± said Ji Yin in a very casual tone. These security guards had a grounding in formations, and this was enough.


    ¡­


    After staying in the manor for two days, Ling Zhang had to leave for the summer house of Ji Feng¡¯s family as promised. Apart from this, though a little ashamed to admit, he¡¯d slept very lightly at night during the past two days. What with the absence of the man he¡¯d got used to sleeping beside and the familiar embrace and smell, Ling Zhang had woken up and stayed awake till daybreak the night before, and his yearning to see Yuwen Tong had been deepening, too. He wondered how Yuwen Tong had been doing over the past two days, whether he could sleep at night, and whether he¡¯d missed him.


    ¡°You¡¯re bursting to return after a separation of merely two days.¡±


    Ji Yin had been very happy during the past two days when his grandson was keeping him company and he could see him all the time, but now Ling Zhang was leaving, so naturally he was reluctant to part from him.


    Too embarrassed to admit that he missed Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang said, ¡°A couple of school friends of mine and I agreed to have a party in the summer house of the Zhongxin Marquess today. It¡¯s not really far away from here.¡±


    Though Ling Zhang had given a very good reason for it, Ji Yin manifestly didn¡¯t believe that Ling Zhang didn¡¯t miss Yuwen Tong. This old man had very sharp eyes. During the past two days, his grandson had appeared absent-minded from time to time, and it¡¯d been only too obvious that he¡¯d been missing someone, so of course Ji Yin knew what the truth was.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay that you miss him. There¡¯s no need to feel ashamed of it,¡± remarked Ji Yin, telling his grandson to be honest. ¡°The clan leader¡¯s reply has arrived. I¡¯ll take you to the Millennium Pavilion to have an audience with him after the revamp of this manor is finished. You may consult with Yuwen Tong about it and fix a date.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face took on a serious expression at these words. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my grandson. Such formalities are totally unnecessary.¡± Ji Yin had a guilty look on his face, feeling unworthy of this ¡°Thank you¡± from Ling Zhang.


    After being told about the arrival of the Millennium Pavilion¡¯s reply, Ling Zhang was no longer surprised that Ji Yin had insisted on instructing his security guards while the revamp was ongoing. If possible, he would depart for the Millennium Pavilion right away as well. After all, his father was still in there. Although he had a grudge against him, it didn¡¯t change the fact that his father was the one closest to him, and he still worried about him.


    ¡°By the way, have you fixed a date for your wedding?¡± Ji Yin suddenly asked.


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance and said embarrassedly with a flush on his cheeks, ¡°Yuwen Tong had someone select some auspicious days for him, but we haven¡¯t made a final decision yet.¡±


    ¡°How come you still haven¡¯t fixed a date? You two are living together already. When it¡¯s time to get married, you get married. Is this some kind of delaying tactic of his?¡±


    Ji Yin was not very happy to hear this. Ling Zhang appeared somewhat awkward. Well¡­ Yuwen Tong was only too anxious to marry him. The reason why this matter had been delayed till this day was that they had just arrived in the capital city, and Yuwen Tong had had lots of business to attend to, and he hadn¡¯t given Yuwen Tong a definite reply due to his uncertainty about getting married. But now, as they had consummated their relationship, the wedding¡­


    ¡°Ahem, we haven¡¯t fixed a date because previously I was a little unsure whether I wanted to get married. I¡¯ll consult with Yuwen Tong and give you a reply as soon as possible, Grandfather, and we¡¯ll need your advice,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly said, feeling that he shouldn¡¯t let Yuwen Tong take the blame for this.


    Ji Yin bobbed his head. ¡°What about your paternal grandfather and your uncle? What are their opinions?¡±


    ¡°My uncle and my paternal grandfather have been supportive all along. There¡¯ll be a lot of preparations to make after we fix a date, and I might have to go back to Tanyang for a little bit.¡±


    It¡¯d been quite some time since Ling Zhang had left Tanyang, and he missed his family members there and was inclined to go back there to see them, but there was no doubt that he had to wait until he returned from his journey to the Millennium Pavilion, because after all, he¡¯d have to tell his paternal grandfather and uncle about his father.


    On hearing Ling Zhang say he¡¯d return to Tanyang, Ji Yin said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Tanyang with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat pleasantly surprised. ¡°You want to see my paternal grandfather and uncle?¡±


    Ji Yin replied with a guilty countenance, ¡°I should¡¯ve paid them a visit a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write them a letter first so that they¡¯ll be prepared for it.¡±


    ¡­


    After instructing his security guards to stay in the manor, Ling Zhang went to the summer house of the Ji family, to which was merely a two-hour carriage ride. It was not very far away. By a fast horse, it would take less than an hour to get there.


    Ji Feng and the others had arrived some time ago, and Tao Yi had also been invited. They were engaged in conversation inside, laughing out loud about something. At the sight of Ling Zhang, Ji Feng yelled, ¡°You¡¯re late, Ling Zhang, and your punishment is drinking wine!¡±


    Smiling, Ling Zhang walked up and unhesitatingly drank three punitive cups of wine. ¡°Will this do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy. We¡¯ll let you off with this.¡±


    ¡°What were you guys talking about? You were laughing so wildly just now.¡±


    ¡°We were laughing at Tao Yi whose teacher gave him a punishment to copy out a book. His fingers almost broke for writing.¡±


    ¡°Hey, will you guys please knock it off? And Yuwen Jin, how do you have the nerve to laugh at me after you got spanked by you old man?¡±


    ¡°¡­. Let¡¯s not inflict any more pain on each other, okay?¡± said Yuwen Jin in a depressed tone, his face instantly falling.


    Tao Yi, also somewhat dejected-looking, gave a snort and said, ¡°My teacher is not in a good mood these days, and I angered him at the wrong time.¡±


    ¡°Something has been troubling the old lord?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Tao Yi let out a sigh, glanced across faces of all his friends and answered, ¡°Some of you probably have got wind of this ¨C His Majesty plans to revamp the imperial mausoleum, which is going to be an insanely ambitious project.¡±


    Ji Feng and Xie Qing exchanged glances. The former was grandson of the Zhongxin Marquess, and the latter son of the Assistant Minister of Works. Both these two officials attended court meetings hosted by the emperor regularly, so naturally Ji Feng and Xie Qing had heard of it. ¡°We did hear about it.¡±


    Ji Feng¡¯s smile faded. He said, ¡°My grandfather was very angry about Wang Cai¡¯s appointment. During the past two days this matter enraged him even further and he actually wants to ask for sick leave to avoid attending court meetings.¡±


    Ling Zhang had been staying in the manor keeping his grandfather company over the last two days and hadn¡¯t heard any news about the events that had happened in the capital city, so he asked, ¡°Why does His Majesty want to launch a huge project to renovate the imperial mausoleum?¡±


    Ji Feng explained, ¡°Someone made a stupid suggestion to His Majesty, saying that as we defeated the Wan Kingdom, a ceremony should be held to offer sacrifices to His Majesty¡¯s ancestors. And then someone else said that the imperial mausoleum has been in disrepair for many years and needs renovating, that after all, the construction of His Majesty¡¯s own mausoleum is also ongoing¡­ Anyway, eventually His Majesty decided to launch an ambitious project to revamp the imperial mausoleum. The mausoleum is vast, and craftsmen have to finish the renovation before the deadline so that His Majesty could promptly hold the ceremony to offer sacrifices to his ancestors. It¡¯s going to cost huge sums of money and effort. My grandfather believed that use the money to improve people¡¯s lives will be a better choice, which went against His Majesty¡¯s idea and angered him.¡±


    Tao Yi also said, ¡°His Majesty summoned my teacher to the palace to consult with him on this matter. Actually my teacher shares the Zhongxin Marquess¡¯ opinion, but His Majesty made up his mind some time ago. My teacher failed to talk His Majesty out of it and has been sulking since his return.¡±


    ¡°So the die is cast now?¡± Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. It hadn¡¯t been easy to defeat the Wan Kingdom and have them pay a large sum of compensation, but instead of using this money on projects beneficial to the people, the emperor was considering renovating a mausoleum. What was the point of it?


    ¡°Naturally, the King Duan¡¯s and the King Yu¡¯s supporters fully agreed with His Majesty so as to curry favor with him, making my grandfather the only one holding the opposite opinion in the court. I tried to persuade him to keep quiet about the matter, but he lost his temper and scolded me,¡± sighed Ji Feng.


    ¡°Well, your grandfather really should just let it go. Even my teacher failed to have His Majesty see senses. These years, His Majesty¡­¡± Tao Yi gave an unnatural cough and resignedly continued, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s best if we look on the bright side.¡±


    Ling Zhang wondered whether this was also the reason why Yuwen You called Yuwen Tong to his residence the day before.


    What with this subject, the mood in the room went rather gloomy. It was only a short while before they voluntarily brought up some other topics and the conversation was steered away. It was not that they didn¡¯t want to talk about these matters, but that there was nothing they could do. Even their elders all of whom were high-ranking courtiers were unable to convince the emperor to change his mind. What could they, a bunch of students, possibly do?


    After spending a whole day with Ji Feng and the others, Yuwen Jin and Tao Yi decided to put up for the night in the summer house and return to the city the next morning, while Ling Zhang took his leave of them before dark, planning to go back to the manor of the Yuwen family where Yuwen Tong was waiting for him.


    ¡°Oh, no wonder you were late this morning. It turns out you were with the Marshal.¡± Ji Feng archly looked at him.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t explain, mainly because the revamp of the newly purchased manor hadn¡¯t finished yet, and he wanted to wait until everything was settled to tell them.


    He left the summer house of the Ji family in haste and hurried to the manor of the Yuwen family. Shortly after his arrival, night fell and it was completely dark. Yuwen Tong was still waiting for him to come and have dinner with him, anxiety on his face. At the sight of Ling Zhang, he immediately walked up to him and said, ¡°How do you come to be so late? Anything happened on your way here?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I just had a long talk with them. Daytime is getting shorter lately.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to be feeling comfortable, drew him towards the house in the knowledge that he had been sweating in the carriage. ¡°Take a bath first.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t try to free his hand from his grip. He hadn¡¯t seen Yuwen Tong for two days and missed him very much, and at this moment he only wanted to stay by Yuwen Tong¡¯s side. Had it not been for the travel-soiled clothes, he would¡¯ve hugged Yuwen Tong just now.


    Yuwen Tong tightened his grasp on Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist with his burning hand, feeling that the wrist in his palm was amazingly soft, as though it would melt if he held it a bit tighter, his eyes reddening from intense arousal. After they entered the house, Yuwen Tong seemed somewhat unable to hold himself back as he drew Ling Zhang to the bathroom. He used excessive strength when swinging the door open and both of them jerked out of their fever of impatience at the almighty bang.


    It was not until this moment that Yuwen Tong found that the breathing of Ling Zhang standing behind him had changed somewhat, and Ling Zhang had also just sensed in astonishment the change in Yuwen Tong¡¯s breathing. Plainly the two of them were thinking about the same thing.

 Chapter 256 - I Can’t Wait

    ¡°Haha.¡± Originally half of Ling Zhang¡¯s body had been limp because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip on his wrist, but this loud clank brought his mind out of the half-trance and a chuckle escaped his lips. Fortunately this door hadn¡¯t broken, or else they¡¯d have to have someone replace it, which would be quite embarrassing.


    Yuwen Tong, at the sight of his curved smiling eyes, was aroused even further. Teeth clenched, he drew Ling Zhang into the bathroom, shut the door, swept him into his embrace, pinned him against the back side of the door, looked down at him and said under his breath, ¡°How dare you laugh at me?¡±


    ¡°You did a shameful thing, and I¡¯m not allowed to laugh about it?¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly moved his body and shifted his position to make himself more comfortable, leaning against the door, his curved smiling eyes gleaming with a mixture of fox-like cunningness and fox-like charm, not at all afraid of Yuwen Tong¡¯s feigned ferocity.


    Yuwen Tong felt as though his soul were being disembodied, the yearning in his eyes intensifying. ¡°Then I shall have you know the consequences of laughing at me.¡±


    After saying this, he pressed his lips onto Ling Zhang¡¯s before Ling Zhang could utter another word.


    Ling Zhang put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s back and opened his mouth in a very cooperative manner.


    Yuwen Tong paused fleetingly and then his tongue started wriggling violently in Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth.


    ¡­


    It took the two of them almost two hours to finish their bath, and sure enough their dinner had gone cold completely some time ago.


    While their masters were having an intimate moment, servants were also pretty happy. When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went to the dining room after bath, another tableful of freshly prepared dishes had been served. The chef had also specially cooked congee, and whom it was meant for was self-evident. Ling Zhang¡¯s face went green at the sight of the congee. He shot a dark glance at Yuwen Tong who seemed fully refreshed, firmly pushed the congee to the front of Yuwen Tong, sat down and started wolfing down those meat dishes.


    The delight on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face didn¡¯t fade at all when he saw the congee, and he didn¡¯t try to coax Ling Zhang into drinking the congee. The ointment prepared by that court physician had proved miraculously effective. Ling Zhang¡¯s body had adapted to it noticeably, and Yuwen Tong now had a better control of his movement and wouldn¡¯t hurt Ling Zhang, so it was okay if Ling Zhang didn¡¯t drink congee.


    But seeing Yuwen Tong happily drinking the congee, Ling Zhang went a little displeased. While eating meat, he was introspecting ¨C he clearly had already figured out a way to get on top of Yuwen Tong, but he always forgot it when he was giddy. It must be because he hadn¡¯t been eating enough meat that he couldn¡¯t keep his mind clear!


    ¡°Slow down a little bit, or you¡¯ll end up overeating again.¡±


    Given that there had been several occasions when Ling Zhang had overeaten, Yuwen Tong worried that it was bad for his health, so he had been keeping an eye on Ling Zhang when dining, careful not to let him eat too much.


    Ling Zhang ignored him, focusing on eating meat. It was true that he missed Yuwen Tong very much after a two-day separation, so much that he had lost control of himself at the sight of him, but after the flurry of excitement was over, he¡¯d come back to his senses and didn¡¯t feel like even talk to Yuwen Tong. In the knowledge that Ling Zhang was being difficult, Yuwen Tong looked at him with doting eyes.


    Beneath this gaze of his, Ling Zhang found himself having difficulty venting his anger on him, so he started talking business. ¡°The Millennium Pavilion has given a reply. My grandfather said that he could take us there after the revamp of the new manor is over. When do you think is convenient for us to go?¡±


    As the Millennium Pavilion was brought up, Yuwen Tong¡¯s face grew somewhat serious. ¡°Almost all necessary arrangements have been made. We may depart after your grandfather gets everything done in the manor.¡±


    This matter had been on their to-do list for quite some time. All Ling Zhang had to do was ask the Imperial College for a few days off. The only thing they¡¯d been worried about was that people of the Millennium Pavilion might not agree to meet them. Fortunately things had gone fairly smoothly. Both of them were fully aware that Ji Yin must have put a lot of effort into this to make it happen.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be staying in that manor before we depart.¡± Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have the heart to let his grandfather dealing with everything in the manor on his own. When he¡¯d been in the manor over the past two days, Ji Yin had had a smiling face all the time. Thinking about the past, Ling Zhang felt rather upset and was inclined to spend more time with Ji Yin. ¡°Can you talk to the principal and have him grant me leave of absence?¡±


    If Yuwen Tong intervened, the principal would definitely consent. However, Ling Zhang had had a fairly guilty conscience when he¡¯d mentioned his idea of asking for leave, for he¡¯d done this too many times since he¡¯d entered the Imperial College, and it was not at all something a studious student would do.


    ¡°No problem,¡± answered Yuwen Tong. In all likelihood, they¡¯d be engaged on preparations for their wedding after they returned from their journey to the Millennium Pavilion, and after they got married, they¡¯d be heading for the borderlands, so Ling Zhang was bound to drop out of the Imperial College. Fortunately Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t very interested in scholarly honour or official rank. He¡¯d entered the college because he wanted to learn some knowledge and broaden his horizons, and he wasn¡¯t really determined to finish his study in it.


    Nevertheless¡­


    There was no way Yuwen Tong was allowing the two of them to live apart in their respective manors, which, though separated by only a short distance, would keep the two of them from meeting, leaving them missing each other. He had made up his mind that if Ling Zhang went to stay in that manor, he would go with him one way or the other.


    ¡°Ahem, there¡¯s another thing,¡± Ling Zhang suddenly said in a different tone, his face going faintly pink. ¡°Have you and my uncle agreed on a date?¡±


    Date? Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes slowly brightened, looking at Ling Zhang feverishly. ¡°Uncle Ling selected two dates. The closer one is in three months, and the other half a year.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knew better than to ask Ling Zhang how he¡¯d come to know that he¡¯d consulted with Uncle Ling about the date for their wedding. His eyes were fixed on Ling Zhang. ¡°How about the one three months later?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes uneasily strayed elsewhere, for he found Yuwen Tong¡¯s passionate gaze somewhat unbearable. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯ll be too hasty. We haven¡¯t made any preparations yet.¡±


    A hint of disappointment appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. In fact he was also aware that it would be too hasty, but as Ling Zhang had asked about this issue, he couldn¡¯t help but want to hold the wedding as soon as possible. In his opinion, those complex ceremonies were totally unnecessary, and the two of them getting married was the only thing that mattered, but he also knew that how much preparation he made represented how much the Yuwen family valued this marriage, so he must show patience.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do it after half a year.¡±


    Ling Zhang agreed and lowered his head to help himself with some rice, a flush on the tips of his ears.


    Watching this, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand and lightly pinch the tip of his ear. Actually he was more inclined to nibble it and savor it slowly, but they were now having dinner, and there were some servants on the side. If he went too far, his sweetheart would no doubt get annoyed.


    ¡°I really want to marry you right away,¡± croaked Yuwen Tong, thinly veiled earnestness and urgency in his eyes.


    The tip of Ling Zhang¡¯s ear held between Yuwen Tong¡¯s fingers reddened even further at this remark. He swallowed the rice in his mouth and said inarticulately, ¡°Cut the nonsense.¡±


    Yuwen Tong heaved a soft and long sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t wait ¨C can¡¯t to have everybody know that we¡¯re husband and wife.¡±


    Now Ling Zhang was thoroughly not in the mood for eating. He put down his bowl and took Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand off his ear. ¡°Stop it¡­ What¡¯s the hurry? All you have to do is wait half a year.¡±


    As a matter of fact, half a year might not be enough for them to get everything ready either. After all, Tanyang was rather far away from the capital city, and preparations for the various preliminary ceremonies would be highly time-consuming. On top of that, the Yuwen family would also have to¡­ As this thought occurred to him, Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance suddenly changed, the flush fading. He looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Who will be the elder in charge of these things?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was briefly stupefied, plainly also recalling some troublesome issues. He replied, ¡°My granduncle has agreed to help. My two uncles and aunts will also move into the residence and stay there to offer assistance until the wedding is over.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t your second uncle kick up a stink when he finds out that you invited your granduncle?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes went cold. ¡°He doesn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. After a while, he said, ¡°I compromised once, but I won¡¯t do it for a second time. If they mess with me again, on no account would I show them any mercy, and even you won¡¯t be able to stop me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand to stroke him. ¡°I know. If that really happens, you won¡¯t have to do anything, because I¡¯ll handle it for you personally.¡±


    Contented finally, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Although half a year later sounds a better choice to me, I still have to ask my paternal grandfather, uncle and maternal grandfather for their opinions. It¡¯s best if they make the final decision.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head solemnly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡®I must have the elders give their consent. Half a year is already too long,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong.


    After they finished discussing the topic of their wedding, Ling Zhang brought up the matter that Tao Yi and some others had been worrying about during the past few days. He inquired of Yuwen Tong, ¡°Have you heard of it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°It was the very reason why granduncle called me over. He wanted me to talk some senses into the emperor. I told him that my persuasion would only have the opposite effect ¨C the emperor would definitely become more determined to build an imperial mausoleum if I try to talk him out of it.¡±


    The corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth briefly worked. ¡°Building an imperial mausoleum will undoubtedly arouse enormous public indignation. I wonder what¡¯s got into the emperor.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face slightly fell. Sure enough he was angry about the emperor¡¯s stubborn decision to build a mausoleum. He and his troops had risked life and limb fighting at the front, but instead of considering how to make this country a better place, the emperor had been dwelling on how to strengthen his reign all along, with his mind concentrated on checks and balances; and the others had been resorting to every expedient to embezzle public funds like bloodsuckers draining a beast of its blood. It was really amazing that the Great Yue hadn¡¯t been subjugated, and the emperor probably had his ancestors¡¯ spirits to thank for it. In the final analysis, Yuwen Tong was just a marshal in command of the armies, not the ruler of this country, and he couldn¡¯t do anything as he pleased. For fear that he might suddenly rebel, the emperor had been keeping a weather eye on him as though he were some kind of thief who could steal his country at any moment, and in no circumstances would he allow Yuwen Tong to interfere in this kind of affairs.


    ¡°Although it might not have the desired effect, I have sent in a memorial raising an objection to the building of an imperial mausoleum before leaving the city.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your persuasion would have the opposite effect?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t not try to persuade him. People of the Great Yue have suffered a lot during the war that lasted so many years, and officials of all descriptions have been exploiting them all along. It¡¯s not everyday that we get a large sum of compensation like this to ease the financial stress, but instead of using it on the people, the emperor wants to use it to build a tomb. If I hadn¡¯t tried to talk him out of it, my grandfather¡¯s memorial tablet might fall onto my head next time I step into the ancestral hall.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a scowl on his face, and Ling Zhang could guess that though Yuwen Tong had sent in a memorial to persuade the emperor, the emperor wouldn¡¯t change his mind.


    ¡°Before you returned, I¡¯d received a message saying that this task had been assigned to the King Duan, and the emperor will reward him after he gets it done, which is why the King Duan¡¯s followers are all doing everything they can to make it happen. The building of the imperial mausoleum is a foregone conclusion now.¡±


    Words had really failed Ling Zhang. The Zhongxin Marquess would probably go berserk when this came to his knowledge. Maybe he should give Ji Feng a word of warning, telling him to spend more time with his grandfather after his return. If the old man developed some kind of disease because of rage, this school friend of his would be upset.


    Co

 Chapter 257 - This Kids Got a Lot of Tricks Up His Sleeve

    Ling Zhang had someone go to the summer house of the Ji family to send a message to Ji Feng, who had a scowl on his face at the news and returned to the city that very night to console his grandfather.


    Ling Zhang spent two days with Yuwen Tong and then went back to the new manor, Yuwen Tong accompanying him.


    As Ji Yin¡¯s eyes fell on Yuwen Tong who was in disguise, a spasm crossed the corner of his mouth without anybody noticing.


    ¡°This is the date Old Master Ling, Uncle Ling and I agreed on. Please have a look, Mr. Ji.¡±


    Yuwen Tong handed Ji Yin a piece of paper with the date he and Ling Zhang had fixed. Ji Yin took a look at it, did a quick mental calculation factoring in their Eight Characters (in four pairs, including the year, month, day and hour of a person¡¯s birth, each pair consisting of one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch, formerly used in fortune-telling), felt that there was nothing wrong with the date, and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s start going through the process. On this occasion, your family are supposed to make the first move.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m going back to the city to consult with my elder right now.¡±


    ¡°You mean with your second uncle?¡±


    ¡°At my request, my granduncle has agreed to be the representative. My other two uncles and aunts have moved into the residence of the Yuwen family temporarily to help me handle these things.¡±


    Ji Yin looked at him with very admonitory eyes. ¡°What about your second uncle?¡±


    A brooding gleam of wildness could be faintly seen in Ji Yin¡¯s eyes, which was a manifest indication of what consequences Yuwen Tong would have to take if he angered him.


    ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Ji, I¡¯ll have everything properly handled.¡±


    Yuwen Tong understood what Ji Yin¡¯s warning meant. He was fully aware that unlike Ling Zhang¡¯s other family members, Ji Yin had no misgivings and was a consummate kung fu expert to whom people¡¯s lives meant nothing in some circumstances, and who could kill as he pleased. Taking the lives of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s family was probably as simple as trampling a couple of ants to death. Ling Zhang was Ji Yin¡¯s grandson, and also the only thing he cared about in the world outside the Millennium Pavilion. He¡¯d have no scruples whatsoever about killing a couple of people for Ling Zhang¡¯s sake.


    Ji Yin believed that Yuwen Tong had understood his warning. The wild and murderous look in his eyes disappeared, and he appeared a genial old man once again.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the city. You stay here and be patient. Make sure you¡¯re accompanied by your bodyguards when you¡¯re going elsewhere. Xie Shi is staying here as well. Wait for me to come back.¡±


    When the two of them were alone, Yuwen Tong exhorted Ling Zhang to be careful, saying that he was going back to the city to consult with his family with the wedding, that he would return to this manor this very night if he could.


    ¡°What my grandfather meant was¨C¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ji said that for your good. I can totally understand.¡±


    Ling Zhang, worrying that Yuwen Tong was under pressure due to Ji Yin¡¯s words, wanted to say something but Yuwen Tong interrupted him. He could understand what Ji Yin had said that. If he were Ji Yin, he would have done it in an even more dramatic way. He himself was under the constraint of the promise he¡¯d made previously, but it was his burden to bear and he didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to share it. He would have everything dealt with all on his own.


    However, Ling Zhang was unable to set his mind at rest. He had a sneaking worry.


    What with Yuwen Qi¡¯s broken legs and Su Zhi¡¯s death, both Yuwen Qi and Zheng shi hated Yuwen Tong to the core. Yuwen Zhi held him in contempt and was against this marriage from the very beginning, and had even stooped so low as to threaten his family. He had been on very bad terms with Yuwen Zhi all along. Afterwards, Yuwen Tong pressured Yuwen Zhi into breaking Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs, threatening to disown them if he refused to do that, and there had been grudges between the two of them ever since. It could be said that their relations with Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family were so terrible that they literally couldn¡¯t bear sharing the same house with each other. He knew this very well, and so did Yuwen Tong. Now that it was impossible for the two sides to live in the same residence, breaking up the family was inevitable.


    But given the status of the Yuwen family, breaking it up wasn¡¯t a simple thing. Back then when Yuwen Tong had been forcing Yuwen Zhi to make a decision after Yuwen Qi set a venomous snake on him, he¡¯d prepared for breaking up the family, but at that time the conditions hadn¡¯t been ripe for it, and forcibly breaking up the family would bring a lot of trouble ¨Cgetting the emperor¡¯s consent alone would cost them dear. Yuwen Zhi¡¯s making concessions had actually been a mutually beneficial choice. But now the circumstances had changed. Shan Congwen had returned to the Wan Kingdom, and the terms of the truce between the two countries had become unchangeable.


    Although Yuwen Tong had every intention of taking him back to the north-west after their wedding, from the vantage point of the present, it was very difficult for them to leave the capital city, unless the Wan Kingdom broke the truce. With Yuwen Tong himself in the capital city, Yuwen Zhi and his family were barely of any use to the emperor. Therefore, this time around, if Yuwen Tong went to the emperor and suggested he and his uncle divide up the Yuwen family and go their separate ways, the emperor¡¯s reply to it would be directly linked with his next move. If the emperor disagreed, they would stand a chance of going to the north-west; if the emperor agreed, then it would be impossible for them to leave the capital city unless there was an outbreak of hostilities in the north-west, and Yuwen Tong would be in grave danger unless he handed over his command of the armies, and if he did that, he would be at the mercy of the emperor, like a toothless tiger. Ling Zhang was unwilling to see Yuwen Tong be reduced to that. To put it disrespectfully, he wanted Yuwen Tong to have enough power to protect himself, and if by any chance the emperor decided to kill him some day, Yuwen Tong could directly overthrow him and take over, which would obviously be a better choice than to wait to be killed after serving this country for so many years.


    ¡°Show some patience and don¡¯t mention breaking up the family to the emperor yet, as long as they don¡¯t make trouble for us.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gazed fixedly at him and couldn¡¯t help sweeping him into his embrace. ¡°I¡¯ll have to settle this matter sooner or later.¡±


    Currently the emperor had some scruples, because it hadn¡¯t been long since the war had been won. Sooner or later the emperor would make an excuse and relieve Yuwen Tong of his command, so he might as well break up the Yuwen family first. He had made some preparations for this some time ago. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent. After quite a while, he nodded. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ve decided to marry you anyway. No matter what the future holds, I¡¯ll stay by your side.¡±


    Delighted, Yuwen Tong narrowed his eyes and kissed Ling Zhang. ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll keep you and our family safe.¡±


    Cheeks wet with saliva due to the sloppy kisses, Ling Zhang felt uncomfortable and tried to push him aside.


    ¡°Let this hug last a little longer. I¡¯m not sure if I could make it back here tonight. Alas, sleeping alone is such a torture.¡±


    ¡°How about I go back to the city with you?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but suggest, feeling that without Yuwen Tong by his side, he would probably have trouble sleeping as well.


    Yuwen Tong tightened his cuddle. He would be lying if he said that he didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to go with him. But a round trip to the city would be tiring, and he didn¡¯t have the heart. Besides, he was unwilling to subject the person in his arms to the cold-shoulder that his uncle and the others would almost certainly give him if he went there. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll be quick about it.¡±


    Now that he¡¯d promised he¡¯d come back soon, Yuwen Tong without further ado gave Ling Zhang another kiss and then departed.


    Ling Zhang saw him to the front gates of the manor. Whitie the fox jumped onto his shoulder and, along with him, watched Yuwen Tong riding away with some men.


    ¡°He¡¯s just left, and you began to miss him already?¡± Ji Yin voice came from behind him.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly swiveled around and looked at him. ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Ji Yin glanced in the direction Yuwen Tong had gone and said, ¡°Rest assured, this lad of the Yuwen family is quite resourceful and wouldn¡¯t let anybody get the best of him.¡±


    Ling Zhang inwardly snickered. At first his grandfather had been formally addressing Yuwen Tong as ¡°Marshal Yuwen¡±, and then he¡¯d switched to Yuwen Tong¡¯s full name, and now maybe because the date for their wedding had been fixed, he was calling him ¡°this lad of the Yuwen family¡±.


    ¡°He¡¯s a man who rose to the rank of marshal, turned an overwhelmingly unfavorable situation to the Great Yue¡¯s advantage, and routed the Wan Kingdom. It¡¯s impossible for the emperor to relieve him of his command easily. These years, the North-western Army has never run short of provisions or funds, and he brought down the Sixth Prince and the King Hui with great ease. This kid¡¯s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. There¡¯s no telling which one of them will end up being the victim of artifice. Although he seems a lone wolf, it¡¯s very likely that most courtiers have already been bought by him. He has troops, allies and the people¡¯s respect¡­¡±


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t finish his remarks, but Ling Zhang had got a general idea of what he meant. Shocked, he looked left and right. After confirming that there was nobody else around, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just go back to your room. Be patient and keep grandfather company for another couple of days.¡± Saying this, Ji Yin turned around and started heading back. Seeing Ling Zhang and the little white fox following him, he stroked his beard in contentment. What he hadn¡¯t told Ling Zhang was that he felt Yuwen Tong was much more than what he seemed. Though he was not capable of foretelling the future as that prodigy had been, he also had the Blood of the Phoenix Clan and had reached the tenth layer of the mental cultivation method, so he could sense many things that common people couldn¡¯t. There was something inside Yuwen Tong that had astounded him the first time they¡¯d met each other, but he was still a little uncertain about it and had to wait until he returned to the Millennium Pavilion and had the clan leader take a look before he could draw a conclusion. ¡®If that¡¯s really the case, my grandson¡­Ha, maybe all these things were predestined. Why else would Yuwen Tong be engaged to my grandson?¡¯ thought Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang had no idea what Ji Yin was thinking about. He just saw that the old man seemed to be thinking about something amusing, a smile at the corners of his mouth, as if smug about something. He took Whitie off his shoulder and held him to eye height, asking him with his eyes, ¡°You know what my grandfather is thinking, Whitie?¡±


    Whitie gazed at his master with his beady, liquid and black eyes, and whimpered softly, as if trying to make himself adorable.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Never mind. Whitie was just a common fox, not a fox spirit, and could never understand his question.


    Somehow Whitie sensed his master¡¯s disappointment, gave another cry, affectionately reached out a paw and lightly put it on Ling Zhang¡¯s arm, wrapping his fluffy tail around Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, suggesting that he was a meek, well-behaved fox.


    But as Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes fell on a dirty pad mark on his forearm, he lapsed into silence, twisted his head aside to look at his shoulder and saw some more fox footprints.


    ¡°Where the heck have you been just now?¡±


    Whitie raised his head and let a howl, seeming very happy.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    It was no good trying to look cute. Had this little guy not saved his life in the Wu City, he would have begun to doubt that Whitie was of great inwardness.


    Whatever. He was the one who¡¯d chosen to raise this fox, and he had to keep him even if his inwardness had become vestigial.


    He put Whitie back onto his shoulder, ignoring the fact that he would stain his robes further. ¡®What eyes do not see is regarded as clean,¡¯ as the saying goes.


    Whitie, after returning to his shoulder, happily howled, walking back and forth. Then he sat down with a wag of his tail. This little fox, which had grown considerably but was actually still a ball of fur, tried his best to make himself appear imposing, sitting on his master¡¯s shoulder, making an inspection tour of his territory.


    He let out another long howl.


    Importantly appraising the manor with his sparkling black eyes, he smugly raised his paw.


    This belonged to him, and this, and this¡­ All these belonged to him.


    Of course, his master also belonged to him.

 Chapter 258 - Scarce Herbs

    After seeing Yuwen Tong off the night before, Ling Zhang was absent-minded all along this day. At noon, a store assistant came to the manor from the capital city to report the state of the drugstore. During the couple of days following the grand opening, the aggregate size of orders had been amazingly large, but after that, sales volumes had slowly declined. Recently the business had been going relatively steady.


    Wang Qing had sent this store assistant here to tell Ling Zhang that his negotiations with a trading fleet from the Fangcun Kingdom had been going well, that the company had agreed to reserve one third of every shipment of the kind of rare herbs Ling Zhang wanted for the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, but they requested a face-to-face meeting with the proprietor of the drugstore. If the cooperation went smoothly, the company would consider selling all this kind of herbs they owned to the Ling¡¯s Drugstore.


    Overjoyed, Ling Zhang asked the store assistant, ¡°When do they want to meet?¡±


    ¡°Their ship departs for the Fangcun Kingdom in three days, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and then said, ¡°You may go outside and have some rest. I¡¯ll make some arrangements and then go back to the city with you.¡±


    Had he known this beforehand, he would¡¯ve returned to the city with Yuwen Tong the night before.


    Ling Zhang informed Ji Yin of this matter. The latter exhorted him to be careful.


    Wang Dashan, taking Qiu Bing and the other ten with him, would be accompanying Ling Zhang providing protection. Yang Liuzi and the other eleven were staying, and Ji Yin would personally instruct them. Xie Shi was also staying, excited at the prospect of seeing Ji Yin train them. Qiu Bing, however, was so happy to know his master shifu wouldn¡¯t be tormenting him for some time that he was almost reduced to grabbing Ling Zhang¡¯s sleeve and dissolving into tears.


    ¡°Young Master, my master shifu is so horrible. He¡¯s literally a monster,¡± Qiu Bing complained tearfully.


    Lately, in order to learn skills from Xie Shi, Qiu Bing had gone through all sorts of hardships and been having nightmares at night about Xie Shi, which always ended with him waking with a start.


    Feeling fairly sympathetic to him, Ling Zhang clapped him on the shoulder and boomed, ¡°Hang in there.¡±


    Qiu Bing almost burst into tears. He really didn¡¯t want to stick to it at all.


    After some quick thinking, Ling Zhang decided to be a little more encouraging. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your great original aspiration. You promised me you¡¯ll become a master of detoxification for my sake. I¡¯m counting on you to ensure my safety.¡±


    Qiu Bing wiped his tears, regretting having made that reckless promise. Woebegone, he said, ¡°Yes, Young Master. I¡¯ll stick to it. You can count on me.¡±


    After consoling Qiu Bing, Ling Zhang took Wang Dashan and the others out of the manor. Instead of a carriage, he chose Snowflake the horse, for it was much faster and he would be able to reach the city at dusk.


    They traveled at full speed the whole journey and got to the city gate at dusk before the sun set completely behind the mountains. After entering, they went to the drugstore first.


    Wang Qing was pleasantly surprised to see Ling Zhang. He had originally thought that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t return until the next day.


    ¡°Where are people of the trading fleet from the Fangcun Kingdom? Would it be convenient for them to have a meeting with me tomorrow?¡± asked Ling Zhang on entry.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been staying right at the Four Seas Inn. These two days they¡¯re specially waiting for you to come back to meet them, so any time is convenient for them. How about I have someone go there and tell them the meeting is scheduled for tomorrow?¡± Wang Qing quickly collected his thoughts.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Okay. Tomorrow morning then.¡±


    Now that Ling Zhang had come back, Wang Qing naturally gave him a minute report on the recent condition of the drugstore, which was much more detailed than the one given by that store assistant. Ling Zhang read over the account book of the drugstore, checking every other drugstore that had been in cooperation with him as well as every drug merchant that had bought herbs from his drugstore in bulks. It was only when he¡¯d got a general idea of them that he put the account book down.


    After unhurriedly getting informed of the business situation of the drugstore during the few days following his leaving the city, Ling Zhang asked about the trading company of the Fangcun Kingdom. ¡°Now fill me in on that trading fleet from the Fangcun Kingdom.¡±


    Wang Qing began, ¡°Their captain¡¯s name is Luo Sang. He¡¯s around thirty-five or so, of medium height, sturdy, quite good at Chinese. He¡¯s on voyages between the Fangcun Kingdom and the Great Yue almost all the year round. On average, he comes here twice a year, and this is his first voyage this year. There are fifty crew members in total in his trading fleet. They mainly provide transportation service for one company. Their master is the mayor of Wantao City, the biggest port city of the Fangcun Kingdom, and which is why he has access to the herbs you want, Young Master. But Luo Sang said that even his master could only get a limited amount of this kind of herb every year. Most of it goes to the royal household of the Fangcun Kingdom. And mayors of other cities scramble to purchase it as well, so the price is very high.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s their price?¡±


    Wang Qing gave him a number.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while. This price was ten percent higher than the one he knew, but he believed it was acceptable if Luo Sang would some day sell the whole shipment of this kind of herb to him. However, he couldn¡¯t agree to this price without bargaining. ¡°Don¡¯t accept their price too quick during tomorrow¡¯s meeting. We should talk to them about it.¡±


    Wang Qing, who shared Ling Zhang¡¯s opinion, bobbed his head.


    ¡°Wantao City is the biggest port city of the Fangcun Kingdom?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Wang Qing had had some dealings with several Fangcun trading fleets and had more acquaintance with them, so he replied, ¡°Yes. According to Luo Sang, ships berthed in the harbor outside Wantao City are huge; apart from the Great Yue, those ships also travel to the Luohai Kindom as well as areas further south. Wantao City is the wealthiest city in the Fangcun Kingdom. On top of that, it also owns the finest navy in Fangcun. The mayorship of Wantao City is hereditary, but the mayor¡¯s family also intermarry with the royal household every generation. They¡¯re fairly close.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a thoughtful look on his face. The Fangcun Kingdom was relatively near to the Great Yue, but it would still take several days to get there by sea. About one third the size of the Great Yue, this country was neither large nor small. It was currently the biggest overseas force.


    After having Wang Qing give him some more information about that Fangcun trading fleet in detail, Ling Zhang pondered over it for a while and then made a lot of preparations, including sending a servant to find someone proficient in Fangcun language. Although that Luo Sang guy was fluent in Chinese, other crew members¡¯ Chinese were terrible, and they communicated with each other in Fangcun language. With someone adept at Fangcun language at his disposal, he might be able to get some extra information when the occasion arose.


    Given that this would be their first cooperation, it was impossible for everything to go perfectly well. There¡¯d be things they needed to work through and it would take time, but he was not going to let them get the best of him.


    ¡°Fangcun trading fleets come here all the year around, so it won¡¯t be difficult to find someone fluent in Fangcun language. I¡¯ll go and look for one right away. You¡¯ll have him at your service tomorrow morning,¡± said Wang Qing.


    Ling Zhang gave a nod and told Wang Qing to start making preparations. ¡°Get me someone reliable, someone who won¡¯t double-cross us.¡±


    Wang Qing¡¯s countenance went grave. ¡°I understand.¡±


    After these matters were settled, Wang Dashan asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Shall we go back to the residence, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Wang Dashan, walking Ling Zhang towards the door, said, ¡°Just now Qiu Bing went back to the residence first and was told that the Marshal had never returned, and some citizens said the Marshal had gone back to the residential compound of Yuwen family. Do you want me to have the Marshal informed?¡±


    This meant that Yuwen Tong was going to spend the night in the residential compound of Yuwen family and probably wouldn¡¯t return to the Ling Mansion.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while. ¡°Send someone to tell him about it. He went back to the Yuwen family to attend to something, so there¡¯s no need to have him specially return to my place.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Wang Dashan answered and then instructed Zhou Xiang to deliver the message.


    It was completely dark when he returned to the Ling Mansion. Qiu Bing had gone back to inform them, so Xia Feng had some time ago had bathwater and dinner ready.


    ¡°Young Master, it must¡¯ve been a tiring journey. You should go and have a bath first,¡± observed Xia Feng, walking up and holding the reins of Snowflake.


    Ling Zhang patted Snowflake on the side and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a tough journey for Snowflake as well. Make sure she¡¯s well tended.¡±


    Xia Feng smiled, ¡°Rest assured, Young Master, I promise Snowflake will get all she needs. Whitie didn¡¯t come back with you?¡±


    ¡°He fell off halfway, so I told him to go back to keep my grandfather company.¡±


    Beaming, Xia Feng led Snowflake to the side and a servant came over to take Snowflake to the stable, where she would be served like a master.


    Ling Zhang was travel-stained all over and his robes were wet with sweat. On entering his courtyard house, he hurried to the bathroom and bathed himself. It was after drying his hair and changing into clean clothes that he sat down to have dinner.


    There were usually two servings of dinner on the table, but on this occasion, there was only one. Ling Zhang felt somewhat unused to this.


    ¡°Did anything particular happen these days?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Xia Feng.


    Xia Feng replied, ¡°A couple of men came here to make inquiries. I drove them away. There were also several men showing up to recommend themselves as servants; I chucked them off as well. Everything¡¯s fine except for these occurrences. The Marshal has left a couple of his bodyguards. With their presence, no thieves or rascals have ever dared to intrude.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled. This residential compound of his was now known far and wide. If some gangster dared intrude, he would definitely be doing it under a powerful master¡¯s orders. Not long before, a lot of spies from various sides had been showing up non-stop, covertly and overtly. Fortunately Xia Feng had been very strict with the security and chucked off all those recommending themselves as servants except for the ones he¡¯d selected himself. Servants had to follow rigorous rules when going through the front gates as well. Now even these servants had developed great discernment and were capable of seeing through those having sinister motives and driving them away, which spared Xia Feng a lot of trouble. There were also guards hidden in the dark. Spies who had lightness skills were unable to get in except for the occasion when Yuwen Tong had been ¡°nursing his injury¡± and let some of them in on purpose.


    At that time, the emperor had also left some of his bodyguards, all of whom had been instructed to stake out the residential compound. Yuwen Tong had chucked them out immediately after his ¡°recovery¡±.


    ¡°Is there any news about the Zhongxin Marquess?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    These days Xia Feng, who had established a strict management system in the Ling Mansion, had been expanding his intelligence network. Now he had his own team of spies who were keeping watch on various forces in the capital city.


    ¡°The Zhongxin Marquess claimed to be sick. His Majesty sent a court physician to his place to help, and then word got out that the court physician said the Zhongxin Marquess had overworked himself, and His Majesty granted the Zhongxin Marquess sick leave, telling him to rest at home until a full recovery.¡±


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. ¡°Is the Zhongxin Marquess really ill or is he just faking it?¡±


    ¡°All servants in his residence seem as calm as usual, and it doesn¡¯t strike me that their master is ill.¡±


    An official like the Zhongxin Marquess was the pillar of his whole family. If he were really ill, everybody else in the residence would be harassed-looking, for their well-being depended heavily on their master¡¯s well-being. Had their master really fallen ill, their definitely would¡¯ve been signs of it on their faces.


    Ling Zhang came to understand that the Zhongxin Marquess must¡¯ve been pretending to be ill to express his disgruntlement about the emperor¡¯s decision to build a mausoleum, but the emperor, instead of appeasing him, actually had told the Zhongxin Marquess to stay at home nursing his illness until recovery, allowing him to be off from work. Wasn¡¯t he deliberately alienating the Zhongxin Marquess? It seemed that the emperor was quite displeased with the Zhongxin Marquess¡¯ trying to stop him from building a mausoleum. Even if the Zhongxin Marquess was not ill, he would probably fall ill from anger.


    What with his close relationship with Yuwen Tong, it was inconvenient for him to pay a personal visit to Ji Feng¡¯s grandfather, though he wanted to, for the emperor might become suspicious if he did that, which would bring trouble to the Zhongxin Marquess. Eventually, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to instruct Xia Feng to prepare some gifts, and then personally deliver them to the Zhongxin Marquess¡¯ abode and hand them to Ji Feng the next day.

 Chapter 259 - I’m Getting Greedier

    Ling Zhang went to sleep later that night. He had thought that Yuwen Tong would stay overnight in the residential compound of the Yuwen family, but unexpectedly, at around midnight, he groggily felt someone cuddle him from behind. The familiar embrace and smell drove half of Ling Zhang¡¯s drowsiness away for a fleeting moment before he instinctively shifted into a comfortable position and drifted off to deep sleep again.


    A chuckle issued from above his head. Yuwen Tong, holding him, watched him sleeping soundly in his embrace, a smile in his eyes. Feeling Ling Zhang¡¯s subconscious trust in and dependence on him, Yuwen Tong inwardly breathed a sentimental sigh of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. He was contented because Ling Zhang was right in his arms and belonged to him, and his heart was brimming over with affection for him; he was discontented because even though he was so happy now, he still wanted more. Hugging was not enough, and making out wasn¡¯t enough either; maybe only by merging into his lover and becoming one with him would he feel contentment.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting greedier,¡± sighed Yuwen Tong softly. His voice was tinged with amusement, but his eyes were filled with intense possessiveness.


    The next morning, Ling Zhang woke up and found himself in the embrace of Yuwen Tong who was still asleep. He just slightly moved. And then Yuwen Tong awoke as well, and spontaneously started kissing Ling Zhang. It was quite a while before their lips parted.


    ¡°When did you return?¡± Though having been awake for a brief instant the night before, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    ¡°Last night, when you were asleep.¡± Yuwen Tong fingered Ling Zhang¡¯s hairs, revealing his forehead, his eyes gleaming gently. ¡°Originally I¡¯d thought that I¡¯d have a sleepless night lying in bed alone. Fortunately I made it back.¡±


    The night before, as Ling Zhang had been in a familiar bed in a familiar house which was full of Yuwen Tong¡¯s smell, he¡¯d had no difficulty sleeping. He said, ¡°I hereby grant you permission to take my quilt with you when you go elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Why would I bring a quilt when I could bring you?¡±


    ¡®Humph, there will be occasions when you have to travel alone,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang.


    ¡°When will you meet the captain of that Fangcun trading fleet?¡±


    ¡°This morning. I need to get up now.¡±


    Together, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang got out of bed, washed their faces, rinsed their mouths and changed clothes. Then the former said, ¡°I had someone find me an interpreter of the State Ceremonials Department. He should be here in a while. Bring him with you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s more reliable than anyone you could hire.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. Wang Qing probably had already hired someone, and it¡¯d be inappropriate to dismiss that person without giving him a proper explanation, so he needed to set off ahead of schedule.


    ¡°How¡¯s your negotiation with them?¡±


    ¡°They agreed. They and I will divide up family property and live apart after our wedding.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sounded very casual, but Ling Zhang knew the process must be quite tiring. Given that Yuwen Zhi had broken Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs to avoid being disowned, convincing him had definitely taken a lot of doing.


    ¡°What are his conditions?¡±


    ¡°Half of the family property.¡±


    ¡°You agreed?¡±


    ¡°Money is just a worldly possession. Besides, the most valuable asset of the Yuwen family is the book chamber my grandfather left me. Everything else is secondary.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s also getting half of what¡¯s in the book chamber?¡±


    ¡°He wanted to, but of course I disagreed.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt a slight sense of relief. This was good news.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about this issue. Actually the Yuwen family doesn¡¯t really have many assets. Many estates and businesses are under my name and don¡¯t count as family property. He doesn¡¯t know about the existence of any of these and would never be able to get any of them.¡±


    This meant that in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, what Yuwen Zhi was bargaining for was nothing. But in order to prevent Yuwen Zhi from becoming suspicious, Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t accepted this condition right away, planning to have Yuwen Zhi wait in torment for some time and go there again on this day to close the deal.


    But Ling Zhang was still fairly worried. ¡°Previously he¡¯d broken his son¡¯s legs to avoid this. How is it possible to have him consent to it by giving him merely half of the family property?¡±


    ¡°For him, half of the family property is a large sum of money. Most importantly, before negotiating with him, I¡¯d visited the imperial palace and talked to the emperor about the issue, and he gave his consent.¡±


    Ling Zhang started, his eyes instantly going cold. The emperor¡¯s giving his consent was the worst-case scenario in his mind. It meant that the emperor would never let Yuwen Tong go back to the north-west. Ling Zhang could even foretell that the emperor¡¯s next move was to relieve Yuwen Tong of his command.


    ¡°What should we do? You can¡¯t go to the north-west now and have to stay in this dangerous city, all because you want to marry me.¡± Ling Zhang felt a sudden twinge of sorrow. He actually began to regret. Compared with a marriage with Yuwen Tong, he cared more about Yuwen Tong¡¯s life.


    Yuwen Tong, taken aback by the sudden plunge of Ling Zhang¡¯s spirits, hurriedly stepped up and gave him a hug, a warm feeling flooding over him in waves. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Who said we couldn¡¯t go to the north-west?¡±


    ¡°How are you supposed to go there? The emperor won¡¯t agree, and neither will any of the courtiers. And defiance of the emperor is a capital offence.¡± Ling Zhang gripped Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a plan. All you have to do is focus on preparing for our wedding. I guarantee you we¡¯ll go to the north-west. All troops there are waiting to give their Marshal¡¯s wife a welcome.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sounded confident and unhurried and didn¡¯t seem to be telling a lie. Besides, Yuwen Tong was never the kind of person who¡¯d make a promise he couldn¡¯t keep.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help asking him, ¡°What kind of plan do you have?¡±


    ¡°I mean it to be a surprise for you, and I don¡¯t want to spoil it,¡± said Yuwen Tong with a smiling face, giving Ling Zhang¡¯s nose a playful scratch.


    Ling Zhang looked at him in confusion. Even a matter like this was meant to be a surprise for him? Was it because something confidential, complex and hard to explain was involved in this issue that Yuwen Tong was unwilling to tell him on this occasion?


    ¡°Then I wait for this pleasant surprise to come. Don¡¯t you be dishonest with me on this. Otherwise I¡¯ll have to die with you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s smile faded. He didn¡¯t want to hear the word ¡°die¡± from Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth. The prospect of losing Ling Zhang some day brought fury of murderousness surging inside him. ¡°I¡¯ll never let that happen.¡±


    Ling Zhang believed Yuwen Tong would keep his promise, though he was deeply concerned. If worst came to worst, he would figure out a way to keep the two of them alive, whatever the cost might be. It was true that the capital city was like a prisoner¡¯s cage for them, but it wasn¡¯t necessarily impossible for them to escape.


    With this in mind, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a meeting with the captain of that Fangcun fleet right now. And I¡¯ll do my best to have him agree to sell us all his shipments of that kind of herbs as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang had just finished his breakfast when the interpreter of the State Ceremonials Department arrived. He planned to take this person to the trading center in the west of the city to rendezvous with Wang Qing first and then go to the Four Seas Inn.


    Yuwen Tong, after seeing Ling Zhang leave in a horse-drawn carriage, returned to the residence, a different expression on his face, gazing icily in the direction of the imperial palace.


    The emperor was not the only one who disliked people posing a threat to his life. He, Yuwen Tong, shared in the emperor¡¯s dislike.


    His sounding out the emperor¡¯s attitude the day before would be the last time he¡¯d considered showing mercy on the emperor. By having no gratitude whatsoever for his service, the emperor was inviting his own doom.


    ¡­


    At noon, Ling Zhang walked out of the Four Seas Inn with his men. He and Luo Sang had agreed on the details of the deal and decided to build a partnership. The next time Luo Sang¡¯s fleet came to the Great Yue, they would sell Ling Zhang half of their shipment of that kind of herbs. They¡¯d have to reserve the other half because they¡¯d promised to sell it to another customer before their first voyage to the Great Yue this year. Ling Zhang would have to wait until the next year to get a whole shipment of that kind of precious herbs brought by Luo Sang¡¯s trading fleet.


    The last part of the negotiation had been between Ling Zhang and Luo Sang, and nobody else knew what it¡¯d been about.


    To Ling Zhang¡¯s surprise, Luo Sang was a bold and forthright man who tended to do business in a brisk and neat fashion. The two of them had hit it off straight away, which neither of them had expected. Luo Sang had also offered him a five percent discount of his own accord, which had saved Ling Zhang a lot of effort.


    Ling Zhang liked Luo Sang very much and had had a very long talk with him, most of which had been about the Fangcun Kingdom and other rare herbs peculiar to it. Luo Sang had also asked about the herb farms in Tanyang and said that he wanted to trade directly with Ling Zhang the next time he came to the Great Yue, for medicinal herbs were quite plentiful in Tanyang.


    According to one of the tentative terms of Ling Zhang¡¯s agreement with him, the next time Luo Sang came, he and his men would split into two groups. One group would go to the capital city, and the other, which would be headed by Luo Sang himself, to Tanyang.


    After the negotiations with Luo Sang, Ling Zhang treated the interpreter to lunch, gave him a signed check and then saw him off. The interpreter, feeling overwhelmingly flattered, left in a good mood.


    Ever since Yuwen Tong had told him in the morning that the emperor¡¯s consent to him and his uncle breaking up the Yuwen family, Ling Zhang had been highly wary of everybody, especially officials in the capital city.


    But it hadn¡¯t occurred to him that Yuwen Tong would never assign him anybody not utterly trustworthy, so the interpreter, after returning home, secretly had someone deliver a message to Yuwen Tong, filling him in on the negotiation in the Four Seas Inn and also telling him that Ling Zhang had had him stay out of the last part of it.


    Yuwen Tong, in the knowledge that Ling Zhang had done that because he didn¡¯t have absolute trust in the interpreter, gave a smile, feeling very happy.


    ¡°The Marshal has returned to the residential compound of Yuwen family, Young Master. He wanted me to tell you that he¡¯d be staying there for a couple of days. The Marshal¡¯s granduncle and his family have temporarily moved into the Yuwen family as well. They¡¯ve started making preparations for the wedding. The Marshal said that it¡¯d take several days to make arrangements for dowries to be delivered to Tanyang, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to the manor with you,¡± said Xia Feng.


    Ling Zhang felt both rather embarrassed and somewhat regretful after hearing this.


    Given that Yuwen Tong had to handle the inventory of the Yuwen family¡¯s assets to get ready for his separation from Yuwen Zhi, and prepare the dowries at the same time, he would probably be fully occupied for half a month or so.


    And about the dowries¡­ If truth be told, he was really quite curious as to what kind of dowries the Yuwen family would send the Ling family. Pity it was inconvenient for him to ask about it.


    ¡°Have someone send a reply to him. Tell him that I got the message, and I¡¯ll be staying in the new manor with my grandfather, waiting for him to get everything handled.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chief.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are there any rumors about the breaking up of the Yuwen family or something like that going around in the city today?¡±


    Xia Feng shook his head. ¡°No, but it¡¯s come to the knowledge of many that the Marshal¡¯s granduncle, along with his sons and daughter-in-laws, have moved into the residential compound of Yuwen family. Also, a limited number of people have got wind of the Yuwen family¡¯s preparing dowries. News of it would probably spread through the whole city very soon.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. It seemed that before the wedding, there wouldn¡¯t be any news about Yuwen Tong¡¯s separation from his uncle.


    ¡°After I leave, send word out that I¡¯m no longer in the Ling Mansion. Inform Brother Tao, the Ji family, the Zhao family, the Xun family and the Xie family of it as well lest they have trouble finding me when they need to talk to me about something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. This morning I¡¯ve personally delivered the gifts for the Ji family to Childe Ji. He wanted me to tell you that his grandfather is indeed ill with anger. Although it¡¯s not serious, he still has to stay at home, tending him and keeping him company, so he has also asked the college for leave of absence and been granted, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to have another party with you and your common friends.¡±


    ¡°I see. Keep watch on the development of the situation in the residential compound of the Zhongxin Marquess. Report to me immediately if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chief.¡±


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply, feeling that the capital city was in a lull before the storm. Although currently there was a semblance of peace, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it was torn by fierce disturbances, which would then escalate into upheavals, and nobody in this city would be able to remain unaffected by them.

 Chapter 260 - Bagged into a Sack

    After entering his bedroom, Ling Zhang changed into a light, skintight outfit with the intention to return to the manor. He flicked a glance at the bed and found that the thin quilt was going.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong was such a double-dealer. Yesterday he¡¯d said that he wouldn¡¯t take the quilt away, but now it seemed that he¡¯d done it anyway.


    At this moment, in the residential compound of the Yuwen family, on the bed of Yuwen Tong who was the eldest son of the former patriarch and also a marshal lay a thin, neatly folded quilt.


    As Yuwen You and his family moved into the residential compound of the Yuwen family, the houses near the former patriarch¡¯s abode, which had stood empty for many years, finally witnessed their original occupants¡¯ return. It had been a long time since the last time this place had been so lively.


    Yao Yi had changed into another outfit. Dressed like a butler, he was busy dealing with all kinds of matters.


    Yuwen Tong summoned Yao Yi and instructed, ¡°Go ask Zhao Fugui some questions tonight and find out what my uncle¡¯s branch of the family have been up to recently.¡±


    Yao Yi gave a nod, turned around and went to make arrangements.


    Yuwen You, followed by Yuwen Chi and Yuwen Si, walked inside. Yuwen Tong rose to his feet to welcome them and then closed the doors. Nobody knew what their talk was about, and there was no other trace of it apart from the suggestion of shock remaining on Yuwen You¡¯s face when he walked out of the house with his two sons in his wake.


    At this time, Ling Zhang, taking Wang Dashan and other security guards with him, had exited the city, heading for the manor.


    He was pondering over something, which he previously hadn¡¯t had time to think about owing to some more important matters.


    Yuwen Zhi had agreed to Yuwen Tong¡¯s separation from him because he¡¯d come to understand why the emperor had given his consent, realizing that the emperor was going to try to dispose of Yuwen Tong, so he wanted to stay out of it. This kind of conduct struck Ling Zhang as very disgusting. He could bear himself being bullied, but he couldn¡¯t tolerate anybody taking advantage of Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang suddenly reined in his horse and stopped halfway along the journey.


    Wang Dashan hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Go make some inquiries about Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family. I want to know when they usually leave home, where they ordinarily go to and how long they typically stay.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chief.¡±


    Wang Dashan, without asking any further questions, put Liu Yi in charge of the escort and then returned to the city to perform the task Ling Zhang had just assigned him.


    ¡­


    Five days later, Yuwen Tong was still occupied and hadn¡¯t come to the manor, but Ling Zhang received a message saying that Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi would leave home the next day.


    ¡°They are going to check a couple of large stores and a private bank.¡± Wang Dashan also told Ling Zhang exactly where Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were going.


    Ling Zhang face went cold. ¡°Good. They¡¯ll be my first two punching bags.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi had been following a surprisingly fixed daily schedule, either at home or in the imperial court, which was why Ling Zhang had hitherto never got a chance to do anything to him.


    The next morning. In a courtyard house of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family in the capital city.


    Zheng shi and Su Yaoyao, along with Yuwen Qi sitting in a wheelchair, were going out to get some fresh air, their faces tinged with contentment. They planned to drop into the couple of large stores and an unnaturally profitable private bank. Of all the businesses of the Yuwen family, this private bank was the most lucrative one, the branches of which could be found in almost every city in the north-east of the Great Yue. A couple of days ago, Yuwen Tong had suddenly demanded he and Yuwen Zhi divide up family property and live apart, and also showed them a handwritten imperial edict. Zheng shi had almost died with anger. Not long ago Yuwen Zhi had broken Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs to prevent this from happening, but now Yuwen Tong had shown up again, trying to have the Yuwen family broken up with a handwritten imperial edict ¨C wasn¡¯t Yuwen Tong bullying them? But unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong had retorted, ¡°Aunt, you know exactly who started those rumors about the Ling¡¯s Drugstore a few days ago and also gave Su Zhi the orders that eventually led to his death, don¡¯t you? You broke the agreement first, and even His Majesty was alarmed. Shouldn¡¯t you feel happy that I¡¯m granting your wish today?¡±


    Zheng shi had been sent speechless.


    ¡°You want us to agree to break up the family? Okay! Give us half of the family property and you¡¯ll get our consent!¡±


    Zheng shi had demanded an exorbitant price. In the realization that breaking up the family was unavoidable, she had insisted on half of the family property, but to her surprise, Yuwen Tong had actually agreed. He¡¯d even been okay with her taking away that private bank which was the most profitable business of the Yuwen family, and he had only one condition for that ¨C they must not disclose anything about it before the wedding, or else he would take back the private bank. Naturally, for the sake of the private bank, Zheng shi had accepted that condition.


    ¡°First Yuwen Tong fell out with us for that male courtesan, and now he even agreed to give up the private bank. I think sooner or later the Yuwen family is going to meet its end because of him. We¡¯ll be better off without him, and we¡¯ll never again have to gauge his mood before speaking. Your father should have consented when Yuwen Tong suggested they break up the family that day¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention him.¡± Yuwen Qi¡¯s face instantly went icy at the mention of Yuwen Zhi.


    Zheng shi hurriedly coaxed, ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t mention him again.¡±


    ¡°Here we are. Let¡¯s go inside and take a look. This private bank will soon be ours, and we¡¯ll never have to worry about anything with all this money. Your brother is now the Assistant Minister of Rites and attends court meetings. In a couple of years, when he gets promoted to Minister of Rites, everybody would be cottoning to us, even though we¡¯ve separated from Yuwen Tong.¡±


    However, Yuwen Qi still had a sullen look on his face, gripping the armrests of the wheelchair.


    Their horse-drawn carriage came to a halt in front of the private bank. Yuwen Qi in a wheelchair was pushed off the carriage along a ramp. The bank manager, along with some staff members, had been waiting for them in the doorway.


    ¡°Mistress, Childe Qi, this way please.¡±


    Zheng shi raised her chin and glanced around the private bank, both her heart and her face full of complacency.


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s face also slightly softened at the sight of the private bank.


    Su Yaoyao was tightly grasping a bar fixed on the back of the wheelchair Yuwen Qi was sitting in. After her father¡¯s death, her mother had told her that she must fawn on her aunt and cousin so that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money in the future. This private bank would soon belong to her aunt and cousin. If she married her cousin, she would be an owner of it as well!


    The three of them had their respective facial expressions, but it was manifest that they were all excited and self-satisfied.


    The bank manager stole a glance at them and then lowered his eyes. When he lifted his eyes again, his face had taken on a sycophantic look, lifting Zheng shi¡¯s and Yuwen Qi¡¯s spirits considerably.


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi, who had already regarded themselves as owners of this private bank, directly asked the president to show them the account books.


    The bank manager agreed and personally led them to a chamber to check the account books. Zheng shi appeared very smug. It seemed that Yuwen Tong had been telling the truth. Staff members of this bank had been informed of these matters. She added, ¡°I want you to deliver the account book to me every five days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± answered the bank manager obediently.


    Zheng shi became even more complacent. The look in Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Mother, tell them I¡¯d like to have a look at the account books as well.¡±


    Zheng shi smiled, ¡°No problem. You¡¯ll see all of them.¡±


    Yuwen Qi gave a sneer after hearing this.


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi stayed in the private bank for half a day. The bank manager and some staff members reverently saw them off.


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were bloated with pride owing to staff members¡¯ flattery. After their carriage drove far away, the bank manager straightened himself and took the couple of trusted subordinates of his back into the bank.


    ¡°Chief, it seems that Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi didn¡¯t find any flaws in the account books.¡±


    ¡°If those two clods could find a flaw, the sun will rise in the west. It¡¯s not them but Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Feng that we should be wary of. These two are the smart ones.¡±


    ¡°Then¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Feng wouldn¡¯t be able to find any flaws in the account books forged by Master Six himself. All you have to do is make sure none of them see through it during the next half a year and finish the task assigned by the Marshal without loose ends.¡±


    ¡°You may rest assured that we will, Chief.¡±


    After saying this, the bank manager sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, and things have still come to this, but it¡¯s definitely a good thing that the Marshal is getting married.¡±


    ¡°Chief, do we have your permission to send the Marshal a great present?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Why not? But¡­ you¡¯ll have to wait until the Marshal and Childe Ling get married to do that lest anybody of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the family becomes suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chief.¡±


    ¡­


    When the carriage of Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi drove to a quiet spot, a group of men in black suddenly stopped it.


    ¡°Who are you? And what do you want? Do you know that this carriage belongs to the Yuwen family? You¡¯re flirting with death!¡± raged the carriage-driver. Eight guards escorting the carriage immediately clustered around it, eyeing vigilantly the bunch of men in black that had suddenly come out of nowhere.


    ¡°People of the Yuwen family are exactly the targets we¡¯ve been looking for. We kick their asses every time we lay eyes on them. Do it, boys!¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡±


    It was very noisy outside and after a while they seemed to start fighting. Zheng shi was startled. Yuwen Qi had a sulky look on his face. Su Yaoyao kept flinching in horror.


    ¡°Identify yourselves! What do you think you¡¯re doing? How dare you stop a carriage of the Yuwen family! All of you will be beheaded for this!¡± yelled Zheng shi¡¯s handmaid harshly, raising the carriage curtain after summoning up her courage.


    ¡°Not if I have you beheaded first!¡±


    Those men in black were quite good at kung fu, and the guards were no match for them at all. Yuwen Qi wanted to help but couldn¡¯t move, his face livid with rage.


    Zheng shi¡¯s handmaid kept cursing and threatening them but it was no good. All guards had been downed, lying on the ground this way and that. The carriage-driver had been knocked out some time ago.


    ¡°Drag them out of the carriage.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Let go of me! Let go of me! Help, Mistress!¡±


    The handmaid shouted in vain for help and was dragged out off the carriage. Those men in black, who seemed to have no tenderness whatsoever toward women, heavily threw her to the ground, leaving her wailing in pain.


    Zheng shi didn¡¯t dare go out of the carriage. Yuwen Qi was unable to stand up. Su Yaoyao was terribly frightened.


    ¡°Who on earth are you people? How dare you do this to the Yuwen family! Even if you manage to escape from here, I will have you tracked down, and I¡¯ll torture every one of you so hard you¡¯ll beg me to kill you. You¡¯d better flee right now!¡±


    Unable to stand up, Yuwen Qi had no choice but to make threats.


    ¡°Oh, you think the words ¡®Yuwen family¡¯ are so intimidating, don¡¯t you? Let me tell you something ¨C even Yuwen Tong himself doesn¡¯t scare us. Today we specially came here to settle a score with the Yuwen family. Don¡¯t just stand there, boys. Drag all of them out of the carriage. You may do whatever you want to them as long as none of them die.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Soon the carriage curtain was raised and Yuwen Qi was dragged out to Zheng shi¡¯ and Su Yaoyao¡¯s shriek. And before long the latter two were also drawn out off the carriage. All these men in black were wearing masks concealing their faces. Yuwen Qi was put into a sack immediately after being dragged off the carriage.


    ¡°Get your hands off my son, you ruffians! I¡¯m the Mistress of the Yuwen family. I¡¯ll have all your family members executed if you dare hurt us!¡±


    ¡°Bah! Since you¡¯re so cocky, I¡¯ll start with you.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Zheng shi was slapped hard across the face and let out a pained screech, her cheek swelling up immediately.


    Yuwen Qi had received several kicks and punches. Su Yaoyao, screaming hysterically, was probably the only one who had come to no harm so far.


    It was her very squeal that caught some residents¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Enough. Someone¡¯s coming. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, all men in black disappeared without any trace, leaving Zheng shi, Yuwen Qi and the others bruised and furious.

 Chapter 261 - I Hunger for Your Compliment, Young Master

    News of the assault on Yuwen Zhi¡¯s wife and son in an alley soon spread through the whole capital, and the emperor was also alarmed who ordered an immediate citywide hunt for the culprits.


    At this time. In a house of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the family.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who those damn thugs are. When I find out, I swear I¡¯ll have them hacked to pieces!¡± spat Zheng shi tearfully to Yuwen Zhi, groaning, massaging her swollen cheek. ¡°Master, you must help us get justice.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi had a scowl on his face. ¡°Did they say why they wanted to beat you?¡±


    ¡°No. They attacked us on sight, blustering that they¡¯d beat every member of our family that they lay eyes on. They¡¯re absolutely lawless!¡± wailed Zheng shi in tears, and then something seemed to occur to her. ¡°We¡¯ve never offended anybody. It must be Yuwen Tong, that ungrateful bastard, who caused offence to someone and subjected us to this attack. Master, you must get justice for us. Yuwen Tong has got to give us an extra share of the family property as compensation. Look how badly bruised Qi¡¯er is!¡±


    Yuwen Zhi rose to his feet making towards the door. Yuwen Feng, remaining in his seat, asked Zheng shi, ¡°Mother, did those men in black say anything else?¡±


    ¡°No. Those goddamn scoundrels were utterly unruly!¡± replied Zheng shi resentfully.


    Although Yuwen Feng disliked the way his mother usually did things, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she was his mother, so he walked up and consoled her.


    He was not optimistic about this matter. His mother believed that his cousin had been the cause of this attack, but he felt that didn¡¯t seem to be the case, that it was likelier those people had been directly targeting them, members of his father¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family. And it was almost certain that his father wouldn¡¯t be able to get any justice had he gone to talk to Yuwen Tong right now.


    Who was working against the second branch of the Yuwen family exactly?


    This issue gave Yuwen Feng severe headaches. A few days ago, his cousin had suddenly demanded he and his father divide up the family property and live apart. He had raised an objection to it. If they and his cousin went their separate ways, the Yuwen family would never be whole again. Given that his cousin never took action without a high degree of confidence that he would succeed, the reason why he, fully aware of what the emperor¡¯s consent to their breaking up the Yuwen family meant, had made that decision anyway was undoubtedly because he was fully prepared for every eventuality. It was a pity that his mother had stopped asking questions after hearing that she was going to get half of the family property. And then there was his father¡­ What on earth was Father thinking about? These days he kept feeling that his father¡¯s behavior was rather abnormal. First he¡¯d been laying low all along after being pressured into breaking his youngest son¡¯s legs, as if really afraid that Yuwen Tong would disown them, and now, after hearing Yuwen Tong say that the emperor had consented to their breaking up the family, he had seemed to be bursting to separate from Yuwen Tong, as if fearing very much that he might be incriminated. He knew his father too well to believe that his father had chosen to swallow such humiliations. What had he failed to notice exactly?


    BANG!


    ¡°Get out! Get out of my sight!¡±


    A smash came from inside Yuwen Qi¡¯s room, closely followed by Yuwen Qi¡¯s angry voice telling the handmaids to leave.


    Yuwen Feng knitted his eyebrows, but Zheng shi had already hurried to the doorway. ¡°Qi¡¯er, it¡¯s Mother. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± thundered Yuwen Qi¡¯s voice, not even allowing Zheng shi to enter.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er, be careful not to hurt yourself. You¡¯re scaring me,¡± called Zheng shi in the doorway.


    After a long silence, Yuwen Qi replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t come in.¡±


    Zheng shi, for fear of antagonizing Yuwen Qi further, didn¡¯t dare get inside, summoned the handmaids and queried, ¡°What happened? Why aren¡¯t you doing your job properly? Do you still value your pathetic lives? You want me to have you chopped into pieces and fed to the dogs?¡±


    ¡°Please have mercy on us, Mistress. We just wanted to change Second Young Master¡¯s dressing. Second Young Master¡­ Second Young Master wouldn¡¯t let us touch him¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be because you pariahs felt him up. Guards, drag them away. They¡¯re to be sold to the brothel!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t, Mistress! Have mercy on us. We really didn¡¯t grope Second Young Master. He¡¯s unwilling to let us help.¡±


    Half a dozen handmaids were reduced to kowtowing repeatedly to Zheng shi by her words, looking panic-stricken, begging Zheng shi to change her mind, but Zheng shi was determined to vent her anger on them and refused to listen. Yuwen Feng interceded with her on behalf of them, but his words had exactly the opposite effect, angering Zheng shi further. Soon the six handmaids were dragged away.


    Yuwen Feng felt a sense of resignation but knew better than to make another attempt. His mother, believing that he should have talked his father out of breaking his brother¡¯s legs that day, had been holding a grudge against him all along, giving him the cold shoulder on various occasions. Eventually, Yuwen Feng clenched his teeth, turned around and walked away. Comparing with his brother¡¯s throwing a tantrum, the matter of his cousin was of much greater importance. He hoped to dissuade his cousin from separating the two branches of the Yuwen family.


    ¡­


    A group of people furtively exited the city.


    ¡°How did it go? Any of you get exposed?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Wang. We were all very careful. Nobody saw us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go back to the manor straight away. Young Master must¡¯ve got anxious for waiting.¡±


    Halfway along the journey, someone said, ¡°Back there in the alley, who said ¡®Even Yuwen Tong himself doesn¡¯t scare us¡¯?¡±


    The twelve men all lapsed into silence, waiting for the one who¡¯d made that remark to admit.


    ¡°Let it go. Whoever it was, he just said that to fool Zheng shi. What¡¯s the point of dwelling on it?¡± observed Wang Dashan.


    The other eleven men immediately dissolved into chuckle. ¡°Brother Wang, we were just joking. Why did you look so serious just now? You scared us.¡±


    ¡°The second branch of the Yuwen family have always been eyesores. I would¡¯ve kicked their asses some time ago were the Marshal not their relative. The way they treat Young Master is just disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. What we did back there felt so good.¡±


    ¡°Guard your tongues. We¡¯re not in the manor yet. Somebody might hear you.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The twelve men returned to the manor and went to see Ling Zhang. Wang Dashan said, ¡°We¡¯ve completed the task, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Tell me the details.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes swept across all of them. After confirming that they were all unscathed, he felt fairly satisfied.


    Qiu Bing gave Ling Zhang a vivid account of how they¡¯d intercepted Zheng shi and the others, highlighting the part where Zheng shi had screeched in panic and Yuwen Qi had shouted in pain.


    ¡°Well done. You finished the job with flying colors and produced the desired effect.¡± Ling Zhang complimented them unstintingly and then asked, ¡°Did any of you get exposed?¡±


    ¡°No. We specially picked a quiet alley and laid concealment formations beforehand to stop pedestrians from entering. After the job was done, we left in different directions and disguised ourselves before exiting the city.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, pleased. Ji Yin had been instructing them for merely a couple of days, but they had already learned how to lay formations. Though they were just some simple barricades, their utilizing what they¡¯d just learned had proved that they¡¯d mastered the skills pretty well.


    ¡°I also applied something to Yuwen Qi¡¯s knee. He won¡¯t be able to find it during the next few days. It¡¯ll take effect in ten days, and he won¡¯t even know who did it to him. I¡¯ll avenge you by having him know how it feels to be tortured by poison,¡± said Qiu Bing in a self-satisfied tone of voice.


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°Oh? What did you leave on his knee?¡±


    Qiu Bing uttered the name of a poison. ¡°My master shifu taught me how to concoct it, and I was trying to find someone I could test it on. I specially adjusted the dose to make sure it shows effect in ten days, so that nobody would link it with this attack.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, feeling that Qiu Bing was indeed very smart. ¡°That was brilliant. I¡¯ll see to it that you¡¯re handsomely rewarded.¡±


    Qiu Bing was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Thank you, Young Master!¡±


    ¡°Make sure you¡¯re as cautious as you were this time in future operations. Under no circumstances should you reveal your identity.¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be careful!¡±


    ¡°All right. Dismissed. You¡¯re to go to the hill behind this manor to meet Mr. Ji in two hours.¡±


    All security guards left except for Wang Dashan and Liu Yi.


    Ling Zhang inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the name of that private bank Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi visited?¡±


    ¡°Dousheng Bank.¡±


    Dousheng Bank?


    ¡°Young Master, this private bank is very famous in the north, but the owner never tried to have it expand into the south, so most southerners don¡¯t know about it,¡± said Liu Yi.


    Ling Zhang had Liu Yi provide more detailed information about the situation of the Dousheng Bank. Liu Yi did as he was told and finally said, ¡°The owner of the Dousheng Bank has always been rumored to be a northern merchant. No outsiders know it belongs to the Yuwen family. I¡¯m afraid this time around it¡¯ll be exposed.¡±


    In addition, nobody could have foreseen that Yuwen Tong would actually give such profitable private bank to his uncle¡¯s branch of the family.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while. ¡°Tell Xia Feng to keep watch on Dousheng Bank and keep me informed of any change of situation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Wang Dashan answered and went to have someone deliver a message back to the city.


    Ling Zhang kept this matter in mind, intending to clear it up with Yuwen Tong after he returned. It was not that he coveted this private bank, but that this bank must be of great significance to the Yuwen family. By handing it over to the second branch of the Yuwen family just like this, Yuwen Tong, as the eldest grandson of Old General Yuwen and a member of the first branch, was putting himself in a very awkward position. Besides, people of the second branch were definitely unworthy of it!


    After giving this matter some thought, Ling Zhang decided to ask Xie Shi about it first, and there was also another matter that he¡¯d like to make some inquiries about in passing.


    When Ling Zhang found Xie Shi, the latter was following in Ji Yin¡¯s wake, mesmerized, watching him instructing Yang Liuzi and the other eleven in formations. The look in his eyes was as worshipful as though he was looking at his idol. Xie Shi had never shown such deep admiration even when facing Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave a shudder from head to foot, feeling that this bearing of Xie Shi¡¯s was somewhat spooky.


    ¡°Guard Xie.¡±


    Xie Shi heard Ling Zhang call him. Though rather unwilling to leave Ji Yin¡¯s side, he still quickly walked over. ¡°How can I be of service to you, Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you about.¡±


    Xie Shi bobbed his head and followed Ling Zhang to a quieter spot that was more suitable for a private talk.


    Ling Zhang asked him about Dousheng Bank. Xie Shi did a double take and then replied, ¡°It¡¯s been decades since the establishment of that private bank. Old General Yuwen was one of the founders. Back then, he sold some of the other businesses of the Yuwen family to set it up with a rich southern merchant, with whom he had a friendship of life and death. The original reason for his founding that bank was to create an extra source of income for his family members living in the capital city, and to provide some financial assistance to the army if the occasion arose. But the Marshal, after inheriting it, stopped using it to offer the army pecuniary aid, saying that it was too dangerous. Instead, he utilized it to help wounded soldiers to start new lives after the war. These years, most of the profit of Dousheng Bank is used on the resettlement of soldiers, which is a fact known to almost all senior officers of the North-western Army.¡±


    ¡°But now it¡¯s been given to Yuwen Zhi, which means the money is no longer accessible to Yuwen Tong, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ling Zhang said apprehensively.


    Xie Shi hurriedly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. The Marshal did this for a reason. The existence of Dousheng Bank has been exposed and come to the emperor¡¯s knowledge. It¡¯s now a hot potato. The Marshal took advantage of this opportunity and got rid of it. But the money has been secretly transferred elsewhere through some other methods.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang, who had been wondering why Yuwen Tong had given such an important business to Yuwen Zhi, came to understand.


    Having been informed of what was really going on, Ling Zhang was much more relaxed, planning to have a talk with Yuwen Tong and ask for more details after he came back.


    ¡°By the way, previously, after you discovered Yuwen Qi¡¯s venomous snake in Tanyang, you probably looked into how he got it, I suppose? This time Qiu Bing¡­¡± Ling Zhang told Xie Shi about Qiu Bing¡¯s helping him get his revenge, and then said, ¡°Will Yuwen Qi find out and trace it back to you?¡±


    Xie Shi smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that, Young Master. Although that poison is fairly rare, people with enough money don¡¯t have much difficulty getting it. I¡¯m not the only one having the poison in hand, and nobody will be able to trace it back to me. As regards Yuwen Qi¡¯s venomous snake¡­¡±

 Chapter 262 - The Delivery of Dowries & A Pair of Wild Geese

    ¡°Marshal, we couldn¡¯t find those men. They seem to have disappeared into thin air, but¡­¡±


    Yao Yi broke off in the middle of a sentence. Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Anything you feel it inconvenient to talk about?¡±


    Yao Yi hurriedly replied, ¡°Not inconvenient. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t dare say for sure. This morning, Xie Shi had a message delivered here, which said that Wang Dashan and some others had been assigned by Childe Ling to perform some kind of task and their whereabouts were unknown.¡±Update by Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong briefly paused, coming to understand what Yao Yi was implying. ¡°Since when have Wang Dashan and his men learned how to slip away from under your noses without any of you noticing?¡±


    ¡°The ones who tailed them said that those men in black adopted some kind of weird method, that they unmistakably caught sight of them but the next moment they suddenly vanished.¡± Yao Yi was also very confused and had been wondering all along what had happened.


    Something occurred to Yuwen Tong and he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°It seems that they¡¯re quite quick learners.¡±


    Yao Yi didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What was it that they learned?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ji has been personally instructing them. As for what he is teaching them exactly, I have no idea either.¡±


    Mouth hanging open, Yao Yi recalled the miraculous skill Ji Yin had displayed in the mansion that day, and began to worry. If all those security guards became so difficult to shadow, would they still be able to keep them under control with kung fu skills?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you make me lose face,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Yao Yi had no choice but to hurriedly answer, ¡°I don¡¯t dare, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him and said, ¡°Given that it was Wang Dashan and his men who did that, there¡¯s no doubt they were following Brother Zhang¡¯s orders. Stay out of this. Pretend you¡¯re still investigating. Distract those performing the search when necessary.¡±


    Yao Yi was totally unsurprised at Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision. ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Have you found anything out about what my uncle is up to?¡± Yuwen Tong started to ask about something else.


    Yao Yi answered cautiously, ¡°I noticed that every seven days Second Master¡¯s old personal servant goes to a small teahouse located in the North Alley beside the second street in the east of the city to drink tea, and every time when the storyteller in the teahouse reaches the best part of his story and all customers¡¯ attention is focused on the storyteller, he rises to his feet and goes to the privy without fail. At first I had a suspicion that he goes there to meet someone, which afterwards turned out to be untrue. Yesterday that old servant went to the teahouse as usual and when he was heading for the privy, someone bumped into him and a bamboo tube slid out of his sleeve, which looked similar to the bamboo tube Second Young Master had carried with him in Tanyang.


    Zhao Fugui once said that Second Young Master¡¯s venomous snake was capable of delivering messages, so I immediately became vigilant. Pity I was unprepared. Even if that old servant sent out a venomous snake, for the moment there¡¯s no way to find out where it went. We can only wait for him to do that again.¡±


    A frown creased Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. If that was the case, Yuwen Zhi must have been corresponding with someone in this way for a very long time.


    Recollecting the layout of the surroundings of the North Alley beside the second street in the east of the city, pondering who this person that Yuwen Zhi had been corresponding with might be, Yuwen Tong eventually found that several of the residences closest to the teahouse belonged to courtiers. Another fact that rendered Yuwen Tong cautious was that this place was near the imperial palace.


    That alley was only two north-south streets away from the wall of the imperial palace. At the foot of the palace wall was a broad thoroughfare paved with blue flagstones, which palace guards patrolled in shifts day and night. In order to prevent the air from getting dusty, grass seeds had been sowed in the soil in the gaps between blue flagstones of all main streets in the capital city. Though horses and pedestrians walked along them day and night, there was still green grass growing in those gaps, which made it very easy for a small snake to get cross the streets. Of course there might be other ways. After all, all they needed was a passage wide enough for a small snake to go through¡­


    He remembered that the place behind that palace wall seemed to be a utility room.


    Faintly cold-faced, Yuwen Tong contemplated, hoping that he was merely overthinking it by making this speculation. It would take more time and patience to ascertain whom Yuwen Zhi had been contacting.


    ¡°Be cautious about this. Tell Xie Shi to come back in a few days. I want him to personally go there and keep a close watch on that old servant.¡±


    Yao Yi nodded. Xie Shi excelled at detoxification and was more acquainted with that kind of venomous snakes.


    ¡°Have you found the merchant that provided these venomous snakes for my uncle¡¯s branch of the family?¡± inquired Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a shrewd idea who he is. Pity people of south Xinjiang are very wary of outsiders and unwilling to disclose more details. Also, that merchant enters the capital city every three years. To find him, we have to either wait or go to south Xinjiang. I¡¯ve already had a message delivered to our scouts there, telling them to keep their eyes peeled for him. Currently I¡¯m waiting for their report.¡±


    If the situation went urgent, Yao Yi would personally pay a visit to south Xinjiang, but he was Yuwen Tong¡¯s right-hand man, and Yuwen Tong merely wanted to know who had provided his uncle¡¯s branch of the family with that kind of venomous snakes, and had no intention to do anything to that merchant, so there was no hurry.


    ¡°Our first priority right now is finding out what that old servant has been doing exactly in that teahouse. Make sure he¡¯s under constant watch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Young Master, the dowry-delivering team of the Yuwen family has departed for Tanyang. They exited the city this morning. It was Yuwen Chi, Yuwen Han and Yuwen Jin who were heading the team.¡±


    This day, Ling Zhang had just returned from checking the artisans¡¯ progress in building the drill ground when Wang Dashan hastily entered and gave him a report with a delighted face.


    Ling Zhang was surprised. Yuwen Jin was in the team as well? That guy definitely had gone along for the ride.


    Wang Dashan was very happy, for the dowry-delivering team of the Yuwen family was huge. It was so long that he couldn¡¯t see the end of it, and the dowries were unimaginably lavish. When the team had been going through the city gate, residents had crowded the two sides of street looking on. The dowries had been prepared according to the highest ceremonial standard that the Yuwen family was currently allowed to adopt, and Yuwen Chi, Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle, was personally leading the team. Though Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family had separated from the other two branches many years ago, Yuwen Chi was Yuwen Tong¡¯s father¡¯s peer, and Yuwen Tong respected him very much, so everybody knew how much weight Yuwen Chi carried. On top of that, apart from Yuwen Chi, Yuwen Han who was Yuwen Tong¡¯s peer, and Yuwen Jin were in the team as well, so the level of formality was very high.


    ¡°It is rumored that the North-western Army had a pair of wild geese delivered here with a fast horse to send their congratulations. All those who saw them said that the wild geese were very imposing.¡±


    It was not the wild geese but the gesture of the North-western Army that was of significance. By doing this, they were unmistakably telling everybody that they¡¯d accepted Ling Zhang as their Marshal¡¯s wife.


    ¡°I heard that the North-western Army also sent word out that on the wedding day of the Marshal and Childe Ling, Jiang Xi, one of the two assistant commanders, along with several hundred crack troops, would accompany the Marshal to Childe Ling¡¯s home to escort him back to the wedding.¡±


    Though Ling Zhang wanted to keep up his pretence of composure, the corners of his mouth curled up in spite of himself.


    A soft cough was heard.


    Ling Zhang turned and called in a somewhat embarrassed tone, ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Walking over, Ji Yin remarked, ¡°That Yuwen boy knows what¡¯s good for him. I¡¯ll give him that.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be instructing Yang Liuzi and the others? Why did you come here?¡± Fairly awkward, Ling Zhang steered the conversation away.


    Ji Yin lightly snorted, ¡°I¡¯m neither deaf nor blind enough to let the uproariousness on the main road to escape my notice. I came here to inform you of it, but this guard of yours anticipated me.¡±


    Wang Dashan repeatedly apologized to the old man. Ji Yin had given him and other security guards a lot of directions, and their kung fu had improved considerably in a short amount of time. Though aware that it was impossible for them to have Ji Yin apprentice them, they still respected Ji Yin very much, inwardly regarding him as their master shifu.


    Ling Zhang was astonished to learn that Ji Yin had heard it. There was a very long distance between the manor and the main road, but he had still heard the noises?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that the Yuwen family prepared dowry of this standard, Grandfather will make sure your trousseau is of much greater value than that. The Ling family just has to do their best; I¡¯ll handle the rest of it. There¡¯s no need for you to feel too embarrassed to accept it. Just take it as a compensation Grandfather makes on behalf of your mother.¡±


    Now that Ji Yin had put it this way, Ling Zhang had nothing else to say.


    But, speaking of the trousseau¡­


    Subconsciously, Ling Zhang suddenly realized that something was not quite right. Why hadn¡¯t he sent a dowry-delivering team to the Yuwen family instead of allowing Yuwen Tong to send one to the Ling family? His embarrassment instantly disappeared at this thought. Ling Zhang, wringing his wrist in regret, let out a sigh. Now it was too late. The team of the Yuwen family had already departed. It was impossible for him to tell them to return. He was such a fool!


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re unhappy that Grandfather wants to chip in money to buy you trousseau?¡± Seeing the odd expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face which seemed to be regret or something, Ji Yin mistakenly believed that Ling Zhang was unhappy to hear that he wanted to get involved in the preparation of his trousseau. The old man appeared aggrieved.


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance and hurriedly said, ¡°Of course not. I couldn¡¯t be happier about it. I¡¯ve never worried about that matter, because I know you got my back, Grandfather.¡±


    Ji Yin¡¯s spirits rose to normal at these words, but he still asked, ¡°Then what were you thinking about just now? You looked rather regretful.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare tell Ji Yin the truth. Having been staying with the old man for all these days, he had come to know that his grandfather was fairly overprotective of him. If he told Ji Yin, the old man would definitely go and stop the team of the Yuwen family straight away.


    ¡°I was just thinking that I¡¯m not in Tanyang and cannot see with my own eyes how my paternal grandfather and uncle would react when they see the team.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very easy to fix. Let¡¯s go back to Tanyang right now,¡± observed Ji Yin unhesitatingly, as expected.


    Ling Zhang hastily said, ¡°The revamp of the manor isn¡¯t finished yet, Grandfather. We may go to Tanyang after returning from the Millennium Pavilion. At any rate, I need to see my¡­ my father first.¡±


    Ji Yin thought for a moment and acceded, ¡°You¡¯re right. The two of you haven¡¯t seen each other for so many years. It¡¯s about time you went to meet him. It¡¯d be best if he recovers before your wedding day.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had never given this any thought, was slightly surprised. After all, the existence of his father had been strange to him for too long.


    Although unable to depart for Tanyang immediately, Ji Yin set out to prepare Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseau without further ado. He still instructed the security guards as scheduled, but had delegated everything else in the manor to Ling Zhang, who had pulled a wry face when accepting the assignments.


    The revamp of the manor was being carried out according to the diagram of a formation. Ji Yin had fully briefed Ling Zhang on it, and over the past couple of days, it was Ling Zhang who had been supervising the craftsmen working, so naturally he could take over the whole project with no problem. Artisans were doing the revamp according to the owners¡¯ instructions. Some renovations confused them, and none of them could understand. Firstly, such an ingenious formation was beyond their grasp; secondly, Ji Yin personally handled the revamp of the crucial parts. Therefore, though the artisans had been doing the revamp, why the owners wanted they to do it that way was a mystery to them.


    ¡°Are there any messages from the city?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Wang Dashan after taking charge of the revamp of the manor. He wanted to know when Yuwen Tong would finish the business in hand.

 Chapter 263 - A Letter

    ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    Before Wang Dashan could give an answer, Xie Shi showed up, accompanied by Miao Shiba who was supposed to be in the city.


    ¡°I need to go back to the city to attend to something. Shiba is here to stand in for me.¡±


    ¡°Has anything happened?¡± Ling Zhang appeared apprehensive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. Nothing happened. It¡¯s just that Brother Shi is more experienced in handling some particular matters, so the Marshal wants Brother Shi to return. The Marshal will be occupied for another couple of days. He instructed me to tell you that everything is going as planned, that there¡¯s nothing to concern yourself about,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Xie Shi¡¯s strong point was detoxification skills, and Yuwen Tong¡¯s recalling him definitely had something to do with this, but judging from Miao Shiba¡¯s facial expression, he wasn¡¯t lying. If Yuwen Tong was okay, then it must be someone else who was not okay.


    ¡°What is it about?¡± Ling Zhang still asked.


    To his surprise, Miao Shiba replied very crisply, ¡°It¡¯s about people of the second branch. The Marshal is looking into some of Second Master¡¯s deeds. He encountered a small problem and needs Brother Shi to come back to deal with it. The inquiry into this matter is the very reason why the marshal cannot come back right away.¡±


    After hearing Miao Shiba give a sketchy account of what was going on, Ling Zhang came to understand the situation and was no longer worried.


    Qiu Bing, who was the happiest to see Xie Shi leave, specially hurried over and said, ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ve been counting down the days. The poison inside Yuwen Qi will show its effect in three days. We can expect some entertainment.¡±


    Ling Zhang, however, was alarmed at his words. Wouldn¡¯t people of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the family become suspicious of Xie Shi if he returned to the city on this occasion?


    Miao Shiba was quite collected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. They don¡¯t know that Xie Shi is a poison master.¡±


    ¡­


    In Zheng shi¡¯s chambers.


    A gasp was heard.


    The handmaid, doing Zheng shi¡¯s hair, unintentionally gave the hair at Zheng shi¡¯s temple a faintly painful pull, reducing Zheng shi to gasping with a grimace. The movement of the muscles of her recovering cheek exacerbated the pain, and she instantly flied into a temper and roughly pushed the handmaid away with a sweep of her arm. ¡°Are you trying to kill me?! Drag her out!¡±


    ¡°Mistress! Mercy, Mistress! That was not intentional. Please have mercy on me. Don¡¯t send me away. I¡¯m begging you, Mistress!¡± pleaded the handmaid, slumping to her knees, panic-stricken.


    Zheng shi remained indifferent. Soon two guards entered and dragged the handmaid out of the room. What lay in store for her was known to everybody.


    Handmaids and servants, in and outside the room, hung their heads, not daring make the faintest sound. These days Zheng shi¡¯s temper was growing increasingly violent, and she used them as her punching bags every time she lost it. This was not the worst, however. Their Second Young Master¡¯s servants had been replaced again and again. Anyone of them who did or said anything not quite to his liking, no matter how insignificant it was in the sight of normal people, they would get a harsh scolding from their Second Young Master and then be evicted by the Mistress.


    Zheng shi, after having her hair combed and her clothes changed, asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Master?¡±


    ¡°Master went to attend the court meeting and isn¡¯t back yet.¡±


    Zheng shi slightly furrowed her brows and went to see Yuwen Qi, followed by a handmaid.


    Yuwen Qi, after being bagged and beaten up that day, was covered in bruises. He refused to let his handmaids apply ointment to them, and even the best physician was unable to convince him to be cooperative, so naturally he was making a recovery much slower than normal.


    When Zheng shi arrived, Yuwen Qi had just chucked a handmaid off and was menacingly staring at somewhere. There was no telling what he was thinking.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er, Mother came to see you. Are you feeling better?¡± said Zheng shi on entry.


    Yuwen Qi looked at her. ¡°Where¡¯s Yaoyao?¡±


    Zheng shi briefly paused in surprise and then said, ¡°I think she¡¯s in her own chambers. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Tell her to come here to redress my wounds.¡±


    Zheng shi, who had actually some time ago discerned that her son had a thing for Su Yaoyao, was not at all surprised by this sudden request and, heedless of whether or not Su Yaoyao would feel awkward, agreed, had a servant go to get Su Yaoyao, and then said to him, ¡°Qi¡¯er, were your uncle still alive, I wouldn¡¯t really be against you marrying her, but your uncle has passed away, and no matter how good a girl Su Yaoyao is, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s now fatherless and depends on our family. If you marry her, she wouldn¡¯t be of much help to you in the future. I suggest you take her as your concubine if you really like her so much. Mother will find you someone more suitable to be your legal wife.¡±


    Yuwen Qi made no reply. It was hard to tell whether he was for or against his mother¡¯s opinion.


    When Su Yaoyao arrived and caught sight of Yuwen Qi, there was manifest fear on her face. Fully aware of how sulkily and violently Yuwen Qi had been conducting himself recently, she was very afraid that Yuwen Qi was going to vent his anger on her. ¡°Aunt, Cousin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yaoyao. Come here. Help apply some ointment to your cousin¡¯s bruises. Your cousin likes your very much. He misses you after not seeing your for merely a few moments,¡± said Zheng shi.


    Su Yaoyao forced a smile. She was unmarried, and redressing Yuwen Qi¡¯s wounds meant that she had to take off his robes, which would terribly compromise her reputation if word got out. ¡°Aunt, I¨CI¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not very convenient for me to do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be silly. There¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it. This is your cousin, not an outsider. Besides, you two have always been on very good terms, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s just administration of ointment. Sooner or later you¡¯ll marry into our family,¡± observed Zheng shi.


    Biting her lower lip, Su Yaoyao looked in the direction of Yuwen Qi but the coldness in his eyes gave her quite a start. Subconsciously, she relented. ¡°Okay.¡±


    While Su Yaoyao was applying ointment to Yuwen Qi¡¯s bruises, Zheng shi was watching on the side. After Su Yaoyao finished redressing Yuwen Qi¡¯s wounds and helped him get dressed, Yuwen Qi grabbed her wrist. After an unsuccessful attempt to free her hand, Su Yaoyao didn¡¯t dare move. ¡°Cou¨CCousin?¡±


    ¡°You quite like that private bank, don¡¯t you? It¡¯ll be yours as well if you marry me. Does this cheer you up?¡± Yuwen Qi suddenly said in a gentle voice.


    Su Yaoyao was sent into a brief trance of astonishment, and then a hint of joy appeared on her face. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± smiled Yuwen Qi, eyes on her. Su Yaoyao was fleetingly stupefied by his smile and forgot what he looked like when he was in one of his moods, bowing her head in timidity.


    Zheng shi¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. What did he mean by saying it¡¯d be hers? That was¨C


    ¡°Mother, Elder Brother still hasn¡¯t ascertained who sent those men in black to intercept us that day?¡± Yuwen Qi¡¯s question interrupted Zhen shi¡¯s thinking.


    Zheng shi¡¯s was immediately shifted by her son¡¯s words. With a displeased face, she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s been doing. As Assistant Minister of Rites, he hasn¡¯t found out anything about who assaulted his mother and brother after such a long time. Previously I thought he was pretty capable, but now it seems that he¡¯s been getting more and more useless.¡±


    ¡°Has father found anything?¡± Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes had gone flinty.


    Zheng shi said, ¡°Your father stays in his study all the time except when his presence is requested in the imperial court. I asked him about it but he gave me a scolding instead of an answer. I have no idea what¡¯s got into him.¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s anger increased as she spoke, but no matter how angry she was, she didn¡¯t dare confront her husband. Complaining in private was the only thing she could do.


    ¡°What about Yuwen Tong? Surely he has enough resources to track them down?¡± said Yuwen Qi through gritted teeth.


    Zheng shi frowned, ¡°He said that those men in black had disappeared into thin air, that the inquiry reached a dead end. His Majesty instructed the yamen and the garrison patrol to investigate, but nobody has reported any progress so far.¡±


    Yuwen Qi fumed, ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Those men weren¡¯t really kung fu experts. There¡¯s no way they literally vanished without a trace. They¡¯re just unwilling to look into it! Yuwen Tong is doing this on purpose. It must be him who¡¯s at work!¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Qi¡¯s words, Zheng shi seemed to feel that he¡¯d got a point and instantly started to curse. ¡°That ungrateful bastard. No, I have to ask him and find out whether he¡¯s been deliberately hampering the investigation, trying to make laughing stocks of us.¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s furious talking placed too much strain on her recovering cheek and there was another spasm of pained gasp, which infuriated her even further. Accompanied by her handmaids, she stormed out of the room towards the residential area of the first branch of the family.


    Yuwen Tong, after hearing that Zheng shi arrived with some handmaids, kept silent for quite a while and then said, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Zheng shi, who had waited for quite some time before being allowed to enter, was consumed with fury. As she saw the uproarious atmosphere in this place with numerous servants who were going in and out of every house making preparations for the wedding, her insides ached for ire, but when her eyes fell on Yuwen Tong who was emanating an alarmingly powerful air, she was intimidated and didn¡¯t dare take it out on him. In a bitter voice heavy with sarcasm, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not that Aunt wants to criticize you, but your servants are really uncouth. They saw me coming, but instead of giving me a proper welcome, they stopped me from entering. They¡¯re so unruly. You might as well break their legs and arms and throw them out of this place. Such ignorant pariahs are no nothing but a bunch of eyesores if you let them stay here as servants.¡±


    Yuwen Tong disregarded her insinuation. ¡°What is it you want to see me about, Aunt? I think we¡¯re not on speaking terms any more, are we?¡±


    Zheng shi was briefly rendered speechless by this blunt remark of his. Secretly twisting her handkerchief, she said, ¡°I¡¯m here to ask why after such a long time you still haven¡¯t ascertained the identities of those goddamn thugs that assaulted me and your cousin. You¡¯re a marshal of the Great Yue. How could you not have had it properly handled already? It¡¯d be an absolute disgrace to the Yuwen family if word gets out.¡±


    ¡°How about you give me a more detailed account of what happened that day, Aunt? How those people showed up, what they said, how they struck you, how hard their blows were, which parts of you they hit, etc. So I may follow these clues and conduct another search.¡±


    ¡°You¨C¡±


    Zheng shi was nearly enraged to death by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. ¡°Why are you doing this? I¡¯m asking you to hunt those sons of bitches down, and you chose to humiliate me?¡±


    ¡°Which part of my words do you find humiliating, Aunt? I told you the investigation hit a dead end, but you insisted I continue, so I had no choice but to ask you for more details and see if I could find any possible leads. You came to me for help. Don¡¯t you think you should be more cooperative? If you feel I¡¯m humiliating you, you might as well go back right away. As for the inquiry, there¡¯s nothing else I can do, and nothing you say will make a difference.¡±


    ¡°You! How dare you behave like this, Yuwen Tong? You think just because we¡¯ve broken up the family to live apart, you get to treat me like dirt? You wait and see! I¡¯ll have your true colors come to the knowledge of everybody in this country! You have no respect for your elders, nor brotherly love for your cousin. How do you have the nerve to call yourself a marshal?!¡±


    Insides burning with indignation, Zheng shi stormed off, followed by her handmaids.


    ¡°Am I to do anything about this, Marshal?¡± Yao Yi was worried.


    ¡°Just keep a close watch on her. If she wants to do anything, report to me immediately,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    Zheng shi and her handmaids returned to the residential area of the second branch of the Yuwen family. She had no sooner crossed the boundary than a servant walked over and said, ¡°Here¡¯s a letter for you, Mistress.¡±


    Zheng shi, who had just had a very unpleasant talk and was filled with wrath, was only too anxious to find a punching bag and immediately spat, ¡°Are you blind? Why on earth should I waste my time reading some nobody¡¯s letter? If you can¡¯t find better use for your eyes, I¡¯ll take them. Guards, gouge his eyes out!¡±


    ¡°Mercy, Mistress.¡± The servant hastily sank to his knees. ¡°The one who delivered this letter here said that he came here to help you out, that he could not only heal Second Young Master¡¯s broken legs but also ascertain the identities of those men in black, that all you have to do is read the letter. I risked bringing this letter to you for your and Second Young Master¡¯s sake. Please take this into consideration, Mistress.¡±


    Zheng shi gave him a searching look. ¡°He really said that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t dare lie to you, Mistress.¡± The servant hurriedly gave her a guarantee.


    Zheng shi motioned to the handmaid beside her, who took the letter and then guided Zheng shi to a quiet spot to sit down.

 Chapter 264 - Yuwen Qis Poisoning & a Pill from a Miracle-Working Physician

    Taking in ten lines at each glance, Zheng shi finished reading the letter rapidly, the surprise on her face deepening. There was also a mixture of ecstasy and excitement in her countenance. As if afraid that she had misread it, she cast an eye over the letter from start to finish for a second time. After confirming the contents of it, she abruptly sprang to her feet, turned around and walked towards the outside in great haste.


    ¡°Mistress?¡± The handmaid gave a start and hurriedly followed in her wake.


    Halfway to her chambers, Zheng shi suddenly paused, a tic going in her cheeks, tightly gripping her handkerchief, the look in her eyes somewhat frightening.


    Seeing Zheng shi acting as though she¡¯d lost her sanity, the handmaid asked in horror, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mistress. You¡¯re scaring me.¡±


    It was quite a while before Zheng shi collected herself and slid her handmaid a cold glance. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss about?¡±


    The handmaid paled slightly and hastily apologized, ¡°I beg your pardon, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Go and make some preparations. In the afternoon I¡¯m going to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva for my son,¡± instructed Zheng shi.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± The handmaid left without more ado.


    The others cautiously supported Zheng shi back to her chambers, where she started preparing for the trip to the temple in the afternoon, temporarily forgetting about Yuwen Qi.


    This time, Zheng shi took over twenty guards with her on her trip, and took only broad, busy thoroughfares, not daring to cut through any alleys.


    After arriving at the temple, Zheng shi got out of the carriage, went to pray to the Bodhisattva first and then proceeded to a quiet room beside the back yard on the pretext of needing to spend some time alone.


    Zheng shi entered the room, accompanied by only an old nanny, all others waiting in the doorway of the back yard which was a fairly long distance away. Visit website our Listnovel.com .Sure enough she was not here to quietly sit praying inwardly. It was because the one who¡¯d sent her a letter asked her to come to this room for a meeting with him this afternoon. The letter said that there was a way to heal her son¡¯s legs, so although the identity of the culprit who¡¯d sent those men in black to attack her was still unknown, she¡¯d chosen to come anyway.


    At first Zheng shi had been sitting in silence patiently, but after waiting for a while, she went anxious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mistress. I¡¯ll go outside and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Then go.¡±


    It was quite some time before this Nanny Zhong, an old handmaid of Zheng shi¡¯s, returned. Zheng shi was running out of patience owing to the long wait. Following in Nanny Zhong¡¯s wake were a Buddhist monk and a mysterious, hooded man who seemed to have no intention of removing his hood which covered half of his face. This person was keeping his head down slightly, revealing merely his chin and part of his neck. Zheng shi could only tell that this person was male.


    The anxiety on Zheng shi¡¯s face disappeared at the sight of them. She sized up this Buddhist monk and the mysterious man beside him, having an intuition that this hooded man was the one who had asked her to come here. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Someone capable of healing your son¡¯s broken legs, of course. Isn¡¯t this the very reason why you came here to meet me, Madam Yuwen?¡± replied the hooded person in a voice that was male, as expected.


    ¡°I did come, but why should I believe you?¡± said Zheng shi.


    ¡°I brought you a pill, Madam Yuwen. Take it back and administer it to your son. It will not only alleviate the pain in his legs but also have his bruises heal quickly,¡± said the hooded man, taking out a little porcelain phial and putting it down onto the table.


    ¡°Why should I believe someone who doesn¡¯t even dare show me his face?¡± Zheng shi stared at him.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the only one who can heal your son¡¯s broken legs, and because you need my help. Believe it or not, I¡¯ll be here waiting for your corporeal presence in three days, and you¡¯ll naturally be willing to trust me by that time and know who I am,¡± observed the mysterious man.


    This man sounded very confident. After pondering for quite a while, Zheng shi picked up the porcelain phial.


    ¡­


    On her return to the residential compound of Yuwen family, Zheng shi immediately went to see Yuwen Qi, but suddenly paused in the doorway of Yuwen Qi¡¯s chambers, fished out the porcelain phial, hesitated for a long time and then, instead of entering, retired to her own chambers.


    Nanny Zhong had other handmaids leave and said, ¡°Are you worried that this pill might be fake, Mistress?¡±


    Zheng shi said, ¡°It¡¯s okay if this pill is fake. I fear that it might do my son harm if he takes it.¡±


    ¡°How about testing it on someone else first?¡± suggested Nanny Zhong.


    Zheng shi¡¯s eyes lit up and she immediately said, ¡°Then go and break a servant¡¯s leg. See if this pill is really that effective.¡±


    Nanny Zhong answered ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± and was just about to leave when Zheng shi suddenly snapped, ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Mistress?¡± Nanny Zhong turned to look at her in confusion.


    Zheng shi opened the porcelain phial, took a look inside and a scowl appeared on her face. ¡°There¡¯s only one pill.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nanny Zhong was astonished. Thinking back to the meeting with the hooded man, she said, ¡°That man said he brought you a pill, and it turns out there¡¯s literally only one pill in this phial.¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s temper began to fray. With only one pill in hand, she was unable to test it, though she wanted to. Clearly that man was trying to force her into administer this pill to her son.


    ¡°Mistress! Mistress! Something bad happened!¡± a servant suddenly yelled in the doorway, sounding panic-stricken.


    Face going even sulkier, Zheng shi looked in the direction of the door with piercing eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Nanny Zhong hurried outside and reprimanded at the sight of the servant, ¡°You want to meet your end? Mistress is trying to get some rest. If you keep talking so loudly disturbing Mistress, you¡¯ll lose your tongue!¡±


    The servant gave a start and explained in a tremulous voice, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to disturb Mistress. Second Young Master¡¯s legs suddenly started aching terribly. He¡¯s fainted from the pain!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Nanny Zhong was also taken aback, turned around and was just about to enter to report it when Zheng shi hurried out of the room, looking flurried.


    ¡°What happened? My son¡¯s legs haven¡¯t ached for a long time. How did he come to suddenly pass out from pain?!¡± bellowed Zheng shi.


    ¡°I have no idea, Mistress. Second Young Master suddenly blacked out for pain. Both Master and First Young Master are not at home, so I immediately came here to report it to you, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°You good-for-nothing. Go and send for a physician!¡± Zheng shi flared and was just about to storm off when she suddenly paused, turned around and went back into her chambers. Nanny Zhong flicked a glance inside and saw Zheng shi pick up the porcelain phial on the table.


    The group of people trotted to Yuwen Qi¡¯s chambers in haste. Kneeling on the ground here and there in the bedroom were a lot of handmaids. Yuwen Qi was lying in bed, ashen-faced, sweaty all over, eyes closed, groaning in pain constantly. Zheng shi walked up to the bedside and started at the sight of Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs. His pant legs had been rolled up to his thighs, and a horrifying bluish black was spreading outward from his knees, looking hideous and spooky. Zheng shi failed to catch her next breath and nearly swooned.


    ¡°Ho¨CHow did this happen?!¡± exclaimed Nanny Zhong in alarm.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er, how do you feel, Qi¡¯er?!¡± Zheng shi bent over Yuwen Qi¡¯s bed, almost sitting on her heels. She wanted to touch Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs but didn¡¯t dare.


    ¡°They¡¯re hurting, Mother. They¡¯re hurting so badly.¡± Yuwen Qi in bed feebly opened his eyes, his voice so weak that it was barely audible.


    Zheng shi felt a stab of heartache at Yuwen Qi¡¯s words.


    After the physician arrived and caught sight of Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs, his face instantly went awkward. ¡°Second Childe Yuwen¡¯s legs¡­ This symptom is so strange. It seems like poisoning.¡±


    Poisoning? Zheng shi had a brief blackout. Her son had been staying at home all along. How had he come to be poisoned?!


    ¡°Given the severity of it, I can but do my best. There¡¯s no guarantee that it would work,¡± sighed the physician.


    Zheng shi¡¯s mood was a mixture of anxiety, alarm and rage. When the physician started the treatment and Yuwen Qi¡¯s whole body convulsed, she hurriedly yelled, ¡°Stop! Stop it!¡±


    The physician said resignedly, ¡°Mistress, pain is a normal reaction. It¡¯s only temporary. He¡¯ll feel better soon. I have to drain the poison from his legs first before administering drug to them.¡±


    ¡°AAAAAARGH! It hurts so much! Quack! You¡¯re a quack!¡± Yuwen Qi shouted in anguish.


    Seeing Yuwen Qi was in such unbearable pain, Zheng shi clenched her teeth and fished the pill out of the porcelain phial. ¡°Physician, do you think this pill will help?¡±


    The physician scrutinized it, sniffed at it and then said in amazement, ¡°This pill is miraculously effective in healing wounds. Where did you get it, Mistress? Though not an antidote to the poison, it can temporarily deaden the poison and spare Second Young Master much pain. As long as I¨C¡±


    Before the physician could finish his sentence, Zheng shi snatched the pill from his hand and forced it into Yuwen Qi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Qi¡¯er, swallow the pill and Mother will take you to see a miracle-working physician!¡±


    Yuwen Qi ingested the pill and, strangely enough, the pain really eased considerably, and even the dull pain in his bruises disappeared, though his knees had gone numb.


    Seeing that Yuwen Qi was no longer feeling that much pain, Zheng shi heaved a sigh of relief, now having no doubt that that mysterious man had been telling the truth.


    Zheng shi chucked the physician out and didn¡¯t even pay him. The old physician was almost reduced to hurling abuse with anger. Previously Zheng shi had respectfully hired him to treat Yuwen Qi, but now he¡¯d been driven out of the house. How could he not be angry? If he were unable to treat Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs, he wouldn¡¯t have felt wronged at all, but given that he had obviously offered treatment for his wounded legs and might find an antidote to the poison, what Zheng shi had done was way beyond the pale!


    Naturally, news of what was happening in the second branch of the Yuwen family reached Yuwen Tong¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Second Mistress actually chucked off the physician? She doesn¡¯t want to treat Childe Qi¡¯s legs any more?¡± Yao Yi, totally bewildered, went to ask Zhao Fugui on his own account.


    Zhao Fugui was startled by his sudden appearance. Woebegone, he said, ¡°Sir, my dear sir, would you please not show up so suddenly again? If by any chance anybody finds out, I¡¯ll be executed.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let you die, for your life is still of some value to me. Nobody saw me come here. Now tell me why Second Mistress drove out the physician. She doesn¡¯t want to cure Childe Qi any more?¡±


    Harassed-looking, Zhao Fugui said in an undertone, ¡°It¡¯s said that Second Mistress came by a pill from some miracle-working physician, which not only healed Second Young Master¡¯s bruises but also inhibited the poison in him.¡±


    ¡°Poison? What poison?¡± Yao Yi noticed the key point. ¡°And what do you mean by a pill from some miracle-working physician?¡±


    Sweating buckets at the succession of questions, Zhao Fugui answered under his breath, ¡°For some unknown reason, a poison suddenly took effect in Second Young Master¡¯s legs. All the parts around his knees were completely bluish black. Second Young Master fainted from pain. Nobody knows who administered the poison. Second Mistress is consumed with rage. I have to go there as soon as possible. As regards that pill, I don¡¯t know where Second Mistress got it either. She suddenly took it out and also said that she¡¯d take Second Young Master to a miracle-working physician who¡¯d cure his legs.¡±


    Zhao Fugui was very anxious, afraid that Zheng shi might notice his absence and punish him. Yao Yi asked another couple of questions and then had no choice but to let him go.


    After returning, Yao Yi recounted his conversation with Zhao Fugui to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Marshal, it was probably Qiu Bing who administered the poison to Childe Qi¡¯s legs, but the so-called ¡®miracle-working physician¡¯ that Second Mistress mentioned is very strange. We never saw her go to meet any miracle-working physicians.¡±


    ¡°Now that she has said she¡¯d take Yuwen Qi to see a miracle-working physician, they would definitely set off soon. Have someone keep watch on them,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±

 Chapter 265 - An Apology from Zheng Shi?

    Zheng shi took Yuwen Qi to that temple to pray. It was rumored that after she prayed to the Bodhisattva that day, her son had received help from an honorable benefactor, so she had to pay another visit to the temple to redeem her previous vow to the Bodhisattva and deliver votive offerings.


    An intelligence report submitted to Yuwen Tong, however, said that Zheng shi had taken Yuwen Qi to that temple to meet someone, whose identity was cloaked in a shroud of secrecy, and who had a powerful force in the capital city as his backer.


    Yao Yi and some others, in order not to alarm the mastermind, let that man leave.


    After pondering for a few moments, Yuwen Tong gave a sneer. This person wielded such great power in the capital city, and his methods were so familiar. He wondered whether this man who had suddenly shown up to upset his plan was the same person who had killed Su Zhi previously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way Yuwen Qi could make a full recovery from his broken legs after a single meeting with that man. After that man shows up a few more times, your opportunity to reveal his identity will arise. Currently, our first priority is the matter Xie Shi has been dealing with. Go and see if he¡¯s found anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    This was the day when Yuwen Zhi¡¯s old servant would go to that teahouse. Xie Shi had been lying in ambush in there for quite some time.


    ¡­


    In the teahouse.


    When the storyteller reached the most heart-thrilling part of the tale and all customers in the teahouse had their attention fixed on him, one particular person quietly left the hall making towards the privy in the back yard. This person was slightly hunched and stayed in the privy for a long time before exiting.


    After walking through the privy door, he cautiously looked around and didn¡¯t return to the hall of the teahouse until he confirmed that nobody was watching.


    Xie Shi cocked an eye at a spot near the foot of the wall behind the privy. With a sudden flicker of his figure, he disappeared.


    When Yao Yi arrived, Xie Shi was still not back yet. The guard that had accompanied Xie Shi to the teahouse was wavering between going to look for Xie Shi or continuing to wait when he caught sight of Yao Yi and called in a pleasantly surprised tone, ¡°Captain!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Has Xie Shi found anything out?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t back yet.¡±


    Yao Yi patiently waited, but after nearly two hours, Xie Shi still hadn¡¯t returned, and neither had Xie Shi sent an SOS. Uncertain of whether Xie Shi was in danger, Yao Yi decided to go and look for him with the guard and was just about to set off when Xie Shi showed up, a funky odor about him.


    Yao Yi clapped a hand over his nose. ¡°Where the hell have you been? Why do you smell so weird?¡±


    Xie Shi shot a dark glance at him. ¡°I ascertained where that venomous snake went. Let¡¯s go back and report to the Marshal first.¡±


    After returning to the residential compound of the Yuwen family, Xie Shi took a bath, changed clothes and then went to see Yuwen Tong. He said, ¡°Marshal, that snake went through a back-wall of the imperial palace. As it¡¯s small and not easy to spot, nobody apart from me noticed it entering the palace. I vaguely saw the snake worm its way into a utility room before I lost sight of it. There were guards on the other side of the palace wall, so I didn¡¯t go inside without your consent.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was unsurprised at this reply. What had happened corresponded with one of his speculations, which would probably lead to the most troublesome eventuality.


    Yuwen Zhi had been secretly keeping in contact with someone in the imperial palace. Given that there was some kind of link between this person¡¯s duties and a utility room, his or her status was probably not high, but it was also possible that he or she was a servant of someone of higher rank. As things stood, there was no other clue whatsoever to that person¡¯s identity apart from this.


    ¡°Send a message to our informer in the palace. Tell him to figure out a way to enter that utility room seven days later and see if he could find anyone suspicious there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, how about I personally go in there? I could gauge its approximate position without seeing it, for I¡¯m more sensitive to the smell of that snake.¡± Xie Shi offered to perform the task of his own volition.


    Yuwen Tong thought for a few moments and said, ¡°That might not necessarily be a bad idea, but although the utility room was not heavily guarded, you must be careful as well. Make sure nobody sees you. Your life is much more important than these matters.¡±


    Xie Shi promised solemnly, ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll be very cautious, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Marshal, Second Mistress came with her servants and handmaids. She¡­¡±


    Yao Yi walked inside to report, a peculiar expression on his face, as if there was something in his mind he couldn¡¯t quite understand.


    Seeing his countenance, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Second Mistress brought many gifts and a large group of servants and handmaids, saying that she came here to apologize and wanted to help make preparations for the wedding. And she chanced upon First Mistress and Childe Han¡¯s wife and had a talk with them. I worried that she might be mean to others, so I stopped her. She¡¯s waiting outside.¡±


    By ¡°First Mistress¡±, Yao Yi was referring to Fang shi, Yuwen Chi¡¯s wife as well as Yuwen You¡¯s daughter-in-law, and Childe Han, naturally, was Yuwen Han. Both of them were here to help with the preparatory work of the wedding.


    A flicker flitted across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes and he said, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Soon Zheng shi entered, followed by a lot of servants apart from Nanny Zhong and a couple of handmaids, who were carrying dozens of caskets containing valuable gifts.


    ¡°Tong, please forgive me for saying those aggressive words previously. I apologize to you. Your cousin has also paid the price for his impulsive deeds, and he still hasn¡¯t recovered from his broken legs. For the sake of your grandfather and your father, please pardon us for our mistakes. I brought these gifts to offer my congratulations to you. They¡¯ll prove useful on your wedding day. All of them come from my private collection which I¡¯ve been keeping for many years. Though not very valuable, they¡¯re definitely an expression of my good will.¡± Zheng shi had started talking on entry, occasionally dabbing the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, as if wiping tears, a seemingly guilty look on her face.


    Then Nanny Zhong beside Zheng shi knelt down and started kowtowing repeatedly, begging pardon, and all other servants and handmaids immediately followed her lead.


    The corners of Yao Yi¡¯s mouth twitched and he looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong, a very calm expression on his face, neither forgave nor refused to forgive her, and it was very hard to tell what he was thinking.


    Secretly anxious, Zheng shi directly began to weep. ¡°I know our non-acceptance of Ling Zhang put you in an awkward position. You may rest assured that we will never say another negative word about you two being together. You can marry him as you please. I promise I¡¯ll stay on good terms with him in the future and I won¡¯t pick on him.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± asked Yuwen Tong, his tone still bland, giving little away.


    ¡°Of course. I never go back on my word. Childe Ling will be the legal mistress of the first branch of the Yuwen family after marrying you, and will no doubt need some time to accommodate himself to his new role. I will help him get used to it as quick as possible. Rest assured, we¡¯ve all accepted him,¡± said Zheng shi.


    ¡®This woman sounds as if Childe Ling needed your acceptance to be the legal mistress of the first branch. Who does she think she is? Isn¡¯t she worried that she might hurt her tongue by talking so big?¡¯ thought Yao Yi scornfully, feeling that on no account would the Marshal be hoodwinked by such lame acting of Zheng shi¡¯s.


    However, the next moment, he heard Yuwen Tong say, ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear that. Now that Aunt has accepted Brother Zhang, relations between the two branches of the family will return to normal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. You may rest assured that Aunt will be nice to him.¡±


    Zheng shi, overjoyed to hear this, promised that she would be kind to Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi¡¯s mouth hung open. What had he just heard? The Marshal couldn¡¯t see through such a terrible lie of Zheng shi¡¯s? He really fell for it?


    ¡°Mar¨C¡±


    ¡°Yao Yi, get some men here and put away these gifts from my aunt.¡±


    Yao Yi had tried to persuade Yuwen Tong but the latter had interrupted him before he could finish his first word. He was fairly reluctant, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s sudden interruption had also made him come to realize that this matter was not as it seemed, so he answered, ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    It was at this moment that Yuwen Tong told those servants and handmaids on their knees to stand up.


    ¡°Ahem, wait,¡± Zheng shi suddenly added with a smile, ¡°As I¡¯m your aunt, it¡¯s my unshirkable responsibility to arrange your wedding. Previously I was being foolish and narrow-minded, leaving you no choice but to go to Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the family to seek help. Now that we¡¯ve sorted things out, maybe it¡¯s time you told them to return and let me take over. I promise you¡¯ll have an elaborate wedding.¡±


    Yao Yi inwardly rolled his eyes upwards. ¡®What a nerve.¡¯


    Unswayed, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I don¡¯t dare put you to that much trouble, Aunt. Given that Granduncle and Uncle have already moved in here to help, it¡¯d be inappropriate for me to ask them to leave. People will laugh at the Yuwen family if I do that. Am I right, Aunt?¡±


    Zheng shi said with a fixed smile. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I was being unthoughtful. Then¡­ how about I have Nanny Zhong and some others stay here to help? Nanny Zhong is poised and competent. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll prove helpful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at Nanny Zhong standing on the side. On sensing Yuwen Tong¡¯s glance, Nanny Zhong shuddered unnoticeably and bowed her head, not daring look at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Okay, then. Thank you for your kindness, Aunt. Yao Yi, take Nanny Zhong and the others to my elder aunt. Tell her to make arrangements for Nanny Zhong to help.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    It was only when Yao Yi took Nanny Zhong and some servants away that a real smile ¨C a smug one, though ¨C appeared on Zheng shi¡¯s face. Seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s face which had been impassive all along, Zheng shi didn¡¯t feel like staying a single extra moment and soon made an excuse and left.


    Shortly after she took her leave, Yao Yi walked inside and said anxiously, ¡°Marshal, how could you allow Zheng shi¡¯s servants to stay? I could tell at a glance those people harbor evil intentions!¡±


    Yuwen Tong cast him a sidelong look. ¡°You think I need you to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you¨C¡±


    ¡°I just want to find out what Zheng shi is up to ¨C no, what the one Zheng shi answers to is up to, to be precise. Keep a close watch on them, and be careful not to alarm them.¡±


    Yao Yi was secretly startled. The one Zheng shi answered to? It seemed that the Marshal had had some speculations about it some time ago. Now wonder he¡¯d accepted Zheng shi¡¯s offer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it that proper arrangements are made.¡±


    ¡°Um. And inform my elder aunt of this matter so that she¡¯ll be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    Fang shi felt a sense of relief when she¡¯d been told Yuwen Tong¡¯s intention. As a woman, she had an instinct that Zheng shi entertained dark schemes, and had worried that Yuwen Tong had fallen prey to Zheng shi¡¯s trick, but now she fully relaxed safe in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had had everything planned out, and set out to make arrangements for Nanny Zhong and other servants sent by Zheng shi to start working. In order to prevent them from creating diversion to make trouble, Fang shi had them work together, not giving them any chances to split up, and even when their assignment was of little importance, she¡¯d also have someone have half an eye on them.


    Nanny Zhong, feeling that Fang shi was so good at this that she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find an opportunity to make her move, secretly clenched her teeth and sent a message back to Zheng shi, who went very angry after reading it and found that Fang shi was such a pain in the neck.


    Originally she had been the mistress of this residential compound and should be the one in charge of the preparatory work for Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding, but Yuwen Tong, without asking for her consent first, had invited Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the family to move in, which had infuriated Zheng shi. She had wanted to reason with Yuwen Tong, but unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong had soon demanded he and his uncle divide up the family property and live apart, denying Zheng shi the opportunity to express her anger, so she had decided not to lift a finger, expecting to see them botch up the wedding. However, Fang shi had turned out to be handling everything pretty well, giving Zheng shi no chance to tease about anything. Anger had been smoldering inside her for quite some time, and now, after receiving Nanny Zhong¡¯s message, she flied into a temper and prepared to go there and do something to make things difficult for Fang shi.

 Chapter 266 - Be a Good Boy and Stay Still

    Yao Yi had just received a thick letter from Miao Shiba, which gave a minute account of what Childe Ling¡¯s life had been in the manor during the past few days, so he hurriedly made towards the Marshal¡¯s chambers to deliver it, but unexpectedly, he chanced upon a drama.


    ¡°¡­Nanny Zhong has been serving this family for many years and is more experienced than you. I sent her here to help you make preparations for Tong¡¯s wedding, not to let you suppress her. Sister-in-law, the previous disagreements between Tong and the second branch of the family were just some misunderstandings. Now that we¡¯ve cleared the air, as the mistress in charge of domestic matters of the Yuwen family, I should¡¯ve taken over the preparatory work for Tong¡¯s wedding. Tong is just too embarrassed to have you go back, because he was the one who invited you here in the first place and doesn¡¯t want to hurt your feelings, but it doesn¡¯t meant that you have the final say in these matters. If you keep sidelining Nanny Zhong, I¡¯ll have no choice but to talk with Tong, and in that case, he might cast aside the consideration of face and have you leave.¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s voice was quite loud and it was not easy for Yao Yi not to overhear her. He walked up and said, ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re standing here, Mistresses? First Mistress, the Marshal would like a word. Second Mistress, if you have no other business here, please go back home.¡±


    The forms of address, ¡°First Mistress¡± and ¡°Second Mistress¡±, struck Zheng shi as extremely unpleasant. As Second Mistress of the Yuwen family, she was of much higher status than Fang shi who was First Mistress of another branch, but Yao Yi had addressed them in such an ambiguous fashion that people unaware of the truth might get the misconception that Fang shi was a notch above her!


    Zheng shi was very displeased at the words, but Yao Yi hadn¡¯t really made any mistakes by addressing them this way, so she said sulkily, ¡°Guard Yao, do you by any chance still have difficulty distinguishing your Marshal¡¯s family members from outsiders? Do I need to teach you how?¡±


    ¡°My apologies. It¡¯s just that the Marshal has something to consult with First Mistress about and requests her immediate presence. If Second Mistress has any business of urgency, you may tell me and I¡¯ll make sure the Marshal is informed of it,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Fang shi was a smart woman and knew Yao Yi had specially come here to help her out, so she immediately said, ¡°Now that Tong wants to talk with me about something, I¡¯ll go there right now.¡±


    After saying this, she left with her handmaids without further ado, leaving Zheng shi and Yao Yi staring at each other where they stood.


    Zheng shi was consumed with anger, but she also knew that if she really went to talk to Yuwen Tong, he might not necessarily side with her in this matter, for in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, Fang shi was a closer family member than her!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Zheng shi, even more unwilling to stay in this place where she could do nothing but stare at Yao Yi, stormed off, followed by her handmaids.


    Nanny Zhong was left on the scene, face to face with Yao Yi, her face full of embarrassment.


    Yao Yi threw a glance at her. ¡°Nanny Zhong, you¡¯ve been in this family for many years, so I think you¡¯re more acquainted with the rules than most. Do what you¡¯re supposed to do, and don¡¯t make trouble for the Marshal. If you feel these assignments degrade you, you may return straight away.¡±


    Nanny Zhong hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, Guard Yao. I make no pretence to being overqualified. I¡¯m going back to help First Mistress right now.¡±


    With some servants in her wake, Nanny Zhong also hurried off, knowing that Zheng shi wouldn¡¯t be able to offer her help any time soon, that she was now on her own.


    After these people who had tried to make mischief cleared off, Yao Yi looked at the thick letter in his hand and almost jumped, his grim expression instantly vanishing. With that he hastily headed for the Marshal¡¯s chambers. If he was late, the Marshal would definitely be angry with him.


    However, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t blame Yao Yi after receiving the letter. ¡°Did you dismiss Zheng shi?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think she won¡¯t come back any time soon,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Her servants wouldn¡¯t be able to find a chance to make their move if you watch them too closely. Go consult with my elder aunt and figure out a way to allow Nanny Zhong an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± Yao Yi answered and quickly left for fear that Yuwen Tong might blame him for not having delivered the letter quicker.


    When Yao Yi had left, Yuwen Tong hurriedly opened the envelope and started to carefully burrow in it. As expected, he found another, thinner envelope in it. After opening it, he began reading the letter word by word with rapt attention, as if trying to engrave these words in his mind. As his eyes moved along the lines, a smile curled the corners of his mouth. When he¡¯d finished it, a regretful sigh escaped his lips, as though he wished he¡¯d read it slower.


    He¡¯d read it too quick, and his longing was on the verge of overwhelming him.


    Had there not been so much unfinished business to deal with, he would go back to the manor immediately. For him, the only place he would call home was where his darling was. And he was now terribly homesick.


    Ling Zhang missed him as well. During the past few days when Yuwen Tong had been absent, he had neither slept well nor eaten well, and had lost a lot of weight for greatly missing Yuwen Tong. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Yuwen family had delivered dowry to Tanyang, which had made it inconvenient for him to go to the Yuwen family, he would have returned to the capital city to see Yuwen Tong already.


    He gave it some thought and still failed to refrain. ¡°Brother Wang, find me an unobtrusive carriage. You and Brother Liu are to disguise yourselves and accompany me back to the capital city.¡±


    Wang Dashan was totally unsurprised at this sudden decision of Ling Zhang¡¯s and immediately went to make preparations without asking any questions.


    After hearing about it, Miao Shiba requested permission to go with them on the spot.


    Miao Shiba had orders to stay with Ling Zhang, so Ling Zhang gave his consent in the knowledge that it was inappropriate to leave him behind.


    The four of them, Ling Zhang, Wang Dashan and Miao Shiba sitting in the carriage, Liu Yi who had seldom appeared on public occasions acting as the driver, covertly entered the city and then returned to the Ling Mansion.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, in an instant, became scarily bright at the message that Ling Zhang was in the Ling Mansion. He put Yao Yi in charge of everything and then quickly left.


    Reading the various lists in his hands, Yao Yi began to have headaches, which were worsened by the thought that he also had to keep a weather eye on the moles that had been allowed entry. ¡°I¡¯d rather go back to the north-west to fight another war!¡±


    Yao Yi¡¯s complaints would never reach Yuwen Tong¡¯s ears. He had rapidly returned to the Ling Mansion unseen by any spies of any side. At the sight of Ling Zhang sitting in the chamber, he hurried up, swept him into his embrace and inhaled deeply. ¡°I miss you so much.¡±


    The next moment, he perceived that something was not quite right, immediately let go of Ling Zhang and gawked at him with a frown. ¡°What happened? Why are you so much thinner?¡±


    Ling Zhang was speechless. Though he did feel that he probably had lost some weight, it was actually almost impossible to tell the difference owing to his robes. How had Yuwen Tong come to notice it instantly?


    ¡°Some of your meat is gone.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart ached badly for Ling Zhang. During the brief hug he¡¯d just given him, he¡¯d felt that the figure in his arms was considerably slimmer than before. It¡¯d been merely a couple of days since they¡¯d last seen each other, but Ling Zhang had become thinner. How could his heart not ache for him?


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been eating well in the manor? What have your security guards and Miao Shiba been doing? Are they all dead? How could they let you become so thin?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s temper began to fray. He was just about to leave to punish them when suddenly he felt Ling Zhang grab a handful of his waist.


    Ling Zhang gave the part of his waist a little squeeze, stroked his chest and back and finally said, ¡°How could you blame my men when you yourself are thinner as well? Have people of the Yuwen family been denying you food?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s burning anger was replaced by another kind of intense feeling when Ling Zhang was stroking him. He said, ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I miss you so much that I couldn¡¯t sleep well or eat well, which is really torturous.¡±


    ¡°I miss you just as much.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s heart ached for him as well, but he had to intercede for Wang Dashan and the others. ¡°So it¡¯s not their fault. They¡¯ve been doing their best to have me eat more.¡±


    Yuwen Tong immediately came to understand, put his arms around Ling Zhang again and scooped him up, intending to go to the bed.


    Ling Zhang held his arm. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head to look at him. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s breathing had changed somewhat. It¡¯d been quite some time since the last time he¡¯d had physical contact with Yuwen Tong, and now their bodies were tightly against each other once again, so naturally he was also anxious. Even if he himself were not anxious, his body was. However¡­


    He still had to make an effort for himself.


    ¡°Put me down first.¡± Ling Zhang patted his arm.


    Yuwen Tong, who had distinctly sensed the change in Ling Zhang¡¯s breathing, wondered how Ling Zhang could still insist on being put down, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to decline, so he managed to subdue his urge and let Ling Zhang stand on his feet.


    Ling Zhang gripped Yuwen Tong¡¯s wrist and drew him towards the bed. Yuwen Tong was bemused. Hadn¡¯t he tried to carry Ling Zhang to the bed? Why did Ling Zhang want to walk there? Before he could figure out what Ling Zhang was thinking, he was suddenly pushed down onto the bed. Lying there, Yuwen Tong quizzically watched Ling Zhang standing at the bedside, bewildered by the manifest excitement gleaming in his eyes. Although he was very happy to see his darling making the first move so willingly, but why did the gleam of excitement in his eyes strike him as a little weird?


    Unsurprisingly, the next moment, he saw Ling Zhang slightly raise his chin and look askance at him. ¡°This time around, I want you to be a good boy and stay still.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was excited, expectant but also had an inkling that something was not quite right. After thinking for a fleeting moment, he still gave a nod of agreement. ¡°I won¡¯t move.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth curled at this reply, and then he raised his hands, undid his buttons and unfastened his belt, maintaining his haughty bearing, the movement of his hands so slow and graceful that it was extremely tempting. Yuwen Tong swallowed hard several times in a row.


    Ling Zhang, who could tell a mile off what he was thinking, inwardly gave a snort and kept undressing himself. When he had stripped down to his snow-white underwear the top few buttons of which had also been undone, he suddenly bent over Yuwen Tong, hands on the bed on Yuwen Tong¡¯s sides, looking down at him. ¡°Am I attractive?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± blurted Yuwen Tong, almost choking on his own saliva.


    Ling Zhang, eyes glinting, gazing at him with a beam on his face, gently pressed a finger to Yuwen Tong¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple, lightly slid his well-trimmed fingernail all the way down, causing Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes to redden, and then abruptly ripped open Yuwen Tong¡¯s collar to reveal his muscular chest dripping with masculine charm. Ling Zhang stared hungrily at it and couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away for quite a while. Though the two of them had made out many times, he was still deeply attracted to Yuwen Tong¡¯s figure.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple was moving restlessly, his lower abdomen feeling so tight that it was hurting, but he had promised Ling Zhang that he wouldn¡¯t move. Besides, he was eager to know what Ling Zhang was going to do, so he exercised all his self-restraint and lay still, sweating buckets from the effort.


    It was quite some time before Ling Zhang seemed to come to himself. And then, his hand, which was caressing Yuwen Tong chest in a half-intentional manner, slid to Yuwen Tong¡¯s belt, nimbly unbuckled it, stripped him naked swiftly and then said to him with a smile, ¡°Today all you have to do is lie still. I¡¯ll make sure you enjoy it.¡±


    At first Yuwen Tong was perplexed, and when he finally came to realize what Ling Zhang intended to do, he was sent into a brief moment¡¯s stupefaction. Was his darling trying to swap roles with him?

 Chapter 267 - The Discovery of Nanny Zhongs Intentions

    Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind started racing at the realization of what his darling was trying to do, but before he could come up with a countermeasure, Ling Zhang suddenly straddled his lower abdomen bodily and tossed an insinuating glance at it. ¡°This time I want to be on top.¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept silent for quite a while and then said, ¡°Okay. A promise is a promise.¡±


    Ling Zhang was fully turned on, and Yuwen Tong was utterly bewitched by the gleam in his eyes. Beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, the Marshal nearly lost all sense of dignity and surrendered himself to temptation.


    Ling Zhang inwardly gave a smug snort, feeling that on this occasion he would remain on top of Yuwen Tong till the end.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡®On top, my ass!¡¯


    ¡®Yuwen Tong is such a perfidious wily old fox!¡¯ Ling Zhang¡¯s waist felt as though it would break for wriggling!


    Although Yuwen Tong had undertaken to let him be on top and he was indeed on top, things weren¡¯t going as he had expected at all!


    His waist was covered with a thin quilt, which was just enough to conceal the fantasy-inducing marks on his body. An arm stretched out of it.


    Ling Zhang smacked his fist onto the bed in anger. He¡¯d been so close to a win. Why hadn¡¯t he hung in there? Yuwen Tong had merely tempted him with his charms, and he¡¯d fallen pray to it, giving up his great advantage, and been confounded by the ¡°enemy¡±, heaving on top on him, shouting himself hoarse.


    A chuckle came from behind and with that a strong arm swept Ling Zhang, who was hammering the bed in annoyance, into an embrace. Yuwen Tong hugged him bodily and tightly in contentment, as if the two of them had merged into each other and inseparably become one.


    ¡°We may have a second try next time,¡± croaked a satisfied voice beside Ling Zhang¡¯s ear.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t even be bothered to struggle. In a broken voice, he said, ¡°In your dreams!¡±


    Yuwen Tong buried his face in Ling Zhang¡¯s neck and snickered, ¡°I definitely will.¡±


    While saying this, Yuwen Tong tightened his embrace. ¡°Last night you were so tempting, and I couldn¡¯t resist it. You know it ¨C my will is always extremely fragile in front of your charms.¡±


    Ling Zhang gritted his teeth in indignation. So it was his fault?


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand reached inside the quilt and slowly kneaded Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. A stream of warmth gently flowed into Ling Zhang¡¯s body, easing his discomfort. As he recalled the unbridled, passionate moments they¡¯d had the night before, another flurry of thrill swept over him.


    After the warm energy reached the depths of his body, the soreness in his waist and thighs gradually ebbed away. It was so comfortable that Ling Zhang almost breathed a sigh, but at the thought of his lapse the night before, he clenched his teeth and stifled it, refusing to give Yuwen Tong the satisfaction of knowing that he was feeling comfortable.


    Yuwen Tong had distinctly heard a extremely faint half-sigh, but when he looked at Ling Zhang, he saw a sulky face. After giving it some thought, he came to understand what Ling Zhang was thinking about. There was amusement in his eyes, but when he spoke, his voice was quite tentative, as if he were asking for pardon. ¡°How do you feel? Do you want me to do it harder or more gently?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was doing it perfectly, but Ling Zhang deliberately waited for quite a while before saying, ¡°Harder. Are you underfed or something?¡±


    Yuwen Tong just used a little bit more strength, and the difference was barely noticeable. Of course he wouldn¡¯t really exert more power, which would be a foolish thing to do, but he still sensibly asked, ¡°How about now?¡±


    Ling Zhang, feeling that the strength had hardly changed and the massage was just as comfortable as it had been, inwardly gave a snort and observed reluctantly, ¡°Acceptable.¡±


    Yuwen Tong dramatically heaved a sigh of relief and then started kneading more solicitously, putting more effort into the massage.


    Ling Zhang turned, lay prostrate on the bed, twisted his head aside, cast a sidelong glance at Yuwen Tong and asked, ¡°Are you going to keep you promise?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yuwen Tong was fully aware of what he was referring to, and his reply was absolutely unhesitating.


    ¡°Then the next time I¡¯ll be on top. You know what I¡¯m talking about. Don¡¯t you play dumb.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang was instantly on the alert, staring at him.


    ¡°I cannot guarantee I¡¯ll be able to control myself if you¡¯re too tempting. You know, my self-restraint is completely useless in front of you.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He asked with modesty, ¡°Then may I ask what do I have to do to prevent myself from striking you as tempting?¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed him a highly significant glance. ¡°Even if you¡¯re dressed like a beggar, you¡¯d still be deadly tempting in my eyes.¡±


    How the hell was this supposed to help?!


    Ling Zhang angrily swiveled his head to the other side, not feeling like saying a single extra word to Yuwen Tong.


    But Yuwen Tong was very contented. In a very good mood, he continued massaging Ling Zhang attentively.


    After missing each other for several days, the two of them finally had had a nice night together, which had alleviated their painful yearning significantly, but now Yuwen Tong must return. Though he was most unwilling to part from Ling Zhang, it was their wedding that he had to prepare for, and no matter how much effort he had to make, he had no doubt it was worthwhile.


    ¡°It¡¯s time I went back. For the sake of our wedding, I¡¯d better stay sharp and keep an eye open for those people. We¡¯d have less to worry about when we go to the Millennium Pavilion, too.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang kept silent for a few moments and then uttered ¡°Um.¡±


    In this brief ¡°Um¡±, Yuwen Tong detected a note of deep reluctance to let him leave, and his firm will was teetering on the brink of collapse. ¡°How about you stay here for another two days? I¡¯ll come over at night to keep you company, okay?¡±


    Ji Yin, in order to prepare Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseau, had been mysteriously absent for days. The revamp of the manor involved a formation that they planned to arrange, which was a matter brooking no carelessness, so Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t be away from the manor for long, but he didn¡¯t want to part from Yuwen Tong so soon either. ¡°I¡¯ll stay one more night. Tomorrow I¡¯ll return.¡±


    Yuwen Tong found this rather regrettable and decided to try his best to get everything handled as quick as possible so that he could come back to his lover sooner.


    ¡­


    After spending another night in the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang, concerned about the progress of the revamp, went back to the manor.


    He had a premonition that it probably wouldn¡¯t be long before they departed for the Millennium Pavilion.


    He felt that he needed to have the artisans work more quickly, that he at least had to wait until all important parts were finished to let them loose on the project.


    When Ling Zhang had left, Yuwen Tong, going somewhat fretful, asked Yao Yi, ¡°Nanny Zhong still hasn¡¯t done anything?¡±


    ¡°We allowed her an opportunity. This old woman seemed to be fairly cautious and didn¡¯t take action immediately, but I guess if she really plans to do anything, she¡¯d definitely do it in the next two days,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    Nanny Zhong was indeed being very cautious, for she knew very well what what she was going to do concerned. She was even a trifle hesitant, because her mistress firmly believed that that man would keep his promise, utterly heedless of what consequences she would have to take if anybody found out about it.


    Not until Zheng shi ran out of patience and sent someone to ask her did Nanny Zhong finally make up her mind. She was just an old handmaid, and it was impossible for her to have her mistress change her mind. The only thing she could do was pray that everything would go as her mistress expected.


    Nanny Zhong had been under tight surveillance from the very beginning. Once she did anything suspicious, Yuwen Tong¡¯s men would soon notice. As a result, shortly after she planted something into the storeroom in Yuwen Tong¡¯s courtyard house, what that thing was came to Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge.


    Looking at that thing placed in front of him, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t even sneer, his eyes so cold that they almost scared the lives out of others in the room.


    Yao Yi and some others, who had broken out in a cold sweat with fright, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in disbelief, ¡°Is she out of her mind? Has Zheng shi gone crazy?!¡±


    There was no room in their minds for discretion. The moment he saw what the thing Nanny Zhong had planted was, an emanation of intent to kill burst out of Yao Yi in spite of himself. Apart from him, Xie Shi and all the others had murderous air about them.


    ¡°Marshal, I¡¯ll go and kill her!¡± Xie Shi, fists clenched, turned around storming towards the door.


    ¡°Stay where you are!¡± thundered Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Marshal!¡± Xie Shi appeared indignant and reluctant, and so did some others.


    Yao Yi and Yue Qi exchanged glances. Both of them quickly calmed down and tried to dissuade them. ¡°If you do that, the Marshal will be convicted of murdering his own uncle and aunt. In that case, the situation would really be irreversible.¡±


    Xie Shi and some others shuddered from head to foot, gritting their teeth.


    ¡°Destroy this thing immediately. No, take it somewhere else.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes glinted icily.


    ¡°Where do you want it taken, Marshal?¡± Yao Yi was confused.


    Yuwen Tong flintily uttered the name of a place. Yao Yi and some others were deeply shocked. Those who had been perplexed at first slowly came to understand, all their eyes going red from fury.


    ¡°Tell our scouts to make sure this thing is safely hidden. It hasn¡¯t served its purpose yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± Yao Yi answered immediately and instructed Yue Qi to do the delivery, for he himself had been acting as a butler lately and been under the watch of a lot of people as well.


    ¡°Take the secret passage,¡± Yuwen Tong told Yue Qi.


    Yue Qi nodded with a serious face, picked up that thing and left through a secret passage.


    ¡­


    ¡°Go and inform Mistress that it¡¯s done.¡± Nanny Zhong, after planting that thing in the storeroom, covertly sent a handmaid to deliver a message back.


    The handmaid had no idea what it was about, but she knew very well how stern Zheng shi was, so after hearing Nanny Zhong¡¯s instruction, she didn¡¯t dare delay for a single moment, hurriedly made towards her mistress¡¯ chambers and accidentally walked into Yuwen Feng halfway there.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, First Young Master! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± The handmaid gave a start, but after seeing that it was Yuwen Feng, she felt a great sense of relief. Unlike Zheng shi, Yuwen Feng never meted out arbitrary punishment to servants. The handmaid knew that at least she wouldn¡¯t lose her life.


    Yuwen Feng did have no intention of punishing her. He just asked, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Has anything happened?¡±


    Unaware of whether or not she was allowed to disclose it to Yuwen Feng, the handmaid had no choice but to answer ambiguously, ¡°Nanny Zhong wants me to deliver a message to Mistress. I was anxious to go back to Mistress and bumped into you by accident in my haste. Please forgive me, First Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Nanny Zhong? She¡¯s in the first branch, isn¡¯t she?¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    The handmaid lowered her head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yuwen Feng looked at her. ¡°What kind of message does Nanny Zhong want you to deliver?¡±


    The handmaid replied, ¡°It¡¯s about some preparatory work for the Marshal¡¯s wedding. Although Mistress did no more than assign Nanny Zhong to help, she¡¯s been paying close attention to it all along.¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown at these words. Normally, it wasn¡¯t members of a collateral branch who should be put in charge of the preparation for this wedding, but¡­


    ¡®Never mind. Now that Mother has come around, accepted Ling Zhang and wouldn¡¯t make any more trouble, I should have nothing else to complain about,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Off you go. And don¡¯t be so flustered. It¡¯s very undignified.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t dare act like this again.¡±


    After Yuwen Feng walked away, the handmaid heaved a sigh of relief and hurried off. When she was in front of Zheng shi, she tentatively reported, ¡°Mistress, Nanny Zhong said that it was done.¡±


    On hearing this, Zheng shi, who had just returned from Yuwen Qi¡¯s chambers, instantly grabbed the handmaid¡¯s arm, her fingernail almost sinking into the handmaid¡¯s flesh. ¡°Really?!¡±


    The handmaid was in pain but didn¡¯t show it on her face. She answered, ¡°These were indeed Nanny Zhong¡¯s exact words, Mistress.¡±


    Zheng shi was overjoyed. ¡°Great. Great. This is just great!¡±

 Chapter 268 - Wild Fantasies? Intrigues?

    With a flick of the lower hem of a dress, an eavesdropper around the corner noiselessly walked away, which escaped the notice of Zheng shi who was in ecstasy.


    Su Yaoyao hurried off from the corner, instructed her handmaid accompanying her not to breathe a word of it to anybody, quietly returned to her courtyard house and found Mrs. Su, her mother.


    ¡°Mother, there seems to be something going on in Aunt¡¯s family. I saw a handmaid sent to the first branch of the Yuwen family to help prepare for the wedding stealthily come back and tell Aunt that something was done, and Aunt was ravished with joy at the message,¡± Su Yaoyao said to Mrs. Su in an undertone.


    Mrs. Su¡¯s face took on a serious expression. ¡°Did you hear what was done exactly?¡±


    Su Yaoyao shook her head. ¡°That handmaid didn¡¯t give any details. I find it very strange that Aunt suddenly made an apology to Yu¡­ to Marshal Yuwen, suggesting they wipe the slate clean. Do you think Aunt by any chance has secretly done something?¡±


    Mrs. Su rose to her feet, walked around the room and then said, ¡°We need to figure out a way to find out about it. I¡¯ll go and pay her a visit. You stay here and wait for me.¡±


    Su Yaoyao wanted to go with her, but Mrs. Su had already hurried out of the room, so Su Yaoyao had no alternative but to give up.


    When Mrs. Su arrived at the doorway of Zheng shi¡¯s courtyard house, Zheng shi was just about to leave to see Yuwen Qi and was quite surprised to learn that Mrs. Su came to visit her at this hour of the day, but she couldn¡¯t treat Mrs. Su the same way she did Su Yaoyao, so although bursting to share the good news with her younger son, Zheng shi subdued her urge and went to meet Mrs. Su.


    ¡°What brings you here, Sister?¡± said Zheng shi.


    Mrs. Su didn¡¯t go straight to the point but made small talk with Zheng shi for a while. Seeing Zheng shi begin to show unmistakable signs of anxiety in her eyes, Mrs. Su grew more positive that Zheng shi had something urgent to attend to. Taking advantage of this opportunity, she casually started trying to worm the truth out of her.


    Eventually, Zheng shi became suspicious. ¡°Why do you keep making inquiries about the first branch, Sister?¡±


    Mrs. Su replied, ¡°Nothing escapes your discerning eyes, Sister. I and Yaoyao have been staying in your house all this time, relying on you for survival. And these days, people of the first branch have been making preparations for the wedding. It concerns me that if by any chance I and my daughter come into some kind of contact with any of them, we¡¯d be putting you in an awkward position, Sister.¡±


    Zheng shi didn¡¯t think Mrs. Su was lying. On hearing this, she said, ¡°You and Yaoyao may dismiss all worries from your mind and just live in this house. Nobody would dare pick on you, Sister, I guarantee you that. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to go and check on Qi¡¯er.¡±


    Mrs. Su stood up as well. ¡°How about I go with you, Sister?¡±


    Zheng shi intended to talk with Yuwen Qi in private and didn¡¯t want Mrs. Su to be in her way, so she made a few more remarks to dismiss Mrs. Su and then hastily left.


    Mrs. Su¡¯s face darkened the moment she left Zheng shi¡¯s courtyard house. After returning to her own place, she told Su Yaoyao, ¡°I couldn¡¯t worm anything out of her. She was impatient to see Yuwen Qi and dismissed me in haste.¡±


    When Mrs. Su mentioned Yuwen Qi, a distressed and hesitant expression appeared on Su Yaoyao¡¯s face. ¡°Mother, are we really going to do what that person told us to? Actually Second Cousin is also a very good man¨C¡±


    ¡°You are not seriously stupid enough to fall for his lies?¡± spat Mrs. Su, frowning, expecting her daughter to see sense.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything Second Cousin needs to tell lies to get,¡± contradicted Su Yaoyao in a muted voice. ¡°If I marry Second Cousin, I¡¯ll get part of the ownership of that bank as well. Besides, Second Cousin is actually very good to me.¡±


    ¡°Did you not see how brutal the way he treats his servants is? Did you not see his erratic temper? He¡¯s been acting weirdly all along ever since his legs were broken, and I¡¯ve lost count of how many batches of servants he¡¯s chucked off! It¡¯s time you saw reason, Daughter! That private bank was given to the second branch by Marshal Yuwen, and it¡¯s also the most profitable business of their family. You think your aunt would let you get a slice of the pie instead of keeping it all to herself? In addition, Yuwen Qi is not her only son. There¡¯s also Yuwen Feng, who¡¯s the firstborn son and will carry even more weight in this family after the two branches separate. Even if some day that private bank is to be handed over to someone else, it would be Yuwen Feng who gets it. Yuwen Qi won¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°But that day when we were in the bank, I heard with my own ears Aunt say that she would let Second Cousin read all the account books. Aunt always favors Second Cousin, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯d go back on her word. Besides, Second Cousin said that as long as I marry him, all the¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, my daughter, why is it so hard to knock sense into you?!¡± Mrs. Su was consumed with anger. ¡°Yuwen Qi has lost his mobility. What good can you possibly expect to come out of your marrying him?!¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine. Aunt has found a miracle-working physician to treat Second Cousin¡¯s legs, hasn¡¯t she? He will make a full recovery.¡±


    Mrs. Su shook her head. ¡°Even if he fully recuperates, he¡¯s still second in the pecking order. There¡¯s no doubt Yuwen Feng will get to pick first when the two of them divide up family property. No matter how much your aunt favors Yuwen Qi, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that your uncle is the one calling the shots in this family, and he values your first cousin more. Try as your second cousin might, he could never outshine his brother. Even aside from all these, which one do you think is of higher status ¨C wife of the second son of a collateral branch of the Yuwen family, or wife of Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    If anybody else were in the room to hear Mrs. Su¡¯s last remark, they would no doubt be shocked and unable to believe she had said such words. She actually had the fond hope of marrying her daughter to a marshal. Leaving aside the fact that the Su family had lost all its former influence, and that even Zheng shi, the one they¡¯d been depending on, didn¡¯t have any authority over Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong would soon be married. Had these two women of the Su family lost their mind?


    However, neither Mrs. Su nor Su Yaoyao felt there was anything wrong with this remark. If they hadn¡¯t gone crazy, then it must be because of something else.


    At this moment, Su Yaoyao, after hearing Mrs. Su¡¯s words, appeared to be having a fierce struggle within her breast, her very troubled face tinged with fear. ¡°He scares me.¡±


    ¡°Who scares you?¡±


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen.¡± Su Yaoyao bit her lower lip. ¡°Mother, you have no idea how scary he was the day Second Cousin¡¯s legs were broken. Even Uncle was pressured by him into personally breaking Second Cousin¡¯s legs. His eyes were icy and he didn¡¯t even give me a glance. He looked like a ca¨Ccacodemon. Even if I married him, I wouldn¡¯t dare stay in the same room with him.¡±


    ¡°Stupid girl, what nonsense is this? He cold-shouldered you that day because you were an outsider. Once you marry him, you¡¯ll become his wife, and he naturally will treat you in a different way. Think about it, has he ever been apathetic to Ling Zhang?¡±


    Su Yaoyao thought for a while, as if in a trance, and then shook her head. ¡°No. He has a very gentle expression in his eyes when he looks at Ling Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Of course he does. His eyes are gentle when he looks at Ling Zhang because he¡¯s going to marry Ling Zhang and sides with him at every turn. If you marry him, you will be the one whom he looks at with gentle eyes, and whom he sides with at all times. Do you not want any of these?¡± wheedled Mrs. Su in a quiet voice.


    As expected, Su Yaoyao was swayed. After another few moments¡¯ daze, her eyes gleamed longingly and expectantly, a pink flush on her cheeks.


    Seeing that she was convinced, Mrs. Su breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°As long as you do what Mother tells you, you¡¯ll get all these.¡±


    And then she put on a different face and observed, ¡°The reason why your father inexplicably died in the Court Prison was because he did something under your aunt¡¯s orders. She owes it to us to show us kindness, and even if you¡¯re to marry Yuwen Qi, there would be nothing that should make you feel unworthy of him, but look what she¡¯s been doing to you. She not only makes you frequently go in and out of a man¡¯s chambers, but also have you apply ointment to his wounds. There are so many handmaids present, but she pays no regard whatsoever for your feelings. It¡¯s only too evident that she thinks little of you, treating you as some insignificant nobody. Her intention is very clear. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to let you be Yuwen Qi¡¯s legal wife. Since she has no gratitude for your father¡¯s sacrifice, why should we throw ourselves on her mercy?


    As long as we follow that person¡¯s instructions, submit the forged evidence to prove that Ling Zhang was the one who ordered your father to spread the rumors, let everybody know that Ling Zhang resorted to the ruse of self-injury to play Marshal Yuwen off the second branch of the Yuwen family, then Ling Zhang will be toast. Given that even your father, a courtier, was condemned to death after being convicted of calumniation of the former emperor, Ling Zhang who¡¯s a commoner would no doubt be executed.


    That person also said that he just wants to get revenge, that as long as we help him kill Ling Zhang, he would petition His Majesty to designate you to be Marshal Yuwen¡¯s wife, and when he does, even Yuwen Tong won¡¯t dare defy an imperial edict and will have no choice but to take you as his wife!¡±


    Mrs. Su sounded almost hysterical at the end of her remarks, as if what she was depicting had already come true.


    As Su Yaoyao listened to her mother talking, her heart was beating increasingly fast, her chest heaving more and more vigorously, her cheeks blushing further with excitement.


    ¡°Mother, when will we submit the evidence that person gave us?¡± Su Yaoyao couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mrs. Su said, ¡°I¡¯ve already had it planned out. Tomorrow I¡¯ll submit it. You may wait and see. The wedding that the Yuwen family have been preparing for is bound to belong to you.¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± Su Yaoyao called Mrs. Su, face full of anticipation and timidity.


    ¡­


    It was quite a while before a secret bodyguard, who had been crouching on the rooftop, closed his mouth. He could have sworn that he really had just come to this rooftop out of curiosity. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that he would hear this kind of conversation.


    He was supposed to spy on Zheng shi. It was so obvious that Mrs. Su had gone to talk with Zheng shi for a particular reason, and Zheng shi was probably the only one stupid enough to neglect it. The bodyguard had felt that it was very suspicious of Mrs. Su to, directly and indirectly, make inquiries about the first branch of the Yuwen family, so he¡¯d decided to come and take a look.


    ¡®With an oversight of ours, these two women were bought by someone, and they¡¯re so close to ruining the Marshal¡¯s plan. Fortunately I¡¯m alert enough,¡¯ thought the secret bodyguard.


    Hearing the two women in the room talking about their ¡®bright¡¯ future in excited tones, the secret bodyguard rubbed his hands covered in goosebumps and then left. He had to return immediately to report it to the Marshal that someone else was plotting to make mischief. And given that this man deliberately chose to stir up trouble at this time, he undoubtedly was a foe of Childe Ling¡¯s.


    Yuwen Tong, after hearing the secret bodyguard¡¯s report, instantly emanated a menacing air.


    ¡°Marshal, let me look into this matter,¡± said Miao Shisan.


    The preparatory work for the Marshal¡¯s and Childe Ling¡¯s wedding had already started, but troublemakers had been showing up one after another, trying to thwart it. How could they stand by and swallow this?


    Yuwen Tong had a dark look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it personally.¡±


    Miao Shisan and the others exchanged glances, beginning to feel sympathetic towards those who had been secretly scheming.


    ¡°Marshal, in all likelihood Zheng shi is going to contact the one behind the scenes and take action tonight or ¨C at the latest ¨C tomorrow morning. It¡¯s inadvisable for you to leave at this time. I suggest you let me keep a close watch on Xiao Zheng shi (Mrs. Su). After Zheng shi makes her move, Xiao Zheng shi definitely won¡¯t dare do anything rash and will try to make contact with the one she¡¯s been colluding with; I¡¯ll follow her and ascertain the mastermind¡¯s identity, and then you may make your move,¡± said Miao Shisan.

 Chapter 269 - Siege of the Residential Compound by Palace Guards

    On that very night, a figure furtively sneaked into a heavily guarded complex of lofty palaces, and hid himself in the shadows.


    ¡°This is precisely what the Marshal conjectured.¡±


    After Nanny Zhong had planted that thing in the storeroom, Yuwen Tong had come to the conclusion that Zheng shi would have a message delivered to the mastermind, so he¡¯d some time ago assigned two of his bodyguards to keep watch on her. The bodyguards had tailed the servant sent by Zheng shi and finally found out who the mastermind was.


    One of them angrily smacked a fist onto the wall beside them with a bang. They were both very indignant, for they were fully aware of what this meant.


    ¡°Sulking about it won¡¯t help. I¡¯ll keep watching. You go back and report it to the Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    A figure zigzagged in the darkness.


    In the residential compound of the Yuwen family.


    Yuwen Feng woke with a start at midnight, inexplicably feeling that it was uncommonly hot and stuffy tonight, and the mood in the residential compound was subdued as well. Quite fretful, he walked out of his chambers for a stroll. On his arrival at the gateway of Yuwen Qi¡¯s courtyard house, he surprisedly found that there were oil lamps still ablaze inside.


    The first thought crossed Yuwen Feng¡¯s mind was that Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg injury had deteriorated again. Alarmed, he hurried up to the gate.


    ¡°First Young Master?¡± Gatekeepers were all startled to see Yuwen Feng come alone at this late hour of the night.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? My brother¡¯s legs are hurting again?¡± demanded Yuwen Feng sharply.


    The gatekeepers hurriedly shook their heads and one of them answered, ¡°No. Second Young Master just has trouble sleeping and is sitting in the courtyard.¡±


    Frowning, Yuwen Feng walked through the gate. None of the gatekeepers dared stop him.


    Yuwen Qi had some time ago heard the voices outside. Seeing Yuwen Feng show up, he wasn¡¯t surprised, and merely swiveled his wheelchair to turn his back against the lamplight streaming out of the house, hiding the smug expression on his face which he didn¡¯t have enough time to replace. ¡°Elder Brother.¡±


    After walking up to him, Yuwen Feng first flicked a glance at Yuwen Qi¡¯s legs, and then asked, ¡°Why are you still awake at such a late hour? Is it because of your legs?¡±


    ¡°That miracle-working physician¡¯s drug is very effective. I haven¡¯t felt any pain for days. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I came out to sit for a while. What is it that you came here to see me about at such a late hour?¡± Yuwen Qi asked back.


    Yuwen Feng shook his head. ¡°I just woke up and came out to enjoy the breezes. And then I saw light from your house and walked here to check on you.¡±


    At the same time, Yuwen Feng also found this situation rather strange. He couldn¡¯t sleep because he felt restless and unease and that the weather was sultry. Did his younger brother feel the same way? Was this just a coincidence or was something really going to happen tonight?


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s heart instantly went leaden at these thoughts. ¡°The night wind is a little strong in this courtyard. Why didn¡¯t you bring a blanket or something? Having a miracle-working physician¡¯s drugs doesn¡¯t mean that you get to pay less attention to your health. You should go back to your chambers. It¡¯s time you turned in.¡±


    While saying this, Yuwen Feng had begun to steel himself for Yuwen Qi¡¯s impatient contradiction, but unexpectedly, Yuwen Qi didn¡¯t say anything about it. He even smiled, ¡°Okay, Elder Brother. You should go back to sleep as well.¡±


    Yuwen Feng was secretly somewhat surprised, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face, watching a servant wheeling Yuwen Qi back into the house. Before long, servants put out many of the lamps inside, leaving only one alight.


    Yuwen Feng left Yuwen Qi¡¯s courtyard house. When walking through the gate, he still felt that just now Yuwen Qi¡¯s reaction had been somewhat weird. Maybe because he had some kind of intuition, Yuwen Feng asked one of the gatekeepers a question, which was not something he normally would do. ¡°Was Second Young Master alone all night long?¡±


    ¡°Mistress had been keeping him company all along tonight and left only a short time ago,¡± said the gatekeeper.


    ¡°Only a short time ago?¡± Yuwen Feng looked quizzical. His instinct told him that there was something going on, but it was now very late, and Zheng shi no doubt had gone to sleep after returning. As her son, he shouldn¡¯t go to her courtyard house to disturb her at this hour. With the unanswered questions in his mind, Yuwen Feng was in perturbation all night.


    The next day, before daybreak, Yuwen Feng got up, preparing to go to the imperial palace to attend the court meeting. Preoccupied with some thoughts, he asked a servant after walking through the front doors of his courtyard house, ¡°Has my mother got up?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s gone to check on Second Young Master,¡± answered the servant.


    Yuwen Feng paused. This was unusual. In the normal course of events, his mother wouldn¡¯t have got out of bed at this hour. He could remember very few occasions when she¡¯d risen so early.


    He turned on his heel and was just about to make towards Yuwen Qi¡¯s courtyard house when his father called, ¡°Where are you going? You won¡¯t have much time left to go to the court meeting after having your breakfast.¡±


    Yuwen Feng had no choice but to swivel around and walk into the dining room to breakfast with Yuwen Zhi.


    ¡°Father, was there anything particular that Mother talked with you about in the past few days?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi directly asked him, ¡°What is this about?¡±


    Yuwen Feng, seeing that Yuwen Zhi did seem to know nothing about it, said, ¡°Last night Mother stayed in Qi¡¯s courtyard house until very late, and today she went there again before sunrise. I¡¯m worried that Qi¡¯s leg injury may worsen.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi slightly furrowed his brow. ¡°Has she sent for a physician?¡±


    Yuwen Feng shook his head. ¡°No. The physician has been unwilling to come ever since Mother chucked him out that day. Recently Mother has been taking Qi to see that miracle-working physician.¡±


    ¡°Then just invite that miracle-working physician around,¡± said Yuwen Zhi, an unconcerned look on his face. In his eyes, this was merely an insignificant matter.


    Their breakfast finished, Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Feng set off to attend the routine court meeting. Shortly after leaving home, they saw palace guards marching past them one team after another, heading for none other than the residential compound of the Yuwen family.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s brow involuntarily twitched. Heedless of everything else, he yelled, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s palanquin in front also came to a halt. Yuwen Feng hastily got off his palanquin, walked up to Yuwen Zhi¡¯s and said, ¡°Father, these palace guards seem to be headed in the direction of our home.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi, who was resting his mind with his eyes closed in his palanquin, abruptly opened his eyes at these words.


    ¡­


    On this day, the residential compound of the Yuwen family was just as uproarious as usual. Almost all servants and handmaids had got up very early. They were bustling around here and there in groups, every one of them holding something in their hands or consulting with someone. Fang shi, Yuwen Chi¡¯s wife, and Liu shi, Yuwen Si¡¯s wife, had also risen at a quite early hour. This was going to be yet another hectic day for the two of them. They first went to inquire after Yuwen You. As luck would have it, Yuwen Tong was also present, who had all servants leave and then had a talk with the two of them.


    After about half the duration of drinking a pot of tea (about five minutes), Yuwen Tong left.


    Fang shi and Liu shi walked out of the house hand in hand shortly after that. They could feel each other¡¯s tight, sweaty grip, but on the surface they looked totally normal. Servants merely felt that these two mistresses were more serious than usual, and thus were working with greater caution, not daring to make any mistakes.


    ¡°Palace guards have taken over the security at all the four city gates.¡±


    After Yuwen Tong returned, Yao Yi immediately came to report it to him. They had noticed the movements of the palace guards the night before. This day, before dawn, palace guards had sealed all the four city gates, guarding them heavily, which had raised a lot of ungrounded speculation.


    ¡°They sealed all four city gates. Are they really so afraid of us making our escape?¡± spat Xie Shi in a very contemptuous and indignant tone of voice.


    Yuwen Tong sat down and said with a calm face, ¡°They¡¯re indeed afraid, and they¡¯ll be even more afraid of it after this day. They¡¯re afraid because they¡¯re scared. As long as you stay composed, there would be nothing they could do to you.¡±


    ¡°But Marshal, are you sure you¡¯re going to do this? If you do it, your¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sooner or later it¡¯ll be in my hands again.¡±


    Both Yao Yi and Xie Shi were a little worried. They were not Yuwen Tong, and were unable to remain as collected as him, but they trusted Yuwen Tong. In their sight, Yuwen Tong was like a god. Since Yuwen Tong had said that he would get that thing back sooner or later, they believed it without a shadow of doubt.


    ¡°Marshal!¡± A bodyguard hurried into the room and reported in a deep voice, ¡°Palace guards have been dispatched and are heading our way. They¡¯ll arrive in about the duration of a burning joss stick (roughly five minutes).¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s leading them?¡± inquired Yuwen Tong calmly.


    ¡°The¨CThe Crown Prince,¡± said the bodyguard through gritted teeth.


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Good. Let him come.¡±


    ¡­


    This day, residents in the city got up as early as usual and made breakfast. After breakfast, students set off to their respective schools, laborers to their workplaces, and idlers to their hang-outs. However, when they had left home, they sensed that the atmosphere in the city was somewhat unusual. Soldiers could be seen on the streets, putting the city under martial law, and large numbers of palace guards were marching towards the residential compound of the Yuwen family!


    Some even said that palace guards had sealed the four city gates, allowing entry but forbidding exit, that lines of people waiting to go out of the city stretched from city gates right to the gates of the inner city.


    ¡°What happened exactly? Why are they suddenly imposing martial law?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Some heard movements on the streets last night and they all thought that it was just yamen runners chasing after a burglar or something, but guess what? Just now I saw teams of palace guards heading for the residential compound of the Yuwen family!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Palace guards that had filed into the streets without warning bore down on the Yuwen family with unstoppable momentum and soon clustered around the front gates and the back gates, as if they wouldn¡¯t even allow a fly in it to flee. This unforeseen turn of events not only caused quite a stir among common citizens, but also threw all servants of the Yuwen family into panic.


    They¡¯d seen the emperor¡¯s corporeal presence as well as his kinsmen¡¯s and other dignitaries¡¯ guards of honor, but never had they ever been encircled ring upon ring like this. None of them had the faintest idea of what this was about. Those palace guards even attempted to break into the residential compound but were held back at the front gates by dozens of crack soldiers who¡¯d suddenly shown up.


    ¡°What is the Palace Guards trying to do? What kind of place do you take the residential compound of the Yuwen family for? The one who dwells this place is the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of the Great Yue, not some Mr. Nobody. You cannot enter as you please!¡± snapped Yao Yi, who was standing in front of dozens of crack soldiers in the gateway, keeping the palace guards at bay.


    ¡°Guard Yao.¡± Zhao Pingchuan cantered towards the gateway, halted at the bottom of the flight of stone steps and looked at Yao Yi. ¡°Even Marshal Yuwen cannot get away with violation of the law.¡±


    ¡°Violation of the law? What kind of sick joke is this? Our marshal, along with hundreds of thousands of troops, risked their necks fighting the enemies in the borderlands, defending the Great Yue, and you¡¯re saying that was violation of the law? Do you think our marshal is some kind of pushover whom you can treat in whatever way you like? You¡¯ll have to ask whether or not the countless soldiers of the North-western Army will let you do that!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t let you!¡± bellowed the dozens of crack soldiers behind Yao Yi in unison.


    These men were radiating a brooding sense of power. Though there were only dozens of them, the air about them was no less powerful than that of the palace guards who crowded the area in front of the gates ¨C no, actually they were even more intimidating than these palace guards.


    The Crown Prince, clothed in robes with the pattern of a golden, four-pawed dragon on its front, sitting in a sumptuous carriage not far away, darkly narrowed his eyes, coldly staring at the front gates of the compound and the dozens of crack soldiers who had an alarmingly daunting emanation about them.


    ¡°Move forward.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    As the horse-drawn carriage slowly got close to the front gates of the residential compound of the Yuwen family, a eunuch announced the crown prince¡¯s arrival in a loud voice.


    ¡°The Crown Prince approaches!¡±

 Chapter 270 - A Farcical Search

    A luxurious carriage slowly drove over, and the Crown Prince¡¯s guard of honor came to a halt in the gateway of the residential compound of the Yuwen family.


    Zhao Pingchuan dismounted from his horse and knelt down to welcome the prince. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to kneel before you, Your Highness.¡±


    Eyes darkening, Yao Yi winked at the crack soldiers behind him and they all knelt down to pay their respects.


    It was a few moments before Zhou Mingtang rose to his feet and walked out of the carriage at a gentle pace. It was after gazing at the plaque etched with the name of the Yuwen family for a while that he said to Yao Yi flintily, ¡°Guard Yao, just now you said that palace guards are not eligible to enter the residential compound of the Yuwen family. May I ask if I¡¯m eligible?¡±


    ¡°I dare not judge you, Your Highness. What I said just now was directed at the Palace Guards¡¯ unwarranted attempt to break into the residential compound of the Yuwen family. I meant no disrespect for you whatsoever. Please don¡¯t misunderstand me,¡± replied Yao Yi in a neither humble nor pushy tone.


    But Zhou Mingtang¡¯s eyes went piercing. ¡°You meant no disrespect? If that¡¯s true, tell me whether or not these palace guards, who are acting under my orders, are eligible to enter this place?¡±


    ¡°If I may ask, Your Highness, why are you having the Palace Guards surround and try to intrude into this compound?¡± asked Yao Yi.


    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to ask me this question. Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong?¡± said Zhou Mingtang frostily.


    ¡°The Marshal is occupied preparing for his wedding and hasn¡¯t been informed of your arrival yet. I¡¯ve already sent someone to report it to him,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    Zhou Mingtang didn¡¯t move, fixing Yao Yi with a chilly gaze. He was the Crown Prince, but this bodyguard actually expected him to wait for his arrival to be informed?! No matter who told Zhou Mingtang that Yao Yi wasn¡¯t doing this spitefully, Zhou Mingtang would find it hard to believe.


    Of course Yao Yi was doing this deliberately. Disgusting Zhou Mingtang was exactly what he was trying to do. Surely he wasn¡¯t supposed to welcome Zhou Mingtang with a smiling face when the reason why Zhou Mingtang had come here was so obvious?! If he let Zhou Mingtang easily get through the front gates of the residential compound of the Yuwen family, he would not only have trouble justifying his inaction but also find it hard to show his face in front of members of the North-western Army without feeling deeply ashamed!


    ¡°Your Highness?!¡± A sudden exclamation of alarm was heard. Zheng shi, wheeling Yuwen Qi, was walking over, a large group of servants and handmaids following in her wake. Her face took on a greatly startled expression at the sight of the Crown Prince standing in the doorway and with that she reprimanded Yao Yi, ¡°What do you think you are doing, Yao Yi? How could you have His Highness wait at the front gates? Go and tell Tong to bring everybody in this residence here to kneel before and welcome His Highness! Now!¡±


    The corners of Yao Yi¡¯s mouth twitched. Gazing at Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi who had just turned up, he really found them terribly repulsive.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, Aunt?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sure-footedly walked out side by side with Yuwen You, followed by Fang shi, Liu shi and other members of the collateral branch of the Yuwen family. It seemed that they were really coming out to welcome the Crown Prince.


    Seeing Yuwen Tong showing up accompanied by members of the collateral branch, Zheng shi tightened her hands into fists and remarked coldly, ¡°Not everybody is eligible to welcome the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad to see that you have the wisdom to know your place, Aunt,¡± said Yuwen Tong icily, walking closer and then passing her with Yuwen You and the others without a second glance at Zheng shi or Yuwen Qi.


    Eyeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s back, Yuwen Qi tightly gripped the armrests of his armchair, gave a sneer and then inwardly jeered, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to keep that cocky face for long. Your death is imminent, yet you¡¯re too stupid to perceive.¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, your humble servant, and all his family members respectfully welcome you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Yuwen You, your humble servant, and all his family members respectfully welcome you, Your Highness.¡±


    Yuwen Tong and Yuwen You uttered the same words ¨C except for their given names ¨C in unison.


    Zhou Mingtang didn¡¯t say anything, his gaze fixed on Yuwen Tong. He should have been holding an advantage considering palace guards had ringed the residential compound of the Yuwen family, but unexpectedly, palace guards were held back at the front gates, and after such a long time, he hadn¡¯t even gained entry into the compound yet. This whole thing was turning out to be a farce!


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, I never thought it¡¯d be so difficult to get through your front gates. This is the first time that I¡¯ve been kept waiting in the gateway. Tell me, what kind of punishment do you think you deserve for this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Your Highness graced us with your presence without notice, which was why I didn¡¯t have enough time to make preparations and failed to give Your Highness a prompt welcome. Please forgive me.¡±


    Zhou Mingtang didn¡¯t tell them to rise, but there was no anxiety whatsoever on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, and even Yuwen You, Fang shi and Liu shi didn¡¯t seem to be anxious at all, as if these palace guards who crowded the area in front of the gateway posed no threat to their family.


    Anger was smoldering in Zhou Mingtang, and his face was getting darker. ¡°Forgive you? I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be easy to do. Someone went to my father and charged you with possession of banned items as well as conspiracy to stage a rebellion. I¡¯m here to escort you to the imperial palace.¡±


    Zheng shi, who was kneeling in the rear of the group, tightly balled her hands which were trembling unnoticeably.


    All of them were expecting to hear Yuwen Tong defend himself in a panic-stricken voice, but to their surprise, Yuwen Tong¡¯s tone was as calm as usual when he spoke.


    ¡°May I ask if you have any proofs, Your Highness?


    Readily willing to go to the palace to personally defend myself before His Majesty as I am, I cannot do anything that might compromise Your Highness¡¯ and His Majesty¡¯s reputation, for people will lay unfavorable comments on you if the accusations against me turn out to be untrue.¡±


    Why was he still so composed? Was he not afraid?!


    Zhou Mingtang crossed his hands at the back, fists clenched, eyeing Yuwen Tong fixedly.


    ¡°Do you dare let palace guards go inside to conduct a search, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why I should be afraid of doing that. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been doing preparatory work for my wedding and there are a lot of things stored inside in readiness for the occasion. If by any chance the palace guards cause damage to any of them, I¡¯ll have no choice but to claim compensation, because I¡¯m really poor, and I¡¯ve been spending most of my salaries on subsidizing the North-western Army.¡±


    Yuwen Tong made a reply in an unhurried manner and even tried to bargain. Zhou Mingtang gritted his teeth in rage. ¡°If no evidence is found, I¡¯ll compensate you for all damage they cause.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, along with Yuwen You and the others, stepped aside to make way, and he also instructed Yao Yi and the dozens of crack soldiers to do the same.


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were the only ones still standing where they¡¯d been, as if not having come back from the stupefaction caused by Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°How dare you stand in His Highness¡¯ way! Move aside!¡± yelled Zhao Pingchuan as he, escorting Zhou Mingtang forward, saw Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi still blocking the path.


    Zheng shi gave a frightened start and hurriedly wheeled Yuwen Qi away, her confused, anxious eyes flashing towards Zhou Mingtang, who didn¡¯t even glance at her and ordered the palace guards to conduct a thorough search after entering the residential compound.


    Yuwen You¡¯s face reddened with fury at the sight of those palace guards breaking things with no regard at all for other people¡¯s property. ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    Yuwen Tong turned to console him under his breath, ¡°Take it easy, Granduncle. I¡¯ll have the emperor pay back tenfold the total value of the things these people damaged here.¡±


    But Yuwen You found no comfort in these words. Instead, he looked at Yuwen Tong with worried eyes. They both were fully aware of the reason for this disaster ¨C the emperor was taking action to eliminate Yuwen Tong¡­ Even if they managed to survive this, would they be able to survive what was coming next?


    Yuwen Tong could tell what was on his granduncle¡¯s mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Granduncle. Everything will be fine.¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Tong turned his head back, something intense glinting in the depths of his seemingly calm eyes.


    The residential area of the first branch of the Yuwen family was where the sweep was the most intensive. These palace guards, on entry, started swarming around like locusts, scouring every inch of the place, leaving a trail of mess in their wake. They were clearly under orders, and Zhou Mingtang, the one who¡¯d given the orders, seemed to be positive that they would find proof of Yuwen Tong¡¯s plot to rebel in this place.


    At this time, the street outside the residential compound was congested with citizens, as if all people in the capital city had gathered here. They were speaking in whispers. Some were saying that the Yuwen family would never scheme to stage an uprising, that on no account would Marshal Yuwen become a rebel; some others were saying that people of the Yuwen family were greedy and full of wild ambitions; there were also some suspending their judgement. The only comforting part was probably that the majority of the citizens believed the Yuwen family would never betray this country.


    Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Feng, naturally, were marched to the group of members of the Yuwen family. At the sight of palace guards wreaking havoc in the residence, Yuwen Feng was shocked. ¡°Wh¨CWhat was this about?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no reply


    Yuwen Feng detected something astounding in Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitude but couldn¡¯t figure out what it was exactly.


    Yuwen Zhi asked Yuwen Tong but the latter still chose to ignore him. Yuwen Zhi flew into a temper, put on a cold face and was just about to tell him off when Yuwen You commented, ¡°If you have the strength to scold people, you might as well use it to pray that they wouldn¡¯t find any inexplicable evidence in this place, because if they do, all of us will meet our ends soon.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi was rendered speechless by Yuwen You¡¯s words, an extremely sulky expression on his face.


    Yuwen Feng, however, discerned something else in Yuwen You¡¯s remarks. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®inexplicable evidence¡¯, Granduncle?¡±


    Yuwen You coldly snorted, giving no answer to his question.


    Clanking and smashing sounds could be heard coming from here and there inside the compound.


    Every smash led to an increase in Yao Yi¡¯s and the others¡¯ anger. Yuwen Tong¡¯s face had gone so cold that it seemed almost non-human, and anybody could tell that his fury was reaching flashpoint.


    ¡­


    As time ticked away, the Palace Guards¡¯ search was coming to an end.


    ¡°Commander, we found nothing.¡±


    ¡°Commander, there¡¯s nothing here either.¡±


    ¡°Commander¡­¡±


    More and more search teams came back to report to Zhao Pingchuan. Nothing had been found hitherto. With a somewhat sullen face, Zhao Pingchuan informed Zhou Mingtang of the results of the search. Zhou Mingtang¡¯s face went even more sullen. He turned to glance at a personal bodyguard of his, who took the hint and intended to go inside.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s best if your men touch nothing,¡± said Yuwen Tong suddenly, his voice so emotionless that even Zhou Mingtang felt a chill run down his spine.


    Zhou Mingtang swiveled around and was greeted with Yuwen Tong¡¯s inhumanly icy eyes, which seemed to belong to the most ruthless killing machine on a battleground, containing not a shred of emotion.


    Zhou Mingtang broke out in a cold sweat and unnoticeably shifted his gaze elsewhere. ¡°You overthink it, Marshal. Nobody is going anywhere.¡±


    Zhou Mingtang¡¯s heart was pounding violently. He suddenly realized that maybe this operation was a wrong move. Yuwen Tong seemed very frightening at this moment, his eyes seeming to have seen through everything. If he returned empty-handed, the situation would be very troublesome. People of the Yuwen family, whose loyalty was now as impassive as Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes and questionable, could get out of control at any moment.


    No matter how hard Zhou Mingtang prayed, palace guards still failed to find the thing that should¡¯ve been found by now, though they¡¯d combed the whole compound.


    ¡°Have they finished the search, Your Highness? Did any of them find any banned items in my place?¡±


    Zhou Mingtang had a terrible scowl on his face. As his frosty eyes raked Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi, the former paled visibly.


    ¡°This is so confusing to me. How about you give me an explanation, Madam Yuwen?¡±


    Madam Yuwen?


    Everybody focused their eyes on Zheng shi. The expression in Yuwen Feng¡¯s eyes instantly went incredulous and even somewhat heartbroken. ¡°Mo¨CMother?!¡±

 Chapter 271 - The Command of Half of the Troops

    Zhou Mingtang had suddenly pointed the finger at Zheng shi. Added to this the current circumstances and it was very difficult for people not to overthink it.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face was full of incredulity. ¡°Mother, you played a part in this?¡±


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi had been the most excited to see the Palace Guards encircle the residential compound of the Yuwen family. However, as time had passed by and palace guards had found nothing, Zheng shi¡¯s countenance had gone sulky and then begun to alternate between alarm and disbelief. It was her who had personally instructed Nanny Zhong to plant that thing, so she knew very well where it was. Were all these palace guards good-for-nothing? That thing was right in the storeroom. How had they come to miss it?!


    Zheng shi was unable to restrain herself. Only after Yuwen Tong was brought down would she get what she¡¯d been promised. How could she give up like this? Also, Zhou Mingtang had asked her a question at this moment, so Zheng shi, heedless of the quizzical look in Yuwen Feng¡¯s and some others¡¯ eyes, stepped forward and replied, ¡°Your Highness, that thing is right in the storeroom in Yuwen Tong¡¯s courtyard house. Nanny Zhong saw it distinctly with her own eyes. The palace guards must¡¯ve overlooked it during the search!¡±


    ¡°MOTHER!!¡± bawled Yuwen Feng, ¡°HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?!¡±


    ¡°What am I talking about? Yuwen Tong conceals banned items and harbors traitorous intentions. We must not shield him, even though he¡¯s your cousin!¡± Zheng shi made a just and severe statement.


    A loud slap was heard. Yuwen Zhi had walked over and slapped Zheng shi hard across the face!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    With a squeal of pain, Zheng shi was brought to the ground by the slap, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Why are you so abashed and angry, Lord Yuwen? Madam Yuwen said that out of nothing but her loyalty to His Majesty, but you beat her in my presence. Who gave you the permission?¡± said Zhou Mingtang coldly.


    ¡°Your Highness might as well have that place searched again and see how it goes. The sun, the moon, the heaven above and the earth below bear witness to my loyalty to the Great Yue, and I fear nobody¡¯s doubt nor anybody¡¯s search. As regards whether or not Nanny Zhong has seen any banned items in my place, the truth will be revealed after the search,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes. How could an old handmaid¡¯s words ever be taken seriously?! All generations of members of the Yuwen family have been allegiant. I suggest Your Highness go to our ancestral hall and do a count of the memorial tablets there, so you may have an idea of how many of them sacrificed their lives for the Great Yue and the imperial household! Today, you credulously fell for an old handmaid¡¯s words and inflicted such an unbearable humiliation on the Yuwen family, which was so very bitterly disappointing. I¡¯ll have everybody in this city, everybody in this country, judge who is right and who is wrong. Is it because the Yuwen family haven¡¯t done enough and haven¡¯t lost enough family members that Your Highness is treating us with such scorn?!¡±


    Yuwen You hurled indignant reproaches at Zhou Mingtang, all members of the Yuwen family appearing angry and aggrieved. The front gates were wide open, and apart from palace guards who were besieging the compound, there were also numerous citizens clustering outside, who had heard these words as distinctly as palace guards had.


    ¡°I believe Marshal Yuwen is not that kind of person, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Me, too. It¡¯s an atrocious act of brutality for the Palace Guards to treat Marshal Yuwen¡¯s whole family as prisoners, break things and plunder in their residence after hearing a mere old handmaid¡¯s accusation not a single word of which has been confirmed yet!


    ¡°Marshal Yuwen is a steadfast and upstanding man who¡¯s been protecting our country all these years. He¡¯s by no means a despicable traitor!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The discussion of citizens outside was getting increasingly heated. Many people were raging, as if they were just as aggrieved as members of the Yuwen family.


    Zhou Mingtang had a sullen look on his face. At this time, Yuwen Tong, as composed as usual, said, ¡°Please order a search of the storeroom, Your Highness.¡±


    A thorough search of the whole residential compound had been conducted already, which no doubt covered that storeroom. Zhou Mingtang was fully aware that there was nothing there, and Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance had been calm all alone, which was an unmistakable proof that there was more to this matter, and it told Zhou Mingtang that Yuwen Tong had some time ago made preparations!


    The storeroom was scoured once again, and naturally nothing was found.


    Confronting Yuwen Tong, Zhou Mingtang came to realize that he¡¯d miscalculated and put himself to a position from which there was no retiring. This matter had hardened Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart thoroughly. Once Yuwen Tong decided to stage an uprising, the North-western Army would be unstoppable!


    No. He must figure out a way to gloss over this!


    Otherwise, even if Yuwen Tong stood by and did nothing, he would be drowned in the flecks of spit of the residents outside.


    ¡°Bring that old handmaid to me,¡± instructed Zhou Mingtang.


    Nanny Zhong grabbed Zheng shi¡¯s arm in panic. ¡°Mistress, help me, Mistress!¡±


    Naturally, Zheng shi had come to understand what had happened. The thing that she¡¯d instructed Nanny Zhong to plant in the storeroom was not there, and it was self-evident who had transferred it. All her plans had fallen through. Not only Nanny Zhong but also she herself would become a target for all. She couldn¡¯t even ensure her own safety now, let alone save Nanny Zhong.


    Nanny Zhong was dragged outside and harshly flogged. An old woman, she couldn¡¯t bear the pain and, at the gate of death, confessed that it was Zheng shi who¡¯d instructed her to make the false accusation.


    Zheng shi buckled at the knees and slumped to the ground.


    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t me. I have nothing to do with it. I was tricked by her. She¡¯s lying!¡±


    Zheng shi cut a sorry figure, and Yuwen Qi beside her looked no better. Although nobody had ratted him out so far, everybody with discerning eyes could tell that he was involved in this matter, and soon he would come to grief as well.


    Neither Zheng shi¡¯s pleading nor her feeble defense was any good. Yuwen Tong, apathetically looking askance at Zheng shi sitting on the ground, remarked, ¡°I believe that my aunt was fooled by her old handmaid. Even knowing her death is imminent, this hag is still telling more lies. She¡¯s just disgusting.¡±


    What?!


    Both Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were shocked, incredulously gaping at Yuwen Tong.


    But Zhou Mingtang was fully aware the reason why Yuwen Tong was doing this was that he wanted to have that old handmaid take full responsibility for this matter, because what Zheng shi had committed was the crime of deceiving the emperor, which was punishable with execution of all members of the second branch of the Yuwen family, and even members of the first branch and the collateral branch might be incriminated.


    ¡°I know Your Highness fell for such a dull lie so easily because my command of the armies concerns you. Such being the case, I¡¯ll go to the palace right now and hand over my command of half of the troops of my own accord, so that Your Highness and His Majesty might set your minds at ease.¡±


    Zhou Mingtang widened his eyes, and everybody else on the scene did the same thing.


    Was Yuwen Tong serious? He would actually give up the command of half of the troops?!


    Was he out of his mind?!


    Zhou Mingtang was irrepressibly excited and pleasantly surprised. Though he failed to bring Yuwen Tong down this day, retrieving the command of half of the armies would make all his efforts worthwhile!


    ¡°You misunderstood, Marshal. Neither I nor my father has ever felt such concern. In the final analysis, it was my being bent on having my own way that caused you to be wronged. I¡¯ll admit to my father and request him to mete out punishment on me.¡± Zhou Mingtang managed to restrain his rapture, affectedly trying to decline the offer.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to say any more about this, Your Highness. Actually I¡¯ve always been meaning to hand over my command of the armies ever since the end of the war. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s been a lot going on in the imperial court lately, and His Majesty has been fully occupied with state affairs all along. I don¡¯t dare disturb His Majesty, so I planned to wait a few days to do it,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Cousin!¡± called Yuwen Feng in an attempt to dissuade Yuwen Tong. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    ¡°My decision is final,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    An old handmaid of the Yuwen family had falsely claimed that she¡¯d seen banned items in Marshal Yuwen¡¯s courtyard house. The Second Mistress of the Yuwen family had, without verifying it first, informed on her own nephew in front of His Majesty, who in his wrath had ordered the Crown Prince to have palace guards ring and search the residential compound of the Yuwen family, but eventually the whole thing had turned out to be nothing but a farce.


    Marshal Yuwen, bitterly disappointed, had ceded half of his power in an effort to prove himself innocent.


    His Majesty had felt ashamed and declined several times before accepting half of Yuwen Tong¡¯s command of the armies, and then used money from the exchequer to compensate the Yuwen family for the losses they¡¯d suffered.


    News of such a sensational event spread through the whole capital city almost in the blink of an eye and then to other countries and areas.


    It was already noon of that very day that message about this matter came to the knowledge of Ling Zhang who¡¯d been staying in the manor, and when he galloped back to the city with his men in a fit of rage, it was almost dusk and Yuwen Tong had finished the power transfer already. The front gates of the residential compound of the Yuwen family were shut, indicating that the the host wouldn¡¯t receive any visitors on this day.


    Fists clenched tightly, suppressing the burning desire to kill inside him, Ling Zhang cast aside all scruples and misgivings and stormed to the front gates of the residential compound of the Yuwen family, accompanied by his twenty-four security guards.


    Naturally, the guards on duty at the gates recognized Ling Zhang and knew very well that he was the apple of their Marshal¡¯s eye as well as a future owner of their Marshal¡¯s residential compound, so they immediately let him through.


    On entry into the compound, Ling Zhang saw that the whole place was in a mess, and servants were doing the cleaning, a gloomy expression on everybody¡¯s face.


    ¡°Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°Childe Ling came to visit. Go and inform the Marshal right now!¡±


    The sudden appearance of Ling Zhang and his men instantly sent all the servants trotting.


    ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    After a short while, Yao Yi showed up and, at the sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s outfit, came to know that Ling Zhang had just returned to the city.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong? What on earth happened here?¡± queried Ling Zhang, trying hard to keep his temper.


    Yao Yi, who never kept anything back from Ling Zhang, gave him a blow-by-blow account of the previous search.


    Ling Zhang went off the deep end at the story, feeling an overwhelming urge to hack Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi to pieces. ¡°Where are Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there right away, Childe Ling. The Marshal and the others are all there.¡±


    Yao Yi led Ling Zhang into the ancestral hall. The broad ancestral hall of the Yuwen family was one of the few places that the Palace Guards had spared during the savage search conducted earlier this day, and all memorial tablets were intact. Zhou Mingtang hadn¡¯t burnt his bridges.


    Everybody in the ancestral hall shifted their gaze to Ling Zhang as he arrived.


    Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were on their knees, Yuwen Zhi¡¯s and Yuwen You¡¯s branches of the family sitting on the two sides respectively, Yuwen You and Yuwen Tong in host seats.


    The moment Ling Zhang entered, Yuwen Tong rose to his feet, the iciness on his face softening like snow melting in spring breeze. When he had walked to the front of Ling Zhang, there was an utterly different expression on his face. He held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You¡¯ve just arrived? Did anything happen on your way here?¡±


    Ling Zhang took his hand in a backhand grip, his eyes sweeping over faces of all others present in the room, frosty-faced. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Eventually his gaze, etched with intense repulsion and murderousness, rested on Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi who were kneeling on the ground. ¡°Why are these two scum still here? Today they almost got the whole Yuwen family beheaded, and you people are still in the mood for sitting here and interrogating them?¡±


    As he finished these remarks, Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi on their knees appeared even more dejected, but there was still detestation in their eyes when they looked at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°This is a family matter. You¡¯re in no position to judge us,¡± Yuwen Qi croaked, eyeing Ling Zhang snakily.


    Ling Zhang released Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, walked up with an icy face and abruptly aimed a kick at Yuwen Qi¡¯s heart, which reduced him to spitting out a mouthful of blood!

 Chapter 272 - Zheng Shis Death

    Ling Zhang, after giving Yuwen Qi a kick which had made him vomit blood, said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m in no position to judge you? For your information, soon everything in the Yuwen family will be mine, including Yuwen Tong, and from now on you two will be my sworn enemies, because you tried to have him killed today; and make no mistakes, it is your lives that I¡¯ll be seeking to take!¡±


    After saying this, he aimed another kick at Yuwen Qi which instantly sent him flying. Yuwen Qi landed head-first on the ground, blood flowing from his forehead, unable to speak.


    ¡°Qi¡¯er!¡± Zheng shi let out a scream, launching herself at her son.


    Yuwen Feng rose from his seat and blocked Ling Zhang¡¯s path. ¡°Childe Ling, please stop.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Feng flintily. Stop? Fuck you!


    Unhesitatingly, he raised his foot and gave Yuwen Feng a kick as well, violently throwing him backwards. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do?! You think I¡¯m your servant or something? Fuck off!¡±


    Of course, Yuwen Feng who had never practiced kung fu was no match for Ling Zhang who possessed internal energy. Ling Zhang, in his fury, had given that kick with all his might, and Yuwen Feng had not only been sent flying but also reduced to spitting a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± bellowed Yuwen Zhi, finally losing his temper and springing to his feet.


    A sneer at the corners of his mouth, Ling Zhang made towards Yuwen Zhi with a thinly disguised intention to give him a kick as well, which startled Yuwen You and some others.


    Yuwen Zhi involuntarily took a step backward, both alarmed and angry. ¡°You brat. How dare you acting with such unruliness in our family! It¡¯s not your place to talk¨C¡±


    Thud!


    Ling Zhang ruthlessly aimed a kick at Yuwen Zhi¡¯s stomach, which sent him slumping into the chair behind him and unable to speak for quite a while.


    ¡°AAARGH! YOU LUNATIC! LET GO OF ME!¡±


    Zheng shi¡¯s hand was heavily trampled underfoot by Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang, after kicking Yuwen Zhi, had turned around and stamped on Zheng shi¡¯s hand, in a seemingly unintentional manner, but nobody present believed it was accidental, because Zheng shi¡¯s hand became bloody and mangled very soon, which was a horrifying sight.


    Seeing this, Yuwen You who was sitting in the host seat couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Cool down, sonny. Don¡¯t make things any uglier.¡±


    There was still iciness glinting in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes when he flicked a glance at Yuwen You, who gave a start and broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that Ling Zhang would kick him as well.


    Fortunately Ling Zhang still had some regard for Yuwen You¡¯s respectability. He moved his foot off Zheng shi¡¯s hand and stepped back to Yuwen Tong¡¯s side.


    Yuwen Feng had already struggled to his feet. The sight of his mother¡¯s mangled hand and his father¡¯s pasty face from which cold sweat was still oozing threw him into a few moments¡¯ stupefaction. Then he saw that his cousin was standing there silently, seeming to have never had any intention whatsoever to stop Ling Zhang from doing what he¡¯d done, which had made his stand self-evident.


    Finally, Yuwen Tong spoke. ¡°The previous decision still stands.¡±


    As soon as he finished this remark, Yuwen Feng¡¯s face went ghastly white. Mouth slack, he regarded Yuwen Tong imploringly.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t look at him and merely added, ¡°Do not delay or I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    After saying this, he took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and his voice became gentle. ¡°Let¡¯s go. This matter has been settled. I¡¯ll tell you the details after we return.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s anger had slightly subsided after he kicked these people. His eyes flintily swept them one last time and then he left with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°How did it happen exactly?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s temper began to fray again as he saw the awful shambles in houses of the first branch of the family.


    Yuwen Tong explained the ins and outs of it to him. ¡°Some people used Zheng shi and laid a trap for me.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Mingtang and his father who¡¯s at his back.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow abruptly corrugated in a deep frown. ¡°Then why did you cede half of your power?!¡±


    Hadn¡¯t he been inviting his own doom by doing that?!


    Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang into his embrace, gently stroking his back, his voice tender but his eyes frosty. ¡°After what happened today, both sides have come to know that the semblance of peace is over. The emperor fears I might rebel, and it¡¯s very likely that, when feeling pushed to the wall, he¡¯d throw caution to the wind and take action regardless of the consequences. I still need some time to fine-tune my plans. I handed over half of my power so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make his move any time soon. To be honest, I want to thank those who staged this farce, because my family now have good reason to shut the gates and focus on the preparatory work for our wedding without having to receive any visitors. Also, the emperor has got back the command of half of the armies and couldn¡¯t make trouble for me in the near future, which means we may go to the Millennium Pavilion without worrying about the situation in the city.¡±


    Ling Zhang made an unsuccessful attempt to free himself, still seething with frustration. ¡°What kind of plan do you have? It¡¯s an obvious fact that the emperor intends to kill you. How are you going to escape?¡±


    ¡°Escape? Who says I¡¯ll make my escape?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You won¡¯t flee? You¡¯ll wait for him to kill you?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°There is a better way. For some people, nothing is ever enough, and they leave me no choice but to fix them. It might not be a bad thing. I¡¯ll handle them once and for all.¡±


    Ling Zhang discerned a nerve-racking undertone in these remarks. Previously he had got a feeling that Yuwen Tong seemed to have made some kind of decision which he¡¯d been keeping back from him, and now this feeling was getting stronger. ¡°What do you want to do exactly?¡±


    Yuwen Tong kissed Ling Zhang on the ear lobe and said in a quiet voice beside his ear, ¡°You want to find out how it feels to reign over a country?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a start and didn¡¯t speak for quite a while, his arms holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s back tighter in spite of himself. ¡°Wh¨CWhat are the odds you¡¯ll succeed?¡±


    ¡°Ninety per cent.¡±


    ¡°But what will people in this country think of you if you do that?¡±


    ¡°No matter what I do, there will always be people talking against me.¡±


    ¡°Then when do you plan to go back to the north-west?¡±


    Yuwen Tong grasped the overtones in Ling Zhang¡¯s words and said with a chuckle, ¡°I will return to the north-west, but it¡¯ll be after everything¡¯s handled.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a quizzical face. ¡°If you don¡¯t go back to the north-west first, how are you going to¡­¡±


    How was he going to take the throne? Surely he wasn¡¯t planning to fight single-handed without any soldiers¡¯ help?


    Yuwen Tong lowered his voice and said beside his ear, ¡°I never said I¡¯ll usurp the throne with armies. That¡¯ll be so boring.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to go too far in your little game. I¡¯m not ready to meet my end yet.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle and cuddled him tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you live a very long life.¡±


    Some of Ling Zhang¡¯s worries dissolved at these words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, but some others began to build up. He didn¡¯t have a clue how Yuwen Tong would do it. In a matter of this kind, any lapse could lead to instant doom.


    But Yuwen Tong had no intention of confiding the details to him straight away. Ling Zhang also knew that it was neither the right place nor the right time to talk about this matter. What with the incidents that had happened earlier this day, there was a lot of mess to be cleaned in the residential compound of the Yuwen family.


    Anger began to rise inside Ling Zhang again at the thought of those people, and he had a sleepless night smoldering.


    However, before daybreak, yet another incident took place.


    Zheng shi died.


    She hanged herself.


    This was such a severe event that the whole Yuwen family woke up.


    Ling Zhang was skeptical when he was informed that Zheng shi had hanged herself. How was it possible that a woman like her had committed suicide? He felt that this must be some kind of trick.


    ¡°She really died,¡± said Yuwen Tong, a calm look on his face.


    Ling Zhang dressed and went to Zheng shi¡¯s chambers with Yuwen Tong. When they arrived, they found that all the others, except for Yuwen Qi who¡¯d been in a coma since his return from the ancestral hall, were present, including Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the family.


    Zheng shi¡¯s body had been removed from the rope. She had indeed hanged herself. Yuwen Feng was wailing in the room. Mrs. Su and Su Yaoyao were also present, and for an instant, the expressions on their faces went very odd at the sight of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, and with that the two of them paled visibly and bowed their heads.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t notice, and Yuwen Tong merely tossed a casual look at them.


    Outsiders had many speculations about the reason for Zheng shi¡¯s death, but most people believed it to be her guilt about failing the Yuwen family.


    Ling Zhang, however, knew that Zheng shi would never take her own life for a reason of this kind. She¡¯d chosen to commit suicide because there was no longer any room for her in the Yuwen family, and her death would ensure Yuwen Qi¡¯s keeping most of what he had in this family. If she hadn¡¯t committed suicide, both she and Yuwen Qi would end up being killed.


    The Yuwen family sent out an obituary, and Zheng shi¡¯s death caused yet another sensation in the capital city.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind that people of the second branch of the Yuwen family would have the fortitude to resort to this kind of self-destructive means in pursuit of their ends.¡±


    ¡°Fortitude? I think it¡¯s more like stupidity. I mean, obviously Zheng shi was being used as a pawn¡­ Yuwen Tong is a smart guy, though. He immediately ceded half of his command of the armies, which ensures that his family will be safe in at least the next few years.¡±


    ¡°And what might happen after a few years? If I were him, on no account would I cede power, and if the worst comes to the worst, I¡¯d just lead the Northwestern Army and fight my way to this city.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say. On that day, all four city gates were sealed by large numbers of palace guards, which was obviously a precaution against him fleeing. Had he not ceded power, he would definitely have been killed. By handing over his command of the armies, he actually earned himself a chance of survival. Anyway, I feel that Yuwen Tong is more than what he seems, and it¡¯s impossible that he¡¯s admitted defeat like that. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡­


    This farce of the Yuwen family, accompanied by heated discussion, lasted a very long time, and it was a few days after Zheng shi was interred and the second branch of the Yuwen family separated from the first branch that it gradually ceased to be the topic of citizens¡¯ gossip.


    Another matter worth mentioning apart from this was that Mrs. Su and Su Yaoyao had disappeared after the two branches of the Yuwen family had gone their separate ways, and before their disappearance, something else had occurred.


    After Zheng shi¡¯s death, Mrs. Su had wanted to make a last-ditch attempt to use the forged evidence to frame Ling Zhang.


    But before she could submit the forged evidence, the one who¡¯d incited her to do it, the Ninth Princess in the imperial temple, had been found to have died a sudden death in her bedroom at midnight.


    Mrs. Su had broken out in a cold sweat at the news and come to realize how ridiculous her previous plan was. She and Su Yaoyao had left the Yuwen family, exited the capital city in great haste and set off to return to Su Zhi¡¯s hometown. On their way, they¡¯d encountered some bandits who¡¯d robbed them of all their money, and then all their servants and handmaids had fled, leaving the two of them eking out a precarious existence. For a time they¡¯d even been reduced to begging for food on the streets. Afterwards, Mrs. Su, who¡¯d still had part of her graceful bearing left, had caught a squire¡¯s fancy and been taken as his concubine, and then the squire had arbitrarily married Su Yaoyao to his crippled, middle-aged butler.


    By and large, the disappearance of them hadn¡¯t attracted anybody¡¯s attention.


    As regards the second branch of the Yuwen family, first Zheng shi had died, and then Yuwen Qi¡¯s leg injury suddenly worsened drastically and almost became incurable. It was impossible for him to regain his mobility. And then, Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Zhi, taking Yuwen Qi with them, left the residential compound of the Yuwen family and moved into Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence. What with his incompetence in disciplining family members, Yuwen Zhi was demoted to a position three ranks lower which was even inferior to that of Yuwen Feng, who was the Assistant Minister of Rites and possessed a mansion allocated to him in accordance with related statutes by the imperial court. Thus, the three of them moved into the Residence of the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    Considering the Residence of the Assistant Minister of Rites was two streets away from the residential compound of the Yuwen family, and the front gates of them faced opposite directions, the two branches of the Yuwen family would probably never have any further dealings with each other unless necessity arose.

 Chapter 273 - An Invitation From the King Yu

    ¡°Your Highness, Yuwen Tong cannot even ensure his own safety now. It¡¯s too risky to co-opt him. I suggest we give up.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Since Yuwen Tong refuses to serve anybody and His Majesty might eliminate him at any moment, there¡¯s no need for us to put any more efforts into roping Yuwen Tong in.¡±


    Such had been the magnitude of the influence of this farce that everybody had come to understand the emperor¡¯s intentions. The King Duan¡¯s aides had begun trying to dissuade him from his plan to draw Yuwen Tong over to his side. In their opinion, Yuwen Tong and the emperor had fallen out, and although Yuwen Tong had ceded half of his power in an effort to keep his family safe, the emperor was still wary of him and would not hesitate to kill him if the occasion arose. In other words, Yuwen Tong was now in the emperor¡¯s cross hairs and wasn¡¯t even able to protect himself, which meant that it was totally pointless trying to co-opt him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± The King Duan, however, didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Now Yuwen Tong must hate the Crown Prince¡¯s guts, and it¡¯s impossible for him to remain neutral, not wanting anything from any prince, as he used to do. He harbors grudges, so he will make a choice. Think about it ¨C what would be lying in store for Yuwen Tong if the Crown Prince accedes to the throne? As long as Yuwen Tong is not stupid and doesn¡¯t want to die, he would undoubtedly try to find himself an escape route, which makes this the perfect time to draw him over to our side.¡±


    His aides lapsed into silence. Actually they still didn¡¯t quite agree with him, because the risk involved in roping in Yuwen Tong was too high. Besides, Yuwen Tong had only half of the troops at his command now.


    ¡°Half of the troops are more than enough. Don¡¯t forget that there are martyrs among every generation of members of the Yuwen family, and a lot of military officers in the imperial court owe the Yuwen family a debt of gratitude. Although branches of the Yuwen family have separated, and Yuwen Tong barely has dealings with any courtiers, he can still unite these people and have them work for him if he wants to.¡±


    ¡°What we should be concerned about is that people see things differently now, Your Highness. His Majesty has made his intentions so clear. When it comes to a choice between the return of the favor and their lives, those who still have their senses will no doubt choose the latter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Highness. It¡¯s too risky to ally with Yuwen Tong. Our top target is the Crown Prince, and our top priority is to bring him down and help you get his title. His Majesty is still in good health, his rule steady and solid, while Yuwen Tong¡¯s doom is foreseeable. If you take Yuwen Tong into your group, I¡¯m afraid he not only wouldn¡¯t be able to offer you any help but also might become a burden to you.¡±


    All aides disagreed with the King Duan about his plan to rope Yuwen Tong in, suggesting that he stand by and see what Yuwen Tong would do next. The King Duan¡¯s countenance, however, had changed several times. His ambition had been growing as he got closer to the throne. The Sixth Prince and the King Hui had been knocked out of the game in succession, leaving him, the King Yu and the Crown Prince being the only three princes who had reached adulthood and were eligible to participate in political affairs. All other princes were still young, and none of the forces at their back was powerful enough to emerge as a new rival for the throne in the current political landscape, which meant that a situation of tripartite confrontation was now something of inevitability. And these three forces were not evenly matched. The King Yu was the least powerful of the three of them, which was why the King Duan had always been holding the King Yu in disregard. His target was the Crown Prince, but recently the Gu family had racked up one score after another, sending even a man like Wang Cai to a high position, quickly expanding the Crown Prince¡¯s faction. What had made the King Duan more anxious was a fact he¡¯d come to realize after this farce in the Yuwen family ¨C the Crown Prince was different from them, for he had the emperor at his back.


    When the two of them had been considering roping in Yuwen Tong, the Crown Prince had gained the emperor¡¯s confidence and aligned his interests with the emperor¡¯s. This was like a chasm, which was telling him explicitly that the Crown Prince was the Crown Prince, the future emperor of this country, while he, however hard he tried, would be no more than a King, a servant. Although the Crown Prince had been an invalid and hadn¡¯t made any achievements for many years, in his father¡¯s eyes he was still the Crown Prince. It was not difficult but impossible to bring down the Crown Prince. Since this was the case, why didn¡¯t he just destroy them all? After destroying them all, he would get everything.


    As a result, his aides¡¯ advice no longer held appeal for the King Duan, for he had begun to see the situation from a different perspective now, but he needed to find an opportunity to disclose it for his aides to know.


    However, when the King Duan was trying to find time to confide his thoughts to his aides and have them figure out a way to co-opt Yuwen Tong, someone else had taken action.


    Yuwen Tong received a secret letter from the King Yu, who invited him to have a meeting with him.


    At this time, the second branch of the Yuwen family had just moved out, and the residential compound was undergoing a huge revamp project. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had temporarily moved into the Ling Mansion. Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the family had also provisionally returned to their own home, leaving the residential compound of the Yuwen family almost empty.


    ¡°The King Yu actually dared invite you to a meeting in these circumstances. He¡¯s got balls, I¡¯ll give him that.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked a glance at the secret letter and was somewhat surprised. He had thought that after that incident, these people in the capital city would stay away from Yuwen Tong and other members of the Yuwen family, but unexpectedly, the aftermath of the disturbance had just died away when the King Yu had covertly stated his stand. Compared with other princes, the King Yu was the one he¡¯d met the least times and had the least dealings with, so he didn¡¯t know the King Yu very well, but even so, he could feel that the King Yu¡¯s words didn¡¯t carry as much weight as the King Duan¡¯s did in the imperial court, that he was at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Are you going to accept the invitation?¡±


    Yuwen Tong burned the letter and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised once again. ¡°You¡¯re going to meet him? I thought you¡¯d never participate in¨C¡±


    ¡°Things are different now. I used to be wavering, sitting on the fence. Now I¡¯ve already made a resolution, so I¡¯ve got to stop shying away.¡±


    The moment Yuwen Tong finished the last remark, Ling Zhang came to understand what he meant. He remembered vividly what Yuwen Tong had previously said about ¡°reign over a country.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to be careful not to let the emperor find out about your meeting. And¡­ why do you think the King Yu is doing this?¡±


    Considering the risks involved in a meeting with Yuwen Tong under these circumstances, it was definitely about something big. If the situation were still how it¡¯d been a couple of days ago, Ling Zhang would¡¯ve come to the conclusion that the King Yu intended to rope Yuwen Tong in, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°No matter what the reason is, I¡¯ll find out when I get there.¡± Yuwen Tong appeared composed, as though he had got a shrewd idea of why the King Yu wanted a meeting with him.


    Ling Zhang stared at him. Recently he¡¯d begun to have the feeling that sometimes ¨C now, for example ¨C he had difficulty gauging Yuwen Tong¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°You know why he wants to meet you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    His gaze rendered Yuwen Tong powerless to keep it from him. Besides, he always had trouble maintaining his dignity as a marshal in the presence of Ling Zhang, so he replied, ¡°I have a theory, but I¡¯m going to have to meet him before I could confirm whether or not it¡¯s the truth. At any rate this meeting is unavoidable.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had someone deliver his reply to the King Yu, agreeing to meet him in two days.


    Ling Zhang had originally planned to go with him, but unexpectedly, Tao Yi paid him a visit, bringing him a message from Ji Feng and Zhao Jiusi.


    ¡°Ji Feng¡¯s grandfather has made a remarkable recovery. He invited you, me and the others to the summer house of the Ji family,¡± said Tao Yi, a serious look on his face.


    That farce had happened so suddenly in the residential compound of the Yuwen family that many people had been suffering a delayed reaction to the shock, and when they¡¯d realized what it might actually be about, Yuwen Tong had already ceded half of his military power. Everybody in the capital city had their own opinion about this matter.


    Tao Yi was very indignant. Although sometimes he wasn¡¯t very perceptive, he¡¯d been learning from an exceptionally sagacious teacher, and over time, owing to his teacher¡¯s influence on him, his inclination to analyze many sorts of matters had become instinctive, so naturally he¡¯d come to realize what kind of intrigues might¡¯ve been involved this time. He¡¯d been outraged by the injustice done to Yuwen Tong, but his teacher had kept silent.


    ¡°My teacher loathes this method of His Majesty¡¯s and is very angry, believing that His Majesty made the worst decision, but he thinks the Marshal did the right thing by ceding half of his military power. I was pissed, by I couldn¡¯t outdebate him,¡± said Tao Yi, still looking somewhat unconvinced and upset.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°You¡¯re my friend, and you believe Yuwen Tong¡¯s a righteous man, so of course you¡¯re on our side, but your teacher is different. He sees things from the perspective of His Majesty, and it¡¯s a natural thing that his opinions diverge from yours, so stop being angry about it.¡±


    But in fact Ling Zhang was indignant as well. Yuwen Tong had done so much for the people in this country, and the Yuwen family had sacrificed so much for the Great Yue over the generations, but all those pompous courtiers were capable of was empty rhetoric, and none of them had ever considered what Yuwen Tong wanted!


    ¡°Recently I haven¡¯t been in the mood for studying in the academy anyway. I¡¯ve taken a leave of absence and I plan to go to the summer house of the Ji family and spend a couple of days there,¡± said Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang knew he was doing this because he was at odds with his teacher and felt frustrated.


    ¡°This is a crucial moment, and if I go to the summer house with you guys, I might get you in trouble, so I think I¡¯ll just stay here keeping Yuwen Tong company. You guys may go without me,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Ji Feng has some time ago taken a dislike to those matters in the imperial court. He wouldn¡¯t care about it at all. Actually he would¡¯ve come here with me had his father not summoned him before we set off,¡± said Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang asked him, ¡°Did Ji Feng¡¯s father know he was coming to my place?¡±


    Tao Yi gave it some thought and replied, ¡°I think he did.¡±


    After saying this, Tao Yi lapsed into silence, coming to understand what that meant, knitting his eyebrows.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to put any of his friends in an awkward position. He was very happy to see that even in this kind of circumstances they still wanted to invite him over, but he couldn¡¯t afford to bring them any trouble.


    ¡°This is why you guys should go without me. Just tell them I¡¯ve been in a foul mood and suffering from canker sore lately and it¡¯s inconvenient for me to hang out with them.¡±


    Tao Yi¡¯s lips clamped together. He wanted very much to have Ling Zhang join them, but at the thought of the others, he reluctantly kept silent in the knowledge that he couldn¡¯t make decisions for them.


    In the final analysis, the one in the palace was to blame for all this. Tao Yi went even angrier. ¡°The residential compound of the Yuwen family has become such a mess during the search. What are you going to do about your wedding? Will it be put off? The way I see it, you and the Marshal might as well just go back to the north-west. Nobody would be able to stop you. You may hold your wedding there, and all of us will be present.¡±


    Ling Zhang chucked, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Yuwen Tong your suggestion.¡±


    But it was only a suggestion, for as things stood, returning to the north-west was not an option for them, what with the sheer impossibility of the emperor giving consent to it.


    Ling Zhang asked Tao Yi to send his apologies to Ji Feng and the others and tell them he was not going to the summer house of the Ji family, and then saw him off.


    Yuwen Tong should¡¯ve met the King Yu by now, so he summoned one of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguard and asked him about the renovation of the residential compound of the Yuwen family. After receiving the compensations from the emperor, Yuwen Tong had ordered a revamp of the exterior of all houses in the compound, so it¡¯d take more time.

 Chapter 274 - The Oncoming Return to the Capital City of the Team

    ¡°I think you¡¯re fully aware of the cause of what happened in the residential compound of the Yuwen family a couple of days ago, Marshal. I admire very much the decisiveness you displayed in your decision to cede half of your military power, and I¡¯m also indignant at the injustice you were done,¡± said Zhou Mingyi the King Yu who was sitting opposite Yuwen Tong.


    With a calm look on his face, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You may cut to the chase with me, Your Highness. I don¡¯t like it when people beat around the bush.¡±


    The King Yu, not offended at Yuwen Tong¡¯s bluntness, responded, ¡°I like your straightforwardness, Marshal. My intention is very simple ¨C I wish to strike up a friendly relationship with you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything about wanting Yuwen Tong¡¯s help. He just said he intended to cultivate good relations with him.


    ¡°And how do you want to do that?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Eyes on Yuwen Tong, an earnest expression on his face, the King Yu replied, ¡°Marshal, I think you know very well that although you¡¯ve ceded half of your military power, there¡¯s no guarantee you and your family will be safe forever. I hope you¡¯ll give more consideration to your escape route. Actually I invited you to meet me here today because there¡¯s a particular thing I want to tell you about ¨C the sole reason why my father set out to eliminate you so soon was that the Wan Kingdom¡¯s emperor, in order to ensure Shan Congwen¡¯s safe return from the Great Yue, had agreed to prolong the period of validity of the non-aggression treaty to twenty years!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brows briefly twitched, his eyes flashing towards the King Yu.


    Seeing that there was finally an expected expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, the King Yu secretly felt a slight sense of relief and continued, ¡°Think about it ¨C the non-aggression treaty will last twenty years. Such a long time is more than enough for my father to put the North-western Army under his command, turning them into an imperial guard, which will, naturally, render you redundant.¡±


    The King Yu had made it very clear ¨C what with this twenty-year peace treaty, Yuwen Tong had become the emperor¡¯s greatest threat, and on no account would the emperor let Yuwen Tong live; if Yuwen Tong wanted to survive, he must find a way out, and offering him a way out was exactly why the King Yu had come here.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been holding you in high regard and admiring you, Marshal. When I was a young boy, what I heard the most often was battlefield report about where you, who was then still a general, had won yet another victory. So since childhood, I¡¯ve been looking up to you as a hero of the Great Yue, the incarnation of the God of War. I never believed that you¡¯d ever do anything traitorous. If I¡¯m enthroned, I¡¯d want to see you remain the marshal of the Great Yue.¡±


    The King Yu, having expressly made his point, fixed Yuwen Tong with a gaze, waiting for him to make a decision.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t make a reply immediately. After a while, he rose to his feet. ¡°Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. Consider your efforts to cultivate good relations with me successful. As for what might come next, we shall have further talks about it.¡±


    Inwardly the King Yu was very satisfied. Yuwen Tong¡¯s positive response to his overtures was a good start!


    ¡°Sure. You don¡¯t have to rush into any decisions. I arranged this meeting merely because I wanted you to know about the cause of that unfortunate incident, so that you¡¯d be more aware of the situation.¡±


    Having achieved his ends, the King Yu didn¡¯t try to persuade Yuwen Tong to stay longer when Yuwen Tong expressed his intention to return.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you think Yuwen Tong will agree?¡± said the King Yu¡¯s henchman, watching Yuwen Tong¡¯s receding back.


    The King Yu replied in a deep voice, ¡°He will agree.¡±


    ¡°Well, if by any chance the King Duan¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhou Mingyuan?¡± the King Yu sneered. ¡°Impossible. Back then when Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were on their way to this city, Ling Zhang was almost poisoned in Wu City, for which Peng Fang was the one responsible. Although at that time Peng Fang hadn¡¯t openly taken Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s side, Yuwen Tong has definitely found out about the truth, and even if he hadn¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to figure out a way to make sure he¡¯s informed. Everybody knows how protective Yuwen Tong is of Ling Zhang. You think he would still choose Zhou Mingyuan after this matter comes to his knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ there are no permanent enemies.¡±


    The King Yu shook his head. ¡°Yuwen Tong is different, and if he really could put aside Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s previous attempt on Ling Zhang¡¯s life, he would be too formidable, and what he wants to be would by no means be merely someone who helps a prince accede to the throne.¡±


    His henchman fell silent.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong had returned to the Ling Mansion, and Ling Zhang had seen Tao Yi off.


    ¡°What was it Tao Yi wanted to see you about?¡± Yuwen Tong was the first to start asking questions.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang, who wanted to asked him about his meeting with the King Yu, had no choice but to tell him about why Tao Yi had visited him. ¡°I declined the invitation, because I don¡¯t want to get them into any trouble, given the circumstances.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not the right time, but if you really want to meet them, I can make it happen.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. Knowing that they care about me is enough for me. Right now you need me more than they do.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was briefly stupefied and then, as a beam broke across his face, reached out his hand with the intention to sweep Ling Zhang into his embrace to make out with him.


    Ling Zhang slapped his hand away. ¡°Stop it. You still haven¡¯t told me what your meeting with the King Yu was about.¡±


    ¡°Just as I expected, he wants me to take his side and assist him to take the throne,¡± said Yuwen Tong blandly. ¡°It turns out that previously I kind of underestimated him. At this juncture, he¡¯s showing more daring and greater resolution than Zhou Mingyuan is.¡±


    Unfortunately for the King Yu, no matter how audacious and committed he was, it was already too late. In addition, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t believe a single word of what he¡¯d said during the meeting. His statements about admiring Yuwen Tong as a hero could only fool the unsophisticated. If Yuwen Tong really helped the King Yu ascend the throne, the King Yu would also try to eliminate him just like the incumbent emperor. None of the members of the Zhou family was trustworthy.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± asked Ling Zhang curiously.


    ¡°He told me about the cause of this upheaval. The period of validity of the peace treaty between the Wan Kingdom and the Great Yue has been extended to twenty years,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Twenty years?¡± Ling Zhang was astonished. To his knowledge, previously it¡¯d been ten years.


    Yuwen Tong appeared very calm. ¡°I¡¯ve long since come to know about this. It doesn¡¯t matter whether it is twenty or thirty years. Actually the Wan Kingdom would¡¯ve made it fifty if they have to. All they want is for Shan Congwen to return safely, and for their country to have enough time to regain strength. When they have enough troops and provisions, they might immediately wage another war.¡±


    It was ridiculous that the Zhou family, after suffering so many losses during their previous dealings with the Wan Kingdom, still hadn¡¯t learned their lesson and had actually believed it. Or maybe they just needed something to justify their attempt to eliminate him.


    It wasn¡¯t for merely one or two days that the emperor had been wary and suspicious of him anyway.


    ¡°Are you saying that the Wan Kingdom could scrap the treaty at any moment? Then what should we do?¡± The possibility of the outbreak of another war concerned Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen anytime soon. Without help, the Wan Kingdom needs at least five years to regain enough strength to start another war,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Five years? Ling Zhang felt slightly relieved. Chances were that after five years, many matters would have been settled. Relaxed, he failed to see that a glint flitted across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes.


    Without help, the Wan Kingdom indeed would need that much time, but what if they got help?


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t remind Ling Zhang of this, because there were some things he¡¯d been planning, the developments of which would depend on potential changes of situation.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s cession of half of his military power was indeed being a hindrance to the emperor¡¯s further moves, and it¡¯d even silenced many of the courtiers. Added to the cession of power had been a farce which had ended in a rather ugly fashion, and maybe because of this, the emperor, apart from paying generous compensation for the Yuwen family¡¯s loss during the search, had willingly granted Yuwen Tong¡¯s request for a long extension of his leave of absence in an effort to get a fig leaf.


    There was no telling whether or not people were still discussing it in private, but on the surface, nobody was so insensible as to bring up what had happened in the residential compound of the Yuwen family earlier.


    Yuwen Zhi had also taken a leave of absence and hadn¡¯t been attending court meetings. Yuwen Feng and Yuwen You, however, were unable to rid themselves of the prying eyes. When in the imperial court, no matter how hard the other courtiers tried to nose out the details, the two of them refused to breathe a single word of the incident, having no intention whatsoever to satisfy their colleagues¡¯ curiosity.


    On this day, after a court meeting, Yuwen Feng and Yuwen You chanced upon each other.


    ¡°Granduncle.¡± Yuwen Feng made a bow with hands folded in front.


    Yuwen You inclined his head, flicked a glance at him and sighed, ¡°Is your father okay?¡±


    Yuwen Feng replied, ¡°He¡¯s just suffering from some ailments caused by depression. He¡¯ll recover in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°And your brother?¡±


    It was a few moments¡¯ silence before Yuwen Feng said, ¡°A court physician said there¡¯s a high chance he¡¯d never be able to walk again, so he¡¯s been giving us a rather hard time recently.¡±


    Yuwen You reached out his hand to pat his shoulder and asked, ¡°You have grudges, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yuwen Feng slightly shook his head. ¡°Granduncle, if I say I don¡¯t, you definitely wouldn¡¯t believe me, but I also know that this time around my mother had only herself to blame. At bottom it was my fault. As her son, I failed to detect in time signs of my mother¡¯s plan, almost allowing her to bring a disaster to our family. I inwardly hate myself more than anybody.¡±


    Yuwen You made no remarks, sighing repeatedly. After quite a while, he said, ¡°If you need my help, all you have to do is ask. The Yuwen family¡­ is faced with an oncoming calamity, which makes many of our personal grudges trivial. Only by surviving this calamity will we be able to have a chance to settle the other matters.¡±


    Yuwen Feng nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    What the Yuwen family was faced with was far more serious than just a calamity. If they failed to tackle it in the correct way, everybody bearing the surname ¡®Yuwen¡¯ in this family would meet their end. Nobody wanted to die.


    Yuwen You, after parting from Yuwen Feng, sighed constantly on his way back and didn¡¯t stop even when he was at home.


    ¡°Father, just now Tong had someone deliver a message here, saying that he¡¯d pay us a visit in a while, that the team sent to Tanyang should return to the capital city in two days,¡± said Yuwen Si.


    Yuwen You inclined his head, finally a hint of delight appearing on his face. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°I wonder whether or not news of what happened in the capital city has reached my grandfather¡¯s and uncle¡¯s ears. If it has, they must be very worried right now,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡¯ve personally written them a letter to explain everything already,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°And when did you do that?¡±


    He found that recently Yuwen Tong had been quite mysterious about his letters to his family in Tanyang, keeping them from him.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Quite a few days ago. I think their reply is about to arrive.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you keep this kind of thing back from me ever again. You must tell me. I don¡¯t want my family to worry about us.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been intentionally trying to hide it from Ling Zhang. He¡¯d just been too busy and forgotten that he needed to inform Ling Zhang. At this moment, after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, he naturally hastened to promise that next time he would tell him beforehand and would never keep it from him ever again.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mood lightened somewhat as he heard his promise.

 Chapter 275 - Departure for the Millennium Pavilion

    The return of the team sent to Tanyang seemed to disperse some of the repressive dark clouds that had been lingering in the sky above the capital city for quite some time. Yuwen Chi brought messages from Tanyang and a cartful of Tanyang specialities that the Ling family had prepared for Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Second Master Ling had originally planned to come to the capital city in a few days. Fortunately, my cousin¡¯s letter arrived in time and Second Master Ling changed his mind,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were going to leave the capital city in a couple of days, went to the Millennium Pavilion first and then Tanyang. Ling Zhaowen would miss them had he been unaware of it and come to the capital city.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind that so many things would happen during our absence. Will we be able to finish the preparatory work for the wedding on time?¡± Yuwen Chi asked with a serious look on his face. He¡¯d always had a perceptive understanding of the whole picture and anticipated some time ago that Yuwen Tong would hand over part of his military power, but he hadn¡¯t expected that it¡¯d happen so soon, and the occurrence of such an absurd incident had also come as a surprise to him. Although he was asking about the wedding, what he worried about was something of a higher plane ¨C the fate of the Yuwen family.


    ¡°We will,¡± answered Yuwen Tong. Of course he knew what his uncles and cousins were concerned about. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put you to the trouble of dealing with all family matters for some time. I¡¯ll sort things out after I return with Brother Zhang.¡±


    Yuwen Chi felt that there was some kind of undertone in his words, but Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t explain anything and just signaled him to look at Yuwen You. Having come to understand, Yuwen Chi nodded and said, ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯ll be cautious and have everything properly handled in the capital city.¡±


    While Yuwen Tong was consulting with Yuwen Chi and the others about something, Yuwen Jin and Ling Zhang found a quiet spot to talk. First Yuwen Jin told Ling Zhang about their stay in Tanyang and also handed him what Ling Maomao had asked him to deliver to Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang watched the little wooden figurine in his hand which had been carved with childish technique. The features of it were rather rough, and he could tell at a glance that this was Ling Maomao¡¯s work.


    ¡°Maomao wanted you to have this and keep him in mind at all times,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang gave a smile, solemnly thanked Yuwen Jin for his trouble and started fingering the wooden figurine, inevitably homesick.


    ¡°He also wanted to come with me to the capital city to see you. Originally my uncle was very happy about it and intended to convince Second Master Ling to allow Maomao to come with us, but afterwards news of what happened here spread to Tanyang, and we realized that the situation here instantly became dangerous, so all of us didn¡¯t dare bring him here any longer,¡± added Yuwen Jin.


    After Yuwen Jin finished his remarks, both of them fell silent.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, do you regret having agreed to marry my cousin?¡± Yuwen Jin suddenly asked.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face wore a quizzical look. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡±


    Yuwen Jin sighed, ¡°A little short-tempered as I am, I have a shrewd idea of what might be coming for our family. On our way back, my uncle was saying that he had no idea whether it was fortunate or unfortunate of you and my cousin to have decided to get married in these circumstances. If you two haven¡¯t proclaimed that you are getting married, and something does happen, you could still¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop that nonsense!¡± Ling Zhang interrupted him, frowning. ¡°You guys think I¡¯m a coward who¡¯d prefer life to dishonor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Yuwen Jin hastened to explain. ¡°I know you are not that kind of person. It¡¯s just that Second Master Ling has been quite worried ever since what¡¯d happened here came to his knowledge. My uncle and I and the others are all very guilty. We feel that this is not the right time, that we¡¯re going to incriminate the Ling family.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t sound so defeatist. This is just the beginning. Why are you getting so dejected as though you¡¯re admitting defeat? Aren¡¯t you the one who trusts your cousin the most? Since he told you to hang in there and wait for us to come back, he definitely has a plan. Have faith in him.¡±


    The time had not come for Ling Zhang to confide Yuwen Tong¡¯s plans and resolution to Yuwen Jin, so he could only drop a hint to him in a roundabout way. He added, ¡°And for the record, I¡¯ve never regretted it from the moment I decided to come to this city with Yuwen Tong, so don¡¯t ask me this kind of questions ever again.¡±


    Yuwen Jin raised his hand to scratch his head, feeling a sense of relief, awkwardly making an apology.


    ¡°By the way, where are you going with my cousin, Brother Zhang? Is it really so important that you have to leave at this juncture?¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very important.¡±


    Yuwen Jin threw his chest out. ¡°Then just go with my cousin. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the Ling Mansion and make sure nobody in here is subjected to bullying.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡­


    Two days later, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong secretly left the capital city and moved into the new manor.


    Ji Yin was still absent, but he seemed to have come back once, for there was a message for them, in which he told them to go directly to Cangzhou to meet him.


    Ling Zhang was worried about what might happen in the capital city, so he planned to go there and come back as quick as possible. After reading the message, he immediately instructed servants to get his baggage ready, preparing to depart. Almost all important parts of the revamp of the manor had been finished, and the rest of it didn¡¯t require his occasional supervision. Yuwen Tong designated Yue Qi and some others to stay in the capital city. Apart from guarding this manor, their job also includes keeping a weather eye on the forces in the city and promptly reporting to him if anything happened.


    Ling Zhang was bringing all his twenty-four security guards. Yao Yi and other personal bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s naturally were going with them as well.


    On that very night, they left the manor, heading south.


    ¡­


    They rode non-stop on fast horses and reached Wu City at noon the next day.


    At the sight of them, Ji Yin who had been waiting for them asked, ¡°Is there anybody following you?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head with absolute certainty. They had taken several detours on their way to Wu City, used some formations to conceal their traces, and also changed their disguise several time. Currently, both he and Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t look as they used to. One of them appeared to be an itinerant merchant traveling to another city, and the other an accountant. There was no way any outsiders could recognize either of them.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s security guards and Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards had all scattered, covertly following the two of them, keeping a certain distance away from each other.


    ¡°On my return to Wu City, I heard of what happened in the capital city. That fatuous and self-indulgent emperor is unbelievably narrow-minded and ungrateful. It¡¯s been such a short time since you handled the threat from the Wan Kingdom for him, yet he¡¯s already bursting to get rid of you. You people of the Yuwen family are too soft. If I were you, I would¡¯ve long ago contacted the North-western Army, staged an uprising, beheaded that fool sitting on the throne and become the emperor myself,¡± said Ji Yin without any scruples or a shred of respect for the incumbent emperor, sounding as though the emperor were an ant in his hand that he could squeeze to death at any moment.


    After saying this, he added, ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, I can do you a favor. It¡¯ll take merely a couple of saber strikes to exterminate the Zhou family ¨C first you¡¯ll have to promise not to mention it to the clan leader, of course.¡±


    Ling Zhang was startled at these words. ¡°Grandfather¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong had begun speaking. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ji. Lives of members of the Zhou family are just a small matter, but the stability of the political situation of this country and people¡¯s well-being are a big issue. I¡¯m willing to spend more time to settle it. If things do get beyond my capabilities, I promise I¡¯ll ask you for help.¡±


    Ji Yin bobbed his head. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you have it all planned out.¡±


    When Ji Yin took them to the place where they were going to spend the night, there were still some thoughts whirling in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind. A moment ago, when his grandfather had been talking about exterminating the Zhou family, there hadn¡¯t been the slightest change in his tone which was so bland that he almost sounded apathetic. Ling Zhang believed that Ji Yin hadn¡¯t been joking, that he had sounded so indifferent because he did have scanty regard for the lives of members of the Zhou family. He recalled that previously, when he¡¯d been talking with Ji Yin about the new manor, Ji Yin had told him there was no need for him to worry about the loyalty of servants in the manor, because he could just use drugs to keep them under control if necessary¡­ At that time he¡¯d believed that Ji Yin was just joking and hadn¡¯t taken it seriously, but now it seemed that that hadn¡¯t been a joke.


    In that year, the very reason why his mother couldn¡¯t return to the Millennium Pavilion had been because she¡¯d gone too far in her act of revenge, wiping out the whole family of the scum who¡¯d killed her brother. The Millennium Pavilion had believed that her deeds had gone beyond the pale and threatened to expose the existence of the clan, so they¡¯d decided to bring her back to receive her punishment. He had thought that on no account would his mother, who in his vague memory had always been a gentle woman, exterminate a whole family because of the wrong done by one man, that there must be some other reason, but now, after hearing Ji Yin¡¯s previous words, he suddenly came to realize that there was another possibility ¨C it was indeed to vent her anger that his mother had killed the members of a whole family. And his grandfather seemed to have the same mentality, not at all caring whether or not there was anybody innocent in the Zhou family. The only misgiving Ji Yin had about exterminating the Zhou family was that the leader of the Millennium Pavilion might find out. With a father like this, his mother¡­


    Ling Zhang felt that it was somewhat disrespectful and unfilial of him to inwardly judge his mother and grandfather. In the final analysis, it was for his sake that his grandfather had offered to wipe out the Zhou family, and he was the last person to secretly comment on it. Besides, the Zhou family would definitely be wiped out in the future ¨C if Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan was a success¡­


    ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯ve been on the run all along recently. Do you need to have a few days¡¯ rest here before setting off for the Millennium Pavilion?¡±


    On hearing this question and his tone, Yuwen Tong, who was walking side by side with Ling Zhang and knew him very well, came to realize that Ling Zhang had done some careful thinking just now.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Grandfather is still robust. I just walked more than usual in the past few days. Staying here to rest won¡¯t be necessary. Besides, you two are probably both worried about the situation in the capital city, so I think we should depart as soon as possible, but I¡¯m afraid those guards you¡¯ve brought with you will have to stay here,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were unsurprised at Ji Yin¡¯s words. The Millennium Pavilion¡¯s consent to their visit had come as a great surprise to them, and it would be quite abnormal if they were allowed to bring their guards.


    ¡°Before our entry into this city, I¡¯ve instructed them to stay here and wait for us,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yin nodded, looking at Ling Zhang. ¡°What about your security guards?¡±


    ¡°I gave them the same instruction,¡± replied Ling Zhang. ¡°Is the Millennium Pavilion in Cangzhou, Grandfather?¡±


    Why were they not allowed to have their guards accompany them any further? Had the Millennium Pavilion been in Cangzhou all these years, by any chance? It was so close to the capital city of the Great Yue all along?


    ¡°It¡¯s not here,¡± replied Ji Yin. ¡°Just follow me, and don¡¯t ask any questions. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    Since Ling Zhang had decided to go to the Millennium Pavilion, naturally he had some time ago prepared himself to follow the Millennium Pavilion¡¯s rules. Finding his grandfather¡¯s request understandable, he didn¡¯t persist with his questioning and just flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong held his hand, signaling him to show some patience.


    Ji Yin told them that they were to leave at midnight, that they should have a good rest before that.


    ¡°My grandfather told us not to ask any questions and just follow him, but he didn¡¯t say anything else, which means that¡­ we could watch.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Ji didn¡¯t disclose any details probably because it¡¯s against the rules.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think the Millennium Pavilion is? My grandfather said it¡¯s not in Cangzhou, but he insisted Brother Wang and all the others stop following us in this city.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    Yuwen Tong was much calmer than him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find out soon enough. Compared with this matter, how that mysterious clan leader will treat us after we enter the Millennium Pavilion concerns me more.¡±

 Chapter 276 - Arrival at the Millennium Pavilion

    This was indeed what Ling Zhang was fairly worried about as well. This journey of his to the Millennium Pavilion was about bringing his father back and in passing figuring out the clan leader¡¯s take on the current situation in this country. After all, this organization was too powerful. If it became their enemy, things would get very troublesome, so he decided to do whatever was necessary to prevent that.


    At midnight, Ji Yin showed up promptly. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had also got everything ready, and the three of them left the place where they¡¯d put up.


    They rode for ten full days before reaching their destination.


    Yuwen Tong gazed at the border town in front, a grave look on his face, appearing to be fully aware of what kind of place they had just arrived in.


    Ling Zhang was also astonished, for they¡¯d been traveling north-west all along¡­


    ¡°Grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Ling Zhang widened his eyes. This little town ahead of them was where the Millennium Pavilion was? No way. How was this secluded? How come nobody had ever found it for hundreds of years?


    While Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was in a whirl, Ji Yin continued, ¡°We¡¯ll spend the night in this town and set off for the mountain at the first light of day.¡±


    Ji Yin pointed forward and Ling Zhang looked in that direction.


    This frontier town was called Tongguan Town, lying to the south of Youzhou, bordering Shengzhou to the north, not far away from the fort of the North-western Army in the north. The geographical location of Tongguan Town was somewhat special. Although it was a fairly short distance away from the fort as the crow flew, a trip to the fort would take a very long time, what with the winding and narrow route between the two. Tongguan Town was surrounded with mountains, and to its west and north, in particular, vast mountains stretched to as far as the eye could see; those to the south and east were relatively low, with passable paths amid them.


    The mountain Ji Yin was pointing at was the Sanguan Mountains, which was behind Tongguan Town.


    The range of the Sanguan Mountains was very, very long, covering a vast area whereby the Great Yue, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom separated from each other. Standing loftily on the border between the three countries, it boasted countless towering, snow-capped peaks and precipitous cliffs. Birds could fly over it, but no human being could cross it, which made it the most secure border between the three countries.


    It was rumored that in the depths of the Sanguan Mountains, windstorm that could devour people was a frequent occurrence, that there were also boundless poisonous miasma, ferocious beasts like jackals, wolves, tigers and so on, which were yet another reason deterring people apart from the dangerously steep terrain. Barely anybody would venture into the depths of the Sanguan Mountains. Even the most audacious ones living in the three countries didn¡¯t dare go any deeper into it than the periphery.


    Only when he saw Ji Yin pointing to the depths of the Sanguan Mountains did Ling Zhang came to realize that he¡¯d misunderstood. This town was only a town, not the Millennium Pavilion, but the fact that the Millennium Pavilion was sited right in the depths of the Sanguan Mountains came as yet another great surprise to him.


    Nobody could have foreseen this. Even Yuwen Tong was amazed. Having spent many years in the north-west, of course he had heard of the rumors about the Sanguan Mountains. He had taken some men to explore it out of his worries about the impassability of this natural barrier. Forbidding as it was, with his kung fu skills, it was not necessarily impossible for him to climb over it. However, due to the toxic miasma in the depths of the mountains, there was a very high risk of getting lost or even poisoned there. Trying to climb over the mountains would be perilous. On top of that, there was also icy windstorm there¡­


    It was after scouting out the lie of the land several times that Yuwen Tong had finally confirmed that no common soldier could cross the Sanguan Mountains. Even if people with consummate kung fu skills might be able to force their way through, they posed no threat to him, for this kind of people were few and far between, and there were probably only a couple of them in the whole world. If someone with this kind of skills wanted to cross the border, going through a checkpoint would be a far better choice than climbing over the Sanguan Mountains at considerable risk to their own life. After confirming that the Sanguan Mountains were indeed a solid barrier impassable for most, Yuwen Tong had made arrangements for the periphery to be patrolled on a regular basis and had never again paid any special attention to them. Who could have thought that the Millennium Pavilion was actually in a place like this?


    ¡°There were toxic fog and miasma and windstorm in the mountains, and the boundaries of the Millennium Pavilion are protected by many defensive formations, so you must stay close to me all the time after we enter the mountains. In no circumstances should you lag behind,¡± exhorted Ji Yin.


    ¡°Grandfather, the habitability of this kind of place must be really poor. Why did you choose to live here?¡± Ling Zhang was very confused.


    Ji Yin smiled, ¡°Well, it has its compensations ¨C nobody would disturb us, and as it¡¯s on the border between three countries, none of the governments have jurisdiction over it. Moreover, although the Sanguan Mountains are a dangerous area, not all parts of them are uninhabitable. You¡¯ll know what I mean when we get there.¡±


    Ji Yin¡¯s mysterious tone piqued Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity.


    They put up at an inn in Tongguan Town that night and left the town to enter the Sanguan Mountains at daybreak the next morning.


    ¡­


    Along the roundabout path, they proceeded. When they just entered the Sanguan Mountains, they kept hurrying forward without any of them saying anything. Ji Yin and Yuwen Tong both excelled at lightness skills. Although Ling Zhang still relied heavily on his Qi to keep up his speed, he moved a lot faster than common people could. Swooshing like the wind along the rugged mountain path, the three of them soon reached the area which residents of Tongguan Town, in the ordinary course of things, wouldn¡¯t venture into.


    After crossing this borderline, Ji Yin, with Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong hot on his heels, kept streaking deeper into the mountains. It was half a day before he slowed down.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s breathing had become somewhat uneven when they got to this place. His powers of endurance couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Ji Yin¡¯s or Yuwen Tong¡¯s. Had they kept traveling at this pace, he wouldn¡¯t be able to last long.


    Ji Yin, quite gratified to see that his grandson hadn¡¯t straggled behind so far, said, ¡°The path ahead is much tougher, and we¡¯ll have to start to beware of poisonous fog and miasma about half a day later. I¡¯ll be going slower from here. Mind your step and follow close behind me, Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Zhang nodded.


    And then Ji Yin led the way, Ling Zhang following in his wake, Yuwen Tong bringing up the rear. As expected, the terrain was growing much more dangerous, and there were a lot of places that even average kung fu practitioners couldn¡¯t get through, which Yuwen Tong carried Ling Zhang and used his lightness skills to leap over. There were giant boulders with sharp edges, high precipices, slippery steep mountain paths, and tall dense thorns. Large beasts like bears could also be seen.


    After half a day, Ji Yin came to a halt. It was already dark. Ling Zhang could see clouds of white fog in the area ahead. The fog was uneven in color and smelled somewhat weird. Ji Yin took out two alexipharmic pills and had Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong each swallow one.


    ¡°We could easily get lost if we travel in these mountains at night. Let¡¯s just spend the night here and resume our journey tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ling Zhang naturally raised no objections. His kung fu was not as good as theirs. If he insisted on continuing, he would only wind up becoming a burden.


    Yuwen Tong went hunting and brought back a pheasant and some other wild animals, plucked and cleaned them in a stream and roasted them. They had anticipated that they¡¯d have to stay overnight in the mountains, so they¡¯d bought a lot of seasonings beforehand in the town. The meal turned out to be quite satisfying.


    Ling Zhang took a couple of sips of the water he brought with him, heaved a sigh of contentment and looked at Yuwen Tong, eyes glinting. In the knowledge that he¡¯d enjoyed the food very much, Yuwen Tong reached out a hand to stroke Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks and then used his thumb to wipe away the water at the corners of his mouth.


    Ji Yin sneaked a glance at them and inwardly gave a snort. Seeing that this Yuwen boy dared take liberties with his grandson in his presence, he pointedly let out a soft cough, interrupting the affectionate eye contact of the two youngsters opposite him.


    Embarrassed, Ling Zhang tore his eyes away from Yuwen Tong. Yuwen Tong, however, appeared pretty composed.


    Ji Yin, who had a below-average appetite, hadn¡¯t eaten much roast meat. He added some firewood into the campfire and said, ¡°We put up here tonight. By the end of tomorrow we should get to our destination.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet, cleared a space beside the fire, carried over a pile of broad withered leaves that he¡¯d collected a while ago, spread them over the ground, took off his overgarment and lay it on top of the leaves. ¡°Grandfather, you may sleep here.¡±


    The corners of Ji Yin¡¯s mouth unnoticeably curled in a faint smile at the sight of the primitive ¡°bed¡±, but the words came out of his mouth were, ¡°You sleep there. My skin is quite thick. There¡¯s no need for you to go to such trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang had specially prepared it for Ji Yin, so of course he wouldn¡¯t sleep on it himself. After coaxing Ji Yin for a few moments, he managed to convince him to accept the offer.


    Yuwen Tong had also made a simple ¡°bed¡±, but due to the presence of his grandfather, Ling Zhang was ashamed to share it with Yuwen Tong. That ¡°bed¡± was not very broad, and if the two of them were to sleep on it together, they¡¯d have to cuddle up against each other, which Ling Zhang felt would be quite embarrassing.


    Ling Zhang simply squatted on his hams to perform Qi circulation. Having traveled in such dangerous terrain at Ji Yin¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s usual speed for a full day, he felt rather tired. Performing Qi circulation would be helpful in restoring his strength and easing the soreness in his legs.


    Yuwen Tong drew him over to sit down on the spot he¡¯d cushioned with leaves. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company.¡±


    Thus, that night, Ji Yin was sleeping on the side. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, in a cross-legged sitting position and a state of self-oblivion, kept circulating their internal energy throughout their meridian networks.


    With Ji Yin and Yuwen Tong beside him, Ling Zhang was fully relaxed and didn¡¯t have to worry about potential disturbance by wild beasts at all, spending the whole night in self-oblivion.


    At daybreak the next morning, as the gray light of dawn went through his eyelids, he woke up from his Qi circulation and saw that the campfire they¡¯d made last night had burnt out some time ago. Ji Yin and Yuwen Tong had awoken before him and were eating pancakes with water.


    ¡°You woke up. Have some food. We¡¯ll set off in a while.¡± Yuwen Tong walked over, pulled him to his feet and handed him water and pancakes.


    Ling Zhang took them, finished a big pancake with water, put on his overgarment, took Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and followed Ji Yin into the thick woods pervaded by poisonous fog and miasma.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare let down his guard for a single moment, holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand tightly all the time for fear of getting separated from him, because the fog was thickening as they progressed deeper, and he could barely make out his own hands. Fortunately, Ji Yin was ahead of them all along and they stayed on his heels.


    In this foggy area, apart from toxic fog and miasma, there were also dangerously abrupt mountain roads and clusters of thorns.


    Just like Ji Yin had told them, it indeed took them nearly a full day to get through the foggy area. When they rid themselves of the fog, it was almost dusk. Then Ji Yin led them onto a circuitous path. Ling Zhang vaguely felt that this was a huge formation. On the surface they were taking one turn after another at random in Ji Yin¡¯s wake, but actually their every step was following a certain pattern.


    When Ji Yin told them to stop again, stars could be seen twinkling in the sky.


    ¡°Ahead of us is the last hurdle, and the Millennium Pavilion is right behind it. We sleep in the open here tonight. Tomorrow morning, you two are to stay here waiting, and I¡¯ll go inside to report to the clan leader first and then return to take you in. This is my token. If anybody comes here while you¡¯re waiting, show this to them.¡±


    Ji Yin handed his token to Ling Zhang, who solemnly took it. The next day, he would meet the leader of the Millennium Pavilion and¡­ his father. If truth be told, he was somewhat nervous.


    The next morning, Ji Yin left. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stayed where they were, waiting for Ji Yin to return. When it was almost noon and Ji Yin was still not back, Ling Zhang became rather worried. Yuwen Tong, who was much more composed than him, consoled him, ¡°Take it easy. I¡¯m sure Mr. Ji will come back to take us inside. Let¡¯s have a bite of lunch. I saw a brook there. How about I go get another couple of pheasants and roast them?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Sounds good.¡±

 Chapter 277 - These Roast Pheasants Smell So Good!

    Yuwen Tong was very quick and soon caught two pheasants. When he took them back after prepping them in a brook, Ling Zhang had made a fire beneath a simple grill. Yuwen Tong impaled the pheasants on a pointy branch and started roasting them above the fire.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s attention was drawn to the roast pheasants on the grill, his worry ebbing away. Smelling the tantalizing aroma and watching the dripping fat, he found himself stroking his belly.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and was just about to speak when he suddenly paused, twisting his head aside to look at a clump of bushes to their right.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes also flashed in that direction.


    A faint rustle was heard. At first Ling Zhang thought that it was some kind of wild beast approaching, and then he felt it sounded more like a human than an animal, but its breathing was a little weak, and there was also the sound of footsteps on crisp leaves. It sounded like¡­ a child?


    After a while, the bushes shook and with that a little boy¡¯s head with two buns on top poked up through the foliage, his fair-skinned, chubby, little cheeks as delicate and adorable as those of the boy beside the lotus seat of the Bodhisattva in a New Year painting, his big, round, liquid eyes as bright and sparkling as obsidian in spring water. The moment his little head popped out, he started looking around and soon caught sight of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong as well as their¡­ roast pheasants.


    His limpid eyes immediately lighting up, he crawled his way out of the bushes. His plump little hands were also fair-skinned and appeared very pleasant to the touch, fallen leaves sticking to his hair and robes which were simple-styled but made of soft, sumptuous material. After getting out of the bushes, he pulled himself up, casually dusted off his hands and then trotted towards Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, but he didn¡¯t get too close, stopping a few paces away, flicked a surprised glance at them and then looked at the roast pheasants and asked in a babyish voice, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing?¡±


    Ling Zhang had been astonished when he¡¯d seen that it was really a kid, and been gazing at the little boy all along. Noticing that the style of the boy¡¯s robes was rather different from that of the robes worn by common children in the outside world, he got a shrewd idea of where he might be from. After hearing the boy¡¯s questions, he answered, ¡°We were invited to pay a visit to this place.¡±


    ¡°To pay a visit?¡± The little boy tilted his head slightly to one side, his big eyes full of puzzlement. ¡°My uncle said no outsiders could get in. Where are you from?¡±


    Uncle? Ling Zhang guessed that this boy lived in the Millennium Pavilion and his uncle was probably a member of the organization.


    And surprised as this little boy¡¯s eyes were, there was not much wariness in them. He seemed very naive and unsophisticated.


    ¡°We came here with an elder named Ji Yin,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    At the sound of Ji Yin¡¯s name, the little boy seemed to suddenly understand, an expression of dawning comprehension on his face. ¡°Oooh, it turns out you came here with the Prime Elder.¡±


    Having realized this, the little boy was much less afraid of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, stepped closer and crouched down beside the fire, sniffing the tempting smell of the roast pheasants, staring at the them with gleaming eyes. He swallowed hard and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Roasting pheasants. They¡¯re very delicious. You want to give it a shot?¡± said Ling Zhang in a low voice, involuntarily sounding a trifle amused, for the sight of the little boy gazing at the roast pheasants with longing glinting eyes was so amusing. He could bet it was by the aroma of the roast pheasants that this little boy had been lured here.


    Eyes glinting even more expectantly, the little boy bobbed his head repeatedly. He was just about to answer when a voice came from the clump of bushes behind him. ¡°Cong.¡±


    On hearing this voice, before the little boy reacted, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were taken aback. The speaker was right behind the bushes, but neither of them had sensed their presence!


    How was this possible? Even when Ji Yin got close to him, Yuwen Tong could faintly detect his Qi, but this person¡­


    ¡°Uncle!¡± called the little boy, twisting his head around. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there. I¡¯ve already seen you. You¡¯ve been misbehaving yourself and running around.¡± The speaker walked out from behind the bushes. He was young, slim-figured, clothed in very plain, light gray robes, one of the lower hems of which was stuffed into his belt, looking casual and simple. His long, black hair was simply tied behind his head, flying in the wind. He slowly walked over, and only at this moment did his footsteps become audible.


    Aside from these, there were two things about him that were the most conspicuous. The first one was a multicoloured bird standing on his shoulder, which gave a squeak and haughtily raised its head, scorning to look at Ling Zhang or Yuwen Tong; the second one was a round, scarlet little mole in the middle of his fair-skinned brow, which rendered Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong unable to take their eyes off it, as though it possessed some kind of power that could bind people¡¯s soul. His features were beautiful and exquisite, more charming than those of a statue carved out of jade by a consummate sculptor.


    This man¡­ was so good-looking. His charm was indescribable. Ling Zhang had only one thought in his mind ¨C he was as handsome as a celestial being.


    There was no doubt that this man was a member of the Millennium Pavilion, and his kung fu was superb, for even Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t sense his Qi at a close distance.


    Ling Zhang knew he should be alert, but for some unknown reason, the sight of this man made him unable to become vigilant. There was an air of something amazing about this person in front of him. He didn¡¯t know how to describe it, but if he had to put it in some way, he would say that this man unmistakably struck him as totally harmless.


    Neither Yuwen Tong nor Ling Zhang moved, the latter sitting where he¡¯d always been, the former still turning the branch in his hand, but both of them were watching the young man walking over, their backs slightly tense.


    Ling Zhang was pondering what his preamble should be. Should he just show this man the token left by Ji Yin? But the man had already shown a sign of what was on his mind. He casually cast a look at the roast pheasants, and then slowly glanced at them once again.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle, this smells so good!¡± The little boy, crouched before the grill, gave the young man a wave. His hands were white and chubby, making his wave seem soft.


    Almost subconsciously, Ling Zhang blurted before he could make a decision, ¡°We¡¯re roasting pheasants. You want to have a try?¡±


    The young man briefly paused and then walked up to the little boy in a very natural manner to sit onto the ground beside him, his long, jet-black hair flying at the back so lightly it was reminiscent of willow twigs, which made the mood quite relaxed. The colorful bird on his shoulder gave another squeak and finally moved its eyes onto Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the young man, gazing at the roast pheasants. ¡°What spices did you use? The smell is so pleasant.¡±


    ¡°Common ones.¡± Yuwen Tong gave the names of a couple of spices and then added, ¡°When it comes to roasting pheasants, timing is everything. You¡¯ve got to make sure it¡¯s done to a turn.¡±


    The young man seemed to find this reply quite enlightening. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. My family chef never made any roast pheasants smelling so good.¡±


    Ling Zhang was still wondering whether or not he should show him the token, but seeing that the young man¡¯s eyes had been fixed on the pheasants all along, he came to realize that showing him the token wouldn¡¯t be necessary. This man definitely didn¡¯t care, for all he care about was the roast pheasants.


    Ling Zhang, without any more talking, helped Yuwen Tong roast the pheasants, which had almost been done before the appearance of the young man and were now ready to eat.


    Their original plan had been that they each had one pheasant and ate them by using branches to impale the meat, but now¡­


    Yuwen Tong directly handed the branch to the young man. ¡°Give it a shot.¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes brightened slightly. He took it, thanked Yuwen Tong, briefly sniffed at it and then took a bite of it. The expression on his face was so content and happy as though this was the most delicious food in the world. The sight of this made Ling Zhang feel even hungrier.


    ¡°Uncle! Uncle! I want a bite as well!¡± The little boy, mouth watering, grabbed the young man¡¯s wrist with his chubby hand, staring at the roast pheasants.


    The young man tore off a chunk of meat reluctantly, handed it to the boy and reminded him, ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s hot.¡±


    Since the meat was fairly scalding, the boy turned it over and over in his palms, getting his hands oily, gasping loudly. After a few moments, he quickly stuffed it into his mouth.


    Ling Zhang was worried about him. ¡°Slow down. It¡¯s very hot.¡±


    The boy chewed through the meat in his mouth, exhaled and then said happily with a frown, ¡°It¡¯s so yummy.¡±


    Ling Zhang secretly swallowed hard and with that a big drumstick was held to his lips. He turned aside and saw Yuwen Tong looking at him. Somewhat embarrassed, he took the drumstick and bit off a chunk of meat.


    At this moment, nothing could stop them from enjoying the roast pheasants.


    As a result, none of them was talking. The boy uttered ¡°Yummy¡± thickly from time to time, but other than that, there was no other words. Three adults and one child were all indulging in eating, too busy to talk.


    While eating, Ling Zhang was speculating about this young man¡¯s identity. After an appraising look at the scarlet mole in the middle of his brow, he shifted his gaze to the multicoloured bird on his shoulder which, as though capable of understanding human¡¯s actions, looked back at Ling Zhang, tilting its head to one side. After a few moments, seeming a little confused, it fidgeted on the young man¡¯s shoulder and suddenly flew over and perched onto Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder instead, crouched.


    Ling Zhang was astonished, hurriedly looking at the young man, not daring move.


    The young man, gnawing away at his roast pheasant with little consideration of grace, threw a glance at the bird with an indifferent look on his face, but it was not long before he shifted his gaze back to the roast pheasant against, utterly unconcerned about the bird¡¯s throwing itself at another person.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who observed, ¡°This bird is quite special. I¡¯ve never seen its likes before.¡±


    The boy raised his head from the pheasant which he¡¯d been enjoying very much and said in a babyish voice, ¡°Her name¡¯s Color. She¡¯s pretty badass.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°Color? That¡¯s quite an interesting name.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s a good name?¡± The boy looked at him in surprise. ¡°My mom said that my uncle named it too carelessly. She thinks this name sucks.¡±


    The young man, though fully occupied with eating, managed to spare a hand to give the boy a playful knock on the head with his knuckle. ¡°I¡¯m your uncle. You¡¯re not allowed to say anything mean about me.¡±


    After being hit on the head, the boy uttered ¡°O¡± and then obediently shut up and resumed eating the drumstick.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong exchanged glances. So far, apart from the knowledge that this bird¡¯s name was Color which had been given to it by this young man and was disliked by his elder sister, they hadn¡¯t got any useful information. Eventually, the two of them also went back to eating.


    After quite a while, all three adults and a child finished eating. The boy stroked his belly. The young man looked at the bones of the roast pheasants, clearly hoping there were more.


    ¡°You must be Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, I suppose? The ones brought back by the Prime Elder,¡± said the young man in a casual tone.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Yeah. My grandfather went inside to meet the clan leader. He told us to stay here waiting for him to come back.¡±

 Chapter 278 - The Two Big Brothers Are Kissing

    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were not really surprised to hear the young man correctly say their names, for they actually had anticipated this some time ago.


    The young man nodded and rose to his feet. Though casual, his bearing was pleasant to the eye. Color the bird flew back to the young man¡¯s shoulder and gave a squeak.


    ¡°Cong, it¡¯s time to return.¡±


    On being called, the boy meekly stood up. ¡°Uncle, what about these two big brothers?¡±


    ¡°Come with us,¡± the young man said to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    Now that someone was offering to take them inside, of course they wouldn¡¯t stay here and keep waiting. Besides, although not having asked about the young man¡¯s identity, they believed that he definitely had a high status in the Millennium Pavilion, given his powerful internal energy.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong rose from the ground, put out the fire, quickly gathered up their stuff and then followed in the young man¡¯s wake. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Take it as a recompense for the roast pheasant.¡± The young man leisurely proceeded, holding the boy¡¯s hand.


    In front of them was a lofty hill, and it was at the foot of this hill that they¡¯d just stayed. Eyes on the towering hill, Ling Zhang was deeply puzzled. He wasn¡¯t seeing any inhabitable areas. Had people of the Millennium Pavilion hollowed a cavern out of the hill and been living in it, by any chance?


    But as they followed the young man forward, the scene ahead them seemed to be changing.


    They first entered a dense wood. All trees in it were fairly ancient and had very thick trunks, their criss-cross branches and luxuriant foliage overhanging the path, blocking most of the sunshine as well as people¡¯s view of the high hill. Ling Zhang guessed that they were probably going uphill, but after walking in circles at the young man¡¯s heels in the wood for some time, he began to feel that there was something out of the ordinary going on. On the surface, this young man was as though he was idly taking them for a stroll, but in fact there were regularities in the route he chose.


    Along a tortuous pathway, they made it out of the wood and the space ahead instantly became bright and open. It was not a cavern but a basin with high hills on three sides of it, in which carpets of green grass and giant trees could be seen everywhere. There were also paddies divided by a criss-cross of pathlets as well as a stream worming its way across the basin from the opposite end, providing profuse water resources. As where they were standing was not the commanding height, they couldn¡¯t get a panoramic view over the basin, but judging from the distance between the three hills on its sides, this basin was vast.


    Ling Zhang looked back and saw the dense wood they¡¯d just crossed that was dark and seemingly boundless, but the lofty hill he¡¯d caught sight of before entering the thick wood was nowhere to be seen.


    This was a formation which had given them an illusion. They¡¯d thought they saw a lofty hill ahead of them, but actually the hill was a lot further away. People who went into the wood would be lost in it if they couldn¡¯t figure out a way to crack the formation; those lucky ones might be able to get out of it by fluke, but they¡¯d never find the hill they saw.


    Of course, to find the entrance of the wood, people needed to get through the numerous natural barriers and formations first.


    This place was indeed very difficult to find.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. People here are very wary of outsiders. You need to stay close to me. If you wander off and get your asses kicked, don¡¯t say that I never warned you,¡± said the young man.


    After hearing the last remark of his, the two of them naturally followed close behind him.


    They went through the paddy fields and some country cottages which seemed to be a village, saw some members of the Millennium Pavilion who dressed like peasants, but whose clothes were of a very different style from that of attire worn by people in the outside world. There were also women, children and youngsters.


    Everybody¡¯s face took on an expression of surprise mixed with revere when they saw the young man. They slightly lowed their heads to pay their respects to him, but their attitudes were spontaneous and there was no distance in them. Children would run over and cluster around him, calling him ¡°Brother Yanlai.¡±


    As Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were clearly outsiders, everybody wore a confused and watchful look on their face when they clapped eyes on them, but seeing the young man leading the way for them, they did no more than size them up. Ling Zhang could sense that all people here, except for children, more or less had some kung fu, and no matter whether they were powerful or not, they were not to be taken lightly.


    Ling Zhang kept in mind what the young man had just said, not daring to straggle behind.


    Yuwen Tong held his hand, signaling him to relax. Naturally, Yuwen Tong was a great comfort to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°They are all descendants of then supervisors or servants of the Deca-Millennium Pavilion. Hundreds of years has passed. Now they¡¯re all just common folks trying to get by,¡± said the young man.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. Just now those adults had all been very respectful to him, and children had called him ¡°Brother Yanlai¡±, and his internal energy was so powerful that his prowess as a kung fu practitioner seemed to be even greater than his grandfather¡¯s. Who was he exactly?


    ¡°This is a retreat away from the world,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°It¡¯s a retreat away from the world but also a prison. There are always some trying to get out,¡± said the young man.


    Ling Zhang felt it somewhat weird to hear these words coming out of the mouth of a young man. After all, this man seemed to be no older than him, and his words and deeds had so far been casual and unreserved. How come he suddenly started talking like an old man?


    ¡°All young people are like this. They want to seek their fortune in a broader world, especially when they believe they have something secure to rely on. This is not really disagreeable. After all, you need to go around to gain experience while you¡¯re young so that when you¡¯ve been around, you¡¯d be ready to take on greater responsibilities. Many saints of the olden days believe that he who excels reads as many as ten thousand books and travels as far as ten thousand miles, don¡¯t they? Even when a dynasty is dying, there are still enthusiastic youngsters trying to make a difference. Youth means vitality. No place would remain stagnant forever,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    It was a while before the young man walking in front replied, ¡°Even if the price is blood and death?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There are always bloodshed and deaths in this world, aren¡¯t there? Common people die each and every day for all kinds of personal grudges, and there wasn¡¯t a single dynasty the rise of which was not accompanied by the loss of countless innocent people¡¯s lives. Even in peaceful times, people bleed and die for a variety of reasons. This is what the world we¡¯re living in is like, and it always has been, but there are always a lot of people refusing to give up, both in ancient times and nowadays. They fight and struggle to shape the world in ways they deem right, pushing the wheel of history forward, leaving their respective trails in their wake. The Millennium Pavilion is an amazing place, suitable for nursing wounds, both physical ones and mental ones, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with young people who haven¡¯t seen the outside world longing to go out there to see what it¡¯s like. The reason why your ancestors came here to live in seclusion was because they were physically and mentally drained and needed a place where they could rest and build up strength, but now it¡¯s been centuries, and I think people here have had enough rest. In our way of numbering the years, sixty years makes a cycle, like a revolution of a wheel. The outside world has been through numerous ups and downs during nobody knows how many revolutions of the wheel of time, but here, time seems to have stopped passing, and there hasn¡¯t been a single revolution. What¡¯s the point of having a life like this?¡±


    Ling Zhang unnoticeably gave Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand a pull in order to remind him to take it easy and stop talking nonsense. What if the young man got angry and chucked them out?


    Yuwen Tong impassively patted the back of his hand, implying that there was nothing to worry about.


    Sure enough, the young man didn¡¯t get angry. He just kept silent for a while and then said, ¡°Alas, sometimes I really feel betwixt and between. You sound as though I was the meanest teacher in that place you call ¡®school¡¯, who imposes a lot of restrictions on everything, but what choice do I have? There are a lot of people here. And if I let any of them get out at the wrong time, they¡¯d definitely end up dead.¡±


    ¡°What about now? Do you think the time is ripe?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. Why was he asking questions as though he knew about the situation very well?


    Yuwen Tong smiled at this dirty look and stealthily pecked him on the ear to console him.


    As chance would have it, the little boy walking hand in hand with the young man twisted his head around just in time to see this. ¡°Oh,¡± he exclaimed, his mouth instantly falling wide open into the shape of an ¡°O¡±.


    Ling Zhang flushed scarlet, feeling terribly embarrassed at the sight of the greatly astonished little boy. He tried to free his hand from Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip, but Yuwen Tong refused to let him, grasping his hand tightly.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang had no choice but to smile at the boy in an attempt to gloss it over.


    But unexpectedly, the boy turned his head back and abruptly threw his arms around the young man¡¯s leg. The young man halted to look down at him. ¡°What are you doing? Keep walking.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, the two big brothers were kissing! Mom said that only a man and a woman who have feelings for each other can kiss. Can two men kiss as well?¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly widened his eyes. ¡®Oh, boy.¡¯


    After hearing this, the young man flicked Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong a glance which was dripping with reproach, as though criticizing them for setting a terrible example for his nephew with their improprieties.


    In his awkwardness, Ling Zhang was just about to explain when the young man said to the little boy, ¡°They¡¯re getting married, so of course they can kiss each other.¡±


    ¡°But I thought only a man and a woman could get married.¡±


    The young man lowered his head to look at him. ¡°Well, some people out there just love to try new things. You¡¯re not to follow their example.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The boy cast a backward glance at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, his eyes unmistakably suggesting that he was wondering what kind of new thing this was.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    The young man directly scooped up the boy. ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you grow up, and you¡¯ll grow faster if you¡¯re less picky about food and eat more vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Uncle,¡± the boy said to the young man in a drawling voice, ¡°You yourself hate vegetables.¡±


    The young man affected a scowl. ¡°I¡¯m an adult. You¡¯re not.¡±


    The boy, unconvinced but unaware of how to contradict this, put his chubby arms around the young man¡¯s neck, keeping silent, but he was still looking at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, his eyes glinting, clearly still quite interested in them.


    Ling Zhang was actually sweating with shame. After thinking for a while, he recalled that in the past, when Ling Maomao had been this boy¡¯s age, he was also very curious about a lot of things and was always asking searching questions. Those had really been trying times for him.


    Because of this interruption, the young man didn¡¯t give an answer to Yuwen Tong¡¯s previous question.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who winked at him, signaling him to be patient.


    After quite a while of walking, they crossed an orchard and were suddenly greeted by a sea of flowers of a myriad of colors growing on a slope. The majority of them were red. At the foot of the slope was a reed marsh¡­


    In front of them lay a vast lake in the middle of which was a large island which boasted palaces, temples, pavilions, terraces and towers with bronze bells hanging from cornices. The whole island looked like a splendid manor. It seemed to be even bigger than the residential compound of the Yuwen family, approximately covering as much area as the imperial palace of the Great Yue did. At the centermost area of it stood a luxuriant, towering phoenix tree.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Ling Zhang cocked an eye at the front and saw that his grandfather was walking onto the ferry crossing on the opposite side. Astonished at the sight of them, he took a flying leap and swooshed across the broad lake, merely tapping on the lake surface once with his toes, and soon landed before them. ¡°Clan Leader, Zhang¡¯er, how did you come to be here together?¡±

 Chapter 279 - The Leader of the Millennium Pavilion

    Translator: DragonRider


    Clan Leader? Ling Zhang was amazed. This young man was the leader of the Millennium Pavilion?


    This came as much less of a surprise to Yuwen Tong than it did to Ling Zhang, for the former had some time ago anticipated it.


    "I chanced upon them outside, so I took them in," said the young man¨Cno, the leader of the Millennium Pavilion¨Cin a natural tone of voice.


    Ling Zhang had always believed the leader of the Millennium Pavilion was a geriatric older than his grandfather. It''d never crossed his mind that the clan leader was actually a young man appearing to be about his age.


    "Grandfather, is this really... your leader?"


    Fully aware of why Ling Zhang was so surprised, Ji Yin replied, "The Clan Leader''s prowess as an internal energy cultivator is matchless, which is why he looks young. Actually he''s a few years older than him."


    Ji Yin was referring to Yuwen Tong, who was twenty-six or twenty-seven. Being a few years older than Yuwen Tong meant that the clan leader was about thirty, but he seemed to be twenty...


    The clan leader tossed a bland glance at Ji Yin. "What do you mean, I look young? I am young, okay? And by the way, you''ve already come back, why are you still wearing that old face of yours, Prime Elder?"


    Ji Yin ripped off his mask, revealing a young face. People who didn''t know him would believe him to be thirty or so. If it weren''t for the faint crow''s feet, he would''ve looked even younger. Ling Zhang, though having seen his grandfather''s true face once, was still shocked by this sight. Given that even his grandfather could slow aging to this extent, the youthfulness of the leader of the Millennium Pavilion was quite understandable.


    Ji Yin had come in to seek an audience with the clan leader, but unexpectedly, the clan leader had been absent all morning. What with his superb kung fu, nobody had known where he''d gone. Ji Yin, after waiting for a whole morning, had run out of patience and planned to directly bring his grandson and Yuwen Tong inside. He hadn''t expected that he''d run into them at this lake.


    "Clan Leader, I wonder if I could arrange for my grandson to meet his father first," said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang, who had got used to Ji Yin''s senile face on their way to this place, was rather unaccustomed to Ji Yin''s true, young face and kept feeling a little weird, but before long, Ji Yin''s words diverted his attention away and he looked at the clan leader.


    The main reason why he''d come here was to take his father back home. Of course, there was also another very important reason¨Cto petition the leader of the Millennium Pavilion to agree to use the rare crude drug to treat his father''s mental disorder.


    "Clan Leader, we came here to¨C"


    Maybe because the clan leader had been acting like an unbuttoned and uninhibited youngster instead of a commanding and dignified leader from the very beginning, and had never abused his consummate kung fu to impose his will on anybody, Ling Zhang''s tension had been alleviated considerably without him noticing, which was why he involuntarily started to make a request.


    But the clan leader raised his hand and interrupted Ling Zhang, "I know why you came here, and we''ll talk about that later. Right now I have to send Cong back home first. You may go with the Prime Elder to see your father first. And, my name is Ji Yanlai. You two are not members of the Millennium Pavilion, so there''s no need for you to address me as ''Clan Leader''."


    Ji Yanlai was looking at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong with a placid face, but Ling Zhang discerned that the calm expression in his eyes brooked no argument.


    "I see. We''ll be waiting for your message, Brother Ji," said Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yanlai briefly bobbed his head and then walked hand in hand with Cong onto the bridge leading to the island at the center of the lake. Color the bird, standing on his shoulder, raised its head and let out a long squeak and with that, twittering of all descriptions came in succession from the island and the surroundings of the lake which had originally been in a hush, birds of a variety of colors flying up. In just a few moments, the sky above the lake was swarming with all kinds of birds which were circling around, making a spectacular sight.


    His hand held by Ji Yanlai, Cong looked back at Ling Zhang and waved him goodbye with his other plump hand.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and lightly waved back.


    Ji Yin waited until Ji Yanlai and Cong reached the island to say, "Now that the Clan Leader said he''d talk with you later, it means he''s willing to hear you out. Don''t worry. There is a chance."


    Ling Zhang collected his thoughts and nodded. "Thank you, Grandfather."


    "You don''t ever have to say thank you to your grandfather, silly boy. Your father lives in a separate house on this side. There are a physician and a servant tending him. Come with me."


    Ji Yin took them back to that orchard, crossed it to the other side and arrived at the gateway of a quiet courtyard house, which seemed more or less like a country cottage. People could easily tell that a lot of efforts had been put into the layout of it. The fence around the front yard was entwined with morning glory which were in blossom. A scholar-like, middle-aged man with a mustache, clothed in light blue robes, was laying medicinal herbs on the ground in the yard to dry them in the sun. He scrutinized and sniffed at every one of the herbs with a conscientious bearing, the bitter smell of the herbs wafting over the fence.


    As the three of them arrived, the middle-aged scholar-like man heard the movement and looked in their direction. His eyes first fell on Ji Yin, then moved to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong and eventually lingered on Ling Zhang for a brief moment before he made a slight bow to Ji Yin and said, "Prime Elder."


    Ji Yin led Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong into the front yard and introduced them to each other. "This is Mr. Mu, a famous physician in our clan. He''s the one who''s been treating your father all along. It''s because of his efforts that your father''s condition has been kept under control for all these years. Xiao Mu, this is my grandson. His name''s Ling Zhang. He''s just reached adulthood and managed to get to the second layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy after cultivating it for less than half a year. A quite talented boy, right?"


    There was ill-concealed pride in Ji Yin''s tone when he introduced Ling Zhang.


    A hint of amazement appeared on Mr. Mu''s serious face. He carefully sized up Ling Zhang once again. "Seriously? Less than half a year?"


    "Absolutely. It was after I found him that I had him start cultivating," replied Ji Yin.


    Mr. Mu inclined his head. "Then he''s indeed uncommonly gifted. It''s been a long time since the last time we had a clan member endowed with the Blood of the Phoenix Clan as strong as the Clan Leader''s. Pity he didn''t start cultivating earlier, otherwise he would probably have made some great achievement by now."


    "With my help, his starting cultivation at a later age wouldn''t be too big a problem. I''m sure some day his internal energy will achieve perfection," said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang had humbly made a bow with hands folded in front to Mr. Mu when the latter''s eyes had been appraising him, and his gaze had been unnoticeably roaming over Mr. Mu as well. His surname was Mu, not Ji, which meant that not everybody in this place bore the surname Ji, or in other words, not everybody was a descendant of a foreseer possessing the Blood of the Phoenix Clan.


    "With Prime Elder guiding him, he naturally has nothing to worry about. I could tell that Childe Ling''s meridians are thick and robust, and all his acupoints are unobstructed. His constitutional foundation is very good, too," observed Mr. Mu.


    A memory stirred in Ling Zhang. He owed all this to Yuwen Tong.


    "This is..." Mr. Mu looked at Yuwen Tong.


    "This is Yuwen Tong, my grandson''s betrothed," responded Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang gave an unnoticeable blink. This way of introduction was... quite new. This was the first time that he''d hear anybody introduce Yuwen Tong by saying who he was to Ling Zhang.


    Composed and unhurried, Yuwen Tong made a bow with hands folded in front to Mr. Mu. Of course he''d grasped the undertone in Ji Yin''s words, but he was not the kind of person who''d be bothered by a trifle of this sort. In fact, being introduced this way struck him as pretty pleasant.


    Eyes gleaming briefly, Mr. Mu tossed Yuwen Tong another glance. "It turns out you''re the renowned Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of the Great Yue."


    "That''s just a fancy title. It''s nothing worth mentioning," said Yuwen Tong.


    While they were talking, Ling Zhang was secretly looking into the house out of the corner of his eye. They''d been talking outside for a few moments now, but there hadn''t been any movement inside the house. The sound of fairly even breathing was all he could hear from there, as though someone was asleep.


    Uncontrollably, Ling Zhang''s heart began fluttering. He was having mixed feelings, but it was undeniable that he was mostly nervous. It''d been many years since he''d last clapped eyes on that man. His memories of his father''s voice and looks had blurred a long time ago. The only thing he remembered vividly about that man was the frightening madness on his face when he''d set the books in the study on fire. Over the past so many years, he had more than once pictured what it''d be like when he was reunited with this man, but none of his previous imaginations about it had been as real as the one he had at this moment.


    Hands balling into fists in spite of himself, Ling Zhang''s eyes flashed squarely at the house, as though boring into the walls to see something clearly.


    Yuwen Tong took his clenched fist into his palm and, patting it consolingly, said to Mr. Mu, "Mr. Mu, may I ask if Uncle Ling is in this house?"


    Mr. Mu, having noticed the look on Ling Zhang''s face some time ago, gave a nod. "He drank some decoction an hour ago and is now sleeping. Ya went outside to do the laundry. He''s the only one in the room."


    "Who''s Ya?"


    "The servant responsible for tending him. Come. I''ll take you inside to see him."


    Mr. Mu turned around and made towards the doors.


    Ling Zhang tentatively raised his foot only to find that it felt a lot heavier than usual. Only at this moment did he come to realize he was so tense that his movement of his foot was rather stiff.


    Yuwen Tong, holding Ling Zhang''s hand in a tender but firm way, accompanied him towards the house.


    Ling Zhang proceeded step by step, his eyes appraising every detail of this house. His gaze seemed to have taken in everything but he also felt as though nothing had been written into his memory. Hearing the sound of that breathing, he slightly gritted his teeth. There seemed to be a lump in his throat which felt sore and miserable. A flood of miscellaneous thoughts came rushing into his mind, throwing it into such a whirl that he was unable to figure out what he should do.


    Mr. Mu led them through the doors, across the living room, and into a broad bedroom in the rear. The furnishings and decorations of the bedroom were not complex. They were fairly simple, actually. Apart from daily necessities, there was nothing else. Edges of everything in this room had been filed away. They''d all been rendered smooth, as though to prevent someone from getting hurt when they bumped against something.


    Both the table and the chairs were made of very sturdy wood and Ling Zhang could tell at a glance that they were very heavy. The tea set on the table was quite plain. Against the wall stood a wooden cupboard which was solid and difficult to move. And then there was the bed.


    There were no hangings. Made of the same wood as that of the cupboard, the broad bed was also difficult to move. Attached to one of the bedposts was a thread on which there was a knot. Ling Zhang looked along the thread and found that it stretched to the living room. There was a bell tied to it, which clearly was used to attract the servant''s attention.


    Quietly lying in the bed was a man. He was not very strong¨Cfairly thin, actually. His arms were naked, rather pasty and unhealthy. There was a little bell tied to his foot with a length of red string as well, so that whenever he moved, the bell would jingle telling people where its bearer was.

 Chapter 280 - A Father-Son Reunion

    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang had thought he''d forgotten this man''s face, that he might not be able to recognize him even if he was standing right in front of him, but the fact was that the moment he clapped eyes on him, he came to know this person was his father, the swirling mist in his mind quickly dissipating, revealing those memories which were so real.


    People here had been taking good care of him. His face was very clean, without the stubble of untrimmed beard or tousled hair that Ling Zhang had expected to see. Instead, his hair had been neatly tied up. However, his cheeks were very thin, so thin that they were sunken. His complexion was sickly and pallid, and he smelled of medicine, as though he''d been taking drugs instead of having meals for a long time.


    Yuwen Tong consolingly tightened his grip on Ling Zhang''s hand and then gently released it and told Ling Zhang to go to the bedside to see his father.


    Ling Zhang stood straight beside the head of the bed, gazing at the man lying in it, lips pressed tightly together, eyes prickling with tears uncontrollably. He recalled his childhood, how broken-hearted he''d been and how hard he''d wailed after this man left home; he also recalled that in his last incarnation, after the Ling family were exterminated, this man had still never shown up, and that Ji Yin had told him this man had almost died of grievous injuries, been comatose for many years and only suddenly come to half a year ago but become a retard owing to mental disorder.


    It was quite a while before Ling Zhang sat down, eyes still on this man who should''ve given him piggybacks and taken him to stroll along the streets when he''d been a little boy. After a long time, the sorrow inside him gradually ebbed away. He realized that he''d grown up after all, and no longer had those intense expectations buried under bitter complaints or needed his father to put him on his shoulders in the streets. Soon he''d get married and have a family of his own, and might adopt a boy and piggyback him in the streets to have fun if that was what life held in store for him.


    Yes, he''d grown up and was no longer a child. He had to stop being childish and start being a poised adult.


    "Father."


    Ling Zhang swallowed hard to fight back the sadness, complexity, grudge, anticipation and joy, calming himself down.


    "He''s drunk some decoction. It''ll be another hour before he¨C"


    Mr. Mu wanted to tell Ling Zhang that Ling Zhaowu wouldn''t wake up until an hour later, but before he could finish his sentence, the man in bed suddenly moved slightly. His hands which had been lying quietly on his chest twitched and then his fingers bent briefly, as though he was about to awake.


    Astonished, Mr. Mu looked at Ling Zhaowu with a quizzical expression on his face.


    This detail escaped Ling Zhang''s notice. Fixing Ling Zhaowu''s face with an intent stare, he called again, "Father."


    This time, his voice was much more collected and louder than that of the last call.


    He contemplated Ling Zhaowu expectantly, hoping to see him wake up. He''d heard Mr. Mu say that it''d be an hour before Ling Zhaowu awoke, but he''d still involuntarily called him again.


    Right at this moment, Ling Zhaowu who had been lying with his eyes closed all along had a twitch in his eyelids, as though he was trying hard to lift them.


    Ling Zhang found himself holding his breath, staring unblinkingly at the pair of eyes.


    All the others also looked at Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowu''s eyelids twitched once again and then, slowly, he opened his eyes.


    Stupefied, Ling Zhang looked at his open eyes, which were very clear but also seemed to be quite bemused. He first glanced at the ceiling, then turned to look at Ling Zhang, his eyes dilating slightly as they met Ling Zhang''s. Almost believing that Ling Zhaowu recognized him, Ling Zhang subconsciously tensed his back.


    But Ling Zhaowu merely eyed him for a while and then asked, "Wh¨CWho are you?"


    Ling Zhang''s tense back muscles instantly relaxed at this question, his eyes still on Ling Zhaowu with a mixed expression in them. "I''m Ling Zhang."


    But Ling Zhaowu didn''t seem to have understood him and asked "Who are you?" again, sitting up from his bed, which was a rather hard job due to a lack of strength in his arms.


    Yuwen Tong stepped up and carefully supported him into a sitting position. "Uncle Ling."


    "Wh¨CWho are you?" Ling Zhaowu shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong, his eyes much warier than they''d been when on Ling Zhang and a trifle frightened, too. Somewhat afraid of physical contact with Yuwen Tong, he flinched.


    On noticing this, Yuwen Tong withdrew his hands, backed away several paces to avoid putting Ling Zhaowu under pressure and replied, "My family name is Yuwen. I''m the grandson of Yuwen Qian whom your father rescued in that year. There''s a marriage contract between our families, and I''m the one betrothed to Ling Zhang. My given name is Tong."


    Frowning, Ling Zhaowu still couldn''t understand. His eyes strayed off Yuwen Tong, searching for a familiar face in spite of himself, and brightened abruptly as they fell on Mr. Mu. Almost immediately, he sprang out of bed and called in excitement, "Mr. Mu!"


    He hid himself behind Mr. Mu. An adult as he was, he clung to Mr. Mu like a child, but after hiding himself, he still couldn''t help looking at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was dumbfounded by this scene. His father...


    Mr. Mu comfortingly patted Ling Zhaowu''s shoulder. "Don''t be afraid. He''s your son. He came here to see you."


    "My son?" Bewildered, Ling Zhaowu merely stared at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, being watched by his eyes, almost came to believe that this person in front of him was actually not an adult but a kid.


    At this moment, Mr. Mu said with a sigh, "He''d been lying for too many years, and it took a very long time for him to regain enough mobility to walk unaided. This is the first time that I''ve seen him move so nimbly. Currently, his intelligence level is approximately the same as that of a three or four-year-old child, but he scares more easily than a kid. I find this very strange¨Chis condition seems to have been caused by some kind of highly traumatic experience, as though something hurt him really bad, but the Clan Leader once looked into his background and discovered that he''d been totally sane and never been subjected to any traumatic events before being attacked. Theoretically, he has some kung fu skills, and although he was injured during an assault, his intelligence shouldn''t have been reduced to that of a child. My guess is that he just lay for too long."


    But in fact, this explanation had always struck Mr. Mu as a little far-fetched.


    "The Clan Leader is a shrewder judge of character than any of us. Since he said that your father sustained severe mental trauma, I think he was probably right about it. It''s just that none of us has any clue that might lead us to the source of his condition," Ji Yin also said.


    "Severe mental trauma?" Ling Zhang was confused. After thinking for a few moments, he said, "Is it possible that this has something to do with my mother''s death?"


    Mr. Mu replied, "That''s definitely part of the reason. Back then when he just came around, he kept talking deliriously. Sometimes he murmured your mother''s name and talked about resurrecting her; sometimes he called your name and said that he failed you, your grandfather and your uncle. He called all your family''s names and kept apologizing. At that time he had a fever and uttered a lot of delirium. After his fever went down, he didn''t remember saying any of those words. Those were really trying times for me."


    Ji Yin had told Ling Zhang about this before, but his account hadn''t been as detailed as this one. On hearing the part about his father saying he failed them, Ling Zhang, inevitably, felt another twinge of sorrow. At the sight of Ling Zhaowu who was hiding behind Mr. Mu and secretly appraising him all along, the look in Ling Zhang''s eyes became very mixed.


    Of all these people in the room, Ling Zhang was the only one that Ling Zhaowu was staring at, and there was no fear in his eyes, just uncertainty and curiosity. This made all the others felt that blood is thicker than water, that the two of them were father and son after all, and there seemed to be some kind of unique connection between them.


    "It surprises me that he still remembered all of my family," said Ling Zhang, a myriad of thoughts whirling around in his mind.


    He even couldn''t help but recall that in his last incarnation, when his grandfather had left this place to look for him, the Ling family definitely have already been wiped out, and he wondered whether or not this man had recovered from his mental condition and felt any regret. His lips clamped tightly together at these thoughts, and he was unable to speak, what with his fear that he might let his emotions show if he said anything.


    Mr. Mu sighed, "Prime Elder knows about this better than any of us. I mean, after all, Prime Elder was the first to notice him wake up."


    Ji Yin also let out a sigh. "Yes. I remember it very clearly. First he gave a vague account of what happened to your mother¨Cthat''s how your mother''s death came to my knowledge¨Cand then he kept calling your name, as though some painful memories were troubling him. He repeatedly uttered your name, murmuring ''I''m sorry''. After a long time, he began to call people''s names¨Ca lot of them, probably everybody of the Ling family, I think."


    "Tell me about it." Mr. Mu flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu who was hiding behind him. "He mentioned ''Father'', ''Younger Brother'', ''Nephew'' etc. Is there a certain Butler Li in your family? Anyway, he called a whole bunch of names which didn''t seem to belong to your family members."


    Ling Zhang said in a hoarse voice, "Butler Li is the butler of my family. The others were probably servants'' names."


    Mr. Mu nodded. "That figures."


    At this time, Yuwen Tong suddenly inquired, "He mentioned his nephew?"


    Mr. Mu answered unhesitatingly, "Yeah. He did. Is there a problem?"


    Yuwen Tong, with a somewhat peculiar look on his face, looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang didn''t catch on immediately to what Yuwen Tong meant. He was still staring fixedly at Ling Zhaowu, trying to find something in his childish bearing. If possible, he hoped Ling Zhaowu didn''t really have a mental disability, for there were a lot of questions he wanted to ask Ling Zhaowu.


    On observing Yuwen Tong specially look at him, he looked back in confusion, but slowly, something seemed to dawn on him, his eyes gradually widening, gazing squarely at Ling Zhaowu, as though he''d came to realize some kind of amazing fact.


    "What''s wrong?" Mr. Mu was thrown into perplexity. Even Ji Yin couldn''t understand what this was about.


    Ling Zhang made no reply. Such was his shock that he was unable to give them an explanation.


    His nephew? Ling Maomao was only seven years old, and Ling Zhaowu had left home many years ago, long before Ling Maomao''s birth! How had he come to know that Ling Zhaowen had a son?

 Chapter 281 - Confusion

    Translator: DragonRider


    That couldn''t be true. Ling Zhaowen hadn''t even got married yet when Ling Zhaowu left home!


    According to Ji Yin and the others'' accounts of the events, when Ling Zhaowu had been brought to the Millennium Pavilion, Ling Maomao hadn''t been born yet, and Ling Zhaowu had still been unconscious on the day of Ling Maomao''s birth. How was it possible that he''d known he had a nephew at that time?


    Shocked beyond words, Ling Zhang fastened his gaze on Ling Zhaowu, his eyes seeming to bore into him.


    This was impossible. There''d got to be some kind of mistake. How had he come to know he had a nephew when he didn''t even know his brother had got a son?!


    Ji Yin and Mr. Mu, seeing the incredulity on Ling Zhang''s face, naturally realized that there must be something going on. Ji Yin looked at Yuwen Tong. "What seems to be the matter?"


    "Second Uncle Ling had only one son. His name is Maomao, and he''s only seven years old," answered Yuwen Tong.


    Seven years old...


    Ji Yin and Mr. Mu instantly came to understand what that meant, both astonished.


    "Had there been any lucid moments during the years when Uncle Ling was in a coma?" asked Yuwen Tong.


    Mr. Mu shook his head. "No. I come here on a daily basis to give him his medicine and unblock his meridians to prevent him from dying of bodily atrophy and organic deterioration. Had there been any lucid moments, I would''ve remembered."


    Ji Yin also said, "Even if he came to when Mr. Mu was absent, it''s utterly impossible for him to, within one day, leave here, get through all those defensive formations and the natural barriers in the Sanguan Mountains, go to Tanyang and then return."


    Since that was impossible, this whole thing seemed even more weird. How come Ling Zhaowen who had been comatose for many years come to know about the existence of his nephew?


    "Surely he wasn''t informed of it by someone capable of foreseeing the future?" said Mr. Mu jokingly.


    Ji Yin was the first to deny this possibility. "That''s not possible."


    Ling Zhang knew what Ji Yin meant. Ji Yin had once told him that in order to develop the power of precognition, one needed to have very strong Blood of the Phoenix Clan and cultivate the mental cultivation method of internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion to perfection, but currently, even the clan leader had barely reached the eleventh layer...


    "Prime Elder, do you think it''s possible that an elder of our clan who''s been in seclusion has reached the highest level of the cultivation method?" Mr. Mu looked at Ji Yin with surprise.


    The corners of Ji Yin''s mouth twitched. "I would''ve known long ago had there been another person who managed to do that apart from the one assisting the founder of the Xia."


    Was there no way to find out the truth?


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhaowu, inwardly making all kinds of speculations over how Ling Zhaowu had come to know about Ling Zhaowen''s having a son, but just like Ji Yin had said, it was absolutely impossible that Ling Zhaowu had made it out of the Millennium Pavilion unaided, let alone a round trip within a single day. The only plausible explanation was that someone had told him, but none of them knew who this person was.


    Ling Zhaowu was still hiding behind Mr. Mu. He was very afraid of Yuwen Tong. Of all the people present, Mr. Mu and Ji Yin were familiar to him, while Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were both strangers to him, but he was showing curiosity about and a hint of affinity for Ling Zhang, which none of the others could find a better explanation for than the father-son bonding between the two of them.


    Ling Zhaowu gazed at Ling Zhaowu''s emaciated figure and wan face, his clear eyes widened in an almost poignant way. Ling Zhaowu was a full-grown man, but he actually believed that he could stay out of others'' sight by hiding behind Mr. Mu.


    "Father."


    Ling Zhang hesitantly stepped closer to him, reaching out his hand.


    Seeing Ling Zhaowu like this, even if he still had grudges against him, he wouldn''t be able to bring himself to show any sign of them on his face.


    Ling Zhaowu didn''t draw back. He just fixed his eyes on Ling Zhang. "Who are you?"


    This was the third time that he''d asked this question.


    "I''m Ling Zhang, your son."


    "My son?" Ling Zhaowu appeared bewildered. Given his current intelligence level, he shouldn''t be able to understand what this meant. However, he furrowed his brows, as though trying to figure something out, but the next moment, he suddenly lowered his head, clapping a hand over his forehead with a pained countenance, his frown deepening. After a while, an anguished cry escaped his mouth.


    Having never expected to see this kind of reaction, Ling Zhang was briefly stupefied, then hastened to support Ling Zhaowu and subconsciously yelled, "Father!"


    "Hold him down," shouted Mr. Mu, a grave expression on his face.


    Together, the couple of them restrained Ling Zhaowu. Mr. Mu quickly inserted some needles into Ling Zhaowu''s skin at certain points, and soon Ling Zhaowu calmed down, sitting on the bed, gazing vacantly.


    "At the beginning, we tentatively tried giving him some guidance in an effort to help him regain his memories, but every time we did that, his response was quite intense. On one occasion, he nearly suffered a breakdown. After that, we no longer dare risk having him think back to his past. It never crossed my mind that the mere mention of the word ''son'' would trigger off such a reaction," said Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu whose eyes were glazed. Though having countless questions he needed to find answers to, he didn''t dare do anything rash.


    After a while, a thickset man entered, who went quite watchful at the sight of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong in the room and only calmed down after hearing Mr. Mu''s and Ji Yin''s explanation.


    "He is Ya, the one who''s been tending your father all along in recent years," explained Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and expressed his gratitude to Ya. "Thank you."


    Ya, who seemed to be a quite taciturn man, didn''t say anything, and neither was there any change in his facial expression.


    "Ya is a man of few words and he always has been," said Mr. Mu.


    In the knowledge that Ya was not very communicative, Ling Zhang didn''t specially try to strike up a conversation with him for fear of embarrassing Ya. He just lodged it in mind that this man had been taking care of Ling Zhaowu for many years.


    After in a daze for a few moments, Ling Zhaowu closed his eyes. Ling Zhang helped him lie down on the bed and watched him gradually falling asleep.


    "He''s supposed to sleep for quite some time after drinking the decoction. Actually it came as a surprise to me that he woke up just now after hearing you call him. As the effects of the drug haven''t worn off yet, he fell asleep again. There''s nothing to worry about," observed Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. "Thank you."


    Though seemingly serious, this man they called Mr. Mu was quite approachable. Before his entry into the Millennium Pavilion, Ling Zhang had thought that he''d run into snags and be foiled everywhere in this place, but Mr. Mu was not really guarded with or lukewarm about them, for which Ling Zhang was very grateful to him.


    "Treating patients is my job. Besides, I''m working under our clan leader''s orders," replied Mr. Mu.


    Since Ling Zhaowu was in a deep slumber, Ling Zhang and the others naturally felt it inappropriate to continue their talk in the room. After sitting quietly beside Ling Zhaowu''s bed for quite a while, Ling Zhang rose to his feet and walked out. Yuwen Tong and the others were sitting in the living room.


    "Mr. Mu, is my father''s illness curable?" asked Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu bobbed his head. "As a matter of fact, it''s mainly his mental trauma that has been holding him back. Once the trauma heals, everything will be fine. Currently the only problem is that we don''t know what caused his mental trauma in the first place. His bodily functions are getting better, but his mental state has shown no sign of recuperation. I fear that over time his condition might become incurable."


    Yuwen Tong asked, "Is there a way to help Uncle Ling recover from his trauma quickly?"


    Mr. Mu responded, "If we are to cure it with medication, there is a kind of miracle drug here that might be effective, but it''s very hard to come by, and there are a lot of people here hankering for it. Given that you two are not members of this clan, your chance of winning a competition against them is very slim. As regards non-medicinal methods, there''s but one¨Cfinding out what caused the trauma and acting accordingly to help him heal. The process will be rather painful, and you''ve seen it with your own eyes a while ago. His reaction just now was only a minor one. If by any chance you trigger off a serious response, there might be unimaginable consequences."


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang, who said to Mr. Mu, "I want to have an audience with the clan leader first and see if I can convince him to help."


    Mr. Mu nodded. "It''s worth a shot. I''ll wait and see how that works out."


    "Thanks," said Ling Zhang. He knew the Millennium Pavilion was not some kind of charity. Although his mother had suffered a lot because of the decision of this organization, his father owed his life to these people. Also, his grandfather had offered him a lot of help, so the Millennium Pavilion wasn''t really obliged to do this for him.


    "I''ll do my best to persuade the Clan Leader as well. Hopefully, he''ll take my contribution into consideration and agree to use the miracle drug on your father," said Ji Yin. "I''ve been serving this clan for many years, but neither my son nor my daughter had the good fortune to cultivate internal energy with the mental method of our clan, and I never made a request for the miracle drug. I hope the Clan Leader will take this into account and give his consent to it."


    Mr. Mu said, "You''re the Prime Elder. In terms of status, you''re second to only the Clan Leader in this place. He will listen to you, no matter what."


    Ji Yin said, "I don''t dare take advantage of that. This is a secluded place. Things work differently here than they do in the outside world. Whether my identity as the Prime Elder is any good solely depends on how the Clan Leader thinks about it."


    Then he added, "I''ll go and see if the Clan Leader is available now. Zhang''er, if there''s anything else you want to know, you may ask Ya and Mr. Mu."


    Ling Zhang nodded and followed Ji Yin with his eyes as he left.


    "Ya is not really a great talker. You may ask me if you have any questions," said Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhang asked him how his father had been doing after being brought to the Millennium Pavilion. Mr. Mu, fully aware of what he wanted to know, was very specific about almost everything he told Ling Zhang.


    "He narrowly escaped death shortly after being transferred here. After the Clan Leader revived his cardiac meridian, I''ve treating him all along. There were several occasions when I feared that he lacked the will to live and might not be able to make it, but he surprised me and survived. Even the Clan Leader said that a man with such a strong will to live was something of a rarity. It was with the Clan Leader''s permission that I gained access to many precious drugs and used them to treat him.


    The Prime Elder was the one who hoped to see your father come around the most. He always believed that there must be some unusual reason why your father showed up in this area. He was worried that something had happened to your mother. Nobody could''ve foreseen that your father would be comatose for that many years. I could tell that he actually had got a shrewd idea of what might''ve happened. In the couple of following years, he went outside very often to look for something, but he never found anything."


    Mr. Mu also gave many details, saying that at the beginning some had objected to letting Ling Zhaowu stay, but the Prime Elder had tried his best and managed to persuade them to change their minds.


    "The Prime Elder actually loved your mother and uncle very much. In the year when they left, the Prime Elder once sneaked out of here to look for them, but unfortunately for him, in order not to be found by members of our clan, your mother went into hiding, leaving no trace behind, so the Prime Elder had never found her. Afterwards, some members of our clan believed the Prime Elder was violating the rules by going outside, so he had no choice but to give up making another attempt."


    It was after hearing these words of Mr. Mu''s that Ling Zhang came to know that his grandfather had once tried to look for his mother but had never had any luck.


    "Alas, the situation back then was in disarray. Some matters involve secrets of our clan, and it''s inconvenient for me to disclose more details to you. Anyway, the Prime Elder did everything within his power. At that time, the Clan Leader had just taken office and there were some... In a word, the Clan Leader eventually decided to spare your mother. He did his level best as well."

 Chapter 282 - Consent and Terms

    In the last part of Mr. Mu¡¯s account of the previous events, he had kept a lot of things back, but Ling Zhang had vaguely guessed something. A secluded place as the Millennium Pavilion was, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case that people here were really completely disconnected from the outside world and wanted nothing but peace. Inharmonious voices did exist in this organization, and the Clan Leader didn¡¯t have the final say in everything.


    The two of them were new here, and it was because of their relations with Ji Yin that Mr. Mu had told them so much. Ling Zhang knew better than to persist with his questioning and push Mr. Mu to give him all the answers he wanted. Now that he¡¯d already come to the Millennium Pavilion, he was positive that after some time he¡¯d be able to find out the truth about some of those matters. Besides, he still had Ji Yin, his grandfather, at his back. Ji Yin was the Prime Elder of the Millennium Pavilion, and there were definitely many matters that he knew more details about than Mr. Mu did.


    Before long, Ji Yin returned. ¡°The Clan Leader is available now. Do you want to go there to talk to him right away or do you want to stay here keeping your father company for some more time?¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet. ¡°Since the Clan Leader is available, of course I¡¯ll go and have an audience with him first.¡±


    Now he was the one in need of help. Although that man named Ji Yanlai seemed quite casual and unbuttoned, Ling Zhang was still not very confident of convincing him to agree to his request.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong followed Ji Yin out of the courtyard house onto the island in the midst of the lake.


    There was a great hall. When Ji Yin led the two of them into it, Ji Yanlai had changed into another outfit which was yellowish and white, exquisite and of a gorgeous style, imparting a hint of nobility to him but also making him look even younger.


    Ji Yanlai was the only one in the hall. Nobody else was around.


    Ling Zhang, who had expected to see a scene similar to a court meeting, couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Have you seen your father?¡± Ji Yanlai looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°I want to thank you for saving my father¡¯s life, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Your forgiveness for my being harsh on your mother back in that year is enough for me, and saving your father was no trouble at all. The Prime Elder has told me in a letter what you want and I¡¯ve been giving some careful consideration to it. Your father will get the miracle drug he needs, but I want you to do something for me in return.¡±


    Ling Zhang had thought that he¡¯d have a hard job convincing Ji Yanlai to help, and had spent quite some time pondering over how he should do it, but unexpectedly, Ji Yanlai brought it up before he even asked, and better still, his answer was affirmative, so naturally Ling Zhang was overjoyed. ¡°Whatever you say, Clan Leader.¡±


    However, to their surprise, Ji Yanlai seemed to have no intention of naming his price right away. His appraising eyes raked Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong for a few moments before he said, ¡°What I want you to do is not within your power for the moment. Besides, I myself could use some more time to see how things go before making the final decision. Ling Zhang, although it¡¯s you who¡¯s supposed to accept this condition of mine, to actually meet it you¡¯ll need the help of the man standing beside you.¡±


    After a brief trance of surprise, Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong and held Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand back to stop him from saying what he wanted to say, his eyes moving to Ji Yanlai. ¡°May I ask what it is that you want specifically, Clan Leader?¡±


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°You may rest assured that I won¡¯t ask you to take your own lives or do anything that will jeopardize the well-being of the common people. Whatever I do, I do it for the best interests of the Millennium Pavilion.¡±


    Ling Zhang was hesitating. If it were only about himself, he would¡¯ve agreed, but since this also involved Yuwen Tong, he didn¡¯t dare take the risk.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the offer.¡± Yuwen Tong, however, directly accepted it.


    Ling Zhang was startled. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s eyes flashed at him.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Clan Leader, it¡¯s me who wants to save my father. Can it really not be me who gives you what you want?¡±


    Ji Yanlai smiled, ¡°Actually there¡¯s not much difference. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Ji Yanlai gave another significant smile and continued, ¡°You¡¯ll see what I mean in future.¡±


    ¡°Then how do I know your terms won¡¯t do him any harm?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not interested in putting the common people¡¯s well-being in jeopardy or seeing either of you dead. Besides¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s kind of unreasonable to expect me to give you the miracle drug without having you pay a price? Surely you don¡¯t think I¡¯m a pushover whom you can bully into agreeing, do you?¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach lurched with nerves. Although Ji Yanlai¡¯s tone remained unchanged and his countenance was as casual as always, Ling Zhang was distinctly feeling the pressure that the last remark of Ji Yanlai¡¯s had just put him under.


    ¡°Brother Zhang is just worrying about me. There¡¯s no need for you to overthink it, Brother Ji. Since I already said we¡¯ll take the offer, we will hold up our end of the deal,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made this deal with you in the first place if you won¡¯t be able to meet my terms. You¡¯ll get the drug in half a month, and then you may take Ling Zhaowu and leave. Half a month after that, I¡¯ll send you a message telling you what I want you to do for me.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang balled his hands. Now that things had already come to this, he only hoped that he¡¯d be able to make a contribution towards meeting Ji Yanlai¡¯s terms. This was supposed to be his burden to bear, and he didn¡¯t want Yuwen Tong to shoulder it for him alone. The situation in the capital city was complicated enough, and it¡¯d take only one little mistake for the nightmare scenario to occur. He couldn¡¯t afford to put Yuwen Tong to any more trouble.


    Knowing what he was thinking about, Yuwen Tong held his hand in a consoling grip, saying nothing.


    Unlike Ling Zhang who was worried, Yuwen Tong seemed to have got a shrewd idea of what Ji Yanlai¡¯s conditions might be about. In fact, he¡¯d been sounding out Ji Yanlai¡¯s intentions from their first talk, and now he¡¯d got a grasp of the situation and knew what to expect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I had them prepare some wine and food as a gesture of hospitality for our guests coming from afar. You may join us, Prime Elder,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°Thank you, Clan Leader,¡± said Ji Yin, looking somewhat relaxed. Ji Yanlai¡¯s willingly giving his consent had indeed come as quite a pleasant surprise to him.


    Ji Yanlai had had servants prepare a tableful of delicacies to entertain Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. After the drinking had gone through three rounds, Ji Yanlai flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°I heard that the emperor of the Great Yue is planning to eliminate you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, totally unsurprised at the fact that Ji Yanlai had learned the news, gave a nod and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor annoyance. I¡¯ll handle it. It won¡¯t be a hindrance to me keeping my end of the bargain.¡±


    Ji Yanlai smiled and said no more.


    During the meal, Ji Yanlai didn¡¯t talk much, merely asking the two of them about the international situation from time to time or inquiring of Ji Yin whether he¡¯d seen anything interesting in the outside world. Ling Zhang had also discovered a funny fact ¨C Ji Yanlai was very picky about food. The courses on the table were even more exquisite than those prepared by the imperial kitchens of the Great Yue.


    ¡­


    ¡°Clan Leader, what do you think of Yuwen Tong¡¯s physiognomies? Does he really stand a chance of becoming an emperor? The Great Yue¡­¡±


    After the welcoming feast, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left, while Ji Yin stayed to have a private talk with Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Great Yue, Prime Elder. Your grandson-in-law is meant for something far greater than that. The world has stood divided for long enough. It¡¯s about time someone unified it,¡± observed Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yin was astonished. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡±


    Ji Yanlai made no explicit reply, but Ji Yin had come to understand what he meant, amazed and overjoyed.


    ¡°Why do you think I made the deal with him? On the surface this place is pretty good, but actually it could no longer meet all our needs. The bigger our population gets, the more unsatisfactory our people would find this tiny pocket of land to be.¡±


    In fact, Ji Yin had some time ago had some conjectures about Ji Yanlai¡¯s opinions, so he was not really surprised to hear this. ¡°Are we going to put an end to our seclusion, Clan Leader?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m not interested in ruling a country. I just want to get us another place to live. Tomorrow morning, my big sister and her husband will set off to go to the Donghai Sea. I told them to explore the islands there and pick a relatively large one. When the time comes, I¡¯ll have Yuwen Tong cede it to us, and then all of us will move there.¡±


    ¡°Move to an island?¡± Ji Yin was astonished. ¡°Well¡­ Will the others be okay with that?¡±


    ¡°All the stubborn geriatrics have died. You think any of those who are still breathing could stop me?¡± sniffed Ji Yanlai.


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ji Yin said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already had it planned out, I¡¯ll try my best to be of service to you, Clan Leader. Is there anything you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Currently we¡¯re not even close to finding a suitable island. Your grandson and Yuwen Tong are the key to the attainment of this goal. After they get the drug, I want you to go with them and make sure Ling Zhaowu is cured ¨C as the saying goes, ¡®If you want to help, go the whole hog¡¯,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yin smiled, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m doing this because the time is ripe. On that day I saved Ling Zhaowu because I could tell that there¡¯s some kind of connection between his destiny and ours. I have to thank you for keeping that from Ling Zhang. If you didn¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t have agreed so easily.¡±


    Ji Yin remarked, ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s a fact that you came to his father¡¯s rescue.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Incidentally, I can see that the Force of Blood in him is very strong. There¡¯s something peculiar about it, but I have no clue what it is specifically for the moment. I¡¯ll need a day or two to figure it out. Take him back here to meet me in two days.¡±


    Ji Yin asked, ¡°You noticed it as well, Clan Leader?¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head and answered with a thoughtful look on his face, ¡°There¡¯s something intriguing about your grandson, but I cannot draw a conclusion right away. It¡¯s only been a short time since I reached the eleventh layer, and there are still a lot of things I need more time to work out.¡±


    After hearing this, Ji Yin did some thinking and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll take Zhang¡¯er back here to meet you in two days.¡±


    As though something had just occurred to him, Ji Yanlai paused fleetingly and added, ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t have to be precisely two days ¨C they make really good roast pheasants.¡±


    Ji Yin was stupefied at first, and then he caught on, somewhat amused.


    Ji Yanlai had always been a foodie and a rather picky eater, which was not really something of a secret to people in the Millennium Pavilion.


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong returned to that courtyard house, Ling Zhaowu was still sleeping. After going inside to check on him, Ling Zhang walked out to have a talk with Ya.


    Mr. Mu glanced at them and then resumed drying medicinal herbs. Yuwen Tong, seeing there were so many herbs in the house, offered to help.


    ¡°These herbs are all scarce and precious. Any of these is worth a fortune in the outside world,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°These are only a small portion of what we need. We have to buy most of the drugs from the outside,¡± replied Mr. Mu. ¡°I heard that Tanyang is rich in medicinal herbs and the Ling family owns herb farms. Is that true?¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed a backward glance at Ling Zhang who was conversing with Ya, and bobbed his head. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news. Now that our clan leader has consented to give you the miracle drug, maybe some day we¡¯ll start buying herbs from the Ling family. I mean, we¡¯re acquaintances now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept talking with Mr. Mu, telling him about the many methods that military surgeons adopted to treat the wounded. On the other side of the courtyard, Ling Zhang was actually consulting Ya about how to tend Ling Zhaowu.


    The drug wouldn¡¯t be ready until half a month later, so Ling Zhang would have to stay here for more than two weeks. Given the condition Ling Zhaowu was in, Ling Zhang had to do what a son was supposed to do. Besides, they were going to leave this place, and when they did, Ya would no longer be there for them to rely on. Also, this might be helpful in treating Ling Zhaowu¡¯s amnesia.

 Chapter 283 - We Could Also Use Them a Little

    After consulting with Ya, Ling Zhang went inside to check on Ling Zhaowu, who still hadn¡¯t woken up and would probably stay asleep for some more time.


    ¡°Your father won¡¯t wake up so soon. Besides, Ya is in the house. Come here and take a look at this. You two have come a long way to be here with the Prime Elder and haven¡¯t had a moment¡¯s rest so far. The south wing-room is unoccupied, and Ya has just cleaned it. If you don¡¯t mind its narrowness, you may take it as a temporary convenience. You can wash and change clothes there,¡± said Mr. Mu, walking inside.


    Ling Zhang nodded. He indeed could use a room to talk with Yuwen Tong about something private.


    The south wing-room was not big, with only a bed, a table, a couple of chairs and a wardrobe inside, but neither Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Tong was picky. Besides, they were in someone else¡¯s house. They each had a quick bath and changed. After everything was handled, they sat down to talk.


    ¡°Back there in the great hall, why did you take Ji Yanlai¡¯s offer without asking about the details first? The Millennium Pavilion is not just any organization. What he wants is definitely something big. What if his terms are too difficult for us to meet? What are we going to do then?¡±


    Ling Zhang had given it a lot of thought and still felt that Yuwen Tong¡¯s immediate acceptance of Ji Yanlai¡¯s conditions had been too risky a decision.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°What Ji Yanlai wants undoubtedly has something to do with the Millennium Pavilion. With the strength of this clan, they could have thrown the whole Great Yue into chaos over the past hundreds of years and one of their leaders could even have taken the throne, but they didn¡¯t do that and have been living in seclusion all along, which shows that it¡¯s not power that they seek. As long as they don¡¯t want to wreak havoc on this country or put the common people¡¯s lives in danger, for the handbook they gave you on mental cultivation method alone, I would¡¯ve agreed to the deal, not to mention that this will save Uncle Ling. I think it¡¯s a pretty good deal.


    On top of that, the miracle drug is the very thing we came here for. Since Ji Yanlai is willing to give it to us, we will have to accept his terms eventually, no matter how hard we try to delay it. He had a quite straightforward take on this, which made it inappropriate for us to hesitate. Think about it, if he¡¯d changed his mind because of our hesitation, wouldn¡¯t we be regretting not having taken his offer while it¡¯s available?¡±


    Ling Zhang knew in his heart of hearts that even if Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t agreed today, sooner or later he himself would have to accept Ji Yanlai¡¯s terms. He just wanted to find out more details about what Ji Yanlai might ask him to do. After all, Ji Yanlai had made it very clear that he¡¯d need Yuwen Tong¡¯s help to fulfill his end of the bargain. If it endangered Yuwen Tong¡¯s life, he would never agree to it. It was true that he wanted very much to save his father, but Yuwen Tong was not someone that could be sacrificed to that end.


    ¡°Take it easy. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°You forgot what I talked with Ji Yanlai about on our way in here?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement. ¡°What did you talk about?¡±


    He remembered that Yuwen Tong had seemed to be having some small talk with Ji Yanlai at that time.


    Yuwen Tong explained with a smile, ¡°Actually Ji Yanlai was confiding something to me at that time. Yes, he¡¯s the leader of the Millennium Pavilion, but the yearning for another life of the younger generation of this clan have been getting increasingly intense. Your uncle was the first one to put it into action, and there might be others following his suit. All these people are yearning to get out of this place and see what the world outside is like. No matter how beautiful or good this secluded place is, it¡¯s a prison for youngsters, and they want to break out of it. Although Ji Yanlai, having the big picture in his mind, is unwilling to let them go, he knows very well that he cannot force them to toe the line forever, because if he tries to do that, sooner or later it¡¯ll backfire on him very hard. In comparison with holding them back, channeling their enthusiasm would be a wiser choice. Ji Yanlai disclosed some of his thoughts to me during that talk. He was considering whether or not he should move the Millennium Pavilion somewhere else and give the younger generation a chance to seek their fortune in the world outside. Maybe at that time, though having made up his mind, he still had some concerns about his plans, and the reason why he asked me about it was that he wanted to hear my opinions. I told him expressly, so he made his choice. As a result, Ji Yanlai¡¯s so-called terms definitely have something to do with transferring the Millennium Pavilion elsewhere ¨C at least with the future of the younger generation of this clan.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth fell wide open with astonishment, his eyes fixed on him. ¡°You¡­caught on to his intentions after talking with him for merely a few moments?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°After all, I¡¯m the commander of the North-western Army, and there are occasions when my subordinates have needs that cannot be met without breaking the rules. I know it¡¯s impossible to have them suppressed all the time, that I¡¯ve got to compromise when necessary, which is why I could guess some of Ji Yanlai¡¯s thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Yuwen Tong broke off in the middle of a sentence.


    Ling Zhang looked at him anxiously. ¡°Besides what?¡±


    ¡°Ji Yanlai would never place a hundred percent of his trust in us. He let us in, allowed your grandfather to impart the mental cultivation method of internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion to you, and even turned a blind eye to you instructing your security guards in those martial formations ¨C all these are against the rules of the Millennium Pavilion, otherwise the situation wouldn¡¯t have been that difficult for your mother. According to the rules, your grandfather is not allowed to teach you the cultivation method, and you¡¯re not supposed to teach those formations to your security guards, which means that you, your grandfather as well as I and your father who have gained entry into this place are all supposed to be hunted by the Millennium Pavilion, for after all, dead people are the only ones in this world who would never divulge secrets, and killing us is the most secure way to make sure the existence of their clan does not come to the knowledge of any outsiders.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had never thought of this before, widened his eyes, breaking out in a cold sweat in spite of himself. Didn¡¯t this mean that they had had brushes with death? Ji Yanlai¡¯s kung fu was unbelievably high, and neither his grandfather nor Yuwen Tong was a match for him.


    ¡°You were aware of all this before we came here?¡± Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong. Otherwise, given how cautious he had always been, Yuwen Tong would never have made such a risky move as to bring him to the Millennium Pavilion.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Sort of. What happened to your mother and all those things that occurred after we met your grandfather made me feel that the Millennium Pavilion¡¯s current way of handling things doesn¡¯t correspond with the rules they¡¯re rumored to have, so I had a bold guess that there¡¯d been some kind of change of situation in this place.¡±


    Ling Zhang glared at him. ¡°But this is still too risky! How could you not have warned me?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong hastened to hug him. ¡°Easy, easy. Don¡¯t be mad. Actually¡­ I sounded out Mr. Ji¡¯s attitude with a couple of questions during a brief private talk. Mr. Ji is an astute man and he might¡¯ve confided a thing or two to me, which is why I have such confidence.¡±


    Ling Zhang was antagonized even further. Why hadn¡¯t Yuwen Tong told him about these dealings he¡¯d had with his grandfather in private?


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to get worried. Uncle Ling is here, so nothing would stop you from coming here. Had I told you about it beforehand, you definitely wouldn¡¯t let me come with you. How could I let you come here alone? And surely you won¡¯t expect me to stay home alone enduring the torturous, long wait? This is the reason why I didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was consumed with anger. This guy actually thought he¡¯d done the right thing?


    Seeing that Ling Zhang really got angry, Yuwen Tong craned over and kissed him. ¡°Stop being mad. Think about it, if I¡¯m in trouble, will you stand by and do nothing?¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t!¡± Ling Zhang shot him a sulky glance.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I cannot let you face all this alone. I care about you too much to do that,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance soften somewhat, Yuwen Tong hurriedly resumed coaxing him. After the sulk on Ling Zhang¡¯s face disappeared completely, he felt a sense of relief and continued, ¡°The facts confirmed my conjectures. The situation in the Millennium Pavilion has indeed changed, and Ji Yanlai has been considering finding a way to get his clan out of the predicament. There¡¯s yet another reason why I can be positive that Ji Yanlai¡¯s terms have something to do with his intention of transferring his clan ¨C he didn¡¯t kill us and has decided to let us leave, but he also cannot trust us completely, and difficult to reach as this place is, people could still find it if they¡¯re determined to; by doing this, he¡¯s disclosed to us the location of the Millennium Pavilion. Although this place is easy to hold and hard to attack, it will become his grave if besieged. The only plausible explanation is that he¡¯s set out to move to another place.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°If he wants to find a way out, why does he need you to make it happen? Since his way out has nothing to do with power, is it about your armies, by any chance? But that¡¯s also a form of power, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°You¡¯re constrained in your perception of this matter. You forgot our final goal? The one I told you about before we came here?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes gradually dilated. ¡°But how could he have known that?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s smile faded away. ¡°Ji Yanlai is an extremely formidable man. You see, he has the ability to command all kinds of birds and communicate with almost all other animals, and the Millennium Pavilion has its own sources of information in the world outside, but most importantly, I feel that the way his eyes see things is different from the one ours do.¡±


    ¡°Different?¡± Ling Zhang was perplexed. ¡°Different how?¡±


    ¡°You forgot what your grandfather told you that day? Anyone who manages to cultivate the mental cultivation method to the extreme develops the power of foreseeing the future. I think he¡¯s foretold something.¡±


    Ling Zhang was shocked at first, and after a few moments, rapturous. He sprang to his feet and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, if Ji Yanlai has really foretold something, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯ll¡­¡±


    He¡¯d succeed!


    Ecstasy flooded Ling Zhang in waves. The thrill brought by this conjecture left him unable to think about anything else for quite a while. It was like a giant, intangible rock weighing his heart down gradually dissolved, and though it hadn¡¯t disappeared completely, he was feeling much more relaxed.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°What he¡¯s foretold could just be taken as a blessing. The key to success is still efforts. I think you should put more trust in my abilities than you do in Ji Yanlai¡¯s prophecy.¡±


    Seeing that he looked more relaxed, Yuwen Tong felt both somewhat relieved and a trifle jealous.


    Ling Zhang fixed him with a gaze, his eyes glittering. ¡°Of course I trust you. I trust you more than anybody in the world.¡±


    These explicit words brought Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart fluttering, his jealousy vanishing instantly. Lips curving in a grin, he put his arms around Ling Zhang and kissed him again and again. ¡°I know. I trust you the most, too.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks were wet with saliva from his sloppy kisses, but he didn¡¯t push him away. After a few moments, feeling that it was about time Yuwen Tong stopped kissing him, he said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. If you give me one more kiss, I¡¯m going to have to wash my face!¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, holding him in contentment. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Just stay here for half a month. After getting the drug, we¡¯ll take Uncle Ling back to Tanyang and then we¡¯ll return to the capital city.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± said Ling Zhang. Naturally, he was the happiest one to know that they¡¯d get the drug. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me about the specific connections between Ji Yanlai¡¯s plan and you.¡±


    ¡°No matter what his plan is, there¡¯s no doubt that I¡¯ll have to gain the required power first before I can help him carry it out, and because of this¡­¡± Yuwen Tong gave a mysterious smile and continued beside Ling Zhang¡¯s ear in an undertone, ¡°maybe we could use these people a little.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face took on a quizzical expression. Use them? How?

 Chapter 284 - Growing Trust

    Chapter 284: Growing Trust


    ¡°Me getting the required power is a precondition for helping the Millennium Pavilion move to another place, which means that for their own good, they will definitely give me a hand if the occasion arises.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes instantly lit up at this remark Yuwen Tong made in a low voice beside his ear. He caught on to what Yuwen Tong meant.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at this. I was worried that we were in a passive position. It didn¡¯t occur to me that you seized the initiative,¡± Ling Zhang also breathed beside Yuwen Tong¡¯s ear.


    Yuwen Tong smiled and gave him a kiss. ¡°In order to shape a bright future for us, I¡¯ve got to make full use of everything within my reach. It¡¯s a natural thing.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a pinch on the arm. ¡°Lower your voice.¡±


    Arms around Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong rubbed himself against him. ¡°Relax. There¡¯s no doubt Ji Yanlai knows I¡¯ll figure this out. What¡¯s the point of worry about him finding out something he¡¯s already known?¡±


    Ling Zhang let out a soft cough and listened hard to the sounds from outside, but this was the Millennium Pavilion, and he really couldn¡¯t say for sure that he wouldn¡¯t mishear. There was no telling whether or not some kung fu expert was hiding somewhere outside this house.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was totally unworried, a quite relaxed and contented look on his face.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stayed in this courtyard house. Later this day, Ling Zhaowu woke up but appeared a little listless. With his pallid face and thin figure on top of it, he looked as though he could collapse at any moment. Seeing this, Ling Zhang knitted his brows.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes was obviously still a little unfocused when they fell on Ling Zhang, who tentatively walked over and sat opposite him. ¡°Father.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him, opened his mouth to utter ¡°Ah¡± and then averted his gaze. After a while, his eyes moved onto Ling Zhang against, as though he had something to say to Ling Zhang but was somewhat afraid.Update by L istnovel.com


    ¡°Father, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of me. I¡¯ll stay here to take care of you as well, okay?¡± Ling Zhang tried to make himself sound as mild as possible, fixing his father with a sincere stare.


    Eyes on him, Ling Zhaowu understood. After quite a while, he bobbed his head and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang inwardly let out a sigh of relief and hesitantly reached out his hand to take his father¡¯s arm. ¡°Father, let me support you outside to go for a walk.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t flinch at Ling Zhang¡¯s approach and stood up with his help. Ling Zhang brought him out of the house to have a stroll in the orchard outside the front yard. Maybe it was because of that brief mental stimulation he¡¯d been subjected to at noon, Ling Zhaowu had been a trifle dull since he¡¯d awoken, and he wasn¡¯t walking with as much ease as he used to. Though Ling Zhang was guiding him, he still tripped over small rocks or short clusters of grass occasionally, and Ling Zhang had to watch his step for him all the time, his arms steadily supporting Ling Zhaowu to prevent him from falling.


    Maybe because Ling Zhaowu had realized that Ling Zhang was reliable, he gradually became much more relaxed, smiling at Ling Zhang from time to time. Though his smile was simple and barely contained any emotions, Ling Zhang felt a brief twinge of sadness every time he saw it.


    After walking around the front yard twice, worrying about Ling Zhaowu¡¯s physical condition, Ling Zhang intended to take him back, but Ling Zhaowu seemed to have gradually taken a liking to walking with Ling Zhang. He grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, pointed at the fruits on the trees and told Ling Zhang excitedly, ¡°We can eat those!¡±


    Those were plum trees. The climate in the Sanguan Mountains differed greatly from area to area. It was very difficult for plum trees outside this basin to successfully fruit, but those inside were now laden with plums some of which were beginning to redden and would be ready to eat in a few days. Ling Zhaowu was pointing at a couple of relatively red ones on a twig from which plums were hanging in clusters.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°You want to have a try, Father?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a nod, his expectant eyes on Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang turned his head around, shifting his gaze to Yuwen Tong, who took the hint and returned to ask Mr. Mu about it. Mr. Mu replied, ¡°It was Ya who grew all those fruit trees. Please help yourself.¡±


    So Ling Zhang had Ling Zhaowu stand under a tree. ¡°Just stay here, Father. Don¡¯t walk away.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head, eyeing yearningly at those plums, swallowing hard.


    Ling Zhang released Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hand, took a flying leap upward, nimbly picked the couple of plums hanging from the twig and then landed steadily on the ground, the several reddish plums lying in his palms, along with a few leaves.


    Judging from their color, these plums had a faint sweetness in the outer layers of their flesh at the most and were largely tart and astringent.


    Seeing Ling Zhaowu was straining at the leash to taste them, Ling Zhang hastily removed the leaves, wiped those plums with his sleeve and then handed one to Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Father, these plums are very sour. You¨C¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Ling Zhaowu had taken the plum and stuffed it into his mouth. The next moment, his brows contracted, his countenance changing, and as though what was in his mouth tasted terrible, he instantly spat out the plum, an aggrieved expression in his eyes which looked at Ling Zhang incredulously.


    Ling Zhang almost dissolved into laughter at the sight of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s amusing reaction, but he forbore from doing so, for after all this man was his father, and he had to show him some respect. Otherwise when his father recuperated from his amnesia and recollected this, he¡¯d probably feel embarrassed and angry.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat these,¡± said Ling Zhaowu in an aggrieved and quizzical tone of voice, as though unable to understand why the plums he¡¯d had in the past had been sweet but these were so tart.


    Ling Zhang explained, ¡°These plums are still green, so they¡¯re sour. They¡¯ll taste sweet when they turn red.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, who¡¯d lost interest in plums and didn¡¯t want to see plums any more, swept the remaining couple of plums in Ling Zhang¡¯s palms off to the ground and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t eat them.¡±


    He seemed to want to prevent Ling Zhang from eating the plums and tasting the tartness.


    As Ling Zhang saw this movement of his father¡¯s, some fragments of his vague memories of his father when he¡¯d been a little boy flashed across his mind, which this time around were of neither the madness on his father¡¯s face when he¡¯d been burning the books nor his receding figure when he¡¯d been leaving home without a backward glance but the moments when his father had been smiling at him.


    Ling Zhang suddenly felt that Ling Zhaowu was actually very piteous. Previously he couldn¡¯t understand why Ling Zhaowu had done those crazy things, but after Yuwen Tong walked into his life, he¡¯d slowly begun to fathom it. He believed that if something like that happened to Yuwen Tong, he¡¯d probably also act as though the whole world had fallen apart, just like Ling Zhaowu had.


    It was true that Ling Zhaowu had left home and forsaken him, but he still had his maternal grandfather and uncle and had grown up safe and secure. His maternal grandfather and uncle were very good to him, and he actually didn¡¯t have much regret¡­


    Ling Zhang tried letting go of some of his grudges against his father. Though it was not all of them, he still had a much milder face when he was with Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowu, as though able to perceive this, smiled at Ling Zhang more and more often.


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve found him to be so easy to look after since he came to half a year ago. When you¡¯re around, he never throws tantrum and virtually acts like a well-behaved kid.¡±


    Ling Zhang inwardly contradicted, ¡®My father¡¯s not a kid.¡¯


    But he knew that Mr. Mu was not deliberately being mean or something, that it was just a casual remark, so it was unnecessary for him to correct Mr. Mu.


    On the first day, it was Ling Zhang who took Ling Zhaowu outside for a walk. The next day, as Ling Zhaowu was in a better state, Yuwen Tong tentatively got closer to him. At first Ling Zhaowu was quite wary of him, but gradually he found that Yuwen Tong meant him no harm and even gave him goodies several times, so he slowly let his guard down and got used to Yuwen Tong¡¯s staying around.


    Yuwen Tong felt a sense of relief. He¡¯d really been worried that if he was unable to have his father-in-law take to him, he¡¯d feel it awkward to approach Ling Zhang in the presence of him.


    On the third day, Yuwen Tong further narrowed his distance with Ling Zhaowu. Occasionally, when Ling Zhang intentionally created an opportunity for him, he could even support Ling Zhaowu and walk with him for a while.


    Three days later, Ji Yin showed up. He¡¯d seemed to be quite occupied during the past few days and they hadn¡¯t seen hide nor hair of him.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, I consulted with Clan Leader about the Force of Blood in you. Clan Leader found something after looking it up in various ancient books and records, but he wants to talk with you about it in person. How about you go with me right now and pay him a visit?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and looked at Ling Zhaowu who had developed a heavy dependence on him over the last three days. ¡°Father, Grandfather and I are going to visit the Clan Leader. I¡¯ll be back in just a while. I want you to wait here for me. Can you do that?¡±


    On hearing that Ling Zhang was leaving, Ling Zhaowu immediately grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s arm, refusing to let him go, a somewhat uneasy expression on his face.


    Seeing him like this, Ling Zhang found it rather difficult to bring himself to walk away.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°Bring him with us. We could just have him sit in the hall. You may come as well, Yuwen boy. We could use someone who can help take care of him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong expressed his gratitude to him and then, along with Ling Zhang, took Ling Zhaowu and followed Ji Yin out of the front yard, through the orchard, down the gentle flowery slope, across the reed marsh beside the lake, and onto the bridge leading to the island.


    The moment they stepped onto the bridge, Ling Zhaowu curiously glanced around the place and specially cast a last lingering look over his shoulder at those brightly colored flowers. As his intelligence level was almost the same as that of a child, these things were irresistible to him.


    A melodious chirp was heard and with that, from an orchard by the opposite bank of the lake flew up a large flock of multicoloured birds, which flitted over their heads towards the other side. Ling Zhaowu, his head up, stared unblinkingly at them, standing motionlessly.


    Ling Zhang and the other two all patiently waited until he finished watching the birds. Then they slowly crossed the bridge and set foot on the island at the center of the lake. After going through some guards, they entered the great hall in which Ling Zhang had had a talk with Ji Yanlai three days ago.


    Ji Yanlai was wearing another outfit which was not yellowish and white but black and white and looked more similar to some kind of a foreseer¡¯s robe, but Ji Yanlai¡¯s face was just as casual and carefree as always. He flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu and said, ¡°He looks a lot better. It surprises me that he¡¯s willing to come here with you guys. This means that he trusts you very much.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I have to thank you for allowing us to use all those precious medicinal herbs to treat my father, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. After all, we have a deal of some sort. I think if I show more generosity, you guys will naturally be more generous to me as well.¡±


    Ji Yanlai put it in such a blunt way that Ling Zhang found himself unable to contradict these words.


    Not a big fan of pleasantries, Ji Yanlai soon came straight to the point. ¡°Come with me. I need to check your progress in cultivation of internal energy in detail. You may have Yuwen Tong keep an eye on your father.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gripped Ling Zhang¡¯s arm and Ling Zhang consoled him in a low voice for quite a while before he released his grip and agreed to let Yuwen Tong keep him company.


    Ji Yin looked at them and said, ¡°Clan Leader, I want to go inside and take a look as well.¡±


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Thus Ji Yin also left. Obviously Ling Zhaowu was not quite used to staying alone with Yuwen Tong, but Yuwen Tong was sharp-witted and had got more acquainted with Ling Zhaowu during the past few days, so he knew what kind of topic would pique Ling Zhaowu¡¯s interest ¨C one about Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 285 - Secrets? Youre a Real Character

    Ling Zhang, seeing his father¡¯s attention was soon distracted by Yuwen Tong, finally felt a sense of relief, and went into the inner hall with Ji Yanlai. The inner hall was like a meditation room. It was very spacious but had no furnishings inside except for a couple of cattail hassocks. Opposite the doorway of the inner hall was not a wall but four columns, which allowed people to have a wide view of the outside and plenty of light to come in, and between which were see-through hangings. Beyond the hangings was a large carpet of grass, and farther away the giant trunk of that towering phoenix tree.


    ¡°This tree has been here since before our ancestors moved here to dwell in seclusion. I don¡¯t know how old it is ¨C perhaps even older than the Millennium Pavilion,¡± explained Ji Yanlai as he saw Ling Zhang curiously gaze at that tree. ¡°Sit. There¡¯s no table or chair here. You may sit on one of the cattail hassocks.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a brief moment and then sat down.


    Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin also settled themselves on hassocks.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been following our mental cultivation method of internal energy for quite some time. Are there any questions you want to ask me?¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    Ling Zhang had got explanations from Ji Yin for most of the things that he¡¯d found confusing during his cultivation of internal energy. Right now he mostly had some queries about the so-called Force of Blood.


    ¡°My grandfather told me that as the Force of Blood in me grows stronger, I might develop the ability to communicate with all kinds of animals. Is that true?¡±


    Smiling, Ji Yanlai flicked a glance at Ji Yin, who let out a somewhat embarrassed cough. After all, in respect of the ability to communicate with animals, the incumbent clan leader was hitherto the only one who was capable of it apart from the missing former clan leader. It was very difficult for other people to reach that level. Even Ji Yin himself probably would never make it to the eleventh layer.


    Ji Yin was just about to explain when he heard Ji Yanlai reply, ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult for other members of our clan, but you¡¯re different from them. The Force of Blood in you is so strong that even I have become somewhat interested in it. As long as you don¡¯t die before reaching the eleventh layer, it won¡¯t be hard for you to develop the ability to communicate with animals.¡±


    His conjecture confirmed, Ling Zhang only felt amazed. ¡°Is the Blood of the Millennium Pavilion really so divine?¡±


    Ji Yanlai gave a smile. ¡°It¡¯s the Blood of the Phoenix Clan, to be precise. Half of the members of the Millennium Pavilion don¡¯t bear the surname Ji, and it¡¯s impossible that any of them has this kind of endowment. The other half are descendants of the original Ji family, and more than eighty percent of these people surnamed Ji are not suitable to adopt this method left by our ancestors to cultivate internal energy, which means only less than twenty percent of them could do that, and then more than half of this twenty percent progress very slow in their cultivation, because the Force of Blood in them is too weak. In a word, the Blood of the Phoenix Clan is divine for none but a very few.¡±


    Ji Yin, standing on the side, observed, ¡°The Force of Blood in me could be regarded as relatively strong, and I originally thought that your mother and uncle had inherited it from me, but it¡¯d never occurred to me they were not suitable to cultivate at all. So you see, the inheritance pattern of the Force of Blood is really very erratic.¡±


    The only exception was the hereditary clan leaders. As though it¡¯d been predestined, one of every previous clan leader¡¯s offspring had possessed strong Force of Blood, which enabled them to get twice the result with half the effort, and most of them had reached the eleventh layer and been capable of communicating with animals, and at the same time led the Millennium Pavilion, but even so, almost all previous clan leaders had been stuck in the acme of the eleventh layer and failed to make a further breakthrough to reach the twelfth layer, as though there was some kind of innate restriction. Over the years, generations of members of the Ji family had adopted numerous methods, trying to make a difference, but all their attempts had eventually been met with disappointing failures.


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang about this, for the time was not ripe yet. Besides, in the presence of Ji Yanlai, he didn¡¯t dare disclose everything.


    ¡°So, you could say that it¡¯s divine, but not everybody can do that. You¡¯re very lucky,¡± Ji Yanlai told Ling Zhang.


    His mouth a thin line, Ling Zhang kept silent for a few moments and then said, ¡°Previously I never felt there was anything special about me.¡±


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. Before adopting our method to cultivate internal energy and activating the Force of Blood, a descendant of the Phoenix Clan is no different than the next person.¡±


    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Ji Yanlai looked at Ling Zhang meaningfully. ¡°There¡¯s something going on in you ¨C something I cannot completely see through for the moment, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a start. What was Ji Yanlai referring to?


    Had his rebirth come to Ji Yanlai¡¯s knowledge, by any chance?


    He tensed all over in spite of himself and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai gazed at him for a while, the mood in the hall going somewhat subdued. Taken aback, Ji Yin watched them worriedly.


    Right at the time when Ling Zhang felt the palpable aura of power radiating from Ji Yanlai was going beyond his endurance and was about to blurt out the truth, Ji Yanlai, to Ling Zhang¡¯s surprise, suddenly stopped emanating that sense of power and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to tell me. Actually I¡¯ve more or less guessed part of it. You¡¯re such an interesting guy. I thought this kind of thing should be impossible, for after all, it couldn¡¯t sound any more absurd, but you gave me a pleasant surprise, Ling Zhang. You¡¯re really a character.¡±


    Ling Zhang could feel cold sweat on his back, and even that scarlet mole in the middle of Ji Yanlai¡¯s forehead now struck him as rather creepy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since you¡¯re unwilling to tell me, naturally I won¡¯t make you, but if you keep it from me and anything by any chance happens to you in future, I wouldn¡¯t be able to offer you help,¡± remarked Ji Yanlai, sitting idly.


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. He was positive that Ji Yanlai had come to know it, but he still wouldn¡¯t tell him the truth. This was his deepest secret, so he wouldn¡¯t confide it, not even to descendants of the Phoenix Clan who were the most likely to understand him, for he couldn¡¯t trust these people completely yet. After all, he was not technically a member of the Millennium Pavilion. The only person he could trust was Yuwen Tong, but he wouldn¡¯t even tell this secret to Yuwen Tong unless the occasion arose.


    Ji Yanlai, seeing that Ling Zhang was utterly unswayed, made no further attempt to persuade him. He just looked at the phoenix tree in the distance, a deep and impenetrable expression in his eyes. ¡°The Blood of the Phoenix Clan has been passed down over countless generations. Even descendants of the Phoenix Clan don¡¯t know all the history of it. Maybe there have been people like you in the past. If you don¡¯t feel like telling us, keep it. The Blood of the Phoenix Clan in you is very strong, and maybe you¡¯ll be the second person who manages to reach the highest layer. If you have any questions, feel free to come here to ask me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ling Zhang in a deep voice. He appreciated Ji Yanlai¡¯s understanding, but he didn¡¯t believe Ji Yanlai¡¯s statement about him standing a chance of reaching the highest layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy.


    Ji Yin was thrown into perplexity by their bewildering remarks, his countenance growing grave. He knew that this meant Ling Zhang was keeping something from him, and it was about the Force of Blood. Though deeply concerned, he felt it inappropriate to ask about it in Ji Yanlai¡¯s presence.


    After a while, Ji Yanlai¡¯s eyes flashed towards the front of Ling Zhang¡¯s robes. ¡°Remove that medicinal jade pendant you¡¯re wearing.¡±


    Ling Zhang was sent into a brief trance of surprise and then removed the pendant from his neck. The originally blackish green pendant was now much lighter in color. It had been gradually whitening.


    Ling Zhang looked at it with mild eyes. ¡°It saved my life twice.¡±


    Then he told them about Jia Yuanling¡¯s using knockout powder on him as well as his being bitten by Yuwen Qi¡¯s venomous snake.


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s countenance, however, had been inscrutable all along, his eyes which seemed to be able to see through many things boring into Ling Zhang.


    His gaze made Ling Zhang¡¯s skin crawl. From a few moments ago, he had been feeling that Ji Yanlai had come to know all his secrets as though he could read his mind.


    Eyes on Ji Yanlai, Ji Yin asked anxiously, ¡°Is there a problem with this medicinal jade pendant, Clan Leader?¡±


    Ji Yanlai took his staring eyes off Ling Zhang. After quite a while, he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the pendant, but the power it holds is somewhat weak now. Leave it here with me for a couple of days. You may take it back when you¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, removed the pendant from the string and handed it to Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yin looked at the pendant and said, ¡°This pendant originally belonged to Zhang¡¯er¡¯s mother. I find this very strange. Never have I ever seen such a great decrease in the healing power of a medicinal jade pendant before. I wonder whether or not it is because Zhang¡¯er is not the original owner of it. Clan Leader, how about we give Zhang¡¯er a pendant of his own?¡±


    Ji Yanlai took the pendant Ling Zhang handed him and said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. This jade pendant has acknowledged him as its master.¡±


    Ji Yin was astonished. ¡°H¨CHow¡¯s that possible?¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat confused. ¡°Grandfather, are you saying that this jade pendant is capable of choosing its own master?¡±


    Instead of making an immediate reply, Ji Yin looked at Ji Yanlai, as though asking him for permission.


    Ji Yanlai directly responded, ¡°To be honest, there are some things that I always believed were unnecessary¡­ What happened today turns out to be a revelation to me.¡±


    His words brought a thoughtful look to Ling Zhang¡¯s face, but he still couldn¡¯t completely fathom out what Ji Yanlai could possibly mean.


    ¡°The making of a medicinal jade pendant like this requires not only precious medicinal herbs but also extremely special refining techniques which were passed down from clan leaders to their successors. This is a secret of the Millennium Pavilion, and I¡¯m not going to disclose more details about it. My father personally made this pendant for your mother. He¡¯s more powerful than me. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s taken a back seat. Actually I don¡¯t even know where he is. Compared with having me make a new pendant for you, continuing to use this pendant that has already acknowledged you as its master is a better choice.¡±


    Special refining techniques? Ling Zhang was befuddled by these words. In addition, Ji Yanlai still hadn¡¯t explained how a jade pendant acknowledged someone as its master.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to solve some of the mysteries concerning this pendant after you reach the ninth layer in your cultivation of internal energy. There¡¯s no hurry about finding out the answers.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a while and then inclined his head. ¡°Okay, then. Thank you for helping repair this pendant, Clan Leader.¡±


    Eyes on the jade pendant in his hand, Ji Yanlai gave a quite amused smile, as though having found something fascinating. ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll restore its healing power. It¡¯ll be returned to you intact on the day you leave.¡±


    From Ji Yanlai, Ling Zhang had got answers to some of his questions, but at the same time some new questions had emerged, which obviously Ji Yanlai was in no hurry to answer but expect Ling Zhang to find the answers to them himself.


    ¡­


    ¡°Clan Leader, what is wrong with this pendant of Zhang¡¯er exactly?¡± asked Ji Yin in an anxious tone immediately after Ling Zhang left. ¡°And what were those charades-like remarks of yours and Zhang¡¯er¡¯s about?¡±


    Ji Yanlai gave a mysterious smile. ¡°Some day, when I¡¯m in a better mood, maybe I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Ji Yin, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ji Yin rose to his feet and hastened outside to catch up with his grandson, feeling that he had a better shot at getting the answer from his grandson than he did from the Clan Leader.

 Chapter 286 - More Lucid Moments

    Watching Ji Yin leave, Ji Yanlai felt a sense of anticlimax and, after giving a mere shrug, shifted his gaze to the medicinal jade pendant in his hand, an interested expression on his face. ¡°I never expected to have the luck to encounter this kind of rare occurrence. If father finds out, he¡¯s probably going to regret having put me in charge of the clan so soon. Haha¡­¡±


    Laughing, Ji Yanlai utilized his lightness skills and disappeared after a couple of flying leaps, leaving no traces behind.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang was still in a carry-over of shock when he left the hall. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that Ji Yanlai would actually be so discerning as to find out something about his deepest secret. The Blood of the Phoenix Clan¡­ Maybe this thing was indeed too powerful to deserve to exist in a mortal world. No wonder the imperial household of the Xia had put it under their control. If its existence was brought to light, nobody could imagine what kind of crazy things might happen. Maybe Ji Yanlai knew this as well and was positive that he wouldn¡¯t breathe a word of it to anybody else after coming to realize how serious the consequences could be, which was the very reason why Ji Yanlai had dared to tell him all these things.


    With a rapid blur of a figure, Ling Zhang¡¯s vision fleetingly went blurred, and when things came into focus again, Ling Zhaowu had halted before him and grabbed his arm, gazing fixedly at him. ¡°Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    Ling Zhang was stupefied, staring vacantly at Ling Zhaowu. This was the first time that Ling Zhaowu had called him Zhang¡¯er¡­ Ling Zhang¡¯s heart quivered in spite of himself.


    ¡°Uncle Ling has just heard something about you from me. I also told him he could call you that,¡± explained Yuwen Tong, walking over.


    Ling Zhang knew what Yuwen Tong meant. There was actually no need for Yuwen Tong to explain it to him. It was undeniable that as he heard Ling Zhaowu call him this, he was really almost reduced to tears.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m back.¡± Ling Zhang turned aside to hold Ling Zhaowu¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ve finished the talk with him. Now let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu immediately clung to his arm, intending to walk towards the outside.


    Yuwen Tong cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at Ling Zhang, who lightly shook his head signaling that everything was fine. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after we get back.¡±


    Ji Yin caught up with Ling Zhang. As Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhaowu were present, he didn¡¯t ask any questions but returned to the courtyard house beside the orchard with them.


    Ling Zhang could tell that Ji Yin had something to ask him about and was aware of what it was specifically, so he found an opportunity to have a private talk with him. ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, why were you talking in riddles with the Clan Leader back there? Is there something you¡¯re keeping back from me? And did something go wrong with that jade pendant of yours?¡± inquired Ji Yin, bursting with impatience.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly replied, ¡°No. It¡¯s really just that that pendant saved my life twice. It could be said that it helped me survive two disasters at the cost of its own power. I think what the Clan Leader meant was that this pendant had developed its own sentience.¡±


    Ji Yin looked skeptically at him with penetrating eyes. ¡°Really?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°I cannot think of any other possibilities other than this. You should have more acquaintance with these things than I do, Grandfather. Before this day, I thought that it was just a common medicinal jade pendant, and I never expected it to have some other secret functions. Grandfather, exactly what did the Clan Leader mean by ¡®refining techniques¡¯ and ¡®acknowledged me as its master¡¯?¡±


    If truth be told, although Ji Yanlai had dropped a hint of some sort, Ling Zhang indeed knew little about this medicinal jade pendant. Previously, he¡¯d always believed it to be an ordinary medicinal jade pendant, so he indeed hadn¡¯t lied to Ji Yin in this regard.


    Ji Yin felt a slight sense of relief and responded, ¡°I¡¯m really not supposed to tell you about this. Even I myself don¡¯t know much detail about the confidential information this matter involves. You¡¯ll find out part of it when you reach the ninth layer.¡±


    In fact, Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t been counting on Ji Yin to give him all the answers. After all, his grandfather was the Prime Elder of the Millennium Pavilion, which meant there were rules he needed to follow.


    ¡°Leaving aside the matter of this pendant, what was that charades-like conversation between you and the Clan Leader about? Was there some kind of dangerous situation that you¡¯ve been through and are keeping back from me?¡± continued Ji Yin.


    Feeling that Ji Yin definitely wouldn¡¯t let this go if he didn¡¯t give him anything, Ling Zhang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe it has something to do with my memories. I told you this before, Grandfather ¨C I almost forgot all the martial formations my mother taught me when I was young, but over half a year ago, I suddenly recalled all of them down to the last detail. At that time I almost passed out ¨C I mean the day when Jia Yuanling used knockout powder on me. I used that medicinal jade pendant to counteract its effects. If I¡¯ve ever been through anything special, it would be that incident when I utilized my medicinal jade pendant.¡±


    A slight frown creased Ji Yin¡¯s forehead. He had an intuition that it was not about this matter, but this matter was indeed also very strange. Ling Zhang had been still a little boy when the knowledge of those martial formations had been imparted to him. Children forget things very easily, and there hadn¡¯t been anybody who could help young Ling Zhang brush it up. How had he come to instantly recollect all of it? To make it even more confusing, that had happened right after Ling Zhang used the medicinal jade pendant to counteract the effects of the knockout powder.


    ¡°That was the only thing that happened to me and could be regarded as rather strange. If there¡¯s a second one, it would be the Force of Blood in me, which even you and the Clan Leader couldn¡¯t explain, not to mention I,¡± added Ling Zhang quickly.


    Ji Yin ruminated over it for a while and then said, ¡°Go to Mr. Mu and have him check on you. I¡¯ll talk to the Clan Leader and ask him to examine you again.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, nei¨Cneither of these two are bad things for me, so I actually think it¡¯s not necessary to get to the bottom of either of them. I mean, they¡¯re related to the Blood of the Phoenix Clan coursing in me anyway, and that medicinal jade pendant was made by the former Clan Leader himself. Maybe it has some hidden functions from the very beginning. Didn¡¯t you say that the former Clan Leader has been missing for a very long time? Where are we supposed to go to find him?¡±


    Ji Yin pondered for another few moments and then replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try to figure out a way to ascertain the whereabouts of the former Clan Leader. No matter what, I just want you to stay safe.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang felt that by not telling his grandfather the truth, he was acting like a piece of shit, but at the same time he also feared that Ji Yin would really manage to seek out the former Clan Leader who might uncover his secret as well, given that even Ji Yanlai had discovered it, and if that happened, it wouldn¡¯t be long before a lot of others came to know about it.


    He could only hope that the former Clan Leader wouldn¡¯t be located too soon.


    After Ling Zhang¡¯s talk with Ji Yin came to an end, Ling Zhaowu attached himself to Ling Zhang for the rest of the day. He found that Ling Zhaowu, like Mr. Mu had said, had indeed become particularly clinging, as though he were really a child. Fortunately, Ling Zhaowu still had to drink decoction on a daily basis and sleep for some time to rest his mind after that, which allowed Ling Zhang opportunity to talk with Yuwen Tong in private.


    Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong about that medicinal jade pendant but kept back the part where Ji Yanlai might have discovered the secret about his rebirth.


    ¡°This is quite puzzling. I mean, that pendant seems to be nothing more than a piece of jade ware. I know it¡¯s rare, but I couldn¡¯t find anything else whatsoever that might make it special. Are we really missing something, by any chance?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who was gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory and had also once scrutinized that pendant, did some recalling and then shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice anything special about it either. If the pendant does have something special, it would mean that we¡¯re simply not discerning enough to see through it. Given that the Millennium Pavilion has so many unique kung fu skills, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there¡¯s some kind of ingenious, hidden design in that pendant.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. Now the pendant has been taken by Ji Yanlai. He¡¯ll return it to me on the day we leave. We should carefully check it again after getting it back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand to smooth a tousled strand of Ling Zhang¡¯s sideburn and said, ¡°Just let nature take its course. You¡¯ll be able to find out when you reach the ninth layer anyway.¡±


    Ling Zhang, casually stuffing a few strands of his hair into his bun, which had snagged on some twigs and come loose when he¡¯d been strolling with Ling Zhaowu a while ago, said, ¡°Speaking of which, Ji Yanlai told me that my constitution is very suitable for this cultivation method of internal energy, that I might make the second person ever to reach the highest layer of it. He said whenever I have any questions, I¡¯m welcome to go and ask him. I don¡¯t quite believe him. I think he overestimates me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was happy to hear this. The more powerful Ling Zhang got, the better able he would be to protect himself.


    ¡°This is a good thing, but you must never tell anybody else. You don¡¯t want it to come to the knowledge of any troublemakers.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I understand. You may rest assured that I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡­


    Thus, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stayed in this uneventful place, spending all their time taking care of Ling Zhaowu, waiting for Ji Yanlai to give them the miracle drug.


    The agreed time was ten days away. In the knowledge that it was no good willing time to go faster, Ling Zhang had no choice but to show more patience.


    This place was located in the depths of the Sanguan Mountains. What with those natural barriers and the many defensive formations outside, it was impossible for Yuwen Tong¡¯s men to send any messages in. Their only source of information was Ji Yin, but Ji Yin was not the one responsible for keeping in contact with the outer branches and had to ask someone else.


    After a few days, Ling Zhang felt that he was bothering his grandfather too often and stopped.


    During the past couple of days, Ji Yanlai had brought Cong to visit him several times. They had always dressed very simply, and their request had been very simple, too ¨C roast pheasants made by Yuwen Tong. To this end, every time they had specially brought their own pheasants which were prepped in advance and were all very fat.


    Yuwen Tong, who was a good-tempered man, had granted their request every time. Of course, Ling Zhang had joined them every time as well.


    Ling Zhaowu was at Ling Zhang¡¯s heels like a shadow every day and naturally had never missed any of the barbecues. He¡¯d always crouched beside the grill with Cong, staring unblinkingly at the roasting pheasants, swallowing. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that his height and looks were unmistakably suggesting he was an adult, people would easily take him for a child of the same age as Cong¡¯s.


    Every time, Mr. Mu had exhorted, ¡°Eat the meat only. Don¡¯t eat any skin, and don¡¯t overeat.¡±


    He¡¯d been afraid that Ling Zhaowu might ingest too much fat and jeopardize his health.


    The most tasty part of a roast pheasant was its skin. Every time, Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes had seemed to bore into the pheasant skin, watching Ling Zhang remove all the skin, the look in them so aggrieved as though he were being bullied.


    There had been several occasions when Ling Zhang almost succumbed to the expression in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes but eventually refrained from giving him what he wanted. ¡°Father, be good.¡±


    Every time he¡¯d said this, Ling Zhang had felt as though he were the father and Ling Zhaowu were the son.


    ¡°Soon the agreed date will come. Uncle Ling will recover. I believe Brother Ji will keep his promise,¡± Yuwen Tong consoled him, looking at Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yanlai, in a casual sitting position, bit off a chunk of roast pheasant and started chewing at it. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to remind me of it so often. I never go back on my word. The drug will be delivered to you as soon as it¡¯s ready.¡±


    After saying this, he flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu and asked, ¡°How¡¯s he doing? Has he been on the mend during the past few days?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Mr. Mu said that he¡¯s having more moments of clarity than before, and he¡¯s exceptionally placid whenever Brother Zhang is keeping him company.¡±


    On one occasion, Ling Zhaowu had woken up in the middle of the night, and maybe because he¡¯d recalled something, he¡¯d kept calling ¡°My son!¡± but couldn¡¯t open his eyes. It was only when Mr. Mu had performed acupuncture on him that he¡¯d calmed down.

 Chapter 287 - A Return Visit to Tongguan Town

    The date they¡¯d agreed on half a month ago came, and Ling Zhang had been waiting since early in the morning. According to their agreement, Ji Yanlai was supposed to give the drug to them on this day.


    There was no telling whether or not Ling Zhaowu had perceived something, but he had been silent all along since he¡¯d got up, and wherever Ling Zhang went, he followed on his heels, as though afraid of being abandoned.


    ¡°Father, we¡¯ll go back home together after we get the drug,¡± Ling Zhang consoled him.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him. ¡°Go back home?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll return to Tanyang. Grandfather and Uncle are waiting for you there,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Tanyang¡­¡± Ling Zhaowu murmured repeatedly, his eyes staring somewhat vacantly, as though remembering something.


    Ling Zhang fixed him with an expectant gaze but at the same time was on the alert, fearing that his father might suffer another seizure.


    After a few moments¡¯ trance, Ling Zhaowu¡¯s face started to show signs of pain. Ling Zhang interrupted him at the sight of this. ¡°Father!¡±


    On hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s shout, Ling Zhaowu gave a start and subconsciously looked at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and start packing.¡± Ling Zhang supported him to his feet, eyes on him.


    His attention distracted, Ling Zhaowu¡¯s headache gradually ebbed away. It seemed as if he wouldn¡¯t have a fit as long as he didn¡¯t think too deeply.


    This time around, Mr. Mu would leave with them, so apart from Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong who were helping Ling Zhaowu with the packing, Mr. Mu had also been packing his bag since early in the morning.Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    When the packing was almost finished, Ji Yin showed up, holding a medicine phial and a jade pendant in his hand.


    Ji Yin first returned the pendant to Ling Zhang, which had become blackish green and lustrous again. As sunlight hit it, a gleam flowed across its surface and then gradually sank into the center, a refreshing medicinal aroma emanating from it. Ling Zhang took the pendant which gave his palm a cool sensation. Given its familiar shape, this was indeed his jade pendant.


    Seeing its sheen, Ling Zhang found this whole thing amazing and was now slightly more convinced of Ji Yanlai¡¯s words.


    Ji Yanlai had said that this pendant had acknowledged him as its master, and also faintly implied that there were some secrets hidden in this pendant which were closely linked to his rebirth, so Ling Zhang naturally set great store by it. After taking it, he solemnly put it on a string and wore it around his neck into his collar.


    After he put away the pendant, Ji Yin handed him the medicine phial and, with a delighted face, said in an excited tone, ¡°The pills are ready. There are two of them, one for your father to treat his illness, the extra one for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was very surprised. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°The Clan Leader said that since you¡¯ve adopted our method to cultivate internal energy and are more talented than others, you deserve to be treated as a half-disciple of the Millennium Pavilion, though you¡¯re not officially a clan member, which was why he gave you an extra pill.¡± Ji Yin relayed Ji Yanlai¡¯s message.Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    Fairly reasonable as those words sounded, Ling Zhang knew very well that this kind of pills were very rare and precious and even official members of this clan would scramble for them, but he had been offered two at a time, which showed that Ji Yanlai was investing a lot in this deal with them.


    Ling Zhang took the medicine phial. ¡°I want to go and thank the Clan Leader in person. Where is he?¡±


    Ji Yin shook his head. ¡°The Clan Leader started closed-door cultivation right after making the pills, saying that this pendant of yours provided some enlightenment which he needed a stint of closed-door cultivation to further comprehend, that he wouldn¡¯t be seeing us off and we could leave whenever it¡¯s convenient for us. To ensure our safety, the Clan Leader has made arrangements for two guards to go downhill with us. They are both kung fu experts. With their protection, your father and Mr. Mu would have less less concerns about safety.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°That¡¯s very considerate of the Clan Leader. It seems that I¡¯ll have to wait until the occasion arises to thank him.¡±


    Maybe Ji Yanlai had sent these two men here purely out of his intention to help, and maybe it was because he wanted them to spy on them. Either way, these two men could be of help, so Ling Zhang raised no objections.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°Have you finished packing? If you have, we may set off in an hour.¡±


    All of them had almost got everything ready, but before leaving, they felt that they had to express their gratitude to Ya the servant. Not having carried anything valuable with him that he could gift Ya with, Ling Zhang gave him a token. Yuwen Tong also gave him a token of the Yuwen family.


    ¡°Sorry we don¡¯t have anything else to give you. This is my token. If some day you¡¯re in Tanyang or the capital city, you may visit the Ling family or me. The other one is Yuwen Tong¡¯s token, which carries more weight than mine. It¡¯s useful in basically every city of the Great Yue. It¡¯ll prove helpful to you when you¡¯re in need.¡±


    Ya said in a deep voice, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who should say thank you, for tending my father. The chance of us seeing each other again elsewhere is rather slim, so take care of yourself.¡±


    Ya bobbed his head. He was taciturn but very poised.


    After taking their leave of Ya, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, carrying Ling Zhang¡¯s and Mr. Mu¡¯s baggage respectively, left the courtyard house with the other three. When they had walked out of the orchard, they saw two middle-aged men who were in gray and appeared just as taciturn waiting for them outside.


    ¡°Prime Elder.¡± The two men paid their respects to Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin introduced them to Ling Zhang and the others. ¡°This is Ji Donglin, and this is Ji Chaofang. They¡¯re the guards under the Clan Leader¡¯s orders to escort us to Tanyang.¡±


    As Ji Yin had told them about this matter a while ago, Ling Zhang and the others were not surprised to hear it.


    ¡°Thank you in advance for escorting us, Brother Donglin, Brother Chaofang,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Both Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang folded their hands in front and said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Childe Ling.¡±


    Thus, the group of five men expanded to a group of seven. Ling Zhaowu, knowing that he was about to leave this familiar place where he¡¯d lived for five years, had a very uneasy expression on his face. He had a long cry when parting from Ya and was now looking somewhat lethargic.


    Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang took the traveling bag from Ling Zhang¡¯s back so that Ling Zhang could focus on guiding Ling Zhaowu forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Father.¡±


    Clinging on tight to Ling Zhang¡¯s arm, not daring to release his grip, Ling Zhaowu vigorously nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do what Zhang¡¯er says.¡±


    Because of Ling Zhaowu, they didn¡¯t walk very fast, and it took them a long time to get to the exit.


    Ling Zhang was just about to crouch down to carry Ling Zhaowu on his back when Yuwen Tong shoved his traveling bag into Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and squatted down before Ling Zhaowu. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Uncle Ling, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s other hand was holding Mr. Mu¡¯s medicine chest, so naturally it was inconvenient for him to carry anybody on his back. He was a little worried that Ling Zhaowu might be unwilling.


    But maybe because Yuwen Tong had managed to build trust with Ling Zhaowu during the past half a month, the latter didn¡¯t feel afraid but just looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right by your side. I won¡¯t walk away.¡±


    It was after hearing this that Ling Zhaowu obediently lay prone onto Yuwen Tong¡¯s back to let Yuwen Tong carry him. Seeing Ling Zhang was indeed walking side by side with them, Ling Zhaowu gradually relaxed.


    The exit was the dense woods that they had followed Ji Yanlai through to enter this place half a month ago. The complexity of this formation was beyond Ling Zhang¡¯s grasp, and he could only recall a small part of the right route, which was not enough for him to get out of it on his own.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way. Donglin, Chaofang, you two bring up the rear. Keep an eye on Mr. Mu,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t underestimate me. Although my kung fu is lousy, I¡¯m a quite strong man.¡±


    But Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang still acted as rear guard. Ji Yin was taking the lead. Yuwen Tong was carrying Ling Zhaowu on his back, Ling Zhang walking side by side with him, followed by Mr. Mu, Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang.


    The seven of them entered the thick woods, progressing along a path so circuitous as though they were going in circles.


    Foliage of the tall, exuberant trees blocked the sun, making the path dark and brooding.


    Ling Zhaowu was very frightened of this place and kept calling Ling Zhang¡¯s name. ¡°Zhang¡¯er!¡±


    So Ling Zhang directly carried the medicine chest on his shoulder and took Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m here, Father. Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll be out of here soon.¡±


    With his son holding his hand, Ling Zhaowu calmed down somewhat, slumped over Yuwen Tong¡¯s back, curling up.


    Getting through the woods took them a long time. In the sunshine, Ling Zhaowu looked somewhat better, but maybe because he¡¯d been in nervous tension all along, he seemed rather groggy after relaxing his concentration.


    When they had walked for about an hour after exiting the woods, Ling Zhang glanced at the sun overhead in the sky and suggested they stop to have some rest.


    ¡°It¡¯s noon. Let¡¯s stop and have a bite to eat.¡±


    The others looked at Ling Zhaowu and then all nodded.


    They had just left the Millennium Pavilion and still had their cooked food. This time, because of Ling Zhaowu, they had carried a ceramic wok. After heating the food, they had Ling Zhaowu eat some. Mr. Mu decocted some medicine and let him drink it. After the duration of drinking a pot of tea (approximately 10 minutes), Ling Zhaowu, leaning against a tree trunk, drifted off to sleep.


    The others took advantage of this opportunity and quickly finished their lunch. When they had gathered up their stuff, Yuwen Tong, as he¡¯d done previously, carried Ling Zhaowu on his back and they resumed their journey without more ado, planning to cover some distance while Ling Zhaowu was asleep.


    ¡­


    After two days¡¯ travel in the Sanguan Mountains, they reached Tongguan Town.


    At first Ling Zhaowu had been quite scared. Halfway to the town, he¡¯d kept quiet for a day, and eventually he¡¯d appeared somewhat anxious and fretful, for the Sanguan Mountains had struck him as fearful and he¡¯d wanted to get out. Fortunately, they¡¯d been not far away from edge of the mountainous area.


    As soon as they arrived at Tongguan Town, they quickly checked into an inn and settled Ling Zhaowu in a room.


    It was Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong who had been taking care of Ling Zhaowu in the Millennium Pavilion during the past half a month, so naturally the two of them were able to handle it with ease, though they were now in a different place. They bathed Ling Zhaowu, helped him change clothes and then had him finish his supper and take his medicine. When Ling Zhaowu had fallen asleep in bed, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief and found that his shoulders felt somewhat sore.


    He had been quite tense as well, and it was after Yuwen Tong massaged his aching muscles that he fully relaxed.


    ¡°Sit here.¡± Ling Zhang had Yuwen Tong sit down, and then returned the favor by giving him a good massage.


    ¡°Mr. Mu has also turned in. Donglin and Chaofang will take turns to check on your father tonight. You two may go to sleep now.¡± Ji Yin showed up.


    ¡°You should go to bed as well, Grandfather,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin walked up to take a look at Ling Zhaowu and then went to sleep.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong quickly washed and then went to bed in the room next to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s.


    When they woke up, Ling Zhaowu was still sleeping.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just spend the night here and set off tomorrow morning,¡± suggested Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him, appearing to have something to talk to him about.


    Seeing this, Ji Yin and Mr. Mu went to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s room to check on him, giving Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong some privacy.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine in Tanyang. Do you think you should go back to the capital city? It¡¯s been such a long time since we left the capital city, I¡¯m worried that there had been some unexpected occurrences,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Now that they had come outside, the placid life in the Millennium Pavilion was naturally past history, and there were many brutal facts they¡¯d have to face up to. It¡¯d been over half a month since the last time they¡¯d received a message from the capital city. Ling Zhang was now deeply worried that there¡¯d been some accidents that might cause the situation to go out of control.

 Chapter 288 - Upheavals in the Capital City

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to Tanyang with you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Frowning, Ling Zhang maintained in a firmer tone of voice, ¡°No. You need to return to the capital city. I¡¯ll go there immediately after my father gets better.¡±


    Yuwen Tong also knitted his brows. He was unwilling to let Ling Zhang go back to Tanyang alone. Moreover, this was an opportunity to bond with his future father-in-law, and he didn¡¯t want to miss it.


    But Ling Zhang was very insistent. ¡°You must go back, because you told me some day you¡¯d take me to the top of the hierarchy. You¡¯re not breaking your word.¡±


    Yuwen Tong stared unblinkingly at him for quite a while. Eventually, he let out a sigh and put his arms around Ling Zhang. ¡°I don¡¯t want to part from you.¡±


    Ling Zhang hugged him back. ¡°Our business in the Millennium Pavilion has been settled. I can handle the rest of it on my own. Besides, I have my grandfather by my side, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I have to bring my father back to Tanyang, I would definitely return to the capital city with you. I don¡¯t want you to face all that single-handed. I haven¡¯t been able to do anything for you. If you accompany me back to Tanyang, I¡¯d have a terrible conscience about it. I feel so useless.¡±


    Yuwen Tong cuddled him tighter and sniffed, ¡°What nonsense is this? With our relations, do we really have to be so mindful of our personal gains and losses? What do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°Then go back to the capital city. Do you not trust me to be capable of handling the matters in Tanyang by myself?¡± Ling Zhang retorted.


    Both of them kept silent for a while. Ling Zhang was not trying to anger Yuwen Tong intentionally. His hands on Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist slid up to Yuwen Tong¡¯s back, gently stroking it, his voice softening. ¡°Do it my way, okay?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s back tensed for a brief moment and then slightly relaxed. He lowered his head to look at Ling Zhang, who looked squarely back at him.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t get me to worry about you. You must stay safe and take good care of yourself at all times.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I promise. I¡¯ll eat my meals on time, practice kung fu on time and sleep on time every day, and become fair-skinned and chubby.¡±


    ¡°Well, you may skip that ¡®fair-skinned and chubby¡¯ part. That¡¯s what a pig looks like.¡±


    Ling Zhang took his hands off Yuwen Tong and gave him a glare.


    The corners of his lips lifting, Yuwen Tong scooped up Ling Zhang, supporting him with his hands on Ling Zhang¡¯s hips, looking him in the face. ¡°Even if you turned into a pig, you¡¯d still be mine, and I wouldn¡¯t allow anybody to glance at you.¡±


    Ling Zhang had to put his legs around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist, which struck him as quite an awkward posture¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s you who¡¯s a pig!¡±


    ¡°Then we make a perfect match.¡±


    ¡­


    After convincing Yuwen Tong to agree to go back to the capital city, Ling Zhang felt a slight sense of relief, but before dark, he got a message that brought a frown to his face.


    Some serious events had taken place in the capital city. The first one was that something had happened to the Zhongxin Marquess. Somehow, Wang Cai had found some proof, the authenticity of which was unknown, and alleged that the Zhongxin Marquess had secretly taken huge amounts of bribes, that he¡¯d been pretending to be righteous and honest when in fact he was just a despicable fraud, a greedy kleptocrat having no regard whatsoever for the law. The emperor, in his shock and wrath, had ordered the Dali Temple (the Supreme Judicial Court in feudal China) to comb the entire residential compound of the Zhongxin Marquess. The Zhongxin Marquess had argued that he was wronged, but the emperor had refused to believe him and even forbidden him to leave his house. Afterwards, the Dali Temple had ascertained that the Zhongxin Marquess had indeed taken bribes, but the amount hadn¡¯t been as large as Wang Cai had claimed to be. The Zhongxin Marquess had pleaded that someone framed him. After expressing his willingness to use his death to prove his innocence, he had directly bumped his head onto a column at the court meeting. Fortunately the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) had promptly given him a pull, and the Zhongxin Marquess had merely hurt his head instead of killing himself. Jiang Shennian had tried to persuade the emperor to hold a further inquiry into the affair, but the emperor had rejected the request, directly stripped the Zhongxin Marquess of his title of nobility and taken away all his powers. Even Ji Feng¡¯s father and uncles had been incriminated. All members of the Ji family had suffered.


    The Zhongxin Marquess had fallen ill after that meeting and been lying in bed for four days.


    Ling Zhang had been jumpy all along while listening to the news. If the Zhongxin Marquess failed to make it through, how heavy a blow it would be to Ji Feng!


    ¡°Did the Zhongxin Marquess really take bribes?¡± Ling Zhang was skeptical, but the Dali Temple had indeed found concrete evidence.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°What the Zhongxin Marquess had was real power, and the emperor trusted him very much during the few years following his enthronement. As such a powerful official, he undoubtedly had a stream of visitors every day who came to him with gifts to seek help, so I can¡¯t be absolutely sure that he never took any bribes, but ever since he took office, he¡¯s been assiduous and looking out for the people¡¯s best interest all along, and he¡¯s also one of the few courtiers who dare use blunt words to remonstrate at a court meeting. With him going down, there¡¯s one less person who could restrict the emperor¡¯s authority, which is definitely not a good thing for the imperial court, given the circumstances. These officials have always been obsessed with taking sides and contending for power to better serve their respective masters, and only very few care about the people¡¯s well-being. If the likes of Wang Cai continue to gain strength, I¡¯m afraid the political situation would get even worse.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I wonder how Ji Feng is doing. For people of the Ji family, the Zhongxin Marquess¡¯ going down must be like the sky falling in.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°As long as the Zhongxin Marquess pulls through, the situation in the Ji family wouldn¡¯t be that dire. Ji Feng is no longer a child, and it¡¯s about time he shouldered some responsibilities.¡±


    The second severe event was no smaller than the first. In a sense, its severity was even greater ¨C there had been another insurrection in Cangzhou, and it¡¯d been of a larger scale than that of the last one. Most of the officials of Cangzhou were new, and many important posts were still vacant. After the outbreak of this rebellion, Cangzhou had instantly been thrown into chaos and confusion. To make things worse, some officers of the Cangzhou Prefecture Guards had been found involved in corruption, and some other horrific truths had also been brought to light. For a time, the rebellion in Cangzhou had been picking up steam, and by the time of the arrival of the army sent by the imperial court, the insurgents had built a rebel army of a considerable number of members and had taken control of one third of Cangzhou. The rebel army tens of thousands strong had engaged the army sent to suppress the uprising by the imperial court, and hitherto, the revolt still hadn¡¯t been put down yet.


    ¡°The commander of the army is Dai Cheng who¡¯s just returned from Tanyang. This is really a thankless task for Dai Cheng. It¡¯s said that apart from men, there are also female members in the insurrectionary army. These people have deep hatred for the imperial court and refuse to surrender on any account. Killing those women is different from killing enemies on a battlefield. I think Dai Cheng has probably been having trouble sleeping.¡±


    With a darkened face, Yuwen Tong relayed the message he¡¯d just received, all the others listening with furrowed brows.


    ¡°How did such a great uprising come to break out? Theoretically, almost all the guilty officials of Cangzhou should have been put into prison and the new ones are still unfamiliar with their duties and haven¡¯t hit their stride yet.¡± Ling Zhang was confused.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°With the dismissal of the many guilty officials, a lot of posts fell vacant. Some were filled by inferior Cangzhou officials, and others by officials from other cities who wanted to help their masters line their pockets. These people didn¡¯t learn lessons from their predecessors, and some of them are even more corrupt. On top of that, the last incident in Xiang City that had cost a lot of innocent people¡¯s lives had sowed the seeds of hatred in Xiang City residents¡¯ minds. There were multiple reasons for the outbreak of this rebellion in Cangzhou, but the most important one was the extreme exploitation of Cangzhou people.¡±


    The truth sent a chill to Ling Zhang¡¯s heart. ¡°Those bureaucrats are monsters. They must¡¯ve lost their minds!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their masters who are crazy,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong flintily.


    ¡°The worse part is that the emperor didn¡¯t make any efforts to appease the rebels but ruthlessly ordered Dai Cheng to kill them on sight, which gave new fuel to the indignant rebel army, and even old people joined the rebellion. This is why Dai Cheng and his troops still haven¡¯t wiped out the insurrectionary army.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was growing colder.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind these were such unpeaceful times.¡± Mr. Mu kept shaking his head after hearing these words.


    Ji Yin, however, had a bland face, giving no particular response to it. In his sight, this world had always been divided and never really been peaceful, and in his heart of hearts he despised the emperor of the Great Yue. Furthermore, having been living a secluded life for so many years, it was very difficult for him to feel any sympathy for the people in the outside world again.


    ¡°The emperor must have a death wish,¡± observed Ling Zhang resentfully.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Cangzhou is very close to the capital city, and the emperor believes that Cangzhou residents, instead of revolting, should be grateful to him for bringing more than half of the previous Cangzhou officials to justice, which was why he sent an army to suppress the rebellion. Pity he¡¯s the only one seeing things that way. The situation in Cangzhou is quite grave. Although Dai Cheng still have enough troops and will no doubt exterminate the insurrectionary army in the end, the seeds of hatred have been sowed, and I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t be the last time that an insurrection breaks out.¡±


    Everybody lapsed into silence. Ling Zhaowu, who was the only one unable to understand, was sitting beside Ling Zhang with glazed eyes.


    Yuwen Tong continued, ¡°Things have always been complicated there, but the problem is that this matter triggered another round of strife in the imperial court. Previously, the Jiang family had been the leading force in Cangzhou for the longest time. Although many of their subordinates in Cangzhou have been thrown into prison, those local inferior officials that have been promoted to fill the vacancies more or less had some dealings with the Jiang family. This time around, in order to help the Crown Prince shift the responsibility for recommending the wrong person, the Gu family threw all the blame for the revolt in Cangzhou on the Jiang family. Naturally, the Jiang family refused to be the scapegoat, and Jiang Shennian did his best to fight back, but unfortunately for him, Jiang Chengfeng has been removed from office, and the other members of the Jiang family couldn¡¯t be of much help. In addition, the Jiang family has never taken sides, and courtiers in the Crown Prince¡¯s faction assisted the Gu family to squeeze the Jiang family. The Jiang family is on the losing side already. If Jiang Shennian is to help the Jiang family survive this, he and all the other officials in his family would have no choice but to resign.¡±


    Ling Zhang was taken aback. He¡¯d never expected to hear any of these. Jiang Shennian was the emperor¡¯s uncle, and he actually couldn¡¯t even keep his job?


    Yuwen Tong made a conjecture. ¡°The vendetta between the Jiang family and the Gu family has been there for a very long time. As the Crown Prince ascending the throne will do the Jiang family no good, I¡¯m afraid Jiang Shennian has already secretly taken sides, though on the surface he hasn¡¯t, which was why the Gu family launched such a ferocious attack on the Jiang family, trying so hard to bring down Jiang Shennian.


    So this time I¡¯ll have no alternative but to return to the capital city.¡±


    The last remark was the point Yuwen Tong had been trying to make. They¡¯d been away for less than a month, but such serious events had happened in the capital city. Yuwen Tong must go back.


    Thinking about the complexity of the situation in the capital city, Ling Zhang was distinctly careworn.


    ¡°Let Donglin and Chaofang go back to the capital city with you,¡± Ji Yin suddenly said.


    A slight frown creased Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow. ¡°They need to stay here to protect Brother Zhang and Uncle Ling.¡±


    Ji Yin fixed him with an earnest gaze and said, ¡°Your business is of greater importance. Besides, the reason why the Clan Leader sent Donglin and Chaofang here in the first place was that he wanted them to offer you help. He asked me to tell you not to forget the agreement between you two.¡±


    ¡°Bring them with you,¡± Ling Zhang also immediately said. There was no doubt Yuwen Tong would encounter dangers after returning to the capital city. With more people protecting Yuwen Tong, he would be less worried.

 Chapter 289 - Returning to Tanyang

    Ling Zhang suddenly paused after finishing this remark. Both Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang worked for Ji Yanlai, and there were some matters that he couldn¡¯t let Ji Yanlai know about, even though they had a deal. Having realized this, Ling Zhang hurriedly changed his mind and said, ¡°Grandfather, on second thought, we should let these two kind guards stay with us.¡±


    Ji Yin noticed the look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and also came to understand. ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang didn¡¯t insist on going with Yuwen Tong. After hearing Ji Yin¡¯s decision, they appeared quite calm and made no remarks.


    Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time, soon left Tongguan Town, took a shortcut to the capital city and at the same time sent a message back to Yao Yi and other bodyguards of his who were waiting in Wu City.


    Wang Dashan and others had also received Ling Zhang¡¯s message which told them to return to the capital city and be at Yuwen Tong¡¯s command. After Yao Yi and the others departed, they set off as well.


    ¡­


    As he was taking his father with him, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare travel fast and was still on the journey when Yuwen Tong and the others had reached the capital city.


    Maybe because he¡¯d spent half a month with Yuwen Tong and the latter had been carrying him on his back all the time during the part of their journey in the Sanguan Mountains, Ling Zhaowu missed Yuwen Tong and looked dispirited for some time after Yuwen Tong¡¯s departure, as though having lost a reliable companion.


    Seeing Ling Zhaowu like this, Ling Zhang dismissed his worries and his longing to reunite with Yuwen Tong and focused on tending Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°We¡¯ll enter Tanyang jurisdiction the day after tomorrow, Father. I¡¯ve already sent a letter back home. Uncle must be on his way to meet us. Don¡¯t be afraid of him when you see him. It¡¯ll break his heart,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him, ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°I mean my uncle, your full little brother. His name is Ling Zhaowen. Do you¡­ remember?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s voice dropped to a whisper when he uttered the last word. He hoped that Ling Zhaowu would remember but also feared that jogging his memory would be too intense a stimulus for his mind.


    Ling Zhaowu gazed at him with a bemused expression, repeating Ling Zhaowen¡¯s name in a murmur, ¡°Ling¡­Zhao¡­wen?¡±


    Ling Zhang apprehensively fixed him a stare, his eyes both expectant and watchful.


    Ling Zhaowu considered a spot with perplexed eyes for quite a long time. Suddenly, his countenance changed and he started to shake his head. Panting, he muttered inarticulately but in an increasingly firm tone, ¡°Li¨CLittle brother?¡±


    Ling Zhang gazed at him worriedly. ¡°Your full little brother.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu abruptly reached out his hands to grab Ling Zhang¡¯s arm and repeated urgently, ¡°Little brother! Little brother!¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a start, worrying that his reaction was beyond the threshold, but then he found that although Ling Zhaowu was overreacting, there was no sign of a seizure, so he gave a nod in the affirmative. ¡°Your full little brother, Ling Zhaowen.¡±


    ¡°Little brother!¡± Ling Zhaowu tightened his grip on Ling Zhang¡¯s arm and another name escaped his lips. ¡°Zhang¡¯er!¡±


    He suddenly started calling Ling Zhang, and his facial expression suggested that his mood was getting out of control. Ling Zhang hastily hit a couple of acupoints of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s according to the method Mr. Mu had previously taught him. It worked and Ling Zhaowu calmed down.


    This time, after cooling down, Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t look listless as he had the last few times. Instead, he kept murmuring a few words ¨C ¡°Little brother¡±, ¡°Zhang¡¯er¡± and ¡°Son¡±, as though they were of great importance to him but he couldn¡¯t remember any details about them, so he had to repeat these words again and again, his eyes staring at Ling Zhang expectantly, as if intending for Ling Zhang to give him some kind of answer.


    ¡°He¡¯s been having this kind of reaction more and more often lately. This is the sign of total recall. I¡¯ll administer the drug to him immediately when we reach Tanyang.¡± Mr. Mu walked inside and felt Ling Zhaowu¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°I wonder if he remembers my uncle and grandfather. I fear that the sight of them might be too strong a stimulus to him and he might be overwhelmed. Do you think it¡¯s better if we administer the drug to him beforehand?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not the right thing to do. After taking the drug, he¡¯ll need a quiet place to rest, so we must wait until we settle in. Besides, I¡¯ll have to perform acupuncture on him on a daily basis during the first few days after the administration of the drug, and this is not the right place to do that. I¡¯ll keep constant watch on him. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll put him to sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you say, Mr. Mu.¡±


    Ji Yin consoled him, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. We¡¯re only one day away from getting there.¡±


    Ling Zhang had to take heed of Ji Yin¡¯s comforting words. Maybe because he was concerned about the safety of Yuwen Tong who had returned to the capital city along, Ling Zhang had been faintly feeling some kind of anxiety all along. He believed that he had calmed down, but in fact there was still a suspicion of restlessness in his tone and bearing.


    Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t stop mumbling until he fell asleep that night. The next day, like a forgetful child, he forgot all his vexations after waking up and followed at Ling Zhang¡¯s heels at all times, curiously looking left and right, as though he could never get bored of seeing the uproarious town.


    In horse-drawn carriages, they set out on the last stage of their journey, heading for Tanyang.


    As soon as they crossed the boundaries of Tanyang, Ling Zhang caught sight of Ling Zhaowen, Butler Li and the other couple of stewards of the Ling family, all of whom were looking in the direction that the main road led, anxiety on all their faces.


    Ling Zhang and the others were traveling in two carriages, and the drivers were Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang, both of whom were not familiar faces, so Ling Zhaowen and the others didn¡¯t pay much attention to them, but as the two carriages approached, Ling Zhaowen had some kind of hunch and quickly walked towards them head-on in spite of himself. He had always set great store by his demeanor, but on this occasion, there was no room in his mind for it. He stared unblinkingly at the carriages, eager anticipation on his face.


    Ling Zhang directly lifted the carriage curtain, craned out, waved at him and called, ¡°Uncle!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen instantly stopped dead, and then ecstasy started glinting in his eyes. ¡°Zhang¡¯er!¡±


    With that, his eyes quickly flashed through the curtain raised by Ling Zhang, gazing into the carriage, expecting to spot someone. Lips quivering, he made towards the carriage step by step at a somewhat dull pace.


    ¡°Yo¨CYour father¡­¡±


    Seeing that his uncle couldn¡¯t even speak fluently, Ling Zhang was nearly reduced to tears. ¡°He¡¯s right in the carriage.¡±


    Butler Li and the others in the distance also quickly walked in this direction.


    The carriages slowly halted before Ling Zhaowen. Ling Zhang lifted the curtain completely and said to Ling Zhaowu who was sitting inside, ¡°Father, we¡¯ve arrived in Tanyang. Uncle is waiting for you outside.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu reached out his hand to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, looking confusedly from him to the outside.


    At this moment, Ling Zhaowen had got a clear view of the one sitting in the carriage. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed several times, his eyes reddening, gazing fixedly at the one inside. In a rather hoarse voice, he called, ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s First Master! It¡¯s really First Master!¡± Butler Li and the others also exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.


    Ling Zhaowu was startled by Ling Zhaowen who was standing outside the carriage and staring unblinkingly at him with red eyes. When Butler Li and the others excitedly clustered around, in particular, he cowered behind Ling Zhang, not daring to get out of the carriage.


    On seeing Ling Zhaowen¡¯s reaction, Ling Zhaowen and the others went rigid and for a few moments were in stupefaction.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m Zhaowen. Yo¨CYou don¡¯t remember me?¡± Ling Zhaowen said urgently.


    Ling Zhaowu craned around Ling Zhang¡¯s back to look at him. The sight of his thin figure and pale complexion almost reduced Ling Zhaowen to tears. Ling Zhaowu was looking at Ling Zhaowen like a stranger, a mixture of bewilderment and fear in his eyes, not at all daring to make a reply to Ling Zhaowen.


    This was really a heartbroken moment for Ling Zhaowen. ¡°Brother!¡± he called.


    Ling Zhang, however, took Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hand and consoled him in a soft voice, ¡°Father, don¡¯t be afraid. None of them will do you any harm. I¡¯m right here. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Then he winked at Butler Li and the others, signaling them to back away and not to gather around so soon. They all caught on to Ling Zhang¡¯s wink. Before they¡¯d come here, they¡¯d been informed of the contents of Ling Zhang¡¯s letter. Though unable to believe what they were seeing, they still hurriedly backed off in the knowledge that they couldn¡¯t afford to stimulate Ling Zhaowu in these circumstances.


    After Butler Li and the others backed away, Ling Zhaowu indeed relaxed considerably and finally no longer hid himself completely behind Ling Zhang¡¯s back.


    Ling Zhang got out of the carriage first, and then helped Ling Zhaowu get to the ground and stand before Ling Zhaowen.


    Though very excited, Ling Zhaowen still restrained himself, maintaining a certain distance away from his brother, not daring get too close for fear of scaring him.


    ¡°Brother, you finally came back. We¡¯ve been looking for you all these years and are on the verge of losing hope. Father talks about you every day and never stops worrying over you. He wanted very much to come here with us to be the first to see you. If we hadn¡¯t stopped him for fear that he might fall ill from the sudden excitement and tiring trip, you would have met him by now.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was thrown into perplexity by these words, the puzzlement in his eyes unmistakable.


    He looked at Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t move, and then shifted his gaze to Ling Zhaowen and asked, ¡°Wh¨CWho are you?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen had gradually recovered from the shock of his brother¡¯s reaction. Though his heart ached badly at this question of Ling Zhaowu, he still replied in a calm voice, ¡°I¡¯m your younger brother. Do you remember this, Big Brother? Before you left home, we were very close and kept no secrets from each other. You¡¯re older than me, so you always stuck up for me. You were into kung fu, and nobody dared to bully me as long as you were by my side. When we were young and lived with our parents in Haizhou, we slunk out of the back yard of the yamen into the front yard to play very often. On one occasion, Father found out and flogged us with a length of bamboo. You stood before me and took most of the strokes for me. Do you still remember any of it?¡±


    In order to help Ling Zhaowu recall him, Ling Zhaowen even disclosed a stupid thing they had done when they¡¯d been young boys.


    If it were in any other circumstance, Ling Zhang would definitely have burst into laughter, but now the story only struck him as poignant.


    At this time, Mr. Mu and Ji Yin had also got out of the carriage at the back and were walking over.


    Ling Zhaowen, who was still gazing at Ling Zhaowu with anticipation on his face, failed to notice the two of them.


    Ling Zhaowu just gazed back at Ling Zhaowen with a mixture of bafflement and curiosity in his eyes but couldn¡¯t recollect anything. Ling Zhaowen¡¯s intense emotions gave him a feeling of constriction in the chest, as though something heavy were weighing him down. Head twisted aside and slightly down, eyes lifted, he stared at Ling Zhaowen, involuntarily biting his lower lip.


    At the sight of this, Ling Zhang came to the realization that Ling Zhaowu was baffled but had become curious about Ling Zhaowen and wanted to know more about him.


    ¡°Uncle, my father sustained mental trauma and lost all his memories. I brought back a pill which could cure him, but the treatment requires a quiet environment, so we have to return home first.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhaowen, forcing himself into maintaining his composure, took his expectant eyes off Ling Zhaowu, inclined his head and said, ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s go back right away.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯d like to introduce someone to you first. This is my maternal grandfather.¡±

 Chapter 290 - Returning to Tanyang (2)

    In that letter, Ling Zhang had merely mentioned to Ling Zhaowen that he¡¯d met his maternal grandfather and also found his father, but hadn¡¯t enlarged on the matter for fear that the letter might be intercepted halfway, so Ling Zhaowen had guessed that Ji Yin should be an old man. He¡¯d never expected Ji Yin to be someone looking so young. His face took on an astonished look in spite of himself.


    This time, Ji Yin hadn¡¯t disguised as an old man with gray hair and beard like he¡¯d done when under the identity of Professor Li. He had simply dressed like a common scholar and stuck a fake mustache to his upper lip, appearing to be almost the same age as Ling Zhaowen¡¯s¡­


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ling Zhaowen hesitated. Worried that Ling Zhang might have introduced the wrong person, he tentatively shifted his gaze to Mr. Mu who also had mustache but seemed older.


    Butler Li and the others who had accompanied Ling Zhaowen to this place also looked amazed, feeling that both of these men were too young to be their young master¡¯s maternal grandfather.


    ¡°Uncle, he¡¯s really my maternal grandfather. I know it¡¯s hard to believe. I¡¯ll explain after we get home,¡± said Ling Zhang, standing beside Ji Yin.


    ¡°I¡¯m indeed Zhang¡¯er¡¯s maternal grandfather. My name is Ji Yin. There are a lot of reasons why this is the first time in so many years that we¡¯ve seen each other. Please forgive me,¡± said Ji Yin.


    As both Ling Zhang and Ji Yin had confirmed it, Ling Zhaowen had no choice but to accept it as the truth, though still in great astonishment. ¡°Please pardon me for my lack of discernment. I¡¯m Ling Zhaowen. Thank you for taking care of my brother for so many years.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my daughter¡¯s husband and also my grandson¡¯s father. I only did what I should do,¡± said Ji Yin.


    ¡°Uncle, this is Mr. Mu, the physician who¡¯s been treating my father all these years.¡± Ling Zhang introduced Mr. Mu to his uncle.


    Ling Zhaowen hurriedly expressed his gratitude to him, making a deep bow. Mr. Mu bowed back to him with hands folded in front. ¡°I but did what I was ordered to do. There¡¯s no need for you to thank me, Second Master Ling.¡±


    ¡°No matter what the reason was, you saved my brother¡¯s life and are the Ling family¡¯s savior,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu who was standing by his side and said to Ji Yin and the others, ¡°Grandfather, Mr. Mu, Uncle, I think it¡¯s best if we go back to Tanyang as soon as possible.¡±


    Seeing that he became the focus of so many people¡¯s attention again, Ling Zhaowu went somewhat uneasy.


    Ling Zhaowen was now more collected. ¡°Zhang¡¯er, go back into the carriage with your father. We¡¯ll enter the town to have some rest and then set off to return to Tanyang.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod and then supported Ling Zhaowu into the carriage.


    ¡­


    The next day. In Tanyang.


    Ling Xingzhong, along with Ling Maomao and some family servants, were standing at the city gates, looking at the horizon where the main road seemed to end, their faces full of anxiety.


    Almost all passers-by knew who Ling Xingzhong was. Some of them walked over and asked, ¡°Old Master Ling, whom are you waiting here with you grandson for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my son to come home,¡± Ling Xingzhong replied.


    The one who¡¯d asked the question was surprised to hear this answer. Ling Zhaowen had gone on a long journey? But hadn¡¯t they seen him only a couple of days ago? Besides, even if Ling Zhaowen had gone on a long journey, why had Ling Xingzhong specially come here to wait for him? Was Ling Zhaowen supposed to bring back something precious, by any chance?


    One of them ventured, ¡°Tongzhi Ling must be bringing back some kind of treasure. When he comes back, don¡¯t hide it from us, Old Master Ling. Let us have a look to widen our horizons.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong didn¡¯t take offence. In transports of sentiment, he looked in the direction that the main road led and responded, ¡°He¡¯s indeed a rare treasure. If I could just see him one more time, I¡¯d feel no regret till my last breath.¡± (In Chinese, the third-person pronoun referring to an animal or a thing has the same pronunciation as that of the one referring to a person.)


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s putting it so seriously piqued all these people¡¯s curiosity. Those who were in no hurry found a nearby spot to sit down, waiting to see what this treasure that Ling Xingzhong would trade his life for an opportunity to see one more time looked like exactly.


    The message passed from mouth to mouth, and soon a lot of residents gathered at the city gates, all of whom had come along for the ride. Those who intended to enter the city found their path blocked by lookers-on, but instead of getting annoyed, they joined them to go with the flow.


    Tao Feng was also greatly surprised to hear what was happening at the city gates. The night before, Ling Zhaowen had someone deliver a message to him, telling him that he needed to take a leave of absence to deal with some urgent family business, and then Ling Zhaowen exited the city in a great hurry with some men and still hadn¡¯t come back yet; and this morning, Ling Xingzhong went to the city gates and had been anxiously waiting ever since. Was he really expecting some rare treasure, by any chance?


    Tao Feng felt that the circumstances were somewhat suspicious. If Ling Zhaowen was really bringing back some kind of rare treasure, people of the Ling family would without doubt try to keep the whole thing secret from others. On no account would they have disclosed it to so many residents at the city gates, because despite the fact that there were barely any bandits left in Tanyang, there was no telling whether or not robbers from other cities wouldn¡¯t be drawn here by the news. Ling Xingzhong shouldn¡¯t be such a dotard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    Tao Feng took some men and also hastened towards the city gates.


    Tao Feng was the prefectural governor, so residents naturally didn¡¯t dare get in his way. He walked straight up to Ling Xingzhong and asked, ¡°Old Master Ling, are you waiting for Zhaowen to come back?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong neither inclined nor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my son.¡±


    Exceptionally expectant as he was privately, he feared that his hopes might end up being disappointed, which was why he kept part of the truth back.


    Seeing this, Tao Feng believed that he was indeed waiting for Ling Zhaowen to bring something back and reminded him in an undertone, ¡°Old Master Ling, if it is indeed something of a rarity, aren¡¯t you putting your family in danger by telling everybody about it?¡±


    Knowing that he misunderstood, Ling Xingzhong was just about to explain when two horse-drawn carriages and a group of riders came into sight on the main road in the distance. In his eager anticipation, he ignored Tao Feng¡¯s question and took a couple of quick steps forward, straining his neck for a better view of that group of people.


    All onlookers were waiting for this moment. Someone in the crowd immediately yelled, ¡°He¡¯s coming! Tongzhi Ling came back!¡±


    ¡°He returned!¡± Residents were all thrilled, eager to find out what kind of treasure Ling Zhaowen was bringing back exactly. In order to ensure at least a glimpse of it, everybody was trying to squeeze their way to the frontmost or standing on tiptoe or climbing to a high position.


    Ling Zhaowen was riding, followed by Butler Li and the stewards who were also on horseback. Distantly, they all caught sight of the uproarious scene at the city gates, stunned. It was not until a loud cheer burst forth from the crowd that they came to realize it was them that those people were waiting for. ¡°That¡¯s him! Tongzhi Ling came back!¡±


    ¡°It seems that they all know First Master returned and came here to see him,¡± remarked Butler Li.


    But Ling Zhaowen had an inkling that something was not quite right but didn¡¯t have the time to give it any more thought, for he saw that Ling Xingzhong and his grandson Ling Maomao were both looking in this direction with eager eyes.


    ¡°Grandfather?¡± Ling Zhang had lifted the carriage curtain and saw the bustle at the city gates in the distance. ¡°What¡¯s going on there¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, hold tight to your father after we get there. I don¡¯t know why so many people came here. I worry that your father might be scared by them,¡± Ling Zhaowen reminded Ling Zhang. Having spent a day with Ling Zhaowu, he had come to know what kind of mental state his brother was in and was deeply concerned.


    Ling Zhang tossed a glance at his father who was beside him and craning his neck to look at the crowd in the distance, and said, ¡°I will.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was frightened of strangers, but as long as strangers around him didn¡¯t stare at him, he wouldn¡¯t panic; on the contrary, he would get very excited like a child. However, on this occasion, it was very likely that all those thrilled residents at the city gates had specially come here to see them. Although Ling Zhang had no idea which part of the plan had gone awry, he did know that he must not expose Ling Zhaowu to this atmosphere.


    ¡°Father, Grandfather and Maomao are waiting for you in front. There are also many citizens present. When we get there, you don¡¯t have to get out of this carriage. I¡¯ll go out and explain it to Grandfather. I want you to stay here waiting for me. Can you do that?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu had clapped eyes on the large crowds that were gazing in this direction. A shade scared, he flinched and gripped Ling Zhang¡¯s hand tight. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, stop that nonsense. I¡¯ll talk to your grandfather. We¡¯ll enter the city immediately after those people clear off,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang was resigned, but Ling Zhaowu had already begun to feel afraid, and if he left his father alone in the carriage, something might go wrong.


    ¡°Okay, Uncle. Ask Grandfather to get in this carriage ¨C and Maomao, too. As Maomao is a kid, my father should be more at ease with him present.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen bobbed his head and spurred his horse to continue progressing.


    As the group of them approached, residents at the city gates cheered again and again. ¡°Here he comes! Here he comes!¡±


    ¡°Tongzhi Ling, what kind of rare treasure did you bring back? Please let us have a look!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve never seen any rare treasure in all my life!¡±


    ¡°Tongzhi Ling, all of us have been looking forward to seeing it!¡±


    Their curiosity piqued, residents couldn¡¯t wait to see what it was, their eyes boring into the two carriages.


    At this moment, Ling Zhaowen came to understand what was going on. All these people mistakenly believed that he had brought back some rare treasure, and had come here to see it. He was rather resigned in the knowledge that this must be his father¡¯s doing.


    He dismounted from his horse and walked up to Ling Xingzhong who was quite anxious from the long wait.


    Ling Xingzhong instantly grabbed his arm with great force and inquired, ¡°How did it go? Did you bring your brother back?!¡±


    Tao Feng who was standing on the side was stupefied at the question and soon came to realize what this was about. Ling Zhaowu, Ling Xingzhong¡¯s firstborn son, had returned?!


    Ling Zhaowen nodded vigorously. ¡°I did. He¡¯s in that carriage. Father, he sustained some kind of mental trauma, and the crowd will scare him, so we cannot let him get out of the carriage. Also, you need to have these people clear off, and then you and Maomao should get into the carriage. We¡¯ll talk after getting back home.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s heart did a somersault and then slightly sank. He cast a look over his shoulder at the crowd of onlookers. In the knowledge that he¡¯d caused some trouble, he turned around and explained to the residents, ¡°Hey, everybody, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t make myself clear enough previously. What my second son brought back is Ling Zhaowu, my eldest son, who is a rare treasure to me. It¡¯s not what you think. I¡¯d appreciate it if you guys would make way for us so that our carriages could take us back home.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu? Many of the residents had no memories of this person. It was those of a certain age who recalled that he was Ling Xingzhong¡¯s firstborn son, the one who had been missing for over a decade!


    Tao Feng had heard Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words just now. Although he was very curious as well, it was obvious that at this moment the most important thing was to make sure people of the Ling family returned home as soon as possible, so he also told the crowd to clear off.


    The lookers-on were all rather disappointed to learn that what had been brought back was a person, not some valuable item that they had imagined, but after hearing that Ling Zhaowu, a member of the Ling family that had been unaccounted for for over ten years, they were quite surprised and curious. However, since both Ling Xingzhong and Tao Feng had told them to clear off, they felt it inappropriate to stay around the carriages and parted to allow them to go into the city.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Tao,¡± said Ling Zhaowen gratefully.


    Tao Feng replied, ¡°I did what I should do. But¡­ is it true that your big brother really came back?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a nod. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true, but my brother suffered grievous injuries and are still recovering. It¡¯s inconvenient for him to see too many people at a time, which is why we let him stay in the carriage. We¡¯ll take him back home to have some rest first. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll invite you around to have a talk.¡±


    A sensible person, Tao Feng said, ¡°This is definitely a blessing from God. You should get going right away.¡±

 Chapter 291 - Exposed to a Stimulus After Returning Home

    As the crowd thinned out, Ling Zhaowen, followed by Ling Xingzhong and Ling Maomao, walked up to the carriage.


    Ling Zhang, seeing the lookers-on had cleared off, lifted the carriage curtain and craned out. ¡°Grandfather, Maomao.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong didn¡¯t appear very excited to see his beloved grandson. ¡°Um,¡± he merely said, looking inside the carriage. At the sight of Ling Zhaowu who was hiding behind Ling Zhang¡¯s back and peeping at him with a somewhat scared face, his eyes quickly reddened, appraising Ling Zhaowu carefully from head to foot. When he found that Ling Zhaowu was thin and pale, tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°You unfilial son. I thought you¡¯d never come back.¡±


    At first Ling Zhaowu was very afraid, but gradually, as though surprised by Ling Xingzhong¡¯s upset look, he fixed him with a bemused stare.


    ¡°Father, get in the carriage.¡± Ling Zhaowen walked over and supported Ling Xingzhong into the carriage.


    Ling Maomao didn¡¯t need Ling Zhaowen¡¯s help and climbed onto it by himself. Ling Zhang reached out his hand to pull him to his feet. ¡°Get in, Maomao.¡±


    Ling Maomao held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand tight and called, ¡°Big Brother.¡±


    Maybe because he was affected by the atmosphere, Ling Maomao was not as excited to see Ling Zhang as he had been in the past. Though the gleam in his sparkling eyes suggested that he was pleasantly surprised, the little boy appeared much more poised than the last time Ling Zhang had seen him.


    Ling Zhang pulled him into the carriage, which was quite broad and comfortable and didn¡¯t feel crowded even with three adults and a child sitting inside now. Ling Zhaowu was sitting pressing himself tightly against Ling Zhang¡¯s side. When Ling Xingzhong had been getting in, he had buried his head in Ling Zhang¡¯s back and afterwards had turned his head aside to look at Ling Xingzhong. Seeing Ling Xingzhong still gazing at him with that same excited face, he had uneasily edged a little closer to Ling Zhang. Ling Maomao was sitting beside Ling Xingzhong, staring at this uncle of his who was a complete stranger to him, astonishment gleaming in his eyes. He had never expected that Ling Zhaowu would act like this, but he didn¡¯t ask any questions, looked from Ling Zhaowu to Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhang, and then just sat there, keeping silent.


    Ling Zhaowu, however, was distracted by Ling Maomao¡¯s presence. Clearly a little boy was not as intimidating for him as an adult was. He looked at Ling Maomao curiously.


    His gaze sent Ling Maomao somewhat disconcerted. ¡°Un¨CUncle.¡±


    Perplexed as to what that word meant, Ling Zhaowu swiveled his head aside to look at Ling Zhang. ¡°Zhang¡¯er?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong had been observing Ling Zhaowu since he¡¯d got into the carriage. Seeing that Ling Zhaowu had been behaving like a child all along, he felt a twinge of intense heartache, twisted his head around and didn¡¯t turn it back until he had wiped the tears off the corners of his eyes. In order not to make his grandfather feel embarrassed, Ling Zhang pretended not to have noticed. Ling Maomao¡¯s attention was focused on Ling Zhaowu, so he failed to perceive this.


    ¡°He¡¯s Maomao, my uncle¡¯s son, your nephew,¡± Ling Zhang explained to Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowu repeated the word. ¡°Nephew?¡±


    Then he shifted his gaze to Ling Maomao and suddenly gave a smile. ¡°Nephew.¡±


    Ling Zhang was briefly stupefied to see his smile. Ling Zhaowu had hardly smiled apart from the couple of occasions when Ling Zhang had seen smile on his face in the Millennium Pavilion, and this was the first time that he had seen Ling Zhaowu smile since they¡¯d left the Millennium Pavilion.


    Ling Xingzhong also appeared somewhat absent-minded, a faraway expression on his face, as though Ling Zhaowu¡¯s smile had conjured up his memories of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s childhood. After quite a while, he let out a long sigh and pulled himself back to the present, his eyes resting on Ling Zhaowu who had become interested in and been gazing all along at Ling Maomao. ¡°You undutiful son. If you had listened to me and stayed at home, none of this would have happened.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu couldn¡¯t understand. He just subconsciously knew that by making this remark, Ling Xingzhong was reproaching him. A trifle afraid, he lowered his head and buried his face in Ling Zhang¡¯s back.


    The corners of Ling Xingzhong¡¯s mouth slightly twitched. Eventually, he heaved another sigh, looking senile and weary, as though having just aged several years.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this and consoled him, ¡°Grandfather, my father will recover. I brought a pill that could cure him.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong inclined his head and looked at Ling Zhang, guilt etched on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping your mother¡¯s parentage back from you all these years. It never crossed my mind that I was holding you back. Fortunately they came and found you, and you didn¡¯t miss any of this. I made a mistake.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°No. You did what you thought was best for me. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to console me. I know I could be very mulish sometimes. Had I adopted a more flexible approach in that year, I might have managed to stop your father from leaving, and you wouldn¡¯t have been divided from your father for so many years, and neither would your father have ended up like this. If it weren¡¯t for the kindness of them, I would have to spend the rest of my life in regret.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him earnestly. ¡°Grandfather, you did everything you could. Things wouldn¡¯t have come to this had my father seen sense back then, but given his mental state, we cannot blame him for that. You shouldn¡¯t beat yourself up over my father¡¯s mistake.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong gave a long sigh. ¡°The father is responsible for the son¡¯s ignorance.¡±


    Ling Zhang had no alternative but to hurriedly make an attempt to steer the conversation away from this topic in the knowledge that it¡¯d take some more time to get his grandfather to stop blaming himself. ¡°Grandfather, back at the city gates, what with the confusion outside, I didn¡¯t introduce my maternal grandfather to you. He¡¯s in the carriage behind us, along with Mr. Mu, the physician who¡¯s been treating my father.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong nodded. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll thank them after we get home.¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth but eventually said nothing.


    ¡­


    The horse-drawn carriages halted at the front gates of the residence of the Ling family. Fu Caiwei, along with some servants, had been waiting for them. At the sight of the group of people, her eyes rested on Ling Zhaowen who was in front, overjoyed. ¡°Darling!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a nod at her and dismounted from his horse. After Fu Caiwei walked down the flight of steps, Ling Zhaowen told her in a low voice, ¡°My big brother is in the carriage with my father and Zhang¡¯er. His mental state is a little¡­ special. Don¡¯t feel surprised when you see him.¡±


    Fu Caiwei nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    In the carriage.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Ji Donglin raised the carriage curtain. Ling Zhang turned and said to Ling Zhaowu, ¡°Father, we¡¯ve arrived home. Let me help you get out of this carriage.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu curiously looked outside, a disbelieving expression flashing across his pallid face. ¡°This is not home.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong paused, looking at him.


    Ling Zhang knew that the reason why Ling Zhaowu said this was because he had taken that little courtyard house in the Millennium Pavilion which he¡¯d been living in for over half a year for his home and had forgotten the Ling family, so he patiently explained, ¡°Father, this is the Ling family, which is both my home and your home.¡±


    ¡°Your home? Zhang¡¯er¡¯s home?¡± Ling Zhaowu looked at him.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    Comprehension dawning on his face, bobbing his head, Ling Zhaowu beamed, ¡°Then it¡¯s my home as well.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang felt a stab of sadness and firmly held his father¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and go home.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu nodded and finally went out of the carriage with Ling Zhang cooperatively. After that, when Ling Zhang released his grip on Ling Zhaowu¡¯s arms and went to help Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowu seemed rather unhappy, following him closely with his front against Ling Zhang¡¯s back.


    ¡°Take it easy, Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhang supported Ling Xingzhong out of the carriage and then subconsciously reached out his hands to carry Ling Maomao, but the little boy swiftly jumped off the carriage. ¡°I can manage it myself, Big Brother.¡±


    For an instant Ling Zhang felt lost. Maomao had grown up.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er.¡± Ling Zhaowu gave the back of Ling Zhang¡¯s robe a pull, displeased with him gazing at Ling Maomao.


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance and held Ling Zhaowu¡¯s wrist consolingly. ¡°Father, does this place strike you as familiar?¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhaowu glanced around and was just about to shake his head when his eyes were suddenly fixed on something, his countenance vacant.


    The others looked in the direction he was staring and found that what attracted his attention was an outer screen wall and the plants in front of it.


    ¡°Your father and your mother finished that painting on the screen wall together the year when we returned to Tanyang,¡± Ling Zhaowen explained in a quiet voice.


    Ling Zhang turned his head around to look at Ling Zhaowu. Worrying that the painting might turn out to be some kind of visual stimulus, Ling Zhaowu had started walking forward. Ling Zhang hurriedly followed. ¡°Father.¡±


    This time Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t give any particular reaction and was still considering the painting on the screen wall. Standing in front of the wall, looking up at it, he raised his hand to touch it and with that his face took on a seemingly distant or anguished expression. Ling Zhang¡¯s heart gave a lurch and then saw Ling Zhaowu suddenly crouch down, clap his hand over his head and cried out in pain, ¡°Ah! AAAAAARGH!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Ling Zhang gave a start and hurriedly yelled, ¡°Mr. Mu!¡±


    Mr. Mu had just got out of the carriage with Ji Yin when he caught sight of this scene. He hastily took his medicine chest in his arms and sprinted over.


    All members of the Ling family were startled.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Ling Zhaowen ran up to Ling Zhaowu and tried to support him only to find that Ling Zhaowu¡¯s strength was so great that he was unable to raise him to his feet.


    ¡°Maternal Grandfather!¡± Ling Zhang had just let out a cry when Ji Yin swooshed over to them with a blur of movement and restrained Ling Zhaowu who was shouting in pain. Ling Zhaowu sat onto the ground, leaning against Ling Zhang¡¯s chest, still holding his head and crying constantly, ¡°AAAAAARGH!¡±


    ¡°Brother.¡± Ling Zhaowen¡¯s eyes reddened with sorrow at this sight.


    Ling Xingzhong was also thrown into discomposure, at a loss what to do. Seeing his son¡¯s miserable face, he felt as though the pain was stabbing at his heart.


    Right at this moment, Mr. Mu took quickly took out some needles, skillfully stuck several of them into Ling Zhaowu¡¯s skin at certain acupoints, then stuffed a pill into Ling Zhaowu¡¯s mouth, raised his head and said, ¡°Hurry. Carry him inside.¡±Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    With great strength, Ling Zhang directly scooped up Ling Zhaowu who had listlessly closed his eyes after calming down, and rushed through the front gates. The others immediately followed. A steward, who was the only one left in the gateway, instructed some servants to take the traveling bags in the carriages into the residence and then park the carriages to another place.


    After carrying Ling Zhaowu inside, Ling Zhang suddenly paused, wondering where he should take Ling Zhaowu. Servants every other day cleaned the courtyard house that Ling Zhaowu used to live in, so it was very clean, but he was afraid that Ling Zhaowu would be stimulated again by the things in his room when he woke up. After hesitating for a brief moment, he hastened towards his own house with Ling Zhaowu in his arms.


    Ji Yin, carrying Mr. Mu with one arm and the medicine chest with the other hand, nimbly followed in Ling Zhang¡¯s wake like a shadow and was instantly out of the others¡¯ sight.


    Having entered his own courtyard house, Ling Zhang was very familiar with everything inside. The servants in the courtyard were all astounded to see Ling Zhang abruptly charge in with a man in his arms.


    ¡°Make the bed!¡± Ling Zhang yelled.


    ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ve made all the beds already,¡± a servant hurriedly answered.


    Ling Zhang carried Ling Zhaowu into his bedroom, put him down onto his bed and carefully adjusted his lying position to make sure it was comfortable. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now, Father.¡±

 Chapter 292 - An Uncle-Nephew Talk

    Ling Zhaowu had quieted down and closed his eyes. Both the acupuncture treatment and the pill that Mr. Mu had given him had served to help him calm down and fall asleep, because this was the only way to have Ling Zhaowu stop digging deep into his memories.


    Ji Yin put down Mr. Mu, who was too anxious to adjust his robes, took the medicine chest and fished out the needles again.


    ¡­


    Two hours later, Mr. Mu walked outside and said wearily, ¡°Since this place was familiar to him, the stimulus he was exposed to this time was more intense than any of the previous ones. In a day or two, after his condition stabilizes, I¡¯ll administer the drug to him and then perform acupuncture on him. Right now I need to go and get some sleep, and then I¡¯ll start making preparations.¡±


    Everybody felt a sense of relief. After solemnly expressing his gratitude to Mr. Mu, Ling Zhaowen personally led him to a guest room to rest.


    ¡°Fortunately Mr. Mu is with us. I didn¡¯t expect that the painting on the screen wall would stimulate my father¡¯s mind so dramatically,¡± said Ling Zhang in a deep voice.


    Ling Xingzhong, who seemed to have aged a couple of years in the last few moments, explained, ¡°That painting was finished not long after your birth. To your father, it¡¯s the work of all three members of his family.¡±


    This was the first time that Ling Zhang had heard about this story behind that painting on the screen wall. During the past so many years, he had never paid any special attention to that painting.


    Ji Yin flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu who was sleeping inside, inwardly sighing. It had been lucky of his daughter to have met a man so infatuated with her, but pity¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, In-law. This is the first time that you¡¯ve come to visit us, but we failed to receive you with due ceremonial.¡±


    At the sight of Ji Yin, Ling Xingzhong subdued his grief. This in-law of his was too young ¨C so young that he virtually seemed to be his son¡¯s age. Ling Xingzhong felt that this was somewhat unreal, a faraway expression on his face.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Currently, treating Zhaowu¡¯s illness is the most important thing. We¡¯ll have a lot of time to get to know each other after he recovers.¡±


    Seeing Ling Xingzhong¡¯s tired face, Ling Zhang also said, ¡°Grandfather, how about I walk you back to your room to have some rest? The rest of us will keep a close watch on my father.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong shook his head, rose from his seat and headed towards the bedroom. ¡°I want to check on him one more time.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ji Yin, who said, ¡°I¡¯ll be having a walk in the courtyard. You may go.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod, followed Ling Xingzhong into the bedroom, moved a chair to the bedside and helped him sit down.


    The very sight of thin, pasty-faced Ling Zhaowu lying in bed made Ling Xingzhong¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Your father has been lying like this for over ten years?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Back in that year, my father was severely wounded. The leader of the Millennium Pavilion saved his life by reviving his cardiac meridian but was unable to help him make a quick recovery. He could only use medication to nurse his wounds. In addition, at that time there was probably something troubling my father¡¯s mind, something he couldn¡¯t let go, so he¡¯d been in a coma for many years, and Mr. Mu had been taking care of his health for the duration. He unblocked my father¡¯s meridians on a regular basis, keeping him alive.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong inclined his head. After quite a long time, he said, ¡°In the past, I was actually very angry with those people, and I had some complaints against your mother as well, believing that they were the reason why my son lost his mind, ran away from home and remained missing for over ten years. For a time I even thought he was dead. But now, I don¡¯t blame them any more. I¡¯m grateful to them for saving your father¡¯s life and allowing us to be reunited with him.¡±


    Ling Zhang consoled him, ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong patted his hand and said no more, gazing at Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look in the direction of the courtyard. Given his maternal grandfather¡¯s powerful internal energy, he definitely had overheard this conversation.


    Ling Xingzhong sat there for quite a while. It was not until he was unable to sit there any longer that he rose to his feet. When he stood up, he staggered owing to the partially blocked blood supply to his legs. Fortunately Ling Zhang was supporting him, but he was still startled and hurriedly said, ¡°Grandfather, let me slowly walk you back to your chambers to have some rest. My father is ill. I can¡¯t afford to let anything happen to you.¡±


    It was a few moments before Ling Xingzhong felt better and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m a useless geriatric now.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt another twinge of sorrow at this remark.


    He slowly guided Ling Xingzhong back to his courtyard house, used a wet towel to wipe his face and hands clean, helped him take off his overgarment and lie down in a deck chair. Seeing him resting, Ling Zhang let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You should go back to keep an eye on your father. Don¡¯t worry about me. I have Lao Li keeping me company,¡± said Ling Xingzhong.


    Butler Li said, ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll be here watching over Old Master Ling. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    Ling Zhang was indeed concerned about his father¡¯s condition, so he gave Butler Li some instructions and then left. Originally he had wanted to consult with his elders about a lot of things after returning home, but now was not the right time to talk about those matters, so he had no choice but to wait until another day.


    After entering his own courtyard house, Ling Zhang walked up to Ji Yin. ¡°Maternal Grandfather, my paternal grandfather meant no offence when he said the first half of his words just now.¡±


    Ji Yin smiled, ¡°You worry that I might take offence?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, looking at him earnestly.


    Ji Yin softly let out sigh. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve some time ago anticipated all this. If I were him, I would have grudges as well. Besides, your paternal grandfather could only complain when he couldn¡¯t find us; I would have gone much farther than that if I were in his shoes. So his reaction struck me as exceptionally understandable. You may rest assured that your maternal grandfather is not that weak in the mind.¡±


    Ling Zhang made no more remarks after hearing this.


    Ling Zhaowu slept for over four hours and awoke at noon. Ling Zhang and Ling Maomao were watching over him at the bedside.


    Ling Maomao had sharp eyes and was the first to notice Ling Zhaowu wake up. Pleasantly surprised, he called, ¡°Big Brother, uncle woke up.¡±


    With Ling Zhaowu awaking, the mood in the residence lightened significantly, though he forgot about everything as usual and was resistant to and scared of this alien environment.


    As Ling Zhang was someone familiar to him and Ling Maomao was a child, Ling Zhaowu followed at their heels at all times, as though frightened of being abandoned in this strange place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Father. I¡¯m not going to leave.¡±


    ¡°This is where I live. How about I show you around? I¡¯ve been living in this place since childhood. There are a lot of stories I¡¯d like to share with you. Are you interested?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. From the moment Ling Zhaowu had woken up, he¡¯d been observing him all along, fearing that something in this courtyard house might cause Ling Zhaowu to lose control of himself again. Fortunately nothing had happened. However, this was probably because this house was not very familiar to Ling Zhaowu, and he barely had any memories of it.


    Ling Zhang collected his thoughts and, along with Ling Maomao, took Ling Zhaowu for a walk around the courtyard at a gentle pace.


    At first Ling Maomao had been astonished by Ling Zhaowu¡¯s behavior, but gradually he had become used to it, and now he could converse with Ling Zhaowu in a normal manner. ¡°Uncle, those bamboos were grown by my big brother. When I was younger, I went to that bamboo grove to play very often. I also dug bamboo shoots there.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s attention was immediately attracted. He followed them into the bamboo grove behind Ling Zhang¡¯s house. It was from the Green Bamboo Mansion next door that Ling Zhang had transplanted these bamboos. Behind the Green Bamboo Mansion was a much larger bamboo grove. It covered a wide area. Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight of it. ¡°Zhang¡¯er!¡±


    Knowing what he wanted, Ling Zhang, along with Ling Maomao, took him out of his courtyard house, through a winding passageway, and into the Green Bamboo Mansion next door.


    The interesting part was that Ling Zhaowen had been following them all along, a nervous look on his face, as though ready to take action at any moment in case his big brother had another seizure.


    What his uncle was doing struck Ling Zhang as somewhat poignant. He waved at his uncle and said, ¡°Uncle, come and join us.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen hurried over immediately, but he didn¡¯t get too close, staying a couple of paces away from Ling Zhaowu. Having been seeing his face all the time for two days, Ling Zhaowu had become familiar with him and was not resistant to him approaching.


    The four of them entered the bamboo grove behind the Green Bamboo Mansion. Ling Zhaowu and Ling Maomao crouched down to look for bamboo shoots, while Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen were standing there watching.


    ¡°What a silly boy. This is not the season for bamboo shoots,¡± Ling Zhaowen teased his son.


    Ling Zhang remarked, ¡°Maomao is just trying to make my father happy.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°Have you received any messages from Marshal Yuwen?¡±


    The smile fading slightly from his face, Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen asked him, ¡°What¡¯s going on exactly? Horrible news has been coming in from the capital city every few days lately. It seems that the situation there is chaotic.¡±


    As what Yuwen Tong planned to do would turn this country upside down, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare tell Ling Zhaowen the truth and just said, ¡°It¡¯s just there¡¯s a lot to attend to, so he went back to help. After all, so many members of the Yuwen family are in the capital city, and they need a decision-maker.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen sighed, ¡°He¡¯s just ceded half of his military powers. I¡¯m afraid things will¡­ will be quite tough for him in the future.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen had been too worried about Ling Zhaowu to care about anything else since he¡¯d met them two days ago, but he had hunches about some matters. ¡°I want you to be honest with me. What¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s take on the Yuwen family exactly?¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent. Ling Zhaowen¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Is it very tricky?¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang chose to confide a small part of it in the knowledge that his uncle was now the pillar of the Ling family. ¡°It is tricky, but¡­ we¡¯re working on it. To settle this matter was the very reason why Yuwen Tong went back to the capital city this time.¡±


    ¡°Settle? How? And how big is this trouble exactly?¡± Ling Zhaowen had an intuition that Ling Zhang was keeping the key part back from him.


    ¡°Even if the emperor doesn¡¯t take action to eliminate the Yuwen family right away, he will do it in a year or two,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    His frown instantaneously deepening, Ling Zhaowen looked at him and demanded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? Even if you¡¯d told me just before leaving for the Millennium Pavilion, I would¡¯ve figured out a way to¨C¡±


    ¡°To break off my engagement to Yuwen Tong?¡± Ling Zhang stared at him.


    Ling Zhaowen averted his gaze. ¡°This could lead to the extermination of our whole family, and I cannot watch you walking towards the edge of a precipice.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m not going to abandon him. I know that if I marry him and his plan turns out to be unsuccessful, our family will be incriminated, which is why I¡¯ve arranged an escape route for our family already ¨C if we fail in the capital city, you are to leave Tanyang immediately with my father and grandfather and all the others and then go to South Xinjiang by boat.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen looked at him in astonishment. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Then he lowered his voice and said, ¡°What are you two up to? Do you by any chance want to¨C¡±


    Ling Zhang interrupted him, ¡°Uncle, we can¡¯t sit awaiting our doom. Actually, no matter whether I marry Yuwen Tong or not, after all that¡¯s happened, the emperor has long since regarded our family as no less of an enemy than the Yuwen family is, and under no circumstances would he spare us, so we might as well make a last-ditch effort with all our might.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was shocked and it was quite a while before he came to himself. ¡°We need to have a good long talk about it after Mr. Mu administers the drug to your father and performs acupuncture on him in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ling Zhang answered. Another talk about this matter was a must.


    Ling Zhaowu had been crouching looking for bamboo shoots for quite some time, but he hadn¡¯t found a single one so far. Annoyed, he rose to his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this any more.¡±


    Somewhat worried, Ling Maomao looked at him, fearing that he would feel it very boring to stay at home. ¡°Uncle, how about we go and see my big brother¡¯s drawings? He draws beautifully. I can also take you to see Ada, our dog. He¡¯s been suffering from loss of appetite over the past few days and doesn¡¯t feel like walking. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s attention was diverted away. ¡°See drawings. See Ada.¡±


    Face creasing into a smile, Ling Maomao took Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then.¡±

 Chapter 293 - Poisoning, Entry into the Capital City

    Two days later, all of them gathered in Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard house. In the bedroom, Mr. Mu had had Ling Zhaowu ingest the pill given by the leader of the Millennium Pavilion and was now performing acupuncture on him. Everybody was waiting for Mr. Mu to come out and tell them things went well. Even Ling Maomao was sitting quietly, gazing in the direction of the doorway, a mixture of worry and anticipation in his eyes.


    After about an hour, Mr. Mu walked out of the bedroom. He didn¡¯t look very well, face full of fatigue.


    Hearts of those waiting for him lurched at the sight of this, all of them somewhat afraid to ask him about it.


    Eventually, Ling Zhang stepped up. ¡°Mr. Mu, how¡¯s my father¡¯s condition?¡±


    Mr. Mu answered, ¡°Very stable. The pill is taking effect. Although he¡¯s going to be asleep for two days, his mental trauma will be healed during the process and he won¡¯t feel any pain. All we have to do now is wait for him to wake up in two days. Barring accidents, he¡¯ll remember everything by then.¡±


    Everybody heaved a sigh of relief at these words, their tension dissolving substantially.


    ¡°You look rather tired. Let me walk you to your room to get some rest.¡±


    Ling Zhang also felt relieved. Knowing that Mr. Mu¡¯s weariness was the result of performing acupuncture with rapt attention for too long, he offered to walk Mr. Mu to his room to rest.


    Mr. Mu waved his hand. ¡°Having a servant walk me there will do. You may go inside to see him, but don¡¯t get too close, and don¡¯t make any noise to disturb him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Mu. You¡¯re really our savior.¡± Ling Xingzhong solemnly made a deep bow.


    Mr. Mu hurriedly raised him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities, Old Master Ling. I¡¯m just doing my duties as a physician.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong was very grateful and thanked him again and again. After Mr. Mu talked with him for a while, Ling Zhaowen said to Ling Xingzhong, ¡°Father, we should let Mr. Mu have some rest.¡±


    It was only then that Mr. Mu was rid of the conversation and went to his room to rest.


    And then they entered the bedroom to check on Ling Zhaowu in batches, strictly following Mr. Mu¡¯s instructions, maintaining a certain distance away from the bed, not making any noises.


    After checking on Ling Zhaowu, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯ll be here watching over my father. Paternal Grandfather, Maternal Grandfather, you both waited here for a long time and need to go have some rest.¡±


    The two elders inclined their heads. In the knowledge that this was not the right place to talk, they took the lead and left the house, heading for the outer living room to sit.


    Ling Zhang stayed, keeping an eye on Ling Zhaowu. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he should say to Ling Zhaowu first when he woke up two days later. Ling Zhaowu would be a different person after recovering from his amnesia. When Ling Zhaowu had no memories of the past, Ling Zhang could talk to him in a relaxed way, but he couldn¡¯t do the same when faced with a Ling Zhaowu who remembered everything. Actually, the two of them were almost strangers to each other¡­ Furthermore, he still had a lot of questions the answers to which only Ling Zhaowu could provide.


    ¡­


    Under the night sky, a rider on a fast horse streaked through the city gates of Tanyang just before the guards closed them. He galloped to the front gates of the Ling family and knocked.


    Butler Li ran into Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard house in great haste, walked up to the door of the bedroom and reported anxiously in a low voice, ¡°Young Master! Young Master! Something happened. Master wants you to go to the ante-room immediately!¡±


    Ling Zhang was sitting at Ling Zhaowu¡¯s bedside reading a book. On hearing Butler Li¡¯s voice, he furrowed his brows, put down his book and went outside. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Someone from the capital city delivered a message here. Something happened to the Marshal,¡± said Butler Li in anxiety.


    With a twitch in his forehead, Ling Zhang instantly took to his heels.


    He entered the ante-room and found that the messenger was Miao Shisan, a foreboding feeling rising in him. ¡°What happened?!¡±


    Miao Shisan was too concerned to pay his respects to Ling Zhang first before answering the question. ¡°Childe Ling, the Marshal encountered some assassins on his way to the capital city and got some kind of poisoning. His life is in danger.¡±


    Ling Zhang was momentarily winded by the shocking news. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Who could hurt him?!¡±


    Miao Shisan gave a minute account of what had happened.


    Miao Shisan and other bodyguards who had been waiting in Wu City all along had set off for the capital city immediately after receiving Yuwen Tong¡¯s message, and rendezvoused with Yuwen Tong before entering the capital city, but got intercepted and ringed by a large assassin group over a hundred strong, all of whom were top-notch kung fu experts and seemed to be lying in ambush waiting for Yuwen Tong to return for quite some time.


    Each of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards was powerful enough to handle ten assassins; also, Wang Dashan and the others had arrived in time and trapped a dozen enemies, so eventually they¡¯d managed to fight off the assassins. They had thought that the crisis had been resolved, but when they¡¯d returned to the capital city, Yuwen Tong had found himself unable to circulate his internal energy smoothly. Suspicious, he¡¯d had his body examined and discovered that he¡¯d been poisoned. Those assassins had poisoned their own clothes. Yuwen Tong had just accidentally skinned his palm during the fight, but the poison had actually gone into his body because of it. Since the poison had never caused any discomfort, he hadn¡¯t noticed it until he¡¯d returned to the city.


    After detecting the poison in his body, he had immediately swallowed an alexipharmic pill, and Xie Shi had promptly set out to detoxify the poisonous substance for Yuwen Tong, but it¡¯d never crossed his mind that he¡¯d make things even worse by doing this!


    The mastermind seemed to have some time ago come to know that Yuwen Tong had someone adept in detoxifying poison at his command, and they¡¯d actually turned this to their advantage and laid a trap for Yuwen Tong.


    Xie Shi had thought that he was detoxifying the poison in Yuwen Tong, but in fact at the same time he¡¯d been activating another poison that was hiding deeper and also of a higher level of toxicity. Its name was Mrs. Pistil.


    This was a poison created by Mrs. Pistil, a consummate Jianghu poison master living in the previous dynasty. The ingredients of it were very scarce, so the antidote to it was also very rare. On top of that, the reason why this poison was world-famous was not only because it was hard to prepare and hard to detoxicate, but also because it was barely detectable after entering a human body. Without coming into contact with a certain stimulus, it could incubate for a decade or even several decades, and once stimulated, it would take effect immediately. As it could infiltrate into a human body with other poisons and lurk behind them, common physicians were totally unable to detect its existence. If someone tried to detoxify the other poisons that Mrs. Pistil hid behind, it would instantaneously be activated and quickly started to attack the victim¡¯s cardiac meridian, and once the cardiac meridian was shielded, Mrs. Pistil would target other internal organs. It was a very cunning poison.


    Mrs. Pistil had specially created this poison to take revenge on her lover who had forsaken her. After her love for him turned into deep hatred, she had sworn to kill him, which she knew would be very difficult to do, given his superb kung fu and medical skills. As a result, she had created this poison and successfully taken her lover¡¯s life with it in the end. After that, people in Jianghu had directly named this poison after Mrs. Pistil.


    Yuwen Tong, after being informed that the poison inside him was Mrs. Pistil, had immediately shielded his cardiac meridian with his internal energy, but the poison had spread to his other internal organs, causing his bodily functions to deteriorate quickly. Xie Shi had had a pill that could detoxicate almost all poisonous substances, but it had only served to dampen the toxicity of Mrs. Pistil and couldn¡¯t detoxify it.


    Apart from telling Ling Zhang about the life-threatening danger Yuwen Tong was facing, Miao Shisan had also made this trip to ask Mr. Mu for help, because Yuwen Tong was now pinning his faith on Mr. Mu¡¯s superlative medical skills. If even Mr. Mu was unable to rid his body of the poison, he would have no alternative but to risk giving up most of his plans and directly leading his army southwards to take the capital city as quick as possible. If things really came to that, he wanted Ling Zhang to immediately go to South Xinjiang with all members of the Ling family while the capital city was in chaos.


    All the color quickly drained from Ling Zhang¡¯s face. If that was really what the future held in store, it was only too obvious how Yuwen Tong and other members of the Yuwen family would end up!


    ¡°Mr. Mu, can you save him?!¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes immediately flashed at Mr. Mu.


    Mr. Mu raised his hand and bobbed it several times, motioning for him to chill out and sit down. ¡°I can. This poison named Mrs. Pistil was very famous in the previous dynasty, and my ancestors had done some research into it. There are two methods of detoxifying it. The first one is to find the antidote, and the second is to neuter it forcefully.¡±


    ¡°What is the antidote to it?¡± Ling Zhang immediately asked.


    Mr. Mu shook his head. ¡°To my knowledge, the kind of herb that is the most precious ingredient of the antidote has become extinct. The place where the imperial household of the Xia retreated to after losing the war was the only area in which that kind of herb grew. The three sides besieging the imperial household turned the whole place into an inferno, burning everything and everybody in it to ashes. What with the horrible bloodshed, no plant has ever grown in that place for hundreds of years.¡±


    Ling Zhang clenched his fists. ¡°Then what about the second method?¡±


    ¡°It is viable, but he could only live for another twenty years at the most.¡±


    Ling Zhang was stupefied, his face utterly ashen. After a while, as though something had just occurred to him, he quickly fished out the medicinal jade pendant around his neck and looked at Mr. Mu with an expectant face. ¡°What about this medicinal jade pendant? Could it detoxify that goddamn poison?!¡±


    Mr. Mu exchanged glances with Ji Yin, who shook his head and replied, ¡°One of the main ingredient of this poison named Mrs. Pistil is also very rare. It is rumored that the herb used to grow in South Xinjiang, but the species had already died out before the downfall of the Xia, which means that this kind of poison should¡¯ve ceased to exist a long time ago. It¡¯s so surprising someone still has it at their disposal.¡±


    Ling Zhang held the jade pendant tightly, the gleam of hope in his eyes fading. ¡°But isn¡¯t this medicinal jade pendant capable of detoxifying all kinds of poisons?¡±


    ¡°Only a miracle drug could detoxify a poison the ingredients of which include another miracle drug,¡± said Ji Yin. ¡°There¡¯s only one kind of miracle drug in the Millennium Pavilion, and it¡¯s exceptionally precious. This medicinal jade pendant doesn¡¯t contain its active constituent.¡±


    Ling Zhang was slightly astonished to hear this. ¡°Does that mean¡­¡±


    Ji Yin chuckled, ¡°Yes. You have the antidote right in your hand.¡±


    Overjoyed, Ling Zhang slumped into a chair, as though drained of energy, the look on his face suggesting how lucky he felt he was. ¡°I was nearly scared to death, Grandfather, Mr. Mu. Why didn¡¯t you tell me directly?¡±


    Miao Shisan was somewhat confused. Originally he¡¯d been having a heavy heart, believing that the Marshal might not be able to survive, but what was going on? It seemed that things had taken a favorable turn. But he still couldn¡¯t understand.


    Ji Yin¡¯s face grew grave, his piercing eyes gazing at Ling Zhang. ¡°But you need to take this seriously. It takes many years for the herb to yield a fruit. The Clan Leader has only managed to prepare a couple of pills during the past twenty years. This time, the Clan Leader made an exception and gave you two pills, dashing a lot of clan members¡¯ hopes to pieces. There¡¯s no way he would give you another pill. If you use the pill on Yuwen boy, it¡¯s very likely that you would never be able to reach the twelfth layer for the rest of your life, so you must think this through!¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that he didn¡¯t need to think about it at all. In his eyes, the so-called ¡°twelfth layer of the cultivation method¡± was nothing but a pie in the sky. All previous leaders of the Millennium Pavilion had been stuck at the eleventh layer, and that foreseer living in the time of the first emperor of the Xia had been the only one in recorded history who¡¯d succeeded in reaching the twelfth layer. Given the probability of success, it wouldn¡¯t take much thinking for one to know how difficult that was. Besides, he didn¡¯t really want to achieve this goal that bad. When it came to a choice between a chance to reach the twelfth layer and saving Yuwen Tong¡¯s life, of course he would choose the latter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the capital city with you,¡± Ling Zhang said to Miao Shisan without a second thought. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll start packing right away.¡±


    ¡°Maternal Grandfather, Mr. Mu, Paternal Grandfather, Uncle, please take good care of my father.¡±


    His father had already taken the pill. With Mr. Mu treating him, he would no doubt make a full recovery. Although Ling Zhang would very much like to wait for his father to wake up, Yuwen Tong was in such dire danger that he had to go to his rescue right away.


    Ling Xingzhong gave a nod and looked at Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin said to Ling Zhang with a sigh, ¡°Just go. We¡¯ll watch over your father.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly left. Ji Yin and Mr. Mu appeared rather serious. After quite a while, Ji Yin let out another sigh.


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell him that with the strong Force of Blood in him, he would without a doubt reach the twelfth layer if he takes the pill? Now it¡¯s become uncertain.¡±


    Ji Yin said, ¡°To him, that Yuwen boy¡¯s life is of greater importance. Besides, our clan leader wants to cooperate with Yuwen Tong, so naturally, it¡¯s best if he survives.¡±


    Mr. Mu gave a smile. ¡°Also, he¡¯s your grandson-in-law, right?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen couldn¡¯t quite understand, but Miao Shisan seemed to have faintly fathomed out part of the conversation.

 Chapter 294 - Retrieval of Memory

    Ling Zhang hastily finished packing and then went to check on his father one last time. ¡°Father, I need to pay a visit to the capital city. I hope you¡¯ll understand and forgive me for leaving after you wake up. You and I still have so much to talk about.¡±


    After taking his leave of Ling Zhaowu, Ling Zhang left Tanyang in great haste with Miao Shisan, galloping non-stop towards the capital city.


    ¡­


    One day later. In the Ling family.


    This was the day when Ling Zhaowu was supposed to wake up with all his memories recovered. All people in the Ling family were waiting.


    Mr. Mu went into the room to feel Ling Zhaowu¡¯s pulse every two hours. At noon, Ling Zhaowu who¡¯d been in deep sleep all along finally began to show signs of awaking.


    Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowen, Fu Caiwei, Ling Maomao, Ji Yin and Mr. Mu were all standing at the bedside, gazing expectantly at Ling Zhaowu who was slowly opening his eyes after a twitch of his fingers.


    Ling Zhaowen was the first to lose his composure and called in excitement, ¡°Big Brother!¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes were still somewhat glazed when he opened them, but gradually, emotions began to show in them, and the expression in them was no longer as vacant as a piece of blank paper. On hearing Ling Zhaowen¡¯s voice, he turned his head around to look at him.


    ¡°Younger¡­Brother?¡± Maybe because he hadn¡¯t used this form of address for too long, Ling Zhaowu sounded very inarticulate and even his voice was trembling. His eyes fixed incredulously at Ling Zhaowen and then slowly moved to Ling Xingzhong. ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Big Brother!¡± Ling Zhaowen stepped closer in rapture. ¡°You can remember? You remember us now?!¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes quickly reddened, his lips quivering. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be able to see you again. This is not a dream, right?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense, Big Brother. You¡¯re home now. Our family is reunited!¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Xingzhong also walked over and sighed in excitement, ¡°Finally, you wake up, you unfilial son. You¡¯re already a grown man. How could you be so reckless and make such a mess of yourself? All of us have been on pins and needles.¡±


    With Ling Zhaowen¡¯s help, Ling Zhaowu sat up, removed the quilt over him, struggled out of bed and knelt down before Ling Xingzhong, tears trickling down his cheeks. ¡°Father, I failed you. I¡¯m an undutiful son!¡±


    After saying this, he started kowtowing repeatedly, making a loud bang each time his forehead hit the ground. This sight struck everybody else present as unbearably poignant.


    Apart from anything else, Ling Xingzhong still loved his son. Seeing that Ling Zhaowu had skinned his forehead but still refused to stop, he reproached, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stand up right away. Your body is still so feeble. Physician Mu had a hard job curing you. If anything else happens to you, how am I supposed to survive?!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen conveniently supported Ling Zhaowu to his feet. ¡°You should stand up and sit on your bed, Big Brother. You¡¯ll need more rest and nourishment to make a full recovery.¡±


    After being raised up, Ling Zhaowu was still a little unsteady on his feet. Tottering, he sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m useless. I¡¯m so useless!¡±


    Eyes red, Ling Xingzhong flared, ¡°Sit down. Now!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen helped Ling Zhaowu sit back onto the bed, two streams of tears flowing from his eyes. ¡°Big Brother, you must take your health seriously. We cannot afford to let anything else happen to you.¡±


    All three of them were quite emotional, which made the others feel it inappropriate to disturb them. After a while, when the three of them calm down somewhat, Fu Caiwei, bringing Ling Maomao with her, stepped over to introduce herself to Ling Zhaowu as a courtesy.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Big Brother. I¡¯m your sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Uncle. I¡¯m your nephew.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu hurriedly raised his hands and carelessly wiped the tears off his face with his sleeves. Eyes staring at Fu Caiwei and Ling Maomao, he hurriedly said, ¡°Nice to meet you, too. Nice to meet you, too.¡±


    Then he reached out his hand at Ling Maomao, who stepped up, held it and called him uncle once again.


    Ling Zhaowu stretched out his other hand to stroke Ling Maomao¡¯s cheek. Eyes red, he said, ¡°Alas, my dear nephew, I finally meet you.¡±


    This remark sounded somewhat weird. Members of the Ling family were too delighted to perceive the abnormality of it, but Mr. Mu and Ji Yin exchanged glances after hearing it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much. It¡¯s very useless of me not to have found a chance to meet you earlier,¡± Ling Zhaowu continued.


    ¡°Big Brother, our family is reunited now. We¡¯ll never part again,¡± observed Ling Zhaowen.


    Holding Ling Maomao in his arms, Ling Zhaowu looked up at his brother¡¯s cheeks with his deep, affectionate eyes. Suddenly, he lowered his head and raised his hand to wipe the corners of his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll be together forever. Alas, this really feels like a dream, and I really fear that when this dream is over, I¡¯d wake up and find that I¡¯m still that¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you just say, Brother?¡± Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t quite hear the latter half of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s mutter, looking at him in puzzlement.


    Ling Zhaowu hastily shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I just feel that this is kind of unreal, and I¡¯m worried I¡¯m in a dream.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very easy to confirm whether or not you¡¯re in a dream,¡± Mr. Mu said with a beam, took a step forward, suddenly took out a needle and stuck it into one of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s acupoints.


    Ling Zhaowu shuddered and gasped from pain, as though every nerve in his body tensed fleetingly. His mind instantly became clearer.


    After Mr. Mu pulled the needle out of his skin, Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes slowly swept across every face in the room with a mixture of incredulity, yearning and a strange inscrutability in them, as though he was thinking back to the distant past.


    Eventually, his eyes rested on Ji Yin and he called, ¡°Father-in-law.¡±


    Ji Yin¡¯s heart gave a lurch. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve regained your memories of what happened half a year before.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu released Ling Maomao, walked up to Ji Yin, knelt down and kowtowed to him. ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Father-in-law.¡±


    Ji Yin raised him to his feet. ¡°Helping you recover is the best way to comfort my deceased daughter¡¯s spirit. Also, I did this to pay back the debt I owe you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu shook his head, his eyes gazing at Ji Yin deeply. ¡°No. I failed to take good care of her. It was all my fault.¡±


    At the mention of Ji shi, Ling Zhaowen and the others were rather worried that Ling Zhaowu might become as bigoted as he¡¯d been when he¡¯d left home years ago, but to their surprise, they found that Ling Zhaowu appeared quite poised and there was no trace on him whatsoever of that fickle, intransigent man he¡¯d been over ten years ago, as though he was a whole new person.


    Then Ling Zhaowu knelt before Mr. Mu and expressed his gratitude to him for saving his life. After that, his eyes slowly raked everybody else in the room once again, as though they were some kind of treasure that he had previously lost and just recovered. This struck the others as a little odd, but they all believed that it was because he was having a sense of unreality after suffering from amnesia for so many years.


    But most of them failed to notice that Ling Zhaowu¡¯s clenched fists were shivering, as though he was trying very hard to subdue something.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zhang¡¯er?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu. Having observed that Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t present, he shifted his gaze to the doorway, expectantly waiting to see Ling Zhang show up.


    The others exchanged looks and then Ling Zhaowen explained, ¡°There¡¯s an emergency in the capital city. Yesterday Zhang¡¯er went back there on short notice to attend to it.¡±


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Ling Zhaowu persisted with his questioning, the worry and fear on his face manifest.


    Ling Zhaowen told him about Yuwen Tong¡¯s being poisoned. ¡°Zhang¡¯er went to the capital city to deliver the antidote. Originally he¡¯d wanted to wait until you woke up, but that matter was great urgency, so he had no choice but to go there immediately.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu slowly heaved a sigh of relief, but his eyebrows were still knitted, a deeply worried expression on his face.


    In addition, the look in his eyes suggested that what was happening struck him as somewhat illusory, as though he was terribly baffled by something.


    He had gradually recalled what had happened during the past half a year. Most importantly, his memories of the things that had occurred over the last month had come back to him. He remembered his son¡¯s great presence and handsome looks, the way he¡¯d called him father, how he¡¯d held his hand and looked after him; he remembered Ling Zhang saying there was a lot of things he¡¯d like to ask him about; and he also remembered Yuwen Tong¡­


    But these memories seemed to be making Ling Zhaowu more bemused, surprise and bewilderment hidden in the depths of his eyes.


    ¡°Brother, your body is still feeble. Given that you¡¯ve just regained your memory, it¡¯s inadvisable for you to think too much. You should stay in bed and have some more rest,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowen.


    Mr. Mu also said, ¡°Lie down and let me examine you once again.¡±


    With a somewhat faraway expression on his face, Ling Zhaowu walked to the bed, sat down and then looked up at Mr. Mu very earnestly, as though trying to find some kind of traces on Mr. Mu¡¯s face. Mr. Mu was unsurprised. It seemed that he believed anybody who had suffered amnesia for a long time would act like this. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry. I know that you have a lot of questions. You may ask them one by one. Just now you felt the pain, so you should know that this is not a dream.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu bobbed his head, his face growing more relaxed. He sat leaning against the headboard to let Mr. Mu feel his pulse and examine his body, his eyes looking over Mr. Mu at the others.


    ¡°What year is it? Ho¨CHow long was I asleep?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen told him what year it was and how long it had been since he¡¯d left home.


    The look in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes gradually became thoughtful. There was no telling what he was pondering about. After a few moments, he asked another two questions. ¡°What happened during the many years that I was away from home? Is our family facing any trouble?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen generally filled him in on the big events that the Ling family had been through during the past over ten years. Then he added, ¡°Speaking of trouble, a few months ago we were indeed faced with some tricky issues, but we¡¯ve got all of them handled already. Currently, we count as one of the most powerful families in Tanyang. Hardly anybody dares mess with us.¡±


    The expression in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes changed at these words and with that he looked at Ling Zhaowen.


    Seeing that he wanted to know the details, Ling Zhaowen gave him a minute account of what happened in Tanyang half a year ago, including Zhang Chong, the Jia family, Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival as well as the new configuration of Tanyang.


    ¡°We own three herb farms now. Doing my job in the yamen and managing the herb farms at the same time is driving me crazy. Now that you¡¯ve come back, you¡¯ll be able to replace me as the pillar of our family, and I¡¯ll finally get some leisure.¡± Ling Zhaowen appeared to be greatly relieved at the prospect of someone sharing his burden.


    Ling Zhaowu said in a guilty tone of voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have put my part of the familial responsibility on your shoulder for so many years.¡±


    While he was making this remark, there was some kind of gleam in the depths of his eyes.


    After examining Ling Zhaowu, Mr. Mu said, ¡°Okay. You two may find another time to continue your talk. You¡¯ve just woken up and shouldn¡¯t think about anything for too long. It¡¯s best if you rest for another two days before talking about these matters with others.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Mu, how is my brother¡¯s physical condition? He¡¯ll never suffer from headache and amnesia again, right?¡± inquired Ling Zhaowen.


    Mr. Mu inclined his head. ¡°Rest assured, his illness is cured. With a rest cure and some tonics, he¡¯ll be as good as new.¡±


    People of the Ling family were overjoyed to hear this and thanked Mr. Mu again and again.


    ¡°You should get some rest, Big Brother. When you feel better, I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know,¡± Ling Zhaowen said to Ling Zhaowu.

 Chapter 295 - Trousseaus That Ji Yin Added to the List

    When Ling Zhaowu had regained his memories, Ling Zhang was still on his journey to the capital city. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of Tanyang.


    ¡°Childe Ling, people in Tanyang will write a letter to us as soon as your father wakes up. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make a full recovery without any trouble,¡± observed Miao Shisan.


    Ling Zhang slightly inclined his head, withdrew his eyes gazing towards Tanyang and resumed galloping with Miao Shisan, headed for the capital city.


    ¡­


    ¡°There might have been unimaginably serious consequences had Zhang¡¯er not promptly used his medicinal jade pendant to detoxify the poison.¡±


    Sitting beside Ling Zhaowu, Ling Zhaowen was telling him about how the Ling family had fallen out with the Jia family. ¡°Their intentions were so evil. It was actually because of me that Zhang¡¯er was incriminated ¨C Jia Zhong was bent on knocking me out to get the appointment as Tongzhi. I failed to protect him. I failed you, Brother.¡±


    The look on Ling Zhaowu¡¯s face changed several times at these words. Eventually, he reached out his hand and held Ling Zhaowen¡¯s shoulder firmly. ¡°No, I failed you. You did such a good job raising Zhang¡¯er up, while I have never done my duty as a father. Who am I to blame you?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen still wanted to say something but Ling Zhaowu lifted his hand to stop him and asked, ¡°What happened afterwards?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen continued telling the story, filling him in on the subsequent events down to every detail. ¡°¡­ This is the surprising part ¨C right at that time, Zhang¡¯er happened to recall the martial formations that his mother taught him and used them to deal a heavy blow to Jia Yuanling and the others, and then things took a turn for the better and have been going fairly smoothly ever since.¡±


    When mentioning the formations, Ling Zhaowen was somewhat cautious for fear that Ling Zhaowu might get angry. To his surprise, instead of being angry, Ling Zhaowu pondered over his words with an earnest face for a while and then, a faint gleam in his eyes, sighed, ¡°Zhang¡¯er is very smart. Back then he was just a little boy, and now he¡¯s become a man capable of handling things on his own.¡±


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t mad, Ling Zhaowen felt a sense of relief. ¡°Yeah. Any common person in his shoes would definitely have hurled abuse at Jia Yuanling in those circumstances and wouldn¡¯t have thought of going to the court of law to score a hard hit on the Jia family.¡±


    As if something occurred to him, a look of grief mixed with sorrow flashed across Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes, and it was a few moments before he pulled himself out of his trance.


    ¡°I want to hear more about that dream Zhang¡¯er told you about at that time.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s relaxed face slightly stiffened. ¡°Those were all unpleasant things. What¡¯s the point of hearing them again, Brother?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gazed into the distance, keeping silent.


    Resigned, Ling Zhaowen told him about the content of that dream of Ling Zhang¡¯s once again.


    One of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hand was on the table, and there was nothing out of the ordinary about it, but his other hand, hanging beside him, tightly balled into a fist.


    ¡°¡­ I think that dream had something to do with what Zhang¡¯er inherited from his mother. Maybe my sister-in-law¡¯s spirit in the heaven has been protecting Zhang¡¯er and the Ling family,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowen in transports of sentiment.


    Ling Zhaowu raised his head to look into the sky, his eyes brooding and reminiscent. ¡°You¡¯re right. The providence is protecting us, and she is protecting Zhang¡¯er and our family.¡±


    Although Ling Zhaowu had been simple-minded most of the time during the past half a year, he did know key facts about the Blood of the Phoenix Clan. For instance, in order to acquire the ability to foretell the future, one needed to reach the twelfth layer of the cultivation method of the Ji family ¨C at least to reach the level that Ji Yanlai was at currently. However, Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t even got that handbook on internal energy yet at that time¡­


    Had he really just had a prophetic dream or had he experienced the same thing that he had¡­


    Ling Zhaowu privately hoped that the former was the truth, for if that was the case, at least he¡¯d know that Ling Zhang had never undergone that kind of agony.


    ¡°Tell me what happened next,¡± said Ling Zhaowu after a long silence.


    Ling Zhaowen nodded and gave Ling Zhaowu a blow-by-blow account of what had happened afterwards in Tanyang.


    After hearing it, Ling Zhaowu rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to the capital.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was totally unsurprised at these words of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s. He felt that his elder brother was indeed different from the man he used to be now. The big brother he remembered was full of dash, stubborn and even bigoted, but now he had become poised and firm, as though having been through a lot of things. Was it really possible for someone to change so much after being asleep for over a decade and then suffering from amnesia for half a year? Also, Ling Zhaowen kept feeling that something was not quite right, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was specifically, so eventually he gave up trying, for no matter how much his brother had changed, he was still his brother, and a poised and steadfast brother struck him as better than an intransigent one.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re still quite weak. Mr. Mu said that you¡¯ve just recovered and shouldn¡¯t do any traveling, that you must have a rest cure. I know you¡¯re anxious to see Zhang¡¯er, but you need to nurse yourself back to health first. Before leaving, Zhang¡¯er exhorted us to take good care of you. I wouldn¡¯t be able to face Zhang¡¯er if anything happens to you, and Zhang¡¯er would be very worried, too.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu kept silent for a brief moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask Mr. Mu how soon I¡¯d be in a fit state to leave.¡±


    Unable to stop him, Ling Zhaowen had no choice but to immediately follow him.


    The two of them found Mr. Mu, who didn¡¯t seem to be surprised at Ling Zhaowu¡¯s question, as though he had some time ago anticipated this.


    ¡°You need to rest for at least another half a month. Apart from the fact that you still need plenty of repose to relax your mind on a daily basis, given your physical condition, you¡¯d end up being a burden to Ling Zhang if you go to the capital city without having a rest cure to recuperate first.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed. ¡°Half a month? Is it possible to¨C¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s beyond your physical endurance,¡± said Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhaowu lapsed into silence. After quite a while, he said, ¡°I see. Thank you, Mr. Mu. Please help restore me to health during the next half a month. I¡¯m okay with any medication, no matter how bitter it tastes, and if there¡¯s anything you need me to do, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. You¡¯ll have my full cooperation.¡±


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°I promise you¡¯ll be ready to set off as long as you do as I tell you.¡±


    After taking his leave of Mr. Mu, Ling Zhaowu asked Ling Zhaowen, ¡°Is there a quick way to make contact with people in the capital city? I did some calculations and found that Zhang¡¯er should reach the destination in two days. Have you sent him a message telling him I woke up?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen replied, ¡°Yes, I have. Zhang¡¯er should have received the first batch of messages already.¡±


    Seeing his whole mind was concentrated on his son who was on a long journey, Ling Zhaowen feared that worrying too much might hinder him from making a full recovery and said, ¡°The Yuwen family¡¯s dowries were delivered here a few days ago. I emptied a whole storeroom to keep them. There are two wild geese, too. We¡¯ve been keeping them in good shape. You want to see them?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes gleamed briefly at these words. As though thinking about something that had happened in the distant past, he had an absent-minded look on his face for a while. Then he replied, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As this matter concerned Ling Zhang, of course he wanted to go and take a look, especially because this was about an important occasion ¨C Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s attention distracted by this matter, Ling Zhaowen relaxed somewhat. After Ji Yin and Ling Xingzhong joined them, in particular, Ling Zhaowu had no time whatsoever to think about going to the capital city, because he was now faced with a pressing issue ¨C preparing trousseaus.


    ¡°I made a list of the things that I want to add to the trousseau. Take a look and see if there are any problems.¡± Ji Yin fished out a thick pamphlet and handed it to people of the Ling family.


    They unfolded the pamphlet which turned out to be even longer than the table, and one end of it almost dropped to the ground, each and every single item on it telling people how wealthy the one who planned to buy it was. All three members of the Ling family present were flabbergasted at this list and was unable to speak for quite a while.


    ¡°In-law, you¨Cyou want to add all these to the trousseau?¡± asked Ling Xingzhong in spite of himself, as if to confirm what he¡¯d just heard.


    Ji Yin nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to impress anybody. It¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t able to give my daughter a decent wedding, so I couldn¡¯t help wanting to make amends by doing something for my grandson. These things are a token of my affection for him. If this strikes any of you as inappropriate, I could make some adjustments to it.¡±


    There was nothing inappropriate about the list. It was just too dramatic ¨C so dramatic that Ling Zhaowen¡¯s face instantly crumpled up. The Ling family wouldn¡¯t be able to afford these things even if they sold everything they owned! As these were trousseaus that Ling Zhang¡¯s maternal grandfather offered to buy for him, and there was this reason behind it, they naturally couldn¡¯t bring themselves to decline, but the problem was, what kind of trousseaus could they offer to match these things?


    Ling Zhaowu, however, after carefully reading Ji Yin¡¯s list, said, ¡°I still have some stores under my name as well as some other valuables. I¡¯ll add all of them to our trousseau list. There¡¯s no need for us to make a list that matches my father-in-law¡¯s. Just do what we can. I¡¯ll figure out a way and get some more.¡±


    ¡°The herb farm in the south suburb has to be on the list. Apart from your stores, we also plan to include half of the stores we own. And¨C¡±


    ¡°Half of them would be too many. Soon Maomao will grow up and reach marriageable age. You have to save some for him. Besides, you and my sister-in-law are both still young. It¡¯s very easy for you to get another child, who you¡¯ll have to prepare dowries for someday as well.¡±


    ¡°Brother, Maomao is still young. Besides¡­ there isn¡¯t the slightest sign of us getting a second child, and we have plenty of time to get more stores. A decision is a decision, and it¡¯s a final one. Father and I have agreed on this.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t the slightest sign? I¡¯ve felt your and your wife¡¯s pulse. Both of you are in good physical condition. In all likelihood, good news will come in just a few days,¡± Mr. Mu chipped in.


    This remark immediately steered the conversation away from the original topic, and everybody¡¯s attention shifted to Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei.


    Eyes alight with joy, Ling Zhaowu said delightedly, ¡°Mr. Mu, are you serious?¡±


    As he himself had only one son and no intention of marrying another woman to get more offspring, it would be best if his little brother could get a second child to make the Ling family larger, and this time around he would be there to bear witness to it as he should have done when Ling Maomao had been born.


    Mr. Mu was not annoyed at Ling Zhaowu¡¯s question and answered with the air of a psychic, ¡°I was never wrong about this kind of thing.¡±


    Members of the Ling family present went into raptures over this news. Cheeks flushing scarlet, Fu Caiwei left the room.


    Ling Zhaowen knew that this was because recently good things had happened in succession in the Ling family, and he and Fu Caiwei had both been much more relaxed than before. However, Ling Zhaowen was keeping a secret to himself ¨C the matter that Ling Zhang told him about a couple of days ago¡­ but Ling Zhaowen wouldn¡¯t disclose it to worry Fu Caiwei in these circumstances, feeling that it¡¯d be better if he waited until his wife¡¯s pregnancy was confirmed. Given that there was little he could do to help with what was going on in the capital city, he believed he might as well send his nephew a piece of good news to cheer him up. At the same time, he prayed that everything would go smoothly in the capital city.

 Chapter 296 - Detoxification and the Poisoner

    ¡°It¡¯s done. The poison has been thoroughly detoxified.¡±


    Xie Shi raised his head and told everybody the good news after finishing a minute examination of Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    Ling Zhang heaved a long sigh of relief. Having traveled a very long distance to get to the capital city, he still looked quite weary. It was not until he fully relaxed that he began to feel somewhat tired. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong held his hand and looked at his fatigued face, his heart aching. ¡°You should go and wash yourself and then have some sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised no objection. He had barely had any rest during his journey from Tanyang to this city. Even a man of steel would be exhausted after so many sleepless nights. He had a quick shower, simply took a couple of sips of congee, closed his eyes the moment he lay down onto the bed, and soon drifted off.


    Yuwen Tong walked to the bedside, pulled the thin quilt over to cover Ling Zhang¡¯s belly and stroked his palm which was full of bruises from gripping the reins for days, waves of heartache sweeping over him. He held Ling Zhang¡¯s palm to his lips to kiss it, and then put it back onto his abdomen.


    ¡°Marshal, although the poison has been detoxicated, it¡¯ll still take two days to nurse you back to health. You should rest as much as possible during the next two days,¡± observed Xie Shi.


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod, left the room to find Miao Shisan outside and asked him what had happened in Tanyang.


    Miao Shisan gave him a detailed account of the whole process. ¡°¡­ At that time Master Ling was still unconscious. Before we arrived here, we¡¯d received a letter from Tanyang saying that he¡¯d already woken up and regained his memories.¡±


    ¡°Good. Did they say anything else in that letter?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°The letter only said that Master Ling was still having a rest cure. There¡¯s nothing else,¡± answered Miao Shisan.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head.


    Then Miao Shisan added, ¡°Childe Ling¡¯s grandfather mentioned something about that pill. It seemed to have something to do with Childe Ling¡¯s cultivation method and the Force of Blood. I didn¡¯t quite understand it, so I could only repeat their exact words to you.¡±


    And then Miao Shisan gave him a blow-by-blow account of what Ji Yin and Mr. Mu had said on that day.


    The look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face slightly changed. ¡°I see. Don¡¯t tell him this matter has come to my knowledge.¡±


    Miao Shisan bobbed his head. ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    In the depths of a palace.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s been so many days, but Yuwen Tong has neither sent for a physician nor left his house. I wonder if he¡¯s really poisoned or not.¡±


    ¡°What about those people? They haven¡¯t found out about it?¡±


    ¡°No. Their hands are tied now. Gathering that team of assassins was the best they could do.¡±


    ¡°Humph, those good-for-nothings couldn¡¯t even kill one man. If it weren¡¯t for my contingency plan, all our previous efforts would¡¯ve gone to waste.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, our next step is¡­¡±


    ¡°He rejected my invitation twice. It seems that I¡¯ll have to have my father intervene.¡±


    ¡°A very wise decision, Your Highness. On no account would Yuwen Tong decline His Majesty¡¯s invitation. Also, it¡¯ll be an opportunity to sound him out.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang was fast asleep and didn¡¯t wake up until the next day. The whole Ling Mansion was cloaked in a shroud of tension, with guards on duty everywhere. The security was so tight that even a fly might not be able to get in.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Ling Zhang spotted Yuwen Tong as soon as he opened his eyes, his lingering drowsiness instantly vanishing, gazing at him nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay now. I just need to rest more than usual during the next two days.¡± Yuwen Tong was lying beside him, and the two of them were in each other¡¯s embrace. After a good night¡¯s sleep, he also appeared refreshed and much more energetic.


    Ling Zhang sat up and felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse. He had little medical knowledge, but he had become more discerning in this regard after starting to cultivate internal energy, and was able to tell from a person¡¯s general pulse condition whether he or she was healthy or not. After a while, he confirmed that Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse was robust and vigorous, and with that he felt greatly relieved.


    ¡°Sorry. What with my carelessness during the fight, you were unable to stay in Tanyang keeping Uncle Ling company when he regained his memories.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart was aching when he was making this remark. When he¡¯d been holding Ling Zhang in his arms the night before, he had distinctly perceived that Ling Zhang was thinner. They had first traveled to the Millennium Pavilion, then to Tanyang, and then returned to the capital city; Ling Zhang first had been deeply worried about his father, and then about him when he¡¯d been on his return journey to the capital city. These days he¡¯d been on the run all along and hadn¡¯t been sleeping well, and definitely hadn¡¯t been eating well, which was why he¡¯d lost weight. Feeling heartache, Yuwen Tong cuddled him, unwilling to let him go.


    Ling Zhang wanted to get up. ¡°Stop hugging me. I¡¯m hungry and need to go get something to eat. You¡¯ve just rid yourself of the poison and could use some nourishing food as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong wanted to spend some more time staying with him in this room. He stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s sagging belly, gave a sigh and then let go of him.


    Ling Zhang summoned Xia Feng. ¡°What did you have them prepare for dinner? Yuwen Tong needs something nutritious.¡±


    Xia Feng replied, ¡°Rest assured, Young Master, the nourishing stew for the Marshal is ready. I¡¯ve instructed them to deliver it to the dining room the moment I heard the sounds from your house.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, finding that the whole place was very quiet and there weren¡¯t even any footsteps. ¡°How¡¯s everything going in the compound? The situation is a little complicated. Make sure all the servants keep their mouth shut about what¡¯s going on here. And, tell them to stay calm.¡±


    Xia Feng said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve already given every one of them a kick up the backside. The Marshal¡¯s bodyguards are in charge of the procurement for the moment. All servants are forbidden to go outside.¡±


    ¡°Yue Qi is helping deal with the matters in this compound, and all servants are under constant watch, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry. As regards my being poisoned, people inside this compound are the only ones aware of it. No outsiders would find out.¡± Yuwen Tong walked out, fully dressed.


    ¡°Marshal.¡± Xia Feng paid his respects. As Yuwen Tong had walked out, he took his leave and went to the dining room to supervise the servants serving breakfast.


    Ling Zhang returned to his room to get dressed, washed and then went to the dining room with Yuwen Tong. When they had taken seats, Ling Zhang dismissed the servants.


    ¡°Do you know who sent the assassins?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The Sixth Prince and his remaining minions. The Concubine Shu and the Concubine De also played a part in it.¡±


    Ling Zhang frowned. ¡°The Sixth Prince has been under house arrest, and all the forces at his command have been brought down. The Concubine De and the Concubine Shu have been sent to the cold palace (a palace where an emperor installs members of the imperial family who do something wrong). How did they manage to get in touch with an assassin group outside the palace? And since when did the Concubine De and the Concubine Shu become allies?¡±


    Questions exploded inside Ling Zhang¡¯s head. The Concubine Shu was the Sixth Prince¡¯s mother, and the Concubine De was the King Hui¡¯s and the Ninth Princess¡¯ mother. Both of these two women were in the cold palace, but they actually still had the power to have so many assassins do their bidding?


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°It was the surviving members of the Concubine Shu¡¯s and the Concubine De¡¯s families who contacted the assassins, all of whom are Jianghu kung fu experts paid handsomely. The King Hui and the Ninth Princess are dead. As almost all members of the Concubine De¡¯s family were executed after the failure of the King Hui¡¯s attempt to usurp the throne, this time the Concubine De mainly utilized her connections in the palace and pitched in with money. The Sixth Prince and the surviving members of the Concubine Shu¡¯s family were responsible for hiring assassins from outside the palace.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that something was not quite right. Given that the King Hui had died because of his attempted usurpation, if the Concubine De harbored hatred towards anybody, it should be those who had brought her son down. The Ninth Princess¡¯ death was the only plausible explanation, but shouldn¡¯t she hate him more than she did Yuwen Tong for that? And then there was also the Sixth Prince. If he were the Sixth Prince and really had some men at his command, he would do his best to lay low, slowly gather strength, figure out a way to free himself from house arrest, return to the imperial court, gain a foothold, and then settle the old score with Yuwen Tong who had dealt a heavy blow to him during the affair of Tanyang previously. Why had he gone all out, risking exposing himself, just to kill Yuwen Tong? Were the Sixth Prince and the Concubine Shu insane? Had they lost all their sense of perspective?


    Ling Zhang expressed his suspicions. Yuwen Tong sneered coldly, ¡°All the Concubine De¡¯s children are dead, and so are all members of her family, so her hatred for me is purer, and I¡¯m not surprised that she wants me dead. As regards the Sixth Prince and the Concubine Shu¡­ naturally it was because someone promised them something better, something that would spare them many years¡¯ house arrest and allow them to instantly regain their former status.¡±


    ¡°Who did that?¡± Ling Zhang knitted his brows.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. Beneath his gaze, Ling Zhang gradually came to realize that the emperor was the only one with the authority to set the Sixth Prince free.


    ¡°Within merely a couple of days following my returning to the capital city, the Crown Prince sent me two invitations, both of which I rejected. The rare poison named ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯ hadn¡¯t appeared in Jianghu for a very long time. If it could still be found anywhere, it would be the imperial palace.¡±


    Eyes glinting coldly, Ling Zhang heavily smacked his fist onto the table. ¡°They failed to do it overtly, so they decided to do it covertly, trying to dispose of you with a third party! Even if the whole thing is brought to light, they could just scapegoat the Sixth Prince and the Concubine Shu both of whom have some time ago been regarded as disposable pawns that have served their purpose, and the culprits wouldn¡¯t suffer any losses whatsoever!¡±


    So many things had happened recently: resignation of a top-ranking courtier, the rebellion in Cangzhou, to name but two, and yet the emperor and the Crown Prince were still plotting to eliminate Yuwen Tong. It was so unfortunate of the Great Yue to have a ruler and a crown prince like them!


    ¡°Since they have so much leisure, I¡¯ll find them some work to do,¡± said Yuwen Tong with a frosty expression in his eyes.


    ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°Do unto them what they did unto me, of course,¡± replied Yuwen Tong matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Marshal, someone from the palace delivered a message here!¡±


    The two of them were eating and talking when Yao Yi walked inside and reported that a eunuch from the imperial palace brought a verbal instruction from the emperor, saying that Yuwen Tong was to go to the imperial palace to attend a banquet tonight.


    Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brows. ¡°It seems that the emperor is intervening personally after the Crown Prince¡¯s plan to nose out your physical condition failed.¡±


    There was no doubt that the palace banquet Yuwen Tong was attending tonight would be full of traps. The whole thing was just a conspiracy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong slightly shook his head. ¡°No. We don¡¯t know any details of their scheme. It¡¯s too dangerous. If anything happens to you, it would be the most deadly blow on me.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Be a peach and stay here waiting for me to come back.¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Then you need to bring enough guards with you. Take Xie Shi.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± responded Yuwen Tong, though he knew that his guards definitely wouldn¡¯t be allowed to enter the banquet hall, that he¡¯d have to play it by ear.


    After giving it some thought, Ling Zhang said, ¡°The poison named ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯ takes effect almost immediately once it¡¯s activated, but they¡¯ve never heard any news of you showing any toxicities. You should try and anticipate how they¡¯re going to sound you out when they see you appear at the palace tonight without any symptoms of poisoning, so that you could take some precautions.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Since their intention is to nose out the truth, they¡¯ll definitely observe me first and then speculate about my physical condition. It¡¯s most likely that they will believe I haven¡¯t detoxified the concealment poison yet, which is why I¡¯m not showing any symptoms of ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯, and then they¡¯ll try to detoxicate the concealment poison to activate it.¡±


    ¡°What if they find out there¡¯s no poison inside your body at all?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll see whether or not they have the balls to directly try to poison me at the banquet.¡±

 Chapter 297 - Failure of the Plan to Sound Him Out

    Xie Shi told Ling Zhang, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. The Marshal still has inside his body some residual active ingredient of the antidote you provided. No poison could do him any harm for the moment. Yao Yi and I will accompany the Marshal to the palace, and we¡¯ll make arrangements for some men to stand by outside, too. If things go south, we¡¯ll charge inside to rescue the Marshal immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful as well. Given that the rebellion still hasn¡¯t been suppressed yet, the emperor and the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t dare let anything happen to me in the palace unless they have reason as ¡®good¡¯ as the one they had the last time. Otherwise my troops in the north-west would rise in revolt, and they¡¯d have a hard job to quash it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had changed into the outfit prepared for the banquet. It was almost dusk now, and officials were supposed to arrive at the palace early when invited to a banquet held by the emperor.


    This time, apart from Yuwen Tong, the emperor had also invited a lot of courtiers of all descriptions, including Yuwen Zhi who had been demoted by three ranks.


    ¡­


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    At night, Yuwen Tong went to the imperial palace. Ling Zhang, who had barely eaten a bite of his dinner, stayed in his room alone, worrying about the situation in the palace.


    At this moment, there was a semblance of harmony in the imperial palace. All courtiers were chatting and laughing, as though none of them had sensed the looming tempest.


    Yuwen Tong had been the focus of numerous people¡¯s attention from the moment he went through the palace gates till he sat down in the banquet hall. Everybody was sizing him up. As Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t tried to hush up the attempted assassination of him, it seemed to have come to the knowledge of all of them.


    Apart from these people¡¯s appraising look, what he was receiving more frequently was the emperor¡¯s and the Crown Prince¡¯s searching gaze, both of whom were trying to gauge whether or not he was poisoned!


    There were a lot of delicacies and soup placed in front of Yuwen Tong. He had neither the power to foretell the future nor the ability to tell whether a course had been poisoned or not, but fortunately for him, he was now literally immune to all poisons. Even the poison named Mrs. Pistil couldn¡¯t harm him. Given how rare and precious Mrs. Pistil was, Yuwen Tong believed that even those people didn¡¯t have any more of it at their disposal.


    ¡°I heard that a few days ago some assassins made an attempt on you. Was it true?¡± With this sudden question from the Crown Prince, the banquet hall fell so quiet that people inside could hear a pin drop.


    ¡°That did happen, Your Highness,¡± answered Yuwen Tong calmly.


    ¡°Did you get hurt, Marshal? If you did, I¡¯ll have a court physician treat you,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. The bunch of assassins were no threat to me. I beheaded each and every single one of them on the spot. Their heads have probably already been consumed by dogs and worms,¡± replied Yuwen Tong as calmly as usual.


    All others in the hall appeared a trifle sick at these words.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s face also took on a rather disgusted expression. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine that those assassins were actually bold enough to try to assassinate a marshal of the Great Yue. You were showing them mercy by merely cutting their heads off.¡±


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    Then he added, ¡°At that time, you only had a couple of guards protecting you. If you are wounded, you must not keep it back from us. My father and I would be very upset if anything happens to you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you, Your Highness. I¡¯m indeed unharmed. If you don¡¯t trust me and suspect that I¡¯m lying to you, you may have a court physician examine me right now.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s countenance slightly changed again. ¡°You¡¯re overreacting, Marshal. I¡¯m just worried about you, but since you¡¯ve brought this up, we might as well have some court physicians perform an examination.¡±


    A group of court physicians arrived very soon, which made people in the hall wonder whether or not they¡¯d been waiting outside quite some time for the Crown Prince¡¯s order to come in to examine Yuwen Tong. Some relatively shrewd ones had already had a sniff of something out of the ordinary, their faces growing rather inscrutable.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Marshal is indeed unharmed and in good health,¡± said a court physician after the examination.


    Of course arrangements had been made beforehand for these court physicians to come. The tea served to Yuwen Tong a while ago contained the antidote to the concealment poison. Had the poison named ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯ was still inside his body, it would undoubtedly have taken effect by now, and the court physicians would¡¯ve detected it. However¡­


    The Crown Prince and the emperor unnoticeably exchanged glances. Although they both looked relieved on the surface, they themselves were the only ones aware of what they were actually thinking.


    ¡°It turns out that my worry was unnecessary, but you being healthy is a blessing for the Great Yue, Marshal. Someone fill the Marshal¡¯s cup with wine. I¡¯d like to toast the Marshal personally,¡± said the Crown Prince, rising to his feet.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong also stood up, watching a young eunuch filling his wine cup, an impenetrable look in his eyes.


    ¡­


    After the banquet.


    A teacup was heavily thrown to the ground and smashed to pieces.


    ¡°Are you sure that cup of wine was poisoned?!¡±


    ¡°Please turn from your anger, Your Highness. I did poison that pot of wine. Afterwards the Marshal even drank almost half of it. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may have a court physician check that pot of wine.¡±


    ¡°You piece of shit! Since when do you give me orders? Guards, drag him out and cut his head off!¡±


    ¡°Mercy, Your Highness! Please have mercy on me!¡±


    Consumed with anger, the Crown Prince eyed the lackey fixedly as he was dragged out of the room. In the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had come to no harm whatsoever after drinking so much poisonous wine, he couldn¡¯t help wondering whether or not there¡¯d been something wrong with the poison he¡¯d given to his subordinate!


    ¡°Father, what do you think is the reason for it?¡± The Crown Prince looked at the emperor sitting in the seat of honor.


    With a darkened face, the emperor replied, ¡°We underestimated Yuwen Tong.¡±


    ¡°But how¡¯s that even possible? That bottle of ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯ was the last bottle of it in the world. Nobody alive today knows how to detoxify it, and even if someone does, there¡¯s no way they could get the rare ingredient required to prepare the antidote. How come Yuwen Tong was utterly unaffected by it? I¡­ I really couldn¡¯t understand.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s face was full of annoyance.


    The emperor said, ¡°Although the Yuwen family was not one of the families that assisted the founding emperor, it dates back to times before the establishment of our country, witnessing the rises and falls of two dynasties. It started as a family of civil officials and later became one of military officers. Maybe¡­ they happen to have the antidote to this rare poison.¡±


    How Yuwen Tong had remained totally unaffected by it couldn¡¯t be explained otherwise. Under no circumstances would the emperor believe there was any truth in the speculation that Yuwen Tong was immune to all poisons or had an indestructible body.


    The emperor continued, ¡°Yuwen Tong survived the poison, but there¡¯s no doubt he¡¯d be more vigilant after the attempted assassination. Given how hard you pushed him in the banquet hall tonight, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s already become suspicious. Suspend all plans. Put the North-western Army under closer surveillance and intercept their correspondence with Yuwen Tong. At the same time, figure out a watertight plan to eliminate Yuwen Tong once and for all as soon as possible. Otherwise this tiger might really get out of control.¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded. ¡°Yes, Father. I¡¯ll figure something out to share your burden after I return.¡±


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong left the imperial palace. On their way back, Yao Yi told Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal, just now I saw Second Master get into the King Duan¡¯s carriage at the other end of the alley.¡±


    Yuwen Tong frowned. ¡°Are you sure it was him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw him distinctly,¡± replied Yao Yi.


    After a brief moment¡¯s silence, Yuwen Tong asked Yao Yi, ¡°Has our contact in the palace found anything out about that venomous snake?¡±


    ¡°I was just about to report this to you, Marshal. It was ascertained that that venomous snake went into the cold palace after detouring around the utility room.¡±


    The cold palace? The first names that popped into Yuwen Tong¡¯s head were those of the Concubine Shu and the Concubine De, and with that he felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach. Was Yuwen Zhi in league with those two women, by any chance? Had Yuwen Zhi played a part in the attempted assassination of him?


    Yao Yi, as though aware of what Yuwen Tong was thinking, soon added, ¡°That snake¡¯s destination was not the Concubine Shu¡¯s or the Concubine De¡¯s place. It went to the north-west corner of the cold palace. All those who live in that area are imperial concubines sentenced to imprisonment in that place a long time ago. One of them even used to be the emperor¡¯s favorite. She¡¯s been in there for seven or eight years now. Oh, incidentally, it¡¯s rumored that she was very young when she was thrown into the cold palace and was the darling of the emperor shortly before her sentence, that the reason why she was suddenly sent there was because she said something that the emperor found offensive.¡±


    An imperial concubine sent to the cold palace seven or eight years ago? Yuwen Tong was confused. ¡°Is there any connection between her and Yuwen Zhi?¡±


    On hearing Yuwen Tong call his uncle by his full name, Yao Yi came to realize that Yuwen Tong was very disgruntled at him. He gave a soft cough and replied, ¡°Yue Qi looked into it and found that she had no dealings whatsoever with any of your family members before her entry into the imperial palace and was a complete stranger to Second Master. Right now Yue Qi is digging deeper. Also, our contacts in the palace are trying to gain access into the cold palace to investigate. Unlike other places, the cold palace is relatively easy to get in, so there should be an outcome very soon.¡±


    It was best if they could manage to infiltrate into the cold palace to conduct an inquiry into the affair, for it would allow them a chance to directly find out whether or not that imperial concubine was involved.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Tell them to be cautious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± responded Yao Yi.


    ¡­


    ¡°How was it? Did anything happen?¡±


    Ling Zhang had been waiting in the front yard all along. On seeing Yuwen Tong return, he hastened over to him, studying his countenance and sizing him up.


    Yuwen Tong took his hand and drew him towards the courtyard house, saying, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. Xie Shi has examined me already. I¡¯m in perfect health.¡±


    When he had given Ling Zhang a general account of what had happened in the banquet hall, the two of them had entered the courtyard house.


    Ling Zhang let out a sigh of relief after hearing it. ¡°I knew it was their doing. No. We need to figure out a way to prevent them from summoning you to the palace again. If every two or three days they call you to the palace to test you, it¡¯d be an unbearable torture.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They should have known that what they did today has roused my suspicions and wouldn¡¯t take any further action for the moment. Besides, soon they¡¯ll be too occupied to find any time to deal with me.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°What do you plan to do?¡±


    Yuwen Tong leaned over and whispered something in his ear.


    Eyes widening, Ling Zhang immediately grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡­ But what if¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong swept him into his embrace and observed beside his ear in an undertone, ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®if¡¯. I must do it. We¡¯ve got to get ourselves out of passivity.¡±


    Ling Zhang held him tight. After quite a while, he said, ¡°Then do we need to leave the capital city first? Even staying in that manor would lower the risk of raising suspicion.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Given the circumstances, it¡¯d be more advantageous to us if we stay in the capital city.¡±


    Hugging him, Ling Zhang stood motionless for quite a while. Eventually, he said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be by your side no matter what lies in store for us.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile, kissed him, scooped him up, carried him into the inner chamber and said, ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯ll take a quick bath to rid myself of the strong smell of liquor.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look and with that Yuwen Tong went to have a bath, a beam on his face.


    Ling Zhang stood in a daze for a long moment. At the thought of what Yuwen Tong was going to do, a worried expression appeared on his face.

 Chapter 298 - The Tempest Setting In

    Three days later, something big happened ¨C the Zhongxin Marquess, who was feeling better, took all his family and left the capital city, heading for Shengzhou.


    The Ji family had been living in the capital city for several generations. They came originally from Cangzhou, but after so many years, they had nobody they felt close to in that place, only an old residence and some very distant relatives who were members of collateral branches of the family. What with the outbreak of the rebellion in Cangzhou, it was not safe for them to go back to Yanzhou, so they¡¯d decided that they might as well return to Shengzhou, where they owned a pasture that was vast and just the place for relaxation and nursing illness.


    Ling Zhang went to see them off and secretly gave Ji Feng a lot of signed checks in the knowledge that the Ji family had undergone such great misfortune and also had so many people to support. There was nothing else he could do for them, and he only hoped that the money would help lighten their burden.


    At first Ji Feng refused to accept the money and wouldn¡¯t budge an inch on the issue. Ling Zhang told him, ¡°Take it as the money I pay to buy your parents¡¯ summer house. I know that nobody has bought it yet. I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡±


    Ji Feng¡¯s eyes reddened at the moving words. After the emperor stripped the Zhongxin Marquess of his title of nobility, his ownership of the residential compound of the Ji family had also been taken away from him. It was no longer their home. The only property they had left in the capital city apart from the stores was the summer house in the suburb. Given that Ling Zhang had got neither the title deed of it nor any promises from Ji Feng¡¯s grandfather, he wouldn¡¯t be able to call himself the legal owner of that summer house. He was just doing this so as not to hurt Ji Feng¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Yuwen Jin, Zhao Jiusi, Zhao Turui, Xie Qing, Xun Huo and Tao Yi, all of whom had come with Ling Zhang, also gifted Ji Feng with a lot of things. Due to their different economic backgrounds, the amounts of their contributions differed from person to person, but they were all tokens of friendship and goodwill.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to Shengzhou to visit you. I heard that all pastures in Shengzhou are huge. I¡¯ve never been to any before. Maybe we could have a horse race there and see who¡¯s the best rider,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather be the referee than a contestant.¡± Xun Huo put his hands up as if to say ¡°I surrender¡±, which raised a chuckle of amusement among the others, allaying the poignancy of parting and separation somewhat.


    ¡°Go. Have a safe trip,¡± said Ling Zhang solemnly.


    Ji Feng inclined his head earnestly, bade his friends farewell one by one, reluctantly mounted his horse, rode to join his family members, gave his friends one last wave and then forced himself into turning his head around, exercising all his self-restraint to keep from looking back at them.


    Eyes red with sorrow, Zhao Turui¡¯s voice was a shade tremulous. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what will happen to the rest of us. Ji Feng used to be the most privileged of all of us when his grandfather was the Zhongxin Marquess who wielded real power, and nobody in the capital city dared mess with him. Because of his grandfather, even His Majesty¡¯s relatives had to think twice before saying or doing anything that might be offensive to him, but now, in the blink of an eye, the Ji family has dropped from the top of the pyramid to the bottom. I really find this hard to accept.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi put his arm around his brother¡¯s shoulders, consoling him silently.


    Every one of them had a couple of elders working for the government and were quite used to the various matters concerning official circles. When it wasn¡¯t themselves or anybody close to them that one of those tragedies happened to, they had no problem making all kinds of comments on it, but when the victim was their friend, they all felt quit upset. The matter of the Zhongxin Marquess had caused such a sensation in the city. They were all sensible enough to tell right from wrong and naturally knew the underhand tricks behind it. All of them couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed at the incumbent emperor and the imperial court.


    ¡°Yesterday my father told me that the Gu family is pushing the Jiang family harder and harder, that the Jiang family wouldn¡¯t be able to hold for long. He said that it¡¯s very likely Jiang Shennian would hand in his resignation during the next few days. The glorious Jiang family would probably fall from grace as well,¡± said Xie Qing in a gloomy voice.


    All of them, particularly Yuwen Jin, hadn¡¯t been on very good terms with Jiang Yu all along, but now even Yuwen Jin couldn¡¯t say anything. It was the Jiang family they were talking about, the patriarch of which was Jiang Shennian who was the emperor¡¯s uncle and wielded enormous power in this country. Even he was about to be brought down?


    Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead slightly twitched, transports of sentiment flooding over him.


    ¡°Sometimes I actually hope that my father hadn¡¯t got to such a high position, because it¡¯s safer to stay inconspicuous,¡± Xie Qing continued.


    Xie Qing¡¯s father was the one who had succeeded Peng Fang as the Assistant Minister of Works, and who counted as one of the most powerful courtiers capable of making a difference in the imperial court, but the current political landscape really struck this group of young men as untrustworthy and fearful.


    ¡°I heard that His Majesty thinks highly of Wang Cai and would probably send him to Cangzhou to help General Dai suppress the rebellion in a few days,¡± Tao Yi suddenly confided under his breath.


    Tao Yi¡¯s teacher was very much in the emperor¡¯s confidence, but what with the spate of recent events, the old lord was feeling more and more disappointed at the emperor. Even when the emperor summoned him, he would refuse to go on whatever pretext he could think of. Seldom as he had entered the imperial palace recently, he had no difficulty gaining access to this kind of messages.


    Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brows. ¡°Wang Cai? Going to Cangzhou? What could he, a civil official, possibly do in that city? Surely he wouldn¡¯t go to the battlefield?¡±


    Tao Yi curled his lip. ¡°Him going to the battlefield? People like him value their lives far too much to risk going to the battleground. It¡¯s been almost a month since the outbreak of the rebellion in Cangzhou, and half a month since General Dai and his troops were dispatched there, but the uprising still hasn¡¯t been quashed. His Majesty was very displeased with it, so when Wang Cai offered to go there of his own accord, saying that he had a way to help General Dai put an end to the insurrection, he gave his consent.¡±


    At the mention of Wang Cai¡¯s name, all of them appeared disdainful and indignant. It was because of Wang Cai¡¯s frame-up that Ji Feng¡¯s grandfather had lost both his position and his title of nobility. In their eyes, Wang Cai was a downright vile character.


    ¡°What kind of method could a man like Wang Cai possibly think of? He¡¯s probably going to make things even worse in Cangzhou,¡± remarked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Alas, who knows?¡± With this sigh, all of them lapsed into silence. They all wanted to help but none of them could. Although this matter had come to their knowledge, there was nothing they could do to stop Wang Cai.


    Ling Zhang felt a twinge of hatred for this man. He had hitherto only heard of Wang Cai¡¯s name. Though not having seen him so far, he had a terrible impression of this person.


    On returning to his residence, Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong both of the messages he¡¯d heard of earlier this day.


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. ¡°Jiang Shennian has already requested permission to retire from office and return to private life. The emperor tried to dissuade him.¡±


    ¡°Dissuade him? The emperor still wants him to be his right-hand man?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. It¡¯s more likely he was just making a token gesture. People of the Jiang family pose too big a threat to the Crown Prince. They have secretly sided with the King Duan. Given that the Crown Prince and the emperor have worked with one heart several times recently, the latter is very pleased with the former being the heir to the throne, and naturally doesn¡¯t want the Jiang family to be a threat to the Crown Prince¡¯s heirship. There¡¯s no doubt the Jiang family will pull out of the imperial court.¡±


    Ling Zhang fell silent. It seemed that the Jiang family was indeed going down.


    ¡°Wang Cai has always been more of a hindrance than a help in everything he¡¯s involved in. Him being in Cangzhou will no doubt become a headache for Dai Cheng,¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    ¡°Why would the emperor trust someone like that?¡± Ling Zhang was bemused.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°Because Wang Cai is predictable. The emperor could hardly misread his intentions. In the final analysis, he¡¯s a pawn. The emperor is sending him to Cangzhou merely because he wants to use Wang Cai to give Dai Cheng a word of warning, telling him to stop dawdling. Dai Cheng hasn¡¯t been handling things with high efficiency because he has scruples about ordering his men to slaughter those women and old men. He has principles and a line in the sand, but the likes of Wang Cai don¡¯t, which is the very reason why the emperor wants to use him.¡±


    Ling Zhang was rendered speechless by the truth. How disappointed people of Cangzhou would be if they found out about their emperor¡¯s doing.


    However, currently, the two of them were also faced with a dangerous situation that they might not be able to survive. Although he had sympathy for the people in Cangzhou, there was not really anything he could do to help in these circumstances.


    At the thought of this, Ling Zhang went rather dispirited.


    ¡­


    After Jiang Shennian tendered several memorials to the throne stating his wish to retire, the emperor ¡°finally¡± consented to it. With Jiang Shennian resigning his prime ministership, all those who¡¯d attached themselves to the Jiang family quickly switched sides. This power juggernaut that had been weighing the other sides down for many years finally ceased to exist. However, Jiang Shennian didn¡¯t lapse into dejection and leave this troubled city as the Zhongxin Marquess had done, because he was the emperor¡¯s uncle after all, and even if he no longer had real power, he still bore a title of nobility, and the large residential compound still belonged to the Jiang family, though they refused to receive any visitors ever since Jiang Shennian¡¯s resignation.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s faction won the political rivalry. The Gu family had originally been eagerly anticipating the day when they¡¯d get the prime ministership and replace the Jiang family as the most powerful family, but unexpectedly, the emperor suddenly decided to split the prime ministership in half, appointing two prime ministers: the Left Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister. The Left Prime Minister was a member of the Gu family, but the Right Prime Minister was a civil official who was a hard-core member of the emperor¡¯s faction, one of the emperor¡¯s henchmen. The King Duan¡¯s faction also benefited from it ¨C the King Duan¡¯s followers filled the vacancies left by members of the Gu family.


    In other words, the Gu family left their original position, expecting to get that important post with great power, but unexpectedly, the emperor tricked them, cut the power of the prime ministership in half, and their original position that they¡¯d been working on for many years was taken by the King Duan¡¯s men. Although the King Duan¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t be able to have the men that the Gu family had planted a long time ago switch sides, but it was only a matter of time before they succeeded.


    ¡°This time, people of the Gu family definitely are pissed off,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°I wonder if the Crown Prince is pissed off by this outcome as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The Gu family are definitely pissed off, but the Crown Prince might not be.


    The Gu family are relatives of a queen consort. Political dominance of relatives of a queen consort has always been a great taboo. The reason why Jiang Shennian had been promoted to the Prime Minister previously was because the Crown Prince¡¯s mother is not a member of the Jiang family. If she were, Jiang Shennian wouldn¡¯t have had the good luck. If the Right Prime Minister was a member of another rival faction, the Crown Prince might be pissed off, but he¡¯s a member of the emperor¡¯s faction, who is currently loyal to the emperor and will be loyal to the Crown Prince after his enthronement, which means that the Crown Prince is still firmly keeping hold of all these things.¡±


    Ling Zhang snorted, ¡°They really did have everything planned out.¡±


    ¡°No matter how astute their calculation is, they should¡¯ve considered whether they¡¯d live long enough to enjoy the fruit of it or not.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him and asked under his breath, ¡°Are you really going to do that to the King Duan?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lightly bobbed his head, saying nothing, but the answer was only too explicit.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face creased into a smile.


    ¡°According to his own plan, he shouldn¡¯t have got this far so smoothly, but I¡¯ve already paved the way for him. He¡¯d prove himself a good-for-nothing if he fails to seize this opportunity,¡± Yuwen Tong said in a muted voice after a few moments.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°And¡­ what about your uncle?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face went cold. ¡°I¡¯ve warned him several times. In addition¡­


    I have a feeling that he is up to something greater than this.¡±

 Chapter 299 - Yuwen Zhis Scheme

    At the mention of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s name, Yuwen Tong¡¯s face darkened somewhat. Ling Zhang inwardly heaved a sigh. If truth be told, he was really baffled as to what Yuwen Zhi was thinking exactly.


    ¡°Fortunately you and he have gone your separate ways. Given his relations with the King Duan, some day he¡¯ll get himself into some serious trouble,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    At the same time he was also a trifle bemused. A man as patronizing as Yuwen Zhi had actually deigned to do the King Duan¡¯s bidding?


    ¡°What on earth does he see in the King Duan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely about the reward he¡¯d get after helping the King Duan take the throne, but he has some other ulterior motives which I can¡¯t be certain about for the moment.¡±


    The reward he¡¯d get after helping the King Duan take the throne? Was Yuwen Zhi really so sure that the King Duan would be able to ascend the throne? It was only too obvious that the emperor held the Crown Prince in high regard. If the King Duan was to accede to the throne, the Crown Prince would be the first rival he had to confound. What made Yuwen Zhi think the King Duan was able to take the Crown Prince¡¯s place? The Crown Prince had as much as, if not more than, what the King Duan had at his disposal. The Gu family alone was an obstacle daunting enough, not to mention the Crown Prince was the rightful heir to the throne and also valued very much by the emperor. There were a great number of officials, both inside and outside the imperial court, that were on the Crown Prince¡¯s side. Once Yuwen Zhi aligned himself with the King Duan, he would have to get through all these hurdles.


    Ling Zhang was also inclined to believe that Yuwen Tong was right, that Yuwen Zhi had some ulterior motives.


    ¡°Do you know something about it, by any chance?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Yuwen Tong slightly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for the result of my men¡¯s investigation. When it comes out, the whole thing will come to light.¡±


    ¡­


    That very night, Yao Yi brought back a message from a contact in the imperial palace.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had already turned in. In the normal run of things, Yao Yi wouldn¡¯t disturb them if it wasn¡¯t about something important. As a result, when Yuwen Tong got up, Ling Zhang also sat up and asked worriedly, ¡°Did anything happen?¡±


    Seeing his drowsy eyes, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°You may go back to sleep. I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, crawled out of bed, carelessly put on his overgarment and fastened it. ¡°I want to hear it as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong reached out his hand to help him adjust his clothes, unfastened his carelessly fastened overgarment to refasten it properly, and then took him out of the bedroom.Visit website Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong glanced at Yao Yi. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Marshal, there¡¯s a message from the palace. That imperial concubine is indeed up to something big. She has a son.¡±


    A son?! Yuwen Tong who was sitting down paused to look at him. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s her son?¡±


    ¡°Our contact in the palace was also afraid to make a mistake, so he checked it several times and is positive that that boy is indeed her son. He also found a window of opportunity, sneaked in and felt that boy¡¯s bones to verify his bone age. He was born in the same year that imperial concubine was sent to the cold palace. Currently, the only thing remaining to be ascertained is whether that boy is an illegitimate child or an accidentally conceived prince.¡±


    At first Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t quite understand, but after hearing this, he fathomed out half of it ¨C there was an imperial concubine in the cold palace who had a son that was either an illegitimate child or a prince, but he was confused as to why Yuwen Tong was having his men look into this matter.


    ¡°She was still in the emperor¡¯s good graces shortly before being sentenced to imprisonment in the cold palace, and there was no news of her pregnancy at that time, but it¡¯s almost impossible for an imperial concubine to give birth to a child in the cold palace without being found out by anybody, so the emperor probably knows about it. If the boy is not his son, he would¡¯ve long since had the concubine and the boy executed. Therefore, the greatest probability is that the boy is a prince who is imprisoned in the cold palace along with his mother by the emperor.


    And this corresponds with the information that our contact in the palace acquired after some inquiries. It¡¯s said that that imperial concubine¡¯s house in the cold palace has been haunted from the first day she moved into it. Nobody dares approach it except for a palacemaid serving her. On top of that, that house is the most isolated spot in the cold palace from where ghostly wails emanate every once in a while at night, so hardly anybody dares get close to that area, and almost everybody in the cold palace knows that place is haunted. It¡¯s been so many years and people there have started to call that imperial concubine ¡®Banshee¡¯, which makes her even scarier.¡±


    ¡°The ghostly wail is just a smokescreen. Barely anybody in the cold palace has knowledge that there¡¯s a boy in that house, I suppose?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi nodded. ¡°Indeed, which is why nobody thought of this possibility in the beginning. Our contact in the palace had also heard of the haunted house before, but as there were stories about ghosts in the cold palace in all previous dynasties, he¡¯d never gone there to verify it, which was why today¡¯s investigation took some doing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°Tell our contact there to keep close watch on her and be careful not to blow his cover.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Now that we know whom he¡¯s been in contact with, our next step should be to figure out a way to find out what he¡¯s been up to. Try to get that old servant talking. Given that this person has been delivering messages for Yuwen Zhi for such a long time, he definitely has some inside information. Let Xie Shi handle it. Tell him to take it easy and not to kill that servant lest Yuwen Zhi be alarmed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Go. I¡¯ll give this matter some more thought.¡±


    Yao Yi gave a nod and left the room.


    Of course Ling Zhang had come to understand the whole thing after hearing all this. Yuwen Zhi had been secretly contacting an imperial concubine imprisoned in the cold palace. Although she was in the cold palace, the circumstances were still very suspicious.


    ¡°Is that imperial concubine an old acquaintance of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    He asked this question because he knew for sure that since this matter had come to Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge, he would undoubtedly look into the relations between the concubine and Yuwen Zhi.


    Predictably, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°The imperial concubine had no dealings with him before being thrown into the cold palace, and neither was there any old friendship between the two families. I¡¯ve already sent some men to find out what Yuwen Zhi and his contacts have done in the imperial palace. Given that he¡¯s got connected with that imperial concubine in the cold palace, he definitely has offered her some help, no matter what his intentions are.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, looking bewildered. ¡°If they¡¯re not old acquaintances, then who are they to each other?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was also deep in thought. After a moment, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see what Xie Shi could get from that old servant to find out the truth about this matter.¡±


    ¡°Old servant?¡± Ling Zhang became even more puzzled.


    Yuwen Tong gave him a general account of the links between that old servant, the teahouse and that venomous snake.


    Ling Zhang pondered over it for quite a while but still couldn¡¯t understand why Yuwen Zhi had contacted an imperial concubine imprisoned in the cold palace. Besides¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s got involved in so many things at the same time. First he joined the King Duan¡¯s faction, and now he¡¯s covertly keeping in contact with one of the emperor¡¯s concubines, though she¡¯s in the cold palace. If anybody finds out about either of these two matters, he would definitely be beheaded. Why is he taking such a great risk?¡±


    Ling Zhang continued analyzing the reason. ¡°If he¡¯s unreconciled to the situation in which he and you went your separate ways and he was demoted by three ranks, and he wants to be restored to his former position or even get to a position higher than that, then his helping the King Duan would be fairly understandable, but then the cold palace¡­ he started contacting that imperial concubine a long time ago, and at that time he was still the de facto patriarch of the Yuwen family in the capital city, and you, a top-ranking official, was still at his back, so the former reason is pointless in this regard.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tapped the surface of the table. ¡°He¡¯s egoistic and supercilious. Without the prospect of gaining enormous benefits as a motivation, he would never cooperate with a woman in the cold palace. After all, he doesn¡¯t even have much respect for princes.¡±


    ¡°What could a woman in the cold palace possibly offer him?¡± Ling Zhang was deeply perplexed. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s that concubine¡¯s parentage?¡±


    ¡°Her father is a Tongpan (an official under Tongzhi) in a provincial county. In that year she and many other girls were selected to be imperial concubines together. She hasn¡¯t been in touch with her family for many years. Her humble origins are the very reason why the emperor shows a total disregard for her, leaving her in the cold palace to die, though she¡¯s borne him a son,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°That just makes it even more confusing,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong had a slight frown on his face, a thoughtful look in his eyes.


    ¡­


    Yao Yi and Xie Shi was handling the matter with high efficiency. They caught him shortly after he left the residential compound. Posing as thugs, they soon frightened the life out of the old man. He was in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s confidence because he was loyal and didn¡¯t yield easily, but when faced with Xie Shi¡¯s gruesome means of torture, he had no choice but to give in.


    After hearing the old servant¡¯s confession, both Yao Yi and Xie Shi were astounded.


    Combining intimidation with bribery, they made sure the old servant wouldn¡¯t disclose it to anybody and then let him go. The old man didn¡¯t live alone. A lot of his family members were working as servants in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family. In order for them to stay alive, he wouldn¡¯t dare breathe a word to anybody.


    ¡­


    ¡°Marshal, the old servant made a full confession.¡± Yao Yi returned to the Ling Mansion in a great hurry.


    As chance would have it, both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were at home. Ling Zhang said, ¡°What did he say?¡±


    Yao Yi answered, ¡°The old man said that Second Master has been in touch with that woman for years. It started from the year when the Marshal returned to the capital city the last time. That boy is indeed the emperor¡¯s son. Second Master promised that woman that he would help her get out of the cold palace and live a life of wealth and glory, as long as she and her son follow his every instruction after leaving the cold palace.¡±


    ¡°A life of wealth and glory? What kind of wealth and glory?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice went cold.


    Yao Yi lowered his head. ¡°That old servant didn¡¯t give any details about that. He himself wasn¡¯t absolutely sure of it, but he vaguely knew that Second Master is up to something big ¨C that boy seems to be a puppet on a string for Second Master.¡±


    ¡°Controlling the emperor to command the nobles,¡± said Yuwen Tong flintily.


    Ling Zhang was taken aback. ¡°What does he want to do?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Now I know what he¡¯s planning to do. He sided with the King Duan not because he really wanted to serve him. He did it because he wanted to use the King Duan. His real goal is not just to get a high position. He¡¯s after something far greater than that.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t put it explicitly, but both Ling Zhang and Yao Yi were smart people and fathomed out what Yuwen Tong meant after giving it some thought.


    Ling Zhang slowly sat down and observed, ¡°Your uncle¡¯s got a lot of balls. I¡¯ll give him that.¡±


    The latter half of his remark which he held back was, ¡°Every member of the Yuwen family seems to have a lot of balls.¡±


    ¡°What should we do, Marshal? How do we stop Second Master?¡± asked Yao Yi.


    With a frosty expression in his eyes, Yuwen Tong thought for a long moment and then said, ¡°We don¡¯t. He wants to use the King Duan, and so do we, which makes him our helper, but we need to be cautious. Keep a weather eye on him.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Is Second Master reliable?¡± Yao Yi didn¡¯t think Yuwen Zhi was trustworthy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need him to be reliable. I just want him to distract some attention,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°He would definitely be very glad to see the King Duan do what he¡¯s been plotting to do. We could conveniently use him to finish what it¡¯s inconvenient for us to do personally.¡±


    ¡°But if by any chance Second Master finds out about it, the whole Yuwen family would be incriminated,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong gave a sneer and confided part of his plan to Yao Yi, whose eyes lit up at the words. ¡°I see. Consider it done, Marshal!¡±


    Ling Zhang standing on the side felt goosebumps rising up all over him at their conversation. ¡°If you do this, Yuwen Zhi will come and put up a desperate fight against you when it comes to his knowledge.¡±

 Chapter 300 - The Crown Princes Demise

    It was a hot summer, but surprisingly, the Crown Prince caught a cold after returning from an imperial summer house in the western suburb. Maybe because of his congenital weak constitution, this sudden illness of his soon took a drastic turn for the worse. He suffered from fever for several consecutive days, and the symptoms were threatening to exacerbate. Consumed with anger, the emperor ordered that court physicians of the imperial hospital cure the Crown Prince of his cold, whatever the cost might be.


    At first officials in and out of the imperial court didn¡¯t pay much attention to this matter, for it was just a cold after all. Given that the Crown Prince had survived the disease that had tortured him for so many years, and that he was still young, everybody believed that he would recover in a week or two, but unexpectedly, after a month, the Crown Prince was still suffering from the illness. He¡¯d relapsed into fever again and again, and it was rumored that for a time he¡¯d even been delirious. It was only then that officials began to feel worried. The emperor had called off the routine court meeting several days in a row, personally watching over his son in the Eastern Palace.


    After word got out, people of all sides started making speculations about the possible developments of this situation. The Crown Prince¡¯s followers were like cats on a hot tin roof, the others factions were watching to see what was going to happen.


    ¡°You good-for-nothing! What use could I possibly have for you if you can¡¯t even treat a cold?! Guards! Drag him out!¡±


    ¡°Please show me mercy, Your Majesty! Please show me mercy!¡±


    The stone-flagged floor in front of the main hall of the Eastern Palace had been stained by court physicians¡¯ blood, but there was still no sign of the Crown Prince recovering. He was getting feebler by the day and lapsed into stupefaction more and more often. There had been rumors spreading out of the palace, saying that the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t be able to survive his cold.


    In the residential compound of the King Duan.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a month now. Zhou Mingtang is still struggling. He¡¯s not going to recover, right?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness, the Crown Prince is close to death. It won¡¯t be long before you get your wish.¡±


    Zhou Mingyuan was thrilled at these words. Once Zhou Mingtang died, he would be the front runner to replace him as the crown prince!


    At the same time, the King Yu had secretly invited Yuwen Tong to have another meeting with him. Clearly, now that the Crown Prince was dying, the King Yu was also getting too excited to keep from making his move.Updates by Listnovel.com


    ¡°The King Duan¡¯s men have taken action repeatedly lately. He¡¯ll get the initiative if I don¡¯t make my move immediately. Can you lend me a hand, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry about it, Your Highness. The Crown Prince is still breathing, and His Majesty has his eye on the one who appears to be the most eager to take his place. No matter whether the Crown Prince will survive or not, His Majesty would definitely make things difficult for you if you make any rash decisions in these circumstances.¡±


    ¡°So I just sit and watch Zhou Mingyuan take the opportunity away from me?¡±


    ¡°How do you know what he¡¯s going to take away is an opportunity?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Marshal?¡±


    The King Yu didn¡¯t get an answer from Yuwen Tong. After returning home, he summoned his aides to help him figure out what Yuwen Tong had meant by that question.


    ¡°Your Highness, Yuwen Tong is just a military officer, and all he has is just command of troops. He¡¯s been away from politics for many years and barely has any dealings with any officials in the capital city. Moreover, he¡¯s been on leave and missing court meetings all the time. It¡¯s safe to say that he is not even as informed about the situation in the imperial court as we are. I don¡¯t think his opinions worth considering. In front of us is a golden opportunity. The King Duan has been making one arrangement after another. We¡¯ll lose the initiative if we don¡¯t act immediately!¡±Updates by Listnovel.com


    The King Yu was still hesitating. It struck him that Yuwen Tong was by no means what he seemed, that there¡¯d been an undertone contained in that question.


    ¡°Your Highness, I think it might be worthwhile to wait for some time,¡± said another aide. ¡°Yuwen Tong¡¯s got a point. His Majesty without doubt has eyes everywhere in this city, and nothing escapes his notice. The King Duan is being too reckless, and everything he¡¯s done has definitely already come to His Majesty¡¯s knowledge. Currently, as the Crown Prince¡¯s life is in danger, His Majesty is in a bad temper and has a bone to pick with anybody in his sight. What the King Duan is doing would undoubtedly antagonize His Majesty even further when the wrath is on him. No matter whether the Crown Prince survives or not, His Majesty would certainly vent his anger on the King Duan, and after the King Duan receives his punishment, it would be the time for you to make your move. As a result, I think you might as well go to the Eastern Palace. No matter whether what lies in store for the Crown Prince is death or survival, His Majesty will hold you in higher regard because of it. When the time is ripe, you could launch a smear campaign against the King Duan, turning his deeds to your advantage.¡±


    After this man finished speaking, the other aide was unconvinced and contradicted him, and the two of them started arguing with each other. The King Yu kept silent all along. In the final analysis, he cared too much about that question of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, but because of what the King Duan had been doing, he was unable to make a final decision.


    ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t rush into anything. Think about it ¨C if the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t make it, will His Majesty designate another prince as heir to the throne immediate?¡±


    The King Yu gave an involuntary shudder from head to foot, the look in his eyes slightly changing. ¡°Zhou Mingtang has always been the darling of my father. If he dies, my father would only be heart-broken. On no account would he make another son crown prince immediately.¡±


    ¡°Which is why angering His Majesty is the last thing you want to do in these circumstances. Please allow me to remind you that His Majesty seems to be in pretty good health.¡±


    The King Yu thought for a while and then rose to his feet. ¡°You guys figure out the things I should bring to the Eastern Palace and get them ready, and then I¡¯ll pay the Crown Prince a visit right away.¡±


    The King Yu didn¡¯t keep his visit to the Eastern Palace secret. Soon all those who had been paying attention to him came to know about it.


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°The King Yu has indeed taken your advice,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The King Duan has lost the opportunity. The only thing he could do next is make a risky move.¡±


    Ling Zhang, however, was rather worried. ¡°Will he really do that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°He will if we give him a little push. Also, the King Yu and his followers will definitely snatch at every moment they could rub salt into his wounds. When the emperor treats him like dirt, he will naturally choose this path in the knowledge that he doesn¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of winning.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡±


    ¡­


    In the King Duan¡¯s residential compound.


    ¡°What does the King Yu think he¡¯s doing? Why did he go to the Eastern Palace?¡±


    ¡°To show his brotherly love for the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°But the Crown Prince is near to death. What¡¯s the point of a loving brother act?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the act is not meant for the Crown Prince.¡±


    The light suddenly dawned on all the others at this remark. With a deep frown on his face, the King Duan hurriedly had his servants prepare some medicinal herbs and then hastened to the Eastern Palace.


    Unfortunately, since the King Yu had anticipated him, the emperor¡¯s response to this latecomer was rather bland. Seeing that the King Yu offered to stay in the Eastern Palace to take care of the Crown Prince and was granted the permission, the King Duan made the same offer but the emperor flatly turned it down.


    The King Duan was unreconciled to the situation but had to leave the Eastern Palace in the knowledge that there was nothing else he could do.


    In the Eastern Palace, the King Yu was personally tending to the Crown Prince at his bedside, feigning brotherly love for him. The expression on the emperor¡¯s face was very different from the one he¡¯d had in front of the King Duan.


    ¡­


    ¡°The King Yu is not really going to be back in favor with the emperor because of this, right? If by any chance he directly designates the King Yu as heir to the throne after the Crown Prince dies, wouldn¡¯t our plan fall through?¡± Ling Zhang was concerned.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Do you still remember what our emperor¡¯s greatest characteristic is?¡±


    Brows furrowed, Ling Zhang thought for a few moments and said, ¡°Being a fatuous and self-indulgent ruler? Having a suspicious mind?¡±


    Looking at him, Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°As a result, no matter how good a job the King Yu does playing the affectionate brother, the emperor will still suspect his true motives in doing that. Besides, even if the King Yu becomes crown prince, the King Duan wouldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing, and there would still be a life-or-death fight between them in the end.¡±


    Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. ¡°So no matter what, this only ends one way.¡±


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. ¡°Currently, there¡¯s only an eighty-percent chance that it¡¯ll end that way, but we¡¯ll make it a hundred with our efforts.¡±


    It was not that this could only end one way, but that he must make sure that it would end that way!


    ¡­


    Six days later, the Crown Prince failed to survive his ever-aggravating cold and died in the Eastern Palace.


    The emperor burst into wail, and white strips could be seen hanging in all streets and alleys of the capital city. The scale of the Crown Prince¡¯s funeral was enlarged again and again, which rendered the faces of officials of the Ministry of Revenue green. Previously, there had been the ambitious project of the building of an imperial mausoleum, followed by the dispatch of a large army to suppress the rebellion in Cangzhou, which required huge amounts of provisions and funds, and now they had to hold a funeral for the Crown Prince. Money had been going out of the national treasury like flood through a breached dam.


    After the Crown Prince died, the atmosphere in the whole city changed. There were considerably fewer pedestrians on the streets, because everybody knew that the political landscape would be reshaped radically with the Crown Prince¡¯s death.


    Of all people in the city, the King Duan¡¯s faction, the King Yu¡¯s faction and the Jiang family were probably the only ones who were happy.


    The sole reason why the Gu family were so cocky was because they had the Crown Prince at their back. With the Crown Prince going down, the Gu family had lost their most powerful backer. Given how hard the Gu family had pushed the Jiang family in the imperial court previously, the latter would probably set off firecrackers to celebrate if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the deed would be considered disrespectful for the deceased crown prince.


    ¡°Jiang Shennian wouldn¡¯t be reinstated in his post, right? If that¡¯s the case, the force at the King Duan¡¯s back might be too powerful to be kept under control,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy. People of the Gu family know very well the Jiang family¡¯s comeback would bring suffering on them, so they would do everything they could to prevent that from happening. As for the King Duan¡­ The Crown Prince is dead, and people of the Gu family have made an enemy of the King Duan owing to what they did to the Jiang family, so the King Yu is their only choice. In order to defend his own interests, the King Yu would go to even greater lengths to make sure people of the Jiang family never make it back to the imperial court,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong.


    As Yuwen Tong predicted, before the Crown Prince¡¯s coffin was transferred to the imperial mausoleum, the Gu family secretly sent someone to contact the King Yu.


    Yuwen Tong had been having the King Yu under constant watch, so naturally the Gu family¡¯s sending out a messenger immediately came to his knowledge.


    Ling Zhang frowned, feeling quite disgusted. Although he¡¯d also loathed the Crown Prince, the Gu family¡¯s switching sides so soon still struck him as terribly repulsive.


    He had always been ill-disposed towards the Gu family, and now he detested them further and even added that Professor Gu of the Imperial College to his list of people whom he didn¡¯t want to have dealings with.


    In the King Yu¡¯s residential compound.


    Naturally, the King Yu delightedly took the olive branch held out by the Gu family. With the support of the Gu family which was a juggernaut, he would be able to turn the tables on the King Duan!


    ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness! With the Gu family at your back, becoming the heir to the throne would be like shooting fish in a barrel for you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Now our victory is really in the bag!¡±


    ¡°This time the King Duan is definitely going to be pissed.¡±


    The King Duan was indeed consumed with rage. Naturally, the Crown Prince¡¯s death had been his doing, but whatever he¡¯d expected, it wasn¡¯t that eventually the King Yu would become the biggest winner. At the thought that all his efforts had virtually served to benefit his rival, he was nearly reduced to vomiting blood with fury.


    ¡°Your Highness, right now our first priority is to help Jiang Shennian be reinstated in his position, because the odds are stacked against us.¡±


    The King Duan said through gritted teeth, ¡°In the past few days, my father has made it very clear that he doesn¡¯t want to see me, but both of Zhou Mingyi¡¯s requests for an audience with him were granted. From the vantage point of the present, there¡¯s no way we can quickly get the Jiang family back in the game, no matter how anxious we are to do it.¡±


    ¡­


    Ominous dark clouds were gathering in the sky above the capital city, reducing citizens to silence, chilling their blood. It was one of the dog days, and people were feeling that a tempest was coming.

 Chapter 301 - A Rivalry for the Heirship to the Throne

    The emperor personally escorted the Crown Prince¡¯s coffin to the imperial mausoleum. He had lost a lot of weight from the grief over the Crown Prince¡¯s death, and his temper was becoming increasingly erratic. There had been several occasions when he¡¯d had a courtier flogged to death at a court meeting. Currently, all courtiers didn¡¯t dare speak during court meetings unless spoken to by the emperor.


    Maybe because of the previous relations between the Gu family and the Crown Prince, the emperor seemed to be on even better terms with people of the Gu family after the Crown Prince¡¯s death. The Jiang family, however, didn¡¯t have such luck. The King Duan had several times suggested a couple of members of the Jiang family be reinstated, but the emperor had not only rejected the suggestion but also reprimanded the King Duan.


    Also, the couple of courtiers that had been flogged to death were the King Duan¡¯s followers.


    It was now widely rumored in the capital city that the King Yu would probably become the next crown prince, because the King Yu had gained the Gu family¡¯s support, and most importantly, the emperor had complimented the King Yu in front of all courtiers several times.


    After returning home, the King Duan had several servants beaten to death in succession to vent his anger. ¡°This goddamn Zhou Mingyi! It turns out I underestimated him previously!¡±


    ¡°What should we do now, Your Highness? Judging from His Majesty¡¯s attitude towards the King Yu, it seems that¡­ he really has the intention of designating him as crown prince.¡±


    ¡°A state cannot survive a single leaderless day. Our country is in a situation where a crown prince must be selected. Without a crown prince, both the political and the social stability is in jeopardy. His Majesty would definitely anoint someone as his heir within the next half a year. Your Highness, there¡¯s no time to loose. We¡¯ve brought down a crown prince. We cannot afford to let anyone other than you become the new heir!¡±


    ¡°Of course I know that, but what would you have me do? The Gu family are dominating every court meeting. I tried several times to have my father reinstate the Jiang family but he refused to listen.¡±


    ¡­


    The King Yu secretly contacted Yuwen Tong once again, inviting him to meet him. This time Yuwen Tong declined.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong actually thinks he¡¯s still the marshal having the whole North-western Army at his command? His Majesty is just in too deep grief to deal with him. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be living such a peaceful life.¡±


    Clearly, the King Yu was displeased, a rather sulky look on his face. ¡°Never mind. Yuwen Tong has always been like this. Whether he¡¯s on our side or not no longer matters. Currently we have something more important to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we need to make hay while the sun shines, take advantage of this opportunity and have His Majesty appoint you as crown prince. Otherwise new problems might crop up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We should tender our memorials to the throne tomorrow.¡±


    The King Yu was both privately excited and worried. ¡°But although my father has praised me several times lately, he never expressed any intentions of making me his heir. Wouldn¡¯t we be rushing into things if we do that so soon?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty¡¯s praise is a hint big enough. I think he¡¯s made his take on this issue quite clear.¡±


    The King Yu was swayed. ¡°Still, I should consult with Prime Minister Gu about this matter first.¡±


    The next day. At the court meeting.


    For the first time, some courtiers suggested that the emperor anoint a crown prince. Directly or indirectly, they all expressed their great regard for the King Yu¡¯s abilities, making it very evident that they wanted the emperor to designate the King Yu as crown prince.


    Naturally, the King Duan and his followers raised strong objections to the proposal, but people of the Gu family, who were eloquent and plausible, shot down their opinions, rendering the King Duan¡¯s followers bitter and indignant. The Crown Prince¡¯s faction had been gathering momentum all along, and now after all its members followed the Gu family¡¯s lead and sided with the King Yu, half of the courtiers were in favor of the proposal to designate the King Yu as crown prince. Realizing that they were on the losing side, the King Duan¡¯s followers were grinding their teeth in rage.


    But instead of taking a stand, the emperor made an excuse and postpone appointing a crown prince.


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°The emperor is indeed not sure whether the King Yu is the best choice or not. Otherwise he would at least have dropped a hint or something,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    A gleam flitted across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s about time we made our move.¡±


    The action Yuwen Tong took was very direct. He tendered a memorial to the emperor, stating his support for the proposal to appoint the King Yu as heir to the throne.


    News of it instantly sparked intense discussion both in and out of the imperial court. Nobody could have foreseen that Yuwen Tong would suddenly make a stand.


    The King Yu¡¯s aides were all thrilled, but people of the Gu family advised the King Yu to stay calm.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s only too obvious that His Majesty is wary and suspicious of Yuwen Tong. There¡¯s really no telling whether him expressing his public support for you is a good thing for you or not.¡±


    While the King Yu was weighing up the pros and cons, the King Duan lost his composure.


    ¡°Your Highness, Yuwen Tong has clarified his position, and now the King Yu has both the Gu family and Yuwen Tong at his back. With a top-ranking civil official and a top-ranking military officer supporting him, I¡¯m afraid His Majesty will¨C¡±


    The King Duan bitterly sprang to his feet. ¡°On no account will I let Zhou Mingyi get heirship to the throne.¡±


    After saying this, he smashed his teacup to pieces.


    ¡­


    The timing of Yuwen Tong handing in his memorial had been quite subtle. All officials in the city fell silent after the submission of that memorial, as though waiting for the emperor to take a clear-cut stand.


    The King Yu was waiting, and so were people of the Gu family.


    However, the emperor didn¡¯t make a decision during the next two court meetings. It seemed that he was still hesitating.


    Seeing how things were going, the King Duan prepared for the worst. At the same time ¨C


    ¡°Your Highness, here¡¯s a letter from Lord Yuwen.¡±


    A secret letter was delivered to the King Duan.


    After reading it, the King Duan was first startled and then in raptures. ¡°Terrific!¡±


    ¡°May I ask what makes you so excited, Your Highness?¡±


    The King Duan handed the letter to his aides, all of whom were pleasantly surprised by the contents of it. ¡°Yuwen Zhi actually managed to draw the commander of the Northern City Garrison Battalion over to our side without any of us knowing about it?¡±


    ¡°The commander of that battalion is one of His Majesty¡¯s henchmen. He and Dai Cheng are sect-brothers. The two of them were recruited to the army by His Majesty at the same time. He¡¯s one of the most hard-core members of His Majesty¡¯s faction. How the hell did Yuwen Zhi rope him in?!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, is Yuwen Zhi trustworthy?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll go and have a meeting with him, and then we¡¯ll find that out.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Tong sided with you and the King Yu respectively. What kind of game are he and his nephew playing?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi had a falling out a long time ago. Given the ugly end of that incident in the Yuwen family, if I were Yuwen Tong, I wouldn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Yuwen Zhi either.¡±


    ¡°Still, this might be a trap. You¡¯ve got to be careful, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Marshal, the King Duan had a secret meeting with Second Master. Wang Qi of the Northern City Garrison Battalion was also present.


    Currently, everything is going as you planned, Marshal. It seems that Second Master has indeed played the only card he had left ¨C inciting the King Duan to rebel.¡±


    Yao Yi returned, bringing back some big news.


    Yuwen Tong, with a calm look on his face, fished out three thin bamboo tubes and handed them to Yao Yi. ¡°Have these delivered to our men. It¡¯s high time we made our move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    During the next few days, changes of the situation in the imperial court happened so quick that people barely had enough time to figure out what was really going on. The King Duan was held responsible for two consecutive mistakes. The first one had been made by himself, and the second by one of his subordinates. On the emperor¡¯s desk was a large pile of memorials submitted by courtiers impeaching him.


    The situation on the King Yu¡¯s side, however, was quite the opposite. As though some kind of divine intervention was at work, the King Yu finished several assignments with flying colors in succession, earning himself quite some commendation and a huge boost in his prestige among the people. Even the emperor was blindsided by such changes. There was widespread support for the King Yu across the country, and the majority of courtiers were petitioning him to bestow the title ¡®Crown Prince¡¯ on the King Yu. Even members of the Gu family couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether or not the King Yu was predestined to be an emperor and receiving help from the divine providence. What other explanations were there for such coincidental occurrences? A series of good opportunities seemed to have been delivered right into the hands of the King Yu, increasing his success rate drastically.


    In these circumstances, even the King Duan¡¯s followers found their loyalty wavering, and some of them betrayed their master and covertly started working for the King Yu. When the King Duan found out about it, his eyes reddened with fury.


    ¡°I must stop waiting. Otherwise I¡¯ll soon be clobbered. Today my father has already shown signs of being swayed. If I keep waiting, Zhou Mingyi, that fool, will really trump me and become crown prince!¡±


    After hearing this, the pillars of the King Duan¡¯s faction also lost their cool and were naturally agreed on the King Duan¡¯s resolution unanimously.


    ¡°Are you sure that Wang Qi guy is reliable, Your Highness?¡± asked an aide uncertainly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen him with your own eyes recently. I think you¡¯ve made your own judgement on him,¡± replied the King Duan.


    All the others immediately fell silent.


    ¡°Send a message to Lord Yuwen. Tell him I¡¯d like a meeting with him tonight to consult him about our big plan.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Marshal, the King Duan took action.¡±


    ¡°Keep a close watch on him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    There had been too many events in the capital city recently. The spate of upheavals had thrown a lot of people into confusion and fear, as though a tempest loomed up ahead of them overnight.


    Nobody remembered that farce in the residential compound of the Yuwen family a few months ago.


    Everybody¡¯s attention was fixed on the rivalry for the heirship to the throne.


    Even if there were some people having their eye on Yuwen Tong as well, it would be because of the King Yu. Everybody was conjecturing that the King Yu¡¯s victory was almost certain.


    In the imperial palace.


    The emperor hurled his writing brush, ink stick, paper and inkstone to the ground, his face dark with rage.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± said his personal eunuch in a tremulous voice, ¡°Please turn from your anger.¡±


    ¡°And how would you suggest I do that?! Zhou Mingyi is really not bad. It turns out I¡¯ve underestimated him!¡± The emperor¡¯s chest was heaving violently with ire. ¡°First the Gu family, and then Yuwen Tong. My most capable civil official and most competent military officer have both taken his side. Do them still remember who the emperor is?! I¡¯m not dead yet!¡±


    His personal eunuch hurriedly slumped to his kneels, prostrating himself, not daring utter another word.


    The emperor was still in a temper. ¡°Originally I wanted to take Zhou Mingyuan, that brat, down a peg, and warn him not to play any tricks, but I never expected that he would be going downhill ever since. I couldn¡¯t bring him back into the game even if I want to. Now the balance in the imperial court has been thoroughly broken. More than half of the courtiers are trying to pressure me into anoint Zhou Mingyi as crown prince. They are trampling on my dignity as the emperor!¡±


    The personal eunuch wished the ground could have swallowed him up, shuddering all over, pretending he didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°The Gu family. Those flip-floppers! They switched their allegiance to someone else before my son is cold in his grave. A bunch of scum! I haven¡¯t found the time to deal with Yuwen Tong, but he has already got himself an out. He thinks the King Yu would protect him? In his dream!¡±


    The emperor kept shouting all kinds of abuse. If it weren¡¯t for the excellent sound insulation of the imperial study, people outside would have heard him and then word would get out and cause yet another ruckus.


    ¡­


    A quite weird situation had come into being ¨C there had been signs of what the emperor¡¯s final choice might be, but it¡¯d been a long time and he still hadn¡¯t officially made the King Yu crown prince. The King Yu and his supporters were all running out of patience.


    At this time, someone suddenly suggested the emperor shelve the issue of appointing a new crown prince and go to the imperial manor in the southern suburb to get out of the heat.


    ¡°Given that the Crown Prince has just passed away, Your Majesty must still be broken-hearted. Moreover, the weather is scalding hot, so I think Your Majesty might as well go to the manor in the southern suburb to have a short holiday.¡± The speaker was the Right Prime Minister who was one of the emperor¡¯s henchmen and not on any prince¡¯s side.


    His words temporarily lightened the subdued mood at the court meeting, and the emperor conveniently took this opportunity to extricate oneself from this awkward position and declared that he was going to the suburban manor for the cool and shade, thinking he could finally rid himself of these pushy courtiers.

 Chapter 302 - A Midnight Siege of the Manor in the Southern Suburb

    The emperor set out for the manor in the southern suburb to take a break from enduring the summer heat, and the issue of anointing a new crown prince was put on ice. What with this, the King Yu and his followers were on pins and needles but couldn¡¯t do anything to make a difference. Considering the current circumstances, an attempt to push things might end up having the opposite effect.


    The imperial manor in the southern suburb was not really far away from the capital city. It was about a two-hour carriage ride from the palace to the manor.


    This time around the emperor brought only some courtiers on his trip to the manor, as though planning to make a final decision. Almost everybody in the city had a wait-and-see attitude towards this matter.


    ¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ve got this far already, but now it turns out the Right Prime Minister is on the King Duan¡¯s side. He¡¯s such a consummate master of disguise,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    After all, all courtiers and city officials had believed that he was a firm neutralist. Who could¡¯ve thought that he had secretly sided with the King Duan and been in cahoots with him all along?


    ¡°I wonder what the King Duan will do next. Will he directly lay siege to the imperial manor in the southern suburb or¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°If he is to ascend the throne, the emperor must die. There will undoubtedly be an upheaval in that imperial manor. Things in the capital city are going to get rough as well.¡±


    ¡­


    Two days later, as though there was something dangerous lurking in the city, many citizens felt rather uneasy but had no idea what was causing it.


    There was a meeting in the King Yu¡¯s residential compound, people of the Gu family present. ¡°Prime Minister Gu, I keep feeling disturbed, as if something big is about to happen.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Prime Minister Gu remarked, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one feeling this way, Your Highness. I¡¯m afraid the situation may take an unfavorable turn during His Majesty¡¯s stay in that suburban manor.¡±


    ¡°Then we must stop it,¡± said the King Yu immediately.


    Prime Minister Gu agreed, ¡°This time His Majesty brought neither me nor any of the King Duan¡¯s men on his trip. Clearly he didn¡¯t want us to know anything about his consultation with his henchmen. Your Highness, it¡¯s indeed high time we stopped waiting and did something.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind, Prime Minister Gu?¡±


    ¡°We kill the King Duan.¡±


    The King Yu widened his eyes. After a while, with a cold look in his eyes, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve had it all planned out, I suppose?¡±


    Prime Minister Gu confided his plan. The King Yu inclined his head repeatedly while listening. Eventually, he rose to his feet and said, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll follow your plan, Prime Minister Gu. Zhou Mingyuan will never get out of my way unless he¡¯s dead. Do you think I should tell Marshal Yuwen about this, Prime Minister Gu?¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Prime Minister Gu shook his head. ¡°The fewer people aware of this matter, the better. Besides, there¡¯s a reason why His Majesty is wary of Yuwen Tong at all times, Your Highness. In the future, after you¡¯re enthroned, Yuwen Tong will remain the gravest threat to you, and you¡¯ll still have to eliminate him some day, so there¡¯s no need for you to tell him everything.¡±


    The King Yu walked once up the living room, back again, and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way, Prime Minister Gu.¡±


    ¡­


    One day later. In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°We have a bit of a situation, Marshal.¡± Yao Yi entered the room in haste.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The King Yu has decided to make an attempt on the King Duan. They¡¯re going to do it tonight,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong knitted his brows and kept silent for a while.


    This night was the time when the King Duan would take action in the imperial manor in the southern suburb. The King Yu¡¯s making his move at this point would cause disruptions and, without doubt, upset Yuwen Tong¡¯s plans.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He said, ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. Ling Zhang craned over and whispered something in his ear. Eyes gradually brightening, Yuwen Tong bobbed his head and said, ¡°This idea is pretty good, but if we do that, my men in the north-west would have to work faster.¡±


    Yao Yi was somewhat befuddled. ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°There are two things I need you to do. Remember, tell them they must not blow their cover,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Yao Yi immediately threw his chest out. ¡°At your service, Marshal!¡±


    After he heard Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan, Yao Yi¡¯s eyes also started glistening. ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away!¡±


    The moment Yao Yi left, Ling Zhang shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Just now you mentioned there was something going on in the north-west. What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Um. That¡¯s just a precaution. We might not actually need it,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    He leaned over and breathed something in his ear. Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth fell open in amazement.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve decided to take it, I¡¯ll do it in a way that will make all of them sincerely convinced and have no reason to judge me,¡± said Yuwen Tong, a flinty expression in his eyes.


    After a long moment, Ling Zhang commented, ¡°That¡¯s very impressive.¡±


    Yuwen Tong immediately beamed, ¡°I supposed I deserve a kiss for that.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    On that very night. In the King Yu¡¯s residential compound.


    ¡°Your Highness, everything¡¯s in readiness.¡± A man walked into the King Yu¡¯s study late at night.


    The King Yu replied, ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    At the same time. In the barracks of the Northern City Garrison Battalion.


    Unseen by any outsiders, countless soldiers hiding in the shadows quietly left the barracks, heading south.


    In the imperial manor located in the southern suburb.


    ¡°Your Majesty, at the risk of showing my lack of discernment, have you made a decision about the issue they argued over at today¡¯s court meeting?¡±


    It was very late, but there were lamps still ablaze in the imperial study in the manor. Apart from the emperor, two old courtiers were also inside it, both of whom were very much in the emperor¡¯s confidence. One of them was the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping watch on how the situation in the capital city develops. I know what you two are worried about. There¡¯s still time. Don¡¯t worry,¡± said the emperor.


    The two old courtiers exchanged looks in dismay. Eventually, feeling rather resigned, the two of them rose from their seats and took their leave.


    The emperor¡¯s brows were furrowed. Innately prone to suspicion, he couldn¡¯t entirely trust anybody, not even his henchmen, which was why he hadn¡¯t confided his decision to any of them.


    His personal eunuch walked in and said, ¡°It¡¯s late, Your Majesty. You should turn in. Staying up is bad for your health.¡±


    The emperor opened the window of the imperial study to look outside. ¡°I feel rather disturbed. Take some men and check the perimeter again. Increase the security in this manor.¡±


    The personal eunuch was astounded. After a fleeting eye contact with the emperor, he immediately left to carry out the orders.


    The emperor vexedly tossed the book aside. Somewhat fidgety, he kept getting this inkling that something big was going to happen.


    ¡­


    The assassin that had infiltrated into the King Duan¡¯s residential compound was very inconspicuous. Posed as a eunuch working for the King Duan, he¡¯d been let into the compound through a side door by a mole. Along a winding path, the two of them made it to a spot near the King Duan¡¯s courtyard house. Hanging from the assassin¡¯s belt was an ID plate of the King Duan¡¯s personal eunuch. Of course, the true owner of it had been killed already.


    They were just about to approach the courtyard house when the assassin¡¯s countenance suddenly changed, and with that he drew the mole into a dark corner and breathed, ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The mole was taken aback.


    ¡°There are quite some kung fu experts on guard duty in the King Duan¡¯s courtyard house¡­¡± The assassin told the mole about the several groups of guards that he was sensing, and then asked, ¡°Is the security always like this?¡±


    The mole shook his head in horror. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. Ordinarily, even if they have to tighten the security for some reason, they would never post so many guards in there.¡±


    ¡°Then there must be something going on here tonight. If I enter this courtyard house right now, I would no doubt be spotted. You weren¡¯t given any particular orders tonight?¡± queried the assassin angrily.


    That man thought for a while and then answered, ¡°Chief told us that we didn¡¯t have to be on night duty tonight, that he¡¯d do it personally. He¡¯s never been on night duty before.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you still bring me in? You want to get us both killed?!¡± hissed the assassin.


    The mole raised the meal box in his hand. ¡°Here are some snacks I took from the kitchen. The King Duan has been having trouble sleeping these days. Sometimes he needs to eat some food before he could get to sleep, and I¡¯m always the one delivering it to him. Chief didn¡¯t forbid me to send snacks here anyway, and our master¡¯s commands were so urgent, which was why I had no alternative but to risk bringing you in!¡±


    The assassin gave it some thought. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do ¨C you take this meal box there and see if they¡¯ll let you in.¡±


    ¡°Of course they¡¯ll let me in. I¡¯m very much in the King Duan¡¯s confidence,¡± observed the man.


    ¡°Cut the nonsense and just do what you¡¯re told to do. If they let you in, you deliver the snacks to the King Duan; if they don¡¯t, you come back here,¡± instructed the assassin.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going with me?¡±


    The assassin whipped out a dagger to press the edge of it against the man¡¯s neck and hissed coldly, ¡°Are you going or not?¡±


    Feeling the iciness of the blade, the man hastily said, ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    The assassin released him and the mole walked away with the meal box.


    ¡­


    ¡°Identify yourself!¡±


    He had just approached the front gates of the courtyard house when someone stopped him.


    The eunuch holding the meal box gave a start. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m here to deliver snacks to His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Today that won¡¯t be necessary. Walk away right now. You don¡¯t want to disturb His Highness¡¯ rest,¡± reprimanded a guard at the front gates.


    ¡°What are you talking about? His Highness is suffering from insomnia these days and wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep without having some snacks first. If I leave and His Highness gets angry later, will you accept responsibility for it?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re not allowed to speak aloud here. If you don¡¯t leave straight away, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± A guard drew his saber.


    ¡°You¨C!¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    The chief eunuch walked out, his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of the young eunuch holding a meal box. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you were exempted from night duty?¡±


    ¡°Ah? But you didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t have to bring snacks here either, Master Shifu,¡± replied the young eunuch in an aggrieved tone of voice.


    ¡°Take it away right now. His Highness is sleeping already. He gave orders nobody enter the house to disturb him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    Carrying the meal box containing snacks, the young eunuch hurried off. Watching his receding back, the chief eunuch knitted his brows.


    ¡­


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get in. Those people have suddenly become so scary. We are well acquainted with each other, but tonight they seem to be totally different people and are guarding the front gates with malice written all over their faces. They wouldn¡¯t let me take a single step inside.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s indeed something going on. There¡¯s an eighty-percent chance that the King Duan has left this place. I need to return and report this to His Highness immediately.¡±


    ¡­


    In the King Yu¡¯s residential compound.


    The King Yu was shocked to learn what had happened in the King Duan¡¯s residential compound. ¡°The King Duan is not in there?¡±


    ¡°The security there was insanely tight, as though they were very afraid of anybody finding out about it. When our contact distracted the guards attention at the front gates, I crept up to the outer wall and listened only to find that there was nobody else¡¯s breathing inside the main chamber of that courtyard house!¡±


    Where could Zhou Mingyuan have gone to in these circumstances? Having an intuition that there was a huge conspiracy involved in this matter, the King Yu quickly had all his aides woken up and gathered and at the same time sent someone to inform the Gu family.


    ¡­


    At Chou Hour (1:00 a.m.), soldiers quietly congregated at all entrances and exits of the imperial manor in the southern suburb.


    All troops of the Northern City Garrison Battalion had been dispatched to this place and ringed the manor.


    First there was a volley of arrows with flaming arrowheads, which whizzed across the night sky into the manor, sending all guards inside running for shelter in alarm.


    ¡°Assassins!¡± A scream of panic was abruptly heard.


    Very soon, all guards on duty at the entrances and exits were killed, and groups of soldiers took over.


    The emperor, who was still in the imperial study, vaguely heard some unusual noises. His insides did a horrible somersault and with that he immediately bawled, ¡°Guards! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Soon someone rushed inside, looking flustered and panic-stricken. ¡°An army surrounded this manor, Your Majesty!¡±


    After a fleeting blackout, the emperor demanded through clenched teeth, ¡°Under whose command?!¡±


    ¡°The¨CThe King Duan!¡±


    The emperor puffed for a few moments. ¡°How dare this unfilial creature!!¡±


    ¡°Please leave this place with me straight away, Your Majesty. They used flame arrows and a lot of houses are on fire. It won¡¯t be long before they break in!¡±

 Chapter 303 - A Fierce Fight

    ¡°Father, as long as you write an edict of abdication, I promise nobody will hurt a hair of your head; also, I¡¯ll confer the title ¡®Taishang Huang¡¯ (a title assumed by an emperor¡¯s father who abdicated in favour of his son) on you and make sure you spend your remaining years in comfort.¡±


    The large army had encircled the whole manor in the southern suburb, soldiers swarming inside it. The emperor on the run was intercepted by Zhou Mingyuan the King Duan and his men. Zhou Mingyuan didn¡¯t want to become a patricide unless he had to, so he requested the emperor to write an imperial edict of abdication to let him lawfully ascend the throne.


    ¡°Outrageous! You treacherous, traitorous creature actually have the nerve to ask me to write an edict of abdication? I would rather abdicate the throne in favor of a beggar than you!¡± railed the emperor, pointing a shaking finger at Zhou Mingyuan, almost fainting from rage.


    ¡°Father.¡± Zhou Mingyuan looked at the emperor resentfully. ¡°You think you still have a choice?¡±


    ¡°You unfilial son. Kill me if you really have the balls. I doubt you could sit on the throne for long after that!¡±


    This was a confrontation between a father and a son. Zhou Mingyuan had an army at his back, while the emperor had only a team of palace guards at his command.


    There had been a lot of loud noises and fire during the operation. Although Zhou Mingyuan had sealed all entrances and exits of this manor, he still worried that someone might manage to escape and get reinforcements. Once people in the capital city or the Eastern City Garrison Battalion were alarmed, he would be in grave peril, so he must force the emperor into writing an edict of abdication as soon as possible.


    The emperor¡¯s refusal to do it was also a delaying tactic. He wanted to buy himself more time to wait for the reinforcements to arrive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t test me, Father, or I WILL be the unfilial son you said I was,¡± huffed Zhou Mingyuan menacingly.


    The emperor sneered, ¡°I¡¯d like to see how far you¡¯re willing to go!¡±


    The palace guards immediately clustered around the emperor. Zhou Mingyuan clenched his teeth. ¡°Then you leave me no choice!¡±


    ¡°Kill the palace guards. Bring the Taishang Huang to me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    All people that had joined the King Duan in this usurpation were tempted by the rewards attached to the meritorious service of assisting a prince to become the emperor, so although they were fully aware that participation in a rebellion was punishable by extermination of their families, they still unhesitatingly charged forward.


    ¡­


    In the capital city.


    The whole southern gate tower was well lit by flaming torches. Within the pool of torchlight was a horrible, messy sight. Bodies and blood could be seen everywhere on the ground. At the same time, the city gates were wide open, through which chill night winds were blowing from outside, lending an eerie, grim air to this gate tower.


    An hour ago, there had been an intense fight in this place. The two opposing sides of it had been the gate guards bought by the King Duan and a large number of soldiers of the City Patrol led by the King Yu who¡¯d intended to get out of the city.


    In the end, the Eastern City Garrison Battalion had arrived and joined forces with the King Yu from the outside. Together, they¡¯d successfully opened the city gates and galloped straight southwards.


    What with such loud noises of the fighting and the strong smell of blood carried by night winds, all residents in the capital city were cowering beneath their quilts, trembling all over, their doors and windows shut tight.


    ¡°I wonder whether the King Duan would be able to finish the job quick enough.¡± Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, under the cover of night, had been following the King Yu and his men all along and could distantly see the light from the imperial manor now.


    As the two of them were very fast and moving in the dark, nobody had noticed them.


    Their noses caught the rank scent of blood from the imperial manor in the distance. Suddenly, the burning torches inside and outside the manor started moving quickly. It was an emergency deployment. Manifestly, people there had perceived the movement in this direction.


    As expected, when the two of them in the wake of the King Yu¡¯s men approached the manor, the Western City Garrison Battalion led by the King Duan charged over and then both sides came to a halt in front of the manor.


    ¡°You¡¯re so heartless, Third Elder Brother. I never thought you were capable of such traitorous deeds. You detached the Western City Garrison Battalion to lay siege to an imperial manor without authorization. This is rebellion!¡± spat the King Yu, pointing at the King Duan.


    Zhou Mingyuan cast him an icy, dismissive look and then fished a bright yellow imperial edict out of his bosom. ¡°Father has abdicated in favor of me. From now on, I¡¯m the monarch, and you¡¯re my servant, Fifth Little Brother, and whenever you meet me on a street, you will dismount from your horse and kneel before me to pay your respects to me. This time around, I¡¯ll forgive you and your men for blocking my path. Now get out of my way!¡±


    The King Yu was astounded, staring fixedly at the imperial edict in Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. This must be fake. Where is our father? What did you do to him?!¡±


    Zhou Mingyuan replied, ¡°Father is fine. He¡¯s just resting in the carriage. Now step aside. I¡¯m not going to say it again!¡±


    The King Yu shifted his gaze to the horse-drawn carriage behind Zhou Mingyuan and yelled, ¡°Father, it¡¯s me! I¡¯d like an audience with you!¡±


    There was no reply from inside the carriage.


    The King Yu¡¯s face changed. Gazing at the carriage unblinkingly, he yelled once again, ¡°Father! I request an audience with you!¡±


    There was still no response.


    The King Yu¡¯s eyes immediately flashed at Zhou Mingyuan. ¡°What did you do to our father?! He would never ignore me if he¡¯s able to answer. You must have done something to him. Zhou Mingyuan, you monster actually dared abduct our father? Under no circumstances will I let you get away with it! Soldiers and officers of the Great Yue, don¡¯t let a single one of them get through us! Follow me and rescue His Majesty!¡±


    With this shout of the King Yu, the army behind him immediately charged towards the enemies.


    Zhou Mingyuan looked at the King Yu with frosty eyes. ¡°The King Yu committed defiance of an imperial edict. I hereby sentence him to death. Everybody advance! Show them no mercy!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    The two sides soon engaged, roaring battle cry bursting forth.


    ¡°Did the emperor really write an edict of abdication? If that¡¯s the case, he would be able to lawfully succeed to the throne.¡± Ling Zhang eyed the written imperial edict in Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s bosom.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. We¡¯ll have to get it to find out about its authenticity.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was more inclined to believe that that edict of abdication was a forgery. Also, they had to figure out without more ado whether the emperor was in that carriage, and whether he was still alive.


    ¡°You stay here. I¡¯ll take advantage of this chaotic situation and get over there to check.¡± Yuwen Tong covered his face with a piece of black cloth.


    Ling Zhang grabbed his arm. ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°No matter whether the imperial edict is real or not, on no account will the King Yu let the King Duan get through. I¡¯ve already had Wang Dashan and the others disguise themselves and lay a misguidance formation in the woods behind us. Even if the King Duan manages to break through the cordon of the King Yu¡¯s men, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get through the woods, and that¡¯s when we make our move.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°When did you instruct them to do that?¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°Right before we set out to come here.¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought hard back to the time when they were leaving the residence, but couldn¡¯t recall what Ling Zhang had said back then.


    Ling Zhang raised his hands and made a gesticulation. ¡°We agreed on this sign language when they were receiving training in the new manor. All of them could understand it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced at the woods behind them. The deafening noises of the battle in front of them made it impossible for him to hear sounds from the distance, so he couldn¡¯t hear any movements in the woods.


    ¡°My grandfather taught them this formation, a large-scale misguidance formation. The darkness of the night will make the formation more effective,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s wait for a while.¡±


    That horse-drawn carriage, driven by the driver, was swerving and dodging constantly, hiding among the soldiers all the time. There had still been no movement inside the carriage. Yuwen Tong thought for a moment and then gave a strange whistle that sounded like the squawk of some kind of bird. Before long, a man in black emerged from the woods and called, ¡°Marshal!¡±


    ¡°Go there and check to see if our men keeping watch on the entrances and exits of the manor have found anything. Don¡¯t let the emperor escape.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    The King Yu¡¯s army, consisting of not only the Eastern City Garrison Battalion but also the City Patrol, outnumbered the King Duan¡¯s army. The longer the battle lasted, the greater the probability that the Northern City Garrison Battalion would come. Seeing that the battlefield was in a stalemate, Zhou Mingyuan who hated to be stuck in this place got anxious.


    He also had a contingency plan ¨C the Gu family had taken command of half of the palace guards and would lead them outside to come to his help and then seal all the city gates if the occasion arose.


    ¡°Your Highness, you need to take the imperial edict back to the city as soon as possible. If things keep going this way, the situation will get very unfavorable for us!¡± observed one of Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s henchmen.


    Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s eyes moved to the carriage behind him. The henchman continued through gritted teeth, ¡°We cannot afford to let His Majesty fall into the King Yu¡¯s hands, Your Highness. Given the circumstances, we have but one choice ¨C kill him.¡±


    An pained expression twisted Zhou Mingyuan¡¯s face. He was hesitating.


    ¡°Stop dithering, Your Highness. You need to make a decision right now!¡± shouted his henchman.


    Eventually, with a murderous countenance, Zhou Mingyuan instructed through clenched teeth, ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Having convinced his master, the henchman heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Your Highness.¡±


    With his hand laid on the hilt of his saber, he made towards the carriage.


    In the distance, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both saw this. The former knitted his brows and said, ¡°Is the emperor really in that carriage, by any chance? What do we do? Do we let him die here or do we save him?¡±


    Yuwen Tong pondered for a few moments. ¡°We can¡¯t let him die here, but we can¡¯t let him return to the city unharmed either. Stay here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Tong took a flying leap and disappeared into the darkness in the twinkling of an eye like a ghost.


    At first Ling Zhang could follow Yuwen Tong¡¯s back with his eyes, but after Yuwen Tong blended in with the crowds of fighting soldiers, he lost sight of him completely and could only stare fixedly in the direction of the carriage.


    Holding a saber, the military officer walked to the carriage, jumped onto the footboard, lifted the curtain and went inside.


    At the same time, Yuwen Tong reached the carriage, ducked his head to get beneath the carriage, easily detached the carriage floorboard and with that two men instantly dropped to the ground.


    Inside the carriage, the military officer raised his saber and ferociously slashed at the emperor when suddenly he lost his footing and started dropping, his saber missing its target. Startled, he bellowed, ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    On hearing the voice, Zhou Mingyuan immediately looked in the direction of the carriage, his countenance changing drastically. ¡°Surround the carriage!¡±


    However, at this moment, Yuwen Tong had already dragged the unconscious emperor out from under the carriage. With a gleam of the saber in his hand, all soldiers around him were downed. Taken aback, Zhou Mingyuan failed to notice a silver needle rapidly shoot into his chest. After a short while, he paled visibly, clapped his hands over his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood, tottering on his carriage.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    At this time, what was happening near the carriage caught the King Yu¡¯s attention. He looked over in time to see that Zhou Mingyuan was teetering and about to fall off the carriage. He was stunned at first and then rejoiced and erupted, ¡°The King Duan has been grievously wounded! Surrender yourselves right now, you rebels!¡±


    With this yell of his, soldiers on both sides paused for a moment, and then the King Yu¡¯s men¡¯s morale was boosted significantly, and they started gaining ground on the rebels who were beginning to panic.


    Watching the fight in the distance, Ling Zhang saw the whole thing, and at the same time his eyes were searching for Yuwen Tong.


    Suddenly, he sensed some unusual movements in the shadows and with that another large group of men came out of nowhere, quickly ringed the whole battleground and quietly started shooting flaming arrows at the troops in the middle of it, pungent smell of black oil filling the air¡­


    To everybody¡¯s shock, the battlefield was rapidly turning into a blazing inferno. Meanwhile, soldiers were being hit by arrows and going down constantly, the King Duan¡¯s and the King Yu¡¯s alike.

 Chapter 304 - Petrifying Aftermath

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ranted the King Yu.


    When their clothes caught fire, people within the ring of encirclement, regardless of which side they were on, were all seized by panic and tried madly to put out the fire on them, unable to defend themselves against the enemies¡¯ sabers. The situation was one of utmost disarray, clashes of weapons and burning soldiers¡¯ cries for help resounding around the whole battlefield. Roaring flames surrounded the two armies, pressing on towards them from all sides continuously.


    The besiegers were waiting outside the inferno, killing everyone on sight who made it out of the fire.


    Standing in the distance, Ling Zhang watched this scene, deeply astounded, wondering where this third army was from.


    At this moment, Yuwen Tong returned, carrying the comatose emperor with him. He flicked a gauging look at the battleground and said, ¡°They¡¯re the other half of the Palace Guards.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes dilated. ¡°Aren¡¯t these people under the command of the Gu family? They have orders from the King Yu to defend the imperial palace. Why are them¨C¡±


    ¡°Clearly the Gu family have turned their coats,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was amazed.


    ¡°Actually this is a good thing for us. It¡¯ll spare us a lot of trouble,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong flintily, watching the ongoing fight.


    ¡®The mantis stalking the cicada might fall prey to the siskin following in its wake¡¯, as the saying goes. ¡°People of the Gu family are going to be the biggest winner in the end?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°They won¡¯t. The emperor is still breathing. I¡¯ve already instructed Yue Qi to inform the Northern City Garrison Battalion and have them enter the city to defend the imperial palace. Now we need to send the emperor back to the palace,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang tossed the unconscious emperor a glance, his face taking on a disgusted expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we couldn¡¯t let him go back unharmed?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows. ¡°How do you know he¡¯s unharmed?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who leaned over and gave him a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m going back. You stay here and keep watch. Yao Yi will be back in a little while. Keep yourself hidden.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod and then left with the emperor on his shoulder. Predictably, before long Yao Yi showed up. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced at the mounting sea of flames. ¡°It seems that we¡¯ve got them all in one fell swoop.¡±


    After a few moments, Xie Shi and Miao Shiba also arrived. The three of them crouched on boughs of trees around Ling Zhang, observing the situation on the battlefield.


    This battle caused extremely heavy casualties. Hardly any soldiers of the King Duan¡¯s or the King Yu¡¯s army survived. They were either killed by weapons of the opposing side or burned to death or slaughtered after breaking through the ring of encirclement.


    The King Yu also managed to make it out of the inferno and came to realize what was going on at the sight of the other half of the Palace Guards. When his eyes fell on the member of the Gu family in command, he was almost reduced to vomiting blood from fury. ¡°The Gu family actually stooped to back-stabbing?!¡±


    ¡°Winner takes all. You should know this better than anyone, shouldn¡¯t you, Your Highness?¡± clucked that member of the Gu family, and then at a single motion of his hand, the King Yu and the couple of others who had just struggled out of the sea of fire were ringed. ¡°Kill them.¡±


    ¡­


    Before dawn, the fire slowly went out. The air was heavy with fetor, corpses lying higgledy-piggledy right and left.


    That member of the Gu family in command had a small group of palace guards stay and clean the battlefield, and then led the others back to the capital city.


    He thought that this was a triumphant return, that he would be welcomed as a victorious leader. However, when the city gates came into sight in the distance, he found that they were tightly shut and heavily guarded by soldiers ¨C soldiers of the Northern City Garrison Battalion¡­


    His eyes widened with incredulity. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡±


    ¡°Restrain them!¡±


    At the command of the vice commander of the Northern City Garrison Battalion standing behind the parapet on the city gates, the palace guards led by the member of the Gu family were surrounded.


    ¡­


    On this day, though it was already late in the morning, residents of the capital city still didn¡¯t dare open their doors to go outside.


    The sound of fighting had lasted a whole night, and the entire city was pervaded by the lingering, horrifying smell of blood mixed with stench of charred corpses which was being carried over by the wind.


    In the imperial palace, the emperor was lying in bed, breathing feebly. The medication given by court physicians was the sole reason why he hadn¡¯t kicked the bucket yet.


    ¡°I hereby stri¨Cstrip Zhou Mingyuan of his title of nobility¡­ relegate him to a commoner. He is to be executed, and his body is to be thrown to the mass grave¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°The Gu family are rebels¡­ All of them are to be beheaded¡­ The sentence is to be carried out tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    All was chaos and confusion in the capital city. All those that had joined the King Duan or the Gu family in the rebellion were without exception condemned to death and confiscation of all their property. They were all beheaded the next day, blood flowing the execution ground like water. Dark clouds gathered in the sky above the capital city and didn¡¯t dissipate for several days, residents in the city consumed with horror and as silent as cicadas in late autumn.


    Thus, all adult princes of the Great Yue were dead ¨C even Zhou Mingshen the Sixth Prince under house arrest had quietly died the night the rebellion had broken out, and nobody knew how.


    The emperor was at his last gasp, medication keeping him from walking through the gates of death; half of the courtiers had been executed for their involvement in the insurrection mounted by the Gu family; the uprising in Cangzhou still hadn¡¯t been suppressed. What with civil strife, the Great Yue was in great peril.


    All the other princes were not yet of age, and Yuwen Tong suddenly appeared in the imperial court.


    Surprisingly, in this moment of nationwide panic, officials who were at a loss what to do regained their composure at the sight of Yuwen Tong in the imperial court.


    In a quick and effective fashion, Yuwen Tong took temporary command of the Northern City Garrison Battalion, and at his command, the garrison eliminated all remaining threats in and outside the capital city, stabilizing the disordered situation.


    He didn¡¯t have the authority to detach the Northern City Garrison Battalion, so a lot of courtiers raised objections to it, including Yuwen Zhi.


    However, to these courtiers¡¯ surprise, the ones in favor of it outnumbered them. Previously, all these people had been neutralists, but at this crucial juncture, they actually played a very important role. Among them were the Right Prime Minister, the Minister of War and Yuwen Feng of the Ministry of Rites, to name but three.


    Those courtiers looked at Yuwen Tong, stupefied. It hadn¡¯t occurred to any of them that this seemingly isolated marshal actually had so many people at his back!


    This came as a shock to all the forces behind the underage princes, who had rejoiced to see the succession of deaths of adult princes and the series of downfall of high-ranking officials and aristocratic families.


    The emperor had three underage princes in total, including the one in the cold palace. Even the eldest of them was only ten years old, and the youngest of them two.


    ¡­


    ¡°Although you¡¯re a marshal, you cannot detach the Northern City Garrison Battalion without His Majesty¡¯s authorization,¡± huffed Yuwen Zhi, glowering at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Father.¡± Yuwen Feng stepped up, intending to stop his father.


    But Yuwen Tong raised his hand to signal Yuwen Feng to quiet, walked up to Yuwen Zhi and said, ¡°Then who do you think has the authority to do that? The deceased King Duan? Or¡­¡±


    His eyes performed a flick in the direction of the imperial harem and then moved back onto Yuwen Zhi, boring into him.


    Yuwen Zhi gave a start of terror. ¡°You¨C!¡±


    ¡°Pull back, Uncle, before it is too late.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi clenched his teeth, glaring at Yuwen Tong fixedly.


    A serious incident happened on that very night. There was a fire in the cold palace. What with the high temperature and a several-day dry spell, the fire actually raged out of the cold palace and burnt some nearby palaces to the ground, taking a couple of lives overnight.


    Yuwen Zhi, after being informed of this, sat motionlessly in his chair for a long time, tightening his grip on the armrests until his knuckles were white. ¡°Yuwen Tong!¡±


    In the imperial bedchamber.


    ¡°Someone come here¡­ Someone come here¡­¡±


    It was after the emperor called for quite a while that an eunuch walked inside. ¡°How can I help you, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Wang Lubao?¡±


    ¡°Gonggong Wang (Gonggong is a respectful form of address for an old, high-ranking eunuch) fell over and broke his leg last night. He¡¯s lying in bed nursing his wound.¡±


    ¡°What about Zhang Xi? Te¨CTell Zhang Xi to come in,¡± said the emperor haltingly, having a hard job finishing his sentence.


    Zhang Xi walked inside. ¡°You want to see me, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°How¡­ is everything going¡­ out there?¡±


    Zhang Xi filled the emperor in on what had happened outside. The latter¡¯s eyes dilated with shock at his words, a muffled sound emanating from his throat. After quite a while, seeing that his eyes were involuntarily rolling upwards, Zhang Xi swiftly walked up, heavily pressed a finger onto the emperor¡¯s philtrum and then stuck a couple of needles into several of the emperor¡¯s acupoints, and with that the emperor caught his breath and slowly relaxed. Then he stared at Zhang Xi watchfully and asked, ¡°Ho¨CHow come you have medical skills?¡±


    Zhang Xi smiled, ¡°I always do. You just didn¡¯t know about it, Your Majesty.¡±


    The emperor sensed that something was not right. ¡°Ge¨CGet out. Tell Dou He to come in!¡±


    ¡°Dou He was not cautious enough when battling the fire with his men last night and died there.¡±


    The emperor began to panic. ¡°Then ge¨Cget me Zhu Xiang!¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiang is dead as well, Your Majesty. Don¡¯t you remember? A few days ago, he made a careless mistake and you personally gave the order to drag him out and flog him to death. He was beaten to death right outside this palace, and his blood was all over the ground.¡±


    The emperor eyed Zhang Xi menacingly. ¡°Then bring me someone else!¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t make any difference, Your Majesty. I¡¯ve been serving you so many years. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask. I¡¯ll handle everything properly for you.¡±


    The emperor raised his tremulous hand to point at him. ¡°Who pla¨Cplanted you here exactly?!¡±


    Zhang Xi beamed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t quite understand you, Your Majesty. I¡¯ve been your servant for so many years. How could you not know this?¡±


    ¡°Yo¨CYou!¡± The emperor rolled his eyes upwards in spite of himself and fainted.


    Zhang Xi stepped up to check. After feeling the emperor¡¯s pulse, he felt slightly relieved and muttered, ¡°I was nearly scared to death. I thought he died just like that.¡±


    ¡­


    It was several days before the foul odor of blood in the air in the capital city gradually dissipated. As almost all members of the City Patrol and the Palace Guards had ended up dead during the fighting between the King Duan and the King Yu that night, soldiers of the Northern City Garrison Battalion stepped into the breach, patrolling streets in the city, and public order was slowly restored, the panic among citizens alleviated.


    The Western City Garrison Battalion and the Eastern City Garrison Battalion, which used to do the King Duan¡¯s and the King Yu¡¯s bidding respectively, had also perished during that battle, while almost all troops of the Southern Gate Garrison Battalion had gone to Cangzhou with Dai Cheng. As a result, currently, Yuwen Tong virtually had the whole city under his control.


    People who perceived this slowly came to realize what it meant, all of them breaking out in a cold sweat. However, for several days running, Yuwen Tong was merely in charge of the city security and the palace security and never interfered in any other state affairs, and neither did he take any other action. Many people were baffled, wondering what Yuwen Tong was thinking exactly.


    Right at this time, a dispatch from Cangzhou was delivered to the capital city, which said that the rebel army had taken a couple of cities in the south of Cangzhou, that the insurrection was gaining momentum, and Dai Cheng had been wounded during a battle, so the suppression of the Cangzhou rebellion was almost in the sole charge of his deputy who was standing in for him.


    ¡°How did it come to this?!¡± Courtiers began to get flustered. Cangzhou was very close to the capital city, and the garrison in the latter was evidently short-handed and wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the insurrectionary army from breaking into the city if they came up to attack. The capital city was in danger!


    ¡°Send reinforcements there immediately!¡±

 Chapter 305 - The Issue of Cangzhou

    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Yanzhou is the closest to Cangzhou, but the garrison there is also the army closest to the capital city. If the Yanzhou garrison is detached there and something happens in this city, they would never be able to make it back here in time.¡±


    ¡°Then who do you suggest we send? Yanzhou and the capital city are the only two cities near Cangzhou. Currently there are not enough troops in the latter, which means we either have Yanzhou send backup or watch the Cangzhou uprising get out of control!¡±


    These people directly started quarreling with each other at the court meeting. Half of them advocated detaching Yanzhou garrison to Cangzhou, while the other half believed Yanzhou garrison should stay put.


    ¡°His Majesty is still in a coma. If we don¡¯t figure out a way to tackle the issue of Cangzhou right away, I¡¯m afraid before long we are going to have some serious problems,¡± Zhao Zheng the Minister of War observed and then looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°What do you think, Marshal?¡±


    On hearing his remarks, all the others at the meeting fell silent and shifted their gaze to Yuwen Tong.


    Previously, Yuwen Tong had never expressed his opinions on this kind of matters, and most courtiers were uncertain of his position. Now that Zhao Zheng was asking Yuwen Tong about it, they immediately quieted down, intending to hear what Yuwen Tong would answer.


    ¡°Right now the Northern City Garrison Battalion is the only security force stationed in the capital city. They are not only guarding the imperial palace and city gates but also patrolling streets, despite the fact that they¡¯re badly short-handed. If any foreign enemies launch an attack on this city, we might not be able to defend against it, so the garrison in this city must not be drafted elsewhere.


    Sending the military presence in Yanzhou is feasible. Yanzhou is the closest to Cangzhou. If we don¡¯t quash the rebellion in Cangzhou, sooner or later it will spill over to Yanzhou, so we must dispatch Yanzhou garrison there. It¡¯s just that there are two problems facing us.¡±


    Those against detaching the garrison in Yanzhou were just about to speak when the Right Prime Minister and Zhao Zheng started talking.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Marshal. The issue of Cangzhou is of utmost urgency. Once General Dai fails to hold back those rioters, it would be the capital city rather than Yanzhou that¡¯d be in the gravest peril. Given the severity of the incident that happened here a few days ago, we can¡¯t say for sure that it hasn¡¯t come to the knowledge of leaders of the rebel army. If by any chance they decide to attack this city, it¡¯d be very difficult for us to defend against them with the men we have at our disposal, and we¡¯d be forced to draft the garrisons in other cities here. Since drafting security forces in other cities is inevitable, we might as well launch a pre-emptive strike instead of deploying defense. Finishing the insurrectionary army once and for all is the only way to ensure long-time security.¡±


    These words rendered those courtiers speechless. After all, the capital city was now indeed quite vulnerable and in dire danger.


    ¡°May I ask what the two problems are, Marshal?¡±


    After they quieted down, Yuwen Tong continued, ¡°The first one is that we need His Majesty¡¯s authorization to detach the army in Yanzhou. As you all know, His Majesty passed out this morning and still hasn¡¯t come to yet. According to the director of the imperial hospital, his prognosis is rather gloomy, which means how to get his authorization is going to be a problem. The second one is that the commander of the garrison in Yanzhou is no less incompetent than Dai Cheng. If he leads the garrison to Cangzhou to back up Dai Cheng, I¡¯m afraid the only thing he would be doing there is get his men killed by the rebel force for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Aside from that, we don¡¯t really know how the situation in Cangzhou is specifically, and neither do any of us know the real reason why Dai Chen got hurt, or any details about the insurrectionary army. The intelligence reports from Cangzhou are somewhat vague and ambiguous. I worry that the rebel army is not the only problem in Cangzhou ¨C there might have been some changes in the garrison of Cangzhou, so the leader of the reinforcements must be someone having enough authority to have the officers toe the line.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, many courtiers at the meeting broke out in a cold sweat. There¡¯d been some changes in the garrison of Cangzhou?


    Then the capital city¡­ Was the capital city still safe?


    What with the spate of unforeseen events that had happened in the capital city recently, these courtiers were all like frightened birds and had no sense of security whatsoever.


    ¡°I volunteer for the mission.¡± Someone suddenly stepped up. It was the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) who was already in his fifties.


    All courtiers¡¯ eyes flashed in his direction. Yuwen Tong also looked at the General Zhongwu and gave a smile. ¡°I was just about to suggest you.¡±


    On hearing this remark of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, the courtiers came to know that the General Zhongwu being the commander of the reinforcements sent to Cangzhou was now a sure thing.


    Someone proposed Yuwen Tong be the leader, but the Right Prime Minister and Zhao Zheng objected to it and the proposer had to give up.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got a commander, the only thing we need is His Majesty¡¯s authorization. Which one of Your Lordships is willing to talk to His Majesty about it?¡± said Yuwen Tong after his eyes swept across everybody present.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. Lord Zhao, Lord Liu, how about you two go with me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be a pleasure, Right Prime Minister.¡±


    Currently, all civil officials were looking to the Right Prime Minister for leadership. Owing to the attempted usurpation, half of the courtiers had been executed, and the emperor was unconscious. None of the vacancies in the imperial court had been filled, so the court seemed rather empty and bleak, and not many of the courtiers were competent enough to help improve the situation.


    The Right Prime Minister, accompanied by the Minister of War and the Assistant Minister of Revenue, paid a visit to the imperial bedchamber. When they walked out, all their faces clouded over with deep apprehension.


    ¡°Wha¨CWhat happened, Your Lordships? Did you get His Majesty¡¯s authorization?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is still comatose, and a court physician said that His Majesty probably¡­ didn¡¯t have much time left. He¡¯s been relying heavily on medication to keep himself alive, and now I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before he breathes his last.¡±


    At this juncture?! Everybody at the court meeting exclaimed in shock, their hearts sinking so low that they felt as though the bottoms had dropped out of their stomachs.


    ¡°The Ministry of Rites¡­ has got to start making preparations.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the Minister of Rites answered and then exchanged glances with Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°What should we do now? Without His Majesty¡¯s authorization, nobody could detach the garrison in Yanzhou.¡± Now everybody came to realize that the issue had got tricky.


    Subconsciously, these people shifted their gaze to Yuwen Tong, who hadn¡¯t shown a single sign of alarm and had been unhurried and collected all along from the very beginning. As though he was their ¡°stability anchor¡±, they all started to depend on him in spite of themselves.


    ¡°Are there any other adult members of the imperial clan?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at the Right Prime Minister.


    The Right Prime Minister looked back at him, made a slight bow and replied, ¡°Only an uncle of His Majesty¡¯s. He¡¯s in his nineties and has been lying in bed to nurse his illness since last year. Also, his mind is not very clear. He frequently mistakes people for others and has a memory like a sieve. It¡¯s very inadvisable to put him in charge.¡±


    There had originally been more members in the imperial clan, but because of the emperor¡¯s suspicious mind and his sudden changes of mood lately, he had had almost all of them executed on various pretexts. Just a few days ago, an imperial member involved in the King Duan¡¯s attempted usurpation was beheaded.


    As things stood, to put it simply, the two underage princes were the only candidates.


    When almost everybody was at their wits¡¯ end, someone stepped up and suggested, ¡°We might as well have the Eighth Prince make the decision.¡±


    ¡°The Eighth Prince is only ten. What could he possibly do to help?¡±


    ¡°But what choice do we have? The Great Yue has reached a point where its very existence is at stake!¡±


    ¡°Faugh! The way I see it, you¡¯re just doing this for your own gain. Everybody knows you¡¯re the Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather.¡±


    ¡°You¨C!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Yuwen Tong flintily.


    The hall fell silent again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s invite the Eighth Prince to this meeting.¡±


    With his back to the others, the Right Prime Minister looked up at Yuwen Tong, puzzlement in his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance remained unchanged. After giving it some thought, the Right Prime Minister said, ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s hear what the Eighth Prince has to say.¡±


    Aside from anything else, the Eighth Prince was just an underage prince. His mother hadn¡¯t been in the emperor¡¯s good graces for many years, and his mother¡¯s family wasn¡¯t very powerful. He himself used to be under the shadows of his many big brothers, striking people as rather weak.


    When he entered the hall, his face was still a little pale. His eyes raked the courtiers and then moved to Yuwen Tong, and with that he walked up and said, ¡°Marshal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Your Highness,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    After the Right Prime Minister briefed the Eighth Prince on what was at issue, the latter paled even further and also appeared somewhat scared. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t have a clue how to deal with this kind of thing, and neither can I right an imperial edict.¡±


    ¡°The Right Prime Minister will draft the imperial edict for you. All you have to do is stamp the imperial seal on it,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°The imperial seal?¡± The Eighth Prince was flustered.


    The others also looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Marshal, it¡¯s inappropriate for anybody other than His Majesty to touch the Privy Seal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How about you find us a better way of solving this tricky problem?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Unconvinced as the speaker was, he had no choice but to shut his mouth.


    After all, the Right Prime Minister and the couple of ministers raised no objections to this. Given that all the top-ranking courtiers were keeping silent, he felt that as an inferior official, he¡¯d better keep his mouth shut.


    The Right Prime Minister drafted an imperial edict, and then the Eighth Prince was brought to the imperial bedchamber. When they exited it, the imperial edict in the Right Prime Minister¡¯s hand bore the imperial seal.


    The General Zhongwu took the imperial edict and left.


    All courtiers in the hall raised their hands to wipe the sweat from their foreheads, feeling that the circumstances in which things had gone at this meeting were rather suspicious, but they were also fully aware that at this point in time, there was no way to look into the details.


    They had found a solution to the issue of Cangzhou, but it meant that there would be no garrison left in any of the cities near the capital¡­


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Have some rest. Are you hungry? They¡¯ll serve lunch soon,¡± said Ling Zhang, proffering Yuwen Tong a cup of tea.


    Yuwen Tong took it, drank the cup of tea in one gulp, exhaled deeply and replied, ¡°The garrison of Yanzhou were detached. Barring accidents, they¡¯ll be able to hold back the rebel army in Cangzhou for some time.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s everything going in Cangzhou exactly?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Dai Cheng is wounded. Wang Cai took advantage of the opportunity and took command of half of the army. Troops are not happy about it, but there¡¯s nothing they could do, because he¡¯s got an imperial edict. On top of that, Wang Cai did a lot of things behind Dai Cheng¡¯s back that the rioters found provocative, which was the very cause of the turmoil that happened afterwards,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Surely it won¡¯t get out of hand?¡± Ling Zhang was worried.


    ¡°The General Zhongwu has set out for Cangzhou, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. He¡¯s far more capable than Dai Cheng,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°He is? But I have barely heard of him,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know that he used to be my father¡¯s comrade-in-arms and they performed some wartime exploits together. It¡¯s just that after I achieved fame, the emperor transferred him back to the capital city to let him live out his life in retirement,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes dilated with astonishment. ¡°Are you saying that he¡¯s actually an old acquaintance of yours?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more about it another time. Anyway, with him being in Cangzhou, the situation will be stabilized. From the vantage point of the present, the emperor wouldn¡¯t last long. In all likelihood, he¡¯ll kick the bucket in a day or two, and when he does, news will soon spread through the whole country, and troublemakers will emerge from all sides. I¡¯ve already taken adequate preparations in the south, but the north¡­ is the most part.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brows were furrowed at these words. He had a lot of questions to ask, but¡­


    ¡°Then what do we do? The emperor¡¯s death will leave the imperial court leaderless. It¡¯s very likely that the Eighth Prince will be enthroned by the courtiers, right?¡±


    ¡°Currently, there is but one person whose words carry weight with the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Me, of course. Who else could it be?¡±

 Chapter 306 - Whats Your Plan?

    Tanyang.


    It had been quite a few days since Ling Zhang had returned to the capital city. News about the political turbulence happening in the capital city had been reaching the Ling family¡¯s ears one piece after another. All members of the family were worried about Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both of whom were in the capital city. Even the joy brought by Mr. Mu¡¯s confirming Fu Caiwei¡¯s pregnancy two days before didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself. Nothing¡¯s going to happen to Zhang¡¯er. Your first priority is to make sure you and our unborn baby stay healthy. Zhang¡¯er will definitely be very happy when he receives the letter in the capital city.¡±


    At night, after returning to his bedroom, Ling Zhaowen consoled his wife.


    Fu Caiwei said, ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that disturbing messages have been coming from the capital city one after another, and they really scare me.¡±


    ¡°The poison in Yuwen Tong has already been detoxified. With him by Zhang¡¯er¡¯s side, everything will be fine,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowen.


    Ever since Fu Caiwei had married into the Ling family, she had been dutifully managing household affairs all these years. It had been her who took care of Ling Zhang when he was young and watched him grow up. Ling Zhang was almost like a son to her. As she grew older, she sometimes treated Ling Zhang as her biological son. Right now, since Ling Zhang was in a faraway, troubled city, she naturally was in deep apprehension.


    ¡°Alas, speaking of the Yuwen family, there have been so many twists and turns. I really don¡¯t know if we did the right thing by insisting that Zhang¡¯er marry Yuwen Tong,¡± said Fu Caiwei.


    Ling Zhaowen also recalled what Ling Zhang had said to him in the bamboo grove on that day, but his calm face remained unchanged. ¡°Relax. These troubles are transient. Yuwen Tong is a reliable man. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to rid himself of the predicament and get out of the jaws of danger.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± said Fu Caiwei. ¡°Tomorrow, our big brother is going to depart for the capital city with Mr. Ji and the others. You and your father will have more to worry about. Having been your wife for so many years, I know you well. Right now you¡¯re actually in deeper concern than I am.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen smiled, ¡°I can keep no secret from you.¡±


    The two of them held each other¡¯s hands, giving each other strength to ease their minds.


    ¡­


    In Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard house.


    After being cured of his illness, Ling Zhaowu had been living in this place all along. Maybe because he wanted to make up for the lost time with his son, during his stay in this house, he had trodden every inch of the ground, read the books in the study that Ling Zhang had read, including the remarks made by him, seen his drawings and calligraphy, and also asked the servants responsible for maintaining this house about a lot of trivial details, all of which he then had lodged in his mind.


    According to the original plan, he should have left for the capital city by now, because Mr. Mu had told him that he would be in a fit state to travel half a month after his recovery. It had been owing to a letter from the capital city that he delayed the departure. Ling Zhaowen had covertly left the residential compound and returned with a secret letter, which he¡¯d given to Ling Zhaowu, telling him to bring it to the capital city and deliver it to Yuwen Tong. Though having some speculations, Ling Zhaowu had taken it and put it in a safe place without asking any questions.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t gone to sleep, Big Brother?¡± Ling Zhaowen walked into the room.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him. ¡°Why did you come here at such a late hour instead of sleeping?¡±


    ¡°I knew you were probably still awake, so I came here to check on you,¡± replied Ling Zhaowen.


    The two brothers walked up to the teapoy and sat down. Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I¡¯ve just recovered and should stay at home taking care of our father, but instead I¡¯m leaving again, and you¡¯ll have to continue shouldering all the family responsibilities. I¡¯m being so unfair to you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Big Brother. There¡¯s no need for us to be so clear about these things. We¡¯re brothers, remember? Besides, it¡¯s for Zhang¡¯er¡¯s sake that you¡¯re leaving for the capital city. Right now, our whole family are worried about the situation in the capital city. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that our father is old and I¡¯m otherwise engaged, both of us would go with you. You and Mr. Ji being in the capital city would more or less spare us some worry. At least I¡¯d know that if there¡¯s some kind of trouble, you would surely bring Zhang¡¯er out of the capital city safely.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu reached out his hand to pat Ling Zhaowen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I overthought it. You¡¯ve been taking care of Zhang¡¯er since he was a boy. In terms of worries about his safety, you have no less than I do.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°We¡¯ll be able to live together as a family after all this is over, Big Brother, and some day we¡¯ll all go to the capital city to attend Zhang¡¯er¡¯s wedding. Although our father is old, he would definitely be there as well, so you and Zhang¡¯er must stay safe and take good care of yourselves in the capital city.¡±


    ¡°I know. We will,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡­


    The next morning, in the side hall of the Ling family, all members were present. Ling Zhaowu, Ji Yin, Mr. Mu, Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang were going to set off for the capital city after breakfast.


    The family quietly finished breakfast and had a few moments¡¯ rest, and then it was time for Ling Zhaowu, Ji Yin and the others to depart.


    ¡°In-law, I know you¡¯re a wonder and have amazing powers. Please keep Zhang¡¯er safe in the capital city,¡± Ling Xingzhong said to Ji Yin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, In-law. I¡¯ll make sure Zhang¡¯er comes to no harm,¡± replied Ji Yin.


    Ling Xingzhong gave a nod, personally saw them to the front gates with other members of the family and watched as they rode off.


    After quite a while, the horses and the riders were all out of sight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Father,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Xingzhong softly let out a sigh, pivoted around and walked back into the compound.


    ¡­


    In the local yamen.


    ¡°Have Ling Zhaowu and the others left?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they just departed. After exiting the city, they started riding hell-for-leather. At that speed, they¡¯ll get to the capital city in less than seven days.¡±


    Tao Feng thought for a while and said, ¡°Has the letter to my son been sent?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The messenger set out early this morning.¡±


    Tao Feng heaved a sigh. ¡°I hope he¡¯ll listen to reason. Nobody could have foreseen that the situation in the capital city would take so many drastic turns in such a short time. Things are different now, and if he doesn¡¯t stay away from Ling Zhang, I¡¯m afraid sooner or later he¡¯ll get himself in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Master, there haven¡¯t been any messages from the capital city for quite a few days. Nobody knows how things are going there. Should we be worried about Young Master¡¯s safety?¡±


    Tao Feng had an apprehensive face. ¡°With the old lord¡¯s protection, his life wouldn¡¯t be in danger as long as he¡¯s not stupid enough to get involved in any perilous things.¡±


    But Tao Feng was still worried about Tao Yi. After all, the situation in the capital city struck him as rather strange. Given that it¡¯d been quite a long time since the last time he¡¯d received a message from the capital city, there was no doubt that something serious had happened.


    ¡­


    In the capital city.


    Ling Zhang was still unaware that his father had set off for the capital city. So far, there hadn¡¯t been any other unexpected occurrences in the imperial court. The General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) had received the imperial edict this morning and left the capital city in the afternoon, heading for Cangzhou.


    Yuwen Tong had told him that the situation in the imperial court was under his control, but Ling Zhang was still concerned.


    After all, the emperor was still breathing, along with his two sons. This matter would remain full of uncertainty unless the imperial household of the Great Yue were exterminated.


    However, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to wipe them out. It won¡¯t do me any good if they¡¯re all dead. Even if we are to exterminate them, it¡¯d be inadvisable to do it in these circumstances.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°Is it because you have some other plans?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Yeah. Barring accidents, this matter will be settled in a simpler way.¡±


    Before Ling Zhang could ask him how this matter could be settled in a simpler way, Yuwen Tong was informed that his presence was requested in the imperial court and immediately left.


    Watching Yuwen Tong leaving in haste, Ling Zhang tensed again, somewhat worried that something unforeseen had happened.


    In a side hall of the imperial palace, courtiers had gathered to consult with each other.


    ¡°Marshal, there¡¯s been another aggravation of His Majesty¡¯s condition. I¡¯m afraid he only has two days left,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    A moment ago, a court physician had come in great haste and given the courtiers a report. Having been expecting this for some time, the courtiers were not really panic-stricken, but once the emperor died, the rule of the imperial household of the Great Yue would come to an end, and currently, all troops in the capital city were from the Northern City Garrison Battalion and, worryingly, were under Yuwen Tong¡¯s sole command, which meant that the life of everybody in this city was at the mercy of Yuwen Tong, so they all wanted to know whether or not Yuwen Tong had the intention of taking the throne.


    ¡°How¡¯s the Ministry of Rites doing with the preparatory work?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at Yuwen Feng the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    The Minister of Rites was fully occupied, and Yuwen Feng had been called in as a matter of urgency.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been working day and night trying to get it done. Two days is rather short notice, but I think we¡¯ll be able to manage it. The problem is that there are some parts requiring a lot of money. We prodded he Ministry of Revenue twice but they didn¡¯t allocate any money to us,¡± said Yuwen Feng, looking back at Yuwen Tong. Though having shadows under his eyes owing to the hectic, sleepless nights, he still appeared composed.


    Yuwen Tong shifted his gaze to officials of the Ministry of Revenue, all of whom gave a start. Previously they had never felt it this way, but now they suddenly discovered that Yuwen Tong¡¯s seemingly bland gaze was actually even scarier than the emperor¡¯s piercing eyes¡­


    ¡°Marshal, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re keeping the money back. The tru¨Ctruth is, the Ministry of Revenue doesn¡¯t have much money left. Currently, the army is still trying to suppress the rebellion in Cangzhou. In addition, the reinforcements have departed, so extra provisions have to be delivered there immediately. Given that there might be an emergency, we don¡¯t dare use what¡¯s left of the exchequer.¡±


    Countenance remaining unchanged, Yuwen Tong asked Yuwen Feng how much money the Ministry of Rites needed. Yuwen Feng gave a number.


    Then Yuwen Tong asked the Ministry of Revenue how much money they had left. The latter also gave a number.


    Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°The Ministry of Revenue is to ditch all the non-essential needs and then give me another number. The Ministry of Revenue is to allocate as much money as possible to the funeral plan. This has to be settled by dusk. We don¡¯t need any dead weight at this point.¡±


    Yuwen Feng was the first to promise he¡¯d finish the job on time. The Minister of Revenue stole an upward glance at Yuwen Tong and then also hurriedly undertook that he¡¯d do his part.


    After these two people hastily took their leave to start working on their respective tasks, there weren¡¯t many people left in the side hall.


    The Right Prime Minister said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal, I¡¯m afraid there will be social unrest in our country after His Majesty leaves us. May I ask if you have made any preparations?¡±


    This question of the Right Prime Minister¡¯s was quite delicate. Several courtiers glanced at him, and one of them opened his mouth and was about to say something but eventually held back the words on the tip of his tongue.


    The Right Prime Minister was presently the head of civil officials. As the imperial clan was now almost non-existent except in name, and the two princes were still young, and all powerful families and forces in the capital city had been uprooted, the Right Prime Minister was the pillar of the imperial court, and what he should do was gather all courtiers to figure out a countermeasure, but surprisingly, instead of doing that, he directly asked Yuwen Tong whether he¡¯d made any preparations. The undertone in it was only too obvious.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes slowly raked the faces of the people present and then he said, ¡°As things stand, there are indeed several matters worth extra attention. Maybe Your Lordships should consult with each other.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister was slightly surprised. And then, as though having come to understand something, he twisted his head around and said to the others, ¡°So, may I ask what you have in mind, Your Lordships?¡±


    All the others kept silent.


    Them consulting with each other? They would like to do that, but the problem was that their lives and family possessions were now in Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands. How were they supposed to consult with each other in these circumstances?


    Zhao Zheng the Minister of War, however, began, ¡°The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom both border the Great Yue. There¡¯s no telling what action they might take after the unrest in our country comes to their knowledge, so our army in the north-west has to get ready for all possibilities. Aside from that, in the south¡­¡±

 Chapter 307 - The Emperors Demise

    It was after dark that courtiers left the palace, hurrying towards their respective abodes.


    In a residential compound.


    ¡°Your Lordship, the garrison of Yanzhou has now been dispatched. Youzhou and Jingzhou are the closest to the capital city, but Youzhou is an important border city, and almost all troops stationed there are under Yuwen Tong¡¯s command. Just to the north of Jingzhou is the Luohai Kingdom. There¡¯s no telling whether we¡¯ll be able to rope in the commander of the military presence in Jingzhou. Even if we manage to convince him, it¡¯d be very inadvisable for us to draft his men here, given the threat from the Luohai Kingdom. As a result, our only option is to try our luck in the south. The garrison in Tanyang is at He Xiao¡¯s command, and He Xiao is on bad terms with Yuwen Tong, so I think maybe He Xiao is our guy. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Tanyang is where Yuwen Tong¡¯s father-in-law lives, and the Ling family has a very solid foundation there. On top of that, Yuwen Tong stayed in Tanyang for a very long time. I did once considered the military presence in Tanyang, but my conclusion is that it¡¯s not reliable enough.¡±


    ¡°How about Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°Jiangzhou is behind Cangzhou and Yanzhou. If the garrison of Jiangzhou is to come, the shortest route would be the one through Cangzhou, but currently we don¡¯t even have the faintest idea what the situation is like in Cangzhou.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, we must select someone and make a decision as soon as possible, Your Lordship. Yuwen Tong almost has all courtiers on his side now. You saw what the Right Prime Minister and the Minister of War did. Those people have stooped to becoming Yuwen Tong¡¯s complete stooges. If we don¡¯t take action right away, we might never have another chance.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s contact them both!¡±


    ¡°Both Tanyang and Jiangzhou? But what if it causes too much noise and Yuwen Tong finds out?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a risk we must take. We are having this talk right under Yuwen Tong¡¯s nose anyway.¡±


    ¡­


    Cangzhou.


    ¡°People of Cangzhou were still living in peace the last time I came here, but now it has been reduced to a city of rubble and refugees,¡± sighed Ji Yin.


    After departing from Tanyang, Ji Yin, Ling Zhaowu and the other two had been galloping all along, heading for the capital city. At this moment, they had just entered Cangzhou.


    ¡°No wonder people of Tanyang haven¡¯t been getting up-to-date messages from the capital city. Cangzhou is now swarming with refugees and rebels, and the main road with robbers taking advantage of the chaos. The thoroughfare leading south is barely passable. It surprises me the situation in Cangzhou is so dire,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Except for Mr. Mu and Ling Zhaowu, all of them were kung fu experts, and they had killed almost all those who had tried to rob them. The smell of blood and the murderous air about them had deterred a lot of others who had intended to approach them. If they kept going deeper into Cangzhou, they would encounter more and more robbers and might even run into members of the rebel army.


    They had no fear, though. After all, with the two guards and Ji Yin who possessed miraculous powers of laying all kinds of formations, they would definitely be able to make it to the capital city safe and sound, but the sight of the disarray in Cangzhou made them begin to worry about the situation in the capital city.


    ¡°I wonder how things are going in the capital city. People there should be the most anxious about the insurrection in Cangzhou. Why are they letting the rebel forces in Cangzhou get stronger? I¡¯m afraid something serious might have happened in the capital city, Father-in-law.¡±


    Ji Yin gazed in the direction of the capital city, a rare frown on his face.


    They traveled for another day and reached the central region of Cangzhou, only a short distance away from Wu City.


    They had encountered an army of rebels approximately 10,000 strong midway. Having no intention of fighting the rebels head-on, Ji Yin had concealed their traces with a formation and they¡¯d rounded the encampment of the insurrectionary army.


    After detouring around the rebel army entrenched near the main road, they finally heard some news about the capital city and came to know that so many things had happened during the past few weeks: the King Duan¡¯s attempted usurpation, the King Yu¡¯s and the King Duan¡¯s perishing together¡­


    ¡°Cangzhou refugees are all heading for the capital city. If officials of the capital city are not competent enough to make arrangements for this matter to be handled properly, large numbers of refugees would put the city under heavy pressure,¡± observed Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhaowu stared in the direction of the capital city, urgently hoping to get to the destination straight away.


    Meanwhile, a serious event happened in the capital city.


    The emperor was at the gate of death, his breathing feeble, not even having enough strength to keep his eyes open.


    All court physicians had been watching over him in the imperial bedchamber day and night. Courtiers were standing outside, their faces grave.


    Would the Great Yue continue to exist after the emperor died?


    Would the two underage princes be able to shoulder the heavy responsibilities?


    Presently, almost the whole capital city was under Yuwen Tong¡¯s control, and he could replace this dynasty with a new one at any moment, but he had been keeping quiet all along and even ordered the court physicians to do whatever they could to treat the emperor. What was he thinking exactly?


    Courtiers had their own conjectures, but all their eyes without exception were on Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was standing in front of all courtiers with his back to them. The imperial bedchamber was heavily guarded. The two concubines and the two young princes were the only ones inside the imperial bedchamber apart from the court physicians, trembling, fear clouding over their faces.


    It was at the sight of this scene that all the courtiers came to realize that they were not capable of helping the Great Yue get through this crisis, or deterring enemy states from invading the Great Yue, or making the garrisons in various cities toe the line.


    Unless someone offered them enough assistance¡­ Yuwen Tong could make the best helper, but the thought of this made the courtiers feel they¡¯d come full circle ¨CYuwen Tong¡¯s take on this matter was inscrutable, while the Right Prime Minister and some others had clearly taken Yuwen Tong¡¯s side¡­


    In a word, the courtiers had vaguely guessed something, but none of them dared draw a conclusion.


    After quite a long time, a court physician walked out of the imperial bedchamber, up to Yuwen Tong, made a bow and said, ¡°Whether or not His Majesty would last through the night depends solely on his force of will.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    On seeing Yuwen Tong come back, Ling Zhang hurriedly asked, ¡°Why are you back? Didn¡¯t you say that the emperor was on his deathbed?¡±


    ¡°It seemed that he would linger on for a little while longer, so I decided to come back to grab a bite and then return to the palace,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Why was this guy so leisurely and carefree?


    ¡°The emperor wouldn¡¯t make it through this evening. Tomorrow morning you¡¯ll see what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Marshal!¡±


    Yao Yi hurried into the room, an anxious look on his face.


    ¡°The Wan Kingdom has broken the agreement and joined hands with the Luohai Kingdom as expected. A secret intelligence report suggests that the allied forces of them would soon finish mustering and advance towards the border. From the time the report was delivered here, it could be deduced that the allied forces have already departed. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi have received the intelligence and are deploying troops, and so is the commander in the Changsheng Pass.¡±


    After hearing Yao Yi¡¯s words, Yuwen Tong took the secret intelligence report from his hand and carefully read it.


    Ling Zhang gave a gasp of astonishment. ¡°Well, this is definitely Murphy¡¯s Law at work.¡±


    After reading it, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ve anticipated that this would happen in the north-west, but it never crossed my mind that it would happen so soon. The dispatch from the border should arrive here in two days. Before that, Jiang Ke and his men will be able to hold the enemy back, but I have to pay a visit to the encampment in the north-west.¡±


    ¡°If you leave, the Right Prime Minister and the others would be left helpless and vulnerable in this city after the emperor dies, and I¡¯m afraid sooner or later the situation would change in an unforeseen way,¡± said Ling Zhang anxiously.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was quite collected. ¡°Mr. Ji and Uncle Ling would soon arrive. With them protecting you, I won¡¯t have to worry about your safety. As regards the capital city, the whole Northern City Garrison Battalion are at my command. Barring interference from another army, they¡¯ll be able to handle everything. The combination of them and Mr. Ji¡¯s abilities would be enough to ensure the security of the capital city.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made some arrangements in the south. The only force we have to keep a weather eye on is the garrison of Jiangzhou. The military presence in that city is not under my command. It¡¯s very likely that they¡¯d be deluded into coming to the capital city. What you¡¯ll have to do is hold them back. When I return from the border, everything will be settled.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°How do we hold them back?¡±


    ¡°Previously I¡¯ve already taken some precautions by secretly dispatching the garrison of Shengzhou to an encampment near the capital city, so holding them back should be no problem. The key is to stall them. Apart from the garrison of Jiangzhou, we also need to prevent Dai Cheng from catching on to the situation and leading his army back here.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, don¡¯t you think the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) would be able to stop Dai Cheng?¡± said Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong softly tapped the table and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to him, and I want you to have it delivered to him as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    After Yuwen Tong finishing the letter, Yao Yi immediately made arrangements for it to be delivered to Cangzhou.


    Dai Cheng must die.


    This was the most important sentence in that letter.


    That very night, the Right Prime Minister and some others covertly came to the Ling Mansion and gathered in the study. They secretly consulted with Yuwen Tong for a whole night and left shortly before dawn.


    Word got out from the imperial palace before daybreak that the emperor had passed away.


    The emperor hadn¡¯t managed to open his eyes or utter a single word until his last breath.


    The death knell tolled in the imperial palace. The whole capital city was cloaked in a weird shroud of hush.


    The Ministry of Rites had made preparations some time ago. The emperor¡¯s funeral was quickly held as scheduled. Strips of white cloth could be seen in every street and alley.


    Two days later, a dispatch from the border was delivered to the capital city. On hearing that the coalition forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had been massed along the border, all citizens were driven into panic.


    ¡°People of the Wan Kingdom are so shameless. It¡¯s barely been half a year since they signed the peace accord, and now they¡¯re breaking it!¡±


    ¡°The Luohai Kingdom seemed fairly peaceable previously and has been acting like a friend of the Great Yue, but at this crucial juncture, they turn out to be back-stabbers. This is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Complaining about it won¡¯t help. We need to figure out a countermeasure immediately!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The Ministry of Revenue have no money at their disposal!¡±


    ¡°Whom should we send to the border?¡±


    ¡°It has to be Marshal Yuwen. He is the only one capable of keeping the Great Yue safe.¡±


    ¡°But there are still some matters requiring his presence in the capital city. Who¡¯s going to handle those matters if he leaves?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°As a matter of urgency, we need to give the Marshal the other half of his previous military power back.¡±


    All courtiers present lapsed into silence at this remark.


    The Right Prime Minister was the one who had just made this proposal. More than half of the courtiers were in favor of it. Half of the rest kept silent with a wait-and-see attitude, the other half against it. All those against the proposal were on one of the two underage princes¡¯ side, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to guess the reason why they¡¯d raised objections.


    However, eventually, the other half of the military power was still returned to Yuwen Tong, and it was one of the young princes who made the decision.


    This came as a surprise to everybody.


    Yuwen Tong had always been determined to retrieve the other half of his previous military power, and he would definitely get it even if the young prince hadn¡¯t given the order, but this order from a prince did serve to temporarily prevent some courtiers from making unpleasant comments on this matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve some time ago anticipated there¡¯d be another war in the north-west. What with the civil strife and social turbulence in this country, the outbreak of another war is unavoidable. Also, I had everything planned out and was positive that the other half of my original military power would return to my hand,¡± Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang after going back to the Ling Mansion.

 Chapter 308 - Another Father-Son Reunion

    Yuwen Tong had re-assumed command of the other half of the armies. In the meantime officials of the capital city were doing everything they could to prepare provisions for troops stationed in the north-west.


    ¡°When do you plan to set off?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I¡¯ll wait until Mr. Ji and Uncle Ling arrive to set out for the north-west. I don¡¯t like the idea of you staying here alone.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m going with you!¡± remonstrated Ling Zhang.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Yuwen Tong disagreed.


    Ling Zhang glared at him. ¡°I can protect myself, and I¡¯ll take Wang Dashan and the others with me, who are now more than powerful enough to keep me safe.¡±


    ¡°Still, the answer is no. The reason why the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are joining forces this time is because they know the civil strife of the Great Yue is a great opportunity for them, and there¡¯s no doubt they¡¯ll stop at nothing to annex this country. Even I cannot predict what kind of dangers might be involved in this situation. You¡¯ll be put in their crosshairs the moment you show your face. There will be countless attacks aimed at you, covert ones and overt ones. What am I supposed to do if by any chance you got hurt? With you at the front, I might not be able to stay focused on directing military operations. It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped together. He knew that Yuwen Tong had got a point, but how could he not be worried in these circumstances? Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t gone to the north-west yet, but he was already having trouble sleeping at night owing to his deep concern. If Yuwen Tong went to the battleground, how was he supposed to survive the worry?


    ¡°Be a peach and stay here. Think about it this way ¨CI need you to keep watch on the situation in the capital city for me. Things here must not get out of control until I return. I¡¯ll handle the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom as soon as possible. If the capital city is thrown into chaos, our arrangements will be upset. In that case, we¡¯ll really be in danger,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a long time. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back to me in one piece.¡±


    Yuwen Tong swept him into his embrace. ¡°I promise. Under no circumstances will I let anything happen to me knowing you¡¯re waiting for me. We have a wedding to hold.¡±


    Ling Zhang gripped the back of his robe, cuddling him close.


    ¡­


    The capital city was heavily fortified, and everybody going in or out of the city had to undergo strict security check. Ling Zhaowu and the other four entered the city without alarming anybody or attracting anybody¡¯s attention.


    Yuwen Tong had been informed the moment the five of them had approached the capital city, but in order not to rouse anybody¡¯s suspicions, he and Ling Zhang both stayed in the Ling Mansion waiting instead of exiting the city to welcome them.


    All the five of them ¨CJi Yin, Ling Zhaowu, Mr. Mu, Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang rode into the city. Ji Yin, who was in front, led them to the front gates of the Ling Mansion.


    Ling Zhaowu involuntarily tightened his grip on the reins when the plaque of the Ling Mansion came into sight in the distance. The deep apprehension he¡¯d been in throughout the journey ebbed considerably as he saw that the Ling Mansion seemed to be very quiet, though the security was quite tight. At the thought that he would soon meet his son, however, he felt somewhat scared. Although he had recalled Ling Zhang keeping him company in the Millennium Pavilion and bringing him home, this would be the first time the two of them met each other since his retrieval of memory.


    ¡°Mr. Ji.¡± The guards on duty at the front gates were all familiar faces and they recognized Ji Yin. In the knowledge that they were Ling Zhang¡¯s father and grandfather, the guards hastened over to take care of their horses, making it easier for them to dismount. ¡°Childe Ling and the Marshal will be here soon.¡±


    As if on cue, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked out at this moment. The former saw Ling Zhaowu at a glance. Ling Zhaowu, who had been looking forward to meeting him, naturally saw him immediately as well. Eyes instantly brightening, he called in a voice tinged with caution, ¡°Zhang¡¯er!¡±


    Ling Zhang briefly paused and then walked up to him. Although he had prepared himself for this, he still had slightly mixed feelings at the sight of Ling Zhaowu who had recovered his memory and whose bearing was different from how it¡¯d been when he was suffering from amnesia, and the look in whose eyes was different as well, but Ling Zhang hardly showed any signs of it, calmly walked to the front of Ling Zhaowu and greeted Ji Yin first. ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Then he shifted his gaze to Ling Zhaowu and called, ¡°Father.¡±


    Although Ling Zhaowu was now different from the man he¡¯d been when he had no memories of the past, the gleam in his eyes and his demeanor vaguely struck Ling Zhang as familiar, who faintly felt as if he were seeing the father existing in his childhood memories.


    On hearing Ling Zhang call him father, Ling Zhaowu felt a minor sting in his nose. Standing in front of him was his son who was now as tall as him, poised and grown-up. Meeting his son face to face after regaining his memory was a different experience compared with being with him when he¡¯d been amnesiac. Ling Zhaowu was proud and sad and also had a guilty conscience, transports of emotions flooding over him.


    He moved two steps closer and considered Ling Zhang. After a few moments, he said concernedly, ¡°Are you okay? I heard about the turbulence in this city on my way here.¡±


    Eyes on him, Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. This compound is very safe. The unrest in this city mostly has been contained, and the situation is fairly stable now. You recovered only a couple of weeks ago, but you took such a long journey to come here. Are you feeling all right?¡±


    At first Ling Zhaowu was relieved, and then, as he sensed his son¡¯s concern for him, his fear that his son might feel distant was alleviated significantly. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Thanks to Mr. Mu, I¡¯m almost as good as new.¡±


    While the two of them were having a father-son talk, Yuwen Tong greeted Ji Yin and the others and then stood on the side to give them some privacy. He noticed Ling Zhaowu¡¯s discreet expression and Ling Zhang¡¯s reservedness hidden beneath an affected calmness, and was aware of why they were acting like this. No matter what had happened in the past, the estrangement between the two of them would gradually be dissolved by time. As long as Ling Zhaowu stayed safe and healthy, everything would get better.


    ¡°Father, this is Yuwen Tong. Do you remember him?¡± Ling Zhang drew Yuwen Tong over and introduced him to Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°It gladdens my heart to see you, Uncle Ling. What with an emergency in the capital city, I was unable to accompany you back to Tanyang previously. It is a great relief to see that your memories have been restored,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhaowu looked appraisingly at Yuwen Tong who was tall, straight, imposing and had a real physical presence. Yuwen Tong appeared confident, unhurried, poised and restrained, bearing little resemblance to the man Ling Zhaowu remembered¡­


    A different expression appeared in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes. It was not a strange one but a familiar one. However, there seemed to be something else buried in it.


    The others, though somewhat surprised at first, soon recalled that previously Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had stayed with Ling Zhaowu in the Millennium Pavilion for over half a month, so they found it totally understandable that Ling Zhaowu was looking at Yuwen Tong like an acquaintance.


    ¡°I remember you. Thank you for accompanying Zhang¡¯er on his journey to see me, and for looking after me,¡± said Ling Zhaowu, concealing some emotions unknown to the others.


    He knew that he was supposed to put on a severe-father act and give this brat who dared to marry his son a word of warning, having him know that he should be good to his son, that the Ling family was powerful enough to protect Ling Zhang, but Ling Zhaowu was fully aware that he was in no position to do that, for Yuwen Tong had given his son a lot, helped the Ling family a lot and been taking good care of his son for a very long time ¨Cfar longer than he, Ling Zhang¡¯s father, had. Yuwen Tong had already been doing a very good job caring for his Zhang¡¯er and didn¡¯t need any aggressive words of warning from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m far from deserving of such thanks, Uncle Ling. You¡¯re my elder, and to some extent, I look up to you as a father, so I just did what I should do,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The look in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes fleetingly flickered and with that he gazed earnestly at Yuwen Tong, his face creasing into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you.¡±


    ¡°Father, Grandfather, Mr. Mu, Brother Donglin, Brother Chaofang, let¡¯s go inside and talk later,¡± suggested Ling Zhang opportunely.


    Ji Yin inclined his head. ¡°Zhang¡¯er is right. We should all get inside. Given the current situation in this city, there are probably spies everywhere.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was accompanying Ji Yin, so Ling Zhang walked side by side with Ling Zhaowu. The group of them entered the residential compound.


    Yao Yi and the other bodyguards, along with Wang Dashan and his men, were all waiting on the drill ground. On seeing them come, they all bowed with their hands folded in front. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Mr. Ji, Master Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked from Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong to Ji Yin. After Ji Yin gave a nod at him, Ling Zhaowu began, ¡°You may rise, gentlemen. Thank you all for taking care of Zhang¡¯er all this time.¡±


    ¡°We only did what we should do,¡± they chorused.


    After paying their respects, the guards were all very happy ¨Cthey were happy for Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowu was somewhat moved as he saw the manifest, heartfelt delight on these people¡¯s faces. His Zhang¡¯er had really grown up during the years of his absence and had got such a group of loyal subordinates by his side.


    After greeting the group of visitors, the guards soon took their leave in order not to cause any disturbance to them, for they knew that this was their young master¡¯s first time meeting his father since his retrieval of memory, that the two of them could use some privacy.


    When the guards had left, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong led Ji Yin, Ling Zhaowu and the other three into a hall in the compound.


    They first talked about the situation in Tanyang. After being informed that everything was fine in Tanyang, Ling Zhang felt a great sense of relief.


    ¡°How are things going in the capital city?¡± asked Ji Yin.


    They had mainly come to this city to help. Although Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu, who had just been reunited, wanted very much to find somewhere to talk privately, briefing the others about the situation in the capital city was a matter of greater urgency.


    Yuwen Tong filled them in on the whole circumstances in the capital city. Faces of Ji Yin, Ling Zhaowu and the other three all turned grave at the news.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll soon be heading for the north-west?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll have to be away for some time, and the idea of Brother Zhang being in this city alone concerns me. Fortunately you and Uncle Ling have come here. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you and Uncle Ling to stay here for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Helping you was the very reason why we came here. Since you¡¯re in a hurry to pay a visit to the north-west, naturally I¡¯ll take care of Zhang¡¯er, but it¡¯ll be rather pointless if we just stay in this residence doing nothing in particular. If there¡¯s anything else you need us to do, feel free to tell us. We¡¯d be glad to be of service.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ji. It¡¯s a great relief to hear these words of yours.¡±


    However, there were many matters that couldn¡¯t be made clear in a short time. ¡°There are indeed some issues I could use your help with, Mr. Ji. We may go to the study to talk about the details after the welcome reception.¡±


    Both Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu bobbed their heads.


    The five of them had just finished a long and weary journey and needed to have some rest, so after they got a general idea of what was going on in the capital city, Ling Zhang rose to his feet and said, ¡°Grandfather, Father, Mr. Mu, Brother Donglin, Brother Chaofang, let me show you to your rooms so you could get some rest.¡±


    Ji Yin replied, ¡°You may take your father to his room first. The rest of us would like to do some chatting with Yuwen boy.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu, who naturally couldn¡¯t wait to be alone with his son, immediately stood up and caught up with Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 309 - A Father-Son Talk

    Ling Zhang led Ling Zhaowu out of the hall and the two of them walked in silence for a certain distance.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, do you hate me? Back then I was bigoted and overwhelmed by agony. I forsook you, leaving you at home alone, and for over ten years I was absent from your life when I should be supporting you and educating you. What with my doings, you lost your father too when you had already lost your mother, and you spent all your formative years in a parentless family. When you fell over or got hurt or encountered dangers, I wasn¡¯t there to protect you. Never once have I ever offered you help in anything. I wasn¡¯t even there to¡­ I failed in my duties as a father,¡± said Ling Zhaowu in a deep voice heavy with guilt.


    Ling Zhang paused. At this moment, the two of them had already entered a courtyard house, and there was nobody else around to disturb them. He looked at Ling Zhaowu, feeling calmer than he¡¯d expected himself to.


    ¡°I hated you, Father.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s face paled visibly. Though having some time ago prepared himself for this answer, he still found these words quite painful when he actually heard them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s in the past, and now I accept your apology.


    I was still a young boy when you burnt all the books in your study and then left home without hesitation. Your receding back threw me into deep distress. For a time I frequently went to the front gates to wait for you, hoping that somehow you would come back to me, but every time my expectation was met with disappointment. I couldn¡¯t fathom out why you left, why you abandoned me, uncle, and grandfather. When I was at school, all my classmates would talk about their parents from time to time, but I had nothing to share with them in that regard. At that time, I barely had any friends, which was why I was very happy about Jia Yuanling being willing to talk with me. Although many of his acts bewildered me and struck me as unacceptable, I still didn¡¯t want to lose this friend, because he did make me feel a suspicion of comfort every now and then, but as regards what happened afterwards¡­ I think you probably have heard of it from my uncle and the others. People change. But all that was in the past. I had my uncle, my aunt, my grandfather, and later on Maomao. All of them are family. I¡¯ve never felt any feelings of estrangement at home. Uncle treats me like his own son, and do does Aunt Caiwei. Maomao is a very meek boy. Though sometimes he could be naughty, he always looks up to me as his biological big brother. Needless to say, grandfather and I are the closest. In a word, despite the fact that you were not with me, I was still having a very good life. Our family is not super-rich, but we were never short of clothing or food. In fact, our economic conditions are far better than those of common households. I¡¯m grateful for it and I have nothing to complain about.


    There was a time when I forgot that I used to have a father, and I stopped thinking about it. Uncle Zhaowen and my grandfather never gave up making inquiries about your whereabouts, but I hardly made any contributions to that. Speaking of which, I guess I haven¡¯t always been the quintessential filial son.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m the one to blame,¡± croaked Ling Zhaowu immediately after hearing this, his hands clasped tightly together at the back, his throat stinging, staring at Ling Zhang in distress.


    Ling Zhang continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were grievously wounded and on the verge of death, and neither did I know anything about the pain you were suffering. Father, previously I did have a grudge against you, but now, seeing you alive, I feel there¡¯s nothing more I could¡¯ve asked for.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was nearly reduced to tears. ¡°I failed you.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head. ¡°All the things that I was unable to understand before are understandable for me now. After I started a relationship with Yuwen Tong, sometimes I wonder whether or not I would do the same crazy things as what you did if he dies in front of me. So, I can understand why you acted that way. I feel that maybe you failed our family by making that impulsive decision, but at least you didn¡¯t fail my mother.¡±


    Eyes red, Ling Zhaowu looked at him and shook his head as well. ¡°No. I failed both you and your mother alike. Your mother would only be mad at me were she here to know what I did. I¡¯ll accept responsibility for my mistakes. I haven¡¯t been there for you in the past over ten years, but I¡¯ll be with you from this day on.¡±


    He felt a stabbing pain in the heart at these words of Ling Zhang¡¯s as though someone had just sunk a knife into it. He couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d been insane enough to forsake his young son. This mixture of guilt and agony had been torturing him for many, many years, and he had thought that he¡¯d become desensitized to it, but when he heard these words from Ling Zhang, it still hurt so much.


    He had feared that Ling Zhang would estrange him and loathe him. It had never occurred to him that his son would say that he understood him, which inflicted on him a misery even more insufferable than the one angry rebuke or curse could¡¯ve caused him, and also made him feel more strongly that the man he used to be was a monster.


    There was no doubt that at that time¡­ his son had been subjected to such a traumatic and painful experience. Why was he still saying that he understood him?


    The agony in his heart was so intense that Ling Zhaowu felt that he was unable to keep his footing.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped. The two of them gazed at each other. Ling Zhaowu had an anguished and complicated expression in his eyes, as though something was causing him great emotional distress. Ling Zhang¡¯s heart gave a slight lurch at the sight of this and he worried that what he¡¯d said just now was too much for his father. ¡°Father?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu jerked out of his trance and the misery in his eyes gradually ebbed away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my absent-mindedness.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat puzzled. He felt that something was not quite right but didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of what it might be.


    Ling family cast his son a deep look. ¡°Your uncle has informed me of the matter of the Jia family. You¡­¡±


    ¡°You once told your uncle that you had a particular dream.¡± Ling Zhaowu¡¯s voice was a shade tremulous when he said this, as though it was laden with a mixture of pain and anticipation that he¡¯d been keeping hidden fathoms deep.


    Ling Zhang was very observant, so this reaction of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s naturally didn¡¯t escape his notice. He had a rather faint, sneaking suspicion. Also, speaking of that dream¡­ subconsciously Ling Zhang was somewhat on the alert. After all, by describing his rebirth as a dream, he¡¯d been lying to his uncle. Why was his father specially bringing this up? Was it that his father also found it too incredible? Or was it because of some other reason?


    ¡°Yes. On that day, I was so drunk that I drifted off to sleep in a gazebo of the Jia family. A lot of horrible things happened in that dream of mine, and I had a lingering fear even after I woke up. It felt so real, so I subconsciously became wary of everything around me. Unexpectedly, Jia Yuanling was really plotting against me. That dream was the very reason why I managed to escape from death and the tragedy that could¡¯ve struck our family was prevented,¡± answered Ling Zhang, trying to make himself sound as natural as possible.


    Ling Zhaowu had been gazing at him all along. After quite a while, he observed, ¡°That was a result of divine intervention and secret protection from your mother¡¯s spirit.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled faintly, ¡°I also feel that mother has been protecting me. When my maternal grandfather told me that descendants of the Phoenix Clan would acquire the ability to foretell the future if they manage to reach the highest layer of the cultivation method, I was very surprised, believing that maybe it was because of the blood in me that I had that dream and prevented the disaster from befalling our family.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head and exhaled deeply. ¡°Fortunately, fortunately¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to talk any more about this matter. He kept having this feeling that there was something behind the look in his father¡¯s eyes when he¡¯d been staring at him a moment ago. In order to keep his father from sensing his suspicions, he said, ¡°Father, let me show you to your room so you could take a bath and change out of these travel-soiled clothes.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu kept silent for a few moments and then said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang was leading the way in front. A look of misery mixed with gratitude for his good luck flashed across Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes as he watched his son¡¯s back, and then he buried all these thoughts into the deep recesses of his mind.


    ¡­


    After bringing Ling Zhaowu some toiletries, Ling Zhang took his leave. Standing in the corridor, he quietly thought back to the talk he¡¯d just had with his father. The more details of his father¡¯s mien he recalled, the more skeptical he was. Pity there was still a thin shroud of mystery cloaking this matter, which kept him a step away from a flash of inspiration.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand to finger the jade pendant around his neck and then recollected what Mr. Mu had said to him when they¡¯d been in the Millennium Pavilion, and with that the expression in his eyes slightly changed. He had always been meaning to ask his father about it after he woke up.


    It took Ling Zhaowu a long while to finish his bath and change clothes. When he walked outside and saw that Ling Zhang was silently pondering over something in the corridor and didn¡¯t even notice him coming, he called, ¡°Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu still sounded quite discreet when talking to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang pulled himself back to the present and looked at him. ¡°Father, have you got everything handled? If you do, let¡¯s go to the front yard.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Zhaowu gave a smile.


    Sensing the caution in his attitude, Ling Zhang also had quite mixed feelings.


    He could tell that Ling Zhaowu was feeling distress and guilt because of what he¡¯d done previously, but there seemed to be something else behind it.


    After all, in that year, his father had insisted on leaving home to look for his mother, and afterwards he¡¯d sustained severe injuries and had been comatose ever since. Half a year ago, he came to but lost his memory, and it was not until a couple of weeks ago that he¡¯d recovered his memory. Theoretically, even if his father had come to realize the mistakes he¡¯d made bigotedly on an impulse, he shouldn¡¯t be acting like he was undergoing some kind of unendurable agony, given that currently the Ling family was fine, and he was fine as well¡­


    What was he overlooking exactly?


    Right at the time when Ling Zhang felt he was within an inch of a eureka moment, Ling Zhaowu walked out of the room, bringing his musings to an end, so he had no choice but to give up thinking about it for the moment.


    ¡°Do you still have headaches or any other uncomfortable feelings, Father? Did Mr. Mu mention anything about follow-up treatment?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowu answered the questions one by one. ¡°I¡¯m not having any headaches. That pill was a miracle cure. Right now, not only is my mind at ease, I also feel that I¡¯m even more energetic than I¡¯d been before I got injured. My body is returning to its best state as well. But it¡¯ll still take some time for me to be rid of all the symptoms, because after all, I stayed in bed for so many years. Presently, Mr. Mu uses medication and nutritious food to improve my health. On top of that, he also told me to do exercise on a daily basis, saying that I¡¯d fully recuperate in half a year or so.¡±


    Ling Zhang was greatly relieved. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Nothing would comfort my grandfather and uncle better than the knowledge that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu flicked a glance at him and said, ¡°Before I came here, your grandfather and uncle asked me to take a message to you for them. They wanted you to take good care of yourself in the capital city. Your uncle also said that you and Yuwen Tong should have no misgivings about doing what you wanted to do in this city, that he¡¯d have everything handled in Tanyang.


    In fact, these are my family responsibilities as well, but¡­ I¡¯ve been absent from your life during the past over ten years, so I can¡¯t let you face all this alone.¡±

 Chapter 310 - Yuwen Tongs Urgent Departure to the North-West

    Together, Ling Zhang and his father walked to the side hall which Yuwen Tong, Ji Yin and the other four were already in.


    They all took their seats at the dinner table and, after the welcome reception, transferred to the study.


    ¡°This time around, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom joined hands to attack us and their massive armies are advancing towards the border as we speak. I have to pay a visit to the border encampment. There¡¯s no doubt that troublesome problems will arise in the capital city after I leave, and there¡¯s also the issue of the ongoing rebellion in Cangzhou. The other sides might try to stir up trouble as well.¡±


    Standing in front of a map, Yuwen Tong marked all the strategically important areas with big circles.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had Yue Qi bring some men to Cangzhou to aid the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). They will do their best to keep the fighting from spilling over into areas outside Cangzhou. Except for Cangzhou, Jiangzhou is the closest to the capital city and the garrison there is the most likely to take action. The garrison of Shengzhou have secretly moved southward on my orders and are ready to intercept them. They won¡¯t let them approach the capital city. As regards the south¡­ our biggest problem in the south is the troops stationed in the south-west. The south-west garrison are the farthest away from this city, and it¡¯s the most inconvenient for them to come compared with armies in other cities, but if they do decide to come to the north, it will be a trouble. I¡¯ve also taken some precautions against that possibility, making sure that they won¡¯t make it out of the south-west before I return if they make their move.


    Of course, the best-case scenario would be for all these three forces to be overpowered by the time I return from the north-west.¡±


    ¡°Whom will you send to the south?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and looked at Ling Zhaowu, who answered for him, ¡°He Xiao.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment. ¡°He Xiao?!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t He Xiao on bad terms with Yuwen Tong? He had always been worried about what this person might do in Tanyang, but Yuwen Tong had mysteriously told him several times that such worries of his were unnecessary. He had thought that Yuwen Tong had made some other arrangements, but it¡¯d never crossed his mind that He Xiao had been working for Yuwen Tong!


    Ling Zhang was just as astounded as he¡¯d been the day when it came to his knowledge that the Right Prime Minister was actually on Yuwen Tong¡¯s side as well.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ling Zhang looked incredulously at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That was not really an intentional arrangement. The relations between me and He Xiao are known to very few. The original reason why the two of us put on that act in the first place was to help He Xiao get an opportunity to pursue his talents. After all, he would never have been appointed to a position of responsibility had the emperor found out about his relations with me. The Right Prime Minister took my side because of the arrangements I made in the capital city a few years ago after the spate of postponements of the delivery of provisions for the army in the north-west which nearly caused them to be exterminated. My original intention was merely to make sure the North-western Army would never be short of provisions again. It was in that year that he, Zhao Zheng and Shi Zhong the current Assistant Minister of Revenue started climbing up the hierarchy. As for the General Zhongwu and other officials that are covertly or overtly in support of me, most of them had dealings with my grandfather in the past. The North-western Army is huge, and at least one third, if not half, of the imperial court are related to it. If I¡¯m to guarantee that our military operations in the north-west wouldn¡¯t be hindered by our own people, I¡¯ll have to make sure that these officials on the home front do their jobs, so I put a lot of effort into it. I never thought that one day these resources would be used in this way. It counts as a great help to me.¡±


    In fact, recently Ling Zhang had come to understand what his grandfather had meant by saying ¡°That Yuwen boy¡¯s got a lot of tricks up his sleeves¡¯. He was indeed quite cunning, far more cunning than he¡¯d expected. Humph.


    Yuwen Tong unnoticeably stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s back in an effort to placate him.


    Ling Zhaowu tossed them a glance and then looked away from them.


    He recalled some things¡­ In a sense, he knew Yuwen Tong better than any of these people present, and had guessed that Yuwen Tong had already had everything well planned out in advance.


    At this time, Ji Yin said, ¡°Then how to handle these people in the capital city is the only thing to be discussed.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head, secretly withdrew his hand and said, ¡°There will definitely be unforeseen events as soon as I leave. There are two underage princes. Zhou Ming¡¯an the Eighth Prince is ten years old. His mother is the Concubine Jin whose father is Fang Quan. The reason why Fang Quan has never exhibited his abilities in the imperial court is because he didn¡¯t have the chance owing to the previous domination of the five adult princes: the Crown Prince, the King Duan, the King Hui, the King Yu and the Sixth Prince, but now all his obstacles have been removed. Although my intention is pretty obvious, he won¡¯t give up without putting up a fight, which is why I hope you will offer me some help after I leave this city, Mr. Ji.¡±


    Ji Yin gave a nod. ¡°Just tell me what you need me to do.¡±


    Yuwen Tong briefed them on his plan. Both Ji Yin¡¯s and Ling Zhaowu¡¯s face went grave, and at the same time they were secretly taken aback by Yuwen Tong¡¯s watertight design. From the vantage point of the present, Fang Quan didn¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of winning, no matter what he did. Instead, if he took action, he would be doing Yuwen Tong a big favor, eliminating all Yuwen Tong¡¯s hidden enemies.


    ¡°And I also have to ask you to keep Brother Zhang and my granduncle¡¯s family safe,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I can protect myself, and I¡¯ll take care of your granduncle¡¯s family.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. Although he¡¯d been oozing confidence when he was telling them his plan, there was worry in his eyes when he looked at Ling Zhang. If he had a choice, he definitely wouldn¡¯t part from Ling Zhang, especially in these circumstances.


    ¡°What about your uncle¡¯s family? Do you want us to keep an eye on them?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then replied, ¡°If they¡¯re sensible enough to lay low and stay out of trouble, help them survive; if they¡¯re not, they¡¯d have only themselves to blame for their doom.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll play it by ear.¡±


    Holding his hand, Yuwen Tong kept silent for a few moments and then exhorted, ¡°Please be really, really cautious. Everything I did was to build a future for us, so you must stay safe. Otherwise all my previous efforts would be for nothing.¡±


    Ling Zhang gripped his hand and gazed earnestly at him, ¡°You must stay safe as well.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem,¡± Ji Yin softly coughed, reminding the two of them about the presence of their elders.


    Ling Zhang came back to his senses and released his grip, embarrassed.


    Yuwen Tong, however, appeared quite collected and continued confiding his arrangements to them.


    ¡­


    The supplies to be transported to the north-west weren¡¯t ready yet, but Yuwen Tong had to set out on the journey first.


    The next day, Yuwen Tong would exit the city and depart for the north-west. This was his last night in the capital city, and during the day he had gone to the imperial palace and then the Right Prime Minister¡¯s residence, and it¡¯d been after dusk that he returned.


    The atmosphere in the city was still tense and subdued. News of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom massing at the border had spread through the whole city; the deceased former emperor¡¯s coffin was still in the imperial palace, waiting to be transferred to the imperial mausoleum; meanwhile, the rebellion in Cangzhou was still ongoing¡­ Not only were officials having apprehensive faces in court meetings, common citizens were also in panic and fear. Soldiers on patrol could be seen on the streets from time to time, but there were very few ordinary residents walking outdoors.


    ¡°Have you got everything arranged?¡± Ling Zhang, who had been waiting in the corridor, hurried up to Yuwen Tong at the sight of him coming back.


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. ¡°All arrangements have been made. You¡¯ll have to handle the rest of it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong would put Ling Zhang in charge of his whole intelligence network in the capital city, and Ling Zhang would be the only one with the authority to mobilize the resources. Yue Qi had secretly led a group of men to Cangzhou, and staying in the capital city were Zhang Liu, Miao Shisan and Miao Shiba. All the others would go to the north-west with Yuwen Tong, including Yao Yi and Xie Shi.


    ¡°Miao Shisan has taken over the intelligence network in this city for some time. He should be able to answer all your questions.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. I¡¯ve had Wang Qing prepare a batch of precious vulneraries and life-saving drugs. The most important ones have been put into several boxes. You may carry them with you. As for those less important ones, I¡¯ll have them delivered there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Ling Zhang suddenly fished out a pamphlet and handed it to Yuwen Tong. ¡°These are the diagrams of the formations that I recalled afterwards as well as the formations that my grandfather taught me in the Millennium Pavilion after I consulted him. I¡¯ve checked them all, and I think a couple of them should be useful to you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took it and his eyes brightened after he ran an eye over it. ¡°This is pretty good stuff. It¡¯ll be a great help to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that your troops might not be able to master these formations in a hurry. It¡¯ll take some time,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are a lot of people adept at formations in the army, and there are also soldiers who have received special training. They¡¯ll get the hang of it soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong put an icy cold little thing into his hand and said under his breath, ¡°This is half of the commander¡¯s seal for dispatching the Northern City Garrison Battalion. The Right Prime Minister has the other half of it. Although I have faith in them, you¡¯re the one I trust the most. If anything unforeseen happens ¨C and that¡¯s a big if ¨C this half of the commander¡¯s seal will prove useful. You¡¯ve made the acquaintance of the commander and the deputy commander of the Northern City Garrison Battalion. Both of them knew about the relations between us. As long as you show this thing to them, they will help you.¡±


    Ling Zhang tightened his grip on the half of the commander¡¯s seal in his hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°I see.¡±


    Having finished talking about this matter, the two of them cuddled in the corridor of their courtyard house.


    This was Yuwen Tong¡¯s last night in this residence. All necessary arrangements made, this was the time he could spend alone with Ling Zhang, and nobody would disturb them.


    ¡°I really hope all this would end very quick, so that I would be able to return very soon. We¡¯re going to get married after I come back,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Get married?¡± With his head rested on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you put this country under your dominion as soon as possible, stabilize the situation and then get to the top of the hierarchy?¡±


    ¡°The highest position pales into insignificance compared to us getting married. Our wedding is of the utmost importance, and nothing takes precedence over it. I¡¯ll return to this city before the auspicious date we picked.¡±


    Ling Zhang held him tight. ¡°You taking care of yourself is the most important thing, because you staying safe is the precondition of the well-being of the rest of us.¡±


    Yuwen Tong planted a kiss on his cheek and responded in a low and deep voice, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much I want to talk with you about,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Um,¡± said Yuwen Tong, ¡°I know that. I promise I¡¯ll come back in one piece.¡±


    In the past, the capital city had never struck Yuwen Tong as home when he¡¯d returned from the borderlands. In his heart of hearts, the encampment of the North-western Army had been his home, the place where he¡¯d belonged. However, now the situation had been reversed. Never had he ever felt so eager to stay in the capital city. This place where Ling Zhang was had replaced the encampment of the North-western Army as his home, so he would do everything within his power to come back here safe and sound.


    Someone was waiting for him to come home ¨C someone he was going to marry.

 Chapter 311 - Theyll Have to Make It to the Capital City Alive First

    Yuwen Tong had set off for the north-west. It¡¯d been before dawn and shortly after the city gates opened that he exited the city, followed by Yao Yi and some others, galloping straight towards the north-west.


    Watching the end of the road in the distance where Yuwen Tong¡¯s receding back had disappeared, Ling Zhang stood on the spot, feeling as though he didn¡¯t have any insides, as though his heart had left with Yuwen Tong and probably wouldn¡¯t return to his chest until Yuwen Tong came back.


    ¡°Have faith in him. With you waiting here for him, he will come back safe and sound.¡± Ji Yin reached out his hand and patted his shoulder.


    Ling Zhang twisted his head around. ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°All we need to do is keep the situation in this city in check. This place will be your foundation, your headquarters. He¡¯s gone to the north-west, and you could contribute to your future by removing the obstacles in your way,¡± Ji Yin continued.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Then cheer up. The moment that Yuwen boy left, I sensed that there were a lot more spies out there staking out this compound. They¡¯re already making their move,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Face darkening, Ling Zhang looked through the front gates of the residential compound.


    ¡­


    In the Fang Mansion, the residence of Fang Quan, the Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°Your Lordship, Yuwen Tong has exited the city. Presently, Ling Zhang and some guards are the only ones left in the Ling Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Humph, good! This is virtually a godsend. It is as though the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had specially dispatched their armies here for our gain. I really should send them a long thank-you letter! Yuwen Tong¡¯s got a lot of balls. He actually believes the Northern City Garrison Battalion alone are enough to defend this city, and also dared leave Ling Zhang and those people of the Yuwen family here. He¡¯s indeed just an army guy with plenty of brawn but no brains.¡±


    Fang Quan smiled smugly, ¡°Did you have the letter delivered there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. The couple of lords must be considering as we speak,¡± answered his henchman.


    ¡°Considering? What do they think there is that needs to be considered? This is a heaven-sent opportunity. Once my grandson ascends the throne, they¡¯ll be the most meritorious helpers. The imperial court is currently understaffed and all the high-ranking vacant posts will be theirs in the future. Why are they still hesitating?¡± said Fang Quan with a cold snort.


    His henchman immediately replied, ¡°I was being short-sighted and I said the wrong thing. Right now the couple of lords are, without doubt, writing in reply. The Eighth Prince is predestined to rule, and nothing can stop that from happening.¡±


    It was only then that Fang Quan withdrew his frosty eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the palace like? How are the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin doing?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine in there, Your Lordship. Her Highness and the Eighth Prince are still keeping vigil beside the bier, waiting for you to go to the palace.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Tell them to show more patience.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡­


    In the residential compound of the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    Yuwen Feng was still occupied with work in the imperial palace. Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi were the only ones in the residence.


    ¡°Father, Yuwen Tong left the city?¡± Sitting in his wheelchair, Yuwen Qi moved to the doorway of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s study by giving the wheels one push after another.


    Yuwen Zhi had a servant wheel his son inside, dismissed the servant with a motion of his hand and then said, ¡°He exited the city this morning.¡±


    ¡°What plans do you have? Surely we¡¯re not going to stand by and watch Yuwen Tong take the throne? Given what kind of person he is and the history between us, he would almost certainly make our lives hell!¡± said Yuwen Qi, an icy and resentful look in his eyes.


    ¡°It was because of him that my mother died; my loss of mobility was also his doing; and he even evicted us from the residential compound of the Yuwen family. Father, on no account should we let him accede to the throne. Otherwise I¡¯m afraid all of us, except for my loving big brother, will suffer!¡±


    Yuwen Zhi didn¡¯t move. He just tossed him a glance and then slowly said, ¡°Seeing as how you¡¯ve ended up, what could you possibly do about it?¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Yuwen Qi erupted anxiously. ¡°I may not be able to do anything to make a difference, but you can!¡±


    Yuwen Zhi smiled wryly, ¡°Me? He¡¯s disposed of all my pawns and ruined all my plans. What would you have me do?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? The Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince are still alive! It¡¯s them who are the former emperor¡¯s offspring and have claim to the throne. You forgot this?!¡± said Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s eyebrows slightly twitched. ¡°The Eighth Prince?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Ninth Prince is only two years old, but the Eighth Prince is already ten. It¡¯s totally viable for him to ascend the throne first, designate a courtier to assist him in governing the country, and assume dominion when he reaches adulthood. If we put some effort into it, maybe you¡¯ll be the one bearing the title ¡®the Courtier Regent¡¯!¡±


    The look in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s eyes flickered. His original plan had been to control the emperor and command the nobles, but all his arrangements had been upset by Yuwen Tong. As things stood, if he really managed to get the Eighth Prince enthroned, maybe he would still achieve his goal.


    Seeing he was swayed, Yuwen Qi continued, ¡°The Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather is Fang Quan. Father, do you think Fang Quan is going to willingly give Yuwen Tong the throne that is rightfully his grandson¡¯s? He¡¯s sure as hell been making plans. If you at this point in time offer him some help which he desperately needs, he would undoubtedly be very grateful to you.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi, who had already begun to mull over it, tapped the table.


    ¡°Since there are rightful successors to the throne, Yuwen Tong should step aside. Presently, the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s armies are about to attack, so we cannot do anything to him, but once he wins the war and returns to this city, we can just pin the label of ¡®traitor¡¯ on him and have him executed, and then nobody would be a threat to us.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi stopped tapping the table at the last remark. Seeing the crazed enthusiasm on Yuwen Qi¡¯s face, he observed, ¡°Yuwen Tong is family after all.¡±


    Yuwen Qi sneered several times, ¡°Father, you are not really that naive, are you? Yuwen Tong has never regarded us as family. Moreover, once he dies, everything of the Yuwen family will be yours.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi looked at him wintrily, ¡°Even so, this is not how you talk to your father.¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s countenance froze for a moment, and then the grim smile on his face faded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father.¡±


    ¡°Someone send Second Young Master back to his chambers to have some rest,¡± Yuwen Zhi instructed.


    Yuwen Qi furrowed his brows. ¡°Why are you doing this, Father?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re less mobile than before, you might as well stay in your chambers. Don¡¯t move around or make any trouble for me. Guard your tongue and be careful about what you say after your big brother comes back,¡± said Yuwen Zhi.


    Gripping the armrests with all his might, Yuwen Qi clenched his teeth. ¡°I look forward to hearing good news from you, Father!¡±


    Yuwen Zhi made no response. After having Yuwen Qi wheeled off, he pondered in the study for a long time, a sepulchral expression on his face, his eyes glinting bitterly. Eventually, he made up his mind.


    ¡­


    Apart from Yuwen Zhi and his son, there were also some others entertaining dark schemes in the meantime.


    Though staying in the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang could still sense that there were turbulent undercurrents beneath the semblance of tranquility in the capital city.


    During this morning alone, Miao Shisan had reported to him several locations of secret meetings of courtiers in the city.


    ¡°It turns out he was right. He¡¯s been away for merely half a day, but these people are already girding up their loins.¡± Ling Zhang had a wintry look in his eyes.


    ¡°Childe Ling, the Right Prime Minister seeks an audience with you,¡± reported Zhang Liu, walking inside.


    The Right Prime Minister? Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance returned to normal. He rose to his feet and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s he?¡±


    ¡°In the ante-room. I was afraid that the Right Prime Minister would attract too many people¡¯s attention if he waited in the gateway, so I took him to the ante-room,¡± said Zhang Liu.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    In the ante-room, Ling Zhang met the Right Prime Minister, who was in his forties and seemed in very good health. Unlike other officials at his age who were mostly pot-bellied, he was quite lean and had scholar quality written all over him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Your Lordship. May I ask what it is that you came at this hour to see me about?¡± said Ling Zhang without preamble on entry.


    The Right Prime Minister wasn¡¯t uncomfortable with Ling Zhang¡¯s straightforwardness. Smiling, he folded his hands in front and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Take a seat, please, Your Lordship.¡±


    The two of them sat down. After having a sip of the tea, without making a mystery of anything, the Right Prime Minister said directly, ¡°I turned up uninvited because there¡¯s something I need to consult with you about, Childe Ling. Presently, there are some hidden forces in this city eager to make their move. If we are to eliminate them in one fell swoop, we¡¯ll have to work together in cooperation.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Your Lordship. Yuwen Tong put some of his informers under my command before leaving the city. Fang Quan has been having quite some visitors lately. Although I¡¯ve never been there personally, I have a shrewd idea what they¡¯ve been discussing. What do you think is the best way for us to cooperate?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister had been unnoticeably observing Ling Zhang all along. He had long since heard of Ling Zhang as well as many of his deeds, and was aware of how his reputation in the capital city was like. Before coming here, he had envisioned several scenarios, and Ling Zhang¡¯s appearing composed and unhurried was one of them, but the confidence in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes was something he hadn¡¯t expected. He had thought that no matter how poised Ling Zhang was, he was still a young man, that he dared to act arrogantly only because Yuwen Tong was at his back, that after Yuwen Tong left, faced with this situation, he would be more or less flustered and develop dependence on him who was the Right Prime Minister.


    But now, as far as he could tell, when Ling Zhang looked at him, in his eyes was no fluster caused by fear of the current situation. Although Ling Zhang was asking him what would be the best way for them to cooperate, the expression in his eyes was suggesting that he was very confident. Clearly he had some time ago taken precautions against this situation and probably had already figured out a counterplot to tackle it¡­


    The Right Prime Minister was sent confused as to whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. On the bright side, this would make things a lot easier, for both of them knew what they should do, and things in the capital city would be kept in check before Yuwen Tong returned. The downside to it was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to manipulate Ling Zhang. This young man was not someone who would be deluded into doing anybody else¡¯s bidding, which meant that his little tricks wouldn¡¯t work on him, and he needed to cooperate with him in another way.


    It was such a pity, for he had an unmarried daughter of marriageable age. Never mind. Given the circumstances, he could only play it by ear now. Presently the first priority was to ensure the stability of the situation in this city.


    ¡°If Fang Quan is to help the Eighth Prince succeed to the throne, he would have to do something to break the Northern City Garrison Battalion¡¯s sole control of this city. My guess is that he will figure out a way to rope in the commander of the battalion. Meanwhile, he might also seek help from forces in provincial areas. Have you made any preparations, Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°Forces in provincial areas? The military presence in Jiangzhou is his only option, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I wonder if you have devised a counterplan, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°If the garrison of Jiangzhou want to come to his help, first they¡¯ll have to consider whether or not they¡¯ll be able to make it here alive.¡±

 Chapter 312 - Putting Out Feelers and a Kick Up the Backside

    Ling Zhang¡¯s tone was unhurried and confident, as though he had conceived a counterplan some time ago. On hearing this remark, the Right Prime Minister couldn¡¯t help but give it some thought. Then he ventured, ¡°Is it because the Marshal has made some arrangements before he left the capital city?¡±


    Having no intention of keeping it back from him, Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°Yuwen Tong has long since taken precautions against this. Someone will intercept the garrison of Jiangzhou. Currently, all we need to do is keep the situation in this city under control.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister¡¯s face took on a pleasantly surprised expression as it came to his knowledge that his guess was right. ¡°Who is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The garrison of Shengzhou.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister was amazed. ¡°The garrison of Shengzhou? Right now the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are attacking the north-west. The garrison of Shengzhou is supposed to be our second defensive line, the North-western Army being the first. If¨C¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no if,¡± observed Ling Zhang earnestly, looking at him. ¡°If Yuwen Tong fails, even the garrison of Shengzhou wouldn¡¯t be able to change the fact that we¡¯re defeated. Do you think any of this would mean anything if things really come to that?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister gazed thoughtfully at Ling Zhang. After a few moments, he solemnly said, ¡°You¡¯re right. If things do come to that, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference whether or not the garrison of Shengzhou is in position.¡±


    ¡°The North-western Army¡¯s victory is certain, and the army of Jiangzhou must be held back. The garrison of Shengzhou has covertly moved southward, poised to attack at any moment. Presently, what we need to do is keep the situation in this city stable. Cangzhou is too close to the capital city. Although Dai Cheng is wounded for the moment and his troops are occupied with fighting the rebel army, it¡¯s best if we make sure nobody in this city reaches Dai Cheng. As a result, apart from defending this city, we also have to stay alert and prevent people in here from getting in touch with Dai Cheng. My suggestion is that we close half of the city gates and have everybody exiting the city undergo strict security check. What do you think, Your Lordship?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The Right Prime Minister¡¯s countenance was now different from how it¡¯d been a moment ago. If just now he had faintly meant to sound Ling Zhang out, then now he had no intention of putting out feelers whatsoever. ¡°This is also one of the matters I came here to consult with you about, Childe Ling. Seeing as you also think this is a necessary measure, I¡¯ll give the order to close half of the city gates immediately after I leave.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping watch on Fang Quan all along. Recently he and his allies haven¡¯t found the time to take any action in response to the rebellion in Cangzhou. The rebel forces are a threat no less dire than the coalition of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. They won¡¯t summon Dai Cheng to this city unless they have to. Right now what concerns me more is that Dai Cheng might ignore the rebels and lead his men straight back to this city if the real situation here comes to his knowledge.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister was astonished, both at the undertone contained in Ling Zhang¡¯s words and by the fact that Ling Zhang had actually thought this far.


    ¡°Currently Dai Cheng is held back by the insurrectionary army. He wouldn¡¯t be able to go after us even if he wants to.¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang commented, ¡°Dai Cheng was one of the former emperor¡¯s henchmen, after all. It¡¯s always wise to play safe. We need to be prepared for the worst.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had made arrangements for the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) to go to Cangzhou overtly and Yue Qi to go there covertly, both of whom had orders to keep the army in Cangzhou under control and prevent Dai Cheng from leading his troops back to the capital city, but before everything was settled, anything was possible. They must make some preparations so that they wouldn¡¯t be flustered when unforeseen events happened.


    The Right Prime Minister thought for a while and then said, ¡°I can see what you mean, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll¡­ How about this? If you¡¯re free tomorrow, I¡¯ll invite Lord Zhao and Commander Xie of the Northern City Garrison Battalion to your house to have a meeting and discuss it.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m available tomorrow, but I¡¯m your junior by many years, and I don¡¯t want to breach the etiquette. Would it be convenient for you if I pay a visit to your abode tomorrow morning?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister smiled, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting at home for you to come tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare keep you waiting, Your Lordship. I¡¯ll go there at an early hour. Have there been any changes of situation in the imperial palace?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister replied, ¡°The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin have been keeping vigil beside the former emperor¡¯s coffin. The Ninth Prince and the Concubine Liu are also present. Of the two princes, the Ninth Prince is only two years old. He and his mother are largely invisible. The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin, however, are getting almost all the attention in the imperial court. This morning, I received a message saying that Fang Quan had had letters delivered to several courtiers¡¯ dwellings. The couple of them who visited Fang Quan earlier this day were the ones who had made definite replies. The others haven¡¯t taken a clear-cut stand yet.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Those staying low are probably sitting on the fence. All of them are uncertain factors and could be swayed at any moment, which is bad news for us. We need to keep close watch on them. I¡¯ve been informed of the identities of those who visited the Fang Mansion today. Since our goal is to use Fang Quan to bring down all those against us once and for all, it¡¯s inadvisable for us to take any immediate action. The way I see it, right now we could just put them under surveillance. What do you think, Your Lordship?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister replied, ¡°I can¡¯t agree more. I¡¯ve already sent some men to stake out the Fang Mansion. I¡¯m expecting them to make their move. It¡¯s just¡­ Although some of them didn¡¯t show up, they are hiding in the shadows. These people might also be a big trouble, probably bigger than the trouble Fang Quan could bring us, actually.¡±


    ¡°You mean people like the Jiang family?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    The Right Prime Minister was astonished once again. It could be said that so far Ling Zhang had thought of everything he had thought of, which showed that Ling Zhang had some time ago got enough acquaintance with these matters and people in this city. He said with a nod, ¡°Exactly. After all, the empress dowager was a member of the Jiang family. The two underage princes have cousinship with people of the Jiang family, so they are probably more inclined to support the two princes than they are to support the Marshal. Given that the Ninth Prince is still young, and the Concubine Liu and her family are relatively weak compared with the Fang family, I guess they wouldn¡¯t take any action. After all, the Eighth Prince has a greater chance. So the likelihood is that the Jiang family would contact the Fang family.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I understand what you mean, Your Lordship. The Jiang family hasn¡¯t made their move so far, but they will in a day or two.¡±


    Currently, of these people in the capital city, all those with enough sense would have known by now that their every move was being watched. He had his eye on those people, and maybe those people had their eye on him as well.


    ¡°Your Lordship, please make sure you¡¯re accompanied by enough guards when you¡¯re outdoors, in case anything unexpected happens,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The Right Prime Minister gave a nod. ¡°The Marshal had made some arrangements in this regard before he left. I and a couple of other courtiers are all under the protection of secret guards. Also, I always take my own guards with me. I¡¯ll be as careful as I could. It¡¯s your safety that concerns me. Although the security of this residence is no doubt very tight, you still need to be extra cautious.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    The purposes of this visit of the Right Prime Minister¡¯s were to sound Ling Zhang out and to keep each other informed. Now that both these ends had been achieved, he soon took his leave after the two of them agreed to meet in his abode the next morning.


    It was when the Right Prime Minister had left that Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu walked over from the rear yard. Ji Yin, whose sense of hearing was amazingly sharp, had heard every word of their conversation and given Ling Zhaowu a general account of it.


    ¡°Is the Right Prime Minister the one who has the other half of the commander¡¯s seal of the Northern City Garrison Battalion?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll go to his place with you,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu, somewhat surprised, but he came to understand what he meant at the sight of the solicitous expression in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Father, we might encounter dangers after we leave this place. You¨C¡±


    ¡°I can protect myself. I¡¯m not comfortable with the idea of you going there alone,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Let Donglin and Chaofang go with you two,¡± suggested Ji Yin. Compared with Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu both of whom were cautious about this trip, Ji Yin appeared much more relaxed, and the reason for it was because in Ji Yin¡¯s eyes, these were all trivial matters. With his powers, he could easily hold back all people in this city, so he naturally didn¡¯t take the subordinates of the opposing side seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan and the other security guards deploy a large-scale formation in this residential compound, which I can guarantee no intruder would be able to make it out of alive.¡±


    After saying this, Ji Yin directly left, found Wang Dashan and the others, and then started deploying the formation.


    Four hours later, the formation was finished and with that the whole aspect of the Ling Mansion changed. Ling Zhang and all the others amid the formation sensed the changes. Those staking out the compound outside saw the front gates of it suddenly vanish into thin air and widened their eyes with horror, as though they had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Wha¨CWhat the hell is going on?!¡±


    ¡°How did the front gates of this residence disappear?¡±


    ¡°Not just the front gates. Look at that residence. It¡¯s clearly still there, but if I stare at it for some time, I¡¯d feel that there¡¯s something weird about it, as though it was going to vanish into the void.¡±


    The two speakers looked at each other in blank dismay. Eventually they each gave a cold shiver of fear.


    ¡­


    In the Right Prime Minister¡¯s residential compound.


    ¡°How did it go, Your Lordship?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not what he seems either. No wonder the Marshal has got his eye on him. Previously I was confused as to why the Marshal didn¡¯t let us meet Childe Ling first before he left the capital city, and why he dared leave him alone in the capital city. Now it all makes sense. It turns out that the Marshal knew some time ago that Childe Ling was capable of handling this situation, and I¡¯m afraid he also did this to test us.¡±


    ¡°Judging from your words, it seems that Childe Ling is indeed more than what he seems.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow Childe Ling will come here to meet you. We¡¯re now all in this together, so we need to get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Lordship. We know what¡¯s at stake. Tomorrow we¡¯ll all be here.¡±


    Later this day, Zhao Zheng showed up, and the Right Prime Minister brought him into his study.


    When the Right Prime Minister had told him about his conversation with Ling Zhang during the day, Zhao Zheng just gave a smile, totally unsurprised.


    ¡°I came to know that he¡¯s not a brainless playboy as early as the time when I first heard of his reputation. He told you about the garrison of Shengzhou merely to give us a word of warning,¡± said Zhao Zheng.


    The Right Prime Minister also gave a smile. ¡°I know. Originally it was me trying to sound him out, but eventually the reverse applied ¨C he was tactfully warning me to toe the line. It¡¯s actually quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°You said that you had only half of the commander¡¯s seal. Now it would seem the other half is in his hands,¡± said Zhao Zheng.


    The Right Prime Minister nodded. ¡°My worry about this matter was the very reason why I paid him a visit to put out feelers to him today. Now whether or not he has the other half of the seal no longer concerns me.¡±


    ¡°By the way, about the Fang Mansion¨C¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship!¡± A sudden yell came from outside.


    The Right Prime Minister exchanged glances with Zhao Zheng and then called the man in. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The man walked inside and reported the changes of the Ling Mansion to them. ¡°¡­ The front gates suddenly disappeared and we haven¡¯t seen anybody go in or out of the compound ever since. It¡¯s rea¨Creally weird. What should we do, Your Lordship?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure of what you saw?¡± The Right Prime Minister was astounded.


    Zhao Zheng said with a thoughtful look, ¡°Take it easy. Tell us some details about the changes.¡±

 Chapter 313 - Intentions of the Other Sides

    After attentively hearing the man out, Zhao Zheng lapsed into a thoughtful silence.


    The Right Prime Minister, however, felt that this matter was so odd. It had been immediately after he left the Ling Mansion that those bizarre changes happened, so he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the reason. Confucius never talked about anything paranormal. (from the Analects) Surely it hadn¡¯t been some kind of psychic phenomenon that his men saw in broad daylight?


    ¡°Hurry. Get the carriage ready. I want to go and see it myself.¡± The Right Prime Minister rose to his feet and started making towards the door.


    He must not let anything happen to Ling Zhang. Otherwise there would be unimaginably dire consequences.


    At this moment, Zhao Zheng jerked out of his rumination, stood up and said, ¡°Relax. I once heard that there are some peculiar concealment formations which could keep objects and people from being seen. These sudden changes that happened to the Ling Mansion sound somewhat similar to a situation I once heard of. I¡¯ll go there with you to take a look. In all likelihood, the Ling Mansion should¡¯ve been hidden by a formation.¡±


    ¡°A formation?¡± The Right Prime Minister was dubious. ¡°There are actually formations in this world that could make that happen?¡±


    The two of them hastened to the outside of the Ling Mansion only to see that the front gates of it was indeed gone, replaced by a wall.


    ¡°Thi¨CThis is¡­¡± The Right Prime Minister was shocked. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he really wouldn¡¯t have been able to believe that this was actually happening!


    ¡°Your Lordships, may I ask if it¡¯s because of something urgent that you came here in haste?¡±


    All of a sudden, the air in front of them rippled like the surface of the water and with that a man walked out of the void as if by magic. The Right Prime Minister cocked an eye at it and recognized him. It was the very guard who had been on duty at the front gates and led him into the Ling Mansion this morning.


    For a long moment, the Right Prime Minister was unable to speak. Zhao Zheng also appeared quite astounded. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Shen looked over his shoulder at the Ling Mansion. In the knowledge that the two of them were startled, he raised his hand to scratch his head and then said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to panic, Your Lordships. It¡¯s just a concealment formation.¡±


    Formation? It was really a formation. Such divine formations actually did exist in this world? The Right Prime Minister¡¯s perception of the world was thrown into a spin.


    ¡°We¨CWe hurried over because we received a message and were worried that some accident had happened in the Ling Mansion,¡± said Zhao Zheng after managing to calm down.


    Zhao Shen responded, ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourselves, Your Lordships. This is a formation deployed by Childe Ling¡¯s grandfather who is a wonder. It conceals the front gates of this compound. On top of that, the outer walls you see are not necessarily real. People who dare approach without permission would not only get lost in the formation but also might be hurt by the defensive mechanism in it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhao Zheng exhaled deeply. Having mostly regained his composure, he observed, ¡°It seems that Childe Ling is under the protection of a formation master and nothing could harm him.¡±


    Zhao Shen gave a smile. The reason why he had simply explained it to these two courtiers just now was because Ling Zhang, in order to spare them the worry and fear, had instructed him. As regards the details, he had no inclination to disclose any. ¡°Would you like to go inside, Your Lordships?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to impose. Tomorrow we¡¯ll meet Childe Ling in the Right Prime Minister¡¯s house,¡± said Zhao Zheng.


    The Right Prime Minister also came to himself and agreed with Zhao Zheng.


    ¡°Then let me have some men escort you back home, Your Lordships,¡± suggested Zhao Shen.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. We have our own guards. Please just go back and tell Childe Ling that we¡¯re returning home,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°Okay, then. Have a safe trip home, Your Lordships,¡± said Zhao Shen.


    After the Right Prime Minister and Zhao Zheng left, Zhao Shen went back inside and reported it to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°So they returned home. I see. You guys keep guarding the front gates.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡­


    Many eyes had been watching when the Right Prime Minister and Zhao Zheng had been talking with Zhao Shen in the gateway. Unfortunately for them, what with the long distance in between, they could only see them but couldn¡¯t hear a word of the conversation.


    Because of this, when these people returned to report it to their masters, their descriptions were rather sketchy.


    Fang Quan¡¯s face darkened after he heard the report of his scout. Then he sent some others to the Ling Mansion, who staked out the place for a whole day. Even so, it still took a lot of doing for him to get a vague idea that that was a kind of concealment formation.


    ¡°No wonder Yuwen Tong dared leave Ling Zhang in the capital city alone. It turns out he¡¯s made preparations some time ago.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what kind of formation it is exactly. It¡¯s so eccentric.¡±


    ¡°We must find out. Otherwise I¡¯d never be rid of the worry that it¡¯ll bring us trouble.¡±


    ¡°How about we send someone to approach the Ling Mansion and see what happens?¡±


    Fang Quan gave it some thought and then replied through gritted teeth, ¡°We may do that, but currently our first priority is not to unravel the mystery about the Ling Mansion but to help my grandson ascend the throne!¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang arrived at the residence of the collateral branch of the Yuwen family, accompanied by some bodyguards.


    The residence was heavily guarded. On Ling Zhang¡¯s arrival, Yuwen Chi personally walked outside to welcome him and brought him inside.


    After consulting with Yuwen You and the others for two hours, Ling Zhang exited the study only to be startled by Yuwen Jin who was standing motionlessly right outside. ¡°What are you standing here for?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    Yuwen Jin took two steps forward, grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s arm and drew him away from the study.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing, Yuwen Jin?!¡± bellowed Yuwen Chi from behind them.


    Drawing Ling Zhang towards somewhere else, Yuwen Jin replied aloud, ¡°I just want to have a word with Brother Zhang, Uncle! I¡¯ll bring him back in a short while!¡±


    ¡°You brat!¡± Yuwen Chi bawled.


    Ling Zhang gave him a wave, suggesting that it was okay. It was only then that Yuwen Chi subdued his urge to catch up with Yuwen Jin and beat him black and blue.


    Looking at Yuwen Jin¡¯s angry face, Ling Zhang was speechless for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching. ¡°What happened to you? You look so grumpy.¡±


    It was when Yuwen Jin had drawn him to a quiet spot that he released Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, halted, spun around and said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking this question. You haven¡¯t visited me once since your return from Tanyang, and now so much has happened¡­¡±


    At the sight of the look on Yuwen Jin¡¯s face which was indicating that he was somewhat at a loss what to do, Ling Zhang had a shrewd idea what was going on and asked, ¡°Then what do you have in mind?¡±


    Yuwen Jin flicked him a glance. ¡°What could I possibly have in mind? No matter what you and my cousin are going to do, I¡¯ll be there for you. Therefore, if there¡¯s anything you need me to help with, you¡¯ve got to tell me, so that I could do something for you. My grandfather, uncle and father keep telling me to stay out of it, as though getting them into trouble is the only thing I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°They¡¯re just trying to protect you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a kid any more. I¡¯ve had my rite of passage already,¡± retorted Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s rite of passage had been held during Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s stay in the Millennium Pavilion. What with the spate of subsequent events, Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t found the time to send Yuwen Jin his best wishes or a gift.


    ¡°Sorry to have missed your rite of passage,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Humph.¡± Yuwen Jin lightly gave a snort and said, ¡°Then send me a gift to make up for it. Ji Feng has left the capital city, and I haven¡¯t seen hide nor hair of your for quite a long time, and the others are nowhere to be seen as well. Presently most people in the city are staying indoors all day with their doors closed, and there are not many students going to the Imperial College to attend classes, so we figure we might as well just stay at home.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your present, I promise.¡± Ling Zhang thought for a while and then inquired, ¡°How are the others doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, you probably don¡¯t need me to tell you about Zhao Jiusi¡¯s or Zhao Turui¡¯s take on it. Because of Minister Zhao, the two of them are naturally on our side. Xie Qing has also some time ago stated his stand clearly owing to his father. Xun Huo is the only one left whose attitude is unknown¡­ It¡¯s been a long while since the last time I heard news of him. I don¡¯t know if any of the others has.¡±


    Xun Huo? He remembered that Xun Huo¡¯s father was Xun Yi, a councillor of the Ministry of Penalties, who seemed to be keeping a very low profile and pretty well invisible all along.


    A slight frown creased Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead. ¡°You should figure out a way to get in touch with the others and ask them about it. We¡¯re all friends. Given the uncertainties of the current situation in this city, we need to check that everybody¡¯s okay.¡±


    Yuwen Jin nodded. ¡°I will. Incidentally, how¡¯s everything going with Brother Tao?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied with a soft sigh, ¡°I wrote him a letter two days ago but still haven¡¯t received a reply yet. I think¡­. maybe he¡¯s got a bit of a situation.¡±


    Yuwen Jin knitted his brows and said, ¡°What kind of situation could it possibly be? Is it because he¡¯s switched sides that he¡¯s not replying to your letter, by any chance?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips were pressed together. After a moment, he responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll try contacting him again. Whatever the circumstances, I hope to get a reply from him.¡±


    Even if for some reason they went their separate ways, Tao Yi would still owe it to him to give him a reply, considering their friendship.


    Yuwen Jin looked in the direction of the outside. ¡°The caravan carrying supplies will depart for the borderlands tomorrow afternoon, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang answered in a deep voice, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Then he lapsed into silence, gazing north-west.


    Yuwen Jin knew what he was worried about. ¡°Relax. I always have a lot of faith in my cousin. This time around I also have no doubt he¡¯ll defeat the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom and return with a great victory.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I know. I have faith in him as well.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ How are things going there? Have you had any news of them?¡± Yuwen Jin suddenly asked in an implicative tone.


    Ling Zhang understood. Yuwen Jin was referring to Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family who were living in the residence of the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    ¡°Yuwen Feng has been occupied with the emperor¡¯s funeral all along. Yuwen Zhi has been absent from court meetings on the pretext of illness. He even missed all the sacrificial rites for the emperor except one. Yuwen Qi hasn¡¯t shown his face lately and seems to be behaving himself at the moment, but there¡¯s no telling whether he¡¯ll stay this way until your cousin comes back.¡±


    Yuwen Jin curled his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t think they have enough sense to keep their noses clean.¡±


    ¡­


    In the residential compound of the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    Yuwen Zhi hesitated for a long time before making up his mind, but how to do it was a problem. Apart from everything else, one of his sons probably wouldn¡¯t get on board.


    It was now very obvious that Yuwen Feng¡¯s opinion had tilted in favor of Yuwen Tong. Yuwen Zhi was not very pleased with this, but ever since Yuwen Tong had thwarted his plan, Yuwen Feng had been the sole pillar of this family, so he couldn¡¯t try to stop his son even if he wanted to. On top of that, currently Yuwen Feng had eyes everywhere in this residence, which made it rather difficult for him to contact the Fang family and contribute to their cause without Yuwen Feng noticing. He had to figure out a way.


    After pondering for quite a while, Yuwen Zhi wrote a letter and instructed his personal butler to find an opportunity to deliver it to the Fang Mansion.


    The butler gingerly put away Yuwen Zhi¡¯s letter and prepared to leave the compound. Zhao Fugui walked into his father halfway. Seeing the cautious expression on his father¡¯s face, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Father?¡±


    The butler gave him a dirty look. ¡°Keep you nose out of this and mind your own business!¡±


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m your son. We always work with one heart and one mind. Surely you don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you need to keep secret from me?¡± demurred Zhao Fugui unhappily.


    The butler¡¯s brows were furrowed. ¡°Enough with the nonsense. I have instructions from Master to deliver a letter, and the First Young Master must not know about it. I need you to keep an eye out for the others in this residence and cover for me in passing.¡±

 Chapter 314 - Yuwen Zhis Letter

    Delivering a letter? To whom was he delivering it by stealth?


    Zhao Fugui felt that his father was up to something, that this letter he was delivering for Yuwen Zhi must be about something important. Should he tip the other side off about this? After an intense struggle in his mind, Zhao Fugui eventually gritted his teeth and slipped out of the residential compound, planning to find out where his father was delivering the letter first and then made a final decision.


    ¡°The Fang Mansion?¡± Zhao Fugui was taken aback as he saw his father slink to the Fang Mansion. He was no fool and naturally was aware that the owner of the Fang Mansion was the Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°What is Master trying to do? Does he want to side with the Eighth Prince, by any chance?¡± Zhao Fugui¡¯s face took on a vexed expression. He was merely a servant of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s, so his knowledge of this matter was limited, and he didn¡¯t have much acquaintance with the current political landscape, but he did know that this was definitely not a good thing. Given that it was in a stealthy fashion that his father had come to the Fang Mansion, this letter must be about something underhand.


    As a result, Zhao Fugui was torn between his father and people of the Ling Mansion, wondering whether or not he should inform the latter.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang took his leave of Yuwen Jin and the others and then returned to the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Childe Ling, a moment ago Zhao Fugui secretly came here to deliver a message, saying that Yuwen Zhi had a letter sent to the Fang Mansion,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang came to a halt, feeling that this was definitely Murphy¡¯s Law at play. Yuwen Zhi couldn¡¯t even stay out of trouble for a single day!


    ¡°What about Yuwen Feng? Is he in this as well?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi answered, ¡°Yuwen Feng has no knowledge of this. It was his personal butler that Yuwen Zhi had deliver the letter.¡±


    Ling Zhang walked into the room and sat down.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu, stepping inside.


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi contacted the Fang family. It would seem he¡¯s taking the Eighth Prince¡¯s side,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s forehead corrugated in a frown. It had been after that matter that he was informed of the complicated situation in the Yuwen family. Yuwen Zhi was Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle. Although the two of them had divided up family property and been living apart, it didn¡¯t change the fact that there was blood bond between them. Surely Yuwen Zhi was fully aware of what the current circumstances were like? Still, he had decided to side with the Eighth Prince, which was really an unreasonable move.


    ¡°Before Yuwen Tong left the city, did he tell you what to do with this uncle of his?¡± inquired Ling Zhaowu in a very direct way.


    Ling Zhang replied in a cold tone of voice, ¡°He wants me to show Yuwen Zhi no mercy if he dares step out of line again. Given the current situation, Yuwen Zhi¡¯s choosing to pit himself against me means only one of us will survive this fight. Since he has a death wish, I shall grant it.¡±


    Now that Yuwen Zhi was determined to worm his way into that net to seek his doom, he would have only himself to blame when he got it.


    ¡°Childe Ling, what should we do with Childe Feng?¡± said Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brows. Yuwen Feng¡¯s stand had always been firm, and he¡¯d never shown the faintest inclination to go along with his family in their evil deeds, but this matter was of utmost importance, so Ling Zhang felt he shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. ¡°Let¡¯s sound Yuwen Feng out first and see what his take on this matter is like.¡±


    ¡°Should I go and talk to Childe Feng?¡± asked Yao Yi.


    ¡°Tomorrow there¡¯s going to be a meeting in the Right Prime Minister¡¯s residence. In order to find out about Yuwen Feng¡¯s attitude, the Right Prime Minister probably has invited him as well. Inform Zhao Fugui of it. Tell him to figure out a proper way to tip Yuwen Feng off about Yuwen Zhi¡¯s intention without disclosing anything about our involvement in this,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi had a somewhat sympathetic expression on his face. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see how difficult a position Yuwen Feng would be put in, but this was a life-or-death juncture, and although Yuwen Feng was probably the only member of that branch of the Yuwen family who still cared about their marshal, the time had come for them to force Yuwen Feng to make the final choice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go there right now.¡±


    ¡­


    At dusk, Yuwen Feng returned home and routinely asked the servants, ¡°How are Master and Second Young Master doing today?¡±


    ¡°Master sat in his study for a very long time. Second Young Master is in his courtyard house all along,¡± answered a servant.


    Yuwen Feng inclined his head and then went to see Yuwen Zhi. The two of them talked about some affairs concerning the imperial court.


    ¡°Is the Eighth Prince still keeping vigil beside the bier?¡± asked Yuwen Zhi.


    ¡°The Eighth Prince lives in a side palace. He¡¯s been keeping a round-the-clock vigil during the past few days. Courtiers are taking turns to wail beside the coffin. The Eighth Prince has been performing the duty alone, for the Ninth Prince is too young to take his place,¡± replied Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°He and the Ninth Prince are the only hope of the imperial household now. The Ninth Prince is still young, so the Eighth Prince has become the pillar of the imperial family. By keeping vigil beside the coffin all along, he¡¯s shown some strength of character. Maybe we can count on him to become a competent ruler of the Great Yue,¡± observed Yuwen Zhi.


    There was a deepening frown on Yuwen Feng¡¯s face as he listened. ¡°Father, the Eighth Prince is still young; the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are eyeing us with hostility; the capital city is vulnerable, and the garrisons in other cities are quite strong. The Eighth Prince is just a ten-year-old boy. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not ready for the task of ruling this country.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi looked at him. ¡°Having the garrisons toe the line would be an achievable goal if he has a capable adviser.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Yuwen Feng looked at him confusedly and disapprovingly. ¡°You better than anyone should know what the current situation in the imperial court is like. Once a prince of the Zhou family ascends the throne, our family would sure as hell come to grief. What are you thinking exactly?¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ eye contact with him, Yuwen Zhi replied, ¡°You regard Yuwen Tong as a cousin, but he treats us like dirt.¡±


    ¡°Father, the only way to bring peace to this country is for my cousin to accede to the throne. Please say no more in this regard.¡± Yuwen Feng rose to his feet, gazing at Yuwen Zhi with a faintly admonitory expression in his eyes. ¡°Although he¡¯s not in this city at the moment, he still has control over the whole city, and each and every single move of ours will come to his knowledge. I hope you¡¯ll stop being a hater. Don¡¯t make any unwise decisions at this point in time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk to me like that, no matter how firmly you believe you¡¯re old enough to do it. You hear me?¡± Yuwen Zhi flintily looked at him, disgruntled.


    Yuwen Feng frowned. ¡°Father, I just want you to see that in front of us is a heaven-sent opportunity, that this is the path which the Yuwen family should take.¡±


    The two of them eyed each other coldly for a few moments and then parted in discord.


    After leaving Yuwen Zhi¡¯s study, Yuwen Feng became vigilant as he recalled what Yuwen Zhi had just said. The more he thought about it, the deeper his disquiet.


    ¡°First Young Master.¡±


    Zhao Fugui standing in a corner called Yuwen Feng¡¯s name as the latter approached Yuwen Qi¡¯s courtyard house.


    ¡°What are you standing here for?¡±


    Yuwen Feng was rather displeased to see Zhao Fugui¡¯s sneaky bearing.


    ¡°Please forgive me, First Young Master. There¡¯s something I need to tell you, and I don¡¯t want any of Master¡¯s or Second Young Master¡¯s men to see us talking,¡± said Zhao Fugui.


    Yuwen Feng stared at him for a while. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhao Fugui looked left and right. After confirming that the coast was clear, he breathed, ¡°Earlier this day Master had my father deliver a letter to the Fang Mansion by stealth.¡±


    Yuwen Feng was secretly startled. ¡°The Fang Mansion? Are you sure?¡±


    Zhao Fugui hurriedly bobbed his head. ¡°I don¡¯t dare lie to you, First Young Master.¡±


    Yuwen Feng pivoted around and started walking away, but after two steps forward, he spun around and said to Zhao Fugui, ¡°Don¡¯t you tell anybody else about this, or else¡­¡±Updates by L istnovel.com


    Zhao Fugui immediately slumped to his knees, prostrated himself and spluttered, ¡°I don¡¯t dare do that. You¡¯re the only one I disclosed this to. Under no circumstances will I tell it to a second person!¡±


    Yuwen Feng withdrew his frosty eyes and hastened off.


    It was when he was far away that Zhao Fugui pulled himself up and twisted his head around to look at Yuwen Qi¡¯s courtyard house and then in the direction of Yuwen Feng¡¯s receding back, a somewhat anxious expression on his face. People of the Ling Mansion had instructed him to sound Yuwen Feng out and see how he would react, but what kind of reaction was this? He didn¡¯t dare explicitly ask Yuwen Feng¡¯s opinion, because if he did that, Yuwen Feng would have him executed.


    With this in mind, he had no choice but to stealthily follow in Yuwen Feng¡¯s wake.


    Yuwen Feng had originally wanted to question Yuwen Zhi about this matter, but he came to a halt in the doorway of the study.


    In the distance, Zhao Fugui stalking him hurriedly hid himself in a corner at the sight of this, stealthily peeping.


    ¡­


    In the Fang Mansion.


    ¡°What does Yuwen Zhi mean by this, Your Lordship?¡±


    On the table in front of Fang Quan was a letter. A couple of people were sitting around it, all of whom were close personal friends of Fang Quan¡¯s and were working with Fang Quan in assisting the Eighth Prince to succeed to the throne. They gazed at the letter from Yuwen Zhi, suspicion washing over their faces.


    ¡°Everybody in this city knows what Yuwen Tong is up to. Instead of giving counsel to him, the Yuwen family are actually telling us that they¡¯re in support of the Eighth Prince?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a trick. Yuwen Zhi thinks we¡¯re fools?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it might not necessarily be a trick. Think about it. Previously, because of the matter of Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi had a falling-out; afterwards, Zheng shi informed on Yuwen Tong, accusing him of concealing banned items, almost causing Yuwen Tong to be brought down; and then Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Zhi immediately divided up family property and lived apart, and their relations reached a quite ugly end, so Yuwen Zhi isn¡¯t really on good terms with Yuwen Tong. If Yuwen Tong does manage to take the throne, he might not treat Yuwen Zhi nicely.¡±Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi is a member of the Yuwen family after all. We should regard him as an enemy, whatever the circumstances. Besides, Although Yuwen Zhi has fallen out with Yuwen Tong, Yuwen Feng seems to exist to do Yuwen Tong¡¯s bidding, and Yuwen Feng is Yuwen Zhi¡¯s biological son. Surely you don¡¯t think Yuwen Zhi would choose us, a group of outsiders, over his own son?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Yuwen Feng, as the Assistant Minister of Rites, he wields even greater power in the department than the Minister of Rites. If we draw him over to our side¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop dreaming. Let me tell you something ¨C even if Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Feng somehow become sworn enemies of Yuwen Tong and are not even on speaking terms with him, I still wouldn¡¯t dare put a shred of trust in them. All of them have the Yuwen family¡¯s blood coursing inside them, and they all bear the same surname. What with these two facts alone, I believe it¡¯s inadvisable to have them on board, Your Lordship.¡±


    Fang Quan listened to their arguments without making any on-the-spot comments.


    In fact, Fang Quan¡¯s thoughts on the matter were in line with the latter speaker¡¯s. He didn¡¯t believe that Yuwen Zhi really wanted to side with the Eighth Prince, because apart from anything else, Yuwen Zhi was a Yuwen, Yuwen Tong¡¯s biological uncle!


    ¡°I¡¯ll send some men to keep close watch on the Yuwen family first. This is a crucial moment in the pursuit of our cause. We can¡¯t afford to make even the slightest mistake. As for how to reply to Yuwen Zhi, I¡¯ll write him a letter, pretending I don¡¯t understand what he means,¡± said Fang Quan.


    The others present in discussion all quieted down. ¡°Lord Fang is right. No matter what, we must not make any mistakes at this point in time. It¡¯s best if we just ignore Yuwen Zhi¡¯s overtures. Still¡­ Your Lordship, may I ask if you¡¯ve ever considered the Jiang family?¡±


    ¡°Although the Jiang family haven¡¯t been receiving visitors, Jiang Shennian is the former emperor¡¯s uncle after all. They and the Eighth Prince are of the same blood. It¡¯s true that the Jiang family have come down in the world, but they still have their contacts. On top of that, the Jiang family are far more trustworthy than Yuwen Zhi, aren¡¯t they?¡±

 Chapter 315 - Ling Zhangs Fathers Conception

    It probably had never crossed Yuwen Zhi¡¯s mind that Fang Quan would show a total disregard for his overtures after he went to so much trouble to get in touch with the Fang family.


    Fang Quan¡¯s reply to his letter first went through the hand of a secret guard of the Ling Mansion, and then that of a subordinate of Yuwen Feng¡¯s before it eventually was delivered to Yuwen Zhi, who had no knowledge of the whole thing.


    In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°The Fang family actually rejected Yuwen Zhi¡¯s request. This time he¡¯s probably going to be reduced to vomiting blood from anger,¡± said Zhang Liu to a couple of others.


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi won¡¯t give up so easily,¡± remarked Ling Zhang, his face hardening into a cold expression. ¡°We still need to keep a weather eye on him. Do not let your guard down because of this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡±Visit website our Listnovel.com


    ¡­


    Yuwen Feng heaved a sigh of relief after being informed of the contents of the letter written in reply by Fang Quan. His back which had been tense for a whole day finally relaxed. The relations between his family and his cousin had worsened once again after that incident, and they couldn¡¯t afford to suffer another heavy blow. If it came to his cousin¡¯s knowledge that his father had secretly contacted the Fang family, things would without doubt get ugly.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s eyes went cold as he thought of this. All those who were aware of this matter had to be silenced. Zhao Fugui¡­


    Having no idea that his death was drawing near, Zhao Fugui received rewards in the Ling Mansion and then returned to the residential compound of Yuwen Feng with a good deal of food and wine.


    ¡°Zhao Fugui.¡±


    ¡°First Young Master?¡±


    Suddenly Yuwen Feng blocked his path. Zhao Fugui hastily paid his respects to him, but a foreboding feeling rose in him as he saw two guards with murderous faces show up behind Yuwen Feng. ¡°First Young Master, what are you¨Cuh!¡±


    The food and jars of wine in his hands dropped to the ground and smashed to pieces. Yuwen Feng flicked a quick glance around and, after confirming that the coast was clear, instructed, ¡°Take him away. Make sure the butler doesn¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.Visit website our L istnovel.com


    Miao Shisan hurried into the house. ¡°Childe Ling, something happened to Zhao Fugui. Someone in the Assistant Minister of Rites¡¯ residence sent word that Zhao Fugui died of a foul disease.¡±


    ¡°He died?¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°What kind of foul disease?¡±


    ¡°The one who sent the message didn¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°Given the suspicious circumstances of his death, it strikes me that his killer was not a foul disease but someone who wanted him to shut his mouth for good.¡±


    ¡°He was killed? So someone found out about his contact with us?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then replied, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. We¡¯ve been very cautious. There¡¯s no way anybody has found out about it. Besides, Zhao Fugui¡¯s father is a butler who¡¯s very much in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s confidence. Yuwen Zhi wouldn¡¯t have killed him so suddenly. It must be Yuwen Feng who did it.¡±


    ¡°Him? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t want your marshal to find out about Yuwen Zhi¡¯s attempt to cross over to the Eighth Prince¡¯s side. In his eyes, the fewer who know about it, the better. I¡¯m afraid that trusted butler of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s wouldn¡¯t last long either. Yuwen Feng is trying to hush up this matter. Unfortunately for him, it¡¯s very unlikely his father would let him have his way, given what kind of person Yuwen Zhi is.¡±


    Predictably, at dusk, Yuwen Zhi was found to make contact with the Fang family once again. This time, as Zhao Fugui was no longer there to report it to Yuwen Feng, the latter didn¡¯t get wind of it immediately. It was after he returned home from the imperial palace at night that he was informed of it. He knew his father well enough and was aware that his father wouldn¡¯t drop the idea easily, so he had specially made arrangements for a subordinate of his to spy on his father. That very night, the two of them had a fight over the matter.


    It was almost midnight and Ling Zhang had gone to bed. Miao Shisan came and reported, ¡°Childe Ling, Yuwen Zhi placed Yuwen Feng under house arrest. All their servants unaware of the truth believe that Yuwen Feng has caught a severe cold. Right now Yuwen Feng¡¯s courtyard house is heavily guarded by Yuwen Zhi¡¯s and Yuwen Qi¡¯s men.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his hand to knead his forehead. ¡°These guys are nothing but trouble.¡±


    In a cold tone of voice, he instructed, ¡°Stay put and keep watch on Yuwen Zhi. Let¡¯s wait and see what else he¡¯ll do tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡±


    ¡­


    The next morning, Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu arrived at the Right Prime Minister¡¯s residence.


    There were already a lot of people in the house: Zhao Zheng the Minister of War, Xie Dongsheng the Assistant Minister of Works, Commander Xie of the Northern City Garrison Battalion, to name but three.


    As soon as Ling Zhang entered, his eyes swept across those present. As expected, Yuwen Feng was nowhere to be seen.


    They first exchanged usual pleasantries. Seeing Ling Zhaowu who was standing beside Ling Zhang, the officials were all somewhat surprised. ¡°May I ask who this is?¡±


    ¡°This is my father.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ling Zhaowu.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister and the others were all rather astonished. Ling Zhang¡¯s father? Hadn¡¯t Ling Zhang¡¯s parents both passed away? What was going on?


    The Right Prime Minister was the first to come to himself. ¡°It turns out you¡¯re Childe Ling¡¯s father. Please forgive me for not being discerning enough to recognize you earlier.¡±


    ¡°Your politeness humbled me, Your Lordship. What with my lack of knowledge and insight, I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t be of much help.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked a trifle thin, and his complexion was not very healthy, but he spoke in appropriate terms and behaved in the proper way, showing a great sense of propriety, giving every official present a very favorable first impression.


    ¡°Childe Ling, Assistant Minister Yuwen is said to catch a cold suddenly last night, so he didn¡¯t come.¡±


    After an exchange of courtesies, the Right Prime Minister first talked about Yuwen Feng. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s been working too hard lately. The task of holding His Majesty¡¯s funeral was assigned to him without notice, and all staff members of the Ministry of Rites have been fully occupied.¡±


    Naturally, Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu were aware of the real reason for Yuwen Feng¡¯s absence. Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pay a visit to him after the meeting. Since it¡¯s just a cold, he should recover from it soon enough.¡±


    All officials present had been informed that the day before the Right Prime Minister and Ling Zhang put out feelers to each other, so although for some of them, this was their first time meeting Ling Zhang, they knew what to expect and were not being overcautious.


    ¡°Last night I received a message saying that the Concubine Jin was rather anxious, but Fang Quan didn¡¯t go to the palace to meet her. It would seem he¡¯s been busy gathering strength,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Seeing that Ling Zhang even had intelligence about the Concubine Jin, everybody present came to realize that he had eyes in many key positions.


    ¡°Fang Quan has gathered quite a few people, all of whom are his close personal friends.¡± The Right Prime Minister gave a couple of names, the owners of which had all been pretty low-key previously but carried some weight in the imperial court.


    ¡°Last night I also received an invitation from Fang Quan. He wanted to have a private meeting with me, presumably intending to rope me in to help with his plan,¡± said Commander Xie. ¡°I declined the invitation.¡±


    When Yuwen Tong had taken command of the Northern City Garrison Battalion was anybody¡¯s guess. Even Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know much detail about it. He only knew that the personal friendship between Commander Xie and Yuwen Tong seemed to start a long time ago, though few people had knowledge of it. Currently, the Right Prime Minister had half of the commander¡¯s seal of the Northern City Garrison Battalion, and Ling Zhang had the other half, so it would take three people to dispatch the troops of the battalion. It required a complete commander¡¯s seal to move the whole battalion, which meant that Commander Xie couldn¡¯t do it without both the Right Prime Minister¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s consent. Naturally, Fang Quan was unaware of this. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have contacted Fang Quan.


    ¡°Commander Xie declined Fang Quan¡¯s invitation, but Fang Quan might not necessarily give up. You need to be more careful in case Fang Quan resorts to underhand tricks, Commander Xie,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    Commander Xie replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure Fang Quan won¡¯t pin his hopes on me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a full day. He should¡¯ve sent a message to Jiangzhou already. Given that the whole city is guarded by our men, he won¡¯t dare take any action overtly to help the Eighth Prince. If we are to lure them out, we¡¯ll have to loosen the security a little,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    The others exchanged glances. The Minister of War smiled, ¡°We have the same opinion about this, Childe Ling. Before you came, we¡¯d been discussing how to delude Fang Quan into believing that the time is ripe for him to make his move. We were worried that it might be difficult to convince you to agree to loosen the security, but it turns out that you¡¯ve thought of this already, that we were being narrow-minded.¡±


    Ling Zhang also gave a smile. ¡°You flatter me, Minister Zhao. I¡¯m sure Your Lordships¡¯ considerations are more thoughtful than mine.¡±


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve reached a consensus, what¡¯s the proper way to carry it out?¡± asked Commander Xie. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at thinking of things, so I¡¯ll do whatever you guys say.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Was it the right thing to do to let the whole military presence in this city be under this man¡¯s command?


    But on second thought, if this man was really slow-witted, he would by no means have been promoted to commander. Given that this man had served the former emperor so many years without anybody finding out about his relations with Yuwen Tong, he was definitely more than what he seemed, and he didn¡¯t mean it when he said that he was not good at thinking of things. If anybody bought it, they would be the fool.


    The Right Prime Minister and the couple of others mulled over it silently for a while.


    Ling Zhaowu flicked a glance around the room and said, ¡°Actually, once Fang Quan manages to reach an agreement with Jiangzhou, he will no doubt take action. The way I see it, instead of thinking about how to loosen the security, you might as well just wait and see how Jiangzhou replies to Fang Quan. If people there have other plans and are unwilling to get involved, then we¡¯ll have to adopt another approach to deal with this matter.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words struck the others as enlightening. With a thoughtful expression on his face, the Right Prime Minister looked at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Brother Ling. We indeed should show more patience.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said calmly, ¡°Your Lordships are all visionary courtiers, and you¡¯re used to taking everything into consideration, so naturally some details will escape your notice. Luring them out is not difficult. Pretending not to notice will do the trick. The problem is that Fang Quan will make his move regardless of whether people of Jiangzhou agree to cooperate with him or not, because this is his only chance. In fact, I believe it is not the garrison of Jiangzhou but the Jiang family as well as Dai Cheng and that Wang Cai guy who are in Cangzhou that you need to be concerned about.


    To my knowledge, Jiang Shennian of the Jiang family used to be the most powerful civil official, and he¡¯s also the former emperor¡¯s uncle. There are a lot of people in the imperial court who have connections with him. Maybe¡­¡± Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes slowly swept across those sitting in the room and then, in a seemingly calm tone, said something that made everybody¡¯s heart give a lurch. ¡°Some of Your Lordships are connected with the Jiang family in some way.


    Although the Jiang family have been laying low with their front gates shut, their ears and eyes used to be all over the imperial court. They will be our biggest threat in this city if they have the intention to assist the Eighth Prince. Besides, I don¡¯t see any reason why Jiang Shennian should support Yuwen Tong instead of the imperial household who bear the surname Zhou and have the bond of blood with him.


    Yuwen Tong left because he had to, what with the ongoing warfare in the north-west. His leaving the capital city was a risky move, for both this city and himself. In regard to the situation inside this city, without him in charge, all the other sides are itching for action, and there could be a coup at any moment; outside the city, those who see him as their greatest threat and want to directly eliminate him, naturally, could more easily find the opportunities they need. The current situation is fraught with danger. You have already figured out how to handle those foreseeable threats, and you should start considering those lurking in the shadows. Otherwise, even if Yuwen Tong is capable of protecting himself, you won¡¯t be able to keep this city standing.¡±


    Everybody present was shocked as Ling Zhaowu finished the last word.

 Chapter 316 - The Siege of the Jiang Family

    Father¡­


    Ling Zhang gazed at Ling Zhaowu, somewhat stunned. He¡¯d never expected to hear such words from his father, which he found quite enlightening.


    ¡°Dai Cheng and Wang Cai are the second threat you¡¯re faced with. Currently, apart from the Southern City Garrison Battalion and the garrison of Cangzhou, the garrison of Yanzhou are also in Cangzhou. Though they have suffered some casualties, they are still a massive force. Once he turns against us, we won¡¯t be able to defend this city against his attack. Also, you should dismiss the illusion that the rebel army in Cangzhou are holding Dai Cheng back. All those rebels were originally common folk. They rose in revolt because they had no other choice. The uprising could be suppressed by force, but it¡¯s also possible that the rebels would accept amnesty and surrender if the terms are appealing enough.


    When you¡¯re considering how to use the Fang family to eliminate all restive rivals in one fell swoop, you¡¯re overlooking the fact that the Fang family and the Eighth Prince should be the least of your concerns.¡±


    A deathly hush descended in the room after Ling Zhaowu finished his remarks.


    The Right Prime Minister suddenly rose to his feet, stepped up to Ling Zhaowu, made a bow with hands folded in front, and then straightened himself to look at the others. ¡°Brother Ling is right. Presently, the Jiang family and Cangzhou are our greatest threat.¡±


    Zhao Zheng also came to himself. ¡°The Jiang family have been quiet all along over the past few weeks, but I¡¯m afraid that might be a spurious impression.¡±


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve come to realize this, it¡¯s not too late to act. We still have time. The Jiang family have shut their front gates and stopped receiving visitors, so even if they have covertly done something, it shouldn¡¯t have been very fruitful, given the restrictions they¡¯re under. The Jiang family is different from the Fang family. Those roped in by the Fang family are no doubt uncertainties, but those that could be swayed by the Jiang family don¡¯t necessarily have the intention of helping the Eighth Prince, so we should not show the Jiang family any mercy. We must snuff it out before it gets too strong,¡± added Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°What do you have in mind, Brother Ling?¡± The Right Prime Minister looked at him.


    ¡°Just fabricate a charge against the Jiang family and have the troops besiege their house. Kill anybody who tries to go in or out of the house without permission. The Jiang family have lost their power, and the imperial household couldn¡¯t even protect themselves. The Jiang family naturally wouldn¡¯t be able to make any trouble if they couldn¡¯t leave their house. Take a firm hand with them, so that those swayed by the Jiang family would see that taking the Jiang family¡¯s side is not a smart move,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Maybe we should just kill them,¡± suggested Commander Xie.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him. ¡°If we kill them right now, there will be resistance, which is totally unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°The Jiang family¡­ Well, it¡¯s common knowledge that the Jiang family maintained a growing network of influential contacts in Cangzhou for many years. If the Jiang family are found involved in the Cangzhou insurrection, that should be a crime serious enough for their residence to be ringed by troops,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    Ling Zhaowu gave him an appreciative look, feeling that this man was worthy of his post, that he thought faster than anybody else after coming to realize the situation. He probably had already figured out what the next step should be.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the Jiang family. I need you to cooperate with me, Commander Xie.¡± The Right Prime Minister looked at Commander Xie.


    ¡°No problem. Just tell me what you want me to do.¡±


    ¡°What about Cangzhou?¡± Zhao Zheng sounded a trifle hesitant. ¡°Can we just kill Dai Cheng?¡±


    ¡°Killing Dai Cheng is a must. Hasn¡¯t Yuwen Tong already sent someone to Cangzhou to keep things in check? We need to give him a hand,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Speaking of killing Dai Cheng, you are all civil officials and I¡¯m afraid your knives might not be sharp enough. Leave it to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang was secretly amazed, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face.


    The Right Prime Minister and the others watched Ling Zhaowu casually talk about killing Dai Cheng, and then looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s calm face, all of them rather shocked.


    ¡­


    ¡°Your Lordship, who¡¯s that Ling Zhaowu guy exactly? This person doesn¡¯t seem like a nobody at all. Not only were his remarks pungent, he was also emanating a blood-curdling air.¡±


    After Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu left the residence, Zhao Zheng and the couple of others clustered around the Right Prime Minister and one of them expressed his opinion in a carry-over of fear.


    The Right Prime Minister shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. It seems that the Marshal indeed never does anything without a plan. Ling Zhang and his father have a force at their back which is unknown even to me. It is these two people who are the most powerful weapon Yuwen Tong deployed in this city.¡±


    All the others were privately taken aback at these words.


    The Right Prime Minister cast them a glance. ¡°I think all of you heard that remark of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s just now. If any of you once had connection with the Jiang family, I suggest you forget about it completely. Otherwise¡­¡±


    His piercing eyes swept across them, lifting the hair on their scalp.


    ¡­


    On their way back home, Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Father, is there anything you¡¯re not telling me?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s conduct at the meeting had come as a great surprise to him. For an instant, he had even felt that the man sitting beside him were Yuwen Tong. The air about him had been so reminiscent of Yuwen Tong¡¯s¡­


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some secrets when the time is ripe.¡±


    Their eyes met. Ling Zhang gazed fixedly at him, eager to ask him whether or not those secrets had anything to do with the questions that had been baffling him all this time, but for some reason, he was unable to say those words that had sprung to the tip of his tongue. Subconsciously, he felt that that was too absurd.


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang sat up straight and withdrew his eyes.


    ¡°Just now you told them to leave that to you. When do you plan to do it? Yue Qi had orders from Yuwen Tong to go to Cangzhou to deal with two things. Offering assistance to the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) is one of them. The other is to kill Dai Cheng.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s going to do anything. Right now I have limited powers and I¡¯m not capable of handling a task like that. It¡¯s your grandfather who¡¯s going to do it,¡± replied Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Grandfather?¡± Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°Grandfather is going to Cangzhou?¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather had Ji Chaofang go to Cangzhou. He set off on the journey when we left home this morning. The Millennium Pavilion probably has covertly planted some men in Cangzhou as well. Though not in big numbers, they¡¯re all capable of handling important tasks. Dai Cheng won¡¯t be able to survive.¡±


    ¡°Did you mean it when you said that Dai Cheng would choose to offer the rebels amnesty in exchange for their surrender if he stays alive?¡±


    ¡°If I were Dai Cheng, I would do that. After all, the capital city is of far greater importance than those rebels. Dai Cheng is the Zhou family¡¯s henchman. If the Zhou family falls, he will fall as well. Do you think he¡¯d be happy to see this situation?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I was being unthoughtful.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu immediately responded, ¡°It¡¯s not your problem. You¡¯ve done well enough.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped together. He wouldn¡¯t have come to realize this if it weren¡¯t for his father¡¯s warning, because he¡¯d placed too much confidence in the arrangements made by Yuwen Tong, believing that the General Zhongwu and Yue Qi would by no means fail in their task of killing Dai Cheng. Maybe it was not that Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t considered this, but that there had been nothing else he could do. After all, he had done everything within his power.


    Ling Zhaowu could tell what Ling Zhang was thinking about. He wanted to console him but eventually forbore from doing so in the knowledge that sometimes it took some pressure to have people realize their inadequacies and how to improve themselves. His son had been doing pretty well, given that he had just reached adulthood but had to face a situation involving the most cunning and deceitful schemers in the world. He was not someone who had grown up in the most powerful political family in the capital city, and he didn¡¯t have any erudite, visionary elders to offer him guidance; he was inexperienced and hadn¡¯t really seen much of the world. He had come this far step by step with Yuwen Tong, and it was almost like the fate had forced him to where he was. Ling Zhaowu¡¯s heart ached for his son. If possible, he would go back in time to prevent his son from taking the path which would lead him to where he currently was. He wanted his son to have an ordinary life, a family with a wife and a couple of children, but these were only his own thoughts which he couldn¡¯t impose on his son, because after all, he owed his son too much, and presently all he could do was stand by his son¡¯s side protecting him.


    ¡°Father?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s voice was tinged with surprise.


    Ling Zhaowu looked out of the window and found that the horse-drawn carriage had come to a halt. They had reached the front gates of the Ling Mansion.


    On entering the house, the two of them saw that Ji Yin was waiting for them. Ji Yin asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a sketchy account of the meeting in the Right Prime Minister¡¯s residence. ¡°Fortunately my father reminded us in time. Grandfather, why didn¡¯t you tell me when you sent Brother Chaofang to Cangzhou?¡±


    Ji Yin flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu and replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m a forgetful old man now.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, when it comes to a matter of such great importance, you must consult with me first!¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin promised, ¡°Okay, okay. I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    After saying this, seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s sulky face, Ji Yin hurriedly added, ¡°Actually it was only this morning that I thought of that, and when I did, you and your father had already set off for the meeting. I was afraid that something unexpected might happen in Cangzhou if I didn¡¯t take action immediately, so I had Ji Chaofang depart and then asked your father to tell you about it.¡±


    Noticing that Ling Zhang¡¯s face softened somewhat, he hastily changed the topic. ¡°What do they plan to do with the Jiang family?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll falsely accuse the Jiang family of colluding with the rebels in Cangzhou and have their residence besieged,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin gave a nod. ¡°Do you want me to deploy a formation around the Jiang family to trap them in there?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him, finding it a tempting offer, but eventually he restrained himself from accepting it. ¡°We made too much noise when we deployed the formation in this place, and some people have come to know about it. If the same thing happens to the Jiang family¡¯s residence, people would easily connect it with me, and the move would have the opposite effect.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll use another formation, and I guarantee you nobody will see it through,¡± said Ji Yin.


    R ead latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    After saying this, Ji Yin started explaining it to Ling Zhang, whose eyes gradually brightened as he listened. ¡°Are you certain nobody would find out about this formation, Grandfather?¡±


    Ji Yin looked at him with a you-need-to-trust-your-grandfather kind of look in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang dithered over it for a moment and then inclined his head. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll put you to the trouble of paying a visit to the Jiang family after our men ring the residence tomorrow morning.¡±


    The Jiang family was a trouble in any sense. Putting it under their complete control was the only way to make sure it wouldn¡¯t get in their way.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, news of a serious event spread through the capital city.


    Someone accused the Jiang family of conspiring with the leader of the insurrectionary army and submitted some evidence, and there was also testimony of a witness, which caused an uproar in the imperial court.


    Soon the residence of the Jiang family was encircled. At first people of the Jiang family shouted that they were wronged. They tried to resist and came into conflict with the soldiers laying siege to the residence.


    ¡°Anybody who tries to break through the cordon shall be killed on the spot.¡±


    Jiang Shennian nearly passed out with rage at this remark. ¡°How¨CHow dare you?!¡±


    All members of the Jiang family gathered in the front yard, Jiang Yu and Jiang Chengfeng supporting Jiang Shennian, eyeing the soldiers outside angrily.


    ¡°This is outrageous! You people actually have the balls to frame us for a crime we didn¡¯t commit. I dare you to hurt a hair on the head of any of us without an imperial edict!¡± railed Jiang Chengfeng.


    ¡­


    In the north-west.Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong was galloping forward on his journey from the capital city to the borderland. He had barely had any rest. Every time his subordinates had suggested he get some sleep, he had merely stopped his horse and sat in repose with his eyes closed for a while before resuming the journey.


    ¡°Marshal, are you worried about Childe Ling?¡±


    At the sound of Ling Zhang¡¯s name, Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes instantly softened, his face still impassive. ¡°Those matters in the capital city are not difficult to settle, but he has never faced that kind of situation before. The very thought of him staying there alone concerns me.¡±

 Chapter 317 - Fang Quans Hesitation

    In the residence of the Jiang family.


    ¡°This is unbelievable. With some fake evidence from an unknown source, they falsely accused us of being in cahoots with the rebels. They¡¯re just bullying us because we lost our power and influence! Who does Chu Liangyan think he is? He¡¯s just a filthy old bastard who¡¯s too low to be our servant, and now he dared inflict such humiliation on us. This is ridiculous. He really thinks he¡¯s the one calling the shots now. But surely he¡¯s not stupid enough to believe he can cause the Jiang family any harm with what he got?¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng was hurling abuse. Faces of other members of the Jiang family clouded over with anger.


    ¡°They¡¯re indeed not causing us any harm, but they¡¯ve already achieved their ends by having us trapped,¡± observed Jiang Shennian with a sepulchral face. ¡°It turns out I underestimated Chu Liangyan. I thought that the Fang family would be a distraction to them, but it never crossed my mind that they¡¯d leave the Fang family aside and deal with us first.¡±


    ¡°Chu Liangyan was still targeting the Fang family two days ago. How did he suddenly come to put us in his crosshairs?¡± said Jiang Chengfeng in a confused tone, trying hard to subdue his rage.


    ¡°I heard that yesterday Ling Zhang paid a visit to the Right Prime Minister.¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhang? He¡¯s just a fledgling. What could he possibly have to do with this?¡±


    Jiang Shennian kept silent, but his face was darkening, the expression in his eyes suggesting that the news concerned him. After a while, he remarked, ¡°No matter what, we need to figure out a way to make contact with people out there, otherwise our plan will come to grief.¡±


    A lot of people were blindsided by this misfortune that had befallen the Jiang family.


    ¡°How did it go? You still couldn¡¯t send a message to the Jiang family?¡± Fang Quan walked out of the imperial palace, wiping the sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°No. Nobody can get in or out of the Jiang family¡¯s residence for the moment. Even their food is delivered into it by soldiers Chu Liangyan designated. He said that he¡¯s doing that to prevent the Jiang family from finding any opportunities to get in touch with the rebel army.¡±Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Fang Quan heavily smacked his fist onto the table. ¡°Chu Liangyan is such a hateful son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°I also heard that this morning a guard of the Jiang family¡¯s tried to force his way out but got killed. Those soldiers besieging the Jiang family are all Commander Xie¡¯s henchmen. They¡¯re aggressive and could be neither enticed by the carrot nor browbeaten by the stick, and they kill without any hesitation. Our men put out feelers once but were nearly seen through. It¡¯s too difficult to get through them.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, we can¡¯t let things go on as they are. Should we figure out a way to offer the Jiang family some help?¡±


    Fang Quan replied through gritted teeth, ¡°There are both testimonies of witnesses and evidence showing that the Jiang family are working hand in glove with the rebel forces. If we are to save them, we¡¯ll have to disprove those testimonies and evidence, but we don¡¯t have that much time. There¡¯s been no news from the men we sent to kill Yuwen Tong. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve failed in the mission already. Given how long it has been since his departure, Yuwen Tong has probably reached the borderlands already. None of us knows how long it would take for Yuwen Tong to fight off the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s armies, so we should focus on assisting the Eighth Prince to ascend the throne, in case anything else unexpected happens. We don¡¯t have enough manpower to spare to get the Jiang family out of the trouble.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Are you suggesting that we give up on the Jiang family?¡±


    Fang Quan thought for a few moments and then asked, ¡°Is there any news from Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°If people there made a reply promptly, their courier pigeon should arrive by the end of the day, but so far there hasn¡¯t been any news from them¡­¡±


    Fang Quan clenched his teeth. ¡°No matter whether their answer is a yes or a no, there¡¯s no doubt they will give us a reply. The reason why there¡¯s still no news is either because they want us to raise our offer or because they have misgivings about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do? The garrison of Jiangzhou are unwilling to help; Commander Xie refused to be bought; the Jiang family are trapped¡­ With what we¡¯ve got at the moment, we don¡¯t stand a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of helping the Eighth Prince accede to the throne.¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± snarled Fang Quan. ¡°All we have to do is wait. We wait for the reply from Jiangzhou! And about the Jiang family, I¡¯ll give it some more thought.¡±


    ¡°You need to figure something out as soon as possible, Your Lordship. .Her Highness and the Eighth Prince are in dire danger in the imperial palace as well. If by any chance those people decide to make a risky move and directly kill the two of them, we¡¯ll lose everything.¡±


    ¡°The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin are closely guarded by our men. It won¡¯t be easy for them to get a chance to do that.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile. In the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°How did it go? Is there any news?¡± Seeing Miao Shisan walk inside, Ling Zhang gazed at him with expectant eyes.


    Miao Shisan briefly paused and then replied, ¡°Not yet. The Marshal must be traveling day and night and probably doesn¡¯t have the time to write a letter. Given the time of his departure, it is reasonable to infer that the Marshal has just reached the borderlands. Barring accidents, we will receive a letter carried by a courier pigeon from the borderland.¡±


    The expectation gleaming in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes slowly ebbed away. Lips pressed together, he stared at Miao Shisan. ¡°Is that true? You guys are not keeping anything back from me?¡±


    Miao Shisan immediately answered, ¡°We don¡¯t dare lie to you, Childe Ling. This is a crucial juncture, and I have a sense of perspective. I don¡¯t have the slightest inclination to keep anything back from you.¡±


    It was only then that Ling Zhang¡¯s tense lips relaxed. ¡°Report to me immediately if there¡¯s any news.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± answered Miao Shisan, secretly feeling relieved. He indeed hadn¡¯t received any messages from the borderlands yet, but having served Yuwen Tong and been in sync with him for so many years, he knew very well that given the current situation, the Marshal¡¯s journey had definitely been quite eventful. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been unable to spare the time to even write a letter back.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to concern yourself, Childe Ling. No news is good news, actually. It means that the Marshal has safely reached the borderlands,¡± observed Miao Shisan.


    Ling Zhang slightly inclined his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He knew Yuwen Tong well enough to be sure that Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t forget to write him a letter knowing he was missing him and worried about him in the capital city, unless he really couldn¡¯t spare the time. If Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t even have the time to sit down and write a letter, Ling Zhang could only imagine how busy he was, and how many matters he had to deal with.


    ¡°Has the latest battlefield report arrived from the border?¡±


    Miao Shisan said, ¡°Not yet. Judging from the contents of the last battlefield report, it can be deduced that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are attacking a border city in Youzhou from two sides. I know Jiang Xi. He will definitely be able to hang in there until the Marshal¡¯s arrival.¡±Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Ling Zhang lightly balled his hands into fists. Youzhou bordered both the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, but the Sanguan Mountains was an impassable barrier behind it. Presently, what was under attack from the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom at the same time was actually a city in Youzhou which bordered the Luohai Kingdom but originally had had nothing to do with the Wan Kingdom. The Luohai Kingdom worked hand in glove with the Wan Kingdom, ignored Shengzhou which was well defended by Yuwen Tong¡¯s main force, opened its borders to let the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army enter the Luohai Kingdom, detour around the Sanguan Mountains and launch an attack on the fortification line near Youzhou, doubling the pressure the garrison of Youzhou was under. The garrison of Youzhou were different from the garrison of Shengzhou. The latter had many years of experience in fighting enemies as well as a powerful intimidating air about them, while the former had less combat power than Yuwen Tong¡¯s main force did, which added to the difficulties they were faced with!


    Once the enemies broke through the defensive line in front of Youzhou, then Gan City of Youzhou which was the second defense line would bear the brunt of the attack. If Gan City was also taken, then Youzhou would fall. Although there were still some barriers between Youzhou and the capital city, the distance between the two was rather short as the crow flew¡­


    ¡°Jiang Ke has sent two batches of reinforcements to Youzhou, but he doesn¡¯t dare draft the main force there for fear that the enemy would attack Shengzhou after he sent the main force southwards. If Shengzhou falls, the situation would be perilous, so presently Jiang Xi is under heavier pressure. The Marshal is aware of this, so he¡¯s probably traveling in greater haste than usual. It¡¯s not because he encountered any dangers or something, so you don¡¯t need to be worried about him, Childe Ling,¡± said Miao Shisan.


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath, clenching his fists. ¡°How can I not be worried? It¡¯s just that I know the only thing I could do is defend this city.¡±


    Suppressing his vexation and unease, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Has Shiba come back?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Fang Quan urgently summoned his allies to consult with them about what countermeasure they should take. From the vantage point of the present, it won¡¯t be easy for Fang Quan to find a way out, so I¡¯m afraid Shiba is going to have to stake out the Fang Mansion for a little while longer,¡± responded Miao Shisan.


    ¡°Tell me if he sends any messages back.¡± Ling Zhang rose to his feet and then hurried to see Ji Yin. ¡°Grandfather, is all in readiness?¡±


    Ji Yin inclined his head. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready. We may do it tonight. I assure you they¡¯d be trapped in their residence for a very long time. Fang Quan and his allies would by no means waste much time on the Jiang family. There¡¯s no doubt they would give up as soon as they come to realize it¡¯s not within their power to save them.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯ll go with you tonight.¡±


    Ji Yin clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°All right.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu walked up to them. ¡°You¡¯re going to deploy a formation around the Jiang family?¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°Have you drunk your medicine today, Father?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was moved by the fact that his son still kept in mind that he needed to drink medicine daily. ¡°Mr. Mu supervised me drinking it. I don¡¯t dare forget that.¡±


    He had a son and some other family members to protect now, so he wouldn¡¯t let himself die easily. Even if Mr. Mu forgot to remind him, he himself would remember to take the medicine.


    ¡°Fang Quan still hasn¡¯t received a reply from Jiangzhou?¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°No. It seems that the garrison of Jiangzhou has chosen to stay out of this troublesome situation.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Not necessarily. Who could resist the temptation of the rewards for assisting a prince to take the throne? Yuwen Tong is no longer here, and the defense of this city is not as strong as before. Moreover, the Eighth Prince, the one they¡¯d be supporting, is at least a member of the Zhou family, the imperial household, who counts as a rightful heir to the throne. If I were offered such a golden opportunity, I would definitely get on board. As long as the commander of Jiangzhou garrison is not a fool, he would without doubt agree. As for why he didn¡¯t make an immediate reply, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s because he wants Fang Quan to raise the offer.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu, feeling that his father seemed to always have a particularly shrewd idea of what these people were thinking, as though he¡¯d been through a lot of this kind of political struggle and was very experienced¡­


    ¡°Father, do you know the commander of Jiangzhou garrison, by any chance?¡± Ling Zhang still asked in spite of himself.


    Ling Zhaowu smiled, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Technically, this version of him indeed didn¡¯t know that man.


    ¡°If things do go as you predicted, there will be a letter from Jiangzhou. When Fang Quan gets the reply, he probably would be even less likely to make any efforts to rescue the Jiang family,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Absolutely. With the garrison of Jiangzhou at his back, the Jiang family would pale into insignificance,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu.


    However, the garrison of Jiangzhou would never be able to make it to the capital city. Would Fang Quan change his mind and try to save the Jiang family at that time? But none of these mattered much now, because Fang Quan wouldn¡¯t be able to save the Jiang family in those circumstances even if he wanted to, which meant that his last resort would be¡­


    A rabbit will bite when it¡¯s cornered. A dog will leap over a wall in desperation. Fang Quan was no exception.


    If they were to continue plotting against the Fang family, they needed to be careful of the Fang family¡¯s counterplot.


    Ling Zhang was on the alert, believing that he had to remind Miao Shisan and the others to be more cautious.

 Chapter 318 - Jiang Shennians Choice

    The borderlands.


    ¡°Marshal, are you going to that border city in Youzhou?¡± asked Jiang Ke the deputy commander.


    ¡°Given the domestic situation of the Wan Kingdom, the troops they sent to Youzhou are probably all they¡¯ve got. It¡¯s an all-out attack and they¡¯re hell-bent on taking that city. Youzhou must not fall. I have to be there directing the operations personally. You stay here and keep your eyes peeled,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Time is short, so let¡¯s get started. Call all the others in.¡±


    Jiang Ke said no more, immediately walked off and called the core group of officers in to have a meeting.


    Four hours later, after all necessary arrangements were made, Yuwen Tong set out for the border city in Youzhou without more ado.


    ¡­


    The capital city.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words turned out to be prophetic. A reply from the garrison of Jiangzhou did arrive. They¡¯d just procrastinated for two days.


    During the past two days, Fang Quan who didn¡¯t dare give up on the Jiang family entirely had been trying to get in touch with them all along, but all his messages went unanswered, which rendered Fang Quan somewhat helpless and at the same time put him on the alert. .When the reply from Jiangzhou arrived, though they were asking for a lot in return for their help, Fang Quan had no choice but to accept.


    At the same time, Ling Zhang also received a message from Jiangzhou saying that Jiangzhou garrison had been mobilized, that they were now gathering supplies and would march north in two days at the latest.


    Miao Shisan sent a message to the garrison of Shengzhou who had covertly moved south, telling them to get ready. He then made two copies of the letter from the garrison of Jiangzhou, one of which was delivered to the capital city, and the other to the commander of Shengzhou garrison.


    At this time, all troops of the garrison of Yanzhou had entered Cangzhou and been put under the command of the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). Ling Zhang was still expecting an up-to-date battlefield report on the fight against the rebel army in Cangzhou¡­


    ¡°According to the agreed protocol, Dai Cheng should send us a battlefield report today, but it¡¯s already midnight, and the report still hasn¡¯t arrived. I think either something happened to the messenger or the front¡­ or something happened to Dai Cheng. Either way, it¡¯s not good news for us. I hope Yue Qi and Ji Chaofang would kill Dai Cheng in time,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang was also worried. ¡°I¡¯ve already had Miao Shisan deliver a letter to the General Zhongwu, telling him to be prepared, lest he get caught off guard when Dai Cheng¡¯s men turn their coats.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head. ¡°That might not be a bad move. At least we¡¯ll have some time to do damage control if things really go south.¡±


    During the next two days, the capital city lapsed into a weird lull.


    In the meantime, Ling Zhang went to the residence of the Assistant Minister of Rites to pay Yuwen Feng a visit, but Yuwen Zhi refused to let him in, so he didn¡¯t see Yuwen Feng that day.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t insist. He had some time ago had enough of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s unruly deeds. Since Yuwen Zhi had a death wish, he had no reason to stop Yuwen Zhi from getting what he deserved, so he decided to just let it be, feeling that maybe it was a good thing that Yuwen Feng was under house arrest and didn¡¯t have to get involved in this matter. As regards what might happen to Yuwen Feng in the future, Ling Zhang believed it was best if he let Yuwen Tong worry about that.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡­


    In the residence of the Jiang family.


    ¡°Father, what should we do? There hasn¡¯t been any news from the outside for ages. I wonder whether or not Fang Quan and the others have ever tried to reach us. They¡¯re such a bunch of morons,¡± huffed Jiang Chengfeng.


    ¡°From the vantage point of the present, we can¡¯t get any messages out, and they can¡¯t send any messages in here, which means it¡¯s not that Fang Quan and the others are not trying, but that this bastard surnamed Xie laying siege to our house is being too stubborn.¡± Jiang Shennian was also very angry. ¡°If things keep going on like this any longer, Fang Quan would definitely give up trying to save us in order not to waste any more time, so we¡¯ve got to figure something out to save ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Save ourselves? How? That bastard surnamed Xie neither listens to reason nor bows to force, and Chu Liangyan is too cowardly to even meet us face to face, and those soldiers¡¯ skulls are just thick as that of their commander. If we are to save ourselves, we¡¯ll have to at least figure out a way to meet them first, won¡¯t we?¡± said Jiang Chengfeng.


    ¡°They¡¯re keeping us under house arrest but didn¡¯t kill any of us, which means they have misgivings. It would be detrimental to Yuwen Tong¡¯s reputation if any members of the Jiang family are killed under his men¡¯s watch¡­ Give me some more time to think it over. We need to get them to come here and meet us on their own account,¡± said Jiang Shennian.


    Jiang Yu, who had been keeping silent all along, walked out and asked, ¡°Grandfather, are you considering resorting to the ruse of self-injury?¡±


    Jiang Shennian gave a nod. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice.¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s lips clamped together. ¡°I think that¡¯s going to be a long shot. The encirclement of this place is so tight that nobody out there could get any news of us. Will anybody give a damn about whether we¡¯re alive or dead?¡±


    ¡°If a member of the Jiang family dies here for no reason, it would be a stain on Yuwen Tong¡¯s reputation and jeopardize his chance of taking the throne, so they WILL do something about it!¡± said Jiang Chengfeng.


    Jiang Yu flicked a glance at him. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that by laying siege to our house, they¡¯re just putting on an act for outsiders to watch, and they don¡¯t really care whether or not any of us will die in here. After all, none of us knows if Yuwen Tong values his reputation. He¡¯s a military officer, not a civil official who sets great store by his repute like a bird by its feathers.¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng furrowed his brows. ¡°Stay out of this. We need to give it a try.¡±


    Jiang Yu took a deep breath, shifted his gaze from his father to Jiang Shennian and said, ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m just afraid it¡¯s within their power to make our lives hell, given that they have the power to besiege us. We don¡¯t want to end up being hoist by our own petards, so we need to cautious.¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng spat with a frown, ¡°Shut your mouth.¡±


    Jiang Shennian, however, had a thoughtful face. ¡°Yu¡¯er may have a point. It¡¯s best if we reconsider this.¡±


    ¡°Father! We must not dither. We have to take immediate action. Otherwise Fang Quan will give up on us completely. This is a chance for the Jiang family to make a comeback. Surely we¡¯re not going to let it slip away?¡± demurred Jiang Chengfeng.


    Jiang Shennian raised his head to look out into the sky. After quite a while, he said, ¡°How can you be so sure Fang Quan is going to succeed? Yuwen Tong is the most formidable antagonist I¡¯ve ever met. Seeing as he dared to go to the borderlands leaving Fang Quan and the Eighth Prince in this city in these circumstances, there¡¯s no doubt he has taken some precautionary measures. Had we not been under siege, we¡¯d still stand a chance of helping the Eighth Prince accede to the throne, but now¡­ Fang Quan and the others don¡¯t have what it takes to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re overestimating our enemies and underestimating ourselves, Father.¡± Jiang Chengfeng was unconvinced. ¡°Moreover, the Eighth Prince is kin to us. If Yuwen Tong, rather than a prince of the Zhou family, is enthroned, what good could it possibly do us? Yuwen Tong has no love for any of us.¡±


    ¡°But we have no quarrel with Yuwen Tong, after all. ¡®To take no action is better than to take any.¡¯ Given the current circumstances, there¡¯s no action we can take that doesn¡¯t involve great risks, so I think we might as well just stay put,¡± observed Jiang Yu.


    Beside himself with rage, Jiang Chengfeng almost turned around to slap his son across the face but caught himself just in time. ¡°What¡¯s got into you exactly? Do you by any chance still have feelings for Yuwen Tong?!¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s face darkened and he glared at Jiang Chengfeng, an incredulous look in his eyes. ¡°What do you mean by that remark, Father? I¡¯m your son, not your enemy. All I did was just express my opinions. You can¡¯t belittle me just because I don¡¯t see things the way you do. I¡¯ve long since dismissed those pointless ideas from my mind, and I thought everybody could see that I did. It never crossed my mind my own father would make such a wild accusation against me. Is this what your son is like in your eyes? A shameless, lovesick puppy? Are you disparaging me or yourself?!¡±


    ¡°You¨C!¡± Jiang Chengfeng was rendered speechless by Jiang Yu¡¯s sharp retort, his face dark with fury.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Jiang Shennian. His sulky eyes raked over Jiang Chengfeng and Jiang Yu and eventually rested on the latter. ¡°Yu¡¯er, this is not how you talk to your father.¡±


    Jiang Yu hung his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my problematic choice of words, Grandfather.¡±


    Jiang Chengfeng was still glowering at Jiang Yu, who directly rose to his feet and continued, ¡°But Grandfather, it was for the Jiang family¡¯s sake that I said that. The Jiang family is like a big tree ¨C we¡¯re quietly standing here with our roots deep in the ground, posing no threat to anybody. Actually, being besieged and trapped in here has its compensations. If we are under house arrest, we would have a good chance of survival no matter whether it is the Eighth Prince or Yuwen Tong who accedes to the throne eventually, so please be discreet about every decision you are going to make next, Grandfather. After all, once we take action, it would mean that we tilt in favor of the Eighth Prince. Moreover, chances are that those people out there would inflict something worse than death on us if we make our move. The future emperor will seek to settle old scores with his enemies. If the Eighth Prince succeeds to the throne, we¡¯ll be useless pawns for him; and if Yuwen Tong takes the throne, we¡¯ll surely be exterminated. Not matter what your final decision is, you¡¯ll have my full support, and I¡¯ll do everything within my power to fight for the Jiang family¡¯s survival, so please, Grandfather, be cautious about the decision you make.¡±


    After saying this, Jiang Yu made a bow with hands folded in front and then left.


    Consumed with fury, Jiang Chengfeng bellowed, ¡°This unfilial son is getting more unruly by the day!¡±


    Jiang Shennian silently looked at him, inwardly let out a sigh and unnoticeably shook his head.


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t listen to a word of that brat. We need to act as soon as possible,¡± said Jiang Chengfeng.


    However, Jiang Shennian was wavering in his determination. ¡°Let me give it some more thought.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Enough. You may leave. I need quiet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Father.¡±Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    After Jiang Chengfeng left, Jiang Shennian limply sprawled in his chair and exhaled deeply.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s words had helped him come to realize that in these circumstances, for the Jiang family staying put was a far better choice than taking action. After all, the Jiang family no longer wielded great power in the imperial court now. If he laid low, the Jiang family would probably end up becoming an ordinary family, but at least they¡¯d still be alive; if he attempted to stage a comeback, he¡¯d be risking the lives of all his family, and it¡¯d take only one single wrong decision to cause all of them to meet their ends.


    More importantly, the overall political situation out there was not really favorable for them. It seemed that the Zhou family¡¯s days as the imperial household were really numbered. Yuwen Tong¡¯s army of supporters was too massive to be equaled. Even if they really managed to take the capital city, one day they would still have to face Yuwen Tong¡¯s troops on the battlefield, and when that day came, would they stand a chance of winning?


    Jiang Shennian ruminated over it for a very long time, looking as though he had just aged several years.


    Jiang Shennian even couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether or not it was really because of his old age that he was being overcautious and so indecisive, lacking the dash and courage he used to have when he¡¯d been in his youth.


    Still, aside from anything else, he had to take into consideration the lives of over a hundred members of the Jiang family.


    ¡­


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    Jiang Yu paused and looked up into the sky. For quite a while, he gazed motionlessly as the servant watched in fear. Eventually, without uttering a single word, Jiang Yu withdrew his eyes and continued progressing.

 Chapter 319 - Friends

    The garrison of Jiangzhou started moving north. While waiting for the up-to-date report, Ling Zhang received an invitation. It was from Xun Huo.


    Ling Zhang had a placid expression on his face as he gazed at the invitation on the table, but the look in his eyes was not so calm.


    Xun Huo hadn¡¯t contacted him since they¡¯d seen Ji Feng off on that day, so he was greatly surprised by this sudden invitation and thought a lot about it in spite of himself. Seeing as how sensitive the Ling Mansion¡¯s status and his identity were in the capital city, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Xun Huo had chosen to renew acquaintance with him at this point in time.


    ¡°Apart from you, the Xun family also sent invitations to the Zhao family, the Xie family and the collateral branch of the Yuwen family. All the couple of friends of yours and Childe Ling received his invitations,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Whenever anybody sent an invitation to the Ling Mansion, they always ascertained the ins and outs of what it was about.


    ¡°Childe Ling, Xun Yi keeps a very low profile and seems not to be in league with any force, but I fear that¡¯s only a spurious impression created by him. Given the current circumstances, you need to be extra careful if you decide to accept the invitation,¡± added Miao Shiba.


    Miao Shiba was actually more inclined to try to dissuade Ling Zhang from going there, for the capital city was now a very dangerous place.


    ¡°Has any of the others made a reply?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Miao Shiba shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°It would seem they¡¯re all waiting for me to take the lead. Send him a reply. Tell him I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Miao Shiba hesitated for a moment. ¡°Childe Ling, if by any chance they¡¯re up to something¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anybody to regard me as a coward,¡± said Ling Zhang. Xun Huo hadn¡¯t been in touch with him for quite some time, and now he¡¯d suddenly made contact with him at this juncture and also invited so many others. Considering this, even Ling Zhang himself wouldn¡¯t believe it if he told Miao Shiba that Xun Huo was not up to anything, but he couldn¡¯t shy away from it because of the potential dangers.


    After Ling Zhang¡¯s reply was delivered, Yuwen Jin, Zhao Jiusi, Zhao Turui and Xie Qing, one after another, also had their replies delivered to the Xun family.


    The time of the appointment was the next morning. Ling Zhang and the other invitees happened to arrive at the Xun family¡¯s residence at the same time.


    Xun Huo had been waiting for them at the front gates. At the sight of them coming, he gave a smile. ¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence that you guys arrived all at once, which spares me the long waiting.¡±


    ¡°Xun Huo, have you been busy hatching eggs lately? We haven¡¯t seen you for ages.¡± Yuwen Jin was the first to speak, and his voice was as jokey as always, sounding as though they were still on the same terms as they used to be.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve all been worried about you, Xun Huo. All our servants delivering our letters to you told us that you were otherwise engaged and didn¡¯t have the time to meet us,¡± Zhao Turui also said.


    Looking at the couple of them, Xun Huo chuckled and then shifted his gaze to Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first and talk later.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xun Huo cast him a smile and then led the four of them into the residence. In the courtyard house Xun Huo lived, they took seats.


    ¡°My father is not in, and my mother went to a Buddhist temple to pray for blessings, so there are no elders here today. You guys may make yourselves at home,¡± said Xun Huo.


    Ling Zhang glanced around Xun Huo¡¯s courtyard house and observed, ¡°This courtyard house of yours is not big but the layout is comfortable and exquisite down to every detail. It¡¯s a pretty nice place.¡±


    Xun Huo said, ¡°All I did was make this place less of an eyesore. It stands no comparison with the Ling Mansion.¡±


    Xun Huo personally brought them teacups and started making tea. For a few moments, the five of them just sat around the table, saying nothing.


    Ling Zhang was in no hurry. Given that Xun Huo had invited them over, he would tell them his intentions sooner or later.


    When the tea was ready, smelling the aroma, Ling Zhang took a sip and made a couple of remarks in praise of the tea, as though he were here for the tea.


    Seeing this, the others all started enjoying the tea, as if this were really just a tea party.


    Of all five of them, Xun Huo had always been the relatively taciturn and reserved one. After Ling Zhang and the others drank some tea, he began of his own accord, ¡°Actually, this time around I invited you guys over simply to do some catching up. The current political situation in the capital city is complicated. Although my father is must a low-ranking official, he¡¯s still in it. As his son, I have no alternative but to obey him. I fear that we might not have another chance to sit together enjoying tea, so I presumptuously invited you guys here at this point in time. What with Ji Feng¡¯s leaving the capital city, Ling Zhang¡¯s long absence from here, and the spate of serious unforeseen events, we haven¡¯t been in the mood for catching up with each other for quite some time.¡±


    After Xun Huo finished these words, all the others lapsed into silence. In fact, the only sentence that mattered in these words was ¡°We might not have another chance to sit together enjoying tea.¡±


    The meaning of this remark was quite explicit, and there was no need for any of them to check with the speaker.


    Ling Zhang slowly took a sip of his tea, put down the teacup and looked at Xun Huo. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Xun Huo looked back at him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have invited you guys around if I¡¯m not serious.¡±


    With a calm look on his face, Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°It¡¯s too boring to just drink tea. We should be drinking wine. Carpe diem. Let¡¯s make some good memories.¡±


    Xun Huo¡¯s countenance slightly changed. Yuwen Jin suddenly threw his arm around his shoulders and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Xun Huo, you won¡¯t really let us walk out of your home with only tea in our stomachs, will you? Because that would be so not cool.¡±


    ¡°Alas, Xun Huo is never stingy. He might not be a consummate rider, but other than that, he¡¯s a pretty nice guy, and his tolerance to alcohol is not bad, too,¡± said Xie Qing.


    Xun Huo beamed, willingly letting Yuwen Jin rest his arms on his shoulders. ¡°Then let¡¯s have a couple of drinks, but be forewarned, it¡¯s pretty windy today, so don¡¯t drink too much.¡±


    Ling Zhang tossed a thoughtful glance at him. ¡°Okay. We all know where the limit is.¡±


    Since Xun Huo had already stated clearly his stand, they naturally wouldn¡¯t try to dig deeper into the matter. All the topics of their conversation were about the funny things that they¡¯d been through together, most of which had happened in the Imperial College. Eventually, when each of them had had three or four cups, they stopped drinking.


    The reason why Xun Huo had become close friends with them previously was because Xun Yi, a councillor of the Ministry of Penalties, had been keeping his head down, but now the political landscape had changed, and Xun Yi, low-key as he was, had to pick sides, so Xun Huo had to make a choice as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can no longer be by your side,¡± said Xun Huo, gazing unblinkingly at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for. We all have our own positions and have to make our own choices. Now that we¡¯ve already drunk this wine, what we had in the past shall be left in the past. From now on¡­ we¡¯ll have to take care of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Xun Huo, a solemn look in his eyes.


    They had barely stayed in the residence of the Xun family for two hours when they took their leave. Before leaving, Zhao Turui stared at Xun Huo for quite a while and then got into the carriage with Zhao Jiusi, a gloomy expression on his face. The two of them had known Xun Huo since childhood, so they had stronger bonding with him and were also more upset.


    Before getting into the carriage, Ling Zhang asked Miao Shiba to send some men to keep an eye on Zhao Jiusi and the others lest any accidents happen.


    Back then when they¡¯d been in the residence, Xun Huo had told them to beware of the windy weather, which struck Ling Zhang as some kind of hint.


    Predictably, after Ling Zhang¡¯s horse-drawn carriage left the residence of the Xun family, they were ambushed. There were a lot of assailants, all of whom were pretty good at kung fu.


    But before they approached the carriage, Wang Dashan and the others suddenly showed up, trapped them all in a formation and disposed of them. The fight lasted less than the time a man needed to finish a pot of tea at leisure.


    ¡°Keep moving.¡± Ling Zhang dropped the carriage curtain.


    The carriage resumed proceeding, followed by Wang Dashan and other security guards, leaving over twenty bodies lying on the street.


    A man hiding in the shadows looked at those dead men on the ground, recalling how those people had killed them just now, his hands quivering.


    When he had returned to the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang said to Miao Shiba, ¡°Tell me when the others arrive home safely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡±


    ¡°You were ambushed?¡± Ling Zhaowu walked out, appraising him with a concerned face.


    ¡°There were over twenty of them. Wang Dashan and the others handled them. Their kung fu skills were pretty good, but not good enough. The mastermind was probably just putting out feelers,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head. He didn¡¯t ask any questions about how his appointment had been, for he had come to know the answer when he¡¯d been informed of the ambush.


    After a short while, Miao Shiba came in to report to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The couple of childes have all returned home unharmed.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that that word of warning from Xun Huo had been meant for him alone.


    Recollecting the couple of cups of wine he¡¯d drunk in the residence of the Xun family, Ling Zhang just inwardly sighed in sentiment for a few moments and then calmed down.


    After this meeting, he had one less friend in the capital city, but considering the big picture, he had no choice but to leave these aside, for giving them more thought wouldn¡¯t do any good. Xun Huo had done him a favor by giving him a word of warning, and if some day they were on opposing sides and had to cross swords with each other, he would return the favor, and that would be all.


    However, because of this meeting with his friends, he couldn¡¯t help but think of Tao Yi. Like Xun Huo, Tao Yi also hadn¡¯t contacted him since the day they¡¯d seen Ji Feng off, but unlike with Xun Huo, he hoped that Tao Yi would see reason and choose not to stand on the opposite side, because after all, his friendship with Tao Yi was deeper than the one he had with Xun Huo.


    As a result, he had been waiting all along, but considering the imminent conflict with Fang Quan, if Tao Yi didn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Childe Ling, there¡¯s a letter for you.¡±


    As Ling Zhang thought of this, his train of thought was interrupted by Miao Shiba¡¯s voice, who walked inside with an envelope.


    With a hunch, Ling Zhang took the envelope and opened it. Unsurprisingly, it was Tao Yi¡¯s handwriting. Tao Yi didn¡¯t invite him to meet him but had drawn a picture for him.


    The picture depicting a kind of medicinal herb. Tanyang abounded with medicinal herbs, some of which were connected with allusions known to nobody but locals. On seeing the picture, Ling Zhang exhaled deeply and smile finally reappeared on his face.


    ¡°You look in a good mood, Childe Ling. It seems that Childe Tao didn¡¯t let you down,¡± commented Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang chuckled, ¡°He has some sense of perspective. I¡¯ll give him that. Still, see as it took him so long to decide to send me this picture, I¡¯m afraid the situation in his family is also somewhat complicated and he¡¯d been faced with a difficult choice all along.¡±


    ¡°Childe Tao¡¯s teacher used to be very much in the former emperor¡¯s confidence, and this time around he would probably take the Eighth Prince¡¯s side. Now that Childe Tao has chosen to side with you, things would be quite difficult for him if he stays in the Oriental Rite Academy,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and then said, ¡°Let him stay there. Except for his relations with his teacher, he has no involvement with any faction in the capital city. No matter what happens, innocent students in the academy wouldn¡¯t suffer any serious harm.¡±


    However, whatever Ling Zhang had expected, it wasn¡¯t that Tao Yi would come to him for shelter, carrying his baggage with him.


    Early the next morning, when Miao Shiba told him that Tao Yi came to see him with baggage on his back, Ling Zhang was briefly stunned and then quickly went to meet him.


    ¡°Wow, what is wrong with your front gates? Why can¡¯t I see them? I thought a ghost was haunting this place or something. This is so creepy!¡±


    He was still a distance away when he heard Tao Yi marvel at the amazing changes to the front gates of the Ling Mansion.

 Chapter 320 - A Letter from the North-West

    ¡°Tao Yi,¡± called Ling Zhang, quickly walking up to him.


    Tao Yi pivoted around and his face crumpled up at the sight of Ling Zhang coming. In a tearful tone of voice, he said, ¡°My teacher chucked me out, so I have no choice but to turn to you. You¡¯ve got to take me in. If I get my sorry ass back to Tanyang like this, my father would definitely beat me to death.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    While speaking, Tao Yi handed his several traveling bags of different sizes to the couple of servants and said ¡°Give me a hand with these. Thank you.¡± as though Ling Zhang had already agreed.


    The servants exchanged hesitant glances and then all looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang stared at Tao Yi for quite a while before saying to the servants, ¡°Take all Childe Tao¡¯s baggage to a guest room and get the room ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± the servants chorused and then took all Tao Yi¡¯s baggage away.


    Tao Yi gave a gasp of relief, stepped over and threw his arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m entrusting you with my life here. You and the Marshal need to make it work and show that stubborn old man he¡¯s wrong about you.¡±


    Ling Zhang resignedly looked at him. ¡°Why did you leave the academy? None of this would¡¯ve happened to you had you stayed there.¡±


    ¡°It would¡¯ve happened even if I stayed. My teacher is so influential that even I, a nobody who¡¯s close to him, cannot stay out of this,¡± said Tao Yi.


    ¡°Alas, you have no idea how difficult it was for me to make a choice between my teacher and you. My father told me to keep my nose out of these things so that I wouldn¡¯t get hurt, but I did some careful thinking and felt that the imperial family was so boring, that things would be much more interesting if I follow you and the Marshal. It¡¯s just I could no longer stay in my teacher¡¯s place after I picked a side, and I have nowhere else to go to in the capital city, so I risked making myself seem thick-skinned and came here to ask you for help.¡±


    Eyes still on him, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Your teacher chucked you out?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­sort of. But this time around he didn¡¯t lash out at me. He just told me to think things through. I made a decision and he calmly had me leave the academy. Before I left, he drummed it into me that I should take the imperial examination and become an official, and make myself useful to both the imperial court and the people in this country.¡±


    After saying this, Tao Yi lapsed into silence, the smile on his face fading, appearing rather upset.


    Ling Zhang knew what it was about. ¡°Your teacher wanted you to take the examination and become an official because he had faith in you, because he had faith in us. Cheer up. As long as you keep the goal in mind and fight for it, it will come true.¡±


    Tao Yi bobbed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll strive for it.¡±


    ¡°Actually I knew what that was about. My teacher dropped a hint by saying those words. He¡¯s fully aware that the Zhou family¡¯s dominion over this country is coming to an end. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have had me leave just like that, but he himself doesn¡¯t want to leave. He¡¯d rather die with the Zhou family. What¡¯s the point of that?¡±


    Maybe only when they reached the same age as the old man would they be able to understand the point of that.


    Ling Zhang patted his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re his student, and you¡¯ll carry on his legacy. If you want to repay your teacher for his guidance, you should study hard and earn yourself a position in the government, so that you¡¯ll live up to his expectations.¡±


    ¡°Alas, it seems that I still have a lot of books to read,¡± said Tao Yi, harassed-looking.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to see my maternal grandfather and father.¡±


    Tao Yi gave a nod and then abruptly paused. ¡°Your¡­ maternal grandfather? And your father?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ No¡­ I thought that your father¡­ He¡¯s been away for many years, hasn¡¯t he? And about your maternal grandfather¡­. What¡¯s going on exactly?¡± jabbered Tao Yi, astonishment written all over his face.


    ¡°It seems that recently you¡¯ve really been quite vexed and distressed, which is why you¡¯ve ended up ill-informed. I thought the news about my father had spread through the city,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    With an aggrieved face, Tao Yi replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t know. Nobody told me about it!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m telling you now,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡­ Well¡­ I need to change clothes and make myself presentable. And I haven¡¯t prepared any gifts,¡± said Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang rolled his eyes upwards. ¡°You¡¯re not here for a blind date.¡±


    Tao Yi quietly looked left and right and then responded, ¡°Are you trying to get me killed? If anybody hears this and tells the Marshal about it, the Marshal will definitely take a dislike to me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not as childish as you think he is,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    Tao Yi curled his lip. ¡°You don¡¯t know that, not for sure. The Marshal cares about you so much that he seems to want you staying by his side all the time. If I dare have any funny thoughts about you, he¡¯d surely have me killed.¡±


    Ling Zhang was terribly embarrassed. ¡°Cut the nonsense, will you?¡±


    But the mention of Yuwen Tong sent Ling Zhang so depressed that he didn¡¯t seemed to have any insides. Yuwen Tong was not in this city. What was the point of talking about this?


    Seeing him instantly become dispirited, Tao Yi came to realize that he¡¯d said the wrong thing and hastened to change the topic. ¡°Hurry. Take me to meet your father and grandfather. They deserve to make the acquaintance of an outstanding talent like me.¡±


    His sorrow dissolved by Tao Yi¡¯s quip, Ling Zhang took him to see Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu.


    Tao Yi¡¯s eyes slightly widened at the sight of Ling Zhaowu. Before Ling Zhang could introduce him, he walked up on his own initiative. ¡°You must be Uncle Ling. I¡¯m Tao Yi. My father¡¯s Tao Feng, the prefectural governor of Tanyang. I¡¯m friends with Ling Zhang. Please forgive me for visiting the Ling Mansion uninvited today.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a smile and put his hands to Tao Yi¡¯s upper arms. ¡°I heard Zhang¡¯er talk about you many times. Lately he¡¯s been quite worried about your safety.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have concerned my friend,¡± said Tao Yi.


    ¡°I met Governor Tao in Tanyang before I came to this city. He¡¯s in good health,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Tao Yi was delighted. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Thank you for telling me this, Uncle Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu found Tao Yi a fairly sympathetic person on first acquaintance, and the two of them enjoyed the conversation pretty much.


    Seeing that Tao Yi¡¯s tongue was loosened and probably wouldn¡¯t stop talking any time soon, Ling Zhang hurriedly interrupted him and introduced Ji Yin to him. ¡°This is my grandfather. His surname is Ji.¡±


    Tao Yi gaped at Ji Yin and then moved his eyes to Ling Zhang, a you¡¯ve-got-to-be-kidding-me expression on his face. The reason why he¡¯d talked with Ling Zhaowu for so long and hadn¡¯t shown the slightest inclination to stop was that it didn¡¯t strike him that this mustached middle-aged man on the side was Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather, because he appeared so young!


    ¡°Are you introducing the wrong person to me?¡± Tao Yi asked Ling Zhang, lowering his voice, incredulous.


    Ling Zhang looked at him resignedly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. He¡¯s really my grandfather.¡±


    Tao Yi still didn¡¯t believe him. In a voice he thought was low enough, he said, ¡°Impossible. He¡¯s so young. How could he be your grandfather?! I mean, he looks even younger than your father.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, who heard this, was rendered speechless with embarrassment.


    Ling Zhang gave a soft cough and explained, ¡°My grandfather is a kung fu master with powerful internal energy, which is why his look doesn¡¯t age.¡±


    At this time, Ji Yin was also amused by Tao Yi¡¯s whisper. Heedless of Ling Zhaowu who was having a faintly awkward face, he said to Tao Yi, ¡°You have a good sense of humor, Childe Tao.¡±


    It was at this moment that Tao Yi believed Ling Zhang¡¯s words. In the knowledge that his behavior just now had been impolite, he hastened to pay his respects to Ji Yin. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mr¡­ Ji. Please forgive me for not being discerning enough to accept the fact earlier that you¡¯re Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather.¡±


    Ji Yin said, ¡°That¡¯s a mere trifle. Most people were just as surprised when they first came to know I was Zhang¡¯er¡¯s grandfather. Your reaction was totally understandable.¡±


    Tao Yi was a great talker, and it took him only a few moments to send Ji Yin into fits of laughter. The embarrassment on Ling Zhaowu¡¯s face ebbed away and he just amusedly shook his head.


    ¡°I heard that your teacher is a famous, learned scholar, and you¡¯re a student of the Oriental Rite Academy. You have very good prospects,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Tao Yi replied, ¡°Actually I¡¯ve sort of graduated now, and I¡¯m waiting for the next imperial examination. I could use some quiet, so I specially came to Brother Zhang, wondering if I could stay here for some time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much I can guarantee you, but I assure you all the servants here are absolute rule-followers. Your courtyard house will be quiet all the time and nobody will disturb you. You may put your mind at ease, stay here and focus on your study,¡± said Ji Yin.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ji,¡± said Tao Yi.


    With Tao Yi enlivening the atmosphere, they didn¡¯t have to worry about the climate getting tepid. Ji Yin found Tao Yi¡¯s talkativeness pretty endearing.


    Seeing that Tao Yi got along so well with the others, Ling Zhang believed there was no need for him to worry about Tao Yi. ¡°You may go to your room to get some rest. The reception will start soon.¡±


    Without any pretence of courtesy, Tao Yi took his leave of Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu and then made towards the guest room.


    ¡°Tao Yi is more interesting than his father,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Tao Feng is more inclined to play it safe. His son is far more audacious than him.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°You talked with Tao Feng in Tanyang, Father?¡±


    ¡°It was just a quick chat. I¡¯m not very interested in making friends with Tao Feng, but your uncle works for him, so I had to make his acquaintance,¡± responded Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang could tell that Ling Zhaowu loathed Tao Feng.


    ¡°You seem to be quite ill-disposed towards Tao Feng,¡± remarked Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhaowu gave a sneer. ¡°Tao Feng has no balls. Back then when Zhang Chong was still alive, he could barely breathe under Zhang Chong¡¯s oppression but never dared put up a fight. Had Zhang Chong not been brought down, he would¡¯ve stayed that way till this day. A man like him would never be able to get to a position higher than the governor of Tanyang.¡±


    After hearing this, Ji Yin curled his lip with a feeling of anticlimax. ¡°Well, then he¡¯s indeed an uninteresting guy. Fortunately Tao Yi is not like him.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°If he was, he wouldn¡¯t have disobeyed his father or chosen me over his teacher.¡±


    Ji Yin inclined his head.


    ¡°Given how long it has been, those people in this city should¡¯ve got wind of the Jiangzhou garrison¡¯s moving north. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s going to be a panic among citizens, and the situation would take a turn in an unforeseen way. It¡¯s time for the garrison of Shengzhou to make their move, so that some people will get the shot in the arm they need.¡±


    Feeling that Ling Zhaowu had got a point, Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After having Miao Shisan sent a message to the commander of Jiangzhou garrison, Ling Zhang received a letter from the borderland, which had been written by Yuwen Tong personally. Judging from the handwriting, Yuwen Tong must have written this letter in haste. He probably had carved out time for it in his hectic schedule.


    In the letter, Yuwen Tong gave a sketchy account of the situation at the front and how he¡¯d been recently, told Ling Zhang not to worry and then reminded him to stay safe in the capital city with a lot of words.


    After reading Yuwen Tong¡¯s letter word by word, Ling Zhang became even more concerned about the situation in the borderlands, summoned Wang Dashan and asked, ¡°Is Wang Qing ready? Has he got all the medicinal herbs prepared? When could they depart?¡±


    ¡°Wang Qing has just sent a message here, saying that everything¡¯s ready, that the caravan will set off early tomorrow morning,¡± answered Wang Dashan.


    This would be the second batch of medicinal herbs delivered to the borderlands. The first batch had been transported there along with other supplies from the capital city.

 Chapter 321 - A Traitor and Usurper

    Chapter 321: A Traitor and Usurper


    In the Fang Mansion.


    ¡°The garrison of Jiangzhou have picked up speed. They¡¯ll get here in five days.¡±


    ¡°Good! I¡¯ve had all necessary arrangements made in the imperial palace, ensuring the Eighth Prince¡¯s and the Concubine Jin¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°But what shall we do with Yuwen Zhi? We¡¯ve been ignoring him for several days.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle him.¡±


    ¡­


    In the residential compound of the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    ¡°Father, Fang Quan actually expected us to do such a dangerous thing. He clearly doesn¡¯t trust us and is deliberately picking on us!¡± huffed Yuwen Qi.


    Fang Quan had requested Yuwen Zhi to figure out a way to stall the Right Prime Minister and the others when the garrison of Jiangzhou reached the capital city, creating an opportunity for Fang Quan and his men to open the city gates.


    ¡°How on earth are we supposed to do that?!¡± spat Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face was also quite sulky. Through gritted teeth, he said, ¡°We have to find a way to make it happen. Fang Quan wants proof that we¡¯re trustworthy, and we¡¯re going to give it to him.¡±


    ¡°But how are we going to do that? Chu Liangyan has the whole Northern City Garrison Battalion at his command. How is it possible to hold him back?¡± said Yuwen Qi.


    ¡­


    The garrison of Jiangzhou led by its commander was getting very close to the capital city, only a few hundred miles away from the city gates.


    Fang Quan was thrilled at the latest intelligence report. ¡°They¡¯re finally here!¡±


    The garrison of Jiangzhou had moved without an imperial edict and was now only a couple of hundred miles away from the city, threatening to launch an attack at any moment. News of this instantly threw the whole city into panic. A lot of officials who¡¯d been taking a wait-and-see attitude began to have second thoughts.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, at the emperor¡¯s memorial service attended by all courtiers, Fang Quan requested that the Eighth Prince accede to the throne.


    ¡°The Eighth Prince is of direct descent from the imperial clan. Right now the Great Yue is tottering in a precarious situation and in dire need of an emperor. Only by enthroning the Eighth Prince will we be able to stabilize the political situation, set people¡¯s mind at ease and ensure the peace in this country,¡± claimed Fang Quan, standing in the hall.


    ¡°The Eighth Prince is still young.¡±


    ¡°Chu Liangyan! No matter how young the Eighth Prince is, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s a descendant of the Zhou family, the imperial household. Why are you trying to stop the Eighth Prince from succeeding to the throne? What kind of evil intentions are you harboring?¡±


    Standing behind Fang Quan were a group of people, including the Concubine Jin and the Eighth Prince, all of whom were confronting the Right Prime Minister and some other courtiers.


    The Right Prime Minister sneered, ¡°Lord Fang, everybody knows you¡¯re just doing this for your own ends, no matter how hard you try to make it sound honorable. The Eighth Prince is too young. He will no doubt end up becoming a puppet on your string if he ascends the throne. Under your control, the Great Yue will sooner or later be subjugated; or maybe some day the Fang family will usurp the power of imperial dominion. If that happens, you think you can keep this country from falling in this crisis-ridden situation? We¡¯ve all worked so hard to get the imperial court where it is. Why should we hand it to you on a silver platter to let you squander it? I think you¡¯re the one who harbors evil intentions.¡±


    ¡°If the Eighth Prince is not the one who should be crowned, who is?! Right Prime Minister, we both know very well for whose gain you¡¯re saying these words. It¡¯s no good trying to pretend otherwise,¡± said one of Fang Quan¡¯s followers.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m fully aware of why I¡¯m doing this. I¡¯m not as stupid as you are. If this country is to navigate through these trying times, we must select a wise leader, a wise leader who has the abilities and courage required to stabilize the political situation and defend this country against foreign enemies, not someone who¡¯s destined to become a puppet on a string. I¡¯m doing this for the people of this country, who can live in prosperity and contentment only when their emperor is sagacious and visionary. If the imperial court falls into the hands of someone incompetent once again, they will be subjected to endless civil strife and reduced to destitute and homeless refugees!¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°Faugh! Cut the shit. A wise leader? He¡¯s nothing but a traitor and would-be usurper!¡±


    ¡°A traitor and a would-be usurper? It¡¯s so funny you guys are saying this. All of you are fully aware of whom you should thank for being able to stand here alive, not having to worry about when you¡¯d become slaves of a foreign power. You¡¯ve been enjoying his protection all along but you hold him in contempt, which is so despicable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his duty as a servant!¡±


    ¡°A servant? Of whom? As far as I can remember, right now we don¡¯t really have an emperor. He did that for the people of this country, not some unsavory individual. Fang Quan, you want to use a figurehead to have us do your bidding and be the one at the top of the pecking order. Why pretend otherwise? Each and every single one of us has seen through your little game. Today, standing in this hall, I, Chu Liangyan, am saying this loud and clear ¨C I disagree with the Eighth Prince ascending the throne!¡±


    ¡°You¨C!¡± Fang Quan was beside himself with fury.


    ¡°Right Prime Minister, you¡¯re not the one calling the shots here. You will agree to enthrone the Eighth Prince, no matter whether you want to or not. Otherwise you might die a violent death!¡±


    ¡°Die a violent death? You guys are so foolish. Right now the whole capital city is under my control. Who could possibly kill me? The Jiangzhou garrison? That¡¯d be even more ridiculous. For your information, the garrison of Jiangzhou are never going to make it to this city.¡± After the Right Prime Minister said this, his eyes coldly raked Fang Quan and those behind him, seeing their faces clearly, not pausing for a split instant when they swept across Yuwen Zhi, as though this person weren¡¯t there at all.


    ¡°What do you mean? Your demise is imminent, yet you¡¯re still in the mood for bluffing?¡± huffed Fang Quan, pointing at the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°What do I mean? If you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see if the garrison of Jiangzhou will arrive here as you wish,¡± replied the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°You¨CYou are openly admitting rebellion?! Are you not afraid the people will despise you?! You¡¯re blackening your master¡¯s name!¡± Fang Quan went ballistic.


    ¡°Why should I be afraid? Anyway, eventually someone will have to make the right decision in a sensible and obedient way,¡± observed the Right Prime Minister, eyeing them flintily.


    ¡­


    ¡°Your Lordship! Your Lordship! This is bad!¡±


    The hall ringed by soldiers, Fang Quan and the others could only walk within a small radius, his followers still confronting the opposing side headed by the Right Prime Minister.


    Someone quickly stumbled his way into the hall and prostrated himself on entry, looking up at Fang Quan with a panic-stricken face. ¡°Your Lordship, the garrison of Shengzhou suddenly showed up and stopped all troops of the Jiangzhou garrison!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Fang Quan and his followers were horror-struck, unable to believe their ears. ¡°How come the garrison of Shengzhou moved south without receiving an imperial edict?! Are they not afraid of being executed?!¡±


    ¡°The garrison of Jiangzhou left their encampment and moved north, also without receiving an imperial edict, didn¡¯t they? Why couldn¡¯t the garrison of Shengzhou move south?¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    Fang Quan and his followers came back to themselves. Pointing a shaking finger at the Right Prime Minister and those behind him, Fang Quan spat, ¡°You! You did this!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it obvious? The Right Prime Minister and his followers curled their lips, making no reply.


    ¡°You¨CYou¡¯re going too far. You actually dispatched the garrison of Shengzhou without authorization to openly rebel!¡± railed Fang Quan.


    ¡°Lord Fang, you¡¯re mistaken. To my knowledge, the reason why the garrison of Shengzhou left their encampment was because they heard that the garrison of Jiangzhou had dared move north without authorization, posing a threat to the capital city. They moved south to intercept the garrison of Jiangzhou so as to ensure the safety of the capital city and the two princes. You can¡¯t pin the crime of rebellion on them like that. Speaking of rebellion, you secretly contacted the garrison of Jiangzhou and had them move north without receiving an imperial edict ¨C that was a real rebellious act, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¨C!¡± Consumed with anger, Fang Quan instantly paled, failed to catch his next breath and almost blacked out. ¡°You¡­ The dispatch of the Shengzhou garrison was clearly part of a premeditated scheme of yours¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you sling mud at us, Lord Fang. We have nothing to do with the garrison of Shengzhou¡¯s moving south. They did it because they found out about the movement of the Jiangzhou garrison, because they knew where their loyalty lay, because they wanted to protect the capital city and the two princes,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    The one who had a moment ago been talking about a wise leader suddenly started speaking stern and just words, which threw Fang Quan and his followers into perplexity. When he jerked out of his trance, he found that a lot of other people had shown up in the hall, including the Concubine Liu and the Ninth Prince.


    As Fang Quan and his followers came to realize what was going on, they were nearly reduced to vomiting blood with rage.


    ¡°Guards, bring the proof of Lord Fang and his accomplices colluding with the garrison of Jiangzhou,¡± the Right Prime Minister suddenly instructed.


    Fang Quan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Bullshit! What kind of proof could you possibly have?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no good denying it, Lord Fang. What¡¯s done is done, and you¡¯re not getting away with it,¡± observed the Right Prime Minister icily.


    Soon someone brought the proofs and witnesses to the hall, among which were several letters, two messengers and the butler of the Fang family¡­


    Fang Quan suffered a fleeting blackout at the sight of the two messengers and his butler, and then when his eyes fell on the couple of letters fished out by the Right Prime Minister, all words on which were in his handwriting, he buckled at the knees and sank to the ground.


    ¡°What else do you have to say? We got both physical evidence and witnesses. Do you still deny your guilt?¡± asked the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°Guards, restrain Fang Quan and all other courtiers involved in the complicity with the garrison of Jiangzhou. They¡¯re to be held in custody in this place until the final sentence is pronounced.¡±


    ¡°Chu Liangyan, you¨Cyou traitor. You¡¯re the one¡­ The garrison of Shengzhou¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop making wild accusations against me, Lord Fang. I¡¯m blameless and I¡¯ve never done anything rebellious. Anybody having doubts about this may go to my house and search it. I won¡¯t try to stop them,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    Fang Quan failed to endure the fury and passed out.


    The Eighth Prince watched this scene with panic on his face. Having always been rather cowardly, he was terrified and lost the last bit of his courage in these circumstances, hiding behind the Concubine Jin who was just as ashen-faced as he was, not daring to come out.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the Right Prime Minister said to the Concubine Jin, ¡°I¡¯ve ascertained the collusion between you and Lord Fang as well, and I¡¯ve got the proofs. Considering His Majesty hasn¡¯t been interred yet and the Eighth Prince is still young, I won¡¯t file any charges against you, but from now on, please don¡¯t leave this hall except in exceptional circumstances. Just stay here and keep vigil for His Majesty.¡±


    The Concubine Liu, the Ninth Prince¡¯s mother, held her son tight. The two of them, along with the group of officials who had come a moment ago, all kept silent, not daring utter a word.


    ¡°Your Lordship.¡± Suddenly, someone walked up to the Right Prime Minister, leaned over and whispered something in his ear.


    The Right Prime Minister¡¯s countenance remained unchanged. He just gave a nod, respectfully had the Concubine Liu return with the Ninth Prince, told the other courtiers to go back as well, instructed Commander Xie of the Northern City Garrison Battalion to guard Fang Quan, his accomplices, the Concubine Jin and the Eighth Prince, and then left.


    ¡°The couple of old courtiers have all arrived at the palace gates.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately we¡¯ve finished this off ahead of schedule. Otherwise we¡¯d have to go to some more trouble. I¡¯ll go and hold them back. You guys stay in the palace and keep watch. By the way, where is Childe Ling?¡± asked the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°Childe Ling was in the side hall all along until a few moments ago, but I don¡¯t know where he is right now.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister inclined his head. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go and see Childe Ling after I dismiss the couple of mulish geriatrics.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡±


    ¡­


    Walking out of the side hall, listening to the angry curses issuing from inside the main hall, Ling Zhang curled up the corners of his mouth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time we returned as well.¡±

 Chapter 322 - Planning a Journey to the North-West

    This political struggle had started and ended in the main hall of the imperial palace, and nobody except those who¡¯d been there to witness it knew what had happened in there, but from this day on, barely anybody dared have doubts about under whose dominion this country was. The faction led by the Right Prime Minister, who were in charge overtly, and those in the Ling Mansion, who were in power de facto, became two juggernauts in this city.


    ¡°The Jiang family still haven¡¯t made any moves so far. Clearly they have given up on the Eighth Prince as well. Fang Quan and his followers lost the support of the garrison from Jiangzhou and the Jiang family, and are now imprisoned in the imperial palace. It¡¯s the end of them.¡±


    The Right Prime Minister and all the others gathered in the Ling Mansion, discussing the current situation.


    ¡°Now the only problem left is Cangzhou. Childe Ling, do you have access to up-to-date intelligence reports?¡± asked the Right Prime Minister.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Just wait for another two days. Everything will be clear in two days.¡±


    In two days? The Right Prime Minister and the others exchanged glances, and then the former said with a nod, ¡°I see. We¡¯ll be waiting for your message, Childe Ling.¡±


    After a brief consultation, the Right Prime Minister and the other courtiers took their leave. Seeing as how things stood in the capital city at this point, they still needed to keep their eyes peeled and must not let their guard down in case some adversaries were unreconciled to the situation and tried to fight against heavy odds.


    ¡­


    ¡°I knew I made the right choice, that you and the Marshal definitely had a contingency plan.¡±


    Tao Yi and Ling Zhang were sitting in a courtyard house. After being informed that Fang Quan and his followers had been imprisoned, Tao Yi had excitedly come bearing wine and food, intending to celebrate.


    The two of them talked for a while, and then Ling Zhang noticed the apprehension concealed in the depths of his eyes and said, ¡°Are you worried about your teacher?¡±


    ¡°How¡­ is he?¡± asked Tao Yi.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Relax. The Right Prime Minister didn¡¯t cause them any harm. He just placed them under temporary house arrest. Also, he made arrangements for some men to take care of them, ensuring their safety. After all, they¡¯re all distinguished scholars. Things would get rather tricky if any of them dies.¡±


    Tao Yi gave a mirthless smile. ¡°Although these words of yours make a lot of sense, why do they strike me as so weird?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing weird about them. They¡¯re the truth as well as what the two old lords can rely on to survive.¡±


    Tao Yi sighed, ¡°My teacher is probably quite upset about this, but there¡¯s nothing I can do for them. Originally I wanted to plead with you not to kill them, but now, considering they¡¯re still alive, you¡¯ve shown them mercy already. Besides, my teacher and I have taken different stances now.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. You still have a chance to see them. When that day comes, you¡¯ll be able to meet them face to face and sort things out with them.¡±


    Tao Yi bobbed his head, feeling that this was the only way.


    ¡­


    Two days later, news came from Cangzhou, saying that Dai Cheng had died after an aggravation of his injury, and Wang Cai had also died during an assassination carried out by the rebels, that the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) had taken command of all government forces in Cangzhou.


    On receiving this message, Ling Zhang in the capital city felt a sense of relief. Finally the situation in Cangzhou was now completely under control. Vastly outnumbered, those surviving rebels were no longer a threat. On top of that, before the General Zhongwu departed, Yuwen Tong had indicated to him that the policy of offering amnesty and enlistment to rebels should take precedence over suppression. Since Yuwen Tong had trusted the General Zhongwu to handle it, Ling Zhang also believed he was capable of settling the matter of Cangzhou.


    The Right Prime Minister and the others were also relieved and rid of their previous misgivings, starting to focus on the north-west, sparing no effort to provide Yuwen Tong with all the supplies his army needed.


    After they set their minds at ease, there was a blip in the south. Rumor had it that the South-western Army had left their encampment without authorization, but He Xiao, along with the garrisons stationed in a couple of southern cities, had overpowered them. It was not until the whole thing was over that a report of the incident was delivered to the capital city.


    ¡°Fortunately it didn¡¯t escalate. He Xiao is unbelievable. Why didn¡¯t he send us a message earlier? Did he think he could shoulder the responsibility alone if by any chance anything happens?¡±


    ¡°Previously the rebel forces in Cangzhou cut off the main road to the capital city. If the General Zhongwu hadn¡¯t taken some men there and unblocked it, we would still have been in the dark about it, so it wasn¡¯t really Commander He¡¯s fault.¡±


    After hearing the complaints, Ling Zhang slowly observed, ¡°Presently, all other cities are under our control, so we should concentrate all our efforts on supporting the troops fighting in the north-west.¡±


    ¡°Childe Ling is right. Right now the Marshal is in the border city Shengzhou. Judging from the battlefield reports we¡¯ve received, although the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom joined forces, they¡¯re not getting the upper hand, which is something we could rejoice at, I believe,¡± said the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°Only when the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom withdraw could we rejoice. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to put you to the trouble of supervising the preparation of the supplies to be delivered to the north-west, Your Lordship,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The Right Prime Minister smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    On his return, Ling Zhang immediately went to Ji Yin. ¡°Grandfather, I want to go to the borderlands.¡±


    Ji Yin¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment. ¡°No. Why do you want to go to such a dangerous place?!¡±


    Ji Yin was fully aware of why Ling Zhang intended to go to the north-west. He just disapproved of Ling Zhang going there.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ji Yin, his mouth a thin line. ¡°The situation in this city has already stabilized. Nothing would happen if I leave.¡±


    ¡°Even so, you¡¯re still not going. Yuwen Tong can win this war. You¡¯d do him more good staying in this city than going to the north-west to worry him,¡± said Ji Yin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan and the others go with me,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The answer is still no.¡± Ji Yin was not swayed.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Ling Zhang went anxious.


    Ling Zhaowu winked at him, indicating to him that there was no need to be fretful. Then he said to Ji Yin, ¡°Let me go with Zhang¡¯er. We¡¯ll have Ji Donglin accompany us. You may stay here making sure everything¡¯s in order. Rest assured, I won¡¯t let any harm come to Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    Ji Yin gaped at him. ¡°You won¡¯t let any harm come to him? Given your current physical conditions, you¡¯ll be in even greater need of protection than him. Neither of you are going. End of discussion!¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, ¡°¡­¡±


    He almost forgot what kind of state he was in.


    ¡°Father-in-law, how about you get some more men here and have them go with Zhang¡¯er? That will do, right? The Clan Leader is cooperating with Yuwen Tong anyway. Ensuring Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Zhang¡¯er¡¯s safety counts as part of the cooperation, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ji Yin slightly furrowed his eyebrows but couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse again.


    Seeing the old man was swayed, Ling Zhaowu continued, ¡°Zhang¡¯er has lost a lot of weight lately, and you¡¯ve actually been quite concerned about him, haven¡¯t you? I think you might as well let Zhang¡¯er go there. It¡¯s a better choice than having him stay and worry in vain. Zhang¡¯er is on the verge of reaching the third layer of the cultivation method. He just needs a little more experience. Maybe he¡¯ll be able to find an opportunity to make a breakthrough during this journey. Besides, the kung fu skills he now has are more than enough for him to protect himself.¡±


    Ji Yin cast a disgruntled look at him. ¡°Is this how you parent your son? Instead of dissuading him, you¡¯re actually encouraging him to go to the north-west. If anything happens to him, you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life!¡±


    ¡°I would do anything to keep Zhang¡¯er safe, including giving up my life,¡± said Ling Zhaowu solemnly.


    Ji Yin lapsed into silence. Seeing this, Ling Zhang hastily said, ¡°Grandfather, let me go. Please!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and reply to you tomorrow. Even if I am to assign some men to go with you and protect you, I¡¯ll have to consult with them first,¡± said Ji Yin eventually.


    This was as good as a yes. Ling Zhang hastened to say, ¡°Thank you, Grandfather.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to the north-west?¡± Tao Yi looked incredulously at Ling Zhang. ¡°That¡¯d be so risky.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going, no matter how risky it is,¡± affirmed Ling Zhang.


    With a serious face, Tao Yi stared at him for a while. ¡°Whatever. I could tell that I won¡¯t be able to talk you out of this just by looking at you. I only hope you¡¯ll come back in one piece. Otherwise there might be unimaginable consequences. This stable situation in the capital city hasn¡¯t come easy. If anything happens to you, there will definitely¡­ the future of this whole country would be hanging in the balance, not to mention that of this city.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Nothing¡¯s going to happen to me,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    That very evening, Ji Yin replied to them. He had made contact with a hidden branch of the Millennium Pavilion and they¡¯d agreed to sent some men to protect Ling Zhang.


    ¡°But it¡¯ll take another two days for them to get here,¡± said Ji Yin.


    A two-day wait didn¡¯t sound that bad, for at least he had got the permission to go.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re going to the north-west, what do you plan to do with the half of the commander¡¯s seal you have?¡± Ling Zhaowu asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather will be here, so it can¡¯t be lost. Still, you need to inform the Right Prime Minister and the others of it lest there be any unnecessary misunderstandings,¡± commented Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°I understand.¡±


    The next day, Ling Zhang told the Right Prime Minister and the others that he was going to the north-west.


    ¡°That¡¯s madness, Childe Ling. Preventing you from getting hurt in the north-west was the very reason why the Marshal had you stay in this city. It¡¯s too dangerous! Furthermore, this city needs you here, and you have the other half of the commander¡¯s seal, which is by no means something to be taken lightly,¡± observed the Right Prime Minister.


    ¡°The situation in this city has already stabilized. With you being here in charge, I have nothing to worry about. As for the other half of the commander¡¯s seal, it¡¯s the very matter I came here to talk to you about¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After Ling Zhang left, the Right Prime Minister and the other courtiers looked at each other in disbelief.


    ¡°Does Childe Ling really trust us so much?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he being too¡­ too reckless?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister thought for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°The way I see it, he¡¯s not being reckless but fearless, because he has something secure to rely on.¡±


    ¡°Something secure to rely on?¡± The others were baffled.


    Zhao Zheng asked thoughtfully, ¡°Your Lordship, are you referring to that kung fu expert Ling Zhang has at his back who¡¯s capable of deploying superb formations?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister gave a bob of the head. ¡°No matter whether he¡¯s a kung fu expert or not, given that Ling Zhang dared entrust him with the whole capital city, he must be very much in Ling Zhang¡¯s confidence.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Ling Mansion, Your Lordship. Did you see anybody out of the ordinary there?¡± someone inquired.


    The Right Prime Minister shook his head. ¡°Not that I can remember.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter what, since Childe Ling insists on leaving this city, the one staying behind will surely have dealings with us one way or another, and we¡¯ll find out the truth when he does.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Your Lordship.¡±


    ¡­


    After having a talk with the Right Prime Minister and some other courtiers, Ling Zhang paid a visit to Yuwen Feng the Assistant Minister of Rites.


    Yuwen Zhi and Fang Quan, along with all their allies, were locked up in the imperial palace. Yuwen Qi was also imprisoned. Yuwen Feng had been set free, but he looked rather dispirited, his face ghastly white.


    ¡°How do you feel? You don¡¯t look well,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Feng gave a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just need a rest cure. By the way, thank you for getting me out of there.¡±


    ¡°Your father is in the imperial palace¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. What my father did was inexcusable, and I don¡¯t dare intercede for him. I just hope you¡¯ll let him live.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my decision to make. You¡¯ll have to wait until Yuwen Tong comes back and talk to him about it.¡±


    This at least indicated that Yuwen Zhi was safe for the moment, so the apprehension on Yuwen Feng¡¯s face dissolved considerably. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

 Chapter 323 - The Journey to the Borderlands, Spending the Night in a Small Town

    Youzhou. Near the border.


    The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom joined forces because they wanted to take advantage of the civil strife in the Great Yue to blindside it, break through the fortification line near Youzhou, and then take Youzhou before marching straight south, but unexpectedly, the garrison in Youzhou seemed to have some time ago made preparations for this situation. After attacking it for such a long time, the coalition forces still hadn¡¯t taken the border city. Worse still, Yuwen Tong had arrived, which was very bad news for the two countries.


    ¡°Previously a small team of soldiers of the Wan Kingdom were found to be skulking outside our fortification line, and I immediately came to know those fools of the Wan Kingdom were up to something,¡± said Jiang Xi the deputy commander in a smug tone. By successfully defending Youzhou and thwarting the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s scheme, he had no doubt performed a meritorious wartime exploit.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve got enough time on your hand to boast, how about you go and make an inspection tour? The enemies have been quiet for two days. It won¡¯t be long before they launch another attack,¡± said Yuwen Tong, reading a letter in his hands, slightly furrowing his brows.


    Originally Jiang Xi had wanted to say something, but at the sight of Yuwen Tong¡¯s frown, the complacency on his face disappeared and he asked, ¡°Did something happen in the capital city, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°Everything in the capital city is under control now. Barring accidents, all they need is for me to return,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Then why are you frowning? I was startled,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    ¡°Someone refused to behave and insisted on coming here.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s resigned voice was tinged with expectation, seeming to be torn between anger and delight.


    Jiang Xi was thrown into perplexity by the complicated expression on his face. ¡°Who¡¯s coming?¡±


    After a while, Jiang Xi came to understand. Only when receiving a message about Ling Zhang from the capital city would Yuwen Tong had this kind of expression. Was the one coming by any chance¡­


    ¡°Marshal, is it Childe Ling who¡¯s coming here?¡±


    Yuwen Tong burnt the letter and answered, ¡°Yeah. If his horse is fast enough, in all likelihood he¡¯ll get here in six days.¡±


    Jiang Xi immediately cheered. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll soon see what your marriage partner looks like, Marshal?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at him. Naturally, the form of address ¡°marriage partner¡± struck him as pleasant, but Ling Zhang undoubtedly wouldn¡¯t be very happy to be addressed as such.


    This inscrutable glance from Yuwen Tong made Jiang Xi¡¯s flesh creep. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t disclose this to anybody else yet. I¡¯ll have Lao Qi make arrangements for some men to meet him covertly,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Jiang Xi patted his own chest. ¡°You may rest assured that it¡¯ll stay secret, Marshal. I look forward to seeing how charming Childe Ling, the one you¡¯re smitten by, is.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and made no reply, but his mind had flied across the borderlands to the road connecting the capital city and Youzhou.


    ¡­


    The Sanguan Mountains were between Youzhou and Shengzhou. Tongguan Town was a small town located in Youzhou, not far away from the main road leading from the capital city to Youzhou.


    Ling Zhang was on the back of Snowflake the horse. Riding alongside with him was Ling Zhaowu, closely followed by Ji Donglin, his twenty-four bodyguards and some men sent by the Millennium Pavilion to protect him. The group of them on fast horses were galloping along the main road.


    What with the war, almost all commercial and transport activities in Youzhou had stopped. Barely anybody could be seen traveling on the main road, except for some teams who were leaving Youzhou, heading south.


    ¡°Why are these people so anxious to flee when the border city of Youzhou still stands?¡± said Qiu Bing, disgruntled.


    Their trust in Yuwen Tong was absolute, and they had no doubt whatsoever that he would succeed in defending Youzhou against the attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s not their fault. They¡¯re all just common townsfolk. You can¡¯t blame them for fearing death,¡± observed Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Humph. The Marshal cannot be defeated,¡± snorted Qiu Bing.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll get there in three days. It¡¯s late. Let¡¯s find a place to spend the night. We¡¯ve been traveling for so long. It¡¯s time we got some rest,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang was bent on going to the borderlands as soon as possible, but Ling Zhaowu had just started recovering not long ago. He himself could endure the fatigue, but his father couldn¡¯t.


    Wang Dashan walked over and said, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ll go and scout out the lay of the land first. You and Master Ling may slow down a little bit.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    Wang Dashan, Qiu Bing and Zhou Xiang galloped forward. Liu Yi and the rest of the guards gathered behind Ling Zhang and his father, progressing at a gentler speed.


    Before long, Wang Dashan and the other two returned.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small town ahead, Young Master.¡±


    They went into the town and found that although some stores were still open for business, there weren¡¯t many pedestrians on the streets. Probably because of the ongoing war, residents here all looked somewhat apprehensive.


    Since Ling Zhang and the others made a big group, some residents panicked at the sight of them entering the town. All pedestrians ran off, and some storekeepers even directly shut the doors, which showed how watchful people here were.


    ¡°It seems that some people have been taking advantage of the war to loot and pillage in this area, which is why townsfolk here are so wary of strangers,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t thought of this at first. It was after Ling Zhaowu brought this up that he came to realize the reason.


    ¡°This town is not really far away from the fortification line. Even Youzhou is only a half-a-day¡¯s horse ride away. The garrison of Youzhou are still guarding the city, yet there are people in this area who dare take advantage of the war to rob and plunder?¡± said Wang Dashan, astonished.


    ¡°Brother Wang, you¡¯ve been to Youzhou before?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan responded, ¡°Some of my friends travel around the country quite often, and I once heard them talk about this town, so I know it¡¯s not far away from Youzhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Although the garrison of Youzhou are still in position, it¡¯s impossible for them to patrol this place. Besides, as this town is near the main road, robbers and ruffians could easily make their escape if they have things well planned out before committing crimes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make some inquiries later and find out if this kind of things have really been happening,¡± said Ling Zhang, a grave expression on his face.


    They checked into an inn in the town. At first the innkeeper was also very wary of them, but then he noticed that Ling Zhang, Ling Zhaowu and a couple of others were well dressed, of great presence and quite refined; on top of that, Wang Dashan and other guards were acting in a well-trained manner. In the knowledge that they were not robbers or bandits, he let his guard down and invited them to take seats in the lobby.


    ¡°Is it a meal or accommodation that you are seeking, my guests?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s late, so we¡¯d like to spend the night here. There are a lot of us. Do you have enough rooms available?¡±


    The innkeeper hurriedly answered with a nod, ¡°Yes, I do. There are very few outsiders in town at this point in time, so my inn is basically empty. There are enough rooms for all of you.¡±


    ¡°Then please prepare the rooms for us. By the way, we¡¯d like some food first.¡±


    ¡°Right away, my guest.¡±


    The innkeeper quickly took his order and then instructed his two waiters to get to work. It was quite some time before their dishes were served. Ling Zhang and the couple of others sharing the table with him were the first to have all their courses served. The cooked rice and dishes were all fresh and steaming, seeming to have just been prepared in the kitchen.


    It took the chef and waiters another long while to have all the others¡¯ dishes prepared and served.


    Then the innkeeper took the waiters to prepare the rooms. After Ling Zhang and the others had their fill of food and drink, the rooms were almost ready.


    Ling Zhang called the innkeeper over and said, ¡°Hey, keeper, there¡¯s something I want to ask you about.¡±


    ¡°What is it, my guest?¡± asked the inn-keeper.


    ¡°We traveled all the way north to this town and noticed that there were very few pedestrians on the streets. Most people, when they saw us entering the town in the distance, got scared, turned around and fled, and a lot of storekeepers closed the doors at the sight of us. What¡¯s the reason for that? To my knowledge, the defense of the border city of Youzhou is still solid. Marshal Yuwen is personally directing operations there. The Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s armies won¡¯t be able to break through the fortification line. Even if residents in this town are somewhat panic-stricken, this kind of overreaction would still sound a little dramatic. They could totally set their mind at ease and continue leading normal lives,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The inn-keeper¡¯s countenance gradually changed as he listened. His face crumpling up, he let out a sigh and then explained, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, my guest. We¡¯re not worried that the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s armies would break through the defense line. It¡¯s those brutal bandits that we¡¯re afraid of.¡±


    ¡°Brutal bandits?¡± Ling Zhang knitted his brows. Was his father right, by any chance? There were really bandits wreaking havoc on this town?


    ¡°Yeah. Two gangs of bandits have been here recently. They were not in great numbers, but they raided every store that was open, took everything they could carry and killed those who tried to stop them. After that, they fled south. We reported it to local authorities but it was no good,¡± said the innkeeper resentfully.


    ¡°Two gangs of bandits? Can you provide some details? There are not many of us, but if you could give us some specific clues, we might be able to help,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Oh, thank you in advance, my guest. That¡¯s so kind of you,¡± said the innkeeper delightedly, but then his face crumpled up again. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t do any good. Those bandits are from the north. As far as I could tell, they are a bunch of northern ruffians and rogues who fled to this area, plundered our town and then escaped to the south. They¡¯ve definitely run far away from this place by now.¡±


    ¡°The north? Right now the north should be under tight control of the North-western Army. How come these ruffians and hooligans still dare to be so unruly?¡± huffed Ling Zhang.


    The innkeeper also furrowed his brows. ¡°Nobody knows why. I think maybe those bandits fled because they heard about Marshal Yuwen¡¯s arrival and got scared. Their doings caused a panic among residents of all towns near the main road. They were targeting small towns and never went into any big ones. It¡¯s so unfortunate of us to be living in a small town.¡±


    Ling Zhang was indignant. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that in these circumstances, there would still be people who dared commit this kind of heinous crime.


    Ling Zhaowu patted his shoulders in an effort to allay his anger, and then asked the inn-keeper, ¡°How many people were there in the two gangs of bandits?¡±


    ¡°About a dozen, maybe over twenty,¡± answered the inn-keeper. ¡°These days some people who are scared of the war are going south in groups, but if they take the main road, I think there¡¯s a very high chance they¡¯ll encounter those bandits again. Alas, this is so¡­¡±


    A thought suddenly occurred to Ling Zhang and he said, ¡°We didn¡¯t come across either of the two gangs of bandits on our way here. In addition, except for this one, all the towns we stayed in along our journey had never been pillaged.¡±


    The innkeeper looked quizzical and frightened. ¡°Ah? Are they still lingering in this area, by any chance?! My goodness, they might come back here again!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ I need to tell everybody about this immediately and alert them!¡± After saying this, the innkeeper ran off. Ling Zhang and some others tried to persuade him to stay but failed.


    ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ll go and check the perimeter. If those bandits are really still around, we¡¯ll take care of them,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Okay. Be careful.¡±

 Chapter 324 - A Hunt for Bandits

    Ling Zhang and the others spent the night in the small town. What with the matter of the two gangs of bandits, they didn¡¯t resume their journey right away. Shortly after daybreak, Wang Dashan returned.


    ¡°Young Master, those bandits indeed didn¡¯t go further south. It seems that the two gangs have merged and made a den out of a spot on a hill fifty miles away from this town. Liu Yi and some others are trying to check out the lay of the land in that place, and I came back here to report it to you first.¡±


    ¡°Fifty miles away?¡±


    When Wang Dashan reported on this, Ling Zhang and the others were having breakfast in the lobby. The innkeeper and the waiters were all present. When they heard that those bandits had made a den out of a place fifty miles away, despair appeared on all their faces.


    ¡°Why did they make a den nearby? Are they planning to rob us again? We¡¯re toast. We¡¯re so toast,¡± said the inn-keeper, harassed-looking.


    Ling Zhang exchanged glances with Ling Zhaowu and then said, ¡°Since we¡¯ve already got involved in this, we won¡¯t leave until all of them are handled, so there¡¯s no need for you to panic.¡±


    The innkeeper rejoiced at these words. ¡°Thank you, childe. You¡¯re such a good Samaritan!¡±


    ¡°But those bandits number thirty to forty. Are you sure you can defeat them?¡± said one of the two waiters both of whom looked apprehensive and didn¡¯t seem to quite believe Ling Zhang and his men could handle those bandits.


    ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of bandits, a disorderly mob. We¡¯ve got nothing to fear from them,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    The two waiters seemed to have something else to say, but the innkeeper stopped them and said, ¡°If you really dispose of those bandits, you¡¯ll be the saviors of this town, and we¡¯ll do everything within our power to repay you for your help. Apart from anything else, I won¡¯t charge you a single coin for the meals or the accommodation.¡±


    Ji Donglin on the side uttered a snorting chuckle. Although he didn¡¯t saying anything, it was very obvious that he was not very struck on the promised reward.


    The innkeeper appeared somewhat disconcerted.


    Ling Zhang said to him, ¡°Please prepare some more food for us ¨C something we can carry with us: dumplings, steamed buns, etc.¡±


    The innkeeper hurriedly took his leave, followed by the two waiters.


    ¡°Should we directly go there, Young Master?¡± asked Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick and then resume our journey.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately these two gangs of thugs didn¡¯t go further south. Otherwise nobody knows how many more people would fall victim,¡± observed Wang Dashan.


    ¡°It¡¯s the north that¡¯s at war. The further south they go, the less easy targets they could find. Given that they¡¯ve made a den fifty miles away, they must¡¯ve made up their mind to take advantage of the panic to rob residents of Youzhou. Currently they don¡¯t dare travel south,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°It surprises me that this rabble of thugs actually are not incurably foolish,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    ¡°They¡¯re nothing but a crew of losers,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    After waiting for some extra time, the innkeeper had their food ready. Ling Zhang told his bodyguards to take it and deliver it to Liu Yi and the couple of others later.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not in a fit state to make a round trip to that place, so maybe you should wait in this inn for us to come back, and don¡¯t forget to take your medicine according to Mr. Mu¡¯s instructions,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowu thought for a while and agreed. ¡°Okay. Stay safe.¡±


    A disorderly mob didn¡¯t really count as a threat to them, and he believed that his son could handle it. It¡¯d be better if he saved his strength for the remainder of the journey.


    ¡°Brother Donglin, would you please have some of your men stay here?¡± Ling Zhang looked at Ji Donglin.


    Ji Donglin gave a bob of the head. ¡°I¡¯ll have five of them stay here to keep Master Ling company.¡±


    Among Ling Zhang¡¯s traveling companions were ten guards from the Millennium Pavilion sent by Ji Yin, all of whom were top-notch kung fu experts.


    ¡°Just go and get it over with. Those cold-blooded bandits not only plundered this town of its valuables but also murdered innocent people. There¡¯s no reason to show them any mercy,¡± exhorted Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and then left the inn, followed by Wang Dashan, Ji Donglin and some others. Before long, they exited the town and made a beeline towards the den of those bandits, Wang Dashan leading the way.


    The sun was already high in the sky when they arrived. Liu Yi and the others had generally got the lay of the land.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since they made this place their den. I think there used to be a couple of households in that place, but whether those people are still alive is unknown.¡± Liu Yi had a rather grave face. ¡°There are thirty-six of them in total. I did some recon and found that all the weapons they got were just some sabers and iron staffs stolen from smithies. They are nothing but a bunch of hooligans and loafers. They have no kung fu skills.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. ¡°Have something to eat. We¡¯ll go uphill in a few moments and restrain all of them.¡±


    Liu Yi bobbed his head, called the others over, took a couple of bites and then led Ling Zhang and the others uphill.


    Distantly, on the hillside, they saw a roadblock in the path, which was guarded by two men on the side who were leaning against a tree trunk, seeming rather bored, chatting in obscene language, so engaged in their conversation that they were totally oblivious of those approaching them.


    Wang Dashan and Liu Yi crept up on them and each disposed of one without making any noises. The two bandits were unaware of what happened till the last breaths of their bodies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up there.¡± Ling Zhang disgustedly flicked a glance at the two men¡¯s corpses.


    As they progressed uphill, it became more obvious that these bandits had indeed settled in this place not long ago, because along the way, they saw some newly felled trees and some messy clumps of bushes.


    The den of the bandits was located on a piece of flat ground which was quite broad. There were three adjoining houses all of which were fenced and seemed to belong to hunters living on this hill.


    Right now there were also some half-finished house-like things standing there. On the open space in front of the three houses gathered most of the bandits, arguing with each other over the building of more houses.


    ¡°I told you we should go downhill and get some carpenters and some builders to this place. We would never have had to face any of this mess had we done that. It wasted so much of my time which I could¡¯ve spent on having fun in the town down there.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. I don¡¯t know what got into Chief. We would¡¯ve joined the other group had we known that these people were so troublesome. Heading all the way south would¡¯ve been a choice so much better than staying in this godforsaken place.¡±


    ¡°That guy surnamed He forbids us to go downhill without his consent. His control-freak personality is killing me!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, both of you! If you don¡¯t cut this nonsense and it reaches Chief He¡¯s ears, there will be consequences!¡±


    ¡­


    Hearing those bandits quarreling, Ling Zhang felt rather surprised. Someone was restricting these criminals¡¯ freedom? They couldn¡¯t leave this hill at will?


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time. Restrain them all. Those who dare resist shall be killed directly,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan and the others nodded, drew their weapons and charged right into those bandits without further ado.


    Having never expected that a group of men would suddenly launch an attack on them, those bandits were all stupefied and failed to react immediately. On top of that, they didn¡¯t have any kung fu skills whatsoever, so they were no match for Wang Dashan and the others at all. Soon, they were either restrained or killed, lying on the ground this way and that.


    Ji Donglin had his men hit some of the acupoints of those who were still alive lest they try to flee.


    ¡°Identify yourselves!¡±


    As over ten bandits outside the houses were instantly killed, those inside were alarmed and quickly ran out with sabers, iron staffs and some other weapons in their hands but were also overpowered very soon.


    Wang Dashan and some others rushed into the houses and caught two men who looked like ringleaders of these people. They pushed the two of them hard, sending them to the ground. ¡°On your knees!¡±


    ¡°Have mercy on us. Please, heroes!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill us. Please don¡¯t kill us!¡±


    The dozen of surviving ones of the thirty-six bandits were all gathered together.


    ¡°These two are the leaders of these bandits?¡± Ling Zhang stared at the two men.


    One of the two was trembling uncontrollably with fear. The other, though not shaking, had a pale face, cutting a sorry figure.


    ¡°Speak!¡± Qiu Bing gave the bandit kneeling on the side a kick.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. They¡¯re our chiefs,¡± the bandit hurriedly answered.


    ¡°Where are the original owners of these houses?¡± Ling Zhang directly asked the two men without saying anything irrelevant.


    ¡°They¨CThey are¡­¡± The quivering one, with a blood-stained knife held to his throat, replied in a tremulous voice, ¡°They are dead.¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. ¡°Was it you who killed them all?¡±


    That man didn¡¯t dare respond, so scared that he wet himself, the foul odor of pee making people present nauseous.


    Ling Zhang backed away several paces consecutively, looking at the man as though he were looking at a dead man.


    Terrified out of his wits, the man soon confessed. ¡°Yes, it was us who killed them. Please have mercy on us, heroes. We¡¯ll never do anything like that again!¡±


    ¡°Kill him,¡± instructed Ling Zhang coldly.


    Wang Dashan wielded his saber and finished the man off in a flash.


    ¡°And the others,¡± added Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t! Mercy, heroes! Please spare us!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill us. Please!¡±


    ¡°Ah¨C!¡±


    The man who the others called Chief He had an ugly look on his face all along, but unlike the others, although he appeared pale and sullen, he¡¯d never trembled so far, and neither did he show any signs of a breakdown, which made Ling Zhang perceptively come to realize that this man was probably more than a common loafer.


    ¡°Let this one breathe a while longer. Find out where he comes from and how he managed to flee to this area,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    That man abruptly looked up at Ling Zhang in astonishment.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Get your filthy eyes off our young master!¡± Qiu Bing grabbed the man¡¯s hair and sneered, ¡°You¡¯d better answer all our questions with complete honesty. Otherwise I¡¯ll inflict such torture on you that you¡¯ll beg me to kill you, and I¡¯ll refuse.¡±


    Qiu Bing had a long, thin needle clamped between his fingers, which was giving off a weird, blood-curdling, blackish purple light.


    During the period when he¡¯d been learning detoxification skills from Xie Shi, he¡¯d been through a lot of pains and misery that had reduced him to yelling, so his personality had inevitably changed somewhat. At this moment, he was eyeing Chief He icily as though the man were a dummy to which he could do anything he wanted, as though he was waiting for Chief He to resist so that he could use that needle on him.


    Frightened half to death, Chief He stammered, ¡°I¨CI¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    Soon Chief He made a full confession. They came from that border city. As the border city was at war and rumor had it that Marshal Yuwen had arrived, they¡¯d fled the city for fear that the foreign enemies might take the city, and that Marshal Yuwen might kill them after the many evil deeds of theirs came to his knowledge. On their way, seeing some families moving south with very few guards, they¡¯d been tempted and robbed those people of their valuables. At first they¡¯d only aimed at money, but afterward, they had got bolder with every person they robbed, and they¡¯d started killing. They¡¯d snatched their victims¡¯ horses and other belongings and headed straight south. They¡¯d also specially picked some towns, raided them and then fled. It¡¯d been only when they arrived in this area that they decided to make a den out of this place.


    ¡°What kind of crime did you commit which made you so afraid of Marshal Yuwen that you fled that border city at the mention of his name?¡± queried Ling Zhang, fixing him with a flinty stare.

 Chapter 325 - A Mole and a Map

    Chief He felt a cold shiver of fear run through him, not daring make eye contact with Ling Zhang, head down, eyes roving nervously. Anybody could tell at a glance that he was keeping something back.


    ¡°Ah¨C!¡±


    Qiu Bing quickly stuck the needle into one of Chief He¡¯s acupoints, reducing the man to yelling in anguish.


    ¡°Answer the question right now or spend the rest of your life screaming in pain.¡±


    Chief He looked at Qiu Bing¡¯s sneering face as though he were looking at a devil. Deep panic in his eyes, face twisted with agony, he implored, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you! Please make it stop!¡±


    Qiu Bing reached out his hand to grab Chief He¡¯s chin and shoved a pill into his mouth, and with that Chief He gradually stopped the anguished cries and limply crumpled up, as though he¡¯d just been pulled back from the gates to the underworld.


    ¡°On entering the city, Marshal Yuwen killed a couple of local hoodlums who were robbing people. I once murdered someone, and originally there was nothing that guy¡¯s family could do to me, but after hearing about this matter, they decided to go to the Marshal and beseech him to help them get justice. I tried to stop them but failed. For fear of being arrested, I gathered my subordinates and we escaped from the city together.¡±


    Chief He was trembling while speaking. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying, and his words made sense.


    ¡°Please show me mercy, heroes. I¡¯ve told you everything. Please give me a chance to turn over a new leaf. I¡¯ll surrender myself to the yamen. Please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Food supply of the yamen is limited. Why should they waste any of it on scum like you?¡± said Qiu Bing coldly, gazing at Chief He. Scared by these words, Chief He started begging for his life again.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Handing these people to the yamen was indeed an option. At least the yamen would be spared the necessity of hunting for these two gangs of bandits.


    However¡­


    ¡°Young Master!¡± Wang Dashan suddenly walked out of one of the houses, holding a map in his hand.


    Chief He twisted his head around and his countenance changed drastically at the sight of the map in Wang Dashan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I found a map of secret tunnels of that border city in Youzhou. It¡¯s got annotations in Luohai language on it,¡± said Wang Dashan in a serious tone, handing the map to Ling Zhang, shooting a stern glance at Chief He.


    It was a map of the secret tunnels of that border city in Youzhou, and it bore marks in Luohai language. The combination of these two facts made it unmistakable what this map was meant for.


    On noticing the drastic change of Chief He¡¯s countenance and the determined look that suddenly appeared on his face, Qiu Bing, who was quick of eye and deft of hand, rapidly stuck the needle into one of Chief He¡¯s vital acupoints to temporarily paralyze him, gripped his chin, heavily dislocated his lower jaw and observed frostily, ¡°You want to die? That¡¯s not your decision to make any more.¡±


    Ling Zhang had opened the map. After he read it carefully, his face grew grave. Icily eyeing Chief He who was drooling at the mouth like a dying dog, he instructed, ¡°Put his jaw back in and have him tell the truth about his identity and origins. The others keep searching this place and see if there¡¯s anything else suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wang Dashan brought some men and went to scour the houses. Qiu Bing, with an evil grin, grabbed Chief He and pricked several acupoints of his, and with that Chief He started convulsing in pain, looking at Qiu Bing, a mixture of despair and horror in his eyes. What with his dislocated jaw and the extreme pain, he was totally unable to speak, meaningless grunts issuing from his throat.


    ¡°Like I said, if you don¡¯t tell me the truth, things would get so nasty that death would be a relief for you.¡± Qiu Bing crouched down with three long thin needles clamped between his fingers and specially waved them in front of Chief He¡¯s eyes. Chief He shook his head madly, looking at the three needles, extreme dread written all over his face.


    ¡°You should be thankful it¡¯s me that you¡¯re faced with. If my master is here, you would¡¯ve known what it feels like to be in hell.¡± Qiu Bing stooped, bearing down on Chief He, his ferocious and sinister eyes boring into Chief He¡¯s like a venomous snake staring at its prey.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Chief He started shaking his head even more hysterically, a beseeching expression in his eyes. ¡°AAAAAARGH!¡±


    Grinning grimly, Qiu Bing reached out a hand to put Chief He¡¯s bottom jaw back in and then disgustedly rubbed his hand against Chief He¡¯s clothes to get rid of the saliva. ¡°Now be a peach and tell me who you really are. One more lie and I¡¯ll flay you alive.¡±


    After saying this, he swiftly slit the back of Chief He¡¯s hand with the needle and then rapidly peeled away an entire patch of skin which didn¡¯t have a shred of blood on it, revealing the flesh.


    ¡°AAAAAAARGH!¡± Chief He cried out in pain but was unable to move an inch, enduring the agony, vainly trying with all his might to flinch, eyes full of despair.


    ¡°Stop yelling and tell me the truth. Don¡¯t try any clever tricks with me.¡± Qiu Bing gazed at him.


    Chief He was dripping with cold sweat, veins standing out on his forehead with agony, but he still immediately stopped screaming and said, ¡°Okay! Okay!¡±


    ¡°I come originally from the Luohai Kingdom. Five years ago I infiltrated into the Great Yue and disguised as a subject of this country, impersonating a local. Under the cover of my fake identity, I idled around but nobody ever suspected me. The task my superior assigned me was to take advantage of this opportunity to check out the lay of the land in that border city.


    A year ago, I discovered a cold lake in a small village to the east of that border city. Water level in that lake rises during the rainy season, but in the dry season, the water level falls, revealing a natural cave that leads deep into a mountain, but the cave is very narrow, allowing only one man to walk in it bent-backed. What with the short length of the dry season and the many dark dank branch paths in it, I spent over a year making preparations and finally got to the end of it during my second attempt. It turns out the cave leads to a cavern inside Mount Qingyue to the north-east of the border city. Inside Mount Qingyue is an underground river that flows straight through the mountains behind Mount Qingyue. That area is in the Luohai Kingdom and has been desolate all along owing to the dangerous terrains, but it¡¯s not far away from a border city in the Luohai Kingdom. With some excavation work, it could be used as a passage through which an elite unit could sneak into the border city in Youzhou in wartime.¡±


    While Ling Zhang listened, his countenance remained unchanged all along. He asked, ¡°You made this map on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you sent it to your superior? Has anybody in the Luohai Kingdom been informed of this? Has anybody infiltrated into that border city already?¡±


    ¡°The city declared martial law before I could find a chance to send this map back. The city gates were closed and I was unable to get out. It wasn¡¯t the dry season and that cave was inaccessible, so I didn¡¯t leave the border city right away, but afterward¡­ What I said just now was the truth. It was indeed because someone reported my commission of murder to the North-western Army that I had to take my men and flee the city in haste.¡±


    Chief He, scared out of his senses by Qiu Bing, didn¡¯t dare lie to him.


    ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ve searched this whole place. Nothing else suspicious was found.¡±


    Wang Dashan and his men had finished scouring the houses. That map in Ling Zhang¡¯s hand was the only suspect item that had been found so far.


    ¡°When does the water level in that lake normally fall?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Chief He.


    Chief He answered, ¡°Typically in winter.¡±


    There was still some time before winter, which meant that cave wasn¡¯t any good at the moment.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. This thing could be a threat to the Luohai Kingdom as well if utilized wisely.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you should tell us, spit it out immediately, or I¡¯ll make you.¡± Qiu Bing threatened Chief He once again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Frightened, Chief He hastily cried, ¡°Wha¨CWhat else do you want to know? I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you made contact with the Luohai Kingdom? Do they know you¡¯ve escaped from the border city?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Chief He immediately answered, ¡°The last time I contacted them was when I tried to give them this map, but the city gates were suddenly closed and I didn¡¯t have the time to wait for their reply. They probably have no knowledge of my fleeing the city, because it was a last-minute decision.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other spies from the Luohai Kingdom in that border city?¡± Ling Zhang asked another question.


    ¡°A cou¨Ccouple of.¡± Chief He glanced at Qiu Bing and then gave an honest answer right away.


    ¡°So the moment you left the city, they all found out about it, didn¡¯t they?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether or not they¡¯ve found out about it. Our identities are different and we seldom contact each other. But even if they found out that I¡¯d left the city, they wouldn¡¯t know about my current whereabouts,¡± said Chief He.


    Ling Zhang thoughtfully stared at him. After a while, he said, ¡°Take him.¡±


    Qiu Bing gave a grim smile at Chief He and mouthed, ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day.¡±


    Chief He shuddered, averting his eyes from Qiu Bing in fear.


    Thus, they ended this hunt for bandits, bringing back a spy. In order not to attract anybody¡¯s attention, they put some disguise on Chief He by having him change into an outfit similar to theirs, altering his hair style and doing some little tricks with his face. Having him travel among them, they returned to the inn without rousing anybody¡¯s suspicions.


    At the sight of them coming back, Ling Zhaowu, who¡¯d been waiting for them in the inn, flicked a glance at the others, paused briefly and then looked away from them and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    That subtle, almost unnoticeable pause of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s didn¡¯t escape Ling Zhang¡¯s notice. It¡¯d been none other than Chief He that Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes rested on. He¡¯d spotted the suspicious part after a single glance, which showed how observant he was. In fact, Ling Zhang had all along been having this feeling that there was something inexplicable about Ling Zhaowu, and during these days when he was together with him, this feeling had gradually grown stronger. There had been several occasions when he¡¯d been close to a flash of inspiration but failed to fathom anything out.


    ¡°Things went quite well. Those two gangs of bandits exterminated a couple of families living on that hill and took possession of their houses, planning to make a den out of that place. We killed them all. Their bodies are still on that hill,¡± Ling Zhang replied and then said to the innkeeper who were transfixed by these words of his, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you would inform the yamen of this matter and have them send some men there to deal with those bodies.¡±


    The innkeeper couldn¡¯t believe that those two gangs of bandits had really been disposed of. ¡°Childe, you¨Cyou really killed those bandits?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Thank you, childe. You¡¯re indeed the savior of this town!¡± The innkeeper came to himself and excitedly expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°Just report it to the yamen as soon as possible. By the way, before you go, tell the waiters to prepare some hot water for us. We could all use a bath. And we need some food, too,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    The innkeeper said ¡°Right away, sir!¡± several times in a row, instructed the two waiters to get to work and then ran to the local yamen.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Ling Zhaowu asked Ling Zhang after the innkeeper and the waiters left.


    ¡°A spy. He could be useful.¡± Ling Zhang gave a sketchy account of what had happened on that hill. ¡°I figure maybe he¡¯ll be useful to Yuwen Tong, so I let him live.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a bob of his head. ¡°We should resume our journey after you take a bath and have something to eat.¡±


    ¡°But your physical condition¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve made a remarkable recovery. Besides, during my stay in the capital city, your grandfather used his internal energy to help nurse me back to health, and those precious medicinal herbs of yours have been a huge help, too. Also, I¡¯ve been practicing fist techniques on a daily basis lately, so my constitution is stronger than you give it credit for.¡±

 Chapter 326 - A Reunion

    Ling Zhaowu affirmed that he was fine, so after having some rest, Ling Zhang and the others resumed their journey, bringing Chief He with them, but this time they were traveling at a slower speed.


    When the innkeeper returned to the inn with some staff members of the local yamen only to find that Ling Zhang and the others had already left, a mood of melancholy descended on him and he sighed, ¡°What an honorable man. He helps people but expects nothing in return.¡±


    Ling Zhang, however, was totally unaware of that innkeeper¡¯s sentimental opinions about him, feeling the tension in the air more distinctly as he got closer to the border city.


    Along the way, they saw a lot of residents heading south, most of whom were in groups. Seeing as they were all richly dressed, they were probably from rich families in the city. With the city under attack, they feared that the Great Yue might lose the war, so they decided to temporarily leave the city. There were also some small towns and villages the entrances and exits of which were guarded by townsfolk or villagers. All of them were very vigilant and performing their duties in good order without any panic on their faces.


    ¡°The situation here seems not bad. This area is very near to the border city, and these people didn¡¯t flee, which indicates that they¡¯re pretty confident the Great Yue will win this war,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. His face was grave, but the corners of his mouth curled slightly in spite of himself. He believed that the reason why these people were confident was because the one directing operations in the border city was Yuwen Tong. Thinking about this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. We¡¯ll get there in another day.¡± Ling Zhaowu believed that he was pretty observant, and naturally he noticed the corners of his son¡¯s mouth curl. He felt faintly jealous, for his son had a proud look on his face without even hearing anybody mention Yuwen Tong¡¯s name, which showed how deep his affection for Yuwen Tong was. How could he not be jealous?


    Ling Zhang was oblivious of his father¡¯s subtle change of mood. He just gave a bob of the head and then spurred Snowflake the horse to continue progressing.


    ¡­


    It was almost dusk and they could vaguely see the silhouette of the border city now. The huge city was standing ahead. The high ramparts built for defensive purposes seemed quite intimidating. There was no vegetation on the perimeter, and guards were densely posted along the ramparts, all of whom were keeping close watch on passers-by.


    There were actually very few passers-by at this hour. Ling Zhang and the others were the only ones approaching the city gates at this moment. As they made a large group, the soldiers on the ramparts were instantly on the alert. The barricades at the city gates were put up, in front of which stood some soldiers with their spears pointing at Ling Zhang and the others.


    ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± yelled the one in charge, his eyes vigilantly appraising the approaching group.


    ¡°Dismount and come here to receive security check! One more step and we¡¯ll shoot you!¡± bawled the officer again.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and motioned for those behind him to stop, slowly reined in Snowflake, twisted his head around and said, ¡°Dismount.¡±


    Then he got off his horse and all others followed suit. Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu were walking in front. Wang Dashan and the rest of them were keeping a weather eye on the archers on the gate tower, poised to immediately escort Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu away if anything unexpected happened.


    The grim look in that officer¡¯s eyes softened slightly as he saw Ling Zhang and the others dismount from their horses, but he didn¡¯t give the order for the soldiers behind him to put away their spears, nor did he instruct the archers on the gate tower to unload their bows.


    Leading Snowflake, Ling Zhang slowly approached. The officer asked, ¡°Who are you people? Why did you come to this border city?¡±


    Ling Zhang produced an ID plate from his sleeve to let the soldier see the words embossed on it and replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for someone.¡±


    The officer was taken aback at the sight of the ID plate. With an expression of surprise and incredulity on his face, he sized up Ling Zhang. ¡°Who are you exactly? And how did you come to get an ID plate of the Marshal¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Ling. I specially came here to see the Marshal. These gentlemen behind me are my bodyguards. They mean no harm. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may search us or send someone back into the city to report it to the Marshal.¡± Ling Zhang was very polite.


    The officer¡¯s eyes widened as he heard Ling Zhang say his surname was Ling, and then, seeing Ling Zhang had a courteous manner and wasn¡¯t putting on airs at all, he became much less wary of Ling Zhang and began to appraise Ling Zhang with a curious look in his eyes. ¡°Are you really surnamed Ling?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± responded Ling Zhang, taking no offence. Although this officer¡¯s eyes were roving on him, inside them was nothing more than curiosity.


    The officer was a trifle hesitant, but his attitude was clearly very different from how it¡¯d been just now. In a polite manner, he said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ve sent someone back to report to the Marshal.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡±


    After hearing this, the officer seemed somewhat embarrassed, raising his hand to scratch his head. After a while, he involuntarily looked at Ling Zhang again and then shifted his gaze to Ling Zhaowu who was beside Ling Zhang and the others behind him, his eyes full of curiosity.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang could tell from his bearing that he had guessed his identity, that he only needed a final confirmation.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re from the capital city?¡± inquired the officer, the second ¡°You¡± in honorific form.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to address me with an honorific title. I¡¯m just an ordinary person. I¡¯m indeed from the capital city. I specially came here to take a look because I¡¯m worried about the situation in this border city. I don¡¯t want to disturb anybody.¡±


    The officer¡¯s eyes gleamed slightly. He had got a shrewd idea of who Ling Zhang was and just found it hard to believe that he was actually seeing the Marshal¡¯s partner-to-be in the flesh. It struck him that Ling Zhang was attractive, good-tempered, modest, smiled mildly and talked in a pleasant manner, that the Marshal¡¯s would-be marriage partner was a much nicer person than he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°You traveled all the way here? Is everything okay in the capital city? Did you tell the Marshal about it in advance?¡± The officer asked three questions in one breath.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I wrote him a letter before departure. Everything¡¯s fine in the capital city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± grinned the officer fatuously, looking at Ling Zhang, curiosity written all over his face. He had a lot of questions but was too embarrassed to ask any of them, so he just awkwardly smiling at Ling Zhang. After a few moments, he inquired, ¡°Who are these gentlemen? They don¡¯t strike me as bodyguards.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows slightly lifted. He had thought that this officer had guessed his identity and wouldn¡¯t ask any questions of this kind, but unexpectedly, though seemingly uptight, the officer had actually noticed this part. Also, since this officer had asked about it, Ling Zhang felt obliged to answer it, for this officer was not a person to be trifled with.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°This is my father, and this couple of gentlemen here are my father¡¯s friends. Those twenty-four men are guards working for my family,¡± Ling Zhang explained to him.


    The officer¡¯s face instantly took on an expression of dawning comprehension and he cast a hearty look at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°So you¡¯re the father-in-law?¡±


    ¡°??¡± Ling Zhang and the others were thrown into perplexity. What?


    As though having realized he said the wrong thing, the officer immediately added, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ve got used to it and it just slipped out. I mean, are you the Marshal¡¯s father-in-law?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said with a smile, ¡°It seems that you¡¯re a well-informed man, officer. You even know about the Marshal¡¯s father-in-law. I think it¡¯s safe to say that you¡¯re pretty close to the Marshal.¡±


    On hearing this, the officer embarrassedly scratched his head. ¡°I came to this city with our deputy commander, and so did all the others on duty at the city gates. Of all members of the North-western Army, the deputy commander is the one who enjoys gossiping about the Marshal the most, so we¡¯ve all heard a lot of it.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched unnoticeably. He ratted on his deputy commander just like this? Was this man slow or sly?


    Even Ling Zhaowu pulled a wry face. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s okay that this matter has come to the knowledge of you guys. I have nothing to hide.


    Still, just now you said that you¡¯d got used to it. What did you mean by that?¡±


    Having never expected that Ling Zhaowu would ask about this, the officer uttered ¡°Ah?¡± with a vacant face and then replied, ¡°Well, we talked about it a lot in private and got used to it. In the North-western Army, the Marshal is like a god, and all of us care about him very much and would lay down our lives to guard him. Not long ago, the Marshal returned to the capital city and got engaged to someone, and after that we heard that the Marshal got a father-in-law. We¡¯re all very happy for him and privately curious about what the person the Marshal is going to marry is like, and we confidentially asked our deputy commander a lot about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu exchanged glances. This officer¡¯s words contained an undertone. He was telling them that Yuwen Tong was their god, that the soldiers would guard him with their lives. In other words, under no circumstances would they let anything happen to Yuwen Tong, and even if he was Yuwen Tong¡¯s betrothed, these people were also wary of him. This officer was, in a very roundabout way, warning him.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. My son is the apple of my eye, and I would never let any harm come to him, not even a minor scratch. In my eyes, all precious treasures paled into insignificance beside my son. It seems that your marshal and my son are meant for each other,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu.


    The officer¡¯s face was slightly wooden for a moment but soon returned to normal. ¡°Tell me about it. Given the great presence of your son, he must be an extraordinarily talented man. He and our marshal are a perfect match for each other. Their marriage is predestined.¡±


    Ling Zhang inwardly snickered, feeling that this man was pretty quick-witted and might be a talent, for he¡¯d come to know that the undertone of warning in his words was detected, and after hearing the riposte, he¡¯d immediately extricated himself from the delicate situation without showing a shred of embarrassment on his face.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    The quick clatter of horses¡¯ hoofs issued from the city gates. Snowflake led by Ling Zhang reared and gave a long neigh and with that another neigh came from the city gates in response. It was North Wind, on the back of which was, naturally, Yuwen Tong. Behind him were a lot of others, all of whom were staring in this direction with glittering eyes.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of Yuwen Tong, but as they alighted on the group of officers who were gazing at him with expectant eyes, Ling Zhang inexplicably took a step backward, having a hunch that he was soon going to be besieged by those people and appraised by their eyes.


    Moreover, it was at this moment that he noticed that the city was very quiet, and this officer on duty at the city gates looked quite relaxed. It seemed that there was no military operation on this day.


    North Wind was very fast and soon galloped up and came to a halt in front of the group.


    Yuwen Tong dismounted and strode over to Ling Zhang, gazing at him fervently. Their eyes met and it seemed as though they were about to merge into each other.


    But Yuwen Tong still had his self-restraint. After he and Ling Zhang holding each other¡¯s gaze for a long moment, Yuwen Tong withdrew his eyes and paid his respect to Ling Zhaowu first. ¡°It¡¯s a great pleasure to meet you, father-in-law.¡±


    Those officers behind him had all dismounted from their horses and were now looking unblinkingly in this direction. At the sight of Yuwen Tong bowing to Ling Zhaowu, their eyes brightened even further as though they were seeing some kind of pageant.

 Chapter 327 - Childe Ling Entering the City

    Yuwen Tong made a bow to Ling Zhaowu with hands folded in front, and all the military officers behind him were watching this scene with glinting eyes. After lifting their eyebrows and winking at each other as signals for a few moments, they suddenly bowed in unison and chorused, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Master Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhang were taken aback and hurriedly looked at them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I deserve such a level of formality. Please rise, generals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what we should do. You¡¯re the Marshal¡¯s father-in-law, which means you¡¯re an honored guest of the North-western Army.¡± Those officers straightened themselves, every one of them beaming, sneaking looks at Ling Zhang, ill-concealed curiosity gleaming in their searching eyes. ¡°Marshal, I believe this is the part where you introduce this childe to us.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed them a glance, but these men were not intimidated, still watching with smiling faces, they eyes roving on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.


    Just now Ling Zhang had been startled by that sudden uniform act of theirs, but if truth be told, these people meant no harm and were all smiling. Though their expressions were curious and a trifle arch, they were all friendly and made him feel an upsurge of closeness to their owners.


    ¡°This is Ling Zhang, the one you guys have been looking forward to seeing. He¡¯ll be as good as a second master of yours in the future. Now come here and pay your respects,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was embarrassed at these words, feeling that it was an exaggeration to say that he¡¯d be a second master of them. He was not that thick-skinned. ¡°What are you talking about? Please don¡¯t listen to him, gener¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Childe Ling!¡± chorused the group of officers, hands folded in front, bowing to him in unison, interrupting him.


    Unable to finish his sentence, Ling Zhang hastened to make a bow in response and said, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, too, generals.¡±


    Yuwen Tong reached out his hand and raised him. With his hand on the small of Ling Zhang¡¯s back, Yuwen Tong had him stand bolt upright and then said to the others, ¡°You may rise.¡±


    The others straightened themselves, their faces creasing into beams again. They each made a self-introduction and then one of them said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so polite to us, Childe Ling. Our marshal has been a bachelor for over twenty years. You¡¯re doing us a great favor by accepting him. If there¡¯s anything you need our help with, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face fell. Ling Zhang, however, hurriedly replied, ¡°You have a great sense of humor, general.¡±


    These people were very straightforward. So Yuwen Tong, who had been single for many years, had actually been an embarrassment to the troops? Ling Zhang found this quite amusing.


    ¡°Father-in-law,¡± said Yuwen Tong, looking at Ling Zhaowu, ¡°a welcome reception has been prepared in the city. Let¡¯s go inside right away.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head, pretending not to have noticed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which was still on the small of Ling Zhang¡¯s back. ¡°Okay.¡±


    As the group of them rode through the city gates, soldiers on duty seriously stood on the roadside, following them with their eyes. Naturally, their eyes were mostly appraising Ling Zhang, excitement and curiosity bubbling beneath their pretence of being grave.


    After going through the broad high city gates, Ling Zhang was greeted by the inside of the border city.


    Ling Zhang had never been to the north before in this incarnation of his or the last one, and he certainty had no idea what a border city looked like. During his journey to this place, he had seen a lot of northern customs and practices all of which couldn¡¯t be found in the south. Now, being in a border city, he was experiencing first-hand the roughness and vastness of it. After entering the city, he first came in sight of a broad thoroughfare and the buildings on the two sides of it which were of a different style from that of buildings in other cities. These buildings were all very rugged and substantial in style, and many of them were built of stone. Anybody could tell at a glance that they were very sturdy.


    Apart from the eateries, taverns and stores on both sides of the thoroughfare, Ling Zhang also saw some residents of this city who, unlike southerners, were dressed less exquisitely, with very few ornaments, but who struck him as very natural, casual and pleasantly exotic. In addition, residents here laughed in a very hearty way, and when they were impassive, there was an air of ruggedness and determination about them. The war was ongoing right outside the city, but there was no fear or panic whatsoever on their faces. Though a lot of people¡¯s expressions were tinged with apprehension, Ling Zhang could still tell that they were very strong-willed.


    Pedestrians aside, teams of soldiers on patrol were the only people that could be seen. Soldiers here were different from those in the capital city as well, appearing apathetic and tenacious, all emanating a menacing air. They were sure-footed and their eyes were penetrating, which made it unmistakable that they were no milksop.


    Distantly, Ling Zhang was hearing more sounds, including the sound of troops drilling in unison and the footsteps of large groups of people walking around. The activities sounded busy but not noisy, and they struck him as orderly.


    ¡°Guys, look at that young childe on a white horse. He entered the city side by side with the Marshal. Who is he?¡±


    As soon as Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the city, people inside, soldiers and residents alike, started casting them searching and appraising looks from all sides. They made way for him and Yuwen Tong on their own account to let them through, standing on the roadside, staring squarely at them in an open and forthright way without the slightest inclination to conceal their curiosity.


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty good-looking. I think he¡¯s from a rich family in a place like the capital city, given his delicate skin and the aristocratic air about him.¡±


    ¡°Is he a son of some dignitary in the capital city, by any chance? What business could he possibly have in a border city at this point in time?¡±


    ¡°Oh, can¡¯t you see that the Marshal¡¯s attitude towards him is different? Although the Marshal stays in the border city in Shengzhou most of the time and seldom comes here, nobody has ever dared to ride side by side with the Marshal in this city, but this childe is not only riding abreast of the Marshal, the Marshal seems to care about him very much. You see? The Marshal just twisted his head aside to look at the childe again.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I think you¡¯ve got a point. Is this person friends with the Marshal?¡±


    ¡°That white horse he¡¯s riding is a rare, precious breed. It matches the Marshal¡¯s black horse pretty well.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all looking at the person, why are you looking at his horse? Surely you don¡¯t think that horse could tell you who that childe is or the relations between him and the Marshal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. What¡¯s wrong with that? This childe is by no means a common person. I mean, he¡¯s riding shoulder to shoulder with the Marshal, and the Marshal is paying special attention to him, and his horse is a rare and precious breed. Moreover, he¡¯s escorted by a group of bodyguards. You see that? Considering the look in those bodyguards¡¯ eyes, they must have serious kung fu skills. Oh, look at those ten guys in different robes. Tsk, tsk. They¡¯re noticeably more apathetic. They¡¯re acting like we didn¡¯t even exist.¡±


    ¡­


    People on both sides of the road were discussing constantly what they were seeing. Their voices were not loud, but Ling Zhang, whose sense of hearing was far sharper than before, naturally heard them distinctly.


    He looked at Yuwen Tong and asked curiously, ¡°Is it true that nobody has ever walked side by side with you before?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°In this city, no. None of them dares to walk with me.¡±


    Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. ¡°Judging from the curiosity on their faces, they seem to be unaware that you¡¯re getting married.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Not me getting married ¨C we¡¯re getting married.¡±


    It¡¯d been a while since the last time they¡¯d seen each other, and at this moment Yuwen Tong was itching to take Ling Zhang to his tent to spend some time alone with him. Unfortunately for him, Ling Zhaowu was present, so he had to follow the etiquette, which made him feel quite frustrated. As a result, he became unhappy when he heard Ling Zhang say ¡°You¡¯re¡± instead of ¡°We¡¯re¡±.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. I said the wrong thing and I apologize. We haven¡¯t seen each other for such a long time. Are you really giving me that face? Did I make a mistake by coming a long way to this place to see you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    He immediately put on a different look and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been missing you since the moment I left the capital city. There isn¡¯t a day that passes when I don¡¯t want to finish these troublesome matters as soon as possible and then go back to the capital city to be with you. I¡¯m very happy that you came here. If you say that again, you¡¯d be breaking my heart.¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly gazed at him for a while and then said, ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me?¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Yuwen Tong asked a question instead of giving an answer.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°For coming to this border city to see you instead of staying in the capital city as you told me to.¡±


    On hearing this remark, Yuwen Tong felt as though something had just lightly scratched his heart, giving him an itchy and numb sensation. ¡°But from the moment I saw you, I couldn¡¯t think of anything but you.


    I did tell you to stay in the capital city, but now that you¡¯ve come here, I don¡¯t want you to go anywhere else. I just want you to stay by my side, so that the great emptiness of heart that has been troubling me for such a long time would finally ebb away. Previously I felt depressed all the time and I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had divided these words into two parts, and Ling Zhang blushed scarlet at these remarks, his heart fluttering contentedly, worried that somebody might have overheard them. ¡°Wha¨CWhat are you talking about? There¡¯re so many people here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, and I¡¯m being quite restrained.¡± Yuwen Tong believed he did nothing wrong.


    Ling Zhaowu behind them gave an awkward cough, flicking a meaningful glance at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong hurriedly shut up and sat bolt upright, realizing that he had got carried away and forgotten about his father-in-law.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    With a flush on his cheeks, Ling Zhang twisted his head aside and the two of them lapsed into silence.


    The two groups of people in their wake ¨C Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguards and Yuwen Tong¡¯s subordinates ¨C all appeared rather disappointed as though they wanted to hear more of it. Just now they had pricked up their ears and been keeping silent all along, listening hard to the conversation between the two people in front, exchanging sly glances from time to time, their eyes gleaming with gossipy excitement.


    Seeing the two of them really fell silent, Jiang Xi rolled his eyes and then rode up to Ling Zhang. ¡°Childe Ling, this is the first time you¡¯ve been to a border city, I suppose?¡±


    Ling Zhang twisted his head around to look at him and smiled, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been meaning to come here all along but never got the chance. This is my first time being in a place like this.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to hear something about the local customs and practices in this border city? Although this place is not as prosperous as the capital city, and nor is it as beautiful as any of the southern cities, there are many interesting spots here,¡± said Jiang Xi quickly.


    Naturally Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t decline such a kind offer. He said with a nod, ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you, General Jiang. Please go ahead.¡±


    Jiang Xi gave a smug grin and began, ¡°Do you know that this border city in Youzhou has three greatest features, Childe Ling?¡±


    These words piqued Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Three greatest features? What are they?¡±


    Jiang Xi said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess? Use your imagination.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. How was he supposed to guess it without any hints? But he nicely played along with Jiang Xi¡¯s little game and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know any of the three greatest features of this border city in Youzhou, but after I entered the city, I found that this place is indeed quite unique. I¡¯ll summarize the features I saw. This city boasts the highest ramparts, the most conscientious soldiers, the most straightforward residents, the broadest streets as well as the most substantial houses. It strikes me as the safest place. The existence of this city is the very source of the stability of Youzhou and the Great Yue.¡±

 Chapter 328 - The Marshals Marriage Partner

    Ling Zhang¡¯s words were heard by not only Jiang Xi but also some others. He neither downplayed nor dramatized it but just expressed his real opinions about it in a matter-of-fact way. His voice was not as sonorous as that of a serviceman, but he sounded sincere and affable, his eyes bright and sparkling, making every one of his listeners feel an upsurge of affection for him.


    Jiang Xi laughed, ¡°Haha¡­ Although you didn¡¯t guess any of the three greatest features, those things also count as characteristics of this city, but speaking of the highest ramparts, the most conscientious soldiers and the most straightforward residents, you should wait until you visit the border city in Shengzhou to draw a conclusion. That place is our headquarters. Some day when you get there, you¡¯ll know what I mean.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    Jiang Xi burst into laughter.


    After he finished laughing, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°So what are the three greatest features that you just mentioned?¡±


    Having no intention to keep him in suspense, Jiang Xi replied, ¡°The strongest liquor, the fiercest winds, and the most henpecked husbands.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes slightly dilated. ¡°I understand what you mean by ¡®the strongest liquor¡¯ and ¡®the fiercest winds¡¯, but what is ¡®the most henpecked husbands¡¯ about?¡±


    Jiang Xi threw a significant glance at Yuwen Tong and then answered with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s because most people living in this city, except for merchants, are kin to troops of the North-western Army. Many servicemen¡¯s family members live here. When soldiers are fighting a war, their wives are worried about them all the time, which is something soldiers always feel guilty about. In addition, whenever the troops return from the battlefield, their wives always prepare the most delicious food for them to eat and the warmest beds for them to sleep in, treating their husbands as the light of their lives. As a result, although in this city men always act like they were the mightiest warriors in the world, at home all of them are the most henpecked husbands, because they don¡¯t have the heart to anger their wives. As for the Marshal¡­ haha¡­ naturally he¡¯d outshine most of the others in this regard. Childe Ling, you may rest absolutely assured that the Marshal will be very good to you after you two get married.¡±


    Most of his words sounded reasonable and sensible, but the last remark¡­


    Ling Zhang flushed, casting a sideward glance at Yuwen Tong.


    Appearing very composed, Yuwen Tong looked back at him innocently as if saying, ¡°Jiang Xi is telling the truth.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing the two of them start to exchange amorous glances again, Jiang Xi smugly twisted his head around and grimaced at the others.


    ¡°That sounds a pretty sweet feature,¡± observed Ling Zhang. Anxious to steer the conversation away from this feature, he added, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more details about the strongest liquor and the fiercest winds.¡±


    Jiang Xi, who had a sense of propriety and didn¡¯t dare go too far, responded, ¡°The strongest liquor is called Raging Flame, which could only be made in Youzhou. It¡¯s available in all these roadside taverns and eateries. If you want to find out how it tastes, you may have the Marshal spare some time to take you here to give it a try. The owner of the tavern or the eatery would definitely entertain you with the best Raging Flame he has. A small bowl of Raging Flame is enough to bring a man with a decent tolerance to alcohol to the ground.


    As regards the fiercest winds, what with the special geographical location of this city, in winter there are wild gales from the direction of the Luohai Kingdom, and soldiers on the rampart facing that direction would be blown away if they don¡¯t tie themselves to the battlements with ropes.¡±


    ¡°I see. This is indeed something I¡¯ve never heard of before,¡± said Ling Zhang, getting somewhat curious.


    Having worked himself up, Jiang Xi was just about to continue when Yuwen Tong shot him a disgruntled glance and with that Jiang Xi held back the words that had sprang to the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know. We¡¯ve just won a fight, so the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom won¡¯t be making trouble for us in the next couple of days, which means I can spare some time and show you around the city,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Ling Zhang gently after he silenced Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Great. So where are the coalition forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom now? Did they retreat?¡±


    ¡°They backed away fifty miles. Currently, our troops are stationed outside the city. Sooner or later there will be a large-scale final battle,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s attention had shifted completely away from him, Jiang Xi, who had just received an admonitory look from the Marshal, knew that if he uttered another word, he would anger the person he couldn¡¯t afford to anger, so he curled his lip, slowed his horse down and lagged behind to progress with his comrade-in-arms.


    ¡°Humph. How could the Marshal kick down the ladder like that? Just now it was me who raised Childe Ling¡¯s spirits,¡± snorted Jiang Xi under his breath.


    Someone on the side said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so bitter. Given how wary the Marshal is of other men Childe Ling speaks with, you should feel lucky that he let you talk to Childe Ling for that long.¡±


    Jiang Xi gave a dramatic chuckle and then lowered his voice. ¡°That guy has been a bachelor for ages, and this time he hit a jackpot, so of course he¡¯s wary of other men.¡±


    The one on the side snickered but didn¡¯t dare make any other remarks.


    ¡­


    The group of them went riding through a long street, took a turn and continued proceeding. It would take quite some time to traverse this large border city to the city gates on the other side.


    Ling Zhang curiously asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°How did you come to arrive so soon just now?¡±


    ¡°I did some calculation and figured you¡¯d get here today or tomorrow, so yesterday I stayed in the General¡¯s Office,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Comprehension dawned on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. In the knowledge that he¡¯d been waiting for him for more than a day, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I got a little bit sidetracked during the journey. Am I delaying your handling of any military affairs?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°I can deal with important issues in the General¡¯s Office just as well as I can in the encampment. As for small ones, my subordinates will handle them. Currently we are still waiting for the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom to make their move. They¡¯ve lost four battles running and been forced to back away fifty miles. There¡¯s a wide divergence of opinion inside the coalition and they¡¯re engaged in heated arguments. When they¡¯re done arguing, they¡¯ll launch another attack on us.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. The very mention of the names of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom made him feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ling Zhang was just about to disclose that he¡¯d caught a spy sent by the Luohai Kingdom when he realized they were on a street and forbore from doing so.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in detail when we get there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of his head.


    Also, it was inappropriate to neglect his father-in-law, so Yuwen Tong picked a topic and struck up a conversation with Ling Zhaowu, talking mostly about the situation in this border city. He didn¡¯t confide any confidential military information, of course. Their talk was basically about the general situation.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s countenance had been calm all along. He¡¯d been quite composed from the moment he¡¯d entered this city, as though what he was seeing was utterly unsurprising. He appeared so placid that it seemed as if he¡¯d seen this kind of scene many times.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhaowu, a faintly thoughtful look on his face. There was something about Ling Zhaowu that struck him as different from what he¡¯d believed it to be, and the air Ling Zhaowu occasionally emanated was also something that shouldn¡¯t have radiated from the Ling Zhaowu he knew.


    ¡­


    Gradually, the group of people exited the city and all of them slowly lapsed into silence after being greeted by the scene outside.


    The damage left by the war could still be seen right and left, and the atmosphere became much more serious immediately after they went through the city gates.


    As they rode away from the gateway, the seemingly boundless encampment of the army gradually came into view. It was such a spectacular sight that it was virtually unforgettable. Ling Zhang stared at the encampment ahead that was getting clearer and clearer, unable to take his eyes off it for quite a while.


    At this moment night was falling, and soldiers in the encampment were lighting lanterns here and there. If it weren¡¯t for the grave mood of this point in time, the encampment studded with lighted lanterns would be as beautiful as the Milky Way in the night sky, making people slow their breathing in spite of themselves.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. You and my father-in-law must be quite tired after such a long journey. You should get something to eat at the welcome reception and then go to sleep early,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang nodded and then twisted his head around to look at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Father, are you feeling okay?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu replied, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a bit weary, but we¡¯ve already got here, and I¡¯ll be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Some soldiers outside the encampment gates welcomed them. They chorused respectfully, ¡°Welcome back to the encampment, Marshal!¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head and then led Ling Zhang and the others into the encampment. On entering the encampment, they felt the atmosphere that was peculiar to a military encampment. Soldiers all reverently addressed Yuwen Tong as ¡°Marshal¡± at the sight of him coming and then curiously shifted their gaze to Ling Zhang and the others who were in the company of Yuwen Tong.


    Snowflake, Ling Zhang¡¯s white horse, was very conspicuous in this place. Owing to his temperament which was far removed from a military encampment, all soldiers couldn¡¯t help looking in his direction, and they were doing this in a very bold way.


    ¡°So that person is Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°Our marshal¡¯s future marriage partner?¡±


    ¡°Considering the Marshal personally led him here, he surely is. Didn¡¯t the deputy commander say that the Marshal¡¯s marriage partner would come here in a day or two? And he told us to behave ourselves and not to be too noisy lest the Marshal¡¯s marriage partner be scared.¡±


    ¡°Pity he¡¯s too far away. I didn¡¯t even see his face clearly. I wish it were daytime.¡±


    Distantly, the four words ¡°the Marshal¡¯s marriage partner¡± smote Ling Zhang¡¯s ears, and this form of address was being mentioned again and again¡­ Ling Zhang tightened his grip on the reins, his face tense. He turned his head around to gaze at Yuwen Tong and then said through gritted teeth, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they calling me¡­ calling me¡­ What kind of stupid form of address is that?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong seemed as though he was utterly blameless. ¡°I can¡¯t eavesdrop on them and monitor what kind of form of address they use. They mean no harm, and they¡¯ve all been looking forward to seeing you since they were told that you¡¯d come here.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that they were malevolent. It¡¯s just I don¡¯t want them to call me that. You must¡¯ve heard it before. Why didn¡¯t you stop them?¡±


    Yuwen Tong still appeared quite innocent. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that. Although my sense of hearing is amazingly sharp, I haven¡¯t been eavesdropping on people¡¯s personal conversations all the time. In addition, I¡¯m a very busy man and I don¡¯t have the time to find out how they call you in private. Besides¡­ that¡¯s a nice form of address, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Under the cover of night, Ling Zhang reached out a hand to give Yuwen Tong a hard pinch and demanded through clenched teeth, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Preparing trousseaus had already made him feel that he should¡¯ve acted sooner, that Yuwen Tong had taken advantage of him. If all troops of the North-western Army called him ¡°the Marshal¡¯s Marriage Partner¡±¡­ he really couldn¡¯t imagine how weird it would be. The very thought of it gave Ling Zhang goosebumps.


    Yuwen Tong lightly gasped in pain. Seeing Ling Zhang was indeed annoyed, he hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them not to call you that again. Stop pinching me.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched and with that he let go of Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm, gave a cold snort and then ignored him.


    Jiang Xi and the others, who were following in their wake, all secretly lowered their heads, snickering.

 Chapter 329 - A Welcome Reception and a Romantic Night

    Ling Zhang¡¯s arrival caused a commotion in the military encampment. After Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the main tent, the commotion gradually subsided.


    The security around the main tent was very tight, and the atmosphere in this area was even more serious than it was outside.


    ¡°Marshal, the welcome reception is ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good job.¡±


    The location for the welcome reception is a tent next to the main tent. What with the limited space, arrangements were made for Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three bodyguards as well as the ten guards from the Millennium Pavilion to take seats in another tent which was a certain distance away from the main tent. Wang Dashan and the others, who had a sense of propriety and knew their place, had stopped at the periphery of their own accord instead of following Ling Zhang to the main tent.


    Sitting in the main tent were eight people: Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhaowu, Jiang Xi and four leading generals, including Shao Feng, the general who used to be in charge of the defense of Youzhou.


    ¡°Childe Ling, our supplies of food are limited, so these dishes are probably nothing compared to what they have in the capital city. I¡¯m sorry you have to put up with this,¡± said Shao Feng.


    ¡°Not at all, General Shao. I¡¯m just a common man, the same as any of the soldiers guarding this city. It doesn¡¯t matter what we have on the table. What matters is that we¡¯re now all sitting here around the same table,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I told you you overthought it, Lao Shao. Childe Ling is nothing like any of those rich boys,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. These people were tactfully sounding him out, and they were doing it in such a natural and frank way that he was unable to take a dislike for them.


    Although it was wartime, there was no sign of nervousness or unease in the encampment. In everybody¡¯s eyes was only staunchness.


    The welcome reception was quite simple. Considering Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu had just finished a long journey, the couple of generals took their leave after only a short time.


    Yuwen Tong, Jiang Xi, Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu were the only ones left in the tent.


    ¡°The situation in the capital city has stabilized. Fang Quan and some others are in custody. We expect you to decide what to do with them after you go back there. As for Cangzhou, the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) is trying his best to suppress the rebellion. The garrison of Jiangzhou has been forced into retreating to Jiangzhou by the garrison of Shengzhou, and the commander of Jiangzhou garrison has died. Everything is under control for the moment. We¡¯re all waiting for this war to be over,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have lost several battles in a row and suffered heavy casualties. They¡¯re losing momentum and wavering in their determination. They won¡¯t be able to last long, and the next time they attack, they¡¯ll go all out.¡±


    ¡°Presently we¡¯re making preparations for the oncoming final battle,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang knew that he had limited knowledge in this regard, and he didn¡¯t dare make any ungrounded remarks before getting more acquainted with the lay of the land, so he just told them about that spy of the Luohai Kingdom that he¡¯d caught during the journey.


    ¡°Right now, Chief He is guarded by Wang Dashan and the others. I¡¯ll leave it up to you to decide whether to kill him or release him.¡±


    Jiang Xi clapped his hands. ¡°This is terrific. Let me deal with it, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang, who was just about to speak when Ling Zhaowu rose to his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, General. I¡¯m a little tired and I¡¯d appreciate it if you would find me a bed.¡±


    ¡°Sure. This way, please,¡± said Jiang Xi immediately.


    After Ling Zhaowu and Jiang Xi left, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were the only ones left in the tent.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°I brought a lot of people here. Do you have enough space to accommodate all of us?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Jiang Xi will handle it. Pitching another couple of tents shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Where am I sleeping?¡±


    Yuwen Tong put his arm around Ling Zhang and swept him into his embrace. Looking him in the face, he said, ¡°You¡¯re on my turf now. Where else do you think I¡¯ll let you sleep?¡±


    After saying this, he gave Ling Zhang a kiss. Eyes going ardent, he was just about to continue kissing him when Ling Zhang hastily stopped him. ¡°Wait a moment. I need to take a bath first.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. ¡°I do.¡±


    Seeing Yuwen Tong still refused to let go, he patted Yuwen Tong. ¡°Now get your hands off me and take me where I can have a bath.¡±


    Yuwen Tong cast a deep look at him, heaved a resigned sigh, reluctantly gave his cheek a neither hard nor light nibble, and then stood up, raising Ling Zhang to his feet, and led him towards the door of the tent.


    Realizing that there were guards in the doorway, Ling Zhang tried to free his hand from Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip, but Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t let him. ¡°You don¡¯t let me kiss you, and you don¡¯t even let me hold your hand. You¡¯re actually killing me.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Your soldiers are standing right outside. What will they think of us if they see us like this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Nothing. What¡¯s wrong with us holding each other¡¯s hands? Who would possibly have a problem with that?¡±


    Saying this, Yuwen Tong forcibly drew Ling Zhang out of the tent. The soldiers on guard duty in the doorway didn¡¯t even glance at them.


    Ling Zhang sneaked a look at the soldiers and felt a sense of relief as he saw that they were still impassive.


    But in fact, after he and Yuwen Tong walked far away, the two soldiers guarding the tent exchanged knowing glances and secretly winked at each other.


    Yuwen Tong brought Ling Zhang to the main tent which was the place he lived in. It was very roomy. The front of it was a meeting room with all necessities available: a table, some chairs, a sand table, maps, etc. Behind the meeting room was a bedroom, which was separated from the meeting room. The bedroom was quite spacious, too, with a bed, a desk, some chairs, a couple of chests, a long-legged teapoy and some other homeware in it. Ling Zhang¡¯s traveling bags which contained his clothes and other stuff had been moved into this tent and neatly placed on top of the chests.


    ¡°Grab your change of clothes. We¡¯ll go and have a bath,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Walking towards his baggage to unpack, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°Jiang Xi and some others specially pitched a tent beside this one in the knowledge that you were coming and might be unaccustomed to living in a military encampment. It¡¯s well-equipped with bathroom ware all of which are from downtown.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly paused and then pivoted around to look at him. ¡°Is this appropriate? Previously you didn¡¯t have a tent like this, did you? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re giving me too much special treatment and¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. They would¡¯ve built a bathing pool for you had I not stopped them. Just take it as a gesture of goodwill and enjoy it.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought for a while and said, ¡°Since they¡¯ve already done it, I could only accept it. Tomorrow I¡¯ll express my gratitude to them.¡±


    It was mainly because Ling Zhang felt that he was not a serviceman and wouldn¡¯t stay here for long, and it would be somewhat weird if people made a fuss over him. He preferred that everything went as normal, because in that case he and everybody else would feel relaxed, and it was unnecessary to have anybody go to much trouble on his account. If he did that, people might regard him as a pretentious person.


    The two of them took their changes of clothes, walked out of the main tent and, as expected, saw a relatively small tent on the side. It was just smaller than the tents around it, of course. When they walked inside, they found that it was pretty roomy, and all necessary bathroom ware was available. There was a big bathing barrel which was filled with clean water.


    During the bath, Yuwen Tong was staring at Ling Zhang all the time, his eyes ablaze with ill-concealed desire.


    Ling Zhang said resignedly, ¡°Can you not gaze at me like that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Gaze back at me then.¡±


    Ling Zhang blushed. He didn¡¯t dare gaze at Yuwen Tong for fear that he might fall prey to the temptation. ¡°Cut the nonsense. Even if I¡¯m to gaze at you, I won¡¯t do it here.¡±


    This tent was small and people outside could easily heard the sounds from within. If they did something here and anybody heard the embarrassing sounds, it would be such a disgrace!


    Having come to realize this, Ling Zhang started bathing faster. Seeing this, Yuwen Tong also did the same thing. Soon the two of them finished their baths, dried themselves and put on clean clothes. Yuwen Tong walked up to Ling Zhang and used a dry towel to help dry his hair, utilizing his internal energy to make it dry faster. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, caressing it gently. The touch of the smooth, soft, jet black hair sliding through his fingers aroused him even further.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it any longer. Let¡¯s go back right away.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s low and deep voice was husky with longing, his throat burning so badly as though there were a flame there.


    Ling Zhang felt hot, his heart racing faster and faster, his fingers interlocked with Yuwen Tong¡¯s. Yuwen Tong held his hand to his lips and kissed it, and then drew him out of the tent and towards the main tent. Ling Zhang¡¯s long hair, which was loose, fluttered in the night breeze after they walked out of the tent. The cool breeze brought away some of his excess body heat, but he felt the grip on his hand tighten.


    On entering the main tent, they made a beeline for the bedroom, in which Yuwen Tong explained through action what he¡¯d meant by the words ¡°I can¡¯t hold it any longer.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang slept very late due to the many romantic erotic hours. What with this and the long weary journey and the familiar embrace he slept in, he predictably overslept the next morning.


    As he opened his eyes and saw the bright daylight, the sight of the strange surroundings instantly put him on alert and he abruptly sat up from the bed, gave a pained gasp and was almost reduced to lying back onto the bed.


    ¡°You woke up.¡± Yuwen Tong walked in, fully dressed, a beam on his face, a tray of food in his hand. He put the tray down onto the table, stepped up to the bedside and said, ¡°Are you feeling uncomfortable? Sorry, I didn¡¯t bring that kind of ointment here because I never expected you to come, so I went to an army physician and got an anti-inflammatory ointment. Come, let me apply it to you.¡±


    Eyes widening incredulously, Ling Zhang looked at him and asked, ¡°You went to an army physician to get an ointment?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was confused about the quizzical look on his face. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance changed. ¡°Did you tell him what you needed it for?¡±


    Yuwen Tong caught on. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Of course I didn¡¯t.¡±


    It was after hearing this that Ling Zhang¡¯s face softened somewhat, but then he came to realize that as long as that army physician was not a fool, he would definitely have guessed why Yuwen Tong had asked him for an anti-inflammatory ointment at this point in time. Color flooded his face and he doubted he¡¯d ever be able to summon the courage to walk out of this tent and show his face.


    Yuwen Tong was still trying to comfort him. ¡°You may rest assured that that physician wouldn¡¯t ask any questions or disclose it to anybody.¡±


    Didn¡¯t this make it more certain that the army physician knew what he needed this ointment for? Ling Zhang lay prone back onto the bed, buried his face in the pillow and wailed, ¡°You idiot! You made me an utter disgrace!¡±


    Though being told off, Yuwen Tong was smiling like a retard. Sitting on the bed, he leaned over, slumped against Ling Zhang. ¡°It¡¯s okay. That physician is the only one aware of this matter, and I guarantee you he won¡¯t breathe a word of it to anybody. If it really bothers you so much, you can just avoid the medic.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to speak with Yuwen Tong. Right now he wished he could shrink himself and hide in a crack in the ground.


    Yuwen Tong removed the thin quilt, intending to help him take off his pants. Ling Zhang quickly grabbed his waistband and demanded, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I just want to help apply the ointment.¡± Yuwen Tong sounded quite innocent.


    Ling Zhang clenched his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°No. Look, last night¡­¡± He gave an unnatural cough and continued, ¡°I was a little¡­ out of control. I wouldn¡¯t be able to set my mind at ease unless I see it with my own eyes and personally administer the ointment to you.¡±

 Chapter 330 - A Hunt for Spies

    Eventually Ling Zhang compromised on Yuwen Tong¡¯s insistence and let Yuwen Tong apply the ointment to him. The process of the administration of the ointment turned out to be yet another¡­ Anyway, in the end Ling Zhang was so annoyed that he could¡¯ve bitten Yuwen Tong with all his might. Fortunately, Yuwen Tong knew where the limit was. He hastened to coax him with some sweet words and carefully massaged his waist and thighs to ease his discomfort.


    Then Ling Zhang got out of bed, dressed, washed quickly, and then ate the food brought by Yuwen Tong.


    At this moment, apart from the sound of troops drilling, there were also many other sounds specific to a military encampment faintly coming from the outside. It was very likely that he was the only one in the whole encampment who¡¯d got up so late. At the thought that everybody out there would guess why he had overslept, Ling Zhang felt like staying in this tent forever.


    Yuwen Tong, who could tell what he was thinking, said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nobody has walked past this tent from daybreak till now. I personally brought your food and the water you washed your face with. Jiang Xi and some others went to interrogate Chief He early in the morning. Nobody knows you got up at this hour.¡±


    Breakfasting, Ling Zhang slowed down at these words. ¡°Really?¡± he asked.


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°Your father seems to be still sleeping. Just act natural. No one¡¯s going to overthink it.¡±


    But in fact, the reason why Jiang Xi and the others hadn¡¯t shown up till this hour was because they were sensible enough not to disturb them in these circumstances. Naturally Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t tell Ling Zhang about this, for Ling Zhang was rather thin-skinned and might stress himself out after knowing it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and check on your father after breakfast,¡± suggested Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, quickly finished the food which he could barely call breakfast and then left the tent with Yuwen Tong, heading for Ling Zhaowu¡¯s tent.


    Ling Zhaowu, who seemed to have just got up as well, was practicing fist techniques as morning exercise.


    ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Father-in-law.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked up to him. Ling Zhaowu finished the last move of the set of fist techniques, wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, ¡°I feel exceptionally comfortable every time I finish practicing this set of fist techniques. This morning, the soldiers are drilling with great dash, and practicing fist techniques amid their chants makes me feel much more energetic than before.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°How¡¯s your physical condition, Father? You¡¯re supposed to take a pill given by Mr. Mu every morning and every night. Have you taken one this morning?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a bob of the head and dried his face with a towel. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry. I care about my own health no less than you do. I slept well last night, and I¡¯m feeling quite refreshed. I¡¯ve recovered. There¡¯s no need for you to keep worrying about me.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face took on a faintly relieved expression. ¡°You¡¯re drenched with sweat. You need to change out of those wet clothes. We¡¯ll be here waiting for you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said nothing and just went back into his tent to change.


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°Your father looks a lot better than before.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°During our stay in the capital city, Mr. Mu had been trying to nurse my father back to health all along, and my grandfather taught him a set of fist techniques. He¡¯s been taking medicine and exercising on a daily basis, which is why he looks in better health. Before we came to this city, I was worried that my father might be tired out by the weary journey, but now it seems that he¡¯s doing pretty well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Your father is fully aware of his physical condition. He accompanied you here probably because he knew he could handle it, so there¡¯s no need for you to be nervous about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I see.¡±


    Having changed clothes, Ling Zhaowu walked outside, looked at them and said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need to attend to, you may go and get on with it. Just assign someone familiar with this encampment to keep me company.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I¡¯ll send a personal bodyguard of mine here. He¡¯ll take care of all your needs during your stay here, Father-in-law.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a nod. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to see Chief He. Do you want to come with us?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhaowu thought about it for a brief moment and then answered, ¡°I have little acquaintance with this kind of things. The reason why I came here with Zhang¡¯er was because I was a little worried about you. Now I can see that things are going well between you two, so I¡¯ll stay out of these matters. Just send that bodyguard of yours here so that he could show me around this place. I¡¯ve been spending a lot of time with Mr. Mu lately, and I learned some methods of treating wounds, and I have some knowledge about herbal medicine, too, so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to go to the infirmary and act as an assistant.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was quite agreeable to it. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone lead you there, Father-in-law. As chance would have it, a batch of medicinal herbs delivered by Brother Zhang¡¯s men arrived only the day before yesterday.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll go and help inventory them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong summoned one of his personal bodyguards, but he didn¡¯t let the bodyguard lead Ling Zhaowu to the infirmary alone. Instead, he decided to personally take Ling Zhaowu there.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    A few moments ago Yuwen Tong had said that Ling Zhang might avoid meeting that army physician if he wanted, but they had just left the main tent and Yuwen Tong was heading for the infirmary.


    Though poker-faced, Ling Zhang tried to make himself look natural, so that he wouldn¡¯t be reduced to a laughing stock.


    But when they had arrived at the infirmary, Ling Zhang found that this place was pretty roomy, and there was more than one army physician. Actually there were a lot of them. The infirmary was a large tent which covered a big area. Many physicians and paramedics were bustling around. Some were arranging medicinal herbs; some were treating the injured; some were changing patients¡¯ dressings¡­ In a word, the whole place was in busyness, but everything seemed to be going in an unhurried and orderly manner.


    ¡°These soldiers returned from the battleground only two days ago. Those grievously wounded ones have been transferred into the city. Staying here are those whose injuries are less serious,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    People inside were not really surprised at Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°The Marshal¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Greetings, Marshal.¡± ¡°Marshal.¡±


    Injured soldiers, physicians and paramedics all genially greeted Yuwen Tong at the sight of him. The expressions in their eyes were reverent, but the looks on their faces were very natural.


    ¡°Marshal, may I ask who these two are?¡± Someone looked at Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°This is Ling Zhang. You may call him Childe Ling. And this is Master Ling, Childe Ling¡¯s father.¡± Yuwen Tong introduced Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu to them.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s name had some time ago spread through this encampment, so they all knew who he was.


    ¡°So you are Childe Ling!¡± On hearing that he was Ling Zhang, these people became more excited than they¡¯d been when they saw Yuwen Tong. They exclaimed happily and then fixed their curious eyes on him.


    Feeling rather embarrassed, Ling Zhang exchanged usual pleasantries with them. When walking past injured soldiers, he naturally asked them about their current health. The atmosphere in this place was very placid. There was no signs of dejection or despair on any of their faces, which impressed Ling Zhang deeply.


    Yuwen Tong summoned some army physicians and told them about Ling Zhaowu¡¯s skill set and his intention to help with medical matters in the infirmary.


    After hearing about it, the army physicians looked at Ling Zhaowu and asked him many questions about treating wounds and identifying medicinal herbs. Having confirmed that he did have the required knowledge, a physician naturally assigned Ling Zhaowu some duties, and nobody was feeling uneasy about Ling Zhaowu¡¯s identity.


    Ling Zhaowu was clearly quite displeased with it. Soon he was engaged in conversations with those physicians. He took off his overgarment, revealing a skintight outfit. Then he cleaned his hands, put on a white coat, took the medical instruments from a physician¡¯s hand and then started to change a wounded soldier¡¯s dressing. He was so adept at it that he didn¡¯t at all seem to be someone who¡¯d learned only ¡°a little¡± medical knowledge from Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhang looked at his father, an uncertain and thoughtful look in his eyes which only he himself could understand.


    Yuwen Tong also stood there for a while. Seeing arrangements had been made for Ling Zhaowu to work in this place, he showed Ling Zhang around the infirmary and checked the injuries of wounded soldiers before leaving.


    After seeing so many miseries, Ling Zhang inevitably had a heavy heart. Although those soldiers¡¯ faces were free of depression and despair, their wounds were real and non-negligible. Furthermore, these were less severely wounded ones. Those with serious injuries would be an even more poignant sight.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want him to think too much about it, so he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and find out how Jiang Xi is doing with that matter.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and then walked to a tent with Yuwen Tong. In it, Chief He was sitting in a corner with a terrified and despairing expression. Faced with Jiang Xi and a couple of others, he implored, ¡°I really have told you everything I know. I¡¯m not keeping anything back. I don¡¯t dare lie to you.¡±


    Seeing Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang coming in, Jiang Xi said, ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling.¡±


    At the sight of Ling Zhang, Chief He hurriedly said, ¡°Childe Ling, Childe Ling, please believe me. I¡¯m really not keeping anything back!¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed Chief He a glance which was casual but made Chief He shut up immediately. Trembling all over, he didn¡¯t dare utter another word.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of Jiang Xi.


    Jiang Xi replied, ¡°This guy is indeed a spy sent by the Luohai Kingdom. He told us about that map Childe Ling mentioned. The Luohai Kingdom sent him here mainly to look for defensive vulnerability of this border city. He also gave us the names of some other spies sent by the Luohai Kingdom.¡±


    Jiang Xi handed Yuwen Tong a piece of paper which had those spies¡¯ names and identities on it.


    Yuwen Tong ran an eye over it and then asked, ¡°Have these people ever made contact with this guy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have, but Chief He¡¯s task is different from theirs, so they don¡¯t contact him often. Given that Chief He has left the border city for so many days, some of these people probably have already come to know about it,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    Yuwen Tong thought about it for a moment and then said, ¡°Have them continue the interrogation and see what else they could get out of him, but be careful not to kill him. Come with me.¡±


    Jiang Xi inclined his head, put someone else in charge of the interrogation and then followed Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang out of the tent.


    When they had walked outside, Jiang Xi asked in a hushed voice, ¡°What do you have in mind, Marshal?¡±


    Ling Zhang also looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°First we need to have this guy make a full confession. If the information is useful, it would save us some trouble.¡±


    Jiang Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ll have them make him tell us all he knows.¡±


    The next day, Jiang Xi told Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang everything that Chief He knew. After doing some careful thinking, Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°Arrest all the spies on the list and interrogate them one by one. I want to know how they¡¯ve been communicating with the Luohai Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± Jiang Xi answered with a nod and then took some men to catch the spies.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°The allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have been driven back fifty miles and lost momentum. Lingering around won¡¯t do them any good. There¡¯s no doubt they¡¯d try to figure out a way to force us into having a final battle with them. If we make use of these spies in the correct way, we¡¯ll be able to lead them any way we want them to go, which would make things a lot easier for us.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then generally fathomed out what Yuwen Tong meant.


    ¡°Come. We¡¯re going downtown. Jiang Xi and his men will be interrogating those spies there after catching them,¡± said Yuwen Tong.

 Chapter 331 - A Long Con

    The two of them entered the city. The situation in the city seemed, for all intents and purposes, the same as how it¡¯d been the day before. Jiang Xi was conducting the hunt for spies in a covert way, and so far no common residents had come to know about the existence of spies in this city.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the General¡¯s Office. It was located in Shao Feng¡¯s residential compound. In the compound there was also a villa separated from the General¡¯s Office, which was Yuwen Tong¡¯s temporary abode. Currently Shao Feng was not in, and staying in the compound were his family members and personal bodyguards, so Yuwen Tong directly led Ling Zhang into the villa through the front gates. They didn¡¯t go to the General¡¯s Office, and nobody would come to the villa to disturb them.


    At noon, Jiang Xi showed up. ¡°Marshal, all spies on that list have been put into custody. These people were unaware that someone had blown their cover and all of them were still lingering in the city. This is what I got after interrogating them. The interrogation is still ongoing and I think I can get more details.¡±


    Jiang Xi handed their confession to Yuwen Tong, who took a look at it and said, ¡°There might be some who slipped through the net. Tell those on duty at the city gates to keep their eyes peeled and make sure no spy escapes.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve already instructed them to tighten the security,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang also looked at the written confession and said, ¡°It surprises me some of them have been hiding here for so many years.¡±


    ¡°The reason why the Luohai Kingdom dared ally with the Wan Kingdom and attack us was because they¡¯d been plotting this for years. Previously they just couldn¡¯t find a chance to make their move. If it weren¡¯t for the civil strife in the Great Yue, they wouldn¡¯t have dared take action,¡± remarked Yuwen Tong, looking at Jiang Xi. ¡°Have every one of them make a full confession before dark.¡±Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    Jiang Xi inclined his head and hurriedly took his leave.


    ¡°Of what use could Chief He be to us as a pawn?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Right now the war remains deadlocked. I¡¯m sure the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are more anxious than we are. Since they are more anxious to break the impasse, I¡¯ll provide an opportunity for them.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a moment and got a vague idea of what Yuwen Tong meant. ¡°You are going to use Chief He to send them some false intelligence?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll have to consult with them about the specifics before I could finalize the plan. As a result, for this to work, I have to get some relevant intelligence out of those spies by the end of the day at the latest.¡±


    Jiang Xi got the job done very quick and delivered a detailed written confession to Yuwen Tong before dusk. Yuwen Tong took a look at it, did some careful thinking and then came up with a rough plan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the encampment. I¡¯ve got to figure out a feasible plan before tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong returned to the military encampment outside the city in haste. After they had a quick supper, Yuwen Tong summoned his inner circle of generals to consult with them about how to use Chief He, the spy caught by Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Marshal, I think we should put out feelers first. If we are to have the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom take the bait, first we¡¯ll have to find out about their intentions, so that we¡¯ll have a better chance of tricking them into swallowing the bait,¡± said Shao Feng.


    ¡°I agree with General Shao. Whether or not we should use Chief He as a pawn depends on whether the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have enough trust in him or not. We might have to put on certain act according to the circumstances to cooperate,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    The others also expressed their opinions. Although some of them saw things differently, they all believed that Shao Feng¡¯s proposal was reasonable.


    So Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. ¡°Then let¡¯s have Chief He sound them out first.¡±


    They had ascertained how Chief He communicated with the Luohai Kingdom, and what they needed to do right now was create an opportunity for Chief He to make contact with the Luohai Kingdom without rousing the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s suspicions.


    Having undergone several days¡¯ interrogation, Chief He was now utterly docile, didn¡¯t even dare think about resisting or playing any tricks, and obediently agreed to cooperate with Yuwen Tong and the others.


    There was nothing Ling Zhang could do to help with this plan. Not knowing what he should do before the Luohai Kingdom acted in response, he went to the infirmary with Ling Zhaowu to give the physicians there a hand. He had some acquaintance with medicinal herbs, so helping sort herbs and fill prescriptions was within his power.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    There hadn¡¯t been any messages from the Luohai Kingdom yet, so Yuwen Tong was also busy. The two of them could only spend some time alone with each other by night. Sometimes, when there was something Yuwen Tong had to consult with his men about, the candles in the meeting room in the main tent remained ablaze until midnight.


    Naturally Ling Zhang¡¯s heart ached for Yuwen Tong, but he also knew that these matters must be settled and couldn¡¯t be brushed aside.


    Finally, three days later, the Luohai Kingdom sent a small force to attack the city. Taking advantage of this opportunity, someone from the Luohai Kingdom delivered a message to Chief He.


    In order to prevent the Luohai Kingdom from noticing anything anomalous about Chief He, it had been ¡°Chief He¡± who provided the Luohai Kingdom with a method of communication. The message was delivered to him without any trouble. Unsurprisingly, the Luohai Kingdom didn¡¯t assign Chief He any key tasks immediately. Instead, they tried to sound him out.


    What with this, Yuwen Tong and some others had no choice but to cooperate with Chief He and put on an act.


    Ling Zhang saw the whole thing. After they finished the act, he couldn¡¯t help but ask apprehensively, ¡°Will the Luohai Kingdom rise to the bait?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°They will, because they have no other choice.¡±


    The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom must figure out a way to break the stalemate and win this war. Otherwise their only option would be to withdraw their forces and sue for peace.


    This was also because the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom were no match for Yuwen Tong¡¯s army. They had made one retreat after another and were completely incapable of getting the better of Yuwen Tong. If things went on like this, the army of the Great Yue would advance to the border city of the Luohai Kingdom, and there was no telling whether or not Yuwen Tong would be able to take the city. After all, he was a very formidable opponent, though the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom hated to admit it.


    ¡­


    The headquarters of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom.


    Staring at Dong Gao, a general of the Luohai Kingdom, Shan Congwen asked, ¡°What do you have in mind, General Dong? If we are to use this pawn, we¡¯ll have to do it as soon as possible. The longer we hesitate, the more unfavorable the situation will be for us.¡±


    Dong Gao said, ¡°I was the one who planted this pawn in the Great Yue. He¡¯d been in touch with me before the Great Yue sealed the gates of the border city. This time around, we put out feelers and he made a response. I believe he¡¯s trustworthy, and naturally, I want to use him, but how we should use him is a problem that needs further discussion.¡±


    Shan Congwen sneered, ¡°The Wan Kingdom¡¯s army suffered heavy casualties during the last few battles against Yuwen Tong¡¯s, and my brother has already been considering a pull-out of the troops. You are still in the mood for lecturing me about being patient?¡±


    Dong Gao furrowed his brows. ¡°Then what do you suggest we do, King Ming¡¯en?¡±


    As though not having seen the displeasure on Dong Gao¡¯s face, Shan Congwen said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m giving the enemy too much credit and giving ourselves too little, but with Yuwen Tong in command, we won¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of winning if we take on his army directly. Still, Yuwen Tong is not invulnerable. His headquarters is in Shengzhou. Shao Feng, the general who used to be in charge of the defense of Youzhou, is not Yuwen Tong¡¯s absolute henchman. There is no way Yuwen Tong will trust him completely. If we could take advantage of this weak link, maybe we¡¯ll be able to create a disturbance on their side, which might be an opportunity for us to save the day.¡±


    Dong Gao¡¯s frown slightly softened. ¡°But judging from the last few fights, Shao Feng seems to be very obedient to Yuwen Tong. What do we have to do to find out what either of them has against the other? And how do we turn them against each other? None of this could be done in a hurry. It¡¯s a shrew move, King Ming¡¯en, but none of the men I planted in there could strike up an acquaintance with a general like Shao Feng, not to mention Yuwen Tong.¡±


    Shan Congwen said, ¡°General Dong, just tell me whether you agree to carry out this plan or not.¡±


    It was after mulling over it for a long moment that Dong Gao answered, ¡°As things stand, we don¡¯t really have a choice.¡±


    Shan Congwen secretly curled his lip and said, ¡°Then please figure out a way to get in touch with that man of yours and have him look into Shao Feng¡¯s past. Even if the two of them have nothing against each other, we¡¯ll have to create some for them. Tell him to give us a definite reply within ten days, so that we¡¯ll be able to take the next step in time.¡±


    ¡­


    The military encampment of the Great Yue.


    The Luohai Kingdom sent yet another small force to attack, as though harassing the Great Yue¡¯s army. A lot of people found this confusing, and the truth was known to only a limited number of insiders. When Yuwen Tong had read the letter from the Luohai Kingdom to Chief He which stated Chief He¡¯s task, he immediately fathomed out what they meant and summoned the generals to have a meeting.


    ¡°So, it turns out I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to put on the act,¡± said Shao Feng.


    Beaming, Jiang Xi threw his arm around Shao Feng¡¯s shoulders. ¡°General Shao, whether or not we¡¯ll be able to get rid of those annoying bugs on the other side depends on your performance now.¡±


    The corners of Shao Feng¡¯s mouth twitched and he pushed Jiang Xi aside, looking at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Marshal, you know that I¡¯m not good at acting. If by any chance those of the Luohai Kingdom see through it, the whole plan will fall through.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°They won¡¯t be able to see it with their own eyes. All you have to do is give the reaction they expect to see.¡±


    Shao Feng¡¯s face crumpled up. ¡°Well¡­ The problem is I don¡¯t quite know when to react, or what the appropriate reaction is. This is way beyond my capabilities.¡±


    Jiang Xi leaned over again. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Shao Feng shifted his gaze to him, a disbelieving expression on his face. ¡°You? I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re the right person to seek advice from.¡±


    Jiang Xi went unhappy. ¡°Hey, what do you mean by that? What makes you think I¡¯m not the right person to seek advice from?¡±


    Shao Feng averted his face. ¡°You and I always deal with things in different ways. If I do as you tell me to, they might see through me right away!¡±


    It was only too obvious that Jiang Xi laughed and joked too much for Shao Feng¡¯s liking.


    His abilities being questioned, Jiang Xi was badly bruised and immediately contradicted Shao Feng, ¡°You are prejudiced against me. Just because I deal with things in a different way from yours doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m not capable of teaching you how to react correctly. I expect more of you, Shao Feng. On the surface, you look like an honest man of few words, but deep down you think so little of me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Now is not the time for you two to have a verbal duel. Shao Feng, just act according to the plan. This matter must be handled properly.¡±


    The worry on Shao Feng¡¯s face dissolved considerably as he heard that there was a plan he could follow. ¡°Yes, Marshal. What do you think we should do?¡±


    Jiang Xi raised his hand. ¡°I have an idea!¡±


    Shao Feng ignored him. Jiang Xi went angry again, intending to criticize Shao Feng.


    Yuwen Tong gave Jiang Xi a dirty look. ¡°Control yourself or get out of my sight.¡±


    Jiang Xi immediately sat down and expressed his opinion in a serious manner, without any frivolity on his face.


    After giving it some thought, Yuwen Tong made some adjustments and added some details in light of the way Shao Feng usually handled things, and then instructed the others to act accordingly.


    When the meeting was over, Shao Feng and Jiang Xi took their leave together. Yuwen Tong glanced around the empty meeting room. Ling Zhang still hadn¡¯t come back from the infirmary. Yuwen Tong stood up and exited the main tent, making towards the infirmary.


    Ling Zhang was filling a prescription given by an army physician and marking the bags of medicinal herbs one by one. These herbs were supposed to be decocted the next day. He was preparing them in advance, so that there would be less bustle the next day. There were also five paramedics working with him.

 Chapter 332 - The Marshals Vexations

    There were five lighted candles in the tent, all of which had been carefully placed in proper positions.


    ¡°Childe Ling, all these ten prescriptions have been filled,¡± said a paramedic. The teenager¡¯s voice was quite crisp and full of vigor, though he had had a hectic day.


    ¡°Now that the job is done, you may go back and get some sleep. It¡¯s pretty late,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°How many more prescriptions do you have to fill, Childe Ling? Let me help you,¡± said the young paramedic, walking up to Ling Zhang and leaning over.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Only two. I¡¯ll get it done in just a few moments. Just go back and turn in.¡± Then he turned to the other paramedics and said, ¡°You guys, too. If you finished filling the prescriptions, go back and get to sleep right away. We¡¯ll handle the rest tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Please let me help you, Childe Ling. If we each fill one, this will be done sooner.¡± The paramedic was quite insistent, but his eyes which were looking at Ling Zhang were sparkling.


    Ling Zhang was always nice to everybody in this place, had much acquaintance with medicinal herbs and gave these paramedics directions from time to time, so they all liked him very much.


    Seeing his gleaming eyes, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have the heart to decline the offer once again and decided to accept it. ¡°Then¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You guys may all go back and get to sleep.¡± Yuwen Tong, who had been standing in the doorway for a moment, walked inside, his eyes raking the paramedic. It had never crossed his mind that these people would grow so fond of Ling Zhang. All their eyes were glinting when they looked at Ling Zhang. On top of that, these people were all fourteen or fifteen years old, which meant they were only three or four years Ling Zhang¡¯s junior, and this was a small age gap¡­


    The paramedics were startled by Yuwen Tong¡¯s sudden arrival. Ling Zhang, who was taken aback as well, said, ¡°Why did you come here? You¡¯ve got everything handled?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. How many unfilled prescriptions are there? I¡¯ll help you fill them all.¡± Yuwen Tong walked up to him, naturally took the prescription from the paramedic¡¯s hand, pivoted around and made towards the medicine shelves to get the required herbs.


    Astonished, the young paramedic opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll handle it. You may all go back.¡±


    The paramedic¡¯s cheeks flushed faintly red as his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s gentle ones. He inclined his head and then left with the others.


    Yuwen Tong tossed a backward glance just in time to see the young paramedic leave with a flush on his cheeks. Instantly, his face darkened somewhat.


    When the two of them were the only ones left in the tent, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Put it down and let me handle it. You had quite a busy day.¡±


    Watching the back of Yuwen Tong who was quickly filling the prescription, Ling Zhang was a little worried that he might get the herbs wrong, but he didn¡¯t dare say it explicitly, so he reminded Yuwen Tong in a tactful way.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t twist his head back. After filling the prescription, he walked over with the herb holder, put it down onto the table and reached out an arm to wrap it around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, looking him in the face. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯d get the herbs wrong?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t show any signs of his true thoughts. How did Yuwen Tong come to see through him?


    A flicker of guilt appeared on his face in spite of himself. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You¡¯re imagining things.¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced from the herb holder in Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re having a good time here?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°It gives me a little peace of mind knowing that I¡¯ve been making myself useful. Occasionally I get to help change wounded soldiers¡¯ dressings with my father. The physicians are all very busy, and I can give those young paramedics some directions about the identification of medicinal herbs that they have difficulty identifying.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t want to come to this place? That ointment thing doesn¡¯t concern you anymore?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened slightly. What a nuisance. He had had a job to dismiss that from his mind. Why was this guy bringing it up again? ¡°I¡¯ve been bustling around in this tent for days, and I¡¯m pretty sure those who find that funny have laughed enough already.¡±


    With an arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, Yuwen Tong gave Ling Zhang a playful pinch on the side of his waist and said, ¡°You specially came here to keep me company, right? With you being here, we can only see each other by night. Just leave these things to those guys and go back to stay with me.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him confusedly. ¡°I thought we talked about this. We¡¯ve been¡­ been together every night. Besides, there¡¯s nothing I can do to help with any of those matters you¡¯ve been dealing with, and it¡¯s inappropriate for me to offer my opinions about any of them either. I can be of help in this place. Isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡±Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence, took the herb holder from Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, put it down onto the table and interlocked his fingers with Ling Zhang¡¯s. It was indeed a good thing, but the very thought of people staring at Ling Zhang with gleaming eyes every day made him feel rather uncomfortable.


    Ling Zhang looked at him apprehensively. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen? Don¡¯t be like this. Your silence is making me very worried.¡±


    Yuwen Tong rested his head on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder, cuddling him. ¡°I just want you to be by my side all the time. I haven¡¯t seen you for a whole day and it makes me feel awful.¡±


    A pink flush slowly spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s ears and he rested his head on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But it¡¯s wartime, isn¡¯t it? Now that I¡¯ve already come here, I need to do something, and so do Wang Dashan and the others. You should give them some jobs as soon as possible. They¡¯re only too anxious to help. Considering they¡¯ve developed a decent level of proficiency in formations, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll prove themselves helpful. As for those guards from the Millennium Pavilion, if you don¡¯t think they¡¯re trustworthy, tell them which areas are off-limits to them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was relieved that Ling Zhang was unaware of what was concerning him, but at the same time worried that those people that had been staring at Ling Zhang might take advantage of him. Although Yuwen Tong knew intellectually that none of the young paramedics harbored any evil attentions, in his heart of hearts he found this fairly intolerable.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s return to our tent after I fill this prescription. And from now on¡­ from now on I¡¯ll go back earlier every day,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong rose to his feet and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Though still reluctant to let him stay here, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to pressure Ling Zhang to give up. In addition, he could feel that Ling Zhang had been somewhat uptight since his arrival at this encampment, and this infirmary was the only place where he was relaxed.


    He lowered his head to nibble Ling Zhang¡¯s lips lightly, parted them and with that his tongue reached inside¡­


    Hugging, they kissed for a long moment before they let go of each other, and they stopped only because they felt each other¡¯s bodily response, knowing that they would lose control of themselves if they continued.


    It took Ling Zhang quite a while to cool himself down a little. Then he made up the prescription in his hand as quickly as possible, tidied up the table, put out the candles and fastened the fly of the tent. The soldiers on night duty saluted them and saw them off.


    ¡­


    While Ling Zhang was helping with medical matters in the infirmary, he heard a rumor that Shao Feng and Yuwen Tong had a bitter quarrel owing to a divergence of opinions when discussing a military affair. As soon as this reached his ears, he came to know that Yuwen Tong and his men had started to carry out the plan.


    Predictably, as day after day passed by, the divisions between Shao Feng and Yuwen Tong deepened further. On one occasion, during an engagement with the enemy, Shao Feng disobeyed Yuwen Tong¡¯s order and they nearly lost the fight because of it. After returning to the encampment, Yuwen Tong flied into a rage and meted out punishment to Shao Feng according to military law, inflicting a great humiliation on Shao Feng in the presence of all troops.


    At the same time, some negative gossip began to spread in the encampment, saying that Yuwen Tong was being too harsh on Shao Feng, that a lot of officers of Youzhou garrison were displeased with Yuwen Tong¡¯s handling of the matter of Shao Feng and had argued with him several times.


    These messages were sent back to the Luohai Kingdom one after another.


    ¡­


    The headquarters of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°It seems that this pawn of yours is serving its purpose, General Dong.¡± Shan Congwen paid Dong Gao a compliment, a broad smile on his face. ¡°And I really admire how well you¡¯ve knocked your subordinates into shape.¡±


    Dong Gao burst into laughter. ¡°Your plan deserves some credit as well, King Ming¡¯en.¡±


    Shan Congwen gave a smile, somewhat disapproving secretly. He had heard about the whole thing and believed that it¡¯d be more reasonable to attribute this outcome to Yuwen Tong¡¯s bad luck than to Dong Gao¡¯s man¡¯s efforts, that it had been because Yuwen Tong was unable to have Shao Feng, the one in charge of the defense of Youzhou, toe the line and let their disagreements go public that Dong Gao¡¯s man took advantage of the situation so easily.


    ¡°King Ming¡¯en, do you think we¡¯re ready to make our next move?¡± asked Dong Gao.


    Shan Congwen replied, ¡°I think so. As Yuwen Tong has just punished Shao Feng according to military law, right now officers of Youzhou garrison are all disgruntled at Yuwen Tong. Given how cunning Yuwen Tong is, he would by no means let this situation last long. We have to incite Shao Feng and the others to take action before Yuwen Tong tricks them into letting it go.¡±


    Dong Gao gave a bob of the head. ¡°We happen to have been laying low for some time and everything is in absolute readiness. It¡¯s about time we dealt Yuwen Tong a real heavy blow!¡±


    Shan Congwen observed, ¡°Our ultimate target is Yuwen Tong. It would be best if we could take full advantage of their infighting to confound Youzhou garrison and at the same time kill Yuwen Tong. Otherwise he will remain our biggest trouble.¡±


    Dong Gao appeared awkward. ¡°That won¡¯t be easy. Yuwen Tong has consummate kung fu skills and is under constant protection of many personal bodyguards. It would be next to impossible to dispose of him.¡±


    Shan Congwen said, ¡°You¡¯re not chickening out of this, General Dong, are you? As long as Yuwen Tong still draws breath, he¡¯ll always be a hindrance to our plan to take the border city in Youzhou. The current civil strife of the Great Yue is a golden opportunity for us. Their emperor died and so far there haven¡¯t been any signs of an heir succeeding to the throne. If we don¡¯t seize this opportunity, it¡¯d be of no avail even if we manage to force Youzhou garrison back into the city.¡±Read latest chapters at L istnovel.com


    Dong Gao frowned. ¡°If we are to have Yuwen Tong killed, someone will have to get close to him first, which is something none of my men is capable of.¡±


    Shan Congwen said, ¡°Well, Shao Feng is. Wouldn¡¯t it be much better to have him do it than send our own men?¡±


    Dong Gao looked at him. ¡°You think Shao Feng will take the bait?¡±


    Shan Congwen responded, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he? Yuwen Tong¡¯s authority has been weighing Shao Feng down like a mountain. Now that we¡¯ve already set out to play him off Yuwen Tong, why not go the whole hog?¡±


    Eyes on Shan Congwen, Dong Gao said, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear what you have in mind, King Ming¡¯en.¡±


    Shan Congwen inwardly rolled his eyes upwards and cursed Dong Gao for being a fool who could do nothing but sit idle and enjoy the fruits of others¡¯ work, who was totally unworthy of his post as general-in-chief, but there was nothing Shan Congwen could do about it. He had to cooperate with Dong Gao. The Wan Kingdom had mobilized all resources available to wage this war. If they failed to achieve anything this time, they would not only have to pay another huge compensation to the Great Yue but also sustain so heavy losses that they wouldn¡¯t be able to recover for many years. The Luohai Kingdom, however, hadn¡¯t undergone many wars. Though located in the north and not as rich as southern countries, it had many years¡¯ accumulation of wealth and other resources, so if the war was lost, the Luohai Kingdom would suffer a setback but it wouldn¡¯t be as serious as the one the Wan Kingdom would suffer. As a result, though knowing that Dong Gao was, intentionally or unintentionally, sloughing this matter off onto him, he still had to do it.


    Secretly clenching his teeth, Shan Congwen confided his plan.


    Clapping his hands, Dong Gao said, ¡°Now I can see why you are in your emperor¡¯s confidence, King Ming¡¯en. You¡¯re indeed a resourceful man. I couldn¡¯t admire you more!¡±

 Chapter 333 - The Enemy Took the Bait, but the Marshal Was Still Jealous All Day

    ¡°There has been a rise in the number of wounded soldiers recently, and some of them have to be transferred back into the city. As there are not enough physicians in the city, physicians in Youzhou are being drafted in as a matter of urgency. I wonder if you and your father could offer some help before the physicians arrive.¡±


    At night, Yuwen Tong suddenly brought this matter up. After hearing this, Ling Zhang just paused for a fleeting moment before agreeing, ¡°No problem. I¡¯m sure my father will be glad to help. I¡¯ll talk to him early tomorrow morning and then go back to the city with the injured.¡±


    Yuwen Tong stepped over, put his arms around Ling Zhang and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the city to keep you company by night.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang rejected the offer. ¡°No. Shuttling between two places is too much trouble. You¡¯re the commander-in-chief and there are a lot of matters you need to deal with. If you don¡¯t rest well at night, things could easily go wrong. Us not seeing each other for a couple of days wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but this army needs its commander to be in position. You staying healthy is the most important thing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°At least let me pay you a visit every other day, okay?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Cut the nonsense. The execution of your plan is at a crucial juncture. We can¡¯t afford to let anything go awry.¡±


    Unhappy, Yuwen Tong hugged Ling Zhang and caressed him and kept silent for a long moment.


    Stroking his back, Ling Zhang said gently, ¡°We have to win, because after we win, we¡¯ll go back to the capital city to get married.¡±


    Yuwen Tong uttered ¡°Um¡± in a deep voice and lay down onto the bed with Ling Zhang in his embrace, making out.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowu about that matter and, unsurprisingly, Ling Zhaowu agreed almost without thinking. The two of them went into the city with the team of soldiers transferring the wounded. Naturally, Wang Dashan and the others went with them, along with the guards from the Millennium Pavilion.


    Yuwen Tong escorted them back to the city. Ling Zhang and the others would be staying in the headquarters in the city.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here for quite some time and should go back right away. Deputy Commander Jiang and the others would get anxious if anything comes up and they couldn¡¯t find you,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh. Seeing there was nobody else around, he gave Ling Zhang a quick peck on the cheek, lingered for a while longer and then reluctantly exited the city.


    Ling Zhang followed Yuwen Tong with his eyes as he left. After quite some time, he pivoted around and returned to the place he¡¯d be staying in during the next few days. He and Ling Zhaowu needed to help the physicians settle the injured soldiers that had just been transferred.


    Yuwen Tong had just returned to the military encampment outside the city when Jiang Xi came out of nowhere and said, ¡°Has Childe Ling settled in? Did he suspect anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him settled. For the present he¡¯s not suspicious of anything,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°That Shan Congwen guy is such a sly asshole. He pulled this nasty trick on us and now we have to play it his way,¡± huffed Jiang Xi.


    ¡°We can¡¯t expect to have them take the bait without paying a price,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Jiang Xi flicked him a glance and thought, ¡®You¡¯re saying this, but the dark look on your face suggests otherwise.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong entered the main tent with a sulky face. Before long, he summoned all his generals. With a cold face, he consulted with them and eventually drew up a series of plans aimed at ambushing the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army being the primary target. It seemed that he was determined to wipe out the whole army of the Wan Kingdom.


    Jiang Xi, who was getting chills up his spine, stroked his back, thinking that a man could get so scary when forced to part from his partner, that under no circumstances should he do anything that might anger the Marshal at this point in time.


    ¡­


    After moving into the headquarters in the city, Ling Zhang was unable to get up-to-date messages about the situation in the encampment outside the city.


    ¡°You are not anxious any more?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu, applying a dressing to a soldier¡¯s wound and bandaging it.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang who was putting things away answered matter-of-factly, ¡°I am, but given that he suddenly sent me away on that pretext, there must be something he doesn¡¯t want me to know about, presumably because he wants to save me worrying. Had I insisted on staying in the encampment outside the city, he would¡¯ve had some misgivings about doing what he has to do, which would¡¯ve made things more dangerous for him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu cast him a surprised look. ¡°I thought you really believed his excuse.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a brief smile. Of course he had perceived Yuwen Tong¡¯s contradictory behavior and come to know that something was wrong. The day before Yuwen Tong had wanted him to stay by his side at all times, but now Yuwen Tong had sent him downtown on the lame pretext of needing him to help tend the injured because of understaffing. Even if he hadn¡¯t come to realize the truth when he agreed, he should¡¯ve caught on to it some time ago.


    ¡°What kind of danger do you think he¡¯s faced with which made him decide to send you here?¡± inquired Ling Zhaowu, who had finished bandaging the soldier¡¯s wound and was making towards another one.


    Following in his wake, Ling Zhang responded, ¡°I¡¯ve got some suspicions.¡±


    As there were outsiders present, it was inappropriate to be specific about this matter, so Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t persist with his questioning to get more details. After hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s reply, he said, ¡°Considering even the Clan Leader has to cooperate with him, you may rest assured that nothing will happen to him, and there¡¯s no doubt he¡¯ll succeed in achieving his goal.¡±


    Naturally, Ling Zhang also had faith in Yuwen Tong, but it couldn¡¯t stop him from worrying about Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    A few days later, the growing conflict between Yuwen Tong and Shao Feng, the general in charge of the defense of Youzhou, suddenly was settled, because Shao Feng personally went to meet Yuwen Tong, admitted his mistakes and apologized to him. The tension in the atmosphere in the encampment outside the border city instantly dissolved, and a lot of people felt greatly relieved.


    At this moment. In the encampment of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°Shao Feng took the bait as expected. He faked his reconciliation with Yuwen Tong, waiting for an opportunity to deal Yuwen Tong a blow. We may start to execute our plan now,¡± said Dong Gao.


    Shan Congwen thought about it for a moment and then asked, ¡°Are you sure Shao Feng is not playing any tricks?¡±


    Dong Gao answered, ¡°You were the one who came up with this plan in the first place, King Ming¡¯en. Although it took some doing and we lost quite some men, things are going exactly in the direction we want them to. What doubts do you still have in these circumstances? We¡¯re so close to reaping the rewards. You¡¯re not getting cold feet, are you, Your Highness?¡±


    Shan Congwen said, ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just we can never be too cautious about Yuwen Tong, given how cunning he is.¡±


    Dong Gao chuckled contemptuously, ¡°No matter how resourceful Yuwen Tong is, he cannot keep everything under his complete control, not without the assistance of loyal subordinates. Surely he¡¯s not some three-headed, six-armed demon capable of bewitching people?¡±


    Shan Congwen felt a little piqued by the dismissive sneer on Dong Gao¡¯s face. He was fully aware of how many defeats Yuwen Tong had inflicted on the Wan Kingdom over the years. The Luohai Kingdom, however, had been standing by all along. Dong Gao, as the general-in-chief of the Luohai Kingdom, had never fought Yuwen Tong¡¯s army on the battlefield before, which was why he was so proud. By taunting Yuwen Tong, Shan Congwen believed, Dong Gao was actually taunting the Wan Kingdom, and taunting him about his overcautious behavior as well.


    ¡°Okay, then. Please give the order for the final plan to be carried out, General Dong,¡± said Shan Congwen.


    Dong Gao chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Guards!¡±


    ¡­


    The allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom were on the move. There was frequent deployment of large groups of troops, not small detachments like the ones they¡¯d sent the last few times.


    Tension was rapidly reaching flashpoint, and even Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu in the headquarters inside the city were feeling it. Soldiers were being drafted out of the city, along with a lot of physicians, leaving those who stayed really short-handed. Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu had to bustle around in the infirmary all day along to share the burden of army physicians.


    Even Qiu Bing had been summoned to help. He was not an army physician. It was under the identity of Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguard that he was offering assistance. The relations between Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had long since reached a lot of people¡¯s ears. During the past few days, he had been fully occupied in the infirmary from dawn until dark and barely had any time to rest, and many soldiers had seen it. If previously it had been because of Yuwen Tong that they liked Ling Zhang, now their liking for Ling Zhang was based on their acknowledgement of his character and their recognition for his deeds.


    Of course, not surprisingly at all, Ling Zhang caught a group of young paramedics¡¯ fancy in this place as well. They all liked to stay around Ling Zhang and talk with him.


    It saddened Ling Zhang that they had to come to a war zone at such young ages, though they were staying in the rear where it was relatively safe. As a result, he was very patient with them. No matter which one of them came to ask him about something, as long as he had some acquaintance with it, he¡¯d always answer the questions. He helped them sort medicinal herbs, too, which made the teenagers like following him even more.


    Before the battle, Yuwen Tong paid a visit to the infirmary, and his face fell drastically at the sight of the scene, instantly scaring those teenagers off, leaving Ling Zhang looking at him walking over with a mixture of surprise and delight in his eyes.


    ¡°Do these brats have too little to do? Everybody else is working flat out, but they have the leisure to idle around you. I think they are getting a little slack and need disciplining,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang paused briefly. ¡°What are you talking about? They were sorting medicinal herbs and filling prescriptions with me, not slacking.¡±


    Yuwen Tong stepped closer. ¡°But it¡¯s unnecessary for all of them to cluster around you. Surely there are things to be done elsewhere?¡±


    Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity at the sight of his sulky face. He stopped what he was doing and looked at him apprehensively. ¡°Did something happen? You don¡¯t look very well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    He opened his arms.


    Ling Zhang blinked his eyes. His immediate reaction was to look around him. There was nobody else nearby, and those in the distance were occupied with their own business and probably wouldn¡¯t look in this direction. Seeing this, he also opened his arms and hugged Yuwen Tong. Then he persisted, ¡°Did something really happen?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Having Ling Zhang in his embrace, Yuwen Tong was no longer unhappy. He said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have come here if something did happen.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt that these words made sense, but why had Yuwen Tong appeared sullen just now? And why had he acted grumpily?


    ¡°The very sight of those brats around you made me unhappy,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Light dawned on Ling Zhang and he pulled a wry face. ¡°What are you talking about? They¡¯re just kids, and we were all incredibly busy. What are you thinking?¡±


    After saying this, he tried to free himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, but Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t let him. ¡°Let me hug you a little while longer. Soon there will be another battle and I won¡¯t be able to come here until it¡¯s over. I want you and your father to stay here. Only by knowing that you¡¯re safe can I have piece of mind. Both my heart and my life are in your hands, so on no account are you to be taking any risks.¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly stopped struggling, willingly let Yuwen Tong cuddle him. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Likewise. If you don¡¯t want to see me charge onto the battlefield, you must stay safe. I don¡¯t dare imagine what I would do if anything happens to you. I think I¡¯ll go crazy.¡±


    He put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s back tight, his voice trailing away to a whisper as he made the last remark.


    Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside and planted a kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s neck. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll keep myself safe. For your sake alone I¡¯ll win this fight and come back unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± said Ling Zhang. After a long silent hug, the two of them reluctantly released each other. Yuwen Tong had specially carved out some time for this visit and had to return to the encampment. He had been telling the truth when saying that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find the time to come downtown again until the war was over.

 Chapter 334 - The Start of a War

    Yuwen Tong had come and left in great haste. The two of them had only had a few romantic moments before parting.


    In the wake of this visit was more frequent pre-war deployment of troops. More than half of the garrison in the headquarters inside the city were drafted out, leaving the rest guarding the border city in the rear.


    On the day of the battle, although the infirmary in the city was very far away from the battlefield beyond the city walls, Ling Zhang could still faintly hear the thunderous beat of war drums, the quaking of the ground caused by numerous galloping horses and the battle cries of countless troops. Residents and soldiers in the city had all become used to it, their faces grave but not panic-stricken, appearing much more composed than Ling Zhang.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mind had been wandering frequently since morning. What with his sense of hearing which was much sharper than that of a common person, every time he heard something that sounded out of the ordinary, his back tensed and he looked in the direction of the battlefield.


    His reaction didn¡¯t escape the notice of people around him, though he maintained a poker face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. The Marshal will surely win. We will surely win,¡± a wounded soldier before him told him. This soldier¡¯s leg was hurt. There was a very deep slash in his thigh, and he was unable to walk right now, but the look on his face was one of deep faith, and he, surprisingly, offered some words of comfort to Ling Zhang who was changing his dressing and bandaging him.


    Ling Zhang pulled himself out of his half-trance. At the sight of the assertive expression in the wounded soldier¡¯s eyes, he briefly paused. Touched by the unfaltering look in the soldier¡¯s eyes, he thought of something, twisted his head aside to look at the others and found that all those around him were gazing at him with the same expression in their eyes. It was only then that he came to realize the distant look on his face concerned them.


    A warm glow slowly rose inside him. These people had an unswerving belief that the army of the Great Yue under the command of Yuwen Tong would win this war. He should¡¯ve had as much faith in Yuwen Tong as they had.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have acted like this.¡±


    ¡°Ur¡­¡± The wounded soldier embarrassedly scratched his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that, Childe Ling. We¡¯re a bunch of boors, but we know you¡¯re worried about the Marshal. What is it they say¡­¡±


    ¡°That although Childe Ling is here, his mind is with the Marshal!¡± said someone on the side immediately.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯s right. All of us could understand,¡± said the first wounded soldier.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face, which was somewhat ashen with stress, slowly returned to normal. He gave a little cough. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    ¡°Alas, don¡¯t be shy, Childe Ling. You and the Marshal get along well. We get it.¡± The speaker dissolved into chuckle, and so did the others.


    Amid the laughter, a pink flush slowly spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks and to his ear lobes. Faced with these men who talked in a frank and direct way, he was unable to extricate himself out of this situation and could only keep a poker face. Seeing this, the others continued chuckling friendly. When they had enjoyed it enough, they stopped and someone brought up another topic, trying to strike up a conversation with Ling Zhang, who, naturally, wouldn¡¯t ignore him. As the chat went on, his tense back gradually relaxed considerably.


    Ling Zhaowu who was not far away saw this and gave a smile. Although on the surface, these soldiers seemed to be uncouth fellows who knew nothing, they actually could be quite considerate sometimes. With some quips, they successfully diverted Ling Zhang¡¯s attention away.


    ¡­


    Outside the city.


    The two armies had engaged. All of a sudden, a contingent of the Great Yue retreated towards somewhere else, leaving Yuwen Tong and his men in front alone. This change happened in a rather peculiar fashion.


    Distantly, Dong Gao saw Shao Feng lead his men elsewhere and smacked his hand down onto his lap. ¡°Good! Shao Feng has retreated as promised. Hurry. Send word that all units are to take action as planned!¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    The allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom also made their move. Cooperating with Shao Feng, they outflanked Yuwen Tong¡¯s men.


    ¡°Trap them to death!¡± yelled Dong Gao smugly. ¡°Not so cocky now, huh, Yuwen Tong?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s unit was pinned down by the army of the Wan Kingdom and at the same time outflanked by the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s troops. He was trapped completely and there seemed to be no way out.


    Staring at Dong Gao in the distance, Yuwen Tong gave a sneer and ordered, ¡°Jiang Xi, take some men and hold them back. All the others are to come with me. Together we¡¯ll drag Shan Congwen off his horse!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    The large unit quickly split into two groups. The main force, led by Yuwen Tong, charged at the army of the Wan Kingdom. The smaller group stayed with Jiang Xi to defend against troops of the Luohai Kingdom who outflanked them.


    At the sight of Yuwen Tong charging at the army of the Wan Kingdom, heedless of the odds which seemed heavily against him, both Dong Gao and Shan Congwen were stunned for a moment. When Dong Gao came to himself, he felt humiliated and cursed loudly. ¡°Yuwen Tong! You snot-nosed brat don¡¯t even have the balls to face me?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, Dong Gao? I¡¯m still here. Your death wish will be granted,¡± jibed Jiang Xi on his horse, eyeing Dong Gao coldly.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? You want to stop me? Dream on!¡± spat Dong Gao.


    ¡°What if we give him a hand?¡± A sonorous voice was heard amid deafening noises coming from behind.


    Dong Gao gave a start, jerked his head around and saw that Shao Feng and his men, who should¡¯ve retreated along another route, had returned and were now charging at him. Meanwhile, another two forces were advancing towards him from his flanks, besieging him.


    ¡°H¨CHow could you¡­¡± Dong Gao was both astounded and furious. ¡°Shao Feng, you¡¯re going back on your word?!¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯m a general of the Great Yue¡¯s army. Why should I follow the orders of you, a general of the opposing army? You¡¯re soft in the head and daydreaming too much,¡± replied Shao Feng.


    It was at this moment that Dong Gao came to realize what was going on. ¡°You fooled me!¡± he bellowed.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re not that stupid after all,¡± Shao Feng snorted flintily, then twisted his head aside and shouted at his comrade-in-arms, ¡°Jiang Xi! Waste no more time and get this over with!¡±


    ¡°Can you not see that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing?!¡± bawled Jiang Xi.


    On the other side, Shan Congwen had a sense of foreboding at the sight of Yuwen Tong suicidally charging at the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army. It was only when he noticed the increasing distance between Yuwen Tong¡¯s army and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s army commanded by Dong Gao that he came to realize that Dong Gao was trapped, that they had fallen victim to the enemy¡¯s ruse!


    Shan Congwen clenched his teeth. ¡°Despicable!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, Yuwen Tong¡¯s men outnumber us. What should we do?¡± a general beside him asked anxiously.


    ¡°What else do you think we should do?! Fleeing like cowards?! Advance, all of you! The war is not lost yet!¡± railed Shan Congwen.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    ¡­


    On the gate tower.


    Ling Zhang was watching the vast sheets of dust and the sea of troops in the distance, his twenty-four bodyguards standing beside him. They could faintly hear the beat of war drums and the battle cries, and could feel the slight quaking of the ground, but what with the long distance, they were unable to see how things were going on the battlefield.


    He had promised Yuwen Tong that he would stay in the city waiting for him to come back, but he was unable to get anything done when staying in the infirmary, so eventually his father, rather resigned, had chucked him off and had him come to this gate tower.


    Looking in the direction of the distant battleground, Ling Zhang clenched his fists, staring unblinkingly. Although he couldn¡¯t tell which one of those countless figures was Yuwen Tong, he still didn¡¯t want to blink his eyes for fear of missing anything.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    After Yuwen Tong specially sent him into the city on that pretext, he had had Wang Dashan and the others keep watch on the other sides during the past few days. So far there hadn¡¯t been any particular news from the encampment, and the day before Yuwen Tong had acted normally when he was in the city, so Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t fathom out why Yuwen Tong had had him leave the encampment. Right now, apart from the situation on the battlefield, this matter also concerned him.


    ¡­


    On the battleground.


    The Wan Kingdom¡¯s army, under attack from Yuwen Tong¡¯s troops, suffered heavy casualties, losing ground steadily. Shan Congwen¡¯s eyes were red with resentment, but there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve landed in Shao Feng¡¯s trap. This is Yuwen Tong¡¯s pre-planned subterfuge. As things stand, we won¡¯t be able to last long. Are those killers Dong Gao planted in Yuwen Tong¡¯s army still an option for us? If they manage to kill Yuwen Tong, maybe we could still save the day!¡± said the general who was by Shan Congwen¡¯s side protecting him.


    Gazing at Yuwen Tong¡¯s figure in the distance, Shan Congwen responded through gritted teeth, ¡°Dong Gao was the one who made those arrangements. He couldn¡¯t have planted those killers in Yuwen Tong¡¯s army without Shao Feng¡¯s assistance. Given that Shao Feng double-crossed us, those killers probably have already been disposed of!¡±


    ¡°No matter what, we have to give it a try. Maybe General Dong did it without Shao Feng¡¯s knowledge! We still have a chance!¡± maintained the general.


    ¡°But Dong Gao has been surrounded. How the hell are we supposed to make contact with him?!¡± raged Shan Congwen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shoot a signal flare and pray Dong Gao will see it!¡± suggested the general.


    Shan Congwen gave it some thought and agreed, ¡°Do it!¡±


    Before long, a signal flare went off from the army of the Wan Kingdom, which rose into the sky and exploded into a cloud of blue smoke.


    In the distance, Dong Gao who was trapped saw the flare and knew Shan Congwen was trying to send him a message. From the color of the smoke, he could faintly guess what Shan Congwen meant. However¡­


    ¡°What is Shan Congwen thinking? Does he not know that we¡¯ve all been tricked by Shao Feng? He still thinks Shao Feng has really planted some killers in there for us?!¡±


    Dong Gao was beside himself with rage, but considering the current circumstances, if he couldn¡¯t figure something out to make a difference, not only Shan Congwen but also he and his whole army would meet their ends in this place. As a result, Dong Gao summoned a general of his and commanded him to take a small detachment of crack soldiers, figure out a way to approach Yuwen Tong and kill him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll create an opportunity for you to make a breakthrough. Do whatever you can to kill Yuwen Tong!¡± bellowed Dong Gao.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    At the cost of a large number of his men¡¯s lives, Dong Gao managed to breach the encirclement of Jiang Xi¡¯s troops and help a small group of crack soldiers, who had secretly changed out of their uniform, break through.


    Although Jiang Xi promptly restored the encirclement, those who had made a breakthrough were pretty good at kung fu, and common soldiers couldn¡¯t stop them. With their lightness skills, they zigzagged their way through the crowds.


    ¡°Archers! If any of them emerges from the crowd, shoot him!¡± commanded Jiang Xi.


    The archers focused their attention on the targets in sight. At first they did shoot several of them to death, but the rest of the targets had wormed their way into the sea of troops. They were not wearing their original uniform, which made it very difficult to identify them. In addition, after infiltrating into the army of the Great Yue, they didn¡¯t kill anybody and were just sneaking around. If the archers tried to shoot the targets, a lot of their comrade-in-arms would be killed by friendly fire.


    Jiang Xi clenched his teeth in fury, fished out a signal flare and shot it into the sky.


    This was a code they¡¯d agreed on some time ago. Distantly, Yuwen Tong saw it, came to know what was happening and instructed an officer beside him, ¡°Form up. Everybody stay alert.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡±


    Since he had taken precautions already, there was no way he would fall for the enemies¡¯ underhand methods. Shan Congwen and Dong Gao must die today, along with each and every single one of their troops! He had to wipe them out in one fell swoop, so that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom wouldn¡¯t dare invade again.

 Chapter 335 - The Death of Shan Congwen

    Ling Zhang was standing on the gate tower, looking in the direction of the battlefield in the distance, his hand clasping the edge of the city wall. Just now his heart had suddenly raced for a few moments. He was not sure whether it was some kind of portent or not, but it made him feel a little perturbed.


    ¡°Brother Wang, I want to go to the battlefield,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan was taken aback. ¡°Young Master, the battlefield is not only dangerous but also chaotic. There¡¯s no telling what might happen there. If you get hurt, both the Marshal and your father will be very sad.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped tightly together. After a few instants¡¯ silence, he said, ¡°I suddenly feel somewhat disturbed. It concerns me. I have to go there and take a look. I¡¯m okay with waiting at the front gates of the encampment outside the city first and not going onto the battlefield, but I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡±


    ¡°But Young Master!¡± Wang Dashan went anxious. ¡°The Marshal said that you¡¯re not to leave here. Also, your father is still in the city and he will definitely be very worried when he comes to know about your exiting the city.¡±


    Ling Zhang said in a deep voice, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll keep myself safe. There¡¯s no doubt that right now something is happening where Yuwen Tong is. I have to be there.¡±


    He trusted his instincts. Considering the divine power contained in the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in him, maybe sometimes his hunches were prophetic. If he didn¡¯t go there and something happened to Yuwen Tong, he would rue it to the end of his days.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go right away. Please explain it to my father for me.¡±


    After saying this, Ling Zhang spun around and made towards the staircase. When he had reached the city gates, he whistled and with that Snowflake the horse ran over from not far away. Ling Zhang mounted up and galloped towards the encampment outside the city.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    All soldiers on guard duty at the city gates knew who he was and, naturally, none of them tried to stop him.


    Seeing this, Wang Dashan and the others, without further ado, hastily got on their horses to follow Ling Zhang.


    Ji Donglin, who was standing not far away, furrowed his brows at the sight of this scene, instructed a man to go back and inform Ling Zhaowu, then followed Ling Zhang out of the city with the other four men.


    ¡­


    On the battleground.


    Jiang Xi had failed to stop the group of soldiers and shot a signal flare. After seeing it, Yuwen Tong had had some of his men form up into a formation and on full alert.


    But he wouldn¡¯t have all his troops cluster around him just to help him defend against potential assassination. These invaders from the Wan Kingdom must die! Shan Congwen must die as well!


    Gradually, the army of the Wan Kingdom were reduced to unorganized, dwindling groups of panic-stricken troops. Shan Congwen, guarded by some soldiers, kept backing away.


    ¡°Your Highness, we can¡¯t continue fighting. Dong Gao still hasn¡¯t broken out of the encirclement. Even if he breaks through, he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to stop Yuwen Tong. For the sake of your safety, we have to retreat!¡± All officers around Shan Congwen were trying to convince him to give the order to retreat.


    Shan Congwen was bitterly unreconciled to the situation, a murderous look on his face. Originally they could launch a surprise attack on this border city before the enemy knew it, and the Great Yue happened to be undergoing civil strife, which had seemed to be a godsend for them. As long as they managed to break into this border city of Youzhou, they might be able to advance straight south to the capital city! But unexpectedly, the border city of Youzhou had immediately reacted, shut the city gates, strengthened the defense and, against all odds, managed to stall them until Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrival. Worse still, Yuwen Tong had got all his military powers back!Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Why? The capital city of the Great Yue was clearly in turmoil. How come Yuwen Tong could spare the time?!


    They had already advanced to the border city of Youzhou, but Yuwen Tong had inflicted several defeats on them consecutively, forcing them into backing away fifty miles, pushing this war between them and the Great Yue into a stalemate.


    When that scout of the Luohai Kingdom had suddenly sent back a message, he had disbelieved it at first, but after they put out feelers several times, the scout¡¯s responses had been beyond their expectations. In order to lure them into this trap, Yuwen Tong had actually gone to such great lengths as to play along with their plan! And then there was also that Shao Feng guy!


    Shan Congwen was full of hate. He hated himself, because he had clearly been suspicious of it and fully aware of what kind of person Yuwen Tong was, but when Dong Gao had dared him to make his move, he had still failed to retain his senses and succumbed to the prospect of defeating Yuwen Tong immediately, which was why he carelessly fell victim to Yuwen Tong¡¯s scheme and was reduced to retreating helter-skelter!


    ¡°Shan Congwen, why are you hiding among your solders like a coward? Are you scared of me? I always knew you were nothing but a wimp. Even if your big brother put you in command of all his troops, you wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve anything big. Right now, faced with me, you must¡¯ve wet your pants and are considering fleeing with your tail between your legs!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s loud, sarcastic comments were heard by the whole army of the Wan Kingdom. Shan Congwen, who was retreating under the protection of his troops, suddenly paused. Gripping the reins with all his might, he jerked his head around, his eyes flashing in the direction of Yuwen Tong galloping towards him, clenching his teeth so hard that his gums were bleeding. ¡°YUWEN TONG!¡± he bellowed.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± The one beside him went anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for Yuwen Tong¡¯s trick. We need to leave before it¡¯s too late!¡±


    If Shan Congwen still had his senses, he would know that what he should do at this point was flee as quick as possible, but he had lost his marbles. Those words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s were like a knife through his heart. He was overwhelmed by rage and almost vomited blood.


    ¡°The Wan Kingdom is my defeated opponent. You should have stayed at home instead of coming here to bark like a dog. However, you not only barked but also fled with your tail between your legs. Are you not afraid you¡¯ll become the laughing stock of the whole world if word gets out?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice was heard again and with that Shan Congwen heavily turned his horse around, staring squarely at Yuwen Tong. The one beside him tried to stop him but wasn¡¯t quick enough. He helplessly watched Shan Congwen turn around to face Yuwen Tong, as though intending to charge at him and fight to the death.


    ¡°YOUR HIGHNESS! NO!¡±


    ¡°GO, GO, GO! PROTECT HIS HIGHNESS!¡±


    Shan Congwen stared at Yuwen Tong, the deepest hatred in his eyes. ¡°Cut the shit, Yuwen Tong! Today I¡¯ll fight you to the last breath! Listen to me, soldiers and officers of the Wan Kingdom! Yuwen Tong is the biggest foe of our country. Countless brothers of ours died at his hands. Today none of us is to retreat. Together, we¡¯ll avenge the deaths of our brothers or die trying!¡±


    The army of the Wan Kingdom were losing ground steadily and there weren¡¯t many surviving solders left. All of them knew in their hearts that they had lost the fight, and the only thing they could think of right now was to save their skins. After hearing Shan Congwen¡¯s words, they hesitated, neither continuing to retreat nor advancing.


    Shan Congwen¡¯s eyes coldly swept across the faces of those around him. ¡°What are you waiting for? Are you not men of the Wan Kingdom but a bunch of cowards who don¡¯t have the backbone to die for your country?!¡±


    Maybe because these words produced the desired effect, the rest of the soldiers gathered behind their commander one after another.


    ¡°Advance! Kill all people of the Great Yue! Kill Yuwen Tong!¡± bellowed Shan Congwen.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± said his henchman anxiously. ¡°Your Highness, stop being stubborn and retreat immediately. I¡¯ll take some men and hold them back. You and the others should re¨C¡±


    The man abruptly broke off in the middle of a sentence, because Shan Congwen suddenly whipped out his saber and slit the man¡¯s throat with a lateral slash. ¡°Anyone who utters a single word about retreating dies where he stands!¡±


    Everybody else¡¯s insides went cold at the sight of this and nobody dared say anything. With a murderous look on his face, Shan Congwen raised his saber and bawled, ¡°Everybody advance!¡±


    In the distance, Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Only cowards lag behind!¡±


    All the surviving soldiers of the Wan Kingdom charged at the army of the Great Yue. Eyeing Shan Congwen frostily, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Shan Congwen is mine.¡±


    ¡°Marshal?!¡± The general beside Yuwen Tong was startled, but Yuwen Tong had already smacked his hands down onto his saddle and took a flying leap, swooshing towards Shan Congwen like a roc.


    Shan Congwen was taken aback. ¡°Shoot him! Hurry!¡±


    Panic-stricken, the archers fired arrows at him repeatedly, but none of them hit the target. The arrows either missed him or were deflected by him.


    ¡°You do have some balls, Shan Congwen. I¡¯ll give you that. And your reward for not being a wuss is for me to personally take your head on this day,¡± said Yuwen Tong, landing on the top of a Wan-Kingdom soldier¡¯s head.


    Shan Congwen¡¯s face twisted in fury. ¡°Yuwen Tong, I swear to God I¡¯ll kill you today!¡±


    After saying this, he raised his saber and galloped towards Yuwen Tong. Yuwen Tong leaped upwards, spinning, wielded his long knife and, with a gleam, ferociously gave a slash, generating a powerful blade of internal energy which instantaneously took the lives of several Wan-Kingdom soldiers, leaving a deep, wide crack in the ground. Shan Congwen failed to rein in his horse in time and the forelegs of his horse were caught in the crack, causing the horse to topple forward. Taken aback, Shan Congwen hastily jumped off his horse. He had some kung fu, but it couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    Yuwen Tong landed on the ground and slashed at Shan Congwen with his long knife. Shan Congwen hurriedly dodged it, pulling a saber out of a body beside him, and then adopted a fighting stance, holding a saber in each hand with the points facing backwards, staring fixedly at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Two sabers?¡± said Yuwen Tong flintily. ¡°It surprises me that you have some acquaintance with saberplay, King Ming¡¯en.¡±


    Shan Congwen blustered through gritted teeth, ¡°My saberplay is more than enough for me to take your life.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he charged forward. Yuwen Tong¡¯s face went grave and with that he also made his move, brandishing his long knife.


    Troops of the two opposing sides, as though by some tacit agreement, stayed out of the fighting between their commander-in-chiefs, but fought tooth and nail against each other.


    Clashes of sabers were heard constantly, each accompanied by a shower of sparks, which showed how intense the fighting between the two of them was. It turned out that Shan Congwen had been keeping his proficiency in kung fu a secret all along. His saberplay was pretty good, but what with his average internal energy, he was not at all a match for Yuwen Tong who had very powerful internal energy. There were several occasions when his sabers were almost sent flying from his hands by Yuwen Tong¡¯s sword, and he was forced into backing away one step after another.


    Yuwen Tong, who had no intention to spare Shan Congwen¡¯s life, naturally was attacking without mercy. Shan Congwen knew that he would surely be dead if he didn¡¯t go all out, so he was also attacking madly with gritted teeth.


    But no matter how hard Shan Congwen tried, he still couldn¡¯t get the better of Yuwen Tong. After they exchanged dozens of blows, the saber in his left hand was first broken and then sent flying. He had only one saber left and was showing signs of exhaustion that he couldn¡¯t concealed, blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, which was a symptom of injured internal organs.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, even if I die here today, some day my brother will avenge my death!¡± bellowed Shan Congwen.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him flintily. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether or not I¡¯ll let him live long enough to do that!¡±


    After saying this, he intensified his attack, forced his opponent into backing away several paces and snapped Shan Congwen¡¯s other saber. Finally, Shan Congwen uncontrollably spat out a big mouthful of blood, his face ashen and lifeless, barely having enough strength to dodge Yuwen Tong¡¯s blows.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, one day troops of the Wan Kingdom will flatten every inch of the Great Yue and take everything!¡± yelled Shan Congwen in the knowledge that his death was certain, unreconciled to his defeat, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Then he failed to dodge Yuwen Tong¡¯s long knife, which hit him hard on the back, a violent surge of internal energy rampaging from the flat of the long knife into his vital organs, shattering them. Shan Congwen was sent flying sideways before landing on the ground, unable to stand up again.


    ¡°Brother, brother¡­¡± Shan Congwen abruptly puked up another big mouthful of blood and placed his hands upon the ground to push himself on to his knees but to no avail. Drained of energy, he thudded to the ground. ¡°You must avenge me¡­¡± he trailed off.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± At the sight of Shan Congwen¡¯s death, soldiers of the Wan Kingdom were devastatingly demoralized and soon clobbered.

 Chapter 336 - The Defeat of the Luohai Kingdom and the Resolution of the Crisis

    Chapter 336: The Defeat of the Luohai Kingdom and the Resolution of the Crisis


    With Shan Congwen¡¯s death, the morale of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s troops thoroughly collapsed and they were soon trounced by the army of the Great Yue.


    Yuwen Tong was walking through a crowd of soldiers, and Yao Yi was hurrying towards him, followed by a group of men. All of a sudden, the situation took a turn for the dangerous.


    ¡°Watch out, Marshal!¡±


    Several men in black appeared out of nowhere and came at Yuwen Tong from different directions with sabers in their hands.


    Eyes going cold, Yuwen Tong did a twirl like greased lightning, brandishing his long knife, generating an elemental outward wave of internal energy which deflected the couple of sabers and at the same time forced away all soldiers within a several-dozen-meter radius around him.


    The four black figures flew at him once again. The expressions in these people¡¯s eyes were obviously different from those of common solders. They were apathetic and ruthless and were aiming to kill with their every blow, and they didn¡¯t seem to care about their own lives at all, as though determined to achieve their ultimate goal of taking Yuwen Tong¡¯s life at all costs. These people were neither solders nor common kung fu experts. They were professional killers who would stop at nothing to get the job done.


    Yuwen Tong could tell at a glance what these four men were capable of. The reason why he had used his long knife to force the others away from him was because he didn¡¯t want any innocent soldiers to get trapped in this ring of encirclement. Then he heavily stuck his long knife into the ground, causing a violent quake with his powerful internal energy, throwing the four killers backwards once again. While they were uncontrollably backing off, Yuwen Tong gave his long knife a kick, which was sent rotating and shooting towards one of the killers. Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong launched himself forward, grabbed the hilt of the long knife, gave a downward slash and with that the blade went into that man¡¯s shoulder!


    When the long knife approached him, the man was moving backwards and, unable to dodge the blow, he had no alternative but to raise his saber and swing it at Yuwen Tong¡¯s long knife. However, his countenance changed drastically as he felt the dauntingly potent internal energy spreading from the knife. His saber was snapped in two and he himself received a downward slash from Yuwen Tong and died of the grievous wound on the spot.


    A companion dead, the three surviving killers were evidently much more cautious, their attacks growing quicker and more callous. They were not scared of Yuwen Tong¡¯s long knife, and neither was any of them afraid of death. All they wanted was to deliver a lethal blow to Yuwen Tong. Faced with this kind of suicidal fighting style, Yuwen Tong, naturally, wouldn¡¯t let any of them get close to him. Fortunately, his weapon was a long knife, and when he brandished it, an airtight shield of internal energy was formed, keeping the three killers from closing in on him.


    At this moment, Yao Yi and some others had hurried over and joined the fight.


    The three killers¡¯ kung fu skills were pretty good, which showed that they were top-notch professionals hired at high prices, but there was not much they could do when the opponent was Yuwen Tong. In addition, Yao Yi and some others had arrived in time. Under their concerted attack, all the three killers were disposed of.


    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡±


    As the last killer was seriously wounded and the crisis was about to be resolved, an urgent voice came from rear of flank and at the same time a long knife was heavily hurled over!


    CLANK!


    An almighty clang was heard.


    An arrow was violently parried by a saber thrown from a distance. The sharp arrowhead hit the flat of the saber, making a harsh scraping sound.


    Yuwen Tong jerked his head around just in time to see the saber deflect the arrow, and then he caught sight of a Luohai archer sitting on the back of a tall horse far away, who was staring at him coldly. Meanwhile, the second arrow had been fired, heading squarely for his heart.


    ¡°MARSHAL!¡± Yao Yi yelled.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes fell cold and he wielded his long knife and fended off that arrow. ¡°Yao Yi, parry his arrows,¡± he instructed.


    Yao Yi finished off the killer with a cut and then turned around to deflect the arrows shot from the distance with the others. Yuwen Tong jabbed his long knife deep into the ground, conveniently took the bow and the quiver of arrows from a dead archer lying on the ground, and then fixed the Luohai archer in the distance with a glacial stare.


    ¡°Marshal, he¡¯s that marksman of the Luohai Kingdom,¡± said Yao Yi anxiously.


    Gazing in the direction of that archer, Yuwen Tong said flintily, ¡°Stand still.¡±


    Yao Yi and the others, though confused, subconsciously braced themselves by adopting the Horse Stance. Then Yao Yi felt a gust of wind soar up behind him and with that someone stepped onto his shoulders and almost at the same time fired three arrows in rapid succession, all of which whizzed towards that Luohai archer with unstoppable momentum at an amazingly great speed!


    The Luohai archer gave a start and abruptly tried to dodge. However, he had just sidestepped the first arrow when the second and the third ones arrived, leaving him no time to dodge. There arrows were far faster then he had expected!


    ¡°ARGH!¡± An anguished cry issued from the distance. Two of his vital parts pierced by the two arrows, that crack shot of the Luohai Kingdom breathed his last and fell off from his horse.


    Twirling in mid-air, Yuwen Tong shot all the arrows in the quiver before he landed on the ground. His last arrow was aimed at Dong Gao, the general-in-chief of the Luohai Kingdom who was in the farthest part of the battlefield.


    Dong Gao was besieged and still unable to extricate himself from the ingenious formation of the Great Yue¡¯s army, not a shred of pride or arrogance on his face. At this moment, an arrow whizzed over from the distance, ripped into his back and through his chest. It all happened in an instant and he didn¡¯t have the time to react at all.


    ¡°Who¡­did¡­this¡­¡± Dong Gao started from head to foot, looking incredulously at the arrowhead protruding from his chest which was bleeding profusely, his eyes growing unfocused. Even in the last moment before his death, he still wondered who was the one that fired this arrow which claimed his life.


    On seeing that Dong Gao was hit by his arrow, Yuwen Tong coldly shouted, ¡°Dong Gao, the general-in-chief of the Luohai Kingdom, is now dead. Kill all the others.¡±


    His icy voice resonated through the whole battleground. The morale of the Great Yue¡¯s troops were boosted and they started to steamroller their way to victory. The army of the Luohai Kingdom, which didn¡¯t have many surviving soldiers, were demoralized to such a degree as though they¡¯d been reduced to puppets abandoned by the puppeteer, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to know how they would end up.


    After landing on the ground, Yuwen Tong tossed the bow back to the body of its original owner, pulled his long knife out of the ground and looked in the direction of a blue-robed figure standing in the distance, his icy eyes instantly becoming so fervent as though they were as hot as the noon sun. Staring fixedly at that person, he made towards him.


    It was Ling Zhang who was standing in the distance. After he had taken Wang Dashan and the others out of the city, they had made a beeline for the encampment, his anxiety deepening as he got closer to it. Eventually, heedless of his bodyguards¡¯ efforts to dissuade him, he had insisted on going to the battlefield. By the time he had arrived, Shan Congwen had died, the army of the Wan Kingdom almost wiped out, that of the Luohai Kingdom ringed, battle cries filling the air on the battlefield strewn with corpses. His heart hammering, he had searched for Yuwen Tong constantly.


    Wang Dashan and the others had also anxiously helped him look for Yuwen Tong. It had been only when the fight between Yuwen Tong and the four killers caused the ground to quake and his occasional upward leaps arrested their attention that they located Yuwen Tong.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Ling Zhang, after seeing Yuwen Tong safe and sound, had felt a sense of relief, intending to go to his help, but unexpectedly, he had just started walking and his feeling of relief hadn¡¯t ebbed yet when his heart suddenly fluttered as though warning him something very bad was about to happen. He had subconsciously jerked his head aside to look in the direction of the source of his intense foreboding and seen a man in Luohai military uniform on a tall horse aiming his bow at Yuwen Tong in the distance. Having a very strong premonition that that person was the very reason for the unease that he¡¯d been feeling all this time, Ling Zhang had unhesitatingly yelled, warning Yuwen Tong to be careful, and at the same time whipped out Wang Dashan¡¯s saber, concentrated all his internal energy in his arm, leaped forward with all his might and then hurled the saber at the arrow that had just been fired.


    Fortunately, he had successfully intercepted that arrow. After that, he had unblinkingly watched Yuwen Tong perform the series of subsequent actions, not daring to lower his guard for a split instant. It hadn¡¯t been until that Luohai archer was shot to death and Yuwen Tong walked towards him with his eyes fixed on him that he abruptly heaved a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, he had just relaxed when he buckled at the knees and, not even having enough strength to remain standing, limply sank to the ground, as though drained of energy. Meanwhile, all his meridians were aching dully, and so was his Dantian.


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Taken aback, Wang Dashan and the others hurriedly clustered around him. Qiu Bing quickly held Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist to feel his pulse.


    At this time, the countenance of Yuwen Tong who was in the distance also changed drastically and with that he took a flying leap forward, making a beeline for Ling Zhang like the wind. ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    On landing, Yuwen Tong caught sight of Ling Zhang who was pasty and feebly sitting on the ground. His insides did a horrible somersault and he tossed his long knife aside and pulled Ling Zhang into his embrace from Wang Dashan¡¯s arms. ¡°Brother Zhang! What happened to you?¡±


    On seeing that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t look very well, in order to spare him the worry, Ling Zhang hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not dead, just a little exhausted.¡± However, his voice was rather weak, which concerned the others even further.


    Qiu Bing¡¯s brows were knitted as he said, ¡°Young Master overused his internal energy by hurling the saber just now. It almost drained his Dantian of internal energy instantaneously. Right now he¡¯s suffering from overfatigue, and some of his meridians were damaged as well. We need to get him back to the encampment and let him take a medicated bath as soon as possible.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hastily scooped up Ling Zhang and said to Yao Yi and some others who had followed at his heels, ¡°Brother Zhang is hurt. I¡¯m bringing him back to the encampment. You are to cooperate with Jiang Xi and handle the rest of the Luohai troops.¡±


    Yao Yi was startled. He didn¡¯t know any details about Ling Zhang¡¯s injury, but he could tell from the grave expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face that the situation was serious, so he immediately answered, ¡°Yes, Marshal. Please just take Childe Ling back right away.¡±


    Shan Congwen was dead, and the Wan Kingdom had suffered a disastrous defeat, with their whole army annihilated. Dong Gao had also kicked the bucket, and the main force of the Luohai Kingdom was as good as exterminated. Even without Yuwen Tong directing the troops, Jiang Xi and the others could also handle the rest.Visit website Listnovel.com


    Carrying Ling Zhang in his arms, Yuwen Tong quickly returned to the encampment and streaked into the main tent.


    Qiu Bing directly went to the infirmary to get required medicinal herbs. An hour later, the preparation for a medicated bath was finished. Yuwen Tong carried Ling Zhang into the ¡°bathroom¡± that Jiang Xi had specially pitched for Ling Zhang. The bathing barrel in it had already been filled with medicated bathwater.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little hot, but Young Master still needs to get in there straight away, because it¡¯ll be useless when the water cools down. I¡¯ll go and prepare some herbal medicine. When it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll bring it here and let Young Master drink it,¡± said Qiu Bing.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Go. Right now Xie Shi is on the battlefield. Tell him to come here to see me when he comes back.¡±


    Qiu Bing nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After saying this, Qiu Bing took his leave. Yuwen Tong undressed Ling Zhang and put him into the bathing barrel.


    Ling Zhang gave a start from the scalding water, clenching his teeth, enduring it, some color back in his previously pallid cheeks because of the heat. He gasped in pain and said, ¡°¡®A little hot¡¯? This is boiling! Qiu Bing is such a liar.¡±

 Chapter 337 - A Great Victory

    Enduring the heat with a grimace, Ling Zhang said, ¡°It turns out I¡¯m still too weak. I just hurled a saber and it drained my energy.¡±


    Yuwen Tong wet a towel and gently toweled Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Although it had been a single throw, given the long distance between the two of them at that time and the level of Ling Zhang¡¯s internal energy, he had had to hurl it with all his might to make sure the saber traveled fast enough to intercept that arrow before it could reach Yuwen Tong¡¯s back. Ling Zhang had subconsciously summoned all the internal energy he had, and this consequence was not really surprising, but although Ling Zhang was the one enduring the physical pain, Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart ached for him.


    At first the heat had been the only thing Ling Zhang had to put up with, but slowly the medicine permeated through his body and a mixture of numbness and anguish filled every fibre of his being, rendering him unable to speak, droplets of sweat trickling down his forehead and cheeks continuously. Teeth clenched, he had to concentrate all his efforts on fighting the painful and numb sensation.


    Yuwen Tong wiped the sweat off Ling Zhang¡¯s brow, eyes and cheeks without saying anything, stabs of distress sweeping over him as he stood beside the barrel watching Ling Zhang suffering from the aches.


    ¡®I went too easy on Dong Gao. I should¡¯ve given him the slowest and most painful death,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong, a flicker of resentment crossing his eyes.


    As moments ticked away, the bathwater cooled down by degrees and the battle cries from the distance gradually lessened.


    When the water had entirely gone cold, Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body relaxed completely and he limply toppled backwards. Yuwen Tong, quick of eye and deft of hand, immediately caught him. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Much better,¡± answered Ling Zhang in a weak voice.


    In the beginning it had been itchy, agonizing and intolerably miserable, but that had been because the medicine was restoring his meridians. As his meridians had been repaired, the pain had ebbed, but it would take another medicated bath to nurse him back to health.


    Yuwen Tong scooped him out of the barrel, quickly toweled him dry, clothed him in thin robes and then settled him onto a couch in the corner.


    Ling Zhang had just sat onto the couch when Qiu Bing showed up in the doorway with a bowl of decoction in his hands, as though he had calculated beforehand how much time the process would take. ¡°Young Master, Marshal, I brought the medicine here.¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Qiu Bing walked inside and proffered the bowl of decoction which was quite black in color. ¡°Young Master, the medicine is ready. It¡¯s perfectly warm.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, took the bowl and inhaled deeply before drinking the decoction in one gulp. Screwing up his face, he returned the bowl to Qiu Bing and said, ¡°I¡¯m very tired and could use some sleep. When am I supposed to take the next medicated bath?¡±


    ¡°When you wake up, Young Master,¡± answered Qiu Bing.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang directly sank down onto the sloping couch, feeling utterly exhausted. He was so weary that the only thing he wanted to do was have a sound sleep, his eyelids drooping. Before closing his eyes, he said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°I need to sleep. Qiu Bing will be here taking care of me. There are still a lot of things you need to attend to out there. You should go right away. The soldiers need their commander-in-chief to be with them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want to leave, for Jiang Xi and his men were more than enough to finish up the fighting. Besides, right now the battle was probably almost over.


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between you personally being there and someone else being there. Winning a great victory in this war against the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom is extremely important for building up your reputation. I¡¯m really fine. It¡¯s just momentary overfatigue. I¡¯ll fully recover after a rest cure. It¡¯s nothing serious. Besides, I¡¯ve just drunk the medicine and want to have a good sleep. If you stay here, I¡¯ll be worrying about the situation out there and have trouble sleeping.¡± Ling Zhang was so drowsy that he had closed his eyes, struggling to finish speaking without drifting off.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Tong came to know that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well if he stayed, so he said resignedly, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go and check. Set you mind at ease and sleep.¡±


    It was after hearing this that Ling Zhang was relieved, his hold on Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand gradually loosening, falling asleep.


    Yuwen Tong covered Ling Zhang¡¯s abdomen with a thin blanket, enjoined Qiu Bing to watch over Ling Zhang and then left.


    ¡­


    The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had taken advantage of the civil strife in the Great Yue and waged an aggressive war, but now they had been defeated and almost wiped out, which gladdened the people¡¯s hearts. Yuwen Tong gave the order to kill most of the surviving enemies, sparing only a small number of them to let them return to their respective countries to deliver a message: he would lead his army to attack the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom unless they sent envoys to the Great Yue to negotiate peace agreements with terms he found satisfying.


    Scared out of their wits, the soldiers of the two countries who had been spared fled the battlefield as quick as they could and went back to relay the message.


    If the conditions were right, Yuwen Tong would directly take the couple of cities of the Luohai Kingdom nearest to the border, but given the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t stay in the north-west for too long. It was about time he returned to the capital city. No matter how many cities he took, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them if the situation on the home front was not stable.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s imposing and forbidding presence made every soldier of the Great Yue on the battlefield feel exceptionally proud and gratified. They heartily idolized Yuwen Tong, convinced that he would lead them to victory in this war, which he did. This was what raised their spirits the most.


    After flattening the encampment of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom and sending some men back to deliver the message, Yuwen Tong instructed the troops to clear the battlefield of the dead.


    ¡°Jiang Xi, you and the others are to make arrangements for the battleground to be cleared and establish the casualty number. On top of that, I need you to put up barricades where the encampment of the allied forces once was and wait there for the envoys of the the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom to come.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Shao Feng, you¡¯re to return to the encampment with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    Beneath the gaze of large numbers of soldiers of the Great Yue, Yuwen Tong and Shao Feng went back to the encampment to loud cheers.


    ¡°Have our men strike camp and move back into the city after the clear-up is finished and the casualty number is established. Tell them the victory banquet will be held after they return to the city. There¡¯s no point celebrating when everything is a mess,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Shao Feng raised no objections, for these instructions from Yuwen Tong would actually make things easier for him. ¡°May I go and start making arrangements straight away, Marshal?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Go. Ling Zhang hurt himself and I need to go back and check on him,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Back on the battlefield, everybody had been engaged in the fighting, and Shao Feng had merely heard someone briefly mention this matter but didn¡¯t know any details about it. He concernedly inquired, ¡°How¡¯s Childe Ling¡¯s injury? Is it necessary to get him back into the city immediately?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head, gave a sketchy account of what had happened previously, and then said, ¡°He needs to take a medicated bath on a daily basis in the next two days. For the moment there¡¯s no hurry about getting him back to the city. I¡¯ve had the required medicinal herbs delivered here from downtown already, so you may save the medicinal supplies for the troops.¡±


    Shao Feng made no more remarks about it. ¡°Okay. If there¡¯s anything you need me to do, just give the word, Marshal. I can have them transport some medicinal herbs to this place from Youzhou very quick.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°I see. You may go and get on with your day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    With the clean-up in Shao Feng¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s capable hands, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t have to personally intervene in it. He paid a visit to the infirmary and offered words of consolation to the many severely wounded soldiers before leaving. At this time, it was full dark already.


    Yuwen Tong hastened back to his tent. The whole place was hushed, for his personal bodyguards were guarding the tent and nobody dared to approach. Ling Zhang¡¯s tent, guarded by Wang Dashan and some others, was even quieter. From inside the tent issued the breathing of someone fast asleep, along with that of someone awake.


    On entering the tent, Yuwen Tong saw Ling Zhang who was still sleeping, Qiu Bing sitting on the side, wiping his needles.


    ¡°Marshal.¡± Qiu Bing sprang to his feet at the sight of Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong signaled him to keep his voice down, standing still. ¡°He¡¯s been asleep all along? Did he ever wake up?¡±


    Qiu Bing shook his head. ¡°No. Young Master¡¯s body is still absorbing the medicine. I think it¡¯ll be another two hours or so before he awakes.¡±


    Staying a few paces away from the bed, Yuwen Tong carefully checked on Ling Zhang. It was after confirming that he was sound asleep and some color had returned to his face that Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and change clothes and come back later.¡±


    Qiu Bing inclined his head.


    Yuwen Tong, who was still wearing dusty and blood-stained armor, returned to the main tent in haste, changed out of the armor and into clean clothes before going back to the tent where Ling Zhang was sleeping. This was a ¡°bath tent¡±, and a screen divided off the left part of it in which placed a couch on which Ling Zhang was sleeping at this time.


    After entering the tent, Yuwen Tong first went to get himself some water to wash. Qiu Bing had already taken his leave.


    When he had washed himself clean and changed into clean clothes, Yuwen Tong walked out from behind the screen and to the couch. Eyes on Ling Zhang¡¯s placid sleeping face, the concern that he had been feeling all this time slowly ebbed away. He reached out a hand to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s which was placed on his abdomen, then settled himself on a round stool beside the couch, looking at Ling Zhang with his deep gentle eyes.


    ¡­


    It was two hours later that Ling Zhang woke up. On opening his eyes, he came in sight of Yuwen Tong who was sitting beside his couch, reading a handbook with his head down, a calm expression on his face. He cocked an ear at the outside and found that the battle cries could no longer be heard. There were only faint footsteps and the noises of soldiers breaking camp. Candles in this tent had been lit and there was no telling what time it was.


    Yuwen Tong noticed the moment he awoke. He closed the handbook, put it aside and said, ¡°You¡¯ve woken up. How are you feeling now?¡±


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply, appearing languid. ¡°Better than I did before the sleep. I¡¯ll fully recover after another couple of medicated baths. What time is it now? How long have you been sitting here? Have you got everything handled?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered the questions one by one. ¡°The night watchman has just struck Hai Hour (21:00¨C22:59). I¡¯ve dealt with everything I¡¯m supposed to deal with. Jiang Xi and Shao Feng will take care of the clean-up. Are you hungry? I had them prepare some food.¡±


    Remaining on the couch, Ling Zhang stretched out a hand.


    Yuwen Tong immediately took his hand, holding it tight. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t feel like getting up. I¡¯m indeed a little hungry, but I won¡¯t starve anything time soon.¡±


    Yuwen Tong could tell from Ling Zhang¡¯s face that he was not experiencing any discomfort, that he just looked languid and a bit down. He said, ¡°You¡¯ve slept for quite some time and it¡¯ll take a heavy toll on you if you don¡¯t get something to eat right away. I¡¯ll have them deliver the food to this tent. You may lie here for a while longer and wait until they bring the food here to get up and eat.¡±


    Happy to hear that he didn¡¯t have to get up right away, Ling Zhang slightly raised his eyebrows, shifted his position and breezily answered, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile, put Ling Zhang¡¯s hand back onto his abdomen, rose to his feet and walked out. Before long, he returned, sat back onto the stool and held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand again.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t there supposed to be a celebratory banquet tonight?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°We need to clear the battlefield and establish the casualty number first, so the banquet will be held after we return to the city. On top of that¡­ right now I¡¯m not really in the mood for a banquet.¡±


    Aware of what he was thinking about, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Are you not worried your soldiers will be disappointed?¡±


    ¡°The battle has just finished and everybody is tired. Besides, we suffered rather heavy casualties as well, and those who have just seen the dead bodies of their close comrade-in-arms are probably not in the mood for celebrating either,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.

 Chapter 338 - A Quick Recovery

    Ling Zhang had only known by hearsay that it was a convention in the army to throw a celebratory banquet after winning a victory, that all soldiers needed liquor to help them relax after a battle. However, things were different in the army under the command of Yuwen Tong. They had all become accustomed to clearing the battlefield and establishing the numbers of the dead and the injured first before holding a victory banquet. Firstly, this could help stabilize the chaotic situation as soon as possible; secondly, it was a habit they had developed during the many years of war. Although they had won, they still had to stay alert, because if they got drunk and the enemies launched a sneak attack, things would be very tricky. As a result, Yuwen Tong¡¯s soldiers had all made a habit of this, and none of them would raise any objections.


    ¡°Young Master, Marshal, we¡¯re here to deliver the food.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Wang Dashan and Qiu Bing entered carrying food, accompanied by Xie Shi, who examined Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Childe Ling, you¡¯re recuperating quicker than I expected. The medicine Qiu Bing prepared turns out to be quite effective. Take a medicated bath before you sleep tonight and another one tomorrow, and you¡¯ll fully recover,¡± said Xie Shi.


    Ling Zhang cast an appreciative look at Qiu Bing, who scratched his head and said, ¡°Young Master¡¯s strong constitution was the reason why the medicine worked so soon.¡±


    Previously, when Yuwen Tong had been unblocking Ling Zhang¡¯s meridians, he had been intentionally strengthening his meridians, too. Also, the cultivation method that Ling Zhang had adopted afterward suited his constitution perfectly, so although this time his meridians had been damaged, he was recovering much faster than common people would.


    There was some color back in Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks. Although his face still appeared pasty, he looked much better than he had during the day.


    After having a meal, Ling Zhang got out of bed and walked around the tent with Yuwen Tong, slowly stretching his muscles.


    During the process, Ling Zhang stole several glances at Yuwen Tong and eventually, Yuwen Tong was unable to pretend not to notice even if he wanted to. ¡°Why are you sneaking looks at me? Is there anything you¡¯re not telling me?¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just¡­¡± He gave a cough and then continued, ¡°I was just observing the look on your face, trying to find out whether or not you¡¯re going to tell me off.¡±


    Yuwen Tong paused, looking at him. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Because I didn¡¯t stay in the city as you told me to.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gazed deeply at him. ¡°I should indeed be angry, but more with myself than with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused. ¡°Ah?¡±


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have got hurt if it weren¡¯t for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang caught on and immediately said, ¡°What are you talking about? This injury of mine is nothing. I probably would¡¯ve taken my own life had you died there! You know what? During the day, I originally planned to stay in the city as you¡¯d told me to, but when I was on the gate tower, I suddenly felt very uneasy and I kept having this foreboding feeling that something bad was going to happen. I was worried, so I went to the battlefield, and fortunately it was not too late.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand to stroke Ling Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°Then why do you think I¡¯d be angry with you?¡±


    Ling Zhang was at a loss for words for a brief moment. ¡°Well, it would seem I asked the wrong question, but you need to wipe that look off your face. It makes me upset.¡±


    Then he took Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which was caressing his cheek, kissed it and then looked at Yuwen Tong with gleaming eyes. ¡°Now I¡¯ve given you a kiss. Stop overthinking it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who was staring at him with burning eyes, abruptly pulled him into his embrace and started kissing him.


    ¡­


    The two of them kissed for quite some time before parting. Though fully aroused, Ling Zhang knew that he was still weak and not in a fit state to have sex.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop it. This kiss turned me on, but right now we can¡¯t do that,¡± muttered Ling Zhang under his breath.


    Chuckling, Yuwen Tong carried him back to the couch and sat down. In a somewhat hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Just now you seduced me first.¡±


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideward glance. ¡°I just gave you a kiss.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°A single kiss from you is more than enough to send me giddy.¡±


    A smile curled the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Then why are you not giddy? Just now we had more than one kiss.¡±


    Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to a certain part of his body and, as his hand gently touched it, he gasped lightly and croaked, ¡°What about now? Are you feeling it?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He quickly tried to withdraw his hand but Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°You¡­You¡­ It¡¯s almost time for the medicated bath. Qiu Bing might come in at any moment. Let go of me!¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I believe he knows better than that.¡±


    ¡°Are you not afraid people might hear us?¡± Ling Zhang glared at him. ¡°I feel weak and I don¡¯t want to move. Get your hands off me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you move.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He was utterly resigned.


    ¡­


    Eventually, with Yuwen Tong holding his hands, they did it. Ling Zhang had been somewhat quiet during the process, because what with his physical conditions, there was not much he could do. Yuwen Tong, however, was quite contented.


    Holding Ling Zhang in his arms, Yuwen Tong kissed and coaxed him for a few moments and it was only when Qiu Bing asked for permission to come in to prepare the medicated bath that he stopped.


    Ling Zhang, who was finally rid of him, lay back onto the couch with his butt to Yuwen Tong, as though telling him he didn¡¯t want to speak with him right now.


    With a gentle look in his eyes, Yuwen Tong reached out a hand to feel Ling Zhang¡¯s Dantian. ¡°Does this part feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Ling Zhang was briefly stiff and then replied, ¡°Just a little, but now the discomfort is gone.¡±


    Yuwen Tong disbelieved. A Dantian drained of internal energy usually caused more misery than damaged meridians did, and there was no doubt the misery would deepen when people tried to treat it with medication. Ling Zhang had just been hiding it all along. At first Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been unaware of this, and it had been a moment ago that he faintly sensed it. Just now when he¡¯d been doing his thing, Ling Zhang had clearly been aroused, but soon discomfort had appeared on his face. Although Ling Zhang had quickly concealed it, it had still failed to escape Yuwen Tong¡¯s notice.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the main tent. You may lie here and rest. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Yuwen Tong said before leaving the tent.


    Puzzled, Ling Zhang rolled over and watched Yuwen Tong leave. He left just like this? What did he want to do there?


    Yuwen Tong came back very soon. He walked to the couch and shoved a pill into Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth. The pill was giving off a faint scent of medicine and quickly melted after being put into his mouth. When he had swallowed it, a stream of something warm flowed straight into his stomach. Eventually, his abdomen warmed up and his injured Dantian seemed to have been enwrapped by some kind of warm force. Ling Zhang felt so comfortable that he could barely keep from letting out a long sigh.


    ¡°What was it that you just gave me?¡± asked Ling Zhang. Considering how effective the pill was, it must be uncommonly rare and precious. Yuwen Tong gave it to him just like this?


    ¡°It was a pill that helped heal internal injury. My grandfather bought it at a high price from a miracle-working physician who was very famous in Jianghu. I¡¯ve been saving it all these years,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was both astonished and anxious. ¡°Then why did you have me swallow it without telling me anything about it?! This pill¡¯s so precious. It¡¯s a life-saving pill your grandfather left to you, and now you¡¯ve used it on me. What if some day you yourself¡­ you yourself¡­ My injury was just momentary and I was already recovering. Why did you make such a rash decision? Are you trying to have me killed by my own anger?!¡±


    However, he had already swallowed the pill and there was no way to get it out of his body. Ling Zhang bitterly regretted it.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I won¡¯t be needing it. Besides, it¡¯s very likely that the pill would lose its efficacy if I keep it for too long, which is something neither of us want to see happen, right? What you hurt is your Dantian, not some non-vital part. You have to take it seriously, but instead, you kept it back from me, showing a total disregard for your own health. If it caused some kind of sequela, I¡¯d regret it for the rest of my life. I¡¯m glad that you swallowed it. At least I can now relax safe in the knowledge that you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Ling Zhang went berserk. ¡°I told you I was already recovering!¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Quickly healing your injured Dantian is not the only thing the pill could do. Given your physical conditions, it¡¯s probably also beneficial to you in some other ways. Try circulating your internal energy when you¡¯re having a medicated bath and see if it has brought any changes.¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at him. It was quite a while before his sulky face returned to normal. He had already ingested the pill, and what was done was done. Yuwen Tong clearly didn¡¯t begrudge it at all and there was no point reasoning with him.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll try it later, but you must promise me you won¡¯t ever again make such decisions without telling me first!¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He was still angry.


    Qiu Bing got the medicated bathwater ready, delivered it to the tent and poured it into the bathing barrel. It was only when Ling Zhang had sat into the barrel that his attention was gradually distracted. The numb and itchy sensation in his meridians was still there, but not as intense as it had been during the day. Sitting cross-legged in the bathing barrel, he tried circulating his internal energy as Yuwen Tong had told him to a moment ago.


    At first Ling Zhang didn¡¯t feel anything special, all his attention focused on the numbness and pain caused by the medicine which was restoring his meridians. It was not until that warm force in his Dantian, by degrees, started stirring in an unusual fashion that he became aware that the circulation of his internal energy was producing some kind of effect.


    The injury in his Dantian was healing rapidly, and at the same time, as the circulation went on, trickles of internal energy were converging in his Dantian, making it burn¡­


    Moments were ticking away. During the process, Yuwen Tong had utilized his internal energy to heat the bathwater in the barrel several times, so Ling Zhang had stayed in the barrel longer than usual. When he had absorbed all the active ingredient of the medicine, Ling Zhang opened his eyes which were sparkling and piercing. Not only were his cheeks ruddy, his every fibre seemed to be filled with energy!


    ¡°My Dantian is larger than before, and it also feels more substantial. Even the wounds in my meridians have almost healed completely. I don¡¯t have to take an extra medicated bath tomorrow. Tonight I¡¯ll be performing Qi circulation and I believe I¡¯ll fully recover by tomorrow. In addition, I have this feeling that I¡¯ll be able to make a breakthrough and reach the third layer of the mental cultivation method this time!¡± said Ling Zhang cheerfully immediately after opening his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong gave a heartfelt smile. ¡°It seems that the pill¡¯s pretty effective.¡±


    Then he stretched out a hand and added, ¡°Get out of there. You¡¯ve been in it long enough.¡±


    Ling Zhang placed his hand onto Yuwen Tong¡¯s palm and was drawn out of the bathing barrel. Then he toweled himself dry and dressed.


    Qiu Bing was called in to examine Ling Zhang. After feeling his pulse, Qiu Bing gawked at Ling Zhang and asked, ¡°Young Master, how did you¡­ come to recover so soon?¡±


    This was too soon. Qiu Bing didn¡¯t dare believe that this was the result of his consummate medical skills, because he knew that was untrue. He was fully aware that he had only learned a very small part of his master¡¯s medical knowledge, that there was still a lot for him to learn.


    But Ling Zhang had recuperated from his internal injury so quick that Qiu Bing could hardly forbear to doubt himself.


    ¡°The mental cultivation method of internal energy I¡¯ve been following seems to be tailor-made for me. Just now, when I was having a medicated bath in the bathing barrel, I tried performing Qi circulation and it had some amazing effects,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    He was uncertain as to whether or not he should disclose his swallowing the pill given by Yuwen Tong, so he kept it from Qiu Bing. Yuwen Tong was listening on the side, his countenance remaining unchanged, seeming to have no inclination to tell anybody about it either.

 Chapter 339 - A Return Trip to the Capital City

    Two days later, all troops stationed outside the city had moved back into the city, and the numbers of the dead and the injured had been established, and all the clean-up work had been finished, so Yuwen Tong gave the order to hold a celebratory banquet on this night.


    Ling Zhang, who had recovered from his injury already, also attended the banquet.


    ¡°When are you going back to the capital city?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong after the banquet.


    Having drunk a lot of liquor at the banquet, Yuwen Tong was tipsy and fondling the back side of Ling Zhang¡¯s neck. He buried his face in Ling Zhang¡¯s neck, sniffed deeply and then replied in a low, deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll return in two days.¡±


    What with this act of his, Ling Zhang¡¯s waist went somewhat limp, but he still had his sense of perspective. ¡°What about the peace talk? Whom will you put in charge of that before leaving?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke will be in charge of it temporarily. I¡¯ve already written him a letter, telling him to come here. This won¡¯t be the last time that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom launch an offensive on us. Sooner or later we¡¯ll have to get rid of these troubles once and for all. The main purpose of the peace talk will be to buy our country a couple of years¡¯ time to recover from the aftermath of the war. From the vantage point of the present, the Wan Kingdom won¡¯t be able to wage another war on its own any time soon. As for the Luohai Kingdom, their troops were almost wiped out during this battle, so they wouldn¡¯t dare make another move in the near future,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang pondered over these words for a few moments and then asked, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll attack the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom in a few years?¡±


    Yuwen Tong confided, ¡°Which is why the next couple of years¡¯ time is of great importance to us.¡±


    Indeed, right now Yuwen Tong still had a long way to go to take the throne, and after his enthronement, there would be even more affairs he had to attend to. Presently, the situation in the Great Yue was fraught with hidden dangers which they had to adopt necessary measures to tackle, and it would take time. Also, the country needed time to recuperate and build up strength, which would take four or five years.


    ¡°But we need some envoys and the emperor¡¯s seal to hold a peace talk. Right now the Great Yue doesn¡¯t have an emperor, and the lack of imperial authorization will compromise our leverage at the peace talk,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Which is why we have to go back to the capital city as soon as possible. We don¡¯t have any time to waste. Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke will stall the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom to buy us some time.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± After sex, Yuwen Tong pulled a thin quilt over to cover Ling Zhang with it.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s hair was wet with sweat, some of which was sticking to his brow. There was a pink flush all over his face, and even his neck and ears were red. He felt lazy and limp and didn¡¯t want to move an inch. When Yuwen Tong put the thin quilt over him, he wanted it removed and said with the air of a spoiled child in spite of himself, ¡°I feel hot. Take it away.¡±


    While saying this, he raised his arm to remove the quilt. Resigned, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to roll over, get out of bed stark naked, walk to a long-legged wooden towel holder in the corner, take the towel off and then return to the bed to wipe the sweat off Ling Zhang¡¯s body, his hands caressing Ling Zhang, longing appearing in his eyes again.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s white skin had become ruddy and was now covered in sweat, bearing quite some marks caused by the vigorous sex the two of them had just had¡­


    ¡°Stop it.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s voice was a little hoarse, his breathing still uneven, which naturally made him sound like a pampered kid. Yuwen Tong¡¯s warm palms sliding on his body made him quiver involuntarily, and the intense pleasure he had just had seemed to be quickly coming back, but they had just finished a long sex and if they did it again, he felt that his waist bones would break.


    Yuwen Tong toweled him dry, tossed the towel aside and reached out a hand to roll him over. ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    Ling Zhang instantly grabbed his hand, his breath coming in short gasps. ¡°No. What are you doing? Stop it. I¡¯m fine. Go and have them prepare some water. I want to have a bath.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand paused and then moved to Ling Zhang¡¯s upper Dantian. ¡°What about here? How does it feel?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Nothing unusual. I¡¯ve been recovering well during the past couple of days. My internal energy has been partially restored and the discomfort in my Dantian has some time ago disappeared. The pill you gave me has almost been absorbed completely, and I feel that I¡¯ve been regaining my internal energy at a rapid pace.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Yuwen Tong said in a deep voice and stroked his Dantian for quite a while before reluctantly withdrawing his hand. ¡°Pull the quilt back onto your belly. I¡¯ll go and have them get the water ready.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Ling Zhang distantly answered, casually pulled up the quilt to cover only a small part of his abdomen and stretched his muscles with some small body movements. His waist and back were somewhat sore. His crotch was okay, except for the still distinct sensation of something being stuck in there. On top of that¡­


    Ling Zhang blushed and paused, the expression on his face quite awkward, particularly so when that thing started flowing more quickly after he made those movements.


    After a while, Yuwen Tong had some warm water delivered to the tent. It was after the two of them finished their baths that Ling Zhang felt comfortable and his face softened.


    ¡°Your father also drank quite some liquor tonight and probably won¡¯t get up as early as usual tomorrow morning. I¡¯ve enjoined Xie Shi to keep an eye on your father and examine him immediately if he feels any discomfort,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°The journey back to the capital city will be yet another ordeal for him. I¡¯m worried that he might be tired out, so I want to let him travel slow and have some men protect him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­


    At noon the next day, Ling Zhaowu had lunch with Ling Zhang and some others.


    ¡°Father, I want Brother Donglin to have five of his men stay and protect you. Do you think it¡¯s okay? Apart from them, some of Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards will be with you as well. You may travel slowly. There¡¯s no need for you to hurry. Yuwen Tong and I will return to the capital city first.¡± Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowu about his suggestion.


    Ling Zhaowu flicked a glance at him and Yuwen Tong and then responded, ¡°Okay. My physical condition is still not good enough, so maybe it¡¯s better if I go slowly.¡±


    In the two days since he had made arrangements for the journey back to the capital city, Yuwen Tong was fully occupied and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t see him once.


    On the third day, Yuwen Tong returned early in the morning. Ling Zhang had had their baggage ready.


    ¡°All necessary arrangements have been made. We may get going now,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head and then bade farewell to Jiang Xi, Shao Feng and Jiang Ke who had just hurried over from the border city in Shengzhou.


    ¡°Childe Ling, we¡¯ll go back to the capital city to attend your and the Marshal¡¯s wedding after we get everything handled here,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    At the mention of the wedding, Jiang Ke¡¯s and Shao Feng¡¯s interest was also piqued, as though they also had been meaning to go to the capital city to attend Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang was glad to hear that they would make it back to the capital city in time.


    ¡°You will have your chances,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Jiang Xi exchanged meaningful looks with the other two and then said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Marshal, are you sure you don¡¯t want any of us to go back to the capital city with you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ve had Qi San secretly draft the Shadow Battalion back to the capital city.¡±


    Jiang Xi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It turns out Lao Qi has gone back.¡±


    Shao Feng said, ¡°Marshal, we¡¯ll make arrangements for some men to covertly keep watch on the road connecting the capital city and Youzhou, just in case.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. ¡°You¡¯ll have to deal with the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s envoys for some time. Make sure you stall them long enough for the envoy from the capital city to arrive.¡±


    Shao Feng and the other two chorused, ¡°We will, Marshal.¡±


    The matters in the capital city brooked no delay, and Yuwen Tong had made detailed arrangements for all affairs in this city, so after bidding them farewell, he and Ling Zhang each mounted a fast horse and galloped out of the border city.


    ¡­


    Although they traveled very fast, it still took them several days to reach the capital city. People in the capital city had received the message when the two of them approached the city.


    ¡®Thank God, they¡¯re back,¡¯ a lot of people in the capital city thought relievedly.


    The current situation in the capital city was really quite peculiar. The Right Prime Minister and some others feared very much that Yuwen Tong might not be able to bring the war to an end until half a year or even a solid year later, and in that case, things in this city would definitely change in unforeseen ways sooner or later.


    Fortunately, Yuwen Tong had resolved the crisis in the north-west very soon. As long as Yuwen Tong returned to the capital city, everything would be settled.


    ¡­


    The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had been defeated. The King Ming¡¯en of the Wan Kingdom and Dong Gao, general-in-chief of the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s army, were both dead, the allied forces of the two countries almost wiped out. News of this caused great sensation when it spread back to the two countries.


    ¡°I heard that the Great Yue still hasn¡¯t selected a new emperor yet, and the whole country is literally under Yuwen Tong¡¯s sole dominion. Once Yuwen Tong is crowned Emperor of the Great Yue, all our lives will be in danger.¡±


    The emperor of the Wan Kingdom summoned his trusted courtiers to have a meeting, all of whom had worried faces, mainly because Shan Congwen, the King Ming¡¯en, had died by Yuwen Tong¡¯s knife.


    ¡°But we are not capable of waging another war. Our country was never as rich as the Great Yue. After several years of war and the many defeats Yuwen Tong inflicted on us in succession, our people cannot afford to take another blow. Currently, our first priority is to let the troops rest and the economy to recover. It¡¯s inadvisable for us to cross swords with another country.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Although the Luohai Kingdom suffered heavy casualties, they¡¯re clearly in better battle-readiness than us. If by any chance the Luohai Kingdom change their standing and turn on us, we¡¯ll be put in a very disadvantageous position. We should start to build up strength immediately to regain our abilities to defend against attack first and then consider other matters.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll second that.¡±


    The emperor of the Wan Kingdom looked rather sulky. He also knew that he couldn¡¯t wage another war, but why were all these people trying to dissuade him when he hadn¡¯t said anything yet? Were they trying to shift the blame for the failure of this concerted military operation with the Luohai Kingdom? Previously these people had all been quite enthusiastic when they proposed cooperating with the Luohai Kingdom to launch an offensive on the Great Yue.


    ¡°I called you here to discuss the peace talk with the Great Yue.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Sire, may I ask what terms the Luohai Kingdom is going to offer? Should we consult with them first? Although we lost the war, we cannot let the Great Yue look down upon us. What if they claim huge amounts of compensation like they did the last time? If we talk with the Luohai Kingdom beforehand and join hands to bargain with the Great Yue over the peace terms, we¡¯ll be at an advantage.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s face went even colder. Even if he was capable of getting information about the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s terms, it would take more time!


    ¡°The way I see it, we might as well make an excuse to delay the peace talk, so that we can consult with the Luohai Kingdom before departure.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    The emperor was consumed with anger, but he didn¡¯t really have a choice, so eventually he took the advice and had someone write a secret letter to the emperor of the Luohai Kingdom.


    The emperor of the Luohai Kingdom, after reading the secret letter from his counterpart of the Wan Kingdom, gave several sneers. ¡°The Wan Kingdom has ended up like this, yet he still thinks he¡¯s on equal terms with me. What a whimsical fool.¡±


    ¡°What kind of reply do you think we should make to this letter, sire?¡± asked a courtier of the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°A perfunctory one. If we are not to get the worst of it during the peace talk with the Great Yue, we¡¯ll have to make sure the Wan Kingdom gets it,¡± said the emperor of the Luohai Kingdom.


    When the emperor of the Luohai Kingdom was writing a letter back to his counterpart of the Wan Kingdom fencing with him, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had returned to the capital city. The Right Prime Minister immediately paid them a visit.


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re back, Marshal!¡± said the Right Prime Minister, looking on the verge of tears.

 Chapter 340 - Abdication of the Throne

    At the sight of the harassed-looking Right Prime Minister grabbing Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang quietly backed away two paces and then unblushingly walked away, leaving Yuwen Tong in the lurch.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    The Right Prime Minister and some others immediately besieged Yuwen Tong for fear that he would leave as well. Yuwen Tong had no alternative but to invite them to his study to sit and talk. Thus, Ling Zhang successfully made good his escape.


    Ling Zhang went to see his grandfather. Ji Yin, who had some time ago sensed his grandson¡¯s arrival, was waiting for him.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhang walked up to Ji Yin, who looked at his grandson with penetrating eyes and immediately found that something about Ling Zhang was not quite right. ¡°Your internal energy is not as powerful as before. You are hurt?¡±


    Not having expected that his grandfather would perceive it at a glance, Ling Zhang had no choice but to honestly give Ji Yin an account of how he had accidentally drained himself of internal energy.


    ¡°The pill Yuwen Tong gave me worked like a charm. Grandfather, I think I¡¯ll soon make a breakthrough and reach the third layer of the mental cultivation method.¡±


    Ji Yin made no reply, reached out a hand to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, carefully felt his pulse and then said, ¡°It seems that that misfortune was a blessing in disguise. But your internal energy hasn¡¯t been restored completely yet. Right now you need to recover your internal energy first before considering how to make a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong and I needed to come back as soon as possible, and we worried that my father wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the weary journey, so we didn¡¯t let him travel with us. It¡¯ll probably take him another three to five days to arrive,¡± Ling Zhang explained and then inquired of Ji Yin, ¡°Did anything particular happen during these days, Grandfather?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been fairly peaceful. There hasn¡¯t been anything requiring my personal intervention.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt a faint sense of relief, happy to learn that everything was fine.


    Ji Yin was not very interested in the matters in the borderlands. As the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had been defeated, what they should consider right now was Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement.


    ¡°I wonder what that Yuwen boy is planning. He still hasn¡¯t killed the two princes of the imperial household.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know any details about Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan either, but he did know that the reason why Yuwen Tong spared the two princes¡¯ lives must be because they would prove useful. Otherwise Yuwen Tong would have some time ago taken their lives.


    ¡°Have there been any accidents in the imperial palace, Grandfather?¡±


    ¡°No. Some trouble-makers tried to sneak in to rescue them. I took care of them.¡±


    ¡°Who tried to rescue Fang Quan and his allies? Were they related to any courtiers?¡±


    ¡°They were sellswords from Jiangzhou. Someone hired them to rescue those in the palace. We killed several batches of them before they stopped showing up.¡±


    Surprised that the garrison of Jiangzhou were still unreconciled to the situation after the garrison of Shengzhou defeated them and forced them back to Jiangzhou, Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Those people are the least of our problems. I can take them apart with a flick of my finger. What we need to do right now is bury the old emperor¡¯s body. His coffin has been in there for long enough.¡±


    Had Ji Yin not mentioned this matter, Ling Zhang would probably forget that the old emperor¡¯s body was still in the palace. After the old emperor¡¯s death, they had been using ice to preserve his body. Currently, placed in the great hall of the imperial palace was a giant ice coffin, but no matter what, it had been in there for long enough.


    Ling Zhang felt that the first thing they should do was probably hold a burial of the old emperor.


    This was also the very matter that those in the study were discussing. The Right Prime Minister and all the others suggested they had the old emperor¡¯s body delivered to the imperial mausoleum and buried as soon as possible.


    ¡°What¡¯s the head star-watcher¡¯s opinion? When is the nearest day suitable for a burial?¡± inquired Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± answered the Right Prime Minister immediately. He had done some research some time ago.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow it is.¡±


    ¡­


    Two days later, the old emperor¡¯s coffin was finally moved out of the imperial palace and sent to the imperial mausoleum to be buried. Previously the mausoleum had been under construction, but recently they had specially ordered the builders to speed it up and the project had been finished shortly before the burial of the emperor. Thus, the burial ceremony was handled without much trouble.


    The old emperor buried, the enthronement of a new emperor became pressing.


    ¡­


    Fang Quan and all the others who had attempted to rebel had been temporarily thrown into the Court Prison. The Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince were still in the imperial palace.


    The next day, word got out that the Eighth Prince had been enthroned. Right at the time when a lot of people were in astonishment, another extremely dramatic event occurred.


    The Eighth Prince abdicated in favor of Yuwen Tong, the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.


    After the imperial edict of abdication was released, everybody, both discerning ones and undiscerning ones, came to understand what was going on.


    Of course, there were also some who were unreconciled to the situation, such as the garrison of Jiangzhou and the garrison stationed in the south-west, but naturally some people would make them shut their mouths, such as the garrison of Shengzhou and the garrisons He Xiao had united. On top of that, the whole north-west was completely under Yuwen Tong¡¯s control, and all the uncertainties in and outside the imperial court had been taken care of. Yuwen Tong ascended the throne almost utterly unopposed.


    The abdication ceremony turned out to be quite an occasion. When Yuwen Tong took the imperial edict of abdication with both hands, Ling Zhang was standing right by his side. From this moment on, Yuwen Tong¡¯s identity changed thoroughly.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Your Majesty. Hail to the emperor!¡±


    The Right Prime Minister prostrated himself and with that civil officials and military officers of all descriptions followed suit, offering their congratulations to the new emperor.


    Even at this moment, Ling Zhang still had a somewhat distant look in his eyes. Previously he had considered several possibilities, but it had never crossed his mind that this matter would be settled this way. Yuwen Tong became the new emperor just like this?


    Yuwen Tong holding his hand, the two of them were standing shoulder to shoulder on a high platform. However, looking down at the scene in front of the platform, Ling Zhang felt that what was happening seemed to be somewhat unreal.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Yuwen Tong under his breath, noticing that Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was wandering.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head. ¡°I just haven¡¯t got used to the change of your identity.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one whose identity has changed. Yours has changed as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in a stupor. Yuwen Tong firmly tightened his hold on his hand and said, ¡°Soon we¡¯ll get married, and you¡¯ll be my consort.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes dilated with shock. Con¨CConsort?


    For an instant Ling Zhang suspected that he was hallucinating. Then he abruptly had an astounding feeling that a sea change was really happening right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Why do you look so shocked? You¡¯ve never thought of any of this?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang subconsciously shook his head. He had indeed never thought of any of this. Even at the time when Yuwen Tong had confided to him that he was planning to take the throne and become the emperor of this country, he had believed Yuwen Tong was just trying to help them survive. In his eyes, Yuwen Tong was still that marshal, and he was going to marry a marshal, not an emperor, but now he suddenly came to realize that things had changed, which was an overwhelming shock to him.


    When Yuwen Tong had drawn him down the high platform, Ling Zhang still hadn¡¯t come to himself.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve got the imperial edict of abdication and a proclamation has been made, we still have an official enthronement ceremony to prepare, and there are also a lot of other matters to attend to before that, so I won¡¯t be able to find the time to go to the Ling Mansion any time soon. How about we move into the imperial palace and stay there for some days?¡±


    Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Move into the imperial palace?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was still holding his hand, fixing him with an expectant gaze.


    ¡°Okay,¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    ¡°What do you think, Father-in-law? Yuwen Tong¡¯s performance doesn¡¯t strike you as disappointing, I suppose?¡±


    In the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhaowu was playing chess with Ji Yin. The commotion outside was shattering the air, but the two of them were totally unaffected by it, sitting there unhurriedly, enjoying their game of chess.


    ¡°A man with the physiognomic attributes typical of a ruler could hardly do anything disappointing,¡± observed Ji Yin. ¡°Otherwise the Clan Leader wouldn¡¯t have pinned his faith on him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu smiled, ¡°The Clan Leader will soon take action, right?¡±


    Ji Yin replied, ¡°I think so. Two days ago I received a letter from him, which said that he¡¯d come to attend the enthronement ceremony and Zhang¡¯er¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how they are doing with the preparatory work in Tanyang. The wedding ceremony will be held right after the enthronement,¡± said Ling Zhaowu, a different expression finally appearing on his placid face.


    Ji Yin replied, ¡°I would¡¯ve personally gone to Tanyang if it weren¡¯t for the possibility of unexpected changes of the situation in this city.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I cannot put you to the trouble of doing that, Father-in-law. I want to bring my father and little brother to this city first. When Zhang¡¯er and Yuwen Tong get married, it¡¯d be inappropriate for Yuwen Tong to go to Tanyang and escort Zhang¡¯er back to the wedding, for it¡¯s too far away.¡±


    Ji Yin inclined his head. ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way ¨C I¡¯ll have Donglin and Chaofang take some men and go to Tanyang and then escort all of them back to the capital city.¡±


    With Ji Donglin and Ji Chaofang protecting them, at least Ling Xingzhong¡¯s and the others¡¯ safety wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point waiting. I¡¯ll have them depart right away. As for you, given that you¡¯ve just finished a long journey, you should sit this out. Right now nursing yourself back to health is the most important to you,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhaowu gave it some thought and then agreed, ¡°Okay. Thank you, Father-in-law.¡±


    Ji Yin moved a piece on the chessboard. ¡°With you staying safe and sound, Zhang¡¯er will naturally have more peace of mind.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a smile and looked at the chessboard, a faintly brooding expression in his eyes.


    ¡­


    Before moving into the imperial palace, Ling Zhang returned to the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Maternal Grandfather, Father, I want to have Wang Dashan and some others go back to Tanyang and escort my paternal grandfather and uncle here,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Apart from Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement and their oncoming wedding, Ling Zhang¡¯s worries about the safety of his family in Tanyang was also a reason why he wanted to do this. After all, some risks would never cease to exist unless Yuwen Tong acceded to the throne.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°It¡¯s been handled already. Your grandfather had Donglin and Chaofang take some men and go to Tanyang.¡±


    Ling Zhang was very happy to hear that. ¡°You two always outthink me, Father, Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu and Ji Yin both chuckled.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°With Donglin and Chaofang escorting them, you don¡¯t have to worry about your paternal grandfather¡¯s and uncle¡¯s safety. That Yuwen boy will definitely be fully occupied for some time. What about you? Do you have any plans?¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping him company. Later I¡¯ll pack a few things and bring them into the imperial palace. I¡¯ll stay there with him.¡±


    Ji Yin exchanged glances with Ling Zhaowu, who asked somewhat surprisedly, ¡°You¡¯re moving into the imperial palace?¡±


    Seeing the astonishment on both their faces, Ling Zhang was worried that there was some kind of problem.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a serious problem. It¡¯s just you two are not married yet. Although previously the two of you were living together, the place you were staying was the Ling Mansion. Now his identity is different, and numerous people are keeping watch on the imperial palace. If you move into the palace with him, you¡¯ll become the focus of everybody¡¯s attention, and it¡¯s very likely that there will be malicious rumors.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead corrugated in a slight frown. In fact, he had thought about this on his way back, but he didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving Yuwen Tong in the palace alone. There were not many things he could do for Yuwen Tong, but keeping him company was one of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be bothered by rumors. What with my identity, there are probably rumors about me circulating out there right now, and they won¡¯t stop even after I marry him, but I don¡¯t really care. It¡¯s not them that I live for. From the vantage point of the present, even if they have something to say about it, they¡¯ll have to keep it to themselves.¡±


    Both Ling Zhaowu and Ji Yin appeared calm, unsurprised at Ling Zhang¡¯s decision.


    ¡°Then bring your bodyguards with you. They have learned how to deploy the formation that I deployed in this compound. Have them deploy one in your place and stay close to you whenever possible,¡± said Ji Yin.

 Chapter 341 - Busyness

    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them with me.¡±


    With the imperial edict of abdication in hand, their first priority was to hold an enthronement ceremony. However, holding an enthronement ceremony was no easy job. There was a lot of preparatory work involved, including sending invitations to neighboring countries. Though they had decided to omit all the unnecessary formalities, there were still a lot of matters left to be dealt with. These things were keeping them so occupied that they frequently lost track of time.


    Ling Zhang, along with his bodyguards, moved into the imperial palace with Yuwen Tong, planning to stay there for some days. A thousand crack troops that Yuwen Tong had brought back from the north-west, who were under the command of Yao Yi and some other personal bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, were overtly guarding the palace. Qi San, one of Yuwen Tong¡¯s trusted subordinates, and the Shadow Battalion at his command, were guarding it covertly. The palace where Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were staying was under heavy security.


    The palace they were temporarily staying in was called the Infinite Fortune Palace, which was the closest to the great consultation hall. Yuwen Tong had picked this palace because it¡¯d be more convenient for him to deal with the many affairs that he was supposed to handle during the next few days.


    After entering the palace with Ling Zhang, Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards deployed a formation around the Infinite Fortune Palace, which was riddled with smaller concealment formations and traps. Anybody who dared to approach the Infinite Fortune Palace without someone leading the way would fall victim.


    ¡­


    Invitations had been sent to the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kingdom and the Fangcun Kingdom as a matter of urgency. Governors of the many prefectures, after receiving the messages, had all started making preparations for their journeys to the capital city. Garrisons of all prefectures had orders to stay where they were. In the capital city, staff members of various departments were mainly engaged in the preparatory work for Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement. All other matters had been shelved.


    There were quite some pressing issues that they needed to find solutions to before the enthronement: firstly, what to do with the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince, the two surviving members of the Zhou family, the former imperial household; secondly, how to reward the North-western Army for their meritorious service; thirdly, how to reward the garrison of Shengzhou; fourthly, how to punish the garrison of Jiangzhou; fifthly, the follow-up settlement of the issue of the rebel forces in Cangzhou; sixthly, the security of the capital city on the day of the enthronement ceremony; seventhly, the amnesties for prisoners at the enthronement; eighthly¡­


    How to resolve these problems had to be decided before the enthronement, so that decrees could be issued one by one in an orderly fashion after the ceremony.


    ¡°The rebel forces in Cangzhou have been thoroughly overpowered. After the rebellion was suppressed, the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) adopted a conciliatory approach as you ordered him to. Keeping the situation in Cangzhou stable for a certain period of time won¡¯t be a problem, but it usually takes a long time for a policy of conciliation to produce the desired effect, so we may have to show some patience. The best solution, I believe, is for Sire to grant amnesties to some criminals at your enthronement, treat the rebels leniently except for the leaders, and those who were originally common folk may be spared. And those miscellaneous taxes that could be abolished should be killed off. Also, we need to make sure those common folk get their paddy fields back after returning home, so that they could sustain their families.¡±


    ¡°The Right Prime Minister¡¯s got a point. When the Zhou family were in charge, there were too many exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous levies imposed on people in this country. You should abolish as many of them as possible when you grant amnesties to prisoners. Our people have been under heavy burdens during the many years of war. We have to give them a respite so that they could restore their lives as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sire, here is the list of taxes that we made previously. We consulted with each other and took the liberty of marking the taxes that we believe could be scrapped. Please go over it and make a decision, Sire.¡±


    ¡°This is a draft plan concerning the amnesties and conciliation aimed at the rebel forces and common folk in Cangzhou. Please look it over, Sire.¡±


    ¡°Here is a list of the vacant positions of responsibility in the imperial court, along with the several selection mechanisms that we came up with after some consultations. We don¡¯t know whether you would find any of them feasible. Please go over it and make a decision, Sire.¡±


    ¡°Here are some proposals about the rewards for the service of the North-western Army and the garrison of Shengzhou. We don¡¯t know which one is the most appropriate, so we list them all. Please go over them and make a decision.¡±


    ¡°Here are some suggestions about the punishment of the garrison of Jiangzhou¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a proposal about what to do with the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince¡­¡±


    In the consultation hall, courtiers fell into heated discussion with each other. Staff members of the Ministry of Rites were burdened with all the preparatory work for the enthronement, and the courtiers were mainly consulting each other about the series of issues the solutions to which needed to be declared in the form of decrees at or immediately after the enthronement.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s original intention was to accompany Yuwen Tong to the hall to take a look, but the very sight of the tall stack of pamphlets on the desk gave him headaches, and those were just drafts. Yuwen Tong had to first read them all and then finalize them. Ling Zhang had a sneaking suspicion that instead of a day or two, Yuwen Tong might not be able to extricate himself from this consultation hall for ten days or even half a month.


    Yuwen Tong had just come back from the north-west where he risked life and limb fighting enemies, and now things had taken a turn for the worse ¨C even a breather seemed to be a luxury for him.


    Was the throne really worth all this?


    He was rather inexperienced in this regard, so there was very little he could do to help¡­ Ling Zhang looked at those pamphlets, appearing daunted. When he had just entered the hall, he had quite positively thought that he needed to find someone to teach him how to deal with these things so that he could share Yuwen Tong¡¯s burden, but now, he silently twisted his head aside, pretending not to have seen the pamphlets, stealthily edging his butt sideways, intending to slink away.


    Suddenly, a hand was pressed onto his thigh. Yuwen Tong, without the slightest change of his countenance, was still talking with some courtiers, but his hand beneath the desk had tightly gripped Ling Zhang, keeping him from slipping away.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    They were sitting at the front of the hall, and if he made any particular movements, everybody present would easily notice, so he didn¡¯t dare struggle and could only secretly use his hand to try to free his thigh from Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip was very firm and wouldn¡¯t slacken no matter how hard Ling Zhang tried. After he made another couple of unsuccessful attempts, Yuwen Tong flipped his hand and grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s, holding it tight, rendering him unable to make any small movements with it.


    The courtiers in front of the desk were still in discussion and their voices were pretty loud. Feeling that those people couldn¡¯t hear him, Ling Zhang said in a hushed voice, ¡°Let me get out of here.¡±


    ¡°No. You have to stay here with me. It¡¯s an ordeal listening to these people¡¯s constant babble, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep myself sitting here if you¡¯re not by my side. Besides, you should feel lucky that I¡¯m not asking you to make decisions. How could you try to slip away and leave me in the lurch?¡± breathed Yuwen Tong, his lips moving unnoticeably, pretending to be attentively listening to the courtiers.


    ¡°This is an ordeal for me, too. There are literally stars dancing before my eyes,¡± implored Ling Zhang in a quiet voice. In the beginning he had been able to force himself to patiently hear these people out and analyze those state affairs, pondering what he would do if he was the one to make decisions, but afterward, issues had come up one after another and his mind had been overloaded. Right now, not only was he having headaches, he could barely breathe.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re seeing stars, you¡¯re still not going anywhere. If you dare flee, your dinner will be utterly vegetarian.¡± Yuwen Tong had no sympathy for him whatsoever.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He vexedly wavered over whether to have a vegetarian dinner or to stay and endure the dizzy spells. The misery caused by a vegetarian dinner would only last one night and he believed he could tough it out, but sitting here for a whole day¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with the vegetarian dinner.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    Finally, he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head aside to look at Ling Zhang. ¡°There will be roasted meat tonight.¡±


    Ling Zhang secretly swallowed hard. ¡°I¨CI can resist the temptation.¡±


    At this time, one of the courtiers in heated discussion observed that Yuwen Tong wasn¡¯t listening, looked in this direction and called, ¡°Sire?¡±


    Ling Zhang sprang to his feet and smiled at the crowd, ¡°Excuse me, but I need to answer the call of nature. Please continue, Your Lordships.¡±


    The corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth twitched. Ling Zhang had already said in the presence of all these courtiers that he needed to answer the call of nature, so he had no choice but to let Ling Zhang go. Before loosening his grip, he heavily scratched Ling Zhang¡¯s palm.


    Ling Zhang withdrew his hand, rubbed his palm against the small of his back to ease the pain and then, with an apologetic smile on his face, strode away and quickly disappeared from view.


    After Ling Zhang left, Yuwen Tong¡¯s face hardened somewhat. The mild and calm expression that had been there just now disappeared, which made him appear much more serious. ¡°Go on,¡± he said.


    Seeing this, all the others were rather perturbed, wondering whether they had just said something wrong or something had happened. Anyway, they became more cautious than they had been a moment ago, and their voices were lower.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang, after walking out of the consultation hall, heaved a long relieved sigh. The bracing air outside refreshed him considerably.


    ¡°Being an emperor is so¡­¡± he mumbled, holding back the latter half of his sentence.


    Never mind. Given how far they had already gone, there was no way he would chicken out at this point in time. Besides¡­ it was not him who had to deal with all those memorials to the throne.


    Though feeling faintly sorry for Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang still decisively made up his mind that he was not going back to the consultation hall.


    ¡­


    Since the Ministry of Rites had been put in charge of all the preparatory work for the enthronement, Yuwen Feng, as the Assistant Minister of Rites, naturally had been working off his feet. Previously he had been placed under house arrest by Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi. Afterward, Yuwen Zhi and Fang Quan had been imprisoned, and right now Yuwen Qi was also under house arrest. Yuwen Feng, after being set free, had taken a few days off. And then Yuwen Tong had returned to the capital city and had Yuwen Feng returned to the Ministry of Rites to work.


    Yuwen Feng looked a lot thinner than before and rarely smiled. What with the overtime he¡¯d worked during the past couple of days, he had got dark shadows under his eyes.


    When Ling Zhang met Yuwen Feng, the latter was walking inside in a hurry, seeming to be heading for the consultation hall to report something. Seeing how Yuwen Feng looked, Ling Zhang slightly frowned.


    Yuwen Feng, who also spotted Ling Zhang, briefly paused in surprise and then walked up to him and greeted him. Ling Zhang folded his hands in front in response, but Yuwen Feng hurriedly twisted aside and said, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything in the Ministry of Rites that I could help with? I could tell that you haven¡¯t slept for days,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Feng was fleetingly surprised and then caught on to it. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time before the enthronement and there¡¯s a lot of preparatory work to do. We have drafted in some men to help as a matter of urgency, but currently the political situation is still fairly unstable, and all other departments are working flat out as well and could hardly spare any men for us, so I have to personally deal with some of the matters, which is why I¡¯ve been busy, but overall, I¡¯m handling it.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s exactly why I should come to your help.¡±


    Young Feng said, ¡°The wedding ceremony is right after the enthronement, and you¡¯ll soon get busy as well, Childe Ling. The Ministry of Rites will probably send someone to contact you in just a couple of days, so I appreciate your kind offer, but I really can¡¯t put you to the trouble.¡±


    Seeing Yuwen Feng was putting it so politely, Ling Zhang came to know that even if the Ministry of Rites did need his help, Yuwen Feng still wouldn¡¯t ask him, so he didn¡¯t insist. ¡°You seem in a hurry. I guess you probably have something to report. I¡¯ll let you get on with it. After you, Childe Feng.¡±


    Yuwen Feng gave a smile, inclined his head and then made towards the consultation hall.


    Ling Zhang stood there for a while and then pivoted around and left. Right now he didn¡¯t have the time to deal with the matter of the Yuwen family, but sooner or later he¡¯d have to settle it.

 Chapter 342 - A Glimpse of the Past

    Ling Zhang had just returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace when a white ball of fur jumped at him. Quick of eye and deft of hand, he immediately caught the ball and gave it a couple of strokes. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you enough times? Don¡¯t suddenly jump at me like this. Look at your paws. They¡¯re so dirty. Where the hell have you been messing around?¡±


    Whitie the fox, who had grown a little bigger, gave a soft cry, placed his two front paws onto Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and instantly climbed onto it. Crouching on his shoulder, Whitie rubbed himself against Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and patted Whitie¡¯s little head. ¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s enough. I have to go outside the palace in a few moments.¡±


    Whitie let out a howl and started acting cute, crying in a faintly urgent way, as though requesting Ling Zhang to take him out of the palace.


    Ling Zhang glanced at the paw prints of dirt on his clothes and said, ¡°Later I¡¯ll bathe you, and I¡¯ll take you out if you promise me you¡¯ll behave yourself.¡±


    Whitie hastily gave a cry, rubbing himself against Ling Zhang.


    Seeing that he agreed, Ling Zhang returned with Whitie on his shoulder and changed, and then, accompanied by Wang Dashan and some others, left the palace and went back to the Ling Mansion.


    He came back to this place because there was something he needed to consult with Ling Zhaowu about, something about the drugstore.


    Ling Zhang had a drugstore in his name in the west of the city, but he planned to secretly establish a network which consists of drugstores, variety stores, etc. He wanted to open stores in the capital city, Cangzhou, Jiangzhou, Tanyang, Haizhou, Youzhou, Shengzhou, Jingzhou, the south-west, even the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kingdom and the Fangcun Kingdom, speculatively reselling medicinal herbs and all kinds of sundry goods. He also intended to build trade caravans the routes of which would gradually cover all the four countries, covertly collecting intelligence in the name of commercial activities.


    It would be an intelligence network of his own, independent of any force.


    Soon his identity would be different. Not only was he going to gain a foothold, he would also help Yuwen Tong, which meant that an intelligence network was a must.


    But this intelligence network must not be under his name. He couldn¡¯t overtly ran this network. It had to be set up by stealth. Originally Ling Zhang had thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get a chance to talk about this plan with anybody any time soon, but unexpectedly, Ling Zhaowu stated that he could make it happen.


    ¡°As for the drugstore in the west of the city, you¡¯ve publicly shown your face in that place, so everybody out there knows you¡¯re the proprietor. In order to weaken people¡¯s impression of this and blur their images of you as a merchant, you may pick a time and openly transfer that drugstore to the Ling family. And then, after a year or two, people¡¯s attention would shift away from the drugstore, and they¡¯ll gradually stop linking you with any trading activity. Both opening new stores and building caravans could be performed covertly. On the surface, this network will have nothing to do with you or the Ling family, but it will be under your de facto control. There¡¯s not much I can do for you, but helping you establish a commercial network covering the four countries¡¯ territories is within my power,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Ling Zhang was astonished at these words of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s, because Ling Zhaowu appeared very poised and confident while saying this, and to his knowledge, his father didn¡¯t really have the required skill set or aptitude in this regard.


    ¡°If you have any misgivings, you may wait for a few days and see how things develop before making a decision,¡± said Ling Zhaowu. Seeing the quizzical and confused expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t gave any explanations and just said that he would prove it through action.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you, Father. I¡¯m just quite surprised,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°You¡¯ve never told us anything about you engaging in trade, and as far as we know, you¡¯ve never been in business before, but I believe right now you¡¯re telling the truth. There¡¯s something between the two that strikes me as contradictory and puzzling. Can you explain it to me, Father?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu kept silent for a few moments, looking at Ling Zhang, a distant and faintly significant expression in his eyes. ¡°This question has been in your mind for quite some time, I suppose?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and explicitly expressed his thoughts.


    Ling Zhaowu began, ¡°Of course, the version of me you know was never a businessman. Just like you, I¡¯ve been keeping secrets, too. Your grandfather and your uncle watched you grow up, but they don¡¯t really know everything about you. What I¡¯ve been keeping back from you is the same as what you¡¯ve been keeping back from them.¡±


    Ling Zhang started and instantly sprang to his feet, gaping at Ling Zhaowu in shock, his mind racing feverishly, all the questions that he had been having since he¡¯d found Ling Zhaowu exploding in his head.


    How had his father come to know about his uncle¡¯s son when he had been in a coma for over ten years and nobody had ever told him about it?


    Why had his father cared so much about that ¡°dream¡± which he¡¯d mentioned to his uncle, and had that inscrutable expression on his face when asking about it?


    Why had his father been acting like an entirely different person since he¡¯d woken up, someone poised and unhurried and not bigoted at all as though nothing could surprise him, someone who could quickly get the key points of so many matters as if he had years of experience in them when in fact he should¡¯ve never had any acquaintance with any of them?


    Why was his father utterly unsurprised at the fact that Yuwen Tong was about to succeed in taking the throne? And why was he, who was clearly just a commoner, not in awe of the imperial authority or enormous wealth at all and instead appearing apathetic about it?


    Why had his father from time to time forgotten about him being a common person and acted like he were a kung fu expert before the long coma?


    Apart from these, there were also some other details. These questions had accumulated one by one in Ling Zhang¡¯s head, and he frequently had this feeling that a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, that he was about to fathom something out, but all the times he had been disappointed. In fact, it hadn¡¯t been because the flash of inspiration slipped away but because he subconsciously felt that this conjecture was too absurd to be true. That kind of thing happening to him alone had struck him as incredible and astounding, and until this day, he still occasionally suspected that he was living in a dream. How was it possible that his father had also been through the same thing?


    ¡°I know it is very difficult for you to believe this to be true, because it was for me. Being able to see you alive again has been a godsend for me. I don¡¯t dare ask for anything more. I¡¯ll do everything I can to keep you safe, whatever the cost may be,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang was thunderstruck for a long moment and then these words of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s jogged him back to his senses. He gave a sudden start, slumped back into his seat and gaped squarely at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Father, you¡­ Why did you¡­ Is this a dream or reality?¡±


    ¡°Reality,¡± replied Ling Zhaowu, fixing him with a look, a gentle and affectionate gleam in his eyes which was so full of fatherly love as though it would spill out of them. ¡°This is undoubtedly a miracle.¡±


    Ling Zhang was unable to speak for a long time. Then his eyes quickly reddened, stinging from tears, and his throat slightly moved. An aggrieved feeling hidden fathoms deep which even he himself didn¡¯t know about surged up and flooded over him. He was sad, incredulous and aggrieved, lips pressed tightly together.


    Ling Zhaowu could tell what kind of indescribable grievances Ling Zhang was nursing. Being gazed by his son¡¯s reddish and stubborn eyes which were glinting surprisedly and delightedly, Ling Zhaowu for an instant had trouble breathing, and his eyes inevitably reddened as well. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°I failed you, Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look away and blinked his eyes several times. His back was still straight but the overwhelming emotions inside him were on the verge of getting out of control. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What is going on exactly?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu responded heavily, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I can guess the reason why it happened to you, but I don¡¯t have a clue why it happened to me. I thought that my life of misery and self-accusation was finally coming to an end, but unexpectedly, I was given a second life. When it came to my knowledge that you¡¯d been through the same thing, I didn¡¯t dare tell you about it, because it hadn¡¯t been easy for me to see you again, who was safe and sound, and I feared that you might hate me and leave me, but I didn¡¯t dare keep it back from you for too long either. If I was to do something for you, I would inevitably rouse your suspicions, which was something I had to face up to. Right now all I ask is that you give me a chance to do something for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang remained silent for quite a while, his mouth a thin line. Then he inquired, ¡°Where were you when it happened?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, who knew what he was referring to, recalled, ¡°I was still in a coma. It was half a year after¡­ after that thing happened that I came to. Your grandfather besought the Clan Leader, got the miracle drug and healed my injury. Then he and I left the mountains and returned to Tanyang¡­¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s voice gradually grew low, deep and pained as he related his experiences. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to recollect those things in detail. Also, now is not the right time to give you a blow-by-blow account of what happened. I¡¯ll tell you everything after you and Yuwen Tong get married and the political situation stabilizes.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised no objections. He just asked one last question. ¡°Did those people die?¡±


    ¡°They died. All of them.¡± Ling Zhaowu¡¯s tone fell apathetic and disgusted.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± said Ling Zhang. There was something in his mind that had been bothering him all this time. Although he had been reborn and changed the fate of the Ling family, what he had experienced in his last incarnation was also real. Who would mete out punishment to those foes of his who had lived in his past?


    But now Ling Zhaowu told him that all those people were dead, which gladdened his heart.


    ¡°I think your marriage with Yuwen Tong is probably preordained. He¡¯s a nice guy. I could relax safe in the knowledge that you¡¯re with him,¡± Ling Zhaowu suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang looked at him, bemusement in his eyes.


    ¡°I was comatose for half a year and missed a lot of things. When I and your grandfather returned to Tanyang, Zhang Chong and those people of the Jia family had already died. They¡¯d died at Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands,¡± confided Ling Zhaowu, eyes on Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang looked at him in astonishment. ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, at that time he was in the north-west, and it was Zhang Chong¡¯s rising in rebellion that attracted his attention. Your paternal grandfather once did the Yuwen family a favor, so he looked into the matter of Tanyang. Afterward, Zhang Chong and those people of the Jia family all died at his hands. He disowned all other members of the Yuwen family, stayed in a border city and never went back to the capital city. The emperor tried to have him killed several times and threatened him with Yuwen Zhi¡¯s death, but he was indifferent. Yuwen Zhi died during a political struggle between princes. All his family were incriminated and died as well. Yuwen Tong stayed in the north-west defending the border and never married, and the emperor didn¡¯t dare do anything about it. The north-west was under his sole dominion. Before my death, the north-west was in peace, but I don¡¯t know what happened afterward,¡± responded Ling Zhaowu.


    For quite a while, Ling Zhang remained silent, unable to recover himself from shock.


    ¡°It seems you and Yuwen Tong were predestined to be together. As long as you two stay safe, I¡¯ll have nothing more to ask for,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang slightly lowered his head, his eyes burning. It was a long moment before he collected his thoughts and said, ¡°I¨CI want to go back to the palace.¡±

 Chapter 343 - Is There Anything Youre Not Telling Me?

    Chapter 343: Is There Anything You¡¯re Not Telling Me?


    Ling Zhaowu was briefly surprised. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet and hastened towards the door. Suddenly, he paused, pivoted around to look at Ling Zhaowu and said, ¡°I remember we had a talk back when you first came to this city. I said that I used to have a grudge against you, but that is all water under the bridge now. Our past is full of pain, and I¡¯m not necessarily the one who suffered the most. I¡¯m your¡­ your son (the second ¡°your¡± in honorific form). You don¡¯t ever have to apologize to me. And, thank you for being honest with me about these things, Father. When all this is over, I hope you¡¯ll tell me more details about what happened in the past.¡±


    Having sensed the change of Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude, Ling Zhaowu was excited. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡­


    On his way back to the palace, Ling Zhang¡¯s mind wandered constantly. He kept running over his father¡¯s words in his head.


    Even when he returned to the imperial palace, he still had a somewhat distant look on his face.


    Yuwen Tong was still in the consultation hall. He had decided to have lunch in the hall. It was just lunchtime that Ling Zhang came back, so he personally delivered Yuwen Tong¡¯s lunch to the hall.


    As he entered, everybody in the hall stopped talking and shifted their gaze to him.


    ¡°Your Lordships, you¡¯ve all had a hectic morning. Maybe you should take a break and continue your discussion after lunch. Our people rely on you to deal with all those state affairs. Staying energetic is the key to maintaining high work efficiency.¡±


    Yuwen Tong also said, ¡°You may all go to the side hall and get some rest. We¡¯ll continue the consultation in an hour.¡±


    The courtiers were indeed tired and hungry. Seeing the serious expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, they all came to know that this was not the time to play the dutiful servant. They ended their discussion and a eunuch led them to the side hall to rest.


    Yuwen Tong walked down the platform, up to Ling Zhang and breathed, ¡°I thought you went out of the palace and wouldn¡¯t return until the end of the day. Why are you back? The sight of that pile of memorials no longer makes you feel dizzy?¡±


    Ling Zhang fixed him with a stare and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was amazed, the look in his eyes instantly changing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen when you were out there?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head and fought down the tears that were about to well up. ¡°Nothing. I just went back and talked with my father about the drugstore. Right now you¡¯re too busy, so I¡¯ll wait until you have everything handled to tell you the details.¡±


    However, Yuwen Tong knew Ling Zhang well and was observant enough to perceive the slightest change in Ling Zhang¡¯s mood. His eyebrows immediately contracted. ¡°Was there anything particular that your father said to you?¡±


    ¡°I just consulted with him about the drugstore and then came back,¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    At once, Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and strode towards the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    ¡°Wait a moment. We¡¯re not having lunch in the consultation hall?¡±


    ¡°Forget about lunch. How am I supposed to eat when you¡¯re keeping something back from me?¡±


    With a sulky face, Yuwen Tong drew him back to the imperial bedchamber, had everybody else leave and then turned around to look at Ling Zhang. ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±


    While being drawn to the bedchamber, Ling Zhang had psyched himself up. His rebirth must not come to the knowledge of Yuwen Tong, and he certainly couldn¡¯t breathe a word of what his father had told him to Yuwen Tong. Therefore, when Yuwen Tong looked at him, there was no sign of any particular emotion on his face. ¡°I told you we just talked about the drugstore. I¡¯m going to transfer the store to the Ling family and my father will be the one managing it, but I¡¯ll secretly remain the actual owner of it. We consulted each other about some details, and when I came back here, I heard that you hadn¡¯t had lunch yet, so I went to the consultation hall with the eunuchs delivering lunch, planning on having lunch with you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked deep into his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not only keeping secrets from me but also lying to me. Exactly what is it that you are unwilling to tell me about? There should be no secrets between us. I¡¯m not tolerating this!¡±


    Ling Zhang looked back at him, a quizzical expression on his face. Yuwen Tong had held his wrist. ¡°Tell me. If it¡¯s something difficult to deal with, we¡¯ll figure out a solution together. Otherwise what¡¯s the point of me being an emperor? If I take the throne but couldn¡¯t use it to do anything for you, what do I need it for?¡±


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m really not keeping anything from you. Stop overreacting,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly said.


    Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence, stared at him with irritable eyes, his whole being emanating an air that was telling Ling Zhang he was angry.


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth and his stomach suddenly clenched. Then he averted his eyes and added in an undertone, ¡°I just suddenly felt that I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone in the consultation hall. There are so many memorials. Although I know nothing about dealing with those affairs, at least I could keep you company at lunch.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± demanded Yuwen Tong in a deep voice.


    Ling Zhang cast a glance at him and then looked away again. ¡°And I shouldn¡¯t have left you in the lurch.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± persisted Yuwen Tong in the same deep voice. ¡°You returned to the palace only a short time after leaving it. If you were really consulting with your father about the matter of the drugstore, your talk would at least last until afternoon. Are you seriously expecting me to believe that you returned to the palace in such haste all because of your guilty conscience? If you don¡¯t tell me the truth right now, not only will you not get any roasted meat for dinner tonight, you¡¯ll be having vegetarian meals tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, too.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face crumpled up with vexation. ¡°You can¡¯t keep threatening me with vegetarian meals!¡±


    ¡°Then take heed of my words.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong was such an asshole. He found his Achilles heel and kept using it to his advantage!


    ¡°Of course. When did I ever not take heed of your words?¡±


    ¡°Then tell me the truth right now. Don¡¯t push me, because if you do, I will have them serve a vegetarian meal straight away. You haven¡¯t had lunch yet either, I suppose? Are you hungry? You want some meat?¡±


    Ling Zhang gritted his teeth. Originally he had been touched by what Yuwen Tong had done for him in his last incarnation, but now, what with Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitude, the inexpressible feeling was gone. Right now the only thing he was feeling was an urge to bite Yuwen Tong to death.


    ¡°I just felt I was not being good enough to you, and I didn¡¯t like the idea of you staying in the palace to have lunch with a bunch of insipid geriatrics, which was why I finished my talk with my father in a hurry and hastened back here. It saddens me that your workload is so heavy and you have nobody to keep you company. Are you satisfied?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong slightly lifted his eyebrows. As far as he could tell, maybe there was still something that Ling Zhang was holding back, but Ling Zhang had definitely told the truth about the most important part. Now all he needed to do was ascertain what had aroused these emotions of Ling Zhang¡¯s, and why Ling Zhang had hurried back to the palace to see him to find peace of mind without even sparing some time to have lunch with his father and grandfather first.


    It shouldn¡¯t be some security threat from outside. If it was, Ling Zhang would by no means conceal it from him, because Ling Zhang would never trifle with anything concerning his safety, particularly so in these circumstances where Ling Zhang, after his identity had changed, got tensed up every time he got wind of anything suspicious, and had nearly had Wang Dashan and the others deploy a formation covering the whole imperial palace.


    And it shouldn¡¯t be anything concerning Ling Zhang¡¯s own safety either. Otherwise Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards wouldn¡¯t have remained composed.


    So it was something unthreatening but made Ling Zhang feel he owed him¡­


    The Ling Mansion had been the only place that Ling Zhang went to after leaving the palace, and Ling Zhaowu and Ji Yin were the only two people who could have said something to him. Was it because any of the two disclosed something to him, by any chance?


    A gleam flitted across the depths of Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes as he came to realize this. Then he gave a little cough, softened his tone and said, ¡°Certainly. Presently I¡¯m fully occupied with state affairs, and the idea of you going out of the palace alone really concerns me. Although the situation is under our control, and so is the capital city, these are not normal times and I¡¯m constantly worried that you might get hurt or something. Even when I was sitting in the consultation hall, I still had such worries and couldn¡¯t collect myself, which was why I got scared at the sight of that look on your face when you came back. And then you refused to tell me what it was about, which deepened my anxiety even further. I feared that you were under some kind of coercion and I really couldn¡¯t calm down.¡±


    While listening, Ling Zhang felt a twinge of guilt, realizing that Yuwen Tong had been dealing with all those miscellaneous government affairs and worrying about him at the same time, that it was indeed inappropriate for him to keep it back from Yuwen Tong, that if he were Yuwen Tong, he would surely be anxious as well.


    However, some of the facts really must not come to Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge at this point in time. Firstly, he didn¡¯t dare confide them; secondly, now was not the right time to talk about them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­¡± Ling Zhang let out an unnatural cough and then continued, ¡°I was too embarrassed to say those words.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°But I would¡¯ve still been worried had you not told me. Don¡¯t keep anything back from me ever again, especially not in these circumstances.¡±


    On hearing these words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, Ling Zhang, who was in the wrong, naturally promised without hesitation that he wouldn¡¯t.


    Another gleam flashed across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll have them serve the courses.¡±


    ¡°Vegetarian ones?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes stared at him.


    ¡°Non-vegetarian ones,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Predictably, what was served was a tableful of meat dishes, all of which were appetizing in appearance, tantalizing in smell and delicious in taste. Naturally, the culinary skills of the imperial chefs were superb, and Ling Zhang enjoyed the meal to his heart¡¯s content.


    While lunching, he and Yuwen Tong were talking about some of the government affairs. Currently there were a lot of things going on and it seemed the two of them would never find themselves short of topics.


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t give the spat any extra thought, was unaware that when Yuwen Tong had gone to instruct the eunuchs to serve the meal, he had taken advantage of the opportunity and sent someone to the Ling Mansion to make inquiries about what Ling Zhaowu had said to Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile. In the Ling Mansion.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at Miao Shisan, a quizzical expression on his face. ¡°What did I tell Zhang¡¯er?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. After Childe Ling returned to the palace, he looked as though something was bothering him. Sire was worried about Childe Ling, but Childe Ling was unwilling to tell him the truth, so Sire sent me here to ask you whether or not you said anything particular to Childe Ling. Only by finding out the reason would Sire be able to figure something out to set Childe Ling¡¯s mind at ease,¡± said Miao Shisan.


    Ling Zhaowu unnoticeably lifted his eyebrows briefly, but on the surface, he appeared utterly collected. ¡°I just consulted with Zhang¡¯er about the drugstore, nothing else. I only reminded him that Sire had been engaged in state affairs lately, that he should spend more time with Sire and see Sire through these trying times. Shortly before noon, Zhang¡¯er went back to the palace in haste. Do you think this might be the reason? If so, Sire is overthinking it. Zhang¡¯er is probably just worried about him.¡±


    Miao Shisan kept silent for a moment and then said, ¡°Thank you for your time, Master Ling. I¡¯ll go back and report it to Sire right away.¡±


    ¡°See you around,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    When Miao Shisan had left the Ling Mansion, he looked over his shoulder in the direction of the mansion, fingering his chin, feeling that there was something odd about this matter. Never mind. He should just relate to the Marshal what Master Ling had told him. Master Ling seemed to like the Marshal pretty much. Surely he wouldn¡¯t suddenly raise an objection to Childe Ling marrying the Marshal? Miao Shisan didn¡¯t even dare let this absurd thought linger in his mind for another instant.


    After returning to the imperial palace, Miao Shisan relayed Ling Zhaowu¡¯s reply to Yuwen Tong.


    The smallest frown creased Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. Ling Zhaowu¡¯s answer seemed to tally exactly with Ling Zhang¡¯s explanation. However, his instinct was telling him that Ling Zhaowu hadn¡¯t told the truth.

 Chapter 344 - Spying on Childe Ling?

    After lunch, as there was still some time left for rest, Ling Zhang tried to convince Yuwen Tong to take a nap but failed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a nap together,¡± suggested Yuwen Tong, drawing Ling Zhang into the inner hall. Thanks to his powerful internal energy, he could work for seven consecutive days without sleep and still remain energetic. Now he had merely had a couple of hectic days, and he had slept at night, so right now he was not tired, but a chance to lie on the same bed with Ling Zhang for a while was not something he would say no to.


    He carved the time out, so he wouldn¡¯t let it go to waste.


    As Ling Zhang lay down onto the bed, he sighed, ¡°Going to sleep immediately after a meal ¨C this is what pigs do.¡±


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand and kneaded Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach and belly. ¡°Did you overeat?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Ever since Yuwen Tong had made up his mind to never let Ling Zhang overeat again, he always reminded Ling Zhang not to eat too much whenever they dined together, and slowly Ling Zhang had developed a habit. Even during the separation when Yuwen Tong had been in the north-west, he had still been restraining himself from overeating.


    ¡°You should close your eyes and get some sleep,¡± Ling Zhang added.


    Yuwen Tong took his hand, holding it, stroking it, closing his eyes.


    Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look at him. Seeing that Yuwen Tong had indeed closed his eyes, he slowed his breathing and at the same time shifted his position slightly and then remained motionless, letting Yuwen Tong hold his hand. He had asked Yuwen Tong to close his eyes and sleep, but his own eyes stayed open. After he collected his thoughts, his father¡¯s words came floating out of his memory once again.


    Both the matter of his father¡¯s rebirth and what Yuwen Tong had done in his last incarnation were keeping him from sleeping.


    Had Yuwen Tong really never married for his whole life in his last incarnation? He¡¯d stayed in the north-west defending the border like a warlord who answered to nobody but himself. He¡­ hadn¡¯t taken the place of the Zhou family, the imperial household, as he had done in this incarnation? Why?


    He wondered whether his father knew the reason. There was no doubt his father had been through a lot afterward in his last incarnation, but he didn¡¯t know if his father¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s paths had crossed again. If they had, his father should know something about it, and Ling Zhang wanted to find out.


    While he was thinking about this, his hand involuntarily made a slight movement. Yuwen Tong, who was lying beside him, wasn¡¯t really asleep. He had closed his eyes only because he had sensed that Ling Zhang wanted him to get some rest. Naturally, he felt this subconscious hand movement of Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    A moment ago, when he had closed his eyes, Ling Zhang had clearly slackened his breathing for fear of causing him any disturbance, but now Ling Zhang¡¯s breathing was changing somewhat, and his hand was stirring automatically, which showed that Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was wandering, and it was very likely that what he was thinking had something to do with what he had tried to conceal from him just now¡­


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly inquired.


    Ling Zhang started, jerking his head aside to look at him. ¡°You weren¡¯t asleep?¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised Ling Zhang¡¯s hand which he¡¯d been holding. Seeing this, Ling Zhang immediately came to realize that he seemed to have subconsciously moved his hand. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Not really, because I wasn¡¯t asleep. Just now you were absent-minded. What were you thinking about?¡±


    Ling Zhang, who couldn¡¯t disclose to Yuwen Tong anything about his last incarnation for the moment, shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling tired and couldn¡¯t sleep, so I gave the current situation some thought.¡±


    At the mention of this, he recalled that there was really something he needed to talk with Yuwen Tong about. ¡°When I was on my way out of the palace this morning, I chanced upon Yuwen Feng. He looked much thinner than before and had dark circles under his eyes. I think one reason¡¯s because of his unduly heavy workload in the Ministry of Rites, and the second reason¡¯s because of Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi. Have you considered what to do with the two of them?¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a sneaking suspicion that Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t telling the truth, but what Ling Zhang had just brought up was indeed a problem, so he replied, ¡°Fang Quan and his followers must be convicted of attempted coup. Since Yuwen Zhi played a part in it, I cannot let him get away unpunished. The reason why Yuwen Feng still has his position in the Ministry of Rites is because everybody knows Yuwen Zhi placed him under house arrest, just as they know about Yuwen Zhi¡¯s involvement in the coup. If I punish Fang Quan and his followers and spare Yuwen Zhi, not only will I, a newly enthroned emperor, be doubted, I will also lose my prestige among the people. As a result, Yuwen Zhi must be severely penalized.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You said so much. Are you going soft?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head and replied, ¡°Me saying so much means that considering either personal grudges between us or his crimes, Yuwen Zhi must die, but Yuwen Feng is a talent who¡¯s useful to both me and the imperial court, and I don¡¯t want to hurt his feelings too badly. Apart from anything else, he is my cousin, a member of the Yuwen family, which is why I have to reconsider the handling of this matter with more caution.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should just spare his life and mete out some other penalties to him,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong lightly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll need some more time to figure out what kind of penalties would be the most appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to have Fang Quan and all his followers executed?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°They have to die.¡±


    Ling Zhang suggested, ¡°How about executing only Fang Quan and the couple of arch-criminals and banishing the others whose involvement was less deep? By doing this, you¡¯ll have a reason to spare Yuwen Zhi¡¯s life. Besides¡­ there¡¯s yet another problem. As Zhou Ming¡¯an has abdicated the throne, we can¡¯t do anything to him for the moment. If he intercedes on behalf of Fang Quan and you execute Fang Quan regardless, wouldn¡¯t it make some people disgruntled? To my knowledge, all those civil officials care about this kind of stuff pretty much.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°That¡¯s yet another reason why I have to kill Fang Quan. If I don¡¯t, those people would take it for a chink in my armor and think I¡¯m a pushover. I need to do something to have them dismiss the kind of thoughts that they shouldn¡¯t have from their minds.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t feel that there was anything wrong with Yuwen Tong¡¯s methods. He just worried that there might be some harsh comments that would compromise the stability of the political situation after Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement.


    ¡°I spared Zhou Ming¡¯an and had him abdicate the throne because I didn¡¯t want to cause any greater unrest. After all, given the current circumstances, the best move is to have this country go through this period of transition peacefully and let the people restore their lives, not to subject them to more turmoil, but because of this, there hasn¡¯t been enough bloodshed during the process of my taking the throne. If I am to psych those people out, I¡¯ll have to take more lives, which is why I need to kill Fang Quan and his followers. I started out as a military officer and numerous enemies died by my saber, which is a fact I shall have them lodge firmly in their minds, so that they¡¯ll know what the right thing to do is,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang came to understand. ¡°When do you plan to deal with Fang Quan and the others? Before the enthronement or after?¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept silent for a moment and then responded, ¡°Before the enthronement.¡±


    Ling Zhang was briefly stupefied, then sat up and looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°So soon? What are you going to do with them?¡±


    Yuwen Tong released Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, pulled him to his chest and put his arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s not too soon. Having these people taken care of as soon as possible will do us a lot of good. As for how to do it, I¡¯m waiting for an opportunity. It¡¯s complicated and explaining it will take some doing. You¡¯ll understand when the time comes.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him incredulously. This guy was talking in riddles once again. He stared at Yuwen Tong for quite a while and then said, ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll let me know when you need my help. I want to be helpful and share your burden.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the time is ripe. The specifics of the plan will have to wait until necessary arrangements are made to be finalized. It won¡¯t be long. I¡¯ll fill you in on all the details, and I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s something you could help with.¡±


    It was after hearing this that Ling Zhang became satisfied and let it go.


    However, the old question ¨C what to do with Yuwen Zhi ¨C returned to his mind. Lying prone on Yuwen Tong with his head rested on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, Ling Zhang mulled over it, somewhat vexed.


    Cuddling him, stroking his back automatically, Yuwen Tong was looking sideways. For an instant, his eyes went cold, but he didn¡¯t let Ling Zhang see it.


    ¡­


    The two of them talked for a little while longer, lay in silence for another few moments and then it was time for Yuwen Tong to return to the consultation hall.


    Yuwen Tong got out of bed and adjusted his clothes. Ling Zhang helped him smooth his hair and said, ¡°I forgot to tell you this ¨C Yuwen Feng said that some of the preparatory work for the wedding ceremony would be brought forward, that the Ministry of Rites would send someone to consult with me about it in a day or two. I think maybe you should let me handle this matter, so that you could focus on the state affairs without being distracted by the wedding ceremony.¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought about it for a fleeting moment and then said, ¡°All right.¡±


    But secretly he was a little unhappy. In his eyes, it was the wedding ceremony that was of the greatest importance, but right now he was up to his neck in those tedious and trivial chores, which made him feel that he was letting things get out of perspective. However, if he couldn¡¯t handle those government affairs properly, his and Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding would be affected. In order for everything to go smoothly at their huge wedding ceremony, he indeed had to steel himself and tough it out. The very thought of this rendered him frustrated.


    His countenance was still faintly sulky when he left. On his way to the consultation hall, he was emanating a frighteningly brooding air, and all those who were following in his wake didn¡¯t dare utter a word.


    ¡°Shisan.¡±


    ¡°Sire.¡±


    Miao Shisan soon showed up.


    Somewhat unaccustomed to his new title, Yuwen Tong briefly paused but didn¡¯t show anything on his face. He instructed, ¡°Tell Shiba to stay close to Brother Zhang and keep me posted about everything he does.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± answered Miao Shisan, feeling somewhat surprised. It seemed that Sire wanted Miao Shiba to spy on Childe Ling. Although he didn¡¯t ask about it, his face was etched with puzzlement.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t tell the truth. They are concealing something from me. I¡¯m worried that something bad might happen if he keeps it to himself for too long. I need you to keep close watch on him. Don¡¯t overlook anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡± Miao Shisan relaxed. Having been told what it was about, he felt less stressed.


    After Miao Shisan took his leave, Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. There had originally been no secrets between Ling Zhang and him, and he could tell that Ling Zhang had absolute trust in him. He had also believed that previously the Millennium Pavilion was the only secret that Ling Zhang kept back from him, but now he discovered that there were some other things that he didn¡¯t know about. This kind of anxious and fretful feeling was something he¡¯d never experienced before. It gave him an urge to go to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s place immediately and question him, but his senses were telling him that it was unwise to do so.


    Since finding out the truth through making inquiries was not an option, the only way left was for him to observe Ling Zhang, but presently he was too occupied to personally keep constant watch over Ling Zhang, so he had no choice but to have someone else do it for him. As he thought about this, his eyes, which were looking in the direction of the consultation hall, became somewhat murderous.


    Every courtier sitting in the consultation hall felt a chill creep down his spine. Though it lasted for only a fleeting instant, they were still secretly taken aback, wondering whether it was just a hallucination or they had done something wrong and were about to be punished.


    As Yuwen Tong entered the hall, these people surreptitiously glanced at his face, but his countenance appeared quite normal and there was nothing out of the ordinary about it, which made them more bemused. Was that really just a hallucination?

 Chapter 345 - In a Better Mood

    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t give it much thought when Miao Shiba told him that he had orders from Yuwen Tong to stay by his side protecting him. After all, back when he had been in the Imperial College, it had been Miao Shiba who followed at his heels acting as his personal bodyguard.


    ¡°Have the servants deliver some soup and fruits to the consultation hall in the afternoon to help the courtiers beat the heat,¡± instructed Ling Zhang, looking through the window at the sun in the sky. The weather had been uncommonly hot during the past couple of days, particularly in the afternoon.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Miao Shiba answered and then asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going there personally, Childe Ling?¡±


    The Marshal¡­ Uh¡­ Sire had ordered him to keep constant watch on Childe Ling. His big brother had told him that it was because Childe Ling¡¯s keeping something back concerned Sire, but he believed that in the final analysis, it was because Sire was too busy to personally stay by Childe Ling¡¯s side and thus was somewhat worried. If Childe Ling could show his face more often in front of Sire and let Sire see him, Sire would be less worried.


    But unexpectedly, Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Every time I go there, they are interrupted. It¡¯s too much trouble. Just have the eunuchs deliver them to the hall. And, have the chefs in the Infinite Fortune Palace prepare them. Also, those delivering them must be our own men. Don¡¯t assign the task to eunuchs serving in other palaces.¡±


    Miao Shiba was somewhat disappointed to see that Ling Zhang was not swayed. ¡°Rest assured, Childe Ling, all Sire¡¯s food is from the Infinite Fortune Palace. Under no circumstances will we let any outsiders get close to it.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod but then flicked a glance at Miao Shiba, a faintly peculiar expression on his face. He felt weird every time he heard them address Yuwen Tong as ¡®Sire¡¯¡­ Maybe it was because he was still unaccustomed to it. After some time, when he got used to it, things should be better.


    It was indeed very hot in the consultation hall in the afternoon, so some basins of ice were placed in the hall. On top of that, the hall was very high and spacious, so overall staying in it was not unbearable.


    When eunuchs of the Infinite Fortune Palace delivered soup and fruits to the hall to beat the heat, Yuwen Tong immediately looked out of the hall, but after waiting for quite a while, he only saw Miao Shisan lead some eunuchs inside, and Ling Zhang was nowhere to be seen. His brow instantly corrugated in a frown.


    Miao Shisan was observing his master¡¯s countenance while leading the eunuchs into the hall. Seeing that his face was, predictably, a little sulky, he came to know that he had made a mistake by not having convinced Childe Ling to come. His master appeared rather unhappy and might vent his anger on them. Next time he must convince Childe Ling to come personally!


    The busyness seemed to make time go much faster. When the courtiers in the consultation hall finally felt tired and stopped talking, their faces were inevitably etched with weariness. Also, night had fallen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. You may all go back and get some rest. Tomorrow we¡¯ll start the consultation an hour later than scheduled, so that you people may have more sleep and recharge better,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The group of courtiers expressed their gratitude and then took their leave one after another. Even the Right Prime Minister, who had always been the most motivated of them all, left, because he was too fatigued to think about government affairs any longer.


    Yuwen Tong was still sitting bolt upright, tidying up the desk. Suddenly, his ears pricked up and with that he looked through the window.


    A familiar figure passed the window, soon reached the doorway of the hall and entered.


    ¡°I saw those courtiers leave, so I came here. How did it go? Have you figured out how to settle the matters you¡¯ve been discussing?¡± said Ling Zhang after entering the hall. He walked up to the desk to help Yuwen Tong put away the memorials to the throne and other stuff on it, and then asked him, ¡°Are you tired? You want something to eat?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lowered his eyes, instantly grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand which had a memorial in it, and held it motionlessly.


    Ling Zhang was baffled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go out of the palace this afternoon?¡± Yuwen Tong raised his eyes to look at him.


    ¡°No. I had someone bring me a map of the imperial palace. We¡¯ll be living in this place, and currently you¡¯re pretty busy, so I figured maybe I should read the map first. All things in this palace are strange to me, and I need to familiarize myself with them one by one as soon as possible, so that I¡¯ll be able to handle things with efficiency in the future,¡± answered Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong seemed to be touched by one of Ling Zhang¡¯s words. Although he was still in the same position, both the look in his eyes and his facial expression changed slightly. Ling Zhang could distinctly tell that Yuwen Tong¡¯s mood had instantaneously lightened.


    Ling Zhang looked at him in perplexity. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He had suddenly brightened as though he had hit pay dirt.


    Yuwen Tong softly squeezed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, took the memorial from it and casually put it down on the side. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it and go back. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat bewildered by his sudden change of mood. ¡°It¡¯s a total mess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back later to read and comment on a couple of memorials and then tidy the desk up in passing,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    On hearing that Yuwen Tong would come back here at a later hour of the night, Ling Zhang looked sideways at the night sky outside and found that it was actually quite late already. He held tightly on to Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which was holding his. ¡°I¡¯ll be here keeping you company,¡± he said.


    A smile curled the corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth, who was in an even better mood now. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of walked back to the Infinite Fortune Palace hand in hand, had dinner, rested for a while and then slowly strolled back to the consultation hall to help with digestion.


    Yuwen Tong let Ling Zhang sit beside him to help him sort memorials. Ling Zhang, who had done this kind of thing during the past couple of days, skillfully started sorting the memorials on the desk. He leafed through every one of them and then classified them according to the urgency of them. Those that needed special handling had been sifted out from the pile by Yuwen Tong, who was reading them and giving remarks.


    It took Ling Zhang quite some time to finish looking through all the memorials. When he had sorted all of them, he had begun to feel a little groggy. All these issues were of importance, the solutions to which had to be decided as a matter of urgency and would be proclaimed in the form of edicts before or at the enthronement. None of these memorials were about trivial matters, which meant all of them had to be taken seriously.


    A twinge of melancholy swept over him in spite of himself. Being an emperor was so tiring.


    He twisted his head around to look at Yuwen Tong who was raptly commenting on a memorial. Gazing at Yuwen Tong¡¯s straight back and the calm look in his eyes and his unperturbed strokes, he was gradually fascinated without realizing it. There had been very few occasions when he had seen this side of Yuwen Tong. When not faced with enemies on the battlefield, Yuwen Tong turned out to be a pretty good politician with unique perception of politics. His vision, astuteness and resourcefulness outshone that of most politicians who had been engaged in politics for many years. His strokes were vigorous, his every character unhurried.


    It was very quiet in the hall. The only sound apart from the cracking of the wicks was Yuwen Tong writing on memorials. One of them was attentively commenting on documents, and the other was staring in fascination, unable to pull himself back to the present.


    When Yuwen Tong finally finished writing comments on it and intended to take another one, he briefly paused, lightly put down his writing brush, pivoted around and looked at Ling Zhang who was gazing fixedly at him as if in a trance. In the pair of bright eyes was his distinct reflection, nothing else. Intense affection came flooding over him and he reached out a hand to sweep Ling Zhang, who was in a daze, into his embrace¡­


    When Ling Zhang came to himself, he found himself panting heavily with his head rested on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder. That long deep kiss just now had almost disembodied his soul. Both their bodies were scalding. Yuwen Tong was cuddling him so tight as though he were trying to break his waist.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± croaked Yuwen Tong through gritted teeth.


    Ling Zhang tried to struggle to his feet. ¡°There are still some memorials left¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Yuwen Tong, without giving the memorials a single glance, rose from his seat, scooping up Ling Zhang with his strong arms, and strode towards the doorway.


    It was not until he walked through the doors of the hall that Ling Zhang came to realize the situation. ¡°Put me down. If somebody sees us¨C¡±


    ¡°What could they possibly do about it? We¡¯ll soon be a married couple,¡± said Yuwen Tong, still proceeding.


    Ling Zhang patted his shoulder and breathed, ¡°Stop it. Put me down. How am I supposed to show my face in this city if word gets out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong paused, his lips pressed together. Eventually he put Ling Zhang down, clasped Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist and quickly drew him towards the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    Ling Zhang secretly gave a gasp of relief and then hastened to keep pace with Yuwen Tong. If truth be told, he was somewhat surprised that Yuwen Tong actually heeded his words and put him down.


    The reason why Yuwen Tong had put Ling Zhang down was not that he was afraid of being seen by anybody. In fact, the consultation hall and the Infinite Fortune Palace, along with the buildings nearby, had all been encircled ring upon ring by his personal bodyguards, so he didn¡¯t at all have to worry that somebody might intrude into this area unbidden and see the two of them. He¡¯d put Ling Zhang down because he suspected that if he kept carrying Ling Zhang forward, Ling Zhang would go berserk midway and he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring Ling Zhang back to the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong entered the Infinite Fortune Palace in haste. The guards on duty, who were sensible enough to know what was going on, had walked aside. After the two of them entered the palace, the gates were closed.


    ¡­


    The two of them squirmed passionately in bed for a very long time. It struck Ling Zhang that Yuwen Tong was somewhat different on this day, that he was evidently more eager than usual, and his movements were more vigorous. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t bear it and instantaneously fell asleep when it was over.


    Yuwen Tong had some hot water delivered into the bedchamber, wiped Ling Zhang¡¯s body clean, applied some ointment, massaged his waist and back and helped him change into clean clothes. Then he put Ling Zhang onto a clean, soft bed and pulled a thin quilt over his belly.


    It was after doing all this that he went to bathe. Then he put on his clothes, walked to the outer hall, summoned Miao Shiba and asked, ¡°What did he do this afternoon?¡±


    Miao Shiba answered, ¡°Childe Ling was reading a map of the imperial palace, mainly studying the layout of it.¡±


    ¡°Be specific.¡± Yuwen Tong flicked him a glance.


    Sensing the brooding air that Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were emanating, Miao Shiba was faintly taken aback and hurriedly started to give a more detailed account of what Ling Zhang had done. Yuwen Tong asked some further questions about Ling Zhang¡¯s words, facial expressions and bearing. It had never crossed Miao Shiba¡¯s mind that Yuwen Tong would ask about it in such a minute fashion. Fortunately for him, he, like all other bodyguards, had received special training. Having subconsciously lodged these details firmly in his mind, he answered all the questions one by one.


    After hearing his answers, Yuwen Tong pondered for a while and then said, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    Miao Shiba took his leave without more ado. When he was outside the palace, he was still somewhat surprised.


    It had been Ling Zhang who had some soup and fruits delivered to the hall to beat the heat, and after that, he had also asked Miao Shisan whether Yuwen Tong looked tired or not, and how the atmosphere in the hall was like. Before dark, he had instructed Miao Shisan to keep watch on the activity in the consultation hall. On being informed that the courtiers had left, he had hastened to the hall to help Yuwen Tong sort memorials. Ling Zhang had also been the one who specially had the chefs prepare a dinner consisting of dishes all of which were suitable to eat at night and to Yuwen Tong¡¯s liking¡­


    Every one of these matters seemed to be trivial, but all of them had something to do Yuwen Tong, and Ling Zhang had gone to the trouble of taking a personal interest in each and every one of them. It didn¡¯t really seem to be very much different than usual, but from these things, Yuwen Tong had got a feeling that something had changed, that Ling Zhang manifestly cared about these things more than he used to. In other words, Ling Zhang cared more about him now, as though there was something Ling Zhang was not telling him¡­

 Chapter 346 - The Ling Familys Arrival in the Capital City

    In the next few days, Miao Shiba still, on a daily basis, reported to Yuwen Tong everything Ling Zhang did. Meanwhile, every day Ling Zhang still ate three meals with Yuwen Tong. Every night Yuwen Tong came back from the consultation hall very late and could see without fail that Ling Zhang had been waiting for him all along. On one occasion, when Yuwen Tong returned, he walked in without having a guard pass word of his presence and found Ling Zhang giving huge yawns, his eyes watering from drowsiness caused by the long wait. At the sight of him entering, Ling Zhang immediately rose to his feet and made towards him.


    Sometimes Ling Zhang went to the consultation hall to deliver some late-night snack to him and then stayed there to help him sort memorials to the throne.


    ¡°A staff member of the Ministry of Rites paid Childe Ling a visit during the day to deliver to him a thick pile of pamphlets about the ritualistic rigmarole of the wedding ceremony. After reading them, Childe Ling wanted a couple of the steps omitted, saying that they were too time-consuming and cost too much money, that right now the imperial court needed money to help the people restore their lives and he should cut down the expense as much as he could,¡± Miao Shiba reported to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°He¡¯s consulted with the Ministry of Rites about it already?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Not yet. There are too many of the formalities, and Childe Ling has no acquaintance with any of them, so it took him quite some time to familiarize himself with them. He hasn¡¯t found the time to confer with the Ministry of Rites yet. Currently, staff members of the Ministry of Rites are occupied with the preparatory work for your enthronement. As far as I could tell, Childe Ling seems to intend to wait until after the enthronement to discuss it with people of the Ministry of Rites,¡± answered Miao Shiba.


    Miao Shiba cast a look at Yuwen Tong and then continued, ¡°In the past couple of days Childe Ling has been bustling around from dim dawn to dark. What with the tons of chores in the imperial palace and the wedding preparations, he couldn¡¯t hardly spare any time to rest, except when he dines with you at dinner time. There has been nothing out of the ordinary about Childe Ling over the last few days. With all due respect, I don¡¯t think Childe Ling is keeping anything back from you, Sire.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance remained unchanged. He just flicked Miao Shiba a glance.


    Miao Shiba hurriedly bowed his head, breaking out in a cold sweat.


    But Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t reprove him. He just told him matter-of-factly, ¡°All you need to do is continue to keep watch on him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Miao Shiba hastily answered.


    Yuwen Tong followed Miao Shiba with his eyes as he left. He was not angry with Miao Shiba for his taking the liberty of making that comment. Miao Shiba was his personal bodyguard and was supposed to obey every order from him, but Yuwen Tong also hoped his bodyguards would care about Ling Zhang just as much and bear Ling Zhang¡¯s safety in mind all the time. As a result, Yuwen Tong wasn¡¯t annoyed about Miao Shiba¡¯s attempt to defend Ling Zhang. He just wondered what Ling Zhang was concealing from him exactly.


    Ling Zhang was indeed very tired due to the hectic schedule. At this moment he was fast asleep, unaware of what Yuwen Tong had left to do after he drifted off. When Yuwen Tong returned to the bed and took him in his arms, Ling Zhang just subconsciously wriggled in Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, shifting into a more comfortable lying position, snoring lightly, bearing a similarity to Whitie the fox in its sleep. Yuwen Tong planted a kiss on his cheek.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong worked day and night in the consultation hall for ten solid days before he finally had all the pressing state affairs settled. Governors of the many prefectures were coming into the capital city one after another. The Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s replies had also arrived, both saying they would send some top-ranking officials and imperial family members to attend the wedding ceremony. It was at this point in time that members of the Ling family arrived in the capital city.


    On this day, Yuwen Tong specially cleared his morning and went to the city gates with Ling Zhang to meet the Ling family.


    There were five horse-drawn carriages, escorted by over thirty armed guards. It was quite a big team.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Old Master Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong bowed to Ling Xingzhong with hands folded in front when he had got out of the carriage. Ling Xingzhong hastened to raise Yuwen Tong. ¡°I¡¯m far from deserving of this level of formality from you. Please rise.¡±


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang straightened themselves at the same time, standing shoulder to shoulder. Ling Xingzhong looked at him, appearing sentimentally gratified.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Grandfather? Did they drive too fast? Are you having any discomfort?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Ling Xingzhong patted his hand and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. At my advanced age as I am, a journey like this won¡¯t break me. On our way here, your uncle and the others had the drivers drive slowly. I was anxious to see you and wanted them to pick up speed, but they disagreed.¡±


    Holding Ling Xingzhong¡¯s arm to support him, Ling Zhang studied his countenance. At the sight of the weariness on his face, Ling Zhang came to know that the journey had been an ordeal for the old man. Feeling a mixture of guilt and heartache, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the city right away.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Greet your uncle and the others first.¡±


    At this time Ling Zhaowen also got out of his carriage, followed by Fu Caiwei and Ling Maomao, so Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked up to them.


    Ling Zhaowu took Ling Zhang¡¯s place, supporting Ling Xingzhong. ¡°Father,¡± he said.


    Considering him, Ling Xingzhong asked, ¡°How have you been? You look better than the last time I saw you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, somewhat guilty about his aged father having to worry about him due to his physical condition, answered, ¡°With Mr. Mu treating me, I couldn¡¯t have been unhealthy even if I wanted myself to be. Now I can run as fast as and jump as high as the next man, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about me. I haven¡¯t been able to stay in Tanyang to keep you company, and neither was I among the team escorting you to this city. I¡¯m an unfilial son.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not really in desperate need of your company. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dying or something. Nursing yourself back to health is the best way for you to show me your filial affection.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu felt even more terrible after hearing these words.


    On the other side, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong greeted Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei. Ling Zhang held out his hand to Ling Maomao, who stepped over and took it.


    ¡°Uncle, Aunt, you and Grandfather must be tired after such a long journey. Let¡¯s enter the city first, shall we? Maomao will be going with me.¡±


    Naturally, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei agreed. If truth be told, Ling Zhaowen felt quite flattered, for Yuwen Tong¡¯s status was different now, but he had still personally come to the city gates to meet them.


    Ling Zhaowu accompanied Ling Xingzhong into a carriage. Ling Zhang, after walking Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei into their carriage, scooped up Ling Maomao to put him into the saddle on Snowflake the horse, and then mounted her and looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head and instructed aloud, ¡°Enter the city.¡±


    The large group of people started to progress through the city gates. Residents who didn¡¯t dare approach and were looking on in the distance watched them leave, and then fell into discussions with each other.


    ¡°So those people are the Ling family from Tanyang?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re future in-laws of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®When a man becomes an immortal, even his dogs and chickens will ascend into heaven.¡¯ After Childe Ling marries His Majesty, the Ling family will definitely get super-rich in an instant.¡±


    ¡°Twenty years ago, when Ling Xingzhong left the capital city, a lot of people regarded him as a laughing stock. Now I guess none of them dare utter a word about it.¡±


    ¡°Shh! Keep your voice down. The Ling family will soon become a juggernaut nobody dare mess with, so guard your tongue if you don¡¯t want to get into any trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang was on Snowflake¡¯s back with Ling Maomao sitting in front of him against his chest. His sense of hearing was unusually sharp, so he naturally heard these discussions distinctly, but he chose to ignore these gossipy characters.


    ¡°Maomao, straighten your back.¡± Ling Zhang reached out a hand to clap Ling Maomao on the back.


    Ling Maomao obediently sat bolt upright, his curious eyes sweeping the streets of the capital city, his voice inevitably imbued with amazement. ¡°Big Brother, the capital city looks much prettier than Tanyang!¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s different from Tanyang. It¡¯s the capital of this country. You see those people over there? They are all staring at us, at the Ling family. You¡¯re the youngest son of the Ling family, and from now on they¡¯ll be paying attention to your every act and every move as well.¡±


    Ling Maomao twisted his head around to look at him. ¡°I know. During the journey Grandfather and my parents all kept telling me that I must mind my manners and must not mess around in the capital city, that I must not disgrace you.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Actually what they meant was you must not disgrace the family name. In the next couple of days I¡¯ll spare some time and show you around the city.¡±


    Eyes lighting up, Ling Maomao delightedly let out a cheer, but soon he restrained himself and said with a faintly dispirited face, ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him, puzzled.


    ¡°My father told me that you were very busy, that I was not to attach myself to you after getting to this city. He said you would soon become the prince consort, which would be all the more reason for me not to attach myself to you,¡± replied Ling Maomao.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face took on a slightly surprised look at this answer. He raised his hand with the intention to rub Ling Maomao¡¯s head but paused briefly and then patted Ling Maomao¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sparing some time to show you around won¡¯t be too much trouble. Even if I become¡­ Even if I move into the palace, I¡¯ll still be your big brother, and I¡¯ll be there for you whenever you need me.¡±


    Ling Zhang was having rather mixed feelings. The towering imperial palace was standing right in the distance. Right now he and Yuwen Tong were still able to leave the palace to meet his family, but after Yuwen Tong acceded to the throne, after the two of them got married, finding an opportunity to do something like this would be much more difficult.


    ¡­


    The Ling family¡¯s arrival in the capital city arrested the whole city¡¯s attention. Everybody knew they were genuinely future in-laws of the emperor and would become one of the forces in this city, so almost everybody was trying their best to nose out as much information about the Ling family as possible.


    The Ling Mansion, which had always been a quite special place in the capital city, was thrust into the limelight once again.


    Fortunately, back at the time when Yuwen Tong had been looking for a house for Ling Zhang, he had taken into consideration the possibility that people of the Ling family might one day come to the capital city to live with Ling Zhang. The Ling Mansion was huge, and there were more than enough rooms for all members of the Ling family.


    ¡°In-law, it¡¯s been a while since we last met. You seem to be aging backwards,¡± said Ling Xingzhong with a smile as he met Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°You must be joking, In-law. I¡¯m a geriatric now as well. How could I possibly look young? Did everything go smoothly during the journey?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thanks to the guards you sent to protect us, no trouble-maker dared to bother us. The journey was quite uneventful,¡± replied Ling Xingzhong.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Now that you¡¯ve arrived safe and sound, Zhang¡¯er could now set his mind at ease,¡± said Ji Yin, leading Ling Xingzhong inside.


    Given that Yuwen Tong¡¯s identity was different now, theoretically he should be walking in front, but he didn¡¯t show the slightest inclination to do that. Instead, he, along with Ling Zhang, was proceeding abreast of Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen, heading towards the far end of the residential compound.


    ¡°It surprises me that this residence also has such a large drill ground,¡± said Ling Zhaowen as they walked past the drill ground.


    ¡°It was Yuwen Tong who helped me purchase this residence. He specially picked one with a drill ground so that it¡¯d be more convenient for the guards to practice their formations, and more convenient for me to practice kung fu every morning as well,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°There¡¯s also a pond and a garden over there. The rear yard is vast and has been unoccupied all this time. Apart from these, there are also some separate courtyard houses on the left and the right sides. I¡¯ve been saving them for you for quite some time. All of them have been cleaned, waiting for you to move in.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a little cough. Yuwen Tong¡¯s status was different now. Why was Zhang¡¯er still calling him by his full name?


    ¡°Brother Zhang, Uncle Ling and Aunt Ling are probably tired after such a weary journey. We should let them get some rest,¡± said Yuwen Tong on the side.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. Uncle, Aunt, let me walk you and Maomao to your room.¡±


    ¡°You may just have someone else take us there.¡± Ling Zhaowen hurriedly declined Ling Zhang¡¯s offer after throwing a glance at Yuwen Tong. Having seen that Yuwen Tong was on Ling Zhang¡¯s heel all along like his shadow, he really feared that if he accepted the offer, Yuwen Tong would go with them, which would be a level of formality far above his station. ¡°You should go and keep your grandfather company,¡± he added.

 Chapter 347 - A Bowl of Noodle Soup

    Since Ling Zhaowen had put it this way, Ling Zhang had Xia Feng lead Ling Zhaowen and the other two to the courtyard house prepared for them. He himself, along with Yuwen Tong, accompanied Ling Xingzhong to another courtyard house.


    When they reached the gateway, Ling Xingzhong paused, pivoted around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother to walk me any further. Lao Li will unpack and take care of everything else for me as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang wanted to stay to keep him company, so Yuwen Tong on the side said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better if Brother Zhang stays here to keep you company, Old Master Ling. I¡¯ll go to the front yard to see how the arrangements for the welcome reception are going.¡±


    Ling Zhang was rather surprised. Preparations for the welcome reception were not something that Yuwen Tong needed to personally supervise. Why was he doing this?


    Then he glanced at Ling Xingzhong who unnoticeably heaved a sigh of relief, and with that he suddenly came to understand the reason why Yuwen Tong had offered to leave was because he could tell that his grandfather was feeling uneasy.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips briefly clamped together and he said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Come to think of it, my maternal grandfather probably has something to confer with you about. Also, the Clan Leader should arrive here soon. I¡¯ll stay here with my paternal grandfather for a few moments and then go there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a nod. ¡°All right.¡±


    When Yuwen Tong had left, Ling Zhang guided Ling Xingzhong into the house.


    Ling Xingzhong took a seat and looked at him. ¡°Zhang¡¯er, the Marshal will soon ascend the throne. His identity is different now. How could you have him go to the city gates with you to meet us? It¡¯s against the etiquette.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a brief moment and then replied, ¡°We didn¡¯t think much about it. He¡¯s been quite busy lately. It¡¯s not everyday he could spare the time to do something like this.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong patted Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You must not do anything like this again. He will be the emperor after the enthronement. Leaving etiquette aside, for the sake of his safety alone, you two should be more cautious.¡±


    If truth be told, Yuwen Tong¡¯s personally meeting them had indeed boosted the Ling family¡¯s respectability earlier this day, and Ling Xingzhong also felt overwhelmingly flattered. It could be said that the Ling family had gained a firm foothold after this act of Yuwen Tong¡¯s. However, Ling Xingzhong was also a little worried that Ling Zhang would be impeached because of this. There was no hurry about the Ling family gaining a foothold in this city, but if Ling Zhang was impeached before his nuptials, it would put him at a disadvantage.


    ¡°I see. I promise I¡¯ll be more discreet,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°Let me guide you to your room to change, Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong would like to have a word with his grandson, so he didn¡¯t decline. With Ling Zhang supporting him, he washed his face, changed and then settled himself in a chair in the main living room. Butler Li was giving instructions to the servants, bustling around. Even so, the main living room was still very quiet. All servants were staying away from the main living room so as not to disturb their masters.


    ¡°How¡¯s the current situation in the capital city? During the journey we heard a lot of rumors which we didn¡¯t know were true or not. I was only too anxious to get to the capital city right away, but what with my senility, I had no choice but to travel here at a gentle pace,¡± said Ling Xingzhong.


    Ling Zhang analyzed the current situation in the capital city for Ling Xingzhong.


    Ling Xingzhong listened quietly. When Ling Zhang had finished speaking, he observed with a sigh, ¡°Right now the first priority is to have the Marshal accede to the throne as soon as possible. Only after his enthronement would the political situation truly stabilize and other matters become easier to handle.¡±


    ¡°The date has been fixed already, and staff members of the Ministry of Rites are racing against time to finalize the ritualistic arrangements,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Xingzhong gave a bob of the head. ¡°Originally Tao Yi wanted to come here with us, but a serious case suddenly happened in Tanyang and he had to deal with it first. There will probably be another two days before he arrives in this city. Incidentally, how¡¯s Tao Yi? I heard that he moved into the Ling Mansion. Why am I not seeing him?¡±


    Ling Zhang explained, ¡°He returned to the Oriental Rite Academy after the abdication ceremony. His teacher, after all, is a distinguished scholar. Thanks to the abdication ceremony, many of the literati have now let go of their personal antipathy towards Yuwen Tong. As his teacher has an influence on a lot of literary men¡¯s opinions about the imperial court, I want to draw him over to Yuwen Tong¡¯s side, and Tao Yi went back to the Oriental Rite Academy to help convince his teacher.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong pondered over it for a few moments and then said, ¡°Lord Pei, Tao Feng¡¯s respected teacher, and Lord Hu, Tao Yi¡¯s teacher, they go way back. It¡¯ll advantage you two even further if you manage to get him on board as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Currently I don¡¯t have a clue how to rope Lord Pei in. Also, it would be presumptuous to pay him a visit. Do you have any good ideas, Grandfather?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong answered, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t call this a good idea, but Tao Feng will arrive in a day or two, and when he does, I¡¯ll talk to him. He¡¯s a smart guy. He¡¯ll know what the right thing to do is.¡±


    It struck Ling Zhang that this might be a way to handle it. ¡°Thank you in advance, Grandfather,¡± he said.


    Ling Xingzhong shook his head. ¡°Overall, there¡¯s too little I could do to help you owing to my lack of connections in this city.¡±


    Of all the contacts he used to have before he left this city in that year, the Yuwen family were probably the only ones who still carried weight, and among them, Yuwen Tong was the only one that still remembered they owed the Ling family a favor.


    ¡°Neither our family nor your maternal grandfather has any connections in any of the political forces in the Great Yue. Our family is in Tanyang, a backwater, and your maternal grandfather leads a secluded life in remote mountains. The assistance we could offer you is limited, which is to your disadvantage.¡± Ling Xingzhong began to fret about his grandson¡¯s future.


    Ling Zhang instantly pulled a wry face. ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯re overthinking it. I don¡¯t really care much about the so-called assistance. It¡¯s not for fame or wealth that I¡¯m marrying Yuwen Tong, so take it easy.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong looked at him. ¡°Nonsense. You really should think more about yourself.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Grandfather, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Resigned, Ling Xingzhong had no choice but to keep his vexations to himself, planning to confer with Ji Yin in a few moments about what they could do for their grandson.


    ¡­


    After the welcome reception, Yuwen Tong returned to the palace. Ling Zhang stayed and spent the whole afternoon with his family and didn¡¯t go back to the palace until after dinner.


    He entered the Infinite Fortune Palace, took a bath, changed, went to the kitchen and then made towards the Infinite Fortune Palace to deliver late-night snack.


    ¡°You had a bath?¡± He had just walked into the hall when Yuwen Tong took a couple of sniffs, put down his writing brush and looked at him.


    ¡°I was on the run out there all day and I was sweaty all over,¡± explained Ling Zhang, placing the snack onto the desk. ¡°You¡¯re working overtime tonight as well?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It¡¯ll take another few days to get all these things handled.¡±


    He might as well directly say that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get any leisure before the enthronement and would probably still be fully occupied in the few days after it.


    ¡°Did my maternal grandfather tell you during the day when the Clan Leader would arrive?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him, handing a bowl to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong took it, picked up a pair of chopsticks and started eating the noodles in it, slurping noisily from the bowl. The soup was thick and tasty, the noodles chewy, the chopped green onion unnaturally appetizing.


    ¡°Yeah. He said that the Clan Leader would arrive the day after tomorrow.¡± Yuwen Tong swallowed a mouthful of noodle and then took a gulp of soup. ¡°It strikes me that this soup was not made by an imperial chef.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile, looking at him with gleaming eyes.


    Yuwen Tong paused and then the expression in his eyes suddenly became deep and ardent. ¡°It was you who made it?¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°It¡¯s not everyday that my aunt could come to this city. My aunt was the one who prepared the soup base; I made the noodle after learning from my aunt for a solid afternoon; the chopped green onion was ready-made; a cook helped me make the fried egg. How does it taste?¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no reply. He just quietly finished the soup, wiped his mouth, drew Ling Zhang over to have him sit on his lap, put his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, rested his head on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and then said with a sigh of contentment, ¡°From now on, my late-night snack will always be noodle soup. I can sit here all night after drinking a bowl of noodle soup.¡±


    Cuddled by him, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t move and didn¡¯t want to move. He carefully shifted his position slightly to make it more comfortable for Yuwen Tong to rest his head on his shoulder, though he was now unable to twist his head around to see the expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve learned how to boil down the mixture to make the soup base. Today I didn¡¯t have the time to prepare it, but I¡¯ll get it ready tomorrow.


    I¡¯m willing to make noodle soup for you every night. I just worry that one day you¡¯ll get sick of it. Also, I don¡¯t want you to have it every night, because that would mean you¡¯ll have to work late every night. I want you to have more time to rest.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hugged him tight, rocking gently. ¡°And I don¡¯t have the heart to have you go to the trouble of making soup base every day. Just let a cook handle it when you need it.¡±


    ¡®How could that be the same?¡¯ thought Ling Zhang. That would be different. In fact, a moment ago he had also fried an egg by himself, but it hadn¡¯t looked very well, and he¡¯d figured it probably didn¡¯t taste well either. Worried that Yuwen Tong had waited too long and got hungry, he had asked a cook for help, who made a fried egg for him. He believed that he would get the hang of it after practicing it for a couple of more times.


    Ling Zhang remained in Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace for a while and then asked him, ¡°Where do you plan to settle Ji Yanlai in after he arrives?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Ji Yanlai his opinion and see if I should keep his identity secret for the moment. As for the accommodation, I consulted with your grandfather and we decided to let him and his men stay in the Ling Mansion.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°There are enough rooms to accommodate all of them.¡±


    Fortunately this residence Yuwen Tong had purchased for him was large enough. Otherwise how to accommodate all these people would have been a big problem.


    ¡°Given that Ji Yanlai is coming here personally, I think he probably has plans to put an end to the seclusion he and his people have been living in, but they might not be totally honest with the public about their identity,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    ¡°Previously we had a speculation that Ji Yanlai wanted to lead people of the Millennium Pavilion out of the Sanguan Mountains, that he just needed me to help him get a new place to live. Now we just have to wait to see where the place he wants is, but no matter where it is, seeing as he has chosen to cooperate with me, the place he picked must be somewhere he couldn¡¯t take possession of without an authorization issued by the imperial court, somewhere he needs the imperial court¡¯s help to keep outsiders from snooping around. This makes it inevitable that some information about the Millennium Pavilion will come to people¡¯s knowledge, and it¡¯ll be impossible for them to go back to the kind of state of absolute seclusion they used to be in,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought. ¡°Do you have any guesses about where he might want people of the Millennium Pavilion to settle down?¡±


    Cuddling him and rocking him gently, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you take a guess first.¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ling Zhang said, ¡°The south-west?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The south-west is off the beaten track, and the dense forest further south is inhabited by many nationalities. That area has always been difficult to govern, but it would make a perfect hideout.¡±


    ¡°Any alternatives?¡±


    ¡°To the north of this country is the Luohai Kingdom. He might make a deal with Luohai, but the further north he goes, the colder the climate gets, and the more barren the land is. He doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who would lead his clan to an area like that. If he goes west, he may make a deal with the Wan Kingdom, but likewise, the further west he presses, the poorer the land is. Actually that area is basically a desert. If he goes eastwards, he¡¯ll reach the sea¡­ and the Fangcun Kingdom. Surely he¡¯s not planning on moving to an island?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with moving to an island? Ji Yanlai is not struck on the north or the west, and the south-west is not very inhabitable either. It bristles with thick woods and poisonous miasma. I could tell at a glance that Ji Yanlai is the kind of person who hates having to handle troublesome issues. Dealing with those barbarians in the south would be a terrible ordeal for him. Going to the sea is his best option. All he needs is an island.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. An island?

 Chapter 348 - The Arrival of Ji Yanlai

    ¡°An island in the sea will indeed allow them to stay far away from the earthly world without being cut off from it completely, but if it¡¯s really an island that they want, how are we supposed to get them one? I have little acquaintance with the sea. The Eastern Heron Island and the Morning Star Island are the only two islands I know of. These two islands are close to the shore and relatively large. Apart from local islanders, there are also navies stationed on them. Further to the east is the Fangcun Kingdom. It¡¯s an island country, and there are also some small islands sparsely located around it, all of which are very far from us. How are we going to hold up our end of the bargain?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Since Ji Yanlai has chosen to cooperate with us, there¡¯s no doubt he has also chosen us to be his long-term ally, which means he wouldn¡¯t pick somewhere too far away, but he wouldn¡¯t live too close either. His best choice would be an island that makes it convenient for him to contact the mainland as well as the Fangcun Kingdom.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°Does an island like this exist? Even if it does exist, are we really going to give it to him just like that? Apart from everything else, the courtiers would by no means agree, and if word gets out, your reputation would be compromised.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about that. Ji Yanlai is a smart man. He won¡¯t make any unreasonable demands if he wants to get an island without any trouble. Besides, if the island is too big, it would make the Millennium Pavilion conspicuous and his people wouldn¡¯t be able to live in seclusion. Therefore, he would prefer a relatively obscure island that is not too big nor too small, one that can accommodate all people of the Millennium Pavilion and is fit to be their headquarters. This also means it¡¯ll be better if the island is uninhabited. I¡¯ve read the map and narrowed down the list to a couple of islands. Barring accidents, he¡¯ll choose one of them.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    Yuwen Tong led him into the side hall. On a wall of the hall hung a map which was large and also very detailed. In fact, it could be said this was currently the most detailed map in the world, and he could only imagine how precious it was. Yuwen Tong tapped at a couple of points on the map, indicating the islands he had just mentioned to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang looked at them, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. This one here ¨C it¡¯s totally blank.¡±


    ¡°But in fact there IS an island. It¡¯s just in that area appear curious whirlpools from time to time, so local fishermen living in coastal villages never venture there. That island mostly consists of woodlands, high hills and rocks, and it¡¯s a relatively medium-sized one of the couple of islands. I tend to believe that they¡¯ll pick this one,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang understood what Yuwen Tong meant. This island had a natural barrier around it, so if people of the Millennium Pavilion wanted to keep themselves away from prying eyes, this would be a perfect choice for them. However¡­ ¡°For them, this also means danger,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Given what the Millennium Pavilion is capable of and Ji Yanlai¡¯s extraordinary discernment and intuition, I think they¡¯ll figure something out to handle it by themselves,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°If they really want this island, you¡¯re really going to give it to them?¡±


    ¡°Give it to them? No. What I¡¯ll give them is just the permission to live there. The geographical location of that island is a little special¡­ The waters to the south-east of the Fangcun Kingdom are infested with pirates. A lot of merchant ships traveling between Fangcun and our country fell prey to their robberies, along with some trade vessels from the South Ocean. But most of those pirates are very cunning. They live on the sea and are very familiar with it, which is why they are all experts on making escape. The imperial court is always sending the navy to hunt them, but six times out of ten the navy end up losing eyes on them. This island is located right near the waters where trading ships frequently get robbed. If people of the Millennium Pavilion want a peaceful life on that island, they¡¯ll have no choice but to rid their gateway of pirates first. With them living there, the imperial court will be saved some trouble. Besides, that island is not big, and the Millennium Pavilion doesn¡¯t have many members, so we could just take it as a sect in Jianghu. We give them a place to live and tell them they must abide by the laws made by the imperial court. In essence, they¡¯ll still be our subjects,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    It was at this moment that Ling Zhang caught on to Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan. In the final analysis, when Ji Yanlai had chosen to cooperate with them, he had also in a sense chosen to strike up a certain relationship with the imperial court. Their request for authorization from the imperial court would count as a pledge of allegiance in disguised form. Considering their creed of standing aloof from earthly affairs, they were unlikely to cause any trouble.


    Ling Zhang relaxed safe in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had had it all planned out.


    Previously he had had a grudge against the Millennium Pavilion because of his mother¡¯s death, but then he had wiped the slate clean after being informed that the Millennium Pavilion had once rescued his father. Afterward, the Clan Leader had given him two precious pills which cured his father of his illness and also turned out to be a lifesaver for Yuwen Tong. Also, Ling Zhang himself had benefited a lot from the handbook on internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion, so as long as people of the Millennium Pavilion were indeed seeking to find a place to live in peace, he would fulfill his end of the deal that they had struck.


    ¡­


    Two days later, Ji Yanlai¡¯s carriage trundled into the capital city at a leisurely pace, followed by five guards on horseback. In the carriage was also a young boy ¨C Cong, Ji Yanlai¡¯s nephew.


    It was Ling Zhang and Ji Yin who went to meet them and then led them to the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since the last time I left the mountains. This city is pretty prosperous.¡± Ji Yanlai raised the curtain and looked out of the window without the slightest inclination to conceal the fact that he was a country bumpkin. Whenever he saw something unfamiliar to him, he discussed it with Cong, and every time their eyes alighted on food, the two of them stared fixedly in its direction until it was out of sight.


    ¡°What do you think that is, Uncle? It smells so good!¡± Cong, hanging out of the carriage window, was eyeing something hungrily, and so was his uncle.


    Seeing Ji Yanlai was gazing covetously out of the window with Cong like a child, Ling Zhang and Ji Yin, who were sitting on the other side of the carriage, couldn¡¯t help but pull wry faces.


    ¡°Those are Deep-fried Ears. If anything takes your fancy, just tell me and I¡¯ll have someone buy it and bring it to your room,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s looks were uncommonly attractive, and that scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead lent him an air of something further removed from the mortal world, so when he and Cong, hanging out of the window, made a fuss about the things they saw with amazed expressions on their faces, they were drawing a lot of pedestrians¡¯ attention, almost all of whom were sneaking surreptitious glances in this direction. Ling Zhang, seeing their excited and curious faces, had originally intended to offer to take them out of the carriage and go back to the residence on foot to let them have some fun, but now he worried that if Ji Yanlai got out of the carriage, he would instantly be surrounded by lookers-on.


    ¡°Deep-fried Ears?¡± Cong clapped his hand to his ear in astonishment. ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡±


    ¡°Not human ears. They¡¯re made of flour. People shape the dough into ears and then put them into boiling oil to fry them. They¡¯re quite delicious,¡± Ling Zhang explained to him. Cong reminded Ling Zhang of Ling Maomao at a younger age, and Ling Zhang always had a soft spot for adorable children.


    Cong took his hand off his ear, giving a gasp of relief. ¡°I see. I want some!¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°And what are those? They smell great!¡±


    ¡°Those are snacks: pot-stewed fowl, duck necks, etc. I¡¯ll buy you some.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that? That big flat cake over there.¡±


    ¡°Those are pies, with chive filling or meat filling. I¡¯ll buy you some as well if you want.¡±


    ¡­


    The horse-drawn carriage had slowed down considerably after entering the city, because Ji Yanlai and Cong were feasting their eyes and lost track of time. Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t want to rain on their parade, kept his promise and bought them all the things they were struck with. Although pedestrians on the street were all watching, and some of them even followed in the wake of their carriage staring at Ji Yanlai, they didn¡¯t dare get too close ¨C thanks to the guards ¨C and no trouble was caused.


    But Ling Zhang inquired of Ji Yanlai, ¡°Clan Leader, is it okay that so many people out there have seen your face?¡±


    Ji Yanlai appeared nonchalant. ¡°What could they possibly know about if I don¡¯t tell them anything about the origins of the Millennium Pavilion or my identity as the leader of it? They¡¯re just curious about my appearance. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ji Yin, who raised no objection either, so he made no more comments on this matter.


    He led Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin to the gateway of the Ling Mansion, where Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen, along with Ling Maomao, were waiting for them.


    As they all knew who Ji Yanlai was, Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen were quite polite to Ji Yanlai. Ling Zhaowu, however, acted in a much more natural way.


    Cong, who was being drawn forward by Ji Yanlai, curiously sized up Ling Maomao.


    Ling Maomao was also looking at him, probably because Cong, who was a fair-skinned, round-faced little boy with beady big black eyes, struck him as quite cute. Ling Maomao couldn¡¯t help gazing at him for a few moments.


    Cong asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ling Maomao. What¡¯s your name?¡± Ling Maomao replied.


    ¡°Cong.¡±


    ¡°Cong?¡± Ling Maomao was puzzled. ¡°Just Cong? What¡¯s your full name?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just Cong. Ji Xiaocong,¡± answered Cong in a silvery voice.


    Ling Maomao was bemused. His parents had named him this? Didn¡¯t people only put ¡®Xiao¡¯ in pet names?


    ¡°Is ¡®Cong¡¯ the one meaning smartness?¡± Ling Maomao asked him.


    Cong was perplexed for a brief moment, clearly having difficulty finding in his memory a Chinese character that was pronounced ¡®Cong¡¯ and meant smartness. Having no knowledge of this character, he responded, ¡°No, it¡¯s the one meaning ¡®chopped green onion¡¯. My uncle told me that chopped green onion¡¯s very fragrant, that it¡¯s the most fragrant thing in the world, so I was named ¡®Cong¡¯, because I¡¯m the best.¡±


    Ling Maomao was also thrown into perplexity. Ah?


    On hearing this, all adults standing on the side pulled wry faces. Ji Yanlai had named his nephew ¡®Cong¡¯ just because chopped green onion struck him as fragrant? What kind of uncle would do this kind of thing to his nephew?


    Ling Zhang was torn between amusement and sympathy for Cong, but he didn¡¯t really believe that ¡®Ji Xiaocong¡¯ was this boy¡¯s full name.


    Unsurprisingly, Ji Yanlai explained, ¡°It¡¯s a rule of our clan to wait until a child passes their seventh year to give them their full name, so ¡®Cong¡¯ is just his pet name.¡±


    All the others felt relieved for Cong at this explanation. Ling Maomao also heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that it would be such a shame that an endearing white-skinned young boy like Cong had actually been named ¡®Ji Xiaocong¡¯. Fortunately that was not his full name, he thought.


    Cong, whose attention had been distracted by his uncle¡¯s words, asked, ¡°What¡¯s a full name, Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Well, it means a formal name,¡± answered Ji Yanlai.


    Surprise was written all over Cong¡¯s face. And then something occurred to the boy and he jerked his head up to look at his uncle and said in a voice tinged with panic, ¡°I don¡¯t want a full name. I want my name to be ¡®Ji Xiaocong¡¯!¡±


    Ji Yanlai lowered his head to look back at him, his eyebrows lifted. ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because chopped green onion is very very fragrant, and the name ¡®Cong¡¯ makes me the best. I don¡¯t want my name to change,¡± answered Cong, sounding somewhat anxious.


    Ji Yanlai reached out a hand to give the boy a playful pinch on the cheek. ¡°You¡¯re quite discerning. Actually I think it¡¯s a pretty good name as well, but your mother would probably kill me if I make it your formal name. Let¡¯s wait until you¡¯re seven years old to talk about this. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    But Cong was still a little anxious, a sulky expression on his face.


    Ling Maomao, who was walking abreast of him, consoled him, ¡°¡®Cong¡¯ is a good name, but it does no harm for you to get a full name that sounds even cooler.¡±


    Cong looked at him. ¡°A full name that sounds even cooler?¡± he asked.


    Ling Maomao gave a bob of the head. ¡°Yeah. One cooler than ¡®Cong¡¯,¡± he replied.


    Cong¡¯s eyes moved to him again. ¡°What kind of name would sound even cooler than ¡®Cong¡¯?¡±


    Ling Maomao started racking his brains. Ling Zhang walking on the side looked at them with a curious face, thinking, ¡®Not bad. Maomao has learned how to coax people.¡¯

 Chapter 349 - A Stroll in a Night Market

    Given that Ji Yanlai had brought his nephew out of the mountains and had not disguised himself or made any efforts to cover his tracks, Yuwen Tong¡¯s speculation about Ji Yanlai¡¯s intention of putting an end to his secluded life had proved right.


    It was in the afternoon on that very day that Yuwen Tong left the imperial palace and went to the Ling Mansion.


    Ji Yanlai, taking his nephew with him, settled in the Ling Mansion. He was acting in a very natural and carefree manner, as though this was more of a sightseeing tour for him.


    ¡°Nobody is able to stop you now, and you¡¯ve succeeded in what you set out to do. I think it¡¯s time for us to talk about our deal,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    Yuwen Tong replied without preamble, ¡°Brother Ji, previously you didn¡¯t name your price. Now you may be honest with me about it.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°We¡¯ve been cooped up in the mountains too long, which is why, inevitably, many of my people feel they could use some fresh air. They want to find somewhere in the outside world to settle down. Since this whole country is now in your pocket, we naturally will need your authorization to get a place like that.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The retreat in the Sanguan Mountains where your clan have been living in seclusion is like an Arcadia, but it¡¯s indeed quite boring to be cut off from the outside world for too long. Your terms strike me as understandable, but you¡¯re not the next person, Brother Ji, and given that you¡¯ve asked this condition, I suppose you¡¯ve already found somewhere that takes your fancy.¡±


    On hearing this, Ji Yanlai flicked Yuwen Tong a thoughtful look and then said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised at all, as though you some time ago divined what terms I¡¯d make. Maybe you¡¯ve also got a shrewd idea of which place I want.¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no reply and just gave a smile.


    Ji Yanlai, who didn¡¯t mind, said, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t guess wrong. There¡¯s indeed a spot that catches my fancy. Rest assured, I have no interest whatsoever in getting involved in any power struggles, and I won¡¯t be so insensible as to move somewhere close to your turf and make an eyesore of myself. It¡¯s an island that I want. What with its special geographical location and surroundings, it¡¯s completely uninhabited. Also, it¡¯s not big ¨C just big enough to accommodate my clan, actually. Us making it our settlement won¡¯t affect you in any way.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, waiting for him to be more specific.


    At the sight of the expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, Ji Yanlai came to know that his previous speculation had proved right, that Yuwen Tong had indeed guessed his terms beforehand.


    ¡°The island I want lies to the east of the Morning Star Island. There¡¯s a certain distance between the two. Around the island are hidden reefs and whirlpools, which makes it inconvenient for ships to approach. It¡¯s not really a fairyland anybody would dream of going to. If truth be told, my clansmen are probably the only ones capable of navigating through those underwater rocks and whirlpools unharmed and living on that island. On top of that, there are navies stationed on the Morning Star Island, who would keep watch on us for you, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about anything.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face creased into a smile. ¡°I know what you mean, Brother Ji. Since I made you a promise that day, I naturally will accept this condition of yours. Apart from nearby hidden reefs and whirlpools, that island also bristles with dense woodlands and rocks, and I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to make it habitable in a short time. Do you have any plans to deal with that, Brother Ji? I can offer you some help if you want.¡±


    Ji Yanlai tossed Yuwen Tong another glance and responded, ¡°No wonder you succeeded in taking the throne. I like your straightforwardness. If you really mean to help, just tell the navy on the Morning Star Island to let us through the waters. We can build ships by ourselves, and transforming the terrain of the island is also within our power. All these are just trivial matters. Aside from instructing the navy to stay out of our way, I also need you to give my clansmen legal identities, which will be beneficial to both of us, because some day some of my people might have to leave the island to go to the mainland to attend to some business, and somebody in charge might want to check the records to find out who they are.¡±


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°That¡¯s a trivial matter as well. I¡¯ll send someone to Haizhou. He won¡¯t get onto the island. If there¡¯s anything you need, just talk to him and he¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Yeah. Brother Ji, tell me when you¡¯re going to Haizhou so that I can make arrangements in advance.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯ll have to go back to our mountain retreat to deal with something after your enthronement and your wedding ceremony, and I¡¯ll tell you when to send your man after I return.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be occupied with the enthronement preparations and some other pressing matters for some days, so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to stay in your company for long. If there¡¯s anything you need to talk with me about, you may have someone deliver a message to me or directly go to the imperial palace to see me.¡±


    Ji Yanlai raised his eyebrows. ¡°All right.¡±


    Both Yuwen Tong and Ji Yanlai were the kind of people who preferred to dispense with formalities and get straight to the point. After talking about their deal and then having dinner with the others, Yuwen Tong returned to the palace. Ling Zhang stayed, intending to spend the night in the Ling Mansion.


    Having agreed on the terms with Yuwen Tong, Ji Yanlai, who had no other business to attend to, started acting like a tourist even more. At night, he said he wanted to take Cong outside to have a walk on the street and enjoy the night view of the capital city.


    Since Ling Zhang had decided to stay in the Ling Mansion, he naturally had to accompany them. Thinking that they were going for a stroll, he conveniently brought Ling Maomao with him. Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen were playing chess with Ling Xingzhong and uninterested in wandering around on the street at night. Ji Yin, who was making efforts to sort out the preparations for Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding, decided not to go either.


    A large group of people left the mansion, Ling Zhang followed by Wang Dashan and some other bodyguards, Ji Yanlai by five guards of the Millennium Pavilion headed by Ji Donglin.


    Ji Yanlai cast a look over his shoulder at those in their wake and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it strike you as a little dramatic to have so many people on your heels?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°My personal safety concerns not only myself now. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to come out if I don¡¯t bring them with me.¡±


    His elders wouldn¡¯t permit it, and Yuwen Tong would immediately return from the palace and tell him off. For the sake of Yuwen Tong and his own safety, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think bringing Wang Dashan and the others with him was too much trouble.


    Ji Yanlai curled his lip and made no more remarks. Soon all his attention was fixed on the streetscape. He was not wearing the gorgeous robes that he had worn in that great hall of the Millennium Pavilion on that day. Instead, he was dressed in plain blue attire, his hair casually tied at the back, looking like someone who didn¡¯t care much about his appearance. However, owing to the kind of natural aloofness in his temperament and his handsome face, the scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead seemed to hold the power of enchanting any eye that beheld it, and the air of aristocracy about him deterred most people from looking him in the face.


    Because of the company of a man like this, Ling Zhang believed that it had been a very wise decision to bring Wang Dashan and the others with him. Ji Yanlai was too obtrusive.


    However, Ji Yanlai seemed to be totally unaware of this. He was enjoying the streetscape in a very relaxed and contented fashion, his eyes full of curiosity ¨C yes, curiosity. Though his pair of eyes appeared placid, noble and apathetic, Ling Zhang could still tell that right now Ji Yanlai¡¯s heart was actually brimming over with excitement and curiosity.


    Maybe because on first acquaintance Ji Yanlai had joined them for broiled pheasants unasked like someone who was always ready to strike up friendships with others, it struck Ling Zhang that Ji Yanlai was actually very easy to figure out, that he was the kind of person who was not secretive and always explicit about his true thoughts.


    Along the way he and Ji Yanlai were bringing up the rear, Ling Maomao and Cong walking in front hand in hand. Ji Yanlai was feasting his eyes on all kinds of things on the street, while Ling Zhang was keeping an eye on Ling Maomao and Cong.


    Though the two boys were new friends to each other, the friendship between Ling Maomao and Cong had clearly developed considerably already. Ling Maomao¡¯s hold on Cong¡¯s hand was pretty firm, which made him look very much like a big brother. Cong was constantly asking all kinds of questions as his attention frequently shifted from one thing to another. Ling Maomao, gripping Cong¡¯s wrist tightly to keep him from running into the crowd, was casting about desperately for answers to Cong¡¯s questions, many of which were unknown to him, and he had to twist his head back to seek help from Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang, who was watching over them all the time, came to his cousin¡¯s help whenever he was needed.


    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s that?!¡±


    They had progressed along this street for only a few moments, but Cong and his uncle had asked at least ten questions already. Of course, the boy¡¯s questions were very different from his uncle¡¯s, but in a sense they were actually¡­ the same.


    ¡°That¡¯s an acrobatic feat. The ball-shaped bundle of coloured silk ribbons has some small bells attached to it to attract people¡¯s attention. The bells jingle constantly when the performers are tossing and catching the ball. Right now there are too many people here, so we can¡¯t see any of the performers. We could only see the colorful ball. You want to go and see it?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Cong shouted a reply before Ji Yanlai could say anything. ¡°Yes, Brother Zhang! Please take us there to have a look!¡±


    After saying this, he shifted his gaze to Ling Maomao who was holding his hand. ¡°Brother Maomao?¡±


    Ling Maomao looked over his shoulder at Ling Zhang. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯d like to see it as well.¡±


    Though Ji Yanlai hadn¡¯t said anything, his eyes which were staring in the direction of the uproarious crowd was making his intention very clear.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go and have a look. Liuzi, take some men over there and have the crowd make way for us. Be careful not to hurt anybody.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Yang Liuzi led some men to the audience and forcibly had the boisterous crowd part to allow Ling Zhang and the others to get through.


    Residents of the capital city, who saw dignitaries on a frequent basis, were no stranger at all to being forced to make way. They were all very cooperative but also quite curious about who was coming.


    What with the many upheavals that had happened in quick succession in the capital city, the atmosphere in this city had been subdued for a very long time, and it had been quite a while since the last time an exuberant gathering like a night market had been organized. It had been only when news of Yuwen Tong¡¯s victory over the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom spread back to the capital city that the mood in the city changed somewhat. Afterward, when the prince had abdicated in favor of Yuwen Tong, the atmosphere had seemed to break some kind of impasse and residents had resumed having night markets. Recently, many officials from provincial cities had been coming into the capital city, adding to the gaiety of the occasion.


    However, as many high-ranking officials had been brought down during the previous political turbulence, those who had survived had been laying low and staying at home all the time since the abdication ceremony. They were either engaged in enthronement preparations or busy with other matters. Very few of them were still in the mood for a walk on the street at this point in time.


    Lookers-on shifted their gaze from the acrobats to Ling Zhang and his companions. Unsurprisingly, Ji Yanlai attracted everybody¡¯s attention immediately.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so good-looking. Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Good-looking? He¡¯s more attractive than all those with pretence to beauty that I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a man. I¡¯ve never heard of any men as good-looking as him in this city before.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a child.¡±


    ¡°Look at the other guy. He¡¯s pretty charming as well. Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Someone from out of town?¡±


    ¡°I think so. I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±


    Another man said with a hiss of surprise, ¡°No. One of them looks somewhat familiar to me¡­¡±

 Chapter 350 - Ling Zhang Was Recognized

    Eventually someone noticed Ling Zhang and recognized him. Ling Zhang had first arrived in the capital city with the air of someone who was going to make themself known to the whole city, and on this day, it could be said that there wasn¡¯t a single person in this city who had not heard of his name yet, which was why his being recognized on this street caused quite a sensation.


    Almost immediately after he was recognized, all residents nearby quieted down, and even the acrobatic troupe stopped dead.


    Although the official wedding ceremony hadn¡¯t been held yet, there was a general consensus among all residents in the capital city that Ling Zhang was the future consort.


    When a consort arrived, all subjects present were supposed to kneel and keep quiet to pay their respects to him or her, but the problem was that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were not officially married at the moment. Though everybody knew he would be the consort, according to the rules, he shouldn¡¯t be addressed as such until the title was officially conferred upon him.


    Then what should they do? All residents on the scene were at a loss what to do. Some of them reflexively sank to their knees but didn¡¯t know what they should say. Others didn¡¯t kneel but wondered whether or not it was appropriate for them to remain standing. Eventually they were all on their knees, unaware of what to say. For a moment it was a fairly peculiar scene.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t thought that it would come to this. These people knelt down before him in such a sudden fashion that he was sent into a stupor.


    ¡°You may rise, all of you.¡± Unable to figure out what he should say, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to ask them to stand up.


    The residents all felt relieved, rose to their feet and then continued gazing at Ling Zhang silently.


    The acrobats stopped performing. Seeing that the acrobatic feat they wanted to see was suspended, Ji Yanlai, Ling Maomao and Cong all appeared rather disappointed, their enjoyment spoiled.


    Ling Zhang intended to have the acrobatic troupe resume their performance, but all these people had now come to know his identity and looked faintly scared of him, and if by any chance the acrobats made any errors out of nervousness, it would be a real bummer. Moreover, because of these people¡¯s kneeling down to him, residents in the distance had noticed and were all looking in this direction. If they kept walking around, they would only end up being the focus of attention from start to finish, and the liveliness of this occasion and the pleasure of strolling the streets would be lost as well.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang had to admit that he had become a spoilsport by being recognized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it seems that this saunter of ours has come to an early end,¡± Ling Zhang said to Ji Yanlai.


    A heavy pleasure seeker as he was, Ji Yanlai was a reasonable person. He said, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll stay in the capital city for another couple of days anyway. I can do this another time.¡±


    Ling Zhang thanked him and then shifted his gaze to Ling Maomao and Cong. ¡°We have to go back. As compensation for this, I¡¯ll have my men buy some goodies and interesting stuff and bring them back, so that we can have some fun in the residence.¡±


    Ling Maomao was a big boy now and knew when to heed adults¡¯ words. In addition, this city was strange to him and he was still a trifle uptight. A moment ago when the large crowd had knelt down in their direction, he had been somewhat frightened. On hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s arrangement, he obediently bobbed his head. ¡°Okay, Big Brother. Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    Cong was still young, but children could be very sensitive to the change in the atmosphere in some circumstances as well. He had evidently sensed the strange gaze from the eyes of people nearby, which was different from how it had been just now. He gave a nod and said nothing, just inching his little body behind Ling Maomao in an effort to hide from those looking in his direction.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. Without saying anything else, he pivoted around and started to lead them back. At the same time he instructed Liu Yi to take some men and buy some food and toys and then bring them back to the Ling Mansion.


    They had gone out in high spirits but returned fairly dispirited. All of them seemed a little bit down.


    Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen, who were playing chess in the ante-room, along with Ji Yin who was sitting on the side counting something on his fingers, were all somewhat puzzled as to why they had come back so early. ¡°Eek? Why are you back so soon? It¡¯s been less than an hour.¡±


    Seeing they appeared in low spirits, Ling Zhaowu asked, ¡°Did something happen when you were on the street?¡±


    ¡°It was my fault. I should¡¯ve taken into consideration the possibility of someone recognizing me.¡± Ling Zhang gave them an account of what had happened out on the street.


    All his elders lapsed into silence and were absorbed in thought for a few moments. Then Ling Xingzhong observed, ¡°Your identity is different now, and it¡¯s indeed inappropriate for you to walk on the street like this. We just haven¡¯t adapted ourselves to these changes. What happened tonight should be taken as a word of warning for us.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen felt sorry for Ling Zhang. ¡°You mean from now on Zhang¡¯er couldn¡¯t even go out into the street?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu remained silent, but the slight frown on his face showed that his heart also ached for Ling Zhang.


    ¡°¡®You can¡¯t make an omelette without breaking eggs,¡¯ as the saying goes. You and Yuwen Tong had been celebrities already even before your identities changed. There¡¯s a very high risk that you¡¯ll be recognized. For the sake of your safety, you need to wear a disguise before going out into the street. Surely Yuwen Tong has someone at his command who knows how to disguise people, I suppose?¡± said Ji Yanlai matter-of-factly.


    Comprehension dawned on the faces of all others at these words, as though they had just woken up from their dreams, and with that the atmosphere lightened instantaneously.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°That¡¯s so true, Clan Leader. I¡¯m sorry for spoiling your enjoyment tonight. I should¡¯ve made some preparations beforehand.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ll do it another day.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°But Clan Leader, your appearance is too obtrusive. Given what happened out there just now, I¡¯m afraid you would also be the focus of attention when you¡¯re on the street.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind that. They could only stare at me and it wouldn¡¯t cause me any inconvenience.¡±


    Ji Yanlai wasn¡¯t worried that he might not be able to go out into the street again, because he also had some disguise skills. Besides, being stared by a large group of people never gave Ji Yanlai any feelings of embarrassment. Also, he didn¡¯t feel there was anything awkward about those people following on his heels.


    Although their saunter down the street had ended early, Liu Yi and some others soon returned with tasty foods and interesting toys. There were two tablefuls of a variety of delicacies and drinks: snacks peculiar to the capital city, wonton that was only available by night, fine wine from restaurants, appetizing courses that went with wine¡­ They all gathered together to enjoy the occasion. The two little boys, Ling Maomao and Cong, were laughing happily all the time. This to some degree made up for the regrettable early end of their stroll on the street.


    After Liu Yi and the others brought those things back, Ling Zhang specially had them spare a portion of the food for him and then personally delivered it to Fu Caiwei who was staying in the rear yard.


    Previously, when they had been in Tanyang, Fu Caiwei would typically be present at family gatherings like this. The Ling family was not really a large family, so they had fewer rules compared with most other families, but right now, what with Ji Yanlai¡¯s presence and the fact that this was the capital city, Fu Caiwei had decided to stay in her room. In the capital city she had to be more discreet about her words and deeds and couldn¡¯t act as freely as she would in Tanyang.


    After delivering the food to his aunt, Ling Zhang invited Mr. Mu to the ante-room and the group of people chatted until the end of the Hai Hour (21:00-22:59) to turn in.


    Ling Maomao and Cong were quite sleepy. After they were taken away by their respective elders, Ling Zhang and Ji Yin were the only ones left in the ante-room. Ji Yanlai had taken Cong away. Ling Zhaowen had brought Ling Maomao back to his room. Ling Zhaowu and Mr. Mu had accompanied Ling Xingzhong to his courtyard house. Ling Zhang was keeping his maternal grandfather company.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    When the two of them was walking out of the ante-room, Ji Yin asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Are you going back to the palace early tomorrow morning?¡±


    Ling Zhang cast a look at the night sky to gauge the time and then replied, ¡°Yuwen Tong should be still awake at this time, so I¡¯ll go to the palace after walking you to your room.¡±


    He had originally planned to spend the night in this mansion, but because of what had happened out on the street tonight, he missed Yuwen Tong very much, feeling that he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep even if he stayed here, so he might as well return to the palace.


    Ji Yin didn¡¯t try to dissuade him. ¡°It¡¯s late. Be careful on your way there. Bring enough bodyguards with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Grandfather, those¡­¡± He gave a little cough and then continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do anything more about my trousseaus. Haven¡¯t you made a list of them already? Just let the Ministry of Rites handle it when the time comes. Those things on the list are already more than enough to astonish them.¡±


    Ji Yin said, ¡°Things are different now. At that time it was a marshal that you were engaged to marry, but now you¡¯re going to marry an emperor and become his consort. How could the trousseaus be the same? Under no circumstances will I embarrass you.¡±


    Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. ¡°Grandfather, any aristocratic family in this city would find it difficult to prepare trousseaus like those without liquidating their assets. You¡¯re probably the only one who could afford those things. They will be sensational enough. Those staff members will definitely black out from shock. If you add anything more to the list, they will black out from shock ¨C they will fall ill because of it, so please stop adding to the list lest it become something life-threatening. Currently, the situation in the imperial court is still unstable and there are a lot of things they need to attend to. If they really fall ill, Yuwen Tong would be swamped with work, and so would I, Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Zhang tried to convince Ji Yin. It struck him that the list was scary enough already. If his grandfather added to the list anything else that would make the hair on his scalp prickle, the list would not be astounding but frightening. In that case, Ji Yin and the others at his back would be investigated intensively, which would inevitably ruin their peaceful lives.


    Ji Yin tossed him a fairly disapproving glance. ¡°These things are a mere trifle. If those people are really that useless, we might as well scare them to death.¡±


    Ling Zhang gently shook Ji Yin¡¯s arm and softened his tone. ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Ji Yin, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ji Yin couldn¡¯t at all bring himself to say no to Ling Zhang when he was behaving in a spoiled manner. Ling Zhang was his only grandson, the apple of his eye. How could he have the heart to put Ling Zhang in a difficult position?


    ¡°Let me think about it.¡±


    Seeing Ji Yin was swayed, Ling Zhang decided to make hay while the sun shone. ¡°Grandfather, think about it ¨C you¡¯re giving me so many trousseaus, all of which will be recorded, and sometimes it might be inconvenient for me to utilize them. If there¡¯s really something else you want me to have, you could just give it to me in private. As for the list, it¡¯s long enough already and you don¡¯t want to overdo it.¡±


    Ji Yin fell silent. After giving it some thought, he believed that his grandson had got a point, but he still said, ¡°I¡¯m still going to add to the list, but there are only two more things I¡¯ll include. You¡¯re a man, and you don¡¯t have any high-ranking family members who could offer you support. I fear that you¡¯d be at a disadvantage if I don¡¯t do something dramatic to psych those people out, but your words make some sense as well, so I¡¯ll give you some of the trousseaus in private and they won¡¯t be recorded.¡±


    On hearing that his grandfather still planned to add another two things to the list and both of them seemed to be something precious, Ling Zhang felt both moved and somewhat apprehensive. ¡°Grandfather, what about your own life if you give me everything? You¡¯ve been leading a secluded life in the Millennium Pavilion for many years. No matter how many possessions you have, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not inexhaustible. All the things you are giving me are your own savings, and you might need them some day. I¨C¡±


    Ji Yin raised his hand and interrupted Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Ling Zhang was briefly astonished and then felt a twinge of sorrow. ¡°Grandfather¡­¡±


    ¡°Those things are lifeless, no matter how much they value, and they¡¯ll be of more use to you than they were to me. I¡¯ll rest easier knowing that they¡¯re in your hands. I¡¯m only to anxious to give you as much as I could, to let you have as much to rely on as possible.¡±

 Chapter 351 - Changes in the Specifics

    After walking his grandfather back to his room, Ling Zhang returned to the palace. The guards on duty at the gates, seeing him come back at such a late hour of the night, were briefly stupefied and then hastened to respectfully let him through.


    Ling Zhang directly made towards the consultation hall. At the sight of the candlelight streaming from the windows of the hall, he came to know that Yuwen Tong, as expected, hadn¡¯t gone back to turn in.


    He entered the hall in haste. His footsteps were not heavy, but Yuwen Tong in the hall had put down his writing brush and looked squarely in his direction.


    Yuwen Tong could divine who was coming just by listening to the footsteps.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes carefully raked Ling Zhang from head to foot. After confirming that Ling Zhang was fine, he asked, ¡°Why did you come back here at such a late hour? Did something happened?¡±


    Ling Zhang first threw a glance at the tall stack of memorials to the throne on the desk, gauged how many memorials Yuwen Tong had to deal with, and then answered, ¡°Nothing special. I sat there talking with my maternal grandfather, my paternal grandfather and some others for the whole night. We drank some wine, too.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go out into the street?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    Yuwen Tong should¡¯ve been unaware of their stroll down the street, but now that he was asking about it, it meant he knew everything that Ling Zhang had done.


    Ling Zhang was not really surprised to hear this. Miao Shiba who had been staying by his side was Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguard, and it was a normal thing that Miao Shiba had been reporting his whereabouts to Yuwen Tong. Besides, now the situation in the capital city had changed, and so had Yuwen Tong¡¯s status. Staying more informed of the activities in the capital city was something Yuwen Tong ought to do.


    ¡°I was recognized, and it was inconvenient for us to continue the stroll, so we went back, though we had barely walked out of the street corner,¡± answered Ling Zhang.


    A flicker appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. He had a hunch that this had been the very reason why Ling Zhang chose to come back to the palace at such a late hour of the night. ¡°I want to hear more details.¡±


    Ling Zhang had originally had some thoughts and feelings to share with Yuwen Tong, but since Yuwen Tong was bringing this up, he gave Yuwen Tong an account of what had happened on the street. ¡°Actually there isn¡¯t anything special about the chain of causality, but it was only at that moment that I got a different feeling about the change of my identity. On the day we went to the city gates to meet my grandfather and the others, I told Maomao that in the future a lot of people would be keeping watch on every act and every move of the Ling family, that he needed to be more careful and shouldn¡¯t go out to play unaccompanied. I was lecturing him, feeling that I¡¯d already adapted myself to the changes, but in fact I hadn¡¯t. I failed to prepare well enough, which caused the Clan Leader¡¯s and the others¡¯ enjoyment to be spoiled.¡±


    As a matter of fact Yuwen Tong had guessed the reason when he came to know it had been because Ling Zhang was recognized that he ended their stroll at the night market early. He had no intention of imposing any constraints on Ling Zhang. He wanted Ling Zhang to enjoy as much freedom as he used to do, but since their identities had changed, there were some restrictions they had to face up to.


    At this time, Ling Zhang added, ¡°So from this day on, when we want to go out into the street, we should have Guard Yao disguise us first, so that we¡¯ll be spared these troubles. I¡¯ve thought about it. If we wear some simple disguise and are not followed by too many guards, common people would never be able to recognize us. I think it¡¯ll be quite interesting, but right now we both have our hands full, and we probably have to wait until all this is over to get a chance to go to a night market.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had come up with quite some words of comfort, was briefly astonished at these remarks. Seeing that Ling Zhang¡¯s face didn¡¯t register any dejection but was etched with an itch to have a go, he couldn¡¯t help but give an inward smile. ¡°No matter how busy we are, I think it¡¯s within our power to spare one night for a stroll down the street. I¡¯ve been cooped up in here for several consecutive days, and I barely know anything about how the lives of people out there are progressing, so I think maybe going out to take a look would do some good.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°When are we going?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart melted somewhat at the earnest gaze from Ling Zhang¡¯s sparkling eyes. He had an urge to suggest that they do it right now, but it was late at night and the night market had some time ago ended. After giving it some thought, he answered, ¡°Tomorrow night.¡±


    A beam instantly spread across Ling Zhang¡¯s face, his eyes narrowing slightly, gleaming delightedly like stars, which for an instant sent Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind wandering.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t really have any feelings that he had to go to the night market. He was not among those who were confined to the palace most of the year, and he had no obsession. He just wanted to relaxedly have a walk with Yuwen Tong, because after all it had been a long time since the last time they¡¯d done that. More importantly, Yuwen Tong had been working flat out lately and scarcely had any spare time. He hoped to have Yuwen Tong get some rest, even if it was just an hour or two.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong reached out a hand, drew him over to let him sit on his lap, held up his chin and kissed him on the lips.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s vision blurred fleetingly and when things came back into focus again, he found himself sitting on Yuwen Tong¡¯s lap, his chin raised, Yuwen Tong¡¯s smell enveloping his whole being. Soon he started feeling giddy from the kiss.


    ¡­


    Yao Yi and some others, who had been on guard duty outside the consultation hall, wasn¡¯t paying attention to the sound from inside the hall, so right now they were unaware that their two masters were in a vigorous lip-lock. They were listening to Miao Shiba who had just begun to casually relate what had happened on the street earlier this night.


    ¡°There¡¯s an unduly high chance that the Marshal and Childe Ling would be recognized if they go out into the street. Childe Ling said that from this day on, they would disguise themselves first before going out,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Yao Yi observed, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Actually I think we¡¯re partly to blame for it. Childe Ling would have had a good time at the night market had we thought of that eventuality earlier.¡±


    Arms folded over his chest, Miao Shiba said, ¡°It was my fault, but¡­ apart from Childe Ling, we also haven¡¯t adjusted to the changes in his and the Marshal¡¯s identities. This was just a minor mistake. Had it been anything serious, even my death wouldn¡¯t be enough to atone for it.¡±


    Yao Yi inclined his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. It seems that I need to talk to our brothers and remind them to be more discreet.¡±


    After saying this, Yao Yi shifted his gaze to Miao Shiba and added, ¡°You¡¯ve been staying by Childe Ling¡¯s side all along lately. Did you find out anything about the matter that the Marshal wants you to look into?¡±


    Miao Shiba shook his head. ¡°No. Childe Ling looks perfectly normal. I couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary no matter how hard I try. And Childe Ling¡¯s relations with his family members seem very normal as well. Also, Master Ling has been behaving no differently than before when interacting with Childe Ling. I¡¯m even beginning to suspect that¡­¡± He gave a cough and continued, ¡°Anyway, it strikes me that Childe Ling is not concealing anything.¡±


    Yao Yi, however, fingered his chin. ¡°The Marshal wouldn¡¯t have instructed you to do that if he hadn¡¯t noticed something. Think back carefully ¨C has there been any particular changes in Childe Ling¡¯s tone or facial expression when he was talking with his father?¡±


    Miao Shiba raised his head and started searching his brain, mumbling ¡°Um¡± repeatedly in spite of himself from the effort of racking his brains. ¡°Well, not to be pedantic, but does a minor change in the way Childe Ling addresses his father count?¡±


    Yao Yi immediately inquired of him, ¡°What kind of change?¡±


    Miao Shiba answered, ¡°Previously when Childe Ling was talking to his father, he would directly use ¡®you¡¯, but recently he¡¯s begun to use the honorific form of ¡®you¡¯. He¡¯s not doing it in an affected fashion. It seems to be a very spontaneous change of attitude. People wouldn¡¯t observe this change unless they spend a lot of time staying by Childe Ling¡¯s side and listen to his conversation with Master Ling, so at first I didn¡¯t pay any extra attention to it, but earlier tonight, when we were drinking, I saw Childe Ling pour Master Ling¡¯s wine and offer him more food, and he looked at Master Ling from time to time, as though counting the times Master Ling sipped the wine. When Master Ling drank a little too fast, he would stare at Master Ling and Master Ling would stop. It strikes me that they are now closer to each other than before, but you wouldn¡¯t be able to feel it unless you notice this detail.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°This should be a clue. Remember to report it to the Marshal later.¡±


    Miao Shiba replied, ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°But, Captain, it shouldn¡¯t be a bad thing that Childe Ling and his father are closer to each other than before, right? It¡¯s understandable that previously Childe Ling felt a little estranged from Master Ling, what with the separation of over ten years. After all, they are father and son. It¡¯s a natural thing that they became close again after they broke the ice,¡± added Miao Shiba.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, but you still have to tell it to the Marshal. He¡¯ll know what kind of decision to make.¡±


    Miao Shiba said, ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Was there anything else apart from this?¡± Yao Yi looked at him.


    Miao Shiba shook his head. ¡°For the moment, nothing else. Childe Ling doesn¡¯t leave the palace to go to the Ling Mansion very often, but maybe he¡¯ll do it again in a day or two. That Ji Yanlai guy has just arrived, and both Childe Ling¡¯s and the Marshal¡¯s attitudes towards him seem to be different from the ones they have towards others, so I think Childe Ling wouldn¡¯t just leave him in the Ling Mansion and ignore him. I¡¯ll observe more carefully when I have the chance.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­


    In the hall, Ling Zhang¡¯s head was still spinning because of the caress from Yuwen Tong, so he naturally couldn¡¯t hear the conversation between people outside who had deliberately lowered their voices, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s internal energy was uncommonly powerful and equaled by very few, so he had heard each and every word that Yao Yi and Miao Shiba had said.


    He was fully aware of the reason why Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu had been more polite than close to each other, and previously he had predicted that barring accidents, the relations between Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu would remain in this state for a very long time, because after all, some wounds could be healed by nothing but time, and the father and son needed time to nurse their damaged bond, which was a fact that wouldn¡¯t change any time soon, but now it had changed¡­


    This was definitely anomalous. There was no doubt that something had happened, something he didn¡¯t know of, something that could explain why Ling Zhang had become much clingier than he used to after he returned to the palace on that day.


    It seemed that going out of the palace for a walk with Ling Zhang was very necessary, and maybe he would be able to find out something about it by talking with Ling Zhaowu personally.


    These thoughts flashed across Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind in an instant and he soon buried them fathoms deep. After all, right now nothing could make him crazy as enjoying this romantic moment with his darling in his embrace could.


    Ling Zhang was unaware of what kind of decision that the one kissing him had made instantly. He just felt his waist and legs going limp from Yuwen Tong¡¯s fondle, and eventually he still failed to keep Yuwen Tong from carrying him back to the Infinite Fortune Palace¡­


    Thus, naturally, Yuwen Tong for the second time ignored a pile of memorials to the throne on the desk.


    After hours of sex, Ling Zhang fell into a heavy sleep. Yuwen Tong stayed with him and they slept for a very long time. It was noon already when they woke up the next day.


    None of the courtiers had come to hurry Yuwen Tong. They were all conferring with each other on state affairs in the consultation hall, as though they all found it understandable that Yuwen Tong could use some extra sleep after so many hectic days, so none of them went to disturb him.


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched for a few moments when he got up. ¡°You haven¡¯t acceded to the throne yet, and we¡¯ve been acting like this already. If word gets out, I¡¯ll be terribly disgraced.¡±

 Chapter 352 - Going Out of the Palace Hand in Hand

    ¡°Even if anybody found out, they would keep their mouth shut about it,¡± said Yuwen Tong, dressing Ling Zhang as though he were a child.


    Ling Zhang was kneading his waist, his mind focused on something else, oblivious of what Yuwen Tong was doing to him. ¡°You should go back to the hall immediately after lunch. We¡¯re going out tonight, so you probably wouldn¡¯t get any time to rest the whole afternoon.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had lunch with Ling Zhang before going to the consultation hall, and didn¡¯t return until dusk.


    ¡°I had a message delivered to my family this afternoon. My grandfather said that they¡¯d wait for us to have dinner with them tonight.¡± Ling Zhang carried a tub of water over to let Yuwen Tong wet his towel to wipe his hands and face, and then got him a change of clothes and helped him change out of the ones he was wearing. ¡°We¡¯ll have dinner with my family first before going to the night market.¡±


    Yuwen Tong changed and then said, ¡°Are you hungry? Did you eat any before-dinner snack?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°There are so many people around here watching over me. They would never let me feel hungry. It¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about. You only had a bowl of noodle soup this afternoon, and you didn¡¯t even touch the pastries I had them deliver to you. Let¡¯s not waste any time and just get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get something to eat.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had just fastened his belt when Ling Zhang, bursting with impatience, drew him out of the palace, heading straight for the Ling Mansion.


    In order not to be recognized at the night market, the two of them left the palace in a low-key fashion, bringing only a couple of secret bodyguards.


    When they arrived at the Ling Mansion, people of the Ling family all started as they saw that the two of them came almost unaccompanied.


    ¡°Why did you two leave the palace with only one guard?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen, looking at them, horror written all over his face.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes raked Yuwen Tong¡¯s face before he inquired, ¡°You have some others following you secretly?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Zhaowu, confusion in his eyes.


    Ling Zhaowu had no internal energy, so he definitely couldn¡¯t detect the existence of the secret bodyguards hidden in the shadows. Ji Yin, Ji Yanlai and some others present hadn¡¯t said anything yet, but Ling Zhaowu had immediately guessed that some others were covertly protecting Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, which was something he couldn¡¯t have done without extensive experience.


    Yuwen Tong started pondering. Actually he had been having some questions about his father-in-law all along. Was it even possible that a man, who once had been so bigoted and crazy as to abandon his family to seek some preposterous resurrection skill, had changed so much as if he was a different person after waking from a coma that had lasted over ten years? Besides, if someone had been comatose for over a decade, there would inevitably be a huge blank in their knowledge and experience, but his father-in-law, after coming around, not only didn¡¯t appear far removed from the present age, but also seemed to be very familiar with everything he was faced with. He had been composed all the time, and his experience didn¡¯t at all seem to have stopped growing for over ten years. But how was this possible?


    Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but recall the confusion he¡¯d had back when he was in the Millennium Pavilion located in the Sanguan Mountains.


    Mr. Mu had once mentioned that after Ling Zhaowu came to, apart from words about his family members, he had also deliriously said something about him failing his nephew. At that time, he and Ling Zhang had both been astonished, because it had been several years after Ling Zhaowu went missing and into a coma that Ling Maomao was born. How had Ling Zhaowu, who had never left the Sanguan Mountains before that, come to know that he had a nephew?


    That, combined with Ling Zhaowu¡¯s perplexing behavior after his recovery, made it very difficult for Yuwen Tong not to suspect his father-in-law.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s affection for Ling Zhang and other members of the Ling family was real, and he indeed cared about Ling Zhang very much, but Yuwen Tong felt that he must figure out what secrets Ling Zhaowu was keeping, because if he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be able to find peace of mind knowing that Ling Zhang was so close to Ling Zhaowu.


    Right now, a more obvious fact was that Ling Zhang knew something about the truth but was unwilling to confide it to him.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t show any signs of any of his thoughts on his face. After hearing Ling Zhaowu¡¯s question, he inclined his head in a very unperturbed way and answered, ¡°Brother Zhang and I want to go out for a walk tonight. Had we brought too many guards with us, it would¡¯ve caused a sensation and made it inconvenient for us to go out into the street.¡±


    ¡°Go out into the street? You two still want to go out into the street?¡± Ling Zhaowen felt dizzy from amazement. ¡°Have you any idea who you are now?!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was so anxious that he forgot about Yuwen Tong¡¯s identity. ¡°Everything¡¯s going so well. Why do you suddenly want to go out into the street? Surely you know how dangerous it is to do something like that?¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth, but Yuwen Tong made a reply before he could say anything. ¡°We¡¯ll be wearing some simple disguise, and some of my secret bodyguards will be following in our wake. Also, I¡¯ll protect Brother Zhang.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen had a faint inclination to give Yuwen Tong a dirty look, but then he finally recollected Yuwen Tong¡¯s current identity and said in a grave and sincere tone, ¡°It¡¯s not about whether or not you¡¯re capable of keeping Zhang¡¯er safe. Presently your safety is of even greater importance, which is a fact I believe you probably don¡¯t need me to elaborate on.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll protect myself. Recently I¡¯ve been staying in the palace all the time. I¡¯m right in the capital city but haven¡¯t carved out enough time to see what it¡¯s like. If things go on like this, I¡¯d be out of touch with the people, so I decided to come out and observe ordinary folk¡¯s condition.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen, ¡°¡­¡±


    With an inexplicable expression on his face, he inwardly retorted, ¡®It¡¯s been only a few days since you moved into the palace. Have you not been dealing with enough important state affairs on a daily basis? You feel you¡¯re getting out of reach with the people? Who would believe that?!¡¯


    However, Yuwen Tong appeared totally self-possessed, and Ling Zhaowen felt it inappropriate for him to put Yuwen Tong on the spot in the presence of so many people, so he had no choice but to look at Ling Zhang, hoping that Ling Zhang would change his mind.


    But before he could drop a hint to Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang away. ¡°We barely ate anything in the palace and are both hungry. How about we start eating dinner?¡±


    For a moment, the others were exchanging glances in blank dismay. Eventually, Ling Xingzhong broke the awkward silence. ¡°Well, it¡¯s inconsiderate of us to have forgotten that. Let¡¯s go and eat!¡±


    Seeing this, Ling Zhaowen had no alternative but to take a seat with the others. He wanted to sit beside Ling Zhang so that he could whisper a hint in his ear, but Ji Yin anticipated him, quickly settling himself in the chair beside Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong was sitting in the host seat, Ling Zhang on his left-hand side. On his right-hand side were Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowu, Ling Zhaowen and Ling Maomao. On Ling Zhang¡¯s left-hand side were Ji Yin, Ji Yanlai, Ji Xiaocong and Mr. Mu.


    Ling Zhang had originally wanted to sit elsewhere, but Ling Xingzhong and some others had insisted he sit there, as though they would fall out with Ling Zhang if he refused to obey. Thus, he was forced to adjust himself to the change of his identity before he officially married Yuwen Tong.


    As regards Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai, they didn¡¯t care about these ritualistic formalities, feeling that as long as the chairs were not uncomfortable, they could sit anywhere.


    Everybody was seated around the table. The courses had been served in advance. Members of the Ling family, who had waited for quite some time, were now all hungry. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, certainly, were hungry as well. Everybody was eating quietly and nobody talked. The wine was taken away, because nobody wanted any.


    When they almost had their fill, Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Since you two are going to the night market, take me and Cong with you.¡±


    The night before, their stroll down the street had ended early. Although Ji Yanlai had said that there was no hurry, he was actually itching for another try. The moment he finished speaking, Cong¡¯s eyes lit up and he looked at Ling Zhang. Ling Maomao also looked up at Ling Zhang, his eyes just as expectant as Cong¡¯s.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll join you guys. The more, the merrier,¡± said Ji Yin.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no harm in going along for the ride once in a while,¡± said Mr. Mu.


    Ling Xingzhong and his two sons were all speechless.


    Ling Zhaowu flicked a glance at Ling Xingzhong¡¯s face and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go as well. I¡¯ve stayed in this city for some days, and I think I¡¯ve got enough knowledge of it to act as a half-decent guide for the Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai appeared nonchalant, not caring who would accompany him. Although he felt that he didn¡¯t need anybody to keep him company, he believed that since he was now staying in the Ling Mansion, it was best if he followed some of the rules lest there be some needless misunderstandings.


    Thus, the plan to go to the night market later was basically nailed down. Ling Xingzhong hadn¡¯t raised any objections, and eventually Ling Zhaowen, who didn¡¯t know what to say to object, had no choice but to raise his hand and say, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go as well. If I don¡¯t go with you and keep an eye on you, I might end up suffering a heart attack from worry. Also, I¡¯ll be able to watch over that brat of mine in passing.¡±


    Ling Zhang and the others hadn¡¯t said anything yet, but Ling Maomao¡¯s face fell as he cast a somewhat unhappy look at his father. Since his father would be keeping an eye on him, he could foresee that he would be under all kinds of restrictions from start to finish and wouldn¡¯t be able to fully enjoy himself.


    Amused by the boy¡¯s countenance, Ling Zhang gave it some thought and said, ¡°Grandfather, how about you join us as well?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong paused briefly and then answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m too old to go along for the ride.¡±


    ¡°Alas, you¡¯re still going strong, in-law. You¡¯ve got to give yourself more credit. Come with us. It does no harm to go with the flow. They¡¯re all youngsters, and I could use the company of someone my age. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot we could talk about,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Xingzhong looked at Ji Yin¡¯s young face, having quite mixed feelings.


    At last, the whole family decided to go out into the street together. Fu Caiwei, who was the only female member of the family, felt it inconvenient to go with a large group of men, so she stayed at home alone.


    Ling Zhang, taking Ling Maomao with him, went to see Fu Caiwei. ¡°Aunt, after we get to the night market, I¡¯ll have someone deliver some delicious food and fun stuff to you. You may have the old handmaids accompany you to the garden to enjoy the night view. I¡¯ve instructed the guards to tighten the security and nobody would go to the garden to disturb you.¡±


    While saying this, Ling Zhang felt somewhat apologetic, for there were indeed not enough mistresses in this residence. His aunt was the only one, and the other females were all handmaids of different ages, but some subjects were definitely not suitable to be talked about with handmaids.


    Fu Caiwei, who could tell what he was thinking about, smiled, ¡°Just relax and go out there with them to have some fun. Maomao is quite naughty. Promise me you won¡¯t connive at his misbehavior, okay? There¡¯s no need for you to worry about me. We¡¯ll figure out how to best entertain ourselves. Just a few moments ago we were talking about playing mahjong.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± answered Ling Zhang. After confirming that all Fu Caiwei¡¯s needs would be taken care of, he took Ling Maomao back to the ante-room and rendezvoused with Yuwen Tong and the others. Thanks to Yao Yi¡¯s sleight of hand, all of them were now in simple disguise. Thus, the large group of people left the residence.


    Halfway to the night market, Ling Maomao was drawn away by his father. Yuwen Tong, who was walking abreast of Ling Zhang, noticed the glimmer of gloom on his face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ling Zhang told him about the matter of Fu Caiwei and then added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    After all, he was not going to marry a woman; his uncle wouldn¡¯t get any concubines; and his father had no inclination whatsoever to remarry. Currently, in the Ling family, female members were vastly outnumbered by male ones.


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be anxious about it. Tao Feng will soon arrive, and he¡¯s bringing his wife with him. Just have his wife come here more often to keep your aunt company. They¡¯re old acquaintances. Apart from her, there are also my aunts. They are all easy to get along with. My granduncle and his family are all inclined to get more acquainted with your family. It¡¯s just that we are not married yet, so they don¡¯t dare make too many overtures for fear that people might gossip about it. But it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if my aunts have dealings with your aunt.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes brightened. This was actually a pretty good idea.

 Chapter 353 - Putting Out Feelers

    The group of people didn¡¯t stick together after their arrival at the night market. They gradually split into huddles of twos and threes while progressing.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong intentionally stayed with Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin to keep them company, but the two old men, along with Mr. Mu, all said that the two of them were not very good company and dismissed them.


    Eventually, Ling Zhang had only Yuwen Tong by his side, and all others were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Your paternal grandfather is accompanied by your maternal grandfather and Mr. Mu. Your uncle, your father and Maomao are with Ji Yanlai and his nephew, and there are also some guards secretly keeping an eye on them, so there¡¯s no need to worry about them,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Given Ji Yin¡¯s and Ji Yanlai¡¯s unparalleled kung fu skills, the two of them alone were more than enough to make sure no harm would come to any of the others.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The point of this trip tonight is for me to have a walk with you.¡± Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and drew him towards the crowd. Yao Yi quietly followed in their wake in an inconspicuous manner. None of the pedestrians recognized any of them.


    The two of them were hand in hand, but because of their fairly long sleeves and the dim lighting, people wouldn¡¯t notice it unless they looked very carefully. In addition, as news of the engagement between Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had spread across the whole country, gay marriage had become less rare and recently several gay couples had been seen on the street. Gay relationship like theirs was no longer something of a rarity, and even if anybody observed that the two of them were hand in hand, it wouldn¡¯t be a serious problem, and they wouldn¡¯t immediately suspect the true identities of the two of them.


    However, although the two of them were in disguise, owing to their extraordinary temperament, they still appeared quite obtrusive whenever they walked into a pool of bright light.


    Yuwen Tong drew him towards the Eastern Avenue. After walking with him for a few moments, Ling Zhang suddenly had an inkling that something was not quite right. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Do you still remember the ship-lanterns we went to see on that day?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    How could he not remember? At that time, shortly after he¡¯d arrived in the capital city, Yuwen Tong, in order to let him enjoy the beauty of ship-lanterns, had specially made arrangements for a number of gaily-painted pleasure-ships and other boats decorated with ship-lanterns to berth by the riverbank, which confused all residents living nearby.


    But now that Yuwen Tong was specially bringing this up again¡­


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do the same thing again, did you?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him incredulously.


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°This time around it¡¯s not me who did it. A rich and influential family in this city held a wedding ceremony during the day, so they specially hired some people to stage a ship-lantern show tonight. We¡¯re kind of basking in the reflected festivity of their wedding. Just take it as an act of adding to the gaiety of our own upcoming wedding ceremony.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face burned slightly. ¡°Well, given that it¡¯s a ship-lantern show held in honor of other people¡¯s wedding, will we be able to get a good spot?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I sent someone there to book a room for us in advance this morning. If all else fails, we could always sit on a rooftop.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and felt that he had a point.


    By the time when the two of them arrived at their destination, they had already felt the excitement and liveliness of the crowds ahead of them.


    A wide variety of pleasure-ships and boats decorated with lanterns were berthed close to each other by the riverbank. Beautiful lanterns of every description were ablaze with light, brightening the whole riverbank.


    The room that Yuwen Tong had had his subordinate book for him was a private room in the same teahouse that the two of them had once been to. This was quite an occasion, so the teahouse was packed to capacity. Bathed in the lantern light from the riverbank that seemed to be making the sky as bright as day, all customers in the teahouse were very happy, talking aloud, each voice higher than the last. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were shocked by the uproarious scene as they entered the teahouse. ¡°There are so many people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, my dear guests, but we don¡¯t have any seats available at the moment,¡± said a sweaty waiter at the sight of them walking inside, jostling his way up to them, wiping sweat from his face.


    ¡°We booked a private room, the one on the second floor with windows facing the river,¡± Yao Yi said to the waiter, walking up to him, producing a reservation plate.


    The waiter briefly paused and then hurriedly said in a more respectful tone, ¡°Oh, this way please, my honored guests, this way please!¡±


    When the two of them were walking upstairs, many of the customers sitting in the hall looked in their direction, for anybody who could book a private room in this teahouse at this point of time was no common person, and Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s extraordinary temperament made the other customers even more convinced. They all started whispering to each other, guessing who these two strangers were.


    The waiter led the two of them into the private room reserved for them. ¡°This is your room, my honored guests. All the tea-things you required have been prepared. As for the snack, I¡¯m ready to take your order, my honored guests.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced around this familiar private room and naturally recalled the events that had happened on that day, but at that time, they hadn¡¯t declared in advance that a ship-lantern show was going to be held, so there hadn¡¯t been as many people as there were on this occasion. Today the whole place was filled with hubbub of voices and seething with lookers-on.


    Ling Zhang named two of the signature snacks of this teahouse and the waiter took the order and immediately left. Soon someone delivered the snacks to the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s such an enchanting sight on such a fine day. Why don¡¯t you drink some wine, Marshal, Childe Ling?¡± After dismissing the waiter, Yao Yi placed the two trays of snack onto the table.


    Ling Zhang also looked at Yuwen Tong, feeling that it¡¯d be nice to drink some wine on such a joyous occasion.


    Yuwen Tong looked back at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Drinking will compromise the mission.¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused. Compromise the mission? They had a mission to perform and couldn¡¯t drink wine?


    Yuwen Tong said to Yao Yi, ¡°Get out of here and close the doors. You may decide for yourself whether to be on guard duty in the doorway or go downstairs to have some fun.¡±


    Yao Yi, who had cocked an ear at Yuwen Tong waiting to hear his explanation, fell speechless.


    He quietly turned around and left. After closing the doors tight, he went downstairs, bought some pot-stewed meat and wine, returned, sat down outside the doors in the corridor and started drinking alone. When he had taken a sip of the wine, he furrowed his brows and complained, ¡°No wonder the Marshal is not drinking. A teahouse is a teahouse after all. The wine here is obviously not as good as what I can get in a tavern. Did they adulterate it with tea?¡±


    Yuwen Tong in the room pretended not to have heard Yao Yi¡¯s mumble and said to Ling Zhang, ¡°If we drink wine, you won¡¯t be able to stay sober enough to watch this lantern show for long. Just last night you were¡­¡±


    At first Ling Zhang was confused as to what he meant. When Yuwen Tong paused, he wondered for a few moments before comprehension dawned on his face, which soon registered embarrassment and annoyance. ¡°What are you thinking?!¡±


    Why couldn¡¯t this guy think about something positive and healthy?


    The night before Yuwen Tong had had him make out with him almost the whole night, and it had been at noon that they woke up on this day. It was so shameful, yet this guy had the nerve to bring it up!


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been too busy lately, and we haven¡¯t fully enjoyed ourselves for quite some time. Last night was a good start. I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be able to control myself tonight.¡±


    After all, the pleasant feeling after enjoying himself to the full was still lingering in his every fibre. Having repressed his desire for so many years, he was now obsessed with that kind of pleasure and thus was faced with a severe test of his self-control. If he drank wine, he would lose some of his self-control. Unlike the consultation hall which was only a few moments¡¯ walk from the Infinite Fortune Palace, this place was quite far away from the imperial palace.


    Hearing him getting more and more explicit, Ling Zhang was both irritated and embarrassed. ¡°Cut the shit and drink your tea.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows. ¡°See? I¡¯m just talking about it and you¡¯re already getting angry. If I actually do it, you would defi¨C¡±


    ¡°I said shut up!¡± Ling Zhang hissed.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him aggrievedly. ¡°We¡¯re like an old married couple. What¡¯s wrong with talking about it?¡±


    Ling Zhang spat, ¡°We¡¯re in a teahouse!¡±


    This place was teeming with customers; Yao Yi was on guard duty in the doorway; and there were also some secret bodyguards hidden in the shadows. This was not the Infinite Fortune Palace, and Ling Zhang felt as awkward as though they were talking about that topic in the presence of a large crowd, color suffusing his face.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°My men wouldn¡¯t listen to what they are not supposed to hear. Besides, people out there have to yell to make themselves heard. Nobody would overhear a single word of our conversation.¡±


    But that didn¡¯t make talking about that topic any less disgraceful. Ling Zhang shot him an admonitory glance, warning him not to bring it up again.


    Yuwen Tong said ¡°Okay¡± repeatedly and then added, ¡°I¡¯ll say no more about it. Okay? Stop being mad.¡±


    The sight of Ling Zhang flushing with anger struck him as so tantalizing that he felt he would lose control of himself if his eyes lingered on Ling Zhang for a few more moments, though he hadn¡¯t drunk any wine.


    At this time a cheer burst forth from the crowd downstairs. His curiosity piqued, Ling Zhang rose to his feet and stepped to the window to look downstairs. Yuwen Tong let out a sigh of relief and then stood up and walked over as well. Onto the deck of a pleasure-ship berthed by the riverbank down below had emerged an acrobat. There was night wind blowing, which was not strong but rippling the surface of the water, rocking the small pleasure-ship and those standing on it from side to side gently. The acrobat was juggling with lighted torches. It would take only a momentary lapse of concentration to break his horse stance, causing him to lose his balance and fail to catch the torches.


    But that man had a quite high level of proficiency in horse stance. Planted firmly on the deck, he was throwing and catching torches with rapt attention, bright flames whirring up and down in circles to the cheers of the audience on the riverbank.


    After watching for a while, Ling Zhang remarked, ¡°They are the same street-performers we met on the street yesterday.¡±


    Yuwen Tong cast an appraising look at the acrobat and commented, ¡°He has some elementary kung fu, but no more than that.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°It was a ball-shaped bundle of coloured silk ribbons this man performed with that fascinated Ji Yanlai¡¯s nephew and Maomao last night. I wonder if the two of them would get wind of this show and come here to check it out.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong stepped behind him and put his arms around his waist. ¡°If they do come, I¡¯ll just have some men keep an eye on them.¡±


    Ling Zhang detected a subtle undertone contained in his words and twisted his head aside to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°They would once again be upsetting our plan to spend some time alone if they come here, so I¡¯ll have them go somewhere else to play.¡±


    Ling Zhang caught on to it. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want anybody to disturb them.


    ¡°My father and my uncle are with them. If the boys come here, they will come as well,¡± said Ling Zhang quietly.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    This was a vexed issue. If Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen did come as well, it would be inappropriate for him to send someone to dismiss them, because one of them was his father-in-law, and the other Ling Zhang¡¯s respected uncle, both of whom were his elders he couldn¡¯t trifle with. He and Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t officially got married yet, and if they found out that he was being offhand with them¡­


    Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang tight. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to play it by ear.¡±


    After saying this, he asked in a seemingly casual tone, ¡°How¡¯s your father¡¯s physical condition these days? Did Mr. Mu say anything about it?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Mr. Mu said that my father¡¯s been making a quick recovery, quicker than he¡¯d expected, that he¡¯d be as good as new in a month or so.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s making a speedy recovery, but I wonder what¡¯s the reason for that? Is there anything special with your father¡¯s constitution?¡±


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t suspect Yuwen Tong¡¯s motives in asking this question, responded, ¡°It seems to have something to do with a set of fist techniques that my father has been practicing, which was taught to him by my grandfather. My grandfather said that my father learned it so rapidly as though previously¡­¡±


    As he finished the word ¡°previously¡±, Ling Zhang came to realize that he was on the verge of spilling the beans and hastened to stop.


    ¡°Previously what?¡± asked Yuwen Tong in a natural tone of voice, a faint flicker crossing his eyes.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head. ¡°He just felt that my father had amazing comprehension and was a very quick learner. Previously he had never seen anybody who could master that set of fist techniques as fast as my father did.¡±

 Chapter 354 - Extraordinarily Sharp Senses

    Ling Zhaowu was long past his prime, and both his physical strength and his comprehension should be slightly inferior to a young person¡¯s, yet with these disadvantages, he had still mastered the set of fist techniques in such a short time and quickly nursed himself back to health with it?


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t believe this matter was as simple as it seemed, his suspicions about Ling Zhaowu deepening.


    The show was over, and Ji Yanlai and the others had never shown up. It was when Ling Zhang saw the crowd downstairs thinning and the pleasure-ships and boats decorated with lanterns driving off shore one after another that he came to realize he and Yuwen Tong had stayed in this place for quite some time. Taken aback, he exclaimed, ¡°Crap. We¡¯ve been here for so long and forgotten about my grandfather and all the others!¡±


    ¡°Yao Yi,¡± Yuwen Tong called aloud.


    Yao Yi walked inside immediately. ¡°Marshal, Childe Ling.¡±


    Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Where are Old Master Ling and the others? Have they gone back?¡±


    Yao Yi answered, ¡°Yes, they have, all of them. I¡¯ve had someone deliver a message to them, telling them that you and Childe Ling would directly return to the imperial palace.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Were my grandfather and the others in good spirits?¡±


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°The one I sent there told me that your grandfather looked in high spirits, that he and Mr. Ji had a good time at the night market. I think they have gone to sleep by now.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°We should get back as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced at the pleasure-ships and boats decorated with lanterns which were slowly driving away, and then left the teahouse with Ling Zhang hand in hand, walking along the street on the riverbank. Some of the gaily-painted pleasure-ships and boats with lanterns were going in the same direction, progressing at a gentle pace, as though keeping the two of them company.


    Ling Zhang cast a look at the ships and suggested, ¡°Next time let¡¯s take a boat trip on a lake.¡±


    Stroking the back of Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­


    After returning to the palace, the two of them bathed and turned in. What with the tiring last night and the long walk he¡¯d just had, Ling Zhang fell asleep almost immediately after lying down on the bed.


    Yuwen Tong tied Ling Zhang¡¯s hair up for him, pulled the quilt over his abdomen and then got out of bed, stepped out of the inner room of the imperial bedchamber, looked at Yao Yi waiting outside and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Qi San?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting in the side hall,¡± answered Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Tong draped a coat across his shoulders and went to the side hall, where a man in a black skintight outfit was waiting for him. The man appeared about the same age as Yao Yi and the other bodyguards, and was so nondescript that if he stood among a crowd, people who knew him would have difficulty identifying him. He was none other than Qi San, the commander of the Shadow Battalion under Yuwen Tong¡¯s command.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Marshal,¡± said Qi San, making a bow with hands folded in front.


    Yuwen Tong settled himself in a chair. ¡°You may rise. You were responsible for protecting Ling Zhaowu and some others earlier tonight. Did you find anything?¡±


    Qi San answered, ¡°Yes, I did. Ling Zhaowu¡¯s five senses are extremely sharp. This time around there were six brothers performing the task with me, and Ling Zhaowu located at least four of them with his senses. Two of the secret bodyguards were in a packed spot, but he still accurately perceived their whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    Qi San gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯m sure. Ling Zhaowu had indeed located several of our brothers, but what baffles me is that Ling Zhaowu has no internal energy and was in a busy market, but he somehow perceived the existence of secret bodyguards with his sense of hearing that should be no more acute than that of a common person, which¡­ which strikes me as a little anomalous.¡±


    Indeed, Ling Zhaowu was just an ordinary person, and he hadn¡¯t even fully recovered from his illness yet, his body in a rather weak state. Currently, what he possessed was just some fist techniques at the most, and he wasn¡¯t anywhere close to a kung fu expert with powerful internal energy and a sense of hearing sharp enough to allow him to differentiate between the breathing patterns of people in a bustling market. The only plausible explanation was that Ling Zhaowu had extraordinary intuition.


    Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence, his face expressionless. It was not that he believed Ling Zhaowu meant anybody any harm, but that Ling Zhaowu¡¯s abnormality was affecting Ling Zhang. Yuwen Tong worried that this man had some other secrets that might affect Ling Zhang even further. This was something he couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    ¡°Do you think inborn keen intuition alone is enough for Ling Zhaowu to manage something like that?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of Qi San.


    Qi San was a secret bodyguard, who had been learning these since childhood and was an expert in this kind of stuff, so Yuwen Tong was inclined to trust Qi San¡¯s judgement when it came to this kind of things.


    After doing some careful thinking, Qi San responded, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, Marshal. There are indeed some common people who possess acute intuition, but without receiving specialized training, they could merely sense imminent danger at the most ¨C they have an inkling that something¡¯s wrong, and they flee. But usually this kind of intuition is relatively vague and faint. Ling Zhaowu, however, very accurately found out the whereabouts of the couple of brothers. His instinct was very definite. Only someone with specialized training could have located them that quick.


    On top of that, common people¡¯s intuition is mostly a kind of ability to sense upcoming danger in advance, but we were harmless to Ling Zhaowu. We followed him to protect him, and I¡¯m absolutely sure that none of us ever meant him any harm. We didn¡¯t emanate a shred of menacing or murderous air, but Ling Zhaowu still located several of us. Even I find this kind of acute intuition quite admirable,¡± observed Qi San.


    Yuwen Tong, however, showed no admiration. Instead, he became even more suspicious.


    Fully aware of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s past, he was positive that Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t use to possess such keen intuition, that he used to be no more than an ordinary person who had some kung fu but was by no means a master of it. Moreover, the years when he¡¯d been comatose in the Millennium Pavilion had taken a heavy toll on his sanity. After ingesting the miracle drug, he had regained his sanity, but he still needed more time to nurse it back to the original level¡­


    All these facts were indicating that the secrets Ling Zhaowu had been keeping were undoubtedly of great importance, that some kind of intuition of this man¡¯s was formidably acute.


    ¡°Stay away from Ling Zhaowu unless such circumstance arises again,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong.


    Qi San, who would never raise any objections to Yuwen Tong¡¯s words and always followed Yuwen Tong¡¯s orders, answered, ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    After Qi San took his leave, Yuwen Tong sat there for a while. These contradictory facts about Ling Zhaowu confounded him. He had no clue why this was happening. These changes seemed to have taken place for no reason whatsoever, but how was that possible?


    Eventually, unable to figure it out, Yuwen Tong had no alternative but to bury this question fathoms deep in his mind and return to the inner room of the imperial bedchamber to sleep with Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    The next day, Fang shi and Liu shi, the two daughter-in-laws of Yuwen You¡¯s, had a calling card delivered to Fu Caiwei, telling her that they were going to pay her a visit.


    Fu Caiwei was somewhat surprised and hastened to confer with Ling Zhaowen. ¡°Why did they suddenly decide to visit me?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen thought about it for a brief moment and then replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just have someone deliver a reply to them first, and then arrange for the servants to get the Lingering Fragrance Pavilion ready and make preparations to entertain the guests. Given that there are quite some people staying in this residence, the Lingering Fragrance Pavilion is the only place convenient for entertaining them, because they won¡¯t have to walk across this area. There¡¯s no need to concern yourself. Zhang¡¯er said that Yuwen You¡¯s family are on good terms with Yuwen Tong, that this granduncle of Yuwen Tong¡¯s is always pretty good to him, and his family members are easy to get long with, too. The reason why they¡¯re coming at this point in time is probably because they want to make your acquaintance and strengthen the bonding between the two families.¡±


    After hearing this, Fu Caiwei had a general idea of what was going on. ¡°I¡¯ll start to make preparations right away.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡­


    The next morning, Fang shi and Liu shi arrived at the Ling Mansion. Fu Caiwei welcomed them and led them into the Lingering Fragrance Pavilion.


    There was incense burning in the Lingering Fragrance Pavilion. It was tidy and comfortable, a perfect place for women to sit and have a chat.


    ¡°This place is pretty nice. We were worried that it¡¯d be presumptuous to visit you like this, that we¡¯d disturb you, but your arrangements are so thoughtful that we feel that we¡¯re undeserving of it,¡± smiled Fang shi.


    Fang shi and Liu shi, who were both good-tempered, had gentle smile on their faces. At the sight of them, Fu Caiwei felt the friendly air about them and naturally took an instant liking to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you to say so, but I prepared this in haste, and I¡¯m glad that it doesn¡¯t strike you as unpresentable, Elder Sisters,¡± said Fu Caiwei.


    Fang shi and Liu shi had come here to keep Fu Caiwei company because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s request. Before they came, they had been a little uncertain about what kind of person Fu Caiwei was, but now, seeing the genial beam on Fu Caiwei¡¯s face, hearing her soft voice, the two of them became well disposed towards Fu Caiwei.


    ¡°You¡¯re so modest, Mrs. Ling. Since you call us ¡®Elder Sister¡¯ and we¡¯ll soon be in-laws, I think there¡¯s no need for us to be so polite to each other. It¡¯s best if we dispense with the formalities and act casually,¡± said Fang shi.


    The three of them took their seats. Handmaids, young and old, stayed in the doorway, waiting upon their mistresses. First Liu shi explained to Fu Caiwei, ¡°Originally we worried that we shouldn¡¯t visit you in such a presumptuous manner, but considering we¡¯re going to be in-laws, there¡¯s no need to take heed of those unnecessary and overelaborate formalities, so we came here in a hurry today. Actually, we heard that you¡¯ve been in the capital city for some days, and we thought you¡¯re probably not very familiar with this city and might be feeling bored. The two of us happened to be bored as well, so we came here to chat with you. I hope we don¡¯t strike you as too thick-skinned.¡±


    Fu Caiwei was quite observant and could deduce from these words of Liu shi¡¯s that the purpose of this visit of theirs was to divert her from boredom. Fang shi and Liu shi had never met her before, and they barely knew anything about each other. By no means would they have suddenly visited her for no reason. The only explanation was that someone had requested them to specially come here. Presently, members of the Yuwen family were the only ones whose words carried weight with Yuwen You¡¯s family. Yuwen Tong was unlikely to be so considerate as to do something like that, which meant Zhang¡¯er who¡¯d been with him all the time had asked him to do it¡­


    Having figured out what this was about, Fu Caiwei was happy, her smile growing more heartfelt. ¡°Thank you for coming here to help me solve this pressing matter, Elder Sisters. This city is indeed quite unfamiliar to me. I barely know anybody living outside this compound and I¡¯ll probably get lost if I go out into the street alone. Now that you are here, I no longer have to worry about this matter.¡±


    Fang shi and Liu shi were quite approachable, and Fu Caiwei was even more so. Soon the three of them were engaged in conversation. After they found that their personalities were all pretty good, their acquaintance developed even quicker.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll write a pamphlet and have it delivered to you another day, and you may memorize the names of those people and the forces at their back first. And then we¡¯ll throw a tea party to introduce you to them and let you find out who¡¯s who. You¡¯ll find them your acquaintances after a couple of meetings with them. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be difficult,¡± said Fang shi.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble you¡¯ll have to go to for me,¡± said Fu Caiwei.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. We¡¯ll be family, and under no circumstances will we let anybody take advantage of you,¡± said Fang shi.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. After the enthronement, women like us who stay in the rear yard will be even busier. You should familiarize yourself with these things in advance so that you won¡¯t be flustered when something comes up,¡± said Liu shi.

 Chapter 355 - Fu Caiweis Pregnancy

    With Fang shi and Liu shi keeping her company, Fu Caiwei appeared to be in much better spirits.


    On being informed of this, Ling Zhang felt a great sense of relief, but unexpectedly, a message from outside the palace took him aback that very night.


    Fu Caiwei didn¡¯t feel very well, and his family asked him to go back.


    At that time, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were about to have dinner. After hearing the message, they mistakenly believed that something serious had happened, and hurriedly left the palace.


    When they arrived at the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang found that his family all seemed relaxed and fairly delighted. Astonished, he hastily asked someone about it and was told that Fu Caiwei was not ill but pregnant.


    Fortunately Mr. Mu was present, and Fu Caiwei¡¯s constitution was not weak, so aside from some minor discomfort, she was okay.


    Ling Zhang was sent into a half-stupor. This came as such a surprise to him.


    Yuwen Tong also reacted quickly. He sent someone to Yuwen You¡¯s place, requested Fang shi and Liu shi to help hire some reliable and experienced midwives and send them to the Ling Mansion to wait upon Fu Caiwei, but what with the lateness of the hour and the short notice, those midwives wouldn¡¯t be able to move into the Ling Mansion until at least the next day.


    After getting over the astonishment caused by the news, Ling Zhang went to confer with Ling Xingzhong and some others. ¡°Grandfather, I want to give up my courtyard house to my uncle and aunt. It¡¯s more spacious and could accommodate more handmaids and midwives.¡±


    In addition to more spare rooms that could accommodate more people, that courtyard house also had a small garden, which meant Fu Caiwei would have a better living environment and a wider area to walk around for relaxation if she moved there. On top of that, because of the relatively special location of that courtyard house, people living in there were less likely to be disturbed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that. If you give up your courtyard house to them, you yourself would have nowhere to live. Besides, your identity is different now¨C¡±


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Ling Zhang interrupted Ling Zhaowen who tried to decline the offer, ¡°I could settle myself in any of the other houses. After you and my aunt move over there, you may let Maomao stay in the courtyard house you¡¯re now living in and have them transfer my stuff to that house. I¡¯ll live with Maomao.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang has a point. Right now there are many things in the imperial palace that Brother Zhang has to deal with, and there¡¯s also the wedding ceremony. After we get married, Brother Zhang will naturally live in the palace. Right now Aunt Ling¡¯s health is of the greatest importance. That courtyard house is unoccupied most of the time. You might as well move into it and put it to good use.¡± Yuwen Tong expressed similar opinions.


    Since he had put it this way, Ling Zhaowen naturally couldn¡¯t bring himself to decline again, but he didn¡¯t agree to the suggestion either.


    Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu also didn¡¯t say anything immediately. It was not that they didn¡¯t care much about Fu Caiwei, but that they were still worried about Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was a member of the Ling family. How could he not have a decent courtyard house of his own at home? Although he was going to marry Yuwen Tong, there was still some days before the wedding. Furthermore, according to the rules, after the nuptials, nobody but Ling Zhang could live in that courtyard house of his.


    Among all these people, Yuwen Tong was the one who wanted the most for them to agree, because in that case, Ling Zhang would have no reason to spend another night in the Ling Mansion. There had been several occasions when Ling Zhang called the Ling Mansion ¡®home¡¯. He regarded the Ling Mansion as his home, but privately Yuwen Tong preferred Ling Zhang to call the place the two of them stayed together ¡®home¡¯.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I think.¡± Ling Zhaowu broke the silence. ¡°Zhaowen and Caiwei should move to Zhang¡¯er¡¯s courtyard house, because Zhang¡¯er is trying to show his love for his uncle and aunt and Caiwei¡¯s personal safety is of great importance. The courtyard house you two are living in right now should be cleaned and Zhang¡¯er will move into it. Given that Maomao is now indeed old enough to live independently, we may have the smaller courtyard house next to mine cleaned and let Maomao live in it. That smaller courtyard house is separated from the one you¡¯re moving into only by a wall. We may replace the solid wall with a hollowed-out ornamental one with an arch in it, so that the two houses will remain separate and you¡¯ll be able to check on Maomao whenever you want.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°My father is right. Let¡¯s do it this way, Grandfather, Uncle.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong was the first to give a nod of approval. ¡°All right.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was still a little reluctant, feeling that Ling Zhang was sacrificing too much for them.


    ¡°Uncle, the house you and Aunt are living in is quite spacious as well. It¡¯s more than good enough for me,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll definitely expand this residential compound after we get married, and we¡¯ll re-plan the layout of it when the time comes. Presently, the most important thing is for Aunt Ling to have a comfortable place to live. I¡¯ve sent my aunts a message and they¡¯ll bring some experienced midwives here, which means we¡¯ll have yet another batch of people to settle in. It¡¯ll be more convenient if you move into a bigger house.¡±


    Since he had put it this way, Ling Zhaowen felt it inappropriate to decline the offer once again, so he inclined his head, looking at Ling Zhang, a somewhat guilty expression in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. ¡°Uncle, you always tend to overthink situations.¡±


    A decision made, Ling Zhang instructed Xia Feng to have some servants pack his things before the night was out and clean the courtyard house, making it convenient for his uncle and aunt to move into it the next day.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang returned to his own courtyard house to sort books. Yuwen Tong went to have a talk with Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°How do you like this place so far, Clan Leader?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°It¡¯s pretty lively, and your arrangements are pretty thoughtful. There¡¯s nothing I find myself unaccustomed to.¡±


    All the guards guarding the courtyard house Ji Yanlai was staying in were from the Millennium Pavilion. Members of the Ling family were all aware of his identity, and they had some time ago enjoined the servants not to disturb him. He could do anything he wanted in that courtyard house and nobody would say anything about it.


    ¡­


    As Yuwen Tong took his leave, Ji Yanlai mulled over something for a few moments and then summoned Ji Yin.


    ¡°Elder, there¡¯s something I need to consult with you about, and you¡¯ll have to make arrangements for some men to get it done.¡±


    Ji Yin was somewhat puzzled. He knew very well what Ji Yanlai had come to this city to do. It surprised him somewhat that Ji Yanlai suddenly needed him to do something for him. ¡°At your service, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare any presents before leaving the mountains, so I need you to help me deliver a big gift to him.¡±


    Ji Yin listened quietly as Ji Yanlai told him what the big gift he wanted to send Yuwen Tong was. Privately he was a little surprised, but after giving it some thought, he felt that it would indeed be a great favor to Yuwen Tong, so he responded, ¡°Rest assured, Clan Leader, I promise I¡¯ll have it handled properly.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°When it¡¯s done, make sure he knows it¡¯s us who make that happen. This great present from us would be an extra favor to him, one he¡¯ll definitely bear in mind.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Clan Leader,¡± replied Ji Yin.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong, after taking leave of Ji Yanlai, went to Ling Zhang¡¯s place, helped him sort the books, left the other matters for Xia Feng and the servants to deal with, and then the two of them returned to the palace.


    The next day, Fang shi and Liu shi, taking some midwives famous in the capital city with them, went to the Ling Mansion. News of Fu Caiwei¡¯s pregnancy had quickly spread out, and the mistresses of many large families started showing up at the front gates of the Ling Mansion, bearing gifts. Ling Zhang, for fear that they would disturb his aunt¡¯s rest, had the servants stop them, thanked them for their kindness and dismissed them.


    ¡­


    What with Fu Caiwei¡¯s pregnancy, Ling Zhang was very worried, but both the preparatory work for the wedding ceremony and the whole bunch of unresolved issues in the palace were something he could not extricate himself from. For several consecutive days he was so occupied that he couldn¡¯t even take a breather. It was two days after Tao Feng¡¯s arrival in the capital city that he heard about it.


    ¡°Did he bring his wife with him?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Yes, he did. She already paid your aunt a visit yesterday.¡±


    Sprawling in a chair, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. My aunt would be more at ease in the company of an old acquaintance. Now that Tao Feng has come to this city, I wonder how Tao Yi has been doing. Pity I¡¯m up to my neck in work and couldn¡¯t spare the time to go out of the palace to check on him.¡±


    Massaging Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Tao Feng has arrived, and the envoys of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom will also arrive soon. Almost all the officials invited to attend the enthronement ceremony are in this city now. Also, there¡¯s been some good news from Cangzhou, saying that the rebel forces are beginning to show the inclination to accept the offer. I think the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) will manage to handle it before my enthronement, and by the time when I grant amnesties to convicted criminals at the ceremony, the rebel forces would have basically disintegrated. Aside from these, we¡¯ve achieved consensus on all the emergency decrees to be issued. All that¡¯s left now is to knock them into shape. As for the other matters, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to deal with them after the enthronement.¡±


    Ling Zhang grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop massaging me. You yourself are wiped out as well.¡±


    ¡°The preparatory work for the enthronement ceremony is almost finished, I suppose?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Yeah. The last remaining matter is to finalize the ritualistic rigmarole, which will be taken care of before the enthronement. Now I could finally take a breather.¡±


    Ling Zhang gazed at him quietly for a brief moment and then said, ¡°But I still have tons of business to attend to. Things in the imperial palace are so complicated, much more complicated than I expected. I¡¯m in over my head. The very mention of any of those miscellaneous things in the imperial harem gives me headaches. I¡¯m beginning to regret it now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find yourself more than able to handle those things after you familiarize yourself with them. Rest assured, things would be a lot easier in our case, because there will be only two masters in this palace, so there won¡¯t be that many troublesome issues. All you have to do is focus on the wedding ceremony. This palace is burdened with too many thorny matters and sooner or later I¡¯ll rid it of them once and for all, so stop wasting your time and energy on them.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. After quite a while, he lightly snorted, twisted his head aside and sniffed, ¡°Every emperor has numerous concubines in his imperial harem. You really could resist the temptation?¡±


    Hearing this, Yuwen Tong continued massaging Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders. With an utterly unperturbed look on his face, he said, ¡°How about I abdicate in favor of you?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Say something sensible.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied in a quite innocent tone, ¡°You were the one who started saying insensible things first. You know very well both my heart and my body belong to you now, but you still said those hurtful words. It cut deep. If you don¡¯t trust me, I might as well give up the throne.¡±


    Ling Zhang faintly blushed at these words. ¡°I was just saying that.¡±


    Yuwen Tong snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We¡¯re getting married, and there¡¯ll only be the two of us. I have no interest in anybody else, and you¡¯re to stay away from those unsavory characters as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth and wanted to say something but eventually held back the words on the tip of his tongue. After a few moments¡¯ silence, he said, ¡°I see. I won¡¯t bring this up again.¡±


    Yuwen Tong planted a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Um.¡±


    Ling Zhang had originally wanted to ask Yuwen Tong, who was going to be an emperor, how he planned to tackle the unavoidable issue of his heir, but then it had occurred to him that currently the first priority was the enthronement, that maybe he should wait until after the enthronement ceremony to talk about this matter with him, so he had forborne from mentioning it. Besides, he had also recalled that his father had once told him Yuwen Tong never married in his last incarnation, and with that he had found some of the words in his mind difficult to say. A moment ago, it had been on the spur of the moment that he made that remark.


    Yuwen Tong, who could tell at a glance that his mind was wandering, immediately asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong unnoticeably furrowed his brows. He saw distinctly that just now a flicker of sadness had flitted across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 356 - Yuwen Tong Became Suspicious?

    Yuwen Tong had meant it when he said that some day he would rid the imperial palace of many of those trivialities once and for all. For the moment he just couldn¡¯t spare the time to put it into action. Apart from state affairs, the matter of the two princes of the Zhou family also needed settling.


    Ling Zhang, in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had had everything planned out, temporarily put aside those trivial things in the palace and focused on the preparations for the wedding ceremony. He and Yuwen Tong were both men, and there was only one precedent for this in history, which was the marriage between the Emperor Gaozu and his male consort, so most of the ritualistic arrangements for the wedding had been finalized by the Ministry of Rites according to that precedent case. However, although an emperor surnamed Zhou had abdicated the throne, all those with decent perception were fully aware of what had really happened. The Yuwen family would become the new imperial household, and Yuwen Tong would be the first emperor of the Yuwen dynasty, so his and Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding would by no means be a complete repeat performance of that precedent case. There would be a lot of changes. In addition, Ling Zhang had suggested some of the unnecessary formalities be cut off, so the Ministry of Rites had to make a whole new wedding plan according to which the ceremony would be held.


    Staff members of the Ministry of Rites were busy preparing Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement. Ling Zhang made some changes to the wedding plan and then had it delivered to the Ministry of Rites. The Minister of Rites, after seeing those major changes, didn¡¯t dare finalize the plan and asked Yuwen Tong for instructions.


    Yuwen Tong, looking at the wedding plan placed in front of him with a placid expression on his face, said, ¡°Is there a problem with the wedding plan?¡±


    ¡°Sire, it¡¯s not that the wedding plan is problematic. It¡¯s just that Childe Ling made a lot of changes to it, and he also cut off several parts. I¡¯m afraid there might be complaints about such big changes,¡± answered the Minister of Rites.


    ¡°Complaints? From whom?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him.


    Though Yuwen Tong¡¯s tone was calm, the Minister of Rites still hastily slumped to his knees with a start. ¡°Sire, the imperial wedding is supposed to be the grandest and the most solemn ceremony aside from your enthronement ceremony. If we change it too much, I fear that some conservatives who set store by the old rites will raise their eyebrows.¡±


    ¡°The old rites? What do you mean by the old rites? Do you still regard yourself as a servant of the Zhou family?¡± asked Yuwen Tong coldly.


    The Minister of Rites instantly fell prostrate with a thud. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I didn¡¯t meant it, Sire. I beg your forgiveness.¡±


    Even many of the other courtiers present hung their heads, feeling cold sweat on their backs.


    ¡°Yuwen Feng, from now on you¡¯ll be in charge of the Ministry of Rites. Take this wedding plan back. All the preparations for the wedding ceremony shall be made according to it,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong.


    On hearing this, Yuwen Feng, who had been on his knees behind the Minister of Rites all along, looked up at Yuwen Tong. After a brief eye contact with Yuwen Tong, he replied, ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Yuwen Feng rose to his feet, stepped forward and took the wedding plan. The Minister of Rites was so nervous he wouldn¡¯t say boo to a goose, lying prone, trembling constantly.


    After quite a while, Yuwen Tong said blandly, ¡°You may rise.¡±


    It was only then that the Minister of Rites managed to summon up the courage to pull himself up, his robes wet with sweat.


    Although Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t mete out any punishment to him, everybody present knew that he was toast, that even if he was allowed to stay in the imperial court, he would never get any career advancement again. The reason why Yuwen Feng hadn¡¯t been named the Minister of Rites right away was because Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t officially acceded to the throne yet. After the enthronement ceremony, Yuwen Feng would definitely become the new chief of the Ministry of Rites.


    ¡­


    The matter of the wedding plan had been resolved. As for the other remaining issues, they¡¯d have to wait until after the enthronement ceremony to figure out how to settle them. Ling Zhang finally extricated himself from those seemingly never-ending tasks. Right now, there was seven days left before the enthronement ceremony.


    Almost all departments in the capital city were occupied with preparations for the enthronement ceremony, but Ling Zhang, contrary to those officials, was now totally free, so he exited the palace, heading straight for the Ling Mansion.


    This was the first time in so many days that he found himself out of the palace. When he had arrived home, he first went to inquire after his paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather, and then to see Fu Caiwei.


    Fu Caiwei looked well and in a pretty good mood. Several experienced midwives had been watching over her and reminding her of things she needed to pay attention to. Also, Mrs. Tao, Fang shi and Liu shi came to keep her company quite often, and she herself had given birth to a child before and thus was not under as much stress as she had been when pregnant with her firstborn, so she was now carefree and in good spirits.


    After inquiring after Fu Caiwei, Ling Zhang went to see Ling Zhaowu. The father and son found a quiet spot to sit and talk.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got everything handled?¡±


    ¡°For the moment, yes. You and the others¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are a lot of us in this place, and there¡¯s nothing we cannot settle. Besides, thanks to you and Yuwen Tong, nobody dare make trouble for the Ling family. As regards your trousseaus, your maternal grandfather and I have got all of them ready. All we have to do is just wait for the day of your and Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding to come.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who recalled that talk he¡¯d had with Ji Yin on that day, said, ¡°The other day I told maternal grandfather not to make the list any longer, but he still wanted to include another two things. I wonder what they are.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Not some rare treasure. Don¡¯t concern yourself.¡±


    ¡°By the way, has Yuwen Tong asked you any particular questions lately?¡± Ling Zhaowu suddenly inquired.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Particular questions? What do you mean, Father?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him and replied with a smile, ¡°It seems that he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Zhang was baffled even further, gazing at Ling Zhaowu bemusedly.


    ¡°On that day, after I confided my secrets to you, you returned to the palace in haste, and maybe because you roused his suspicions, that very night he sent Miao Shisan here to ask me what I said to you. I told him that you just conferred with me about the drugstore, that I reminded you to take good care of Yuwen Tong who¡¯d been busy with government affairs. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t send anybody else afterward, and neither did he personally ask me about anything. He¡¯s a secretive man, and I¡¯m not sure whether he bought it or not,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang was stupefied. He hadn¡¯t known anything about any of this, for Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t shown any sign of it whatsoever, and neither had he asked him any questions about that matter.


    Ling Zhang wondered whether or not Yuwen Tong had found out anything, his mind in a turmoil.


    Seeing the faintly perturbed expression on his face, Ling Zhaowu consoled him, ¡°Calm down. There¡¯s no need to be nervous about it. Now think carefully about whether or not you mentioned to him anything concerning this matter, how you behaved after you went back there that day and how he reacted.¡±


    Ling Zhang managed to collect himself. He was quite positive that he had never let slip a single word about the matter of his rebirth. Presently Ling Zhaowu was the only one who knew about this secret of his¡­ Maybe not the only one ¨C Ji Yanlai might have knowledge of it as well. He jerked his head up to look at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that the Clan Leader told him about it? On that day, when we were in the Sanguan Mountains¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang related those meaningful words that Ji Yanlai had said to him on that day.


    This was the first time that Ling Zhaowu had heard about this matter, but he didn¡¯t show any surprise on his face. About the secrets in the Millennium Pavilion, he knew something that most others didn¡¯t know of, and he was also the most acquainted with Ji Yanlai¡¯s abilities aside from members of the Millennium Pavilion.


    Ling Zhaowu shook his head. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that. For the sake of the confidentiality of your lineage alone, he would never breathe a word of that matter to anybody, because for the Millennium Pavilion ¨C or for descendants of the Phoenix Clan ¨C this is top-secret. As he has seen you and confirmed it, he would undoubtedly keep this secret to himself. Even if he had disclosed it to anybody, this person wouldn¡¯t be Yuwen Tong, the man who¡¯s about to ascend the throne.¡±


    Ling Zhang caught on to the undertone contained in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words. ¡°He¡¯s worried that Yuwen Tong might do something to people with the Blood of the Phoenix Clan?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him. ¡°This is not about what worries him or whom he trusts. It¡¯s about the responsibilities he has on his shoulders. Just like Yuwen Tong ¨C after he accedes to the throne, there will be some compromises he must not make, and the same thing goes for you.¡±


    The faint discomfort inside Ling Zhang dissolved completely at Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words. ¡°If Ji Yanlai didn¡¯t tell him, it¡¯d be impossible for him to have found out my secret, because I¡¯ve never mentioned anything about it to him.¡±


    ¡°What about that evening?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°After I returned to the palace, I had lunch and then went to the consultation hall. Maybe it was because of those things about my last incarnation that you told me earlier that day, I was a little emotionally unstable and he noticed it. At that time he asked me if something had happened. He suspected that I was keeping something from him. I explained to him and I think he believed my story.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu let out a sigh, looking at him. ¡°But obviously he didn¡¯t, given that he specially sent Miao Shisan here to ask me about it. Still, seeing as from merely your erratic mood, he perceived that you were hiding something from him and became suspicious of me, he really cares about you very much ¨C so much that it surprises me, actually.¡±


    Ling Zhang was torn between anxiety and feverish excitement. He feared that Yuwen Tong had found out something about his secret, but at the same time rejoiced at Yuwen Tong¡¯s concern for him.


    ¡°If that was all that happened, there¡¯s no way he could have found out your secret, but he definitely knows that you¡¯re concealing something from him, and I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s secretly had his men spy on me when I was not paying attention,¡± said Ling Zhaowu, looking calm and composed. He didn¡¯t mind that Yuwen Tong might have had someone spy on him, but¡­


    ¡°Although I never disclosed my secrets to anybody else, I haven¡¯t been trying to hide anything either. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s already noticed some of those contradictory facts about me.¡±


    Ling Zhang was taken aback. ¡°Will he find out about it?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu shook his head. ¡°This kind of thing is preposterous and unbelievable. Even if you tell it to someone on your own account, they might not necessarily believe you, but there¡¯s no doubt Yuwen Tong has become suspicious of those contradictory things about me, and he would try various devices to get to the bottom of it. When he fails to find anything out about it, maybe he would start to consider this possibility.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips clamped tightly together and he began to feel panic again.


    ¡°Before he starts considering that incredible possibility, he would probably come here to sound me out first. Let me handle him. You may just go back and act normally and don¡¯t show any sign of it,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    For an instant Ling Zhaowu seemed to have something to say, but eventually he held back the words on the tip of his tongue. It occurred to him that Yuwen Tong had been so observant as to notice the changes in Ling Zhang¡¯s mood, and right now Ling Zhang was clearly a little flustered. One could hardly hide any mood swings from their partner having an intense bond with them. Ling Zhaowu felt that maybe he shouldn¡¯t have said these words to his son.


    But what was done was done, and it was impossible to take his words back. He could only wait and see what kind of attitude Yuwen Tong would take when he came here to talk with him.


    Ling Zhaowu gave it some thought but didn¡¯t show any particular emotion on his face for fear that Ling Zhang would feel more stressed.


    Ling Zhang stayed in the Ling Mansion for the whole morning and then returned to the palace before lunch. When he arrived at the gateway of the Infinite Fortune Palace, he paused and unnoticeably took in a large gulp of air before walking through the gates.


    Miao Shiba, who had been following in Ling Zhang¡¯s wake, gazed at Ling Zhang¡¯s back, a thoughtful look on his face. That pause just now was a little weird. It was as though Childe Ling was psyching himself up for something. This was so strange. This place was home for Childe Ling. Why was he acting like it were some kind of battlefield? This matter was definitely not what it seemed. He needed to report it to the Marshal straight away.

 Chapter 357 - A Battle of Wits Between the Son-In-Law and Father-In-Law

    Chapter 357: A Battle of Wits Between the Son-In-Law and Father-In-Law


    After returning to the Infinite Fortune Palace, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t do anything that might give himself away, but Yuwen Tong still became suspicious, because Miao Shiba had reported Ling Zhang¡¯s abnormal behavior to him.


    This was even more serious than Ling Zhang¡¯s not giving himself away in front of Yuwen Tong, because it meant that Ling Zhang cared about this matter so much that he went to such lengths as to restrain himself constantly to conceal it from him!


    At this moment Yuwen Tong was unable to describe what kind of mood he was in. He only knew that something intense was churning inside him and gnawing at his heart. He couldn¡¯t tolerate this. Under no circumstances would he tolerate anything about Ling Zhang getting out of his control. This kind of strong feeling was like nothing he had felt before.


    Previously, when Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t learned how to conceal his emotions, he had been able to perceive it when there was something Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t telling him, but now Ling Zhang had become so good at keeping secrets that even he couldn¡¯t tell whether or not he was hiding anything!


    If some day Ling Zhang was going to leave him, would he be able to conceal it just as well?


    A violent shock wave abruptly burst outwards from Yuwen Tong. Miao Shiba, who was on one knee before him, started and hurriedly mobilized his internal energy to defend against it, terribly astounded. It had never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would react so dramatically. In his opinion, this matter was no more serious than Ling Zhang keeping something back from Yuwen Tong, and it was probably not something important, but now, having seen Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction, he was scared, not daring to imagine what might have happened had he not reported it to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t catch any snatches of the conversation between him and Ling Zhaowu?¡± asked Yuwen Tong, eyeing him coldly.


    Head down, cold sweat breaking out over his back, Miao Shiba immediately answered, ¡°Childe Ling had me stay at a distance from them.¡±


    Miao Shiba hadn¡¯t done anything wrong in the task. He had orders to follow Ling Zhang to protect him, not to keep watch on him as though he were a prisoner. Ling Zhang was also his master, and he had to obey Ling Zhang. Besides, it had been Yuwen Tong himself who had instructed Miao Shiba and the others to do that.


    But now Yuwen Tong regretted it, for the consequence of that instruction was that he was unaware of what Ling Zhang was concealing from him.


    ¡°Send Miao Shisan to deliver a message. I¡¯ll pay a visit to my father-in-law tonight. Remember, do not alarm anybody else.¡±


    Miao Shiba was astonished at this order. ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang was going over an account book delivered to him by Li Sicai and Wang Qing when Yuwen Tong arrived. He raised his head and asked in a slightly surprised tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the consultation hall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got everything taken care of. You¡¯re looking over an account book?¡±


    ¡°The Fangcun trading fleet sent me a message, saying that they¡¯d departed with the Fangcun mission, and there¡¯s a much larger variety of medicinal herbs on the list,¡± said Ling Zhang, handing the account book to him.


    Running his eyes over the account book, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Your identity is different now. They would be utter fools if they don¡¯t curry favor with you.¡±


    After reading it, he observed, ¡°The income is not bad.¡±


    It was far more than not bad. Shrewd businessmen were queuing up to get on board.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Tomorrow my father will go to the drugstore and take charge. I¡¯ve had some men put the word out on the street that I¡¯ve transferred the drugstore to my father.¡±


    At the mention of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s name, the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes subtly changed, but it lasted only a split instant and escaped Ling Zhang¡¯s notice. ¡°Your father was never in business. I wonder if he¡¯ll be able to handle it. On that day you told me that you would put your father in charge of all the businesses. Do you think it might be too much to ask of your father?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lightly moved away in a seemingly natural manner, but Yuwen Tong still detected the unnaturalness of that fleeting eye movement. Then he heard Ling Zhang say, ¡°Although my father was never in business, his business ideas are more far-sighted than mine. Besides, Wang Qing and Li Sicai would be assisting him, so I believe he¡¯ll be fine. Nobody¡¯s good at doing business when they begin. I¡¯ll let him take his time. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, a searching expression in his eyes. Ling Zhang set great store by that drugstore and had an ambition to have it grow into a business empire. If Ling Zhaowu had no experience whatsoever, Ling Zhang would never have entrusted Ling Zhaowu with the drugstore.


    On top of that, Ling Zhang seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him, which further confirmed his suspicions.


    Without the slightest change of his countenance, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You have a point. Your father seems to have no intention to become a government official. Since he¡¯s interested in doing business, it might not be a bad idea to let him give it a try.¡±


    Ling Zhang inwardly heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that Yuwen Tong bought it.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t believe it at all and had made up his mind to get to the bottom of this matter.


    ¡­


    That very night, after Ling Zhang fell asleep, Yuwen Tong left the palace.


    Ling Zhaowu was waiting for him in his courtyard house. Yuwen Tong directly went to see him without alarming anybody else. ¡°Father-in-law,¡± he called.


    Ling Zhaowu slightly raised his eyebrows, asked him to take a seat and then said, ¡°Earlier this day you had a man deliver a message to me, saying that you needed to talk with me about something tonight. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re making it seem so mysterious. Is it something about Zhang¡¯er?¡±


    Yuwen Tong started making tea. He was doing it in a relaxed and natural manner, but his tone of voice was a little curt. ¡°I¡¯m here because there are a couple of questions I need you to answer for me, Father-in-law.¡±


    Back when Miao Shisan had come to deliver the message to him during the day, Ling Zhaowu had fathomed out what Yuwen Tong wanted to do and had psyched himself up for it. ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said.


    ¡°Father-in-law, would you please tell me how you came to know about the existence of your nephew after you woke up from a coma that lasted over ten years? As far as I know, your brother wasn¡¯t even married when you left home. In addition, you were comatose for many years, so your knowledge and experience should have stayed at the same level that they were at before you fell unconscious over a decade ago. How come you didn¡¯t at all seem unaccustomed to anything and instead knew about many things you should be unaware of after you came to? I¡¯ve looked into it and I know that you¡¯d never left the Sanguan Mountains during the years of your coma.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s heart gave a slight lurch. Unsurprisingly, Yuwen Tong had indeed become suspicious of him.


    ¡°The truth is, I didn¡¯t know that matter you just mentioned. At that time my brain was damaged, and I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. I didn¡¯t even know who I was. Those words were nothing but fits of delirium. You can¡¯t take them seriously. As for why I was not unaccustomed to my new life after I came around, you weren¡¯t in Tanyang at that time ¨C how do you know I wasn¡¯t unaccustomed to anything? I knew I¡¯d missed too many things, and I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time, so after I came to, I did everything I could to find out what had happened during the over ten years when I¡¯d been unconscious, so that I would be able to communicate with Zhang¡¯er without any difficulty when I met him and wouldn¡¯t have to spend any time getting to know about those things. My brother knows about this better than anybody, because he was the one I asked questions the most often during those days.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s explanation was watertight and unassailable.


    But maybe because his explanation was unduly watertight, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t feel relieved. Instead, his heart sank.


    ¡°I heard that your fist techniques are pretty good, and you have amazing comprehension in that regard. Have you ever practiced any fist techniques before?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Before I fell into a coma, I¡¯d had some acquaintance with kung fu. Though not an expert, I have a grounding of sorts, so when I started practicing fist techniques again, I progressed a bit quicker than a common person would.¡±


    Then Yuwen Tong asked another couple of questions in succession. Ling Zhaowu gave plausible answers to all of them, but Yuwen Tong was fully aware that Ling Zhaowu was just skirting around the real issue and evading the crucial point.


    ¡°Father-in-law, did you experience anything special during the two years before Mr. Ji saved you and brought you back to the Millennium Pavilion?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a smile and then answered, ¡°People of the Millennium Pavilion are very good at hiding their tracks, and at that time, I was bigoted and obsessed with finding the Millennium Pavilion. I went in the wrong direction all the time, sometimes heading in precisely the opposite direction of the Millennium Pavilion. I made a lot of wasted trips, trying to find proof that the Millennium Pavilion still existed. It took me two years to trace it to Shengzhou, but afterward, I got into trouble. I was seriously wounded and I thought that my death was certain. Survival was something that never crossed my mind at that time. If I experienced something special, it would be the countless trips I wasted by going in the wrong direction.¡±


    This answer still had nothing to do with what Yuwen Tong wanted to know about. The expression in his eyes had gone faintly cold, but as he was keeping his eyes down, Ling Zhaowu couldn¡¯t see it clearly.


    ¡°Thank you for your answer, Father-in-law. This is the last question ¨C what did you say to Brother Zhang that he¡¯s unwilling to tell me about? On that day, after Brother Zhang returned to the palace, he was in an erratic mood, and the same thing happened earlier this day as well. Twice he started to have abrupt mood swings after talking with you, Father-in-law, so please tell me the truth. We both care about Brother Zhang, and I think you would like me to do my best to protect Brother Zhang, rather than letting him get hurt because of some needless oversight. If something like that happens, you and I would both be upset.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu lapsed into silence. Yuwen Tong sitting opposite him looked up at him, radiating a palpable sense of power.


    Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable because of the stressful air Yuwen Tong was emanating. It was the undertone contained in Yuwen Tong¡¯s words that was making him hesitate. Zhang¡¯er was going to marry Yuwen Tong, and it was Yuwen Tong who would be living with Zhang¡¯er, and who would be by his side all the time and capable of keeping him safe. If, what with this matter, the two of them no longer trusted each other as much as they did presently, he would have to take most of the responsibility for it, but the matter of rebirth was preposterous and unbelievable, and there was no telling what the consequences might be if he disclosed it. If by any chance Yuwen Tong was unable to accept the fact, it would hurt Zhang¡¯er even worse.


    Seeing Ling Zhaowu was totally unaffected by the air he was emanating, Yuwen Tong slightly narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether those answers you gave me just now were true or not, because after all, those are your private matters. As long as they don¡¯t do Brother Zhang any harm, I won¡¯t interfere, but please give me an honest answer to this one, Father-in-law.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him. ¡°Do you really have to find out about it? It¡¯s unthreatening to both you and Zhang¡¯er. Also, Zhang¡¯er¡¯s mood swings are just temporary. I can tell you definitely that this matter will not compromise the relations between you two, and after I told Zhang¡¯er about it, he just cared about you even more. There won¡¯t be any trouble if you just let it go. It won¡¯t be a threat to your power or status, and neither will it be a threat to your safety, and it certainly won¡¯t be a threat to the relationship between you two. Technically speaking, it¡¯s nothing more than a little secret between me and Zhang¡¯er, between a father and his son. Why are you so insistent on knowing the details? I¡¯m Zhang¡¯er¡¯s father, and there are certain things that he is the only one I¡¯m willing to disclose to. I don¡¯t owe it to anybody to tell them about any of those things. Is it really so difficult for you to tolerate something like this? Zhang¡¯er is your partner, not a bird you can keep in a cage. He deserves some space and privacy.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes became penetrating, staring at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°So you¡¯re not telling me, right? There¡¯s no need for you to beat around the bush, Father-in-law. Both Brother Zhang and I know very well how I feel about him, and I think you¡¯re fully aware of the reason why I have to get to the bottom of this. There are a lot of things about you that are contradictory, which means you¡¯re keeping a lot of secrets. I don¡¯t know whether these secrets are about good things or bad things, and I¡¯m okay with turning a blind eye to them, but right now you¡¯re affecting Brother Zhang, which makes you a danger to him. Even after I ascend the throne, I won¡¯t be able to have everything under my complete control. I have to eliminate the danger promptly when it approaches him.¡±

 Chapter 358 - Ill Tell You Everything

    The corners of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s mouth twitched. Yuwen Tong made him sound like some sort of dangerous criminal. He was Zhang¡¯er¡¯s father. Why would he do harm to his own son?


    ¡°It¡¯s no good trying to psych me out. I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± Ling Zhaowu was just about to reject Yuwen Tong¡¯s request when he suddenly sensed something and twisted his head aside to look out of the window.


    Yuwen Tong had risen to his feet. For an instant his face registered astonishment and bemusement, and then he hastened to walk out.


    ¡°Brother Zhang? Were¨CWeren¡¯t you asleep? Why did you come out here?¡±


    The one who had suddenly shown up outside the house was indeed Ling Zhang. He was standing at the edge of the pool of candlelight, silently watching Yuwen Tong stepping out of the house, a mixed expression in his eyes.


    A while ago he had awoken to find Yuwen Tong gone. Then he had asked Yao Yi and some others, but they had hemmed and hawed. It hadn¡¯t been until he gave them the third degree that they told him Yuwen Tong left the palace. He had mistakenly believed that Yuwen Tong had fallen for his story, but it had never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong had actually been suspicious of him for quite some time, that he had just never shown any sign of his suspicions. Yuwen Tong had been anxious but unwilling to force him to tell the truth, and the only thing he had dared to do was sneak out of the palace to ask his father about it late at night.


    The reason for all this was merely because Yuwen Tong had perceived the changes of his mood, and because Yuwen Tong regarded him as the light of his life and had been paying attention to his each and every move¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yuwen Tong briefly paused and then instantly became somewhat flustered. The distressed look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face made him feel as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around his heart.


    ¡°Stop pressuring my father. I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know.¡±


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath. If he was able to continue keeping it secret, he would definitely do it, but now Yuwen Tong had started digging, and for one lie to sound plausible, he might have to tell countless more lies. Things between the two of them were not supposed to be like this. Although he feared very much that after he told Yuwen Tong the truth, Yuwen Tong might consider him as a freak, call off the wedding and care about him no more.


    ¡°But you must promise me this first ¨C after you know the truth, if you find it unacceptable, you may do whatever you want to me, but don¡¯t hurt anybody else. Let them leave the capital city unharmed.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knitted his brows, but at the sight of the fear in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, the frown on his face disappeared. ¡°Stop being so pessimistic. Let¡¯s say goodbye to your father and go back to the palace. You should¡¯ve put on more clothes before coming here. The night wind is so cold.¡±


    His hand held by Yuwen Tong¡¯s, Ling Zhang lowered his head, fighting back the tears.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ve thought about it, and I think it¡¯s time to tell him the truth.¡±


    Watching the two of them holding each other¡¯s hands, Ling Zhaowu let out a sigh and simply said, ¡°Make sure you¡¯re making a decision you won¡¯t regret making.¡±


    Then he shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong, his eyes becoming piercing. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him. My life doesn¡¯t worth much. I¡¯m willing to give it up if that¡¯s what it takes for my son to live.¡±


    ¡°His life means more to me than my own does,¡± Yuwen Tong replied with only one sentence and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    It had been Ling Zhaowu that he came here for, and he had originally thought that Ling Zhaowu was the root cause of all this, but now, judging from Ling Zhang¡¯s and Ling Zhaowu¡¯s reactions, the root cause of all this was not Ling Zhaowu but Ling Zhang himself.


    Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist tight, feeling as though something fierce was gnawing at his heart. He was feeling irritable because he had failed to find out earlier that Ling Zhang was keeping some even deeper secret. It turned out that what he believed he¡¯d been holding the tightest could be lost to him at any moment.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist was aching from Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip, but he didn¡¯t dare utter a word, for Yuwen Tong was very angry at this moment. The courage he had managed to summon up a moment ago ebbed somewhat. He was afraid that things would turn out the way he feared they would the most.


    It was when Yuwen Tong had drawn him out of the Ling Mansion that he came to realize Ling Zhang had been unnaturally quiet. He came to a halt, twisted his head around and saw a somewhat pasty-faced man with eyes full of horror.


    His stomach contracted abruptly and with that he let out a sigh and loosened his grip. And then, beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s overcautious gaze, he pulled Ling Zhang into his embrace and asked softly, ¡°What are you afraid of exactly? Do you not trust me?¡±


    Eyes stinging from tears, Ling Zhang raised his hands to grasp the back of Yuwen Tong¡¯s robes and answered in a choked voice, ¡°I¡¯m just scared. I don¡¯t want you to dislike me or stop loving me. I want you to never be angry with me. I want you to smile at me. I want us to be together forever.¡±


    The grasp on the back of his robes and the piteous pleading dissolved the smoldering irritation inside Yuwen Tong. He involuntarily pulled a wry face and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯m angry because I¡¯m feeling both anxious and frightened. You¡¯ve been keeping your secrets so well that I¡¯m worried that some day you¡¯ll leave me without me noticing. My life would be totally meaningless without you in it. How could you have the heart to say these words to me?¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth slightly dropped and he blinked his eyes to keep himself from bursting into tears, which would be quite shameful. ¡°I would by no means leave you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then tell me everything,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Judging from your and your father¡¯s reactions a moment ago, right now I only want to know whether this matter is dangerous, and whether it would put your life at risk. Originally I thought your father affected you, but now I know you¡¯re the root of all this, which makes me so worried. Tell me the truth, or I would never be able to set my mind at ease.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°I said I¡¯d tell you everything and I¡¯ll keep my promise. Now stop hugging me so we can go back to the palace.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Going back on foot takes too long. Hold me tight.¡±


    Carrying Ling Zhang with him, Yuwen Tong leaped onto a rooftop, and then with another couple of flying leaps, the two of them rapidly disappeared into the dark night.


    When they had returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace, Yuwen Tong instructed the guards to tighten the security around the imperial bedchamber and not to let anybody approach.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart started racing again as he realized that the time had really come for him to tell the truth.


    Still cuddling him, Yuwen Tong settled the two of them into a broad chair, shifted his position slightly to let Ling Zhang sit leaning against his chest, and then said, ¡°You may begin. I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Ling Zhang was trying very hard to slacken his heart which was fluttering in his chest. Inwardly telling himself that he had already made a decision and shouldn¡¯t regret it, he collected his thoughts and then confided his deepest secret to Yuwen Tong without keeping anything back.


    He related the painful events before his rebirth one by one, and also expressed the hatred and sense of unreality he¡¯d felt after his rebirth.


    Yuwen Tong tightened his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. His countenance changed several times, and his eyes seemed to be becoming deeper and deeper. The incredulity etched on his face was eventually replaced by fear, and his heart was so heavy that for an instant it rendered him unable to breathe.


    ¡°¡­ And then you showed up in Tanyang. You know all the subsequent events.¡± After finishing the whole story, Ling Zhang was in some kind of stupor for a few moments, as though he were a criminal waiting for his sentence to be pronounced. His heart was beating really fast, and his back was tense, but curiously enough, his mind was exceptionally clear. He was quietly waiting for the ¡°verdict¡±.


    ¡°These things,¡± Yuwen Tong croaked. ¡°Would you keep these things from me forever had I not pushed you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t dare tell you,¡± replied Ling Zhang. ¡°Do you believe any of these things?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± boomed Yuwen Tong, ¡°because I know you¡¯re not lying.¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth, instantly losing his composure, his throat terribly sore. ¡°Really?¡±


    Yuwen Tong released him and with that Ling Zhang felt as though his heart abruptly leaped into his throat, hammering wildly, cold sweat breaking out over his back. He thought that Yuwen Tong was about to push him away, but the next instant, his vision blurred and when things came into focus again, he found himself in a different sitting position and face to face with Yuwen Tong who was supporting him with his firm, strong hand against his back. Staring at him with burning eyes, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    When he had been sitting with his back to Yuwen Tong, he hadn¡¯t been able to see Yuwen Tong¡¯s facial expression, but now the two of them were face to face, and he could see it distinctly. Ling Zhang believed that Yuwen Tong truly believed him, for there was no disgust on his face, only heartache and sadness. At the sight of this, Ling Zhang felt as if his heart had heavily thudded back into his chest. The sense of relief so overwhelming that tears blurred his eyes despite all his efforts to hold them back.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand to lightly wipe the tears from the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m very glad that you told me all this. I also regret very much not having found out about it earlier, and I regret even more not having met you earlier in my last incarnation, not having been able to protect you from misfortunes, not having¡­ not having been able to rescue you. I regret it so much.¡±


    With Yuwen Tong wiping his tears, Ling Zhang found that fighting back his tears had become an impossible task. Clearly these things were all water under the bridge, but he was in such deep grief and sobbing so badly that he was unable to utter a word.


    Yuwen Tong was consumed with regret and hatred. He couldn¡¯t bear to picture what it had been like for Ling Zhang, after witnessing his whole family¡¯s deaths, to have his legs broken, be tossed into a mass grave filled with corpses and then have his head smashed by rocks. The pain of thinking about that felt as though someone was slicing his heart thinly and slowly. It was cruel but there was no way to vent his fury, because all the foes had died. Their deaths had been so quick, and no torture had been inflicted on them before they died. Yuwen Tong felt as though those people were now teasing him in the underworld, pangs of resentment searing him.


    It was not until this day that he truly came to know what kind of hardships the one he cared about the most had been through. However, there was nobody he could take revenge on. He could only hate himself.


    He always tended not to make assumptions and tried to avoid using the word ¡°if¡± whenever he could, but at this moment he couldn¡¯t help thinking inwardly that if he had found out about this earlier, he would definitely make those people suffer a hundred times the pain they¡¯d inflicted on their victims and torture them to death before cutting their dead bodies to pieces; he would put his sweetheart under his constant protection and make sure he was never subjected to any misfortune, and nobody would be able to harm a hair of his head.


    However, all these were nothing but suppositions. He felt lucky that in this incarnation his loved one was still in his embrace safe and sound, that he had chanced upon the butler of the Ling family on that mountain road because of the heavy rain on that day, that he had made the decision to go to Tanyang.


    ¡°You saved me and all my family.¡± Ling Zhang forced himself to calm down. ¡°You helped me get my revenge, in both this incarnation and the last.¡±


    The last incarnation? Yuwen Tong had a quizzical look on his face.


    ¡°My father told me this,¡± explained Ling Zhang. ¡°He and I are as much in the dark as you are. If it was because of the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in me that the miracle happened, then what happened to my father would be totally unexplainable. In his last incarnation, after all my family were killed, my father came around and went back to Tanyang only to find that Zhang Chong and those people of the Jia family had died. They had died at your hands.¡±


    Ling Zhang related to Yuwen Tong what Ling Zhaowu had informed him of, and then added, ¡°It was on that very day that my father told me this, which was why your suspicions were aroused.¡±


    For an instant Yuwen Tong was stupefied. He had killed those people as early as his last incarnation?


    ¡°So all my family are indebted to you, in both this incarnation and the last.¡±


    It was quite a while before Yuwen Tong spoke again. ¡°No, I was just returning a favor. I¡¯m the one who should feel lucky, because I¡¯d be alone for another lifetime had you not been reborn.¡±

 Chapter 359 - Yuwen Fengs Intercession

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes began to sting from tears again at these words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    Stroking the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°For what? In my last incarnation, I didn¡¯t even meet you. I killed Zhang Chong and those people of the Jia family because I wanted to return the favor, so my decision to stay single all my life had nothing to do with you. As for this incarnation, you have even less of a reason to apologize to me. You¡¯re the best thing that has ever happened to me.¡±


    His only regret was that he was unable to tell the Yuwen Tong in his last incarnation to go to Tanyang earlier, because if he had found Ling Zhang earlier, he would have been able to rescue him and change the tragic fate of the Ling family.


    As Yuwen Tong fingered the corners of his eyes, Ling Zhang subconsciously twisted his head aside to rub his cheek against Yuwen Tong¡¯s palm.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes changed and he heavily swept Ling Zhang into his embrace, cuddling him close.


    Ling Zhang conveniently shifted his position, pressing himself tightly against Yuwen Tong, his mind now at ease. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave him a pinch on the small of his back. ¡°A moment ago you said ¡®sorry¡¯ to me, and now you are thanking me? You might as well just kill me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ling Zhang hurriedly said.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    His telling Ling Zhang to stop saying it seemed to be having the opposite effect.


    ¡°¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯, ¡®Thanks¡¯, ¡®It¡¯s my fault¡¯ ¨C I don¡¯t want to hear any of these ever again. If you really feel you need to do something to make it up to me, give me a good kiss and don¡¯t ever hide anything from me again, because I¡¯ll be worried if you do that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh of relief, held him tight and asked, ¡°Now we know that you have the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in you. Did Ji Yanlai say anything else about it? Something like, whether or not your body was affected in some way or another after that thing happened.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I never told Ji Yanlai about this, but I think he has guessed it. On that day, he seemed to be implying that there¡¯s no precedent for this kind of thing, and neither were there any records about it in the Millennium Pavilion, that the so-called ¡®Rising Like a Phoenix From the Ashes¡¯ was nothing but a legendary tale in those ancient books, and it was illusory and shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously, that I was the only exception.


    But after my father told me the same thing had happened to him as well, I began to feel that this whole thing¡¯s incomprehensible. Maybe the Blood of the Phoenix Clan had nothing to do with it, but nobody knows the exact reason for it.


    As regards its influence on my body, the only one I could think of is that the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in me was enhanced, which is why I make progress in cultivation of internal energy faster than others do. So far there haven¡¯t been any other influences. I¡¯m in excellent physical condition.¡±


    Yuwen Tong mulled over it for a while and then said, ¡°Well, in that case, let¡¯s keep this between you, me and your father and never mention it to anybody else.¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid those contradictory things about your father have raised a lot of people¡¯s suspicions. They just haven¡¯t started asking questions yet. Since they¡¯re reserving judgment, we may just keep a poker face and pretend we don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them conferred with each other and decided to keep this matter secret, and not to breathe a word of it to any outsiders.


    ¡°My father said that he would tell me the subsequent events in detail after we get these miscellaneous matters in this city handled,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I see,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°I¡¯d like to be an extra listener if your father¡¯s okay with it.¡±


    Now that those contradictory facts about Ling Zhaowu had been explained, Yuwen Tong became a little curious about what Ling Zhaowu had been through in his last incarnation exactly that had made his intuition so acute.


    But before that¡­


    ¡°I owe your father an apology. I was a little blunt back there, and I hope he won¡¯t take offence and refuse to marry you to me.¡±


    A pink flush spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks and all the way to his ears at these words. ¡°What are you talking about? My father is not a child. He would never do something like that.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hugged him tight and kissed him several times, as though he were some kind of lost treasure he had just recovered. Although Yuwen Tong had no memory of what had happened in his last incarnation, the carry-over of fear was still lingering inside him no matter how hard he tried to dismiss it.


    Of course, it also struck fear into his heart to recall that he had almost offended his future father-in-law. With only a few days before the wedding ceremony, if Ling Zhaowu wanted to make things difficult for him, it would really give him headaches and he¡¯d have to spare some time to figure out a way to make amends to Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡­


    Having told Yuwen Tong the truth, Ling Zhang finally rid himself of the burden of the secret. He had been through some abrupt mood swings during the process, and now, with the stress gone, he looked rather tired and sleepy. Before long, he drifted off. Yuwen Tong was holding him in his arms, stroking his back automatically, unable to sleep, feeling as though there was something burning in his heart.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left the palace to see Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong made an apology on his own initiative at the beginning of the conversation. ¡°It was rude of me to talk to you like that last night. Please forgive me, Father-in-law.¡±


    Seeing the look on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was calm and Ling Zhang looked in a good mood, Ling Zhaowu came to know that Yuwen Tong had accepted the truth, and inwardly gave a gasp of relief. Having seen what Yuwen Tong had been like in his last incarnation, he knew that there were quite some heterodox ideas in the very marrow of this man¡¯s bones, for otherwise Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t have stayed in the north-west like a warlord and never married for his whole life. Also, none of the orthodoxies or prejudices common people had could be seen on Yuwen Tong, so it didn¡¯t really come as a surprise to him that Yuwen Tong had accepted the truth.


    ¡°You were looking out for Zhang¡¯er¡¯s best interests, so I have no reason to blame you. Now that Zhang¡¯er has told you everything, you won¡¯t have to suspect that he¡¯s keeping anything else back from you. You two will soon be married, and it¡¯s best if you two nurse no grievance against each other.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll keep your words in mind, Father-in-law.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu lifted his eyebrows, finding Yuwen Tong¡¯s obedience quite surprising, given how aggressive he had been the night before.


    ¡­


    This matter settled, Yao Yi and the other bodyguards could finally relax. During the past few days, they had been caught in the middle between their two masters¡¯ trust issues and had quite a hard time. Though unaware of how Ling Zhang had explained it to Yuwen Tong, they were glad that it had been resolved.


    Miao Shiba no longer had a guilty conscience when following Ling Zhang. The very thought of the task that he¡¯d been performing over the past few days by acting like a spy made his head pound.


    On this day, the Court Prison sent someone to the palace, who reported that Yuwen Zhi was ill. Surprised, Ling Zhang asked about what kind of illness it was.


    ¡°It seems like a cold, and it¡¯s said to be heavy. A court physician has gone there to check on him. Childe Feng made a request for permission to bring Second Master back home to receive treatment, but the Marshal turned it down. Right now Childe Feng is kneeling outside the hall and refuses to leave. Many courtiers are trying to persuade the Marshal,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and felt that it was best if he stayed out of this matter.


    But unexpectedly, Yuwen Feng came to intercede with him, kneeling outside the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. Yuwen Tong happened to be not in the Infinite Fortune Palace at the moment. With nobody able to handle it, Ling Zhang had no choice but to intervene.


    ¡°Please rise.¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Feng to get to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s not my decision to make.¡±


    Yuwen Feng was unwilling to stand up, his thin figure stamped with fatigue. ¡°I know this is too much to ask, but my father caught a heavy cold, and living conditions in the Court Prison are terrible. He¡¯ll die in the cell if I don¡¯t get him out of there. Please do me a favor, Childe Ling. If you intercede with my cousin, he¡¯ll definitely agree. Please.¡±


    Ling Zhang gazed at him for quite a while. He knew that Yuwen Feng wouldn¡¯t stand up if he declined.


    ¡°Apart from anything else, my father is my cousin¡¯s uncle. Considering my cousin hasn¡¯t acceded to the throne yet, it would compromise his reputation if people believe that he¡¯s so callous as to watch his own uncle die. I know my father did something wrong, and I don¡¯t dare have the fond hope that my cousin would forgive him entirely. All I ask is that you intercede with my cousin for my father, so that I could bring my father back home to nurse that cold. After he recovers, I¡¯ll personally send him back to the Court Prison.¡±


    That was easy for him to say. Who could guarantee that nothing would go awry? However, Ling Zhang had a hunch that this time around he had to help Yuwen Feng, because Yuwen Feng was Yuwen Tong¡¯s cousin, and the reason why Yuwen Tong had put Yuwen Feng in charge of the Ministry of Rites was that he had bigger plans for Yuwen Feng. If Yuwen Zhi really died in the Court Prison, Yuwen Feng would no longer serve Yuwen Tong wholeheartedly.


    Furthermore, Yuwen Tong was a military leader, and civil officials tended to have bias against military officers. If Yuwen Tong was accused of heartlessly murdering his own uncle, it would disadvantage him.


    It didn¡¯t matter much whether Yuwen Zhi would survive or not, but this matter must not add to Yuwen Tong¡¯s trouble. Even if Yuwen Zhi was brought out of the prison, there would still be many ways to have him killed, and Ling Zhang believed killing him without arousing anybody¡¯s suspicions wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all.


    ¡°Get to your feet. I¡¯ll go and talk to him, but I can¡¯t guarantee he¡¯ll listen to me. Stop kneeling here. By doing this, you¡¯re actually inconveniencing me rather than begging me. If you really want my help, stop causing me trouble right now.¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s body was stiff for an instant and then he slowly rose to his feet. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hold sentiment until it is deserved,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang went to see Yuwen Tong, who glanced at him and asked, ¡°Yuwen Feng left?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯s still waiting outside,¡± answered Ling Zhang. ¡°You know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Yuwen Zhi go. Tell Yuwen Feng to go to the Court Prison to pick him up,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him in great surprise. ¡°You¡¯ll let him go? Then why didn¡¯t you just grant Yuwen Feng his request? It would¡¯ve spared us a lot of trouble.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate for me to grant his request immediately. Besides, isn¡¯t it a good thing that you¡¯ve got an opportunity to have him owe you a favor?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him, a fairly suspicious expression on his face. ¡°Do you¡­ have some ulterior motive for doing this so willingly, by any chance?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with that. Just go to see Yuwen Feng and do him the favor.¡±


    Though Ling Zhang was unable to fathom out what Yuwen Tong was up to, cooperating with him was within his power. ¡°Okay,¡± he said.


    Ling Zhang intentionally lingered in the hall for a few moments before going out. At the sight of him coming out of the hall, Yuwen Feng¡¯s eyes gleamed with expectation.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°This is the token you need. Bring it to the Court Prison.¡±


    Yuwen Feng was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you! Thank you, Childe Ling!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your gratitude. I¡¯m doing this because I don¡¯t want Yuwen Tong to be accused of a crime he didn¡¯t commit. Also, you should know very well that your father more than once tried to have us killed. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re impersonal. He was the one who showed disregard for kinship first. At that time the situation was so dangerous, and everybody else was trying to help those close to them, but your father tried to kill his own nephew. I really dislike him very much.¡±


    Yuwen Feng wished the ground could¡¯ve swallowed him up. ¡°I know. This is all my father¡¯s fault. I promise I¡¯ll send him back to the Court Prison immediately after curing him of his illness. I won¡¯t put my cousin in a difficult position.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want this conversation with Yuwen Feng to last any longer, and the latter perceived it, took the token and then took his leave.


    An hour later came news that Yuwen Feng had brought Yuwen Zhi out of the Court Prison and back to his abode. Yuwen Zhi had indeed caught a bad cold, what with the poor living conditions in the Court Prison. After returning home, he directly lay down on his bed, feeling lucky that Yuwen Feng had interceded for him and got him out of the prison. Otherwise he would¡¯ve died in his cell.

 Chapter 360 - Im Here to Rescue You

    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think Yuwen Tong would forgive Yuwen Zhi after all those things Yuwen Zhi had done that could be seen as a betrayal of the Yuwen family, but he was indeed unable to fathom out what Yuwen Tong was planning to do. Given that Yuwen Tong was unwilling to tell him, either this plan was full of uncertainties or it would burden him with worries if he came to know about it.


    Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, he chose to wait and see how it played out.


    Meanwhile, after Yuwen Zhi was brought back home and had his cold treated, he had been on the mend. Yuwen Feng had gone to the palace to express his gratitude to his cousin for his kindness. Nobody knew what Yuwen Tong had said to him, but Yuwen Feng had been seen to be in high spirits when he left the palace.


    ¡­


    On that very night. In the Court Prison.


    The Court Prison was a grim place which received virtually no sunlight during daytime, and by night, it was even more fearsome than it was usually described to be in horror stories. Only felons convicted of the most serious crimes would be sent to this place, and it was almost impossible for any one of them to be acquitted. From the warden to prison guards, everybody working here was as malicious-looking as the gatekeeper to the underworld. If any of the prisoners misbehaved, inhumane punishment would be meted out to them.


    It had been some days since Fang Quan had been thrown into the Court Prison. At first he had been disgruntled and resisted, but now he seemed to have become a different person. Every time he saw a prison guard coming, he hastened to cower into a corner and remain still. After he¡¯d heard that the Eighth Prince had abdicated in favor of Yuwen Tong, his face had become so pallid and blank that he looked like a ghost. It was as though the prison had sucked the last bit of vitality of his out of his body.


    When a voice called his name, he was lying amid some straw, curling up, pretending not to have heard it.


    ¡°Your Lordship.¡± That voice was still calling him.


    Prison guards here always called him by his full name, showing him no respect whatsoever. This was the first time that Fang Quan had heard someone address him as ¡®Your Lordship¡¯ since he¡¯d been put into this prison.


    ¡°Your Lordship, do you really want to stay in that corner forever? You¡¯ve given up and decided to wait for death?¡± That voice was low and hoarse, as unpleasant to the ear as the sound of sawing wood.


    Fang Quan slowly sat up and gingerly pivoted around to look at the man who¡¯d just called him outside the cell railings. Wearing a prison guard¡¯s uniform, the man was quietly standing there with his back to the lighted torch in the distance, his features indistinguishable owing to the poor lighting. Fang Quan had no idea how long the man had been there.


    Seeing Fang Quan finally was willing to face him, the man said, ¡°Your Lordship, I¡¯m here to rescue you.¡±


    Unable to believe what he¡¯d just heard, Fang Quan opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± in a voice that was just as dry, husky and unpleasant as that of the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Jiangzhou,¡± replied the man.


    Jiangzhou? On hearing that this man was from Jiangzhou, Fang Quan, who had originally been wary of this unexpected visitor, immediately lowered his guard considerably. ¡°You¡¯re really from Jiangzhou? Who sent you here?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Our commander, of course. He wants you to pull yourself together and go back to Jiangzhou with us to plan for a comeback,¡± responded the man.


    A comeback? Right now there was no room in Fang Quan¡¯s head to worry about how to make a political comeback, for how to survive was the only thing he could think about, but he also feared that this might be a trap, so he refused to believe the man until the latter produced a token. It was a private token of the commander of Jiangzhou garrison. Previously, when Fang Quan had been corresponding with the Jiangzhou garrison, this token had served as an authenticating object, so Fang Quan recognized it at a glance.


    ¡°You really can get me out of here?!¡± Crawling and trotting, Fang Quan hurried up to the man and pressed himself against the cell railings.


    The man promptly threw his hand to his lips with his forefinger held up, signaling Fang Quan to keep quiet. Then he looked around stealthily. Having confirmed that nobody was alarmed, he said, ¡°Chill out, Your Lordship. We¡¯d be in serious trouble if any prison guards hear us.¡±


    It was not until Fang Quan pressed his face against the railings that he recognized this prison guard, who looked somewhat familiar. There had been several occasions when Fang Quan had seen him beating and cursing ill-behaved prisoners. His face was heavy and fierce-looking.


    ¡°It¨CIt¡¯s you?¡± said Fang Quan, hesitantly releasing his grip on the railings, showing the inclination to back away.


    The man¡¯s heavy face wrinkled in a grin, looking rather ugly. ¡°How else could I have infiltrated into the Court Prison if not by taking a prison guard¡¯s identity? There¡¯s no need for you to be scared, Your Lordship. The original owner of this appearance is dead. I¡¯m just impersonating him. This face is indeed a little scary, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to put up with it.¡±


    Fang Quan held the railings once again. ¡°How do I know I can trust you?¡±


    The man gave another grin, fingered his neck and with that the patch of skin curled up.


    After Fang Quan saw it clearly, the man flattened the curled edge of the skin and observed, ¡°It was short notice and I disguised myself in haste, which is why this mask made of human skin doesn¡¯t fit very well, but it¡¯s more than enough to hoodwink those prison guards. Once I bust you out of here, you¡¯ll never have to see this face again, Your Lordship.¡±


    Hu¨CHuman skin? Fang Quan felt a cold shiver of fear run through him, looking at the man with a fairly frightened expression in his eyes.


    ¡°Whe¨CWhen do you plan to break me out of this place?¡± asked Fang Quan.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯ve just familiarized myself with the shift schedule in this prison, so you¡¯ll have to wait another two days,¡± replied the man.


    Two days? Fang Quan had thought that the man could help him escape right away. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that he¡¯d have to wait another two days. He looked in the direction of the end of the corridor which was pitch-dark and lifeless as though something menacing was lurking there staring at him. The sight of this made his blood freeze. To stay in a place like this for another two days was virtually a torture.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get me out of here in two days?¡± Fang Quan asked again to confirm it.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± replied the man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Lordship. I said I¡¯d bust you out of here and I will keep my promise. Before we take action, you may do some thinking and see if any of those lords sent here with you is trustworthy. As long as they could be useful for us making a comeback, I¡¯ll rescue them as well.¡±


    Fang Quan was stupefied briefly. He had been locked in this separate cell all along ever since he¡¯d been taken to this prison. At first he had been able to find out the others¡¯ approximate positions by listening to their responses to his yells, but afterward he could only guess where they were locked by the anguished cries of them, and during the past couple of days, even the pained cries had stopped. Fang Quan had even begun to suspect that they had died, feeling as though he were the only prisoner left in this prison. He¡¯d been in horror all the time, fearing that he was the next one to be executed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether they¡¯re still alive or not. This place is too quiet. It¡¯s as quiet as death.¡± Fang Quan flicked a glance at the dark spot and then quickly withdrew his eyes.


    The man cast a look at that spot and smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid. That¡¯s just an unoccupied cell. Nobody¡¯s there. Except for Yuwen Zhi, all those sent here with you are still locked in this prison.¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi died?¡± asked Fang Quan, astonished.


    The man answered, ¡°He¡¯s Yuwen Tong¡¯s uncle. How is it possible for him to die in a place like this? He¡¯s been brought back home by his son, the assistant minister.¡±


    Fang Quan¡¯s countenance changed and with that he gave the iron railings a light hit and hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°I thought Yuwen Tong was a righteous man, but it turns out he¡¯s nothing but a base character partial to his kin. Providence must have been totally blind to let the throne fall into the hands of a man like him!¡±


    ¡°Which is why you have to cooperate with our commander to save the situation,¡± observed the man.


    As though this message had served as some kind of stimulus to his mind, Fang Quan¡¯s panic and numbness abated somewhat. ¡°How many of us could you get out?¡±


    ¡°To ensure our successful escape, it¡¯s best if you keep it under three,¡± replied the man.


    That meant Fang Quan could only select two people from those that had rebelled with him, but he didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for those he would have to abandon. Instead, he quickly started pondering who might be the most useful to him.


    The man didn¡¯t hurry Fang Quan, waiting patiently. It was after Fang Quan gave him two names that he said, ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way to make contact with the two lords. All you have to do is wait. I¡¯ll be in touch. Be careful not to raise anybody¡¯s suspicions in the next two days lest our plan be ruined.¡±


    Fang Quan nodded. ¡°I understand. You¨CYou¡¯re doing this all by yourself?¡±


    The man smiled, ¡°Of course not. There are many of us. After all, apart from you, we also have to rescue the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin.¡±


    It was only then that Fang Quan recalled that he had a daughter and a grandson, and for an instant his face was unnatural. Then he said, ¡°The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin are probably imprisoned somewhere in the palace at this moment. How do you plan to rescue them? If by any chance Yuwen Tong finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about that, Your Lordship. All you have to do is wait here for my message. The Eighth Prince is of direct descent from the deceased emperor. We won¡¯t be able to make a comeback without him. Even if Yuwen Tong finds out, we¡¯ll still have to rescue him. Speaking of which, it¡¯d be best if you gave us a token to help us get the Concubine Jin to trust us, which would spare us from the trouble of explaining to her and save us some time,¡± said the man.


    Fang Quan gave it some thought and then fished a white oval jade pendant out of his innermost pocket. ¡°I¡¯ve been carrying this with me for years. Both my daughter and my grandson could recognize it.¡±


    The man took it. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Your Lordship.¡±


    Seeing the man pocketed the token and was about to leave, Fang Quan hastened to ask, ¡°How are you going to break us out of here? This prison is heavily guarded. Apart from prison guards, there are also palace guards, the City Patrol and the guards at the city gates. How many of you are there? Will you be able to handle these guards?¡±


    The man responded, ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯ve got it all planned out. There¡¯s no need to concern yourself with that. Just set your mind at ease and wait. Again ¨C be careful not to arouse anybody¡¯s suspicions. Okay, I¡¯ve been here long enough and I need to get going. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    Fang Quan still had a lot of questions, but there was no time, so he just watched the man leave.


    It was after the prison guard left that Fang Quan slowly calmed down. He was positive that the token was authentic, that the man was indeed from Jiangzhou. He had thought that since Yuwen Tong was about to ascend the throne, Jiangzhou garrison should be busy with saving their own skin. It had never crossed his mind that they would send some men to the capital city to rescue him.


    Jiangzhou¡­ People there were probably afraid that Yuwen Tong would seek to settle scores with them after his enthronement. By saving a prince of the Zhou family, they would be pitting themselves against Yuwen Tong. Did they have enough strength to fight against Yuwen Tong?


    But what did it matter if the Jiangzhou garrison were no match for Yuwen Tong? For him, the first priority right now was to escape from this prison, because he would surely end up dead if he didn¡¯t try it.


    A sinister look appeared on Fang Quan¡¯s pasty, vacant face and he stared out of the cell for a few moments. Eventually the sinister look disappeared and his countenance became blank again. He curled up in a corner, pretending nothing had happened just now.

 Chapter 361 - : The Concubine Jin

    Fang Quan had stayed in the cell for a whole day, listening hard to see if there were any movements elsewhere, but it had been quiet all along. The Court Prison, which was menacing even during daytime, was as dead as always.


    At night, Fang Quan, who had waited long for that prison guard that had talked to him the night before, became somewhat anxious and fretful.


    ¡°Your Lordship,¡± said a voice abruptly, making Fang Quan start.


    That fake prison guard who¡¯d shown up the day before suddenly materialized outside the cell railings. There hadn¡¯t been any footsteps whatsoever, as though he were a ghost.


    Fang Quan loathed this man, feeling that this man was just as menacing as this prison, but he didn¡¯t have a choice, for currently this man was his only chance to escape from this place.


    ¡°How did it go? Did you get in touch with them?¡± asked Fang Quan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got in touch with both of them. Rest assured, Your Lordship, I¡¯ll bust you and them out of here together,¡± replied the man. ¡°I came here to tell you you need to wait for one more day. I¡¯ll come here again in one day, and that¡¯s when we make our escape.¡±


    ¡°How do you plan to do it?¡± Fang Quan asked urgently.


    However, the man was still unwilling to tell him the details, as though he didn¡¯t trust Fang Quan completely. ¡°Just escape from this place with us when the time comes. There¡¯s no need for you to know any specifics, Your Lordship.¡±


    Fang Quan gripped the iron railings. ¡°Why are you not telling me the plan when you¡¯ve decided to break me out?¡±


    ¡°This is for your own good, Your Lordship,¡± responded the man slowly. ¡°The more you know about the plan, the higher the risk you might raise someone¡¯s suspicions. To make sure that we¡¯ll make it out of here without any trouble, I¡¯m afraid I have to keep it secret from you.¡±


    Fang Quan was displeased but didn¡¯t dare offend the man. ¡°Is this what your commander instructed you to do?¡±


    The man answered, ¡°Our commander¡¯s orders are that we do whatever it takes to rescue the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin.¡±


    Fang Quan gave a start. What did this man mean? He looked at the man and saw an admonitory expression in his eyes. Tightening his grip on the railings, Fang Quan hissed, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°You misunderstood me, Your Lordship. It¡¯s just that the main purpose of this operation of ours is indeed to rescue the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin,¡± replied the man.


    Cold sweat was breaking out over Fang Quan¡¯s back increasingly quick as he listened to these words. This was unmistakably a warning. Most importantly, Fang Quan found that he was unable to contradict the man, because if he were the commander of Jiangzhou garrison, his would also regard rescuing the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin as the first priority. These people were just planning to rescue him in passing, and they would give up on him without hesitation if things went south.


    Fang Quan panicked somewhat, his hands clenching around the iron railings. ¡°You can¡¯t give up on me. I¡¯m the Concubine Jin¡¯s father and the Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather.¡±


    The man gave a smile. ¡°You¡¯re worrying too much, Your Lordship. Like I said, I will bust you out of this place when the time comes. All you have to do is wait patiently. There¡¯s no need to panic.¡±


    Fang Quan gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll stop asking about it.¡±


    The man turned around and was about to leave.


    Fang Quan raised his voice a little and said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    The man pivoted around to face him. ¡°Do you have any other questions, Your Lordship?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with the Ninth Prince?¡± inquired Fang Quan.


    After a brief moment¡¯s surprise, the man responded, ¡°The Ninth Prince is too young to journey with us.¡±


    ¡°Then kill him,¡± said Fang Quan, a malevolent look on his face.


    The man was somewhat astonished. ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re suggesting such a thing?¡±


    ¡°You may be able to rescue the Eighth Prince, but the Ninth Prince would still be under Yuwen Tong¡¯s control. If Yuwen Tong uses it to his advantage to do something, having the Eighth Prince in our hands would be totally pointless. Besides, how do you know the Ninth Prince wouldn¡¯t be rescued by someone as well? If that does happen, we¡¯d have yet another rivalry, which wouldn¡¯t be good news for your commander or the Eighth Prince,¡± explained Fang Quan quickly.


    Fang Quan was the Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather after all, and given the current circumstances, he relied on the Eighth Prince to survive. Only if the Eighth Prince came to power would he be able to have a good life, and if he was to use the Eighth Prince¡¯s identity as a rightful heir to the throne to achieve anything, he must make sure that the Eighth Prince was the only one having a claim to the throne, because only in that case would people flock to his banners.


    Eyes on Fang Quan, the man said, ¡°I think you have a point. I¡¯ll keep this in mind, and we¡¯ll take the Ninth Prince¡¯s life when we have the chance.¡±


    Secretly relieved, Fang Quan suggested, ¡°If you do it cleverly enough, you might be able to have Yuwen Tong take the blame for the Ninth Prince¡¯s death, which would ruin his reputation.¡±


    The man replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to concern yourself with that, Your Lordship. We know what to do.¡±


    ¡­


    In a quiet palace of the complex of imperial palaces.


    This palace was fairly far away from the heart of the complex of imperial palaces, but the security here was so tight that even flies would be scared away if they strayed into it. Nobody dared approach this place during the day, and at night it was so silent as though it were a palace of death. Everybody found it hard to believe that there were people living in there.


    It was the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin who dwelt in this palace. Presently, all eunuchs and maidservants serving them were strangers to them, except for two ladies-in-waiting. All their faces were apathetic and unconcerned, and when they were walking in the palace, they looked like a bunch of corpses with mobility but without power of speech. No matter how hard the Concubine Jin and the Eighth Prince tried to drop a hint to them, they always pretended they couldn¡¯t understand. There was no way to communicate with them, and escaping from this place seemed next to impossible, because there were densely posted guards in this palace, all of whom stared at the two of them with cold faces whenever they came into sight.


    Anybody would get anxious and fretful if they were forced to live in a place like this, not to mention the Concubine Jin, who was never a strong woman. As a result, she had started beating maidservants and smashing things during the past few days, and she couldn¡¯t at all sleep at night, fearing all the time that someone would come to kill her. She had even begun to blame the Eighth Prince for it, believing that if it weren¡¯t for the Eighth Prince, she would definitely have been stripped of her title and sent back home like the other concubines of the former emperor, getting out of the imperial palace alive instead of living in fear every day. This situation was virtually driving her crazy.


    On this night, sleep still eluded the Concubine Jin. She instructed the maidservants to light all the candles in her chambers, and it was only after they did as she asked that her fear dissolved somewhat.


    When a maidservant went inside to trim the wicks, the Concubine Jin didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. It was not until she heard the maidservant stepped up to her bed that she had an inkling that something was wrong. Scared, she hastily opened her eyes and felt a lurch of fear at the sight of the poker-faced maidservant standing over her. She opened her mouth and was just about to scream when the maidservant quickly clapped a hand to her mouth.


    Horrified, the Concubine Jin struggled madly, a muffled sound emanating from her throat.


    ¡°Please calm down, Your Highness. I¡¯m here to help you escape from this palace. If you scream, those guards out there will be alarmed and then nobody will be able to get you out of this prison-like place,¡± breathed the maidservant.


    At first the Concubine Jin couldn¡¯t distinguish the maidservant¡¯s words at all, but the maidservant was very patient and explained to her several times in a row. After the Concubine Jin cooled down, she added, ¡°Stop trying to scream, Your Highness, so that I can get my hands off your mouth. Do you not want to see your father¡¯s token?¡±


    The Concubine Jin struggled for another few moments. Seeing the maidservant was just silencing her and showed no inclination to kill her, she gradually was swayed and collected herself.


    Seeing she had cooled down, the maidservant slowly took her hand off her mouth. Having confirmed that the Concubine Jin wouldn¡¯t screech, she produced the Jade pendant from Fang Quan. The Concubine Jin, who recognized the familiar pendant and knew that it was indeed her father¡¯s token, finally let her guard down. ¡°My father is now in the Court Prison. How did you come to get his token? Who are you? And why did you come to my rescue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from Jiangzhou. Our commander sent us here to rescue you and the Eighth Prince and escort the two of you to Jiangzhou. Right now you¡¯re at the mercy of Yuwen Tong. He won¡¯t kill you right away, but after his enthronement, he would definitely take your lives by hook or by crook. Both you and the Eighth Prince are members of the imperial family, and the Eighth Prince is a rightful heir to the throne. How could you let a traitor take it away from him? Our commander knows you and the Eighth Prince did that under duress, so he invites you and the Eighth Prince to go to Jiangzhou. With the Jiangzhou garrison at your back, you can make a comeback and take the throne back from Yuwen Tong,¡± replied the maidservant.


    The Concubine Jin was still a little flustered, her breath rasping in her heaving chest. After hearing the maidservant¡¯s explanation, she didn¡¯t believe the story immediately. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re capable of rescuing us? Currently the whole complex of imperial palaces ¨C even the whole city ¨C is in Yuwen Tong¡¯s pocket. We¡¯ll meet our ends even sooner if your attempt to get us out fails.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that, Your Highness. I¡¯ve got in here without anybody noticing, so you can trust that I¡¯ll get you and the Eighth Prince out of this place. This is your father¡¯s token. One of us have infiltrated into the Court Prison as well. Your father will be going with us when the time comes. Surely you don¡¯t want to be left alone in this place? Yuwen Tong would by no means let you live. For what it¡¯s worth, even if it doesn¡¯t work out, you would only die sooner. I mean, if you stay, your death would be certain anyway, right?¡± said the maidservant.


    Biting her lip, the Concubine Jin hesitated, an intense struggle going on within her breast.


    ¡°Look at yourself, Your Highness. You don¡¯t even dare sleep at night, and you have to have all the candles in your chamber lighted before you could summon up the courage to close your eyes. Have you not had enough of this kind of tortuous days?¡± the maidservant added slowly in a low voice, her face breaking into a gentle smile. ¡°Trust me. There are a lot of us, and we have more than enough strength to break you and your son out of this palace.


    Jiangzhou has always been at the Eighth Prince¡¯s back, and the Jiangzhou garrison would have some time ago successfully helped the Eighth Prince succeeded to the throne were Yuwen Tong not so cunning, but one setback doesn¡¯t mean the end of the game. As long as Your Highness and the Eighth Prince are still alive, we¡¯ll always have a chance of saving the situation, and when we do, the Eighth Prince will be the emperor, and you will be the empress dowager, and nobody would dare lay hands on you ever again. You and the Eighth Prince are the ones meant to rule this country. How could you give up after encountering a mere frustration of your efforts to get what¡¯s rightfully yours? Have you considered the interests of the Eighth Prince? He¡¯s your son after all.¡±


    The Concubine Jin¡¯s eyes gradually became unfocused as though she lapsed into some kind of reverie. The maidservant, standing in front of her, smugly watched the Concubine Jin succumbing to the temptation, waiting quietly for her to come to herself.


    It was quite a while before the Concubine Jin slowly pulled herself back to the present, bit her lower lip and asked, ¡°You really can help us get back to this city and make me the empress dowager?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± answered the maidservant, immediately came to realize that for the Concubine Jin, her becoming the empress dowager was far more tempting than her son succeeding to the throne, so she cajoled slowly, ¡°You¡¯re still in your prime, and even another couple of years wouldn¡¯t leave a mark on your youth and beauty. Also, you¡¯ll have supreme power, and even His Majesty will do your bidding. Your status will be second to none. You¡¯ll be the de facto ruler of this country.¡±

 Chapter 362 - Disguise

    ¡°Second to none,¡± the Concubine Jin repeated in a faint murmur and then her eyes abruptly started glinting with a feverish longing, one heavy with all kinds of desires.


    The maidservant watched silently in the knowledge that she had successfully convinced the Concubine Jin. ¡°Yes. True supremacy in this country will be yours, and everybody will be your servant, including that goddamn Yuwen Tong guy. He¡¯ll be at the mercy of you and you¡¯ll get to decide what kind of death he shall suffer.¡±


    The Concubine Jin broke into laughter, a somewhat demented look on her face. ¡°You¡¯re right. Who does he think he is? He¡¯s nothing but a thief who stole the throne. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s meant to rule this country!¡±


    The maidservant lightly placed a hand on the Concubine Jin¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Keep your voice down, Your Highness. Right now we can¡¯t afford to alarm the guards out there, but soon you¡¯ll be free. All you have to do is wait here for one more day.¡±


    The Concubine Jin was a little disgruntled at these words, feeling that the maidservant was a wet blanket, but eventually she managed to calm herself down. ¡°Wait here for one more day? You¡¯re not getting me out of here right away?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a changing of the guards the day after tomorrow, which will be a golden opportunity for us to make our escape, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to endure another day in here,¡± breathed the maidservant.


    The Concubine Jin¡¯s face hardened and she stared at the doors of her chamber as though looking through it and out of the palace, her eyes laden with malice. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wait for one more day.¡±


    The maidservant said, ¡°Apart from that, before we take action, Your Highness will have to behave as usual and be very careful not to let slip anything lest anybody become suspicious and ruin your escape plan. Also, please drop a hint to the Eighth Prince so that he wouldn¡¯t misunderstand you or attract any needless attention.¡±


    The Concubine Jin sniffed impatiently, ¡°I know. I don¡¯t need you to teach me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my transgression, Your Highness.¡± The maidservant didn¡¯t seem to mind the change of the Concubine Jin¡¯s attitude, and her voice was still soft and humble.


    The Concubine Jin tossed a cold glance at her and asked, ¡°When did you infiltrate into this palace? And how did you do it without rousing anybody¡¯s suspicions?¡±


    The maidservant answered, ¡°Just two days ago. Currently, apart from the couple of well defended palaces, there¡¯s also a lot of bothersome unfinished business in the imperial harem. I gave it some thought and eventually figured something out. Gaining entry into this palace wasn¡¯t easy, but it was for the purpose of rescuing Your Highness and the Eighth Prince, so all I¡¯ve done is worthwhile.¡±


    It was only then that the Concubine Jin withdrew her cold eyes and said, ¡°How¡¯s my father? He¡¯s in the Court Prison and I haven¡¯t been able to pay him a visit.¡±


    The maidservant replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. His Lordship is fine. He¡¯s waiting to rendezvous with you.¡±


    The Concubine Jin slowly settled herself onto a soft couch, her countenance and bearing now totally different from how they had been a while ago. She said, ¡°You said that you¡¯re confident of escaping from this place. What¡¯s the specific plan? How many of you are there? And how are you going to get me out of this palace?¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, what Your Highness need to do is¡­¡± The maidservant leaned over and started whispering the plan in her ear.


    A flicker of excitement crossed the Concubine Jin¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you know how to do all that?¡±


    The maidservant responded, ¡°I¡¯m fairly proficient in that regard, and hoodwinking those guards out there won¡¯t be a problem. Once we succeed in buying us enough time and making it out of the imperial palace, we¡¯ll basically be safe.¡±


    The Concubine Jin inclined his head, but the next moment something occurred to her and she knitted her brows. ¡°Just the imperial palace? What if we cannot make it out of the city?¡±


    The maidservant replied, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Even if Yuwen Tong finds out about our attempt to escape, he will let you and the Eighth Prince leave the city ¨C as long as we successfully get out of the imperial palace.¡±


    The Concubine Jin was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The maidservant answered, ¡°You¡¯ll see. Once you¡¯re out of the palace and meet our commander, he¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    The Concubine Jin fixed her with a gaze. The maidservant just slightly lowered her head, her countenance unchanged.


    A flinty look of self-deprecation and resentment flitted across the Concubine Jin¡¯s eyes, but in the knowledge that she still relied on this maidservant to make her escape, this time she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Your Highness, may I ask if you know where the Ninth Prince lives?¡± the maidservant suddenly asked.


    The Concubine Jin was astonished for an instant and then warily inquired, ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡±


    ¡°Your father want us to kill the Ninth Prince,¡± answered the maidservant, a beam on her face.


    It was after hearing the explanation that the watchfulness on the Concubine Jin¡¯s face ebbed away. ¡°He¡¯s only two years old. That bitch the Concubine Liu is very lucky ¨C I took the brunt of all the fallout, so the two of them are still living in their original palace.¡±


    While she had been forced to leave her original abode and move to this place, where she had been living under heavy stress and in deep fear ever since!


    ¡°To what end did my father suggest you kill them?¡± asked the Concubine Jin.


    The maidservant replied, ¡°To make sure nobody threatens your future status.¡±


    The Concubine Jin smiled a happy smile. ¡°My father is indeed the one who cares about me the most. That bitch the Concubine Liu has been hiding behind me and leading a peaceful life for such a long time. She thinks her life would stay that way forever, unaware that her demise is imminent. This is so funny.¡±


    The maidservant slightly lowered her eyes in an effort to conceal her true feelings.


    ¡­


    The next day, in order not to raise doubts in anybody¡¯s mind, the Concubine Jin exercised all her self-restraint to keep from behaving any differently from how she¡¯d always been, despite the fact that the restlessness inside her was on the verge of getting out of control. This day felt longer than a year. When night finally fell, she was running out of patience.


    ¡°Cui, you¡¯re to stay here and take the night shift.¡±


    After dinner, the Concubine Jin, as usual, had the servants light all the candles in the palace and close all the doors and windows tightly, but she instructed a personal lady-in-waiting to stay.


    This lady-in-waiting named Cui had been serving the Concubine Jin all these years and was fairly loyal to her, but the Concubine Jin had been ill-treating her and the other lady-in-waiting ever since she¡¯d moved into this palace, so the very sight of the Concubine Jin stroke fear into Cui¡¯s heart. On hearing that she was to take the night shift, Cui paled visibly, but she didn¡¯t dare show any sign of her fright on her face. ¡°Y-Yes, Your Highness,¡± she stuttered.


    The Concubine Jin threw a frosty glance at her. ¡°Come here. There¡¯s something I want to say to you.¡±


    Cui could distinctly feel that the Concubine Jin was now different from how she¡¯d been during the day, and so was her tone of voice. She couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to look at the Concubine Jin and was nearly terrified out of her wits as her eyes met the Concubine Jin¡¯s icy ones. ¡°Your¨CYour Highness.¡±


    ¡°Get over here!¡±


    Cui¡¯s limbs instantly went limp and she slumped to her knees and moved up to her, ashen-faced, head down, not daring to look up at the Concubine Jin.


    ¡°Cui, you¡¯ve been serving me for many years. I always think highly of you. Also, I¡¯ve been good to your family members living outside the palace. Now there¡¯s one particular thing I need you to do for me, and you are not to disappoint me,¡± said the Concubine Jin.


    However, on hearing this remark, Cui felt cold sweat breaking out more profusely over her back. ¡°M¨CMay I ask what it is Your Highness want me to do?¡±


    ¡°To impersonate me and quietly stay here tonight,¡± said the Concubine Jin.


    Cui was somewhat bemused. ¡°Impersonate Your Highness? No, no¡­ I don¡¯t dare. Your Highness is blue-blooded, and I¡¯m just a filthy servant girl. How can I impersonate Your Highness?¡±


    The Concubine Jin said icily, ¡°You¡¯re indeed undeserving of the honor of impersonating me. Just take it as a reward for your so many years¡¯ service to me, one I¡¯m offering you out of pity to let you know how it feels to be an imperial concubine.¡±


    Cui was so horrified that she appeared on the verge of tears. ¡°Please have mercy on me, Your Highness!¡±


    The Concubine Jin said, ¡°It¡¯s an honor for you to impersonate me, yet you¡¯re turning me down? How dare you? Never mind. I won¡¯t force you. Instead, I¡¯ll give you a choice. Either you impersonate me or your whole family die. Now choose.¡±


    Cui¡¯s face went ghastly white. ¡°Your¨CYour Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Think carefully before you give me an answer. Trapped in this place as I am, I can have all your family killed as easily as turn my hand,¡± said the Concubine Jin.


    Biting her lip tight, Cui clenched her hands. After quite a while, she croaked, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Your Highness. Please spare the lives of my parents and my siblings.¡±


    The Concubine Jin sneered, ¡°As long as you do as I tell you, nothing will happen to any of them. Now stand up, get in there and change into my clothes.¡±


    Cui tremulously struggled to her feet, went behind the screen and caught sight of a strange maidservant silently standing there. With a start, she exclaimed, ¡°Who are you?!¡±


    ¡°Quiet, or you¡¯ll alarm those guards out there,¡± said the maidservant.


    This maidservant struck Cui as faintly familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember her name. ¡°Who are you exactly?¡±


    Eyes on her, the maidservant replied, ¡°The one who¡¯s going to disguise you.¡±


    What?


    The last bit of color drained from Cui¡¯s face.


    ¡­


    Two hours later, when Cui was standing before the Concubine Jin, the latter felt as though she were looking at herself in a mirror. ¡°This is amazing. We¡¯re so much alike.¡±


    Cui didn¡¯t dare utter a word, her shoulders shaking with fear. She was not a fool and naturally had come to realize what this meant. Having been disguised as the Concubine Jin, she was now as good as dead.


    At first the Concubine Jin was amazed, but when she noticed that Cui was shaking violently, her expression became disgusted. ¡°Why are you shuddering? You probably have all the good karma you accumulated in your last eight incarnations to thank for this opportunity to impersonate me. If you don¡¯t stop trembling right now, I¡¯ll have you killed where you stand.¡±


    Cui forced herself into stopping quivering, biting her lower lip heavily, not daring move an inch.


    ¡°Go. Lie down on the couch and don¡¯t get down without my consent,¡± said the Concubine Jin drily.


    Cui limply shuffled to the soft couch and dithered for quite a while before summoning up the courage to sit down.


    After casting a revolted glance at Cui, the Concubine Jin shifted her gaze to the maidservant and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got someone to impersonate me. What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Please change into these clothes, Your Highness.¡± The maidservant handed a package to the Concubine Jin.


    The Concubine Jin opened it and with that her face registered distaste, but eventually she still went to change. It was a night suit of the most common kind.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Your Highness will have to wait for another hour. The guards will make a shift change in an hour, and there¡¯s a security flaw at the rear palace walls, which will be our way out,¡± said the maidservant.


    ¡°Whatever. All I want is to get out of this place. It doesn¡¯t matter from where. Go and bring the Eighth Prince here,¡± said the Concubine Jin.


    The maidservant bobbed her head, brought the Eighth Prince from the side hall to the chamber, helped him take off his prince¡¯s robes and luxurious headwear and change into ordinary black clothes to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t look conspicuous in the dark.


    ¡°How do you plan to take care of the Concubine Liu?¡± asked the Concubine Jin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. The killers are already on the move,¡± responded the maidservant.


    It was after hearing this that the Concubine Jin stopped asking questions. At the sight of Cui who was sitting on the couch and had started shaking again, she got angry, began to tell Cui off and didn¡¯t stop until Cui stopped trembling.


    The Eighth Prince had been standing in fear on the side all along after changing. ¡°Mother, are we really going to make it out of here?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness. I promise we¡¯ll break Your Highnesses out of the imperial palace. Please trust me,¡± said the maidservant in a hushed voice.


    However, the Eighth Prince was still in fear.

 Chapter 363 - An Escape from the Court Prison

    It was almost the end of the Hai Hour (21:00-22:59), and the whole imperial palace compound was very quiet.


    The time had come for the guards outside the palace wall to come off duty, and there would be nobody patrolling the perimeter of the compound for the next half the duration of a burning joss stick (roughly three minutes), which was the very opportunity for the Concubine Jin and the others to make their escape.


    Cui was sitting on the soft couch in the chamber, not daring to move an inch. Her cheeks were tear-stained all over, but she still didn¡¯t dare leave, clenching her hands with all her might in spite of herself. Maybe because she had been subservient to the Concubine Jin for too long, it didn¡¯t occur to her to go outside to yell for help. She was afraid of what the Concubine Jin was capable of, scared that the Concubine Jin might have all her family members killed.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the Court Prison, Fang Quan had been released by that fake prison guard. In horror, Fang Quan followed the man out of the cell. After finding that the man was the only one that had come to rescue him, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you the only one here? Where are the others? How are we supposed to make it out of this prison if nobody¡¯s helping us?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Lordship. As long as you stay close to me, we will make it out of here,¡± replied the fake prison guard.


    Rather dubious, Fang Quan followed the fake prison guard out of the cell and discovered that all the prison guards out there were lying on the ground unconscious. They seemed to be under the influence of some kind of hypnotic drug.


    ¡°They¡¯re drugged and will come around in an hour. The shift change is also in an hour and the relief guards will come here when the time comes. I¡¯ll go and set the other two lords free. Please undress this prison guard and change into his uniform. It¡¯ll buy us some time after we get out of here,¡± explained the fake prison guard.


    Fang Quan looked at the comatose prison guard on the ground, clenched his teeth and then crouched down to start undoing the prison guard¡¯s uniform. When he had removed the uniform from that guard and was about to change into it, the other two courtiers showed up with the fake prison guard.


    ¡°Lord Fang!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really you!¡±


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m changing into a prison guard¡¯s uniform to disguise myself,¡± said Fang Quan, pausing only briefly before continuing. His sense of dignity seemed to pale into insignificance compared to survival.


    The other two courtiers, after realizing what was going on, also quickly found two unconscious prison guards and started undoing their uniform. They had agree to make an attempt to escape because they¡¯d valued their lives. At this point in time, it was no good talking about anything, and the right thing to do was disguise themselves and then make their escape as soon as possible.


    All the cells of the Court Prison were half-underground, and there were two rows of them: Row A and Row B, which were opposite each other with a long broad passageway in between. Locked in cells of Row A were convicted felons, and in cells of Row B unconvicted prisoners like Fang Quan. Both rows were heavily guarded.


    Either of the two rows of cells had only one exit.


    The fake prison guard had drugged all the real prison guards and the prisoners all of whom were geriatrics. After Fang Quan and the other two courtiers changed into prison guard¡¯s uniform, the fake prison guard started leading them through the passageway. It was very quiet and unconscious prison guards could be occasionally seen lying on the ground.


    ¡°After we get to the gateway, Your Lordships will have to wait for a few moments. Some people will come to our help,¡± said the fake prison guard.


    ¡°Who?¡± asked Fang Quan.


    The fake prison guard twisted his head around and answered with a grin, ¡°Your rescuers, of course.¡±


    What with his heavy, brutal-looking face, his grin was the last thing anybody would describe as pleasant. Though Fang Quan had seen it several times during the past couple of days, the sight of it still sent a chill down his spine. The other two courtiers were no exception, feeling the hair on the backs of their necks rising as they saw the fake prison guard grin.


    Fang Quan, however, apart from finding the grin an eyesore, also felt a little disgruntled, because this fake prison guard¡¯s evasive reply struck him as derisive, and his tone of voice also sounded faintly condescending, which made Fang Quan feel uncomfortable. As a result, after the fake prison guard pivoted around to lead the way, the expression in Fang Quan¡¯s eyes became somewhat hostile when he looked at the back of the prison guard.


    As though he had eyes in the back of his head, the fake prison guard sensed it and said, ¡°It¡¯s totally unnecessary for you to doubt me, Your Lordship. I¡¯m here to bust you out, and that¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    Caught unawares, Fang Quan was taken aback and no longer dared stare at the back of the fake prison guard with unfriendly eyes.


    When they were about to reach the gateway, the fake prison guard came to a halt. ¡°Please wait here for a moment, Your Lordships. I¡¯ll go up there and check first, and I¡¯ll give you a signal when you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    The three of them agreed.


    The fake prison guard ascended the stairs step by step, took a turn at the upstairs landing and disappeared from view. They could only hear the sound of his footsteps.


    Fang Quan became somewhat suspicious, because that man seemed to be deliberately making his footsteps heavier than usual. The previous couple of times he¡¯d met this man, the latter had always shown up soundlessly as though he floated around instead of walking, and there had been no footsteps whatsoever.


    Fang Quan suddenly came to realize one thing ¨C this unidentified rescuer didn¡¯t seem to be a military man. Though not a military officer, Fang Quan knew that all those serving in the army had a special air about them, or, to put it differently, there was something unique about their bearing, but this man who had come to rescue them didn¡¯t have a shred of it. On the contrary, the air the man emanated struck him as sinister and unpleasant. When the man was walking in this dark prison, he seemed to be in such perfect harmony with his surroundings as though he were about to merge into them.


    Fang Quan was torn between surprise and incredulity, wondering who this man was exactly, and what kind of men the Jiangzhou had sent here to rescue them.


    After about the duration of a burning joss stick (roughly five minutes), footsteps issued from the stairs once again. Fang Quan and the other two immediately tensed their backs, staring nervously at the landing of the stairs, fearing that it would be somebody else that showed up, because in that case, their attempt to escape would be exposed.


    ¡°Come up here, Your Lordship. It¡¯s time to go,¡± said a familiar voice. Fortunately, it was that fake prison guard who came into view.


    At the sight of him, Fang Quan heaved a sigh of relief and hastened up the stairs with the other two. When he had walked up to the man, Fang Quan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re not a military man. Who are you exactly? Are you really from Jiangzhou?¡±


    The man gave a smile. Although his fierce-looking face made his smile very frightening, his tone of voice was free of annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re a very smart man, Your Lordship. I¡¯m indeed not a military man. I¡¯m just a killer hired by the commander of the Jiangzhou garrison. We have a deal with him and our job is to bust you out of this place.¡±


    Fang Quan¡¯s eyes widened. A killer?


    As if something had loosened his tongue, the man added, ¡°The first task of mine is to rescue the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin. The price for their lives are very, very high. The second task is to rescue you, Your Lordship. Of course, your life is slightly cheaper than the Eighth Prince¡¯s and the Concubine Jin¡¯s, but the price is still fairly decent, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have come here. As for these two lords, they¡¯re kind of a bonus. I¡¯ll charge extra for getting them out, or not ¨C if I¡¯m in a good mood.¡±


    These words chilled Fang Quan and the other two courtiers to the marrow of their bones. On one hand, they felt terribly humiliated, but on the other hand they also felt that in this man¡¯s eyes, money was the only yardstick for measuring people¡¯s lives, which struck them as blood-curdling. For this man, their lives were like commodities, and he had no loyalty to anybody or any sense of complete obedience. Once things went south, he might abandon them like useless pawns at any moment, and his only loss would merely be some money¡­


    After the fake prison guard said that, his amused eyes raked the three courtiers¡¯ faces, taking in all their facial expressions. Then he added, ¡°Although we¡¯re killers and do things for money, there¡¯s no need for you worry, Your Lordships. Apart from money, we also value our credibility, and for the sake of that alone, we won¡¯t give up on you easily. We¡¯ll get you out more safely than those who strictly follow orders could, because after all, it¡¯ll undermine our reputation if the goods are damaged.¡±


    However, none of the three courtiers found these words comforting.


    Cold sweat was breaking out on the three of them profusely all along as they ascended the short flight of stairs. When they finally reached the entrance, they were greeted by a strong smell of blood.


    The guards responsible for guarding the entrance and the passageway had died soundlessly in this place. The spooky part was that they were still standing bolt upright, either propped against spikes behind them or leaning against walls. They seemed to be still dutifully guarding the prison, but actually they were dead already, because dark red blood was spurting quickly from the wounds in their necks down into their armor. What with the perfect cover of night, nobody would be able to find out unless they smelled the blood and looked at the guards carefully enough.


    This scene chilled Fang Quan and the other two courtiers to the bone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Soon someone will come here to check. You¡¯ll never get a second chance if you don¡¯t leave right away,¡± said the fake prison guard. He didn¡¯t at all feel there was anything wrong with this scene in front of them. As though the eerie horrifying sight and the rank scent of blood was some kind of enjoyable scenery to him, a smile curled the corners of his mouth.


    Fang Quan and the other two, not daring linger for a single extra moment or utter another word, followed in the wake of the fake prison guard and walked out of the long passageway.


    Outside the entrance of the passageway was a vast square, and on the other side of the square was the outer wall of the imperial city, which was heavily guarded.


    ¡°Apart from those guards, there are also some men hidden on the ramparts. Every inch of this place is watched. How do we get through?¡± said Fang Quan.


    So far he still hadn¡¯t seen any of the rescuers that the fake prison guard had mentioned.


    ¡°Well, given the current circumstances, our only option is to fight our way out. Let¡¯s go, Your Lordships. Whatever you do, don¡¯t lag behind,¡± the fake prison guard said, raised his hand and whistled, and with that six men in black suddenly emerged from each of the two sides.


    Those men grabbed Fang Quan¡¯s and the other two courtiers¡¯ arms and abruptly started dragging them towards the city gates.


    The whistle had already attracted the guards¡¯ attention and soon they were charging in this direction from all sides. ¡°ASSASSIN!¡± someone yelled.


    ¡°Restrain the assassins!¡±


    How they made it through the city gates was a mystery to Fang Quan and the other two courtiers. When he tripped and almost fell, a man in black clicked his tongue in annoyance and the next moment Fang Quan found himself on someone¡¯s back. When his head stopped spinning and the nauseous sensation ebbed away, they had already rushed through the city gates. Guards were flooding towards them to the deafening drumbeats of alarm emanating from behind them.


    Fang Quan flicked a backward glance and what he saw made he feel as though his insides were turning into ice. This was how these people got them out? By fighting? How were they supposed to make it out of the capital city if this was the plan?


    ¡°SHUT THE GATES!¡±


    On hearing these words, Fang Quan blacked out.


    There was no telling how long the man carrying him had run when he came around and heard someone call, ¡°Father!¡±


    It was the Concubine Jin¡¯s voice. Fang Quan hurriedly opened his eyes to look around him and found that they had reached the city gates. Both the Concubine Jin and the Eighth Prince were present. To his surprise, apart from the two of them, the Concubine Liu and the Ninth Prince were also present. They were not dead. Instead, they had also been brought out of the city. At this moment, the two of them were looking at them in terror. Unlike Fang Quan and the others who were desperate to escape from the city, the Concubine Liu, holding the Ninth Prince in her arms, only felt fear.

 Chapter 364 - Get Up. The Show Is On

    There were only thirty or so of them, the Concubine Liu and the Ninth Prince included, while the soldiers pursuing them numbered several hundreds, and the city gates ahead had been closed. They were cornered in the middle of a thoroughfare, unable to retreat to anywhere or exit the city, as though they had reached a dead end.


    Fang Quan had no room in his head to wonder why these killers hadn¡¯t killed the the Ninth Prince and the Concubine Liu as he¡¯d instructed. Despair was the only thing he could feel at this moment. He had originally believed that he had a chance of escape, but now he ended up being trapped in this place. ¡®I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯m so doomed,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Wha¨CWhat are you doing?!¡± At this time the Concubine Jin¡¯s scream was heard. With a start, Fang Quan jerked his head aside to look in that direction and saw that a killer had held a sword to his grandson¡¯s neck, in which a bloody slit could be seen.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± railed Fang Quan.


    ¡°Calm down, Your Lordship. This is part of the plan. Just stay put and watch,¡± breathed the fake prison guard that had broken them out of the Court Prison, clapping Fang Quan on the shoulder.


    ¡°AAARGH! What are you doing?! Let go of my son!¡± the Concubine Liu squealed again.


    The Ninth Prince, who was only two years old, was drawn to the roadside, crying aloud, a sword held to his neck as well. ¡°Mother! Help me, Mother!¡±


    ¡°Let him go! Let go of my son!¡± The Concubine Liu tried to rush to her son¡¯s help but was restrained by a man in black, unable to move a step.


    At this time, their pursuers had encircled them ring upon ring. Before the soldiers could take any further action, the two young princes were forced out of the crowd, each having a sword held to his throat, the sharp blades reflecting the moonlight menacingly.


    ¡°Let us leave or see the two princes of the Zhou family die where they stand.¡±


    Caught flat-footed by this turn of events, the one in charge of the manhunt didn¡¯t dare take the liberty of making a decision and ordered a soldier to go back and report it to his superior as quick as possible.


    The fake prison guard and the others¡­ No, these killers, they were not anxious at all. It was as though they had been expecting the pursuers to send someone back to report. Somewhat confused, Fang Quan asked, ¡°What do you want to do exactly?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet and enjoy the show, Your Lordship,¡± the fake prison guard warned Fang Quan in a placid tone, twisting his head aside to look at him. At the sight of the expression in the man¡¯s eyes, Fang Quan didn¡¯t dare utter another word.


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang was pulled out of his heap of covers, he was sleepy and groggy. Looking at Yuwen Tong standing at the beside with sore eyes, he said sourly, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Why did Yuwen Tong get up in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? What had got into Yuwen Tong? He¡¯d been sound asleep and having a really sweet dream before being suddenly awoken, and now his temper had begun to fray.


    Yuwen Tong rubbed Ling Zhang¡¯s head and then planted a large kiss on his brow. ¡°Get up and come with me to watch a show.¡±


    ¡°Watch a show? What¡¯s the problem with you? I was having a good sleep! If you¡¯re soft in the head, you may go out there and mess around all you want. Why wake me up as well? It¡¯s the middle of the night! What kind of show could there possibly be?!¡± Ling Zhang went berserk, raised a pillow and hurled it at Yuwen Tong.


    Still sleepy, Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t realized what Yuwen Tong was talking about. He mistakenly believed that by ¡®watch a show¡¯, Yuwen Tong was referring to an opera or something. Who would stage a show at this hour of the night? Had the theatrical troupe lost their mind? Or had the audience gone crazy?


    Yuwen Tong was hit by the pillow, caught it and then explained explicitly, ¡°Someone bust Fang Quan out of the prison, and some others broke the two princes of the Zhou family out of the palace. Right now they¡¯re trapped at the South City Gates. The funny thing is that their rescuers demand to see me, threatening to kill the two young princes if I don¡¯t go there.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯d mind was still a little unclear. ¡°Um? What?¡±


    It was after Yuwen Tong repeated his words that Ling Zhang came to understand what was going on. Also, his mind cleared. Fang Quan and the two princes of the Zhou family wanted to escape? They must be stopped. If they escaped, there would be serious trouble!


    ¡°What are you standing there for? Let¡¯s go and check right now!¡± said Ling Zhang, giving Yuwen Tong a push, jumping out of bed, dressing in great haste.


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong walked up to him to help him get dressed. ¡°Without my leave, nobody would dare let those people go, and neither would those people dare kill anybody. It¡¯s the middle of the night and there¡¯s still several hours before daybreak. Let them stand there for a little while longer. Besides, it¡¯s pitch-dark out there, so I sent some men to get some torches. We may wait until the whole street is well lit to set out.¡±


    Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity by these words. ¡°Ah? You want us to wait until the whole street is lit to go there? Are you crazy?¡±


    Yuwen Tong helped Ling Zhang adjust his underwear and put on the other clothes. Then he held Ling Zhang¡¯s face in his hands and gave him a smack on the cheek, which nearly sent Ling Zhang into a stupor. Looking emptily at Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang said heatedly, ¡°Is your mind really not quite clear at night or something? Why did you make the kiss so loud?!¡±


    There was no doubt that all the guards on night duty had heard it. What the hell did he think he was doing? Had he no shame?!


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Well, isn¡¯t night the time for me to kiss you loud? I mean, you don¡¯t let me do this during the day. Okay, go and wash your face. It¡¯ll help you get rid of the drowsiness.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt like contradicting him but was at a loss for words. Eventually he still washed his face and was instantly fully awake. When he looked out of the window at the inky blackness of night, his face crumpled up as though he was on the verge of tears. Wasn¡¯t everybody supposed to be asleep at this hour? Why did he have to get up?


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going right now. I don¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t seem to be concerned at all. If they really escape, I doubt you would still have that smile on your face,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong was pushed to the doorway, opened the doors and asked Yao Yi and Miao Shisan who were on guard duty outside, ¡°Did they beat the gongs and drums loud enough?¡±


    ¡°They did! It¡¯s definitely loud enough. I assure you the whole city have been woken up,¡± replied Yao Yi, excitement written all over his face.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t quite understand what they were saying, looking at them with a bemused expression. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®gongs and drums¡¯?¡±


    ¡°When we were pursuing the princes of the Zhou family, I specially had some men beat gongs and drums loudly on both the gate tower of the inner city and the one of the outer city, and I also had them yell. Right now probably everybody in this city has come to know that Fang Quan broke out of prison and abducted the two princes of the Zhou family.¡±


    Ling Zhang was even more bewildered. ¡°Ah? Didn¡¯t some people try to rescue the two princes?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re living in the imperial palace and don¡¯t need rescuing. It must be that those people kidnapped them,¡± responded Yuwen Tong in a significant tone of voice.


    Yao Yi even let out two sly chuckles. ¡°Come to think of it, we were worried that this explanation might not be convincing enough, but strangely ¨C I don¡¯t know what their rescuers were thinking ¨C they actually really changed their mind and abducted the two princes, making it totally unnecessary for us to explain anything. Now it¡¯s absolutely compelling enough.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly frowned, pondering over it. After a few moments, he had a general idea of what was going on. ¡°Are you saying that you intentionally had some men beat gongs and drums to have the whole city believe that Fang Quan broke out of prison and abducted the two princes?¡±


    Yao Yi inclined his head. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Is that why you want the whole street lit by torches?¡±


    Yuwen Tong also bobbed his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you have to do with this?¡±


    Before Yuwen Tong could say anything, Yao Yi replied, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Childe Ling. The Marshal really has nothing to do with this. It was some men from Jiangzhou that came here to rescue Fang Quan and the Eighth Prince. They just abducted the Ninth Prince in passing, and it was shortly before they took action tonight that this matter came to the Marshal¡¯s knowledge, and then the Marshal decided to outwit them with their own trick.¡±


    ¡°Outwit them with their own trick?¡± Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°The other two princes are a hot potato in my hands, and I don¡¯t know how to deal with them without causing serious backwash. My original plan was to place them under house arrest after my enthronement and wait until people gradually forget about the two of them to figure something out, but this plan has a drawback ¨C there¡¯s no guarantee they won¡¯t make any trouble, and the cost of keeping watch on them will be rather high. It¡¯s a quite troublesome issue, but those people from Jiangzhou made things a lot easier for me by coming here to rescue them, because when they were under my control, I couldn¡¯t do anything to them, but now, considering they have fallen into other people¡¯s hands, that¡¯s no longer the case,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath, feeling that Yuwen Tong had indeed done something big without him noticing.


    ¡°So the reason why you¡¯re trying to have this matter come to the knowledge of the whole city is because you want to make it clear to those needing to know about this that it was some people from Jiangzhou who abducted the two princes, that you don¡¯t have a choice and isn¡¯t the one to blame, right?¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°You¡¯re very smart, Brother Zhang.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    With such a broad hint provided for him, he needed to be a fool not to have guessed it.


    ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at Yao Yi, who looked at Miao Shisan. The corners of Miao Shisan¡¯s mouth twitched and then he said, ¡°Even Lord Hu and Lord Pei were alarmed. A moment ago I heard that the two old lords were hastening to this place.¡±


    ¡°What about the others? Are they heading for the street or the imperial palace?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Almost all of them are heading for the palace. Only a couple of them are going to the street,¡± responded Miao Shisan.


    Yuwen Tong snorted coldly, ¡°Good. Keep close watch on those hurrying to the street. I¡¯ll take care of them after this is over.¡±


    Gaping at Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang inquired, ¡°Is this also part of your plan?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I¡¯m just turning their trick to my own use.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. It struck him that he would never be able to outshine Yuwen Tong in terms of wit.


    ¡°So we¡¯re staying?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have them prepare some food. We may grab a bite first before going there to see those people. Yao Yi, when those people come here, tell them they¡¯ll have to wait, that I¡¯m still in bed.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­


    The cooks in the kitchen soon prepared some noodle soup and the servants proffered it to the two of them. After they each drank a bowl of noodle soup, their stomachs felt very comfortable, and they were in good spirits. Ling Zhang would have drifted off to sleep if what was happening out there hadn¡¯t concerned him.


    Yuwen Tong had the servants clear the table, wiped his and Ling Zhang¡¯s mouths clean, and then handed a cup of tea to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang took it, had a sip and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to go? Those people out there must be as anxious as cats on a hot tin roof.¡±


    It was only then that Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside and said to Miao Shisan, ¡°Tell Yao Yi to let them in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Before long, the front gates of the Infinite Fortune Palace were opened. Almost all the civil officials and military officers who should be here at this point in time had come, gathering in the gateway, seeking an audience with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong walked outside with Ling Zhang and said to the two old lords, ¡°I¡¯ve been informed of what¡¯s going on. Now let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Marshal,¡± said Lord Hu after paying his respects to Yuwen Tong with Lord Pei, ¡°may I ask how you plan to deal with this issue?¡±

 Chapter 365 - Confrontation and Requests

    Yuwen Tong cast the two of them a glance and replied, ¡°We cannot let any harm come to the two princes, for they¡¯re both still young. First we have to find out what Fang Quan wants, and the safety of the two princes takes precedence over anything else. Now let¡¯s not waste any time and get going right away. We may continue our talk on our way there.¡±


    The two old lords exchanged looks and came to know what each other were thinking about. They both felt relieved but were also inwardly sighing. That remark of Yuwen Tong¡¯s made it inappropriate for either of them to say any of the words they intended to say. Yuwen Tong had said that the safety of the two princes took precedence of anything else, which meant that there was no need whatsoever for the two of them to try to persuade him. They were inwardly sighing because this incident was happening at the worst possible time. The two old lords had waited at the gateway of the palace for quite a while, along with a group of other courtiers, and they¡¯d both come to know that the rescuers were from Jiangzhou. The two of them were fully aware of the situation in Jiangzhou. Previously Jiangzhou had picked the wrong side, and there was no doubt some day Yuwen Tong would make them pay for it. And now those people in Jiangzhou conspired with Fang Quan and did this. It was only too obvious that they were simply trying to take advantage of the two princes to make trouble.


    If truth be told, both the two old lords had quite mixed feelings about this matter. Their allegiance belonged to the Zhou family, which was the former imperial household, but the former emperor had been fatuous and incompetent, and he had done a myriad of stupid things. The people of Cangzhou rising in revolt was only the beginning of the fallout, and more popular uprisings would have followed on the heels of it had someone not successfully saved the situation. In that case, the Great Yue would descend into civil strife and the people would still be the ones who suffered. Currently, Yuwen Tong had put the overall situation under control, and his method of taking the throne had been quite moderate ¨C abdication, which had been a move that almost nobody had foreseen. For the Zhou family, it had been a catastrophe, and it might prove detrimental to Yuwen Tong¡¯s future reign as well, because there was no telling whether or not the surviving members of the Zhou family would seek to take revenge. However, for the people of this country, it was absolutely a good thing. A smooth transition between the old dynasty and the new one, to the greatest possible degree, allowed things to stay the way they were instead of making anything worse. Many of the decisions that Yuwen Tong had made during the past few weeks had been very favorable for the people¡¯s restoring their lives, and they would be put into action one by one after his enthronement. Thinking from the perspective of the people, the two old lords actually preferred Yuwen Tong to accede to the throne.


    However, Lord Hu and Lord Pei also wanted to help the two young princes survive. After all, they used to be very much in the former emperor¡¯s confidence. If they failed to save the deceased emperor¡¯s sons, they would be living in guilt and shame for the rest of their lives.


    But unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong seemed to have some time ago fathomed out what the two of them had been thinking, and at the very beginning of the conversation, he made them hold back their words.


    It struck them that Yuwen Tong was too clever.


    ¡­


    Martial law had been imposed when they reached the street, but there were still a lot of lookers-on on the sides of the street. Predictably, they had all been woken up at this late hour of the night.


    All soldiers standing on the sides of the street were holding lighted torches, and the torches on the gate tower were also ablaze with light. The whole street was well lit as expected.


    Ling Zhang unnoticeably gave a little cough. Had he not been informed of the secret orders given by Yuwen Tong, he would really have mistakenly believed that the soldiers had lit these torches of their own accord.


    The group of killers, who abducted the two young princes, had thought that Yuwen Tong would soon come to see them. It had never crossed any of their minds that Yuwen Tong would wait until almost two hours later to show up. Even that fake prison guard, who had always appeared to be the most composed one of them, had a rather sulky face.


    A scab had formed at that long thin wound in the Eighth Prince¡¯s neck, and the Ninth Prince was so exhausted from crying that he could barely stand on his own. The abductor restraining him had had no choice but to scoop him up, and after such a long time, his arms were terribly sore, but in order to save face, he had to tough it out, showing no sign of his tiredness.


    The Concubine Jin was on the verge of losing her temper and would probably have started hurling abuse had Fang Quan not been trying his best to keep her from doing it.


    ¡°It took you so long to come here, Marshal Yuwen. You¡¯re indeed a quite poised man,¡± remarked the fake prison guard. From the vantage of the present, he should be the leader of this group of killers.


    ¡°Who are you? Why did you abduct the two young princes?¡± demanded Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°We¡¯re just a group of people who do what people pay us to do for a living. As long as you let us leave, I promise we won¡¯t harm the two young princes. After all, their lives are worth a lot of money. We also don¡¯t want things to get ugly, because we¡¯ll lose our payment if that happens,¡± responded the leader of the killers.


    ¡°How dare you?! They are both princes. The value of their lives cannot be measured by money. Let the princes go and surrender yourselves right now!¡± bellowed a courtier.


    Ling Zhang thought scathingly, ¡®This guy really thinks blustering will do any good?¡¯


    Unsurprisingly, the leader of the killers didn¡¯t even glance at that courtier. He just looked at Yuwen Tong and added, ¡°So what¡¯s your decision, Marshal Yuwen? Let¡¯s not waste any more time. As long as you give the order to let us go, I¡¯ll have my men take the swords off the princes¡¯ necks. Then we¡¯ll deliver the two of them to our employer. After that, you may do whatever you want. There¡¯s no need to make things awkward for you and me at this point in time.¡±


    ¡°Who hired you?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    The ringleader said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. We have to keep the identity of our employer secret.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to get the two princes back if I don¡¯t know where they¡¯ll be taken? And why would I let you leave if I won¡¯t be able to get them back?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The look on the ringleader¡¯s face flickered and with that he replied, ¡°Stop sniping, Marshal. Are you not afraid that we¡¯ll kill the two princes if you don¡¯t let us leave?¡±


    Yuwen Tong knitted his eyebrows, a sense of power radiating from him.


    ¡°Marshal, please calm down,¡± said Lord Hu, stepping forward. ¡°Rescuing the two princes is the most important.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed him a glance. ¡°Then tell me, what do you suggest we do to rescue the two princes, Lord Hu?¡±


    Lord Pei walked out of the crowd and said, ¡°Please allow me to give it a try, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no reply, which the old lord took as tacit permission. Lord Pei pivoted around to face the ringleader, his eyes raking Fang Quan, the Concubine Jin and the Concubine Liu before finally resting on the two men restraining the two princes. ¡°However much your employer promised you, we¡¯ll pay you double if you let the princes go.¡±


    ¡°That does sound an appealing offer, but credibility means something to us. Now that we¡¯ve struck a deal with our employer, we have to honor it. So, old lord, if you want to rescue these two princes, you may wait until we deliver them to the employer to make a deal with us. I promise I¡¯ll get them back to you safe and sound,¡± said the ringleader.


    What? Fang Quan and the Concubine Jin looked at the ringleader in disbelief. ¡°You¨CYou can¡¯t do that! Have you no shame?!¡±


    The ringleader twisted his head around and said, ¡°Your Lordship, we¡¯re just contract killers, and we do the bidding of whoever pays us enough money, but you may rest assured that we¡¯ll keep our end of this deal.¡±


    ¡°Fang Quan! Are you insane?! The Eighth Prince is your grandson, and the Ninth Prince is only two. Where do you want to take them?!¡±


    Fang Quan¡¯s reaction aroused a lot of courtiers¡¯ suspicions, and one of them started to rebuke him.


    ¡°Enough of this nonsense! You¡¯re wasting time,¡± reprimanded the ringleader flintily.


    Fang Quan had originally wanted to snap back at those people on the other side but was interrupted by the ringleader and had to hold back the words on the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°This is taking too long, Marshal Yuwen. It¡¯s a simple choice ¨C do you want these two young princes to live, or do you want them to die?¡± said the ringleader.


    ¡°You need to think carefully, Marshal, and please make sure the two princes live.¡±


    ¡°You must not do that, Marshal. These people are killers. They can not be trusted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Marshal. You must not be soft-hearted at this point in time.¡±


    ¡°Marshal¡­¡±


    There were two kinds of opinions. Only very few were in favor of accepting the offer to save the two princes¡¯ lives, and all of them were those on good terms with Lord Hu and Lord Pei. The other courtiers, headed by the Right Prime Minister, all insisted that they do not let the killers leave.


    Watching them arguing with each other with red faces, Ling Zhang wondered whether they would ever get tired.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Yuwen Tong drily, looking at the ringleader, an icy expression in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go, but you must promise you won¡¯t hurt the two princes. If any harm comes to either of them, I¡¯ll track you down and make you pay for it, whatever the cost may be.¡±


    The ringleader grinned, ¡°Since you made such a sensible decision, we naturally will keep our promise. Now, please give the order for the city gates to be opened so that we can leave.¡±


    ¡°Marshal!¡± implored the Right Prime Minister. ¡°If you let them go and they by any chance use the two young princes to do evil, there would be yet another political disaster.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, you¡¯re asking the Marshal to betray his moral code!¡± spat Lord Hu.


    ¡°Are you done quarreling?¡± said the ringleader, looking sulky. ¡°Marshal Yuwen, you¡¯re not going back on your word, are you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glacial glance at him and then commanded the soldiers guarding the city gates, ¡°Open the gates. Let them leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The soldiers guarding the city gates always obeyed Yuwen Tong¡¯s instructions unconditionally. The moment Yuwen Tong gave the order, they immediately opened the city gates, despite the fact that the courtiers were still arguing heatedly.


    The ringleader gave a sneer and quickly went through the city gates with his men, abducting the two princes and Fang Quan and some others.


    The Right Prime Minister and many other courtiers were sighing in disconsolation. Lord Hu and Lord Pei had mixed feelings, but no matter what, from a moral point of view, there was nothing wrong about Yuwen Tong¡¯s handling of this matter.


    ¡°Guards, follow them and find out where they¡¯re going exactly. If they mean the two princes harm, take immediate action and rescue them,¡± ordered Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± Miao Shisan answered, fell out with some men and hurried out of the city to pursue the killers.


    Watching the receding figures disappear from view at the city gates one by one, Ling Zhang thought, ¡®Yuwen Tong¡¯s allowing the killers leave is actually a fairly risky move. What if they really successfully bring the two princes to Jiangzhou?¡¯


    Still, if Yuwen Tong had refused to let them leave, things would still have been quite thorny. Yuwen Tong had just chosen the lesser of two evils after weighing up the pros and cons.


    This incident that had happened in the middle of the night had come to the knowledge of everybody, and those in the Ling Mansion were no exception.


    Ji Yin walked into Ji Yanlai¡¯s courtyard house. ¡°It¡¯s done, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head. ¡°Since Fang Quan intends to kill the Ninth Prince, create an opportunity for him to do it. The other one is the least of our concern, for his Vitality Star is dim and lusterless, which means his fate has been sealed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Clan Leader.¡± Ji Yin bobbed his head.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong acted pretty quick. Those gongs and drums awoke me in the middle of the night and rendered me unable to sleep,¡± complained Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yin chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s over. You may go back to sleep now, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai rolled his eyes upwards and said, ¡°Sleep my ass. Never mind. You may leave. I could use a little quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Clan Leader.¡± Ji Yin nodded and left.


    Ji Yanlai lapsed into silence and looked up into the night sky at the stars. Two of the stars were unnaturally bright, their radiance so brilliant that they overshadowed all those around them. ¡°It seems that Father¡¯s right. The momentum of a great destiny is unstoppable.¡±

 Chapter 366 - I Never Meant to Kill Them

    It had been a rough night, and when Ling Zhang finally returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace, Yuwen Tong was still not back, occupied with tackling the aftermath.


    Ling Zhang raised his hands to knead his temples, then closed his eyes and quietly sat there for quite a while.


    He was not really a good Samaritan, and he knew that the loss of innocent people¡¯s lives was inevitable on the path to supremacy, that in order to consolidate dominion, some difficult choices would have to be made. However, right now he was unable to find complete peace of mind, for there were miscellaneous thoughts racing through his mind, which he couldn¡¯t dismiss.


    Miao Shiba walked inside and saw Ling Zhang sitting there, massaging his temples. Mistakenly believing that Ling Zhang was experiencing some kind of discomfort, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you not feeling well, Childe Ling? Do you want me to send for a court physician?¡±


    Ling Zhang put his hands down and shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just a little tired. Maybe it¡¯s because of the tough night. I think I¡¯ll be fine after sitting here for a few moments.¡±


    Miao Shiba silently flicked a glance at Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance, opened his mouth, paused briefly and then ventured, ¡°Childe Ling, are you¡­ in a bad mood?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s really just because of the interruption to my sleep. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Miao Shiba stood there for a while. Seeing Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to say anything more about it, he said, ¡°Then maybe you should go and catch up on your sleep. There¡¯s still some time before daybreak.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°You may leave and go where you¡¯re needed. I can take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Miao Shiba walked out of the imperial bedchamber, his face etched with apprehension.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked a guard on duty outside the doors.


    ¡°Childe Ling doesn¡¯t seem in a good mood. I wonder if what happened tonight affected him,¡± replied Miao Shiba.


    The other man kept silent for a while and then said, ¡°Childe Ling is soft-hearted.¡±


    ¡°How about we tell Childe Ling about the Marshal¡¯s plan?¡± suggested Miao Shiba.


    The man shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s best if Childe Ling hears it from the Marshal. Right now what he needs is some quiet.¡±


    Miao Shiba sighed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Miao Shiba took his leave, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t change out of his clothes to go to bed. He was still sitting there. For quite a while he was silent and motionless as though in a trance.


    He didn¡¯t think he was a tender-hearted man, and neither did he think he was totally blameless, but now that he had chosen to reign over this country with Yuwen Tong, he¡¯d have to accept responsibility for half of the bloodshed and loss of lives that came with the achievement of dominion. ¡®Never mind. Fretting about it won¡¯t help. What¡¯s done is done. I have to move on,¡¯ he thought.


    After forcing the last bit of turmoil out of his mind, Ling Zhang rose to his feet, changed and went to bed.


    ¡­


    The sky was beginning to brighten when Yuwen Tong returned after handling everything. Miao Shiba saluted him with the other guards and said in a low voice, ¡°Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Is Brother Zhang asleep?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Miao Shiba hesitated for a brief moment and then replied, ¡°Childe Ling seems to have trouble sleeping. I¡¯ve been hearing him tossing and turning in bed for quite a while.¡±


    Yuwen Tong cast a glance into the imperial bedchamber. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Miao Shiba told Yuwen Tong about Ling Zhang¡¯s being in a foul mood.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°I see.¡±


    He walked into the imperial bedchamber which was very quiet, took off his overgarment and then entered the inner chamber. Ling Zhang was indeed in a very light sleep. On hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s footsteps, he opened his eyes and asked, ¡°You got everything done?¡±


    Yuwen Tong stepped closer to stroke Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead. Seeing the weariness on his face caused by bad sleep, he said, ¡°Why were you sleeping so badly? Something¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to tell Yuwen Tong about his thoughts which might put needless stress on Yuwen Tong, so he replied, ¡°We watched the show for a whole night, and my mind is full of images of those people, which is keeping me from sleeping well. I was just thinking of lying here for a while. You want to join me? You¡¯ve been bustling around all night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy,¡± said Yuwen Tong, stretching out a hand. ¡°How about you get up?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head, took Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and sat up. Then he subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to knead his temple, but his hand had just moved when he realized it and stopped.


    Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at Ling Zhang¡¯s hand but didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Get dressed and go out there to practice kung fu. You¡¯ll feel less sleepy after working up a sweat.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Ling Zhang, getting out of bed with the intention to change his clothes.


    Yuwen Tong got him some clothes suitable to wear for kung fu practice. While helping Ling Zhang change into them, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Are you having a guilty conscience?¡±


    Ling Zhang paused. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty. I¡¯m not going to kill them. I just need them to change their identities,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him in astonishment. ¡°H¨CHow do you know I¡¯m¡­ But if you don¡¯t want to kill them, why did you let them leave the city?¡±


    It was after helping Ling Zhang change into the clothes that Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°If they stay in this city, they¡¯ll always be princes of the former imperial family. Children are innocent, and I don¡¯t need the deaths of two kids to secure my throne. It¡¯s their identities that I intend to kill.¡±


    Ling Zhang gawked at him. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong adjusted the skirts of Ling Zhang¡¯s coat for him, making him look sharp and handsome. When he raised his head, he saw the stupefaction on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, smiled, took Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks in his hands and gave him a smack on the forehead. ¡°Why are you looking so dumb?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance and huffed, ¡°I¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell me this sooner?! I couldn¡¯t sleep all night, and the headache¡¯s been killing me!¡±


    ¡®Now he¡¯s telling the truth,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong, chuckling. ¡°There were too many things going on, and I didn¡¯t have the time to tell you until now.¡±


    In fact, Yuwen Tong had originally meant to wait until his plan succeeded to disclose it to Ling Zhang, because after all, right now the two princes were still in those killers¡¯ hands, and the whole thing was fraught with uncertainties. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to keep concealing it from Ling Zhang when he saw Ling Zhang so blue.


    And now, Ling Zhang¡¯s confiding his true feelings to him had set his mind at ease.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and start practicing. Haven¡¯t you been looking forward to making a breakthrough to reach the third level? I think you¡¯ll probably get there when all this is over,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang drew abreast of him and replied, ¡°My grandfather told me that as long as I kept accumulating experience at this pace, I¡¯d naturally achieve a breakthrough when the time came, that I shouldn¡¯t be too anxious to get quick results.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ji had a point.¡±


    ¡­


    In a wilderness about a hundred miles away from the capital city.


    ¡°Finally we shook off those nuisances. It surprises me that Yuwen Tong¡¯s subordinates are pretty good at this. They actually followed us for a hundred miles.¡±


    The thirty killers abducting Fang Quan and the others had split up into two groups and eventually managed to lose their pursuers. At this moment they were having a breather in the wildlands. Kung fu experts as all these killers were, they were still panting heavily after running a hundred miles without respite. For Fang Quan and the others who had no kung fu skills, the journey had been even more of an ordeal, and they would probably have breathed their last from fatigue already if nobody had carried them along the way.


    ¡°You need to bandage my son¡¯s wound right now!¡± piped the Concubine Jin.


    ¡°His Highness¡¯ wound is very shallow, and a scab has formed already. It¡¯ll heal spontaneously over time. There¡¯s no need to bandage it, and neither is there any need for Your Highness to lose your temper,¡± said the ringleader.


    Naturally the Concubine Jin also knew about this. She was just using it as an excuse to vent her anger. The frantic bumpy long ride had almost killed her, and now they were in the heath which was teeming with mosquitoes, bugs, rats and ants. To make things worse, the only food they had was dry, hard pancakes, and she couldn¡¯t even have a bowl of hot soup. In her eyes, this place was utterly unfit for anybody to stay.


    ¡°Who are you exactly? And where are you taking me and my son? Lord Fang, Concubine Jin, what on earth do you want to do?¡± demanded the Concubine Liu.


    Unlike the Concubine Jin, the Concubine Liu, after being put down, immediately ran to her son as fast as she could and held him in her arms, comforting him and crying. Seeing Zhou Mingyun¡¯s horrified face, she hugged him so tight as though she would never let him go. Then her eyes resentfully swept across those around her before resting on Fang Quan and the Concubine Jin.


    At the sight of the Concubine Liu, the Concubine Jin¡¯s temper began to fray. Instead of answering the question, she started reprimanding the killers, ¡°I made it very clear that she had to die. Why did you bring her and her son out of the city as well?!¡±


    Face hardening, the Concubine Liu cuddled her son tighter, fixing the Concubine Jin with a stare so menacing as though she was only too anxious to flay the Concubine Jin alive and eat her flesh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Your Highness. We but did what we were paid to do. Our employer didn¡¯t say anything about killing them. In fact, he said that he¡¯d double the payment if we could rescue the two of them in passing,¡± said the ringleader.


    ¡°What?!¡± Fang Quan¡¯s countenance changed drastically. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did you promise me you¡¯d kill them back when we were in the Court Prison?¡±


    The ringleader responded, ¡°Because I wanted Your Lordship to stay in a good mood and be cooperative during our operation, of course.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Fang Quan went ballistic and was just about to spring to his feet when the two courtiers beside him stopped him. In an effort to calm him down, one of the courtiers said in a hushed voice, ¡°Easy, Lord Fang. We still rely on them to get to Jiangzhou in one piece.¡±


    Fang Quan¡¯s face changed several times, and eventually he coldly gave a snort of indignation.


    The Concubine Liu, holding her son, felt as though her insides had turned into ice. She looked in the direction of the killers and offered, ¡°Since my son and I are of little significance, please let us go, mighty warriors. I¡¯ll pay you double the money your employer promised you!¡±


    The ringleader shook his head. ¡°Like I said, credibility means a lot to us.¡±


    The Concubine Liu lapsed into despair. The Ninth Prince, who sensed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere, kept burrowing his face deeper into the Concubine Liu¡¯s chest. ¡°Mother.¡±


    The Concubine Liu could do nothing but embrace her son tighter.


    The Concubine Jin disgustedly looked at the Concubine Liu and her son and sniffed impatiently, ¡°Spare us the loving mother act. You both should feel lucky they saved your asses.¡±


    The Concubine Liu looked back at her flintily. ¡°I¡¯m not like you. All I want is for my son and I to live in peace for the rest of our lives. My father has already requested Yuwen Tong to allow my son to sever all his relations with the Zhou family and change his name. We were only one step away from freedom, but you ruined everything!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself. You think Yuwen Tong¡¯s going to let you walk away? Stop dreaming,¡± contradicted the Concubine Jin.


    The Concubine Liu icily stared at her, hatred glinting in her eyes.


    Fang Quan looked up at them and with that his eyes roved and a vicious plan formed in his mind.


    After a while, Fang Quan put on a genial face and said to the Concubine Liu, ¡°Your Highness, now that we¡¯re all in this together, why don¡¯t you cooperate with us to take back the throne that rightfully belongs to the Zhou family?¡±


    The Concubine Liu gazed at him, making no reply.


    Fang Quan stood up and was just about to make towards her when the ringleader stopped him. ¡°Your Lordship, if there¡¯s anything you want to say, just say it where you stand.¡±


    ¡°I just want to talk some sense into her. What do you think I could possibly do?¡± said Fang Quan, affecting an air of nonchalance, but the ringleader didn¡¯t relent, so he had no choice but to sit down. Then he really started trying to persuade the Concubine Liu.


    He rambled on for quite a while about things like the destiny of the nation, wealth, status and fame, but the Concubine Liu was entirely unswayed. ¡°All I want is for me and my son to have an ordinary life. I have no interest in any of these things.¡±


    Fang Quan was unconvinced and resumed his effort to make her see reason, sounding quite sincere.


    At dusk, Fang Quan had moved from his original position to a spot very close to the Concubine Liu and her son. In the beginning the ringleader had warned him not to approach them several times, but all Fang Quan had been doing was merely try to convince her, so the ringleader had gradually lowered his guard.

 Chapter 367 - A Fight

    It happened in an instant.


    Fang Quan suddenly launched himself at the Concubine Liu, produced a knife from somewhere about his person and abruptly stabbed it at the Ninth Prince who was in the Concubine Liu¡¯s arms!


    He did it so fast that nobody was able to stop him. When the Concubine Liu¡¯s scream was heard, the Ninth Prince had already fallen to the ground, lying in a pool of blood. The ringleader kicked Fang Quan aside, whipped out his saber and held it to Fang Quan¡¯s neck, a glacial look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to have done this, Your Lordship.¡±


    Fang Quan¡¯s teeth were chattering from the coldness of the blade against his neck. ¡°You¨CYou can¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m the Eighth Prince¡¯s grandfather, and my life is worth something. You want to lose the part of the payment for my life?!¡±


    The ringleader¡¯s eyes went cold, the rippling muscles on his face making him look like a cacodemon. The Concubine Jin and the Eighth Prince both screeched with horror, flinching and curling up.


    ¡°My son! My son!¡± wailed the Concubine Liu, holding the Ninth Prince. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, my son!¡±


    All the others stood motionlessly, not daring utter a word. The Concubine Liu¡¯s shrill crying sounded exceptionally poignant in the wilds on this pitch-dark night.


    The ringleader dealt Fang Quan a blow with the flat of his saber which knocked him out. Icy-faced, looking at the Ninth Prince¡¯s body and the Concubine Liu who was still wailing, he instructed, ¡°Gag her.¡±


    Soon someone forced the Concubine Liu into stop crying. With a demented face, the Concubine Liu stared murderously at Fang Quan and the Concubine Jin, the look in her eyes so venomous as though she would eat them alive and drink their blood if she could.


    At first the Concubine Jin was scared, but after a while, seeing that the ringleader was showing no inclination to kill Fang Quan and the Concubine Liu had been restrained, she became smug again. ¡°It¡¯s no good staring at me. This is your fate.¡±


    The Concubine Liu struggled frantically and somehow she actually managed to free herself from her bonds and lunged towards the Concubine Jin and the Eighth Prince. The Concubine Jin immediately dodged aside, squawking, so anxious to save her own hide that she failed to notice that her son was glued to the spot. The Concubine Liu held the boy, jerked the pointed gold hairpin out of her bun and plunged it deep into the Eighth Prince¡¯s chest.


    ¡°NOOOO!¡± yelled everybody nearby, but none of them was quick enough to stop the Concubine Liu who had suddenly put on a spurt.


    ¡°AAAAAAARGH! YOU BITCH! I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡± It was after seeing her son sink to the ground that the Concubine Jin came to herself and dived at the Concubine Liu.


    The ringleader gave each of them a kick, sending them flying, his face so cold as though it were about to frost. Then he looked from the Eighth Prince¡¯s dead body on the ground to the two women who were half dead from the kicks, a bloodthirsty expression flashing across his eyes. ¡°What a double whammy. These two women ruined such a lucrative deal.¡±


    ¡°What should we do now, Chief?¡± a killer asked.


    The ringleader¡¯s eyes raked the Concubine Jin and the others who were still alive, and then he replied flintily, ¡°It¡¯s the two princes that our employer wants. The others are insignificant. Now that the most important goods were damaged, the others are naturally useless now. Kill them all and burn this place.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chief,¡± answered the killer.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m the Concubine Jin! I¡¯m an imperial family member! You riff-raff! Don¡¯t you dare kill me!¡± the Concubine Jin cried out in fright.


    The two courtiers were also thrown into terror.


    ¡°Chief, the pursuers are here! We¡¯ve been surrounded!¡±


    In the distance, a vast patch of lighted torches were approaching. The ringleader¡¯s face twisted with fury for quite a while before he ordered, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    ¡°What about these people?¡±


    ¡°Let them be. They¡¯re just a bunch of good-for-nothings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    The gang of killers quickly retreated. Before leaving, they set the whole place on fire. Nobody knew how they did it, but the flames instantly raged out of control, encircling the Concubine Jin and the others!


    ¡°HELP! HELP!¡± The Concubine Jin and the others started shouting. The Concubine Liu struggled to her feet and, while the Concubine Jin was crying for help, launched herself on the Concubine Jin, holding a blood-stained dagger which she had pulled out of the Ninth Prince¡¯s body, and heavily sank it into the Concubine Jin¡¯s neck. ¡°DIE!¡± she bellowed.


    ¡°AAAARGH¨CUh¨CUh¨C¡± With a dagger sticking in her neck, the Concubine Jin was unable to utter another word, gripping the Concubine Liu¡¯s hand in agony, struggling vainly for her life. Blood was spewing from the wound as quick as her life was leaving her body, and soon she breathed her last.


    After watching her die, the Concubine Liu raised her head and broke into hysterical laughter, oblivious of the flames that were about to reach her. When she was on the verge of losing her mind, she blacked out.


    The two courtiers whom the killers had bust out of the prison in passing were the only ones still conscious. They yelled madly for help. The lighted torches in the distance were approaching quickly and their bearers would soon arrive.


    All of a sudden, a gust of wind generated by a palm strike soundlessly came at the two of them and with that they stopped shouting and fell to the ground.


    Two black figures quietly leaped into the inferno. One of them scooped up the two princes from the ground and immediately left. The other quickly tampered with the scene and then rapidly retreated. Nobody saw what they had done.


    Very soon, the large number of pursuers surrounded the whole place. As this was a wilderness and it was very inconvenient to get water, the soldiers had no choice but to rescue as many as they could from the inferno. What with the chaotic situation, they didn¡¯t even know whom they had rescued. It was not until the spreading flames became too fierce for the soldiers to get close to any of those still in the fire that the water was delivered to the scene, and putting out the fire alone took the soldiers a very long time.


    ¡­


    In the distance, a couple of black figures had been gazing in the direction of the fire all along. After confirming that there was no loose end, they pivoted around and left.


    ¡°Lao Shi, can you save the two princes?¡± asked Miao Shisan, removing the piece of black cloth from his face.


    Xie Shi examined the two princes and then replied, ¡°Brother San used his internal energy to change the directions of Fang Quan¡¯s and the Concubine Liu¡¯s stabs in time, and he also struck some of the two princes¡¯ acupoints, so although their injuries are severe, they¡¯re still curable. Give me my medicine chest. We have to get them somewhere quiet. It¡¯ll take some time.¡±


    Miao Shisan unfastened the medicine chest from his back and handed it to Xie Shi.


    There was another man standing silently on the side, whose whole body seemed to have merged into the dark night. His existence was barely perceivable when he was not speaking. ¡°Their identities as princes of the former imperial family have met their ends in that big fire. From now on, Zhou Ming¡¯an and Zhou Mingyun no longer exist in this world. Xiao Yi and Xiao Er will be their temporary names. The Marshal will decide where they should be taken after they recover.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a small town ahead. Go there and find Tai¡¯an Drugstore. It¡¯s our hideout. Settle the two princes in there. Shisan, bring our men back and report this to the Marshal. I¡¯ll keep watch on those people.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­


    It was at dawn that the message was delivered back to the capital city. The Eighth Prince had died at Fang Quan¡¯s hands; the Ninth Prince had been killed by the Concubine Liu who did it in revenge for the murder of her son; the Concubine Jin had died in the big fire. It was a quite tragic event.


    ¡°Fang Quan, the Concubine Liu and the other two courtiers are on their way back. As the two young princes¡¯ and the Concubine Jin¡¯s bodies were reduced to skeletons by the fire, those in charge of the clean-up are still trying to identify them. It¡¯ll take some more time. The gang of killers fled after their mission failed. Commander Xie is personally leading the hunt for them. So far there haven¡¯t been any developments.¡±


    Courtiers in the hall had different facial expressions at the news. Lord Hu and Lord Pei appeared to be in grief. ¡°Are you sure the two princes are among the victims? Did you see them with your own eyes?¡±


    ¡°When we arrived at the scene, the two young princes¡¯ bodies hadn¡¯t been burnt yet, and all of us saw them with our own eyes. The two princes were indeed in there. We were anxious to rescue those who were still alive, but those killers had used Black Oil to set the fire before leaving, and the flames were so fierce that we were unable to get the two princes¡¯ bodies out of the scene.¡±


    Lord Hu and Lord Pei lapsed into a long silence. Whatever they had expected, it wasn¡¯t that things would come to this.


    ¡°Was it really¡­ Fang Quan and the Concubine Liu who killed the two princes?¡± asked Lord Pei.


    ¡°Both the other two survivors are eyewitnesses to the killing. Also, Fang Quan and the Concubine Liu confessed everything.¡±


    There was a deathly hush in the hall. Yuwen Tong also had a grave face.


    ¡°When Fang Quan and the others are escorted into the city, bring them to this hall directly instead of the prison. All courtiers will interrogate them collectively and get justice for the two deceased princes,¡± ordered Yuwen Tong.


    Everybody present were surprised at this instruction, because nobody would be able to play any tricks if this matter was to be handled this way. Lord Hu and Lord Pei exchanged glances, both having mixed expressions in their eyes, torn between admiration for Yuwen Tong¡¯s candidness and grief over the demise of the two young princes.


    ¡­


    Night had already fallen when Fang Quan and the others were escorted into the capital city. The Concubine Liu, Fang Quan and the two courtiers who had previously been broken out of prison all cut sorry figures. After they were forced to their knees in the hall, the two escaped courtiers were the first to kowtow and plead for their lives. Fang Quan¡¯s face was full of resentment, while the Concubine Liu¡¯s was pale and blank.


    The Concubine Liu¡¯s father, Lord Liu, was also present. His rank was not high, but he was also a courtier. At the sight of the Concubine Liu, a sense of grief flooded over the old man, who burst into tears in spite of himself and implored, ¡°Marshal, would you be so kind as to grant me the permission to personally interrogate my daughter? I fear that she might suffer a mental breakdown or even die on the spot if anybody else questions her.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at the others and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The Right Prime Minister and those on his side kept silent, but judging from the expressions on their faces, they were against it. Seeing this, Lord Hu and Lord Pei had no choice but to step up. ¡°We both find Lord Liu¡¯s request understandable. Please give your consent to it, Marshal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You have my consent, Lord Liu.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Marshal.¡± Lord Liu expressed his gratitude, walked up to the Concubine Liu and crouched down. ¡°My daughter, my daughter, look at your father.¡±


    The Concubine Liu slowly raised her eyes. Bit by bit, her face crumpled up and then she wept, ¡°Father, my son died. He died!¡±


    The father and daughter held each other, wailing in one another¡¯s arms. After quite a while, Lord Liu asked her what had happened. The Concubine Liu, as though having just been subjected to some kind of stimulation, launched herself at Fang Quan like crazy. ¡°It was him! It was this bastard Fang Quan who killed my son!¡±


    The Concubine Liu seemed to have lost control of herself and the guards hurriedly restrained her.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! I¡¯ll kill you, drink your blood and eat your flesh! You¡¯ll pay with your life for my son¡¯s death! You¡¯ll pay with your life for my son¡¯s death!¡±


    ¡°Lord Liu, you need to figure out a way to calm the Concubine Liu down so that she could give us an account of what happened back there,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    While Lord Liu was trying to quiet her daughter, Fang Quan was also hurling abuse. ¡°You bitch! You killed my grandson and ruined everything! You son¡¯s life was nothing compared with my grandson¡¯s! How dare you want me to pay for his death? Today I¡¯ll kill you or die trying!¡±


    The guards, who had far less sympathy for Fang Quan, immediately kicked him aside.


    The interrogation was thrown into disarray.


    It was after the Concubine Liu and Fang Quan were both restrained that they gradually cooled down. The Concubine Liu was the first to relate what had happened. ¡°It was indeed me who killed the Eighth Prince, and I have no regrets about having done that. Fang Quan killed my son, so I shattered his stupid hope. That bitch the Concubine Jin is also dead. She¡¯s got her just deserts.¡± After saying this, she burst into laughter.


    The Concubine Liu was too demented to continue, so eventually it was one of the two escaped courtiers who gave them a full account of the events, starting from their coming into contact with that killer in the prison who had claimed to be from Jiangzhou and come to rescue them, to the deaths of the two young princes and the soldiers¡¯ coming to their rescue in the end.


    After the truth about the whole thing was ascertained, Fang Quan was sentenced to death and would be beheaded immediately; the two courtiers were sentenced to life imprisonment; the Concubine Liu was to spend the rest of her life in the cold palace (a palace where an emperor installs members of the imperial family who do something wrong).

 Chapter 368 - Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan

    In the Ling Mansion.


    When Ji Yanlai was informed of the deaths of the two young princes, a quizzical look appeared on his face and with that he looked up into the night sky.


    Ji Yin asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Clan Leader?¡±


    Ji Yanlai made no reply. After quite a while, he suddenly observed with a smile, ¡°Yuwen Tong turns out to be a pretty interesting guy.¡±


    Curiously enough, the two stars which had originally become dim miraculously started shining brightly again, though they were now as ordinary as the countless nondescript stars around them.


    ¡­


    The tragedy about the two young princes was like a farce, and residents in the capital city either felt sorry for them or took an unconcerned attitude towards the matter. All this stopped the day before the enthronement ceremony. Too many events had happened, which was why people were forgetting about them sooner than usual. With the enthronement ceremony drawing near, all those events seemed to have become water under the bridge so quick, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before they were consigned to oblivion.


    Governors of the various prefectures had all entered the capital city. The envoys of the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kingdom and the Fangcun Kingdom had also arrived. Each of the three countries had sent a prince to attend the ceremony. All three princes were strangers to people of the capital city, and even members of the diplomatic corps were all strangers. Everything was new.


    Apart from them, some other people¡¯s arrival in the capital city also attracted people¡¯s attention, such as the Ji family.


    Old Master Ji had taken all his family to the capital city, but they didn¡¯t move into their original abode, because it had long since been taken back by the government. Instead, they settled themselves in another large residence. Their servants were bustling around, cleaning the residence in an orderly fashion. Many people were confused and took a wait-and-see attitude, wondering why the Ji family had chosen to come to the capital city at this point in time.


    In the imperial palace.


    Seven people ¨C Ling Zhang, Yuwen Jin, Tao Yi, Zhao Jiusi, Zhao Turui, Xie Qing, Ji Feng ¨C gathered in a side hall, sitting around the same table.


    ¡°So glad you¡¯re back, Ji Feng. We¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Ji Feng had grown much taller than before, and he also seemed to be a lot more well adjusted. The arch and unbuttoned air that he used to have about him had mostly been replaced by a poised and unhurried one.


    ¡°All my family have the Marshal¡¯s kindness to thank for this opportunity to come back to the capital city,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Only very few knew that this time around it had been after receiving an invitation from Yuwen Tong that the Ji family returned to the capital city. Also, Old Master Ji would be appointed to a position of responsibility after Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement.


    ¡°By the way, which position will your grandfather be appointed to?¡± asked Yuwen Jin curiously.


    Ji Feng smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Maybe¡­ you should ask Ling Zhang about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked him a glance and replied, ¡°You leave me out of this. I wouldn¡¯t tell you even if I knew. Just wait for further notice.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I assure you none of us will breathe a word of it to anybody,¡± promised Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang ignored him. Zhao Jiusi said to Yuwen Jin, ¡°Stop putting Ling Zhang on the spot. You¡¯re an adult now. Why are you still asking questions without thinking about them first?¡±


    Yuwen Jin rolled his eyes upwards. ¡°That¡¯s because I see you guys as my brothers, and brothers don¡¯t keep secrets from each other, do they?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Well, this will sound awkward, but I don¡¯t feel like telling you the truth. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Yuwen Jin, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Yuwen Jin, it seems that your efforts to guilt-trip him into telling you the truth were in vain.¡±


    All the others burst into laughter.


    ¡°When will you and the Marshal get married?¡± Ji Feng inquired of Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°The wedding ceremony will be held right after the enthronement ceremony. Yuwen Tong will announced the date for the wedding at the enthronement ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess staff members of the Ministry of Rites are going to have some really hectic days,¡± commented Zhao Jiusi.


    They were old friends, and it had been quite some time since the last time they had sat around the same table to catch up. Although they were missing one, all of them avoided mentioning it by tacit agreement. The past was behind them, while the present and the future were in front of them. A new imperial dynasty was about to start, and they were all in their prime. Any one of them who had some dash ¨C however faint it was ¨C would muster up all their fight to strive for their goals, and none of them would admit defeat.


    After the party, Ji Feng, Zhao Jiusi and the others took their leave and walked out of the palace six abreast.


    When they looked over their shoulders in the direction of the imperial palace, transports of emotions welled up inside all of them in spite of themselves. ¡°It surprises me how many changes a year¡¯s time could bring.¡±


    ¡°The next time we meet, we¡¯ll have to refer to Ling Zhang as ¡®the empress¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Haha. I don¡¯t think Brother Zhang is going to be very happy about people referring to him as that.¡±


    The others exchanged knowing looks and then all broke into laughter.


    ¡­


    After seeing Yuwen Jin and the others off, Ling Zhang made towards the consultation hall. Halfway there, he chanced upon two young officials led by guards. One of them was wearing prefectural governor¡¯s robes, and the other a military officer¡¯s full dress uniform. Both of them were strangers to Ling Zhang and seemed to be from out of town and have come to the capital city to attend the enthronement ceremony.


    They were walking along another path and met Ling Zhang at the fork.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Childe Ling.¡± The two guards hurriedly dropped to one knee to pay their respects to Ling Zhang at the sight of him.


    The two young officials stopped dead, looking at Ling Zhang. The one in governor¡¯s robes who was relatively handsome was the first to come to himself. He gave the sleeve of the one beside him a pull and bowed with hands folded in front. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to meet you, Childe Ling. My name is Xu Lingyun. I¡¯m the Shengzhou governor.¡±


    The other man also jerked out of his trance. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to meet you, Childe Ling. My name is Xiao Ziyan. I¡¯m a deputy commander of the Shengzhou garrison.¡±


    The Shengzhou governor, Xu Lingyun? A deputy commander of the Shengzhou garrison, Xiao Ziyan? Ling Zhang was astonished. These two names sounded so familiar that he immediately recalled that these two people were a married couple. Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan were the gay couple that almost everybody in this country knew about. Xu Lingyun was the youngest ever governor, which was a very high rank for his age. Everybody had believed that he had exceptionally good career prospects, until he had suddenly declared that he was going to marry Xiao Ziyan. As there was a precedent for gay marriage ¨C the Emperor Gaozu and his male consort ¨C nobody dared lay any blame on him, because criticizing him would be synonymous with criticizing the Emperor Gaozu. Still, since then, everybody had believed that Xu Lingyun¡¯s official career had been sentenced to death. In fact, Xu Lingyun had indeed been the Shengzhou governor for many years. Though appearing quite young, he was actually in his thirties, but the couple of them were quite vigorous and seemed to be in their early twenties.


    Also, Xiao Ziyan had been the one who led the Shengzhou garrison southwards to intercept the Jiangzhou garrison when they marched north.


    In other words, Xiao Ziyan and Xu Lingyun were on pretty good terms with Yuwen Tong. Otherwise they might not have obeyed Yuwen Tong¡¯s orders.


    Ling Zhang immediately asked them to rise and said, ¡°I keep hearing people talk about you. It¡¯s really an honor to meet you here today.¡±


    Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan rose to their feet. One of them said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re too courteous, Childe Ling. We hear a lot of favourable comments about you as well.¡±


    The other one gave a nod of agreement. The two of them stood there side by side, one chuckling, the other quiet, their respective air bringing out the best in each other.


    Finding this sight quiet enjoyable, Ling Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s very nice of you to say so, but I¡¯m sure there are far more unfavorable comments about me than there are favorable ones. By the way, you two are here to see Yuwen Tong, I suppose? How about we go there together?¡±


    Xu Lingyun smiled, ¡°Thank you, Childe Ling. After you.¡±


    ¡°This way, please.¡±


    Thus the three of them headed for the consultation hall together. On their way there, Ling Zhang fell into conversation with Xu Lingyun and found that this man was equable-mannered and had a good sense of humor. Xiao Ziyan, a man of few words as he was, didn¡¯t strike Ling Zhang as unsympathetic. Most of the time he was just listening, but he made Ling Zhang feel he was really paying attention to his words, and his body language was showing his self-restraint all the time.


    Ling Zhang talked with them about a lot of things unawares, including the matter of Shengzhou. Ling Zhang had previously passed through Shengzhou several times, but he had never specially paid it a visit to really get to know that place. Xu Lingyun was quite good at providing information about his hometown. Every characteristic of Shengzhou he described sounded more tantalizing than the last, and they made Ling Zhang feel a sudden upsurge of liking for the city.


    It was after they reached the doorway of the consultation hall that Xu Lingyun stopped talking about that topic, and Ling Zhang seemed not to have heard enough.


    A guard on duty in the doorway of the hall walked up to Ling Zhang at the sight of him. ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Are they busy with anything in there?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The Marshal is double-checking the ceremonial arrangement of the enthronement tomorrow with some officials of the Ministry of Rites,¡± answered the guard.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, turned around and said to Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan, ¡°Please wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll go inside and have him spare some time to see you guys first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, Childe Ling,¡± said Xu Lingyun. ¡°Sorry to put you to the trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile, pivoted around and entered the consultation hall.


    ¡°Childe Ling seems different from what he¡¯s rumored to be,¡± Xu Lingyun said to Xiao Ziyan, watching Ling Zhang¡¯s receding back.


    ¡°His eyes are honest and clean, his manner mild and frank,¡± observed Xiao Ziyan.


    ¡°I wonder who started those rumors about him being domineering and arrogant. Back then I was quite confused as to what the Marshal saw in him. Now it seems that all those rumors are false,¡± said Xu Lingyun.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why they¡¯re called rumors,¡± remarked Xiao Ziyan.


    Before long, Ling Zhang walked outside and invited them to go into the hall.


    Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan entered only to see that those officials of the Ministry of Rites were gone, presumably waiting in the side hall.


    ¡°Xu Lingyun pays his respects to you, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Ziyan pays his respects to you, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°You may rise.¡±


    Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan rose to their feet and saw Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang who was standing beside him and looking at them with a beam on his face.


    ¡°What with the dispatch of the garrison, it took the two of us some time to deal with the follow-up matters, so we arrived in the capital city later than scheduled. Please forgive us, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°You both had some hectic days. The Shengzhou garrison rendered outstanding service in the handling of the matter of the Yanzhou garrison¡¯s unauthorized northward movement. If there¡¯s anything you two want apart from the routine reward, all you have to do is tell me. Take it as a bonus I offer you in private.¡±


    Xu Lingyun smiled, ¡°Since you¡¯re so generous, it¡¯d be a shame if we let this opportunity slip away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Marshal.¡± Xiao Ziyan, however, earnestly expressed his gratitude.


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows and looked at the two of them. ¡°To be honest, originally I intended to transfer Xu Lingyun to the capital city.¡±


    Xu Lingyun¡¯s smile immediately disappeared. Xiao Ziyan also looked nervously at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°But at the thought that it¡¯d be rather unkind to have you two live apart for that long, I had no choice but to give up that idea. As a result, this reward I¡¯m offering you in private could be regarded as a kind of compensation. There¡¯s no need for you to have any misgivings. Give it some careful thought and then tell me what you want.¡±


    Both Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan felt relieved. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°We promise we¡¯ll think it through.¡±


    After that, Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan reported on their respective work. As Shengzhou was a border city of great strategic importance, many of its local policies should be different from those of other prefectures, for it was best if policies were in line with local conditions. However, the former emperor had rejected Xu Lingyun¡¯s proposals, so many of Xu Lingyun¡¯s good plans had been shelved. This time around, Xu Lingyun had specially come to the capital city to seize this opportunity and convince Yuwen Tong to approve these proposals of his.


    Yuwen Tong discussed those proposals with the two of them for quite some time and eventually finalized some preliminary plans. ¡°The remaining few of these proposals can wait. You two may go back and confer with each other about them and see if there¡¯s still room for improvement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± answered Xu Lingyun.


    The main purpose of this visit of theirs was to pay their respects to Yuwen Tong and report on some civic affairs and people¡¯s livelihood in Shengzhou. Many of the matters were indeed not of urgency.


    ¡°With your permission, we¡¯d like to take our leave and go back to make preparations to attend the enthronement ceremony tomorrow,¡± said Xu Lingyun.


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head, allowing them to leave.


    Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan took their leave. When they were walking through the doors, they looked over their shoulders and saw that Yuwen Tong, who had been quite serious when talking with them a moment ago, twisted his head around to tenderly look at Ling Zhang standing by his side and softly asked him if he was tired, his voice tinged with heartache.


    Xu Lingyun gave a smile, turned his head and left with Xiao Ziyan.

 Chapter 369 - The Enthronement Ceremony and a Bowl of Noodle (1)

    The enthronement ceremony was interminable and complicated. Before daybreak, Yuwen Tong would have to climb to the top of a high alter to offer sacrifices first to the gods and then to his ancestors. After that, he was to kowtow to the people to pay his respects. It would be after all the sacrificial ceremonies that the enthronement officially started.


    Yuwen Tong got up at early Yin Hour (03:00-04:59). After a staff member of the Ministry of Rites delivered the ceremonial robes to the imperial bedchamber, Ling Zhang crawled out of bed to help Yuwen Tong change, yawning constantly. In order to figure out how to put on the ceremonial robes, Ling Zhang had spent a solid day in the Ministry of Rites familiarizing himself with all the details.


    Before changing into the robes, they had to bathe first and then burn some incense. With some officials of the Ministry of Rites repeating prayers, Ling Zhang helped Yuwen Tong change into the robes one by one, carefully smoothing every inch of them. It took him an hour to get it done. While he was dressing Yuwen Tong, the latter was looking down at him all along, Ling Zhang¡¯s reflection the only thing in his eyes. As he watched Ling Zhang bustling around him to adjust his robes, even his eyes seemed to be beaming.


    When it was finally done, Ling Zhang¡¯s hands were limp with tiredness. Seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist which was now considerably thicker, Ling Zhang gave a little snicker in spite of himself and then hurriedly wiped the smile off his face.


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand to give him a pinch on the cheek. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡±


    ¡°Your waist is so much thicker. Is this what they mean by saying ¡®a thickset tough hombre¡¯?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    On the side, the officials of the Ministry of Rites, Yao Yi and some others all couldn¡¯t help but chuckle despite their efforts to restrain themselves.


    ¡°Do they feel heavy?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    The number of the layers of the robes was daunting, and Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t imagine what he would look like if he were the one in these robes. He probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk, he thought.Visit website our Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong, however, turned slowly on the spot and replied, ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Ling Zhang blinked his eyes and could barely took them off Yuwen Tong. Although these robes had so many layers and were heavy and difficult to put on, it was undeniable that Yuwen Tong looked unbelievably handsome in them, oozing with dignity, grace and valour, emanating an almost palpable air typical of an emperor.


    At the sight of Ling Zhang staring fixedly at him, Yuwen Tong came to know that he¡¯d done the right thing by changing into these robes. He didn¡¯t interrupt Ling Zhang and just stood there, willingly let Ling Zhang feast his eyes.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were on his robes, while his eyes were on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t take his eyes off his robes, and he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Ling Zhang was fascinated by his attire, while he was fascinated by the infatuation gleaming in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes.


    It was quite a while before Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance and noticed that Yuwen Tong, who only had eyes for him, was tenderly gazing at him with a smile on his face.


    Throat feeling somewhat dry, Ling Zhang gave a little cough, swallowed hard and glanced around him only to find that those officials of the Ministry of Rites and the guards were all gone, that he and Yuwen Tong were the only ones left in the bedchamber.


    ¡°Why did they all leave?¡± Ling Zhang looked left and right, not daring to make eye contact with Yuwen Tong again, a faint flush over his cheeks.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s face, the strings of beads hanging from the edge of his crown shaking, tinkling slightly. ¡°Because I told them to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s go out as well,¡± said Ling Zhang, his eyes hastily moving away after meeting Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    Right now Yuwen Tong struck him as unnaturally attractive, and the strings of beads seemed to be tickling his heart with their every wag, making him itch so terribly to do something about it.Visit website our Listnovel.com


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to give me a kiss?¡± asked Yuwen Tong in a low and deep voice.


    Ling Zhang paused, looking at him earnestly. ¡°I do.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked encouragingly back at him, as though saying, ¡°Then what are you waiting for?¡±


    Ling Zhang took in a large gulp of air, gently moved aside the strings of beads attached to Yuwen Tong¡¯s crown, leaned over, slightly tilting his head, and planted a kiss squarely on Yuwen Tong¡¯s lips.


    Their lips were locked. The kiss was not wild but very long.


    It was quite some time before the two of them parted. Ling Zhang¡¯s lips were wet, red and swollen. Staring fixedly at them with burning eyes, Yuwen Tong breathed heavily, unwilling to take his eyes off them.


    Ling Zhang pressed his hands against Yuwen¡¯s shoulders to stop him from getting closer. ¡°We should get going right now, or we¡¯ll be late.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked deeply into his eyes, reluctantly backed away a pace, raised his hands to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s and take them off his shoulders, and then walked out of the bedchamber abreast of him.


    The moment they left the imperial bedchamber, they were greeted by a large group of courtiers who knelt before them to pay their respects.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook, but Yuwen Tong gripped his hand tight.


    ¡­


    It was a long and tiring day. When Ling Zhang watched Yuwen Tong standing at the top of the altar to the thunderous chants of ¡®Long Live the Emperor!¡¯ from the people, he had a somewhat unfocused look in his eyes, recalling that on the day of the abdication ceremony, the scene had been equally awe-inspiring. On that occasion, he had been awestruck because he¡¯d never seen anything like that before, but on this occasion, he was awestruck because he¡¯d got himself all psyched up.


    The location for the last part of the enthronement ceremony was the Taiqing Palace. Yuwen Tong, standing at the top of the long flight of stairs, watched as everybody knelt before him.


    From this day on, Yuwen Tong would be the monarch of this country, the founding emperor of the Great Wen.


    ¡­


    After Yuwen Tong went into the great hall of the Taiqing Palace, all the officials followed him inside and paid their respects to him one by one. The process lasted a whole afternoon. And then, in the hall, Yuwen Tong issued a series of imperial edicts as a gesture of kindness.


    Firstly, he granted a general amnesty for the people of Cangzhou; secondly, he abolished many unnecessary heavy taxes to allow the people to restore their lives; thirdly, he ordered retrials of all the cases in all prefectures in which there were still questionable points, and some imperial commissioners would be sent to go on a nationwide tour of inspection to make sure that there were no injustices or misjudged cases.


    Then an imperial examination was scheduled for half a year later.


    After that Yuwen Tong declared that the imperial court would soon start recruiting talents, that officials of provincial cities were welcome to make recommendations. The Great Wen had just been established and was in dire need of gifted, moral people who were willing to devote themselves to nation-building. By doing this, Yuwen Tong sent a timely signal to the whole country.


    Then there was the award presentation. The North-western Army and the Shengzhou garrison were rewarded for their meritorious service. Yuwen Tong conferred the title of marquess on some officials. Also, there were some changes in a couple of important military positions. Some civil officials were promoted¡­


    On the heels of that was the issue of a series of decrees and policies beneficial to the people, copies of which would be delivered to all prefectures on this very day.


    In the end, Yuwen Tong passed sentence upon all those people whose punishments hadn¡¯t been decided before the enthronement.


    After all these lengthy steps, there was a banquet at night.


    Ling Zhang, who had undergone the whole rigmarole with Yuwen Tong on this day, believed that he wouldn¡¯t have been more tired even if he had been practicing kung fu for a whole day. Before the banquet, the two of them returned to the palace and changed into lighter robes. Ling Zhang reached out his hands to massage Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you shoulders sore?¡±


    Yuwen Tong moved his arms slightly. ¡°Not really. This is nothing. What about you? Is your waist okay?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He quietly placed a land on his waist and kneaded the small of his back.


    Actually the night before, the two of them hadn¡¯t made out for too long, so Ling Zhang felt fine. The problem was that during the day there had been more occasions when he had to stand still than he¡¯d expected, and on one occasion he had even stood there motionlessly for two hours. If it weren¡¯t for his internal energy, he really wouldn¡¯t have made it though the whole thing. In this regard, he found those courtiers quite admirable, all of whom hadn¡¯t shown the slightest change in their countenance throughout the enthronement ceremony. It seemed that being a courtier indeed entailed enduring things common people couldn¡¯t endure.


    Yuwen Tong reached out his hands and massaged Ling Zhang¡¯s waist for a while. ¡°You may leave the banquet early and come back here to rest if you don¡¯t feel like sitting there.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tough it out. Besides, at the banquet we¡¯ll be sitting, not standing. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh of contentment, took Ling Zhang in his arms and said, ¡°From now on nobody in this world will ever dare do you any harm.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. ¡°It¡¯s true that nobody will ever dare do you any harm. As regards me, I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think would dare harm you?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang flicked him a meaningful glance which told him that the answer was right in front of him.

 Chapter 370 - The Enthronement Ceremony and a Bowl of Noodle (2)

    Yuwen Tong lifted his brows, coming to understand what Ling Zhang meant. Then his hand which was kneading Ling Zhang¡¯s waist instantly slid elsewhere and gave Ling Zhang a little squeeze. ¡°Yeah. This one¡¯s exclusive to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang had originally just wanted to make a sly little dig at Yuwen Tong. It hadn¡¯t crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would feel him up. He hurriedly took Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands off him and said, ¡°What are you doing? People might see us.¡±


    ¡°They are all outside,¡± sniffed Yuwen Tong, putting his arms around Ling Zhang again.


    Ling Zhang stayed in his embrace for a while and then said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. We should get going. It¡¯s inappropriate to keep that many people waiting too long.¡±


    It was only then that Yuwen Tong released Ling Zhang. The two of them walked out together and went to the great hall of the Taiqing Palace.


    All the courtiers and members of diplomatic corps had arrived. Both the hall and the square in front of the hall were packed with seated guests. Naturally, when Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang entered the hall, all guests rose to their feet and then sunk to their knees to pay their respects.


    Ling Zhang lagged a pace behind Yuwen Tong and stood there. Yuwen Tong furrowed his brows and looked over his shoulder at him.


    Ling Zhang gave him a gentle push and breathed, ¡°Keep going. Hurry.¡±


    Yuwen Tong stared at him for a few moments before pivoting around to resume progressing.


    Ling Zhang unnoticeably let out a sigh of relief and then followed Yuwen Tong to the seat of honor.


    ¡°My courtiers, envoys of neighboring countries, you may all rise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sat down in the seat of honor. Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t want to be obtrusive, settled himself in a right-hand seat.


    Although Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t an official, everybody present knew about his identity, so even if he took the seat beside the seat of honor, nobody would dare say anything about it, but Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to steal Yuwen Tong¡¯s thunder. This night belonged to Yuwen Tong, who was supposed to be the shiniest star, and nobody would be able to pull focus from him.


    Of all those present, apart from the civil officials and military officers of all descriptions and members of diplomatic corps of the three foreign countries, there were also some others who were fairly conspicuous ¨C members of the Ling family.


    The Ling family were the only ones present who hadn¡¯t been rewarded. Everybody else speculated that they would be rewarded after the wedding ceremony.


    Aside from the Ling family, there were yet another two persons who attracted many people¡¯s attention ¨C Ji Yanlai and his nephew, Ji Xiaocong. Ji Yanlai had unnaturally attractive looks, and Ji Xiaocong was fair-skinned and quite adorable, but nobody knew who they were. The courtiers merely heard that the two of them were presently living with the Ling family, that their surname was Ji, that they and Ling Zhang¡¯s maternal grandfather were from the same clan. Nobody knew anything more about them. Their identity and background were both cloaked in a shroud of mystery.


    Some people had tried to fish for information, but the Ling family gave those people a perfunctory reply and dismissed them. Even when someone asked Ji Yanlai directly, the latter just pretended not to have heard them.


    Some got angry, but they didn¡¯t dare show any sign of their anger, what with the occasion. Most importantly, both Ling Zhang and the emperor were very polite to Ji Yanlai, which further deterred those people from saying anything offensive to Ji Yanlai.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat amused by the sight of Ji Yanlai unhurriedly enjoying the food, showing a total disregard for those people who were trying to sound him out or giving him dirty looks. Ji Yanlai didn¡¯t care about any of those things that these people believed he cared about. As there was nothing these people could offer that could pique Ji Yanlai¡¯s interest, it was only too natural that Ji Yanlai was cold-shouldering them.


    Apart from Ji Yanlai, there were yet another two people who were also fairly conspicuous ¨C Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan. The two of them were sitting at the same table. Though their conduct was totally socially acceptable, they appeared intimate and in sync, and there was an entirely different air about them. Those who knew their identities were all sneaking surreptitious glances at them, trying to find something to satisfy their curiosity and desire of prying into others¡¯ personal life, but Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan looked calm and composed, utterly unconcerned by those people¡¯s gaze.


    And then there were Jiang Xi, Shao Feng and some others of the North-western Army. These people were high-ranking officers of the North-western Army and also Yuwen Tong¡¯s most immediate, most trusted subordinates. They represented the hundreds of thousands of troops of the North-western Army, who were the strongest force at Yuwen Tong¡¯s back.


    This banquet was an occasion where old courtiers and newly appointed ones got to know each other, where officials of the four countries communicated, and where various forces sounded each other out.


    Those who hadn¡¯t enjoyed themselves to their hearts¡¯ content wouldn¡¯t leave before the end of the banquet.


    Ling Zhang sat there for quite some time. He didn¡¯t leave either. For him, this was an opportunity to know all those people at once. While the others were observing him, he was also observing the others.


    ¡°Big Brother, His Majesty is looking at you,¡± said Ling Maomao, glancing at Yuwen Tong who was sitting in the seat of honor and had been gazing at his big brother for quite a while. Then he shifted his gaze to Ling Zhang whose mind seemed to be wandering and gave his arm a gentle push.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Ling Zhang pulled himself back to the present, subconsciously twisted his head aside to look in the direction of Yuwen Tong, a puzzled expression in his eyes, as though asking Yuwen Tong why he was gazing at him.


    Yuwen Tong, seeing Ling Zhang had barely touched the food in front of him and been drinking and dealing with those trying to strike up conversations with him, worried that the wine would take a toll on Ling Zhang¡¯s health, so he sent someone to have those in the kitchen prepare a bowl of noodle soup for Ling Zhang.


    As a bowl of hot noodle soup was proffered to Ling Zhang, all those who were on their way to Ling Zhang¡¯s table to make his acquaintance halted, gazing confusedly at the noodle.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Don¡¯t just drink wine.¡±


    All the others, ¡°¡­¡±


    They quietly turned around and returned to their seats.


    Clearly the emperor was disgruntled, and whoever dared to urge Childe Ling to drink wine would be working against the emperor, and to work against a newly enthroned emperor was no doubt suicidal.


    Looking at the bowl of noodle, Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. How was he supposed to eat when everybody present was staring squarely at him?


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his eyes, which then slowly swept across all those in the hall.


    The courtiers, all of whom were observant and could take the hint, immediately looked away from Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ling Maomao took a couple of sniffs and said, ¡°This smells like the noodle my mother makes. Who made this, Big Brother?¡±


    Ling Zhang took a slurp from his bowl and then replied, ¡°A cook of the Infinite Fortune Palace.¡±


    The ¡°cook of the Infinite Fortune Palace¡± sitting in the seat of honor twisted his head aside and glanced at Ling Zhang. It was after he saw Ling Zhang eating noodle with loud slurps that his face softened.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Yuwen Tong had started making the soup base very early in the morning. He had instructed the cooks to keep watch on the fire and leave the soup base to simmer. Also, he had made the noodle from dough all by himself when he¡¯d gone back to change his clothes. As regards the chopped green onion and the fried egg, it had indeed been a cook in the Infinite Fortune Palace who prepared them. These two things, after being made, lost their original flavor easily, and there was nothing Yuwen Tong could do about it.


    Watching his big brother eating the noodle with good relish, Ling Maomao swallowed hard, and then he quietly twisted his head around to enjoy the courses in front of him. Although the smell of the noodle was tantalizing, these dishes made by imperial chefs were very delicious as well. Ling Maomao felt that it was a little dumb of his big brother to choose a bowl of noodle over a tableful of delicacies.


    Ling Zhang, who Ling Maomao believed was a little stupid, finished the bowl of noodle and the soup. Feeling comfortable, he kneaded his belly. He had broken out in a sweat due to the heat but looked in much better spirits.


    Seeing he had finished the noodle, Yuwen Tong instructed a servant to take the empty bowl away.


    All officials present were astonished by the emperor¡¯s public display of affection, and even Ling Zhang¡¯s family members were somewhat embarrassed, having mixed feelings.


    Fu Caiwei secretly gave a chuckle and said, ¡°This is a good thing, isn¡¯t it? His Majesty cares about Zhang¡¯er so much. Now we have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Watching Ling Zhang kneading his belly, Ling Zhaowen had a complex expression in his eyes. ¡°His Majesty is overindulging him. It¡¯s inappropriate to behave this way on an occasion like this.¡±


    Fu Caiwei smiled, ¡°What¡¯s important is that they have a good life and are happy.¡±

 Chapter 371 - Im Going to Take That for a Yes

    After some time, Ling Zhang who had finished a bowl of noodle began to feel sleepy. He sat there for another few moments and his eyes became somewhat unfocused, but he still tried his best to keep his eyelids from drooping.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention had been on Ling Zhang all along. Though his eyes didn¡¯t seem to be fixed on Ling Zhang all the time, he still immediately noticed the dreamy look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. He knew Ling Zhang well and could tell without a second thought that Ling Zhang had had his fill of food and drink and was now sleepy.


    Yuwen Tong looked out of the hall into the sky to gauge the time. This banquet had lasted long enough, and it wouldn¡¯t be the last one. During the next few days, there would be several other banquets, so Yuwen Tong rose to his feet.


    The moment he stood up, all the others naturally looked in his direction.


    ¡°I feel sleepy, so I¡¯m going to call it a night. You may continue enjoying this banquet.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe trip home, Your Majesty,¡± chorused all the officials.


    Yuwen Tong descended the stairs, walked up to Ling Zhang and gave him a wink.


    Ling Zhang, whose drowsiness was instantly driven away by the officials¡¯ reply in unison, saw Yuwen Tong¡¯s wink and hastened to stand up to follow him. Before leaving, he told Miao Shiba to take some men and escort his family back to the Ling Mansion safely.


    ¡°Consider it done, Childe Ling,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang drew abreast of Yuwen Tong and the two of them left the great hall together.


    After leaving the great hall, they kept walking forward for a distance, leaving the babble of voices behind them. As he breathed the fresh air, Ling Zhang¡¯s mind felt much clearer.


    Seeing Ling Zhang was slowing down, Yuwen Tong turned around and took his hand. ¡°Hurry up. The night wind is chill. You drank a lot of wine, and you might catch a cold if you¡¯re exposed to this wind for too long.¡±


    Ling Zhang caught up with him and they progressed shoulder to shoulder. ¡°You drank a lot of wine as well, didn¡¯t you?¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He suddenly raised his voice and observed happily, ¡°Although it¡¯s been a tiring day, I think we both enjoyed ourselves a lot.¡±


    At the sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s starry eyes which were gleaming with delight, intense longing started to flood Yuwen Tong in waves. In a low and deep voice, he replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Then he reached out an arm, swept Ling Zhang into his tight embrace and began kissing him uncontrollably.


    Seeing this, the guards behind them hastened to back away.


    Ling Zhang gave a chuckle and put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck, his lips parted¡­


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes instantly became feverish with desire. He quickly stretched out his other arm and scooped Ling Zhang up. Carrying him on the crooks of his arms, he rapidly returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    The two of them were both quite weary, but fatigue was never a problem for them when they were turned on.


    ¡­


    After a long sex, the two of them lay motionlessly on the bed, holding each other.


    Ling Zhang was half-asleep. Cuddling him, Yuwen Tong was still kissing his sweaty cheek. He moved Ling Zhang¡¯s forelock aside and lightly wiped the sweat from his brow and the corners of his eyes. ¡°I anticipate the wedding ceremony more than I did the enthronement ceremony.¡±


    At the banquet earlier tonight, Ling Zhang had refused to sit beside him, so he could only gaze at him and hadn¡¯t been able to touch Ling Zhang from start to finish.


    ¡°Um,¡± Ling Zhang dreamily mumbled. In fact, he didn¡¯t even know what he was agreeing to, let alone what Yuwen Tong had just said.


    Yuwen Tong gave a hollow chuckle. ¡°So you agree.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married tomorrow¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang had no idea what kind of suggestion he had just groggily made that he would bitterly regret having made later. It was probably because he heard Yuwen Tong mention something about him anticipating the wedding ceremony more that he subconsciously said these words.


    Though aware that holding the wedding ceremony the next day was not workable, Yuwen Tong still rejoiced in the knowledge that Ling Zhang looked forward to their wedding as much as he did.


    ¡°Back at the time when my grandfather and my parents passed away one after another, I believed that providence must dislike me very much to have had subjected me to that many pains, but now I¡¯m really grateful to providence for sending you to me. I¡¯m luckier in this incarnation than I was in the last one,¡± muttered Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang had fallen into a fairly deep sleep and couldn¡¯t hear a single word of Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    ¡°So you must stay by my side at all times. You must not leave or walk too far away from me.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    A feeble and faint grunt was heard and with that Yuwen Tong immediately looked down at Ling Zhang, but the latter was not awake at all, and he¡¯d given that grunt in a completely unconscious way. It was so light as though it had never existed.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that for a yes.¡±


    Yuwen Tong carefully pecked him, shifted his position, closed his eyes and soon fell asleep as well.


    There were a whole bunch of matters he would have to wake up early in the morning to attend to.


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    Ling Zhaowu was sitting in his courtyard house, drinking alone.


    Ling Zhaowen walked inside. ¡°You¡¯re still awake, Big Brother.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty late. Why did you come here instead of keeping Caiwei company?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen stepped to the table, took a seat and replied, ¡°Because I figured you might not be able to sleep tonight, what with what happened at the banquet.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu lifted his eyebrows and looked at him. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen responded, ¡°Apart from anything else, we¡¯re blood brothers. Besides, I watched Zhang¡¯er grew up, and I¡¯ve been treating him like my own son. I had a hard job bringing him up, and now, Yuwen Tong¡¯s taking him away from me.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a chuckle, pouring his brother a small cup of wine. ¡°You want to have a drink with me?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen sniffed at the wine. ¡°This is almost as good as the wine they served at the banquet tonight. Why have I never seen you drink this kind of wine before?¡±


    ¡°I bought it only earlier this day. People of the Taibai Tavern preserved it for years and have just taken it out of their wine cellar,¡± explained Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowen took a sip of the wine and savored it with obvious relish. ¡°Brother, it surprises me you¡¯re so familiar with the capital city. I asked some people who¡¯d lived here for a long time, and I found that even they had no knowledge of many of the things you know about.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu asked, ¡°So you¡¯re here to investigate me?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°We¡¯re brothers. Of course I¡¯m not here to investigate you. Just tell me the truth.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Well, I sort of have been to this city before. I heard about some of those things on my way here. The one who told me those things was a native of this city who was born and grew up here. There are many things unknown to out-of-towners. I just went there to try my luck, and it turned out I was in luck. Now I can see that that person didn¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen observed, ¡°It would seem fate was kind to you, Brother.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu sighed, ¡°If that was the case, I wouldn¡¯t have been separated from Zhang¡¯er and you guys for that long.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°But our family has been reunited anyhow, and now I want nothing more than to see you and Zhang¡¯er have a good life.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu raised his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy of a brother like you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t like this remark and told him off for it. After that, he added, ¡°If you say something like this again, I¡¯ll never have another drink with you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I apologize, Brother. Don¡¯t be mad.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was astonished. Many years ago, when the two of them had been little boys, Ling Zhaowu had always coaxed him this way whenever he¡¯d been angry. Recalling this, Ling Zhaowen felt a twinge of sadness. Finding this both funny and annoying, he said, ¡°It surprises me you still remember that.¡±


    ¡°How could I forget it?¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowen sighed, ¡°Time really flies. Zhang¡¯er is a grown man now, and after some time he¡¯ll be the empress of the Great Wen. Sometimes I couldn¡¯t help wondering whether this is a good thing for him or not. Previously, the reason why we insisted he marry Yuwen Tong was because at that time Yuwen Tong was a marshal, a military officer, but now things have changed so fast, and I¡¯m not so sure we did the right thing.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I could tell what kind of person Yuwen Tong is, and I believe we can trust him to take good care of Zhang¡¯er.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen naturally also knew that Yuwen Tong was trustworthy. It was the emperorship that he didn¡¯t trust. Yuwen Tong¡¯s identity had changed, and a lot of things had changed with it.


    ¡°Time will prove everything, and no matter what, we¡¯ll always be at Zhang¡¯er¡¯s back,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowen gave a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s no good thinking about these things at this point in time.¡±


    ¡°You should go back. It¡¯s late. Caiwei must¡¯ve got worried,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowen gave a bob of the head, gulped down the rest of his wine and rose to his feet. ¡°I came here with the intention to offer you a few words of comfort, but I ended up being comforted by you, Brother.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m your big brother after all.¡±


    Smiling, Ling Zhaowen took his leave. Ling Zhaowu thought about something for quite a while and eventually returned to his room.


    ¡­


    This was a night when the whole nation joined in the jubilation. The night market of the capital city lasted the whole night, and the next day most people overslept.


    Ling Zhang, who hadn¡¯t gone to the night market to have fun but had stayed in bed having fun with Yuwen Tong until very late, was no exception.


    The sun was high up in the sky already when he opened his eyes. At the sight of the light, he came to know that he had probably slept until noon once again.


    Yuwen Tong wasn¡¯t in, presumably busy dealing with government affairs in the hall.


    For the moment they were still staying in the Infinite Fortune Palace, but many daily necessities had been replaced with new ones worthy of emperorship.


    Ling Zhang glanced around the bedchamber which struck him as both familiar and strange, scratched his head and then got out of bed to wash and change.


    On guard duty in the doorway were still Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards. None of those eunuchs and palace ladies would be given the permission to enter the imperial bedchamber until all arrangements were finalized.


    This allowed Ling Zhang more freedom and quiet. Miao Shiba and the others on duty outside didn¡¯t enter to disturb him. It was shortly before lunchtime that Miao Shiba walked inside and asked, ¡°Would you like me to have them serve lunch, Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I do feel hungry. Where¡¯s Yuwen Tong?¡±


    ¡°Sire is still in the consultation hall. There¡¯s another banquet in the Taiqing Palace this noon, so Sire is not coming back for lunch. He wanted me to tell you not to eat only meat, that you need to have more vegetable,¡± replied Miao Shiba.


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched in spite of himself. This was so embarrassing. ¡°What¡¯s the banquet about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about discussing the terms of the peace agreement with the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom,¡± answered Miao Shiba.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t they negotiated about it already?¡± Ling Zhang was puzzled.


    ¡°Originally a peace accord was supposed to be negotiated in Youzhou, but Jiang Ke and the others managed to delay it until after the enthronement, so the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom instructed their diplomatic corps to do it right after sending their congratulations to Sire,¡± explained Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. He had been so busy lately that he had almost been knocked senseless and forgotten these things.


    ¡°What kind of terms did they agree on?¡±


    Miao Shiba responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that for the moment. Sire said that he¡¯ll definitely have the Luohai Kingdom pay dearly for their deeds, that others matters can wait, for currently our first priority is to have our country recover from the aftermath of the war, and we¡¯ll launch an attack on them when we¡¯re at full strength again.¡±


    Miao Shiba disclosed such a shocking message in a very calm tone of voice, and Ling Zhang almost choked on food because of it. Though Miao Shiba knew that Yuwen Tong had such a plan, saying it out without any misgivings made Ling Zhang feel that Miao Shiba was quite a daredevil.


    ¡°Okay, I see. Have you guys had lunch? If you haven¡¯t, you may go and get something to eat. I could use some quiet,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± answered Miao Shiba, intending to leave.


    ¡°Wait. The diplomatic corps of the two countries are here. What about the others? They still haven¡¯t come to the palace?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°They¡¯ll come in the afternoon. Sire told them to sober themselves up first and come to the palace in the afternoon,¡± replied Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang looked out of the window into the sky to gauge the time. Recalling that he had slept until noon and was in no position to judge other people, he lowered his head to eat, making no more remarks.

 Chapter 372 - The Jiang Familys Decision

    After agreeing on the terms of the peace treaty with the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, Yuwen Tong who was in a pretty good mood returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    At the sight of his face, Ling Zhang came to know that the negotiations were fruitful. ¡°So what were the terms? They accepted all of them?¡±


    Yuwen Tong told him the terms and added, ¡°They agreed to all of them.¡±


    While listening, Ling Zhang felt rather sorry for the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s emperors. ¡°With this agreement, I think they¡¯ll have to lay low even if they don¡¯t want to, and they won¡¯t be able to recover from the after-effects of these terms of yours any time soon.¡±


    Harsh as these terms were, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had actually accepted them, which showed that this defeat had indeed rendered them incapable of waging another war. Also, Yuwen Tong had acceded to the throne and put everything under control, and the emperors of the other two countries began to be afraid of him.


    ¡°The more willingly they accepted the terms, the quicker they will tear the agreement up when they decide to go back on their words,¡± said Yuwen Tong, who knew about the situation very well. The Wan Kingdom had ripped up a peace accord before, and their promises meant nothing to them. The Luohai Kingdom seemed to be peace-loving, but they had still resorted to ruthless back-stabbing at a crucial juncture. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt they would do the same thing again once they think they¡¯re ready. As a result, we also have to speed things up, revive the economy and restore our army to its full strength, but from the vantage point of the present, they would only fulfill approximately half of these terms. After all, they¡¯ll want to stall for time.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    They¡¯d only fulfill half of the terms? No wonder they¡¯d agreed so readily. Ling Zhang coldly gave a snort.


    The matter of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom handled, a lot of courtiers entered the imperial palace in the afternoon, including the Right Prime Minister, Zhao Zheng, Yuwen Feng, Old Master Ji and¡­ Jiang Shennian.


    It had been this noon that people of the Jiang family¡¯s house arrest was lifted. A lot of people had almost forgotten about the existence of this family, which indicated how much time could do, because it hadn¡¯t really been long since the Jiang family had been placed under house arrest.


    When Jiang Shennian showed up in the imperial palace, he struck people as a lot thinner than before, but his back was still quite straight, and he was still sure-footed.


    Chu Liangyan¡¯s eyebrows contracted at the sight of him. Previously Jiang Shennian¡¯s authority and influence had weighed him down like a mountain, leaving him barely able to breathe, and it hadn¡¯t been until the Jiang family and the Gu family were brought down that he was rid of the burden. It could be said that the two of them were irreconcilable foes.


    However, Chu Liangyan was also fully aware that no matter how much he disliked Jiang Shennian, the latter would undoubtedly make a political comeback sooner or later. Back at the time when the Jiang family had been under house arrest, Chu Liangyan had hoped that Jiang Shennian would lose his cool and do something stupid, but to his surprise, Jiang Shennian had actually managed to retain his composure and stay put, stating his stand clearly.


    Apart from disappointment, Chu Liangyan had also had some admiration ¨C though not much ¨C for Jiang Shennian¡¯s mental endurance, believing that a man like this wouldn¡¯t be defeated easily.


    ¡°Jiang Shennian, a guilty servant of yours, pays his respects to Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You may rise.¡±


    ¡°My gratitude, Your Majesty,¡± said Jiang Shennian, straightening his back, ¡°but I don¡¯t dare rise to my feet. What with my momentary confusion, I almost made a serious mistake. Your Majesty magnanimously released the Jiang family earlier this day. I¡¯m deeply indebted to you and at the same time feel terribly guilty. I¡¯m really ashamed to stand up.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean, Old Master Jiang, but you¡¯re a smart man, and you know better than to believe that staying on your knees would be enough to express your gratitude and remorse,¡± said Yuwen Tong matter-of-factly.


    Jiang Shennian¡¯s whole body tensed briefly and with that he hastened to rise to his feet and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare have any ulterior motive, Your Majesty. I came here for two reasons. The first one is to kneel before you and thank you for sparing my families¡¯ lives, and the second one is to express the Jiang family¡¯s determination to dedicate all our energies throughout our lives to serving the Great Wen and Your Majesty wholeheartedly so as to repay Your Majesty for your kindness and atone for our crimes.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    ¡°I find your words somewhat confusing, Old Master Jiang. The Jiang family has lost its influence, and Jiang Chengfeng is not fit to take on any important responsibilities. Who else of the Jiang family could possibly do something for the Great Wen? You? A geriatric?¡± said Chu Liangyan scathingly.


    Yuwen Tong just watched in silence, making no remarks.


    The others were also watching and listening, waiting to see what bargaining chip Jiang Shennian would show, but surprisingly, they heard Jiang Shennian reply, ¡°I¡¯m indeed on the verge of senility, and I don¡¯t dare become a burden to Your Majesty, but I worked in the Ministry of Penalties for many years, and I have some experience in settling lawsuits. I heard that Your Majesty has ordered retrials of all the cases in all cities the verdicts of which are not beyond reasonable doubt with the intention to get justice for wronged victims. With your permission, I¡¯d like to go to the yamen of a provincial city where my experience in settling lawsuits is needed. I¡¯m willing to do whatever I can to help the wronged victims make appeals so as to display Your Majesty¡¯s kind-heartedness, pacify local residents and assist local officials in performing their duties of improving people¡¯s livelihood.¡±


    Jiang Shennian was volunteering to be appointed to a provincial city? This was not something he would normally do. However, Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Old Master Ji¡¯s countenance remained unchanged, as though totally unsurprised by Jiang Shennian¡¯s decision.


    A wily old fox who had been in official circles for many years, Jiang Shennian saw the reaction of everybody present out of the corner of his eye. As he noticed Yuwen Tong¡¯s face which was composed and utterly free of surprise, he inwardly let out a sigh, feeling that Yuwen Tong was indeed no common person, that it was a very natural thing that Yuwen Tong had succeeded in taking the throne from the Zhou family.


    ¡°I heard about your ability to crack cases and your discernment some time ago. Still, are you sure you¡¯re in a fit state to handle the workload?¡± said Yuwen Tong blandly.


    Jiang Shennian replied, ¡°I think I still have another couple of years to live. Otherwise I would never have dared volunteer such services. Please trust me, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean now, Old Master Jiang. I¡¯ll think about it,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    After a few moments¡¯ astonishment, Chu Liangyan¡¯s mind started racing. He had a general idea of why Jiang Shennian was doing this. He was making concessions in order to gain advantages.


    ¡°Old Master Jiang, are you planning to walk away and leave your large family in your son¡¯s incompetent hands? As far as I know, your son has quite some personal ambition.¡±


    Many people knew that Jiang Chengfeng had insisted the Jiang family take the Eighth Prince¡¯s side.


    Without the slightest change in his countenance, Jiang Shennian responded, ¡°I¡¯ve given up on that good-for-nothing son of mine. In fact, I¡¯ve already sent him to watch over the mausoleum of my ancestors, and I won¡¯t allow him to come back until he truly realizes his mistakes.¡±


    Guarding the mausoleum? The Jiang family¡¯s ancestral home was in Cangzhou, but it¡¯d been several generations since they¡¯d moved to the capital city, and they barely had any relatives in Cangzhou. In addition, what with the previous political turbulence, the Jiang family had lost all their contacts in Cangzhou, and the popular uprising in Cangzhou had almost reduced the whole city to rubble. Sending Jiang Chengfeng to Cangzhou to watch over a mausoleum was no different from sending him into exile.


    Jiang Shennian had actually had the heart to do that?


    ¡°After the rebellion in Cangzhou, I heard that our ancestral mausoleum was damaged. By watching over the mausoleum, he¡¯s merely doing what he should do as a member of the Jiang family. Also, it¡¯s an opportunity for him to introspect in front of our ancestors,¡± said Jiang Shennian.


    Chu Liangyan felt that Jiang Shennian was rather heartless. ¡°If so, who¡¯s going to take care of the rest of your family?¡±


    Surprisingly, Jiang Shennian gave a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve put my grandson Jiang Yu in complete charge of the Jiang family. Yu¡¯er is sensible and intelligent. I can relax safe in the knowledge that the Jiang family is in his hands.¡±


    After saying this, he said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Your Majesty, I have another request. This may make me seem thick-skinned, but with your permission, I¡¯d like to have my grandson Jiang Yu serve Childe Ling as his attendant. Childe Ling saved Yu¡¯er¡¯s life twice, which is a favor so great that the Jiang family would never be able to return a small fraction of it no matter how hard we try. I only hope my grandson would have a chance to serve Childe Ling so that he could repay Childe Ling as much as possible.¡±


    This time even Old Master Ji was somewhat amazed.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face slightly changed, but the look in his eyes stayed the same. He looked at Jiang Shennian and asked, ¡°Do you know what you are doing, Old Master Jiang?¡±


    Jiang Shennian sank to his knees. ¡°I do, Your Majesty. Childe Ling saved Yu¡¯er¡¯s life twice, and Yu¡¯er should repay the favor with his life. I want him to serve Childe Ling because it¡¯d be an opportunity for him to repay Childe Ling. Still, I don¡¯t dare insist. It¡¯s to be decided by Your Majesty and Childe Ling.¡±


    Chu Liangyan gazed at Jiang Shennian, unable to believe what he¡¯d just heard. Was Jiang Shennian out of his mind? He was actually sending his own grandson to be an attendant? Was he soft in the head?


    A thoughtful expression appeared on Old Master Ji¡¯s face. He fixed Jiang Shennian kneeling on the ground a stare, a flicker crossing his eyes.


    He was such a wily old fox.


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jiang Yu?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting outside.¡±


    ¡°Call him in.¡±


    Soon Jiang Yu was summoned to the great hall. He appeared tall and upright, taciturn and poised, bearing little resemblance to the childe Yuwen Tong had once met in the Imperial College who¡¯d been gorgeously dressed and skittish-looking.


    He walked to the side of Jiang Shennian, got down on his knees and prostrated himself. ¡°Your humble subject Jiang Yu pays his respects to Your Majesty.¡±


    His movements were neat and clean.


    Yuwen Tong sized him up and then instructed, ¡°Straighten your back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Jiang Yu answered and straightened his back to look Yuwen Tong in the face.


    On that day Yuwen Tong had seen some kind of infatuation for him in Jiang Yu¡¯s eyes, but now the only thing he could see in those eyes was calmness. There was no sign of the infatuation with him whatsoever. Also, the reason why Jiang Yu was looking Yuwen Tong in the face seemed to be that he wanted Yuwen Tong to know about his true thoughts.


    Yuwen Tong inquired, ¡°Did you hear what your grandfather just said? Is this what you truly want as well?¡±


    ¡°My thoughts on this matter are in line with my grandfather¡¯s, Your Majesty. Childe Ling saved my life twice. In order to repay the favor, I¡¯m willing to do anything for Childe Ling, including giving up my life,¡± replied Jiang Yu in a matter-of-fact but earnest tone of voice.


    Yuwen Tong looked from him to Jiang Shennian, lapsing into silence. He made no reply and the others couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. For a few moments the hall was very quiet.


    ¡°Tell Childe Ling to come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    A guard on duty outside immediately went to the Infinite Fortune Palace, found Ling Zhang and told him what had happened in the great hall.


    Ling Zhang was perplexed. ¡°Jiang Yu?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His Majesty requests your presence in the hall,¡± said the guard.


    Ling Zhang slightly furrowed his brows. Why was Jiang Yu doing this? He had indeed saved Jiang Yu¡¯s life, but given the personal history between the two of them, Ling Zhang believed that it was impossible for Jiang Yu to subject himself to such humiliation.


    Bemused, Ling Zhang went to the great hall and saw Jiang Shennian and Jiang Yu both of whom were on their knees. Ling Zhang paused fleetingly and then walked straight past them, making towards Yuwen Tong. ¡°What is it you want to see me about?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu, tell Childe Ling what you want to do,¡± said Yuwen Tong, looking in Jiang Yu¡¯s direction.


    Ling Zhang had no choice but to pivot around to face Jiang Yu, and with that he saw what Jiang Yu looked like at this moment and was amazed by how much Jiang Yu had changed.


    ¡°Childe Ling, I¡¯m deeply indebted to you for saving my life twice, and I¡¯m willing to be your servant for the rest of my life to return the favor. I¡¯ll do anything you want me to do. Wanting in ability and shallow in knowledge as I am, I grew up in the Jiang family and have picked up a few skills over the years. I¡¯m sure there are a lot of things I could help you deal with. If you take me as your attendant, I¡¯ll do whatever you tell me to, put your needs before everything and do your bidding only. I won¡¯t do anything against your interests even if His Majesty orders me to,¡± enunciated Jiang Yu, his earnest eyes on Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 373 - Jiang Yus Decision

    Ling Zhang was shocked by Jiang Yu¡¯s words. Most importantly, he could tell that Jiang Yu meant every word he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to serve me heart and soul. You¡¯re a childe of the Jiang family. Why are you so insistent on being my attendant?¡± Ling Zhang was baffled.


    Jiang Yu replied, ¡°Firstly, I want to repay you for saving my life. Secondly, I trust you.¡±


    Trust him? Trust him to do what? Ling Zhang gazed at Jiang Yu, whose face manifestly registered determination. The tricky part was that the current situation struck him as a trifle thorny. By saying those words in the presence of all so many people, Jiang Yu had virtually humiliated himself numerous times, and he would become a laughing stock of the whole capital city the moment he walked out of this hall. He really didn¡¯t mind? Ling Zhang was really astounded by Jiang Yu¡¯s act. What would Jiang Yu have to face if he declined Jiang Yu¡¯s offer?


    Ling Zhang felt somewhat awkward. He had merely saved Jiang Yu¡¯s life in passing, and after that Jiang Yu had stopped seeing him as an enemy and even forewarned him of the King Duan¡¯s trick once. He had thought that the two of them were even.


    ¡°What do you say?¡± Yuwen Tong asked Ling Zhang.


    On hearing this question, Ling Zhang came to know Yuwen Tong¡¯s take on this matter. If Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want him to agree to Jiang Yu¡¯s request, he would never have asked this question ¨C he wouldn¡¯t even have summoned him to this hall. In other words, Yuwen Tong actually wanted him to grant Jiang Yu¡¯s request.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat bewildered, but owing to his trust in Yuwen Tong, he hesitated for a brief moment and then looked at Jiang Yu. ¡°I¡¯ll only ask you once ¨C are you sure you¡¯ve thought it through?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± answered Jiang Yu without a second thought.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes swept across all the others present in the hall and then said slowly, ¡°Then get to your feet and come with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling. Thank you.¡± A hint of delight appeared on Jiang Yu¡¯s face and Ling Zhang noticed it.


    Yuwen Tong sitting in the throne, however, suddenly furrowed his brows, his piercing eyes flashing towards Jiang Yu, who sensed it but just glanced at Yuwen Tong in a seemingly unintentional way before following Ling Zhang out of the great hall.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face fell.


    After walking through the doors of the hall, Ling Zhang led Jiang Yu forward for a certain distance before he came to a halt and pivoted around to look at Jiang Yu. ¡°Why are you doing this? I want to hear the truth,¡± he said.


    Jiang Yu gazed at him silently for quite a while and then replied, ¡°I meant it when I said that I wanted to repay you. Apart from that, I¡¯m also doing this for the Jiang family and my own aspirations.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in bemusement. ¡°Even if you want to restore the Jiang family¡¯s status, there¡¯s no need for you to go to such great lengths, and if you have some particular aspirations, it¡¯d be yet another reason why you shouldn¡¯t ruin your career prospects.¡±


    Jiang Yu shook his head and replied, ¡°No. Serving you will allow me more opportunity to realize my aspirations. You might feel that I¡¯m being reckless, but like I said, I trust you.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s all?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Jiang Yu inclined his head. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at him for a long moment. ¡°No. I think there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me.¡±


    Jiang Yu was astonished. Beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze which was calm but penetrating, he suddenly gave a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. Returning the favor, revitalizing the Jiang family, fulfilling my aspirations ¨C these are all just pretexts. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know the reason either. If I must give one, I would say it¡¯s because of my curiosity. I¡¯m uncontrollably curious about how far you could go. You¡¯ll have to face many knotty problems after you become the empress, and I want to know how you¡¯re going to tackle them. Also, I want very much to find out what kind of scenery you¡¯d be seeing when you¡¯re at the top of the hierarchy. The decline of the Jiang family made a lot of things clearer to me. I loathe the official circles, but I have a craving to see the ebb and flow of those struggling in official circles. My thoughts sound quite contradictory, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang remained silent for quite a while, gazing at Jiang Yu as though he were a madman.


    ¡°They¡¯re not contradictory. They¡¯re lunatic.¡±


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t take offence. Instead, he smiled, ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Maybe I¡¯m really soft in the head.¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Back in the hall, you didn¡¯t really have a chance to extricate yourself from the awkward situation. I¡¯ve agreed to your request, but I¡¯ll also give you some more time to think about it. If you regret it, you may tell me at any moment,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Jiang Yu frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his hand. ¡°Stop right there. Don¡¯t jump to any conclusions, okay? I¡¯m asking you to go back home and reconsider it. This is an order, okay? Give me a reply in three days. Now go home.¡±


    Jiang Yu looked him in the face. ¡°I won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    After saying this, he made a bow and left.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    When the meeting in the hall was finally over, Ling Zhang hastened there to see Yuwen Tong. ¡°Why do you want me to take Jiang Yu as attendant?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity. Why was he having this look on his face?


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I kind of regret it.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s bafflement deepened.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°I know very well what Jiang Shennian is up to, but it never crossed my mind that he would go so far as to bet his own grandson on it.¡±


    ¡°Bet?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    ¡°Jiang Shennian is retreating in order to advance. As for the matter of Jiang Yu, it¡¯s because Jiang Shennian has seen the true nature of the relations between you and me. It¡¯s next to impossible for Jiang Yu to become a top-ranking official in the imperial court and restore the Jiang family to its former glory. The imperial court is heaving with wily old foxes who would kill to get a promotion, and even if Jiang Yu is willing to pay heavy prices, his chance of defeating them would still be slim, but with you, the situation is totally different ¨C you barely have any advisers, and you certainly don¡¯t a real right-hand man. Others may think that becoming an attendant of yours would be destroying one¡¯s own career prospects, but Jiang Shennian knows very well that serving you is one of the quickest ways to get to a high position. Very few people in this city see the true nature of the relations between you and me. Even Chu Liangyan and those on his side don¡¯t see it, but Jiang Shennian is one of the few who do,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Well, hang on.¡± Ling Zhang was confounded. ¡°What do you mean by the true nature of the relations between you and me?¡±


    Looking at him, Yuwen Tong sighed, ¡°You really lack perception in this regard. How could you not have seen it when even Jiang Shennian has?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s temper began to fray. ¡°What have I not seen? Are you saying that even Jiang Shennian, an outsider, is better than me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s face in his hands and planted several kisses on his cheek in succession before Ling Zhang¡¯s anger appeared to ebb slightly. ¡°You¡¯ll be the empress, my wife. In my eyes, this country is not only mine but also yours. Can you understand it now?¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°This is my country and also yours. In addition, this is not the only country we¡¯ll be ruling. In the future, more lands will be added to our territory, and all of them will be ours,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Jiang Shennian caught on to this, which was why he put a bet on it, sending his own grandson to be your attendant. He¡¯s the first one to have done this, and I think it won¡¯t be long before some others come to realize the reason and line up to do the same thing. Let¡¯s leave that aside for now. We¡¯ll handle them later. I have many courtiers in the imperial court, but you have nobody. Jiang Yu¡¯s the first one to come. As long as he stays loyal to you and makes full use of his ability and wisdom, he¡¯ll no doubt become the most hard-core member of your think tank. As far as I could tell, Jiang Yu has the required courage and intelligence.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart fluttered at these words. He had got a general idea of what Yuwen Tong meant. ¡°Are you saying that although I¡¯ll soon become the empress, I¡¯ll still be able to do what I want to do and achieve my personal goals?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu is intelligent and full of dash, and he will make the right-hand man of yours, which was why I had you grant his request, but¡­¡± Yuwen Tong broke off in the middle of a sentence, a fairly concerned look on his face.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there anything suspicious about Jiang Yu?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing suspicious about him. His gratitude to you for saving his life is real, and he¡¯s indeed far more loyal to you than he is to me, which is a good thing for you, but the problem is that he has some ulterior motive.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice dropped to a murmur when he made the last remark, so Ling Zhang didn¡¯t hear him clearly.


    ¡°What did you just say about his motive?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°This person will do your bidding only, and I won¡¯t be able to put him under my control. I¡¯m afraid he might make things difficult for me.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Ling Zhang looked back at him, a quizzical expression on his face. ¡°How do you know that? It was only earlier this day that he expressed he¡¯d do that, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how I know that. Anyway, I kind of regret it now,¡± said Yuwen Tong. Back in the hall, the smile of delight Jiang Yu had had on his face when looking at Ling Zhang had been a wake-up call for Yuwen Tong, and when Jiang Yu had casually shifted his gaze to him, a warning bell in Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind had rung madly, but eventually he had still restrained himself.


    Jiang Yu would become Ling Zhang¡¯s best assistant if Ling Zhang used him in the correct way.


    Ling Zhang was thrilled by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, and his mind was racing with excitement on his way back, because Yuwen Tong had let him see another possibility, another future.


    Yuwen Tong, however, sent some men to ascertain the facts of everything about the Jiang family and Jiang Yu down to the smallest detail.


    ¡­


    News of what had happened in the hall soon spread through the whole city. Everybody, to a greater or lesser degree was surprised by Jiang Shennian¡¯s and Jiang Yu¡¯s deeds, especially by Jiang Yu¡¯s.


    ¡°Is that Jiang Yu guy out of his mind? Why did he ruin his own career prospects?¡± Most people saw it this way.


    However, like Yuwen Tong had expected, there were also a limited few who began to realize the truth.


    In the residence of the Ji family.


    ¡°Grandfather, why did Jiang Yu do that?¡±


    Old Master Ji flicked a glance at his grandson, let out a little sigh and clicked his tongue, thinking that this grandson of his was indeed no match for Jiang Yu in terms of wits, that Jiang Shennian, a wily old fox, had made a wily little fox of his grandson.


    ¡°Why do you think Jiang Yu did that?¡± Old Master Ji inquired of Ji Feng.


    Ji Feng gave it some thought and replied, ¡°Jiang Yu said that he did it because he wanted to return the favor, but I don¡¯t buy it. If he did it for the sake of the Jiang family¡­ Is he trying to use Ling Zhang to protect the Jiang family? After all, His Majesty cares about Ling Zhang very much. With Ling Zhang¡¯s protection, he and his family would have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Old Master Ji gaped at him.


    Ji Feng seemed a trifle aggrieved. ¡°Well, what other reason could there be?¡±


    Old Master Ji shook his head. ¡°Thinking more about it won¡¯t kill you. What you said was just part of the reason, not all of it. There are many ways to keep the Jiang family safe, and Jiang Yu didn¡¯t have to do that to achieve this end. The reason why Jiang Shennian and Jiang Yu did that was because they saw the true nature of one particular thing. In another sense, they¡¯re also gambling. If the gamble pays off, they¡¯ll be able to return the Jiang family to its former glory; if not, they¡¯ll lose everything.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this particular thing?¡± inquired Ji Feng.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s feelings for Ling Zhang,¡± replied Old Master Ji slowly.


    Ji Feng was thrown into puzzlement. What?

 Chapter 374 - A Rise of Jiang Yus Status

    Soon Jiang Shennian was appointed to a yamen of a provincial town. Given that Jiang Chengfeng had been sent back to Cangzhou to watch over the ancestral mausoleum and Jiang Yu had ruined his own career prospects, the Jiang family, which used to be a power juggernaut and had recently shown signs of a political comeback, had instantly declined again. Many people believed that this time around the Jiang family had been taken down for good.


    Only very few people saw through Jiang Shennian¡¯s little game and came to realize why Jiang Yu had made that decision, but they didn¡¯t have the courage to gamble everything as the Jiang family had. A proof of this was that many people had also recommended some men to Ling Zhang, but all the youngsters they¡¯d recommended were the ones that were not thought highly of in their families.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t know much about these youngsters¡¯ abilities, but he detested the attitudes of those who¡¯d recommended them, which was why he¡¯d dismissed them directly, sparing Ling Zhang the trouble of meeting them.


    Three days had passed, and Jiang Yu was the only one that Ling Zhang had taken as attendant.


    Also, the time for Jiang Yu to give Ling Zhang his reply had come.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t regret it?¡± Ling Zhang asked him once last time. Ever since Yuwen Tong had enlightened him three days before, he had been so excited that he couldn¡¯t sleep at night. This time, if Jiang Yu¡¯s decision remained unchanged, he wouldn¡¯t decline again.


    Jiang Yu replied in a calm but earnest tone, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Good! Remember this answer of yours. And I also want you to bear in mind at all times what you said in the hall on that day.¡±


    In response to these words, Jiang Yu got down on one knee and saluted Ling Zhang with a high level of formality. ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang told him to rise and then said, ¡°First you need to make the acquaintance of my men. Dashan, take Jiang Yu back and introduce him to the others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡± Wang Dashan walked over. ¡°Childe Jiang, please come with me.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Jiang Yu. Thanks for the trouble,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three bodyguards had been the only ones brought to the imperial palace by Ling Zhang. Xia Feng and some others also wanted to accompany him to the palace to serve him, but he and Yuwen Tong were too busy, and for the moment there weren¡¯t any specific stipulations in the palace regulations in this regard, so Xia Feng and the others couldn¡¯t get in. According to the rules of the previous dynasties, those serving in the imperial palace were either guards or eunuchs or palace ladies. Naturally Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want Xia Feng or any of the others to be castrated.


    After Jiang Yu, Ling Zhang¡¯s twenty-four bodyguards and Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodyguards made each other¡¯s acquaintance, Ling Zhang sent Jiang Yu to the Ministry of Rites.


    With the wedding ceremony coming soon, there were a lot of matters to attend to, and Ling Zhang was up to his eyebrows in the preparatory work. As his and Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards were all rough fellows innately insensitive to this kind of ritualistic rigmarole, the arrival of Jiang Yu who had grown up in an aristocratic family had virtually come as a godsend. After dispatching Jiang Yu to the Ministry of Rites, Ling Zhang waited to see how much help Jiang Yu would be of.


    Two days later, Jiang Yu made Ling Zhang feel that his burden had been lightened considerably.


    Sending invitations was among the first couple of matters to be handled. Ling Zhang personally sorted and recorded the replies, because it would help him further familiarize himself with the various forces. Jiang Yu had classified those replies into several categories. As a childe of a large noble family, he was discerning enough to see these people for what they really were by merely looking at their names. There were many people strange or unfamiliar to Ling Zhang, and Jiang Yu provided detailed information about every one of them for him, including who these people were, the difference between their identities, their personalities, their conduct as well as their contacts. Jiang Yu told all these to Ling Zhang in a very objective manner. He also disclosed to Ling Zhang some very private information known to members of aristocratic families only, which helped Ling Zhang know these people much better and prevented him from falling prey to semblance.


    This was very important to Ling Zhang. Previously he hadn¡¯t cared much about these things, and there hadn¡¯t been any necessity for him to care about them. After all, at that time, neither he nor Yuwen Tong had expected that their identities would change so dramatically. Afterward, his identity had really changed abruptly, and he¡¯d found himself in need of someone who had much acquaintance with these matters and could help him sort things out. As a result, what Jiang Yu was doing was like timely rain for Ling Zhang.


    On top of that, Jiang Yu¡¯s explanation was well organized and clearly stated. He expounded on those forces one by one, which made it a lot easier for Ling Zhang to understand and memorize their relations and thus saved quite some time.Visit website our Listnovel.com


    It took Ling Zhang a solid day to get the hang of it. When having dinner, Ling Zhang was still thinking about it. Now that he¡¯d started to get to know these things, he found his mind in a state of excitement. He felt as though the place where he was standing were rising, and it was now like a mound. Previously his view had been blocked, and now he finally felt that he had a wider view, that he could see a little more clearly the people and things that had previously been indistinct in his sight.


    Seeing Ling Zhang was in a trance with gleaming eyes, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°What makes you so happy that you¡¯re not even eating your meal?¡±


    Yuwen Tong had come to know that Jiang Yu had briefed Ling Zhang on a lot of things earlier this day. Indeed, nobody could have done this better than Jiang Yu had, but now was the time for the two of them to enjoy dinner together. Why couldn¡¯t Ling Zhang stop thinking about that for a while?


    ¡°You were right. With Jiang Yu¡¯s help, my burden is indeed much lighter than before. Fortunately you reminded me of it,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    But he slightly regretted it, feeling that he¡¯d made the wrong decision by allowing Jiang Yu to be Ling Zhang¡¯s attendant.


    Ling Zhang was very pleased with Jiang Yu¡¯s performance on this day. Jiang Yu had provided him with information about a lot of people, many of whom had feuds with the Jiang family, but Jiang Yu¡¯s opinions about them had still been quite objective and totally uninfluenced by his personal feelings. This was also one of the reasons why Ling Zhang held Jiang Yu in high regard. Jiang Yu had a great sense of propriety, and he had only objectively related the facts without imposing any of his subjective moods on Ling Zhang. In other words, he had no intention to manipulate Ling Zhang¡¯s thoughts, so Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have to guard against this kind of things. Jiang Yu knew his place well, which made Ling Zhang feel relaxed and comfortable in his dealings with Jiang Yu.


    Yuwen Tong listened as Ling Zhang talked on and on about Jiang Yu, his regret now significantly deeper than before.


    ¡­


    After the matter of the name list was handled, Jiang Yu started conferring with the Ministry of Rites about the wedding on behalf of Ling Zhang, dealing properly with all those miscellaneous issues that didn¡¯t require Ling Zhang¡¯s personal involvement, allowing Ling Zhang the time to sit down and have a cup of tea.


    As the wedding ceremony drew near and Jiang Yu went in and out of the Infinite Fortune Palace on a frequent basis every day, more people gradually came to realize that Ling Zhang thought highly of Jiang Yu.


    A lot of those who had previously taunted the Jiang family and Jiang Yu began to get a sniff of something else.


    They had expected that Jiang Yu would become one of Ling Zhang¡¯s guard dogs, the one guarding the front gates at the most. It had never crossed their mind that Jiang Yu would be frequently going in and out of the Ministry of Rites, and even in charge of many matters concerning the wedding ceremony in the name of Ling Zhang. Even guard dogs could be quite different from each other with respect to status. If going in and out of the Ministry of Rites was just a symbol, then him being in charge of the many issues concerning the wedding ceremony and his taking up various matters with officials of other departments meant that he had become a member of the innermost circle by taking a shortcut that had previously been unknown to everybody.


    Most importantly, those people couldn¡¯t perceive the emperor¡¯s displeasure or his intention to stop Jiang Yu, so just like this, Jiang Yu made his presence felt.


    ¡°Jiang Shennian is such a wily old fox. It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®There¡¯s no substitute for experience.''¡±


    Most people in the capital city couldn¡¯t help but inwardly curse Jiang Shennian for his cunning, bitterly regretting not having seized that opportunity. As Ling Zhang relied on Jiang Yu more and more, the latter would become an irreplaceable member of the former¡¯s think tank. Even if there would be some other members, none of them would be valued as much as Jiang Yu was. What distressed those people the most was that none of the youngsters they recommended took the emperor¡¯s fancy, and they didn¡¯t even have a chance to get close to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°These people made the most stupid move,¡± said Old Master Ji to his grandson, the apple of his eye.


    Ji Feng, however, found those people¡¯s deeds understandable. ¡°Grandfather, are you saying that those people that they recommended to Ling Zhang were unpresentable in terms of status and identity?¡±


    Old Master Ji replied, ¡°His Majesty is both discerning and resourceful, with a fund of stratagems. Also, he started as a military officer, so he doesn¡¯t care about family background or origins as much as most people think he does. If it were about selecting talents for the imperial court, he wouldn¡¯t have taken into consideration those people¡¯s parentage. As many departments are currently in dire need of capable staff members, he wouldn¡¯t reject anybody who has the required skills and a decent sense of morality, but it doesn¡¯t mean that he is willing to let anybody disgrace Ling Zhang. Those people made a whole bunch of unsolicited recommendations, and all those they recommended were who they deemed of little value and thus dispensable. By doing that, weren¡¯t they openly telling everybody that they thought those they deemed dispensable were good enough for Ling Zhang? His Majesty made his attitude clear enough when he allowed Jiang Yu to become Ling Zhang¡¯s attendant, but those people still didn¡¯t take Ling Zhang seriously. How could His Majesty not be angry? Even taking a wait-and-see attitude for some time would be a much wiser choice than making that stupid move.¡±


    Ji Feng came to understand and was even more surprised. Previously he had only known that the Marshal cared about Ling Zhang very much, that they were in a good relationship, but it was at this moment that he realized that maybe the bond between them was even stronger than he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Grandfather, you also said that what the Jiang family put a bet on was His Majesty¡¯s feelings for Ling Zhang. If¡­I mean if, His Majesty¡¯s feelings for him change, wouldn¡¯t the Jiang family¡¯s plan come to grief?¡± said Ji Feng.


    In terms of personal relations, he was friends with Ling Zhang, so naturally he didn¡¯t want this assumption to come true, but if truth be told, deep down there Ji Feng was somewhat uncertain about it, because after all, Yuwen Tong was now the emperor, and this identity was more than enough to change anybody. If Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings for Ling Zhang changed, what would happen to Ling Zhang whom Yuwen Tong had sent to such a high position? And what would happen to those around Ling Zhang?


    Old Master Ji remained silent for quite a while before he observed, ¡°This is where Jiang Shennian outshines me.¡±


    Amazed, Ji Feng looked at him. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I intended to do the same thing that he did. You and Ling Zhang are close friends. This alone gives you a great advantage over Jiang Yu,¡± replied Old Master Ji.Visit website our Listnovel.com


    After his amazement ebbed away, Ji Feng pondered for a long moment and then said, ¡°Grandfather, I still want to become an official working for the imperial court like you. This is my aspiration. In the past, the Zhou family were fatuous and I didn¡¯t see much hope, but now things are different, and I think it¡¯s time for me to dismiss all the misgivings and strive for my goals.¡±


    Old Master Ji replied with a nod of approval. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you have such determination. I look forward to seeing you make some achievements.¡±


    However, unlike Ji Feng, someone else made a decision that was quite the opposite of the one Ji Feng had just made.


    ¡­


    In the residence of the Jiang family.


    Jiang Yu, who had had a hectic day, returned home, entered his courtyard house and slumped down in a chair. He was so tired that he sat there motionless for quite some time.


    ¡°Young Master, today the footman received yet another dozen calling cards,¡± reported a servant.


    Jiang Yu opened his eyes which were glinting flintily. ¡°Return them all. From now on, all this kind of calling cards are to be returned to their senders immediately. There¡¯s no need to report to me first. Keep the front gates shut tight when I¡¯m away from home. Nobody is to come in without my consent. And keep close watch on those people in this house. If any of them dares make contact with any outsiders without my knowledge or entertain any ideas they should not have, report to me immediately. I¡¯ll chuck them out of the Jiang family!¡±

 Chapter 375 - A Servant

    The Jiang family refused to receive any visitors, their front gates shut just as tight as they had been before the house arrest was lifted. Those who went to the Jiang family to deliver calling cards or visit Jiang Yu were all denied entrance. Jiang Yu seemed to have made up his mind not to receive any caller.


    As seeking an audience with Jiang Yu directly was not an option, some people tried to bribe the others living in the Jiang family¡¯s residence. Jiang Shennian had been appointed to the yamen of a provincial town, and Jiang Chengfeng had gone back to Cangzhou. Both of them hadn¡¯t brought many people with them. Jiang Shennian had taken only a couple of personal servants and bodyguards, and Jiang Chengfeng merely his wife and several attendants, leaving all the others in the large residence of the Jiang family. At first there had indeed been someone who accepted bribes, but when Jiang Yu had been informed of it, he had harshly rebuked him and then evicted him from the Jiang family, regardless of the fact that the man bore the same surname as his or was blood relations with him.


    After Jiang Yu made an example of that person, other members of the Jiang family immediately restrained themselves and didn¡¯t dare go outside again, making it impossible for outsiders to make contact with anybody of the Jiang family.


    Naturally, none of these things that Jiang Yu had done escaped Ling Zhang¡¯s notice.


    Yuwen Tong had once said that Jiang Yu was full of dash, and at that time Ling Zhang had been rather dubious about it, because after all, back when he¡¯d been in the Imperial College, he and Jiang Yu hadn¡¯t really been on very good terms with each other, but this time around, from what Jiang Yu had done in the Jiang family, Ling Zhang saw how decisive Jiang Yu was.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Jiang Yu was indeed a capable assistant, but if he was unable to sort out his family affairs, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t let him stay, no matter how capable he was. Still, Jiang Yu didn¡¯t disappoint him. In this regard, Ling Zhang found Jiang Yu fairly admirable, feeling that he knew when to eat humble pie and when to hold his head high, that once he made a resolution to do something, he would spare no efforts to achieve the goal and wouldn¡¯t let anything get in his way. Even if there were some obstacles, he would remove them personally.


    There was one respect in which Jiang Yu bore some similarity to who he used to be when he¡¯d been in the Imperial College ¨C his pride which had remained changed. Previously when he¡¯d been in the Imperial College, he had mostly taken pride in his family background, and now the source of his pride was himself. It was a qualitative change ¨C from shallow arrogance to a pride originating from the very marrow of his bones.


    As a result, Ling Zhang was very complimentary when talking with Yuwen Tong about Jiang Yu.


    At first Yuwen Tong had managed to put up with it, but after some time, his temper began to fray. ¡°Jiang Yu, Jiang Yu. Can you remember a single recent day when you didn¡¯t talk about Jiang Yu?¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished and baffled, wondering why Yuwen Tong suddenly got angry. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Stop mentioning him so often, or I¡¯ll go back on my word. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have anybody else as talented as Jiang Yu. I can replace him with someone else at any moment,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Looking at Yuwen Tong¡¯s sulky face, Ling Zhang had a general idea of why Yuwen Tong was unhappy. Pulling a wry face, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve just been observing him during the past couple of days. He¡¯s been doing a good job and has indeed lightened my burden. Besides, it was you who advised me to let him stay.


    And don¡¯t say anything about replacing him again. So far I¡¯ve been quite satisfied with Jiang Yu¡¯s performance. You may keep those talents of yours. By the way, aren¡¯t you in need of more competent subordinates?¡±


    Hearing him defending Jiang Yu, Yuwen Tong nibbled his cheek playfully in annoyance and said, ¡°I told you to stop talking about him. Why don¡¯t you listen to me? Are you doing it on purpose? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re deliberately angering me when you know that I¡¯ve been so busy that I have to carve out time for meals.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    The first half of Yuwen Tong¡¯s words gave Ling Zhang an urge to answer back, but when he heard the latter half, his heart ached for Yuwen Tong, melting instantly. He wiped his cheek wet with saliva left by the sloppy kiss and said, ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t mention him again. Start eating. You got my cheek so oily. Do you have time for a nap after lunch?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded in a displeased tone, ¡°No. There are a lot of thorny matters to attend to. Before the enthronement I was busy, but after the enthronement I¡¯ve been even busier. Fortunately Old Master Ji has come back to give me a hand. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t even be able to carve out time for a bite.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang dismissed everything about Jiang Yu from his mind, affectionately putting more food in Yuwen Tong¡¯s rice bowl. ¡°Eat some more. I¡¯ll prepare some food for you in the afternoon. A bowl of dumplings, I think.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sneaked a look at Ling Zhang. Perceiving that Ling Zhang was thinking about him only and didn¡¯t have any room in his head for anybody else, he inwardly gave a snort and his displeasure ebbed somewhat. He felt that even if he were a fool, he should have promptly stopped Ling Zhang from taking Jiang Yu as attendant on that day after he distinctly sensed that there was something questionable about Jiang Yu¡¯s motive. Now it was inappropriate for him to dismiss Jiang Yu, which was a troublesome problem.


    ¡­


    After having lunch with Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang also started bustling around. As Yuwen Tong was otherwise engaged and unable to help with the wedding preparations, Ling Zhang had to take care of everything. Though Jiang Yu was sharing his burden, there were still a lot of things that he needed to keep watch on.


    At mid-afternoon, Ling Zhang hastened to the kitchen, made some dumplings and started steaming them. He instructed a cook to keep an eye on the fire and then left to resume his work. When the cook came and told him that the dumplings were ready, he hurriedly changed and brought the freshly made dumplings and some sauce to the hall in the front.


    The moment he entered the hall, the aroma of the food attracted everybody¡¯s attention. Ling Zhang greeted them, placed the meal box in front of Yuwen Tong and served the dumplings. ¡°Take a break and grab a bite.¡±


    Miao Shiba and some others had accompanied him to the hall. Every time Ling Zhang came here to deliver food to Yuwen Tong, he would bring a portion for each of the courtiers in the hall as well.


    To be honest, over time, more and more courtiers¡¯ minds started wandering at mid-afternoon every day, and all of them were thinking about the various delicious foods delivered by Ling Zhang on a daily basis. They heard that it was cooks of the Infinite Fortune Palace who made those foods. They were not delicacies from land and sea, just some home-cooked dishes, but they were so tasty that the courtiers found their flavors unforgettable.


    At this moment the courtiers thanked Ling Zhang and then retreated to the side hall of their own accord. Every one of them was sensible enough not to be the third wheel at this point in time.


    Yuwen Tong put a plump dumpling with plenty of filling into his mouth and chewed it up, narrowing his eyes slightly. ¡°Was it a cook who made the filling?¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked him a glance. ¡°You found that out from its taste? I was rather busy earlier this day and didn¡¯t have the time to make the filling, so I had a cook make it for me, but I made the dumplings myself.¡±


    Actually he had only made Yuwen Tong¡¯s portion of dumplings personally. Other people¡¯s portions had been made by cooks.


    Yuwen Tong picked up a dumpling, looked at the creases on the surface and observed in an annoying tone of voice, ¡°I can see that.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like them?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m feasting my eyes. This is the only portion of dumplings in the world that was made by you. It¡¯s rare and precious.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look, as though saying, ¡°Spare me the act. You¡¯re overdoing it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and asked, ¡°Have you had some yourself?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I need to pay a visit to the Ministry of Rites and then go back to the Ling Mansion. I¡¯ll be back before dinner.¡±


    Yuwen Tong slightly furrowed his brows, picked up another dumpling and held it to Ling Zhang¡¯s lips. Ling Zhang opened his mouth and shut it on the dumpling. Chewing, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t give me any more. I¡¯m sure there are a lot of goodies at home waiting for me. If you fill my belly right now, I won¡¯t be able to finish those at home.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it inconvenient for your aunt to prepare food now? What kind of goodies could there possibly be that you find so appealing?¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°My aunt has a quite healthy constitution and it hasn¡¯t been a tough pregnancy for her. The middle-aged handmaids suggested she walk around more often and she took their advice. In the morning I had a servant deliver a message to the Ling Mansion, saying that I¡¯d be back in the afternoon. She had the servant tell me that she¡¯d make some delicious food for me. I¡¯ll go back there right after visiting the Ministry of Rites, and I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be late for the food.¡±


    Yuwen Tong could tell that Ling Zhang was only too anxious to get out of the palace immediately. Knowing that he had a ton of work to do and couldn¡¯t leave at all, he became rather unhappy.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to abandon me just like this. I¡¯ve been working off my feet in this place, but you¡­ Humph.¡±


    Having no intention to start a frivolous verbal duel with him, Ling Zhang wiped his mouth and descended the stairs in a couple of strides. ¡°Well, enjoy the dumplings. I¡¯m going to the Ministry of Rites.¡±


    Yuwen Tong bit a dumpling off his chopsticks, staring at Ling Zhang¡¯s retreating figure, a glum look on his face.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang first went to the Ministry of Rites. After a flurry of bustle in the department, he finally extricated himself, planning to go home.


    He had just walked through the front gates of the Ministry of Rites when he heard a commotion. Someone was quarreling with the guards on duty in the gateway, demanding an audience with the Minister of Rites. The man said that he was a family servant of the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation) and needed to see his master about something urgent.


    Ling Zhang paused briefly and then made towards the man. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The incumbent Minister of Rites was not the one who¡¯d been rebuked in the hall that day but Yuwen Feng, who had been promoted from the Assistant Minister of Rites to the Minister of Rites after Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement. Also, the title ¡°the Marquess Huaiwen¡± had been bestowed upon him. On top of that, the title of ¡°the Marquess Fuan (AKA the Marquess of Fortune and Peace) had been conferred on Yuwen You, making him the second marquess of the Yuwen family. The two of them had been the only two people on whom titles of nobility were bestowed at the enthronement. In Yuwen Feng¡¯s case, the title of nobility had been directly given to him, skipping Yuwen Zhi. What with Yuwen Zhi¡¯s involvement in the attempted rebellion of Fang Quan and his conspirators, he had been convicted and condemned to be exiled to the south-west, but as Yuwen Zhi had been ill all along, his sentence hadn¡¯t been carried out yet. Fang Quan¡¯s accomplices hadn¡¯t been executed yet as well, so nobody had raised any objections so far.


    Currently, the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen assigned to Yuwen Feng was still under construction, so Yuwen Zhi was still in Yuwen Feng¡¯s original residence.


    A moment ago when Ling Zhang had been with Yuwen Feng, he had noticed that Yuwen Feng¡¯s face had been smileless all along. Also, he appeared even thinner than before. In fact he was almost skeletal, looking quite scary. Ling Zhang suspected that even the title of nobility hadn¡¯t brought Yuwen Feng much happiness. On the contrary, owing to the matter of Yuwen Zhi and the work in the Ministry of Rites, Yuwen Feng seemed as though he could collapse at any moment. Even Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but worry that Yuwen Feng was ill, preparing to talk with Yuwen Tong about it after he returned to the palace and see if Yuwen Tong could find someone else to temporarily take charge of the Ministry of Rites so that Yuwen Feng could go back home to nurse himself back to health.


    Hearing the man say he was a servant of Yuwen Feng¡¯s, seeing the anxious look on his face, Ling Zhang came to a halt and then walked up to the man.


    The man was a servant who had been serving Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family for many years. At the sight of Ling Zhang coming, he hastily got down on his knees to pay his respects. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°You may rise. What is it that you want to see your master about in such haste?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The servant hesitated, an awkward look on his face, uncertain about whether he should tell the truth or not.


    Before Ling Zhang could ask again, a guard reprimanded, ¡°Childe Ling asked you a question. Answer it!¡±


    Taken aback, the servant hurriedly kowtowed and replied, ¡°Please have mercy on me, Childe Ling. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you. It¡¯s really because I¡¯m not allowed to disclose it. I¡­I¡­¡±

 Chapter 376 - Yuwen Qis Abnormal Behavior

    ¡°How dare you! The Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation) is His Majesty¡¯s cousin. Concealing any accidents that happen in his family is punishable by death!¡± bawled the guard.


    This guard, in order to curry favor with Ling Zhang, spared no efforts to press the servant into answering the question, which struck Ling Zhang as quite interesting.


    Startled, the servant hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t dare. It¡¯s really because¡­ because some people died in the residence¡­¡±


    ¡°Some people died? What happened?¡± Ling Zhang knitted his brows, staring at him.


    ¡°It wa¨Cwas Second Young Master who beat them to death. Old Master is sick abed, and Second Young Master threatened to break his own legs if we didn¡¯t let him. We couldn¡¯t stop them, so I immediately came here to report to His Lordship so that he might return home to restrain Second Young Master,¡± said the servant.


    ¡°Who died?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Two house guards,¡± answered the servant.


    Ling Zhang looked at him for a few moments and then instructed the guard, ¡°Let him through. Remember, don¡¯t breathe a word of this matter to anybody else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± the guard answered and then let the servant to go inside to see Yuwen Feng.


    Ling Zhang glanced inside the Ministry of Rites. To his knowledge, Yuwen Qi had been placed under house arrest by Yuwen Feng. How come he had beaten two guards to death? It seemed that there would be yet another stink in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family. He had to inform Yuwen Tong of it.


    Ling Zhang sent someone back to the imperial palace to tell Yuwen Tong about this matter, and then ordered some men to keep close watch on Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family. After doing all this, he went back to the Ling Mansion.


    ¡­


    No sooner had he walked into the living room than his whole family clustered around him.


    ¡°Big Brother! I¡¯m so glad to see you back.¡±


    ¡°Your face is all sweaty. You must be really tired.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got everything done in the Ministry of Rites?¡±


    ¡°This wedding ceremony is so troublesome. There are too many rules.¡±


    ¡°That Yuwen boy had you do it all by yourself once again? You should take a couple of days off and stay at home. Let those officials deal with those matters. Given that even the enthronement ceremony was handled by them, they won¡¯t have any problems taking care of a wedding ceremony, will they?¡±


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s and Ling Zhaowu¡¯s tones were normal, but the others ¨C Ji Yin, for example ¨C were talking in quite disapproving voices.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Your aunt made some ginseng chicken soup. Take a seat. I¡¯ll have someone proffer it to you.¡± Ling Zhaowen pivoted around and headed for the kitchen so quick that Ling Zhang failed to stop him.


    Ji Yanlai was the only one present who remained composed. The Clan Leader was leisurely sitting there, watching Ling Zhang being swamped with greetings and inquiries from his family. He smacked his lips, because he would like some chicken soup as well but was too embarrassed to ask.


    Ling Zhang had a job handling his concerned elders. After he sat down, the chicken soup was served. The tantalizing aroma instantly made his mouth water.


    ¡°Dig in. It stewed for a very long time. The chicken meat is fully cooked,¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    A delicious smell was wafting out of the crock placed on the table. Ling Zhang glanced around him and asked his uncle, ¡°Where¡¯s my aunt? How is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in good health. Her face is slightly plumper than before, so she¡¯s ashamed to come here. The Marquess Fuan¡¯s two daughter-in-laws visited us shortly after noon. Right now your aunt is chatting with them in the Splendor Pavilion,¡± replied Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I see. I brought some premium anti-abortifacient drugs from the palace. Later I¡¯ll ask Mr. Mu to help me check them and see if they are suitable for aunt.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°We have plenty of that kind of stuff at home. You shouldn¡¯t take things home from the palace so often. If by any chance people find out and gossip about it, your reputation would be compromised.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Besides, I¡¯m not going to tell everybody about it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ling Zhang took a slurp from his bowl of chicken soup. It tasted so good that his eyes narrowed in spite of himself, happiness written all over his face.


    Ling Zhaowen still wanted to say something but Ling Zhaowu chipped in, ¡°It¡¯s indeed nothing serious. If anybody gossips about this and refuses to let it go, it would mean that they have too little to do. In that case, Yuwen Tong would assign them more tasks and I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t dare utter another word after that.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave his father a thumbs-up sign and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s a good one, Father.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen snorted, ¡°I¡¯m saying this only because I care about you.¡±


    Ling Zhang hastened to placate him.


    Holding Ji Xiaocong¡¯s hand, with Whitie the fox crouching on top of his head, Ling Maomao asked Ling Zhang, ¡°Big Brother, when could you get us into the palace to play? Cong wants to go there.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong on the side bobbed his head, looking at Ling Zhang, blinking his sparkling eyes.


    Ling Zhang reached out a hand to give Whitie a stroke and then his butt a push. Whitie moved slightly and then instantaneously leaped from the top of Ling Maomao¡¯s head to Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder. After giving a soft cry, he squatted down. Feeling Whitie¡¯s body weight, Ling Zhang said, ¡°You¡¯ve grown bigger and are a little heavy now. Do not jump onto Maomao¡¯s head again. Understand?¡±


    Whitie let out a cry, as though promising he wouldn¡¯t do that again.


    Ling Maomao gave a little gasp of relief and then looked at Ling Zhang, waiting for him to answer the question.


    Ling Zhang stretched out his hands to adjust Maomao¡¯s bun and then replied, ¡°Maybe in a couple of days. There will be a banquet in the palace in a couple of days. You may go in there and stay with me for a day or two.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°No. You¡¯re too busy. If the two boys go there, you¡¯ll have to keep an eye on them and thus be distracted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan and some others take care of them when I¡¯m busy,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were both very happy to hear that. ¡°Big Brother, I promise I¡¯ll watch over Cong and make sure he behaves himself.¡±


    Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. ¡®Oh, this little guy knows how to keep his little buddy in line now.¡¯


    Ling Zhang shifted his gaze to Ji Yanlai and asked, ¡°What do you think, Clan Leader?¡±


    Ji Yanlai looked at Ji Xiaocong who was gazing at him with an expectant look on his face, somewhat baffled as to why his nephew was not shy with strangers at all and seemed to be quite comfortable with accepting other people¡¯s kind offers. He answered, ¡°I¡¯m okay with it. If this little guy refuses to behave, just have someone bring him back to me.¡±


    It was just an imperial palace, not somewhere dangerous. Ji Yanlai didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, feeling that a trip to the palace might help broaden his nephew¡¯s horizons.


    ¡­


    Bearing in mind the situation in Yuwen Zhi¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t stay at home for long. He had come out mainly to inform his family members that he would move back home in a few days and stay here until the wedding ceremony.


    ¡°Maybe you should move back here right now,¡± suggested Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang knew that Ji Yin suggested this out of his concern for him, so he explained to Ji Yin for a while and then added, ¡°Yuwen Tong is too busy, so I must keep watch on the preparatory work for the wedding ceremony. Like you said, this concerns our face, and we can¡¯t take it lightly.¡±


    Ji Yin thought better of it. ¡°But you have to get some rest when you need it. Look at you. Your face is noticeably thinner.¡±


    Ling Zhang stroked his own face. He was thinner? Why was he not feeling it?


    After taking leave of his family, Ling Zhang returned to the imperial palace. When Yuwen Tong finally got everything done and came back from the consultation hall at night, Ling Zhang told him what had happened at the front gates of the Ministry of Rites.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°I sent some men to keep watch on the residence. I wonder what happened in there exactly,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong sat down with him. ¡°Yuwen Qi is going more insane by the day. There¡¯s madness in his bones.¡±


    Later that night, Miao Shiba returned and reported, ¡°Sire, Childe Ling, it was two guards that Yuwen Qi killed earlier this day. He wanted to get out, but the guards refused to let him. Then he threatened to break his own legs again if they didn¡¯t let him go outside to see Yuwen Zhi. The guards on duty still wouldn¡¯t let him out, so he stabbed them.¡±


    ¡°He stabbed them? Didn¡¯t he have them beaten to death?¡± Ling Zhang was astonished.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a story they¡¯re telling outsiders. Yuwen Qi carried a dagger with him. He stabbed the guards to death with it,¡± replied Miao Shiba.


    Furrowing his brows, Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°Yuwen Qi¡¯s crippled and confined to a wheelchair. The guards were able-bodied and stronger than him. Even if one of them was caught flat-footed and received a stab, theoretically the other one should have been able to dodge the blow. How did he come to stab two guards in succession?¡±


    ¡°I was a little confused as well, so I specially slipped in there and made some inquiries. It was said that the wound caused by Yuwen Qi¡¯s dagger was not deep and not fatal, but for some unknown reason, the guard breathed his last very soon. When the other guard walked up to check on him, Yuwen Qi caught him unawares and slit his waist, and the other guard also died in a very short time. I suspected Yuwen Qi¡¯s dagger was poisoned, but then I heard some servants who had witnessed the whole thing discuss it in private. They said that neither of the two guards¡¯ wounds bore any signs of poisoning, which was very strange. Afterward, the Marquess returned to the residence and also found that the two guards had died in very suspicious circumstances. He tried to press Yuwen Qi into telling the truth, but Yuwen Qi refused. He held his dagger to his own throat, saying that he would kill himself if the Marquess didn¡¯t let him go and see Yuwen Zhi. Then the situation went chaotic. During the confusion, Yuwen Qi¡¯s dagger was taken away from him and he was bound and brought back to his chambers. I secretly checked the dagger but there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. I felt that this matter was not what it seemed, so I had some men stay there to stake out the residence and then came back here to report to you,¡± said Miao Shiba.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t question Yuwen Qi again after that?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Miao Shiba answered, ¡°He did, but Yuwen Qi refused to say anything. The Marquess almost gave him the third degree.¡±


    ¡°What happened exactly? There¡¯s definitely something wrong with that dagger. Or maybe Yuwen Qi is concealing something. We need to get to the bottom of it,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then observed, ¡°First we need to ascertain whom Yuwen Qi has made contact with since he was locked up.¡±


    After Miao Shiba took the order and left, Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you let Yuwen Zhi go back because you had a plan or something? Now Yuwen Zhi is still in his sickbed. What are you going to do about it? We¡¯ve never seen him with our own eyes and we don¡¯t even know whether or not his illness is really that severe.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Show some patience. It has begun already, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes dilated. ¡°The matter of Yuwen Qi was your¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°No. I haven¡¯t interfered much in it from start to finish. What I¡¯ve been doing is just wait for them to walk to their own doom.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in bemusement.


    ¡°If Yuwen Zhi had obediently stayed in the Court Prison and accepted his sentence of exile, he might get to survive. When he stubbornly tried to go back home, I came to know that he would make trouble again. Since he has a death wish, how could I not grant it? He wouldn¡¯t lie in bed for long. What Yuwen Qi did today was the beginning of his plan,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°What about Yuwen Feng?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen what he did to himself. He reduced himself to a total mess. I¡¯ve given him plenty of time to deal with it, but things still came to this. If this time around he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to take decisive action, I wouldn¡¯t bother with him again.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh. He had really been taken aback when he¡¯d met Yuwen Feng in the Ministry of Rites earlier this day. Every time he saw Yuwen Feng, the latter struck him as thinner than the last time they¡¯d met, as though something had been sucking his life out of his body constantly. It was really horrifying.

 Chapter 377 - A Peculiar Round Perfume Container

    ¡°Are you sure you still don¡¯t want to tell me?¡± Yuwen Feng looked flintily at Yuwen Qi, the expression in his eyes heavy with apathy.


    Yuwen Qi let out two guffaws of unbridled arrogance. ¡°I am. What are you going to do about it, my loving big brother? Kill me? Then do it!¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Qi, you¡¯re literally incorrigible,¡± observed Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°I¡¯m incorrigible? How noble do you think you are, Marquess? Yeah, you¡¯re Yuwen Tong¡¯s bitch now, and he¡¯d made you a marquess. With this fancy, awe-inspiring title, you think you¡¯re better than me now, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been like this since childhood. Whenever you look at me, your eyes seem to be saying I¡¯m something filthy and repulsive! You didn¡¯t do anything when Yuwen Tong forced our mother to take her own life, and neither did you do anything when he forced our father to break my legs. You¡¯re no brother to me. The way I see it, it¡¯s Yuwen Tong who¡¯s your blood brother!¡± reprimanded Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Feng was consumed with fury, veins throbbing horribly on his forehead, his eyebrows flickering uncontrollably. It was true that he had been disgruntled at Yuwen Qi all along, but that was merely because he felt that his little brother had become arrogant, willful and domineering owing to the indulgence his mother had shown to him, and he had been stern to his little brother only because he wanted him to be a better person.


    ¡°Fine. Fine,¡± muttered Yuwen Feng, his vision going dark intermittently. A skinny pallid-faced man, he was on the verge of passing out from rage. ¡°Since you no longer see me as your big brother, I have no intention to prolong this conversation. If you want to live to see another day, tell me the cause of the two guards¡¯ deaths!¡±


    ¡°Faugh!¡± Yuwen Qi spat at Yuwen Feng, his saliva staining Yuwen Feng¡¯s robe. ¡°Why should I tell you that? So that you could tattle on me to Yuwen Tong, huh? Let me tell you something, Yuwen Feng. You¡¯d better release me as soon as possible and let me see our old man. Otherwise there will be consequences!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really not going to tell me?¡± persisted Yuwen Feng through gritted teeth, eyeing Yuwen Qi coldly, a mixture of extreme anger and disappointment on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not! Let me go!¡± snarled Yuwen Qi.


    A dark look in his eyes, Yuwen Feng stared at him for quite a while before he instructed aloud, ¡°Guards! Take Second Young Master away and interrogate him. Do not let him out until he makes a confession!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Two guards wearing armor immediately walked inside, making towards Yuwen Qi with wary eyes, their faces sepulchral.


    Two guards had died earlier this day because of Yuwen Qi, and so far nobody had been able to identify the cause of their deaths, so these two guards naturally harbored grudges against Yuwen Qi and wouldn¡¯t be nice to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, you flunkeys! I¡¯ll kill you where you stand if you dare lay a finger on me!¡± spat Yuwen Qi.


    The two guards paused and looked over their shoulders at Yuwen Feng.


    With a cold, sulky face, Yuwen Feng said, ¡°Take him. Be careful not to get hurt by him.¡±


    The two deceased guards had been either stabbed or slit by Yuwen Qi before they died. Both of them had wounds on their bodies. Although the wounds bore no signs of poisoning, there was no doubt that the cause of their deaths had something to do with their injuries. Otherwise Yuwen Qi wouldn¡¯t have gone to the trouble of wounding the two guards.


    Both these two guards were among those who¡¯d examined their companions¡¯ bodies. After hearing Yuwen Feng¡¯s words, they resumed closing in on Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s face slightly changed. ¡°Stop, both of you! Are you really so anxious to die?!¡±


    The two guards disregarded Yuwen Qi¡¯s yells. They just kept a weather eye on Yuwen Qi in case he suddenly drew a knife or something pointy on them. Each of them was holding a club.


    Angry as Yuwen Qi was, he was a cripple and there was not much he could do to resist. Soon the two guards overpowered him.


    ¡°Take him away. Make sure he¡¯s securely bound,¡± ordered Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°Yes!¡± chorused the guards. Nothing had happened to them after they restrained Yuwen Qi, which showed that Yuwen Qi did have to wound people first before he could kill them. The two guards both felt relieved, gagged Yuwen Qi who was bellowing furiously and escorted him out of the house, bringing him elsewhere to be interrogated.


    After Yuwen Qi was taken away, Yuwen Feng glanced around Yuwen Qi¡¯s chambers and then summoned some servants to conduct a search. The servants combed the chambers but didn¡¯t find anything suspicious. Yuwen Feng knitted his eyebrows and personally scoured the chambers but still couldn¡¯t find anything. His face darkened further.


    This meant that Yuwen Qi was still carrying with him whatever it was that had caused the deaths of the guards.


    ¡°Tell them to search Yuwen Qi and see if he¡¯s carrying anything with him. Remind them to be careful,¡± instructed Yuwen Feng after leaving Yuwen Qi¡¯s courtyard house. ¡°And there¡¯s another thing. I want all those who¡¯s contacted Yuwen Qi recently found and interrogated one by one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡±


    ¡­


    Intelligence about the events in Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence was immediately delivered back to the imperial palace.


    Both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were kept posted about what had happened in Yuwen Feng¡¯s abode.


    ¡°The truth should be revealed soon. Tell them to keep closer watch over that house lest they overlook anything,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± answered Miao Shiba.


    After Miao Shiba took his leave, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Yuwen Qi had been under house arrest for so long before he suddenly took action. Do you think it¡¯s possible that he got that weird deadly thing only recently?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Probably. On top of that, the one who provided him with that thing should be still in their residence.¡±


    Ling Zhang was startled. ¡°Who do you think it is? Is it Yuwen Zhi¡¯s subordinate? But your men have been staking out that place ever since Yuwen Zhi was brought back. If anybody suspicious moved into their abode, you should¡¯ve been informed of it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°The one hidden in the dark definitely has some underhand methods of covering his tracks. Otherwise Yuwen Qi wouldn¡¯t have got something that peculiar from that person. Still, given what Yuwen Feng has just done, that person would probably do something, and when he does, he might accidentally leave some tracks behind. I told Miao Shiba and the others to keep close watch on that place because I wanted them to find out who¡¯s been hiding there.¡±


    Ling Zhang remarked, ¡°What a nuisance.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand to knead Ling Zhang¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. You may go and do what you need to do.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to face this with you, no matter how troublesome it is. I want this to be over as soon as possible. Right now it¡¯s Yuwen Feng that I¡¯m worried about. After all, Yuwen Zhi is his father, and Yuwen Qi his brother. Things between you two will never be the same after the deaths of the two of them. He¡¯s the only one you¡¯re close to in your family.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve got over this some time ago. There are indeed circumstances in which kinship doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    Although Ling Zhang had been through a lot of hardships and misfortunes, familial love was never absent from his life. After his father had left home, his grandfather and his uncle had both been very loving and protective to him, and the bonding between his family members had perfectly exemplified the saying, ¡®Blood is thicker than water.¡¯ His grandfather, Ji Yin, whom he had found afterwards, had also been treating him as though they¡¯d never been separated. As a result, Ling Zhang had a very firm belief in familial bonding that not all outsiders could understand. The very reason why he had forgiven Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi again and again had been because he didn¡¯t want Yuwen Tong to lose the last few family members he had left. Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather had died on the battlefield, and his parents had died in succession as well. Also, he had no siblings. Every time Ling Zhang compared himself with Yuwen Tong, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that fate was being too cruel to Yuwen Tong. Therefore, he had once considered letting go of his resentment towards the Yuwen family, thinking that as long as Yuwen Zhi, Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were willing to turn over a new leaf, he would be more forgiving of their deeds. However, now things had still come to this, which made Ling Zhang feel rather upset.


    Yuwen Tong, who knew him well, naturally was fully aware of what he was thinking about. He gave it some thought and then said, ¡°Yuwen Zhi and I were never really close. He had a grudge against my grandfather and was disgruntled at my father, too. They always seemed very distant in their dealings with each other. In fact, though they were living in the same residence and bore the same surname, most of the time they were like strangers to each other. In addition, it was mostly my grandfather who brought me up, and I used to live in the borderland all the year around. Afterward, my grandfather and my parents passed away one after another, and I was in the borderland alone, but my uncle barely showed me any affection. It was not until I got promoted for my wartime exploits and wielded great power in the military that the two of us were sort of back on speaking terms, but even so, we were constantly at odds with each other. At first I tried to reason with him, but afterward I found that he was very opinionated and didn¡¯t care what other people thought at all. Every time I returned to this city, we had parted in discord. We¡¯ve long since stopped seeing each other as family. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that my father had told me to take good care of them on his deathbed, and some members of the Yuwen family had to stay in the capital city, I would have disowned them some time ago. Before things came to be the way they are today, I gave them several chances, but they disappointed me again and again. Now I¡¯m done with giving second chances.


    As regards Yuwen Feng, it all depends on what attitude he¡¯ll take. If he really couldn¡¯t come around, we¡¯ll have no choice but to let him be.¡±


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply and replied, ¡°You have a point. Nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable.¡±


    What was the point of begging familial affection from kinsmen like them? If Yuwen Tong had no family members left, he would be Yuwen Tong¡¯s family, and he would be by Yuwen Tong¡¯s side for the rest of his life. Besides, Yuwen Tong still had his granduncle¡¯s branch of the family. It was not like the Yuwen family really had nobody else left. In fact, Yuwen You was a close relative of Yuwen Tong¡¯s. Come to think of it, the Yuwen family was still a large family. Yuwen Chi¡¯s two sons were both married and had children. Currently, there were quite some young kids in the Abode of the Marquess Fuan (AKA the Marquess of Fortune and Peace). Yuwen Si¡¯s eldest son had also got married, and his wife was pregnant as well, and the expected date of confinement was drawing near. Apart from them, there was also Yuwen Jin¡­ There was no telling how much larger the Yuwen family would be in a couple of decades.


    As these ideas crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, the look in his eyes became somewhat contemplative.


    He thought of himself and Yuwen Tong. It was true that the Marquess Fuan had a growing family, but what about him and Yuwen Tong?


    Their wedding was very close. The reason why neither he himself nor anybody else had brought up that issue was because they didn¡¯t have the time, and the others also didn¡¯t have the guts to mention it. But after some time, things might change. It was time to start considering how to tackle this problem.


    ¡­


    In Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence.


    Yuwen Qi had been taken to an interrogation room to be interrogated. The guards had searched Yuwen Qi on Yuwen Feng¡¯s orders and eventually found a bizarre round silver perfume container. This kind of things were typically carried by women. Why was Yuwen Qi carrying something like this with him?


    On top of that, the moment Yuwen Qi saw the guard take that perfume container away from him, he went berserk and railed, ¡°Give it back to me! You cheap flunkeys!¡±


    It struck the guard that the container was suspicious, so he immediately went to report it to Yuwen Feng.

 Chapter 378 - Gu Worms, Blood-Heart Gu

    Looking at the round perfume container the guard was holding, Yuwen Feng instructed with a cold face, ¡°Open it. Nice and slow.¡±


    The guard inclined his head, carefully put the container down onto the table and opened it.


    Inside the container was a wax ball. The guard gingerly leaned over to scrutinize it and found that it bristled with very small apertures which were alive with some kind of black creatures that looked like tiny worms.


    Taken aback, the guard hurriedly backed away several paces and said to Yuwen Feng, ¡°Your Lordship, there are black worms hidden in this wax ball ¨C living ones.¡±


    With a glum face, Yuwen Feng gazed at the wax ball and ordered, ¡°Go and get a living thing here. A chicken or something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡± The guard left and soon brought back a living thing. He placed the wax ball and the living thing on the ground, carefully made a small cut in the skin of the living thing and with that the worms in the wax ball were immediately stimulated by the smell of blood, as though it was some kind of delicious food for them. In the blink of an eye, several long black worms wriggled out of the wax ball and instantaneously wormed their way through the wound into the body of the living thing. Before long, the living thing died.


    The guard and the others present were horrified, not daring approach the wax ball again.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Get a brazier here and burn the wax ball and that thing. Make sure they¡¯re burnt to ashes!¡±


    The guards quickly brought a brazier to the room, used their clubs to put the wax ball and the body of the creature into it, poured some oil over them and set them afire. Fierce flames instantly rose, the two things in the brazier sizzling.


    Yuwen Feng stood on the side, staring at the brazier. After the two things in the brazier were burnt to ashes, he instructed a servant to dispose of the ashes.


    ¡°Your Lordship, what were those worms? They were so scary,¡± said a guard, experiencing a carry-over of fear.


    With a sulky look on his face, Yuwen Feng replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what poisonous creatures they were. Interrogate Yuwen Qi. Do whatever necessary to find out where he got this thing!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship!¡±


    ¡­


    Hiding in the shadows, Miao Shiba watched Yuwen Feng instruct a servant to dispose of the ashes. Having memorized what he had seen, he planned to go back to report. He had just pivoted around when he suddenly noticed that someone else was hiding diagonally across the courtyard from his position around a corner, stealthily keeping watch on Yuwen Feng and the others who had just burnt the wax ball and the living thing, revealing a small part of the hem of a gray coat typically worn by a servant. After seeing Yuwen Feng instruct the guards to put Yuwen Qi under intensive interrogation, that person quietly backed into the corner and disappeared from view.


    Miao Shiba quickly detoured to that corner with the intention to tail that person and find out who it was, but it was too late. That person had already left.


    Just now he had only seen the profile of that person shadowed by a tree, and he hadn¡¯t distinguished that person¡¯s features, but there was no doubt that that servant was suspicious.


    ¡°That person was either a snooper or someone having something to do with that wax ball. You¡¯re right, Sire. Yuwen Qi is indeed hiding someone in the residence, whose identity is unknown to us.¡±


    After returning to the imperial palace, Miao Shiba reported to Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang all what he had seen.


    ¡°Long thin black worms?¡± Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows. The mere description of those things made him feel sick. ¡°Last time it was a venomous snake, and now poisonous worms ¨C why does Yuwen Qi always have to carry this kind of disgusting things with him?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, and so did Miao Shiba.


    Ling Zhang was puzzled. ¡°Why are you both looking at me like that?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did he?


    Yuwen Tong instructed Miao Shiba, ¡°Go get Xie Shi.¡±


    Xie Shi was soon summoned to the hall. After Miao Shiba described those long thin black worms to him, Xie Shi said, ¡°I think they were some kind of poisonous Gu worms.¡±


    Poisonous Gu worms? The three words gave Ling Zhang goosebumps.


    ¡°Only Gu masters in South Xinjiang excel at raising Gu worms. Where Yuwen Qi got that venomous snake is still a mystery, because the provider of the snake had long since returned to South Xinjiang, and we have no intelligence about their appearance whatsoever, so there¡¯s no way to find them. This time around, in all likelihood, the provider of those worms is the same person who gave him the snake,¡± added Xie Shi.


    On hearing that those worms had actually been raised by the same person who¡¯d raised that venomous snake, Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. ¡°Does that mean a Gu master from South Xinjiang slipped into the residence to offer Yuwen Qi help?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± replied Xie Shi.


    Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Is there anything those Gu worms are afraid of? Something that could help people defend against the worms?¡±


    Xie Shi pondered for a while before he answered, ¡°Common alexipharmic pills are definitely no use against them. Gu worms are living creatures. In order to keep them away, people will have to carry with them either a drug with a strong scent that the worms are scared of, or a Gu insect that is stronger than those worms and could deter them.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything like that?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Though astonished, Xie Shi still quickly replied, ¡°I can prepare a kind of medicinal powder, which could be contained in a sachet, and anybody carrying it wouldn¡¯t be attacked by Gu worms, but it¡¯s only effective against common Gu worms. It cannot deter any strong poisonous creatures. In addition, once someone carries it with them, a Gu master would be able to detect it very easily.¡±


    As regards strong Gu creatures, Xie Shi didn¡¯t have any for the moment. Firstly, strong Gu creatures with deterrent effects were hard to come by; secondly, people who were not experienced Gu masters didn¡¯t have the required skills to tame that kind of creatures and the process could easily backfire on them.


    After a few moments¡¯ consideration, Yuwen Tong commanded, ¡°Go and prepare some first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± answered Xie Shi.


    Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong, ¡°You want to give a sachet to Yuwen Feng?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Shiba and the others need the powder, too. Pity it has such an obvious drawback ¨C it¡¯s too easy to detect it.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a moment and then suggested, ¡°How about we invite Mr. Mu here and ask him his opinion?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and replied, ¡°All right.¡±


    Soon Mr. Mu was escorted to the palace. Ling Zhang had Miao Shiba give Mr. Mu a detailed description of those Gu worms, and then asked him whether or not he knew what those Gu worms were, and whether there was a way to defend against them.


    Looking quite relaxed, Mr. Mu said, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t seen any of them with my own eyes, I have an educated guess that they¡¯re a kind of Blood Gu.¡±


    ¡°Blood Gu?¡± Ling Zhang and the others were perplexed, wondering what kind of Gu worm a Blood Gu was.


    ¡°Blood Gu, as the name implies, are a kind of Gu worms that feed on blood and are virulent. They run wild at the smell of blood, burrow their way into living things¡¯ bodies through wounds, suck their blood and eat their flesh. As a result, anybody who falls victim to Blood Gu would be subjected to unbearable pain. Without timely medical treatment, the agony would go beyond the victim¡¯s endurance and kill them. The Blood Gu might even reduce the victim to a skeleton. But according to your description, after those Gu worms entered the guards¡¯ bodies, the guards were in pain but didn¡¯t show any other particular symptoms and died very soon. Given these facts, I think those worms were a fairly special species of Blood Gu. They¡¯re called Blood-heart Gu. After entering a person¡¯s body, they will rapidly burrow into the victim¡¯s cardiac meridian and release a highly noxious substance which will kill the victim very soon. Then the worms will quickly metamorphose and then go into hibernation in the corpse,¡± explained Mr. Mu.


    ¡°That sounds so vicious,¡± observed Ling Zhang in a disgusted tone.


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°All those who know how to raise Blood-heart Gu are no common Gu masters. They¡¯re at least beyond average and shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to defend against those worms, Mr. Mu?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu answered, ¡°The medicinal powder Guard Xie is preparing could deter Blood-heart Gu from approaching. If the goal is merely to defend against the worms, the powder will be more than enough for you to achieve it.¡±


    ¡°For the moment we don¡¯t want to alarm that Gu master. That person still hasn¡¯t shown his face yet. I think he¡¯s in disguise. It¡¯s best if we could capture him,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu came to understand. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the medicinal powder will be too easy to detect. That Gu master would probably sense it immediately. I have an idea ¨C I¡¯ll give you something. No Gu creatures will dare approach the one carrying it.¡±


    ¡°Is it some kind of badass Gu creature?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Mr. Mu chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not a Gu master. Although I have some acquaintance with Gu-craft, I¡¯m not very interested in raising Gu worms, so it¡¯s not a Gu creature, just an insect called White Cicada. A White Cicada gives a whistle inaudible to the human ear, which scares all kinds of Gu worms. Whenever a White Cicada approaches, Gu worms will play dead, not daring move an inch. Also, the skin sloughed by White Cicadas is a top-notch medicine. This kind of insect is very rare. People may come by it with luck, but not by searching for it. On top of that, its cries are inaudible to the human ear, so even if it shows up right beside a Gu master, the latter wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it.¡±


    Delighted, Ling Zhang exchanged glances with Yuwen Tong and then said, ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Mu.¡±


    Mr. Mu replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it with me, so I¡¯ll have to go back to the Ling Mansion first. You may have someone go there with me to get it for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Ling Zhang agreed and then asked, ¡°By the way, how should we feed it?¡±


    Mr. Mu answered, ¡°You won¡¯t have to do that anytime soon. I¡¯ll put something that it likes to suck in the box, which will be enough to last it half a month or so. All you have to do is return it to me before the time is up.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°We¡¯ll only be needing it for a couple of days, and we¡¯ll return it to you immediately after it serves its purpose.¡±


    Mr. Mu soon went back to the Ling Mansion, accompanied by Miao Shisan, who then brought the White Cicada back to the palace.


    Yuwen Tong gave the White Cicada to Miao Shiba and told him to play it by ear.


    ¡­


    At this moment. In Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence.


    Yuwen Feng had been interrogating Yuwen Qi non-stop for over two hours, trying to press Yuwen Qi into telling him where he¡¯d got that wax ball, but Yuwen Qi refused to confess no matter how hard Yuwen Feng pressured him. Eventually, Yuwen Feng angrily stormed out of the room, slamming the door as he left.


    Yuwen Feng went to see Yuwen Zhi who was still in bed, looking so sickly as though he could kick the bucket at any moment.


    Having mixed feelings, Yuwen Feng looked at him for quite a while before he asked the physician he¡¯d hired previously, ¡°The symptoms of my father¡¯s cold have abated some time ago. Why is he still confined to bed? And he doesn¡¯t look well too.¡±


    Face crumpling up, the physician said, ¡°Please forgive me, Your Lordship. I¡¯ve done everything within my power. It¡¯s just that Lord Yuwen¡¯s constitution is weak, and the cold took a heavy toll on him. In addition, he stayed in the dark dank Court Prison for a very long time and the coldness invaded all parts of his body. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll take some more time to eliminate the root of the illness.¡±


    Yuwen Feng looked at Yuwen Zhi who had his eyes closed and seemed to be asleep. After quite a while, he said, ¡°You must cure my father of his disease, no matter what drug it¡¯ll take. Soon the time will come when he will be sent into exile. If he still doesn¡¯t recover by then, I won¡¯t be able to have him stay here. I¡¯ll have no choice but to have some men carry him to the south-west.¡±


    His eyes closed, Yuwen Zhi¡¯s eyelids flickered, but he still didn¡¯t open them.


    Yuwen Feng, who saw that flicker distinctly, pivoted around and made towards the door.


    Halfway to the door, he accidentally bumped into the physician, who was startled and hurriedly supported Yuwen Feng. ¡°Are you okay, Your Lordship? Please pardon me. My eyesight is poor and I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t mind, waved his hand and left. While walking through the door, he moved his arm, as though feeling somewhat uncomfortable, but soon he was far away from the doorway.


    The physician wiped the apologetic expression off his face and made towards Yuwen Zhi¡¯s bed. ¡°Lord Yuwen,¡± he called.

 Chapter 379 - A Father-Son Dispute

    The physician¡¯s voice was no longer old but fairly young. Also, he was not hunchbacked any more, and his eyes became much more penetrating than they had been a moment ago. It was as though the body beneath his geriatric exterior had suddenly been replaced by a young one.


    Yuwen Zhi, who was supposed to be comatose, abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. After taking a couple of breaths, he pointed in the direction of the doorway and spat, ¡°What a heartless creature! Did you hear what he said? Just now he was threatening me. He said he would have me carried out, hand me over to Yuwen Tong and let him exile me. What did he mean by that? He wants to trade his own father¡¯s life for wealth and status? Had I known earlier he would grow into such an unfilial son, I would never have brought him up in the first place!¡±


    While cursing loudly, he bore no resemblance whatsoever to what he had looked like when pretending to be so sick as though he could die at any moment.


    The physician calmly watched as Yuwen Zhi swore. It was after Yuwen Zhi finished cursing that the physician said, ¡°Lord Yuwen, currently your son has got ears and eyes everywhere in this residence. Although I¡¯ve controlled the couple of servants assigned here to wait upon you with Gu worms, the guards out there still have their free will and might overhear your words. If you¡¯re exposed, there might not be severe consequences, but if my cover¡¯s blown, there would be nobody helping you.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi breathed in several gasps before he gradually collected himself and then said through gritted teeth, ¡°I had a hard job to extricate myself from the Court Prison on the pretext of nursing my cold. This undutiful son, instead of trying to figure out a way to help rid me of the accusation, plans to have me carried out of this house. He¡¯s such an ungrateful creature. Since father-son bonding means nothing to him, I¡¯ll stop treating him as my son and show him no mercy.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do, Lord Yuwen?¡± the physician asked him.


    Looking out of the window with a sinister expression in his eyes, Yuwen Zhi replied, ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the plan, put Yuwen Feng under our complete control and use him to get close to Yuwen Tong. If it weren¡¯t for Yuwen Tong, the whole country would have been in my son¡¯s pocket. Yuwen Tong ruined everything, so I¡¯ll take the throne back from him!¡±


    It was at this moment that the physician said, ¡°Just now I¡¯ve planted a Gu worm in Yuwen Feng¡¯s body. It¡¯s Manipulation Gu. This kind of Gu worms work in pairs. Each pair consists of a Puppet Gu and a Puppeteer Gu. The Puppeteer Gu is in my hands, and the Puppet Gu is inside Yuwen Feng¡¯s body. Over time, the Puppet Gu will slowly worm its way into his head and gradually turn him into my puppet, and then you may have him do whatever you want him to do. He will be totally powerless to resist.¡±


    At first Yuwen Zhi was astonished, but then delight registered on his face. ¡°So this kind of Gu worms do exist? They could have him do my bidding with unquestioning obedience? Can you plant one inside Yuwen Tong¡¯s body and turn him into my puppet?¡±


    The physician answered, ¡°I can, but we¡¯ll have to figure out a way to get close to him first. I have only two pairs of this kind of Gu worms in my possession. It took me many years to raise them. I wouldn¡¯t have used them if it weren¡¯t for the favor Your Lordship did me.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi said, ¡°I appreciate the trouble you¡¯ve gone to. You showed up in time and has been of great help to me. I promise you¡¯ll get whatever you want after my big plan succeeds, as long as it¡¯s within my power to give.¡±


    The physician said, ¡°Thank you in advance, Your Lordship.¡±


    Suddenly, Yuwen Zhi cast a piercing look at him. ¡°You said that the Puppeteer Gu¡¯s in your hands, but it¡¯s still kind of an inconvenience. Can you let me keep the Puppeteer Gu?¡±


    The physician appeared rather awkward. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you the Puppeteer Gu, but that I¡¯ve been nurturing the Puppeteer Gu with my own blood since its larval stage. It¡¯s living right inside me, and it won¡¯t survive if it leaves my body, so there¡¯s no way to get the Puppeteer Gu out unless I¡¯m dead, but if I die, the Puppet Gu will become useless.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face changed. It surprised him that a Puppeteer Gu could only live inside its master¡¯s body and fed on its master¡¯s blood. Yuwen Zhi was a selfish man, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t stake his own life on this kind of thing. However, given the current circumstances, he must ensure the safety of the Gu master. At least he couldn¡¯t let anything happen to the Gu master before he got what he wanted. Otherwise all his efforts would be in vain.


    ¡°You should never act alone again. Make sure you¡¯re accompanied by some guards wherever you go. You have to stay safe. If anything happens to you, all of us will be doomed. You won¡¯t be able to get what you want if my big plan fails.¡±


    The Gu master disguised as a physician replied, ¡°Presently this courtyard house is surrounded by guards whose sole duty is to prevent you from escaping. The couple of servants in here are the only ones at our command. For the moment these useless servants are also the only ones we could rely on to protect us.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi, who appeared somewhat embarrassed at these words, inquired, ¡°How long will it take for the worm to control Yuwen Feng thoroughly?¡±


    ¡°Two days. Yuwen Feng will be reduced to a complete puppet of ours in two days,¡± responded the Gu master.


    Yuwen Zhi clenched his teeth. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s wait for another two days.¡±


    ¡­


    When Yuwen Feng had left Yuwen Zhi¡¯s courtyard house with a forbidding face, he subconsciously shook his arm which the physician had bumped against a moment ago. Back in the room he hadn¡¯t felt anything out of the ordinary, but after walking out of the room, he had felt as though someone had stuck his arm with a needle. A few moments later his arm had felt fairly itchy, numb and uncomfortable, and now it was even a little limp, so he had to shake it to ease the discomfort.


    But in his eyes this was just a trivial matter and it didn¡¯t bother him. What concerned him was Yuwen Zhi¡¯s condition.


    Back at the time when he had first brought Yuwen Zhi back to this residence, the latter¡¯s cold had indeed been quite severe, but with the medicine prescribed by the physician and the constant care provided by the servants, his cold symptoms had been alleviated considerably and should have been able to get out of his sickbed to walk a couple of days after that. Him lying in bed for so long was totally needless.


    No. Actually his father¡¯s symptoms seemed to be exacerbating as he stayed abed. Naturally, Yuwen Feng was fully aware of what was really going on. His father was unwilling to go back to the Court Prison or be sent into exile, so he had been faking his illness. However, his cousin was no fool and would undoubtedly send a court physician here to examine his father sooner or later, given how long his father had been lying in bed at home, and when that happened, his father¡¯s little game would inevitably be exposed. His cousin had warned his father several times, but the latter, who was quite an intransigent man, had refused to budge an inch and stubbornly got involved in a spate of troubled situations which he totally could have stayed out of, despite the fact that his deeds would very likely lead to deaths of all his family as well as his own. He was so selfish that he didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s lives at all.


    Having been made the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation) and appointed as the Minister of Rites, he did wield enormous power within the imperial court, and nobody dared discomfit him. Even his cousin had never picked on him. He was now indeed one of the most powerful courtiers. He was fully aware of what kind of person Yuwen Tong was. By delegating such power to him knowing that he had a troublesome family situation, Yuwen Tong had made it very clear that he had no intention to hold him responsible for his father¡¯s doings. Yuwen Feng was not an ungrateful man. He knew very well what Yuwen Tong meant, and he knew just as well that Yuwen Tong needed him to stake out his position. He must tackle this issue in an entirely impartial fashion.


    By sentencing his father to exile, Yuwen Tong had actually spared his father¡¯s life. If he refused to see reason and do what he was supposed to do, all the glory of the Yuwen family would have nothing to do with him or the other members of his family. Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t want to be consigned to mediocrity for the rest of his life. He had his own aspirations and discernment. The fortunes of the Yuwen family had clearly taken a turn. Why shouldn¡¯t he seize this opportunity? Why should he give it up?


    As a result, by making those remarks a moment ago, he had actually been putting out feelers and also trying to send his father a message, telling him that it was no good pretending to be ill, that if he refused to cooperatively receive treatment, he would only end up being carried to the place he was to be exiled to, and there was a very high probability that he would die halfway there due to lack of intensive care.


    And that flicker of his father¡¯s eyelids had unmistakably confirmed Yuwen Feng¡¯s suspicion that his father had been pretending.


    With a flash of anger surging inside him, Yuwen Feng, who had walked far away from the front gates, suddenly came to a halt, spun around to look at the courtyard house and then started to backtrack, striding along.


    ¡­


    ¡°This is bad, Master. His Lordship is coming back.¡±


    A servant controlled by Gu worms hurried into Yuwen Zhi¡¯s room to report, his face etched with anxiety.


    Yuwen Zhi was also startled and hastened to lie back onto his bed. The servant, along with the Gu master, helped Yuwen Zhi adjust the bedding, trying their best to make it look the same as it had been a while ago.


    They had just finished when Yuwen Feng strode inside.


    ¡°Your Lordship,¡± chorused the servant and the physician, paying their respects to him.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± instructed Yuwen Feng.


    The servant was somewhat scared. The physician gave his arm a pull and with that the two of them walked out of the room together.


    Yuwen Feng stepped to Yuwen Zhi¡¯s bedside. After he cast an appraising glance at the bedding and Yuwen Zhi¡¯s clothes, a cold look flashed across his eyes and he began, ¡°Father, I know you¡¯ve woken up. Since you¡¯re unwilling to open your eyes, I won¡¯t make you, but Father, if you keep acting like this, you¡¯ll only end up getting yourself in deeper trouble. You¡¯re sentenced to exile, not death. There¡¯s still room for maneuver. As long as you nurse yourself back to health, we will have another chance. I¡¯ll send some men to secretly follow you along the journey to protect you, and they will stay in South Xinjiang keeping you safe during your stay in that place. You¡¯re a Yuwen, His Majesty¡¯s uncle. Although you did something wrong, as long as His Majesty doesn¡¯t want you dead, nobody would dare hurt a hair on your head. You¡¯ll find your life quite comfortable in South Xinjiang. That place is far from the capital city, and if I pull some strings, you won¡¯t have to labor in a mine or graze animals like the other exiles do, and neither will you ever find yourself short of food. You¡¯ll be covertly installed in a residence there, and there will be servants, too. You may end your days in comfort, and you might even be allowed to return to the capital city after His Majesty cools off. In that case, you¡¯ll live here as His Majesty¡¯s uncle, and nobody would dare trifle with you. I promise I¡¯ll do everything within my power to get you back here.


    Isn¡¯t this a pretty good way of handling it, Father? South Xinjiang is not really that horrible. On the contrary, you¡¯ll be able to do whatever you want. As long as you don¡¯t step out of line, everybody would be turning a blind eye to it and wouldn¡¯t tattle on you to His Majesty. It¡¯s best for you, for me, for my little brother and for His Majesty. It¡¯s best for everybody, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t understand what it is that you¡¯re dissatisfied with. Why are you trying so hard to stay in this troubled city, stooping so low as to fake an illness? What good could it possibly do to lie in bed all day, not being able to do anything? Tell me, Father, why are you doing this?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi in bed was clearly infuriated, his chest heaving violently. Eventually, he failed to restrain himself, opened his eyes which were red with rage, glared at Yuwen Feng and railed, ¡°You arrogant, unfilial son! How dare you!¡±


    Yuwen Feng was totally unsurprised to see him open his eyes.


    Yuwen Zhi propped himself up, pointed at Yuwen Feng and spat, ¡°If you really care about me, you should be seeking to have me stay in this city, rather than sending me to South Xinjiang to suffer! I¡¯ll be able to do whatever I want there? I¡¯ll be under constant watch and won¡¯t be able to do anything I want! I don¡¯t care whether there will be servants waiting upon me or not. I¡¯ve been waited on all my life! You¡¯re seriously expecting me to see that as a favor I should be deeply grateful for?! Ridiculous!¡±

 Chapter 380 - Yuwen Fengs Falling Victim to Gu Worms

    ¡°Father, why are you making it so difficult for you to see reason? You really have no knowledge of the severity of the crimes you committed? My cousin tolerated your doings again and again, and do you know why? Because he made a promise to my uncle. If it weren¡¯t for that promise, he would never have put up with your behavior for so long, given how many times you provoked him. Why couldn¡¯t you come back to your senses? Why are you so insistent on working against my cousin? Exactly what is it that you want, Father?¡±


    Yuwen Feng looked at Yuwen Zhi in disappointment. He chose to open his heart to Yuwen Zhi because he wanted Yuwen Zhi to understand that South Xinjiang was not a slough of misery, that as long as he still drew breath, there would always be a chance to have things take a turn for the better. Why couldn¡¯t his father listen to reason?


    ¡°You want to know what I want? I¡¯ll tell you. Had Yuwen Tong not ruined my plans over and over again, I would have been the one sitting on the throne! Yuwen Tong is utterly unworthy of it!¡± erupted Yuwen Zhi, angrily pointing a finger in the direction of the imperial palace. ¡°Who does Yuwen Tong think he is?! Why did he have to take away from me all the positions that were rightfully mine?! He and I are both surnamed Yuwen, but your grandfather was partial to him, and now even providence is partial to him as well! Why?!¡±


    Yuwen Feng gaped at Yuwen Zhi in shock. ¡°Father? You¡­¡±


    ¡®What makes you think you could¡¯ve been the one sitting on the throne?¡¯ he wondered.


    Yuwen Feng always knew that his father was self-important, but it¡¯d never crossed his mind that his father would have such an unrealistic idea!


    Yuwen Feng felt that his father was being absurd. ¡°Father, you really think that prince in the cold palace that you used to support stood a chance of ascending the throne? The one who had no strong family background, no learning and no ability whatsoever? Have you any idea how many eyes were watching you in this country? Have you any idea how many eyes were watching you in this city? You think those people would let you do that? You think they¡¯d really let a puppet prince accede to the throne? Even if the puppet prince was enthroned ¨C and that¡¯s a big if ¨C you really think you could control him and have him abdicate in favor of you? You can¡¯t be that naive, Father.¡±


    SLAP! Yuwen Zhi slapped Yuwen Feng hard across the face and bellowed, ¡°SHUT UP!¡±


    After being slapped, Yuwen Feng took in a large gulp of air before turning around to look at his father. ¡°You¡¯ve got to wake up, Father. This country belongs to the Yuwen family now. As long as my cousin remains the emperor, we¡¯ll have inexhaustible wealth and endless glory. Why do you have to be so obsessed with something illusory? Your stay in South Xinjiang will be temporary. Sooner or later you¡¯ll return to the capital city, and when you do, you¡¯ll still be my cousin¡¯s uncle. No one will be above you in terms of status.¡±


    ¡°I am not impressed!¡± enunciated Yuwen Zhi, cold anger in every syllable.


    The look in Yuwen Feng¡¯s eyes gradually became flinty and disappointed. ¡°Father, are you really so anxious to die?¡±


    ¡°GET OUT!¡± ranted Yuwen Zhi.


    Yuwen Feng lowered his eyes to conceal the disappointment in them. ¡°Father, there¡¯s still some time before your sentence of exile would be carried out. I hope you¡¯ll come around. When the time comes, if you still refuse to change your mind, then even I won¡¯t be able to save you.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi grabbed a porcelain vase from the table beside him and hurled it at Yuwen Feng.


    The vase hit him with a smash.


    Yuwen Feng was wounded, his hand gashed on a piece of the vase that bounced off the ground.


    Yuwen Feng looked at the wound on his hand from which blood was flowing, his heart growing cold, hardening. When he raised his head and shifted his gaze to Yuwen Zhi again, his eyes had gone completely icy. ¡°I cannot let you destroy our family, Father. I have a wife and concubines and children. I cannot let them die with you.¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Feng left the room, ignoring Yuwen Zhi who was cursing him furiously. He walked through the front gates of the courtyard house without a glance at the physician standing in the doorway or the servant tremulously kneeling on the ground, and then instructed the guards on duty in the gateway, ¡°Keep close watch on everybody in this house, including that physician. Nobody leaves here without my permission.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship,¡± chorused the guards.


    Naturally, the guards had heard the loud arguments from inside.


    Yuwen Feng had walked a long distance with a flinty face when he felt a sudden stab of pain in the chest, and then he had a dizzy spell and staggered.


    The servant behind him hastened to catch him. ¡°Your Lordship!¡±


    Yuwen Feng held his hand. When the dizziness ebbed away, he shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Help me back to my room. Don¡¯t breathe a word of this to anybody.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship.¡±


    ¡­


    In Yuwen Zhi¡¯s room.


    The Gu master walked inside and, seeing the mess in the room, ordered the servant, ¡°Clean it up.¡±


    ¡°Ye¨CYes,¡± answered the servant, still trembling. Then he called the other servants in, cleared the ground and then hurriedly left.


    Looking at Yuwen Zhi who was still consumed with indignation, the Gu master consoled him, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so angry, Lord Yuwen. Now that Yuwen Feng has come to know you¡¯ve been pretending, you don¡¯t have to mistreat yourself so much as to lie in bed all day any longer. You may just eat and drink whatever pleases you and get energized. We have a lot of work ahead of us. In addition, thanks to the sudden surge of anger and abrupt mood swings of Yuwen Feng¡¯s, the Gu worm inside him is probably wriggling faster. It will reach his brain and control him for us in less than two days, and when it does, you¡¯ll be able to do whatever you want. After this argument, you should have seen him for who he really is, and I suppose you won¡¯t feel guilty about what you¡¯re going to do to him any more.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Yuwen Zhi looked at him for a while before he grinned sinisterly, ¡°You¡¯re right. An undutiful son like him is undeserving of my affection. I shall have him repay me for giving him life and raising him by serving as my stepping stone to the throne.¡±


    The Gu master also grinned, ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Qi¡¯er? How is he?¡± asked Yuwen Zhi. Since he had decided to sacrifice his older son, his younger son was the only one he had concern for.


    ¡°Childe Qi is still in the interrogation room. Ever since that wax ball was found, Yuwen Feng has been trying to press him into telling him whom he got the wax ball from,¡± replied the Gu master.


    A hint of apprehension appeared on Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s not going to rat you out, right?¡±


    In Yuwen Zhi¡¯s eyes, even his younger son was not as important as the Gu master who could extricate him from this difficult position and might even be able to help him take the throne.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be able to drag a confession out of Childe Qi any time soon. Tonight I¡¯ll figure out a way to sneak in and tell Childe Qi to hang in there for another two days. After we get Yuwen Feng under control, Childe Qi will be released from the interrogation room,¡± responded the Gu master.


    ¡°Thank you in advance, but please be careful not to expose yourself to any danger,¡± said Yuwen Zhi, reminding the Gu master to be cautious. Clearly he bore in mind at all times the Puppeteer Gu inside the Gu master¡¯s body.


    The Gu master lowered his head and replied, ¡°Rest assured, Your Lordship, I promise I¡¯ll keep myself safe. I won¡¯t ruin your plan.¡±


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang got the White Cicada provided by Mr. Mu and then gave it to Miao Shiba, telling him to go to Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence and play it by ear.


    Miao Shiba left the imperial palace and had just slipped into the Abode of the Assistant Minister of Rites which was now temporarily the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation), when a subordinate of his anxiously found him and reported, ¡°Chief, something bad happened.¡±


    Miao Shiba¡¯s face instantly went grave. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Feng had a fight with Yuwen Zhi. After he walked out of the courtyard house, he had a sudden dizzy spell and then was guided back to his chambers. Right now he was lying on the couch in his study. A servant is waiting upon him on the side,¡± replied the subordinate.


    ¡°Yuwen Zhi came to?¡± inquired Miao Shiba.


    The subordinate sneered, ¡°Yuwen Zhi¡¯s voice was quite sonorous when he was rebuking his son. He didn¡¯t seem to have just come around at all.¡±


    Then the subordinate, who had faintly heard the argument between Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Zhi, related to Miao Shiba what it was about. Miao Shiba¡¯s face fell after hearing it. ¡°Yuwen Zhi is such an unrepentant mule.¡±


    ¡°What should we do about it?¡± asked the subordinate.


    Miao Shiba mulled over it for a moment and then responded, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. The matter of Yuwen Zhi can wait. I¡¯ll go and check on Yuwen Feng first.¡±


    He was turning around when he suddenly paused and said, ¡°By the way, seeing as Yuwen Zhi was pretending all this time and wasn¡¯t exposed until earlier this day, the physician treating him and the servants waiting on him are all suspicious. Keep close watch on them. Maybe the one we¡¯re looking for is among them.¡±


    Miao Shiba told him about Gu worms and the Gu master. The subordinate¡¯s face grew serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chief. I¡¯ll tell the others right away. We¡¯ll keep constant watch over people in that courtyard house.¡±


    Miao Shiba inclined his head. After the subordinate took his leave, Miao Shiba felt that he needed to slink into that courtyard house to personally inquire into this matter, that there was a very high chance the Gu master was hiding right inside Yuwen Zhi¡¯s courtyard house.


    Miao Shiba first went to Yuwen Feng¡¯s study. The cause of Yuwen Feng¡¯s sudden dizzy spell had either been his abrupt mood swings or some kind of health problem, and the nightmare scenario was that some Gu worms had been planted inside his body.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    If that was the case, Miao Shiba would have no alternative but to let Yuwen Feng keep the White Cicada, at least for the moment.


    At night, Miao Shiba, who had been staking out Yuwen Feng¡¯s study for some time, stole into Yuwen Feng¡¯s study through a window.


    Yuwen Feng was still lying on the couch, a frown on his face, looking terrible.


    Miao Shiba sneaked up, fished out the box containing the White Cicada, held it close to Yuwen Feng and then opened it.


    After being held close to Yuwen Feng, the White Cicada, which had been lazy and motionless all along, suddenly twitched and turned to face Yuwen Feng with a flutter of its wings. Though unable to hear its hum, Miao Shiba speculated that it hummed.


    The somewhat pained expression on the face of Yuwen Feng on the couch whose eyebrows were knitted was slowly replaced by a calm one. It was as though something fidgety inside his body had just fallen dormant.


    The look in Miao Shiba¡¯s eyes instantly became grave. He knew very well what this meant ¨C there was a Gu worm inside Yuwen Feng¡¯s body.


    Miao Shiba recalled what Yuwen Tong, shortly before they¡¯d parted, had secretly instructed him to do. He put away the box, exited the room through the window and then sent a signal.


    Before long, Yao Yi took Mr. Mu to the residence.


    ¡°Mr. Mu, I¡¯m sorry to have put you to the trouble. Yuwen Feng has indeed fallen victim to some kind of Gu worm. Please help me identify what kind of Gu worm it is,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Mr. Mu replied, ¡°No problem. Take me there to have a look.¡±


    Miao Shiba crept to a spot near Yuwen Feng¡¯s study once again. This time around he immobilized the guard in the doorway by striking a particular acupoint of his and then ushered Mr. Mu into the study through the door.


    Mr. Mu took the box from Miao Shiba¡¯s hand, walked up to Yuwen Feng and did the same thing that Miao Shiba had done a few moments before. Having confirmed that there was indeed a Gu worm in Yuwen Feng¡¯s body, he opened his medicine chest and fished out some silver needles and a couple of little porcelain phials.

 Chapter 381 - Yuwen Fengs Rage and Disappointment

    As usual, Mr. Mu acted very quickly. He produced a porcelain phial, opened it and then held it to Yuwen Feng¡¯s nostrils to let him breathe in the smell of the contents. After a while, Yuwen Feng¡¯s face softened and he gradually drifted into a deep sleep.


    Mr. Mu undid Yuwen Feng¡¯s clothes to reveal his chest and then rapidly stuck several silvery needles into his acupoints in succession. Suddenly, Yuwen Feng¡¯s body started shaking violently, an anguished expression appearing on his face which was growing reddish purple.


    Both Miao Shiba and Yao Yi were taken aback. ¡°Mr. Mu,¡± they called at the same time.


    Mr. Mu unhurriedly picked up another porcelain phial, opened it and held it to Yuwen Feng¡¯s nostrils to let him breathe in the smell. Gradually, Yuwen Feng stopped shaking and began to show signs of coming to.


    Miao Shiba asked Mr. Mu, ¡°Mr. Mu, just now his body reacted so intensely. Was it because the Gu worm inside him was very strong?¡±


    Mr. Mu inclined his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve identified what kind of Gu worm it is?¡± inquired Yao Yi.


    Mr. Mu replied, ¡°Unless I¡¯m very much mistaken, it¡¯s a Manipulation Gu.¡±


    ¡°Manipulation Gu?¡± Miao Shiba and Yao Yi had little acquaintance with Gu worms, but they came to know that it was something nasty at the very mention of its name.


    At this time, Yuwen Feng slowly came around. After things in the study came into focus, he gave a nervous start. ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Yao Yi? Why are you guys here? What did you do to me?¡± Yuwen Feng looked at the silver needles sticking in his body, shocked. His whole body felt limp and he was unable to sit up.


    ¡°It was not us but your father who did something to you. There¡¯s a badass Gu worm inside you. You need to calm down,¡± explained Yao Yi.


    For an instant Yuwen Feng¡¯s face was etched with astonishment. After a few moments, he cooled down and asked with a forbidding look, ¡°What¡¯s that Gu worm in my body?¡±


    Miao Shiba shifted his gaze to him and replied, ¡°I wonder why this doesn¡¯t seem to surprise you at all, Your Lordship.¡±


    Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t take offence at the sarcastic tone. With a sulky face, he said, ¡°I burned something earlier this day, and there were some weird worms in it. I¡¯d heard about this kind of stuff before, so I became suspicious at the sight of them.¡±


    Yao Yi said calmly, ¡°Your guess is right. You¡¯ve probably heard that a servant of yours met Childe Ling at the front gates of the Ministry of Rites that day, right?¡±


    Yuwen Feng bobbed his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°After Childe Ling told Sire about it, Sire was a little surprised that Yuwen Qi, despite his disability, managed to kill two strong guards in a row. Sire instructed us to keep watch on Yuwen Qi, so we knew you burned the wax ball, and we suspected that those were Gu worms. Sire was worried that you might fall prey to that kind of worms, so he had us keep an eye on you. You¡¯d been comatose ever since you had that dizzy spell in the afternoon. We feared that someone had done something to you, so we brought a miracle-working physician here to examine you. Now we¡¯ve confirmed there¡¯s indeed a Gu worm inside you,¡± said Yao Yi.


    After hearing Yao Yi¡¯s explanation, Yuwen Feng smiled, ¡°I¡¯m deeply indebted to His Majesty for his kindness.¡±


    Then his face gradually fell. ¡°What kind of Gu worm is it?¡±


    Mr. Mu replied, ¡°Manipulation Gu. The one inside your body is the Puppet Gu. The Puppeteer Gu is in someone else¡¯s body. I think it was earlier today that the Gu worm was planted in you. There is a red spot on your arm, which was where the worm entered your body. Normally, after a Manipulation Gu worm gets into someone¡¯s body, it¡¯ll take several days for the worm to reach their brain. Since the worm entered your body through a spot on your arm, it should get to your brain in two days. It¡¯ll reside in there, and you¡¯ll lose your free will and be reduced to a complete puppet of the owner of the Puppeteer Gu, who will control your each and every move. The Puppet Gu is under the Puppeteer Gu¡¯s absolute control, so you¡¯ll do whatever the owner of the Puppeteer Gu wants you to do. Even if they instruct you to commit suicide, you¡¯ll kill yourself without a second thought. After the worm takes control of you, your body will gradually weaken. The Puppet Gu of every pair of Manipulation Gu has a certain lifespan. Their lifespans range from several hours to a year. I think this worm inside you has a lifespan of half a year or so. After half a year, the Puppet Gu will die a natural death, and you will die with it. In fact, the way I see it, once you¡¯re controlled by Manipulation Gu, your mind will no longer be yours, and that¡¯s no different from death.¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s face hardened even further as he listened, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes full of despair and coldness. ¡°Is there a way to get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately for you, we¡¯ve detected it in an early stage. The Gu worm hasn¡¯t invaded your brain yet. Otherwise, even if we manage to rid your body of the worm, your mind will still sustain some damages, and you¡¯ll suffer seizures from time to time, and might even be directly turned into a vegetable,¡± answered Mr. Mu in a very casual tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯ve immobilized the Gu worm, holding it back in the right-hand side of your chest. It can¡¯t do you any harm for the moment, and it won¡¯t be able to get into your brain. Do you want me to get rid of it right now or do you have other plans?¡±


    Yuwen Feng lifted his eyes to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Mr. Mu replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m just a physician, and I¡¯ll do what you want me to do.¡±


    Miao Shiba exchanged glances with Yao Yi and then said to Mr. Mu, ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you help His Lordship get rid of the Gu worm straight away. That thing is too dangerous.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Do you know who put the worm inside you? It¡¯s very likely that there¡¯s a Gu master in this residence. We¡¯d better find them. This person could be a big trouble. As for Second Master, we¡¯ll stay out of his business. Sire said that he¡¯ll leave this matter up to you to use your discretion, that he only cares about the outcome of it.¡±


    Yuwen Feng clenched his teeth. A moment ago, when Mr. Mu had mentioned the red spot on his arm, he had come to realize who had done this to him.


    ¡°It was a physician I hired who did this to me. When I was leaving my father¡¯s room, I accidentally bumped against him and my arm felt somewhat uncomfortable right after that. I didn¡¯t think much about it, mistakenly believing that it was just a normal pain caused by the bump.¡±


    ¡°A physician?¡± Yao Yi¡¯s face was instantly grave.


    Miao Shiba said immediately, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Yuwen Feng suddenly said.


    Both Miao Shiba and Yao Yi shifted their gaze to him. ¡°Are you being soft, Your Lordship? That Gu master tried to control you and kill you.¡±


    With a flinty look in his eyes, Yuwen Feng answered through gritted teeth, ¡°No, I¡¯m not being soft. I¡¯m just worried that given the Gu master¡¯s consummate Gu-craft, you might fall victim to his Gu worms if you go there to seize him without making any preparations. Once you¡¯re wounded, however small the wound is, his Gu worms will burrow into your body immediately and kill you very soon.¡±


    Naturally, Miao Shiba was aware of this, but it was unnecessary to tell Yuwen Feng the details about how he¡¯d found out, so he pretended not to know it. ¡°Are you referring to the kind of worms found in the wax ball you burnt?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± replied Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°Then what should we do? Surely we can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing? Nobody has ever dared do this kind of thing to any of us before. This obscure Gu master actually put a Gu worm in a marquess¡¯ body. Imagine how unruly he might be if he makes it out of this residence,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    Yuwen Feng sneered, ¡°He was the one who put the worm in me, but it was my father who gave him the order.¡±


    His father had had the Gu master plant a Gu worm inside his body before that dispute between the two of them, yet he had been so naive as to try to convince his father to let go of his obsession, unaware that his father had made up his mind to use him, regarding him as a puppet, a dead man.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Miao Shiba looked at Yao Yi, giving him a wink.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Your Lordship, the Gu master is too dangerous and must be disposed of.¡±


    Yuwen Feng said, ¡°I know, and I¡¯m not going to let him live. Physician, can you hold the Gu worm in me at bay and make sure it doesn¡¯t get into my head?¡±


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent it into temporary dormancy with silver needles and medication, but the Puppet Gu and the Puppeteer Gu share a telepathic bond, so this method could only fool the Gu master temporarily. Once the time is up and you¡¯re not controlled by the worm, the Gu master will see through it. Considering how fast the worm moved in you today, the Gu master must be taken care of by tomorrow night at the latest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be enough. It won¡¯t take that long,¡± observed Yuwen Feng. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to say to him.¡±


    Feeling dead inside, Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t even refer to Yuwen Zhi as ¡®my father¡¯.


    ¡°Physician, would you please remove these silver needles from me so that I can get down and walk?¡±


    Mr. Mu answered with a bob of his head, ¡°Okay. But I warn you, the longer you delay it, the more painful the process of extracting the Gu worm will be. Also, when the medication is the only thing keeping the worm in dormancy, the worm will be struggling slowly, causing you excrutiating agony.¡±


    Yuwen Feng said, ¡°I can handle that.¡±


    Seeing Yuwen Feng didn¡¯t change his mind, Mr. Mu, who had said all he needed to say, naturally wouldn¡¯t dither for a single moment. He quickly pulled the silver needles out of Yuwen Feng¡¯s body.


    Almost immediately, Yuwen Feng felt a knifelike pain in the right-hand side of his chest, as though something was gnawing at his insides, every nibble causing such anguish that it made him break out in a cold sweat.


    Clenching his teeth, Yuwen Feng looked down at the right-hand side of his chest where something beneath his skin was heaving, inexpressible disgust and repulsion sweeping over him.


    Yuwen Feng rose to his feet, buttoned up his clothes, took several deep breaths in an effort to endure the great pain in his chest and then stiffened his back.


    ¡°Guard Yao, I want you and your friend to come with me. After we get there, let me go inside first to have a word with my father. I¡¯ll give you a signal when it¡¯s time for you to enter.¡±


    Yao Yi and Miao Shiba raised no objections. They were just here to assist Yuwen Feng and have him make a decision. Now that Yuwen Feng had made up his mind, they wouldn¡¯t interfere with his business in the knowledge that they would have their chance to seize the Gu master before he made any more trouble.


    ¡°Physician, would you mind waiting here for some time? I¡¯ll have a servant come here to wait upon you,¡± Yuwen Feng said to Mr. Mu.


    Mr. Mu responded, ¡°Okay. You wouldn¡¯t mind if I read a couple of those books, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°Please help yourself,¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    Yao Yi and Miao Shiba followed Yuwen Feng to Yuwen Zhi¡¯s courtyard house and then entered with him.


    After walking into the courtyard house, Yuwen Feng was still trying hard to subdue the agony in his chest, more cold sweat breaking out over his back with his every step, but on the surface he just had a forbidding face, showing no sign of anything out of the ordinary. There was nobody in sight except for the servants on night duty in the doorway of Yuwen Zhi¡¯s room, and the courtyard house was unnaturally quiet.


    They were very surprised at Yuwen Feng¡¯s arrival. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you, Your Lordship!¡±


    ¡°Has my father gone to sleep?¡± inquired Yuwen Feng, looking at them.


    ¡°Ye¨C¡±


    ¡°No¨C¡±


    On hearing their contradictory answers, Yuwen Feng came to realize that something was not right, his cold eyes raking their faces.


    The two servants slumped to their knees, so nervous that they didn¡¯t dare utter another word.


    Yuwen Feng had just lifted his foot with the intention to enter when he suddenly paused and questioned, ¡°Is the physician here?¡±


    This time the two servants quickly replied, ¡°No. The physician has gone back to his room to rest.¡±


    The smallest frown creased Yuwen Feng¡¯s face, Yao Yi and Miao Shiba exchanging glances.

 Chapter 382 - A Falling-Out and a Hunt for the Gu Master

    Miao Shiba said to Yuwen Feng, ¡°I¡¯ll go and find him, Your Lordship.¡±


    Yuwen Feng nodded. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Miao Shiba grabbed a servant by the scruff of the neck and inquired of him, ¡°Where¡¯s the physician¡¯s room? Lead the way or I¡¯ll behead you straight away.¡±


    While saying this, Miao Shiba whipped out his sword and held it to the servant¡¯s throat. Feeling the sting, the servant was horrified and hastily answered, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there! I¡¯ll take you there!¡±


    Miao Shiba marched the servant away, heading for the physician¡¯s room. Yuwen Feng walked inside and saw Yuwen Zhi who was still awake.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face darkened at the sight of him coming in. ¡°Why are you here? You still want to convince me to yield to Yuwen Tong? Save it. From now on you¡¯re no longer my son. Get out.¡±


    It struck Yuwen Feng that his father couldn¡¯t have said anything that was more ironic than the words ¡°you¡¯re no longer my son¡±.


    ¡°Father, is it true that your ridiculous pride means more to you than the lives of our whole family do?¡± Yuwen Feng asked him.


    He had never really understood why his father had been so bitter about being left in the capital city in that year. Was going to war really a much better alternative? Both his grandfather and his uncle had died on the battlefield. Why was his father so convinced that being left behind in the capital city had been a humiliation? Wasn¡¯t everything the Yuwen family owned at the cost of the lives of their ancestors and Yuwen Tong¡¯s risking his life on the battlefield? Why couldn¡¯t his father see it? His father had even colluded with outsiders to work against his own nephew, only too anxious to see his nephew dead. And now he was even using his own son, ready to sacrifice his son¡¯s life!


    Yuwen Zhi looked incredulously at Yuwen Feng who had suddenly asked him, as though he felt that this was a stupid question.


    As Yuwen Feng saw this, his heart which was numb and filled with disappointment sank even deeper, hardening completely.


    ¡°Father, is my life also something you could give up at any moment?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face became wary. With a suspicious expression in his eyes, he looked at Yuwen Feng and said, ¡°What are you trying to say exactly? Stop talking in riddles.¡±


    Yuwen Feng gazed at him for quite a while before he inclined his head. ¡°Okay, Father. Please tell me where that Gu master at your command comes from, why he is here, and why he is helping you.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s countenance changed drastically at these words, his piercing, watchful eyes staring at Yuwen Feng. ¡°What are you talking about? What Gu master?¡±


    ¡°You had him plant a Manipulation Gu inside my body. Am I still a son to you?¡± Yuwen Feng asked yet another question in a cool and utterly unemotional tone of voice.


    Yuwen Zhi was shocked. He looked at Yuwen Feng with a mixture of surprise and incredulity on his face, unable to fathom out how his son had come to know about this matter. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    Yuwen Feng fixed him with a gaze, making no reply.


    Yuwen Zhi looked back at him and the eye contact lasted quite a while. Eventually, he observed, ¡°I gave you your life. Sacrificing yourself for my cause is one of your filial duties. Now that you¡¯ve come to know it, I¡¯ll be honest with you ¨C no matter whether you¡¯re willing to accept it or not, this is your fate, and it¡¯s also something you should do.¡±


    Yuwen Feng bobbed his head. ¡°What about my little brother? What are you going to do to him?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi said, ¡°Why ask? You regret it now? Unlike you, Qi¡¯er is not a fool. Naturally he¡¯ll still be my beloved son, stand by my side and enjoy the glory we¡¯re going to achieve. He¡¯ll never be able to walk again, but it doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯ll be the only son of Yuwen Zhi, the most honorable prince, and nobody would dare show him any disrespect.¡±Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Yuwen Feng asked, ¡°Does he know you had a Gu worm planted in me?¡±


    Yuwen Zhi said, ¡°What does it matter if he knows it or not? Soon all these things will mean nothing to you.¡±


    Yuwen Feng had nothing else to say to Yuwen Zhi. His heart instantly hardened as though it had turned to ice.


    ¡°Guard Yao, please come in,¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    A movement was heard in the doorway and with that someone walked inside.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s face paled visibly at the sight of Yao Yi. He angrily shifted his gaze to Yuwen Feng and spat, ¡°Are you crazy?! You¡¯ve actually told this to Yuwen Tong?!¡±


    Yao Yi stepped forward, cast a frosty look at Yuwen Zhi and then overpowered him who tried to resist by striking a particular acupoint of his, immobilizing him.


    Flushing with anger, Yuwen Zhi wanted to hurl abuse but was unable to utter a word. The only thing he could do was glare at Yuwen Feng and Yao Yi silently.


    ¡°I¡¯ve informed Sire already. Do you want this matter handled in court or in private, Your Lordship?¡± Yao Yi asked Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Feng opened his mouth and was just about to speak when someone hurried into the room.


    ¡°Captain, Your Lordship, that physician was not in his room. Chief has left to look for him!¡±


    Yao Yi¡¯s and Yuwen Feng¡¯s faces changed.


    Yuwen Zhi¡¯s facial expression, however, turned from fury to smugness. He looked at Yuwen Feng, his eyes full of sarcasm.


    Seeing his father¡¯s countenance, Yuwen Feng felt that he was incorrigible. Even if that Gu master managed to escape, what difference could he possibly make? His father really believed that that Gu master was capable of turning the tide?


    ¡°Have two men stay here protecting His Lordship. I¡¯ll go and find him,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Yuwen Feng, who didn¡¯t feel like staying in the same room with Yuwen Zhi, said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m more familiar with this residence than you are.¡±


    Yao Yi gave it some thought, instructed the two men to stay guarding Yuwen Zhi, and then left the room with Yuwen Feng. When walking through the door, they saw a servant kneeling on the ground, who was none other than one of the two servants on night duty in the doorway.


    ¡°Your Lordship! I know where that physician went, Your Lordship! Please help me. That Gu master also put some Gu worms in me and the couple of others, threatening to kill us if we refused to do his bidding. Please help us, Your Lordship!¡± said the servant imploringly at the sight of Yuwen Feng and Yao Yi, kowtowing repeatedly.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Yuwen Feng looked at him.


    ¡°This afternoon I overheard the Gu master tell Master that he would go to the interrogation room to see Second Young Master under the cover of darkness tonight, so that he could remind Second Young Master to tough out the interrogation and not to rat him out,¡± replied the servant urgently.


    Yuwen Feng and Yao Yi exchanged looks and then quickly made towards the front gates.


    ¡­


    Having failed to find the Gu master in his room, Miao Shiba worried that the man had escaped. Angry, he released the servant and then started searching the residence.


    There weren¡¯t any illicit torture rooms in Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence. The so-called interrogation room was just an unoccupied chamber the windows of which had been boarded up, and the security there was tight. Nobody was allowed to get into it without leave from Yuwen Feng.


    At first it didn¡¯t occur to Miao Shiba to check the interrogation room, but when walking past that place, he saw those guards standing there motionless. With his rich experiences, he sensed that there was something suspicious in the atmosphere. He subconsciously flicked another couple of glances at those guards and found that all of them appeared rather nervous, some kind of panic in their eyes.


    Miao Shiba knitted his brows, turned around, entered the courtyard house and tentatively walked into the sight of those guards. Surprisingly, those guards stared at him with surprise and incredulity on their faces but none of them moved. It was not because they didn¡¯t want to move, but because they couldn¡¯t.


    Something was wrong.


    Miao Shiba¡¯s eyes immediately flashed at the room the door of which was tightly closed. There was candlelight under the door. It was very quiet and there seemed to be someone speaking in the room. The voice was very low and faint, making it impossible for Miao Shiba to distinguish any of the speaker¡¯s words.


    Holding his breath, Miao Shiba gave the medicine pouch hidden in his bosom a stroke to check it was still there, and then gingerly approached the room. When he reached the doorway, he found himself vaguely make out what the speaker was saying.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Second Young Master. You¡¯ll be free after my Manipulation Gu gains complete control of your brother. All you have to do is wait another day,¡± said a middle-aged voice.


    On hearing the words and the tone, Miao Shiba came to know that the one inside was undoubtedly that Gu master. It turned out that this bastard hadn¡¯t fled but come to this place to keep Yuwen Qi informed of the situation!


    ¡®This son of a bitch nearly scared me out of my wits.¡¯ Miao Shiba clenched his teeth, crept a few paces away from the doorway, motioned for the guards to be patient and then sent up a soundless signal flare.


    Yao Yi, who was hurrying in the direction of the interrogation room, saw it and said, ¡°Shiba has got there. The Gu master is still there.¡±


    Yuwen Feng heaved a sigh of relief. He was walking in such haste that the pain in his chest intensified, his forehead wet with cold sweat, but he still gritted his teeth and managed to endure it.


    In the interrogation room.


    ¡°Do you know that they tortured me? If I wait another day, I¡¯ll definitely end up dead. I won¡¯t be able to last that long. You need to figure out a way to get me out of here as soon as possible. Given that my old man has managed to get you in here, busting me out of this place shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him. Why couldn¡¯t you just tie Yuwen Feng up?!¡± Yuwen Qi had been suspended by a rope for a whole day and the misery had some time ago gone beyond his endurance. On hearing that he had to wait another day, he couldn¡¯t help but rebuke the Gu master aloud.


    ¡°Second Young Master, it takes patience to achieve great things. These people really wouldn¡¯t dare kill you. This time tomorrow, you¡¯ll be able to punish them in whatever way you want,¡± replied the Gu master in a bland voice.


    ¡°By the way, it was not your father who got me in here. After I heard he was locked up in the Court Prison, I came here to rescue him so that I could repay the favor he did me. For your information, currently your father is still under house arrest by order of Yuwen Feng, and he wouldn¡¯t be freed until a day later. Even he has to show patience.¡±


    Yuwen Qi looked at the Gu master with a sulky face. ¡°You couldn¡¯t just control those guards conducting the interrogation as well so that they won¡¯t give me the third degree again?¡±


    ¡°My Gu worms are limited in number. I won¡¯t use them unless I have to,¡± answered the Gu master. ¡°You¡¯ve been informed now, Second Young Master. This time tomorrow I¡¯ll come here to get you out.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Stop!¡± Seeing him making towards the door, Yuwen Qi demanded he stop, but the Gu master acted as though he hadn¡¯t heard him.


    The Gu master walked up to the door, opened it and abruptly came to a halt, looking at Miao Shiba who was standing in the courtyard.


    ¡°Leaving? You¡¯ll have to go through me first.¡± Miao Shiba had whipped out his sword, which was menacingly reflecting the candlelight.


    The Gu master¡¯s face changed and he looked left and right. When he found that Miao Shiba was alone, his tense face relaxed. ¡°Who are you? You think you alone can stop me?


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± Miao Shiba said, mobilized his internal energy and with that a powerful shock wave burst outwards from his body.


    The Gu master¡¯s face changed once again. Clearly it hadn¡¯t crossed his mind that Miao Shiba¡¯s internal energy would be so potent. He was still dressed like a physician, but the belt around his waist was fairly uncommon. He unfastened it and it turned out to be a whip.


    ¡°Who are you exactly? Why are you being such a busybody?¡± asked the Gu master, a wary look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Gu master from South Xinjiang, but instead of staying in your den, you came to the capital city to make trouble. What you¡¯ve been doing is far worse than being a busybody. Since you¡¯ve waded in this matter, there¡¯s no way you can walk away unpunished. If you¡¯re smart enough to surrender yourself right now, maybe I¡¯ll consider sparing your life,¡± said Miao Shiba.


    The Gu master¡¯s eyes instantly became piercing, staring at Miao Shiba. After a brief moment, as though having vaguely guessed Miao Shiba¡¯s identity, the wariness in his eyes deepened and with that he rapidly swung the whip at Miao Shiba. The whip was jet-black, and a weird gust of wind with a foul smell was generated as the whip whizzed through the air.

 Chapter 383 - A Confrontation with the Gu Master & The Death of Yuwen Qi

    Miao Shiba was immediately on the alert. He could tell at a glance that the whip was not something to be trifled with. There was a high risk that he would be poisoned if he got hit by it.


    The two of them started fighting. What with the Gu master¡¯s whip and Gu-craft which was difficult to defend against, Miao Shiba had misgivings about launching an all-out attack, but his consummate lightness skills and powerful internal energy kept the Gu master from gaining any advantage over him, so the fight reached a stalemate.


    Yao Yi and Yuwen Feng soon arrived. At the sight of the fight in the courtyard house, they came to understand what was going on.


    The Gu master¡¯s face went quite sulky as he saw Yuwen Feng lead a group of guards to the courtyard to seize him. He realized that his cover had been blown, but he didn¡¯t know how much Yuwen Feng had found out about his and Yuwen Zhi¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Why are you making such a fuss, Your Lordship? Although I¡¯m not a common physician that I claimed to be, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I saved your father¡¯s life. There isn¡¯t really any hatred between us, is there?¡±


    Yuwen Feng gave a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s no good trying to justify your doings. You gave Yuwen Qi some Gu worms with which he killed two of my guards, and then you put a Manipulation Gu inside me in an attempt to control me. Your conspiracy has been exposed. If you value your life, surrender yourself to me right now and make a full confession. Otherwise this courtyard will be where you meet your end.¡±


    The Gu master¡¯s countenance changed once again. It surprised him that even the matter of the Manipulation Gu had come to Yuwen Feng¡¯s knowledge. With a sepulchral face, he said, ¡°Given that you¡¯re aware of the Manipulation Gu in your body, you should also know that your life is in my hands.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You think your pathetic Manipulation Gu could pose a threat to me?¡± Yuwen Feng coldly looked back at him.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s reaction came as a surprise to the Gu master, who stared at Yuwen Feng for a few moments and then suddenly sent a signal to the Puppeteer Gu in his body. As the Puppeteer Gu cried, the Puppet Gu in Yuwen Feng naturally started struggling frantically. However, Mr. Mu¡¯s medication was quite amazing, and the Puppet Gu could do nothing but struggle madly.


    The only trouble was that as the Puppet Gu struggled, Yuwen Feng¡¯s face went deathly white from the agony. He subconsciously clapped his hands to the right-hand side of his chest, cold sweat breaking out over his face.


    Fixing him with a sinister gaze, the Gu master suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Staring fixedly at him, he demanded, ¡°Who helped you restrain my Manipulation Gu?!¡±


    Subduing the pain with all his willpower, Yuwen Feng managed to stiffen his back and replied, ¡°Since the likes of you who enjoy using underhand methods exist in this world, naturally there are people who know how to handle you.¡±


    The Gu master clenched his teeth and glanced around him. He was faced with an opponent who was his match, and whose kung fu was quite good. On top of that, his and Yuwen Zhi¡¯s plan had been exposed, and even the emperor had been alarmed. Obviously going into hiding in this city was no longer an option for him. He must figure out a way to extricate himself from this situation as soon as possible.


    ¡°There¡¯s also a Gu worm of mine in your father¡¯s body. If you let me leave, I¡¯ll spare him.¡±


    Yuwen Feng snorted, ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    Yao Yi had examined Yuwen Zhi with a medication provided by Mr. Mu, and confirmed that there was no Gu worm whatsoever inside him.


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re done talking, put your weapon down right now and make a full confession,¡± Miao Shiba said to the Gu master.


    With a forbidding expression on his face, the Gu master looked at them and replied, ¡°You¡¯re seriously expecting me to believe you¡¯ll spare my life if I surrender? Originally I had no intention to make an enemy of any of you. I was just doing that to repay the favor Yuwen Zhi did me. Now that things are past the point of no return¡­¡±


    He suddenly broke off in the middle of a sentence and wheeled around attempting to rush into the room. Miao Shiba immediately hurled his sword at him, which swished through the air and instantly went into the door frame with a wicked gleam, narrowly avoiding cutting off the Gu master¡¯s nose.


    Yao Yi and Miao Shiba made their move at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick,¡± said Yao Yi.


    On hearing this, Miao Shiba dismissed all his misgivings. The two of them were both top kung fu masters. Although the Gu master¡¯s Gu-craft was formidable, the two of them each had a medicine pouch. Also, Mr. Mu was present, ready to offer help, so they naturally were not afraid that the Gu master might play dirty.


    After half of the duration of a burning joss stick, the Gu master was captured. During the fight, the back of Miao Shiba¡¯s hand had been hit by the whip and skinned, and there was a blackish blue patch on it.


    ¡°Here!¡± Someone tossed a white porcelain phial at Miao Shiba, who took it, cocked an eye at the person and saw that it was Mr. Mu.


    ¡°Take one. It¡¯ll detoxify the poison,¡± said Mr. Mu matter-of-factly.


    Miao Shiba opened the porcelain phial, swallowed a pill and, before long, the spreading blackish blue patch on the back of his hand quickly dwindled and soon disappeared without a trace. Considering the detoxification effect visible to the naked eye, the alexipharmic pill given by Mr. Mu was nothing short of a miracle. Everybody present marveled at it. Seeing this, Yuwen Feng was greatly relieved. Though the pain in the right-hand side of his chest was still sharp, he was now quite composed.


    The Gu master shifted his gaze to Mr. Mu, sizing him up with a sullen look in his eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    He believed that his Gu-craft was pretty good, that he was one of the best Gu masters in South Xinjiang. Over the years, he had traveled to a lot of places and even knew about some court physicians, but he had never heard of anybody who was capable of preparing this kind of pill.


    Mr. Mu looked at the Gu master with a calm face, appearing uninterested in him. ¡°A physician.¡±


    ¡°No common physician could detoxify my poison so quick.¡± The Gu master was unconvinced. As he glimpsed Yuwen Feng, something occurred to him. ¡°You were the one who kept the Manipulation Gu in him at bay?¡±


    Mr. Mu replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who are you exactly? Once a Manipulation Gu enters someone¡¯s body, it¡¯ll wriggle constantly. Only a master of Gu-craft could restrain it. I¡¯ve never heard of you before, and you¡¯re not from South Xinjiang,¡± said the Gu master.


    ¡°Why are you so talky? It is not for you to make inquiries about our miracle-working physician. You have only your average skills to blame for your defeat,¡± reprimanded Miao Shiba.


    The Gu master flicked a flinty glance at him. ¡°You would¡¯ve been dead by now had he not detoxified the poison for you.¡±


    Miao Shiba curled his lip. ¡°You think that would scare me? Let me tell you something. When I was slaughtering enemies on the battlefield, the word ¡®death¡¯ never once crossed my mind. Now cut the shit and tell us what you and Yuwen Zhi have been up to.¡±


    The Gu master refused to confess. He still insisted Mr. Mu identify himself. He was quite unreconciled to the defeat inflicted on him by this man who had restrained his Gu worm and also detoxified his poison. There was a somewhat demented look in his eyes, which showed he was unwilling to admit defeat.


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°You¡¯re such a weirdo. As the saying goes, ¡®However strong you are, there is always someone stronger.¡¯ Does it really surprise you so much that my medical skill is the bane of your Gu-craft? Please tell me you don¡¯t seriously think the medical experts you¡¯ve met are the only ones in the world. To my knowledge, in the previous dynasty, there were also quite some masters in South Xinjiang, and some of them left the mountains and achieved great things. How come you¡¯re so ignorant? Are all your peers in South Xinjiang like you?¡±


    The look on the Gu master¡¯s face became one of deep shame and intense anger after he heard Mr. Mu¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°What do you think we should do with him, Your Lordship?¡± Yao Yi looked at Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Feng responded unemotionally, ¡°This Gu master and Yuwen Zhi are to be brought to the imperial palace to be tried by His Majesty and all the courtiers tomorrow morning.¡±


    Yuwen Zhi had committed attempted usurpation twice, and now he had tried to murder his own son. There was no way he could get away with it, and Yuwen Feng clearly wouldn¡¯t intercede for him again. He would let Yuwen Zhi get his just deserts.


    Miao Shiba exchanged glances with Yao Yi and then observed, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°AAARGH!¡± Suddenly, an anguished cry issued from inside the interrogation room. It was Yuwen Qi¡¯s voice.


    The others hastened into the room and saw that Yuwen Qi was lying limply on the ground, motionless, black blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, his eyes wide open, staring emptily in the direction of the door.


    Yuwen Feng was dumbfounded for a brief moment, then quickly walked up to Yuwen Qi, crouched down and reached out a hand with the intention to tap Yuwen Qi on the face, but he had just touched his brother when he withdrew his fingers in spite of himself.


    Miao Shiba¡¯s and Yao Yi¡¯s faces went grave. They could no longer sense Yuwen Qi¡¯s breathing. He was dead.


    ¡°Let me see him,¡± said Mr. Mu, stepping forward. He examined the body and concluded, ¡°It was Gu worms that killed him. Heart-consuming Gu worms.¡±


    The countenance of everybody else present changed and with that they all shifted their gaze to the restrained Gu master.


    Eyes on Yuwen Feng, the Gu master sneered, ¡°Like I said, both your father¡¯s and his lives are in my hands. Unless you let me leave, I¡¯ll kill them both. Yuwen Qi¡¯s death is just a warning to you. The next one will be Yuwen Zhi.¡±


    Yuwen Feng looked at Yuwen Qi whose eyes were still wide open as though he were unreconciled to a death like this, a deep frown creasing his face, a distressed look appearing in his eyes. He stretched out a hand to cover Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Although the ties of brotherhood between us ceased to exist some time ago, I¡¯ll avenge your death. I¡¯ll avenge your death by taking the Gu master¡¯s life.¡±


    After saying this, he removed his hand from Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes which were now closed.


    The Gu master began to struggle, his face registering panic. ¡°Yuwen Feng! Your father¡¯s life is still in my hands!¡±


    ¡°So talky,¡± Mr. Mu suddenly said in a frosty voice and with that he rapidly stuffed a pill into the Gu master¡¯s mouth and gave his chin a push.


    Caught flat-footed, the Gu master swallowed the pill reflexively, his face livid with rage. ¡°What did you just give me?¡±


    Miao Shiba and the others also looked at Mr. Mu in bewilderment.


    Mr. Mu explained, ¡°It¡¯s a pill with sedative effect. It¡¯ll weaken him and make him less talky. Also, all the Gu worms inside his body are no longer at his command, and they¡¯ll kill him in two days. If there¡¯s any information you want to get from him, you¡¯ll have to do it within the next two days.¡±


    Yao Yi looked at Miao Shiba and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take the Gu master away. We¡¯ll bring him and Yuwen Zhi to the palace tomorrow morning.¡±


    Miao Shiba inclined his head and marched away the Gu master who was quite indignant but powerless to resist.


    Yao Yi said to Yuwen Feng, ¡°Your Lordship, we should get rid of the Gu worm inside your body first.¡±


    Yuwen Feng gave a nod and then instructed some servants to transfer Yuwen Qi¡¯s body to Yuwen Qi¡¯s own courtyard house and start preparing the burial.


    ¡­


    Mr. Mu helped Yuwen Feng rid his body of the Manipulation Gu. The process was indeed unbearably painful. When the Gu worm was extracted, Yuwen Feng was wet with cold sweat all over, but he finally felt a sense of relief. Looking at the ugly Gu worm, Yuwen Feng felt one twitch of repulsion after another.


    ¡°The Gu worm has now been extracted, you¡¯ll be weak for a few days, but with some tonics and enough rest, you¡¯ll fully recover,¡± observed Mr. Mu.


    ¡°Thank you for saving my life. You¡¯re indeed a miracle-working physician. If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll do everything within my power to get it done,¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°I saved you because Childe Ling wanted you to live. He¡¯s the one you should be grateful to.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Feng replied, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll bear this favor from Childe Ling in mind, and I¡¯ll be forever indebted to you for saving my life.¡±


    Yuwen Feng had been aware that Mr. Mu served Ling Zhang, but it was not until this day that he came to know that Mr. Mu was a highly skilled physician indifferent to fame and wealth, and it had certainly come as a great surprise to him that Ling Zhang had a man with such great skills at his back. This made him feel that Mr. Mu¡¯s background was shrouded in mystery.


    Mr. Mu didn¡¯t give any particular reaction to Yuwen Feng¡¯s words. In his eyes, it didn¡¯t matter much whether or not Yuwen Feng would remember this favor.


    Apart from the Gu worm in Yuwen Feng, Mr. Mu also kindly got rid of the Gu worms in the couple of servants who had been controlled by the worms, saving their lives.

 Chapter 384 - A Try-On of the Stunning Wedding Robes

    What with the hullabaloo in Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence, a lot of people living nearby were woken up in the middle of the night, and news quickly spread that Yuwen Zhi, in league with a Gu master from South Xinjiang, had put a Gu worm inside his own son¡¯s body with the intention to use him to approach and control Yuwen Tong.


    Even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs, but Yuwen Zhi had plotted to murder his own nephew at the cost of his own son¡¯s life, which was an act of utter inhumanity.


    Early in the morning, before daybreak, all the courtiers gathered at the front gates of the imperial palace, waiting to enter to attend the court meeting. Given that the emperor¡¯s uncle was involved in this matter, it was as much a private affair as it was a state affair. Either way, it was not a trivial matter.


    ¡­


    In the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had got up. They had both washed and, fully dressed, were breakfasting. Yuwen Tong would have to go to the great hall to preside over the court meeting after a while.


    The night before the two of them had got to sleep very late. Yuwen Qi had died. Yuwen Zhi and the Gu master had been arrested. Yuwen Feng had sent the two of them to the palace to be tried at a court meeting. This matter had basically been settled already. All that was left was to pass the sentence at the court meeting, which would be a mere formality.


    Ling Zhang accompanied Yuwen Tong to the court meeting and sat in a seat behind a curtain in the right corner of the hall.


    Under the influence of that pill of Mr. Mu¡¯s, the Gu master had been quite obedient. During an interrogation, he had made a full confession which covered all the details about his and Yuwen Zhi¡¯s plans, including how he had made contact with Yuwen Zhi when the latter had been in the Court Prison, how he had helped Yuwen Zhi fake his illness in an effort to delay the enforcement of his exile sentence, how he had planted a Gu worm inside Yuwen Feng¡¯s body in an attempt to use Yuwen Feng to approach and control Yuwen Tong with another Manipulation Gu so as to usurp the imperial power, and how he had put a Gu worm in Yuwen Qi and killed him. He¡¯d confessed everything without keeping anything back.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know how Mr. Mu had made this happen, and neither did he know what that pill was exactly, but with the Gu master¡¯s confession, Yuwen Zhi¡¯s doom was certain.Read manga at our MangaBob.com


    Yuwen Zhi had been involved in crimes related to attempted usurpation several times, and on this occasion, he had even schemed to murder his own son. In addition, driven by wild ambition, he had also conspired with a Gu master to murder the emperor and usurp the throne. All these crimes were punishable by death.


    Two cups of poisoned wine ended Yuwen Zhi¡¯s and the Gu master¡¯s lives. Nobody raised any objections.


    Afterward, Yuwen Feng brought Yuwen Zhi¡¯s body back and held a joint funeral for him and Yuwen Qi.


    The service lasted seven days before the two of them were buried.


    During the seven-day funeral, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had privately paid a visit to Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence to offer their condolences, and on that day, Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Tong talked confidentially with each other for almost an hour. Yuwen Tong had appeared fairly pleased when leaving.


    The day after the burial, Yuwen Feng went back to the Ministry of Rites to work, looking even more unsparing than before, but he seemed much more energetic than he used to be. The Ministry of Rites had descended into disarray, but after his return, things were soon in good order again.


    ¡­


    Everything in the capital city returned to the previous state of bustle and peace, and all officials were fully occupied with preparations for the upcoming imperial wedding.


    The wedding robes of the two of them had been finished as a top priority. When the robes were delivered to them, Ling Zhang was somewhat astonished at the sight of them.


    Although he had been supervising the making of the wedding robes all along, it had never crossed his mind that the end products would be so¡­


    ¡®Stunning.¡¯


    Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off the robes since the moment he¡¯d caught sight of them. He directly had the servants leave, shut the doors of the imperial bedchamber, drew Ling Zhang into the inner chamber and started undressing him.


    ¡°You¡­ What are you doing? This is daytime.¡± Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance caused by the charm of the robes.


    Yuwen Tong leaned over and whispered beside his ear, ¡°Trying on our robes, of course. They¡¯re delivered here so that we could try them on to see if there are any parts of them that need to be altered.¡±


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief, but before he finished the sigh, Yuwen Tong added in a hushed voice, ¡°What else did you think I was going to do, uh?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand to unfasten Ling Zhang¡¯s belt, stroking his waist. ¡°Tomorrow you¡¯ll move out of this palace, and I¡¯ll have to spend several nights in bed alone. Even if I want to do something right now, couldn¡¯t you just humor me? We won¡¯t be able to sleep together until the wedding ceremony.¡±


    Ling Zhang flushed at his explicit words. ¡°What are you talking about? Have you not had enough of it in the past few days?¡±


    He had some time ago intended to move back to the Ling Mansion, but Yuwen Tong had delayed it again and again, which was why he was still staying in this palace. Every time Yuwen Tong had tried to delay it, Ling Zhang had wanted to harden his heart and refuse, but Yuwen Tong had put on an injured look every time, and then Ling Zhang, powerless to say no, had had no choice but to let Yuwen Tong do what he wanted, but this time around, he really couldn¡¯t continue staying in the palace any longer. He must return to the Ling Mansion.


    Because of this, Yuwen Tong had been acting like a sex addict over the past few days. There had been several occasions when Ling Zhang had felt as though he was going to die on that bed, and that feeling had been particularly strong the night before.


    ¡°I have to go back home tomorrow, so you need to control yourself tonight. Otherwise my grandfather and the others might notice and it¡¯ll be so embarrassing,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong put on the injured look again. ¡°Why do you have to move back home?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°It¡¯s a convention, isn¡¯t it? Besides, I¡¯ve barely spent any time with my family ever since they came to this city, and after marrying you, I¡¯ll have even fewer chances to stay at home, so I need to take advantage of this opportunity to spend as much time with them as possible.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°This palace is quite close to the Ling Mansion. You may go back there to keep them company any time you want. It¡¯s not really necessary to move out.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong resignedly. Yuwen Tong had said this many times, and he had explained to Yuwen Tong many times.


    ¡°That¡¯s different. Okay, let¡¯s drop this. If you want to try the robes on, you need to hurry. It¡¯s inappropriate to keep those people out there waiting too long.¡±


    Yuwen Tong silently disrobed Ling Zhang, manifestly unhappy.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. Eventually, not knowing what else he could do, he took Yuwen Tong¡¯s face in his hands and kissed him. ¡°Stop sulking, okay? This will be my home after the wedding, and we¡¯ll have a lifetime to be together. Before that, you¡¯ve got to let me spend some time with my family. I don¡¯t want to regret not having done it some day.¡±


    A wave of comfort swept over Yuwen Tong at the words ¡°This will be my home after the wedding¡±. His spirits rose instantaneously, and it showed. With a smile curling the corners of his mouth, he said, ¡°Okay, then. I think you do have a point.¡±


    Ling Zhang almost dissolved into chuckle as he realized that Yuwen Tong had gone to all this trouble just to have him say those words.


    ¡°Soon you¡¯ll be my man, and this place will be our home. For your information, if you make me unhappy, I¡¯ll leave you,¡± said Ling Zhang, eyes on Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong held him. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. If you dare forsake me, I¡¯ll track you down and seize you even if you flee to the world¡¯s end, and then I¡¯ll tied you up and you¡¯ll never be able to move a single pace away from me for the rest of your life.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body was suffused with a reddish color. ¡°Okay, okay. I get it. Let go of me so I can try on the robes.¡±


    His white-skinned body showed a sharp contrast with Yuwen Tong who was fully dressed. Originally Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t thought of anything sexual, but as he looked down at Ling Zhang¡¯s body which was now pinkish, he swallowed hard and stiffened, unable to move an inch.


    Ling Zhang could tell at a glance what he was thinking about. ¡°Give me the robes. Hurry.¡±


    If he let Yuwen Tong continue staring at his body, Yuwen Tong would definitely lose control.


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong was still gazing at him unblinkingly, Ling Zhang hastened past Yuwen Tong to the table, took up the robes and started putting them on.


    Yuwen Tong came to himself and immediately walked over. In a husky voice, he said, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    These were wedding robes. On no account would Yuwen Tong miss the opportunity to clothe Ling Zhang in them one by one and feast his eyes at the same time.


    Because of their uniquely noble identities, the wedding robes of Ling Zhang, the future empress, were quite resplendent and elaborate, and the number of layers of them were astounding. From the underwear to the overgarment, Yuwen Tong patiently helped Ling Zhang put them on one by one, neatly robing Ling Zhang in a gentle manner.


    These robes were not thick. Despite the number of layers, they still perfectly showed the contours of Ling Zhang¡¯s body ¨C his slim waist, full peaky butt, broad shoulders, and narrow straight back. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t look coquettish at all in this set of robes which was designed for men but fairly feminine in style. His brows and eyes were so dashing as though they¡¯d been drawn in black ink. The red color provided a foil for his skin, making it seem as though it were glowing.


    When helping Ling Zhang fasten his belt, Yuwen Tong felt as if he were wrapping a present, a rare unique treasure that only he could obtain. His eyes seemed to bore into Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang looked down at the robes. Unaware of the overall effect, he asked, ¡°How do I look? Do you think they¡¯re becoming? Anything needing altering?¡±


    Staring fixedly at him, Yuwen Tong looked as though he¡¯d lost the power of speech.


    Having received no reply, Ling Zhang furrowed his brows, shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong and fell speechless.


    A flush spread to the edges of his ears.


    He made towards the full-length mirror on the other side. When he got close to the mirror, he was somewhat astonished as well, gazing into the mirror at himself in a faintly dreamy way. Was that really him?


    Set off by the red wedding robes, his brows and eyes looked exceptionally pretty. This was the first time that Ling Zhang had come to realize that his looks were not bad¡­


    But would he strike people as a trifle patronizing in these robes?


    ¡°Do I look a little unapproachable in these robes? Should I try another set of a different style? You¨C¡±


    Before he could finish the sentence, Yuwen Tong cuddled him from behind tightly. Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s in the mirror. ¡°You look terrific. You don¡¯t need to strike anybody as approachable. I¡¯m the only one whose opinion you should care about.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s ears were burning. ¡°Stop hugging me so tight or you¡¯ll crumple my robes. If you think I look good in this set, I¡¯ll take it. You should go change into yours and let me see if it fits you. Hurry.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t move. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    After saying this, he took the headwear off Ling Zhang¡¯s head and slackened his bun. The black hair instantly cascaded down, rippling like premium silk. Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong in confusion. ¡°Why did you bare my head?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gazed at Ling Zhang who had his hair hanging loose, entranced. The contrast between the black of his hair and the red of his robes was such an intense visual stimulus of breathless beauty that it seemed to be searing Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. He took the hair in his hands and started slowly stroking it. After a while, he began to comb it with his fingers, his movements gentle and¡­ Ling Zhang lowered his head, flicked a glance at it and was instantaneously turned on by the sight of his hand movements, his mouth and throat dry. ¡°You¨C¡±


    Yuwen Tong abruptly took him in his arms, their bodies pressing against each other tight, Ling Zhang¡¯s jet-black hair flying up before slowly dropping, their lips locked.

 Chapter 385 - It Looks Good. Stop Stroking It

    The two of them hugged each other tight.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands were moving passionately over Ling Zhang¡¯s back, rubbing Ling Zhang¡¯s black hair the form of which was shifting constantly. The silk-like touch of it was enthralling, but it was so smooth that it kept slipping from Yuwen Tong¡¯s fingers, as though it was impossible to hold the hair, which rendered Yuwen Tong restless and impatient, so when he kissed Ling Zhang, he did it so urgently as if he wanted to swallow Ling Zhang in one gulp.


    Even the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were now red. He involuntarily tightened his grip on Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms. He had a shrewd idea why Yuwen Tong had suddenly become so feverish, but this kind of feeling struck him as somewhat horrifying, and it made him felt as though he was forgetting who he was, as though Yuwen Tong was the only one he could rely on¡­ It was not that they had never had this kind of moment before, but most of those experiences had happened at night, and now they were doing it in broad daylight.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s breathing was so heavy as though something was about to explode beside his ear. During fleeting intervals of the kiss, while gasping for air, Ling Zhang grasped Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms, pushed them and said intermittently, ¡°They¡­are¡­waiting for¡­us¡­outside. Stop¡­it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, filled with longing, were a royal scarlet and an inky black. The person in his arms, whose eyes were red and watery from his kiss, struck him as someone taking his soul away. Exercising all his self-restraint, he subdued his desire and uttered a throaty ¡°Um¡± but didn¡¯t stop what he¡¯d been doing.


    After quite a while, when Ling Zhang was beginning to have trouble breathing, Yuwen Tong finally let go of him slowly, but his lips were still against Ling Zhang¡¯s. He stared fixedly at Ling Zhang¡¯s full, rosy and faintly swollen lips, nibbling them gently while Ling Zhang was panting.


    It was after another few moments that the two of them parted with difficulty and managed to cool down a little.


    Yuwen Tong still couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Ling Zhang who was in scarlet wedding robes, a flush over his cheeks, his hair all streaming loose. He stood there motionlessly, staring unblinkingly at him.


    ¡°You¡­Ahem.¡± Ling Zhang opened his mouth and had just uttered one word when he found that his voice was hoarse, hastened to clear his throat and then continued, ¡°Go and change into your robes. Hurry. I¡¯ll take mine off lest they crumple.¡±


    Actually both of them had been aroused, and they had to stop only because it was daytime and there were people waiting for them outside, so at this moment they both felt somewhat uncomfortable. Ling Zhang, who¡¯d been the first to speak, went behind a screen to change. If he didn¡¯t do this, both of them would fail to restrain themselves.


    Yuwen Tong, who had robed Ling Zhang, naturally wanted to personally disrobe him, but he managed to forbear from doing that as he saw Ling Zhang walk to the other side of the screen.


    The look in the depths of Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes suggested there was an intense struggle ongoing in his mind. ¡®Calm down! I¡¯ll get to undress him in whatever way I want the night of the wedding!¡¯


    Ling Zhang was unaware that Yuwen Tong was picturing all kinds of ways of removing the wedding robes from him and almost let his desire get the better of him because of the fantasy. Standing behind the screen alone, he took off the wedding robes one by one. It took him quite some time and he gradually calmed down. When he had put on his casual clothes and walked out with the wedding robes in his arms, Yuwen Tong had changed into his wedding robes. Caught unawares, Ling Zhang stopped dead beside the screen, fixing Yuwen Tong with an astonished gaze. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he still had a small part of his composure left, the wedding robes in his arms would have dropped to the ground.


    Yuwen Tong standing opposite him opened his arms and asked, ¡°Do I look good?¡±


    Eyes on Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t realize that he had subconsciously walked up to Yuwen Tong already and was now reaching out a hand to stroke the robes.


    Yuwen Tong, quick of eye and deft of hand, caught the robes dropping from Ling Zhang¡¯s arms, carefully placed them onto the table, pivoted around and looked at Ling Zhang who was staring blankly at him. Brightening up, he leaned over Ling Zhang, their noses within an inch of touching each other. ¡°Do I look good?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ling Zhang subconsciously answered with a nod and then stretched out a hand to stroke him. ¡°You do,¡± he added.


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle, the sound of which brought Ling Zhang out of his trace and back to his senses. Yuwen Tong¡¯s long, beautiful eyes were gleaming with confidence which originated from the infatuation in his lover¡¯s eyes.


    The warm blush on Ling Zhang¡¯s cheeks hadn¡¯t ebbed away yet, but at this moment it didn¡¯t seem to bother him at all. He stroked Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding robes, his liking for them deepening with every movement of his hand. Then he swallowed hard and vaguely came to understand why a moment ago Yuwen Tong had reacted so dramatically at the sight of him in his wedding robes. Right now he himself was also a little inclined to¡­


    No! He must control himself!


    Ling Zhang shook his head vigorously, inwardly telling himself that it was daytime, that there were people waiting for them outside, so he had to restrain himself.


    ¡°Stop stroking me.¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s chuckle suddenly became low and deep, his delighted voice turning as husky as it had been a while ago. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I might be turned on and do stuff, and then you¡¯ll be mad again.¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly came to himself and immediately withdrew his hand, but Yuwen Tong grabbed it halfway, rubbing his fingers. For a few moments both of them kept silent.


    ¡°I really wish today was the wedding day,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked up at him. ¡°That makes two of us.¡±


    No sooner had he said this than he regretted it. Worrying that he had fueled Yuwen Tong¡¯s desire, he hastened to change the topic. ¡°Do your robes fit? Are there any parts of them that you want the dressmaker to alter?¡±


    Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to his mouth and nibbled it. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a gasp of pain at the nibble, quickly withdrew his hand and shot Yuwen Tong an annoyed glance. All the romance in the mood seemed to have dissolved with that nibble. ¡°Hurry up. Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong slightly shook his head, turned around, walked up to the dressing mirror, looked into it and then returned. ¡°They fit well. There¡¯s no need to alter anything.¡±


    Both their robes fit, and no alteration had to be made. The dressmakers who¡¯d made these two sets of wedding robes were the best in the imperial palace and even in the whole capital city. Though they had confidence in their skills, after hearing that the robes fit perfectly and that the emperor and the future empress were both satisfied, the dressmakers were all relieved.


    The matter of the wedding robes handled, Ling Zhang packed his things, ready to leave the palace and return home.


    Originally they had planned to hold a banquet in the palace and bring Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong to the palace to stay for two days in passing, but what with the matter of Yuwen Zhi and that Gu master, it had to be delayed until after the wedding ceremony.


    The next day, Yuwen Tong accompanied Ling Zhang back to the Ling Mansion. All Ling Zhang¡¯s family members had been expecting him.


    This time around, two officials of the Ministry of Rites had come to the Ling Mansion with Ling Zhang. They were responsible for helping the Ling family with the wedding preparations and some details on the wedding day.


    The Ling family had also started festooning the residence. Although Ling Zhang was marrying into another family, it didn¡¯t mean that the Ling family shouldn¡¯t make the wedding a grand occasion.


    The courtyard house that Ling Zhang was living in had been revamped, and all the furnishings had been replaced with top-of-the-line ones.


    ¡°You¡¯re both men, and your wedding will be different from traditional ones, but that¡¯s not a reason for us to make it any less great than it should be.¡± This was the opinion of every member of the Ling family.


    Before Ling Zhang could say anything, Yuwen Tong agreed and promised very willingly to satisfy all the requirements members of the Ling family laid down. The corners of the eyes of the two officials of the Ministry of Rites twitched as they heard those requests, but Yuwen Tong accepted all of them without hesitating for a single moment, assuring the Ling family that all their requirements would be met.


    The two officials thought about it for a while and then realized that an imperial gay marriage was without precedent in the history of the Great Wen, that they might as well let the emperor hold the wedding in whatever way he wanted. Besides, it was unwise to put a damper on the emperor¡¯s high spirits, so they turned a blind eye and wrote down all the terms that the emperor agreed to. As for whether or not they would have to work their asses off to get it done, thinking about this question was pointless, for this was their job, and they were paid to do it. Moreover, the Minister of Rites was the emperor¡¯s cousin, so they¡¯d have no choice but to work as hard as they could if they valued their positions.


    Eventually, Ling Zhang stopped his family whose ¡®suggestions¡¯ were getting more and more absurd. ¡°Paternal Grandfather, Maternal Grandfather, Father, Uncle, Aunt, the wedding plan would go awry if you want so many things to be done on the wedding day. Let¡¯s stick to the original plan. Otherwise there would be too many distractions and the guests would be confused, which is the last thing we want to see happen.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a little cough and then said, ¡°Zhang¡¯er has a point. I think these would be enough. There¡¯s no need to add anything more. In addition, the wedding day is quite close. If we ask for too much, the Ministry of Rites won¡¯t have enough time to finish the preparatory work. It¡¯s quality that matters, not quantity. The wedding ceremony should be about Zhang¡¯er and Yuwen Tong. Let¡¯s not add any more needless stuff to it.¡±


    It was after hearing this that Ji Yin and the others reluctantly agreed, ¡°Okay, then. The plan is finalized.¡±


    ¡°For our part, the most important thing is to make sure that nothing goes wrong with the trousseaus, that everybody will be awestruck on the wedding day.¡±


    These words did make sense, so everybody nodded.


    Recalling those trousseaus that his maternal grandfather had added to the list, Ling Zhang secretly asked his father in an uncertain tone, ¡°My maternal grandfather didn¡¯t add anything else to the list, right?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu lightly shook his head. ¡°No, but he¡¯s been saving some privately.¡±


    Ling Zhang first let out a sigh of relief and then pulled a wry face.


    The two officials of the Ministry of Rites heard them talk about the trousseaus. When hearing the word ¡®awestruck¡¯, they didn¡¯t take it seriously. After all, in their eyes, although the Ling family counted as a wealthy one when compared with most families in provincial towns, its wealth couldn¡¯t hold a candle to that of a rich family in the capital city, and no matter how shocking the Ling family believed the trousseaus were, they would by no means awe residents of the capital city.


    However, when the two of them started helping the Ling family make wedding preparations and saw the trousseaus, they could hardly believe their eyes. The more astounding part was that what they saw was only part of the trousseaus. There were more of them in the warehouse. It was inconvenient to take them out, so the officials only saw the names of them on the list. Although the two of them hadn¡¯t seen the rest of the trousseaus, the thickness of the pamphlet shocked them so deeply that they both swallowed hard. ¡®The Ling family is rea¨Creally so wealthy?¡¯


    This happened afterward. For the moment they were unaware, so they didn¡¯t give that remark another thought, the looks in their eyes unchanged.


    After having lunch in the Ling Mansion and conferring with the Ling family about some details of the wedding ceremony, Yuwen Tong had to go back to the imperial palace, for there were a lot of affairs he needed to attend to.


    Before leaving, he squeezed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. In the knowledge that it was inappropriate to do anything further in the presence of so many people, he grudgingly took his leave but was secretly quite regretful. At the prospect of spending the next several days alone, in particular, he felt even more lonesome.


    Gazing at Yuwen Tong¡¯s forlorn receding back, Ling Zhang was somewhat sympathetic to him, but at the same time he couldn¡¯t help but inwardly ridicule him. They¡¯d be separated for only a couple of days. Why was he making it so gooey?!

 Chapter 386 - Absence Sharpens Love

    However, Ling Zhang, who had criticized Yuwen Tong for being sentimental about the farewell during the day, found himself unable to sleep that very night.


    Though all his family were with him, and this place was his home, when he lay onto the bed, he felt he was quite unaccustomed to it. The image of each and every one of the furnishings in the Infinite Fortune Palace in which he had only stayed for a few days kept appearing in his mind. He closed his eyes. Without the familiar smell in the air, the familiar embrace, the familiar temperature, the familiar sweet-talk and tease only lovers would do, he started missing his loved one. He felt as though there was a void in his heart, and he wanted to grab something to fill it but couldn¡¯t. Thus sleep eluded him.


    The candles in his room had been put out some time ago. The only light in the room was the moonlight streaming through the crack between the window and the frame, which was accompanied by night breeze. The breeze dissolved part of his restlessness but also rendered him more awake, making it harder for him to get to sleep.


    Yuwen Tong in the imperial palace couldn¡¯t sleep either. He lay in bed with open eyes for quite a while and eventually got out of bed fretfully, changed into a skintight night-suit and went outside.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°Where are you going, Sire?¡± Seeing this, Yao Yi who was on night duty hurriedly followed him.


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± replied Yuwen Tong sourly.


    Go to sleep? Yao Yi glanced over his shoulder at the imperial bedchamber and then turned his head back to look at Yuwen Tong striding sulkily towards the front gates, baffled as to what was going on.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang tossed and turned in bed for quite a long time. Eventually, realizing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep anytime soon no matter how hard he tried, he restlessly sat up, carelessly draped a coat over his shoulders, walked outside and directly sat down onto the stairs cross-legged, looking up into the sky at the moon.


    Yuwen Tong arrived only to find that Ling Zhang was gazing emptily up at the moon, a distant look on his face, pondering over something.


    However, seeing Ling Zhang also couldn¡¯t sleep, Yuwen Tong instantly felt much better. He swiftly leaped off the rooftop and landed in front of Ling Zhang. ¡°Who are you waiting for, uh?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nervous start at his sudden appearance, but the flicker of surprise and delight in his eyes was manifest. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Seeing the look on his face, Yuwen Tong inwardly gave a little snort and thought, ¡®When you were in the palace, you talked about going home every day. Now you must¡¯ve regretted coming back, given that you couldn¡¯t sleep.¡¯


    ¡°A moment ago, when I was in the palace, I heard you say you missed me. Despite how much I¡¯d like to stay in my bed sleeping, I kindly came here to keep you company, so that you wouldn¡¯t have to sit here watching the moon for a whole night.¡±


    After saying this, he scooped up Ling Zhang from the ground. Carrying him in his arms, he let out a sigh and felt all over comfortable.


    His hand on Ling Zhang¡¯s waist moved downwards and with that he gave Ling Zhang a playful spank and said through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re such an ungrateful little devil. Now you know how it feels to suffer from insomnia caused by a loved one¡¯s absence, I suppose? You could¡¯ve spared us both this ordeal.¡±


    The spank made Ling Zhang start and he felt a faintly numb and painful sensation in his butt. The pain was nothing, but the slap was exceptionally loud because of the quiet of the night. He was terribly embarrassed and annoyed. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a little snort and spanked him again. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? This is your punishment. We would¡¯ve have wasted so much time had you not insisted on moving out of the palace, would we?¡±


    Ling Zhang was torn between disconcertion and guilt at these words. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you get to spank me. What if someone sees? Besides, I wasn¡¯t suffering from sleeplessness. The moon¡¯s beautiful tonight, and I just came out here to enjoy the moonscape. You really need to stop imagining things.¡±


    ¡°Nobody would come here to see us at this late hour. You didn¡¯t allow me to do what I wanted during the day, but now it¡¯s night-time, so humor me,¡± Yuwen Tong said. ¡°Besides, no matter how beautiful the moonscape is, it could never outshine me, could it?¡±


    Ling Zhang sniffed, ¡°You¡¯re such a shameless narcissist.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which had a moment ago spanked Ling Zhang was now squeezing and kneading Ling Zhang¡¯s butt. ¡°You dare deny that?¡±


    With his butt being kneaded, Ling Zhang involuntarily stood on tiptoe, flung his hand back and grabbed Yuwen¡¯s. ¡°You¡­ Stop that.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had been restless and unable to sleep for several hours, had quite some anger to vent and naturally wouldn¡¯t let go of Ling Zhang. He freed his hand from Ling Zhang¡¯s grip, grasped Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and then directly lifted him bodily up, pressing him tightly against his chest. Off the ground, Ling Zhang had no choice but to wrap his legs around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist, his cheeks instantly flushing so red as though blood was about to ooze out of them. This posture was so¡­!


    ¡°Put me down!¡± snarled Ling Zhang through gritted teeth, looking down at Yuwen Tong, trying to slacken Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip.


    Naturally Yuwen wouldn¡¯t let him struggle free. Carrying Ling Zhang, he made towards the doors of the house. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    As Yuwen Tong walked forward, the rubs became more obvious. Distinctly feeling Yuwen Tong¡¯s bodily response, Ling Zhang stiffened. ¡°You¡­You¡­¡±


    After entering the bedroom, Yuwen Tong put him down onto the table. Sitting there, Ling Zhang found his eyes and Yuwen Tong¡¯s on a level. The doors were closed, and there was no lighted candles in the room. With only the moonlight shining through the crack between the window and the frame, the room was almost completely dark.


    However, this scene aroused their desire even further. Ling Zhang grabbed the arms of Yuwen Tong¡¯s coat, abruptly drew Yuwen Tong to him and pressed his lips onto Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    A smile flashed across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes and with that he took Ling Zhang¡¯s face in his hands and opened his mouth to enjoy the kiss initiated by Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    Outside the house, Yao Yi and Miao Shiba who were crouching on top of the outer wall exchanged glances, jumped off the wall at the same time, leaped onto the nearest rooftop and lay down to enjoy the moonscape.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve believed me when I told you Sire was definitely coming here to see Childe Ling,¡± observed Miao Shiba.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t catch on to the situation.¡±


    Miao Shiba gave a yawn and, looking into the sky, sighed, ¡°It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®Absence sharpens love.¡¯ It¡¯s been less than a day since Sire and Childe Ling parted. Do you think I should get myself a lover to see how it feels to have my love sharpened by absence?¡±


    Yao Yi cast a sidelong glance at him and sniffed, ¡°You? Who would want to be your lover?¡±


    Miao Shiba was displeased. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a handsome, elegant and eligible man, okay? If I get word out that I want a girlfriend, all the girls in this city will line up in front of my house waiting for me to pick them.¡±


    Yao Yi rolled his eyes upwards. ¡°You¡¯re such a braggart. All the girls in this city? You should feel lucky if there¡¯s one girl showing interest in you.¡±


    Miao Shiba, who was quite thick-skinned, believed that Yao Yi was saying this purely because he was jealous of him and wanted to dishearten him, so he was totally unaffected by these words. ¡°My big brother said that he¡¯d start to set me up in a couple of years so that I could start a family.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Miao Shisan wants you to start a family when he himself hasn¡¯t got married yet?¡±


    Miao Shiba replied, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to get married. What could I possibly do about it? He said he had no interest in women. I suggested he try starting a relationship with a guy, but he said he¡¯s even more uninterested in men. Alas, it strikes me that my brother was probably destined to die single and alone.¡±


    Yao Yi managed to stifle a chuckle. ¡°Apart from anything else he¡¯s your big brother. Shouldn¡¯t you figure out a way to help him instead of saying he¡¯s destined to die a bachelor?¡±


    Miao Shiba responded, ¡°You know very well how scary my big brother looks when he puts on a poker face. Both men and women would be scared away by him. What would you have me do? The way I see it, he¡¯s just like Qi San. No girls will dare get close to either of them.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Captain, what about you? Our status is different now, and it¡¯s much easier than before for you to find a girl to get married and settle down ¨C if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Yao Yi threw a glance at Miao Shiba who had instantly steered the conversation to his personal life, and said in an even voice, ¡°Like your big brother, I haven¡¯t met the right person either.¡±


    Miao Shiba sighed, ¡°It seems that you were destined to die single and alone just like my big brother was.¡±


    Yao Yi, who tried to restrain himself but failed, heavily gave Miao Shiba a smack on the head. ¡°Shut your mouth. Don¡¯t jinx me.¡±


    ¡­


    While Miao Shiba and Yao Yi were having a chit-chat on the rooftop outside. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong inside the bedroom had stripped, clothes strewn across the floor, the whole space filled with erotic, tantalizing sounds.


    Maybe because there was really lingering vexation caused by sleeplessness in them, they both had a lot of pent-up anxiety and annoyance to release, so their movements were more intense than usual.


    At the stroke of midnight, they still showed no inclination to stop.


    It was not until Yin Hour (3:00 a.m.) that the action in the room gradually abated. Yuwen Tong toweled Ling Zhang who was all sweaty, pulled the comforter over him, drew him into his embrace and suggested, ¡°You should move back to the palace and wait until the day before the wedding day to come back here.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve already come back home. How could I break my word? If I do that, what would my paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather think of me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong let out a sigh, tightening his embrace. ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to go to the trouble of coming here every night before the wedding.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly shifted his position. ¡°You work so late every day. Maybe you should stay in the palace tomorrow night.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°If I stay there, I¡¯ll be lying in bed with my eyes wide open for a whole night. I might as well forget about sleep and work all night in the consultation hall.¡±Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a few moments and then said, ¡°How about I slip into the palace by night?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked down at him and giggled, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. The palace is pretty close to this place, and it takes me only a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out) to get here from there. I¡¯ll try to finish work earlier and you should come back here earlier, so that we¡¯ll have more time to sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang put his arms around him, making no reply.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Get some sleep. There¡¯s still two hours before daybreak.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a habit of this. The next time you come here, you need to show more self-control so that we won¡¯t stay up so late. You barely had any sleep,¡± breathed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Yuwen Tong. In fact, if Ling Zhang was in his arms, a two-hour sleep would refresh him fully; if he was alone, he would feel drained no matter how long he slept.


    The two of them talked for a while, their voices gradually trailing away. After another few moments, Ling Zhang drifted off. The long sex had been quite tiring.


    Yuwen Tong looked earnestly at him, recalling that back at the time when he¡¯d been in the north-west, the separation between the two of them had also been quite tough for him, but not as tough as the couple of hours before he came here earlier this night. Maybe the few hours had been exceptionally unbearable because he¡¯d been separated from Ling Zhang knowing that Ling Zhang was in a place he could reach in a very short time, or because his tolerance to separation from Ling Zhang had been declining. When he¡¯d been lying in the imperial bedchamber earlier this night, the faintly cool night breeze had felt as though it were cutting into his skin, and it¡¯d been so cold that his insides had seemed to be shuddering.


    Holding Ling Zhang in his arms, he gingerly kissed him for a while, feeling that Ling Zhang had become thinner lately. It was not very noticeable, but as he had Ling Zhang in his embrace while sleeping every night, he could immediately feel it when the touch of a part of Ling Zhang¡¯s body was different. Recently his workload had been particularly heavy, and there always seemed to be an endless list of things to do. He hoped that the situation would improve after the wedding ceremony, and he wanted Ling Zhang to eat more and at least make his face full again ¨C and his waist and butt, too. Anyway, Ling Zhang needed to eat more.

 Chapter 387 - A Variety of Speculations & Ling Zhangs Trousseaus

    After two hours, Yuwen Tong opened his eyes. It was still dark outside, but soon dawn would break. Ling Zhang in his arms was still sleeping.


    Yuwen Tong carefully withdrew his arms, gingerly moved Ling Zhang¡¯s forelock aside, gave him a peck on the brow, quietly got out of bed and then tucked him in. The hot days had got cool, and it was a little cold shortly before dawn.


    Seeing Ling Zhang was still fast asleep, Yuwen Tong came to realize that the night before he should¡¯ve shown some self-restraint. It had been just the night before last that he had Ling Zhang make out with him for several hours, but the night before he¡¯d done the same thing again. Feeling somewhat guilty, he said in an undertone, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll restrain myself in the next few days.¡±


    After saying this, he kissed Ling Zhang again and then reluctantly went to put on his robes. Before leaving, he walked around the house and also checked the perimeter to see if there was anything suspicious. It was after confirming that everything was okay that he left.


    ¡°Shiba, stay here. Report to me immediately if anything happens,¡± Yuwen Tong instructed Miao Shiba.


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Miao Shiba answered and then went to the doorway of Ling Zhang¡¯s bedroom to stand guard. Wang Dashan at the front gates of the courtyard house poked his head around the corner, flicked Miao Shiba a glance, waved him a greeting and then drew his head in. Miao Shiba gave a little giggle, recalling that the night before, these guys anxiously tried to enter the courtyard house but were stopped by him and Yao Yi. Wang Dashan had incredulously asked them why they were here. After being informed that Yuwen Tong had come here to see Ling Zhang, they¡¯d all had inexplicable expressions on their faces.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    At that time Wang Dashan had observed in a disapproving tone, ¡°It¡¯s barely been a day since they parted!¡±


    ¡°¡®A one-day separation from the loved one feels like three years.¡¯ You¡¯ve never heard of this?¡±


    Wang Dashan had been rendered speechless by this remark, holding his cheek, presumably having a toothache.


    At this time, Miao Shiba looked around him, walked out of the house and to the front gates where Wang Dashan and Zhao Shen were on guard duty. ¡°Hey, do you think I should wake Childe Ling up in a while?¡±


    Wang Dashan and Zhao Shen exchanged glances, uncertainty in their eyes. ¡°Young Master seems to have stayed up pretty late last night. Maybe we should let him sleep a little while longer.¡±


    ¡°But Master and the others are unaware that Sire came here last night. If Young Master sleeps late, they¡¯ll be worried and might come here to check on him.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until Chen Hour (7:00 a.m.) to awake him. If Master sends anyone here, we could just stop them and say that Young Master stayed up late reading last night and could use some more sleep.¡±


    A decision made, Miao Shiba returned to the doorway of the bedroom.


    Inside the bedroom, Ling Zhang was still sound asleep. When he opened his eyes, it was full daylight already. Miao Shiba called outside, ¡°Childe Ling, it¡¯s Chen Hour.¡±


    Ling Zhang lay there dreamily for a few moments before abruptly sitting up and with that he let out an involuntary gasp of pain, raised his hand to knead the small of his back, his face twisting.


    He gave a cough and said, ¡°Get me some water. I need to wash.¡± His voice was still faintly hoarse and he was unable to speak loudly, but Miao Shiba standing outside distinguished his words.


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± he answered and then left to tell Wang Dashan and Zhao Shen to get water.


    Ling Zhang sat there for a while, waiting for the pain to ease. Soon warm water was delivered to the room. Ling Zhang washed and changed before going out.


    At the sight of Miao Shiba, he guessed that it had been Yuwen Tong who instructed him to stay. He asked Miao Shiba, ¡°When did your master go back?¡±


    ¡°At Yin Hour, before daybreak,¡± answered Miao Shiba.


    ¡°Young Master, you may have breakfast in your room. I¡¯ve brought it here for you,¡± said Zhao Shen, walking in.


    Ling Zhang could tell from the daylight he¡¯d overslept. ¡°Did my paternal grandfather or my father send anyone here to ask about me?¡±


    ¡°No. Old Master and Master probably both want to let you have some more sleep, but they might send someone here if you still don¡¯t show up in a while,¡± replied Zhao Shen.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go there right after breakfast.¡±


    ¡­


    Every night of the next few days, Yuwen Tong descended from mid-air, landed sweetly in Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard house like a burglar with consummate lightness skills, had a good night¡¯s sleep with the owner of the house in his embrace, and then went back to the imperial palace shortly before the daily court meeting.


    Yuwen Tong indeed curbed his needs. Even when he failed to restrain himself, he¡¯d make it quick instead of doing it for hours.


    Ling Zhang was not sure whether or not anybody else living in the residence knew what he¡¯d been doing at night. At least his maternal grandfather and Ji Yanlai and the couple of others who had powerful internal energy were definitely aware that someone had been sneaking into his courtyard house by night, but none of them said anything about it, so Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to let the cat out of the bag.


    Apart from the things they usually did by night, recently people of the Ling family had been busy with packing Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseaus during the day. They had specially emptied the Splendor Pavilion as well as the Proud Plum Pavilion next to it to store the chests containing trousseaus. The two officials of the Ministry of Rites had been assisting them with the preparations.


    At first, when they saw those gold, silver, jewelries and jadeware, they just felt that the Ling family was fairly wealthy, but afterward, when ten large chests had been filled with those things, the two of them were somewhat amazed. More importantly, the ten chests of gold, silver and jadeware were only the most common part of the trousseaus. Following them were rare treasure worth a couple of towns together, precious medicinal herbs and priceless dress materials et cetera, which filled one chest after another. Watching this scene, the two officials swallowed hard again and again. However, these were only the visible and tangible part of the trousseaus. The intangible part was the estates and businesses listed in the pamphlet, which were coupled with a group of storekeepers, innkeepers and supervisors all of whom had returned from out of town not long ago and would go into the palace with Ling Zhang as part of the trousseaus just like those chests of valuables. Those estates and businesses were nationwide in distribution, and there were even some located in the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, though they¡¯d be off the record. Apart from these, it was said that there were also some long-lost manuscripts about kung fu skills, which Ling Zhang¡¯s maternal grandfather would personally hand over to Ling Zhang who would take them to the palace.


    The two officials of the Ministry of Rites gaped at those trousseaus which were being boxed one after another, deeply shocked.


    ¡°Your Lordships,¡± someone called in a polite, level voice. Seeing that the two men still seemed to be in a trance, the speaker raised his voice and called again, ¡°Your Lordships!¡±


    It was only then that the two officials abruptly jerked out of their trance and looked at the one who¡¯d just called them. ¡°Oh, Childe Jiang, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°These chests were made according to the standards set by the Ministry of Rites. You didn¡¯t find any of them problematic, I suppose?¡± said Jiang Yu.


    As Ling Zhang¡¯s subordinate, Jiang Yu was in charge of almost all the miscellaneous matters involving dealings with the Ministry of Rites. Ling Zhang had returned to the Ling Mansion, so he naturally had also left the Infinite Fortune Palace and come to this residence to help with the wedding preparations.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± the two officials hurriedly replied in unison.


    Jiang Yu nodded. ¡°Since they¡¯re all up to standard, I¡¯ll have the servants start sealing them according to the numbers in the pamphlet. Aside from this, we¡¯ll tighten the security of this couple of pavilions, and nobody would be allowed to get in until the day of Childe Ling¡¯s wedding.¡±


    The two officials of the Ministry of Rites raised no objections.


    ¡°This way please, Your Lordships. This area is about to be sealed off.¡± Jiang Yu politely asked them to leave.


    The two official took the hint and left. They had been working flat out for several consecutive days and now this matter was finally settled, and they could finally return home. After leaving the Ling Mansion, the two of them got into their carriages and headed for the street.


    The streets were quite uproarious. A new emperor had ascended the throne, and the political situation had gradually stabilized, with no unrest of any sort in any part of the country. The newly promulgated policies aimed at improving people¡¯s livelihood had greatly inspired the whole country. All residents in the capital city appeared in good spirits. Besides, there was an upcoming imperial wedding ceremony, which would be the second grand occasion since the start of this new imperial dynasty, and the incumbent emperor was crowning a man the empress. All these were topics that people relished talking about on a frequent basis. Professional storytellers were even telling all kinds of stories about the deep love between the emperor and his future consort, which were so popular that all teahouses were filled to capacity every day.


    The two officials of the Ministry of Rites, who had been working off their feet over the past few days, could use some relaxation, so they went into a tavern together.


    Although there weren¡¯t any storytellers in this tavern, customers coming here for wine were also in lively conversations, and the tone of every one of them seemed to brook no argument, making this place no less tumultuous than a teahouse. The two of them went to the second floor of the tavern where most customers were members of rich families who were sumptuously clothed. Their voices were not as loud as those of the customers downstairs, but they were even more enthusiastic about gossip.


    ¡°¡­ Speaking of which, the Ling family only has some fame in Tanyang. It couldn¡¯t hold a candle to any of the big families in the capital city. Given that it is the eldest grandson of their patriarch who¡¯s going to marry His Majesty, they would no doubt go to any lengths to prepare a decent trousseau in order not to become a laughing stock.¡±


    ¡°Come on. They are who they are, no matter how hard they try to pretend otherwise. After all, they¡¯re from a backwater. How impressive could you expect the trousseau to be?¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be quite humiliating?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. Nobody knows how the economic situation of the Ling family actually is. Besides, His Majesty holds Childe Ling in deep affection and probably wouldn¡¯t care about this kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well, that might be the case, but so many people in this city will be watching. Although many noble families declined as the previous imperial household fell, those who still draw breath have quite sharp eyes. Some of them will definitely laugh at the Ling family behind their backs.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true.¡±


    ¡°Alas, there¡¯re a lot of things you don¡¯t know, buddy. Even when His Majesty was still a marshal, his fame spread far and wide and a lot of people dreamed about marrying him, not to mention that he¡¯s now the emperor. Can you imagine how many more people are waiting for an opportunity to become an imperial concubine?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    After hearing this, the two officials of the Ministry of Rites exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with contempt for those people.


    They might not know much about the other matters, but they were quite sure that nobody would see the Ling family as a laughing stock because of the trousseaus! Even the princess¡¯ trousseaus stood no comparison with Childe Ling¡¯s, and if they disclosed the truth to these people, most of them would probably be shocked to death.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Calm down. We can¡¯t breathe a word of it to anybody.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t like that snobbish look on their faces. On the day of Childe Ling¡¯s and His Majesty¡¯s wedding, these people¡¯s jaws would probably drop.¡±


    Privately the two of them were pretty indignant, both forgetting that in the beginning they themselves hadn¡¯t expected much of the Ling family either and had been terribly embarrassed when they saw the trousseaus afterward.


    ¡°Still, come to think of it, a lot of people know how many businesses and properties the Ling family own, but those trousseaus¡­¡±


    ¡°I overheard something about it that day. It seems that most of the trousseaus are from Childe Ling¡¯s maternal grandfather, and there are also some from his father.¡±


    ¡°You mean that mysterious middle-aged man? To be honest, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rather strange? I mean, that man¡¯s way too young to be Childe Ling¡¯s maternal grandfather. Actually, he looks even younger than Childe Ling¡¯s father!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that he possesses internal energy so powerful that it made him young again.¡±


    ¡°My goodness! Such people do exist?!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. I was startled as well when I came to know it. The maternal part of Childe Ling¡¯s parentage has always been a mystery. So far nobody has heard anything about his maternal grandfather, but I think he¡¯s by no means a common person, seeing as he has offered so many trousseaus as though they were nothing to him. Maybe he¡¯s a member of some prestigious sect in Jianghu.¡±


    ¡°A member of a Jianghu sect? Now you mention it, that does strike me as possible.¡±

 Chapter 388 - A Visit from Friends

    Chapter 388: A Visit from Friends


    Nobody in the Ling family cared about what kind of speculations people were making. All their efforts were concentrated on the preparations for Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding.


    Everybody was taken aback when they learned that Ji Yin planned to include some manuals of long-lost skills of the Millennium Pavilion as part of Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseaus.


    ¡°Grandfather, these things belong to the Millennium Pavilion, don¡¯t they? Would the Clan Leader and the other clansmen be okay with you giving them to me? They¡¯d probably be angry with you, wouldn¡¯t they? You should take them back right now.¡± Ling Zhang hastened to decline the offer.


    But Ji Yin replied, ¡°The Clan Leader has given his consent to this. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have taken them out. These are for you, and you should take them without any misgivings. The Clan Leader said you may take these as a wedding gift from the Millennium Pavilion.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°They¡¯re really meant for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Nobody¡¯s going to ask for them back,¡± responded Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang was really amazed that Ji Yanlai had agreed to give him some manuals of long-lost skills to be his trousseaus. Now that these things had been given to him, what to do with them was completely at his discretion. Such generosity surprised Ling Zhang greatly.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong is a master of military strategy and tactics. For him, these manuals of warcraft would be like the frosting on the cake. It¡¯s no big deal. Those diagrams are for you to learn in the future. There are also some fairly good manuals of internal energy, which you may use to lick your subordinates into shape. Just take them.¡±


    Half of these manuals were about warcraft, and the others half various formations. According to Ji Yin, if he didn¡¯t give these things to Ling Zhang, they would only end up being buried in dust in the book chamber of the Millennium Pavilion. Needless to say, the beneficiary of the manuals of warcraft would be Yuwen Tong, though they¡¯d been given to Ling Zhang. He had learned quite some formations, but the diagrams Ji Yin was offering to him at this moment were about relatively advanced formations, which Ling Zhang was not yet ready to start learning. There were also a few manuals of internal energy, which were actually of little use to Ling Zhang himself, but he could use them to train his subordinates.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandfather, and I¡¯ll have to thank the Clan Leader as well,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin beamed, ¡°After you marry Yuwen Tong, I¡¯ll go back to the Millennium Pavilion with the Clan Leader to make preparations for our move. When everything¡¯s done, I¡¯ll come here to keep you company. That manor that I bought previously is meant for you, but it never crossed my mind that Yuwen Tong would act so quick. I¡¯m afraid living in that manor is not an option for you for the moment. Come to think of it, I should¡¯ve finished the preparatory work for the move by the time when you and Yuwen Tong are settled in the palace, and I¡¯ll be able to have plenty of time to instruct you in formations.


    I could see that recently you¡¯ve been too busy to find enough time to clear your mind and focus on your cultivation of internal energy, which is why you still have a long way to go before you can make a breakthrough. After these things are handled, take a month out for closed-door cultivation. You should be able to reach the third layer successfully by the end of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang listened to him attentively and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll carve out time for closed-door cultivation after the wedding ceremony.¡±


    Ji Yin clapped him on the shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush into anything. Haste does not bring success. Do it step by step.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± promised Ling Zhang.


    ¡­


    ¡°Young Master, the trousseaus are ready, and the wedding robes have been delivered here from the palace too. The preparatory work here basically is finished. All that¡¯s left is to determine the list of subordinates who are to go with you to the palace on the wedding day,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Because of Ling Zhang¡¯s special identity, apart from the trousseaus, he was also supposed to bring some attendants with him on the wedding day. Presently Jiang Yu was his only subordinate aside from his twenty-four bodyguards.


    It¡¯d been only when Yuwen Tong had given Ling Zhang a reminder after the matter of Jiang Yu that Ling Zhang had come to realize the importance of having his own think tank. Although it was a little late, he would rather go without than make do with substandard substitutes. Also, he was unwilling to blindly recruit more advisors merely for the sake of pomp. Besides, because of Jiang Yu¡¯s high level of competence, Ling Zhang would inevitably be a little picky about whom he recruited next, so it¡¯d be harder for him to find someone taking his fancy.


    ¡°For the moment I¡¯m the only one. Would you like to recruit some more before the wedding?¡± asked Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I would rather go without than have someone incompetent, and I don¡¯t really need a large group of attendants to impress the guests. I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan, Liu Yi and Yang Liuzi act as my attendants as a last resort.¡±


    Jiang Yu had no different opinions on this matter. He¡¯d always been a proud man and there weren¡¯t many he¡¯d deem worthy of being his associates. In his eyes, Ling Zhang¡¯s decision was very wise.


    ¡°This is a minute wedding plan delivered here by a staff member of the Ministry of Rites. An official will come here in two days to guide you through the details of the parts of the ceremony requiring your cooperation,¡± said Jiang Yu, handing a pamphlet to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang took it and ran an eye over it. Officials of the Ministry of Rites had consulted with each other and omitted some unnecessary steps before making this outline wedding plan. They hadn¡¯t made any major changes to the plan. After that, Ling Zhang carefully read it again. All these were what he needed to lodge firmly in mind. On the wedding day, Yuwen Tong would personally come to pick him up. What he had to remember was mainly the courtesy he was supposed to show when bidding farewell to his parents. As regards the other steps, there would be specially-assigned officials guiding him. After he walked out of the front gates of the Ling Mansion, he would be in sync with Yuwen Tong, with whom he was supposed to cooperate to finish the remainder of the ceremony. The Ministry of Rites would probably send someone to inform Yuwen Tong of it as well.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then put the pamphlet down. ¡°I¡¯ll need more time to look over it,¡± he said.


    He planned to confer with Yuwen Tong after he came at night. If Yuwen Tong believed it was okay, they would make it final; if there were any changes to be made, he¡¯d have Yuwen Tong inform the Ministry of Rites.


    Jiang Yu gave a bob of his head and was just about to tell Ling Zhang some other specifics when someone walked inside and reported, ¡°Young Master, Childe Ji, Childe Zhao and some others request an audience with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. They came to visit him at this hour?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet them together,¡± Ling Zhang said to Jiang Yu.


    Jiang Yu nodded again, his face calm, giving no particular reaction to his upcoming meeting with Ji Feng and the others.


    In the ante-room of the Ling Mansion.


    Ji Feng, Zhao Jiusi, Zhao Turui, Xie Qing, Yuwen Jin and Tao Yi were all present. Clearly they had planned this visit together. Eyes of the six of them were appraising those servants of the Ling Mansion who were busting around making preparations for the approaching wedding ceremony, as well as the many newly made adjustments to the furnishings, their faces etched with curiosity.


    ¡°This looks pretty good. Some day, when I decide to marry someone, I¡¯ll make my wedding a grand occasion as well,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s about time you got married. Your parents still haven¡¯t made any arrangements in this regard?¡± Ji Feng inquired of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. All our parents have been making arrangements. We¡¯ll probably all be married in a year or two. It¡¯s high time you did something about it,¡± observed Zhao Turui.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s face immediately changed somewhat at these words. ¡°Don¡¯t get me started. My parents did set me up with a couple of girls, but I¡¯m not struck on any of them.¡±


    The others exchanged looks and then Zhao Jiusi was the first to speak. ¡°Why? Your status is now quite different than before. You¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s cousin, which makes you an extremely eligible man. Also, you¡¯re the only single member in your family. Theoretically, all girls in this city are on your menu. You have no idea how jealous of you we all are. Given your excellent family background, the girls your parents set you up with were definitely the best of the best, yet you still think none of them is good enough for you?¡±


    However, after hearing these words, Yuwen Jin had an even more peculiar expression on his face. Seeing this, the others were further bewildered, wondering why he was having that look.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s exactly where the problem lies,¡± muttered Yuwen Jin. ¡°Alas, forget about it. I don¡¯t know how to explain this to you guys. Today we¡¯re here to visit Brother Zhang, so let¡¯s just drop this. Those girls are taking a wait-and-see attitude, anyway. Nobody has promised anything. If I talk too much about it, their reputations might be compromised.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve got a point,¡± said Tao Yi. ¡°We¡¯ll ask no more questions about it. Your elders probably have considered a lot about your future marriage, and they won¡¯t rush into anything. If there¡¯s anything you find tricky and could use our help with, you may find another time and arrange for another meeting. We¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±


    ¡°You said that you¡¯re not struck with any of the girls, but you¡¯ve started worrying about their reputations already,¡± said Xie Qing with a smile.


    Yuwen Jin replied, ¡°That¡¯s different. Just because I don¡¯t have feelings for them doesn¡¯t mean I could jeopardizing their reputations. I¡¯ll invite you guys to my parents¡¯ summer house and talk about it after Brother Zhang¡¯s and my cousin¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°Talk about what?¡± asked Ling Zhang, who had just arrived at the doorway with Jiang Yu and heard Yuwen Jin¡¯s words.


    ¡°Brother Zhang!¡± Yuwen Jin spun around, looking at him delightedly, but at the sight of Jiang Yu standing beside Ling Zhang, his smile disappeared instantly. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡±


    The others rose to their feet and greeted Ling Zhang. Though they didn¡¯t react as dramatically as Yuwen Jin had when they saw Jiang Yu, their countenance also changed to a greater or lesser degree.


    Ling Zhang cast a glance at Jiang Yu behind him, who appeared composed and quite collected beneath the appraising gaze from Yuwen Jin¡¯s and the others¡¯ eyes.


    Ling Zhang turned his head around and said to Yuwen Jin, ¡°Jiang Yu is now my adviser. He¡¯s been quite helpful. Just now we were discussing something, so he came here with me.¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s decision to become Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser had previously caused quite a sensation. Probably the whole city had come to know about it.


    Yuwen Jin and the others naturally were fully aware of it and had psyched themselves up, but they still felt rather unaccustomed to it when they really clapped eyes on Jiang Yu standing beside Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Jin was the one who took it the least coolly. He had always been ill-disposed towards Jiang Yu. Though knowing that Jiang Yu was now Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser, he still found it difficult to affect an air of friendliness when he met Jiang Yu at this point in time.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, you really trust him?¡± asked Yuwen Jin, frowning, staring at Jiang Yu with a piercing look in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°Jiang Yu is my adviser now, so of course I trust him.¡±


    Yuwen Jin still wanted to say something, but Xie Qing gave his sleeve a gentle pull.


    Naturally, this small movement didn¡¯t escape Ling Zhang¡¯s notice. He said to Yuwen Jin, ¡°I know you and Jiang Yu have history. Maybe you two should clear the air today. There will inevitably be occasions when you have to cooperate with each other. It¡¯s best if you talk things over and get past it. What do you say?¡±


    Glaring at Jiang Yu, Yuwen Jin said, ¡°I¡¯m okay with talking things over. I have nothing to hide, but someone might not have the balls!¡±


    Ling Zhang turned around to look at Jiang Yu. ¡°How about you? What do you think?¡±


    Jiang Yu made a bow. ¡°I¡¯ll do what you tell me to, Young Master.¡±


    A flicker flitted across the eyes of everyone else at the sight of this. Yuwen Jin also gazed at Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s find somewhere else to sit and talk. I think my courtyard house would be a good choice. Incidentally, is the matter you guys came here to see me about of urgency?¡±


    Ji Feng answered, ¡°Not really. We¡¯re just here to see if there¡¯s anything we could help with.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Well, there¡¯s indeed something. You guys have come at just the right time. Originally I was a little too embarrassed to ask you for help, but now that you¡¯ve come here of your own accord, you¡¯ve got to stay and give me a hand.¡±


    These words of Ling Zhang¡¯s dissolved the tension in the atmosphere considerably. Yuwen Jin wrenched his gaze from Jiang Yu and said, ¡°Brother Zhang, if there¡¯s anything you need my help with, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my courtyard house and sit down first.¡±

 Chapter 389 - A Duel Between Jiang Yu and Yuwen Jin

    The real reason for Yuwen Jin¡¯s personal grudge against Jiang Yu was actually a previous conflict between their fathers, which had happened when the Zhou family was in power. Yuwen Si had had some public disputes with Jiang Chengfeng at court meetings due to the divergence of their politics. Afterward, the latter had found an error in Yuwen Si¡¯s work and made an accusation against him, but at that time the Great Yue had been at war with the Wan Kingdom, and because Yuwen Tong had been at the front defending the border, the former emperor wouldn¡¯t mete out punishment to any member of the Yuwen family unless he really had to, so Yuwen Si had got off. Although Yuwen Si hadn¡¯t been held responsible, there had been open hostility between the two of them ever since, and they had argued with each other at court meetings from time to time. Though there hadn¡¯t been any subsequent serious conflicts, they had been quite ill-disposed towards each other.


    Jiang Chengfeng was the very reason why Yuwen Jin disliked Jiang Yu. Their fathers were at odds with each other over politics, so it was a natural thing that the two of them were on bad terms. On top of that, although Yuwen Jin¡¯s elders were all civil officials, he himself was more inclined to become a military officer, so maybe he had an inbuilt dislike for childes like Jiang Yu who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and grown up in a family of civil officials, which had further deepened the enmity between them. Although the disagreement between them was not serious enough to cause them to come to blows, each of them had done a lot of things to make life difficult for the other.


    If they were to wipe the slate clean, they¡¯d mainly have to settle the matter of the feud between their fathers, which, if truth be told, had actually begun to exist in the previous dynasty.


    Jiang Chengfeng had been exiled back to Cangzhou, the Jiang family¡¯s native place, to watch over their ancestral mausoleum, so it was impossible for him to work against Yuwen Si again in the imperial court, which meant that this matter had actually been settled some time ago.


    Actually, in terms of Jiang Yu¡¯s and Yuwen Jin¡¯s status, it could be said that the shoe was on the other foot, which showed how subtle the arrangements of fate could be.


    ¡°My father once made an accusation against yours, and they had some disputes over politics, but that was because they saw things from different standpoints. My father is now watching over our ancestral mausoleum in Cangzhou, my hometown. If your father still has a grudge against him, he may try pressuring the Jiang family again. Although the Jiang family¡¯s current status pales in comparison with yours, we will take up the gauntlet. As for you and me, if you have a grudge against me, I suggest we settle it in a more simple way. I heard that your kung fu is not bad, so maybe we could have a kung fu competition. You may offer some other ways to settle this, but I¡¯m now Childe Ling¡¯s adviser, and my words and deeds would affect his reputation, so I hope we could resolve it in private, without causing any negative influence on anybody else,¡± Jiang Yu said to Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Jin was not a fool acting only on impulse, and he naturally understood what Jiang Yu was talking about. His father had warned him that things had changed, that the Jiang family¡¯s stand was different now, and Jiang Yu¡¯s identity was even more different than before, so he shouldn¡¯t dwell on the past. However, anger had been smoldering in Yuwen Jin for such a long time that he would never find peace of mind unless he vented it.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it your way and have a kung fu competition. If you win, I¡¯ll let go of the past; if you lose, you¡¯ll have to make an apology to me and admit that you were in the wrong in all those things that you did previously. Do you dare accept this?¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°I accept it,¡± answered Jiang Yu.


    The two of them stood opposite each other, a penetrating look in the eyes of either of them.


    Ling Zhang gave a little cough. ¡°Well, in that case, let¡¯s go to the drill ground. It¡¯s more spacious and you¡¯ll be able to make your moves freely. There¡¯s only one rule ¨C nobody aims to kill.¡±


    Yuwen Jin and Jiang Yu both agreed.


    Thus, they went to the drill ground which was very broad. Knowing that Ling Zhang and the others needed to use the drill ground, Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards had asked the servants working nearby to leave, so the drill ground was now empty.


    Both Jiang Yu and Yuwen Jin took off their overgarments, rolled up their sleeves and tucked the lower hems of their robes into their belts, standing opposite each other.


    Ling Zhang looked at the color of the sky to gauge the time and then shifted his gaze to the two of them. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± chorused Yuwen Jin and Jiang Yu.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three. One, two, three. Go!¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Jin and Jiang Yu made their move at the same time, directly coming at each other.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s elders were all civil officials, but their parenting methods retained some of the attributes of the parenting skills of their ancestors who¡¯d been military officers, which was why all male members of the family had some pretty good kung fu skills. Yuwen Jin, who had every intention of becoming a military officer like his cousin Yuwen Tong and going to the battlefield to kill enemies and perform wartime exploits, had never stopped practicing kung fu for a single day. His horse stance was very steady, his punches accompanied by whooshing sounds. Most of his attacks were ferocious and aggressive.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s elders were also all civil officials, but because the Jiang family was large and prestigious, Jiang Shennian¡¯s expectations for his offspring were higher than usual. Apart from academic knowledge, he¡¯d also had them learn kung fu. It could be said that Jiang Yu had had to learn a lot of things since childhood: poems, literary works, etiquette, music, riding skills, archery as well as kung fu. As a lineal descendant of the patriarch of the Jiang family, his elders had particularly high expectations of him. It had been swordcraft that Jiang Yu had learned from the kung fu expert hired by Jiang Shennian, and his swordcraft was pretty good. However, fighting with weapons was too dangerous. In order not to cause Yuwen Jin any fatal wounds, he couldn¡¯t use a sword and had no choice but to use his palms instead. Given the circumstances, he should have been at a disadvantage, but he was quite nimble on his feet, and because of the swordcraft he¡¯d learned, he moved in such a swift way that it was very difficult for his opponent to catch him, which was why Yuwen Jin hadn¡¯t got the upper hand.


    One of them was ferocious in attack, and the other was agile in footwork. After a few moments, they actually fought each other to a stalemate.


    ¡°Jiang Yu¡­¡± Ji Feng and the other spectators were well acquainted with Yuwen Jin, but they didn¡¯t know much about Jiang Yu. Seeing Jiang Yu was so fast and light and frequently tricked Yuwen Jin with feints, they were all astonished. ¡°It surprises me that his footwork is so good. I thought he was just a rich boy who didn¡¯t have enough strength in his hands to tie a chicken fast.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Jiang Yu never displayed his kung fu skills before this day,¡± said Xie Qing.


    Zhao Jiusi exchanged a glance with Zhao Turui. With a thoughtful look on his face, he observed, ¡°Maybe we just never saw it before. Jiang Yu is a lineal descendant of the patriarch of the Jiang family. There¡¯s no doubt Jiang Shennian has invested a lot on him, given how much Jiang Shennian values him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We didn¡¯t find out earlier because he was always accompanied by the many cronies of his, and he never had an opportunity to fight anybody personally. Besides, hardly anybody dared mess with him in the past, what with his family background,¡± agreed Tao Yi.


    ¡°Alas, this is tricky. Do you think Jiang Yu would get the better of Yuwen Jin?¡± said Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang was also watching the two of them fighting. Because of his abilities, Jiang Yu¡¯s and Yuwen Jin¡¯s kung fu skills were nothing in his eyes. Their kung fu was not bad, but he could bring them to the ground with a single finger. However, not everybody had the luck to obtain a manual of top-notch mental cultivation method of internal energy that went perfectly well with their constitution.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s fist techniques were highly offensive, and some of his moves bore some similarity to the fighting skills of soldiers. Jiang Yu¡¯s footwork had Jianghu quality written all over it, so the kung fu instructor the Jiang family had hired to teach him was probably from some Jianghu sect. His footwork incorporated the features of a certain sort of lightness skill, but he had no internal energy, so his footwork was merely nimble, which was also the reason why back at the racecourse on the Back Hill of the Imperial College, Jiang Yu hadn¡¯t been able to utilize his kung fu skills to overpower his horse that had run wild.


    Although Yuwen Jin seemed to be attacking more savagely during this fight, if he couldn¡¯t break the stalemate, Jiang Yu would stand a better chance of winning.


    Unsurprisingly, as the fight went on, sweat gradually appeared on the tip of Yuwen Jin¡¯s nose, and his temper began to fray. Jiang Yu had been dodging all the time, and he couldn¡¯t hit Jiang Yu, wasting his strength constantly as though he¡¯d been punching cotton. He had been attacking for such a long time but it struck him that he would never be able to hit Jiang Yu.


    ¡°Man up and stop dodging! Don¡¯t be such a wimp!¡± Yuwen Jin was so annoyed that he resorted to personal insults. The others could tell from his tone that he had started to feel anxious and fretful.


    Jiang Yu, who was not provoked by his words, replied, ¡°My kung fu is of a different style from that of yours. I¡¯m a swordsman, and the reason why I¡¯m not using a sword is because I don¡¯t want to hurt you, okay? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be rather unfair to me if I have to fight you in a diamond-cut-diamond way as you want me to? You¡¯re not seriously expecting me to let you take advantage of me like that, are you, Childe Yuwen?¡±


    Yuwen Jin was almost reduced to vomiting blood with fury. Was Jiang Yu saying that he was going easy on him? Even any of the spectators would find this intolerable, let alone Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°You wait till I get hold of you. You can keep dodging all you want. I swear I¡¯ll catch you and flatten you!¡±


    ¡°Humph. Maybe you should catch me first before you say that. Don¡¯t be all talk and no action.¡±


    There was also sweat breaking out on the tip of Jiang Yu¡¯s nose. He felt that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to keep dodging and fight back only occasionally. Yuwen Jin had more brawn than he did. If he hung in there, he would definitely get the best of this fight, so he needed to figure something out.


    Watching in the distance, Ling Zhang found this fight quite interesting. He knew Yuwen Jin too well to be surprised by this reaction of Yuwen Jin¡¯s, but recently Jiang Yu had been behaving like a quite poised man with a great sense of propriety, one totally different from the man he used to be, and Ling Zhang had believed that he had changed completely, but unexpectedly, when Yuwen Jin hurt his pride, he also started to speak in an unforgiving tone of voice, which was faintly reminiscent of the person Jiang Yu used to be.


    The fight caused a lot of noise which drew many others to the drill ground to spectate. Even Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhaowu showed up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are the two boys fighting?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang explained it to them.


    Ling Zhaowen came to understood. ¡°So that is what this is about. Wow, that Yuwen boy¡¯s fist techniques are not bad. His punches seems pretty heavy.¡±


    After watching for a while, Ling Zhaowu commented, ¡°One of them is over-ferocious but lacks flexibility, and the other one is the other way around. Both are rather inexperienced and incapable of landing a decisive blow. More than half of the time was wasted on meaningless dogfighting.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen twisted his head around to look at him and asked, ¡°Which one of them do you think is going to win the fight, Big Brother?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu, I think. He¡¯s clearly more astute than that Yuwen boy,¡± responded Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhaowen lifted his eyebrows. Though having little acquaintance with kung fu, he could still tell how the situation on the drill ground was developing. ¡°Jiang Yu is indeed more shrewd than that Yuwen boy. Given that the boy is being led by the nose and wasting his strength, he¡¯s definitely going to lose eventually.¡±


    Ji Feng and the others were startled at these words of the two elders of Ling Zhang¡¯s and looked in the direction of the two people fighting on the drill ground. Xie Qing asked anxiously, ¡°Crap. Is Yuwen Jin really going to lose?¡±


    Nervous, Ji Feng and all the others pressed their lips together, looking at the two people on the drill ground. Every one of them had an urge to offer Yuwen Jin some help but didn¡¯t know how, anxiety building inside them.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, when this fight is over, you should get down there and go a few rounds with someone too. Your father told me your kung fu¡¯s pretty good. I¡¯ve been looking forward to seeing it,¡± Ling Zhaowen suddenly said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was surprised by this suggestion.

 Chapter 390 - Do You Have Any Plans?

    Ling Zhang had never thought that his uncle would suddenly ask him to do something like this, but it was a request he couldn¡¯t reject. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get down there after Jiang Yu and Yuwen Jin finish their fight, and my opponent will be¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced around him before he added, ¡°Shiba will be my opponent.¡±


    Of all the people present, Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards of his were no match for him in single combat, and if they fought him together in formation, there would be too many noises and it¡¯d cause some inconveniences. Miao Shiba¡¯s kung fu was the best compared with that of the others, and Ling Zhang wanted to find out how long he could last during a fight with Miao Shiba.


    On hearing that Ling Zhang wanted to have a kung fu competition with him, Miao Shiba was excited. ¡°Are you serious, Childe Ling?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave an inclination of the head.


    Miao Shiba rubbed his hands, looking thrilled.


    The other spectators were also distracted by this conversation and started to anticipate the next fight.


    On the drill ground, the fighting between Jiang Yu and Yuwen Jin was getting increasingly furious. Yuwen Jin was making frantic attempts to catch Jiang Yu, who, though not as nimble as he¡¯d been in the beginning of the fight, had figured out a way to defeat Yuwen Jin¡­


    After a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out), Jiang Yu brought Yuwen Jin to the ground and restrained him, winning the fight.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yuwen Jin, pinned to the ground, was still unable to believe he had actually lost to Jiang Yu.


    Panting heavily, Jiang Yu said, ¡°You fought well.¡±


    ¡°The winner is Jiang Yu,¡± announced Ling Zhang.


    Ji Feng and the others each clapped a hand to his face. It struck them that Yuwen Jin cut a rather sorry figure and they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to look at him.


    Jiang Yu rose to his feet and then held out his hand to Yuwen Jin, eyes on him.


    Yuwen Jin gave a snort and pulled himself up. ¡°I can manage it myself.¡±


    Watching him standing up, Jiang Yu asked, ¡°Are you keeping you word?¡±


    ¡°A promise is a promise,¡± replied Yuwen Jin. Though he was still having difficulty accepting the fact that he had actually lost to Jiang Yu, he was never a sore loser. ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡±


    Jiang Yu gave a bob of the head, pivoted around and walked out of the drill ground, appearing somewhat unsteady on his feet. It was manifest that he was trying his best to stand upright, that the fight with Yuwen Jin had been quite wearing on his body.


    However, his performance during the fighting had indeed made the others start to look on him in a quite different light than before. Although Ji Feng and the others still hadn¡¯t made any overtures to him, when they looked at him, the expressions in their eyes were a lot less distant now.


    Ling Zhang, seeing Jiang Yu and Yuwen Jin were both making towards him, asked, ¡°Do you want to leave here to get some rest or do you want to stay and watch for a while?¡±


    Just now Jiang Yu¡¯s and Yuwen Jin¡¯s attention had been focused on the duel, so they hadn¡¯t heard the conversation between Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Is there anything else, Brother Zhang?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a kung fu competition with Shiba,¡± replied Ling Zhang, shifting his gaze to Miao Shiba. ¡°It¡¯s our turn,¡± he added.


    ¡°After you, Childe Ling,¡± said Miao Shiba in excitement.


    Seeing the perplexity on Yuwen Jin¡¯s and Jiang Yu¡¯s faces, Ji Feng explained to them what had just happened a moment ago.


    Ling Zhang changed into an outfit suitable for fighting, standing opposite Miao Shiba.


    ¡°You may go all out, Childe Ling,¡± Miao Shiba said to Ling Zhang.


    Miao Shiba¡¯s kung fu was much better than Ling Zhang¡¯s. Given his current kung fu, only by reaching the third layer would Ling Zhang really stand a chance of defeating Miao Shiba, so the purpose of this fight was mainly for Ling Zhang to spar with him.


    Ling Zhang said with a nod, ¡°Let the battle commence.¡±


    Immediately after saying this, he seized the initiative and made his move, swooshing up to Miao Shiba and giving a karate chop in a flash.


    The palm techniques Ling Zhang was using were from the Millennium Pavilion, and they were unconventional and varied. Although he was merely at the second layer of the method of cultivating internal energy and thus was unable to fulfill the highest potential of his palm techniques, his combat capabilities were at a totally different level compared with Yuwen Jin¡¯s and Jiang Yu¡¯s.


    Soon, it was two rapid blurs of movement exchanging blows on the drill ground.


    Ji Feng and the others were all struck dumb with amazement. They had seen Ling Zhang practicing kung fu before, but at that time, they had been able to distinguish Ling Zhang¡¯s moves. Now they were having difficulty making out his movement. This was no different from a fight between two real kung fu masters.


    ¡°How did Brother Zhang come to improve his kung fu so quick?¡± Yuwen Jin wailed, looking at the two streaking figures exchanging blows on the drill ground, feeling bruised.


    Ling Zhaowen was also deeply shocked. He had heard that Ling Zhang¡¯s kung fu had improved dramatically after he started cultivating internal energy following a method of cultivation of the Millennium Pavilion, but he had never had an opportunity to see it with his own eyes. At this moment, actually seeing it, he couldn¡¯t help but ask with a pole-axed face, ¡°I¨CIs that really Zhang¡¯er?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu replied, ¡°Yes. He¡¯s made an improvement in his palm techniques. It seems that Yuwen Tong has given him quite some directions in private.¡±


    At this time, Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin also arrived, accompanied by Ji Yanlai and the two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong. At the sight of Ling Zhang and Miao Shiba on the drill ground, all their eyes widened with incredulity except for Ji Yin¡¯s and Ji Yanlai¡¯s.


    ¡°In-law, you taught Zhang¡¯er all this?¡± asked Ling Xingzhong, looking at Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin¡¯s face registered a hint of pride. ¡°I just gave him some tips. Zhang¡¯er mainly has his great comprehension to thank for.¡±


    Of course, Yuwen Tong also deserved some credit for the time he¡¯d spent on sparring with Ling Zhang in private, but Ji Yin naturally wouldn¡¯t mention it.


    Ling Xingzhong watched in shock for a while. It was after he gradually recovered himself that he said to Ji Yin, ¡°Thank you, In-law. All my family knows nothing about kung fu, so we didn¡¯t teach Zhang¡¯er any previously. Fortunately he has you.¡±


    Ji Yin smiled and started exchanging pleasantries with Ling Xingzhong, but the pride on his face was ill-concealed.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s palm strikes were quite varied, and he had received a lot of directions from Yuwen Tong who had been acting as a sparring partner that was always willing to tell him everything he needed to know, so although Ling Zhang had barely fought with any enemies, he still had some fighting experience. However, compared with Miao Shiba, he lacked an air of ferocity, which was why the former had hit his vital parts several times.


    Ling Zhang was secretly counting the number of times Miao Shiba had hit his vital parts. He was also learning from his mistakes and trying to overcome the deficiencies in his defense.


    Miao Shiba, who could tell what he was thinking about, was offering advice to him most of the time while fighting.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry, Childe Ling. Currently your main shortcoming is a lack of experience. Aside from that, your internal energy needs improving. Both could be fixed if you spend enough time working on it.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. Gradually, he became more collected, his moves even steadier. With his mind concentrated, he was now able to find more problems, and at the same time, he could dodge more blows from Miao Shiba that were aimed at his vital parts.


    Naturally, spectators who had discerning eyes also saw it clearly.


    Ji Yin was nodding repeatedly while watching. Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes were gleaming with gratification. Ji Yanlai felt that Ling Zhang¡¯s comprehension was indeed pretty good.


    ¡°Big Brother is so badass,¡± exclaimed Ling Maomao. He had no idea what was going on on the drill ground, and his eyes were dazzled, but he could tell that Ling Zhang was doing something badass.


    Ji Xiaocong, however, had been seeing this kind of things on a frequent basis since he¡¯d started to have memory, so he appeared just as unsurprised as his uncle did. The uncle and nephew had the same expression on their faces.


    Ling Maomao looked at him and asked, ¡°Cong, do you not think my big brother is badass?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong looked back at him for a few moments, blinked his big eyes and then replied with a bob of his head, ¡°I do.¡±


    Pleased, Ling Maomao shifted his gaze to his big brother on the drill ground, staring unblinkingly. ¡°When the fight is over, I¡¯ll ask my big brother if he could teach me a couple of moves. I want to learn this badass kung fu as well.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong nodded vigorously. ¡°Um.¡±


    Ji Yanlai glanced down at his nephew, who looked up back at him. The uncle and nephew just gazed at each other. It was a few moments before Ji Yanlai raised his head, rubbing his nephew¡¯s little one. Ji Xiaocong quietly turned his head back and cast Ling Maomao a glance before looking in the direction of the two people fighting on the drill ground.


    Ling Zhang and Miao Shiba fought for two hours before they stopped. The servants had moved some tables and chairs to the sidelines, and all spectators except Yuwen Jin and his friends had been sitting at tables, watching the fight and drinking tea.


    When Ling Zhang, all sweaty, walked out of the drill ground with Miao Shiba, Ling Maomao streaked towards him like greased lightning. ¡°Big Brother!¡±


    Ling Zhang stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you running so fast?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so badass, Big Brother. How did you learn to do that? Teach me!¡± said Ling Maomao excitedly.


    Ling Zhang wiped the sweat from his face and, leading the boy towards his elders, replied, ¡°Well, if you want to learn it, of course I will teach you.¡±


    Ling Maomao would be the pillar of the Ling family. It¡¯d do him good to learn some kung fu.


    Ling Maomao was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Um, but there¡¯ll be hardships and you¡¯ll have to tough it out. Otherwise you won¡¯t be able to learn anything even if I teach you,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I will. I can handle hardships!¡± Ling Maomao hastily promised.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Good. I¡¯ll start teaching you in a few days, when I have spare time.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± asked Ling Maomao, raising his hand.


    ¡°Promise,¡± said Ling Zhang, giving the boy a high five to seal his promise.


    Ling Zhang walked back to Ling Xingzhong, Ji Yin and the others. ¡°Paternal Grandfather, Maternal Grandfather, Uncle, Clan Leader.¡±


    ¡°You fought well. Your palm techniques have improved somewhat, but you¡¯re still fairly inexperienced, and there¡¯s a lot of room for further improvement. After these things are handled, you should put more efforts into practice. Also, you should go out there to enrich your experience. Only by fighting with real enemies will you be able to make real improvement,¡± observed Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I will, Maternal Grandfather.¡±


    Then Ling Zhang answered a lot of questions from Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen. It was after his elders finished asking questions that he made towards Yuwen Jin and the other peers of his.


    No sooner had he walked up to them than they rapturously clustered around him. Jiang Yu paused briefly before he joined them, a gleam in his eyes as he looked at Ling Zhang, which hadn¡¯t appeared in there before.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping it so well hidden, Brother Zhang. My kung fu bears no comparison with yours,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing. My kung fu couldn¡¯t hold a candle to that of a real master,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Still, you¡¯re much better than us,¡± remarked Ji Feng.


    After talking with each other for a while, Ling Zhang¡¯s elders went back. Ling Zhang ushered his friends back to his courtyard house.


    Yuwen Jin and the others had paid Ling Zhang this visit to see if there was anything they could help with, but actually Ling Zhang¡¯s family had finished almost all the preparatory work. All that was left was to do a couple of dry runs for the wedding according to the wedding plan finalized by the Ministry of Rites. There wasn¡¯t really anything that any of them could help with.


    ¡°The imperial examination is next year. Do you have any plans?¡± Ling Zhang asked them.


    Yuwen Tong had declared at his enthronement ceremony that there would be an imperial examination, but what with the imperial wedding and some other affairs and the inadequate time, scheduling the imperial examination for this year was not an option, so it¡¯d been scheduled for the next spring.


    ¡°Xie Qing, Tao Yi and I have all decided to take the exam. Yuwen Jin wants to take the Imperial Martial Arts Examination (IMAE),¡± said Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, unsurprised at their decisions. Old Master Ji was now the Left Prime Minister, and Ji Feng was the eldest lineal descendant of his, so it was a natural thing that Ji Feng would go down this path. Given Ji Feng¡¯s academic performance, getting a pass in the examination wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him. Xie Qing was also quite intelligent and wouldn¡¯t have any difficulty passing the exam either. Tao Yi, who had been learning from an eminent scholar, had long since set a goal of getting into the imperial court to serve as a civil official. Yuwen Jin had always dreamed about becoming a military officer, so it was not surprising that he¡¯d decided to take IMAE. In fact, considering his current identity, even if he didn¡¯t take the exam, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his future at all, but he was an ambitious young man and had a craving to prove himself just as most of his peers did.

 Chapter 391 - Zhao Jiusis and Zhao Turuis Decisions

    If Yuwen Jin was to get into the top three in the Imperial Martial Arts Examination (IMAE), he would have to put more effort into practice. Given that he couldn¡¯t even defeat Jiang Yu in the kung fu competition a while ago, Ling Zhang was quite worried that he would be flattened in IMAE.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told my grandfather about my decision to take IMAE yet. I want to talk with my cousin about it first and see what he¡¯s got to say. If he agrees, it¡¯ll be a lot easier for me to convince my grandfather. And then¡­¡± Yuwen Jin let out a giggle before he continued, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask my cousin to let me learn from Brother San for some time.¡±


    Brother San? The others had no idea who Brother San was and all looked at him, their faces etched with confusion.


    Ling Zhang, however, knew very well whom Yuwen Jin was referring to by saying the name ¡®Brother San¡¯. It was Qi San, the commander of the Shadow Battalion at Yuwen Tong¡¯s command. But his awareness of this was also the reason why he was surprised. By making these remarks, Yuwen Jin had almost made it clear that he would go to the Shadow Battalion. Though having never been to that place, Ling Zhang had a shrewd idea what the training was like in there. If Yuwen Jin did go there, would he be able to walk out of it in one piece?


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do that? This is no laughing matter,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at him, his eyebrows contracting.


    Yuwen Jin stopped smiling and inclined his head with a very earnest expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I know it¡¯d be very difficult for me to get into the top three in IMAE if I don¡¯t do that, given my average kung fu skills. I have to get into the top three.¡±


    The others, though unaware of who the ¡®Brother San¡¯ Yuwen Jin had just mentioned was, could tell from the grave looks on his and Ling Zhang¡¯s faces, that this matter was not something to be taken lightly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Brother San? Is it dangerous to learn kung fu from him?¡± inquired Ji Feng.


    Yuwen Jin replied, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, but it¡¯s not dangerous, and I have to do it.¡±


    Ji Feng and the others exchanged glances and then shifted their gaze to Ling Zhang in unison.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I cannot tell you guys that either.¡± Then he turned to Yuwen Jin and continued, ¡°If you¡¯ve made up your mind, I won¡¯t try to stop you. You may talk to Yuwen Tong about it.¡±


    Yuwen Jin bobbed his head. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Seeing this, the others were somewhat apprehensive, but they also came to realize that it¡¯d probably be best if they stayed out of this matter, so they didn¡¯t persist with their questioning.


    ¡°No matter what, now that you¡¯ve made a decision, you should just go for it. We look forward to seeing you win the title ¡®the Number One Warrior¡¯ in IMAE!¡±


    Though they couldn¡¯t get any more information about that person, they still felt it their duty to give Yuwen Jin some words of encouragement.


    Yuwen Jin said, ¡°I will, and when I do¡­¡±


    Yuwen Jin flicked Jiang Yu a glance and added, ¡°Humph, I¡¯ll have another competition with you!¡±


    Jiang Yu raised no objections.


    After they finished talking about the matter of Yuwen Jin and some others, Ling Zhang looked at Zhao Jiusi and Zhao Turui. ¡°What about you guys?¡± he asked.


    A moment ago, when Ji Feng had been telling him about their plans, he hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Zhao Jiusi or Zhao Turui, which struck Ling Zhang as fairly baffling.


    ¡°We also have our own plans, which is also the very reason why we¡¯re paying you this visit. Can we have a word with you in private later?¡± said Zhao Jiusi seriously.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised, but at the sight of the earnest expressions in the two brothers¡¯ eyes, he came to understand something and replied with a nod, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At that moment, Jiang Yu, who had been listening quietly all along, also raised his head to look at the two brothers.


    Ji Feng¡¯s, Xie Qing¡¯s, Yuwen Jin¡¯s and Tao Yi¡¯s faces all registered bemusement. After a few moments, as they saw that both the two brothers showed no inclination to disclose any details, the bemused expressions on their faces were replaced by thoughtful ones.


    Yuwen Jin and the others, who could tell that Zhao Jiusi and Zhao Turui had something to talk with Ling Zhang about, didn¡¯t linger for long. After chatting with the three of them for another few moments, they all rose to their feet and took their leave. Before leaving, Tao Yi secretly had a word with Ling Zhang.


    ¡°After the imperial examination scheduled for next spring is over, my teacher and Lord Pei might request permission to go back to their hometowns to live out their lives in retirement.¡±


    Next spring? Ling Zhang gave it some thought. ¡°Did any of the two old lords mention it to His Majesty?¡±


    Tao Yi shook his head. ¡°The two of them only talked about this confidentially and haven¡¯t told anybody else. I¡¯m telling you this only because I want to keep you posted. My teacher and Lord Pei are both in their declining years. They¡¯ve meaning to leave for quite some time, for they¡¯re somewhat guilty about the downfall of the former imperial household, but the new dynasty has just begun, and they fear that if they leave at this point in time, there might be some unfavorable rumors that will affect the registration for the imperial examination next year, so they plan to wait until the exam is over to leave.¡±


    Ling Zhang came to understand, feeling that the two old lords were kind-hearted, that Yuwen Tong¡¯s being respectful to them all this time paid off. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to His Majesty about this. The two old lords may expect to be summoned later.¡±


    Tao Yi gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll tell this to my teacher. By the way, my mother will come here to keep your aunt company in the afternoon. I should¡¯ve told you this earlier. I nearly forgot. You should have someone inform your aunt of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Okay. Be sure to thank your mother for coming here so often to keep my aunt company lately.¡±


    Tao Yi said, ¡°There are few people my mother could have a chat with in this city. The two of them could use each other¡¯s company. The Zhao brothers seem to have something they want to talk to you about, so I¡¯ll leave you guys to it. I¡¯ll drop by again in a day or two.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°All right.¡±


    After seeing Tao Yi and Yuwen Jin and the others off, Ling Zhang started to double back.


    He had a shrewd idea of what the Zhao brothers had meant a moment ago. They both were friends with him, and they knew each other well. The Zhao family were among those who had rendered meritorious service during the process of assisting Yuwen Tong to take the throne. Zhao Zheng could be counted as one of Yuwen Tong¡¯s henchmen, and Ling Zhang believed the Zhao brothers were trustworthy. Zhao Jiusi was well adjusted, and Zhao Turui had a great sense of propriety. Both of them were quite able, and he¡¯d be glad If the two of them really wanted to be his advisors. However, he¡¯d have to talk with them first to find out whether or not this was the purpose of their visit.


    After returning to his courtyard house, Ling Zhang entered the living room. The Zhao brothers rose to their feet.


    ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll go and see if there¡¯s anything I could help Butler Xia with,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang gave an inclination of the head.


    When Jiang Yu had taken his leave, Zhao Jiusi, Zhao Turui and Ling Zhang were the only ones left in the room.


    ¡°What is it that you guys want to talk with me in private about?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Jiusi smiled, ¡°I think you¡¯ve guessed it already. My brother and I have no intention of sitting the imperial examination. I wonder if you could take us in.¡±


    Zhao Turui also gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°We know that you turned a lot of people down, and we don¡¯t dare put you in a difficult position, so we figured maybe we should privately ask you your opinion first. If you think we¡¯re competent, we¡¯ll serve you as Jiang Yu does.¡±


    ¡®I knew it,¡¯ thought Ling Zhang. The truth of his speculation confirmed, Ling Zhang said, ¡°You need to think this through. Given your talents, passing the imperial examination definitely wouldn¡¯t be a problem for either of you. If you guys take the exam, you¡¯ll become officials and have quite good career prospects. If you serve me, others might think that you¡¯re ruining your own future. Will you be able to handle the malicious gossip?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve made our decisions and psyched ourselves up for everything we might be faced with. Rumors and other people¡¯s opinions won¡¯t affect our determination. If you let us stay, there¡¯ll be only one thing we have to do, and that¡¯s serving you. We won¡¯t bother with anything else,¡± responded Zhao Jiusi.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve made up our minds,¡± agreed Zhao Turui.


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a brief moment before he said, ¡°May I ask why you decided to come to me instead of taking the exam? Is this an arrangement made by your family? Did they force you into doing this?¡±


    Zhao Jiusi answered, ¡°No. Don¡¯t misunderstand us. Our family didn¡¯t force us to do anything. We made this decision of our own volition.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d talked this through with our elders before we came here earlier this day. At first my uncle and my father did disagree, but we convinced them afterward,¡± said Zhao Turui.


    Ling Zhang looked at them. ¡°Convinced them how?¡±


    Zhao Turui exchanged a glance with Zhao Jiusi, and the latter replied, ¡°A cousin of ours has volunteered to go to a provincial town. We both have every confidence in his abilities, and we believe that barring accidents, he will climb up the hierarchy step by step, find his way into the imperial court and take the place of our uncle. A family member of ours has already taken this path and I have no intention to become the icing on the cake, so I think maybe I should do something that I want to do, though it might sound a little willful. You¡¯re the future empress and also my friend, and currently Jiang Yu is the only adviser you have, so I figured that there¡¯d be a lot of things you could use my help with, that I¡¯d be able to put my mind to good use. Therefore, after hearing about what Jiang Yu did, I made the same decision almost without hesitation. As for my brother¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang shifted his gaze to Zhao Turui, who awkwardly scratched his neck and said, ¡°You might not know about this, but I¡¯m really into commerce.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°You¡¯re into commerce?¡±


    Eyes brightening, Zhao Turui gave a bob of the head and replied, ¡°Yeah! But previously my parents didn¡¯t like the idea of me doing business and kept telling me to pursue a career in the government, so I had no choice but to keep it to myself all this time. I know that you have some stores, and you once said that you wanted to open stores in all cities around the country. If you still want to do that, would you please let me help you?¡±


    Ling Zhang was at a loss for what to say. Zhao Turui was dealing him a wild card.


    Zhao Jiusi on the side said in an embarrassed tone of voice, ¡°Turui is into commerce, but the idea strikes our elders as rather unpromising. He knows that you won¡¯t give up your commercial aspirations, and he¡¯d like to offer you some help if you still want to do something about it. By doing that, he¡¯ll also be sort of fulfilling his dream.¡±


    Ling Zhang pulled a wry face and said to Zhao Turui, ¡°You said that your parents didn¡¯t like the idea. How did you convince them to give you the permission to go into business with me?¡±


    Zhao Turui answered, ¡°I just told them that I came here to volunteer to be your adviser. None of them know anything about my plan to go into business. I didn¡¯t even tell my uncle. My brother and I are the only ones aware of it in my family.¡±


    Ling Zhang came to realize that Zhao Turui intended to use him to cover his tracks and hoodwink his parents so that he could fulfill his desire to do business.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯ve transferred all the stores to my father, and I don¡¯t see myself spending much time on business in the future,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Predictably, disappointment registered on Zhao Turui¡¯s face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to open stores in every city in this country? You¨CYou¡¯re going to give up just like this?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Well, apart from anything else, my identity is different now. Even if I still have that idea in my mind, it¡¯ll be very difficult to put it into action.¡±


    Zhao Turui¡¯s face crumpled up. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t give up. I can help you.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but even I myself haven¡¯t thought it through yet. There¡¯s really nothing I could do to help you.¡±


    His business plan involved the establishment of an intelligence network, which was something only those he trusted complete would be privy to. For the moment Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t let anybody except his father participate in any of these matters, and neither would he disclose it to anybody unless he had to, not even Zhao Turui, despite the fact that they were friends.


    Zhao Turui still wanted to say something but was stopped by Zhao Jiusi, who said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although Ling Zhang has no intention of going into business, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another way for you to realize your dream. We¡¯ll think about it and figure something out after we get back. You can¡¯t force Ling Zhang to go into business, right?¡±


    With a dispirited look, Zhao Turui replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 392 - Heady Consecutive Nights Out

    What Zhao Turui wanted was quite simple ¨C doing business without his elders¡¯ knowledge. He had come to visit Ling Zhang because he¡¯d believed that Ling Zhang could help make his dream come true. He had no ulterior motives, which was a fact Ling Zhang was fully aware of.


    ¡°Actually there¡¯s no need for you to be anxious about it. As the saying goes, ¡®Nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable.¡¯ You should talk with you elders about it. They might not necessarily be unable to understand you. Even if I take you in as my adviser, you¡¯ll still have to sit the imperial examination. No matter what, the exam is something you cannot avoid,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Turui and Zhao Jiusi were both astonished. ¡°Sitting the imperial examination?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°After I become the empress, I¡¯ll have to rank my advisers, and they¡¯ll have to have either scholarly honor or some other achievements. Otherwise ranking them will be difficult, which will in turn make it inconvenient for them to perform the tasks I assign them.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi gave it some thought and said with a nod, ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡±


    Zhao Turui appeared vexed. It was not that he was afraid of taking the exam, but that once he took the exam, his parents would have more reasons to stop him from pursuing a career in business.


    Zhao Jiusi patted his shoulder. ¡°Ling Zhang is right. Nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable. Compared with going to such trouble as to seek help from Ling Zhang, being honest with our parents would be a much better choice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Turui had no alternative but to accept their advice.


    As regards Zhao Jiusi¡­


    ¡°Have you really made up your mind?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Zhao Jiusi earnestly gave a bob of the head. ¡°I¡¯ve talked this through with my family. If you agree to take me in, I¡¯ll move out of my parents¡¯ house and find somewhere else to live, and I¡¯ll have only one identity ¨C your adviser.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi had done some careful thinking before making these remarks. Unlike Zhao Turui, he had a very definite goal.


    Ling Zhang was well acquainted with Zhao Jiusi and knew very well what kind of person he was, so he naturally could understand what he meant.


    ¡°Finding somewhere else to live isn¡¯t necessary for the moment. I¡¯ll get you a place to live if you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Jiusi brightened up at these words of Ling Zhang¡¯s which suggested that he had agreed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll comply with your arrangement.¡±


    Feeling that he needed to talk with Yuwen Tong about this matter, Ling Zhang planned to tell Yuwen Tong at night. After a while, he summoned Jiang Yu and informed him that he needed to take the imperial examination.


    Jiang Yu raised no objection. Passing the exam wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him.


    Also, Jiang Yu was not surprised that Zhao Jiusi had become his associate, making no other reply to it than an inclination of the head.


    Knowing that he would be working with Jiang Yu, Zhao Jiusi started making overtures to Jiang Yu. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to work with you, Brother Jiang.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite, Childe Zhao. We are colleagues now. If there¡¯s anything you need my help with, all you have to do is ask,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Their conversation was just an exchange of courtesies, but it was a normal thing, given the current circumstances.


    Zhao Jiusi and Zhao Turui didn¡¯t stay for long. They took their leave after another few moments. Zhao Jiusi would come to the Ling Mansion to ¡°take office¡± in two days.


    Ling Zhang planned to relieve Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi of all the trivial matters after the wedding ceremony so that the two of them could focus on making preparations for the exam. He valued the abilities of both of them, so he naturally hoped they would pass the examination. It would be an opportunity to prove themselves as well as to do him proud, so this matter must not be taken lightly.


    ¡­


    At night, Yuwen Tong sneaked out of the imperial palace. Ling Zhang was sitting in the corridor of his courtyard house, waiting for him.


    On this day, Yuwen Tong arrived a little late. Ling Zhang was worried that if it had been something thorny that kept him.


    ¡°It was a pressing matter that I had to deal with.¡± Yuwen Tong told him what had kept him and then added, ¡°It¡¯s been settled.¡±


    Ling Zhang cast him an appraising look and asked, ¡°Are you hungry? Did you come here immediately after getting out of the consultation hall? Did you get something to eat first?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°I was anxious to come here to see you. You have anything to eat here?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him resignedly. ¡°Don¡¯t do this again. You need to eat something after working so late. Go inside and take a bath. I¡¯ll go and get you some food.¡±


    Yuwen Tong held him and gave him a kiss before walking into the house. Ling Zhang looked left and right. It was after seeing that those who should disappear had all disappeared that the flush over his cheeks ebbed away, and with that he hastened out of the courtyard house, heading for the kitchen.


    Ling Zhang was entering the house with some food when Yuwen Tong walked out of the bathroom after the bath.


    ¡°It¡¯s short notice, so I just cooked some vegetable. I also got you some noodle,¡± said Ling Zhang, carrying the food inside. There was a large bowl of noodle, an appetizing vegetarian dish and a dish of braised pork with soy sauce.


    The foods were simple, but they were tastier than the choicest delicacy, and it didn¡¯t take an imperial chef to cook them. Yuwen Tong wolfed down the large bowl of noodle with loud slurps, along with the appetizer and the braised pork.


    While Yuwen Tong was eating, Ling Zhang went into the bathroom, folded Yuwen Tong¡¯s clothes, handed them to Yao Yi who was on guard duty outside the courtyard house, and told him to have someone deliver them back to the imperial palace. Since Ling Zhang had been keeping Yuwen Tong¡¯s visits back from his family, these clothes had to be sent back to the palace to be washed. Also, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t trust his family servants enough to let them wash Yuwen Tong¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Earlier this day Yuwen Jin and some others paid me a visit.¡± Ling Zhang returned, sat down, and related to Yuwen Tong what he had talked about with Yuwen Jin and the others during the day, with an emphasis on the matter of Zhao Jiusi.


    After hearing it, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°If you think he¡¯ll prove helpful, keep him. What with Zhao Zheng and his son, it¡¯d be very difficult for other members of the Zhao family to distinguish themselves. Since he¡¯s willing to take another path, I won¡¯t raise any objections, as long as he promises he¡¯d stay loyal to you. Tomorrow I¡¯ll summon him to the palace. Given that you plan to have them take the exam, you must have quite high expectations of them, so I¡¯ll act as a gatekeeper for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was okay with this. In all likelihood, in the future he would have to rely on Zhao Jiusi and Jiang Yu to handle some important tasks, so he could never be too careful about this issue.


    After finishing discussing this matter, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t feel like talking about any other serious business. The only thing he wanted to do was hold Ling Zhang in his arms and relaxedly enjoy the starscape and the moonscape.


    Ling Zhang asked him, ¡°By the way, someone of the Ministry of Rites has shown you the detailed wedding plan, I suppose?¡±


    The matter of the wedding ceremony, however, was an exception. At the mention of it, Yuwen Tong immediately perked up. ¡°Yes. He told me that I should rehearse it. I think I¡¯ll have the time to do that the day after tomorrow. I want you to go back to the palace and do a dry run with me.¡±


    Ling Zhang almost dissolved into chuckle at these words. ¡°After we enter the palace, there will be specially-assigned officials guiding us till the end. You really think it necessary to rehearse that part?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I do, because our wedding must be grand and impressive.¡±


    Of course, the most important reason was that he wanted to have Ling Zhang stay in the palace keeping him company for a day. Recently he had only been able to see Ling Zhang by night, which made him feel that he and Ling Zhang were like the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid (In a Chinese legend who, once a happy couple, become stars separated by the Milky Way. They can meet only once in a year when magpies fly together to form a bridge over the Milky Way.) The daytime felt so long and he couldn¡¯t have complete peace of mind when Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t in sight.


    Naturally Ling Zhang could tell what he was thinking about. He twisted his head around to look at Yuwen Tong and asked, ¡°Just one day?¡±


    ¡°Two!¡± Yuwen Tong decisively corrected himself.


    Ling Zhang chuckled, ¡°One. I have other business to attend to.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang turned around to hug him. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. The wedding ceremony is very close. Show some patience.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tightened his embrace. ¡°I¡¯ve lost count of the number of times you¡¯ve said this.¡±


    But Yuwen Tong still felt that time was going too slow.


    He shifted Ling Zhang¡¯s sitting position. The two of them were on a wooden couch under a big tree in the courtyard. Yuwen Tong perched on the edge of it, Ling Zhang straddling his thighs face to face with him. With one arm wrapped around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, Yuwen Tong slowly stroked the side of Ling Zhang and vaguely asked, ¡°You had a kung fu competition with Miao Shiba today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ling Zhang, somewhat distracted by the stroking. A certain part of the side of his waist was quite sensitive, which Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand was caressing in circles. The two of them had been together for quite some time, so they both had an intimate knowledge of the sensitive areas of each other¡¯s bodies.


    ¡°How did you feel?¡± asked Yuwen Tong absent-mindedly, still stroking him.


    ¡°Not bad. I last longer than the last time. Today was mainly about the competition between Jiang Yu and Yuwen Jin. They¡¯ve agreed to wipe the slate clean, at least for the moment. I hope they¡¯ll gradually dispel their prejudices over time,¡± said Ling Zhang, his voice becoming faintly quavery. Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand was so ¡°bold¡± that his waist almost went limp for the kneading.


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle at Ling Zhang¡¯s bodily response, his fingers continuing to massage him with varied force. ¡°Jiang Yu has learned how to keep things in perspective. It¡¯s Yuwen Jin who concerns me. Did he overreact earlier today?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Apart from anything else he¡¯s your cousin. You should place more trust in him.¡±


    Then he gave Yuwen Tong an account of how Yuwen Jin had behaved during the day and remarked, ¡°He also conducted himself pretty well today. Though he lost, he was quite gracious in defeat. There was no hard feelings.¡±


    When he¡¯d said this, his waist went completely limp, because Yuwen Tong had archly given him a sudden light pinch after he finished speaking. Ling Zhang¡¯s waist shuddered and with that he weakly leaned onto Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong buried him bodily in his embrace, planted a sideward kiss on his cheek and said, ¡°That was an improvement of some sort. I¡¯ll pay him a compliment in a few days.¡±


    Talking about the matter of Yuwen Jin going into the palace, Ling Zhang recalled a fairly important affair, hastily held Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulders and sat up from his embrace. ¡°Incidentally, there¡¯s yet another thing.¡±


    A faint flicker flitted across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, not very happy about Ling Zhang freeing himself from his arms. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Jin said that he wanted to to learn kung fu from Qi San. It seems that he plans to pay a visit to the Shadow Battalion to prepare himself for the Imperial Martial Arts Examination (IMAE) scheduled for next spring. Have you heard of it?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Yes, I have. My granduncle mentioned it to me once. Yuwen Jin is not meant for college, and his kung fu is just average. If he is to pass next year¡¯s IMAE, he¡¯ll have to put in some good hard work. I promised my granduncle I¡¯d let Yuwen Jin go to the Shadow Battalion to receive training.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be able to tough it out?¡±


    As far as he knew, the training methods they adopted in the Shadow Battalion were quite inhumane. Would Yuwen Jin be able to endure it?


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He¡¯ll have to tough it out, if he wants to see his name on the list of successful candidates. If he couldn¡¯t even handle that, he¡¯ll never pass IMAE, and he¡¯ll have to kiss his dream of becoming a military officer goodbye.¡±


    There was a brief moment of silence before Ling Zhang broke it. ¡°You¡¯re right. Since this is his own choice, he¡¯ll have to figure things out on his own.¡±


    Seeing he had nothing else to say, Yuwen Tong pulled him back into his embrace, scooped him up instantly and made towards the doors of the house.


    Ling Zhang had got used to this kind of behavior of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, but in the instant he was lifted bodily up, he was momentarily dazzled and reflexively held Yuwen Tong tight.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time for us to do what we¡¯ve got to do,¡± said Yuwen Tong, entering the house and closing the doors behind him.


    The guards on duty, who had also got used to the emperor¡¯s coming out here to have fun with Ling Zhang every night, sensibly walked a few paces further away, making sure nobody approached this courtyard house.

 Chapter 393 - A Return Trip to the Palace & A Rehearsal

    The next day, Yuwen Tong, as usual, got up before daybreak, preparing to go back to the imperial palace for the court meeting.


    Ling Zhang also woke up. After dreamily recalling what Tao Yi had told him the day before, he hastened to inform Yuwen Tong of it.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll summon the two old men and talk with them about it in a day or two. You may go back to sleep.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head and sat up. ¡°Recently I¡¯ve been sleeping late on a daily basis. I need to stop it, or my family will find out that you¡¯ve been coming here to sleep over every night.¡±


    ¡°Your maternal grandfather and Ji Yanlai have definitely found out about my sleepovers some time ago.¡±


    ¡°I know, but my paternal grandfather and my uncle haven¡¯t.¡±


    Ling Zhang struggled to his feet, giving a big yawn before standing straight, making his lack of sleep manifest.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Tong had him sit down, brought Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes over, dressed him and then helped him wash his face.


    The moment his face came into contact with the cool water, every trace of his drowsiness was gone.


    Ling Zhang took the towel from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, toweled his face and then went to gargle by himself.


    Yuwen Tong looked at the color of the sky to gauge the time and then said, ¡°I need to get back to the palace. You may make an excuse and come back here to catch up on your sleep later if you still feel sleepy.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, his face still covered by the towel. ¡°Just go straight away, or you¡¯ll be late for the court meeting.¡±


    Yuwen Tong walked over and gave him a hug and a kiss before leaving.


    ¡­


    In the morning, Zhao Jiusi was summoned to the palace. Before long, news quickly spread through the capital city that a childe of the Zhao family had made the same decision as Jiang Yu¡¯s and become Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser.


    Members of the various forces in the capital city, who had been trying to help their sons or nephews get into Ling Zhang¡¯s think tank, all appeared distressed at the news. It was common knowledge that first come, first served. Previously Jiang Yu had already taken the first seat, and now Zhao Jiusi had taken the second. The later one got on board, the fewer opportunities he would be able to get to prove his abilities to Ling Zhang. However, even so, they still found it difficult to make up their minds to send the most intelligent young members of their families to be Ling Zhang¡¯s advisers.


    The wedding ceremony hadn¡¯t been held yet, so they were uncertain about how the situation might develop. More importantly, Ling Zhang was a man, which meant he was unable to bear children. In their sight, the emperor would sooner or later take a woman in as his concubine and have her bear him a son, so it was inadvisable to side with Ling Zhang so soon.


    ¡°Zhao Zheng rendered meritorious service by assisting His Majesty in coming to power and was very much in His Majesty¡¯s confidence. Though Zhao Jiusi is not Zhao Zheng¡¯s son, he¡¯s an important member of the Zhao family. Why did Zhao Zheng send Zhao Jiusi to be Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser?¡±


    This was a mystery to many people in the capital city. In their eyes, this decision of the Zhao family¡¯s was very baffling.


    However, Zhao Zheng and other members of the Zhao family refused to breathe a word of the reason to anybody, no matter how hard they tried to nose it out, which gave rise to a fair deal of speculations.


    Thus, the capital city was cloaked in a shroud of secrecy before Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding ceremony.


    Zhao Jiusi, after his audience with Yuwen Tong, immediately went to the Ling Mansion to see Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Young Master,¡± Zhao Jiusi called, officially changing the form of address.


    Hearing Zhao Jiusi call him this for the first time, Ling Zhang felt a little weird, but even so, he didn¡¯t show anything on his face. Since Zhao Jiusi had become his adviser, they were now not only former college classmates but also superior and subordinate. In order for things to work out between the two of them, he must adjust himself to this change in the form of address.


    However¡­


    ¡°We went to college together, so you may call me by my name when there¡¯s nobody else around,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Jiusi said, ¡°I¡¯ll never forget our friendship as fellow students, but even if I don¡¯t change the form of address now, after you marry His Majesty, I¡¯ll still have to change it.¡±


    Since Zhao Jiusi had made it very clear, Ling Zhang made no more remarks in this regard.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just got started, so I¡¯d like you to make the acquaintance of the others working for me first. There won¡¯t be much for you to do before my wedding, so you may come here more often to get to know Jiang Yu and the others. Also, you may wait until after the wedding ceremony to go to the palace to see me if you like,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Zhao Jiusi merely gave a smile, showing no inclination to wait until after the wedding ceremony to go to the palace, seeming to plan to come to the Ling Mansion on a frequent basis to get more acquainted with Jiang Yu, Wang Dashan and the others.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t try to dissuade him and had Jiang Yu take Zhao Jiusi to make the acquaintance of Wang Dashan and the others. Previously Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards had stayed by Ling Zhang¡¯s side quite often, so they were familiar to Zhao Jiusi, though most of their names were unknown to the latter.


    After Jiang Yu led Zhao Jiusi away, Ling Zhang gave this matter a lot of thought. Considering Zhao Jiusi and Jiang Yu had their respective talents and abilities, it was inappropriate for him to have them stay in the same place. From the vantage point of the present, the right thing to do was have Zhao Jiusi and Jiang Yu return home to prepare themselves for the exam after the wedding ceremony, and wait until they passed the exam to make a decision.


    ¡­


    Zhao Jiusi had the intention of establishing good relationships with Jiang Yu, Wang Dashan and the others, so he naturally fit in very soon.


    For two consecutive days, he went to the Ling Mansion early in the morning and didn¡¯t leave until dark. It seemed that he had indeed begun to see himself as Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser.


    Ling Zhang, however, was brought into the imperial palace by Yuwen Tong. The other night he had agreed to go to the palace to keep Yuwen Tong company for a day and rehearse what they¡¯d have to do during the wedding ceremony.


    Yuwen Tong had met Lord Hu and Lord Pei earlier the day Ling Zhang went into the imperial palace.


    ¡°How did it go? Are they sure they want to return to their hometowns to live out their lives in retirement after the imperial examination next spring?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong replied with an inclination of the head. ¡°They¡¯ve made up their minds.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t feel it regrettable that the two old lords were going to leave. Firstly, Lord Hu and Lord Pei were indeed in their declining years; secondly, the main reason why Yuwen Tong had previously roped them in was because he¡¯d wanted to capitalize on their leverage in the literati so as to pacify the literati and college students. Currently the two old lords were fairly cooperative, which was why Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for them.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll put them in charge of the imperial examination next spring. It¡¯ll be the last thing I have them do for me, and it¡¯ll also be the first and only thing they do for the Great Wen,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°They¡¯re both of advanced years. Will they be able to handle the workload?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Though at their advanced ages, they¡¯re actually still robust. They¡¯re suffering from minor presbyopia, but their minds are still clear, so they¡¯ll be fine. Besides, I¡¯m putting them in charge only because I need them to lend their weight to the exam. They won¡¯t have to do everything personally.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Since Yuwen Tong had already had everything planned out, he said no more.


    The imperial palace was tumultuous. With the Infinite Fortune Palace as the center, all palaces nearby had been quickly revamped and redecorated, looking much more lively. Also, it was autumn and flowers in their prime were making the place a blaze of color. The warm sunshine and the festoon adorning every building in sight was enough to brighten everybody¡¯s day.


    Ling Zhang looked at the festooned palaces, amazed by the fact that they had changed so much during his short absence.


    ¡°Were it not for the short notice, we would be able to directly move into the new imperial bedchamber. Given the current circumstances, I could only have them do some simple revamp and reconstruction within their capabilities. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯ll have to put up with this,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was amused by these words. ¡°Put up with this? Every inch of the imperial palace is stamped with luxury. Besides, it¡¯s not those stuff that I¡¯m marrying you for. Actually, I think the Infinite Fortune Palace is good enough.¡±


    Holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, Yuwen Tong made towards the Infinite Fortune Palace. ¡°That¡¯s why I made compromises to marry you sooner.¡±


    Compared with anything else, marrying Ling Zhang was of greater importance, because it would save him sneaking out of the palace by night like a burglar. Also, it¡¯d spare him the ordeal of missing Ling Zhang so much during the day that he could barely eat.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Childe Ling!¡± called an official of the Ministry of Rites, hurrying up to them from behind.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong came to a halt and turned around to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The official was the newly appointed Assistant Minister of Rites. He was a quite poised and worldly-wise man, but now his face was wet with sweat from the strenuous running. ¡°Your Majesty, Childe Ling, you¡¯re going in the wrong way. The rehearsal of the wedding ceremony is supposed to start from the hall in the front, not the Infinite Fortune Palace.¡±


    This poor newly appointed Assistant Minister of Rites had waited in the hall for quite a long time. After being informed that the emperor and the future empress had been going in the wrong direction, he had run to this place in great haste, which was why he was all sweaty.


    Flushing slightly, Ling Zhang hurriedly pivoted around, let out a little cough and said, ¡°We just came here for a walk. We¡¯ll go there right away.¡±


    Yuwen Tong also turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The Assistant Minister of Rites¡¯ face crumpled up as he saw the two of them striding towards the great hall with flying feet. How did they come to walk so fast?! Not daring waste any time, the Assistant Minister of Rites, who had just broken out in a sweat for running, hastened to trot forward to catch up with them.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat confused when he perceived Yuwen Tong was walking faster than usual. His confusion deepened as he noticed the Assistant Minister of Rites who was panting heavily trying to follow them. Yuwen Tong definitely knew that the Assistant Minister of Rites was having trouble keeping pace with them. Why was he still walking so fast?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Yuwen Tong slowed down a little bit and replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked incredulously at him, but seeing Yuwen Tong had slowed down and the official had finally caught up with them, he didn¡¯t give it any more thought.


    Yuwen Tong inwardly gave a little snort as he observed that the insensible Assistant Minister of Rites had finally caught up with them. Just now they¡¯d been so close to the Infinite Fortune Palace, and he¡¯d been within an inch of getting into the imperial bedchamber and hiding Ling Zhang in there when this guy had suddenly shown up. It was not like the wedding ceremony was tomorrow. What was the hurry?


    Unaware that the emperor was inwardly criticizing him, the newly appointed Assistant Minister of Rites, after wiping the sweat from his forehead, could finally stop trotting and follow the two masters at a normal pace. ¡°Your Majesty, Childe Ling, on the wedding day, a guard of honor will directly escort Childe Ling into the inner city, and the carriage will stop in front of the great hall. Your Majesty are supposed to guide Childe Ling up the stairs in front of the great hall and then offer sacrifices to the gods. After the officials pay their respects to you by getting down on their knees, an important part of the ceremony will be considered finished.¡±


    Ling Zhang had personally made some changes to the main parts of the wedding plan, so he naturally knew about this step. It was some specific courtesies that the two of them would have to familiarize themselves with. ¡°What am I supposed to do specifically after I stop in front of the great hall?¡±


    The Assistant Minister of Rites hastened to lead Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong around the great hall, heading for the stairs in front of it. While walking, he replied, ¡°Childe Ling, what you are supposed to do is¡­¡±


    He related a lot of details without pausing. Ling Zhang tried to memorize them while listening, but he still felt he was in over his head. When they reached the gateway of the great hall, he saw a lot of people waiting and asked, ¡°There are so many steps. What if I forget some of them?¡±


    The Assistant Minister of Rites responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll be by your side and cue you on that day. Right now you may acquaint yourself with the process first, so that you¡¯ll be able to handle it with more ease when the time comes.¡±

 Chapter 394 - I Wont Leave. I Wont

    It took the two of them quite some time to finish the dry run. It was not until their stomachs started rumbling that they came to realize it was past lunchtime.


    Chefs of the imperial kitchen had prepared a meal for them. It was after having their fill of food that the two of them felt relieved.


    ¡°This was just a dry run. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t even have enough strength left to raise my hands or feet after going through the actual ceremony on the wedding day,¡± sighed Ling Zhang, sprawling in his chair.


    Yuwen Tong, whose heart ached for him, said, ¡°After everything¡¯s done in the front hall, you may go to the side hall to get some rest. I¡¯ll give you a massage there.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him, reaching out a hand to knead Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re not tired?¡± he asked.


    Yuwen Tong would have to be a fool to reply that he was tired. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t say that, he answered, ¡°No. I won¡¯t feel tired, no matter how tiring those things are.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him silently. For an instant he felt somewhat guilty, wondering whether or not he was being too honest, and whether or not his words had hurt Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings.


    However, the next moment, he heard Yuwen Tong say, ¡°You may rest assured that on the wedding day, I¡¯ll be unusually energetic instead of being tired, and I¡¯ll make sure your desire is satisfied in the nuptial chamber that night.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    His feeling of guilt instantly vanished, and he would have started hurling things at Yuwen Tong had there been any within his reach.


    Yuwen Tong was such an asshole and bullshitter!


    Looking at his dilated eyes, Yuwen Tong secretly snickered, feeling that his sweetheart was so timid. Then he leaned over to kiss Ling Zhang but was pushed aside before his lips could touch Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t leave the palace. He spent the whole afternoon keeping Yuwen Tong company in the consultation hall. At night, they returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace to rest.


    At the sight of their two masters coming back, the guards, who had watched over the deserted imperial bedchamber for several nights in the Infinite Fortune Palace, were moved so much they were almost reduced to tears. In the past few days they had felt abandoned by their masters and been so upset as though they had lost their names.


    Seeing they seemed to be touched, Ling Zhang was amused. As a bunch of rough men, didn¡¯t they feel it embarrassing to have that kind of expressions on their faces?


    ¡°Your Majesty, Childe Ling, there¡¯s going to be a lantern show in the imperial garden tonight. It¡¯ll be beautiful. Would you care to go there to enjoy it?¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. A lantern show in the imperial garden?


    ¡°Why are they holding a lantern show?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rehearsal for the lantern show scheduled for the night of Your Majesty¡¯s and Childe Ling¡¯s wedding day. The preparatory work is almost finished. Countless lanterns will be lit after dark, and it¡¯s going to be a spectacular sight. If Your Majesty and Childe Ling are interested, you may go there to take a look.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know much about the imperial garden, because he had been fully occupied all along ever since he¡¯d moved into the Infinite Fortune Palace, and he had never had the time to pay a visit to the imperial garden. Besides, the imperial garden was not really close to the Infinite Fortune Palace, and he had merely passed it in haste several times, so he really didn¡¯t know what the view was like in the imperial garden.


    However¡­


    ¡°Seeing as it¡¯s a rehearsal, if we go there, wouldn¡¯t we alarm the eunuchs and interrupt the rehearsal?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you, Childe Ling. The eunuchs will leave after all lanterns are lit, so if you go there to enjoy the view after that, nobody will disturb you.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt tempted at these words.


    Yuwen Tong, who was much more direct than him, said, ¡°Let¡¯s go there after dinner. We could take an after-dinner walk to help with digestion.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± answered Ling Zhang.


    When the two of them had had dinner and a few moments¡¯ rest, it was completely dark outside.


    At this time, all the lanterns in the imperial garden had been lit. There were thousands of them, which were of every description and a variety of colors, making a splendid sight.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong slowly strolled in that direction. They hadn¡¯t got close to the front gates of the imperial garden yet when they beheld the sea of lighted lanterns inside it. Every lantern was elaborately made and of unique design. All of them were works of highly skilled imperial artisans, and some of them were even slowly rotating. Every one of them was so beautiful that people couldn¡¯t bring themselves to take their eyes off them. Ling Zhang were dazzled by the light.


    ¡°There are so many lanterns there. Do they adorn the whole imperial garden?¡± asked Ling Zhang, pleasantly surprised.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Yeah. I want to have them hold the banquet scheduled for the night of our wedding day in the imperial garden. What do you think?¡±


    Hold the banquet in the imperial garden? But the imperial garden was a distance away from the Taiqing Palace. If the banquet was to be held in the imperial garden, the security issue would be a lot trickier. On top of that, although there were pavilions, terraces, towers, rockeries and lakes in the imperial garden, there wasn¡¯t an area suitable for holding a banquet. Surely they couldn¡¯t hold it in the open air?


    After Ling Zhang expressed his confusion, Yuwen Tong actually gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s going to be an open-air banquet. With the countless lanterns, we won¡¯t have to worry about the lighting.¡±


    Indeed, lighting wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Right now this whole place was as bright as day.


    However, if the banquet was to be held in the imperial garden, both the security and the preparatory work would be thorny issues. Eunuchs and court ladies would probably be working off their feet. Moreover, there were small hills and lakes in the imperial garden. If anybody accidentally fell into a lake at night, it would hardly be a pleasant experience for them.


    Ling Zhang told his worries to Yuwen Tong, who said, ¡°Qi San and Jiang Ke will be here. Even if something happens, they¡¯ll be able to get the situation under control immediately.¡±


    Yuwen Tong insisted the banquet be held in the imperial garden, and Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t bring himself to rain on his parade. He was just a little baffled as to why Yuwen Tong was so insistent on holding the banquet in the imperial garden.


    While Ling Zhang was wondering, the two of them walked into the garden hand in hand. Eunuchs and court ladies had all left. Only a group of guards were following the two of them, carefully keeping a certain distance from them.


    Ling Zhang looked over his shoulder to cast a glance at those nervous guards, gave a little cough and said, ¡°You may go back now. We don¡¯t need anybody to protect us in this place.¡±


    The guards exchanged apprehensive looks. ¡°Childe Ling, please let us follow you. This garden is too dark,¡± said one of them.


    Dark? Ling Zhang glanced around him. The whole place was so brilliantly illuminated he could even distinguish every blade of grass. He couldn¡¯t think of a single reason why that guard found this place dark.


    Yuwen Tong turned around and instructed with a motion of his hand, ¡°Get back, all of you.¡±


    The guards briefly hesitated and then chorused, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± While pivoting around to leave, they twisted their heads aside to glance at the two of them, worrying that anything might happen to these two masters of theirs the moment they left.


    All these guards were Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards. In their eyes, Yuwen Tong words were orders that must not be disobeyed. Whenever Yuwen Tong asked them to leave, they would leave. However, almost all of them had grown up with Yuwen Tong and were among those who cared about Yuwen Tong¡¯s safety the most, which was why they appeared so ambivalent.


    Qi San was still secretly following the two of them, along with a lot of secret bodyguards. The whole imperial palace was basically under Qi San¡¯s and Yao Yi¡¯s firm control. Even if somebody dared to do anything, they wouldn¡¯t be able to have their way, so for the moment the two of them didn¡¯t have to worry about their safety.


    Yuwen Tong just wanted to spend some time alone with Ling Zhang in this place. On their wedding day, this garden would no doubt be seething with noisy guests, and it would be impossible for them to find any opportunities to enjoy the scenery alone like this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and check that gazebo out,¡± suggested Yuwen Tong. Having dismissed the guards who¡¯d been following them at every step, Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang up to a gazebo located on a small hill not far away. Because of the height of its site, they had a much wider view there.


    As soon as Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked into the gazebo, they sighted the enjoyable scenery around the spot.


    ¡°This garden is really worthy of its reputation,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong just casually glanced around before his eyes rested on Ling Zhang¡¯s face again. In his eyes, no matter how artistic those lanterns were, their beauty would never outshine Ling Zhang¡¯s charm. There were also beautiful lanterns ablaze in the gazebo. They were giving off an orange light which was shed on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Every flutter of his long, curved eyelashes was accompanied by a gleam across his eyes, like someone lightly fanned the surface of the water rippling it. Yuwen Tong watched, enthralled. Ling Zhang¡¯s face was covered with a warm glow which seemed as though it were emitted by his face itself. His rosy lips were opening and closing while Ling Zhang was speaking. From his current position, Yuwen Tong could easily see the charming view inside Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth distinctly. He felt as though his whole being had been enchanted.


    This beauty belonged to him. Nobody would be able to take Ling Zhang away from him, and he wouldn¡¯t allow anybody to take him away.


    Ling Zhang, who was enjoying the scenery in the imperial garden with curious and excited eyes, unaware that the man beside him was eyeing him covetously. The glint in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes was so feverish as though they could really burn people, as though he were trying to melt Ling Zhang with his gaze, but his eyes were also like some kind of dark, deep pond which was trying to swallow Ling Zhang and trap him in it.


    When Ling Zhang perceived that there was something wrong with Yuwen Tong¡¯s gaze, the latter had got very close to him. It was not until this moment that he noticed the fervent emotions that were about to burst their boundaries in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. His whole body instantly stiffened at the sight of this. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay in this palace and be by my side forever, right?¡± asked Yuwen Tong in a low and deep voice, fixing him with an unblinking stare, a powerful, brooding air radiating from him.


    Ling Zhang sensed a kind of danger that he had never sensed before, the source of which was Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. It was as though he would be swallowed by Yuwen Tong in one gulp and never be able to escape if he didn¡¯t give Yuwen Tong an answer he deemed satisfying. Also, the powerful emanation from Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes was weighing him down like never before. It struck him as so heavy that he could distinctly feel the most real thoughts of Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    If it¡¯d been not long ago that he started a relationship with Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang would have been scared by this state Yuwen Tong was in, but right now Ling Zhang only felt that Yuwen Tong was virtually glowing. Although the glow from Yuwen Tong was trying to bind him, as though it would stop at nothing to trap him, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t feel afraid.


    Because he wanted to do the same thing to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong wanted take possession of him, and he wanted to take possession of Yuwen Tong. He wanted to marry Yuwen Tong and be Yuwen Tong¡¯s only marriage partner. He wouldn¡¯t allow Yuwen Tong to take anybody in as his concubine or leave him. If anybody dared to get between the two of them, he would show his worst side and tear them to pieces.


    ¡°I will never leave you. What about you? Will you let me leave?¡± inquired Ling Zhang, gazing at him.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes which were gazing at him and seemed to be glistening, transports of affection surging madly inside him. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I heard you very clearly ¨C you said you won¡¯t. If one day you want to forsake me and take concubines for the sake of your identity, I swear I¡¯ll kill you,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Eyes glinting with a crazed passion, Yuwen Tong clamped his arms around Ling Zhang tightly. ¡°I heard you clearly as well. You¡¯re not to forget a single one of these words!¡±

 Chapter 395 - An Important Promise

    The imperial garden spangled with radiant lanterns was so dazzling, the scenery so entrancing, but what struck the two of them as more entrancing was the charm of their lovers.


    With such beauty in sight, Yuwen Tong was unable to retain his cool, and so was Ling Zhang, which was why eventually the two of them didn¡¯t finish their planned stroll around the imperial garden. Instead, they strolled back to their bed in the Infinite Fortune Palace¡­


    The official of the Ministry of Rites responsible for the decoration of the imperial garden, who mistakenly believed that he hadn¡¯t done his job well enough, was terribly anxious. Yao Yi provided some much-needed reassurance to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His Majesty and Childe Ling are both very satisfied with tonight¡¯s lantern show. Just do it all over again on the night of their wedding day.¡±


    It was only then that the official of the Ministry of Rites was saved from dying of anxiety.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ling Zhang woke up very late.


    Both of them had found their passion somewhat out of control the night before, and they¡¯d spent hours unleashing that energy inside them. Ling Zhang¡¯s waist was so sore and painful he almost toppled back onto the bed immediately after he sat up.


    His face burned as he recalled the killing frenzy the night before, feeling that he and Yuwen Tong had probably lost their minds.


    Of course, it might also have been because they¡¯d been very relaxed in the Infinite Fortune Palace, their own place, in which nobody would disturb them no matter what they did, and which was different from the Ling Mansion where there were a lot of inconveniences. Both of them had been totally at ease and all what they¡¯d wanted to do was enjoy themselves to their hearts¡¯ content. As a result, it was not until noon that Ling Zhang got out of bed to languidly wash and change.


    He didn¡¯t even know at what time Yuwen Tong had left in the morning.


    ¡°Sire promptly presided over the court meeting. After that, he came back here to check on you. You were still sleeping. Sire told us not to awake you and then returned to the consultation hall,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Fortunately Yuwen Tong had made it. Otherwise it would¡¯ve been the second time that Yuwen Tong had missed a court meeting because of his excessive indulgence in sex the night before, though Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been enthroned yet when he¡¯d done that for the first time¡­


    ¡°Did he eat anything in the morning?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes. He had breakfast in the side hall,¡± Yao Yi answered and then said, ¡°You should get something to eat too, Childe Ling. How about I have the servants bring the food here?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at the color of the sky to gauge the time and then said, ¡°He¡¯ll come back soon. I¡¯ll wait a while and dine with him.¡±


    Yao Yi gave it some thought before he took his leave to have the servants get ready to serve the lunch. Yuwen Tong should return soon.


    Predictably, after a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out), Yuwen Tong came back. Seeing that the lunch had been served and Ling Zhang was waiting for him, he gave a smile, walked up and pressed a hand against the small of Ling Zhang¡¯s back. ¡°How do you feel?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Yuwen Tong stroked his nose in a somewhat guilty way and said, ¡°I should¡¯ve shown some self-restraint. You may catch up on your sleep after lunch.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s about time I got back home.¡±


    Without the slightest change of his countenance, Yuwen Tong poured him a bowl of nourishing soup and then said, ¡°You need more rest. The trip out of the palace would be tiring, and you¡¯re not in a fit state to do that. Even if you can manage it, I can¡¯t bring myself to let you do it.


    On top of that, your maternal grandfather and your father are both in the Ling Mansion, and they¡¯re unbelievably sharp-eyed. If you get back like this, they¡¯ll be able to tell at a glance what happened. You¡­ really think it¡¯s okay to let them see you like this?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face registered vexation at these words, and even his appetite for the bowl of nourishing soup in front of him was gone. ¡°Then what should we do? I promised my family I¡¯d go back today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Yao Yi explain to your elders. He¡¯ll tell them that there are still some preparations to make for the wedding ceremony, that I¡¯m otherwise engaged and you have to stay to help. You may stay here for another night on this pretext and get back home tomorrow,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    This explanation was watertight. Ling Zhang could tell at the mention of it that Yuwen Tong had had this planned out some time ago. Ling Zhang silently looked at him.


    Yuwen Tong appeared quite composed, without a single sign of shame on his face. He called Yao Yi in and instructed him to deliver a message to the Ling Mansion. Not having heard any objections from Ling Zhang, Yao Yi took his leave and exited the palace to deliver this ¡®explanation¡¯.


    ¡­


    In the Ling Mansion.


    It was Ling Zhaowu who received Yao Yi. After hearing Yao Yi¡¯s explanation, Ling Zhaowu slightly lifted his brows. His eyes were calm, but they seemed to be seeing right through Yao Yi. After a brief moment, Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll tell this to my family. Zhang¡¯er has been quite busy with his own thing lately. Even if something comes up in the palace, you guys should figure out a way to share your master¡¯s burden, rather than relying on Zhang¡¯er to deal with it. I want you to tell Yuwen Tong that Zhang¡¯er will move into the palace sooner or later, and he¡¯s not supposed to keep Zhang¡¯er there when it¡¯s time for him to come back. I¡¯ve been tolerating him sneaking in here every night, but it¡¯s unacceptable for him to take Zhang¡¯er back to the palace after he spent merely a couple of days at home.¡±


    In an embarrassed but polite manner, Yao Yi promised he¡¯d relay the message and then quickly left the Ling Mansion as though he were fleeing from something. On his way back to the palace, he kept having this feeling that someone was chasing him.


    ¡°¡­ Sire, I didn¡¯t disclose anything to Master Ling, but he seemed to see me through at a glance. Moreover, it¡¯s come to his knowledge that you¡¯ve been visiting the Ling Mansion every night.¡± After returning to the palace, Yao Yi steeled himself to related to Yuwen Tong what Ling Zhaowu had said, and also reminded him that Ling Zhaowu had found out about him going to the Ling Mansion every night, that Ling Zhaowu had warned him to let Ling Zhang return home immediately.


    After hearing it, Yuwen Tong kept silent for quite a while. Ling Zhang, who was leisurely lying on a soft couch on the side, languidly reading a book, pretending not to notice Yuwen Tong¡¯s complex countenance, just lazily remarked, ¡°My father¡¯s not a pushover.¡±


    Yuwen Tong exhaled deeply. ¡°Now I know.¡±


    There was a downside to having a smart father-in-law: he could easily see through his little games. Most importantly, his father-in-law had no problems whatsoever with expressing his opinions explicitly, and had warned him in a very direct way, which made him feel fairly awkward.


    Luckily Yuwen Tong believed himself to be rather thick-skinned. The embarrassment caused by the relayed word of warning from his father-in-law merely lasted a few moments before ebbing away. ¡°Given the deep love between us, I¡¯m sure your father will come around. Tomorrow I¡¯ll go back to the Ling Mansion with you and apologize to him.¡±


    Ling Zhang put the book down and looked at him. ¡°You want to go back there with me and apologize to my father?¡±


    This guy seemed to have no idea how messy the situation was already.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. You¡¯re the emperor now. If you go out of the palace, the matter of your safety alone would give Yao Yi and the others a hard time. Besides, you¡¯ve still got tons to do. How are you supposed to find the time tomorrow? As for apologizing to my father, you must be joking when you said that, I presume? My father just sent you a word of warning. It¡¯s best if we keep this between us. If you go there to apologize, you¡¯d be deliberately antagonizing him further, and he¡¯d definitely lose his temper. Are you soft in the head?¡±


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong walked up, sat down on the soft couch, reached out a hand to take the book from Ling Zhang, put it down on the table on the side and then took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. Stroking it carefully, he said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t really be so foolish as to make an explicit apology to him. I¡¯m just thinking of pacifying him in a tactful and roundabout way.¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± asked Ling Zhang, looking at him, eyes full of curiosity. He was really quite curious about how Yuwen Tong planned to pacify his father.


    ¡°By pleasing him, of course,¡± replied Yuwen Tong with a confident smile.


    ¡°Pleasing him? Do you know anything about my father¡¯s hobbies? How are you going to please him?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    When it came to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hobbies, even Ling Zhang himself was almost in the dark. How was Yuwen Tong going to please him? He had never seen his father crazy about anything but his mother. Presently, family was the only thing his father cared about the most. Nothing else mattered much to him. He wasn¡¯t particular about food or drink, and he didn¡¯t have any of the interests or hobbies that most men his age had either, which seemed to be because of his rebirth. Ling Zhang believed that in his last incarnation his father had definitely been through a lot and witnessed a lot of things afterward, which was why he was rather uninterested in wealth or anything like that.


    Looking at Ling Zhang¡¯s curious eyes, Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to give people something tangible to please them. Helping your father fulfill his wish would please him as well. Currently you¡¯re the apple of your father¡¯s eye. As long as you¡¯re happy, your father will be happy, which means that giving you a happy life is all it takes for me to get your father to like me.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement. ¡°I hate to disillusion you, but my father is not someone you could sweet-talk into trusting you.¡±


    ¡°Which is why what I¡¯m giving your father is not some sweet talk but an important promise,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    An important promise? Ling Zhang looked at him with a slight frown on his face. ¡°What are you going to do? Listen to me ¨C don¡¯t make promises you cannot keep, especially not to my father. If you make him a promise, you¡¯ll have to honor it, or my father will definitely make you pay the price.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gazed at him quietly for quite a while before he said, ¡°Why do you have so little faith in me?¡±


    His eyes narrowed dangerously after these words, and the menacing glint that Ling Zhang had noticed in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes the night before could now be faintly seen again.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly explained, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. We¡¯re together now, and we¡¯ve made each other a promise. I believe you and I will both keep our promises, so there¡¯s no need for you to say anything else to my father. This matter is¡­¡±


    It struck Ling Zhang that he was not clarifying anything, but he had this vague feeling that the important promise Yuwen Tong said he would make to his father would be one not to be taken lightly¡­


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Well, even if I don¡¯t do it tomorrow, after our wedding I¡¯ll still have to do it. It¡¯s something I cannot run away from.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart did a somersault. He kept feeling there was an increasingly high chance that his premonition would come true. With a mixture of nervousness, apprehension and some kind of inexplicable anticipation on his face, he looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong gave a smile and stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek. ¡°It would seem you¡¯ve come to know what I¡¯m going to say.¡±


    Ling Zhang was still gazing fixedly at him.


    Fingering the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Trust me.¡±


    It was a long moment¡¯s silence before Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I trust you, but this matter is not easy to deal with. How are you going to handle it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ve come up with a plan already. All I need to do is wait for the opportunity to present itself.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. If it was really what he thought it was, then what was the plan that Yuwen Tong had just mentioned? And what kind of opportunity was he waiting for? A minor mistake in the handling of this matter would compromise the stability of Yuwen Tong¡¯s imperial power, and might make it multiple times more difficult for him to rule the Great Wen as its first emperor. It was no trivial matter.


    As a result, recently Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t dared give it any in-depth thought, and neither had he dared bring it up. Now their wedding was very close, but Ling Zhang still didn¡¯t feel like thinking it through. Even he himself had no idea why he kept avoiding it.

 Chapter 396 - A Promise

    Neither of them lifted the curtain, but they both knew what it was that they were referring to.


    The next day, the two of them went to the Ling Mansion. This was the first time that Yuwen Tong had visited the Ling family as an emperor after his enthronement. Understandably, the imperial guard of honor¡¯s arrival at the front gates of the Ling Mansion caused quite a sensation.


    All members of the Ling family went out to welcome Yuwen Tong, who spared them the formalities and entered the residence very soon.


    After walking inside, everybody felt more at ease and behaved more naturally.


    Yuwen Tong talked with Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin for a while before he found an opportunity to speak with Ling Zhaowu alone.


    Ling Zhaowu, who had had Yao Yi relay a word of warning to Yuwen Tong the day before, had originally thought that Yuwen Tong would avoid him. It hadn¡¯t crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would come to talk to him on his own initiative, so he quite admired Yuwen Tong¡¯s courage.


    ¡°Soon you and Zhang¡¯er will be married. There¡¯s no need to rush into anything. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯ve been so impatient in the past couple of days,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong inwardly gave a little cough, fairly surprised that Ling Zhaowu was being so explicit.


    ¡°The wedding ceremony involves a lot of complicated ritualistic formalities. I was worried that we¡¯d be flustered on the wedding day if we didn¡¯t do a dry run,¡± explained Yuwen Tong, looking composed.


    ¡°What about this visit? You don¡¯t really have to come here with such fuss on this day,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to pay you a visit after my enthronement for quite some time. After this visit, those insensible characters in this city would gossip less about your family.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu lifted his brows. ¡®Not bad. This explanation is pretty reasonable,¡¯ he thought.


    Not many people living in this residence were aware that Yuwen Tong had been slipping in here by night over the past few days. Except for kung fu experts like Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai, nobody could sense Yuwen Tong¡¯s existence without seeing him, but Ling Zhaowu was different. Though he couldn¡¯t hear Yuwen Tong slink in, he could deduce it from Ling Zhang¡¯s behavior and reaction in daily life.


    Considering the two of them were going to get married, Ling Zhaowu had no interested in stopping them from secretly meeting each other at night. However, Yuwen Tong¡¯s being unwilling to let Ling Zhang leave the palace struck him as faintly provocative. The reason why Ling Zhaowu had involuntarily made those remarks the day before was because he¡¯d wanted to remind Yuwen Tong that he was his future father-in-law, that he needed to show some self-restraint.


    By making this visit, Yuwen Tong proved he was not a coward.


    Now that Yuwen Tong had come here, Ling Zhaowu took advantage of this opportunity to ask him some questions that he¡¯d been meaning to ask him for quite some time.


    ¡°You two will be married in a few days, and there are some issues that you¡¯ll have to face up to sooner or later. Given that you¡¯re now the emperor, there¡¯s no doubt some day people will start asking about the matter of your heir, though nobody has brought it up so far. How do you plan to handle it?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s question was very direct. Fortunately Yuwen Tong had meant to talk with Ling Zhaowu about this matter from the very beginning, and had some time ago made preparations for it.


    ¡°I heard that you still haven¡¯t set out to deal with the matter of the imperial seraglio. What are you planning to do?¡± Ling Zhaowu asked another question. ¡°Have you made a mental list of your future concubines already?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu appeared very calm when asking these questions. He even asked Yuwen Tong of his own accord whether or not he had any plans to take concubines, seeming not to be angry about this matter at all, as though finding it quite understandable.


    But Yuwen Tong knew that Ling Zhaowu wasn¡¯t being understanding. Although there hadn¡¯t been many occasions when he¡¯d talked with Ling Zhaowu in private, he had found through personal experience that Ling Zhaowu was quite secretive. The latter was a man who had been through a rebirth and was very poised and unhurried in his dealings with others. Nobody knew what he had been through in his last incarnation.


    Although Ling Zhaowu seemed unruffled and quite understanding at this moment, Yuwen Tong would bet that if he really took some concubines and set up an imperial harem of his own, his and Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding would almost certainly be called off, and Ling Zhaowu would get the wedding canceled covertly without raising any objections openly or putting his son in a difficult position, without even letting his son find out about his take on the marriage.


    To say the least, even if the wedding was held as scheduled, he wouldn¡¯t never have a chance to take any concubines. What concerned him the most was the possibility that every time he decided to take in a woman as his concubine, she would be found dead in her bedroom shortly after that.


    Ling Zhaowu cared about Ling Zhang very much. Ling Zhang¡¯s happiness meant a lot to Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Brother Zhang will be my only partner for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll never take any concubines,¡± said Yuwen Tong beneath Ling Zhaowu¡¯s seemingly level gaze.


    Ling Zhaowu kept silent for a brief moment before he looked seriously at him and asked, ¡°You¡¯ll never take any concubines?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Yes. Currently there isn¡¯t a seraglio in the palace. All the eunuchs, court ladies and concubines of the former emperor that could be dismissed have been dismissed. Right now the seraglio is totally unoccupied, and it¡¯ll stay that way for good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the emperor, and Zhang¡¯er is a man. If you don¡¯t take concubines, how will you ever be able to have a son? Without a son to be your heir, your throne will be insecure, the future of this country will be insecure. The Great Wen has just been built, yet you¡¯ll let it meet its end in a few decades?¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father-in-law. It won¡¯t meet its end so soon. Just because I won¡¯t set up a seraglio and won¡¯t have a son of my own doesn¡¯t meant that I couldn¡¯t have an heir.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him earnestly. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Adoption,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t make any remarks immediately. He pondered for a while before he said, ¡°That¡¯s indeed feasible. Whose son are you going to adopt?¡±


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°Yuwen Feng or Yuwen Qian. Both their wives are pregnant. Apart from them, there are also some alternatives. I have many cousins, and all of them are blessed with more than one son. I¡¯d discussed this matter with my granduncle and some others before my enthronement. I¡¯ll make a decision about the adoption right after my and Brother Zhang¡¯s wedding ceremony.¡±


    All these people were close relatives of Yuwen Tong¡¯s. They were all Yuwens. It was indeed a solution for Yuwen Tong to adopt their sons.


    However, Yuwen Tong seemed to have the inclination to adopt more than one child, which would undoubtedly lead to some serious problems.


    ¡°Although all of them are you cousins, their sons are not your biological sons after all. How do you plan to tackle the issue of biological parents¡¯ influence on the kids? If you don¡¯t handle it properly, some day it¡¯ll be the greatest pitfall. Moreover, all those kids are Yuwens, and they have no bonding with my son whatsoever. In the future, my son will be in a quite awkward position if you adopt them. How could you bring yourself to do that?¡± inquired Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°After the adoption, their relations with the Abode of the Marquess Fuan and the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen will be severed, and Brother Zhang and I will be their fathers. I¡¯ll take those kids into the palace to be raised by Brother Zhang immediately after their birth, and I¡¯ll do everything within my power to strengthen the bonding between the kids and Brother Zhang. As long as I still draw breath, I¡¯ll never let Brother Zhang feel hard-done-by. Also, I¡¯ll make a will soon, so that if one day something does happen to me and one of the kids is to succeed to the throne, he¡¯ll have to be nice to Brother Zhang. Otherwise none of them will be able to take the throne. On top of that¡­


    I won¡¯t have Brother Zhang stay in the palace for the rest of his life. I¡¯ll help him build his team and have his own subordinates, making sure that he has what it takes to protect himself, so that if one day the situation does get out of control, nobody will be able to do him any harm.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, who¡¯d been quietly listening all along, came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant, and he also caught on to the meaning of the last remark.


    By doing that, Yuwen Tong, an emperor, would be like he were keeping a ferocious tiger beside his own bed, which could bite him at any moment.


    ¡°This is the best I can do to protect him,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhaowu asked, ¡°Are you not afraid that it¡¯d be like you¡¯re raising a tiger which one day might kill you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Brother Zhang is not a tiger. He¡¯s my partner. The reason why I took the throne was because I wanted him to have no misgivings about being by my side. This country is a weapon I could use to protect him. If one day he wants it, I¡¯ll do my best to help him. I have an ulterior motive. I¡¯m willing to give him anything that¡¯s mine to give, but he must not leave me, and no one must try to persuade him to leave me. This is my line in the sand, and I won¡¯t show any mercy to whoever touches it.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu flicked him a glance. This pal was warning him.


    ¡°Have you discussed all this with Zhang¡¯er?¡± Ling Zhaowu asked him.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°We haven¡¯t talked about any of this in detail, but we know each other well, so he¡¯s probably guessed my plan.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave it some thought and said, ¡°This is between you and him after all, so I¡¯ll stay out of it. I¡¯ll bear these words of yours in mind, and I¡¯ll wait and see if you¡¯ll keep your promise. If you break your word and hurt him, I¡¯ll take him away and kill you, and you¡¯ll have only yourself to blame for it. The future of this country doesn¡¯t mean anything to me, and I have no love for the people in this country. I¡¯m not a kind-hearted man, and I¡¯m not going to consider whether or not this country would descend into chaos. My son is the one I care about the most and I¡¯ll do anything to protect him, which is a point I hope you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Naturally Yuwen Tong understood. Through this talk, they became fully aware of each other¡¯s line in the sand.


    The conversation finished, Yuwen Tong went to play chess with Ling Xingzhong.


    Seeing him coming, Ling Zhang who was playing chess with Ling Xingzhong came to realize that Yuwen Tong had finished talking with Ling Zhaowu, looking at Yuwen Tong with a somewhat nervous expression in his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong slightly inclined his head, suggesting that the talk was over and the issue had been settled.


    Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief.


    ¡°Your father probably has something to say to you. You may go and talk to him. I¡¯ll finish the game for you,¡± Yuwen Tong said to him.


    Ling Xingzhong looked at them and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Go. I¡¯d like to go a few rounds with His Majesty.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, rose to his feet and took his leave.


    Ling Zhaowu was still sitting in his chair, seeming to be lost in thought.


    As Ling Zhang walked into the courtyard, he immediately perceived it. ¡°Why did you come out? Weren¡¯t you playing chess with your grandfather? How did it go? Did you win a game or two?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Grandfather may be old, but his chess prowess is as formidable as always. I¡¯m no match for him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu smiled, ¡°I know very well how good a chess player your grandfather is.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s chess strategy was just as open and above board as himself. It didn¡¯t involve any artifice, and sometimes it could be very explicit. Any adept chess player would be able to acquaint themself with Ling Xingzhong¡¯s style of playing after a couple of games with him. It was not really difficult to defeat him.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve come here, take a seat. It was Yuwen Tong who told you to come, I suppose?¡± Ling Zhaowu asked him to sit down.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Nothing escapes your eyes, Father.¡±


    ¡°Actually I happen to have something to say to you,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu, who related to him his conversation with Yuwen Tong a few moments before.


    Although Ling Zhang had guessed what it was about before coming here, he was still slightly astounded as he heard the words ¡°Brother Zhang will be my only partner for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll never take any concubines¡±, which were repeated to him by Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong had no intention of taking any concubines. He¡¯ll adopt a couple of his cousins¡¯ sons. I was worried that he¡¯d be unfaithful to you, but he offered this solution, which surprised me somewhat,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.

 Chapter 397 - A New Partnership with Luo Sang

    Yuwen Tong had never mentioned to Ling Zhang anything about his intention of adopting children, which was why Ling Zhang was now quite surprised, but he felt that it was indeed the best solution.


    Ling Zhaowu suggested that Ling Zhang do his best to bond with the children. Ling Zhang said, ¡°I know what you mean, Father, but it¡¯ll take time.¡±


    Although Yuwen Tong had had the adoption planned out, it was still too early to talk about it, given the current circumstances.


    This matter could wait. After all, right now he didn¡¯t even know how to take care of children. If Yuwen Tong really brought a baby to the palace straight away, he wouldn¡¯t be able to give it the care it needed, so there was no hurry about it. Children were not objects, and if he was to adopt some, he must be responsible for them.


    There was, in addition, another matter. Presently he was a little unaccustomed to the idea of adopting children, faintly against it, actually.


    Ling Zhaowu, who knew his son well, didn¡¯t make him start to learn parenting skills right off. He just reminded him, ¡°Although this matter is not urgent, it won¡¯t be long before you have to face it. Both Yuwen Feng¡¯s and Yuwen Qian¡¯s wives have been pregnant for several months. Their babies would be born next spring.¡±


    People didn¡¯t have to specially make some inquiries to get information about the situation in the Abode of the Marquess Fuan (AKA the Marquess of Fortune and Peace) or the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation), so Ling Zhaowu, who was Ling Zhang¡¯s father and had been paying attention to the activities of the various forces in the capital city, naturally was aware of what had been going on in the two families.


    There was a moderate amount of time before next spring.


    Ling Zhang said with an inclination of the head, ¡°I know.¡±


    All members of the Ling family had been privately informed of Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision. Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin were both very pleased with it. From the perspective of Ling Zhang, this was the best solution.


    ¡­


    With Ling Zhang¡¯s return to the Ling Mansion, he and Yuwen Tong became like two ¡°separated¡± lovebirds once again. For them, each day without seeing each other felt like a year.


    Every night, Yuwen Tong still went out of the palace and to the Ling Mansion, had a good night¡¯s sleep with Ling Zhang in his arms and then returned to the palace before daybreak the next day.


    As the wedding ceremony drew closer, people in the Ling Mansion were getting even busier. It was as though everybody had an endless list of things to do.


    Ling Zhang, however, had got a lot of leisure. Seeing he was becoming an idler, Ling Zhaowu, who happened to be going to the drugstore to meet the leader of the Fangcun commercial fleet, shooed him out of the residence, intending to bring him to the drugstore.


    The moment Ling Zhang left the Ling Mansion, Miao Shiba, Wang Dashan and some others followed him overtly, while some secret bodyguards followed in his wake covertly, forming a safety net by stealth.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Ling Zhang was sitting in a horse-drawn carriage and pedestrians couldn¡¯t see him, there would definitely have been even more guards escorting him.


    The carriage reached the drugstore in the trading center located in the west of the city and then directly drove through the back gates. Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu entered the store and went straight upstairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master.¡± Wang Qing was very excited to see Ling Zhang, for he hadn¡¯t seen Ling Zhang for a long time.


    ¡°How¡¯s business?¡± Ling Zhang asked him. Lately his father had been in charge of all the matters in this store.


    Wang Qing handed the account book to him and started filling him in on the recent transactions.


    After getting a general idea of it, Ling Zhang came to know how things stood, returned the account book to Wang Qing and inquired, ¡°When will Luo Sang be arriving?¡±


    ¡°We agreed to meet here at Si Hour (9:00 a.m.). He should be here soon,¡± answered Wang Qing.


    Ling Zhang said to Ling Zhaowu, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best if I go and sit in the cubicle. Luo Sang¡¯s trading fleet has dealings with the government of the Fangcun Kingdom, so it¡¯s inconvenient for me to meet him now.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head. ¡°Have Wang Qing get you some snack.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m not a kid any more.¡±


    But Ling Zhaowu insisted and had Wang Qing deliver some food and drink to the cubicle. Ling Zhang accepted it resignedly. The cubicle was a small private room where people could rest. It was separated from the main part of the room by wooden boards covered with sculpted reliefs. There was a soft couch, a table and some chairs in it.


    Wang Qing put the food and drink down onto the table and then took his leave. Luo Sang would soon arrive, so he went downstairs to take a look.


    Ling Zhang had sat in the cubicle for only a short while when Luo Sang walked upstairs with Wang Qing. His voice was the same as it had been the last time Ling Zhang had met him. ¡°Mr. Ling, have you made a decision about the matter we discussed a couple of days ago?¡±


    Luo Sang wanted the Ling family¡¯s drugstore to be his only buyer. Every year there were a lot of Fangcun commercial fleets arriving in the Great Wen, but only a limited few were as large as Luo Sang¡¯s. Moreover, Luo Sang¡¯s commercial fleet worked for the mayor of Wantao City and had dealings with Fangcun government. The last time Luo Sang had come, Ling Zhang had become the Marshal¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and because of that, Luo Sang had agreed to sell all his shipments of one of the most important medicinal herbs to the Ling¡¯s Drugstore. At that time Luo Sang hadn¡¯t thought that the Ling family would soon become the emperor¡¯s in-laws, which was a huge change of identity. If he didn¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity to further his partnership with the Ling family right now, who knew whether or not he¡¯d get another chance?


    Also, Luo Sang was not the only one who saw things this way. His master, the mayor of Wantao City, was very supportive of him doing this, hoping that Wantao City would be the Ling¡¯s Drugstore¡¯s only supplier of herbs. Luo Sang had frankly told this to Ling Zhaowu a few days ago, but at that time Ling Zhaowu hadn¡¯t given him a definite reply, saying he needed some time to think about it.


    Luo Sang was worried that some other commercial fleet would poach the contract from him, so he came here promptly at Si Hour, the time they¡¯d agreed on two days ago, anxious to find out about Ling Zhaowu¡¯s decision. Theoretically, by doing this, he¡¯d put himself at a disadvantage, but at this point in time, striking a deal with Ling Zhaowu was the most important thing for Luo Sang.


    All merchants had a certain kind of sharp, innate, commercial intuition, especially Luo Sang, who only did block trade and had better access to all kinds of intelligence. Judging from the information he¡¯d got from various sources, Luo Sang believed that if he didn¡¯t seize this opportunity to forward his cooperation with the Ling family, he would undoubtedly regret it in the future!


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry, Captain Luo. Please take a seat. We have plenty of time to talk this out,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    On hearing that he wanted to talk it out, Luo Sang felt there was still hope, so he sat down immediately.


    Listening to the movements in the room next door, Ling Zhang in the cubicle came to know that there was a very high chance Luo Sang would almost certainly accept Ling Zhaowu¡¯s terms this time.


    There were two reasons why Ling Zhaowu had said that he needed some time to consider. Firstly, he¡¯d indeed had to think it through before making a reply; secondly, he¡¯d wanted to whet Luo Sang¡¯s appetite. In fact, this time around the Ling family had the inclination to accept the offer of cooperation that Luo Sang had made. Luo Sang¡¯s commercial fleet was affiliated to Wantao City and he had the mayor of that city as his backer, so he would be able to get all the herbs that the Ling family wanted to purchase. In addition, of the many Fangcun commercial fleets, Luo Sang¡¯s was one of the largest and was relatively reliable. Last but not least, Ling Zhaowu himself also believed that establishing a long-term association with Luo Sang¡¯s commercial fleet, who had been a faithful partner all along, was a good choice, for the Fangcun Kingdom was an island country far away from the continent and had fairly abundant resources. Also, its political landscape had been quite stable for many years, and there wouldn¡¯t be any unrest in the next two decades or so.


    ¡­


    Just as Ling Zhang had expected, Luo Sang accepted all Ling Zhaowu¡¯s terms, and a cooperation agreement was soon signed by them.


    Ling Zhaowu didn¡¯t push down the prices too much. Instead, he left some leeway for both sides, feeling that it was beneficial to the stability and sustainability of the partnership.


    Apart from several kinds of fairly special medicinal herb that Luo Sang could provide, many Fangcun specialities also took the Ling family¡¯s fancy. In the Fangcun Kingdom, there were some rather unique items of rarity that only the government had enough manpower to obtain, and Luo Sang had access to these things. Aside from the drugstore, the Ling family would surely be running some other stores in the future, so these things would prove useful some day.


    Both of them were sincere, so they naturally were both happy about how things had turned out. Before leaving, Luo Sang presented a box of very rare deep-sea pearls to Ling Zhaowu, and invited him to attend a private party initiated by many leaders of commercial fleets, which was scheduled for a couple of days later. People needed personal recommendation to be allowed to attend this kind of personal parties. These commercial fleets had formed an exclusive circle. By attending a personal party of theirs, Ling Zhaowu would be able to get information about a lot of things he had no knowledge of.


    Ling Zhaowu, who was very interested in that party, accepted Luo Sang¡¯s invitation.


    After Luo Sang left, Ling Zhang walked out of the cubicle. He had never heard about any personal parties of those commercial fleets¡¯ leaders before this day either. Furthermore, apart from leaders of Fangcun commercial fleets, there would also be some leaders of Wan commercial fleets and Luohai commercial fleets attending that party.


    ¡°Father, how do you plan to attend this party?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    There was a reason why he was asking about this. After all, the Ling family had now been labeled as in-laws of the emperor and had the most direct relationship with both the emperor and the imperial court. The backgrounds of those miscellaneous merchants were quite complex, and they wouldn¡¯t necessarily welcome Ling Zhaowu to the party. It probably wouldn¡¯t be easy for Ling Zhaowu to worm some information out of them.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°I¡¯ll just go there and be who I am. I don¡¯t expect to get any useful information from any of them, given that it¡¯ll be the first time I attend a party of this kind. On the contrary, it¡¯s about what kind of useful information I could offer them. It¡¯ll take time to gain their trust, get them to talk to me and establish a long-term association with them, so we¡¯ll have to show some patience.¡±


    ¡°Offer them some useful information?¡± asked Ling Zhang. This meant that his father would put a bait out on the wire and wait for those people to bite it. In order to have them take the bait, his father would have to give them something really useful. Ling Zhang wondered what kind of useful information his father would offer them.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Apart from anything else, I¡¯m a man who¡¯s risen from the dead, and I have knowledge of many things unknown to all others. I don¡¯t think anybody in this world knows about business better than I do. Although the course of the future has changed, the developments of many things wouldn¡¯t be very different from how they¡¯d been in my last incarnation, so don¡¯t worry. I got this.¡±


    Ling Zhang came to understand what Ling Zhaowu meant and felt a sense of relief. Indeed, his father had more knowledge than all other members of his family combined.


    Ling Zhaowu was very confident. Ling Zhang felt that since he had already put his father in charge of the drugstore, he should have faith in his father. Moreover, he indeed didn¡¯t compare with his father in this regard.


    ¡°Pity the time for the party Luo Sang mentioned is too close to my wedding day, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to extricate myself. Otherwise I would go there with you to check it out,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    He was quite interested in that private party initiated by the leaders of those commercial fleets.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. You¡¯ll have a lot of chances. Besides, this is my first time being invited. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll allow anybody I bring there to join their conversations,¡± said Ling Zhaowu. He was very familiar with this kind of occasions and fully aware of what the situation would be like at the party.


    Ling Zhang felt less regretful at these words. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for another chance, then.¡±


    The father and son stayed in the drugstore for another few moments and then went back home together.


    Meanwhile, Luo Sang, after leaving the Ling¡¯s Drugstore, hurriedly paid a visit to a courier hostel to meet a member of the Fangcun diplomatic corps who was also a henchman of the mayor of Wantao City, and told him about the cooperation agreement he¡¯d reached with Ling Zhaowu earlier this day.

 Chapter 398 - Ling Zhaowens Transfer to Another Post

    ¡°That Ling Zhaowu guy is not what he seems, and he¡¯s not as mediocre as he is rumored to be. According to my observation and instincts, Ling Zhaowu is definitely a very savvy businessman,¡± observed Luo Sang.


    That Fangcun official gave it some thought before he said, ¡°Actually this is a good thing for us. The reason why we made the Ling family a partner is because we want to use their power to gain more market share in the Great Wen. It is more beneficial to us for them to be capable than it is for them to be incapable.¡±


    Luo Sang inclined his head. ¡°I agree with you, but there is a downside to it. This person is remarkably poised and never takes action without a watertight plan, which makes it very difficult for us to worm any other information out of him.¡±


    The Fangcun official replied, ¡°I¡¯ll make some arrangements in this regard. We just want an extra source of information about the imperial court of the Great Wen. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re plotting against them or something. If Ling Zhaowu is not our guy, we can try someone else. Just focus on your cooperation with Ling Zhaowu. Given that it has just started, even if he is to disclose something to you, he wouldn¡¯t do it right away.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Luo Sang.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ji Yanlai entered the palace.


    Ji Yanlai had been attracting people¡¯s attention ever since he¡¯d arrived in the capital city and moved into the Ling Mansion, and people had never stopped speculating about his identity.


    On this day, when he went to the imperial palace, Ling Zhang was accompanying him, and so was Ji Yin.


    Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin were both clothed in priest¡¯s robes of the Millennium Pavilion, which were solemn and sumptuous, especially the ones Ji Yanlai was wearing. The dignified and unapproachable air about him was unmistakably telling people that he was no common person.


    But no outsiders present could guess his identity.


    Ling Zhang could sense the various kinds of searching gaze from other people¡¯s eyes, which were appraising them boldly or surreptitiously. Apart from who Ji Yanlai was, these people were also conjecturing about his relations with Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin.


    For a time many people had guessed that Ling Zhang¡¯s mother¡¯s family had a Jianghu background, that Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai were from some Jianghu sect. However, as they saw Ji Yanlai¡¯s and Ji Yin¡¯s attire and demeanor, they became rather uncertain about that speculation.


    Nobody present would be able to link the two of them with the Foreseers Agency of the dynasty before last.


    Ling Zhang, who had been observing them all along, had seen the mien of most people.


    Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin hadn¡¯t even glanced at anybody out of the corners of their eyes, acting quite arrogantly.


    Ling Zhang inwardly let out a sigh, thinking that fortunately Ji Yanlai had no interest in making trouble for anybody. Otherwise he really didn¡¯t know what kind of chaos Ji Yanlai would throw this country into, given his abilities, because this person really had powers he could be proud of.


    On this day Ji Yanlai had come to the palace for an imperial edict. He was officially seeking an audience with Yuwen Tong as the Clan Leader of the Millennium Pavilion. He wanted an imperial edict from Yuwen Tong, one that would allow people of the Millennium Pavilion to move to a particular island on the sea. Naturally, no information about the Millennium Pavilion would be disclosed.


    When Ji Yanlai took the imperial edict, some high-ranking courtiers vaguely guessed something, but most people were quite confused as to why the emperor had given Ji Yanlai a deserted island. That island seemed to be useless on the surface, but seen from a different perspective, it still had some value. More importantly, these people only knew that Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin were Ling Zhang¡¯s maternal relatives, and they didn¡¯t even know the name of either of them.


    This matter struck them as so mysterious.


    ¡­


    After piquing a lot of people¡¯s curiosity in the palace, Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin returned to the Ling Mansion and lay low, keeping all the prying eyes out of the front gates of the residence. Those who were bent on nosing out their identities were bound to be disappointed.


    That very night, after Yuwen Tong slunk into Ling Zhang¡¯s chambers, the latter told him that a lot of scouts had been making inquiries outside the Ling Mansion during the day.


    Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Did any of them bother your family?¡±


    Helping him take off his overgarment, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°No. This residence is heavily guarded, and because of that concealment formation deployed by my maternal grandfather, nobody would be able to get close without a guide.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Naturally, Mr. Ji¡¯s concealment formation is unbreakable.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked him a glance. ¡°You seem in a pretty good mood. Something good happened?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, while letting Ling Zhang help him take off the heavy robes, kissed him and responded, ¡°It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®Lovers¡¯ hearts are closely linked.''¡±


    Walking to the side with Yuwen Tong¡¯s overgarment, Ling Zhang said, ¡°You¡¯ve got it written on your face. I¡¯d have to be blind not to notice.¡±


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong sighed, ¡°It¡¯s about Cangzhou.¡±


    On hearing that it was about Cangzhou, Ling Zhang hastened to put Yuwen Tong¡¯s overgarment down on the side. ¡°How are things going in Cangzhou?¡±


    ¡°The matter of the rebel army has basically been settled. All those who should return home have returned home. The General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) has taken the leader of the rebel army into custody. When he leads his men back here, the leader will be escorted back as well. The matter of the rebel leader is easy to deal with. The tricky part is the placement of the rebels. Their returning home means that the situation in Cangzhou has stabilized. Right now the first priority is to help the people rehabilitate their homeland and restore their lives. In addition, currently the General Zhongwu is still burdened with all the affairs in Cangzhou. I need to have all the vacancies in Cangzhou yamen and other departments filled before he returns to this city. I¡¯ve found a suitable candidate for the position of Cangzhou governor. I¡¯ll have him depart for Cangzhou in a couple of days,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was greatly relieved to learn that the overall situation in Cangzhou had stabilized.


    ¡°Who are you appointing as the Cangzhou governor?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him. That city was a total mess, and it¡¯d take someone with both required competences and a lot of guts to handle it. Cangzhou couldn¡¯t afford to undergo another uprising.


    Yuwen Tong answered, ¡°Xu Lingyun.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°Xu Lingyun is the Shengzhou governor. Shengzhou is a very important prefecture. Is it really okay to transfer him?¡±


    ¡°The Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t be able to wage another war against us in the next five years or so. With Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi defending the borders, there wouldn¡¯t be any serious problems in Shengzhou. The main job there is to restore the economy hit by the war. I¡¯ll appoint someone competent in Xu Lingyun¡¯s stead and the problem will be solved,¡± Yuwen Tong said.


    At these words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, Ling Zhang came to know that he had made up his mind. Though Xu Lingyun was young, it was obvious he was quite able and full of dash, given that Shengzhou people had been living in peace under his watch for so many years, and that Yuwen Tong trusted him so much. Ling Zhang believed that Yuwen Tong was doing the right thing by making Xu Lingyun the Cangzhou governor, and he also had faith in Xu Lingyun¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°What about Xiao Ziyan? Aren¡¯t they a married couple? If you transfer Xu Lingyun to Cangzhou, Xiao Ziyan, as the deputy commander of Shengzhou garrison, would be left alone in Shengzhou, wouldn¡¯t he? They¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Xiao Ziyan will be transferred there with him. The Cangzhou garrison also needs a commander capable of keeping the overall situation under control. Xiao Ziyan has what it takes to do that. One of them is a civil official, and the other a military officer, and they¡¯re a married couple and make a good team too, which is exactly what Cangzhou needs. They won¡¯t even have to spend any time to adjust themselves to each other¡¯s style of handling things. As a result, I only gave them one job: stabilize the overall situation in Cangzhou as soon as possible and keep a weather eye on Jiangzhou.¡±


    Since Xiao Ziyan was going with Xu Lingyun, the two of them wouldn¡¯t be separated. Ling Zhang was somewhat worried about them. Although the only time that he¡¯d had dealings with them had been when he¡¯d met them outside the consultation hall on that day, Ling Zhang cared about the two of them out of his appreciation of and admiration for talents as well as the similarity between their gay marriage and his relations with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°If you have the two of them depart for Cangzhou in just a couple of days, won¡¯t officials of Shengzhou be flustered?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Someone will keep the situation in Shengzhou under control,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Who?¡± Ling Zhang was very curious.


    ¡°Shang Fei, the assistant governor of Shengzhou. He¡¯s Xu Lingyun¡¯s junior fellow apprentice and is quite able as well. Also, things in the Shengzhou garrison are going pretty well. There¡¯ll only be some handovers of political and military power at the most. He¡¯ll get it done over time,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    This was Ling Zhang¡¯s first time hearing about this person, and he didn¡¯t know much about him, but since Yuwen Tong had said that this person was reliable, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t make any remarks and just decided that after the wedding ceremony, he needed to set out to acquaint himself with the background of the officials in various prefectures.


    ¡°When do you plan to settle the matter of Jiangzhou? It¡¯s not good for us to keep delaying it.¡± Ling Zhang asked about the matter of Jiangzhou after finishing talking about the transfer of Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it already. The Jiangzhou garrison have sealed all city gates. They intend to stage a revolt as the Cangzhou rebel army did, but the Jiangzhou garrison is not united. There are checks and balances inside it. Right now I just need some time to send someone to break the balance of power, so that it¡¯ll be easier to clean up the mess afterward,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave a nod.


    Yuwen Tong hesitated for a brief moment before he asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me who I¡¯m appointing in Xu Lingyun¡¯s stead as the Shengzhou governor?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s gut reaction was to ask the question that Yuwen Tong mentioned, but when he had done it, it struck him that something was not right. Yuwen Tong had specially brought this matter up with the air of someone putting out feelers, which unmistakably suggested that this person was someone he knew and was well acquainted with, and maybe it was even someone he didn¡¯t like see go to Shengzhou.


    Ling Zhang gave Yuwen Tong a dirty look and asked, ¡°Why are you specially asking about this? Is that person you¡¯re transferring to Shengzhou someone I know, by any chance?¡±


    He had a shrewd idea who that person was, but he didn¡¯t say anything to confirm it immediately.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I do have the intention, but I¡¯m giving you the final say on this one.¡±


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. ¡°My uncle?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied with an inclination of the head. ¡°Your uncle¡¯s pretty competent in his work. Previously, after Zhang Chong¡¯s rebellion was put down, Tanyang was an utter mess as well. Given that your uncle quickly stabilized the situation and restored order to the city, I think he wouldn¡¯t have many problems handling the matter of Shengzhou. Also, it¡¯ll be a chance to improve his abilities.¡±


    Ling Zhang made no prompt reply. He felt an immediate urge to object. After all, Shengzhou was a border city, and it was very far away, but fortunately his senses got the better of him, and he managed to subdue the urge and started to consider the practicality of his uncle going to Shengzhou.


    ¡°My uncle didn¡¯t handle the situation in Tanyang unassisted. Lord Tao was also there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that your uncle is a capable assistant governor.¡±


    ¡°Shengzhou is a border city. My uncle has little acquaintance with the borderlands. Besides, my aunt is not in a fit state to journey, what with her pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°I believe your uncle will make a competent Shengzhou governor, as long as he keeps his mind on the job. Your aunt may stay in the capital city waiting for the baby to come. I know what you¡¯re worried about. Why don¡¯t you go and have a talk with your uncle about it first?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang tossed him a glance. ¡°It¡¯s not our decision to make. This matter does concern me a little, but you¡¯re the emperor. It¡¯s your call.¡±

 Chapter 399 - An Official Transfer Order

    Yuwen Tong suggested Ling Zhang confer with Ling Zhaowen, but after hearing this, Ling Zhang perceptively sensed that there was something inappropriate about it.


    ¡°You¡¯re the emperor, and your decision about the transfer of my uncle shouldn¡¯t be based on the result of my consultation with my uncle,¡± observed Ling Zhang, his eyebrows contracting.


    Seeing as Yuwen Tong was the emperor, a matter as important as the transfer of someone to the position of Shengzhou governor shouldn¡¯t be left to him and his uncle to use their discretion, although his relations with Yuwen Tong were special.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s comment was perceptive, but Yuwen Tong was astonished by it, fixing Ling Zhang a stare.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m a little worried, you shouldn¡¯t let it affect your decision. If you feel that transferring my uncle to the position of Shengzhou governor is the right thing to do, then¨C¡±


    Before Ling Zhang could finish his sentence, Yuwen Tong abruptly jerked him into his embrace.


    Then Yuwen Tong chuckled beside his ear, ¡°Soon we¡¯ll be a married couple, and all that is mine is yours. Right now we¡¯re discussing this as husband and wife.¡±


    A married couple? Husband and wife? A flush spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s face all the way to his ears. ¡°Say something sensible.¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°This couldn¡¯t be more sensible. The wedding ceremony is very close, and I won¡¯t let you chicken out. I know what you mean. In a sense, it is indeed a little selfish of me to transfer your uncle to the position of Shengzhou governor, but the precondition for it is that your uncle has what it takes to stand the test. I have faith in your uncle.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a few moments before he asked, ¡°You really think so?¡±


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t even believe in your own uncle?¡±


    Of course Ling Zhang believed in his own uncle, but he was still unable to dismiss his apprehension, which was why he wanted Yuwen Tong to give it some more thought before making a decision.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll inform my uncle of it beforehand so that he could prepare himself for it,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Having made a decision, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t say anything more. In his eyes, it was more important for him to support Yuwen Tong than to worry about things and question his judgement.


    Yuwen Tong, who was quite shrewd, was observing and analyzing Ling Zhang¡¯s every move, so he naturally was aware of what Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction meant, but this was also the very reason why he found it difficult to control his emotions.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re to confer with your uncle, you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow to do it. Tonight what you should do is rest well.¡±


    While saying this, he drew Ling Zhang towards the bedchamber.


    Ling Zhang, who was still pondering how to talk with his uncle about this matter the next day, subconsciously walked forward with Yuwen Tong. When he became conscious of externals, he had already been stripped naked.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ling Zhang went to see Ling Zhaowen.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You seem to have trouble starting a conversation with me. I¡¯m your uncle. You can talk with me about anything,¡± Ling Zhaowen said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang collected his thoughts. ¡°Uncle, Xu Lingyun, the Shengzhou governor, will be transferred to Cangzhou, and his post will fall vacant. His Majesty has decided to appoint you in his stead. Early tomorrow morning someone will come here from the palace to deliver a verbal instruction from His Majesty, summoning you to the palace.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen was somewhat astonished at these words, but he gave no other particular reaction. This news came as something of a surprise to him.


    ¡°Appointing me the Shengzhou governor? Uh¡­ nobody raised any objections in the imperial court?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°The decision is final.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen thought about it very carefully for a few moments and then said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll prepare myself to go to the palace tomorrow morning.¡±


    Seeing Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t appear awkward or flustered at all and looked very composed, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Does this not strike you as too sudden, Uncle?¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed quite sudden.¡±


    But the next moment, he saw the expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face and came to understand what Ling Zhang meant. With a smile, he said, ¡°But I¡¯m not completely unprepared. I know that I¡¯ll surely be transferred to another post after the change of your identity. Your father has no intention of pursuing a political career, and your grandfather is in his declining years, but someone in our family has to assume the responsibility for bringing honor to the family name and making it worthy of your status, so that people wouldn¡¯t look down upon us. There was a time when I was wondering what kind of arrangements His Majesty would make. It never crossed my mind that I¡¯d be transferred to the position of Shengzhou governor.


    The post is one rank higher than my present one. It¡¯s not a high-profile promotion but a fairly reasonable one. The only part that surprises me is that it¡¯s Shengzhou that His Majesty is transferring me to. The North-western Army is stationed not far away from Shengzhou, and Governor Xu has been governing the prefecture for many years, so the overall situation there is stable. If I go there, the most important thing I¡¯ll have to do is enforce the newly issued decrees to help the people there restore their lives and get everything back on track as quick as possible in the post-war period, and make some achievements in my official career. It¡¯ll be a very good opportunity for me to toughen up, and it¡¯s a very good job too.¡±


    After Ling Zhang heard Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words, the light dawned on him. He suddenly came to realize that Shengzhou was just the place his uncle needed to go to, that Yuwen Tong must have given it quite some thought before making this decision, that the night before it¡¯d been totally unnecessary for him to subconsciously worry at the beginning that his uncle might not be able to handle that job.


    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Ling Zhaowen asked with a smile. ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll achieve something and I won¡¯t embarrass you. I¡¯m looking forward to this job.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Uncle,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen patted his shoulder. ¡°I know. This transfer is a great opportunity for both me and our family, and I won¡¯t let it slip away. I just wonder when I¡¯m supposed to take office. Did His Majesty mention it to you?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No, but I think it¡¯s after my and his wedding ceremony. Xu Lingyun will depart for Cangzhou in two days, and they can¡¯t let the position of Shengzhou governor stay vacant for long.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen also had a deduction about the time he was supposed to assume office, which was very close to the one Ling Zhang told him. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ll have to make some arrangements in advance.¡±


    ¡°About Aunt Caiwei¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll have to stay in this city. The journey will be too weary for her to make.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen answered the question in a very calm tone. His decision about this matter was very definite. Fu Caiwei was pregnant, and a long journey was bad for her health, so it¡¯d be best if she stayed in the capital city waiting for the baby to come.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be separated from Aunt Caiwei¡­¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen chuckled, ¡°It¡¯ll only be a temporary separation. My only concern is whether she¡¯ll be delivered of the baby safely.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t let anything happen to Aunt Caiwei!¡±


    Ling Zhaowen said, ¡°I know. Since I¡¯ll go to Shengzhou, you¡¯ll have to take on the responsibility for taking care of our family. If possible, I¡¯ll figure out a way to come back when the baby is due.¡±


    They¡¯d have to make some careful preparations for this matter, and whether his uncle would be able to come back would depend on the specific circumstances at that time. It was too early to talk about that.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ling Zhaowen was summoned to the imperial palace. As Ling Zhang had told him, he was promoted to the position of Shengzhou governor, which was one rank higher than his previous post. The official seal and the papers of transfer had been issued to him, but the tailors were still working on his official robes. Apart from him, Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan had also been transferred to other posts, both of whom had to depart for Cangzhou in two days, which was rather short notice.


    Some of the courtiers were surprised at the transfer of the three of them. Others were unsurprised. Old Master Ji and Chu Liangyan, who had been informed of it some time ago, were totally unperturbed.


    Ling Zhaowen was Ling Zhang¡¯s uncle, the only member of the Ling family who was pursuing a political career. Neither Ling Zhang¡¯s father nor his grandfather were government officials, so it was a natural thing that Ling Zhaowen had been promoted, and all people found it understandable. Xu Lingyun¡¯s transfer to Cangzhou, however, surprised many.


    On his way out of the palace, Ling Zhaowen chanced upon Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan. Xu Lingyun offered to go to the Ling Mansion to be a guest. Naturally, Ling Zhaowen agreed readily.


    Ling Zhaowen had a shrewd deduction about the reason why Xu Lingyun offered to go to the Ling Mansion to be a guest despite his tight schedule.


    Predictably, after taking a seat in the Ling Mansion, Xu Lingyun brought up the matter of Shengzhou and talked a lot with Ling Zhaowen, the would-be Shengzhou governor.


    Xu Lingyun didn¡¯t really have to do this, but he did, so Ling Zhaowen naturally lodged this favor in his mind.


    Ling Zhang, who could tell why Xu Lingyun was doing this, naturally decided to bear this favor in mind as well.


    After his talk with Ling Zhaowen was over, Xu Lingyun had a word with Ling Zhang in private.


    Ling Zhang invited him to his courtyard house to take a seat. ¡°I¡¯m much obliged to you for offering my uncle so many tips, Governor Xu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Childe Ling. Governor Ling and I are both His Majesty¡¯s servants. Sparing Governor Ling some trouble is the least I could do,¡± said Xu Lingyun.


    ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll keep your kindness in mind. You and Deputy Commander Xiao are going to depart for Cangzhou in two days. Have you got everything you need? Is there anything I could do to help?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Xu Lingyun replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a couple of traveling bags that we need to prepare. Some guards will be accompanying us on the journey, and they¡¯ll take care of everything for us, so for the moment there¡¯s nothing we couldn¡¯t handle, but Ziyan and I both find it regrettable that we won¡¯t be able to attend your and His Majesty¡¯s wedding ceremony. Your wedding was the very reason why we came to this city, but now what with the urgent situation in Cangzhou, we have to leave ahead of schedule. The imperial wedding is probably going to be quite an occasion. It saddens me that we¡¯ll miss such a spectacular scene.¡±


    Ling Zhang chuckled, ¡°Believe me, it¡¯ll be nothing but a miscellany of meaningless formalities. If you two really feel regretful, I¡¯ll intercede with His Majesty and have him give you two the permission to stay until after our wedding to depart.¡±


    Xu Lingyun dissolved into laughter. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. The matter of Cangzhou can¡¯t wait. Ziyan and I both have sense of perspective. Although we feel it regrettable to miss your and His Majesty¡¯s wedding, it is within our power to deliver the wedding gift to you beforehand. We¡¯ve handed it over to His Majesty already earlier this day. You¡¯ll see it after you enter the palace. I hope it won¡¯t strike you as unpresentable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll never happen. It¡¯s a token of your benediction, which we¡¯ll both cherish,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you two won¡¯t be able to get any leisure anytime soon after you go to Cangzhou. If you need any help from the imperial court or me, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    Ling Zhang was fully aware that given Xu Lingyun¡¯s abilities and dash, he would be transferred back to a position of responsibility in the capital city sooner or later, that this job in Cangzhou would be the springboard for Xu Lingyun¡¯s future transfer back to the capital city. Xu Lingyun would definitely have to handle the matter of Cangzhou with distinction, and it was undoubtedly impossible for him and Xiao Ziyan to achieve that unaided. They would surely need some help from the capital city.


    Unsurprisingly, Xu Lingyun was very happy to hear this promise from Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for your kindness, Childe Ling.¡±


    Xu Lingyun was a great talker, and the two of them sat there for a long time, chatting about a lot of things. During the long talk, they naturally got more acquainted with each other and even found that they were fairly like-minded, so the mood was much more relaxed and pleasant.


    By paying the Ling Mansion a visit, Xu Lingyun had made overtures to Ling Zhang on his own initiative, and Ling Zhang had given him his word, so both of them were satisfied.


    Before long, Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan took their leave. Ling Zhang personally walked them to the front gates of the Ling Mansion.

 Chapter 400 - Elders Attitudes

    As the wedding day neared every day, Ling Zhang inevitably began to feel strained.


    The day before the imperial wedding, everything was in readiness.


    In the Ling Mansion, people busting around could be seen everywhere. The imperial wedding ceremony was right the next day. Everybody appeared more tense than Ling Zhang did. Even the two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, were nervous and excited. Whitie the fox, worried that his pretty fur would be stroked bald by the two thrilled kids, refused to stay with them and insisted on crouching on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder. The fox had grown considerably bigger and heavier. Sometimes when he abruptly jumped onto Ling Zhang, the latter was sent staggering.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you this, Whitie? Don¡¯t jump at me without warning like this. You¡¯ve been gaining weight. Understand?¡±


    Ling Zhang resignedly reached out a hand with the intention to pull the fox off his shoulder. Whitie, who was quite agile, transferred to Ling Zhang¡¯s other shoulder in the blink of an eye, showing his unwillingness to leave and a total disregard for Ling Zhang¡¯s comment about him gaining weight without even giving Ling Zhang a glance.


    ¡°Big Brother,¡± said Ling Maomao, casting a look at the little white fox on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder, his intention to stroke Whitie¡¯s fur manifest in his eyes. Whitie stiffened for an instant, his hair on the verge of bristling. Fortunately Ling Maomao took his eyes off the fox after a brief stare at him. ¡°Grandfather would like a word with you.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go there right away,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°I want you two to behave yourselves. Don¡¯t mess around. In the next few days this residence will be swarming with people busy with all kinds of things. You might bump into someone and hurt yourselves if you¡¯re not careful enough. Cong is still young, which makes you his big brother, Maomao, so you need to take good care of him.¡±


    Ling Maomao looked at Ji Xiaocong who was standing beside him and then said, ¡°Cong is a good boy.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched and with that he gave Ling Maomao a playful knock on the forehead. ¡°It¡¯s you that I fear would misbehave.¡±


    Ling Maomao had a urge to knead his brow, but after glancing at Ji Xiaocong who was beside him, he managed to subdue it and said to Ling Zhang with a poker face. ¡°I never messed around, and I¡¯ve been taking care of Cong.¡±


    Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows, surprised that this little guy seemed to be quite unconvinced.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Holding a hand of each of the boys, Ling Zhang headed for Ling Xingzhong¡¯s place.


    ¡°Brother Ling, can you bring us to the palace to play tomorrow?¡± asked Ji Xiaocong, looking up at Ling Zhang.


    For some unknown reason, Ji Xiaocong had been quite obsessed with visiting the imperial palace. A few days ago Ling Zhang had promised him and Ling Maomao that he would bring the two of them to the Infinite Fortune Palace and let them stay there for a couple of days, but afterward what with the matter of the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen, he had had to delay it.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then scooped up Ji Xiaocong, holding him in the crook of his arm. Ji Xiaocong reached out a hand to wrap it around Ling Zhang¡¯s neck, carefully shifted his position slightly by moving his butt and then relaxedly sat on the crook of Ling Zhang¡¯s elbow. Ling Maomao threw a look at them and then quietly tightened his hold on Ling Zhang¡¯s hand which was holding his. After thinking about it for a brief moment, he edged closer to Ling Zhang until he was walking with his side almost against his big brother.


    Ling Zhang just subconsciously held Ling Maomao¡¯s hand tighter in response, oblivious of the unnoticeable detail of Ling Maomao¡¯s reaction. Then he continued to talk to Ji Xiaocong. ¡°Tomorrow there will be a lot of people. You two must stay close to your elders lest you get lost. I¡¯ll take you two to the palace to stay for a couple of days after the wedding.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t get lost. I know the way,¡± said Ji Xiaocong, having great confidence in himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive, Cong. Brother Maomao will be relying on you to lead the way for him during your stay in the palace,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    Ji Xiaocong patted his own chest, suggesting that that wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him.


    Ling Maomao looked up at his big brother and was about to say something but forbore from doing that after a moment¡¯s hesitation. Ling Zhang, who noticed it, asked, ¡°What is it you want to say, Maomao?¡±


    ¡°The imperial palace is a huge place. Will we be allowed to go anywhere we want in there?¡± inquired Ling Maomao.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ling Zhang answered in the affirmative.


    But Ling Maomao was just worried that the imperial palace was too large, that if he let Ji Xiaocong lead the way, they would definitely get lost. However, looking at Ji Xiaocong, Ling Maomao subconsciously felt that he shouldn¡¯t express this worry of his in the presence of Ji Xiaocong lest the latter get angry, so he had no choice but to keep his concern to himself.


    Ling Zhang, who was unaware that Ling Maomao had thought that far already, led the two little boys into Ling Xingzhong¡¯s courtyard house only to find that apart from Ling Xingzhong, Ji Yin was also in there.


    Ling Zhang put Ji Xiaocong down, inquired after them and then asked, ¡°What is it that you want to see me about, Paternal Grandfather, Maternal Grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow is your wedding day. Have you got everything ready?¡± asked Ling Xingzhong.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s in readiness,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin gave him a wave and with that Ling Zhang walked up and sat down beside them.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± said Ji Yin.


    A faint flush spread over Ling Zhang¡¯s ears. ¡°Kind of. I¡¯m worried that I might get things wrong tomorrow.¡±


    The ritualistic formalities of the wedding ceremony were too complicated. Though having done a dry run with Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang was still concerned that he might not be able to get all the steps right.


    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell them the most important reason: the next day he would really be married, and everything would be different after the wedding, so he was secretly somewhat perturbed.


    As Yuwen Tong was not present, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have the heart to express his concern to worry his family.


    Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin had called him in with the intention to have a talk with him to set his mind at ease.


    ¡°Just relax and get married. If Yuwen Tong is not good to you, Grandfather is going to stick up for you and get you free,¡± said Ji Yin.


    If Yuwen Tong was not good to Ling Zhang and Ling Zhang was not happy, Ji Yin would undoubtedly put his grandson first, and he would, by hook or by crook, break Ling Zhang out of the imperial palace and help him return to freedom. He was telling Ling Zhang this because he wanted Ling Zhang to have no misgivings about doing what he wanted to do.


    Ling Zhang believed that his grandfather was capable of doing that. Though having never thought about parting from Yuwen Tong, he was still grateful to his grandfather for his heartfelt concern for him.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s a nice and trustworthy man, and he¡¯s given you his word, so naturally we should believe in him,¡± commented Ling Xingzhong. Unlike Ji Yin, Ling Xingzhong would never refer to Yuwen Tong by his full name, for he held Yuwen Tong in very high regard.


    However, he also added, ¡°But if by any chance that kind of thing does happen, we¡¯ll always be on your side.¡±


    A warm glow flared inside Ling Zhang. Ling Xingzhong had always been a man of his word. His family¡¯s take on this matter was clear-cut: they would be there for him and on his side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make things work between me and Yuwen Tong. I have faith in him. Also, after I move into the palace, I¡¯ll take good care of myself and protect myself. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about me, Maternal Grandfather, Paternal Grandfather.¡±


    Ji Yin said, ¡°After the transfer of our clansmen is finished, I¡¯ll resign my eldership and move to the manor in the suburb. By that time, my clansmen will no longer need me. You¡¯re the only family I¡¯ve got left, so I¡¯ll watch over you for the rest of my life, making sure nobody does you any harm.¡±


    Ling Zhang was almost reduced to tears. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m really capable of taking care of myself. The suburban manor is too secluded. You¡¯ll feel lonely if you live there by yourself. It¡¯s totally unnecessary for you to do that. Besides, you¡¯re the Prime Elder of the Millennium Pavilion. How could you leave on account of me?¡±


    Ji Yin said with a wave of his hand, ¡°With the Clan Leader in charge, nothing could go wrong. Although I won¡¯t be the Prime Elder any longer, I¡¯ll still be a member of the clan. If anything happens, I¡¯ll go back there and help deal with it, so you don¡¯t have to concern yourself with that. As for that suburban manor, the quiet of it is exactly what takes my fancy. I don¡¯t like the hustle and bustle of the city, so the manor is the perfect place for me to be.¡±


    Ji Yin was so insistent that it seemed nothing would make him change his mind.


    Ling Zhang was resigned, feeling it inappropriate to make another attempt to dissuade him in the knowledge that Ji Yin was also an intransigent man.


    Ling Xingzhong said, ¡°I¡¯m a geriatric too, and the capital city is too noisy for me. Would it be too much trouble if I visited your manor from time to time, my dear in-law?¡±


    Ji Yin replied, ¡°Not at all. We¡¯re family now. Your politeness makes me feel I¡¯m being treated as a stranger. If you go there, we¡¯ll live together. I think we both could use some company. Besides, that manor is huge and can accommodate a lot of people. When I¡¯m at my leisure, I¡¯ll go for a stroll in nearby areas and take on a couple of apprentices. Teaching them and joking with them will make my life quite comfortable. Also, I¡¯ll help Zhang¡¯er make a breakthrough and reach the third layer of the cultivation method, and teach him more knowledge of formations too. Come to think of it, life there won¡¯t be boring at all. By that time, we¡¯ll be able to have Zhang¡¯er stay in that manor with us to perform closed-door cultivation. It¡¯d be nice.¡±


    As Ling Xingzhong offered to go to the manor to keep Ji Yin company, Ling Zhang¡¯s worry doubled, and then, when he heard that Ji Yin was going to take on some apprentices, he was somewhat astonished.


    ¡°You want to take on some apprentices, Grandfather?¡±


    Ji Yin bobbed his head. ¡°I¡¯m getting old, and I think it¡¯s about time.¡±


    Ji Yin looked very young and far from old, but if he was to take on apprentices, it would by no means be a trivial matter.


    ¡°Have you talked with the Clan Leader about your plan to take on apprentices? Does someone have to a member of the Millennium Pavilion to be your apprentice?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yin answered, ¡°For the moment it¡¯s inadvisable to let any of the kung fu skills of the Millennium Pavilion be known to the outside world, so I¡¯ll select a couple of my clansmen to be my apprentices. I think I¡¯ll be bringing my apprentices with me when I come back from the island.¡±


    This decision of Ji Yin¡¯s was a little unexpected. Ling Zhang was surprised by it but at the same time felt that this was a good thing. With those young apprentices in the manor, that place would be much less cheerless.


    ¡°Have you mentioned the matter of your plan for closed-door cultivation to Yuwen Tong?¡± Ji Yin inquired of him.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯ll have extricated myself by the time you return to this city from the sea.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then it¡¯s settled,¡± said Ji Yin. Then he added, ¡°Oh, by the way, we called you here because we want to tell you there¡¯s no need for you to worry that there¡¯ll be no going back after you enter the imperial palace. Grandfather got your back.¡±


    Feeling warm inside, Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I know.¡±


    Although Ling Xingzhong was not a consummate kung fu master as Ji Yin was, he had always been upright and outspoken, and as he had said that he¡¯d be on his grandson¡¯s side, he would do everything within his power to make sure that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be subjected to any unkind treatment.


    Both the two elders wanted Ling Zhang to marry Yuwen Tong without the worries behind.


    When he had walked out of Ling Xingzhong¡¯s courtyard house, Ling Zhang was told that Ling Zhaowen wanted to talk to him.


    Although Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words were different from the two old men¡¯s, he wanted the same thing for Ling Zhang, hoping that Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t have many misgivings after moving into the imperial palace. He promised that he would be at Ling Zhang¡¯s back and wouldn¡¯t let anybody hurt him, even if he had to give up his job.


    Ling Zhang was touched. He had just left Ling Zhaowen¡¯s courtyard house when a servant informed him that his father would like a word with him.


    This time around, Ling Zhang, before meeting his father, got a shrewd idea of what his father was going to say.


    On this day, his elders had talked to him one after another to make their stands, hoping that he would happily and relaxedly marry into the imperial family, that he would have a happy marriage.

 Chapter 401 - Before the Wedding

    Ling Zhang had thought that Ling Zhaowu would say the same thing, but the latter didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You should have Yuwen Tong cancel his sleepover in your house tonight. If there¡¯s a rule you¡¯re supposed to obey, you ought to obey it,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± answered Ling Zhang, his face burning slightly, planning to have Miao Shiba deliver a message to the palace in a few moments.


    ¡°Sit. Let¡¯s have a little father-son talk.¡±


    Ling Zhang took a seat, looking at Ling Zhaowu, who looked back at his son with mild eyes for quite a while before he began, ¡°Today I¡¯m not going to talk about any other things. After you marry Yuwen Tong, you two will be sharing both your honor and your disgrace together. I have only one hope for you, and that is you two will be by each other¡¯s side and take care of each other for the rest of your lives.


    Back at the time when I married your mother, we also swore an oath that we¡¯d live together till old and gray. Pity providence didn¡¯t give us the chance to honor it. Your mother was taken from me only a few years after she married me, but I could still remember vividly her every frown and smile. Recently I¡¯ve gone back quite often to the time you were just born. Sometimes, when I¡¯m in a daze, those happy moments of the three of us being together feel like yesterday. These two incarnations of mine strike me as an instant, but everything that happened in those days remain clear and distinct in my mind. My greatest regret is that your mother and I couldn¡¯t grow old together, but you and Yuwen Tong still have a chance to do that. I hope you two will live happily together for the rest of your lives. If you do, I¡¯ll be able to look your mother in the face in the underworld.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    After hearing Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words, Ling Zhang felt sorry for him. The deceased were gone for good, and the living tended to have to endure even more pains, especially when they used to love each other so much they couldn¡¯t bear the shortest separation. The reason why his father had gone crazy previously had also been because the death of his mother had been too heavy a blow for him, which showed how unbearable the loss of a loved one could be.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to rid myself of the regret that I failed to protect your mother, so I hope things will work out between you two. When two people are together, sometimes they quarrel, and that¡¯s especially the case with you two, considering both of you are men. There will inevitably be moments when your temper fray, and you lose your cool or even go berserk, but on no account should you impulsively hurt each other¡¯s feelings. The right thing to do is show more patience, figure out a way to calm down and try to understand each other. It takes only a bad choice of words to hurt your lover badly, because you have an intimate knowledge of where the softest and most sensitive part of your lover is.


    Yuwen Tong is several years your senior. He¡¯s well informed, resourceful and poised. All this time he¡¯s been quite protective of you. Everything you¡¯ve been through so far, he¡¯s been through the same. Even when you¡¯re in a mood, he could quickly fathom out why you¡¯re mad, and he knows how to dissolve your anger with patience and tolerance and wouldn¡¯t let a minor discord sour your relations, which is something you should feel lucky to have. However, the Great Wen has just been built, so after you marry him, you¡¯ll have to face a lot of problems, and there will be an endless list of things you¡¯ll have to deal with in the next one or two years: things you¡¯ll have to learn, things you¡¯ll have to do, pressure from inside and outside the imperial court, affairs in the imperial harem, etc. You¡¯ll find yourself overwhelmed by all those things, which will make you feel drained and irascible. When that happens, it¡¯ll be a test to see if what you two have is firm enough. I hope you two will be able to tough it out. The key is to have faith in each other.


    By the way, I¡¯ll be staying in the capital city for the next half a year. You may talk to me when you encounter any difficulties. I¡¯ll do what I can to help you out.¡±


    Ling Zhang heard Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words very clearly and knew that his father meant every word he said. He was also aware of what kind of issues he and Yuwen Tong would have to face after their wedding. ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯ll bear your words in mind.¡±


    ¡°You said that you¡¯ll be in this city for the next half a year. Are you going anywhere next summer?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Shengzhou to look up your uncle and set up a Chamber of Commerce,¡± answered Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang was amazed. ¡°A Chamber of Commerce? Why do you want to establish a Chamber of Commerce in Shengzhou?¡±


    ¡°Shengzhou is a border city bordering the Wan Kingdom. To the north of it is Youzhou, and further north the Luohai Kingdom. In fact the most ideal location is a city on the borders of the three countries. Pity such a city doesn¡¯t exist, what with the Sanguan Mountains. If you are to build a business empire and an underground intelligence network covering the three countries, a Chamber of Commerce would be a must. It¡¯ll make it more convenient for us to open markets in the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. Furthermore, a Chamber of Commerce would make a perfect smokescreen. On the surface, members of a Chamber of Commerce are from various forces, but in fact, as long as those forces are secretly united, the Chamber of Commerce will actually be in our hands, and it won¡¯t arouse anybody¡¯s suspicions.¡±


    Ling Zhang caught on to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s explanation. It seemed that his father had to pay a visit to Shengzhou. After all, it¡¯d take quite some time to establish a Chamber of Commerce. The sooner his father went there to get started, the sooner he would start to benefit from the trading network certered around the Chamber of Commerce.


    But it would, without doubt, cost a lot of money. Without enough money to pave the way, it¡¯d be much more difficult to set up a Chamber of Commerce. Ling Zhang immediately thought of his trousseaus, beginning to consider how to convert them into money after the wedding so that his father could put it to good use.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er?¡±


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Father?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? You look so absorbed in thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about money.¡±


    ¡°Money?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was confused for merely a brief moment before he came to understand what his son meant. ¡°There¡¯s no rush to prepare money. I have an idea how to solve that issue.¡±


    ¡°I still have some money, which, coupled with my trousseaus, should be enough,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Ling Zhaowu was not in a hurry to discuss this matter. He preferred not to use Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseaus unless he really had to. ¡°We may talk about these things after your wedding. There¡¯s still half a year for us to make preparations. We may take our time.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Incidentally, did you mention this to my paternal grandfather?¡±


    ¡°I did. Your uncle will go to Shengzhou to take office right after your and Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding. Your aunt will be staying here. I¡¯ll depart for Shengzhou around the time their baby is born next year, and I can conveniently bring them to Shengzhou to be reunited with your uncle. As regards our family, your paternal grandfather said that he wanted to move into your maternal grandfather¡¯s manor so that the two of them could keep each other company. Mr. Mu will stay in this city, and he¡¯ll move into that manor as well. Everybody has a place to go to.¡±


    This meant that after half a year, there would be barely anybody staying in the Ling Mansion. For a few moments, Ling Zhang was at a loss for words.


    Right now the whole family were in the same residence enjoying the sweetness of family life, so it really disheartened Ling Zhang somewhat to learn that they would have to go their separate ways in half a year.


    ¡­


    In the imperial palace.


    Miao Shiba delivered a message to the palace. Yuwen Tong, after being informed, furrowed his brows slightly.


    As a matter of fact, the word of warning from the Ling family was not the only that he had received. Yao Yi and some others had also reminded him in a roundabout that it was inappropriate for him to go to the Ling Mansion on this night, that it¡¯d be more auspicious if he waited until the next day to meet Ling Zhang.


    The very thought of sleeping alone this night made Yuwen Tong feel rather frustrated, but he had no choice but to put up with it.


    The imperial palace, decorated with red silk everywhere, was beautiful and uproarious.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s wedding robes had been sent to the Ling Mansion some time ago, leaving Yuwen Tong¡¯s in the Infinite Fortune Palace alone.


    ¡°Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke said they wanted to train the troops. How did it go?¡±


    Yuwen Tong asked Yao Yi about it. The next day Yuwen Tong would personally go out of the palace to pick up Ling Zhang in the Ling Mansion, and a thousand crack soldiers of the North-western Army would be the guard of honor. Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke, two of Yuwen Tong¡¯s most trusted generals, would go with him. In order to do Yuwen Tong proud on the wedding day, the two of them had been training the one thousand crack troops for quite some time.


    ¡°Tell them to go easy on the soldiers. I don¡¯t want them to exhaust their men. They need to save some strength for tomorrow.¡±


    On hearing this, Yao Yi immediately replied, ¡°The one thousand soldiers are fully prepared. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What about Jiang Xi¡¯s and Jiang Ke¡¯s robes? Tell them to make themselves presentable lest they be an embarrassment to me.¡±


    Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke were military officers, and their taste in clothes struck Yuwen Tong as rather poor, which was why Yuwen Tong was worried that they¡¯d fail to make themselves presentable the next day.


    After hearing this, Yao Yi hastily undertook that he would deliver the message to the two generals.


    ¡°Have the Ministry of Rites got everything ready? If anything goes awry tomorrow, I¡¯ll wring their necks with my bare hands.¡±


    For an instant Yao Yi was concerned about the neck of Yuwen Feng, the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation). Then he said, ¡°Rest assured, Sire, everything is in readiness.¡±


    ¡°What about the palace? I feel that the decoration in the Taiqing Palace is not gorgeous enough. Get some red silk over those railings at the front gates.¡±


    Yao Yi, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Sire, the last time Childe Ling came to the palace, he said that we must not get red silk all over this place, because it would dazzle him, so there shouldn¡¯t be any red silk on the railings. How about I have some men scatter some petals there tomorrow?¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept silent for a few moments, attentively picturing what it would like to have petals all over the ground, seriously considering the feasibility of the suggestion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with petals.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Yao Yi immediately answered, preparing to instruct some men to start looking for suitable flowers in a few moments, pick them early the next morning and then scatter the petals over the ground. As for how great a disaster it would be for the flowers in the palace, Yao Yi didn¡¯t take it into consideration at all. Even the idea of scattering petals was from a subordinate of his. At that time he hadn¡¯t taken the advice, but now it turned out to be quite helpful, which surprised him.


    However, scattering petals at the front gates of the Taiqing Palace wouldn¡¯t be impressive enough. He felt that they needed to do the same thing in the Infinite Fortune Palace and the imperial garden as well.


    Ling Zhang, who was still in the Ling Mansion, was unaware of what kind of plan the master and servant in the palace had come up with, and he certainly didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d be in a shower of petals the next day. Otherwise he would definitely rush into the palace to have them drop the idea.


    ¡°Sire, apart from this, is there anything else you want done?¡± asked Yao Yi after writing down the requirements Yuwen Tong laid down one by one.


    Yuwen Tong flicked him a glance. ¡°That¡¯ll be all for the moment. You may leave.¡±


    Yao Yi readily took his leave immediately.


    This was merely a man who was having a tantrum because he couldn¡¯t sleep with his lover in his arms for one night. If he stayed any longer, Yuwen Tong might give him some other weird instructions, which would increase his workload considerably.


    Yuwen Tong knew his subordinate was secretly complaining about him, but he didn¡¯t mind. Right now the only thing he was thinking about was how Ling Zhang was doing with the preparations. The next day was their wedding day, and he wondered whether or not Ling Zhang would be too happy to be able to sleep on this night. Yuwen Tong believed that he himself was bound to have a sleepless night.


    ¡°Yao Yi!¡±


    On hearing Yuwen Tong call his name from behind, Yao Yi, who had only walked a short distance away, came to a halt, the corners of his mouth twitching, and with that he hastened to pivot around and doubled back.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you, Sire?¡±


    ¡°Will Brother Zhang be riding Snowflake tomorrow? Where¡¯s North Wind? I haven¡¯t seen him for some time. Get him out of the stable immediately. I want him well groomed.¡±


    Yao Yi was amazed. ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hurry!¡±

 Chapter 402 - Pre-Wedding Jitters

    North Wind was just a horse, and when Yuwen Tong drew him out of the stable and started grooming him vigorously, he was in utter confusion, wondering what had got into his master. As the emperor¡¯s steed, he was held in great honor, and nobody dared trifle with him. Every day he was fed the best fodder and well groomed, and he could walk out of the stable an imposing good horse and do his master proud at any moment. It was totally unnecessary to groom him.


    As a result, he gave a loud snort to express his displeasure, and he would¡¯ve rolled his eyes upwards if he could.


    ¡°Tomorrow you and I are going to go out there and escort Brother Zhang back here. We must not lose face, so I need you to brace up and be at your best.¡±


    While grooming North Wind, Yuwen Tong was exhorting him to be on his best behavior the next day and not to make him lose face.


    Irritated beyond endurance, North Wind tried to kick Yuwen Tong. As the king of all horses in the Great Wen, he didn¡¯t need anybody to lecture him. Didn¡¯t his master feel that his constant chatter was rendering him far removed from his usual image of a commanding and badass master?


    North Wind was exasperated at his master¡¯s failure to live up to his expectations, but Yuwen Tong patted his horse butt and said, ¡°If you dare embarrass me tomorrow, I¡¯ll lock you up with a herd of female horses and let you do some serious exercise.¡±


    North Wind, ¡°¡­¡±


    If he were able to speak, he would no doubt tell his master off.


    ¡­


    After cleaning North Wind, Yuwen Tong took an inspection tour around the Infinite Fortune Palace and the imperial garden, checking every corner of them, muttering about details of the decoration that struck him as not good enough. The eunuchs following in his wake were in such horror that their backs were covered with cold sweat.


    Eventually Yao Yi explained that all these arrangements had been made by Ling Zhang before he left the palace.


    On hearing that it¡¯d been Ling Zhang who¡¯d made these arrangements, Yuwen Tong made no more comments, though still poker-faced.


    Seeing he finally shut up, Yao Yi and the others were all secretly relieved. Just now Yuwen Tong had been so picky about the decorations as though he was going to get rid of them and have the artisans do it all over again. Given that the wedding ceremony was right the next day, how were they supposed to finish it on time?


    Yao Yi could also tell that this was not about the quality of the decoration at all. Their emperor was probably stressing out as well due to the wedding ceremony the next day.


    ¡°Sire, if you do miss Childe Ling very much, how about we sneak out and pay him a visit?¡±


    Yao Yi ventured a suggestion. It struck him that apart from being nervous, Yuwen Tong was also frustrated at the fact that he couldn¡¯t see Ling Zhang this night, and Ling Zhang was the only one who could dissolve these negative emotions of his. Although by convention the two of them were not supposed to see each other the day before the wedding day, the rules were not really unchangeable, as long as nobody found out.


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong came to a halt. It was a long moment before he said, ¡°We stick to the rules.¡±


    He decided to respect and honor the long-standing rules and not to visit the Ling Mansion this night, despite his craving to see Ling Zhang right away. He wanted to look at him, to share with him his nervousness and excitement the day before their wedding day, to watch the hustle of everybody making preparations for their wedding, running around with bright red satin, their faces etched with delight owing to the upcoming imperial wedding. Those scenes were like blessings. The next day was the biggest day of their lives. He wanted to watch it approaching bit by bit until the selected auspicious hour of the next day, but intense as his yearning was, he managed to subdue it. It was a convention that a would-be couple should not see each other on the eve of the wedding. Some people believed that it was because such conduct was inauspicious. Previously Yuwen Tong had never taken any of these seriously, but this time around things were different. He would force himself to obey this rule. He must get his wedding an auspicious start. Under no circumstances would he allow anything bad to show up between him and Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi noticed the sign of an inward struggle flash across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes during his silence. ¡°Please forgive me for being a busybody, Sire.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hall to take a look.¡±


    Yuwen Tong made towards the great hall. The next day a sacrificial ceremony would be held at the highest platform in front of the hall to offer sacrifice to the gods. At this moment the place was heavily guarded. Staff members of the Ministry of Rites were checking the arrangements again and again. On his arrival, Yuwen Tong saw those decorations immediately and with that transports of rapture surged inside him in spite of himself, the image of Ling Zhang in scarlet wedding robes in the imperial bedchamber on that day reappearing in his mind. The next day, wearing the same red wedding robes, Ling Zhang would be standing there by his side. Together, they would offer sacrifice to the gods before they were officially pronounced husband and wife who were going to share joys and sorrows and live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss.


    ¡°Sire?¡±


    Seeing Yuwen Tong staring vacantly in that direction, Yao Yi couldn¡¯t help but call him. On this day, first Yuwen Tong had acted tensely and fretfully, and now he was in a daze. As the captain of Yuwen Tong¡¯s personal bodyguards, Yao Yi had never seen Yuwen Tong conduct himself so uncharacteristically before, and the reason for all this was the wedding ceremony the next day. Having been serving Yuwen Tong all along, Yao Yi better than anybody knew how strong the bond between Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang was. He was fully aware that Ling Zhang meant everything to Yuwen Tong, that nothing must go wrong at the wedding. As the captain of imperial guards, Yao Yi was very happy to see Yuwen Tong find a marriage partner like Ling Zhang, but sometimes he involuntarily feared that there might be a disaster if one day something did happen to Ling Zhang, considering Yuwen Tong¡¯s deep affection for Ling Zhang. However, Yao Yi could do nothing but keep telling himself that he must do everything within his power to protect the two of them, especially Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong, who was brought back to his senses by Yao Yi¡¯s voice, didn¡¯t continue walking forward. He earnestly watched for a while and then pivoted around and left. He himself also knew that on this particular day he was being a little irritable and having difficulty cooling down, which was quite uncharacteristic of him. As a marshal who had hundreds of thousands of troops under his command and had fought so many fights, Yuwen Tong had long since developed the ability to retain his composure in the face of all kinds of situations, no matter how dire they were, but evidently he was really losing his cool on this day which felt like a year.


    If possible, Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t hesitate for a split instant to have the next day arrive sooner.


    ¡­


    While Yuwen Tong in the palace was willing the next day to come sooner, Ling Zhang was thinking about the same thing, and he was just as impatient and expectant as Yuwen Tong was.


    When he had left Ling Zhaowu¡¯s courtyard house and was looking up into the sky, he wondered why this way felt so much longer than any of the previous ones, why the daytime was still not over after such a long time, and how much longer it would take for night to fall.


    However, no matter how hard they willed the time to go faster, the sun in the sky was still edging westwards bit by bit, not moving any quicker than usual at all.


    ¡°Childe Ling.¡±


    When Ling Zhang was impatiently gazing into the sky in the corridor, Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi showed up together.


    The two of them were staying in the Ling Mansion for the time being. The next day they would accompany Ling Zhang to the palace as his advisers.


    The two of them had come here to talk to Ling Zhang about the matter of supervisors. Ji Yin had transferred many stores to Ling Zhang, many of which were quite famous. Each of them had a history of at least over ten years, and the most prestigious one had been there for more than a century. They were distributed throughout the country. All these were private property of Ji Yin, the Prime Elder of the Millennium Pavilion. Some of them had been given to him by the clan after he was made the Prime Elder. Some others had been purchased by him along with the whole chains of stores after he left the Sanguan Mountains, which had cost quite a fortune. Anyway, Ji Yin had personally worked on the management modes of them, and now he had given all of them to Ling Zhang to be his trousseaus. Actually it was unnecessary for the managers and supervisors of these stores to come to the capital city, and simply adding them to the list of trousseaus would be enough, but Ji Yin on a whim had had all of them come to this city, made arrangements for them to follow the two advisers at the ceremony and accompany Ling Zhang to the palace to add to the pomp.


    After being informed of this, Ling Zhang hastened to meet those general storekeepers. At the sight of them, he was amazed. There were over a hundred of them. How impressive it would be to have so many people in the wake of his advisers? No, it wouldn¡¯t be just impressive ¨C it¡¯d be startling. Ling Zhang hurriedly went to confer with Ji Yin, trying to dissuade him from doing this, but the latter disagreed, insistent on including these people in the team.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to make compromises, allowing twenty of the over a hundred people to act as representatives. All these people were of high prestige in the cities where their stores were located, so the weight they lent to Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser team would be enough. As for a team of a hundred men, Ling Zhang really believed that was needless.


    Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi had orders from Ling Zhang to deal with these people and make arrangements for them to do what they were supposed to do the next day. Now the two of them had returned to report on the completion of the task.


    ¡°All arrangements for the twenty general storekeepers to participate in the ceremony have been made.¡±


    Jiang Yu gave Ling Zhang a minute account of the twenty men¡¯s case. After being promptly informed of the existence of the storekeepers, Ling Zhang had done a general background check on them, especially these twenty of them.


    ¡°Master Ling said he¡¯d talk to the rest of them. Right now he¡¯s talking with those storekeepers about the stores in various cities.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. It would do some good for his father to handle this matter, because he would include these stores as part of their plan if possible.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of the account books. As there are too many of them, I classified them into several categories. You and His Majesty may spare some time to take a look at them after your wedding.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi was responsible for sorting the account books. Though not as interested in commerce as Zhao Turui was, he also had some acquaintance with this kind of things, so it was within his power to separate account books into groups. Besides, after he came to know about the current situation, especially detailed information about Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseaus, Zhao Jiusi had been in a state of shock all along, because the truth was really very different from people¡¯s speculations. Most people believed that the Ling family¡¯s household finances were just average, that they wouldn¡¯t be able to provide Ling Zhang with many trousseaus. They definitely had no idea how astounding Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseaus were. The next day, the part of the trousseaus, including those general storekeepers, which would be going with the team would only be the part that the Ling family wanted people to see. Those on the list of the trousseaus, which wouldn¡¯t be made public, were the really shocking part. If information about those things was disclosed, it would undoubtedly send everybody dumbstruck.


    Zhao Jiusi had made some inquiries about the real identity of Ji Yin. After all, he was now Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser, and it was part of his duty to ascertain this kind of things, but he and Jiang Yu had both failed to find out anything about who Ji Yin or that mysterious clan leader really was. After that, Zhao Jiusi had come to realize that Ling Zhang¡¯s maternal grandfather was by no means just a member of some Jianghu sect, that the identities of the two of them were definitely far more mysterious than that, which was why even people around them were kept in the dark about it. As far as they knew, nobody in the Ling family knew about the real identities of Ji Yin and that mysterious clan leader, except for the couple of main members of the Ling family and the emperor.


    Zhao Jiusi was faintly depressed. He wanted to gain Ling Zhang¡¯s trust, be privy to these things and have a part to play in them, but clearly he was not there yet. Jiang Yu, however, was much calmer than him and told him to show patience.

 Chapter 403 - The Imperial Wedding (1)

    Ling Zhang, after running an eye over the account books delivered to him by Zhao Jiusi, had a general idea of how things stood.


    ¡°You two must be tired doing all this. You may call it a day and go back to rest up, recharge and prepare yourselves for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi answered. After taking their leave, they didn¡¯t go back to rest immediately. Instead, they double-checked the things that they were supposed to bring with them the next day in the task of accompanying their master to the palace. As Ling Zhang¡¯s advisers, they knew very well what they should put first. Also, the next day they would officially make their first public appearance as Ling Zhang¡¯s advisers, and they couldn¡¯t afford to let anything go wrong.


    The whole residence was immersed in excited anticipation. After night fell, oil lamps were lighted everywhere. Ling Zhang had dinner with his family, who then shooed him back to his own courtyard house, exhorting him to rest up and get ready to be a bride the next day.


    As Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t come to keep him company this night, in order to keep from thinking too much and being eluded by sleep, Ling Zhang brought Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong back to his courtyard house and then washed Whitie the fox clean. The two kids and the little white fox, after the bath, ran into the bedroom, jumped onto Ling Zhang¡¯s bed all at once and started roughhousing boisterously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull Whitie¡¯s tail, Maomao. Keep an eye on Cong. Don¡¯t let him fall off the bed.¡±


    Ling Zhang was all sweaty after bathing the three of them. He gave Ling Maomao a word of warning and then went to bathe himself.


    When he had returned, he saw that the two little boys were whispering about something on the bed, snickering so hard that their shoulders were shaking.


    The chirping and laughter of the boys lent an air of ease to the scene, and Ling Zhang¡¯s mood also lightened in spite of himself. He walked to the bedside, gave Ling Maomao a pat on the butt and then pushed him inside to make some room. ¡°What are you two talking about that fascinates you so deeply? You were within an inch of falling off the bed. Do you think your butt is fat enough to spare you the pain?¡±


    Ling Maomao gave his butt a stroke and replied, ¡°I¡¯m telling Cong something about the imperial palace.¡±


    So they were talking about the imperial palace yet again. These two little boys had great curiosity and had been meaning to go to the palace for an adventure all this time.


    Ling Zhang also got into bed, moved the two boys to the depths of the bed, grabbed Whitie who had just jumped onto him, put it down beside the pillow, and then said, ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°That there¡¯s a huge imperial garden in the palace and there will be a lot of lighted lanterns in it tomorrow night. Big Brother, are they really going to light a lot of lanterns in there tomorrow?¡±


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong both looked at Ling Zhang with gleaming eyes. Because of the expectant expressions in their eyes alone, even if there hadn¡¯t been a lantern show scheduled for the next night in the imperial garden, Ling Zhang would have the eunuchs make it happen.


    ¡°Yeah. The whole imperial garden is decked out in lanterns of every description. You two should have a good night¡¯s sleep tonight. Tomorrow you¡¯ll see them.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong let out a cheer in excitement and said to Ling Maomao, ¡°Brother Maomao, can we play hide-and-seek tomorrow night?¡±


    Playing hide-and-seek at night? Face falling, Ling Zhang looked at Ling Maomao. ¡°What are you planning on doing? Why is Cong talking about playing hide-and-seek?¡±


    Ling Maomao was taken aback by the serious look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. With a guilty expression, he replied, ¡°Nothing. We¡¯re not going to play hide-and-seek.¡±


    ¡°But Brother Maomao, you promised me you¡¯d play hide-and-seek with me. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong looked accusingly at Ling Maomao, an injured expression in his eyes.


    Ling Maomao was in over his head. Looking from Ji Xiaocong¡¯s reproving eyes and Ling Zhang¡¯s darkening face, he got so anxious that he almost broke out in a sweat. After a brief moment, he hastily explained, ¡°It¡¯s during daytime that we¡¯ll play hide-and-seek. We can¡¯t do it at night, because we might get lost. Also, it¡¯s very dark at night, and there¡¯ll be scary things wandering around.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it during the day either. Tomorrow you two must stay close to your elders. You are not to go anywhere without permission. If you two wander off tomorrow and I find out, I¡¯ll spank you both.¡±


    Ling Zhang put on a stern face. The next day both the Ling Mansion and the palace would be seething with people, and the adults might not be able to keep an eye on these two little boys all the time, so he had to warn them to behave themselves.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were both startled, not daring to speak.


    ¡°Do you still want to go to the palace to stay for a few days?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to behave yourselves tomorrow. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± the two boys obediently replied in unison.


    For fear that Ling Zhang would get angry again, the two little boys repeatedly promised that they wouldn¡¯t run around or play hide-and-seek the next day.


    The two boys appeared meek and faintly disappointed but didn¡¯t dare air their grievances. Seeing this, Ling Zhang inwardly snickered in spite of himself. Then he lectured the boys for another few moments. It was not until he believed they indeed wouldn¡¯t dare misbehave that his face softened. ¡°If you two behave yourselves tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring you to the palace in a couple of days, and you¡¯ll be allowed to play all the games you want there.¡±


    It was only then that Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong happily smiled. Before long, the two of them burrowed down beneath the quilt again, laughing and jesting, taking up more than half of Ling Zhang¡¯s bed.


    Ling Zhang tucked them in. The warm days had turned cooler and it was a little cold at night. People could easily catch cold in this kind of weather if they were not careful enough.


    After that, he himself also lay down, but he didn¡¯t tell the boys to stop whispering. Hearing their words and occasional chuckle, Ling Zhang also put his mind at ease. After some time, he gradually drifted off, presumably sooner than the two boys did.


    Ling Maomao, after finding that his big brother had fallen asleep, quietly motioned for Ji Xiaocong to stop speaking. The latter gave a yawn, reached out a hand to hold the hem of Ling Maomao¡¯s clothes, rubbed his face against the pillow and then fell asleep as well after a few moments. Ling Maomao scooped Whitie off the pillow and into his embrace. Whitie struggled for a while, but instead of wriggling free, he let Ling Maomao hold him, maybe because he didn¡¯t want to wake Ling Zhang up.


    After the room quieted down, Miao Shiba, who was on guard duty outside the doors, delivered a message to a contact in the palace.


    Yuwen Tong in the palace was still awake. He was lying on a rooftop when the message from outside the palace was delivered to him. After hearing that Ling Zhang had fallen asleep, he muttered with a little sigh, ¡°I¡¯m lying here too anxious to sleep, but he is sleeping like a baby.¡±


    While saying this, he dissolved into chuckle, his affectionate eyes reflecting the starry sky, softening the sharp contours of his handsome face significantly.


    The next day being his wedding day, both his mind and his body were in a state of feverish excitement. The very thought of the next day thrilled him. He¡¯d been lying on the rooftop staring at the night sky for quite a while. After hearing that Ling Zhang had fallen asleep, he gradually cooled down, rose to his feet, leaped off the roof, lightly landed on the ground and entered the imperial bedchamber.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, Ling Zhang was woken up before daybreak.


    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s time to get up.¡±


    Having just awoken, he was still a little sleepy. After a while, his mind cleared and he was very surprised that he had slept right through the night. It¡¯d been quite a good night¡¯s sleep. The two little boys were still in bed asleep, snoring faintly. Ji Xiaocong had a smell of milk about him. His hand which had originally been holding the hem of Ling Maomao¡¯s clothes was now gripping the breast of them, his cheeks florid with sleep. Whitie had freed himself from Ling Maomao¡¯s embrace some time before and curled up into a ball in a corner of the bed. When Ling Zhang woke up, the fox vigilantly opened his jet-black liquid eyes, which roved around and then flashed at the vague figure of the person outside who had just called Ling Zhang.


    After waking up, Ling Zhang recalled the event scheduled for this day and his heart gave a horrible jolt before it started to hammer. This was the official day of the wedding. It turned out that when the time really came, he was indeed very very nervous. It was a long moment before he jerked out of his trance and hastened to sit up with the intention to get up, but the next moment he slowed down and quietly got out of bed.


    When Ling Zhang had got out of bed, Whitie rose to his feet, walked out of the corner, instantly leaped onto Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and let out a cry.


    Ling Zhang raised his hand and gave the little fox a stroke. As he felt Whitie¡¯s body heat and heartbeat, the transports of delight slowly ebbed away, his face growing composed. He walked outside and lit the candles in the house. Dawn hadn¡¯t broken yet, and the house was still quite dark, which made it difficult for him to see things clearly without candlelight.


    Standing in front of a mirror, Ling Zhang looked into it at himself, but it was Yuwen Tong in the palace that he was thinking about. There were even more rules in the palace, so Yuwen Tong definitely had got up already. Ling Zhang wondered what kind of mood Yuwen Tong was in at this moment, and whether or not he had washed and finished dressing himself. The more he thought about it, the more anxious to see Yuwen Tong he was, the look in his eyes changing spontaneously. Before he knew it, he lowered his head and dissolved into chuckle. Happy smile could even be seen at the corners of his eyes and the tips of his brows.


    He was still wearing white underclothing, his hair loose, standing in front of the mirror, a smile on his face, the oil lamps in the house shedding a soft glow over him. His smile was so charming that even Whitie the fox was dazzled by the beauty of it. After a few moments, Whitie raised a chubby paw and tapped Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek, presumably trying to jog him back to his senses.


    It was not until Ling Zhang was pulled back to the present by Whitie¡¯s paw and looked at the mirror that he came to realize that he¡¯d been standing and smiling in front of the mirror for quite a long time. Then he noticed that smile and with that his face burned somewhat. He hastened to walk away from the mirror with Whitie on his shoulder, carelessly tied his hair up and went to take a bath.


    When he had finished his bath and walked out, a lot of people had come, standing in the house. Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen had both arrived. The two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, had been scooped out of the bed and were now being helped wash and change.


    ¡°Father, Uncle Zhaowen.¡± At the sight of the two elders of his, Ling Zhang came to know that he probably should¡¯ve got up a little earlier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s still plenty of time,¡± said Ling Zhaowen with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to change clothes, Young Master.¡±


    Xia Feng walked over with a couple of men, offering to comb Ling Zhang¡¯s hair and help him change clothes.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, sat down in front of the mirror and then let someone else comb his hair. The one responsible for combing his hair was a staff member of the Ministry of Rites, who was singing a particular song of benediction while combing Ling Zhang¡¯s hair in a gentle, neat and unhurried manner.


    Royal scarlet decorations and brightly burning candles could be seen everywhere in the house.


    At first Ling Zhang was a little uneasy, but gradually his mind wandered into the palace. Wondering whether or not Yuwen Tong was going through the same thing, he couldn¡¯t help but smile again. He himself didn realize it, but the others noticed, who exchanged glances and then smiled knowingly.


    After combing his hair, the official tied it up and helped Ling Zhang put on the headwear. The next step was to change into the robes.


    One by one, Ling Zhang put on the scarlet wedding robes that he¡¯d tried on in the imperial bedchamber of the Infinite Fortune Palace on that day.


    Ling Zhang still remembered how Yuwen Tong had helped him change into them, as well as all Yuwen Tong¡¯s reactions after that. As he recalled this, smile appeared at the corners of his eyes and the tips of his brows once again despite his efforts to stifle it. He knew that everybody present was looking at him, but he just couldn¡¯t help it, so he had to slightly hang his head, delight sweeping over him in waves uncontrollably.


    Seeing his nephew¡¯s countenance, Ling Zhaowen gently nudged Ling Zhaowu, a sentimentally gratified expression appearing on his face.

 Chapter 404 - The Imperial Wedding (2)

    Ling Zhaowen, who was inwardly sighing for recollection and at the same time feeling happy for Ling Zhang, couldn¡¯t help but nudge Ling Zhaowu and breathe, ¡°Seeing Zhang¡¯er smiling, I feel some contentment as well. What about you, Big Brother?¡±


    ¡°If he smiles like this every day, nothing would stop me feeling content, and his mother would be gratified too.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at his son, his eyes full of fatherly love. On this day, his son¡¯s wedding day, there were a lot of words he wanted to say to his deceased wife, and he had said all of them inwardly. The greatest wish of Ling Zhaowu, a man who had been through a rebirth, was that his son would have this kind of smile on his face every day for the rest of his life. If anybody tried to take this smile away from his son, he would ruthlessly destroy them.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s robes were the most formal and also the hardest to put on. It took him a lot of time to change into them, but Ling Zhang himself was unaware of it, because he was immersed in his memories of what had happened in the Infinite Fortune Palace that day, including how Yuwen Tong had looked in his wedding robes.


    The two boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, had been excitedly watching on the side since they¡¯d been dressed. Seeing Ling Zhang smiling constantly, the two of them snickered with their hands over their mouths, casting Ling Zhang occasional glances. The two kids were clothed very festively, bearing a striking similarity to the two boys in a New Year picture, one of them taller than the other, both quite good-looking.


    Ling Zhang had originally been absorbed in his reminiscences, and it was not until he accidentally glimpsed the two boys who were sneaking glances at him and snickering that he hastily pulled himself back to the present only to find that everybody else present was doing the same thing, including his father and uncle. His face instantly started burning.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. Today is your wedding day, and everything is supposed to be festive, so smile whenever you feel like it.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen even bantered with his nephew. The moment he finished speaking, everybody else in the house burst into laughter, filling the house with joy.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face had been burning all along. ¡°Uncle Zhaowen!¡±


    As the Ling family were laughing, Yuwen Tong in the palace changed into his robes with the help of a couple of eunuchs.


    As though the two of them shared some kind of telepathic bond, when Ling Zhang was looking at his wedding robes and smiling, Yuwen Tong also recalled the day when he helped Ling Zhang put on his wedding robes one by one, longing gradually filling his eyes, a fire blazing in them.


    Morning still hadn¡¯t come. Time seemed to have slowed down considerably, which struck Yuwen Tong as somewhat unbearable.


    ¡°Yao Yi, are there any messages from the Ling Mansion?¡±


    Yao Yi hurriedly walked inside, looking as if he had just rushed up to the palace from somewhere. ¡°Childe Ling has woken up. When the message was delivered here, the man said that Childe Ling had just awoken. Now I think he¡¯s probably changed clothes already.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head and studied his outfit from head to foot, turning left and right in front of a mirror to check the robes from different angles. ¡°Am I wearing these robes in the right way?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Sire. It¡¯s perfect. You look even more handsome in your wedding robes.¡±


    Yao Yi quickly answered the question and even complimented Yuwen Tong on his handsome appearance without hesitation. After all, this was his first time seeing Yuwen Tong turn left and right in front of a mirror to check how he looked. He was so astounded that even the speed of his speech was faster than usual.


    Yuwen Tong straightened his back and looked into the mirror again. It was not until he confirmed Yao Yi wasn¡¯t lying that he walked away from the mirror, looked up into the sky outside the window and furrowed his brows in displeasure. ¡°How come dawn still hasn¡¯t broken?¡±


    Yao Yi cautiously swallowed, glanced over his shoulder at the sky and replied, ¡°It¡¯ll get light soon. It takes only a short while for morning to chase away darkness.¡±


    While he was speaking, Yuwen Feng showed up, some staff members of the Ministry of Rites following in his wake. At the sight of them, Yao Yi felt a sense of relief. These people arrived just in time, for his master would stop complaining about the seemingly delayed daybreak when he was otherwise engaged.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yuwen Feng looked at Yuwen Tong and then added, ¡°Today you look exceptionally imposing and attractive, Your Majesty. Your presence overshadows that of everybody in this city.¡±


    Yuwen Tong flicked him a glance, as though finding this compliment quite pleasant to the ear, his displeasure at the tardy morning dissolving noticeably. ¡°Why did you come here with them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your cousin. How could I miss your big day? Cousin Hong and some others should also be here in a few moments.¡±


    Yuwen Feng made a reply, a smile on his face. His previously sunken cheeks were now slightly fuller, and the shadows under his eyes had dwindled considerably. He seemed to be getting more energetic by the day and finally looked like a living person now, and he¡¯d regained much of his original presence as well.


    Before long, Yuwen Hong and some others arrived at the palace as expected. Yuwen Hong, Yuwen Han, Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Jin, all four of them came. Yuwen Jin, on his arrival, excitedly walked once around Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Way to go, cousin. You look so dashing and handsome and elegant in these robes. I can guarantee you Brother Zhang won¡¯t be able to take his eyes off you once he claps eyes on you!¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows. He had tried these robes on in the presence of Ling Zhang, who had indeed been struck dumb and stared unblinkingly at him at that time.


    ¡°You look fantastic indeed. The Ling family will definitely be very satisfied when they see you,¡± Yuwen Hong also observed.


    The four cousins of Yuwen Tong¡¯s circled him again and again, sensibly complimenting him repeatedly, which gave Yuwen Tong a manifestly good mood.


    When the imperial palace began to hum with life, residents in different areas of the capital city also started to light their oil lamps. It was well before sunrise, but the whole city woke up earlier than usual and soon became animated. This was the day of the imperial wedding ceremony.


    In the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang was still in his chambers. Xia Feng, along with some servants, delivered his breakfast to him.


    ¡°Young Master, you should fill your belly first. Soon you¡¯ll be too occupied to find any time to eat.¡±


    All the breakfast foods had been specially prepared by the cooks under the supervision of Fu Caiwei who had got up very early this day.


    ¡°My aunt got up so early? How is she? Have someone deliver a message to my aunt. Tell her to rest and leave this kind of things to the others.¡±


    Ling Zhang was worried about Fu Caiwei¡¯s physical condition. She had a fairly strong constitution and Mr. Mu had been keeping an eye on her, and it hadn¡¯t really been a tough pregnancy for her, and she could even do some exercise, but Fu Caiwei was of a certain age after all, so Ling Zhang feared that getting up so early to bustle around would take a heavy toll on her.


    ¡°When I was there a while ago, Second Mistress seemed to be in a good mood, and there was a smile on her face all the time. She¡¯s accompanied by some middle-aged handmaids. If Second Mistress feels any discomfort, they¡¯ll stop her, so there¡¯s no need to worry, Young Master. Second Mistress has always seen you as her own son, and today is your wedding day, so even if you have Second Mistress go back to her room to rest, she wouldn¡¯t have complete peace of mind. You might as well let her walk around from time to time, so that she¡¯d feel more at ease.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. He really had never thought of any of these things that Xia Feng had just told him. Maybe his aunt would be happier if she could be of some help. Given the circumstances on this particular day, if he were in his aunt¡¯s shoes, he wouldn¡¯t be able to just sit and do nothing either.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve got a point. Send someone there to tell my aunt not to exhaust herself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Xia Feng answered and then instructed a servant to relay the message to Fu Caiwei.


    Since it¡¯d been Fu Caiwei who supervised the cooks preparing the breakfast, naturally all the foods were Ling Zhang¡¯s favorites, which was why he failed to restrain himself and enjoyed them to his heart¡¯s content. After realizing that he¡¯d have much fewer chances to eat meals prepared by his aunt after the wedding, he valued this breakfast even more.


    Seeing as Fu Caiwei was now pregnant, there was no doubt she would no longer be able to do any of these things in a couple of months. Also, he would soon move into the palace. After he became the empress, it would surely be inconvenient for him to leave the palace and return to the Ling Mansion on a frequent basis. On top of that, his aunt would have to move to Shengzhou after she was delivered of the baby and nursed back to health, and there was no telling when they would see each other again after that.


    Though the moment of parting hadn¡¯t arrived yet, Ling Zhang, for some inexplicable reason, felt a pang of sorrow and heartache.


    Unexplainably, Ling Zhang came to understand the scene previously described to him by someone else in which a bride and her mother wailing in each other¡¯s arms before leaving home. Although he wouldn¡¯t really cry, he could faintly feel what other brides might¡¯ve felt on their wedding days.


    Ling Zhang ate this breakfast in such a careful way as though it were something valuable, which was why he was quite full when he finished it and couldn¡¯t help but stand up with the intention to go for a walk.


    Everybody else in the residence was busy. Ling Zhang¡¯s courtyard house, however, was rid of bustle. When he was fully dressed and had finished his breakfast, the presiding official of the Ministry of Rites still hadn¡¯t arrived, because it was not the time yet. Compared with other parts of the residence which were full of hustle, this courtyard house was much quieter.


    Ling Zhang wanted to go outside to help but was stopped by Xia Feng and the others.


    ¡°Young Master, today is all about you. How could you go out there to help others at this point in time? What you should do is patiently stay here waiting for His Majesty to come and pick you up.¡±


    Waiting for Yuwen Tong to come here to pick him up? Ling Zhang looked at the color of the sky and saw that it had just begun to lighten in the east. How long would he have to wait?


    Yuwen Tong was asking the same question. He had been staring into the sky for quite some time. After what felt like a lifetime, the sky finally began to brighten, but Yuwen Feng told him that he still had to endure a long wait before the scheduled departure.


    Yuwen Tong, who had also seen the wedding plan, naturally knew that there was still a long time before the scheduled departure, but every time he stopped pacing the floor, it struck him that time was going slower than usual.


    Yuwen Feng, Yuwen Si and Yuwen Chi, was somewhat amused to see Yuwen Tong behave like this, who had always been collected and unhurried but on this particular day had been frequently looking at the color of the sky and pacing up and down in the room.


    ¡°When I was on my wedding day, I never acted so anxiously as he does,¡± Yuwen Hong told his brother and cousins.


    Except for Yuwen Jin, they had all got married and found Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction quite understandable, but on their wedding days, none of them had ever been so fidgety as Yuwen Tong was at this moment.


    ¡°Tell me about it. As far as I could tell, his mind has wandered to the Ling Mansion already, but he has to stay in this palace. He looks so anxious as though he could break out of here at any moment.¡±


    ¡°Alas. Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen him like this before. On one occasion, he¡¯d just returned to the capital city when a dispatch was delivered to him saying that something urgent came up in the borderlands. At that time all courtiers were startled, but he didn¡¯t even blink and unhurriedly returned to the borderlands, as though his countenance wouldn¡¯t change a bit even if the sky fell. Look at him now. What a striking contrast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you he has deep feelings for Ling Zhang. Previously he was indeed uninterested in this kind of stuff, but now he¡¯s in love. It¡¯s indeed true that no man can extricate himself from love once he¡¯s in it, no matter how puritanical he is. Tsk, tsk.¡±


    ¡°No hero escapes the charm of beautiful women. Haha¡­¡±


    The four of them jested about it on and on. Yuwen Feng, listening on the side, shook his head. Looking at Yuwen Tong, he inwardly sighed, amazed how dramatically a romantic relationship could change a man.

 Chapter 405 - The Imperial Wedding (3)

    Yuwen Feng sentimentally imagined how different many things would have been if his family had seen sense earlier and realized how much Ling Zhang meant to Yuwen Tong instead of making trouble for them from the very beginning. However, it was no good feeling regretful about it. He was fully aware that some people would never come around, as though they¡¯d been possessed by demons.


    This thought only stayed in his mind for an instant before Yuwen Feng dismissed it, feeling that dwelling on the past wouldn¡¯t do any good. Moreover, right now he didn¡¯t even feel like think about any of those things, so it was totally unnecessary to force himself to give them any thought.


    ¡­


    As the morning mist lifted, dawn broke. It was a cloudless, breezy day. The boisterous twittering of magpies on tree branches and the golden light from the rising sun in the east lent an air of joy to this festive day.


    Every striding figure in the Ling Mansion was oozing delight. The day of the imperial wedding that people had been anticipating for such a long time had finally come. At the selected auspicious hour, the emperor would promptly show up at the front gates of the Ling Mansion to pick up the eldest grandson of the Ling family¡¯s patriarch, the apple of the Ling family¡¯s eye.


    As the sun rose higher in the sky, the selected auspicious hour got closer and closer, and the crowd of lookers-on staring expectantly in the direction of the end of the street outside the Ling Mansion was getting larger and larger.


    Ling Zhang was sitting in his courtyard house, his twenty-four bodyguards in the gateway, Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi standing in the courtyard, the wedding officiant assigned here by the Ministry of Rites standing opposite a table. All of them were nervously waiting in anticipation, straining their ears to hear the movement outside. At this time, all other members of the Ling family had gone to the front yard, where a lot of guests close to the Ling family were present, such as Tao Feng, Tao Yi, the couple of good friends of Ling Zhang¡¯s and so on, all of whom were waiting for Yuwen Tong to arrive.


    People in the courtyard house were also waiting. Ling Zhang, whose sense of hearing was unnaturally sharp, naturally could hear the movements in the distance clearly. It was the time yet, so Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t shown up. Everybody else in the courtyard was tense. Ling Zhang, however, appeared relatively collected, but in his broad sleeves, his hands had balled into fists, unnoticeably quivering, his long, fair-skinned fingers curling up in his palms, his knuckles faintly white. He was stressed. He concealed all his tenseness beneath his sleeves. Other people couldn¡¯t see the tremble in his hands and were oblivious of the transports of emotions churning inside him.


    Sitting there, he seemed to be quite undisturbed, but actually his mind had wandered to the outside of the residence some time before, his ears cocked, listening hard to the sounds from outside, trying to differentiate between the noises to see if Yuwen Tong was coming. The harder he strained his ears, the worse his hands in his sleeves shook. Gradually his palms became sweaty. Nobody could see this. He himself was the only one aware of it.


    Seeing he was so unruffled, the presiding official from the Ministry of Rites, who was standing ahead of him on the right and unaware of how Ling Zhang actually felt, mistakenly believed that Ling Zhang was really very calm, an admiring look in his eyes.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s and Zhao Jiusi¡¯s nerves were also on edge, but when they saw that Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t nervous at all, the two of them had different reactions. The former carefully sized Ling Zhang up from head to foot, quietly trying to find out whether or not Ling Zhang was really as unhurried as he appeared. His searching gaze was not malicious. He was doing this only because Ling Zhang¡¯s reaction piqued his curiosity. Back at the time when Jiang Yu had decided to be Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser, he had told Ling Zhang that he wondered how far Ling Zhang would be able to get. At this moment, Jiang Yu was eager to know what Ling Zhang was actually thinking about. This kind of curiosity and desire for an answer hadn¡¯t been obvious in the beginning. At that time, Jiang Yu had made that decision partly because of Jiang Shennian¡¯s plan, and partly because of his own curiosity, but after having served Ling Zhang for some time, his desire for the answer had taken root in his mind without him noticing, and his eyes from time to time wandered off onto Ling Zhang in spite of himself just as they were doing at this moment.


    Zhao Jiusi¡¯s thoughts, however, were much simpler. At first he¡¯d been friends with Ling Zhang, and it¡¯d been afterward that he¡¯d become Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser. There had always been a basis of trust between him and Ling Zhang as friends. Now, as he saw that Ling Zhang looked composed and undisturbed, his immediate reaction was to trust Ling Zhang, and he admired Ling Zhang as well.


    The two of them were both quietly looking at Ling Zhang, curbing their searching gaze with their self-restraint, maintaining their respective attitudes with their sense of propriety. Neither of them stepped out of line, so Ling Zhang didn¡¯t sense their gaze.


    ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s still some time. Would you like to have something to eat? It¡¯s very likely you¡¯ll be too occupied to grab a bite for a very long time.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi was the first to break the silence in the courtyard house. The remainder of Ling Zhang¡¯s schedule was very tight, and he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find the time to eat until the wedding feast started, and the wedding feast was not really the perfect occasion to fill one¡¯s belly.


    Ling Zhang had eaten the breakfast Fu Caiwei had cooked him early in the morning, and he¡¯d eaten it all. Not hungry, he hesitated.


    ¡°You should follow the advice, Childe Ling. It¡¯s indeed very unlikely you¡¯d get another chance to eat before the wedding feast,¡± the wedding officiant of the Ministry of Rites also admonished.


    Jiang Yu glanced around him and then turned to walk into the house. Before long, he returned with the snacks and the tea set on the table in the living room, and placed them on the stone table before Ling Zhang.


    ¡°You should have a bite or two, Young Master. The tea is still warm.¡±


    Jiang Yu had taken action directly and considerately. Although Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t instructed him to do this, his conduct was not beyond the pale, and neither was he being insistent, so it naturally didn¡¯t make anybody feel uncomfortable. Ling Zhang accepted the kind offer and had a couple of cookies with tea.


    Zhao Jiusi, who had seen the whole thing, thoughtfully cast an appraising look at Jiang Yu. Recently he had perceived how competent Jiang Yu was and also noticed that Ling Zhang held Jiang Yu in increasingly high regard. A competitive man as well, at first he had felt somewhat unconvinced, but gradually he had come to realize the reason why Ling Zhang thought a lot of Jiang Yu. It struck him that Jiang Yu¡¯s sense of propriety was great, especially in the presence of Ling Zhang. Jiang Yu always made remarks and did things in a perfectly measured manner, which was an ability Zhao Jiusi believed he himself hadn¡¯t developed yet. Because of the change of Ling Zhang¡¯s identity, Zhao Jiusi still had some misgivings which made him felt hemmed in, so when he did things, he was constantly under some restrictions and didn¡¯t dare act freely. He was friends with Ling Zhang, which should¡¯ve been an advantage of his, but now Jiang Yu was outshining him. He indeed needed to work on it in this regard.


    Ling Zhang was unaware of the covert competition between Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi for the time being, and the main reason for this was that he had indeed been too busy lately and hadn¡¯t had the time to observe them. Also, Zhao Jiusi had been intentionally improving himself. Knowing his shortcomings very well, he¡¯d been trying to adjust his mentality on his own initiative. If he kept doing this and things went well, he would be able to finish the transition of his role before Ling Zhang could realize it, and nobody would be able to perceive anything about it, except for his current associate Jiang Yu.


    After having a couple of cookies and two cups of tea, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t touch anything else on the table. A moment ago he had stealthily wiped his sweaty palms dry on his sleeves without anybody noticing.


    The scheduled time of departure was drawing near. Ling Zhang withdrew his hands into his sleeves, listening to the movements outside, his countenance changing somewhat.


    A measured clatter of horses¡¯ hoofs was heard, approaching the Ling Mansion, the ground quaking slightly. Though unable to distinguish the words of people on the other side or see the scene at the front gates, Ling Zhang could tell from the clattering alone Yuwen Tong was coming.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± said the wedding officiant from the Ministry of Rites in a happy voice, looking up into the sky.


    It was time. Yuwen Tong, followed by a team of a thousand crack troops, arrived at the front gates of the Ling Mansion.


    By convention, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t have to personally come here to pick up Ling Zhang, but Yuwen Tong had insisted he come, so the Ministry of Rites had changed the wedding plan. At this time, the road in front of the Ling Mansion were packed with long ranks of cavalrymen, who were the most elite members of the North-western Army. They were in full fig, good spirits and looked quite imposing. All of them were the best of the best and each of them was worth a hundred on the battlefield, but on this day, they were here to help Yuwen Tong escort his marriage partner back to the palace, so they were all curbing their ferocious air, wearing festive, neat outfits, smile in their eyes.


    The emperor¡¯s wedding convoy came to a halt at the front gates of the Ling Mansion. Ling Xingzhong, along with other members of his family, came out to welcome the emperor.


    Yuwen Tong dismounted from his horse and with that all the cavalrymen behind him did the same thing in unison with awe-inspiring panache.


    Yuwen Tong quickly strode up to the gateway and held Ling Xingzhong¡¯s arms, stopping him from getting on his knees, sparing Ling Zhaowu and the others the formalities as well.


    ¡°Today I came here to request permission to marry your grandson, so I don¡¯t dare have you welcome me with such a high level of formality. In fact, I should pay my respects to you, considering all of you are my elders.¡±


    On this day, he was the Ling family¡¯s ¡°son-in-law¡±, not the emperor.


    Ling Xingzhong chuckled. Other members of the Ling family also smiled a joyous smile.


    The wedding officiant of the Ministry of Rites hastened up to them to make arrangements for all people involved to do what they were supposed to do. When it came to escorting the bride, there were also certain rules.


    A band started playing jubilant music. The red silk hanging from the lintel of the front gates was radiant with gaiety and particularly adorable. The satin fluttering in the breeze, like the chirp of magpies, lifted the spirit of everybody whose eyes beheld it.


    Hearing the sounds from the front gates, Ling Zhang in the courtyard house clenched his fists tighter, the feverish excitement inside him on the verge of bursting its boundaries. He could barely sense anything except for the uproar from the front gates, and as the growing commotions moved closer in his direction continuously, he had no room in his head to think about anything other than those sounds and the person whom he¡¯d been eagerly looking forward to seeing emerge through the gates.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± reported Wang Dashan, trotting into the courtyard.


    The wedding officiant hastened up to the gateway, ready to welcome the emperor. Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi followed him.


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet, gazing fixedly in the direction of the gateway, waiting for his lover to show up.


    The jubilant music was quite joyful and occasionally mixed with children¡¯s cheerful and excited laughter. Step by step, the tumultuous crowd approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Majesty,¡± chorused the wedding officiant, Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi, respectfully sinking to their knees.


    ¡°You may rise,¡± said Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice.


    Ling Zhang stared unblinkingly at the gateway, motionless. After a short while, a small part of the hem of robes appeared first and soon grew into a handsome man of great presence, whose face was very familiar. At the sight of him, Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was packed with the image of this person, his eyes unable to move or see anybody but Yuwen Tong.

 Chapter 406 - The Imperial Wedding (4)

    The moment Yuwen Tong walked into the courtyard and sighted Ling Zhang, all his unease and anxiety slowly ebbed away, tension consuming him like never before. As though everything and everybody else around him had suddenly disappeared, he could only see the person opposite him, who, wearing the wedding robes he¡¯d tried on the other day, was standing in sunlight, every inch of the robes so becoming and so enthralling as though the beauty of them were bewitching his heart and mind.


    Ling Zhang quietly stood still where he was, watching Yuwen Tong making towards him, also unable to see anybody else.


    Yuwen Tong walked closer to Ling Zhang step by step. As he saw that Ling Zhang was gazing squarely at him with only his reflection in his eyes, his mind was occupied by the thought that the whole being of this person in front of him belonged to him now, his heart hammering madly, its every beat making his eardrums throb. He could feel his heart pounding more violently with every step he took towards Ling Zhang, as if only by walking up to Ling Zhang would he be redeemed.


    The morning breeze lifted the hem of Ling Zhang¡¯s scarlet wedding robes, which were fluttering. The red silk ribbons attached to Ling Zhang¡¯s headwear were flying, entrancing Yuwen Tong further with their every flutter. Such was the beauty of Ling Zhang on this day that Yuwen Tong was entranced. Although he had once seen Ling Zhang in these robes, he was still fascinated at this moment. This kind of beauty was a combination of masculinity and femininity. Yuwen Tong had never seen this side of Ling Zhang before, so impressed by his charm that he involuntarily held his breath, but his heart was racing faster with every beat.


    Likewise, in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Yuwen Tong looked so handsome on this day that he was unable to bring himself back to his senses for quite a while. The two of them clearly had tried on their wedding robes in the imperial bedchamber the other day, and they¡¯d known beforehand how they looked in their wedding robes, but they felt that on this day something was different, that the visual stimuli were exceptionally intense. On that day Ling Zhang had stared unblinkingly at Yuwen Tong because the latter had looked so handsome in the wedding robes that he¡¯d been unable to take his eyes off him, but on this day, apart from handsomeness, there was also something else about Yuwen Tong, something that even Ling Zhang himself found inexplicable, something that was making his heartbeat quicken. If he was to describe it with words, he would say it was probably destiny.


    The destiny that had brought him and Yuwen Tong together.


    His father had once told him that in his last incarnation, although Yuwen Tong had never met him, and the two of them had never been in love, Yuwen Tong had still avenged the massacre of the Ling family by killing Zhang Chong and members of the Jia family; afterward, Yuwen Tong had spent the rest of his life in the north-west like a warlord and never married. Their paths had been supposed to cross, but what with the woeful fate of the Ling family, the two of them had missed the opportunity to meet, which had resulted in his early death and Yuwen Tong¡¯s lifelong bachelordom. After he was reborn and started this incarnation, because of a misunderstanding, he¡¯d decided to call off the engagement to Yuwen Tong on his own account; the Ling family¡¯s butler had set off to the capital city to deliver the Letter of Revocation but had chanced upon Yuwen Tong halfway there; Yuwen Tong, after being informed of the existence of the engagement, had gone to Tanyang of his own accord and thus their paths had crossed. Afterward, Yuwen Tong had helped him get his revenge, ridding the Ling family of the threat from their foes, ensuring the Ling family¡¯s safety. All this struck Ling Zhang as a cosmic plan.


    It was as though his rebirth had been meant to make sure he crossed paths with Yuwen Tong. The convergence of their paths had changed the Ling family¡¯s fate, his fate, Yuwen Tong¡¯s fate, and even the fate of everybody in this country. Sometimes Ling Zhang really couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether or not it¡¯d been because something had gong awry in his last incarnation that had caused their paths, which had been meant to cross, to fail to cross, but this destiny still stood. Providence had given him a chance of rebirth and he¡¯d seized it, and now they had walked into each other¡¯s lives.


    Sometimes this feeling of his was very intense, especially after the fortunes of this world were changed. The Great Wen had been built, with Yuwen Tong being its emperor, who had the ambition of unifying the world. Maybe this would affect the whole world directly.


    It struck Ling Zhang that maybe, to a certain degree, his rebirth had really been meant to have him cross paths with Yuwen Tong.


    If that was the case, Ling Zhang would be very grateful to providence. Having been reborn and met Yuwen Tong and fallen in love, he was very content. Even if divine providence had just been using him, he would still feel it was okay. He was willing to be used this way. Besides, this time around he and Yuwen Tong had both found happiness.


    During the process of Yuwen Tong covering the short distance of several paces between them, Ling Zhang thought about a lot. It felt like an instant but also felt like a lifetime.


    Yuwen Tong, standing before him, took his hand and with that Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes met Yuwen Tong¡¯s. For a long moment, neither of them uttered a word.


    ¡°I look especially handsome today, don¡¯t I?¡± asked Yuwen Tong, his eyes gleaming. Seeing Ling Zhang gazing at him in infatuation, Yuwen Tong archly asked this question in a furtive and low voice, intending to have him answer it unawares.


    Ling Zhang, totally unprepared, dreamily made a reply with an inclination of the head. ¡°Very handsome.¡±


    It was undoubtedly the same robes Yuwen Tong had worn the other day that he was wearing now, but he was more attractive than he¡¯d been that day.


    Because he knew that from this day on they¡¯d be a married couple, a married couple who were pronounced husband and husband at an official wedding ceremony. They would be together for the rest of their lives. Yuwen Tong was the emperor, and he was the empress. Their names would be mentioned together. They would stand in front of the others shoulder to shoulder. Most importantly, this person would belong to him thoroughly and completely.


    Who wouldn¡¯t be fascinated by, obsessed with and addicted to this kind of feeling?


    Ling Zhang knew that he would never be able to escape for the rest of his life. He had once said to Yuwen Tong that if one day Yuwen Tong dared forsake him, on no account would he let it go, that he would get Yuwen Tong back to him by hook or by crook and kill him. A true lover would rather destroy their loved one than give them up to a third person.


    Maybe because Yuwen Tong noticed the flicker of strong desire and ferocity cross Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, his eyes instantly became so possessive as though they were deep ponds which were trying to trap Ling Zhang inside them. In that instant, he felt that Ling Zhang was just as possessive as he was. This desire to take possession of him quickened his heartbeat. How could one not want their loved one to be highly possessive of them?


    Yuwen Tong was possessive of Ling Zhang, much more possessive of Ling Zhang than Ling Zhang was of him. He strongly wanted Ling Zhang to belong to him. He wanted to own Ling Zhang and lock him up in his embrace so that nobody else would be able to see him or find anything out about him. Sometimes he even wished he could incorporate Ling Zhang into his own body, so that wherever they went and whatever they did, this person would belong to him, and nobody could separate them no matter how hard they tried.


    Yuwen Tong feared that this would scare Ling Zhang. After this kind of strong craving to own him came into existence and he distinctly sensed it, he had been intentionally curbing it and concealing it from others, but this didn¡¯t mean that it was no longer there. It was not only still there but also growing stronger by the day. Sometimes it was so strong that Yuwen Tong suspected he would lose control of himself and do something crazy if he didn¡¯t marry Ling Zhang and put him under his complete control right away.


    And now, he saw the same craving in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. In that instant, ecstasy swept over him, making him feel as though all his blood were boiling. He knew what he was excited about and what he was anticipating. Ling Zhang¡¯s being possessive of him took his thrill to such a frenetic pitch that he was only too anxious to¡­ to swallow Ling Zhang in one gulp!


    However, he still had some of his senses left, which were telling him that this was not the right time, that he was not supposed to let his longing get the better of him at this moment, that he needed to restrain himself however intense his desire was, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be able to successfully marry his sweetheart or take him back to hide him in the imperial palace.


    A gleam flashed across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes in an instant. It was so quick that it was barely perceivable. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t notice it either. He was still immersed in his own thoughts, still looking at Yuwen Tong, unable to blink, still thinking about a lot of things, including how cruelly he would retaliate against those who tried to stop him after he married Yuwen Tong¡­


    ¡°Can you be more specific?¡±


    Yuwen Tong asked another question. He wanted Ling Zhang to express more of his thoughts and even felt an almost overwhelming urge to flaunt it. He wanted more people to know about Ling Zhang¡¯s heartfelt, irresistible desire to control him and rely on him. As a result, suppressing his excitement, he managed to ask this question in a seemingly calm tone.


    Ling Zhang was unaware of Yuwen Tong¡¯s intention or the fact that this man in front of him, whom he wanted to own completely, was actually bubbling over with extreme thrill because of his possessiveness.


    As a result, he gave a chuckle in a very natural way and then, in a somewhat low and deep voice tinged with manifest firmness, replied, ¡°So handsome I¡¯m besotted. I don¡¯t want anybody else to see you so handsome. I want to be the only one who has the privilege.¡±


    ¡°Just like the other day when we were in the bedchamber, when you were the only one seeing me in these robes?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice became even lower and seductive.


    Ling Zhang was like Yuwen Tong¡¯s quarry that was walking into a trap unawares. ¡°Yeah. Just like the other day when we were in the bedchamber, when I was the only one seeing you in these robes.¡±


    A wild and unbridled smile curved the corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth, which had never appeared on his face before, and which was mixed with some kind of demented smugness and a crazed resolution to get what he wanted at all cost. ¡°Go back to the palace with me right now and I¡¯ll let you hide me.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes instantly brightened. He looked at Yuwen Tong and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Looking back at him, Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Really.¡±


    In that instant Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes glittered with such extreme excitement as though he was feeling some kind of overwhelming sense of contentment. His desire to own his lover was satisfied to the core, so he was very happy, as if he had just obtained the most precious treasure in the world.


    ¡°Nobody is to see you. You are mine, and mine alone. If anybody dares glance at you, I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang suddenly left his sentence hanging, fixing Yuwen Tong with a stare, a murderous look flitting across his eyes.

 Chapter 407 - The Imperial Wedding (5)

    If anybody dared steal a glance at Yuwen Tong, he would gouge their eyes out.


    This remark quietly came floating into Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, instantly rendering his eyes reddish.


    Yuwen Tong saw it clearly, but he didn¡¯t try to stop him. Not only did he have no intention to stop Ling Zhang, but the feverish excitement in him which he had just managed to restrain welled up again and, as though the constraints on it had disappeared, threatened to get out of control.


    A sudden cough, as though it had issued from another dimension, was abruptly heard in the minds of the two of them who were gazing at each other.


    The chimes brought the two of them back to their senses, whose emotions were teetering on the brink of burst boundaries.


    It was Ling Zhaowu¡¯s voice. Of all the people present, Ling Zhaowu was the first to perceive that there was something wrong with the mood of Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s conversation. He had been through numerous tough situations and had dealings with countless people of all descriptions. There had even been a time when he himself didn¡¯t scruple to do whatever he wanted, sometimes fell prey to his hate and pain, let his desire for vengeance get the better of him and failed to refrain from doing horrible things.


    So he knew very well that right now there was something not quite right about Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. Clearly things had been going pretty well in the beginning, but suddenly they¡¯d got out of hand.


    No, it hadn¡¯t been all of a sudden that things got out of control. From the moment Yuwen Tong had walked into this courtyard, the two of them had been emanating an air that deterred everybody else from breaking in. The two of them had been in a state where they could see nobody but each other. They¡¯d submerged themselves in a world of their imagination and nearly failed to extricate themselves from it!


    Others present were still somewhat confused. They had just seen Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong standing opposite and looking at each other for quite some time, as though they could never get tired of seeing each other, but as this day was all about the two of them, one of whom was the emperor, and the other the empress-to-be, nobody had dared at this point in time disturb their eye contact or ruin the sweet moment the two of them had been enjoying, so they¡¯d pretended not to notice any of it, some standing with their heads down, some still staring vacantly. Eventually they¡¯d sensed that something felt wrong about the atmosphere, that the whole courtyard was cloaked in a weird aura which was quite powerful but not emanating from themselves. It¡¯d been only two people, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong standing in the middle of the courtyard, who were radiating it. None of them had been able to fathom out what that aura was exactly, but they had perceptively sensed a whiff of danger, as though something perilous was approaching and about to drag every one of them into some kind of whirlpool. At last Ling Zhaowu had suddenly let out a cough, breaking them out of that atmosphere, suddenly allowing them to breathe after having held their breath unawares for a long time. Many people were still in perplexity, wondering what had just happened, and for what reason that kind of thing had appeared without warning. Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi, who were quick-witted, both perceptively realized that it¡¯d been Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong who were the source of that perilous air.


    That¡¯d been some kind of fierce, almost palpable emotion which was so intense as though it could burn everybody present to ashes.


    Zhao Jiusi was still looking at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong in fear, but Jiang Yu, in the next moment, had identified the problem. He had even come to know what that thing had been about specifically¡­


    Ling Zhaowu was also fully aware of it. He¡¯d always known that Yuwen Tong was very good to Ling Zhang, that Ling Zhang was the light of his life, and he certainly knew that Yuwen Tong was a man of his word, that he would keep the promise he¡¯d made to Ling Zhang. Also, thanks to his memories of his last incarnation, Ling Zhaowu knew how stubborn Yuwen Tong was, so he had no worries about the reliability of Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings for Ling Zhang, confident that their marriage would endure. He also knew how his son felt about Yuwen Tong ¨C that was something more complicated and deeper than common love. Ling Zhaowu had only a vague idea of it.


    But Ling Zhaowu had never thought that Ling Zhang would be so possessive of Yuwen Tong, or that Yuwen Tong, who unmistakably had known that Ling Zhang was on the verge of franticness, would tempt Ling Zhang repeatedly in a low voice with the intention to drag Ling Zhang into the abnormal mental state he¡¯d been in and trap him there for good, even if the cost was his own sanity¡­ This was virtually madness.


    Did either of them still remember that this day was their wedding day? Did they really want to ruin everything at this point in time?


    Ling Zhaowu, who had let out a cough just in time to bring them back to their senses preventing them from losing their minds, found his palms wet with cold sweat. It¡¯d been a very, very long time since the last time that Ling Zhaowu had been in this kind of mood.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were standing opposite each other. On hearing Ling Zhaowu¡¯s cough, they both came to themselves, but after that, Ling Zhang also felt that it was incredible.


    He also could hardly believe what he had just thought about. It¡¯d been as though he wanted to possess Yuwen Tong thoroughly. That kind of franticness, which he¡¯d never felt before, had seemed to be devouring his sanity and almost driven him crazy. He¡¯d never realized that deep down there he was actually so insecure about himself, so badly wanted Yuwen Tong to belong to him, and was unwilling to even let anybody else see Yuwen Tong¡­


    This kind of feeling was demented but¡­ addictive.


    Ling Zhang lowered his eyes, a glitter flashing across them. If that glitter was to be described with words, it would be ¡°savoring the fine aftertaste¡±.


    He could scarcely forbear from thinking back to the few moments they¡¯d just had. There was even a voice in his mind urgently telling him to go back to the palace with Yuwen Tong straight away to do something so that these intense emotions inside him would be allayed.


    And then, thanks to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s cough, he managed to preserve part of his sanity. After briefly savoring the aftersensation, he soon suppressed his feelings which were within an inch of getting out of control, hoping that the others wouldn¡¯t perceive anything, especially not in the presence of his father.


    Yuwen Tong standing before him came to realize that his behavior had angered Ling Zhaowu somewhat, that just now he¡¯d acted irrationally. He¡¯d done it in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the state Ling Zhang had been in just now was so uncharacteristic of him, and there was no telling when he¡¯d have another opportunity like that if he¡¯d let it slip away. He must seize it. He must find out about Ling Zhang¡¯s truest thoughts hidden in the deep recesses of his mind, because he was insecure as well. He liked to see Ling Zhang crazy about him, because the sight of him being like that was so reassuring.


    But it was such a pity that he could no longer see that at this time, for Ling Zhang had hidden that side of himself.


    However, Yuwen Tong¡¯s worry was now gone. He knew that it existed fathoms deep inside Ling Zhang and would never disappear, that Ling Zhang would be highly possessive of him for the rest of his life, not allowing anybody to take him away. That was enough for him. He still had plenty of time to lure Ling Zhang deeper into the whirlpool of affection, making sure he would fall into the abyss of his love and never be able to get out.


    Of course, just now that moment had indeed been intoxicatingly amazing, and the lingering thrill inside him was the best proof of it.


    But right now the first priority was to placate his future father-in-law.


    Of all the people present, his future father-in-law had been the first to realize the situation and let out a cough in time to stop it from getting worse. Yuwen Tong knew that he¡¯d been through a rebirth, and that he was quite secretive, but this was his first time feeling it so strongly that his future father-in-law would the biggest hindrance to the fulfillment of his goal. This person, who had already perceived it, wouldn¡¯t allow him to trick Ling Zhang into the abyss of his love or trap him there.


    Ling Zhaowu loved Ling Zhang very much, so he wouldn¡¯t allow his son to be thoroughly deprived of his personal freedom like a bird having its wings broken¡­


    But how would he have the heart to break Ling Zhang¡¯s wings? He would let Ling Zhang fly freely in his domains, but under no circumstances would he allow Ling Zhang to fly beyond the boundaries!


    ¡°You look gorgeous today as well, even more gorgeous than you did the other day. I can¡¯t even get my eyes off you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong affected a natural air of delight and said these words to Ling Zhang.


    The presiding official was baffled as to what had happened just now, but as the wedding officiant, he naturally knew what was the right thing to do in these circumstances. Seeing this, he immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty and His Highness are a match made in heaven, one for which there¡¯s no precedent, and which will never be equaled.¡±


    On hearing his words, all the others naturally started offering congratulations to the two of them, making witty remarks with a flood of eloquence, each of which was more pleasant to the ear than the last. The atmosphere in the courtyard house soon became harmonious and festive once again. Everybody ignored what had happened just now, as if it were just an insignificant interlude.


    However, the two people who¡¯d been the cause of it both knew that it wasn¡¯t water under the bridge yet. Ling Zhang raised his eyes to glance at Yuwen Tong and saw a flicker flash across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at Yuwen Tong with faintly admonitory eyes which were quite threatening.


    Of course, Yuwen Tong, who wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to argue with his future father-in-law at this point in time, conducted himself in the most natural and most unexceptionable way.


    ¡°Father-in-law, just now I got a little carried away when I saw Brother Zhang, and I behaved discourteously. Please forgive me.¡±


    As Yuwen Tong was the emperor and had put it so gracefully, and this day was his wedding day, Ling Zhaowu naturally wouldn¡¯t be unforgiving with him, but they both knew very well about what had really happened and the existence of what had caused it to happen.


    Ling Zhaowen laughed, ¡°Today is the big day of the two of you, so that¡¯s quite understandable. Back when I was on my wedding day, I was even less composed than you are, Your Majesty.¡± He¡¯d been standing behind Ling Zhaowu all along, and what with his position, he hadn¡¯t seen the whole thing and just believed that Ling Zhaowu was unhappy because Yuwen Tong had stared at Ling Zhang unblinkingly for too long, so he made these remarks in an attempt to smooth things over.


    On hearing Ling Zhaowen¡¯s words, Ling Zhang, catching on, feigned to be embarrassed and sneaked a surreptitious glance at his father.


    Ling Zhaowu noticed this furtive glance from his son and had no choice but to keep his many thoughts to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad to see that things between you two are so great, and I hope they¡¯ll stay this way for the rest of your lives.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness, it¡¯s time to move to the hall to bid farewell to the elders of the Ling family,¡± said the presiding official in a timely manner.

 Chapter 408 - The Imperial Wedding (6)

    Neither of them really dared step out of line in the presence of Ling Zhaowu. Ling Zhang believed that he hadn¡¯t exposed any of his true thoughts and had been concealing them very well, that Ling Zhaowu was merely reminding him to stop being in a daze. Yuwen Tong, however, was fully aware of what was going on. He was just pretending he didn¡¯t dare do anything beyond the pale.


    Ling Zhaowu, though knowing the truth, had no alternative but to listen to the presiding official whose job was to remind everybody of what they were supposed to do.


    Ling Zhang went to the main hall in the front yard with Yuwen Tong to officially bid his elders farewell.


    There were a lot of guests attending the wedding ceremony on this day. While taking their leave of the elders, the two of them could still hear magpies twittering outside.


    It was a festive day with a fine weather, red silk ribbons fluttering in the breeze to the jubilant wedding music which was quite pleasant to the ear.


    After bidding farewell to the elders, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang walked out of the doors hand in hand. With the help of the cues from the presiding official, the two of them finished the many steps of the rigmarole which were fairly complicated but full of benediction. When they had reached the gateway, Yuwen Tong helped Ling Zhang mount his horse.


    North Wind looked extremely spirited on this day. Snowflake had run out of the residence to stand by his side some time before. The two horses, one black and the other white, their heads adorned with red satin ribbons, appeared full of mettle.


    Sitting on horseback in front of the gates of the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang looked over his shoulder at all his family members who had come out to see him off. For an instant his eyes burned and stung slightly. After he left this residence this day, his public identity would be Ling Zhang, the empress of the Great Wen, rather than Ling Zhang, the eldest grandson of the Ling family¡¯s patriarch.


    As Ling Xingzhong sensed his grandson¡¯s reluctance to leave, his eyes which were full of parting sentiment and expectation also became unnoticeably wet with tears.


    Ling Zhang dismounted, walked back to him, held his hand and said in a faintly choked voice, ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong also held his grandson¡¯s hand tight, somewhat unwilling to let him go. He had watched Ling Zhang grow from a baby in swaddling clothes into a promising young man. Ling Zhang was the light of his life, and now his beloved grandson was about to marry into another family, how could he not feel upset about it? Parental love had been absent from most of Ling Zhang¡¯s childhood, and Ling Xingzhong had given Ling Zhang far more care than he¡¯d done any of his other family members. It could be said that he¡¯d personally brought Ling Zhang up, keeping an eye on him at all times.


    ¡°We¡¯re your family and nothing¡¯s going to change that. As long as you have a happy life, we¡¯ll be happy as well. You need to be cautious with your words and deeds after marrying into the imperial family and put your own safety first in all circumstances.¡±


    This was the most explicit remark Ling Xingzhong had made so far on this day. A few moments before when Ling Zhang had been officially bidding his elders farewell in the main hall, Ling Xingzhong had also drummed a lot into Ling Zhang, but by exhorting Ling Zhang to put his own safety first in all circumstances, Ling Xingzhong was speaking from the perspective of a concerned grandfather.


    Ling Zhang could understand. He knew about Ling Xingzhong¡¯s concern for him. ¡°I know, Grandfather. I promise I¡¯ll protect myself and take good care of myself. There¡¯s no need to worry. Only if you stay healthy can I have complete peace of mind.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong inclined his head and tightened his hold on Ling Zhang¡¯s hand for a moment before he released it and said, ¡°You should get going.¡±


    The moment Ling Xingzhong¡¯s grip slackened, Ling Zhang felt as though his insides had instantly disappeared. It was a sensation that he couldn¡¯t describe with just a few words, but he felt it in the most distinct way, his eyes instantaneously reddening with tears in spite of himself.


    Right at this moment, Yuwen Tong standing beside him reached out a hand and grasped Ling Zhang¡¯s tightly. The warmth from Yuwen Tong¡¯s firm grip immediately comforted Ling Zhang, who was sent into a fleeting trance before shifting his gaze to Yuwen Tong.


    Holding his hand tight, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for us to return to the palace. This residence is not far away from the imperial palace. You may come back here to keep your grandfather company any time you want.¡±


    As though his insides had reappeared in his body at these words, Ling Zhang could now breathe normally again. He looked from his family¡¯s encouraging eyes to Yuwen Tong¡¯s expectant ones, held Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which was gripping his, said goodbye to his elders for the last time and then made towards North Wind hand in hand with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t let Ling Zhang ride Snowflake. Instead, he had Ling Zhang share North Wind with him. North Wind raised his head and let out a long neigh, looking quite smug.


    Snowflake rubbed her head against Ling Zhang¡¯s shank. Ling Zhang reached out a hand to stroke her head, allaying her restlessness.


    ¡°Mount! Back to the palace!¡±


    The presiding official gave an instruction loudly and with that the convoy started progressing slowly.


    Following the processing convoy was a seemingly endless succession of trousseau chests carried by pairs of servants, and heading the trousseau-delivery team were Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi, Ling Zhang¡¯s two advisers. After quite a long time, when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had disappeared from view at the end of the street, trousseau chests were still being carried out of the residence one after another, as though there were an inexhaustible stock of them in there.


    All lookers-on were shocked by this scene. Hardly any of them had ever seen a trousseau of this scale. Was the Ling family really so wealthy?


    None of them had expected this. Previously they had all believed that the Ling family wouldn¡¯t be able to offer Ling Zhang many presentable items as his trousseaus.


    Now the fact had proved all of them wrong. Many people were green with envy at the sight of these trousseaus.


    What was more astounding was that when the seemingly inexhaustible trousseaus finally stopped coming out of the front gates, twenty men walked out and followed the team, every one of whom was dressed like a merchant. All lookers-on were bemused, wondering who they were. It was not until someone among the crowd recognized some of the merchants that all the onlookers came to know that these people were keepers of some famous stores, wineries and chambers of commerce in various cities around the country.


    Most people gasped in astonishment after being informed of this. These people were actually part of Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseau-delivery team. What did it mean?


    Those relatively smart ones had guessed the answer already.


    The Ling family had forked out such a fortune!


    At this time, someone else among the crowd finally disclosed that what they were seeing was just a small part of Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseau.


    ¡°Rumor has it that there¡¯s a list, and those on the list are the most important part.¡±


    ¡°You see that? That little casket Jiang Yu is holding, the one that looks the most insignificant ¨C I heard that it¡¯s filled with long-lost kung fu manuals, which are priceless!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. My goodness. Since when have the Ling family got so many good things?!¡±


    ¡°That I don¡¯t know. Anyway, Childe Ling¡¯s trousseau is far more than what we¡¯ve seen.¡±


    The broadest street in the capital city had been cleared, guards standing on the two sides of it. Behind the guards was a seething mass of arms and legs. All these people were residents of this city, who were watching the wedding convoy from the Ling Mansion. As an imperial edict had been issued specially sparing them the trouble of getting on their knees when seeing the emperor on the street on this day, they got to stand at the roadside watching the large wedding convoy slowly passing by.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were sharing a horse. North Wind was proudly proceeding forward at a gentle pace.


    Seeing the residents nearby, Ling Zhang still felt somewhat shy, and his quickening heartbeat was just the beginning.


    ¡°Why are they¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang had thought that these people would kneel. It was not that he badly wanted to see them on their knees, but with so many eyes staring squarely at him, he really felt quite embarrassed.


    Holding him, Yuwen Tong said in his ear, ¡°This is our wedding ceremony. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if more people bear witness to it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was doing this on purpose. He did want everybody to see that he and Ling Zhang were a match made in heaven, that they were made for each other, and how awe-inspiring Ling Zhang¡¯s trousseau was. He wanted it known to all that the two of them got married. This day was all about him and Ling Zhang, and the whole nation would revel with them.


    Ling Zhang could divine what he was thinking just by hearing his tone. Looking at their hands whose fingers were interlocked, he asked, ¡°Are you not afraid that people might gossip about you because of this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Who would dare do that? Even if anybody did do that, they would just be doing it out of jealousy.¡±


    They would be jealous of him marrying the best person in the world, and all gossip would be nothing but sour grapes.


    Ling Zhang also chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re so thick-skinned.¡±


    Smiling, Yuwen Tong held him tight. The two of them sitting on the same horse was such a public display of affection that all onlookers were astonished. Originally the residents of the capital city, following instructions from specially-designated officials, had been scattering petals and candies along the way, but at the sight of the intimacy between the two of them, all of them were dumbstruck and unable to come to themselves for quite a while.


    Petals strewed the road along which marched the wedding convoy decked out in scarlet satin ribbons that were fluttering. It was windy, but the sunshine was genial. The procession was so long people couldn¡¯t see the end of it.


    This was an imperial wedding, and their emperor and empress were the most conspicuous ones in the convoy.


    For many people, this was the first thought that popped into their minds after they pulled themselves out of their trance.


    And with that all their other ideas were forced out of their heads by the shower of petals and candies as well as the uproar of the crowds. The whole city, the whole nation, joined in the grand celebration.


    ¡­


    It took the convoy a long time to reach the imperial palace, for they hadn¡¯t been traveling fast, and Yuwen Tong had intentionally had North Wind walk slowly, led the procession around the city at a leisurely pace to let everybody see the pomp of their wedding.


    Moreover, the Ling family¡¯s trousseau-delivery team was way too long. Bringing up the rear were Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three bodyguards, who were very far away from the front gates of the imperial palace when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong arrived there.


    This was the first great occasion of such splendor that the Great Wen had seen. Also, it was an imperial wedding ceremony. These scenes had been engraved in the memory of everybody that had seen them on this day and would be there for a very long time. Nobody would forget this in a hurry, for it would be a popular topic of conversation for all those that had seen the wedding.


    From mouth to mouth spread messages about the pomp of the imperial wedding, and eventually people in all cities of the Great Wen came to know about it. For quite a few days, different versions of the story circulated among associates, friends, relatives, etc. Because of relaters¡¯ embellishments, the occasion was lauded to the skies. On top of that, some professional storytellers added some artistic elements to it and eventually the wedding became an unsurpassable classic in most people¡¯s eyes.


    Of course, that was another story. Right now, after Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong entered the palace, Yuwen Feng, the Minister of Rites, personally acted as the wedding officiant. From the moment the two of them walked into the palace, a series of time-consuming ceremonials were waiting for them to finish.


    Ling Zhang had been in a good mood while enjoying the breeze with Yuwen Tong on horseback, and the latter had been talking in his ear non-stop all the time. The two of them were both indulging themselves in this kind of happiness. It was not until he caught sight of Yuwen Feng that he abruptly came to realize the situation.


    Having done a dry run in the palace the other day, they knew what they needed to do next. It was a very lengthy ritualistic rigmarole¡­


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance changed briefly and with that the hair on his scalp began to prickle. The mere casual dry run had struck him as too much trouble, and now the real thing was happening. From this moment on, he and Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t have another instant as enjoyable as the time they¡¯d spent together just now¡­

 Chapter 409 - The Imperial Wedding (7)

    ¡°Kowtow to the gods.¡±


    ¡°Kowtow to each other,¡± instructed the presiding official in a drawling voice.


    ¡°LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR! LONG LIVE THE EMPRESS!¡±


    As a pleasantly warm breeze blew by, the broad hem of the robes of the two of them fluttered rubbing against each other. They kowtowed at the same time to pay their respects to the gods before all officials present got on their knees to kowtow to the two of them. Thus, they officially got married at this grand ceremony, and from this moment on, the whole world would know them to be the emperor and the empress of the Great Wen.


    After the two of them straightened their backs, Ling Zhang inwardly heaved a long sigh of relief in spite of himself, as though something weighing down his heart had just been removed. Arms hanging naturally, their hands were clasped together. Yuwen Tong¡¯s palm was so hot that Ling Zhang felt as though his palm would melt in the heat.


    ¡°You may rise.¡±


    The officials of all ranks and descriptions were given the permission to stand up. After rising to their feet, many of them looked up in the direction of the altar, on which stood the emperor and the empress, the former handsome and imposing, the latter elegant and graceful. The dragon and the phoenix embroidered on their scarlet wedding robes with gold thread were so vivid as though they were about to fly, and they seemed to be inseparable, on the robes or in the sky ¨C if they could really get there.


    There was a very long congratulatory speech. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stood on the altar shoulder to shoulder for a very long time before they descended it and made towards the Infinite Fortune Palace hand in hand.


    The large crowd of officials chorused in a drawling voice, ¡°Have a safe trip, Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡±


    On hearing the enormous sound wave from behind, Ling Zhang came to a clearer realization of the change in his identity.


    The two of them walked back to the Infinite Fortune Palace hand in hand. They were supposed to drink ¡°cross-cupped wine¡± from one another¡¯s cups in the imperial bedchamber.


    The wedding robes had so many layers and were so heavy that Ling Zhang found his back was wet with sweat when he walked through the front gates of the Infinite Fortune Palace. Fortunately, after the ¡°cross-cupped wine¡±, the wedding would conclude and then he could change into lighter clothes.


    He raised his hand and stroked Yuwen Tong¡¯s back only to find that it was just as sweaty as his own.


    Though the weather was nice this day, it was inevitable that the two of them had broken out in a sweat, given the long duration of the wedding.


    Yuwen Tong flung out a hand backward and grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand which was ¡°caressing¡± his back. ¡°I¡¯ll let you stroke me later.¡±


    One more stroke from Ling Zhang and he might lose control of himself.


    Reading between the lines, Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. It was just a stroke. Why was Yuwen Tong being so dramatic about it?


    At this time a shower of petals floated from mid-air. After entering the Infinite Fortune Palace, they found that the road ahead was carpeted in petals.


    Ling Zhang looked up at the falling petals and then down at those veiling the road, faintly surprised. Why couldn¡¯t he recall including this part in the wedding plan?


    ¡°Why am I seeing petals?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied smugly, ¡°It was me who had them prepare this. They picked these flowers early this morning. What do you think of it?¡±


    Ling Zhang caught a falling petal. The air was filled with the scent of flowers, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. ¡°Where did you have them pluck these flowers from?¡±


    Was it the imperial garden, by any chance? He could tell at a glance these flowers were not common, and there wasn¡¯t another place he could think of that these flowers might be from apart from the imperial garden.


    If it was really the imperial garden¡­ The very thought of this gave Ling Zhang a momentary blackout. Had the imperial garden been reduced to a bleak landscape?


    ¡°They¡¯re from that imperial park outside the city,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    It was not until after hearing this reply that Ling Zhang could breathe normally again. Fortunately Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been so stupid as to have his men pluck flowers from the imperial garden. ¡°Why did you suddenly¡­¡±


    Before Ling Zhang could finish his sentence, something occurred to him, rendering him unable to continue. It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess why Yuwen Tong had had them do this.


    ¡°This is indeed beautiful. It just strikes me as a little wasteful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Those plants will blossom again, but we won¡¯t have another wedding for the rest of our lives. As long as you like it, it¡¯ll be worth it.¡±


    Ling Zhang tossed him a casual glance. If truth be told, he didn¡¯t really feel unhappy. Instead, he found this quite¡­ interesting.


    ¡°Originally I¡¯d planned to have them decorate the balustrades from the altar to this palace with colorful satin ribbons, thinking it¡¯d be more festive.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately looked at him at these words. ¡°What? Colorful satin ribbons? From the altar all the way to this palace?¡±


    Ling Zhang really felt lucky that Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t actually done that. He couldn¡¯t imagine what he would¡¯ve had to face up to on this day had Yuwen Tong put that plan into action. The mere thought of it made his eyes sting! Besides, it¡¯d take a lot of satin to make that happen, which would definitely cost a lot of money.


    Yuwen Tong glanced at him. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t like it, so I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    In the sight of Yuwen Tong who always preferred things to be simple and direct, there was nothing wrong with making the wedding festive and joyous. Wouldn¡¯t some satin ribbons brighten this place up?


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s lips twitched. He found that if he was not in the palace or stopped keeping watch on Yuwen Tong, the latter might really give him some ¡°pleasant¡± surprises.


    While talking, the two of them had walked into the imperial bedchamber.


    The couple of cousins of Yuwen Tong¡¯s who were close to him, including Yuwen Feng, had been following in their wake and heard all those ¡°gossip¡± and ¡°non-mainstream aesthetic opinions¡±, their foreheads wet with sweat, believing that they¡¯d better finish the ceremony of ¡°cross-cupped wine¡± for these two high-maintenance guys as soon as possible and then get out of this place.


    Yuwen Tong was unaware of the unfavorable comments the couple of cousins of his were secretly making on his aesthetic standards. After entering the imperial bedchamber, he and Ling Zhang sat down opposite each other beside a table on which were two cups of wine.


    Before the ceremony of ¡°cross-cupped wine¡±, there was also a long congratulatory speech, which was made by Yuwen Feng. And then one after another, Yuwen Tong¡¯s cousins walked up and offered their congratulations to the newly-weds. As they talked, Yuwen Tong sat watching them. Every one of them was rewarded at the end of his speech. Those whose speeches were not long enough or not good enough got only one gold ingot each, while those whose speeches pleased Yuwen Tong each got a wad of signed checks.


    At first Yuwen Jin, who¡¯d always been straightforward, didn¡¯t realize what was going on. On top of that, he¡¯d never liked studying and thus had little learning, so he cast around desperately for flowery language, but all he came up with was just a couple of hackneyed idioms like ¡°a harmonious union lasting a hundred years¡±, ¡°grow old together¡± etc. When Yuwen Tong handed a gold ingot to him with an unimpressed face, Yuwen Jin was speechless with depression, feeling that Yuwen Tong was discriminating against him.


    It was not until Yuwen Han standing beside him gave him a nudge in the ribs and whispered a lot of words in his ear that he came to himself, immediately stepped up and unctuously recited in one breath what Yuwen Han had just told him. Motivated by his desire for reward, Yuwen Jin punched above his weight and actually repeated those sentences verbatim, which astonished Ling Zhang.


    ¡°¡­ I wish you health and longevity, Brother Zhang. I wish you infinite good fortune, cousin. I wish you two a happy lifelong marriage!¡±


    After finishing the long speech, Yuwen Jin inhaled deeply and looked at Yuwen Tong with expectant eyes.


    Yuwen Tong looked back at him, gave a little sneer and then handed him a more decent reward.


    Yuwen Jin quickly took it, let out a cheer and thanked his cousin for the reward, disregarding the sneer.


    Ling Zhang sitting on the side lightly shook his head, feeling rather embarrassed for Yuwen Jin.


    After the couple of cousins of Yuwen Tong¡¯s finished speaking, it was Ling Maomao¡¯s turn. The little boy, who had been forced into memorizing a long text by his father before coming to the palace, walked up to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong and started reciting it earnestly as though reciting a lesson in front of his teacher.


    Secretly amused, Ling Zhang looked at him. When the boy finished, he gave him a casket, telling him to hold it in his arms.


    Ling Maomao curiously took the casket and wanted to ask Ling Zhang about the contents of it, but then he realized this was not the right time, so he forbore from doing that, thanked his brother and then walked back to his original position, casket in arms.


    Ji Xiaocong, who had followed Ling Maomao into the bedchamber, also offered his congratulations to the newly-weds in a babyish voice, which sounded interesting and amusing and sent everybody into fits of laughter.


    Because of Ji Xiaocong¡¯s ability to make Ling Zhang laugh so much, Yuwen Tong generously gave the boy a handsome reward and specially had someone hold it for him, instructing the man to take it back for the boy.


    The imperial bedchamber was filled with uproar. The babble of voices was so loud that it nearly lifted the roof. Yuwen Feng had a hard job quieting them before he started to preside over the ceremony of ¡°cross-cupped wine¡± for Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong in a serious manner.


    Holding the wine cup, Ling Zhang felt his cheeks flushing and burning from the joking crowd. Wine up in hand, Yuwen Tong stared fixedly at him.


    At this time, a cough was heard.


    Seeing the two of them were looking at each other motionlessly with wine cups in their hands, Yuwen Feng had no choice but to cue them.


    It was only then that Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance. Face suffused with color, he crossed arms with Yuwen Tong, leaned over and then the two of them gulped down their wine.


    While they were drinking, Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes seemed to bore into Ling Zhang. What with that gaze, Ling Zhang was still in a daze when he finished his wine, and he maintained that posture for a long moment.


    ¡°Ahem, now that you¡¯ve finished your wine, you may take a break.¡±


    Yuwen Feng, worrying that their arms would feel sore if they maintained the posture for too long, kindly reminded them.


    Ling Zhang was jogged back to his senses. As he realized that he had once again been sent into a daze by Yuwen Tong¡¯s gaze, the blush on his face spread all the way down to his neck and he hastily withdrew his arm.


    Yuwen Tong felt faintly regretful, his eyes casually flashing at Yuwen Feng.


    Yuwen Feng noticed it and inwardly rolled his eyes upwards. ¡®In a few moments you two will get to do whatever you want. Is it really necessary to be so touchy-feely at this moment? Everybody present is watching,¡¯ he thought.


    But there was nothing he could do about it, given that his cousin was now the emperor. Having no alternative, he began to shoo the crowd out of the bedchamber.


    ¡°All right, everybody, let¡¯s give the newly-weds some privacy. It¡¯s time for us to go back to the hall.¡±


    ¡°Hang on. My cousin and Brother Zhang haven¡¯t kissed yet,¡± said Yuwen Jin aloud.


    The moment he finished his sentence, Yuwen Han and a couple of others took up the chant. All of them were along for the ride and would like to bring the occasion to a new level. Moreover, this was a celebratory occasion.


    Kiss? Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look at Yuwen Jin, feeling that this guy had grown quite some balls.


    However, Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes lit up. Probably because this suggestion of Yuwen Jin¡¯s struck him as not bad, he stared unblinkingly at Ling Zhang.


    His gaze gave Ling Zhang the willies, so the latter glared at him, as though saying ¡°You don¡¯t seriously want us to kiss in the presence of so many people, do you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows, as though replying ¡°Why not?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    And then Yuwen Tong suddenly leaned over, blocking Ling Zhang¡¯s view with his chest. The next moment, Ling Zhang felt something warm on the corner of his mouth and knew that he was kissed.


    ¡°Wow! Way to go, cousin. Do it again! Do it again!¡± chortled Yuwen Jin happily, jumping up.


    Looking at Ling Zhang who was dazed from the kiss and looked adorable, Yuwen Tong was itching to do what newly-weds were supposed to do in the nuptial chamber. He turned his head to look at Yuwen Jin and said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Stop being the third wheel. Go and do what you¡¯ve got to do.¡±


    Unconvinced, Yuwen Jin urged the crowd to take up the chant but was stopped and forcibly removed from the bedchamber by Yuwen Han and a couple of others.


    ¡®This is no joking matter. Yuwen Jin really needs to know where the limit is. Can¡¯t he see that His Majesty is quite horny and could barely subdue his desire?¡¯ thought Yuwen Han.

 Chapter 410 - The Imperial Wedding (8)

    Yuwen Jin was dragged out of the bedchamber. The others, very sensibly, also took their leave, carrying Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong away for good measure.


    Soon the imperial bedchamber quieted down. Ling Zhang threw a glance at the color of the sky outside the window and thought, ¡®Surely Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t really want to do something at this hour?¡¯


    The two of them were the only ones in the imperial bedchamber now. Yuwen Feng and the others had considerately closed the front gates when they left. Nobody would come here to disturb them at this point in time. Yuwen Tong would be a complete fool if he didn¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity to do what he wanted.


    He rose to his feet, walked up to Ling Zhang, stooped down and cleanly scooped him up.


    When Yuwen Tong leaned over, the smell of him quickly enveloped Ling Zhang, flooding into his nostrils, briefly rendering him dizzy. Before he could figure out why Yuwen Tong suddenly leaned over him, he was picked up.


    Without uttering a word, Ling Zhang wrapped his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck.


    ¡°The next step is to consummate our marriage,¡± said Yuwen Tong after planting a large kiss on him. They had finished the wedding ceremony and drunk ¡°cross-cupped wine¡± from each other¡¯s wine cups, which meant that Ling Zhang was now his marriage partner.


    ¡°Wait. There are so many officials and foreign guests out there. Is it really okay to just leave them there?¡± asked Ling Zhang, hastening to grab Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, looking nervously at him.


    ¡°Yuwen Feng will make arrangements for these after-wedding matters to be handled,¡± replied Yuwen Tong, carrying him towards the bed. After they walked through the valance, it floated down automatically.


    Ling Zhang sensed Yuwen Tong¡¯s determination. Recalling the wedding plan, he realized that they indeed didn¡¯t have to be out there at this moment. The officials and other guests needed to transfer to another location, and the banquet was scheduled for nightfall. In a word, it was all abustle and astir outside, but he and Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t have to concern themselves with any of it.


    This also meant that he really had no excuse to¡­ahem¡­to refuse.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes seemed to be avoiding something but also seemed to be smiling. Yuwen Tong noticed this, came to a halt and gazed down at him. He didn¡¯t kiss Ling Zhang, merely staring at him. As though finding Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes exceptionally enthralling, he just watched, stationary.


    Ling Zhang silently looked back at him, his eyes gazing into the depths of Yuwen Tong¡¯s where fire was dancing. Fascinated by it unawares, he involuntarily raised his hand to stroke it.


    But his hand was intercepted before it could touch Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, and with that Ling Zhang found that Yuwen Tong had carried him to the bed and was putting him down.


    After grasping his hand, Yuwen Tong bent from the waist, kissed him hard, took a deep breath and then said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We¡¯ve still got something else to do.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him bewilderedly. What else did they have to do?


    Yuwen Tong slightly raised his upper body, widening the gap between them, then reached out his hands and unbuttoned Ling Zhang¡¯s coat. He didn¡¯t remove it, just letting it lie beneath Ling Zhang. Then his hands moved towards Ling Zhang¡¯s belt.


    The cummerbund was undone and laid flat on the two sides instead of being removed from beneath Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong was doing it very slowly with the air of someone unwrapping their present with great care. There was manifest desire in his eyes that he couldn¡¯t disguise, but his movements were meticulous and totally unhurried, though the craving in his eyes was intensifying as Ling Zhang¡¯s robes were taken off one after another.


    The two of them had had sexual contact several times, so Ling Zhang shouldn¡¯t be feeling shy, but somehow at this time he was quite bashful and flustered¡­ The red valance in the imperial bedchamber was hanging there soundlessly. One of the windows of the outer hall was ajar, and a breeze was blowing in through the crack, gently fluttering the valance, the red ripples of which seemed to be tickling Ling Zhang¡¯s heart repeatedly, turning him on.


    There were also scarlet wedding candles in the bedchamber, which were made of a kind of special spice provided by the Fangcun Kingdom as part of the tribute and could last two days and two nights. Ling Zhang was unable to see any of the candle flames from his position, but he was feeling the heat from them, which seemed to be baking him, as though the candles were burning in his heart.


    What he wanted the most to avert his gaze from was Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. The expression and desire in that pair of eyes was projected squarely onto him, as though the owner of them could lose control of himself at any moment. Ling Zhang, in an almost subconscious way, gripped his robes which had been unbuttoned but not taken away and were still beneath his body.


    However, this movement of his immediately arrested Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention. His eyes which originally had had some self-restraint in them seemed to get out of control in that instant, staring feverishly at Ling Zhang¡¯s hands grasping his robes.


    His fair-skinned wrists, long fingers and slender frost-colored arms were revealing graceful skin texture from the effort of gripping his robes. His knuckles were so white they were dazzling Yuwen Tong, showing the sharpest possible contrast with the bright red robes and bedding, which was a fatal attraction.


    Ling Zhang was unaware of any of it. He just sensed something faintly subdued, tense and out of the ordinary in the mood as he looked at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes which were staring at his arm. He automatically tightened his grip on his robes, creasing them, as though a blossom had just been conjured up beneath each of his hands.


    Yuwen Tong stopped restraining himself and grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s bold hand which was tantalizing his every nerve, holding it and the fistful of robes within it tightly.


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±


    Before Ling Zhang could finish his sentence, Yuwen Tong held his hand to his eyes in response, considering it, his hot breath spraying over his hand. His almost tangible gaze made Ling Zhang¡¯s palm sweat really quick, rendering him unable to speak.


    It was quite a while before he recovered his voice. ¡°What are you doing? Is there something wrong with my hand?¡±


    When he was uttering the last few words, his voice became a trifle husky, low and deep, confused and apparently somewhat injured. On hearing it, Yuwen Tong gave a start.


    His gaze shifted from Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to his mouth, and with that he reached out his other hand to rub Ling Zhang¡¯s lips heavily with his thumb and croaked, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Beneath his intent gaze, Ling Zhang swallowed hard involuntarily. The longing in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes deepened further as the apple of Ling Zhang¡¯s throat bobbed.


    He moved his hand from Ling Zhang¡¯s lips down to his throat and held his neck with moderate force not enough to hurt Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang reflexively raised his head. The next moment Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand kept moving downwards all the way to Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. Yuwen Tong suddenly lapsed into silence and resumed unbuttoning Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes one after another, still not taking them away. He kept undoing those robes until Ling Zhang was naked¡­


    Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, put it onto Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and started rubbing his fingers against his waist slowly and heavily, leaving layers of pinkish marks on Ling Zhang¡¯s white-skinned waist, which overlapped each other and were reddening gradually, but unlike the bright red of the robes and bedding, the red of the marks struck Yuwen Tong as suffocating.


    There had been a couple of occasions when the two of them had acted wildly in bed, but on this day, Yuwen Tong was holding his hand and fondling him with their overlapping palms, as though intending to caress every inch of his skin. Ling Zhang felt the hair on his scalp prickle both when their fingers interlocked and when they slid across or were pressed against his skin¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    After quite a long time, Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong with unfocused, watery eyes, his whole body pinkish from a carry-over of excitement, some kind of aftersensation lingering in his breath and his eyes. Yuwen Tong fixed him with an unblinking stare.


    It was a long moment before Ling Zhang came to himself. After recalling what Yuwen Tong had tempted him into doing just now, what kind of delirious words he¡¯d said, what unimaginable exclamation he¡¯d let out, he looked at Yuwen Tong who was still fully dressed, and suddenly felt hurt. He stretched his weak and faintly tremulous hand towards Yuwen Tong¡¯s robes and held it. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take off your clothes?¡±


    Yuwen Tong conveniently scooped him up from the bed to let him sit in his embrace straddling his thighs. When their bodies were pressed tightly against each other, Yuwen Tong gave a muffled gasp and replied through gritted teeth, ¡°Now you¡¯re to take them off for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him with his watery eyes. After a while, instead of disrobing Yuwen Tong, he shifted his position slightly.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s whole body stiffened and he abruptly gasped, clenching his teeth, the look in his eyes instantly changing, his face twisting from the effort of restraining himself. He reflexively gripped Ling Zhang¡¯s waist with the intention to stop him but couldn¡¯t help letting him continue¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The red candles were still burning, giving off a faint aroma pervading the imperial bedchamber and wisps of smoke slowly twining around each other. For a long time, groans of the two people in bed could be heard in the bedchamber. The red valance was still rippling gently and continuously, as though it were feeling its owners¡¯ pleasure and insatiable hunger for more.


    ¡­


    It was another long time before the sky gradually became dark, and thousands of lanterns were lit in the imperial palace, forming a sea of bright light.


    The streets outside the imperial palace had been tumultuous for a full day. Acrobatic platforms could be seen everywhere, and the whole street was adorned with colorful lanterns ablaze with multicoloured light. When night fell, fireworks studded the sky, bringing the uproar of this day to the climax.


    Ling Zhang stretched out an arm from beneath the quilt which was covered with minor bruises, unhappily pushing Yuwen Tong who was trying to pull him out of the heap of quilt.


    ¡°Be a peach and get up. You may continue to sleep after we get back, okay?¡±


    Patiently coaxing him, Yuwen Tong gave a smile of contentment. Eventually, he bodily scooped Ling Zhang up from the bed along with the quilt.


    Ling Zhang, who was so drained he didn¡¯t even have enough strength to hold up a finger, was totally unwilling to leave the bed. When Yuwen Tong picked him up, he buried his face in Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck and bit him hard.


    Yuwen Tong gasped lightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. We¡¯ll be late for the banquet if we don¡¯t hurry. If I go there without you, you¡¯ll definitely be angry with me after you wake up.¡±


    Right now Ling Zhang was too tired to think clearly. When he came back to his senses and found that Yuwen Tong had gone to attend the banquet without him, he would no doubt go ballistic.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be synonymous with telling everybody what they had done and that he was unable to get out of bed because of it?

 Chapter 411 - The Imperial Wedding (9)

    It struck Ling Zhang that none of his body parts was still under his control. Right now the only thing he wanted to do was throw himself onto the bed again and get back to sleep. There was no room in his head to think about anything else.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart ached for Ling Zhang as he saw Ling Zhang so groggy. Still, this was their wedding day, and it would be too much to ask that he restrain himself. He scooped Ling Zhang up along with the quilt and directly carried him to the side hall where warm bathwater had been prepared already.


    Dreamily lying prone on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, Ling Zhang was still half asleep. It was after Yuwen Tong removed the quilt and put him into the warm water in the bathing barrel that he slowly gave a shudder and opened his eyes to look at Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Is the water temperature okay?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Seeing Ling Zhang looking emptily at him, Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle in spite of himself, reached into the water to take a stroke, and then rubbed the water onto Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder. Covered with droplets of water, his frost-colored skin looked so delicate that Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth and throat went dry. Ripples on the water surface in the large bathing barrel were kissing Ling Zhang¡¯s body one after another, making a sight full of strong visual stimuli, but Ling Zhang was totally unaware of it, his eyes wide open.


    Yuwen Tong inwardly let out a long sigh. His desire had been fully satisfied only a short time before, and a couple of provocative words would be enough to turn him on again, let alone a scene like this. However, right now he couldn¡¯t do anything, for Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. Also, they were running out of time.


    ¡°Take a bath. We need to go to the imperial garden after you get dressed.¡±


    It was after hearing these words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s that Ling Zhang¡¯s mind slowly cleared. He looked around to see where he was, shifted his position to sit in the bathing barrel, leaned against the inside of it, raised his head and heaved a sigh. The warm water alleviated his fatigue, making him feel much more comfortable. Also, his head was clear now.


    Gazing at him with a longing in his eyes, Yuwen Tong took off the clothes draped around his shoulders and stepped into the bathing barrel as well.


    The water surface in the barrel instantly rose. Looking at Yuwen Tong¡¯s private parts which were showing signs of a particular bodily response, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but recall what the two of them had done a short time before, and with that he hurriedly averted his eyes from them and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you do anything else to me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°What do you think I want to do to you?¡±


    After saying this, he picked up a wet towel and said, ¡°Come over here. I¡¯ll help you wash yourself.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked incredulously at him. It was after confirming Yuwen Tong was not up to anything that he moved over to let Yuwen Tong wipe his body and massage the small of his back.


    Having just experienced intense pleasure, their bodies were very sensitive, and merely getting close to each other was enough to cause their bodies to quiver with excitement, not to mention Yuwen Tong wiping and kneading Ling Zhang¡¯s body. As a result, neither of them dared to linger in the barrel for long. After washing themselves in haste, they got out of the barrel, toweled their bodies and hair and then changed into clean clothes.


    Standing on the ground, Ling Zhang gingerly stretched and felt it amazing to have some internal energy inside him. He and Yuwen Tong had obviously made out in a quite strenuous way, and he could barely stand only a few moments before, but now, after a mere bath in warm water and a massage given by Yuwen Tong and a short while¡¯s Qi circulation, he was feeling no serious discomfort except a particular body part of his was still fairly uncomfortable.


    They dried each other¡¯s hair with their internal energy, tied each other¡¯s hair up and helped each other change into new, light clothes. Every inch of their adornment was the work of their lovers. Ling Zhang felt as though Yuwen Tong¡¯s handsomeness and great presence should be attributed to him, while Yuwen Tong felt that he deserved all the credit for Ling Zhang¡¯s elegance and charm. Their faces registered pride in spite of themselves, their eyes fixed on each other and full of proudness and affection.


    Eventually, Yuwen Tong adjusted Ling Zhang¡¯s hairgrip and observed, ¡°The one you wore during the day is prettier.¡±


    That hairgrip had had exquisite red ribbons attached to it, which had hung behind Ling Zhang and flown whenever there was a wind. Yuwen Tong had noticed it during the day when escorting Ling Zhang out of the Ling Mansion. It had set off his sweetheart, making him look even more refined and graceful.


    Ling Zhang, however, believed that the lighter one he was wearing right now was better. ¡°I prefer this one. It¡¯s easier to wear. That one¡¯s too heavy.¡±


    Apart from those ribbons, the main body of the hairpin was rather heavy as well. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t feel like having it on his head for a whole night. On top of that, it wouldn¡¯t match the attire he was clothed in at this moment.


    Yuwen Tong was secretly a trifle regretful. He liked it when breeze brought those ribbons around his arm as he and Ling Zhang walked hand in hand. It felt as though Ling Zhang were wrapping himself around him, which gave him a unique sense of contentment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll be late if we don¡¯t hurry.¡±


    Ling Zhang grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and hastened to make towards the doors, not caring whether or not Yuwen Tong was still having some kind of romantic fantasy.


    They had originally planned to get something to eat, but time was terribly short, so the two of them had to drop the idea.


    ¡­


    In the imperial garden.


    Hundreds of thousands of lanterns had been lit, every one of which was emitting light different than that from the others, making the garden a glaring ocean of rays of a myriad of colors, creating a sight of unparalleled beauty.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had just reached the front gates when they heard the tumultuous uproar inside. Officials of all ranks and descriptions, the diplomatic corps of the couple of foreign countries and other invited guests had all gathered in there, producing incessant mirth and a babble of voices, mixed with the noises of children frolicking.


    Ling Zhang, who had a keen sense of hearing, could tell that there were far more than two children in there, looking at Yuwen Tong, somewhat confused.


    ¡°Why am I hearing voices of a lot of kids? Those officials brought their children here?¡±


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°According to the rules, tonight all officials are allowed to bring their family members here, but they tend not to take children to an evening banquet like this. I think this has something to do with Maomao.¡±


    Ling Maomao was Ling Zhang¡¯s cousin and the only great-grandchild of Ling Xingzhong, and his existence had indeed come to the knowledge of everybody without him noticing. Ling Zhang had married Yuwen Tong and become the empress, making the Ling family in-laws of the emperor. On top of that, Yuwen Tong valued Ling Zhang and the Ling family very much, which had given many people the idea of striking up relationships with the Ling family. Even if they couldn¡¯t make friends with the Ling family, they wouldn¡¯t make enemies of them. After all, nobody knew how far the Ling family would get.


    However¡­


    The Ling family were in the limelight, because the emperor cared about them very much, but the Ling family had been keeping a low profile, barely rubbing shoulders with anybody other than a limited few such as the Yuwen family and the Tao family. As a result, most officials were unable to find any opportunities to strike up friendships with the Ling family, though they wanted to, which was why in their eyes, Ling Maomao was a way in to a relationship with the Ling family. It might be difficult for them to get acquainted with any of the adult members of the Ling family, but it should be easy for their children to make the acquaintance of Ling Maomao, so they¡¯d brought their kids to this banquet with the intention to have them play with Ling Maomao. As regards whose children would be able to make friends with Ling Maomao, they could do nothing but trust to luck.


    Therefore, Ling Maomao was also very busy on this night, holding Ji Xiaocong¡¯s hand, talking with a group of children from aristocratic families clustering around them.


    At first Ling Maomao was somewhat unaccustomed to this situation, but gradually he sensed that something was not quite right. These children, both those older than him and those younger than him, seemed to be a trifle afraid of him. Though they spoke in different ways, all of them appeared to be somewhat overcautious. After Ling Maomao came to the capital city, he had seen more people and experienced more things, and his elders had drummed a lot into his head, so he had got some acquaintance with the various aspects of this city. On this occasion, he had perceptively perceived that the reason why these children were trying to make friends with him was because of his brother, who was the empress, and whose husband was the emperor.


    Having got a vague idea of what was going on, Ling Maomao knew what to expect. Gradually, his unease ebbed away and he developed the ability to calmly deal with every one of the children accosting him. When the topic was unfamiliar to him, he would keep silent. Even when asked about something he knew of, he would always make his reply as short as possible. With a poker face, he looked somewhat unapproachable, as though he were really a patronizing child.


    Though Ji Xiaocong standing beside him was young, this little guy was a member of the Ji family and thus intellectually precocious. Although he was still unable to figure out the ins and outs of this matter, he had generally came to realize what this might be about. When Ling Maomao was feigning unapproachability, he followed suit, looking impassive. With two expressionless faces, one bigger than the other, the two little boys were not flustered at all in the face of a group of children besieging them.


    Members of the Ling family in the distance, who¡¯d been paying attention to the two little boys all along, found this scene quite amusing.


    ¡°Maomao has indeed grown a lot,¡± sighed Ling Zhaowu, looking at Ling Maomao with exceptionally affectionate eyes. Because of his feelings of guilt, he saw his little brother¡¯s son as his own. He left home over ten years ago, and it¡¯d been his brother who¡¯d brought Ling Zhang up, so he was eager to make it up to his brother by doing something for his nephew.


    Naturally, Ling Zhaowen was very happy to hear his big brother¡¯s praise for his son¡¯s conduct, but he still put on a disapproving look and remarked, ¡°He¡¯s wearing a poker face because he doesn¡¯t have a clue how to deal with that situation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty smart of him to speak less, listen more and observe more, making it difficult for others to guess what he¡¯s thinking. It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Actually he¡¯s handling it in the exactly correct way. Your bark is worse than your bite, and it always has been. You¡¯re secretly happy about it, but you¡¯ll never admit it.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu put it very explicitly, not caring at all whether or not his little brother would be embarrassed. Ling Zhaowen, who was faintly disconcerted and felt that his big brother was being too blunt, looked at Ling Zhaowu and said, ¡°You¡¯re clearly coddling him.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a smile and didn¡¯t contradict him again, letting him retain a little dignity.


    On the other side, Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin were also looking at the two little boys.


    ¡°Tonight he doesn¡¯t seem like the naughty boy he usually is at home at all,¡± commented Ling Xingzhong with a sigh, vaguely gratified.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°All little boys are naughty at home and pretend to be mature in the presence of outsiders. It¡¯s a normal thing.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong smiled, looked into the distance and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while. What¡¯s taking Zhang¡¯er and His Majesty so long?¡±


    Ji Yin glanced at a spot in the distance and replied, ¡°They¡¯ve already arrived. There, they¡¯re watching the two kids.¡±


    Ji Yin, whose hearing was very good, could hear all the movements nearby if he wanted to. As Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had come with a lot of guards following in their wake, so he¡¯d heard the sound some time before.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong indeed paused for a while to see how Ling Maomao would deal with the situation. The little boy¡¯s approach struck Ling Zhang as satisfactory.


    ¡°You should give him a reward for this later,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a brief moment and replied, ¡°He¡¯s not getting a reward so easily. I¡¯d like to see his performance during the remainder of this banquet before making a decision.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him in surprise. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that there would be circumstances in which Ling Zhang could bring himself to be strict with Ling Maomao.

 Chapter 412 - The Imperial Wedding (10)

    While Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were talking, some of the guests noticed their arrival, so the two of them didn¡¯t linger there.


    ¡°His Majesty and His Highness approach!¡± someone announced.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡±


    The two of them walked through the crowd of kneeling officials. The imperial garden bristled with lanterns ablaze with glaring light, but all of them seemed to be overshadowed by the great presence of the two of them, as though all the lanterns existed to provide a foil for the two of them and the light from them became brighter after being reflected by the two people.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked up to the seats of honor and sat down hand in hand.


    ¡°You may rise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡±


    All the officials of the Great Wen and members of the diplomatic corps of foreign countries rose to their feet, looking in the direction of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong sitting in the seats at the top.


    ¡°Sit.¡± Yuwen Tong always tended to be clear and concise and dispense with formalities, which had much to do with the fact that he¡¯d started as a military officer.


    The guests took their seats according to the seating arrangement. Fortunately this garden was large enough, otherwise it might not be able to hold so many people. However, even so, sitting at the top of a platform, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong still got the impression that the sea of guests in front of them seemed boundless.


    Slow wedding music started, and the atmosphere gradually lightened. Everybody¡¯s eyes were on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. Naturally, more people were sneaking glances at Ling Zhang.


    Most people present were quite curious about Ling Zhang. After all, he was the first empress of the Great Wen, a male one, and the emperor cared about and favored him very much. This person was now standing at the top of the social hierarchy in the Great Wen with the incumbent emperor. These people were casting Ling Zhang curious glances for different reasons. Some of them ¨C most of the womenfolk of officials, for instance ¨C were purely curious. They were seated on the other side, and their view was partially blocked by tall bamboos, so they couldn¡¯t see Ling Zhang clearly, but because of the privacy provided by these bamboos, they were looking at him very boldly, unaware that Ling Zhang, whose five senses were unnaturally acute, could sense their gaze distinctly.


    On the surface Ling Zhang appeared composed, but in fact he¡¯d been feeling discomfited for quite a while.


    He also noticed that his aunt was there as well, sitting in the middle of the couple of daughter-in-laws of Yuwen You, looking relaxed and at ease. She should be feeling no discomfort, but she was secretly enjoying his awkwardness as well, her eyes full of amusement she couldn¡¯t disguise.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    The glances from the womenfolk were bold and searching. Though some of them were mixed with some inexplicable emotions, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the motives of the people they were from were fairly pure. In addition, Ling Zhang believed that a man shouldn¡¯t be afraid of women¡¯s gaze, so he was just a trifle disconcerted and felt no pressure.


    Compared with the gaze from the womenfolk, the glances from the crowd of officials and members of the diplomatic corps in front of him struck him as rather thought-provoking. These people were all adept at concealing their feelings, and their true thoughts were much more complicated.


    Ling Zhang was a male empress, and also the first empress of the Great Wen, so everybody was very interested in what his way of doing things would be like, especially after Yuwen Tong appointed Jiang Yu and then Zhao Jiusi as Ling Zhang¡¯s advisers. All officials were speculating about the emperor¡¯s intentions, about how deep Ling Zhang¡¯s involvement in state affairs would be in the future, because their emperor didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    The officials actually had mixed feelings about this matter. On the one hand, as the empress, Ling Zhang was a member of the seraglio and shouldn¡¯t interfere in any state affairs, but on the other, Ling Zhang was a man, not a woman, and it seemed impracticable for him to live like a woman in every way. If Ling Zhang was to get involved in state affairs, what would he do? And in what way would his deeds affect them? These were what concerned the officials the most.


    The emperor¡¯s take on this was ambiguous. Now that the empress had the intention to participate in government and political affairs, they must find out how deeply he¡¯d be involved, so that their paths to higher positions would be less bumpy.


    Most officials saw things this way. They mainly wanted to figure out how deep Ling Zhang¡¯s involvement in politics would be, so that they would be able to adopt the right attitudes towards Ling Zhang in the future. However, some others thought differently. They were also wondering about Ling Zhang, but mostly about Ling Zhang¡¯s relations with Yuwen Tong, and about the bonding between the two of them. They were observing Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s every move, trying to find out where Ling Zhang stood with Yuwen Tong exactly, because the answer would help them suit their methods to the situation. Of course, from the vantage point of the present, none of them wanted to do anything to Ling Zhang, for anybody could tell that no matter whether the marriage between the two of them was solid or vulnerable, at this point in time Ling Zhang meant far more to Yuwen Tong than anybody else did. Messing with Ling Zhang would be synonymous with offending Yuwen Tong, bearding the lion in his den. For them, suiting their methods to the situation meant planting someone in the imperial seraglio.


    The Great Wen had been built, and the political landscape had basically stabilized, so although nobody had mentioned the matter of the imperial seraglio so far, there was no doubt this issue would be put on the agenda after some time. After all, Ling Zhang was a man, which meant he was not able to bear children. If anybody could marry their daughter or niece to the emperor to be his concubine and help her consolidate her position in the imperial seraglio and thus benefit their family, it would be perfect. The early stage of a dynasty was also the time for courtiers to gain their footholds in the imperial court. Who would be so foolish as to let this opportunity slip away?


    Even Chu Liangyan, the Right Prime Minister, was considering it, for he happened to have an unmarried daughter of marriageable age. Chu Liangyan had rendered meritorious service by assisting Yuwen Tong to take the throne, so he believed that his status was solid. Those aristocratic families which used to be above the Chu family had now either been eradicated or declined. Presently, in the whole capital city there were very few girls who could compare with his daughter, so Chu Liangyan was confident that as long as he recommended his daughter as an imperial concubine, the emperor, for the sake of his respectability alone, would undoubtedly give his daughter a pretty good position in the imperial seraglio. However, while considering this, Chu Liangyan also had some misgivings. As the Right Prime Minister who was very much in Yuwen Tong¡¯s confidence, Chu Liangyan naturally had great political instincts. Though he firmly believed that the emperor would surely have a woman bear him a son to be his heir, he was still somewhat worried.


    The reason why he was worried was because of the relationship between Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang. Chu Liangyan had rubbed elbows with Ling Zhang several times and also had previously been associates with Yuwen Tong for many years, so he was fully aware of how deep Yuwen Tong¡¯s feelings for Ling Zhang were. The bonding between them was very strong, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy for anybody to get between them, so although he had the intention to marry his daughter to the emperor, he was still hesitating, wondering whether it was the right thing to do, and how he should do it if it was.


    Many others had the same thoughts as Chu Liangyan¡¯s, and they all wanted the same thing. Some of these people, like Chu Liangyan, knew about Ling Zhang¡¯s place in Yuwen Tong¡¯s affections pretty well. Some others were rather blind to it, and they all believed that Yuwen Tong would, without doubt, take some women in as concubines to bear him sons, that Ling Zhang, a male empress, had nothing but a fancy title, that there was not much he could do. Therefore, there was much less respect in their eyes when they looked at Ling Zhang, and their gaze was even tinged with disdain.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang sensed these people¡¯s gaze distinctly. As a matter of fact, he could see clearly what the expression in the eyes of everybody present was like. He was just pretending not to notice.


    Apart from those who were giving him searching looks because of their concern for their official careers or their speculations about Yuwen Tong¡¯s future seraglio, members of the diplomatic corps of foreign countries were also observing him. These people¡¯s gaze was more complex and also more varied. More than half of them held Ling Zhang in icy disregard, presumably thinking, ¡®A male empress? He¡¯s unable to bear the emperor any sons, so he¡¯s just ornamental and won¡¯t have any say in state affairs. All he has is just a fancy title.¡¯


    The diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom was led by their emperor¡¯s little brother, Shan Congyi, who was also the younger brother of Shan Congwen that had previously died on the battlefield. The look he was giving Ling Zhang was inscrutable. Compared with Shan Congwen, he looked thinner and milder, and his eyes seemed free of aggressiveness, but because of this, he appeared unduly equable, and all his thoughts were concealed by the semblance of mildness.


    The diplomatic corps of the Luohai Kingdom was headed by Murong Feng, who was the son of Mu Hengtian, the emperor of Luohai, and was also the crown prince. He was in his forties already. Owing to his father¡¯s longevity and good health, he had been the crown prince for almost twenty years. He stood in the starkest contrast with Shan Congyi. The latter was frail and gentle, while he was quite thickset, looking like a tough hombre, and his eyes were rather ferocious and had something sinister hidden inside them too. He first sized Ling Zhang up for a brief moment and then dismissively looked away from him. Of all the people present, he was the one who made the least effort to conceal the scorn in his eyes.


    The leader of the diplomatic corps of the Fangcun Kingdom was Hai Feng, the Prime Minister of Fangcun, who appeared somewhat stout and always had a smile on his face, looking more like the patriarch of a rich family than a prime minister. He seemed to be the most benign one, but what he was really thinking was known to nobody but himself.


    The expressions in these people¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t escape Ling Zhang¡¯s notice either, and he still maintained a poker face. No matter whether they were showing their true feelings or concealing them, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t believe they were what they seemed at this moment. All these people were courtiers serving their respective emperors, and were either members of imperial households or top-ranking officials. They would¡¯ve long since kicked the bucket if they were really so innocent as to wear their hearts on their sleeves. On top of that, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom were vanquished nations, and this time around, their diplomatic corps, apart from attending Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement ceremony and wedding, had also come here to sign a peace accord, which meant that they¡¯d been at a disadvantage from the very beginning. They would be fools if they had their true thoughts written on their faces in the presence of Yuwen Tong. Therefore, Ling Zhang secretly analyzed their facial expressions several times, pondering what was hidden behind these reactions of theirs, showing a total disregard for those shallow, negative emotions such as disdain. Even if they were really dismissing him, he wouldn¡¯t care.


    He knew about Yuwen Tong¡¯s ambitions very well. He would be an utter fool to take offence at this kind of seemingly manifest hostility.


    Apart from Ling Zhang himself, Yuwen Tong had also seen everything, but just like Ling Zhang, he also maintained a poker face, pretending not to notice any of it.

 Chapter 413 - The Imperial Wedding (11)

    Such was the tacit understanding between Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong that they seemed to be reading each other¡¯s minds.


    But those sitting down there didn¡¯t necessarily know anything about what the two of them were thinking. Mu Rongfeng, seeing Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance didn¡¯t change a bit after he wore a dismissive look for quite a while, briefly furrowed his brows, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. Some of the others had also been observing, but at this time they were also baffled as to what Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s intentions were.


    Members of the Ling family, however, were all beaming as though they were really here to enjoy the banquet, watching the dancing, listening to the music, talking and laughing happily.


    Seeing this, all the others had mixed feelings, for they had no idea whether the Ling family were really unconcerned or just faking it.


    It struck them that the Ling family didn¡¯t seem to be really unconcerned, that it was more likely they were pretending.


    Nobody considered the possibility that the Ling family were simply happy and didn¡¯t care about any of those miscellaneous things.


    Ling Zhaowu, who was scornful of those anxious to scheme against each other, couldn¡¯t even be bothered to glance at any of them. Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai had unequaled kung fu skills and thus didn¡¯t have the slightest inclination to look at any of those people who were like ants in their eyes. Ling Xingzhong also relaxed considerably because of Ji Yin¡¯s company. Ling Zhaowen had always been an astute man and was now under the protection of his big brother, so he certainly wouldn¡¯t cast any of those people an extra glance.


    The group of them were sitting together, and beside them were Yuwen You¡¯s branch of the Yuwen family, who had the same blood as Yuwen Tong¡¯s, and whose personalities bore striking similarity to that of Yuwen Tong as well, so they wouldn¡¯t toss a single needless glance to those people.


    Aside from them, the Left Prime Minister, the Ji family and Zhao Zheng, the Minister of War, were also present and their reactions were, for all intents and purposes, the same.


    Seeing this, some of the others caught on to the situation, immediately withdrew their searching, curious gaze and started making remarks of benediction without cease. These sly old foxes were not stupid. They stood up to offer their congratulations one after another, as though the delicate mood just now had never existed.


    And then it was time to present gifts to the newly-weds. Wedding gifts from the officials all had their own characteristics. Naturally, diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kingdom and the Fangcun Kingdom had also brought presents, each better than the last, as though this were some kind of contest.


    All the lists of gifts were announced loudly and everybody could hear the contents distinctly. Gifts from most of the officials had good omens attached to them. Some of the gifts were costly, and some others were more about the omens they represented than their monetary value, but overall, the gifts were all appropriate for the occasion, and there was nothing wrong about any of them. Presents from the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kingdom and the Fangcun Kingdom were mostly expensive ones, including their respective regional specialities such as rare marine products from the Fangcun Kingdom, precious medicinal herbs from the Luohai Kingdom, thoroughbred horses from the Wan Kingdom, etc. Nobody tried to rock the boat by doing something like send beautiful women as gifts. Even the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom were doing things by the book, and Ling Zhang was secretly a little surprised by it.


    The Wan Kingdom had been in incessant conflict with the Great Wen since the last imperial dynasty, and Yuwen Tong had inflicted numerous defeats on them. Even Shan Congwen had died by Yuwen Tong¡¯s sword during the latest fighting, but these envoys from the Wan Kingdom were still so well-behaved, which showed that they were indeed badly in need of a couple of years¡¯ peace to recuperate and build up strength. In other words, the situation in the Wan Kingdom was indeed dire. If the Great Wen had enough strength, they might be able to take the Wan Kingdom first, but unfortunately at this time the Great Wen badly needed to regain strength as well, and the people needed to rehabilitate their homeland and restore their lives. From this, it could be deduced that in the tripartite balance of the Great Wen, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, the third was, surprisingly, the most capable of waging a sudden war, no matter which of the other two would be the target¡­


    Ling Zhang looked at the diplomatic corps of the three countries. He¡¯d been impassively observing them as well.


    ¡°The Ji family present a long-lost manual of martial formation¡­¡±


    Right at this moment, the Millennium Pavilion¡¯s gift was announced. Ling Zhang was somewhat astonished to hear it. The gifts that were being announced were from Ji Yanlai, and there was actually a manual of martial formation among them! During the day, when he¡¯d entered the palace, among his trousseaus was a casket containing manuals of superb martial formation, cultivation methods, kung fu skills, etc. He had thought that those were all the gifts from the Millennium Pavilion. How come Ji Yanlai was sending him another manual of martial formation?


    A flicker of surprise flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes which looked in the direction of Ji Yanlai.


    The others were also looking at Ji Yanlai. What with Ji Yanlai¡¯s obtrusive appearance, many people had been secretly observing him, so at this time they naturally took advantage of this opportunity to boldly size him up. However, he just stood up, sent his best wishes to the newly-weds and then sat down, showing no inclination to explain anything.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were uncertain about his intentions, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t ask him for any details, but some guests started whispering to each other.


    It was quite a while before the last gift was presented. The next step was for the emperor to reward the Ling family.


    Yuwen Feng made Ling Xingzhong the Marquess Yongkang (AKA, the Marquess of Eternal Health), granting him yearly salary, fief and a series of other privileges. Ling Zhaowu was made the Earl Taichang (AKA the Earl of Prosperity) and was also granted yearly salary, fief and a series of privileges. The title of the Marquess Yongkang was hereditary.


    By bestowing titles of nobility to two members of a family, the emperor was already making an exception, and the title of the Marquess Yongkang was hereditary. Also, Ling Zhaowen had been transferred to Shengzhou to be the new governor and would soon go to Shengzhou to take office, which showed how much the emperor valued the Ling family.


    Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu rose to their feet, stepped forward and expressed their gratitude to the emperor. All other officials offered their congratulations to the two of them. The Ling family had instantly become one of the most powerful families in the capital city, one that was very much in favor with the emperor.


    While warmly sending their congratulations to the two people, the officials were also bearing some other thoughts in mind. Ling Xingzhong was of advanced years, and it was impossible for him to resume pursuing a political career, so he wouldn¡¯t wield real power. His title was mainly about honor and the most important attribute ¨C hereditariness. As long as the Ling family still stood and Ling Xingzhong¡¯s offspring were competent enough, the title of the Marquess Yongkang would be carrying more and more weight. Take Ling Zhaowen for example. He was now the Shengzhou governor, and if one day he made some achievements and was transferred back to the capital city, he would have both real power and marquessdom after Ling Xingzhong¡¯s death, and his career prospects would be limitless. It could be predicted that some day the Marquess Yongkang would be a very influential political figure.


    As for Ling Zhaowu, the Earl Taichang, he was the one that the officials found it most difficult to figure out, because Ling Zhaowu had chosen to pursue a business career rather than a political one. On top of that, his earldom was not hereditary, which meant that the title ¡°the Earl Taichang¡± would be gone with his death. Given that Ling Zhaowu was Ling Zhang¡¯s father, if he¡¯d chosen to enter politics, his brother wouldn¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of succeeding to the title of their father, but he seemed to be totally uninterested in pursuing an official career, and would rather give up all the honor he could some day have for his little brother. Most outsiders felt that Ling Zhaowu was stupid, for he was the empress¡¯ father but refused to take advantage of this. Another thing that confused everybody was that Ling Zhaowu was barely forty and in the prime of his life, so he could totally remarry and have more sons, but Ling Zhaowu seemed to be quite content with what he had and had no interest whatsoever in marrying another woman¡­ Many people in the capital city had covertly made some inquiries and tried to strike up relationships with Ling Zhaowu and marry their daughters to him, but Ling Zhaowu had turned down them all. Nobody could fathom out what Ling Zhaowu was thinking. As a result, all of them had faintly searching expressions in their eyes when they looked at Ling Zhaowu, wondering what was going on in the Ling family.


    There was, in addition, another matter. The Ling family had been rewarded, and the die had been cast, but hitherto, the emperor hadn¡¯t made anybody Wang (a nobleman of the highest rank below the monarch in feudal China).


    The titles ¡°the Marquess Fuan¡± and ¡°the Marquess Huaiwen¡± had been conferred on two members of the branch of the Yuwen family, and the titles ¡°the Marquess Yongkang¡± and ¡°the Earl Taichang¡± on two members of the Ling family. Nobody had been made Wang since the new dynasty had started. It was as though the emperor was reserving it. As regards for how much longer he would reserve it, the officials could only rely on their powers of deduction and imagination to figure it out.


    Now the empress had been selected, and the political landscape had basically stabilized, so the speculations about the imperial seraglio once again came floating out of the officials¡¯ memory in spite of themselves, but this time around, they were thinking about this matter deeper. The emperor had allowed the empress to take Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi in as his advisers, both of whom had elders that either were or used to be high-ranking courtiers. This showed that the emperor¡¯s attitude towards the empress was ambiguous, so everybody was waiting to see what the empress¡¯ style of dealing with things would be like.


    Moreover, the imperial seraglio was indeed a great temptation, and everybody wanted to have some contacts in it, but this emperor of theirs was different from any of his predecessors. He not only had taken a man as his consort but also refused to be manipulated by anybody. Most of his predecessors, when they¡¯d first been enthroned, had chosen to marry daughters of top-ranking officials to gain their support so as to consolidate his emperorship. Also, some of them had had to marry female members of some aristocratic families too powerful to be kept under control in order to pacify them and rope them in. But now things were different. Back at the time when the Great Wen had just been built, almost all large families that had carried enough weight with the imperial court had been eradicated, which was why currently nobody was able to rock the foundation of the imperial court or pose a threat to the emperor¡¯s status. The emperor had been a marshal before acceding to the throne, and the strongest and largest army of the Great Wen was under the emperor¡¯s command. All his subordinates were infinitely loyal to him. It could be said that the incumbent emperor had absolute dominion over this nation, and nobody could undermine his authority.


    After realizing this, some of those who previously hadn¡¯t caught on to the situation gradually saw sense, and they could all feel cold sweat on their backs.


    This emperor of theirs had taken the throne without any bloodshed. It¡¯d seemed a runaway victory, but in fact all his obstacles had been removed before his enthronement! The officials recalled the confused fighting and the precarious situation in the capital city during the short period before the downfall of the Zhou family. At that time, this emperor of theirs had appeared quite unthreatening because of his loss of half of his military power, and most people had seemed to forget about him, but what if he had actually been having everything under his control all this time? Their emperor was even more formidable than they imagined him to be, and he had absolute power over them.


    Thus, all those who had some insight came to understand. Nobody should mess with Yuwen Tong at this point in time. Many of those who¡¯d been coveting positions in the imperial seraglio slowly calmed down.


    Also because of this, many people began to feel bitterly regretful. Previously they had also considered recommending their sons or nephews to Ling Zhang, but what with their misjudgement, all those they¡¯d recommended had been their family members who were believed to be mediocre, which was why they¡¯d missed the opportunity to plant someone in Ling Zhang¡¯s think tank. Presently, Jiang Yu of the Jiang family and Zhao Jiusi of the Zhao family were the only two members of it.


    The Jiang family had Jiang Shennian who was very visionary. As for the Zhao family, Zhao Zheng was now the Minister of War. Though it seemed that he¡¯d been neither promoted nor demoted, everybody knew that in his case, rank didn¡¯t mean anything, that the emperor¡¯s trust in him was the most important, that Zhao Zheng was in the emperor¡¯s confidence. By sending Zhao Jiusi to be Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser, the Zhao family had actually sent a message to everybody. However, the die had now been cast and it was no good regretting it.

 Chapter 414 - The Imperial Wedding (12)

    The officials¡¯ minds were all very active. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who¡¯d been observing all their reactions, found this scene fairly amusing.


    This was Ling Zhang¡¯s first time sitting in a seat like this. If truth be told, he was seeing a lot of things he couldn¡¯t see previously. This feeling struck him as quite new and interesting.


    His and Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands under the table were clasped tightly together all along. Yuwen Tong stroked or tickled Ling Zhang¡¯s palm from time to time. After a few unsuccessful attempts to stop him, Ling Zhang became resigned and just let him do what he wanted.


    ¡°Are you bored?¡±


    Ling Zhang, whose palm was tickled again, slightly moved his fingers and replied, ¡°No. It¡¯s pretty interesting.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle and gently wrapped his palm around Ling Zhang¡¯s restless fingers once again. Feeling the faintly numb and itchy sensation caused by Ling Zhang¡¯s fingers which were furtively tickling his palm, he had an urge to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to his lips and kiss it. Unfortunately for him, if he really did that in the presence of so many people, Ling Zhang would no doubt go berserk and probably wouldn¡¯t let him get close to the bed tonight.


    ¡°Your surname is very rare, Childe Ji. May I ask where you come from?¡±


    Someone suddenly spoke aloud, mentioning the surname Ji. Ling Zhang¡¯s attention was instantly attracted. When he looked in that direction, he found that Mu Rongfeng had stood up with a wine cup in his hand and was now gazing at Ji Yanlai, who, naturally, was the one he was asking.


    As he asked that question, everybody else¡¯s eyes were drawn to the two of them, because Ji Yanlai¡¯s and the other two¡¯s identities were indeed too mysterious.


    On this day, Ji Yanlai was still wearing high priest¡¯s robes of the Millennium Pavilion, but priest¡¯s robes of the Millennium Pavilion were mainly white, and the few patterns seemed to be merely ornamental, so nobody had associated his robes with the priesthood so far, but because of his rather special, luxurious and flashy attire, he had a quite imposing air about him, and nobody dared look down upon him. Previously some people had speculated that Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin were from a Jianghu sect, but given that Ji Yanlai¡¯s and Ji Yin¡¯s demeanor bore no similarity whatsoever to that of members of a Jianghu sect and they seemed more confident than members of an aristocratic family, this speculation sounded somewhat ungrounded.


    Furthermore, as Ji Yanlai¡¯s appearance was very obtrusive, nobody could overlook him, though he cared about nothing but food and drink.


    Sitting beside Ji Yanlai was Ji Xiaocong, beside whom sat Ling Maomao. The two little boys were seated at the same table. Noticing that everybody¡¯s eyes suddenly flashed in their direction, the two of them stopped eating and looked at Mu Rongfeng, very confused.


    Ji Yanlai had originally been drinking, but Mu Rongfeng¡¯s sudden question had spoiled his enjoyment, so the expression in his eyes became faintly apathetic and impatient. In a bland voice, he replied, ¡°Just a common Jianghu sect.¡±


    ¡°A common Jianghu sect? Tell us more about it and see if anyone here has ever heard of it,¡± Mu Rongfeng immediately said.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing about it that¡¯s worth mentioning.¡± Ji Yanlai flicked him a glance and then couldn¡¯t be bothered to even lift his eyes. He probably wouldn¡¯t have bothered answering him if it weren¡¯t for the fact that Mu Rongfeng¡¯s voice was very loud and had drawn too many people¡¯s attention to the two of them.


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s attitude indicated that he refused to save Mu Rongfeng¡¯s face. A flicker of displeasure flashed across Mu Rongfeng¡¯s eyes and with that he persisted, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth mentioning until you tell us. Even if none of us has ever heard of its name, we won¡¯t laugh at you.¡±


    These words were rather rude. Ling Zhang narrowed his eyes which aggressively flashed in that direction. He was just about to say something when he heard Ji Yanlai asked, ¡°You want a fight?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mu Rongfeng was uncertain about what he¡¯d just heard.


    ¡°If you want a fight, you may make your move directly. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush or waste any time. I don¡¯t have that much leisure for your little game,¡± said Ji Yanlai, putting down his wine cup, looking wintrily at Mu Rongfeng, radiating an almost palpable sense of power which instantly enveloped Mu Rongfeng, who involuntarily gave a muffled grunt of misery, feeling as though the air around him had suddenly become thinner. Not only was he abruptly weighed down by something, he was also having difficulty breathing, the look on his face becoming ugly.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± exclaimed an envoy of the Luohai Kingdom in alarm at the sight of the abnormal expression on Mu Rongfeng¡¯s face.


    Others in the imperial garden were also taken aback, unaware of what was happening. How come Mu Rongfeng suddenly appeared to be on the verge of suffocation?


    Having trouble breathing, Mu Rongfeng reflexively threw out his chest and began to gasp for air, beads of sweat welling up on him constantly, panic-stricken.


    Mu Rongfeng had started reacting this way without notice. Although a few moments before he¡¯d been talking with Ji Yanlai, and the latter¡¯s tone had been somewhat hostile, the two of them¡¯s seats were pretty far away from each other, and Ji Yanlai was still sitting in his chair doing nothing in particular, so this matter seemed to have nothing to do with Ji Yanlai at all, but this scene still gave the others present the willies. Although Ji Yanlai seemed to have done nothing, everybody had a hunch that this was Ji Yanlai¡¯s doing, as though it was some kind of¡­ witchcraft.


    ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness!¡± The envoy of the Luohai Kingdom paled visibly from fear, for the look on Mu Rongfeng¡¯s face was growing increasingly uglier and veins were throbbing horribly in his temples. If nobody did anything about it, he would undoubtedly end up dead.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please save our prince!¡± The envoy turned to Yuwen Tong for help.


    Yuwen Tong, who was a master of internal energy, naturally could tell at a glance what was happening to Mu Rongfeng, and he knew that Ji Yanlai wouldn¡¯t really take Mu Rongfeng¡¯s life, so his face had been calm all along. However, there might be trouble if anybody of the Luohai diplomatic corps saw through it, so he affected an air of concern and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? He was fine only a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know either. His Highness began acting like this without warning. Please send for a court physician, Your Majesty!¡± responded the envoy, flustered.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s horrified eyes widened so dramatically that they nearly popped out of his head. He started to wave his arms around frantically, clutching at straws, but breathing was getting more and more difficult and he was in deep fright, his vision blurring. ¡°Help¡­Help me¡­¡±


    Right at this moment, Ji Yanlai withdrew his flinty eyes which had been fixed on Mu Rongfeng, took up the wine cup on the table and resumed drinking. Meanwhile, the pressure weighing Mu Rongfeng down disappeared and he could finally breathe again, his breath coming in short, loud pants. Unable to keep his footing, he directly sat down onto the ground, gasping madly for air, casting aside all considerations of face. The couple of members of the Luohai diplomatic corps clustered around him. It was after seeing he was finally breathing normally and his face softened that they heaved a sigh of relief and then examined him one after another.


    ¡°How do you feel, Your Highness? What happened to you just now?¡±


    The envoys around Mu Rongfeng nervously asked him how he felt and at the same time tensely kept a weather eye on everybody nearby, as though all those people could do them harm at any moment.


    Bored by this scene, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It seems that you¡¯re okay now, but I think it¡¯s best if I have a court physician perform a medical examination on you. I don¡¯t want you to suffer any more miseries on this festive day.¡±


    ¡°Tha¨CThat won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Mu Rongfeng managed to make a reply, his voice uneven from the effort of subduing something. With the help of the envoys, he rose to his feet. Due to the oxygen deprivation he¡¯d been subjected to just now, he still felt faintly dizzy, his vision somewhat blurry. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just suddenly had difficulty breathing. I think it¡¯s probably because the climate here doesn¡¯t agree with me. I¡¯ll be fine after having some rest in the courier hostel.¡±


    In an apparently casual way, Mu Rongfeng looked at Ji Yanlai sitting behind a table diagonally opposite, a sinister and highly wary expression in his eyes. He knew very well that he was not ill at all, and he was certainly not unaccustomed to the climate. It¡¯d been the man opposite him who had done that to him. Just now that pressure had been put on him by that person surnamed Ji! If it were somebody else who¡¯d done it, Mu Rongfeng would¡¯ve flied into rage and had them beheaded some time before, but that gaze of Ji Yanlai¡¯s had struck fear into the depths of his heart. Those eyes had not only put heavy pressure on him, making the hair on his scalp prickle and rendering him unable to breathe, but also seemed to bore into him, leaving him nowhere to flee to. Anyway, Mu Rongfeng found Ji Yanlai to be a very formidable opponent. He didn¡¯t want to fight Ji Yanlai at this point in time, because if he put up a fight, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get the better of it and might end up falling prey to some trick of Yuwen Tong¡¯s. As a result, Mu Rongfeng chose to keep his mouth shut.


    Mu Rongfeng had wisely decided to shut his mouth, and the others present were not stupid either. Although it didn¡¯t seem to be Ji Yanlai¡¯s doing at all, all the others became wary of him. Ji Yanlai, a man surnamed Ji, who had come out of nowhere, along with that middle-aged man beside him, were both Ling Zhang¡¯s mother¡¯s relatives. People only knew that their surname was Ji, but they were unaware of either of their given names, or where they were from. They were too mysterious! The two of them also possessed some long-lost manuscripts of martial formations, and had provided Ling Zhang with a trousseau of shockingly high value, and now Ji Yanlai seemed to be capable of some kind of horrific witchcraft¡­ Where were the two of them exactly?! They were by no means from some common Jianghu sect! If even a common Jianghu sect had such skills at their command, the world would long since have been turned upside down!


    Also, the officials could deduce a lot from the emperor¡¯s take on the incident. It was evident that the emperor knew who the two of them were.


    The officials¡¯ minds were racing, and they forgot completely that they were along for the ride. At the same time they once again labeled Ling Zhang¡¯s background as mysterious.


    After this day, many people kept an eye out for any information that might be connected with anybody surnamed Ji in Jianghu, and began to look into the identities of Ji Yanlai and those around him. However, when Ji Yanlai and the others had left the capital city, all inquiries seemed to reach a dead end. Not only were they unable to make any progress, they couldn¡¯t even erase the traces they left behind, and certainly their plans to track down Ji Yanlai and his men were consigned to the scrap heap. Nobody ever found anything. Also, after that, the expressions in the eyes of people in the capital city became faintly more searching whenever they saw Ling Zhang, and the shroud of secrecy cloaking Ling Zhang¡¯s family background grew thicker.


    Of course, all those things happened after Ji Yanlai and his men left the capital city. At this moment, owing to this interlude of Mu Rongfeng, nobody dared to accost Ji Yanlai again. By tacit agreement, this incident was never mentioned again at the banquet.


    Ling Zhang felt a slight sense of relief and meanwhile found that being of a higher status had indeed enabled him to see things in a much different way, as though many things had been given very different meanings. Take this farce that had just happened for example. Were he not in this position, he would definitely have seen only a small part of it, but because he was now in a high position sitting beside Yuwen Tong, he had felt very differently. From this angle, he could see everybody¡¯s reaction distinctly, including their micro-expressions such as how far their eyes roved sideways, and he could hear their whispers too, which they themselves believed nobody could hear.


    This kind of feeling was really very peculiar and amazing. He believed that no common person would feel it so deeply as he did when they were seated in this position, because his five senses were far more acute than common people¡¯s. He could see everything within his sight and hear every sound within earshot of him very clearly.


    Yuwen Tong also had the same feeling, and he probably could see and feel more, given that his internal energy was far more powerful.


    So this was how it felt to be at the top of the hierarchy?


    As though having sensed the question in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind, Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside to look at him. After seeing the hidden inquisitiveness in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, he took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand again, fingering it. ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting, isn¡¯t it? Do you like it?¡±


    This was the scenery that he and Ling Zhang from now on would be seeing standing shoulder to shoulder at the top of the hierarchy. It was unique, accessible to the two of them only.


    Ling Zhang caught on to the undertone contained in Yuwen Tong¡¯s words said in an amused tone. At this moment, he suddenly felt in an exceptionally distinct way what Yuwen Tong had meant by ¡°standing shoulder to shoulder¡±, and he also had a deeper perception of their marriage ¨C he would be seeing what Yuwen Tong saw, and this scenery belonged as much to Yuwen Tong as it did to him. This was the true meaning of being a married couple.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Ling Zhang suddenly relaxed every muscle in his body and put his hand completely in Yuwen Tong¡¯s, allowing himself to trust and rely on Yuwen Tong once again, whom he had placed all his trust in already. Yuwen Tong, who could sense every change of Ling Zhang¡¯s emotion, stopped fingering Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and solemnly wrapped his own hand around it, along with Ling Zhang¡¯s trust and affection, as though he were wrapping Ling Zhang in his palm which would be the only world that Ling Zhang was going to live in.


    BOOM!


    Fireworks were set off not far away. They shot into the night sky in succession before exploding into numerous flowers of sparks, making a spectacular sight of breathtaking beauty.


    ¡°The fireworks show is on,¡± said Yuwen Tong, standing up and pulling Ling Zhang to his feet. The two of them stood side by side, enjoying the fireworks show specially scheduled for this night.


    The moment they rose from their seats, all the guests followed suit. A fireworks show of this scale was appealing enough to arrest anybody¡¯s attention.


    Meanwhile, excitement of the common folk in the capital city was also ignited. The cheers from them were making the welkin ring, and even people in the imperial palace could feel the sound wave.


    It was at this moment that the boisterous mood of the banquet reached its height. Everybody was immersed in the joyous spirit of the imperial wedding.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know when, but Yuwen Tong had stepped behind him. He put his arms around Ling Zhang, who gave a smile and, ignoring whether or not anybody was watching, leaned himself against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and raised his head to watch the fireworks shooting into the sky perpetually with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said in his ear, ¡°From this day on we are one. Together we¡¯ll see countless times this kind of fireworks and those things we saw just now. Be it the imperial court or the world, we¡¯ll be having exactly the same view.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°No matter what it is we¡¯ll have to face up to in the future, I¡¯ll be by your side. You have your ambitions, and I have mine. Now that we¡¯ve gone this far, we need to make our efforts count.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled and gave him a kiss. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    More booms were heard as a myriad of beautiful glaring fireworks exploded into and against the night sky, adding to the celebratory mood of the imperial wedding.

 Chapter 415 - The "Sh" Sound of Snoring

    This was a sleepless celebration night. Because of the imperial wedding, there was no curfew in the capital city on this night. The fireworks show lasted hours and didn¡¯t stop until shortly before midnight. Such were the spirits of the common folk that after midnight the streets were still seething with people, and the city was still a sea of joy when the banquet in the palace came to an end.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong took their leave first, and then the guests cleared out of the garden one after another. When Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin were leaving, Ling Zhang showed up and walked them to the front gates of the palace before returning.


    ¡°My paternal grandfather drank some wine at the banquet and left at such a late hour. Also, he didn¡¯t look very well. It really worries me.¡±


    After returning from the palace gates where he¡¯d parted from his elders, Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong while on his way to change clothes, ¡°Great-uncle is even older than my paternal grandfather, and he drank even more wine tonight than my grandfather did, but he looked quite robust as though he hadn¡¯t drunk any wine at all.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong, who was also changing out of his many layers of robes, replied, ¡°Great-uncle started learning kung fu from my great-grandfather when he was a little boy, so his constitution is pretty strong. He used to serve in the army when he was at a younger age. It was after finishing his service in the army that he returned to the capital city to enter on a political career. He loves tai chi chuan and has still been practicing it every morning.¡±


    Thinking about his paternal grandfather¡¯s situation, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. ¡°It¡¯s true that kung fu is a must for men. My paternal grandfather doesn¡¯t like exercise very much.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was the only one Ling Zhang would talk about this kind of private topic with. It was no good trying to persuade Ling Xingzhong. The old man was pretty stubborn, but there had been a time when he¡¯d been learning some simple tai chi chuan moves from Ji Yin to stretch his limbs and improve his health, probably because he¡¯d been motivated by Ji Yin¡¯s young appearance. He¡¯d actually been in better shape than he¡¯d been when he¡¯d first come to the capital city. It was because of the wine and the long hours of banquet that he didn¡¯t look very well.


    ¡°If it bothers you so much, I¡¯ll take you back to the Ling Mansion to check on him tomorrow morning.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had wanted to suggest he send a court physician to the Ling Mansion, but then he¡¯d recalled that Mr. Mu was there, so it was totally unnecessary to send a court physician. He could only let Ling Zhang return home to take a look the next morning, for it was the only way to help Ling Zhang find complete peace of mind.


    After changing clothes, Ling Zhang thought about it for a brief moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send Wang Dashan back to check on him. That¡¯ll do.¡±


    There was no court meeting the next day, but a holiday like this was very rare for Yuwen Tong, and Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t bring himself to have Yuwen Tong waste it by accompanying him to the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Since there¡¯s no work tomorrow, you should go back home. You¡¯ve been meaning to bring Maomao and Ji Xiaocong in here to let him play, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Wang Dashan and the others bring the two of them here for good measure. Although there¡¯s no court meeting tomorrow, you still have a lot to attend to. I¡¯ll stay to keep you company.¡±


    No word was more persuasive than ¡°I¡¯ll stay to keep you company.¡± Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t insist Ling Zhang go back to the Ling Mansion the next morning.


    ¡°We sat there for quite a long time. How do you feel? Are you feeling any discomfort?¡±


    Reading between the lines, Ling Zhang slightly averted his eyes and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    But in fact, having sat there for several hours, he did feel a little uncomfortable. Yuwen Tong made no remarks on it, stepped up to him, took his hand and said, ¡°Get an early night.¡±


    The two of them washed and then went to bed. The red candles were still burning in the imperial bedchamber. When Ling Zhang walked to the bedside, his memories of what they¡¯d done during the day came flooding back. He slightly paused in a faintly unnatural way, unable to believe he¡¯d actually done those things.


    ¡°Get some sleep. Tomorrow I¡¯ll tell them to pay a visit to the Ling Mansion. You don¡¯t have to get up early.¡±


    Yuwen Tong drew him onto the bed. Ling Zhang was indeed exhausted this night. After getting onto the bed, he shifted his position, curling up in Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace. When he found his lying position comfortable, he closed his eyes and let out a little sigh. Seeing Ling Zhang lying in his arms like Whitie the fox, Yuwen Tong found this scene quite pleasant and also heaved a sigh of contentment. They had made out during the day, so Yuwen Tong, considering Ling Zhang¡¯s physical condition, restrained himself and slept with Ling Zhang in his embrace.


    Ling Zhang soon drifted off to a very deep sleep, and maybe because he was too tired to dream, his sleep was almost dreamless. He just vaguely heard the constant sound of fireworks exploding, along with those words that Yuwen Tong had whispered in his ear earlier this night, feeling secure and content.


    It was pretty late when he woke up the next day, the sun nearing its zenith. The wedding candles were still ablaze in the imperial bedchamber, Yuwen Tong absent. Ling Zhang groggily opened his eyes, let out a cough and then rolled over to bury himself in the quilt.


    ¡°Slow down a little, Cong. I can¡¯t catch up with you.¡±


    Probably because he¡¯d woken up and recovered his keen sense of hearing, he indistinctly heard a familiar voice which he could immediately tell belonged to Ling Maomao. Half asleep, he didn¡¯t feel that there was anything wrong about it, and nor did he wonder why he was hearing Ling Maomao¡¯s and Ji Xiaocong¡¯s voices in the imperial palace. Subconsciously, he mistakenly believed that he was still in the Ling Mansion, and a hazy thought crossed his mind: why did these two little guys get up so early today?


    In a dreamy state, his senses were gradually blunted by drowsiness again. Shortly after retreating into a heap of covers, he fell asleep again. What with his problematic lying position, he started snoring.


    Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t entered the imperial bedchamber yet when he heard the snoring. He involuntarily smiled an amused smile which curled the corners of his lips, and told Yao Yi to keep an eye on Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong. He himself went into the bedchamber and took off his overgarment. After entering the inner chamber, he saw a big heap of scarlet quilt on the bed, beneath which loose, long, black hair could be seen and the snoring was issuing from.


    Yuwen Tong could tell why Ling Zhang was snoring just by looking at his lying position which struck him as somewhat admiring. He walked up to the bed, reached out a hand to stroke him and shake him gently by the shoulder. ¡°Wake up, Brother Zhang. It¡¯s almost lunchtime.¡±


    The person beneath the quilt was still snoring, showing no inclination whatsoever to listen to him and wake up. ¡°Sh¡­Sh¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong was sent into chuckle by the sound. He didn¡¯t use much strength when shaking Ling Zhang, because he didn¡¯t really have the heart to wake him up, so he simply got into bed himself, lifted a corner the quilt, and drew Ling Zhang, who was huddling, into his embrace, intending to have a noontime snooze with him.


    On smelling the familiar scent, Ling Zhang immediately burrowed himself into the familiar embrace. The snoring paused for a few moments before continuing, but this time around, it was much lighter, with only a faint intermittent ¡°sh¡± sound. On hearing it, Yuwen Tong was astonished for a moment and then started snickering uncontrollably, his whole body shaking.


    The violent tremble in Yuwen Tong¡¯s body awoke Ling Zhang, who, eyes half open, stretched out a hand to push aside Yuwen Tong who had waken him up.


    Naturally Yuwen Tong was unwilling to let him out of his embrace, apologizing, still shaking for snickering, refusing to loosen his hug.


    Ling Zhang, who was somewhat annoyed and fully awake, demanded in a faintly nasal voice, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You may get back to sleep. I won¡¯t do that again. Sleep,¡± said Yuwen Tong, exercising all his self-restraint to subdue his urge to laugh.


    Ling Zhang snarled, ¡°Then why were you shaking? I was just sleeping. What¡¯s so funny about that?!¡±


    How was he supposed to get back to sleep when his temper had driven all his drowsiness away? Ling Zhang was very irritated. Clearly he¡¯d been in such a sound and comfortable sleep. He wondered what had got into Yuwen Tong who¡¯d awoken him.


    However, at this moment, even him being in a temper struck Yuwen Tong as pretty interesting. With the twinkle of a smile in his eyes, Yuwen Tong leaned over, kissed him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. I couldn¡¯t help it, because your snoring was so interesting.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. I was never a snorer!¡± Ling Zhang didn¡¯t believe it. Nobody had ever mentioned to him anything about him snoring.


    As a matter of fact, Ling Zhang indeed seldom snored. He only snored when he was too tired or in a problematic sleeping position, just like he¡¯d been a few moments before.


    Yuwen Tong aped Ling Zhang¡¯s snoring beside his ear. When doing an impression of the ¡°sh¡± part, he burst into snicker once again. Ling Zhang was somewhat incredulous. ¡°You¡¯re definitely lying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± affirmed Yuwen Tong, an innocent look on his face.


    Ling Zhang, who was pissed off, pushed him aside and sat up. ¡°Who snores with that kind of ¡®sh¡¯ sound? You really need to work on your mimicry.¡±


    ¡®You, of course,¡¯ Yuwen Tong answered inwardly, but judging from the irritation on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, he realized that Ling Zhang would definitely get angry if he didn¡¯t compromise. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m just joking. You see, it¡¯s pretty late now, and you¡¯ve already woken up. You haven¡¯t eaten anything for a long time. Are you hungry? Lunch is almost ready.¡±


    If Ling Zhang snored with the ¡°sh¡± sound again, he would be the only one hearing it anyway. This was an enjoyment of him alone, and it was okay if Ling Zhang refused to admit it, for he could still find pleasure in it.


    It was after being reminded by him that Ling Zhang noticed it was almost noon. Yuwen Tong was not wearing pajamas but fully dressed. Clearly he had left the bedchamber and then returned. Then Ling Zhang recalled he¡¯d hazily heard Ling Maomao¡¯s and Ji Xiaocong¡¯s voices when he¡¯d been half asleep, so he asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°I seem to remember hearing Maomao ask Ji Xiaocong to slow down. Did you bring them both to this palace?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This morning I had Yao Yi and Wang Dashan go to the Ling Mansion to check on your paternal grandfather. Last night, after he returned home, Mr. Mu sobered him up and soothed his nerves. He had a good night¡¯s sleep and looked much better this morning. He also practiced tai chi chuan to have a stretch as usual. There¡¯s no need to worry. As for the matter of the two boys, we agreed on it last night, so I had Yao Yi and Wang Dashan bring the two of them here for good measure. In a few days your maternal grandfather and Ji Yanlai will set off to return to the Sanguan Mountains to start making preparations for the transfer of the Millennium Pavilion. You¡¯ll be fulfilling your promise by letting the two of them stay here for a couple of days.¡±


    Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang about the arrangements he¡¯d made earlier this morning, and then conveniently pulled Ling Zhang out of bed to let him stand for a while to be rid of the lingering sleepiness. ¡°What about you? Does your body still feel uncomfortable?¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, Ling Zhang gave a big yawn, stretched and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. All the discomfort has gone.¡±


    Then he walked out barefoot to relieve himself. Yuwen Tong stared unblinkingly at Ling Zhang¡¯s white-skinned feet as the latter trotted out. When Ling Zhang had returned, he reminded Ling Zhang to put on his shoes. ¡°You¡¯ve just got out of bed, and the weather is getting cold. You are not to walk around barefoot again.¡±


    Though he could hardly wrench his eyes off that pair of feet, he still couldn¡¯t allow it.


    Ling Zhang obediently put on his shoes and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not a kid. You think I¡¯m Ling Maomao¡¯s age or something?¡±

 Chapter 416 - Brother Ling, You Need His Majestys Help as Well?

    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Leave Maomao out of this. He¡¯s not running around barefoot any longer.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched. Was Yuwen Tong implying that even Ling Maomao had more common sense than he did? They had just got married. He couldn¡¯t help but slide Yuwen Tong a sideways glance and give two snorts.


    Yuwen Tong dissolved into chuckle with amusement. ¡°Okay, okay. Go and wash yourself and get dressed. You really need to fill your belly as soon as possible. It¡¯s been empty for too long.¡±


    Ling Zhang involuntarily stroked his belly. After being reminded by Yuwen Tong, he found that he was indeed hungry. No longer in the mood for discussing Yuwen Tong¡¯s ¡°poor choice of words¡±, he washed his face, dressed and then walked out of the bedchamber.


    As chance would have it, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, who¡¯d been having a blast, came out of nowhere. At the sight of Ling Zhang, they quickly ran up to him.


    ¡°You finally woke up, Big Brother. You should¡¯ve got up some time ago. It¡¯s almost lunchtime!¡± exclaimed Ling Maomao, who¡¯d been having some serious fun, his forehead and cheeks drenched with sweat.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. With the advantage of being the big brother, he easily faced the little boy down. ¡°I¡¯m your big brother. You¡¯re in no place to judge me.¡±


    Ling Maomao curled his lip. ¡°Which is so unfair.¡±


    ¡°Brother Ling.¡± Ji Xiaocong popped out from behind Ling Maomao and greeted Ling Zhang. Just like Ling Maomao, he was also all sweaty.


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. ¡°What have you two been doing? Racing each other? You¡¯re soaking wet. Where are your changes of clothes? Go and change. You may catch cold if you don¡¯t hurry. You¡¯re not to have lunch before changing out of these wet clothes.¡±


    Being the big brother indeed meant something. At the sight of the frown on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, the two little boys didn¡¯t dare disobey, obediently went back into the house, toweled themselves and changed clothes.


    At lunch table, the two of them were sitting shoulder to shoulder, both looking well-behaved.


    Ji Xiaocong was too young to eat all on his own, so there was a court lady standing behind him, keeping an eye on him in case he needed help. Ling Maomao flicked her a glance and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be here. I can take care of Cong.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang looked at him and saw Ling Maomao pick up a piece of rib, get rid of the bone in it and put the meat into Cong¡¯s bowl in a quite skillful way.


    In the Ling Mansion there were too many people, and it was too much trouble to get the whole family together for meals, and it was difficult to make sure the food was to everybody¡¯s liking too, so the Ling family had most of their meals in their respective courtyard houses and only ate together occasionally. Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, who¡¯d been getting their freak on with each other, always ate and slept together, and they¡¯d even forgotten about Ji Yanlai, Ji Xiaocong¡¯s uncle, so Ling Zhang really hadn¡¯t known that Ling Maomao had become so good at taking care of Ji Xiaocong.


    ¡°Maomao, did you look after Cong this way when you two were at home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and Uncle Ji praised me for it, saying that he entrusted me with the task of looking after Cong from that day on.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched at these words. Knowing what kind of person Ji Xiaocong was, Ling Zhang believed that Ji Yanlai probably felt it a good thing to have someone take care of his nephew, not taking into consideration Ling Maomao¡¯s age at all.


    Ji Xiaocong took a bite of the meat in his bowl and said, ¡°Brother Maomao always removes the bones for me.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡± Ling Zhang paid Ling Maomao a compliment.


    The words had hardly left him when a piece of meat dropped into his bowl, which was also boneless. Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t feel anything particular at the sight of the meat, picked it up and ate it. It was not until the meat was in his mouth that he came to realize that something seemed to be not quite right. Then he noticed that Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were both looking at him, a somewhat quizzical expression on their faces.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You need His Majesty to remove the bones for you, Brother Ling?¡± Ji Xiaocong bluntly expressed his confusion, so quick that Ling Maomao failed to stop him.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He chewed with difficulty for a moment. The meat still tasted pretty good, but the gaze from the two little boys was almost making the hair on his scalp prickle.


    ¡°No. Your big brother didn¡¯t have breakfast and is now very hungry, but you¡¯ve been talking with him non-stop, so he doesn¡¯t have the time to remove the bones.¡±


    Yuwen Tong on the side explained to them in a matter-of-fact tone. After hearing this, the two boys inclined their heads, comprehension dawning on their faces. Ling Maomao, appearing quite guilty, said, ¡°Sorry, Big Brother. We¡¯ll stop talking and let you enjoy your meal.¡±


    Ling Zhang managed an ¡°Um¡± in response and then twisted his head aside to glare at Yuwen Tong.


    Although Yuwen Tong had been serious when making those remarks just now, Ling Zhang, who knew him very well, was sure that inwardly Yuwen Tong was probably laughing himself into convulsions.


    In fact, at ordinary times, Yuwen Tong picking meat from the bones for Ling Zhang was not really a rare occurrence, and Ling Zhang had got used to this kind of romantic addition to marital life, so he didn¡¯t feel that this was something worth making a fuss about, but on this occasion, the two little boys were both present, and he had just complimented Ling Maomao when Yuwen Tong had picked a piece of meat from bones for him. He was positive that Yuwen Tong had done it on purpose!


    ¡°Hurry, eat your meal. Don¡¯t let your belly stay empty for too long,¡± urged Yuwen Tong, offering him more food with an affected air of concern, scarcely able to conceal the amusement in his eyes.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong both looked in their direction again, but because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s previous words, the two boys didn¡¯t suspect anything, looked away and resumed eating.


    After the boys took their eyes off him, Ling Zhang stamped on Yuwen Tong¡¯s foot under the table and hissed, ¡°Behave yourself.¡±


    He was the big brother now, and he couldn¡¯t afford to have his authority undermined in the presence of the two little boys.


    While Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were not paying attention to them, Yuwen Tong leaned over, gave Ling Zhang a kiss and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop. Finish your lunch.¡±


    Ling Zhang was within an inch of losing his temper. Seeing Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong hadn¡¯t noticed, he felt a sense of relief and stamped on Yuwen Tong¡¯s foot again.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong took a day off this day, but he¡¯d still had a hectic morning. After that, he cleared his afternoon to have some rest with Ling Zhang.


    The two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, were amazingly energetic. They¡¯d been running around for a whole morning and got themselves all sweaty, but after a noontime snooze, they ran outside to play again. Ling Zhang made arrangements for Liu Yi and some others to keep an eye on them. Also, Yuwen Tong¡¯s secret bodyguards were guarding the palace in various positions, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about the boys¡¯ safety.


    Ling Zhang, who had slept until noon, was in very good spirits.


    ¡°I need to go back home when they send the two boys back. My uncle will depart for Shengzhou soon, and I want to pay a visit to the Ling Mansion and see if there¡¯s anything I can do to help.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Given that Xu Lingyun previously talked with your uncle about the situation in Shengzhou, he definitely knows what to expect, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°My uncle is pretty confident, so I have nothing to worry about. It¡¯s my aunt that concerns me. I fear that she might miss my uncle too much.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Caiwei appears a gentle woman, but she¡¯s stronger than you give her credit for. Seeing as she brought up both you and Maomao, she¡¯s by no means a common woman. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate her.¡±


    Ling Zhang chuckled, ¡°You seem to know her better than I do.¡±


    ¡°Well, the spectators see the chess game better than the players.¡± Yuwen Tong was quite thick-skinned.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve got a point. There¡¯s indeed strength beneath my aunt¡¯s gentle appearance. Although she looks quite tender, she¡¯s quite competent in dealing with family matters, and she always knows her own mind.¡±


    Back at the time when they¡¯d been in Tanyang, Fu Caiwei had been in sole charge of all the family matters and been handling them pretty well, so although she seemed to be a vulnerable woman on the surface, actually she was quite strong-minded and would by no means miss her husband in a far away city too much and compromise her health.


    Having finished talking about the matter of the Ling Mansion, they switched to the topic of the Yuwen family.


    ¡°Incidentally, Yuwen Jin¡¯s sister-in-law¡¯s expected date of confinement will soon come, right? Yesterday I noticed that there were several pregnant women among the womenfolk, who were the first to leave the banquet. Should we send a court physician to the Abode of the Marquess Fuan and have him stay there?¡±


    A flicker flitted across Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes at the question. He hadn¡¯t told Ling Zhang in detail about his intention to adopt his nephews yet, what with the heavy workload he¡¯d had previously. He wanted to find an opportunity to inform Ling Zhang of it.


    ¡°My great-uncle told me about it some time ago. I¡¯ve already sent a court physician there, and he¡¯ll stay there until the baby¡¯s birth. Some midwives have also moved into the Abode of the Marquess Fuan. There¡¯s still some time before the expected date of confinement ¨C around a month. I think it¡¯s at the end of the year that the baby will be due.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t think much about it, feeling it understandable that Yuwen Tong had been paying close attention to his great-uncle¡¯s family.


    ¡°Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife is going to have a baby soon as well, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife was a woman who always preferred to keep a low profile and barely had any social life. Ling Zhang had once heard that it¡¯d been Zheng shi who had Yuwen Feng marry her, and what she¡¯d seen in Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife was her meekness, honesty and obedience, but Ling Zhang had only heard about it from others and didn¡¯t know it for sure. After all, this was a matter concerning Yuwen Feng¡¯s womenfolk, and it was inappropriate for him, an outsider and a man, to make inquiries about it, for if he did that, it might compromise that woman¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve already made some arrangements for a court physician and some midwives to move into the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod. Although for an instant he felt that Yuwen Tong seemed to have an intimate knowledge of what had been going on in the two families, the hazy thought merely flashed across his mind and he didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, about Yuwen Jin¡¯s plan to go to the Shadow Battalion, he¡¯s going to depart in a day or two, right?¡±


    Yuwen Jin wanted to take the Imperial Martial Arts Examination (IMAE), and toughening himself up in the Shadow Battalion was the best choice for him.


    ¡°He¡¯ll have to wait another few days. Qi San will go back there to deal with something. He¡¯ll take Yuwen Jin with him.¡±


    ¡°Something happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the reorganization of the Shadow Battalion. My identity is different now, and the Shadow Battalion is directly affiliated to me, so it has to be reorganized accordingly. The Shadow Battalion is still growing. If I reorganize it at this phase, things will be easier in the future.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Shadow Battalion exactly?¡±


    Yuwen Tong whispered a place name in Ling Zhang¡¯s ear. The latter¡¯s eyes widened with deep surprise at it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there to have a look if the occasion arises. Although this name is low-key, the view there is actually pretty good. Back at the time when my grandfather first found that place, he was amazed by the particularly advantageous natural conditions of it. It¡¯s a hidden spot, easy to hold but hard to attack, and it also boasts all kinds of natural barriers, which makes it a suitable training ground. My grandfather immediately included that place as part of his fief. Afterward, the Shadow Battalion was set up and gradually grew to what it is today. Every member of the Shadow Battalion deserves some credit for the honor I¡¯ve got during my many years¡¯ military career.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the emperor now. Does the Shadow Battalion still have to stay secret?¡±


    Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. ¡°For one thing, there are practical needs for it, and the benefit of having the Shadow Battalion stay secret far outweighs the drawback of it; for another, most members of the Shadow Battalion couldn¡¯t afford to have their identities exposed. For them, hiding in the shadows is the right thing to do. The Shadow Battalion has a mechanism for the placement of retired secret bodyguards. They¡¯ll be taken good care of after retirement.¡±


    Ling Zhang also knew that there was more than one way of life in the world. Besides, there were practical reasons for their existence, so the Shadow Battalion must continue to exist.


    Apart from the Shadow Battalion, those personal bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s had also chosen to continue serving Yuwen Tong as his personal bodyguards. Their roles had changed from personal bodyguards to imperial guards, and they were still the strongest defensive force under Yuwen Tong¡¯s command.


    The two of them spent the whole afternoon doing nothing except for making out. The wedding candles in the imperial bedchamber were still ablaze. Candles made of the kind of material gifted to Yuwen Tong by the Fangcun Kingdom could last a very long time.

 Chapter 417 - An After-Wedding Visit to the Ling Family (1)

    Both of them were very busy in the following two days. They¡¯d taken merely a single day off, but state affairs, palace chores and civic issues had all piled up, which would take Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang a very long time to attend to.


    Two days later, Ling Zhang found Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong who were having a blast, marched them back to the house and had them bathe and change, preparing to take them out of the palace and back to the Ling Mansion.


    Before leaving, Ling Zhang was very surprised to see that Ling Maomao looked a bit down. During the last two days Ling Maomao had had so much fun with Ji Xiaocong that he¡¯d almost forgotten where his home was. How come he suddenly became so dispirited? Worrying that he didn¡¯t feel well, Ling Zhang, when helping him change clothes, asked him what was going on.


    ¡°Father is going to Shengzhou to take office, and Cong is leaving as well,¡± said Ling Maomao, looking dejected.


    Ling Zhaowen was a strict father and the very sight of him struck fear into Ling Maomao¡¯s heart, but now, when the moment of parting neared, the little boy was the most upset one in the family.


    Although Ji Xiaocong was Ling Maomao¡¯s junior by several years, he was intellectually precocious and adorable-looking, so Ling Maomao really liked him very much and saw him as his own little brother. Judging from how close the two little boys had been recently, they had, without doubt, been getting along very well. It really saddened Ling Maomao very much to know that he and Ji Xiaocong were about to part from each other.


    Ling Zhang knew how it felt to be in that kind of situation. Although he could offer Ling Maomao some words of comfort, the boy still needed to experience by himself how life was like.


    ¡°Your father is going there to work, and you¡¯ll be able to see him in half a year. During his absence, you need to take good care of your mother for him. You¡¯re a man now, and this is what a man should do. You won¡¯t let your father down, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to comfort Ling Maomao too much or coax him as though he were still a three-year-old kid. Ling Maomao had become much more sensible after coming to the capital city, and he might¡¯ve become more silent if he hadn¡¯t had Ji Xiaocong as his playmate. Children are all very sensitive. Since Ling Maomao was now sensible enough, it was time to have him know about the responsibilities he was supposed to take on.


    A rather serious look appeared on Ling Maomao¡¯s depressed face at these words of Ling Zhang¡¯s. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll take care of my mother when my father is away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. When your little brother or little sister is born, you¡¯ll be someone who has a little brother or a little sister. You¡¯ll be a real big brother. Except for your father, you¡¯ll be the one who could best look after and protect your mother. Only by taking good care of them will you be able to face your father. I¡¯ll help you. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you may come here and ask me. Also, your grandfather and uncle will be at home. They¡¯re both your elders. You may ask them as well. You keep saying that you want to grow up and be someone like me. Well, if you get these things handled, it¡¯ll mean that you grow up, and I won¡¯t keep anything back from you whenever you ask me a question.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes brightened further with Ling Zhang¡¯s every word. The twinkle in his eyes were not the kind that a child had when seeing something interesting, but one of determination.


    ¡°I will!¡± promised Ling Maomao with a firm nod.


    Becoming someone like his big brother was very tempting in Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes. For this goal alone, he would exert himself.


    ¡°As for Cong¡­¡± Ling Zhang was at a loss for words. He could tell that Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong really liked each other pretty much, but apart from anything else, Ji Xiaocong was no common person. He was a nephew of the Clan Leader of the Millennium Pavilion, and there was a very high chance that some day he would become the heir of his uncle, because the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in Ji Xiaocong was also very strong. Judging from how much the Millennium Pavilion set store by its members¡¯ endowment, Ji Xiaocong¡¯s future was almost predictable.


    Ji Xiaocong was nearing the best age to start practicing kung fu to lay a foundation for his future achievement, which meant that it would be very difficult for Ji Xiaocong to get another chance to come out to play. This was probably also the reason why Ji Yanlai had brought Ji Xiaocong to the capital city this time.


    In a couple of days Ji Yanlai would return to the Millennium Pavilion to deal with the matter of the transfer of his clan. Ling Zhang could ask Ji Yanlai to let Ji Xiaocong stay in the Ling Mansion until the transfer was finished, but given that the transfer would take a long time, Ji Yanlai might not be comfortable with the idea. On top of that, Ji Xiaocong meant a lot to the Millennium Pavilion, so they probably wouldn¡¯t agree to leave Ji Xiaocong in the capital city either.


    ¡°Keep Cong company before the day he leaves, and make every day you two could be together count, so that you won¡¯t have any regrets, and these days will be good memories when you recall them in the future. Maybe you two will have another chance to see each other when you¡¯re older.¡±


    Ling Maomao slightly bowed his head, his lips pressed together. He knew what Ling Zhang meant, but emotionally speaking, he found it rather difficult to accept this fact. Apart from everything else, he was still a child and was unable to not feel upset about parting from a little brother he liked pretty much.


    Ling Zhang also knew that it was impossible to rid Ling Maomao of his unwillingness to be separated from Ji Xiaocong, so he just clapped the boy on the shoulder and said, ¡°Undergoing these things is also part of what it takes to grow up. Don¡¯t be afraid to face up to it.¡±


    It was quite a while before Ling Maomao replied with an inclination of the head, ¡°I see.¡±


    A few moments after Ling Zhang dressed Ling Maomao, Ji Xiaocong, who had changed clothes as well, came. On entering the room, the boy broke into a trot and called, ¡°Brother Ling, Brother Maomao.¡±


    After that, he trotted up to Ling Maomao on his own account, looked at him happily and asked him, ¡°What do you think of my new clothes?¡±


    Looking at the joyous smile on Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face, beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s encouraging gaze, Ling Maomao nodded and responded earnestly, ¡°They¡¯re gorgeous. You look gorgeous in everything, Cong.¡±


    These words instantly boosted Ji Xiaocong¡¯s spirits and he reached out a hand to grab Ling Maomao¡¯s sleeve. ¡°There are a lot more, and all of them are new. They told me that they¡¯re presents for me from His Majesty and Brother Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. These were just some small gifts, but they were also the best gifts, given that they made the boy so happy.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Ling.¡± Ji Xiaocong thanked Ling Zhang earnestly after finishing his talk with Ling Maomao.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like them,¡± said Ling Zhang, rubbing the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Are you two ready? If you are, we may get going right away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± replied Ji Xiaocong, holding Ling Maomao¡¯s sleeve.


    Ling Maomao looked at him, held his hand and said to Ling Zhang, ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. It¡¯s inappropriate to keep the elders waiting long.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet and made towards the doors, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong following in his wake.


    ¡°When will we be able to come to this place to play again?¡± Ji Xiaocong asked Ling Maomao as they walked out of the Infinite Fortune Palace. During the past couple of days, the two of them had been to almost every corner of the imperial palace, playing hide-and-seek and adventure games. Every area of the huge palace had their own features, and the two of them had been under constant protection, so they had had really a good time, which was why they were reluctant to leave.


    Ling Maomao said, ¡°When you come to this city again, I¡¯ll tell my big brother and have him bring us to this palace once again, but you must write me a letter in advance before you come. I¡¯ll have to go to Shengzhou with my mother in half a year, and I have no idea how long I¡¯ll have to stay there, so you¡¯ll have to have your letter sent to Shengzhou. I¡¯ll come back to the capital city immediately after I receive your letter.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong, who was fairly surprised at these words, twisted his head aside and looked at Ling Maomao for quite a long time before he nodded vigorously. ¡°Okay.¡±


    However, after saying this, the boy also gradually became somewhat dispirited. ¡°But I don¡¯t know when my uncle will bring me to this city again. My uncle doesn¡¯t like going out. This time he brought me here only because my mother and the others were not at home and he needed to take care of me.¡±


    Ling Maomao was also upset about it. ¡°Then¡­Then I¡¯ll call on you.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes brightened considerably at these words. ¡°Really? If you drop by, I¡¯ll take you to see a lot of beautiful things.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at them and said to Ling Maomao, ¡°Maomao, if you make a promise, you¡¯ll have to fulfill it. Don¡¯t make promises you cannot keep.¡±


    Surprised, Ling Maomao looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ji Xiaocong grabbed his hand tight and said nervously, ¡°Brother Maomao, promise me you¡¯ll look me up.¡±


    Ling Maomao recalled that his elders had once told him the place Ji Xiaocong lived in was very mysterious, that outsiders were not allowed to go there, and they didn¡¯t know where that place was, but looking at Ji Xiaocong¡¯s expectant eyes, Ling Maomao still nodded vigorously and promised, ¡°I will.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t try to stop the boy. He had already warned Ling Maomao that promises were not to be taken lightly, but Ling Maomao had still given Ji Xiaocong his word, which showed that at least Ling Maomao had thought about it. As for whether or not he¡¯d be able to honor it, it would depend on the future developments. He knew specifically which island the Millennium Pavilion would transfer to after moving out of the Sanguan Mountains, so it was not really impossible to find them. The only problem was whether or not they¡¯d be able to get onto that island.


    Considering their relations with Ji Yanlai, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Ling Maomao to get the permission to get onto the island. It all depended on whether or not he really wanted to go there.


    Maybe because of this promise, the two boys¡¯ moods both lightened noticeably. After they got into the horse-drawn carriage and left the palace, the two boys leaned out of the window to look at the street, chirping non-stop, as though those dispirited moments were now water under the bridge.


    Looking at them, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but recall his own childhood, but most of his memories of him being with his playmates were rather unpleasant, and those things were in the long past, so he instantly lost interest in reminiscing.


    Yuwen Tong was also in the carriage, so this counted as the kind of visit that newly-weds, by convention, paid to the bride¡¯s family on the third day of their wedding.


    Yuwen Tong had prepared a lot of things early in the morning, all of which were presents for the Ling family. They filled a horse-drawn cart which was following in the wake of the carriage.


    Naturally, the imperial guard of honor caused a sensation, with a great number of residents looking on excitedly on roadsides. Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong huddled at the carriage window, looking outside and happily discussing something, which certainly attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention.


    However, neither Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Tong tried to stop them. They just warned them not to hang out of the window.


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling that these two kids have gained some weight during the past couple of days?¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang was astonished. They gained some weight? He studied Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong carefully but didn¡¯t find either of the boys to be any different from they¡¯d been a couple of days ago. ¡°Why am I not seeing the difference?¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°Your paternal grandfather and the others will definitely say the same thing after we get there.¡±


    Catching on, Ling Zhang pulled a wry face and said, ¡°I see what you mean now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had noticed that when Ling Zhang had looked at the two boys, for an instant there¡¯d been a distant look in his eyes, as though he¡¯d recalled something unpleasant. He knew Ling Zhang well, so he naturally could tell what that was about. He¡¯d felt a throb of pain in his heart as he¡¯d realized it. Back at that time, Ling Zhang probably had barely had any playmates, and it hadn¡¯t been easy for him to find some peers he could hang out with, but eventually all of them had turned out to be unworthy of his friendship. Yuwen Tong believed that if he were Ling Zhang, he would never have been happy about it either. Those people deserved to die ten thousand deaths for their doings.

 Chapter 418 - An After-Wedding Visit to the Ling Family (2)

    Just as Yuwen Tong had expected, when the two of them met the Ling family, Ling Xingzhong and some others observed that Ling Maomao had put on some weight during his several-day stay in the palace at the sight of the little boy. On hearing their remarks, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but pull a wry face.


    This time around, apart from paying an after-wedding visit to his family, Ling Zhang had come here mainly to check on Ling Zhaowen¡¯s preparations for his journey and see if there was anything he could do to help.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all taken care of. I¡¯m your uncle, an adult, remember? I¡¯m totally capable of handling this kind of stuff.¡±


    Though Ling Zhaowen said these words in a seemingly disapproving tone, there was smile on his face all along. It was obvious that his nephew¡¯s solicitude for him gladdened his heart. Standing on the side, Ling Zhaowu, who was Ling Zhang¡¯s natural father, actually felt a little jealous at the sight of this. Ling Zhaowen noticed it but made no effort to restrain himself. He even deliberately chuckled in the presence of his big brother.


    Ling Zhaowu, ¡°¡­¡±


    He might really beat Ling Zhaowen up were the latter not his little brother.


    Ling Zhaowen¡¯s baggage had indeed been prepared some time before. Steward He and Li Fu would go to Shengzhou with him. The former would act as the butler, and the latter a personal servant. Aside from them, two secret bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s would also be accompanying them. As Shengzhou was under Yuwen Tong¡¯s complete control, for the moment there was no need to worry about Ling Zhaowen¡¯s safety in that city.


    Before lunch, Ling Zhaowen called Ling Zhang in to have an uncle-nephew talk with him in private.


    ¡°I¡¯ll depart the day after tomorrow. All necessary arrangements have been made for things in this house to be handled, so you don¡¯t have to concern yourself about anything. Your father¡¯s here, and nothing could go wrong under his watch.¡±


    When Ling Zhaowen made the last remark, his tone was imbued with his absolute trust in his big brother. On hearing this, Ling Zhang cast him another look, wondering if his uncle had perceived something, for there seemed to some kind of undertone in his words.


    Unsurprisingly, Ling Zhaowen, after saying that, glanced at Ling Zhang and continued, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt your father has been through quite some hardships. I could tell that things between you two have become a lot more natural recently, so I think it¡¯s safe to say you¡¯ve made peace with the past. It¡¯s a pretty good thing. I have complete peace of mind now.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhaowen¡­¡± Words failed Ling Zhang. Previously he¡¯d never kept anything from his uncle, but afterward, secrets about him had seemed to pile up, and he didn¡¯t know how to explain any of them to his uncle. Now, after hearing these words of Ling Zhaowen¡¯s, Ling Zhang felt rather upset, wondering if he was doing the wrong thing.


    Ling Zhaowen, who knew his nephew just as well as he did his own son, could divine what his nephew was thinking just by looking at him, so he hurriedly raised his hand to stop his nephew from overthinking it. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you did something wrong. I¡¯m really very happy to see that you and your father have let go of those things. I¡¯ve watched you grow up, and your father is my blood brother. You two being okay means the world to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head. ¡°Um.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen put his hand down and smiled, ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat embarrassed by this compliment from his uncle. Seldom had his uncle praised him this way since he¡¯d reached adulthood.


    ¡°On the surface your father seems to have changed a lot, but in fact he¡¯s just as mulish as always. It¡¯s just that when he was young, his stubbornness verged on the bigoted. Now he¡¯s older, and he¡¯s buried his intransigence fathoms deep, but he¡¯s as protective of you as he was of your mother in the past. There¡¯s no guarantee he wouldn¡¯t do the same thing again if anything happens to you, so you must take good care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Ling Zhang in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Lately your father¡¯s physical condition has been getting better and better. He looks a lot healthier than he did when he first returned home. Also, his face is less sunken, and he appears much younger after being nursed back to health. He¡¯s only in his late thirties and is quite virile, but he doesn¡¯t have a partner by his side. I tried to persuade him to find one, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. He¡¯s quite opinionated in this regard as well.¡±


    As he finished speaking, Ling Zhaowen let out a sigh. It struck him that his big brother hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy life for a single day during the past so many years. His wife had died an early death, and he himself had developed dementia and sustained grievous injuries which had almost cost his life. So many years had passed, and he didn¡¯t even have a partner to keep him company.


    ¡°You want me to convince my father to remarry, Uncle Zhaowen?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen looked at him, his face somewhat apologetic. ¡°Without a marriage partner, your father is very lonesome.¡±


    ¡°I understand. There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty about what I¡¯ve been through. Actually I once mentioned this to my father in a roundabout way, but he steered the conversation away. It¡¯ll take time. I need a suitable opportunity, and I also need to respect my father¡¯s will,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    He knew what Ling Zhaowen meant, but he also understood why his father was doing this. If he were his father, he wouldn¡¯t be able to forget a love so deep it had been engraved permanently on his heart either. Besides, his father had undergone a rebirth. Given that his father had never remarried in his last incarnation, it was very unlikely that he would be able to move on and marry another woman in this one. Still, his uncle had a point, and Ling Zhang indeed worried that his father would feel lonely if he stayed a widower for too long, so he would try to persuade his father again if the occasion arose.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowen with a nod.


    After the uncle and nephew sat down, most of the time Ling Zhaowen was talking about Ling Zhaowu, and Ling Zhang¡¯s face took on a reminiscent look as he listened. Despite the many-year separation, things between his uncle and his father didn¡¯t seem to have changed a bit. The brotherhood between them had always been so strong.


    ¡°Uncle Zhaowen, the climate in Shengzhou is somewhat different from the one in this city. You might be unaccustomed to it when you first get there. Maybe I should have Qiu Bing go there with you in case you need any medical help.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen declined the offer. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯ll be better if Qiu Bing stays here with you. My constitution is pretty strong. I¡¯m sure I can handle a minor climate change. Besides, there are physicians in Shengzhou as well, aren¡¯t there? And they¡¯re definitely more experienced in treating that kind of ailments.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen didn¡¯t want to take too many people with him to Shengzhou where he was to take office, for it¡¯d be bad for him integrating with the local community. The fewer people and baggage he brought, the better.


    ¡­


    At the same time, Yuwen Tong was also having a private talk with someone ¨C Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve already made arrangements for some men to go there. They¡¯ll get everything ready beforehand and wait for you in Haizhou,¡± said Yuwen Tong. According to the terms of their deal, he was to grant Ji Yanlai official permission to go to the island. He had already sent some men there to inform the local authorities. The situation in Haizhou was fairly peaceful, so there wouldn¡¯t be any serious problems.


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll send a message to my big sister and have her make contact with your men.¡±


    Thus it was settled. Actually there weren¡¯t many things the two of them could talk about. Yuwen Tong was just about to end the conversation when he heard Ji Yanlai say, ¡°You still haven¡¯t settled the matter of Jiangzhou?¡±


    Ji Yanlai was not the kind of person who would interfere in this kind of things. As long as the sky wasn¡¯t falling, he wouldn¡¯t be interested in asking a single question about anything of this sort. Given that he was suddenly inquiring about Jiangzhou, there was no doubt that something had happened in that city.


    ¡°Not yet. Is something going to happen in Jiangzhou?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang had once told him that Ji Yanlai possessed extraordinary intuition. In other words, Ji Yanlai had perceived some portents, which was why Yuwen Tong directly asked him whether or not something was going to happen in Jiangzhou.


    Ji Yanlai replied, ¡°I could only sense that something¡¯s not quite right in Jiangzhou. Maybe there¡¯s going to be a disaster. You¡¯d better be careful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. ¡°I see. Thank you for the forewarning.¡±


    Ji Yanlai would never forewarn anybody for no good reason. Previously Yuwen Tong had sent some men to Jiangzhou to deal with the situation there. Currently, Jiangzhou was under the control of the original garrison. Because of the enthronement ceremony, the imperial wedding and the necessity to hold the situation in Cangzhou in check, Yuwen Tong, instead of playing hardball with the Jiangzhou garrison, had had a lot of men infiltrate into Jiangzhou, planning to disband the armed forces there from within. However, now that Ji Yanlai had given him a word of warning, Yuwen Tong naturally became vigilant, feeling that the matter of Jiangzhou brooked no delay and must be resolved as soon as possible.


    Since Ji Yanlai had said that the matter of Jiangzhou might cause a disaster, he would nip it in the bud.


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong had come to know what to expect, Ji Yanlai, who had a sense of propriety, made no more remarks.


    ¡°By the way, thank you for those diagrams of martial formations.¡± Yuwen Tong recalled the wedding gifts from Ji Yanlai and expressed his gratitude.


    Considering Ji Yin had given Ling Zhang some diagrams to be his trousseau, those that Ji Yanlai had presented to him afterward were a token of Ji Yanlai¡¯s generosity.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Those are just some martial formations suitable to use on the battlefield. For you, they¡¯re only the icing on the cake. You don¡¯t have to thank me for it. If I continue to keep them, they¡¯ll end up being buried in dust. In your hands, they might be able to serve the purpose they¡¯re meant for.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had read those diagrams, so he naturally knew about the value of them. Those formations could be of much practical use to him. Ji Yanlai had indeed put quite some thought into those gifts.


    ¡°If you really want to thank me, you may give me some good stuff after you unify the world,¡± added Ji Yanlai.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart lurched. These words of Ji Yanlai¡¯s suggested that he had probably foreseen something. No matter what, he would come to know about it when the time came. ¡°You have my word,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yanlai had always liked Yuwen Tong¡¯s briskness, and this occasion was no exception.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, after finishing his talk with Ling Zhaowen, went to see Fu Caiwei, who looked pretty well, unaffected by Ling Zhaowen¡¯s upcoming departure. This gave Ling Zhang a great sense of relief.


    When he had walked out of Fu Caiwei¡¯s courtyard house, he caught sight of Yuwen Tong waiting for him at the front gates.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime. I came here to walk you to the dinning room. How does your aunt look? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Those middle-aged handmaids told me that recently her appetite has been fairly good, and she smiles a lot.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took his hand and the two of them walked abreast, the others following in their wake, keeping a moderate distance from the two of them. Yuwen Tong told him about the forewarning from Ji Yanlai. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. ¡°Something¡¯s going to happen in Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, I need to send some more men to Jiangzhou. This has to be settled as soon as possible,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tightened his hold on Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and looked at him. ¡°Jiangzhou is too dangerous for you to go to. It¡¯s better if I have Jiang Xi go there to handle it.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°One of us have to personally pay a visit to Jiangzhou. Right now this city needs you, which makes me the only one who can do it. Now that the Clan Leader has given you a word of forewarning, the matter of Jiangzhou is definitely not as simple as it seems. I cannot have full peace of mind without personally going there to see it with my own eyes.¡±


    Yuwen Tong still refused to relent. Jiangzhou was too dangerous. If he let Ling Zhang go there, he would be on tenterhooks at all times. If anything happened to Ling Zhang, he would be devastated and never be able to perform his duties as the emperor. The very thought of that possibility sent a chill down Yuwen Tong¡¯s spine. He grasped Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and wouldn¡¯t budge an inch on the issue, no matter how hard Ling Zhang tried to convince him.

 Chapter 419 - Artless Innocence of Childhood Friends

    Two days later, Ling Zhaowen departed for Shengzhou. Ling Zhang went out of the palace to see his uncle off.


    After another two days, Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai also prepared themselves to leave the capital city, intending to return to the Sanguan Mountains.


    People in the Ling Mansion started packing early in the morning. It was mainly Ji Yanlai¡¯s and Ji Xiaocong¡¯s bags that they were packing. The uncle and nephew seemed to have sharp curiosity about everything and wanted to include everything in sight as part of their baggage. Had there been any proper methods of preserving food for long, they would purchase all the delicacies for sale in the streets and alleys of the whole capital city and bring them back to the Millennium Pavilion.


    Ling Maomao was running around helping Ji Xiaocong pack, his face drenched with sweat, Ji Xiaocong at his heels with laden arms. On entering the house, Ling Zhang was astonished by the two little boys rushed off their feet. At the sight of Ji Xiaocong quickly clattering around with a bag of things in his arms that almost blocked his view of his path, Ling Zhang was taken aback and hastened to his help.


    When he had taken the bag from the boy, he found that the contents were just some sundry small items, all of which were doodads appealing to children.


    ¡°Do you want these packed as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Ji Xiaocong made a reply excitedly, his eyes twinkling with merriment as he watched his bag grow fuller.


    Ling Maomao walked over, took the bag from Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and put it into a trunk, his forehead and cheeks sopping wet with sweat, a faintly sulky expression on his face, appearing to be a trifle unhappy. Ling Zhang, who could tell at a glance what it was about, didn¡¯t say anything and just wiped the sweat off the boy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Is there anything else, Cong?¡± Ling Maomao asked Ji Xiaocong.


    Ji Xiaocong pivoted around and broke into a trot, clattering away to look for more, Ling Maomao following in his wake at a gentle pace. The two of them had been living in the same house. Originally this house had had only Ling Maomao¡¯s things inside it, but afterward Ji Xiaocong had moved in, and then within only a couple of days, a lot of Ji Xiaocong¡¯s things had been brought into the house. They were literally everywhere. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t find a single position in this house where he couldn¡¯t find any knick-knacks within his reach.


    Ji Xiaocong ran into the bedroom, pointed at a small case on the side and said, ¡°This one.¡±


    The contents of the case were also miscellaneous, including a kite, some glass beads from abroad, an exquisite pouch¡­ Ling Maomao looked at the case, tentatively tried moving it but found that it was rather heavy. His face reddened from the effort but he still couldn¡¯t budge it, so he gave up, appearing somewhat vexed.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang walked over and picked up the case for him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll have enough strength for this when you grow a little taller.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong watched Ling Zhang leave with the case, then climbed onto the bed, crawled to the depths of it and pulled out a pillow and a small-sized quilt. Ling Maomao was somewhat surprised at the sight of this. ¡°Cong, you want to take this away as well?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong nodded vigorously. ¡°Yeah!¡±


    He had slept with his head on this pillow and this quilt over his body, so of course these things belonged to him now. Although he had a pillow and a quilt at home which he had been using since birth and he liked them very much, this pillow and this quilt were also his favorites. The very thought of leaving them alone in this place saddened Ji Xiaocong.


    On top of that¡­ Ji Xiaocong stole a glance at the pillow and the quilt on the side, slightly inclined to take them too, though they were Ling Maomao¡¯s.


    Ling Maomao panicked a little. ¡°But, if you take them, there won¡¯t be anything of yours left in this house.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who had just brought the case outside, returned just in time to see this scene. He paused, gave it some thought and decided not to interrupt them.


    Holding the pillow and the quilt, Ji Xiaocong was unwilling to put them down and even greedily wanted to take Ling Maomao¡¯s pillow and quilt away too. The artless little boy didn¡¯t think much about this matter. He just wanted to take away all the good, familiar things and hide them. It was at the sight of Ling Maomao¡¯s injured face that he looked somewhat astonished and slowly slackened his grip. ¡°B¨CBut I want to take them back home, because they¡¯ll remind me of you whenever I see them.¡±


    Ling Maomao was also astonished. Was that so? Should he let Ji Xiaocong take them away or should he not? But this little jerk Ji Xiaocong had ransacked this whole house and didn¡¯t leave anything of his behind.


    Eventually it was Ling Maomao who compromised. ¡°Okay then, you may take them.¡±


    As Ji Xiaocong saw Ling Maomao relent, smile reappeared on his face and he started crawling down the bed with the pillow and the quilt in his arms, but the two things were too large for his size and he lost his balance. Ling Maomao hurriedly flung out his arms to stop him from falling, scooped him up, put him down onto the ground and then took the quilt from his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll take it there for you.¡±


    Holding a pillow and a quilt respectively, the two boys trotted outside and handed them to someone who was packing. The one packing Ji Xiaocong¡¯s bags was one of Ji Yanlai¡¯s men, a guard of the Millennium Pavilion, who was manifestly surprised to see that Ji Xiaocong wanted his pillow and quilt packed as well. ¡°Young Master, you want these taken back too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Ji Xiaocong seriously.


    The guard didn¡¯t make any remarks, took the pillow and the quilt from the boy and packed them, feeling that adding another couple of things to the baggage wasn¡¯t any trouble at all, given how many things he had packed already. Since these things took his young master¡¯s fancy, it was his duty to bring them back.


    Ling Zhang, somewhat amused by this scene, called Ji Xiaocong over and asked him if there was anything else he wanted to buy.


    Surprisingly enough, this time Ji Xiaocong shook his head and responded, ¡°No. I¡¯ll buy more the next time I come here.¡±


    He¡¯d come here again? Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes lit up as he heard this on the side. Ling Zhang inwardly let out a sigh, feeling that it probably wouldn¡¯t be easy for the boy to get another chance to visit this city again.


    After having the quilt and the pillow packed, Ji Xiaocong double-checked the house and confirmed that everything he wanted to take away and could take away had been packed. There were some items which were too large to fit in a carriage and he had to give up, such as the bed, the table et cetera, at which he stared for quite a while.


    Ling Maomao was horrified by the look on Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face, fearing that he would have the whole house taken apart and transported away.


    Ling Zhang quietly watched this, secretly amused, a warm glow flaring inside him, knowing that it was not the whole house but the memories of it that Ji Xiaocong wanted to take with him, that it was probably Ling Maomao, his playmate, that the little boy wanted to take away the most.


    ¡°Brother Maomao, I want you to have this,¡± said Ji Xiaocong, pulling a jade pendant on a string out of his clothes and removing it from his neck.


    Ling Zhang was startled at the sight of this. During that visit to the Millennium Pavilion, he had come to know what this jade pendant represented. Every member of the Millennium Pavilion owned a jade pendant of this kind. Every pendant was unique and of great significance to its wearer. Besides, Ji Xiaocong was probably the successor to the clan leader of the Millennium Pavilion. If this pendant was gifted to someone else, Ji Xiaocong might have to face unimaginable consequences.


    ¡°Wait, Cong.¡± Ling Zhang had no choice but to walk up to the two boys, interrupting their conversation.


    Holding the jade pendant, Ji Xiaocong looked at him in bemusement.


    Ling Zhang crouched down and explained, ¡°This pendant is very important to you. You can¡¯t give it to Maomao just like this.¡±


    Eyes on him, Ji Xiaocong said calmly, ¡°I know. My uncle said everybody in our clan could only have one pendant of this kind in their whole life. This is why I want Brother Maomao to have it.¡±


    Children¡¯s thoughts are simple and clear, and their words are usually so plain that they tend to serve only one purpose. Moreover, Ji Xiaocong had some kind of air about him when he was calm, making his remarks very convincing.


    Ling Zhang raised his head and gently stroked Ji Xiaocong¡¯s. ¡°I know you understand, and I also know why you want Brother Maomao to have it, but this pendant might be a lifesaver for you, and it works on nobody but you. If you give it to Brother Maomao, what would you do if some day you¡¯re in need of it?¡±


    A young boy as Ling Maomao was, the meaning of the word ¡°lifesaver¡± was within his grasp. On hearing this, he hastily said, ¡°You need to put this pendant away, Cong, and you should never take it out again unless you have to.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong looked from Ling Zhang to Ling Maomao and hung his head, silently holding the pendant, a somewhat injured look on his face.


    Ling Maomao circled around him in anxiety. ¡°Cong, Cong, don¡¯t be upset. How about you give me something else?¡±


    ¡°Cong.¡±


    A voice was suddenly heard. None of them knew when, but Ji Yanlai had shown up in the doorway, watching.


    ¡°Some day you may give it to someone else, but not now,¡± said Ji Yanlai, walking up to them. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until you¡¯re fourteen at the earliest.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong looked up at him. The uncle and nephew stared at each other for a long moment. Eventually, Ji Xiaocong lowered his head and put the pendant back into his clothes.


    Looking at him, Ji Yanlai took out a bracelet made of Chinese parasol wood, which seemed fairly ancient. The sculpted reliefs on it had worn quite smooth. Ling Zhang instantly recalled that gigantic Chinese parasol tree in the Millennium Pavilion, which had seemed to have become sentient.


    ¡°This is your bracelet. If you want to give Maomao something, you may give him this.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes brightened again, smile reappearing on his face. He took the bracelet and handed it to Ling Maomao. ¡°Brother Maomao, take this.¡±


    Ling Maomao, who could tell that this thing was very precious as well, looked at Ling Zhang first, who inclined his head. Ling Maomao beamed, happily took the bracelet from Ji Xiaocong¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Thank you, Cong.¡±


    After that, something occurred to him and he added, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±


    With that he turned around and ran into the bedroom. Ji Xiaocong immediately took to his heels and followed, clattering into the bedroom as well.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    It was a casket that Ling Maomao fished out, which contained all the possessions he¡¯d cherished the most since he could remember. He opened it and showed Ji Xiaocong the contents, telling him the stories behind each and every one of them. When he had finished, he closed the casket.


    Watching this from outside, Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity. He had thought that Ling Maomao would pick one of those things and gift it to Ji Xiaocong. What was Ling Maomao doing?


    The next moment, he saw Ling Maomao pressed the whole casket into Ji Xiaocong¡¯s hands and said, ¡°I want you to have them all.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth instantaneously fell open. He had once attempted to check what was inside the casket but Ling Maomao wouldn¡¯t even let him touch it, and now he was giving the whole casket of them to Ji Xiaocong?!


    Even Ji Yanlai lifted his eyebrows.


    Holding the casket, Ji Xiaocong was stupefied at first, but then he gave a jump for happiness. ¡°Brother Maomao, are you seriously giving me all these?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Ling Maomao firmly, though secretly somewhat reluctant.


    Ji Xiaocong kept jumping happily, cuddling the casket close as though it were some kind of treasure. Seeing Ji Xiaocong scampering around, Ling Maomao grinned in delight, Ji Xiaocong¡¯s bracelet around his wrist.


    Watching this scene, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know what to say. These two kids really hit it off. Pity it probably wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to see each other again. He felt somewhat sorry for Ling Maomao, because after all, it¡¯s not every day that you could find a kindred spirit. He wished that the two of them would have more chances to see each other, that the pure friendship between them would endure.


    Holding the casket in his arms, Ji Xiaocong refused to let the guard put it into the trunk, insisting on carrying it personally. It was at noon that they departed, and before that, Ji Xiaocong had carried the casket with him wherever he went.

 Chapter 420 - Seeing Members of the Millennium Pavilion Off

    ¡°Grandfather,¡± called Ling Zhang who were packing Ji Yin¡¯s bags in Ji Yin¡¯s courtyard house. Ji Yin had just returned from Ling Xingzhong¡¯s house where the two old men had finished a game of Chinese chess a short while before. Playing Chinese chess was a hobby they¡¯d recently developed. Since Ji Yin would leave soon and the two of them enjoyed each other¡¯s company as chess partners pretty much, they¡¯d decided to have an extra game.


    Ling Zhang could tell from the smile curling the corners of his maternal grandfather¡¯s mouth that he had definitely won the game. It struck Ling Zhang as quite interesting that his two grandfathers both played Chinese chess in the same open and honest way that they conducted themselves, which was why the two old man were six of one and half a dozen of the other in terms of their prowess as chess players, and they valued each other very much as chess opponents. Therefore, for Ji Yin, this victory was something worth feeling happy about.


    ¡°You won another game against my paternal grandfather?¡±


    Ji Yin smiled, ¡°I¡¯m in luck today. Just now when I left, your paternal grandfather was in a bad mood and said he wouldn¡¯t play chess with me again. I bet he was just bluffing, given that it¡¯ll be at least half a year before I come to this city again.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll miss you. His frustration is just momentary. It won¡¯t be long before his addiction to Chinese chess gets the better of him.¡±


    As a result, right now his heart ached somewhat for his paternal grandfather. After Ji Yin, a match for Ling Xingzhong at Chinese chess left, the latter probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to derive as much pleasure from playing Chinese chess as he used to do.


    With this in mind, Ling Zhang thought of Mr. Mu. ¡°Is Mr. Mu sure he doesn¡¯t want to go back with you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s staying. He has no family or relative in the Millennium Pavilion. His master has passed away, and his fellow apprentices have all got married. He¡¯s been living on his own all these years, so he doesn¡¯t really need to go back there to pack anything. It strikes me that he won¡¯t go back there anytime soon. Lately that bodyguard of that Yuwen boy¡¯s, Xie Shi, has been coming here to visit him on a daily basis. I think the two of them hit it off, because sometimes they stay indoors researching something all day long. For this reason alone, he¡¯s definitely staying.¡±


    Ji Yin talked about Mr. Mu as though the latter were a child who had found something interesting and thus refused to go home.


    Naturally Ling Zhang also hoped Mr. Mu would stay, because his aunt was pregnant, and his paternal grandfather and his father needed medication to improve their health. With the help of Mr. Mu, a miracle-working physician, all these matters would be settled.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get him all the medicinal herbs he needs, so that he might stay in this city for another few days.¡±


    Ji Yin said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Don¡¯t worry. On the surface he seems to be gentle and somewhat stuffy, but deep down he¡¯s actually rather abandoned. Previously when he was in the mountains, there were rules he had to follow, but now, he¡¯s finally rid of those rules, and there are so many things fresh to him in the outside world, so by no means would he go back in a hurry.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang smiled and exchanged a knowing glance with Ji Yin, and with that the grandfather and grandson grinned with the air of two smug old foxes whose trick had worked.


    ¡°Grandfather, this time around, after you go back there, you¡¯ll definitely have to deal with a lot of things. Please don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a very robust man.¡±


    While packing, the grandfather and grandson chatted away. Ji Yin didn¡¯t have many things to pack. Unlike Ji Yanlai and his nephew Ji Xiaocong, Ji Yin always preferred to travel light, bringing only some necessities with him wherever his destination was, which was why on this occasion, inside his travel bag were only some books and changes of clothes.


    ¡°Have you talked with those stewards?¡± Ji Yin asked Ling Zhang.


    He was referring to the stewards responsible for managing the stores and manors that had been transferred to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°No. I just ran an eye over those account books. I¡¯ll put my father in charge of all those businesses. Some of the stewards were at the wedding that day, so I met them once.¡±


    Now that Ling Zhang had decided to let Ling Zhaowu handle the matter of building a business network, he wouldn¡¯t overtly interfere with any part of it.


    Ji Yin inclined his head. ¡°Anyway I¡¯ve handed all of them over to you already, so I¡¯ll leave it up to you and your father to use your discretion. I¡¯m a geriatric now, and I¡¯m glad to be extricated from these things.¡±


    Ling Zhang flicked him a glance and observed disapprovingly, ¡°You should stop saying that, Grandfather. You¡¯re not a geriatric.¡±


    Ji Yin kept saying that he was at his advanced age, but in fact he looked even younger than Ling Zhang¡¯s father, which would be even more obvious if he trimmed his mustache. On top of that, Ling Zhang privately wished Ji Yin would stay this way and never age.


    Ji Yin chuckled, probably because he found his grandson¡¯s words rather childish. He didn¡¯t need to do much thinking to guess what his grandson was thinking, but he was not really worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live long enough to see Ling Zhang grow old. Before he found Ling Zhang, he¡¯d taken an unconcerned attitude towards the cultivation of internal energy, but recently he¡¯d started considering how to take the next rung up, because only powerful internal energy could help him live longer, allowing him more time to spend with his grandson.


    ¡­


    After packing, the grandfather and grandson went to the dinning room together to have lunch. The whole family was there. This was intended as a farewell meal for Ji Yin and the others who were going to depart soon.


    During the past few days, the Ling family had regarded both Ji Yanlai, who appeared taciturn but was actually very easy to get along with, and his adorable nephew Ji Xiaocong as family. They were all loath to part with the group of them. Ling Xingzhong, who had jumped and complained in annoyance after losing a game of Chinese chess to Ji Yin in the morning, was now quite upset about the fact that this in-law of his had to leave. The two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, were sitting side by side, nibbling with glum faces instead of wolfing food down as they would have been doing at ordinary times. Ji Xiaocong had that casket behind his butt, refusing to let anybody touch it. Ji Yanlai was barely drinking. He was always a man of few words, and on this occasion he had even less to say. A very intelligent person, Ji Yanlai wouldn¡¯t even cast a second glance at any of those that he believed were not worth having dealings with. The Ling family saw him as family, and he could sense it. Though not very enthusiastic about cultivating personal relationships, deep down he was still somewhat upset about the approaching moment of parting.


    The atmosphere at the lunch table was not as lively as usual. Several times Ling Zhang opened his mouth to speak but held back the words on the tip of his tongue, for some of those usual formalities were not suitable for Ji Yanlai¡¯s and the other¡¯s case. In all likelihood, it would be a very long time before Ji Yanlai visited this city again. Apart from anything else, it was as inappropriate for the Millennium Pavilion to be exposed as it was inadvisable for them to disturb the tranquility of the lives of the clan there. Therefore, Ling Zhang found it difficult to say anything like ¡°Stay in touch¡± or ¡°Visit us more often¡±, because it was very likely that they would really never see each other again.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ever in Haizhou, please go to our island to look us up,¡± Ji Yanlai suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang looked at him, a quizzical expression on his face. The Ling family were all somewhat surprised, but then their faces creased into delighted smiles. ¡°Sure. We definitely will!¡±


    This open invitation from Ji Yanlai suggested that he sincerely hoped they would visit him more often, so they could dismiss all those misgivings.


    Ji Xiaocong happily let out a cheer and gobbled down several mouthfuls of rice in a row, polishing off in one breath the food Ling Maomao had put in his bowl. Startled, Ling Maomao hurriedly put down his chopsticks to pat Ji Xiaocong¡¯s back, fearing that he might choke on the food. ¡°Slow down a bit, Cong.¡±


    ¡°Um, um,¡± replied Ji Xiaocong thickly, crunching on the food and swallowing it, casting Ling Maomao a smile, a few grains of rice sticking to the corners of his mouth. Ling Maomao reached out a hand and wiped the rice off. The two boys¡¯ high spirits instantly infected the others, clearing the melancholy atmosphere from the room. Everybody genuinely relaxed. Ling Xingzhong was so happy that he wanted to drink some wine, and the others had a hard job to talk him out of it. At the banquet in the palace that night, he had drunk too much, so Mr. Mu had expressly forbidden him from drinking any more wine in the next few days.


    ¡°Clan Leader, you should come to the capital city more often too, if you could find the time. We¡¯ll be living in that suburban manor, the one Zhang¡¯er¡¯s maternal grandfather purchased. That place is quite secluded. You may stay there for as long as you want,¡± said Ling Xingzhong. The joyous mood loosened the old man¡¯s tongue.


    The others also looked at Ji Yanlai, their eyes glinting expectantly, especially Ji Xiaocong¡¯s and Ling Maomao¡¯s. The expectation gleaming in the two boys¡¯ eyes were almost palpable.


    Ji Yanlai chuckled, ¡°I will.¡±


    Everybody else couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Ji Yanlai as he smiled, because his smile was so pretty! Ji Yanlai¡¯s appearance was, without doubt, very attractive, that scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead being the highlight of his charm, making him seem both otherworldly and bewitching, but most of the time his face was fairly impassive, making him appear rather distant, so others didn¡¯t dare look him in the eye too often. Even when he was in a good mood, he merely relaxed the corners of his mouth and softened his face with a twinkle in his eyes. This was the first time that the Ling family had seen him actually smile.


    Even Ling Zhang was stupefied for an instant, feeling that this smile of Ji Yanlai¡¯s was so enchanting that anybody beholding it would be enthralled.


    The last bit of emotional upset in the others dissolved at the sight of Ji Yanlai¡¯s smile. They¡¯d felt sad because they¡¯d believed that they might not be able to see these people again, but now it¡¯d come to their knowledge that they¡¯d have a lot of chances to meet, so the mood of melancholy naturally ebbed considerably.


    Ji Yanlai, who himself also hadn¡¯t thought that his smile would cause such dramatic reaction, appeared a trifle embarrassed, which made him seem much less distant and more like a common person.


    ¡­


    They had a few moments¡¯ rest after lunch, and then it was time for Ji Yin and the others to depart.


    Knowing that these people who had stayed with him for such a long time were about to leave, Ling Zhang felt quite upset.


    ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯ll have to deal with the matter of the transfer after you go back there. Be careful not to push yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t think that just because you have internal energy you could drink as much wine as you want.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    No matter what Ling Zhang reminded Ji Yin to or not to do, the latter always answered ¡°I know¡± immediately.


    ¡°Take care of yourself, Father-in-law,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ji Yin gave a bob of the head, clapped him on the shoulder and said, ¡°Heed Mr. Mu¡¯s advice and nurse yourself back to health. I hope you¡¯ll be as good as new by the time I come to this city again.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Ling Zhaowu replied and then personally walked the old man to the horse-drawn carriage.


    On the other side, Ling Maomao was grudgingly bidding Ji Xiaocong farewell. Holding the casket in his arms, head down, Ji Xiaocong gave a nod with every sentence Ling Maomao said. After a while, the boy looked up at Ling Maomao and reminded him, ¡°Brother Maomao, you promised me you¡¯d call on me. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget,¡± said Ling Maomao earnestly.


    ¡°Cong, it¡¯s time to go,¡± called Ji Yanlai inside the carriage.


    Ling Maomao looked at the fleet of carriages and then said to Ji Xiaocong, ¡°Go. Get aboard the carriage.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ji Xiaocong said with a nod, stroked Ling Maomao¡¯s bracelet and hand one last time and then begrudgingly let a guard carry him into the carriage. Before entering the carriage, he sadly looked over his shoulder at Ling Maomao, who raised his hand and gave him a wave in response.


    ¡°Get in here,¡± urged Ji Yanlai and with that Ji Xiaocong walked into the carriage, stepped to the window, lifted the curtain and said to Ling Maomao, ¡°Brother Maomao, remember to look me up!¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± responded Ling Maomao aloud.


    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu, after walking Ji Yin to the carriage, saw the two little boys bidding each other farewell with reluctance.


    The fleet of carriages slowly started progressing. Ling Zhang on horseback accompanied them for a certain distance and halted only when he saw them get through the city gates, a sudden twinge of sorrow rising in him.

 Chapter 421 - Respective Sinister Motives of Other Sides

    After seeing Ji Yin and the others off, Ling Zhang returned to the imperial palace. Yuwen Tong, who could tell from his sad face that he was upset and dispirited, informed him of something to distract his attention.


    ¡°Diplomatic corps of all the three foreign countries sent word that they¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°All of them?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to this matter. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are leaving. How come the diplomatic corps of the Fangcun Kingdom are leaving as well? Didn¡¯t they bring some caravans here? To my knowledge, those caravans haven¡¯t returned yet.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tapped the table and said, ¡°Hai Feng¡¯s explanation is that they need to go back to attend their king¡¯s birthday party. He also showed me an invitation bearing their king¡¯s signature, saying that their king invited him to his birthday party.¡±


    ¡°The King of Fangcun¡¯s birthday party? Is his birthday really coming up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Still, it might be just an excuse.¡±


    Ling Zhang pondered for quite a while before he said, ¡°Maybe I should have my father ask Luo Sang about it. They¡¯ve been actively cooperating with us, so if there¡¯s anything he could disclose, he definitely wouldn¡¯t keep it back from my father.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡­


    At the same time. In a courier hostel.


    There were densely posted guards both in and outside the courier hostel, most of whom were bodyguards brought to the Great Wen by the diplomatic corps of the three foreign countries. Normally, the host country wouldn¡¯t station any soldiers in a courier hostel. It was considered to be some kind of token of respect for envoys from foreign countries.


    ¡°So what do you say, Your Highness? You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by accepting these terms of the deal. If you don¡¯t make a decision soon, the situation will get very unfavorable for our plan.¡±


    Guards from the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom could be seen standing at short intervals both in and outside this house, keeping potential eavesdroppers away. Shan Congyi was sitting opposite Mu Rongfeng, gazing squarely at the latter. The two of them were the only ones in this room, and nobody but themselves could hear their conversation.


    ¡°Prince Yi, let¡¯s be honest with each other. On the surface I¡¯ll be getting the better end of the bargain by accepting these terms, but the precondition is that the plan succeeds. What makes you so sure it¡¯ll work when there¡¯s such great risk involved?¡± asked Mu Rongfeng, looking back at him.


    ¡°Are you getting cold feet, Your Highness?¡± sniffed Shan Congyi. ¡°Yuwen Tong sure as hell craves vengeance for our concerted attack on his country. The only reason why he hasn¡¯t taken any action yet is because this country is facing the same trouble that the Wan Kingdom is. He needs more time to rebuild strength, stabilize the political situation and consolidate his position. Once he hits his stride and the Great Wen recovers from the aftermath of the war, we¡¯ll come to grief. Surely Your Highness won¡¯t just stand by and wait for him to attack?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong is welcome to try if he thinks he stands a chance of winning,¡± observed Mu Rongfeng, a cold look on his face.


    Shan Congyi chuckled, ¡°Have you forgotten what else we came here for apart from Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement ceremony and wedding, Your Highness? You don¡¯t really need me to remind you of it, do you?


    Yuwen Tong is nothing like his fatuous and self-indulgent predecessor of the Zhou family. He¡¯s like a ferocious tiger, one that might bite us at any moment. If we don¡¯t deal him a lethal blow while he¡¯s not at his full strength, his fangs will sink into our body sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°The way I see it, your and your country¡¯s confidence and backbone has been destroyed by him, and you¡¯ve lost the fight you used to have, which is why you¡¯re giving the enemy so much credit and giving yourself so little,¡± jibed Mu Rongfeng.


    Shan Congyi stared at him. ¡°The Wan Kingdom has fought Yuwen Tong so many years, and nobody can deny how strong we are. There¡¯s no need for you to use this kind of words to goad me. Today we came here to talk about cooperation, so why don¡¯t we just be honest with each other? Your evasive manner is a sign of cowardice.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng fixed him with a gaze, his eyes glinting maliciously.


    ¡°Even if it fails, what could we possibly lose? The nightmare scenario would merely be losing some men. But if the plan succeeds, the Great Wen will descend into civil strife which will cost this country a lot of manpower, material resources and money, and it¡¯ll rock the foundations of Yuwen Tong¡¯s status as well. In that case, it¡¯ll take only a single concerted operation of ours to throw the Great Wen into chaos. With such a golden opportunity in front of us, I really couldn¡¯t understand why Your Highness are still hesitating,¡± added Shan Congyi.


    Mu Rongfeng suddenly smiled, the malevolence in his eyes vanishing instantly. ¡°You overthink it, Prince Yi. I was just trying to confirm whether the Wan Kingdom has really sent some men there. If things do come to that as you said they would, Jiangzhou will be fraught with perils. I value my life very much and I don¡¯t want to die there.¡±


    Shan Congyi also smiled, ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness, my men have successfully paved the way. As long as you give me a hand, things will soon escalate in Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now that you¡¯ve done so much, I¡¯ll cooperate with you,¡± said Mu Rongfeng.


    Shan Congyi¡¯s face took on a satisfied expression. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your message.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve given you my word, so I¡¯ll see it done by hook or by crook,¡± said Mu Rongfeng.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. We¡¯ve been here long enough. I should take my leave lest anybody become suspicious.¡± Shan Congyi rose to his feet, intending to take his leave.


    ¡°Okay, Prince Yi. Pardon me for dispensing with the courtesy of walking you to the front gates, will you?¡± said Mu Rongfeng.


    Shan Congyi gave a nod and then left the room. The moment he disappeared from view, Mu Rongfeng¡¯s face immediately fell emotionless and with that a man walked out from behind a screen, who was a member of the diplomatic corps of the Luohai Kingdom and also Mu Rongfeng¡¯s henchman.


    ¡°Your Highness, are we really going to join hands with the Wan Kingdom and make the situation in Jiangzhou escalate?¡± asked the henchman hesitantly.


    Mu Rongfeng replied, ¡°The outcome might be beneficial to us.¡±


    ¡°But our goal is to play the Great Wen off the Wan Kingdom. Only by having them fight each other would we be able to benefit from the situation. If it¡¯s Jiangzhou that descends into chaos, the Great Wen will be the only side that suffer losses, and the Wan Kingdom will get enough time to rebuild its strength. In that case, our action would be synonymous with feeding a tiger to our own detriment. The Wan Kingdom¡¯s armies are quite strong, and once they get back to full strength, they¡¯ll be a great threat to us. Judging from Shan Congyi¡¯s words, the Wan Kingdom has a plan to weaken the Great Wen first and then send its armies southwards to subject the Great Wen to its rule. If things do come to that, we¡¯ll be in serious trouble,¡± said the henchman.


    Face darkening, Mu Rongfeng sniffed, ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy for the Wan Kingdom to annex the Great Wen.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I think you need to reconsider your decision. If our original plan succeeds, the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen will start fighting. The more they weaken each other, the more beneficial the situation will be to us. In that case, we¡¯ll be the only strong country left, and it won¡¯t be difficult for us to annex them both. But if we personally nurse the Wan Kingdom back to full strength, it¡¯ll grow into a ferocious tiger, one we¡¯ll have a hard job to keep under control, one that might turn against us at any moment,¡± commented the henchman.


    Mu Rongfeng kept silent for a long moment before he said, ¡°The situation in Jiangzhou could escalate very easily, and now is the best opportunity to make it happen. If we miss it, there will never be a second one. By comparison, driving a wedge between the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom is not that easy. Yuwen Tong is no fool, and neither is the monarch of the Wan Kingdom. Currently they both need time to rebuild their strength. No matter what happens, they¡¯ll always seek to settle it in a non-violent way. If we stick to our original plan, the process will be quite time-consuming, and it¡¯s very likely that the two of them will return to full strength before we could make our plan work. In that case, the situation of tripartite confrontation will be restored and we probably won¡¯t get any benefits.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The henchman hesitated. Of all these words of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s, what struck him as the most convincing was the remark ¡°Yuwen Tong is no fool.¡± In terms of Yuwen Tong¡¯s astuteness, both of them had learned their lessons previously. How was it possible for a man like him to fall prey to their tricks?


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s also a chance that things in Jiangzhou might not go as expected, so we might as well follow Shan Congyi¡¯s plan first. If it works and the Great Wen descends into civil strife, it¡¯ll be a good thing for us; if it fails, we¡¯ll switch to our original plan,¡± said Mu Rongfeng.


    That war had made it impossible for the Wan Kingdom, the Luohai Kingdom and the Great Wen to live in peace, especially after Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement, for both the Luohai Kingdom and the Wan Kingdom were very defensive with the Great Wen. They must make sure the Great Wen didn¡¯t return to its full strength, either by throwing the Great Wen into civil strife or by getting the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom to fight each other! Otherwise they would undoubtedly end up dead.


    The problem facing Mu Rongfeng right now was which plan to choose. Before he came to the Great Wen, their main plan had been to hoodwink the Great Wen into fighting the Wan Kingdom. After arriving in the Great Wen, Mu Rongfeng had found that the situation in the Great Wen was different than what he¡¯d imagined it to be, and Yuwen Tong was also not exactly the same as the kind of person he¡¯d expected him to be. This man was so shrewd and had enough military power at his command. Would it really be that easy to trick the Great Wen into fighting the Wan Kingdom?


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s uncertainty had been the reason why he¡¯d chosen to cooperate with Shan Congyi.


    Seeing Mu Rongfeng had made up his mind, the henchman came to realize that it was no good trying to dissuade him, that what they needed to do was make sure the situation in Jiangzhou escalated to the level they wanted it to reach!


    ¡°Your Highness, Shan Congyi is even more cunning than Shan Congwen. If we¡¯re to cooperate with him, we¡¯ll have to be extra careful.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng said, ¡°I know. Shan Congyi might be able to fool the others with his pretence of fragility and harmlessness, but he doesn¡¯t fool me.¡±


    The henchman felt a slight sense of relief in the knowledge that Mu Rongfeng was also aware of it.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, the expression on Shan Congyi¡¯s face also disappeared immediately after he walked out of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s room, his eyes flashing with anger. Although Mu Rongfeng had agreed to cooperate in the end, Shan Congyi had perceived something from his hesitant attitude. Escalating the situation in Jiangzhou to throw the Great Wen into civil strife was obviously a perfect move which would do them only good and no harm, but Mu Rongfeng had still hesitated as though it was not to his liking, which suggested that Mu Rongfeng had another plan which he found more appealing.


    Though unable to divine what kind of plan Mu Rongfeng had, Shan Congyi had a hunch that it was against the interests of the Wan Kingdom, which was why he was quite annoyed.


    He thought, ¡®Mu Rongfeng is not content with annexing the Great Wen. Is he planning to annex the Wan Kingdom as well, by any chance? What a greedy bastard. It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®A man whose heart is not content is like a snake which tries to swallow an elephant.¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Your Highness. Now that Mu Rongfeng has agreed, all we have to do is follow the plan and make sure he meets his end in Jiangzhou. In that case, you¡¯ll get your vengeance on him,¡± said Shan Congyi¡¯s henchman.


    Shan Congyi sneered, ¡°You¡¯re right. Since Mu Rongfeng dared covet our land, that will be the consequence he deserves to suffer. The Luohai Kingdom want to play us off the Great Wen and profit from the conflict. Humph. We¡¯ll see if they could live long enough to do that.¡±


    ¡°Mu Rongfeng is the crown prince of the Luohai Kingdom. If he dies in the Great Wen, his father would definitely go berserk. The old monarch of the Luohai Kingdom has always been rather bitter about the defeat he suffered in this war. If we add a little bit fuel to the flames of his anger, he would sure as well send his armies to the Great Wen. As long as he attacks, the Great Wen will have no choice but to fight him. In that case, the Great Wen will lose its opportunity to rebuild strength, and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s troops, material resources and wealth will dwindle perpetually as well. When they are at their weakest, we¡¯ll make our move and reap the fruit.¡±

 Chapter 422 - The Wan Kingdoms and the Luohai Kingdoms Conspiracy

    ¡°Humph,¡± Shan Congyi sneered. ¡°You¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll get my vengeance on each and every single one of them. This time I¡¯m going to make Yuwen Tong pay for what he did. Luohai dared plot against us, and they shall find the price for it quite heavy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re truly a wise leader, Your Highness,¡± remarked his henchman obsequiously.


    ¡­


    In another house of the same courier hostel.


    Hai Feng, the Prime Minister of the Fangcun Kingdom, was playing Chinese chess with an envoy. After a while, someone walked inside to deliver a message to him.


    ¡°Your Lordship, their meeting¡¯s over. Shan Congyi has returned to his room.¡±


    Hai Feng fingered his mustache. ¡°How did he look when he left?¡±


    ¡°Shan Congyi didn¡¯t look very happy when he walked out of the house, but he was not as angry as he was the last time either.¡±


    Hai Feng and the envoy looked at each other for a moment before the former said aloud, ¡°I see. You may leave.¡±


    ¡°What do you think Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng are up to exactly, Your Lordship?¡± asked the envoy.


    Hai Feng pondered for a little while and then replied, ¡°As for their specific plans, your guess is as good as mine, but considering the overall situation, I think they¡¯ll either do something in Jiangzhou, or tamper with something in Cangzhou, or resort to assassination.¡±


    The envoy was taken aback by these words. ¡°So they¡¯re bent on making trouble for the Great Wen?¡±


    Hai Feng responded, ¡°I¡¯ll be surprised if they¡¯re not. Yuwen Tong is too formidable an opponent. He took the throne from the Zhou family with barely any bloodshed and then stabilized the political situation within a very short time. Currently he only needs some more time to rebuild strength. Under no circumstances would the Wan Kingdom or the Luohai Kingdom allow such a strong enemy to return to full strength. The two countries have both fought Yuwen Tong and been defeated by him before. They fear Yuwen Tong, and there¡¯s no doubt they¡¯ll do something to hinder Yuwen Tong from strengthening his position.¡±


    The envoy was secretly startled. ¡°Your analysis sent a chill down my spine, Your Lordship. No wonder you¡¯re in such a hurry to get out of this country. I really admire your insight.¡±


    Hai Feng gave a chuckle at the compliment. On the surface, he looked like a rich merchant, and his smile was genial and seemingly inoffensive, but the envoy sitting opposite him was aware that Hai Feng was definitely a formidable political figure as well. Although he didn¡¯t work in the capital city of Fangcun, he had long since heard about Hai Feng¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°My unwillingness to be dragged into the upcoming rough-and-tumble between the three countries is indeed part of the reason why I¡¯m leaving in such haste, but His Majesty does want me to return as soon as possible,¡± said Hai Feng.


    On hearing this, the envoy hastened to smile, ¡°I should¡¯ve thought of that. Please pardon me for my lack of perception, Your Lordship.¡±


    Hai Feng asked, ¡°I heard that Luo Sang¡¯s trading fleet and the Ling family are pretty close. Is that true?¡±


    The envoy hadn¡¯t thought that Hai Feng would suddenly bring this up, but he didn¡¯t dare keep anything back. ¡°Yes. The Ling family own a large herb farm in Tanyang, and a lot of the herbs they plant there can¡¯t be found in our country. In addition, the Ling family have Ling Zhang at their back, so their businesses will no doubt thrive. Luo Sang has always been in cooperation with the Ling family, and this time he took advantage of the opportunity and furthered their partnership. I can¡¯t say for sure how things would turn out in the long run, but in the next few years, the Ling family will rely on Luo Sang¡¯s trading fleet to do business with our country.¡±


    After saying this, the envoy, seeing Hai Feng was silent, asked, ¡°Is there anything particular you want me to do about it, Your Lordship?¡±


    Hai Feng responded, ¡°Disclose to Luo Sang the secret talk between Mu Rongfeng and Shan Congyi. Tell him there¡¯s a very high chance they¡¯re conspiring against the Great Wen. Have him intimate it to the Ling family if the occasion arises.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that we¡¯ll give Yuwen Tong a word of warning?¡± asked the envoy.


    Hai Feng smiled, ¡°You still haven¡¯t got the point. You don¡¯t seriously think Yuwen Tong needs me to forewarn him of this? I¡¯m just doing him a favor that costs me nothing. No matter where the Great Wen will be standing with the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom in the future, our friendship with the Great Wen will make things a lot easier for us during our future dealings with it.¡±


    The envoy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯re so visionary, Your Lordship. I really admire you. I¡¯ll go and repeat this to Luo Sang.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang had someone deliver a message to Ling Zhaowu, who gave it some thought after receiving it and then sent Luo Sang an invitation.


    Luo Sang, who had just finished his talk with the envoy when Ling Zhaowu¡¯s invitation came, instantly broke out in a cold sweat. ¡®The emperor of the Great Wen has indeed become suspicious. This matter might be the very reason why Ling Zhaowu sent me an invitation,¡¯ he thought.


    Luo Sang went to the appointed place at the agreed time with unease. At the sight of Ling Zhaowu looking at him with a smile, he hastened to greet him. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to bow before you, Earl Taichang (AKA the Earl of Prosperity). There¡¯s no need for you to be so courteous, Your Lordship. You could¡¯ve just summoned me. Had you done that, I would immediately go to your abode to visit you.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Captain Luo. We¡¯re business partners, so you may see me as a businessman. ¡®Earl Taichang¡¯ is nothing but a fancy title. It¡¯s unnecessary for you to bother with the formalities because of it.¡±


    With frequent, polite chuckle, Luo Sang chatted with Ling Zhaowu for a while and then inquired, ¡°May I ask what it is that Your Lordship want to see me about? Have there been any changes in our cooperation?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Captain Luo. Our partnership is very solid. It¡¯s not about business,¡± answered Ling Zhaowu.


    If it was not about business, then it must be about the matter that he was thinking of. ¡®I knew it,¡¯ Luo Sang thought, his face becoming much more serious. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask, Your Lordship.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Thank you in advance, Captain Luo. I invited you here because there¡¯s something I want to ask you about. I heard that the diplomatic corps of your country is going back. Is it because of something urgent?¡±


    ¡®Oh, here it comes, here it comes,¡¯ Luo Sang muttered madly in his head. Affecting a calmness he did not feel, he replied, ¡°Our king¡¯s birthday is coming up. I think the Prime Minister is going back to help with the preparations for the party.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Fangcun Kingdom is seething with talents. His Majesty¡¯s birthday party is indeed very important, but it doesn¡¯t strike me as necessary to specially have your prime minister travel thousands of miles to go back to help. If you know some inside information, would you please confide it to me? Our countries are on friendly terms, and I¡¯m really worried that it¡¯s because the Great Wen is not hospitable enough that your diplomatic corps are leaving in such great haste,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    On hearing this, Luo Sang came to realize that there was no need for him to be evasive about this matter, for Ling Zhaowu¡¯s question was explicit enough.


    So he said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve indeed heard something on the grapevine, but I¡¯m not sure whether it¡¯s true or not.¡±


    After he said this, the smile on his face disappeared and his countenance grew a lot more grave. He continued, ¡°This message might be of some importance to your country, so please relay it to His Majesty after I tell you, though whether there¡¯s any truth in it is still unknown.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s heart did a somersault. Looking at Luo Sang, he said, ¡°Please go ahead, Captain Luo.¡±


    ¡°I have a distant relative who works in the capital city of our country and came here as a member of the diplomatic corps this time around. Right now he¡¯s staying in the courier hostel. He once told me that the prince of the Wan Kingdom and the prince of the Luohai Kingdom seem to be plotting something, that they¡¯ve been acting stealthily as though they harbor malicious intentions. Both the two countries were defeated by His Majesty, and there¡¯s no telling whether or not they¡¯re unreconciled to their defeat and seeking to do the Great Wen harm, so please be careful.¡±


    As he finished these words, the expression on his face was replaced by an embarrassed one. ¡°Of course, it was through the grapevine that I heard this. I have no intention whatsoever to make mischief. Just take it as a word of warning. It does no harm to be more vigilant.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu looked at him and smiled, ¡°Relax, Captain Luo. I know what you mean. I¡¯ll figure out a way to mention to His Majesty what you just told me.¡±


    Luo Sang felt a sense of relief, feeling that he¡¯d finally got the job done.


    Ling Zhaowu observed the unnoticeable relieved expression on Luo Sang¡¯s face, drinking tea without the slightest change of his countenance. Luo Sang had clearly made preparations for this talk. The so-called ¡°distant relative¡± and ¡°grapevine¡± were just a smokescreen he¡¯d put up to hide the fact that the Fangcun diplomatic corps had sent him here to deliver a message. Still, as things stood, the reason why the Fangcun diplomatic corps were leaving with great urgency must be that they¡¯d perceived the two princes of the other two countries were plotting something, something they didn¡¯t want to be dragged into. Given that that wily old fox from the Fangcun Kingdom was leaving in such haste, it was by no means a trivial matter.


    Ling Zhaowu, after taking his leave of Luo Sang, had someone deliver a message to the palace, along with his own opinions.


    Ling Zhang, after receiving the message, mulled over it for a few moments before he went to see Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Considering even Hai Feng is leaving to stay out of it, this thing is probably going to happen very soon. It¡¯ll either endanger this city or affect their return trip¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang analyzed the situation in a quiet voice. With only two small groups of men under their command, the two princes, if they wanted to cause severe harm to the Great Wen in a short time, would have to either stir up trouble in the capital city or make mischief by means of the current situation in some area. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve anything, given what they had in hand presently.


    It was very difficult for them to stir up trouble in the capital city. Currently, it could be said that the Shadow Battalion were keeping everybody in this city under constant watch, that Yuwen Tong had absolute control over this city. The diplomatic corps of the two countries couldn¡¯t do anything without being immediately spotted, which was a fact Ling Zhang believed the two princes were not too stupid to be aware of. And that Hai Feng guy from the Fangcun Kingdom probably had perceived it as well. Therefore, their only option was to make mischief by taking advantage of local situation. As for situations that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom could make use of¡­


    Knitting his brows, Ling Zhang recalled what Yuwen Tong had said to him that day and immediately looked up at Yuwen Tong.


    He saw that Yuwen Tong was quietly looking at him and thinking about something, his face very calm.


    Surprised, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? And why are you not worried?¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°There¡¯re not many things they could do in these circumstances. I¡¯ve guessed it already. How about you tell me what you think first?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    That would be so boring. Yuwen Tong was depriving him of his sense of accomplishment by doing this.


    ¡°Forget it. You¡¯ve already come to know about it anyway. What¡¯s the point of me expressing my opinions?¡±


    As Yuwen Tong perceived that Ling Zhang¡¯s temper began to fray, his survival instinct kicked in and he quickly apologized and explained, ¡°I thought of it only a short while ago, just a little bit earlier than you did. Think about it, apart from anything else I¡¯m several years your senior, so you shouldn¡¯t be surprised that I guessed it sooner than you did. Had I not guessed it in advance, you would be worried about my competence in being an emperor, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Ling Zhang quietly gave it some thought and felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point. He was the emperor after all, so he had to be smart.


    This thought dissolved his anger instantly. Also, it struck him that he was being a little unreasonable just now. With a somewhat embarrassed look on his face, he said, ¡°I think they¡¯re going to do something in Jiangzhou. Ji Yanlai also reminded you that something was not quite right in Jiangzhou, that there was going to be some kind of trouble.¡±


    Seeing he was no longer angry, Yuwen Tong came to know that he¡¯d successfully got off the hook. His explanation was a trifle lame and Ling Zhang would find out he was lying if Ling Zhang gave it some more thought, but clearly Ling Zhang trusted him completely and wouldn¡¯t dwell on this kind of details. Yuwen Tong was happy about this but at the same time also felt that Ling Zhang¡¯s gullibility might not be a good thing. What if he got tricked by others?

 Chapter 423 - The Current Situation in Jiangzhou & A Dispute (I)

    What he failed to realize was that the reason why Ling Zhang seemed so credulous was because the liar was him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The situation in Jiangzhou is indeed the most likely to be tampered with by the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave it some careful thought before he inquired, ¡°What do you think they are planning to do?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Presently Jiangzhou is under the control of Wang Xiangxin, the commander of the Jiangzhou garrison. If they want to fan the flames of disorder in Jiangzhou, they will inevitably have to cooperate with Wang Xiangxin.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who was barely acquainted with the commander of the Jiangzhou garrison, only knew that Wang Xiangxin had been in charge of the Jiangzhou garrison for almost a decade. For some unknown reason, the former emperor had seemed to be quite pleased with Wang Xiangxin¡¯s service, which was why the latter had never been transferred elsewhere. Afterward, when the Fang family had been plotting a coup, Wang Xiangxin had chosen to side with the Fang family after bargaining with Fang Quan over the terms of their deal, intending to assist the Eighth Prince to succeed to the throne. When Fang Quan had been arrested, Wang Xiangxin had even hired some killers to rescue him. The rescue operation had directly led to the ¡°deaths¡± of the last two princes of the former imperial household. As a result, Ling Zhang was aware that Wang Xiangxin was an ambitious man, that his personal ambition remained unchanged despite the several setbacks he¡¯d suffered. Had that rescue operation not failed like a farce in the end, the situation in Jiangzhou would have gone out of control some time before.


    Afterward, Yuwen Tong had acceded to the throne and the Jiangzhou garrison had been laying low ever since. From this fact alone, Ling Zhang could vaguely tell that apart from ambition, Wang Xiangxin also possessed patience, that he was not a man lacking resource and astuteness. This kind of person struck Ling Zhang as the most formidable. From the vantage point of the present, the reason why Wang Xiangxin had been laying low was probably not only because he was a patient man but also because he had long since made contact with the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom and had these two countries at his back, conspiring with them. In addition, it was more convenient for the Luohai Kingdom to contact Jiangzhou than it was for the Wan Kingdom, considering there was only Taizhou between Jiangzhou and the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°I wonder whether it was the Wan Kingdom or the Luohai Kingdom that initiated the deal. Given that they¡¯ve been having secret talks in the courier hostel, they shouldn¡¯t have done any premeditation about the matter of Jiangzhou previously. If it was the Wan Kingdom who initiated it, the Jiangzhou garrison would get only limited support from the Wan Kingdom; if it was the Luohai Kingdom, they might have made some preparations some time ago,¡± said Ling Zhang, analyzing the situation, his frown deepening with his every word.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That might not be the case. Although Taizhou is the only city between the Luohai Kingdom and Jiangzhou, there are quite some lofty mountains and high ranges between Taizhou and the Luohai Kingdom. Also, the borders are heavily guarded. It is impossible for the Luohai Kingdom to skip Taizhou and directly make contact with Jiangzhou.


    Come with me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong ushered Ling Zhang into the side hall. On a wall of the hall hung a giant map. Previously Ling Zhang had seen this map once, but he was still somewhat awed by it. It was gigantic and minute. This map was no doubt a national treasure and must not be shown to any outsiders.


    Yuwen Tong walked up to the map where Jiangzhou was marked. Pointing at Jiangzhou, he said to Ling Zhang, ¡°Take a look at the terrain of Jiangzhou and the couple of neighboring prefectures.¡±


    Believing there must be a reason why Yuwen Tong was asking him to take a look, Ling Zhang stepped up and began studying the map.


    Shown on the map, Jiangzhou approximated an oval, bordering Taizhou to the south, Yanzhou to the north, Cangzhou to the east, Haizhou to the west. The part of it bordered by Taizhou was not big, mainly Jiangguan County and Youguan County. However, the national road in this area didn¡¯t go through Taizhou. It stretched northwards along the boundary between Taizhou and Cangzhou. The main reason for this was that the part of Jiangzhou bordered by Taizhou was a maintain named Mt East, the main body of which formed the boundary of Jiangzhou. It started from the part bordered by Taizhou, stretching east all the way to Jinhai County which was in the south-east corner of Jiangzhou and was connected to Haizhou by a national road. It could be said that Mt East was a natural barrier to both the north and the east, that Jiangzhou was a prefecture half surrounded by Mt East.


    Though Mt East was the boundary between Jiangzhou and Taizhou, there was no national road through it. To reach Jiangzhou from Taizhou, people had to detour around Mt East and get onto the national road which would lead them into Jiangguan County.


    The part of the south end of Mt East where a national road had been built was the only part of Jiangzhou bordered by Haizhou ¨C the national road in Jinhai County.


    Jinhai County not only bordered Haizhou to the west but also bordered Yanzhou to the north. There were two national roads in it: a east-west one leading to Haizhou, and a north-south one leading to Yanzhou.


    As for the western part of Jiangzhou which adjoined Cangzhou, it consisted of three counties: Jiangguan County in the north, Xishan County in the south, and Zuoguan County between the former two. The parts of Jiangguan County and Zuoguan County bordered by Cangzhou were separated from their neighbor by Mt Cang which was located in Cangzhou. This was why the north-south national road was along the boundary between Taizhou and Cangzhou. This was the only section the terrain of which sloped gently and was relatively suitable for building a national road.


    And then there was Xishan County. It could be said that Xishan County was almost ¡°trapped¡± in Jiangzhou. The reason was that inside Xishan County stood Mt Xilian, which started from western Xishan County and stretched all the way west, dividing Xishan County from the main part of Jiangzhou. To enter Xishan County, people had to detour to Jincang County first, and the transportation there was very difficult. Jincang County adjoined Jinhai County and, as the name implied, bordered on Cangzhou.


    Jiangzhou was a prefecture with only one north-south national road running through it. Flanked by towering mountains, it was easy to hold, but people in there could also easily get trapped.


    After reading the map, Ling Zhang came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant. It was impractical for anybody from the Luohai Kingdom to get to Jiangzhou through Taizhou. They had to go through another prefecture to reach Jiangzhou, no matter through which part of the boundary they entered it. And they had to undergo several layers of security check.


    When Ling Zhang had finished reading the map, Yuwen Tong started filling him in on the current situation in Jiangzhou.


    ¡°There are four major checkpoints in Jiangzhou. One of them was in the north on the national road; another one was in Jincang County, and the other two in Jinhai County. All four checkpoints are heavily guarded by Wang Xiangxin¡¯s men. Except for the one in the north on the national road, all of them are also well defended by other forces, the two in Jinhai County by the Haizhou garrison and the Yanzhou garrison, the one in Jincang County by soldiers under the command of the General Zhongwu¡¯s deputy. As things stand, Jiangzhou is now a turtle in a jar. Wang Xiangxin doesn¡¯t stand a chance of breaking out of Jiangzhou, no matter which checkpoint he chooses to attack.


    That¡¯s why I chose to disband the armed forces there from within to resolve the knotty matter of Jiangzhou. As Wang Xiangxin wouldn¡¯t be able to elude me, it¡¯s more advisable to settle the issue in a way that would cause less casualties and cost less money. At least there won¡¯t be much bloodshed, and it¡¯ll spare the people of Jiangzhou some sufferings. Still, now that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have got involved in the matter of Jiangzhou, there¡¯s an eighty-percent chance that things will change, and I can¡¯t exclude the possibility that I¡¯ll have to resort to violence in the end.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang had a general idea of what the current situation in Jiangzhou was like.


    ¡°Not a single official of Jiangzhou attended your enthronement ceremony or our wedding ceremony. Are all the officials of Jiangzhou in cahoots with Wang Xiangxin, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Wang Xiangxin killed the Jiangzhou governor, Sun Tai, the day before my enthronement ceremony and had Zhu You, the then assistant governor, take Sun Tai¡¯s place. All other officials of Jiangzhou who value their lives have knuckled down to him, willingly or affectedly. The terrain of Jiangzhou has also contributed to this tragedy. I mean, they¡¯re unable to escape from that place even if they want to.¡±


    Ling Zhang was taken aback by these words. Jiangzhou was rather far away from the capital city after all. It was not until he gave it some careful thought that he came to realize that the current situation in Jiangzhou was probably dire. Yuwen Tong wanted to disband the armed forces there from within because it was a relatively peaceful solution, one that would allow people of Jiangzhou a chance to gather themselves, but now, seeing as the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had waded in, there was no telling how things would turned out eventually.


    ¡°You said that you want to disband them from within. How do you plan to do that specifically?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Li Rong, the other assistant governor of Jiangzhou, used to work in the capital city. His family and the family of the Prefectural Tongpan, Cao Hua, are all in the capital city, so the two of them are unwilling to wallow in the mire with Wang Xiangxin. I found them and had them pretend to submit. They¡¯re now working for Zhu You and will play a big part in my plan when the time comes. And then there will also be a targeted assassination of Wang Xiangxin. Once Wang Xiangxin dies, his subordinates will be thrown into panic, but Wang Xiangxin does have a little bit of smarts. He¡¯s gone into hiding and is nowhere to be found.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®nowhere to be found?''¡± Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°Has he fled Jiangzhou?¡±

 Chapter 424 - The Current Situation in Jiangzhou & A Dispute (II)

    ¡°He¡¯s still in there. It¡¯s just that he disguised himself. His identity has been changing frequently and he never stays anywhere for long, which makes it rather difficult to locate him. This time around, in a sense the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have actually done us a favor by interfering in this matter. We might not be able to find Wang Xiangxin, but they can. Wang Xiangxin¡¯s death will make it a lot easier for us to settle the matter of Jiangzhou,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Wang Xiangxin had actually disguised himself. The very mention of it gave Ling Zhang headaches. Given that Jiangzhou was such a large prefecture and Wang Xiangxin had a lot of men helping him cover his tracks, controlling Jiangzhou behind the scenes, killing him was indeed no easy job. It struck Ling Zhang that Wang Xiangxin was indeed not a sitting duck, that he was ambitious, resourceful and quite sly. This kind of person was really troublesome.


    ¡°Are you saying that we¡¯ll play the long con once again?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong.


    Since Yuwen Tong had just said that he would use the other two countries to find the target, it was safe to say that he would allow the diplomatic corps of the two countries to leave the capital city.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°As the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom want to support Wang Xiangxin, there¡¯s no way they can do it without paying the price. This time around, I¡¯ll have those people suffer another setback in Jiangzhou, which will conveniently serve as a warning for their emperors.¡±


    Ling Zhang could tell that Yuwen Tong had made up his mind. It seemed that this time around nothing could stop him.


    ¡°How about I go to Jiangzhou?¡±


    Ling Zhang had made this suggestion once when they¡¯d been in the Ling Mansion, but Yuwen Tong had disagreed. On this occasion, after being informed of the complicated situation in Jiangzhou, Ling Zhang was even more anxious to go to Jiangzhou. Wang Xiangxin must be disposed of.


    Frowning, Yuwen Tong demurred, ¡°No. Jiangzhou is too dangerous.¡±


    Yuwen Tong made the same reply he¡¯d made that day. He didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to risk going to Jiangzhou. Currently, everybody in that place was like a turtle in a jar, and it was fraught with perils. The situation there was even more complex than Ling Zhang imagined. Jiangzhou retained the old law system established by the Zhou family, the former imperial household, and people there still saw themselves as subjects of the Zhou family. Wang Xiangxin possessed not only personal ambition but also finesse. Unlike those officials of Cangzhou who¡¯d cruelly oppressed and exploited the common people, Wang Xiangxin was good at massaging his deeds. In Jiangzhou people¡¯s eyes, this commander of Jiangzhou garrison was a good Samaritan.


    In other words, apart from Wang Xiangxin¡¯s soldiers who were protecting him, the common people in Jiangzhou were also part of the reason why Wang Xiangxin was in his element in Jiangzhou and hiding himself so well. The common people there were innocent, but sometimes they could be more formidable than any army, which was why under no circumstances would Yuwen Tong let Ling Zhang go anywhere near a place like that.


    Ling Zhang could tell that Yuwen Tong was keeping something back from him.


    ¡°Is there something about Jiangzhou that you¡¯re not telling me?¡± inquired Ling Zhang directly, who had confidence in his great intuition.


    Seeing Ling Zhang was determined to go to Jiangzhou, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to intimate to him the current situation in Jiangzhou. ¡°Jiangzhou is still following the old law system established by the former imperial household. Wang Xiangxin is a master of hypocrisy and people in Jiangzhou hold him in very high regard. Presently things are very complicated in Jiangzhou. Most people there are in support of Wang Xiangxin. If you go there to work against Wang Xiangxin, you¡¯ll be putting yourself in grave danger.¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. It had never crossed his mind that the situation in Jiangzhou would be like this. However, the matter of Jiangzhou must be handled, no matter how bad things were.


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll send Jiang Xi there.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to handle it on his own. Now that things in Jiangzhou have come to this, what could he possibly do to make a difference in there?¡±


    ¡°In order for the people there to stop supporting Wang Xiangxin, we¡¯ll have to have them come to realize that Wang Xiangxin has led them into a hopeless situation. It¡¯ll take time. Jiangzhou has now been isolated. The people are hanging in there, but they won¡¯t be able to do that for long. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they start to question Wang Xiangxin¡¯s judgement. We must have Cangzhou, Yanzhou and Haizhou pressure Jiangzhou at the same time.¡±


    In fact, there was more Yuwen Tong could do. Although on the surface Wang Xiangxin seemed a good Samaritan, he had secretly done a lot of evil deeds, the exposure of which would facilitate having the people rise up against Wang Xiangxin. However, where there was resistance, there was bloodshed. Previously Yuwen Tong had always sought to settle things in a peaceful way, so he wouldn¡¯t resort to this unless he had to.


    Now that he had become the emperor, when it came to rule his country, he would try to resolve problems in a non-violent manner whenever possible. Of course, if violence was unavoidable, he wouldn¡¯t be soft-hearted.


    As a result, things might get ugly in Jiangzhou, and if Ling Zhang went there, he would inevitably see it. Deep down, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want Ling Zhang to see any of it.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that Yuwen Tong was thinking about these things. If he came to know about it, he would definitely have mixed feelings. Yuwen Tong was being fiercely protective of him, but if he was to stand shoulder to shoulder with Yuwen Tong to see the same view that Yuwen Tong was seeing, he must go through these things.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t know about Yuwen Tong¡¯s thoughts, and his suggestion was rejected by Yuwen Tong with the words ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Therefore, he had no idea how to convince Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong could tell that Ling Zhang was anxious, but he pretended not to notice.


    He would definitely go there himself if possible, but presently he must stay in the capital city to keep the situation under control. As for Jiangzhou, he would adopt necessary methods to solve the matter if the necessity arose.


    ¡°But right now we don¡¯t know in what way the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom will interfere. Since Clan Leader Ji said that there might be a disaster in Jiangzhou, I think we must be cautious. Let me go there. Please. I can¡¯t have complete peace of mind if I don¡¯t go there and see for myself.¡±


    They both refused to budge an inch on the issue, which meant that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t convince Yuwen Tong for the time being. Angry, Ling Zhang spun around and stormed off.


    Watching his receding back, Yuwen Tong sat there for a while before he called, ¡°Qi San.¡±


    ¡°At your service, Sire.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the current situation in Jiangzhou specifically?¡±


    ¡°Wang Xiangxin is still in hiding. There were several occasions when our men almost killed him, but he managed to escape eventually all those times. He seems to have some kung fu experts protecting him. He¡¯s not only a master of disguise but also quite skilled in hiding himself among crowds.


    The magistrate of Jiangdong County tried to send out a message but got killed. After that, several officials Li Rong and Cao Hua had secretly roped in chickened out. Wang Xiangxin has been in charge of Jiangzhou for ten years, and he¡¯s planted his men in all ten counties of it. Whenever anything happens in any of the county yamens, his men always inform him of it immediately.


    In addition, as a considerable number of the Jiangzhou garrison are stationed at the four checkpoints, and they suffered heavy casualties in the fight against the Shengzhou garrison, Wang Xiangxin¡¯s army is severely understrength. As a result, he has ordered two call-ups in Jiangzhou this year. Currently almost all men in Jiangzhou have been press-ganged into the army, except for those who are old, weak, ill or disabled. After the two compulsory call-ups involving almost all men in Jiangzhou, the people there no longer hold Wang Xiangxin in as high regard as they used to. Wang Xiangxin did that because he had to, but his deeds indeed undermined people¡¯s trust in him. What with this and the blockade of Jiangzhou, presently Wang Xiangxin¡¯s prestige in Jiangzhou has reached its nadir.


    The reason why Wang Xiangxin is still riding roughshod over the people of Jiangzhou is because he has some kung fu masters at his back. Those men have very good lightness skills and always act swiftly and wittingly. They appear very suddenly before killing someone and take the target¡¯s life in a very cruel and weird way. Owing to his tyranny of terror and blood, most officials and commoners in Jiangzhou don¡¯t dare resist.


    In my opinion, to tackle the situation in Jiangzhou, we¡¯ll have to first dispose of the group of kung fu experts from Jianghu sects, and then locate Wang Xiangxin and kill him. With their deaths, the people of Jiangzhou will be extricated from the predicament. Of course, it¡¯ll take some time to get either of the two jobs done.¡±


    Time. Yes. What they needed was just a little more time.


    Yuwen Tong was also fully aware of this, but the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s interference would turn this thorny issue, the outcome of which was about to become a foregone conclusion, into something else.


    This was not what Yuwen Tong wanted to see happen.


    And if Ling Zhang went to Jiangzhou, he would inevitably be faced with the life-threatening dangers there.


    ¡°His Highness¡­¡± Qi San¡¯s voice was heard again, sounding somewhat unnatural and awkward. ¡°We can keep His Highness safe.¡±


    Qi San made this remark in an uneasy tone. Consoling people was not really his forte. A few moments before he had seen Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang quarrel, and Yuwen Tong had appeared rather dispirited after Ling Zhang left. As a subordinate, Qi San, who was indeed not very good at offering comfort to others, had no idea what the right thing to say was.


    Yuwen Tong flicked him a glance. ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with that. Go and do what you are supposed to do.¡±


    Qi San raised his head, cast a look at Yuwen Tong and then quietly left. ¡®Well, I¡¯m indeed not very good at comforting people. It goes beyond my usual duties,¡¯ he muttered inwardly.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang came around immediately after he stormed out of the consultation hall. He was fully aware that the reason why Yuwen Tong refused to let him go to Jiangzhou was because Yuwen Tong worried about his safety and didn¡¯t want him to go anywhere dangerous.

 Chapter 425 - I Know Him. Ling Zhaowus Rich Experiences (I)

    Actually there weren¡¯t any disputes between the two of them. Ling Zhang glanced over his shoulder at the consultation hall, gave it some thought, scratched his head and then pivoted around to double back.


    Qi San, who walked out of the consultation hall just in time to see him, paused briefly and then also scratched his head. Seeing Ling Zhang no longer appeared angry, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether he¡¯d misread the situation. No wonder His Majesty had told him to stay out of it. Maybe this was what Yao Yi and some of the others had described as ¡°spice¡±, which was beyond his grasp.


    Scratching his head, Qi San walked away. In the belief that what he¡¯d done just now was a funny mistake, he didn¡¯t make any sounds while leaving, not alarming anybody, fearing that anybody might stop him and ask him about what had happened in the consultation hall a short while before. However, he should¡¯ve realized that what with the poker face he always had at ordinary times, hardly anybody dared approach him, and certainly nobody would dare stop him or ask him about this kind of things. He was just overthinking it.


    Ling Zhang, who was unaware that his conduct confused Qi San, entered the hall and saw that Yuwen Tong was still sitting there, who appeared somewhat surprised at the sight of him walking in, as though he¡¯d been absorbed in thought just now and hadn¡¯t heard his footsteps. This was very uncharacteristic of Yuwen Tong. Previously every time Ling Zhang had approached this hall, Yuwen Tong had immediately perceived it and been waiting to make eye contact with him when he¡¯d entered.


    Ling Zhang inexplicably felt a pang of guilt, gave a little cough and began, ¡°I, uh, I wasn¡¯t mad at you a moment ago. I was just a little anxious. If you really don¡¯t want me to go there, I¡¯ll drop the idea.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked deep into his eyes. It was a while before he resignedly smiled, ¡°Give me some more time to think about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up, looking at him gingerly. ¡°Take as much time as you need. I¡¯m going out of the palace. I¡¯ll be back later.¡±


    ¡°Going out of the palace? To what end?¡± asked Yuwen immediately, staring at him.


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°I want to ask my father about the situation in Jiangzhou. Although in this life¡­¡±


    Saying this, Ling Zhang suddenly realized that walls had ears and left his sentence hanging. After looking left and right to confirm nobody else was around, he walked up to Yuwen Tong¡¯s table and breathed, ¡°Although in this life we changed the course of history, those people remain who they are. Given that Wang Xiangxin has so many kung fu experts as his helpers, it surely took him a lot of time to recruit them. Maybe those people joined him a long time ago, which means in Wang Xiangxin¡¯s last incarnation he  definitely had those people under his command as well. I¡¯ll go and ask my father and see if he still remembers anything about it. Maybe he could help.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart melted completely as he saw Ling Zhang talking in a hushed voice for fear of people eavesdropping. Having no room in his mind for other thoughts, he rubbed Ling Zhang¡¯s head and said, ¡°Be careful out there. Don¡¯t come back too late.¡±


    After having his head rubbed, Ling Zhang hastened to look left and right again. After all, he was an adult and also the empress. It¡¯d be such a disgrace to him if anybody noticed. Seeing there was nobody else around, he heaved a sigh of relief and said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Don¡¯t do that again when we¡¯re outdoors. It looks as if you¡¯re stroking a child.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°How about you give me a kiss?¡±


    Ling Zhang wanted to refuse flatly, but then he recalled that a short while ago he¡¯d been somewhat impulsive. Knowing they were the only ones present, he walked to the other side of the table and kissed Yuwen Tong. ¡°You got your kiss now.¡±Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong was astonished for an instant. He had originally thought that Ling Zhang would go berserk at his words, but unexpectedly, Ling Zhang had walked up to him on his own initiative and kissed him¡­


    His eyes started burning. Yuwen Tong knew that Ling Zhang was guilty about losing his temper a short while before and was now trying to please him.


    He reached out a hand and swept Ling Zhang into his embrace, holding him so tight that he couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    Ling Zhang willingly let Yuwen Tong hug him, not trying to free himself. He even said in Yuwen Tong¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll cook you something delicious tonight.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Yuwen Tong said and then spanked Ling Zhang. ¡°Are you coaxing me like a child? How old do you think I am? Ling Maomao¡¯s age or Ji Xiaocong¡¯s?¡±


    Ling Zhang instantly burst into laughter. Massaging his butt, he retorted, ¡°Even Ji Xiaocong is older than you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, whose eyes were also gleaming with amusement, let out a sigh, planted a kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Go. I hope my father-in-law does remember something about it.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± answered Ling Zhang, left Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, rearranged his robes and then walked out.


    Watching Ling Zhang¡¯s retreating figure, Yuwen Tong, whose mood had lightened, collected his thoughts intending to deal with the matter of Jiangzhou. At the sight of the map of Jiangzhou, the look in his eyes instantaneously went cold and grave.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang went out of the palace in a low-key fashion, without the empress¡¯ guard of honor.


    Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu, the father and son, who were studying a wash drawing, were surprised to see Ling Zhang walk inside.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er? Why did you suddenly leave the palace?¡± asked Ling Xingzhong.


    ¡°Grandfather, Father,¡± called Ling Zhang, bowing with hands folded in front. ¡°I came here to see my father. There¡¯s something I want to talk with my father about.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong looked from him to Ling Zhaowu and then said with a big wave of his hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back later to keep you company.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I could use some quiet.¡±


    Smiling, Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu walked out of the study. Noticing the somewhat apprehensive look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, Ling Zhaowu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Father, does the name Wang Xiangxin mean anything to you? He¡¯s the commander of the Jiangzhou garrison,¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Wang Xiangxin?¡± repeated Ling Zhaowu, a flicker flashing across his eyes as though he guessed the reason why Ling Zhang had left the palace and come here to see him. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my place first and talk later.¡±


    The two of them returned to Ling Zhaowu¡¯s courtyard house, sat down and started talking.


    ¡°Did something happen in Jiangzhou?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang gave his father a sketchy account of the situation in Jiangzhou and then added, ¡°Wang Xiangxin has some kung fu experts protecting him, who are masters of disguise and adept at hiding themselves. It¡¯s very difficult for Yuwen Tong¡¯s men to locate them, so I came here to ask you whether or not you could provide any particular information about Wang Xiangxin or those kung fu experts at his back.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Speaking of Wang Xiangxin, I guess you came to the right person.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What did he do in his last life that you remember vividly?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowu replied, ¡°In my last incarnation, after Yuwen Tong settled down in the north-west and became his own boss, he actually kept the lifeline of the three countries under his control, deterring the three of them from attacking each other. Without any threats from outside, the Great Yue was subjected to civil strife. The Cangzhou garrison, the Jiangzhou garrison, along with the garrisons in some other prefectures, rose in revolt. The emperor from the Zhou family was unable to suppress the rebellion and could only stand by watching those commanders of prefectural garrisons become warlords. They fought each other from time to time, showing a total disregard for the authority of the emperor from the Zhou family, who vomited blood with anger several times.


    Ling Zhang got the point. In his father¡¯s last life, the Jiangzhou garrison and the Cangzhou garrison had also revolted.


    ¡°Wang Xiangxin also wanted to be a warlord like Yuwen Tong?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    A somewhat reminiscent look appeared on Ling Zhaowu¡¯s face as he said this. ¡°Speaking of Yuwen Tong, he¡¯s really an amazing guy. It is as though the destiny of the whole world actually lies on the shoulders of him. In his last life, without him being an emperor, all the three countries descended into civil unrest. It could be said that the whole world was almost turned upside down. Everybody who had an army under his command made himself an emperor, as though every one of them could become someone like Yuwen Tong. In this life, he became the emperor and seems to have the inclination to fight for supremacy. How things will turn out is almost a foregone conclusion.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a little cough, feeling an inexplicable flush of pride. No matter what Yuwen Tong decided to do, no matter what kind of person Yuwen Tong decided to become, he was always the one preordained to determine the overall situation.


    ¡°Father, let¡¯s get to the point,¡± said Ling Zhang. Though he felt somewhat proud, it was about time they got down to business.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Ling Zhaowu, ¡°right, Wang Xiangxin. Wang Xiangxin also wanted to be someone like Yuwen Tong. The natural advantages of Jiangzhou¡¯s terrain made the prefecture easy to defend, so after he took control of Jiangzhou, he really became a local despot. Under military rule, great numbers of men were press-ganged into the Jiangzhou garrison. What with the necessity of defending the four mountain passes, his soldiers were overstretched and he had to recruit more, but the draft also caused the labor force in Jiangzhou to dwindle drastically and the food production to decline, which, in turn, led to a famine that lasted a very long time. There was no natural disaster. It was all Wang Xiangxin¡¯s doing.


    He hired a group of killers, all of whom were notorious scum of Jianghu. He paid them and they swore allegiance to him and killed for him. In Jiangzhou, whoever refused to do his bidding would end up dead. For a time Jiangzhou was reduced to a slough of misery, cloaked in the horror of famine and bloodshed. Afterward¡­¡± Ling Zhaowu gave a cough and continued, ¡°Afterward, those killers were wiped out in one fell swoop and Wang Xiangxin lost the protection of them. Soldiers and civilians joined hands and stood up to him. They slit his throat, hung him by his feet and watched him bleed to death.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu related the story in an unemotional tone of voice, a calm look on his face, but the more of his father¡¯s words Ling Zhang heard, the more distinctly he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. When he heard the part of how Wang Xiangxin had died, he gave an involuntary shudder in broad daylight. ¡°They were really that cruel?¡±

 Chapter 426 - I Know Him. Ling Zhaowus Rich Experiences (II)

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t blame those people for being that cruel. At that time, some people even dismembered him and ate his flesh. It was a very gory sight, but most people felt that by doing that, they vented their indignation and resentment, that they got their revenge. It could be said that Wang Xiangxin got his just deserts,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowu in an unconcerned tone.


    A growing suspicion rose in Ling Zhang¡¯s breast as he heard this. ¡°How did you come to know about all these details, Father? You witnessed the whole thing?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu subconsciously inclined his head, but he had just finished half of his nod when he noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s unblinking stare at him and paused. ¡°Sort of,¡± he answered.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. He could immediately tell from his father¡¯s facial expression that the latter was concealing something from him.


    ¡°I want you to be honest with me about this, Father. Did you play a part in the operation of killing Wang Xiangxin in your last life?¡±


    Beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, Ling Zhaowu was rendered somewhat resigned and replied, ¡°I happened to pass by, so I offered them a little bit help.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ling Zhang looked incredulously at him. Recalling his father¡¯s tone just now, Ling Zhang gradually came up with an answer that he could hardly believe to be true. ¡°Then why did you cough when you got to the part of those killers¡¯ deaths a moment ago? Were you involved in that matter as well?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you lie to me, Father. Tell me what happened. Now.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was willing to do anything for his son. Ling Zhang¡¯s stare made him unable to keep anything back. Also, he didn¡¯t want to lie to his son, so he responded with a bob of the head, ¡°Well, previously I promised you I¡¯d tell you more about my last incarnation if the occasion arose. I was indeed involved in the matter of Wang Xiangxin, and it was me who located those killers. Although right now I look like someone who doesn¡¯t even have enough strength to truss up a chicken, in my last incarnation I was a kung fu master as well, one no less powerful than Yuwen Tong actually.¡±


    The last remark was the point, so Ling Zhaowu made it with emphasis.


    Ling Zhang came to understand. ¡°And? So you killed all those killers with your bare hands?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu was a trifle disappointed. Why didn¡¯t his son ask him more about his kung fu skills? But he couldn¡¯t refuse to answer this question of Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    ¡°Of course not. I didn¡¯t want to get a single drop of those people¡¯s blood on me. I had my men do it.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face took on a dramatic expression of dawning comprehension. ¡°Ooooh, you had your subordinates do it. So you also had a group of badass sidekicks. Didn¡¯t you say you were a businessman? Since when have businessmen become so badass?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, who felt somewhat uneasy beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, said, ¡°I WAS a businessman. I was pretty good at business actually, but I needed help to survive in troubled times. Businessmen who had no other skills didn¡¯t live long in those turbulent days, and their business wouldn¡¯t thrive too, which was why I had a group of men at my back. All of them were kung fu masters as good as those subordinates Yuwen Tong currently has.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Why did his father care about kung fu so much and keep comparing his skills with Yuwen Tong¡¯s?


    ¡°I believe you. You must be really good at kung fu, and so were your men.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu inclined his head. That was indeed the point he was trying to make.


    ¡°But that was the case only in your last incarnation. Right now your first priority is to nurse yourself back to health.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Since you were the one who had those killers located and killed, you must know about them very well. Tell me what their kung fu skills were like, so that I could brief Yuwen Tong on it, have him make preparations accordingly and settle the matter of Jiangzhou,¡± Ling Zhang added.


    Ling Zhaowu was totally unconcerned with the matter of Jiangzhou, Wang Xiangxin or those killers, and his face wore an uninterested look when Ling Zhang mentioned it, but as his son wanted to hear it, he got his act together and answered the question earnestly.


    ¡°Those killers of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s are from several notorious Jianghu forces. Some of them are professional killers, and some are good at using underhand methods. You said that they¡¯re adept at hiding themselves, but actually they just never met any real masters. Leaving everything else aside, if you utilize those formations at your command in the correct way, none of them would be able to escape.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu thought back to those days carefully, a frown on his face. He wasn¡¯t really very interested in his memories of his last incarnation, and sometimes, when he tried to recall those events, that part in his memory seemed to become completely blank. Previously he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to try recollecting any of those things, but now, since his son was by his side, this feeling became very different. It was as though all those monochrome, bleak recollections gradually began to assume other colors and grow interesting.


    While calling those days to his mind, he related to Ling Zhang which forces those people were from, what their fighting styles were like, how to deal with them, down to the smallest detail. Ling Zhang listened carefully, memorizing the information.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all. Actually they¡¯re just a disorderly rabble. They scare nobody but common people having no kung fu skills,¡± concluded Ling Zhaowu finally.


    Ling Zhang, who had lodged all the information about those people in his mind, exhaled deeply and said, ¡°Thank you, Father. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Actually those men under Yuwen Tong¡¯s command are pretty good. Given some more time, they¡¯ll be able to locate those people and waste them all.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are wading in, so time is something we don¡¯t have.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu replied, ¡°You mean Shan Congyi and that¡­ Mu Rongfeng guy, right? Don¡¯t worry. Soon they¡¯ll no longer be a problem.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Yeah. We won¡¯t let them be a problem for long.¡±


    Those two hotheads seemed to be tired of living.


    ¡°Incidentally, I seem to remember Wang Xiangxin promoted a guy named Zhu You or something. There is such a person, right?¡± Ling Zhaowu suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yeah. Wang Xiangxin made him the Jiangzhou governor.¡±


    ¡°That figures. That Zhu You guy seems to have a lot of money. Nobody, not even Wang Xiangxin, knows where he got it. In my last life, after Zhu You¡¯s vault was found and opened, the people of Jiangzhou flooded into it and snatched all the money away. I was there to see the whole thing and, as far as I could tell, there was approximately several hundred thousand taels of silver in there,¡± recalled Ling Zhaowu.


    Several hundred thousand taels of silver? That was a lot of money! Ling Zhang was shocked.


    Since Ling Zhaowu was talking about this matter, the several hundred thousand taels of silver definitely existed. He needed to inform Yuwen Tong of it and tell him under no circumstance should he forget to search Zhu You¡¯s house and confiscate his property.


    Ling Zhang, after getting the information he needed from Ling Zhaowu, promptly returned to the imperial palace, without even paying his aunt a visit to wish her good health.


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all my father told me. What do you think? How should we deal with this matter?¡± Ling Zhang, propping himself with his hands on Yuwen Tong¡¯s table, had talked non-stop for quite a while. After finishing the story, he picked up Yuwen Tong¡¯s teacup and took a gulp of tea to ease his thirst.


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand and wiped the tea from the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Slow down a bit. There¡¯s plenty of time. What¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    ¡°So what do you think? With this information, it should be a lot easier to locate those killers, right? My father also said that Zhu You has several hundred thousand taels of silver hidden in his vault. If only we could find it. We¡¯re so short of money,¡± said Ling Zhang.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong sighed, ¡°This time around my father-in-law did do us a great favor.¡±


    But it also made him feel faintly jealous. People who¡¯d been reborn did have a lot of advantages over people who hadn¡¯t. Not only did his father-in-law know about those things, he¡¯d actually experienced them. How was he supposed to compete with someone like that?


    It could be said that in this regard Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhaowu seemed to share some kind of weird telepathic bond. They both couldn¡¯t help but compare their skills and experiences.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I still have no idea what my father did for a living exactly in his last incarnation. He told me he was a businessman, and he had a large group of badass sidekicks. Also, he had consummate kung fu skills. If truth be told, I always have the feeling that my father was somewhat mysterious in his last life.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Since your father said some day he¡¯d tell you everything, you should show patience. Sooner or later you¡¯ll come to know about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang agreed with a bob of the head. ¡°Yeah. Right now he doesn¡¯t dare keep anything back from me anyway.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a little cough, reminding Ling Zhang that his tone was inappropriately cocky.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. My father can¡¯t hear me from here.¡±


    Were Ling Zhaowu able to hear him from here, he probably wouldn¡¯t do anything about it and would still answer all his son¡¯s questions.


    Yuwen Tong, who could empathize with Ling Zhaowu to a certain extent, gave Ling Zhang a playful pinch on the cheek and asked, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear your opinion about what we should do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I just asked you.¡± Ling Zhang removed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand from his face, refusing to let Yuwen Tong give him another pinch. ¡°Previously I said I wanted to go there, but you wouldn¡¯t let me. How am I supposed to come up with any ideas when I¡¯m forbidden to go there? I have no idea what we should do.¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head resignedly. ¡°Just give me some more time to think about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. How much more time did he need?


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the personal characteristics of those killers. I¡¯ll have Qi San send a message there. Wang Xiangxin must die, and Zhu You¡¯s property shall be confiscated. Since the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have got involved, they¡¯ll have to pay the price too.¡±

 Chapter 427 - Departing for Jiangzhou & A Longing for Reunion (I)

    Ling Zhang was thrilled by these words of his. ¡°How do you plan to have them pay the price?¡±


    ¡°No matter what kind of support they offer Wang Xiangxin, it will no doubt have something to do with money, material resources or manpower. Now that we¡¯ve seized the initiative already, we¡¯re the hunters, and they¡¯re our prey. Given how much effort we¡¯ve put into this, it¡¯ll only be fair if we entice them to pour large amounts of money and material resources into it,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes brightened further. Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng were indeed quite hateful. Were it not for all the trouble the two of them had stirred up, the issue of Jiangzhou wouldn¡¯t have become so urgent. The two bastards really believed they were invincible when they worked hand in glove with each other.


    The very thought of this made Ling Zhang¡¯s temper fray. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been angry and worried all day, so it¡¯s only fair to beat them out of all they¡¯ve got in their pockets.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then bobbed his head, feeling that Ling Zhang had a point. Actually it struck him that Ling Zhang had made an excellent point. That was indeed the case.


    As he thought of this, a variety of mischievous plans began to present themselves one by one in his imperial mind. With great efficiency, he churned out a myriad of methods for hurting the Wan Kingdom¡¯s and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s wallets really bad.


    Thinking about this, he exchanged a smile with Ling Zhang and with that, finding a hint of cunningness in each other¡¯s smile, the two of them smiled more broadly.


    Yuwen Tong crooked his finger at Ling Zhang. ¡°Come forward,¡± he said.


    Ling Zhang confusedly walked over and was abruptly drawn into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace and given a hard kiss on the cheek, which immediately started aching. Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look emptily at him, then incredulously massaged his cheek and huffed, ¡°Why did you kiss me so hard?! Is my cheek red?!¡±


    Affecting an air of concern, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Let me take a look at it.¡±


    With a serious look on his face, he considered Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek for a while and then planted another kiss on it.


    Consumed with anger, Ling Zhang hammered Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop kissing me!¡± he flared.


    If it went red, everybody would be able to see the hickey on his cheek after he walked outside. He would be too ashamed to show his face again if that happened!


    Yuwen Tong burst into laughter, and it seemed as if he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop any time soon. The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched and with that he pushed Yuwen Tong a few steps backwards, feeling that Yuwen Tong had probably lost his mind.


    Hearing the married couple having a romantic moment inside, Yao Yi and the others who were on guard duty outside exchanged glances, feeling that life was so fucking lonely. The two masters of theirs were clinging together like glue and lacquer, and they, a bunch of unloved bachelors, were silently suffering the agony caused by their masters¡¯ display of affection. It felt as though their hearts had been cut in half, and they were torn between the need to comforting themselves and the urge to inwardly curse their two heartless masters in there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some careful thinking lately, and I think maybe it¡¯s really about time I got myself a wife,¡± said Miao Shiba, gazing up into the sky.


    Yao Yi looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re still young, Shiba. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡°In my hometown, everybody that¡¯s my age has kids the same height as my waist, and you¡¯re telling me there¡¯s no hurry?¡± Miao Shiba gave him a dirty look.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Well, maybe you should think about my situation. Even I haven¡¯t got a wife yet. Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re different, bro. You know, in terms of appearance, I kind of have an advantage,¡± said Miao Shiba tactfully.


    Yao Yi, ¡°¡­¡±


    With a cold look on his face, Yao Yi gave Miao Shiba a kick on the butt to vent his anger.


    That kick almost sent Miao Shiba flying off the stairs. Having regained his balance just in time, he patted his chest and asked, ¡°Why are you so mad, bro? Wasn¡¯t I just telling the truth?¡±


    Yao Yi actually felt an urge to kill him at these words. ¡°Get the fuck out of my sight,¡± he huffed.


    Miao Shiba glanced over his shoulder into the hall. Did Yao Yi seriously think he was willing to stay here enduring the love scene going on inside? He would never have come here were his name not on this day¡¯s duty roster!


    ¡­


    A solution to the issue of Jiangzhou found, Yuwen Tong, after informing Qi San of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s and his subordinates¡¯ weaknesses, started making arrangements to entice the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom to take the bait and pour money, manpower and material resources into Jiangzhou which was like a bottomless hole.


    Qi San, who had been given information about the chink in the enemy¡¯s armor, was somewhat bewildered, wondering how his master, who had been fretting about this issue only a short while before, had so soon come to know about the background and vulnerable points of the killers working for Wang Xiangxin as well as the Achilles heel of Wang Xiangxin himself, and even how much money Zhu You kept in his house?!


    The more Qi San thought about it, the more droplets of sweat welled up on his back. Was his master capable of being in multiple places at once, by any chance? Had he managed a round trip from this city to Jiangzhou within merely half a day? Or was his master not a human being, which he¡¯d never found out until this day?


    Qi San maintained a poker face, but questions had exploded in his head. A myriad of speculations were whirling in his mind, making him feel dizzy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lao San?¡± asked Yao Yi. He saw Qi San walk out of the hall with a face as expressionless as usual, but the latter didn¡¯t seem to notice the column ahead of him and was about to walk right into it. Yao Yi broke out in a cold sweat and hastily grabbed Qi San¡¯s arm to stop him.


    Qi San jerked out of his trance. Face still impassive, he said dreamily, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    After that, he walked off without another word. He left in such a determined way as though he feared that Yao Yi would refuse to let him go if he didn¡¯t hurry. He didn¡¯t even turn his head to give Yao Yi a backward glance.


    Yao Yi, ¡°¡­¡±


    It struck him that there was something wrong with Qi San, but after giving it some thought, he felt that there was nothing out of the ordinary. Was he imagining things?


    ¡­


    A big problem solved, Ling Zhang felt quite at ease. He went to the kitchen and made a bowl of noodle for Yuwen Tong. After that, he had a cook prepare some dishes and thus his and Yuwen Tong¡¯s dinner was ready.


    At night, Yuwen Tong returned from the consultation hall and the two of them had dinner together. Watching Ling Zhang slurping noisily from his bowl, Yuwen Tong suddenly said, ¡°You may go there if you want. I¡¯ll have Yao Yi and some others go with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang was engaged in drinking his noodle soup when Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks hit him like a thunderbolt. He nearly choked on the soup.


    Yuwen Tong hastened to pat his back. ¡°You¡¯re an adult now. How come you could still choke on noodle soup?¡±


    Ling Zhang glared at him. So this was his own fault? Were it not for the sudden good news from Yuwen Tong, this would never have happened.


    ¡°You¡¯re really letting me go there? Don¡¯t you go back on your word!¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to reply to you when you¡¯re asking me a question and giving me an order at the same time?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then inclined his head neatly. ¡°Yeah, you can go, and I won¡¯t break my word,¡± he added.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes instantly narrowed. He was so happy he almost rose to his feet to do a twirl. However, he still promised, ¡°I¡¯ll stay in your men¡¯s sight and keep my cool at all times, and protecting myself will always be my first priority!¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows, feeling that Ling Zhang had really grown up, given that he¡¯d made a promise on his own account. Thinking that Ling Zhang deserved a reward for this, he planted a kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead. ¡°You may set out in two days.¡±


    Ling Zhang, whose brow was stained by the oily kiss, was just about to dress him down when he heard Yuwen Tong tell him to depart in two days. ¡°So¨CSo soon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The matter of Jiangzhou is urgent.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s excitement ebbed somewhat. He was only too anxious to go to Jiangzhou, but surprisingly, after Yuwen Tong willingly gave his consent and even fixed up for him to depart, he felt a faint sense of loss. It struck him that there was probably something wrong with himself.


    ¡°Incidentally, remember to see Yuwen Jin off tomorrow. He¡¯s going to the Shadow Battalion with Qi San,¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s attention was distracted. If Yuwen Jin went to the Shadow Battalion, he would have to go through hell before he could get out of it. ¡°Okay.¡±


    When they had finished dinner, the two of them went for an after-dinner walk as usual. Yuwen Tong still had some state affairs to attend to at night. Ling Zhang had a talk with Qi San who filled him in on the situation in Jiangzhou. At a late hour, the two of them burrowed beneath the quilt, did what they usually did in bed several times, and then slept until daybreak.Visit website our Listnovel.com


    Early the next morning, Ling Zhang went out of the palace. Only a limited few knew about Yuwen Jin¡¯s upcoming journey to the Shadow Battalion, and the couple of close friends of his were among them.


    His friends paid their respects to Ling Zhang with due formality at the sight of him. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Highness.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t like it when people addressed him as ¡°the empress¡±. Whoever dared call him that would have to face his anger, and all his friends knew about this.


    Ling Zhang gave a slight cough and said, ¡°You may rise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness,¡± the group of them chorused, stood up and then suddenly burst into laughter all at once, clustering around him. ¡°Hey, how does it feel? It makes you feel pretty good, right?¡±


    Ling Zhang sneered, ¡°Would it kill you to pretend for a little while longer? Look at the stupid smile on your faces.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ We can¡¯t let you have that, and you know it,¡± laughed Yuwen Jin, scampering over to Ling Zhang. ¡°Eek, why do I get the feeling you¡¯re a little taller than the last time I¡¯ve seen you, Brother Zhang?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Taller?¡±


    The others peered closely at him and then all nodded. ¡°You do seem to have grown a bit.¡±


    ¡°What have you been eating lately?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been using every conceivable method to grow taller but nothing seems to work on me. How come you grew so much within merely a couple of days?¡±


    His friends admiringly watched Ling Zhang¡¯s newly gained height, green with envy.


    ¡°Does being the empress help you grow, by any chance?¡± Yuwen Jin took a wild guess.


    All the others lapsed into silence. If that was the case, there would be nothing they could do, however jealous they were.

 Chapter 428 - Departing for Jiangzhou & A Longing for Reunion (II)

    Ling Zhang slowly looked from face to face and sniffed, ¡°You guys seriously fell for Yuwen Jin¡¯s nonsense?¡±


    ¡°Well, what other explanation is there?¡± ventured Xie Qing, clearly looking forward to hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s answer.


    Ji Feng, Zhao Turui, Zhao Jiusi and Tao Yi all looked at Ling Zhang with expectant eyes. Evidently, whatever the circumstances, growing taller was always a great temptation for them.


    Ling Zhang thought back carefully for a while and then responded, ¡°I think it might have something to do with the soup made with bones that I¡¯ve been drinking on a frequent basis recently. The method of cultivating internal energy I¡¯ve been following should be a contributing factor too.¡±


    The latter was not accessible to them, but the former was definitely on the table. Soup made with bones. Easy peasy!


    ¡°So we can grow taller by just drinking soup made with bones? I¡¯ve been wasting time for so long!¡± wailed Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang looked at him and said bracingly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I believe you¡¯ll be a lot taller when you finish your training in that place.¡±


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Your cousin said so. I think it¡¯s true,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    The main reason why Yuwen Tong had said that was because Yuwen Jin was still at puberty, and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Yuwen Jin to grow a little taller with the help of the high-intensity training and nutritious daily diet he would get in the Shadow Battalion.


    Hearing this, the others were somewhat envious, but they all knew there was a line in the sand, so none of them asked where that place was. Given that both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin were keeping it back from them, information about that place must be top secret.


    Zhao Jiusi, who was among the crowd, appeared faintly thoughtful. He was now Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser, but after the imperial wedding, Ling Zhang had shooed him home to let him focus on preparations for the imperial examination. As a result, recently he¡¯d been preparing for the exam at home all along and hadn¡¯t visited the palace. The same went for Jiang Yu.


    Zhao Jiusi, who knew that Jiang Yu was no inferior to him in terms of learning, had a sneaking urge to outshine Jiang Yu in the exam, so he¡¯d been staying in his study preparing for the exam for quite a few days. He came here only because Yuwen Jin was leaving this afternoon. As a friend of Yuwen Jin¡¯s, he had to see him off. They wouldn¡¯t be able to see each other for a very long time ¨C not until the imperial examination next year.


    ¡°But growing taller is not the only thing you¡¯ll be doing there. You need to psych yourself up for some serious hardships,¡± Ling Zhang told Yuwen Jin.


    Oozing confidence, Yuwen Jin patted his chest and said, ¡°Rest assured, Brother Zhang, I got this.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile. As long as Yuwen Jin toughed it out, his name would definitely be on the list of successful candidates the next year.


    ¡°What about you guys? Are you all preparing for the exam?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Ji Feng and the others.


    All his friends nodded. ¡°Yeah. All of us are going to be studying hard at home from tomorrow. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to get another chance to see each other until the day of the exam next year, but if there¡¯s anything you need our help with, please tell us. We¡¯ll do everything we can to help you out,¡± said Ji Feng.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Okay. I congratulate you beforehand on passing the exam next year and shooting to fame.¡±


    ¡°Today we don¡¯t drink wine. Let¡¯s drink tea instead.¡±


    ¡°To the future.¡±


    Thus, they drank tea instead of wine to encourage each other. Zhao Turui, who was obsessed with the idea of becoming a businessman, had had a frank and straight talk with his family. His elders would allow him to go into business on one condition ¨C that he took the imperial examination next year and passed it. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t give their consent.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Zhao Turui was also working hard on his dream. Recently he¡¯d been studying in his room from dawn until dark. He was putting more effort into study than his brother was. Infected by him, his brother had been working even harder than before.


    Seeing his friends had all set their respective goals and their eyes were gleaming with dash and vigor, Ling Zhang felt greatly inspired, as though he were seeing how they would look like when they achieved their goals next year.


    After a simple lunch, they saw Yuwen Jin off at the city gates in the afternoon. Then Ling Zhang turned around to return to the palace.


    Before he left, Zhao Jiusi in the distance bowed to him with hands folded in front. Ling Zhang inclined his head, mounted Snowflake the horse and quickly went back to the palace.


    In all likelihood, after this day, there wouldn¡¯t be another occasion when they could meet each other just as friends. No matter what his friends would become, civil officials or military officers, there was bound to be some kind of distance between them, because he was the empress, and they were his subjects. Still, deep down, they would always know that they used to be just friends, the kind who had no misgivings about laughing together or swearing together.


    Ling Zhang returned to the palace, his mind racing feverishly. A lot of things had happened within just a few days: his uncle¡¯s going to Shengzhou, his maternal grandfather¡¯s and Ji Yanlai¡¯s departure, Yuwen Jin¡¯s leaving for the Shadow Battalion, his friends¡¯ decisions to focus on their preparation for the exam. It was as though all the action around him had suddenly abated.


    Also, the weather was gradually getting cold. It was very likely that the air temperature would plummet in another few days, and there would be heavy snow.


    Worried that the change of temperature might affect Fu Caiwei, Ling Zhang frequently had eunuchs go to the Ling Mansion to inquire after her and then return to inform him of the situation. Of course, he would have to depart for Jiangzhou in two days.


    This afternoon, apart from Yuwen Jin, the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom also officially took their leave.


    The diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom were the first to leave, followed by that of the Luohai Kingdom. The Fangcun diplomatic corps were the last. The Fangcun Kingdom was in the south, and the other two countries in the north.


    Both the Wan diplomatic corps and the Luohai diplomatic corps were tailed by some men. Yuwen Tong believed that Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng wouldn¡¯t leave the Great Wen just like this, so he had some men shadow them closely to see if his speculations were right.


    ¡­


    The day after their departure, the Wan diplomatic corps and the Luohai diplomatic corps ¡°chanced upon¡± each other. Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng had a long private talk and then the two diplomatic corps went their separate ways.


    Those trailing the two diplomatic corps had an inkling that something was wrong, for Mu Rongfeng and Shan Congyi hadn¡¯t shown their faces after that talk. Taken aback, they figured out a way to put out feelers and discovered that Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng had secretly had two men impersonate them, that they themselves had traveled far away.


    Yuwen Tong in the capital city was totally unsurprised to receive the message. Those men he¡¯d assigned to tail the two diplomatic corps were neither his secret bodyguards nor members of his elite forces, just some common scouts who were amateur enough to be spotted by Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng but wouldn¡¯t arouse their suspicions.


    ¡­


    Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng, after perceiving that they were shadowed, had consulted with each other and taken a countermeasure. They¡¯d each disguised as a member of their respective diplomatic corps, having the ones they disguised as impersonate them. Then they¡¯d hidden in the inn where they¡¯d stayed the day before, and waited a long time before leaving.


    ¡°To the north of Taizhou is the Beihai Sea where a fleet is waiting for me. I¡¯ve sent a letter to my father already. Barring accidents, the things we need will arrive by the time I get aboard,¡± Mu Rongfeng said to Shan Congyi.


    Shan Congyi said with a bob of the head, ¡°I¡¯m going there via Cangzhou, and I¡¯ll stay in Cangzhou for a few days. That road in Jincang County is relatively important to Wang Xiangxin. I¡¯ll give him a hand when necessary.¡±


    ¡°When will your money be arriving?¡± Mu Rongfeng inquired of Shan Congyi.


    Previously they had agreed that one of them was to pitch in with money, and the other manpower.


    Shan Congyi answered, ¡°It¡¯s been in readiness for quite some time. I had it secretly delivered to Cangzhou when I came to this country. You may rest assured that we won¡¯t let anything go awry, Your Highness, for both of us will benefit a lot from the success of this joint operation.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng inwardly gave a sneer, knowing that this was nothing but an empty promise, that there was no telling whether or not the Wan Kingdom was meditating some kind of underhand trick, but fortunately for him, he and his diplomatic corps would be traveling by sea, which meant that if things did go south, they could always return home by ship.


    ¡°About the matter of Haizhou, have you discussed it with Wang Xiangxin? Are you sure he¡¯ll send his soldiers there?¡±


    Shan Congyi answered, ¡°Certainly. Haizhou must be taken. Otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be able to create any disturbances, and you wouldn¡¯t be able to smuggle any weapons into this country, and all our efforts would be in vain. Why do you keep doubting me, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you. I just want to confirm it. Well, I should get going. I¡¯ll be in touch when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    Shan Congyi watched as Mu Rongfeng in disguise left, and with that the look in his eyes went cold. ¡®What a dick,¡¯ he sniffed inwardly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this time around he needed the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s navy to transport weapons to the Great Wen and deal with the Great Wen¡¯s navy stationed in Haizhou, he would never have chosen to cooperate with Mu Rongfeng, allowing him to take a share of the pie.


    Sooner or later the Wan Kingdom would subject the Luohai Kingdom to its rule, and when that day came, he would have all these people of the Luohai Kingdom kneel before him.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s about time we departed,¡± Shan Congyi¡¯s henchman reminded him, walking over and watchfully looking left and right.


    Shan Congyi pulled his bamboo hat low to conceal his face and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 429 - Departing for Jiangzhou & A Longing for Reunion (III)

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness, Shan Congyi and his men turned south, seemingly heading for Cangzhou. Mu Rongfeng entered Taizhou.¡±


    Taizhou? Ling Zhang was baffled. ¡°Why did he go to Taizhou?¡±


    There were lofty mountains and high ranges between Taizhou and Jiangzhou. Was Mu Rongfeng planning to climb over all those mountains?


    Yuwen Tong tapped the map and replied concisely, ¡°The sea.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. The sea? That was the Beihai Sea. It was bordered by part of the Luohai Kingdom which had some naval forces. Ling Zhang was on the alert. ¡°Are you saying that Mu Rongfeng wants to enter Jiangzhou by sea? But Jiangzhou is separated from the sea by Haizhou where a naval force of ours is stationed. How does Mu Rongfeng plan to get through all those checkpoints?¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no immediate answer. Instead, he had someone bring him the annals of Haizhou and a more detailed map.


    Ling Zhang on the side also began to study them.


    ¡°The defensive line formed by the navy stationed in Haizhou is not really unassailable. If Mu Rongfeng¡¯s intention is merely to get to Jiangzhou, there would be a lot of methods he could use to get ashore in Haizhou, but if Mu Rongfeng plans to force his way ashore, then Haizhou would be in trouble. The reason why they waded into the matter of Jiangzhou was because they wanted to see our country descend into civil strife. If Haizhou also falls into Wang Xiangxin¡¯s hands, then he would have not only an escape route but also an inexhaustible source of reinforcements and supplies,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows, having a sense of foreboding. Though he was unwilling to admit, if he were Mu Rongfeng, he would definitely go the whole hog, given that Mu Rongfeng had already interfered in the matter of Jiangzhou. In other words, Haizhou was in danger.


    ¡°But now that we¡¯ve come to know about it beforehand, we may turn the danger facing Haizhou to our advantage,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    While saying this, Yuwen Tong drew a diagram on a piece of paper and quickly explained his plan with some lines and arrows. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes gradually widened as they watched. This tactic of Yuwen Tong¡¯s was indeed a masterstroke.


    If the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s navy dared come, they would, without doubt, meet their ends in Haizhou.


    Because of the magnitude of the matter, Yuwen Tong summoned some courtiers to confer with them about it. In fact Yuwen Tong had already come up with a counterplot. What he needed was for his subordinates to work in sync so that the successful execution of his plan concerning Haizhou would be guaranteed.


    Only a limited few were privy to this plan, all of whom were high-ranking courtiers in Yuwen Tong¡¯s confidence, including Old Master Ji, Chu Liangyan, Zhao Zheng and Yuwen Feng.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, Ling Zhang summoned Jiang Yu to the palace.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pay a visit to Jiangzhou. To my knowledge, your native place is Cangzhou, which is not far away from Jincang County of Jiangzhou. Is there anything you could tell me about that place?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. He first answered Ling Zhang¡¯s question, telling him everything he knew about Cangzhou. Then he added, ¡°I humbly petition you to allow me to go with you to Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to get involved in this matter. Just stay at home and focus on your preparation for the exam.¡±


    Jiang Yu said, ¡°My family¡¯s got a lot of connections in Cangzhou, and I think they could be of some help, but considering your identity, if you ask any of them, they definitely wouldn¡¯t disclose anything. You might as well take me with you. I¡¯ll carry my books with me so that I¡¯ll be able to prepare for the exam wherever I am.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and felt that Jiang Yu had a point. As the saying goes, ¡°A mighty hero might not be able to overpower a scoundrel on the scoundrel¡¯s turf.¡± Although those people would be quite deferential to him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to worm any useful information out of them if they were unwilling to tell him, and he couldn¡¯t just give all of them the third degree. Moreover, Jiang Yu was his adviser after all, and it was inappropriate for him to go to Jiangzhou without a single adviser accompanying him, but if he brought Jiang Yu with him and left Zhao Jiusi behind¡­ Never mind. He was now the consort, not Ling Zhang, and it was inadvisable for him to see this matter from this kind of perspective.


    ¡°Go back and get your stuff ready. We depart tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Jiang Yu answered and then promptly left the palace.


    Ling Zhang called Wang Dashan in and instructed, ¡°Pay a visit to the Zhao family. Tell Zhao Jiusi I¡¯m going to Jiangzhou, and disclose to him that Jiang Yu is going with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Wang Dashan answered and then walked off.


    Ling Zhang pondered for a while, wondering what Zhao Jiusi would do after being informed of this matter, hoping that Zhao Jiusi¡¯s reaction wouldn¡¯t disappoint him.


    In the residence of the Zhao family.


    Zhao Jiusi was indeed quite surprised to receive the message from the palace, but he soon collected his thoughts and said, ¡°Please tell His Highness that I wish him a safe journey to Jiangzhou, that I¡¯ll stay at home and do my best to get myself prepared for next year¡¯s exam so that I may pass it.¡±


    Wang Dashan repeated Zhao Jiusi¡¯s words to Ling Zhang and also described Zhao Jiusi¡¯s reaction to the message.


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me down.¡±


    Zhao Jiusi had a great sense of perspective. It struck Ling Zhang that things couldn¡¯t have been better.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong came back at night. After dinner, he refused to go for an after-dinner walk with Ling Zhang and held him in his arms for quite some time.


    Ling Zhang pivoted around and hugged him, resting his head on Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder and gently rubbed his cheek against it. He was quite upset at this moment, reluctance to leave bubbling up inside him. At the thought that he and Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t be seeing each other for quite some time, the journey to Jiangzhou struck him as exceptionally long, and he inexplicably felt a pang of fear, as though getting cold feet.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly sighed, ¡°How about I go with you?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? This city needs you,¡± said Ling Zhang, turning his head to bury his face in Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder.


    They both knew that they couldn¡¯t run away from this, that there would be more moments of parting like this in the future, but at this time neither of them was in the mood for speaking.


    The night before Ling Zhang¡¯s departure, the two of them cuddled silently for a very long time. After a while, Yuwen Tong seemed to have suddenly thought of something and began to check the things Ling Zhang had packed one by one. None of those things struck him as satisfactory. He kept saying that Ling Zhang should¡¯ve packed this or that.


    This scene was uncannily familiar¡­


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t want to ruin the moment, but he failed to keep from chuckling.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, an injured expression on his face. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°You remind me of my aunt.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    Teeth clenched, he scooped Ling Zhang up and indignantly made towards the bedchamber. How dare Ling Zhang compare him to his aunt? This was intolerable!


    While walking forward, he gave Ling Zhang a spank.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Ling Zhang gasped in pain and said hotly, ¡°Wait. Calm down. I have a long journey to make tomorrow. Be considerate!¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    What should he do? Right now he really wanted to make out with him vigorously, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to do that. The very sight of Ling Zhang gave him an overwhelming urge to have sex with him with all his might!


    Eventually, Yuwen Tong¡¯s desire still got the better of him, but the two of them didn¡¯t do it the usual way. They tried a new position. When they¡¯d finished, Ling Zhang, who was drained of energy, gave Yuwen Tong a kick which sent him flying off the bed. In a feeble voice, he reprimanded, ¡°Get out of my sight. You are not to sleep on my bed again!¡±Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Yuwen Tong pretended to have left, but after some time, when Ling Zhang was asleep, he returned to the bed and held Ling Zhang in his arms.


    In the quiet of night, Ling Zhang was fast asleep. Yuwen Tong, who was still awake, let out a long sigh.


    ¡°This little devil is killing me.¡±


    The little devil was unaware that the person holding him considered him almost all night and barely slept, stroking him so frequently that he could¡¯ve driven himself crazy. Had Yuwen Tong not had enough senses left, he would go to Jiangzhou with Ling Zhang the next day.


    In the morning they woke up. Yuwen Tong personally prepared the water and Ling Zhang¡¯s towel and then clothed him, without any help from any of the servants.


    ¡°Remember to eat your meals on time. Don¡¯t be picky about food. Always finish your vegetables. Don¡¯t overeat. Make sure you dry your hair after washing it at night. You are not to wear anything that sets off your waist, and don¡¯t kick the covers off your body when you sleep. The warm days have turned cool. You could easily catch cold if you¡¯re not careful enough at night. Don¡¯t ride for too long at a time. Get into a carriage to have some rest when you feel like it. After you get there, find yourself somewhere nice to live. Don¡¯t stint yourself. Always disguise yourself before going out. Never show your undisguised face to any outsiders. It¡¯s too obtrusive. There are many bad guys out there, so don¡¯t get out of your bodyguards¡¯ sight. In no circumstances should you act alone. When something angers you, keep your cool and don¡¯t ever do anything rash. You must be very very cautious after you enter Jiangzhou. On no account should you take any risks. Do you understand? Alas, maybe you should just drop the idea and stay¡­¡±


    Ling Zhang had just pivoted around when he caught sight of Yuwen Tong at his heels, transports of emotions welling up inside him. He had really never seen Yuwen Tong like this before. It was as though his departure would take Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart away from him. His eyes stung from tears in spite of himself.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? Don¡¯t be like this. I wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk through the front gates of the Infinite Fortune Palace if you keep talking like this!¡±


    ¡°Then stay.¡±


    Ling Zhang dissolved into chuckle at his words, torn between amusement and sorrow. Only two days ago, Yuwen Tong fixed his departure in a decisive and efficient fashion, but now he was revealing his true feelings.

 Chapter 430 - Departing for Jiangzhou & A Longing for Reunion (IV)

    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you. Don¡¯t sit in the consultation hall for too long. Eat your every meal on time. Don¡¯t you ever stay up all night writing instructions on memorials to the throne. Go to bed when it¡¯s bedtime.¡±


    The moment Ling Zhang finished these words, Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence. The two of them just looked at each other.


    Watching this scene, Yao Yi and some others in the doorway were desensitized somewhat. Their marshal had been changing by the day since he¡¯d started a relationship with Childe Ling. After one of them became the emperor, and the other the consort, they¡¯d started changing at an even more alarmingly fast pace. The two of them being like this was something they¡¯d never seen before, but they were totally unaffected by it, and they didn¡¯t care whether or not the two masters of theirs would do anything more shocking in the next moment.


    At this time the right thing to do was look up into the sky and enjoy the bracing morning breeze.


    They were all bachelors. Nobody would drum anything into their heads or miss them, so they were not jealous at all.


    It was a long time before Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong finished bidding grudging farewell to each other, and it took Ling Zhang another long moment to walk out of the gates of the Infinite Fortune Palace, which he told Yuwen Tong should be the parting of the ways.


    ¡°You should go back. If you walk me any further, I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave. Go back.¡± Ling Zhang firmly told Yuwen Tong to return.


    Yuwen Tong stayed in the gateway of the palace, watching Ling Zhang¡¯s receding back, his hands balling into fists behind him.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare look back. It struck him that this was the most difficult moment of parting he¡¯d ever had. He hadn¡¯t got out of the sight of the Infinite Fortune Palace yet, but he felt as though all his insides had disappeared.


    Yao Yi, Wang Dashan and all the others had disguised themselves and were nondescriptly clothed. They left the imperial palace through a side gate with Ling Zhang. It was very early and nobody noticed them. Progressing forward, all of them kept silent, mainly because Ling Zhang was silent.


    Yao Yi, Wang Dashan and their men all didn¡¯t dare utter a word for fear of interrupting Ling Zhang¡¯s train of thought. It was not until they exited the city and met Jiang Yu waiting for them outside that the mood lightened slightly.


    Ling Zhang cast an appraising look at a middle-aged man dressed like a guard behind Jiang Yu. He could tell at a glance that that man had kung fu skills and internal energy.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Highness,¡± chorused Jiang Yu and the guard, getting on their knees.


    ¡°You may rise. There¡¯s no need for formalities outside the palace. Just call me ¡®Childe Ling¡¯ as you used to,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡± Jiang Yu rose to his feet and then introduced the man behind him to Ling Zhang. ¡°This is my personal bodyguard Jiang Qi. He¡¯s the only one I¡¯m taking with me.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s still early. We should start our journey right away.¡±


    Jiang Yu looked at him. Seeing the listlessness in his eyes and his lethargic bearing, he guessed the reason for it. A sensible man, he didn¡¯t make any remarks, mounted and followed in the wake of Ling Zhang¡¯s team.


    Two hours later. In the consultation hall.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind wandered for a brief moment before he asked the man standing beside him, ¡°What time is it?¡±


    The man told him the time.


    ¡°They¡¯ve probably crossed the city boundaries by now.¡±


    The man beside him hastened to leave. After a while, he returned and reported, ¡°Sire, a scout sent word that His Highness has crossed the city boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Yuwen Tong answered. When he resumed writing, the air about him was much colder. When officials of all descriptions entered the hall to attend the meeting, they noticed that Yuwen Tong appeared not as energetic as he used to be, that his whole being was radiating an icy emanation. All of them were scared and didn¡¯t dare speak unless they were asked to, wondering what had happened.


    After the court meeting was over, some of them fell into hushed discussion. ¡°Did His Majesty have a fight with His Highness, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t get wind of anything like that.¡±


    Yuwen Feng, who was walking beside them, gave a little cough and said, ¡°It¡¯s best if you stop speculating about His Majesty¡¯s personal life, Your Lordships.¡±


    The couple of courtiers smiled embarrassed smiles, not daring making any more remarks.


    When they had gone far away, Yuwen Han walked up to Yuwen Feng, gave him a friendly cuff and asked, ¡°Hey, why do you think His Majesty looks a lit down today?¡±


    Yuwen Feng stayed silent for quite a while before he replied, ¡°How am I supposed to know? Everything¡¯s going well in the imperial court. No matter how heavy the workload is, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for His Majesty, so I think it probably has something to do with His Highness.¡±


    Yuwen Han snickered, ¡°Did they really have a fight, by any chance?¡±


    Yuwen Feng rolled his eyes upward once again, feeling that this cousin of his was so gossipy, but he still gave it some thought and then responded, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. When did you ever see them quarrel? Given how touchy-feely things between them are, it¡¯s next to impossible for them to have a fight.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened exactly? His Highness is ill?¡± asked Yuwen Han.


    Yuwen Feng said, ¡°If His Highness is ill, someone of the Ling family would¡¯ve come to the palace in great haste some time ago.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Things in the Ling Mansion are pretty normal,¡± observed Yuwen Han, fingering his chin. ¡°This is so puzzling.¡±


    ¡°So they didn¡¯t have a fight, and His Highness isn¡¯t ill. What other possible reason could there be?¡± Yuwen Han continued.


    Yuwen Feng inwardly responded, ¡°There¡¯s also parting.¡±


    He was one of the few who knew that Ling Zhang earlier this day had left the capital city heading for Jiangzhou. This matter was supposed to be kept confidential, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t breathe a word of it to anybody. However, having seen the dispirited state Yuwen Tong was in, Yuwen Feng couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his head again, ¡°Sometimes deep love also hurts.¡±


    ¡­


    When it was almost midday, a eunuch came delivering lunch to Yuwen Tong. At the footsteps which issued from outside as usual but didn¡¯t sound familiar, Yuwen Tong¡¯s face went even colder.


    The eunuch tremulously served the lunch and then hastened outside, waiting for the emperor to finish his meal.


    Looking at the food on the table, Yuwen Tong thought of the dishes Ling Zhang would normally have cooked for him at this hour. Although these delicacies prepared by imperial cooks were appetizing in appearance, tantalizing in smell and delicious in taste, they struck him as quite bland. At this moment Yuwen Tong really regretted having allowed Ling Zhang to leave. This situation would last until Ling Zhang¡¯s return from Jiangzhou, which was a few days away.


    The very thought of this made Yuwen Tong¡¯s resentment towards the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom deepen further, the expression in his eyes so wintry as though ice would drop from them.


    Sensing the almost palpable icy air emanating from the man sitting in the consultation hall, all the secret bodyguards and imperial guards on duty nearby sighed. This kind of feeling struck them as somewhat familiar. It was as though they had traveled back in time to the days when they¡¯d been in the borderlands a long time ago. Actually, after giving it some careful thought, they found that it hadn¡¯t really been that long since the end of those days. However, they had taken a liking to the person that their master had been before meeting the empress, which was why they felt rather upset when they saw their master become the lonesome, distant man he used to be.


    ¡°I hope the matter of Jiangzhou would be settled quickly and the empress would come back soon,¡± someone said.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping for the same thing. Our master had a hard job finding a life worth living, and now he¡¯s going back to his old self. Had His Highness seen this, he would never have left our master.¡±


    ¡°How about we go and bring His Highness back?¡±


    ¡°How about you do it alone?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the guts to do that. I value my life pretty much.¡±


    This remark brought the conversation to an end. Nobody uttered another word.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, who was on his journey, had halted to take a lunch break. Yao Yi and the others, whose ability to survive in the wild was very impressive, figured out a way to make a pot of hot soup despite the poor conditions. They also had some cooked food.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Ling Zhang took a bite of the food and then looked at the color of the sky to gauge the time, slowing chewing. ¡°Someone must¡¯ve delivered lunch to the consultation hall by now, right?¡±


    Yao Yi and the others paused at this question, and then the former quickly replied, ¡°Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Rest assured, Childe Ling, nobody dares delay serving our master his meal.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± answered Ling Zhang. The look in his eyes was still a trifle crestfallen, and he was eating rather slow, looking nothing like the person he usually was who always had a good appetite. Seeing this, Yao Yi and the others felt somewhat sorry for him. They knew that Ling Zhang liked to eat meat very much, that he could easily overeat when the food was delicious. The cooked food they were eating was Ling Zhang¡¯s favorite, but he didn¡¯t seem to be enjoying it at all, for his mind had wandered back to the capital city.


    Yao Yi exchanged glances with the others, then ladled some steaming soup into a bowl and handed it to Ling Zhang. ¡°Have some soup, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Put it here. I¡¯ll drink it later.¡±


    Yao Yi could tell that Ling Zhang was not in the mood for soup, that he wanted to return to the capital city.


    Alas, they had got married already. Why did separation seem to be more torturous than it had been before they married?


    Yao Yi and the others, who were all bachelors, really couldn¡¯t understand. Why was this happening?


    Jiang Yu was sitting on the side. Having been Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser for some time, he knew very well how happy Ling Zhang usually was when having meals. This was his first time seeing Ling Zhang so listless. It was as though Ling Zhang¡¯s separation from Yuwen Tong had really rendered the former incapable of feeling things.


    Jiang Yu found that kind of feeling somewhat confusing, but Ling Zhang¡¯s lethargic bearing struck him as bewildering and also fairly unpleasant. He slightly furrowed his brows and lowered his eyes, looking away from Ling Zhang. Though unaware of the reason why he was in this kind of mood, he perceptively sensed danger.


    Ling Zhang was indeed not inclined to eat at all, but at the thought of the words Yuwen Tong had drummed into his head before his departure, he still filled his belly, despite his lack of appetite. He had to take good care of himself.

 Chapter 431 - Conveying Affection Through Letters

    This time around Ling Zhang planned to enter Jiangzhou via Cangzhou. Now that Shan Congyi had planted some men in Cangzhou, they needed to locate these people and monitor Shan Congyi¡¯s every move.


    As for those killers in Jiangzhou, Ling Zhang had promised Yuwen Tong that he wouldn¡¯t engage any of them, that he would let Yuwen Tong¡¯s secret bodyguards handle them. If he broke his word, Yao Yi would have to take him back to the capital city immediately.


    Meanwhile, several secret imperial edicts were delivered to Haizhou via Yanzhou. What with the detour, it took the messengers quite some time to reach the destination, though their horses were very fast. The commander of the Haizhou garrison had started deploying troops already.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and the others, after riding hell-for-leather for six days, entered a county of Cangzhou adjacent to Jincang County of Jiangzhou.


    They had traveled all the way from the capital city to Cangzhou, and Ling Zhang had been observing the situation in Cangzhou since he¡¯d entered it. Due to the destruction caused by that armed popular uprising, burnt houses and broken walls could be seen everywhere in this prefecture. A lot of towns which used to be quite prosperous had had half of their buildings flattened in the previous chaos and were cloaked in an air of faded grandeur.


    Standing in contrast with these were fortifications under construction and fields being plowed. Yuwen Tong had shown great kindness to the people of Cangzhou at his enthronement ceremony by issuing an decree exempting them from the next three years¡¯ tax. Also, earlier this year the imperial court had allocated a sum for helping them rebuild their houses and restore their fields. In addition, the imperial court was preparing food supplies to see them through the winter. The food would be delivered to Cangzhou and distributed to local people before winter set in.


    The incumbent Cangzhou governor was Xu Lingyun. After arriving in Cangzhou, Ling Zhang had heard a lot of local people talk about Xu Lingyun, all of whom had observed that he was a good official. Xu Lingyun, after taking office in Cangzhou, had taken a lot of measures, all of which had been beneficial to local people and aimed at improving their livelihood. Most of the troops of the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) were stationed near the two checkpoints on the boundary between Cangzhou and Jiangzhou. Ling Zhang had barely seen any soldiers in this prefecture. Everybody seemed to be occupied in resuming normal agricultural activities or rebuilding their communities.


    With the subsidies provided by the imperial court and the tax exemption, residents felt that there was still hope. Although faces of most of them still registered apprehension, their eyes were no longer hopeless. As long as they held out hopes, they¡¯d be able to move on with their lives.


    Midway through his journey, Ling Zhang specially lingered in a small town for half a day. He walked around to take a look and for good measure offered some help to some of the residents. By talking with the townsfolk, he acquired more information. By night, he put all he¡¯d seen and heard along the way in letters which were later delivered back to the capital city.


    Staff members of courier stations always traveled non-stop to deliver his letters. As day after day passed by, letters piled up on Yuwen Tong¡¯s desk.


    Every time Yuwen Tong received a letter from Ling Zhang, he spent almost an hour reading it again and again until he learned every sentence by heart, and then he anticipated the next letter.


    Yuwen Tong replied to Ling Zhang¡¯s every letter with care. Every few days Ling Zhang received a letter from the capital city, in which Yuwen Tong kept reminding him to take care of himself. Those letters were even more long-winded than Yuwen Tong¡¯s chatter the day he left the capital city, but Ling Zhang always carried them with him. Sometimes, when he missed Yuwen Tong badly, he would take them out to read them, and Yao Yi and the others would pretend not to notice.


    The only one who still found Ling Zhang¡¯s behavior shocking was Jiang Yu. There had been several occasions when his face took on an incredulous expression at the sight of Ling Zhang producing letters Yuwen Tong had written him in reply, probably because it¡¯d really never crossed his mind that anybody could be so gooey.


    But maybe owing to these letters that had been coming on a regular basis, Ling Zhang, who had found the separation unbearable at first, slowly got used to it.


    Ling Zhang even told Yuwen Tong in the last letter that he could now sleep soundly at night.


    Yuwen Tong in the faraway capital city read the letter word by word, his eyes wide open. When he got to the part where Ling Zhang said he¡¯d been sleeping fast lately, he felt a sense of relief but at the same time couldn¡¯t help but inwardly criticize Ling Zhang as ¡°a heartless little devil¡±. Still suffering from insomnia, he believed that Ling Zhang had taken to the life there and started to have a blast.


    It had indeed been quite some time since the last time Ling Zhang had taken a journey like this. Though he¡¯d been traveling in a hurry all along, every person he¡¯d met and every event he¡¯d seen had brought changes to his opinions and the way he saw things without him realizing it, and he¡¯d also learned a lot during the process unawares.


    As a result, when he¡¯d reached Jincang County, he¡¯d felt a trifle regretful, thinking that if only he could keep traveling forward like this, that even a journey around the whole country didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea. He had to acquaint himself with this country, otherwise the perspectives from which he saw many things would be inferior to other people¡¯s. Apart from anything else, he was now the empress, and this position came with some attached responsibilities.


    In a county of Cangzhou.


    This place was close to Jiangzhou and also where the ancestral home of the Jiang family was located. It was at nightfall that Ling Zhang and his team quietly entered the county. Though plainly clothed, they were a fairly large group of people, so their arrival attracted many residents¡¯ attention, most of whom had watchful expressions in their eyes, rather wary of this team of strangers from out of town. It was not until they noticed the group of people were unarmed and appeared friendly that they shifted their gaze elsewhere.


    When they had arrived in this county, that middle-aged guard of Jiang Yu¡¯s proved himself helpful. A native of this place, he spoke very fluent Cangzhou dialect and was familiar with every street and every alley. With him as the introducer, Ling Zhang and the others were soon accepted by local people and found themselves a residence to live in. This residence was quite large. The former owner¡¯s whole family had moved to Yanzhou when the revolt had broken out in Cangzhou. After standing empty for some time, it¡¯d been sold to someone else. Ling Zhang purchased it, shut the front gates and then started unpacking.


    Ling Zhang and the others had been in disguise all along for fear of encountering Shan Congyi¡¯s men, so none of them looked who they really were. Ling Zhang had posed as a man older than his actual age with a mustache on his upper lip, looking fairly dashing ¨C a conclusion Ling Zhang himself had drawn after looking into a mirror.


    Yao Yi and the others found it quite amusing that Ling Zhang on a daily basis looked into the mirror at his mustache and then smiled a smug smile. Ling Zhang had very little body hair and barely grew any mustache. Every time he saw his maternal grandfather¡¯s mustache, he felt that it was very flattering. He¡¯d been meaning to get a mustache like that for quite a few days, but he had no facial hair and it was in the genes, so there was nothing he could do about it. This time around, before they departed for this southern prefecture, Ling Zhang had specially had Yao Yi disguise him as a mustached man. He could look into the mirror at his mustache with a smug smile on his face for quite a while.


    At this time he looked like a cheerful teenager.


    ¡°Young Master, your bathwater is ready. You may go and take a bath now,¡± Wang Dashan yelled into the house.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±


    His traveling companions were all men ¨C rough men actually, and all the people he¡¯d met during the journey were commoners, so Ling Zhang, in order to blend in and prevent himself from appearing conspicuous, had intentionally started mimicking them. Gradually, he¡¯d developed some habits unawares which were far removed from his true identity as the Prince Consort of the Great Wen.


    He took a change of clothes to the bathroom, comfortably had a bath, washed his hair, toweled himself, changed into clean clothes and dried his hair with his internal energy, feeling that all his tiredness caused by the long journey had ebbed away. Outside his house, Wang Dashan and the others were engaged in unpacking and cooking, the whole place buzzing with activity. Hearing the noises, Ling Zhang was in a dreamy state for an instant. It struck him that life in the capital city seemed to be somewhat distant now, but this was only because of the contrast between this life style and the one in the capital city. At the sight of the man in the imperial palace, the look in his eyes naturally changed and with that he let out a sigh. So many days had passed since his departure from the capital city. He wondered how Yuwen Tong had been doing recently.


    Yuwen Tong was fine actually, aside from his constant eagerness to receive a letter from Ling Zhang. If Ling Zhang¡¯s letter didn¡¯t come in the morning, he would be sulky for the rest of the day, frightening all the courtiers out of their wits. If Ling Zhang¡¯s letter came, he would be in a relatively good mood for a whole day, and all the courtiers would feel relieved.


    In a word, every letter from Ling Zhang was virtually a lifesaver for all courtiers.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that courtiers of all descriptions regarded letters from him as lifesavers. Although his departure from the capital city was still confidential, as he hadn¡¯t shown his face in public for a long time, some astute courtiers divined what had happened, thinking that the emperor and his consort indeed loved each other very much, given that the two of them hadn¡¯t seen each other for merely a few days, but the emperor was having such abrupt mood swings. His mood was like the weather in June, which could switch between a cloudy one, a rainy one, a stormy one and a sunny one in an instant. Their mental endurance was being put to the test.


    It was such a sore trial to the courtiers that lately they had taken to gauging Yuwen Tong¡¯s mood first before deciding whether it was advisable for them to say a few extra words. If the emperor seemed to be in a good mood, then they might leisurely make some more remarks, and those who had disagreements with each other could prolong their arguments by a few moments, but if the emperor appeared sullen, then nobody would dare talk more than necessary. Otherwise the emperor might dress them down or cast them glances icy enough to make cold sweat well up on their backs.


    The air about the emperor was so powerful that the courtiers had no alternative but to learn to gauge his mood to figure out a correct way to avoid getting themselves executed.


    The first thing that the empress, who was hundreds of miles away but affecting the emperor¡¯s mood perpetually, did after his bath was sit down behind the desk in his room and start writing a letter, telling Yuwen Tong they had arrived in Jincang County and settled in already. He also put in his letter what he¡¯d seen since he¡¯d entered Jincang County. Believing that Yuwen Tong might not be able to find the time to come to this prefecture to observe the people¡¯s condition, Ling Zhang gave Yuwen Tong a detailed account of what he¡¯d seen, so that Yuwen Tong, after reading his letter, would be as informed as though he¡¯d been here himself.


    Ling Zhang was writing the letter with rapt attention when Yao Yi walked inside at dinner time. Seeing he was writing a letter, Yao Yi said in a quiet voice, ¡°Childe Ling, dinner is ready. Would you like to eat with us or should I bring the food in here?¡±


    Ling Zhang was warmed to his letter and didn¡¯t want his train of thought interrupted, but he also felt it inappropriate to keep Yao Yi and the others waiting too long, so he said, ¡°Bring it in here. You may eat without me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± Yao Yi answered and then brought Ling Zhang¡¯s dinner into the room and put it down onto the table beside the desk. Seeing Ling Zhang had filled so many pieces of notepaper, Yao Yi was somewhat astonished. It would seem this master of theirs was going to have another super-thick letter delivered back to the capital city, but then he realized that the other master of theirs should be very happy to receive the super-thick letter. Thinking about this, Yao Yi involuntarily stroked the goosebumps on his arm. Though having got used to it, he was still shocked by the way his two masters displayed their affection.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that his behavior was giving Yao Yi goosebumps once again. He was enjoying writing this letter very much and didn¡¯t want to pause at all. It was after a long time, when the food was getting cold, that he stopped writing.

 Chapter 432 - Arrangements

    After putting down his writing brush, Ling Zhang checked the letter. Satisfied with it, he put it into an envelope.


    The letter was so thick that he had to use a specially made envelope to contain it, which was now bulging.


    Yao Yi walked inside, sealed the envelope with wax for him and then took the letter outside to have it sent.


    After dinner, Ling Zhang went out for a walk. Unlike any of the other towns he¡¯d passed along the journey, this county was close to Jiangzhou, so the night-time curfew took effect at a relatively early hour. The county gates were shut, not allowing anybody to go in or out. The street outside his residence was almost deserted. Except for local yamen runners patrolling the street with a couple of street lanterns hanging on the two sides, there were hardly any people in sight.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang immediately came to realize that it was inadvisable for them to go out. If by any chance they got caught, they¡¯d be in serious trouble. Therefore, he pivoted around and returned to the residence.


    ¡°How far is it from this county to the encampment of the army?¡± Ling Zhang asked Jiang Yu.


    During the day, Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard had gone out and made inquiries about a lot of things.


    ¡°The army is stationed in a wood near Xiaofeng Village. A national road in the wood leads right to Jincang County. The checkpoint set by Wang Xiangxin is not far away from the boundary marker of Jiangzhou. It¡¯s a two-hour horse ride from here to Xiaofeng Village. There¡¯s a national road leading to it. We may get there in less than two hours if we travel fast,¡± answered Jiang Yu.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there to take a look tomorrow,¡± Ling Zhang said and, after giving it some thought, added, ¡°We go there by stealth.¡±


    ¡°The county gates facing in the direction of Xiaofeng Village are heavily guarded by soldiers. People whose faces are not familiar to the soldiers can hardly get through and may well arouse their suspicions. We need to figure out a way,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°We¡¯re not going through the county gates.¡±


    They were not going through the county gates? Jiang Yu was fairly surprised. How else would they be able to get out of town if not by going through the county gates?


    Ling Zhang pointed at Yao Yi and explained, ¡°I¡¯ll have Yao Yi get me out of here. It¡¯s not necessary for me to bring many men with me. You guys may just wait in here and, for good measure, have your bodyguard make some extra inquiries to collect intelligence. I want him to report everything to me after I return.¡±


    Jiang Yu looked at Yao Yi. Speculating that Ling Zhang and Yao Yi were going to get out of town through some kind of special method, he asked no more questions. ¡°Please be extra careful tomorrow, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod.


    Yao Yi scratched his head. He was merely going to take Ling Zhang out of this county to observe the encampment of the garrison, and they wouldn¡¯t enter Jiangzhou, so it wouldn¡¯t count as a violation of the emperor¡¯s orders. It should be okay.


    ¡°Is the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) personally leading the troops stationed at the checkpoint in Jincang County?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°Previously the General Zhongwu was in Xishan County. When His Majesty¡¯s secret edict was delivered to Haizhou, he also received a copy of it. Barring accidents, he should have come to Jincang County by now, but I still need to go there tomorrow to check to be sure.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a brief moment and then said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll enter the encampment tomorrow to check. The fewer who know about our arrival, the better. I want you to figure out a way to deliver a message to the General Zhongwu tomorrow. Tell him we¡¯ll find another time to meet him.¡±


    Yao Yi nodded. ¡°Yes. The General Zhongwu probably received the message about your arrival when His Majesty¡¯s secret edict was delivered to him. I¡¯ll figure out a way to sneak in there and make contact with him.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and then said, ¡°Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng have joined hands. In order to make it more convenient for them to communicate and cooperate, Shan Congyi would probably choose to infiltrate into Jiangzhou via Jincang County as well. Jiang Yu, tomorrow you and your bodyguard are to go out, make some inquiries and see if anybody suspicious has come into town lately.¡±


    Jiang Yu accepted the order and then added, ¡°This county is not far away from the encampment. Shan Congyi probably doesn¡¯t dare get too close. In all likelihood, he is staying somewhere nearby right now. I¡¯ll search this area carefully.¡±


    The Jiang family still had some connections in this place, and Jiang Yu¡¯s father was watching over their ancestral mausoleum, so Jiang Yu had some unique advantages, which made him the perfect candidate for the job of seeking out suspicious newcomers.


    ¡­


    After conferring with each other about what they were going to do the next day, they all turned in early, except for those who were supposed to be on night duty. They had been traveling in great haste and hadn¡¯t had any good rest for nearly a week. Now that they¡¯d arrived in the destination, it was very important for them to recharge.


    Having no intention to stay to disturb Ling Zhang¡¯s rest, Yao Yi and Jiang Yu also took their leave in succession.


    After the room fell silent, Ling Zhang looked around him. This room was not big, but all daily necessities were available. Also, the bed had been made, and the bedding and mattress were new. Wang Dashan and some others had made this room very comfortable, but Ling Zhang was still unaccustomed to the strange bed. And the air in the room was unfamiliar to him too.


    Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep any time soon even if he went to bed right away, Ling Zhang combed through what he¡¯d met and seen during the journey, the current situation as well as what he was going to do the next day. Eventually, it struck him that he lacked a detailed map of this county and Jincang County, which was not easy to come by, for this kind of things were all securely kept in the county yamen. Now that he didn¡¯t want to blow his cover, he needed to figure out another way to get the map.


    He gave it some thought and decided to have Yao Yi handle this matter.


    After hearing his words, Yao Yi set out to get the job done. The map was also a necessity for them. He had long since got used to tasks like ¡°stealing¡± maps. All he needed to do was figure out a way to get the map without alarming any staff members of the county yamen.


    ¡­


    In the capital city.


    Yuwen Tong had just received a letter from Cangzhou. The sender was not Ling Zhang.


    Receiving a letter from Ling Zhang was not a daily occurrence for Yuwen Tong, but a letter from his secret bodyguards was delivered to him every day without fail.


    After reading the letter which told him in detail what Ling Zhang had done during the day, Yuwen Tong had a general idea of Ling Zhang¡¯s schedule on that day. Given the time of the arrival of this letter, these things happened three days before. Ling Zhang had probably reached the small county adjacent to Jincang County in Jiangzhou. He wondered what that small county was like, whether Ling Zhang had found a suitable place to live, how he liked the food there, whether he¡¯d encountered any dangers. Considering the time, maybe Ling Zhang had gone to bed by now.


    Thinking deeply, he was no longer in the mood for dealing with the memorials to the throne, so he returned to the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    When he had entered the Infinite Fortune Palace, he found that the imperial bedchamber was very quiet. There was nobody waiting for him, no late-night snack on the table, no smiling face, no charming voice, no nothing. For an instant, he wondered why he¡¯d come back to this empty bedchamber which served only to remind him of his lover¡¯s absence and make him miserable.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°Would you like me to have them serve the late-night snack, Sire?¡± asked Miao Shisan, walking inside.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t feel like eating. ¡°No.¡±


    Miao Shisan flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, answered ¡°Yes, Sire¡± and then took his leave. After exiting, he didn¡¯t send someone to cancel the delivery of late-night snack. This night their master had returned early, and it was not the time for late-night snack yet. Most importantly, judging from how things had gone in the past few days, their master almost certainty wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep until midnight, and he might feel hungry before that.


    Miao Shisan was full of resources. The others, however, was more concerned about whether or not there had been any new messages from Cangzhou.


    Miao Shisan said, ¡°There weren¡¯t any letters from Childe Ling today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no wonder. His Majesty didn¡¯t receive any letters from His Highness, so he naturally is in a foul mood.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how His Highness has been doing in Cangzhou. Captain and the others are probably taking good care of His Highness, but I don¡¯t know whether His Highness has got accustomed to the life there or not.¡±


    Miao Shisan gave it some thought and said, ¡°It surprises me you¡¯ve been thinking so much about this matter. Captain would¡¯ve taken you to Cangzhou instead had he known about this beforehand.¡±


    The guard who had just spoken giggled, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about what worries our master. I mean, you¡¯ve seen it yourself. Our master¡¯s mood has been quite unpredictable lately. We¡¯re all stressing out.¡±


    Miao Shisan gave him a dirty look. ¡°You¡¯re such a baby. If you¡¯re stressed out by this kind of trivial matter, you¡¯ll never be able to achieve anything big.¡±


    ¡°Alas, you¡¯re no better than us, Brother Shisan. Wasn¡¯t it you who narrowly avoided being given the punishment to maintain Horse Stance for the whole morning?¡±


    Miao Shisan, ¡°¡­¡±


    Without saying anything, he directly gave the guard a kick which sent him flying several paces away.


    It was a warning delivered with strength: guard your tongue.


    All the others inwardly snickered at the sight of this, but on the surface they all seemed serious, not daring utter a word.


    Miao Shisan looked over his shoulder at the imperial bedchamber. He also wished Ling Zhang would come back from Cangzhou soon. He¡¯d never seen their master have such abrupt mood swings before. Every day their powers of observation were put to the test. Still, given how long it¡¯d been since the arrival of the last letter from Ling Zhang, the next letter should come the next day, which meant that their master would probably be in a good mood the next day, and they would get to relax a bit.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong, with great care, reread the couple of letters he¡¯d received so far, and combed through the events that Ling Zhang had told him in the letters, forming an idea of the current situation in Cangzhou. It seemed that Xu Lingyun had been doing a good job. Everything in Cangzhou was on the mend. The people were the very foundation of this country, and helping the people resume agricultural activities was of the utmost importance. The reconstruction of fortifications, however, could wait. Still, the weather was gradually getting cooler, and the first cold wave might come at any moment. People would have to wait until next spring to resume agricultural production. Food supplies and winter clothes had been delivered to Cangzhou in batches to see the people there through the winter, and the Ministry of Revenue didn¡¯t have much money left. All government departments around the country, to a greater or lesser extent, relied on the imperial court allocating money to them to cover the overhead. Also, several armies were being deployed, and soon there would be a battle in Jiangzhou. All these required money¡­ The situation in Cangzhou brooked no delay, so a sum of money had been allocated as a matter of urgency. Another batch of food supplies and winter clothes would be transported there after some time. No matter what, as long as they toughed out this winter, things would slowly get better.


    Yuwen Tong exhaled and then massaged his forehead. Ever since he¡¯d acceded to the throne, he¡¯d had a lot of state affairs to deal with on a daily basis. At this particular time, every day there were some issues that he didn¡¯t have enough time to settle and added to the next day¡¯s workload. It didn¡¯t stress him out, but as nobody was here to keep him company, he suddenly felt somewhat tired.


    In the final analysis, he did need someone by his side.


    Previously he¡¯d been a lone wolf, the marshal in sole command of the whole Northwestern Army, but now he was actually having this kind of feeling, the cause of which was a mystery to even Yuwen Tong himself. At that time he¡¯d been quite baffled as to why both his parents, on their deathbeds, had hoped he¡¯d get married and start a family. Now, come to think of it, he believed it was probably because they could understand the difference. Ling Zhaowu had once mentioned to Ling Zhang that he¡¯d never married in his last incarnation¡­ If only he had met his sweetheart earlier in his last life. Now he felt faintly sorry for his last incarnation.


    After a while, finding that his mind had wandered so far away, Yuwen Tong was rather surprised at first and then smiled wryly. Previously he¡¯d never thought of this kind of things, which showed that it was indeed unforeseeable how a lonesome man might conduct himself.

 Chapter 433 - An Undercover Agent from the Wan Kingdom

    ¡°Here¡¯s a secret letter for you, Sire.¡±


    Yuwen Tong jerked out of his trance and put away all the letters. ¡°Bring it in here.¡±


    Miao Shisan walked into the imperial bedchamber with a letter that had just been delivered to him by a secret bodyguard of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, a grave look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s from the Wan Kingdom,¡± he said.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head, took the letter, opened it with a special method and then read it.


    Shan Congyi and Mu Rongfeng had dared to make trouble in the Great Wen. How could he not return the compliment? The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom didn¡¯t really trust each other very much. He needed to lay the trap step by step, and when it was done, it would take only the right opportunity to lure his prey into it.


    After reading the letter, Yuwen Tong wrote a letter in reply, sealed it with a particular method and then had Miao Shisan deliver it to an undercover agent from the Wan Kingdom.


    What with this matter, Yuwen Tong once again stayed up late making arrangements. Meanwhile, Ling Zhang in a faraway county in Cangzhou was also still awake.


    The journey had indeed been quite weary, and this day had been hectic too, but due to the strange room and his longing to see Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang still had a hard job getting to sleep.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, who got to sleep pretty late the night before, woke up very early in the morning. He had to pay a visit to Xiaofeng Village this day, so he needed to get prepared.


    Yao Yi and some others had made breakfast already. After Ling Zhang washed his face and dressed, Yao Yi walked inside and disguised him. On the two sides of this residence were another two residences. In front of it was an fairly broad alley. Though it was early in the morning, they could hear the voices of their neighbors and passers-by. Residents of small counties always got up pretty early.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    Even when in Tanyang, Ling Zhang, apart from anything else, had been the First Young Master of the Ling family. His grandfather used to be the Assistant Minister of Rites, so the Ling family had been a fairly wealthy family. Afterward, Ling Zhaowen had been promoted to the Right Tongzhi, and the Ling family¡¯s status in Tanyang had become even higher. As a result, Ling Zhang had never experienced a morning with such a strong flavor of common people¡¯s life when he¡¯d been in Tanyang. What impressed him the most was the fight going on in the residence on the left side. It seemed that the man of that family was dressing down his wife who¡¯d accidentally broken something. In the house on the right side, a woman with a loud voice was scolding her son, saying that he was lazy and shouldn¡¯t have still been in bed when the sun was up, that he needed to go to school right away. ¡°Your father and I work so hard to pay for your school, but you have no appreciation of it whatsoever. You ungrateful creature!¡± bawled the woman. The boy apologized to his mother in a high-pitched voice. And then Ling Zhang heard a commotion from the house, followed by the footsteps of the boy who seemed to be streaking out of the house, yelling along the way. The woman shouted in the doorway, enjoining the boy to get back home immediately after school and not to mess around.


    All those walking past the front gates were carrying things on shoulder poles or pushing handcarts. Their footsteps were different. The wheels of the handcarts were rolling forward with a rumble. Some of them met their acquaintances and they greeted each other. Almost all of them were complaining that business was bad lately, that what with the matter of Jiangzhou, the whole prefecture was in panic. Everybody was worried that the imperial court¡¯s army might not be able to hold the rebel forces from Jiangzhou at bay. Some said that they¡¯d suffered long enough before the rebel forces in Cangzhou had been handled, and the new emperor had exempted them from the next three years¡¯ tax, giving them hope of restoring their lives, but those people in Jiangzhou still wanted to make trouble. They wondered what the rebel forces in Jiangzhou were thinking¡­


    These were all opinions of common people. Ling Zhang listened quietly as Yao Yi disguised him. He suddenly came to a quite distinct realization that a peaceful life meant everything to common people, that what people in high positions like him should do was try to give the common folk security and stability.


    As long as the matter of Jiangzhou stayed unsettled, the people of Cangzhou would never had complete peace of mind. They had just undergone the ordeal of an armed uprising, and none of them wanted to see anything like that happen in their hometown once again.


    ¡­


    ¡°Childe Ling, I found a suitable spot.¡±


    While they were having breakfast, Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard returned and told Ling Zhang that he¡¯d found a place where they could get out of the county without anybody noticing.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ling Zhang with a nod. ¡°I need you to lead us there after we finish breakfast.¡±


    Felt overwhelmingly flattered, the bodyguard hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡±


    Jiang Yu said, ¡°You still need to be extra careful, Childe Ling. Right now residents of this county are pretty wary of strangers. It¡¯s very likely there would be needless misunderstandings if any of them finds out, and they might even attack if things get hot, so please be cautious.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I will.¡±


    After breakfast, Ling Zhang and Yao Yi followed the bodyguard out of the residence. The bodyguard was a native of this county. With him accompanying them, nobody suspected anything.


    The spot that the bodyguard had found was off the beaten track. It took Ling Zhang and Yao Yi some time to get there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve checked that this place would be unguarded for a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out) when the yamen patrol change the shift, and that¡¯s your chance to get out. You may return in four hours, when the next shift change is due.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yao Yi lodged this information in their minds. The two of them waited for a while and the yamen patrol left. Before the next patrol relief came on duty, Ling Zhang and Yao Yi took advantage of the opportunity and exited the county.


    And then the two of them went in the direction the bodyguard had told them, heading for Xiaofeng Village.


    They hadn¡¯t got the map from the county yamen yet, so for the moment they could only try to locate Xiaofeng Village with the help of the bodyguard¡¯s description. Fortunately Yao Yi was quite experienced. He led Ling Zhang squarely towards Xiaofeng Village without going astray.


    They traveled fast. It took them only an hour to finish the trip which would normally take a common person two hours.


    Xiaofeng Village was a relatively large village. Maybe because many itinerant traders traveled along the national road, there was an inn near an entrance of this village. A lot of people dwelt in this place, but right now all of them were on full alert, and all entrances were guarded by villagers. At ordinary times residents of this village seldom crossed the village boundary.


    Ling Zhang and Yao Yi didn¡¯t enter the village. Given that the two of them were strangers to this village, they would no doubt rouse everybody¡¯s suspicions if they went into the village at this point in time.


    The two of them made a detour around Xiaofeng Village and directly walked into the wood.


    After progressing in the wood for a short while, the two of them halted.


    There were sentries hiding in the wood, a lot of them. This area was not far away from the encampment of the imperial court¡¯s army. They would definitely be spotted if they kept going forward.


    ¡°Please wait here for a moment, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll go and check out the lay of the land,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, found a secluded spot and hid himself there, while Yao Yi soundlessly went into the depths of the wood.


    After Yao Yi disappeared from view, Ling Zhang looked around him, took a flying leap, landed onto a bough of a giant tree beside him and hid himself in its dense foliage, holding his breath, straining his ears to listen to the movements nearby. His internal energy had grown yet again, and his five senses were even sharper than before, so he could hear over an even wider range now. Ears cocked, he heard the faint sound of breathing of a lot of people as well as their hushed conversations, which presumably issued from hidden guard posts. He could also vaguely hear some sounds from the military encampment.


    After listening for a while, Ling Zhang suddenly looked in the direction of the national road not far away as though he heard someone heading his way.


    He slowed down his breathing as much as he could, crouching quietly on the bough, as motionless as if he¡¯d become a part of the tree.


    Predictably, a person showed up after a short while. It was a man dressed like a peasant. However, his footsteps were very light, and his whole body was tense, a highly watchful expression in his eyes. It was only too evident that his behavior was abnormal. Unsurprisingly, after getting close to this place, the man also suddenly halted. Clearly he¡¯d also perceived that there were sentries hiding in the area ahead. However, unlike Ling Zhang who¡¯d hidden himself in a secluded spot, this man started gingerly observing the surroundings and putting out feelers, and he was also changing his position constantly.


    Ling Zhang could tell at a glance that this man was a scout. On top of that, when he approached, Ling Zhang noticed that there was something out of the ordinary about him. This man¡¯s features were sharper than those of common people in the Great Wen, and judging from his conduct, it was very likely he was from the Wan Kingdom. Previously Shan Congwen had visited the capital city, and not long ago Shan Congyi had also done the same thing. The bodyguards of both of them were all from the Wan Kingdom. These people¡¯s kung fu styles were somewhat different from those of people in the Great Wen. Apart from their fighting styles, their footwork and patterns of breathing were also fairly special.


    The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes instantly became alert. Unless he was much mistaken, this man was a secret agent from the Wan Kingdom, who had disguised himself as a commoner of the Great Wen. It seemed that Shan Congyi had indeed arrived in this area and was now monitoring every move of the army stationed here by the imperial court of the Great Wen.


    Ling Zhang wondered whether or not he¡¯d be able to locate Shan Congyi¡¯s hideout if he tailed this man.


    Ling Zhang was tempted by this idea, but before he left the capital city, Yuwen Tong had cautioned him that he was not to act alone or get out of the sight of any of his bodyguards, and he¡¯d given Yuwen Tong his word on that. Wouldn¡¯t he be breaking his promise if he flew solo at this point in time?


    With an intense struggle going on within his breast, Ling Zhang¡¯s palms were on the verge of sweating, but eventually he still slowly unclenched his fists, trying hard to calm himself down.


    Now that a secret agent from the Wan Kingdom had shown up in this place, there was no doubt Shan Congyi was nearby. It would take only a search of this area for him to locate Shan Congyi. Right now he should just¡­ he should just wait for Yao Yi to come back.


    In the final analysis, he was not strong enough. Had he reached the next layer of his method of cultivating internal energy or acquired the same ability to deploy formations as his maternal grandfather¡¯s, he wouldn¡¯t have been hemmed in by this kind of misgivings.


    Ling Zhang exercised all his self-restraint and stayed put. When that secret agent quickly retreated after sensing a yamen patrol approaching, he felt the almost overwhelming urge to shadow the man, but eventually he still forbore from doing that.


    ¡®No. I can¡¯t do that. I must honor my promise.¡¯


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath, kept from looking in the direction that the secret agent had gone, and focused on hiding himself from the yamen patrol which were walking past the tree he was crouching on.


    It was almost two hours before Yao Yi returned.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Childe Ling. Did anything happen here?¡± said Yao Yi anxiously.


    ¡°Nothing. Just now a secret agent from the Wan Kingdom showed up. Shan Congyi is probably hiding somewhere nearby,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi¡¯s face instantly became grave at these words. ¡°You didn¡¯t let that secret agent see you, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°No. He didn¡¯t spot me,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Relieved, Yao Yi observed, ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°How did it go? Has the General Zhongwu arrived at the encampment?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi responded with a nod, ¡°He got to the encampment at dusk the day before yesterday. I¡¯ve met him already. Originally he wanted to come here personally to pay his respects to you, but considering his departure from the encampment might draw needless attention to him, we figured it¡¯d be best if you go to the right side of this wood and enter the encampment. The soldiers on sentry duty there are his trusted men. We may directly go there.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod of agreement. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go there right away. We should tell him about the matter of Shan Congyi for good measure. Given that a secret agent from the Wan Kingdom has infiltrated into this county, there¡¯s no doubt they harbor evil intentions.¡±


    ¡°Please follow me, Childe Ling.¡±

 Chapter 434 - A Meeting with the General Zhongwu

    ¡°Young Master, are we to continue making inquiries in the county seat today?¡± asked Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard.


    The county seat was not large, and the bodyguard had some friends and relatives living in this place, so it was not difficult for him to get some information from local scoundrels about suspicious out-of-towners that had come to this county lately. Two days ago, there were indeed some strangers showing up in the county seat, but it was said that those people didn¡¯t go through the county gates facing in the direction of Xiaofeng Village, that they, after seeing the gates were heavily guarded by soldiers of the imperial court, doubled back, exited through the gates they¡¯d entered, and then disappeared without a trace.


    Judging from the collected information about those people¡¯s manner, they bore little similarity to natives of the Great Wen. On top of that, they¡¯d acted somewhat sneakingly and accosted a lot of locals, fishing for information. They¡¯d come here neither to look up relatives nor to do business. Instead, they¡¯d seemed to specially come here to gather intelligence. Local residents, who were quite wary of out-of-towners these days, had kept a weather eye on those people since their arrival. Maybe because those people had also perceived that they¡¯d attracted local townsfolk¡¯s attention, they¡¯d soon left.


    ¡°Strangers who acted and spoke differently from natives of the Great Wen, did nothing but fish for information, left at the sight of the tight security at the southern county gates¡­ Those people are very suspicious, even if they don¡¯t work for Shan Congyi.¡±


    Jiang Yu combed through the pieces of intelligence collected by his bodyguard and filtered out those insignificant ones. Since Ling Zhang had assigned to him the task of locating Shan Congyi, he must find Shan Congyi. Otherwise his insisting on accompanying Ling Zhang to Cangzhou would¡¯ve been pointless, and it would also affect Ling Zhang¡¯s impression of him in a negative way.


    ¡°Today you¡¯re to continue making inquiries in the county seat. I¡¯ll go out of town and see if I can find any useful information.¡±


    The bodyguard said, ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you to act alone, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Just do what I say. I¡¯ll have someone else go out of the county seat to collect intelligence,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    After hearing this, the bodyguard asked no more questions, accepted the order and took his leave.


    Jiang Yu disguised himself before going out to hit the streets, for he and Shan Congyi had seen each other before. While walking on the street, he also arrested a lot of people¡¯s attention. After all, Jiang Yu¡¯s face was unfamiliar to residents of this small county, but as he was dressed decently and conducted himself properly, nobody made any particular speculations about him.


    Jiang Yu walked once around the county seat and then entered a cloth store.


    At the sight of him walking inside, a sales clerk stepped up and welcomed him. ¡°May I ask what kind of material you¡¯re looking for, my dear guest? We have literally all kinds of cloth here.¡±


    ¡°All kinds? Are you sure you¡¯re not exaggerating?¡± said Jiang Yu in a mild tone of voice.


    The sales clerk smiled, ¡°We have not only materials from the south but also materials from the north, and they¡¯re very stylish. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may follow me to see for yourself.¡±


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t decline the offer, so the sales clerk happily started showing him around the store, telling him about the materials for sale. He gave Jiang Yu an extravagantly colorful description of each and every single product, as though Jiang Yu would bitterly regret it if he didn¡¯t buy some. Such was his eloquence that Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t help but think it was little wonder this man had become a sales clerk. However, though this store was large, this man was the only clerk. In addition, it¡¯d been quite some time since Jiang Yu¡¯s arrival, but there still hadn¡¯t been any other customers.


    All the fabrics seemed to take Jiang Yu¡¯s fancy, so the sales clerk¡¯s enthusiasm built up continuously. Jiang Yu listened patiently for a while and then said, ¡°Your products are indeed pretty good. Why are there so few customers in this store?¡±


    The sales clerk immediately replied, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so discerning, my dear guest. Our products are all top-of-the-line. Many premium ones are from the capital city. None of the cloth stores in this county and neighboring counties and towns can compare with our store in terms of product quality. As for why there are not many customers¡­¡±


    The sales clerk¡¯s face crumpled up as he paused. ¡°You¡¯ve just come into town, I suppose, my dear guest? As you can see, the security in the county seat is quite tight, because the situation out there is dire. We¡¯d suffered a lot before the rebel forces of this prefecture were disbanded, and the business had just begun to pick up when¡­¡± The sales clerk finished speaking with a long sigh.


    ¡°What was it? Something serious happened out of this county?¡± asked Jiang Yu.


    The sales clerk flicked him an appraising glance. Judging from Jiang Yu¡¯s mien and manner, he believed that Jiang Yu had no ulterior motives, so he lowered his guard considerably and responded, ¡°This county is very close to Jiangzhou, and a national road goes through this place before turning towards Jiangzhou. Previously, before the uprising, a lot of itinerant traders traveled past this place on a daily basis, and the whole county seat was uproarious, but after the revolt broke out, everything changed. There¡¯s no telling how much longer the rebellion could¡¯ve lasted had a new emperor not been enthroned. Still, although we have a new emperor now, our neighbor Jiangzhou¡­¡±


    The sales clerk dropped his voice and breathed, ¡°Our neighbor Jiangzhou doesn¡¯t acknowledge the new emperor¡¯s authority, and the commander of the Jiangzhou garrison is staging a revolt too. An army sent by the imperial court has cut off the national road connecting this county and Jiangzhou. Currently the troops are stationed near Xiaofeng Village which is right outside the county seat, keeping the rebel forces at bay. There could be a fight at any moment. First the national road was blockaded, and now this. Itinerant merchants stopped coming, and even locals don¡¯t dare go out much, which is why we barely have any customers these days. Actually you¡¯re our first customer in two days. Given your rich attire and elegant mien, it¡¯s only too obvious that you¡¯re from a wealthy family. Please allow me to give you a word of caution out of goodwill ¨C stay away from Xiaofeng Village. Even if chances were that there wouldn¡¯t be a fight, which they¡¯re not, it¡¯s inadvisable to be a hindrance to the army of the imperial court, right?¡±


    With a shadow of a smile, Jiang Yu tossed the sales clerk a glance. ¡°You have a point. Thanks for the heads-up.¡±


    The sales clerk chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just a talky guy. Oh, this fabric is very good. It really sets you off. If you put on a robe made of this fabric, it¡¯d be perfect.¡±


    Jiang Yu cast a look at the fabric and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it. If my memory serves me correctly, there¡¯s a tailor in this store. I¡¯d like him to use this to make a robe for me. I¡¯ll come back here to get it in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so thi¨Cthis is not your first time coming here. Then I was really being a busybody just now. Please forgive me for not having recognized you sooner,¡± the sales clerk hurriedly said, looking at Jiang Yu with a somewhat incredulous expression on his face. They did have a full-time tailor in this store, but normally he took orders from rich local families and had barely made clothes for any particular individual customer. Jiang Yu was clearly an out-of-towner. How had he come to know about it?


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t waste any more time, produced an ID plate and said, ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve done enough talking. Now take me to see the storekeeper.¡±


    The sales clerk¡¯s mouth fell open at the sight of the plate, his eyes widening, taken aback. ¡°Yo¨CYou¡¯re from the capital city? I¡¯ll go and inform our storekeeper straight away. Please follow me inside to take a seat. I¡¯ll get you some tea.¡±


    Jiang Yu followed the sales clerk into a reception room and then the latter quickly went to inform the storekeeper who was having a snooze in the rear of the store.


    The storekeeper of the cloth store was a plump mustached man in his forties or fifties. After being woken up by the sales clerk who told him that the customer had an ID plate of the Jiang family, he hastened to rearrange his robes and then hurried to the reception room to meet Jiang Yu.


    At the sight of Jiang Yu sitting there with an imposing air about him, the storekeeper¡¯s heart started hammering. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, childe. May I have your name, please?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Jiang,¡± replied Jiang Yu, looking at him.


    The storekeeper¡¯s brow twitched and with that he hastily got on his knees to pay his respects. ¡°You¡¯re really gracing us with your corporeal presence. I didn¡¯t know about your arrival, so I didn¡¯t welcome you personally, which was a terrible mistake of mine. Please punish me, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°No blame attaches to the unconscious doer of wrong. My arrival in this place is supposed to be kept secret for the time being, so don¡¯t disclose it to anybody else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Young Master. I swear I won¡¯t breathe a word of it to anybody.¡±


    Looking at the nervousness on his face, Jiang Yu asked, ¡°Has anything particular happened in the old house lately?¡±


    The storekeeper¡¯s eyes roved briefly and with that he responded, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any particular news from the old house for some time, and Old Master has been watching over the mausoleum all along. Every few days I go there to check on Old Master and deliver some daily necessities to him. The front gates of the old house are shut almost all the time and there are barely any visitors these days. Presently, an army sent by the imperial court is stationed near Xiaofeng Village. We¡¯ve all been laying low and doing business. We don¡¯t dare do anything other than covertly gathering information about the situation outside the county and having some men look after Old Master.¡±


    ¡°You sent some men to look after my father?¡± asked Jiang Yu, his piercing eyes flashing at him.


    The storekeeper didn¡¯t know whether or not he¡¯d said the wrong thing, but at the sight of the look in Jiang Yu¡¯s eyes, cold sweat broke out over his back and he quickly answered, ¡°I sent two strong servants there in case any thieves show up, and if a fight does break out outside the county, they¡¯ll whisk Old Master and Her Ladyship away immediately.¡±


    Jiang Yu gave it some thought and said, ¡°I see. Let¡¯s leave it this way for now. Don¡¯t tell my father about this visit of mine yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°There is, in addition, another matter that I need you to arrange for some men to handle.¡±


    ¡°Just give me the word, Young Master. I promise I¡¯ll do everything within my power to get it done.¡±


    ¡­


    When Jiang Yu had the storekeeper make arrangements for some men to conduct a covert search outside the county, Ling Zhang and Yao Yi had secretly entered the military encampment and met the General Zhongwu.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You may rise, General. I came here in disguise and I don¡¯t want to blow my cover, so we can dispense with the formalities,¡± said Ling Zhang, raising the General Zhongwu to his feet. ¡°Thank you for your service in Cangzhou. Were it not for you, Cangzhou wouldn¡¯t have returned to peaceful life so soon.¡±


    The General Zhongwu stood up and said, ¡°Since you put it this way, I¡¯ll boldly address you as ¡®Childe Ling¡¯. I only did what I was supposed to do. As for Cangzhou embracing peace again, most of the credit must go to His Majesty¡¯s decision to exempt Cangzhou people from taxes and appoint Xu Lingyun as the Cangzhou governor. It¡¯s all because of His Majesty¡¯s wisdom.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°You¡¯re being modest, General. We¡¯ve all seen what you¡¯ve done for this country. Now let¡¯s put an end to the small talk and get down to business. I want to know how things have been going in the army. Have you had any news of the Jiangzhou garrison? And did Wang Xiangxin take any particular action?¡±


    The General Zhongwu turned aside and said, ¡°Please come with me and see for yourself, Childe Ling.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and followed the General Zhongwu to a map hanging on a side wall of the tent. The General Zhongwu pointed at the checkpoints located in Xishan County and Jincang County in Jiangzhou respectively and began, ¡°Currently, the checkpoint in Xishan County is guarded by the men of my lieutenant. For the moment the situation in Xishan County is fairly peaceful. Wang Xiangxin has been laying low ever since he blockaded the national road in Xishan County and set up a checkpoint there. That checkpoint of his is easy to hold but hard to attack. In all likelihood, it¡¯s mainly for defensive purposes. The checkpoint in Jincang County, however, is different. In the past few days, he¡¯s been deploying more troops there, which indicates that it¡¯s not for defensive purposes only.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. ¡°Are they planning to get out from that spot, by any chance?¡±


    The General Zhongwu replied, ¡°We cannot rule out that possibility. Of course, it¡¯s also possible that they¡¯re just trying to clear the way to help someone get in.¡±


    ¡°Shan Congyi?¡± Ling Zhang furrowed his brows again.

 Chapter 435 - Money

    ¡°From the vantage point of the present, this is most likely to be the case, given that Shan Congyi is now in league with Wang Xiangxin,¡± observed the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor).


    However, part of it still didn¡¯t make sense. The collusion between Shan Congyi and Wang Xiangxin was covert. The reason why the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom were supporting Wang Xiangxin was because they wanted to throw the Great Wen into civil strife. There was no way they would actually help Wang Xiangxin take the throne. Besides, the two countries didn¡¯t dare let this matter go public, and under no circumstances would they let it be brought to light. No matter which perspective Ling Zhang saw this issue from, it struck him as quite confusing that Wang Xiangxin would cross swords with an army of the imperial court just because of Shan Congyi. Firstly, Wang Xiangxin¡¯s troops were stationed in four different checkpoints far away from each other. Even if he built another army by press-ganging residents of Jiangzhou, he would definitely save it for more important purposes and would by no means treat them as cannon fodder just to breach the defensive line of the enemy; secondly, considering Shan Congyi had managed to make contact and collude with Wang Xiangxin despite the blockade, he didn¡¯t need to specially breach the defensive line to stay in touch with his ally. Besides, on no account would Shan Congyi dare blow his cover.


    Unless¡­ there was something very important which Wang Xiangxin wanted to get at all costs.


    What could that thing be?


    While Ling Zhang was casting around for an answer with a frown on his face, the General Zhongwu had finished analyzing the situation of the checkpoint in Xishan County and that of the one in Jincang County as well.


    ¡°No matter what Wang Xiangxin is up to, we must stop him,¡± said the General Zhongwu.


    Ling Zhang was still racking his brains. Yuwen Tong wanted to use Wang Xiangxin to teach the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom a lesson because no matter what the two countries were plotting, they would need manpower and money if they wanted to support Wang Xiangxin, and both these two things were what Wang Xiangxin needed the most. Without these two things, it would be utterly impossible for Wang Xiangxin to stage an uprising or do this country harm in any other ways.


    Shan Congyi didn¡¯t seem to have what it took to offer Wang Xiangxin manpower or anything else, because currently he was hiding in Cangzhou. He had had a hard job getting into Cangzhou, eluding yamen patrols to keep his true identity secret. Between the Wan Kingdom and Jiangzhou was the vast territory of the Great Wen covering tens of thousands of square kilometers. No matter how capable Shan Congyi was, by no means would he be able to send any soldiers or other resources into Jiangzhou through that checkpoint.


    So it was most likely that he would support his ally financially.


    When it came to money, silver ingots were pretty heavy, and it would no doubt take a lot of silver to cover the expenses of the whole Jiangzhou garrison. If it was indeed silver ingots that Shan Congyi would give Wang Xiangxin, he might really have to breach the defensive line¡­


    Ling Zhang, after giving it some careful thought, told the General Zhongwu about his conjecture.


    The General Zhongwu wasn¡¯t as well-informed as Ling Zhang, but he caught on to the situation immediately, feeling that Ling Zhang¡¯s words were very plausible. Apart from reinforcements, money was the only thing that Wang Xiangxin would breach the defensive line of his enemy in that area at all costs to get.


    ¡°Your conjecture makes a lot of sense, Childe Ling. There¡¯s a very high chance that it¡¯s silver ingots which they¡¯re going to transport into Jiangzhou. Now that we¡¯ve come to know about their intention, things would be a lot easier.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°For now it¡¯s still just a conjecture. We need to verify it. Before I came here, I chanced upon a secret agent from the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    After saying this, Ling Zhang gave the General Zhongwu an account of what had happened in the wood previously. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt Shan Congyi is hiding somewhere nearby. The reason why that secret agent went to such great lengths to spy on your army definitely had something to do with Wang Xiangxin¡¯s abnormal behavior. Right now what we need to do is ascertain Shan Congyi¡¯s whereabouts as soon as possible and see if he¡¯s hiding large sums of money.¡±


    The General Zhongwu inclined his head. ¡°You¡¯re right, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll send some men to covertly look for Shan Congyi¡¯s hideout.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded. Thinking about what Jiang Yu was doing, he felt that it was okay for two groups of people to perform the same task. Currently, finding Shan Congyi as soon as possible was the most important.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let them transport any silver ingots into Jiangzhou. Now that the Wan Kingdom has waded in, they¡¯ll have to leave the money before we let them go elsewhere,¡± said Ling Zhang, a flinty look in his eyes.


    The Wan Kingdom was in dire need of time to rebuild its economy. Its domestic situation was severer than that of the Great Wen. Firstly, what with its geographical location, its food production was lower than that of the Great Wen; secondly, the Wan Kingdom had suffered a spate of defeats during the past few years and had sued for peace twice in a row, offering the Great Wen money in war reparations again and again. Its economic situation had always been more serious than that of the Great Wen. It would need money to rebuild its strength, which meant that if Shan Congyi was really here to provide Wang Xiangxin with money, then this sum of money must be a considerable chunk for the Wan Kingdom, and it would take its toll on the Wan Kingdom¡¯s vulnerable finances. If Shan Congyi had his way, it might be okay, but if his plan failed, the monarch of the Wan Kingdom would probably vomit blood with anger.


    Moreover, Shan Congyi was supposed to leave the Great Wen, but he had secretly went to Cangzhou. Legally speaking, he was an infiltrator, and his action was against the law, which meant the Great Wen, naturally, could well execute him, and the Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t dare say anything about it. Shan Congyi would die for nothing.


    Now that he¡¯d entered on this, he should go the whole hog and inflict on the Wan Kingdom such agony that even their breathing would be painful.


    Ling Zhang had made up his mind some time before. Since he¡¯d personally come here, he would, by hook or by crook, make sure Shan Congyi wouldn¡¯t make it back to the Wan Kingdom alive!


    ¡°When the matter of Jiangzhou is settled, the people there would need help to restore their lives, which means they¡¯ll need money. We may take those silver ingots as economic aid given to Jiangzhou people by the Wan Kingdom,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    The General Zhongwu said, ¡°Okay. If those silver ingots do exist, we¡¯ll sure as hell confiscate them!¡±


    It struck the General Zhongwu that Ling Zhang¡¯s plan was well for his liking, so he was thrilled by it, his eyes glinting with determination to get those silver ingots.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang had no intention to let his arrival in Cangzhou go public, so after conferring with the General Zhongwu, he prepared to leave quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you out, Childe Ling,¡± offered the General Zhongwu.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You¡¯re a busy man, General. We can manage it ourselves. Currently, the first priority is to ascertain Shan Congyi¡¯s whereabouts. I¡¯ll come here to meet you again after Shan Congyi is located,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare have you personally come here again, Childe Ling. Just send me a message and I¡¯ll go back to the city to see you,¡± the General Zhongwu hurriedly said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to bother yourself about that, General. This encampment is a more suitable place for consultations.¡± Ling Zhang declined the General Zhongwu¡¯s offer and made his decision about this matter final.


    The General Zhongwu made no more remarks and had his henchman personally see Ling Zhang and Yao Yi out.


    Before leaving, Ling Zhang looked in the direction of the distant checkpoint in Jincang County. What with the long distance between them, he was unable to get a clear view of it and could only tell that Wang Xiangxin had indeed deployed a lot of soldiers there to defend the checkpoint. It seemed that Wang Xiangxin was not really unafraid of death.


    Ling Zhang and Yao Yi quietly left the wood. A short while before Ling Zhang had talked with the General Zhongwu about money. He still remembered his father had once mentioned to him that Zhu You, the so-called Jiangzhou governor, kept large sums of money in a vault in his mansion. Apart from this money of the Wan Kingdom, he was resolute to get that money as well.


    On their way back, they went past Xiaofeng Village again, which was still well defended, with dozens of strong villagers holding knives and iron harrows on guard duty outside. They also organized their teams to make regular patrols.


    Yao Yi, who could tell that Ling Zhang was fairly concerned about Xiaofeng Village, said, ¡°This village is very close to the encampment. If it were only a common village, the villagers would have long since evacuated. However, Xiaofeng Village is beside a national road, and there¡¯s even an inn in it. There are a lot of villagers here, and their houses are large and substantial, which shows that the villagers here have made quite some money because of the many itinerant traders traveling along the national road. The villagers are not going to give up a place like this. Although they¡¯re fully aware that an army of the imperial court is stationed right outside, and that this area could be turned into a battlefield at any moment, they wouldn¡¯t leave until they really have to.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly inclined his head. Actually, from the scale of Xiaofeng Village and the average living conditions of the villagers, he had vaguely guessed why they were staying.


    ¡°It can never be right to force people from their homes. It is prevent people from losing homes that we¡¯re supposed to do. It¡¯s just¡­ No matter what, send some men here to check on them when necessary.¡±


    Yao Yi grasped the undertone contained in Ling Zhang¡¯s words. ¡°Rest assured, Childe Ling, I know what to do. The General Zhongwu probably has made some arrangements in this regard some time ago.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod and said no more. After glancing in the direction that secret agent from the Wan Kingdom had gone previously, he told Yao Yi to remember that direction.


    ¡°After we go back, have some men go in that direction to conduct the search.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡­


    The two of them retraced their steps back to the county seat. When they entered, the yamen patrols happened to be changing the shift. The two of them had just left when the new patrol relief arrived.


    After returning to the residence, Ling Zhang found that neither Jiang Yu nor his bodyguard was back. Knowing what the two of them were engaged on, he had Yao Yi make arrangements for some men to ascertain the whereabouts of that secret agent and Shan Congyi.


    He himself retreated to his bedroom to write Yuwen Tong a letter.


    Chances were that Shan Congyi was indeed here to deliver money to Wang Xiangxin, and the amount of it must be enormous.


    ¡­


    Yao Yi personally took some men to conduct the search. The security in the residence was mainly in the charge of Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three guards.


    After finishing the letter, Ling Zhang called Wang Dashan in and asked, ¡°Did anything particular happen in the county seat this morning?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s very quiet. From morning till now, no stranger has entered the county seat. Locals here have their own subterranean organizations, and they always secretly keep a weather eye on out-of-towners whose faces are unfamiliar to them. There were three batches of people who¡¯d entered the county seat before us. All of them are small trade caravans, but the current circumstances in here are not very favorable for business, so the caravans are barely making any profits. One of them has already left ahead of schedule. The other two are staying in a local inn. They seem to still hold out hopes,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Caravans? Some caravans had ventured to this place at this point in time? Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. Caravans traveled all around the country, and they were among the most well-informed. There was no doubt it had come to their knowledge that an army of the imperial court had been stationed near Xiaofeng Village. The reason why they had still dared to come to this county was either because they were audacious and wanted to chance their luck, or because they had some ulterior motives.


    ¡°When Jiang Yu comes back, have his bodyguard take you to secretly check the two caravans. Find out what they¡¯re selling and where they¡¯re from. I want every little detail.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± answered Wang Dashan. ¡°Except for the caravans, no stranger has entered the county seat so far. By the way, earlier this day some residents were staking out this residence of ours.¡±

 Chapter 436 - A Suspicious Caravan

    ¡°Let them be,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    It was a good thing that the locals were vigilant. Besides, right now it was unnecessary for them to come into conflict with any of the residents.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± responded Wang Dashan.


    ¡­


    The caravans Wang Dashan had mentioned were staying in another local inn which focused on accommodating members of caravans and boasted a big open space and special sheds for caravans to put their goods.


    The two caravans Wang Dashan had referred to were both from Youzhou, a northern prefecture.


    When caravans from Youzhou traveled south, they would normally go to the capital city. It was very rare for them to specially come to Cangzhou, because apart from everything else, the journey alone would take them a lot of time. No caravans, except for large ones, would choose to enter Cangzhou at this point in time.


    Apart from the fact that these two caravans were lingering despite the manifestly poor business performance, it also struck Ling Zhang as quite suspicious that they were from Youzhou.


    ¡­


    While Yao Yi and some others were going in the direction provided by Ling Zhang to hunt for that secret agent from the Wan Kingdom, Jiang Yu¡¯s men had also exited the county seat and begun to conduct a covert search of nearby villages. It would take some time for them to finish the search, so Jiang Yu returned to the residence first. Seeing Ling Zhang was back, he hastened to walk up to him.


    ¡°Did you find anything out there, Young Master?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and gave him a sketchy account of the recent movements of the rebel forces in Jiangzhou and also told him about his suspicion that Shan Congyi was planning to deliver money to Wang Xiangxin.


    After hearing it, Jiang Yu said, ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for my family¡¯s social contacts in this county to secretly search the nearby villages. I¡¯ve also sent some men to go in the direction you told me. If there¡¯s indeed something out there, I would probably receive a message in a day or two.¡±


    Ling Zhang said with a bob of the head, ¡°Good. If they really locate Shan Congyi and ascertain whether he¡¯s hiding any money in this area, it would be perfect.¡±


    ¡°Incidentally, there are two caravans in the county seat. I want you to instruct your bodyguard to go there and check out the lay of the land when he comes back,¡± Ling Zhang added and then had Wang Dashan tell Jiang Yu about the matter of the caravans in detail.


    When Wang Dashan had finished explaining, Jiang Yu said with an inclination of the head, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have him handle this matter.¡±


    Ling Zhang observed, ¡°If the two caravans do have ulterior motives, there would be an eighty-percent chance they have something to do with Shan Congyi.¡±


    No matter what, the truth would come out after the bodyguard checked up on them.


    When Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard returned, Jiang Yu had him take Wang Dashan out to look into the background of the two caravans together.


    The bodyguard was fairly popular in this county and had a lot of close friends and relatives who were willing to provide him with information he needed. After making a few visits, he and Wang Dashan got almost all what they wanted. It¡¯d been almost half a month since the two caravans¡¯ arrival in the county seat, and they¡¯d been staying in that inn all along. All their goods were Youzhou specialities ¨C a waiter of the inn had stealthily checked them shortly after the caravans checked into the inn. Local residents were quite wary of out-of-towners, so these two caravans naturally struck most locals as suspicious. However, local residents tended not to assume the worst about people. After confirming that the two caravans¡¯ goods were indeed Youzhou specialities, they¡¯d lowered down their guard considerably. The waiter of the inn was still keeping an eye open for their behavior, but other local residents had gradually got used to the existence of the two caravans during the past half a month.


    ¡°It¡¯s Youzhou specialities that they¡¯re selling, all of which are dry goods. Locals have bought a lot of them in the past half a month, but not many residents are struck by Youzhou specialities, so more than half of their goods remain unsold. It¡¯s said that in the last few days the two caravans have prepared to transfer to nearby villages to peddle their goods and, for good measure, purchase some Cangzhou specialities, that they¡¯ll return to Youzhou after the goods are sold out.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    They explained that as they¡¯d already come here, they couldn¡¯t return without selling all the goods, otherwise they¡¯d suffer heavy losses, but the way I see it, they¡¯re just making excuses to nose around in nearby villages.¡±


    After returning to the residence, the bodyguard and Wang Dashan told Ling Zhang the information they¡¯d gathered and their own opinions about it. Wang Dashan suspected that those people were up to something else.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard also said, ¡°I asked some locals and they told me that all villages close to Jincang County, except for Xiaofeng Village, are no longer in the peaceful state they used to be in. What with the rebel forces of Cangzhou, all villages, to a greater or lesser extent, suffered losses. Right now all of them are occupied with rebuilding their communities and resuming agricultural activities. They barely have any surplus of money to buy things from caravans. The two caravans were informed of this after they made some inquiries about nearby villages and disclosed their intentions to some locals, but they took no heed and prepared to exit the county seat tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, this makes them even more suspicious now. Should we go and restrain the two caravans straight away and interrogate them?¡± asked Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and said, ¡°We can¡¯t do that for the moment. It¡¯s inadvisable to alarm the enemies. But there are still things we can do. First, we need to verify that it¡¯s indeed dry goods from Youzhou that the two caravans are selling, that they¡¯re not hiding anything else; second, look into their background and find out if they¡¯re really from Youzhou; third, send some men to shadow them and ascertain what they¡¯re up to exactly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check their goods and look into their identities,¡± said Jiang Yu on the side.


    The Jiang family had a long-standing network of contacts in Cangzhou. As the saying goes, ¡°A centipede does not topple over even when dead.¡± And the Jiang family wasn¡¯t really ¡°dead.¡± In this small county, the Jiang family¡¯s influence could be very helpful. It would be more efficient for some locals to look into this matter than it would be for Wang Dashan and his men to do it, and the chance of arousing people¡¯s suspicions would be lower.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m putting you in charge of it,¡± agreed Ling Zhang.


    He found that he¡¯d done the right thing by bringing Jiang Yu to Cangzhou, that it was more convenient for Jiang Yu to deal with things in this small county than it was for him.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and tail them,¡± offered Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Wang Qing answered.


    Wang Dashan and his men had changed a lot compared with the persons they¡¯d been when they¡¯d been in Tanyang, but this was the first time that they¡¯d followed Ling Zhang out of the capital city and to a strange county, so Ling Zhang was inclined to toughen Wang Dashan and the others further.


    The two caravans in another inn in the county seat were unaware that some men were secretly spying on them. The next morning, they prepared to leave the county seat and go to nearby villages.


    The innkeeper made another attempt to dissuade them. ¡°You should heed my word. It¡¯s pointless to go to any of those villages, because people there barely have enough food, and they certainly don¡¯t have any money to buy your goods. You might as well backtrack and try your luck in the towns and prefectures you¡¯ll be traveling past on your way back. Maybe your goods will be sold out before you get home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind advice, but taking these goods back is too much trouble. Besides, we have our plans. We¡¯ll trade our goods for things the villagers have. We don¡¯t necessarily have to sell them for money.¡±


    ¡°Trade your goods for things they have?¡± The innkeeper was bemused. ¡°But your goods are all very pricey, aren¡¯t they? This is a backward area, and those villagers are particularly poor. What could they possibly offer you that has the same value as that of any of your goods?¡±


    ¡°Things that have little valuable in your eyes might sell for very high prices if we take them to Youzhou.¡±


    The innkeeper tried hard to talk them out of it, but the two caravans still insisted on sticking to their plan. Resigned, the innkeeper eventually lapsed into silence and watched them leave. As both of the caravans disappeared from view, the innkeeper¡¯s face immediately became impassive. ¡°Send someone to inform the county magistrate that the two caravans are up to something else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    Naturally, these things soon reached the ears of Jiang Yu via the Jiang family¡¯s contacts in this county and then came to Ling Zhang¡¯s knowledge.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Ling Zhang sneered. ¡°What about their goods? Have they checked them?¡±


    ¡°The caravans left very quick, so my men didn¡¯t have enough time to check them thoroughly and just cast an eye over them. As far as they could tell, those goods are indeed all dry goods,¡± replied Jiang Yu.


    But now that even local residents had perceived that the two caravans had ulterior motives, how was it possible that they were clean? Ling Zhang felt it necessary to carefully double-check those goods.


    ¡°It would seem we need to comb through their goods when they¡¯re not looking,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The two caravans are quite wary of people unfamiliar to them. They have specially assigned some men to watch over their goods. Strangers will be warned if they approach the goods. How to get close to them and examine their goods is now also a problem,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Given all these questionable points, the two caravans sure as hell harbored evil intentions.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then a plan gradually took form in his mind, which he decided to have Wang Dashan and some others to carry out and would require Jiang Yu¡¯s men to cooperate.


    ¡°Young Master.¡± Wang Dashan, Liu Yi and Yang Liuzi walked inside. ¡°What do you want us to do?¡±


    ¡°The thing you¡¯re best at,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    The plan was to put up a smokescreen to arouse the two caravans¡¯ suspicions, who would then have no choice but to check what concerned them. However, Ling Zhang¡¯s men needed to be careful not to go too far, lest the caravans perceive that some people were making trouble for them. Therefore, they had to make a detailed plan.


    After Ling Zhang told them about his opinions and plan in general. Jiang Yu first went to talk with his men to find out to what degree they would be able to cooperate with Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguards. Then he came back and conferred with Wang Dashan and the others. Eventually they finalized a detailed plan.


    ¡°There are two caravans. One of them is heading south, and the other east. Both their destinations are close to Jincang County. It¡¯s only too obvious what their intentions are.¡±


    Those tailing the caravans had been keeping Ling Zhang posted on the whereabouts of the two caravans. As things stood, those people were exceptionally suspicious.


    ¡°The plan is to be executed tomorrow. Today you should get everything ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡­


    At this time, Yao Yi and the others, who had secretly searched several villages, were quietly heading for a place named Taowang Village, which was located in the south-west corner of the county.


    Taowang Village abounded in a kind of special clay, and all residents here were potters. Previously, before the armed uprising, villagers here had sold their pottery to Jiangzhou pretty often, and every year several caravans would come to this village to help transport their pottery to Jiangzhou to be sold, getting a certain amount of commission in return. At that time, overall, Taowang Village had been even wealthier than Xiaofeng Village. It was also a large village ¨C larger than Xiaofeng Village actually. However, after the revolt, residents of Taowang Village had stopped making pottery; the national road leading to Jiangzhou had been cut off; caravans had stopped coming. Even if villagers started making pottery, they wouldn¡¯t be able to sell them to anybody.

 Chapter 437 - A Hidden Sentry from the Wan Kingdom & Taowang Village

    At this moment, within the Taowang Village reigned a death-like stillness. The uproarious scene of people making pottery had long since disappeared. All villagers¡¯ faces registered apprehension and depression. They had got used to earning their living by making pottery, and everybody in this village had entered the industry and was no longer interested in farming. Even if they wanted to resume farm work, there wouldn¡¯t be much they could do, because winter was coming, which meant they¡¯d have to wait until next spring to plow and sow.


    Without regular income, wondering when the army of the imperial court would unblock the national road leading to Jiangzhou, residents of Taowang Village had been going to Xiaofeng Village to make inquiries on a frequent basis lately, trying to find out when the army of the imperial court would attack. Unlike residents of other villages all of whom wished for a peaceful solution of the issue, people of Taowang Village were eager to see a fight break out. In addition, although pottery making had been suspended, none of the villagers had evacuated. They were all anticipating the day when the situation would take a turn for the better.


    When Yao Yi and some others secretly arrived at Taowang Village, the group of men sent here to look into the matter by the Jiang family were also approaching.


    Before entering the village, Yao Yi sensed a whiff of anomaly in the atmosphere in Taowang Village ¨C the security here was too tight. Common villagers could never organize a military-grade defense, no matter how hard they tried. It had been so easy for Yao Yi and his men to enter the other villages without alarming any of the villagers on patrol, but on this occasion, Yao Yi, who hadn¡¯t entered the village yet, perceived that there were hidden sentries posted on the periphery of the village, which was by no means something common villagers normally were capable of.


    Yao Yi gestured for his men to stop, looking at Taowang Village which was not far away, a vigilant and incredulous expression in his eyes, feeling that this village was highly suspicious.


    ¡°Captain, Taowang Village is even larger than Xiaofeng Village, which makes it a lot easier to hide some men here than it is in other places. Do you think it¡¯s possible that Shan Congyi and his men are in this village?¡± asked one of Yao Yi¡¯s men.


    Staring in the direction of Taowang Village, Yao Yi replied, ¡°Given that there are so many hidden sentries posted on the periphery of this village, even if Shan Congyi and his men are not hiding in there, this place is by no means as simple as it seems. It¡¯s not far away from the encampment of the army sent by the imperial court, so at this juncture, we must ascertain the identities of those hiding in there, no matter who they are. In a few moments, you guys are to put out feelers and see who those hidden sentries are, and how quick their reactions are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    Yao Yi gathered his men, first instructed them to scout out the lay of the land in Taowang Village and then made a plan to put out feelers.


    When Yao Yi took some men to probe the hidden sentries of Taowang Village, a horse-drawn carriage wobbled over along a country bridle path, which seemed to be from the county seat and was going into the village.


    ¡°Captain, someone¡¯s going in there.¡±


    Yao Yi also saw the horse-drawn carriage. He watched carefully for a while, then quietly went to check the carriage and found that there was a woman and a boy about ten years old inside. Apart from the driver, a man was also driving the carriage. There were also a couple of traveling bags in the carriage. It seemed that they were family, but there was no telling whether they were natives of Taowang Village returning from afar or out-of-towners coming here to look up their relatives.


    Originally Yao Yi had wanted to sneak in, but afterward he¡¯d found that some men were standing guard at the entrance. On top of that, there were also some hidden sentries nearby, so he kept from taking the risk and decided to stick to the plan, put out feelers to the hidden sentries and ascertain their identities first.


    While they were making their move, the horse-drawn carriage gradually approached the entrance of Taowang Village.


    ¡°Stop! Identify yourselves!¡± yelled a villager in the distance.


    ¡°Brother Adong?¡± called the man sitting beside the driver. ¡°You¡¯re Brother Adong, right? I¡¯m Wang Sheng. I came here with my wife and kid to look up my father-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Wang Sheng?¡± the villager guarding the entrance recognized the man sitting beside the driver. ¡°It¡¯s really you. Long time no see. Why did you come here at this point in time?¡±


    The horse-drawn carriage gradually trundled close to the entrance. The man directly jumped off the carriage and walked towards the villager, flicking a glance at the other villagers on guard duty at the entrance, his ears twitching, seeming to be listen carefully to see if there were any other movements nearby. Making towards the villager he called Brother Adong, he said, ¡°I have some free time on my hands these days, so my wife hurried me into coming here. She¡¯s been worried about my father-in-law¡¯s and mother-in-law¡¯s safety. It¡¯s been quite a while since the last time we came here, what with those rebels. Now the rebel forces have been taken care of, and things in my family are slowly getting better, so I could spare some time to return here to take a look. How have things been going in this village? And how are my parents-in-law? You guys are¡­ Why are so many people here? Something happened in the village?¡±


    Seeing Wang Sheng walking over, the villager called Adong first greeted him, and then, after hearing Wang Sheng¡¯s words, sighed, ¡°The national road leading to Jiangzhou has been blockaded, so we have nowhere to go to sell our pottery. Everybody¡¯s having a tough time. The situation in your father-in-law¡¯s family is not really that bad. Some families are short of money, and they haven¡¯t smiled for quite some time.¡±


    As regards why so many people were on guard duty at this entrance, Adong gave no explanation.


    ¡°The situation is so dire?¡± Wang Sheng was startled, his suspicion and vigilance building up, but on the surface he only put on a surprised face. ¡°Then we need to go and check on my parents-in-law straight away. It¡¯s so unfilial of us not to have come here to look them up sooner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it. You have your own life,¡± Adong consoled him, looking at the carriage. ¡°Is your wife in there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and my kid, too,¡± replied Wang Sheng.


    Adong walked up to the carriage, sized up the driver first and then inquired, ¡°Is this driver the same one who took you here the last time?¡±


    Wang Sheng said, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a long trip. I was worried that my wife and my son would tire out if we walked here, so I rented a carriage.¡±


    Adong inclined his head and lifted the carriage curtain. The woman and the boy poked their heads out and greeted Adong.


    ¡°What a coincidence, Brother Adong. We¡¯re going into the village. Why are you out here?¡± asked the woman.


    The boy, after meekly calling the man ¡°Uncle¡±, kept silent.


    Adong¡¯s eyes swept around the carriage. His countenance softened considerably as he saw that the woman and the boy were the only passengers.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do in the village, so I figured I might as well come out here for a walk.¡± Adong¡¯s face creased into a smile.


    The woman looked incredulously at him. ¡°Brother Adong, haven¡¯t your family always been making pottery? How come you¡¯re having nothing to do?¡±


    ¡°Alas, don¡¯t get me started. All pottery making has been suspended. You know, the national road has been blockaded, and everybody in our village is eagerly anticipating the day when the blockade would be lifted. Forget about it. It¡¯s a long story. Just go inside with Wang Sheng to see your parents. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very happy to see your whole family coming here to look them up,¡± said Adong.


    The woman asked no more questions and began to urge her husband to drive the carriage into the village straight away.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Wang Sheng answered and then said to Adong in a seemingly casual tone, ¡°Brother Adong, are you standing guard here because you¡¯re afraid the rebel forces might force their way out of Jiangzhou? I heard that people in Xiaofeng Village are also in fear. If that¡¯s really the case, I think maybe I should take my parents-in-law to the county seat to live with me.¡±


    Adong, who had lowered his guard and thus didn¡¯t suspect anything after hearing Wang Sheng¡¯s words, sighed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s half the reason, I think. Currently, our village¡­ Never mind. It¡¯s no good telling you more details. If you really worry about them so much, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to take your father-in-law¡¯s family into the county seat and have them stay there for some time.¡±


    Wang Sheng looked at him, bemusement written all over his face, but seeing Adong was unwilling to disclose anything else, he didn¡¯t persist with his questioning, got onto the carriage and had the driver drive it into the village.


    ¡­


    Distantly, Yao Yi had heard every word of the conversation and come to know that the passengers didn¡¯t live in Taowang Village, that they were from the county seat. He could also tell from Adong¡¯s words and bearing that residents of this village were uncommonly watchful.


    Although residents of Xiaofeng Village were also vigilant, they were only wary of strangers, mainly wary of potential rebels from Jiangzhou.


    But Taowang Village was a certain distance away from Xiaofeng Village. Moreover, it was just one horse-drawn carriage, and it couldn¡¯t possibly pose a major threat to anybody, but that man named Adong had still scrupulously examined the carriage before letting them through, which showed that the security here and the security of Xiaofeng Village were not at the same level.


    There was indeed something unusual going on in this village.


    On top of that, these villagers were aware of it and were voluntarily guarding it.


    Yao Yi¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. If it was Shan Congyi and his men who were in there, things would be rather tricky. For some unknown reason, these villagers had been brainwashed by Shan Congyi.


    An hour later, all men that had been sent to put out feelers returned.


    ¡°Captain, those hidden sentries are from the Wan Kingdom! I¡¯m a hundred percent sure of it, because there¡¯s no way I would forget their behavior and habits!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And there¡¯s a certain regularity in the distribution of their posts. It¡¯s actually a simple martial formation. Check this out, Captain.¡±


    One of the men drew a sketch map of Taowang Village on the ground, marking every hidden sentry post. Combined, these sentry posts were indeed a martial formation, one that soldiers of the Wan Kingdom were good at.


    ¡°Shan Congyi sure as hell is hiding in this village!¡±


    After pondering for a brief moment, Yao Yi looked in the direction of Taowang Village, carefully thinking back to that horse-drawn carriage and the conversation between the two men named Wang Sheng and Adong respectively, perceiving a whiff of something special.


    Wang Sheng had seemed to be sounding Adong out while saying those words¡­ If that was true, who else was also secretly investigating this matter?


    Currently, there were only four forces in this small county: an army of the imperial court, locals, Ling Zhang¡¯s team, and Shan Congyi¡¯s team.


    Yao Yi gave it some thought and then said, ¡°I want seven of you to stay here staking out this village. One of you are to go back to the county seat to report this to Childe Ling. I¡¯ll wait and see if I could get a chance to sneak into the village after nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain. Please be careful.¡±


    Yao Yi nodded, looked up at the color of the sky to gauge the time and then instructed his men to do what they were told right away. He himself meticulously studied the sketch map on the ground for a while and then erased it and patiently waited for night to fall.


    ¡­


    After dark, Ling Zhang met the man who¡¯d been assigned to come back to report to him. Now that some secret sentry posts of the Wan Kingdom had been found, there was no way Shan Congyi could escape.


    ¡°Good. Taowang Village¡­ Shan Congyi is indeed hiding nearby. I want you to send the General Zhongwu a message and fill him in on our progress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    After the man left, Ling Zhang summoned Jiang Yu and asked him whether anybody working for the Jiang family had traced it to Taowang Village.


    Jiang Yu had his bodyguard pay a visit to that cloth store. After some time, the latter returned, bringing back a message. ¡°Young Master, they¡¯ve indeed had some people go to Taowang Village to investigate. The people they sent there were the same ones Guard Yao found in that horse-drawn carriage.¡±

 Chapter 438 - Target Location Confirmed. Ready to Search

    ¡°Oh, Xiaomei and Wang Sheng, and Stonie too. Are you here to see your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Uncle Chun.¡±


    A few moments after Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng entered, they caught sight of a group of old men sitting under a giant tree near the center of the village. Residents of Taowang Village saw this tree as some kind of totem. It boasted an enormous crown. Old villagers came here for its shade and chit-chat almost every day. However, these old people, who previously had always been in high spirits, were now all harassed-looking. When they saw Tao Xiaomei and the other two coming, they squinted at them for quite a while. It was not until they recognized the three of them that the vigilance in their eyes ebbed away.


    Wang Sheng unnoticeably cast them a glance which took in all the reaction of theirs.


    The horse-drawn carriage trundled towards the far end of the village.


    ¡°Father, Mother!¡± called Tao Xiaomei happily as she reached the doorway of her parents¡¯ house.


    Tao Xiaomei¡¯s parents heard her and walked out. Seeing her and her family, they were delighted at first, but then something occurred to them and their brows furrowed, their faces etched with a hint of apprehension. They ushered the three of them into the house and shut the doors.


    ¡°Father, Mother, why are you¡­¡± Tao Xiaomei confusedly watched her parents cautiously closing the doors.


    ¡°Sh.¡± Mr. and Mrs. Tao hushed her in undertones, then looked at their grandson and with that Mrs. Tao said in a loud and cheerful voice, ¡°Oh, my dearest grandson, you¡¯re finally here to look up your grandma. Come here. Let me see if you¡¯ve grown taller.¡±


    ¡°He surely has. It¡¯s been such a long time since we last saw him. How could he not have grown taller? Come, Stonie. There¡¯s snack inside. You should eat more so you can grow even taller and stronger,¡± Mr. Tao also said loudly.


    Tao Xiaomei was still in perplexity. Wang Sheng gave her sleeve a pull and breathed to her, ¡°Go inside with your parents first. I¡¯ll get the baggage and settle the driver in.¡±


    Wang Sheng walked out of the house and up to the horse-drawn carriage, from which he and the driver unloaded all the traveling bags together before carrying them towards the house.


    On entering the house, he saw that Mrs. Tao was checking out her grandson in her arms, the expression on her face alternating between delight and concern. Seeing Wang Sheng and the carriage driver carrying so many bags inside, Mr. Tao, who was quietly sitting there, rose to his feet and walked to their help. ¡°Your coming here to see us is enough to gladden our hearts. It¡¯s totally unnecessary for you to bring so many things here.¡±


    ¡°We heard on the grapevine that your pottery is not selling. Xiaomei and I were worried about you, so we brought more things than usual,¡± explained Wang Sheng in a quiet voice.


    Mr. Tao looked at him and let out a sigh, appearing both gratified and apprehensive. ¡°Alas, actually you shouldn¡¯t have come here in the first place.¡±


    Wang Sheng told the driver to get the rest of the baggage in the carriage and then asked Mr. Tao, ¡°Father-in-law, did something happen in this village? When we were entering, we saw Brother Adong and some others standing guard at the village entrance. Xiaomei and I were even challenged there. They looked as serious as the soldiers guarding the county gates. After we got through, I noticed that Uncle Chun and the others also had troubled faces.¡±


    Looking at him, Mr. Tao for an instant was on the verge of saying something but eventually held back the words on the tip of his tongue. After a few moments, he sighed heavily, ¡°It¡¯s a very long story. Now that you¡¯ve checked on us, you should go back straight away. It¡¯s inadvisable for you to linger in this village.¡±


    Wang Sheng knitted his brows. ¡°Father-in-law, how could Xiaomei and I stand by and do nothing if there¡¯s really something going on? Please tell me the truth. Maybe I can help. Besides, if we leave here so soon, it would definitely arouse people¡¯s suspicions.¡±


    Mr. and Mrs. Tao exchanged a glance, both appearing somewhat hesitant.


    Tao Xiaomei, who could also tell that the situation was rather serious, asked, ¡°Father, Mother, is there something you believe you have to keep secret from us?¡±


    Mr. and Mrs. Tao still seemed in deep worry. It was obvious that they wanted to be honest with their daughter and son-in-law, but their misgivings were deterring them from doing that.


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, has someone been bullying you? Tell me who it is and I¡¯ll go and beat them up,¡± offered the boy, throwing his chest out and smacking his palm on it, apprehension written all over his face.


    Mrs. Tao looked at him and chuckled amusedly, ¡°Good boy, you¡¯re twice the man your uncle is.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, why haven¡¯t we seen my big brother and sister-in-law after such a long time? And where is my nephew? All of them are not in?¡± asked Tao Xiaomei bewilderedly.


    The smile on Mrs. Tao¡¯s face vanished at these words and with that Mr. Tao snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t mention them.¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened? Father, Mother, you¡¯ve got to be honest with me. Exactly what happened?!¡± Tao Xiaomei really got anxious.


    Wang Sheng looked out the door. Seeing the driver was returning with the baggage, he said, ¡°Calm down, Xiaomei. Give them some time. I¡¯ll carry those things inside and put them in place.¡±


    Tao Xiaomei also saw the driver coming, so she said no more.


    Wang Sheng and the driver carried the baggage into a wing-room together. After entering, the former said to the driver, ¡°There¡¯s indeed something unusual going on in this village. Chances are that the one we¡¯ve been looking for is hiding right here. I need you to go back first and report this to our boss.¡±


    The driver silently inclined his head, pivoted around, walked out of the house, got onto his carriage, drove out of the front gates of the Tao family and to the entrance of the village, where villagers on guard duty examined his carriage once again. Everybody in this village who¡¯d seen the driver before knew that the man was taciturn. Believing that he was no threat and had stayed in the village only for a short time, they let him go.


    Shortly after the horse-drawn carriage left, someone ran up to the entrance and questioned Adong and the others about the reason why they¡¯d allowed the carriage to leave.


    ¡°It was that driver who drove a couple of people here. We were keeping watch on him. After driving the passengers to the destination, he helped them unload their baggage and then directly left. He lives in the county seat and is a native. If anything goes wrong, we can easily find him, whereas if we¡¯d detained him, those people in the county seat might notice and trace it back to this village. In that case we¡¯d be in serious trouble,¡± explained Adong.


    ¡°Even so, you still shouldn¡¯t have done that without our consent! This kind of thing must not be repeated! You hear me?!¡± huffed the man.


    ¡°Yes,¡± chorused Adong and the others, bowing their heads.


    ¡°Where are his passengers?¡±


    ¡°Still here. They¡¯re Mr. Tao¡¯s daughter and son-in-law. Given that they dismissed the driver, they¡¯ll probably stay here for a couple of days.¡±


    The man¡¯s face softened slightly. ¡°Keep close watch on them. If they want to leave, stop them!¡±


    ¡°We will.¡±


    After the man walked off, Adong and his companions exchanged glances, all looking fairly frustrated.


    Yao Yi and his men saw the whole thing.


    ¡°Captain, do you want that driver tailed?¡±


    Yao Yi replied, ¡°Send a man¨C¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± Someone tore up to them from the distance. It was the man who¡¯d previously been sent back to the county seat to report. ¡°It was the Jiang family who arranged for that carriage to come here. The passengers are the daughter of a family in Taowang Village, her husband and her son. Her parents live in¡­¡±


    The man gave them a detailed description of the location of the Tao family¡¯s house, which was located in the depths of the village.


    After hearing it, Yao Yi said with a bob of the head, ¡°Very good. That driver must be one of them and will no doubt report it to their master after he gets back. We may just focus on the situation in this village. It¡¯s almost certain that Shan Congyi is in there. You guys keep a close eye on residents of this village. I¡¯ll go inside to check out the lay of the land after dark.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Captain, Childe Ling is probably going out of the county seat.¡±


    ¡°Will he be bringing his bodyguards with him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. You guys stay sharp. Childe Ling should arrive shortly before nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, the driver quickly entered the county seat and reported to the storekeeper of that cloth store, from whom Jiang Yu soon received a message before he relayed it to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Young Master, it seems that Shan Congyi is indeed in Taowang Village. Should we go there and catch him right away?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then replied, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Now that we¡¯ve ascertained Shan Congyi¡¯s whereabouts, there¡¯s no way he could escape. Right now what we should do is figure out a way to take advantage of this to capture Shan Congyi, get what he has in hand, and at the same time inflict some casualties on the Jiangzhou garrison, which would make Wang Xiangxin nervous. Only by forcing him into taking action will we be able to help our men in Jiangzhou locate and dispose of his killers sooner. Right now there are three urgent tasks facing us. The first one is to search Taowang Village and confirm that Shan Congyi is indeed in there. The second one is to verify whether or not it is indeed money that Shan Congyi has in hand. The third one is to ascertain if the final destination of the two caravans is Taowang Village. If it is, then there must be something else on their carts. We have to figure out all these things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. My men have been keeping a close eye on the two caravans. Although they¡¯ve split up, they¡¯re indeed approaching Taowang Village constantly, judging from the direction they¡¯ve been going,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang squinted his eyes. ¡°We need to go to Taowang Village as soon as possible and check out the lay of the land first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± said Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhang instructed Wang Dashan and the others to get prepared to exit the county seat. The soldiers guarding the county gates had now been replaced by the General Zhongwu¡¯s trusted men, so they should be able to get through the city gates without being challenged or suspected.


    As for Taowang Village, it was the villagers there that Ling Zhang was rather concerned about. According to the detailed account of events given to him by that carriage driver, residents of Taowang Village had been intentionally helping Shan Congyi question and screen those wanting to go in or out of the village, which meant that those villagers probably had been bought by Shan Congyi and become his flunkeys already. If they¡¯d indeed been bought, Shan Congyi must¡¯ve offered them something. There was no telling how far those villagers would go to get what Shan Congyi had promised them, so this matter must not be taken lightly.


    ¡°Jiang Yu, have your man find us a local to fill us in on the situation of Taowang Village in detail before we set off.¡±


    Jiang Yu instantly caught on to what Ling Zhang meant and immediately left to make arrangements.


    Soon, the storekeeper of the cloth store found them a local carter who traveled to Taowang Village on a frequent basis. Previously this driver had mainly provided services for traders, helping them transport pottery from Taowang Village. Sometimes he would enter the village several times in a day, and sometimes he would stay in Taowang Village for a couple of days, so he couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the situation there. He knew each and every one of the residents there and also had some acquaintance with them. He even had an intimate knowledge of the layout of paths and houses in Taowang Village.


    The carter, after entering, was requested to relate everything he knew about Taowang Village down to the smallest detail, including information about the village head, the total number of villagers, family situation of every household, as well as how things were going in Mr. Tao¡¯s family.


    The carter talked for a solid hour, giving them an exhaustive account of all aspects of Taowang Village. Wang Dashan and some others, according to the carter¡¯s description, drew a detailed map of the village with information about every household on it, highlighting the village head¡¯s and Mr. Tao¡¯s houses.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± After reading the map, Ling Zhang had a general idea of what to expect, so he gave the order to set off.

 Chapter 439 - Theyre Staying Right in the Village Heads House

    Before exiting the city, Ling Zhang had a copy of the map of Taowang Village he¡¯d just obtained delivered to the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). With this detailed map, they could now control all Shan Congyi¡¯s possible escape routes, take precautions and secretly have Taowang Village surrounded lest Shan Congyi fly the coop.


    When Ling Zhang reached the outside of Taowang Village and rendezvoused with the guards, it was nightfall already and Yao Yi was preparing to sneak into the village.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Ling Zhang stopped Yao Yi and then briefed him about the situation in Taowang Village. It was dark and, in order not to attract anybody¡¯s attention, they couldn¡¯t light any torches, so taking out the map wouldn¡¯t do any good and he could only use his words.


    Fortunately Yao Yi was very experienced in this regard. He asked Ling Zhang quite some questions and then an idea of what the inside of Taowang Village was like took form in his mind.


    ¡°This is a token,¡± said Jiang Yu, handing an ID plate to Yao Yi. ¡°You may make contact with Wang Sheng if the occasion arises. Maybe he¡¯ll be able to get some more inside information from his father-in-law. From the vantage of the present, none of the family would be able to leave this village anytime soon, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to go to the trouble of meeting him to get the information he collects, Captain Yao.¡±


    Yao Yi took the plate. ¡°I¡¯ll play it by ear, Childe Ling. There are many hidden sentries posted on the periphery of this village. The villagers were patrolling the perimeter during the daytime. I don¡¯t know whether they¡¯ll come out at night or not. You guys had better be careful.¡±


    ¡°I know. You should keep your eyes peeled as well. There¡¯s no doubt Shan Congyi has some kung fu experts protecting him,¡± cautioned Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I will,¡± Yao Yi answered, pocketed the ID plate and put on a black mask, leaving only his eyes showing. And then, when it was completely dark, he crept towards Taowang Village.


    There were still some villagers on duty at the village entrance after dark, vigilantly guarding the country bridle path leading into the village, appearing so alert as though they could be attacked at any moment. Given that the army in Jiangzhou had been laying low lately, it was only too obvious whom these villagers were keeping an eye out for.


    It was not these villagers but those hidden sentries that Yao Yi needed to avoid being spotted by. Fortunately for him, during the day he¡¯d had some men ascertain the positions of those hidden sentry posts already. Furthermore, he himself had some acquaintance with martial formations typically used by people of the Wan Kingdom, so although it took him some time, eventually he managed to successfully slip into Taowang Village without alarming any of the hidden sentries.


    On entering Taowang Village, Yao Yi discovered that there were hidden sentries inside the village as well, but they were mainly in the midmost of it. There were only one or two sentries in other parts of the village. Compared with the periphery, the security here was much more lax.


    This also indicated that almost all villagers were under their control. Apart from hidden sentries, he also had to elude the villagers.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since night had fallen, and he could still see people walking around from time to time in the village. Yao Yi decided to stay put and wait for some time.


    While he was biding his time, he overheard some private conversations between villagers, all of which were about the same thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so many days, but there¡¯s still no news. How much longer do we have to wait?¡±


    ¡°The village head said we need to be patient, so let¡¯s just show patience.¡±


    ¡°Are those people really reliable? I mean, we don¡¯t even know who they are. We¡¯ve just been through an armed uprising. It really concerns me tha¨C¡±


    ¡°Sh. You have a death wish or something? Don¡¯t ever mention this again. Just be patient and wait.¡±


    Several bands of villagers had passed by, expressing their anxiety directly or indirectly. They were waiting for something, and the ones that had them wait were the head of Taowang Village and the ¡®honored guest¡¯ who was living with the village head, and whom the villagers didn¡¯t even know anything about the identity of.


    Before Yao Yi sneaked in, Ling Zhang had briefed him on the layout of the paths and dwellings inside Taowang Village, so Yao Yi had a mental picture of what this village was like in general, and he knew that the village head¡¯s home was located right in the area where he¡¯d sensed hidden sentries were densely posted. Sited in the midmost of the village, that residence covered a larger area than any of the nearby houses did and counted as a fairly imposing manor house. It was encircled by the most hidden sentries, who were the biggest hindrance to Yao Yi who had to get into that residence to find out if Shan Congyi was really inside.


    Recalling what the General Zhongwu had told him about the frequent deployment of troops in Jiangzhou in the past couple of days, Yao Yi believed that it was very likely there was some kind of connection between that matter and what the villagers were waiting for. He just didn¡¯t know what Shan Congyi was planning to use these villagers to do.


    After doing some careful thinking, Yao Yi decided to wait until the village quieted down to check out the lay of the land first, and then go to find that Wang Sheng guy sent here by Jiang Yu. He hoped that Wang Sheng had wormed some useful information out of his father-in-law¡¯s family.


    ¡­


    ¡°Father, Mother, this is such a serious matter. How could you not have told us about it sooner? We can¡¯t stay here any longer. You need to go back to the county seat with us.¡±


    At this time, the front doors of the Tao family were tightly shut. Even the doors of the rooms inside were all securely closed. The whole family were talking with each other in hushed voices. Tao Xiaomei appeared overwrought, trying to draw her parents out of the house and back to the county seat, consumed with worry.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we could do, Daughter. We would¡¯ve left some time ago if we could get out of this village,¡± breathed Mrs. Tao in a choked voice.


    Mr. Tao also sighed, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have come here at a worse time. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve now been trapped here as well.¡±


    Wang Sheng, while listening to his parents-in-law, cocked an ear at the sounds from outside. Meanwhile, he kept trying to calm down his distraught wife, telling her to keep her voice low.


    ¡°Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Xiaomei, all of you need to cool down a little.¡± Wang Sheng reminded them to lower their voices. He himself also dropped his voice to a whisper. ¡°Judging from my father-in-law¡¯s description, some of those men are kung fu masters. Their senses of hearing are all very sharp. They can hear us from here when we speak louder than usual.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re so far away from there,¡± sniffed Tao Xiaomei, a disbelieving look on her face.


    Wang Sheng clearly knew more and also thought more deeply than his wife did. ¡°They were definitely keeping close watch on us when we entered the village earlier this day. We¡¯re not locals, and we¡¯re even from the county seat. They would never trust anybody who¡¯s not a native of this village. Maybe someone is out there eavesdropping on us right at this very moment, in case we leave this village to tip somebody off.¡±


    Tao Xiaomei blanched, and so did Mr. and Mrs. Tao. The old couple¡¯s faces both registered fear and deep remorse.


    ¡°Had I known about it beforehand, I would never have let you in earlier this day. I should¡¯ve had you leave this village immediately,¡± said Mr. Tao regretfully.


    Wang Sheng shook his head. ¡°Getting out became an almost impossible task the moment we entered this village, but you don¡¯t have to concern yourselves with it, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law. If you have some trust in me, calm yourselves down, because things will take a turn for the better.¡±


    Mr. Tao exchanged a glance with Mrs. Tao and then asked Wang Sheng, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Wang Sheng shook his head again, ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s going to do something. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t ask for any details. All you need to know is that the situation will take a turn for the better. In addition, Xiaomei and I will pretend that we¡¯re staying to help you clean the house and prepare for winter, that we won¡¯t return to the county seat anytime soon. As long as we stay here, they won¡¯t take any further action.¡±


    Tao Xiaomei was confused. ¡°Are you saying we¡¯ll continue to stay here?¡±


    Wang Sheng replied, ¡°We¡¯ll never make it out of here, not on our own. Chances are that early tomorrow morning someone will come here to sound us out about when we plan to leave. Cool down, Xiaomei. We¡¯re to keep ourselves occupied from tomorrow morning. It does no harm for us to take advantage of this opportunity to finish all the household chores for your parents. If anybody asks, tell them that we¡¯ll stay here for a couple of days to help. Don¡¯t disclose anything else. Just pretend you don¡¯t know. As long as we show no inclination to leave, they won¡¯t do anything to us.¡±


    Tao Xiaomei was still quite worried, but she trusted her husband to be someone she could rely on, so she answered with a nod, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You need to keep an eye on Stonie. Do not let him walk out of this house lest he see something he¡¯s not supposed to see and put himself in danger,¡± added Wang Sheng.


    Tao Xiaomei gave another nod nervously. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll keep him within my sights at all times. In no circumstances will I let him go out.¡±


    Seeing their son-in-law had a plan, Mr. and Mrs. Tao gradually collected themselves, the apprehension on their faces dissolving noticeably.


    On the rooftop, Yao Yi, who had stolen around the village once and got a general idea of the structure of the village and also eavesdropped on the private conversations of several families, found Mr. Tao¡¯s house. He arrived just in time to hear this dialogue, forming a judgement of Wang Sheng, believing that he was a smart person and should be quite helpful.


    Yao Yi didn¡¯t go to see Wang Sheng immediately. Instead, he waited until Mr. and Mrs. Tao both turned in to quietly emerge from the darkness and then find Wang Sheng while he was acting alone.


    Wang Sheng was startled by his abrupt appearance, a flicker of vigilance crossing his eyes, but soon he forced himself to regain his composure. ¡°Who are you? Why did you suddenly intrude into our house?¡± he asked.


    Yao Yi made no reply, directly produced the ID plate given to him by Jiang Yu, and handed it to Wang Sheng. ¡°Childe Jiang gave this plate to me. I came to this village to get the lay of the land and make contact with you.¡±


    With a look of surprise and incredulity on his face, Wang Sheng took the ID plate, walked to a brighter spot, scrutinized it and then let out a sigh of relief. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he backtracked and returned the plate to Yao Yi. ¡°Sorry for being rude to you just now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You had every reason to be vigilant. A while ago, when I came here, I spotted someone eavesdropping on you outside this house, but you were inside with all the doors and windows shut, and your voices were low, so he didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± said Yao Yi.


    On hearing this, Wang Sheng was somewhat scared, feeling lucky that he¡¯d been cautious at that time.


    ¡°I got into this village only a short time ago. I walked around and checked most of the houses but didn¡¯t approach the village head¡¯s residence, because the security there was very tight. I need to figure out another way. Do you know what the situation is like in this village?¡± Yao Yi inquired of Wang Sheng after putting away the ID plate.


    Wang Sheng motioned for him to wait a moment. ¡°One moment, please. Let me go and talk to my wife first lest she get worried and make any noises.¡±


    Yao Yi inclined his head. Wang Sheng went to talk with his wife for a brief moment before he returned, ushered Yao Yi into the living room and shut the doors, not daring to light an oil lamp.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°I can hear all movements in and outside this house. If anybody approaches, I¡¯ll tell you, so feel free to say whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to worry about any eavesdropper.¡±


    These words struck Wang Sheng as quite reassuring. ¡°Thanks. Actually I¡¯m deeply concerned. Your presence makes me feel less afraid. The situation in this village is complicated. Those people Childe Jiang is looking for are here. They are staying right in the village head¡¯s residence.¡±


    Wang Sheng related to Yao Yi what had happened after his entry into the village, and then gave him an account of what Mr. Tao had told him.


    ¡°It was five days ago that those people arrived at this village. At that time, villagers here mistakenly believed that those people were a caravan from another prefecture.¡±

 Chapter 440 - Biding His Time

    They entered the village five days before, earlier than the time when residents of the county seat had noticed some out-of-towners whose faces were unfamiliar furtively enter the city to fish for information. It would seem Shan Congyi and his men had long since reconnoitered this area, which was why they¡¯d directly come to Taowang Village.


    In other words, the Wan Kingdom had some time before made preparations for cooperating with the Luohai Kingdom to wade into the matter of Jiangzhou, and there was a very high chance it¡¯d been the Wan Kingdom who¡¯d initiated the cooperation!


    Yao Yi inwardly gave a sneer. The Wan-Kingdom had been in disputes with the Great Wen for a very long time. Also, Yuwen Tong had inflicted many defeats on the Wan Kingdom and Shan Congwen had even died at Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands, so the Wan Kingdom had every reason to hate him more than the Luohai Kingdom did, and it was a natural thing that the Wan Kingdom had taken the lead in throwing Jiangzhou into chaos to make trouble for the Great Wen.


    ¡°All villagers were very happy when the caravan entered their village. They finally saw hope, believing that their pottery would begin to sell, but all members of the caravan were strangers to them, so they were wary of them. At first, the caravan were indeed talking with the villagers about buying their pottery. They seemed to be serious about the business, and the price they offered was pretty decent. All villagers were tempted. However, afterward, members of the caravan suddenly said that the national road had been blockaded, so they were unable to go to Jiangzhou, that even if they bought all the pottery, they wouldn¡¯t be able to transport it elsewhere to sell it. Seeing that things were taking a drastic turn for the worse, the villagers were very anxious. Afterward, for some reason the village head fell prey to the deception of the leader of the caravan and actually agreed to let the caravan stay in the village. The next day, the village head called all villagers together and said that the caravan would buy all their pottery at twice the usual price, but the precondition was that they must help the caravan get to Jiangzhou along the national road.


    An army of the imperial court was stationed near the national road, and the rebel forces in Jiangzhou were also guarding it on the other side. With the limited number of men in the village, helping the caravan get to Jiangzhou along the national road was an impossible task. Everybody felt that the village head and the caravan were insane, and they refused to do that, but then the leader of the caravan said that he¡¯d purchase their pottery at triple its market price, that he would also donate a sum of money to the village. And then he signed an agreement with the village head on the spot. Apart from offering to donate money, members of the caravan also told the villagers that they were acquainted with the general leading the army of the imperial court, that they knew the army would engage the rebel forces in Jiangzhou in the next few days, that all the villagers needed to do was transport the pottery into Jiangzhou when the rebel forces was distracted by the army of the imperial court. Smart people could immediately tell that this matter was not as simple as it seemed, but those people of the caravan were plausible liars and hoodwinked most villagers into believing their words. Having had their way, members of the caravan told the village head to have the young and middle-aged villagers team up and guard the entrance and exits of the village. Villagers were not allowed to go in or out of the village without consent, and strangers were forbidden to enter. If anybody insisted on getting in, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get out.


    A lot of villagers felt that those businessmen were somewhat weird, for they didn¡¯t look like natives of the Great Wen and had many fierce-looking musclemen at their service, so some villagers made an attempt to leave the village, planning to go to the county seat to avoid being dragged into those things, but they got spotted when exiting the village. Those musclemen hired by the caravan caught them, marched them back and then killed them. The one who informed on them was my father-in-law¡¯s son.Read more new novels on Listnovel.com. What with that matter, my father-in-law disowned his son, who, along with his wife and son, have now moved into the village head¡¯s residence, waiting upon those people. After the deaths of those villagers, all the others got scared and also came to realize that this caravan was not what it seemed, but they¡¯re unable to extricate themselves from this situation, because apart from those musclemen, many of the villagers are willingly doing the village head¡¯s and those people¡¯s bidding too. Presently this village is nothing short of a prison.¡±


    Wang Sheng related to Yao Yi all that Mr. Tao had told him about what had recently happened in the village. Then he added, ¡°My father-in-law said that the leader of the caravan is a bearded man, that more than half of that man¡¯s features were obscured by his bushy beard. He¡¯d only seen the leader from a distance a couple of times, so he couldn¡¯t give me a detailed description of his face, but his height and his lanky figure match up with what my boss told me. His demeanor bears little similarity to that of a common businessman, but his aristocratic mien tallies exactly with my boss¡¯ description. Although he speaks in a mild tone, he¡¯s quite ruthless when giving the order to kill. He has high prestige among his men, and nobody dares disobey him. In addition, he has a very strong Wan-Kingdom accent. Given all these facts, he¡¯s almost certainly the person you¡¯ve been looking for.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°I see. That person must be Shan Congyi. Is he still in the village head¡¯s residence?¡±


    Wang Sheng replied with an inclination of the head, ¡°Yeah. My father-in-law said that those people have been staying in the village head¡¯s home all this time. In addition, his men have begun to show up at the village entrance on a regular basis. It seems that they¡¯re expecting someone.¡±


    Yao Yi¡¯s heart lurched and with that he immediately thought of the two caravans. ¡°I think I might have an idea of who they¡¯re expecting.¡±


    ¡°By the way, were those people of that caravan carrying any goods when they first came into this village?¡± asked Yao Yi.


    Wang Sheng answered with a bob of the head, ¡°They were driving six or seven carts, all of which were fully loaded. The consignments seemed to be quite heavy and the horses were straining. The villagers were curious but couldn¡¯t get close to check what the goods were. Those people of the caravan always make sure their goods are securely guarded. Presently they¡¯re all in the village head¡¯s residence. There¡¯s no way any outsiders could gain entry into it.¡±


    Yao Yi gave it some thought. Considering the heavy weight of those things and the tight security, they must be what Shan Congyi was planning to deliver to Jiangzhou, presumably gold and silver ingots.


    After a while, Wang Sheng asked, ¡°Will those people who are coming to this village be a threat to the safety of the villagers here?¡±


    Yao Yi looked at him. ¡°Since they want the villagers to help ship their goods out of this place, no harm will come to any of them before those people achieve their ends, but in no circumstances will we let them transfer those things, so there will surely be conflicts, and when that happens, the villagers would very likely be used as human shields. If they are to survive, they must be informed of the truth and convinced to follow our plan when that day comes lest they fall victim.¡±


    Wang Sheng was both anxious and apprehensive. ¡°But most villagers have been brainwashed. If we try to persuade them, those people will find out very soon.¡±


    Yao Yi said, ¡°Then just do you best and convince as many as you can.¡±


    After clapping Wang Sheng on the shoulder, he continued, ¡°Those people are from the Wan Kingdom. They plan to transport something to Jiangzhou to help the rebel forces there grow stronger. This small county is the closest to Jiangzhou, so when a fight breaks out, it¡¯ll be the first to take the brunt of the enemy¡¯s attack and these villagers won¡¯t be the only victims. Besides, it could be said that those who refuse to see sense deserve to die, and there¡¯s nothing anybody could do to make a difference for that matter.¡±


    Wang Sheng sighed, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll tell my father-in-law about this. He knows of the situation better than I do. We¡¯ll put out feelers first and see how many of them might be swayed.¡±


    ¡°Be extra careful. On no account should you alert any of those people. Otherwise this whole village would be wiped out.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Immediately after Wang Sheng stopped speaking, he opened his mouth again, hesitating about whether to say the words that had sprung to the tip of his tongue. Yao Yi looked at him for a while before he got a shrewd idea what Wang Sheng wanted to say and asked, ¡°Are you worried that you might not be able to ensure the safety of your wife and son?¡±


    Wang Sheng nodded. ¡°I should never have allowed them to come here with me.¡±


    Yao Yi consoled him, ¡°We¡¯ll send some men to this village and protect as many people as we can.¡±


    Wang Sheng was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡±


    Yao Yi slightly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do. Well, I need to get back and report all this to my master. You guys be careful. Now that it¡¯s been confirmed that those people are indeed hiding in the village head¡¯s residence, you should put your personal safety first and leave the other matters aside.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Wang Sheng.


    Thus, Yao Yi finished his talk with Wang Sheng and quietly left.


    Before leaving the village, Yao Yi in the dark glanced in the direction of the central area of the village. Shan Congyi and his men were lurking in Taowang Village, intending to use the villagers here as cannon fodder, which was a quite wily plan. Previously the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army had killed numerous civilians in the borderlands and plundered countless households of their valuables. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that afterward the Great Wen¡¯s army had got the upper hand, and that Yuwen Tong, after becoming a marshal, had never allowed the Wan Kingdom the slightest chance to turn the tide, there was no telling how many more people would have fallen victim to the Wan Kingdom.


    The Wan Kingdom was an old opponent, an old foe, and Yao Yi felt deep resentment towards it, the expression in his eyes heavy with apathy and repulsion.


    Before daybreak, under the cover of the dark night, Yao Yi slunk out of the village.


    At this time, Ling Zhang and the others had just eluded a patrol made by some hidden sentries.


    As Yao Yi returned, Ling Zhang sensed the brooding air radiating from him and came to realize that Yao Yi must have discovered something unpleasant in the village. ¡°So what¡¯s the situation like in the village?¡± he asked.


    Yao Yi gave Ling Zhang a detailed account of what he¡¯d observed as well as what Wang Sheng had told him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s hands abruptly balled into fists after hearing the story. ¡°These contemptible bastards of the Wan Kingdom are actually planning to use these villagers of the Great Wen as human shields.¡±


    The others were also filled with indignation. Had they not had orders to stick to the plan, they would charge into the village immediately and kill Shan Congyi and all his men.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Wang Sheng wouldn¡¯t be able to get many villagers to see reason, so we need to psych ourselves up. If things go south, we should try not to hurt those villagers unless we have to,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Those villagers who¡¯d been misled were still subjects of the Great Wen after all. However¡­


    ¡°The village head of Taowang Village must die. Also, those who knew members of the caravan harbored evil intentions but still chose to serve them for money may be spared from death, but they must be punished according to the law. Under no circumstances should we let them get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    Those who¡¯d chosen to help the caravan knowing that they were evildoers were not only stupid but also malicious, so they must not be let off!


    After that, Ling Zhang made arrangements for some men to enter the village to secretly keep watch on the activities inside. The General Zhongwu probably had got the message already and would soon arrive, and when he did, they would finalize a plan and then wait for Shan Congyi and his allies in Jiangzhou to make their move.


    Yao Yi took two men and sneaked back into Taowang Village.


    Ling Zhang, along with the rest of the group, continued to stake out the village. Shortly before dawn, the General Zhongwu quietly showed up with some of his subordinates.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to bow before you, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, General. Thank you for coming here on such short notice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my job, Childe Ling. How are things going in the village?¡±


    Ling Zhang filled him in on the current situation. After hearing it, the General Zhongwu called his lieutenant over and expounded to Ling Zhang the plan they¡¯d formulated about how to deal with the rebel forces in Jiangzhou. Now they had to make some changes to it in light of the action Shan Congyi and his men might take.

 Chapter 441 - The Day Before the Operation

    Early in the morning. Taowang Village.


    Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei, who¡¯d got up at a very early hour, were helping Mr. Tao clean the house.


    A knock came to the front doors. Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei exchanged a glance as Mr. Tao walked up to open them.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming. Who is it that¡¯s making a visit at such an early hour?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Tao Jiu. Brother Shou, I heard that your son-in-law and Xiaomei are here to look you up.¡±


    After Mr. Tao opened the doors, someone entered. It was a male local villager about fifty or so, whose eyes started to rove around the house as soon as he walked inside. At the sight of Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei stacking firewood with their faces beaded with perspiration, his expression was wooden for an instant.


    ¡°Oh, Uncle Jiu. What brings you here? Is it because you have some good news for us that you¡¯re dropping by so early?¡± Tao Xiaomei asked him with a smile, wiping her dirty hands on the lower hem of her coat.


    Looking at Tao Xiaomei¡¯s smiling face, Tao Jiu jerked out of his trance. ¡°Well, what kind of good news could there possibly be in these trying times? I heard you and Wang Sheng came back here to visit your parents, so I decided to drop in on you. It¡¯s said that you and Wang Sheng made a fortune in the county seat. You must¡¯ve brought your parents some good stuff, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re teasing me, Uncle Jiu. It¡¯s just some rice and flour. Wang Sheng and I happen to have some free time, so we brought Stonie back here to spend a couple of days with my parents and, for good measure, help them with the cleaning and other household chores,¡± beamed Tao Xiaomei, a twinkle in her eyes.


    Tao Jiu didn¡¯t perceive anything out of the ordinary from Tao Xiaomei¡¯s countenance, and Wang Sheng was up to his neck in odd jobs. Seeing Tao Jiu walking over, Wang Sheng raised his hand and greeted him, smiling, wiping the sweat off.


    ¡°Your parents are so lucky to have you and Wang Sheng who could come back here to give them a hand with domestic chores from time to time. How I wish my married daughters could do the same thing for me as you do for your parents,¡± sighed Tao Jiu.


    Tao Xiaomei said, ¡°Uncle Jiu, unlike me, your daughters¡¯ husbands live far away. Even if they want to come here to help you, the journey would take them quite some time. Maybe they¡¯ll show up in a couple of days. You never know.¡±


    Mr. Tao backed her up, steering the conversation to Tao Jiu¡¯s daughters and their husbands who resided in another prefecture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Father. Lead Uncle Jiu to the living room. I¡¯ll go and get the food Mother has prepared so we can have breakfast,¡± said Tao Xiaomei.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Come in here, Tao Jiu,¡± Mr. Tao said to Tao Jiu.


    Smiling, Tao Jiu followed Mr. Tao into the courtyard and then the house, affectedly saying that he didn¡¯t want to impose. Tao Jiu¡¯s eyes were darting around the house all the time, mainly observing Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei, but the former was working his fingers to the bone, bare-chested, drenched with sweat. The latter was also fully occupied. Both the husband and the wife were acting normally.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    After walking into the house, he noticed that Stonie was present. The boy had just woken from sleep and was still somewhat drowsy as he saw Tao Jiu and Mr. Tao entering.


    ¡°Stonie, come here and greet Great-uncle Jiu.¡±


    ¡°Great-uncle.¡±


    ¡°Good boy,¡± beamed Tao Jiu. He looked at Stonie and then glanced around the house. Having found nothing suspicious whatsoever, he finally stopped casting searching looks in all directions.


    Mr. Tao, who¡¯d been pretending not to notice any of Tao Jiu¡¯s appraising glances, poured him a cup of tea and said, ¡°My wife is making steamed buns, using the flour Xiaomei brought back yesterday. She said that the flour was produced in a new mill in the county seat, that it¡¯s finer than the flour made in any of the other mills. You should give it a try later.¡±


    Tao Jiu said, ¡°Brother Shou, Xiaomei got herself a good husband. Just now I saw that Wang Sheng was sweating buckets from the effort of doing household chores, but there¡¯s no reluctance on his face. Young men with such filial affection are quite rare these days. None of my sons-in-law compares with him in this regard. They barely visit me, and even if they come, they never lift a hand to help around the house.¡±


    ¡°Wang Sheng is indeed a good man, and he lives close by, so he comes here to help me out pretty often. The couple of sons-in-law of yours are too far away. It¡¯s inconvenient for them to visit you on a frequent basis, not that they¡¯re unwilling to share your burden.¡± Mr. Tao started making chit-chat with Tao Jiu, catering to his interest, not mentioning anything about other issues.


    Having looked all around the house, Tao Jiu believed that he had got the lay of the land. After a while, he asked Mr. Tao in a hushed voice, ¡°Brother Shou, have you disclosed that matter to Xiaomei and Wang Sheng?¡±


    Mr. Tao replied with a cautious shake of his head, ¡°Not yet, but they insist on staying here to help with the chores. I have no idea how much longer I¡¯ll be able to conceal it from them.¡±


    Tao Jiu immediately said, ¡°Just keep it secret from them. It¡¯ll be over in a couple of days anyway. I¡¯ll tell the others in this village to be careful not to let slip anything when they¡¯re talking with Xiaomei or Wang Sheng. Now that they¡¯ve entered this village, it won¡¯t be easy for them to get out, so we should keep them in the dark about it lest they get scared.¡±


    The last remark of Tao Jiu¡¯s contained an undertone of threat. Mr. Tao, who sensed it distinctly, said, ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell them anything.¡±


    Tao Jiu didn¡¯t dare offend Mr. Tao further, because apart from anything else, Mr. Tao¡¯s son was now working for the village head and very much in his good graces. ¡°Did you tell Xiaomei about your son?¡±


    ¡°I just said that the village head sent him somewhere to attend to something for him,¡± answered Mr. Tao.


    Tao Jiu inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to your son and caution him to avoid being seen by Xiaomei or Wang Sheng.¡±


    Mr. Tao snorted coldly, ¡°I doubt he¡¯d have the guts to show his face in this house again.¡±


    Tao Jiu placed a consoling hand on Mr. Tao¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Brother Shou, you should be more open-minded. After all, things have already come to this and there¡¯s nothing either of us could do to make a difference, so we might as well dismiss the misgivings and go the whole hog. Don¡¯t you think so? You see, both your daughter and your son-in-law are here. Even if the consideration of your and your wife¡¯s interests is not enough to have you change your mind, you at least should think about the two of them, right?¡±


    Mr. Tao kept silent for quite a while before he said, ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    Tao Jiu immediately grinned, ¡°I always know you¡¯re a sensible man, Brother Shou.¡±


    After a while, Mrs. Tao and Tao Xiaomei brought the food outside. Tao Jiu made no more remarks on that matter, helped himself with a steamed bun and then took his leave.


    The moment he left, Mr. Tao gave Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei a significant look, and with that the latter two both sighed in relief, feeling that they¡¯d finally got themselves a respite.


    Tao Jiu, after leaving Mr. Tao¡¯s home, went to the village head¡¯s residence and told him about his observation. The village head was an old man in his thirties, who was richly dressed and looked like a moneybags. When Tao Jiu had finished speaking, he said, ¡°Tao Shou is lucky to have enough sense to listen to reason. Otherwise we¡¯d have no choice but to dispose of his daughter¡¯s whole family.¡±


    ¡°Should I continue to keep watch on them?¡± asked Tao Jiu.


    The village head snorted, ¡°It¡¯s pointless to waste any time on them. Just have someone stake out that house and make sure they don¡¯t walk to other areas of the village. Tao Shou is only human. There¡¯s no doubt he¡¯s afraid of death and values his life as much as the next person. I doubt he dares to risk the lives of her daughter¡¯s whole family.¡±


    ¡°I know what to do. I¡¯ll have a word with his son and tell him not to go back home,¡± said Tao Jiu.


    ¡°Um,¡± answered the village head in a quite nonchalant tone. Taowang Village was large. Every year some caravans came here to purchase pottery, and the village head always acted as go-between for them, getting a certain amount of commission on everything the villagers sold, which was why he was the wealthiest man in the whole village. Presently most villagers were frantic with worry because their pottery was not selling, but the village head was totally unconcerned, for he still had a lot of money in hand. Theoretically, he was not supposed to accept those people¡¯s terms, but they¡¯d offered him a large sum of money, and nobody could have too much money, so he¡¯d agreed with barely any hesitation.


    Tao Jiu could tell from the village head¡¯s attitude that the latter was running out of patience with the matter of Tao Shou¡¯s family. Knowing that he¡¯d definitely get himself in trouble if he stayed any longer, he hastened to take his leave.


    No sooner had Tao Jiu left than a man dressed like a bodyguard entered the house to talk with the village head. Tao Jiu glanced over his shoulder at them and gave a shudder. The sight of any of the musclemen of the caravan still gave him the willies, and the faces of the couple of people who¡¯d been beaten to death that day were still vivid in his memory.


    ¡­


    Yao Yi took some men, sneaked into the village and secretly stayed in the Tao family. Wang Sheng informed him that someone had come to sound them out in the morning.


    ¡°At this point in time they don¡¯t want to raise any new issues either. As long as you lay low, they won¡¯t do anything to you,¡± Yao Yi consoled him.


    Wang Sheng bobbed his head, feeling greatly relieved.


    Earlier this day Wang Sheng had conferred with Mr. Tao about how to make contact with those who were doing the village head¡¯s and the caravan¡¯s bidding under duress, and how to caution them to take cover when a fight broke out, so that they wouldn¡¯t fall victim to the imminent conflict. However, after what had happened in the morning, Wang Sheng still felt under pressure. Currently the villagers¡¯ every move was being kept under observation, which made how to get in touch with the villagers and convince them a problem. To make things worse, they really didn¡¯t have much time left.


    It would happen in merely a day or two¡­


    Outside the village, Ling Zhang and the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) had finalized their plan. After arranging for some men to continue staking out Taowang Village, he and the general covertly returned to the military encampment. Deployment of troops in Jiangzhou was getting increasingly frequent, and messages from Taowang Village also suggested that the enemy would take action in the next few days. Barring accidents, they would make their move the next night.


    They needed to make preparations for the execution of the plan as soon as possible. Ling Zhang¡¯s twenty-four bodyguards were adept at martial formations, so they were assigned the task of stalling Shan Congyi and his men. The General Zhongwu would lure the rebel forces deep into this county and inflict as many casualties on them as he could. On top of that, this time around it was very likely that Wang Xiangxin would direct the rebel army personally. If they could find Wang Xiangxin, it would be perfect.


    As Ling Zhang and his bodyguards were supposed to stall Shan Congyi¡¯s men, they had to find a spot suitable for carrying out the plan lest Shan Congyi escape.


    Ling Zhang and Yao Yi carefully studied the routes between Taowang Village and the checkpoint. Eventually they selected a location and decided to do it there. Thus they had to go there to make some preparations. At the same time, the two caravans, which had previously left the county seat on the pretext of going to nearby villages to purchase goods, were slowly approaching Taowang Village. A guard on sentry duty spotted them and immediately sent Ling Zhang a message.


    Ling Zhang, on receiving the message, quickly returned. At this time the two caravans were very close to Taowang Village. Guards outside the village could vaguely see those people¡¯s figures in the distance. The two caravans had ten vehicles in total, including carriages and handcarts. Given the watchful expressions on their faces, there was undoubtedly something else among their goods.


    The caravans were stopped at the entrance of the village, but soon someone came out. Distantly, Ling Zhang looked at that man who¡¯d gone to the entrance to meet the caravans. It struck him that the man seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d seen that person before.


    ¡°He¡¯s that envoy serving Shan Congyi. I think he¡¯s Shan Congyi¡¯s henchman. He lives in the Abode of Prince Yi. Like Shan Congyi, he¡¯s on diplomatic missions quite often. When Shan Congyi went to the capital city, this man was accompanying him. Right now he¡¯s in disguise, but his figure and gait remain unchanged,¡± said a bodyguard.


    The light dawned on Ling Zhang at these words. No matter that man looked so familiar.

 Chapter 442 - They Want Us to Steal for Them

    ¡°What happened, Father? And what¡¯s that in your hand?¡±


    At the sight of Mr. Tao storming back home with anger written all over his face, Tao Xiaomei hurried up to him, offering to hold his bag for him.


    Mr. Tao declined her offer. Gripping the bad, he huffed, ¡°Close the front gates and go inside. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±


    Tao Xiaomei hastily went to shut the front gates and then called Mrs. Tao, Wang Sheng and Stonie into the house. As soon as the whole family were inside the house, Tao Xiaomei closed the doors and they all clustered around Mr. Tao.


    Looking at the bag on the table, Wang Sheng walked over and opened it only to find that inside it were clothes, all of which were black. There were also some black cloth masks. Surprised by these things, Wang Sheng asked, ¡°Where did you get these clothes, Father-in-law?¡±


    Mr. Tao smoldered for quite a while before he replied, ¡°That unfilial son of mine gave these to me. I¡¯m not the only one. Every family in this village received a bag of this kind of stuff. Those people said all of us are to change into these clothes and wear the black masks tomorrow. You know what they want us to do? They want us to steal for them! I always knew those people harbor evil intentions and would lead everyone in this village to their doom, but the village head and the others wouldn¡¯t listen to me. They even colluded with them and killed all those who tried to flee this village. Those conscienceless bastards!¡±


    Wang Sheng was taken aback. Those people wanted them to put on these black clothes and masks and then transfer their goods out of the village for them? He knew some inside information and was aware that those people of the caravan didn¡¯t have any contacts whatsoever in the army of the imperial court, that it was the rebel forces in Jiangzhou that they were in cahoots with! If the villagers charged onto the battlefield clothed in this kind of outfits, they would only end up being killed by the troops of the imperial court before they could explain themselves! This was such a venomous stratagem. Those people were sending the villagers on an apparently suicidal mission!


    This was bad. He needed to tell this to the couple of men that had slipped into this village as soon as possible.


    Wang Sheng was anxious, but he was the only one knowing about the couple of men¡¯s infiltration into this village. It was inconvenient to make contact with them during daytime, so he¡¯d have to wait until night fell.


    ¡°Father-in-law, did they mention at what time they¡¯ll make their move tomorrow?¡±


    Mr. Tao responded, ¡°They said they¡¯d do it tomorrow afternoon. The weather hasn¡¯t been very good lately. Tomorrow¡¯s going to be a cloudy day, and there might even be some rain.¡±


    Rain? That would make the situation even more troublesome. Those thugs had actually thought of taking advantage of the weather. The army of the imperial court would have a difficult job catching them in a cloudy and rainy day. Those ruffians were such wily old foxes!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father-in-law. For the moment we may just stick to our plan. In no circumstances should we join those criminals to work against the army of the imperial court tomorrow.¡±


    With a grave look on his face, Mr. Tao inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the others at dusk. Wang Sheng, are those people you mentioned really going to protect us?¡±


    Wang Sheng replied, ¡°Yeah. I trust them. All we need to do is follow the plan.¡±


    On hearing this, Mr. Tao dismissed his misgivings and decided to go out to inform the others at nightfall.


    At dusk, Mr. Tao did leave home, but he didn¡¯t go far away and just paid a visit to a nearby family, saying that he needed to borrow some soy sauce to saut¨¦ food. In the kitchen, he took advantage of the opportunity and had a word with his old bosom buddy, dropping a hint to him.


    Meanwhile, Wang Sheng quietly went to a secluded spot in the back yard. On the surface he seemed to be stacking firewood, but actually he was talking with Yao Yi.


    Wang Sheng related that Mr. Tao had received a bag of clothes during the day, that the villagers had been required to change into those outfits and use black cloth to cover their faces.


    Yao Yi said, ¡°I saw it in another place earlier this day. They don¡¯t dare reveal their true identities and could only pose as rebels. The villagers here will be their human shields. Tomorrow, I want you to take all your family and¡­¡±


    Yao Yi expounded to Wang Sheng his plan for the next afternoon, the latter¡¯s face gradually softening as he listened. When Yao Yi had stopped speaking, Wang Sheng said with a serious inclination of the head, ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll get it done.¡±


    ¡°By the way, tell your wife that tomorrow, in order to make it more convenient to carry out the plan, one of my men will disguise himself as her and join you. Make sure your son stays close to that man. We¡¯ll keep him safe,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Wang Sheng was delighted. ¡°Okay. I will. Thank you, Captain!¡±


    The safety of his wife and son was what concerned Wang Sheng the most. Now that his wife wouldn¡¯t have to go to the battlefield and his son would be under protection, he found this plan perfect.


    Though overjoyed, Wang Sheng didn¡¯t forget to mention to Yao Yi that it might rain the next day.


    Yao Yi, who had made an educated guess about the next day¡¯s weather already, replied, ¡°I know. All you need to do tomorrow is follow the plan.¡±


    Relieved, Wang Sheng put the firewood in place and then hastened back to the front yard. Late that night, he woke up Tao Xiaomei and told her everything.


    Tao Xiaomei was shocked, but she¡¯d always known part of the reason why this time around they¡¯d come back to this village, so she soon collected herself.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do, darling? Can¡¯t I take Stonie with me?¡±


    Wang Sheng answered, ¡°They¡¯ll secretly get you out of this village and take you to Xiaofeng Village, where you¡¯ll be waiting for us. Stonie can¡¯t go with you. If he does, those people will notice and become suspicious.¡±


    In her anxiety, Tao Xiaomei asked Wang Sheng to beg Yao Yi and the others to let her son go with her.


    ¡°Pull yourself together, Xiaomei. Stonie¡¯s sudden disappearance would rouse those people¡¯s suspicions. In that case, not only me but also your parents will be killed.¡±


    Wang Sheng¡¯s words cooled Tao Xiaomei off. It was a long moment before she, fighting back her tears, said, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll wait for you in Xiaofeng Village. When will that man come here to impersonate me?¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± replied Wang Sheng.


    Wang Sheng had just finished speaking when the door of the bedroom slightly moved.


    Tao Xiaomei was taken aback. Wang Sheng put a finger to his lips. ¡°Sh.¡±


    Then he hissed, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± said Yao Yi¡¯s voice.


    Wang Sheng heaved a sigh of relief and told Tao Xiaomei to relax, saying that the one outside was their helper.


    Yao Yi walked inside and up to them, acknowledged Tao Xiaomei with a slight inclination of the head and then said to Wang Sheng, ¡°We may get started if you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Wang Sheng said, ¡°We¡¯re ready. What do we have to do?¡±


    Yao Yi said to them, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Soon another two men entered, quickly covered all windows in the room with thick black fabric, and then did the same thing to the door. After checking that no light could leak out, they lighted the oil lamp in the room.


    Yao Yi said to Tao Xiaomei, ¡°Please come here and take a seat. And, what I¡¯m going to do might strike you as a little offensive.¡±


    Troubled and uneasy, Tao Xiaomei sat beside the table. Yao Yi put on a pair of thin black gloves made of a kind of special material, walked up to Tao Xiaomei, reached out a hand to hold her head steady, and then felt her parietal bone, cheekbones, temporal bones, nasal bone, maxilla and jawbone with his other hand. Having got the information he needed about her face, he took his hands off her.


    Yao Yi and the other two men were all in disguise. Their features had been altered, but what with the poise in their eyes, Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng didn¡¯t dare speak. Tao Xiaomei was quite nervous when Yao Yi checked her face. When Yao Yi had taken his hands off her, she gave a gasp of relief.


    ¡°Sorry. In order to impersonate you, I need to get detailed information about the contours of your face,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng saw Yao Yi call a young man up to him, have him sit down in the brightest spot and then open a chest he¡¯d carried into the room.


    Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei exchanged apprehensive glances, having no idea what Yao Yi was going to do.


    The guard sitting beside the oil lamp was about Tao Xiaomei¡¯s height. He was sitting there quietly, waiting for Yao Yi to disguise him.


    When Yao Yi started to disguise the guard, Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei were both thunderstruck. Firstly, they¡¯d never seen this kind of disguise skills before; secondly, this guard was a man, and Tao Xiaomei was a woman.


    ¡°Captain, are¨Care you sure this will work? My wife¡¯s a woman, and thi¨Cthis gentleman here is a man. They¡¯ll see through it,¡± said Wang Sheng, a look of surprise and incredulity on his face.


    ¡°Relax. Nobody¡¯s going to see through it,¡± replied Yao Yi calmly.


    Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei were both fretful, but neither of them dared move. Yao Yi kept working on the guard¡¯s face, occasionally glancing at Tao Xiaomei to confirm something, but most of the time he was quite confident.


    After about two hours, the guard¡¯s face and hairstyle looked exactly the same as Tao Xiaomei¡¯s.


    Tao Xiaomei clapped her hands to her mouth, staring fixedly at the guard¡¯s face, fearing that she might dissolve into scream.


    Wang Sheng was also dumbstruck. He had once heard that some people in Jianghu had divine disguise skills, but he¡¯d always believed that it was a wild exaggeration. It¡¯d never crossed his mind that one day he¡¯d be able to see it with his own eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not finished yet.¡±


    Yao Yi began to work on the Adam¡¯s apple of the guard. When he¡¯d finished, the guard was nothing short of Tao Xiaomei¡¯s doppelganger. The guard was slimmer than Tao Xiaomei, his neck considerably thinner than hers, but after Yao Yi disguised him, their necks appeared the same.


    ¡°Now bring me a set of clothes of yours, the kind you wear at ordinary times,¡± Yao Yi said to Tao Xiaomei.


    Bobbing her head, Tao Xiaomei immediately rose to her feet and went to the wardrobe, tense and excited, unable to believe what she¡¯d just seen. Her hands were still shaking as she rifled through her clothes.


    The guard changed into Tao Xiaomei¡¯s clothes and then stuffed something into his bosom. After that, he and Tao Xiaomei looked as though they were cut from the same cloth.


    ¡°Done. My man will stay here impersonating Tao Xiaomei. Tomorrow he¡¯ll go to the battlefield with you. Now come with us, Tao Xiaomei. Do not make any sound on the way out. I¡¯ll hit your Dumbness Acupoint, just in case, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll undo it when we¡¯re out of this village,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Having seen what Yao Yi could do with his superb disguise skills, Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng now had absolute and complete trust in Yao Yi, so they agreed without a second thought.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll keep our son and my parents safe, darling,¡± Tao Xiaomei said to Wang Sheng at the moment of parting.


    Wang Sheng held her hands. ¡°I promise they¡¯ll stay alive as long as I still draw breath.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have to return to this village before daybreak after getting you out,¡± urged Yao Yi.


    Tao Xiaomei appeared reluctant. Wang Sheng clenched his teeth and walked her out of the room. And then Yao Yi struck her Dumbness Acupoint and took her away.


    The fake Tao Xiaomei said to Wang Sheng, ¡°There¡¯s still some time before dawn and you may catch up on your sleep, but first I need you to tell me all the details about your wife¡¯s dealings with your other family members.¡±


    His voice was also the same as Tao Xiaomei¡¯s, which startled Wang Sheng, who for an instant mistakenly believed that his wife was still in the room. Cold sweat breaking out over his back due to the shock, he tremulously filled the guard in on Tao Xiaomei¡¯s usual manner and her attitude towards Stonie, Mr. and Mrs. Tao down to the smallest detail.

 Chapter 443 - An Ambush

    Wang Sheng¡¯s mouth was almost dry from the long talk. When lying back onto his bed, he still felt that what was happening was somewhat unreal, so he stole a glance at the guard impersonating Tao Xiaomei, bewilderedly wondering if he was in a dream.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked the guard, who was resting his mind with his eyes closed. He knew that Wang Sheng was looking at him, though he didn¡¯t open his eyes.


    The man¡¯s voice made Wang Sheng jump, jerking him out of his trance. ¡°Nothing, nothing. You may continue.¡±


    Wang Sheng hastily shut his eyes, not daring to let his mind wander again.


    The next day, after daybreak, Wang Sheng and the guard walked out of the bedroom and started doing household chores as usual, pretending nothing had happened. Mr. and Mrs. Tao and their grandson, Stonie, all didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary about ¡®Tao Xiaomei¡¯. Secretly relieved, Wang Sheng was once again awed by the miraculousness of the disguise skills and also astonished that the guard could actually speak in a female voice.


    As noon drew near, the atmosphere in the house grew increasingly stressed and subdued. Wang Sheng drummed it into Stonie that he was to stay close to ¡®Tao Xiaomei¡¯ at all times, that on no account should he lag behind. His words made Stonie quite nervous and even faintly scared.


    The guard drew the boy over and consoled him, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous. Just stay close to me.¡±


    Stonie looked up at the guard, finding the tone of ¡®his mother¡¯ somewhat strange, but there seemed to be some kind of power contained in those words, which struck him as reassuring. The boy nodded vigorously.


    Wang Sheng also cautioned Mr. and Mrs. Tao about what they needed to do. The old couple also repeatedly promised they wouldn¡¯t forget.


    In comparison with the stressed and subdued mood in the Tao family, the atmosphere outside was one of excitement and expectation. A lot of people were anticipating the arrival of that moment.


    After lunch, when every member of the Tao family¡¯s nerves were on edge, someone knocked on their door. It was a man who came to check whether or not they¡¯d changed. He also told them to get ready to go to the village square to assemble at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Mr. and Mrs. Tao were walking in front, Wang Sheng and the guard following in their wake, taking Stonie with them. As they exited the courtyard, they found that all the other villagers were also headed in the direction of the square.


    The square was sited in the midmost of the village, in front of the village head¡¯s residence.


    Most villagers had already arrived, the village head standing at the front. Members of the caravan were also present, all clothed in skintight black outfits, eyeing the villagers ferociously. Everybody on the square was dressed in black. The large black crowd struck people as some kind of bad omen.


    ¡°Is everybody here now?¡± asked the village head aloud. ¡°Next you¡¯re to help our honored guest transport his goods to the checkpoint. If we get the job done, our honored guest will give us everything he promised us, and we¡¯ll never have to worry about the sale of our pottery or food or money again. This is a godsend for Taowang Village. You must accomplish the task!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Many of the villagers were fanatical supporters of the village head, but there were also some who, like the Tao family, agreed to help because they didn¡¯t have a choice.


    Wang Sheng¡¯s eyes swept across the village head¡¯s face and then rested on the so-called ¡®honored guest¡¯ standing before the village head. He knew that that man was the very person his boss was looking for. The man¡¯s bushy beard obscured more than half of his face, making it impossible for others to get a clear view of his features. He seemed to be¡­ much stronger than his father-in-law had said he was. Even the man¡¯s eyes, which his father-in-law had described as ¡°mild¡±, appeared quite fierce at this moment. Wang Sheng couldn¡¯t help but feel worried, unsure whether he¡¯d got the wrong person.Read latest chapters at Listnovel.com


    He nervously asked the guard impersonating Tao Xiaomei, ¡°Sir, do you think it¡¯s possible that we got the wrong person?¡±


    Got the wrong person? The guard asked Wang Sheng what he meant and the latter explained to him. Then the guard said, ¡°He¡¯s wearing disguise.¡±


    Light suddenly dawned on Wang Sheng. ¡°Just like you?¡±


    The guard replied with a slight nod, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me again, and don¡¯t speak unless you have to. Be careful not to rouse their suspicions.¡±


    Wang Sheng hastened to shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word.


    The villagers finished assembling. Almost the whole village were present. Young children who were unable to keep pace with the adults were staying, but all those over ten years old were going.


    ¡°All right. Now follow the instructions. Go there to carry the goods.¡±


    ¡­


    Outside the village.


    ¡°Childe Ling, they¡¯re making their move.¡±


    Ling Zhang said with a head bob, ¡°Tell everybody to get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    Meanwhile, there was an escalation in the activities of the rebel soldiers stationed near the checkpoint in Jiangzhou. The army of the imperial court, under orders from the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor), had mobilized, poised to attack.


    It was now afternoon and the sky began to darken, threatening rain.


    Finally, some movements broke the semblance of quiet of Taowang Village. Distantly, Ling Zhang and the others could see a group of masked villagers in black walking out of the entrance of the village, who were carrying bags on their backs or shoulders or pushing wheelbarrows laden with goods.


    ¡°Hidden among those goods is gold. We¡¯ve confirmed it.¡±


    Yao Yi had returned from inside Taowang Village after he found solid proof that concealed amid those goods were indeed the gold ingots which they¡¯d always conjectured Shan Congyi would transport to Jiangzhou.


    The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes went cold. Staring at those musclemen from the Wan Kingdom who were going out with the villagers, he said, ¡°Good. Now that they¡¯ve come, we¡¯re not letting them return.¡±


    ¡­


    Those were not common goods at all and were all very heavy, and all the villagers were having a tough time transferring them, but anybody lagging behind would be dressed down and whipped by the musclemen. Worse still, their fellow-villagers would hurl abuse at them too.


    ¡°These bastards.¡± Mr. Tao muttered a curse. ¡°How could they do this to their fellow-villagers? Their conscience must¡¯ve been eaten by dogs.¡±


    Seeing some people were being insulted by their fellow-villagers, Mr. Tao was consumed with anger and intended to stick up for them.


    Wang Sheng hurriedly seized his arm to stop him. ¡°Calm down, Father-in-law. We can¡¯t afford to get ourselves into any trouble at this point in time.¡±


    Those musclemen were keeping close watch on them. If Mr. Tao walked up to and confronted those who were insulting their fellow-villagers, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference and would only serve to attract those musclemen¡¯s attention. If things came to that, it would be very difficult for them to carry out their plan.


    Teeth clenched, Mr. Tao hesitated for quite a while before he resignedly gave up. Of advanced years and having much less physical strength than he used to have when in the prime of life, he wouldn¡¯t be able to last long if he carried a bag of goods on his shoulder, so he, along with his wife, his ¡®daughter¡¯ and his grandson, were pushing a handcart, which was also fully loaded with goods. The ¡®Tao Xiaomei¡¯ accompanying them was a fake and had great strength. Because of his secret help, Mr. and Mrs. Tao hardly needed to exert themselves. Still, the guard had to do it covertly lest anybody become suspicious.


    Wang Sheng, who was carrying a bag on his back, was progressing much more strenuously, hunched from the effort.


    Hidden among these goods were heavy, solid, gold ingots.


    The residents of Taowang Village were proceeding arduously. Ling Zhang and his men were tailing them, maintaining a long distance from them, subduing their rage and urges to kill those people from the Wan Kingdom, waiting for them to walk into the trap that had been laid for them.


    The team traveled for a very long time. Dark clouds began to mass on the horizon, gusts of wind picking up, thunder rumbling in the sky. This kind of weather, naturally, lowered the visibility considerably, and the villagers had no choice but to slow down. The musclemen from the Wan Kingdom started to hurry them. ¡°Move faster if you value your lives!¡±


    From their fierce tones of voice and their whips, even a fool could tell that they were by no means common musclemen working for a caravan. Those villagers who¡¯d been hoodwinked by the village head¡¯s promises and the money the caravan had offered them gradually came to realize the truth, but those musclemen holding whips looked as ruthless as cacodemons capable of killing people, rendering the villagers too afraid to resist.


    ¡°Make them go faster.¡± Shan Congyi glanced in the direction of the wood beside Xiaofeng Village which was not far away, raised his head to look up into the sky from which rain was about to drop, and then impassively instructed the man beside him to press the villagers.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the henchman answered before pivoting around to whip the villager closest to him. ¡°Hurry up, all of you! Whoever lags behind shall be beaten to death! Move faster!¡±


    With another stroke of his whip, a villager¡¯s pained cry was heard.


    Ling Zhang in the distance clenched his fists, anger smoldering in his eyes. Suppressing his fury, he hissed, ¡°Get ready, everybody. We make our move as soon as they enter the wood.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°General, the rebel army of Jiangzhou is mounting an attack!¡±


    ¡°Then we fight back!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling!¡±


    The neigh of warhorses and the beating of war drums filled the air at the same time. The vibrant drumbeat was resounding around the whole space, making people feel as though it were their hearts that the drummers were beating. Rain also started falling callously from the sky at this moment. The heavy shower poured down, splattering against the ground. The large group of residents of Taowang Village were astounded by the atmosphere, fear spreading among them.


    ¡°Move, move! Faster! All of you!¡± The musclemen began to lash the villagers mercilessly. The war had commenced. If they were to successfully transport the gold into Jiangzhou, they must quicken their pace and take advantage of the gap that the rebel army of Jiangzhou had opened up for them in the enemy¡¯s defensive line.


    ¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re entering the wood. Get ready, brothers!¡±


    As Wang Dashan gave the order, all twenty-four bodyguards took action and with that a large-scale smokescreen formation sharpened by the advantageous weather and terrain was immediately activated!


    Apart from the leaden sky, the howling wind and the elemental fury of the rainstorm, Shan Congyi and his men, after entering the wood, found themselves faced with thick fog as well, which was making it difficult for them to tell the direction.


    Eyelids twitching uncontrollably, Shan Congyi had a sense of foreboding that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! How come there¡¯s fog coming in at this hour?!¡±


    The village head of Taowang Village was grabbed and marched out of the crowd. Soaking wet with rain, the village head cutting a sorry figure finally felt fear as he was brought to Shan Congyi. Trembling all over, he said, ¡°I¨CI have no idea either. Never has anything this weird happened in this wood before. I can¡¯t remember a single occasion when fog closed in at this hour.¡±


    The musclemen brought several villagers to Shang Congyi in succession and questioned them, but they all said that they didn¡¯t have a clue what was going on, their faces etched with horror.


    Shan Congyi, who didn¡¯t think any of these villagers had the guts to lie to him, believed that the cause of this fog was indeed a mystery to all of them. At this juncture, even the slightest delay could lead to the failure of his plan.


    ¡°Find someone familiar with this wood to lead the way. I¡¯m a prince, and these people will get my goods through this wood, even if they have to crawl!¡± said Shan Congyi through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Yes!¡± his musclemen chorused and then began to force the village head to find someone who had an intimate knowledge of this area.


    The village head, whose hands started shaking violently as he heard Shan Congyi call himself ¡®a prince¡¯, told the musclemen which one of the villagers was familiar with this wood immediately after they pressed him.


    ¡°What a gutless coward.¡± Mr. Tao was beside himself with rage.


    Wang Sheng looked around him. He was uncertain as to what kind of situation they were in either, but he had a sneaking suspicion that they might have entered the ¡®trap¡¯.


    ¡°This fog is going to thicken. You need to take advantage of this opportunity to get your parents and all those willing to go with you out of this place. I¡¯ll tell you which direction to run. Now go and gather them. Hurry,¡± said the guard disguised as Tao Xiaomei.


    Wang Sheng hurriedly dropped the bag, grabbed Stonie¡¯s hand and said to Mr. and Mrs. Tao, ¡°Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Mr. Tao came to himself, released his grip on the handles of the handcart, raised his arm and called, ¡°Brother San, bring the others here! Hurry!¡±

 Chapter 444 - A Closed-Quarters Fight & A Violent Explosion

    Chapter 444. A Closed-Quarters Fight & A Violent Explosion


    Translator: DragonRider


    The one addressed as ¡®Brother San¡¯ was not far away from them, and this was also part of their plan. A quick-witted man, he immediately called out to his companions, ¡°Hurry! All those at the meeting last night, come here right away! It¡¯s time to go! Remove your masks!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± A muscleman from the Wan Kingdom marched over and swung his whip at the villagers, but some men in black suddenly materialized and stopped him.


    The expression in Shan Congyi¡¯s eyes instantly went cold at the abrupt change of situation. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s an ambush! Everybody stay alert!¡± he bawled.


    ¡°Protect His Highness!¡±


    The musclemen quickly clustered around Shan Congyi. Wang Sheng and his parents-in-law were immediately rid of the pressure of imminent danger and, leading the group of villagers, hastened in the direction that the guard had told him to go.


    ¡°Just keep running in that direction. Do not stop.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Stonie, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, follow me! Hurry!¡±


    Wang Sheng, gripping Stonie¡¯s wrist and protecting his parents-in-law, started running in the direction that the guard had told him, the others following in his wake. As the fog thickened, more villagers caught on to the situation and fled in that direction.


    All those engulfed by the thickening fog before they could run were the ones that had chosen to serve Shan Congyi at the very beginning. These people were the most fanatical and had been blinded by money. They, along with the village head, had unconscionably persecuted a lot of fellow-villagers of theirs. They were monsters, and Ling Zhang would never save any of them.


    The fog wouldn¡¯t last long. What with the rainstorm which was gathering strength and the roaring wind, it would be only a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out) before the fog lifted, but it was enough for those deserving of survival to escape. None of those who stayed in the wood was innocent.


    Looking at those panic-stricken people in the fog with wintry eyes, Ling Zhang instructed flintily, ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling!¡±


    ¡­


    Before the fog dispersed, the fighting was virtually a ruthless massacre.


    All those who¡¯d mutilated their fellow-villagers, along with the group of conscienceless bastards from the Wan Kingdom whom they worked hand in glove with, died by the sabers of Ling Zhang¡¯s men.


    ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± bellowed Shan Congyi, casting glances about in alarm.


    He¡¯d cautiously had everything planned out before coming to this county, and had even scouted out the lay of the land of every village before selecting Taowang Village to be his hideout. He was positive nobody would be able to find out about his true identity. What had he done wrong exactly? How had these people found him? Now he was trapped in this fog like a turtle in a pot.


    When those musclemen gathered around Shan Congyi guarding against potential attack from killers hiding in the fog, the thick fog finally began to lift, allowing them to see the enemies in the hiding.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    ¡°Take no prisoners. Kill each and every single one of these bandits and rebels who dare make trouble under the watch of the imperial court¡¯s army!¡±


    The two groups of men engaged, fighting at close quarters. Shan Congyi and his men knew very well they were neither bandits nor rebels, but they didn¡¯t dare blow their cover in these circumstances. Having no choice, they clenched their teeth and fought those men.


    ¡°Things are going south, Your Highness. We need to get out of here as soon as possible!¡± said Shang Congyi¡¯s henchman.


    Shan Congyi glanced in the direction of Jiangzhou and replied through gritted teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s flee this place first.¡±


    ¡­


    The fight was getting increasingly intense, and Shan Congyi¡¯s men was downed one after another.


    They were unable to extricate themselves from this wood which was like a maze without any exits. Although the fog had dispersed, they still couldn¡¯t find a way out. Several times they¡¯d felt that the edge of the wood was right ahead of them, but when they¡¯d got there, they¡¯d found themselves faced with more trees.


    They were completely trapped in this place, and their pursuers were making fools of them like a cat playing with a rat before killing it.


    Shan Congyi was beside himself with fury. ¡°Who are you exactly?! Why are you stooping so low?!¡±


    ¡°Stooping so low?¡± sneered Ling Zhang, standing on a tree branch.


    His voice immediately struck Shan Congyi as familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d heard it before. ¡°Who is it?!¡± he bawled.


    He looked in the direction of the source of the sneer and saw a nondescript mustached young man standing on a tree, whom he¡¯d never seen before.


    ¡°Who are you exactly? You¡¯re clearly not soldiers of the Great Wen. Why did you stop us? We have no quarrel with you!¡± Shan Congyi had some time before noticed that these people were not troops of the army of the Great Wen, that they were more like killers working for some kind of non-government organization.


    However, what he didn¡¯t know was that although these people were not soldiers of the army sent by the imperial court, they were the most elite force under the command of the empress of the Great Wen. They always appeared without warning and disappeared without trace, and it seemed as though they could hold their sabers to Shan Congyi¡¯s and his men¡¯s throats at any moment!


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know about my identity. As subjects of the Great Wen, we¡¯re obliged to rid our homeland of evil and crime. You bandits and ruffians are all going to die here,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    By no means would he state the true identity of either of them. As Shan Congyi wanted to keep his doings secret, he would die in this place with his dark secrets!


    ¡°Have you any idea who I am?!¡± ranted Shan Congyi.


    ¡°You? You¡¯re nothing but the leader of a bunch of bandits and thugs. You¡¯re the culprit, which is why you deserve to die more than any of your men does,¡± responded Ling Zhang frostily.


    ¡°How dare you? I¡¯m a prince of¨C¡±


    ¡°Ha! You¡¯ve made yourself a prince? That¡¯s yet another reason for you to die. There¡¯s no point wasting any more time. Kill these mobsters!¡±


    Shan Congyi was taken aback, for he finally came to realize that his enemies were not really in the dark about his identity! They knew very well who he was but still wanted to kill him!


    Cold sweat breaking out over his back profusely, Shan Congyi finally came to know that it was no good trying to negotiate with these people, that he must escape!


    ¡°This way! Hurry!¡± Shan Congyi pointed in a direction and with that the musclemen from the Wan Kingdom, protecting him, rushed in that direction.


    Standing languidly on a tree, Ling Zhang watched Shan Congyi and his men going round in circles in the area beneath him. They believed they were getting close to the edge of the wood, but in fact they were just running around like headless chickens.


    Ling Zhang gave a wave of his hand and with that Yao Yi inclined his head, informed those beside him and they leaped off the tree together¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°AAAAAAARGH!¡±


    The blood sticking to their blades was soon washed away by the rain, dropped onto the ground and mixed with the mud, losing its original color.


    Shan Congyi had only four guards left now, all of whom were wounded. Even Shan Congyi himself was also injured. Gasping for air, he watchfully looked around. The rain was getting heavier, blurring their visions, making it difficult for them to hear the enemies¡¯ movements. They were cornered and at the end of their rope.


    ¡°I have a hundred thousand taels of gold. If you let me go, I¡¯ll give you all of it!¡±


    Shan Congyi had no alternative but to resort to his last bargaining chip, intending to strike a deal and bargain for his life.


    ¡°A hundred thousand? That sounds like a lot of money, but unfortunately for you, I¡¯ve already come to know where the gold is. Why should I let you go when the gold will be mine sooner or later?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s voice was heard once again.


    What with his injury and the long cat-and-mouse game, Shan Congyi was somewhat groggy, but in this kind of dreamy state, he finally recalled where he¡¯d heard a similar voice before. It was Ling Zhang!


    ¡°It¡¯s you?! You¡¯re Ling Zhang!¡±


    Shan Congyi let out a roar, going berserk at the realization of his opponent¡¯s identity, only too anxious to kill Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Ling Zhang? Who¡¯s Ling Zhang? I think you¡¯re losing your mind, you criminal. You can¡¯t trick me by saying some random guy¡¯s name. Actually you could¡¯ve picked a famous one. It¡¯s a waste of time to give a name nobody has ever heard of.¡±


    Ling Zhang appeared quite unhurried, determined not to admit to his identity.


    ¡°He¡¯s the empress of the Great Wen! How could you not know that?!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Why is this my first time hearing that his name is Ling Zhang? Even if that is indeed his name, which is a big if, you¡¯re just a criminal, the leader of a gang of bandits, and you¡¯re in no position to refer to His Highness by his full name.¡±


    Ling Zhang still looked quite at ease. ¡°All right. Enough talking. Finish them off, boys!¡±


    ¡°Ling Zhang! I¡¯m Prince Yi of the Wan Kingdom. Has it ever crossed your mind what consequences you¡¯ll have to face if you have me killed in this place? You want another war?¡±


    Shan Congyi panicked. He found it hard to believe that Ling Zhang really wanted him dead!


    ¡°Prince Yi? Never heard of it. I could tell at the mention of it that you made it up. Isn¡¯t the Wan Kingdom an enemy state? I heard that your country lost the last war to the Great Wen. If there¡¯s going to be another one, so be it. It¡¯s no big deal,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    ¡°You¨C!¡±


    ¡°AAARGH!¡± Another guard of Shan Congyi¡¯s was killed.


    One after another, the last four guards died by the sabers of killers in black before they knew it.


    ¡°Run, Your Highness. Run¡­¡±


    ¡°Run? He had his chance.¡±


    Looking at the approaching killers, Shan Congyi kept backing off. ¡°Ling Zhang! You¡¯re such a maniac!¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    ¡°Do you not want to know what¡¯s going on in Jiangzhou?! Kill me and you¡¯ll never find out! Your country is nourishing a tiger which will sooner or later devour its master! Spare my life and I¡¯ll tell you what Wang Xiangxin is up to!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Unlucky for you, I¡¯ve already come to know what Wang Xiangxin is up to. Besides, he¡¯ll join you in the underworld very soon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you! I knew it! Are you still going to deny it?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, because you¡¯re going to die soon anyway.¡±


    Ling Zhang leaped off the tree and threw a palm strike, generating a gust of wind which shot at Shan Congyi like lightning.


    Taken aback, Shan Congyi hastily took several steps sideways in an attempt to dodge the blow but was still hit by the gust of wind, the force of which dashed him against a tree trunk, reducing him to spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Kill him,¡± instructed Ling Zhang, standing where he was, looking at Shan Congyi who was a sorry sight and having trouble pulling himself to his feet.


    A bodyguard of Ling Zhang¡¯s, like a ghost, soundlessly closed in on Shan Congyi, who watched in horror as the bodyguard raised his saber. All of a sudden, Shan Congyi¡¯s face instantly twisted and became murderous.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to die with me!¡±


    ¡°Watch out, Young Master!¡±


    BOOM!


    Shan Congyi produced a small black ball from his bosom. Nobody knew what it was, but it violently exploded as it hit the ground. Such was the force of the explosion that everything within a 50-meter radius was blown to pieces, gravel and dirt flying in all directions. Yao Yi rapidly whisked Ling Zhang away. The others also retreated in time.


    The tree that Shan Congyi had leaned against a moment before had been reduced to ash, and his body seemed to have suffered the same fate.


    When the ground stopped quaking, Ling Zhang hurried up to search that spot, but there was nothing left in that crater with a radius of fifty meters. It was as though the blast had devoured everything it¡¯d come into contact with!


    ¡°Did any of you see Shan Congyi die or flee?¡± asked Ling Zhang coldly.


    ¡°None of us had a clear view of anything in that moment, but this wood is surrounded by the army of the imperial court, so it won¡¯t be easy for Shan Congyi to escape. I¡¯ll have them scour this area right away!¡±


    Yao Yi immediately sent someone to deliver a message to the army of the imperial court on the periphery.


    There was a circle of soldiers around this wood, whose job was to prevent Shan Congyi from escaping.


    Ling Zhang gazed into the crater. There was a long cut on his arm caused by a piece of flying stone. It was very deep, and his arm had been covered with blood which was dripping onto the ground. There were also some scratches from flying gravel on his face. That blast just now had been so powerful. However, he had no idea whether Shan Congyi had been reduced to ash or fled in that moment.


    Theoretically, given that Shan Congyi had been grievously wounded and at the center of the explosion, there was no way he could¡¯ve survived in that instant, but Ling Zhang still felt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to have complete peace of mind until he saw Shan Congyi¡¯s dead body.


    The surrounding circle was gradually contracting as the soldiers scrupulously combed the area. It took them more than an hour to finish the search and reach Ling Zhang¡¯s position, but there was no sign of Shan Congyi¡¯s survival.


    ¡°I think Shan Congyi is dead, Young Master. He couldn¡¯t have survived that explosion.¡±


    Ling Zhang slowly inclined his head. ¡°Gather these bodies. Burn them after the rain stops.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. You¡¯re hurt. You need to get that wound cleaned and bandaged as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 445 - You Cant Go to Jiangzhou

    Ling Zhang was escorted back to the military encampment. During the more than two hours when they¡¯d been in the wood, the armed conflict between the rebel forces in Jiangzhou and the army sent by the imperial court had come to an end.


    It was easy to imagine how furious Wang Xiangxin was at this moment, given that not only had he not seen the people or the gold he¡¯d been expecting all this time, but he had also lost a lot of men after falling prey to the trap set by General Zhongwu.


    ¡°Young Master, your wound is very deep and was soaked by rain too. Before making a full recovery, you must not use this arm again lest the wound be reopened.¡±


    Qiu Bing meticulously cleaned Ling Zhang¡¯s wound, applied some medicine to it, dressed it and eventually gave him some advice in a serious tone.


    ¡°I see. You guys should get yourselves examined as well. Some of you are injured and should get the wounds bandaged right away. Those of you who are unharmed may have some rest. When the rain stops, send some men back to the county seat to get our baggage. We won¡¯t be going back to that residence anytime soon.¡±


    Looking at the cut on his arm, Ling Zhang made arrangements for them to deal with what needed to be done next.


    As he was wounded, the General Zhongwu soon came to check on him. Knowing that Ling Zhang had merely hurt his arm and the wound had been dressed, he gave a gasp of relief.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind Shan Congyi would carry with him something powerful enough to blast such a huge crater in the ground. I¡¯d never seen anything like that before either, and I don¡¯t have a clue what it was. If all the armies of the Wan Kingdom are equipped with that kind of things, our country would be in dire danger.¡±


    After hearing what had happened in the wood, the General Zhongwu was very worried.


    ¡°It was a small black iron ball. I didn¡¯t have enough time to see its contents. Seeing as Shan Congyi used it as a last resort, it must be very rare and precious to him. He wouldn¡¯t have used it had he had another choice. It¡¯s impossible for the Wan Kingdom to equip its every army with that kind of weapons, but we still need to ascertain what it was.¡±


    Before the General Zhongwu¡¯s arrival, Ling Zhang had had Yao Yi write a letter for him, the contents of which included information about that iron ball. When the rain stopped, he¡¯d have the letter delivered to the capital city, telling Yuwen Tong to send someone to the Wan Kingdom to look into it immediately.


    ¡­


    In Jiangzhou.


    The rebels fled back to the checkpoint, shut the gates as a matter of urgency and finally got themselves a respite. The rebel army had lost more than half of its troops during this fight! Originally they¡¯d planned to go out of the checkpoint, distract the army of the imperial court with a feint, and then lure them away to create an opportunity for Shan Congyi to transport the gold to the checkpoint. They hadn¡¯t bargained on falling victim to the enemy¡¯s subterfuge. The army of the imperial court had not only routed them like a knife through butter but also kept them from retreating to the checkpoint. Worse still, they hadn¡¯t got a single one of the gold ingots that those people of the Wan Kingdom were supposed to deliver to them!


    Wang Xiangxin, the mastermind who¡¯d orchestrated this attack launched by the rebel forces, was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot. He¡¯d lost so many men during this fight! And he¡¯d failed to get the gold of the Wan Kingdom too!


    ¡°Lord Commander, it¡¯s said that when we were fighting out there, there was a turmoil going on in the wood beside Xiaofeng Village as well. That loud explosion we heard during the fight was from that very wood. Considering the ground quaked for a long moment, do you think it¡¯s possible that the explosion was caused by¡­ the thing Shan Congyi mentioned in that letter? That¡¯s also the reason why I suspect Shan Congyi and his men were intercepted.


    This time around Xiao Jiangyue clearly had made some preparations. He¡¯d anticipated that we would go out of our checkpoint to harass them, but he¡¯d been laying low all along, pretending to be unaware of it. It seems that Shan Congyi¡¯s plan to transport gold through this checkpoint had come to Xiao Jiangyue¡¯s knowledge some time ago. As things stand, I¡¯m afraid those gold ingots have also fallen into the hands of Xiao Jiangyue. I wonder if Shan Congyi is alive or not, and whether he has more gold to offer us.¡±


    The speaker was a lieutenant of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s, who was very much in Wang Xiangxin¡¯s confidence. On one knee, he anxiously looked at his commander standing in the shadows.


    ¡°The Wan Kingdom was at war with the Great Yue for several consecutive years. I¡¯m afraid their exchequer has long since been depleted. This time Shan Congyi managed to bring some gold here, but it¡¯s very unlikely he could do the same thing again. Even if he could, there¡¯s no way the amount would be the same. On top of that, there¡¯s also the problem of finding the right time to open up another gap in the enemy line for him. Right now we don¡¯t even know whether Shan Congyi still draws breath or not. It¡¯s inadvisable to continue to pin our faith on the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin made a reply in a sinister tone in which there was manifest anger he was unable to conceal. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt Xiao Jiangyue had been in Xishan County previously, but he suddenly showed up in this place. They must have got wind of it some time ago. Judging from the deployment of the troops sent by the imperial court, they probably wouldn¡¯t stay at their checkpoint for long. We don¡¯t have much time. We must force our way through that checkpoint in Haizhou and take Haizhou as soon as possible. Jiangzhou is poor in natural resources. We could easily get trapped and killed like fish in a barrel if we stay here too long.¡±


    ¡°But we need the cooperation of the Luohai Kingdom to take Haizhou. It won¡¯t be easy for us to do it without their help, given that currently most of our men are stationed at the four checkpoints.¡±


    His lieutenant was deeply concerned. This time they had not only failed to get the gold but also lost so many men. It was definitely a heavy blow. ¡°In addition, if by any chance the failure of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s plan comes to the knowledge of the Luohai Kingdom¨C¡±


    ¡°Which is why we must figure out a way to have the Luohai Kingdom cooperate with us and take action before that happens,¡± interrupted Wang Xiangxin in a fierce tone.


    His trusted lieutenant knew that they didn¡¯t really have a choice. If they continued to wait, they would very likely end up being wiped out by the army of the imperial court. ¡°Should I go to¨C¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re to stay here keeping watch on the movement of Xiao Jiangyue¡¯s men. I¡¯ll personally pay a visit to Haizhou.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Yes, Commander!¡± answered Wang Xiangxin¡¯s lieutenant, lowering his head. Then he looked up only to find that Wang Xiangxin was gone. At the prospect of cleaning up the mess on his own, his face crumpled up.


    Wang Xiangxin quietly left. The disguise he was wearing was the work of an army physician serving in the rebel forces. He returned to the infirmary, walked into the innermost room and sat down, an ugly look on his face.


    ¡°Lord Commander.¡± A voice was suddenly heard, but the door of the room remained motionless. The speaker must¡¯ve been hiding in this room for some time.


    However, Wang Xiangxin had got used to it. ¡°How did it go? Have your men managed to sneak into the encampment of the imperial court¡¯s army? Did they find anything?¡±


    ¡°Sneak into it? That encampment was cloaked in some kind of weird concealment formation. My men got caught immediately after entering. And, when your men were fighting on the front lines, three of my men died in this place. It would seem some killers have infiltrated into your headquarters before any of our men could sneak into the enemy¡¯s encampment, and these killers are capable of accurately identifying my men!¡±


    The speaker walked out of the darkness. He was wearing a skintight black outfit, with eerie black totemic markings on his face, emanating a cold air. His long-fingered hands were very pale, his voice rather wintry. It was as though he were not a living person at all.


    ¡°What? Some people slipped in here?¡± Wang Xiangxin was taken aback.


    ¡°Who else knows so much about my men other than you, Lord Commander?¡± asked the man, staring fixedly at Wang Xiangxin with skeptical eyes.


    Wang Xiangxin felt an overwhelming surge of anger but, surprisingly, smiled, ¡°You¡¯re suspecting me? We¡¯ve been in cooperation for so many years. It¡¯s me who¡¯s taken care of your and your men¡¯s needs. I¡¯ve always trusted you and even put my life in your hands. And now you¡¯re suspecting me?¡±


    Seeing this, the man said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to sulk about it, Lord Commander. If it¡¯s not you, then it would mean someone more formidable has come to Jiangzhou, and they¡¯re targeting my men. Or maybe they¡¯re trying to force you out of hiding. Either way, their ultimate target is you.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin¡¯s countenance became extremely sullen. The failure he¡¯d suffered earlier this day had caused his temper to fray some time before, and now, the combat effectiveness of the elite force under his command, who had never disappointed him before, seemed to be on the decline. They had not only failed to infiltrate into the enemy¡¯s encampment but also allowed some killers to sneak into their own checkpoint.


    ¡°These people have such an intimate knowledge of your team, and you don¡¯t have a clue who they might be?!¡±


    The man lowered his eyes. After a while, he replied in a malevolent tone of voice, ¡°Our foes are all in Jianghu, but we haven¡¯t shown our faces for many years and they all believe we died a long time ago. These killers¡¯ identities are a mystery to us. Their killing style is quick and clean. They¡¯re even more experienced in killing and more adept at hiding than us. These people have been given specialized training in assassination. In the past few years, nobody has heard of anyone like them in Jianghu.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin pondered over it for quite a while before a thought occurred to him, sending a chill down his spine. ¡°Are you saying that these people are probably not from Jianghu but from the imperial court? That Yuwen Tong sent them here?!¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Astounded, Wang Xiangxin sprung to his feet immediately. ¡°We need to change our disguise and go to Jinhai County straight away!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Wang Xiangxin is on tenterhooks. Right now he has to either go to Haizhou or gather his men as quickly as he could, force his way out of Jiangzhou and then take Cangzhou in one fell swoop. Unfortunately for him, in order to defend the four checkpoints, his men are divided. Besides, he almost certainly doesn¡¯t dare take the risk at this point in time. It¡¯s more likely that he¡¯ll go to Haizhou, which is his escape route. In addition, Haizhou is a coastal prefecture and has excellent transport links that facilitate maritime trade. Without the gold from the Wan Kingdom, they¡¯ll have to figure out another way to get funded. I wonder what the situation is like in Haizhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang started talking almost immediately after sitting down. According to their plan, they and the Haizhou garrison would outflank Jiangzhou, launch their offensive at the same time, and destroy the rebel forces under Wang Xiangxin¡¯s command once and for all.


    ¡°Messengers from Haizhou have to detour to Yanzhou first before they could deliver secret intelligence reports to us, so it¡¯ll take more time,¡± said the General Zhongwu.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and said, ¡°If we could get into Jiangzhou, the delivery of messages between us and Haizhou would be much easier. Jincang County and Jinhai County in Jiangzhou are the only two counties between this place and Haizhou. Sneaking into Jiangzhou would allow us to stay informed about the latest development of the situation.¡±


    Yao Yi¡¯s heart jumped at these words and with that he looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, who was absorbed in thought, didn¡¯t notice the look in Yao Yi¡¯s eyes, but the General Zhongwu did, so he said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Childe Ling. How about I have some of my men sneak into Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°Um?¡± Ling Zhang looked up at him. ¡°Your men?¡±


    Ling Zhang intended to go there personally. He was in the dark about the current situation in Jiangzhou, so he wanted to go and see it for himself.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Yao Yi felt obliged to remind him, ¡°Childe Ling, His Majesty made it very clear you¡¯re not to enter Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®I almost forgot this.¡¯ He silently glanced at Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi didn¡¯t avert his eyes and looked back at him.


    The General Zhongwu said, ¡°I also want to visit Jiangzhou to acquaint myself with the defense there in preparation for our joint operation with Haizhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. The General Zhongwu was the commander-in-chief. If he left, who could deputize for him?


    ¡°Pity this army needs me here. It¡¯s impractical for me to leave,¡± added the General Zhongwu after a brief moment.


    Ling Zhang looked at him confusedly. What did he mean?


    For some unknown reason, Yao Yi was on the alert, gazing unblinkingly at the General Zhongwu.

 Chapter 446 - A Letter from Yuwen Tong & Ling Zhangs Entry into Jiangzhou

    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°General, under no circumstances will I let Childe Ling go to Jiangzhou, not over my dead body,¡± Yao Yi hastily demurred before the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) could make the suggestion.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    The General Zhongwu, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yao Yi looked at him, determination written all over his face.


    The General Zhongwu gave a little cough and said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Captain Yao. I¡¯m not the kind of person who has no sense of perspective.¡±


    ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Yao Yi didn¡¯t believe him at all. ¡®Just now this guy was clearly about to suggest Childe Ling go to Jiangzhou. If Childe Ling goes there and His Majesty finds out, I¡¯d definitely wind up being flayed alive!¡¯


    ¡°Have a good rest, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll go and make sure things go well in this encampment. I¡¯ve sent some men to Taowang Village to handle the clean-up already, so there¡¯s no need for you to concern yourself with it,¡± said the General Zhongwu, rising to his feet.


    Ling Zhang thanked him and had Yao Yi walk him out. After they both left, Ling Zhang started contemplating. He couldn¡¯t go to Jiangzhou and thus was unable to get up-to-date messages from Haizhou. There was no telling when the secret intelligence reports would arrive. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to wait too long.


    ¡­


    The gold ingots that the Wan Kingdom had wanted smuggled into Jiangzhou were hidden among common goods. The General Zhongwu sent some men to open those goods strewn all over the ground in the wood, carefully extract the gold ingots and put them together in one place. It took almost a whole day to have all the ingots gathered.


    There were a lot of them. Ling Zhang went out to take a look and then told the General Zhongwu to keep the gold under constant watch and wait for further notice from the capital city to decide what to do with it. He¡¯d sent a letter to the capital city, but he had no idea when he¡¯d receive Yuwen Tong¡¯s reply.


    While he was thinking about this, a letter from the capital city was delivered to him. It¡¯d never occurred to him that the reply would come so soon.


    ¡°Childe Ling, here¡¯s a letter for you from His Majesty.¡±


    It was Yao Yi who brought the letter to his room. Ling Zhang, who was still recovering from his arm injury, had Yao Yi open the letter for him. He thought that the contents of it were no different from those of any of the previous ones, but unexpectedly, there was some surprising information contained in it.


    The Luohai Kingdom had secretly sent some soldiers into Haizhou by sea and colluded with some pirates, intending to have all the soldiers pose as pirates and attack the Haizhou garrison. Some members of the Millennium Pavilion had accidentally found out about this matter on their way to the island to scout out the lay of the land. They¡¯d sent a message to the man assigned to Haizhou by Yuwen Tong, who then had relayed it to the capital city. According to their observations, there¡¯d been a lot of soldiers. The Luohai Kingdom had sent large numbers of troop reinforcements to Jiangzhou. Although Yuwen Tong had taken precautions some time before, they couldn¡¯t take any risks when it came to the safety of Haizhou, so eventually Yuwen Tong had decided to go there to handle it personally.


    Yuwen Tong had departed for Haizhou when this letter had been sent. He¡¯d embarked on a ship in Taizhou which was bound for Haizhou. Judging from how long it¡¯d taken for this letter to arrive, he must¡¯ve entered Haizhou already, but he was probably still in the northern part of Haizhou, and it¡¯d take him some more time to get to the southern part. In the letter, he told Ling Zhang to go to Haizhou to rendezvous with him after settling the matter of Shan Congyi.


    Delighted, Ling Zhang reread the letter. ¡°How¡¯s everything going in the capital city? Whom did he put in charge before leaving?¡±


    ¡°Currently, General Jiang Ke and General Jiang Xi as well as the two prime ministers, Chu Liangyan and Old Master Ji, are in charge in the capital city. His Majesty¡¯s great-uncle and Yuwen Feng are supervising the handling of state affairs. The Shadow Battalion are doing their best to covertly keeping all important targets under surveillance.¡±


    The three sides were acting as checks and balances on each other and superintending each other¡¯s work. At the same time, members of the Shadow Battalion were keeping watch on the overall situation.


    Yuwen Tong had traveled south covertly. The six above-mentioned people were the only ones in the capital city who were aware of Yuwen Tong¡¯s departure. In other words, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t be absent for too long.


    Ling Zhang immediately stood up. ¡°We need to hurry and go to Haizhou by way of Jiangzhou. My decision is final.¡±


    Yao Yi hesitated for a while before it occurred to him that even Yuwen Tong himself was now in Haizhou, that with them protecting Ling Zhang, no harm would come to him, so he raised no objections.


    ¡°By the way, Childe Ling, there¡¯s another letter delivered here with this secret letter from His Majesty. It¡¯s for you from your father,¡± said Yao Yi, producing another letter and handing it to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang opened and read it, a gleam of pleasant surprise in his eyes.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang decided to travel to Haizhou via Jiangzhou.


    ¡°Childe Ling, I know a secluded place where you can enter Jiangzhou secretly without risking being spotted by the many soldiers guarding the checkpoint. I¡¯ll have two squads of picked men escort you into Jiangzhou. After you gain entry into Jiangzhou, one squad will keep on the move in Jincang County and Jinhai County, delivering messages for us.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then said, ¡°I have Captain Yao and twenty-four bodyguards, and they¡¯re more than enough to keep me safe. It would make us more vulnerable to the attention of others if there are too many of us, so instruct your men to stay in Jiangzhou after they follow me into Jiangzhou.¡±


    The General Zhongwu did some thinking and then agreed. After that, he led Ling Zhang to a map and informed him of the secret route. ¡°Go in from this spot, detour around two hills and you¡¯ll find yourself in a village of Jincang County that is close to Jinhai County. Most of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s men are stationed at the four checkpoints, so the security in these places are probably not tight, but you should still stay alert. And, about how to get into Haizhou, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to figure out a way by yourself. There¡¯s no shortcut that could lead you into Haizhou from Jiangzhou, not to my knowledge.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve already come up with an idea of how to enter Haizhou. Be so kind as to stay here and keep the situation under control, General.¡±


    The tips in that letter from his father had come as a godsend for him.


    ¡°Please take good care of yourself during the journey, Childe Ling. Always be extra careful and put your safety first. On no account should you take any risks,¡± cautioned the General Zhongwu.


    After taking his leave of the general, Ling Zhang, along with his bodyguards and the two teams of seasoned men who¡¯d disguised themselves, departed.


    The secret route that they were talking was very close to Yanzhou. It was actually a defile known to very few. It went through lofty mountains and high ranges, and normally only hunters would set foot on it. When the General Zhongwu¡¯s men had been fighting the rebel forces, some rebels had escaped by taking this route, which was why the general knew about its existence. At that time all members of the rebel army in Cangzhou had been local residents. They¡¯d been from all walks of life, and there¡¯d been a lot of hunters among them.


    This defile was rough, and Ling Zhang¡¯s arm was injured. Both placing strain on the wound and perspiring heavily were detrimental to the healing process. Qiu Bing changed his dressing several times during the journey. Every time he¡¯d seen Ling Zhang¡¯s wound, he¡¯d knitted his brows.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have departed so soon, Childe Ling. Your wound is healing very slow,¡± sighed Qiu Bing, holding Ling Zhang¡¯s arm, looking at the wound.


    The others also appeared grave. The wound on Ling Zhang¡¯s arm had been caused by a piece of pointed stone sent flying by the explosion. Given how awful it looked, it might become a troublesome issue if it didn¡¯t heal in a couple of days.


    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s best if you have a few days¡¯ rest in Jincang County after we get there,¡± suggested Jiang Yu. ¡°I don¡¯t think His Majesty would want you to travel with such haste had he known about this. If your injury worsens, we¡¯d have trouble justifying ourselves in front of His Majesty.¡±


    Ling Zhang also knew that this was not a good time to play the hero, considering his arm injury. ¡°I see. We¡¯ll rest for a couple of days after we get there.¡±


    ¡°What about you? How are you feeling?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Jiang Yu.


    These people either had kung fu skills or worked out regularly, so their constitutions were all pretty strong. Jiang Yu was a relatively weak one.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Young Master. I¡¯m fine,¡± said Jiang Yu calmly. Though his kung fu skills were not superb and he didn¡¯t exercise on a daily basis, he had some fighting skills and practiced swordplay from time to time, so he was physically fitter than the next person.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Well, then let¡¯s resume our journey. Tonight we sleep in the open. We should arrive by dusk tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be traveling until the dusk of tomorrow?¡± muttered Qiu Bing on the side, meticulously cleaning and dressing Ling Zhang¡¯s wound. ¡°Had I not had the divine vulnerary given by Mr. Mu on me, you would soon have to kiss your arm goodbye.¡±


    Ling Zhang was resigned. He was the one who was suffering the pain, and he wanted his wound to heal more than anybody else did.


    ¡°Okay. Stop nagging. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Qiu Bing inwardly gave a snort and then followed closely in Ling Zhang¡¯s wake, keeping a close eye on him. Thanks to Qiu Bing¡¯s intensive care and Mr. Mu¡¯s effective medicine, Ling Zhang¡¯s army injury didn¡¯t worsen. It was healing, though at a rather slow pace.


    They slept out in a dense wood on a hill that night, and the next day, at sundown, they finally walked out of the mountainous area covered with thick vegetation. At the foot of the hill was a village.


    ¡°Please stay here and have some rest, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll go and check out the lay of the land,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and the rest of the group stopped to rest. Yao Yi, along with a couple of men, went downhill to carry out a reconnaissance of the area.


    ¡­


    At the same time. In Haizhou.


    A merchant ship that had been camouflaged was traveling south from northern Haizhou along the seashore. Yuwen Tong disguised as a businessman, along with his subordinates, were on this ship. The ship was going at a moderate speed, allowing him enough time to observe the activities on the sea and the general situation on the coast.


    ¡°Have there been any particular events in this area lately?¡± Yuwen Tong asked the owner of the merchant ship.


    The shipowner was a native of Haizhou. Some of his family members worked for the government, so he knew that Yuwen Tong¡¯s rank was very high, that Yuwen Tong had come to Haizhou to perform an important mission. His elders had cautioned him that he must honestly answer every question Yuwen Tong asked him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been pretty uneventful recently. Winter is coming, so fishing activities are becoming fewer. Those that are still traveling on the sea as usual are mainly merchant ships,¡± answered the shipowner. After thinking back carefully for a few moments, he added, ¡°But¡­ Although I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, I heard some others mention that two days ago, in that area¡­¡±


    The shipowner pointed in the direction of the open sea and continued, ¡°Some people chanced upon a fleet of merchant ships which were going south. Judging from their style, they seemed to be from the Luohai Kingdom. The strange part was that those merchant ships were sailing straight south. Those people seemed to have no inclination to get ashore whatsoever, as though they were heading for a particular destination. On top of that, they would very likely encounter pirates if they traveled along that shipping route. Some locals came across them and kindly cautioned them about it, but those people took no heed. They didn¡¯t even acknowledge the locals.¡±


    With a faintly cold look in his eyes, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Anything else? Did anybody mention the approximate number of those merchant ships?¡±


    ¡°Emm¡­ No. But unless I¡¯m very much mistaken, there were more than twenty of them,¡± said the shipowner. ¡°Given the scale of their fleet, they would surely be stopped by the navy when they reach the south. You may go to the jurisdiction of the navy and ask them. They probably know the details.¡±


    Those people of the Luohai Kingdom would by no means let the navy spot them. It was very likely they had gone into hiding already, along with those pirates.


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and said, ¡°Is there anything else you could tell me apart from this? The trade situation, local people¡¯s livelihood ¨C tell me everything you know.¡±


    The shipowner was startled. This man was also interested in these things? Was he really an imperial commissioner from the capital city or something? Did he have orders from the emperor to come here to observe the people¡¯s living conditions?

 Chapter 447 - You Want to Get Your Ass Kicked?

    Before long, Yao Yi returned. ¡°Childe Ling, there¡¯s no sign of the Jiangzhou rebel army. The small village at the foot of this hill is a village of huntsmen. There are around ten households in it, and all of them hunt wild animals for a living. Both the nearest village and the nearest town are pretty far away, so we may stay in this village for a couple of days if you want.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down there to take a look,¡± said Ling Zhang, rising to his feet.


    The village at the foot of the hill was very quiet. The villagers were taken aback by the arrival of Ling Zhang and the others. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t reveal his identity. He just purchased a house from a local family with money, and then sent Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard to talk to the villagers and reassure them.


    This village was quite isolated. He could have the two squads of seasoned men sent by the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) stay here performing the task of relaying messages. As a result, it was very necessary to set the villagers¡¯ minds at ease.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s bodyguard had been to Jincang County and Jinhai County before, and he had some acquaintance with local people¡¯s accent, habits and customs, so it was not difficult for him to communicate with the villagers. Moreover, Jiang Yu was with him. Jiang Yu could be a very mild and reasonable man when he wanted to.


    There were not many residents in this village, but every household had one or two strong men who were excellent hunters. The villagers used to live in other villages. It was because of their dealings with each other during hunt activities that they¡¯d settled down in this place which eventually became a village of hunters. Therefore, the hunter who¡¯d been the first to build a house in this place had become the village head. As these people were faced with wild beasts on a frequent basis all the year around, there was a ferocious air about every one of them, and they were also very observant. As they could tell Ling Zhang and his men were no milksop, and these strangers treated them with due respect and had bought a house of theirs at an exorbitant price, they were fairly polite to Jiang Yu and his bodyguard.


    Because of the effective communication between the two sides, the fuss caused by Ling Zhang¡¯s and his men¡¯s moving into the village gradually subsided. Ling Zhang enjoined his men and the two squads not to walk around in the village unless they had to, lest they disturb the villagers.


    ¡°Childe Ling, the hunters here said that they have to climb over that mound ahead to go out, that what with the poor transportation, barely anybody would come here. They know about the matter of the Jiangzhou rebel army, but the rebels have never shown up in this area. The nearest town, however, fell victim to the rebellion. All young and middle-aged men were press-ganged into the rebel army, leaving only old, weak, ill or disabled ones. The situation in the town is not very good, so the villagers here stocked up the supplies that they couldn¡¯t produce by themselves and never went to that town again. Wild animals are basically their only source of food.¡±


    After coming back, Jiang Yu and his bodyguard reported to Ling Zhang the information they¡¯d got from some local hunters living in the village.


    Ling Zhang had just taken a bath. Qiu Bing redressed his wound and advised him to have a good rest. After hearing Jiang Yu¡¯s words, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°How long has it been since they last entered that town?¡±


    ¡°About seven or eight days,¡± answered Jiang Yu.


    ¡°Is that the only way to get out of this village?¡± Ling Zhang asked another question.


    Jiang Yu replied with an inclination of the head, ¡°All the other areas are difficult to get through. This place is surrounded by mountains, after all. This village exists only because this part of the valley is a gentle slope suitable for building houses. A while ago I made some inquiries and also looked in that direction. The mound they mentioned is not very high. The path is much more walkable than the defile we¡¯ve traveled along in the past two days. Beyond that mound is a road leading straight to the nearest village. We may go to the town by way of that village, but if we¡¯re to go to Haizhou, we¡¯ll have to turn right after climbing over that mound. The village head told me that there¡¯s a defile trod by only herb gatherers, which leads to a village in Jinhai County. If we go through that village, we¡¯ll find a broad road leading straight to Haizhou.¡±


    This was good news. It meant that they didn¡¯t have to pass that town or alarm any of the rebels.


    But now that they¡¯d decided to stay in this village for a couple of days, Ling Zhang believed he should send Yao Yi and some others to that town and nearby villages to check out the lay of the land, see how the local people had been doing, and for good measure make some inquiries about the recent movements of the Jiangzhou rebel army.


    Yao Yi picked a couple of men and set off that very night. Wang Dashan and some others had deployed a concealment formation on the periphery of the village to as a defensive measure. They¡¯d also specially informed the villagers of it, telling them that they would have to find one of Ling Zhang¡¯s men to lead the way for them before going in or out of the village.


    Though guiding the villagers through the formation would take some time, they believed there was no harm in being extra careful.


    Feeling that he couldn¡¯t just stay indoors and do nothing during his several-day rest cure, Ling Zhang called the village head in and asked him at length about the path leading to Haizhou. The village head and some other villagers would sometimes go to a town in Jinhai County to buy grain, and they were all very familiar with the path, so he drew a road map for Ling Zhang.


    The village head was a smart man. From what Ling Zhang was doing, he divined that Ling Zhang was no common person, but he didn¡¯t ask any questions. He never pried or tried to strike up relationships with Ling Zhang¡¯s men. Also, he was well respected in the village and all villagers were very obedient to him. By tacit agreement, the two sides always stayed out of each other¡¯s business and never disturbed each other.


    Ling Zhang, who appreciated the village head¡¯s social savvy very much and didn¡¯t want to put him in a difficult position, let him go after getting the information he needed.


    ¡°Your route back to the encampment should be the same one that we took to come here. We¡¯ve traveled along it once already and are now acquainted with it. Given your fast speed, you can get back to the encampment from here in a day and a half. The other squad are to find somewhere near a town in Jinhai County and hide there. I¡¯ll have the messages from Haizhou delivered to you. After getting the messages, you¡¯re to immediately go back to the encampment to relay them.¡±


    After making arrangements for the two squads of picked soldiers to do what they were supposed to do, Ling Zhang instructed Wang Dashan and a couple of picked soldiers to go out of the village to scout out the lay of the land of the areas along the route the village head had told him a moment before, and see if they could find a suitable hideout.


    The next afternoon, Wang Dashan and the others returned and drew a detailed map with all the paths they¡¯d confirmed marked on it. Also, they¡¯d found a suitable hiding place.


    ¡°We¡¯ll indeed be not far away from that town if we get out of this village along this route. There are many roads in that area, along with quite some village paths. We may stay away from those main roads and take one of the village paths to get to the checkpoint between Jiangzhou and Haizhou, and then figure out a way to get through the checkpoint,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Okay, then. It seems we¡¯ve got ourselves a tentative plan.¡±


    The next morning, Yao Yi and the others came back.


    ¡°Childe Ling, the rebel army are press-ganging people in nearby towns again. They lost a lot of men during the fighting against the army of the imperial court a few days ago and are now very anxious to recruit new soldiers to regain strength.¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. Almost all male residents in this prefecture that hadn¡¯t been press-ganged into the rebel army yet were either old or weak or ill or disabled. If those rebels kept doing that, Jiangzhou would definitely be decimated.


    Yao Yi continued, ¡°Judging from what I¡¯ve heard during the trip, Jiangzhou residents are having more and more complaints against Wang Xiangxin, but Wang Xiangxin has been working hand in glove with the local yamen and running roughshod over them, so they have nobody to air their grievances to, and neither do they have the power to stick up for themselves.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a brief moment before he said, ¡°We set off early tomorrow morning. My arm¡¯s a lot better now. The situation brooks no delay. Wang Xiangxin has probably reached the checkpoint in Haizhou already. We need to get there as soon as possible to find out how things stand.¡±


    Yao Yi looked at Qiu Bing, who was decocting medicinal herbs in the corridor outside. On sensing Yao Yi¡¯s gaze, Qiu Bing flicked a backward glance at him and said, ¡°The way I see it, it¡¯s best if Young Master stays here to have a rest cure, but Young Master wouldn¡¯t heed my words, so I might as well just keep my mouth shut.¡±


    After saying this, he twisted his head around to look at the boiling pot, sulky-faced.


    Yao Yi turned his head to look at Ling Zhang, who said with a calm expression, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re still in the palace or something. Since we¡¯re out here on a mission, I can¡¯t let this minor injury of mine hinder us from getting the job done. Yuwen¡­ Your master will get to the destination soon. We have to go there to rendezvous with him as quick as we can.¡±


    Ling Zhang was so used to referring to Yuwen Tong by his full name that he almost said his name again from force of habit. He secretly introspected about it for a moment.


    Qiu Bing outside the room muttered, ¡°You just couldn¡¯t wait to see him. There¡¯s no shame in admitting it.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence. After a while, he failed to restrain himself. ¡°What is it you¡¯re muttering out there, Qiu Bing? You want to get your ass kicked?!¡±


    Qiu Bing shut his mouth immediately, not daring look back, staring at the stove over which a medicine pot was boiling.


    ¡°Ahem, Childe Ling, Qiu Bing is just worried about you,¡± said Yao Yi in a timely manner.


    Ling Zhang was fully aware that Qiu Bing didn¡¯t want him to do anything that might exacerbate his arm injury, but he really couldn¡¯t bear staying in this place for another day.


    Apart from anything else, he really missed Yuwen Tong very much. In the first few days of the journey, he¡¯d been too busy to think of Yuwen Tong, but these two days, he had a lot of leisure, and the knowledge that Yuwen Tong would soon get there was like a fire burning inside his chest, rendering all his efforts to calm himself down useless. He couldn¡¯t help but keep thinking of Yuwen Tong. This wound was nothing compared with the ordeal of missing him. Even shortening the separation by merely a single moment would be good enough for him.


    On top of that, there was no doubt Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t be reading the last letter he¡¯d written him anytime soon, so he had to tell Yuwen Tong in person about what had happened in Cangzhou as well as the matter of Shan Congyi.


    Wang Xiangxin would sure as hell do whatever he could to get in touch with the Luohai Kingdom. All these were pressing issues, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile. In Haizhou.


    On this day, the merchant ship Yuwen Tong was on arrived in Pingtao City which was a port city in southern Haizhou and also the city nearest to the checkpoint on the boundary between Haizhou and Jiangzhou. Thanks to the frequent maritime trading activities conducted here, it was one of the most prosperous cities in Haizhou. Also, if the Luohai Kingdom was to invade, this city would be the perfect landing site for its troops.


    The closest navy base was located on a nearby island. This place was not far away from the island that the Millennium Pavilion had selected, which was why they had discovered the secret intrusion of the Luohai Kingdom.


    If the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s army were to blindside the navy force of the Great Wen, they would first have to get ashore without alarming the navy, and the best way for them to do that was to make a detour around the ¡°death zone¡± that the island of the Millennium Pavilion lay within, disembark in the south and then covertly move north.


    Yuwen Tong had some time before sent a letter to Haizhou. The Haizhou garrison and the Haizhou navy had been forewarned and taken precautions, so they wouldn¡¯t really be blindsided by the Luohai Kingdom.


    The main reason why Yuwen Tong had come was that he wanted to put an end to the unrest in Jiangzhou as soon as possible and then bring Ling Zhang back to the capital city.


    ¡°Sire, this is a detailed chart of the nearby waters.¡±


    In a military encampment near Pingtao City, the commander of the Haizhou garrison, the Haizhou governor, and the commander of the Haizhou navy all gathered in the main tent. The commander of the Haizhou navy unrolled a detailed chart to show it to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°In this vast sea area hide the pirates. Their hideouts are far away from one another, and they normally fend for themselves, which makes it very difficult to finish them once and for all. Fighting them is like fighting a guerrilla war. This time around, my scouts discovered that these pirates seem to be planning to form an alliance, presumably because they¡¯ve taken bribes from the Luohai Kingdom.¡±

 Chapter 448 - Brother Zhang Has Arrived

    In other words, this alliance of those pirates actually provided an opportunity for the navy of the imperial court to dispose of them at one fell swoop! And it would make things even easier for the navy if all the pirates were lured ashore.


    This chart was quite exhaustive. Yuwen Tong, after arriving in Pingtao City, secretly scouted out the lay of the land of the port and nearby areas, and now he had a shrewd idea which route those ¡°pirates¡± would take to get ashore. What he needed to do next was figure out a way to entice them into moving far inland so that his men could put them to rout in a land battle. The combat capabilities of his men would be hemmed in if they had to fight a sea battle. Moreover, the sea area that those pirates¡¯ hideouts were distributed was vast, and they could easily make their escape during a naval engagement.


    He would have to rid these waters of pirates sooner or later. The reason why he hadn¡¯t done it yet was because he had just acceded to the throne, and there were many issues in the Great Wen he had to attend to first. Previously he couldn¡¯t find the time to deal with those pirates even if he wanted to, but now, thanks to the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s attempt to make trouble, he could conveniently end the scourge of pirates ahead of schedule, so this situation actually had its compensations.


    ¡­


    It was almost midnight when he finished conferring with the commander of the Haizhou garrison, the commander of the Haizhou navy and the Haizhou governor.


    Yuwen Tong had no idea how things were going with Ling Zhang. He believed that Ling Zhang had probably received his letter four days ago. If Ling Zhang, on receiving the letter, had departed heading for Haizhou by way of Yanzhou, he would be able to see Ling Zhang in three days at the earliest, but if something went awry¡­


    ¡°Still no report from Cangzhou?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°The latest intelligence report hasn¡¯t arrived yet, Sire. The last report says that they found some traces Shan Congyi left behind, and the Jiangzhou rebel army were being redeployed,¡± replied the commander of the Haizhou garrison.


    Given the time of the delivery of the last report, everything should be over by now.


    This was the very matter that concerned Yuwen Tong. He wondered how things had ended and whether Ling Zhang was safe and unharmed.


    Shortly before he went to bed, a courier pigeon carrying a letter from Cangzhou finally arrived, which said that the plan of the Wan Kingdom had been upset, that Wang Xiangxin had failed to get the financial support provided by the Wan Kingdom, lost more then half of the men he¡¯d stationed at the checkpoint, and retreated behind the blockades.


    This letter was for the commander of the Haizhou garrison from the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). The latter cautioned that as Wang Xiangxin had lost the support of the Wan Kingdom, he would undoubtedly pin all his hopes on the Luohai Kingdom and would very likely launch a frenzied attack on Haizhou, that Haizhou needed to be ready when that happened.


    Nobody could have foreseen that Yuwen Tong would come to Haizhou, so the General Zhongwu, out of his concern over Ling Zhang¡¯s safety, didn¡¯t mention anything about Ling Zhang.


    But very soon, Yuwen Tong received a message from his secret bodyguards.


    It said that Ling Zhang had entered Jiangzhou and was staying temporarily in a village of hunters, that his arm was wounded.


    It¡¯d been the very night Ling Zhang had arrived at that village that this letter had been sent. Yuwen Tong¡¯s secret bodyguards hadn¡¯t been able to gauge the time when Yuwen Tong would arrive in Pingtao City, and delivering this secret letter out of Jiangzhou had taken some doing, so Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t received this letter until the night before Ling Zhang would arrive in Haizhou.


    ¡°His arm¡¯s wounded?¡± Yuwen Tong knitted his brows. ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    No detail was given in the letter. He had no idea specifically how Ling Zhang hurt his arm.


    Whether Shan Congyi was alive or not was a mystery to him, and so were what had happened on that day exactly and if Ling Zhang¡¯s arm injury had anything to do with that. He had thought that Ling Zhang would come to Haizhou via Yanzhou. He didn¡¯t have a clue why Ling Zhang had entered Jiangzhou, or how he¡¯d managed to do that. However, seeing as Ling Zhang had eventually chosen to stay in a village to nurse his injury, his wound must not be healing well.


    Yuwen Tong was thrown into deep worry, looking in the direction of Jiangzhou, emanating a cold air.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang had arrived at the checkpoint on the boundary between Jiangzhou and Haizhou.


    Due to his concern over the situation in Pingtao City, Ling Zhang had only stayed in that village for two days before leaving. He¡¯d taken the route that he¡¯d had his men check beforehand, heading straight for Haizhou along a defile going through mountains and forests.


    Along the journey, Ling Zhang from time to time had had Yao Yi go to nearby towns to make inquiries, and thus had come to know that Wang Xiangxin had been dispatching more troops to the checkpoint near Haizhou as a matter of urgency, which meant that there would soon be a fierce fight in Haizhou.


    Ling Zhang was worried about the situation in Haizhou, wondering how Haizhou¡¯s defense had been organized, whether Yuwen Tong had arrived in Pingtao City, how the Luohai Kingdom were going to do it exactly¡­


    However, the checkpoint near Haizhou had been sealed, and more troops of the Jiangzhou rebel army were hurrying to the checkpoint, so there was no way he could get out of Jiangzhou through the checkpoint. Fortunately for him, his father had given him some instructions in a timely manner, telling him that there was a secret shortcut connecting Haizhou and Jiangzhou. This path was in the turf of a prestigious sect in the martial arts world which was located in a valley formed by a branch range of Mt East. The valley lay not far away from the checkpoint on the boundary between Haizhou and Jiangzhou. The main road people normally took to go in and out of the sect was in Haizhou, but there was a secret defile which started from the hill behind the sect and led to Jiangzhou. However, the defile was too rough for people without lightness skills to travel on.


    Nobody other than members of that sect knew about the existence of that path. Given Ling Zhang¡¯s identity, even if he wanted to force his way through that sect to take that path, people there wouldn¡¯t dare say anything. Desperate times call for desperate measures.


    Everybody was astonished when Ling Zhang told them about that path. Yao Yi and Wang Dashan, who were very much in Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s confidence respectively, to a greater or lesser extent, knew about the matter of the Millennium Pavilion, and they subconsciously believed that it was someone from that organization that had informed Ling Zhang of this. Ling Zhang was aware that they misunderstood, but this matter was hard to explain, because, naturally, the fewer who knew about his and his father¡¯s rebirth, the better.


    ¡­


    In the morning of this day. Pingtao City.


    The commander of the Haizhou garrison requested an audience with Yuwen Tong early in the morning, saying that he had something urgent to report.


    ¡°Sire, something¡¯s going on in the Jiangzhou rebel army. There¡¯ve been frequent deployments since last night. The number of the troops guarding the checkpoint has doubled and is still on the rise.¡±


    Yuwen Tong calmly did some thinking before he observed, ¡°Wang Xiangxin lost a lot of men and got nothing during the fight near the checkpoint on the boundary between Cangzhou and Jiangzhou. I think he¡¯s hurried to the checkpoint near Haizhou already, planning to take Haizhou to cover the loss.¡±


    ¡°Will they mount an offensive ahead of schedule?¡±


    ¡°If they are to launch an attack ahead of schedule, they¡¯ll first have to make sure the Luohai Kingdom got their back. Keep a close eye on that checkpoint. They¡¯ll sure as hell send someone out to make contact with Mu Rongfeng.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire!¡±


    After the commander of the Haizhou garrison took his leave, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t just sit there waiting. He carefully studied the overall terrain of the areas near Pingtao City, and then told the Haizhou governor and the commander of the Haizhou navy that the sea should be the focus of most of their attention.


    At the same time, he instructed his secret bodyguards to cooperate with the Haizhou garrison, keep close watch on people and things going out of the checkpoint in Jiangzhou, and make sure that all courier pigeons and the like were intercepted.


    If pirates and the Jiangzhou rebel army joined hands, the Haizhou garrison would have a hard job defending against the attack from them on their own ¨C they would at least lose more men. The best way was to separate the pirates and the rebel army, lure Mu Rongfeng and his men ashore and dispose of them first, and then turn around to deal with Jiangzhou. Meanwhile, the Cangzhou garrison would make their move as well, outflanking and attacking Jiangzhou from another side, which would make things a lot easier.


    Because of this, the Haizhou garrison kept very close watch on the checkpoint in Jiangzhou. Even small birds flying by were shot down, because they couldn¡¯t afford to take any chances.


    While Yuwen Tong and some others were waiting for the ¡°letter¡± to come out of the checkpoint in Jiangzhou, Ling Zhang had led his men through the turf of that sect and entered Haizhou. Looking down from the top of a hill, they could see Pingtao City in the distance.


    ¡°Childe Ling, this path leads right to Pingtao City. You may get there in half a day if you travel fast enough,¡± said the leader of that sect.


    He¡¯d been terribly astounded when Ling Zhang had revealed his identity, and he hadn¡¯t had the time to carefully think about why the present empress knew about the existence of this secret path of their sect. Since this grandee just wanted to take this path to go to another city, they had no choice but to immediately lead the way for him, not daring try to stop him at all.


    Ling Zhang expressed his gratitude and said, ¡°Thank you. I owe you a favor and I¡¯m not going to forget it.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing. We but did what we should do.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, folded his hands in front to bid them farewell and then quickly led his men towards Pingtao City.


    As they reached the gates of Pingtao City at noon, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, they arrived at their destination.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get into the city,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at the tight security outside Pingtao City, a grave expression on his face.


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    Having traveled for a long time, Ling Zhang was also somewhat tired, but at the thought that Yuwen Tong might already be in Pingtao City, all his weariness seemed to dissolve.


    ¡°Identify yourselves.¡±


    Seeing Ling Zhang approaching with a large group of people all of whom appeared to be from unusual background, the soldiers guarding the gates stopped them.


    Yao Yi walked forward to talk to the soldiers. Before long, they were let in. Also, someone led the way for them, ushering them to a military encampment outside another pair of city gates.


    There were some secret agents working for Yuwen Tong in Pingtao City. The moment Ling Zhang and his men showed up at the city gates, an agent spotted them and immediately sent a message back to the encampment.


    Yuwen Tong was astonished at the news of Ling Zhang¡¯s arrival and then hastened outside to welcome him.


    He remembered very well that letter said Ling Zhang was staying in a village nursing his wound. How come Ling Zhang came to Pingtao City so soon? Yuwen Tong was worried about Ling Zhang¡¯s injury, the look on his face growing serious.


    The others didn¡¯t know what was going on. At the sight of Yuwen Tong hurrying outside, they quickly followed in his wake.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s true identity was kept secret from common soldiers, but as the commander of the Haizhou garrison, the commander of the Haizhou navy and the Haizhou governor were all very submissive and deferential to him, anybody could tell that he was no common person, so nobody dared try to stop him.


    The two commanders and the governor, who hadn¡¯t been able to hear what that secret bodyguard had said to Yuwen Tong, mistakenly believed that some kind of emergency had happened. Incapable of keeping pace with Yuwen Tong, they had to trot to follow him.


    When they got to the military encampment, they saw that Yuwen Tong was standing there waiting for someone. All of them hurriedly asked, ¡°Sire, is there an emergency? Why are you¡­¡±


    All three of them looked rather nervous.


    Yuwen Tong flicked them a glance. Knowing that they misunderstood, he said, ¡°It has nothing to do with the military situation. I¡¯m here because Brother Zhang has arrived.¡±


    Brother Zhang? The three of them were baffled. The Haizhou governor was the first to catch on. ¡°His Highness has come to Haizhou as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Keep this to yourselves,¡± replied Yuwen Tong, looking up the road leading to this encampment into the distance. Considering how long it¡¯d been since the secret bodyguard had delivered the message to him, Ling Zhang could show up at any moment.


    His Highness? The other two were amazed and at the same time eagerly looking forward to seeing the empress whom neither of them had ever clapped eyes on before, wondering what this grandee that their emperor had personally come to welcome in such haste was like.

 Chapter 449 - A Delightful Reunion

    When Ling Zhang was close enough to the encampment, he caught sight of a man standing at the front gate in the distance and stopped dead in his tracks.


    On seeing this, the others also paused and looked in that direction. All those with good eyesight spotted Yuwen Tong and came to understand why Ling Zhang was reacting this way.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Yao Yi let out a little cough and gave the others a significant look with a motion of his hand.


    The others quietly backed off.


    Ling Zhang was still standing motionless as though in a trance, gazing unblinkingly at Yuwen Tong on the other side, his eyes burning, his breathing growing heavier in spite of himself. The longing which he¡¯d thought he¡¯d be able to restrain instantly burst its boundary, overwhelming him.


    There was even an inexplicable pang of injured feeling surging inside him, giving him an urge to run up to Yuwen Tong and hug him tight to ease it.


    Thinking about this, he finally moved, rushing forward like the wind.


    Seeing him streaking over, Yuwen Tong opened his mouth unawares, staring fixedly at the person who was dashing at him like a tired bird flying towards its nest, his heart pounding so violently that it hurt.


    The separation had lasted so many days. He¡¯d missed Ling Zhang every day and every night, fearing that he might undergo hardships or be bullied or get hurt. He¡¯d been kept in suspense all this time. Yuwen Tong had no idea what else he subconsciously took Ling Zhang for exactly. He only knew that Ling Zhang was as important as his own life, that under no circumstances would he let anything happen to Ling Zhang.


    Arms outstretched, he welcomed the person darting up to him by sweetly taking him into his embrace, and it was only then that his heart seemed to return to where it should be. He exhaled deeply, holding Ling Zhang so carefully as though he were some kind of precious treasure.


    His significant other finally returned to his embrace.


    He would be a fool to let Ling Zhang leave again!


    Ling Zhang held on to Yuwen Tong¡¯s back tightly, breathing in the familiar mixture of the refreshing faint fragrance and Yuwen Tong¡¯s scent which enveloped his whole body as though it were cleansing every fibre of his being, possessively putting him under Yuwen Tong¡¯s protection. He willingly submitted himself to it, wishing he could cling on to Yuwen Tong like this forever.


    Yuwen Tong caught a whiff of a smell of medicine which he could easily tell was some kind of topical vulnerary, and with that he came to himself and recalled his secret bodyguard in that letter had told him that Ling Zhang¡¯s arm was wounded, that he had had to stay in Jiangzhou to nurse his injury¡­


    ¡°Which one of your arms is injured? Let me take a look?¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused when finding himself out of Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace. Why did Yuwen Tong stop hugging him? He involuntarily looked at Yuwen Tong, a bemused and injured expression in his eyes.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart melted by Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze, but he¡¯d gathered his wits. ¡°Let me have a look at your wound first.¡±


    It was only then that Ling Zhang raised his injured arm, glanced down at it and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a scratch, and it has healed well.¡±


    ¡°You seriously expect me to believe that you stayed for days just to nurse a common scratch?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes became stern and with that he lifted Ling Zhang¡¯s arm to scrutinize it. Looking at the bandage almost wrapped around the whole forearm, he knitted his brows.


    The wound was so long?


    ¡°I¡¯m really okay. It has healed. I¡¯ll be able to remove the bandage after the wound is scarred. It¡¯s just a minor injury,¡± said Ling Zhang. He really felt that it was no big deal. The wound was healing slowly merely because it was fairly deep, and he¡¯d accidentally put some strain on it when pushing on with his journey, and it¡¯d been affected by his sweat.


    ¡°Mr. Mu¡¯s vulnerary is miraculous, and Qiu Bing has been checking my wound and changing my dressing on a frequent basis, so I¡¯m really okay. Don¡¯t concern yourself with it. What about you? You arrived in this city so soon. How¡¯s your journey? You must be exhausted. There¡¯s no need for you to come here to meet me,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong made no reply. After observing Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance for quite a while, he gently put Ling Zhang¡¯s arm down, took his other hand, pivoted around and drew him towards the gate of the encampment.


    Ling Zhang walked towards the far end of the encampment with him. At the sight of the commander of the Haizhou garrison and the other two, he hurriedly pulled Yuwen Tong to a halt.


    Seeing this, the three men hastened to pay their respects to Ling Zhang and introduced themselves.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Childe Ling. I¡¯m Hai Mu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Childe Ling. I¡¯m Dong Sheng.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Childe Ling. I¡¯m Wu Zhuo.¡±


    Ling Zhang greeted them and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, Your Lordships. I¡¯m on an incognito visit as well.¡± He tossed Yuwen Tong a glance and then added, ¡°Just like him, I don¡¯t want people to know who I am either, so please keep this to yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± chorused the commander of the Haizhou garrison and the other two.


    The Haizhou governor had met Ling Zhang before. The commander of the Haizhou garrison and the commander of the Haizhou navy, however, hadn¡¯t been able to go to the capital city to attend to Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement ceremony or the imperial wedding, for Yuwen Tong had ordered them to stay on the job to guard against any changes in the situation in Jiangzhou. Therefore, this was their first time seeing Ling Zhang, and they couldn¡¯t help but observe Ling Zhang for a few moments.


    Recalling his overreaction just now, Ling Zhang was somewhat ashamed, but on the surface he seemed quite natural, calmly looking back at them. The two commanders were both armymen. Though seeming unconcerned, they felt fairly guilty after staring at the empress for longer than was appropriate. As a result, the moment Ling Zhang looked back at them, they hurriedly withdrew their eyes.


    Ling Zhang, however, was secretly relieved, still feeling rather awkward.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll bring Brother Zhang back to the encampment to examine his wound. You guys are to return and do what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang back to his tent and then called out of the window, ¡°Qiu Bing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Qiu Bing immediately hurried into the tent.


    ¡°How¡¯s Brother Zhang¡¯s arm injury specifically? And when did you last change his dressing?¡± inquired Yuwen Tong, looking at him with penetrating eyes.


    Not daring keep anything back, Qiu Bing gave Yuwen Tong a blow-by-blow account of how Ling Zhang had got injured as well as what Ling Zhang had been through during the journey. ¡°I changed Young Master¡¯s dressing before we set off in the morning. We traveled fast and also climbed over some hills, and Young Master hasn¡¯t had anything to eat yet. He¡¯s still recovering and hunger is bad for the healing process.¡±


    Ling Zhang jerked his head up to glare at him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Face falling, Yuwen Tong immediately sent someone to get some food. Just now he¡¯d been so concerned about Ling Zhang¡¯s injury that he¡¯d forgotten that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t have had the time to fill his belly due to the great haste with which he¡¯d journeyed to this city, considering Ling Zhang had arrived at this hour. This was a military encampment, which was different from the imperial palace and downtown areas. There was strict discipline in the army, and soldiers working in the cookhouse only prepared meals at regular hours, so right now Yuwen Tong could only try getting Ling Zhang something filling to ease his hunger. Fortunately, Hai Mu had given the soldiers in the cookhouse some instructions beforehand, so Yuwen Tong sent the officer Hai Mu had assigned to serve him to the cookhouse to get something to eat. He should be able to find some in there.


    Yuwen Tong was both annoyed with himself for not having realized this earlier and annoyed with Ling Zhang about him going out of the city in such a hurry, believing that Ling Zhang should have filled his belly in the city first, that Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t taking his own health seriously enough.


    But eventually his heart ached for Ling Zhang, all his annoyance ebbing away.


    What the officer brought back were steamed buns, flatbreads and some other dry food. Ling Zhang ate them with hot water instead of turning his nose up at them.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was sulky all along. After Ling Zhang had his fill, he wet a towel and used it to wipe Ling Zhang¡¯s face and body, and then instructed Qiu Bing to change Ling Zhang¡¯s dressing.


    Seeing he was angry, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare say anything and obediently let Qiu Bing change his dressing.


    The sight of the nasty long wound almost rendered Yuwen Tong unable to breathe, his face darkening further.


    Ling Zhang had no choice but to stroke him. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s really just an accident. Nobody could have foreseen that Shan Congyi would carry that kind of stuff with him. Yao Yi and the others did everything they could to protect me. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have suffered injuries far worse than a slit, given how close I was to the center of the explosion. They were all wounded as well, to a greater or lesser degree.¡±


    Seeing Ling Zhang still dared intercede for them, Yuwen Tong gave him a dirty look.


    But Ling Zhang kept stroking him, and his anger was soon dissolved, leaving him resigned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there were times when you got wounded on the battlefield. Actually there are still some scars on your body. Now that I¡¯ve come out to help deal with issues involving conflicts, it¡¯s a natural thing that I get hurt in certain circumstances. Soon the wound will heal and I¡¯ll be okay. Please stop being angry. I promise I¡¯ll be extra careful if I¡¯m in that kind of situation once again. I¡¯ll stay far away and keep myself safe, okay?¡±


    While changing Ling Zhang¡¯s dressing, Qiu Bing involuntarily gave a shudder. When he finished the job, he hurriedly took his leave to give Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong some privacy.


    After Qiu Bing left, Yuwen Tong scooped Ling Zhang up. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you to come to Haizhou. The right thing to do was let you stay in Cangzhou to nurse your injury.¡±


    Ling Zhang believed otherwise, for he wouldn¡¯t have met Yuwen Tong so soon had he not come to Haizhou. He opened his mouth with the intention to contradict Yuwen Tong, but on second thought, he softened his tone and said in a faintly injured voice, ¡°I wanted to see you. Had you not allowed me to come, I would¡¯ve been upset. I¡¯m happy that I¡¯m with you now. Do you not want to see me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    He was unable to say anything reproachful.


    ¡°The issue of Jiangzhou is much more important compared with this minor injury of mine. In addition¡­¡± Seeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s face softening, Ling Zhang came to know that having Yuwen Tong move past this shouldn¡¯t be a problem, so he hastened to change the topic.


    Then he filled Yuwen Tong in on the matter of Shan Congyi in detail.


    ¡°About those gold ingots, my idea is to use them on the people of Jiangzhou after the Jiangzhou rebel army is taken care of. What do you think?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The imperial court will allocate a sum of money to Jiangzhou sooner or later. Residents of Jiangzhou will inevitably be in short of clothing and food this winter. It¡¯s okay if you want to give those gold ingots to them, but we have to do it in another way, so those ingots are still to be transferred back to the capital city, along with the money in Zhu You¡¯s vault that your father mentioned.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought. ¡°You¡¯re worried that someone might embezzle the money?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Currently the imperial court is on a tight budget and couldn¡¯t afford to allow those people any opportunities to make things worse. We must make sure every coin is put to good use. All those gold ingots are to be transported back to the capital city to be melted and made into ingots bearing government seals. I¡¯ll allocate some money to Jiangzhou later,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Feeling that he¡¯d failed to cover all the bases, Ling Zhang replied with a head bob, ¡°I should¡¯ve thought of this.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave him a kiss. ¡°You¡¯ve just got started. When you become used to it, you¡¯ll naturally get the hang of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang rubbed his face against Yuwen Tong on his own initiative. ¡°Um.¡±


    He would learn.


    ¡°By the way, about Shan Congyi¡¯s death¡­ At that time the small iron ball exploded and blast a huge crater in the ground. He was seriously wounded and the explosion was very sudden, and everything within a fifty-meter radius was destroyed. The General Zhongwu¡¯s solders surrounded the wood on the periphery, and nobody saw Shan Congyi escape, so he should be dead, but I couldn¡¯t have complete peace of mind without seeing his dead body.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with that. Even if he escaped from the explosion, he would be grievously wounded, and he would have to suffer a lot if he was to survive. As long as he still draws breath, he¡¯ll do everything within his power to get back to the Wan Kingdom, and once he returns to the Wan Kingdom, there¡¯d be no way he could keep his survival secret.¡±

 Chapter 450 - Who Said Anything About You Stinking?

    If Shan Congyi was still alive, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in hiding forever. Besides, given the severity of his injury, there was no doubt he would have to go through hell if he was to survive.


    Feeling that Yuwen Tong had a point, Ling Zhang finally relented, deciding to leave this matter aside for the time being, have the Jiang family¡¯s men continue their search in Cangzhou, and at the same time send some men to the Wan Kingdom to hide there and keep their eyes peeled for traces of Shan Congyi.


    After a separation of so many days, both of them wanted to make out to their hearts¡¯ content, but the current situation in Jiangzhou was urgent. Yuwen Tong had just finished confiding to Ling Zhang how he was going to lure the enemy when a secret bodyguard of his came to report.


    ¡°Master, Childe Ling, a messenger exited the checkpoint. We intercepted him and got the letter after he entered the city.¡±


    With that the bodyguard handed a letter to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong took and then opened the letter. In it were some code words. Yuwen Tong had seen hundreds ¨C if not thousands ¨C code words people used to convey information in wartime, so it took him only a few moments to decode the letter.


    Wang Xiangxin wanted Mu Rongfeng to join hands with him to launch a concerted attack on the Haizhou garrison and Pingtao City in three days, saying that he would lure away the troops stationed at the port for Mu Rongfeng on the morning of the fourth day.


    ¡°In three days. It seems that Wang Xiangxin is indeed very anxious,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    It wouldn¡¯t be easy for Mu Rongfeng to elude the navy and get his men ashore in three days.


    Why was Wang Xiangxin so sure Mu Rongfeng would agree?


    ¡°Sending out a message is no easy job for Wang Xiangxin in these circumstances, so Mu Rongfeng has to agree. The longer he stays on the sea, the more unfavorable the situation will be for him. Those pirates will draw our navy away, so getting his men ashore within a short time wouldn¡¯t really be a problem for him,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. ¡°Then how is Wang Xiangxin going to lure away the troops stationed at the port?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°By creating disturbances. There are not many soldiers at the port. They¡¯re mainly doing security work there. As a garrison is stationed outside Pingtao City and there¡¯s also a navy force out there, hardly anybody dares make trouble at the port. So actually the soldiers at the port are not difficult to deal with. It doesn¡¯t matter much whether they¡¯ll be lured away or not. All Wang Xiangxin needs to do is draw their attention away from the port. His men will exit the checkpoint to create chaos beforehand, which will naturally distract the soldiers. After all, in their eyes, neither the army sent by the imperial court nor the navy could¡¯ve foreseen that the Luohai Kingdom would get involved in this battle.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°They¡¯ve got a lot of balls. Even if Mu Rongfeng manages to get his men ashore, once the navy finds out and catches up with him, he¡¯d be under attack from two sides. Is he really that confident of defeating two forces at once?¡±


    ¡°The best move is to prevent the navy from getting ashore, or at least delay their landing by making trouble for them; then they destroy the Haizhou garrison together before turning around to take care of the navy,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Prevent the navy from getting ashore?¡± Ling Zhang was confused. ¡°How are they supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Blowing up the port, sabotaging nearby landing sites, putting up barricades ¨C they could stall the navy by doing any of these,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    All these were delaying tactics chiefly aimed at buying them some time.


    Yuwen Tong had checked all the main ports and landing sites in nearby areas. Lately a lot of people had been seen sneakingly wandering around in these places, and their intentions were very obvious.


    Ling Zhang remarked, ¡°It seems they¡¯d go to any length to achieve their ends.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting them blow up any of the ports or landing sites. Once they come ashore, they¡¯ll be on our turf,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    He handed the note back to his secret bodyguard. Some of his secret bodyguards were good at imitating people¡¯s handwriting, and what they needed to do right now was write a fake letter and change the time from three days to two days.


    Yuwen Tong planned to first trick Mu Rongfeng and his men into coming ashore, dispose of them in one fell swoop, and then take care of Wang Xiangxin. Even if Wang Xiangxin got wind of it, he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to take any countermeasures.


    After tampering with the message, they waited for Mu Rongfeng¡¯s reply.


    While waiting for Mu Rongfeng to send a reply, Yuwen Tong filled Ling Zhang in on the situation in the capital city. When he¡¯d finished relating it, he asked, ¡°What did your father say in the letter he had me send you with mine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about a secret passage connecting Jiangzhou and Haizhou.¡± Ling Zhang told him about the shortcut on the hill behind that sect in Haizhou. ¡°I could tell that the sect leader was nearly scared out of his wits, and he was racking his brains trying in vain to figure out how I came to know about the existence of that shortcut on the hill behind his sect. I think he¡¯d be overcautious about it from that day on.¡±


    Ling Zhang still felt somewhat guilty as he recalled the astonished and complicated expression the sect leader¡¯s face had taken on at the sight of them showing up on the hill behind that prestigious sect. He worried that he might have scarred the sect leader in some way.


    ¡°A secret path like that is passable for only a limited few, so it¡¯s no threat to anybody, and the imperial court won¡¯t do anything to his sect. Why did he panic?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°This is their secret. Think about it ¨C if a total stranger finds out about the hidden passageway in the imperial palace which is meant to be your escape route, and that stranger¡¯s identity is very special, wouldn¡¯t you panic as well?¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any hidden passageways in the imperial palace.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He was just drawing an analogy. Besides, maybe there was indeed a secret passage in there, and maybe some day he¡¯d scour the imperial palace and find it.


    ¡°On top of that, since they¡¯re a martial arts sect, their foes are probably all kung fu practitioners. Why is he afraid of us?¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    Ling Zhang thought, ¡®Why shouldn¡¯t he be afraid? If I were him, I would be concerned as well.¡¯


    He wondered how his father had come to discover their secret in his last life. That shortcut was indeed very secluded. Had his father searched that sect, by any chance? Or had he had a bad history with them? As this thought occurred to him, it struck Ling Zhang that he needed to ask his father and get to the bottom of it after returning to the capital city.


    If members of that sect had really committed evil, Ling Zhang naturally wouldn¡¯t let them off.


    If they hadn¡¯t¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to have them bear in mind some imaginary fears which would serve to deter them from doing wrong.


    Ling Zhang stroked his head, feeling that it wasn¡¯t really surprising Yuwen Tong was fairly nonchalant about this matter, given that even he himself was seeing it this way.


    ¡°Incidentally, is anybody of the Millennium Pavilion still in Pingtao City?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Yeah. Ji Xiaocong¡¯s father. The two of them look very much alike. Recently they¡¯ve been scouting that island all along. It¡¯s said that they¡¯ve found a safe maritime route to that island, that they¡¯re here waiting for their clansmen to come.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Was it him who sent the message?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Yuwen Tong with a head bob.


    ¡°I wonder how my grandfather¡¯s been doing these days,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Transferring the whole Millennium Pavilion without anybody noticing will take a lot of doing. There will be at least half a year or even a whole year before they get the job done. In addition, they¡¯ll have to transform the island and deploy some defensive formations. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to settle down there until three or even five years later. The tough part hasn¡¯t even started yet,¡± commented Yuwen Tong.


    After hearing these words, Ling Zhang was even more worried about his grandfather.


    ¡°My grandfather told me he¡¯d return to the capital city after handling the matter of the Millennium Pavilion. Now it seems he wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill his promise until several years later.¡±


    Yuwen Tong kept silent for a moment before consoling him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to take that long. After people of the Millennium Pavilion move onto that island, they¡¯ll have plenty of time to finish the construction work. Ji Yanlai will be there, so your grandfather won¡¯t have to stay on that island. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll return to the capital city when the situation stabilizes.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and said, ¡°When this is over, I¡¯ll ask Ji Xiaocong¡¯s father to take a message to my grandfather for me and see if there¡¯s anything I could help.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°This time around the Millennium Pavilion offered me some assistance, so I¡¯ll give them a hand if they need any help. You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with it. There are many capable men in the Millennium Pavilion. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything they couldn¡¯t handle.¡±


    Then he immediately added, ¡°Well, enough talking. You¡¯ve come a long way. The living conditions in this encampment are not very good. I¡¯ll help you wash your body, change clothes and then you may have some rest.¡±


    A few moments before, Yuwen Tong had only wiped Ling Zhang¡¯s face and hands before he ate. Ling Zhang lowered his head to sniff at his clothes and then lapsed into silence, hastily rising to his feet to walk a few paces away from Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was baffled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I stink of stale sweat.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make me any less fond of you. Come back here.¡±


    Ling Zhang refused, waiting for water to be delivered into the tent so that he could wash, unwilling to get close to Yuwen Tong.


    Resigned, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to send a soldier to give those preparing water a prod. When the water had been brought to the tent, he had all the others leave and then drew Ling Zhang to the basin, insisting on helping Ling Zhang wash.


    ¡°Only one of my arms is wounded. The other one is okay.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to take off your clothes? How are you going to wring out your towel? And how are you going to get dressed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to manage it if I do it slowly.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of having me by your side?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That made a lot of sense.


    Ling Zhang obediently let Yuwen Tong peel off his clothes. Yuwen Tong was literally ¡°peeling¡± him like peeling the shell off a boiled egg. One by one, his clothes were removed, revealing Ling Zhang¡¯s fair-skinned body.


    Yuwen Tong, who hadn¡¯t seen his love for a long time, was instantly turned on at the sight of his marriage partner¡¯s seductive body.


    Ling Zhang could tell from the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes what he was thinking. He hurriedly warned him, ¡°I reek! Help me wash right away! And don¡¯t you dare do anything other than that!¡±


    ¡°Sex first!¡± Yuwen Tong tossed the towel into the basin.


    Ling Zhang demurred, ¡°No! Bath first!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to bathe after sex anyway. I don¡¯t mind the smell.¡±


    ¡°But I do. You want to get your lips covered with dirt after kissing me?! Black dirt, and it stinks! If you rub your hand against my skin, you¡¯ll find small beads of dirt beneath your palm!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With a sullen face, Yuwen Tong walked back to the basin, wrung out the towel, stared at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Come over here!¡±


    Ling Zhang stared back at him. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything else!¡±


    It was not that he didn¡¯t want to do that thing. He was just not inclined to let Yuwen Tong hug him when he stank of stale sweat, for that would¡­ terribly spoil his enjoyment.


    Gazing at him with burning eyes, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Come over here right now. Don¡¯t make me say it thrice.¡±


    It was only then that Ling Zhang walked up to Yuwen Tong, who grabbed him and started washing him in a seemingly rough but actually gentle way. When Yuwen Tong was standing behind him, he couldn¡¯t see Yuwen Tong. ¡°I can bathe you in return if you want.¡±


    While washing him, Yuwen Tong gave a little snort and then said, ¡°If I take off my clothes, you won¡¯t be able to stand here any more.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m quite clean. You won¡¯t get your lips covered with dirt,¡± added Yuwen Tong, ¡°and you won¡¯t get any beads if you rub my skin.¡±


    Ling Zhang blushed. ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t say you¡¯re that dirty. Besides, even if you were, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice said beside his ear in a dangerous tone, ¡°Are you implying I mind your smell?¡±


    Ling Zhang hastened to explain, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. D¨CDo you want to continue or not? The front part of me still needs washing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong snorted again and then gave Ling Zhang a spank. ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Ling Zhang let out a muffled cry. ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± he hissed, lowering his voice for fear of attracting anybody¡¯s attention.

 Chapter 451 - In My Dream There Was This Gang Leader Who Looked Exactly Like You

    ¡°Let me wipe it for you.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately clapped his hand to his butt. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    Yuwen Tong snorted with a smile. This brat actually began to worry about his butt. ¡°Remove your hand,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°No. I can manage it myself. Give me the towel,¡± said Ling Zhang, turning around to face Yuwen Tong, holding out a hand, covering his butt with the other.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t give him the towel. There was fire in his eyes which seemed to be boring into Ling Zhang ¨C fire of desire, of course.


    ¡°Get over here.¡±


    Ling Zhang stared back at him, motionless. After a few moments, he failed to restrain himself and obediently walked up. Yuwen Tong grabbed his arm, turned him around and began to wipe his butt¡­


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face was burning badly. Yuwen Tong was such a wretch! He was deliberately washing him so slow!


    ¡°Ca¨CCan¡¯t you do it any faster?!¡±


    ¡°Not if you want me to wash it clean enough.¡±


    Ling Zhang could feel Yuwen Tong¡¯s hot breath on his butt when Yuwen Tong was speaking. Taken aback, he jerked his head aside and found Yuwen Tong staring at his butt. ¡°Hey!¡± he exclaimed.


    He was just about to jump away when Yuwen Tong quickly grabbed him. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    ¡°What do you think you are doing? Get it over with, okay? I¡¯m still naked.¡± The very look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes made Ling Zhang scared. This guy was gazing at him like a hungry wolf at a lamb!


    ¡°Humph.¡± Yuwen Tong replied with a snort, ¡°You think I¡¯m going to let you get dressed?¡±


    As the warm towel slid through the crack in his butt, Ling Zhang gave a shudder and with that all his attention was focused on his butt, which made it exceptionally sensitive.


    After Yuwen Tong meticulously washed it, his delicate, white butt looked even whiter and glistened wet. A particular part of Yuwen Tong¡¯s body ached at the sight of this. He muttered a curse, quickly washed Ling Zhang¡¯s back and then his front part. After that, he scooped up Ling Zhang and made towards the bed at the far end of the tent.


    Ling Zhang felt as though he were a freshly steamed bun that could be swallowed at any moment.


    But he was still holding his butt one-handed.


    Yuwen Tong tossed Ling Zhang¡¯s hand a glance, his eyes full of indifference. ¡®Keep holding it if you like. Soon you¡¯ll see how pointless that is,¡¯ he thought.


    It struck Ling Zhang that at this time Yuwen Tong looked very much like a gang leader, that he bore no resemblance whatsoever to the emperor he normally was.


    ¡°Don¨CDon¡¯t go too far. There are a lot of people out there. I don¡¯t want to be a laughing stock!¡±


    ¡°Nobody dares approach this tent.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not in the imperial palace or your encampment.¡±


    ¡°It sure as hell is my encampment. Every inch of this country is mine. I¡¯m the emperor now, remember?¡±


    Yuwen Tong put Ling Zhang down onto the bed and then began to taking off his clothes. While stripping off, he continued, ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about anybody hearing you if you don¡¯t groan that loud.¡±


    A flush spreading to his neck, Ling Zhang sniffed, ¡°I¨CI won¡¯t have to groan if you could show some restraint!¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed his clothes to the ground and replied smugly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not on the table.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hold on, hold on¡­ Ah!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    All nearby tents were cleared. Vaguely hearing the voices issuing from Yuwen Tong¡¯s tent, Yao Yi and some others inexplicably felt as though they¡¯d returned to the imperial palace.


    As a bunch of bachelors, they once again felt hurt as they had in the palace.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang had no idea how long the sex lasted, but at the end of it, he didn¡¯t even have enough strength to lift a finger. He groggily felt someone wipe him clean, dress him in clean dry clothes, and carefully examined his wounded arm, but soon he drifted into a deep sleep, unable to feel anything.


    Seeing he was fast asleep, Yuwen Tong leaned over to kiss him, tucked him in and then went to wash. After changing clothes, he left the tent.


    He wanted very much to get some sleep with Ling Zhang in his arms, but he couldn¡¯t do that yet.


    After instructing Yao Yi and some others to guard the door of the tent, Yuwen Tong went to the main tent.


    ¡­


    It was already night when Ling Zhang woke up. Yuwen Tong had returned and was reading intelligence reports sent to him by his secret bodyguards from various locations. On sensing Ling Zhang wake up, he rose to his feet, walked up to the bed and laid a hand on Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead to feel his temperature. Positive that Ling Zhang was okay and had had a good sleep, he rubbed Ling Zhang¡¯s face and said, ¡°You¡¯re awake? Do you want to get up?¡±


    Having his face and temple kneaded, Ling Zhang replied in a throaty, languid and faintly nasal voice, ¡°I¡¯m not awake.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re not awake, then who¡¯s talking with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking in my sleep.¡±


    ¡°What are you seeing in your dream?¡±


    ¡°A gang leader.¡±


    ¡°A gang leader?¡±


    Not having caught on, Yuwen Tong said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s the point of dreaming about a gang leader? Where does he live? I¡¯ll have him beheaded.¡±


    Still fairly unwilling to open his eyes, Ling Zhang snorted softly, ¡°He looks exactly like you. You still want him beheaded?¡±


    The gang leader looked exactly like him? Yuwen Tong came to understand, stooped down, gave Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek a playful nibble and then planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. ¡°What did he do to you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong really believed he was talking in his sleep? Ling Zhang slowly opened his liquid bright eyes to look at Yuwen Tong and then responded, ¡°He harassed me, so I beat him up. After that, he became very submissive and did whatever I told him to. Humph. He kept moving his waist with great gusto.¡±


    Yuwen Tong dissolved into chuckle. ¡°Is that so? Oh, my empress is so amazing. Was he doing it as happily as you were?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He jerked the quilt up and covered Yuwen Tong¡¯s head with it, intending to trap Yuwen Tong in it and kick his ass.


    ¡°Of course. He was moving it so energetically!¡±


    Beneath the quilt, Yuwen Tong burst into laughter, scooped Ling Zhang up from the bed, put him down to let him sit, and then removed the quilt, looking at him with a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. You need to get something to eat. The food is ready. Given that you only had some steamed buns and flatbreads for lunch, you must be quite hungry.¡±


    As if on cue, Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach rumbled. He slid Yuwen Tong a sideways glance and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. I told you to show some restraint but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Now my whole waist is sore.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart was melted by that sidelong look. He obsequiously reached out a hand to massage Ling Zhang¡¯s waist. ¡°You may continue to sleep after filling your belly.¡±


    Seeing Ling Zhang want to stand up, Yuwen Tong helped him to his feet, rearranged Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes and then, holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, led him out of the tent to eat his overdue dinner.


    Ling Zhang walked around a giant screen with Yuwen Tong and was astonished to see a table full of delicious food. ¡°How did you¡­ You got these from downtown?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I had them go into the city to buy these,¡± replied Yuwen Tong, settling Ling Zhang in a chair and giving him a bowl of congee. ¡°You barely ate anything during the day, and we did some exercise in the afternoon, and now it¡¯s pretty late, so you should just have some congee. Don¡¯t eat too much of these meat dishes.¡±


    Fortunately Yao Yi and the others had superb lightness skills and could travel very fast, so going into the city to buy these dishes hadn¡¯t been much trouble for them.


    At least he could have some meat now. Previously Yuwen Tong had forbidden him to eat any meat after sex, allowing him to eat vegetarian meals only. Congee didn¡¯t sound so bad now. Ling Zhang took a slurp from his bowl and said, ¡°Have you had dinner? There are so many dishes here.¡±


    Yuwen Tong got himself a bowl of rice and sat down beside Ling Zhang. ¡°No. I¡¯ve been waiting to have dinner with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows, looked at the color of the sky and came to know that it was late at night. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have waited for me. This is not to be repeated, or I¡¯ll never let you touch me again.¡±


    His tone of voice was serious, which suggested that he meant it.


    ¡°I waited because this is the first meal we have together since our parting. I won¡¯t do it again. Dig in,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Finding this explanation acceptable, Ling Zhang slurped down half of the congee in his bowl and then asked, ¡°How¡¯s everything going out there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting for Mu Rongfeng¡¯s reply,¡± answered Yuwen Tong.


    It¡¯d been at noon that the letter had been sent. Delivering it to Mu Rongfeng and bringing back his reply would take some time. The reply would¡¯ve arrived if Mu Rongfeng was in Pingtao City, but considering he¡¯d brought a great number of men to this country, he undoubtedly had to stay with them to make sure everybody toed the line. Those in Pingtao City were just his scouts.


    ¡°Has Wu Zhuo gone back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Barring accidents, Mu Rongfeng¡¯s reply will arrive tomorrow, and his men will come ashore the day after tomorrow. Our navy will have to put on an act convincing enough, and Wu Zhuo will have to cooperate with them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced at him and added, ¡°All arrangements have been made, so there¡¯s no need to worry. I got this.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± Ling Zhang helped himself with a piece of meat and observed, ¡°The cooks in Pingtao City do know their stuff.¡±


    Yuwen Tong also ate a piece of meat and said, ¡°I was worried that the foods in Pingtao City were not to your liking, so I brought some cooks here from the capital city. It was them who cooked these.¡±


    Ling Zhang paused briefly, took another slurp from his bowl and said in a quiet voice, ¡°I¡¯m not that finicky. You shouldn¡¯t have bothered about it. I¡¯m okay with any food.¡±


    Yuwen Tong leaned over and touched Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead with his. ¡°It¡¯s no bother. I¡¯m happy that I did it. Doing these things is what makes me happy.¡±


    Eyes burning, Ling Zhang turned his head and kissed Yuwen Tong, staining his face with congee. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t mind and resumed eating with the lip print of congee on his cheek.


    Ling Zhang tried to keep from wiping it off but failed after a few moments.


    Yuwen Tong let him wipe it away and then offered him more food. ¡°Eat.¡±


    Ling Zhang obediently enjoyed those dishes and slurped his congee noisily. Since he was not in the imperial palace or at home, he didn¡¯t have to pay attention to table manners.


    Yuwen Tong pushed a loose strand of Ling Zhang¡¯s hair back behind his ear. Seeing Ling Zhang enjoying the congee so much, Yuwen Tong swallowed and said, ¡°Let me have a sip of it.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked up at him, perplexed. ¡°Why do you want congee when you have rice?¡±


    ¡°Just give it to me.¡±


    Ling Zhang resignedly pushed his bowl to Yuwen Tong, who picked it up, put the part of its brim where Ling Zhang¡¯s lip had been between his own lips, took a slurp and observed, ¡°It tastes fine.¡±


    Bewildered, Ling Zhang took his bowl back. Before he could figure out the reason, Yuwen Tong planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek, leaving a lip print on it.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He twisted his head aside to look at Yuwen Tong, who calmly looked back at him.


    Ling Zhang turned his head back. Never mind. It was pointless to bother with an immature guy like Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong, who was amused by the ¡®I-don¡¯t-want-to-be bothered-with-a-childish-guy-like-you¡¯ expression Ling Zhang assumed, raised his hand to rub Ling Zhang¡¯s head.


    After a vain attempt to shake off Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, Ling Zhang ignored him and resumed drinking his congee.


    Yao Yi who was on guard duty outside the door glanced over his shoulder into the tent. Hearing his two masters bickering like children, he felt quite at ease, as though he¡¯d returned to the imperial palace.


    However, he was secretly hoping that he would find someone to slurp congee with him as well.


    Yao Yi had lost count of the number of times this idea had occurred to him. It¡¯d been only after he was saddened by his two masters¡¯ intimacies that he¡¯d started considering this uncontrollably. It struck him vaguely that he didn¡¯t really want to get married that bad. Why had he been thinking about this kind of stuff so frequently in recent days?


    The two people inside the tent were unaware that they had just depressed the current commander of the Palace Guards once again, but even if they¡¯d come to know about it, they would continue doing it with smile on their faces, showing Yao Yi no ¡®mercy¡¯ whatsoever.

 Chapter 452 - The Landing of Mu Rongfeng on the Shore

    Early the next morning, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked out of the tent.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s reply still hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and all sides were biding their time. The atmosphere was subdued and tense.


    The two of them quietly entered Pingtao City. Residents were still unaware of the imminent fighting, so the mood in the downtown area was much more relaxed than it was in the military encampment. In order to prevent innocent civilians from being hurt during the operation the next day, the local yamen had some men put on an act at the port in the afternoon. In the name of an inquiry into a fistfight between two caravans, port guards took all members of all the caravans near the port into custody, and then sealed the port entrance temporarily, allowing only a small number of people to go in and out so as to minimize collateral damage.


    At dusk, Mu Rongfeng¡¯s reply finally arrived. Yuwen Tong was the first to read the letter. In it, Mu Rongfeng agreed to Wang Xiangxin¡¯s plan, and he didn¡¯t mention anything about the time of their concerted operation, which spared Yuwen Tong the trouble of tampering the letter.


    Ling Zhang studied the terrain of the areas outside Pingtao City for a while and then covertly brought Wang Dashan and some others out of the city to scout out the lay of the land. After returning from the trip, he told Yuwen Tong where he was going to deploy a formation.


    ¡°Considering the scale of tomorrow¡¯s operation, we won¡¯t be able to keep Wang Xiangxin in the dark about it. If they stay where they are, there¡¯ll be no problem, but if they move out of the checkpoint, my formation will hold them back and buy you some time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. After giving it some thought, he said, ¡°The formation will have to be large, and those scouts in the city will easily find out about its existence. Do you think it¡¯s doable that we make a plan first and wait until tomorrow to deploy the formation?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I think so.¡±


    The main purpose of the deployment of the formation was to stall the rebel army and buy the garrison some time to round up Mu Rongfeng and his men at the port.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang consulted with Hai Mu about this matter. The next day, Hai Mu would lead the Haizhou garrison to trap the enemy in a pincer movement, and proper coordination would be needed for the formation to serve its purpose.


    The consultation lasted until night. After a plan was finalized, Hai Mu took his leave to make final arrangements. Ling Zhang, Wang Dashan and some others, under the cover of night, went out of the city once again.


    The next day, at the crack of dawn, the atmosphere was even more subdued than it was the day before. Everybody was poised to take action.


    ¡­


    On the sea outside Pingtao City.


    There had been some unusual movements on the seemingly quiet sea before daybreak. Some pirate ships, hiding in morning mist, had attempted to get through the waters patrolled regularly by the navy to get ashore.


    ¡°Pirates!¡±


    Soldiers on an observation tower on an island spotted the pirate ships. The navy immediately sent a couple of warships to intercept them.


    The two sides engaged and the fighting was in a stalemate for an hour.


    Afterward, the pirates were defeated and made an attempt to detour around the naval base to flee south. The warships exploited the victory and pursued the enemy hotly, sparing no efforts. Soon the noisy sea fell silent, without a single ship in sight.


    ¡°Advance! Full speed!¡± The fleet of ¡®merchant ships¡¯ led by Mu Rongfeng took advantage of this opportunity and sailed through the waters that the navy had originally been keeping close watch on, headed in the direction of the port of Pingtao City. Even if the navy found out about it, their warships wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with them in time.


    These merchant ships in disguise were actually small-sized warships from the navy of the Luohai Kingdom. This time, Mu Rongfeng had led one third of the navy south to Haizhou, investing quite a lot in this operation.


    The dozens of ships moved very fast, getting closer and closer to the port outside Pingtao City. Distantly, soldiers on the ships could now see the situation in the port clearly.


    Mu Rongfeng didn¡¯t go ashore immediately. Instead, he sent a couple of ships forward to reconnoiter.


    The port was fairly quiet, because the day before some members of two caravans made trouble at the port and had a fierce fight, and then local authorities took all caravans staying near the port into custody, leaving some merchant ships anchored on the side. And then there were some port guards on duty. A couple of fishing boats had just gone ashore. Some fishermen and temporary workers were unloading fish from the boats, which were to be transported into Pingtao City as soon as possible.


    According to the plan, Wang Xiangxin would send some men to create disturbance and lure away the port guards to allow Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men an opportunity to land on the shore.


    Of course, the real date on which Wang Xiangxin wanted Mu Rongfeng to take action was the next day, so on this day, some soldiers of the Haizhou garrison would pose as refugees and create ¡®turmoil¡¯ to ¡®lure¡¯ the port guards away.


    Those on the shore were also observing movements on the sea. The moment Mu Rongfeng¡¯s warships came into sight, people on the shore started making final preparations.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s scouts came ashore just in time to see the ¡®turbulence¡¯ begin and most of the port guards drawn away.


    Finding that the port guards had been lured away, one of the scouts sounded his horn.


    The horn tooted.


    ¡°Get ashore!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng gave the order and with that all his warships quickly moved towards the shore.


    Some warships of the navy had turned around to pursue them. Mu Rongfeng repeated ordered his men to pick up speed and go ashore as quick as possible. ¡°Hurry up! All of you!¡±


    Light and fast, his warships in disguise reached the shore very soon. The marines of the Luohai Kingdom, posing as pirates, were poised to disembark. Mu Rongfeng was standing on deck, his eyes sweeping across the port, surprised that the port was unusually quiet. Berthed at random by the shore were only some fishing boats. Not only had all port guards been led away, but none of the businessmen he¡¯d previously seen engaged in loading and unloading goods was in sight. Seeing this, he couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are all those merchant ships berthed there?!¡± Mu Rongfeng snapped at the scouts who had been waiting on the shore all this time.


    Mu Rongfeng had long since planted these scouts in Pingtao City in order to stake out the city in case the situation changed.


    ¡°Your Highness, yesterday afternoon two chambers of commerce came into conflict and had a fight in this place. They destroyed a lot of each other¡¯s goods and caused quite a stink, so the local yamen took all of them into custody for interrogation,¡± replied one of the scouts.


    ¡°Two chambers of commerce came into conflict? All caravans were involved?¡± Mu Rongfeng had a hunch that something was not right.


    ¡°The two chambers of commerce are two of the largest in Pingtao City. More than seventy percent of the merchant ships going in and out of this port regularly belong to the two of them. The situation was too chaotic when the fight broke out yesterday, and too many people got involved, so the local yamen simply arrested all members of caravans and boatmen in the port,¡± answered the scout.


    Before Mu Rongfeng could figure out which part of this matter was wrong, one of his subordinates keeping a lookout for the navy of the Great Wen ran up to report.


    ¡°Your Highness! Warships of their navy are approaching! Should we disembark and blow up the port right away?¡±


    Mu Rongfeng glanced over his shoulder into the sea area behind him and saw that there were indeed some enemy warships coming, but he had an intuition that the incident the day before happened in suspicious circumstances, that it was too coincidental to be true. Two chambers of commerce had got into a fight the day before he took action ¨C it was almost like someone had specially cleared the way for him¡­


    Was that part of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s plan as well, by any chance?


    Did Wang Xiangxin wield enough power in Pingtao City to arrange for two large chambers of commerce to do something like and have the local yamen cooperate with him?


    Mu Rongfeng was still dithering, the warships of the navy of the Great Wen approaching constantly.


    ¡°Has Wang Xiangxin made his move? Why am I not hearing any battle cry?¡± asked Mu Rongfeng, his ears cocked, listening hard.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re too far away,¡± said one of his subordinates.


    ¡°No. Something¡¯s not right. Don¡¯t get ashore yet. Go and do some recon immediately. If Wang Xiangxin has taken action, some people in the city would definitely have noticed,¡± averred Mu Rongfeng through gritted teeth. ¡°Everybody else stay put. Get ready to engage the navy of the Great Wen!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, if we do it this way, we¡¯ll have to fight their navy head on, and there might be unimaginably heavy casualties, which would be totally unnecessary!¡±


    ¡°Do as I say!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡­


    It¡¯d been quite some time but Mu Rongfeng still hadn¡¯t got ashore. Instead, he sent some scouts to fan out into nearby areas to do recon, and he seemed to have the intention to launch a frontal attack on the navy of the Great Wen. On a tall building in the distance, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong saw the whole thing distinctly.


    ¡°It seems that Mu Rongfeng is not really that stupid. Unfortunately for him, even if he¡¯d found out something about our plan, he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to take any countermeasures. He has to come ashore, no matter whether he wants to or not,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Judging from how long it has been since the start, Wu Zhuo and his marines should arrive to surround them soon,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Predictably, before long, a patch of black spots emerged from the mist on the sea.


    The first batch of warships pursuing Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men had approached, and there are a great number of warships in the distance, heading in this direction.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men panicked. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re surrounded by a large naval fleet of the Great Wen!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng climbed up a mast to look into the distance and then also noticed the fleet, his face falling instantly, realizing that there was indeed something wrong.


    ¡°Fuck! That son of a bitch Wang Xiangxin must¡¯ve surrendered himself to the imperial court of the Great Wen. He lured us into a trap! Sound retreat! Everybody go back to the ships! Get prepared to¨C¡±


    BOOM!


    The naval ship at the front of the pursuers suddenly fired a ball with gunpowder inside. All those ships were equipped with catapults. Large balls containing gunpowder with lighted fuses were fired one after another before they landed on the ¡®merchant ships¡¯ and exploded, closely followed by a volley of flaming arrows.


    ¡°FALL BACK!¡± bellowed Mu Rongfeng after jumping off the mast, narrowly avoiding being hit by a flaming arrow.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¨Cit¡¯s too late! There are enemy naval ships coming from both sides! All those merchant ships have been camouflaged. They¡¯re warships of the Great Wen!¡± a subordinate of his reported, panic-stricken.


    Those ¡®merchant ships¡¯, which had been quietly staying near the port all along, suddenly moved, cornering them from both sides, large numbers of marines pouring out of the cabins, flaming arrows raining down on Mu Rongfeng¡¯s warships.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men were under attack from two sides. All those ¡®merchant ships¡¯ were larger than Mu Rongfeng¡¯s. If Mu Rongfeng was to force his way out of the port by breaking through the surrounding circle, he would have to pay a heavy price and it would take a lot of time too. Also, there was a very high chance that the marines of the Great Wen would get aboard his warships before his men could breach the ring of encirclement.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s eyes were red with fury. There were so many enemy ships on the sea that even wind could barely get through. The naval forces of the Great Wen had almost turned out in full strength, making it impossible for them to retreat by sea.


    ¡°Get ashore and go north!¡± ordered Mu Rongfeng.


    The Jiangzhou rebel army was in the south-west, but Mu Rongfeng was now very suspicious of Wang Xiangxin and no longer had any trust in him, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t retreat in that direction. He intended for his men to land on the shore, blend into local residents and flee north, then find an opportunity to get aboard some ships and travel further north to return home.


    Mu Rongfeng believed that this was a shrewd move. However, his opponent had anticipated it and taken precautions in the north some time before. Even if he and his men managed to reach the northern part, they would have to double back eventually.


    The moment Mu Rongfeng and his men set foot on the shore, soldiers guarding the gates of Pingtao City received orders to shut all city gates to prevent Mu Rongfeng and his men from fleeing into the city. This was also one of the benefits of the port not being part of Pingtao City. At ordinary times, it was not very convenient for goods to be transported from the port to the downtown area, but when there was a sea battle, a lot of losses could be avoided if the city gates were shut in time.


    This time around, Mu Rongfeng and his men were doomed to end up like fish in a barrel.

 Chapter 453 - Wang Xiangxins Entry into the Formation

    As all the Luohai marines masquerading as pirates, by order of Mu Rongfeng, disembarked from their warships and landed on the shore, marines of the Great Wen from the merchant ships in the port also got ashore. At the same time, the port guards, who hadn¡¯t really been lured far away, charged out of hiding and towards Mu Rongfeng and the several thousand troops under his command.


    ¡°Kill these goddamn pirates! Take no prisoners!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng, in order to hide his identity to make it more convenient to carry out his plan, had disguised himself as a pirate, but by doing that, he had actually tossed away his protective talisman. Now soldiers of the Great Wen could directly kill him without any misgivings.


    ¡°Do not stay here! Retreat north!¡± bawled Mu Rongfeng, beside himself with rage. Watching this scene, he inwardly cursed Wang Xiangxin numerous times. He knew very well that with this army of merely several thousand men, he didn¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of defeating the Great Wen¡¯s navy and the Haizhou garrison, that he must not fight the enemy head on, that the right thing to do was make his escape as quick as possible.


    According to his original plan, this several-thousand-man army of his was supposed to launch a sneak attack on Pingtao City, blow up the port, prevent the navy of the Great Wen from landing on the shore to save Pingtao City, then join hands with Wang Xiangxin¡¯s army to attack the Haizhou garrison from two sides, but it¡¯d never crossed his mind that he and his men would be forced into running for their lives before they could take action!


    Mu Rongfeng was consumed with fury. He and Shan Congyi had agreed that they would cooperate with Wang Xiangxin and assist him to escalate the situation and make life difficult for Yuwen Tong, but now Wang Xiangxin had betrayed him, and he had no idea whether or not Shan Congyi had played a part in this. What with the chaos, Mu Rongfeng was unable to give it any careful thought and believed that the only plausible explanation was he¡¯d been betrayed. Right now he must shake off the marines of the Great Wen and the port guards as soon as possible¡­


    ¡°This is bad, Your Highness. The road ahead is blockaded. It¨CIt¡¯s the Haizhou garrison!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡­


    At the checkpoint on the boundary between Jiangzhou and Haizhou.


    This checkpoint was located on a relatively high position. Standing on the hilltop, people could see the movements in and outside Pingtao City. Besides, there were also faint battle cries coming from that direction. One of the soldiers on duty, as a matter of urgency, hurriedly reported to his superior what was happening at the port.


    ¡°General! Some pirates made a landing at the port outside Pingtao City. The naval forces of the Great Wen pursued them to the shore, disembarked and caught up with them. The two sides have engaged.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The general in charge of the checkpoint was thunderstruck. ¡°Are they real pirates or¨C¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see them clearly.¡±


    The general hastened to the hilltop to see for himself and then returned. The round trip to the hilltop took him quite some time. Eventually he decided that no matter whether those people were real pirates or not, the circumstances were obviously quite suspicious, that he needed to report it to Wang Xiangxin without delay.


    Wang Xiangxin was hiding in the military encampment, and currently the general was the only one aware of his true identity. When the general found Wang Xiangxin, the latter was very displeased. ¡°Why are you here? Did I not tell you to never risk blowing my cover identity?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency, Commander. Those pirates took action ahead of schedule and are now surrounded by the marines. As far as I could tell, those people from the Luohai Kingdom are probably among them!¡±


    ¡°How did that happen?!¡±


    Wang Xiangxin was immediately rendered too shocked to consider how to punish the general for coming to his hiding place without his consent, his face instantly darkening.


    ¡°Commander, should we go there to rescue them right away or¡­¡± said the general in an anxious tone.


    Heedless of the risk of blowing his cover, Wang Xiangxin hurried to the hilltop to look in the direction of the ongoing rough-and-tumble in the distance. The battle cry was getting clearer and clearer. If Mu Rongfeng was indeed in there and he didn¡¯t go to rescue Mu Rongfeng, he would be leaving Mu Rongfeng and his men in the lurch, but why had Mu Rongfeng chosen to make his move on this day?!


    ¡­


    Outside Pingtao City, Mu Rongfeng and his men were ringed. The city gates had been shut. They were almost like fish in a barrel.


    ¡°Your Highness, this whole thing is so weird. Maybe we should send a signal and see if Wang Xiangxin would come to our rescue!¡± said one of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s subordinates, who was relatively sober-minded.


    This was their only option, and Mu Rongfeng had to take it with an inclination of the head, though he hated Wang Xiangxin¡¯s and Shan Congyi¡¯s guts.


    Thus, a signal flare was sent up into the sky and exploded.


    In the checkpoint in the distance, Wang Xiangxin¡¯s face changed drastically at the sound. ¡°Mu Rongfeng is really there!¡±


    ¡°What do we do, Commander? I think we might have a chance of saving the day if we go down there and join hands with Mu Rongfeng to attack them from two sides!¡± said the general.


    Wang Xiangxin, however, believed otherwise. ¡°Why did Mu Rongfeng make his move on this day? Why hasn¡¯t the port been blown up? Why have the naval forces of the Great Wen arrived so soon? It must be because Mu Rongfeng¡¯s whereabouts had been leaked some time before, and maybe even¡­¡±


    After a brief pause, he continued through gritted teeth, ¡°The letter I wrote to Mu Rongfeng might¡¯ve been tampered with. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to take action ahead of schedule without telling me! Given the current circumstances, we would be walking straight into a trap laid by the Haizhou garrison if we go out there!¡±


    ¡°B¨CBut the Wan Kingdom¡¯s support has become the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow already. If we stay here, we¡¯ll lose the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s support as well, and our chance of surviving the attack from the army of the imperial court under Yuwen Tong¡¯s command would be¡­¡±


    The general didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but his meaning was explicit. Wang Xiangxin was not an incarnation of the God of War, and the special geographical location of Jiangzhou was the sole reason why he had dared stay in this prefecture, blockade the four checkpoints and work against the imperial court. Wang Xiangxin knew that given the current strength of the rebel forces in Jiangzhou, he didn¡¯t stand a chance of defeating Yuwen Tong¡¯s army on the battlefield.


    As a result, he had to expand his army. Even if he couldn¡¯t take Haizhou, he must take Pingtao City!


    Clenching his teeth, Wang Xiangxin stared fixedly in the direction of Pingtao City. After a long moment¡¯s apparently painful internal struggle, he said, ¡°Get the men into marching formation. We¡¯re going to Pingtao City! Your job is to take some men and stall the Haizhou garrison. I¡¯ll go to Mu Rongfeng¡¯s rescue!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡± replied the general.


    ¡­


    The movements of the Jiangzhou rebel army immediately came to the knowledge of Hai Mu, the commander of the Haizhou garrison, whose men had been staking out the checkpoint constantly. He sneered and gave the order for the whole garrison to get ready to fight the Jiangzhou rebel army who would soon come out of the checkpoint.


    The Jiangzhou rebel army poured out of the checkpoint with a lot of noises. The Haizhou garrison, who had been lying in wait for some time, immediately launched an offensive.


    Thunderous beat of battle drums could be distinctly heard both in and outside Pingtao City.


    ¡­


    ¡°Wang Xiangxin made his move. It¡¯s time I went there to take a look.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned around to look in another direction. Wang Dashan and some others had gone to finish the last step of the deployment of the formation. Wang Xiangxin had just set out to rescue his allies when he was about to enter a containment formation!


    Looking in the direction of Mu Rongfeng who was putting up a desperate fight, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Ling Zhang answered and then left with some bodyguards.


    Yuwen Tong instructed, ¡°Yao Yi, go and protect him.¡±


    Yao Yi glanced at the other bodyguards beside Yuwen Tong and then replied with a head bob, ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng was now like a turtle in a jar, posing no threat to anybody.


    ¡­


    As the Haizhou garrison had pre-planned the ambush, the Jiangzhou rebel army had just went through the gate of the checkpoint when they were attacked and got into tangled fighting. Unable to extricate his army from the battle to have them go to Pingtao City to rescue Mu Rongfeng, Wang Xiangxin had no alternative but to break out of the surrounding circle with only a small number of soldiers and his hit squad while the Haizhou garrison were fighting the main force of the Jiangzhou rebel army, galloping towards Pingtao City.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡±


    Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three bodyguards, along with two teams of picked soldiers, had been waiting for quite some time. At the sight of the group of rebels hurtling downhill to rescue their allies, they opened the entrance of the containment formation that they¡¯d deployed beforehand, waiting for the targets to enter.


    ¡°These people are not what they appear to be. Look, those wearing black skintight outfits don¡¯t seem like soldiers. They¡¯re more like¡­¡±


    ¡°Kung fu masters. They¡¯re probably Wang Xiangxin¡¯s hit squad that Young Master once mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Everybody stay sharp!¡±


    All of them squared their shoulders, poised to attack. Ling Zhang arrived just in time to see Wang Xiangxin and his men charge into the containment formation, and he naturally noticed the group of kung fu masters beside Wang Xiangxin who were clothed in black skintight outfits.


    One of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s men, shortly after following him into the large-scale containment formation, perceived that something was wrong. ¡°Wait!¡± he cautioned.


    Wang Xiangxin on horseback looked at him in bewilderment, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. Look at the road ahead of us. I¡¯m sure it was different before we exited the checkpoint. That turning wasn¡¯t there, and neither was this fog!¡± answered the man, his cold eyes sweeping around him, a suspicious look on his face.


    It was after hearing his warning that Wang Xiangxin observed that fog had quietly begun to close in. It was clearly still daytime, but somehow the sky suddenly darkened. He remembered very well the weather hadn¡¯t been like this a short while before¡­


    Wang Xiangxin immediately turned his horse to look in the opposite direction only to find that the road along which they had traveled to this place had vanished without a trace, and the thunderous beating of battle drums was also receding into the distance, along with the battle cry. All of a sudden, a deathly hush reigned!


    ¡°We¡¯re trapped.¡± Wang Xiangxin clenched his teeth, his eyes menacingly darting around. Except for his men, everything was blurring and flickering, making it difficult for him to see any of them clearly.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at the eastern city gates, most of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men had been downed, the surviving ones closely clustering around him.


    Looking at Mu Rongfeng, Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Tell them I want Mu Rongfeng alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire!¡± one of his bodyguards replied and then immediately took a flying leap, heading for the city gates to deliver the instruction.


    Eyes on Mu Rongfeng who was now a sorry sight, Yuwen Tong inwardly sneered another few times. Currently the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s exchequer was fuller than either of the other two countries¡¯. Unlike the Wan Kingdom which was now in dire poverty, the Luohai Kingdom was quite wealthy and would pay a lot of ransom in exchange for its crown prince. Mu Rongfeng¡¯s life meant nothing to the Great Wen, but money meant a lot to it.


    Besides, considering the fairly complicated domestic situation of the Luohai Kingdom, he would very likely be doing the potential rebel forces in the Luohai Kingdom a favor if he killed Mu Rongfeng. From the vantage point of the present, it was best if the Luohai Kingdom stayed in civil strife. Letting Mu Rongfeng go back would do more good than killing him would.


    Looking at Mu Rongfeng, Yuwen Tong had started pondering how to bargain with the Luohai Kingdom.


    Mu Rongfeng was unaware that his opponent had put a mental price tag on him, that he was like a fish waiting to be sold back to the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re in a very unfavorable situation. It¡¯s been such a long time since we shot the signal flare, and the beating of battle drums has lasted quite some time as well, but there¡¯s still no sign of backup. I think Wang Xiangxin either has no intention of coming to our rescue or has been intercepted. Maybe we should figure out another way.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s face was sepulchral. A while before, when he¡¯d heard the beating of battle drums, he¡¯d felt a sense of relief and been waiting for backup from Wang Xiangxin since then. However, after such a long time, his men had been downed one after another, and there were now only several hundred of them left, but Wang Xiangxin¡¯s rescue team still hadn¡¯t arrived. If things went on like this, it wouldn¡¯t be long before his men were wiped out.


    ¡°Hang in there for a while longer. If Wang Xiangxin still doesn¡¯t show up with reinforcements, I¡¯ll reveal my identity.¡±


    All those beside him were relieved at these words, feeling lucky that they didn¡¯t really have to fight to their last breaths in this place.


    Mu Rongfeng, however, was unable to feel a shred of relief. If Wang Xiangxin came to his rescue, he might get a chance to turn the tide; if not, all his dignity as the crown prince of the Luohai Kingdom would be lost, and he could already see what kind of consequences he would have to face in the future.

 Chapter 454 - The Capture of Mu Rongfeng

    Nobody knew when the wind had started to pick up. Outside Pingtao City, stones were driven along and sand was whirling around, hitting people¡¯s faces. Dark clouds were slowly massing on the sea¡¯s horizon, threatening rainstorm.


    Only a small number of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men were still standing. All of them were crack marines of the Luohai Kingdom, but on this day they were all going to die in this place, which naturally made Mu Rongfeng¡¯s heart ache. He¡¯d waited for a very long time, yet there was still no sign of backup from Wang Xiangxin. If he didn¡¯t reveal his identity right away, he would have to die with his men.


    ¡°Your Highness, you must not delay any longer. The Great Wen clearly premeditated and pre-planned this attack. There¡¯s no way Wang Xiangxin could extricate himself and come to our help, Your Highness!¡± admonished one of his henchmen in a terribly anxious tone. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to let anything happen to you. You must return home safe. There are so many people coveting your position back there. Don¡¯t you remember?!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng gritted his teeth. After a fierce, long, internal struggle, he finally spoke.


    ¡°Stop! All of you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mu Rongfeng, the crown prince of the Luohai Kingdom! None of you are to lay a finger on me!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng? The crown prince of the Luohai Kingdom? Common marines and port guards of Pingtao City, all of whom were unaware of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s identity, were somewhat surprised to hear his yell.


    The general directing the siege had received the order from Yuwen Tong to spare the pirate kingpin¡¯s life and was ready to instruct his men to stop after most of the other pirates were taken care of. On hearing the pirate kingpin claim to be the crown prince of the Luohai Kingdom, he came to understand what was going on.


    ¡°Stop.¡± He gave the order and with that all the soldiers attacking Mu Rongfeng¡¯s men paused. ¡°You said you¡¯re the crown prince of Luohai. Do you have any proof?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± one of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s bodyguards turned to look at him.


    Mu Rongfeng removed his disguise and produced his ID plate. ¡°This is my ID plate. There are only two plates of this kind in Luohai. One of them is kept in the palace; the other is in my hand. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may send someone to Luohai to verify it.¡±


    ¡°Give me the plate.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng disagreed. ¡°This ID plate means a lot to me. I can¡¯t trust anybody with it. You¡¯ll have to take me to your commander first if you want to see it.¡±


    Wu Zhuo had come ashore. After hearing the conversation between the two men in the front, he made towards them. The crowd of soldiers parted to make way for him. Wu Zhuo walked straight up to Mu Rongfeng, looked from him to the ID plate in his hand and then said, ¡°I¡¯m the commander of Haizhou navy. You claimed to be Mu Rongfeng, the crown prince of Luohai, but why did you and your men attack Pingtao City posing as pirates? What does the Luohai Kingdom mean by doing this?


    ¡°On top of that, if my memory serves me well, the crown prince of Luohai was the one leading a diplomatic corps to our country to sign a ceasefire agreement. One moment you were signing the agreement; the next you were making trouble. Don¡¯t you think you people of Luohai are too supercilious?!¡±


    ¡°Now that things have already come to this, it¡¯s unnecessary for you to make any more remarks in this regard. You may restrain me, but you must not hurt me. And, I want to see your emperor,¡± said Mu Rongfeng.


    Wu Zhuo snorted coldly, ¡°We haven¡¯t confirmed your identity yet, and an audience with His Majesty is not something you can have as you please. Guards, restrain him. Make sure he¡¯s under constant watch!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    ¡­


    Wu Zhuo had Mu Rongfeng restrained and escorted into a heavily guarded detention room in Pingtao City.


    ¡°Sire, Mu Rongfeng identified himself and is requesting an audience with you. What are your orders?¡± Wu Zhuo hastened to see Yuwen Tong after having everything handled.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Just keep a close eye on Mu Rongfeng. Don¡¯t let him die. Someone will take care of the rest of it.¡±


    Wu Zhuo, who was a sensible man, asked no more questions. ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    ¡°Clean up the mess outside Pingtao City first, then go and give Hai Mu a hand,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Wu Zhuo answered and quickly made arrangements for his lieutenant to enter into the clean-up, and then he himself took some men and went to help Hai Mu.


    Meanwhile, Wang Xiangxin and his men were still trapped in the containment formation.


    As though providence was doing Ling Zhang a favor, the dark clouds in the sky above the sea were thickening and edging towards the shore. The sun had been concealed, and the whole Pingtao City was overshadowed by the clouds, the wind freshening, sand and dust filling the air. The favourable weather doubled the effectiveness of the containment formation Ling Zhang was using to keep Wang Xiangxin at bay, which was why Wang Xiangxin and his men still hadn¡¯t cracked the formation after such a long time.


    When Yuwen Tong arrived with some men, Ling Zhang was considering whether or not he should have Wang Dashan and some others go into the formation and kill Wang Xiangxin. The reason why he hadn¡¯t sent anybody into the formation yet was because Wang Dashan and some others needed to stay outside to keep the formation in working order, and the rest of his bodyguards were unfamiliar with the formation and could easily get trapped like Wang Xiangxin and his men if they entered it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come. How¡¯s Mu Rongfeng?¡± Ling Zhang immediately asked as he saw Yuwen Tong coming.


    ¡°In custody. I need him alive to make a deal with Luohai,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    The capture of Mu Rongfeng indicated that the fighting at the port was probably over. Feeling somewhat relieved, Ling Zhang suggested, ¡°Wang Xiangxin is still in there. This is a very good opportunity. I think we should take it and kill him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head and then had Yao Yi lead some others into the containment formation.


    Before deploying the formation, Ling Zhang had briefed Yao Yi and the others on it, so they all had some acquaintance with this formation, and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have to worry about any of them being trapped in it. However, the killers working for Wang Xiangxin were pretty good at kung fu and also adept at dirty tricks, so Ling Zhang informed Yao Yi and the others of the characteristics of those killers¡¯ fighting styles that his father had disclosed to him, and cautioned them to take them seriously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. We¡¯ll be cautious,¡± Yao Yi said and then led his men towards the formation.


    ¡­


    Wang Xiangxin had been stranded in the containment formation for quite some time, unable to figure out a way to crack it. The look on his face was getting uglier and uglier, anxiety building up in him.


    Seeing this, the man beside him, who was wearing a black skintight outfit and had some totemic markings on his face, observed, ¡°We can¡¯t afford to be trapped in this place for long. If we get out of here too late, we¡¯ll end up like fish in a barrel. Lord Commander, I suggest you use your men to clear the path. Just adopt the clumsiest method ¨C have them close their eyes and walk straight forward. We may just follow in their wake. This is just a stony area outside Pingtao City. Someone deployed a formation here with the mere advantage of the favourable terrain, but they couldn¡¯t have made it large, which means we¡¯ll be able to walk out of it if we keep going in one direction.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin hesitated. All the men he¡¯d brought with him this time were crack soldiers, an elite group that he heavily relied on. If he treated them as cannon fodder¡­


    ¡°Stop dithering, Lord Commander. Otherwise it¡¯ll be us rather than them who¡¯ll end up dead, and we won¡¯t even be able to make it back to Jiangzhou, let alone get to Pingtao City!¡± snapped the man in black.


    Wang Xiangxin gave a shudder, the look in his eyes instantly becoming sepulchral. ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    If these crack soldiers died, he could groom more men to take their place, but if he died, he¡¯d lose everything.


    ¡­


    When Yao Yi and some others entered the formation, Wang Xiangxin had just made up his mind to use his elite soldiers as human shields to force his way out of the containment formation.


    With the advantage of their familiarity with the formation, Yao Yi and his men made one kill after another, appearing and disappearing mysteriously.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Assass¨CAARGH!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    ¡°Assassins! Everybody stay alert!¡±


    Wang Xiangxin hadn¡¯t got his men into proper marching formation yet when the situation changed. Originally they¡¯d merely been trapped, but now his men was going down one after another, the smell of blood spreading.


    To make things worse, Wang Xiangxin found that many of the crack soldiers behind him were gone. Most of them had dropped out and got lost in the weird, enigmatic formation!


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time. Forget about those men. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Some others have entered this formation,¡± remarked the man in black beside Wang Xiangxin.


    Wang Xiangxin immediately gave the order for his surviving elite soldiers to gather around him. Then he commanded some of them to blindfold themselves and progress non-stop.


    At first some of them were scared, but after the man in black killed a couple of those too frightened to follow the order, all the rest blindfolded themselves and began to proceed tremulously, not daring raise any objections.


    ¡°Why are you going so slowly? Start running! Or else I¡¯ll kill you where you stand!¡±


    Under duress, the blindfolded soldiers began to run, Wang Xiangxin and the killers following in their wake. Most of those at the front bumped into obstacles and broke their heads. Some even fell into pits that suddenly appeared out of thin air, but there were also some things that seemed to be traps but were actually deceptive tricks. Just like this, at the cost of many soldiers¡¯ lives, Wang Xiangxin and those killers actually found a way out.


    Ling Zhang, who was outside the formation and saw the whole thing clearly, knitted his brows in the knowledge that at this rate, Wang Xiangxin would make good his escape. With some prompt adjustments to the containment formation, he would be able to trap Wang Xiangxin and the killers in there longer, but Yao Yi and some others were also in the formation and would very likely be trapped as well if he altered the formation at this point in time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let them flee. Wang Xiangxin is doing this at the cost of his own men¡¯s lives. Even if he manages to get out, he wouldn¡¯t have many soldiers left. Wu Zhuo is already on his way to this area with his marines,¡± Yuwen Tong consoled Ling Zhang.


    Unsurprisingly, before long, Wu Zhuo arrived with the main force of the navy, who, by order of Yuwen Tong, got into an array and blocked all the paths Wang Xiangxin might take after exiting the containment formation.


    Wang Xiangxin believed that he had finally found a way out of the predicament, that he would be able to extricate himself from the cursed place. However, he was unaware of what was waiting for him outside. His crack soldiers were going down constantly, either wounded or killed. Those who dared disobey had all been disposed of already.


    After a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out), Wang Xiangxin was very close to the edge of the containment formation.


    ¡°The fog ahead is lifting. We¡¯ll soon be rid of this formation,¡± said the man in black delightedly.


    They were good at hiding and some underhand tricks, but this containment formation was something they¡¯d never seen before. The man in black, along with his underlings, had sworn allegiance to Wang Xiangxin, but he¡¯d done that only because he wanted to indulge in a gay life and debauchery. He had no intention to die for Wang Xiangxin. He was fully aware that during the long period of time when Wang Xiangxin had been trapped in this place, the situation outside had undoubtedly changed dramatically. What was happening on this day was too weird, and Wang Xiangxin¡¯s day had gone. The man in black decided to take his men and leave immediately after they got out of this containment formation, lest they die with Wang Xiangxin.


    However, the good mood of the man in black didn¡¯t last long. What they¡¯d seen a moment before was indeed an exit, and they finally got out, but the sight of the large army ahead, who were in battle array and waiting for them, told them explicitly that they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape even if they were provided with wings.


    ¡°Wu Zhuo?! It¡¯s you?!¡± exclaimed Wang Xiangxin through gritted teeth, his face instantaneously blanching, his eyes reddening with fury as they fell on Wu Zhuo who was leading the army. Every one of his elite soldiers who had just fled out of the formation with him was a sorry sight, their faces registering despair as they saw the scene in front of them.


    Thunderous beating of battle drums and battle cry filled the air once again. Behind Wang Xiangxin was the main force of his army intercepted by the Haizhou garrison; ahead of him were the main force of the navy in battle array, who had been waiting for them to get out of the containment formation and then walk straight into another trap. A sudden twitch of fury gave Wang Xiangxin a throbbing pain in the heart and he was nearly reduced to spitting out a mouthful of blood!

 Chapter 455 - I Want to See Yuwen Tong

    ¡°You got nowhere to go, Wang Xiangxin.¡±


    ¡°Boys, bring me Wang Xiangxin and all his minions, dead or alive!¡±


    Looking at Wang Xiangxin masquerading as a common soldier, Wu Zhuo smiled wryly and then gave the order to restrain him. Originally he¡¯d been uncertain about which one of those men was Wang Xiangxin, because Wang Xiangxin had disguised himself very well, but Wang Xiangxin feared death and had had all his elite soldiers and the killers cluster around him to protect him, which made him an obvious target. On top of that, a moment before Wang Xiangxin had called Wu Zhuo¡¯s name out of resentment, blowing his cover thoroughly.


    Wang Xiangxin had brought only a small number of crack troops with him, and one third of them had been killed in the containment formation. Faced with the large army of marines of the Great Wen who vastly outnumbered them, they didn¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of winning. Though the killers working for him were kung fu experts, they were no match for an army. Besides, Yao Yi and some others had joined the fight and were targeting those killers.


    Actually Ling Zhang wanted very much to join the fight as well. He and his men had invested so much time and energy in locating Wang Xiangxin to kill him. If he could personally cut Wang Xiangxin¡¯s head off, all their previous efforts would be worthwhile. However¡­


    Yuwen Tong gripped the back of his collar and told him to calm down. ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous fight, and those killers are all masters of dirty tricks, so I¡¯m not letting you go down there. In addition, your arm is wounded. Don¡¯t you remember? Surely you don¡¯t think your body¡¯s invulnerable to all attacks?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He tried to struggle free but failed and with that he appeared somewhat crestfallen.


    ¡°Wang Xiangxin is right there. It sucks I have to stand here instead of going down there to capture him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Wang Xiangxin is nothing. In the future you¡¯ll meet people whom you¡¯ll be even more eager to catch, and you can¡¯t be so impulsive every time you see someone like that, can you?¡±


    Ling Zhang knew in his heart of hearts that Yuwen Tong had a point, but at this moment he was in an extremely excited state, and being forced to stay put really got on his nerves.


    But there was no way he could do what he wanted to do unless Yuwen Tong let go of him.


    Wang Dashan and the others undid the containment formation. Aware of what their master was thinking, they joined the fight on their own initiative. The Trap-and-Kill Formation of Twelve was what they were best at. After Yang Liuzi and the other eleven men mastered the formation, it had become a unique skill of the twenty-four of them. They could even trap a kung fu master with it, let alone Wang Xiangxin.


    Wang Xiangxin was in the middle of those kung fu masters who were protecting him, and his elite soldiers were trying to breach the surrounding circle to make their escape back to the checkpoint in Jiangzhou. However, their escape route had now been cut off, and Wu Zhuo¡¯s men had ringed them. Wang Xiangxin was now in the midmost of the battlefield, like a turtle in a pot.


    Ever since Wang Dashan and the others had joined the fight, they¡¯d been moving so nimbly that none of the enemies could touch them, as if they were as slippery as loaches. When Wang Xiangxin¡¯s men caught on to what was going on, Wang Xiangxin had been trapped.


    ¡°You average musclemen must have death wishes to get in my way!¡± snapped the man in black beside Wang Xiangxin. He was the first to make an attempt to break out of the surrounding circle of the twenty-four men. However, not only were all his attacks deflected, but he even felt a great force weighing him down. It was as though a small mound in front of him had suddenly turned into a lofty mountain, one that he was unable to climb over!


    ¡°Today none of you are leaving this formation,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Who are you people?!¡± railed the man in black.


    ¡°Humph, you¡¯re just a filthy, disreputable killer. You¡¯re in no position to ask us any questions. It¡¯s Wang Xiangxin that we want. If you¡¯re sensible enough to surrender yourself, maybe I¡¯ll spare your life!¡± replied Qiu Bing aloud in a contemptuous tone.


    Distantly, Ling Zhang quietly stroked his face as he heard these words. It struck him that there was something wrong with these remarks of Qiu Bing¡¯s, that Qiu Bing sounded like a kingpin of some kind of gang. He felt that Qiu Bing needed to work on his way of speaking, seeing as he was now an imperial guard.


    ¡°Which gang are you from? Why are you interfering with the imperial court¡¯s business?!¡± the man in black questioned loudly.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Qiu Bing¡¯s whip was making a whistling sound as it swishing through the air. It had been poisoned and took on a blackish blue color, looking menacingly horrifying and even weirder and more evil than the weapons of those killers in black. He even grinned ghoulishly at the man in black, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you get on your knees and beg for your life.¡±


    Ling Zhang was rendered speechless. Qiu Bing was archly by nature; after he received harsh training from Xie Shi, his personality had become somewhat unpredictable, and even the way he did things had changed considerably. He seemed to have an urge to subject these killers to the same sufferings that Xie Shi had inflicted on him, which was why he was acting so unrestrainedly.


    ¡°You¨C!¡± The man in black went berserk. ¡°You were just a cipher when I entered Jianghu! You¡¯re a dead man!¡±


    ¡°Oh, bring it on. Come here if you want to die,¡± said Qiu Bing.


    On the side, Yang Liuzi and some others rolled their eyes upwards, but faced with the suicidally fierce attacks from the killers leading by the man in black, they didn¡¯t dare take it lightly. They were moving so fast that their feet were rapid blurs of movement. The whole trap-and-kill formation was so flexible as though it could devour people. Not only were all those killers¡¯ attacks parried, but they were also forced into backing off one pace after another.


    Wang Xiangxin, who was at the center of the surrounding circle and also the most anxious one, bitterly regretted having left the checkpoint to rescue Mu Rongfeng. As things stood, he not only didn¡¯t stand a chance of saving Mu Rongfeng but also would probably be captured!


    He had lost a lot of men but got neither the gold from the Wan Kingdom nor the soldiers from the Luohai Kingdom, and now even he himself was about to be taken prisoner. His deal with the two countries, instead of bringing benefits to him, was sending him to his doom.


    However, no matter how remorseful Wang Xiangxin was, it was already too late.


    ¡­


    The deafening beating of battle drums and battle cries were making the welkin ring. Wang Xiangxin was trapped in the trap-and-kill formation. The killers beside him were going down one after another, but they still couldn¡¯t break the enemies¡¯ formation. What with his average kung fu skills, there was hardly anything he could do to help. It was only a matter of time before he was captured.


    Yuwen Tong loosened his grip on Ling Zhang¡¯s collar, for the fighting was coming to an end.


    Before long¡­


    PUFF!


    Wang Xiangxin¡¯s most powerful protector, the man who was wearing a skintight black outfit and had some eerie totemic markings on his face, was killed in the trap-and-kill formation. He had nobody to protect him now and was completely trapped at the center of the enemies¡¯ trap-and-kill formation. He was at the end of his rope.


    Wang Xiangxin was ashen-faced, knife in hand. After his resentful eyes sinisterly swept across Wang Dashan and the others encircling him, he said, ¡°Who are you exactly? If you¡¯re cooperating with the imperial court for money, I can pay you more. Large houses, beautiful women ¨C I¡¯ll give you anything you want. All you need to do is protect me and help me break out of the surrounding circle of the imperial court¡¯s troops.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Wang Dashan snorted coldly. ¡°We¡¯re not struck on any of those things. Drop your weapon if you value your life. Resist and you¡¯ll die here.¡±


    ¡°A hundred thousand taels of silver!¡± offered Wang Xiangxin aloud. ¡°You may take the money and leave this country and spend the rest of your lives in comfort and pleasure, and you¡¯ll never have to take orders from the imperial court ever again!¡±


    Wang Xiangxin had been maintaining a group of killers, providing them with money and women, and he firmly believed that Wang Dashan and the others were outlaws rather than soldiers serving the imperial court, so he offered to give them a hundred thousand taels of silver, intending to tempt them to spare him and escort him back to the checkpoint in Jiangzhou.


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time. We won¡¯t let you go even if you give each of us a hundred thousand taels of gold, not to mention a hundred thousand taels of silver. Indeed, we¡¯re not marines, but we¡¯re imperial guards,¡± said Wang Dashan, producing an ID plate.


    What? Wang Xiangxin incredulously glanced from the ID plate in Wang Dashan¡¯s hand to Qiu Bing. ¡°Yo¨CYou people are actually Yuwen Tong¡¯s men!¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of. Just surrender yourself,¡± replied Wang Dashan.


    ¡°Humph. Now that imperial guards came here, Yuwen Tong must be here as well. I want to see him!¡± Wang Xiangxin suddenly demanded an audience with Yuwen Tong.


    Frowning, Wang Dashan said, ¡°Drop your weapon.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin gave a sneer, knowing that the battle had been lost. He was trapped in this formation with nobody to protect him, and there was no way he could make any difference with the knife in his hand. Given that he had worked against Yuwen Tong, the latter might not spare his life, but as long as there was still a glimmer of hope, however faint it was, he would go for it, because he didn¡¯t want to die in this place!


    CLANK!


    Wang Xiangxin dropped his knife.


    ¡°Tie him up,¡± instructed Wang Dashan.


    Qiu Bing gave a snort and swung his whip, which quickly coiled around Wang Xiangxin. Then he warned, ¡°You¡¯d better behave yourself. My whip is covered with poison which inflicts instant death on anybody whose blood it comes into contact with. If you dare struggle, I¡¯ll take your life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing. Only Yuwen Tong gets to decide whether I shall live or die,¡± remarked Wang Xiangxin.


    Qiu Bing exchanged glances with the others before he said, ¡°That might not be the case.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin¡¯s countenance changed slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you imperial guards?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We are, but who said we¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s guards? Imperial guards serve more than one master. Understand?¡± responded Qiu Bing.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± An ugly look appeared on Wang Xiangxin¡¯s face.


    Qiu Bing ignored him and jerked his whip, dragging Wang Xiangxin out, then called out to Wu Zhuo, ¡°Commander Wu, we got Wang Xiangxin!¡±


    Wu Zhuo was delighted to hear the good news. ¡°Well done!¡±


    Yao Yi, after finishing off the last killer who intended to escape by hiding among the crowd, leaped over, glanced at Wang Xiangxin who was bound, and then asked, ¡°Why does he look as if he wants to eat you alive?¡±


    Qiu Bing curled his lip. ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s soft in the head.¡±


    Yao Yi cast a speculative look at him and said, ¡°Take him away.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Wang Xiangxin couldn¡¯t help but demur, ¡°I dropped my weapon because you promised me you¡¯d bring me to see Yuwen Tong! You¡¯re supposed to perform your duty as imperial guards! Are you going to act without your master¡¯s authorization?!¡±


    Yao Yi paused and looked at Wang Xiangxin. ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to request an audience with His Majesty.¡±


    ¡­


    In the distance, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong saw the whole thing. When Qiu Bing made that remark, Ling Zhang tossed Yuwen Tong a fairly apprehensive glance. Finding that there was no displeasure on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll punish Qiu Bing for saying that after he returns.¡±


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°Qiu Bing is your man and serves you. His allegiance lies with you only, and that¡¯s enough. There¡¯s nothing wrong with what he said just now.¡±


    Astonished, Ling Zhang gazed at him. It was a few moments before he came to himself. ¡°You¡¯re placing excessive trust in me. Qiu Bing serves me, but he should be loyal to you as well. Otherwise I would rather dismiss him.¡±


    It was true that Qiu Bing was his bodyguard, but now that he and Yuwen Tong had got married, they were supposed to be at one with each other, and some things must be made very clear. He knew what Qiu Bing meant, and he also knew what Yuwen Tong meant, which was the very reason why he needed to do something about it.

 Chapter 456. - Recapture of Jiangzhou

    Translator: DragonRider


    After the apprehension of Wang Xiangxin, the rebel army were terribly demoralized and soon routed utterly. Some started fleeing towards the checkpoint in confusion, and some were captured on the spot.


    Hai Mu, taking advantage of the victory, led the Haizhou garrison into Jiangzhou and at the same time had copies of the latest battlefield report quickly delivered to Xiao Jiangyue, the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor), as well as the generals in charge of other checkpoints, telling them to join hands to attack Jiangzhou from all sides.


    As regards Haizhou, the Haizhou governor and the commander of the Haizhou navy were responsible for the clean-up. Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang moved into Pingtao City. Wang Xiangxin had been marched into Pingtao City for interrogation.


    Tied with Qiu Bing¡¯s whip, he didn¡¯t dare move for fear of the poison on the whip, but his eyes were staring at Qiu Bing resentfully. During the journey, Qiu Bing had said a lot of provocative words to Wang Xiangxin, because he¡¯d enjoyed very much the sight of Wang Xiangxin being consumed with fury but powerless to do anything about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Take him there right away. Our masters will be there soon,¡± said Yao Yi, walking over.


    ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day,¡± observed Qiu Bing, marching Wang Xiangxin into a room.


    ¡°Kneel!¡± Qiu Bing gave the hollows of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s knees a kick, which instantly sent Wang Xiangxin slumping to his knees.


    Wang Xiangxin¡¯s face twisted in anger. ¡°You¨C!¡±


    Qiu Bing snorted flintily, ¡°Be a peach and stay on your knees. If you dare play any tricks, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    The moment Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong arrived, they caught sight of Wang Xiangxin obediently kneeling on the ground, Qiu Bing standing guard on the side, looking as ferocious as a warden.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Your Majesty, Your Highness,¡± said Qiu Bing at the sight of them, replacing his fierce look with a deferential one, paying his respects to them with due formality.


    ¡°You may rise,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand guard here for the moment. Go and check if Dashan or any of the others is hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Qiu Bing rose to his feet, withdraw the whip coiling around Wang Xiangxin and gave him a dirty look before leaving.


    ¡­


    It¡¯d never crossed Wang Xiangxin¡¯s mind that Yuwen Tong would really grant him an audience. His face grew quite sullen at the sight of Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang entering, but he had to hold back all his bitter words despite the fact that he was quite unreconciled to the current situation.


    He¡¯d demanded an audience with Yuwen Tong solely because he wanted to live. He knew very well that it was impossible for him to save his hide by ratting on his subordinates in Jiangzhou and Zhu You and some others, so what he was going to betray was the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, both of which had offered to assist him.


    The Wan Kingdom had been the first to contact Wang Xiangxin, and Wang Xiangxin still had a letter from the Wan Kingdom in hand, which was a key piece of evidence. It was these letters that Wang Xiangxin intended to offer in exchange for his life.


    Unfortunately for him, in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, he was the kingpin of the rebel army and must die, for Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want there to be any loose ends. A key letter from the Wan Kingdom was of little significance, because the Wan Kingdom, after paying large amounts of war reparations twice in a row, was now terribly impoverished and unable to pay any more compensation. If pushed too hard, they might well put up a desperate fight. Currently, both the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen were in dire need of a period of peace to recover and rebuild, and neither of them would wage a war in the next few years. After the two countries¡¯ armies returned to full strength, there would definitely be another war, even if none of these things had ever happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that thing,¡± said Yuwen Tong flatly.


    Wang Xiangxin¡¯s heart sank. This was the only thing he had in hand that he believed of some value to Yuwen Tong. Now that Yuwen Tong had become the ruler of this country, his men would sooner or later conduct an intensive search of Jiangzhou, which meant that it was only a matter of time before some of the facts came to Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge, no matter whether he told Yuwen Tong about them or not. If he was to survive, he must offer something Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t say no to!


    ¡°What about the Luohai Kingdom?! Mu Rongfeng also played a part in this. Do you not want to¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve captured Mu Rongfeng already. What else do you think I need to get to negotiate with the Luohai Kingdom?¡±


    What? Wang Xiangxin¡¯s face went ghastly white. Mu Rongfeng had been captured? Didn¡¯t that mean his last hope was gone?


    The reason why Yuwen Tong had come to see Wang Xiangxin was merely because he¡¯d wanted to find out what Wang Xiangxin would use as a bargaining chip to save his neck, but now it turned out that none of the things Wang Xiangxin could offer was of any use, so he naturally had no reason to keep sitting in this room.


    He and Ling Zhang stood up and left.


    Wang Xiangxin didn¡¯t utter another word till the end, because there was no word he could say that would do any good.


    Wang Xiangxin was executed right in the interrogation room. His body was burnt with those of the other rebels. After the news of his death spread to Jiangzhou, almost all the surviving rebels¡¯ spirits were broken. One of Wang Xiangxin¡¯s lieutenants had died with him in Haizhou, and the rest of them were disunited, unable to do anything to save the situation, powerless to defend against the attacks from the army of the imperial court who vastly outnumbered them.


    Half a month later, surviving rebels in various areas were all disposed of. The officials that had colluded with Wang Xiangxin, and who were led by Zhu You, were all apprehended. Thus, the Jiangzhou rebellion was brought to an end.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong set off to return to the capital city via Jiangzhou. They stayed in downtown Jiangzhou for two days, intending to find Zhu You¡¯s assets which Ling Zhaowu had once mentioned to them, the large sum of unaccountable money.


    As a result, Ling Zhang was very excited when the soldiers started searching Zhu You¡¯s residence. He was eager to see how much money would be found in there.


    In order to see it with his own eyes, Ling Zhang stealthily followed the soldiers into the residence. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t mind, but as Ling Zhang went there, he naturally went with him.


    Because of this, Yao Yi didn¡¯t let the soldiers do it. He personally took some men to conduct the search. Wang Dashan and some others came to his help.


    Zhu You¡¯s residence was located right in downtown Jiangzhou. The Zhu family had a high social status in Jiangzhou, and their residence was even larger than the prefectural yamen. Also, it was, in some sense, of much more pomp than the mansion of the former Jiangzhou governor was. Unlike his predecessor, Zhu You was a native of Jiangzhou, a member of a wealthy local family, or a local scoundrel, to put it bluntly, which was why he¡¯d worked hand in glove with Wang Xiangxin, killed the former Jiangzhou governor and taken his place.


    All members of the Zhu family had been taken into custody. Due to a particular order, Zhu You¡¯s residence was guarded for the time being and hadn¡¯t been ransacked yet.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Ling Zhang was itching to start looking for the money, eyeing the residence like a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of juicy meat. According to his father, the amount of the money hidden in this place was huge. Right now the imperial court was strapped for funds, and this money had come as a godsend.


    Yao Yi brought two teams of picked men to the residence. Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three, due to their acquaintance with concealment formations, first studied the overall layout of the residence after entering, and then began to search a couple of particular areas.


    As Ling Zhang gave the order, everybody started combing the residence in their respective ways.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take us a lot of time to find it if we do it this way. Don¡¯t you think directly forcing Zhu You to make a confession would be much quicker?¡± said Yuwen Tong. Seeing how thrilled Ling Zhang was, he was worried that Ling Zhang would personally go in there to rummaged around in those chests, so he was keeping a close eye on Ling Zhang.


    ¡°That¡¯s different. It¡¯ll be a lot less fun,¡± replied Ling Zhang. ¡°I have to see it with my own eyes how much the money that even my father described as ¡®a large sum¡¯ is exactly.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu, who had possessed both great wealth and enormous power in his last incarnation, was barely struck on anything. Considering even he had described the money as ¡®a large sum¡¯, there were, without doubt, quite some silver ingots hidden in Zhu You¡¯s residence. In Ling Zhang¡¯s sight, this search was like an adventure. This residence had piqued his interest some time before.


    ¡°Given that the Zhu family owns such a large mansion in downtown Jiangzhou, it must be one of the wealthiest families in this prefecture. How come I¡¯ve never heard about any high-ranking officials bearing the surname ¡®Zhu¡¯ in the capital city?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong curiously.


    Seeing as what the Zhu family was capable of, it was fairly inexplicable that the Zhu family was merely a distinguished family in Jiangzhou. However, during the reign of the former emperor, Ling Zhang had never heard of any high-ranking courtiers who were surnamed Zhu and from Jiangzhou.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°There indeed used to be a high-ranking official from the Zhu family. He worked as the Assistant Minister of Revenue. Afterward, for some unknown reason, he suddenly resigned and returned to his hometown. Even the whole Zhu family left the capital city and moved back to Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°Is there any written information about it in the palace or the Ministry of Revenue?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    ¡°There might well be some kind of connection between that matter and the partisan wrangling at that time. Before the Zhou family pulled out, a prince of the Zhou family plotted to usurp the throne but someone blew the whistle on him, and he was suddenly apprehended when he was within an inch of success. The then Assistant Minister of Revenue probably had something to do with that prince of the Zhou family ¨C maybe he was a trusted subordinate of the prince¡¯s and betrayed the prince at the last moment¡­ The complexity of that matter is known to nobody but those directly involved in it at that time. There was sure as hell some kind of deal between the Zhu family and the then emperor,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t fully understand, but he had got a general idea of what might have happened in the Zhu family. However, if the Zhu family did possess that much money, how had they accumulated it? With the help of the remaining influence of that progenitor who used to be the Assistant Minister of Revenue?


    ¡°Or maybe it also has something to do with this large sum of money hidden in this place,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a conjecture of mine. I¡¯ll have to find the money first before I could decide whether it¡¯s right or wrong.¡±


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. ¡°All right. Anyway, there¡¯s no doubt we¡¯ll know if there¡¯s any money hidden in here by the end of the day.¡±


    The two teams of crack soldiers Yao Yi had brought to this place were conducting an inch-by-inch search, followed by a number of men who were here to confiscate the Zhu family¡¯s possessions. Every time the two teams finished searching a room, some of the men would go there to make an inventory of the possessions, sort them then box them up.


    Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three were searching a couple of targeted areas. They were cooperating with each other and working with high efficiency.


    They¡¯d entered the Zhu family¡¯s residence in the morning, and it was not until shortly before noon that they made a discovery.


    There were many storerooms in the residence. Apart from Zhu You¡¯s private storeroom, there was a smaller storeroom in almost every courtyard house, and then there was the public storeroom of the Zhu family. These places had been the first to be scoured, Zhu You¡¯s personal storeroom being an important target. However, at first nobody had found any spots where large amounts of money could be hidden. So far they had found ten thousand taels of silver at the most, along with some antiques, calligraphy works and drawings by famous artists, jewelries and so on.


    Afterward, Wang Dashan and his men studied the layout of the residence, searched a couple of targeted areas, combed the book chamber in Zhu You¡¯s courtyard house intensively and found a hidden door leading to the entrance of an underground space.


    ¡°We¡¯re still looking for the control switch of the entrance. Would you like to go there to take a look, Your Highness?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Of course.¡±


    At the sight of the twinkle in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, Yuwen Tong came to know that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Ling Zhang, so he instructed the one who¡¯d just reported the discovery, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The two of them followed the man into Zhu You¡¯s book chamber. The chamber was quite unconventional in terms of its design. Both its frame and the disposition of walls were customized. Seen from the outside, it was nondescript, but the moment they walked inside, they found that there were several layers of defense in it, that it¡¯d be very difficult for a common person to intrude into this chamber.


    The entrance of an underground space had been discovered at the foot of a wall on the left-hand side of the book chamber. Wang Dashan and some others, when walking past that wall, had noticed that their footsteps sounded different, and thus confirmed that it was an openable entrance, but they hadn¡¯t found the control switch yet. It must be hidden somewhere.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang was somewhat confused.

 Chapter 457 - An Underground Vault

    Chapter 457. An Underground Vault


    Translator: DragonRider


    Ling Zhang was bemused. His father had told him that in his last life, after Zhu You and Wang Xiangxin died, furious Jiangzhou residents had poured into Zhu You¡¯s residence and ransacked it, that they¡¯d found huge amounts of money in a storeroom of the Zhu family and carved it up.


    However, given how well concealed this secret storeroom was, those Jiangzhou residents must be amazingly observant to have found it. Even his twenty-four bodyguards had searched for quite a long time before locating a spot which was presumably the entrance to an underground space, and they hadn¡¯t even found the control switch yet.


    Clearly Yuwen Tong had also thought of this issue, but it¡¯d been in Ling Zhaowu¡¯s last life that that thing had happened. As it had never happened in this life of his, so there was no way to ascertain the truth. They could only wait until they returned to the capital city to ask Ling Zhaowu about it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a faint breeze blowing through this crack.¡± Ling Zhang crouched down and scrutinized that patch of floor. The floor of this book chamber was neatly paved with tiles, and the patch near the foot of that wall was no exception. Neat as those tiles were, there were still gaps between them, through which breeze was blowing. ¡°There¡¯s definitely a large space down there.¡±


    ¡°These tiles are quite level. Nobody would be able to find anything out of the ordinary about them unless they look carefully. The control switch is not on the floor. I think it¡¯s somewhere nearby,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Wang Dashan and the others were scrupulously checking each and every single one of the furnishings in the chamber. They even moved all the books to see what was beneath them.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The speaker was Liu Yi, who was standing beside a desk. It was the lampstand on the desk that he¡¯d touched. The lampstand was fairly special. It¡¯d been inlaid into the surface of the desk. This kind of lampstands were not really rare. Actually they were commonly seen in places like studies, because lamps placed on this kind of lampstands wouldn¡¯t be blown over by wind, so owners of the studies didn¡¯t have to worry about their books being burnt by fire. Therefore, none of the searchers had suspected anything when they¡¯d first clapped eyes on the lampstand inlaid in the surface of the desk. When Liu Yi had crouched down to check the desk, he¡¯d discovered a small iron ring attached to the bottom of the desk. It was directly below the position of the lampstand on the desk. As he pulled the ring, he heard a movement from the lampstand on the desk. He hurriedly stood up to move it only to find that the lampstand, which he hadn¡¯t been able to turn a moment before, was now rotatable.


    Ling Zhang walked up to him with Yuwen Tong, took a look at it and then said, ¡°Turn it.¡±


    Liu Yi nodded and turned the lampstand and with that faint clicks came from somewhere in the book chamber.


    On the heels of the clicks was a muffled, dull sound of tiles moving. It was from none other than the patch of floor that they¡¯d found a short while before. The whole patch near the foot of the wall were edging beneath the wall bit by bit, revealing an entrance about a square meters in size. Where the daylight touched, a quite steep flight of stairs leading all the way down could be seen.


    Ling Zhang was thrilled. ¡°What needs to be done next is to find out if this is where the money is.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, please let us go inside to check out the lay of the land first in case there are any dangers down there,¡± suggested Liu Yi.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Liu Yi inclined his head, produced a little paper roll an end of which was still glowing, blew at it and a small flame popped out of its glowing end. Then he started to descend the steep stairs leading underground, followed by Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang stood at the entrance, watching the two of them. As they progressed, they found that the steep flight of stairs was between two walls from each of which hung a wall lamp. Liu Yi and Wang Dashan paused beside the wall lamps and lit them. By the lamplight, they now had a clearer view of things around them and found that the descending stairs turned right at a spot not far away.


    They were unable to see what was around the corner. Zhao Shen and some others walked down the stairs with Liu Yi and Wang Dashan. Then Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong also descended the stairs, leaving Yang Liuzi and the others to stand guard on the ground. Yao Yi and his men also arrived shortly after being informed of the discovery.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong proceeded along the flight of stairs, which were solid and firm. The structure of this passage was very simple, and there weren¡¯t any dangerous defense mechanisms. As they took the turn, the narrow passageway widened into a large space.


    Liu Yi and Wang Dashan had lit the couple of wall lamps, the light of which brightened one third of this underground chamber. The ceiling of this chamber was very high, given that it¡¯d take them quite a while to reach the bottom. Also, it was very roomy. The walls were lined with treasure shelves, every one of which was laden with valuable rare curios. On the ground in the middle were piles of chests.


    Most of the unclosed chests were filled with calligraphy works and drawings. One of them contained a bolt of precious cloth which glimmered at night, and which had been paid to the former emperor as tribute by the Fangcun Kingdom. It was said that producing a bolt of this kind of cloth would take several years. Apart from these, there were also some big luminous pearls kept in carefully sealed caskets. However, there was no silver ingot¡­


    Though there was no silver ingot, if they transfer these things out of this chamber and sold them, they would get a lot of money.


    ¡°Is it possible that those silver ingots were never here?¡± Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but wonder if those silver ingots of the Zhu family had disappeared when he¡¯d been reborn.


    Yuwen Tong was also uncertain about it, for the matter of rebirth was too mysterious. After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s carefully search this place again. Judging from the facts I¡¯ve ascertained, there¡¯s a very high chance that the Zhu family does possess a large sum of money.¡±


    Wang Dashan and the others didn¡¯t give up looking for clues either. All the wall lamps in the underground space were lit, the light of which hit those treasures and became glaring as it was reflected. Of all the shiny things, that bolt of cloth was particularly obtrusive.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this kind of cloth before, and I thought those people were dramatizing things. It surprises me this kind of cloth does exist,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at the cloth curiously. Rumor had it that even in the Fangcun Kingdom, hardly anybody knew how to weave this kind of cloth. Also, it¡¯d been a very long time since the Fangcun Kingdom had last paid tribute to the Zhou family, the imperial family of the Great Yue, and they hadn¡¯t gifted anybody with this kind of cloth for over a hundred years. It was said that this kind of cloth was something of a rarity even in their royal household.


    ¡°This cloth is supposed to be in the former imperial family,¡± said Yuwen Tong, looking calm. ¡°Considering the presence of this thing in this place, my speculation may well be right.¡±


    Ling Zhang inquired of him, ¡°What have you come to know about exactly?¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced around him and then replied, ¡°According to some unofficial historical records, after that prince of the Zhou family who plotted to usurp the throne was apprehended, a large sum of money, which he¡¯d embezzled in the imperial court¡¯s allocations for the armies, poverty-stricken peasants and provincial fortification projects, went missing. That money was also the reason why he¡¯d dared plot to usurp the throne. However, after his plan failed, a substantial portion of that money was gone.


    There¡¯s also rumor which says that that forefather of the Zhu family¡¯s, who used to be the Assistant Minister of Revenue, was very much in that prince¡¯s confidence, that he virtually worked as the chief financial officer of that prince, managing most of the prince¡¯s money for him. As a result, at that time, some people suspected that it was the Zhu family who stole the money away from that prince after his attempt at a usurpation failed.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°If that¡¯s true, how the Zhu family got the money would be understandable.¡±


    ¡°So, that sum of money¨C¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, Your Majesty, there¡¯s a secret room here, but the door won¡¯t open!¡±


    The conversation between the two was interrupted. It turned out that there was a hidden door behind a treasure shelf near the corner on the right-hand side of the underground chamber. It was a single-leaf door and was also controlled by some kind of switch. Because they had turned a lampstand to open the entrance to this chamber, they rechecked the wall lamps hanging from the walls. The lamp on the same wall that the hidden door was in was movable. However, after it was turned, the hidden door merely shook briefly and then became motionless. Except for some fallen dust, everything remained unchanged, but the existence of this hidden door had come to the knowledge of everybody present.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked over. After a few moments¡¯ meticulous examination, they discovered that the mechanism of the hidden door had malfunctioned, that it seemed to be stuck. There was no telling whether it was a coincidence or someone had sabotaged it.


    Yuwen Tong kept silent for a moment before he instructed, ¡°Get these things out of this underground chamber and blast this door open.¡±


    Since the mechanism had malfunctioned, it was impossible to open the door with conventional methods. Though the mechanism was not complex, it was hidden in the wall. If they were to repair it, they¡¯d have to break the wall, so they might as well directly blast open the door.


    Ling Zhang was looking at the door, his eyes twinkling with merriment. In all likelihood, what they were looking for was right inside.


    The two of them left the underground chamber and returned to the ground above. Wang Dashan and the others started transferring those valuables, going in and out of the chamber frequently. When they had finished, the open space in front of the book chamber was almost filled with treasures. Yao Yi had had the two teams of crack soldiers stand guard on the periphery of the book chamber, preventing people from approaching. If anybody saw these things, their jaw might well drop.


    Just now, when they¡¯d been in the underground chamber, due to the poor lighting, Ling Zhang had only been impressed by that bolt of cloth and hadn¡¯t had any particular feelings about any of the other objects, but now, seeing that these curios almost filled the open space in front of the book chamber, he came to feel that the Zhu family was indeed quite wealthy.


    However, according to the results of a previous investigation, the Zhu family didn¡¯t own any lucrative businesses in Jiangzhou apart from some rental paddies and stores. Zhu You should be no wealthier than a common rich merchant, but unexpectedly, he had so many valuables kept in his secret vault.


    This further proved Yuwen Tong¡¯s speculation right ¨C the Zhu family had got all these things when that forefather of theirs had been serving that prince of the Zhou family. Apart from that bolt of cloth, those calligraphy works and drawings, all of which had been created by pre-eminent artists of the previous imperial dynasty, were also a proof. Many of those artistic creations bore the Privy Seal of the then emperor, presumably because the then emperor had given these things to that prince as rewards, and then that forefather of the Zhu family¡¯s had made all of them his own while managing that prince¡¯s property for him.


    ¡°That forefather of the Zhu family¡¯s had a lot of balls. He not only got away after assisting that prince with his attempt to usurp the throne, but also took possession of so many valuables of that prince. Though men like him have no sense of loyalty, their cunning overshadows that of most common people,¡± commented Ling Zhang.


    That progenitor of the Zhu family¡¯s had been not only bold but also sly. He had ratted on his master, extricated himself from the then emperor¡¯s investigation unpunished, took a large number of valuables from his master, and lived a peaceful and comfortable life in Jiangzhou for many years. On top of that, some of his descendants had worked as officials in the yamen of Jiangzhou and could have risen up the hierarchy all the way back into the imperial court had they been provided with the opportunities they needed.


    While Ling Zhang was thinking about it in admiration, preparations were made to blast open the hidden door in the underground chamber.


    ¡°Young Master, they¡¯re ready to blow up that door. You and His Majesty need to be careful,¡± cautioned Wang Dashan, walking out of the entrance.


    It was Yao Yi who lit the fuse. All others had left the book chamber. Yao Yi, who had excellent lightness skills, swished out of the chamber immediately after the fuse was lit.


    BOOM!


    A muffled boom emanated from under the book chamber and the ground quaked violently for a few moments.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were standing in front of the book chamber, feeling the quake. When it had stopped, they found that the book chamber was still there, as erect and intact as always. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°This book chamber is pretty substantial.¡±


    Clouds of dust were coming out of the entrance to the underground chamber and there was no telling what the situation down there was like. It was a few moments before Yao Yi and some others re-entered the underground chamber.

 Chapter 458 - A Return Journey to the Capital City

    The hidden door had been blasted, and large numbers of shiny silver ingots had cascaded to the ground with broken stone.


    The secret room behind the blasted hidden door was filled with silver ingots which were glittering. When the door had been blown up, these ingots had lost their cover and been thoroughly revealed. Right now they were all over the ground, mixed with dust and pieces of bricks.


    At the sight of those silver ingots, Yao Yi, who was the first to enter, came to know that what his masters had been looking for was now found.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong waited until the clouds of dust in the underground chamber cleared away to go in. As he sighted the silver ingots lying right and left, he chuckled in delight, ¡°They¡¯re indeed here. My father didn¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°How big is the secret room?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    Yao Yi, who had checked that secret room already, replied, ¡°Bigger than half of this outer chamber.¡±


    ¡°My goodness. Imagine how much money this could be.¡± Ling Zhang made a rough mental calculation and then drew a conclusion. Then he said, ¡°No wonder my father said that there¡¯s a large sum of money hidden here. The Zhu family must have emptied the vault of that unlucky prince!¡±


    Yuwen Tong stooped down, picked up a silver ingot, looked at it and found that it bore the official seal of the former imperial household, that it¡¯d been cast in the same times that that unfortunate prince had lived in.


    ¡°These are all government-cast ingots. The imperial court definitely tried to track down that unlucky prince¡¯s possessions after his attempt at a usurpation failed, but the Zhu family somehow managed to transfer these ingots to this place without anybody noticing. The reason why they never dared use this money is because the imperial court has been secretly looking into it all these years, but these ingots did embolden them. Seeing as these things are kept in a secret room, the Zhu family must have been regarding this money as some kind of talisman.¡±


    Ling Zhang leaned over to take a look. Finding that there was indeed an official seal on the ingot as Yuwen Tong said, he remarked, ¡°Ill-gotten gains are ill-gotten gains after all. The Zhu family believed these ingots would bring them good luck and secure their future, but the younger generation of the family still went down a dark path. Zhu You was so short-sighted as to collude with Wang Xiangxin, with the pipe dream of becoming a Wang (a nobleman of the highest rank below the monarch in feudal China). I wonder if this is divine retribution for their forefather¡¯s deeds.¡±


    Yuwen Tong tossed the silver ingot back to the pile of broken stone and said, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found these ingots, all we need to do is have them come down here and get these ingots out of this place. It¡¯s time we went up there.¡±


    Having found the silver ingots, Ling Zhang, who felt quite contented, willingly agreed to Yuwen Tong¡¯s suggestion and the two of them returned to the book chamber above. Yao Yi and some others transferred those silver ingots out of the secret room and boxed them up on their own, without letting any common soldiers get involved. These ingots were to be transported back to the capital city to be melted and remade, and then the imperial court would allocate them to Jiangzhou to help the people there restore their lives.


    The purpose of this visit to Jiangzhou fulfilled, neither Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Tong lingered in this prefecture. Apart from anything else, it hadn¡¯t been long since Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement, and the political situation had just stabilized. They still had a long way to go before the Great Wen could return to full powder and strength. Therefore, now that this matter had been settled, they naturally decided to go back to the capital city as soon as possible.


    On fast horses, the two of them traveled with all haste, but it still took them almost five days to finish the journey from Jiangzhou to the capital city.


    Yuwen Tong had left the capital city secretly, so he returned to the palace first without alarming anybody. Ling Zhang stayed outside for half a day to stagger their return.


    The emperor hadn¡¯t shown his face in a court meeting for almost a month, so over time some people had guessed that Yuwen Tong had left the capital city, but they didn¡¯t have a clue when Yuwen Tong would come back. However, after the news of Ling Zhang¡¯s return to the capital city spread, almost everybody came to realize that they could now relax safe in the knowledge that barring accidents, the emperor would soon return, given that the empress had come back already.


    The first thing Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong did after their return was have some rest. What with the long weary journey, they were too tired to do anything else and directly went to bed. Early the next morning, the two of them woke up in succession.


    Having had a good night¡¯s sleep, they both felt quite refreshed.


    The Infinite Fortune Palace had been quiet for almost a month, and all guards and eunuchs were very happy to learn that their masters had finally returned, their faces etched with delight.


    Chu Liangyan, Old Master Ji and some other courtiers entered the palace at a very early hour. The emperor had returned, and there were a lot of matters they needed to start dealing with. As a result, Yuwen Tong had to hurry to the consultation hall immediately after having breakfast with Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t go with him. He had learned a lot during his visit to Jiangzhou, so he decided to lick those pieces of information into shape first and then go to talk to his father about the matter of Jiangzhou.


    During the journey, Ling Zhang had first traveled past Cangzhou, then entered Haizhou, and eventually reached Jiangzhou, lodging everything he¡¯d seen and heard in his mind. And now it was time to think back and summarize them.


    When he¡¯d finished summarizing all of them, it was already noon. Yuwen Tong returned in haste to join him for lunch.


    ¡°How did it go? Is the work too much for you to handle?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°Not really. Would you like to go there with me in the afternoon?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head and handed Yuwen Tong a pamphlet in which there was a summary he¡¯d spent the whole morning to make. ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    While eating, Yuwen Tong opened it and ran an eye over it. After coming to know what it was about, he closed it, planning to bringing it to the imperial study to read it carefully after lunch.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to figure out in the afternoon. The maritime trade situation in Pingtao City is pretty good, and a lot of things there struck me as quite interesting. I¡¯ll sort them out first and then go out of the palace to talk with my father and ask him his opinions,¡± added Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°That might not be a bad idea. The port outside Pingtao City is one of the largest in Haizhou. Actually it¡¯s one of the largest ports in the Great Wen. Half of the merchant ships from the Fangcun Kingdom get ashore in that port. What with the previous situation in Jiangzhou, Pingtao City was under martial law, and all the Fangcun merchant ships had to switch to other harbors. On top of that, winter is coming, so Pingtao City wasn¡¯t at its liveliest when we were there.¡±


    A faintly disappointed look appeared on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Thinking that he¡¯d seen many interesting things there when it hadn¡¯t been at its liveliest, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how fascinating the city would be when its vigor was at its peak.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pay another visit to Haizhou sooner or later, but I¡¯m not letting you go anywhere in the next few weeks.¡± Yuwen Tong, who could divine what Ling Zhang was thinking just by looking at him, immediately nipped his plan in the bud.


    This was no joking matter. After Ling Zhang left, he hadn¡¯t been able to eat well or sleep well. He had had a hard job bringing Ling Zhang back. If he let Ling Zhang go on another journey, his life would be like hell. How was he supposed to endure it when every day he was up to his eyebrows in work and his lover was not by his side?


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m just thinking about it. I didn¡¯t say I was planning another journey.¡± Ling Zhang felt slightly guilty. The idea had just crossed his mind, and he hadn¡¯t said anything about it yet, but Yuwen Tong had still got it in one.


    ¡°Humph. As far as I could tell, you¡¯ve been doing too much traveling lately and is kind of getting addicted to it.¡± Yuwen Tong was not very happy.


    Ling Zhang cast him a sidelong glance. ¡°What are you talking about? I did that because I wanted to know more about common people¡¯s living situation. You see? I even summarized the information I got for you. I¡¯m doing sensible things, not getting addicted to travel. Besides, I missed you all the time out there.¡±


    He had really benefited a great deal from this journey, and the greatest gain was a change in his mentality. Previously he¡¯d seldom paid any attention to common people¡¯s lives, and had always regarded them as part of normality, but now, with a different identity and new responsibilities on his shoulders, he had thought about from a different perspective what he¡¯d seen and heard during the last journey. The change in his mentality had brought a change to the way he saw things. At the same time, it¡¯d been broadening his horizons constantly.


    There were so many prefectures in the Great Wen. What he¡¯d witnessed in Cangzhou and Jiangzhou was merely the tip of the iceberg. Even during his stay in Haizhou, he had only seen Pingtao City. He really wanted to see with his own eyes the natural conditions and social customs in every prefecture in the Great Wen to get more acquainted with this country and at the same time further expand his horizons.


    He told Yuwen Tong about his opinions. Yuwen Tong said, ¡°In a year or two, after we get everything handled, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to go with me?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°The next two years or so is going to be hectic, but after that, I will find the time. In the past I mostly stayed in the north-west. Youzhou and Shengzhou are the two prefectures I know best. I¡¯m quite acquainted with the Wan Kingdom as well, less so with the Luohai Kingdom. As regards the area to the south of the Great Wen, I¡¯ve been there only once, and I think it¡¯s about time I paid another visit to it. Do you remember there was still unrest in the south-west when I was enthroned? It was He Xiao and his men who handled it eventually. Now I¡¯ve acceded to the throne and the outcome is a foregone conclusion, so those people don¡¯t dare make trouble any more, but they¡¯re still a threat. If the situation in Cangzhou and Jiangzhou stabilizes and the imperial court gets back on track in the next two years, we¡¯ll be able to pay a visit to the south-west to fix things that need fixing, so that when our army returns to full strength and is ready to fight another war with the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, the south-west wouldn¡¯t be a burden to us.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, Ling Zhang fully understood. The south-west was indeed a hidden peril. Currently they were able to have those people toe the line, but there was guarantee they would stay this way forever. In fact, they would almost certainly start making trouble again when the Great Wen went to war with the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. Such a latent danger must be removed. Yuwen Tong had ambition. The Great Wen had ambition. If they were to unify the three nations, first they¡¯d have to make sure that the Great Wen was a united country, that every side was willing to make a contribution. Otherwise the unification of the three countries would be nothing but a pipe dream.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll pay a visit to the south-west together in two years.¡±


    After the two of them finished lunch together, Yuwen Tong, carrying the pamphlet with him, returned to the consultation hall to resume dealing with state affairs. Ling Zhang had a few moments¡¯ rest and then carefully thought back to the details of what he¡¯d seen in Pingtao City, sifting out from them anything that might be of use and carefully sorting them. Shortly before nightfall, he went out of the palace. Before leaving, he instructed the cooks in the kitchen to make dinner for Yuwen Tong and deliver it to him.


    Knowing that Ling Zhang had gone out of the palace and probably wouldn¡¯t return until late at night, Yuwen Tong had dinner in the imperial study instead of going back to the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    In the Ling Mansion.


    The Ling Mansion had been in peace and quiet lately. Ling Zhaowen had gone to Shengzhou. Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai and their men had all left. Members of the Ling family and their servants were the only ones in the residence. Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu both had titles of nobility, but neither of them had to participate in any political affairs. Ling Xingzhong was at his advanced age, and seldom accepted any invitations to banquets or other social activities. Ling Zhaowu went to socializing occasions from time to time, but more often he was nowhere to be found. As a result, over time, those who visited the Ling Mansion on a frequent basis had come to realize that neither of them were into social activities. A lot of people had given up trying after being turned town several times.


    Thus, the Ling Mansion became even quieter. There were hardly any visitors except for the couple of madams living in the Abode of the Marquess Fuan, who came to the Ling Mansion occasionally to keep Fu Caiwei company.


    This time around, Ling Zhang¡¯s return caused a stir among the whole Ling family.

 Chapter 459 - Ling Zhangs Return to the Ling Mansion

    Ling Zhang first went to see his grandfather and father to wish them good health.


    It had been after Ling Zhang¡¯s departure that his journey to Jiangzhou came to Ling Xingzhong¡¯s knowledge, and the old man, deeply concerned, had blamed Ling Zhaowu, saying that he could have stopped Ling Zhang had Ling Zhaowu told him sooner.


    ¡°Grandfather, I made my father promise not to tell you, because I didn¡¯t want you to worry about me. You see, I¡¯ve come back safe and sound.¡±


    Naturally, Ling Xingzhong was happy to see Ling Zhang return in one piece, but he still affected an air of anger and remained poker-faced for a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re a consort now and that¡¯s a noble identity. How could you risk going to such a dangerous place as Jiangzhou? Had anything happened to you, His Majesty would be heartbroken, and your father and I would be heartbroken as well; it would also affect the political situation that has just stabilized. It¡¯s no joking matter.¡±


    Ling Zhang obediently listened as his grandfather lectured him.


    Ling Xingzhong talked for a while and it was not until he saw that Ling Zhang¡¯s attitude towards his ¡®mistakes¡¯ was acceptable that his sulky face softened.


    Seeing this, Ling Zhang naturally hastened to placate him by telling him about some of the things he¡¯d seen in Jiangzhou.


    After pacifying Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhang went to see Fu Caiwei and Ling Maomao.


    It¡¯d been merely a month since he¡¯d last seen Ling Maomao, but it struck him that Ling Maomao had grown taller. He wondered if it was an illusion. Fu Caiwei¡¯s belly had been growing, and all the handmaids and doula in her courtyard house were giving her intensive care, not daring make the smallest mistake.


    For fear of worrying Fu Caiwei, neither Ling Zhaowu nor Ling Xingzhong had mentioned anything to Fu Caiwei about Ling Zhang¡¯s journey to Jiangzhou. She¡¯d been told that Ling Zhang had left the capital city to attend to something, and she¡¯d never connected it with anything concerning Jiangzhou.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been away from a month. Did you settle what you set out to deal with?¡± Fu Caiwei asked him.


    ¡°I did, and I won¡¯t have to leave the capital city to deal with anything anytime soon, so I¡¯ll come back here to see you more often,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Since Fu Caiwei¡¯s belly had been growing, he was rather worried. However, as he was a man, there was no way he could get to know all the details in this regard, and there were also a lot of things he was supposed to leave to women to handle, so he could only try to offer help in other ways. Apart from hiring experienced midwives, he had given Mr. Mu full access to all the precious and rare medicinal herbs in the imperial hospital. If Fu Caiwei was in need of any of them, it would be delivered to the Ling Mansion immediately.


    There were only two masters in the imperial palace, and how much Yuwen Tong valued the Ling family was public knowledge, so nobody dared take this matter lightly. Fu Caiwei didn¡¯t have to concern herself with anything during her pregnancy.


    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re now the empress, I¡¯m sure there are a lot of things you have to deal with. You don¡¯t have to come back here to see me on a frequent basis. I have some handmaids by my side wherever I go. Also, Mr. Mu lives in this residence. It¡¯s totally unnecessary for you to worry about me.¡±


    Fu Caiwei was both gratified and apprehensive. For fear that people might gossip about Ling Zhang if Ling Zhang came back to the Ling Mansion too often, she tried to persuade him not to frequently return to this residence. She had an intimate knowledge of her physical condition, and she had so many people watching over her. On occasion she would be worried about her husband who was in Shengzhou, a faraway city, but other than that, she really couldn¡¯t think of anything she had to concern herself with. She had barely even felt any morning sickness that pregnant women normally suffered from.


    ¡°I¡¯ll strike a balance. The things I¡¯m supposed to handle will be handled properly, but at the same time I¡¯ll come back here to see you when I¡¯m needed,¡± said Ling Zhang. In his eyes, all Fu Caiwei¡¯s worries were needless. ¡°By the way, Aunt Caiwei, the weather is getting colder. I fear that this courtyard house might not be comfortable enough in winter. How about I have your room revamped?¡±


    During his return journey to the capital city, Ling Zhang had encountered a cold wave and put on an extra piece of clothing, and the temperature had dropped continuously as he¡¯d got closer to the capital city. The weather would be even colder in a few days, and he was worried that Fu Caiwei¡¯s room was not warm enough.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Fu Caiwei hurriedly interrupted him. ¡°This house is pretty good and doesn¡¯t need revamping at all. Everything was taken into consideration when they built this house. And there was also a kang (a heatable brick bed). I can have them make a fire in it when winter comes, and it¡¯ll be very warm. Didn¡¯t you used to live in this house? Surely you know about this?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t live here long enough to spend a winter, so I¡¯m not sure whether or not it¡¯s warm enough in winter.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± affirmed Fu Caiwei with curt finality for fear that Ling Zhang might once again offer to revamp this house. Of all the houses in this residential compound, her courtyard house was the best in terms of layout and furnishings, except for Ling Xingzhong¡¯s courtyard house. It could be said that this was the main courtyard house of the whole compound, and Ling Zhang had given it up for her. The main courtyard house of such a vast residential compound was by no means shabby. All that should be taken into consideration had been taken into consideration when it¡¯d been built. Fu Caiwei was positive that she wouldn¡¯t feel cold in this house in winter. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you give me credit for. There¡¯s no need to worry so much about me.¡±


    The little boy that she had had to keep an eye on had now grown up and was thoughtful enough to always put her needs first, which naturally struck Fu Caiwei as quite sweet and greatly gladdened her heart.


    ¡°I heard that it was His Majesty who picked this residence for you, that before you moved in, he had this whole place revamped, that a lot of efforts were put into the revamp of this main courtyard house. Considering how much His Majesty cares about you, I think this place might well be as good as the imperial palace, so you may rest assured that I¡¯ll be fine. If you have this place revamped, I¡¯ll have to move to another place before it¡¯s finished. I don¡¯t want that trouble.¡±


    After hearing these words of Fu Caiwei¡¯s, Ling Zhang dropped the idea of revamping the courtyard house, believing that he could come here more often in winter, and if it was really not warm enough, he could always bring his aunt into the palace to make sure she was well attended.


    Seeing he had given up the idea of revamping the house, Fu Caiwei felt a slight sense of relief.


    ¡°Your grandfather has been worried about your going out of the city all the time. You didn¡¯t anger him when you were talking to him just now, did you?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°You know I would never anger my grandfather, Aunt Caiwei. He¡¯s not mad at me any more. Actually he had a broad smile on his face before I came here.¡±


    Fu Caiwei was amused by his words, knowing that basically, Ling Xingzhong had merely been apprehensive about Ling Zhang¡¯s safety and hadn¡¯t really been angry, so he would naturally dissolve into smile if Ling Zhang cajoled him.


    Ling Zhang asked Fu Caiwei about her daily life, and then specially sent for Mr. Mu and asked him about Fu Caiwei¡¯s physical condition. It was not until Mr. Mu told him that Fu Caiwei was very healthy that Ling Zhang took his leave.


    Before leaving the Ling Mansion, he gave Ling Maomao the gifts he¡¯d brought back from Haizhou. There was a whole box of them. Ling Maomao was so happy he almost jumped. The boy had become a lot more poised than before and was now able to keep his cool in circumstances where he would normally jump for joy in the past.


    ¡°How¡¯s Maomao¡¯s emotional condition lately? Does he still miss Cong?¡± Ling Zhang secretly asked one of the servants responsible for waiting upon Maomao.


    ¡°Yes, he does. Recently, Second Young Master hasn¡¯t been as cheerful as he used to. I heard that he was a bit down for some time after you left the capital city, but because today you came back, he looks a lot happier,¡± answered the servant.


    After being informed of this, Ling Zhang didn¡¯t go to offer Ling Maomao any words of comfort. After all, the boy had to undergo all this to grow up. Ling Maomao was a teenager now, and, given enough time, he should be able to handle this kind of things by himself. Still, considering he was the only child at this age in this residence, he might well feel lonely, and Ling Zhang was worried that the boy might become taciturn.


    ¡°Recently, when the madams living in the abode of the Marquess Fuan come here to visit my aunt, do they bring their children with them?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes. The two young masters come here with the two madams a lot, and Second Young Master has gradually taken to them. Previously, when you were away from this city, Second Young Master was depressed, and it was after he had some dealings with the two young masters that his spirits rose noticeably.¡± The servants, who had come to realize what it was Ling Zhang wanted to know, gave him a detailed report about the boy.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, glad to learn that there were some peers Ling Maomao could talk with. He decided to throw a party in the palace in a few days and invite all the boys who were from aristocratic families and were about Ling Maomao¡¯s age, so that Ling Maomao would have a chance to strike up relationships with them. As for whether or not Ling Maomao would hit it off with any of them, it would depend if Ling Maomao was in luck that day.


    Apart from that, there was also the matter of Ling Maomao going to school. Recently Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu had been schooling Ling Maomao themselves, but they couldn¡¯t make it a regular thing. It was about time they considered sending Ling Maomao to a school. Previously, Yuwen You¡¯s great grandchildren had been receiving education in a school outside the palace, but now their identities were different, and it was inappropriate to let the boys continue to go to that school outside the palace. Previously both Yuwen Tong and he had been otherwise engaged and hadn¡¯t had the time to think about this kind of things. Now it was time they took these things into consideration.


    After these thoughts crossed his mind, Ling Zhang asked some other questions about Ling Maomao¡¯s daily life, and the servant answered them one by one.


    When he had finished prioritizing the matters that concerned him, Ling Zhang went to have a father-son talk with Ling Zhaowu in private.


    ¡°Father, we did find some silver ingots in Zhu You¡¯s residence during the search. All of them are government-cast ingots from a previous dynasty. We did some research and confirmed that an ancestor of the Zhu family¡¯s stole them from some prince.¡± Ling Zhang related to Ling Zhaowu that he and Yuwen Tong had taken some men to Zhu You¡¯s residence to search it and confiscate his possessions.


    Ling Zhaowu was rather unsurprised at the news of the discovery of silver ingots. ¡°The Zhu family has been hiding those ingots for so many years. Now the money could finally be put to good use.¡±


    Ling Zhang inquired of him, ¡°But it took us a lot of time to find that secret room in the underground chamber. I wonder how those Jiangzhou residents you mentioned had managed to find it in your last life. That hidden door was sabotaged, and we had to use explosives to blast it open.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu raised his head and cast his mind back for a moment before he said, ¡°I do seem to remember someone led those residents to search the Zhu family¡¯s residence. At that time, Wang Xiangxin and Zhu You were in league with each other, running roughshod over Jiangzhou people. The people were driven beyond endurance and stood up to them. They had a couple of leaders, and the one leading them into the Zhu family¡¯s residence seemed to be one of them. Given that he was a leader, he shouldn¡¯t be too stupid. It¡¯s not surprising that he found some clues. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to that matter.¡±


    In his last incarnation, Ling Zhaowu had been wealthy and powerful. When those residents had found those ingots in Zhu You¡¯s residence, he¡¯d merely been impressed by the large number of them, not giving much thought to any other matters.


    Apart from anything else, it had been in his last life that that thing happened. As it had never happened in this life of his, and the course of history was different, there was no point trying to get to the bottom of it. Ling Zhang was just curious. Anybody who could find those silver ingots was by no means a common person.


    ¡°Currently, the imperial court is undermanned. If that person is a talent and moral, I would really want to recruit him to work for the imperial court. There¡¯s going to be an imperial examination next year, but it¡¯ll take time to knock those who pass it into shape. It¡¯s impractical to assign them to important positions right after the exam and expect them to do their jobs as well as they¡¯re supposed to,¡± remarked Ling Zhang. Presently the imperial court was indeed short-handed, and Yuwen Tong was somewhat fretful about this very matter. If there were any talents out there, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to recruit them to have them work for the imperial court.

 Chapter 460 - Negotiations with the Luohai Kingdom

    In his last life, Ling Zhaowu, unconcerned about those silver ingots, had left the mansion after the residents killed Wang Xiangxin, paying no special attention to the person heading the group of Jiangzhou residents who¡¯d intruded into Zhu You¡¯s abode.


    Though somewhat disappointed, Ling Zhang knew the recruitment of talents would take time. Currently, the first priority was to further stabilize the domestic situation and help the people restore their lives. As the imperial court had given people hope, those who had political aspirations would sooner or later recommend themselves one way or another.


    When they had finished talking about those silver ingots found in Zhu You¡¯s dwelling, Ling Zhang filled Ling Zhaowu in on what he¡¯d seen and heard in Pingtao City, and showed him the couple of ideas he¡¯d listed.


    ¡°Maritime trade is indeed quite lucrative and has huge market potential,¡± commented Ling Zhaowu after reading the note, ¡°but it¡¯s impossible to achieve success in maritime trade without the support of a powerful prop, and it¡¯s inadvisable to rush into it when you¡¯re not a hundred percent ready. You need to take baby steps. Rest assured, I¡¯ll help you with everything you want to do.¡±


    This would indeed take time. Ling Zhang knew that he was experiencing a carry-over of thrill caused by what he¡¯d seen and heard in Pingtao City. He was so excited that he was only too anxious to immediately make arrangements for a commercial fleet to be built. However, from the vantage point of the present, neither he nor the Ling family was fully prepared to start a business of that scale. It was premature to talk about this matter at this point in time.


    ¡°You may well say that, Father. I got a bit carried away,¡± said Ling Zhang calmly after subduing that urge inside him.


    Ling Zhaowu smiled. This was one of the reasons why he was proud of Ling Zhang ¨C Ling Zhang was willing to heed others¡¯ advice and always introspected about his problems when he needed to. Maybe because Ling Zhang had been through a rebirth, he seemed to seldom feel the kind of impulsions that most youngsters on occasions felt and found rather difficult to repress. Before Ling Zhang became the empress, this had struck Ling Zhaowu as faintly regrettable, but after Ling Zhang became the empress, Ling Zhaowu felt lucky that this was the case.


    Next the father and son discussed the matter of opening stores. Now that they had plans to establish a chamber of commerce in Shengzhou to gain a foothold there, Ling Zhaowu had made quite some preparations. The necessity of keeping Ling Zhang¡¯s and the Ling family¡¯s involvement in this matter secret had made the task more difficult. Fortunately, Ling Zhaowu was very experienced in this regard. He made full use of those businesses and stewards that Ji Yin had gifted Ling Zhang with, and prepared to recruit his former subordinates. By ¡°former subordinates¡±, Ling Zhaowu was actually referring to the group of men that he had licked into shape in his last incarnation, all of whom had been absolutely loyal to him. Ling Zhaowu knew each and every one of them like the back of his hand, and was also fully aware of the situation they were presently in. What would take some doing was to recruit them again and have them swear allegiance to him for a second time.


    After coming to know about his father¡¯s plans, Ling Zhang naturally brought up the matter that he¡¯d been meaning to get to the bottom of. ¡°Father, what did you do for a living in your last incarnation exactly?¡±


    ¡°I was in business. Haven¡¯t I told you already? I was a merchant. In my last life, the situation in the three countries was quite chaotic, and for a business to thrive, its owner needed to have enough helpers, which was why I had a group of men under my command,¡± replied Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang looked at him disbelievingly. ¡°Was it really as simple as that?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu answered, ¡°It was. I had no interest in any other things. Still, although I was uninterested in any other things, there were still a lot of people who tried to rope me in to become an official in the imperial court and work for them, but I turned down them all.¡±


    ¡°Who tried to rope you in?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    ¡°Members of the imperial family, who were still alive at this time in my last life. Um, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom also made efforts to tempt me to serve them. The three countries were in tangled warfare, and on occasions Yuwen Tong would harass them, so all those people were eager to get more power and wanted to draw everybody who might be of help over to their sides,¡± responded Ling Zhaowu.


    Though Ling Zhaowu had put it this way, Ling Zhang was certain that there was more to it. Why else should the monarchs of all the three countries have offered olive branches to him, if not for some particular skill of his? A common merchant could never have achieved that. However, his father seemed to be fairly unwilling to tell him the whole story in this regard. What was he keeping back?


    ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you say that you would tell me everything you¡¯d been through in your last life after Yuwen Tong and I got married and the whirl of chores was over? I want to hear it right now. Would you please tell me?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s hand holding a teacup briefly paused and with that he raised his head to looked at the color of the sky and then said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty late. The one in the palace must be looking into the sky with a frown on his face at this moment. He sure as hell would come here to bring you back if you don¡¯t return straight away.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He looked at the color of the sky as well. Though aware that his father was using it as an excuse, night had indeed fallen already, and it was dinner time. In no hurry to return to the palace as he was, it was inappropriate to force his father to give up having dinner and continue to talk with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely keeping something back from me. I¡¯ll let it go for the moment, but you¡¯ll have to tell me the truth the next time I come here.¡±


    Ling Zhang rose to his feet, looking at his father, unhappy.


    Ling Zhaowu gave a little cough. ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I keep anything back from you?¡±


    However, Ling Zhang¡¯s gaze gave him a surge of guilt and he avoided Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®I knew it,¡¯ Ling Zhang inwardly snorted, determined to drag the truth out of his father when he found the time. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll have dinner with you and Grandfather before I go back to the palace. Grandfather and the others may well have taken their seats at the table already. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu rose immediately at these words, as though unable to endure Ling Zhang¡¯s reproving eyes for a single extra moment.


    His reaction made Ling Zhang more convinced that his father was concealing something from him. This was his first time seeing his father appearing so manifestly to have a guilty conscience.


    What else had happened to his father in his last incarnation exactly? What was it that his father felt he had to keep secret from his own son? Ling Zhang cast around in vain for an answer. Had his father by any chance staged a revolt or tried to usurp the throne or anything like that? No, he couldn¡¯t have. If that were the case, the monarchs of the three countries wouldn¡¯t have raced to recruit him.


    Bearing these questions in mind, Ling Zhang decided to have his father answer all of them when he found opportunity. Even if his father had really led a revolt or tried to usurp the throne in his last incarnation¡­ he wouldn¡¯t blame his father, considering how complicated things had been in his last life.


    Unaware that his son had inwardly made all kinds of excuses for him, Ling Zhaowu went to join his old man for dinner with his son, feeling rather guilty. After dinner, he walked his son towards the front gates.


    ¡°You¡¯ve walked me far enough, Father. Go back.¡±


    The front gates were right ahead, but Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowu to stop. ¡°Mu Rongfeng has been captured, and an envoy of the Luohai Kingdom will arrive in a couple of days. I might well start getting busy and wouldn¡¯t be able to come back here to see you and Grandfather anytime soon, but¡­ you may do some thinking during this time and figure out how to explain to me¡­ ahem¡­ what I want to know.¡±


    Although the bodyguards he brought with him were all trustworthy, he couldn¡¯t afford to let the matter of his rebirth come to anybody else¡¯s knowledge.


    Ling Zhaowu looked at his son for a while before he sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that I enjoy keeping secrets from you. I¡¯m just worried you¡¯d be unhappy after hearing the truth. Whatever¡­ I¡¯ll be honest with you the next time we meet.¡±


    It was only then that Ling Zhang smiled a happy smile, took leave of Ling Zhaowu and set out to return to the palace.


    ¡­


    In the following two days Ling Zhang were occupied with all kinds of affairs in the palace. A diplomatic corps of the Luohai Kingdom would soon arrive in the capital city. Yuwen Tong, after conferring with a group of courtiers, decided how to teach the Luohai Kingdom a hard lesson.


    Jiang Yu, Ling Zhang¡¯s adviser, had returned to the Jiang family to concentrate on preparing for the next year¡¯s imperial examination, which was also what Zhao Jiusi had been doing. Thus, he had only the twenty-four bodyguards at his service, but they were different from Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi ¨C some of the things the latter two could handle properly were beyond their capabilities, which was why Ling Zhang was rushed off his feet.


    ¡­


    After yet another day, the diplomatic corps of the Luohai Kingdom arrived. As Yuwen Tong had caught Mu Rongfeng red-handed in Haizhou, the Luohai Kingdom was utterly unable to cover up the fact that the Luohai Kingdom had covertly played a part in the Jiangzhou revolt. This time around Yuwen Tong had got the goods on the Luohai Kingdom, so members of the diplomatic corps were all harassed-looking. Though infuriated by the conditions Yuwen Tong demanded, they had no alternative but to subdue their anger with gritted teeth, for they were in the wrong, and even their crown prince had fallen into Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands. They had to swallow it all, no matter how angry they were.


    However, even if the Luohai diplomatic corps were here to make a sincere apology, which they were not, in no circumstances would they accept all Yuwen Tong¡¯s terms, so there was inevitable haggling which seemed as though it would never end.


    At first Yuwen Tong was willing to show them some respect, but after some time, his face darkened. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were standing on his left and right respectively, emanating such brooding air that the dean of the diplomatic corps blanched and stammered, and it took him quite a while to finish his sentence.


    Yuwen Tong had made it very clear that he would make sure Mu Rongfeng never made it back to the Luohai Kingdom if the envoy didn¡¯t accept his conditions right away. The Great Wen was not afraid of fighting another war. Although the Great Wen needed time to rebuild strength, the North-western Army would prove themselves the strongest force once again if another war came, so the Great Wen was not frightened of the Luohai Kingdom at all.


    The Luohai Kingdom didn¡¯t want another war either. The Great Wen hadn¡¯t descended into civil strife. Instead, its domestic situation was getting more and more stable. The Luohai Kingdom had never got one over on the Great Wen during any of the previous wars, and now, given that the Wan Kingdom was taking a wait-and-see attitude, the Luohai Kingdom would no doubt be making a rod for its own back if it fought Yuwen Tong single-handed. Besides, their crown prince¡¯s life was still in Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands!


    Scared by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, the dean of the diplomatic corps didn¡¯t dare make another attempt to bargain over the terms and, teeth clenched, signed a new treaty with the Great Wen.


    After signing the treaty, the dean¡¯s back was covered with cold sweat, his clothes soaking wet.


    The weather had been getting increasingly cold in the past couple of days, and everybody was wearing thick clothes, but the dean had still broken out in such a sweat, which suggested how great pressure he¡¯d been under.


    ¡­


    Mu Rongfeng was returned to the Luohai diplomatic corps as the Luohai Kingdom met all the conditions set by the Great Wen. Mu Rongfeng had a quite ugly look on his face when he was released. Apart from anything else, this was the greatest possible humiliation for a crown prince.


    ¡°Your Highness are more than welcome to stay in the Great Wen if you don¡¯t feel like going back, but I¡¯m afraid General-in-chief Nian and Prime Minister Dugu might well rejoice if you really decide to stay,¡± jibed Chu Liangyan who was also present.


    Mu Rongfeng was infuriated to such an extent that for an instant he was on the verge of spitting out a mouthful of blood. He shot Chu Liangyan a malevolent glance and blustered, ¡°Sooner or later the Great Wen will pay for this.¡±


    Chu Liangyan smiled, ¡°The Great Wen will always be here. Whatever it is Your Highness are planning to do, the Great Wen will never flinch from facing up to it.¡±


    Mu Rongfeng coldly withdrew his eyes and stormed off without a backward glance.


    There was intense partisan wrangle in the royal court of the Luohai Kingdom. He was the crown prince, but both Nian Feng, the general-in-chief who had most of the troops under his command, and Prime Minister Dugu, who was kin to the queen consort, had long coveted the throne. If he didn¡¯t return, there would no doubt be great political upheavals in the Luohai Kingdom. Consumed with rage and resentment as Mu Rongfeng was, he had no alternative but to swallow it.


    ¡­


    The matter of the Luohai Kingdom settled, what Yuwen Tong needed to do next was appoint a new commander of Jiangzhou garrison and a new Jiangzhou governor. Jiangzhou needed a capable governor as well as a competent commander able to regroup the garrison.

 Chapter 461 - An Invitation to the Imperial Bathing Pool

    Jiangzhou was, for all intents and purposes, in the same situation that Cangzhou had previously been in. To restore order in Cangzhou, Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan had been transferred there. To select two suitable candidates to be assigned to Jiangzhou, the courtiers consulted with Yuwen Tong for two consecutive days before a decision was made.


    After Yuwen Tong settled this matter, the first winter rain came, accompanied by fine snowflakes.


    The capital city had entered winter. Ling Zhang paid a visit to the Ling Mansion and then returned to the palace. After stamping his feet for a moment, he went into the imperial bedchamber. Yuwen Tong had finished work early on this day and returned to the bedchamber before dark.


    ¡°Is Aunt Caiwei okay?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°Yeah. Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    It was snowing and Ling Zhang had been worried about Fu Caiwei¡¯s health, so he¡¯d specially gone out of the palace to pay her a visit.


    Yuwen Tong, who had heard Ling Zhang stamping his feet outside the imperial bedchamber a short while before, held out his hand to Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Ling Zhang walked up to him, confused. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yuwen Tong took his hand and felt his clothes. ¡°Put on more clothes next time you go out,¡± he cautioned.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s hand was held by Yuwen Tong whose warm palm was warming up his, making him feel so comfortable that he was unwilling to withdraw his hand. And then he put his other hand into Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    Yuwen Tong, faintly turned on by this small movement of his hand, abruptly drew him into his arms. As he fell into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, Ling Zhang was instantly enveloped by a warm air, relaxedly let out a sigh, rubbed his face against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and then slightly shifted his position to let his whole body into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace.


    After he finished shifting his position, Yuwen Tong hugged him tight, let him sit on his lap, and then caressed his ear with his lips. ¡°Why are you so meek today?¡±


    Ling Zhang softly snorted, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you say this many times. When was I ever not meek in front of you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle, slightly raised Ling Zhang¡¯s chin and the two of them kissed for a while.


    After a few moments, Ling Zhang pushed him away. ¡°Soon they¡¯ll deliver dinner here.¡±


    Feeling somewhat regretful, with lingering longing in his eyes, Yuwen Tong hugged Ling Zhang and made out with him for another long moment.


    ¡°I want you to go with me to pay a visit to my great-uncle tomorrow,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife¡¯s time is near,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Recalling Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan, he was somewhat flustered, at a loss as to how to conduct himself in front of Yuwen Qian and his wife after they entered the abode of the Marquess Fuan the next day.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuwen Tong consoled him, stroking his back. ¡°We¡¯ve agreed on it some time ago. Everybody in my great-uncle¡¯s family has psyched themself up. After we adopt the baby, they¡¯ll still be able to come here to see him from time to time.¡±


    Ling Zhang lightly inclined his head. ¡°I know. I¡¯m just not sure what the proper way to conduct myself in front of Yuwen Qian and his wife tomorrow is.¡±


    ¡°The usual way. Tomorrow you may just behave the same way you behaved in front of them previously. You¡¯re the consort, and they are beneath you. They should be worried about how to conduct themselves in front of you, not the other way around,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was slightly surprised, looking at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong continued, ¡°It¡¯s true they also bear the surname Yuwen, and in the past they were our elders and peers, but now they¡¯re our subjects. Yuwen Qian¡¯s child, after being fostered with us, will be a prince or a princess, and their birth parents will be their subjects as well. The moment I was enthroned, a chasm between the imperial family and subjects came into being. Nobody would be able to change that. Also, we¡¯ll need to broaden and deepen that chasm when necessary. Remember, we¡¯re the rulers, and they¡¯re our subjects. You don¡¯t have to take anybody¡¯s feelings into consideration before doing anything, and you don¡¯t have to explain anything to anybody. They can only revere you or fear you. None of them will dare judge you.¡±


    Ling Zhang listened quietly. After a while, he replied with a heavy nod, ¡°I see.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was right. He was now the consort. He and Yuwen Tong were at the top of the social hierarchy in the Great Wen. The two of them were the only ones at the top, and all those beneath them could only look up at him. There were some rules that must be enforced and engraved in everybody¡¯s heart. If the domestic situation of the Great Wen was to stay stable, emperorship must be of supreme superiority.


    A smile curled the corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth as he saw that Ling Zhang had caught on.


    Ling Zhang, though young and inexperienced, always got Yuwen Tong¡¯s meaning in one, and Yuwen Tong never had to spend much time explaining anything to him.


    ¡°When the new year starts, the conversion of the palace will start as well. The preparatory work may well last until after the imperial examination, and by that time, Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi will have returned to your help, and you¡¯ll be able to delegate the other matters in your hands to them. I¡¯ll put you in charge of the conversion,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a moment. ¡°Originally I planned to deploy a large-scale defensive formation in the palace, but afterward it occurred to me that the Millennium Pavilion might have in hand some copies of the handbooks on formations they gave me. It¡¯s too risky to deploy a defensive formation offered by the Millennium Pavilion, but currently I¡¯m not capable of creating a new large-scale defensive formation that compares with any of those given by the Millennium Pavilion. What do you think we should do?¡±


    Ling Zhang was not afraid of taking on responsibilities. Putting him in charge of the conversion of the palace was synonymous with putting the security of the whole palace in his hands. Now that Yuwen Tong had enough trust in him to let him loose on the project, he had no reason to be frightened of doing it. But how should he convert the palace to make it safer and more defendable? Ling Zhang had been bearing this in mind for quite some time.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°A defensive formation is of secondary importance. No matter how secure a formation is, there¡¯s always a way to crack it. Also, people could easily grow dependent on it. It is people that we ultimately rely on for the security of the palace.¡±


    At first Ling Zhang was baffled as to why Yuwen Tong stressed that it was people that they ultimately relied on, but after a few moments he slowly came to understand, his eyes gradually brightening. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡±


    ¡°This palace was built when the Zhou family was in power. The first emperor from the Zhou family was also a capable monarch, and the palace he built naturally has some merits. By converting it, we¡¯ll actually be making adjustment to his work. How safe this palace is depends on the capabilities of its owner. If its owner is weak and careless, all defensive measures would be no good, no matter how strong they are; if its owner is smart and able, the situation would naturally be under control,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    The point Yuwen Tong was trying to make was that the owner was to this palace as a commander-in-chief was to his army. If the commander-in-chief was competent, his army would naturally win the war; if the commander-in-chief was incompetent, the guards around the main tent, no matter how many there were of them, would be of no use.


    As a result, it would be better to do it in an open and direct way than it was to deploy a large-scale defensive formation like an escape-proof net. The palace built in the former dynasty was vast, and the matter of defense had been taken into consideration during the building of it. Also, there were several underground passageways. Given that Yuwen Tong had no intention of expanding the imperial seraglio, what they needed to revamp was the underground passages and the main body of the palace. There could be a defensive formation, but the principal defensive measure would be the tight security maintained by the palace guards. Sometimes playing it above aboard was a smarter move than playing all kinds of tricks.


    Ling Zhang was enlightened by Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. He had seen the overall plans of the imperial palace, and at this moment several conversion plans popped into his mind in spite of himself. All he needed to do was compare them in detail and select the best one, and then he¡¯d be ready to make preparations for the conversion.


    As regards the future generations¡­ Yuwen Tong had the ambition to unify the three countries, so there was no telling whether or not the capital city of the Great Wen would still be this one. Besides, the imperial court was now indeed short of money, and it was inadvisable to spend an extravagant sum of money on the conversion project.


    Ling Zhang pondered more and more deeply, considering a widening range of details, gradually lost in thought. Seeing he was mulling over it, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t interrupt him. Every time Ling Zhang did some serious thinking with someone he trusted by his side, he lapsed into such a state as though he¡¯d forgotten about himself, especially when the one beside him was Yuwen Tong. In this kind of circumstances, Ling Zhang would subconsciously obey Yuwen Tong, no matter what the latter wanted him to do¡­


    Yuwen Tong tossed his book to a side of the desk and kissed Ling Zhang all over while that latter¡¯s mind was wandering, indulging in ¡®playing¡¯ the apple of his eye in his arms.


    It was not until a eunuch¡¯s voice came from outside requesting permission to deliver the dinner inside that the two of them, both of whom were in their own worlds, were brought back to their senses.


    On seeing that his belt had been unfastened and Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands were moving around in his clothes, Ling Zhang got mad, shook off Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands and hastened to rearrange his clothes. ¡°What are you doing? I told you they¡¯d soon deliver dinner here. Why did you still do that?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong had been fully aroused while caressing Ling Zhang. Unfortunately for him, now was not the time to satisfy his desire. He had no choice but to subdue his urge, rose to his feet and helped Ling Zhang rearrange his clothes, his eyes still burning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Imperial Bathing Pool to have a bath after dinner.¡±


    Ling Zhang paused, briefly avoiding Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why go to the Imperial Bathing Pool? It¡¯s too much trouble.¡±


    Built by order of the former emperor, the Imperial Bathing Pool was splendid and deluxe. Not long ago, shortly after the eunuchs cleaned it, Yuwen Tong had had him go to that place with him, and he¡¯d shouted so much in there that night that he¡¯d almost gone hoarse. That place was virtually¡­ virtually tailor-made for people wanting to indulge in debauchery. Yuwen Tong had turned him over and over to try different positions on that day. Ling Zhang shuddered at the very thought of that, but it was more because of the numb sensation shooting up his spine from the small of his back as his body automatically recalled those things than because of bashfulness.


    Yuwen Tong, who knew him well, could divine what he was thinking just by looking at the expression in his eyes or a small movement of his body. The yearning in Yuwen Tong¡¯s desire-laden eyes was deepening, as though he were about to swallow Ling Zhang whole.


    Ling Zhang knew what the expression in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes was like without even having to look at them. To prevent Yuwen Tong from doing anything crazy straight away, he hurriedly instructed the eunuchs to brought the dinner inside.


    The eunuchs, who finally got the permission to enter, neatly served the dishes one by one and then quietly left.


    These eunuchs, who¡¯d been allowed to stay in the Infinite Fortune Palace to serve the imperial couple, had all been through very strict selection process and were very observant. During their stay in the Infinite Fortune Palace since the imperial couple had moved in, they had all come to know that once in the imperial bedchamber, their eyes must not dart around and they must guard their tongue, that the imperial couple didn¡¯t like noises or talky people. Also, whenever the imperial couple were in a noticeably different mood, they¡¯d have to leave as soon as possible. The only way to make sure they could continue to stay in the Infinite Fortune Palace was to always take their leave immediately after finishing what they were supposed to do.


    Looking at those delicacies prepared by court chefs, all of which were appetizing in appearance, tantalizing in smell and delicious in taste, Ling Zhang naturally felt hungry. Yuwen Tong was just about to sit down beside him when Ling Zhang shooed him to the opposite side. Given the situation a few moments before, the two of them would, without doubt, end up making out if he allowed Yuwen Tong to sit beside him. No matter how they were feeling, at least they had to eat dinner in a normal way!

 Chapter 462 - Merry-Making in the Imperial Bathing Pool

    The fire of desire inside Yuwen Tong flared up at the sight of the warning look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes which were glaring at him, but¡­he did have to fill his belly first so that he would have enough strength to make out later.


    Thinking about this, Yuwen Tong exercised his self-restraint, sat down opposite Ling Zhang and offered him more food. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop. Dig in.¡±


    Ling Zhang cast him a skeptical glance. Yuwen Tong recovered himself so soon?


    Before he could give it more thought, his attention was drawn to the food in front of him which was giving off tantalizing aroma. As he started eating, he got even more heedless of whether or not Yuwen Tong had really managed to dismiss his longing from his mind.


    While Ling Zhang was engaged in eating dinner, Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at Yao Yi who was standing guard beside the door.


    Yao Yi gave a little nod, quietly left the imperial bedchamber and instructed the eunuchs, ¡°Go and prepare the Imperial Bathing Pool. His Majesty and His Highness are going there to bathe.¡±


    Not daring to risk causing any delays, the eunuchs hurried to the Imperial Bathing Pool, got all bathroom ware ready and then hastened to prepare hot water. Before long, hot water flowed through an ingeniously designed pipe, out of a dragon-head-shaped faucet on the wall of the bathing pool and then into the pool, and warm vapor gradually pervaded the room.


    After dinner, Ling Zhang softly kneaded his stomach. Having had his fill, he felt all over comfortable. He had just returned from outside the palace, and in such a cold weather, with the rain and the snow, people could feel their bones ache from the chill if they forgot to wear enough clothes before going outdoors. Fortunately for him, he had internal energy now, which was why this weather wasn¡¯t being much of an ordeal for him.


    ¡°Such weather is very rare in Tanyang. We only have this kind of weather when the temperature is exceptionally low,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at the fine snowflakes dancing amid the sheet of drizzle, recalling what his life had been like in Tanyang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s even colder further north. At the coldest time of the year, even the streets in Youzhou and Shengzhou are deserted all day long, not to mention those in the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. Everybody stays indoors, and every year there are people who freeze to death. This year the cold is fairly endurable, otherwise the situation in Cangzhou and Jiangzhou might be dire.¡±


    Ling Zhang thought of the people of Cangzhou and Jiangzhou at these words. ¡°Both food and clothing have been delivered there. Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan went to Cangzhou in advance and made provisions, so things are going better there than they are in Jiangzhou. Although the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) is temporarily in charge in Jiangzhou, the people there still won¡¯t have enough time and energy to rebuild their houses, what with the snow and the fact that the Jiangzhou rebel army has just been taken care of. There¡¯s no telling how many of them would survive this winter with the food and clothing Haizhou provided them with.¡±


    The mood in the room naturally grew serious as they switched to this topic. Since Yuwen Tong¡¯s return from Jiangzhou, the restoration of order in Jiangzhou had been at the top of his agenda, followed by the matter of Mu Rongfeng. Both Yanzhou and Haizhou had spared some food supplies for Jiangzhou, doing their best to ensure the survival of those who had lost homes during the revolt or were suffering from food shortage. However, Jiangzhou was a large prefecture, and though Xiao Jiangyue had moved to Jiangzhou and was in charge on a provisional basis, helping with the placement of residents victimized by the rebel army, there was no way he could cover all the bases. On top of that, the soldiers under Xiao Jiangyue¡¯s command needed food as well. They were stationed in Jiangzhou and money had to be delivered there to make sure they were fully paid on time.


    All in all, some residents of Jiangzhou might not be able to make it through this winter.


    The only part that could count as a comfort was that this year winter had come later than usual, and so had the first snow. Right now it was near the end of the year. Only when the Spring Festival and the winter was over would Jiangzhou have a chance for a fresh start.


    Their talk about Jiangzhou, inevitably, lasted quite some time. Yuwen Tong suggested Ling Zhang stand up and walk around the imperial bedchamber, saying that it was bad for health to sit for long with a full belly.


    ¡°What I have in my stomach is my reserves of strength. If I start walking right now, the reserves would be depleted, and the dinner I ate would be for nothing.¡± Ling Zhang was somewhat reluctant at first. His full belly made him feel a little lazy and inclined to sit doing nothing.


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand and stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach and abdomen. ¡°Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re beginning to have love handles?¡±


    Ling Zhang was instantly on the alert at these words. ¡°Really?¡±


    Yuwen Tong stroked his belly again, affecting an air of uncertainty. ¡°There does seem to be some cellulite. Check for yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Ling Zhang hastened to check for himself. Maybe because Yuwen Tong¡¯s words had given him some kind of preconceived idea, the more Ling Zhang stroked his own belly, the more convinced he was of the existence of his love handles. A sense of insecurity rose in him and, not daring sit there any longer, he started walking around and around the bedchamber with Yuwen Tong on his own initiative.


    Yuwen Tong inwardly snickered. Ling Zhang always got up early to practice kung fu except when he overslept; also, his internal energy had been accumulating, so he was in pretty good shape. He¡¯d even grown taller recently. There was no cellulite on his abdomen whatsoever. Ling Zhang¡¯s stomach was bulging only because he had just had his fill of food. The reason why he¡¯d suggested Ling Zhang have a walk was that he worried that Ling Zhang might suffer from dyspepsia. Also, they¡¯d go to the Imperial Bathing Pool to ¡°do exercise¡±, so it was best if they warmed up a bit in this room.


    Believing that they¡¯d walked long enough, Yuwen Tong draped a thick cloak which had a neckerchief made of fox fur at the top across Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders. After bundling Ling Zhang up, he took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and made towards the Imperial Bathing Pool.


    When Yuwen Tong had fished out the cloak, Ling Zhang had come to know what Yuwen Tong was planning to do, what had happened before dinner coming floating out of his memory. He and Yuwen Tong had stared at each other for quite a while before he allowed Yuwen Tong to put that cloak on him.


    At the sight of the lust that had reappeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, he knew there was no way he could escape going to the Imperial Bathing Pool. In court meetings this guy was always poker-faced, but when he was in the bedchamber, all he could think of was having sex. Ling Zhang wondered whether it had ever crossed Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind that his reputation as the emperor would be ruined if word got out about this.


    While progressing, Yuwen Tong was secretly amused by the sight of Ling Zhang curling his lip, as though he was thinking about something. ¡°The water in the pool is pretty warm. Soaking in it will help rid you of the coldness that invaded your body during the journey. I also had them prepare some wine. We may have a drink or two after we get there.¡±


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance, knowing that all the ¡°rid you of the coldness¡± and ¡°have a drink or two¡± crap was nothing but excuses, that all Yuwen Tong wanted was sex!


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle, leaned over and whispered beside his ear, ¡°Exercise more often and your love handles will soon disappear.¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched. There were a lot of alternative exercises!


    Holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, Yuwen Tong lightly scratched his palm, playing around with Ling Zhang¡¯s hand as though it were some kind of toy.


    Though appearing reluctant, Ling Zhang was not really unwilling to go to the Imperial Bathing Pool with Yuwen Tong. When Yuwen Tong was proceeding shoulder to shoulder with him and ¡®playing around with¡¯ his palm, the warm neckerchief made of fox fur felt like the strongest sense of security Yuwen Tong had ever given him. It was so warm he wished this trip would last forever.


    After arriving at the destination, Yuwen Tong unfastened the cloak for him, put it away, returned and then drew him into the inner chamber where the pool was.


    ¡°I had them make the bed for us in the bedroom next door. We may spend the night in this place after the bath. We¡¯re not going back to the imperial bedchamber lest you catch cold on the way back,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang lowered his head to unfasten his belt. Yuwen Tong stretched out a hand to help, but he was actually more of a hindrance, for all he was doing was lightly kneading Ling Zhang¡¯s waist.


    Feeling itchy from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand movements, Ling Zhang said while dodging, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve had it all planned out, I think we¡¯ll just stay here for the night, but remember to have them come here to wait upon you tomorrow morning so that you won¡¯t be late for the court meeting. And, don¡¯t you go too far when we¡¯re in the pool. Last time, after what you did, my throat was sore for several days. I¡¯ve had enough of the medicine prescribed by the court physician¡­ Hey, stop it! Are you listening to me?!¡±


    Eventually Ling Zhang¡¯s temper began to fray and he glowered at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong swept Ling Zhang into his embrace with his arm and kissed him. ¡°I was a bit out of line the last time we were here. I promise I won¡¯t do that again, and you won¡¯t have to drink any more of the bitter, awful-tasting medicine prescribed by the court physician, okay?¡±


    These words were followed by another kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s lips. Due to the vapor in the air, Ling Zhang¡¯s brows and the corners of his eyes were covered in moisture, the sight of which made Yuwen Tong feel as though a fire instantly rose up inside him. His hand which had been fondling the small of Ling Zhang¡¯s back started moving downwards and soon reached his perky, perfectly round keister¡­


    Ling Zhang raised his head and Yuwen Tong nibbled at his lips. Gradually, their breathing went heavy and uneven¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The warm bathwater in the pool tapped at their bodies repeatedly as the two of them made out. Teeth gritted, leaning against the wall of the pool, Ling Zhang uncontrollably let out one groan after another, which made Yuwen Tong¡¯s desire even more irrepressible.


    ¡­


    The thick vapor lingered in the room for quite a long time. Outside the building was the rain accompanied with snow, but inside it was sheer warmth.


    Ling Zhang had no idea for how long they were in the pool. He only knew that although Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t acted so ¡°fiercely¡± as to cause him to shout himself hoarse, he still felt as though his soul had shattered in the extreme pleasure. He had no recollection of when Yuwen Tong had cleaned him and scooped him out of the pool, or when he¡¯d been carried into the bedroom beside the side hall, or when he¡¯d been put beneath the warm quilt. When the quilt was pulled over him, he subconsciously burrowed down beneath it and curled up. And then, without even opening his eyes, he let out a groan and fumbled beside him with his hand. Though quite groggy, he was unable to sleep without Yuwen Tong by his side.


    Yuwen Tong hurried onto the bed and got beneath the quilt. As his hand touched Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang immediately burrowed himself into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace and soon drifted into a deep sleep, totally unaware of anything around him, starting to have a sweet dream.


    Yuwen Tong gingerly shifted his position. Holding Ling Zhang in his arms, he gently stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s hair, fingering it carefully. Feeling he had nothing more to ask for with his lover in his arms, he slowly fell asleep as well.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Yuwen Tong had already gone to preside over the court meeting when Ling Zhang woke up. Recalling he had to pay a visit to Yuwen You later, he got out of the heap of quilt, stretched, kneaded his waist and inwardly muttered a curse at Yuwen Tong who had made him exhausted once again the day before.


    When he had finished washing and dressing himself, Yao Yi came to see him. ¡°Your Highness, you should get something to eat. The court meeting will be over in two quarters and His Majesty will go from the consultation hall to the palace gates to meet you.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, had some snacks and then went out. He reached the palace gates just in time to see Yuwen Tong coming. And then the two of them left the palace together.


    This time around they left the palace overtly, and the imperial guard of honor led them all the way to the front gates of the Marquess Fuan. Yuwen You and all his family members came out to welcome the two of them.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong got out of the horse-drawn carriage hand in hand, raised Yuwen You to his feet and then led the group of people into the residence.

 Chapter 463 - A Change in the Air About Ling Zhang

    Ling Zhang walked into the abode of the Marquess Fuan shoulder to shoulder with Yuwen Tong and then casually glanced around.


    Yuwen Tong had offered to build Yuwen You a new residence, but Yuwen You had declined the offer, saying that he just wanted to expand this residence. He had purchased the adjoining mansion from a courtier, planning to incorporate it to this residence and revamp them next spring. Therefore, the residence looked the same as usual except for some new furnishings.


    The two of them, followed by Yuwen You and his family, entered the main living room and settled themselves in the high seats.


    After they sat down, Yuwen Tong gave the permission for Yuwen You¡¯s whole family to sat down and they all took seats on the right-hand side of the living room. Yuwen You¡¯s manner was deferential, and his family members were also quite discreet about their words. Yuwen Qian and his wife were sitting at the end of the front row, respectful expressions on their faces.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t intentionally look at Yuwen Qian or his wife. He¡¯d appeared calm since he¡¯d sat down, and he hadn¡¯t tried to strike up a conversation with any of the people present. The purpose of this visit of his was to make a gesture, so when he sensed the furtive appraising glance from Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife, he didn¡¯t look back at her.


    Though Ling Zhang seemed unperturbed, he was spontaneously emanating an air that deterred the others from trifling with him. Everybody present perceived the change of Ling Zhang. This kind of change seemed to be boring into them as Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were.


    His eyes were unemotional, but the others felt as if he were seeing right into their hearts.


    This kind of change struck Yuwen Qian and the others as quite astounding. After all, not long before, Ling Zhang had given them the impression that he was an affable person who always smiled genially, but now, Ling Zhang made them feel that¡­anybody could tell at a glance he was the empress.


    He was the empress of the Great Wen, a noble man not to be taken lightly.


    Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife withdrew her eyes after stealing a single glance at him, the curiosity in her eyes concealed, not daring look at Ling Zhang again, doing her best to keep her back straight.


    Yuwen Qian had also sensed his wife¡¯s fear, having quite mixed feelings about how much Ling Zhang had changed. A few days before he¡¯d been an amiable childe, but now he had developed a becoming air for an empress.


    No wonder his cousin liked Ling Zhang so much, had disowned his own uncle on account of Ling Zhang, treated Ling Zhang as an equal, and even planned to¡­


    As this thought crossed him mind, Yuwen Qian couldn¡¯t help but glance at his wife¡¯s abdomen and with that mixed feelings surged inside him again. Before this day, he¡¯d been reluctant, excited and had some ideas even he himself couldn¡¯t quite understand, but on this day, after meeting Ling Zhang, Yuwen Qian suddenly found that those ideas which even he himself couldn¡¯t explain had disappeared. It was not that he was intentionally subduing them but that he had perceived the existence of that gulf which he would never be able to bridge.


    By this moment, these thoughts had crossed Yuwen Qian¡¯s mind thrice, and the others had also thought about similar things several times. Although Ling Zhang had never cast any appraising glances at any of them and seemed to be listening carefully to the exchange of usual pleasantries between Yuwen Tong and Yuwen You, he actually could sense the subtle atmosphere in this living room acutely, and could distinctly perceive the smallest movement of people present and even the minor changes in their breathing.


    He was about to achieve a breakthrough and reach the third layer of his method of cultivating internal energy, and his Chi was getting increasingly powerful, his five senses growing sharper and sharper. Therefore, he could hear even the faintest sound in this living room. From the moment he¡¯d entered the abode of the Marquess Fuan, he had appeared calm and relaxed, but in fact he had mobilized all his internal energy, and the air about him had changed, which was why the others, when their eyes fell on him, felt he¡¯d changed noticeably, especially so when he looked back at them.


    This was because the method of cultivating internal energy from the Millennium Pavilion was very special. It was meant for descendants of the Ji family who possessed the Blood of the Phoenix Clan, and was tailor-made for that kind of constitution. As their proficiency in the cultivation method developed, their meridians were enhanced, their potential increased. Just like those foreseers living in that previous dynasty ¨C the more powerful their internal energy, the more otherworldly they¡¯d looked. Ji Yanlai was also a very good example.


    In other words, the cultivation method of internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion was meant for psychics. The further they went down that path, the more aristocratic and transcendent they would appear. The Blood of the Phoenix Clan in Ling Zhang was stronger than that of most descendants of the Ji family, so as his internal energy grew, more and more people would be deterred from looking him in the face.


    Although he hadn¡¯t reached the third layer yet, this kind of feeling he gave people was still very intense when he mobilized all his internal energy.


    This was the very change that Yuwen Qian and the others had perceived.


    Yuwen Tong sitting beside him had naturally sensed the change in the air about Ling Zhang as well. He inwardly praised his sweetheart for his smart move, a ghost of smile hidden in the depths of his eyes.


    He had merely given Ling Zhang a pointer, but the latter not only came to know what he should do, but also was doing it better than he¡¯d expected.


    Yuwen You, who seemed to be exchanging common courtesies with Yuwen Tong, was also a sly old fox. On the surface he didn¡¯t any achievements worth mentioning, but actually he was quite clever. Anybody could tell from his sons¡¯ and grandsons¡¯ good career prospects alone that he was by no means as¡­mediocre as he seemed.


    Naturally, he also noticed how much Ling Zhang had changed. Unlike any of the others living in this residence, he was acutely conscious of why Ling Zhang was now so different than the person he used to be. Of course, the judgement he made was based on Ling Zhang¡¯s identity. Therefore, though he ¡°knew the reason¡±, he was still shocked by Ling Zhang¡¯s current mien, because he hadn¡¯t bargained for such drastic change in Ling Zhang¡¯s temperament either. Even he didn¡¯t dare look at Ling Zhang for long.


    Yuwen You had long since come to known that once Yuwen Tong was enthroned, the relations between Yuwen Tong and his family would change radically, that though they were of the same blood, the monarch-subject part of their relations would be dominant.


    All his family must adapt to the change of their identity as soon as possible. Therefore, after Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement, he had severely cautioned all his family members that they must come to realize the changes their new identity had brought. When Yuwen Tong had disclosed to him his intention to adopt Yuwen Qian¡¯s child, what had worried Yuwen You the most was potential change in Yuwen Qian¡¯s attitude. As a result, he had specially admonished Yuwen Qian many times not to have any ideas he was not supposed to have. Earlier this day, before Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had come, he had warned Yuwen Qian in private once again, worrying that this grandson of his might not be able to figure out what was the right thing to do¡­


    However, now all his worries had dissolved. The air Ling Zhang was emanating deterred everybody. Though Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t made any particular remarks, he was positive that all his family members knew how they should conduct themselves.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had come here because: firstly, they did want everybody in this residence to know about the difference between their identities, and secondly, they were inclined to show care and concern for Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife. Her time was near, and her baby, be it a boy or a girl, would be a member of the imperial family. This was an agreement between Yuwen Tong and Yuwen You.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t stay in the living room for long, because Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife was in late pregnancy and would feel uncomfortable if she sat still for long. Neither Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Tong was inconsiderate, so after another few moments¡¯ small talk with Yuwen You, they rose to their feet and made an excuse, saying that they would like to go to the garden for a walk, that Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife and the others didn¡¯t have to accompany them. Next, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had a stroll in the garden in the company of Yuwen Qian, Yuwen You, Yuwen Si and Yuwen Han.


    ¡°In a couple of days I¡¯ll have Physician Mu of the Ling Mansion pay you a visit,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Yuwen You.


    Mr. Mu¡¯s name was now known to all members of the couple of most powerful families in the capital city. Yuwen You, who had heard about the matter of Yuwen Tong¡¯s being poisoned, was fully aware of how capable a physician Mr. Mu was. Certain that with Mr. Mu¡¯s help, Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife would safely be delivered of her baby, Yuwen You accepted the offer.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll make sure Physician Mu feels at home during his stay here,¡± said Yuwen You.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Great-uncle, you may have Physician Mu feel your pulse and assess your health after he comes here.¡±


    Yuwen You smiled, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yuwen You, who was robust, knew very well that he had no serious health problems. Though he was suffering from some ailments, they¡¯d been caused by his old age and were inevitable. Yuwen You was quite philosophical about them and was not depressed at all.


    Yuwen Tong had always found Yuwen You¡¯s broad-mindedness admirable. His broad-mindedness had also affected his descendants, all of whom, including Yuwen Jin who was uninterested in study, were moral and upright. There was not a single coward or wimp or evildoer in his Yuwen You¡¯s family.


    After walking in the garden for a while, Yuwen Tong, believing he¡¯d said all he needed to say to Yuwen You, stopped talking. Though he hadn¡¯t said anything to Yuwen Qian directly, he¡¯d made his point quite clear, so he didn¡¯t stay in this residence for long. Before lunchtime, he and Ling Zhang took their leave and set out to return to the palace.


    Before they left, Yuwen You asked Yuwen Tong about Yuwen Jin. The Shadow Battalion was a special department, and it was impossible for Yuwen Jin to send any messages back home from inside. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get in touch with his family unless he left that place.


    Yuwen You and his two sons were the only ones in the family who were aware of Yuwen Jin¡¯s journey to the Shadow Battalion. All the others believed that he¡¯d gone to the borderlands to toughen himself up. Yuwen You knew that the Shadow Battalion was a powerful force under Yuwen Tong¡¯s command. Now that Yuwen Jin had gone to the Shadow Battalion to receive special training, there was no way he could get out of that place without being put through hell. Out of his worries for his grandson, Yuwen You couldn¡¯t help but ask about it.


    Yuwen Tong, who had been receiving letters from the Shadow Battalion on a regular basis, was fully aware of how Yuwen Jin had been doing. He told Yuwen You that there was no need for him to worry about Yuwen Jin, that Yuwen Jin had gradually adapted himself to the special training in the Shadow Battalion already.


    Yuwen You let out a long sigh of relief at the reply.


    After leaving the abode of the Marquess Fuan, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang went into the imperial carriage and sat down side by side. Ling Zhang had barely talked during his stay in the residence. Basically, he¡¯d been affecting an air of dignity all the time. And because of the change in his aura, and the absence of Yuwen Jin who was the only one in the family that dared joke with him, all those people, naturally, had been deterred from being familiar with him.


    ¡°You did pretty well back there.¡± Yuwen Tong was generous with his compliment.


    Ling Zhang tossed him a glance. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. Did you not notice none of those who¡¯d cast appraising looks at you in the beginning did that again afterward?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Of course Ling Zhang was conscious of that, but after Yuwen Tong confirmed it, he naturally was more convinced that he¡¯d done the right thing.


    ¡°This special function of your cultivation method is so convenient. I think I may well be the only one having the guts to look you in the eye in the future. Um¡­the prospect of that gladdens my heart,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 464 - A Banquet & The Upcoming New Years Eve

    Though Yuwen Tong had put it this way, actually the air emanated by Ling Zhang merely served to put people around him under stress, and it barely had any influence on anybody with a strong will or powerful internal energy.


    After the two of them returned to the palace, a large batch of valuables meant as reward were delivered to the abode of the Marquess Fuan. Many people were baffled as to why Yuwen You had first received a visit from the imperial couple and then such a handsome reward. Though some of them had some speculations, none of them connected it with adoption, because that possibility was unbelievable.


    The problem was the abode of the Marquess Fuan had been quiet ever since, and there hadn¡¯t been any particular activities in there, which further bewildered many people.


    A few days later, Ling Zhang declared he was going to hold a banquet. In the invitations he sent, he made it clear that those invited were supposed to bring their kids to attend the banquet.


    They were supposed to bring their kids to attend the banquet? Those who¡¯d been bemused soon came to understand.


    The day before the banquet, Ling Maomao, the Second Young Master of the Ling family, was brought into the imperial palace.


    On hearing the news, everybody caught on to what it was about. The consort wanted to find his cousin some playmates.


    These officials of the capital city, who were far more worldly-wise than common people, after guessing that Ling Zhang intended to find his cousin some playmates, all started to contemplate. Ling Zhang was now the empress, and the emperor cared about him very much. Given that the first thing the emperor had done after his enthronement was to make Ling Zhang his consort, it was obvious that the relationship between the two of them was uncommonly strong. Unless some serious problem came up between the two, Ling Zhang¡¯s position as empress would always be solid, and so would the status of the Ling family. However, Ling Zhang was a man after all, and there was no doubt the emperor would take concubines and have them bear him sons so that he could pick one of them to be his heir. When that happened, Ling Zhang and the Ling family would be in an awkward position, but that was not really a foregone conclusion, because although Ling Zhang was a man, he could adopt a concubine¡¯s son. In that case, Ling Zhang¡¯s and the Ling family¡¯s status would still be unsurpassable.


    Within merely half a day, every one of these officials made a lot of assumptions, each more opinionated than the last. Meanwhile, Old Master Ji the Left Prime Minister, Zhao Zheng the Minister of War, and even Chu Liangyan the Right Prime Minister had made up their minds to bring their most valued teenage family members to the banquet the next day.


    It was premature to talk about the succession to the throne. Even if the emperor had plans to take concubines, which he didn¡¯t, it would be some time before the birth of his first child, and an even longer period before the princes reached adulthood. The future was full of uncertainties in this regard, which made it more advisable to please Ling Zhang first than it was to dwell on the possible development of this issue. Ling Zhang was now the empress, and was very much in favor with the emperor. Whoever dared to take the banquet lightly the next day would be offending not only Ling Zhang but also the emperor. Anybody, so long as they were not stupid, knew what they ought to do the next day.


    After Ling Zhang gave the instruction, numerous people in the capital city were thrilled, a lot of whom hastened to consult with each other in private.


    Their acts, which they themselves believed nobody would be able to find out, didn¡¯t escape Yuwen Tong¡¯s men¡¯s notice.


    Ling Zhang, though having guessed this, turned a blind eye to it. He didn¡¯t care about the process. What he cared about was the outcome of the next day¡¯s banquet. He wanted to find Ling Maomao some playmates, but these people were so bold as to judge the Ling family first when the Ling family hadn¡¯t judged any of them. They would have to face his anger and the consequences of their actions.


    Fortunately, only a limited few were foolish. The next day, most invited guests dressed up and brought their own children or their blood relations¡¯ children to the palace to attend the banquet, and most of the children were around Ling Maomao¡¯s age. Those who didn¡¯t have any family members of similar age brought the most favored ones of the younger generations of their families.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were both very pleased to see that these people were pretty sensible. As regards the small number of insensible ones¡­


    They were scared out of their wits when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t even said anything yet. Nobody knew what these people were thinking ¨C maybe because they were ill-informed or had been tricked by others, they actually had merely brought some of the average ones of their teenage family members. When they noticed that the others had brought sons born of their legal wives or grandsons born of their sons¡¯ legal wives, they almost blacked out, coming to know that they¡¯d made the wrong decisions. Unfortunately for them, it was too late to change their minds. They had no choice but to steel themselves and take their seats, praying Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes wouldn¡¯t alight on them.


    ¡°They¡¯re so stupid. His Majesty has taken a clear-cut stand in his handling of the matter of His Highness¡¯ advisers, but these people still couldn¡¯t see sense, or maybe they¡¯re just wildly self-important. They seriously believe His Highness and the Ling family would see them differently just because they brought their sons and grandsons born of legal wives? What a bunch of incurable idiots.¡±


    ¡°The matter of advisers concerned His Highness, and this matter concerns the Second Young Master of the Ling family. These people probably see themselves as above the Ling family.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous. Who are they to give the Ling family the cold shoulder?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re oafs. What other explanation is there? You¡¯ll see ¨C considering how insensible they are, they¡¯d never go any further in their careers. It would take nothing short of a miracle for any of them to get a promotion.¡±


    A lot of guests were whispering in sarcastic tones or discussing something in private. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, though sitting in the high seats, could hear them distinctly, but neither of them showed any sign of their true feelings on their faces, so naturally the guests sitting down there were unable to tell what either of them was thinking.


    In addition, on this day, Ling Zhang mobilized his internal energy to change the air about him once again. After that visit to Yuwen You, he had developed a real flair for this. Many of those high-ranking courtiers, who were shrewd and crafty, were secretly startled as their eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s, and none of them dared to look at Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes again.


    The location for this banquet was the imperial garden. It was just a common palace banquet, the purpose of which was to create opportunities for children to get to know each other, so overall, the atmosphere was fairly relaxed.


    ¡°Maomao, why don¡¯t you go and show these childes around the garden?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Ling Maomao with encouraging eyes, suggesting he show these young childes around the imperial garden. Ling Maomao inclined his head. Slightly poker-faced, he rose to his feet and made towards the group of childes. He appeared somewhat nervous, but his bearing was unhesitating.


    Ling Zhang felt relieved for Ling Maomao, watching as the boy walked towards those childes, who were either his age, or slightly older than him, or slightly younger than him. Soon the boy led the group of peers towards the depths of the garden. Ling Zhang arranged for Wang Dashan and some others to follow the group of teenagers to protect them in case any accidents happened.


    Ling Maomao slightly twisted his head aside to look at Ling Zhang, who nodded at him, and after that Ling Maomao progressed without another backward glance. Many of these childes looked familiar to Ling Maomao, because they had met once and talked with each other at the banquet on the night of Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s wedding day. All of them sensibly took the initiative in striking up conversations with Ling Maomao. With some of them speaking, the atmosphere naturally wouldn¡¯t be chilly. Ling Maomao knew that they were in the imperial palace, and there were men all around who¡¯d been sent here to protect them by his cousin, and there was no need for him to worry about any accidents, so his face slowly relaxed, and gradually things began to go well between him and the other teenagers.


    After the children left, the officials naturally wouldn¡¯t let the imperial couple feel bored. Some of them brought up politics, and some others had prepared other topics. There were always subjects they could discuss.


    This palace banquet lasted quite a long time and didn¡¯t end until dusk.


    Ling Maomao hit it off with a couple of peers. Ling Zhang had observed them and come to know which families they were from, but he had no intention to interfere, because firstly, Ling Maomao had just met them, and although how people felt about each other on first acquaintance mattered when it came to making friends, getting to know each other better was also necessary; those teenagers¡¯ elders, as long as they were not fools, would definitely require them to socialize more with Ling Maomao and see if they could become close friends with him; secondly, Ling Zhang was not inclined to meddle in Ling Maomao¡¯s choice of friends. He preferred to let the kids figure it out on their own, so long as none of those people was up to anything underhand.


    There were two fairly important matters to be dealt with after the banquet. The first one was to establish an imperial elementary school. This was a matter of great urgency. Although Yuwen Tong had no children for the time being, Yuwen You¡¯s great grandchildren, Ling Maomao, the two prime ministers¡¯ grandchildren and the six ministers¡¯ grandchildren all needed a place where they could receive education and socialize with their peers. As a result, after Yuwen Tong brought up this matter at the banquet, officials in the imperial court had started discussing it. Barring accidents, a decision would be made in a day or two, and then the selection of teachers would begin. The second one was to make preparations for the Spring Festival which was very close. Even the plan to establish an imperial elementary school wouldn¡¯t be carried out immediately after a decision was made, because the preparatory work for the Spring Festival would be given priority. This would be the first Spring Festival since Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement, so everybody in the imperial court set great store by it, especially staff members of the Ministry of Rites, who found themselves up to their eyebrows in work once again. In the past couple of days, dark circles had reappeared under Yuwen Feng¡¯s eyes, and he always had a sulky face when speaking in court meetings. Whenever anybody disagreed with him, he contradicted them hotly. What with this, the mood of court meetings had become considerably more tense in the past few days.


    Yuwen Tong sitting on the throne, however, appeared quite unperturbed. The New Year celebration must be taken seriously, but it shouldn¡¯t be an excuse for extravagance, because currently they still had to be sparing with money so that people who were struggling to restore their lives could get more help. However, it shouldn¡¯t be modest either. All the necessary ceremonies should be held with due pomp. Ceremonies meant a lot to the imperial household, and they meant even more to the people. Everybody would be watching when the emperor paid tribute to the gods at a ceremony during the Spring Festival. It would be some kind of comfort to them and thus should on no account be trifled with.


    This made things pretty difficult for Yuwen Feng. He had to make the celebration both economical and impressive. Were the emperor not Yuwen Tong, he would have shouted stinging rebuke at the emperor. Since reprimanding the emperor was not an option, he had no choice but to take it out on those who were insensible enough to cross him.


    Ling Zhang felt quite sympathetic towards Yuwen Feng after coming to know about it. The very sight of the dark circles under Yuwen Feng¡¯s eyes gave him a twinge of guilt. Still, though feeling sorry for him, this was Yuwen Feng¡¯s job and he was supposed to get it done.


    ¡°He is the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation) and the Minister of Rites, and it¡¯s a natural thing his title and post come with a lot of duties. If he fails to handle this matter properly, he¡¯d have a hard time showing his face in court meetings next year. Though he¡¯s been snapping at a lot of people in recent court meetings, he¡¯s been doing his job pretty well,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong would pretend not to hear any of the harsh words Yuwen Feng said to the others, so long as Yuwen Feng performed his duties with distinction. He¡¯d started out as a military officer, not a civil official. In the army, officers banged on tables and swore at every meeting, because they¡¯d have difficulty making themselves understood if they spoke in a gentle manner. As a result, he didn¡¯t care how heated the argument between his men was. As long as they could get the job done, he would turn a blind eye to all the bloodletting.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s attitude towards it was very clear. Having served him for quite some time, almost all the courtiers knew what he was like in this regard, and were aware that they must get their job done with flying colors, that the emperor wouldn¡¯t mind if they argued with each other from time to time, but if they argued all the time and didn¡¯t do their job, they might have to face consequences including, but not limited to losing their positions.

 Chapter 465 - A Visit to the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen

    Translator: DragonRider


    As the end of the year neared, staff members of the Ministry of Rites were getting increasingly occupied with work. Ling Zhang, as the empress, also had a lot of matters to attend to, every one of which was tedious but had to be handled. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, there were a succession of sacrificial ceremonies. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were on the move for a whole day. When they finally returned to the imperial bedchamber after getting everything dealt with, Ling Zhang slumped down in a chair and didn¡¯t utter a word for quite a while.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him apprehensively.


    ¡°Even sitting with you in the consultation hall for a whole day couldn¡¯t have been more tiring than this.¡± Ling Zhang finally made a remark, putting his hands on his shoulders to massage them. He was wearing particularly thick clothes which had many layers. It had been such a hectic day that Ling Zhang was having trouble putting his hands and feet in comfortable positions.


    Yuwen Tong walked up to him, helped him take off his overgarment and then reached out his hands to knead Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders. ¡°All this is over now. What we need to do next is wait for the Spring Festival to come.¡±


    His shoulders heaving as Yuwen Tong massaged them, Ling Zhang¡¯s face slowly relaxed. ¡°It never occurred to me an empress had to deal with so many chores.¡±


    He was a man, which spared him from a lot of chores, but even so, he still had tons of trivial matters to attend to. He couldn¡¯t imagine how busy he would be were he a woman. Managing the imperial seraglio alone might well tire him out. And, fortunately for him, Yuwen Tong only had eyes for him and had no intention to take concubines. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear managing a large seraglio full of troublesome issues, even if he could stand Yuwen Tong taking concubines. At the thought of this, Ling Zhang felt a cold shiver run through him.


    He looked up at Yuwen Tong, his mild eyes full of affection. ¡°You¡¯re so sweet.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was surprised. ¡°Um?¡±


    ¡°Am I doing it correctly?¡±


    Mistakenly believing that Ling Zhang said so because he was doing a good job in massaging him, Yuwen Tong continued.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ling Zhang, but that was not what he meant. ¡°If you could always¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him, confused as to why he left his sentence hanging.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Nothing. Stop massaging me and sit down. I¡¯ll give you a massage in return.¡±


    Yuwen Tong slightly paused. This guy seemed to have something to say. What was on the tip of his tongue a moment before?


    Without the slightest change of his countenance, he stopped and sat down. When Ling Zhang walked behind him to knead his shoulders, he inquired in a seemingly casual tone, ¡°There are indeed too many trivial matters in the palace. If it really bothers you, I¡¯ll have the Ministry of Rites simplify the celebration and cancel those optional parts.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± demurred Ling Zhang immediately. ¡°We only have one or two days as hectic as this one in a year. All the officials and residents will be watching. If we give them a simplified version of the celebration, there will definitely be discontent. Besides, in order to save money, the Ministry of Rites have canceled some unnecessary parts already.¡±


    Owing to this matter, Yuwen Feng had visited Yuwen Tong privately and complained to him about the inadequate budget several times, and eventually managed to get an extra sum from the Ministry of Revenue.


    ¡°All right. Then let¡¯s stick to the plan,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°What was it you wanted to say just now? Are you worried about something else?¡±


    Ling Zhang subconsciously shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re like this. You make my life so much easier.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re happy I¡¯m like this?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind raced. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Some thoughts crossed Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind as he recalled that Ling Zhang had been busy all day and was somewhat resigned to the red tape in the palace, but he still wanted to confirm them.


    ¡°We¡¯re the only ones living this place, so there are not many knotty issues. Otherwise I might well end up working myself to death as the empress,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong had the twinkle of a smile in his eyes when listening to the first half of Ling Zhang¡¯s words, but as he heard the latter half, his eyebrows contracted. ¡°What are you talking about? This is a festive day. Don¡¯t say any inauspicious words.¡±


    Yuwen Tong went fretful at the word ¡°death¡±. Heedless of the fact that Ling Zhang was massaging his shoulders, he turned around and spanked Ling Zhang. ¡°Don¡¯t you say anything like that again.¡±


    Ling Zhang clapped his hands to his butt. ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t! You don¡¯t have to spank me! I was just saying! Why are you making such a big deal out of it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong snorted, ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m making a big deal out of it? This is a festival. You¡¯re not supposed to anything like that. The only reason why I¡¯m letting you get off with a mere spank is because I¡¯m soft-hearted.¡±


    Knowing that he indeed should have been more careful with his choice of words, Ling Zhang gave a little cough and said, ¡°All right, I get it. Stop being mad. I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Then why are you still keeping distance from me? Come over here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Zhang stepped closer and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overreact. I didn¡¯t mean any of those words. Besides, it¡¯s not like I made a prophecy or some¨C¡±


    ¡°Um?¡± Yuwen Tong knitted his brows, staring at Ling Zhang piercingly.


    Ling Zhang immediately shut up, appearing quite docile.


    Yuwen Tong gave another snort. ¡°Today is a festive day, so I¡¯ll let you off the hook. If I hear you say anything like that again, you¡¯ll have to take consequences far more serious than spanking.¡±


    Ling Zhang inwardly rolled his eyes upwards, thinking that he was not a kid any more.


    ¡°It was your first time dealing with this kind of rigmarole, which was why you were a little flustered. With the experience you gained today, you¡¯ll find yourself able to deal with this kind of matters with great facility the next time you¡¯re in a similar situation. After you get more helpers and finish grooming some of them as your henchmen whom you click with, you may have them share your burden. Your position as the empress is supposed to serve as a platform for you to realize your aspirations. I could never bring myself to see you shackled to this kind of chores.¡±


    After lecturing Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong made some serious remarks.


    The faintly rebellious idea in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind disappeared at these words. In an earnest tone of voice, he said, ¡°I see.¡±


    Presently, Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi were the only ones he had at his service apart from Wang Dashan and the other twenty-three. Both of them were talented. After he knocked them into shape, he would recruit another couple of capable advisers, and then there would be no problem. After all, he would have much work to do in the palace in only the next few years. After everything was back on track, he would focus on the business network his father was trying to build, and use it as a foundation to do what he wanted to do.


    He wouldn¡¯t interfere with any state affairs. He could tell that the courtiers had mixed feelings about him and were also somewhat wary of them. It was unnecessary for him to make any of them become more defensive with him. Besides, he didn¡¯t have any political aspirations. Yuwen Tong was more than enough to keep things under control in the imperial court, and a second ruler was needless, for it would severely undermine the stability of the political situation. Even if he and Yuwen Tong were totally okay with it, their subordinates would sooner or later come into conflict with each other because of partisan wrangle, which would do the people no good whatsoever.


    As a result, ever since he¡¯d married Yuwen Tong, he¡¯d been visiting the consultation hall considerably less often, and after the Spring Festival, he wouldn¡¯t go to any court meetings with Yuwen Tong or show up in the consultation hall once again unless he had to.


    In his sight, the best-case scenario would be for Yuwen Tong to rule the country as the emperor while he covertly offered Yuwen Tong assistance. Yuwen Tong would be dealing with all the important state affairs in the imperial court, and he would travel to different areas of the Great Wen and utilize the intelligence network his father built for him to secretly collect information about conditions of the people, so that Yuwen Tong would be able to keep abreast of the overall domestic situation without having to go out of the capital city. In addition, before that, they¡¯d still be faced with the greatest problem ¨C to unify the three countries.


    Ling Zhang had given it some thought. In two or three years, after everything was back on track, he would gradually cut back on his public appearances, keep a low profile, and then visit the three countries. Of course, he was just planning it and hadn¡¯t mentioned it to Yuwen Tong. They still needed to settle the matter of the south-west, so he prepared to wait until the situation there stabilized to talk with Yuwen Tong about it.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? You seem to be lost in thought,¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly said, gazing fixedly at Ling Zhang, as if he were reading Ling Zhang¡¯s mind.


    Ling Zhang instantly withdrew his eyes. ¡°Well, just now you said something about realizing my aspirations. That¡¯s what I was thinking about.¡±


    A slightly skeptical look appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes as he saw Ling Zhang look away. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in no hurry. I know what our first priority will be in the next few years,¡± Ling Zhang hastened to reply.


    Holding Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, Yuwen Tong kept silent, pondering over something. Ling Zhang became faintly nervous. A moment before he¡¯d merely been thinking about that matter, and he hadn¡¯t said anything about i. Surely Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t divined what he¡¯d thought about just by looking at him? But even if Yuwen Tong had, he would still set out to do what he¡¯d made up his mind to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. They¡¯ve established a plan to build a school. It¡¯ll be carried out next spring. How about you deal with this matter?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Me? Uh¡­Are you sure it¡¯s proper for me to do that?¡± Ling Zhang hesitated.


    He hadn¡¯t participated in any of the discussions in court meetings, so he worried that some of the courtiers might not be happy about him taking it over.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing improper about it. The establishment of an imperial school also concerns Maomao, which means you have a reason to be in charge of it. I¡¯ll get you some help. Besides, there will be piles of state affairs to be dealt with next spring, which will obscure the significance of the matter of establishing a school. You may take it as an opportunity to improve yourself,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    As Yuwen Tong had put it so explicitly, Ling Zhang naturally agreed briskly. If truth be told, the idea of taking over this matter struck him as quite appealing. Just like Yuwen Tong had said, he could improve himself during the process. The matter of establishing a school was somewhat different from those important state affairs which would come onto the agenda next spring, and it wouldn¡¯t alert any of the courtiers. It was perfect to practice on.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll handle it,¡± agreed Ling Zhang.


    Now that he¡¯d undertaken to handle it, he must finish the job with flying colors.


    ¡­


    The day after the Laba Festival (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month), people in the capital city started bustling around making preparations for the Spring Festival. There were a lot of stipulations concerning this festival in the imperial palace, so there were naturally a lot of work to do. Ling Zhang began to juggle the festival preparations and preparatory work for the establishment of the school which was scheduled for next spring.


    Days went by one after another. During the process, Ling Zhang, as the empress, had paid a visit to Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence. Most people were confused as to why Ling Zhang went to the abode of the Marquess Huaiwen. Only a limited few who knew some inside information were aware that Ling Zhang had brought a court physician with him to show care and concern for Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife. Her expected date of childbirth was later than that of Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife, but her belly was also quite big. A few days before, she¡¯d accidentally tripped and suffered from bellyache. Ling Zhang, after conferring with Yuwen Tong, decided to pay her a visit, bringing a court physician with him. Given that the two of them had paid a visit to the abode of the Marquess Fuan, they should visit the abode of the Marquess Huaiwen as well, because after all, this baby of Yuwen Feng¡¯s was to be fostered with Yuwen Tong as well.


    Yuwen Feng had got two sons and a daughter already, all of whom were born of his legal wife. The three children were of similar ages. The eldest one of them was five. A few days before, when Ling Zhang had held a banquet in the imperial garden, Yuwen Feng had brought his firstborn son to attend it. Unlike Yuwen Feng who was poised, his firstborn son was blunt and bluff, more like Yuwen Jin.

 Chapter 466 - The Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen

    The name of Yuwen Feng¡¯s firstborn son was Yuwen Yi. He was a quite bluff boy with a resonant voice, which made him more like a descendant of a general than his father was. Though only five years old, he was the tallest of all children his age. Ling Zhang had seldom seen him. The first time that Ling Zhang had carefully observed this boy to assess his personality was when Yuwen Feng brought him to the banquet that day, and he¡¯d discovered that the boy liked Ling Maomao pretty much. At that time, the boy had also had a group of peers clustering around him, for he was the Marquess Huaiwen¡¯s legal wife¡¯s firstborn son, which was a noble identity.


    On this day, when Ling Zhang arrived at Yuwen Feng¡¯s residence, it was this boy that Yuwen Feng brought with him to the front gates to welcome Ling Zhang. Yuwen Yi was sturdy, almost as strong as a calf.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s firstborn son was bluff and stocky, but his second son was much thinner. Also, his second son was very quiet ¨C the complete opposite of his big brother. As regards Yuwen Feng¡¯s two-year-old daughter, Ling Zhang had never seen her. He¡¯d only heard that her mother had been raising her, that she was very like her mother in terms of both looks and personality.


    Although Ling Zhang was here to call on Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife, he was a man after all, so after arriving at the abode of the Marquess Huaiwen, he went to see Yuwen Feng after instructing the court physician to feel Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°Thank you for being so kind as to come here to call on my wife, Your Highness. Her condition is much more stable now,¡± said Yuwen Feng. What with the hectic days he¡¯d been having recently, his face, which had become full after a long rest cure, was now sunken again. Apart from the piles of preparatory work for the Spring Festival, the severe understaffing of the Ministry of Rites had also been a contributing factor.


    When the Zhou family, the former imperial household, had been brought down, too many officials of the capital city had been incriminated, including a lot of staff members of the Ministry of Rites. To make things worse, the former Minister of Rites had insensibly resigned from office and returned to his hometown. Currently, Yuwen Feng was the only decision-maker in the Ministry of Rites and had to deal with all kinds of matters, which was why he¡¯d been working flat out. Owing to Ling Zhang¡¯s visit, he had to take half a day off and stay at home to entertain Ling Zhang. The very thought of the tons of matters in the Ministry of Rites he had to attend to later gave him headaches.


    Ling Zhang was aware that Yuwen Feng was a busy man, so he had no intention to linger for long. In fact, he didn¡¯t have much in common to talk about with Yuwen Feng, for he didn¡¯t know much about Yuwen Feng, and what with the history between them, there were many things that he felt it inappropriate to have an in-depth talk with Yuwen Feng about. After the court physician felt Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife¡¯s pulse and prescribed her some anti-abortifacient medicine, Ling Zhang offered her some words of comfort and reminded her to take care and then rose to his feet, preparing to take his leave.


    Yuwen Yi had been standing beside his father all along. Bluff as he was, he had a sense of propriety and had been quiet all this time. At this moment, seeing Ling Zhang was about to leave, he tentatively looked at Ling Zhang, as though having something to say.


    Ling Zhang, who noticed, specially asked him, ¡°Is there something you want to say to me?¡±


    Yuwen Feng, with a whiff of admonition in his eyes, looked at his firstborn son and cautioned him to be on his best behavior, but Yuwen Yi, eyes on Ling Zhang, heedless of his father¡¯s warning, asked, ¡°Do you think maybe I could see Maomao, Your Highness?¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t like it when people referred to him as ¡®the empress¡¯. All those officials of the capital city who were worldly-wise had drummed it into their family that they were to address Ling Zhang as ¡®Your Highness¡¯ when they met him, that in no circumstances were they to address him as ¡®Niangniang¡¯ (a form of address people use to address an empress or an imperial concubine in feudal China). Yuwen Yi looked up at Ling Zhang, an expectant expression in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. Judging from the heartfelt anticipation in Yuwen Yi¡¯s eyes, he believed that the boy did want to see Ling Maomao.


    But, ¡®Maomao¡¯? This kid was clearly younger than Maomao, but he was actually referring to Ling Maomao by his given name.


    Ling Zhang inwardly lifted his eyebrows, but he wouldn¡¯t in the presence of Yuwen Feng specially ask about it or remind the boy that it was inappropriate for him to address Ling Maomao as such, lest Yuwen Feng get the impression that he deemed the Ling family superior to everybody in this residence.


    ¡°By all means. Maomao lives in the Ling Mansion. You may go there to visit him whenever you have the time.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Yi smiled a happy smile and bowed with hands folded in front. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    It struck Ling Zhang that this boy was pretty interesting, that he was more like a child from a family of military officers than a child of Yuwen Feng, the Minister of Rites.


    ¡°This brat is fond of play. Please forgive him, Your Highness,¡± said Yuwen Feng, glancing at his delighted firstborn son.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Marquess Huaiwen. Kids should have the privilege of socializing without consideration of formality.¡±


    Yuwen Yi liked Ling Maomao, but there was no telling whether or not the two of them would become friends. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing if they made friends with each other. Apart from everything else, Yuwen Feng¡¯s unborn baby was to be adopted by Yuwen Tong, which meant it would be his baby as well¡­


    Yuwen Feng gave a smile and then walked Ling Zhang out with Yuwen Yi.


    After Ling Zhang¡¯s carriage went far away, Yuwen Feng took Yuwen Yi back inside and asked him, ¡°You like Ling Maomao?¡±


    Yuwen Yi happily inclined his head. ¡°He strikes me as a better playmate than the others. Can I go to the Ling Mansion today, Father?¡±


    Looking at his firstborn son, Yuwen Feng pondered for a moment and then replied, ¡°We need to send a message there first before you visit them. I¡¯ll have someone do that for you in a few moments. You may go after we receive a reply from the Ling Mansion. If¡­you two hit it off, you may hang out with him more.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± Yuwen Yi said cheerfully and then went to make preparations, scampering all the way.


    Yuwen Feng summoned a servant and instructed him to send a message to the Ling Mansion.


    And then he went to check on his wife and asked her, ¡°What did the court physician say?¡±


    The marchioness was well-featured and ample-figured. When she¡¯d married Yuwen Feng, the latter had merely been known as Yuwen Zhi¡¯s firstborn son. The Yuwen family was quite prestigious, so Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife, naturally, was not from some obscure family, but she was not a native of the capital city. The first reason was that the former emperor, though heavily relying on Yuwen Tong to defend the borders, had at the same time had to prevent the Yuwen family from growing too powerful for him to keep under control, so it¡¯d been next to impossible for him to allow Yuwen Feng to marry a daughter of a high-ranking courtier. To avert suspicion, Yuwen Feng, discontented as he¡¯d been, had had no choice but to compromise. The second reason was Yuwen Feng¡¯s mother¡¯s selfishness. She¡¯d believed that if her son married someone from an aristocratic family in the capital city, she would have difficulty having her daughter-in-law who had powerful elders at her back toe the line. In order to make sure she would always be at the top of the pecking order in the house, and to get herself a submissive daughter-in-law, she had convinced Yuwen Zhi to have Yuwen Feng marry a daughter of an official of a provincial city.


    As a result, the marchioness¡¯ father was an official of Taizhou, a prefectural Tongpan (an official under assistant governor), to be specific. She was a gentle woman, but her gentleness was different from that of Fu Caiwei. Fu Caiwei was amiable, but at the same time there was some simplicity in her temperament, and she also had a bluff side, while the gentleness of Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife was typical of ladies from big, respectable families. However, she also had something in common with Fu Caiwei, which was that she was similarly open-minded and easy to get along with.


    On seeing Yuwen Feng walk inside, she rose to her feet with the help of a handmaid, made towards her husband and responded, ¡°The court physician just gave me some notes of caution about how to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for the baby. The medicine he prescribed me are all mild anti-abortifacient medicine.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything else?¡± inquired Yuwen Feng.


    The marchioness smiled, ¡°No. It would seem he could tell that my pregnancy is not compromised.¡±


    Yuwen Feng gave a nod. By saying that her wife had compromised her pregnancy, he¡¯d actually been making an excuse. A few days before Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had paid a visit to Yuwen You. In order to keep the balance, they would have to pay a visit to him as well, so he¡¯d send word that her wife had accidentally compromised her pregnancy, in an effort to give the two of them a reason to visit him. Unsurprisingly, Ling Zhang had caught on to it and conveniently come to call on him.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s a boy,¡± said Yuwen Feng.


    His wife¡¯s face slightly changed and with that she told the handmaids to leave. Then she asked Yuwen Feng, ¡°What do you mean by this, my darling? Are you¡­¡±


    Yuwen Feng glanced at her and slightly shook his head. ¡°You misunderstood, my dear.¡±


    The marchioness was gentle, thoughtful and also broad-minded. Yuwen Feng had always been very pleased with his wife. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have got her pregnant again after having her bear him two sons and a daughter in succession when none of his concubines had ever been pregnant.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a boy, we¡¯d both be able to relax, and His Majesty would feel relieved as well. If both yours and Yuwen Qian¡¯s wife¡¯s baby are girls, you two may have to¡­¡±


    Coming to understand what he meant, his wife stroked her belly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it if it¡¯s a girl. I think His Majesty and His Highness would agree if you talk to them, given how kind they are.¡±


    Yuwen Feng looked at her. ¡°But in the future we¡¯ll still have to¨C¡±


    ¡°Darling,¡± his wife interrupted him, ¡°I know what you mean. Actually I don¡¯t have the heart to have our baby adopted, be it a boy or a girl. Still, although I¡¯m ill-educated and haven¡¯t seen much of the world, I know that currently the political situation is not very stable, that His Majesty is unwilling to take concubines. For the sake of the Great Wen, and to¡­to ensure the security of the Yuwen family, the glory of this house and the future of our sons, we must help His Majesty and His Highness get a couple of sons. Only by making sure their positions are secure would we be able to guarantee a prosperous future for our family and the Yuwen family.¡±


    Astonished, Yuwen Feng gazed fixedly at his wife. Ever since he¡¯d made the decision to foster his unborn baby with Yuwen Tong, he¡¯d been feeling guilty about being so cruel to his wife, and he¡¯d been trying to console her and had never talked about any of these things in detail. It had never crossed his mind that¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be surprised, darling,¡± said the marchioness, slowly sitting down. Gently stroking her belly, she continued, ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to protect me, which is why you treat the other women in this house as though¡­as though they weren¡¯t there. How could I not know your feelings for me? For your sake, and to ensure a peaceful and smooth life for our children, I¡¯m willing to bear a child for His Majesty and His Highness.¡±


    Yuwen Feng took in a large gulp of air and looked at his wife earnestly. ¡°Thank you, darling. I was being narrow-minded. During our so many years¡¯ marriage, I¡¯ve always been making assumptions about your thoughts with my own ideas. I should¡¯ve known better.¡±


    He¡¯d underestimated his wife. Still, what his wife had said just now had also enlightened him.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that, darling. Whatever I do, I do it out of my selfish motive. It¡¯s not this unborn baby but you and the other three children of ours who mean the world to me. I would do anything for you. Besides, His Majesty and His Highness are both fairly kind. Otherwise we would¡¯ve been incriminated by the deeds of my parents-in-law and brother-in-law alone.¡±


    She didn¡¯t put it explicitly, but both she and Yuwen Feng were aware that were Yuwen Tong an emperor with a suspicious mind, on no account would either of them have still been alive, and nor would Yuwen Feng have been promoted to a position of responsibility, and nor would Yuwen Tong have decided to adopt their child.


    Yuwen Feng¡¯s consciousness of these facts was the very reason why he knew how laudable it was for his wife to have come to understand these things, and how precious her love for this family was.

 Chapter 467 - Humph, Youll Have to Kiss Your Dignity Goodbye

    After leaving the abode of the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation), Ling Zhang sitting in his carriage flicked a backward glance at the residence. He hadn¡¯t seen Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife during the visit. The marchioness had always dwelt in deep seclusion and rarely come out. Ling Zhang had merely glimpsed her a couple of times at palace banquets, and his only memory about her was her smile befitting her status at palace banquets.


    A few moments before, when he¡¯d been leaving, the court physician had given him a significant look, which had confirmed his suspicion that there was nothing wrong with the marchioness¡¯ pregnancy.


    The so-called ¡°compromised her pregnancy¡± had indeed been a story Yuwen Feng and his wife had made up, one meant to be a reason for him to pay them a visit.


    Recalling the process of his visit in the abode of the Marquess Huaiwen, Ling Zhang had some speculations about what Yuwen Feng might be thinking.


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang returned to the palace, Yuwen Tong was still in the consultation hall, so he made arrangements for some matters to be dealt with.


    At noon, Yuwen Tong returned from the consultation hall, and Ling Zhang told him about his visit to Yuwen Feng.


    ¡°His wife¡¯s father is the Taizhou Tongpan (an official under assistant governor). I don¡¯t know much about her, but I do know a thing or two about her father. He¡¯s been in that position for several years. According to related regulations, he should¡¯ve long since been transferred back to this city. However, for some unknown reason, two transfer orders issued by the imperial court eventually ended up being ignored. I did some digging and I have a sneaking suspicion that he secretly did something which made the former emperor change his mind and let him continue to stay in Taizhou.¡±


    After hearing Ling Zhang mention Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife, Yuwen Tong brought up something about her father.


    ¡°He made the former emperor change his mind twice?¡± Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. The marchioness¡¯ father was merely a Prefectural Tongpan and didn¡¯t wield as much power as a high-ranking official of the capital city did, but he actually had influential contacts in the capital city and had made the emperor change his mind twice? ¡°Does he have some force at his back that is unknown to us, by any chance? Is he¡­dangerous?¡±


    On top of that, why had he refused to be transferred to the capital city? All Tongpan were officials of the capital city sent to provincial areas, and they were supposed to return to the capital city when their terms ended. If they made achievements during their terms, they without exception would be promoted. Why had he thrown such good opportunities away instead of seizing them?


    Ling Zhang, before marrying Yuwen Tong, had done his best to acquaint himself with the background of the officials of every description in this country. The Taizhou Tongpan was a fairly high position, so he still had some recollections of this official, but he didn¡¯t remember reading anything about this person having any particular force at his back.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He¡¯s not really dangerous, but he¡¯s pretty visionary and smart. He had the former emperor change his mind by taking advantage of the power struggles between the couple of princes of the Zhou family. His position is neither high nor low, because to the north of Taizhou was Jingzhou. It¡¯s a coastal prefecture, but what with its geographical location, the maritime trade industry there is not as thriving as that of Haizhou. It¡¯s not of great strategical importance, and it doesn¡¯t have any obvious commercial advantages; the Taizhou governor is in charge of prefectural affairs, and the commander of the Taizhou garrison is in charge of military affairs, so the Taizhou Tongpan is a position neither important nor insignificant, and the former emperor had much less trust in him than he did in the Tongpan in more important prefectures. The couple of princes were also not very interested in him. Transferring him back to the capital city would mean that one of the princes¡¯ subordinates in an important position would lose his job. Therefore, after they weighed up the pros and cons, they decided to let him stay there, which made it easier for him to line his pocket. I said he¡¯s smart because he knew how to take advantage of that, and he achieved his ends by have his contacts in the capital city pull strings for him. I deem him visionary because at that time the situation in the capital city was too complicated, and many officials whose ranks were much higher than his were dragged into power struggles; had he returned to the capital city and been assigned to a particular position, he would no doubt have been forced into taking sides. He saw it clearly, which was why he chose not to return.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang finally came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant ¨C the Taizhou Tongpan was a smart person.


    ¡°Yuwen Feng married his daughter because Zheng shi insisted. At that time, the Taizhou Tongpan¡¯s daughter had a reputation for being gentle and kind and honest, and her repulsion spread to the capital city. Zheng shi set great store by her place in the pecking order, and a daughter-in-law from a powerful family was the last thing she wanted, which was why she chose the Taizhou Tongpan¡¯s daughter. After marrying Yuwen Feng, his daughter has indeed been keeping a low profile, and she never fought her mother-in-law for power in the house. She always focuses on serving her husband and raising their children. Never once did she come into conflict with her mother-in-law. Since she¡¯s almost invisible, many people are beginning to forget about her.¡±


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head as he listened, coming to have a general idea of what kind of person the marchioness might be.


    ¡°But as far as I could tell, Yuwen Feng¡¯s wife is just as smart as her father is. Firstly, though she always keeps a low profile, she gave birth to two sons and a daughter in succession and is soon going to have her fourth child. It¡¯s almost like Yuwen Feng has eyes only for her. None of his concubines has ever been pregnant. Yuwen Feng is a very strong-minded man. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have managed to stay clear-minded when his parents and brother all took leave of their senses. Given that his mind is completely occupied by her, she¡¯s sure as hell a smart person; secondly, in most cases, the saying ¡®like father, like son¡¯ makes sense. Children do tend to grow into the likes of their fathers.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that our adoption would lead to some trouble?¡±


    This was what concerned Ling Zhang. Now that they¡¯d made up their minds to adopt some children, they should leave all the other matters aside. There was no doubt he¡¯d have to clear the path for it in advance, no matter whether or not he still had misgivings.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re all smart people. I¡¯m sure they know what the right thing to do is.¡±


    He¡¯d given it some thought before making the decision. Under no circumstances would he put anybody who might make trouble on his list, because he knew very well that Ling Zhang would inevitably have mixed feelings about the matter of adoption for some time. On no account would he let anything go awry during his handling of this matter, for he didn¡¯t want to further burden Ling Zhang with anything. The people whose children he was going to adopt must be sensible enough to know what they were supposed to do and what they were supposed to not do.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to concern yourself with it. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may wait and see,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I believe you. It¡¯s just I don¡¯t really know much about them. There¡¯s no harm in taking some precautions.¡±


    Yuwen Tong briefly paused and then gave Ling Zhang¡¯s head a stroke.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Eighteen. When I was your age, I was bold and ambitious. You¡¯re much more sophisticated than I was at that time,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gazed at him quietly. Was that a compliment or a sly little dig? Besides, at the age of eighteen, Yuwen Tong had made his name known to many. He stood no comparison whatsoever with Yuwen Tong at that age.


    ¡°Were I still a marshal, I would surely have brought you back to the north-west where the sky is high and the land is vast, and where you could go wherever you want as freely as a bird,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was faintly amazed for an instant and then caught on to what Yuwen Tong meant.


    ¡°Why are you bringing this up? Though we¡¯re not in the north-west, there isn¡¯t anybody in this city who dares do me any harm, is there? I¡¯m the second most powerful individual in this country, and I can do anything I want. I¡¯m much freer than a bird, aren¡¯t I? I like it here pretty much. Do you not like it here? We¡¯ve just got started and you¡¯re going to chicken out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Do I strike you as that kind of man?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a little snort. He knew that Yuwen Tong said that because he wanted him to have a better life, but he was also a man, and a man doesn¡¯t lay down the responsibility on his shoulders. He was not weak. Besides, Yuwen Tong had a lot of state affairs to attend to on a daily basis, and nobody without a strong will could endure a workload that heavy. He had a lot less to deal with than Yuwen Tong did. It was totally unnecessary for Yuwen Tong to feel sorry for him¡­


    ¡°If you say anything like that again, I¡¯ll begin to think that you look down upon me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took two strides forward and hugged Ling Zhang from behind. ¡°Why would I look down on you? I¡¯m just expressing concern for my sweetheart. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Sweetheart? This was Ling Zhang¡¯s first time hearing Yuwen Tong say this word out loud. His face instantly started burning. ¡°Mind your words. It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside and planted a kiss on Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek. Looking at the scarlet blush over his cheeks, he said in a voice heavy with amusement, ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing. I address you as such inwardly every day. Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡±


    As Ling Zhang pictured him calling Yuwen Tong ¡®sweetheart¡¯, he involuntarily gave a shudder and with that the flush over his cheeks finally ebbed away. He turned his head around and looked at Yuwen Tong incredulously. ¡°Would you not feel embarrassed if I do that?¡±


    ¡°Why would I feel embarrassed?¡± Yuwen Tong looked back at him with a quite injured expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯d be beside myself with joy.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    These words rewrote Ling Zhang¡¯s understanding of how shameless Yuwen Tong was. How had this guy been brought up exactly?


    ¡°Is everybody in the army as shameless as you are?¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    After saying this, he kissed the corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth loudly and then whispered something in Ling Zhang¡¯s ear.


    Yuwen Tong saw Ling Zhang¡¯s face quickly blush once again and with that Ling Zhang pushed him away and glared at him, but he immediately drew Ling Zhang back into his embrace, pressed his cheek against Ling Zhang¡¯s neck and then whispered something else in Ling Zhang¡¯s ear. Ling Zhang was abashed to such an extent that he felt an urge to kick Yuwen Tong¡¯s ass.


    ¡°Shut your mouth already. Why are you being like this? How could you say that? Tha¨CThat¡¯s just¡­You¡¯re an emperor now! Not a vulgar soldier!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to feel shy about in this. We¡¯re both men. What¡¯s the point of being bashful about this?¡±


    Was Yuwen Tong implying that he felt shy as easily as a woman? Ling Zhang was so annoyed he wanted to give Yuwen Tong a hard bite. ¡°You¡¯re the most shameless person I¡¯ve ever met!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be mad. I was just joking. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve ever said these words to. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Yao Yi or any of my bodyguards. I¡¯ve always been a moral and dignified man, and I¡¯ve never said any of these to anybody before. All right¡­Now, how about you say it back?¡± While placating him in a low voice, Yuwen Tong, who was quite thick-skinned, required Ling Zhang to say those words back.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang could never bring himself to utter those words. What Yuwen Tong had whispered in his ear a moment before were¡­were too gooey. They¡¯d been not only cloying but also¡­also¡­


    ¡°Stop dreaming. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m saying any of that. The way I see it, you¡¯re taking leave of your senses. If this comes to the knowledge of the courtiers, you¡¯ll have to kiss your dignity goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 468 - Five Years Later

    Snow was falling thickly, and the capital city was all abustle and astir with residents celebrating the New Year. Thanks to the provisions made by the imperial court for Cangzhou and Jiangzhou, the situation in the two prefectures was not too bad. People there were waiting for the arrival of the next spring to bring them the opportunities they needed to have a fresh start.


    Time zipped by like a fast-running river¡­


    In the following three years, all prefectures of the Great Wen showed growing momentum in a process of rejuvenation. The two prefectures in the south-west, which had always been regarded as hidden peril, had witnessed a radical change of economic and political situation within merely a couple of months, which had marked the beginning of a new era when the overall domestic situation of the Great Wen was stable, and when the imperial court was heaving with men of talent.


    After another two years, the Great Wen thoroughly extricated itself from the scarred and battered state it had been in five years before. All people were living in prosperity and contentment, and the imperial court was functioning in a stable and orderly fashion. The Great Wen had recovered from the war and begun to progress towards a bright future sure-footedly.


    In the spring of this year.


    In the Luohai Kingdom.


    A tea stand in a suburb of the capital.


    It was early spring and the wind was still chill. Peddlers and menial servants passing by, when feeling tired, would go to the booth to have some rest. A pot of tea didn¡¯t cost much and was the perfect choice for a couple of men willing to share a table.


    Not far away from the tea stand was a big tree under which was a large open space where some horse-drawn carriages were parked, and where some large bamboo baskets were placed.


    On the two sides of the tea stand were some curtains made of reed, which provided shelter from the wind. The front of the stand was wide open. Inside it were seven or eight neatly positioned tables.


    Almost all the customers inside were acquainted with the owner of the tea stand. Some of them were porters traveling along this national road all the year around, and some others were members of small caravans. All of them fell into spirited discussion immediately after taking their seats. A pot of tea and a tray of snack on the table could keep their conversations going for quite a while.


    ¡°Lao Zhang, we¡¯d like another pot of tea, and another tray of snack too!¡±


    A customer yelled at the owner of the tea stand, who answered ¡°Right away, Sir!¡± and then told a strong man who was both his son and his waiter to bring the customer what he¡¯d just ordered.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Wang! Why did you wait until this day to enter the city?¡± An acquaintance of the customer who¡¯d just yelled walked up to him.


    ¡°Oh, Headman Li, come here and take a seat! I made some purchases during a stopover, which is why I¡¯m two days late. Why are you two days late this year as well? I seem to remember you heading west at the end of last year. How¡¯s everything going there?¡±


    The Luohai Kingdom was to the north-east of the other two countries. When saying ¡°west¡±, Luohai people were normally referring to the areas where the Luohai Kingdom bordered on the Wan Kingdom.


    ¡°Not very well. The guy who made an oral contract with me at the beginning of last year came to grief at the end of the year. I heard that it was near the border between our country and the Wan Kingdom that the misfortune happened. He lost both his goods and his life.¡±


    Headman Li dropped his voice to a whisper and made a reply as soon as he sat down. The face of everybody else at the table grew somewhat grave at these words. Mr. Wang asked him, ¡°That¡¯s so sad. It¡¯s been over three years, but such things are still happening there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course they are. Such things would never stop happening unless the relations between our country and the Wan Kingdom thaw. You guys are not going to believe this ¨C last winter, apart from the guy who had an oral contract with me, a couple of others also fell victim in succession. Some of them were from the Wan Kingdom, and the others were our fellow countrymen. Everybody in the border city is in panic. These days a caravan have to gather at least fifty men before they dare head for the Wan Kingdom. Some caravans would do everything they could to seek help from the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, pleading with them for permission to go with their caravans, because they¡¯d be risking death if they travel on their own. Rumor has it that caravans of the Wan Kingdom are faced with the same situation. A lot of people failed to purchase the goods they needed in the border city, and their journeys were wasted. I negotiated with the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce and some large caravans for quite some time before they agreed to sell me a tiny part of their goods. Alas, if the two countries continue to be on such bad terms this year, I think the number of people going to the border city would drop by at least seventy percent.¡±


    Headman Li appeared quite despondent while talking. The others, naturally, felt sorry for him and offered him some words of comfort.


    ¡°Headman Li, you have some men at your service as well. Wouldn¡¯t it be a much better choice for you to go south with us this year after selling this batch of goods than it is to go west?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. The south is in peace, and there are not such risks involved. You won¡¯t have to worry about wasting your journey.¡±


    After the others finished consoling Headman Li, Mr. Wang inquired of him, ¡°Lao Li, did the authorities of the border city not say anything? I mean, those people lost both their goods and their lives.¡±


    The others also quieted down, looking at Headman Li.


    ¡°They said that it was some bandits who robbed and murdered those people, but nobody knows whether or not that¡¯s the truth. However¡­¡± Headman Li lowered his voice and continued, ¡°Many people in the border city heard through the grapevine that it was the armies of the two countries who did those things, that the army of the Wan Kingdom started it, and then our army acted in retaliation. Last winter was extremely cold, and the Wan Kingdom was greatly affected. Our country had been at loggerheads with the Wan Kingdom since that incident three years ago; in order to spend the winter more comfortably, they hooked their claws into those caravans crossing the borders.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous!¡± bawled Mr. Wang. ¡°Those bastards of the Wan Kingdom are going too far!¡±


    Mr. Wang¡¯s abruptly raised voice arrested the attention of other customers, all of whom looked in his direction. The owner of the tea stand poked his head around the stove and glanced at him.


    Headman Li hastily pressed his hand over Mr. Wang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t be so loud. You¡¯re scaring people.¡±


    But after hearing their words, other customers soon started discussing topics about the Wan Kingdom as well, and all their tones were disgruntled.


    Three years before, a dozen members of the garrison stationed in the border city, after getting drunk, had killed a Luohai envoy sent to the Wan Kingdom and dumped his body at the city gates, which the Luohai Kingdom had seen as an unbearable humiliation, and which at that time had caused quite a stink. For a time the Luohai Kingdom had been on the verge of waging a war against the Wan Kingdom. Still, though it had eventually shown restraint, there had been fierce clashes between the two countries. The Luohai Kingdom had demanded the Wan Kingdom execute the principal in the crime, but as the prime culprit had been the son of the commander of the border city garrison, the Wan Kingdom had rejected the demand. The reason was that the then commander of the border city garrison had been none other than the father of the queen consort of the Wan Kingdom, and the one who¡¯d got drunk and created a disturbance which had led to the envoy¡¯s death had been the queen consort¡¯s brother, Chen Feng, who¡¯d also been the one that had been defeated by Yuwen Tong outside Shengzhou before fleeing helter-skelter back to the capital city of the Wan Kingdom.


    As the Wan Kingdom refused to bring the culprit to justice, the Luohai Kingdom was very discontented. Although the monarch of the Wan Kingdom had had the dozen of soldiers who had ¡°aided and abetted¡± the crime executed and also paid compensation to the Luohai Kingdom, there was still indignation among Luohai people. Ever since that incident, cities near the border had been witnessing frictions from time to time. At the end of the year before last, there had been a skirmish during which both sides suffered casualties. Tension had been building up, and frictions had been getting increasingly frequent. Also, the two peoples had been quite disgruntled at each other in the past three years. It could be said that they conducted personal vendetta against each other.


    Ever since some itinerant traders had been robbed and murdered last winter, trade between the two countries had been maintained by large caravans only. Small caravans had had to either team up with each other or switched to other routes.


    ¡°The Wan Kingdom¡¯s cavalry is quite powerful, so over the past two years they¡¯ve not only made an enemy of our country but also taken provocative actions towards the Great Wen. When I was in the border city, I heard that the Wan Kingdom was putting out feelers once again,¡± breathed Headman Li to the others at the table. ¡°You guys are right. I¡¯ve also been thinking maybe I should give up the western route for the time being and switch to the south instead.¡±


    The owner of the tea stand was still slaving over the stove, appearing not to have heard any words of the conversations between his customers who were so engaged in their discussion they seemed to be almost unaffected by the icy wind blowing in from outside. The stand owner loudly gave his son a prod, telling him to hurry up and serve the customers the tea and snack they¡¯d just ordered.


    At this time, a sudden commotion was heard outside.


    The clatter of horses¡¯ hoofs accompanied by yells and cracks of whips issued from the national road in the distance. It was a group of horsemen. There seemed to be a dozen of them.


    The group of horsemen traveled very fast. They galloped over from the distance like the wind and generated strong airflow mixed with dust and sand when passing the tea stand. Those horsemen¡¯s faces were all cold and sullen. They flicked a glance at the tea stand but showed no inclination whatsoever to pause, heading straight for the capital.


    Headman Li cast them a look and knitted his brows, appraising the group of horsemen receding into the distance. ¡°Did you see that? Those horsemen¡­¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°They seem to be from the Wan Kingdom. Only Wan people have cloth wrapped around their hands when riding. Also, their horses look very much like Wan horses, and they appear quite ferocious ¨C all Wan soldiers do, don¡¯t they?¡± replied Headman Li.


    His words immediately sent a ripple of indignation through the customers in the tea stand. The thickset waiter bellowed, ¡°What business could these Wan bastards possibly have in our country?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You think you¡¯re the only one capable of yelling or something? It is not for you to make comments on this kind of stuff. You hear me? Now go and serve the tea!¡± the stand owner reached out a hand and hit his sturdy son hard on the head.


    After being dressed down by the stand owner, the brawny man didn¡¯t dare utter another word. With an injured look on his face, he gave his father a dirty look and then spun around to do what he was supposed to do.


    The stand owner¡¯s words served as a note of caution for the customers, all of whom restrained themselves somewhat. Mr. Wang observed, ¡°You¡¯re as discreet as always, Lao Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Alas, you flatter me, Mr. Wang,¡± said the stand owner immediately, his face creasing into a smile. ¡°As you all know, my son is all brawn and no brain, and he¡¯s always making a fuss about things that don¡¯t concern him. If I don¡¯t teach him a lesson from time to time, this tea stand of mine would sooner or later be turned upside down by him. Ha-ha, I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Wang. You may continue. My son is a ne¡¯er-do-well. There¡¯s no need to bother with him.¡±


    Mr. Wang gave a smile and said no more, but the next moment he twisted his head around and told the others at the table in a low voice, ¡°This man is as careful with his words as always.¡±


    Headman Li tossed the stand owner a glance and then said in a voice just as low, ¡°This tea stand of his is pretty profitable, for there are a lot of people passing by on a daily basis. He¡¯s been here for five years and the business is quite steady. The reason we prefer to come here to have some rest is that this place is quiet, isn¡¯t it? The stand owner always minds his own business and never does anything that might get any of his customers into trouble.


    Pity he has a brainless son, whose sturdy build isn¡¯t much good. Even his daughter-in-law thinks little of his son, and she would probably abandon him were this tea stand not lucrative.¡±


    As the conversation went on, they gradually switched to the topic of the stand owner, who had been running this tea stand for five years, and almost all his regulars were well acquainted with him and the situation his family was in.


    The stand owner was still bustling behind the stove, his son still occupied with the tasks of serving tea and snack, sweeping the floor and cleaning the tables. He didn¡¯t seem to have heard a single word of his customers¡¯ and was focusing on making tea and preparing steamed snack. He was in his forties and his appearance was typical of sincere and kindly people. He did strike others as a man of absolute honesty.


    However, in the blink of an eye, he quietly disappeared behind the stove and sneaked into a corner beside the piles of firewood behind the tea stand. Before long, he set free a bird which flew up, detoured around the tea stand, entered the capital of the Luohai Kingdom and eventually landed on the turf of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.

 Chapter 469 - The Jiahe Chamber of Commerce

    The bird flew into a branch of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce located in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom. It was a large manor house. On either side of its front gates was a stone statue of a mythical beast symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. People going in and out of the house were all successful merchants in the capital.


    The bird flew into a corner of the chamber of commerce which nobody was paying attention to, and then someone caught the bird and detached a roll of cloth from the bird¡¯s leg. Then he unrolled it, glanced at it and set the bird free. After destroying the piece of cloth, he left the corner in haste and went to a secluded courtyard house in the chamber of commerce.


    Seen from the outside, this courtyard house was rather run-of-the-mill, except for its high outer walls and vast size. There was no well designed paths or deluxe furnishings. Hardly anybody would notice this courtyard house. Also, it was isolated and normally nobody would come to this place.


    The man first greeted the two guards on duty at the front gates. ¡°Guard Zhao, Guard Zhou, I just received a message and I¡¯m here to seek an audience with Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment, Chairman Lian.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The chairman of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was a renowned figure in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom. Merchants and even the monarch¡¯s relatives had to show him some respect. However, on this occasion, at the front gates of this courtyard house, he was, in a deferential and humble manner, waiting for permission to go inside.


    The past five years, apart from frequent frictions between the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom and the rejuvenation of the Great Wen, had also witnessed the rise of a new force ¨C the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, which had branches in all the three countries. Within merely five years, it had achieved the feat of having its caravans travel to every area of the three countries and at the same time opening stores in all important cities and towns of the three countries. The commercial forces it had united were amazingly powerful ¨C one third of all successful merchants of the three countries had joined the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, which was why the organization had quickly grown into an enormous trading power within five years.


    Also because of this, many people had been paying special attention to and making speculations about the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. Some said that it had originally been a Jianghu sect; some others believed it had been founded by the richest family of one of the three countries; there were also some who claimed that it had a royal family member as its prop. In a word, there were a large variety of rumors about it, but the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was totally unaffected and thriving. There were intense conflicts between the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom near the border, but caravans of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce could always safely get through. Its business was booming, and more and more people were coming to know about it¡­


    Currently, hardly anybody in business hadn¡¯t heard of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    The headquarters of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was located in not one but three places ¨C the capital cities of the Luohai Kingdom, the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen, which seemed to be the reason why nobody was sure about the identity of the founder, or the owner, of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    Businesses affiliated to this newly emerged organization had sprung up all over the three countries over the past five years, striking the attention of the world.


    And now, a leading figure who wielded enormous power within the chamber of commerce was respectfully waiting for the owner of a nondescript courtyard house to give him the permission to enter. Hardly anybody, if told about this story, would believe it.


    ¡°Please come in, Chairman Lian. Childe Ling requests your presence.¡±


    After Chairman Lian waited at the front gates for a while, the one who had gone inside to send word of his arrival came out and told him to go in.


    Chairman Lian thanked him and then entered the courtyard house.


    On the surface this courtyard house was not at all eye-catching, and only by going inside it would people come to know that it was not what it seemed.


    It¡¯d been under Chairman Lian¡¯s supervision that this courtyard house had been built. It could be said that he better than anybody knew that this courtyard house was the most exquisite and luxurious in the whole chamber of commerce. The furnishings in this house were so costly that people¡¯s jaws would drop if the price of any of these items came to their knowledge. When supervising the construction of this house, Chairman Lian, picturing how his mater would praise him after moving into this place, had felt smug for a few moments, but when his master had really come, Chairman Lian, at the sight of his master¡¯s impassive countenance, had come to realize that he might well be mistaken, and the complacency on his face had instantly vanished and never appeared again.


    Chairman Lian quietly walked through an ornamental arch, across a small garden and up the stairs in front of the reception room. In the doorway, he made a bow and said, ¡°Your humble servant Lian Hai requests an audience with you, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± said an unhurried, brisk, male voice. The tone was bland but aristocratic.


    Chairman Lian entered the reception room, deferentially paid his respects to his master, then slightly raised his head and reported, ¡°Childe Ling, a group of horsemen from the Wan Kingdom are heading for this city. Judging from the time of the arrival of the message, they¡¯ll get here in about an hour. There are twelve of them. The one heading the team seems to be Xue Yi, Xue Chi¡¯s son. All of them are in disguise.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The man inside the room put down the account book in his hand and looked in the direction of Chairman Lian, who hastened to lower his head as he sensed the gaze from the man¡¯s clear, piercing eyes, not daring look back at the man, keeping his head down respectfully.


    ¡°That tallies exactly with the intelligence I received. Because of the serious trouble Chen Feng caused in the border city, the monarch of this country is displeased with the Chen family, but what with the forces at the queen consort¡¯s and her father¡¯s back, he¡¯s powerless to mete out punishment to the Chen family, which was why he reinstated Xue Chi whom he¡¯d clamped down on with all his might previously¡­It would seem Shan Congli trusts Xue Chi¡¯s son pretty much, considering he¡¯s entrusted such an important task to Xue Yi.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we should stick to the plan, Childe Ling?¡±


    ¡°Of course. No matter who it is that has come here, we must make sure they won¡¯t have their way. Since Xue Chi will soon arrive, you should go and make preparations. It¡¯s time people of the Dugu family proved themselves useful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling.¡±


    Chairman Lian reverently made a reply and then quietly backed out of the reception room. It was not until he made towards the front gates after descending the stairs that he felt some cold sweat on his back, which had broken out in spite of himself when he¡¯d narrowly avoided meeting his master¡¯s eyes a few moments before. It struck him that no matter how many audiences he had with his master, he would never be able to straighten his back in front of his master, and nor would he ever be able to summon up the courage to make eye contact with his master. He didn¡¯t even dare have the faintest disrespectful thought or a single idea that was not supposed to appear in his mind.


    After lightly heaving a sigh of relief, Chairman Lian walked through the ornamental arch, making towards the front gates. When he had left the seemingly run-of-the-mill courtyard house, his eyes gradually became penetrating. Looking in the direction of the north-eastern corner of the city, he gave a little sneer.


    He would do whatever he could to fulfill the task his master had assigned him, even if he had to sacrifice his life. Xue Yi? Xue Yi didn¡¯t scare him at all. ¡®The Wan Kingdom are going to have to go through me first if they want to make some secret alliance with the Luohai Kingdom to work against the Great Wen!¡¯ he inwardly snorted.


    ¡­


    Sitting in his chair, Ling Zhang pondered for a while, wondering if he was really being too stern. He was positive that a few moments before he hadn¡¯t emanated any menacing air. Why Lian Hai had still broken out in a cold sweat and acted like he were running for his life when leaving?


    ¡°Young Master,¡± said Yang Liuzi, walking inside. ¡°Here¡¯s some freshly made snack. Would you care to give it a try?¡±


    Ling Zhang always brought his twenty-four bodyguards with him wherever he went. This time around, Ling Zhang had sneaked into the capital of the Luohai Kingdom, and they had followed him to this city to protect him.


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang looked at Yang Liuzi.


    After a brief moment¡¯s eye contact, Yang Liuzi slightly bowed his head, walked over and lightly put the tray down on to the table.


    Eyes on him, Ling Zhang asked, ¡°Do I scare you as well, Liuzi?¡±


    Yang Liuzi looked up at Ling Zhang and then shook his head earnestly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared of you, Young Master. It¡¯s just your eyes are so clear and piercing I¡­ahem, I¡¯d have trouble walking steadily if I make eye contact with you for too long.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°When did you first find yourself in this situation?¡±


    Yang Liuzi thought back carefully for a while before he answered, ¡°I think it was after you made a breakthrough and reached the sixth layer, right before your departure from the capital city. I¡¯m not the only one. Brother Wang and all the others are experiencing the same thing. We all feel that this is actually a good thing, because you¡¯d be safer if others don¡¯t dare get close to you.¡±


    Ling Zhang listened carefully as Yang Liuzi talked. It turned out that even Wang Dashan, Yang Liuzi and the other bodyguards all of whom had served him for years didn¡¯t dare look him in the eye for too long. No wonder Lian Hai had reacted that way. Ling Zhang suspected that Lian Hai¡¯s stress response could well be minor compared with those of others. If he were now in the Great Wen, this would, naturally, be a good thing, for he was the consort there, but this was the Luohai Kingdom, and he had a mission to accomplish. Surely he should at least make sure those he needed to have dealings with wouldn¡¯t be deterred from clapping eyes on him? He had to figure out a way to fix this. He had just made a breakthrough and reached the sixth layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy, and maybe he¡¯d been radiating some kind of sense of power unawares.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in closed-door cultivation in the next two days. Go and invite Mr. Han over. And, tell Dashan and Liu Yi to come here later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Yang Liuzi accepted the order and then left. Ling Zhang picked up a piece of snack and put it into his mouth, chewing with bulging cheeks, beginning to mull over what he needed to arrange for his men to do in the following two days.


    He and Yuwen Tong were behind every one of the frictions between the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. They were the ones who¡¯d lit the fuse and afterward added fuel to the rage of the two sides. Their objective was, naturally, to hinder the two countries from joining hands to work against the Great Wen. It¡¯d been several years since the last war and the Great Wen was getting stronger and stronger. Thanks to the Great Wen¡¯s unique advantageous geographical location, it had recovered from war injuries much faster than the Wan Kingdom had. Presently the Great Wen was far more powerful than the Wan Kingdom in terms of overall national strength. The North-western Army had been drilling day and night and at the same time recruiting new members, and its combat power was greater than ever.


    Shan Congli had definitely perceived the widening gap between the two countries¡¯ military strength unless he was a fool. If he stood by and did nothing as the Great Wen¡¯s advantage grew, the Wan Kingdom would not only never be able to get a chance to annex the Great Wen but also might be annexed by the Great Wen. He was scared, which was why he¡¯d sent Xue Yi, Xue Chi¡¯s son, who¡¯d been very much in favor with him recently, to the Luohai Kingdom to seek an audience with Mu Hengtian, the Luohai monarch, with the intention to forge a secret alliance against the Great Wen, despite the frictions between the two countries.


    Once they successfully made an alliance against the Great Wen, the latter would be under heavy pressure.


    Therefore, Ling Zhang had journeyed from the Great Wen to the Luohai Kingdom, intending to thwart the Wan Kingdom¡¯s plan to ally themselves with the Luohai Kingdom, and to do his best to help the Great Wen strike up a relationship and reach an agreement with the Luohai Kingdom in the Wan Kingdom¡¯s stead.


    If the Great Wen was to break the balance of power between the three countries and unify them, he and Yuwen Tong would have to figure out a way to subjugate the other two countries one by one. It was very difficult for the Great Wen to fight two opponents at the same time. The Wan Kingdom¡¯s monarch was greedy, cruel and full of wild ambitions, and also had a personal vendetta against Yuwen Tong, so it was impossible for the Great Wen to make an alliance with the Wan Kingdom, which made the Luohai Kingdom the only potential provisional ally. It would be much easier for the Great Wen to handle the Luohai Kingdom when the Wan Kingdom was out of the game.


    By means of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce and the secret agents Yuwen Tong had long since planted in the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, they had made some arrangements in both of the two countries. Speaking of the Luohai Kingdom¡­


    Presently, the Luohai Kingdom was in the same situation that the Great Yue used to be stuck in when the Zhou family was in power. There was intense political infighting. The internecine struggle in the court was becoming increasingly white-hot.

 Chapter 470 - Arrangements & The Dugu Family

    The current situation in the Luohai Kingdom was the same as that in the Great Yue during the reign of its former emperor surnamed Zhou. There was fierce covert infighting going on in the court. Three forces, headed respectively by Mu Rongfeng the crown prince, the Dugu family who were relatives of the queen consort, and a group of generals with Nian Feng the General-in-chief as the leader, had shaped the political landscape into a tripartite confrontation. Mu Rongfeng, undoubtedly, was fighting for himself; the Dugu family were in support of a puppet prince; Nian Feng the General-in-chief was also assisting one of the potential heirs to the throne. In recent years, Mu Hengtian, the incumbent monarch, had been in worsening physical condition, and could well kick the bucket in a couple of years, which was why the three forces had been fighting at outrance for the throne.


    What with what happened in Jiangzhou five years ago, Mu Rongfeng hated Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s guts, and in no circumstances would he cooperate with them. Nian Feng, who had the majority of the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s troops under his command, believed that his victory was certain, so it was next to impossible to convince him. The Dugu Family was the only potential ally. Although the Dugu family had almost half of the court at their service, in fact they were relatively less dangerous compared with the other two sides, despite the fact that they were quite formidable on the surface, because firstly, the prince they were in support of was not the queen consort¡¯s son but a concubine¡¯s, which left him in a very low position in the line of succession to the throne; secondly, the Dugu family had no armed forces at their disposal and thus didn¡¯t stand a chance of defeating Nian Feng.


    As a result, both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had chosen to use the Dugu family to make inroads into the Luohai Kingdom.


    The strategy they¡¯d adopted was not to reveal their identities to seek cooperation with the Dugu family, because after all, for the Luohai Kingdom, people of the Great Wen were outsiders, which meant that it¡¯d be very difficult to get the Dugu family to trust them completely even if he agreed to cooperate. Therefore, Ling Zhang had made use of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce to carry out his plan.


    As early as three years ago, when the Luohai headquarters of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was set up in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom, Ling Zhang dropped a hint to the chairman of the chamber of commerce, who then made contact with the Dugu family. In others words, the Dugu family was now one of the shareholders of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. In the Luohai Kingdom, the patriarch of the Dugu family was one of the three people who shared the final say in important decisions. For years people had been speculating who the owner of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was. The Dugu Family didn¡¯t know the truth either, but they believed that they did, and they were also under the false impression that they owned eighty percent of the Luohai branch of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, that they actually ran the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce de facto. They were very ambitious ¨C they were seeking to put the whole Luohai branch of the chamber of commerce under their complete control, and even had plans to gobble up its branches in the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen. Ling Zhang had deliberately had his men create these spurious impressions to hoodwink the Dugu family into believing that they had securely controlled the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    Of course Ling Zhang was not so stupid as to hand the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce to the Dugu family on a silver platter. He was just utilizing the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce to get the Dugu family to drop their guard. On the surface the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was a trade organization, but actually it owned a secret intelligence network which had been growing and improving, and which had helped the Dugu family win a lot of rivalries for interests and solve many troubles. Correspondingly, the Dugu family had been getting more and more dependent on the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. The intelligence and funds this trade organization had been providing for the Dugu family were like some kind of tasty, slow-acting poison, one that the Dugu family were becoming increasingly addicted to¡­This was exactly what Ling Zhang wanted. The greater the Dugu family¡¯s dependence on the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was, the more he would be able to do to manipulate the political situation in the court of the Luohai Kingdom. Presently, the Dugu family was like a pawn, a weapon that the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had in hand.


    Back at the time when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had first made this plan, the former had worried about it for quite some time, fearing that the Dugu family might not take the bait.


    It was not until Ling Zhaowu had come to the Luohai Kingdom, secretly helped Lian Hai hook up with the Dugu family and tricked the Dugu family on board that Ling Zhang had felt a sense of relief.


    As regards Lian Hai, he was a talent that Ling Zhaowu had personally recruited. According to Ling Zhaowu, Lian Hai had been his right-hand man in his last incarnation and was a scrupulous, smart man. It had turned out that Lian Hai was indeed quite competent and had never disappointed his master. He undeniably deserved great credit for the Dugu family¡¯s growing reliance on the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce during the past few years.


    Ling Zhang appreciated Lian Hai very much, and Lian Hai had always been quite respectful and loyal to Ling Zhang.


    This time around, the objective of Xue Yi¡¯s visit to the Luohai Kingdom was to convince the Luohai monarch to sign a covert cooperation agreement with the Wan Kingdom. More than half of the courtiers of the Luohai Kingdom would agree to work hand in glove with the Wan Kingdom to deal with the Great Wen. And almost all those people served Mu Rongfeng the crown prince. Because of what happened to Mu Rongfeng five years ago, they harbored deep hatred towards the Great Wen, so it was unfeasible to use any of them to frustrate the Wan Kingdom¡¯s plan. The Dugu family, on the contrary, would help hinder Xue Yi because of the benefits he could get out of it.


    Before Xue Yi entered the city, they had to have some ¡®false¡¯ intelligence delivered to the Dugu family to mislead the Dugu family into making the judgement they wanted the Dugu family to make, so that the Dugu family would take action to stop Xue Yi from getting in touch with any members of the faction led by Mu Rongfeng the crown prince.


    It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but it must be done.


    Gauging the time of Mr. Han¡¯s arrival, Ling Zhang picked up another piece of snack and resumed eating. Recently, after he made a breakthrough and reached the sixth layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy, his appetite had suddenly grown appreciably. He felt hungry quite often and needed to eat a lot to fill his belly. He had to have his fill before Mr. Han showed up lest his stomach rumble during the conversation.


    ¡­


    After Ling Zhang finished the whole tray of snack, the sound of footsteps came from outside.


    ¡°Young Master, Mr. Han has arrived,¡± reported Yang Liuzi in the doorway.


    ¡°Let him in,¡± said Ling Zhang, rearranging his clothes and shifting his sitting position.


    Before long, a middle-aged bearded man in his forties or fifties, dressed like a scholar, followed Yang Liuzi into the reception room. He had jet-black hair and didn¡¯t look old at all, his face pleasant, his eyes bright, his pace sedate and measured.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Childe Ling.¡±


    ¡°You may rise, Mr. Han.¡± Ling Zhang looked at him with calm eyes. ¡°Please take a seat.¡±


    This man¡¯s name was Han Shu. He was a native of the Luohai Kingdom. It was also Ling Zhaowu who¡¯d discovered this person. Before being recruited to the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, Han Shu had been in rough shape. It was not that he¡¯d been in poverty because of his incompetence, but that he¡¯d displeased some members of the Luohai royal family, and Mu Hengtian had had all his family members executed, except for his eldest grandson. He and his grandson, while running for their lives, had been rescued by Ling Zhaowu and been hiding in the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce ever since.


    Han Shu were mortal enemies with the Luohai royal family and had every intention of getting his revenge on them, which meant that he and Ling Zhang had a common goal.


    Han Shu used to work in the court of the Luohai Kingdom and thus knew very well people in the court and their contacts outside the court, especially the faction headed by Mu Rongfeng the crown prince, for he used to be a member of that faction, but afterward Mu Rongfeng and Mu Hengtian had joined hands and persecuted him because of his discovery of some secret he hadn¡¯t been privy to.


    ¡°May I ask how I could be of service to you, Childe Ling?¡± asked Han Shu.


    Currently, Han Shu was in the full swing of his activities in the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. He was in charge of internal affairs, while Lian Hai was responsible for handling issues involving dealings with the outside world. The two of them made a perfect team. Thanks to their efforts, the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had gained a firm foothold in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom within merely over three years.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be receiving any visitors in the next two days. You and Chairman Lian have to keep a close eye on the matter of Xue Yi, and you must figure out a way to have the Dugu family make their move. I expect to see everything going as planned when I come out two days later,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Han Shu rose, made a bow and said, ¡°Rest assured, Childe Ling, I promise I¡¯ll fulfill this task you assigned me.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, asked him about the current situation in the chamber of commerce and then let him leave. Watching Han Shu¡¯s receding back, Ling Zhang had a thoughtful look on his face. Han Shu¡¯s mental endurance was manifestly higher than that of Lian Hai. Lian Hai didn¡¯t even have the courage to look at his eyes, while Han Shu at least had made brief eye contact with him before averting his gaze.


    Those who¡¯d been hardened by the situation in the court were indeed somewhat different.


    ¡°Young Master, Brother Wang and Brother Liu have come,¡± reported Yang Liuzi.


    Ling Zhang gave a nod of permission for the two of them to come in.


    Meanwhile, Han Shu, after leaving, glanced over his shoulders at the courtyard house, an astonished expression in his eyes. Ling Zhang thought that he¡¯d been unaffected by the eye contact, but in fact, Han Shu had been just as shocked as Lian Hai had been. Cold sweat slowly broke out on his back as he thought back to that moment. This was what made him different than Lian Hai ¨C he could temporarily control his feelings.


    He was fully aware of the true identity of this ¡®Childe Ling¡¯ he¡¯d been serving, and he also knew what consequences he¡¯d have to face if he did anything disloyal, but he was grateful to the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce and they had a common goal, so he wouldn¡¯t betray his master.


    However¡­


    Han Shu thought of those people in the court of the Luohai Kingdom. Comparing them with Ling Zhang who was the consort of the Great Wen, had amazing tolerance and was progressing with unstoppable momentum, Han Shu felt as though he could see how the Luohai Kingdom would end up in the future¡­The air about Ling Zhang, to some degree, represented the fortune of the Great Wen. From the vantage point of the present, the Great Wen was at its zenith, while the Luohai Kingdom was stuck fast in internecine struggles. During the past few years, instead of racing against time to grow stronger like the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom did, the Luohai Kingdom had been weakening itself with civil strife all along, and it was showing signs of decline and fall¡­


    Had he not undergone that painful experience, he wouldn¡¯t have woken up to reality and might well have still been in the faction led by Mu Rongfeng who was fighting for the throne, utterly blind to the current international situation and the fact that the Great Wen had become unstoppable.


    Han Shu raised his hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, rearranged his clothes and put on a poker face, preparing to make arrangements for the rest of the plan to be carried out.


    ¡­


    ¡°You need to perform closed-door cultivation, Young Master? Is it because you¡¯re feeling some kind of discomfort?¡± Wang Dashan and Liu Yi both got anxious as they heard that Ling Zhang had suddenly decided to start a two-day period of closed-door cultivation.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After hearing these words of Ling Zhang¡¯s, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi exchanged a glance and neither of them persisted with their questioning.


    During the past few years, as Ling Zhang had made one breakthrough after another in his cultivation of internal energy and had been the consort for a long time, his bodyguards¡¯ confidence in Ling Zhang¡¯s abilities had grown considerably and they no longer had to repeatedly confirm Ling Zhang was okay before they could have complete peace of mind as they used to. Right now Ling Zhang¡¯s ability to take care of himself was more than enough to spare his bodyguards from the necessity of worrying about him. Since Ling Zhang was telling them that he was okay, they naturally believed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°After Xue Yi enters the city, Lian Hai and Han Shu will covertly incite the Dugu family to hinder him from getting what he wants. I need you guys to keep close watch on those people¡¯s every move and tell me all the details after I finish my closed-door cultivation,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Consider it done, Young Master,¡± answered Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. There was no need for him to arrange for any of the other matters to be handled. Having served him for years, Wang Dashan, Liu Yi and the others had long since learned how to deal things of this kind and many other kinds. Besides, there was no way Xue Yi could gain the Luohai monarch¡¯s trust within merely two days, even if the Dugu family made no efforts to stop him, because the two countries had quite some old scores to settle, some of which had been there for years. On no account would the Luohai Kingdom or the Wan Kingdom place any trust in the other side before they wiped the slate clean.

 Chapter 471 - Two Princes and a Princess

    ¡°Sire, according to the intelligence report we just received, Xue Yi may well have already reached the capital of the Luohai Kingdom by now.¡±


    In the imperial palace of the Great Wen, a secret bodyguard deduced the time of Xue Yi¡¯s and his men¡¯s arrival in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom from the intelligence he¡¯d received.


    ¡°Are there any new messages from Brother Zhang?¡± asked Yuwen Tong. Being an emperor for all these years had made the air about him more dignified and also made him appear more poised and aristocratic.


    ¡°Not yet, Sire,¡± answered the secret bodyguard.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown and with that his eyes raked the map hanging on the wall beside him and lingered on the capital of the Luohai Kingdom for a brief moment, a displeased look appearing on his face at the sight of the two words ¡°Luohai Kingdom¡±.


    Sensing Yuwen Tong¡¯s displeasure, the secret bodyguard bowed his head, not daring utter a word.


    Over the past few years, the emperor and the consort had never parted from each other. They had been with each other even during their journey to and their stay in the two south-western prefectures. All the bodyguards and servants could tell that the imperial couple had deep feelings for each other. This time around, the consort had gone to the Luohai Kingdom, and the emperor had been in low spirits for a solid month. The secret bodyguards protecting the consort had been sending letters back on a regular basis to report on the situation in there to the emperor, but that place was the capital of the Luohai Kingdom after all, and the enemies had eyes everywhere in that city, so the secret bodyguards there were unable to send letters as frequently as they could in other cities, which was why the emperor¡¯s face had been even sulkier in the past few days.


    But the consort had twenty-four personal bodyguards by his side and was under the covert protection of some of the emperor¡¯s secret bodyguards. On top of that, the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was at the consort¡¯s service, and the consort himself had become a top-notch kung fu master in terms of proficiency in internal energy. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for anybody to do him harm.


    ¡®Apart from Sire¡¯s concern for His Highness, him missing His Highness is probably also part of the reason why he¡¯s been in such mood,¡¯ thought the secret bodyguard.


    Head down, the secret bodyguard didn¡¯t dare risk saying or doing anything that might anger Yuwen Tong, but he kept his eyes averted. Apart from anything else, as a secret bodyguard, he¡¯d seen a lot of public displays of affection conducted by the imperial couple during these years. It could be said that suffering from that kind of things had become a daily occurrence for him.


    ¡°Is the Earl Taichang (AKA the Earl of Prosperity) still in Youzhou?¡± Yuwen Tong suddenly asked another question.


    The secret bodyguard answered, ¡°Yes. He seems to have plans to stay in Youzhou for some time.¡±


    It was after hearing these words that Yuwen Tong¡¯s sullen face softened slightly. Ling Zhaowu loved his son more than anything. Given that Ling Zhang was now in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom, it was only too obvious why Ling Zhaowu was lingering in Youzhou ¨C once the situation in the Luohai Kingdom changed, he would go there immediately and get Ling Zhang out of the Luohai Kingdom.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s impression of his father-in-law had changed again and again. At first, when it¡¯d come to his knowledge that both Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu had been through rebirth, he¡¯d been shocked and no longer dared take Ling Zhaowu lightly; after Ling Zhaowu, within merely five years, helped the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce develop into such a commercial juggernaut and recruited a large group of talents every one of whom was absolutely loyal to him, Yuwen Tong had begun to hold Ling Zhaowu in even higher regard. Considering the many experiences this man had had in his last life, he might have turned the world upside down in his last life had he not been devastated by his wife¡¯s death. In this life, due to his concern for Ling Zhang who meant the world to him, he had been restraining himself on his own account and always looked out for Ling Zhang¡¯s best interests, which was a good thing for Yuwen Tong who wanted the domestic situation to be stable. However, Yuwen Tong also had reason to suspect that his father-in-law had achieved such great things within merely five years not only to help Ling Zhang but also to send him a word of warning¡­


    Yuwen Tong was not scared of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s flexing his muscles. On the contrary, the more Ling Zhaowu cared about Ling Zhang, the happier Yuwen Tong was.


    ¡°I want intelligence reports from Youzhou delivered to me immediately after their arrivals. Members of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce could go wherever they want in the Luohai Kingdom, which means they have advantages over our men in terms of intelligence delivery in the Luohai Kingdom. The Earl Taichang is in Youzhou, so he could get information about the situation in the Luohai Kingdom faster than we could. Tell our men there that they may stop collecting intelligence, that all they need to do is keep a close eye on the Earl Taichang and pay attention to his words, behavior and mood.¡±


    On hearing this, the secret bodyguard came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant. ¡°Yes, Sire. I¡¯ll send them a message right away.¡±


    It took less time for a message to be delivered from Youzhou to this city than it did from the Luohai Kingdom. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that it was unnecessary for people in the Luohai Kingdom to send messages back. Those in Youzhou could send letters back more frequently so that their emperor would miss the consort less badly.


    After making arrangements for the matter of the Luohai Kingdom to be handled, Yuwen Tong collected his thoughts and instructed a secret bodyguard to send a confidential letter to Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi both of whom were in the encampment of the North-western Army. In all likelihood, there would be a war between the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom in the next half a year. A lot of preparatory work had been covertly going on for some time already.


    ¡°And, ask Qi San how¡¯s it going with the man he planted in Shan Congyi¡¯s palace.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    After being given the orders, the secret bodyguard quickly left the imperial study.


    Yuwen Tong walked up to the map and stared at the area representing the Wan Kingdom.


    Back in Cangzhou, Shan Congyi somehow had survived that powerful explosion and even made good his escape. However, he had suffered permanent disfigurement and lost an arm in the blast which had rendered him as horrifying-looking as a ghost. Also, what with his grievous injuries, it had taken him three solid years to nurse himself back to health, and it wasn¡¯t until two years before that he¡¯d shown his face in the court of the Wan Kingdom. Planting a man in Shan Congyi¡¯s palace had been only the first step. Unlike the Luohai monarch, the Wan monarch had wild ambitions, and his whole court¡¯s hatred towards the Great Wen and their greed for its land and wealth was unchangeable, which made it unmistakably impracticable for Yuwen Tong to use the Wan Kingdom as he did the Luohai Kingdom. On top of that, unlike the Luohai monarch who was of advanced years and hemmed in by three forces and thus made his kingdom quite vulnerable, Shan Congli wielded enormous power in the Wan Kingdom. As a result, recourse to some unconventional strategies was unavoidable. The resentment against and desire to annex the Great Wen of the Shan brothers, Shan Congyi and Shan Congli, was the very thing the Great Wen could take advantage of¡­


    The number of secret agents planted in the Wan Kingdom was not as big as that of agents infiltrated into the Luohai Kingdom. Also, the Wan branch of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce run by Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t struck up any direct relationships with any powerful officials as the Luohai branch had done with the Dugu family. They had been doing business in a low-key fashion, and there was not as much they could do in the Wan Kingdom as their Luohai counterpart could in the Luohai Kingdom. Yuwen Tong had to rely more on the secret agents, all of whom had been planted there by Yuwen Tong himself. There were not many of them, but all of them were specialists in their respective fields.


    He would sneak into the Wan Kingdom himself if the occasion arose, but right now the time was not ripe¡­


    At the thought that Ling Zhang was still in the Luohai Kingdom and would continue to stay there for some time, Yuwen Tong knitted his brows unawares. The insomnia was nothing. What was killing him was the worry that accidents might happen to Ling Zhang in the Luohai Kingdom.


    Presently, nobody knew Ling Zhang had left the imperial palace, except for a couple of top-ranking courtiers. These years Ling Zhang had been having frequent closed-door cultivation sessions, and all courtiers had got used to it, which was the very reason why nobody else had come to know that Ling Zhang had actually left the imperial palace, though it¡¯d been almost a month since he¡¯d last made a public appearance. In fact Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t want anybody else to find out about it, because the fewer who knew about it, the safer Ling Zhang was in the Luohai Kingdom.


    If possible, he would have infiltrated into the Luohai Kingdom with Ling Zhang. Unfortunately for him, in order not to alarm anybody or rouse anybody¡¯s suspicions, he had no choice but to stay in the capital city and continue to be the emperor. There was nothing else he could do. If some day the three countries were unified and the overall situation stabilized, he would have much more freedom¡­Yuwen Tong knew that he was being somewhat impatient, but no matter how intense his impatience was, he had restrained himself for five years after all. It was high time he made his move.


    ¡°Sire, His Highnesses, Her Highness and Childe Ling request an audience with you.¡±


    Outside the imperial study, a eunuch suddenly reported to him a request for an audience with him.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance flickered and with that his grave face softened slightly. ¡°Let them in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± the eunuch answered and then respectfully relayed to the young imperial family members the emperor¡¯s permission for them to enter the study.


    The sound of footsteps was heard. In the lead was a slender-figured teenager, who was handsome, well-featured, poised and sure-footed, and who looked somewhat like Ling Zhang. He was holding a two-year-old little girl in his arms, flanked by two five-year old princes. The little girl, light-complexioned and delicate-skinned, looked quite pretty and adorable. If anybody paid close attention to her, they would find that she bore a striking similarity to Ling Zhang, that she was virtually the image of him. Her clothing was sumptuous and gorgeous, which made her look as cute as a white bunny. She had a smile at the corners of her mouth, and her sparkling eyes were looking from one person to another. Anybody would take a liking to her at the sight of her. This little girl was Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s adopted daughter. Her name was Yuwen Yue, and her pet name was Crescent. People could tell from the resemblance between her looks and Ling Zhang¡¯s that she was blood relations with him. Her birth parents were Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei. After bearing her husband two sons, Fu Caiwei had given birth to a girl, who afterward had been adopted by the imperial couple. As she was blood relations with Ling Zhang and had eyes bearing a strong likeness to Ling Zhang¡¯s, she was the apple of Yuwen Tong¡¯s eye. Yuwen Tong always felt an overwhelming desire to hold her in his arms at the sight of her.


    The two princes, naturally, were Yuwen Qian¡¯s son and Yuwen Feng¡¯s son respectively, both adopted by Yuwen Tong. The two of them were of the same age. A more amazing part was that the two boys closely resembled Yuwen Tong. Maybe because they were blood relations, or maybe because this was how things were meant to be, though the two of them were not Yuwen Tong¡¯s natural sons, they looked like Yuwen Tong so much that even the courtiers who knew about the truth were astonished whenever they saw the two princes. Those who didn¡¯t know any inside information about it would no doubt mistakenly believe that the two princes were Yuwen Tong¡¯s natural sons. Even Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Feng, birth fathers of the two princes, had been shocked when they¡¯d first noticed this. What they found more astounding was that as the two boys grew, the likeness between their looks and Yuwen Tong¡¯s seemed to be growing as well. This was the very reason why the two of them, when seeing the two princes, had difficulty convincing themselves that the two boys were their natural sons. Privately they couldn¡¯t think of any explanations other than the possibility that this was some kind of cosmic plan.


    The elder of the two princes had been named Yuwen Qi, and the one who was several months his junior Yuwen Lin. The former looked relatively strong ¨C or fairly chubby, to put it plainly; the latter was somewhat slim and his features struck people as more exquisite. Still, the similarity between their looks and Yuwen Tong¡¯s was undeniable.


    Unlike Crescent who was the youngest and Yuwen Tong¡¯s favorite, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin preferred to be in Ling Zhang¡¯s company. Maybe because Yuwen Tong was quite serious, they were somewhat scared of him and tended to act punctiliously in front of him, but whenever they saw Ling Zhang, they always smiled and couldn¡¯t help but get close to him like fledglings to their mother. This also struck people as quite astonishing.


    Strangely enough, Ling Zhang was strict with the two princes as well, but for some unknown reason, the two princes still had a deeper affinity with him. When they¡¯d been younger, they had on a daily basis insisted on sleeping with Ling Zhang, because they¡¯d both enjoyed being in Ling Zhang¡¯s embrace. Every time they¡¯d done that, Yuwen Tong had had a sulky face, for the two of them had taken up too much of Ling Zhang¡¯s time. When he¡¯d tried to compete with the boys for Ling Zhang¡¯s attention, Ling Zhang had dressed him down, saying that that sort of behavior was a disgrace.

 Chapter 472 - Ling Xingzhongs Dream

    ¡°Fa¨CFather¡­¡±


    On entering the imperial study, the little girl in Ling Maomao¡¯s arms caught sight of Yuwen Tong sitting behind a desk. Her big eyes instantly brightening, she strained her neck, calling to Yuwen Tong, stretching out her hands. Her voice was babyish and sounded as though it were tinged with the aroma of milk. The sound of her voice alone was enough to melt Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart, not to mention that she was also gazing at him with sparkling, longing eyes.


    Yuwen Tong rose to his feet and walked around his desk.


    Ling Maomao, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin bowed with hands folded in front to pay their respects to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Father.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities,¡± said Yuwen Tong, walking up to Ling Maomao and reaching out his hands. Yuwen Yue in Ling Maomao¡¯s arms giggled happily, gave a vigorous push at Ling Maomao¡¯s chest and launched herself at Yuwen Tong, calling excitedly, ¡°Father! Father!¡±


    After landing in Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, she kept calling Yuwen Tong ¡°Father¡± delightedly, wriggling around in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms. Then she gave Yuwen Tong a light peck on the cheek, her delicate-skinned arms around his neck, excitement written all over her face, her eyes narrowing into two crescents for smiling, which reminded people of her pet name. Her chuckle was exceptionally soft and pleasant.


    Carrying his daughter steadily with one hand beneath her hips and the other on her back, Yuwen Tong, after being kissed by her, gave a smile and said happily, ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl, Crescent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a good girl.¡± Yuwen Yue repeated Yuwen Tong¡¯s words, beaming, enjoying Yuwen Tong¡¯s compliment without any pretence of modesty.


    Yuwen Tong laughed, looking at his daughter who was not at all ashamed to second his favorable remark about her being a good girl, feeling that his daughter was so smart.


    Ling Maomao, along with Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin who were younger than him, stood where they were and watched Yuwen Yue make Yuwen Tong laugh, feeling relieved. Ever since Ling Zhang¡¯s departure from the imperial palace, Yuwen Tong had been getting sterner by the day. The two princes were frightened of him like rats of cats. On this day, because of Crescent¡¯s presence, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t wear a poker face, which was rare.


    ¡°Why did you come to the palace today?¡± Yuwen Tong asked Ling Maomao after playing with his daughter for a while.


    Ling Maomao was thirteen now and had been growing taller very fast, and the top of his head was about shoulder height with Yuwen Tong. On top of that, as he practiced kung fu on a daily basis, he was well-proportioned and lean, and he was always upright when walking, striking people as a teenager of great presence.


    After Fu Caiwei gave birth to her second son, Ling Maomao and she had gone to Shengzhou to live with Ling Zhaowen. With the intention to toughen his son up, Ling Zhaowen had sent Ling Maomao to the military encampment. He hadn¡¯t had him join the army but just let him train with the crack troops under Jiang Ke¡¯s command. There had been quite some young boys in the North-western Army, many of whom were Ling Maomao¡¯s age. After assessing the boys¡¯ aptitudes, officers of the army would give the boys specialized training accordingly. Ling Maomao had considerable aptitude for kung fu. Ling Zhaowu had specially helped him lay a foundation, and the method Ling Zhaowu had adopted was similar to the one Yuwen Tong had used to help Ling Zhang in Tanyang. By doing that, he had improved Ling Maomao¡¯s aptitude appreciably. After Ling Maomao started receiving training with crack troops, he had at first felt as though he was going through hell, but afterwards he¡¯d gradually become used to it. The five years¡¯ training had been quite fruitful. It had also greatly improved his mental endurance. When he¡¯d turned twelve, Ling Zhaowen had sent him back to the capital city to learn kung fu from Ji Yin. After returning to the capital city, Ling Maomao had been quite unaccustomed to his new life, for life among aristocrats was totally different than life in the North-western Army. Fortunately for him, the training given by Ji Yin had also been quite harsh, so gradually he¡¯d also got accustomed to it. On top of that, Ling Zhang had specially hired a distinguished scholar from a noble family to teach Ling Maomao. During the last couple of months, Ling Maomao¡¯s behavioral pattern and some of his habits had slowly changed somewhat. Ling Zhang had no intention to bring any changes to Ling Maomao¡¯s disposition, for the boy was thirteen now and had long since learned how to make decisions on his own. Still, Ling Maomao was actually the future patriarch of the Ling family, so it was inappropriate for him to stay in the army all the time. There were a lot of things that he must learn how to handle, which was why currently he was living in the suburban manor with Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin. He stayed in the Ling Mansion only in days when he returned to the city to call on Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin both hit it off with Ling Maomao. They found each other very good company. As the two princes¡¯ ¡°uncle¡±, every time Ling Maomao visited the palace, he would bring them some gifts from the streets. As a result, the two young princes admired and liked him very much.


    Crescent, who was Ling Maomao¡¯s little sister, had allowed Ling Maomao to hug her the first time they¡¯d met, which had gladdened Ling Maomao¡¯s heart.


    When Ling Maomao had returned to the capital city a couple of months before, he had brought back news that Fu Caiwei was pregnant once again, but there was no telling whether it was a boy or a girl. Though the living conditions in the capital city were better, Ling Zhaowen, believing that Fu Caiwei was not in a fit state to make a long journey, had decided to have her stay in Shengzhou to await delivery. After being informed of this, Ling Zhang had hastened to send a court physician to Shengzhou, along with some precious medicines.


    Fu Caiwei, who had been using the methods taught her by Mr. Mu to preserve her health these years, seemed as though she were aging backwards, and her constitution was excellent. Some people worried that it was fairly risky for her to bear another child, considering her age, but she herself was not concerned at all, and she felt rather resigned as she learned that even her nephew in the capital city which was very far away had been alarmed by the news of her pregnancy. Before Ling Zhang¡¯s departure from the capital city, she had written him a letter, telling him not to worry about her.


    Ling Zhang had still felt apprehensive after reading the letter, but he hadn¡¯t dared overdo his concern for his aunt for fear that she might be unhappy, that it might hinder her from nourishing the fetus, so he had had no choice but to restrain himself, but eventually his worries had been channeled into his efforts to knock Ling Maomao into shape. When he¡¯d still been in the capital city, he¡¯d checked Ling Maomao¡¯s homework every few days, and when he¡¯d found it unsatisfactory, he had gone back to the manor to scold and punish Ling Maomao on that very day.


    As a result, though the very sight of the eminent scholar responsible for teaching him gave Ling Maomao headaches, the boy didn¡¯t dare take his studies lightly and had been learning from his teacher and studying hard every day.


    There was nothing particular going on in the capital city. Theoretically, Ling Maomao should be in the manor working hard at this time, which was why Yuwen Tong asked Ling Maomao why he¡¯d come to the palace this day.


    ¡°My grandfather was worried about my cousin, so he sent me here to check if there¡¯re any new messages from my cousin. Last night, my grandfather had some dream which scared him awake. After waking up, he kept telling me to come here, so I set off early this morning,¡± replied Ling Maomao.


    A dream? Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. Ling Xingzhong had never been an impetuous man; given that a mere dream had frightened him into sending his grandson to this palace, it had been by no means a good dream. Yuwen Tong missed Ling Zhang very much. These days, what with Ling Zhang¡¯s absence, the look on his face was so cold that nobody dared approach him when he was in a foul mood. At this time, he subconsciously became sulky at these words, but he knew that neither Ling Xingzhong nor Ling Maomao was to blame, so he didn¡¯t show any particular emotions on his face.


    ¡°I received a signed letter from him only the day before yesterday, in which he said that everything¡¯s okay. He has twenty-four guards by his side and some of my secret bodyguards are covertly protecting him. Even if he blows his cover, nobody would dare do him any harm. You may go back and tell Old Master Ling that your cousin is fine, that everything¡¯s going well and there¡¯s no need to concern himself. He had a bad dream because he worried too much.¡±


    After hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s remarks, Ling Maomao, who also knew about that and had made this visit only because he wanted to help ease his grandfather¡¯s apprehension, said, ¡°I¡¯ll repeat your words to my grandfather.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said no more about this topic. His adopted daughter in his arms patted his cheeks with her soft little hands. ¡°Father, smile.¡±


    Though Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t show anything on his face, children are innately sensitive to changes in adults¡¯ moods.


    The faint sense of displeasure inside Yuwen Tong was instantly dissolved by the pat his daughter gave his cheeks, and with that his eyes gleamed with amusement once again. ¡°Okay, smile. Today I¡¯ll take you to the imperial garden for a walk. In fact, I¡¯ll take you wherever you want to go.¡±


    ¡°I want to go and see the flowers!¡± said Yuwen Yue immediately. It was spring and the imperial garden, which was a varicolored sea of flowers of all descriptions, was quite appealing in children¡¯s eyes. However, what with the occasional cold winds, the eunuchs and handmaids didn¡¯t dare bring the young princess to the imperial garden. As a result, though Yuwen Yue for quite some time had been looking forward to going there to take a look, she hadn¡¯t had the chance so far.


    ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s go and see the flowers,¡± Yuwen Tong said happily and then turned to face the doorway and instructed, ¡°Go and bring my daughter her cloak.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± a eunuch answered and then walked off to make preparations.


    It was not until this moment that Yuwen Tong looked at his two adopted sons. Though he hadn¡¯t asked them any questions, he¡¯d been observing their reactions all along. Both of them had listened quietly to the conversation between Yuwen Tong and Ling Maomao. Though neither of them had been asked any questions, they were both very patient. Unlike Yuwen Qi who had been looking up at the speakers unblinkingly, Yuwen Lin, though having been looking at them attentively as well, had a calmer expression in his eyes. His eyes had on occasions raked Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands, which had suggested that he was checking whether his father was carrying his little sister steadily; when Ling Maomao had been speaking, he had fixed his earnest eyes on Ling Maomao; when Ling Maomao had mentioned Ling Zhang, the look in his eyes had become considerably more serious, and then he¡¯d shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong, waiting for Yuwen Tong to make a reply; when he¡¯d heard that Ling Zhang was safe, the glitter in his eyes had become more noticeable than it¡¯d been a moment before. All these micro-expressions of his had been fairly unnoticeable, but none of them had escaped Yuwen Tong¡¯s notice.


    Yuwen Qi was more like the Marquess Fuan (AKA the Marquess of Fortune and Peace) ¨C smart but relatively active, while Yuwen Lin was more like the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation) ¨C also smart but relatively quiet.


    Each of his two adopted sons had his own merits, but Yuwen Qi, because of his activeness, would be easily distracted; Yuwen Lin, because of his quietness, would have less difficulty staying focused on things he set out to do. This was not very obvious at the moment, but as the two princes got older, the difference between their characters would become more and more evident, and eventually the two of them would grow into very different persons.


    Yuwen Tong was in no hurry to select one of them to be the crown prince. He needed more time to observe his two sons before he could decide which one of them was fitter to be his heir.


    There was no telling whether Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin had come to realize this. Also, it was premature to make a decision at this stage.

 Chapter 473 - The Children’s Craving for a Reunion

    Yuwen Tong looked at his two sons and asked them, ¡°Have you finished today¡¯s homework?¡±


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin inclined their heads in unison and with that the former replied, ¡°Yes, we have, Father. Our teacher gave us permission to take half a day off from school.¡±


    The two boys had been getting up early in the morning every day and working hard since a very young age. Their first teacher, who was still teaching them, was a distinguished scholar, and they themselves were quite intelligent and diligent, so their academic performance had always been pretty good. Earlier this day their teacher had given them a test, which they both had passed with distinction, so their teacher had allowed them to take half a day off.


    Yuwen Tong, who on occasions asked the teacher about his sons¡¯ progress in their studies, knew what this was about, and he normally wouldn¡¯t interfere with the teacher¡¯s decision, so he said, ¡°In that case, you two may come with us.¡±


    Then he told the eunuchs to go and get each of the two princes a cloak.


    ¡°Thank you, Father.¡±


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin were both very happy. Though they regarded Yuwen Tong with reverence, they also held him in deep filial affection. They would be lying if they said they didn¡¯t feel any jealousy when seeing Yuwen Tong hold Crescent in his arms and gently coax her. Yuwen Tong had never hugged either of them since they¡¯d turned three. He was very strict with them and had been drumming it into them that they must learn to be independent. As a result, envious as they were, they didn¡¯t dare show it on their faces. At this moment, they were, naturally, both overjoyed to hear that they were allowed to go to the imperial garden to play as well.


    Thus, Yuwen Tong carrying Yuwen Yue went first. Ling Maomao followed in his wake, keeping an eye on the two young princes, heading for the imperial garden to view the flowers.


    At first Crescent was in high spirits, but after playing for some time, she suddenly refused to share her flowers with others, nursing them as though they were treasures.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuwen Tong was baffled as to why his daughter suddenly became unwilling to share the flowers with others and appeared fairly glum.


    ¡°I want to save these flowers for Daddy,¡± replied Crescent in a babyish voice, looking at Yuwen Tong with her big eyes brimming with anticipation. ¡°Father, when is Daddy coming back?¡±


    As she mentioned Ling Zhang, both Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin paused briefly and with that they shifted their gaze to Yuwen Tong in unison, the same anticipation in their eyes.


    Beneath the expectant gaze of his children, Yuwen Tong was having a hard job maintaining the smile at the corners of his mouth. Feeling a throb of pain in the heart, he raised his hand to stroke Crescent¡¯s head. ¡°Daddy has something important to attend to. He¡¯ll be back when it¡¯s done.¡±


    The anticipation in Crescent¡¯s eyes ebbed somewhat. She was still looking at Yuwen Tong with her big eyes, but the corners of her lips were hanging. ¡°I miss Daddy.¡±


    Holding the flowers so tight as though they were the possibility of her Daddy coming back, the little girl seemed somewhat crestfallen, the boisterous air she¡¯d been emanating a moment before now gone, clasping her sleeve with her fingers unawares.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin were older and thus had a better understanding of the situation. On hearing their father¡¯s reply from which a definite date of return was absent, they came to realize that their Daddy wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon, their faces etched with disappointment as well.


    Yuwen Tong, who was crouching, opened his arms. Crescent, head down, leaned into his embrace and rubbed her face against his shoulders. Before long, she started sobbing.


    His heart aching, Yuwen Tong hugged his daughter and patted her back consolingly. ¡°Be good, Crescent. Daddy will be upset if he knows you cried. Cheer up, Crescent, so that Daddy will be happy when he comes back.¡±


    Crescent made no reply, burrowed her face into Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, sobbing, still holding her flowers in her arms.


    Both Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s faces became somewhat downcast as well at the sight of Crescent crying. They were also still children after all. Except for an interlude of Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang going to the south-west when they¡¯d been younger, they¡¯d never been separated from Ling Zhang for such a long time. Ever since Ling Zhang¡¯s departure, the two of them had been almost every day anticipating hearing the sound of people welcoming Ling Zhang¡¯s return at the front gates of the palace.


    Infected by the children¡¯s dejection, feeling a bit upset as well, Yuwen Tong scooped up Crescent. Patting her on the back, he made an attempt to distract the children¡¯s attention. ¡°How about I take you kids to see some foals? A few days ago I had them make some children¡¯s saddles. Qi and Lin may try getting on horseback.¡±


    On hearing that they were going to see some foals and may try riding them, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin were immediately distracted and the despondency on their faces finally disappeared.


    Crescent, with her face buried in Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, sobbed for another few moments. With her father consoling her, she slowly grew tired for sobbing and stopped. When they arrived at the livery stable, her attention was instantly drawn to a snow-white foal. Staring at it with curious eyes, she had Yuwen Tong put her down and then walked up to it to stroke it, forgetting what she¡¯d felt sad about a short while before.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Tong finally heaved a sigh of relief. These children got emotional so easily that he was really a little worried that he might not be able to handle this kind of situation properly.


    Ling Maomao, who¡¯d been following him all along, also gave a gasp of relief, holding the flowers that Crescent had entrusted to him. As he saw that his nephews and niece were fascinated by the three foals, he hastened up to them to make sure none of them got hurt.


    Those foals were all descendants of thoroughbreds of rare species. The black one with white patches on its skin was the son of North Wind and Snowflake; the other two were born of another pedigreed horse. Yuwen Tong had specially prepared these foals to feast his children¡¯s eyes.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin, under the close protection of guards, got onto the foals¡¯ backs. The foals were quite docile and didn¡¯t overreact after the two princes mounted them. As the foals slowly walked around, Yuwen Qi shouted with joy. Even Yuwen Lin who had always been rather quiet couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled, his face registering excitement.


    Crescent also wanted to get onto a foal like her brothers did, but she was too young to be on horseback on her own, so Yuwen Tong mounted North Wind and, carrying her in his arms, had North Wind slowly walk around the field. A while before, when crying, she¡¯d appeared a gentle and quiet little girl, but at this moment she was so happy as though she were losing her mind. She laughed and screamed in delight and urged Yuwen Tong to have the horse run.


    Once North Wind started running, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get him to slow down. Worrying that the little girl could easily catch cold in the airflow, Yuwen Tong, naturally, wouldn¡¯t have North Wind gallop. He just trotted the horse to stay ahead of Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s foals. However, even so, Crescent got very excited and smugly ¡°derided¡± her big brothers.


    Standing on the spot, watching the children yelling excitedly on the field, Ling Maomao couldn¡¯t help recalling that when he¡¯d been their age, he¡¯d learned to ride in the same way. It¡¯d been Ling Zhang who taught him, and at that time they¡¯d still been in Tanyang.


    The Ling family had been through so much after moving to the capital city that Ling Maomao, recollecting his childhood, felt as though those things had been in the long distant past. Ever since he¡¯d come to the capital city, he¡¯d never returned to Tanyang again. During the last Spring Festival, his elders had talked about paying a visit to Tanyang later this year, but what with his mother¡¯s pregnancy, he had a feeling that the plan could well be put on ice.


    However, though he wouldn¡¯t be able to return to Tanyang anytime soon, he wanted to pay a visit to Haizhou. Ever since he¡¯d gone to Shengzhou, he¡¯d never got a chance to come back to this city until a couple of months before, and neither had he ever got a chance to go to Haizhou. Previously he¡¯d promised Ji Xiaocong that he would go to that island to look up him and his family, but the occasion had never arisen¡­


    Right now he was learning kung fu from Ji Yin. Though what he¡¯d been learning didn¡¯t include the unique method of cultivating internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion, Ji Yin had been teaching him some long-lost kung fu skills of the Millennium Pavilion. He would become a first-rater in the martial arts world if he mastered all of them. He was grateful to Ji Yin, and every time he saw the old man, he recalled Ji Xiaocong¡¯s and his uncle Ji Yanlai¡¯s stay in the capital city and the promise he¡¯d made Ji Xiaocong, and his desire to pay a visit to Haizhou intensified somewhat. He had asked Ji Yin about it and been told that he had to wait until he¡¯d learned from Ji Yin for a solid year to get the permission to go to Haizhou. This one-year period was crucial in the sense that he was supposed to lay a solid foundation during it, so he must not slack off and had to tough it out.


    Still, he wondered what Ji Xiaocong looked like now. It¡¯d been five years and Ji Xiaocong had also grown into a teenager¡­


    ¡°Ha-ha¡­Hurry, Father! They¡¯re catching up!¡± Crescent¡¯s voice was high-pitched and sonorous and could be heard from a long distance.


    ¡­


    In the Luohai Kingdom.


    A carrier pigeon carrying a letter containing news of Ling Zhang¡¯s two-day closed-door cultivation quickly traveled past one mountain after another. The messages were soon delivered to Youzhou. After reading the letter, Ling Zhaowu had a shrewd idea of why his son had started closed-door cultivation. He thought about the situation in the Luohai Kingdom for a while before deciding to go to that country. Then he quickly made a series of arrangements.


    Meanwhile, these messages were also being rapidly delivered to the Great Wen. It was two days later that Yuwen Tong received them.


    ¡°Closed-door cultivation?¡± Yuwen Tong knitted his brows, worrying that it was because something had gone wrong during Ling Zhang¡¯s cultivation of internal energy, for the Luohai Kingdom was not a fit place for Ling Zhang to conduct closed-door cultivation. When he¡¯d patiently finished reading the letter, he came to understand the reason and was relieved. At the same time, it came to his knowledge that Ling Zhaowu had sneaked into the Luohai Kingdom.


    A chuckle escaped his lips. Ling Zhaowu hadn¡¯t changed a little bit during so many years ¨C he always dealt with things in an unhurried fashion, except when his son was concerned. However, Yuwen Tong soon realized that he himself was just like Ling Zhaowu, that he would have left with Ling Zhang if it weren¡¯t for the fact that there¡¯d been too many state affairs in early spring which had kept him fully occupied.


    ¡°Yao Yi, I need you to go to the manor to deliver a message to the two old men. Tell them the news about Brother Zhang. Inform Mr. Ji of his closed-door cultivation. Old Master Ling only needs to know Brother Zhang is safe.¡± Yuwen Tong summoned Yao Yi and instructed him to deliver a message to the suburban manor.


    Yao Yi accepted the orders and soon exited the city, heading for the manor on a fast horse.


    After receiving the message, Ling Xingzhong came to know that Ling Zhang was fine, and his mind finally stopped dwelling on the dream he¡¯d had several days before. Half of his worries dissolved, but the other half might well linger in his head until he saw Ling Zhang return safely.


    Meanwhile, Ji Yin, after being informed of Ling Zhang¡¯s closed-door cultivation, guessed that Ling Zhang was trying to gain more control over his powers. Ling Zhang had just reached the sixth layer, and it would indeed be an inconvenience if he kept emanating a brooding air unawares. Ji Yin had also come to know that Ling Zhaowu had entered the Luohai Kingdom, but it was unnecessary for him to worry about Ling Zhaowu. He said to Yao Yi, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhaowu, whom nobody was worried about, headed straight for the capital after entering the Luohai Kingdom.


    Ling Zhang was unaware that his own father had come to this country as well. He had just finished his closed-door cultivation and was now performing Qi circulation. During the two-day closed-door cultivation, he had finally learned how to better control his internal energy of the sixth layer. He felt that he could mobilize any proportion of it at will, that this time around, if he deliberately kept it under control, people should no longer be deterred from glancing at him.


    After he opened the doors, the first thing he did was summon Yang Liuzi and some others to give it a test run.


    On entering the house, Yang Liuzi and a couple of others distinctly felt the change in the air about Ling Zhang, their faces etched with astonishment. ¡°Young Master, why are you¡­¡±

 Chapter 474 - A Stink & The Death of Xue Yis Half-Brother

    In the Luohai Kingdom.


    Taiping Inn in the capital was uproarious. It provided customers with accommodation as well as delicacies and good wine. At mealtimes, both the ground floor and the second floor were always filled to capacity, the innkeeper and the waiters working flat out.


    Sitting around a table in a corner of the second floor were six people, all of whom were about the average height of Luohai people, but they were more light-complexioned, and their noses were more prominent than those of common Luohai people, their eyes more hollow. Though their clothes were of Luohai style, people with discerning eyes could tell that they were not natives of the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°What should we do now, Young Master? It¡¯s been two days since we had our request delivered into the palace, but the monarch still shows no inclination to grant us an audience. He¡¯s so offhand with us, treating us like a bunch of nobodies. Do you think he¡¯s really going to make an alliance with us?¡±


    One of the six people made some remarks in a very disgruntled tone of voice. Were this not a public place, he would have pounded the table and jumped to his full height. These people were Xue Yi and his men who entered the city two days before. They had orders from the monarch of the Wan Kingdom to come to the Luohai Kingdom to negotiate and see if they could forge an alliance with the Luohai Kingdom to fight against the Great Wen, but judging from their angry faces, they clearly hadn¡¯t even been granted an audience with Mu Hengtian yet. Xue Yi¡¯s henchmen had grown discontented some time before.


    ¡°Both our country and the Luohai Kingdom have everything to gain and nothing to lose by forging an alliance. We must fulfill the task His Majesty assigned to us, by hook or by crook, so be patient. It¡¯s been only two days. We¡¯ll wait two months if that¡¯s what it takes to get the job done, let alone two days.¡±


    The speaker was a big man with a grave face, who was none other than Xue Yi, Xue Chi¡¯s son. All the five men he¡¯d brought with him were his trusted subordinates who always followed his orders with unquestioning obedience. As Xue Yi had put it this way, his henchmen restrained themselves, though they were quite indignant at the way the Wan monarch had treated them.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just keep waiting. By the end of the day, if the Luohai monarch still doesn¡¯t summon us, we¡¯ll have to figure out another way to get an audience with him,¡± said a man sitting beside Xue Yi. He bore some resemblance to Xue Yi, but compared with Xue Yi who was tall and strong, he appeared relatively thin.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Second Brother. We should go and see Mu Rongfeng the crown prince if his father still refuses to see us,¡± said Xue Yi.


    ¡°Um. Mu Rongfeng¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a small world. Aren¡¯t you General Xue¡¯s son? Why are you stealthily hiding in this corner dressed like a Luohai commoner? Are you really so scared of showing your face? Or are you afraid that citizens here would spit at you and drown you with their saliva if you blow your cover?¡±


    A harsh voice came, interrupting the man beside Xue Yi, drawing the attention of all customers and infuriating Xue Yi¡¯s men.


    ¡°What did you just say?! Say it again and I¡¯ll tear your stupid mouth apart! Wretches like you are in no position to judge our young master!¡± snapped one of Xue Yi¡¯s henchmen, springing to his feet.


    Xue Yi slightly furrowed his eyebrows, looking in the direction of the man who¡¯d made those provocative remarks. Naturally he was annoyed, but he was not inclined to escalate this situation. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Sit down. This is no place for a stink.¡±


    That henchman of his was unreconciled to it, but eventually he still obeyed Xue Yi¡¯s orders and sat into his seat.


    ¡°Faugh! What a wimp. People like you are not even fit to clean my shoes. All you do is steal from people in the border city like thieves and rob and murder Luohai merchants! Tell me ¨C how did you sneak in here? Are you harboring any ulterior motives?!¡±


    The one who was trying to provoke them seemed to have no intention to let it go at that. Instead, he started using more insulting words. More and more people¡¯s attention was arrested. Almost all customers on the second floor fixed their eyes on Xue Yi and his men.


    Xue Yi and his men were in disguise and didn¡¯t want to blow their cover, for Xue Yi intended to keep his presence in the Luohai Kingdom secret from other people, especially Yuwen Tong¡¯s men. He was inclined to swallow the provocation to stay out of trouble, but that man clearly had no inclination to leave the matter at that. Worse still, more and more people were looking in his direction. Seeing this, Xue Yi gave his men a significant look, signaling them to take action and restrain the speaker first.


    A guard of his immediately rose to his feet and made towards the speaker.


    ¡°What are you doing? This is the Luohai Kingdom not the Wan Kingdom. You want to use violence? Somebody help me! This guy from the Wan Kingdom wants to attack me!¡± At the sight of Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguard walking up to him, the man who¡¯d made those provocative remarks started yelling.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± railed Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguard.


    Looking at that man, Xue Yi knitted his brows. He didn¡¯t know that man, but somehow the man had recognized him. The more he thought about it, the stronger his foreboding feeling that something was wrong. He instructed, ¡°Get it over with.¡±


    The guard quickened his pace and with that the customers were agitated and made towards the scene. The relationship between the two countries had been worsening during the past few years, and Luohai people were quite ill-disposed towards Wan people. At this moment, seeing these Wan men posing as Luohai commoners were making trouble, the customers naturally became indignant.


    After a flicker flashed across his eyes, the man who¡¯d tried to provoke Xue Yi reprimanded aloud, ¡°How dare you people! Do any of you know who I am? I serve the crown prince. Lay a finger on me and I¡¯ll have you pay with your lives!¡±


    He served the crown prince? He was Mu Rongfeng¡¯s man?


    Xue Yi commanded his man to stop. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Seeing Xue Yi instruct his guard to stop, the man became even more smug. ¡°It seems you guys are not blind to reason. If you dare harm a hair of my head, you will be apprehended and thrown into prison immediately. This is the Luohai Kingdom, not the Wan Kingdom!¡±


    ¡°What do you want? Just because you serve the crown prince doesn¡¯t give you the right to insult people as you please. Since you know who I am, you should also know who sent me to this country. How dare you abuse me like that?¡± raged Xue Yi.


    ¡°We would never forget how many innocent Luohai residents you people have murdered at the border. If you¡¯re here to make overtures, why don¡¯t you do something to demonstrate your sincerity first?¡± said the man.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Xue Yi, staring at the man, wondering whether the man was speaking on behalf of himself or Mu Rongfeng.


    ¡°Execute those Wan soldiers who murdered Luohai merchants and civilians. Execute Chen Feng who murdered our envoy!¡±


    The customers gathered around the two sides. They might not know who Xue Yi was, but it was unmistakable that the six men were from the Wan Kingdom. At this moment, after hearing the man¡¯s words, all the customers went angry and bawled, ¡°Execute those murderers!¡±


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouths!¡±


    Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguards, who also went furious, couldn¡¯t help but raise their voices, demanding those people shut up. Afterward, for some reason, someone grabbed a stool, lunged up to Xue Yi and swung at him with the chair. Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguards, naturally, did what they had to do to protect Xue Yi.


    The customers were antagonized even further as they saw the bodyguards make their move¡­


    And then the situation got out of control. A melee broke out before Xue Yi could instruct his men to show restraint. They were ringed by angry customers who were hurling stools, chopsticks, bowls and dishes at them constantly. Some of them even drew knives.


    Xue Yi¡¯s countenance changed at the sight of the knives. ¡°Stop! All of you! You¨C¡±


    ¡°Watch out, Second Young Master!¡±


    The next second, the sound of a knife sinking into someone¡¯s chest was heard. During the rough-and-tumble, the man from the Wan Kingdom who bore some likeness to Xue Yi received a stab in the chest and breathed his last on the spot.


    ¡°BROTHER!!¡± Xue Yi went berserk. The victim was his half-brother and also his trusted adviser, who had accompanied him to the Luohai Kingdom. Xue Yi would have to rely heavily on him to give him advice on how to negotiate with the Luohai Kingdom, but now he was dead.


    The man who had started the whole thing and was now hiding in the crowd also saw this scene. As he heard Xue Yi call that man brother, his face stiffened for an instant and with that he grabbed the man beside him and hissed, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did they kill that guy? He¡¯s Xue Yi¡¯s big brother!¡±


    ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know either. I thought he was just a common bodyguard!¡± replied the man beside him tremulously.


    ¡°Tell them to stop. Now!¡±


    Unfortunately, everybody involved in the confused fighting had got too emotional to see reason; the death of the man seemed to add fuel to the flames of the customers¡¯ rage. Also, a city patrol who¡¯d been informed of the incident was approaching along the street.


    ¡°Young Master, we don¡¯t know what these people want. I¡¯m afraid they might make an attempt on you. You need to get out of here right away,¡± urged Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguard anxiously as he glimpsed a large group of guards flooding upstairs.


    Xue Yi¡¯s eyes were red with fury. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going anywhere unless the Luohai Kingdom gives me an explanation! It¡¯s not myself that I came here on behalf of. These people are showing a blatant disregard for our country¡¯s dignity!¡±


    The capital city patrol arrived, packing the whole second floor of the inn, temporarily holding vehement customers back. Xue Yi and all his men bore visible wounds.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± inquired the man heading the city patrol.


    ¡°Captain, these guys are from the Wan Kingdom. They masqueraded as our fellow countrymen with intent to do evil. We saw through them and they tried to flee!¡± replied a customer indignantly.


    Things were going in another direction amid public clamor. The captain looked at Xue Yi and his men. At a single motion of his hand, the guards made towards the suspects with the intention to arrest them.


    Xue Yi angrily balled his hands into fists. ¡°How dare you! I¡¯m¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop, all of you!¡± someone suddenly bellowed.


    The city patrol pivoted around and all gave a start at the sight of the owner of the voice and with that they hastened to bow with hands folded in front to the man. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to meet you, Assistant Minister Dugu.¡±


    It was a young man dressed like a Luohai aristocrat. After his eyes swept around the whole second floor, he knitted his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? What are you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, some thugs from the Wan Kingdom disguised themselves as our fellow countrymen and caused a disturbance. We¡¯re here to arrest them,¡± responded the captain.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The young man looked at Xue Yi and his men, a hint of surprise in his eyes. And then comprehension suddenly dawned on his face. ¡°It¡¯s you. Aren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    He seemed to recognize Xue Yi and his men, his face etched with astonishment. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± He abruptly swiveled around to face the city patrol and reprimanded, ¡°These are His Majesty¡¯s honored guests. Who gave you the permission to arrest them?! Make way, now!¡±


    Seeing this, Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguard all muscles of whom were tense gradually relaxed. Then he turned his head around to look at Xue Yi. ¡°Young Master?¡±


    Holding his deceased half-brother in his arms, an ugly look on his face, Xue Yi shifted his gaze to the young man. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Dugu Miao. My father is the Prime Minister, which I think you¡¯ve come to know already, my honored guest. I was here to meet a friend and then I heard the noises on the second floor and came up here to see what it was about. I didn¡¯t bargain on seeing these people misunderstand you. You¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s guests, surely not ¡®thugs¡¯ coming here to make trouble. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. How about we¡­¡± replied Dugu Miao, walking over. At the sight of Xue Yi¡¯s dead half-brother in Xue Yi¡¯s arms, he paused in shock. ¡°Wha¨CWhat the¡­Someone send for a physician! Now!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± said Xue Yi through gritted teeth. ¡°My brother has died. I¡¯ll make all these people pay for his death!¡±


    As he stopped speaking, his murderous eyes flashed towards the initiator of the disturbance.


    Astounded, Dugu Miao looked in that direction and then asked quizzically, ¡°Sheren Wang? (In feudal China, hangers-on of an aristocrat are generally called Sheren) What business do you have here?¡±

 Chapter 475 - The Arrival of Ling Zhaowu

    The man addressed as ¡°Sheren Wang¡± (In feudal China, hangers-on of an aristocrat are generally called Sheren) had a quite ugly look on his face.


    Gazing at the dead man in Xue Yi¡¯s arms, he came to realize that things had gone beyond what he¡¯d bargained for, that he must return and report it to the crown prince as soon as possible. However, he soon found that extricating himself from the current situation was no longer within his capabilities¡­


    ¡­


    In the Eastern Palace, the abode of the crown prince.


    A guard hastened into the Eastern Palace, requested an audience with Mu Rongfeng and, after his request was granted, gave the crown prince a blow-by-blow account of what had happened in the inn.


    ¡°Your Highness, Xue Yi¡¯s half-brother is dead. Sheren Wang was taken into custody by order of Dugu Miao, who has now accompanied Xue Yi into the palace to seek an audience with His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Mu Rongfeng sprung to his feet in fury. ¡°How did that happen? The orders I gave Wang Huai were to rebuke Xue Yi and take him down a peg. Why did someone get killed there? And how did Xue Yi¡¯s half-brother get involved in this? When did he come to this city?¡±


    The guard replied, ¡°To my knowledge, Xue Yi¡¯s half-brother posed as his bodyguard and entered the city with him on that day.¡±


    With a sulky face, Mu Rongfeng railed, ¡°Wang Huai is such a good-for-nothing. He never makes, but always mars!¡±


    After a while, he instructed through gritted teeth, ¡°Come with me to see my father.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡­


    A detailed report on the incident in the inn was soon delivered to Ling Zhang¡¯s abode and placed on his desk.


    The courtyard house in the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was very quiet, totally unaffected by that disturbance in the inn.


    ¡°Childe Ling, just as you expected, the Dugu family seized the opportunity and intensified Xue Yi¡¯s resentment towards Mu Rongfeng. Mu Rongfeng went to the palace with all haste in an attempt to make amends, but Xue Yi refused to grant him absolution. In no circumstances would Xue Yi ever again consider talking with Mu Rongfeng about cooperation. The old monarch promised that he would mete out severe punishment to the crown prince, but he¡¯s been skirting around the subject of an alliance suggested by Xue Yi.¡± Lian Hai related to Ling Zhang what had happened outside.


    Ling Zhang gave a sneer. He¡¯d seen this coming as well.


    The Wan Kingdom making a request for an alliance was synonymous with offering Mu Hengtian an opportunity to charge them exorbitant prices. The reason why Mu Hengtian was in no hurry to see Xue Yi was because he wanted to keep Xue Yi in suspense for a while, so that he would be in a more advantageous position during the negotiations. However, now that the plan had been derailed by the deeds of Mu Rongfeng who¡¯d waded in, Mu Hengtian, without doubt, was secretly displeased with Mu Rongfeng, but he still wouldn¡¯t grant Xue Yi¡¯s request right away. With such a golden opportunity of negotiating favorable terms in front of him, on no account would he make concessions just because of the death of one man. It was a natural thing that he¡¯d been evading talking about the subject of an alliance. Ling Zhang believed that Mu Hengtian would first placate Xue Yi and then ask unreasonable conditions. An alliance was of little significance to the Luohai Kingdom, so Mu Hengtian was in no hurry and didn¡¯t mind delaying it for a while longer.


    ¡°Previously Xue Yi might have the patience to wait, but now that his half-brother¡¯s dead, there¡¯s no doubt he wouldn¡¯t be able to wait for long. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do whatever he could to force Mu Hengtian into agreeing to forge an alliance. Cooperating with Mu Rongfeng is no longer an option for him, and Dugu Miao helped him get an audience with Mu Hengtian, which means currently the Dugu family is his only choice,¡± said Lian Hai.


    They had been manipulating the Dugu family like a marionette for quite some time. Xue Yi would be walking right into the trap they¡¯d laid for him if he chose to cooperate with the Dugu family.


    ¡°We still need to keep a weather eye on the Dugu family. Anybody who rises to the position of prime minister is no fool. Be careful not to rouse his suspicions. Compared with Xue Yi, the Dugu family are of more use to us,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Lian Hai.


    ¡°Childe Ling, there is, in addition, another matter. I just received a message from your father. He said that he¡¯d departed for this city,¡± continued Lian Hai.


    Ling Zhang was astonished. His father was coming? Hadn¡¯t his father said that he¡¯d stay in Shengzhou waiting for him? Why had he suddenly decided to come to this city? ¡°What happened in Shengzhou?¡± he asked.


    Lian Hai answered, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine in Shengzhou. It was probably because he missed you that he decided to come here.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    The past couple of years had been more than enough for him to get to know his father as well as he himself did. On the surface his father appeared unconcerned about everything, but in fact whenever he left the capital city or was bothered by something, his father became worried about him as though he were still a three-year-old child.


    With a fairly resigned look on his face, Ling Zhang said, ¡°I see. Tell me when he approaches the city. Make sure he has everything he needs during his stay in this city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling. I¡¯ll see to it that all necessary arrangements are properly made,¡± said Lian Hai.


    After discussing all the matters he needed to confer with Ling Zhang, Lian Hai rose to his feet and took his leave. There were a lot of issues he had to attend to.


    Ling Zhang watched as Lian Hai left. During their conversation, Lian Hai had appeared much more composed than he¡¯d been in their last few meetings. It seemed that his closed-door cultivation had been fruitful.


    Meanwhile, Lian Hai, after leaving the courtyard house, felt somewhat bemused. He could sense that the air about Ling Zhang was manifestly different, but he didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡­


    The residence of the Dugu family.


    ¡°This way, please, Childe Xue.¡±


    Dugu Miao ushered Xue Yi in with the intention to take him to see his father, Prime Minister Dugu. On the way, he told Xue Yi, ¡°I¡¯ve made arrangements for the matter of your brother to be handled. My family has only limited powers, but I promise your brother¡¯s body will be safely delivered back to the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    Xue Yi pressed his lips together. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said after a brief moment.


    A look of hatred flitted across Xue Yi¡¯s eyes at the mention of his deceased half-brother. He bore resentment towards both Mu Rongfeng and the Luohai Kingdom, and he didn¡¯t like the Dugu family either, but he would rather cooperate with the Dugu family than with Mu Rongfeng. Mu Hengtian, that old bastard, was still avoiding talking about the matter of making an alliance, and he had had enough of staying in the Luohai Kingdom, so he had no alternative but to seek help from the Dugu family, hoping to have Mu Hengtian give his consent sooner so that he could get out of this country sooner. He inwardly swore that after taking the Great Wen with the Luohai Kingdom, he would bring the alignment to an end, launch an offensive on the Luohai Kingdom and kill Mu Rongfeng to avenge his half-brother¡¯s murder!


    Dugu Miao took Xue Yi to see Prime Minister Dugu. The content of their conversation was unknown to outsiders, but it came to Ling Zhang¡¯s knowledge, because money talks. One of Prime Minister Dugu¡¯s henchmen had been bought. The man had no idea whom Lian Hai served, believing that Lian Hai was just the chairman of a chamber of commerce who needed more information. Not for a moment had he connected it with the Great Wen.


    Ling Zhang, after being informed of the content of the conversation between Prime Minister Dugu and Xue Yi, came to know that the former was deluding the latter, that the Dugu family had helped Xue Yi only because they wanted to find out how much benefits they could get from assisting Xue Yi, and¡­how badly they might be able to undermine Mu Rongfeng¡¯s position.


    Sooner or later Xue Yi would come to see that all these people of the Luohai Kingdom were untrustworthy, that even if the Luohai monarch agreed to make an alliance, he could rip up the allied treaty at any moment, but Ling Zhang knew that he would have to do more to make that happen.


    ¡­


    Xue Yi was settled in a courier hostel. Every few days he sent in a memorial to the Luohai monarch to urge him to make a decision. On the surface the Dugu family seemed to be actively helping him, but it was all just an act.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhaowu arrived in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom and quietly entered the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce without anybody noticing.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Because it was inconvenient for him to go out, Ling Zhang had stationed himself in the gateway of his courtyard house some time before, waiting to meet his father. At the sight of Ling Zhaowu showing up, his face creased into a smile and he walked up to him.


    A tender look flashed across Ling Zhaowu¡¯s eyes as he saw that his son was safe and sound. He clapped his son on the shoulder and observed, ¡°You look pretty sturdy. It seems you haven¡¯t been wasting away during the last month or so.¡±


    Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. While ushering his father into the courtyard house, he said, ¡°How could I waste away when I have so many people taking care of me? Let¡¯s talk about you first. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d stay in Shengzhou waiting for me? Why did you suddenly decide to come here? Did something else happen in the chamber of commerce?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu replied, ¡°A few days ago I heard that you started closed-door cultivation. I was worried that something went wrong during your cultivation of internal energy, so I came here to check on you.¡±


    Ling Zhang held out his hand to his father on his own account. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I performed closed-door cultivation only because I wanted to develop my proficiency in internal energy so that I could better control it lest people get scared whenever they clap eyes on me. I might have to meet Mu Hengtian in a few days. How am I supposed to talk with him about making an alliance if he doesn¡¯t even dare look at me?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu held his son¡¯s wrist, carefully felt his pulse and then came to know that his son was telling the truth, his worries finally dissolving.


    ¡°It seems that this method of internal energy cultivation is quite potent,¡± remarked Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Maybe it also has something to do with my blood. My grandfather told me that none of the others radiated such dramatic sense of power when they were at the same level as mine.¡±


    Ling Zhang led his father into the house. Worrying that his father was tired from the long journey, he suggested his father wash his face, change clothes and then have some rest. He himself went to arrange a welcome reception.


    Ling Zhaowu¡¯s physical condition had been improving continuously during the past few years. Because of the restart of his cultivation of internal energy, his constitution had long since become stronger than that of the average person, which was why he didn¡¯t find the journey tiring. After washing his face and changing clothes, he walked out.


    Having no intention to insist his father get some rest, Ling Zhang filled him in on the recent events in the capital.


    When he¡¯d finished speaking, Ling Zhaowu commented, ¡°From the vantage point of the present, the old monarch would make a reply within half a month.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Xue Yi has been pressing him hard. I¡¯ve instructed them to work faster.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°We don¡¯t necessarily have to make Xue Yi return home empty-handed. Your objective is to thwart the Wan Kingdom¡¯s plan to align themselves with the Luohai Kingdom. As long as nobody in the Luohai Kingdom takes the alliance seriously, it would be useless even if Xue Yi goes back with a signed agreement ¨C it might even serve to pull the wool over Shan Congli¡¯s eyes. After all, it¡¯s an alliance with the Great Wen that we want Mu Hengtian to set great store by.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. ¡°But if we do that, the Luohai Kingdom would be aligned with the other two sides at the same time and get all the advantages. He could totally just sit on the fence and watch the other two sides fight. Wouldn¡¯t that put us at a disadvantage?¡±


    Ling Zhaowu replied, ¡°The Luohai Kingdom being a fence-sitter is inevitable. Mu Hengtian has been on the throne for many years. Although currently he¡¯s mired in the trouble of the Dugu family and Nian Feng the General-in-chief wielding too much power, he has been keeping the two forces in balance for so many years, which means that he¡¯s no fool. Five years ago, the Luohai Kingdom suffered a defeat in the war, so Mu Hengtian is no doubt wary and suspicious of the Great Wen. There¡¯s no way he would trust the Great Wen completely and align himself with the Great Wen against the Wan Kingdom. Him being a fence-sitter also means that he wouldn¡¯t give the Wan Kingdom his full support either. This is our chance. All we need to do is have the Luohai Kingdom make their move and deliver the Wan Kingdom a lethal blow at the crucial moment ¨C there¡¯s nothing more we could expect from Mu Hengtian.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some careful thought. Before he came to the Luohai Kingdom, Yuwen Tong had made similar remarks. The bottom line was that they had to make sure Mu Hengtian would muscle in and stab the Wan Kingdom in the back if the occasion arose. The Great Wen¡¯s alliance with the Luohai Kingdom would be a provisional one anyway. After the Wan Kingdom was taken care of, the Luohai Kingdom would inevitably be the next target.


    ¡°It would seem there¡¯s no necessity for me to pay him a visit,¡± sighed Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowu gave a smile. ¡°Actually there is. Compared with a son of a General-in-chief, a consort undoubtedly carries more weight. And you¡¯d be adding weight to the future alliance by visiting him. Why else do you think Yuwen Tong let you leave the capital city so easily?¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a little cough.


    ¡°In comparison with an alliance covenant, keeping the Dugu family under control is the matter of supreme importance. The Dugu family and the Luohai Kingdom must be kept in the dark about the truth while the Great Wen is dealing with the Wan Kingdom. We have to make sure they¡¯re stuck in a whirlpool of internecine struggles. Otherwise the Luohai Kingdom would become a troublesome enemy ahead of schedule and it¡¯d take a lot more of our time and energy to handle the issue,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang, who was aware of this as well, gave a nod. In fact, he had once reminded Lian Hai that the matter of making an alliance might be taken lightly, but the matter of keeping the Dugu family in the dark and the Luohai Kingdom in infighting must be treated with great caution.

 Chapter 476 - Xue Yis Impatience

    ¡°Take this letter out of the city and tell the handler to have it delivered to my father as soon as possible.¡±


    In a courier hostel in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom, Xue Yi handed a letter sealed in a thin bamboo tube to his trusted bodyguard, a sulky look in his eyes. Recalling that earlier this day the Luohai monarch had once again postponed making a reply, he felt really annoyed.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Xue Yi¡¯s bodyguard took the secret letter, put it away, disguised himself and then left the courier hostel, heading for the city gates.


    A man working for the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, who had been covertly staking out the courier hostel, soon reported the bodyguard¡¯s acts to Lian Hai.


    ¡°Childe Ling, Xue Yi sent a letter back to the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    It was early in the morning. Ling Zhang, after being informed of this matter, said with a head bob, ¡°I see. Keep a close eye on Xue Yi. Someone will deal with that letter he sent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Childe Ling,¡± Lian Hai answered and then took his leave.


    Ling Zhang sat down and started thinking. Some of Yuwen Tong¡¯s men were in the Wan Kingdom, and they could handle this matter. As for the letter Xue Yi had sent back to the Wan Kingdom, he had a shrewd idea what was in it. It was probably about the death of his half-brother, the delaying tactics of the Luohai monarch and, of course, his anger at the various sides in the Luohai Kingdom. Xue Yi had orders from the Wan monarch to come to this city, and he wouldn¡¯t leave until the mission was accomplished. In that private letter to Xue Chi, he might well have asked his father to give him some advice. The man who¡¯d been killed in the inn was Xue Yi¡¯s half-brother and also his most trusted adviser. Without him by his side, Xue Yi didn¡¯t even have anybody to talk about his grievances with in the Luohai Kingdom.


    It struck Ling Zhang as quite baffling that Shan Congli had sent Xue Yi to the Luohai Kingdom. Given Xue Yi¡¯s relatively low rank, wasn¡¯t it inevitable that Mu Hengtian would make a fool out of him? Besides, Xue Chi was the General-in-chief and enjoyed a high prestige among the troops. After being reinstated, he would no doubt be wielding great power in the army once again. Had Shan Congli not feared that if he sent Xue Yi, Xue Chi¡¯s son, to the Luohai Kingdom, Xue Yi might strike some kind of secret deal with the Luohai Kingdom? Or was it because there were fewer and fewer people in the Wan Kingdom that Shan Congli deemed trustworthy?


    Ling Zhaowu came to the house to have breakfast with his son. On walking through the doors, he caught sight of Ling Zhang pondering.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance, settled Ling Zhaowu in a chair and then told his father his conjectures about the domestic situation in the Wan Kingdom. ¡°To my knowledge, Shan Congli reinstated Xue Chi because the Chen family was getting increasingly powerful, and he needed to make sure the Chen family had a relatively small say in military affairs, but why Shan Congli sent Xue Yi to the Luohai Kingdom has always been a mystery to me. After all, forging an alliance is an important issue. Though Xue Yi is Xue Chi¡¯s son, he¡¯s a military officer, and negotiating for an alliance is a task typically assigned to a civil official.¡±


    As a result, Ling Zhang had every reason to suspect that Shan Congli had nobody else he could entrust such a task with, which was why he had sent Xue Yi here to negotiate, though it was like forcing a donkey to dance.


    ¡°Xue Chi is a member of the faction led by the monarch. The Xue family has been loyal to the royal household of the Wan Kingdom for generations. Although the prestige of the Xue family concerns the royal household, the incumbent monarch, like several of his predecessors, knows very well that in times of crisis only the Xue family would come to his rescue, so it¡¯s not really surprising that Shan Congli trusts the Xue family and Xue Yi,¡± explained Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang also knew a thing or two in this regard. Yuwen Tong had once told him that the Xue family¡¯s status was quite special in the Wan Kingdom. In the past, it had been when Xue Chi was in the prime of his life that the Wan Kingdom ran roughshod over the Great Yue. Had Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather not exerted himself with might and main, the Great Yue would have long since been flattened by Xue Chi¡¯s troops. Afterward, Yuwen Tong had made his presence felt. As a budding young general, he had been on a par with Xue Chi. At a later stage, he had even driven Xue Chi out of the Great Yue, recovering all lost cities, bringing Xue Chi down a peg. After Xue Chi suffered several defeats in a row, the Wan monarch had become suspicious of Xue Chi, relieved him of his command and appointed Chen Feng in his stead. Since then, Xue Chi had been staying idly at home.


    However, Xue Chi was a military officer after all. Though Xue Yi also enjoyed some fame, it was limited to the armies of the Wan Kingdom.


    ¡°Xue Chi was quite composed when he first entered this city. He once said that he would patiently wait for two months if that was what it took for Mu Hengtian to grant his request. I think you know why he suddenly became so restless,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°It¡¯s because of the death of Xue Fang, his half-brother. He¡¯s not only Xue Yi¡¯s half-brother but also his adviser.¡±


    Wait a moment. Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Father, are you saying that this Xue Fang guy was the key to the success of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s negotiations with the Luohai Kingdom? That he was the very reason why Shan Congli sent Xue Yi here to negotiate?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± replied Ling Zhaowu. ¡°Xue Fang was a very secretive man. On the surface he was merely Xue Yi¡¯s adviser, but he was very intelligent and resourceful. In fact, he was also a member of Xue Chi¡¯s think tank. The Wan monarch is fully aware of this. The Chen family has been growing more and more powerful in the Wan Kingdom, and Shan Congli reinstated Xue Chi in an attempt to maintain the balance of power. The Xue family needs to perform an exceptionally meritorious service to be restored to its former glory. By sending Xue Yi here to negotiate, the Wan monarch was offering the Xue family an opportunity to perform such a meritorious service. Xue Chi¡¯s identity is rather sensitive, and the Wan monarch would never let him leave the Wan Kingdom, which makes Xue Yi the only suitable candidate. Besides, there are not many people in the Wan Kingdom who know that Xue Yi has covertly come here.


    I once met Xue Fang before in the past, which is why I know a thing or two about him. He was definitely not what he seemed, but it never crossed my mind that he would die so easily in a conflict like that.¡±


    Ling Zhang had departed for the Luohai Kingdom immediately after being informed of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s plan to make an alliance with the Luohai Kingdom, and it¡¯d been halfway through the journey that he was told that Xue Yi was the envoy Shan Congli had appointed. He didn¡¯t know much about Xue Fang. The Dugu family¡¯s men had been behind that conflict. Killing Xue Yi¡¯s adviser had been an advice he instructed Lian Hai to give the Dugu family. After all, that man had been not only an adviser but also Xue Yi¡¯s half-brother, which meant that killing him would deal Xue Yi a heavy blow. It had never occurred to him that that man was of such great importance. He had hit the mark by a fluke.


    It took Ling Zhang a few moments to express to Ling Zhaowu enough how lucky he felt. Then he said, ¡°Xue Yi has now become impatient, which means the Luohai Kingdom has a firmer grip on the initiative. I need to make preparations to have a meeting with Mu Hengtian.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu gave a nod. ¡°That might not be a bad idea.¡±


    Worrying that Ling Zhang was hungry after such a long talk, Ling Zhaowu had the servants deliver the breakfast into the room. The two of them breakfasted together.


    ¡­


    In the royal palace of the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°This way, please, Prime Minister Dugu. His Majesty granted you permission for an audience with him.¡±


    Dugu Shan the Prime Minister rearranged his robes before walking into the royal study.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You may rise, Aiqing Dugu (Aiqing is a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China).¡±


    Mu Hengtian was sitting in a chair behind a desk, leaning against the back of it. What with the various diseases he¡¯d been suffering from for years, his whole body appeared faintly swollen. Even sitting there was an ordeal for him. Sweat would well up on his face if he sat for too long. Overall, he looked in very poor health.


    Dugu Shan expressed his gratitude and then rose to his feet, looking at Mu Hengtian. ¡°Your Majesty, you look much better than you did a couple of days ago. It would seem the court physicians¡¯ medicines are effective.¡±


    Mu Hengtian smiled, ¡°I know about my physical condition well. Those medicines the court physicians have been giving me merely serve to delay my end.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re loved by all your subjects and blessed by the providence. Your diseases wouldn¡¯t be troubling you for long. Actually you seem much better today. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a full recovery in a few days, and when you do, I¡¯ll accompany you to the hunting ground to gallop as we did in the past,¡± said Dugu Shan.


    Though fully aware of his physical condition, Mu Hengtian still drew comfort from Dugu Shan¡¯s words, and he couldn¡¯t help but recall the good old days when he would gallop on the hunting ground with his courtiers.


    ¡°You may take a seat. Today I summoned you here because I want to hear your opinions about the Wan Kingdom¡¯s offer.¡± Mu Hengtian told Dugu Shan to sit down and asked him his opinions about the terms for an alliance laid out by the Wan Kingdom.


    The look in Dugu Shan¡¯s eyes flickered and with that he said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m positive the Wan Kingdom will accept our conditions. The Wan Kingdom have harbored hatred towards the Great Wen for generations, which is why they¡¯re exceptionally wary of the Great Wen, scared of the Great Wen¡¯s rise in strength, and are making an attempt to align themselves with us to fight against the Great Wen. At the end of the day, they just want to use us to help them be rid of the threat from the Great Wen. However, as things stand, it¡¯ll be more beneficial to us if the balance of power between the three countries stays the way it is. We have to either annex the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen or maintain the balance of power. Once we help the Wan Kingdom get rid of the Great Wen, the Wan Kingdom would, without doubt, turn against us, given the Wan monarch¡¯s wild ambitions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point,¡± observed Mu Hengtian, struggling to shift his position.


    Dugu Shan gave a smile and continued, ¡°Currently, it is not us but the Wan monarch who is frightened of the Great Wen. If Your Majesty have no intention to annex the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom for the moment, I believe it¡¯s not such a bad idea to accept the Wan Kingdom¡¯s offer. Firstly, the Great Wen has indeed been growing stronger at an alarmingly fast rate, and there¡¯s necessity for us to slow it down a little; secondly, the more scared the Wan monarch is, the more benefits we¡¯ll be able to get from the Wan Kingdom. As a result, I think Your Majesty¡¯s decision is very wise, and the terms you laid out are very much in our national interest. I really admire you.¡±


    Mu Hengtian also smiled, ¡°Spare us both the act, you wily old fox. I know exactly what you¡¯re thinking about. Xue Yi is running out of patience, and I think it¡¯s about time I relented. As for Xue Yi¡¯s bottom line ¨C or the Wan Kingdom¡¯s bottom line ¨C I believe you could do me a favor and find out about it, couldn¡¯t you, Aiqing Dugu?¡±


    Dugu Shan gave it a brief thought and caught on to what Mu Hengtian meant. Then he rose to his feet and replied, ¡°Consider it done, Your Majesty.¡±


    Mu Hengtian nodded. ¡°Okay, then, I¡¯ll be expecting your message.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡­


    After Dugu Shan took his leave, Mu Hengtian¡¯s face instantly became serious. He opened a memorial to the throne, picked up a secret letter in it and carefully reread it.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong¡­¡±


    Mu Hengtian put the letter down and gazed ahead emptily as though he were seeing Yuwen Tong the emperor of the Great Wen thousands of miles away. However, Mu Hengtian actually had never seen Yuwen Tong before. He had always been in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom. He¡¯d never been to the borderlands, and neither had he ever been to the Great Wen, but he had heard of the various legends of Yuwen Tong. Given that even Shan Congli was so frightened of Yuwen Tong as to seek alliance with the Luohai Kingdom, Mu Hengtian knew that Yuwen Tong¡¯s reputation must be well-earned.


    This secret letter from Yuwen Tong had arrived shortly after Xue Yi¡¯s arrival in the Luohai Kingdom. Yuwen Tong even had an intimate knowledge of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s intentions.


    The Great Wen also wanted to make an alliance with the Luohai Kingdom. After reading the letter, Mu Hengtian had been astonished at first, and then he¡¯d felt smug, but eventually he had cooled down. As Yuwen Tong¡¯s counterpart, he could guess a small part of the reason why Yuwen Tong was doing this, and he couldn¡¯t help but admire Yuwen Tong. On the surface, the rulers of the other two countries were racing to ingratiate themselves with him, but in fact, they both were up to the same thing. In the final analysis, they just wanted to use the Luohai Kingdom as a pawn. However, now that the two of them dared to regard his country as their pawn, he would turn the situation to his advantage and charge them high prices.


    Mu Hengtian¡¯s eyes went cold and with that he solemnly put the letter on the desk away. According to the letter, someone would come to talk with him face to face. He decided to wait and see who this person was.


    After Mu Hengtian put the letter back into the envelope and locked it up in a secret compartment, a weary look appeared on his face. He struggled to his feet and let out an exhalation of smelly air. He knew about his physical condition well and was aware that he might well depart this life in a couple of years. Presently, in the Luohai Kingdom, both the Dugu family and Nian Feng were wielding unduly great power. It probably wouldn¡¯t be easy for the crown prince to ascend the throne after his death, but if he took action to eliminate the Dugu family or Nian Feng, the other side would be alarmed and there might be unimaginable consequences. The only option was to let them be each other¡¯s counterbalance, and then figure out a way to undermine them step by step, but the problem was that it would take time, and time was a luxury he no longer had¡­


    Mu Hengtian stood in the royal study for quite a while, an inscrutable expression on his face.

 Chapter 477 - The Absolute Maximum the Wan Kingdom Was Willing to Offer

    In a summer house of the Dugu family¡¯s.


    On this day, Dugu Miao invited Xue Yi to lunch in this summer house which was quiet and registered in Dugu Miao¡¯s name.


    ¡°This place is quite secluded. We won¡¯t have any unexpected visitors. I know that lately you¡¯ve been waiting anxiously for a reply from His Majesty, Brother Xue. Yesterday my father went to the palace and had an audience with His Majesty, trying to persuade him to make a reply as soon as possible. Barring accidents, His Majesty will summon you in a couple of days. Before that, you might as well just relax and rest up, so that you¡¯ll be at your best during your meeting with His Majesty.¡±


    With a smile on his face, Dugu Miao ushered Xue Yi into the summer house, the design of which was patterned after architectural ideas of the Great Wen, and which boasted quite some bucolic charm. Spring had arrived, and all the ornamental plants in the summer house were sprouting. There was also a gurgling man-made stream winding its way through the residence. The combination of the genial spring sun and the pleasantly warm breeze was indeed quite relaxing.


    On hearing that Dugu Shan had paid a visit to the palace and managed to convince the Luohai monarch, Xue Yi, who had been so anxious in the past few days that he¡¯d developed some canker sores, was secretly furious but at the same time also inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. Now that Dugu Miao had dared say the monarch would make a reply in a few days, it was unlikely there would be another postponement.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance and hospitality, Brother Dugu,¡± said Xue Yi. No matter what, the Dugu family had indeed offered him a lot of help, so Xue Yi didn¡¯t mind stepping up his friendliness towards the Dugu family a little.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Brother Xue. We click, and I see you as a friend, and friends don¡¯t have to be so courteous to each other. After you, Brother Xue,¡± smiled Dugu Miao, turning aside to make way for Xue Yi.


    Ahead of them was a parterre inside which was a gazebo from the eaves of which hung half-unrolled bamboo curtains on all sides. There were some little wind chimes attached to the curtains. Whenever a breeze blew by, sweet silvery jingles issued from the wind chimes, dissolving people¡¯s vexation and anxiety.


    Dugu Miao was handsome and well-featured. There was amusement gleaming in his peach-blossom-shaped eyes even when he was not smiling, and he appeared particularly sincere when beaming.


    Though fully aware that Dugu Miao was not what he seemed either, Xue Yi was still swayed by Dugu Miao¡¯s smile. The word ¡°friends¡± rendered him much less defensive without him realizing it.


    ¡°After you, Brother Dugu,¡± said Xue Yi, his manner somewhat milder than it¡¯d been a short while before.


    A glitter flashed across the depths of Dugu Miao¡¯s beaming eyes, and with that he and Xue Yi entered the parterre together and walked into the gazebo.


    There was a stone table and some stone stools in the gazebo. The stools were topped with soft cushions. On the table was a hearty meal, along with a pot of wine. Bowls, chopsticks and wine cups were all in readiness. All arrangements were thoughtful and had been made scrupulously.


    ¡­


    Xue Yi had no recollection of when he¡¯d got drunk or whether he had disclosed anything he was not supposed to disclose. It was early the next morning that he woke up in a bed in Dugu Miao¡¯s summer house.


    At the sight of the strange surroundings, Xue Yi was instantly on the alert and abruptly sat up. His eyes swept around the room and with that his head started throbbing painfully. He involuntarily clapped his hands to his head, pressing them hard against it.


    Then he recalled that this place was Dugu Miao¡¯s summer house, that the day before he and Dugu Miao drank some wine in the gazebo in the parterre, but he somehow got drunk, and he didn¡¯t have a clue when he¡¯d drunk himself into a stupor.


    Xue Yi immediately became vigilant. Wondering whether or not in his stupor he had confided to Dugu Miao anything he ought not to confide, he hastened out of bed, hurried to the doors and heavily pulled them open.


    The bang scared a boy servant waiting in the doorway, who tremulously looked up at him and asked, ¡°Y¨CYou woke up, Sir.¡±


    Seeing that the boy servant was the only one present, Xue Yi knitted his brows. ¡°Who are you? Where¡¯s Dugu Miao? How long was I asleep for?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday you and my young master were very drunk. Right now my young master is still asleep. He hasn¡¯t sobered up yet. I¡¯m a servant in this residence. I have orders from the butler to stay here waiting for you to wake up. If you¡¯ve sobered up, please let me lead you to the dining room to take a seat and drink some Sobering Soup which helps clear your mind,¡± replied the boy servant in a methodical manner.


    Yesterday? So he¡¯d slept the whole night through, and Dugu Miao had also got drunk and was still asleep, which meant that Dugu Miao hadn¡¯t told anybody about whatever it was he had disclosed to Dugu Miao the day before.


    Xue Yi¡¯s deep frown slackened slightly. He wanted to leave immediately, but due to his lingering concern, he decided to sound Dugu Miao out first.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    The boy servant nodded and then ushered Xue Yi to the dining room.


    It was after Xue Yi drank some soup to soak up the booze and then finished breakfast that Dugu Miao showed up, his face etched with tiredness, massaging his head while walking in, appearing quite miserable.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, Brother Xue. I¡¯d never drunk that much wine before. This hangover is killing me,¡± said Dugu Miao before he added admiringly, ¡°You have such a high tolerance to alcohol, Brother Xue. I admire you so much. Did you wake up early this morning? Yesterday you really should¡¯ve stopped me from drinking that much ¨C that¡¯s what a friend should have done and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯d never drunk that much wine before?¡± asked Xue Yi impassively.


    Dugu Miao had just started to shake his head when he appeared on the verge of vomiting again. He cut such a sorry figure that he bore no similarity whatsoever to the young aristocrat of great presence he¡¯d been the day before. ¡°My father never allows me to drink too much. He said people tend to lose their sense of perspective when they¡¯re drunk. Yesterday I was in high spirits and my father was not home, so I drank too much unawares. Speaking of which, how much did I drink exactly yesterday, Brother Xue?¡±


    Xue Yi responded, ¡°I don¡¯t remember that either.¡±


    Dugu Miao looked at him disbelievingly, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember? I¡¯ve seen people do crazy things after getting drunk. Did I do something stupid yesterday, by any chance? You remember it but you¡¯re pretending otherwise to spare me the embarrassment, right?¡±


    The more Dugu Miao talked, the more convinced he was that this was the case. The look he cast at Xue Yi was quite questioning.


    Xue Yi affirmed, ¡°I really don¡¯t remember. Maybe you should summon the servants waiting on us yesterday and ask them about it.¡±


    Xue Yi¡¯s suggestion struck Dugu Miao as a good idea, so he summoned the servants. ¡°I want you to be honest with me about this ¨C yesterday, after I got drunk, did I do anything crazy or say anything stupid?¡±


    One of the servants, trembling, answered with a face of woe, ¡°Young Master, yesterday, after you drank some wine with this honored guest, you dressed us down halfway through the lunch, saying that we¡¯re in no position to stop you from drinking. You chucked all of us out of the gazebo and even had us flogged. Right now¡­Right now all the others are lying in bed, unable to get up. I¡¯m the only one still capable of walking, so I came here to wait on you. I really don¡¯t know what you did or said in your drunken stupor yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Dugu Miao scowled at the servant. ¡°I would never have you flogged for no good reason.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you may go there to see for yourself. My legs still ache when I walk,¡± said the servant in an injured tone.


    This man was Dugu Miao¡¯s personal servant who always followed in Dugu Miao¡¯s wake at ordinary times, so Xue Yi recognized him. Judging from his pallid face, unsteady steps and awkward gait, he might well be telling the truth. In addition, Xue Yi seemed to remember that that thing had indeed happened the day before, because one of the servants had screamed in pain so loudly that he could recall it.


    ¡°Brother Dugu, it would seem you¡¯ve indeed forgotten all about of it because of the wine.¡±


    Embarrassment written all over his face, Dugu Miao looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have put you through this, Brother Xue. I¡¯m not an abusive kind of person. Maybe I said something I didn¡¯t mean during the drunken stupor and they took it seriously.¡±


    Xue Yi was not inclined to find out whether or not Dugu Miao was an abusive kind of person. He only wanted to confirm that nobody else had approached that gazebo the day before, that Dugu Miao had also got drunk and didn¡¯t remember anything.


    ¡°Brother Dugu, I have something to attend to, and given that I didn¡¯t return last night, my subordinates must be anxious, so if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯d like to take my leave.¡±


    Dugu Miao hurriedly rose to his feet and walked him all the way through the front gates of the summer house.


    After Xue Yi left, Dugu Miao raised a hand to massage his forehead, pivoted around and returned to the summer house, a miserable expression on his face. In the distance, Xue Yi twisted his head around and cast a backward glance in the direction of the residence. At the sight of Dugu Miao appearing to be suffering from hangover, he became convinced that Dugu Miao had told him the truth.


    However, when Dugu Miao had entered the summer house, he immediately put his hand down, his face growing apathetic. ¡°Bring me some Sobering Soup.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± said the servant.


    Dugu Miao glanced at him. ¡°Your service won¡¯t go unrewarded. You may leave and have some rest. Nurse yourself back to health before you come back to wait on me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master,¡± the servant said with his head down and then quietly left.


    Dugu Miao drank some Sobering Soup and then summoned the butler, ¡°How did it go? Has the message been delivered to my father?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. Master has come to know about it,¡± answered the butler respectfully.


    ¡°Good.¡± Dugu Miao gave a sneer and then said derisively, ¡°That Xue Yi guy is pretty vigilant. Fortunately the act I put on was convincing enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a man with great wisdom, Young Master. That guy from the Wan Kingdom would never be able to find out about it,¡± said the butler.


    Dugu Miao smugly snorted, ¡°Clear up the mess and have them prepare some hot water. I need to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    ¡­


    Dugu Shan, after being informed of the absolute maximum that Xue Yi had ¡®disclosed¡¯, mulled over all possibilities for several times and then went to the royal palace to seek an audience with Mu Hengtian.


    Meanwhile, a secret letter about that absolute maximum the Wan Kingdom was willing to offer was delivered to Ling Zhang.


    After reading it, Ling Zhang immediately had it sent back to the Great Wen to let Yuwen Tong know.


    ¡°It seems that Shan Congli is indeed quite anxious. Judging from his offer, it won¡¯t be long before the Wan Kingdom¡¯s armies mass at the border.¡±


    ¡°Last year, the weather was favorable for agriculture all the year round in the Wan Kingdom, and they have more food stocks than ever, which are more than enough for them to wage a war. The Great Wen has been gaining momentum in its development and has been growing stronger and stronger, which means Shan Congli is under increasingly heavy pressure.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu, after coming to know about the absolute maximum the Wan Kingdom could afford, both believed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Wan Kingdom declared war on the Great Wen.


    ¡°Fortunately the Great Wen has made preparations some time ago. Earlier this year, after the spring snow melted, large numbers of army provisions have been secretly transported to the border. Both the Youzhou garrison and the Shengzhou garrison are ready.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had long since predicted that the Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t lay low for long and would sooner or later wage another war. The Wan Kingdom wanted to run roughshod over the Great Wen, but what they didn¡¯t know was that this was also the time that the Great Wen planned to deal the Wan Kingdom a heavy blow.


    ¡°When are you going to talk to Mu Hengtian?¡± Ling Zhaowu asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°A signed letter from Yuwen Tong is now on Mu Hengtian¡¯s desk. I think it¡¯s about time.¡±


    Mu Hengtian had now come to know about the absolute maximum the Wan Kingdom was willing to offer, which meant that he would soon lay out unreasonable terms. When Xue Yi realized the Dugu family had deceived him, it would be too late. At first Ling Zhang had decided to stop the Wan Kingdom from making an alliance with the Luohai Kingdom. However, Ling Zhaowu¡¯s words have given him a new idea. The Wan Kingdom wanted to wage a war, but they didn¡¯t dare take action without the Luohai Kingdom at their back. In the final analysis, they were scared. Without some extra motivation, Shan Congli might come up with some other ¡®brilliant¡¯ ideas, so Ling Zhang believed he might as well push the boat with the current and let them forge an alliance. Just like Ling Zhaowu had said, the Luohai Kingdom was bound to be a fence-sitter. Whether or not this so-called alliance would serve its purpose depended on Mu Hengtian.


    ¡°Before Xue Yi and Mu Hengtian sign the agreement, they would definitely conduct some secret negotiations. I plan to seek an audience with Mu Hengtian shortly before that.¡±


    If Mu Hengtian was willing to cooperate, there would be no problem; if he wasn¡¯t, Ling Zhang would shatter the Wan-Luohai alliance and make sure Mu Hengtian got nothing.

 Chapter 478 - Negotiations and Threats

    Ever since he¡¯d received that secret letter from Yuwen Tong, Mu Hengtian had all along been waiting to see who would come to negotiate with him about the terms of an alliance on Yuwen Tong¡¯s behalf, but whatever he¡¯d expected, it wasn¡¯t that the negotiator would be Ling Zhang.


    Xue Yi was still in the capital city, and all the other forces that knew some inside information about it were secretly keeping a close watch on how the situation developed. Mu Hengtian, who had some misgivings, was aware that he couldn¡¯t afford to let anybody find out about his meeting with a negotiator from the Great Wen, so he arranged for the negotiation to be conducted in a secret location. However, he had originally thought that the negotiator would be one of the two prime ministers of the Great Wen. When he saw the negotiator, he found that the person was neither of them, because neither that wily old fox surnamed Ji nor Chu Liangyan could be so young, dashing, imposing and dignified.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I¡¯m Ling Zhang.¡± Ling Zhang greeted him first.


    Mu Hengtian¡¯s countenance changed several times. Ling Zhang¡¯s name had spread throughout all the three countries. He was Yuwen Tong¡¯s male empress. For his sake, Yuwen Tong had adopted a couple of children instead of taking concubines. Rumor had it that Ling Zhang tended to keep a low profile, but as the monarch of the Luohai Kingdom, Mu Hengtian knew that Yuwen Tong and his consort had been working in coordination, the former ruling the country overtly, the latter supporting the former behind the scenes, that Ling Zhang was in charge of more than half of the intelligence sources of the Great Wen, but how Ling Zhang had been collecting intelligence was a mystery to everybody. This young man appeared to have no particular talent, but he was by no means what he seemed.


    ¡°It turns out the negotiator is none other than the empress of the Great Wen. Yuwen Tong should¡¯ve told me in his letter. I¡¯m sorry not to have given you a proper welcome,¡± smiled Mu Hengtian after coming to himself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for that. This is supposed to be a secret talk, so the fewer who know about it, the better. It was a relief to see that you didn¡¯t go to the trouble of going outside to welcome me.¡± Ling Zhang also gave a smile, a glitter in his eyes, the sight of which filled Mu Hengtian with deep veneration, making him feel that there was something sacrosanct and inviolable about Ling Zhang, that Ling Zhang was not to be trifled with. When he pulled himself back to his senses, he found those thoughts of his somewhat horrifying, and with that his smile faded noticeably from his face, and he appeared much more serious.


    Ling Zhang had specially performed a two-day closed-door cultivation to improve his control over his internal energy so that Mu Hengtian wouldn¡¯t be deterred from looking at him or become vigilant and refuse to accept the terms. Now Ling Zhang was capable of mobilizing his internal energy in an accurate manner and adjusting at will the intensity of the sense of power he radiated. Noticing that Mu Hengtian had become serious, that the searching and condescending look in his eyes had disappeared, Ling Zhang was very pleased. Having Mu Hengtian see him as his equal was a precondition for fruitful negotiations.


    ¡­


    ¡°The hatred between the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen has been there for generations. There¡¯s no way the two countries could coexist peacefully with each other. If the Wan Kingdom wages another war, we wouldn¡¯t shrink from fighting back. We¡¯ve already got used to fighting wars against the Wan Kingdom. This is between the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom, and there¡¯s no necessity for the Luohai Kingdom to get involved in this troublesome situation, is there? If truth be told, the Luohai Kingdom could totally just stand by and sit this war out and reap the benefits when it¡¯s over. No matter whether the winner is the Great Wen or the Wan Kingdom, the outcome would always be beneficial to the Luohai Kingdom, which is a fact I believe you are fully aware of,¡± said Ling Zhang in an unhurried tone of voice.


    Mu Hengtian smiled, ¡°Currently the Great Wen has a large army of well-equipped and well-trained troops with high morale. My country indeed could choose to stay out of this knotty situation, but as the saying goes, ¡®When the lips are lost, the teeth will be exposed to the cold.''¡±


    Ling Zhang also gave a smile. ¡°Thank you for your compliment. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I tell you the Great Wen has no intention to conquer the world, but that¡¯s indeed the truth. The Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom have been fighting each other and weakening each other for generations. We had a hard job earning ourselves a five-year period of peace, but we have just recovered from war injuries when the Luohai Kingdom begins to regard the Great Wen as an imaginary enemy ¨C I really feel flattered. In terms of military strength, the Luohai Kingdom is without equal. In recent years the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen have been fighting non-stop, but the Luohai Kingdom has barely suffered any casualties and has been at full strength all along. Actually it¡¯s not the Great Wen but the Luohai Kingdom that the Wan Kingdom should be afraid of and keep a weather eye on. I don¡¯t know what Shan Congli is thinking ¨C he might well be soft in the head, I think. Though we¡¯ve always been on bad terms with Shan Congli, I believe it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to remind him of this and make him see reason, would it?¡±


    Mu Hengtian looked at him and the expression in his eyes gradually grew menacing. ¡°Are you threatening me, Your Highness?¡±


    Ling Zhang let out a sigh and replied, ¡°How could you see this as a threat? I¡¯m just trying to protect my country. Shan Congli let his desire for vengeance cloud his judgement, which is why he¡¯s unable to see sense. He thinks that his cavalry is strong, but he doesn¡¯t know that the cavalry of the Luohai Kingdom is just as strong. The Luohai Kingdom is a warlike nation. Even the average combat power of Luohai civilians overshadows that of the other two countries, let alone the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s armies. If Shan Congli had caught on to the current situation, he would have been terrified and sought alliance with the Great Wen, instead of foolishly sending an envoy to the Luohai Kingdom. He¡¯s giving you so many favorable terms that I¡¯m green with envy.¡±


    Mu Hengtian chuckled and then said in a deep, sulky voice, ¡°You¡¯re indeed a worthy empress. You play both Mr. Nice and Mr. Nasty so well, but when making these remarks, you seemed to forget that five years ago, when the Great Wen was mired in warfare and civil strife, your army still inflicted a crushing defeat on mine. Given that the Great Wen growing stronger by the day during the last five years, I don¡¯t see anybody in my country is Yuwen Tong¡¯s match now.¡±


    Ling Zhang also gave a chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t have to put it that way, Your Majesty. You better than anybody should know how the Great Wen won that battle five years ago, shouldn¡¯t you? Had we not flukily planted a couple of spies in that city and adopted some underhand methods, there was no telling which side might have won the fight. Besides, five years ago, that army of yours was sent there mainly to put out feelers. The Luohai Kingdom didn¡¯t show where its true ability lay at all. The main force of the Luohai Kingdom is stationed in the north and the west. We haven¡¯t seen it yet.¡±


    The look in Mu Hengtian¡¯s eyes slightly darkened. Ling Zhang knew about the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s military strength so well. ¡°All¡¯s fair in war. It¡¯s up to the commander what strategy to adopt. Your army won, and that is a fact. I¡¯m not a sore loser.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°No offence, but Your Majesty is being unduly modest, which makes the Great Wen look cocky. Also, Shan Congli has been spreading rumors, and now everybody believes that the Great Wen¡¯s army is invincible, but I think you know the truth better than anybody, don¡¯t you? About this upcoming war between the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen, I hope Your Majesty will think twice before making a decision. If you really find it difficult to ignore your alliance with the Wan Kingdom, you could just send an army there to put on an act, but if you really send your men to join the fight, the Great Wen wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of winning. Your Majesty have no ambition to unify the three countries, do you?¡±


    Ling Zhang stared at Mu Hengtian with burning eyes which were so piercing as though he were able to read Mu Hengtian¡¯s mind.


    Mu Hengtian gave a shudder. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were so penetrating as if they could see into his soul. This struck Mu Hengtian as quite terrifying. Mu Hengtian would be lying if he said that he didn¡¯t have the ambition to unify the three countries, but he was also fully aware that it was next to impossible for him to achieve that goal. He would count himself lucky if he managed to live to see another spring. People would think he was joking if he told them he wanted to unify the three countries. Were he still young, he wouldn¡¯t care a damn about Ling Zhang¡¯s speculations. However, his wish didn¡¯t take precedence over the law of nature. He didn¡¯t have that much time.


    Ling Zhang meant these words as a threat. If Mu Hengtian did have the ambition to unify the three countries, the Wan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t make an alliance with the Luohai Kingdom to fight the Great Wen; on the contrary, the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen, two long-standing foes, would align against the Luohai Kingdom. After all, some of Ling Zhang¡¯s words struck Mu Hengtian as reasonable ¨C Shan Congli was no fool. In recent years the Luohai Kingdom had barely suffered any casualties. Compared with the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen, the Luohai Kingdom had the largest army, and its most elite forces were under the command of Nian Feng.


    However, though knowing that Ling Zhang was threatening him, Mu Hengtian was aware that he had no choice but to make concessions, because the infighting in his court had been intensifying. Dugu Shan, Nian Feng and his son, Mu Rongfeng, were contending for power in a full-blown fight, and the Luohai Kingdom could be disintegrated from within at any moment. In the about one year¡¯s time he had left, while he was still in a fit state to deal with state affairs, he must figure out a way for this thorny issue to be settled. If he got the Luohai Kingdom involved in a melee of three countries at this point in time, or, in a worse scenario, if the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen aligned against the Luohai Kingdom, it would be a catastrophe for the Luohai Kingdom.


    Both Shan Congli and Yuwen Tong were formidable enemies, and the Luohai Kingdom didn¡¯t stand a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of winning if the two of them joined hands. Compared with letting the Luohai Kingdom become their target, having the two of them fight each other would be a far better choice. Judging from the previous wars between the two, it would take several years for one of them to emerge as a winner. And the duration of the fighting would be the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s chance. If the Luohai Kingdom managed to put an end to the infighting during that period, it would be able to send its armies southwards to attack the Great Wen or westwards to attack the Wan Kingdom ¨C either way, given the combat power of Luohai armies, they would definitely be able to take a lot of cities, and the Luohai Kingdom might even stand a chance of annexing the other two countries.


    A lot of thoughts flashed across Mu Hengtian¡¯s mind in an instant, but he maintained a poker face for fear of Ling Zhang divining what he was thinking. ¡°You flatter me, Your Highness. I¡¯m an old man now. Lofty aspirations of that kind have been absent from my mind for many years.¡±


    ¡°Who would dare ignore you, Your Majesty? Although you¡¯re older than us, you have far more insight than we do. Also, you have a strong army. Youngsters like me are really scared of you,¡± said Ling Zhang, withdrawing his piercing eyes as he noticed that Mu Hengtian¡¯s face softened as though he had been swayed.


    Mu Hengtian chuckled, ¡°The world is all about the young now.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled but made no reply, waiting for Mu Hengtian to make a decision.


    Seeing this, Mu Hengtian inwardly let out a sigh, coming to realize that this time around he had to give a reply, otherwise the Luohai Kingdom would face consequences that he would by no means want to see his country faced with.


    ¡°Shan Congli forked out for an alliance with me. If I turn him down, it¡¯d be a great loss for my country,¡± said Mu Hengtian. Though eventually he had no alternative but to grant Ling Zhang¡¯s request, he didn¡¯t want to give his consent so easily. He still intended to get the benefits he believed he deserved to get.


    On hearing these words, Ling Zhang came to understand what Mu Hengtian meant. He replied, ¡°If it¡¯s going to be a mere act, you might as well just take what Shan Congli is offering you. We¡¯re only too anxious to see Shan Congli¡¯s wallet suffer, but Your Majesty, you must make sure it¡¯s going to be no more than an act. Otherwise our partnership would be jeopardized.¡±


    Mu Hengtian smiled, ¡°Is this what Yuwen Tong wants?¡±


    Ling Zhang responded, ¡°Since I¡¯m sitting here, naturally I¡¯m saying what he wants me to say.¡±


    Chuckling, Mu Hengtian shook his head. ¡°Well, I have to say it¡¯s a little dishonorable of him to do this. I mean, he¡¯s asking me to go back on my word.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to gloss over it by going through the motions. I¡¯m sure you could make an excuse convincing enough to hoodwink him if you put your mind to it. Shan Congli will be infuriated, but there wouldn¡¯t be anything he could do about it, would there?¡±


    Mu Hengtian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. This Ling Zhang guy was such a smart person. A man like him¡­And then there was also Yuwen Tong. If it weren¡¯t for his poor physical condition, he would really want to pit himself against Yuwen Tong on the battlefield. It was such a pity.


    ¡°Making an excuse would inevitably take some doing. Since this is your suggestion, I think it¡¯s only fair that you should pitch in a little bit.¡±


    Ling Zhang briefly lifted his brows. ¡°No problem. The Great Wen won¡¯t sit back and let Your Majesty do all the work.¡±


    By asking for reward, Mu Hengtian had made his attitude very clear, and offering him some reward was not beyond the capabilities of the Great Wen.

 Chapter 479 - The Signing of An Alliance Agreement

    Since the cooperation had started, terms and details were just a trivial matter.


    Mu Hengtian¡¯s every move was under close watch, so getting out of his palace without anybody noticing was no easy job for him. Also, it was inconvenient for Ling Zhang to stay in the capital city of the Luohai Kingdom for long, what with his special identity. Both of them wanted to finish the negotiations as quick as possible. Therefore, after the distribution of the major part of the profits was decided, they agreed on the details in a brisk and neat fashion without much bargaining. Two hours later, the negotiations were over and they signed an agreement. Mu Hengtian¡¯s treatment of Ling Zhang was quite a contrast to that of Xue Yi.


    ¡°It¡¯s not every day that Your Highness visit my country. How about I make some arrangements and take you on a tour around the city?¡± said Mu Hengtian after everything was handled.


    Ling Zhang first thanked Mu Hengtian for his kind offer and then added, ¡°My kids are expecting me at home. They¡¯re still young, and I tend to grow worried if I¡¯m away from home for too long. I¡¯ll set off to return the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Mu Hengtian knew that Ling Zhang was referring to the couple of adopted children of his. He had found Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision incredible when he¡¯d first heard about it, but now five years had passed, and the marriage between Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang was still solid. The princes and the princess had grown healthy and received proper education. Many people who had been astonished by Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision had gradually come to feel that it was meant to be this way.


    ¡°Ha-ha¡­In that case, I shall not insist. It¡¯s inconvenient for me to go out of the city to see you off, so I¡¯m afraid I have to bid you farewell right here. I wish you a safe journey home,¡± said Mu Hengtian.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang took leave of Mu Hengtian and then left the place for their meeting.


    After Ling Zhang disappeared from view, a thoughtful look appeared on Mu Hengtian¡¯s face. Before this day, it had never crossed his mind that the one coming to negotiate with him would be Ling Zhang. Leaving aside the fact that the spies the Luohai Kingdom had planted in the capital city of the Great Wen had never sent back a single useful message in this regard, even after Ling Zhang arrived in the Luohai Kingdom, it¡¯d been when Ling Zhang was entering the city that he¡¯d been informed of it. Had Ling Zhang made any efforts to cover his tracks, would he have still been in the dark about when Ling Zhang had sneaked into this city?


    Mu Hengtian was wary and suspicious of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, but just like he had considered a while before, he didn¡¯t have much time left, no matter how wary he was, which meant that he had no alternative but to accept the Great Wen¡¯s suggestion and let the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom (both of whom were his enemies) fight and weaken each other while the Luohai Kingdom laid low settling the matter of internecine struggles.


    After leaving that place, Ling Zhang returned to the ¡°hideout¡± he¡¯d prepared beforehand instead of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. Ever since his departure from the location for the negotiations, some secret agents working for Mu Hengtian had been shadowing him all along. He was capable of losing them, but he didn¡¯t do that, because he wanted to lull Mu Hengtian into a false sense of security. Since they were now in a partnership, he should make a gesture of sincerity lest Mu Hengtian remain suspicious or do anything that might jeopardize the cooperation.


    The alliance agreement signed, he could immediately set off to return to the Great Wen. The reason why he¡¯d specially scheduled his departure for two days later was because he wanted to give Mu Hengtian some time to show the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s good faith.


    ¡­


    On that very day, Mu Hengtian summoned Dugu Shan and some other top-ranking courtiers, Nian Feng the General-in-chief, and Mu Rongfeng the crown prince to confer with them about the terms of an alliance with the Wan Kingdom.


    Dugu Shan had helped Mu Hengtian get information about the absolute maximum the Wan Kingdom was willing to offer, so Mu Hengtian had no misgivings whatsoever about conditions he was going to ask for the alliance. There was a divergence of opinion among the courtiers, but most of them were in support of Mu Hengtian¡¯s idea. Nian Feng the General-in-chief raised no objection either, but Mu Rongfeng knitted his brows.


    ¡°Father, is it possible that this would undermine the stability of the future alliance? I mean, the Wan Kingdom made the offer on their own initiative. If the conditions we ask are the maximum they could afford, they would very likely feel resentment against us,¡± said Mu Rongfeng.


    After Mu Rongfeng made these remarks, all the others looked in his direction. Their countenance gave little away, but actually they all had their respective thoughts on the subject.


    Mu Hengtian looked at Mu Rongfeng with piercing eyes, quite displeased. He knew Mu Rongfeng well. Mu Rongfeng had made these remarks because he had really begun to see the Wan Kingdom as a future ally. In other words, Mu Rongfeng indeed wanted the Luohai Kingdom to declare war on the Great Wen. Mu Hengtian couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. All this fool could think of doing was to declare war! Had it ever crossed his mind that if he went to the battlefield, the Dugu family and Nian Feng would make sure he never came back?! The situation in the court was dire; he hadn¡¯t succeeded to the throne yet; and there were a whole bunch of people coveting his position as crown prince. One mistake and he would lose everything, but he was actually still in the mood for a war against the Great Wen? And he was giving such high priority to the Wan Kingdom¡¯s interests? Had he not learned his lesson from that joint operation with the Wan Kingdom in Jiangzhou five years before? It was unbelievable he still had so much trust in the Wan Kingdom. Was he soft in the head or something?


    Mu Hengtian soon concealed his disappointment which flickered on his face, and very few people noticed it, but Dugu Shan, who excelled at divining the monarch¡¯s thoughts, and Nian Feng the General-in-chief who were exceptionally observant, saw it distinctly. The two of them couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the monarch had some other plans. No matter what, the monarch being disappointed by these words of Mu Rongfeng¡¯s was a good thing for them, so they naturally were secretly delighted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision, and my decision is final,¡± said Mu Hengtian in a deep voice, bringing the consultation to an end.


    Mu Rongfeng wanted to say something else, but at the sight of Mu Hengtian¡¯s facial expression which was clearly not a happy one, he held back the words that had sprung to the tip of his tongue.


    ¡­


    The next day. In the royal palace of the Luohai Kingdom.


    Xue Yi was summoned to the palace. Mu Hengtian agreed to make an alliance with the Wan Kingdom, but the conditions he asked in return almost made Xue Yi jump and curse loudly on the spot.


    He remembered very well that the conditions Mu Hengtian had asked previously were different. It¡¯d been merely a couple of days, but Mu Hengtian was now asking for so much more!


    Before he came to the Luohai Kingdom, the Wan monarch had told him about the absolute maximum the Wan Kingdom was willing to offer. That information was top secret. The Wan monarch, Xue Yi and Xue Chi were the only ones privy to it. There was no way the Luohai Kingdom could have laid out such terms which were exactly the maximum the Wan Kingdom was willing to offer, unless they were fully aware of the maximum.


    Xue Yi believed that on no account would the Wan monarch or his father disclose that information to the Luohai Kingdom, which meant that the only plausible explanation was¡­Xue Yi¡¯s countenance changed several times, the color of his face alternating between green and red, blue veins throbbing horribly on his neck from the effort of subduing his rage. Unwilling to admit it as he was, he came to realize one thing ¨C he was tricked! The only occasion when he could have let slip the absolute maximum the Wan monarch was willing to offer was the time when he¡¯d been drinking with Dugu Miao. On that day he¡¯d dropped his guard and drunk himself into a stupor!


    As this thought occurred to him, Xue Yi angrily looked at Dugu Shan, fury smoldering in his eyes.


    Dugu Shan appeared calm and composed as though he were utterly confused as to why Xue Yi was giving him that look.


    ¡°If the Wan Kingdom accepts these terms, I¡¯ll sign the agreement immediately.¡±


    Mu Hengtian pretended not to notice the furious and murderous expression on Xue Yi¡¯s face. The Wan Kingdom was seeking alliance with him, so as long as his terms were not above the maximum the Wan Kingdom was willing to offer, Xue Yi had to agree, no matter how angry he was.


    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going a little too far?¡± asked Xue Yi through gritted teeth. ¡°It is with profound sincerity that the Wan Kingdom is seeking an alliance with the Luohai Kingdom, and the alignment will be very beneficial to both sides. Your kingdom will get no less benefits out of it than the Wan Kingdom will. Why are you pushing us so hard?¡±


    Mu Hengtian heaved a sigh as though he were in some kind of dilemma. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to know, kiddo. The Luohai Kingdom is no superior to the Wan Kingdom in terms of both economic strength and military strength. The Wan Kingdom¡¯s cavalry is famous among all the three countries. Your country could handle the Great Wen¡¯s army with merely one third of its troops, but I¡¯ll have to use half of my men to achieve the same ends. From this fact alone, I could deduce that my country would suffer much heavier casualties during the war than the Wan Kingdom would. How am I supposed to convince my men to go to the battlefield and risk their lives fighting for me when I couldn¡¯t even pay them enough? Believe it or not, I¡¯m doing what I have to.¡±


    Xue Yi clenched his teeth so hard that they were on the verge of breaking. The Luohai Kingdom had been laying low for many years and had barely participated in any wars. It was sure as hell wealthier than the Wan Kingdom. This guy had got a nerve crying about lack of money in front of him! As for the so-called casualties, it hadn¡¯t happened yet. The situation in a war could change drastically in an instant. Who the fuck knew which side would lose more men in the war?! However, Mu Hengtian refused to budge an inch on the terms. Xue Yi, without any advisers by his side to give him counsel, was unable to convince Mu Hengtian to change his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Eventually, Xue Yi was almost reduced to vomiting blood from anger, but even so, he still had to accept Mu Hengtian¡¯s terms in the end.


    The alliance agreement was signed and stamped in duplicate. After getting the duplicate meant for the Wan Kingdom, Xue Yi felt an urge to spin around and leave the Luohai Kingdom immediately. He was worried that he would lose control of himself, draw a saber and kill someone if he cast one more glance at any of these Luohai people.


    All his terms accepted, Mu Hengtian was very pleased and didn¡¯t let Xue Yi leave right away. Instead, he held a banquet, at which he talked and laughed with a couple of his courtiers. Xue Yi had a sullen face from first to last, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    ¡­


    Mu Hengtian, who was quite considerate, secretly had a message delivered to Ling Zhang telling him about the signing of the alliance agreement. Though Ling Zhang had come to know about it through other methods, he pretended otherwise and thanked Mu Hengtian for it.


    The Wan Kingdom had now stepped straight into the trap laid by the Luohai Kingdom. All Ling Zhang had to do was wait for the Wan Kingdom to make a rod for their own backs. Of course, in order to make sure Mu Hengtian would keep up his end of the bargain, Ling Zhang would no doubt ¡°help¡± Mu Hengtian escalate the ongoing power struggles in the Luohai Kingdom.


    The most important part of the matter had been handled. Lian Hai and Han Shu would be able to deal with the rest of it, so Ling Zhang had some men ¡°pack¡± his stuff, preparing to depart from the capital of the Luohai Kingdom the next day lest Mu Hengtian be in fear and unable to have peace of mind.


    Ling Zhaowu would stay in the capital of the Luohai Kingdom for another half a month and knock all arrangements into shape before leaving.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, Ling Zhang took his men and left the capital.


    Meanwhile, Xue Yi, who couldn¡¯t bear it any more, took leave of Mu Hengtian and left the capital on the same day. When exiting the city, he rode past Ling Zhang¡¯s fleet of carriages. The group of horsemen were heading west with all haste. It seemed that Xue Yi indeed couldn¡¯t stand staying in this country for another moment.


    Ling Zhang lowered the carriage curtain. Shan Congli had made the most unwise decision by appointing Xue Yi as envoy. He would definitely develop insomnia after he came to know how much financial pain the terms of the alliance agreement would cause his country.


    ¡°Keep going.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Masquerading as a caravan, the fleet of carriages left the capital of the Luohai Kingdom and headed all the way south. They never stopped except when eating or sleeping. Mu Hengtian¡¯s scouts were tailing them all along. It seemed they wouldn¡¯t cease shadowing Ling Zhang unless they saw him cross the border.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat resigned, feeling that Mu Hengtian was being overcautious. He couldn¡¯t shake off those scouts even if he wanted to. Of course, he didn¡¯t really want to slip away. Having been away from the Great Wen for such a long time, he was indeed homesick. The night before, he¡¯d dreamt that Crescent kept calling ¡°Daddy¡± with tears in her eyes. Ling Zhang¡¯s heart ached as he pictured her delicate white-skinned face falling for crying.


    After traveling in a stop-and-go fashion for five solid days, the fleet of carriages finally reached the border between the two countries. They went through the security check at the checkpoint and then disappeared from view like fish returning to the sea, not leaving a single trace for anybody to find. Mu Hengtian¡¯s secret agents, unable to continue shadowing the targets, had no choice but to double back to report it to Mu Hengtian.

 Chapter 480 - . A Troops Deployment Diagram & A Detour to Shengzhou

    On this day, the fleet of carriages entered Youzhou. Only when Ling Zhang was back on his own turf and rid of the stalkers did he feel that the air was free and fresh again.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Highness. I¡¯m Shao Feng.¡±


    The moment Ling Zhang had entered Youzhou, Shao Feng had come to know about it, and then he had hastened to this place to welcome Ling Zhang.


    ¡°You may rise, General Shao. There¡¯s no need for formalities,¡± said Ling Zhang, raising Shao Feng to his feet.


    Shao Feng was no longer merely the commander of the Youzhou garrison. Yuwen Tong, after enthronement, had bestowed the title ¡°the General of the North¡± on him. He, along with Jiang Ke, Jiang Xi and Xiao Jiangyue, were now the four most renowned generals of the Great Wen.


    Feeling overwhelmingly flattered, Shao Feng hurriedly rose to his feet. ¡°Was your journey a smooth one, if I may ask, Your Highness?¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded at him, saying nothing. A gleam flashed across Shao Feng¡¯s eyes as he saw Ling Zhang incline his head. Knowing that this was not the place to talk about that issue, he hastened to usher Ling Zhang into the Abode of General of the North.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before the Wan Kingdom waged another war, and the Luohai Kingdom was the Great Wen¡¯s ¡°ally¡±. When the troops massed at the border, Youzhou would become the battlefield. Shao Feng, as the commander of Youzhou garrison, must be aware of it.


    After entering the Abode of General of the North, Shao Feng led Ling Zhang into his study.


    Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards followed them into the Abode of General of the North and then quickly got into position to stand guard on the perimeter of the study.


    Ling Zhang smiled to Shao Feng, ¡°My bodyguards have orders from His Majesty to never let me get out of their sight. I hope you don¡¯t mind, General Shao.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Your Highness.¡± Shao Feng didn¡¯t mind at all. Having served the emperor for so many years, he naturally had come to know how much Ling Zhang meant to the emperor. Also, he had long since had some dealings with the twenty-four bodyguards of Ling Zhang¡¯s, so they all knew very well what kind of person he was.


    After a few moments¡¯ catching up, Shao Feng asked about the agreement with the Luohai Kingdom, the signing of which concerned Yuwen Tong¡¯s big plan. As the General of the North, he would be having direct dealings with the Luohai Kingdom. The agreement was of supreme importance to him in the sense that it determined what attitude he was to take towards the Luohai Kingdom.


    ¡°The agreement has been signed. Mu Hengtian undertook to pretend to send his army in cooperation with the Wan Kingdom,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    Though having received a reply a short while before, Shao Feng still felt greatly relieved as he heard the affirmative answer from Ling Zhang. ¡°You must¡¯ve been through a lot to get the job done, Your Highness. The success of this plan means we now have a fifty percent chance of getting the big plan to work.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re giving me too much credit for it, General Shao. For the big plan to succeed, we still need you to work in coordination with the Luohai Kingdom and put on a convincing act.¡±


    Shao Feng said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I promise I¡¯ll put on an excellent act.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head and then said with a serious face, ¡°Although Mu Hengtian has made a promise, and I have made some arrangements in the Luohai Kingdom for their attention to be distracted, you must not take this matter lightly lest any unexpected changes happen. If the Luohai Kingdom tears up the agreement and launches a real offensive, Youzhou must not fall. Under no circumstances should the defense be breached.¡±


    Shao Feng¡¯s face also grew grave. ¡°I understand. Your Highness and His Majesty may rest assured that Youzhou will stand as long as I still draw breath.¡±


    Once the Great Wen went to war with the Wan Kingdom, Youzhou would be the home front according to Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan. If Youzhou fell, all arrangements would be upset. The Great Wen had been preparing for this war for five years, and nobody wanted to see that happen. Shao Feng was fully aware of this.


    ¡°After I leave, intelligence reports from the Luohai Kingdom will still be delivered to you on a regular basis. They¡¯ll sacrifice their lives to ensure the successful delivery of intelligence reports if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. They¡¯re all subjects of the Great Wen. They¡¯re doing this for their home country.¡±


    Next, Ling Zhang filled Shao Feng in on what he¡¯d heard and seen in the central region of the Luohai Kingdom, with an emphasis on the deployment of troops in its various prefectures. He had drawn a troops deployment diagram according to the intelligence that his scouts in the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had gathered in the Luohai Kingdom at the risk of losing their lives.


    Shao Feng was shocked at the sight of the diagram, having a new appreciation for the intelligence network in the charge of Ling Zhang. After studying the diagram, Shao Feng came to understand the significance of it deeply. Ling Zhang was giving it to him because Youzhou must be held. Shao Feng distinctly felt the weight of the trust and responsibility on his shoulders. He wouldn¡¯t say ¡°I promise I¡¯ll hold Youzhou¡± again, but these words would be engraved in the heart of every soldier of the Northern Army. Defending Youzhou was their only mission.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t stay in Youzhou for long. Without even visiting the local branch of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, he quietly exited Youzhou, headed straight south for some time, then took another road and entered Shengzhou.


    A war against the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom was in sight. Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei, who were still in Shengzhou, were the ones he worried about the most, especially Fu Caiwei. She was now pregnant, and Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t find peace of mind knowing that she was still in Shengzhou, so he specially took a detour to Shengzhou, intending to bring Fu Caiwei back to the capital city.


    It took the fleet of carriages two days to reach the city gates of Shengzhou. They didn¡¯t alarm anybody when entering the city. Neither Ling Zhaowen nor Fu Caiwei had bargained on Ling Zhang specially paying a visit to Shengzhou.


    It was not until Ling Zhang¡¯s fleet of carriages quietly came to a halt in front of the abode of the Shengzhou governor that Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei were informed of his arrival. Both of them panicked.


    ¡°Why did Zhang¡¯er suddenly come to Shengzhou? We didn¡¯t receive a single message from him about his visit. Did something happen in the capital city, by any chance?¡± said Fu Caiwei apprehensively.


    Ling Zhaowen, who was more composed than her, consolingly placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Calm down, darling. Sit here. I¡¯ll go and bring Zhang¡¯er in.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. It¡¯s inadvisable for you to get anxious or walk around too much. Also, Zhang¡¯er would feel guilty if you go to that much trouble. Just sit here.¡±


    It was only then that Fu Caiwei cooled down. After Ling Zhaowen left, she had a handmaid bring Ling Xuxu her second son to the room. Ever since she had brought Ling Xuxu to Shengzhou and settled down in this city, Ling Xuxu had barely seen Ling Zhang. He¡¯d always been quite curious about Ling Zhang, his cousin who was the consort. A few months before, he had demanded to go back to the capital city with Ling Maomao, and his demand would have been granted were it not for Ling Zhaowen¡¯s and Fu Caiwei¡¯s worry that Ling Zhang would have to spare some time to look after Ling Xuxu if Ling Xuxu went back there.


    As this thought crossed her mind, Fu Caiwei couldn¡¯t help but give a smile, straining to look out of the living room, expecting to see Ling Zhang coming in.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhaowen met Ling Zhang and was just about to kneel to pay his respects when Ling Zhang stopped him.


    ¡°Uncle Zhaowen, I¡¯ve come incognito. There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± Ling Zhang held his uncle¡¯s arms, his eyes appraising him carefully. This governor, who was a member of the Ling family and was always elegant and gentle, seemed to have been affected by the natives of Shengzhou, a prefecture not far away from the border. His demeanor was now more brisk and less scholarly than before. On top of that, his complexion was tanned. Ling Zhaowen looked more swarthy than he used to.


    Ling Zhaowen was sizing up Ling Zhang when Ling Zhang was sizing up him. As he saw that his nephew was healthy and unhurried, that the bodyguards were acting normally, Ling Zhaowen inwardly let out a sigh of relief, knowing that no accident had happened.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er, why did you suddenly come here? Was it because of some arrangement made by those people in the capital city that you specially came here?¡± Ling Zhaowen asked him in a low voice.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m passing by this city, so I came here to look up you and Aunt Caiwei.¡±


    Passing by this city? Ling Zhaowen appeared rather surprised. Where had Ling Zhang been? How did he come to pass by Shengzhou?


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t explain, so Ling Zhaowen restrained himself from asking about it and ushered Ling Zhang into the residence.


    ¡°Your aunt got excited and wanted to come out to meet you after being informed of your arrival. I had her wait in the living room lest you be worried,¡± said Ling Zhaowen on their way in.


    Ling Zhang felt a surge of guilt. ¡°Information about this journey of mine is confidential. We were all in disguise along the way, so I didn¡¯t send you a message beforehand. It¡¯s rather inconsiderate of me not to have informed you in advance. Aunt Caiwei must¡¯ve been startled by this unexpected visit of mine.¡±


    On hearing that information about this journey of Ling Zhang¡¯s was confidential, Ling Zhaowen came to know that what he¡¯d done a short while before was the right thing. Because Ling Zhang had arrived without notice, Ling Zhaowen, uncertain about the situation, had told all servants and handmaids to go back to their rooms, except for those who were absolutely loyal to him and very much in his confidence.


    ¡°Your aunt is stronger than you give her credit for. She¡¯s just a little worried about you. Go and see her first, and then I¡¯d like you to tell me in detail what this is about.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and with that the two of them walked into the living room.


    Fu Caiwei, along with Ling Xuxu who was five years old, had been waiting in the doorway. The mother and son both had eager looks on their faces. At the sight of Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen coming, their eyes brightened.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er!¡±


    ¡°Cousin!¡±


    Well, the mother and son both subconsciously addressed Ling Zhang in the most affectionate way, forgetting that he was now the empress.


    Ling Zhaowen gave them a dirty look.


    Catching on, Fu Caiwei took Ling Xuxu¡¯s hand and was just about to have the boy kneel with her to pay their respects when Ling Zhang hastened up to them and stopped them. ¡°Aunt Caiwei, Xuxu, there¡¯s no need for that. We¡¯re family. It¡¯s not like I came here with a guard of honor or something. Forget about the formalities.¡±


    Then he twisted his head around and tossed his uncle a disapproving glance.


    Feeling hard done by, with a fairly guilty expression on his face, Ling Zhaowen gave a cough and made an attempt to save his dignity. ¡°They must not forget your identity.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head, turned his head back to scrutinize Fu Caiwei¡¯s face. At the sight of her ruddy complexion, bright eyes and smooth forehead, he came to know that she had been living a happy life, and his worries dissolved.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first and talk later, Aunt Caiwei. Come, Xuxu.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Xuxu, hastening to follow them. While walking forward, the boy was looking up at Ling Zhang, intense curiosity in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang, holding Fu Caiwei¡¯s army, was guiding her forward. Fu Caiwei didn¡¯t stop him, a big smile as bright as a blossom on her face. While happily letting her nephew guide her into the living room, she was sizing her nephew up. Since it didn¡¯t look like there was something bothering him, she felt relieved as well.


    Ling Zhang helped Fu Caiwei into the living room, settled her in a chair and then looked down at Ling Xuxu. The boy had been looking at him with a twinkle in his eyes all along, which struck Ling Zhang as quite amusing. Maybe because the natives of Shengzhou were more out-going than residents in other prefectures, Ling Xuxu was more active and vivacious than Ling Maomao had been when at this age. Ling Zhang raised his hand to rub the boy¡¯s little head. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller, Xuxu.¡±


    Ling Xuxu¡¯s face instantly creased into a broad grin, but he also appeared a little shy. Although Ling Zhang was deliberately controlling the sense of power he was radiating, the air about him which was different from that of any official or personage in Shengzhou still deterred Ling Xuxu from behaving as he would at ordinarily times. In addition, Ling Xuxu remembered that the last time he¡¯d seen this cousin of his who was the empress had been the year before, when he¡¯d returned to the capital city with Ling Zhaowen and attended a banquet in the palace. At that time, Ling Zhang had appeared so aristocratic and far removed from the masses as the moon in the sky, and Ling Xuxu had been awed. But now Ling Zhang looked quite approachable, different from the image of him the boy had. Ling Xuxu was a little confused and didn¡¯t dare speak freely for fear of saying anything wrong.


    Ling Zhang could tell that the boy was a little uptight, but he didn¡¯t make any particular remarks. Instead, he took the boy¡¯s hand, settled himself in a chair opposite Fu Caiwei, and sat the boy on his knees.


    Ling Xuxu twisted his head around and looked up at Ling Zhang, who rubbed the boy¡¯s head again and said, ¡°I brought you a gift. Do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ling Xuxu bobbed his head, his eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Ling Zhaowen let out a cough disapprovingly, looking at Ling Xuxu with stern eyes.


    Ling Xuxu hastened to sit bolt upright and was instantly on his best behavior.


    Amused by this scene, with a smile in his eyes, Ling Zhang looked up at Ling Zhaowen. ¡°Uncle Zhaowen, it¡¯s the Luohai Kingdom that I¡¯ve just returned from.¡±

 Chapter 481 - The Empresss Return

    The Luohai Kingdom? Both Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei were amazed.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t give details after telling them it was the Luohai Kingdom that he¡¯d just returned from. Since Ling Zhang made no more remarks on his journey, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei, both of whom had great sense of perspective, didn¡¯t ask any further questions on that score.


    ¡°Uncle Zhaowen, Aunt Caiwei, this time around I¡¯m here because I want to bring Aunt Caiwei back to the capital city,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhaowen exchanged a look with Fu Caiwei and thought about it for a moment. Actually Fu Caiwei¡¯s pregnancy was now in a very stable state, so making a journey back to the capital city wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her if her carriage traveled at a gentle pace. Besides, if she went with Ling Zhang, she would be sitting in Ling Zhang¡¯s carriage which was, naturally, far better than those of common people, so she wouldn¡¯t experience any discomfort. Most importantly, as the Shengzhou governor, Ling Zhaowen was fully aware of the recent covert movements of the North-western Army. Though presently Shengzhou assumed a semblance of peace and normality, the prospect of war was actually looming large. Unless he was very much mistaken, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the fighting broke out.


    Connecting this with Ling Zhang¡¯s return from the Luohai Kingdom and his special detour to Shengzhou with the intention to bring Fu Caiwei back to the capital city, Ling Zhaowen became more convinced of the truth in his conjecture and at the same time caught on to what Ling Zhang meant.


    ¡°Do you have to depart right away?¡± asked Ling Zhaowen.


    Fu Caiwei looked at him in astonishment, for previously they had decided that she was to stay in Shengzhou waiting for the baby to come. Still, instead of interrupting her husband immediately, Fu Caiwei started pondering. She knew that Ling Zhaowen, after making a decision, wouldn¡¯t change his mind unless the situation changed. On top of that, her nephew seemed quite determined as well¡­


    Her mind racing, Fu Caiwei felt that she had vaguely guessed something, a faintly apprehensive expression appearing on her face in spite of herself.


    Since Ling Zhaowen was asking about the time of departure instead of raising an objection, Ling Zhang came to know that his uncle must¡¯ve guessed the reason. Having heard no objection from his aunt either, Ling Zhang replied, ¡°We depart the day after tomorrow, which means we have one day to make preparations.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen gave a nod. ¡°All right.¡±


    Fu Caiwei opened her mouth but eventually said nothing. She just raised her hand and stroked her belly as the look on her face gradually became one of unswerving determination.


    Ling Xuxu, though unable to tell what the adults were thinking about, had come to understand what Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen meant. ¡°Is Mom going to the capital city?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked down at him. ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re coming with us. Your big brother and grandfather are both in the capital city waiting for you. Do you miss them?¡±


    Ling Xuxu answered with a head bob. ¡°Yes!¡±


    But he immediately added, ¡°What about Dad?¡±


    ¡°Your dad has work to do, a lot of it, so it¡¯s just you and your mom going back to the capital city,¡± Ling Zhang said to the boy.


    Appearing slightly disappointed, Ling Xuxu looked at his father.


    Sensing his son¡¯s reluctance to leave him, Ling Zhaowen felt gratified, but the next moment he heard Ling Xuxu say, ¡°Rest assured, Dad, I¡¯ll take good care of Mom.¡±


    Ling Zhaowen, ¡°¡­¡±


    He was happy to see that his son had such filial affection for his mother, but why was he feeling a sense of loss?


    Fu Caiwei threw her husband a glance, inwardly snickering.


    ¡­


    A decision to return to the capital made, everybody in the residence started bustling around. Except for the couple of servants who were in Ling Zhaowen¡¯s and Fu Caiwei¡¯s confidence, everyone was baffled as to why Fu Caiwei suddenly wanted to go back to the capital city. However, it was not for them to ask questions in that regard. Though a solid day had been set aside, the servants were still having difficulty getting everything ready before the departure. Ling Zhang suggested that he and Fu Caiwei set off as scheduled, that the servants pack the rest of the things later and then have them delivered to the capital city. After he made this arrangement, all the servants were relieved, caught their breath and began to pack in a more careful way.


    Ling Zhang gave up his carriage for Fu Caiwei. Designed by the best artisan of the Ministry of Works, it was roomy and comfortable, and passengers in it could barely feel any bumps when it was progressing.


    Ling Zhang himself, along with Ling Xuxu, got into another horse-drawn carriage.


    It was early in the morning of the third day that they departed from the Abode of Governor, exited the city and headed north towards the capital city.


    They didn¡¯t travel fast. Ling Zhang put Fu Caiwei¡¯s health first, making sure that she had plenty of rest, so the fleet of carriages was going very slow. However, Ling Zhang still felt that it was not slow enough and would have ordered the fleet to slow down even further if the court physician that had previously been sent to the Abode of Governor hadn¡¯t promised him that Fu Caiwei was okay.


    It was ten days later that they reached the capital city. After entering the city, the fleet of carriages directly drove into the Ling Mansion.


    Ling Maomao, who had been informed some time before, had welcomed them with a group of servants at the city gates. Some citizens had recognized Ling Maomao and felt quite curious at the sight of the long fleet of carriages entering the city. When they had found that all the carriages bore the crest of the Ling family, they had speculated that it was a member of the Ling family who had returned.


    Ling Zhang escorted Fu Caiwei back to the residence and watched as she was settled in her chambers. Only after the court physician examined her several times and assured Ling Zhang she was fine did Ling Zhang set off to return to the imperial palace.


    In the imperial palace.


    Yuwen Tong had long since received a letter saying Ling Zhang was coming back, but unexpectedly, not only had Ling Zhang made a detour to Shengzhou halfway through the journey, but he had traveled so slowly that it¡¯d taken him nearly half a month to return to the capital city. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t dare harbor any grudges against Fu Caiwei, so he had vented his anger on his court. As a result, over the past half a month or so, the courtiers had found themselves going through hell once again. It was not until Ling Zhang¡¯s return that they were rid of that miserable situation.


    Surprisingly, by sitting in a carriage among the fleet of the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang made it more difficult for people to find out about his presence. Nobody noticed that the empress, who everybody believed was still in closed-door cultivation, was actually in one of the carriages.


    After leaving the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang quietly entered the palace, and then went to see his children instead of going to the imperial bedchamber.


    The palace that the two princes and the princess were living in was the closest to the imperial bedchamber. Since the princess was still young and might feel lonely if she lived alone, the imperial couple had let her live in the same large palace where her two big brothers lived. Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin lived in the east wing, while Yuwen Yue, her wet nurse and some handmaids lived in the west wing. The two wings were not far away, so when Yuwen Yue needed anything and called out to her brothers, they could hear her. Also, when Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin had the time, they would go to the west wing to play with their little sister for some time.


    Yuwen Yue was still young, so Ling Zhang pretty often went to the west wing to keep her company. All handmaids and eunuchs in this palace had been carefully screened several times before being assigned to this palace. Anybody whose honesty was not absolutely unquestionable would never be allowed to serve in this palace. In addition, there were a lot of guards on duty, and some of Yuwen Tong¡¯s secret bodyguards were covertly keeping a close watch on people in the palace. Before the princes and the princess reached adulthood, the imperial couple would do everything within their power to keep them safe.


    Ling Zhang went into the palace with intense anticipation only to be told by a eunuch that the two princes were having a lesson, that the princess had been carried to the imperial study by the emperor. Ling Zhang was astonished.


    Did Yuwen Tong not know that he was returning today? Why had Yuwen Tong done this knowing that he¡¯d undoubtedly been worried about the children? Ling Zhang narrowly avoided losing his temper. He spun around and it wasn¡¯t until he had walked through the palace gates in haste that he cooled down and halted. After standing there for a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the imperial bedchamber.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Ling Zhang went back to the bedchamber. First he took a bath, washing off the travel fatigue, then changed into clean, soft clothes, got fully dressed, sat down and finished a bowl of congee and a dish of braised pork with soy sauce before he set out to the imperial study.


    In the imperial study, Yuwen Tong, holding Yuwen Yue in his arms, was keeping her from scribbling on the table with the writing brush in her hand, pretending to be listening carefully to the discussion between the courtiers when actually his mind was wandering. The Wan Kingdom was itching for a war, and the Great Wen had secretly made some preparations already, but the issue of provisions transportation and the details of many other matters still needed discussing. Yuwen Tong normally wouldn¡¯t have listened to their long-winded ramble and would have directly told them to get out of his sight and not to come back until they got everything sorted out, but on this day, his mind was on something else, so he didn¡¯t stop them.


    In fact, the courtiers were also secretly bewildered. The emperor they knew would have some time ago chucked them out to rid himself of their meaningless chatter. Why was the emperor so quiet today? Why was he showing no inclination to have them leave after such a long time? Somewhat unaccustomed to the sudden change of the emperor¡¯s attitude, the courtiers gradually lowered their voices. All of them were worried that the emperor appeared cool and unemotional because he was actually extremely angry and considering how to punish them.


    On noticing that they gradually quieted down, Yuwen Tong tossed them a glance and asked, ¡°Why are you not talking any more? You guys have figured it out?¡±


    The couple of courtiers exchanged apprehensive glances, having difficulty finding the courage to make a reply. Eventually, it was Old Master Ji who stepped forward an said, ¡°We feel it inappropriate to bother Your Majesty with such trivial matters, so we think it¡¯d be better if we work out a solution first before we come back here to submit it to you so you could make a final decision.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said blandly, ¡°All right. This matter brooks no delay. It has to be sorted out as soon as possible. I have an intimate knowledge of the overheads of both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War in recent years. Also, none of you need me to tell you what you ought to do. As for how to have the next few batches of army provisions transported to the destination without anybody noticing, it concerns the big plan of the Great Wen, so you guys had better put the heads on your necks to good use while they¡¯re still there. You¡¯ve discussed this matter for quite some time. If you don¡¯t figure something out soon, there will be consequences.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty may rest assured we¡¯ll do our level best to get it done. We¡¯ll sacrifice our lives without hesitation if that¡¯s what Your Majesty and the Great Wen need us to do.¡±


    ¡°Okay, enough with the big words. You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The courtiers were just about to leave when a eunuch in the doorway of the imperial study reported aloud, ¡°The empress arrives!¡±


    The empress? The couple of courtiers paused at the same time. They were all members of the inner circle of the imperial court, and naturally were aware that lately the empress had probably been away from the palace instead of in closed-door cultivation. Therefore, on hearing about the return of the empress, they all came to a halt.


    They counted as the most powerful people in the Great Wen except for the imperial couple, but none of them had ever got wind of the time of the empress¡¯s departure from the imperial palace or when he¡¯d returned to the city, which was why all of them were shocked. There had been increasing occasions of this kind in recent years. During the first few years following the enthronement ceremony, they had been able to find some faint traces from time to time, but now they couldn¡¯t find a single one, and they were all fully aware of what this meant.


    Five years before nobody had thought that the empress would become so resourceful. Most courtiers had even believed that the empress would get himself into deeper and deeper trouble, but ever since the emperor¡¯s sudden decision to adopt some children of his relatives¡¯, things had been going in a direction that none of them had expected. There were now two princes and a princess in the imperial household. Though none of them was the empress¡¯s trueborn child, the two princes were both Yuwens. The princess was not a Yuwen, but being a princess meant that she had no claim to the throne, so there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Presently, the two princes and the princess were all so close to the empress as though he¡¯d given birth to them. Also, the marital bonding between the emperor and the empress had been very strong all along, and the former had no inclination whatsoever to take any concubines. The empress¡¯s position had been getting more and more secure. Currently, the empress was in charge of more than half of the Great Wen¡¯s intelligence sources. There was nothing any of the courtiers could do that the empress wouldn¡¯t find out. Even if any of them harbored ulterior motives, he wouldn¡¯t dare risk disclosing anything to others.

 Chapter 482 - Yuwen Tong, Why Are You Such a Lousy Parent?!

    All the courtiers halted and looked in the direction of the doorway of the imperial study.


    On entering the study, Ling Zhang caught sight of the couple of courtiers who appeared to have just paused on their way out. Slightly surprised, he wondered what this was about.


    Apart from him, Old Master Ji and the others were also secretly surprised as their eyes met. Ling Zhang was walking in with his back to the daylight coming from outside, and not only did every line of the contours of his figure seem to be cloaked in some kind of halo as he moved, but a sense of power was spontaneously radiating from him, and, though not quickly, was flooding towards them. When looking at Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, they felt that their souls were quivering. His eyes were so penetrating as though the owner of them was seeing right into their hearts and reading their minds!


    Almost all of them were awed and on the alert in spite of themselves. Even Old Master Ji, after a brief moment¡¯s stupor, gave a horrified start.


    Ling Zhang was approaching, an involuntary expression of confusion appearing on his face as he saw them remaining stationary.


    Old Master Ji was the first to realize the situation. ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Your Highness.¡±


    The others became conscious of externals and all hastened to pay their respects to the empress.


    Inwardly raising his brows, Ling Zhang said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, Your Lordships. Are you going inside or¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re going back to the hall to confer with each other about the matter of army provisions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your dedication.¡±


    ¡°A compliment none of us deserve. I think it¡¯s safe to say Your Highness is here to talk with His Majesty and Her Highness, so we¡¯d like to take our leave if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded and resumed progressing. Old Master Ji and the others watched as he walked towards the far end of the study.


    Ling Zhang sensed the gaze from behind him and the corners of his mouth unnoticeably curled.


    Between the front doors of the imperial study and the inner chamber where the emperor¡¯s desk was was a straight passageway paved with mirror-like floor tiles. All those who could tread it were top-ranking officials of the Great Wen, pillars of the imperial court. Over the past five years, Ling Zhang had seldom come to the imperial study on his own initiative, even more rarely to the consultation hall, and there were very few occasions when he¡¯d met any of the courtiers. The last time he¡¯d seen Old Master Ji and the others was at a banquet held in the palace on the eve of the New Year¡¯s Day. At that time he hadn¡¯t reached the sixth layer of his method of cultivating internal energy yet, and his proficiency in the utilization of the Force of Blood in him had still been at a rather low level. Now he had reached the sixth layer, and it was as though he had truly taken his first step into another realm. He was seeing and hearing things in a very different way and also capable of control his powers in a more efficient and accurate fashion. A short while before, after he sensed Old Master Ji¡¯s and the others¡¯ presence in the study, he¡¯d been briefly surprised, decided to try it out on them and gradually lifted the restrictions he¡¯d imposed on his powers, and the outcome struck him as satisfactory, for he had noticed that even Old Master Ji, a wily old fox, had had an involuntary look of shock and astonishment in his eyes.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    At this time, a fit of coughing suddenly came from inside, which didn¡¯t sound like the kind of cough that people couldn¡¯t stifle. It was tinged with displeasure. Clearly the person inside was displeased with Ling Zhang¡¯s slow pace.


    Ling Zhang lifted his brows and quickened his pace. Through the see-through curtains, he could now see the major part of the interior of the imperial study. Around a corner was a spacious hall. On the two sides were tall bookcases laden with books of all descriptions. Right between the two rows of bookcases was the emperor¡¯s desk which faced due south, and which people could see immediately after turning the corner.


    Yuwen Tong, who was holding Crescent in his arms, had cocked his ears the moment Ling Zhang had entered the imperial study. Hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s footsteps and his greetings to the courtiers, feeling the sense of power radiating from him, Yuwen Tong had slightly squinted his eyes with a proud look on his face. Eager to see Ling Zhang, he had deliberately let out a cough to give him a prod and then perceived him quickening his pace. Through the curtains, he could vaguely see a figure coming towards him. When Ling Zhang was standing in the hall, Yuwen Tong fixed his eyes on him. He hadn¡¯t seen Ling Zhang for nearly two months, and now he could finally put an end to the days when he had to lie in bed alone and unable to sleep. He hardened his face, preparing to ¡°dress down¡± Ling Zhang to let him know that he had been lonely and suffering from insomnia all this time. However, he had just opened his mouth when the countenance of Ling Zhang standing opposite him changed drastically and with that Ling Zhang let out a roar.


    ¡°YUWEN TONG, WHY ARE YOU SUCH A LOUSY PARENT?!¡±


    Ling Zhang, after turning the corner, had specially paused looking in the direction of Yuwen Tong sitting behind the desk. When he¡¯d seen Yuwen Tong sitting there idly instead of coming down to welcome him, he had curled his lip intending to talk with him about it, but then his eyes had moved downward and alighted on Yuwen Yue in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms and with that his countenance had abruptly changed and he had sprinted inside in alarm.


    Yuwen Yue, a naughty kid, had dipped her father¡¯s writing brush into the ink, scribbled on her face and then put the brush into her mouth. Her cheeks and lips covered in ink, she was grinning, revealing her ink-stained baby teeth¡­


    Everybody in the study was taken aback by Ling Zhang¡¯s roar. At the sight of Ling Zhang streaking towards him after a drastic change of his countenance, Yuwen Tong hastened to look down at his daughter. Startled by the scene, he hurriedly grabbed the writing brush one end of which was in Yuwen Yue¡¯s mouth. Unfortunately for him, Yuwen Yue had the brush clamped tightly between her teeth. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t dare pull hard for fear of hurting her teeth, sweat breaking out over his back.


    The couple of courtiers outside, who hadn¡¯t left yet, heard the roar, ran back into the study and were dumbstruck as they saw the little princess whose face and lips were covered in ink fighting her father for a writing brush.


    Ling Zhang tore up to the desk, slapped Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand off the writing brush and grabbed it himself. ¡°Let it go, Crescent,¡± Ling Zhang said.


    Yuwen Yue¡¯s eyes brightened noticeably at the sight of her ¡°birth father¡±, but for some reason, seeing her father holding the writing brush, the mischievous girl misconstrued this as some kind of game, smiling archly, refusing to slacken her grip. Looking at the ink in her mouth, Ling Zhang almost blacked out with anxiety and he subconsciously demanded in an imperative tone, ¡°Yuwen Yue! Let it go!¡±


    On sensing Ling Zhang¡¯s anger, Yuwen Yue was astounded. Not daring to smile any more, she loosened her grip in a dreamy way. When Ling Zhang had hastily pulled out the writing brush and tossed it away, the corners of her mouth dropped and she burst into tears, an injured look in her eyes.


    Flustered, Ling Zhang tried to wipe the saliva mixed with ink off her lips, but his efforts seemed to be having the opposite effect. Positively faint with anxiety, he swiveled his head around and thundered, ¡°Send for a court physician!¡±


    There was no telling whether or not the ink she¡¯d consumed would make her ill. The very thought of the damage it might cause to her health wrenched at Ling Zhang¡¯s heart.


    A eunuch hastened to send for a court physician. The courtiers didn¡¯t dare leave and just watched as the empress took the princess from the emperor¡¯s arms and used his own sleeves to wipe her lips and face. The princess was still crying noisily. The emperor was anxiously patting the princess¡¯s back and at the same time sneaking guilty glances at the empress. This scene which was heavy with a flavor of the next married couple¡¯s daily life astonished them so much that they forgot about the sense of power that had radiated from the empress and awed them a short while before.


    ¡°Stop crying. Daddy didn¡¯t mean to lose his temper with you. Look at you ¨C both your face and your mouth are black. And you¡¯re making yourself look terrible with your tears,¡± coaxed Yuwen Tong.


    But ¡°look terrible¡± seemed to be the only words that the little girl had heard and she cried even louder.


    Yuwen Tong paused, unsure as to whether he should withdraw his hand or continue stretching it out to console her.


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look, lifted Yuwen Yue up and then stationed her on his knees to let her face him. Supporting her with one hand and wiping her tears off with the other, he cajoled, ¡°Be good. Stop crying. Are you not happy to see Daddy?¡±


    The anger that had registered on his face a few moments before had been replaced by a concerned and affectionate expression. Sobbing, Yuwen Yue put her arms around his neck, soiling it and his collar with the remaining ink in her mouth. ¡°Daddy yelled at me¡­¡± she said in a choked voice, still weeping.


    There was a large black patch on Ling Zhang¡¯s overgarment, which had been left by the ink he had her spit out a short while before, and now, since his neck and collar were also stained with ink and tears, he was no cleaner than Yuwen Yue. Resigned, his heart aching for his daughter, he drew her into a hug and patted her back. ¡°There, there. Daddy won¡¯t be angry with you again. You shouldn¡¯t have put the writing brush in your mouth. I¡¯ve told you many times this kind of stuff is inedible. If you do that again, I¡¯ll spank you instead of scolding you.¡±


    With her arms around his neck, Yuwen Yue sobbed, ¡°Don¡¯t spank me, Daddy.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang was both resigned and amused. Supporting her little butt, he replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get spanked, do not put a writing brush into your mouth again. You hear me?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Yuwen Yue in a muffled voice. She was still sobbing, but not as hard as she had a few moments before. Yuwen Tong was relieved at the sight of this. Looking at her little butt supported by Ling Zhang, he felt an urge to spank her. It¡¯d been so ill-behaved of her to bite a writing brush when he was not paying attention.


    ¡°Stop crying.¡± Yuwen Tong rubbed her head and then turned around to sort the memorial on the desk which had been messed up by Yuwen Yue. Fortunately, it was just a common memorial that an official had sent to him to wish him good health. It was of little significance and he didn¡¯t have to reply to it.


    Before long, a court physician arrived. After being given an account of the incident, he examined Yuwen Yue and then prescribed her some mild laxative. ¡°Her Highness consumed only a small amount of the ink. It should be nothing serious. She just has to drink more water to wash her intestines and stomach. The laxative would serve only to detoxify the tiny amount of poisonous substance in the ink. The most severe potential side effect would be the runs, but Her Highness has a strong constitution, so it¡¯s unlikely she¡¯d suffer from any side effects.¡±


    Fu Caiwei had always been in good health, and Yuwen Yue seemed to have inherited her mother¡¯s strong constitution. On top of that, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang cared about their adopted daughter very much and had been raising her according to the advice of some experienced wet nurses since her birth. Also, Mr. Mu had been visiting the palace to examine the children on a regular basis. As a result, the two princes and the princess had seldom developed any diseases. All wet nurses and handmaids were very scrupulous, and none of them dared make any careless mistakes when it came to the health of the young imperial family members. Every one of the three children had a strong constitution, and they¡¯d hardly suffered any minor ailments.


    After being informed that she was okay, Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. Still, in his annoyance, he couldn¡¯t help but playfully hit Yuwen Yue¡¯s little butt twice. ¡°You naughty little devil. I bet you won¡¯t dare do that again.¡±


    Yuwen Yue had stopped crying. From the combination of the court physician¡¯s presence, the anxiety on both her father¡¯s and her Daddy¡¯s faces, and the nervous facial expressions of the lingering courtiers, she deduced that she¡¯d done something wrong. After being hit on the butt, she secretly stroked it, not daring utter a word.


    Ling Zhang was amused by her bearing but didn¡¯t chuckle for fear that the little girl would get the wrong impression that what she¡¯d done was no big deal. He scooped her up. ¡°Okay. We¡¯re going back. You need to drink some water and the medicine and change clothes. Look what a mess you¡¯ve made out of your clothes.¡±


    He was taking his daughter back. Yuwen Tong, who hadn¡¯t seen him for such a long time, naturally was going back to the imperial bedchamber with him.


    Since the little princess was fine and the imperial couple were returning, the courtiers all sensibly took their leave first, and the court physician left with them.


    It was not until all of them had disappeared from view that Ling Zhang scowled at Yuwen Tong and reprimanded, ¡°Crescent is still young, but you¡¯re an adult. I expect more from you.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knew he was in the wrong. ¡°It was my fault and you may dress me down any way you like. Just stop being mad. You have just returned and haven¡¯t had any rest yet. If you keep being angry, your health will be damaged, and when that happens, my heart will be broken.¡±


    Owing to Yuwen Tong¡¯s sincerely admitting his mistakes, and the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had failed to stop the kid from doing that because Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention had been fixed on him, Ling Zhang, recalling that they hadn¡¯t seen each other for quite some time and that he hadn¡¯t checked on either of his sons yet, stopped being angry and walked out of the imperial study with Yuwen Yue in his arms, heading for the imperial bedchamber.


    Yuwen Tong followed in his wake, casually making a gesture at the guards behind him, who saw it and immediately cordoned off the imperial study, not allowing anybody to get in or out of it.

 Chapter 483 - A Plan & The Arrangements

    The twittering of birds was heard.


    It was a spring morning, and shafts of warm sunlight were pouring in through the windows of the imperial bedchamber, hitting the tables, chairs and other exquisite funishings, covering them with a genial glow. The whole imperial bedchamber was quiet except for the cheerful chirp of birds which was coming from outside the windows and echoing in the bedchamber. A couple of little birds were hopping around outside the window. One of them jumped onto the window ledge, gave a little hop to edge aside and lowered its head to preen itself. After giving a couple of faintly muffled cries, it started twittering joyously again.


    Ling Zhang, without opening his eyes, groggily grabbed the quilt and pulled it over his head in an attempt to rid himself of the chirrup. Buried in the quilt, he was still quite drowsy and didn¡¯t even feel like moving a finger, not to mention opening his eyes.


    After a while, the bird on the windowsill flew off in a fluster as though alarmed by something, and so did other birds outside the window.


    With his whole body beneath the quilt, Ling Zhang continued to indulge in sleep. The night before, he was badgered into changing into that set of scarlet clothes by Yuwen Tong who made out with him for a whole night. Unless the sky fell down, nothing would stop him from continuing to sleep.


    He drifted into a deep sleep once again and it was not until noon that he slept enough and woke up. Eyes still closed, he reached out a hand to knead the small of his back. With a sudden movement of the quilt, a warm palm came joining him in massaging the small of his back.


    A groan escaped Ling Zhang¡¯s throat and with that he withdrew his hand, rolled over and lay prone to allow that warm palm to knead his waist in a more dutiful fashion.


    As a low chuckle issued from outside the quilt, someone drew the quilt down to reveal his neck and planted a warm kiss on it.


    Ling Zhang languidly let out a disapproving grunt and slightly moved his neck. ¡°Stop it. It itches.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gently removed the couple of strands of mischievous hair from Ling Zhang¡¯s neck. Kneading his waist with one hand, he softly ran his fingers through his hair with his other hand, tenderly massaging his head to help clear his mind. ¡°The whole morning Crescent has been pestering me to let her see you, and she¡¯s still sulking as we speak. You¡¯ll have to go and coax her after you get up.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Ling Zhang. The massage Yuwen Tong was giving him was so comfortable that he let out a long sigh of contentment. ¡°There weren¡¯t any serious issues reported at the court meeting this morning, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still about the secret transportation of food supplies to the south-west. The first batch has been covertly gathered and delivered to the South-western Army already. I plan to have another two batches shipped there by stealth so that our troops will have adequate provisions and fodder after entering the Wan Kingdom. After their entry into the Wan Kingdom, it will no longer be necessary to keep the transportation of food supplies secret, and we may have them delivered in any way we like,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    At the mention of army provisions and the upcoming war, Ling Zhang, though inclined to stay in the quilt for a little while longer, felt his drowsiness vanish instantly and with that he shifted his position slightly and then sat up.


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his hand and, after Ling Zhang settled himself on the bed, wrapped the quilt around him, believing that the weather was still cold, that Ling Zhang who had just woken up needed some extra protection against the low temperature.


    Ling Zhang grabbed the edge of the quilt and asked him, ¡°No matter how careful we are, leaks about the transportation of army provisions are inevitable. We¡¯ve got to take action as soon as possible, before the Wan Kingdom figures out what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The Wan Kingdom hasn¡¯t made its move yet, so we have to stay put and bide our time. The transportation of provisions and fodder is a must. We¡¯ll have to figure out a more secure delivery method. We¡¯ve come up with a couple of workable plans during the discussion this morning. Barring accidents, I¡¯ll be able to issue a secret decree on that score tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang pondered for a while before he inquired, ¡°Who are you putting in charge of the shipment of the next two batches of provisions?¡±


    ¡°He Xiao,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang made no more remarks. Since a decision had been made after some discussions, he believed that they had taken into consideration everything that ought to be considered. After a brief moment¡¯s thinking, he said, ¡°I can have the chamber of commerce help with the transportation if you want.¡±


    The Great Wen was where the real headquarters of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was located, which meant that it would be easier to get the job done without anybody noticing. It was totally feasible to ship army provisions under the cover of goods shipment.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I was just about to talk to you in this regard. My men will handle the shipment of food supplies. It¡¯s the transportation of medicines and physicians that I want the chamber of commerce to help with.¡±


    A war against the Wan Kingdom would inevitably led to heavy casualties. Enormous quantities of medicines and a huge team of physicians would be needed.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°No problem.¡±


    The matter of medicines was easy to settle. The tricky part was how to transport a large number of physicians without alarming the enemies. Fortunately, during the past couple of years, the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had roped in a lot of talents of all descriptions, among whom there were many physicians. The risk of a leak would be lower if the army recruited physicians from within the chamber of commerce.


    After giving it some thought, Ling Zhang, who had come to know what to expect, got out of bed to wash and dress himself instead of continuing to stay in bed.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve found Qi and Lin a kung fu instructor,¡± said Yuwen Tong, giving Ling Zhang a name.


    Ling Zhang, who had heard about that person before, raised no objection to Yuwen Tong¡¯s arrangement.


    ¡­


    After lunch, Ling Zhang went to pacify his daughter, played with her in the imperial garden for a while and then made towards the imperial study.


    On the west wall of the imperial study hung a detailed map of three neighboring countries: the Great Wen, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. Such was the comprehensiveness of the map that the monarchs of the other two countries would be startled and then scared if they saw it. Leaving aside a couple of areas, it rivaled the maps owned by the monarchs of the other two countries in terms of the exhaustiveness and accuracy of the information about the two countries.


    Standing in front of the map, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong studied it for a while. Then they pivoted around to check the sand table which took up almost the whole room. Most of the time their eyes were fixed on the south-west.


    Three years ago, he and Yuwen Tong went to the south and knocked the two south-western prefectures into shape. They not only put the two prefectures under their complete control but also made an important arrangement ¨C hoarding food supplies and soldiers there.


    They had been hoarding provisions and fodder and recruiting soldiers in the two prefectures covertly, and only a limited few knew about it, all of whom were absolutely trustworthy. It had taken the two of them three years to achieve their goal step by step. Currently there were over 100,000 troops and vast quantities of army provisions in the two south-western prefectures. All of them were crack troops who had been given secret training, and whose mission was, according to the plan that was to be carried out next, to take the south-eastern part of the Wan Kingdom at one fell swoop and then occupy the whole south before advancing towards the capital of the Wan Kingdom.


    Yes, their main force was stationed in the south-west, not Shengzhou. The border between the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen was quite long, but in the south-west the two countries were separated by lofty mountains where some ungoverned tribes dwelt. Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had spent a solid year studying those areas before they got an intimate knowledge of them and made some arrangements accordingly.


    This time around, the Wan Kingdom had allied itself with the Luohai Kingdom, intending to attack the Great Wen. The Luohai monarch had promised that the dispatch of his army would be a mere act. The main battlefield would be Shengzhou, and the Wan Kingdom would be sending its main force there. Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s plan was to send their army to the south of the Wan Kingdom and take it at one blow while the Wan Kingdom¡¯s main force was in Shengzhou. Yuwen Tong himself would be directing the troops in that battle.


    During that time, officials of the capital city must keep his departure secret, and the Shengzhou garrison would have to withstand the fierce attack from the main strength of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army.


    As regards how to extricate themselves from the capital city, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had had it all planned out. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were in Shengzhou. Xiao Ziyan had also been transferred to Shengzhou. All arrangements had been minutely discussed numerous times three years ago, and all contingencies had been considered in detail. What they needed to do next was to race against time. Whether or not the Great Wen would be able to annex the Wan Kingdom depended on if the South-western Army led by Yuwen Tong would successfully take the south-eastern part of the Wan Kingdom at a single stroke and then the whole south of it.


    ¡°Shan Congli has finished mustering his army. He¡¯s waiting for the Luohai Kingdom. Mu Hengtian has to buy himself some time, so there¡¯s no doubt he wouldn¡¯t finish mustering his army anytime soon, which means that it would be at least a month before they officially declare war on us,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Mu Hengtian had aligned himself with the Wan Kingdom and also signed an alliance agreement with the Great Wen. The reason why he had made himself a common ally of both countries was because he wanted to see the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen fight each other, which would give him an opportunity to deal with the issue of infighting in his court. As a result, the longer the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen were mired in a war, the more beneficial the situation would be to him, so naturally he wouldn¡¯t finish mustering his army that quickly, but Shan Congli wouldn¡¯t wait patiently for long and would definitely hurry Mu Hengtian again and again. The earliest possible time of the dispatch of the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s army was one month later, and the latest possible time of it depended on how long Mu Hengtian could delay it.


    But for the Great Wen, the sooner the Wan Kingdom sent its army, the better. Therefore, apart from the Wan Kingdom, Yuwen Tong would also take some covert measures to have Mu Hengtian send his troops as soon as possible.


    ¡°When are you going south?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°When Shan Congli¡¯s men reach Shengzhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too late?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Not really. This time Xue Chi would be the commander-in-chief of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army. If we are to trick him, I¡¯ll have to make a public appearance after the Wan Kingdom declares war on us lest they become vigilant. Once the Wan Kingdom¡¯s army get to Shengzhou, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi would hold them at bay and prevent them from going anywhere else, and that¡¯s when the South-western Army make their move.¡±


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have as much acquaintance with war as Yuwen Tong did, and he didn¡¯t know Xue Chi as well as Yuwen Tong did either. Now that Yuwen Tong had made such arrangements, Ling Zhang, who had absolute trust in him, believed that he had no doubt contemplated them. According to the plan, it would be a month before Yuwen Tong went to the south, which meant that he could stay in the capital city for another month. Before he left for the south, he would have to take some precautions to make sure that his absence from court meetings wouldn¡¯t arouse anybody¡¯s suspicions. The two of them had some time ago made some arrangements on this score.


    However, although they had long since had everything planned out, the prospect of Yuwen Tong going to war still sent Ling Zhang into deep worry. In order to keep abreast of the latest developments in the situation in Shengzhou and Youzhou, he would have to stay in the imperial palace in the capital city and wouldn¡¯t be able to go with Yuwen Tong to the battlefield, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to real-time information about the war or Yuwen Tong¡¯s safety¡­


    At the thought of this, Ling Zhang naturally felt a little crestfallen, and even his face became fairly glum.


    Yuwen Tong knew what he was worried about. He wanted to bring Ling Zhang with him, but the capital city needed Ling Zhang, and their children were still young and couldn¡¯t do without a parent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Shengzhou after you take the south-east of the Wan Kingdom and wait until the time comes for us to rendezvous in the capital of the Wan Kingdom,¡± said Ling Zhang. By that time, it would no longer be necessary to conceal the fact that Yuwen Tong was not in the capital city but in the Wan Kingdom. The two prime ministers would be in the capital city, and so would his father and maternal grandfather, who would take care of the children for him after he went to Shengzhou. When Yuwen Tong had taken the south of the Wan Kingdom, the North-western Army would launch an all-out attack. Their target was the capital of the Wan Kingdom, where they would naturally rendezvous with each other if they won.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart gave a little lurch and with that he said, ¡°All right.¡±

 Chapter 484 - Recollections of Childhood

    One month¡¯s time was neither long nor short. The atmosphere in the imperial court and that in the borderlands had both become subdued and tense before anybody realized it. It struck many people that this was just the lull before the storm.


    The Ling Mansion, however, was unaffected. Contrary to what it was like at ordinary times, the mood in the residence became uproarious.


    After Fu Caiwei¡¯s return to the capital city, the Ling Mansion had instantly become lively. Both Ling Xingzhong and Ling Maomao had moved back to the Ling Mansion from the suburban manor, and even Ji Yin had moved back as well. It was as though someone had turned the clock back five years. Everybody in the residence had a delighted look on their face and emanated an air of joy when walking.


    When Ling Zhang¡¯s guard of honor arrived at the Ling Mansion, the residence which had stood quiet for five years thoroughly came alive.


    Ling Zhang brought Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Yuwen Yue with him. The moment they showed up, Ling Xuxu¡¯s spirits rose. Ever since he¡¯d returned to the capital city with Fu Caiwei, he had been the only child in the Ling Mansion. Having no acquaintances in this city, he had inevitably been feeling rather lonely. At first Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Ling Xuxu were a little uptight when having dealings with each other, but since the two brothers had seen Ling Xuxu a couple of times before and were his peers, they soon hit it off. Yuwen Yue kept running behind them, a group of palace ladies and middle-aged handmaids on her heels. Thus, the couple of children scampered around with a group of adults following in their wake.


    Even Yuwen Lin, who had always been relatively quiet, lost his inhibitions. At ordinary times the two brothers always had to act courteously, and occasions when they could really relax like this were rather rare, so Ling Zhang didn¡¯t put any restrictions on them. He himself went to play Chinese chess with Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin. Ling Xingzhong was no better a chess player than he¡¯d been many years ago. It was amazing that Ji Yin had been patiently playing Chinese chess with him for such a long time.


    Fu Caiwei was sitting in a living room located in another area of the residential compound. The hall was spacious, and sitting in it, she could see the children playing in the large garden. While talking with some middle-aged handmaids, she watched the children chasing a group of palace ladies, laughing all the way. Seeing that Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin who always conscientiously obeyed the rules had shed their inhibitions and were now playing happily with Ling Xuxu and Yuwen Yue, she sighed, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them so lively for a very long time.¡±


    When her eyes rested on Yuwen Yue, the look in them became exceptionally gentle. Seeing that she was delicate-skinned and fair-complexioned and followed by a group of nervous palace ladies and middle-aged handmaids, she came to know that the little girl must¡¯ve been growing amid the love of a lot of doting adults in the palace. Recalling the astonishment that had appeared on the face of everybody, including Ling Zhaowen, when she had told them her decision, she was amazed by how fast time had been going. In what felt like the blink of an eye, the baby had grown into a little girl, who was now chasing her brothers, calling out to them in a silvery, babyish voice, her ruddy and delicate cheeks glowing with vigor.


    ¡°¡­At that time the imperial court were both startled. Fortunately Her Highness didn¡¯t consume much, and a court physician prescribed her some mild alexipharmic medicine, so she¡¯s okay now.¡± A middle-aged handmaid serving Yuwen Yue was among the group of people talking with Fu Caiwei. Ling Zhang, aware that Fu Caiwei must be eager to know more about Yuwen Yue, had specially told the handmaid to keep Fu Caiwei company and talk with her.


    Smiling, Fu Caiwei said, ¡°That sounds like something Maomao would normally do when he was younger. When Maomao was a little boy, he also liked to put all kinds of things into his mouth. On one occasion, Zhang¡¯er was caught flat-footed and got his arm bitten by Maomao. The bite was so hard that it left a bruise on his arm. Maomao refused to let go no matter how hard Zhang¡¯er tried to convince him.¡±


    Ling Maomao, who was keeping an eye on his mother as well as the couple of children playing in the garden, blushed. ¡°Mother, what are you talking about?¡±


    Everybody in the room clapped a hand to their mouth and snickered. Fu Caiwei looked at him and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. Every child grinds their teeth sometime, and it¡¯s a normal thing that children like to bite things. They tend to put everything they could get into their mouths. Her Highness is doing what every child her age would do. You used to be like her as well.¡±


    His face suffusing with color to the snicker of the women in the room, Ling Maomao simply rose to his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out there to check on them.¡±


    After saying this, he ran out as though fleeing and the people in the room burst into laughter.


    Ling Zhang, who was in the room next door and had a sharp sense of hearing, naturally heard every word of the conversations between people in the living room, and so did Ji Yin sitting beside him. The old man tossed Ling Zhang an amused glance and asked, ¡°You really got bitten?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Maomao was like a puppy, and his bites were quite painful. At that time Uncle Zhaowen was a busy man, and Aunt Caiwei had to help with the family business from time to time, so I was made a babysitter. Maomao not only liked to bite people but also was running around all the time. I was twelve and it never occurred to me that babysitting a kid could be so challenging. Sometimes Maomao pissed me off to such a degree that I was on the verge of tears.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong, though not having heard the conversations between people in the next-door room, could divine what that was about from his grandson¡¯s words. On hearing the story, he dissolved into laughter. After he finished laughing, he said, ¡°You were not just on the verge of tears. You were literally reduced to tears. Your eyes were red, and you gritted your teeth, but there was nothing you could do with Maomao.¡±


    Ji Yin, who had really never heard of this kind of childhood stories about Ling Zhang before, flicked a searching glance at Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, as though picturing what twelve-year-old Ling Zhang had looked like when sulking with red eyes and clenched teeth.


    Ling Maomao, who had just escaped from his mother and was planning to tell his elders that he was going out to check on the three children, had just entered when he heard Ling Xingzhong¡¯s words which made him feel very much like sinking through the floor. He had been very young when those things had happened, and he couldn¡¯t recall any of them clearly. He really didn¡¯t know that he had once made Ling Zhang that angry.


    Fortunately for him, Ling Zhang, who observed him walk inside, specially changed the topic in an effort to spare him the embarrassment. ¡°Go and keep an eye on Crescent. She¡¯s too young to outrun her big brothers, and she might cry when she fails to catch up with them.¡±


    Ling Zhang knew his daughter very well. Shortly after he stopped speaking, Yuwen Yue¡¯s deafening weep issued from the garden. Ling Maomao spun around and trotted out.


    Ling Zhang went out as well and saw Ling Maomao run up to Yuwen Yue like the wind, scoop her up, coax her for a moment and then affect an air of ferocity before going after Yuwen Qi and the other two boys, sending Yuwen Yue laughing through tears, screaming excitedly.


    Ling Zhang shook his head resignedly. Fortunately it was a windless day, and the sun was quite warm, so it was okay to let the children roughhouse a little.


    In the room, Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin were still talking about Ling Zhang¡¯s childhood. After a while, Yuwen Tong finished work and came out of the palace. He entered the living room and paid his respects to the two elders. ¡°Paternal Grandfather, Maternal Grandfather.¡±


    Because of his identity, Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin didn¡¯t dare allow him to actually kneel before them.


    ¡°May I ask what you were chatting about? I heard your laughter a long distance away,¡± said Yuwen Tong, throwing Ling Zhang a significant glance.


    Ling Xingzhong also cast a look at Ling Zhang, who simply rose to his feet and took his leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep Aunt Caiwei company and talk with her.¡±


    Well, this time around Ling Zhang was the one making an excuse to leave, which was something Ling Maomao had done a short while before.


    But him taking his leave meant that he didn¡¯t mind if Ling Xingzhong talked about his childhood.


    Now Ling Xingzhong had no misgivings. Both these two people loved his grandson, so he naturally felt it unnecessary to keep anything back from them. Therefore, he confided to them many funny stories about Ling Zhang¡¯s childhood, with an emphasis on the period when Ling Zhang had been babysitting Ling Maomao. Ling Xingzhong had felt quite amused when he had seen Ling Zhang who had always been a polite well-behaved grandson stamping his foot in anger with teary eyes because of a toddler. That period had lasted quite some time, and only when Ling Maomao had been several years older and less naughty had Ling Zhang been rid of the ordeal.


    As Yuwen Tong listened to these stories about Ling Zhang, many images naturally came into his mind, his eyes gleaming with amusement. That version of Ling Zhang struck him as precious and different in the sense that he had been innocent at that time. Ling Zhang had been brought up by Ling Xingzhong, so his personality bore some likeness to that of his grandfather. Also, twelve-year-old boys tended to believe that they were supposed to behave like adults, so Ling Zhang at that time definitely had been courteous, innocent, kind-hearted and quite methodical in speech and action, a teenager like an opening bud, who hadn¡¯t been through rebirth or any of the upheavals that had happened afterward, who had been like a piece of blank white paper that hadn¡¯t been stained by any of the colors that had afterward made it iridescent, but who had been adorable in a unique way regardless. Thinking about this, Yuwen Tong felt rather regretful. Why had he not found out about the marriage contract between them sooner? Had he done that, he would have met the twelve-year-old Ling Zhang. However, this was probably what people meant when they said ¡°Sometimes the providence is just not in the mood for granting people the happy endings they want.¡±


    Hearing Ling Xingzhong in the next-door living room talk about his childhood, Ling Zhang, who was keeping Fu Caiwei company, also had a somewhat distant look on his face. It was in not only his childhood but also his last life that those things had happened. Sometimes he felt that it had been only an instant since the occurrence of those events, but sometimes he felt that it had been decades, and those memories of his seemed to have blurred somewhat.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er?¡± called Fu Caiwei apprehensively as she noticed the distant expression on his face. ¡°Is something bothering you?¡±


    Ling Zhang pulled himself back to the present and said, ¡°No. It¡¯s just the sight of them playing reminds me of my childhood.¡±


    Fu Caiwei smiled, ¡°You were much more well-behaved than them when you were their age. You were always meek and polite. They are a bunch of naughty little devils.¡±


    Ling Zhang was not Fu Caiwei¡¯s natural son, and he¡¯d been almost ten when Fu Caiwei had married into the Ling family, but at the age of ten, he had been shorter than his peers and looked as though he were seven or eight. Also, he¡¯d been delicate-skinned and fair-complexioned, and his eyes had been exceptionally bright and always had an appraising look in them when Ling Zhang had been quietly looking at someone. He had been a boy of few words but quite lovable. Fu Caiwei had taken a liking to him on first acquaintance and, after being informed of what had happened to his parents, developed a sympathy for him. Over time, she had come to regard him as her own son. Before the birth of Ling Maomao, Ling Zhang had been like a firstborn to her. He had been obedient, sensible and quite thoughtful, so all her memories of his childhood, naturally, were sweet and pleasant.


    His aunt¡¯s words sent Ling Zhang into fits of chuckle. After sitting there for another few moments, feeling that these women¡¯s topics were not very becoming for him, he rose to his feet, took his leave and went to look for the children who had run to the other side of the garden to play. Judging from the color of the sky, lunchtime was near. It was about time he had them come back, wipe up their sweat and change out of their sweaty clothes.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, along with their children, had lunch in the Ling Mansion and then chatted with their elders for some time. It was shortly before the time when Ling Xingzhong would normally go to have an afternoon nap that the two of them brought the children back to the palace. After their return to the palace, it was time to deal with the matter of Yuwen Tong¡¯s absence from future court meetings. Naturally, in order not to arouse anybody¡¯s suspicions, they had to make some arrangements to prevent that from happening, and to do that, they needed some help. Having nobody else at his service whom he deemed trustworthy enough to be entrusted with the task, Yuwen Tong had got his eye on Yuwen Jin, who had successfully passed the Imperial Martial Arts Examination and had been trying to toughen himself in the Western City Garrison Battalion over the past few years.

 Chapter 485 - Kung Fu Contest

    The weather this spring had been very good, with gentle breeze and timely rain, which was why people of the Great Wen all had smile on their faces. During these five years of Yuwen Tong¡¯s reign, the yearly harvest had been growing steadily. Though there had been occasional natural disasters, the imperial court had carried out rescue and relief operations promptly and fruitfully. With a reliable government at their back, the people were now more confident about their future, and naturally their living conditions were improving. And Yuwen Tong¡¯s prestige had been rising correspondingly year by year. During this year¡¯s Spring Rite, the number of people attending the ceremony had hit a record high. Though it had been quite some time since the end of the ceremony, a lot of residents of the capital city were still talking about the pomp of it.


    The people were in high spirits and kept feeling that they needed to find another way to vent the joy swelling in them. As a result, the ship-lantern show scheduled for the middle of this month became their target. Unlike previous years, this year¡¯s ship-lantern show featured a segment where fleets of pleasure-boats would drive along the river circling more than half of the capital city. The riverbanks had been adorned with colorful lanterns. On the fifteenth day of this month, all those lanterns would be lit, and there would be a panorama of the sea of lanterns from the high palace ramparts.


    In response to the people¡¯s enthusiasm, Yuwen Tong decided to hold a kung fu contest at the palace gates on the fifteenth day of this month.


    The announcement of the contest sent a ripple of thrill through the whole city, for according to the announcement, anybody having no criminal record was eligible to enter the contest, irrespective of status and family background, and those finishing in the top twenty in the contest would be rewarded handsomely. Given the large population of the capital city, it would be impossible to finish the contest in merely one day. Therefore, it was decided that an elevated fighting arena would be set up five days in advance for a qualifying competition in which the top a hundred contestants would earn their qualification for the contest scheduled for the fifteenth day of this month. The imperial couple would present themselves on the palace ramparts to spectate the event. In order to win the laurels, all residents having some acquaintance with martial arts entered for the contest.


    Ever since Yuwen Jin had finished first in the Imperial Martial Arts Examination five years ago, he had been in the limelight all along. After he had joined the Western City Garrison Battalion with the intention to toughen himself and later had been promoted to assistant commander, many people pursuing a career in martial arts idolized him, because they could tell that Yuwen Jin had got the position as assistant commander utterly unaided, that he had never had any of his relatives in the imperial clan pull strings for him.


    ¡°Are you entering the contest to be held at the front gates of the palace, Assistant Commander?¡±


    Ever since news of the kung fu contest had spread, all soldiers of the Western City Garrison Battalion had been looking forward to hearing Yuwen Jin¡¯s decision to participate in it. He had lost count of the number of times he had been asked about it on his trip from the tent to the drill ground earlier this day. Even if Yuwen Jin were not inclined to get involved, the expectant eyes of his men would have rendered him powerless to say no, not to mention that Yuwen Tong had assigned him a task.


    The very thought of what he would have to do in the contest gave Yuwen Jin headaches. Were his second cousin not the emperor, he would have directly left with a flick of his sleeve immediately after Yuwen Tong finished speaking that day. What kind of man did this to his second cousin?!


    ¡­


    On the fifteenth day of the month.


    A spacious, substantial, elevated fighting arena had been built near the entrance to the imperial palace five days ago. It was now heavily guarded. Colored flags positioned along the ramparts fluttered constantly in the spring breeze.


    Residents of the capital city had gathered around the arena some time ago. All of them maintained order on their own account, expressing their enthusiasm only by discussing the event loudly. The whole place was in incessant hubbub and uproar.


    The fighting arena was flanked by seats meant for qualifiers. The imperial couple and the courtiers would be spectating on the palace ramparts. At this moment most of the qualifiers had arrived, but there was nobody on the ramparts except for densely posted guards.


    In the Infinite Fortune Palace.


    Ling Zhang helped Yuwen Tong who had just returned from a court meeting change into a skintight outfit. After changing out of his solemn imperial robes, Yuwen Tong wearing close-fitting attire appeared taller and upright, his bearing brisker, his movements stamped with less regal dignity but more masculine charm. Ling Zhang walked once around him. Though he saw Yuwen Tong every day and was familiar with every part of his body, at this time, looking at Yuwen Tong, he still felt an involuntary surge of intense affection. He slightly blinked twice unawares, a faint flush spreading over his cheeks in spite of himself.


    At the sight of him staring unblinkingly at him, Yuwen Tong was secretly self-satisfied. Though there were a large number of young men gathered outside the palace, he was the one appealing to Brother Zhang the most.


    When Ling Zhang slightly colored while considering Yuwen Tong, the look in the Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes gradually became heavy with longing as Yuwen Tong scrutinized him. Ling Zhang had also changed into a skintight outfit some time ago and was waiting for him, his clothes setting off the slimness of his waist, the straightness of his back and the slenderness of his figure. Though he was not as strong as Yuwen Tong, his elegant mien coupled with his graceful figure also made a uniquely enjoyable sight. The five years¡¯ imperial life had rid him of the aura of unsophistication he had been giving off during the first few years of his adulthood, and it had also lent an air of charming grace to his each and every move. Of course, this was the impression that most outsiders got when they clapped eyes on Ling Zhang. Yuwen Tong saw far more than the elegance of Ling Zhang¡¯s bearing and was fully aware of when the time that Ling Zhang was the most charming, most seductive and most irresistible was. The very thought of it made Yuwen Tong feel as though a fire were burning in his heart, a fire so fierce that he couldn¡¯t wait to scoop up Ling Zhang right away, carry him to the bed and do something to make Ling Zhang¡¯s charm swell beneath his body.


    Slap. Yuwen Tong felt a hard slap on his arm.


    He jerked out of his trance and saw Ling Zhang scowling at him. ¡°Time to go. What are you thinking about?¡± Ling Zhang reminded him in an admonitory tone.


    It turned out that after Ling Zhang wrenched his mind out of his fascination for Yuwen Tong¡¯s glamor, he had found that there was something out of the ordinary with the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, that Yuwen Tong had put an arm around his waist, his hand kneading the side of his waist with varied strength, sending a numb sensation crawling from the small of his waist to the back side of his head. Knowing that they would soon end up in bed if he didn¡¯t do something about it, Ling Zhang had heavily slapped Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand off immediately and warned him.


    Yuwen Tong gave a little cough, took his hand and drew him towards the doors. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They had just walked through the gates of the imperial bedchamber when they heard three voices chorus, ¡°Good morning, Father, Dad (a female voice used ¡®Daddy¡¯).¡±


    It was Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Yuwen Yue who was hand in hand with her brothers that had arrived. The two brothers had also changed into close-fitting clothes which set their upright figures off to advantage, making them look soldierly and particularly energetic. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both appeared quite pleased at the sight of them. Yuwen Yue had also changed clothes, wearing a set of princess¡¯s attire that was relatively light, her hair tied into a ponytail at the back which cutely swayed from side to side as she moved, eager anticipation and excitement written all over her delicate-skinned and fair-complexioned little cheeks. No sooner had she clapped eyes on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong than she slackened her grip on her brothers¡¯ hands and trotted towards her two fathers.


    Yuwen Tong immediately stooped down and scooped up his daughter as she got within his reach. ¡°Crescent is so pretty today.¡±


    Yuwen Yue, who couldn¡¯t be more familiar with Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, put her arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck immediately after being scooped up. On hearing the compliment, she proudly jerked up her chin and snorted endearingly, ¡°I¡¯m prettier than my big brothers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re prettier than your brothers.¡± Yuwen Tong seconded his daughter¡¯s words without any hesitation.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head, beckoned Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin over, scrutinized them and remarked, ¡°Good. You two look sharper now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin threw out their chests further after hearing their father¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. People are waiting for us,¡± said Ling Zhang. They needed to go to the great hall to rendezvous with the courtiers first and then ascend the ramparts. It would take quite some time.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head and made towards the front gates of the palace with his daughter in his arms. Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin naturally walked on Ling Zhang¡¯s left and right respectively. The family of five progressing together was a harmonious and sweet sight. The eunuchs and palace ladies, all of whom had long since become inured to it, respectfully followed in the wake of the ruling house.


    When Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang entered the hall with their children, the courtiers were all waiting for them. Like the members of the imperial family, the courtiers had also changed into light clothes. They were wearing informal court dress. None of them was surprised to see Yuwen Tong carrying the little princess. Ever since the little princess had been brought into the palace shortly after her birth, the emperor had become a doting father who never stopped talking about his daughter, and who brought his daughter to court meetings on a frequent basis. The courtiers had long since become accustomed to it. It was the two princes whom they were more interested in. At the sight of the two princes who bore a striking similarity to Yuwen Tong, the courtiers couldn¡¯t help but feel astonished at the fact that the two princes and the emperor were so alike, though the emperor was not their birth father. What the courtiers found quite bewildering was that not only did the two princes resemble the emperor in appearance, but their straight backs, gait, decisive way of speaking, bright and penetrating eyes all bore a strong likeness to Yuwen Tong¡¯s. What kind of twist of fate did it require for such uncanny resemblance to exist?


    Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Feng had also inwardly asked themselves this question numerous times. If it weren¡¯t for their awareness of the marital bonding between Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, and the marital bonding between them and their wives, they would have begun to suspect that there was something behind this matter, something that had been concealed from them!


    However, though both the two princes looked very much like the emperor, there were some differences. Yuwen Qi¡¯s demeanor was more similar to Yuwen Tong¡¯s, while Yuwen Lin¡¯s demeanor bore some resemblance to Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Majesty, Your Highnesses.¡± The courtiers¡¯ inward mutter didn¡¯t hinder them from paying their respects to the imperial family.


    ¡°You may rise,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°There¡¯s no need to make any more remarks. Let¡¯s go to the ramparts right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, along with their children, walked out first, followed by the courtiers. The large group of people got into their respective horse-drawn carriages and headed for the front gates of the imperial palace. This palace had been built in the previous dynasty, and the average distance between buildings in the rear of it was rather short, but the front of it was vast, and the front gates were fairly far away from the great hall.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the palace, they felt the enthusiasm of the residents outside before getting close to them. At the sight of the emperor¡¯s carriage coming, the crowd got on its knees to welcome the ruling house to successive torrents of deafening sound.


    ¡°Hail to the emperor! Hail to the empress!¡±


    Holding his daughter in his arms, Yuwen Tong got out of the carriage, followed by Ling Zhang, who then helped his two sons disembark. Behind them, the courtiers also got out of their carriages one after another.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ascend the ramparts.¡± Yuwen Tong, who didn¡¯t like making long-winded speeches or wasting time, directly led the courtiers towards the flight of stairs at the foot of the palace ramparts and climbed to the top along it.


    At the top of the ramparts, chairs and tables had been prepared some time ago. There were also flights of stairs leading to the top of the gate tower. Seats for the imperial couple were placed under the eaves of the gate tower, from which they could get a panoramic view over the whole venue.


    ¡°You may rise, everybody,¡± said Yuwen Tong on the ramparts, holding Yuwen Yue. ¡°Today is about the kung fu contest, and everything else is secondary, so just stick to the plan, dispense with the formalities and do what needs to be done. Now, if the contestants are ready, let the fight commence.¡±

 Chapter 486 - Relax. I Just Sprained My Waist

    After Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang took their seats, the courtiers followed suit, and then the first match officially commenced. Yuwen Yue was sitting on Yuwen Tong¡¯s lap, her curious eyes raking the sea of spectators down below, some of whom were watching the fight, and some of whom were curiously straining their necks to get a better view of the imperial family on the ramparts, but unfortunately for them, the ramparts were too high and too far away for them to see the people on there clearly. Still, it didn¡¯t dampen their enthusiasm at all. Great cheers were bursting forth in succession, making the atmosphere uncommonly lively. Yuwen Yue was startled somewhat but was unable to restrain her curiosity. Her father¡¯s embrace gave her such a sense of security that she craned beyond the parapet for a glimpse of the arena.


    ¡°Sit back, Crescent,¡± cautioned Ling Zhang as he saw that almost her whole upper body was beyond the parapet.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m holding her waist. I won¡¯t let her fall off,¡± said Yuwen Tong, quite composed. He was confident that even if his daughter fell off, he would be able to get her back in the twinkling of an eye.


    Ling Zhang had a disapproving look on his face. Yuwen Yue sensed his displeasure, obediently sat back into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, then tentatively twisted her head aside to look at him with the intention to check whether or not he was still unhappy, a very innocent expression on her face.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart slightly ached for his daughter, but he didn¡¯t dare blame his ¡°big sweetheart¡±, so he had no choice but to coax his ¡°little sweetheart¡±, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Daddy¡¯s not mad. Look, the kung fu competition started.¡±


    Having checked that there was no sign of displeasure on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, Yuwen Yue happily turned her head back to look at the crowds at the foot of the ramparts. Watching the two men scrapping around in the arena, she laughed heartily. She was not scared of the fighting, because she had been seeing guards sparring in the palace on a frequent basis for as long as she could remember.


    ¡°Uncle Jin!¡± Suddenly, Yuwen Yue¡¯s sharp eyes alighted on a familiar figure and she called out to that person, pointing in that direction, pleasantly surprised.


    It was Yuwen Jin. Probably having sensed Yuwen Yue¡¯s gaze on him, he looked up in her direction, and, at the sight of her gazing at him with a mixture of delight and surprise on her face, gave a smile and waved at her.


    Yuwen Yue¡¯s spirits soared and she clamored to go down there to see her Uncle Jin. ¡°Father, let¡¯s go down to meet Uncle Jin.¡±


    Naturally, it was inconvenient for Yuwen Tong to leave. ¡°Uncle Jin is busy. We shouldn¡¯t disturb him.¡±


    Yuwen Yue was unconvinced and was just about to say something else when a stern cough was heard. ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Yuwen Yue was taken aback, recognized her daddy¡¯s voice and immediately sat back meekly, looking at the crowd down below with her big, particularly innocent eyes, as though it weren¡¯t her who had just clamored to go down to meet Yuwen Jin.


    Ling Zhang looked at her back with a severe face. After a while, his piercing eyes flashed at Yuwen Tong. Their little daughter wouldn¡¯t have dared behave this way if Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t been pampering her.


    Yuwen Tong blamelessly looked back at him, believing that there was nothing wrong with his parenting skills, that their daughter was fine. She just wanted to see her uncle.


    Ling Zhang coldly snorted, feeling it necessary to have a ¡°good long¡± talk with him.


    Yuwen Tong stroked his nose. It struck him that this time around he was indeed rather hard done by.


    ¡­


    The competition was intense. The capital was a large city heaving with talented people, and all the 100 qualifiers were no mean fighters. During the past five years, aspirational talents had been flooding into the capital city. In order for the emperor to be impressed, every contestant strained every sinew to win, so each fight was fiercer than the last.


    Yuwen Jin was a former Number One Warrior (the one finishing first in the Imperial Martial Arts Examination in feudal China) and the Assistant Commander of the Western City Garrison Battalion, so naturally he was the last one to fight. A lot of people wanted to challenge him. In fact, almost every one of those who had qualified for the next round wanted to challenge him. Yuwen Jin felt faintly under pressure because of this, but what really stressed him out was the prospect of putting on an act when it was his turn. He raised his head and looked in the direction of Yuwen Tong. As his second cousin calmly looked back at him, he hastened to withdraw his eyes. Yuwen Tong would sure as hell kick his ass if he botched it, so he must not screw it up!


    Even Ling Zhang who was on the ramparts sensed Yuwen Jin¡¯s nervous tension, and he even observed Yuwen Jin secretly clench his fists to pump himself up. The sight of it rendered Ling Zhang speechless. All he needed to do was put on an act. Why did he look more tense than a soldier going to war for the first time?


    As time ticked on, the intensity of the fighting in the arena grew, and the last round was near. Beneath his second cousin¡¯s gaze, he impassively psyched himself up and managed to maintain a poker face when entering the arena.


    At the sight of him making his appearance, the spectators quieted down for a brief moment and then greater cheers burst forth.


    ¡°Commander Yuwen! Commander Yuwen!¡±


    Some people started chanting his name, each chant louder than the last. Clearly Yuwen Jin had a high profile in this city.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s opponent was the champion of this kung fu contest, a tall thickset man with a large hammer in each of his hands. Anybody could tell how formidable his strength was from the hammers he was holding so relaxedly as though they were wooden. Yuwen Jin, who had seen this man fight in several rounds, had some acquaintance with his fighting style and naturally didn¡¯t dare take him lightly, but at the same time he was rather baffled as to where his second cousin had sought out this man.


    ¡°You may make your move now.¡±


    ¡°After you, Commander Yuwen.¡±


    Both of them were polite.


    The tough hombre struck first, making a lunge for Yuwen Jin, brandishing his iron hammers and generating howling vortex airflow which swept towards Yuwen Jin with great ferocity. Knowing that his strength couldn¡¯t hold a candle to his adversary¡¯s, Yuwen Jin, instead of trying to parry the blow, nimbly maneuvered through the seemingly seamless sheet of rapid blurs of hammer movement, throwing a palm strike at the man with both hands.


    The man was astounded as he observed that Yuwen Jin actually snaked his way through the whirl of attacks from his hammers, but the next moment he perceived Yuwen Jin¡¯s strike and with that he let out a roar and abruptly changed his direction, sidestepping the blow. His iron hammers, though seemingly a burden to him, turned out to be the key to his agile bodily movement when he swung them. Thus, the two contestants exchanged a blow but neither of them hit their targets.


    Ling Zhang on the ramparts was watching with relish. Owing to his great kung fu prowess, the fight between Yuwen Jin and the beefy man was no more thrilling than a scrap between two children for him. After all, in his eyes, the two men¡¯s each and every move seemed as if it were made in slow motion. Were he either of the two in the arena, he would be able to deal his opponent at least a hundred blows in an instant, every one of which was enough to incapacitate the opponent. Still, this was only because they had limited internal energy at their disposal. They both had quick reactions, and their strategies were ingenious. Yuwen Jin had been given quite some harsh special training in the Shadow Battalion, so both his bodily movement and his mindset bore some similarity to those of the members of that department, with a high degree of flexibility and unpredictability being the key feature, while the burly man, whom Ling Zhang had thought was all strength and no speed, turned out to be quite swift as well. His skill in using hammers as his weapons was consummate, which struck Ling Zhang as quite interesting, but¡­he was faintly worried that these two guys might become too intent on the fighting and forget their missions. Although there would be another way to get the job done if this plan failed, it would add to the trouble, and Ling Zhang was not inclined to be put to any more bother.


    In the arena at the foot of the ramparts, Yuwen Jin and the brawny man fought to a stalemate. The latter¡¯s attacks were savage but also swift, and the former was nimble and sly and all his moves were lethal. It could be said that the sturdy man would have some time ago been incapacitated and brought to the ground were he not strong enough. All spectators held their breaths in spite of themselves, watching unblinkingly, no longer letting out thunderous cheers, more tense than the two contestants in the arena were.


    The fight between Yuwen Jin and the thickset man was getting increasingly fierce. As time ticked on, anger seemed to build up inside the two of them and begin to cloud their awareness of the fact that this was just a competition. Both of them had suffered visible wounds, and the ferocity and unexpectedness of their attacks was rising, all spectators sweating from nervousness. As the fighting was becoming more and more intense and the two contestants seemed to be losing their sense of perspective, even the spectators perceived something out of the ordinary and the unusual tension in the air. Some of them were so worried that they started muttering that maybe the fight should be stopped, that one of the contestants might end up dead if the fight continued. After all, this was just a kung fu competition, and the rule was that the fight should stop when one contestant admitted defeat or was incapacitated, not that they had to duel to the death. Moreover, Yuwen Jin was the emperor¡¯s second cousin. If he died in the arena, the emperor would surely be heartbroken.


    As things stood, it was only a matter of time before one of the two contestants lost control of himself.


    At this moment, the beefy man abruptly swung his hammer at Yuwen Jin with the force of thunderbolt, the momentum so terrifying as though he wanted to smash Yuwen Jin to death.


    ¡°AAARGH!¡± The crowd screeched in horror.


    ¡°STOP!¡± bawled the referee in the arena, breaking out in a cold sweat.


    However, after fighting at full throttle for such a long time, Yuwen Jin seemed to have become hell-bent on facing his opponent down with sheer might regardless of the price he might have to pay. Instead of backing off, he actually raised his palms and launched a frontal attack, intending to fight back head-on.


    Everybody had their heart in their mouth. Some people involuntarily started shouting.


    ¡°Outrageous!¡± a cold voice stormed and with that all spectators saw a figure leap down from the ramparts, which moved so fast it was blurred, and which instantaneously interposed itself between the two contestants in the arena before any of the spectators knew it.


    ¡°YOUR MAJESTY!¡± cried a sharp-eyed courtier on the ramparts involuntarily in alarm as he saw clearly that it was Yuwen Tong who leaped down, his voice cracking.


    Yuwen Tong landed between the two contestants and flung out his hands, one towards the thickset man¡¯s large hammer, the other Yuwen Jin¡¯s palms.


    BANG!


    With a bang, two figures were sent flying rapidly backwards in opposite directions. Fortunately for them, the arena was flanked by crowds of contestants, who, at the sight of the two of them being thrown off, carefully caught them. Those who broke Yuwen Jin¡¯s fall sank to the ground because of Yuwen Jin¡¯s body weight and the impact but suffered no injury, while those who cushioned the brawny man¡¯s fall were rather unlucky, for the man¡¯s hammers landed on them, almost killing them.


    The crowds on the two sides of the arena were thrown into confusion. In the arena, Yuwen Tong withdrew his hands and, after his eyes flintily traveled from Yuwen Jin to the burly man, said, ¡°How am I supposed to trust either of you to make positive contribution to the future of this country or to the imperial court if you two couldn¡¯t even control yourselves in a kung fu competition? I hereby declare this man has just lost his championship. The title shall be given to the runner-up. Yuwen Jin the Assistant Commander of the Western City Garrison Battalion is suspended from duty and is to stay at home introspecting until further notice!¡±


    Everybody present got on their knees. Sensing the emperor¡¯s anger, nobody dared utter a word.


    Yuwen Tong gave another cold snort and then instructed, ¡°Ready the carriages. We¡¯re going back to the palace!¡±


    As he finished speaking, Yuwen Tong walked out of the arena, heading for the palace gates. The guards on duty in the gateway hurriedly opened the gates to let the emperor through.


    On the ramparts, Ling Zhang hastened to lead the courtiers down the stairs and then walked up to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said.


    ¡°Um¡±, grunted Yuwen Tong, flicking a glance at the palace gates instead of saying anything.


    The courtiers were baffled as to what the emperor meant, all their faces etched with uncertainty. Ling Zhang, who seemed to catch on, immediately had the guards shut the gates.


    No sooner had they closed the gates than Yuwen Tong held out his hand to Ling Zhang, who appeared astonished briefly and then quickly took it. With that, Yuwen Tong suddenly bent from the waist as though falling to the ground.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°What happened to you, Your Majesty?!¡±


    The courtiers, scared out of their wits, hastily gathered around Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m okay. I just sprained my waist,¡± said Yuwen Tong, gritting his teeth against the pain.


    S¨CSprained his waist? All of them were sent into some kind of stupefaction. It was a few moments before someone came to himself and immediately yelled, ¡°Send for a court physician! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Come here. Let¡¯s help His Majesty into the carriage and escort him back to the palace!¡±

 Chapter 487 - A Rest Cure

    In a great hurry, a group of courtiers nervously helped the emperor into his carriage and then escorted him back to the imperial bedchamber. Looking at the emperor who was lying in bed unable to move, the courtiers all appeared rather anxious. Wh¨CWhy was this happening? What should they do if the emperor¡¯s waist was permanently damaged?


    The chairman of the imperial hospital, whose surname was Sun, along with two of the best court physicians, soon arrived with all haste. They said that the room had to be quiet, so the courtiers had no choice but to leave the bedchamber and wait outside. Ling Zhang and the two prime ministers were the only ones staying.


    When all the courtiers had left, Ling Zhang looked at the two prime ministers.


    The two ministers nodded at him and then quietly moved to the side.


    Yuwen Tong sat up, as though the man who had been in too much pain to walk a moment ago were another person.


    ¡°Physician Sun, are you ready?¡± Ling Zhang asked Chairman Sun.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Your Highness,¡± answered Chairman Sun, the other two court physicians standing behind him with their heads down as if pretending they were invisible.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who rose to his feet, stretched and said, ¡°Now that everything¡¯s in readiness, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡­


    An hour later, the doors of the imperial bedchamber opened. The two prime ministers walked out first, followed by Chairman Sun. At the sight of them, the courtiers waiting outside hastened to cluster around them.


    ¡°Chairman Sun, how¡¯s my father?¡± inquired Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Yue standing on his right, Yuwen Lin beside her. The little princess, somewhat frightened, put her arms around her big brother¡¯s waist, looking into the bedchamber with a mixture of nervousness and fear in her eyes. She attempted to go inside right away but was stopped by Yuwen Qi, who breathed to her, ¡°Wait a moment, Crescent.¡±


    After Yuwen Qi asked the question, the others also looked at Chairman Sun.


    Chairman Sun replied, ¡°His Majesty is fine.¡±


    All the others were relieved at the answer.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The others felt their pulse throbbing in their throats again.


    ¡°His Majesty hurt his waist. It¡¯ll take a two-month rest cure to nurse him back to health. He¡¯ll have to lie in bed all the time for the duration, which means he won¡¯t be able to preside over any court meetings or deal with any state affairs.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯ll fully recover from the injury in two months, right?¡± Yuwen Qi looked at him.


    Chairman Sun inclined his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin both heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Can we go in there to see him?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. His Majesty said that all three of Your Highnesses may go inside directly,¡± responded Chairman Sun.


    Yuwen Qi gave a nod and looked at Yuwen Lin and with that the two boys, along with Crescent who had been meaning to get in for quite some time, entered the imperial bedchamber.


    Compared with the three young imperial family members who were now relaxed, the courtiers appeared rather tense. One of them asked, ¡°Chairman Sun, His Majesty really can¡¯t walk before a full recovery from the wound?¡±


    Chairman Sun shook his head. ¡°He can¡¯t. He must lie in bed for a rest cure. Otherwise his health would be severely damaged.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? The Wan Kingdom¨C¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to panic. His Majesty¡¯s being absent from court meetings for two month is not the end of the world. If there¡¯s anything urgent, we could still come here to report it to His Majesty,¡± said Old Master Ji, his eyes sweeping across the courtiers around him. Seeing that the speaker lapsed into silence, he softened his face a little and added, ¡°His Majesty wants the six ministers in his bedchamber for a consultation in a quarter. You may make some preparations, Your Lordships.¡±


    ¡­


    A quarter of an hour later, the six ministers entered the imperial bedchamber. Before long, the courtiers outside were ordered to get on their knees to listen to the emperor¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°What with my waist injury, I won¡¯t be able to walk anytime soon. Starting tomorrow, my consort will be attending morning court meetings in my stead. After every court meeting, the two prime ministers are to accompany my consort to my bedchamber to report to me on the meeting. Urgent intelligence reports or memorials are to be delivered to me directly. In addition, since it¡¯s inconvenient for me to write, my consort will be writing my decisions on the memorials on my behalf,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice was as sonorous as always, and there was no panic on the face of any of those in the bedchamber, so the courtiers were convinced that Yuwen Tong was fine except for his temporary loss of mobility caused by the waist injury, and none of them raised any objections. Though Ling Zhang had scarcely shown his face in court meetings in recent years, the courtiers were all fully aware that he had an intimate knowledge of the situation in the court. Besides, currently the political landscape was stable, and the emperor had two adopted sons, which meant that the empress¡¯s position was quite secure, so the courtiers didn¡¯t have the guts to raise any objections. Furthermore, the couple of top-ranking courtiers didn¡¯t say anything, so the others naturally didn¡¯t dare utter a word.


    Next, Yuwen Tong made a lot of other arrangements and eventually instructed, ¡°Except for those who have urgent business to report, the two prime ministers and the heads of the six major departments, nobody is to come to this palace lest my rest be disturbed. If your service is needed, I¡¯ll have the two prime ministers or the other six ministers inform you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°All right, you may leave. Today is a festive day and I want my subjects to enjoy the celebration, so do not tell anybody else about my injury. Let them spend the festival without having to worry about my health.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± chorused the courtiers. Then they rose to their feet and filed out of the bedchamber.


    Old Master Ji and Chu Liangyan, along with the other courtiers, left the bedchamber. When they had descended the stairs, Chu Liangyan said to the courtiers, ¡°Your Lordships, the Wan Kingdom is itching for a war, so it¡¯s best if we keep the matter of His Majesty¡¯s injury to ourselves. Please make sure you don¡¯t let slip anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship may rest assured we have enough sense of perspective to stay tight-lipped,¡± a courtier hurriedly replied.


    After seeing the group of courtiers off, the heads of the six major departments and the two prime ministers also took their leave. Chairman Sun, along with the other two court physicians, went to the side hall, and the imperial bedchamber quieted down again.


    Yuwen Yue, leaning propped against the bed, was gazing at Yuwen Tong with her big eyes, the expression in which suggested her heart was aching badly for her father. ¡°Does it hurt, Father? You want Crescent to blow at your injury to ease the pain?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, whose heart melted at his daughter¡¯s cajoling voice, reached out a hand and stroked Yuwen Yue¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m not in pain or experiencing any other discomfort. I just can¡¯t move.¡±


    A considerable part of Yuwen Yue¡¯s distress dissolved at these words, but she was still holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, refusing to let go. Seeing this, Yuwen Tong felt somewhat guilty, but Yuwen Yue was still a child, and she might not be able to keep the secret if he confided it to her, so Yuwen Tong, guilty as he was, had no choice but to continue to conceal the truth from her.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Qi were also unaware that Yuwen Tong was faking his injury. Mistakenly believing that Yuwen Tong was really wounded, they both looked upset.


    He had a hard job coaxing his daughter into leaving. When his two sons had also left, Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh of relief and sat up. Lying prostrate on the bed motionlessly for such a long time turned out to be quite an ordeal. ¡°What we need to do next is just wait for the Wan Kingdom to declare war on us.¡±


    Ling Zhang said with an inclination of the head, ¡°Since you¡¯re ¡®hurt¡¯, your great-uncle and my grandfather and some others may well come here to visit you this afternoon or tomorrow, so you¡¯ll have to keep up the pretence in the next two days. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the kids and make sure they don¡¯t come here to disturb you, so you won¡¯t have to lie on your stomach to hoodwink them again.¡±


    Yuwen Tong sighed, ¡°Did you see Crescent¡¯s eyes when she was looking at me a moment ago? They were so sad. It seems our daughter¡¯s grown up and learned to show concern for her father.¡±


    A short while before, his daughter¡¯s gaze had almost rendered Yuwen Tong unable to maintain his pretence, because her eyes looked so much like Ling Zhang¡¯s. At the sight of the eyes full to the brim with sorrow, Yuwen Tong had felt as though he were looking at a young version of Ling Zhang whose heart was aching for him, and he had had an almost overwhelming urge to immediately ¡°recover¡± and get out of bed to console her.


    Looking at Yuwen Tong with his bright eyes, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Crescent is quite stubborn. I wouldn¡¯t like to be in your shoes when she finds out about it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a little cough and said, ¡°Which is why we have to make sure she never comes to know I¡¯m faking my injury. I¡¯m counting on you to keep this secret from her, my dear empress. Whether or not I¡¯ll be able to get away with this purely depends on you.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave an involuntary shudder at the words ¡°my dear empress¡±, sliding Yuwen Tong a reproving glance.


    Yuwen Tong chuckled. Indeed, his daughter¡¯s eyes closely resembled Ling Zhang¡¯s, but in his sight, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes were the most charming in the world. No matter whether Ling Zhang was smiling or sulking, the gleam in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes always made him feel as though it were tickling his heart, filling every fibre of his being with joy.


    ¡­


    Though angered by the fight between Yuwen Jin and the former champion, afterward the emperor still rewarded the top twenty contestants handsomely and gave the order for fireworks to be set off on the palace ramparts at night. As a result, residents of the capital city still enjoyed the ship-lantern show very much which was lively and uproarious. None of them was aware that their emperor was injured and lying in his bedchamber, unable to move.


    Meanwhile, Yuwen Jin, after hearing about the emperor¡¯s waist injury, immediately requested permission to go into the palace to help nurse the emperor back to health, saying that he would stay in the imperial bedchamber until the emperor made a full recovery. In order to show his sincerity, he knelt outside the study of the Marquess Fuan for quite some time. Eventually, the Marquess Fuan became resigned and the next day specially went into the palace and petitioned the emperor to allow Yuwen Jin to enter the palace to help instead of introspecting about his faults at home, and give him an opportunity to make amends for what he¡¯d done. The empress also interceded, so eventually the emperor granted Yuwen Jin¡¯s request. On that very day, Yuwen Jin moved into the imperial palace, beginning to help nurse the emperor¡¯s injury.


    ¡°Sire, I¡¯ve done everything you told me to. Do I have your permission to go to the south-west with you?¡± asked Yuwen Jin, looking at Yuwen Tong, expectation written all over his face. In order to make his act convincing enough, he had suffered a lot of wounds and been suspended from his post as Assistant Commander of the Western City Garrison Battalion too. He felt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to refrain from kicking up a stink if the opportunity to go to the south-west was denied to him.


    After hearing this, Yuwen Tong who was reading a memorial didn¡¯t even lift his eyes.


    Yuwen Jin became anxious. ¡°Sire, would you please look at me? Am I allowed to go or not?¡±


    Yuwen Tong still made no reply. Ling Zhang, now unable to keep from staying silent, reproached, ¡°Are you really a fool or pretending to be one?¡±


    Yuwen Jin looked at him, a faint glitter in his eyes. ¡°Can you drop a hint to me, dear Brother Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Why else would your second cousin go to such trouble to get you in here, if not to have you go to the south-west?¡± asked Ling Zhang. Yuwen Tong would never have tolerated such a talky guy lingering in his bedchamber for so long if it weren¡¯t for that reason.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s eyes instantly brightened. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡± He paused and then delightedly swiveled around and said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Thank you, Sire!¡±


    It was not that Yuwen Jin was stupid. The main reason was that he didn¡¯t dare risk stepping out of line in front of Yuwen Tong. Though having a speculation, he had been uncertain and apprehensive before receiving a definite reply.


    Yuwen Tong coldly snorted, ¡°You expect me to put an army under the command of someone as slow-witted as you? I¡¯m not sure I could afford to take the risk.¡±


    These remarks deflated Yuwen Jin instantaneously. ¡°Please don¡¯t change your mind, Cousin!¡±


    Given that he was addressing Yuwen Tong as ¡°Cousin¡±, Yuwen Jin was indeed anxious. ¡°I¨CI was just worried there might be unexpected changes. I promise I¡¯ll never make that kind of mistake again! Please don¡¯t leave me in the capital city.¡±


    Ling Zhang decided that it was best if he stayed out of it when Yuwen Tong lectured Yuwen Jin lest he get himself into trouble. He picked up the intelligence report which had been delivered here by Wang Dashan a moment before, and which told him that staff members of the chamber of commerce had successfully got the medicines and physicians ready and were now transporting them to the south-west. After reading the report, Ling Zhang instructed Wang Dashan to send a message to the chamber of commerce, telling them they must be extra careful not to rouse anybody¡¯s suspicions.

 Chapter 488 - Give It Your Best Shot.

    Translator: DragonRider


    In the Wan capital.


    A rider on a fast horse entered the city in a great hurry, galloping towards the royal palace.


    ¡°Dispatch delivery!¡±


    ¡°Sire, an urgent letter from our scouts in the Great Wen has just been delivered here.¡±


    On hearing that it was an urgent letter from his scouts in the Great Wen, Shan Congli, worrying that something unexpected had happened, hastened to have his henchman bring him the letter. After reading the secret letter, however, he burst into laughter, ¡°What a godsend!¡±


    The courtiers, unaware of what it was about, were all confused as to why their emperor was laughing heartily.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong suffered a severe waist injury and has to lie in bed for two months. He¡¯s not even attending court meetings. What else would you call this, if not ¡®a godsend¡¯?¡± explained Shan Congli, smugness and determination glinting in his eyes.


    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no way Yuwen Tong could lead the army himself. Without Yuwen Tong being in charge, Jiang Ke, Jiang Xi and Shao Feng don¡¯t stand a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of withstanding our and the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s concerted attack,¡± croaked Shan Congyi, whose face was terribly disfigured in the explosion five years ago and was now covered with a mask.


    ¡°Our chance of defeating the Great Wen is now fifty percent higher,¡± commented Xue Chi who would be leading the Wan army as commander-in-chief in the upcoming war against the Great Wen, a relaxed look appearing on his face.


    ¡°Fifty percent? Yuwen Tong is only human. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re giving him too much more credit than he deserves, General Xue?¡± sniffed Shan Congyi, displeased at Xue Chi putting it so dramatically as though their chance of winning would be halved if Yuwen Tong would be leading the Great Wen¡¯s army. He was just one man, thought Shan Congyi.


    Xue Chi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve long since come to know what Yuwen Tong is capable of when he has an army under his command, but no matter what, now that he¡¯s injured, we¡¯ve been offered an opportunity that is nothing short of a godsend. Sire, I suggest we attack immediately instead of continuing to wait for the Luohai Kingdom. It would be such a shame if we let this opportunity slip away!¡±


    Naturally, Shan Congli was fully aware of the importance of seizing the opportunity, so he agreed on the spot, ¡°Okay, General Xue. How soon can you get our troops ready to depart?¡±


    Xue Chi answered, ¡°Everything¡¯s in readiness already, Sire. The provisions and fodder have also been delivered there in advance. Our men are ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    Shan Congli said, ¡°In that case, they shall set off first light tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll be seeing them off personally.¡±


    Xue Chi said, ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    None of the courtiers dared raise any objections. It was now a foregone conclusion that the Wan Kingdom would attack the Great Wen, and their monarch had paid a heavy price to convince the Luohai monarch to join hands with him. On top of that, right now the emperor of the enemy country was injured and unable to lead his army, which meant this was a perfect opportunity. Anybody who dared oppose the operation at this point in time would be making an enemy of the monarch and might well be beheaded.


    Shan Congyi glanced around him and then said to Shan Congli, ¡°Sire, I petition you to grant me the permission to go with the army.¡±


    Shan Congli looked at him, a fairly disapproving expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered from your injuries. Staying in an encampment will take its toll on your health.¡±


    Shan Congyi said, ¡°All my curable injuries have been healed. The rest of them are not going to be any different no matter how much rest I take, so I might as well go with the army. I swear I¡¯ll take the capital city of the Great Wen with General Xue and kill Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong to avenge my sufferings and the deaths of the countless men we lost.¡±


    Shan Congli was still hesitating, but Shan Congyi was very intransigent, desire for revenge glinting in his eyes. Eventually, Shan Congli gave a nod of consent. ¡°Take care of yourself. I don¡¯t want to hear any news about you getting hurt again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Sire. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of myself,¡± said Shan Congyi.


    Xue Chi inwardly furrowed his brows, not because he wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of having a royal family member in his army, but because ever since Shan Congyi had returned after surviving the explosion, he had changed dramatically. He was now snaky, ruthless, unpredictable and unapproachable. Xue Chi was worried that Shan Congyi might lose control of himself. When they were at the border, without the monarch¡¯s authority being a deterrent, there was no telling what kind of trouble Shan Congyi might get them into. However, Shan Congli had given the order, and Xue Chi had no alternative but to obey it and accept the fact that Shan Congyi would be going with the army.


    ¡°Sire, I have another suggestion ¨C please send a message to Mu Hengtian and urge him to send his army as soon as possible. Only by joining hands with him would we be able to occupy the north of the Great Wen in the shortest possible amount of time and then move south to take their capital. If we fail to achieve the goal before Yuwen Tong recovers from his injury, we¡¯ll lose the most precious opportunity we¡¯ve ever had,¡± said Xue Chi.


    Shan Congli took his advice and immediately had someone set off to send a letter to Mu Hengtian the Luohai monarch.


    The next morning, Shan Congli drank a farewell toast to the troops and then the Wan army departed advancing towards Shengzhou Pass.


    ¡­


    The moment the Wan army set off, scouts of the Great Wen sent a message back. Yuwen Tong, who had stayed in his bedchamber for almost ten days, curled his lip and said, ¡°I specially lowered the security level, but it still took Shan Congli such a long time to find out. What a good-for-nothing.¡±


    Ling Zhang was not as composed as him. The departure of the Wan army meant that Yuwen Tong would soon set off to the south, that they wouldn¡¯t be able to see each other until they were both in the Wan Kingdom.


    ¡°It takes a couple of days for a message to be delivered here from the Wan Kingdom. Given that the Wan Kingdom wants to attack as soon as possible, the enemy may well arrive in Shengzhou Pass in six days,¡± observed Ling Zhang.


    After the message was delivered back to the capital city, Yuwen Tong would put in an appearance in front of the courtiers once again, make some arrangements and then set off to the south without more ado.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That old bastard Xue Chi thinks he could get through Shengzhou Pass while I¡¯m absent. What a daydreamer.¡±


    Xue Chi was a famous general of the Wan Kingdom. During the first few battles between Xue Chi and Yuwen Tong, the former had got one over on the latter, but the period when the former had had the upper hand had been very short. Yuwen Tong had soon inflicted several defeats on Xue Chi in succession. He knew Xue Chi very well, and so did his lieutenants, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi. In the last few years of the former emperor¡¯s reign, Yuwen Tong had been unwilling to help the then emperor expand his territory, and it had been Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi who were defending the border against Xue Chi, but Xue Chi was unaware of it.


    ¡°Still, we shouldn¡¯t take him lightly. Once word gets out that you¡¯ve occupied the south of the Wan Kingdom, Xue Chi would no doubt launch an all-out attack to force you into retreating and save the situation. Shengzhou Pass must be held,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°You must be careful when you¡¯re in Shengzhou.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I will. You need to be cautious as well.¡±


    The mood in the room became somewhat subdued. If everything went as planned, they would be reunited in the Wan capital in half a year. However, anything could happen on the battlefield. No matter how much the odds were in their favor, there would always be risks. Neither of them would be able to stop worrying about the other until the war was over.


    ¡°My father has already returned. He¡¯ll be taking care of the children for us, and my maternal grandfather will be here as well. Even if anything goes awry, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be able to put things back under control before the situation gets any worse. In addition, I¡¯ve instructed the chamber of commerce to give your plan their full support. They¡¯ll be working at full stretch to ship medicines, provisions and weapons for the South-western Army. I can guarantee you even if the supply line in the charge of the court is crippled, your army won¡¯t be short of supplies, so don¡¯t worry about the capital city. Just give it your best shot,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at Yuwen Tong earnestly.


    Only if Yuwen Tong gave it his best shot would he be able to keep himself safe.


    Yuwen Tong, gazing fixedly at him with intense affection gleaming in the depths of his eyes, said, ¡°I will.¡±


    Ling Zhang exhaled lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate with Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi and do our level best to hold Shengzhou Pass.¡±


    This time Yuwen Tong made no reply. Instead, he drew Ling Zhang into his embrace and the next moment they were hugging each other tightly.


    ¡­


    In the following few days, Yuwen Tong frequently summoned the two prime ministers, the heads of the six major departments and some generals to his bedchamber.


    A couple of days later, a message was delivered back to the capital city, which said that a large army of the Wan Kingdom was advancing towards Shengzhou Pass. All courtiers inwardly muttered ¡°About time¡± at the news and then started bustling around.


    In Ling Zhang¡¯s company, Yuwen Tong ¡®managed to¡¯ settle himself in the high seat in the outer hall of the imperial bedchamber and had a meeting with his whole court, at which he made the detailed arrangements that he had long since finalized.


    ¡°It¡¯s been five years since the end of the last war. The semblance of peace between the Wan Kingdom and us has now been shattered. Their army is large and strong and closing in on us as we speak, but we have made preparations some time ago as well. The Shengzhou garrison and the Youzhou garrison are both on full alert and combat-ready, and I have no doubt they will make sure the enemies never make it back home if they dare attack. Our victory is certain, as long as everybody sticks to the plan I made, but if anybody chickens out of performing his sworn duty during the war, under no circumstance will I let him off lightly.¡±


    ¡°We will not let the Great Wen fall as long as we still draw breath. If the enemy attacks, we will fight back with all we got. On no account will any of us shrink from confrontation.¡± The courtiers stated their stand clearly.


    ¡°Good. The Wan Kingdom¡¯s army will soon arrive in Shengzhou Pass. Now go and do what you are supposed to be doing. Get ready for the war.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    After the meeting, Yuwen Tong had the couple of courtiers who were privy to the plan concerning the South-western Army stay, had the guards shut the doors and consulted with them covertly. Two hours later, the doors were reopened, and the couple of courtiers took their leave, and with that the imperial bedchamber fell silent again.


    Yuwen Tong returned to the inner hall, took off his imperial robes and changed into a common skintight outfit.


    Ling Zhang silently helped him change clothes. There¡¯s a lot he wanted to say, but eventually he said nothing, feeling that he had said all he needed to say, that all he could do next was pray everything would go as Yuwen Tong planned.


    Yuwen Tong waited until Ling Zhang finished helping him change clothes to take Ling Zhang¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s been five years, and we still have so many years ahead of us, so I¡¯ll come back in one piece. You must stay safe, because everything I did would be meaningless without you by my side.¡±


    The lines around Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth tightened, an apprehensive look in his eyes. What Yuwen Tong had just said was exactly what he wanted to say.


    ¡°Wait for my message. I know you¡¯ve deployed a large-scale Formation outside Shengzhou Pass. I¡¯ll take all cities in southern Wan Kingdom before Xue Chi¡¯s men break out of the Formation.¡±


    Ling Zhang was not surprised that what he had done outside Shengzhou Pass had come to Yuwen Tong¡¯s knowledge. In fact, it was Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi who had helped him deploy the Formation. At that time, apart from bring his aunt back to the capital city, confirming the completion of the Formation was also part of the reason why he had detoured to Shengzhou.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Ling Zhang in a deep voice.


    The two of them were hugging each other before they knew it, and the hug lasted quite a while.


    Yuwen Tong and Yuwen Jin would leave the city together immediately after dark, and nightfall was drawing near.


    The two of them had had lunch with their children in the bedchamber at noon. In order not to raise any doubts in the children¡¯s minds, Yuwen Tong had been leaning against the headboard when eating.


    With the moment of parting approaching, Yuwen Tong kept from thinking how his children would feel after coming to know about his departure, because he would be burdened with worries if he thought too much about it. Ling Zhang told him not to let anything weigh on his mind, saying that he needed to exert himself, that he must stay safe.


    The two of them were in a cuddle, both unwilling to let go. However, time always seemed to quicken its pace when people wished it would slow down. As the sun set behind the mountains, the night closed in, cloaking the capital city in darkness. Palace lanterns were lit one after another, including those outside the imperial bedchamber. Nobody would enter to disturb the two of them.


    Ling Zhang was uncertain as to what he was feeling exactly, and he didn¡¯t dare think deeply about it, fearing that he might not be able to bring himself to let go of his lover if he gave it too much thought.


    After his hands moved slightly, Ling Zhang freed himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hug. Yuwen Tong edged his arms forward with the intention to pull Ling Zhang back but soon paused and forbore from doing so in the knowledge that the two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to part unless they hardened their hearts a little. Now that the parting was unavoidable¡­


    Yuwen Tong decisively rose to his feet, spun around and made towards the door in a determined manner.


    Ling Zhang followed in his wake, watching him heading for the front gates of the imperial bedchamber. Outside the gates were dozens of personal bodyguards led by Yao Yi. At ordinary times they wore palace guard¡¯s uniform, but now they had all changed into common black skintight outfits, standing motionlessly in the gateway as though having merged into the dark night.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yao Yi and the others inclined their heads, quietly followed Yuwen Tong out of the Infinite Fortune Palace and then disappeared from view.


    Standing on the stairs in front of the doors, watching them ride out of sight, Ling Zhang balled his hands into fists at the back, a feeling of constriction in his chest, having difficulty breathing, his eyes gazing fixedly into space as though he were seeing through the high palace ramparts at the group of people leaving the city.

 Chapter 489 - An Offensive from the Wan Kingdoms Army

    Three days later, the large army of the Wan Kingdom bore down upon Shengzhou Pass. The Shengzhou garrison, ready in full battle array, were determined to hold Shengzhou Pass.


    Xue Chi wanted very much to launch an attack immediately, but his men were somewhat tired after the long weary journey, so he had no choice but to give the order for the troops to make camp and take one day of rest to recharge.


    At the sight of the defense of Shengzhou Pass, Xue Chi¡¯s face turned grave.


    ¡°Father, it would seem the Great Wen is well prepared. I wonder whether Shengzhou Pass is the only place well-defended or the Youzhou garrison has done the same thing,¡± said Xue Yi, frowning.


    On hearing this, Shan Congyi who was also in the main tent, sneered, ¡°Our alliance with the Luohai Kingdom is top secret. If there¡¯s such defense deployed in Youzhou Pass as well, then it would mean they¡¯re fully aware of our alignment with the Luohai Kingdom.


    Still, what difference would it make if they¡¯ve come to know about it? Yuwen Tong is injured and lying in bed too weak to even walk. There¡¯s no way the Great Wen could withstand a coalition offensive from two countries, no matter how resourceful their commanders are.¡±


    Xue Chi listened quietly as Shan Congyi spoke. After pondering for a few moments, he said, ¡°Though it¡¯s inadvisable to take the enemy lightly, I think Your Highness¡¯s words make sense. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi are in Shengzhou, but in Youzhou, there¡¯s only Shao Feng. Well-defended or not, Youzhou would fall sooner or later if the Luohai Kingdom launches an all-out attack.¡±


    Xue Yi said indignantly, ¡°But Mu Hengtian is such a bastard. We weighed his pocket with money, yet the army he promised is still nowhere to be seen.¡±


    Both Xue Chi and Shan Congyi were disgruntled about it as well. The reason why they had stayed put for a long time was because they had been waiting for the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s army to get ready. Had they taken action sooner, they might have got through Shengzhou Pass and entered the prefecture by now, and might even have marched all the way south with unstoppable momentum while Yuwen Tong was recovering.


    ¡°Sire has sent someone to the Luohai Kingdom to give Mu Hengtian a prod. It won¡¯t be long before he sends his army south. Actually his men arriving later than scheduled has its compensations in the sense that they¡¯re now bound to get only a tiny share of the pie at the end of the war. Simply keeping the Youzhou garrison busy to save us fighting on two fronts would be a decent fulfillment of their duty as an ally,¡± said Xue Chi.


    If Yuwen Tong were not injured, Xue Chi would indeed be infuriated by Mu Hengtian¡¯s behavior, but now that Yuwen Tong was wounded and unable to lead his army, Xue Chi was confident that he would be able to take all cities in northern Great Wen before Yuwen Tong recovered and took command.


    Xue Yi and Shan Congyi agreed with Xue Chi as though Shengzhou Pass were already in their pocket.


    Early in the morning of the third day, the Wan army launched an offensive. Their attack was savage from the very beginning, which indicated that they wanted to take Shengzhou Pass at one fell swoop.


    However, the whole morning had now passed but Shengzhou Pass remained impregnable. All counter-attacks were quite effective. The fighting soon reached a stalemate. At dusk, seeing that his men still hadn¡¯t breached the defense of Shengzhou Pass, Xue Chi finally gave the order to sound retreat, commanding the troops to return to the encampment to rest and be regrouped.


    In the main tent, Xue Chi was contemplating in silence. Xue Yi was discussing something with the other generals. Shan Congyi¡¯s face clouded over with displeasure.


    Without Yuwen Tong in command, the defense of Shengzhou Pass still seemed unbreakable, which was something none of them had bargained on. Shan Congyi had a burning desire to take Shengzhou Pass, march south, storm into the capital of the Great Wen and kill Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong to get his vengeance on them, but unfortunately for him, the first day¡¯s attack had turned out to be utterly unfruitful. The resentment and snakiness in his eyes seemed to be deepening.


    Xue Chi was a veteran. Though it had been many years since he had last commanded an army, these people couldn¡¯t hold a candle to him in terms of both battle experience and mental endurance.


    ¡°This is just the first day. It¡¯s impracticable to take Shengzhou Pass in one day. If Shengzhou was so easy to take, the North-western Army of the Great Wen wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed such great fame, and our cavalry would long since have flattened the Great Wen, and Yuwen Tong would never have acceded to the throne. All of you should know this very well, seeing as you¡¯ve fought by my side for so many years. The main purpose of today¡¯s operation is to take their measure. Now that we¡¯ve got a rough number of the troops stationed in there, our first priority should be to design a battle plan so that we may take Shengzhou Pass as soon as possible.¡±


    Xue Yi and the others, who were fairly anxious, cooled themselves down as they saw the composure on Xue Chi¡¯s face. Shan Congyi was the only one still appearing sulky, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xue Chi continued, ¡°Now you may return to your respective units and pacify your men. Make sure their morale is unaffected. We¡¯ll gather here again to formulate a battle plan tomorrow.¡±


    Shan Congyi couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow at these words. ¡°We¡¯re not attacking tomorrow?¡±


    Xue Chi said, ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ll have to show patience if we are to get through Shengzhou Pass as soon as possible. We¡¯ll resume the attack after a battle plan is made tomorrow. I believe we¡¯re both familiar with the saying ¡®Grinding a chopper will not delay the work of cutting firewood.''¡±


    Looking at him with penetrating eyes, Shan Congyi smiled wryly, ¡°I admit you know more about war than I do. Fine, let¡¯s do it your way and stay put tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how General Xue will get us the ¡®firewood¡¯ we need.¡±


    When he had finished speaking, Shan Congyi rose and left the main tent.


    ¡°You¨C!¡± Xue Yi was annoyed, sprung to his feet and was just about to block Shan Congyi¡¯s path when his father stopped him.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± instructed Xue Chi.


    Unconvinced as Xue Yi was, he had no choice but to sit back into his seat. ¡°Father, His Majesty¡¯s decision to allow Prince Yi to come with us serves only to bring us trouble.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± railed Xue Chi. ¡°It¡¯s not for you to question His Majesty¡¯s decision!¡±


    Xue Chi¡¯s eyes casually swept across the generals sitting in the tent before resting on his son, a warning look in them.


    Xue Yi caught on to the situation. Knowing that he had said the wrong thing on this occasion, he hastened to apologize. ¡°I was being reckless, Father. Please punish me.¡±


    ¡°Ten strokes. You know where to receive the punishment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    All the others¡¯ attempts to talk Xue Chi out of it were unsuccessful. Xue Yi received ten strokes of the staff. Such an unpleasant occurrence on the first day rendered Xue Chi fairly fretful. This, coupled with his craving to take Shengzhou Pass while Yuwen Tong was nursing his injury, caused him to become a little anxious, though he had always been a poised man. However, being anxious was one of the most dangerous mistakes that a commander could make during a war.


    ¡­


    The next day, the Wan army didn¡¯t attack.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, both of whom had seen this coming, were totally unworried.


    ¡°Xue Chi is still as cautious as always. Come to think of it, he¡¯s indeed an old man now. I remember that he was much bolder and more decisive when we and Sire first met him. He kicked our asses hard during that fight. We might have been incapacitated by that geriatric if Sire hadn¡¯t been composed from start to finish and bought us some time to make our escape,¡± said Jiang Xi bluffly.


    Jiang Ke resignedly gave him a that¡¯s-a-long-time-ago look.


    However, it was true that Xue Chi was now far more prudent than he used to be. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that the Wan army were standing by on this day because Xue Chi was regrouping his army and designing battle plans. Still, while his men were recharging, the Shengzhou garrison were also resting up. Officers of the North-western Army had been working as a team for years, and one day was more than enough for them to finish analyzing the battle the day before, which meant that the North-western Army would have also adjusted their mentality and changed the defense plans by the time the Wan army launched another attack.


    The soldiers¡¯ morale is the highest at the first round of battle drumbeat, halves at the second and plummets to the bottom at the third. (A quotation from Annals of Zuo) Xue Chi¡¯s men had been deflated somewhat when they had arrived only to find the enemy well-prepared, and then, after a whole day¡¯s fierce attack, the defense of Shengzhou Pass still seemed impenetrable, which burdened their minds further. These two setbacks, though not enough to reduce the Wan army to the losing side, had actually become a great hindrance to them, making it impossible for their morale to rise to the same level it had been at on the first day of the battle. In other words, this fight was bound to remain in a stalemate for some time.


    And time was what the Shengzhou garrison needed the most.


    Unsurprisingly, after a day¡¯s rest, Xue Chi¡¯s army launched another offensive on the city early the next morning.


    Compared with the frantic savage attack of the first day, this offensive action was much more methodical. The Shengzhou garrison were indeed having a hard job to withstand the attack from the Wan army who had prepared for this war for five years. However, the Great Wen had been becoming increasingly defensive with the Wan Kingdom in the last five years, and the Shengzhou garrison had all along been making provision for the Wan army marching south to attack, so the defense of Shengzhou Pass was much stronger than it was five years ago. There was no way Xue Chi could take it after merely making some adjustments to his battle plan.


    Battle cries lasted a whole day. Smell of blood filled the air outside Shengzhou Pass. The ramparts and the garrison withstood one attack after another. When night fell, the city still stood. The garrison successfully held Shengzhou once again.


    The army of the Wan Kingdom had no choice but to retreat again.


    This time Xue Chi was also weighed down with concern, but it was not because of the prospect of Shan Congyi picking on him, or the possibility that his army might fail to take Shengzhou Pass eventually. He was apprehensive because he had come to realize that it was very difficult to breach the defense of Shengzhou, that his army would very likely be held back outside the city walls for some time, but right now time was a luxury he and the Wan Kingdom no longer had. Once Yuwen Tong recovered from his injury and took command of the army, there was a high chance the Wan army would be stopped in the north and unable to go south even if Shengzhou Pass was taken.


    ¡­


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi had a shrewd idea what the mood in Xue Chi¡¯s army was like. The enemy¡¯s attack during the day had inflicted heavy casualties on the Shengzhou garrison, so although the city was still impregnable, the two generals had leaden hearts.


    Jiang Xi was watching the soldiers clearing the battlefield of the dead in orderly fashion, gripping the hilt of the saber fastened to his belt, his eyes full of anger at the Wan Kingdom.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we send them to meet their Maker,¡± said Jiang Ke, walking over and clapping him on the shoulder.


    Jiang Xi said, ¡°I know. When the time is ripe for us to be on the offensive, I swear I¡¯ll kill Xue Chi and each and every single man of his, completely destroy the Wan Kingdom¡¯s military strength, crush these greedy jackals¡¯ bones, flatten the cavalry of the Wan Kingdom and make sure they could never straighten their backs again!¡±


    Resentment towards the Wan Kingdom had been building inside him since the very beginning of the fighting between the two countries. The Wan monarch was disgustingly avaricious and bent on taking possession of the Great Wen¡¯s beautiful rivers and mountains, fertile farmland and rich cities. If the Great Wen didn¡¯t destroy their regime completely and exterminate the young and middle-aged men of the Wan Kingdom, they would sooner or later make a comeback.


    ¡°Sire has the intention to unify the three countries, which means some day the Wan Kingdom will be part of the Great Wen. When that day comes, I¡¯ll request permission to be stationed in the Wan Kingdom, and I¡¯ll make sure they never make trouble again,¡± continued Jiang Xi.


    Jiang Ke gave a smile, slightly shaking his head.


    Jiang Xi looked at him. ¡°What are you smiling at? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Jiang Ke replied, ¡°Sending troops there to stand guard will be necessary, but after the Wan Kingdom is annexed, maintaining a military presence there will be a measure of secondary importance. It¡¯ll take some of those civil officials¡¯ methods to turn Wan people into our fellow countrymen. Not all matters could be settled through violence.¡±


    Jiang Xi¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. It was true that he was an army man, and those civil officials¡¯ methods were beyond his grasp. ¡°How do you think those civil officials would handle it then?¡±


    Jiang Ke replied, ¡°I¡¯m a general, not a civil official.¡±


    Jiang Xi didn¡¯t believe him. He was sure that Jiang Ke knew the answer but was keeping it back from him, for Jiang Ke was much more cunning than him.

 Chapter 490 - The South-western Army

    In the south-west of the Great Wen.


    A group of mysterious horsemen from the north quietly entered the encampment of the South-western Army.


    This army built three years ago, after including the garrison stationed in the two south-western prefectures, had recruited a lot of new soldiers on a yearly basis and grown into a force over 100,000 strong. Everybody believed that this army had been built to deter the various tribes of complicated ethnic background dwelling near the south-western border as well as their headmen, every one of whom was itching to annex a town or two of the Great Wen. Only the commander of the South-western Army and his lieutenants were aware of the real reason why this army had been organized.


    The arrival of the group of mysterious horsemen at the encampment of the South-western Army brought a change to the atmosphere in the encampment. It was like a kind of inexorable herald, or an unsheathed long knife that would make its wielder invincible.


    ¡­


    BOOM!


    Thunder rumbled in the sky and soon it was pouring with rain.


    There was a sudden landslide on a mountain outside Yuechao City which was located in the south-west of the Wan Kingdom. A valley beside the mountain was almost filled because of it. Even people inside the city heard the almighty crash.


    The Wan soldiers on night duty looked in the direction of that mountain outside the city, startled and confused. What with the inky night and the heavy rain, they were unable to see clearly what had just happened, but for some reason, every one of them had a foreboding feeling.


    Before long, the ramparts suddenly quaked. It happened without warning and all the soldiers lost their footing and hastened to grab the parapet. The ramparts still quivering, they all broke out in a cold sweat. A few moments ago, when they had been gazing in the direction of the valley from which the almighty crash had issued, a section of the ramparts for some inexplicable reason had suddenly collapsed!


    The ramparts had always been as substantial as though they were made of solid metal, but on this night a section of them had actually collapsed for no good reason. Nobody would believe that the rain was responsible for it. An indescribable panic suddenly spread among the soldiers on night duty. Some of them rushed off with the intention to report it to the local authorities. Some stared at the collapsed ramparts, unable to believe what they were seeing.


    ¡°The ramparts collapsed! The ramparts collapsed!¡±


    The city began to descend into confusion. People shouting ¡°The ramparts collapsed!¡± could be seen everywhere.


    Before the officials of Yuechao City could give any instructions, a clatter of horses¡¯ hoofs emanated from outside the city, where the impenetrable blackness was accompanied by torrential rain. The sounds were urgent and in chorus as though countless drums were beating in the dark. The dull clattering sounded as if it were reaching into the deep recesses of people¡¯s minds, striking horror and shock into their hearts.


    ¡°Wh¨CWhat are those?¡± The soldiers looked in terror at the numerous black spots approaching in the dark, unable to tell what they were. However, the soldiers were all consumed with fright as though the Grim Reaper were coming. They found their legs trembling, but soon they found that it was not because of fear but because the ramparts were quaking from the drumbeat-like clattering of horses¡¯ hoofs.


    ¡°Horses. No, no, people! They¡¯re¡­INTRUDERS! WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡±


    Finally someone made out what was approaching in the dark. It was an army of countless cavalrymen, who were galloping towards the city under cover of night. The sea of riders was even more terrifying than the pitch-black night. Nobody knew where they were from. It was as though they had descended from the sky or emerged from underground. The only thing the soldiers were positive about was that this army radiating an aura of death was here to claim their lives¡­


    ¡°Defend the city! Defend the city!¡±


    ¡°Inform His Lordship we¡¯re under attack! We¡¯re¨C¡±


    Whizz!


    Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!


    Amid the blackness of night, some shooting arrows came penetrating the sheets of rain and one of them abruptly went into the speaker¡¯s throat, sending him sinking to the ground, blood splattering.


    Next, a volley of arrows whizzed over and took the lives of all the soldiers on the ramparts before they knew it.


    ¡°Enter the city.¡±


    A cold voice was heard in the dark, traveling through the sheets of rain and reaching everybody¡¯s ears.


    The large army of men in black, who had appeared out of nowhere like ghosts, flooded through the breach in the ramparts and into Yuechao City to deafening clatter of horses¡¯ hoofs and neigh, slaughtering all resisters and spattering blood along the way with their wicked-looking sabers.


    Thunder was still rumbling on in the sky and the rain was still pouring down. The ground of Yuechao City was dyed red by blood mixed with rainwater.


    This city was the largest along the south-western border of the Wan Kingdom, but the garrison here were utterly powerless to defend against the black army, who stormed the city as easily as cutting tofu with a knife.


    ¡°Take over the city and regroup. We¡¯ll resume going north in two hours. Those assigned to stay here to stand guard are to welcome the team led by the Right Prime Minister into this city first light in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    The soldiers made a reply as one, their voices resounding through the whole place in the rain under the pitch-dark night sky.


    The official in charge of the defense of Yuechao City was captured. Legs trembling, he actually wet his pants from horror, a foul odor pervading the room. When asked about the situation in the next city, he had no intention to resist whatsoever and disclosed everything he knew.


    ¡°Give him a quick death.¡±


    A saber flashed through the air with a gleam and another dead body toppled to the ground.


    Two hours later, Yuwen Tong looked up into the sky from which rain had been falling all night, then shifted his gaze into the still darkness of night in the direction of the next city. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.


    The sea of men in black, after hearing the two words, followed in Yuwen Tong¡¯s wake like a mighty wave, merging into the dark, heading for the city nearest to Yuechao City.


    ¡­


    In the capital of the Great Wen.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to turn in, Your Highness.¡±


    It was after midnight, but Ling Zhang still showed no inclination to go to sleep. The eunuch waiting upon him couldn¡¯t help but remind him of the time.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t sleep. The memorials to the throne delivered to him during the day had all been dealt with, but there still hadn¡¯t been any new messages from the south-west. He was unaware of how things were going on the battlefield, and his worries were keeping him from getting to sleep.


    Judging from the time of Yuwen Tong¡¯s departure, it should have been two days since the army led by him had stormed into the south-west of the Wan Kingdom. Yuwen Tong¡¯s army owned the fastest carrier hawks, and the message should have been delivered to the capital city some time ago. However, it was something after midnight, but there was still no news, so he naturally was unable to sleep.


    He had a feeling that Yuwen Tong was not in danger. Ever since he had reached the sixth layer of his method of cultivating internal energy, he had been having some kind of premonitory awareness of the future development of the things he was concerned about. Right now he was feeling calm, and he had confidence in his hunch, so the reason why the carrier hawk hadn¡¯t arrived yet was either that Yuwen Tong was delayed by something or that some kind of accident had happened to the hawk halfway through its journey.


    Finally, after he waited for almost another hour, a secret bodyguard rushed inside.


    ¡°Message delivery¨C! A secret letter from the south-west, Your Highness!¡±


    A look of delight flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s face at the report and with that he took the little bamboo correspondence-tube from the secret bodyguard¡¯s hands, removed the stopper and extracted the secret letter inside. After he finished reading it, his face finally creased into a smile.


    The army led by Yuwen Tong had taken three cities already, occupying the south-western corner of southern Wan Kingdom, which approximately covered the same area that a southern prefecture did. It had taken the carrier hawk some time to finish the journey, which meant that soon ¨C in three days at the latest ¨C Xue Chi would be informed of it, and people in the capital city would heard the news as well. And then, naturally, it would be no longer necessary to keep it secret that Yuwen Tong had been faking his injury. He would be able to overtly put Old Master Ji in charge of the imperial court, entrust his children to his father and Ji Yin and then set off to Shengzhou.


    ¡­


    Three days later, news spread throughout the belligerents that two prefectures in south-western Wan Kingdom had fallen into Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands.


    Outside Shengzhou Pass, Xue Chi, who had fought the North-western Army for six solid days but still hadn¡¯t made any progress, found his self-restraint no longer enough to help him maintain his dignity as General-in-chief at the news, his face so tense it was twisting. Through gritted teeth, he muttered smolderingly, ¡°Yuwen Tong!¡±


    The so-called waist injury was a blatant lie! Yuwen Tong had left the capital of his country some time ago. He had just launched an attack on Shengzhou Pass when Yuwen Tong had detoured around the vast mountainous south-western areas inhabited by various tribes and had his army storm into the Wan Kingdom!


    All of them had fallen prey to Yuwen Tong¡¯s trick!


    However, though he had now come to know about the truth, there was nothing he could do about it. Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. Besides, the only way to stop Yuwen Tong was to get through Shengzhou Pass and march all the way south. In that case, Yuwen Tong would lead his army back to save the capital of the Great Wen.


    Xue Chi smacked his fist down on to the table, clenching his teeth, beside himself with rage, but eventually he had no choice but to summon all the officers, inform them of the latest news and tell them that they must take Shengzhou Pass within two days.


    All the officers didn¡¯t dare believe their ears after hearing that Yuwen Tong had taken two south-western prefectures. When their superior had affirmed that it was true, they all instantly lapsed into silence.


    ¡°Despicable. Yuwen Tong is so fucking despicable!¡± Someone cursed loudly.


    ¡°Father, should we go back to their rescue?!¡± asked Xue Yi anxiously.


    Xue Chi glanced at him. ¡°The Chen family had led an army south to intercept Yuwen Tong¡¯s men. What we should do is figure out a way to take Shengzhou Pass as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been six days, General Xue. Can I trust you to take Shengzhou Pass within two days?¡± said Shan Congyi, looking derisively at Xue Chi. At the beginning their victory had seemed in the bag, but now things were taking a drastic turn for the worse. They had been attacking Shengzhou Pass for six days but still hadn¡¯t broken its defense, and they were still unable to gain entry into the Great Wen or go south to lay siege to its capital. They might not even be able to stop Yuwen Tong from taking their home front, not to mention kill him!


    ¡°I will take Shengzhou Pass or die trying,¡± enunciated Xue Chi.


    If he failed, the consequence he would have to face after returning to the capital would be death anyway.


    Everybody in the tent fell silent. After a moment, they all balled their hands into fists tightly.


    ¡°If Mu Hengtian¡¯s army takes Youzhou Pass right away, we¡¯ll have a higher chance of winning, but¡­¡± flared Xue Yi.


    It had been two days since the Luohai Kingdom¡¯s army had reached Youzhou Pass, but they still hadn¡¯t gone on the offensive. God knew what they were thinking!


    ¡°Contact Nian Feng the Luohai General-in-chief and tell him to attack immediately. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting them sit back and do nothing after they pocketed all the money and land we offered them,¡± said Xue Chi irritably.


    Soon, a dispatch written by Xue Chi himself, which bore the General-in-chief¡¯s seal and Prince Yi¡¯s seal, was handed over to an officer, who immediately departed, heading for Youzhou Pass with all haste.


    ¡­


    In Shengzhou Pass.


    ¡°There has been frequent redeployment and regroupment in the Wan army. It would seem they have received the message. Tomorrow¡¯s fight is going to be a tough one. Should we activate the large-scale Formation that His Highness had us deploy?¡±


    Jiang Xi, after descending the ramparts, directly went to the main tent where he met Jiang Ke.


    ¡°The Formation could only trap the enemy for three or four days,¡± hesitated Jiang Ke, looking at the map on the table. ¡°His Majesty has taken two prefectures, and there are only two southern prefectures under the Wan Kingdom¡¯s control. If His Majesty takes them as well, the whole south will be in our hands, and that river will be the only thing between us and the Wan capital, but now the Chen family has led an army south to intercept His Majesty under orders from Shan Congli. There¡¯s no telling how long it would take His Majesty to¨C¡±


    Jiang Xi was somewhat anxious. ¡°Stop dithering. Let¡¯s trap Xue Chi¡¯s men first. It¡¯d be worth it even if the Formation would last only two or three days. They need to be brought down a peg!¡±


    The hesitant expression in Jiang Ke¡¯s eyes was replaced by one of determination and with that he replied through gritted teeth, ¡°Okay. Give the order. We activate the Formation tonight!¡±

 Chapter 491 - Panic

    In the encampment of the Luohai army not far away from Youzhou Pass.


    The officer sent by Xue Chi requested an audience with Nian Feng the Luohai General-in-chief, but after being ushered into the encampment, he found that the whole place was suspiciously quiet, and there was no sign of any pre-war preparatory activities whatsoever, which both astonished and startled him. On top of that, he was stationed in a tent and waited for quite some time, but Nian Feng still hadn¡¯t summoned him. He became vigilant and attempted to leave the tent but was stopped by the guards on duty outside the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean? I¡¯m here to seek an audience with your General-in-chief under orders from Prince Yi and General Xue. Are you sure you want to stop me? Our countries are allies, in case you forgot!¡±


    ¡°No offense, but we cannot let you leave this tent unless the general summons you. This is an encampment of a Luohai army, where unauthorized individuals are not allowed to walk around freely. Please forgive us.¡±


    The officer had no alternative but to exercise all his self-restraint and keep waiting. After another long while, there was still no sign of an audience with Nian Feng. The officer got anxious. ¡°Exactly when can I have an audience with your general? The situation in Shengzhou is dire and we can¡¯t afford to waste any time. Why the hell are you keeping me trapped in this place?!¡±


    The guards outside the door seemed to know nothing about what the officer asked them. When the officer rebuked them, they always said ¡°Please be patient¡± and refused to let him leave.


    The Wan officer was consumed with anger. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he found the circumstances to be. He was trying to figure out a way to flee the tent when finally a soldier showed up in the doorway and offered to lead him to the General-in-chief¡¯s tent.


    Smoldering, the officer followed the soldier to the doorway of the General-in-chief¡¯s tent, where he, surprisingly, was told that he was not allowed to enter.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Our general caught a cold a couple of days ago. The physician said that he must not be exposed to cold wind and should avoid meeting visitors until he makes a full recovery, lest he suffer an exacerbation of his symptoms which might have a negative influence on his ability to direct operations.¡±


    What? A cold? What kind of cold could be so severe as to make it necessary for the patient to avoid meeting people?


    ¡°You may state your business right here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to breathe a word of this information to anybody other than the general.¡±


    ¡°Everybody here is very much in the general¡¯s confidence. You don¡¯t have to have any misgivings.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Resigned, the Wan officer had no choice but to fish out the secret letter.


    The guard took the letter and delivered it into the main tent. After a while, a sonorous voice said inside the tent, ¡°I¡¯ve come to know the request from the Wan Kingdom. Please go back and tell Prince Yi and General Xue that my army will launch an offensive on Youzhou Pass in support of the Wan Kingdom¡¯s plan of attack.¡±


    The Wan officer didn¡¯t find those words reassuring. He still hadn¡¯t clapped eyes on Nian Feng hitherto, and the Luohai encampment was eerily quiet. Unable to have peace of mind, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°May I have an audience with you, General Nian? If I leave like this, Prince Yi and General Xue might deem it irresponsible of me to go back without even seeing your face.¡±


    ¡°My illness makes it inconvenient for me to meet any visitors. You need to go back immediately. Every moment you spend lingering here could be an opportunity lost.¡± The sonorous voice instantly became commanding.


    The Wan officer hesitated for quite a while, his eyes raking the guards on the two sides the gaze of whom was becoming unfriendly. Eventually, he had no choice but to reply with a bow, ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    A couple of soldiers walked the Wan officer out of the Luohai encampment. Meanwhile, in the General-in-chief¡¯s tent, Nian Feng¡¯s lieutenant gave a gasp of relief, resignedly tossing a backward glance at the empty from which the General-in-chief was absent. Before departure, they had received secret instructions from Mu Hengtian, which told them that this dispatch of troops was meant to be a mere act aimed at palming off the Wan monarch, that they didn¡¯t really have to go to war with the Great Wen ¨C in a word, after the army made camp outside Youzhou, they were allowed to make small-scale attacks on Youzhou Pass to hoodwink the Wan Kingdom but must not launch a real offensive. On receiving the secret instructions, Nian Feng the General-in-chief had stopped taking this operation seriously. After the army was encamped in the destination, he had actually returned to the capital covertly, for rumor had it that the monarch¡¯s condition had worsened again. The General-in-chief, suspecting that the monarch had agreed to forge an alliance with the Wan Kingdom to have him leave the capital, that there might be upheavals in the capital, had actually deserted his post and returned to the capital.


    It had never crossed the lieutenant¡¯s mind that the Wan Kingdom would send someone over so soon, and it had come as an even greater surprise to him that an army led by Yuwen Tong had actually stormed into the Wan Kingdom and taken two south-western prefectures!


    What should he do? The General-in-chief was absent, and the monarch had especially ordered them not to send any troops to the Wan Kingdom, but Yuwen Tong¡¯s army was now closing in on the Wan capital. If he really managed to take the Wan Kingdom, wouldn¡¯t the Luohai Kingdom be in grave danger? When the lips are lost, the teeth will be exposed to the cold.


    ¡°General, since His Majesty gave us the permission to make small-scale attacks on them, we might as well send some men out there. Though we¡¯re not allowed to do anything big, we may harass them from time to time. As long as our main force stays here, the Youzhou garrison won¡¯t dare go anywhere else, and our task of holding up Shao Feng and his men will be considered fulfilled. As regards the Wan Kingdom, their cavalry are not ornamental. Let them sort that mess out by themselves. I mean, they are continuing with their offensive against the Shengzhou garrison. If even they themselves are not worried about it, why should we bother?¡± suggested one of the general¡¯s trusted men.


    Nian Feng¡¯s lieutenant pondered over it for quite some time. Believing that his trusted man had a point, he agreed, ¡°All right. The day after tomorrow, we¡¯ll gather a team of two thousand men and go to Youzhou Pass to challenge them to a fight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    ¡­


    Outside Shengzhou Pass, the Wan officer returned to the Wan encampment in a great hurry with the intention to report the weird situation in the Luohai encampment to Xue Chi only to find that the atmosphere in the encampment had become rather odd. Everybody in sight was trotting hastily, face etched with panic.


    ¡°Stop. What¡¯s going on? Did something happen here?¡± he asked after stopping a team of soldiers.


    The man leading the team recognized the officer and replied with an anxious face, ¡°This morning, General Xue led the main force out to attack Shengzhou. At first we could hear thunderous pounding of war drums and battle cry, but afterward all sounds suddenly disappeared for no reason. Our sentries climbed up the watchtowers and discovered that fog had closed in on the battlefield without warning. The whole battlefield was shrouded in mist. Even Shengzhou Pass was nowhere to be seen. We couldn¡¯t see anything on the battlefield, and neither could we hear any sounds from there. Some men were sent into the thick fog to check out the lay of the land, but none of them came back. It¡¯s almost dusk, and the army should have stopped attacking and come back by now, but there¡¯s still no sign of activity whatsoever on the battlefield. Nobody knows what happened in the fog. The assistant commander is worried that some other weird things might happen, so he¡¯s making arrangements for the rest of us to tighten the security of the encampment, and he¡¯s also sending more men into the dense fog to do recon.¡±


    The situation was so weird. They had been serving in the army for many years, but none of them had ever seen anything like this before. All those who had entered that thick fog seemed to have disappeared out of thin air and were still unaccounted for, as though the fog were some kind of monster that had devoured them all. This day the Wan Kingdom had launched an all-out attack. Xue Chi had decided to take Shengzhou Pass or die trying. Even Shan Congyi, who had never been to the battlefield since the start of this war, had gone with the army. However, nobody could have foreseen that things would turn out this way. The rest of the men in the Wan encampment were all panic-stricken. Rumors about supernatural forces being at work began to circulate. Though the assistant commander ruled such subjects off-limits, his men were still in fear.


    The fog was so dense people standing in it couldn¡¯t even see their own hands in front of their eyes. A twenty-li (li is a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters) radius around Shengzhou Pass was cloaked in it. The Wan army sent out one search party after another, but none of them returned. It was getting dark. Lighted torches, after being carried into the fog, could be faintly seen for only a few moments before their dim light was swallowed by darkness. At night, the thick mist was like a giant black monster, more terrifying than it looked during daytime.


    The assistant commander of the Wan Kingdom, after losing contact with several search parties, finally came to realize that such action was a meaningless waste of manpower. He stopped sending men to the soundless and lightless battlefield and summoned the officers assigned to stay in the encampment, intending to confer with them to figure out a solution.


    At this time, the officer who had returned from the Luohai encampment finally had an opportunity to relate to the others what he had seen in the Luohai encampment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid something unexpected has happened in the Luohai army. There¡¯s no telling whether Nian Feng is really too sick to meet any visitors or some accident has happened to him, or maybe he¡¯s simply not in the encampment. There¡¯s a high chance the Luohai army wouldn¡¯t be able to act in support of our plan the way we want them to.¡±


    Bang!


    Someone smacked his fist on to the table.


    ¡°Mu Hengtian is such a dishonest bastard!¡±


    ¡°What kind of con game is Mu Hengtian running exactly? Why the hell did he encamp his army outside Youzhou Pass when he had no intention to attack?!¡±


    ¡­


    While the Wan army were in panic and at the end of their rope, Ling Zhang and some of his men had just reached the border between Shengzhou and Youzhou. Distantly, he sensed something and then glanced in the direction of Shengzhou, speculating that the large-scale Formation had been activated. If that was the case, at least during the next three days the Wan army would be trapped in there, unable to do anything, so there was no hurry.


    As things stood, the most decisive part was whether or not Yuwen Tong would be able to fight off the other Wan army led south by the Chen family and force them into retreating to the areas north of the Wan River which ran through the middle of the Wan Kingdom.


    Seeing that Ling Zhang halted at the border, one of his men mistakenly believed that Ling Zhang was hesitating about paying a visit to Youzhou, so he asked, ¡°Should we go to Youzhou, Young Master?¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Nothing can go seriously wrong in Youzhou. We¡¯re going to Shengzhou.¡±


    After saying this, he spurred Snowflake the horse and galloped forward with the intention to enter Shengzhou under the cover of night. The line of lighted torches carried by the team of men, like a dragon, was proceeding towards Shengzhou along the national road.


    The reason why Ling Zhang was not worried about the situation in Youzhou was because he had received a message saying that Nian Feng the Luohai General-in-chief was not in the encampment outside Youzhou Pass, that he had actually gone back to the Luohai capital, for Mu Hengtian¡¯s health problems had worsened suddenly and was confined to bed. Naturally, Nian Feng wouldn¡¯t sit back and watch the throne fall into someone else¡¯s hands. After returning to the capital, he had immediately helped the prince he was in support of launch a brutal offensive against the faction headed by Mu Rongfeng the crown prince, slaughtering them. Right now in the Luohai capital, blood was flowing over the ground like water. The rivalry for the throne had reached the most crucial juncture. Neither Nian Feng nor Mu Rongfeng nor Dugu Shan nor Mu Hengtian could spare a thought for the war between the other two countries.


    Ling Zhang traveled with all haste and reached Shengzhou the next noon.


    The garrison had taken over Shengzhou, guarding it heavily. Ling Zhang, after entering the city, directly went to the Abode of Governor to see Ling Zhaowen but was told that his uncle had gone to the gate tower.


    Ling Zhang was astonished for a moment, then hurried to the gate tower with his men and, after climbing up to the tower, found that his uncle was looking into the distance, lost in thought.


    ¡°Uncle Zhaowen.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s voice brought Ling Zhaowen back to his senses. At the sight of Ling Zhang, his eyes instantly widened with amazement. ¡°What are you doing here?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Shengzhou Pass. All necessary arrangements have been made in the capital city, so you don¡¯t have to concern yourself with it. Actually I want to ask you the same question ¨C what are you doing here?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Who said anything about the capital city? You are the consort. What business could you possibly have in Shengzhou Pass? Have you any idea how dangerous that place is?¡± said Ling Zhaowen.


    Ling Zhang hastened to calm Ling Zhaowen down, promising his uncle that he would keep himself safe. ¡°His Majesty and I agreed to meet in the Wan capital.¡±

 Chapter 492 - Unstoppable Momentum and the North-South Standoff

    Translator: DragonRider


    The southern city of Lenan, the Wan Kingdom.


    A day before, Lenan was occupied by the army of the Great Wen, who then encamped outside the city. Led by Yuwen Tong, they had taken two south-western prefectures as well as the south-eastern prefecture of Yuezhou and were now outside Lenan facing off against a Wan army from the north.


    To the north of Lenan was Chaodu City to the north of which was the Wan River.


    If the Wan army failed to hold Chaodu City which was their last barrier south of the Wan River, they would have to retreat to the areas north of the Wan River, and when that happened, the whole south of the Wan Kingdom would, for all intents and purposes, be under the control of the Great Wen.


    Nobody in the Wan Kingdom could have foreseen that the army of the Great Wen would take those cities so quickly. They had defeated the garrisons stationed in the two south-western prefectures and the south-eastern prefecture of Yuezhou so easily as cutting bean curd with a knife. It was as if the garrisons were totally powerless to resist. Though another Wan army had marched south and were now standing in a standoff with the army of the Great Wen, Wan people still had no grounds for optimism. Chaodu City constituted their last barrier against the enemy. However, there was no natural barrier between Chaodu City and Lenan. In fact, the area between the two cities was basically a vast expanse of flat land, with no strategically advantageous terrain whatsoever that the Wan army could make use of¡­


    ¡°Given that Yuwen Tong has encamped his men right outside Lenan, he must think he could take us apart without breaking a sweat. What an arrogant bastard!¡±


    In the main tent of the Wan army, all officers were sitting in a circle, including Chen Jing the commander-in-chief. Someone cursed Yuwen Tong loudly out of rage. Actually all Wan officers had been filled with anger ever since Yuwen Tong had led his men into south-western Wan Kingdom.


    Chen Jing the commander-in-chief had a grave face. He was angry as well, but he better than any of his subordinates knew that anger was no solution to any of the problems they were faced with at the moment. Half a month ago, all Wan courtiers, brimming with confidence, had been so positive that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom would be able to take the Great Wen with a coalition offensive as if the day when they would carve up the fertile land and rich cities of the Great Wen was in sight, their faces glowing with excitement despite the fact that the war hadn¡¯t even started yet. Only when Yuwen Tong¡¯s army had stormed the south-west and Xue Chi had been held back outside Shengzhou Pass had the courtiers come to realize things were not going as they had expected, and all of them had begun to curse and swear. Eventually and resignedly, they had assigned Chen Jing to lead an army south to save the day, but if truth be told, Chen Jing was not sure if he could get the job done.


    He had never had any dealings with Yuwen Tong before. Many years ago he had had some dealings with Yuwen Tong¡¯s father and grandfather, but ever since his daughter had been made the queen consort, he, as the monarch¡¯s father-in-law, had never left the capital city or directed any military operations again. For him, the royal court, where there was nobody wielding a saber or a spear, but which was fraught with intrigue and undercurrents, had become his new battlefield. This was his first time being on the actual battleground in many years. Chen Jing was fully aware that he was getting old, that he was now inferior to Yuwen Tong in terms of both physical strength and fighting spirit. On top of that, troops of the Great Wen, who had killed thousands along the way, were now radiating an almost palpable aura of death. The Wan army, though not having set eyes on the enemy yet, were already in fear. In these circumstances, it was almost impractical to hold back Yuwen Tong¡¯s army with the defense of Chaodu City which didn¡¯t have any advantages whatsoever in terms of terrain.


    Therefore, Chen Jing, having come to know that Yuwen Tong had taken Lenan, planned to retreat to the north bank of the Wan River and take advantage of the natural barrier to keep Yuwen Tong¡¯s army at bay. Even if he was unable to drive off Yuwen Tong, he could hold the north and wait for Xue Chi to take Shengzhou Pass forcing Yuwen Tong to sue for peace or retreat to the Great Wen to save the capital. Unlike Xue Chi who deemed it an honor to die on the battlefield, Chen Jing tended to see things from the perspective of politicians. The days when heroic deeds and a glorious death appealed to him more than anything were long gone. Now he preferred to play it safe, not craving to render any meritorious service, hoping only to make no obvious mistakes.


    However, Chen Jing also knew that it was inadvisable to disclose any of these to others, which was why he had only intimated them to the couple of henchmen of his and had never breathed a word to any outsiders. After all, Chaodu City still stood, and a large number of Wan subjects were still in there. If he abandoned Chaodu City without putting up a fight, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he met his end.


    ¡­


    In Lenan.


    Yuwen Tong gave a sneer as he put the intelligence report about the inactivity of the Wan army down on to the table. The sole reason why the Wan army remained inactive was because its commander-in-chief wanted it to. Others might be confused as to what that geriatric Chen Jing was thinking about, but Yuwen Tong could guess it without much difficulty. The Wan army was laying low, but he wouldn¡¯t. His troops in Shengzhou Pass were still under attack from Xue Chi¡¯s men, so he must take Chaodu City and cross the Wan River as soon as possible.


    As a result, what Yuwen Tong was occupied with was making preparations for his army to cross the Wan River quickly.


    The Wan River rose in the uncharted snow-capped mountains in western Wan Kingdom. Except for a couple of nomadic tribes dwelling at the feet of the snowy mountains where there were some meadows, hardly anybody inhabited that area. Beyond the snowy mountains lay some western micro-states the subjects of which intermingled. Owing to the lofty snowy long mountain range in between, those western mini-states had scarcely had any conflicts with the Wan Kingdom, and there were some caravans traveling between the two sides on a regular basis. The middle reaches of the Wan River ran through the middle of the Wan Kingdom, and the lower reaches of it wound its way south-east, went underground somewhere and through some mountains before entering the Great Wen where it branched off into several tributaries, and where it was, naturally, no longer called the Wan River.


    The middle reaches of the Wan River were quite wide, and were torrential in some sections where the terrain was steep. The section of it outside Chaodu City was relatively slow, and there was ferry service, but there was no way the Wan army was going to let them cross the river uneventfully. How to withstand the Wan army¡¯s attack and cross the river without suffering too many casualties to be able to defeat the Wan army after crossing it was what Yuwen Tong needed to figure out.


    He had spent three years formulating this plan, so of course he had long since considered the thorny problem of how to cross the Wan river. Naturally, some preparations had been made, and it was still with the help of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce that he had sorted it out.


    Right inside Chaodu City was a branch of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, which was the largest branch in the Wan Kingdom outside of the one in the capital. His men had hidden in the city the tools they needed to cross the river: boats ¨C components of boats, to be precise. It was impossible to hide any ready-made boats in there. Large numbers of boat-makers and tools required to make boats had been hidden somewhere outside the city. All he needed to do was enter the city, find the components, transfer them to the secret location and have the boats built as soon as possible. Building large ships was beyond their capabilities, and they didn¡¯t have that much time anyway. The boats were going to be built according to a design drawing found among those long-lost manuscripts presented to him by the Millennium Pavilion. They were a kind of canoes, to be more accurate, which could cross to the opposite bank quickly with wind filling their sails. There was also a kind of Canoe Formation, which required teamwork between skilled boatmen and soldiers with great arm strength and kung fu skills, who were supposed to keep a chain net stay in its position to shield the fleets of canoes from salvos of arrows fired by the Wan army on the other bank.


    All those men had infiltrated into southern Wan Kingdom and gone into hiding before the start of the war. After Yuwen Tong took the south, they had come out of hiding and returned to Yuwen Tong¡¯s army.


    ¡°Take Chaodu City as soon as possible so that we¡¯ll have enough time to build the canoes we need,¡± Yuwen Tong said to the officers in front of him.


    Aside from Yuwen Jin, He Xiao, Xiao Jiangyue and a couple of newly promoted officers were also in the army led by Yuwen Tong. Having been through a lot of fights along the way, every one of them was emanating an air of ferocity as menacing as a sharp blade. They were now sitting in a circle, and any common person would find the atmosphere in the tent unbearable if they walked in.


    ¡°He Xiao and Jin are to go to this place to find what we need. The others are to go with me to deal with Chen Jing¡¯s army,¡± said Yuwen Tong. Next, he briefed them in on his battle plans in a detailed way in an effort to make sure that they could take Chaodu City with the highest possible efficiency.


    Having been assigned their respective tasks, Yuwen Jin and He Xiao left first to make arrangements. Yuwen Tong conferred with Xiao Jiangyue for another few moments about what they needed to arrange next, and then the army was put into combat readiness.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, when it was not fully light yet, with mist patches still lingering, the ground began to quake to the beat of war drums.


    The Wan army had been ready for the fight for quite some time as well, but just as Chen Jing had predicted, the morale of his army paled into insignificance compared to that of Yuwen Tong¡¯s army who were unstoppable. Eventually, his men were retreating, stopping at intervals to fight, appearing to be on the losing side.


    ¡­


    Like a child who had been given hope but soon lost it, people of Chaodu City watched the Wan army engage the enemy several times before being forced into falling back while fighting. At last, the Wan army crossed the Wan River to the northern bank. Before leaving, they burnt all ships and boats except for the ones they needed to cross the river, killed all craftsmen good at building boats and set a fire to the ferry crossing, making sure that the army of the Great Wen could find no boat to cross the river in, no artisan who could build boats for them, and no ferry crossing they could use.


    Residents of Chaodu City were cursing and swearing loudly. It had never crossed their minds that the Wan army would kill their own countrymen when the enemy hadn¡¯t killed a single civilian yet. Blood was flowing on the ground in almost all the streets in the city which was now filled with wail and abuse.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s men didn¡¯t hurt the civilians when occupying the city. They only killed the resisters and those who must be disposed of, making an example of them, quickly getting things under control. After the situation stabilized, Yuwen Tong made arrangements for his army to guard against potential attack from Chen Jing¡¯s men on the other side of the river, and at the same time, following the plan, had some soldiers quickly find all the materials they needed, which had been hidden somewhere beforehand, and then had the boat-makers start making canoes as fast as they could.


    The Wan army were on the other bank of the river, and Yuwen Tong had taken some measures to keep the operations secret, so Chen Jing was totally unaware of what the army of the Great Wen were doing. Seeing that they had formed up into battle formation along the bank but were showing no inclination to take further action, he came to believe that they were unable to figure out a way to cross the river.


    Chen Jing felt a sense of relief, thinking that it would be some time before the enemy could cross the Wan River, eagerly anticipating the day Xue Chi would take Shengzhou Pass. However, a fact he didn¡¯t know was that Xue Chi, trapped in a large-scale Formation, hadn¡¯t taken in any water for two days, his lips parched and cracked, his face pasty, looking as withered as dry firewood, and was now cursing loudly at Yuwen Tong and the troops guarding Shengzhou Pass.


    ¡°You despicable characters. Stop using these underhand methods and fight us like men, will you? Are all of you gutless wimps?!¡±


    On hearing Xue Chi¡¯s loud curses, Ling Zhang came to know that Xue Chi was really getting anxious.


    It had taken a lot of manpower and time to deploy this large-scale Formation, and it was only fair that the Formation should trap them for another day or two. However, there was a downside to it: if his own men entered it, they would be trapped in it as well. Were it not for this, the Shengzhou garrison would have some time ago gone into the Formation and finished off the Wan soldiers weakened within an inch of their lives by thirst and hunger like cutting vegetables.


    However, though going in there to wipe out the Wan army was not an option for the moment, they would be exterminated after they got out of the Formation.


    Standing on the ramparts of Shengzhou Pass, gazing into the thick fog the whole battleground was cloaked in, Ling Zhang listened to the various wails and expletives for a while and came to have a new understanding of what this Formation could do to its victims. This kind of good stuff must be put to good use. Maybe it would prove useful in the remainder of the war. Of course, for a Formation to work, he needed to find the time to deploy it first. Therefore, in the final analysis, its efficacy depended on whether it was deployed at the right time, in the right place and by the right people. It constituted a pretty good defensive measure, but couldn¡¯t be used as an offensive weapon.

 Chapter 493 - The Wan Armys Crushing Defeat

    Xue Chi was indeed anxious. He and his army had been trapped in this weird dense fog for two days and all their attempts to extricate themselves from it had failed.


    This spooky thick mist was fraught with deadly traps of all descriptions. Also, enemies had been showing up on occasions. What with those traps and occasional encounters with enemies, Xue Chi had lost a lot of men. Worse still, they had no water or food. His army had been drained from panic for quite some time.


    Xue Chi had been in the army for decades and fought numerous battles, but never once had he ever seen such eerie dense mist or such varied tactics, which was why his army suffered particularly heavy casualties on the first day. It had been on the second day that he had found something out about the current situation.


    Not all those traps were real. In fact, most of them were hallucinations! Even those enemies were non-existent. Those so-called enemies were none other than his own men!


    The fog was like some kind of demonic creature capable of manipulating people¡¯s minds, and they had all fallen victim to it.


    Clenching his teeth, Xue Chi was so furious he was on the verge of vomiting blood. It was not until he gave his men strict orders not to attack when encountering enemies that the tragic fratricidal killings stopped reoccurring.


    As time ticked away, Xue Chi, who was still observant, discovered that the thick fog was gradually lifting and commanded his men to be on full alert.


    On the ramparts, Ling Zhang slightly frowned. He had thought that the large-scale Formation would last three or four days, but it had now been merely two days, and the fog was beginning to disperse already. It would seem having the Formation cover an unduly large area would compromise its stability and sustainability. This Formation had been pushed to the limit. Still, it had served its purpose pretty well in the sense that Xue Chi and his men had been trapped in it for two days. Considering they hadn¡¯t drunk for two days, there was no doubt they were all spent, no matter how hard they tried to pretend otherwise.


    ¡°Get ready to make our move,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking at Jiang Ke.


    Jiang Ke inclined his head, descended the ramparts and opened the gates of Shengzhou Pass as planned, preparing to lead his army out there to engage Xue Chi¡¯s men frontally.


    The army had just marched through the gates when the dense fog enveloping the whole battleground and Xue Chi¡¯s men finally cleared.


    The moment the thick mist dispersed, Xue Chi caught sight of the North-western Army of the Great Wen in battle formation, his heart sinking. His men were exhausted after being trapped for two days, while the enemy was at full strength! To make things worse, as the fog lifted, he looked around and found that the battlefield was strewn with dead bodies of his men, and the surviving ones were no longer in formation of any kind. At the sight of this, his heart sank even further.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, naturally, wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip away. While the Wan army were still in the trance caused by the disappearance of the thick fog and were still hesitating about attacking the army of the Great Wen, the two of them decisively gave the order to attack. Because of the disorganization of the Wan army, the North-western Army¡¯s fierce offensive crushed them as easily as smashing rotten wood. The fighting turned into a slaughter almost from the very beginning.


    Xue Chi made an attempt to get his men into battle formation again but only managed to have one third of them do his bidding. The remainder were utterly unable to follow his orders, what with the attack of the enemy.


    ¡­


    The intense fighting lasted almost four hours. Xue Chi, who had quick reactions, decided promptly and opportunely to retreat so that the rest of his men could survive instead of being massacred. However, the moment he and those men fell back, the Wan soldiers at the front were reduced to cannon fodder, serving as human shields to buy time for their fellow soldiers to escape, and they all ended up dead.


    The Wan army took a heavy blow. Even Shan Congyi narrowly avoided being killed on the battleground.


    Every member of the army was badly bruised by the defeat. The morale was dropping to the bottom and there seemed to be no way to stop it.


    The defense of Shengzhou Pass was as strong as always, but the Wan army Xue Chi had brought to this place had lost more than half of its men. Thinking about this, Xue Chi was furious but there was nothing he could do that would make a difference. He regretted not having seized the opportunity, and he also regretted having led the army into this war. He had thought that without Yuwen Tong being in command, he would definitely be able to take Shengzhou Pass without much difficulty, but the fact had proved him terribly wrong. His hair grayed overnight as though he had aged ten years, his face covered with wrinkles, making him look senile.


    In Shengzhou Pass.


    ¡°Pity it¡¯s getting late. Otherwise we¡¯ll pursue them to their encampment and wipe them out!¡± said Jiang Xi, a regretful look on his face.


    Ling Zhang gave a smile but made no reply. Jiang Ke cast Jiang Xi a glance and sniffed, ¡°Stop nagging. There will be plenty of chances for that. Have you cleared the battlefield? Have you got the injured settled in? Have you done the post-fight pep talk?¡±


    Although the Wan army had suffered heavy casualties, they still had tens of thousands men left, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy to wipe them out. It was inadvisable to rush into things when it came to fighting a war. Of course, Jiang Xi was also aware of it. He was just feeling anger smoldering inside him, and it struck him that wiping out the Wan army at one fell swoop was the only way to vent it.


    ¡°Be patient. The time is not ripe yet,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi both looked at him.


    ¡°The Luohai army encamped outside Youzhou Pass is a great threat. Though Nian Feng is absent, his lieutenants are no fools. They would sure as hell take action once the Wan army is exterminated. Only when the news of Mu Hengtian¡¯s death and the chaos in their capital reaches their ears will they be too panic-stricken to give these things any more thought,¡± continued Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Is Mu Hengtian really going to die?¡± Jiang Xi looked at him expectantly.


    A gleam flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and with that he replied, ¡°It won¡¯t be long before he dies, from illness or otherwise.¡±


    The Luohai Kingdom must not make trouble for the Great Wen at this point in time. The South-western Army had sallied out in full strength. The North-western Army had split into two groups, most of the troops in Shengzhou Pass defending against attack from the Wan army, those under Shao Feng¡¯s command relatively small in number. The Great Wen had been gradually restored to its former prosperity in the past five years, but it would take more than five years to fill the demographic gap caused by the deaths of young and middle-aged men during the many years of war. The number of troops of the Great Wen was also limited. The small number of garrisons stationed in the capital city and provincial prefectures must stay where they were. If the Luohai Kingdom took a hard line and waded in in these circumstances, the Great Wen would be under great pressure. Therefore, on no account should they allow Mu Hengtian to continue to live. Also, they couldn¡¯t let him die too easily¡­


    In the Luohai capital.


    The capital had become quiet and listless compared with the prosperous and busy city it had been a month ago. All residents were staying indoors, and the security was quite tight, with city patrols marching along the streets from time to time.


    Nian Feng had secretly returned to the capital, covertly offered help to the prince he was in support of, and orchestrated several mass murders. All the victims had been members of the faction led by Mu Rongfeng the crown prince. When the blood had been flowing on the ground, everybody in the city had seemed to smell blood.


    Beside himself with rage, Mu Rongfeng fought tooth and nail against the prince supported by Nian Feng. The Dugu family took advantage of the opportunity and muscled in with the intention to help the prince he had aligned himself with profit from the strife between the other two sides. However, both Mu Rongfeng and Nian Feng had been keeping a weather eye on the Dugu family. Nobody knew whether it had been conducted consciously or unconsciously, but the two of them had laid a trap for the Dugu family together, which the target had fallen victim to. The Dugu family had lost a lot of them, taking a heavy blow.


    Mu Hengtian the monarch had suddenly deteriorated and was still confined to bed and suffering from occasional coma. The court physicians were all using euphemistic terms when asked about his condition, implying that he didn¡¯t have much time left.


    The news had added much fuel to the already heated debate in the court. Mu Rongfeng wanted to succeed to the throne, but Nian Feng and Dugu Shan disagreed. The latter two were wary of each other and fighting each other, resorting to all kinds of dirty tricks. The court had descended into utter chaos, and people were dying every day.


    In a rare lucid moment, Mu Hengtian, after being informed of the situation in the court, spat out another mouthful of blood and passed out again. Before fainting, he felt lucky that he had granted Ling Zhang¡¯s request and stayed out of the war between the other two countries. The Luohai Kingdom still had a chance to settle its issues. No matter which one of the princes ascended the throne, the Luohai Kingdom would at least have some time to knock the court into shape again while the Great Wen and the Wan Kingdom were fighting at outrance. However, Mu Hengtian, who was now comatose, was unaware that an army led by Yuwen Tong had stormed almost half of the Wan Kingdom! Xue Chi¡¯s men still hadn¡¯t taken Shengzhou Pass. The Wan Kingdom was hanging by a thread¡­


    ¡°Your Lordship, His Highness sent someone to buy¡­¡±


    In the Abode of Prime Minister, a man sent by Lian Hai secretly informed Dugu Shan of what medicines Mu Rongfeng had had his henchman order at a high price.


    ¡°Father, what do you think Mu Rongfeng is planning to do?¡± Dugu Miao inquired of Dugu Shan, looking at the list of medicines, frowning.


    The Dugu family had lost a lot of allies recently, and their influence on the court had been weakened somewhat. Had Jiahe Chamber of Commerce not been offering them intelligence from time to time, they wouldn¡¯t have kept abreast of the movements of the other two sides.


    ¡°He wants His Majesty to live for a while longer,¡± replied Dugu Shan, unsurprised at Mu Rongfeng¡¯s decision. The current situation was not favorable for Mu Rongfeng. Only by prolonging Mu Hengtian¡¯s life would Mu Rongfeng be able to buy himself more time to deal with Nian Feng and the Dugu family.


    In fact, Dugu Shan also wanted the monarch to live for a while longer. The monarch had taken a bad turn so suddenly that the arrangements they had made hadn¡¯t fully served their purpose yet when all of them had been upset. Nian Feng was probably the only person who wanted Mu Hengtian to die as soon as possible, for he had a large army under his command, and once Mu Hengtian died, he could totally just take over the country by force, or directly kill Mu Rongfeng and enthrone the prince he supported. Therefore, presently, the biggest enemy of the Dugu family was not Mu Rongfeng but Nian Feng.


    ¡°Father, should we take Lian Hai¡¯s suggestion?¡± said Dugu Miao anxiously.


    Nian Feng¡¯s army was so strong that the Dugu family wouldn¡¯t stand a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of winning if they fought him head-on. Lian Hai had suggested a method to trick Nian Feng and Mu Rongfeng into fighting each other, allowing the Dugu family to benefit from their duel. Dugu Shan was still hesitating.


    ¡°Nian Feng¡¯s army is still stationed outside Youzhou Pass. We still have a chance,¡± said Dugu Shan.


    ¡°But His Majesty has no intention whatsoever to go to war with the Great Wen. God knows whether or not Nian Feng has really stationed all his men outside Youzhou Pass. Didn¡¯t Lian Hai say that he saw some soldiers hiding in a wood in eastern suburbs?¡± said Dugu Miao.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a game of bluff,¡± said Dugu Shan, fighting an inner battle.


    ¡°Father!¡± Dugu Miao raised his voice. ¡°This opportunity would be lost if you don¡¯t seize it immediately!¡±


    Dugu Shan pondered for a long moment. Eventually he said, ¡°Send for Lian Hai.¡±


    Dugu Miao was overjoyed. ¡°Yes, Father!¡±


    In the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, Lian Hai, after being told that Dugu Shan wanted to set a meeting with him, gave a sneer, turned on his heel and talked with Han Shu in private for a while. Eventually, he rearranged his clothes, walked through the front gates of the chamber of commerce and got into his carriage which then drove towards the Abode of Prime Minister.

 Chapter 494 - Civil Strife in the Luohai Kingdom

    ¡°I¡¯m honored to bow before you, Your Lordship.¡± Lian Hai paid his respects to Dugu Shan, making a bow with his hands folded in front.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything going in the eastern suburbs?¡± Dugu Shan asked directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed there are soldiers hiding in that wood. In addition, I¡¯ve just been informed that half of the tents in the encampment outside Youzhou Pass are empty,¡± answered Lian Hai.


    Dugu Shan looked at him with penetrating eyes. ¡°How did you come to get intelligence about the encampment?¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, this time around, sixty percent of the food supplies for the army are provided by the Ministry of Revenue, but the rest of them are purchased from food suppliers. That is also the case for medicines. The other day, a medicine merchant of our chamber of commerce went to the encampment to deliver the medicines ordered by the army. He talked with an army physician there, slipped him some money and was told that the army was not short of medicines at all. The physician also disclosed that half of the tents there were empty. The accountant of the infirmary, without even opening any of the packages, resold the medicines to the merchant and got some kickbacks.¡±


    The look in Dugu Shan¡¯s eyes became alarmingly piercing. ¡°Are you sure your source is reliable?!¡±


    Lian Hai averred, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Dugu Shan smacked his hand down onto the teapoy. ¡°Humph! Now that Nian Feng has gone so far as to stealthily deploy half of his men in the suburbs, I shall show him no mercy.¡±


    Dugu Shan immediately decided to adopt the plan suggested by Lian Hai, which was to have Nian Feng deal with Mu Rongfeng first. He himself would, taking advantage of the setback and heavy loss he had just suffered, deliberately show the other two sides some of his minor vulnerabilities and slowly pull out of the melee to delude Mu Rongfeng and Nian Feng into believing that he lost his competitiveness and had to quit the rat race, but when Nian Feng took care of Mu Rongfeng, the Dugu family would make its move and eliminate Nian Feng! In order for things to go on that way, the monarch¡¯s life must not be prolonged, which meant that the Dugu family had to stop Mu Rongfeng from giving his father any life-saving medical treatment.


    ¡°Is it your chamber of commerce that is buying those medicines for Mu Rongfeng as his purchasing agent?¡± Dugu Shan inquired of Lian Hai.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re buying seventy percent of them for him,¡± answered Lian Hai.


    ¡°Suspend the purchase!¡± instructed Dugu Shan.


    ¡°Yes, Your Lordship,¡± answered Lian Hai, keeping his head down. Nobody noticed that a derisive gleam flitted across his eyes.


    ¡­


    Mu Rongfeng wanted to save Mu Hengtian but was unable to have the prescription filled, no matter how hard he tried. He was consumed with anxiety and casting around for a solution when someone from the palace showed up and told him that the monarch wanted to see him. The man also disclosed that the monarch¡¯s illness had got even worse.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s heart sank. Not daring delay, he went to the palace with all haste.


    When entering the palace, he chanced upon his two brothers, the two princes supported by Nian Feng and the Dugu family respectively. Naturally, they all had hostility glinting in their eyes as they saw each other.


    After walking into the royal bedchamber, Mu Rongfeng, at the sight of Mu Hengtian whose breathing was barely perceptible, felt his heart do a somersault with a thrill of foreboding.


    ¡°Feng,¡± called Mu Hengtian in a weak voice as his eyes struggled open and alighted on Mu Rongfeng.


    Mu Rongfeng hurried over and got on his knees at Mu Hengtian¡¯s bedside. ¡°I¡¯m here, Father!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s everything going out there?¡± asked Mu Hengtian jerkily, exerting himself to finish his sentence.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s heart felt as though it were getting heavier. He quickly filled his father in on the situation in the royal court and the war between the other two countries.


    The look on Mu Hengtian¡¯s face grew increasingly ugly as he listened. When hearing that an army led by Yuwen Tong had occupied the south of the Wan Kingdom, he almost blacked out with intense agitation.


    ¡°Feng, Yuwen Tong fooled me. If the Wan Kingdom falls, our country will be in dire danger,¡± said Mu Hengtian in a broken voice.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s eyes dilated at these words. He was just about to say something when Mu Hengtian raised his hand signaling him to listen quietly. Then Mu Hengtian continued, ¡°You must put an end to the infighting as soon as possible. Nian Feng is the biggest danger you¡¯re faced with on your path to the throne. Now there¡¯s not much I can do, but it¡¯s within my power to do one last thing for you ¨C I¡¯ll recall Nian Feng to this city, summon him to my bedside, and then¡­¡±


    Mu Hengtian offered to summon Nian Feng to his bedchamber, so that Mu Rongfeng could have his men surround the bedchamber and kill Nian Feng, though he himself would have to die with Nian Feng.


    ¡°Father, that¡¯s¡­No, I can¡¯t let you¡­¡± Mu Rongfeng disagreed.


    Mu Hengtian abruptly gripped his son¡¯s hand. ¡°You have to. This is your last chance, Feng. My illness will take my life in a couple of days, anyway. Accede to the throne immediately after Nian Feng is taken care of, then mass all the troops and attack the Great Wen!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng was stupefied. After a long moment, he said through clenched teeth with a head bob, ¡°Yes, Father!¡±


    ¡­


    Mu Rongfeng knew that Nian Feng was not in the encampment outside Youzhou Pass but in the capital city. With some finesse, he managed to send Nian Feng a message saying that the monarch requested his presence in the royal bedchamber.


    ¡­


    In the Abode of General-in-chief.


    Nian Feng didn¡¯t want to see Mu Hengtian at all, because Mu Hengtian¡¯s death was now certain, and all he had to do was force Mu Rongfeng into giving up his heirship, and then enthrone the prince he supported.


    However, he had failed to keep it secret that he was in the capital city instead of the encampment outside Youzhou Pass, and the Dugu family had covertly waded in, so he had no alternative but to follow the order, but he had secretly taken adequate precautions.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Sire!¡± Nian Feng showed up in Mu Hengtian¡¯s bedchamber wearing armor.


    Mu Hengtian glanced at him. ¡°Nian Feng, we need to attack the Great Wen immediately. The Wan Kingdom might not be able to hold him back. Someone has to keep Yuwen Tong at bay, or our country will soon be in grave peril as well.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t occurred to Nian Feng that the reason why Mu Hengtian had summoned him was because Mu Hengtian really had something sensible to say to him. However, presently he wasn¡¯t at all in the mood for going to war with the Great Wen. He had even withdrawn half of the troops and had them hide in the suburbs.


    ¡°Sire, I believe it¡¯s totally unnecessary for us to get involved in the war between the Wan Kingdom and the Great Wen. Everybody in the three countries knows how strong the Wan Kingdom¡¯s cavalry is. By no stretch of the imagination would Yuwen Tong be able to annex the Wan Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Stupid!¡±


    Mu Hengtian reprimanded him and then started coughing badly. Nian Feng, after a brief moment¡¯s hesitation, still walked up to the bed and thumped Mu Hengtian on the back. ¡°Take it easy, Sire. Your health matters a lot to this country.¡±


    Mu Hengtian suddenly flung out a hand and grasped Nian Feng¡¯s wrist. Taken aback, Nian Feng subconsciously tried to free his wrist, but unexpectedly, Mu Hengtian¡¯s grip was so firm even Nian Feng couldn¡¯t struggle free. ¡°You¨C!¡±


    Mu Hengtian gave a sneer and instructed aloud, ¡°Guards! Restrain Nian Feng!¡±


    Nian Feng¡¯s face changed and with that he whipped out his saber¡­


    ¡­


    When Mu Hengtian was busy trying to trap Nian Feng in his bedchamber and have Nian Feng die with him, Yuwen Tong had readied his army to cross the Wan River.


    After all the boat-makers worked flat out for several days, the battle canoes the army needed were finally ready. The next step was to make chain nets¡­


    All arrangements had been made for the army to cross the river. Chen Jing¡¯s army, who were on the opposite bank in a standoff with Yuwen Tong¡¯s army, had built various kinds of fortifications along the riverbank, intending to prolong the standoff for as long as they could, but they failed to find out what Yuwen Tong had been doing by stealth.


    ¡°Sire, the chain net is ready. When are we crossing the river?¡± Yuwen Jin and He Xiao excitedly swept in, itching to take action.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    There was no hurry? Yuwen Jin and He Xiao were both astonished. In the past few days all craftsmen had been working at full stretch, the army occupied making preparations. They had all believed that they would soon set off to cross the river. Why did Yuwen Tong say there was no hurry?


    ¡°The Jiahe Chamber of Commerce hasn¡¯t delivered the smoke-tubes to us yet. The anticipated arrival time is midnight,¡± explained Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Smoke-tubes?¡± Yuwen Jin was confused. ¡°What are those? I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a new invention. They produce large amount of smoke when opened. We¡¯ll be needing them when crossing the river. After we fire them to the opposite bank, they¡¯ll emit clouds of thick smoke among Chen Jing¡¯s army, which will block their views for some time. Though the smoke might not be enough to cover the whole encampment, the wider the area it cloaks, the smaller the threat we¡¯ll be faced with. It¡¯ll give the vanguard more security,¡± responded Yuwen Tong.


    Both Yuwen Jin¡¯s and He Xiao¡¯s interest was piqued. After being informed of what a smoke-tube was, they all looked forward to the arrival of the gadgets.


    Late that night, a caravan of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce showed up, bringing with them a lot of smoke-tubes.


    ¡°It was in a tribe in the south-west where we drew the inspiration for this,¡± the leader of the caravan explained to Yuwen Jin and He Xiao both of whom appeared curious. ¡°What with the short notice, we finished only a small number of them. We would have produced a lot more smoke-tubes had we been given more time.¡±


    Yuwen Jin and He Xiao, after hearing it, were both very cooperative. The Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had become world-famous in recent years. It surprised the two of them that the organization had such consummate artisan at its command. More importantly¡­


    The Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had actually been in direct contact with the emperor. Was there a particular connection between the organization and the emperor, by any chance?


    People of the Great Wen had also been speculating about the real owner of the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, but it was not until this year that some of them had had an inkling of the truth.


    However, no matter how hard Yuwen Jin and He Xiao tried to nose out more details, the leader of the caravan remained tight-lipped from first to last. He only told them that it was a deal between the emperor and the chamber of commerce, that the relations between the two were nothing more than a partnership.


    Yuwen Jin and He Xiao were skeptical, growing more curious about the Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    On that very night, the smoke-tubes were transferred to the bank, where all of them were loaded into catapults before dawn.


    Yuwen Tong gave the order for the army to cross the river at first light in the morning.


    The whole army tensed up. They grabbed a short sleep and got up before daybreak, waiting to cross the river.


    The sky had just begun to lighten in the east, and the encampment of Chen Jing¡¯s army had just started to show signs of activity when suddenly an unknown object falling from the sky hit the head of a soldier walking out of his tent, and, immediately after landing on the ground as the soldier collapsed, cracked without warning, giving off pungent dense smoke which quickly started spreading.


    Soon, one after another, a lot of unknown objects of that kind were flung into the encampment of the army on the northern riverbank. Before Chen Jing could do anything, the whole encampment was pervaded by that sort of pungent smoke. Chen Jing, who sensed danger, immediately commanded his men to get into battle formation and ready themselves to engage Yuwen Tong¡¯s army who obviously were trying to cross the river.


    ¡°All archers get in position!¡±


    Before the archers were in position, a lot of Yuwen Tong¡¯s men dived into the Wan River.


    They swam across the river, went ashore and promptly came at the soldiers guarding the bank. Thus, the two sides engaged.


    ¡°Kill all the enemies that have come ashore! Hurry!¡±


    Meanwhile, on the southern bank, the fleet of canoes was ready to depart. Yuwen Tong, who had been observing the situation on the opposite bank, came to know that the time was ripe. ¡°Cross the river!¡± he commanded.


    After pushing the canoes into the river, the soldiers set sails, shielded the fleet with chain nets and headed for the opposite bank amid arrows raining down on them.


    Thanks to the batch of killers who had crossed the river as the vanguard, the enemies on the north bank failed to transfer their flaming arrows and rocks to the bank in a timely manner. Only a couple of catapults were deployed. Those killers were no common soldiers. Every stroke of their sabers took an enemy¡¯s life. They were targeting the catapults, killing among Chen Jing¡¯s men like wolves among sheep. They were so ferocious that Chen Jing jumped angrily and cursed loudly, almost blacking out from fury.


    Still, the volleys of arrows were still a great threat. Although the chain nets parried most of the arrows, soldiers in the progressing canoes were still being shot and falling into the river constantly. Every soldier downed was a life lost and a deduction in the combat power of his army. Watching this scene, Yuwen Tong had an icy look in his eyes, but there was nothing he could do other than to urge his men to speed up and cross the river as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 495 - The Death of Mu Hengtian

    Translator: DragonRider


    As though some kind of divine intervention was at work, the army of the Great Wen were traveling downwind when crossing the river, which was why their canoes were going faster than expected. Hard as Chen Jing¡¯s men tried, stopping the enemy from crossing the river was now beyond their capabilities.


    After encamping his men on the northern bank, Chen Jing had planned to build fortifications, and his men had indeed been executing that plan. They had worked quickly enough, but none of them had bargained on Yuwen Tong taking action so soon. All of them were caught flat-footed. Originally, Chen Jing and his lieutenants had thought that it would be at least half a month before Yuwen Tong¡¯s army got what they needed to cross the river, because his men had burnt all the boats at the opposite bank, killed all the boat-makers in the city and destroyed the ferry crossing. If Yuwen Tong¡¯s army were to cross the river, they would have to find some boat-makers to build them enough boats, and it would take Yuwen Tong at least half a month to make that happen, no matter how much effort he put into it. And Chen Jing had felt that he was overestimating Yuwen Tong by assuming that the latter would be able to get the job done in half a month. It had never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would be able to, within merely a couple of days, find so many battle canoes, chain nets and those weird tubes giving off smoke. Also, Yuwen Tong had some killers different from common soldiers under his command! It was utterly impossible for Yuwen Tong to get all these ready without making adequate preparations in advance. However, Yuwen Tong¡¯s army had traveled very fast, and there was no way they could have brought those burdensome things with them. The only plausible explanation was that those things had been prepared and hidden somewhere near the Wan River beforehand¡­


    As this thought crossed his mind, Chen Jing clenched his teeth, within an inch of vomiting blood from fury.


    They had believed that their country was impregnable and were trying to annex the Great Wen, but now it turned out that some spies had infiltrated into their country some time ago!


    Before this day, nobody had found out that Yuwen Tong had hidden something near the Wan River. How well concealed must Yuwen Tong¡¯s spies have been?! And what about the northern bank? Had Yuwen Tong made some arrangements on the north bank as well?


    Chen Jing was unable to keep from thinking more deeply about it, and cold sweat broke out increasingly fast over his back as he pondered on it.


    Watching the soldiers of the Great Wen cross the Wan River one after another, he felt as though he were seeing the fate the Wan Kingdom would have to face soon. Considering even the Wan River, the most solid barrier in the north, had failed to serve its purpose, would anybody be able to stop Yuwen Tong?


    ¡­


    In the royal palace of the Luohai Kingdom.


    The moment Nian Feng whipped out his saber, the eunuch standing at Mu Hengtian¡¯s bedside lunged at him. However, Nian Feng had been made General-in-chief for a reason. His arm strength was so amazing that gusts of wind were generated as he wielded his saber. The eunuch couldn¡¯t even get close to him. Mu Hengtian, who was gripping Nian Feng¡¯s wrist with all his might, was dragged out of bed by Nian Feng and heavily landed on the ground before Nian Feng gave him a hard kick which sent him flying as he involuntarily loosened his grip. He landed on the ground again, barely breathing.


    ¡°Your Majesty?!¡± screeched the eunuch. ¡°Guards! Guards!¡±


    Royal guards flooded in, filling half of the royal bedchamber, Mu Rongfeng standing at the front. At the sight of Mu Hengtian lying prone on the ground, Mu Rongfeng¡¯s eyes widened drastically with shock. ¡°FATHER!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Nian Feng, you treasonous bastard! How dare you hurt my father! Today I¡¯ll have you pay with your life for this! Guards, restrain this traitor!¡±


    With an ugly look on his face, pointing his saber at Mu Rongfeng¡¯s eyes, Nian Feng huffed, ¡°Mu Rongfeng, you and your father set me up with the intention to trap me in this bedchamber so that you could accede to the throne. Unfortunately for you, you are too conceited to achieve any great things. Your efforts to take the throne are doomed to come to nought!¡±


    Mu Rongfeng also had an extremely ugly look on his face. ¡°You are now trapped in this place, yet you¡¯re still bluffing. It surprises me a usurper like you dares to be so wildly arrogant. Today your life ends. Guards, kill Nian Feng! Whoever takes his life shall be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!¡±


    No sooner had he stopped speaking than some royal guards charged at Nian Feng. Mu Rongfeng gave a sneer at the sight of this, expecting to see Nian Feng hacked to pieces.


    However, at this moment, the situation took another drastic turn. The half of the royal guards charging at Nian Feng suddenly turned on their heels, facing off against Mu Rongfeng and the royal guards behind him, clustering around Nian Feng to protect him.


    ¡°You¨C! How dare you!¡± Mu Rongfeng¡¯s face changed dramatically and with that he bellowed, ¡°This is outrageous! Are you sure you want to commit treason with Nian Feng?!¡±


    Nian Feng, standing amid the royal guards under his command who were protecting him, gave an evil grin and said to Mu Rongfeng, ¡°You seriously expect me to follow the order and come here unprepared? I would never walk into the lion¡¯s den without making adequate preparations.¡±


    ¡°Enough talking. Ki¨CKill him,¡± said Mu Hengtian in a faint voice, who was still lying prostrate on the ground. His eyes were now unfocused, but he still reminded Mu Rongfeng to kill Nian Feng as soon as possible.


    ¡°Father!¡± Mu Rongfeng cried. ¡°Kill them! Kill Nian Feng and all these treasonous bastards!¡±


    The royal guards lunged forward and got into a close-quarters fight with their fellow royal guards who were now protecting Nian Feng. Nian Feng was not inclined to stay, because he knew that the longer he stayed, the more troublesome the situation would be. Therefore, he brandished his saber and joined the fight. As the General-in-chief, Nian Feng had been through many battles and was quite strong. Though old, he was still robust and a better fighter than many royal guards. Shortly after he joined the rough-and-tumble, he actually managed to breach the surrounding circle!


    ¡°Stop him! Don¡¯t let him escape! Shut the doors!¡± Mu Rongfeng immediately gave the order to shut the front doors of the royal bedchamber.


    But for some reason, sound of fighting also issued from the outer hall. The guards attempting to close the front doors of the royal bedchamber got into a fight with a couple of eunuchs, all of whom were holding weapons and appeared murderous. Surprisingly, the eunuchs managed to defend against the attack from the guards, keeping them from closing the front doors.


    Nian Feng, leading some men, directly fought his way out of the encirclement. His fighting capabilities were so high that even Mu Rongfeng was astonished. Also, he had some royal guards protecting him. At the sight of Nian Feng forcing the enemies into backing off again and again, the royal guards¡¯ morale was boosted, and they started attacking more boldly as though their sabers were sharper than the enemies¡¯!


    ¡°Stop him! Stop him!¡± bellowed Mu Rongfeng. Looking at Nian Feng with fierce eyes, he whipped the saber out of the sheath fastened to the belt of the bodyguard beside him, intending to intercept Nian Feng by himself.


    If he let Nian Feng escape, there would be endless trouble in the future!


    Unfortunately for Mu Rongfeng, though he wanted to personally stop Nian Feng, Nian Feng had no intention to be mired in this melee any longer. He had already broken out of the surrounding circle and was now approaching the front doors of the royal bedchamber. Before Mu Rongfeng could get close to him, he had slashed his way out of the hall, into the open space outside and then immediately left, without even casting a glance at the ¡®royal guards¡¯ and eunuchs who were risking life and limb to hold back the real royal guards.


    Mu Rongfeng, however, was stopped at the front doors of the royal bedchamber by those people, unable to get through. Consumed with fury, he ranted, ¡°Someone stop Nian Feng! Someone stop Nian Feng!¡±


    In order to kill Nian Feng, Mu Rongfeng, apart from stationing a lot of men inside the royal bedchamber, had also posted a lot more guards on the perimeter. He had originally thought that even if Nian Feng managed to fight his way out of the hall, those guards would still be able to prevent Nian Feng from escaping. Unfortunately for him, just like what the half of the royal guards had done inside the bedchamber, half of the guards outside had also suddenly turned against their companions.


    A while ago, when Mu Rongfeng had led his men into the bedchamber, the guards outside had started fighting. Many soldiers had been caught unawares and stabbed to death by their companions. Right now all was confusion and chaos outside the compound, and hardly anybody could spare any time to intercept Nian Feng!


    This scene almost drove Mu Rongfeng crazy. He had always believed that the Royal Guard was his trump card, but now it turned out that half of them had betrayed him and sided with Nian Feng!


    Ever since Nian Feng had exited the bedchamber, he had been under the protection of some men all along, who had been fighting the royal guards while retreating. Nian Feng himself was also mercilessly slashing at every enemy in sight with his saber, hacking his way to the gateway of the palace, leaving a trail of blood and corpses behind him.


    Originally there had been some royal guards on duty at the gateway, but now, just like the situation inside, they were now engaged in fratricidal fighting. The whole place was in disarray.


    Taking advantage of such circumstances, Nian Feng managed to make good his escape from the gateway as Mu Rongfeng rushed through the doors of the royal bedchamber after killing all the traitors trying to hold him back!


    ¡°Tell them to shut the palace gates! Do not let Nian Feng escape from the palace!¡± railed Mu Rongfeng, his eyes red with rage.


    He was just about to pursue Nian Feng when suddenly a deafening wail came from behind. ¡°Your Majesty? Your Majesty?!¡± someone cried.


    ¡°His Majesty left us!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    A torrent of wails burst forth in the royal bedchamber. Mu Rongfeng felt as though something exploded in his head and he stopped dead in his tracks, staring in the direction of the palace gates. Then he swiveled his head to look at the royal bedchamber, his countenance suggesting that there was a painful internal struggle going on in his breast.


    ¡°Your Highness, we must not let Nian Feng escape!¡± said one of his bodyguards beside him through gritted teeth.


    Mu Rongfeng¡¯s fingers clenched around the hilt of his saber. Eventually, he rushed down the stairs in front of the royal bedchamber. ¡°Come with me to pursue Nian Feng. We¡¯ll kill him to avenge His Majesty¡¯s murder!¡±


    ¡­


    The royal palace of the Luohai Kingdom was thrown into chaos. Mu Hengtian and Mu Rongfeng had set a trap for Nian Feng with the intention to trap and kill him in the royal bedchamber, but unexpectedly, half of the royal guards had turned against the two of them, upsetting their plan and allowing Nian Feng to make good his escape. News instantly spread through the whole capital that Nian Feng had murdered the monarch by throwing him to the ground. Nian Feng the General-in-chief had become a regicide in the blink of an eye. Mu Rongfeng the crown prince had given the order to shut all city gates and conduct a citywide hunt for Nian Feng, but the soldiers had found nothing after searching the city for a whole day!


    Worried that the situation might change again, Mu Rongfeng, after setting a mourning hall for his father in a great hurry, found the will that his father had long since made, and hastily acceded to the throne. Meanwhile, he ordered that everybody in the Abode of General-in-chief be executed, intending to force Nian Feng to show himself.


    However, the brief enthronement ceremony had just been finished, and the officials hadn¡¯t even paid their respects to the new monarch after kowtowing to Mu Hengtian¡¯s memorial tablet, when urgent news came that Nian Feng the General-in-chief had had the city encircled by an army almost 100,000 strong, that the southern city gate was under their full-blown attack and wouldn¡¯t hold for long!


    An army 100,000 strong?!


    It was a mystery to all the courtiers how Nian Feng had come to get an army 100,000 strong. Even Dugu Shan, who had made some other preparations, was taken aback. There had been so many soldiers hiding in that wood?!


    To make things worse, they were soon informed that the Fourth Prince had gone missing. The Fourth Prince was the one having Nian Feng¡¯s support. Mu Rongfeng had long since given the order for his some of his men to keep a close eye on the Fourth Prince, but now he had actually slipped away under their noses! Mu Rongfeng was immediately sent into intense anxiety. Unlike the Great Wen which had a garrison battalion stationed near each of the four pairs of city gates of the capital, the Luohai Kingdom had only two garrisons guarding its capital: the Southern City Garrison and the Western City Garrison. Given that the southern city gates were under attack from Nian Feng¡¯s men, seeking help from the Southern City Garrison was clearly not an option. Therefore, Mu Rongfeng could only recall the Western City Garrison with the intention to have them defend against Nian Feng¡¯s army who were attacking the city gates. The problem, however, was that the Western City Garrison was vastly outnumbered by Nian Feng¡¯s army. There was no telling whether or not they would be able to hold the city gates.


    Dugu Shan was somewhat scared. He did want Nian Feng to eliminate Mu Rongfeng, but he hadn¡¯t bargained on Nian Feng having such a large army under his command. Fearing that Nian Feng would exterminate the Dugu family as well if his army really battered down the city gates, Dugu Shan hurriedly had Lian Hai brought to him and asked Lian Hai whether or not he could get in touch with any of the nearby garrisons and have them come to the capital city to help deal with Nian Feng¡¯s army.

 Chapter 496 - The Successful Crossing of the River

    Lian Hai gave an affirmative nod. ¡°I can have someone leave from the western gates, take a detour and deliver a message to a store in the city where the nearest garrison is stationed, telling the people there to inform the commander of the garrison, but is it necessary for us to do that? I mean, the new emperor has already set out to handle this matter.¡±


    Dugu Shan said, ¡°No, that won¡¯t be quick enough. Nian Feng¡¯s men could break in at any moment. Is there a quicker way to make contact with them?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I can send a carrier pigeon to the store, but there¡¯s a risk that the pigeon might be shot down after it flies out of the city. In that case, we won¡¯t be able to achieve our objective, and our men might be exposed. Also, if I send one of my men there to inform the garrison, I¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t believe him, and neither would they come to our rescue, unless he has a token,¡± replied Lian Hai after pondering for a while.


    Dugu Shan¡¯s brow corrugated in a frown. Indeed, sending a carrier pigeon was risky.


    ¡°I have a suggestion, Your Lordship,¡± said Lian Hai.


    ¡°Go on,¡± said Dugu Shan, looking at him.


    ¡°You may dispatch the Yuexi garrison here. It¡¯ll be slower compared with dispatching the nearest garrison, but firstly there won¡¯t be any risks of the carrier pigeon being intercepted, and secondly, when they arrive, they may enter the city through the western city gates to help defend the city, and they could also inform the other garrisons to move south pressuring Nian Feng. But if we do it that way, the Western City Garrison must hold the city gates long enough, and a token will also be necessary,¡± said Lian Hai.


    Dugu Shan didn¡¯t make a decision immediately. Instead, he started mulling over it.


    ¡°If Your Lordship find it inconvenient to make a decision as to this matter, you might as well report it to the new emperor, but¡­Your Lordship, are you sure you want to do this? If Nian Feng¡¯s plan to take the city is thwarted, the new emperor¡¯s position will be consolidated, and we won¡¯t have any chance of turning the tables on him,¡± said Lian Hai.


    Dugu Shan said, ¡°Nian Feng¡¯s army is too strong. I¡¯m afraid the Dugu family will come to grief if this city falls.¡±


    ¡°Your Lordship, actually¡­you could try contacting the Yuexi garrison. Isn¡¯t the assistant commander of the Yuexi garrison friends with your eldest son? If they agree to offer us assistance, you could totally just have the citizens and your family guards to help the Western City Garrison defend the city gates. After the Yuexi garrison enter the city and apprehend Nian Feng, you¡¯ll be able to follow the example of Nian Feng, use the Yuexi garrison to force the emperor into abdicating the throne. In that case, unlike Nian Feng¡¯s army who are held back outside the city, the Yuexi garrison will be inside the city, and the emperor will be powerless to resist,¡± said Lian Hai.


    Dugu Shan¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°You¡¯re right. Guards, go and get my first son here!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Lian Hai slightly lowered his eyes to conceal the significant gleam in them.


    No matter whether this plan succeeded or failed, the Yuexi garrison would inevitably have a fight with Nian Feng¡¯s men eventually, and there was no doubt both sides would suffer casualties so heavy that neither of them would be able to pose a threat to the Great Wen.


    ¡­


    When the Luohai Kingdom, due to Mu Hengtian¡¯s death, was witnessing Nian Feng¡¯s army attacking its capital which was in utter confusion and chaos, Yuwen Tong had successfully led his army across the river.


    The army of the Great Wen were engaged in a fierce fight against Chen Jing¡¯s men on the north bank. This battle was the toughest one since Yuwen Tong¡¯s army had entered the Wan Kingdom, and the enemy¡¯s resistance was the strongest. Although eventually they managed to gain a firm footing on the north bank and take Zhaoyang City which was to the north bank, and force Chen Jing¡¯s men into retreating to an area dozens of li (a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters) away, the army of the Great Wen suffered hitherto the heaviest casualty in this battle.


    Yuwen Tong gave the order to make camp and rest, and also rewarded the troops with the best food and wine in an effort to bolster their morale as quick as possible.


    Meanwhile, Yuwen Jin and He Xiao led a team of crack troops forward to scout out the lay of the land. Though they had lost quite some men during the battle, the overall morale of the troops was still high. After all, they had not only crossed the Wan River successfully but also defeated Chen Jing¡¯s army. If the army kept progressing, they would sooner or later reach the capital of the Wan Kingdom!


    ¡°We¡¯ve now crossed the Wan River, which means we¡¯ll have to deal with not only Chen Jing¡¯s men but also the garrisons stationed in northern Wan Kingdom. Though the Wan monarch wouldn¡¯t dispatch all the garrisons in the north, they¡¯re still a threat. Those troops have been defending against the tribes in the north for many years, so they¡¯re more difficult to deal with than Chen Jing¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time we dispatched the army stationed in Shengzhou Pass.¡±


    In the military encampment outside Zhaoyang City, Yuwen Tong and all the officers were having a meeting in the main tent. They all believed that it was time to dispatch the army stationed in Shengzhou Pass.


    Yuwen Tong tapped on the table, carefully studying the unfurled map on it. All the places that had been occupied by his army bore red marks on the map. The remaining important targets were the Wan capital, Chen Jing¡¯s army and the garrisons in the north. The route of this army marching north was the only line of attack on the map. The army in Shengzhou Pass had been on the defense all along.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s forefinger moved to the nearest city to the north of their encampment, circled it with his fingertip and said, ¡°We need to finish this fight as quick as possible. We cannot afford to give the garrisons in the north any more time to move south. Our men in Shengzhou Pass are ready to depart at a moment¡¯s notice. Tonight the message will arrive at Shengzhou Pass, and tomorrow they¡¯ll set off. Barring accidents, considering their usual speed, they¡¯ll be able to rendezvous with us outside Jifang City. If Shan Congli takes action quick enough, his northern garrisons will engage us outside Jifang City.¡±


    The others were also looking at the map. Xiao Jiangyue said, ¡°Jifang City is small, but it is flanked by mountains and is like a gorge, which greatly advantages the Wan army defending it. The city is also the last south barrier of the Wan capital. If we break it, we¡¯ll be able to march straight north to the Wan capital, so Jifang City is where we will be faced with the fiercest resistance from the Wan army. We must be fully prepared before we go there.¡±


    The others inclined their heads. ¡°Should we send some men to Jifang City to do some recon beforehand?¡±


    Yuwen Tong produced a newly made map, unfolded it, took a look and said, ¡°Here¡¯s some information about the general situation in Jifang City and the canyon terrain around it. You guys may have a look first, but currently our first priority is to force Chen Jing¡¯s army into retreating to Jifang City. We¡¯re in no hurry to make a detailed plan to take Jifang City.¡±


    Yuwen Tong let Xiao Jiangyue and the others have a look at the newly made map and then put it away.


    Xiao Jiangyue and the couple of others were astounded, because the map was so detailed! It was as though the one who had made the map had measured every inch of the land around Jifang City with a ruler!


    ¡°Sire, this map¡­¡± someone couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Yuwen Tong directly put the map away, making no reply.


    That officer shut up. After exchanging astonished glances with the others, he was secretly overjoyed. No matter how the emperor had obtained this map, the level of difficulty of the daunting task of taking Jifang City had now finally been brought down a little!


    ¡°All right. Now I guess all of you have got a general idea of what the next step is, and that is enough. Presently, the most pressing matter is the rest and reorganization of the troops. Their food and daily necessities must be of high quality. I want you guys to personally inspect the encampment and make sure that every one of them is rewarded with the best food and wine. If anybody dares cut corners, show them no mercy and have them executed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    ¡­


    On that very night, a carrier hawk from the north delivered a letter to Shengzhou Pass. Shortly after that, another letter from Yuwen Tong was delivered to the same place by a carrier hawk from the west.


    After Ling Zhang finished reading the two letters, the corners of his eyes slightly curled, a sparkle of excitement in them.


    Mu Hengtian was dead. An army led by Nian Feng was attacking the Luohai capital. Lian Hai had made a suggestion to Dugu Shan, who had taken it and talked to the new emperor on his own initiative. The troops in the Luohai capital would be able to hold the city before the Yuexi garrison marched south and fought Nian Feng¡¯s men. No matter what, the Luohai Kingdom was now too busy to offer the Wan Kingdom any help. The Luohai encampment outside Youzhou Pass was half empty, and the troops in it were no longer a threat to Youzhou Pass.


    As for the situation in the Wan Kingdom, Zhaoyang City which was located to the north of the Wan River had been taken already¡­


    The time had come for the North-western Army to depart from Shengzhou Pass!


    After a while, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were summoned, both of whom were excited at the news. ¡°Great! Because of that geriatric Xue Chi, I¡¯ve been cooped up in here for such a long time. Now the time has finally come for us to go out there!¡±


    ¡°Send my orders ¨C the army is to depart at noon tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi answered in unison. The two of them immediately left to make arrangements. Ling Zhang leaned against the back of his chair and clapped a hand to his chest where his heart was hammering madly, the glitter in his eyes growing brighter. Soon they would be able to rendezvous with Yuwen Tong. The plans they had been making preparations to carry out for years had succeeded one after another, and now the final goal was to be achieved. The prospect of it sent waves of thrill through his whole body, making him feel as though his blood was boiling.


    The North-western Army received the orders that very night and all troops let out a roar of excitement. They all used to fight side by side with Yuwen Tong and saw Yuwen Tong as their master, but during this war against the Wan Kingdom, their master had been leading another army and fighting enemies in the Wan Kingdom, while they could only stay in Shengzhou Pass defending against the enemies¡¯ attack. What with this situation, these soldiers who would rather die than shy away from fight had been feeling terribly subdued and had been itching to go out there to kick the Wan army¡¯s asses for quite some time. Now the opportunity they had been waiting for finally came, and they were all anxious to go.


    Jiang Ke first allowed his men to express their excitement, then hardened his face and said in a severe voice, ¡°All of you are crack troops who have been serving in the North-western Army for many years and been through many fights. I believe none of you need me to remind you that underestimating the enemy is a mistake the North-western Army always tries the hardest to avoid! Tomorrow we¡¯ll depart and I want all of you to bear this in mind ¨C if anybody makes that mistake, I¡¯ll behead him. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to find out how sharp my saber is by being decapitated. I want all of you to be extra alert. Understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    The thrilled soldiers, after hearing Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s warning, finally cooled down and then started making preparations for the next day¡¯s departure in orderly fashion.


    Although Ling Zhang was not present, he could distinctly hear every sound from outside, so he had naturally heard Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s words. If truth be told, while he had been listening to the two of them, the excitement coursing through his body had ebbed away as well. Their words were indeed quite effective.


    It would seem Yuwen Tong had entrusted the Northwestern Army to Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi for a reason.


    The two of them were both good at war. Jiang Ke was cool-headed. Jiang Xi was exceptionally valiant but also fairly poised. Both of them were extraordinary field commanders.


    After calming down, Ling Zhang anticipated the fight outside Shengzhou Pass the next day even more eagerly. He wanted very much to see how an army like this would crush Xue Chi¡¯s men!


    As this occurred to him, Ling Zhang took in a large gulp of air, dismissed all the miscellaneous thoughts from his mind and reread the letter from Yuwen Tong on the table, not missing a single word.

 Chapter 497 - A Fierce Fight

    What with the downpour in the middle of the night the day before, every inch of the ground in the encampment of the Wan army was muddy. It had been several days since the army had broken out of the Formation deployed by the enemy, but the troops still hadn¡¯t recovered from their battered morale. When they looked at the towering ramparts of Shengzhou Pass, they could no longer feel the great ambition that they had arrived at this place with. All they could feel now was fear.


    To make things worse, the army led by Yuwen Tong had crossed the Wan River already and was closing in on the capital.


    Xue Chi and his lieutenants had hushed it up, so the soldiers were unaware of it, but even so, the Wan army was still inevitably shrouded in a mood of pessimism.


    ¡°Father, should we continue to attack Shengzhou Pass?¡±


    When Xue Chi and Xue Yi were the only ones left in the main tent, the latter asked his father about their next move. At the beginning of the war they had held the garrison of Shengzhou Pass in contempt, but now they had been forced into cowering in their encampment. The whole thing felt like a bad dream. Xue Yi was indignant and unreconciled to the defeat but was also unavoidably wary and scared of the enemies in Shengzhou Pass, his mind filled with uncertainty about whether or not they still had enough strength to take Shengzhou Pass. Of course, Xue Yi wouldn¡¯t admit that he was shrinking from another fight. The excuse he made for himself was that they had suffered heavy casualties, and the army led by Yuwen Tong had crossed the Wan River, so it was pointless to resume the attack; what they should do was retreat and join hands with Chen Jing¡¯s men to drive Yuwen Tong out of the Wan Kingdom and recover the lost cities and territory.


    However, Xue Chi shook his head and told him explicitly, ¡°That¡¯s not an option. We cannot make another retreat.¡±


    Xue Yi was bewildered. ¡°Why?¡±


    Xue Chi looked at him with sorrowful eyes. ¡°As things stand, the moment we retreat, the gates of Shengzhou Pass will open immediately, and we¡¯ll turn from the hunter into the prey. Yuwen Tong¡¯s men are attacking Chen Jing¡¯s army. You think the North-western Army in Shengzhou Pass would let us leave to help Chen Jing intercept Yuwen Tong? It¡¯s too late. We¡¯ve already been mired in this situation. To retreat is suicide. Only by resuming the attack will we stand a chance of survival.¡±


    Xue Yi¡¯s heart gave a huge leap. ¡°W¨CWe really couldn¡¯t just retreat? But¡­¡±


    ¡®But do we really still have a chance of taking Shengzhou Pass? And will Chen Jing¡¯s army really be able to keep Yuwen Tong at bay?¡¯ Both these questions were what Xue Yi wanted to ask, but for some reason, he was unable to ask either of them, though the words were already on the tip of his tongue. It was as if he had come to know the answers to them already.


    Xue Chi looked deep into his eyes and said, ¡°The war is not lost yet. That underhanded weird thing they deployed outside Shengzhou Pass has lost its effect, and there¡¯s no way they could use it again. If we regroup our forces and launch another all-out attack on Shengzhou Pass, we might be able to survive this. If we win, we¡¯ll turn the tables, and even if we lose, we¡¯ll die a glorious death on the battlefield. You¡¯re my son. For several generations the Xue family have been serving our country as loyal fighters, and there has never been a single coward in our family. We must fight until our last breath! What you just said must not be repeated. When you walk out of this tent, you will straighten your back. Now go and summon all the officers here to have a meeting. We¡¯ll reformulate our plan of attack before we go into the final battle with the enemy in Shengzhou Pass!¡±


    The last remark convulsed Xue Yi¡¯s frame. After his eyes met Xue Chi¡¯s, he slowly balled his hands into fists. ¡°Yes, Father!¡±


    Xue Yi soon had all officers gathered in Xue Chi¡¯s tent. Shan Congyi was also among them.


    Xue Chi was right about the situation. Currently the only way that his army could survive the war was if they took Shengzhou Pass with an all-out attack. However, strategically sensible as his plan was, before he could carry it out, the gates of Shengzhou Pass opened and the North-western Army, full of mettle, charged out heading for the encampment of the Wan army.


    In the tent, Xue Chi was the first to sense that something was wrong. Before any of the sentries rushed to the tent to report, he paled visibly at the faint quake of the ground and, without saying anything, abruptly dropped himself, pressing his ear against the ground and listening hard. The next moment, with an ugly look on his face, he quickly rose to his feet and cautioned aloud, ¡°An army is coming from the east! It¡¯s the North-western Army from Shengzhou Pass! Everybody get ready to fight!¡±


    All people present changed color. Having no time to say anything else, they all hastened out of the tent in a great hurry as the ground quaked more and more detectably.


    Xue Chi, who had also exited the tent, yelled, ¡°ENEMY APPROACHING! GET READY TO FIGHT!¡±


    Shan Congyi was the only one staying in the tent. He had also felt the quake of the ground which was getting more distinct. His face which had been disfigured in the explosion was at this moment even more hideous than usual. He had come to this place with the army with a burning desire to take Shengzhou Pass, march straight south to the capital of the Great Wen and kill Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong to avenge what they had done to him, but so far he had achieved none of the objectives! Were Xue Chi not still useful to him, Shan Congyi would have killed Xue Chi when they had been trapped in that large-scale Formation outside Shengzhou Pass.


    ¡°Good-for-nothing! Good-for-nothing!¡± Shan Congyi overturned Xue Chi¡¯s desk with a kick and everything on it fell to the ground with a crash.


    Xue Chi, who hadn¡¯t gone far away, heard the noise from inside the tent, flicked a backward glance at it with a sepulchral face and eventually walked off. His army was about to stage a last-ditch counterattack against the North-western Army from Shengzhou Pass. If he survived, he would figure out a way to get even with Shan Congyi; if he died, it would be meaningless to hold grudges because of these things.


    ¡­


    The clatter of the Northwestern Army¡¯s horses¡¯ hoofs sounded like the beat of numerous large drums. The ground was quaking. Having been given the permission to attack after standing by in the fortress for such a long time, the troops enjoyed such high morale as though they were an army of tigers who had just been set free from their cages. The army flag was fluttering in whistling wind to the battle cry of soldiers which was making the welkin ring.


    The army swooped down on the encampment of the Wan army like a rising tide.


    Ling Zhang, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were galloping abreast. Snowflake, Ling Zhang¡¯s mount, was faster than any of the other horses.


    The encampment of the Wan army was very close. Xue Chi was leading his army that had just been mustered in great haste. At the sight of the North-western Army who were charging at them with daunting momentum, Xue Chi, without pausing to say anything, directly gave the order for the archers in battle formation to shoot!


    ¡°Shield unit move forward! Keep charging! Nobody stops!¡± commanded Jiang Xi. The army immediately charged its formation. Those with shields moved to the front to parry the arrows from the enemies which were raining down on them. Meanwhile, numerous arrows were fired at the encampment of the Wan army.


    Only by charging at full speed would they be able to minimize the casualties. Therefore, the North-western Army kept advancing braving volleys of arrows without pausing for a moment, pushing on towards the enemy¡¯s encampment as fast as they could.


    Ling Zhang mobilized all his internal energy, forming it into an energy field which shielded both him and Snowflake from the arrows, wielding his sword, galloping forward amid the rain of arrows. He was the first to reach the enemy¡¯s encampment. The twenty-four bodyguards of his, who were on his heels, formed up into a formation and quickly followed him into the encampment of the Wan army amid salvos of arrows.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    Ling Zhang raised his sword, took a flying leap from his saddle and heavily gave a sword strike. His powerful internal energy, like a thick wall, directly smashed into a team of Wan cavalrymen who had just charged over to intercept him. Those cavalrymen, along with their horses, were instantly thrown to the ground and soon wiped out by Ling Zhang¡¯s twenty-four bodyguards who quickly galloped over. Blood splattered in all directions, across the soldiers¡¯ armor or on the ground. The strong smell of blood felt as though it were warm, but the ruthless cold blades of the bodyguards had been swung at the next team of cavalrymen.


    The fact that Snowflake was an intelligent horse was more obvious at this moment than ever before. Carrying Ling Zhang on her back, she continued to dodge amid the rain of arrows, keeping galloping towards the Wan cavalry. When Ling Zhang reached the front of the enemies, the archers had stopped firing arrows for fear of friendly fire. With each gust of wind generated by Ling Zhang¡¯s palm strike, a cavalrymen was downed before being killed by one of Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguards, every slash of whom was a life taken.


    When Ling Zhang and his men breached the defensive line of the cavalrymen at the front, the team led by Jiang Xi arrived and staged a frontal attack on the Wan cavalry.


    The war drums had been sounding for quite some time, the steady beat reverberating around the whole battleground. The volleys of arrows from the Wan army failed to stop the North-western Army. Instead, they served to boost the North-western Army¡¯s ferocity. In terms of morale, the North-western Army had an overwhelming advantage over the Wan army, and there was nothing the latter could do to turn the tide.


    As the two sides engaged at close quarters, an intense fight started and soon got into a full swing.


    With the instinct to survive, the Wan army made a frantic counterattack, fighting the North-western Army with all their might.


    This battle lasted a solid afternoon. The North-western Army had charged into the Wan encampment from the very beginning. The whole encampment had been reduced to a slaughterhouse. The Wan army¡¯s defensive line, which had been outside the encampment at first, backed away into the encampment before the troops started retreating. Dead bodies of the Wan soldiers carpeted almost the whole encampment.


    Ling Zhang, whose armor had some time ago been dyed dark red by blood, was emanating an air of bloodthirstiness. Even his face which was the color of white jade was now blood-spattered, the corners of his bright eyes red with killing aura. Right now he bore no similarity to the elegant dashing young man he usually was. Instead, he looked like a killing machine. Eventually, the very sight of him frightened Wan soldiers into spinning around to make their escape. Barely anybody dared fight him.


    When Ling Zhang caught sight of Shan Congyi, the latter was retreating under the escort of a team of soldiers.


    At that time there was still a long distance between Ling Zhang and him, but Ling Zhang had sharp eyes and instantly spotted a familiar figure whom he soon confirmed was Shan Congyi.


    Back at the time when he had been informed that Shan Congyi was still alive, that he somehow had survived the explosion and managed to elude the soldiers Xiao Jiangyue had sent to search the wood outside Xiaofeng Village, Ling Zhang had been quite angry and made up his mind to kill Shan Congyi and confirm his death personally the next time he saw him.


    Before the war started, when he had been told that Shan Congyi had come with Xue Chi¡¯s army to attack Shengzhou Pass, he had made preparations to capture Shan Congyi. Now that he had seen Shan Congyi, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let the latter escape.


    All the twenty-four bodyguards of his were very much in his confidence and knew what he was thinking. Ling Zhang pointed in the direction of Shan Congyi and with that they immediately charged forward.


    Shan Congyi, who was retreating under protection of some soldiers, sensed a murderous air closing in on him from behind like a sharp blade. He involuntarily looked back and caught sight of Ling Zhang. As his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s which were red with bloodthirstiness, he gave a shudder in spite of himself. Recalling the pain he had suffered during the explosion, he muttered through gritted teeth, ¡°Ling Zhang!¡±


    Nobody knew what he was thinking, but he actually reined in his horse, stopped retreating and forcibly turned his horse around to face Ling Zhang who was charging in his direction.


    ¡°Your Highness? We need to leave immediately, before it¡¯s too late! You must not go back there!¡± yelled the man beside him, terrified by his unexpected act.

 Chapter 498 - Shan Congyis Death

    ¡°Leave?¡± sniffed Shan Congyi with a sneer on his hideous face, his eyes staring fixedly at Ling Zhang who was galloping at him. ¡°The one I want to kill is coming to meet his doom on his own initiative. Why would I leave? Move aside, all of you. Anybody who tries to block my path shall die where he stands!¡±


    Shan Congyi¡¯s deformed, contorting face, coupled with his menacing tone, frightened his bodyguards who were eager to make their escape immediately. As their eyes met Shan Congyi¡¯s icy ones, they broke out in a cold sweat and made way for him in spite of themselves.


    ¡°Follow me. We¡¯ll fight our way through and kill Ling Zhang!¡± enunciated Shan Congyi, releasing his reins and whipping his saber out of its sheath fastened to his belt with his only hand.


    At this moment, Ling Zhang in the distance was also shocked, not by the fact that Shan Congyi had the guts to stay to fight a losing fight, but by Shan Congyi¡¯s appearance.


    Shan Congyi¡¯s face was terribly disfigured and mutilated, bearing no resemblance to the face Shan Congyi used to have. Back at the time when Ling Zhang had first met Shan Congyi in the capital of the Great Wen, the latter had appeared quite mild and vulnerable. Even when the two of them had been in a standoff outside Xiaofeng Village, Shan Congyi had been very different from what he looked like now ¨C he seemed more like a ghost than a human being.


    Ling Zhang had all along been baffled as to how Shan Congyi had managed to survive that explosion. He had heard people talk about what Shan Congyi looked like after recovering from his serious injuries, and he had also been informed that Shan Congyi had lost an arm, but none of those descriptions were as shocking as the sighting of Shan Congyi he was having at this moment, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how on earth Shan Congyi had survived.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, I was in no hurry to look for you, but here you are, coming here to seek your death. Today I¡¯ll have you pay for what you did to me five years ago ¨C with your life!¡± Shan Congyi raised his saber and pushed the spurs on his boots into the side of his horse, ordering it to charge. He had lost an arm and his only hand was holding the saber, so he was unable to hold the reins. His horse, intimated by the air Ling Zhang was emanating, didn¡¯t move, but Shan Congyi somehow stimulated it and it let out a pained neigh and abruptly galloped towards Ling Zhang!


    At the sight of this, Shan Congyi¡¯s bodyguards had no choice but to clench their teeth and follow in his wake.


    Ling Zhang in the distance narrowed his eyes, looking at Shan Congyi charging at him, feeling that not only did Shan Congyi not look like a human being any more, but he was also soft in the head, given that Shan Congyi was really charging at him suicidally, saving him chasing.


    The sword in his hand, just like his armor, was blood-spattered. Ling Zhang held it firmly, waiting for Shan Congyi to arrive to seek his own death.


    Shan Congyi¡¯s gaze was heavy with hate. His hatred towards Ling Zhang had clouded his judgement, keeping him from seeing sense. He didn¡¯t even have any room in his head to think about his own life. In his mind was only one thought ¨C kill Ling Zhang!


    As Shan Congyi approached, his lips actually curved in a grin, which was even more terrifying than a ghost.


    Naturally Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t scared by him. He was just even more confused as to why Shan Congyi was charging at him so confidently when what he was doing was apparently suicide.


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    Shan Congyi raised his saber high and slashed at Ling Zhang as he got close enough.


    At the sight of Shan Congyi¡¯s act, a hint of speechlessness, which was rather uncharacteristic of Ling Zhang, appeared in his eyes that were somewhat scarily red from intense bloodthirstiness. He could dodge Shan Congyi¡¯s blow hands down. Snowflake moved aside and helped him sidestep the attack without him doing anything.


    Ling Zhang patted Snowflake¡¯s neck and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to dodge. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Since Shan Congyi was so anxious to die by his sword, how could he not grant his wish?


    Ling Zhang raised his sword, lightly smacked his hand down on to the saddle and leaped upwards from Snowflake¡¯s back like a swift bird, his sharp sword turning into a blur of movement which formed a pattern reflecting light like snow, but which harbored life-threatening danger and directly shrouded Shan Congyi in it.


    At the sight of Ling Zhang leaping up from his horse, Shan Congyi¡¯s face finally registered a suggestion of astonishment, but he still stubbornly galloped towards Ling Zhang with the intention to hack Ling Zhang down with his saber. However, before he could approach his target, Ling Zhang¡¯s Sword-light got to him. Driven by Ling Zhang¡¯s internal energy, each Sword-light was powerful enough to halve a gigantic mountain rock instantaneously. Shan Congyi, who was only human, naturally was unable to defend against this sword strike. Without any resistance ¨C without even him noticing, actually ¨C he was cloaked in the sheet of snow-white Sword-light which quickly went through his body one after another. At first there was nothing out of the ordinary, and Shan Congyi, raising his saber high, was muttering, ¡°Today I¡¯ll get revenge for what you did five years ago. Only your death can quench the flames of hate in my mind. Die! Ha-ha¡­¡±


    Before he could finish laughing, his face suddenly stiffened and he paused with an odd expression, and with that blood spewed from his mouth. After a brief moment, his whole body, along with his armor, abruptly divided up into numerous pieces which shot outwards in all directions as though something exploded violently inside him. There was nothing left of him.


    It was a gory and astounding sight. Shan Congyi¡¯s bodyguards following in his wake were scared to such an extent that they all stiffened on their horses, open-mouthed, their teeth chattering, unable to utter a word as if there was a lump in each of their throats.


    When Shan Congyi split into countless pieces, Ling Zhang took a flying leap and landed lightly on top of a nearby tent. At the sight of Shan Congyi being blasted, his first thought was that five years ago Shan Congyi had detonated a weird iron ball, which nearly killed them both. At that time, the whole scene had been shrouded in dust and smoke so thick that he hadn¡¯t seen whether Shan Congyi had died or not. He had thought that Shan Congyi had been reduced to ashes in the explosion. Now he had killed Shan Congyi by himself, and Shan Congyi had died right in front of him. Surely Shan Congyi couldn¡¯t have faked his death this time? He didn¡¯t believe that Shan Congyi could rise from the dead.


    When this thought was dismissed from his head, Ling Zhang blinked his eyes, which then alighted on those around him who were horrified by him, and who were tremulously looking at him. Suddenly, something refreshing crossed his mind and dissolved his desire for blood, and with that his eyes became clear. Looking at the pieces of Shan Congyi who couldn¡¯t be more dead, he came to realize what he had just done.


    This was the first time that Ling Zhang had gone to war. He and the North-western Army under his command, with unstoppable momentum, had forced the Wan army into retreating again and again. He, followed by his twenty-four bodyguards, had been in the vanguard all along and naturally had taken the brunt of the enemy¡¯s attack. He had been killing for a whole afternoon, claiming countless lives with his sword and palms, which was why he had gradually been blinded by his thirst for more blood. It was as though his eyes had been veiled by some kind of enchantment; he could distinguish his own men from the enemies, but all he could think of was killing. After taking so many lives, he had almost turned himself into a killing machine who could kill without batting an eye¡­


    Because of his internal energy which had been growing more and more powerful, and his palm techniques and swordcraft which were unequaled on the battlefield, he had been killing without any difficulty. In his eyes, all resistance was like a childish game. He could easily kill any of the enemies with a single sword strike. When something is too easy for you to do, you tend to ignore a lot, and slowly you become desensitized to it and take it for granted.


    All these had been in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind a moment ago. It was not until this moment that he suddenly came to himself. Furrowing his brows, he glanced at Shan Congyi¡¯s ¡°body¡± on the ground. Shan Congyi was the one who had died the most violent death by his sword, and was also the main reason why he had come to realize he had been on the verge of losing control. He stood still on top of the tent with a frown on his face.


    Down below, his twenty-four bodyguards had killed the whole team of bodyguards of Shan Congyi¡¯s. They noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s silence and also sensed the fairly unusual aura Ling Zhang was giving off, but they didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with the way Ling Zhang had killed Shan Congyi. They seemed to believe that Ling Zhang had every reason to kill Shan Congyi. The method Ling Zhang had adopted struck them as somewhat surprising, but there were bodies and blood everywhere on the battleground, so killing an enemy in a strange way seemed to be no big deal. The only thing that concerned them was that Ling Zhang for some unknown reason had suddenly lapsed into silence and was standing still.


    ¡°Young Master!¡± called Wang Dashan aloud. ¡°Did something happen?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang jerked out of his trance and silently shook his head. Then he replied, ¡°Nothing. Gather the pieces of Shan Congyi¡¯s body and burn them with the other corpses on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    The battle was coming to an end. Shan Congyi was dead. Xue Chi, severely injured, was retreating with his surviving soldiers, but Jiang Xi and his men were pursuing them hotly. Given that Xue Chi had only several thousand men left and was grievously wounded, it wouldn¡¯t be long before Jiang Xi and his men caught up with them and finished them off, so it was unnecessary for Ling Zhang to join the pursuit.


    The next step was to deal with the surviving Wan soldiers who were still in the encampment. Those who surrendered themselves would be gathered together, and those who refused to yield would be killed. And then there was the cleaning of the whole battlefield and the matter of statistics of the dead and injured. Jiang Ke and the other officers would handle all that, and Ling Zhang didn¡¯t have to do anything about it. Therefore, he just gave the order for his bodyguards to help clear the nearby area of the dead, found himself a spot which was barely fit to sit, sat down, produced a piece of cloth to wipe the blood off his sword, and then started thinking about the reason why he had lost control of himself during the fight.


    He had never had such experiences before. He wondered if similar things had ever happened to any of the others on the battlefield: Jiang Ke, Jiang Xi, Yuwen Tong and his bodyguards ¨C all of them were also top-notch kung fu masters, especially Yuwen Tong. His kung fu couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Yuwen Tong¡¯s. Had any of them ever been in this kind of situation?


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Wang Dashan and the others, after helping clear the nearby battleground of the dead, left the remainder of the clearing up to the soldiers. After all, their duty was to protect Ling Zhang, and they were supposed to keep Ling Zhang in sight at all times. Wang Dashan couldn¡¯t help but call Ling Zhang as he saw that Ling Zhang was sitting there and seemed to be thinking about something, a slight frown and a seemingly confused expression on his face.


    ¡°Are you hurt, Young Master? Would you mind if I take a look?¡± Qiu Bing walked over.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are any of you wounded?¡±


    Wang Dashan and all the others had suffered some minor injuries, but it was nothing serious, so they all shook their heads.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. After a while, he added, ¡°It¡¯ll take them some time to finish clearing the battlefield. Liuzi, take some men and find Jiang Ke. See if he needs any help.¡±


    Yang Liuzi gave a nod. All threats neutralized, Wang Dashan and the others were enough to keep Ling Zhang safe, so it was okay if they left. As a result, Yang Liuzi took a team and went to Jiang Ke¡¯s help.

 Chapter 499 - The Death of Xue Chi

    Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards came to realize that something was bothering Ling Zhang, but Ling Zhang showed no inclination to talk to any of them about it, and they were unable to guess what it was about, so they just stood guard around Ling Zhang lest anybody disturb him.


    Ling Zhang was not having trouble untangling any knots in his mind. He was just astonished by his actions and was introspecting about whether he had gone too far.


    Soon night fell and torches were lit in the encampment.


    The battlefield was a total mess, but the soldiers responsible for the clearing up were all very efficient. The placement of the injured was dealt with first, and then there was the mass burial of the war dead and the matter of inventorying the spoils.


    At the edge of the battleground, some cooks, who had specially brought some fresh ingredients from inside the fortress after the battle ended, had directly built some cooking stoves there and were now cooking a meal.


    At the aroma of food, expressions appeared on the dull and lifeless faces of the soldiers who were injured and exhausted.


    Ling Zhang leaped on to a height which overlooked almost the whole battlefield. During this battle, the enemy¡¯s will to resist had been quite weak, and it could be said that the North-western Army had won a runaway victory, but the casualty number was still rather high. Those slightly wounded ones would be able to resume the journey after some rest, but those severely injured ones would have to be transferred back into Shengzhou Pass to receive medical treatment. The army needed some fresh troops. On top of that, there would be another several tough battles before they reached Jifang City, and they couldn¡¯t keep Yuwen Tong waiting outside Jifang City for too long, which meant they would have to finish those fights quickly. As a result, the army didn¡¯t have much time for rest and regroupment after this battle. They had to depart the day after tomorrow.


    Late that night, Jiang Ke arranged for the troops to be settled in and then summoned all officers to have a meeting. After that, Ling Zhang wrote Yuwen Tong a letter and had a carrier hawk deliver it.


    ¡­


    On the north bank of the Wan River, Yuwen Tong was still lingering in Zhaoyang City. This time around his army needed a longer time to rest and regroup to be fully prepared for the next battle.


    After receiving a message about the battle outside Shengzhou Pass which told him that Shan Congyi was dead, that the North-western Army had inflicted a crushing defeat on Xue Chi¡¯s army, and that Xue Chi was retreating westwards with a couple of thousand soldiers, Yuwen Tong first summoned all the officers to make battle plans for the next fight. It was not until after the meeting that he got some leisure to sit behind his desk to peruse the letter Ling Zhang had written him in reply.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t mention anything about his confusion in the letter, but Yuwen Tong, reading between the lines, perceptively sensed that something had been bothering Ling Zhang when he had been writing the letter. His eyebrows contracted slightly.


    Ling Zhang had written the letter by himself. The strokes and the amount of strength Ling Zhang had used to write the letter were no different than usual, which meant that his Qi had been steady, and he should be unharmed. If it was not about injury, what was it that had been bothering him?


    Yuwen Tong carefully folded the letter, put it away and started writing a letter. He wanted to ask Ling Zhang and get to the bottom of it, but his writing brush had just touched the paper when he paused. Eventually he refrained from asking.


    It was only too obvious that Ling Zhang had no intention to tell him about it because he didn¡¯t want to worry him. Currently, what he needed to do was have his army fight their way into Jifang City as soon as possible so that he could rendezvous with Ling Zhang and find out the truth.


    ¡­


    The next afternoon.


    Jiang Xi and the army he had taken to pursue the enemy still hadn¡¯t returned, but he had a messenger deliver a message back, which said that Xue Chi had died of his grievous wounds while running for his life, that Xue Yi and his surviving soldiers had fled to the nearest city and put up defensive positions waiting for them. Jiang Xi and his men were doing recon as the vanguard, waiting for the main force to arrive.


    After reading the letter, Ling Zhang inquired of Jiang Ke, ¡°How soon can we depart?¡±


    Jiang Ke replied, ¡°Early tomorrow morning. The placement of the injured has been properly handled, and the regroupment of the army is basically done. Those assigned to stay will take care of the rest. Some of our men in the fortress will come here to help.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    The nearest Wan city was Langqiao City, which boasted the most substantial city walls in eastern Wan Kingdom. As an eastern border city, it was to the Wan Kingdom as Shengzhou was to the Great Wen. Its defense was strong, and taking it would take some doing. When it came to fighting a battle, Ling Zhang felt that he was a layman, that there was not much he could do to play a constructive role, so he decided to have the army rendezvous with Jiang Xi¡¯s men first. He wanted to depart before dark to see what that city was like.


    Jiang Ke was somewhat hesitant. He had been under great mental stress when Ling Zhang had been galloping at the head during the battle. If it weren¡¯t for Ling Zhang¡¯s excellent kung fu skills and his twenty-four bodyguards, Jiang Ke would never have allowed Ling Zhang to go with the army. It was too risky.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep myself safe.¡± Ling Zhang could tell that Jiang Ke was hesitating, so he said on his own initiative, ¡°I just want to go there to take a look. I won¡¯t do anything dangerous, so take it easy. There¡¯s no need to be nervous about it.¡±


    Jiang Ke gave a resigned smile. How could he not be nervous? Considering Ling Zhang¡¯s identity, he could foresee that the world would be turned upside down if anything happened to Ling Zhang. ¡°Once we cross the border, we¡¯ll be on the Wan Kingdom¡¯s turf. It¡¯s best if you depart with the army. I know you¡¯ll be under the protection of your bodyguards, but it¡¯s getting dark, and I can¡¯t let you take such risks, because there¡¯s no necessity for you to do that.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence, looking Jiang Ke in the eye. Jiang Ke didn¡¯t avoid his eyes and the two of them looked at each other for a while.


    Then Ling Zhang sighed, ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    It was not that he couldn¡¯t play hardball. He didn¡¯t because he knew that he himself and the army were both Jiang Ke¡¯s responsibilities. Now that Jiang Ke disagreed, he decided to wait for a little while longer, for he tended to avoid bringing trouble to others whenever he could.


    Jiang Ke was secretly relieved. ¡°Thank you for understanding, Your Highness.¡±


    Had Ling Zhang assisted on having his own way, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Ling Zhang. Fortunately for him, Ling Zhang had always been a reasonable person.


    ¡­


    The next day, the troops mustered early in the morning, broke camp and marched west. The army traveled at a fast speed. At dusk, they reached a place about twenty li (a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters) away from Langqiao City, where they rendezvoused with Jiang Xi.


    ¡°After Xue Yi led his men into Langqiao City, the garrison in there posted more guards on the ramparts. I took some men and reconnoitered the city from the outside. The defense of Langqiao City is like this¡­¡±


    As soon as they rendezvoused with each other, Jiang Xi started filling them in on the information he had got through reconnaissance down to the smallest detail. He talked unceasingly for quite a while and also drew a sketchy diagram of the array of defenses in Langqiao City.


    Jiang Ke immediately summoned the officers to confer with them about the plan of attack.


    Ling Zhang, after studying the diagram of Langqiao City¡¯s defense, specially went to a high spot overlooking the city. The ramparts of Langqiao City were just as high as those of Shengzhou Pass. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to climb up the ramparts. In addition, there were well-defended turrets on top of them. However, Langqiao City didn¡¯t have as many geographical advantages as Shengzhou Pass did. There was not much the garrison in there could do to make use of the terrain. At least they couldn¡¯t deploy a large-scale Formation outside the city like Ling Zhang had done outside Shengzhou Pass not long ago. Another important part was that the garrison in Langqiao City were not as prepared as soldiers in Shengzhou Pass had been.


    The Wan army were bent on going south, having the fond hope that they would be able to take Shengzhou Pass and then push on all the way to the capital of the Great Wen. It had never crossed their minds that the army of the Great Wen would go north and storm into their country. This was proved by the fact that the garrison in Langqiao City had posted more guards in a great hurry. Of course, the less prepared Langqiao City was, the more advantageous a position Ling Zhang¡¯s army was in.


    The reason why Jiang Xi had hastily summoned the officers to make a plan of attack shortly after meeting Ling Zhang was that he could also tell that the garrison in Langqiao City was ill-prepared. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity by attacking Langqiao City as soon as possible and catching the enemy flat-footed, lest they call for backup bringing the North-western Army more trouble.


    Jiang Ke and the other officers finalized a plan of attack that very night according to the intelligence Jiang Xi and his men had gathered.


    Ling Zhang had little acquaintance with Langqiao City, but there was more than one store affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce in Langqiao City. Located at the eastern border of the Wan Kingdom, Langqiao City was of too great strategical importance to be ignored by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, which was why the commercial organization had made no less preparations in this city than they had in the Wan capital.


    Therefore, when Jiang Ke and the officers were making battle plans, Ling Zhang, who had just returned from the height where he had observed the whole Langqiao City, walked into the tent and gave them a big pleasant surprise.


    ¡°I got some plants in Langqiao City. They¡¯ll figure out a way to assist us from within when we attack the city gates, but they might not be able to last long, so we have to grab the opportunity and break the gates open when they are attacking the soldiers guarding the gates.¡±


    Jiang Ke, Jiang Xi and the officers were both delighted and astonished at the news. They were delighted because the plants in Langqiao City would make it much easier for them to break into the city, and they were astonished because they had never bargained on them having plants in Langqiao City.


    Jiang Ke was the first to recover himself. He suppressed his amazement and immediately asked, ¡°How many plants are we talking about, Your Highness? And when are they taking action?¡±


    ¡°There are two teams of them, about fifty men. They all have some kung fu skills. Each one of them will fight like ten common soldiers. They¡¯re all well-prepared and biding their time in the city. They¡¯ll make their move the moment we start battering the city gates,¡± replied Ling Zhang. There were two teams of plants inside the city, and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to create chaos by assaulting the soldiers guarding the city gates, but they might not be able to last long, so the troops would have to seize the opportunity and batter down the city gates quickly.


    ¡°All right. Since we have some plants to help us from within, things would be even easier.¡± Jiang Ke immediately made some adjustments to some of the details of the plan of attack to cooperate with the men Ling Zhang had planted in the city.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi trusted Ling Zhang very much. The other officers didn¡¯t know Ling Zhang as well as the two of them did, but they had also seen with their own eyes how valiantly Ling Zhang had fought on the battlefield, so they were all aware that Ling Zhang was a real fighter. Though they were fairly doubtful about the reliability of Ling Zhang¡¯s plants, since Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi seemed to have complete trust in Ling Zhang, the officers raised no objections.


    Apart from Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s trust in Ling Zhang, their awareness that Ling Zhang had a gigantic intelligence network and a lot of men at his service was also part of the reason why they had agreed immediately. At first they had been amazed, but soon they had caught on to what it was about, so they naturally started making arrangements without further ado.


    ¡­


    Inside Langqiao City.


    ¡°The troops have encamped somewhere twenty li away from the city. Barring accidents, they¡¯ll attack tomorrow. Tonight we go back and get everything ready. Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll hide near the city gates and bide our time. When the time comes, we¡¯ll assault the soldiers guarding the gates to help the army take the city. If it¡¯s within our power to open the gates, we¡¯ll open them; if not, we¡¯ll do what we can to make it easier for the army to batter the gates down.¡±


    The supervisor of a couple of stores affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce were sitting in a circle in a room having a secret meeting, all their faces quite serious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got all necessary arrangements made already. Boss sent me a secret letter some time ago. Everything is in readiness.¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ve been here preparing for this for years. Tomorrow we must display our strength, one way or another, and it¡¯s best if we open the city gates!¡±


    The others exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with determination. Opening the city gates would constitute a great contribution. Tomorrow their opportunity to render meritorious service would come!

 Chapter 500 - The Fall of Langqiao City

    The next morning, a bugle sounded the attack before daybreak. Soldiers equipped with shields, in a formation, were advancing at the front, escorting soldiers with scaling ladders to the foot of the ramparts. Marksmen among the archers were firing arrows at the opposing archers on the ramparts in the distance who were shooting arrows back. A giant battering ram had been delivered to the city gates with a customized cart by a group of soldiers who were now battering the gates repeatedly. The high city gates of Langqiao City were shaking more and more violently from the impacts, dust and rubble falling constantly. Soldiers outside could hear the enemies on the other side of the gates yelling frantically about holding the gates.


    Such loud noises constituted an unmistakable signal. Jiang Ke and some others were all waiting for the plants inside the city to make their move. If the plants successfully created chaos, then they would be able to take the city sooner than expected, quicken the pace of their westward advance and minimize their casualties to save strength for their westward advance as well.


    Time was ticking away and the fight was now in full swing, but the city gates still hadn¡¯t been opened. There was no sign of the plants taking action inside the city.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi remained collected, but the other officers became somewhat anxious and they all looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang appeared composed, looking in the direction of the city gates. The calm expression in his eyes seemed to have some kind of power that could set people¡¯s minds at ease. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, the couple of officers who were looking at him, at the sight of his calm eyes, subdued their anxiety and continued waiting.


    Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had been making preparations in Langqiao City for quite some time. Ling Zhang had faith in his men and the arrangements made by his father.


    Time was still passing, everybody present was paying close attention to the situation at the city gates.


    Finally, when all of them were faint with anxiety, the city gates, which still hadn¡¯t been battered down after such a long time, were abruptly opened a fraction and the next moment, the soldiers operating the ram battered the pair of gates fully open at a single stroke. Jiang Xi, who was waiting outside the gates with his men, felt a great sense of relief. Staring at the open gates with burning eyes, he immediately stormed into the city with his soldiers!


    ¡°The gates have been opened! Everybody follow me into the city!¡±


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    In fact it had only been slightly over two hours since the start of the battle, but it felt much longer than that. At this moment, seeing that the city gates were finally open and Jiang Xi and his men had successfully fought their way into the city, the other officers who had been waiting all along were thrilled and immediately charged at the open gates with their men.


    The open city gates were to the fall of Langqiao City as an ant hole to the collapse of a solid dyke.


    The Wan soldiers standing guard on the ramparts, outside of the troops of the Great Wen flooding through the city gates, also had to face enemies coming from behind. It was only a quarter of an hour before the ramparts were taken.


    When Ling Zhang led his bodyguards into the city, the city gates and the ramparts had been occupied by soldiers of the Great Wen. The army had flooded into Langqiao City. None of the Wan soldiers or the residents in the city had bargained on the city would fall so quickly. Most of them were still in shock.


    Xue Yi had thought that with the defense of Langqiao City, his men would be able to defend against the attack from the army of the Great Wen for at least half a month. It had never occurred to him that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold the city for one day. The enemies that had entered through the city gates were now everywhere, and there was no way his men could kill them all. No matter whether he was willing to accept it or not, the fall of Langqiao City had become an undeniable fact.


    Soon, the team led by Xue Yi, who had been forced into retreating again and again by the troops of the Great Wen that vastly outnumbered them, were cornered and then surrounded. Eyeing the general on horseback walking out of the crowd of enemies, Xue Yi, with an extremely ugly look on his face, said through clenched teeth, ¡°Jiang Xi!¡±


    ¡°Oh, look who we have here. You¡¯re General Xue¡¯s son, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been fleeing with your men since the moment you realized you¡¯re on the losing side. I thought you¡¯d flee all the way back to the palace and weep out your grief to Shan Congli. Speaking of which, why did you stop running? You suddenly came around and decided not to be a coward?¡± said Jiang Xi scathingly.


    Xue Yi¡¯s face went purple with rage at the insulting remarks. Staring menacingly at Jiang Xi, he said, ¡°Jiang Xi, you would have been the one waiting to be killed if the Great Wen hadn¡¯t resorted to those underhanded methods!¡±


    ¡°Ha. Funny you should talk about underhanded methods. Your sly monarch who¡¯s full of wolfish ambitions unilaterally tore up the peace agreement, attempting to annex our country. Now his attempt failed and he¡¯s getting his ass kicked, yet you have the nerve to accuse us. You had the balls to do it but have no guts to take the consequences? It turns out you Wan people are not only thick-skinned but also quite good at talking black into white. Shame on you,¡± said Jiang Xi pointedly, looking at him with wintry eyes.


    Xue Yi sniffed with a sulky face, ¡°Cut the shit and just kill me already. I, Xue Yi, was never a coward on the battlefield. Do you have the balls to duel with me?!¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous. You¡¯re a turtle in a jar. Why would I waste my strength dueling with you?¡± jibed Jiang Xi. ¡°But, since you really want to die so bad, I think it does no harm to grant your wish.¡±


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang and his bodyguards arrived, Jiang Xi was fighting a duel with Xue Yi. Jiang Xi was a hundred times better than Xue Yi in terms of both kung fu and combat experience. Xue Yi was nowhere close to a fighter of Jiang Xi¡¯s caliber, and his defeat was certain.


    Xue Yi abruptly fell off his horse and spat out a mouthful of blood, along with a couple of broken teeth. Before he could pull himself up, Jiang Xi¡¯s spearhead was at his throat. Nobody knew how many enemies Jiang Xi had thrown off their horses or killed with that spear. The aura of blood and death radiating from the icy cold spearhead was almost palpable. The moment the sharp chilly spearhead came into contact with Xue Yi¡¯s neck, a wave of fear instantly swept over him. However, what with the cold, derisive expression in the eyes of Jiang Xi who was looking down at him, Xue Yi fixed Jiang Xi with a gaze, unable to utter a single word to plead for his life.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost the fight. If you have your men surrender themselves, maybe my mood will lighten, and maybe I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± said Jiang Xi. His tone was contemptuous, but the look in his eyes remained steely. Even his smile seemed to be unable to get into his eyes which was full of flinty murderousness. Jiang Xi had been fighting these enemies who always attempted to invade and occupy his home country for many years, and he had lost too many friends and relatives to the Wan cavalry. Spare Xue Yi¡¯s life? Even if Jiang Xi agreed, the spear in his hand wouldn¡¯t.


    Xue Yi¡¯s heart lurched as he heard Jiang Xi say he might spare his life. Nobody could be utterly unafraid when faced with the threat of death. However, it was still the icy, knifelike glint in Jiang Xi¡¯s eyes that rendered him powerless to beg for his life. He knew that Jiang Xi was just making fun of him, that there was no way Jiang Xi was going to let him live.


    As this thought occurred to him, Xue Yi¡¯s lips curved into a grin. His bloody mouth looked rather scary. ¡°You think you¡¯ve won the war? This is just one small city. The Wan Kingdom has numerous more cities out there. It¡¯s true that I, Xue Yi, cannot stop you, but there are a lot of people in the Wan Kingdom who can. You seriously believe you can make it to our capital city? Let me tell you something out of goodwill ¨C someone capable of taking Yuwen Tong¡¯s life has been waiting for him for quite some time! You people killed my father and thousands of Wan soldiers, and Yuwen Tong will pay for that with his life. You wait and see!¡±


    In the distance, Ling Zhang knitted his brows at these words and his eyes, as menacing as a sharp blade, flashed at Xue Yi lying on the ground. Just now when Xue Yi made those remarks, the middle of his forehead twitched involuntarily as a strong sense of foreboding rose from the pit of his stomach. Almost at the same time, he leaped from his saddle, flew across countless soldiers like a giant bird and then landed at the center of the surrounding circle, standing in front of Xue Yi, fixing him with a stare so threatening Xue Yi felt as though he were being weighed down by a mountain. ¡°Be specific. Who¡¯s been waiting? What are you up to?¡±


    Xue Yi was startled by Ling Zhang who seemed to have descended from the sky. On hearing the questions, he felt a twitch of psychopathic complacency, raised his head to look at Ling Zhang, intending to speak. However, the moment his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s, a sensation of coldness shot from the top of his head all the way down to his heels, and he felt as though his heart had been frozen in almost an instant. It was as if someone had just put a mountain on his soul, and he could barely breathe, overwhelming panic and fear flooding him in waves. ¡°Wh¨CWho are you?!¡±


    Xue Yi didn¡¯t know Ling Zhang. This was his first time clapping eyes on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. Under the influence of the sense of power radiating from Ling Zhang, his mind was in some kind of stupor and he was utterly unable to analyze who Ling Zhang might be.


    ¡°Tell me what you meant by that and I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± enunciated Ling Zhang.


    Because of those words of Xue Yi¡¯s which struck Jiang Xi as somewhat strange and the grave look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, Jiang Xi also came to realize that something was not quite right. He pushed his spear slightly forward. The spearhead penetrated the skin of Xue Yi¡¯s neck, a trickle of blood flowing from the cut, winding its way down. However, compared with the sting from the wound, Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes scared Xue Yi even more. Almost his whole back was soaking wet with cold sweat. He opened his mouth and stuttered, ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know. I just heard Prince Yi say that someone in the capital city wanted to take revenge on Yuwen¨CYuwen Tong. That man saved Prince Yi¡¯s life. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s powerful enough to kill people in a telekinetic way.¡±


    Ling Zhang frowned. That man saved Shan Congyi¡¯s life? He was able to kill people in a telekinetic way? Who was this man that had both medical skills and superb kung fu?


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Xue Yi shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s all I know. Prince Yi disclosed this in a fit of anger when he was told your emperor had led his army across the Wan River. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


    Looking at Xue Yi¡¯s eyes which were full of fear, Ling Zhang came to know that he was not lying. On recalling that he had dismembered Shan Congyi, Ling Zhang felt a flush of vexation, spun around and walked off without even an extra glance at Xue Yi who was still lying on the ground. He wanted to talk with Jiang Ke. He had no idea who wanted to take revenge on Yuwen Tong, but since he had a foreboding, restless feeling, he must find Yuwen Tong. Ever since he had reached the sixth layer of the cultivation method, he had been having some alarmingly prophetic forebodings from time to time, and what he was feeling at this moment was no different from what he had felt on any of those occasions when he had had forebodings that had been justified afterwards. He couldn¡¯t bear to stay in this place for a single extra moment.


    The moment Ling Zhang left, Xue Yi, heedless of Jiang Xi¡¯s spear which was still at his throat, limply sank to the ground, his whole body sopping wet with cold sweat as though he had just been dragged out of a pool. It was not until the mountainous pressure weighing him down disappeared that he came to realize that he was still alive, that he could still breathe. Recalling that a moment ago he had almost been killed by that aura, he trembled all over. Being on the verge of death turned out to be such a horrifying experience. If he had desired death a few moments ago, now he had begun to fear death.


    Jiang Xi looked at Xue Yi whose eyes were showing panic and fright, disdainfully withdrew his spear, feeling that he would be disgracing his spear if he killed someone like Xue Yi who had started to fear death to such an extent.


    ¡°Guards, tie Xue Yi up and put him into detention.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±

 Chapter 501 - Entry into Jifang City

    A carrier hawk quickly flew into the sky above Langqiao City, heading for the middle of the Wan Kingdom. Knowing that he was no match for a hawk at speed, Ling Zhang wrote Yuwen Tong a letter to inform him before setting off to rendezvous with him.


    A lot of people on the scene had heard those words of Xue Yi¡¯s. Since Ling Zhang was leaving, Jiang Ke summoned Jiang Xi and the other officers to have an emergency meeting.


    ¡°That guy sounds like someone who has some medical skills and pretty good kung fu, but we don¡¯t know who he is or for what he wants to take revenge on His Majesty. From the vantage point of the present, the only thing we could do is send His Majesty an emergency message cautioning him to keep a weather eye on anybody who tries to approach him,¡± said Jiang Ke.


    ¡°His Highness has already had a carrier hawk deliver a letter to His Majesty, but¡­¡± Jiang Xi left his sentence hanging, a grave look on his face, which was fairly uncharacteristic of him. ¡°At that time His Highness had a very serious expression on his face. I keep having this feeling that he had some kind of premonition.¡±


    Jiang Ke raised his eyes which then met Jiang Xi¡¯s, his eyebrows contracting slightly. He knew that Jiang Xi wouldn¡¯t say anything ungrounded, that the severity of this matter might be greater than they believed.


    At this time, Ling Zhang, who had just sent a letter to Yuwen Tong, immediately started writing a letter to Mr. Mu who was in the capital city, requesting him to come to the front. Firstly, prevision prevents calamity; secondly, only when Mr. Mu arrived would Ling Zhang have some peace of mind. No matter what, he must have Mr. Mu come to the front as soon as possible.


    When all the letters were finished and sent, Ling Zhang immediately summoned Wang Dashan and a couple of others. ¡°Go and pack your things as quick as you can. We leave in a quarter of an hour.¡±


    His bodyguards answered to only Ling Zhang. Their duty was to keep Ling Zhang safe, and they would never question Ling Zhang¡¯s decision. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Tell Qiu Bing to come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Ling Zhang summoned Qiu Bing because he wanted to ask Qiu Bing whether or not he could save Yuwen Tong if Yuwen Tong did fall prey to the enemy¡¯s trick.


    Qiu Bing replied, ¡°I have on me an alexipharmic pill and a panacean pill both of which were given to me by Mr. Mu. I think they¡¯re enough to handle any of the situations His Majesty might find himself in before Mr. Mu arrives. Besides, His Majesty is in the company of my master, and my master also has these two kinds of medicine, so there¡¯s no need for you to concern yourself about it, Your Highness.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for his foreboding, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t have begun to worry after merely hearing some words of Xue Yi¡¯s, but he knew that others wouldn¡¯t be able to understand it even if he tried to explain it to them. ¡°You may go and pack your things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi happened to come to the tent to visit Ling Zhang at the same time. Both of them appeared somewhat apprehensive after failing to dissuade Ling Zhang from setting off to rendezvous with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be traveling in the territory of the Wan Kingdom after leaving Langqiao City, and you¡¯ll have to get through Jifang City before you could see His Majesty. Presently the situation in there is unknown to us, but I¡¯m sure Jifang City is at its highest security level, and there¡¯s no doubt you¡¯ll be challenged by a lot of guards and patrols when crossing the city. If they find out who you really are, there will be unimaginable consequences,¡± cautioned Jiang Ke.


    ¡°Jiang Ke has a point. It won¡¯t be long before we get to Jifang City and meet His Majesty there. Do you think you can show more patience, Your Highness?¡± said Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No. I have to go there to see him as soon as possible. I have an idea how to get through all the security there. There¡¯s no need for you guys to worry about me. I¡¯ll keep myself safe. My decision is final and it¡¯s no good trying to talk me out of it. I¡¯ll have two of my bodyguards stay here, because I have plants in the couple of cities you¡¯re going to attack next as well, and my bodyguards will help you get in touch with them. It¡¯s impossible for those plants of mine to open the city gates as those in Langqiao City did today, but they¡¯ll prove themselves helpful when necessary.¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi exchanged a glance, still looking rather concerned.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve made up your mind to leave, you should at least take all your bodyguards with you. The twenty-four of them are your source of protection. With two absent, the rest of them wouldn¡¯t be able to fight in a complete formation,¡± remarked Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang cast him a look and demurred, ¡°Who told you that? Some formations require twenty-four men, but the others don¡¯t. I know what I¡¯m doing. All you have to do is show up in the eastern suburbs of Jifang City on time.¡±


    The glance from Ling Zhang convulsed both Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s bodies. The sense of power Ling Zhang radiated in that instant made the two of them feel as though the one standing in front of them were Yuwen Tong. Neither of them dared utter another word to dissuade him.


    In fact, before this day, Ling Zhang had never deliberately emanated any powerful air in front of Jiang Ke or Jiang Xi. He was a layman when it came to directing military operations, so he had been sensibly avoiding putting Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi under pressure, but now he really had to leave, which was why he cast aside those considerations.


    ¡­


    An intense battle had just come to an end. Chen Jing¡¯s army lost control of yet another two cities and were forced into retreating northwards again and again. Chen Jing had strained every sinew to hold back the army led by Yuwen Tong, but the Wan Kingdom was still losing one city after another.


    The carrier hawk had delivered the letter from Ling Zhang to Yuwen Tong the day before. After reading it, Yuwen Tong carefully searched his memory for quite some time but didn¡¯t remember making an enemy of anybody who possessed both excellent medical skills and superb kung fu, so he had no choice but to have Yao Yi and some others set out to ascertain it. Given that that person was the one who had cured Shan Congyi of his injuries previously, he undoubtedly had shown his face before and left some traces behind.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t think that Ling Zhang¡¯s worries were needles. He trusted Ling Zhang, which was why he didn¡¯t take the message lightly, though it struck him as somewhat baffling.


    Yao Yi and some others also thought back to the previous events in an effort to help him figure it out, but none of them had any recollections of anybody fitting that description.


    ¡°There are only two possibilities. One is that all of us indeed don¡¯t remember that man, and I earned myself his enmity unawares, and I¡¯ll only recall it when I see him. The other one is that Xue Yi only knows some crumbs of information about this matter, and this man Shan Congyi mentioned has another identity.


    But no matter what, considering this man saved Shan Congyi¡¯s life, his medical skills must be consummate. Otherwise Shan Congyi would never have survived, seeing as how grievous his injuries were.¡±


    Yuwen Tong believed that the second possibility was more likely to be the truth. He had every confidence in his memory, which was amazingly retentive. He indeed didn¡¯t remember making an enemy of anybody who was both a miracle-working physician and a kung fu master. There was a high chance that that person had another identity which was familiar to him. And Yuwen Tong felt the possibility that he had earned himself the enmity of that person unawares was next to zero.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t started suppressing the information in the capital yet, but it¡¯ll be at least four days before we receive any messages from there. We¡¯ll stay close to you at all times in the next few days, especially Xie Shi. Under no circumstances should he leave his post,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Xie Shi, on hearing Yao Yi mention his name, said, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some medicine tonight, just in case. Before I left the capital city, Mr. Mu gave me some alexipharmic pills and a panacean pill. I¡¯ll carry them with me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised no objections to the arrangements made by his bodyguards. It was true that he was very confident about his kung fu skills, but he wouldn¡¯t say no to those who offered to protect him when he shouldn¡¯t. After all, he was long past the age at which he could afford to act frivolously. Right now what he should concentrate his efforts on was forcing Chen Jing¡¯s army to retreat to Jifang City as soon as possible.


    He was not going to be deterred from having his arm resume advancing by this message, and everything that needed to be done was being dealt with as planned.


    There was, in addition, another matter that concerned him. He was certain that Ling Zhang had lost his composure and might be on his way to this city at this moment, and if he was, he would inevitably have to pass Jifang City.


    Ling Zhang and his bodyguards disguised themselves as members of a common caravan in Langqiao City. With ID plates indicating they were affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce fastened to their belts, their carts loaded with goods, they headed straight for the next city. Thanks to the reputation of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, they entered the city without much difficulty. Then they met some members of the chamber of commerce in the city, made some adjustments to their disguise, and, masquerading as hired bodyguards of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, resumed the journey in the company of a caravan delivering goods to Jifang City.


    Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had contacts in almost all levels of government authorities. There were officials who had taken bribes from the chamber of commerce in every Wan city. As Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had been weighing officials¡¯ pockets with money and doing business in an honest fashion, hardly any local authorities of the Wan Kingdom had ever made trouble for the organization. This time around, they only encountered some hindrance at the city gates of Jifang City, where each and every one of them was challenged by the soldiers guarding the gates. The main reason was that the geographical location of Jifang City was special, and in these circumstances, Jifang City had become the last barrier of the Wan capital, which the Wan army could use to stop Yuwen Tong¡¯s army from going further north. As a result, the city officials, all of whom feared death, were unwilling to bend the rules for even Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    ¡°All these are goods from the north, and they¡¯re the last batch,¡± a supervior of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce said to the commander of the garrison. ¡°You may have your men examine the whole shipment carefully. My boss said that Jifang City might be attacked in a few days, so he had me deliver some goods here, telling me that I may sell them to the garrison at low prices if they¡¯re in need.¡±


    On hearing this, the general in charge of the security at the city gates, who was the commander of the troops garrisoned in Jifang City and had been having dealings with Jiahe Chamber of Commerce on a frequent basis, said, ¡°You guys always prefer to stay out of this kind of matters, don¡¯t you? Why are you being so enthusiastic on this occasion?¡±


    The supervisor of the chamber of commerce, at the sight of the penetrating look in the general¡¯s eyes, hastened to smile obsequiously, ¡°We do tend not to get involved in this kind of things, but we have to keep our business going. I mean, we have a lot of stores in Jifang City, and all of us want the business environment to stay peaceful. The garrison are having a tough time maintaining order and defending this city, so we figured we should do what we can to make a contribution as well, however small it is. Besides, our boss said that Jifang City will never fall, given how strong its defense is, so if we sell the goods to the garrison at low prices at this point in time, in the future the garrison would surely¡­I believe you know what I mean, General.¡±


    The general snorted coldly, ¡°You people never miss anything you could profit from.¡±


    The soldiers scrupulously examined all the goods and searched every member of the delivery team. Having checked that there weren¡¯t any problems, the general gave the permission for the caravan to enter the city.


    When being searched by the soldiers, Ling Zhang suspended the circulation of his internal energy to prevent himself from emanating powerful air, trying to make his eyes which were usually bright and commanding look listless. The soldiers searching him were not surprised to see this, for it was a natural thing that people were lethargic. These days rumors were circulating everywhere that the army of the Great Wen were going to attack this city, and a lot of people were worried that Jifang City was going to fall. The soldiers believed that these people of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce would never have come to Jifang City at this point in time had they had a choice.


    ¡°Get in. We like this shipment pretty much. Remember to deliver it to my encampment as soon as possible,¡± said the general to the supervisor. Since Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had transported a batch of goods to this city to win the favor of the garrison in these circumstances, it would be stupid to say no. All these goods were good stuff, and people of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce were probably the only ones who had the financial strength to make the garrison a gift of these things to win support in this situation. He would be a fool not to accept it. The general in charge of the defense of the city believed that he was not a fool, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t turn down the offe

 Chapter 502 - A Peace Negotiator from the Wan Kingdom?

    As Ling Zhang hiding among members of a caravan affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce entered Jifang City, Yuwen Tong received a message from the Wan army, which said that an envoy of the Wan Kingdom was on his way to seek an audience with Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Why did they send an envoy here at this point in time?¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Chen Jing¡¯s army had been retreating in defeat again and again. He seriously believed that he could save the day by merely sending out an envoy?


    ¡°Sire, this might be some kind of trick.¡± Yao Yi and the other bodyguards of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, who knew that someone whose identity was unknown was planning to take revenge on Yuwen Tong, instantly tensed up. Naturally, they were on full alert for the Wan envoy who was heading for their encampment to seek an audience in these circumstances.


    ¡°Is the Wan Kingdom planning to sue for peace, by any chance?¡± said one of the officers.


    Xiao Jiangyue shook his head. ¡°They would be showing a blatant disregard for us if they sue for peace at this point in time. I mean, we¡¯ve taken Langqiao City and occupied the whole south of the Wan Kingdom. From the vantage point of the present, there¡¯s no way their troops could stop us from taking more cities. If they want to sue for peace, the terms they¡¯ll have to offer would be the cession of all the cities we¡¯ve taken or reducing the Wan Kingdom to a tributary of the Great Wen, but I don¡¯t think the Wan Kingdom would give up that easily. Even if they really make that offer, and that¡¯s a big if, on no account would we accept it.¡±


    Given how things stood in this war, what made the Wan Kingdom think they were still in a position to sue for peace? The troops in Jifang City? Their northern garrisons that could move south? They seriously believed they would be able to hold the army of the Great Wen at bay with these two forces? They were too naive.


    Yuwen Tong thought for a while and then said, ¡°It does no harm for me to grant their envoy an audience. I¡¯ll find out what it is they¡¯re up to.¡±


    Xiao Jiangyue and the others also felt that there was no harm in Yuwen Tong¡¯s meeting the envoy. They wouldn¡¯t suffer any losses anyway. They just wanted to ascertain what game the Wan Kingdom was playing.


    ¡­


    The Wan envoy soon arrived. He acted quite humbly when he was brought to Yuwen Tong. ¡°We want to make peace with the Great Wen.¡±


    It turned out the envoy was indeed here to sue for peace, but currently it was manifest that the two sides were not on equal terms. Besides, the Great Wen had nothing to gain by signing a peace accord. What made these people of the Wan Kingdom think they would agree?


    Yuwen Tong, who couldn¡¯t be bothered to beat around the bush, directly said, ¡°You¡¯re in no position to sue for peace. More than half of your country is under my control. Considering Langqiao City has fallen, it¡¯s only a matter of time before my army flatten the Wan capital. Why would I agree to make peace with you?¡±


    The look on the envoy¡¯s face instantly went ugly. In a disapproving tone of voice, he replied, ¡°No offence, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being overconfident, Your Majesty? There¡¯s no way your men could breach the defense of Jifang City. On top of that, a Luohai army has mustered outside Youzhou Pass. If you want to stop them from taking Youzhou Pass, you¡¯ll have no choice but to sent your North-western Army back. How are you going to take Jifang City without the North-western Army? Besides, your troops, who have come a long way and been through so many fights, have some time ago been tired out. Soon our northern garrisons would arrive to rendezvous with our troops in Jifang City. How long do you think your men would last under their concerted attack? It¡¯s a far better choice to put an end to this war which is taking a heavy toll on the economy of both sides than it is to continue it. We¡¯re willing to cede the two south-western prefectures to you as a demonstration of our sincerity.¡±


    Every one of the others had an odd expression on his face at these words. Yuwen Tong, however, gave several sneers and, looking at the envoy, said, ¡°It would seem Chen Jing is ill-informed. Does he not know that Mu Hengtian is dead? Nian Feng has some time ago drafted more than half of the troops stationed outside Youzhou Pass back to Luohai capital to help the prince he supports take the throne. The Luohai Kingdom is in full-blown internecine warfare as we speak. Your monarch should at least do some research before sending you here to sue for peace, shouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    The envoy¡¯s face changed drastically. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him with wintry eyes. ¡°My army will take Jifang City by hook or by crook. You people would be putting your time to better use if you think about how to beg me for mercy instead of suing for peace.¡±


    ¡­


    The Wan Kingdom sending out an envoy to sue for peace was like a farce. The envoy, after being humiliated, left with indignation written all over his face.


    After the envoy took his leave, Yuwen Tong asked with a slight frown, ¡°How many people did that envoy bring here? Who did they talk to in our encampment?¡±


    ¡°He brought a team of crack troops with him. They¡¯ve been staying outside the encampment all along. None of them entered or talked with any of our men. I myself led the envoy to this tent after his arrival and he never conversed with anybody on his way here,¡± responded Yao Yi.


    ¡°Does the arrival of this envoy strike you as weird, Sire?¡± asked Xiao Jiangyue.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Either Chen Jing is indeed unaware of Mu Hengtian¡¯s death, or they have some ulterior motive. What are the odds Chen Jing doesn¡¯t know Mu Hengtian has died?¡±


    The others furrowed their brows. Xiao Jiangyue said, ¡°Zero. Even if Chen Jing is not in the capital and Shan Congli is trying to keep it secret from him, there¡¯s no way he hasn¡¯t received any secret messages about it, given how many influential contacts the Chen family has in the Wan capital. In addition, a city near the border between the other two countries is in the charge of a loyal ally of the Chen family. The moment there are any changes of the situation in the Luohai Kingdom, Chen Jing, as the patriarch of the Chen family, would without doubt be informed immediately.¡±


    After hearing Xiao Jiangyue¡¯s words, the others felt that the arrival of the envoy was indeed quite odd. However, none of those brought by the envoy had entered the encampment, and the envoy himself had been under constant watch and never talked with anybody other than Yuwen Tong. He hadn¡¯t had any opportunities whatsoever to play any tricks. What ulterior motives could he possibly have that were unknown to them?


    Yao Yi felt that this thing had happened in suspicious circumstances. To be on the safe side, he had some men examine everything that the envoy had touched in the encampment. He even sent some men to watch the diplomatic corps leave. However, the envoy, after entering the encampment, had not only never talked with anybody except for Yuwen Tong but also hardly touched anything. In fact, he hadn¡¯t even had the time to sit down to take a sip of water.


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then instructed, ¡°Keep a close eye on Chen Jing¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    ¡­


    On that very night.


    The candle in Yuwen Tong¡¯s tent had been ablaze all along. When he was having some rest in the bed at the far side of the tent, Yao Yi and some others were standing guard in it. Xie Shi, chewing a piece of beef jerky, thought back to the envoy¡¯s brief stay in the encampment during the day. To be honest, he really couldn¡¯t think of anything out of the ordinary about it. The detoxification skills of Xie Shi were top-notch, if not unparalleled, and, having been in tense atmosphere for many years, he was particularly sensitive to a lot of things. If that envoy had played some kind of trick in this regard, Xie Shi would have immediately found out about it.


    However, the matter that Ling Zhang had talked about in that letter delivered by a carrier hawk had been weighing on their minds all along. Xie Shi didn¡¯t dare drop his guard for a single moment before that ¡°avenger¡± was taken care of.


    It had been very late when Yuwen Tong had finished dealing with all the military affairs and the few memorials to the throne from the capital city. The thought that Ling Zhang should have arrived in Jifang City by now and his worries about Ling Zhang¡¯s safety were keeping him from getting to sleep. As Ling Zhang had been covering his tracks, it was inconvenient to write to him. He had received an urgent letter from Ling Zhang a couple of days ago but hadn¡¯t heard anything about him ever since.


    Though unable to sleep, Yuwen Tong, in order to be refreshed and energetic the next day, forced himself into performing Qi circulation, deciding to have his Qi go a couple of circuits of his meridian network.


    By the candlelight, Xie Shi and the other guard, who were on the other side of the screen, could vaguely see Yuwen Tong sitting cross-legged in meditation. They kept quiet lest they disturb Yuwen Tong¡¯s meditation.


    While meditating circulating his internal energy, Yuwen Tong retained a small part of his consciousness so that he would know if something happened around him.


    About two hours passed. The Zi Hour (23:00-00:59) had ticked away, and it was now Chou Hour (01:00-02:59). Yuwen Tong suddenly seemed to feel a peculiar fragrance waft into his nostrils. The fragrance was different from the refreshing perfume he had been using for years. It was pungent, faintly stale and unpleasant, making him reflexively frown. Yuwen Tong held his breath and opened his eyes almost immediately. Everything around him was the same as they had been before he started meditating. Xie Shi and the other bodyguard were still present. As they perceived the change in Yuwen Tong¡¯s breathing, the two of them were instantly on the alert, looked in Yuwen Tong¡¯s direction and, standing on the other side of the screen, said, ¡°Sire?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s piercing eyes swept around him. Almost at the same time, he felt a sudden prickle in his arm. Immediately, he raised his other hand, and, mobilizing his internal energy, generated a strong air current as sharp as a blade, cut his sleeve with it, quickly ripped the sleeve off and saw that a red spot had suddenly appeared on his skin close to his wrist.


    Yuwen Tong knitted his brows, and, promptly striking a particular acupoint in his left hand, called, ¡°Xie Shi!¡±


    Xie Shi hastened inside almost in the blink of an eye. At the sight of Yuwen Tong¡¯s bare arm, he immediately stepped over to check it before Yuwen Tong could say anything. It took him only a split instant to notice the red spot. He reached a hand into his belt, produced a couple of fine silver needles from somewhere about his person, rapidly stuck them into a couple of acupoints in Yuwen Tong¡¯s forearm, then used another silver needle to cut open the red spot to let it bleed. Bright red blood instantaneously flowed out. The color of it was perfectly normal. Surprised, Xie Shi scrutinized it for a while but still couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary. To be on the safe side, he meticulously felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse and then examined his arm once again, carefully checking his skin inch by inch, a deep frown on his face. Still, no anomaly was found.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Yuwen Tong could tell that Xie Shi didn¡¯t find anything just by looking at him.


    Xie Shi looked up at him. ¡°When did this red spot appear?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Only a moment ago. First there was a weird fragrance, and then I felt a sudden sting in my arm. I ripped off my sleeve and saw this red spot. I¡¯ve blocked a couple of acupoints of mine before you came in.¡±


    Xie Shi immediately crouched down, picked up the sleeve on the ground and, fumbling at it, inquired, ¡°What kind of fragrance?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought back to that moment and gave Xie Shi a detailed description of the peculiarity of that scent. ¡°It lasted only a fleeting instant. I held my breath the moment I smelled it. It has disappeared by the time you came in.¡±


    After hearing it, Xie Shi, instead of relaxing, had an even more grave look on his face. He told the bodyguard beside him to examine the furnishings in the tent, while he himself resumed scrutinizing Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve, carefully checking each seam.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with any of the furnishings. I¡¯ve also checked the ground. There¡¯s not even an ant here,¡± said the bodyguard, who had checked everything in the tent.


    Xie Shi was still examining the piece of cloth torn from Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve. His first check was unfruitful. Concerned, he checked it again. The existence of one questionable point might be coincidental, but the existence of two was by no means a coincidence. The source of that odd fragrance was unknown. There was no doubt the red spot on Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm had been caused by a bite of some kind of creature. Though it was tiny, Xie Shi was positive that it was a bite. Otherwise there wouldn¡¯t have been a red spot, and neither would Yuwen Tong had felt a sting.

 Chapter 503 - A Yearning for Reunion, a Letter and Pain

    The mood in the main tent was quite subdued. Soon Yao Yi and some others also entered and started an intensive search.


    Yuwen Tong appeared fairly composed. Xie Shi¡¯s silver needles were still blocking the acupoints in his arm, and he himself had scrupulously checked his meridians and Dantian, but hitherto nothing out of the ordinary had been found. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that he could take this matter lightly. On the contrary, the longer their check remained unfruitful, the more perilous the current situation might be.


    Suddenly, Xie Shi spoke, confirming the truth of this conjecture.


    ¡°Bring me the candle!¡±


    On hearing this, the bodyguard beside Xie Shi brought him the lighted candle from the table. The candle flame was burning brightly. Xie Shi moved Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve closer to the candle flame and saw that a small patch of the inside of the sleeve, which approximately had been above that red spot of Yuwen Tong¡¯s when the sleeve had been still intact, was reflecting the candlelight as though a snail had left some mucus there. Xie Shi lightly peeled off that reflective substance and found that it was something transparent and cocoon-like, something sloughed by a kind of tiny creature, to be precise.


    The look on Xie Shi¡¯s face instantly went ugly. This proved that Yuwen Tong had indeed been bitten by something. It was a living thing. Considering they had searched everywhere but failed to find that thing, it might well have entered Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    The thought of this possibility also occurred to the others, all of whom looked at Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm, their faces instantly registering concern.


    Xie Shi put down the cloth torn from Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve, produced a very small jade casket lined with flannelette, opened it, put the tiny shell-like thing into it and then closed it.


    ¡°What is this thing, Xie Shi?¡± Yao Yi inquired of him.


    With a serious expression on his face, Xie Shi shook his head. ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ve never seen any shells of this level of transparency. If it has indeed burrowed its way into Sire¡¯s body, it would be either a poisonous insect or a Gu worm. I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this before.¡±


    As he finished speaking, the looks on all the others¡¯ faces turned ugly. If even Xie Shi didn¡¯t have a clue what the creature was, how were they supposed to get Yuwen Tong the medical treatment he needed?!


    Looking at the silver needles on Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm, Xie Shi who also had an ugly look on his face carefully examined Yuwen Tong once again and found that the color of Yuwen Tong¡¯s blood was still normal. The only part he was sure about was that that thing was at least not poisonous, if it had indeed entered Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    What with his uncertainty about whether or not that thing was in Yuwen Tong¡¯s body, Xie Shi didn¡¯t dare remove the needles, fearing that the creature, without the needles holding it at bay, might move to another part of Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    In fact, as they had failed to find anything that might be the body of a bug or a worm or any living thing after an intensive search, everybody thought of the worst-case scenario ¨C that creature had wormed its way into Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    Of course, Yuwen Tong, the victim, should have perceived its existence more distinctly than anybody, but he had experienced no discomfort, outside of the sting he had felt a while ago.


    ¡°Remove the needles at daybreak if nothing has been found by that time,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Sire, that¡¯s too dangerous. What if¡­¡± Yao Yi and the others didn¡¯t dare agree. Xie Shi also had a frown on his face.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Tomorrow I have to show my face in front of the others, and these needles will cause needless panic. The war has reached a critical juncture, and I couldn¡¯t afford to jeopardize the morale of my army.¡±


    Yao Yi and the others still wanted to dissuade him, but before any of them could say anything, Xie Shi sighed, ¡°The needles must be removed before dawn. I blocked the meridians in Sire¡¯s arm, and it will lead to some problems if his meridians are obstructed for too long.¡±


    Yao Yi and the others opened their mouths, closed them again and lapsed into silence. Eventually Yao Yi resignedly said to Xie Shi, ¡°Then figure out something else that might work.¡±


    Xie Shi said, ¡°Previously Sire ingested a miracle drug given by His Highness to detoxify the poison named ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯, and there¡¯s still a certain amount of the active ingredient of the drug in Sire¡¯s blood. No matter that thing is a Gu worm or a poisonous insect, it will be temporarily immobilized after entering Sire¡¯s body, which means it won¡¯t be causing any problems anytime soon. Still, we need to locate that thing as soon as possible. I¡¯m not capable of identifying what that thing is, but I¡¯m sure Mr. Mu can figure it out. You should write him a letter first. I¡¯ll see what I can do to stimulate it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked down at his arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    Yao Yi wrote a letter and then immediately had a secret bodyguard set off to deliver it to Mr. Mu.


    Xie Shi began to try some other methods to see if he could provoke any reactions from that thing inside Yuwen Tong¡¯s body which was presumably some kind of living thing.


    To be on the safe side, Xie Shi readied the alexipharmic pill and panacean pill given by Mr. Mu.


    ¡­


    Time was ticking away. Xie Shi had tried a variety of methods, but Yuwen Tong still hadn¡¯t felt any discomfort. Eventually, Xie Shi began to suspect that he was overreacting, that there was actually no harmful foreign body inside Yuwen Tong whatsoever, that all their speculations were mistaken.


    But better safe than sorry, so Xie Shi dismissed that idea from his mind and decided to try one last method, which might trigger some minor bodily reactions in Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong allowed Xie Shi to try it on him. He rid himself of all miscellaneous thoughts and started meditating, concentrating his mind on the changes that the medicine Xie Shi had him take was bringing to his body. He could even hear his powerful internal energy coursing through his meridians. When dawn broke, he opened his eyes and shook his head at Xie Shi.


    Xie Shi hastened to prepare another medicine for Yuwen Tong, who drank it and then felt his internal energy quiet down.


    ¡°Now that nothing has been found, remove the needles,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Xie Shi inclined his head, pulled the needles out of Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm and then looked nervously at him.


    Yuwen Tong felt the sensation gradually coming back to his left arm as time passed at its usual pace, but after a long moment, there was still no discomfort of any kind in his body.


    Xie Shi was bewildered. He had never heard of any situations as baffling as this one before. How come there had been no reaction whatsoever when he had tried every method he knew of? In recent years he had been learning medical skills from Mr. Mu whenever he had the time. He didn¡¯t dare say that the man he had been five year ago was nowhere close to a physician of his present caliber, but he believed that with these methods he should be able to detect the existence of any poison or Gu worm inside a patient¡¯s body. If he had had these skills five years ago, he would no doubt have immediately detected the poison named ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯ without being fooled by it at the beginning.


    The others were also bemused. Even Chairman Sun of the imperial hospital highly appreciated Xie Shi¡¯s detoxification skills, but now even he had failed to identify what the problem was after trying every method. Was there anything in His Majesty¡¯s body or not?


    Most importantly, even Yuwen Tong himself couldn¡¯t perceive anything wrong. This¡­This was so weird.


    ¡°Sire!¡± Someone showed up in the doorway of the tent, requesting an audience with Yuwen Tong, a hint of anxiety in his voice.


    Yuwen Tong gave the permission for that man to enter. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That Wan envoy who visited our encampment yesterday died,¡± said the man.


    Died? Yao Yi and all the others present had a sense of foreboding at these words, and their ominous feelings intensified as they connected the red spot on Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm with the fact that they had failed to find anything suspicious after searching for the whole night.


    ¡°How did he die?¡± asked Yuwen Tong, looking composed.


    Affected by Yuwen Tong¡¯s composure, the man became noticeably more collected and answered, ¡°The man died on his way back to the encampment of the Wan army. When walking towards the front gates of the encampment, he fell to the ground without warning. Even the one beside him didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary before his death. Actually even the envoy himself didn¡¯t have any particular feelings. The expression on his face remained unchanged when he died at the front gates. There was no pain, and he didn¡¯t struggle. His life was taken from his body in the twinkling of an eye.¡±


    ¡°Were there any symptoms of poisoning?¡± inquired Xie Shi.


    The man shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know. His body was brought back into the encampment. We were unable to get access to it.¡±


    With a grave face, Xie Shi said, ¡°Sire, we need to figure out a way to have someone get access to that envoy¡¯s body.¡±


    It had been after that envoy had met them that he died, and the way he had died was quiet odd. It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence that something entered Yuwen Tong¡¯s body last night when he had just had a meeting with the envoy during the day. None of them would be able to have peace of mind unless they ascertained the truth.


    Yuwen Tong made arrangements for some of his secret bodyguards to look into it. A couple of years ago he had planted one of his men in the Wan army. He had never assigned any tasks to that plant of his ever since, mainly because there had never been any necessity for him to do that. He hadn¡¯t bargained on needing the plant¡¯s service at this point in time.


    As they couldn¡¯t find anything, Xie Shi and the others didn¡¯t dare drop their guard for a single moment. For the rest of the day, Xie Shi stayed close to Yuwen Tong wherever the latter went, carrying the alexipharmic pill and panacean pill given by Mr. Mu at all times. This matter concerned his life, so Yuwen Tong naturally had been paying close attention to his bodily changes all day, but by the end of the day he still hadn¡¯t experienced any discomfort.


    Then he recalled that Ling Zhang had probably arrived in Jifang City by now and might show up in this encampment in a couple of days. Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t imagine how heavy a blow it would be to Ling Zhang if he came to know about this matter. At the thought that Ling Zhang might be upset or even anxious, Yuwen Tong began to have difficulty breathing. It was as though a giant rock were weighing him down, and his heart was throbbing painfully too.


    At first it didn¡¯t strike Yuwen Tong as some kind of problem, because lately he always felt transports of emotions whenever he missed Ling Zhang. However, on this occasion, with every thought he had about Ling Zhang, the pain in his heart worsened, the feeling of constriction in his chest deepening. It was only then that Yuwen Tong came to realize that something was not quite right.


    In order to confirm his conjecture, Yuwen Tong, after handling all military affairs and fixing a date for the next attack and arranging for preparations to be made, returned to his tent, fished out a casket he had been keeping in a safe place all this time, took all the letters written by Ling Zhang out of it and started reading them one by one.


    Xie Shi and all the others believed that Yuwen Tong missed Ling Zhang as they saw him produce the letters, and they didn¡¯t give much thought to it. It was not until Yuwen Tong¡¯s face gradually turned pallid, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead, that Xie Shi came to realize something was wrong.


    ¡°Sire?!¡± Xie Shi hastened forward and quickly grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s wrist to feel his pulse.


    Yuwen Tong put down the letter and clapped a hand to his chest, gripping his clothes, wheezing heavily. Just now, for an instant he couldn¡¯t breathe. The throbbing in his heart was so sharp all the color had drained from his face, and he had to put down the letter immediately to cool himself down.

 Chapter 504 - An Uncontrollable Whirlpool of Emotion

    Xie Shi was taken aback as he felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse. How come Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse which had been steady and even only a few moments ago had suddenly become so irregular and fluctuant?


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was pasty, but his eyes were quite clear, the look in them alarmingly inscrutable.


    ¡°Sire, you ¡­ ¡± Xie Shi was anxious and wanted to ask Yuwen Tong what seemed to be the problem, but he had just finished the first two words when he felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse slowly stabilize. Astonished, he left his sentence hanging in spite of himself.


    Yuwen Tong removed his hand from his chest, carefully folded the letters on the table one by one and put them back into the casket.


    Right at this moment, Xie Shi perceived that Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse changed again. Though the change was not as drastic as the one a moment ago, it shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. However, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t appear to be suffering from misery as intense as what he had felt just now. Though his face was still slightly pale, he looked as unhurried as usual but for the faintly veined backs of his hands.


    ¡°What is ailing you, Sire?¡± Xie Shi hastily asked as he jerked out of his trance.


    Yuwen Tong put the letters back into the casket one by one and closed the lid before he replied, ¡°My heart.¡±


    Heart? Xie Shi, recalling that a short while ago Yuwen Tong had clapped a hand to his heart, immediately offered to check Yuwen Tong¡¯s cardiac meridian but was turned down.


    Xie Shi was confused. ¡°Sire, please allow me to perform an examination.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was looking at the casket with a tender look in his eyes, but his tone was quite steely when he spoke. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ve already come to know what the problem is.¡±


    Xie Shi and all the others were baffled as to why Yuwen Tong was still so collected.


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t think of Brother Zhang, I won¡¯t experience any discomfort. Once I think of him, my heart throbs painfully and I have difficulty breathing,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ah? Wh¨CWhat kind of symptom was this? From one perspective, it sounded like some kind of illness, but from another, it didn¡¯t sound like a disease at all.


    Yao Yi and the others were all somewhat befuddled. Xie Shi was the only one aware that there was indeed something fishy going on. Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse, pallid face and the veined backs of his hands all indicated that something was wrong. However, even Xie Shi had a frown on his face, for the combination of these symptoms was something he had never seen before.


    Gradually, Yao Yi and the others also came to realize the severity of the problem. Having been serving Yuwen Tong since childhood, they knew Yuwen Tong too well to be unaware that no common injury or pain could make Yuwen Tong¡¯s face pale or blue veins stand out on the backs of his hands. Given that Yuwen Tong had mentioned pain and breathing difficulties, he must be in anguish and having problems breathing indeed.


    Xie Shi bustled around for another few moments in an attempt to figure out the cause of those symptoms of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, but the result of the examination was the same as that of the one he had performed last night: Yuwen Tong was not under the influence of any poisons, and there was no sign of any Gu worms existing in his body.


    The night before he hadn¡¯t found anything because Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t shown any symptoms, but now Yuwen Tong was showing noticeable symptoms. Why was he still unable to find the cause? This time Xie Shi really began to doubt the medical knowledge he had accumulated since childhood.


    It was impossible for Yuwen Tong to stop thinking of Ling Zhang, for nobody could rid themself of the yearning for a reunion with their lover, just like nobody could rid themself of the need for air and water. The throbbing in his heart and his breathing difficulties were only the beginning. After a night, Yuwen Tong discovered that even his temper had been affected by that thing inside his body.


    The fight between his army and the Wan army had been in a stalemate for the whole morning. This time, Chen Jing¡¯s men, with the advantage of the defense of the city they were stationed in, managed to withstand the attack from the Great Wen¡¯s army. Morning had passed but Yuwen Tong¡¯s troops hadn¡¯t made any progress in breaching the enemy¡¯s defense, showing a sharp contrast with the fact that they had taken all the cities along the way during their northward advance with unstoppable momentum.


    Yuwen Tong furrowed his brows, a sepulchral expression on his face, looking at the teams of his men attacking the city as well as the Wan soldiers clamoring on the opposite side. On this day, the enemies were hurling abuse on the ramparts, which was rather uncharacteristic of them.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, you¡¯re unworthy of your reputation. You couldn¡¯t even take such a small city, yet you have the fond hope of attacking our capital? Ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, you are at the end of your rope. You¡¯re ¡®undefeated¡¯ so far only because your men caught us unprepared. Now our reinforcements have arrived. I suggest you people go back to where you came from before we beat the shit out of you!¡±


    ¡°We sued for peace out of goodwill but you turned our offer down. Today we¡¯ll have you know we made that offer only because we wanted to help you save face. Now that you refused to accept it, we¡¯ll drive you out of this place. The city gates you couldn¡¯t batter down on this day are just a beginning. Tomorrow you¡¯ll have to retreat to the southern bank of the Wan River with your tails between your legs!¡±


    At first there was no expletive in their derision and abuse, but gradually the enemy soldiers on the ramparts began to use all kinds of swear words. Troops of the Great Wen were all indignant and only too anxious to tear those people¡¯s mouths, but killing them all seemed an impossible task. Jiang Xi had the archers shoot down the enemy soldiers shouting abuse, but for every one they shot down, two more arose to take his place. All of them were cursing.


    Jiang Xi, face dark with rage, tossed a backward glance at Yuwen Tong who was in the command center. The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes was cold and gave little away, and the expression on his face was so calm as though he was totally unaffected by any of those words. The sight of this allayed Jiang Xi¡¯s anger significantly. He turned his head back to look at those enemy soldiers on the ramparts, let out a sneer, summoned one of his bodyguards and gave him a couple of instructions.


    Soon the army of the Great Wen started shouting abuse back at the enemies, each voice louder than the last, each sentence more insulting than the last.


    ¡°Hear this, you sons of bitches on the ramparts! Your country¡¯s days are numbered! Chen Jing put you on the ramparts to be targets for our arrows because he knew he¡¯s fighting a losing fight! He¡¯s using you to buy himself more time! He¡¯s fled already, yet you fools are still here daydreaming of winning!¡±


    ¡°Chen Jing wet his pants from his fear of us some time ago, and there would never be a better time for him to flee than this day, but he won¡¯t be able to delay his death for long. When we get to your capital city, Chen Jing and your monarch will both be dead!¡±


    ¡°You are just a bunch of cowards and wusses who couldn¡¯t even defend your own country! All you are fit to do is scream abuse. Even rats in the sewer have bigger balls than you do!¡±


    ¡­


    All Jiang Xi¡¯s men had some kung fu skills, and their howls of derision drowned out the abuse of the enemy soldiers on the ramparts. This, coupled with the thunderous beat of war drums and the sound of the war flag whipping around its pole, boosted the soldiers¡¯ morale, and they started attacking the city with greater ferocity.


    Yuwen Tong, though standing there with a poker-face, was actually feeling as though a fire were burning inside him. A few moments ago, before Jiang Xi had some men snap back, he had felt as if something were weighing his heart down, as if someone were churning his heart with a knife, pain and fury frantically sweeping over him in waves.


    Almost immediately, he came to realize that this kind of mood was uncharacteristic of him.


    For a military commander, winning or losing a battle is a common occurrence, not to mention that his army had just failed to make any progress in breaching the enemy¡¯s defense after attacking for the whole morning. It was no big deal. What Chen Jing relied on was just a special advantage of this city ¨C the wide moat around it. Chen Jing had had his men position a lot of pointed bamboo poles in the moat. Yuwen Tong¡¯s soldiers had had to remove those bamboo poles first braving a rain of arrows, which had cost the army some time and the lives of many men.


    However, when Yuwen Tong had heard the abuse of the enemy soldiers on the ramparts, the words he would normally ignore without feeling anything particular had actually roused his anger which had surged uncontrollably inside him. This had instantly put him on the alert. It was as if something was forcibly manipulating his mood, forcing him to get angry, to lose his cool.


    Having sensed that something was wrong, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t utter a word, subduing the knifelike pain in his heart and the rage bubbling in him. The attack was being carried out as planned, but this kind of situation was not good. What was happening to him was only the beginning. There were many more fights ahead of him, and there was no guarantee that all his decisions would be absolutely unaffected by his emotion.


    Yuwen Tong closed his eyes and felt something heaving frantically in his chest where his heart was. There was indeed something in there.


    Chen Jing, who uncharacteristically had his men hurl abuse during the fight, had clearly made preparations some time ago and was putting out feelers. As things stood, it was unmistakable that there had been something fishy about the visit of that Wan envoy. What kind of method the enemy had adopted was a mystery to him, but he had indeed fallen prey to their trick.


    At the thought that Ling Zhang would soon arrive, the rage inside Yuwen Tong which he had been able to hold at bay a moment ago flared up almost in an instant. The throbbing in his heart had turned into an agony so insupportable as though countless ants were gnawing at his heart.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes instantaneously became scarlet but soon, exercising all his self-restraint, he managed to have them return to normal. Nobody noticed these details, except for Yao Yi and Xie Shi who were standing beside him.


    Xie Shi immediately offered to use his acupuncture skills to help Yuwen Tong recover himself, but Yuwen Tong refused to let him do that. ¡°I got this. Some of the enemies on the opposite side are watching. If you do that, they¡¯ll be able to confirm I¡¯ve fallen victim to their trick.¡±


    Xie Shi immediately stopped, but he still suggested apprehensively, ¡°Maybe you should go back to the encampment first, Sire.¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Xie Shi and Yao Yi exchanged a glance, both of them appearing quite concerned.


    ¡­


    The attack stopped shortly after noon. This time around Chen Jing had invested a lot in the defense. He had had his men splash oil over the vertical surface of the ramparts, making it slippery and thus difficult to climb up. Also, if the enemy ignite the oil, the ramparts would be instantly turned into a sea of flames and the casualties would be quite heavy. Xiao Jiangyue, who had been directing the troops at the front, decided to withdraw the army and suspend the attack.


    When the army of the Great Wen retreated, someone on the ramparts stared fixedly at the horse-drawn carriage Yuwen Tong was in, the look in his eyes laden with hate.


    Yuwen Tong, after returning to the encampment, immediately went back to his tent, sat down and started performing Qi circulation in an effort to recover himself.


    Xie Shi, Yao Yi and some others were standing guard around the tent, keeping their eyes peeled, not allowing anybody to enter. Xiao Jiangyue, Yuwen Jin and the others, all of whom had no idea what was going on, began to worry.


    At this time, Ling Zhang had exited Jifang City. Between him and Yuwen Tong was now only one city, the suburbs of which were a battlefield where two armies had fought not long ago. An army of the Wan Kingdom was stationed in it.


    Presently it was impossible for him to cross the city to get to the encampment of Yuwen Tong¡¯s army. He had to detour around it.


    Ling Zhang felt his heartbeat quicken as he approached the encampment. As he had to cover his tracks and had been on the run all the time, it had been several days since the last time he had received a message from Yuwen Tong. He wondered how Yuwen Tong had been doing.


    He had received a letter Mr. Mu had written in reply to him. Mr. Mu had departed from the capital city and was on his way to the Wan Kingdom. Considering the time of his departure, he probably had arrived in Shengzhou by now.

 Chapter 505 - Infiltration into Enemy Rear

    It was after Yuwen Tong had his internal energy run two circuits of his meridian network that the transports of emotion churning inside him subsided.


    At the sight of him walking out, Yuwen Jin, He Xiao and Xiao Jiangyue all of whom had been waiting outside the tent hastened up to him.


    ¡°Sire, are you okay?¡±


    Yuwen Tong appeared unhurried. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just circulating my internal energy. Why are you all here?¡±


    ¡°We were worried something had happened to you. Yao Yi and the others wouldn¡¯t tell us anything. We were all startled.¡±


    Yuwen Jin tossed Yao Yi a somewhat reproving glance.


    ¡°I told them to keep their mouths shut because I didn¡¯t want to concern you. I didn¡¯t bargain on drawing all of you to my tent. The troops have just returned and they need regrouping. You have nothing to worry about with me. Now go and regroup the soldiers and have them settle down. Tonight we¡¯re having a meeting in my tent to formulate a plan of our next attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡± As Yuwen Tong did look composed and well, the three of them took their leave.


    Yuwen Jin, after going a couple of paces, turned on his heel, doubled back, glanced over his shoulder and, having checked that the others were out of sight, said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Cousin, are you really okay? You don¡¯t look very well.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, who had always been quite bluff, was being uncharacteristically observant and scrupulous on this occasion. Yuwen Tong felt that what he had done for this second cousin of his had been worthwhile.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. It just so happened that I was on the verge of making a breakthrough in my cultivation of internal energy, and the murderousness in the air on the battlefield was quite intense, so my internal energy was affected a little and started churning. It¡¯ll return to normality after I circulate it another couple of times.¡±


    Yuwen Jin heaved a sigh of relief and said relaxedly, ¡°I see. Actually you don¡¯t have to be on the battlefield every time. General Xiao and the rest of us could handle it. There¡¯s no need to concern yourself. Besides, you¡¯re now the emperor, not a general. If you go to the battleground every time, the soldiers could easily become dependent on it, and when they do, what should we do if some day it¡¯s inconvenient for you to be present at the front?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was somewhat surprised that Yuwen Jin saw it this way. It would seem he had indeed learned a lot during the northward advance of the army. On top of that, Yuwen Jin had been doing a good job directing operations in every one of the battles he had participated in. Now he had the makings of a competent commander.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll discuss your suggestion with the couple of generals and see if it¡¯s okay to let you guys be in charge of our next attack on the city. Actually I could use some rest to recharge and prepare myself for the upcoming Battle of Jifang City. Show me something in the fight and I¡¯ll make you General-in-chief after we take the Wan capital.¡±


    Gratified, Yuwen Jin smacked a hand on to his own chest. ¡°You may rest assured that I won¡¯t let you down, cousin.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face turned cold as he watched Yuwen Jin leave. Currently what was inside his body was still unknown, so it was indeed inadvisable for him to go to the battlefield. He had a hunch that this thing not only was capable of affecting his mood but also fed on his emotions. Before he could figure out a way to rid himself of it, his best choice was to avoid mood swings.


    Yuwen Tong was confident of restraining every kind of his emotion, with one exception ¨C his yearning for a reunion with Ling Zhang.


    The thought existed in his mind for only a fleeting instant, but he immediately felt a throbbing in the heart as expected, his breathing quickening. He had no choice but to force himself into clearing his mind, the look in his eyes growing even colder as he did so.


    ¡­


    ¡°Childe Ling, to detour around the city ahead, you have to follow this narrow pass. You¡¯ll have to cross some rugged and steep areas, and it¡¯ll take you two extra days.¡±


    An assistant supervisor working in a store affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, who had accompanied Ling Zhang out of Jifang City, unfurled a sketchy road map, pointed at a winding route skirting the city ahead, and gave Ling Zhang some information about it.


    Ling Zhang took a look at the road map. The alternative route would take a common porter two extra days, but he and his bodyguards could finish the journey much quicker. As long as they could get to the encampment of Yuwen Tong¡¯s army safely, spending some extra time on the road would be worthwhile. However¡­


    Ling Zhang raised his head to look in the direction of the city not far away, a somewhat hesitant expression in his eyes.


    He was standing on a height from which he could see most of the buildings in the city. Watching the city, he could distinctly feel the tense, subdued atmosphere in it, though there was such a long distance between them.


    He was wavering between detouring to the encampment of the army of the Great Wen or entering that city to figure out a way to help Yuwen Tong¡¯s men take it as soon as possible.


    It was only earlier this morning that he had made some inquiries and come to know that the day before, Yuwen Tong¡¯s army and the garrison led by Chen Jing had been stuck in a stalemate for the whole morning, that the city gates hadn¡¯t been battered down. He was positive that with Yuwen Tong¡¯s capabilities, his men would storm into the city in a day or two, though they had failed the day before. Still, if he could do something to help take the city with a lower casualty number¡­


    ¡°No. We¡¯re not making a detour.¡±


    Somewhat astonished, the assistant supervisor looked at him. Wang Dashan and the others, however, just listened carefully to Ling Zhang, waiting for him to give instructions. Nobody raised any objections to Ling Zhang¡¯s decision.


    ¡°We enter the city and figure out some way to create chaos. It¡¯d be best if we could approach the city gates. If we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll find a way to destroy the oil Chen Jing¡¯s men are using to defend the city. Even if we can¡¯t destroy their oil, we¡¯ll set a fire to their rear so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate their effort on defending against the frontal attack.¡±


    For an instant there was a twinkle in all his bodyguards¡¯ eyes. As two of their fellow bodyguards were in the North-western Army, right now there were only twenty of them present. Still, all of them were totally unafraid of sneaking into a city fraught with danger with Ling Zhang.


    The assistant supervisor, however, was taken aback. ¡°Childe Ling, are you sure you want to go into the city? You¨CYou¡¯ll be challenged by a lot of guards and patrols if you do that at this point in time. The security there is far tighter than it is in Jifang City. They might even have sealed the gates already. If you try to enter, you¡¯ll either attract the garrison¡¯s attention or waste a trip.¡±


    Looking in the direction of the city at the foot of the hill, Ling Zhang said, ¡°There are other ways to get into the city apart from going through the gates.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± The assistant supervisor was confused. How else could they enter the city if not by going through the city gates? Surely they were not going to fly into it? It was not like they were fairies or something.


    However, when he reached the ramparts of the city with Ling Zhang and his bodyguards, he came to realize that he had seen too little of the world, for it turned out that aside from fairies, Childe Ling and his bodyguards were also capable of flying into a city.


    Thud!


    The assistant supervisor was so nervous he failed to keep his grip on the rope when approaching the ground, fell down and landed on his butt, which now felt as though it had broken. Massaging his hips with a grimace of pain, he was just about to groan when the one beside him rapidly clapped a hand to his mouth, reducing his would-be groan to a muffled noise issuing from his throat.


    ¡°Quiet. You don¡¯t want to arrest anybody¡¯s attention in this place.¡±


    Startled, the assistant supervisor hastened to bob his head, silently promising that he wouldn¡¯t yell.


    Ling Zhang glanced at him and said, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gained entry into this city, we no longer need you to be our guide. Tell us all you know about this city first and then bring us to the store of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. Remember, when we get to the store, do not disclose our arrival until you find someone who speaks the right code.¡±


    The assistant supervisor replied with a nervous inclination of the head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Childe Ling. I understand.¡±


    The assistant supervisor told Ling Zhang everything he knew about the city, and then, following Ling Zhang¡¯s instructions, found the store affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, gingerly eluding teams of Wan soldiers patrolling the streets back and forth.


    Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had only one store in this city, which was the largest variety store selling sundry goods from all around the country.


    This was a city Yuwen Tong¡¯s army must take before they could get to the Wan capital in the north. Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu, who had been improving their intelligence network for years, naturally had long since planted some men in this city, but to be on the safe side, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t try to contact any of them on his own initiative. It would be safer to have the assistant supervisor check out the lay of the land first.


    The assistant supervisor was unaware that someone had covertly followed him to the variety store.


    The doors of the store were shut. Not only this store but also all the other stores on the street were closed. The whole street was deserted but for a couple of pedestrians walking in great haste, who were challenged by every patrol they encountered. The assistant supervisor, though unable to ¡°fly¡± and afraid of pain, acted quite composedly in these circumstances. With his composure and perfectly native accent, he soon handled the patrols and reached the back door of the store.


    Ling Zhang, sitting crouched behind the ridge of the roof of a house in a small alley, was observing the whole city when he heard the assistant supervisor in a special way knock at the back door, which was then opened by someone.


    ¡­


    ¡°This is the place. We¡¯ve confirmed it several times in the past few days. It¡¯s just this time around Chen Jing is in command of the army, and the provisions and oil are so heavily guarded we haven¡¯t found any opportunities to approach them so far.¡±


    In the variety store, Ling Zhang was sitting behind a desk. In front of him were the storekeeper, a supervisor and a waiter, all of whom were respectfully standing there with their heads down, not daring look at Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes.


    The keepers of other stores had long since fled the city with their families. The three of them, owing to their special mission, had stayed and managed to ascertain where the Wan army were storing their food supplies.


    ¡°We planned to destroy all their oil yesterday, but we never had the chance,¡± said the storekeeper, who was a bearded middle-aged man, and whose clothes were typical of a common storekeeper¡¯s clothing. An expression of mingled ferocity and anger appeared on his face as he said that they were unable to get close to the location where the Wan army were storing the food supplies and oil.


    All these people had been specially sought out and recruited by Ling Zhaowu. Though they were all natives of the Wan Kingdom, most of them held deep hatred for this country. Ling Zhang had no idea from where his father had poached these people, but none of them had ever made any slip-ups since they had been recruited, which was why Ling Zhang admired his father¡¯s discernment very much.


    ¡°Did Chen Jing have the oil transported here from out of town or did he collected it from locals?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    ¡°He collected it from locals,¡± answered the storekeeper, who then added, ¡°Chen Jing¡¯s army had had no plan to do that when they had first entered the city, but a couple of days ago, they suddenly started collecting oil. First they took all the oil from the storeroom of the yamen, then from the mansions of all rich merchants and local squires, and then from every other house in the city. Currently most families don¡¯t have any oil whatsoever at their disposal. Chen Jing¡¯s men have taken every last drop of it.¡±


    A couple of days ago? Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. ¡°Did something particular happen a couple of days ago?¡± he asked.


    The storekeeper recollected, ¡°Yes. On that day Chen Jing sent out an envoy to have an audience with His Majesty. It¡¯s said that he went there to sue for peace.¡±


    To sue for peace? With a slight frown on his face, Ling Zhang inquired prudently, ¡°Has everybody in this city come to know about that?¡±


    The storekeeper said with a head bob, ¡°Yesterday morning some of Chen Jing¡¯s men yelled about it on the ramparts. A lot of people heard it.¡±


    Next, the storekeeper recounted in detail what had happened in the morning of the day before, the frown on Ling Zhang¡¯s face deepening as he listened. The storekeeper, now further deterred from making eye contact with him by the cold air Ling Zhang was emanating, continued, ¡°And then there¡¯s that envoy. After returning from his audience with His Majesty, he died a very weird death at the front gates of the encampment of the Wan army.¡±


    The storekeeper gave him an account of how that man had died.


    The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes gradually went cold and grave. For some reason, he kept having this feeling that the circumstances in which the envoy had died were quite suspicious. Also, he had a slight sense of foreboding. ¡°Is the body of that deceased envoy still in the encampment of the Wan army?¡±


    The storekeeper gave a nod. ¡°Yes. I heard that the envoy was a relative of Chen Jing¡¯s, that his surname was also Chen. After his death, he was encoffined in the encampment, but it¡¯s been two days, and now there¡¯s no telling whether or not his body is still there. We can¡¯t get close enough to make inquiries about it.¡±


    The main reason was that the storekeeper and the couple of others had been focusing on how to destroy the Wan army¡¯s oil, and they hadn¡¯t made much effort to look into the envoy¡¯s death. Of course, they indeed were unable to gain entry into the encampment of the Wan army to investigate it.


    ¡°Considering the wartime army rules, the body of that envoy is either still in the encampment or has been burnt. Does it strike you that there¡¯s something fishy about that envoy¡¯s death, Young Master?¡± asked Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and said with a wintry expression in his eyes, ¡°I need to go there to take a look.¡±

 Chapter 506 - A Gu Worm

    Translator: DragonRider


    The storekeeper and the others were baffled as to why Ling Zhang was interested in the corpse of that envoy. ¡°Are we still burning their food supplies? His Majesty¡¯s army will probably launch another attack on this city soon, and it¡¯ll still be very difficult for them to climb up the ramparts if we don¡¯t destroy the oil.¡±


    The storekeeper and the others seemed even more anxious to see the Wan army come to grief than Ling Zhang did.


    ¡°Dashan, take some men and go with the storekeeper to check the place where the enemy are storing their food supplies. I¡¯ll go and take a look at the envoy¡¯s body,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Wang Dashan answered with an inclination of the head, ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    The keeper of the variety store had some kung fu skills, which was part of the reason why Ling Zhaowu had put him in charge of the store. After all, there were many things that people without kung fu skills couldn¡¯t handle. The storekeeper not only knew some kung fu but also was quick-witted. While running the store, he had trod almost every street and alley and knew the city as well as a beggar knew his bag. Also, he was well acquainted with local squires and wealthy merchants, and even had dealings with the mayor of the city.


    Because of these contacts of his, the storekeeper always got information about the latest development of things in the city quicker than others did, and he was also able to figure out a way to quietly approach the military base of the Wan army, but that was the best he could do. After all, Chen Jing¡¯s army was not the garrison of this city, and even the mayor had to go through strict security check before he could gain entry into the base, so naturally there was no way the storekeeper could easily get inside with the help of any of his contacts.


    ¡°How do you plan to get in there?¡± the storekeeper asked Wang Dashan and the others.


    The base of the Wan army was well defended, and it was really very difficult to approach the location where their supplies were kept without alarming any of them.


    However, Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguards were different. Though their kung fu and lightness skills were not as good as Ling Zhang¡¯s or Yuwen Tong¡¯s, they were capable of deploying various kinds of Formations. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to fool the guards on duty for some time with their skills. The tricky part was that they would have to work as a seamless team with Ling Zhang lest the enemy be alarmed and lock down the base before Ling Zhang could get access to the envoy¡¯s body.


    Wang Dashan and the others reconnoitered the base to get enough information about its security arrangements. After that, some of them stayed to stake out the base, while the others went back to the variety store to wait for Ling Zhang to return.


    Finding the place where the envoy¡¯s body was, however, took Ling Zhang quite some time.


    As the storekeeper and the others had paid scant attention to this matter and hardly made any inquiries about it, Ling Zhang had to look for the body by himself after sneaking into the military base.


    There were frequent deployments of troops in the Wan army. Ling Zhang, after observing with cold eyes for a while, conjectured that it wouldn¡¯t be long before the next round of attacks came. He turned around and went towards the far end of the vast military base. A few moments later, an officer who seemed to be of a fairly high rank fell prey to his Illusive Trap.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s proficiency in deploying Formations had been growing by the day ever since he had made a breakthrough in his cultivation of internal energy and reached the sixth layer. Previously he had admired his grandfather for being able to deploy a Formation with a single motion of his hand. Now he himself had mastered that skill as well. Though his prowess was not as amazing as Ji Yin¡¯s, few people in the world matched him.


    The officer, after entering the Illusive Trap, soon felt dizzy, lapsed into a stupor and began to answer every question of Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the envoy¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Beside the arsenal.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the arsenal?¡±


    The officer told him a specific location. With an icy look in his eyes, Ling Zhang tossed him out of the Illusive Trap, undeployed the Formation and then covered his tracks. Given that Chen Jing had been preserving well the body of this relative of his who shared the same surname with him, he must really value their kinship. This action of his happened to make it more convenient for Ling Zhang to carry out his plan.


    The officer, after being tossed out of the Illusive Trap, was in bemusement for quite some time before he came to himself. When he found that he was sitting on the ground leaning against a corner of a tent, presumably having just woken from a sleep, the bewilderment on his face further deepened. He vaguely remembered being questioned by someone in his dream, but when he carefully thought back to it, he couldn¡¯t recall any details. Cold sweat breaking out over his back, he hastily pulled himself up and returned to his unit when nobody was watching.


    With the information he had extracted from that officer, Ling Zhang found the place where the envoy¡¯s body was kept, along with the arsenal. Also, he discovered that the location where the food supplies were stored was not far away either, and he saw Liu Yi who was staking it out.


    Liu Yi was amazed to see Ling Zhang. After Ling Zhang made a gesture at him, he paused briefly, then inclined his head and backed into the shadows.


    Though Chen Jing had had the envoy¡¯s body encoffined, after that, he had merely had the coffin placed in a tent and done nothing more about it. There was no soldier guarding the tent, so Ling Zhang easily gained entry into it.


    He pushed the coffin lid open and caught sight of the envoy¡¯s body lying inside. He couldn¡¯t help noticing that the corpse was in a quite unnatural, peculiar state, and the envoy¡¯s chest was actually still heaving. At first Ling Zhang believed that the man was still alive, but after observing for a while, he found that the man was indeed dead. The body was icy cold, and nobody could be that cold and alive at the same time. Still, the unusual heave of the man¡¯s chest ¡­


    Ling Zhang cut the dead man¡¯s chest open with a dagger he had prepared without any particular purpose and then disgust appeared in his eyes as they alighted on a black worm coming out of the body. It looked like but was smaller and more bizarre than an adult silkworm. In a word, it was very repulsive.


    It was a Gu worm. Ling Zhang killed it with a single stroke of the dagger and with that the eerie heave stopped.


    Ling Zhang, without pulling out the dagger, directly shut the coffin, his eyes frosty.


    It was a Gu worm that had taken the envoy¡¯s life, and it had happened after the envoy had an audience with Yuwen Tong. Ling Zhang was fretful and kept having this feeling that there was some kind of conspiracy involved. He was anxious to see Yuwen Tong to check that he was safe.


    Ling Zhang quietly left the tent, a very ugly look on his face.


    It was a fact staring him in the face that someone in the Wan army was capable of using Gu.


    The death of the envoy, Chen Jing¡¯s unexpected request for peace talks, the avenger that Shan Congyi had mentioned was adept in both medical skills and kung fu ¡­ These thoughts crossed Ling Zhang¡¯s mind one after another. Though not having figured anything out yet, he found them loathsome.


    ¡°Young Master,¡± Liu Yi hurriedly asked as he saw Ling Zhang coming, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°The envoy¡¯s body is in that tent. He was killed by a Gu worm,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The look in Liu Yi¡¯s eyes turned grave. A Gu worm?


    ¡°Considering the frequent deployments of troops of the Wan army, the next round of attacks will soon start. We must destroy their food supplies and oil and arsenal as soon as possible.¡±


    Liu Yi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away.¡±


    Ling Zhang stopped him. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. What you need to do is toss this thing into their arsenal.¡±


    Ling Zhang handed him a black iron ball. Astonished, Liu Yi asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this iron ball the same as the one used by Shan Congyi in the wood that day?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°It comes from a Hu merchant from the Western Regions (Hu refers to any of the non-Han nationalities living in the north and west in ancient times). It¡¯s very difficult to produce. This one and the one used by Shan Congyi are from the same caravan. There used to be five of them. Shan Congyi used one. Chen Jing has two. The other two were purchased by a rich merchant, one of which is now in your hand.¡±


    In the past few years, the scouts planted in the Wan Kingdom by Yuwen Tong had spent quite some time looking into the matter of the weird iron ball used by Shan Congyi before they finally ascertained from whom he had got it. Getting the two iron balls from the rich merchant had taken some doing. Yuwen Tong had also sent some men to look for that Hu merchant. However, it had turned out that that Hu merchant had got the iron balls from further west. What with the blockade of the road leading to that area by a western mini-state, in recent years that Hu merchant had been unable to pay that area another visit to bring back more iron balls. Yuwen Tong had given one of the two iron balls to the Ministry of Works. The staff members, after researching it for some time, had got a general idea of how to produce it, but it wasn¡¯t easy to make an iron ball like that. During the past two years, they had only managed to produce some semi-finished products, the explosion of which was far less powerful than expected. The other one had been given to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Young Master, given that Chen Jing has this kind of things at his disposal, isn¡¯t our soldiers in danger?¡± said Liu Yi apprehensively.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°Powerful as its explosion is, the casualty it could cause is limited. Chen Jing wouldn¡¯t be able to make much difference with the two iron balls. We don¡¯t have to concern ourselves unless the Wan Kingdom could mass-produce them. The materials needed to make an iron ball like this are very scarce in the Wan Kingdom. On top of that, their artisans¡¯ skills couldn¡¯t hold a candle to those of ours, which is why so far they haven¡¯t made any progress in producing it. Otherwise they would have long since resorted to it, given all those defeats the Wan army has suffered lately.¡±


    After hearing this, Liu Yi gave a gasp of relief and relaxed.


    ¡°Now go and get it over with.¡±


    Liu Yi inclined his head and left with the iron ball in his hand.


    Ling Zhang waited until Liu Yi reached the arsenal to cover his tracks with a Formation and slip into the place where the food supplies and oil were stored. These things could be easily taken care of with a mere fire.


    ¡­


    BOOM!


    There was a violent explosion in the arsenal of the Wan army and the whole city quaked for a few moments. Chen Jing¡¯s face changed drastically at the boom. ¡°What happened?!¡±


    The army of the Great Wen had mustered and was heading for this city. The timing of this sudden explosion gave Chen Jing a foreboding feeling. He hastened to take some men and ran towards the scene, but before reaching the destination, he caught sight of a tall flame springing into the sky from somewhere as though that place had suddenly been turned into an inferno in an instant. The whole thing happened in such a weird fashion that the look on Chen Jing¡¯s face became even uglier.


    ¡°Fire! The food supplies and oil are on fire! Go get water! That tent is on fire as well! Someone put it out!¡±


    ¡°The arsenal was blasted!¡±


    Chen Jing suffered a fleeting blackout and nearly fainted. The next moment he bellowed, ¡°Put out the fire! Shut the front gates! Search the whole base!¡±


    ¡°Dispatch delivery!¡±


    ¡°General! The army of the Great Wen have arrived! They¡¯ll soon attack!¡±


    Consumed with anxiety and fury, Chen Jing clenched his teeth, his eyes red with resentment. After taking a couple of deep breaths, he quickly took some men and went to the ramparts, shouting instructions for the soldiers to put out the fire on his way. Without oil, they were now unable to set the vertical surface of the ramparts aflame, which meant that they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against the attack from the army of the Great Wen. It would not be long before this city fell.


    An old man dressed like a scholar, who was following in Chen Jing¡¯s wake, glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the blazing inferno and then switched his gaze to the ramparts, the expression in his eyes turning even more sinister and glacial as he saw Chen Jing ascend the ramparts in a great hurry with scant regard for him.


    Wang Dashan and all the others were taken aback at the explosion and then astonished at the sight of the raging flames accompanied by billows of thick smoke, wondering why Liu Yi had taken action when Ling Zhang hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    But soon Ling Zhang and Liu Yi came back together.


    ¡°The attack has started. You guys get your stuff ready and then go to the city gates directly. I¡¯ll use a Formation to clear the way for you and hold back the enemy¡¯s reinforcements to buy you as much time as possible. What you need to do is take advantage of the opportunity and open the city gates!¡± said Ling Zhang quickly the moment he met them.


    It took Wang Dashan and the others a brief moment to cotton on to what was happening, and then they immediately got their things ready and followed Ling Zhang to the side of the street.


    The city gates, which were right at the end of this main street, were now heavily guarded, and the whole area was seething with Wan soldiers. If they were to get to the gates, they must get these soldiers out of the way. There was not much Ling Zhang could utilize on the scene, so he first had to create conditions for his plan to be carried out. Wang Dashan and the others had prepared some handcarts and other vehicles all of which were loaded with flammable materials, and which could be useful when they charged at the city gates. Once the soldiers outside started battering the gates, they would light the flammable materials and thrust the vehicles towards the enemy soldiers as fast as they could, and Ling Zhang would offer them assistance to make it easier for them to get to the gates.

 Chapter 507 - City Gates Battered Open

    There were two defense lines between them and the city gates. The first one was two rows of cheval-de-frise, the pointed wooden wedges on which deterred civilians and unauthorized personnel from approaching, and which were also guarded by soldiers.


    Ling Zhang carefully observed and gauged the distance between the two defense lines and then told his bodyguards to dump the burning handcarts between the two defense lines after they forced their way through the first one.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold back their backup. You guys charge straight towards the guards at the cheval-de-frise. Try to get into the passageway as quick as possible lest the archers on the ramparts turn around to fire at you.¡±


    ¡°But what about you, Young Master? If they shoot arrows at you from the top of the ramparts, you¡¯ll be in dire danger. Maybe you should be the one going there to open the city gates. We¡¯ll hold back their reinforcements for you.¡±


    ¡°I can handle the arrows. Just do as I say. Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡±


    ¡± ¡­ Yes, Young Master!¡±


    The ground started quaking faintly and before long the sounds of war drums and horns were heard, indicating the commencement of the offensive on the city mounted by the army outside. Ling Zhang cocked an ear at the movements on the other side of the ramparts, time slowly ticking away ¡­


    There was a moat around the city. The soldiers of the Great Wen had to get the battering ram across the moat first before they could use it to batter the city gates.


    Ling Zhang, though inside the city, could distinctly hear the battle cry issuing from outside. After about two hours, something heavy thudded to the ground ¨C the drawbridge had been put down, which meant that the soldiers would soon started battering the city gates.


    On hearing the sound of ram-dray trundling, Ling Zhang came to know that it was time and said to his bodyguards, ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Wang Dashan and the others nodded, quickly covered their faces with pieces of cloth that left only their eyes showing, and then pushed out the handcarts they had prepared beforehand, all of which were loaded with combustible wood topped with flammable materials. These things could burn for about an hour. They must open the city gates before the flames went out.


    ¡°Ignite them.¡±


    Wang Dashan and the others produced some little paper rolls, blew at the glowing ends of the rolls to set them aflame and then tossed them onto the handcarts. The flammable materials over which oil had been poured instantly started burning and with that Wang Dashan and the others pushed the handcarts forward at full pelt!


    Since they needed to blindside the enemy soldiers guarding the gates, they must act quickly and thrust their way through the first fortification line before more enemies came at them.


    Most of the soldiers were on the ramparts and behind the city gates. The first defense line was two rows of cheval-de-frise, which were guarded by only a couple of men.


    The couple of soldiers were startled at the sight of the burning handcarts pushed by Wang Dashan and the others hurtling towards them. ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± the soldiers shouted.


    Wang Dashan and the others made no reply and their handcarts tore into the first defense line like greased lightning. Ling Zhang following at their heels swooshed past them and their handcarts and threw a couple of palm strikes, generating shock waves of internal energy so violent that the two rows of cheval-de-frise were flung aside, the couple of soldiers sent flying.


    Wang Dashan and the others, pushing the flaming handcarts, streaked through the first defense line, heading squarely towards the second one.


    Those burning handcarts were like giant balls of fire, deterring the enemy soldiers who wanted to intercept them from approaching. As Wang Dashan and twelve others cleared the way, Liu Yi and the rest quickly dumped the handcarts in front of the second defense line. And then all of them nimbly leaped over the cheval-de-frise and engaged the enemy in the short passageway leading to the city gates.


    At this time the officer in charge at the city gates came to realize what was going on, and, rushing over with some men, bellowed, ¡°STOP THEM!¡±


    An elemental shock wave of internal energy produced by a palm strike swept the passageway and with that the flames on the handcarts parked before the cheval-de-frise, as though having come to life, abruptly whooshed towards the enemy soldiers charging over like a dragon of fire!


    ¡°AAAAARGH!¡±


    The soldiers were hit by the wave of flames head-on and screeched in pain, rampaging around and breaking their formation. This, coupled with subsequent waves of flames, instantly threw the enemy guarding the city gates into chaos and confusion.


    On the ramparts, Chen Jing, terribly flustered and anxious, was directing his troops trying his best to defend against the savage attacks from the army of the Great Wen when a soldier hurried up to him and reported, ¡°Some thugs broke through the cheval-de-frise and are trying to open the gates!¡±


    ¡°What?! Stop them!¡±


    The words had hardly left Chen Jing when he saw a dragon of fire swoosh up past the top of the ramparts, quickly descend, land onto the ground and form a large complex surrounding circle of flames. Soldiers trapped within the circle were attacking a blue-robed man, but more were kept out of the circle of flames!


    ¡°Hurry! Shoot that man!¡± Chen Jing, who could tell at a glance that things were taking a turn for the worse, immediately commanded the archer beside him to shoot Ling Zhang.


    The archer on the ramparts had just turned around to take aim when he was hit in the back by an arrow whizzing over from behind and sank to the ground.


    ¡°Watch out, General!¡± The man beside Chen Jing hastily escorted him away from that spot and stationed him somewhere safe at the foot of the gate tower.


    Chen Jing spun around to look in the direction of the teams of enemy soldiers attacking the city. His eyes met those of a young officer of the Great Wen who was standing on top of a chariot with a bow in his hand, and who bore some likeness to Yuwen Tong. He was none other than Yuwen Jin, Yuwen Tong¡¯s second cousin.


    ¡°Yuwen Jin!¡± Chen Jing clenched his teeth. ¡°Shoot him!¡±


    All archers on the ramparts promptly fired arrows at Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Jin sideward somersaulted off the chariot and a team of soldiers on the side immediately held up their shields and parried the salvo of arrows. Meanwhile, a team of archers fired back at the enemies on the ramparts.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you see that dragon of fire in the city?!¡±


    Yuwen Jin had just landed when He Xiao hastened up to him and asked him whether or not he had seen that dragon of fire.


    ¡°I saw it. Something must have happened in there. I don¡¯t know who it is, but there¡¯s no doubt they¡¯re helping us. Tell our men battering the gates to speed it up!¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    He Xiao gritted his teeth, picked up the horn hung from the side of his horse and blew it.


    Short blasts of the horn rang out.


    The rhythm of the horn was now different from how it had been a moment ago. On hearing the signal, the officer leading the soldiers operating the battering ram commanded his men to batter the gates faster.


    BANG¨CBANG¨CBANG¨C


    The city gates shook ominously at every impact. The Wan soldiers, who were supposed to guard the gates, were too occupied fighting Wang Dashan and the others to spare any time to defend the gates, and their reinforcements, held back by the inferno, were unable to get into the passageway to offer them help. The long thick gate latch was already out of shape from the force of repeated impacts.


    On the ramparts, Chen Jing, who had now come to realize that the gates wouldn¡¯t hold for long, tossed a significant look at his henchman, who gave an unnoticeable nod and arranged for some men to escort Chen Jing to another section of the ramparts where Chen Jing got back to the ground. He had just landed when his eyes met those of the blue-robed man within the surrounding circle of flames. In that instant, Chen Jing¡¯s scalp prickled as an intense cold shot from his heels all the way up to the back side of his head. It was as though an icy blade were poised right behind him, chilling him to the marrow of his bones.


    BOOM!


    The city gates were battered open.


    ¡°Go, General!¡± Chen Jing¡¯s henchman quickly helped him onto a horse and then spurred the horse with a whip.


    Right at that moment, Chen Jing glimpsed a menacing gleam out of the corner of his eye and, sensing danger in an almost subconscious way, tilted his upper body to one side and with that a wicked-looking dagger brushed past his ear and cheek, in which he felt a cold sensation followed by delayed excrutiating pain. ¡°AARGH!¡± he cried.


    ¡°GO!¡± His henchman swiveled his head around. Chen Jing didn¡¯t know what his henchman saw, but the latter whipped out a knife and stabbed the horse in the butt. What with the pain, the horse promptly started galloping forward, almost throwing Chen Jing off. With a strong will to survive, he reflexively grabbed the reins with one hand, clapping the other to the side of his head where his ear used to be, bleeding profusely from the wound, shuddering all over from the anguish.


    Clashes of weapons came from behind, but Chen Jing fled squarely towards another pair of city gates, not even daring cast a backward glance. At the sight of this, the Wan soldiers, coming to know they were on the losing side, also started retreating, escorting their commander.


    Ling Zhang wanted to pursue Chen Jing but a flunkey of Chen Jing¡¯s blocked his path, who turned out to be pretty good at kung fu and managed to hold Ling Zhang back.


    ¡°You¡¯re seeking your death!¡±


    At the sight of Chen Jing fleeing under the protection of a group of soldiers, Ling Zhang flied into a temper, wielded his sword and started raining savage blows on the interceptor, his every slash ruthless and fatal.


    Chen Jing¡¯s henchman was astounded, an incredulous look on his face. ¡°Who are you exactly?!¡± he demanded.


    ¡°The one who¡¯s going to kill you,¡± replied Ling Zhang coldly.


    Soon Chen Jing¡¯s henchman failed to defend against the merciless onslaught and died by Ling Zhang¡¯s icy blade.


    Though annoyed that this man had wasted his time, Ling Zhang still set off to pursue Chen Jing without further ado. Since he had a chance to kill Chen Jing, he wouldn¡¯t let it slip away.


    At this time, Chen Jing, leading his army, was halfway to the other pair of city gates, but all of a sudden, five handcarts which were also flaming showed up and blocked their path, a couple of masked men standing behind the handcarts with sabers in their hands, staring at him.


    Chen Jing was astonished for a brief moment and then went furious. These people actually believed they could stop him with only a handful of men?! ¡°Kill them!¡± he bawled.


    He was so anxious and uneasy as though a thorn were stuck in his flesh. He had a premonition that that blue-robed man would soon catch up with him if he didn¡¯t flee faster!


    Right at the time when his men went forward to remove the handcarts to kill the couple of men holding sabers, a mustached old man in gray abruptly came out of nowhere, leaped onto the back of Chen Jing¡¯s horse, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and yelled, ¡°We need to leave!¡±


    Chen Jing recognized him. ¡°Master?!¡±


    ¡°You need to get out of here right away, or it¡¯ll be too late!¡± cautioned the gray-robed old man frostily, and with that, amazingly, he bodily lifted Chen Jing up, and, carrying him, quickly approached the city gates after a couple of flying leaps, leaving the army behind.


    At the same time, Ling Zhang was on his way to the scene. Distantly, he saw Chen Jing¡¯s surviving soldiers, but when he arrived, Chen Jing was nowhere to be seen. The storekeeper of the variety store and the sales clerk were surrounded by Wan soldiers, the latter dead, the former grievously wounded.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows, took a flying leap, landed within the surrounding circle and fought off the enemy soldiers with a couple of ferocious sword strikes, saving the storekeeper from death.


    ¡°Childe Ling?¡± At the sight of Ling Zhang, the storekeeper was first delighted and then went anxious. ¡°An old man in gray rescued Chen Jing and took him towards the city gates.¡±


    An old man in gray?


    Ling Zhang glanced in the direction of the city gates but saw nobody. In all likelihood, Chen Jing had been whisked out of the city already.


    What with the many soldiers around them, he wouldn¡¯t be able to extricate himself from this situation anytime soon.


    At this time, another team of men galloped in their direction with unstoppable momentum. At the sight of Ling Zhang trapped within a surrounding circle, someone called out, ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    Surprised, Ling Zhang twisted his head around and saw Yuwen Jin charging straight in his direction with a team of horseback soldiers. Behind them, further in the distance, a sea of soldiers of the Great Wen were flooding through the gates, fighting the Wan soldiers lingering in the city.

 Chapter 508 - Reunion

    Yuwen Jin arrived with a team of soldiers and freed Ling Zhang from the surrounding circle of enemies.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes searched the group for quite a while but the one he wanted to see was not among them. ¡°Where¡¯s your cousin?¡± he asked Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Jin said, ¡°He¡¯s in the encampment.¡±


    In the encampment? Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. ¡°What happened to him?!¡±


    Yuwen Jin was astonished at the piercing look in his eyes. ¡°No¨CNothing. My cousin is safe and sound.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked incredulously at him. Feeling that Yuwen Jin didn¡¯t seem to be lying, he gradually relaxed and said, ¡°You guys handle the rest of them. I¡¯ll go out of the city to see him.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± said Yuwen Jin subconsciously. Not until Ling Zhang leaped out of the surrounding circle and whooshed towards the city gates by jumping from one rooftop to another did Yuwen Jin recall he had a question to ask Ling Zhang. ¡°Wait, Brother Zhang! You still haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re here! Don¡¯t leave yet!¡±


    However, Ling Zhang who had gone far away ignored him. Watching Ling Zhang¡¯s receding back, Yuwen Jin felt hurt.


    ¡­


    In the encampment of the army of the Great Wen.


    ¡°Dispatch delivery!¡±


    ¡°The city gates have been battered open. Our main force has gained entry.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was somewhat surprised. So soon?


    ¡°Someone helped open the city gates from within.¡±


    Someone helped open the city gates? The expression in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes immediately changed at the report and with that he sprung to his feet. However, he had just straightened himself when his face abruptly blanched, and even his breathing became difficult, but he clenched his teeth. The man kneeling on the ground didn¡¯t dare raise his head and thus failed to notice it.


    ¡°Where is that person?¡± enunciated Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°We¨CWe haven¡¯t seen them yet,¡± answered the man, nervously lowering his head further.


    Yuwen Tong made towards the door but had just gone two paces when his breathing became increasingly difficult. He had no choice but to halt. After a while, unreconciled to the situation, he commanded, ¡°Send some men to find him and keep him safe. Now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire!¡± The man immediately took his leave. Before long, he led a group of soldiers towards the exit of the encampment with the intention to find that person, but he had just walked through the gate when something occurred to him and he paused. Damn it! How was he supposed to find that person when he didn¡¯t even know who had helped open the city gates?


    At this time, Ling Zhang had gone through the city gates. His bodyguards, who happened to be not far away from the gates, all felt relieved at the sight of him and hastily clustered around him. A while ago, when Ling Zhang had disappeared from their sight in an instant, all of them had been startled to such an extent that cold sweat had broken out all over their backs.


    ¡°Liuzi, pick a couple of men and stay here to help. Dashan and all the others are to go with me to the encampment outside the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Ling Zhang led his bodyguards in a direction precisely opposite to that of the army flooding into the city. Halfway to the encampment, they met the team of soldiers detailed to look for them. Both groups halted.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The man leading the team had never seen Ling Zhang before, but he was surprised that Ling Zhang and the others had exited the city safely without being stopped by any soldiers, so he cautiously asked them to identify themselves.


    Wang Dashan walked up and showed that man his ID plate.


    At the sight of the words on the plate, the man leading the team was taken aback and hastily flipped aside the lower part of his coat armor with the intention to kneel to pay his respects to Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. There¡¯s no need for formalities,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The captain hurriedly straightened himself again and a flash of inspiration occurred to him as he looked at Ling Zhang. Recalling his task, he hastily asked, ¡°I wonder if it would be impertinent to ask whether Your Highness were the one who helped open the city gates.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a nod and looked in the direction of the encampment. ¡°Where¡¯s His Majesty?¡±


    The captain was overjoyed. ¡°His Majesty is right in the encampment waiting for you, and it was His Majesty who sent us here to go into the city to look for you and protect you.¡±


    Ling Zhang, however, slightly furrowed his brows at these words. He was positive that the Yuwen Tong he knew, after having guessed that it was him who had helped open the city gates, would have personally come out to meet him instead of quietly waiting in the encampment. Thinking about this, he asked, ¡°Is he occupied with something urgent?¡±


    The captain answered, ¡°No.¡±


    No? Ling Zhang resumed progressing at a much quicker pace, his bodyguards on his heels. The captain hastened to order his men to follow in their wake.


    Yuwen Tong was not otherwise engaged but was not here to meet him. This was very uncharacteristic of him. Ling Zhang who had felt relieved only a few moments ago became apprehensive again.


    He quickly entered the encampment, but Yuwen Tong was still nowhere to be seen. He further quickened his pace in spite of himself.


    When he reached the main tent, the fly was lifted and Yuwen Tong walked out. Ling Zhang involuntarily came to a halt, his eyes appraising Yuwen Tong. Yuwen Tong, however, strode towards him at the sight of him.


    He walked faster and faster until he stopped before Ling Zhang. ¡°You went to open the city gates? That was so dangerous. Are you hurt?¡±


    As he stopped speaking, he raised his hand and lightly tucked a strand of loose hair of Ling Zhang¡¯s behind his ear, and then he looked Ling Zhang all over very carefully to see if he had any visible wounds. ¡°I didn¡¯t bargain on you arriving so soon. I thought it would take you another two days. You must be quite anxious during the journey. I tightened the security after receiving your letter. Nothing happened.¡±


    But Ling Zhang stood still, fixing him with an unblinking stare, his eyes so sparkling it was difficult to tell what he was thinking about. Yuwen Tong looked away after a brief moment¡¯s eye contact with Ling Zhang. ¡°What aren¡¯t you talking? Is it because you¡¯re tired?¡±


    Yuwen Tong slowly reached out a hand and held Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, looking seriously at him. ¡°Or is it because you¡¯re hurt?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ling Zhang finally spoke, looking from Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes to Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which was holding his. Something feverish was gleaming in his eyes, but his voice was as calm as usual. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired. I¡¯d like to have some rest.¡±


    Yuwen Tong furrowed his brows slightly and immediately drew him towards the main tent. ¡°Then go inside and get some rest. The city gates have been opened, and there¡¯s no need for us to worry about the rest. Yao Yi, get some hot water here. And a meal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire!¡± answered Yao Yi immediately. He looked from Yuwen Tong¡¯s seemingly unruffled face to Ling Zhang and hastened off to make preparations as Yuwen Tong twisted his head around to look warningly at him.


    Ling Zhang glanced over his shoulder at Yao Yi and then said to his bodyguards, ¡°You guys may go and have some rest as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Yuwen Tong drew him into the tent without pausing, sat him on a chair and then stretched out a hand with the intention to undo his overgarment to check whether he was wounded. Ling Zhang grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and put a finger on his wrist to feel his pulse. After a few moments, his fingers quivered, and the look in his bright eyes which had been calm all along started flickering uncontrollably. Even his voice hoarsened instantly. ¡°You ¡­ ¡±


    As Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes which were turning sorrowful, his heart began to ache so badly as though someone were trying to kill him by squeezing it. The pain blinding him, he abruptly freed his hand from Ling Zhang¡¯s grip, opened his arms and swept Ling Zhang into his embrace, holding him with all his might.


    Ling Zhang felt a lump in his throat, barely able to breathe. Yuwen Tong¡¯s terribly irregular pulse threw him into panic. ¡°What¡¯s going on exactly? Why is your pulse so¨C¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, his whole body stiffened. Yuwen Tong was holding him so sightly that he could feel Yuwen Tong¡¯s heartbeat. His heart was hammering so madly as though it were going to ¡­


    He abruptly freed himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hug and pressed his palm against Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart. After a few moments, his palm started shivering as though its owner had been instantly drained of energy. ¡°Wh¨CWhat happened? What happened to you exactly? You¡¯ve got to stop scaring me like this.¡±


    After saying this, he looked at Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes in a flurried manner only to find that Yuwen Tong was also looking at him, a scarily inscrutable expression in his eyes. It was as though the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were going to devour him, but it also seemed as if Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind was wandering.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong!¡± shouted Ling Zhang hastily.


    Yuwen Tong blinked and with that the alarmingly inscrutable glint in his eyes ebbed away. ¡°Take it easy. I¡¯m fine,¡± he smiled.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang wouldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Xie Shi! Xie Shi!¡± he called out.


    Xie Shi immediately rushed inside, appearing panic-stricken. He mistakenly believed that something happened to Yuwen Tong, but after entering, he discovered that Yuwen Tong was safe and sound, while Ling Zhang was staring at him, the look in his eyes becoming frightening. ¡°What happened to him exactly? Why is his pulse so irregular, his heartbeat so rapid? Speak!¡± Ling Zhang demanded.


    ¡°S¨CSire is ¡­ ¡± Xie Shi sneaked a glance at Yuwen Tong and, taken aback by the admonitory look in his eyes, he continued through gritted teeth, ¡°Sire is under the influence of a kind of poison. I¡¯ve been trying to detoxify it, but I still need a little more time to finish the job. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not life-threatening.¡±


    ¡°Poison?¡± Ling Zhang raised his voice, pressing Yuwen Tong down onto a chair. ¡°What kind of poison?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¨CIt¡¯s a kind of common poison that influences the victim¡¯s mood. The poisoner¡¯s objective is to provoke Sire and make him irritable. Fortunately we detected it in a timely manner. With the help of the alexipharmic pills given by Mr. Mu, the poison is slowly being detoxified,¡± replied Xie Shi, keeping his head down. In the beginning his voice had been rather jerky, but after a few moments he had become fluent.


    Ling Zhang squinted at him. ¡°Really?¡±


    Xie Shi hurriedly bobbed his head. ¡°Yes, of course. I don¡¯t dare joke about Sire¡¯s health.¡±


    Ling Zhang twisted his head around to look at Yuwen Tong and, still holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, said, ¡°Mr. Mu¡¯s alexipharmic pills can detoxify any poison except for ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯, and there are no longer any poisons as rare and strong as ¡®Mrs. Pistil¡¯ in this world. If it¡¯s a common poison, you would have easily detoxified it. How come it¡¯s taking you so long?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Although we call it a poison, it actually doesn¡¯t seem like one. It¡¯s not very harmful to the victim¡¯s health, and I heard that it spontaneously disappears from the victim¡¯s body after a certain amount of time. Maybe that¡¯s why the alexipharmic pills don¡¯t work on it.¡±


    Skeptical as Ling Zhang was, he felt that Yuwen Tong and Xie Shi had no reason to lie to him about it. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that the poison is detoxifiable. Was it that envoy who came out of the city that day that administered the poison to you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°You know about the envoy?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head and then related to Yuwen Tong what he had heard from others and what he had found out in the enemy¡¯s base that day. ¡°It never crossed my mind that Chen Jing would be so cold-blooded as to sacrifice his blood relation to achieve these ends of his,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Xie Shi, who had a grave face.


    ¡°I pursued Chen Jing, but an old gray-robed man came to his rescue and whisked him away. The storekeeper of that variety store said that the old man¡¯s kung fu and lightness skills are excellent. I suspect that he was the very person Shan Congyi once told Xue Yi about,¡± Ling Zhang continued.


    Yuwen Tong finally came to know some information about the one who wanted him dead, but he had no recollection whatsoever of anybody matching that description.


    ¡°I forewarned you but you fell prey to his trick nevertheless. Fortunately Xie Shi has some alexipharmic pills made by Mr. Mu. Also, I¡¯ve sent a letter to Mr. Mu. Given the time of his departure, he should soon reach Shengzhou Pass. I¡¯ll have him examine you after he arrives here.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked apprehensively at Yuwen Tong¡¯s body, still unable to have complete peace of mind. What kind of poison was a poison but didn¡¯t function like one and couldn¡¯t be detoxified even by an alexipharmic pill?


    At this moment, Yuwen Tong¡¯s back was soaking wet with cold sweat, his chest numbed with pain. Also, he was barely able to keep his breathing normal. He wanted to release Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, fearing that Ling Zhang would find out about it if he kept holding it. However, his hand seemed unwilling to loosen its grip, as though it had its own will. And then he noticed the lingering apprehension in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and came to realize that he might not be able to conceal the truth for long. If Mr. Mu had just left Shengzhou Pass, it would be several days before he reached Jifang City to rendezvous with him. He was not sure whether or not he would be able to keep Ling Zhang in the dark about his real condition before the arrival of Mr. Mu.


    Xie Shi standing on the side observed that Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was gradually blanching, which unmistakably indicated Yuwen Tong¡¯s pain was going beyond endurance. He was worried that there might be unexpected consequences if Yuwen Tong kept subduing his pain like that. Then he noticed that Ling Zhang was lost in thought and hadn¡¯t spotted the change in Yuwen Tong¡¯s complexion, but at any moment Ling Zhang could raise his head and see it!


    He could feel his pulse throbbing in his throat, his nerves being strained like never before.

 Chapter 509 - Well Talk When You Recover Your Cool

    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Right at that moment, Wang Dashan¡¯s voice came from outside the tent. ¡°Liuzi made some discoveries in the city and brought something back. Qiu Bing is examining it. Would you like to take a look at it?¡±


    Coming to himself, Ling Zhang looked out of the tent and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there in a jiffy.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took in a large gulp of air against the pain which felt as though it were churning his insides like congee, and then said to Ling Zhang, ¡°You may go there and check it out. Some of my men should come back to report to me soon, so I think I¡¯ll just stay here.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head, cast him another apprehensive glance, and, seeing that Yuwen Tong¡¯s face was far more pallid than it had been a moment ago, stiffened briefly. ¡°Are you not feeling well? Why are you looking so much paler?¡± he asked.


    Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°It takes some effort to keep my cool.¡±


    As he made the reply half in jest, Ling Zhang was unable to tell whether he was lying. He switched his gaze to Xie Shi, who gave an affirmative nod at him in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a normal symptom.¡±


    It was only then that Ling Zhang rose to his feet, deciding to get the matter handled as quick as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look and be back in no time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head and walked him to the doorway of the tent. The moment Ling Zhang quickly disappeared from view outside the tent, he fully relaxed and slumped into a chair, cold sweat instantly welling up on his forehead, his face frighteningly pasty. Even sitting there seemed to be causing him pain, not to mention breathing.


    With an exclamation of alarm, Xie Shi immediately hastened up to him, quickly produced some silver needles and stuck them into a couple of key acupoints in an attempt to help Yuwen Tong recover himself, because only when Yuwen Tong calmed down would all his pain ebb away.


    Meanwhile, Ling Zhang, shortly after leaving the tent, felt his mind instantaneously clear as a chill wind whipped his face, and with that he came to a halt, knitting his brows.


    Something was not right.


    It was a Gu worm that had taken that envoy¡¯s life. In other words, the one who had orchestrated the whole thing was at least a Gu master. How come Yuwen Tong was suffering from poisoning instead of Gu? Also, why would the culprit go to such trouble as to use a strange, non-lethal poison when that envoy could meet Yuwen Tong face to face?


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart started racing madly, his worry intensifying instead of dissolving.


    He immediately swiveled around and unhesitatingly returned to the main tent.


    A while ago, when Yuwen Tong had come out to welcome him, he had felt rather strange, for Yuwen Tong¡¯s manner had been uncharacteristically restrained ¨C Yuwen Tong had merely stroked his hair and held his hand for a few moments; after entering the tent, Yuwen Tong hadn¡¯t touched him on his own initiative except for that hug.


    While these details were quickly flashing across his mind, Ling Zhang lifted the fly of the main tent.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s clothes were undone. He had just received acupuncture treatment performed by Xie Shi and was now limply lying in a chair, trying to cool himself down, his eyes closed, his hand on the table balled into a fist from the effort of fighting pain, blue veins standing out on the back of his hand, his face ghastly white, his forehead covered with fine beads of cold sweat. Maybe because he was concentrating all his efforts on battling against the anguish, he failed to notice that Ling Zhang had suddenly come back.


    Xie Shi, like Yuwen Tong, hadn¡¯t bargained on Ling Zhang returning so soon either. He was taken aback at the sight of Ling Zhang standing in the doorway. ¡°Your¨CYour Highness?¡± he stuttered.


    On hearing Xie Shi¡¯s astonished voice, Yuwen Tong promptly opened his eyes, which then met Ling Zhang¡¯s dismayed ones.


    ¡°You lied to me,¡± said Ling Zhang, his hand which was holding the fly quivering, his eyes staring squarely at Yuwen Tong.


    His chest and throat felt dry and constricted as though there was a lump in either of them, his lips pressed tightly together. Every breath he took brought him knifelike pain, as if the sight of Yuwen Tong cutting a feeble figure were a dagger sticking in his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Yuwen Tong managed two words in a would-be consoling tone, looking at Ling Zhang, the apple of his throat giving a quick bob.


    But the state he was in made him very unconvincing. At the sight of the scared and seemingly injured look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, he found himself unable to utter another word, and the pain that had just subsided surged in his heart again. Yuwen Tong stifled an anguished groan, slightly hunching forward in spite of himself, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, his fist on the table clenching.


    Ling Zhang, who had never seen Yuwen Tong like this before, was scared out of his wits and hurried up to him as quick as he could. ¡°Where¡¯s your pain? Where¡¯s your pain? Xie Shi!¡±


    Xie Shi was faint with anxiety. At the sight of Ling Zhang reaching out a hand to touch Yuwen Tong, he subconsciously yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t touch Sire!¡±


    Ling Zhang was amazed, but after only an instant, he rapidly withdrew his hand. He had no idea what was happening to Yuwen Tong, and Xie Shi was a physician, so he was willing to heed Xie Shi¡¯s words, but the next moment, Xie Shi said, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid I have to ask you to leave!¡±


    Ling Zhang found that request somewhat unacceptable. How could he leave Yuwen Tong when the latter was like this?


    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen this. Is there something else you want to keep secret from me?¡±


    Xie Shi hastily shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to you later. If you stay here, Sire¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± huffed Yuwen Tong through gritted teeth, casting Xie Shi a ferocious look. Then he slowly unclenched his tight fist on the table and made an attempt to take Ling Zhang¡¯s hand.


    Xie Shi had his heart in his mouth. Why did Sire still want to hold His Highness¡¯ hand when he was already in such great pain? Was he trying to kill himself with the agony?


    Ling Zhang felt that there was something terribly wrong with the current situation, and this feeling was particularly strong when he noticed that Xie Shi had almost jumped in alarm at the sight of Yuwen Tong reaching out to hold his hand. A quite vague idea crossed his mind and with that he subconsciously dodged Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand.


    An expression of disbelief instantly appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes as his attempt to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s hand failed. Though what with the pain, cold sweat was still trickling down his face constantly, in that instant his eyes turned ferocious like never before, some kind of anger and resentment welling up inside him. Someone wanted him to suffer pain every time he thought of Ling Zhang, and they wanted to make sure he could never touch Ling Zhang again. How could he yield like this? He would hold Ling Zhang tight and in no circumstances would he let go, not even if the anguish killed him!


    ¡°You will not leave!¡± Right after Ling Zhang withdrew his arm, Yuwen Tong flung out a hand, grabbed Ling Zhang¡¯s and pulled him into a rib-cracking hug.


    The cuddle was so tight a pained expression appeared on Ling Zhang¡¯s face as he was drew into Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace. Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms were wrapped around him so firmly as though they were made of iron. Yuwen Tong was hugging him very hard, but the pain it caused was nothing. What startled Ling Zhang was Yuwen Tong¡¯s reaction in that instant, his now abnormally high body temperature and the deathly pale face of Xie Shi who was standing opposite him. Even if Ling Zhang were retarded, which he was not, he would have by now come to realize that they were concealing something from him. He raised his hands and grabbed Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. Let go of me and let Xie Shi treat you!¡± he said urgently.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing he could do,¡± said Yuwen Tong, resting his head on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder. The pain in his heart was so sharp his vision began to blur, but his eyes were still fierce, his arms still binding Ling Zhang tightly. ¡°The pain is endurable, but not seeing you is not.¡±


    These words struck Ling Zhang as rather weird. Was there some kind of conflict between seeing him and letting Xie Shi treat him? And, Xie Shi couldn¡¯t cure him? How was that even possible? Given Xie Shi¡¯s consummate medical skills, he sure as hell should be able to cure Yuwen Tong. After hearing those words, Ling Zhang decided to stop Yuwen Tong from acting willfully, forcibly pulled Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms off him and demanded, ¡°What happened exactly? How come Xie Shi couldn¡¯t cure you? What kind of poisoning are you suffering from? No ¨C that envoy was killed by a Gu worm. Is there a Gu worm in you as well?!¡±


    Realizing how the situation was developing, Xie Shi no longer dared keep the truth back and decided to be honest with Ling Zhang so that Yuwen Tong would let him help, though Yuwen Tong might mete out punishment to him afterward.


    ¡°Previously I was uncertain about it, but now that we¡¯ve come to know the cause of that envoy¡¯s death, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a Gu worm inside Sire¡¯s body. This Gu worm is very strange. It¡¯s not poisonous, and normally it doesn¡¯t cause any harm, but once Sire thinks of you, he feels a throbbing pain in the heart. The closer you are to Sire, the worse the pain. Before meeting you, Sire was able to subdue the pain, but now it¡¯s getting past his endurance.¡±


    Xie Shi finished what he wanted to say in one breath, allowing Yuwen Tong no time to stop him.


    Ling Zhang stiffened at the explanation, his heart sinking. Where did such a weird Gu worm come from? With this worm inside Yuwen Tong¡¯s body, Yuwen Tong felt pain when thinking of him, and anguish when touching him.


    He made an attempt to free himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, but Yuwen Tong, who had anticipated it, tightened his hug, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± said Ling Zhang anxiously. ¡°Let go of me. I won¡¯t leave here.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took a deep breath. Sweat was welling up all over him faster and faster, and blue veins were flickering in his temples, but eventually he still slowly slackened his embrace.


    No sooner had he released Ling Zhang when the latter immediately left his side and said aloud, ¡°Xie Shi, take care of him!¡±


    With that he quickly left the tent without pausing for a single moment.


    Yuwen Tong abruptly started coughing badly, pressing his hands onto the table and exerting himself to stand up. ¡°Come back! Come back here!¡±


    ¡°Only when you calm down will I talk to you. If you keep acting like this, I won¡¯t say another word to you,¡± replied Ling Zhang, standing outside the tent, not showing the slightest inclination to walk back into the tent.


    ¡°Sire, His Highness is doing this only because he¡¯s worried about you. You need to listen to me and stop moving, or else His Highness might never be able to see you again!¡± Xie Shi cautioned Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong clenched his teeth, staring fixedly at Ling Zhang¡¯s figure outside the tent. It was quite a while before he sat back into the chair, leaned against the back of it again and closed his eyes. ¡°Do it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡± Xie Shi was relieved and immediately resumed the acupuncture treatment.


    Ling Zhang stood outside the tent. For a few moments his mind was blank and he was at a loss what to do. He had made the decision instinctively. He had been holding his breath during that long silence of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, and it was not until he had heard Yuwen Tong sit back into his chair to let Xie Shi resume the acupuncture that he had heaved a sigh of relief, his mind gradually starting to function normally.


    Yuwen Tong had fallen victim to a Gu worm.


    This Gu worm was very odd. It caused Yuwen Tong to suffer throbbing pain in the heart whenever Yuwen Tong thought of him, and if Yuwen Tong touched him, the pain would be even severer. Never once had he seen Yuwen Tong act like that before.


    There was nothing Xie Shi could do about that weird Gu worm.


    In other words, they didn¡¯t have a way to settle this matter, at least not until Mr. Mu arrived.


    Ling Zhang looked in the direction of Shengzhou Pass, his brows knitted. Even if Mr. Mu traveled non-stop, it would still take him at least seven days to finish the journey from Shengzhou Pass to this encampment.


    Yuwen Tong would continue suffering pain in the next seven days. More importantly, there was no telling whether or not the Gu worm inside his body would suddenly cause any other forms of harm to him!


    Ling Zhang involuntarily balled his hand into a fist, pressed it against his lips, opened his mouth and clamped it between his teeth. He was exerting himself to calm down as quick as possible, inwardly telling himself to stay composed and figure out a temporary expedient.


    His hand which had coiled into a fist was quivering in spite of himself, so he raised his other hand and gripped it to make it stop trembling.

 Chapter 510 - Your Pulse Is Getting Irregular Again

    While Ling Zhang was standing outside the tent, Wang Dashan who had waited in vain for quite some time came to look for him. He was astonished at the sight of Ling Zhang biting his own fist with his whole body tensed. He had never seen Ling Zhang so nervous as to look vulnerable. Ever since Ling Zhang had become the empress of the Great Wen, nobody had seen him look nervous or scared, not to mention helpless.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master?¡± asked Wang Dashan immediately, hurrying up to him.


    Ling Zhang looked up at him, released his fist from his teeth and put it down, his grave eyes on Wang Dashan. ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to Mr. Mu, and I need you to have it delivered by a carrier hawk right away!¡±


    Wang Dashan had a hunch that something had happened, but Ling Zhang didn¡¯t tell him what it was about, so he didn¡¯t persist with his questioning. Instead, he promptly left to prepare paper and a writing brush for Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang quickly wrote a letter and had Wang Dashan arrange for a carrier hawk to deliver it to Mr. Mu. If the bird was fast enough, there would be a reply in three days, but before that, he would have to wait.


    Ling Zhang glanced over his shoulder at the tent and recalled that his grandfather had once told him he had power over animals because of the Force of Blood in him.


    He didn¡¯t know whether it would work on creatures like Gu worms.


    But he wouldn¡¯t dare try that unless he had to, because if by any chance the method had the opposite effort, he would regret it for the rest of his life.


    He decided that he and Yuwen Tong should stay out of each other¡¯s sight in the next three days.


    However, before he could tell Yuwen Tong about this decision of his, Yuwen Tong¡¯s disapproving voice issued from inside the tent. ¡°Get that thought out of your mind. I¡¯d rather die right away than not to see you.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately turned on his heel, and, facing the fly of the tent, took in a large gulp of air and said aloud, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    If Yuwen Tong said the word ¡°die¡± once again, he would have Yuwen Tong regret it!


    There was a few moments¡¯ silence inside the tent. Then he heard Xie Shi say after a cough, ¡°Sire, your pulse is getting irregular again. Please calm down.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang outside the tent was torn between worry and anger. At the thought that Yuwen Tong was suffering pain in there, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to make any more reproachful remarks.


    Yuwen Tong was indeed a strong-willed man. Though having lost his composure, he could recover himself quickly if he wanted to. He was still in pain, but the pain was now bearable.


    Before Xie Shi came out, Ling Zhang kept waiting outside the tent, not even having any room in his head to think about going to check the suspicious thing brought back from the city by Yang Liuzi and the others.


    ¡°Sire has calmed down. I¡¯ll go and decoct some medicinal herbs. You ¡­ ahem ¡­ should stop being angry lest Sire get worked up.¡±


    ¡°I see. You may go.¡±


    Xie Shi inclined his head and hastened off to decoct medicinal herbs for Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t enter the tent immediately, unsure as to whether it was the right thing to do to meet Yuwen Tong, who had had a hard job cooling down. What if Yuwen Tong let his emotions get the better of him once again? There would be only three days before the arrival of Mr. Mu¡¯s reply, and he was positive that Mr. Mu had a way to temporarily hold the Gu worm inside Yuwen Tong¡¯s body at bay. The two of them hadn¡¯t seen each other for quite some time, and it was indeed a torture for them to stay out of each other¡¯s sight when they were so close to each other, but they only had to endure it for three days.


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    ¡°Get in here.¡±


    Ling Zhang wanted to tell Yuwen Tong that they should not meet in the next three days, that the latter should have a rest cure, but he had just uttered one word when Yuwen Tong interrupted him.


    ¡°Help me change clothes. They¡¯re soaking wet with sweat.¡±


    Ling Zhang hesitated for a brief moment, recalling that Yuwen Tong had indeed been drenched with cold sweat a while ago. Summer was not yet in sight, and the weather was still rather chill. Things would get tricky if Yuwen Tong caught cold, especially when there was a Gu worm inside him.


    However, he had just pivoted around and touched the fly when he withdrew his hand. No. Yuwen Tong would suffer pain at the sight of him. Helping him change clothes was an easy job, and a lot of others could handle it. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone else help you change clothes.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had risen to his feet inside the tent. On hearing this, he clenched his teeth. After standing there for a few moments, he walked up to the fly, reached out a hand and drew Ling Zhang inside. ¡°I would be suffering even worse pain if you stand out there tantalizing me,¡± he observed through gritted teeth.


    Startled, Ling Zhang hastened to look at him. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go a little further away.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡°¡­¡±


    No. Calm down.


    He took a deep breath, trying his best to clear his mind. ¡°Help me change clothes.¡±


    Ling Zhang freed himself from his embrace with the intention to feel Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse, but he had just stretched out his hand when he felt it was a bad idea and snatched his hand back. As he saw that Yuwen Tong was stubbornly staring at him, silently insisting on his helping him change clothes, the lines around his mouth tightened. After a while, he said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He followed Yuwen Tong into the inner compartment of the tent, fished out a change of clothes of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, and then told him to stand still.


    ¡°You are not to do anything. I¡¯ve written Mr. Mu a letter, and his reply should arrive in three days. I think he has a way to temporarily keep the Gu worm inside you at bay. All you have to do is hold on for another three days.¡±


    On hearing these words, Yuwen Tong, who wanted to hug him, was surprised and drew back his hand. ¡°Really?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I trust Mr. Mu.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought. Feeling that Mr. Mu was indeed the best physician he had ever seen, he said, ¡°Okay. Three days it is.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced up at him and then quickly lowered his head. ¡°Take off your clothes by yourself. Do it quick.¡±


    Yuwen Tong furrowed his brows, somewhat hurt that Ling Zhang was unwilling to undress him. No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than he felt an excrutiating pain in his heart and had no choice but to shift his attention elsewhere. He silently unclothed himself, appearing rather sullen.


    Ling Zhang didn¡¯t raise his head, but he could tell from Yuwen Tong¡¯s silence that the latter was unhappy. Still, there was nothing he could do. He really didn¡¯t dare touch Yuwen Tong once again.


    After Yuwen Tong stripped, he handed Yuwen Tong one after another the clothes he needed to change into. ¡°Put them on by yourself.¡±


    It was a few moments before Yuwen Tong quietly took the clothes and put them on one by one. The silence struck Ling Zhang as rather insupportable. Even he, who was in good health, found it unbearable, let alone Yuwen Tong who was suffering from a special condition. Therefore, he brought up something else to distract their attention. ¡°Do you have any idea who that old gray-robed man might be?¡±


    Yuwen Tong replied in a husky voice, ¡°No.¡±


    Half of the time he was straining every sinew to clear his mind, and the other half, he was looking at Ling Zhang, which was why he was too ambivalent and distressed to recall anything particular about the possible identity of that old gray-robed man.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s forget about that old gray-robed man for the moment. We don¡¯t know for sure whether he¡¯s the one Shan Congyi once mentioned anyway. But there¡¯s a very high chance the one who put a Gu worm in you was the very person Shan Congyi talked about. All Gu worms, one way or another, have something to do with South Xinjiang. The only Gu master from that area we had dealings with was the one who assisted Yuwen Zhi with his conspiracy to usurp the throne belonging to you. I don¡¯t know whether there are any links between the two matters. If there are, it would be fairly understandable that someone wants to take revenge on you.¡±


    This was what Ling Zhang had thought of when he had seen the Gu worm in the envoy¡¯s body. It had just never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would still fall victim despite the fact that he had forewarned Yuwen Tong and come to this encampment as quick as he could. This made him feel rather depressed.


    Yuwen Tong finally managed to spare some attention to that so-called Gu master. ¡°Sooner or later I¡¯ll have South Xinjiang flattened,¡± he said with a sulky face.


    Ling Zhang sighed, ¡°But presently our first priority is to rid your body of that Gu worm. I wonder what kind of Gu worm it is. Even Xie Shi doesn¡¯t know how to handle it. I¡¯m really worried.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to concern yourself. If worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll just force it out of my body at the cost of all my internal energy.¡±


    Ling Zhang frowned. That should be regarded as a last resort. Deep down there he was utterly unwilling to see things come to that.


    ¡°I could start all over again if my internal energy is gone. Besides, I¡¯m an emperor now, not a marshal, and I have a lot of people protecting me. It makes no difference to me whether I have kung fu or not,¡± said Yuwen Tong, sounding surprisingly optimistic.


    Ling Zhang might have believed Yuwen Tong had he not cultivated internal energy himself. However, his internal energy was pretty powerful as well, so he naturally knew that it made a big difference. There was no way Yuwen Tong could fool him on that score.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. Let¡¯s just wait for Mr. Mu¡¯s reply, and we should try to avoid seeing each other in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked up at him and then said, ¡°Come and sit here.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was confused, but he still walked up to the bed beside Ling Zhang and sat down and with that Ling Zhang suddenly thrust a pill into his mouth. ¡°Swallow it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knitted his brows, swallowed the pill and then asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°You should have asked first before swallowing it. Are you not afraid I might poison you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong was just about to contradict him when he felt a surge of drowsiness. ¡°Hypnotic drug?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. Have some sleep. I¡¯ll be here making sure everything¡¯s in order. The city has been taken. General Xiao and the others can handle the rest, and it¡¯ll be some time before the army could finish regroupment and be ready to depart for Jifang City, so just relax and sleep,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong disagreed. The two of them hadn¡¯t seen each other for such a long time. He wanted to spend some time alone with Ling Zhang, though he would be suffering pain while doing that. How could he lie down and sleep? However, the pill Ling Zhang had given him was quite potent. On top of that, in the past few days his mental energy had been depleted, and a while ago he had had yet another battle against pain, so he failed to resist the effect of the pill and soon drifted off.


    As he saw Yuwen Tong fell asleep, Ling Zhang felt relieved, carefully adjusted Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeping position, took off his overgarment and shoes, and then tucked him in. At the sight of the dark circles under Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, a twinge of sadness swept over him.


    Not feeling like finding himself a chair, he directly crouched down at the bedside, holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, looking at his sleeping face. Feeling Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse becoming perfectly steady and even after he fell asleep, Ling Zhang inwardly heaved a long sigh of relief.


    He kept holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, unwilling to let go. He had really been scared earlier this day. He hoped that Mr. Mu had a way to get rid of that Gu worm in Yuwen Tong¡¯s body. Otherwise he would have to use his Force of Blood, but even if it worked, the worm would only be restrained temporarily, and if the problem was to be solved thoroughly, Yuwen Tong would have to, like he himself had said, force the worm out of his body at the cost of all his internal energy, but that would no doubt take a heavy toll on Yuwen Tong¡¯s health.


    He didn¡¯t want to see things come to that. He wanted Yuwen Tong to stay healthy, to have powerful internal energy to protect himself, to enjoy longevity. It was at that very moment that Ling Zhang suddenly lost interest in unifying the three countries, feeling that all those things paled in comparison with Yuwen Tong being safe and sound, that if Yuwen Tong died, his life would cease to be worth living.

 Chapter 511 - The Method of Eliminating Gu Worms

    Mr. Mu¡¯s reply arrived sooner than expected. It was delivered to Ling Zhang on the morning of the third day. At this time the army of the Great Wen had fully taken over the city they had captured a few days ago. Also, troops regroupment had finished, and all units were ready to resume their northward advance.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had not seen each other for two days. Both of them found the separation unbearably torturous, but Ling Zhang was aware that Yuwen Tong was deeper in misery than he was, because the very thought of him brought Yuwen Tong great pain.


    The letter from Mr. Mu was virtually a lifesaver. Ling Zhang, almost bursting with eagerness, quickly opened the bamboo tube and tipped out the letter to read it.


    In the letter, Mr. Mu made a very concise reply, saying that that kind of Gu worms were very rare, that the art of raising them had almost been lost to the world. They fed on the affections of their hosts. They had originally been used by Gu masters living in South Xinjiang to punish unfaithful lovers. With that kind of Gu worms inside their body, an unfaithful lover would suffer unendurable pain in the heart every time they thought of the one they had transferred their affections to; the more they missed their new lover, the greater the pain; in some cases, the pain could be severe enough to take the victim¡¯s life.


    In addition, the more often the victim missed their lover, the faster the Gu worms grew. Normally, they would stay in their hosts¡¯ bodies for a month before mauling their hosts to death. The longer they lived in the hosts¡¯ bodies, the harder it would be to extract them. Even in South Xinjiang, this kind of worms were very unpopular. In the last imperial dynasty, some people had been employed in raising them, but over time Gu masters with the expertise in raising them had dwindled, and hardly anybody had heard of this kind of worms in the past two centuries.


    In the letter, Mr. Mu said that there was a way to lure the worms out, but he had to do it personally; however, given that the worms had been in Yuwen Tong¡¯s body for several days, and that Yuwen Tong had deep affection for Ling Zhang, the worms had probably grown up already, and if they stayed in there for another few days, it would be very difficult to extract them, so Mr. Mu told Ling Zhang to use his blood to entice the worms from Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s blood, apart from a deterrent to Gu worms, could also serve as a temptation to them. He could use his blood to lure the worms out, but there was a problem: the worms inside Yuwen Tong were a kind of Mother-Child Dyadic Gu. If the method worked, the Child Worm would be lured out first, and what with some kind of telepathic bond shared by the Child Worm and the Mother Worm, once the former sensed danger, the latter would start biting Yuwen Tong¡¯s insides instead of coming out. Therefore, Ling Zhang would have to let the Child Worm enter his body after enticing it out of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, and that was the only way to lure the Mother Worm out and kill it. As regards the Child Worm, the Force of Blood inside Ling Zhang would restrain it until Mr. Mu arrived and extracted it.


    Mr. Mu also specially mentioned that there was also a kind of telepathic bond between the worms and their raiser, who would suffer harm at the death of the Mother Worm and thus came to know about it.


    Ling Zhang let out a long sigh of relief at the knowledge that there was a way to lure the worms out. As regards whether or not letting the worm enter his body would put him in any danger, he didn¡¯t really care. Besides, he had an advantage over Yuwen Tong ¨C his blood could dampen the activity of the worm.


    Having come to know about this method, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t wait to entice the worms from Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    When he had walked through the door, he came to a halt, thought for a moment, then returned inside, took something and walked out again before making towards Yuwen Tong¡¯s tent.


    Yuwen Tong had not been in a good mood over the last few days. His face further hardened when Ling Zhang, a few moments after a guard outside the tent announced his arrival, still hadn¡¯t entered. Since when had Ling Zhang taken to having a guard announce his arrival before entering? But at the thought that maybe the reason why Ling Zhang had come here on his own initiative was because he had received a reply from Mr. Mu, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t bring himself to be mad at Ling Zhang. He said to the officers who had come to his tent to have a meeting about breaking camp to depart, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I need some privacy. We¡¯ll resume the meeting later.¡±


    The officers took their leave. When exiting the tent, they caught sight of Ling Zhang waiting outside and hastened to pay their respects to him, baffled as to why the empress was waiting. The marriage between the imperial couple had always been strong. Seldom had the two of them stood on ceremony like this, and Ling Zhang had hardly waited for the emperor to give him permission to enter. When had Ling Zhang ever waited instead of directly going inside?


    On top of that, in the past few days the atmosphere between the two of them had been fairly unusual. The emperor seemed to be in a bad mood, and the empress had scarcely left his tent.


    The couple of generals couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether the two of them had had a fight.


    Ling Zhang, unaware that these people had started making speculations so soon, gave them a nod of acknowledgement and then continued waiting for Yuwen Tong to get ready and ask him to enter.


    They hadn¡¯t seen each other for two days, and Ling Zhang was very worried that a meeting like this might cause Yuwen Tong wide mood swings again.


    ¡°Get in here already. What are you standing there for?¡± Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice came from inside the tent, sounding fairly unhappy.


    Ling Zhang tightened his hold on what was in his hand and then entered the tent.


    At the sight of him, Yuwen Tong¡¯s hands balled tightly into fists, blue veins standing out on their backs. He didn¡¯t say anything else, staring fixedly at Ling Zhang, a manifestly injured look in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang also felt rather upset as he saw this, but this time around he was here to help rid Yuwen Tong¡¯s body of the Gu worms, so delight soon took over. ¡°I got a reply from Mr. Mu. There is a way to get rid of the worms.¡±


    Astonished, Yuwen Tong sat bolt upright. ¡°Really?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Of course. Why else would I come here? The Gu worms will be extracted in a few moments and then you¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong felt a sense of relief which was followed by a sneaking suspicion. ¡°What kind of Gu worms are they? How are you going to get rid of them? And where¡¯s Mr. Mu¡¯s letter?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I left the letter in my tent. Mr. Mu says that the worms feed on people¡¯s affections, that they¡¯re very rare.¡±


    Then he related to Yuwen Tong what Mr. Mu told him about the worms in the letter, but he skipped the explanation of Mother-Child Dyadic Gu for fear that Yuwen Tong would disagree if he told him he was going to lure one of the worms into his own body instead.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind my blood had a function of this kind. I would¡¯ve spared you the pains you suffered in the past few days had I come to know about it sooner.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was also surprised that the problem was so easy to settle, but he still knitted his brows as he heard that Ling Zhang had to use his own blood to entice the worms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside right now and get it over with,¡± added Ling Zhang immediately for fear of Yuwen Tong becoming suspicious.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Yuwen Feng suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang affected an air of puzzlement, secretly scared, wondering if Yuwen Tong had found out something.


    ¡°Get Xie Shi here and let him handle it. He dresses wounds quicker,¡± Yuwen Tong explained.


    Ling Zhang inwardly let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay. I forgot about him out of anxiety.¡±


    Soon Xie Shi was summoned to the tent. Ling Zhang¡¯s method of extracting the Gu worms came as a very pleasant surprise to him, but after a moment he asked in confusion, ¡°Since the worms could be lured out by blood, it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be Your Highness¡¯s blood, right? I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Xie Shi and the others were unaware of the secret about Ling Zhang¡¯s blood.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang knew about it, the former¡¯s face faintly sulky. Yuwen Tong was rather unhappy about Ling Zhang having to use his own blood. At the thought that it was all because of the culprit who had put the Gu worms inside him, anger instantly rose inside him.


    Ling Zhang shook his head and said to Xie Shi, ¡°That won¡¯t work. I can lure out the worms with my blood because I once consumed a kind of special medicinal herb appealing to Gu worms. You¡¯ve never ingested anything like that, so your blood has no allure for the worms. It¡¯s no big deal. I can handle it. All you have to do is dress our wounds as quick as you can after the job is done. It¡¯ll be just a minor injury compared with the harm the worms could cause.¡±


    Though still somewhat bewildered, Xie Shi, seeing that Yuwen Tong raised no objections, believed that the medicinal herb Ling Zhang had consumed must be very rare. Since neither of his masters showed any inclination to explain in detail, he didn¡¯t persist with his questioning and just said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do what I can to help. I¡¯m pretty good at this kind of stuff.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head in a bluff manner. ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Ling Zhang had been behaving very normally all along, Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t suspect anything. After Xie Shi got the bandages and styptic vulneraries ready, they all went into the inner compartment.


    ¡°Lie down on the bed. I¡¯ll give you a pill the same as the one you took the other day. We¡¯ll start after you fall asleep,¡± Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong objected subconsciously, ¡°What do I have to be asleep?¡±


    With a serious look on his face, Ling Zhang explained, ¡°Mr. Mu said we need to have the worms relax. If you stay awake, the worms would be active and might be unwilling to leave your body. Your body is now rather tense. What if the worms refuse to come out? Surely you don¡¯t want us to bleed out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong wrinkled his brow at the last remark of Ling Zhang¡¯s. He didn¡¯t want to be asleep, but there was too much truth in Ling Zhang¡¯s words to ignore them. Most importantly, how could he bring himself to let Ling Zhang¡¯s wound keep bleeding?


    Xie Shi, listening on the side, became somewhat suspicious. If it was the active ingredient of some kind of herb that was supposed to lure the worms out, Ling Zhang could just put some of his blood in a container to do it. He didn¡¯t really have to leave his wound bleeding during the whole process. However, the first half of Ling Zhang¡¯s words made sense. The Gu worms would indeed be active if the emperor¡¯s body was tense. It would be best if the emperor was put to sleep, because in that case the Gu worms would relax and stop being dependent on his body. As this thought crossed his mind, Xie Shi said, ¡°His Highness has a point. You may rest assured that I¡¯ll be cautious, Sire.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was not an unreasonable person. Though reluctant, he still took the pill Ling Zhang gave him and lay down on the bed in the knowledge that him being asleep would make it easier for them to lure out the worms.


    Before long, he drifted off.


    Ling Zhang tentatively called Yuwen Tong¡¯s name and then felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s pulse. Having checked that Yuwen Tong had indeed fallen asleep, he undid Yuwen Tong¡¯s robes, revealing his chest.


    Then he rolled up his sleeve, leaving his white-skinned wrist showing.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Xie Shi nodded, carefully produced a sharp, thin dagger, disinfected it with a kind of decoction, lightly cut Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and then Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist.


    Blood flowed from the cuts.


    As Ling Zhang¡¯s blood trickled to Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, the tip of Xie Shi¡¯s nose twitched. He was not sure whether it was an illusion or not, but it struck him that Ling Zhang¡¯s blood did seem to give off a kind of unusual smell. It was some kind of indescribable aroma which almost disguised the foul smell of blood.


    ¡°Allow me to bandage that cut for you first, Your Highness,¡± offered Xie Shi hastily as he saw that Ling Zhang had lost a considerable amount of blood.


    Ling Zhang, however, was still eyeing Yuwen Tong¡¯s wound unblinkingly, his face quite tense. ¡°No,¡± he said.


    Xie Shi was amazed. Why?


    Right at this moment, something started wriggling beneath the skin around Yuwen Tong¡¯s cut. Xie Shi, whose attention was instantly arrested, watched with bated breath.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. It really worked! Mr. Mu was definitely worthy of his reputation as a miracle-working physician!

 Chapter 512 - The Death of the Mother Worm

    Translator: DragonRider


    Very soon, a thin transparent worm crawled out of Yuwen Tong¡¯s wound. At the sight of the Gu worm, Ling Zhang immediately held his breath, not daring move an inch, allowing his cut to continue bleeding.


    Xie Shi, however, raised his hand with the intention to stick a silver needle into the worm to kill it.


    Ling Zhang grabbed Xie Shi¡¯s arm with his other hand. ¡°Wait. We can¡¯t kill it yet.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t kill it yet? Why? Once again Xie Shi was astonished. He would be a terrible physician if he still hadn¡¯t realized there was something out of the ordinary about this matter. ¡°What are you trying to do, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Just do as I say, or else all our efforts will come to nought. Do not bandage my wound unless I tell you to,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Xie Shi didn¡¯t dare do anything rash, but he was still somewhat anxious. Of course he was not worried about the possibility of Ling Zhang harming Yuwen Tong, because Ling Zhang was the last person who had a reason to do something like that. However, what did concern him was that Ling Zhang might risk harming himself. How was he supposed to justify himself to Yuwen Tong if something happened to Ling Zhang?


    The thin transparent worm was crawling towards the cut in Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist so quickly as though it smelled something extremely tempting.


    The sight of this made Xie Shi¡¯s flesh creep. ¡°You want it to burrow into your body? No, you must not do that! Sire would never agree!¡±


    Looking at the worm with icy eyes, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Calm down. I know what I¡¯m doing. I never joke about my own life.¡±


    Xie Shi found himself unable to watch it happen and do nothing. As the worm reached the cut in Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist, he raised his needle and was just about to stab it to death when Ling Zhang rapidly immobilized him by hitting a couple of acupoints of Xie Shi¡¯s with his finger.


    ¡°Your Highness! You must not do this!¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Ling Zhang gestured for him to keep quiet, watching the worm burrow its way into the cut in his wrist. What with the tingling, itching sensation of numbness in that instant, a thin layer of fine beads of sweat broke out over his back, but he still stayed quite motionless, because he knew that the Mother Worm was still in there, and in no circumstances should he let anything happen to the Child Worm. He must endure the pain and allow the Child Worm to go deeper into his body.


    Xie Shi was so anxious his face was beaded with perspiration. However, he was unable to unblock the acupoints hit by Ling Zhang with his internal energy no matter how hard he tried. Right at the time when his anxiety began to blind him, he suddenly heard Ling Zhang say, ¡°Here it is.¡±


    Xie Shi was astonished. Only then did he notice that there was actually something else wriggling beneath Yuwen Tong¡¯s skin around the cut in his chest. After a few moments, a bigger, also transparent worm came emerging from the wound. He was astounded to such an extent that he seemed to forget why he had been anxious all this time. ¡°Wh¨CWhat¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ling Zhang unblocked Xie Shi¡¯s acupoints and hissed, ¡°Kill it. Hurry!¡±


    No sooner had Xie Shi regained his ability to move than he impaled the Gu worm on his needle, put it into a porcelain bowl containing a highly corrosive substance and with that the worm instantly started writhing madly. Before long, its whole body was dissolved completely.


    With a muffled groan, Ling Zhang¡¯s face suddenly changed, droplets of sweat instantaneously welling up on his forehead. Presumably having sensed the death of the Mother Worm, the Child Worm which had wormed its way into his body began to gnaw his flesh frantically. The pain that had spread all over his body in a flash caught Ling Zhang flat-footed. It was an agony the likes of which he had never experienced before, and which felt as though someone were scratching his insides with a knife.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Xie Shi was taken aback.


    Ling Zhang shook his head at Xie Shi, produced a pill and put it into his mouth. The pill melted as it went down his throat. Soon the pill took effect, its active ingredient beginning to permeate his whole body. The activity of the Gu worm mauling his insides seemed to be dampened, his pain deadened somewhat.


    It was his grandfather who had given the pill to him. The pill was meant to help him make a breakthrough in his cultivation of internal energy. It could enhance the Force of Blood in him, making it easier for him to reach the seventh layer. He was not ready to make a breakthrough yet, but the pill served another purpose. The idea had come to him in a flash of inspiration and he had decided to give it a shot. It surprised him that it was really working. Not daring take any more risks, he hastened to sit cross-legged, preparing to circulate his Chi. Meanwhile, he said to Xie Shi, ¡°Dress our cuts.¡±


    It was only then that Xie Shi came to himself as though waking up from a dream. He quickly applied some styptic drug to that rather ghastly wound of Ling Zhang¡¯s before scrupulously bandaging it, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly as if having something to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions after I finish my Chi circulation,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Xie Shi pressed his lips together and inclined his head. After dressing Ling Zhang¡¯s cut, he hastened to bandage Yuwen Tong¡¯s.


    ¡°There¡¯s no Gu worm in Sire¡¯s body now, right?¡± said Xie Shi. It had come as a great surprise to him that there had been two worms inside Yuwen Tong¡¯s body.


    ¡°No. There were two worms in total. They¡¯re a kind of Mother-Child Dyadic Gu,¡± replied Ling Zhang, closing his eyes as Xie Shi finished bandaging the cut in Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest.


    Seeing this, Xie Shi didn¡¯t dare ask any more questions. However, at the thought that there was still a Gu worm in Ling Zhang¡¯s body, he wrinkled his brow in worry, at a loss what to do.


    As Ling Zhang¡¯s Chi started circulating, his pain gradually eased. He speculated that Mr. Mu probably didn¡¯t know the Child Worm would react so violently to the death of the Mother Worm either, but no matter what, he could relax safe in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong¡¯s body had now been rid of Gu worms.


    Gradually, Ling Zhang entered a state of meditation.


    Silence reigned over the main tent.


    Meanwhile, in a room in Jifang City, the countenance of the old gray-robed man, who was sitting beside Chen Jing as his savior having a meeting about the plan for defending the city, abruptly changed. After a few moments, his face turned purple and with that he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Master?!¡± Chen Jing was startled.


    The old gray-robed man, after spitting out a mouthful of blood, seemed to be weakened so dramatically as though half of his life had been taken away from him, as though he had aged over ten years in the blink of an eye. It was such a frightening sight everybody in the room had a look of surprise and incredulity on his face, wondering what had just happened to him.


    The old gray-robed man, after spitting out the remaining blood in his mouth, panted for a moment and then said in a resentful tone, ¡°My Affection Gu died.¡±


    The Affection Gu died? Everybody in the room was baffled as to what the old man meant, everybody except Chen Jing, the only one aware of the truth, whose face registered alarm at the words. ¡°How did that happen? Didn¡¯t you say that nobody knows how to get rid of that worm?¡±


    The old gray-robed man flicked him a flinty glance and said, ¡°Clearly there¡¯s still someone who does. Now that the Gu worms have been eliminated from Yuwen Tong¡¯s body, you¡¯ll have to give up that plan of yours. Also, it surely has come to their knowledge that the death of my Gu worm has inflicted harm on me. I have to start closed-door cultivation to nurse my injury, and I won¡¯t be able to offer you any help before a full recovery, but Your Lordship may rest assured I won¡¯t let them get away with this. Sooner or later I¡¯ll have them pay for their actions, previous ones and recent ones!¡±


    Chen Jing had a somewhat sulky expression on his face, but he still had someone support the old gray-robed man back to his room to nurse his injury.


    ¡°Your Lordship, what did he mean by the Gu worms in Yuwen Tong¡¯s body?¡± someone asked.


    Chen Jing said through clenched teeth, ¡°Previously I had that old man put some Gu worms into Yuwen Tong¡¯s body, and I¡¯ve been waiting for Yuwen Tong to make nooses for his own neck. I want Yuwen Tong to suffer greatly before he dies a miserable death, because that¡¯s the only way I could have closure. Originally Yuwen Tong would surely die in a month, but it never crossed my mind he had at his service someone capable of extracting that kind of rare Gu worms!¡±


    ¡°What? So we missed such a good opportunity?¡±


    After being informed of what had happened, everybody else in the room felt indignant, cursing that old man for not having used another kind of Gu which could take Yuwen Tong¡¯s life sooner.


    Chen Jing made no other remarks, but the look on his face was quite ugly. It was him who had decided that Yuwen Tong should die a torturous death, and that old man had agreed with him. Both of them wanted to see Yuwen Tong suffer, feeling it the only way to get their revenge. Of course, the most important reason was that it wasn¡¯t easy for any of those deadly Gu worms to get close to Yuwen Tong. An Affection Gu worm, transparent and non-poisonous and light, could adhere to the target¡¯s clothes without them noticing, and, when stimulated by the target¡¯s body heat, it exuviated and transformed before burrowing its way into the target¡¯s body. The process was more complicated than that of any other Gu worm, but it was very difficult to detect. Also, it was the only Gu worm that could escape Yuwen Tong¡¯s notice. However, now none of it mattered any more. The worms had been eliminated from Yuwen Tong¡¯s body. How were they supposed to stop Yuwen Tong? This feeling became particularly strong when Chen Jing realized that Yuwen Tong had now been provoked.


    Would they really be able to hold Jifang City?


    Chen Jing, who had fought Yuwen Tong so many times, was aware that the odds were heavily against him, which was why he began to feel regretful. Had he known beforehand things would come to this, he would definitely have chosen to use a Gu worm capable of killing Yuwen Tong on contact and have that relative of his, who had been from a lesser branch of the Chen family, try his best to approach Yuwen Tong to get the job done. However, none of these thoughts of Chen Jing¡¯s would make any difference. It was already too late.


    Besides, if he had done that, Yao Yi and other bodyguards, all of whom had been forewarned, would by no means have allowed the envoy any chances to get close to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang kept circulating his Chi for nearly four hours before the Child Worm of the Affection Gu, presumably affected by the Force of Blood inside Ling Zhang, finally stopped moving.


    He opened his eyes and saw that Xie Shi was still standing guard on the side. Then he twisted his head aside and found that Yuwen Tong was still lying in bed. He made a hasty attempt to rise with the intention to check Yuwen Tong¡¯s wound but felt a sharp throbbing in the chest when he was halfway to his feet. He abruptly gasped, feeling as though he were stabbed. The pain was excrutiating and unexpected.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Xie Shi hurried over and helped him to his feet.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face was somewhat pallid. It was a few moments before the throbbing in his chest subsided. It seemed that just now that intense mood swing of his had stimulated the worm, but the worm quieted down again after only a short while.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The pain lasted only a brief moment.¡± Ling Zhang straightened himself and exhaled deeply.


    Xie Shi also heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Ling Zhang relax, but with that he furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°But how do we lure out the worm in your body?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Mr. Mu will be here in a couple of days. He has a way to entice the worm from my body. I¡¯m just using my blood to temporarily keeping the worm at bay. Don¡¯t worry. This is a Child Worm. It¡¯s not as vicious as the Mother Worm. It causes only occasional, momentary pain, which is nothing compared with what Sire suffered when the two worms were inside him.¡±


    Xie Shi, fairly skeptical, felt Ling Zhang¡¯s pulse. It was not until he checked that Ling Zhang¡¯s pulse was steady and even that he believed Ling Zhang.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Four hours.¡±


    Looking at Yuwen Tong lying in bed, Ling Zhang said, ¡°He¡¯ll wake up soon. Be careful not to let it slip.¡±


    An awkward expression appeared on Xie Shi¡¯s face. He would be violating his duty and disloyal if he concealed the truth from Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°All you have to do is not to mention it on your own initiative. In a few days, Mr. Mu will arrive and eliminate the worm from my body, and then this matter will be settled. There¡¯s no need to worry him. We¡¯ll soon depart for Jifang City. Taking that city is of vital importance, and we can¡¯t afford to let him be distracted by anything.¡±


    Xie Shi gave an involuntary shudder as he met Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. Eventually, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

 Chapter 513 - Its Okay Now

    Ling Zhang was at Yuwen Tong¡¯s bedside when the latter came around. He watched as Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes opened.


    ¡°How do you feel? We¡¯ve just eliminated the Gu worms from your body. Are you experiencing any discomfort?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Yuwen Tong found his chest much more relaxed now. All the annoying pains gone, he felt fully at ease. ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡±


    Also, thanks to that deep sleep, he got a second wind.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± smiled Ling Zhang, feeling a great sense of relief.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes rested on Ling Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t look very well,¡± he observed.


    The look in his eyes turned apprehensive as he caught sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s bandaged wrist, which he then took and stroked twice.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. It¡¯ll heal in a couple of days,¡± said Ling Zhang nonchalantly.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist was bandaged. Though unable to see the wound, Yuwen Tong could tell from Ling Zhang¡¯s awful complexion that the wound was nasty. He was filled with mingled heartache and guilt. Ling Zhang had written him a letter and forewarned him, but he had still fallen victim to his snaky enemy.


    As Ling Zhang saw Yuwen Tong silently looking at his wrist, he withdrew his hand for fear of Yuwen Tong overthinking it. ¡°I¡¯m really okay. The cut is only superficial. I¡¯ll be fine after it heals. It¡¯s you yourself that you should be worried about. Those Gu worms were so weird. It never crossed my mind that such bizarre Gu worms existed in this world. Also, the way they attack is almost impossible to defend against. Fortunately Mr. Mu said that this kind of Gu worms are very difficult to raise and the art of raising them is almost lost to the world. Otherwise they might bring unimaginable disasters.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes turned wintry at the mention of Gu worms and their raisers. ¡°It¡¯s high time we rid South Xinjiang of those evil creatures and people.¡±


    There had been two occasions when they had been in trouble owing to the craft of raising and using Gu originated from South Xinjiang. Gu masters from that area who refused to toe the line could be really bothersome. Ling Zhang also felt that they needed to do something to bring those people in South Xinjiang to heel, that they couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to the situation there, or else more and more people would fall prey to Gu worms. However, they would have to wait until the three countries were unified to be able to spare the time to rid South Xinjiang of the scourge of Gu worms.


    ¡°Where are the worms?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Dissolved,¡± replied Ling Zhang. It was a fact that Xie Shi had dissolved the Mother Worm in a highly corrosive substance named Bone-Dissolving Solution, so he was not lying to Yuwen Tong. ¡°It was an ugly creature. You don¡¯t want to see it. But from now on you need to carry with you a pouch of medicine to keep Gu worms away from you, so that this kind of thing won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Though Ling Zhang had put it this way, he was actually rather uncertain, because a Gu worm of that kind, when in its larval stage, was tiny and transparent, and it burrowed its way into the target¡¯s clothes on contact, and then, under the influence of the target¡¯s body heat, it exuviated, changed into another form and then wormed its way into the target¡¯s body. A Gu worm of that kind was very difficult to defend against.


    ¡°When Mr. Mu arrives, I¡¯ve got to have him tell me how to prevent this kind of worms from approaching. Otherwise I would never have complete peace of mind unless the Gu masters in South Xinjiang are wiped out,¡± Ling Zhang continued.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and stroked his face. ¡°Let¡¯s just put it down to experience. I¡¯m going to stop those Gu masters from doing more evil.¡±


    Ling Zhang twisted his head aside, rubbing his cheek against Yuwen Tong¡¯s palm. The next moment he felt a throbbing in the chest. It seemed that that Gu worm was making trouble again, but thanks to the deadening effect of Ling Zhang¡¯s blood on it, the pain in his chest, though continuous, was sufferable and not causing any intense bodily responses, so his countenance remained unchanged, and Yuwen Tong, stroking his cheek, didn¡¯t perceive anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Before you take action on those Gu masters in South Xinjiang, make sure you figure out a way to deter all Gu worms from approaching. Don¡¯t rush into anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Yuwen Tong was now rid of the Gu worms, the only thing he wanted to do was hold Ling Zhang, stroke him and kiss him, but what with the cut in Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist and the one in his own chest, he couldn¡¯t do anything more than that, so he just took Ling Zhang in his arms and kept kissing him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t make out in the next few days. Keeping me from touching you ¨C those worms did find my Achilles heel,¡± said Yuwen Tong, continuing pecking Ling Zhang¡¯s lips while edging away from Ling Zhang who was now panting for kissing.


    Ling Zhang lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder, chuckling, concealing the pained momentary look on his face. Though unable to cause him serious harm, that Child Worm inside him was giving him a tingling sensation, which was quite annoying.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and stroked the back side of Ling Zhang¡¯s head. After holding Ling Zhang for a long moment, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll march straight north to the Wan capital after taking Jifang City. Once their capital falls, it won¡¯t be long before we gain control of the whole Wan Kingdom. All I want to do is subjugate this country as quick as possible and then take you somewhere secluded to spend some time alone with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked up at him, a gentle look in his eyes. Yuwen Tong falling victim to Gu worms had scared him, which was why he also wanted very much to do as what Yuwen Tong had just said, but they were past the point of no return. After annexing the Wan Kingdom, they must press ahead and take the Luohai Kingdom as soon as possible. They couldn¡¯t afford to allow the Luohai Kingdom the opportunity to end its civil strife and get its second wind, which meant that he and Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill this wish of theirs anytime soon.


    But he didn¡¯t contradict Yuwen Tong. Instead, he said, ¡°That sounds good. I heard that the scenery in the northern part of this country is pretty good. We may go and check it out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Yuwen Tong, hugging him tight and pressing a kiss on his cheek. Then he failed to restrain himself, kissed the tip of Ling Zhang¡¯s nose, wrapped his lips around Ling Zhang¡¯s and eventually parted Ling Zhang¡¯s teeth.


    ¡­


    It had been quite some time since the last time they had cuddled and locked lips, so the kiss lasted a long moment.


    Xie Shi waiting outside was torn between delight at his two masters¡¯ extrication from the ordeal and apprehension about Ling Zhang¡¯s condition. The Child Worm was still inside Ling Zhang. Although Ling Zhang had said that it was no big deal, Xie Shi knew it would always be a threat as long as it was in Ling Zhang¡¯s body. Though it was not as vicious as the Mother Worm, the pain it caused when gnawing Ling Zhang¡¯s flesh was no doubt excrutiating.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness, I prepared an herbal meal which helps enrich the blood and Chi. You haven¡¯t eaten for hours. Please come and have some.¡± Xie Shi cleverly used food to distract the attention of his two masters in the inner compartment.


    Unsurprisingly, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang soon walked out. Neither of them had eaten anything in the past few hours, so they naturally felt hungry at the sight of the tonic congee on the table.


    Yuwen Tong took a look at the two bowls of tonic congee and found that they were different. The congee in front of him was mainly for enriching the blood and Chi, but Ling Zhang¡¯s was mainly for relieving uneasiness of mind. His eyebrows contracted slightly in spite of himself. ¡°His Highness¡¯ face is pale from loss of blood. Why are you giving him nerve-soothing tonic congee?¡±


    Xie Shi¡¯s heart gave a horrible jolt and with that he said, ¡°His Highness¨C¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been sleeping well in the past few days either, so I had Xie Shi make me some nerve-soothing tonic congee. I need to go and get some sleep after finishing this congee, so I won¡¯t be able to stay here keeping you company while you deal with military affairs,¡± explained Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong still had a slight frown on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t go back to that tent. Just sleep here.¡±


    Xie Shi looked at Ling Zhang, appearing somewhat nervous. Ling Zhang, however, remained composed. One of the changes that being an empress for all these years had brought to him was that he had learned how to conceal his feelings, and sometimes even Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking about. ¡°Your tent is not quiet enough. I¡¯d like to sleep in my own tent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them stay in another tent,¡± said Yuwen Tong. He was okay now. How could they still sleep apart?


    ¡°You have maps, the sand table and everything else you need in this tent. This is the best place for consultations. If you move to another place, there would be a lot of inconveniences. Besides, the main tent is a symbol, and it¡¯s of great importance to the cohesion of the army. You didn¡¯t meet any of the officers or soldiers when the worms were inside you. It¡¯s been such a long time, and I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve begun to worry. What you should do is have them come here to meet you, not tell them to go somewhere else,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes slowly raked Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance. Ling Zhang¡¯s words did make sense, but there wasn¡¯t really any necessity for him to do that. All those serving him knew exactly what kind of person he was, and there weren¡¯t that many rigid rules. Besides, speaking of the cohesion of the army, he himself was the ultimate guarantee of the troops¡¯ morale. The main tent was just a place for consultations. It was not as important as Ling Zhang had said it was. Ling Zhang was never a rigid person. Why was he ¡­


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his eyes and, slurping his tonic congee, said, ¡°Okay, then, you may catch up on your sleep during the day, but I want you to come back to this tent at night. Tomorrow we¡¯ll break camp. When we encamp again outside Jifang City, I¡¯ll tell them not to specially pitch a tent for you, and I¡¯ll put these things in another tent.¡±


    Ling Zhang paused briefly. Knowing that Yuwen Tong would become suspicious if he kept objecting, he replied, ¡°All right.¡±


    Unfortunately for him, that almost unnoticeable pause of his didn¡¯t escape Yuwen Tong¡¯s notice. Yuwen Tong lowered his eyes, the look in them growing unreadable.


    After finishing the tonic congee, Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and carefully examined it to check that the cut hadn¡¯t reopened.


    ¡°How could the wound have reopened if I never used this hand?¡± said Ling Zhang resignedly.


    The herbal meal Xie Shi had made him was congee, and he had eaten it with a spoon. His injured wrist had been in his lap from start to finish. He had hardly moved it, so it was impossible for the wound to reopen.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was scrupulous about it, determined not to let go before confirming everything was fine. He felt Ling Zhang¡¯s pulse throbbing as his fingers moved back and forth on the inside of Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist in a very gentle way.


    After a while, he finished examining it and suddenly said, ¡°By the way, where¡¯s that letter Mr. Mu wrote you? I¡¯d like to read it to find out the details. Those things brought me so many sufferings, but I still don¡¯t know what made them special.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt faintly alarmed, but he affected an air of regret and said, ¡°None of the others know about the Gu worms. I was worried there might be a leak which would cause the morale to drop, so I burned it while you were asleep. Actually Mr. Mu didn¡¯t give many details. I¡¯ve told you everything he said in the letter.¡±


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to wait until Mr. Mu arrives to ask him.¡±


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t persist with his questioning, Ling Zhang was secretly relieved. Yuwen Tong, who knew him very well, could tell what he was feeling from a mere change in the look in his eyes or his breathing. The sight of the brief unnoticeable relief on Ling Zhang¡¯s face sent his mind racing. Ling Zhang was keeping something back from him, presumably something concerning the Gu worms.


    While Ling Zhang was not paying attention, Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes quietly swept over Xie Shi¡¯s face.


    On sensing the gaze, Xie Shi raised his head and met Yuwen Tong¡¯s flinty eyes, cold sweat instantly breaking out over his back.

 Chapter 514 - You Want an Amicable Divorce?

    Ling Zhang had not perceived that Yuwen Tong had become suspicious, but Xie Shi found his legs trembling.


    In order not to raise doubts in Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind, Ling Zhang, after finishing his congee, went to sleep as he had said he would a short while ago. The moment he left, Xie Shi slumped to his knees before Yuwen Tong, too scared to even lift his head.


    Yuwen Tong remained silent. Xie Shi, unable to nerve himself to speak, furtively looked up at him.


    At the sight of Yuwen Tong looking at him with icy dissatisfied eyes, Xie Shi gave an involuntary shudder. A brief moment ago he had wanted to take his chances, thinking that maybe Yuwen Tong had not noticed anything out of the ordinary, but now he didn¡¯t dare hold on to that fond hope and hurriedly confessed that the Child Worm was in Ling Zhang¡¯s body.


    Yuwen Tong crushed the armrests on his chair as he listened. A Child Worm was in Ling Zhang!


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± railed Yuwen Tong, flying into a temper, radiating a palpable sense of power so potent Xie Shi found himself unable to straighten his back, beads of cold sweat welling up profusely on his forehead.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t occur to me there were two Gu worms. When I realized what His Highness intended to do, I tried to stop him but he hit my acupoints and immobilized me ¡­ ¡± said Xie Shi in a guilty voice. ¡°I failed in my duty. Please punish me, Sire!¡±


    ¡°Why did you keep it back from me?¡± demanded Yuwen Tong, furious, his heart aching for Ling Zhang, feeling a throbbing in his chest which should have disappeared for good with the extraction of the Gu worms.


    ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t want you to be distracted by anything before the upcoming battle outside Jifang City. He also said the Child Worm is not as vicious as the Mother Worm, that his internal energy has an intrinsically deterrent effect on that kind of creatures, that the Child Worm wouldn¡¯t be able to do him any harm inside his body, and in a couple of days Mr. Mu would arrive and get it out.¡± Xie Shi repeated Ling Zhang¡¯s words to Yuwen Tong, but he showed no inclination to defend himself, for he knew that it had been remiss of him to help Ling Zhang conceal the truth, no matter for what reason he had undertaken to do that. ¡°I failed to keep His Highness safe, and I lied to you. I deserve the severest punishment for such actions. I request permission to return to the Shadow Battalion to receive my punishment.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were still glacial. He opened his mouth and was just about to speak when footsteps came from outside the tent and he looked up in the direction of the doorway.


    ¡°Xie Shi is not the one to blame for this. I made him promise not to tell you. I¡¯m the empress, and they have orders from you to follow my commands as they follow yours. He would be disobeying you had he disobeyed me,¡± said Ling Zhang after entering the tent.


    He had decided to come back to the tent to tell Yuwen Tong that a couple of days ago Yang Liuzi and some others had discovered in the city the body of someone who presumably had been a henchman of Chen Jing¡¯s. That person had entered the city through the city gates facing in the direction of Jifang City, unluckily got caught in the battle and later died in the street before he could rendezvous with Chen Jing, a secret letter in his bosom. At that time Wang Dashan and the others had been unsure as to whether or not there was any truth in the message in the letter, so they had requested him to check it out, but unexpectedly, shortly after that he had been informed of Yuwen Tong falling victim to Gu worms and had not been in the mood for dealing with that matter ever since. Two days later he had forgotten about the whole thing, and it was not until he had caught sight of Wang Dashan standing guard outside that he had recalled it and returned to the main tent with the intention to talk to Yuwen Tong and ask him his opinion about it. He had not bargained on overhearing a conversation between Yuwen Tong and Xie Shi.


    If truth be told, Ling Zhang was a little angry. It had never crossed his mind that Xie Shi would yield so easily and betray his trust so soon. However, though annoyed, he felt it unfair to make Xie Shi a scapegoat. If he did that, he would be too ashamed to ask Xie Shi or any of the others to do anything else for him.


    At the sight of Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong stood up, fixing him with a stare. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have lied to me. I would¡¯ve preferred to let those goddamn Gu worms stay in my body,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang sighed, ¡°I knew you would, which was the very reason why I kept it secret from you. I¡¯m really fine. Do you not remember I ¡­ ¡±


    Ling Zhang was just about to blurt out the matter of the Force of Blood in him when he held it back as he realized that Xie Shi was present.


    Yuwen Tong immediately said to Xie Shi, ¡°Your service is still needed at the moment, so I¡¯ll postpone punishing you. You are to go back to the Shadow Battalion to receive your punishment on your own initiative when all this is over.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I told you Xie Shi is not the one to blame. I made him swear not to tell you,¡± said Ling Zhang hastily.


    But Yuwen Tong refused to relent. ¡°I did give them orders to follow your commands, but on one condition ¨C that they are to guarantee your safety, not to let you get hurt! Even if I were the one trying to harm you, they should still protect you without a second thought!¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth but suddenly found himself unable to speak.


    At this moment, Xie Shi¡¯s forehead was within an inch of touching the ground. He knew he had done the wrong thing. The emperor was right. He was supposed to keep the empress safe. He shouldn¡¯t have concealed the existence of the Gu worm in the empress¡¯s body from the emperor, subjectively believing that he was doing it to save the emperor from being distracted. It was not for him to decide whether that would be a distraction. That was the emperor¡¯s decision to make.


    ¡°I deserve to be punished, Sire.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Say one more word to intercede for him and I¡¯ll double his punishment.¡±


    Ling Zhang immediately shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word on that score.


    ¡°Leave us, Xie Shi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    After Xie Shi took his leave, Ling Zhang said in a quite injured tone, ¡°Xie Shi would nurse grievances against me if you punish him for this.¡±


    ¡°If he couldn¡¯t see where he¡¯s wrong when his mistake is staring him in the face, I¡¯ll send him packing and never reinstate him, despite his consummate medical skills,¡± said Yuwen Tong very explicitly. ¡°Do you still not understand? Nothing is of greater importance to me than you are.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes reddened. Yuwen Tong was of no less importance to him than he was to Yuwen Tong, which was why he didn¡¯t want Yuwen Tong to be worried, or distracted on the battlefield, or faced with even the slightest possibility of danger. If anything happened to Yuwen Tong, everything he had done would be meaningless. This incident had made him realize that all he really wanted was for Yuwen Tong to stay safe and sound, that Yuwen Tong staying safe and sound was more important than anything else.


    The sight of his eyes reddening rendered Yuwen Tong powerless to say another reproachful word. He felt an urge to hug and console him, but he had just reached out his hand when he recalled the worm in Ling Zhang¡¯s body and managed to withdraw it, fearing that him touching Ling Zhang would bring the latter agony in the heart.


    Eyes red with tears, Ling Zhang looked confusedly at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yuwen Tong clearly had wanted to hug him. Why had he drawn back his hand?


    Yuwen Tong felt very upset, a painful lump in his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause you pain.¡±


    It was a brief moment before Ling Zhang caught on to what he meant. ¡°You won¡¯t!¡± he said hastily, shaking his head.


    The words had hardly left him when he felt a severe throbbing in the heart. It seemed that his intense mood swing stimulated the worm in him. However, Ling Zhang exerted himself and managed to subdue the pain. In order to prevent Yuwen Tong from finding out about it, he flung his arms around Yuwen Tong. ¡°I¡¯m really okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong stiffened. He wanted to push Ling Zhang away but didn¡¯t dare.


    ¡°Mr. Mu was the one who told me to use this method to get rid of the Gu worms. Surely you don¡¯t think Mr. Mu meant me harm? I have the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in me, and my Force of Blood has been growing with my internal energy. In ancient times, phoenixes had all other animals in their power. They were the ultimate bane of creatures like Gu worms. Although the Force of Blood in me couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Ji Yanlai¡¯s, it¡¯s more than powerful enough to hold a Child Worm at bay. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may feel my chest and pulse. I¡¯m fine, truly.¡±


    Yuwen Tong still didn¡¯t dare move, not because he disbelieved Ling Zhang¡¯s story but because he worried he might hurt Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist. ¡°Your wound. Stop hugging me. The cut might reopen if you don¡¯t let go of me right away,¡± he said anxiously.


    The anxiety in Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice drew Ling Zhang¡¯s attention back to his wrist. Feeling that Yuwen Tong believed him, Ling Zhang slowly slackened his embrace. A moment ago, what with that mood swing of his, he had forgotten about the cut in his wrist, which was now indeed aching dully. It probably had reopened slightly, but the styptic drug Xie Shi had administered to it was very efficacious, and the wound had been healing well, so it was not bleeding badly. At least the blood was not seeping through the bandages.


    Yuwen Tong gingerly checked his wrist and severely cautioned him not to use that hand again. ¡°You are not to do anything by yourself before the cut fully heals. Have Wang Dashan and Liu Yi stay by your side at all times. I¡¯ll hold them responsible if this cut in your wrist worsens a little bit.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who was eager to distract Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention, naturally agreed without hesitation.


    Yuwen Tong sat him down into a chair with such care as though he were something fragile. Ling Zhang wanted to remind him, but at the sight of the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, he found himself unable to say anything. He hastened to hold Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm with his uninjured hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m perfectly all right. Trust me.¡±


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes was heavy with emotional upset. He took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand off him, holding it. ¡°I trust you. I just hate myself for not being strong enough. I wouldn¡¯t have fallen victim to that Gu master¡¯s trick were I more powerful. It¡¯s my fault you¡¯re suffering from all this¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that. What do you mean by ¡®it¡¯s your fault¡¯? Is it really necessary for us to be so clear about this kind of stuff? Why are you acting like this? Is it because you want an amicable divorce?¡± Ling Zhang interrupted him immediately, throwing a couple of sharp questions at him. His worry had been replaced by a sudden surge of anger.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face also changed at the last question. ¡°In no circumstance will I do that!¡± he demurred, fixing Ling Zhang with a gaze.


    ¡°Then stop saying that kind of stuff to anger me!¡± huffed Ling Zhang, his eyes reddening again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have said that. Since you and I are a married couple, we are one. Should I not share your burdens? Should I not offer you help when you¡¯re in trouble? The reason why I kept it back from you was because I didn¡¯t want you overthinking it. How am I supposed to be honest with you about everything knowing that you would see it this way, that you would say this kind of stuff when I tell you the truth? Yuwen Tong, the way I see it, you¡¯ve grown quite some balls, or maybe those goddamn Gu worms damaged your brain. Don¡¯t you dare say anything like that again!¡±


    Yuwen Tong was taken aback by the series of questions from Ling Zhang. Then he noticed Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes reddening for emotional arousal and promptly admitted his mistakes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. All those words of mine were rubbish. Take it easy.¡±


    Ling Zhang was consumed with anger. Maybe because of his agitation, the Child Worm in him gave his insides another couple of bites and he narrowly avoided showing a pained expression on his face. Fortunately Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention was focused on something else. Otherwise he might really let the cat out of the bag.


    ¡°Repeat what you just said,¡± requested Ling Zhang.


    Looking at him, Yuwen Tong obediently did as Ling Zhang asked. ¡°I hate myself for not being strong enough. I¡¯ll be extra careful and I¡¯ll never fall prey to this kind of trick again. I won¡¯t let myself be subjected to this kind of suffering or worry you again.¡±


    ¡°There you go. Be careful with your words from now on!¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said with an earnest inclination of the head, ¡°I understand.¡±


    After saying that, he quietly looked at Ling Zhang¡¯s face and then wiped the fine beads of sweat off Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead. ¡°Is it aching badly?¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart lurched. What? Had he been showing it on his face?

 Chapter 515 - He Did Not Dare Lie Again.

    Ling Zhang stiffened with alarm. Yuwen Tong standing opposite him inwardly gave a mirthless smile as he saw Ling Zhang¡¯s face registering embarrassment as though he were caught red-handed.


    Ling Zhang blanched, cold sweat breaking out over his forehead. He had believed that his pretence was flawless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you!¡± said Ling Zhang, feeling terribly upset at Yuwen Tong¡¯s mirthless smile. Worried that Yuwen Tong might overthink the situation, he hastened to confess.


    With that he admitted the Child Worm in him had been causing him pain on occasions. ¡°The pain is only occasional, really. Believe me. It¡¯s okay as long as I¡®m not experiencing an intense mood swing.¡±


    Looking at Ling Zhang¡¯s bearing of mingled nervousness and alarm, Yuwen Tong came to know that this time around he was telling the truth, but recently this guy had always been trying to keep things back from him, and he would have still been in the dark about this matter had he not found out about it by himself; he needed to mete out punishment to this guy. As regards what kind of punishment would be suitable, he had to give it some thought before making a decision. Though inclined to punish Ling Zhang right away, he restrained himself in the knowledge that the Child Worm was still inside Ling Zhang, that if by any chance he caused Ling Zhang¡¯s mood to fluctuate and the worm to make trouble again, he would end up suffering from guilt and heartache.


    ¡°I want you to have a nice rest in the next couple of days. I¡¯ll handle all the military affairs before Mr. Mu arrives, so don¡¯t concern yourself with anything, and don¡¯t give the worm the chance to cause you pain,¡± said Yuwen Tong, caressing him.


    Ling Zhang scrutinized his face. He was letting it go? He was not mad any more?


    Naturally Yuwen Tong perceived that Ling Zhang was furtively studying his countenance. He inwardly snorted but showed nothing on his face. ¡°Just sleep here. Don¡¯t go back to that tent. Don¡¯t make me worry. Okay?¡±


    Ling Zhang, who didn¡¯t dare say no in these circumstances, immediately replied with a nod, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll sleep here.¡±


    Having found no sign of anger on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, Ling Zhang inwardly let out a sigh of relief. He did everything Yuwen Tong told him to do. He even obediently let Yuwen Tong help him take off his clothes and shoes.


    ¡°Do you feel any pain when I touch you like this?¡± Yuwen Tong asked him gently.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Now relaxed, he had better control over that Child Worm. He carefully circulated his internal energy and the worm remained calm, unable to do him any harm.


    ¡°Good. Now lie down,¡± said Yuwen Tong in a low and deep voice.


    Ling Zhang meekly settled himself in the bed. After tucking him in, Yuwen Tong felt like kissing him on the brow but forbore from doing so for fear of stimulating the worm inside Ling Zhang. Instead, he patted Ling Zhang¡¯s chest which was covered with quilt. ¡°Sleep. I won¡¯t leave until you get to sleep.¡±


    What with the process of extracting the Gu worms, Yuwen Tong had not left this tent for hours. Worrying that there might be something urgent that Yuwen Tong needed to deal with, Ling Zhang closed his eyes immediately after hearing Yuwen Tong¡¯s words. He did not try to convince Yuwen Tong to leave directly. Yuwen Tong not being mad at him struck him as amazing enough, not to mention Yuwen Tong being so gentle at this time ¡­ Ling Zhang instinctively felt that he must not disobey Yuwen Tong in these circumstances.


    As Yuwen Tong saw Ling Zhang meekly close his eyes to sleep, his pat on the quilt became lighter, the look in his eyes turning impenetrable. He softly moved a strand of loose hair behind Ling Zhang¡¯s ear and then just looked at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was indeed tired. Also, he was anxious for Yuwen Tong to clear his mind and leave to perform his duty, so after closing his eyes, he began to circulate his internal energy slowly, deepening his breathing in an effort to calm down. Gradually, he relaxed and after a few moments, he really drifted off to sleep.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang had a very long sleep. It was early the next morning that he woke up. Dawn had not broken yet, and there were torches still ablaze outside.


    The moment he awoke, he felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms around him with the quilt in between. Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace was so warm that even his act of opening his eyes was languid. When his eyes were fully open, he realized something, hurriedly twisted his head around and felt relieved as he saw that Yuwen Tong was covered with a quilt as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Yuwen Tong woke up shortly after Ling Zhang. As he saw Ling Zhang looking at him with burning eyes, he felt a constriction in the throat and subdued an urge to kiss Ling Zhang. ¡°Are you experiencing any discomfort? Is it aching again?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No discomfort. No pain,¡± replied Ling Zhang honestly, looking at Yuwen Tong with earnest eyes, hoping that Yuwen Tong believed he was not lying.


    Now Ling Zhang didn¡¯t dare even thinking about lying to Yuwen Tong, because Yuwen Tong had found out about what he had believed he had been doing a very good job concealing.


    Because Ling Zhang looked well and had slept the whole night through, Yuwen Tong knew that he was not lying. ¡°If you¡¯re experiencing any discomfort, you must tell me. I need to know,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will,¡± Ling Zhang promised immediately.


    ¡°We¡¯re breaking camp today. The army depart in two hours. Have something to eat after washing. You haven¡¯t had anything since last night.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong wanted very much to hold Ling Zhang for a little while longer, but considering Ling Zhang¡¯s hunger, Yuwen Tong got up, scooped Ling Zhang out of the quilt and dressed him before allowing him to go outside to wash, pee and make himself more presentable.


    Xie Shi had got up very early and supervised the cooks preparing Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong¡¯s breakfast. On hearing the movement in the main tent, he came to know that the imperial couple had got up and then he brought their breakfast into the tent.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong breakfasted and had a few moments¡¯ rest. Xie Shi examined Ling Zhang and checked that he was fine. Before long, the army broke camp, preparing to depart.


    ¡­


    Jifang City was a fairly long distance away from this city, mainly because the vast land in between was not suitable for building a city. It was not suitable for farming either and thus was basically desolate.


    Yuwen Jin and He Xiao, leading the vanguard, were riding ahead of the main force, clearing the road of obstacles. Just like this, the army kept advancing until they were twenty li (a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters) away from Jifang City. This journey alone took them over two days. It was at dusk on the third day that they arrived at the destination.


    Jifang City was located in a basin in a valley. Further ahead was a mountain pass guarded by Wan soldier¡¯s. Yuwen Jin and He Xiao took some men, covertly reconnoitered it and reported to Yuwen Tong that the mountain pass was a natural barrier, easy to hold but hard to attack, that this time it was really going to be a tough battle.


    Yuwen Tong was very composed. He had some time ago come to know about the terrain around Jifang City.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry about attacking. Let¡¯s check out the lay of the land first.¡±


    Members of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had long since charted areas around Jifang City and knew the terrain down pat, but the situation had changed somewhat, and it was inadvisable to rely entirely on the maps provided by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. They still needed to scout out the lay of the land themselves. On top of that, the troops had traveled for over two days and could use some rest. In addition, the North-Western Army led by Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke had not arrived yet.


    They had received a message the day before, which said that the North-Western Army had just taken a city to the east of Jifang City, that the North-Western Army needed another two days to reach Jifang City. As a result, it would be at least four days before they could mount an offensive on Jifang City.


    ¡°Jifang City¡¯s geographical location is special. We need to psych ourselves up for a long battle. Don¡¯t rush into anything. Make sure everybody knows about this. It¡¯s going to be a tough fight. Keep your cool and stay sharp. Nobody makes any slip-ups,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± chorused Yuwen Jin and He Xiao.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong had a conference tent pitched in the vicinity of the main tent as he had said, leaving only his and Ling Zhang¡¯s daily necessities in the main tent, which was now a private space of theirs.


    Ling Zhang had been having a rest cure in the past few days. Before the army departed, he had given Yuwen Tong the secret letter found by Yang Liuzi and some others. He had not got a reply from Yuwen Tong yet and was unaware of what Yuwen Tong was going to do. However, no matter what Yuwen Tong¡¯s plan was, they needed to verify the information in the letter first. Besides, Chen Jing, who had not received the letter, probably had suspected the letter had fallen into their hands and might have made some other arrangements. All the messages in the letter needed to be taken seriously.


    ¡°Your Highness, did the Child Worm cause you pain in the past two days?¡± asked Xie Shi, feeling Ling Zhang¡¯s pulse.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Twice. During the journey.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knew both of the occasions, because he had happened to be beside Ling Zhang when the worm had suddenly attacked. He had been caught flat-footed and his face had changed drastically, which was why Yuwen Tong had immediately come to know about it.


    However, the Child Worm had only bitten him twice in the past few days, and Ling Zhang felt thankful because it had happened a lot less often than he had expected it would. On this day, the worm had been quiet all along. If things went on like this, the worm would very likely be restrained for good. In addition, Mr. Mu was on his way to this place and would arrive in a couple of days.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong was having a meeting with Xiao Jiangyue and some others. Ling Zhang was told to sit it out because of the worm inside him, but his bodyguards had been collecting intelligence all the time, delivering messages about the mountain pass outside Jifang City to Ling Zhang frequently.


    ¡°There¡¯s a branch of the chamber of commerce in Jifang City. One fifth of the stores in there are affiliated to the chamber of commerce. There are many members there, and they¡¯re from a large variety of backgrounds. They could be of great help at a crucial juncture,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang did not make any immediate remarks. Instead, he studied the map of the mountain pass outside Jifang City for quite a while and then said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. No matter how many there are of them, they certainly don¡¯t outnumber the defenders in the city.¡±


    On that day, when Ling Zhang had entered Jifang City with a caravan, he had observed the situation in it. Although he had not got the chance to check the defense in detail, he had a general idea of what it was like. If truth be told, the garrison in Jifang City mainly relied on the natural barrier. They didn¡¯t need any ingenious defense plans. As long as they made full use of the natural barrier, the army of the Great Wen would have a hard job to take the city.


    It was very likely that the stores affiliated to the chamber of commerce in the city which could be requisitioned had been requisitioned. There was no telling how many of his men in there had been press-ganged into the Wan army.


    Even if some of them had been press-ganged into the garrison, there wouldn¡¯t be much they could do from within, because the enemy wouldn¡¯t put any of them in an important position.


    As a result, Ling Zhang, from the very beginning, had never intended to have his men help open the city gates from within as he had done in the other cities. The chamber of commerce had planted some men in Jifang City mainly to gather intelligence. Right now he had in hand a map of Jifang City which was presumably the most detailed one, and which had been made based on information collected by members of the chamber of commerce who had painstakingly scouted the lay of the land. It was this map that was the key.


    Yuwen Tong also had a copy of the map. Ling Zhang believed that he would put it to good use. What he needed to do was offer some help if the occasion arose during the attack. If there was indeed something he could do, it would probably be related to his ability to deploy Formations.


    Therefore, over the past few days, Ling Zhang during the journey had been studying the terrain of the mountain pass outside Jifang City by reading the map.

 Chapter 516 - Joining Forces with the North-Western Army

    Two days later, the North-Western Army detoured around Jifang City from the east and joined forces with the army led by Yuwen Tong.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi came to seek an audience with Yuwen Tong, both of them quite excited. The North-Western Army had encountered significant obstacles on their way to this city, but now they finally rendezvoused with Yuwen Tong¡¯s troops. It had been six years, and the two of them finally could fight side by side with Yuwen Tong once again.


    Looking at his two trusted lieutenants, Yuwen Tong also felt transports of emotion bubbling up inside him. The two of them had fought shoulder to shoulder for ten years and were his most capable subordinates. Considering Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s abilities, he should have long since promoted them. Actually their contribution was more than enough to earn each of them a title of marquess. The reason why Yuwen Tong had not bestowed on them any titles of nobility was because his plan to unify the three countries had not succeeded yet, and if they did not have any titles of nobility, it would be more convenient for the two of them to continue to be in command of the North-Western Army, and he would continue to have complete control over the army.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi paid their respects to Yuwen Tong, excitement written all over their faces. It would indeed be an honor to be made a marquess, but serving Yuwen Tong mattered even more. They had been, still were, and would continue to be Yuwen Tong¡¯s most competent and most loyal lieutenants.


    ¡°Sire, every member of the North-Western Army is ready to fight for you at a moment¡¯s notice,¡± said Jiang Ke.


    Yuwen Tong nodded. He had every confidence in the allegiance of the North-Western Army.


    On their arrival, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi entered into the formulation of battle plans for taking Jifang City.


    Yuwen Jin, He Xiao and a couple of other newly appointed officers were relatively young. Having sensed the competitive pressure from Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, they began to work even harder than before. Xiao Jiangyue and a couple of older generals were aware that Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were undoubtedly the ones the emperor trusted the most, because the two of them had always been in the emperor¡¯s confidence. Of course, the knowledge of this had no negative influence on their loyalty to the Great Wen and Yuwen Tong. Though they didn¡¯t compare with Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, they were also irreplaceable military officers of the Great Wen. As long as they remained loyal and dedicated, they would always have a place in the imperial court of the Great Wen. They were fully aware of this, which was why they were unperturbed.


    ¡­


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi went to see Ling Zhang immediately after they left the conference tent. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Highness.¡±


    Ling Zhang flung out his arms to stop the two of them when they were halfway to their knees. ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, generals. You two must have had a tough journey.¡±


    Ling Zhang had previously stayed in Shengzhou Pass for a few days, so Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were now both well acquainted with Ling Zhang. In addition, the two of them admired Ling Zhang very much, for Ling Zhang had fought valiantly on the battlefield and helped them greatly several times.


    At this time, Jiang Xi smiled, ¡°The two bodyguards Your Highness assigned to stay with us have been quite helpful during the journey. We wouldn¡¯t have arrived here in such a timely manner were it not for them.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°They just did what they¡¯re supposed to do. I¡¯ve been making preparations for so many years, and now they proved worthwhile. My efforts finally paid off.¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi both had enough sense of propriety not to ask what kind of preparations Ling Zhang was talking about. They were both aware that those were part of Ling Zhang¡¯s intelligence network, and they did not have to know any details.


    Jiang Ke naturally started to recount to Ling Zhang what the North-Western Army had been through during its westward advance after parting from Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang listened raptly.


    Jiang Ke had just finished the story when Yuwen Tong showed up. At the sight of Yuwen Tong, he wanted to stand up but Yuwen Tong placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong walked up to Ling Zhang, felt Ling Zhang¡¯s pulse first and then checked the cut in the wrist of his other hand. ¡°Did the worm cause you pain again?¡± he inquired.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine. The meeting is over?¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were both somewhat puzzled at Yuwen Tong¡¯s actions. When they caught sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s bandaged wrist in his sleeve, they were astonished, wondering what had happened. Then they heard the conversation between Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang and became worried.


    ¡°So Your Highness is not well. Did something happen?¡± asked Jiang Ke.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were different from the others, and Ling Zhang was unsure as to whether or not he should disclose the truth to them, so he looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong carefully put Ling Zhang¡¯s hand back and then told Jiang Ke, ¡°The Wan Kingdom played dirty.¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were taken aback and then realized this might be the reason why Ling Zhang had previously insisted on going west to rendezvous with Yuwen Tong. Their apprehension deepened in spite of themselves. Jiang Xi, who was less poised than Jiang Ke, immediately asked, ¡°So Xue Yi was telling the truth back there? There¡¯s indeed someone seeking revenge against Sire? Who is it? Did we catch them?¡±


    As Yuwen Tong had confided it already, Ling Zhang replied with an inclination of the head, ¡°It¡¯s true. That thug is cunning and also pretty good at kung fu. I was within an inch of catching him the last time I saw him, but eventually he took Chen Jing and escaped.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave them a sketchy account of the events. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were both indignant after hearing the story, only too anxious to storm into Jifang City immediately and kill Chen Jing and that thug.


    ¡°What about you, Sire? Are you okay?¡± Jiang Ke looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Trying to save me was the very reason why Brother Zhang got hurt. In order to eliminate the Gu worms from my body, he lured one of them into his own body. Right now the worm is still in there.¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were both shocked. The knowledge that Ling Zhang had enticed one of the worms into his own body to save Yuwen Tong filled them with admiration once again, but at the same time they were worried about Ling Zhang¡¯s health.


    Ling Zhang explained on his own initiative, ¡°The Mother Worm is already dead, and its death inflicted harm on the bastard who raised it. The one inside me is a Child Worm. It¡¯s no threat to me. Mr. Mu will extract it after he arrives, and then I¡¯ll be okay. The cut in my wrist is superficial. It¡¯s no big deal. Presently Yao Yi and a couple of others are the only ones privy to this matter apart from you two. Be careful not to spill the beans.¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi immediately promised that under no circumstances would they breathe a word of it to anybody.


    But both of them were deeply impressed by what Ling Zhang had done for Yuwen Tong, admiring the strong bonding between the imperial couple once again in spite of themselves.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Mu now?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of Ling Zhang.


    ¡°He should soon arrive in the city that the North-Western Army took a couple of days ago. We¡¯ll see him in two days if he travels fast enough,¡± responded Ling Zhang.


    The reason why Mr. Mu had been progressing without any trouble during his journey to this area was that the North-Western Army had quickly disposed of all the enemies along the way during its westward advance.


    ¡°We would have assigned some men to stay behind and escort Mr. Mu had we come to know about this beforehand,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mr. Mu has some men protecting him. Also, he has my and Sire¡¯s tokens, so nobody would stop him.¡±


    Mr. Mu was a miracle-working physician. He had saved Ling Zhang¡¯s father, helped preserve Fu Caiwei¡¯s health during her pregnancy and done a lot of other things for them in the past five years, so Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong held him in high esteem and were very grateful to him, and they had been doing everything they could to return the favor.


    Previously Mr. Mu had been living in the suburban manor all along, keeping Ji Yin and Ling Xingzhong company. He had not chosen to move to that island with other members of the Millennium Pavilion, which was a good thing for Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. Sometimes, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether it was because of all the subsequent events that Mr. Mu had decided to stay in the capital city, but although Mr. Mu was not capable of foretelling the future, Ji Yanlai might have the ability. Of course, according to Mr. Mu himself, he had grown fond of the vitality of the capital city and thus decided not to return to the Millennium Pavilion where he would surely end his days in idleness.


    ¡­


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, knowing that Ling Zhang was not in good health and needed rest, felt it inappropriate to stay for long and soon took their leave.


    Ling Zhang, who had nothing particular to do, told Yuwen Tong that he wanted to take advantage of the terrain around the mountain pass by deploying a large-scale Formation. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I think it¡¯s doable, but it won¡¯t be easy to deploy a Formation under the noses of the Wan army. They sure as hell will try to destroy it.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll do it at night. I want to borrow Yao Yi and some others.¡±


    At the sight of his sly smile, Yuwen Tong was bubbling over with delight, a gleam of desire appearing in his eyes, but what with Ling Zhang¡¯s physical condition, he didn¡¯t dare do anything and thus felt a twitch of anger at the Wan Kingdom. ¡°No problem,¡± he said.


    After getting Yuwen Tong¡¯s approval, Ling Zhang raced against time to draw a diagram of the Formation, intending to finish it before Mr. Mu¡¯s arrival and then have Yao Yi, Wang Dashan and some others to deploy the Formation.


    ¡­


    Two days later, Ling Zhang finished the diagram. Before he could show it to Yuwen Tong, a message came saying that Mr. Mu arrived.


    Yuwen Tong, who had been informed of it sooner, had gone to welcome Mr. Mu.


    The generals, as they saw Yuwen Tong in person go to welcome the visitor, were all very curious, wondering who the visitor was.


    When they saw Yuwen Tong return with Mr. Mu, all of them, except for Yuwen Jin, Xiao Jiangyue, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, didn¡¯t know who Mr. Mu was and were confused.


    Yuwen Jin and the other three were also surprised by Mr. Mu¡¯s arrival, for they had enough physicians in the army, and a miracle-working physician like Mr. Mu would not normally choose to be an army physician. Why did Mr. Mu suddenly come here?


    While Yuwen Jin and the others were speculating in surprise, Ling Zhang showed up. At the sight of Mr. Mu, he hastened up to him and said, ¡°Mr. Mu, I¡¯m sorry to put you to such trouble. It must be really tiring to travel with all haste. How do you feel?¡±


    Mr. Mu still had his elegant mustache. Old as he was, he looked like a middle-aged man. He was lean, hale and hearty, and he had been taking very good care of his health. Though he did not have powerful internal energy, he almost appeared as young as Ji Yin did.


    ¡°It¡¯s not every day a geriatric like me gets to make a journey like this. Also, I was under the protection of some men. I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± said Mr. Mu after stroking his mustache. Looking at Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance with bright piercing eyes, he had a general idea of what to expect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and find someplace where I could feel your pulse,¡± he said.


    Ling Zhang offered to let Mr. Mu take a bath and have some rest to get over his fatigue first, but both Mr. Mu and Yuwen Tong believed that was unnecessary. Yuwen Tong directly ushered Mr. Mu into their tent.


    Ling Zhang had no choice but to follow in their wake.


    The others, though curious, did not dare go to the main tent unbidden. They looked at each other in puzzlement, conjecturing what it was about.


    ¡°Just now Mr. Mu said something about feeling His Highness¡¯s pulse.¡±


    ¡°Is His Highness not feeling well?¡±


    The couple of officers made these speculations and were all somewhat worried, for they had some excellent army physicians, but the emperor had still had Mr. Mu come to this place from the capital city which was quite far away. If the empress was indeed ill, it would be a big problem.


    Yuwen Jin, looking in the direction which Ling Zhang and the other two had taken, was so anxious he was involuntarily scratching his head, feeling an urge to catch up with Ling Zhang to ask him what had happened to him.

 Chapter 517 - Extraction of the Gu Worm

    Translator: DragonRider


    After ushering Mr. Mu into the tent, Yuwen Tong requested Mr. Mu to eliminate the Gu worm from Ling Zhang''s body, a serious look on his face.


    Mr. Mu made no unnecessary remarks and told Ling Zhang to lie down on the bed.


    Then he opened his medicine chest and produced a long thin knife, the sharp tip of which made Ling Zhang''s scalp prickle. Yuwen Tong''s whole body tensed up.


    Then Mr. Mu fished out a porcelain phial, opened it and with that a weird fragrance filled the tent. It was not a refreshing mild kind of fragrance, but an indescribable, tempting one tinged with the smell of decay. Ling Zhang began to feel dizzy after inhaling a certain amount of it.


    "I''ve been raising a special Gu worm in this phial. In a few moments, when the Child Worm in you smells this scent, it''ll start to crawl out of your body. This scent is a kind of intense stimulus for the Child Worm, so it will be somewhat agitated and exerting more strength than usual on its way out, which means you''ll suffer some pain. You need to tough it out."


    "It''s okay. I can handle it," said Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu nodded and went to disinfect the knife. When the knife was ready, he turned around and, finding that Ling Zhang was still fully dressed, gawked at Yuwen Tong. "You want me to undress your sweetheart?" he asked.


    Yuwen Tong''s face darkened and he immediately walked up to the bed to unclothe Ling Zhang, blocking Mr. Mu''s view.


    Mr. Mu felt that such action of Yuwen Tong''s was totally pointless, because in a few moments he would have to not only look at Ling Zhang''s body but also cut him ...


    After undressing Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong fairly reluctantly moved aside, his face turning serious again as he saw Mr. Mu approach Ling Zhang with his knife which briefly reflected the light from the candle placed at the bedside.


    Mr. Mu softly cut open Ling Zhang''s skin. The odd, distinct sensation of having his skin slit open lifted the hair on Ling Zhang''s scalp, and he almost reflexively threw a palm strike at Mr. Mu which would surely send him and his knife flying. The pain was exceptionally distinct as well. He could even feel his blood flow from the cut, slowly winding its way down his chest. His face instantly tensed.


    By the candlelight, the red blood stood out in sharp relief with Ling Zhang''s white-skinned chest, which was quite a visual stimulus. Yuwen Tong balled his hands into fists tightly, all his muscles tense. He was even holding his breath unawares, staring fixedly at the cut, exercising all his self-restraint to keep from pulling Mr. Mu away from the bed.


    Mr. Mu acted very quick. After making a cut, he immediately put that porcelain phial on Ling Zhang''s chest and poured out a small amount of liquid at a spot slightly above the cut where blood couldn''t flow to. The fragrance, mixed with the smell of blood, became even more pungent and Ling Zhang nearly fainted because of it. He endured the pain, rolling his eyes upwards uncontrollably.


    Right at this moment, his chest suddenly started to ache badly and he felt something wriggling beneath his skin. Ling Zhang''s eyes instantly widened and he could hardly breathe. This time his scalp not only prickled but also felt as though it were convulsing. It was so creepy and so blood-curdling. He would rather have a fight with someone and end up being covered in his own blood than endure this kind of spooky sensation. It was pushing his mental endurance to its limit!


    That thing was still squirming, and like Mr. Mu had said, it seemed to be very restless and was rampaging around in the cut. Ling Zhang clenched his fists with all his might, subduing his urge to rip off that lump of meat from his chest and throw it away.


    The pain caused by the wriggling Gu worm paled by comparison with the weird sensation which was making his scalp prickle so badly as though his head would explode.


    At this moment it struck Ling Zhang that time was going significantly slower than normal, cold sweat flowing to his sideburns from his forehead without him noticing. Right at the time when he felt on the verge of his breaking point, that thing finally emerged from Ling Zhang''s wound. It had just crawled out when Mr. Mu quickly impaled it on a silver needle and tossed it into the porcelain phial he was holding with his other hand. The next moment, a screech like the sound of something metal jarring on a hard smooth surface issued from the phial and then silence reigned in the tent.


    "Done. The Gu worm has now been lured out and killed. Now I''m going to stop the bleeding and bandage that cut."


    Ling Zhang instantly relaxed completely at these words of Mr. Mu''s, limply lying in bed. He raised his hand with the intention to wipe the cold sweat from his brow but Yuwen Tong held it when it was halfway to its destination, and then used a soft towel to wipe his forehead and cheeks. "You''re okay now," Yuwen Tong consoled him in a tense voice beside his ear.


    Ling Zhang gave a shudder. "That thing was so gross," he said through gritted teeth.


    Yuwen Tong softly wiped up Ling Zhang''s cold sweat and then said, "I''ll have the one who raised and used the worms know how it feels to have his body gnawed by 10,000 worms, and I''ll make him suffer 10,000 times the pain we''ve suffered."


    Ling Zhang feebly put his hand down. "Make sure you do that. That''s the only way I could have closure."


    He was not the only one these worms had inflicted pain on. Yuwen Tong had suffered even more from them. Under no circumstances would he let that evildoer die without being tortured first!


    Mr. Mu administered some styptic drug to Ling Zhang''s cut, dressed it and then said, "Although a geriatric like me does need to exercise more, making a journey that long with all haste was indeed an ordeal, so I''ll join you in the hunt for that evildoer and get even with him."


    "We''ll have him caught and marched to your tent. You don''t have to go to that trouble," said Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu said, "That guy''s Gu-craft is much better than that of the one we met five years ago. He knows how to raise Affection Gu, and for this reason alone, I''d like to pit my skills against him."


    What with Mr. Mu''s insistence on going with them, Ling Zhang felt it inappropriate to turn him down, having no choice but to start thinking how to ensure Mr. Mu''s safety during the operation.


    ...


    The worm eliminated from his body, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong could finally set their minds at ease.


    Mr. Mu''s vulnerary was very efficacious. The next day the cut in Ling Zhang''s chest was considerably better and he was able to get out of bed to walk, though in no fit state to do anything strenuous.


    Before Ling Zhang got out of bed, Yuwen Jin came to visit him. After being given the permission to enter, he quickly walked in and asked anxiously, "How''s Brother Zhang? Why did Mr. Mu come here? Did something happen?"


    Displeased at his loud voice, Yuwen Tong shot him an unhappy glance with his piercing eyes. "Calm down."


    Having been given a dirty look, Yuwen Jin didn''t dare speak aloud again, but he was still anxious to see Ling Zhang.


    "You may come in." Ling Zhang in the compartment heard their conversation and asked Yuwen Jin to come in.


    Yuwen Jin cast Yuwen Tong a tentative look. Yuwen Tong did not say anything, so Yuwen Jin hastened to enter the inner compartment and was taken aback at the sight of Ling Zhang lying in bed. "What happened to you, Brother Zhang?!"


    Ling Zhang said calmly to him, "Take it easy. I''m okay now. Sit down."


    After hearing that, Yuwen Jin had no choice but to sit himself in a chair, looking nervously at Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang continued, "It''s no big deal. A couple of days ago I was not careful enough and fell prey to the Wan Kingdom''s dirty trick, and a little Gu worm got into my body."


    Ling Zhang just told him that he had carelessly fallen victim to the enemy''s underhand method, skipping the part where two Gu worms had entered Yuwen Tong''s body and he had helped get rid of them.


    "Mr. Mu has extracted the worm. All I need to do is lie in bed and rest for a couple of days."


    Yuwen Jin was very angry. "So they resorted to such disreputable method yet again. Those scum are so despicable! They know they''re on the losing side, so they tried to turn the tables by playing dirty. Those shameless bastards!"


    Ling Zhang sneered. "Those people of the Wan Kingdom have always been like that. We can''t count on them to be reasonable, but you guys need to be extra careful from now on, in case they use dirty tricks again."


    Yuwen Jin snorted coldly, "Don''t worry, Brother Zhang. I promise I''ll capture Chen Jing and Shan Congli the Wan monarch and bring them to you to let you get your revenge. I look forward to seeing the looks on their faces when we take their capital city!"


    Yuwen Tong, coming inside, heard these words, the corners of his mouth twitching. This guy really knew how to talk big, but the problem was that it was his job to catch Chen Jing and Shan Congli to let Ling Zhang vent his anger on them. What did this pal have to do with it?


    "What you need to do is follow commands from your superiors, make sure your men toe the line and perform your sworn duty during battles. Don''t be distracted by anything else."


    After hearing these words, Yuwen Jin looked at his second cousin, a faintly injured expression on his face. "I''ve been an excellent command-follower. I followed every command you gave me. I just want to help Brother Zhang get his vengeance on those people."


    Speechless, Yuwen Tong looked at him. Suddenly, he said, "In the past few years you got out of several blind dates your family arranged for you on the pretext of serving me. When this war is over and we return to the capital city, I''ll betroth someone to you."


    Yuwen Jin let out a moan and hastened to object, "Cousin! Sire! Why do you suddenly want me to get married? I''ve been having a hard job dealing with my nagging parents. If you betroth someone to me, I¨CI might as well die!"


    Yuwen Tong tossed him a forbidding glance. "Are you implying I''m trying to make life difficult for you?"


    "No, no, no, that''s not what I mean. It¨CIt''s just I don''t understand why you suddenly want me to get a marriage partner. I mean, you''ve never interfered in any of my private affairs," explained Yuwen Jin hastily, cold sweat breaking out over his back with alarm.


    Yuwen Tong snorted. ''Why? Because I want to knock some sense into your thick skull,'' he thought.


    "You''re way past marriageable age. It''s about time you got married."


    Yuwen Jin opened his mouth and eyed his second cousin with a hurt expression on his face, but he did not dare contradict the emperor with the words he was shouting inwardly ¨C ''You were much older than I am now when you married Brother Zhang! Why couldn''t I marry at a later age as well?! This is so unfair!''


    Though Yuwen Jin did not say it out, Yuwen Tong could divine what he was thinking at this moment.


    "Say no more. If you don''t want me to betroth someone to you, get your ass out of here right now and do what you are supposed to be doing. Remember, do not breathe a word to anybody about Brother Zhang getting hurt by a Gu worm."


    Yuwen Jin was unable to spare a thought for his promise to capture Chen Jing and Shan Congli to help Ling Zhang get his revenge. On hearing the condition on which Yuwen Tong would not assign him a wife, he immediately fled the tent so quick as though his clothes were on fire.


    Ling Zhang, who had been speechlessly listening to the argument between the two second cousins, said to Yuwen Tong, "Why did you threaten him with that?"


    Yuwen Tong said disapprovingly, "There''s no other way to knock some sense into his thick skull."


    Ling Zhang, "...??"


    Why did Yuwen Tong think he needed to knock some sense into Yuwen Jin? Ling Zhang was not following what Yuwen Tong was saying.


    "All right. Let''s forget about him. How do you feel? Is the cut still aching?" Yuwen Tong slumped into the chair which Yuwen Jin had sat on a moment ago. Sitting in the spot that belonged to him, he felt quite comfortable.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. "Not really, but it''s itchy. Mr. Mu''s drug is very efficacious. I think I''ll be able to get out of bed tomorrow, and when I do, I''d like to go to the mountain pass to take a look."

 Chapter 518 - A Mountain Pass, an Illusion Formation and a Battle Plan

    Ling Zhang was inclined to go to the mountain pass to take a look when he recovered well enough to get out of bed because he wanted to check the lay of the land in person one last time.


    ¡°You¡¯re in no fit state to make a trip that long, considering your injury.¡± Yuwen Tong disagreed.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯m just going there to have a look at the terrain. I¡¯m not going to do anything else.¡±


    He was worried that there might be some slip-ups that would compromise their operations if he did not go there to check the lay of the land in person. This was no laughing matter.


    Yuwen Tong knew what he meant. After a few moments¡¯ silence, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Ling Zhang demurred without a second thought, ¡°No!¡±


    Yuwen Tong was the emperor. How could he go to a mountain pass under the enemy¡¯s control in these circumstances? What if he was injured or caught?! On no account would he allow Yuwen Tong to take that risk!


    ¡°Then you are not going either. Given your injury, it¡¯s sure as hell inadvisable for you to make a long trip. This is a fact you cannot deny,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had your bodyguards reconnoiter that place several times in the past couple of days. Surely you don¡¯t doubt their competence?¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang heaved a sigh, regretting having had the Gu worm eliminated from his body so soon. He would have paid a visit to the mountain pass first had he known beforehand things would come to this.


    ¡°I need you to tell me the details about the Formation you want to deploy there, along with how you want my men to cooperate. After we finish discussing it, I will not dispatch my troops immediately. I¡¯ll have to send some men there to do some more recon. Besides, this mountain pass is different from the others we¡¯ve seen. The terrain there is very steep. There¡¯s no way we could make enough progress to ensure our victory in the first engagement, so our first round of attacks would be aimed at getting the enemy¡¯s measure. You¡¯ll need to give the Formation a test run, and our army need to put out feelers to see how strong the enemy¡¯s defense is and get some information about their battle plans,¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    After Ling Zhang, who had little acquaintance of this kind of things, heard Yuwen Tong¡¯s explanation, the light dawned on him, and he had an idea of what to expect. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it your way,¡± he said.


    Ling Zhang had Yuwen Tong bring him the Formation diagrams on the table which he had drawn, then said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°The terrain in this place is precipitous. It¡¯s a natural barrier of Jifang City, easy to hold but hard to attack. This is one of their advantages, but people capable of deploying Formations could also take advantage of this kind of terrain. Taking into consideration the terrain alone, I could deploy many kinds of Formations in that place, but there are mainly four of them that could be useful for carrying out our plan of attack. I¡¯ve finished the diagrams of them, and I also wrote their respective functions on the diagrams. You may take a look first, seeing as you¡¯ll be the one directing the troops. It must be my Formation facilitating the execution of the attack plans, not the other way around.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head, studied the diagrams for a while and eventually selected one ¨C an Illusion Formation.


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. ¡°You want an Illusion Formation?¡±


    He had thought that an Illusion Formation was the least likely to be chosen. In fact, at first he had ruled it out, and the reason why he had put it back on the list was because he had recalled the battle outside Haizhou five years ago.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°This mountain pass is different. If the Wan army do everything they could to defend it, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get an inch closer to the city, so they don¡¯t even need to come out of the city to fight us. It¡¯ll be no good to lay any traps or deploy a Misguidance Formation or a Smokescreen Formation outside the city. If we are to deploy a Formation there, it has to be one that could help with our attacks. This Illusion Formation is a very good choice. If things go smoothly, we¡¯ll be able to distract the enemy and buy our troops precious time to attack the mountain pass.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was also adept at various kinds of Formations. Previously, in terms of Formation prowess, Ling Zhang had stood no comparison with Yuwen Tong. It was after diligently learning from his grandfather for five years that Ling Zhang had narrowed the gap and was now almost as good as Yuwen Tong. Ling Zhang had always fully trusted Yuwen Tong¡¯s judgement. However, there was something about the Illusion Formation that concerned him. ¡°The Illusion Formation won¡¯t last long, and when it wanes, the enemy would become suspicious. It¡¯ll last an hour at the most.¡±


    Yuwen Tong smiled, ¡°An hour will be more than enough.¡±


    There were many things an army could do within an hour. This was like a godsend, and it would put them at a great advantage.


    Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang in general about his plan of attack. Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes grew progressively brighter as he listened. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be in the tent the next time you discuss the battle plans with them.¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. This was Ling Zhang¡¯s first time offering to attending a meeting about battle plans. There had been some occasions when Yuwen Tong had invited Ling Zhang to attend similar meetings, but Ling Zhang had always declined, saying that he knew too little about war to be helpful in that kind of meetings.


    Yuwen Tong was aware of Ling Zhang¡¯s misgivings, which were, in his eyes, totally unnecessary, but Ling Zhang could be quite a piece of work when being intransigent. This time around, as Ling Zhang had offered to attend the meeting on his own initiative, Yuwen Tong was determined to have Ling Zhang show those officers his flair for military strategy.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ling Zhang, after getting out of bed, went into the conference tent with Yuwen Tong. The officers were all somewhat surprised at Ling Zhang¡¯s arrival. Yuwen Jin called happily, ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    Yuwen Tong shot him a forbidding look. ¡°Show some respect.¡±


    Yuwen Jin flinched and then hastened to deferentially address Ling Zhang as ¡°Your Highness¡±.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. Since he was here to discuss battle plans with them, he appeared very serious, looking nothing like the person who was normally mild to Yuwen Jin. He always had a commanding air about him, especially when he was intentionally being serious, so at this time hardly anybody in the tent dared look him in the eye or risk being impertinent.


    Xiao Jiangyue and the others reverently paid their respects to Ling Zhang. There were a couple of newly appointed officers present, but all the others were familiar faces. They all had some acquaintance with Ling Zhang and was fully aware that although Ling Zhang had scarcely participated in politics, he knew about the political landscape better than any of them did. Leaving aside his strong marital bonding with the emperor, his intelligence network alone which covered the whole Great Wen and even the other two countries guaranteed that he could keep abreast of the latest developments of the situation in almost every area. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, who had once fought side by side with Ling Zhang, knew this fact better than anybody. Xiao Jiangyue and a couple of other experienced officers, who had fought their way northwards to this place with Yuwen Tong, during the smooth process of taking those cities along the way, had all found quite some traces of what that intelligence network was capable of, and they all knew without a shadow of a doubt that although Ling Zhang had not been in the army, his influence had been everywhere. Apart from them, the couple of newly appointed officers did not dare take Ling Zhang lightly either. It was true that they did now know about Ling Zhang as well as the others did, but because of the fact that Ling Zhang, when standing beside Yuwen Tong, emanated an air just as commanding as Yuwen Tong¡¯s, they all sensibly chose to adopt a reverent attitude towards Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I¡¯ll participate in the offensive operation aimed at taking the mountain pass as well, and I¡¯ll deploy a large-scale Formation to assist you in the attacks,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    A large-scale Formation? The couple of officers who had some acquaintance with Ling Zhang¡¯s skill set had thoughtful expressions on their faces at these words. Those who had no knowledge of what Ling Zhang was capable of, however, were baffled as to why Ling Zhang wanted to deploy a large-scale Formation. How was that supposed to help with their attacks?


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°The deployment of the Formation consists of two steps. The first step is to lay the foundations under the cover of night; the second step is to have our troops create a distraction during the first engagement in which we¡¯ll try to get the enemy¡¯s measure. If successfully deployed, the Formation will buy our troops at least an hour to advance without the enemy noticing.¡±


    It would buy them an hour to advance without the enemy noticing?! Everybody present except for Yuwen Tong was shocked.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯ll buy us an hour, Your Highness?¡± Even Xiao Jiangyue, who had always been a poised man, couldn¡¯t help but be the first to ask.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°I promise it¡¯ll buy us an hour if it¡¯s successfully deployed.¡±


    Xiao Jiangyue immediately said, ¡°Okay! Even a quarter of an hour would put us at an advantage, not to mention one solid hour. If there¡¯s anything you need us to do to help with the deployment of the Formation, all you have to do is ask. I promise I¡¯ll do everything I could to get the job done!¡±


    When Xiao Jiangyue had unhesitatingly expressed his support for the plan, the others immediately came to themselves. Yuwen Jin, Jiang Ke, Jiang Xi and He Xiao all hastened to follow suit.


    ¡°Brother Zhang ¡­ Your Highness, please don¡¯t prolong the agony ¨C just tell us what kind of Formation it is,¡± urged Yuwen Jin.


    The other newly appointed officers, though bemused, were all smart enough not to raise any objections at this point in time. Two of them were a little overcautious, but they merely said they wanted to hear more details about the Formation first.


    Ling Zhang did not take offence. Xiao Jiangyue, Yuwen Jin and a couple of others had quickly expressed their support because they knew him well and trusted him. The others, however, did not know him as well as they did, and neither did they have as much trust in him. They were reserving their judgement instead of immediately expressing their support because of their awareness of their responsibilities, which was exactly what competent officers were supposed to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Illusion Formation, the successful deployment of which requires the right terrain and the cooperation of soldiers. Some kung fu masters with powerful internal energy are supposed to be at the Eyes of Formation. Its function is to distract the defenders¡¯ attention, temporarily deceive their eyes and make it difficult for them to figure out from which direction the attacks come,¡± explained Ling Zhang.


    When he said these words, all the others listened attentively.


    Next, Ling Zhang expounded to them what they were supposed to do, and how the Formation was going to work. After that he deployed a miniature Illusion Formation on the sand table and demonstrated its function. The officers were all amazed as they saw the model army suddenly disappear and then materialize elsewhere. They even felt that the terrain was no longer what it had always been.


    Not until Ling Zhang unmade the Illusion Formation did they find that the model army was still in its original position, that the terrain had not changed a bit. All of them were astonished.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is really happening!¡± said one of the officers, astounded.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°This is just a simple demonstration. For the Formation to serve its purpose on the battlefield, I¡¯ll need everybody¡¯s cooperation. And, it¡¯ll be best if we create a spurious impression to mislead the enemy when we try to get their measure during the first engagement.¡±


    A spurious impression? A couple of quick-witted officers immediately cottoned on, their eyes twinkling with excitement. Jiang Ke and Xiao Jiangyue exclaimed at the same time, ¡°What a masterstroke!¡±


    And with that the two of them exchanged a glance and dissolved into chuckle in unison. Then they hastened to look at Ling Zhang. ¡°Your Highness, are you saying that when putting out feelers in the first engagement, we should attack the mountain pass as the illusory army in the Illusion Formation would? So that the enemy would get a false impression, and when we launch a full-on attack later, the fake army displayed in the Illusion Formation would cause them to drop their guard and mislead them into believing that the army was real?¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled with a head bob, ¡°Exactly. It¡¯ll help with the successful deployment of the Illusion Formation, which would in turn better serve the purpose of deceiving the enemies.¡±

 Chapter 519 - The First Battle

    Translator: DragonRider


    After hearing Ling Zhang''s explanation, all people present caught on to what it was about, their faces etched with excitement. If it worked, they would actually have an hour to carry out their plan of attack without the enemy noticing. That would considerably reduce both the time they needed to take the mountain pass and the casualties!


    "The precondition of all this is the successful deployment of the large-scale Formation," Ling Zhang reminded them in a cool and unemotional tone.


    Xiao Jiangyue bobbed his head. "I understand. The hour is of great importance to us. We will do everything we can to help you successfully deploy the Formation, even if we have to do an extra feint!"


    "That''s true. Just tell us what you need us to do," said Jiang Ke.


    Other officers also expressed their willingness to be cooperative. The couple of newly appointed officers changed their opinions of Ling Zhang. They had never heard of this kind of Formation before, but after watching Ling Zhang demonstrate it on the sand table, they were fully convinced and at the same looking forward to seeing the Formation serve its purpose.


    ...


    It took them a long time to finalize the plan of operation. When the meeting was over, the officers took their leave and raced against time to have their men do a dry run.


    The first round of attacks was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, so there was not much time left. What with the extra task, the whole army was rushed off its feet.


    Ling Zhang''s twenty-four bodyguards, along with dozens of guards led by Yao Yi, spent two nights secretly laying the foundations of the Formation outside the mountain pass of Jifang City according to Ling Zhang''s requirements. The locations of a couple of crucial Eyes of Formation were too close to the mountain pass, so they had no choice but to wait until the day of the fight to get them ready.


    ...


    Soon, two days passed, and the first found of attacks, which was aimed at taking the enemy''s measure, started.


    This time around Ling Zhang went to the battlefield with the army. After another two days'' rest, the cut in his chest had healed very well, but Yuwen Tong still did not allow him to ride a horse. Instead, he had Ling Zhang sit in a chariot and stay in the rear, and forbade Ling Zhang from going to the front to fight the enemies at close quarters.


    Ling Zhang stroked his chest and meekly heeded Yuwen Tong''s words.


    Naturally, it was not that he did not want to go to the front. He was hoping to be allowed to join the fight when the army launched a full-on attack a couple of days later, so he had to rest more and be adequately prepared.


    As the army of the Great Wen came into sight, the sound of a bugle, followed by the beat of war drums, rang out from the mountain pass guarded by Wan soldiers.


    Soldiers of both sides tensed up, and the tension was rapidly reaching flashpoint.


    Yuwen Jin, He Xiao and the couple of newly appointed officers, leading their respective units, attacked according to the battle plans. Outside the mountain pass of Jifang City, the bugles sounded the charge with deafening blasts, accompanied by thunderous battle cry which was filling everybody present with feverish ardor.


    Although they did not expect to take the pass during the first battle, the main purpose of which was to take the measure of the enemy, it did not make the fighting any less real or brutal, and they must take it seriously. Yuwen Jin, He Xiao and the other officers leading the troops at the front concentrated all their efforts on directing their men, not daring be distracted for a single moment.


    Xiao Jiangyue stayed in the rear, receiving reports and giving commands. The other officers, who had changed into common lieutenant''s uniform and blended into the crowds of soldiers, were covering Wang Dashan and the others who were putting the finishing touches to the deployment of the large-scale Formation according to the plan of operation they had made with Ling Zhang.


    It was not easy to deceive the defenders'' eyes, which was why they needed the soldiers to cooperate with them. Xiao Jiangyue''s role as coordinator was of the utmost importance.


    Meanwhile, according to the secret plan they had finalized beforehand, this round of attacks was aimed at preparing the ground for a full-on attack. Xiao Jiangyue needed to direct the troops to ensure the achievement of this objective and at the same time prevent the army from suffering heavy casualties. His face was just as tense as those of his two lieutenants standing beside him. On a tall pole flew the commander''s flag. The drummers and the buglers were also under close protection, ready to give signals at the commander''s orders.


    "TOOT ... "


    "RAT-TAT ... "


    Every bugle call and drumbeat signified that the battle entered a different phase. Ling Zhang was standing on his chariot, watching. Though not fighting the enemies in person, he was keeping close watch on the development of the battle.


    Yuwen Tong was also present, but he was not directing the troops. Just like Ling Zhang, he was also watching the fighting, attentively observing every defensive move of the defenders.


    On the ramparts opposite the positions of Yuwen Tong''s army stood Chen Jing and some other officers, all of whom were looking at the sea of troops of the Great Wen on the offensive, their faces grave.


    "I think their attacks won''t last long, seeing as Yuwen Tong is not directing his men in person."


    These Wan officers, despite their failure to hold Yuwen Tong back in the previous battles, were fairly competent. As they saw that the enemies outside, though in large numbers, had not suffered many casualties so far, they came to realize the purpose of this offensive from Yuwen Tong''s army.


    However, aware of Yuwen Tong''s attempt to take their measure as they were, they still had to try their level best to defend against the attacks, because Yuwen Tong''s army would take advantage of any slip-up of theirs and use it to breach their defense, and if that happened, they might be in big trouble.


    "This is by no means the best Yuwen Tong could do. Tighten the security after the fight, and I want an extra line of defense laid outside this mountain pass. We will hold Jifang City or die trying. In no circumstances will we let Yuwen Tong''s army get through!" Chen Jing gripped the top of the parapet, staring resentfully in the direction of the imperial carriage in the enemy rear which was heavily guarded. Chen Jing would have some time ago started shooting arrows at it were it not too far away for him to hit.


    After a brief moment, Chen Jing inquired, "How long before the reinforcements arrive?"


    "His Majesty has given the order for the forces garrisoned in the two northern prefectures to move south. As for the border forces ... they''re still standing by for the time being," replied his henchman.


    Chen Jing indignantly smacked his fist onto the parapet but ended up frowning with pain. "What is His Majesty thinking? Does he not know Jifang City is the last defensive line of the capital? If this city falls, the capital will take the brunt of the enemy''s next offensive!"


    "I think His Majesty is probably worried about potential invasions from those northern tribes. Ever since Yuwen Tong''s army crossed the border, all those tribes have been itching to make their move, intending to wait until our garrisons are dispatched elsewhere to move south and annex a couple of towns of ours," said his henchman in an effort to justify Shan Congli''s decision.


    Unconvinced, Chen Jing sniffed, "How much damage could those tribes possibly do? If they do move south, our troops staying there would be able to keep them at bay for some time, and even if they manage to cross the border, we would lose no more than a couple of cities, which we''d sooner or later take back from them, but the threat from Yuwen Tong is different. Isn''t it obvious enough which one¨C"


    Chen Jing almost blurted out angry criticism. At the realization that the one his criticism would be directed against was the monarch, Chen Jing restrained himself in a timely manner, knowing that he would be in serious trouble if he said those words and someone tattled on him to Shan Congli.


    "It''s unwise to give the enemy more credit than they deserve and give ourselves too little, Your Lordship. Never has an army broken through the mountain pass of Jifang City. There''s no way Yuwen Tong could breach the defense of this natural barrier, no matter how good a commander he is," demurred the commander of the garrison of Jifang City defiantly, displeased at Chen Jing who he believed had been exaggerating Yuwen Tong''s abilities and belittling theirs.


    Chen Jing cast him a wintry glance. At the sight of the displeasure and sneer in his eyes, Chen Jing''s face also hardened and with that he snorted, "Humph. It would seem you should have been the one who was dispatched to the south to stop Yuwen Tong. You expect to hold Yuwen Tong back with this so-called natural barrier? If you people keep clinging to that idea, it won''t be long before Yuwen Tong takes this city."


    With that Chen Jing angrily wheeled around and stormed off. The others, naturally, followed in his wake. The couple of officers staying on the ramparts, all of whom were on the garrison commander''s side, watched Chen Jing leave, ugly looks on their faces.


    "Because of Chen Jing''s incompetence, a large army was almost wiped out by Yuwen Tong''s men. His Majesty hasn''t meted out punishment to him yet, but he has the nerve to judge His Majesty and lecture us. Faugh!"


    "Who the hell does Chen Jing think he is? He would''ve remained a nobody had his daughter not been made a queen!"


    "This mountain pass has never fallen. There''s no way Yuwen Tong could breach our defense, even if he had three heads and six arms. Chen Jing has been reduced to a gutless coward by Yuwen Tong, which is why he thinks everybody else should be scared of Yuwen Tong as he is. He even talked about letting those tribes take a couple of northern cities. Shame on him!"


    "General, we don''t need any help from Chen Jing to defend the city. The way I see it, he''s nowhere close to a competent commander!"


    "Enough," said the garrison commander, flung up his hand to stop his indignant lieutenants from making more angry remarks, looking in the direction which Chen Jing had taken. The expression in his eyes flickered and with that he said, "Chen Jing used to be a famous general, and he did render our country some meritorious service. We should show some respect when talking with him."


    "You''re too kind, General. I would''ve given him the cold shoulder some time ago if I were you," said one of his lieutenants.


    "Say no more such words. We need to focus on this battle. When it''s over, lay another line of defense immediately," said the garrison commander.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    ...


    The disagreement between Chen Jing and the garrison commander had not come to the knowledge of Yuwen Tong or Ling Zhang yet. The offensive had lasted over two hours. The Wan soldiers were on high ground, and the mountain pass was very narrow. The terrain was steep, and soldiers trying to get through could easily be hit by falling rocks. The troops had been advancing risking life and limb, and there had been many casualties. When the foundations of the Formation were successfully laid, Xiao Jiangyue immediately had the bulge sound retreat to prevent needless loss of men.


    The wave of soldiers of the Great Wen fell back and quickly made it out of the range of the Wan archers'' bows. The natural barrier held back the army of the Great Wen, but at the same time it also kept the Wan army from leaving the mountain pass to pursue them, which was why Yuwen Tong''s troops retreated to safe ground without much difficulty.


    Yuwen Tong''s army returned to their encampment with all haste. This operation was quite fruitful. They had not only got enough information about the enemy''s defenses but also successfully deployed the couple of key Eyes of Ling Zhang''s Illusion Formation. The Formation was now ready to be activated on the day of the full-on attack.


    It was after their return to the encampment that Ling Zhang found that Yuwen Jin was wounded. He had been hit in the arm by a stray arrow. As it was just a common injury, he had an army physician treat it for him.


    "Ouch! Easy. This is my arm, not a piece of wood."


    Ling Zhang had not entered the tent yet when he heard Yuwen Jin''s voice, which sounded as sonorous as always, telling Ling Zhang unmistakably that Yuwen Jin''s injury was not serious.


    "General Yuwen, I''m a geriatric, and I scare easily. Your loud voice are making my hands tremble," said the army physician in a quite leisurely tone.


    Yuwen Jin, however, did not dare say anything else after hearing the physician''s words, worrying that the physician''s hands might really quiver and accidentally aggravate his injury, which was the last thing he wanted to happen.


    The physician had pulled the broken arrow out of Yuwen Jin''s arm and was administering styptic drug to the wound when Ling Zhang entered.


    "Brother Zhang," called Yuwen Jin as he saw Ling Zhang walking inside.

 Chapter 520 - Making Out with Restraint

    The others in the tent spotted Ling Zhang and rose to their feet with the intention to pay their respects to him but were spared the formalities by Ling Zhang. At the sight of Yuwen Jin¡¯s pallid face, Ling Zhang came to know that although the injury was not severe, Yuwen Jin was indeed suffering a lot from it, so he consoled Yuwen Jin, ¡°Rest well and nurse yourself back to health. I brought you a bottle of high-quality vulnerary. It¡¯ll quicken the healing process. If you expect to fight another battle, you must not hop around in the next few days.¡±


    While saying this, Ling Zhang handed a porcelain phial to the army physician, who took it, removed the stopper, sniffed at it and with that his eyes brightened. ¡°This is good stuff! W¨CWas it Mr. Mu who prepared this?¡±


    Ling Zhang replied with an inclination of the head, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The army physician immediately tucked the phial into his bosom, so excited his eyes were narrowing for smiling.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing? Use it on my arm already! Don¡¯t hide it!¡±


    On hearing this, the army physician said, ¡°This is not a styptic drug. I¡¯ll stop the bleeding for you first and use this drug on your wound when it¡¯s time to change your dressing. So take it easy. I won¡¯t deprive you of the opportunity to benefit from this drug, Okay?¡±


    Yuwen Jin was rendered speechless by the physician¡¯s words, strongly feeling that he deserved better than that.


    Ling Zhang, inwardly snickering, patted Yuwen Jin¡¯s shoulder and said bracingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our physicians are consummate. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a full recovery from this injury.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness,¡± said the army physician.


    Yuwen Jin twisted his head aside, inwardly rolled his eyes upwards but knew better than to retort in the knowledge that he still relied on this geriatric to treat his wound.


    ¡­


    Having checked that Yuwen Jin¡¯s main arteries and bones were fine, and that it would take only a couple of days¡¯ rest for him to recover, Ling Zhang took his leave after giving the vulnerary to the physician.


    Mr. Mu examined the cut in his chest and, seeing that it was healing well, changed his dressing and bandaged it again.


    The wound had just been dressed when Yuwen Tong returned. ¡°Why did you redress the wound? It reopened?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. I just changed the dressing,¡± answered Mr. Mu calmly.


    ¡°It really didn¡¯t reopen. Mr. Mu checked it and then changed the dressing and bandaged it again. What about you? Why are you back so soon? Everything¡¯s done?¡± Ling Zhang hastened to ask Yuwen Tong in an attempt to change the topic, fearing that he might overthink the situation.


    Yuwen Tong leaned his head closer and took a look. Having checked that Ling Zhang was indeed fine, he said, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve got the information I need about the enemy¡¯s defenses and battle plans, so I told them to regroup our troops, reward them with good food and wine and see to it that they rest well tonight. We¡¯ll have another meeting tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, feeling that the soldiers had indeed had a tough day and could use a good rest.


    After a full night¡¯s sleep, all the soldiers were refreshed. Early in the morning, He Xiao, Yuwen Jin and the couple of newly appointed officers started drilling them. Yuwen Jin, wearing splints on his arm which was now hanging from his neck, was in no fit state to fight for the moment, so he took on the duty of inspecting the encampment.


    Ling Zhang, having finished his morning meditation, walked out of his tent and caught sight of Yuwen Jin, who was walking around on a height in the distance, supervising his men drilling.


    Ling Zhang turned his head and said to Yuwen Tong who had come out of the tent with him, ¡°It seems he couldn¡¯t bear to sit idly for a single moment.¡±


    Yuwen Tong glanced in that direction and said, ¡°Let him be. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s severely wounded.¡±


    In Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, Yuwen Jin¡¯s injury was indeed nothing, and it was unnecessary to regard Yuwen Jin as someone grievously wounded.


    And he subconsciously ignored how nervous he had been about the minor cuts of Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s chest and wrist were both injured. In the past few days ¨C ever since Ling Zhang had rendezvoused with him, to be precise ¨C the two of them had never made out.


    Yuwen Tong was worried about the cuts in Ling Zhang¡¯s chest and wrist, and Ling Zhang was also worried about the wound in Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest. Yuwen Tong¡¯s constitution was strong, so the cut in his chest had healed quickly, and even the scab was about to peel. It had been itching for a couple of days, and Ling Zhang from time to time had to remind him not to scratch it.


    ¡°Mr. Mu has antipruritic drug. I¡¯ll ask him if it¡¯s okay to administer it to your wound to help with the itch,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The two of them went to Mr. Mu¡¯s tent. After they stated their intentions, Mr. Mu gave them a porcelain phial, a very small one.


    ¡°Use it sparingly. A tiny amount of it will do. You¡¯ll also be needing it after your cuts heal,¡± Mr. Mu said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang bobbed his head, took the porcelain phial, returned to their own tent with Yuwen Tong and then told Yuwen Tong to undress so that he could administer the drug to his wound.


    Yuwen Tong thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked surprisedly at him. ¡°Why? It¡¯ll be easier if I do it for you. Hurry. Take off your clothes.¡±


    Yuwen Tong took a deep breath and looked at him, the expression in his eyes abruptly becoming longing. ¡°It¡¯s been a long while since the last time we made out. I might lose control of myself if you do it for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He would be merely administering a drug to his wound. Why was Yuwen Tong making it sound like something erotic?!


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to tough it out!¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle and then started unclothing himself.


    Ling Zhang had originally felt that it was no big deal, but what with those words of Yuwen Tong¡¯s, looking at Yuwen Tong taking off his clothes, he couldn¡¯t help but picture some romantic scenes, a warm flush spreading over his cheeks in spite of himself. And then, as he noticed that Yuwen Tong was disrobing rather slowly, he involuntarily urged irritably, ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Yuwen Tong had observed the faint blush on his face and the flickering look in his eyes, feeling feverishly aroused. After stripping, he said, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at the scar on his chest and finally managed to dismiss some of those images from his mind. He opened the porcelain phial, carefully got a small amount of the drug out of it by dipping his finger into it, lightly pressed it to a spot beside the scar and then carefully spread it over the scab.


    A cool and comfortable sensation instantaneously dispelled the various pictures in Yuwen Tong¡¯s head, cooling him down somewhat.


    However, Ling Zhang, gingerly applying the ointment to the scar on his chest with his white-skinned fingertip, looked as though he were silently seducing him. The very sight of it turned Yuwen Tong on, not to mention the touch of Ling Zhang¡¯s finger.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly put his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist, sat him on to his lap, lowered his head and kissed Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, who was carefully applying the ointment, was caught unawares. When Yuwen Tong kissed him, he hastened to move the phial aside for fear of accidentally breaking it. At the same time, he responded to Yuwen Tong¡¯s action. The two of them were very familiar with each other¡¯s bodies, especially so when they were kissing. They had an intimate knowledge of how to kiss their lovers properly, and how to better turn their lovers on. Their movements were almost subconscious, their body temperatures rising, their breathing growing heavier, their chests heaving more and more frequently, saliva oozing from the corners of their mouths, which in turn further aroused them.


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply. When in an intimate moment like this, both Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang felt as though time were going significantly slower or faster than usual. When they came to themselves, they found themselves panting heavily. It struck Ling Zhang that his lips were numb and might even be swollen. Not until he could barely hold the porcelain phial steady did he slightly recover himself. ¡°Be careful not to hug me too tight. I still have the drug in my hand ¡­ ¡±


    After hearing this, Yuwen Tong slackened his embrace but was still keeping Ling Zhang in his arms. He took the phial from Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, put it down on to the table beside them, and then resumed cuddling Ling Zhang. Their foreheads against each other, they could feel one another¡¯s breath, both their body temperatures different than normal. There were fine beads of tear clinging to the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. Were it not for their injuries, he would have put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck again and continued. Unfortunately for him, that was not an option. His eyes were faintly red from the effort of restraining himself. He stared at Yuwen Tong with an intent look in his eyes like a little wild beast. He was filled with desire. He wanted it but had to resist the temptation, which was why he felt upset.


    Yuwen Tong looked back at him, leaned over, kissed his eye and said, ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    Ling Zhang obediently did what he was asked.


    Yuwen Tong felt a sense of relief. He would lose control of himself if Ling Zhang kept looking at him like that. It was so torturous.


    He kissed Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes for a while, and then the two of them quietly cuddled in an effort to help each other calm down.


    ¡°I want so badly to go back to the capital city, where we could do anything we feel like doing,¡± said Ling Zhang languidly after recovering himself. ¡°I miss the kids.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gently stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s back to console him. ¡°Your father and grandfather have been taking care of them. And there are also my great-uncle¡¯s family and those servants, so there¡¯s no need to concern yourself.¡±


    But the company of parents was irreplaceable. Besides, Ling Zhang missed his children very much. This separation had lasted a long time. It was almost as long as his stay in the Luohai Kingdom, and there was still a lot of days before he could return home to see the children.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Crescent has been crying every night,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    At the mention of his adopted daughter, an uncharacteristically tender expression appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. Crescent¡¯s eyes, which looked the same as Ling Zhang¡¯s, had frequently made him wonder whether or not Ling Zhang had been as naughty and adorable as Crescent was when he had been a little boy. Therefore, at the thought of Crescent piteously crying for parents with tearful eyes, Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart ached as though he were seeing a young version of Ling Zhang crying for parents.


    ¡°Alas. Let¡¯s drop this. Crescent is almost three. She¡¯s staying in the Ling Mansion where there are a lot of middle-aged handmaids, and my aunt is there as well. I think she probably could barely remember us, so she certainly wouldn¡¯t cry for us.¡± Ling Zhang gave a little cough and then added, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Before leaving the capital city, he had told Yuwen Tong not to worry about anything in the capital city, but now he himself had failed to keep from missing his children.


    Caressing Ling Zhang¡¯s back, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Um. She still has his brothers, and there are a lot of relatives keeping her company, so she¡¯ll be fine. You, on the other hand, need to be careful not to get hurt again lest the children be worried about you.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a smile, twisted his head aside and planted a kiss on Yuwen Tong¡¯s cheek. ¡°They don¡¯t know, and we should make sure they never find out. Rest assured, for your sake I¡¯ll stay safe and never get wounded again.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, whose heart was melted by the kiss and the words, carefully edged Ling Zhang slightly deeper into his embrace and hugged him tighter.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Put me down. Is your leg not tired?¡±


    He had been sitting on Yuwen Tong¡¯s lap for quite some time.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t slacken his embrace. ¡°I¡¯d like this hug to last a little while longer. My leg won¡¯t be tired even if you sit on my lap for a whole day.¡±


    Eyes narrowing for smiling, Ling Zhang rearranged Yuwen Tong¡¯s robes with his uninjured hand, gave him a kiss and then said, ¡°But the morning drill is almost over, and the generals will soon come. It¡¯s about time we got something to eat. You¡¯re supposed to meet them in a few moments.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave an ¡°Um¡± of agreement. It was a while before he reluctantly let go, allowing Ling Zhang to rise to his feet and get out of his embrace.

 Chapter 521 - Thats an Illusion

    RAT-TAT ¨C


    It was not fully light yet, and the mountain pass in front of Jifang City was still cloaked in mist when the ground started quaking.


    An experienced general immediately caught on to what was happening. ¡°ENEMIES CLOSING IN! GET READY TO FIGHT¨C!¡±


    The army of the Great Wen arrived before daybreak, and this time around they were in appreciably larger numbers than they had been during the last offensive. The quake of the ground alone threw the Wan soldiers into panic.


    However, the mountain pass was still shrouded in thick fog, and none of the sentries on watchtowers could get a clear view of the enemies. They only had a feeling that there was a sea of them outside the mountain pass!


    TOOT ¨C TOOT ¨C


    Soon a bulge blared out.


    The garrison had mustered already when Chen Jing heard the bugle call, an ugly look instantly appearing on his face. They had not even bothered to send a soldier to inform him!


    When he arrived at the ramparts with all haste, the commander of the garrison was already there, flanked by his lieutenants and advisers. Face darkening, he was just about to dress them down when he observed that the thick mist outside the mountain pass still had not dispersed. It was fully light, and theoretically the fog should have lifted. Why was it still so hazy?


    Chen Jing knitted his brows, gazing fixedly out of the mountain pass.


    As the large army of the Great Wen approached, the Wan soldiers guarding the mountain pass began to have difficulty breathing.


    Though aware that this mountain pass was impregnable, troops of the Wan garrison, faced with such a formidable army of the Great Wen, still felt fear sweeping over them in waves in spite of themselves.


    There had been once a time when the Wan Kingdom had almost subjugated the Great Yue; if Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather had not managed to have his men withstand the attack of the Wan army, if Yuwen Tong, an up-and-coming young general, had not driven the Wan army out of the Great Yue with unstoppable momentum, the Wan cavalry would long since have flattened the Great Yue and subjected it to the Wan Kingdom¡¯s rule, and the Great Wen would not have been founded.


    Unfortunately for them, the Yuwen family was destined to be a mortal enemy of the Wan Kingdom. First there had been Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather, and then there was Yuwen Tong. The Wan Kingdom had not only failed to annex that richly endowed country but also been losing one battle after another to Yuwen Tong¡¯s army. The shoe was now on the other foot. In a rivalry for world supremacy, the competitors either won or died. In that year the Wan Kingdom had let the opportunity slip away, and now they were facing the danger of being annexed.


    But it was no good dwelling on these, for the enemies were almost in sight.


    ¡°The weather is not very favorable to us,¡± commented the commander of the garrison stationed in Jifang City, a frown on his face.


    ¡°This is so weird. How come the mist still hasn¡¯t lifted?¡±


    All officers of the garrison were somewhat bewildered by the unusual weather conditions.


    After about half an hour, the fog veiling the mountain pass finally cleared, and the soldiers could now see the situation outside distinctly. All of them gasped in alarm at the sight of the enemy.


    There were too many of them ¡­


    The Great Wen actually had an army of this scale?!


    The sea of enemy troops stretched as far as the eye could see and the total number of them seemed to be thrice what it had been the last time they had attacked.


    ¡°The North-Western Army led by Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi has joined forces with Yuwen Tong¡¯s army, which is why Yuwen Tong has considerably more men under his command.¡±


    The garrison commander had an apprehensive look on his face. Only yesterday, when the army of the Great Wen had been attacking this mountain pass, he had had a disagreement with Chen Jing, accusing him of exaggerating the enemy¡¯s strength and disparaging their own. Was he going to suffer a defeat on this day which would surely feel like a slap across his face?


    No. He couldn¡¯t afford to let that happen. The mountain pass of Jifang City must not fall. He would end up dead if it was taken by the enemy.


    The garrison commander clenched his teeth, his eyes raking Yuwen Tong¡¯s army advancing towards the mountain pass. The army had finished mustering before the mist dispersed. Though in significantly larger numbers, they were in the same formation as they had been yesterday. The beat of war drums came from the opposite side and with that the attacks began.


    RAT-TAT ¨C


    ¡°Eek? Why are they attacking the same way they did yesterday?¡± said an officer beside the garrison commander in an astonished tone of voice, his face etched with bemusement.


    The garrison commander perked up, cocked an eye at the enemies and found that they were indeed attacking exactly the same way they had done the day before. It seemed that their battle plans had not changed at all.


    At the sight of this, he was numbly surprised at first, but then he was overjoyed and gave two derisive laughs. ¡°People keep saying Yuwen Tong is an unequaled strategist, but now it seems he¡¯s at the end of his rope. If this is how he plans to take our mountain pass, none of his men will make it out of the battlefield alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Is Yuwen Tong soft in the head? Yesterday his strategy didn¡¯t work, but today he¡¯s doing it all over again. He must¡¯ve exhausted his bag of tricks.¡±


    ¡°They call him the God of War, but it seems he¡¯s unworthy of his reputation. Ha-ha ¡­ Lord Chen suggested His Majesty dispatch the northern garrisons south, but the way I see it, that¡¯s totally unnecessary.¡±


    Chen Jing looked coldly at them. He had been a high-ranking officer for many years, and the commanding air he emanated was far more intimidating than that of any of those people, all of whom immediately shut their mouths embarrassedly.


    ¡°Do not underestimate him. Yuwen Tong¡¯s reputation is by no means unearned. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing this for a reason.¡±


    After Chen Jing said this, a couple of officers inwardly rolled their eyes upwards, taking no heed of his words whatsoever.


    Chen Jing, who sensed their disregard for him, was naturally consumed with anger.


    At this time, the army of the Great Wen, following the same battle plan they had adopted yesterday, reached the foot of the mountain pass. The Wan soldiers standing guard immediately tensed up and the first salvo of arrows were fired.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang was standing not far away from the ramparts of the mountain pass, but none of the Wan soldiers had spotted him. The Illusion Formation had been activated before the fog lifted.


    As the activator of the Formation, he was standing at one of the key Eyes of Formation and had been keeping a close watch on each and every move of the Wan soldiers guarding the pass.


    With the Illusion Formation functioning, the Wan soldiers were indeed unable to see where Yuwen Tong¡¯s army were actually going. Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief.


    Now the Formation was in working order, and they had at least an hour to carry out their plans without the enemy noticing!


    Yuwen Tong was directing the troops in person. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, leading two regiments respectively, covertly moved up to the flanks of the enemy guarding the mountain pass ¡­


    At the same time, Yuwen Jin and He Xiao, leading another two units respectively, followed in their wake.


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, leading crack troops, secretly climbed up the flanks of the mountain pass and immediately started slaughtering the enemies, clearing the way for Yuwen Jin¡¯s and He Xiao¡¯s men.


    Yuwen Jin and He Xiao quickly led their men through the gaps in the enemy¡¯s defenses on the two sides and entered the heights flanking the valley in which Jifang City was located ¡­


    Not until Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s men almost wiped out the defenders in the two positions did the other defenders noticed that something was wrong.


    Chen Jing was the first one to detect the strong smell of blood carried over by the wind. The wind was blowing from the east and thus was not carrying the smell of blood from outside the mountain pass to the ramparts, which meant that the only possible source of the smell of blood in the wind was the soldiers guarding the east wing.


    ¡°Shit! Someone need to go and check the east wing right away!¡± cautioned Chen Jing, the middle of his forehead twitching.


    The others still had not caught on to what was going on, for there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary at the east wing.


    ¡°Go! You dare defy an order from a superior?!¡± railed Chen Jing, furious.


    It was only then that an officer took some men and hurried to the east wing to help.


    Jiang Xi and his men had wiped out the soldiers at the easy wing. Taking advantage of the terrain, they were lying in ambush, waiting for the enemy¡¯s reinforcements to walk into the trap.


    As a result, when the assistant garrison commander who had gone to the east wing with some men had not sent any messages back after quite some time, the others, including the garrison commander, began to panic.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How come he still hasn¡¯t sent us any messages?!¡±


    ¡°Send another backup unit! Now!¡±


    ¡°Commander¨C¨CWe¨CWest wing¡¯s under attack ¡­ ¡±


    Right at this moment, a soldier rushed over and reported that the west wing was under attack. The soldier, grievously wounded, appearing to have fled to the ramparts in a great hurry, breathed his last and sank to the ground the moment he finished speaking.


    The west wing was on the leeward side, which was why Chen Jing had not detected any smell of blood from that place or found out about it immediately. It was at this moment that he came to know that not only the east wing but also the west wing was in danger, but none of them had any idea when that had happened. They hadn¡¯t even noticed anything out of the ordinary. This was so weird!


    ¡°Send backup to the west wing! We must stop them, whatever the cost!¡± bellowed Chen Jing, who then gritted his teeth.


    This time the garrison commander did not dare raise any objections and hastened to have his lieutenant lead a backup unit to the west wing.


    Chen Jing twisted his head aside and looked in the direction of the enemies at the foot of the mountain pass. The longer he observed, the more suspicious he was. How come the bodies of enemy soldiers had hardly increased after such a long time? Had their arrows been missing their targets all the time? Impossible ¨C it was a sea of enemy troops down there, and the archers did not need to take aim at all!


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. Why are those hit by arrows not going down?¡± Chen Jing fixed an unblinking stare at the enemies.


    ¡°Your Lordship, those men are moving as stiffly as though ¡­ as though they are the undead!¡± his henchman suddenly exclaimed in horror.


    The undead? That kind of creatures did exist? The garrison commander¡¯s face turned ghastly white from fright. Did Yuwen Tong have some non-human soldiers under his command, by any chance?


    Chen Jing was also astounded. He had several times fought Yuwen Tong¡¯s army during its northward advance, but never once had he seen any enemy soldiers like this.


    ¡°Your Lordship, that master requests an audience with you,¡± a soldier suddenly reported.


    Chen Jing frowned. Why did that Gu master come here at this point in time?


    He wanted to turn the Gu master down and had opened his mouth already when he caught sight of those zombielike enemy soldiers and held back the words on the tip of his tongue. Eventually, feeling that the situation was rather eerie, he granted the Gu master¡¯s request.


    ¡°This place is too dangerous, master. What is it you want to see me about?¡± Chen Jing asked the Gu master without preamble.


    Unexpectedly, the Gu master directly replied, ¡°I detected smell of blood so strong as though death was descending on this city. I would not live to see another day if I continue my closed-door cultivation.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± inquired Chen Jing, the look on his face instantly becoming ugly.


    The Gu master walked up to the parapet, glanced down and was shocked. ¡°Why do these men look so eccentric?¡± he said.


    Chen Jing gave him a sketchy account of the events and then asked, ¡°Can you tell what might be at play here, master?¡±


    The Gu master¡¯s countenance changed several times in a row and then, looking resentfully in the direction of the heavily guarded imperial carriage outside the pass in the distance, said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any living dead before. There are no such creatures as the undead in this world. This must be some kind of subterfuge of theirs.¡±


    Chen Jing furrowed his brows. ¡°Why have we still not received any messages from either of the two wings?¡± he suddenly demanded.


    All others on the ramparts felt the hair on the backs of their necks rise at these words, cold sweat breaking out over their foreheads.


    ¡°Your Lordship! There!¡± someone abruptly yelled, pointing in the direction of somewhere outside the mountain pass.


    Chen Jing immediately turned his head and observed that those ¡°undead¡± soldiers suddenly started flickering. In addition, their bodies were slowly disappearing as though melting because of the wind ¡­


    ¡°Wh¨CWhat the hell are those things?!¡± shouted the garrison commander in terror.


    ¡°Those are not men. It¡¯s an illusion. You were fooled,¡± the Gu master suddenly said. ¡°My grandfather once told me that several hundred years ago, in a previous dynasty, there used to be a Formation genius capable of deploying some kind of Illusion Formation made of images so vivid they looked exactly the same as real objects and creatures; he once projected the image of a whole city onto the Formation, misleading people into believing that the city was real when actually there was nothing there.¡±


    What?


    ¡°Th¨CThat kind of thing does exist in this wor¨C¡± exclaimed the garrison commander, who was interrupted in midstream by an arrow brushing past his sideburn. More than half of the ¡°enemy soldiers¡± outside the pass had disappeared into thin air by now, and that arrow would have gone into his eye had he not subconsciously dodged it!


    At the foot of the ramparts, the areas where there had hardly been any enemy soldiers a moment ago were now seething with them. Even the outside of the rampart was full of enemies climbing upwards!


    Battle cry and the rumble of war drums making the welkin ring suddenly smote their ears. The Wan officers were unable to tell whether those enemy soldiers had just started shouting without warning or some kind of mysterious force that had been keeping them from hearing those sounds had just disappeared, along with whatever it was that had been deceiving their eyes ¡­


    ¡°Thi¨CThis can¡¯t be happening! Guards! Guards!¡± the garrison commander cried out, panic-stricken.


    He was in a state of stupor, powerless to distinguish the illusory enemies from the real ones, as though he had not woken up from sleep yet, as though what he was seeing was happening in his dream.


    All of a sudden, a sharp long saber appeared out of thin air in front of him and was swung downwards at him squarely. The glaring Saber-light as piercingly cold as upper-air wind abruptly jogged him back to his senses and, flustered, he turned aside dodging the hack, whipped out his saber and parried the next slash almost reflexively but was knocked backwards several paces by the attacker¡¯s powerful internal energy. Before he could regain his balance, the long saber came at him once again!


    After several clashes of sabers, the garrison commander, still in a dreamy state, received a ferocious slash in the face which blinded him instantaneously, causing him an excrutiating pain in the eyes. He let out an anguished cry but the next moment an icy cold blade went through his heart, instantly silencing him, and with that he limply sank to the ground.


    ¡°Who ¡­ are ¡­ you?¡± The garrison commander jerkily asked a question and then breathed his last.


    Ling Zhang, who had released his grip on the hilt of his saber, flintily glanced at the body on the ground and then withdrew his eyes.


    Bringing this saber with him had been a spur-or-the-moment decision. As he had expected, it was not as handy as his sword.


    He turned on his heel. Behind him were his bodyguards who had charged up the ramparts with him. They had surrounded Chen Jing and his subordinates, including that old gray-robed man whom he had heard of on that day but had never seen before.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face went even colder. He whipped out his sword fastened to his belt. ¡°Chen Jing, today your life ends.¡±


    At the sight of Ling Zhang, Chen Jing felt as though he were experiencing once again the pain he had suffered when his ear had been cut off on that day. ¡°You! Who the hell are you?!¡±


    He had fought Yuwen Tong¡¯s army many times, but he had never seen anybody like this man, whose kung fu was consummate, whose eyes were so intimidating that when making eye contact with this man, he felt as though he were being weighed down by a mountain. A top-ranking official in the Wan Kingdom for many years as he had been, he still found himself trying to avoid this man¡¯s eyes in spite of himself!


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in telling you who I am, given that you¡¯ll soon meet your end. I¡¯m Ling Zhang.¡±


    Ling Zhang? Chen Jing was numbly astonished, but the next moment he caught on in shock. ¡°You¡¯re Yuwen Tong¡¯s consort!¡±

 Chapter 522 - Get Through the Mountain Pass

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve come to know about my identity, I can¡¯t let you leave here alive. Do it. Take no prisoners,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes!¡± chorused Wang Dashan and the other bodyguards.


    ¡°That¡¯s some tough talk. I¡¯m not going to let you harm a hair of Lord Chen¡¯s head, not when I still draw breath. So you¡¯re Ling Zhang? Do you know who I am?¡± the old gray-robed man beside Chen Jing suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang looked at him with an inscrutable expression in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but an opinionated Gu master. I could tell you¡¯ve suffered severe internal injury. Have you still not learned your lesson? Don¡¯t worry. Today you¡¯ll meet your Maker as well. As for who you are, I don¡¯t see there¡¯s any necessity for me to know.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The old man instantly blushed scarlet and, heedless of Chen Jing¡¯s safety, mobilizing his internal energy, took a flying leap in an attempt to get out of the surrounding circle of Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguards to kill Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Down!¡± However, Wang Dashan and the others would by no means let him get through that easily. Otherwise it would be an absolute disgrace to the twenty-four of them, and the reputation of the trap-and-kill formation in which they had developed a high degree of proficiency after so many years¡¯ practice would be ruined.


    The old gray-robed man had not bargained on being held back. In terms of lightness skills, he was among the best in South Xinjiang, and he was confident that even in the three countries, he was almost without equal, but on this occasion he was actually stopped by a group of bodyguards?!


    ¡°Hey, old man, we are your opponents. A nobody like you doesn¡¯t get to fight our empress,¡± Qiu Bing said to the old man after giving a sinister chuckle.


    The old man trembled with anger. Then he suddenly sneered, ¡°Since you people are so anxious to die, I shall grant your wishes.¡±


    With that he fished a clay jar out of a bamboo basket he carried with him.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s countenance slightly changed. This man was an expert at using Gu worms and poisons. Ling Zhang could tell at a glance that what was in the clay jar was something evil.


    ¡°What¡¯s in that jar? I¡¯m quite curious. How about you open it and let me take a look?¡± someone suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang turned aside and found that Mr. Mu, with Yao Yi¡¯s help, also came to the top of the ramparts, arriving just in time to see the old gray-robed man produce the pottery vessel.


    The old man, unaware of who Mr. Mu was, believed that the latter was yet another ignorantly fearless man coming to get himself killed. ¡°You¡¯ll find out after you die,¡± he replied.


    Then he dashed the clay jar to the ground!


    The jar smashed into pieces, leaving a pool of black liquid on the ground in which countless black worms were wriggling. Some of the worms even splattered across the front of Wang Dashan¡¯s and some others¡¯ clothes.


    The old gray-robed man gave an evil grin, waiting to see the worms devour his enemies. However, after a long moment, everybody on the scene was fine, those bodyguards surrounding him unaffected. The old man was dismayed, his grin instantly vanishing.


    Those black worms of his which were like a small carpet, instead of burrowing into the people around them, all rolled up into balls as though dead. Even those that had been spattered across Wang Dashan¡¯s and some others¡¯ clothes, fell to the ground and lay motionless as if they had died.


    ¡°So this kind of blood-sucking Gu worms are like leeches, which not only suck people¡¯s blood but also look so ugly. I heard that many Gu masters in South Xinjiang hate this kind of Gu worms, that there are very few willing to raise them. Have people there started to raise this kind of creatures again in the past few centuries?¡± said Mr. Mu, looking disappointedly at those black worms on the ground which appeared to be dead, his face registering distaste.


    It was only then that the old gray-robed man came to realize that Mr. Mu was no common person. ¡°Who are you? What have you done? Why are my Gu worms too scared to move?¡±


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°Nothing special. I have something on me, something that scares all Gu worms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Nothing in this world scares all Gu wor¨C¡± The old gray-robed man didn¡¯t believe Mr. Mu, but the next moment Mr. Mu produced a crystal pot which contained a living thing. At the sight of the creature, the old gray-robed man paused in midstream, eyeing it incredulously. ¡°Impossible. This kind of things have become extinct. How come you still have one?!¡±


    Mr. Mu said, ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible. Just like Affection Gu ¨C I thought they had become extinct, but you still have some. Do you have any other Gu worms on you? If you have some that pique my interest, I may be able to have them spare your life and allow me to take you back to do some research on you. If you don¡¯t have any, you¡¯ll really have to die here.¡±


    Research? Most people present were confused, but Qiu Bing who had suffered a lot when learning from Xie Shi, his master, suddenly felt a cold shiver of fear run through him, not daring even to look at Mr. Mu, inwardly shedding tears. ¡®These guys are all psychos!¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°It was you who killed my Affection Gu,¡± said the old gray-robed man, instantly cottoning on, looking resentfully from Mr. Mu to Ling Zhang and back again. ¡°I have some serious old scores to settle with Yuwen Tong. If you are just a Gu master hired by them, stay out of this, or there will be consequences.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, but right now you are in no position to make demands. What you should do is figure out how to beg me properly. My patience is limited, and so is the value of your life. If you let this opportunity slip away, you¡¯ll have to wait until your next life to get a second one,¡± said Mr. Mu matter-of-factly.


    The old gray-robed man ranted, ¡°What a megalomania you are! Although that thing in your hand deters my Gu worms, nobody here can stop me!¡±


    Mr. Mu, who clearly couldn¡¯t be bothered to say another word to the old gray-robed man, shook his head, walked out of the surrounding circle and told Wang Dashan and the others, ¡°His Gu worms are now useless, and you don¡¯t have to be afraid of his poisons. I can detoxify them all.¡±


    After hearing this, Qiu Bing, with a grin, said to the old gray-robed man, ¡°You hear that, old wretch? Nobody can help you now.¡±


    Wang Dashan glanced at Ling Zhang, who instructed, ¡°I want him taken alive and thrown into a pit full of worms.¡±


    Wang Dashan inclined his head. That remark of Ling Zhang¡¯s sealed the old gray-robed man¡¯s fate. Chen Jing and the others were disregarded.


    ¡°Ling Zhang, you¡¯re so supercilious!¡± bawled Chen Jing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my attention,¡± said Ling Zhang coolly.


    He was neither a military officer nor a politician, and he felt no sympathy for Chen Jing, who, like him, was also a leader. In his sight, Chen Jing was just someone standing in his way, someone who deserved to die.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s bodyguards, without further ado, made their move with the intention to restrain Chen Jing and the others. The old gray-robed man, as expected, resorted to poison, but he had just cast poison when Mr. Mu scattered some medicinal powder over the scene. The poison slightly lowered the visibility, but nothing else happened.


    At this time, the ramparts were teeming with soldiers shouting battle cry. Xiao Jiangyue and some other officers, along with their men, were attacking the gates. On top of the ramparts were crack troops with very good kung fu skills, each one of whom could fight ten common soldiers at the same time. Though outnumbered by the Wan defenders, they did not let the enemies get the upper hand and kept them from going to Chen Jing¡¯s rescue.


    What threw the Wan defenders into despair was that soon another two teams of men charged over from the flanks, all of whom were soldiers of the Great Wen, given their uniform. They had no idea why the enemies were coming from the flanks, and they had still not received any messages from either of the two backup units led by two assistant commanders, who had been sent to the two wings.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    ¡°Kill them all! Our victory¡¯s in sight!¡±


    Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi, along with their men, hurtled over, wormed their way through the mountain pass and engaged the enemies in there.


    Chen Jing and the other officers on the ramparts saw little hope of backup.


    Chen Jing had only a couple of bodyguards protecting him, all of whom soon died to the sabers of Wang Dashan and the others. Having been a civil official for many years, he was not as good at kung fu as he had been when young, and thus was no match for Wang Dashan or any of the others; also, he was vastly outnumbered, so before long he was captured.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep Chen Jing alive.¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s wintry voice was heard by his bodyguards.


    Panic-stricken, Chen Jing shouted, ¡°I want to see Yuwen Tong!¡±


    Qiu Bing cackled, ¡°You can scream all you want. No one will hear you.¡±


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Chen Jing, I¡¯m giving you a last chance to save your dignity by dying with your men, yet you have the nerve to think of leaving here alive?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Chen Jing gave a violent shudder at these words and looked at Ling Zhang, a mixed expression on his face, clenching his fist with tremendous force. Eventually, he heavily closed his eyes, grabbed the saber of his dead bodyguard beside him and slit his own throat with it, blood spattering. Thus, Chen Jing took his own life in the end, dying on the ramparts with the other soldiers defending the city.


    ¡°What a wimp,¡± sniffed the old gray-robed man as he saw Chen Jing commit suicide. He refused to surrender and continued fighting Wang Dashan and the others.


    His kung fu was indeed consummate, but Wang Dashan and the others had improved beyond all recognition in the past five years. Eventually, with their joint efforts, they overpowered him and tied him up.


    Bound, the old gray-robed man was unreconciled to his defeat and tried to struggle free, but Wang Dashan and the others who had restrained him naturally wouldn¡¯t let him have his way.


    The old man was different from Chen Jing, who had had a line in the sand and the guts to slit his own throat to save his dignity, but the old man would never do that. Having being caught, he was trying to make his escape instead of taking his own life.


    Ling Zhang found him ridiculous but did not drop his guard. People like this man were masters of tricks. There was no telling whether or not the old man had recourse to something which would enable him to escape.


    He walked up to the old man and ruthlessly shattered his Sea of Chi, neutering him of his kung fu.


    ¡°AAARGH!¡± The old man, who had not bargained on Ling Zhang doing it so quick and mercilessly, had not had enough time to stop Ling Zhang. He let out an anguished cry and limply sank to the ground, powerless to move an inch, his face blanching, his hair turning white instantly as though he had aged over ten years. He fixed Ling Zhang with a quite fierce stare. ¡°You ¡­ Curse you ¡­ You¡¯ll die a violent death!¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Curse me? It seems you¡¯re playing the trick of a thief crying ¡®Stop thief!¡¯. I mean, you tried to kill me, so I¡¯ll kill you. What¡¯s wrong with that? You¡¯re such a sore loser. You should have stayed in the mountains instead of coming here to seek so-called revenge, you know?¡±


    The old gray-robed man was on the verge of vomiting blood with fury. ¡°You killed my apprentice. What¡¯s wrong with me trying to take revenge on you?!¡±


    ¡°Your apprentice? Oh, so you¡¯re here to avenge the death of that Gu master? This whole thing¡¯s getting even more ridiculous. Your apprentice assisted Yuwen Zhi, a treasonable official, with his conspiracy to usurp the throne, and he also tried to kill Yuwen Tong with Gu. Given his actions, don¡¯t think it¡¯s only fair that we killed him? It seems Gu masters of South Xinjiang are all unreasonable. And since you¡¯re unreasonable, you¡¯re in no position to curse anybody. You deserve every bit of what you¡¯ve suffered. The providence won¡¯t hear you, and your words serve only to make us laugh,¡± said Ling Zhang flatly.


    This time the old gray-robed man really spat out a mouthful of blood with rage.


    ¡°One way or another, our karma will always find us. You used Gu worms on us, trying to kill us, so I¡¯ll be giving you your just deserts by having you experience the pain of being bitten by a bunch of worms. Lock him up. When the war is over, find somewhere, dig a hole, put some worms in it and then throw this man into it,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Mr. Mu smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to that much trouble. Those blood-sucking Gu worms on the ground are still alive. He tried to kill us with those worms, and now we could return the favor.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Mr. Mu, his eyes brightening. ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way, Mr. Mu.¡±


    Mr. Mu had Wang Dashan and some others took the Gu master to the spot where the blood-sucking worms were, scattered some kind of medicinal powder over them and with that those worms instantaneously revived and wormed their way into the old man¡¯s clothes and then his body. The old gray-robed man¡¯s countenance changed drastically. He wanted to flee but soon started yelling in pain. Those blood-sucking Gu worms, on entering his body, started sucking his blood quickly. Before long, lumps began to appear on his skin one after another ¨C those were Gu worms that had had their fill of blood. The old man quickly desiccated and after a few moments was reduced to something like a mummy, his complexion deathly pale. After another short while, he breathed his last.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. Having no intention to waste any time on this matter, he said, ¡°Burn him lest anybody else fall victim to those worms in his body.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Wang Dashan and the others soon gathered some wood after taking apart a couple of wooden frames, collected some hay, made a fire and then threw the Gu master¡¯s body into it. Mr. Mu scattered some kind of black powder over the flames and they instantly flared up. Soon the Gu master¡¯s corpse was consumed by fire. It burned fast and had been reduced to a pile of ash when the defenders on the ramparts were wiped out.


    Although Chen Jing and the garrison commander were dead, the battle still lasted quite a long time.


    There were many defenders in Jifang City, along with officers of different ranks. Also, there were some mechanical defenses at the mountain pass, and getting through them would take a lot of doing. When the unit led by Yuwen Tong launched a frontal attack on the Wan defenders guarding the pass, the troops led by Yuwen Jin and He Xiao detoured around the pass and engaged the Wan soldiers who were trying to go to the pass to help defending it, Jiang Ke¡¯s and Jiang Xi¡¯s units fighting another group of defenders.


    The Wan defenders knew in their heart of hearts that once the mountain pass was taken, the Wan Kingdom would really be faced with the fate of being subjugated, so they were all determined to fight to the last breath, and none of them surrendered.


    The army of the Great Wen encountered the heaviest resistance since their entry into the Wan Kingdom. When night fell, the fighting was still ongoing. There were lighted torches everywhere. In the end, most soldiers became desensitized to blood and death, attacking anybody not wearing the same uniform as theirs on sight.


    ¡­


    The next morning, the sun rose as usual.


    The mechanical defenses deployed at the mountain pass had now been destroyed, and the army of the Great Wen stormed through the gates, pushed deep into the city with unstoppable momentum and eventually wiped out the last team of defenders. Thus, Jifang City was taken and the great battle came to an end.

 Chapter 523 - Rest and Reorganization

    Having grappled with enemies for a day and night, many soldiers directly lay down on the ground as the great battle ended, utterly unable to summon the energy to raise their sabers again. Exhausted, sleepy and desensitized, some of them even closed their eyes and fell asleep shortly after lying down. Not only the soldiers, even Ling Zhang felt somewhat numb. The smell of blood lingering on the tip of his nose seemed as though it would never disappear, as though he were breathing strong scent of blood instead of air. He was radiating an almost palpable aura of bloodthirstiness as if he and this battlefield had become one.


    Yuwen Tong detailed some soldiers who still had enough strength to walk to patrol the area between the mountain pass and Jifang City lest their fatigued, sleeping comrades-in-arms fell victim to possible surviving enemies. At the same time, He Xiao and Yuwen Jin, each leading some men, went up to the heights flanking the valley to make regular patrols in case there were any sneak attacks.


    The army badly needed regroupment, with which Yuwen Tong was so occupied he couldn¡¯t find any time to talk with Ling Zhang in private.


    Ling Zhang did not disturb them. He and Mr. Mu led some men into the city, took over it and forbade the soldiers from disturbing local residents.


    Local residents had been fleeing hurry scurry since the soldiers had gained entry into the city, but gradually, finding that the soldiers of the Great Wen were not slaughtering civilians, they calmed down, and the confusion and chaos that had been reigning the city from the very beginning abated. Ling Zhang washed, took off his armor, changed into light clothes and went up to a high platform to pacify the residents.


    He stated his identity as the empress of the Great Wen. And, since he was not wearing armor, and there was no blood on his clothes, he looked courtly and dignified. In addition, he was emanating a progressively detectable, inexplicable air of something similar to sacredness, so his efforts to placate the residents were quite fruitful. Though it was impossible for the residents to immediately accept the fact that they had turned from subjects of the Wan Kingdom into those of the Great Wen, or to let go of their hate, as long as these residents stopped panicking and regained their composure, the army did not have to spare time and energy to deal with these residents.


    A lot of people, mostly newly appointed officers, and some others in the army too, were greatly surprised to see that Ling Zhang was doing such a good job pacifying local residents.


    Previously they had merely heard some rumors about Ling Zhang, but recently they had fought shoulder to shoulder with him, and they had come to know that he was capable of deploying miraculous Formations and placating residents. Their knowledge of what kind of person Ling Zhang was no longer limited to the information they had got from hearsay. They now had a more vivid image of him.


    Ling Zhang, after cooling the residents off, temporarily took charge of important civic affairs. Of course, there were still many things he was unable to handle at the moment. Currently, the first priority was to restore order and prevent soldiers from disturbing residents with strict bans. Meanwhile, he organized some army patrols and had them patrol the streets lest any local ruffians take advantage of the situation and loot civilians¡¯ houses.


    After doing these, he did not get involved in any other matters and just waited for Yuwen Tong to assign his men to take over the city.


    The areas south of the Wan River had gradually been taken over by a team of civil officials brought by Chu Liangyan. Some of those officials were experienced, and some others were newly promoted ones. All of them had been screened by Yuwen Tong and some courtiers before being selected. Every time a city was taken, some officials, along with their respective assistants, were assigned to stay in it until all the local residents came to heel; the soldiers and military officers staying in the cities mostly played an auxiliary role, and it was the civil officials who were doing most of the placatory work. Everything was being dealt with according to the rules of the Great Wen. The decrees issued were the ones that Yuwen Tong had long since finalized after consulting with his courtiers, and some adjustments had been made before their promulgation. Presently the situation in areas south of the Wan River was fairly stable.


    Zhaoyang City, which was located to the north of the Wan River, was of great strategic importance. Right now Chu Liangyan was in Zhaoyang City, and it would be some time before he and the rest of his men arrived at Jifang City.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong and his men also had to stay in Jifang City for a few days before they moved north, for the army had just been through an intense fight and needed some time to rest and regroup to get ready for the battle outside the Wan capital.


    ¡­


    ¡°Seeing as Jifang City has now fallen into our hands, Shan Congli must be panic-stricken. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll dispatch the northern garrisons south to help defend the capital.¡±


    ¡°The Wan cavalry in the north is a big threat to us.¡±


    After a day¡¯s rest, all the troops had found a second wind. Yuwen Tong and the generals were having a meeting, analyzing what the configuration of the enemy they were going to fight next might be like.


    ¡°The Wan capital is different from any of the other cities we¡¯ve taken. It¡¯s going to be a real tough fight. First we need to make sure the troops have enough time to recharge,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Having made such great progress, he was not inclined to rush into anything. Letting the troops get the rest they needed was the top priority.


    As for food, fodder and other supplies, Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had been transporting them from the rear to the front all the time, and the supply routes had never been cut off, so Yuwen Tong did not have to worry about it at all.


    Xiao Jiangyue and the others agreed with Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision. Eventually, they decided to send some men to check out the lay of the land in the Wan capital, while they themselves would have the troops rest well, finish the regroupment of the forces as soon as possible and then depart for the Wan capital.


    ¡­


    When Yuwen Tong was talking with the generals, Ling Zhang went to the infirmary.


    The infirmary had been expanded. Tents of the infirmary covered a large area. The main reason for it was that there were too many injured soldiers.


    Almost all soldiers, to a greater or lesser degree, had been wounded during this battle.


    Those whose injuries were minor, after having their wounds dressed, returned to their respective tents to rest; those with relatively severe injuries were resting in tents of the infirmary, and there were designated personnel decocting medicinal herbs and changing their dressings for them; grievously wounded ones had been settled in tents around the infirmary, some physicians tending them.


    There was such a clear division of responsibilities in the encampment because in Yuwen Tong¡¯s army, this had been how things were supposed to be dealt with for many years. Both the soldiers and the army physicians were experienced in it and able to guarantee orderly handling of these matters.


    However, the great wealth of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was the main reason why the injured were living in comfortable tents, getting the medical care they needed, taking medicine and eating balanced meals on time.


    The medicinal herbs were provided by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, and so were food supplies for the injured. Even the health workers had been sent to the encampment by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, all of whom had been strictly screened beforehand.


    Such comfortable conditions for the injured would never have existed were it not for assistance from Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    The limited few, who knew some inside information about it, were all greatly surprised at the full support of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. There were even fewer people aware that the actual owner of the organization was Ling Zhang.


    During the past two days, physicians in the infirmary had still been quite busy. There were too many injured soldiers. Those with less severe injuries had to wait until the grievously wounded ones were treated to receive the medical treatment they needed. Because of this, Mr. Mu voluntarily went there to share the physicians¡¯ burden. Ling Zhang, who had some medical skills as well, also went to the infirmary to offer help after the caretaker municipal government was in temporary working order.


    The soldiers who recognized him were all excited. None of them had bargained on the empress coming to treat their wounds in person.


    Ling Zhang had been composed all along. He was also intentionally radiating that aura of his, which gradually calmed the soldiers down, but every time Ling Zhang was bandaging their wounds or changing their dressings, they still couldn¡¯t help but feel excited and deeply touched.


    The soldiers¡¯ excitement and gratitude was of pure simplicity. Ling Zhang gave it some thought and decided to stay in the infirmary for another two days. Owing to his presence, the injured were in a much more stable mood, especially those severely wounded ones, who basically were unable to fight another battle, and who could only take a state pension and return to their hometowns and thus were somewhat disoriented.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s presence distracted their attention. Also, as they saw Ling Zhang dressing their wounds without any condescension or air of superiority, they had a stronger sense of belonging to the Great Wen and the imperial couple, lofty sentiments sweeping over them, dissolving their disorientation.


    ¡°For those of you who can still walk and carry things, no matter what you¡¯ve lost is an arm or a leg, the imperial court will find you suitable jobs. Just stay here until you fully recover from your wounds, and then arrangements will be made for you to return to your hometowns. The pension you¡¯ve received is your guarantee of future life, so keep it safe and do not give it to anybody else. Set your minds at ease and nurse yourselves back to health. When His Majesty and I return to the capital city, a decree will be promulgated and you¡¯ll be assigned to new positions,¡± Ling Zhang said to the injured.


    For most of the soldiers, being allowed to return to their hometowns after nursing themselves back to health was very good news, and Ling Zhang also cautioned him to keep their pension safe and not to give it to anybody else, which moved them even further. They felt an instant upsurge of closeness to Ling Zhang. On hearing that the imperial court would find them jobs, they were both excited and curious. A relatively bold soldier asked aloud, ¡°Your Highness, may I ask what kind of jobs you and His Majesty will have us do?¡±


    ¡°If His Majesty and Your Highness still need our service, we will fight for you and His Majesty to the last breath!¡± promised someone who had more militant pride.


    Ling Zhang replied truthfully, ¡°Our country is still encouraging residents to farm. After you return, local governments in your hometowns will start building state-owned farms. Those of you who still have your arms may go to those farms and help carry water and weed the paddies; those who have lost your arms but still have your legs may help patrol the farms; those who can read may teach the children how to write and read ¡­ There¡¯s a whole load of jobs like these. As long as there¡¯s still something you can do, the imperial court will do everything they could to help you get a job to make a living. And it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re indeed too disabled to handle any jobs ¨C the imperial court will make sure you have everything you need. You¡¯ve sacrificed everything for the Great Wen, and it¡¯s only fair that the Great Wen should take care of you for the rest of your lives. Of course, these policies are for those of you who have no families left in your hometowns. If you still have wives or children or siblings who could look after you, or you have your own way to make a living, the imperial court will respect your wishes. You have plenty of time to think it through, and you may make a decision after returning home and conferring with your family about it. The pension in your hands should be enough to last you a very long time.¡±


    The severely wounded soldiers were all astounded at these words of Ling Zhang¡¯s. Many of them were members of the North-Western Army. Soldiers of the North-Western Army were always the most valiant and fearless on the battlefield, which was why the majority of grievously wounded soldiers were from this army. Back then when Yuwen Tong had been the marshal of the North-Western Army, he had also been very considerate in the placement of the injured, but now Ling Zhang outshined him in this regard, so the soldiers were truly shocked.

 Chapter 524 - Im Dead Beat. Give Me a Hug

    But this was because at that time it was the emperor surnamed Zhou who had been in power, and Yuwen Tong, though capable of guaranteeing comfortable life for soldiers willing to stay in north-western prefectures like Shengzhou, Youzhou, had been unable to guarantee that the soldiers would enjoy all the rights they deserved after leaving the north-west. After all, at that time he had been merely a marshal, not the emperor, and his reach had not been that wide.


    Now, however, things were different. Yuwen Tong had the power to make any decision he wanted when it came to the placement of the injured.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s words shocked the grievously wounded soldiers and at the same time gave them hope. Many of them had families who would take care of them, and some had their own way to make a living, but they were still touched. They not only were moved but also saw hope.


    These words soon spread through the whole army. The severely injured soldiers, who had been rather dejected, all dismissed their negative emotions and began to actively do as the physicians said, and no longer saw the future as dim.


    Ling Zhang was not making empty promises. He and Yuwen Tong had long since conferred with each other about it, and it had also been discussed in court meetings. They had even finalized a specific action plan, which would be carried out right after Yuwen Tong took the Wan capital.


    The reason why they would wait until that time to execute the plan was mainly because the bunch of courtiers believed that the people would be more deeply impressed by the emperor¡¯s wisdom that way.


    Ling Zhang, in order to avert suspicion, had not participated in the handling of those state affairs, so he had never stated his stand on this matter before.


    But after seeing the disoriented and depressed looks on the faces of the severely injured soldiers, Ling Zhang had felt it unnecessary to wait that long to tell them. If he did not give these soldiers some hope at this point in time, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to live long enough to return to their hometowns, so he had directly disclosed it to them, and he didn¡¯t care whether or not the news would spread. All he wanted was for these injured soldiers to have more hope which would help them survive.


    Yuwen Tong also felt that it would be better if the message spread. On this day all soldiers had extra dishes on their tables, and at the same time Yuwen Tong, as the emperor, officially confirmed what Ling Zhang had said to the injured.


    The whole army was thrown into excitement. Those who still felt somewhat drained due to a day and night¡¯s fierce fighting swelled with great enthusiasm at the news, and the despondency was instantly swept away. All the troops became thrilled once again as though given stimulation treatment.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, who had just returned from the infirmary, exhaled deeply and sprawled in an armchair, heedless of his undignified sitting position. Wang Dashan and some others were standing guard outside the tent, so he did not have to worry about any uninvited visitors seeing him.


    The past few days had indeed been quite rough. Given that even he, the empress, was dead beat, it was safe to say that each and every member of the army was dead beat. Because of Yuwen Tong¡¯s verbal confirmation of the placement policy, the encampment was uproarious on this day. Hearing the excited voices from outside, Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief. If truth be told, he had never served in the army and thus was unsure whether or not the soldiers¡¯ reaction was normal, but he still couldn¡¯t help but worry that it might affect the combat readiness of the army if the situation continued.


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply once again, sprawling in his armchair with no consideration whatsoever of his personal image, clearing his mind, thinking about nothing.


    Though he had merely acted as an auxiliary worker in the infirmary, the heavy workload there was beyond his expectation.


    Yuwen Tong, on entering the tent, saw Ling Zhang sprawling in an armchair in an undignified manner. Knowing that Ling Zhang was exhausted, his heart aching for Ling Zhang, he walked over and scooped Ling Zhang up from the armchair.


    ¡°Go and lie down on the bed. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel much more comfortable lying in a bed than sprawling in an armchair.¡±


    Ling Zhang wriggled out of Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°I reek of sweat and need to take a bath first, or else the bed would stink of my sweat as well. You¡¯ve got everything handled?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Sort of. Tonight there¡¯s going to be a bonfire to help the troops relax, and we¡¯ll have to put in an appearance. You may go and have some sleep. I¡¯ll wake you when it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head, feeling it unacceptable to go to bed all sweaty and dirty. Having lived in a palace for years, he had developed certain habits and some of the things he used to be accustomed to now struck him as unbearable.


    Yuwen Tong felt an urge to laugh at the sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s bearing. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. It¡¯s just the two of us. I don¡¯t mind,¡± he said amusedly.


    Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. ¡°But I do. Okay?¡±


    Yuwen Tong sighed, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s have a bath together. Then we go to bed.¡±


    Um? Together?


    ¡°You want to have a bath as well?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I want you to massage my shoulders. I¡¯ve been having some tough days lately.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang said, ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s bathe.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had some hot water delivered inside. A large bathing barrel was right in the tent, and all bathroom ware was also available.


    The encampment was in the vicinity of Jifang City. All supplies could be transported to the encampment in a timely manner, and it was also very convenient to get water, so soldiers had no difficulty getting what they needed to bathe.


    After the two of them stripped and entered the bathing barrel, Ling Zhang offered to massage Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder. Yuwen Tong had Ling Zhang turn around and started kneading his shoulders first.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you want me to massage your shoulders? Why are you massaging mine?¡± asked Ling Zhang, feeling so comfortable he could barely keep from groaning.


    Yuwen Tong pecked Ling Zhang¡¯s ear and said, ¡°Your wrist is in no fit state to perform any exertion of great strength.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at his wrist. The bandages had been removed, and the scab on the cut had come off, but his wrist still ached when he exerted great strength, so he tried to avoid using that hand whenever he could. On that day, when attacking the mountain pass, he had felt thankful that it was his left hand he had had cut, because otherwise he would¡¯ve been unable to use a sword, which would be a disgrace.


    ¡°It won¡¯t ache if I use only a moderate amount of strength,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t let him. For him, having a bath with Ling Zhang was itself a relaxing thing. Now the cut in Ling Zhang¡¯s chest had also healed, so ¡­


    He held Ling Zhang in his arms and had sex with him in the bathing barrel. When Ling Zhang, gripping the edge of the bathing barrel with his hands, started letting out muffled groans, the auditory stimuli were so intense that Yuwen Tong almost ejaculated prematurely. Fortunately he managed to hold it. It was mainly because they hadn¡¯t done it for quite a while, and Yuwen Tong felt it difficult to restrain himself.


    Eventually, Yuwen Tong carried Ling Zhang back to the bed and did it a second time. When the second round was over, Ling Zhang directly fell asleep for exhaustion. Yuwen Tong wet a towel with hot water, wiped Ling Zhang clean and then cleaned himself. After that, he went to the inner compartment and had his bodyguards get the bathwater out of the tent.


    Yao Yi had a faint flush on his face when leading a couple of men into the tent to carry the bathing barrel. Looking at the patches of water on the ground, he felt quite sympathetic towards Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang. How sexually repressed must they have been to make out so wildly?


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had slept for two hours when Yao Yi woke them up. ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness, the banquet¡¯s starting.¡±


    As he was awoken, Ling Zhang burrowed his face into Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, having no intention to get up or go to any banquets.


    Yuwen Tong instructed Yao Yi to tell the soldiers that the two of them would be there later. Yao Yi sensibly took his leave.


    As Yuwen Tong looked down at Ling Zhang who was burrowing his face into his chest, and whose whole body was in his embrace, he felt so warm, aroused and satiated as though he were soaking in hot water again. He lowered his head, kissed Ling Zhang¡¯s hair and said, ¡°You may sleep for a little while longer.¡±


    But after an hour, the ¡°little while¡± still hadn¡¯t come to an end. Knowing that they really needed to go, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to wake Ling Zhang.


    When Ling Zhang was awoken, his face wore a hurt expression and he looked on the verge of tears. Yuwen Tong¡¯s heart ached at the sight of it. He gave it some thought and then said, ¡°How about you continue to sleep and I go without you?¡±


    On hearing Yuwen Tong offer to go without him, Ling Zhang shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    After saying that, he reluctantly got out of bed and waddled to the wardrobe to get his clothes.


    Yuwen Tong hastened out of bed and went to help him.


    It took them some time to make themselves presentable. The whole encampment had turned into an ocean of uproar when they walked out of the tent. Their arrival at the banquet gave rise to another surge of excitement among the troops. Because of their lateness, Yuwen Jin, who was always bold, suggested the two of them each drink a cup of wine as punishment. The soldiers took up the chant and the two of them had no alternative but to receive their punishment.


    In the knowledge that he could easily get drunk by drinking on an empty stomach, Ling Zhang, after sitting down, immediately started eating, intending to get some food into his belly first. He also conveniently put some meat and vegetable into Yuwen Tong¡¯s bowl. ¡°Eat,¡± he said.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong ate the meat and vegetable given to him by Ling Zhang. As he saw that there was some gravy at the corner of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth, he reached out a hand and wiped it off.


    There was some kind of tacit behavioral agreement between the two, which had been developing in a natural fashion for years, but this scene struck people in the vicinity as a public display of affection, one that flooded them with self-pity.


    ¡°I find it incredible the marital bonding between His Majesty and His Highness is still so strong, given that they have been married for over five years,¡± said a soldier in a muted, envious voice.


    ¡°Tell me about it. The exemplary marriage between the imperial couple is known to everybody in the world,¡± said a second soldier proudly. Why he said this with pride was a mystery to the others, for all those who knew him were aware that he was still a bachelor.


    ¡°Alas. If only I could also get a wife with whom I¡¯ll have a lifelong happy marriage,¡± sighed a third soldier, manifest envy in his voice.


    ¡°When this war is over, we¡¯ll return home war heroes, and when we do, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too difficult for either of us to find a good wife, will it?¡± said a fourth soldier.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. It¡¯s not easy to find the right person. Why else do you think I¡¯ve been single for so many years? Because of this, my mother once beat me so hard I was almost crippled. I think she would really cripple me if I still refuse to get married the next time I return home. The very thought of it makes me feel tired. I don¡¯t even want to go back any more,¡± said the third soldier.


    Yuwen Jin, having great empathy with the one who said these words, raised his wine cup at that soldier, who raised his in response. The two of them exchanged a glance and then gulped down their wine at the same time, silently expressing their common vexation and their sympathy for each other.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, sitting in the high seats, naturally heard those men¡¯s whispers and saw Yuwen Jin¡¯s actions.


    Ling Zhang said in an undertone, ¡°I think this guy¡¯s going to be beaten up by his mother as well when he returns home if he refuses to get married.¡±


    Yuwen Tong observed, ¡°This is not something we can rush him into.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked sidelong at him. ¡°Who was the one that threatened him with it a couple of days ago?¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°You said it yourself it¡¯s just a threat. You can¡¯t take it seriously. I¡¯m not going to interfere in Yuwen Jin¡¯s marriage or that of any other Yuwen. They have the right to make decisions for themselves about whether they want to get married or not. The Yuwen family has enough money to keep them fed for the rest of their lives anyway.¡±


    On hearing these words, Ling Zhang almost burst into laughter. If Yuwen Jin came to know these opinions about him of his second cousin, he would probably jump up in annoyance and yell ¡°I don¡¯t need anybody to keep me fed!¡± or something like that. Still, Ling Zhang found Yuwen Tong¡¯s broad-mindedness truly admirable. It was really not easy for an emperor to give his relatives such freedom, braving social pressure, but Yuwen Tong was doing it in such a natural fashion as though it were as easy as drinking water from a cup.

 Chapter 525 - The Cavalry of the Great Wen

    The banquet around the bonfire lasted until very late. It was after midnight, and the whole army was asleep, except for soldiers on guard duty or on patrol. The encampment was very quiet.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who had had some hectic days lately, went to sleep shortly after returning to their tent.


    It was not until the next morning that the encampment came to life again.


    As the troops had stayed up too late the night before, the officers reasonably exempted the soldiers from morning drill so that the troops could have enough sleep and be refreshed and recharged when they woke up.


    ¡­


    Three days later, when the army were fully prepared, they broke camp and resumed their northward advance, pushing on towards the Wan capital.


    Shan Congli panicked and, having no room in his head to worry about possible invasions from those northern tribes, finally gave the order for the garrisons stationed in the north to move south. After arriving at the capital just before Yuwen Tong¡¯s army did, they started deploying defenses hurry scurry, intending to keep at bay the army of the Great Wen.


    However, before the battle started, an envoy arrived at the new encampment, bringing with him a diplomatic note from Shan Congli who wanted to sue for peace.


    ¡°Shan Congli is suing for peace? And he offers to cede the areas south of the Wan River to us and pay tribute to us on an annual basis?¡±


    Ling Zhang was confused after reading the terms of peace on the diplomatic note from Shan Congli. What made Shan Congli think they would accept his terms? Not only areas south of the Wan River but also almost half of the areas north of the river had now fallen into their hands. Did Shan Congli seriously believe they would be so foolish as to give him back the land they had occupied in exchange for the so-called yearly tribute? It would be an action more stupid than letting the tiger escape to the mountain again.


    ¡°Shan Congli is indeed soft in the head,¡± Ling Zhang directly concluded.


    Yuwen Tong also sneered, ¡°He thinks because he¡¯s still a monarch, his words mean something, which is a reverie blinding him to the reality and keeping him from getting off his high horse.¡±


    Even if Shan Congli offered to unconditionally cede all the land they had occupied and pay annual tribute to the Great Wen, he would still turn Shan Congli down, not to mention the terms Shan Congli had offered showed such a lack of sincerity. Why would he blow everything when he was so close to the final victory?


    How was he supposed to unify the three countries without subjugating the Wan Kingdom?


    Naturally, Shan Congli¡¯s attempt to sue for peace was not at all fruitful and met with taunt.


    The envoy of the Wan Kingdom had been tremulous since he had entered the encampment. After being told to leave, he immediately ran out of the tent, slipping and staggering, not daring to cast a backward glance.


    ¡­


    ¡°That arrogant bastard Yuwen Tong!¡±


    The Wan envoy, after returning to the capital, gave Shan Congli a blow-by-blow account of the derision he had been subjected to in the encampment of the Great Wen. Livid with rage, Shan Congli cursed Yuwen Tong loudly in the audience hall, but there was nothing he could do to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s army was laying siege to the Wan capital, and the city was hanging by a thread. None of the letters he had written to the Luohai monarch to request reinforcements had been replied. It was said that Nian Feng was still besieging the Luohai capital, standing in a standoff with the Yuexi garrison in support of Mu Rongfeng, both sides unwilling to budge an inch. Currently Mu Rongfeng was so busy trying to extricate himself from the predicament that it was impossible for him to offer the Wan Kingdom any help.


    Xue Chi, the General-in-chief, was dead, and Chen Jing had also died in Jifang City. His two most experienced generals gone, Shan Congli, inevitably, was panic-stricken, but he was still not inclined to surrender himself to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the defense of this city is very strong, and so is our Iron North Cavalry. As long as we hold this city long enough for the Luohai Kingdom to handle its civil strife and send reinforcements here, our crisis will be resolved,¡± said a courtier.


    Many other courtiers had the same idea. They didn¡¯t seem to have a clear enough understanding of the current situation and had great confidence in the Iron North Cavalry.


    Even part of Shan Congli himself was willing to take his chances, which was why the terms he had offered to Yuwen Tong in exchange for peace had been that impractical.


    What they should have seen by now was that it would take nothing short of a miracle for the Luohai Kingdom to spare a thought for them. In addition, how long could the so-called Iron North Cavalry last during a fight against enemies outnumbering them so heavily?


    ¡­


    As usual, the first round of attacks was mainly aimed at taking the defenders¡¯ measure. Unlike the capital of the Great Wen, the Wan capital had higher ramparts, and the buildings in it were of a bolder style, but there was no moat around it, and neither were there any natural barriers in the vicinity of it. It just stood there in the open field, looking unperturbed. Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t even have to give much thought to strategies, for the city could only be taken by sheer force.


    Ling Zhang looked at the towering ramparts of the Wan capital. It had been several centuries since the Wan Kingdom had been founded. The defenses of the city had been strengthened by generations of Wan people before they became what they were on this day. However, high as the ramparts were, they could no longer shield the people inside from attacks.


    Centuries ago, this land had been the territory of a unified country, the Xia. Afterward, uprisings had been mounted, the emperor of the Xia overthrown, the empire divided up into three smaller states. Now it was time for reunification.


    ¡­


    The first offensive lasted a whole day. Shortly after the start of the attack, a Wan cavalry unit charged out of the city gates to fight back. Jiang Xi and He Xiao, leading their own cavalry battalion, engaged the enemies. The two of them were also adept in riding and famous for their skill at fighting on horseback, so their attacks were just as effective as those of the commander of the enemies.


    In order to deal with the cavalry of the Wan Kingdom, Yuwen Tong had knocked into shape a special team of cavalrymen by giving them specialized training in the past few years. Not only had those cavalrymen received special training, but every one of them had excellent horsemanship, and they were equipped with state-of-the-art armor and weapons. Made of special material, their mail was not only sturdy but also lighter than common armor, making it easier for their wearers to attack and defend.


    Though it was called a cavalry battalion, it actually compared with a cavalry regiment, considering the total number of its members, each of whom could fight ten common cavalrymen.


    This was the first fight, and the Wan Kingdom attempted to use its cavalrymen to face Yuwen Tong¡¯s army down and demoralize adversaries, but the moment they engaged the cavalry led by Jiang Xi and He Xiao, they were astounded.


    The Wan cavalry were the strongest force of the Wan Kingdom, and they always despised the cavalry of the other two countries, so when galloping out of the city gates, they had taken the opposing cavalry lightly, believing that they would be able to break the enemy¡¯s ranks in only a few moments, but unexpectedly, the opponents turned out to be much tougher than they had expected.


    They not only were held back but also, what with their underestimation of the enemy, took a sharp blow the moment they engaged the opposing side.


    A warning bell in the mind of the Wan commander rang madly. He hastily adjusted the formation of his troops and managed to save face when under attack from Jiang Xi and He Xiao.


    However, though he managed to save face, it did not change the fact that they had suffered an embarrassing setback during the first engagement, that they, instead of bringing the enemy down a peg, had boosted the enemy¡¯s morale and at the same time badly bruised their own.


    All those people in the Wan capital, including Shan Congli, were confident that their cavalrymen were unstoppable, that they would be able to keep Yuwen Tong¡¯s men at bay and hold the city, but the fact was that they had been held back immediately after engaging the enemies and taken a sharp blow, so naturally their morale plunged.


    The commander of the Wan cavalry was secretly alarmed and apprehensive. The combat capabilities of the opposing cavalry were greater than he gave them credit for. He was afraid that this battle might not end the way he wanted it, and the worse part was ¨C would they be able to hold the capital city after the morale of the army plummeted?


    Jiang Xi and He Xiao did not become complacent about themselves. They had important responsibility on their shoulders. The Wan cavalry had merely suffered a small setback and had not been defeated yet. The two of them and the cavalrymen under their command must stop the enemy where they were.


    A number of soldiers directed by a couple of old generals were assisting the cavalry, covering them and making sure they could fight the Wan cavalrymen without having to worry about sneak attacks.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were both watching the fighting. As they saw that the cavalrymen led by Jiang Xi and He Xiao solidly blocked the path of the Wan cavalry, Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief.


    The Wan cavalry was famous in all the three countries, but this time around they had finally met their match.


    With the resources of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, he had recruited some of the best armor-makers in the three countries, and his efforts had now paid off. Transferring those artisans to the Great Wen covertly had cost Jiahe Chamber of Commerce quite a fortune. Apart from armor-makers, he had also recruited some saddlers. He had even secretly poached a stableman from the Wan Kingdom, who knew the Wan cavalry¡¯s secret methods of raising warhorses. These had cost him a lot of silver and gold. Though his father had been an experienced and resourceful merchant in his last life, he had still, for a long time, had a hard job making progress.


    Now his efforts had finally proved fruitful.


    Of course, these things were secondary. Crook troops and competent commanders were the most important. The imperial court had been under great pressure during the process of selecting soldiers and training them, especially when helping the people restore their lives had been a pressing matter and the budget had been tight.


    It could be said that every member of the cavalry was worth a thousand taels of gold, and the loss of any of them was painful to watch, but casualties were unavoidable on the battlefield. They had trained for years and this was the time to prove their value. Victory was all that mattered.


    The cavalries of the two sides were in a stalemate for quite some time. The Wan cavalry never got the upper hand and, because they were outside the city, were frequently harassed by the infantry of the Great Wen and lost a lot of men. Eventually, they had no choice but to retreat back into the city.


    This was the first day, and the Wan cavalry resignedly fell back without gaining any actual advantages over the opposing side, which came as a blow to the Wan Kingdom.


    But troops of the Great Wen, however, were happy with the outcome.


    Yuwen Tong did not have the troops pursue the enemies, knowing that it was impracticable to take the city in one day. Today they were here mainly to put out feelers, so he had the buglers sound retreat when he believed the attack had lasted long enough.


    ¡­


    After the Wan cavalry returned to the city, they found the atmosphere quite subdued. Their fellow soldiers and the residents who had come to know about the result of the fighting were all silent when looking at them, and their silence was heavy with reproach.


    Though none of them said anything, their discontentment was thinly disguised.


    They were wondering in disgruntlement why the cavalry had not killed more enemies out there, why they had not won the victory during their first counter-offensive, and why they had not let them see the hope they were so desperate to see.


    Under such great emotional stress, every Wan cavalryman had an ugly look on his face, their commander¡¯s teeth clenched.


    ¡°We want to wipe the enemies out as much as they do, but now the cavalry of the Great Wen have not only great fighting skill and sturdy horses but also unbreakable armor and cunning tactics. We would have suffered heavy casualties were it not for our quick reactions. These people should have shown some understanding of the situation we¡¯re faced with instead of pointing fingers!¡± someone huffed. The reproachful gaze from people in the vicinity of them made them feel terribly wronged.


    ¡°Since they think they can do better than us, maybe they should be the ones going out there to fight!¡± flared someone else.


    ¡°Shut up, all of you,¡± an officer admonished.


    ¡°General, His Majesty wants you to go to the palace immediately and state the reason for your failure to win the first battle!¡± Soon someone came and told the commander that he was requested to go to the palace to explain himself.


    The verbal instruction from the monarch was laden with dissatisfaction and reproach, which made the Wan cavalrymen feel both aggrieved and indignant. They had risked life and limb fighting for the monarch for years, but the monarch was blaming them merely because they had failed to win the victory once. This was so disappointing!

 Chapter 526 - Be a Peach

    Shan Congli went berserk in the audience hall and reproved the commander of the cavalry for his mistakes.


    What with the setback that the cavalry had suffered during the first battle, the Wan courtiers began to have doubts and worries, residents in the capital thrown into panic.


    The cavalry commander¡¯s face had been tense ever since he had left the palace. After returning to the encampment, he summoned his lieutenants and told them that they must win the next fight and force the enemy back at least five kilometers.


    ¡°General, we will drive these goddamn Great-Wen people away as long as we still draw breath! But ¡­ ¡± The speaker left his sentence hanging, clearly unsure whether or not he should continue.


    The officer beside him glanced at him and then finished his remarks for him. ¡°But this time around the Great Wen has a cavalry regiment that matches us. Also, the total number of their troops is no smaller than that of ours. We¡¯ll have to pay a very heavy price if we¡¯re to defeat them. From the vantage point of the present, it¡¯s inadvisable to force them back five kilometers at a price that heavy. Our ultimate goal is to drive them out of our country, and to achieve that goal, we¡¯ll at least have to have them retreat back out of the mountain pass of Jifang City first. We need to do it step by step and must not rush into anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly what I want to say,¡± agreed the former speaker.


    During the fight earlier this day, they had underestimated the adversaries and lost the initiative because it had never crossed their minds that the Great Wen would be able to knock into shape a cavalry regiment like that, but these officers of the Wan cavalry were not cowards, and they had the guts to fight the formidable enemies again. In fact, they were all anxious to render meritorious service in the next battle, but it did not mean that they would abandon tactics and try to win with sheer force.


    ¡°Sire has given the order. We must force the enemy back at least five kilometers. This is our mission, and we must see it accomplished,¡± said the commander, his voice as grave as his countenance.


    All the others were dismayed at the words.


    ¡°Our failure to win the first fight has come as a terrible blow to the court. Many courtiers are concerned about the security of the city. If we fail to win a reassuring victory in the next fight, there might be political unrest in the city,¡± said the commander.


    The commander, who was very much in the Wan monarch¡¯s confidence and in charge of the Iron North Cavalry defending the northern border, was a fairly smart man. Though bitterly disappointed that the monarch had reproached him immediately after their failure to win the first fight, he was also aware that in these circumstances he must do as the monarch said, because otherwise there would be political unrest in the capital and their unity would be undermined. If that happened, the capital would fall sooner or later, given that they didn¡¯t really have a high chance of successfully defending against the attacks from Yuwen Tong¡¯s troops. If the monarch lost his power, they would ¨C if still alive ¨C have to flee north. The Wan Kingdom would no longer exist if things really came to that.


    The commander¡¯s explanation was followed by a subdued silence. The reason why they were silent was because they had now come to know that the enemy was like a thick steel plate, and their legs would break if they kicked the plate hard.


    ¡­


    The Wan cavalry were instantly under even heavier pressure, ready to fight tooth and nail during the next battle. In the encampment of the Great Wen, Yuwen Tong was also cautioning Jiang Xi and He Xiao, ¡°The enemy failed to make any gains in the first fight. In order to bolster his troops¡¯ morale and reassure his court, Shan Congli sure as hell will order his men to win the next battle, no matter how heavy the cost might be, which means the next battle will be much tougher than this one. In the next fight, you¡¯re to adopt the formation you¡¯ve practiced previously to deal with the Wan cavalry instead of attacking them frontally. Jiang Ke and Yuwen Jin will be assisting you. I want you to face them down hard once again!¡±


    Faces serious, their burning eyes gleaming enthusiastically, Jiang Xi and He Xiao chorused, ¡°Yes, Sire!¡±


    Unlike Shan Congli who had requested his cavalrymen to fight to the last breath, Yuwen Tong had long since made some plans aimed at eliminating the Wan cavalry. His men had practiced the formation designed to deal with the Wan cavalry for over a year and could now work as a seamless team. Jiang Xi had even secretly gone to the south and lived in the encampment of the South-Western Army for over a year.


    The cavalry of the Great Wen could not afford to lose the next battle either, because if they lost, the tables would be turned on them; although they would still be able to win the final victory, the war would be prolonged, and the situation would be unfavorable for the Great Wen, given that the whole army was now deep in enemy territory, and that it would not be long before the civil strife in the Luohai Kingdom came to an end, either with Mu Rongfeng¡¯s throne usurped or with Nian Feng killed by Mu Rongfeng. Therefore, the Great Wen must subject the Wan Kingdom to its rule before the Luohai Kingdom came to the Wan Kingdom¡¯s rescue!


    For the Wan Kingdom, however, another setback would be a fatal blow to the morale of its army.


    Yuwen Tong had long since conferred with the generals and had all these planned out.


    ¡­


    Jiang Xi and He Xiao immediately left to have the cavalry get ready. Jiang Ke and Yuwen Jin were racing against time to have their men practice the formation one last time. Xiao Jiangyue and the other officers were also doing what they were supposed to do respectively. After a short break, the encampment instantly became abustle with soldiers making preparations for the next fight, the mood in it tense.


    Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong, ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    He felt it inappropriate to stay in the rear under the protection of soldiers all the time. He had confidence in his kung fu, and his bodyguards would be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. It would be a waste of manpower if he had them stay behind the army with him.


    Yuwen Tong, however, did not like the idea of Ling Zhang fighting enemies on the battleground. It was too dangerous, considering how many enemies there would be and the stray arrows that would be coming from unpredictable directions. Ling Zhang had just recovered from his injuries. How was he supposed to endure the heartache if Ling Zhang got hurt again?


    ¡°You¡¯re the empress. ¡®The rich men dare not sit right under the eaves for fear of dropping tiles¡¯. Your safety concerns the well-being of our people, so don¡¯t risk going to the battlefield.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat astonished by his words. This was his first time hearing Yuwen Tong say something like this. ¡°I can protect myself. I won¡¯t be hurt by a stray arrow or any other weapons. Besides, my bodyguards will be with me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked resignedly at him. Why couldn¡¯t Ling Zhang understand him? It was him that he was worried about the most.


    It was a while before Ling Zhang cottoned on and hastened to say, ¡°I¡¯m really not going to put myself in danger. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He had not realized that Yuwen Tong had been expressing his concern about his safety in a roundabout way when talking about the well-being of the people.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him, silent.


    ¡°Do you remember the promise you made me? Are you going back on your word?¡± Yuwen Tong added.


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth and said after a pause, ¡°But that was because ¡­ I just don¡¯t want to stand by idly while the soldiers are risking their lives fighting the enemies. It makes me anxious and fretful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong made no immediate reply after hearing his words. Instead, he raised his hand and stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re the empress. Your very presence is an encouragement to them, so you¡¯re not doing nothing. If you join the fight and accidentally get hurt, that would affect the morale. Besides, I need you to stay within my sight so that I could composedly direct the troops throughout the battle.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡°¡­¡±


    He opened his mouth and then closed it again. Now that Yuwen Tong had put it this way, what else could he possibly say? He did want to fight the enemies on the battlefield, but he did not want Yuwen Tong to be distracted by his actions and thus be in danger.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face softened slightly. ¡°But you still need to wear your armor, just in case.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± said Ling Zhang, but his voice was not very spirited.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand which was stroking Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek moved upwards and he gave Ling Zhang a pat on the head.


    Ling Zhang was at a loss for words after being patted. Why was Yuwen Tong treating him as though he were a child?


    ¡°Stop patting me. I said I¡¯ll stay. I¡¯ll keep my promise.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just want to cheer you up a little.¡±


    Yuwen Tong knew very well how it felt to be eager to join the fight but have to stay in the rear. Back then when he had first been made a general-in-chief, he had been in this kind of situation as well, believing that he should be charging at the enemies and bathed in blood instead of staying under the protection of his soldiers and watching the troops fighting. It was after a very important war that his opinions had changed. His experience in that war had made him considerably more poised and so much more prudent as though he had become another person, and he had also come to realize the importance of the general-in-chief directing the troops correctly. If a commander fought on the battlefield, he might be able to kill some enemies, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold all the enemies back; if he stayed in the rear and directed the troops in the correct way, his army would win the battle; if the commander was good at tactics, he would be able to help his army defeat enemies that outnumbered them and at the same time minimize the casualties, saving more lives.


    At that time, when his troops had been looking at him, it was as though they were looking at some kind of belief; they would charge at the enemies if he gave the order, and they would sacrifice their own lives to keep him safe; as long as he still drew breath, the army under his command would be alive and stand a chance of winning, however difficult the situation was. He was the soul of his army. Without him, his troops would lose their belief and their backbone, become a leaderless mob and powerless to defend against attacks.


    He would never let that happen, so he had, step by step, grown into what his troops saw as a god. He had, risking death again and again, led his men to one victory after another, helping them survive countless battles.


    In a war, the general-in-chief was under far greater emotional stress than a common soldier was. He was not just sitting idly in the rear under the protection of a number of soldiers.


    Yuwen Tong thought about it for a while and then shared with Ling Zhang his experience and what he had learned in a couple of previous battles.


    He recounted it very carefully, Ling Zhang listening attentively.


    Ling Zhang was not an intransigent person. On the contrary, he was very open-minded and willing to accept anybody¡¯s opinions as long as they were reasonable, which was why a moment ago he had undertaken not to join the next fight after Yuwen Tong told him what consequences it might lead to if he went to the battlefield, though he had been rather unreconciled to the situation.


    And now, after Yuwen Tong related to him what he had experienced in the past, he decided to keep Yuwen Tong¡¯s words in mind. Maybe because he had seen a lot of fighting and killing on the battleground recently, Yuwen Tong¡¯s stories did not strike him as something that had happened in the long past. He understood and empathized with those feelings.


    ¡°Was your grandfather already gone at that time?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Yeah. I was not made general-in-chief immediately after my grandfather passed away, because I was too young, but the then general-in-chief groomed me to become one. His methods might be a little unduly harsh, but they helped me make rapid progress.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked him, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave him a name. ¡°Have you heard of him before?¡±


    Ling Zhang thought back for a moment and then said, ¡°Yeah. My uncle mentioned him once, but ¡­ it¡¯s said he died in a war afterward.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He did, which is why the Wan Kingdom must be subjugated, and the strife between the three countries must end, so that there will be no more bloodshed or loss of lives.¡±

 Chapter 527 - A Crushing Defeat of the Wan Cavalry

    A full-on offensive on the city soon started. The Wan cavalry charged out of the city gates in a very threatening manner, followed by a great number of infantry part of whom were carrying shields. Anybody could tell from the menacing air they were emanating that the Wan Kingdom was determined to win this battle.


    Jiang Xi and He Xiao didn¡¯t dare take the enemies lightly. As bugles of both sides sounded attack in unison, the two of them leading the cavalry charged at the enemies.


    The two opposing cavalries were both large, and the ground was making a perpetual rat-tat as horses¡¯ hoofs stamped on it, the quake of it spreading outward as though in response to the beat of war drums. The whole battlefield instantly turned into an ocean of militant spirit.


    Every one of the Wan cavalrymen had a fierce look in their eyes. They had sworn to crush the cavalry of the Great Wen, so they were charging in an uncommonly ferocious fashion.


    When they were halfway to the front of the enemies, however, the cavalry of the Great Wen suddenly split up into two groups and galloped towards the two wings respectively, seemingly intending to outflank them.


    The Wan cavalry found it hard to believe. Though the opposing cavalry were the equal of them, staying together to fight them head-on was the safest strategy, but they were actually splitting up on their own initiative! Wasn¡¯t this suicide?!


    The commander of the Wan cavalry was overjoyed to see this scene, feeling that it was a godsend. Since Yuwen Tong¡¯s men were seeking their own deaths, they would be fools not to seize the opportunity and rout the enemies.


    ¡°Advance! Kill them all!¡±


    ¡°Advance!¡±


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    Their morale boosted, the Wan cavalry charged forward even faster, targeting the opposing cavalry.


    They were galloping so fast that it was too late for them to stop when they found that something was wrong.


    Some of the cavalrymen of the Great Wen suddenly strained at a long rope they were holding, which blocked the path of the Wan cavalry like a hurdle. The vanguard of the Wan cavalry tripped over it and dashed to the ground one after another like dumplings being poured into a wok. Those behind them, what with the inertia, were unable to rein in their horses in time and crashed smack into the horses ahead. Because of their fast speed, the force of the impacts was so great that their horses neighed madly in pain. The cavalrymen either flew forward or fell heavily to the ground; some of them got their feet caught in their stirrups, and when their horses turned sharply, their legs instantly broke; some others, after landing on the ground, were trampled by horses galloping from behind.


    But this was not the worst part. As the cavalry of the Great Wen scattered, a team of archers emerged and with that sharp arrows accompanied by chill airflow were fired at the Wan cavalry unhesitatingly. The warhorses in front, along with their riders, took the brunt of the first salvo.


    The battlefield was soon full of intermittent cries of anguish and curses. The same thing was happening in several spots. The cavalry of the Great Wen extended their formation. Almost half of the vanguard of the Wan cavalry lost their lives because of the rope the sudden appearance of which caught them flat-footed, and those who survived soon got killed when the arrows rained on them. Though a few of them flukily survived both, the cavalrymen of the Great Wen charged up to them and took their lives as their warhorses turned around.


    Thus, the vanguard of the Wan cavalry were wiped out only a few moments after engaging their adversaries.


    Such a disastrous outcome shocked all the other Wan soldiers.


    The cavalry of the Great Wen, while the enemies were in shock, regrouped and charged at the main force of the Wan cavalry once again.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening! How could they have tripped so many people?!¡±


    Many Wan soldiers couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.


    How was it possible to trip the vanguard charging with that momentum with a mere rope?


    In fact, were the cavalrymen and the ropes common ones, they would have not only failed to stop the charging enemies but also been dragged off their horses and ended up grievously wounded or even dead.


    However, those holding the ropes were not common soldiers but special cavalrymen with very powerful internal energy and extraordinary physical strength, all of whom were, when not on the battlefield, heroes capable of fighting off kung fu masters vastly outnumbering them. On this occasion, masquerading as common cavalrymen, blending in with the crowd, they were barely recognizable.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy for Yuwen Tong to seek out and recruit these men.


    The Wan soldiers were blindsided by this unexpected change, but the troops of the Great Wen, however, had been expecting it. Therefore, Jiang Xi and He Xiao, without further ado, charged at the main force of the Wan cavalry who had not come to themselves yet, their men closely following in their wake.


    ¡°THEY¡¯RE COMING! WATCH OUT FOR THEIR ROPES!¡± bawled the commander.


    Though why those ropes were so stout was a mystery to them, it was a fact that their fellow cavalrymen¡¯s warhorses had tripped over them. The commander was instantly on the alert at the sight of the opposing cavalry led by Jiang Xi and He Xiao charging at them.


    Because of this, the Wan cavalrymen did not dare charge fast and, most of their attention concentrated on guarding against the enemies¡¯ ropes, tried to dodge when the enemies split up into two groups once again.


    But as they turned their horses, a team of archers on horseback emerged from behind the cavalry of the Great Wen, drew their bows and fired arrows at them without hesitation.


    The sounds of arrows penetrating armor and flesh were heard at fleeting intervals, cavalrymen and warhorses sinking to the ground in patches amid a rain of arrows.


    The commander cocked an eye at the enemies and found that this time they were not using any ropes and were just pretending to be! What with this, many of his men had been unprepared for the arrows and shot to death!


    ¡°Fuck! These bastards are so crafty. Nobody falls back another pace! Charge and kill them all!¡± The commander was beside himself with fury.


    Another batch of cavalrymen were downed in the time it took for them to turn around and make a beeline for the enemy archers on horseback after finding themselves fooled.


    Meanwhile, the cavalrymen led by Jiang Xi and He Xiao also hurtled towards the opposing side.


    Owing to the chaos at the beginning of the fight, the Wan cavalrymen were still in a state of bewilderment. On top of that, watching their fellow cavalrymen going down one after another, many of them were baffled as to what was going on and thus powerless to defend against the pre-planned assault of the enemies during which they were soon slaughtered.


    It had been barely an hour since the start of the battle, but the Wan Kingdom had lost nearly one third of its cavalry.


    Jiang Xi and He Xiao made a perfect team. While some of the Wan cavalrymen had not regained their composure, the two of them, along with their troops, started massacring the enemies. Other soldiers of the Great Wen, inspired by the valour of the two of them, charged at the enemies as well, their morale soaring, their faces glowing with militant spirit and hunger for the enemies¡¯ blood.


    Ling Zhang, who was standing on a chariot watching the battle, also felt an overwhelming urge to join the fight and would have jumped off the chariot, mounted Snowflake the horse and galloped towards the enemies had he not promised Yuwen Tong he would stay put.


    But Yuwen Tong beside him was very composed, watching the fighting develop with his penetrating eyes.


    Because although things were going smoothly as planned, and they had faced the Wan cavalry down in the first battle, in his eyes this was just a beginning, and only when the war was won would they be able to call themselves the winners.


    Ling Zhang clenched his fists, staring fixedly at the fighting, his desire to join it still churning inside him.


    The objective of this offensive was to annihilate the cavalry of the Wan Kingdom. Xiao Jiangyue and the others¡¯ task was to assist Jiang Xi and He Xiao and hold back the reinforcements of the enemies so that Jiang Xi and He Xiao¡¯s men could wipe out the Wan cavalry famous in the three countries.


    As a result, the fighting between the two opposing cavalries was the most intense on the battlefield.


    Watching Jiang Xi and He Xiao battling the enemies with their men, Ling Zhang was feeling not only an urge to join the fight but also a mounting nervousness.


    Fortunately, Jiang Xi and He Xiao lived up to the expectations of their comrade-in-arms. After almost two hours¡¯ fierce fighting, they successfully exterminated the Wan cavalry isolated by infantry of the Great Wen. Even the commander of the Wan cavalry, after being grievously wounded, died to Jiang Xi¡¯s spear.


    ¡°Bravo!¡± Ling Zhang involuntarily let out a cheer at the sight of the commander¡¯s death and then exhaled deeply, unclenching his tight fists slowly, a hum in his head because of the abrupt sense of relief. Just now he had been so nervous.


    A thunderous cheer went up from the troops of the Great Wen on the battleground. They had suffered heavy casualties as well during the fighting, but now that this formidable Wan cavalry had been eliminated, the Wan capital had lost its strongest protectors, and the rest of the defenders were no threat to the Great Wen.


    Compared with the rapturous troops of the Great Wen, soldiers of the Wan Kingdom were in a deathly silence. All of them found it hard to believe that their cavalry, their most trusted and strongest armed force, had actually been defeated ¨C wiped out, to be precise ¡­


    It had been the strongest cavalry of the Wan Kingdom, one that they had been proud of, but it had actually been disposed of just like this!


    The defeat came as a greater shock to surviving Wan soldiers than the death of their monarch would have been.


    The army of the Great Wen exploited the victory by hot pursuit and killed all the other Wan soldiers on the battlefield. The city gates of the capital were tightly shut and no reinforcements whatsoever were sent out.


    The great battle lasted a whole day and it was not until night fell that the fighting came to an end.


    Yuwen Tong looked at the city gates of the Wan capital which had been closed from start to finish, a derisive expression in his eyes.


    ¡°Sound retreat.¡±


    The bugle sounded retreat and with that the army of the Great Wen fell back. Given the current circumstances, it was inadvisable to continue the attack. The Wan capital, which had been reduced to a paper tiger, was still standing there, alone and vulnerable. The falling night seemed to be a herald of the city¡¯s fate.


    ¡­


    The gates of the Wan capital, though still tightly shut, were unable to provide any sense of security for the residents or officials inside the city. Their strongest defense lost, they were like turtles in a jar waiting to be caught by the soldiers of the Great Wen. They were really scared. Citizens packing things helter-skelter could be seen everywhere. They wanted to flee the city, because they were not inclined to die with it.


    Officials in the royal palace of the Wan Kingdom, as though having died with the soldiers, gave no reaction to the panic among the citizens.


    The courtiers, after coming to know the disastrous defeat of the cavalry, retired to their respective abodes one after another on the pretext of not feeling well. The palace, well-lit as it was, was empty except for a small number of courtiers and Shan Congli, who had been sitting on the throne in silence all along.


    The staying courtiers were trying to convince Shan Congli to flee.


    ¡°Sire, we may flee north through the secret passage leading off the city. We still have some troops garrisoned at the northern border, and after we get there, we can lead them out of the pass, subjugate those tribes, incorporate their men into our forces, muster all our troops and make a comeback! There¡¯s still hope!¡±


    ¡°Sire, His Lordship is right. You must not give up because of this setback. We¡¯ll do everything in our power to help you take back what¡¯s rightfully yours, whatever the cost!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire. Flee this city right away. Where there is life, there is hope.¡±


    The hall was full of intermittent suggestions from the courtiers, but Shan Congli was still sitting motionless on the throne, appearing not to hear any of them, gazing fixedly out of the audience hall, looking like a cornered beast. There was no sign of life on him except for the look in his eyes, which was rather scary. Gradually, the courtiers¡¯ voices died away. Faced with this seemingly lifeless Shan Congli, they were at a loss what to do.

 Chapter 528 - A Letter of Capitulation

    Yuwen Tong received a letter of capitulation on the night of the very day when his army had retired to its encampment.


    It was secretly delivered out of the Wan capital by an official who had bribed the commander of the garrison unit guarding the city gates, and who professed his willingness to surrender, offering to open the city gates on condition that Yuwen Tong spared the lives of his whole family and allowed them to migrate to the Great Wen to start life anew.


    ¡°He¡¯s a big fish,¡± observed Yuwen Tong, handing the letter to Ling Zhang after reading it.


    Ling Zhang read the letter and came to know that the one who had delivered it was a ranking-two courtier of the Wan Kingdom, that the commander of the garrison unit guarding the west city gates used to be his student. Given that the letter had been safely delivered to Yuwen Tong, the courtier should be telling the truth.


    ¡°Should we accept it?¡± asked Xiao Jiangyue.


    The officers were sitting in a circle.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really need his help to take the city,¡± remarked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°But we¡¯ll pay a price. Although the Wan capital is in panic, if they really strain every nerve to hold the city, it¡¯ll take us a lot of time and energy to breach their defense, and more of our men will die,¡± said He Xiao after pondering for a moment.


    All officers present expressed their respective opinions, some agreeing with Yuwen Jin, others with He Xiao.


    Xiao Jiangyue, Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi reserved their judgement about the matter, hesitant for their own reasons.


    ¡°By requesting permission for his whole family to migrate to our country, this guy¡¯s actually offering to put his family¡¯s lives in our hands, so I think he won¡¯t dare play any tricks,¡± said Jiang Ke finally.


    Xiao Jiangyue also said, ¡°He¡¯s got a point. I think it¡¯s worth a shot.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after a few moments¡¯ silence, began, ¡°The standoff between Nian Feng¡¯s army and the Yuexi garrison in the Luohai Kingdom won¡¯t last long. There¡¯s every likelihood that it¡¯ll end in half a month. We should take the Wan capital and the couple of cities in the north and subjugate this country as quick as possible, so that we¡¯ll be able to take advantage of the golden opportunity by attacking the Luohai Kingdom before they could put an end to their internecine struggles, minimizing the casualties. We¡¯ve lost quite some men in this war against the Wan Kingdom. Though we¡¯ve got some fresh troops, they¡¯re in small numbers compared with the ones we lost.¡±


    After hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s words, the officers holding different opinions lapsed into silence, because what Ling Zhang said was a fact.


    ¡°Money and supplies are not a problem for us, but we hardly have any reserves to replace the soldiers we lost, and there are not many men in the Wan cities we¡¯ve just taken who can be drafted into our army,¡± Ling Zhang continued.


    With Jiahe Chamber of Commerce at his back, he was not worried about the possibility of the army having to stay in the Wan Kingdom for a longer period of time. Besides, there were large amounts of food supplies and money in the Wan capital. In addition, they had taken many cities, and although the soldiers had orders not to disturb the civilians, they had taken some money, food and fodder from the municipal governments.


    However, people were different from resources. Incorporating Wan soldiers into their own forces would be a risky move, and they were only fit to be placed in the vanguard.


    In a word, the army was dwindling, and they must take the Luohai Kingdom in one fell swoop while it was still mired in infighting. They couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time.


    ¡°Brother Zhang has a point as well. So we¡¯ll accept the surrender of that ¡­ courtier or something? Will they really open the city gates for us?¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    Everybody looked at Yuwen Tong, waiting for him to make a decision.


    Yuwen Tong said in a level voice, ¡°Let¡¯s do some background check on him first. If he really can open the city gates for us, striking a deal with him won¡¯t be a bad idea; if he can¡¯t, there will be no deal.¡±


    Just like Ling Zhang had said, the official wouldn¡¯t be able to play any tricks under their noses.


    As Yuwen Tong had given the order, the others naturally obeyed. Xiao Jiangyue, who was the most poised of them, was made a liaison to that official.


    After seeing this, Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong, ¡°Do you think we should take advantage of this opportunity and try to get in touch with our plants in the city whom we haven¡¯t been able to make contact with?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Whether this guy is trustworthy is still unknown.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and, believing that Yuwen Tong was right, made no more remarks on that score.


    ¡­


    That ranking-two courtier, presumably quite anxious, sent another letter to Yuwen Tong immediately after receiving the reply to his first letter.


    It was delivered to the encampment along with a letter from the commander of the garrison unit guarding the west city gates. In the letter, the commander said that citizens were congregating at the north city gates demanding the guards open the gates to allow them to escape to the north, that the street leading to the north city gates was packed.


    The monarch was turning a blind eye to the confusion and chaos in the city. He had done nothing apart from ordering the guards to keep the city gates shut. The courtiers, on the surface, were nursing their illness at home, but in fact they were all secretly packing their valuables. They also had their respective henchmen keep them posted on the situation at the north city gates and had even sent some men there to add fuel to the flames of the citizens¡¯ rage, covertly trying to pressure the guards into opening the north city gates so that they could make their escape.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Shan Congli is standing by watching the city descending into chaos. What is he thinking? Has he given up?¡±


    After Xiao Jiangyue brought the letter from the commander of the garrison unit back to the encampment, all the others were astonished to learn the situation in the Wan capital.


    Ling Zhang found the circumstances suspicious. If Shan Congli had given up hope, why hadn¡¯t he opened the north city gates to allow the citizens to flee north? At least he should take some measures to placate the citizens and have them unite to help hold the city.


    Confused, Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong and asked, ¡°Why do you think Shan Congli is doing this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°No matter what Shan Congli is thinking, we should take advantage of the chaos in there by launching another assault. Have our men get ready to attack at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    Xiao Jiangyue, without further ado, went to contact that Wan official and tell him to open the city gates as soon as possible.


    The official made a reply very soon, saying that he would open the city gates that very night.


    Yuwen Tong commanded his troops to mount a sneak attack on the west city gates at night.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang put on his armor and double-checked his sword quite some time in advance.


    Under the cover of night, he could easily go into hiding if things went south, so he believed that this time Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t try to stop him.


    At the sight of Ling Zhang in full armor looking at him with anticipation etched all over his face, Yuwen Tong came to know what he was planning to do. After a long moment¡¯s silence, he said, ¡°Have your bodyguards on your heels.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. This time around, instead of trying to dissuade him, Yuwen Tong was actually of his own accord telling him to join the fight!


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll stay within their sights! Wh¨CWhy are you not trying to talk me out of it?¡±


    After making him a promise, Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask Yuwen Tong about it.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°All this time I¡¯ve been constraining you, and you haven¡¯t been very happy about it, so I figured maybe once in a while I should let you do what you want.¡±


    Of course, deep down there he was unwilling to let Ling Zhang join the fight. In his eyes, Ling Zhang would be in danger if he went to the battlefield, be it during the day or at night, but he also knew that being restrained from doing what he wanted was a torture for Ling Zhang.


    In a war, any soldier capable of killing enemies would find it unbearable to have to stay in the rear. He had dissuaded Ling Zhang once on that day, but he couldn¡¯t do it over and over again.


    ¡°Stay safe. If anything happens to you, it¡¯ll break my heart. Remember that you mean everything to me,¡± said Yuwen Tong, looking earnestly at him.


    Ling Zhang paused briefly at these words, his countenance suggesting an internal struggle. ¡°W¨CWell, then maybe I should stay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, without saying anything, seized Ling Zhang above the elbow, took him out of the tent, down a path between tents and into an open space where the troops were falling in, then slackened his grip and said, ¡°Go.¡±


    Ling Zhang pressed his lips together, took a deep breath and then had Wang Dashan and the others join the vanguard led by He Xiao and Yuwen Jin. ¡°Never hesitate if the decision is made¡± ¨C he recalled what Yuwen Tong had once said to him.


    He Xiao and Yuwen Jin were both taken aback as they saw Ling Zhang and his bodyguards join the ranks, but at the sight of Yuwen Tong looking at them with a grave expression in his eyes, they immediately threw out their chests again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sire. I promise His Highness will come to no harm!¡±


    Yuwen Tong, however, said in a deep voice, ¡°Your job is to open the city gates, check out the lay of the land in the city and clear the way for our main force. The only one responsible for Ling Zhang¡¯s safety in this battle is Ling Zhang himself. All the rest of you have to do is fulfill your respective tasks. If you fail to perform your duty on his account, both you and Ling Zhang will be punished according to military law.¡±


    He Xiao and Yuwen Jin both jumped at Yuwen Tong¡¯s words and with that they clenched their teeth and replied aloud together, ¡°I¡¯ll bear your words in mind and see to it that my mission is accomplished!¡±


    Ling Zhang amid the soldiers also gave a start. By cautioning He Xiao and Yuwen Jin not to give him any special treatment, Yuwen Tong was being a responsible commander-in-chief and demonstrating his faith in him.


    But at that moment Ling Zhang still felt two surges of emotions, one of them being the excitement of being able to kill enemies without misgivings, the other one a vague inexplicable mood. Even he himself did not know why, but his hand clenched hard around the hilt of his sword, his eyes glittering.


    ¡­


    Two hours later, a new message came saying that the city gates would be opened in an hour.


    The vanguard led by He Xiao and Yuwen Jin immediately set off.


    Ling Zhang, followed by his bodyguards, departed with the vanguard. Yuwen Tong glanced at the receding back of Ling Zhang leaving with the vanguard and then gave the order for the main force to follow.


    It was shortly before the time the city gates were supposed to be opened when they reached a spot not far away from the gates. The vanguard hid themselves in the shadows, waiting for someone to give the signal from the gate tower.


    After a while, someone on the gate tower waved a lighted torch left and right and left again.


    He Xiao perked up and hissed, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    After another few moments, they saw the city gates twitch.


    ¡°Mount and charge!¡±


    The vanguard jumped up onto their horses the hoofs of which were swathed in thick cotton cloth and galloped towards the west city gates under the cover of night.


    Before long, they were close enough to be spotted by soldiers on the gate tower and all of them tensed.


    Ling Zhang cocked an ear at the sounds from the city gates, mobilizing his internal energy and heightening his five senses as much as he could. He could hear a lot of men breathing nervously behind the gates, then the sound of the latch being removed and the creak of the gates being pushed open ¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re opening the gates,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    He Xiao and Yuwen Jin, who did not possess internal energy as powerful as Ling Zhang¡¯s and thus couldn¡¯t hear the sound of the city gates creaking, both jumped at these words and fixed the city gates with an unblinking stare.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes raked the ramparts once again. Judging from the sounds of breathing he was hearing, the soldiers on the ramparts were performing routine guard duty, and there was nobody lying in ambush.


    ¡°There¡¯s nobody lying in ambush on the ramparts.


    And neither is there anybody waiting to ambush us behind the city gates. It¡¯s very quiet there.¡±


    Ling Zhang told them all that he was hearing.


    He Xiao and Yuwen Jin were greatly emboldened. Believing that Ling Zhang would never talk through his hat in this kind of circumstances, the two of them dismissed all their misgivings and streaked towards the city gates, their men on their heels.


    At this moment, the gates finally opened a fraction and with that a creak was heard, which lasted as the gates slowly opened wider.


    Soon someone emerged from the open city gates and waved at them.


    One of the gates was fully open when the vanguard reached them.


    ¡°Push the gates fully open and blow the bugle!¡±


    As He Xiao gave the order, half of the vanguard dismounted from their horses, quickly pushed the other gate open and then took control of the gates. At the same time, the bugle blared.

 Chapter 529 - City Gates Opened, the Wan Capital Taken

    No sooner had the bugle blared when the main force hiding outside the city heard it.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave the order to attack and with that the troops charged at the west city gates at full tilt.


    The hush of the inky night was immediately broken by the massive offensive and even the ground was quaking.


    The whole capital city was awoken by the noises. The citizens, both those who understood the meaning of the loud bugle calls and those who didn¡¯t, were thrown into panic.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°The Great-Wen buglers are sounding attack! They¡¯ve breached the defense!¡±


    Pandemonium reigned over the Wan capital.


    Ling Zhang and his bodyguards, along with He Xiao and the others, took control of the city gates immediately after gaining entry into the city, and with that they engaged an army patrol coming to check on the gates.


    ¡°You!¡± The captain of the patrol was shocked and infuriated as he saw the commander of the garrison unit responsible for guarding the west city gates standing side by side with some soldiers of the Great Wen. ¡°You¡¯ve actually stooped to colluding with the enemy! You traitors!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just chosen to serve a wiser master!¡± huffed the garrison commander, the look on his face turning ugly at the accusation. Driven by a pang of mingled guilt and rage, he shouted a command and then lunged at the patrol with his men.


    Ling Zhang exchanged a glance with He Xiao and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small patrol. Let these people handle it. I¡¯ll take my bodyguards and go a little further to check out the lay of the land.¡±


    He Xiao preferred him to stay with the soldiers, but then he recalled what Yuwen Tong had said before departure. ¡°Be careful, Your Highness,¡± he said with a head bob.


    Ling Zhang and his bodyguards galloped squarely towards the far end of North Street. At this time, news of the opening of the west city gates had just started spreading, and none of the defenders had arrived except for the army patrol.


    ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s another army patrol coming.¡±


    ¡°Intercept them. Our troops have reached the city gates already.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong had just led his men into the city when he found that Ling Zhang and his twenty-four bodyguards had wiped out a whole army patrol, the street strewn with dead bodies, Ling Zhang standing in the highest position, holding a sword from the point of which blood was still dripping.


    ¡°The garrison¡¯s coming,¡± Ling Zhang told Yuwen Tong aloud, turning his head around after glancing into the distance.


    Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head and then split his men into three groups, two of which headed for East Street and South Street respectively, the third pushing towards the royal palace.


    Ling Zhang shook the blood off the point of his sword and leaped off the height gliding like a bird in night sky, then landed beside Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the south city gates with them,¡± he said, face cold, eyes gleaming. Having just killed a lot of enemy soldiers, he was not interested in going to the royal palace to look for Shan Congli and wanted to go to the south city gates to help.


    Yuwen Tong raised his hand and wiped off a speck of blood that Ling Zhang had spattered on his cheek unawares. ¡°Stay safe,¡± he cautioned.


    Ling Zhang nodded, gave an instruction to his bodyguards, mounted Snowflake the horse and then followed the troops heading for the south city gates.


    ¡°Sire, the gates of the royal palace are tightly shut. Considering the loud noises out here, Shan Congli sure as hell has come to know what¡¯s happening, but the palace is oddly quiet,¡± an officer reported to Yuwen Tong after returning from the royal palace which he had reconnoitered a few moments ago.


    Yuwen Tong withdrew his gaze from Ling Zhang¡¯s receding back, looked in the direction of the royal palace and said, ¡°Keep your eyes peeled. Do not underestimate the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    ¡­


    The troops advancing towards the south city gates soon encountered head-on a Wan garrison, who had heard the commotion from the west city gates and were heading here with the intention to help. Neither side in the mood for greeting the other, they directly engaged.


    ¡°Archers, nock! Draw! Loose!¡±


    Unlike the Wan garrison who were in a great hurry and unaware of what was going on, the soldiers of the Great Wen were fully prepared. Xiao Jiangyue, who was in charge, promptly got those with shields into defensive formation and then commanded the archers to fire arrows at the enemies.


    The Wan garrison failed to finish their defensive formation in time and instantly suffered heavy casualties in the rain of arrows.


    After the first volley of arrows, the Wan garrison began to show signs of panic.


    ¡°Charge! Kill them!¡± Xiao Jiangyue gave the order in a timely manner.


    Ling Zhang and his bodyguards, along with the troops, charged at the enemies. To prevent Snowflake from being hurt by friendly fire, he left the horse behind and flew over the crowds of soldiers squarely towards the Wan garrison like a giant black bird or a sharp blade, the sword in his hand gleaming menacingly. With a single stroke of his sword accompanied by a wicked glint, he took the lives of several Wan defenders.


    Xiao Jiangyue was taken aback at the sight of Ling Zhang flying forward, feeling that the empress was making a risky move and might be wounded by the enemies, but soon he noticed that those men¡¯s weapons couldn¡¯t even approach Ling Zhang, who quickly downed all the enemies in the vicinity single-handed!


    Ling Zhang was capable of fighting off dozens of enemy soldiers all at once, and his twenty-four bodyguards, fighting in a certain formation, were progressing quickly, their blows neat and deadly, spattering blood in all directions, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Their combat capabilities were so formidable, the murderous air they were emanating so palpable, that all the others felt the hair on the backs of their necks rising.


    Xiao Jiangyue closed his open mouth, watching in a faintly dreamy way as Ling Zhang, closely followed by his bodyguards and the soldiers, unstoppably fought his way forward, killing with great ease. Though he had long since come to know that Ling Zhang was no common person, this was his first time seeing Ling Zhang fighting in a battle.


    Why did His Majesty have misgivings about letting His Highness join the fight when he knew His Highness had such consummate kung fu skills? It was the enemies that His Majesty should be worried about.


    Ling Zhang enjoyed the fighting very much. He had not fought with such gusto since the battle outside Shengzhou Pass, which had been a long time ago.


    Because of Ling Zhang and his bodyguards, this backup unit of the enemy was defeated sooner than expected. All the surviving enemy soldiers got on their knees and surrendered themselves.


    They reached the south city gates before the other team reached the west city gates.


    Getting through the south city gates was the best way for Yuwen Tong¡¯s army to take the city. Also, the south city gates were the most heavily defended. If they were opened, more troops waiting outside would immediately enter and then occupy the whole city.


    ¡°Blow the bugle!¡±


    The moment they reached the gates, Xiao Jiangyue commanded the bugler to play a bugle call as a signal for the troops biding their time outside.


    Ling Zhang, whose five senses were exceptionally sharp, cocked an eye at the ramparts, listening hard. ¡°Stay alert. There are archers on the ramparts,¡± he cautioned.


    Xiao Jiangyue¡¯s face went grave and with that he ordered, ¡°Shields up!¡±


    No sooner had a wall of shields was formed when arrows started raining down on them.


    Evidently the enemies, after finding out that the backup unit heading for the west city gates had failed to stop the army of the Great Wen, had quickly deployed some archers on the ramparts. Though they had shields, the rain of arrows still inflicted some casualties on them.


    Under the cover of night, Ling Zhang and his bodyguards wormed their way into two small alleys on the side respectively, quickly detoured to the foot of the ramparts, and, when the defenders¡¯ attention was distracted by the army, climbed up the ramparts and cut the throats of the guards. They did it very quick without making any sounds. When the archers sensed that something was wrong, Ling Zhang and his bodyguards had sneaked up on them.


    Ling Zhang was a master of Formation. When he had reached the sixth layer of his cultivation method, he had developed the ability to deploy a Formation by simply arranging a couple of objects. With the dead bodies of a couple of defenders, he in the blink of an eye finished a Formation which would serve as a smokescreen. Then he swooshed down the passage at the top of the ramparts like a shooting arrow, slitting the throats of the archers along the way with his sword before any of them could set eyes on him, splattering blood across the parapet.


    A dozen archers were downed in the twinkling of an eye.


    And then he swiftly removed the torches from the ramparts with strokes of his sword and sent them flying forward like a dragon of fire, which whooshed past the archers¡¯ faces as Ling Zhang¡¯s sword cut their throats.


    ¡°AAAARGH!¡±


    ¡°KILL HIM! KILL HIM!¡± bellowed the commander in charge on the ramparts, astounded and panic-stricken.


    Ling Zhang coldly gave a snort, rapidly tapped another seven or eight torches with the flat of his sword, sending them into mid-air, and then shot them straight towards the face of the commander.


    At the same time, on the other side of the gate tower, Wang Dashan and some others were also killing the Wan archers with high efficiency, working as a seamless team.


    Soon all was confusion and chaos on the ramparts. The rest of the archers no longer a threat, Xiao Jiangyue immediately instructed his men to launch an assault on the Wan soldiers standing guard at the city gates.


    There was fierce fighting on both sides of the south city gates. Ling Zhang, who had been killing dozens of times quicker than a common soldier did, had taken the lives of countless enemies, his armor blood-spattered.


    At this time, the troops outside started battering the city gates. Under attack from both sides, the city gates were soon opened.


    When the south city gates creaked open, Jiang Ke and his men were still having a fierce fight with the garrison defending the east city gates. However, the areas in the vicinity of the east city gates were not the main battlefield, and the team of soldiers Jiang Ke had taken there was smaller than the one sent to the south city gates. Their task was to take over the east city gates rather than opening them.


    At this time, the gateway of the royal palace was in a mess, strewn with dead bodies of palace guards and arrows, the ground gleaming with blood in bright firelight.


    As Yuwen Tong expected, there had been enemies lying in ambush in the seemingly quiet royal palace. His troops had been greeted with a rain of arrows as soon as they had reached the front gates.


    Opening the front gates of the royal palace took some doing. There turned out to be quite some palace guards hiding inside.


    Shan Congli was standing right behind the ranks of palace guards, but he had not changed into armor and was still wearing royal robes.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong, I would have had you assassinated in that battle had I known beforehand things would come to this!¡± said Shan Congli flintily.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to say this kind of stuff now. You should have seen this coming when you failed to subjugate the Great Yue. Since you¡¯ve been waiting here with these men of yours, I think it¡¯s safe to say you have no plans to walk out of this palace alive, so let¡¯s just get it over with,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Shan Congli looked at Yuwen Tong, a sinister and ferocious expression in his eyes, clenching his fists tightly. He was unreconciled to this situation. There had been a time when the Wan Kingdom had been at a great advantage. He had waged this war with the ambition to annex the Great Wen, but he had not bargained on falling prey to Yuwen Tong¡¯s subterfuge, which was a mistake that had directly led to the subjugation of the Wan Kingdom. How could he not have grudges and regret when the result was such a contrast to his goal?


    However, unconvinced as Shan Congli was, he was aware that there was no way he could turn the tables. It was a fact that Yuwen Tong had subjugated the Wan Kingdom, and maybe it wouldn¡¯t be long before Yuwen Tong reunified the three countries. The knowledge of this further deepened Shan Congli¡¯s hatred. A few years ago Yuwen Tong had been merely a military officer of the Great Yue, and at that time the Wan Kingdom had stood a better chance of achieving the reunification of the three countries. Why did Yuwen Tong get to have all that in the end?!


    ¡°You deserve to die. Now that you¡¯ve entered this palace, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you leave here alive. I can¡¯t wait to see the regret on your face when you¡¯re on the verge of death knowing you¡¯re so close to reunifying the three countries!¡± Shan Congli suddenly sneered in a peculiar manner.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. It struck him that Shan Congli¡¯s bearing verged on the demented.

 Chapter 530 - An Explosion in the Royal Palace

    As both Shan Congli¡¯s tone of voice and his mien were uncharacteristic, Yuwen Tong was on the alert and unnoticeably motioned for Jiang Xi standing beside him to go and guard the front gates of the royal palace, in case anything unexpected happened.


    Jiang Xi gave a slight nod and then secretly made some arrangements, cautioning everybody to stay vigilant.


    Given the number of the palace guards present, Shan Congli could do no more than put up a deathbed struggle, but apart from anything else, this place was the royal palace of the Wan Kingdom, and there was no telling whether or not Shan Congli, as the owner of this palace, had anything else up his sleeve that he might resort to to do them harm.


    ¡­


    After the south city gates were opened, the troops waiting outside charged into the city and took control of the south city gates and the whole south street.


    There were not many surviving enemies left, so there was no longer any necessity for Ling Zhang to stay involved. Still worried about the situation in the royal palace, he hurried towards the palace with his bodyguards.


    When he reached the palace, he saw that the front gates were open. There were Great-Wen soldiers standing guard both in and outside the palace, the sound of fighting issuing from inside, but he was unable to tell what was happening in there.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Your Highness,¡± chorused the soldiers guarding the front gates at the sight of Ling Zhang.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything going in there?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Shan Congli has summoned his palace guards and put up fierce resistance. The fighting is continuing. His Majesty and General Jiang are both inside,¡± answered a soldier.


    Ling Zhang nodded, looked up at the towering front gates of the Wan royal palace and then resumed riding forward. When going through the gates, he inexplicably felt somewhat unnerved as though there was something dangerous inside.


    Ling Zhang, who had been having mounting confidence in his occasional forebodings, found his heartbeat quickening in spite of himself and he immediately spurred Snowflake and galloped into the royal palace.


    Wang Dashan and the others, unaware of why Ling Zhang had suddenly picked up speed, hastened to follow in his wake.


    There were dead bodies on the ground inside the palace, which clearly had witnessed an intense fight not long ago.


    They detoured around another palace wall, rode through another pair of gates and were greeted with bright firelight. The troops of the Great Wen and a number of Wan palace guards were engaged in a full-on fight. Shan Congli was in the middle of his palace guards. They were surrounded by troops of the Great Wen.


    Yuwen Tong was on his horse at the foot of a palace wall, under the protection of some soldiers led by Jiang Xi.


    Ling Zhang glanced around the scene and let out a sigh of relief as he saw that Yuwen Tong was safe and sound. ¡°Gee¨Cup!¡±


    Snowflake, without slowing down, made a beeline for Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Sire, His Highness is coming.¡± Jiang Xi was the first to notice Ling Zhang and hastened to tell Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong twisted his head around and saw Ling Zhang galloping towards him on Snowflake, who was all white and very conspicuous, but who was overshadowed by Ling Zhang¡¯s great presence. Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang galloped up and reined in Snowflake a couple of paces away from Yuwen Tong. Snowflake reared and then abruptly put her front legs down with a long neigh.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Are you hurt?¡± Ling Zhang inquired immediately after his horse halted.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head and looked Ling Zhang all over as the latter¡¯s eyes appraised him. Having sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s even and steady breathing, he knew that Ling Zhang was unharmed.


    ¡°How did it go at the south city gates?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve taken control of the gates. Right now General Xiao and his men are hunting the surviving enemies in the city.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced at Shan Congli who was in the middle of the surrounding circle under the protection of his guards resisting desperately. ¡°Why is he still alive?¡± he asked.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°The situation here is quite messy, but he¡¯ll be either captured or killed in a few moments. You¡¯ve just been through a fight. You should get some rest.¡±


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯d just come in here when I felt there¡¯s something wrong with this place. You need to be extra careful.¡±


    Yuwen Tong slightly furrowed his brows. A moment ago Shan Congli¡¯s inexplicably confident manner had struck him as weird and put him on the alert, and now Ling Zhang was giving him a forewarning ¡­


    ¡°I want you to get out of this place first. I¡¯ll retreat after capturing Shan Congli.¡±


    Ling Zhang disagreed, turned on his heel and instructed his bodyguards, ¡°Search this place and nearby palace walls immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Wang Dashan answered and promptly left to carry out the order with his fellow bodyguards.


    Then Ling Zhang glanced at the palace wall behind him. It struck him that standing in that spot made him feel somewhat subdued and uncomfortable, so he said to Yuwen Tong and those beside him, ¡°You guys should move elsewhere. I have a sense of foreboding.¡±


    Yuwen Tong immediately cast a backward glance at the palace wall behind him. His piercing eyes swept around the scene and with that he said to Jiang Xi, ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else. Tell our men to stay away from palace walls.¡±


    Jiang Xi nodded and immediately gave the order.


    The soldiers changing their positions was a noticeable activity, one that Shan Congli in the middle of his palace guards observed. His face promptly changed and with that he yelled at a man beside him, ¡°Shoot it right now!¡±


    The bodyguard beside him quickly pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back, nocked it and raised his bow, but surprisingly, he was aiming at a bell hanging from a palace wall rather than Yuwen Tong or any of his men.


    He loosed the arrow which then whizzed through mid-air like a shooting star.


    Ling Zhang and the others also saw it immediately. Having an intuition that there was something wrong with the direction the arrow was going, he shot out a hand and grasped Yuwen Tong¡¯s wrist. ¡°GO!¡± he shouted.


    Yuwen Tong flung an arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and with that the two of them leapt up from their horses and swooshed in another direction.


    Jiang Xi, who also had very quick reactions, rapidly left that spot.


    At the same time the arrow went into something attached to the outside of the bell with a great peal.


    ¡°RUN!¡± Ling Zhang shouted at his bodyguards.


    Wang Dashan and the others were just about to climb up the palace wall when they heard Ling Zhang¡¯s cry, promptly kicked the wall and flew backwards.


    The next moment, a bizarre fizz was heard, which was closely followed by a loud explosion.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The whole palace wall was blasted. None of them knew what it was that was so powerful as to reduce such a thick palace wall to rubble. Broken stones carried by a violent shock wave shot outwards in all directions. All those who were too close to the wall to run away in time were hurled away by the blast.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both felt the shock wave pushing them, but thanks to their consummate kung fu skills, they instantly extricated themselves from the area where the blast was the most powerful.


    Wang Dashan and his fellow bodyguards were fairly unlucky. Though having evacuated quickly, they were still wounded. A couple of them, who had been hit hard by shooting stones, sustained severe internal injuries and spat out several mouthfuls of blood.


    The whole royal palace was quaking violently. After a while, the ground on the scene also blew up as the palace wall had.


    Yuwen Tong, carrying Ling Zhang, went up to the rooftop of a palace with a couple of flying leaps. Looking at the soldiers wounded by the explosion from underground, they both had grave faces.


    ¡°How many explosives did Shan Congli bury in this place exactly?!¡± Ling Zhang was confused with anger.


    Yuwen Tong made no reply, because Shan Congli had not survived the explosion either. He had not prepared any escape routes for himself, presumably determined to die with his enemies. A pointed broken stone sent flying by the explosion had gone into his temple only a split instant before he kicked the bucket.


    ¡°That bastard!¡± Ling Zhang was so angry he had an urge to go down there and chop Shan Congli¡¯s body into pieces.


    Yuwen Tong could have been among the victims of the explosion had he not had the foreboding feeling beforehand ¡­ As this thought crossed his mind, Ling Zhang felt cold sweat breaking out over his back, his hand holding his sword trembling from rage.


    Yuwen Tong gently hugged him, patting his back. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s get this matter settled first.¡±


    Teeth gritted, Ling Zhang cooled down and gave an ¡°Um¡± of agreement with a head bob.


    Yuwen Tong let Ling Zhang out of his embrace. At this time the explosion had stopped. The square was strewn with bodies blown apart, some of them palace guards, the others soldiers of the Great Wen.


    As Ling Zhang landed on the ground, he caught sight of a Great-Wen soldier whose leg was wounded, but who was still alive. He hurried up, removed the rock pinning the soldier¡¯s leg to the ground, hit a particular acupoint of his to slow down the bleeding, tore a piece of cloth off his robe and quickly tied it around the top of the soldier¡¯s thigh. ¡°Hang in there. You¡¯re going to be all right.¡±


    Groaning in pain, faced covered with blood, the soldier nodded at Ling Zhang feebly, clenching his teeth to stifle a pained cry.


    Jiang Xi, along with those of his men who could still fight, went to kill the surviving palace guards. Each of those unequal to moving due to their injuries received a fatal stab. When all enemies had been finished off, Jiang Xi disgustedly glanced at Shan Congli¡¯s body on the ground and let out a ¡°Faugh!¡±


    Soldiers outside the palace had heard the loud explosion and many of them came to help. Yuwen Tong directed them to give first aid to the injured.


    Ling Zhang found his bodyguards. A couple of them had suffered rather severe internal bruising, and Qiu Bing had had them take some medicine which could help to heal internal injury, but he had not found the time to treat their trauma.


    Ling Zhang crouched down to bandage Yang Liuzi¡¯s injured arm.


    ¡°Young Master, I can manage it myself,¡± said Yang Liuzi, feeling overwhelmingly flattered.


    ¡°Sit still,¡± said Ling Zhang, his face grave. His bodyguards wouldn¡¯t have been wounded had he not sent them to check the palace wall.


    Ling Zhang glanced up at Qiu Bing dressing someone¡¯s wound and said, ¡°Qiu Bing, you hurt your thigh as well. Dress that wound of yours first.¡±


    Qiu Bing looked down at his wound and smiled fairly nonchalantly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have known had you not told me, Young Master.¡±


    With that he casually tore a strip of material off his robe and tied it tightly around his thigh.


    Wang Dashan, who had been hit by flying rubble and spat out a mouthful of blood, was faintly ashen-faced. Having taken a pill which helped to heal internal bruising, he had regained his mobility. He walked up to Qiu Bing, snatched the vulnerary from his hand, untied the strip of cloth binding Qiu Bing¡¯s thigh, ripped Qiu Bing¡¯s pant leg, carefully applied the vulnerary to the wound, and then tore a piece of cloth from his own robe to bandage it. ¡°Just because you¡¯re a physician doesn¡¯t mean your wound will heal without medical treatment,¡± he said.


    Fairly abashed, Qiu Bing scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Chief.¡±


    All twenty-four of them, to a greater or lesser extent, were wounded. After receiving quick first aid, they went to help the other injured soldiers with those who had just entered the palace to rescue their comrades-in-arms.


    Wang Dashan and Liu Yi stayed, because Ling Zhang was still here and they could not leave their young master unprotected.


    His bodyguards being pallid but still insisting on protecting him gave Ling Zhang a headache.


    Fortunately Xiao Jiangyue and his men, after hearing the explosion, immediately came to help. With the efforts of a great number of rescuers, the injured were soon transferred. The remaining task was to clear the palace of the dead, including the handling of Shan Congli¡¯s body.


    Jiang Xi, filled with fury, had taken some men and set out to search the royal palace for Shan Congli¡¯s offspring, knowing that one mustn¡¯t cut a tuft of grass only, but must uproot it, that all those who might be a recipe for disaster must be eliminated.


    With the death of Shan Congli and the fall of the Wan capital, the Wan Kingdom was subjected to thorough subjugation.


    It had been quite some time since Yuwen Tong had led his men north, but considering they had annexed a nation, the mission had been fulfilled in a very quick manner, for which Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang who had spent three years planning it out deserved most of the credit.


    ¡°You may go and have some rest. I can handle this. We¡¯ll talk about the rest after daybreak,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, face covered in dust and etched with weariness, shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll stay here keeping you company.¡±

 Chapter 531 - A Hunt for the Princes of the Shan Family

    Members of the Shan Family, the royal household, were soon captured. Jiang Xi also discovered a secret passage in the royal palace. Two sons of Shan Congli¡¯s, both of whom he thought highly of, were not in the capital, presumably having fled through the secret passage.


    According to the eunuchs who were the last to have seen the two princes, it had been only two hours since the princes had taken flight.


    That had been the time when the city gates had been opened and the troops had started flooding into the capital. None of the members of the royal family had bargained on someone colluding with the enemy and opening the city gates. Caught flat-footed, Shan Congli had only had time to have his two most valued sons escorted into the palace and whisked off. It had been done with such haste that they had left with only a couple of guards.


    Jiang Xi wanted to take some men and go into the secret passage to pursue the princes. Ling Zhang decided to go with him. ¡°There are sure as hell some defensive measures and divergent paths in there. If you fall victim to any of the defensive measures or go the wrong way, you¡¯ll never be able to catch them. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, Liu Yi and I can handle it,¡± said Wang Dashan.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.


    By the way, it¡¯s best if you send some men to search the north of the city right away. They¡¯ll definitely flee to the north after getting out of this secret passage, because there¡¯s a border garrison there, and it¡¯s the only place where they can find shelter.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll have He Xiao and Yuwen Jin take some men and search that area. You need to be careful down there. Take Yao Yi and Xie Shi with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang nodded, raising no objections, then hastened to lead them into the secret passage.


    It was almost dawn, and the sky was beginning to lighten in the east, but the moment they entered the secret passage, they found themselves in pitch-blackness. Wang Dashan and Liu Yi, holding lighted torches, were leading the way, followed by Yao Yi and Xie Shi protecting Ling Zhang, Jiang Xi and his men in Yao Yi and Xie Shi¡¯s wake.


    The secret passages were indeed labyrinthine. They frequently found themselves at a fork while progressing. Fortunately Ling Zhang was cool-headed all the time, and with his high proficiency in Formations and his amazing sixth sense, he always knew which path to take.


    There were also many defensive measures which could do people severe harm. There were even two thick stone doors blocking the paths at a fork.


    Opening one of them took a lot of doing. They all felt thankful that Ling Zhang was with them, who knew a special method of lifting that kind of stone door.


    After that, the secret passage led them straight north. Judging from how long it had been since their departure, they should have some time ago traveled past the north ramparts from underground.


    It was in a wood to the north-west of the Wan capital that they got out of the passage. Between the wood and the capital city stood a hill. It was not easy to get to this area which was desolate as far as the eye could see, and there were no paths or national roads in sight.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s brow corrugated in a slight frown. The search parties, after exiting the city through the north city gates, would continue the hunt along the national road, because it would be quicker for Shan Congli¡¯s two sons to get to the north if they took the national road.


    ¡°Hoof prints,¡± said Jiang Xi, pointing at the prints on the ground.


    It was full daylight when they got out of the passage, and the trees in this spot were relatively sparse, so they could distinctly see the hoof prints on the ground in bright sunlight.


    Those were marks left by horses which had trampled on the ground agitatedly. Jiang Xi observed for a while before he spotted a place nearby which seemed to be a temporary stable. Judging from the size of it, there should be over thirty horses there. He also found a wide trail of hoof prints leading north-west. Left by a large group of horses, the marks were very obvious.


    Pointing north-west, he said, ¡°They fled that way.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked in that direction, recalling the map of the Wan capital and nearby areas that he had carefully read before the battle started. Then the expression in his eyes went grave and he said, ¡°Ten li (a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters) of this place is a village which is connected by a road with Zhangfei City to the west of it. It seems the two sons of Shan Congli¡¯s are pretty smart. They know that they could well be caught if they travel north alone, but if they go to Zhangfei City, they¡¯ll find shelter and be in a much safer situation, no matter whether their next move is to stay in Zhangfei City or to exit the city through the north gates and then detour to the encampment of the border garrison. In addition, we haven¡¯t taken the northern prefecture of Zhangzhou yet, which means they could unite the troops garrisoned in the three cities of Zhangzhou along the way.


    It¡¯s a whole day¡¯s ride from here to Zhangfei City. I¡¯m sure they haven¡¯t reached Zhangfei City yet, no matter how fast their horses are. Yao Yi, Xie Shi and I will set off first to pursue them. The others are to travel to Zhangfei City as quick as possible. And don¡¯t forget to send a message back to the capital.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after explaining why the two princes had fled that way, promptly left to pursue the targets with Yao Yi and Xie Shi without saying anything else. The three of them, with their consummate Lightness Skills, could travel much faster than the others.


    Jiang Xi had a team of soldiers with him, and it was inappropriate to leave his men behind, so he set off with his men, heading in the same direction the three of them had gone.


    Wang Dashan and Liu Yi were wounded, and their Lightness Skills were not as good as Xie Shi¡¯s or Yao Yi¡¯s, so they decided to return to the city to report the situation to Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, Yao Yi and Xie Shi, following those hoof prints, soon reached the small village but did not enter it. Jiang Xi and his men would come to this village and search it. It was most likely that the two princes had directly fled west instead of staying in this village risking being caught.


    The nice thing about having superb Lightness Skills and powerful internal energy was that he could travel non-stop at a very fast speed for a long time.


    Shan Congli¡¯s two sons, along with their bodyguards, had been fleeing on horseback and were over two hours¡¯ ride ahead of the three of them, but it was not difficult to catch up with them.


    Ling Zhang wanted to catch the targets before they could flee into Zhangfei City, because letting them enter the city was no different from letting the tiger return to the mountain.


    Therefore, he was swooshing forward at full pelt.


    ¡­


    Half a day later, they approached Zhangfei City, but the targets were still nowhere to be seen.


    Ling Zhang told Yao Yi and Xie Shi to stop.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they could¡¯ve traveled that fast. We must¡¯ve passed them without noticing. Xie Shi, I want you to stay here and wait. This is the only national road connecting Zhangfei City and the eastern areas. There¡¯s no way they could reach Zhangfei City without passing this place. Yao Yi and I will double back and look for them.¡±


    Xie Shi nodded. ¡°Please be careful, Your Highness.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had sent Xie Shi to accompany Ling Zhang because Xie Shi could offer Ling Zhang medical treatment if he got hurt, but what with the urgent situation, Xie Shi had no alternative but to stay and guard the national road.


    Ling Zhang and Yao Yi retraced their steps. They had passed several villages during the previous trip. This area was sparsely populated, and there were no towns, so the two of them concentrated their efforts on searching the couple of villages.


    ¡°They¡¯re running for their lives, so they would never stay in a place for long. If they enter a village, it¡¯ll probably be for food and water, and they¡¯ll leave immediately after getting what they need. Keep your eyes peeled. There¡¯s a very high chance we¡¯ll encounter them right on a street,¡± Ling Zhang cautioned Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi inclined his head, his vigilance bolstered.


    ¡­


    He Xiao and Yuwen Jin, along with their men, had turned around and headed for Zhangfei City when they received the message delivered by Wang Dashan and Liu Yi. They chanced upon Jiang Xi and his men halfway through the journey and spared a horse for Jiang Xi. The soldiers who did not have horses were commanded to search nearby areas.


    ¡°His Highness and the other two can travel very fast. I think they¡¯ve reached the suburbs of Zhangfei City by now,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    At these words, He Xiao and Yuwen Jin spurred their horses and galloped even faster.


    Snowflake was in their company. She hurtled forward, soon was a long distance ahead of them and, after a few moments, disappeared from view.


    Yuwen Jin and He Xiao were also riding thoroughbred horses, but the two of them still couldn¡¯t help but feel envious at the sight of this. Snowflake was so fast!


    ¡­


    At this time, Ling Zhang and Yao Yi spotted their targets.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s words turned out to be a prophecy. They came almost face-to-face with the two princes.


    Shan Congli¡¯s two sons both looked very much like him, so Ling Zhang recognized them at first glance. The two of them were under the protection of around thirty cavalrymen, which tallied with Jiang Xi¡¯s conjecture.


    At the sight of them, Ling Zhang directly uprooted two trees on the roadside and used them as barricades, blocking the targets¡¯ path. Standing on a treetop, he watched the group of horsemen approaching, his sword unsheathed.


    ¡°The road ahead is blocked. Someone¡¯s there!¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Your Highnesses!¡±


    ¡°Protect His Highnesses!¡±


    Soon those horsemen noticed the obstacles on the road and Ling Zhang standing on a treetop and came to a halt, watchful looks on their faces.


    ¡°Identify yourself!¡± someone demanded.


    ¡°Stop wasting time. He¡¯s from the Great Wen. Just kill him already!¡± said the man in charge.


    In order to travel fast, Ling Zhang was not wearing armor, but his clothes were of Great-Wen style and different from those of common Wan people, which was why those men could tell where he was from.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spare your lives if you surrender yourselves and kill these two men,¡± said Ling Zhang, looking flintily down at them.


    He mobilized his internal energy, radiating a palpable sense of power which instantaneously made the air within a 100-meter radius feel heavy and suffocating. The powerful emanation also enveloped the two princes and their bodyguards immediately.


    They promptly felt weighed down and began to have difficulty breathing.


    The two princes had enjoyed high status for many years and their father had valued them very much. Even the air emanated by Shan Congli had never made either of them feel afraid, but at this moment, Ling Zhang¡¯s brooding air was actually striking fear into their hearts.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± demanded the elder one of the two princes.


    Ling Zhang guessed that he was probably the Third Prince, the one that Shan Congli had valued the most, that the man beside him must be the Fifth Prince.


    ¡°Ling Zhang.¡± It was now unnecessary for Ling Zhang to keep his identity secret.


    ¡°Ling Zhang?! You¡¯re the empress of the Great Wen?!¡± The Fifth Prince eyed Ling Zhang resentfully, gnashing his teeth against the sense of power radiating from him, but when his eyes met Ling Zhang¡¯s which were as cold as blade, he couldn¡¯t help but flinch. ¡°You and Yuwen Tong killed my father, and now you¡¯ve actually tracked us down alone. I¡¯ll kill you to avenge my father¡¯s death!¡±


    There was a reason why he dared shout such words. He had observed the surroundings and found that there did not seem to be anybody lying in ambush. Ling Zhang was the only enemy in sight, so he was emboldened.


    ¡°Go and restrain Ling Zhang, all of you. We could use a hostage to force Yuwen Tong to withdraw his forces!¡± commanded the Fifth Prince aloud.


    The Third Prince did not raise any objections. The thirty cavalrymen, though scared by the sense of power radiating from Ling Zhang, felt a jolt of hatred and an urge to take revenge after hearing the Fifth Prince¡¯s words and immediately charged at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Humph. Since you people want to meet your ends, I shall grant all your wishes!¡± snorted Ling Zhang, brandishing his sword which then turned into a blur of movement with great ease. The next moment, he leaped off the treetop and, like a giant bird, swooped down towards the group of cavalrymen galloping at him, dodging their arrows.


    There were a dozen cavalrymen coming at him. The rest of them were still standing guard beside the two princes. A gleam flashed across Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes and with that he decided to slaughter these men so that the rest of the bodyguards would leave the two princes and come to attack him.

 Chapter 532 - Extermination of the Royal Family

    Ling Zhang¡¯s sword strikes accompanied by a field of internal energy, just like the air he was emanating, were as powerful and unstoppable as thunderbolts. He was moving so nimbly and swiftly that none of the arrows could approach him. One moment he was here, but the next he materialized on the back of an enemy¡¯s horse, cleanly slitting the rider¡¯s throat with the blade of his sword.


    Due to what he had been through in recent battles, each and every stroke of his sword was fatal. If he had an opportunity to kill the target with one blow, he would never let it slip away and deal the target a second blow to finish him off.


    Several cavalrymen at the front fell off their horses without notice before those behind them could see how their opponent attacked, blood spattered all over the ground.


    It was at this very moment that fear clutched at their hearts once again. There was a reason why Ling Zhang had dared come here to intercept them single-handed!


    Ling Zhang had taken the lives of several men in the blink of an eye and was fending off the blows from those surrounding him with great ease. Watching this scene, the Fifth Prince, whose judgement was blinded by his hunger for vengeance, and who was bent on capturing Ling Zhang to force Yuwen Tong into pulling out his forces, began to panic as well. After a few moments, he finally regained his composure. ¡°How come this Ling Zhang guy has such consummate kung fu?! Isn¡¯t he the empress?!¡± he said incredulously.


    The Third Prince also had an ugly look on his face, his brow corrugating in a deep frown. Were they by any chance going to be killed by Ling Zhang in this place after they had had a hard job fleeing the capital and got so close to Zhangfei City?


    ¡°Join the fight, all of you. I want Ling Zhang captured, by hook or by crook. If you can¡¯t restrain him, kill him!¡± said the Third Prince to the rest of his guards standing beside him.


    The leader of the guards also felt that Ling Zhang was no sitting duck. After a brief moment¡¯s hesitation, he sent another eight guards to help mob Ling Zhang.


    But after that, the two princes had less than ten men in the vicinity of them, the leader of the guards included.


    As the number of men dying to Ling Zhang¡¯s sword doubled and then trebled, the princes sent another four guards, leaving only four men protecting them!


    Everybody¡¯s attention was drawn to Ling Zhang. None of them noticed that a man had quietly emerged from behind the top of a tree in a secluded corner and was now soundlessly sneaking up on the two princes!


    ¡°AAAARGH!¡±


    An anguished sudden screech was heard. When those men spun around, the Fifth Prince had sunk to the ground, his hands holding his chest which had been penetrated by a blade from behind, blood gushing from the wound profusely.


    The assailant, after assassinating the Fifth Prince, came at the Third Prince liked greased lightning. The leader of the guards, who had realized what was going on, promptly whipped out his saber and lunged at the attacker.


    Yao Yi, as his blow was blocked, furrowed his brows briefly, then abruptly slapped the back of the Fifth Prince¡¯s steed and leaped up, hurling his wicked-looking dagger at the Third Prince¡¯s heart. The Third Prince tried to dodge aside but wasn¡¯t quick enough and the dagger hit his arm, almost penetrating through it!


    ¡°WATCH OUT, YOUR HIGHNESS!¡± the leader of the guards shouted, eyes rounding with alarm, then wielded his long knife and slashed at Yao Yi.


    Yao Yi backed away a few steps, feeling it a pity that his dagger failed to take the Third Prince¡¯s life, but he did not give up and continued exchanging blows with the leader of the guards while trying to approach the Third Prince.


    ¡°Run, Your Highness! Zhangfei City is not far away. You¡¯ll be safe once you get in there. We¡¯ll hold them back and buy you some time!¡± The leader, knowing that the odds were against them, hastened to tell the Third Prince to flee right away.


    Yao Yi¡¯s eyes went cold. Under no circumstances would he let the Third Prince of the Wan Kingdom escape.


    At the same time, Ling Zhang killed another few enemies. There were now less than ten men in the surrounding circle. He observed the Third Prince galloping in this direction, heedless of his army injury, attempting to ride around the roadblocks and flee to Zhangfei City.


    Ling Zhang sneered and gave a bodyguard¡¯s saber a kick, sending it flying squarely towards the Third Prince¡¯s horse. The horse got hit, let out a pained neigh and thudded to the ground, throwing the Third Prince.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    The leader of the guards roared and wheeled around with the intention to rush to the prince¡¯s rescue but was stopped by Yao Yi, who said, ¡°Your opponent is me.¡±


    ¡°Today your life ends!¡± bawled the leader. Furious as he was, he still had sense enough to instruct the others to rescue the Third Prince. ¡°GO HELP HIS HIGHNESS!¡±


    The Third Prince, whose face was badly bruised in the fall, actually managed to lift himself to his feet and made towards the nearest horse with the intention to resume fleeing. At the sight of this, Ling Zhang killed the closest enemy with a stroke of his sword, abruptly leaped out of the surrounding circle which now consisted of less than six men and, in mid-air, swung his sword in a circle before hurling it straight towards the Third Prince.


    With a puff, the sword penetrated through the Third Prince¡¯s chest and, thrusting him, went into the tree behind him and pinned him to its trunk.


    Ling Zhang landed in front of the Third Prince, pulled out his sword and watched his victim slump to the ground.


    ¡°You ¡­ ¡± the Third Prince trailed off, vomiting blood, his breathing feeble. Soon his pupils became unfocused.


    Ling Zhang looked impassively at him. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting any of you leave here alive. You should have seen this coming when the Wan Kingdom sent its troops to Shengzhou Pass.¡±


    The Third Prince gave a cough and soon breathed his last.


    ¡°YOUR HIGHNESS!¡± Those guards yelled before charging at Ling Zhang, their eyes red with grief and fury, intending to kill him.


    One by one, Ling Zhang killed all those coming at him. Blood soon dyed every inch of the ground red.


    Yao Yi also disposed of the leader and the remaining couple of guards.


    Silence reigned on the scene immediately. Yao Yi¡¯s eyes raked the corpses on the ground. It was only after he had checked that the two princes¡¯ bodies had gone cold that he found himself completely at ease.


    ¡°Send a signal to inform Xie Shi of our location, remove these bodies, then we wait for Jiang Xi and the others to arrive,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi nodded, glanced in the direction of Zhangfei City, shot a signal flare to tell Xie Shi to come and rendezvous with them, and then cleared the scene of the dead quickly.


    ¡°I wonder if the garrison in Zhangfei City would send anybody here to check.¡±


    Ling Zhang also looked in the direction of Zhangfei City. ¡°Nobody¡¯s coming our way, at least for now, but sooner or later we¡¯ll take Zhangfei City. When the regroupment is done, our troops will depart from their capital, push north and take the northern prefecture of Zhangzhou.¡±


    The whole Wan Kingdom would be under their control when they took Zhangzhou.


    ¡­


    Before long, Xie Shi arrived. At the sight of the bodies on the ground, he came to know that Ling Zhang and Yao Yi had got the job done. Feeling that he had barely been helpful during this operation, he appeared faintly awkward.


    ¡°Would you like me to examine you, Your Highness?¡± asked Xie Shi, believing that he should make himself useful in some way.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After another short while, Jiang Xi, He Xiao and Yuwen Jin also arrived, all of whom exhaled deeply in relief as they found that the two princes, along with all their guards, were dead, feeling that all the loose ends had now been tied up.


    ¡®But ¡­ His Highness and Yao Yi are unbelievably badass. The two of them killed all these people unaided. We don¡¯t have to do anything,¡¯ they thought.


    He Xiao, Yuwen Jin and Jiang Xi shared Xie Shi¡¯s subtle feelings. It struck them that they had done nothing other than having a horseback trip, for which they didn¡¯t think Yuwen Tong would give them much credit after they returned.


    Ling Zhang said to them, ¡°This place is not far away from Zhangfei City, and it¡¯s likely the garrison there will soon get wind of what happened here. Let¡¯s just dispose of these bodies and go back. Jiang Xi, do you think it necessary to have someone stay here, keeping an eye out for movements of the troops stationed in Zhangfei City and sending messages back to the capital city when there¡¯s a situation? Our army won¡¯t stay in the capital for long. They¡¯ll soon arrive.¡±


    Jiang Xi inclined his head. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. How about this ¨C I stay here with some men and make some inquiries; He Xiao and Yuwen Jin take the others and escort you back to the capital.¡±


    He Xiao and Yuwen Jin agreed and escorted Ling Zhang back to the capital.


    It was late at night when they returned to the capital. Lucky for them, there had not been any dangers during their journey back, and everybody arrived in the city safe and sound.


    The Shan family, the royal household, had been wiped out. Officials who surrendered themselves were spared, those who refused to yield executed.


    Yuwen Tong did not hurt any of the citizens who were not putting up resistance, and he gave his men a hint that they should make efforts to placate the natives. He also promised the citizens that he would guarantee their safety, that his soldiers would not plunder their houses. On top of that, he detailed some soldiers to patrol the streets and punish local ruffians who attempted to take advantage of the disarray to rob or murder citizens. The locals who had been gathering at the north city gates had cleared off and returned home in twos and threes. As long as Yuwen Tong did not try to kill them and they still had what they needed to continue with their lives, these citizens would set their minds at ease and make peace with the situation, for none of them wanted to be a refugee.


    The Wan capital was a large city, and there were tons of arrangements to be made. Yuwen Tong had been fully occupied for a whole day without having a moment¡¯s rest.


    When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin returned, order had gradually been restored in the city after a whole day¡¯s placatory work, and a semblance of peace had been brought about.


    Ling Zhang, after hearing about it, directly went to see Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was still busy, though it was very late.


    The mess caused by the explosion in the royal palace of the Wan Kingdom had been cleaned up. Yuwen Tong was temporarily staying in the audience hall of the palace to deal with state affairs.


    There were lamps still ablaze when Ling Zhang arrived. Before he entered, Yuwen Tong heard his footsteps and breathing and said, ¡°You¡¯re back. Are you hungry? Come here and sit. The food will be ready in a few moments.¡±


    Yuwen Tong put down his writing brush and kneaded the bridge of his nose.


    Ling Zhang had stripped down to his underwear.


    As he saw Yuwen Tong kneading the bridge of his nose, Ling Zhang reached out his hands to give Yuwen Tong¡¯s temples a massage. ¡°It¡¯s so late. You may deal with these tomorrow morning. It¡¯s not like something would go wrong if you don¡¯t finish these tonight.¡±


    Yuwen Tong pulled Ling Zhang¡¯s hands down and looked at him. ¡°Why are you wearing so little? It¡¯s cold at night.¡±


    ¡°My overgarment is terribly bloodstained. I¡¯ve just taken it off and haven¡¯t found time to change clothes yet. Stop stroking me. I¡¯ve got blood and dust all over my body,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The two princes of the Shan family are both dead, and so are their guards. I had Jiang Xi stay there staking out Zhangfei City,¡± Ling Zhang continued.


    Yuwen Tong nodded. Now that Shan Congli¡¯s two sons had both died, the royal household had been wiped out. It was a rather callous way to handle this kind of matters, but at least the problem had been solved once and for all and there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble in the future.


    ¡°You must¡¯ve had a tough day. Go and change clothes. We may grab a bite together in a moment,¡± said Yuwen Tong, worrying that Ling Zhang might catch cold.


    Ling Zhang replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. My constitution is far better than that of the next person now and I won¡¯t catch cold that easily. Besides, it¡¯s pretty warm in here. I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s get something to eat first. And then we may go and have a bath together. It¡¯s been a tough day for you as well.¡±


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°All right,¡± he said.


    Next the two of them dined in the audience hall. Having had their fill of food, they bathed and, both feeling tired, went to sleep.

 Chapter 533 - Yuwen Tongs Troops Storming into the Chaotic Luohai Kingdom

    It was after ten days that an assault on Zhangfei City was mounted. The commander of the troops garrisoned in Zhangfei City had come to know that the royal household had been exterminated, and that more than half of the courtiers had capitulated, so there was little resistance against the army of the Great Wen, who took Zhangfei City without breaking a sweat.


    After that, the army pushed straight north and then launched a two-pronged attack on Zhangzhou. The enemies there hardly put up any resistance; some of them even opened the city gates on their own account and welcomed the army of the Great Wen into the city.


    Thus, before long they engaged the Wan forces stationed at the northern border, who had joined hands with some tribes to the north of the Wan Kingdom with the intention to defend against the army of the Great Wen. However, most crack troops of the border forces had died in the south. Though having some northern tribes at their back, they were still no match for Yuwen Tong¡¯s army and, after a couple of fights, having lost over seventy percent of their men, fled north out of the country helter-skelter.


    Yuwen Tong garrisoned a number of soldiers led by He Xiao in this border city in case those surviving enemies came back after the main force left.


    For the moment Yuwen Tong could not spare any time to have his army pursue them, but he would find time to finish them off after reunifying the three countries.


    It took them over a month to take the Wan capital and Zhangzhou and establish interim prefectural governments in the many prefectures.


    After Zhangzhou was occupied, Yuwen Tong¡¯s army covertly transferred to the east.


    ¡­


    In the Luohai Kingdom.


    Over half a month ago.


    After the city gates of the capital were battered open, Nian Feng and his troops stormed into the city.


    The Yuexi garrison had not been defeated but suddenly turned renegade and switched to Nian Feng¡¯s side.


    Mu Rongfeng had trusted the Yuexi garrison very much and even more so after the Yuexi garrison held the city against attacks from Nian Feng¡¯s army for weeks, so it had never crossed his mind that the Yuexi garrison would turn traitor. He was utterly unprepared when Nian Feng¡¯s men flooded into the royal palace. He took some guards and tried to make his escape but was caught by Nian Feng, who then tried to force him to write a royal edict of abdication.


    By doing this, Nian Feng believed that he was taking his cue from what Yuwen Tong had done five years ago, heedless of the fact that he had directly laid siege to the capital city to take the throne, that he had some time ago become a usurper, which meant a royal edict of abdication wouldn¡¯t do him any good whatsoever.


    Mu Rongfeng refused. Why would he do the enemy¡¯s bidding when his death was certain?


    Nian Feng, beside himself with rage, killed Mu Rongfeng. A lot of Luohai courtiers hated Nian Feng¡¯s guts after that.


    Everybody believed that Nian Feng was going to accede to the throne, but unexpectedly, things took yet another drastic turn.


    The Yuexi garrison, shortly after transferring allegiance to Nian Feng, turned traitor once again.


    They shut the gates, locking Nian Feng¡¯s main force out of the city, and at the same time surrounded the royal palace, trapping Nian Feng in it, putting him in the same position that Mu Rongfeng had once been in.


    No one could have foreseen that the Yuexi garrison would change allegiance once again. When the whole royal court was in panic, Dugu Shan made his appearance, to whom the commander of the Yuexi garrison was very deferential.


    ¡°Nian Feng is a traitor who attempted to usurp the throne. According to the law, the punishment for that crime is extermination of his whole family,¡± said Dugu Shan after entering the royal palace.


    Nian Feng, who was under the protection of some guards, was reduced to vomiting blood from fury as he came to realize that the Yuexi garrison had switched allegiance to Dugu Shan. Face contorting with rage, gnashing his teeth, he huffed, ¡°Dugu Shan, you bastard have been in collusion with the Yuexi garrison all this time!¡±


    ¡°The Yuexi garrison just saw the error of their ways and decided to right their wrongs by joining me in assisting the Seventh Prince to ascend the throne and protecting the royal lineage.¡±


    Beside Dugu Shan stood the seventh son of Mu Hengtian¡¯s. He was fourteen or fifteen and appeared thin and weak, having little royal air about him. As Nian Feng cast a fierce glance at him, his legs started quivering.


    Dugu Shan rested a reassuring hand against the young prince¡¯s back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Your Highness. The throne belongs to the Mu family, as it always has. You¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s son, a man of the purest royal blood. Nian Feng is but a traitor and would-be usurper. You don¡¯t have to be scared of him. Besides, he¡¯s trapped in this place, and there¡¯s nothing he could do to harm you.¡±


    Naturally, Nian Feng was unreconciled to the situation and, along with his guards, crossed swords with the Yuexi garrison ringing the royal palace, attempting to fight their way out of the palace.


    As the supreme commander of armed forces of the Luohai Kingdom, Nian Feng was no mean fighter. Several times he was within an inch of breaking out of the palace, but because he and his men were vastly outnumbered, they were defeated by the Yuexi garrison eventually. Dugu Shan gave the order for Nian Feng, grievously wounded, to be thrown into prison.


    At that time, Lian Hai, standing right behind the courtiers, furrowed his brows as he saw Dugu Shan have Nian Feng restrained instead of killing him right away.


    Dugu Shan, after throwing Nian Feng into prison, moved into the palace with the young prince and held a funeral for Mu Rongfeng. The young prince, not daring disobey Dugu Shan, stayed with him and trusted him very much, seeing him as someone he could rely on.


    All courtiers were shocked by Dugu Shan¡¯s strategies. When Mu Hengtian had still been alive, there had been a balance of power between Dugu Shan, Mu Rongfeng and Nian Feng; afterwards, with Mu Rongfeng being the new monarch and Nian Feng commanding a strong army, everybody had believed that Dugu Shan had been kicked out of the game, that he was bound to come to grief, considering both Mu Rongfeng and Nian Feng had wanted him dead.


    But it had never crossed their minds that Dugu Shan, instead of struggling for his life, would actually counter-attack when the odds seemed to be heavily against him. He had first used Nian Feng to kill Mu Rongfeng, and then used the Yuexi garrison to eliminate Nian Feng!


    The most unexpected part was the Yuexi garrison cooperating with Dugu Shan, which astounded everybody.


    In fact Dugu Shan himself had also been amazed, but what had amazed him was the fact that Lian Hai, a chairman of a chamber of commerce, had actually managed to convince the Yuexi garrison to cooperate with the Dugu family. Outsiders did not know about it, but the inner circle of the Dugu family were aware that it had been Lian Hai who had made it happen.


    Dugu Shan, who had always relied heavily on Lian Hai¡¯s intelligence network, trusted Lian Hai even more after that.


    As a result, when holding Mu Rongfeng¡¯s funeral, he secretly summoned Lian Hai to consult with him.


    He asked Lian Hai whether he should enthrone the prince and make him a puppet monarch or take the throne himself.


    Of course, Dugu Shan did not put it explicitly. He just asked Lian Hai his opinion about it in a roundabout way.


    Lian Hai immediately caught on to what Dugu Shan meant. Dugu Shan was no longer inclined to help the Seventh Prince succeed to the throne, and the idea of being a regent no longer struck him as appealing. He wanted to be the one sitting on the throne.


    It was possible that Dugu Shan had been inspired by Nian Feng¡¯s deeds. After all, in the beginning, Nian Feng, like him, had been a supporter of a prince. No one had bargained on Nian Feng abandoning the prince and trying to usurp the throne.


    The difference was that Nian Feng had failed, but Dugu Shan had no rivals.


    At this time, news of the fall of the Wan capital had spread to the Luohai Kingdom. Lian Hai had received a message saying that the northern prefecture of Zhangzhou would soon be taken as well, that the army would then push towards the Luohai Kingdom, but it would be some time before the army arrived. He had also received a secret instruction from Ling Zhang that he was to play for time and make sure Dugu Shan was too busy to muster an army.


    As a result, Dugu Shan¡¯s implication was virtually a godsend for Lian Hai, who immediately advised Dugu Shan, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m too short-sighted to be able to offer any constructive suggestions, but it strikes me that the Seventh Prince is weak and he doesn¡¯t have what it takes to be a ruler.¡±


    Dugu Shan narrowed his eyes at these words. Naturally, he was not really here to seek advice from Lian Hai, because after all Lian Hai was merely a chairman of a chamber of commerce, one of his servants, but Dugu Shan found Lian Hai¡¯s words very pleasant to the ear.


    ¡°The Seventh Prince is just young. He¡¯ll be ready for the responsibilities of a ruler when he grows up,¡± demurred Dugu Shan, hypocritically defending the Seventh Prince.


    Lian Hai inwardly sneered, but his face wore an even more reverent look and he said, ¡°I believe you¡¯ve come to know what happened in the Wan Kingdom ¨C their capital was nearly flattened by the army of the Great Wen. Shan Congli was a ruthless and cunning man, but he was still defeated by Yuwen Tong. From now on, Luohai is the only opponent of the Great Wen, and ¡­ if our new monarch is not strong enough, I¡¯m afraid the Great Wen will run roughshod over us.¡±


    Lian Hai skirted the subject of the prince¡¯s age and gave Dugu Shan a cast-iron excuse to do what he wanted.


    Unsurprisingly, Dugu Shan¡¯s countenance changed somewhat at these words. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Great Wen has now annexed the Wan Kingdom, and there¡¯s no guarantee Luohai won¡¯t be their next target. If our monarch is too weak, we¡¯ll sure as hell be at a serious disadvantage in future conflicts, and our people will suffer greatly.¡±


    On hearing this, Lian Hai came to know that Dugu Shan had ¡°taken¡± his advice, so he said no more.


    Now that Dugu Shan had come up with the idea of enthroning himself, on no account would he be satisfied with continuing to be a regent, but he was faced with quite some obstacles to becoming the monarch, and the biggest one was that the reason why the Yuexi garrison was supporting him was because they wanted the Seventh Prince to be the monarch, not because they wanted Dugu Shan to be crowned. If by any chance the Yuexi garrison were angered by his attempt to take the throne and changed allegiance again, all Dugu Shan¡¯s efforts might come to nought.


    Therefore, Dugu Shan wanted Lian Hai to convince the Yuexi garrison. ¡°Seeing as you convinced the Yuexi garrison to help me deal with Nian Feng, I believe you¡¯ll have no problem making this happen.¡±


    He was putting pressure on Lian Hai.


    Lian Hai, fully aware of the situation, said, ¡°Rest assured, Your Lordship, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to get the job done.¡±


    Dugu Shan squinted fixedly at Lian Hai, mistakenly believing that Lian Hai was unable to perceive the murderousness hidden in the depths of his eyes.


    But Lian Hai pretended not to notice. After all, what he needed to do was play for time, and Dugu Shan was not his real master. Dugu Shan wanted to kill him, but there was no telling which one of them would end up being the victim.


    The next day, Dugu Shan suddenly declared that he would keep vigil beside Mu Rongfeng¡¯s coffin for another few days. Thus, the Seventh Prince¡¯s enthronement ceremony was postponed, and the date for it had not been fixed yet.


    ¡­


    When the Luohai Kingdom was mired in political turbulence, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had arrived at the border between the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom with their army. Dugu Shan was still daydreaming about ascending the throne when the army of the Great Wen launched an offensive on a Luohai border city!


    At the same time, the gates of Youzhou Pass opened and the Youzhou garrison sallied forth in full strength.


    ¡­


    The Luohai Kingdom was caught off guard by the two-pronged attack and two border cities were taken in succession before the court of the Luohai Kingdom knew it. The army of the Great Wen, with unstoppable momentum, occupied several border cities before the Luohai Kingdom reacted, and now they were advancing east.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s army and the Youzhou garrison had taken two prefectures near the border when Dugu Shan received the message.


    The Luohai courtiers panicked. All of them suggested Dugu Shan enthrone the Seventh Prince immediately and then muster an army to stop the invaders.


    What with the previous civil strife, the Yuexi garrison which was the most important force defending the northern border and Nian Feng¡¯s army had both been dispatched to the capital. Without the monarch¡¯s order, neither armies could go anywhere.


    Dugu Shan, naturally, was aware that the current situation was dire, but how could he give up when he was only one step away from kingship?!

 Chapter 534 - Inexorable Momentum

    ¡°Your Lordship, the commander of the Yuexi garrison has been swayed. Given a little more time, I¡¯ll be able to rope him in. If you give up at this point in time, all our efforts will come to nought.¡± Lian Hai tried to dissuade Dugu Shan.


    Dugu Shan paced up and down anxiously. Naturally he also wanted to buy himself more time, but the courtiers had already begun to put pressure on him, and the young prince had been casting uncharacteristic glances at him in the past few days too. On top of that, the army of the Great Wen had been advancing so quick ¨C they were about to take the second prefecture!


    ¡°Your Lordship, you¡¯re within an inch of taking the throne. If you let this opportunity slip away, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to have the Seventh Prince abdicate in favor of you. Please think twice,¡± added Lian Hai.


    ¡°I see. I need some more time to think it through. You may leave.¡± Dugu Shan came to a halt.


    Lian Hai, knowing that Dugu Shan would become suspicious if pushed too hard, took his leave.


    When Lian Hai had left the Dugu family, the look in his eyes changed.


    Dugu Shan was hesitating again and would very likely choose to give up eventually. In fact, considering the current circumstances, even if the Seventh Prince acceded to the throne, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference, but if by any chance Nian Feng was released at the request of some courtiers, the Great Wen would be faced with a formidable opponent.


    Lian Hai hastened back to the chamber of commerce and immediately made arrangements for some men to perform a secret task.


    That very night, Nian Feng died of poisoning in the prison.


    Because Nian Feng had been a traitor, most people did not give much thought to his sudden death, speculating whether or not it had been Dugu Shan who had poisoned Nian Feng.


    But there were also a small number of people who felt that Nian Feng had died in very suspicious circumstances, that something was not quite right.


    Dugu Shan, after being informed of Nian Feng¡¯s death, immediately summoned Dugu Miao and, believing that it had been Dugu Miao who had done it, asked him the reason.


    ¡°Father, it wasn¡¯t me who did that. I didn¡¯t have the time for that,¡± explained Dugu Miao.


    Dugu Shan frowned. ¡°Then who did it?¡±


    Dugu Miao gave it some thought and then said, ¡°There were a lot of courtiers holding grudges against Nian Feng. Mu Rongfeng¡¯s supporters, for instance, hated his guts. It¡¯s possible that one of them went to the Court Prison and killed him when no one was watching.¡±


    Dugu Shan did not rule out that possibility. By killing Mu Rongfeng, Nian Feng had destroyed the inexhaustible wealth and lifelong glory of his supporters, who did have a reason to kill Nian Feng out of hatred, but Dugu Shan still had a vague hunch that there was something fishy behind this matter.


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t see why we should be bothered by Nian Feng¡¯s death. I mean, it won¡¯t affect us in any way. Actually the murderer did us a favor by killing him. Right now our first priority is to convince the Yuexi garrison to help you accede to the throne! Didn¡¯t Lian Hai say that the commander has been swayed? I think our next step is for you to pay a personal visit to the commander to show your sincerity,¡± said Dugu Miao.


    Dugu Shan, however, made no immediate remarks, still wavering.


    If he paid a personal visit to the Yuexi garrison, his intentions would be exposed thoroughly, and he would be past the point of no return. The current situation was urgent, and if by any chance the Yuexi garrison suddenly decided to support the Seventh Prince, then his plan to take the throne would undoubtedly be used against him and might even lead to his death.


    ¡°How far has Yuwen Tong¡¯s army got?¡± inquired Dugu Shan.


    Dugu Miao was surprised by the question. For the past few days he had been busy helping make preparations for his father¡¯s plan to take the throne, and had not paid any attention to the movements of Yuwen Tong¡¯s army.


    At the sight of his son¡¯s facial expression, Dugu Shan came to know that Dugu Miao had not bothered keeping abreast of enemy troop movements at all, knitting his brows.


    Dugu Shan was now a de facto regent, and military reports were delivered to his desk on a daily basis, so he better than anybody knew how far the army of the Great Wen had got. He asked Dugu Miao that question only to calm him down, but it turned out that Dugu Miao knew nothing about it.


    ¡°Yuwen Tong has taken both of the border prefectures and reached Zizhu City. His army is pushing towards this city as we speak.¡±


    Dugu Miao jerked out of his trance, looking shocked. ¡°How did he take all those cities in such a short time?!¡±


    ¡­


    The military reports were not up-to-date. The army of the Great Wen had some time ago past Zizhu City and had already taken Zhongjiang City, which was the nearest to Zizhu City.


    Zhongjiang City was at the center of Zhongzhou, and Wanzhou was the only prefecture between it and the Luohai capital.


    ¡°Dugu Shan is on the verge of giving up. At this rate, the Yuexi garrison and the troops left by Nian Feng will soon join forces,¡± said Ling Zhang after reading an urgent letter from Lian Hai.


    Yuwen Tong composedly inclined his head and, looking at the map on the desk, said, ¡°Delaying them for this long constitutes an achievement, I would say. Considering the Youzhou garrison has rendezvoused with us, even if we encounter the Luohai army, we¡¯ll have a very good chance of winning.¡±


    Many of their troops had been garrisoned in the many cities of the Wan Kingdom which they had just taken. Also, there had been some casualties during the previous battles, so the army Yuwen Tong had led into the Luohai Kingdom was considerably smaller, with less than 100,000 troops.


    They would never have taken the two border cities that easily if the Luohai Kingdom had tried to hold the cities with all its strength. However, at that time, the commanders of the Luohai troops stationed in the border cities had not been able to spare a thought for deploying defenses, which was why Yuwen Tong¡¯s army had taken the cities quickly.


    The Youzhou garrison, after defeating a Luohai army stationed outside Youzhou Pass which had had only one fourth of its original strength, had quickly marched north and taken three cities in a row before joining forces with the army led by Yuwen Tong eventually. The army, its strength quadrupled, was now so strong that the main force of the Luohai Kingdom didn¡¯t stand a chance of winning.


    How was the Luohai army, which on the surface had been reserving its strength all along but in fact had been slack in training, supposed to defeat the army of the Great Wen which enjoyed victorious and inexorable momentum, and which even the Wan cavalry had failed to hold back?


    ¡°I¡¯ve told Lian Hai to figure out a way to get out of the Luohai capital. There¡¯s a high chance Dugu Shan will become suspicious of him if he stays there,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    But Lian Hai and Han Shu, both of whom harbored hatred towards the Luohai Kingdom, probably would not easily give up their chance to watch the Luohai capital fall with their own eyes.


    Yuwen Tong, who had a general idea of the reasons why the two men had chosen to join the chamber of commerce, said, ¡°You may let them do what they want, as long as they don¡¯t rat you out.¡±


    Ling Zhang had faith in Lian Hai and Han Shu, but in fact, considering how things stood, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference if his relations with Jiahe Chamber of Commerce were brought to light.


    ¡°Should our next step be staying here for a couple of days or resuming going north tomorrow?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    ¡°The latter. It¡¯d be best if we took this city before the Luohai army arrives,¡± said Yuwen Tong, running a finger around a spot on the map.


    Ling Zhang looked at it. ¡°Lishan City?¡±


    After thinking back to the two occasions when he had passed Lishan City, he generally caught on to what Yuwen Tong meant.


    Lishan City, like Jifang City of the Wan Kingdom, was easy to hold but hard to take. Though it was not as difficult to take as Jifang City was, the terrain of Lishan City was less complicated than that of Jifang City, which meant he would not be able to deploy any Formations to help the army gain a strategic advantage over the enemy. If the Luohai army reached Lishan City before them, there would be a tough fight between the two sides.


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s set off tomorrow.¡±


    ¡­


    Dugu Shan eventually decided not to risk his life. After the courtiers made another attempt to pressure him into relenting and he received a military report saying that the army of the Great Wen had taken Zhongjiang City, he chose to let the Seventh Prince accede to the throne, and then a royal edict was quickly issued, ordering the Yuexi garrison and the surviving troops of Nian Feng to muster and immediately move south to intercept the Great-Wen army.


    Lian Hai, shortly after being informed that Dugu Shan did not visit the encampment of the Yuexi garrison, had secretly had important account books and staff members of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce transferred out of the city, telling them to go east to the seacoast where they were to get on a ship and return to the Great Wen.


    When news of the fall of the Wan capital spread to the Luohai Kingdom, Lian Hai had given the order for all hard-core staff members of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, except for those who had unfinished tasks, to covertly evacuate the Luohai Kingdom and return to the Great Wen. The reason why he had waited so long to tell those in the capital to leave was because he didn¡¯t want to arouse the Dugu family¡¯s suspicions, who had eyes everywhere in the city.


    Those who stayed were basically natives of the Luohai Kingdom, who did not know any inside information and believed that Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was under the control of the Dugu family. All stores of the chamber of commerce would be traded or liquidated after the Luohai Kingdom was subjugated.


    But Lian Hai and Han Shu had now chosen to stay in the capital.


    Lian Hai tried to persuade Han Shu to leave, but the latter refused.


    ¡°I have an old score to settle with Luohai. Seeking revenge was the very reason why I agreed to serve the chamber of commerce. Boss promised me he would let me choose whether to stay or leave when the time came. I¡¯m staying. You may leave without me,¡± said Han Shu.


    Lian Hai shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    He was the liaison with Dugu Shan, who would find out if he fled the city.


    On top of that, Dugu Shan had now allowed the Seventh Prince to succeed to the throne, and Lian Hai knew about Dugu Shan¡¯s previous plan to usurp the throne and had even helped Dugu Shan lobby the commander of the Yuexi garrison, so under no circumstances would Dugu Shan let him live. If he exited the city, Dugu Shan would immediately be informed and send men to hunt him down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll impersonate you and pay Dugu Shan a visit. If I succeed in assassinating him, the court will be in chaos for some time, which I think will do some good,¡± said Han Shu.


    Lian Hai smiled, ¡°You and I do not look alike. Dugu Shan will see you through immediately. Don¡¯t worry ¨C Dugu Shan will not kill me so long as he still needs Jiahe Chamber of Commerce to be at his service. I have a way to survive another few days. Let¡¯s just pray our master¡¯s army will get here in time.¡±


    ¡­


    There were two smaller cities between Zhongjiang City and Lishan City. Though small, they were indeed cities and thus had defenses, so taking them took some time.


    The army pushed north at a very fast speed, intending to take Lishan City before the Luohai army reached it.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had not slept for two days, and neither had the officers.


    The soldiers slept at night, but the officers, in order to save time, stayed up all night making battle plans for the next day¡¯s operations.


    Just like this, the army, after taking both of the two smaller cities in succession, reached Lishan City.


    At this time, the Luohai army was two or three days¡¯ march away from Lishan City.


    Yuwen Tong ordered that the army take Lishan City within two days.


    In Lishan City were some stores affiliated to Jiahe Chamber of Commerce as well, but the situation in the Luohai Kingdom was rather special ¨C unlike staff members of the branches in the Wan Kingdom most of whom answered to Ling Zhang, those in Lishan City did not know much about the management layer of the organization, and only two or three of them could be of help, and there was not much they could do.


    ¡°We¡¯ll attack directly. Putting out feelers would be a waste of time,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Soon he made some arrangements and the army mounted an assault on Lishan City early the next morning.


    There were not many troops stationed in Lishan City. The Luohai army had not arrived yet, and the garrison had no other source of reinforcements, so the city, under the savage attacks from Yuwen Tong¡¯s army, was soon on the verge of falling.

 Chapter 535 - Unapproachable Ramparts

    Just at this time, an urgent intelligence report was delivered to the tent, which said that enemy reinforcements were only half a day¡¯s march away from Lishan City.


    ¡°So soon?¡± Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. It seemed that the reinforcements of the Luohai Kingdom were also aware of the strategic importance of Lishan City and had been traveling day and night.


    ¡°Is it doable to take Lishan City within half a day?¡± inquired Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Lishan City¡¯s defenses are about to give way. We can take it within half a day if we go all out,¡± replied Yuwen Jin.


    Xiao Jiangyue shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll need some time to get prepared after taking Lishan City, in case enemy reinforcements attack us when our troops are tired.¡±


    Xiao Jiangyue, an experienced general, covered all the bases.


    Yuwen Tong had the same opinion.


    Ling Zhang thought about it for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll sneak into the city and figure out a way to open the gates.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to get in there?¡± asked Xiao Jiangyue.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°My Lightness Skills are pretty good. I¡¯ll climb over the ramparts when the defenders¡¯ attention is drawn to you guys.¡±


    ¡°That would be great!¡± said Yuwen Jin excitedly.


    Yuwen Tong cast him a warning look and observed, ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, taken aback by his second cousin, recalled Ling Zhang¡¯s identity and hastened to agree, ¡°Sire is right. You should not do that, Brother Zhang.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, and I¡¯ll take Jiang Xi Yao Yi and some others with me. Even if I can¡¯t open the city gates, I¡¯ll kill as many enemies as possible to distract them.¡±


    Xiao Jiangyue and the others looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head eventually. ¡°You must be very cautious.¡±


    Having got Yuwen Tong¡¯s consent, Ling Zhang, along with Jiang Xi, Yao Yi, Wang Dashan and some others, immediately blended in with the crowd of soldiers attacking the city, sneaked to the foot of the ramparts and, while the defenders were distracted by the troops, secretly found a spot where they soundlessly climbed to the top of the ramparts before entering the city while no one was watching.


    The moment they gained entry into the city, Ling Zhang noticed that the city gates were blocked by a giant rock the size of a mound.


    ¡°Holy shit. What a huge rock,¡± exclaimed Qiu Bing in a muted voice.


    ¡°They must¡¯ve transported the rock there with chariots, given the deep ruts in the ground,¡± remarked Ling Zhang.


    They were now hiding in a secluded corner nearby, observing the situation at the city gates.


    ¡°If we are to open the city gates, we¡¯ll have to figure out a way to remove that rock, but even with all our strength combined, moving a rock that size will take a lot of doing, and there¡¯s no way we could do it quietly enough not to be spotted. The soldiers will definitely attack us. This is tricky,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    ¡°Enormous as the rock is, it¡¯s not really immovable,¡± observed Ling Zhang. With his powerful internal energy, he could remove the rock single-handed, but it would take some time. After this thought occurred to him, he said, ¡°Dashan and the others are to adopt a defensive formation and hold the enemy soldiers at bay. I¡¯ll take care of the rock.¡±


    ¡°Let us help,¡± said Yao Yi.


    Fortunately all of them were top-notch kung fu masters with superb internal energy.


    Ling Zhang nodded, quickly made some arrangements and then, while none of the defenders had noticed their intrusion, sprinted at the city gates with the others.


    Jiang Xi, brandishing his spear with wicked gleams, charged into the crowd of enemy soldiers and instantly attracted all their attention. Wang Dashan and the others, taking advantage of the chaotic situation, streaked into the short passageway behind the blocked city gates, quickly killed all the soldiers inside, turned around and formed into a defensive formation, holding the other defenders back.


    Ling Zhang, Yao Yi and some others stood beside the giant rock. Ling Zhang scrutinized it for a moment and said, ¡°This rock is not very solid.¡±


    They could break it where it was, but the large pile of broken rock would still make it inconvenient for the city gates to be opened, so they decided to remove it.


    Ling Zhang, who had reached the sixth layer of his cultivation method, had long since developed a high proficiency in his palm technique, and his internal energy was more than enough for him to halve a rock the size of a mound.


    He immediately mobilized all his internal energy and gave the rock a stupendous push with his palms.


    The gigantic rock jolted and then started moving backwards, grating violently across the ground.


    Yao Yi and the others were also straining every sinew, trying to help Ling Zhang remove the immense rock. At first the rock was edging along, but after a few moments, when they had more space and could better exert their power, the rock moved a lot faster.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them remove the rock! Shoot them!¡± someone bellowed outside.


    Ling Zhang frowned but was still pushing with all his might, teeth clenched.


    BOOM!


    When the rock was about to be pushed out of the passageway, Ling Zhang yelled at Wang Dashan and the others, ¡°Step aside!¡±


    Wang Dashan and the others rapidly backed deeper into the passageway as the enormous rock toppled forward to the ground with a great crash!


    With that Ling Zhang gave a palm strike and the next moment elemental internal energy exploded inside the mound-sized rock which was instantly reduced to numerous flying pieces.


    All the defenders in the vicinity were hit by the shooting pieces.


    ¡°Open the gates!¡± shouted Ling Zhang.


    Yao Yi and the others spun around and lunged at the gates as a hail of arrows arrived.


    Ling Zhang, who had just taken a breath, whipped out his sword and, mobilizing his powerful internal energy, wielded the sword in a fluid circular motion at the broken rocks on the ground and with that they flew up into mid-air before shooting towards the incoming arrows.


    A flurry of clinks rang out as more than half of the volley of arrows were downed by the flying rubble, the remnants of them blocked by Ling Zhang¡¯s sword. Two or three arrows whizzed past Ling Zhang but were then parried by those behind him.


    At the same time, Yao Yi had quickly removed the long iron bolt, unlatching the city gates ¡­


    ¡­


    No sooner had the gates been unbolted than troops of the Great Wen flooded into the city and engaged the defenders.


    Ling Zhang, when exiting the city, suddenly sensed that there was something dangerous in the east and promptly went in that direction.


    His bodyguards hastened to follow in his wake. Yao Yi and the others, unable to extricate themselves from the fight with the defenders for the time being, couldn¡¯t go with them, looking apprehensive as they saw Ling Zhang swoosh off and quickly disappear from view.


    Ling Zhang hurtled all the way to the east city gates, his bodyguards on his heels.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Young Master?¡± asked Liu Yi.


    The east city gates were wide open and it was very quiet outside. The enemy reinforcements had not arrived yet. Most of the enemy soldiers had gone to the west city gates to help, leaving only a small number of them standing guard.


    Compared with the sparse soldiers guarding the gates, the panic-stricken residents trying to flee the city were in much greater numbers.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t spare a thought for that matter. He had a hunch that the reinforcements of the Luohai Kingdom were not far away and would soon arrive.


    The city gates must be closed.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes swept through the steady stream of civilians exiting the city. ¡°Get into a formation and stop them,¡± he said to his bodyguards.


    Slaughtering these civilians was not an option, so he could only hold them back.


    His bodyguards, also aware of it, raised no objection and promptly followed Ling Zhang¡¯s orders, forming into a formation and holding the civilians back.


    Ling Zhang, after allowing the residents who were already at the gates to get through, quickly killed the enemy soldiers standing guard and shut the gates.


    ¡°Let us out!¡±


    ¡°They are from the Great Wen!¡±


    ¡°Are they here to kill us?¡±


    ¡°Let us out!¡±


    The civilians were thrown into confusion.


    BANG! All of a sudden, a Luohai soldier was knocked off his feet by a spear, which then penetrated his chest and pinned him to the ground in front of the crowd of shouting citizens, a violent shock wave of internal energy forcing many in the vicinity back several paces.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± said Ling Zhang, emerging from behind his bodyguards, his cold eyes raking the crowds who found his voice striking fear into their hearts. ¡°None of the Great-Wen soldiers would kill any innocent civilians in this city or plunder any of your houses, but if anybody puts up a resistance, they¡¯ll end up like this man!¡±


    He was emanating that commanding air at full stretch, which served as such a deterrent to the residents in the vicinity none of them dared utter a word. Some of them, gazing at the dead body on the ground, were shaking from head to foot.


    Ling Zhang instructed Wang Dashan and the others to stand guard where they were and kill anybody who walked past that dead body.


    The residents, who were trying to flee the city because they didn¡¯t want to die, were scared by Ling Zhang¡¯s brutal act and the murderous air about his bodyguards, not daring do anything rash.


    Ling Zhang glanced at the body on the ground, withdrew his eyes and then walked up the flight of steps to the top of the ramparts.


    The reinforcements of the Luohai Kingdom would soon arrive, but the defenders inside the city had not been wiped out yet, and the streets were still blocked. Yuwen Tong¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t be able to come any time soon. He must figure out a way to hold back the Luohai reinforcements.


    After giving it some thought, he believed that the only way was to deploy a deceptive Formation outside the city.


    ¡­


    In order to reach Lishan City before the Great-Wen army did so that they could keep the Great-Wen army out, the Luohai reinforcements had been traveling day and night. As the ramparts of Lishan City came into view in the distance, all of them felt a sense of relief.


    Though all the troops were rather weary, the commander still decided to enter the city immediately in case anything unexpected happened.


    The large army progressed towards the east city gates of Lishan City along the national road.


    After quite a while, an officer suddenly perceived that something was wrong.


    ¡°General, do the ramparts strike you as unchanged, or is it just me?¡±


    The commander did not cotton on to what the officer meant. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the ramparts,¡± he said, looking in that direction.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, General. What I¡¯m trying to say is that the ramparts seem to be just as distant as they were a quarter of an hour ago. Theoretically we should have approached the outside of the city by now. How come it still appears to be that far away?¡±


    The commander jumped at the words and then found that the officer was telling the truth. The ramparts seemed just as distant as they had been when he had first seen them, which obviously didn¡¯t make any sense.


    But surely the ramparts had not been moving away from them as though they had feet?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Hurry up, all of you! We¡¯ll be inside the city in less than an hour!¡± yelled the commander.


    Though it struck him that there was something fishy at work, he was unable to find a plausible explanation for it, so he could only instruct his men to pick up speed, believing that they would find out the reason when they reached the city gates.


    The reinforcements of the Luohai Kingdom quickened their pace. The soldiers had been traveling non-stop for days, their feet blistered, their lips pallid, mingled tiredness and numbness etched in every line of their faces. The commander ordered them to hurry up, so they numbly walked faster.


    Gradually, an hour passed.


    The ramparts still seemed to be as distant as they had been an hour ago.


    The commander gave the order to cease proceeding, swallowed hard and muttered, ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. Why haven¡¯t we got any closer to it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s daytime. Surely there are not any ghostly presences at play?¡± Another officer began to make speculations, appearing faintly unnerved. Having been journeying day and night for such a long time, not only the soldiers traveling on foot but also the officers riding horseback were weary and somewhat listless.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! No ghostly presence dares show up in broad daylight! Stop undermining our troops¡¯ morale with this kind of nonsense!¡± reprimanded the commander.


    The officer instantly fell silent, not daring utter another word, but as he looked in the direction of the ramparts again, the expression in his eyes was now different, his bearing vigilant.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have two hours¡¯ rest in this place. Send the vanguard ahead to scout out the lay of the land,¡± said the commander.

 Chapter 536 - Triumphant Advance

    When the reinforcements of the Luohai Kingdom, having traveled in circles outside the city for hours, began to panic, the fighting between the army of the Great Wen and the garrison of Lishan City had lasted almost two hours in the city and was coming to an end.


    Xiao Jiangyue and He Xiao had taken some men to the east city gates and made some defensive arrangements.


    ¡°I just deployed an Illusion Formation. It¡¯ll trap them in there for two hours at the most,¡± Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong.


    The two of them were also on the ramparts, looking at the enemy reinforcements that could be vaguely seen outside the city and their approaching vanguard.


    ¡°Increase the guards by twenty percent. Tell the archers to get ready,¡± Yuwen Tong said to Xiao Jiangyue. ¡°The enemy reinforcements must be exhausted after such a long journey. When they find out we¡¯ve taken the city, they won¡¯t attack immediately, but we must not give them the impression that the defense of this city is weak, lest they change their mind and stage an offensive.¡±


    After all, the army of the Great Wen had just been through a battle and were now also fatigued.


    Xiao Jiangyue soon carried out the orders. There were now more soldiers standing guard on the ramparts than there had been a moment ago. Also, some cheval-de-frise had been positioned outside the city gates and were heavily guarded.


    ¡­


    The vanguard of the Luohai army reached the outside of the city and were startled as they saw that Lishan City had been taken by a Great-Wen army and was now well defended. They hurriedly returned to the place where the Luohai army was temporarily staying.


    ¡°General, Lishan City has fallen. There are Great-Wen soldiers everywhere near the city gates. Their defense is very strong.¡±


    The commander¡¯s countenance changed drastically. Looking at Lishan City in the distance, he asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Are you sure of what you saw?¡±


    ¡°A hundred percent. Those Great-Wen soldiers are vigorous and vigilant and there seems to be no weakness in their defense. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll suffer heavy casualties if we launch a frontal attack on the city right away.¡±


    The commander angrily threw his helmet to the ground. ¡°Fuck! We traveled day and night but still failed to make it in time. The commander of the garrison is such a good-for-nothing. With all the strategic advantages they had, they didn¡¯t even hold the city long enough for us to arrive!¡±


    None of the other officers dared say a word.


    Consumed with anger, the commander cursed loudly for a long moment before he eventually huffed, ¡°Make camp right here. We¡¯ll attack after some rest and take the city back!¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    ¡­


    In Lishan City.


    The Luohai army deterred, Yuwen Tong immediately gave the order for the troops to rest and regroup.


    ¡°Tonight we¡¯ll raid the encampment of the Luohai army out there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s decision amazed all the officers, for they had just been through a battle, and their troops were all tired. Raiding the Luohai encampment outside the city in these circumstances would be a very stressful task for the soldiers.


    ¡°The Luohai army have been traveling day and night and all their soldiers are drained, their feet blistered. Since this is their first time stopping to rest, their soldiers would drop their guard and be sleeping deeply at night, which would be a golden opportunity for us to launch a sneak attack,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang immediately came to understand what Yuwen Tong meant. The Luohai soldiers were even more tired than Great-Wen soldiers.


    Xiao Jiangyue agreed, ¡°Sire is right. When they regain strength, we¡¯ll be faced with an army with well-trained soldiers and sturdy horses, and defeating it will take a lot of doing. This is indeed a good opportunity to deal them a heavy blow.¡±


    ¡°But they have already come to know our defenses are strong, and I¡¯m afraid they would be guarding against a night-time surprise attack,¡± said He Xiao.


    Jiang Ke shook his head and said, ¡°Even if they¡¯re guarding against it, there¡¯s no way they could stay on full alert. They¡¯ve traveled non-stop for days, and that¡¯s the deadliest blow to them. There¡¯s no way their soldiers could stay sharp tonight, even if their commander repeat the orders again and again, because they¡¯re only human.¡±


    He Xiao gave it some thought and said, ¡°How about we put out feelers first?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take them down in one fell swoop. There¡¯s no need to risk alerting them,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°We got four hours before sunset. Send word for all the soldiers to rest in the city, except for those responsible for clearing the battlefield and those guarding the city gates. Tell the cooks to prepare enough meat dishes for the troops as a treat so that they can sleep with their bellies full. We¡¯ll depart at the end of Zi Hour (23:00-00:59).¡±


    This would guarantee that the soldiers had enough time to rest and recharge. Even if they couldn¡¯t regain all their strength, their level of combat readiness would be far higher than that of the Luohai army!


    Nobody raised any objections. The officers immediately set off to carry out Yuwen Tong¡¯s orders.


    Soon, apart from army cooks, some local cooks in the city were also summoned. Under close supervision of some soldiers, the cooks quickly prepared a hearty meal. All the fresh meat was provided by caravans that had been following in the army¡¯s wake.


    For troops of the Great Wen who had been fighting at the front, Jiahe Chamber of Commerce dutifully providing them with sufficient supplies was no doubt an enjoyable, exclusive, special treatment.


    After the army had their fill of food and drink, officers of all descriptions received the order to raid the Luohai encampment after midnight and with that they instructed the soldiers to find places to rest.


    Soon, before sunset, silence reigned over the city.


    The soldiers who were still clearing the battlefield were keeping their voices down when talking, trying not to make any noises.


    The citizens were unaware of what was going on, baffled as to why the city had suddenly quieted down. However, because the atmosphere in the city was too weird and there had just been a battle, everybody was infected by the mood, not daring speak aloud, all their front doors tightly shut.


    High-ranking officials of Lishan City were temporarily locked up in cells. Those low-ranking ones were too afraid to do anything and, just like the commoners, were hiding in their respective houses and trembling all over with their doors shut.


    Soon night fell.


    The commander of the Luohai army had indeed given the order for his men to stay alert and made arrangements for teams of soldiers to patrol the perimeter according to a strict schedule, but the rest of the soldiers, who could finally have some rest, soon drifted into sleep so deep their officers were having trouble waking them up to relieve the sentries.


    ¡­


    At midnight.


    The soldiers sound asleep on the ground in Lishan City suddenly awoke and rose to their feet one after another. They silently rearranged their armor and checked their weapons, their eyes glinting dauntingly.


    Beneath the inky night sky, by the light from the torches on the ramparts in the distance and the sparse street lanterns, the troops mustered soundlessly.


    When Zi Hour was almost over, the east city gates were quietly opened.


    Under the cloak of darkness, the army of the Great Wen were progressing, staring in the direction of the Luohai encampment in the distance, their eyes as ferocious as those of wolves.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, wearing hauberk under his black night-suit, along with his bodyguards, blended in with the vanguard and were the first to approach the Luohai encampment.


    He listened hard for a while before he said to He Xiao and Jiang Xi flanking him, ¡°It¡¯s very quiet in there. Most soldiers were fast asleep, considering their even breathing.¡±


    Ling Zhang possessed very powerful internal energy and was capable of hearing faint sounds from very far away. He Xiao and Jiang Xi had long since come to know about this, so they naturally believed him.


    ¡°He Xiao, you and His Highness may take some men and get rid of the cheval-de-frise. I¡¯ll take care of the sentries on the two watchtowers,¡± said Jiang Xi.


    They both nodded and, after the order to attack was given, immediately charged at the encampment with the soldiers.


    At the same time, Jiang Xi, along with a row of consummate archers, aimed their bows in the direction of the watchtowers and loosed their arrows, which flew straight towards the Luohai soldiers on the watchtowers like shooting stars and went into their eyes, shoulders, etc. The sentries were either directly killed or sent flying off the watchtowers by the great force of the impact and none of them had the chance to beat any of the big drums.


    Ling Zhang and the others reached the watchtowers shortly after the volley of arrows. They lunged at those that had just fallen from the towers and finished them off.


    He Xiao and his men sprinted towards the cheval-de-frise!


    ¡°WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK! WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡±


    An army patrol started yelling, but since nobody beat any of the big drums, the alarm only reached the ears of a limited number of soldiers. Most were still deep asleep. Only a small number of men woke up.


    Flaming arrows rained down on the Luohai encampment like a meteor shower, igniting tents and everything else flammable.


    When Great-Wen troops ferociously flooded into the Luohai encampment, Ling Zhang had found the location where food supplies and fodder of the Luohai army were stored. He also found some oil in that place and started pouring it over the tents, which soon turned into a blazing inferno in which those food supplies and fodder were reduced to ashes.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    Battle cry filled the whole encampment. Many Luohai soldiers were stabbed to death in their sleep; some awoke to find themselves afire and writhed around on the ground. All was chaos and confusion in the encampment, Luohai soldiers resisting and fleeing hurry scurry.


    Yuwen Tong, leading a group of crack troops, sped into the encampment and encountered the Luohai general, who hated Yuwen Tong¡¯s guts and galloped towards Yuwen Tong, face bloodstained, a long knife in his hand. ¡°Yuwen Tong, you despicable bastard actually stooped to sneak attack! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Ling Zhang arrived just in time to see this and spot a Luohai archer hidden in the shadows, who was about to fire an arrow at Yuwen Tong whose attention was drawn to the Luohai general.


    The look in his eyes turned cold and with that he hurled his sword at the archer.


    With a puff, the blade of Ling Zhang¡¯s sword penetrated the archer¡¯s chest before he could loose the arrow.


    Ling Zhang leapt down, retrieved his sword and joined the fight.


    ¡­


    This battle lasted a whole night. Raging flames could be seen everywhere in the Luohai encampment. There was no telling whether weapons or flames took more Luohai soldiers¡¯ lives.


    By dawn, except for a group of soldiers who had fled the battlefield helter-skelter, the whole Luohai army had been annihilated in the night-time raid.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong did not order his men to pursue the remnants of the Luohai force on the run.


    ¡°We¡¯ve certainly demoralized the Luohai Kingdom greatly in this battle. Now there¡¯s only one prefecture standing between us and the Luohai capital. It¡¯ll take the Luohai Kingdom quite some time to muster another army strong enough to defend against us without summoning the troops stationed in that prefecture,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    And the army of the Great Wen would not stop advancing in the interim.


    The whole army were quite excited about this great victory.


    Yuwen Tong gave the order for the troops to have three days¡¯ rest before departure.


    Apart from handsome rewards, the soldiers could also use a good rest. They were in no fit state to enter another battle immediately.


    Though the Luohai Kingdom would not be able to send any more reinforcements any time soon, it was unwise to let their guard down.


    Thus the army made Lishan City a stronghold and spent three days resting and regrouping in it. Meanwhile, news of the Luohai reinforcements being routed spread through all nearby cities. Many officials who had been waiting for the outcome of this battle panicked. Some even gave the order for the city gates to be sealed, though there was no sign of enemy coming yet; officials of the nearest city packed their valuables and directly fled. With nobody organizing the defense, the citizens had no choice but to make their escape as well, and the prosperous city became deserted in less than two days.


    ¡­


    After that, the advance of the Great-Wen army grew even more inexorable as Luohai cities fell one after another.


    When the army closed in on the Luohai capital, Ling Zhang received an urgent letter from Lian Hai.


    Dugu Shan was dead.

 Chapter 537 - The Surrender of a Leaderless Country

    It had been the young monarch who had succeeded to the throne with Dugu Shan¡¯s assistance that had taken Dugu Shan¡¯s life.


    This unexpected occurrence had come as a surprise to not only Lian Hai and Han Shu but also the whole Luohai court.


    Clearly the young monarch had harbored a grudge against Dugu Shan after being informed that the latter had planned to take the throne in his stead, which was why he had killed Dugu Shan after the latter entered the palace.


    Dugu Miao, after coming to know that the young monarch had murdered his father, had realized that the Dugu family was faced with the fate of being wiped out. Filled with indignation, he had led all his house guards and the half of the troops stationed in the city to the royal palace and forced entry.


    Lian Hai had just finished writing this letter when, from the royal palace, had come news that the young monarch and Dugu Miao had both died during the fight.


    The scouts planted in the royal palace by Lian Hai had confirmed the young monarch¡¯s and Dugu Miao¡¯s deaths. There were not many members in the royal household. Nian Feng had killed many of them when trying to usurp the throne, and Dugu Shan, in order to make sure that nobody made another prince a puppet monarch, had killed the last few sons of Mu Hengtian¡¯s not long ago. Now that the young monarch was dead, the royal household had actually been exterminated.


    The Luohai capital was now in a state of anarchy.


    Ling Zhang was shocked and speechless at the message. The Luohai Kingdom had really brought about its own destruction.


    The others were also astounded at the news.


    ¡°S¨CSo the Luohai Kingdom has perished without us launching an attack.¡± Yuwen Jin was so amazed he was stuttering.


    Everybody was feeling as though they had just hit pay dirt. Though shocked, they could barely keep from laughing.


    ¡°All members of the Mu family are dead, and none of the courtiers could make the others come to heel. Who do you think still stands a chance of becoming the Luohai monarch?¡±


    ¡°Nobody. Even if they have someone act as a regent, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference.¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, the officers were seized by great enthusiasm.


    ¡°Sire, should we take advantage of this golden opportunity and have our troops set off right away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We should fight our way to the Luohai capital and take it. It¡¯s almost defenseless now.¡±


    The Luohai Kingdom was now leaderless, its people panic-stricken, so there would hardly be any resistance.


    Yuwen Tong glanced at them and said, ¡°Calm down. Do not underestimate the enemy.¡±


    On hearing these words, the thrilled officers recovered themselves.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sire. I was being reckless.¡±


    ¡°Still, we can¡¯t stand by and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°I think many people in this country are still unaware of it. We should spread the news for them.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    There were still many hard-core members of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce hidden in the cities and towns near the Luohai capital.


    ¡­


    The news spread very fast. Two days later, everybody in the cities and towns near the Luohai capital had come to know about it.


    When the Great-Wen army staged an assault, the Luohai troops stationed in a city chose to surrender themselves. The army took the city without suffering any casualties and then pushed squarely towards the Luohai capital.


    When they reached the suburbs of the Luohai capital, Yuwen Tong gave the order to encamp instead of mounting an immediate offensive on the city.


    Though the Luohai Kingdom was in anarchy, the defense of its capital was stronger than that of any provincial city, and breaching it would take a lot of doing, so Yuwen Tong planned to adopt another strategy to achieve his ends. He had his troops make camp outside the city, half surrounding it.


    The sea of tents put the people inside the city under great emotional stress. The citizens turned restless, and there were several strands of opinions among the officials, who were having heated arguments.


    Some advocated defending the city to the last breath.


    Some believed they should sue for peace.


    Some suggested they capitulate.


    Only a couple of hidebound courtiers advocated defending the city. Those intending to sue for peace accounted for one third of the courtiers, still having the fond hope of helping the Luohai capital ¨C or the Luohai regime ¨C survive this crisis, despite the fact that the city was besieged by the army of the Great Wen. Most people were inclined to surrender, but not many had made public their stand on the matter; they were observing quietly, making no remarks, and would not say anything until the last moment.


    Lian Hai and Han Shu had been staying in Jiahe Chamber of Commerce all along. Lian Hai, after Dugu Shan had helped the young prince succeed to the throne, had believed that his life was in danger and been on full alert, in case Dugu Shan made an attempt to kill him, but unexpectedly, Dugu Shan had at first been too occupied to find any time to kill him, and then been murdered by the young monarch. Afterward, Dugu Miao had taken some men and forced entry into the royal palace where he and the young monarch had died together during a fight. Lian Hai and Han Shu had both been caught flat-footed by the sudden change of the situation but also felt greatly relieved because of it.


    The patriarch of the Dugu family and his heir were both dead. The rest of them were either worrying about the eventual fate of the Luohai Kingdom or busy dividing up family property. None of them knew about the relations between Lian Hai and Dugu Shan, so nobody would make trouble for him.


    Thus, Lian Hai and Han Shu survived the upheavals.


    The men they had planted in the royal palace, in a timely manner, sent them some messages about the arguments among the courtiers in the audience hall. After coming to know about it, Lian Hai and Han Shu both started thinking.


    ¡°The couple of geriatrics advocating defending the city are small in number, but they carry a lot of weight with the courtiers. If they keep doing this, it¡¯ll waste a lot of our time. I think we should stir things up a little in the Luohai court one last time. By doing that, we¡¯ll be getting revenge for our previous sufferings and at the same time assisting our master. What do you say?¡± said Han Shu.


    Lian Hai said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Tell me how you think we should do it.¡±


    ¡°We kill those geriatrics. If they die, those intending to sue for peace will know what it means. Considering the panic in the city, things will go the way we want once somebody suggests surrender,¡± said Han Shu.


    Lian Hai gave it some thought and then nodded. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do it your way. Our master is right outside the city. I¡¯ll send him a letter first. You may start making arrangements straight away.¡±


    Han Shu smiled, ¡°You may rest assured that I¡¯ll get the job done.¡±


    Soon, Lian Hai¡¯s letter was delivered to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, after being informed of what Lian Hai and Han Shu were planning to do, immediately told Yuwen Tong about it.


    ¡°If they succeed, it won¡¯t be long before we see those Luohai courtiers coming out of the city to surrender themselves,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him and smiled, ¡°These two subordinates of yours turn out to be quite audacious, but actually I¡¯ve been thinking about the same thing.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had chosen to lay siege to the city instead of attacking it because he wanted to wait for the people inside to capitulate. Of course, at first these people would want to sue for peace, but eventually they would no doubt yield.


    However, Lian Hai and Han Shu¡¯s action would shorten the process by having the courtiers skip the step of suing for peace.


    ¡­


    The couple of old courtiers advocating defending the city to the last breath did not live in the palace. They returned home to sleep at night, though there was no telling whether they could get to sleep or not.


    Lian Hai and Han Shu¡¯s method was brutal and simple ¨C assassination.


    Presently most troops were stationed at the city gates, and there were barely any soldiers guarding courtiers¡¯ abodes, which made it easier for Lian Hai and Han Shu to carry out their plan.


    On the night of that very day.


    Dozens of assassins showed up in the couple of courtiers¡¯ abodes one after another.


    ¡°AAARGH!¡±


    ¡°Assassins! Assassins!¡±


    ¡°Master! Master!¡±


    Successive screams of horror rang out, breaking the silence of the late night.


    The couple of courtiers advocating defending the capital to the last breath were all killed at home late at night. Every one of them took a single blow, a fatal one.


    Before daybreak, the officials of the capital assembled in the audience hall in the royal palace. At first they cursed the murderers loudly and sent some men to hunt for the culprits, but gradually they lapsed into silence and the mood in the hall became terribly subdued.


    ¡°All the victims were among those who advocated defending the capital. I think everybody in this hall knows what this means. I suggest we express our opinions one more time and make a final decision by the end of the day.¡±


    Someone spoke, his voice resounding through the whole audience hall.


    Some had suggested they defend the city to the last breath, and some had said they should sue for peace, and some others had implied they should surrender, but none of them had ever voiced their opinions outside this audience hall, but now all those who had advocated defending the city were dead, which was too much of a coincidence.


    If the one responsible for the murder of the couple of courtiers was in this hall, then they would be able to make a decision soon, given that those present at this moment either wanted to sue for peace or intended to surrender, and these two strands of opinion were more or less the same; if the culprit was from outside the city, then it would mean that the capital city was no longer safe; if they couldn¡¯t even talk freely in the audience hall without having to worry about someone disclosing their words to people they didn¡¯t want the words heard by, where else could they deem a safe place to talk? In that case, it would mean that those outside the city were forcing them to make their positions clear, that it was high time they made a decision.


    Suddenly someone let out a long sigh and said, ¡°Are we still in a position to sue for peace? Is it possible we¡¯ll be killed as well tonight?¡±


    At these words, the hall fell silent once again.


    It was another long moment before someone said, ¡°Let¡¯s surrender then.¡±


    The atmosphere in the hall seemed to change at this remark.


    ¡°The Wan Kingdom has been subjugated. Right now we don¡¯t have a monarch, and our capital is under siege. The way I see it, our country is bound to be annexed as well.¡±


    The one who had suggested surrender, as though having fully regained his power of speech after expressing his opinion, continued, ¡°As things stand, Yuwen Tong reunifying the three countries is an inexorable trend. The Fangcun Kingdom is on the other side of the sea and thus spared from the tragic fate, but we are mired in this situation and there¡¯s no way we could extricate ourselves. It¡¯s impossible for us to hold the city. As regards suing for peace ¡­ do any of you think we¡¯re still in a position to negotiate with Yuwen Tong? Let¡¯s face it ¨C we¡¯re just unwilling to admit our country is to be subjugated. If we submit, we¡¯ll be able to ensure the safety of the citizens. I failed to protect His Majesty, and I failed to protect his son too. It¡¯d be unbelievably shameless of me to risk the citizens¡¯ lives to maintain my ridiculous dignity.¡±


    After he made these remarks, the atmosphere in the audience hall became quite weird. Some wanted to speak but appeared to have difficulty opening their mouths; some pressed their lips tightly together; some were just panic-stricken.


    Eventually, one of those scared ones was the first to second the proposal. ¡°I agree with your decision, Your Lordship. Let¡¯s just surrender. My mother, my wife and my children are all in the city. I really can¡¯t bring myself to have them die with me.¡±


    ¡°Our young monarch has passed away, and there¡¯s nobody left in the royal household. Whose kingdom are we supposed to be defending exactly? Besides, the kingdom has already fallen.¡±


    More and more people expressed similar opinions and eventually more than half of the people present were talking about capitulation. The rest were keeping silent, raising no objections, but their stand on the matter was fairly clear.


    Their only option was to surrender.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ballot. If over seventy percent of us agree to surrender, then we surrender, and the others shall keep their opinions to themselves,¡± suggested someone finally.


    Holding a ballot on it wouldn¡¯t take long.


    It was a secret ballot, so they did not have to worry about their face.


    The results soon came out. Over ninety percent of the courtiers had chosen to surrender.


    Many who had kept silent or advocated suing for peace had chosen to submit in the end.


    Most people were secretly relieved as they heard the results.


    ¡°Send word for the city gates to be opened in two hours!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there together, everybody.¡±

 Chapter 538 - The Reunification of the Three Countries

    Two hours later, the city gates of the Luohai capital opened without notice.


    The Great-Wen army were instantly on the alert, but then they saw that out of the city came a group of officials in robes, civil ones and military ones, a large number of citizens following in their wake.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, who were looking in the direction of the city in the distance, saw this scene and exchanged a glance, knowing that the plan worked.


    ¡°Holy shit! What¡¯s going on? Wh¨CWhat do those people think they¡¯re doing?!¡± exclaimed Yuwen Jin, astonished.


    ¡°You moron. Isn¡¯t it obvious? They¡¯re here to surrender,¡± said He Xiao, rolling his eyes at him.


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Does that mean we don¡¯t have to attack the city any more?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of attacking the city when they¡¯ve already surrendered?¡±


    Soon, the troops of the Great Wen also fell to formation. Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, followed by some officers, walked out of the encampment, halted a few paces away from the entrance and waited.


    The Luohai official heading the team found his whole body tense, feeling as though his feet were growing heavier with his every step, but as he saw that Yuwen Tong had actually walked out of the encampment with some officers and was waiting near the entrance, he abruptly relaxed completely, mixed feelings instantly rising inside him.


    There was no insult to the vanquished. No matter what Yuwen Tong¡¯s true thoughts were, at least on the surface he was showing them respect.


    And that was enough for them.


    ¡­


    ¡° ¡­ We¡¯re here to capitulate to Your Majesty and the Great Wen on behalf of all residents of this city. We petition Your Majesty to grant us permission to be your subjects. We ask for nothing but that Your Majesty show mercy to the residents of this city.¡±


    Luohai officials of all descriptions, along with the citizens in their wake, got down on one knee, the one in charge presenting an instrument of surrender with both hands.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s calm eyes swept across the group of people. Due to the air about him which was more powerful and brooding than anybody¡¯s, all those in front of him bowed their heads, appearing respectful or scared, not daring look up at him, foreheads of the couple of officials at the front covered in fine beads of cold sweat.


    It was a few moments before Yuwen Tong took the instrument of surrender in that man¡¯s hands, unfurled it, read it and said, ¡°Your petition¡¯s granted.¡±


    The subdued, nervous atmosphere instantly became relaxed. All those officials put their other knees to the ground and prostrated themselves.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±


    The citizens chorused the same words, their collective voices much louder than the officials¡¯.


    All members of the Great-Wen army behind Yuwen Tong, at the sight of this scene, threw out their chests, looking at Yuwen Tong with fervent reverie in their eyes.


    ¡­


    Since the capital had capitulated, all the other cities gave up resisting and opened the gates to let the Great-Wen army in to take over.


    Thus, the whole Luohai Kingdom was also subjected to the Great Wen¡¯s rule.


    And the reunification of the three countries had been achieved in terms of territory.


    This day marked a new chapter of the Great Wen which was slowly entering its prime.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Another five years passed.


    In Xinjing, the new capital of the Great Wen.


    The whole city was oozing liveliness and prosperity, every street swarming with pedestrians.


    Five years ago, the Great Wen had accomplished the great cause of the reunification of the three countries and its capital had been moved. The new capital was almost twice the size of the old one, and its population had been booming in the past few years.


    People of the two subjugated countries had gradually come to accept their new identity as Great-Wen subjects over the past five years, mixing with the original subjects of the Great Wen, multiplying and living a happy life. The situation at the border had also gradually stabilized and there hadn¡¯t been any unrest.


    Overall, the Great Wen was showing a relentlessly upward development trajectory.


    Also, the residents¡¯ respect and love for the ruler of the Great Wen had been deepening.


    The imperial couple¡¯s tenth wedding anniversary was drawing near, and residents of all cities were awaiting the upcoming celebration with keen anticipation. Many caravans from various prefectures had come to the capital city several days in advance. Apart from merchants, some of those who had the economic power had also journeyed to the capital, coming along for the ride.


    Government departments in the capital city had also prepared themselves for the approaching grand occasion.


    ¡­


    In the imperial palace.


    Carved beams and painted rafters could be seen everywhere in the resplendent and magnificent complex of buildings.


    The new imperial palace of the Great Wen, built according to Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s preference, was very different from the palace in the former capital. The design of it was centered on making sure that the imperial couple found it a comfortable dwelling.


    The imperial bedchamber had once again been sited in the vicinity of the consultation hall. There were partition walls between the two palaces both of which were heavily guarded.


    On this day, eunuchs were animatedly bustling around in the imperial palace, putting the finishing touches to the preparation for the oncoming celebration, the hustle making an enjoyable sight. The imperial study, however, was still very quiet, with only the guards on duty standing outside, and nobody dared approach it without permission.


    The atmosphere in the study was also a little subdued compared with how it was at ordinary times.


    All the guards outside found their backs tense, looking too nervous to make a sound.


    The reason for this was that there had been a lot going on in the imperial study since morning, and several batches of courtiers had visited it, keeping the emperor so occupied with state affairs that he was unable to leave the imperial study to go out of the palace with the empress, the princes and the princess, which was why he was in a very foul mood and the atmosphere in the study was rather glum.


    With a cold face, Yuwen Tong, having just finished reading a memorial, tossed it to the side and said to the courtier standing in front of his desk, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been fussing over such a trivial matter the whole morning. Have someone figure it out before you come here again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± answered the courtier hastily before quietly wiping the sweat off his forehead. It was not that they wanted to add to the emperor¡¯s workload. The main reason why he had come to the study was because the lost goods were some kind of special tribute from a mini-state in the Western Regions. It was said that the mini-state valued this batch of tribute very much, that the leader of the diplomatic corps, after the tribute went missing, had been terribly anxious and sent several petitions for help successively. Not daring delay reporting this matter to the emperor, they had come to the imperial study early in the morning, because who should be the one sent to deal with the matter was the emperor¡¯s decision to make.


    After getting Yuwen Tong¡¯s approval, the courtier hastened to take his leave, not daring stay in the study for a single extra moment. At the front gates of the palace, he chanced upon another group of courtiers, with whom he inevitably fell into conversation.


    ¡°Lord Li, you¡¯ve just left the imperial study as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered the courtier asked, who then added, ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today. Is it because something else happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing serious. It¡¯s mostly because several rather urgent matters happened to be reported to His Majesty this morning, every one of which, like the case of lost tribute in your hands, required a decision from His Majesty; and, unfortunately, this morning His Highness went back to the Ling Mansion to visit his relatives, bringing with him His and Her Highnesses. His Majesty had originally planned to go with them, but his plan was upset by these matters.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s indeed quite unfortunate. No wonder His Majesty¡¯s eyes were reproachful when he looked at me a moment ago,¡± said the courtier who had just left the imperial study, heaving a long sigh of relief in the knowledge that he was not the reason why the emperor was unhappy.


    ¡°Ha ha ¡­ His Majesty is just a little sulky today. Just make sure you don¡¯t do or say anything that might get on his nerves.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare do that.¡±


    Everybody knew that the imperial couple had deep affection for each other. The reason why the mini-state in the Western Regions had sent some men here to pay tribute was because of the imperial couple¡¯s tenth wedding anniversary, but if truth be told, the courtiers still found it incredible that the marital bonding between the imperial couple was so strong. The two of them had been living together for so many years, but the emperor was now sulking just because he couldn¡¯t go out of the palace with the empress. The chemistry between them was such as though they were newly-weds.


    ¡®What an enviable marriage,¡¯ they thought.


    ¡­


    When it was almost noon, Yuwen Tong finally got all the state affairs in his hands settled and, without more ado, took some men and left the palace, heading for the Ling Mansion.


    After the capital had been moved, the Ling family had also transferred. The well-being of elderly family members taken into consideration, the new Ling Mansion had been sited in a fairly secluded spot, but the residential compound covered a vast area, with bamboo groves and lakes inside it, which made it a perfect place for relaxation and wellness preservation.


    Regular occupants of the residence included Ling Xingzhong, Ji Yin, Ling Maomao, Ling Xuxu and Mr. Mu.


    At first Yuwen Tong had intended to bestow a title on Ji Yin and built him another mansion, but Ji Yin had deemed it unnecessary to go to that much trouble for an old man like him who had no other family members, so he had been living in the Ling Mansion all along, keeping Ling Xingzhong company.


    As for the others, Ling Zhaowu stayed in Jiahe Chamber of Commerce all the year around; Ling Zhaowen was now a prefectural governor and lived with Fu Caiwei and their youngest son Ling Xiaobao in their own residence. The large Ling Mansion was always fairly quiet except for the Spring Festival. Ling Zhang from time to time took his adopted children back to the Ling Mansion to visit the elders lest they feel lonely.


    Yuwen Tong went there incognito, but even so, it still took him some time to reach the Ling Mansion. Ling Zhang and the others had been waiting for him at the dining table.


    The large family held a feast in the dining hall as usual, and there weren¡¯t many servants waiting upon them, because they felt more comfortable and at ease when almost everybody in the room was family.


    The moment Yuwen Tong arrived, all the others rose to pay their respects to him.


    Yuwen Tong flung out his arms to stop the two old men from getting on their knees, not daring to let them pay respects to him.


    Then he inclined his head at the junior family members and a moment later the whole family had taken their seats.


    Ling Zhang asked him, ¡°You got everything handled?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°Almost. They can take care of the rest.¡±


    It was only when he had sat down beside Ling Zhang that the vexation that had been smoldering inside Yuwen Tong the whole morning dissolved. His mind now at ease, his mood naturally lightened.


    Over the past five years they had been quite busy all along, because after all, everything in the Great Wen had been getting back on track, but overall, the situation was much better this year than it had been when the capital city had just been moved, which was why Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang on occasions could find the time to go out of the palace to visit the Ling Mansion.


    ¡°Incidentally, I¡¯ve just received a message from the Clan Leader. He said he¡¯d come here to offer his congratulations to you,¡± Ji Yin suddenly informed them.


    An invitation had been sent to the Millennium Pavilion as usual, and it astonished them that Ji Yanlai had accepted it, because he had turned down the invitations on all similar previous occasions.


    Both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong found this a pleasant surprise. Ling Maomao also had a twinkle in his eyes.


    ¡°The Clan Leader dislikes trouble. The reason why he turned you down when you invited him shortly after the reunification and the transfer of the capital was because he believed you still had a lot of things to deal with, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy himself if he came here. Now he feels you two have the leisure to entertain him, so he agreed to come,¡± explained Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang chuckled, ¡°The Clan Leader hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡±


    Looking resigned, Ji Yin shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what he¡¯s always like. In recent years the situation on the island has also stabilized, but the couple of years following the transfer had been really tough for him. He¡¯d been having his hands full in those days.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled but made no reply. Surely the workload of ruling an island was nowhere close to that of ruling a country? In the final analysis, everybody in the Millennium Pavilion had been pampering Ji Yanlai, and their hearts ached for him whenever he seemed to be a little busy with something. They saw him as their own child and couldn¡¯t bring themselves to let him feel hard done by.


    ¡°Master, will Cong come here as well?¡± Ling Maomao suddenly asked.


    Ji Yin said, ¡°There¡¯s no information in the letter on that score, but considering the young master has been cooped up on that island for ten years, the Clan Leader and the others could hardly say no if he wants to come out to get some fresh air.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes gleamed with anticipation at these words.


    He had been learning kung fu from Ji Yin all these years. On one occasion Ji Yin had entrusted him with the task of delivering something back to the Millennium Pavilion and thus he had gone to the island, but at that time Ji Xiaocong had been in closed-door cultivation, so he had not seen Ji Xiaocong during that visit, which had been a great regret of his ever since. He had left a letter for Ji Xiaocong but did not know whether Ji Xiaocong had read it or not. He believed that Ji Xiaocong would probably come to the capital city with the leader of the Millennium Pavilion if he had read the letter.

 Chapter 539 - Frolics

    The expectant look in Ling Maomao¡¯s eyes reminded Ling Zhang of the time when Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong had romped around every day in their childhood, as well as the reluctance on their faces at the moment of parting, and with that he also involuntarily began to hope Ji Xiaocong would come to the capital city, wondering what the clever little boy looked like now.


    The last ten years felt like an instant, as though it were only yesterday that Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement ceremony and their wedding had been held.


    But Ling Maomao had had his rite of passage last year and was now eighteen, which was the same age that he, Ling Zhang, had been when he had arrived in the capital city with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong immediately perceived Ling Zhang¡¯s absent-mindedness and shrewdly guessed what he was thinking at the sight of Ling Zhang looking at Ling Maomao with a reminiscent look on his face.


    After lunch, Yuwen Tong, who was in no hurry to return to the palace, stayed in the Ling Mansion with Ling Zhang and their adopted children.


    Ling Maomao, who had got used to being the headman of the children in the Ling family these years, brought them to the garden to have an after-meal walk, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong slowly following in their wake. Though having been married for many years, the two of them still preferred to hold each other¡¯s hands when walking together.


    ¡°Time does fly. The past ten years feels like an instant,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong had not had any particular feelings when he had suggested they hold a celebration in honor of their tenth wedding anniversary. Not until he, a few moments ago, had seen Ling Maomao and the other children that had grown so much had he suddenly realized that it had indeed been ten years.


    ¡°This is the first decade. We¡¯ll have the second, the third ¡­ We have many decades ahead of us before our deaths,¡± observed Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong planned to hold a celebration every ten years. He was a thrifty and down-to-earth man and seldom held any celebrations. There had to be one during the Spring Festival, but other than that, he never went to the trouble. On this occasion, however, he had brought it up on his own initiative. The courtiers, after being informed that the emperor uncharacteristically wanted to hold a celebration, had immediately entered into the preparatory work with great enthusiasm for fear that the emperor might change his mind, all of them determined to make the celebration grand and ceremonious.


    ¡°I wonder what we¡¯ll look like when we¡¯re old several decades later.¡± Ling Zhang thought that he would probably, like his maternal grandfather, look much younger than his age, that he might live longer than the common people.


    Yuwen Tong had powerful internal energy and made huge breakthroughs during the past ten years, so it stood to reason that he would enjoy longevity. Ling Zhang was thankful that he had adopted the internal-energy cultivation method provided by the Millennium Pavilion, which enabled him to stay in Yuwen Tong¡¯s company for a longer period of time.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no way to find that out in advance, so we might as well slow things down and enjoy life to the fullest. We¡¯ll know when the time comes, and there¡¯s no need to be anxious about it. And, after the kids grow up, I¡¯ll abdicate the throne so that the two of us will have time to do some traveling. Last year a mini-state in the Western Regions paid me some interesting tribute which they¡¯d got from further west. Haven¡¯t you been curious as to what kind of country those things were made in? We may go and find out.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up at these words of his. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the point of reunifying the three countries if we have to stay in this palace forever? We¡¯d be like slaves if that¡¯s the case,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong was probably the only monarch who would regard himself as a slave to the throne.


    But Ling Zhang indeed looked forward to traveling around the world with Yuwen Tong. As for whom Yuwen Tong would abdicate in favor of, Ling Zhang did not ask. He had never brought up this matter. Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin were both his sons, and both were very good, but he would not interfere in the decision about which one of them should be the heir to the throne.


    In fact, during these years, as Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin grew up, the differences between the two brothers had been growing progressively evident.


    Both of them were very intelligent and strong-minded, but Yuwen Qi found the idea of becoming a renowned general more attractive than anything else, and he had clearly inherited the military leadership qualities that had passed from generation to generation in the Yuwen family. Though his academic performance was also pretty good, there was no doubt he much preferred kung fu and other fighting skills to knowledge. On one occasion he had even slipped out of the palace with the intention to sneak into the Garrison Battalion to watch the soldiers drill. Whenever he heard someone talk about kung fu practice or war, his eyes brightened and glittered with feverish excitement. Because of this, Yuwen Tong, who could have spared time to wipe out the Gu-masters in South Xinjiang and the northern tribes in the past few years, had eventually chosen to enhance domestic stability, spending more time guaranteeing the well-being of his subjects. Ling Zhang had vaguely guessed the reason why Yuwen Tong had done that, but he had been pretending otherwise all along, deciding to let nature take its course, because apart from anything else, their sons were still young.


    Yuwen Lin, however, was somewhat sensitive and showed an extraordinary natural aptitude for politics. It had not been very obvious when he had been a little boy, but as he grew up, especially in recent years, it had been becoming more and more evident. Ling Zhang had no idea whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, because Yuwen Lin¡¯s political precocity was bound to cause him to think more than his peers did. Ling Zhang had worried that Yuwen Lin might go bald at a young age, but after he overheard a conversation between Yuwen Lin¡¯s teacher and Yuwen Tong, he had once again chosen to let nature take its course. However, maybe because Yuwen Lin had been spending more time on politics, which he found more interesting, his proficiency in kung fu had never stacked up against that of his brother, and he was rather thin too, which was why Ling Zhang from time to time had to remind the cooks to prepare extra nutritious food for Yuwen Lin.


    Ling Zhang did not know whether or not it was a coincidence that his two sons had their respective interests between which there was no conflict. Also, the ties of brotherhood between them had been very close. Yuwen Qi, several months Yuwen Lin¡¯s senior, was the big brother and had been protecting and taking good care of Yuwen Lin. Yuwen Lin, who was more sensitive to changes in the situation in the imperial court, from time to time reminded Yuwen Lin to pay attention. Sometimes, when he found Yuwen Qi ¡°stupid¡±, he lit oil lamps at night and insisted Yuwen Qi write down the major political forces as well as the entangling relations between them. Ling Zhang would not have found out about it if he had not on one occasion discovered that they were not asleep late at night and gone to their bedroom to give them a prod, but he had not stopped them and had just told them that they must put out the lamps when it was time to sleep.


    ¡°Lin, bring Xuxu with you. We¡¯re going to the drill ground.¡± Yuwen Qi, holding Yuwen Yue¡¯s hand, told Yuwen Lin to bring Ling Xuxu as he saw Ling Xuxu straggle behind them.


    Yuwen Lin turned on his heel and waited for a few moments before he took Ling Xuxu¡¯s hand and yelled at his brother who was ahead of them, ¡°Do not practice kung fu, Qi! We¡¯ve just finished lunch! This is supposed to be an after-meal walk!¡±


    ¡°Alas, it¡¯s okay!¡± said Yuwen Qi nonchalantly.


    Yuwen Yue was also fun loving. Having grown up with a bunch of boys, she was somewhat of a tomboy and seemed to see herself as a boy. She had been into beautiful dresses when she¡¯d been a little girl, but now, maybe because Yuwen Qi had had an influence on her, she had developed a strong interest in fighting skills.


    At this moment, she freed her hand from Yuwen Qi¡¯s and, with an I¡¯m-grown-up expression on her face, said to Yuwen Qi, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hold my hand, Qi. I can manage it myself.¡±


    With that she led the way towards the drill ground, strutting along in a very tomboyish manner.


    Ling Zhang following them at a distance was rendered speechless at the sight of this.


    He felt rather resigned. ¡°I always remind her to behave like a princess before we go out of the palace, but she always forgets about it completely after only a few moments.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, however, was totally okay with it. There was no rule that said they had to pamper their daughter and have her stay at home all the time. If they did that, their daughter might be too weak to lift a staff, let alone protect herself from danger, which was, naturally, not what he wanted to see happen. Their daughter seemed fine to him ¨C she was pretty, intelligent and even capable of wielding a spear. She had got plenty of brains as well as brawn. What else could they ask for?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re in the Ling Mansion, aren¡¯t we? It¡¯s our own place, and there¡¯s no outsiders here,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head. He had known Yuwen Tong would say this.


    He felt that it was indeed a good thing that their daughter had some kung fu skills with which she could protect herself, but it was inappropriate for her to spend too much time on that. The two of them were both men and, greatly to their daughter¡¯s disadvantage, had little knowledge of how to raise a daughter properly, and if they by any chance failed to teach their daughter enough manners, she would, Ling Zhang feared, be angry with them after she grew up, and they would not be able to justify themselves to his aunt.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just drop it. The most important thing is for our daughter to be safe and healthy. With the two of us and her brothers in her company, she¡¯s bound to live a happy life, isn¡¯t she?¡± said Yuwen Tong consolingly.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, the children had reached the drill ground. Ling Maomao was standing on the side, keeping an eye on the others lest any of them hurt themself.


    Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang to one side where they settled themselves in chairs and a couple of servants immediately brought them some fruits and snack.


    Yuwen Qi liked the drill ground in the Ling Mansion because it boasted many weapons that Ling Zhaowu had collected from various places. These weapons were neatly ranged in rows, and it was impossible for anybody who was interested in kung fu not to be attracted to them. At first Yuwen Qi had been the only one thinking about them all day long, but afterward Yuwen Yue had become obsessed with them as well.


    Yuwen Lin was standing right behind them. As he saw his brother pick up a seemingly dangerous weapon, he cautioned, ¡°That one¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Yuwen Qi scratched his head and had just picked up another one when Yuwen Lin warned, ¡°Qi, that one¡¯s dangerous too!¡±


    ¡°Crescent, do not touch that big knife. It¡¯s heavier than you are. You might hurt your foot if you try to move it!¡±


    The drill ground was full of Yuwen Lin¡¯s voice trying to dissuade the other two from picking up dangerous weapons.


    ¡°Alas, stop calling me by my pet name, Lin, will you? I told you I¡¯m grown up now.¡±


    With that the big knife in her hand clanked ominously to the ground.


    Yuwen Lin¡¯s forehead twitched with horror at the sight of it.


    It was only then that Ling Maomao walked up to them and said, ¡°Yueyue, you¡¯re not strong enough to use this knife for the moment. Try this one.¡±


    While saying this, he handed her a wooden saber.


    Yuwen Yue, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Though unconvinced, she still took the wooden saber after a glance at Ling Maomao, not daring defy her uncle who seemed to be becoming more and more commanding, and who looked somewhat intimidating when serious.


    Yuwen Lin heaved a long sigh of relief as he saw that she finally switched to a wooden saber.


    Ling Xuxu on the side burst into laughter.


    On hearing the laugh, Yuwen Yue spun around and gave him a dirty look in an effort to stop him from laughing.


    However, Ling Xuxu was not afraid of her at all. It was true that Yuwen Yue was a princess, but he was her uncle according to the family hierarchy.


    Unsurprisingly, Yuwen Yue, who did not dare do anything to Ling Xuxu, stamped her foot in anger and then went to Yuwen Tong, wooden saber in hand.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ve learned all the moves you taught me the other day. Let me show you!¡±


    Yuwen Tong had taught her some moves? On hearing this, Ling Zhang twisted his head around to look at Yuwen Tong.


    Beneath Ling Zhang¡¯s reproachful gaze, watching his daughter run towards him with an innocent look on her face, Yuwen Tong couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly, ¡®Oh, my goodness. Why are you so bad at keeping secrets, daughter? I told you to be careful not to spill the beans!¡¯

 Chapter 540 - A Big Reunion in the Capital

    It was after Yuwen Yue noticed the uncharacteristic countenance on Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s faces that she came to realize she had spilled the beans. She hurriedly shut her mouth and looked at Ling Zhang, appearing somewhat apprehensive.


    Yuwen Qi and all the others had shifted their gaze in this direction. Ling Zhang, not inclined to embarrass Yuwen Tong in the presence of the children, did not dress Yuwen Tong down. ¡°Show Daddy what you¡¯ve learned. If your moves are up to standards, you¡¯ll have Daddy¡¯s permission to continue learning it,¡± he said to Yuwen Yue.


    Yuwen Yue had been worried, but unexpectedly Ling Zhang not only did not tell her off but also said that he might allow her to continue learning kung fu. Her eyes instantly lit up. ¡°I¡¯ll show you right away, Daddy!¡±


    Yuwen Yue was into kung fu and did have a knack for it. Yuwen Tong had only demonstrated to her the couple of self-defense moves several times, but she had lodged them firmly in her mind.


    As she had indeed mastered those moves well, Ling Zhang permitted her to continue to learn kung fu, but he also stressed that she must pay more attention to her manners when out of the palace, that she should at least restrain herself in the presence of outsiders.


    Yuwen Yue, having been allowed to learn kung fu, was very happy and naturally promised she would behave herself. This was the reason why for a very long period following this day, this only princess of the Great Wen enjoyed a sterling international reputation for being beautiful, elegant and refined, and nobody knew that in private she was actually a tough girl who was ready to roll up her sleeves, mount a horse and go to war if the occasion arose, and whose kung fu was as good as, if not better than, that of many men.


    ¡­


    After another half a month, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei, along with Ling Xiaobao, returned to the capital city. At the same time, Ling Zhaowu also came back from out of town. Apart from members of the Ling family, many officials of provincial cities and envoys of foreign countries also arrived in the capital city one after another.


    Ling Zhaowen, of all prefectural officials returning to the capital, had got the most attention, outshined only by foreign envoys. Aside from him, there were also Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan, a married couple, and Jiang Yu.


    Ling Zhaowen was the only one in the Ling family who was pursuing a political career, and he had been doing pretty well. After the reunification of the three countries, in particular, he had requested to be transferred to a prefecture which used to be southern Wan Kingdom. It had just been subjected to the Great Wen¡¯s rule, so the people there naturally had been unaccustomed to a lot of things, and there had even been many conflicts, and some even had tried to take advantage of the unstable situation to make trouble. At that time, it had not been easy for one to perform his duty as a governor. Ling Zhaowen, however, had done a very good job. The residents in Nanhe which used to be in southern Wan Kingdom had smoothly integrated themselves into the Great Wen, and the situation in all the cities there had stabilized, and people¡¯s livelihood had been improving steadily, their sense of national identity strengthening, the gulf dissolving.


    Many people in the capital city conjectured that in a few years Ling Zhaowen would be transferred back to the capital city. This, coupled with his identity as the empress¡¯s uncle, drew even more attention to him.


    Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan, high-ranking officials in a prefecture located in the area which used to be northern Luohai Kingdom, had been doing well in their official career as well. They had rendered meritorious service in Shengzhou and then Cangzhou, and now they had made quite some achievements in this prefecture as well. On top of that, Yuwen Tong had always valued their talents pretty much, so many people in the capital speculated that this time around Xu Lingyun would stay in the capital city after the celebration. They just wondered which position the emperor would appoint him to.


    As for Jiang Yu, he used to be the empress¡¯s adviser. After the three countries were reunified, the empress had had him enter the imperial court before Yuwen Tong made him assistant governor in a prefecture located in an area which used to be northern Wan Kingdom. That place was barren and dry and only a small part of it was suitable for growing crops. Also, as it bordered a couple of micro-states in the Western Regions, international communication and trading was no small matter. At that time, many people had wondered how far Jiang Yu would go. It had transpired that Jiang Yu had done a very good job and made quite some achievements. Trading between the Great Wen and the micro-states in the Western Regions had returned to normal; in addition, commercial activities at the border had been booming, and the living conditions of people there had improved greatly. Jiang Yu¡¯s superior thought very highly of him and had sent several memorials to the throne to report Jiang Yu¡¯s meritorious deeds.


    All these people had always been in the limelight, and they had got more attention and given rise to more discussion because of their achievements. Apart from them, there were also many officials who had made their presence felt not long ago.


    Now the territory of the Great Wen had been expanded, and there had been more and more talents showing up in various cities. Yuwen Tong, by reunifying the three countries, created opportunities for these people to display their talents and fulfill their potential. In the past few years, residents in the capital city from time to time had heard about people making remarkable achievements in their respective fields, but they had never seen any of those people in person.


    Because of this celebration, these talents would be making their first public appearance in the capital city. Apart from ordinary residents of this city, the dignitaries and even Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were looking forward to seeing them.


    As a result, after Ling Zhaowen returned, he and Fu Caiwei had brought Ling Xiaobao to the palace to have an audience with Yuwen Tong, but Ling Zhang had never found a chance to pay the Ling Mansion another visit. Every day he and Yuwen Tong were busy dealing with envoys or officials from various prefectures who had come to seek audience with them. Most of their attention was on those newly-emerged talents. Testing them was a matter high on Yuwen Tong¡¯s priority list. Also, Ling Zhang had told his father to do some careful background check on them. These people would become the pillars of the Great Wen if they kept improving themselves the way they had been doing.


    ¡­


    When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were occupied with meeting a variety of visitors, some members of the Millennium Pavilion finally arrived in the capital city.


    This time around Ji Yanlai had a higher profile than he had the last time. His bodyguards alone numbered dozens. On top of that, he had also brought many elders of his clan.


    All of them were wearing modified versions of maester¡¯s robes, and their carriages were quite sumptuous. Their bodyguards, different from common guards, had a faintly otherworldly air about them, which made them obtrusive compared with others entering the capital city.


    Most importantly, their identities were a mystery to almost everybody. People only knew that their passes were of the highest clearance, that they entered the city without being asked any questions by the guards.


    ¡°Wow. Who are these people? It seems they¡¯re from some powerful background!¡±


    ¡°Their pomp is even greater than that of the princesses and princes of those foreign countries. They¡¯re equaled by only the envoys of the Fangcun Kingdom who arrived yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Guards of honor have to comply with certain stipulations. How come these people are keeping such a high profile but nobody knows who they are?!¡±


    ¡°Is it the king of some newly established country in the south, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. They strike me as kind of otherworldly. Do you think it¡¯s possible they¡¯re some sort of Taoist sect? Look at their clothes. They seem like special Taoist robes, don¡¯t them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Those people working in the Imperial Observatory, those who specialize in astrology or astronomy or something ¨C I¡¯ve seen them wear similar robes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Residents who had seen members of the Millennium Pavilion entering the capital city were discussing it animatedly, but the carriages of the ones they were talking about had directly gone to the imperial palace.


    After seeing them visit the palace, residents of the capital city seemed to be silent for a while, but after that they started discussing the matter with even greater gusto.


    ¡°Wow. These people did not go to a courier hostel. They directly went to the imperial palace. Wh¨CWhat¡¯s going on?¡±


    When the residents were agitatedly indulging their passion for gossip, Ji Yanlai, along with Ji Xiaocong and a group of elders, had arrived at the front gates of the palace.


    After a guard sent word of their arrival and the routine security check, Ji Yanlai took Ji Xiaocong and a couple of elders into the palace, leaving the others waiting outside.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were both surprised to learn that Ji Yanlai had come to the city with such pomp, wondering why Ji Yanlai was doing this. Was he not afraid that their cover might be blown?


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to kneel before you, Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡±


    Ji Yanlai had entered the audience hall, followed by the others. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had not seen Ji Yanlai for many years, but Ji Yanlai looked as though he had not changed a bit during the past decade. Ji Xiaocong was the only one that was now different ¨C he had grown into a slender-figured teenager. He was very like Ji Yanlai and also had a scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead, looking like a handsome young man in a painting that had come alive, and his temperament was extraordinary too.


    ¡°You may rise,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang rose, walked down the stairs and supported Ji Yanlai to his feet.


    ¡°Clan Leader, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so many years,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Ten years,¡± said Ji Yanlai, looking Ling Zhang all over. After a while, he added, ¡°You are indeed suitable for the internal-energy cultivation method of our clan, Your Highness. You¡¯ve made great progress over the last ten years. The air about you is growing increasingly different.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come to this city again. There are a lot of things I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you about. You¡¯ve got to do me this favor.¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. So far there hasn¡¯t been a single question I couldn¡¯t answer when it comes to internal energy.¡±


    Ling Zhang chuckled and then looked at Ji Xiaocong standing beside Ji Yanlai. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much taller, Cong. It¡¯s been a long time. Do you still remember me?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong smiled an unreserved smile, a hint of slyness at the corners of his mouth, looking casual, candid and natural. ¡°Of course I do. I was naughty and caused you a lot of trouble in my childhood. Thank you for your being tolerant of me.¡±


    The forthright look in his eyes forcibly reminded Ling Zhang of the smart young boy Ji Xiaocong used to be. ¡°Maomao has been looking forward to seeing you since the moment he was informed you¡¯d come,¡± he said.


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s smile was tinged with shyness at these words, but his eyes became even brighter than they had been a moment ago. ¡°I¡¯m eager to see Brother Maomao too.¡±


    He put it explicitly, but Ling Zhang detected a note of mingled naturalness and closeness in his voice, so he concernedly asked Ji Xiaocong a couple of questions about his life these years, his attitude as cordial as it had been the last time they had met.


    Ji Xiaocong answered the questions one by one.


    Then Ling Zhang glanced at the couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion and said to Ji Yanlai, ¡°Clan Leader, this visit of yours has a high profile. Are you planning to reveal the existence of the Millennium Pavilion to the world?¡±


    Ling Zhang knew what kind of person Ji Yanlai was. Also, he was linked to the Millennium Pavilion in many ways and had an affinity for the clan, so he directly asked Ji Yanlai about it without beating around the bush.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Revealing its existence to the world might bring us some unexpected trouble, but this time around I have no choice but to cast aside those misgivings.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face turned grave at these words. Had something happened in the Millennium Pavilion, by any chance? But if that was the case, why had his maternal grandfather not mentioned anything to him?


    The next moment he heard Ji Yanlai continue, ¡°I¡¯ve got some information about my father¡¯s whereabouts just recently, but I¡¯m unable to find anything out about his safety through divination. This time I did it because I had no other choice. Anyway, things are a little complicated. I¡¯ll tell you the details later.¡±

 Chapter 541

    Ling Zhang remembered Ji Yanlai telling him his father had been missing for a very long time. Nobody could have foreseen that Ji Yanlai would suddenly get some information about his father¡¯s whereabouts. In addition, even Ji Yanlai, with his amazing powers of prediction, was unable to figure out specifically where his father was or whether he was safe, which struck Ling Zhang as even more surprising than the sudden news of his father.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the side hall and talk,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong also arrived. He had someone make arrangements for the couple of elders to be accommodated properly and then went to the side hall with Ling Zhang and the others.


    The side hall was very quiet and they could talk in it without having to worry about anybody disturbing them.


    Ji Yanlai had come to the capital city with such pomp because of his father, but there was no sign of nervousness on his face.


    ¡°It was after his resignation that my father left, and I hadn¡¯t received any messages from him since then, but I could always vaguely sense his whereabouts and his vital signs. However, a month ago, this perception of mine became unstable and intermittent. A few days ago, I lost it completely. I could only faintly feel that he¡¯s still alive.


    He¡¯s more powerful than me, and I never worried about his ability to protect himself, but this time things are different. Before coming here, I performed divination and the results showed that it¡¯s more likely he¡¯s trapped by someone or something. If someone trapped him, seeing as how strong my father is, they are definitely no common person, and I don¡¯t know what they want, but maybe their target is the Millennium Pavilion, so I came here with pomp to see if anybody would come to me to negotiate. If he accidentally intruded into somewhere and got trapped, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you to go to the trouble of helping me find him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. Where was your father when you last sensed him?¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Approximately in the south.¡±


    Ling Zhang was somewhat surprised. ¡°The south?¡±


    If he was in the south, it would be a better choice if Ji Yanlai sent his own men to look for him, given that the island where the Millennium Pavilion was located was also in the south. Why had Ji Yanlai made such a detour and come to the capital city?


    Ji Yanlai, knowing what they were wondering, explained, ¡°Further south, presumably a southern mini-state.¡±


    Yuwen Tong had a general ideal of what was going on. The Millennium Pavilion, though having secret intelligence network in the outside world, might get themselves into trouble if they precipitously went to a foreign country to look for someone.


    Also, this time around, several southern mini-states had sent diplomatic corps to this city to attend Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang¡¯s tenth wedding anniversary celebration and offer their congratulations to the two of them, so Ji Yanlai had come here to see if anybody from any of those countries would show up and contact him.


    ¡°I get your point. I¡¯ll sound out those envoys from the couple of micro-states in the next few days,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yanlai nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    This time Ji Yanlai had brought a lot of men with him, and it was inconvenient to accommodate them in the Ling Mansion, so Yuwen Tong made arrangements for them to stay in another residence which was not far away from the Ling Mansion.


    Residents in the capital city became even more curious as they came to know that the group of people had been given such hospitality. For several days they discussed who Ji Yanlai and the others might be.


    Yuwen Tong summoned the envoys from the couple of southern mini-states. All of them had spent quite some time on the sea before arriving in the Great Wen, which did not border any of their countries. There were many cultural differences, and the literacy levels in those countries were relatively low, so the envoys held the Great Wen¡¯s culture in very high regard and respected Yuwen Tong very much.


    Yuwen Tong tried to worm some information out of those envoys, but they all said that they had never heard of anybody like Ji Yanlai¡¯s father in their counties. None of them provided anything useful.


    They did not seem to be lying and probably really did not know anybody as powerful as Ji Yanlai¡¯s father. Seldom anybody would go to their countries except for merchants engaged in maritime trade. If anybody like that showed up in any of those countries, residents there would easily find out about it and there would probably be a stir.


    ¡°If a kung fu master as powerful as Your Majesty described visits our country, everybody there would be talking about him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare lie to Your Majesty. Our country is far smaller than the Great Wen. Whenever anything special happens, news of it soon spreads through the whole country.¡±


    Envoys from the couple of mini-states racked their brains but none of them remembered hearing about someone matching the description provided by Yuwen Tong. They appeared rather nervous, fearing that Yuwen Tong would be unhappy.


    Since they couldn¡¯t remember anything about it, Yuwen Tong told them to go back and give it some more thought, saying that anybody who provided a clue would be rewarded with a wish, one that he would grant as long as it was not too much to ask.


    The reward was very tempting. All those envoys wished they could think of a clue right away, looking even more anxious than Yuwen Tong.


    These envoys soon returned to their rooms and, after staying up all night discussing the matter, gave Yuwen Tong a fairly satisfactory reply.


    Though none of them had ever heard of anybody who was from the Great Wen and fit Ji Yanlai¡¯s father¡¯s description, they knew about a somewhat special occurrence which might be related to him.


    ¡°They said that in the past few years a rumor has suddenly started circulating about an island once inhabited by immortals, one which used to be hidden under the sea and has now emerged. It¡¯s said that there are gold ingots and previous herbs everywhere on the island, along with buildings built by immortals, which house countless books about divine medical skills and numerous pills that can prolong people¡¯s lives. At first nobody believed it. Only some desperados went to look for it, intending to find gold on it, but unexpectedly, none of those people ever came back. Over time more and more have begun to take this rumor seriously, and many countries sent search parties to look for it, but most of them returned empty-handed. A small number of them went missing. There¡¯s no telling whether they found the island and decided to stay there or died on the sea.¡±


    ¡°They said that this legend spread far and wide in the south, that some Great-Wen merchants in maritime trade also tried to find it. Do you think it¡¯s possible that your father heard about it and decided to give it a shot?¡±


    Yuwen Tong repeated those envoys¡¯ words to Ji Yanlai.


    If truth be told, Yuwen Tong found this legend unbelievable, but his interest was somewhat piqued by the fact that all those trying to find it had gone missing.


    Ji Yanlai did not make an immediate reply but closed his eyes, contemplating something.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong exchanged a glance. As though by some kind of tacit agreement, neither of them disturbed Ji Yanlai.


    After a few moments, Ji Yanlai opened his eyes and said, ¡°I think this island which has suddenly appeared might be a clue. Now that I have a special hunch about it, either my father went missing on that island or his disappearance has something to do with it.¡±


    ¡°So, you are going to go to the sea and look for him?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head. ¡°Since my father¡¯s still alive, I have to find him. If he by any chance is trapped there, I¡¯ll be able to rescue him.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong pondered for a few moments before he said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask. My navy stationed in the south might prove helpful.¡±


    Ji Yanlai did not decline the offer. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go back and consult with the elders. Now that I¡¯m going to rescue my father, I can¡¯t stay in this city for long. I¡¯ll travel south right after your wedding anniversary celebration.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both found it understandable and neither of them said anything.


    After Ji Yanlai left, Ling Zhang curiously asked Yuwen Tong, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible this kind of island does exist?¡±


    It was a natural thing that Ling Zhang had such suspicion, for what he had been through previously still struck him as incredible. He couldn¡¯t help but give some extra thought to these occult matters.


    Yuwen Tong recalled Ling Zhang¡¯s and Ling Zhaowu¡¯s rebirth and then the mystery the Millennium Pavilion was shrouded in. Naturally he wouldn¡¯t regard this kind of thing as sheer nonsense, but he still said, ¡°That possibility¡¯s very slim. Besides, that island which is said to have appeared out of nowhere, if it does exist, is more likely to be an island fraught with danger rather than an island once inhabited by immortals. I once read some ancient books which said that there had indeed been some newly emerged islands on the sea, but all of them were surrounded by strange-shaped reefs or erratic undercurrents. Their surroundings were very dangerous, and most of those who risked approaching them never returned. People could only get close to them when they¡¯re ¡®quiet¡¯.¡±


    Given that Ji Yanlai was the leader of the Millennium Pavilion, he must have read some similar records.


    Ling Zhang said with a head bob, ¡°Seeing as Ji Yanlai¡¯s father is even more powerful than him, it¡¯s not likely he¡¯s really stuck in some dangerous situation. I hope he¡¯ll hang in there long enough for Ji Yanlai to rescue him.¡±


    Yuwen Tong patted his hand consolingly.


    ¡­


    As Ji Yanlai had come to know approximately which area his father might be, he dropped the idea of revealing his true identity to make himself found by people aware of his father¡¯s whereabouts. He instructed the elders and his bodyguards to go to the south first to look into the matter. He himself and Ji Xiaocong would go and rendezvous with them after Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong¡¯s anniversary celebration was over.


    Ji Yin, after being informed of this matter, was worried and decided to go south with Ji Yanlai and the others.


    Ling Maomao, who had just been reunited with his old friend Ji Xiaocong and was in rapture, also decided to go along for the ride, saying that he wanted to accompany his master and Ji Xiaocong to the south.


    Ling Zhang became somewhat apprehensive after being informed of it. Ji Yin was his grandfather but also the Prime Elder of the Millennium Pavilion. Now that the former clan leader was missing, Ji Yin was obliged to look for him, and it was inappropriate for Ling Zhang to try to dissuade him.


    Ling Maomao was the only one he could try talking out of the journey.


    Unfortunately for him, Ling Maomao turned out to be quite determined as well. He was much more poised than he had been in his childhood, and he had always been quite obedient to Ling Zhang. This was his first time defying Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Why are you so insistent on going to that island? Have you not heard that that island is a very dangerous place? Have you any idea how badly it¡¯ll pain your grandfather and parents if anything happens to you?¡± Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened.


    Ling Maomao replied in a very firm voice, ¡°I know you¡¯re concerned about my safety, cousin, but I can¡¯t let my master go to a dangerous place like that alone. The prospect of that unnerves me. And then there¡¯s Cong ¨C he¡¯s my friend, and I¡¯m supposed to be there for him when he¡¯s in need.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence, his eyes on Ling Maomao.


    Neither dressing him down nor giving consent felt right.


    Eventually he told Ling Maomao to think it through and convince his parents first before making another try at convincing him.


    After Ling Maomao took his leave, Ling Zhang let out a long sigh.


    Did Ling Maomao think he, Ling Zhang, was willing to let Ji Yin, his grandfather, take that kind of risk alone? He was the only family his grandfather got left, but if he went with his grandfather, what about Yuwen Tong? Given that even Ji Yanlai¡¯s father was trapped there, he ¨C Ling Zhang ¨C was not sure whether or not he would be able to come back in one piece if he went there. He did not dare imagine what Yuwen Tong might do if anything happened to him during the journey.


    Yuwen Tong, who knew why Ling Zhang was feeling a bit down, said, ¡°You may go, and I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked surprisedly at him. After a long moment, he shook his head. ¡°No. You can¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°Shh, listen to me.¡± Yuwen Tong told him to calm down and then continued, ¡°The court is now on track, and it can stay in working order for a month or two with me absent. Nothing will go awry ¨C I can assure you. Besides, if I go with you, I¡¯ll be bringing the navy stationed in the south with me. We¡¯ll be having a lot of men at our service and we¡¯ll be able to consult with each other when there¡¯s a decision to make, and we won¡¯t have to worry about any danger. If you still find it difficult to set your mind at ease, I can promise you I won¡¯t approach that island.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept silent for a while. ¡°I need some time to think about it.¡±


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly as Ling Zhang mulled over the idea. Soon the day for the celebration arrived.


    On this day, the whole capital city was an ocean of jubilation.


    Festoons were merely the basics of an occasion like this. What lent the most festivity to the city was the parades that the residents voluntarily organized, along with singing, dancing and acrobatics performances. There were also fleets of pleasure-boats pulled by boat trackers, which were going around the capital city in circles. Even people in the palace could hear the loud cheers of residents issuing from the streets.


    At the uproarious laughter and cheers from outside, Ling Zhang¡¯s face which had been sulky for days finally creased into a smile, which was so bright that even the daylight was overshadowed and all those present were fascinated.


    On this day, Ling Zhang was wearing empress¡¯s robes, which were made of the same materials as Yuwen Tong¡¯s imperial robes. Ling Zhang¡¯s robes were embroidered with a phoenix, and Yuwen Tong¡¯s a dragon. When the two of them stood together, the phoenix and the dragon looked so vivid as though they had come alive and were flying and roaring on the robes, emanating an awe-inspiring air.


    Those that had come to offer their congratulations to the imperial couple had originally been afraid of gazing at the two of them, but as they saw Ling Zhang smile, many of them seemed to forget to feel afraid.


    Yuwen Tong noticed it but did not warn them, which was rather uncharacteristic of him. Instead, he took Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and the two of them walked out of the audience hall step by step. Hearing the tumultuous applause from outside the palace, he said, ¡°They truly feel happy for us.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head earnestly. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He knew that the people had such heartfelt love for them because Yuwen Tong had given them peace and a happy life.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good emperor. They acknowledged you, which is why they acknowledged me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s not because of me but because you¡¯re a good empress.¡±


    Ling Zhang chuckled. In fact he did not care whether or not Yuwen Tong was the reason why the people had acknowledged him. He had been trying his best to perform his duty as a consort only because Yuwen Tong was the emperor. In his eyes, he had become a good empress on Yuwen Tong¡¯s account.


    ¡°Would you like some music?¡±


    Though baffled as to why Ling Zhang was suddenly suggesting music, Yuwen Tong tactfully nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned aside and a eunuch immediately proffered him a jade flute.


    After taking the flute, Ling Zhang mobilized his internal energy and played a tune.


    It was a festive tune about good life, and it didn¡¯t have a score. Ling Zhang was improvising on the melody, expressing his feelings.


    At first everybody was surprised and wondered why Ling Zhang suddenly started playing the flute, but after listening to it for a while, they were gradually enthralled by the melody. It was full of tender love and anybody who had experienced similar feelings would empathize with it when hearing it, but this was not the most pleasant surprise.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Magpies!¡±


    ¡°There are so many of them!¡±


    Large numbers of birds were showing up in the sky: magpies, larks ¡­ A flock of colorful little birds arrived first, closely followed by bigger ones with iridescent feathers.


    They hovered over the palace and formed into different patterns with the undulating flow of the tune Ling Zhang was playing, as though dancing.


    Many gaily-colored birds flew to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, circling around them, their silvery twitter echoing in the audience hall as if accompanying Ling Zhang. The birds struck people as very intelligent.


    Everybody present was dumbfounded by this scene which was as astounding as the sight of immortals descending from heaven.


    This was exactly what the idiom ¡°All birds pay homage to a phoenix¡± depicts.


    Countless birds were spiraling. They were very docile and seemed to have a deep affinity for Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. Some bold ones even perched on their shoulders, rubbing themselves against their cheeks.


    An affectionate, gentle twinkle of smile appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. Ling Zhang had achieved yet another breakthrough in his internal-energy cultivation and was now truly capable of controlling animals.


    Previously animals like birds had only felt a kind of closeness to Ling Zhang. That white fox, for example, was well disposed towards Ling Zhang by nature. But now Ling Zhang was able to have birds come to heel. This was genuine Beast-mastery. Though he had hitherto only seen birds and did not know what Ling Zhang could do with other animals, this was clearly a substantial improvement.

 Chapter 542 - The Tenth Wedding Anniversary Celebration and a Scheduled Around-the-World Tour

    Everybody present witnessed what could be called a genuine grand occasion at the celebration when Ling Zhang played the tune that attracted countless birds to the palace to pay homage to him. Also, what happened on this day arrested the attention of residents in the capital city. After they came to know that it had been a melody played by the empress that had drawn the birds, the festivity in the city was taken to a new level.


    The empress was capable of having birds come to heel, which meant that even providence had acknowledged him as the empress of the Great Wen. What could they possibly take more pride in than this?


    If previously some had had a sneaking suspicion that Ling Zhang was not fit to be an empress, none of them dared utter another word about it after seeing this scene.


    This scene was also called a propitious omen, a bounty bestowed by divine providence. When Ling Zhang finished the tune, the birds lingered in the palace, unwilling to leave. Officials of all descriptions had got on their knees and started chorusing ¡°Long live the emperor! Long live the empress!¡±


    From this day on, Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s positions as the emperor and the empress respectively were further consolidated, their identities having a deeper meaning in people¡¯s sight.


    ¡­


    During the remainder of the celebration, envoys from various foreign countries presented the anniversary gifts they had prepared for the imperial couple. The most enthralling one was from the envoy of a mini-state located in the Western Regions, who a few days ago had lost the tribute and had a hard job recovering it. It was two pieces of jade, which matched and were very special, transparent on the outside and milky white on the inside. When placed with a distance in between, they looked no different than common jade, but when one of them approached the other, the milky white parts of them were slowly drawn to each other like two clouds of gas.


    ¡°Our king, by very rare luck, found them on a sacred mountain in our country. They¡¯re sentient jade. They not only make their bearers feel warm in winter and cool in summer but also share some kind of special bond. Our High Priest said that these two pieces of jade are a gift for true lovers from providence, that they have sentience and the power to save two lovers from a life-threatening danger. Our king, after obtaining them, decided to gift them to Your Majesty and Your Highness.¡±


    Actually Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity was indeed piqued. He did not know whether or not the two pieces of jade could really save people from life-threatening danger, but the amazing reaction they showed when approaching each other struck him as entrancing.


    When he and Yuwen Tong took the two pieces of jade respectively, Ling Zhang did not know whether it was an illusion or not, but he felt that their reaction became more obvious ¨C their milky white parts moved faster, their color growing deeper, giving off a soft faint glow, as though they had come alive.


    The others present also observed the change and spontaneously started whispering to each other in awe. Even Ji Yanlai whose eyes had beheld numerous rare and precious items couldn¡¯t help but curiously cast another few glances at them.


    Ling Zhang liked the jade so much he could barely take his eyes off it. He could feel that the jade was mild and harmless. On top of that, the vexation that had been smoldering in him during the past few days dissolved the moment he took the jade in his hand.


    ¡®This is a real treasure.¡¯


    This was the most heartfelt and most direct thought in Ling Zhang¡¯s mind at this moment.


    Yuwen Tong also liked the gift very much, and even more so when he observed that Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t wrench his gaze from it. He not only handsomely rewarded the envoys from the mini-state in the Western Regions who had gifted him and Ling Zhang with the jade but also offered them a wish, one that he would grant as long as it was within his powers to do so.


    Overjoyed, the envoys from that mini-state kowtowed to Yuwen Tong several times to express their gratitude, their faces glowing with rapture.


    ¡­


    The daytime part of the celebration, with Ling Zhang¡¯s tune which had drawn countless birds to the palace and the precious jade from the Western Regions being the highlights, was boisterous from start to finish. The whole city was filled with animated discussion, hearty laughter and intermittent cheers all day long.


    After night fell, colorfully decorated lanterns were lit one after another, their radiance making the palace and the capital look as though they were still bathed in daylight.


    On this night, the jubilation lasted until very late. Apart from the sea of lighted lanterns, the glaring showers of fireworks in the sky also added to the festive atmosphere. Even members of the Millennium Pavilion put aside their vexations and enjoyed the occasion with the residents for a whole night.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, along with Ling Xuxu, Ling Xiaobao, Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin, Yuwen Yue and other children of the imperial clan, such as Yuwen Yi, the eldest trueborn son of the Marquess Huaiwen, and the children, nephews and nieces of the Marquess Fuan, were scampering around in the imperial garden.


    The children, who seemed to have inexhaustible energy, wanted to go out when they saw the fireworks outside the palace.


    As all streets outside the palace were seething with jubilant residents, the guards did not dare let them exit the palace for fear of accidents.


    Yuwen Yue pleaded with her father to let her go outside.


    Yuwen Tong, not daring let her go out at this point in time either, gave it some thought and then, along with Ling Zhang, took the kids, invited some courtiers, and went to the top of a palace wall to watch the jubilation outside.


    It was their wedding anniversary that the residents were celebrating, so Yuwen Tong felt obliged to put in an appearance and share his joy with his subjects.


    As a result, a large group of people ascended a palace wall and saw the jubilant crowds outside.


    Soon some residents noticed them and started screaming, their voices making the welkin ring.


    ¡°AAAAAAARGH! HIS MAJESTY AND HIS HIGHNESS!¡±


    ¡°My goodness. I¡¯m seeing the imperial couple with my own eyes. I¡¯d have no regret even if I die right away!¡± someone wailed.


    ¡°His Majesty is so imposing and handsome!!!¡±


    ¡°His Highness is even more charming! He¡¯s so attractive!!!¡±


    ¡°The two princes are there too!¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. Who¡¯s that man standing beside our young master? The one with a scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead? He looks like an immortal!!!¡±


    The citizens outside, probably too excited to see Yuwen Tong and the others, did not get on their knees right away but began screaming uncontrollably, and it was some girls who took the lead. All those on the palace wall were astonished at the screech. Ling Zhang didn¡¯t even know how he should react on this occasion.


    After a while, a group of spunky young men, probably unconvinced that a bunch of girls¡¯ voices were drowning them out, started yelling enthusiastically as well.


    ¡°LONG LIVE OUR VALIANT EMPEROR!¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE A ROLE MODEL FOR ALL OF US, YOUR MAJESTY!¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE INVINCIBLE, YOUR MAJESTY!¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE THE HERO OF THE GREAT WEN, YOUR MAJESTY!¡±


    At first these people were just expressing their admiration for Yuwen Tong, but after someone yelled a question, the contents of their shouts gradually changed.


    ¡°YOUR MAJESTY, MAY I ASK HOW YOU GOT SUCH A BEAUTY AS HIS HIGHNESS?!¡±


    ¡°YOUR MAJESTY, MAY I ASK HOW YOU¡¯VE BEEN PRESERVING THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YOU AND HIS HIGHNESS SO WELL FOR SO MANY YEARS? AND PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU NORMALLY DO TO DISSOLVE HIS HIGHNESS¡¯S ANGER WHEN HE¡¯S MAD AT YOU!¡±


    ¡°YOUR MAJESTY ¡­ ¡±


    Those on top of the palace wall lapsed into a silence which soon spread. Everybody else was amazed, trying hard to keep from bursting into laughter, their eyes flashing in the direction of Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, waiting to hear Yuwen Tong¡¯s reply.


    Ling Zhang was even more astounded. It had never crossed his mind that these daredevils would be so bold as to ask such questions. Him? A Beauty? Did none of them know another word? Did these people want to meet their ends?


    Were they taking liberties with him?


    What with his bewilderment, Ling Zhang¡¯s face darkened. He looked on the verge of losing his cool.


    Yuwen Tong standing beside him, however, were in an exceptionally good mood. He gave a little cough and decided to make a reply. Apart from anything else, it was the tenth wedding anniversary that they were celebrating on this day, and Yuwen Tong felt obliged to answer his subjects¡¯ questions concerning marriage and set an example of what a marriage could be.


    Ling Zhang beside him, sensing that something was not quite right, immediately twisted his head aside to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say anything!¡± he hissed.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him, a faintly injured expression on his face, as though asking, ¡®Why?¡¯


    Why? Didn¡¯t this strike him as ¡­ as terribly embarrassing?!


    Yuwen Tong, at the sight of Ling Zhang¡¯s impassive but flushed face, was in even higher spirits.


    ¡°Because my daddy¡¯s a very good person. He¡¯s the best daddy in the world, so of course my father married my daddy. My father would never dare anger my daddy, because if he does, he¡¯ll have to sleep in the imperial study at night.¡±


    A silvery voice answered all the questions for Yuwen Tong.


    Everybody quieted down. S¨CSleep in the imperial study?


    Dismayed, Ling Zhang wheeled around to look at Yuwen Yue, narrowly avoiding cricking his neck. ¡°What are you talking about, Crescent?!¡±


    Yuwen Yue blinked her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    Ling Zhang gnashed his teeth, looking so angry as though he was about to spank her.


    Right at this moment, Yuwen Tong suddenly scooped up Ling Zhang and said to the crowds down below, ¡°Because of love. All right, you may continue celebrating. His Highness and I have to go now.¡±


    With that, carrying Ling Zhang in his arms, he abruptly took a flying leap and disappeared from the palace wall in a whirling of his cloak.


    This scene sent a ripple of exclamation through the crowd down below, everybody looking up in the direction the imperial couple had gone.


    The next moment crazed shriek and cheer burst forth.


    The torrents of sound were such as though they were about to break through the palace wall.


    Ling Zhang was so annoyed at the hysterical screams from behind he couldn¡¯t even speak fluently. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Yuwen Tong?! Why did you do that in the presence of that many people?! Th¨CThat was utterly unbecoming of an emperor!¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not that bad. Otherwise the cheer wouldn¡¯t have been that loud,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang stared fixedly at him. After a while, he thundered, ¡°YUWEN TONG!!!¡±


    ¡­


    The empress¡¯s roar was so loud that everybody vaguely heard it. ¡®Why am I suddenly anticipating His Highness having His Majesty sleep in the imperial study tonight as a punishment when I know very well I¡¯m not supposed to have such thoughts?¡¯ wondered the officials gloatingly.


    Even the most curious ones of the outsiders had no way to find out whether or not the emperor had to sleep in his study tonight. The uproar of this night picked up in intensity even further after that interlude. The streets were teeming with tumultuous crowds almost all night. People cheered about the happy marriage between the imperial couple, discussed with relish what had happened on top of the palace wall, envied the strong chemistry between the imperial couple which had not waned a bit during the past decade, and at the same time celebrated the great prospects of the Great Wen. Everybody had some good wishes and hoped that their lives would get better and better.


    It was not until shortly before dawn that the revels came to an end and silence reigned over the whole city. Except for the guards on patrol, almost everybody was asleep.


    In the imperial bedchamber, the emperor and the empress, having indulged themselves all night, were also still sleeping.


    The milky white parts of the two pieces of jade on the pillows were softly whirling inside like two clouds of gas, shedding a dim glow over the imperial couple¡¯s faces, looking miraculous and entrancing.


    For the moment this proved only one thing ¨C the emperor had not been banished to the imperial study to sleep.


    ¡­


    After the celebration, the capital city was still abustle and astir. The officials from provincial cities and the diplomatic corps would stay in the city for another few days before they set off to return.


    As regards the matter of making a journey to the South Ocean, Ling Zhang had taken Yuwen Tong¡¯s advice and decided to go there with him.


    Ji Yanlai, after being informed of it, was very grateful. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve performed divination and the results suggest that there will be some difficulties during the journey but we won¡¯t be faced with any dangers. All of us will come back safe and sound,¡± he said.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was even more at ease after he heard these words.


    There would be a large group of people heading for the South Ocean. Apart from members of the Millennium Pavilion and Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, Mr. Mu had also decided to go there, intending to find out whether there were really some medical books on that island that he had never seen before.


    They met a lot of acquaintances during their journey to the south ¡­


    It took them almost three months to finish that journey of theirs. Just like Ji Yanlai had predicted, they experienced some swashbuckling moments but none of them got hurt. Their horizons were greatly broadened and they also made quite some friends during the process.


    All aspects of the Great Wen were on the upgrade. Yuwen Tong, having come to know about the situation in the South Ocean, invested heavily in maritime trade afterward, causing the reputation of the Great Wen to spread wider and further, making preparations for the trip around the world that the two of them would make many years later.


    The Great Wen was slowly entering its prime as the story of the imperial couple continued to unfurl.

 Chapter 543 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (1)

    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, having made up their minds to make a journey to the South Ocean, made a lot of preparations for it.


    Ling Zhaowu, after being informed of that legendary island on the South Ocean, found his interest piqued and decided to go with them.


    Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had also been trying to expand into maritime trade in recent years, but the major maritime trade routes were between the Fangcun Kingdom and the Great Wen, and the one through the South Ocean was still exploratory. Ling Zhaowu planned to take advantage of this opportunity and finalize all the details of this trade route while voyaging south with the Great-Wen navy.


    As usual, the intelligence network of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce would be expanded with its network of trade routes. At the end of the day, it was Ling Zhang that the intelligence network served, which meant that it served the imperial household, so Yuwen Tong naturally had no objection to helping them open a trade route, which was a favor he could do them without extra effort.


    Leaving aside the intelligence reports and the dividends Jiahe Chamber of Commerce paid the imperial court on a yearly basis, the present owner of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was his father-in-law, and anybody except for those incurably insensible ones knew that Ling Zhaowu was not a person to be trifled with.


    And Ling Zhaowu had always had a very good sense of propriety. After all, Ling Zhang was the real boss of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. He had never done anything against the best interests of the Great Wen behind Ling Zhang¡¯s back. He always let Ling Zhang make all the big decisions, and letting Ling Zhang be the decision-maker meant that Yuwen Tong also had a say in important affairs.


    ¡­


    Aside from Ling Zhaowu who would go with them because he wanted to open a trade route on the South Ocean for Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, Ling Maomao and Mr. Mu would also be joining them on the journey.


    Ling Xingzhong naturally became apprehensive as it came to his knowledge that his eldest son and his two grandsons were all going to the South Ocean.


    The purpose of this journey was to rescue Ji Yanlai¡¯s father, and the Millennium Pavilion had very close ties with the Ling family, so he felt it inappropriate to try to dissuade them. He just cautioned Ling Zhaowu in private that the latter must take good care of his two grandsons and make sure that they would come to no harm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. We¡¯ll be traveling on naval vessels, which are the strongest. Also, we¡¯ll be in the company of the best swimmers. Nothing could go wrong. I guarantee you I¡¯ll bring them back safe and sound.¡± Ling Zhaowu made his birth father a promise.


    Ling Zhang also promised Ling Xingzhong that he would take good care of Ling Maomao.


    Compared with the worried Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowen was much more relaxed and merely cautioned them that they must be cautious, pay heed to experienced sailors and must not do anything risky. Even Fu Caiwei believed that it would do them a power of good to go on a voyage and see the world, and she went to a Buddhist temple where she prayed to the Buddha and got some lucky charms which she then gave to Ling Zhang and the others.


    Ji Yin, Ji Yanlai and Ji Xiaocong also got a lucky charm apiece.


    Ji Xiaocong was very thankful to Fu Caiwei when she gave him an amulet. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Ling.¡±


    Ling Maomao fastened the amulet around Ji Xiaocong¡¯s neck for him.


    Smiling, Ji Xiaocong looked at him. ¡°Brother Maomao, I learned some amazing swimming skills during the years when I was on the island. I¡¯ll protect you if anything happens.¡±


    Ling Maomao did not find Ji Xiaocong¡¯s words hurtful at all. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± he said.


    While saying this, he gently tucked the amulet into Ji Xiaocong¡¯s collar, believing it¡¯d be safer there.


    Ji Xiaocong smiled happily, stroking the amulet inside his robes on his chest.


    Ling Zhang, watching this on the side, was surprised that the friendship the two of them had struck up with each other in their childhood had not changed a bit during the past so many years.


    ¡­


    When the Ling family began to make preparations, some people in the Marquess Fuan¡¯s residence also got busy.


    Yuwen Jin, ever since he had come to know that Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang were going to the South Ocean with the navy, had been bent on joining them, but he had got married not long ago, so Yuwen Tong did not agree.


    Yuwen Jin had been badgering Yuwen Tong for days. ¡°Please take me with you, cousin. I promise I¡¯ll follow your every order and won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t want me to. I can protect you and Brother Zhang!¡±


    With a disapproving face, Yuwen Tong sniffed, ¡°It¡¯s been only a couple of months since your wedding. Stay at home and keep your new missus company.¡±


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s face crumpled up. ¡°She¡¯s the last person I need to keep company.¡±


    Yuwen Jin had been delaying getting married for years before his wedding was finally held earlier this year, and the series of events that had eventually led to their marriage were such that everybody who heard about them pulled a wry face. In short, it had not been for romantic love that they had married each other, and it wasn¡¯t an arranged marriage. In a sense, they did have feelings for each other, but the most important reason for their marriage was a bet they had made.


    Ling Zhang had burst into laughter when he had first heard about the bet the two of them had made. That had been his first time hearing of people getting married to honor their bet. Originally he had wanted to persuade Yuwen Jin to think twice, because getting marriage was no joke, but Yuwen Tong had stopped him, saying that that bet the two of them had made suggested there was indeed some chemistry between them, that otherwise Yuwen Jin wouldn¡¯t have compromised like that, considering he had been insistent on staying single for so many years. Ling Zhang had felt that Yuwen Tong had a point and thus had stayed out of it.


    In fact, over the past few months, though Yuwen Jin and his new wife had always been bickering about something or other, people could tell that they did see each other as marriage partners, that their bickering was actually an unconventional method to spice their marriage up.


    However, though outsiders saw it this way, Yuwen Jin himself felt otherwise. It struck him that he had married a real dragon. On top of that, the two of them quarreled all the time, so Yuwen Jin believed that his wife would be very happy to learn that he was going to the South Ocean.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him and inwardly shook his head, finding it difficult to talk sense into his second cousin¡¯s thick skull.


    Yuwen Jin kept pestering Yuwen Tong to let him join them on the journey, but the latter refused to budge an inch on the issue. Apart from Yuwen Jin being a newly-wed, Yuwen You¡¯s health which had not been very good during the past half a year was also part of the reason, and Yuwen Tong was not inclined to worry the old man.


    Having realized that trying to convince Yuwen Tong wouldn¡¯t get him anywhere, Yuwen Jin returned home to plead with his grandfather. Nobody knew what he had said to Yuwen You, but the old man actually went to the palace with the intention to persuade Yuwen Tong into agreeing.


    ¡°Sire, please allow that mulish guy to go with you. I¡¯d be worried if you have nobody you feel close to in your company during the journey except for His Highness and your bodyguards. Obstreperous as Yuwen Jin is, these years you¡¯ve seen with your own eyes what he¡¯s capable of. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll prove helpful if anything happens,¡± said Yuwen You.


    As Yuwen You had come in person, Yuwen Tong naturally relented.


    Just like this, Yuwen Jin¡¯s name was added to the list of people going south. The matter was rather urgent, so Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, after making arrangements for things to be handled properly in the capital city, immediately departed, heading south with the others.


    They traveled south on fast horses along an overland national road, which was a quicker way to get to the naval base in the south than traveling by boat.


    After the Great Wen subjected the other two countries to its rule, the coastline of the Luohai Kingdom had been incorporated into that of the Great Wen. There were in total five major naval bases along the new coastline. This time around it was the one in Haizhou that they were heading.


    Haizhou navy, after receiving an order from Yuwen Tong, had got everything ready as quick as they could. When Yuwen Tong and the others had arrived, the large fleet soon set sail, voyaging south.


    One of the reasons why Yuwen Tong had specially designated Haizhou navy to provide protection for him during his journey to the island was that he wanted to test the naval force. Owing to the arrival of the envoys from the couple of southern mini-states, Yuwen Tong had come up with the idea of devoting major efforts to developing maritime trade, and to do that, he needed his naval forces to protect the merchant ships, because when maritime trade started booming, pirates were guaranteed to show up, and those exiled people from island countries in the south or further east would try to rob merchant ships passing by. Therefore, the naval forces must be strong enough to protect them and serve as a prop of the government, ensuring steady development of maritime trade.


    As a result, this time Yuwen Tong planned to test the navy¡¯s strength and see if they were competent to carry out the duty of protecting merchant ships.


    Ling Zhang knew what Yuwen Tong was trying to do, so after boarding, he accompanied Yuwen Tong to different parts of the vessel to take a look.


    The vessel they were on was one of the largest and strongest. In total, there were three such vessels among this fleet, and all others were medium-sized ships.


    ¡°Earlier this year some caravans of the Chamber of Commerce got on a ship of another trading company and traveled south. They said that the first half of this southward route is pretty safe, but the nearer to those island countries on the South Ocean, the more dangerous it gets. Apart from undercurrents, we also need to watch out for pirates infesting those waters. These days hardly any merchant ships dare go south unaccompanied. They always sail in groups for fear of encountering pirates,¡± said Ling Zhang, walking with Yuwen Tong on the vessel.


    Both of them were wearing close-fitting casual clothes, which were rippling constantly in sea breeze. Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Those pirates are exactly what I¡¯m worried about. Presently our first priority is still to foster better relations among our people who used to be subjects of three different countries. And then there¡¯s also the matter of further improving their livelihood. If the issue of piracy is too difficult to tackle, we¡¯ll have to shelve the plan of developing maritime trade and bide our time.¡±


    After all, it had been merely five years since the unification of the Great Wen. The major task facing the imperial court was still to help the people restore their lives, encourage them to develop agricultural production, rebuild their communities and nurse the wounds caused by war. Though Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had been secretly funding the government, it did not have enough money to support the whole country. There was no way they could develop maritime trade without investing a large sum of money in it, and eliminating the pirates and maintaining a navy certainly required money as well. In a word, they were in dire need of money.


    Right now their top priority was to rebuild strength and make money.


    Ling Zhang understood what Yuwen Tong meant. Actually he did not expect Yuwen Tong to figure out a way to have the maritime trade of the Great Wen start booming during this journey. ¡°The Chamber of Commerce will join hands with the merchants living in coastal areas and go south with them. Even if we don¡¯t have what it takes to rid these waters of pirates in the near future, we must not be kept in the dark about the situation here. It¡¯s best if we keep abreast of all the latest developments of it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°It pains me to see you and your father go to such trouble.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced at him, wondering why he was being so courteous. Then he twisted his head back and found his father walking towards them. No wonder Yuwen Tong had suddenly become so glib.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang understood what Yuwen Tong meant. Actually he did not expect Yuwen Tong to figure out a way to have the maritime trade of the Great Wen start booming during this journey. ¡°The Chamber of Commerce will join hands with the merchants living in coastal areas and go south with them. Even if we don¡¯t have what it takes to rid these waters of pirates in the near future, we must not be kept in the dark about the situation here. It¡¯s best if we keep abreast of all the latest developments of it.¡±

 Chapter 544 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (2)

    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stopped talking as Ling Zhaowu walked up to them.


    ¡°Father-in-law,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    As they were not in the palace, Ling Zhaowu simply made a bow with hands folded in front and then said, ¡°Sire, shortly before I boarded this vessel, a member of the Chamber of Commerce delivered a chart to me as a matter of urgency. Would you like to see it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong nodded. ¡°All right.¡±


    With that he suspended the inspection tour and followed Ling Zhaowu into a cabin with Ling Zhang.


    Cabins of this vessel were quite roomy. There were two floors above the deck. On the upper floor were the cabins of Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang, Ling Zhaowu, Ling Maomao, Ji Xiaocong, Ji Yanlai, Ji Yin and Yuwen Jin, each cabin accommodating two men.


    The lower floor covered a larger area. Aside from the rooms for Mr. Mu and a couple of others, there was also a commodious study and a spacious living room.


    Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhaowu, Yuwen Jin and Ji Yanlai were now in the study, an unrolled chart from Jiahe Chamber of Commerce on the desk.


    Ling Zhang studied it. It had not been long since their departure from the port outside Pingtao City, and the chart had detailed information about a very long section of the remainder of the shipping route. It was after the route wound its way out of the waters under jurisdiction of the Great Wen and entered the South Ocean that information about the route became less definite.


    ¡°These waters are the area where that island is rumored to have emerged,¡± said Ling Zhaowu, circling a particular spot in the South Ocean with his finger. That was a large area. Though they knew its approximate location, finding it would still take a lot of doing.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°This tallies with the information from my men.¡±


    Ling Zhang also said, ¡°And the location provided by the envoys from the couple of mini-states on the South Ocean is not far away from this area.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu observed with an inclination of the head, ¡°Then there should be no mistake about its approximate location.¡±


    They were going in the right direction. Though unaware of its specific location, they knew which area it was in, so their search wouldn¡¯t be aimless.


    ¡°We may have those envoys act as our guides when we get there,¡± suggested Ling Zhang.


    The envoys from the couple of mini-states on the South Ocean had been very excited when they had been told that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were going to the South Ocean. They had offered to be Yuwen Tong and the others¡¯ guides on their own account and were now right on one of the naval vessels.


    ¡°Seeing as we¡¯re with a naval force, we¡¯ll inevitably have to deal with the authorities of those mini-states when we get there. They know about these waters better than we do. We¡¯ll be saving ourselves a lot of trouble if we let them be our guides, but we can¡¯t trust them completely. It¡¯s best if we keep a weather eye on them,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong had thought of this as well. Neither he nor Ling Zhang would believe everything the envoys told them.


    After a few moments, Yuwen Tong summoned the naval officers and some others familiar with the South Ocean to study the chart with them. There were some experienced steersmen among them, who, after a mere glance at the chart, came to know where that spot roughly was.


    Ling Zhang was watching on the side. At first he couldn¡¯t quite understand the marks and lines on the chart, but after hearing their discussion for a while, he gradually got the hang of it.


    In a word, those waters were relatively desolate even in the various countries on the South Ocean, so they must always be extra careful.


    ¡­


    It would be a very long time before they reached land. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went to every area of the vessel to take a closer look at everything the vessel was equipped with and how the marines worked together.


    Yuwen Tong had never been a naval officer, but there were some parallels between the navy and the army. After a short tour on the vessel, he had a better idea of the combat power of the marines.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see if they could defend against attacks from pirates,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    To get to the South Ocean, they would have to sail through some pirate-infested waters. Presently they had no idea whether or not those pirates would be so bold as to take action, but it struck Ling Zhang that Yuwen Tong was probably looking forward to seeing the marines display their real strength in a fight against pirates.


    But Ling Zhang felt that even the dumbest pirate wouldn¡¯t dare mess with such a large naval fleet of the Great Wen, that Yuwen Tong would very likely be disappointed.


    ¡­


    ¡°I can hold my breath for a very long time in this kind of sea water. I¡¯ll show you what I can do underwater when the marines stop the vessels to have a breather.¡±


    On the deck, Ji Xiaocong was speaking proudly with his chest thrown out, looking expectantly at Ling Maomao.


    Ling Maomao did not look very well, mainly because he was slightly seasick, despite the fact that he had received some specialized training. A couple of years ago, when he had been delivering a package back to the Millennium Pavilion for Ji Yin, he had vomited so badly that he had specially trained against seasickness afterward.


    On hearing Ji Xiaocong say he was going to go underwater, Ling Maomao had a momentary dizzy spell. ¡°I believe you, but these waters are dangerous, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for you to venture underwater.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Trust me. I¡¯ll teach you how to swim in the sea and how to hold your breath, and you won¡¯t be afraid of the sea again after you learn it.¡±


    A slight frown of apprehension creased Ling Maomao¡¯s forehead as he heard Ji Xiaocong offer to teach him, but beneath Ji Xiaocong¡¯s expectant gaze, he didn¡¯t have the heart to disappoint him and said with a head bob, ¡°All right.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face was instantly wreathed in smiles. He was very like his uncle and both of them were very physically attractive. This smile of his made him even more charming than the rosy afterglow just above the horizon. That scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead, in particular, was so enchanting Ling Maomao felt as though his soul were being disembodied.


    Ling Maomao was unable to take his eyes off Ji Xiaocong.


    As Ji Xiaocong saw Ling Maomao gazing at him in a somewhat dreamy way, a twinkle passed across his smiling eyes and with that he bowed his head slightly, chuckling even more happily.


    Ji Yanlai, who happened to be talking with Ling Zhang and some others upstairs, caught sight of this scene by accident and the look in his eyes flickered. When Ling Zhang and the others looked at him, he casually withdrew his gaze and at the same time changed the topic.


    ¡­


    In fact Ling Maomao was not the only one suffering from seasickness. Ling Zhang had been slightly seasick as well, but thanks to his powerful internal energy, he had quickly adjusted himself to the heave of the sea. Nobody outside of Yuwen Tong had noticed his symptoms of seasickness.


    When the two of them returned to their cabin to get some rest, Yuwen Tong told him to go to bed early.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a long time to finish the remainder of this voyage. Do you think you can tough it out?¡± asked Yuwen Tong, looking at him, seeming ready to give the order to get ashore immediately if Ling Zhang answered in the negative.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°Yeah. Actually I¡¯m just a little unaccustomed to it, but I¡¯ll adapt in a day or two.¡±


    After all, Ling Zhang was a landlubber and this was his first time being on a voyage.


    ¡°Besides, if I don¡¯t overcome it on this occasion, we¡¯ll be in trouble when some day we have the time to leave the palace to travel overseas again, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Yuwen Tong undressed, got into bed and put an arm around Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulders to let him lie propped against it. ¡°Is this making you feel better?¡± he asked.


    Ling Zhang chuckled and inhaled deeply in contentment. His nostrils filled with the familiar smell, he rubbed his brow against Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder and replied, ¡°Yeah. Much better.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I heard that some people suffer from the climate on their first voyages.¡±


    Ling Zhang was probably among them. But his symptoms were minor, and he had a high level of endurance.


    Ling Zhang took another deep breath. These years Yuwen Tong¡¯s body odor had been affecting him as well. The two of them had been living together and very intimate, and their daily necessities, including their clothes, were of the same quality. In fact, the refreshing perfume he had been using was the same as Yuwen Tong¡¯s, but whenever he smelled the scent given off by Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang still felt overwhelmingly entranced and relaxed, which had always baffled him.


    But now, lying in Yuwen Tong¡¯s warm embrace which felt like an indestructible mountain protecting him, he suddenly came to realize that maybe it was not the refreshing fragrance given off by Yuwen Tong but Yuwen Tong¡¯s warmth and heartbeat which he had been infatuated with for so many years, and which made him feel overwhelmed every time he smelled it or heard it. These were peculiar to Yuwen Tong, and even his own body temperature or heartbeat didn¡¯t stack up against them. These were what he was most besotted with.


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang involuntarily burrowed his face into Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest again, their cuddle tightening.


    Having been married for so many years, they had developed a kind of mutual understanding which enabled Yuwen Tong to know what Ling Zhang wanted at a mere slight body movement of Ling Zhang¡¯s. He naturally hugged Ling Zhang tighter and kissed him on the forehead. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    This reaction of Ling Zhang¡¯s seemed to be tinged with the air of a cosseted child. Ling Zhang had frequently comported himself in such manner in spite of himself before the age of twenty, but less and less often as he and their adopted children grew older. The times when they were making out did not count, of course, because in times like that, Ling Zhang always acted like a spoiled child from start to finish ¨C at least in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. He felt that Ling Zhang, when making out, left aside the poise he had developed over the years and willingly let Yuwen Tong do whatever he wanted just as he had when he¡¯d been unsophisticated and younger, but at the same time he relied heavily on Yuwen Tong and left everything he had fully open to Yuwen Tong; that kind of absolute trust always made Yuwen Tong feel more difficult to control himself and want to leave more marks on Ling Zhang and become one with him, and thus all his movements became progressively wild until the two of them both lost control.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Yuwen Tong felt his body burning up in spite of himself and subconsciously moved his hand downwards, but then it occurred to him that Ling Zhang was seasick, so he exercised his self-restraint and his hand stopped progressing, caressing Ling Zhang¡¯s waist in a restrained manner.


    What could there possibly be that either of them had not come to know about the other during all these years? Ling Zhang was aware of the reason for even the slightest change in Yuwen Tong¡¯s palm on his body or his exertion of strength.


    The old Ling Zhang would have raised his head, kissed Yuwen Tong, held Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and let him continue, but today he did not do that. Maybe because he had just figured out that little something in his mind, he merely burrowed his face deeper into Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, causing Yuwen Tong to tighten his embrace further.


    ¡°Nothing. I just want you to hug me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s breathing abruptly became heavier and with that he cuddled Ling Zhang closer. Eventually, he lay on his back and had Ling Zhang lie prostrate on his front.


    Ling Zhang felt that that remark of his did not contain any undertones, but it almost caused Yuwen Tong to lose control. Such words sounded to Yuwen Tong as if Ling Zhang were requesting him to make fierce love to him.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were considerably darker with longing.

 Chapter 545 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (3)

    As Yuwen Tong had him lie prone on his front, Ling Zhang chuckled and let out a sigh of contentment, his cheek pressed against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest.


    Yuwen Tong detected the amusement in Ling Zhang¡¯s voice and his hand fondling Ling Zhang¡¯s waist finally started moving slowly downwards in spite of himself. Ling Zhang did not try to stop him. Though he was slightly seasick, the familiar perfume filling his nostrils and wreathing him, coupled with the familiar embrace, seemed to have been gradually rendering him impervious to seasickness.


    Yuwen Tong did not go too far. He did it very gently. Compared with their usual, vigorous sex, this kind of cautious intimacy struck them as fairly novel, and in the last few moments both of them were entranced and felt unable to stop. When it was over, Ling Zhang drifted into deep sleep, oblivious of what was happening outside.


    Yuwen Tong had some hot water delivered to the cabin, washed Ling Zhang clean and helped him change into soft, dry clothes. Then he cleaned himself, changed and went to sleep with Ling Zhang in his arms.


    It was the next morning when it was fully light that Ling Zhang opened his eyes again. No sooner had he opened them when he heard the squawk of seagulls and smelled salty, faintly fishy air specific to the ocean. Having been on the vessel for a whole day, he had gradually adapted to the heave of the sea.


    Yuwen Tong had also woken, and he seemed to have been awake for quite some time. He did not have to preside over a court meeting as he did every morning when in the palace, and there weren¡¯t any urgent matters to attend to on the vessel, so he was still lying in bed with Ling Zhang.


    After Ling Zhang woke up, he drew Ling Zhang closer to him and kneaded Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead and cheek. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Are you hungry?¡±


    Ling Zhang found the massage very enjoyable and a groan of comfort escaped his lips. Though more awake now, he was still not inclined to open his eyes. ¡°No. I want to lie here for a little while longer.¡±


    Nobody would be so insensible as to come here to disturb them at this early hour anyway. Of all the cabins on this floor, theirs was the roomiest and had the best view. None of the others¡¯ cabins were in the vicinity, so they did not have to worry about any passers-by overhearing their conversation.


    ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s stay in bed for a little while longer.¡± Yuwen Tong was not in a hurry to get up either. Having noticed that Ling Zhang was enjoying the head massage, he continued.


    During these years, though seldom separated, they had been getting up very early every day. Yuwen Tong had to preside over court meetings, and Ling Zhang had other matters to deal with. Even during the period of their tenth wedding anniversary celebration, they had still had a lot of things to do and had to get up early. Hardly had they ever stayed in bed in each other¡¯s arms when it was fully light as they were doing now.


    The two of them enjoyed the quiet of the morning. A few moments ago Yuwen Tong had got out of bed and opened the window a fraction. Right now pale golden sunlight was streaming in through the gap onto the quilt over the two of them. Lying propped against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest with his arms wrapped around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist, he looked out of the window and asked, ¡°How far do you think we¡¯ve gone?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go. We probably have just left Haizhou.¡±


    There were two prefectures to the south of Haizhou. To get out of the territorial waters of the Great Wen, they would have to sail a certain distance further south after passing the southmost prefecture.


    Ling Zhang gave a little yawn. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to spend more time on the sea than expected.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, however, felt that this was exactly what he wanted ¨C the two of them enjoying the quiet of a private room without having to worry about anybody insensible coming to disturb them.


    At this time, another distinct squawk of a sea bird came from outside the window. The two of them both had extraordinary hearing and naturally heard the sea bird fly by, fluttering its wings. It perched on the windowsill for a few moments, gave another couple of squawks and then flew away.


    The fleet was progressing with quite some noises, and there were a lot of sea birds hovering over it.


    The night before the sea had been very quiet and Ling Zhang had been fast asleep without hearing any noises. At this time, hearing the boisterous twitter of sea birds, he said, ¡°These birds won¡¯t be following us throughout the journey, right?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. They¡¯re everywhere. Even if these ones leave, others will soon come. Are they bothering you?¡±


    Ling Zhang rubbed his head against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and replied, ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    In fact, it struck him that their squawk imparted a note of tranquility to this morning. ¡®If only the smell of the sea were not so strong,¡¯ Ling Zhang thought, but he did not show any sign of it on his face. It would be a long time before this voyage came to an end, and he had to adapt to it.


    ¡°How about you draw a picture of sea birds flying above the sea?¡± Ling Zhang suddenly said.


    Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Why? You feel like watching me draw pictures?¡±


    Though Yuwen Tong had started as a military officer, his strategies of ruling a country were just as exceptional as his kung fu. He was good at drawing too, and his drawings were highly individualistic. However, he seldom drew, and when he did, the subject, most of the time, was Ling Zhang. In recent years, he had added their adopted children to his list of subjects. He tended not to draw landscape, unless Ling Zhang was the main subject. At this time, he was somewhat surprised to hear Ling Zhang ask him to draw sea birds.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Before we left the capital city, I promised Crescent I¡¯d draw what I saw on the sea. You¡¯re better at drawing than me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, catching on, kissed him. ¡°All right.¡±


    The drawing was for their daughter and Ling Zhang had personally requested it, so of course he wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    The two of them did not continue lying in bed, mainly because they had taken to getting up early and were unaccustomed to staying in bed for such a long time during daytime, though they had the opportunity to do that on this day. Therefore, after another few moments¡¯ quiet mutual caress, they both got out of bed.


    Yuwen Tong started drawing immediately after getting up, Ling Zhang watching on the side. The window of the room was open and sunlight was pouring in through it, making the room quite bright.


    Yuwen Tong was drawing what they had seen a while ago after observing on the deck for a while. A flock of sea birds had happened to be catching fish; they had gathered above a certain spot and had not dispersed until after the feast. The sea was rocking the vessel gently, rippling and sparkling. The weather was also very good this day, the sky cloudless. Standing on the deck, people could still vaguely see the shore behind them in the distance, but ahead of them was nothing but the vast sea.


    Yuwen Tong was drawing a simple Chinese ink and wash, which was all about the artistic conception. Still, with only a couple of strokes, he vividly depicted that lively scene on the majestic sea. After finishing the picture, Yuwen Tong did not stop but started drawing another one. This time he was more careful, because he himself and Ling Zhang were the subjects.


    Ling Zhang standing on the side glanced at it and came to know that Yuwen Tong was drawing the two of them enjoying the beauty of the afterglow, which was what they had done on the deck yesterday.


    It took Yuwen Tong quite some time to finish the second picture. When he put the writing brush down, it was almost lunchtime.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then walked out of the cabin. They had not shown their faces the whole morning and the others might be worried, so he told a guard to tell the others that the two of them would meet them at noon.


    ¡­


    In the first few days of the voyage, traveling by sea felt fairly interesting, and Ling Zhang had to spare some time to accustom himself to life on the sea, but as time passed by, the novelty wore off and Ling Zhang got used to life on a ship, and then he began to feel a little bored.


    ¡°There¡¯ll still be some time before we reach those waters.¡±


    An experienced naval officer told the others a rough anticipated arrival time.


    People on this vessel, except for the marines, had hardly been on any voyages before. Even Ji Yanlai, who had moved to an island, had never traveled by sea for such a long time. After being informed that the destination was still such a long way off, he was at a loss as to what to do to while away the time.


    They had got almost all the information they could get from the chart, and there did not seem to be anything else they needed to consult each other about. What else could they do? Surely they couldn¡¯t just sit there looking at each other throughout the remainder of the voyage?


    Yuwen Tong was feeling okay, because Ling Zhang from time to time asked him to draw pictures, but the others were really bored stiff.


    Yuwen Jin was a bit down, clearly beginning to regret having insisted on joining them on this journey.


    Eventually it was Yuwen Jin who suggested a way of killing time ¨C playing cards.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s interest was piqued immediately. He had heard that this recreation was very popular among womenfolk of rich families, that it was an addictive pastime.


    Yuwen Jin, who previously had played cards with his wife for some time and was more familiar with the rules than anybody else on the vessel, began to teach the others how to play.


    At first the four players were Yuwen Jin, Ling Zhang, Ling Zhaowu and Mr. Mu. Yuwen Jin was the most acquainted with the rules, so the other three were at a disadvantage, but they were all very smart and had good memories, so they soon familiarized themselves with the rules and then turned the tables on Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. You guys really have never played this before?¡± Yuwen Jin felt that he was hoodwinked, because he had won in only the first few rounds and lost in all the subsequent ones! This did not make any sense. He was positive that these people had secretly learned how to play without telling him.


    ¡°Help me, cousin.¡± Yuwen Jin stood up and sat Yuwen Tong in his chair.


    No sooner had Yuwen Tong been seated than Ling Zhang unnoticeably slid him a faintly warning glance.


    Before Yuwen Tong could say anything, Yuwen Jin jumped. ¡°Don¡¯t you threaten my cousin, Brother Zhang! It¡¯s supposed to be a fair game. You know what ¡®fair¡¯ means? You¡¯re not allowed to tell my cousin to let you win by casting him furtive glances!¡±


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°Sire is not necessarily going to win,¡± said someone else.


    The corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth twitched once again. He did not find these words reassuring, knowing that Yuwen Tong, gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory, was sure to win after acquainting himself with the rules, unless he was dealt a really bad hand.


    Yuwen Jin also chuckled, with the air of someone who could use a beating. ¡°You won¡¯t think that after you play a hand.¡±


    All the others were somewhat confused, but after some time ¡­


    Yuwen Tong was undefeated.


    The others began to find this unbelievable. How come Yuwen Tong who had also just learned how to play this game was so good at it? Mr. Mu and Ling Zhaowu both believed that they were pretty smart, and it struck them as incredible that Yuwen Tong had been winning in every round since he had sat down.


    ¡°He has a photographic memory,¡± said Ji Yanlai suddenly, who had been watching them play on the side. Then he said to Mr. Mu, ¡°Let me go a few rounds.¡±


    Light suddenly dawned on the others at these words. They finally came to understand why Yuwen Tong had been winning with such great ease. Mr. Mu rose to his feet, giving up his seat for Ji Yanlai, expecting to see how Ji Yanlai was going to defeat Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was the only one feeling a little apprehensive, for Ji Yanlai was no common person either.

 Chapter 546 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (4)

    Ji Yanlai, who possessed amazing powers of prediction, was no doubt a formidable opponent of Yuwen Tong¡¯s in this game. Yuwen Tong, with his retentive memory, was able to deduce what faces the others had in hand, while Ji Yanlai, because of his intuition which was almost always right, barely needed to think before making accurate judgements.


    Having realized this, Ling Zhang felt that he had to change his tactics. Before this moment, he had been playing on a fair-play basis, but now he decisively sided with Yuwen Tong, deciding to join hands with him.


    Ji Yanlai glanced at the two of them and then took the first card.


    Ji Yanlai indeed had unnaturally good luck ¨C or unnaturally accurate sixth sense. He could always promptly make the optimum decision. Yuwen Tong, on the other hand, had extraordinary memory, exceptional powers of deduction and Ling Zhang, who also had some powers of prediction, at his back. It transpired that he and Ji Yanlai were evenly matched.


    Eventually, the others present were not expecting to see who would be the winner, but were judging which one of them had the upper hand. Of course, there was also someone who was in the dark about what was really going on ¨C Yuwen Jin.


    It could be said that Yuwen Jin was the only one present unaware of both Ji Yanlai¡¯s mysterious abilities and the enigmatic Force of Blood in Ling Zhang. As he saw that Ji Yanlai was single-handedly playing against Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang without letting the latter two get one over him, he was filled with admiration for Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s really impressive, Clan Leader!¡± Yuwen Jin exclaimed in awe.


    Everybody else on the vessel addressed Ji Yanlai as Clan Leader, so Yuwen Jin followed suit, but he had never been told what kind of clan Ji Yanlai was leading. He only had a sneaking suspicion that Ji Yanlai was the leader of some mysterious Jianghu sect.


    Judging from how members of the Millennium Pavilion had been dealing with things, they were indeed making a Jianghu sect of themselves.


    Ji Yanlai was also amazed that Yuwen Tong, with merely his eidetic memory, had so far managed to keep up with him. Both photographic memory and gifts passed down from ancestors counted as abilities endowed by Providence, so the two of them were on a level playing ground when it came to card games.


    ¡°I won,¡± said Yuwen Tong, putting down his last card.


    Ling Zhang looked at his faces and was relieved. They won yet again.


    All the others heaved a long sigh of relief as well, feeling that they finally extricated themselves from the nervous atmosphere.


    Ji Yanlai lifted his brows and put down the remainder of his cards. He had predicted that luck would not be with him in this round, that he would be dealt a poor hand. He had foretold that he would lose, so this outcome did not strike him as unacceptable.


    Both sides had won in as many hands as the ones in which they had lost, so it constituted a draw game, but for the spectators, the thrilling process mattered more than the outcome.


    Thus, thanks to Yuwen Jin¡¯s brilliant suggestion, people on the vessel managed to while away the first stage of the voyage playing cards. When the fleet entered the South Ocean, they put away the card table and psyched themselves up for what lay ahead.


    As expected, they received invitations from the countries along their route when the fleet was crossing the waters bordering those countries.


    Because they were on a rescue mission, Yuwen Tong did not have his men get ashore but exchanged usual pleasantries with the officials from those countries and told them that he would visit their monarchs on his way back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in those waters in five days,¡± said an envoy from a mini-state near the South Ocean, who was quite experienced and acting as a guide for them. ¡°The weather¡¯s fairly good these days, and the sea¡¯s pretty quiet, so we won¡¯t have much difficulty approaching that area. Still, so far nobody has come back after entering those waters. They¡¯re fraught with perils. It¡¯s very inadvisable for us to get too close.¡±


    The envoy cautioned them not to get too close to those waters, but they were here to rescue Ji Yanlai¡¯s father, and there was no way they could do that without entering that area.


    But it was indeed unwise to rush into things. They needed to observe the situation from the outside first.


    ¡°Have there been any new rumors about that island?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of the envoy.


    The envoy responded, ¡°I heard that not long ago several other flotillas went in there, but just like all their predecessors, none of them returned. Two months ago there was a faint quake from the ground under these waters, which threw everybody into a panic. I don¡¯t think anybody would dare venture into that area anytime soon.¡±


    A quake? As there had been a quake, it meant that there was indeed something in there, though it was no proof of the existence of an island. No matter what, a quake was better than nothing.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another group of people interested in that island. They arrived here two days earlier than us,¡± added that envoy.


    Since they were now on the South Ocean, these natives were relatively better informed.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Given that this envoy had specially brought this up, those visitors were by no means ordinary people.


    Unsurprisingly, the envoy replied, ¡°A flotilla from the Fangcun Kingdom. It¡¯s said that the King of the South Ocean brought his eldest trueborn son here.¡±


    The King of the South Ocean, monarch of the Fangcun Kingdom, and his eldest trueborn son? Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Weren¡¯t they at the celebration?¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°They were, but they took their leave when the celebration was over. It would seem they directly went south after that.¡±


    Ling Zhang asked the envoy another few questions about that Fangcun flotilla, but the envoy had merely got wind of the matter during a short conversation with the few acquaintances of his who had come to deliver invitations to Yuwen Tong a couple of days ago, so he did not know much about it.


    ¡°Your Majesty may stay here for another day if you wish to hear more details. I promise I¡¯ll figure out a way to get more information about them,¡± said the envoy.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Ji Yanlai. As they were here to rescue Ji Yanlai¡¯s father, he felt obliged to ask Ji Yanlai his opinion about whether or not they should stay.


    Ji Yanlai thought about it for a brief moment and said, ¡°It does no harm to collect more intelligence.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, having cottoned on to what he meant, gave the order for the fleet to anchor and then let the envoys go ashore to make some inquiries.


    Naturally, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong would not rely entirely on them. They sent another batch of men ashore to gather intelligence. The members of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce on another vessel also chose to get ashore and the fleet would pick them up on its way back from the island.


    Ling Zhang was very curious about the local customs and practices in the countries near the South Ocean. Though standing on a vessel, he could see the harbor in the distance, which was busy and uproarious.


    He found that there were not many big ships in the harbor, that the biggest ones were about the size of medium-sized warships of their fleet, and they were few in number. Most of the boats there were fishing boats and small-sized sailboats. Also, the hustle of the harbor was different from that of harbors of the Great Wen. Harbors of the Great Wen were vast and normally heaving with merchant ships, cargo ships and dockers, but this harbor was more like some kind of trading market, lined with small-sized ships and fishing boats. Many were doing business with locals right on their boats. The facilities on the shore were also rather primitive, and there was sand everywhere. Goods were stacked up right on the wharf and the beach flanking the wharf, and the whole place was full of outcries. It was basically a market.


    There were not many merchant ships either. The fleet did not approach the harbor, but though they were a fairly long distance away, people on the shore were all curiously looking in this direction, appearing awestruck.


    Ling Zhang had extraordinary hearing and could faintly hear the voices from the dock but was unable to understand a single word of theirs.


    The ship of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce caused quite a sensation when pulling up to shore. Watching from a long way off, Ling Zhang found this scene amazing. Not only did these people speak different languages, but their clothing was much bolder than that of Great-Wen people. There were even some females wearing crop tops or short-sleeved shirts.


    ¡°Is¨CIs everybody here wearing so little?¡± asked Ling Zhang, astounded, not daring look in the direction of the shore again.


    Yuwen Tong gave a little cough and withdrew his eyes as well.


    Ling Zhaowu on the side said, ¡°It¡¯s a local custom.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu had heard some members of caravans who had traveled south talk about the custom in these mini-states, so he related it to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong. The envoy from a mini-state had mentioned it to Ling Zhang and the others, but they were still shocked when they were actually seeing it with their own eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± someone suddenly exclaimed in astonishment, pointing in the direction of something gigantic on the shore.


    Ling Zhang followed the speaker¡¯s gaze and found that it was a very tall animal, which had gray skin, big eyes, large ears, a pair of curved tusks and an eccentric long nose. It had a seat fixed on its back and a man was sitting in it. The ground seemed to quake every time the animal¡¯s foot landed and its cry was quite sonorous.


    He knew the answer to this particular question. ¡°An elephant.¡±


    On one occasion some people had traveled from South Xinjiang to the capital city on elephants. In the Xia dynasty, someone had gifted the then emperor with an elephant. Also, there were records and pictures of it.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ling Zhaowu nodded. ¡°This species of animal is peculiar to this land. They¡¯re large and capable of causing extensive damage and could be a means of transport too.¡±


    Most of them had only heard about such animals or seen pictures of them. Now that they were seeing one with their own eyes, they couldn¡¯t help but size it up for quite a while.


    ¡°You said this thing can cause extensive damage. Does that mean it could be useful in war?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Yes. The relatively powerful ones of these microstates train elephants for war,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ve also read about similar things in a book, but northern areas are not suitable for raising these animals, and it¡¯s not easy for them to cross the jungle in South Xinjiang, so we don¡¯t have to worry about them showing up in our country in large numbers to make trouble.¡±


    The prospect of that struck Ling Zhang as pretty interesting. He wondered what those elephants, which looked pretty docile and were carrying people on their backs, would be like when fighting a war.


    The scene on the shore was so fascinating that Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and the others gazed for quite a while on the deck. Some of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s caravans had traveled to this place before, so he knew more about it than the others. Standing on the side, he answered their questions from time to time, but there were also things that he did not know much about.


    Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°We may tour around all these countries when we have the time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was non-committal about it. They had plans to travel around the world, and he didn¡¯t see why they shouldn¡¯t come to these countries.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°These places are fraught with danger too. There are many uncivilized, xenophobic tribes here. They kill outsiders on sight and it¡¯s said that there are even cannibals among them.¡±


    Cannibals? Ling Zhang¡¯s and the others¡¯ eyes widened with shock. Did they hear right?


    Ling Zhaowu, however, told them that they had not misheard, that such tribes did exist, that they were brutal savages.

 Chapter 547 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (5)

    Everybody¡¯s curiosity was piqued. After all, they had never heard of anybody practicing cannibalism, except for some ravenous people who had eaten each other¡¯s children in times of severe famine resulting from war. Besides, people eating each other¡¯s children had been a tragic phenomenon that had happened in exceptional circumstances, but a tribe of cannibals who actually ate people regularly was unbelievably horrifying.


    Ling Zhaowu, having only heard about it from some members of a caravan, did not know much and thus was unable to fully sate their curiosity.


    ¡°How about we go and check this tribe of cannibals out after rescuing your father?¡± Yuwen Jin, quite audacious, said to Ji Yanlai. Actually he was trying to sound out the others about it.


    Ji Yanlai was not very curious about tribes of this kind. The so-called ¡°tribes of cannibals¡± held far less appeal for him than good food and fun gadgets did, but he was not strongly against the idea, so he replied with a non-committal inclination of the head, ¡°All right.¡±


    Ling Zhang wasn¡¯t very curious about it either. The very words of ¡°tribes of cannibals¡± struck him as unpleasant. It did not take a genius to see what a nightmarish place it must be for ordinary people. ¡°We¡¯ll have to go back to the Great Wen after rescuing the Clan Leader¡¯s father.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, somewhat disappointed at these words, looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°None of the envoys from the couple of statelets mentioned anything about tribes of cannibals. Seeing as those people practise cannibalism, they must be savage and live like beasts, and the place they inhabit must be some isolated backwater with poor transportation. Finding them would definitely take a lot of doing. Willing to satisfy your curiosity as I am, I¡¯m afraid your new missus wouldn¡¯t be very happy when she finds out I¡¯ve left you on the other side of the South Ocean.¡±


    Yuwen Jin was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me here, cousin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too busy to spare any time to look for some tribe of cannibals with you,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Jin, fearing that Yuwen Tong might really leave him alone in a foreign land, had no choice but to drop the idea.


    ¡­


    The fleet berthed a short way off the coast for a day. Those sent ashore to gather intelligence returned to the vessel before the envoy.


    ¡°The King of the South Ocean and his eldest trueborn son have indeed arrived, but they¡¯ve set sail already, and their destination is the very island we¡¯re looking for. They brought a guide too, and the guide is assigned by the king of a mini-state in this area, which means apart from the fleet of the King of the South Ocean, the royal household has also got involved.


    But it seems the royal household of that mini-state have no information about the source of that quake either. I think they won¡¯t be able to locate the island anytime soon. We should be able to catch up with them if we set off right away. So far there still hasn¡¯t been anybody knowing exactly where that island is, and neither has there been anybody who has returned after entering those waters.


    And, that envoy still hasn¡¯t come out of the royal palace. Nobody knows what their king is up to.¡±


    One of those responsible for collecting intelligence reported to the others what he had got.


    Everybody had a grave look on his face. Yuwen Jin looked at Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°I think we¡¯d better not venture into those waters until we¡¯re sure it¡¯s safe to do that.¡±


    Though having jokingly suggested they visit a tribe of cannibals to check it out, Yuwen Jin was quite prudent when it came to important matters. He knew that his main duty during this journey to that island was to ensure Yuwen Tong¡¯s safety. After hearing that hitherto nobody had returned from those waters, Yuwen Jin became a little worried about this journey. They did have a lot of men, but if there was indeed something very dangerous in there, they might have to flee, and fleeing on the sea was far from fun. This was no laughing matter.


    While speaking, Yuwen Jin gave Ling Zhang a significant look.


    Ling Zhang caught on to what he meant. Actually he happened to have just thought of something, so he said, ¡°Jin has a point. It¡¯d indeed be reckless of us to venture into that area knowing nothing about it. Since it is in these microstates that the rumors have been circulating, there¡¯s got to be someone who managed to flee that island. I mean, who else could have started these rumors? If we find that person, maybe we¡¯ll be able to figure out a way to leave that place after getting in there.


    And there¡¯s another thing. Didn¡¯t that envoy say that their king had given up trying to find that island because there had never been any progress? Why is he suddenly sending his men to join the King of the South Ocean on the search? Some flotillas had traveled south before us, bringing back news of our journey to this place, so their king definitely was informed of our arrival. Considering that envoy¡¯s unduly warm hospitality, I¡¯m sure they think highly of our caravans. The Fangcun Kingdom stands no comparison with the Great Wen in any respect. That king, as long as he¡¯s not stupid, should know which side to pick. But somehow he was so anxious to have his men go south with the King of the South Ocean he ignored the opportunity to cooperate with us. The way I see it, he must have got wind of something. The reason why he sent some men to go south with the fleet of the King of the South Ocean in such hurry was either because time was short or because he was worried we might beat him to something. I think we should start with him and see if we could worm some information out of him.¡±


    At Ling Zhang¡¯s words, the light suddenly dawned on the others.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? If nobody had seen the island and come back alive, how could the rumors have started? There¡¯s got to be someone who made it out of there, which means there is a way out of that place,¡± said Yuwen Jin, feeling relieved. Given that someone had survived that island and brought back information, this journey could be much less dangerous than expected.


    ¡°All of us were too anxious, which was why we failed to think of this,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu thoughtfully.


    Everybody else felt that Ling Zhang had got a point, so they naturally agreed to stay and make some more inquiries.


    Ling Zhang shifted his gaze to Ji Yanlai, intending to hear his opinions.


    Ji Yanlai, catching on, said, ¡°The closer we are to those waters, the more strongly I could sense my father. Now that he¡¯s still alive, I guess I could wait another few days. Besides, you¡¯re right about one thing ¨C this rumor would never have spread so widely had nobody ever made it out of there alive. Since there is a way out of those waters, I¡¯m sure my father can get out of there if he wants to. It must be because he has some unfinished business there that he hasn¡¯t left that island. I¡¯ll go with you guys to ask that king about it. With my abilities, I¡¯ll be able to save you some time.¡±


    Since Ji Yanlai raised no objection either, the others looked at Yuwen Tong, waiting for him to make a decision.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°We¡¯ll continue staying here tonight and see if that envoy returns. If he doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll pay their royal palace a visit at night.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± said Yuwen Jin excitedly. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a good fight since the reunification of the three countries.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°We¡¯re just going to find that king and ask him some questions. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to wage a war. Why are you so excited?¡±


    Yuwen Jin said, ¡°Even so, I could still be the vanguard. I want to go a few rounds with them and see what their so-called war elephants are like.¡±


    Ling Zhang, who couldn¡¯t be bothered to say another word to him, slightly shook his head.


    Yuwen Tong had the one who had gone ashore to collect intelligence mark the royal palace on a map.


    The royal palace of this statelet was located right in this coastal city. It was not large and was the only building in the city that could be deemed splendid. They didn¡¯t even have to enter the city to look for it, because they could easily spot it from a relatively high position near the dock.


    ¡­


    At dusk, the envoy of that microstate came back.


    ¡°Our king did receive a visit from the King of the South Ocean and his son. They were anxious to find that island and the King of the South Ocean requested help from our king, so our king sent a couple of men to be their guides, who then led them to those waters.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Your king hasn¡¯t got any other news about that island recently?¡± inquired Ling Zhang, looking at him with his piercing eyes.


    The moment he met Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes, the envoy gave an involuntary shudder and hastened to hang his head. ¡°No, h¨Che hasn¡¯t. There hasn¡¯t been any progress since that earthquake.¡±


    Ling Zhang gazed at the envoy, a disapproving look in his eyes, knowing that this man was lying.


    This afternoon their men had ascertained that their king had sent a flotilla to go with the King of the South Ocean, not just a couple of men. Given that this envoy was avoiding his eyes when asked a question, he was definitely keeping a lot of things back from them.


    ¡°Is there anything particular your king sent you back here to tell us?¡± Ling Zhang asked him another question.


    The envoy, head still down, didn¡¯t dare look up at Ling Zhang or any of the others at all. ¡°I have orders from our king to be a dutiful guide for His Majesty.¡±


    Be a guide? Be a spy, more like.


    That king probably did not have the guts to have Yuwen Tong killed. It was very likely that this man had orders to misdirect them and waste their time, so that it would take them a longer time to find that island. If they had not found out about it, they would be tricked by this man and go in circles unawares.


    ¡°We¡¯ve changed our minds. We¡¯re in no hurry to set sail. We want you to take us to your king tonight so that we can have an audience with him,¡± said Ling Zhang in a deep voice.


    The envoy had a few moments ago sensed that the atmosphere was different from how it had been before he left, and now, after hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s icy tone, he was on tenterhooks. Not daring to say no, he tremulously agreed.


    After Ling Zhang finished speaking, Yao Yi walked inside and took the envoy out of the cabin, preparing to ¡°throw him a welcome party¡± and see how much he could drag out of the envoy before they set off to meet that king.


    ¡°Is it possible there¡¯re some rare treasures on that island? I mean, why else would their king want to beat us to it at the risk of angering us?¡± Yuwen Jin was very curious.


    ¡°No matter whether or not there¡¯re any rare treasures on that island, there¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s a dangerous place. Otherwise there wouldn¡¯t have been so many people who went missing after entering those waters, so we¡¯ve got to be cautious,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Earl Taichang has a point. Cousin, I think it¡¯s best if you stay away from that island and let me take some men and check out the lay of the land on it first after we find it,¡± Yuwen Jin said to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°We¡¯ll take about that after we get there. Right now we don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yuwen Jin, though on the surface having undertaken to do as Yuwen Tong said, had in fact secretly made up his mind to be the one checking out the lay of the land and was now thinking about what kind of formation he would have his men adopt.


    Both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong could tell what kind of little game Yuwen Jin was playing. Neither of them said anything, but they had indicated their bodyguards to keep a close eye on Yuwen Jin lest he do anything rash and cause them trouble.


    After an hour, Yao Yi gave them a reply.


    During that ¡°welcome party¡± they threw him, the envoy disclosed a lot of information.

 Chapter 548 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (6)

    That envoy had finally told the truth. It was indeed true that not all those who had ventured into those waters had gone missing, but there were only a couple of survivors, and after making it out of that place alive, all of them had looked much the worse for wear and panic-stricken and kept telling people that there were monsters on the island in those waters, but they hadn¡¯t been able to give a detailed description of the monsters and appeared demented.


    It had been the king of this statelet who had been the first to have the survivors arrested and interrogated. During the interrogation, one of them had regained part of his sanity and claimed that there was a stone city and a magnificent palace on that island, the likes of which nobody had ever seen before, that there were countless treasures in it, but all those who entered the stone city fell prey to the defensive measures in it and got killed; those who managed to land on the island fought each other to get a bigger share of the treasure, and a lot of them died in the fighting; there were bodies everywhere; some who valued their lives more fled the island, but after leaving the island, they found themselves wreathed in thick fog and unable to find the correct direction; they were trapped in the fog for a very long time and afterward, in order to survive, they started killing their companions; when the last few of them were trying to kill each other, there was an earthquake which dispersed the fog, enabling them to find their way back and saving them from the fate of dying on the sea.


    ¡°The envoy said all the others who had come back with that man had gone crazy, that that man was the only one having enough sanity left to speak normally. Right now all of them are locked up in a dungeon beneath the royal palace. Their king, after hearing about the tons of treasures in the stone city, wanted to take possession of them all, so he pretended to cooperate with the monarch of the Fangcun Kingdom, planning to use the latter¡¯s men to deal with those maniacs and defensive measures on the island while his own men transfer the treasures. The reason why he doesn¡¯t dare join hands with us is because there are too many of us for his men to handle,¡± recounted Yao Yi.


    It was exactly what Ling Zhang had conjectured. All the others were indignant after hearing the story.


    ¡°This king is such a wily old fox. We would sure as hell be hoodwinked by him had Brother Zhang not thought of this,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Right now our first priority is to figure out where that island is specifically,¡± said Ling Zhang as he looked at Yao Yi. ¡°Does that envoy know anything about it?¡±


    Yao Yi shook his head. ¡°No. Their king and the one in charge of the flotilla are the only ones having knowledge of that.¡±


    Ling Zhang switched his gaze to Yuwen Tong, who gave it some thought and then said, ¡°We need to find that survivor. Here¡¯s how we¡¯ll work it out ¨C we get ashore right away instead of waiting until night, and then Brother Zhang and I will pay their king a visit and distract him; Brother Ji and my grandfather-in-law will take that envoy to the royal palace, find that dungeon and bust that survivor out.¡±


    Neither Ji Yanlai nor Ji Yin raised any objections, so the fleet slowly pulled up to the port.


    ¡­


    ¡°Welcome, welcome, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for not having come here sooner to meet you.¡±


    The king of the statelet had been startled when informed that the fleet of the Great Wen had docked. Baffled as to why Yuwen Tong had suddenly changed his mind, he had promptly taken some men and come to the port to welcome Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang disembarked from the vessel at a gentle pace, making towards the group of men welcoming them.


    At the same time, Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai, pinioning the envoy, had quietly left the vessel from the other side. They were so fast none of those coming to welcome them noticed.


    ¡­


    The royal palace was not very big. Ji Yin and Ji Yanlai, with their superb kung fu, soon made a circuit of it. The envoy, pinned to Ji Yanlai¡¯s side, didn¡¯t dare make a sound. Though aware that he was betraying the king, he was too scared to yell for help, knowing that his life was in Ji Yanlai¡¯s hands.


    The envoy being cooperative, Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin found the entrance to the dungeon beneath the royal palace when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, accompanied by that king, were halfway to the palace.


    ¡°Thi¨CThis is the place. It¡¯s guarded. Nobody can get in without the king¡¯s authorization,¡± said the envoy tremulously.


    Ji Yanlai snorted and, with a swift wave of his hand, a couple of leaves (nobody knew when he had picked them) shot out and hit the Mobility Acupoints of the five guards outside the entrance, immobilizing all of them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± said Ji Yanlai before he gripped the envoy by the scruff of the neck and swooshed through the entrance like the wind. The guards, panic-stricken from their sudden loss of mobility, saw two white figures flash past them like ghosts. They couldn¡¯t even tell whether those were human beings or not, let alone see what they looked like. Though ghosts were believed to appear only at night, the guards still felt fine beads of cold sweat breaking out over their backs.


    This dungeon beneath the palace was used for holding felons, but there were not many guards in it.


    Like the palace above, this prison was also small. It didn¡¯t even stack up against any of the prefectural prisons in the Great Wen.


    Ji Yanlai, playing the same old trick, prodded the Sleep Acupoints of all the guards and, after they limply sank to the ground, had the envoy lead the two of them to the cells where the couple of local pirates who had escaped from the island were locked up.


    Several of the pirates got scared and started shouting at the sight of Ji Yanlai and the other two, cowering into the corners of their cells, babbling on in a foreign language neither Ji Yanlai nor Ji Yin understood.


    The envoy stammeringly interpreted for the two of them. ¡°Th¨CThey take you for monsters. They¡¯re terrified.¡±


    Ji Yin inquired, ¡°Where¡¯s the one of sound mind?¡±


    The envoy responded, ¡°I¡¯ll need some time to find him. It¡¯s my first time being here as well.¡±


    It was true that the envoy had never had the chance to come here to meet that pirate, for he had been in their company throughout their journey to this country.


    Ji Yanlai let go of him. ¡°Find him,¡± he instructed.


    Not daring defy Ji Yanlai, the envoy immediately started searching and soon found that pirate in a separate cell.


    The pirate warily sized up Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin and then, holding the bars with his hands, babbled to the envoy for a few moments, agitation written all over his face.


    ¡°What did you say to him?¡± Ji Yanlai asked the envoy.


    The envoy twisted his head around and started trembling all over as he met Ji Yanlai¡¯s gaze, his eyes becoming unfocused. In a monotonous voice, he said, ¡°I asked him if he knows the specific location of the island.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his answer?¡±


    ¡°He does.¡±


    Ji Yanlai exchanged a glance with Ji Yin before giving the envoy another instruction. ¡°Tell him we¡¯re here to bust him out of this place, that he is to go with us and lead us to that island, otherwise we¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    The envoy turned on his heel and spoke to the pirate in the same dull voice. The pirate perceived that the envoy, who had appeared normal only a moment ago, was now acting weirdly. He looked at Ji Yanlai, the expression in his eyes turning fearful. At this time, Ji Yanlai casually held the lock on the cell door, gave it a gentle pull and with that the chain broke, which further appalled the pirate who then gabbled something to the envoy.


    ¡°He wants to know who you are,¡± said the envoy, being a dutiful interpreter.


    ¡°We¡¯re from the Great Wen and hold no personal grudge against him. All we want to know is where that island is. Tell him to be cooperative,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    The envoy conveyed it to the pirate, who, after several moments of apparently painful internal struggle, clenched his teeth and walked out of his cell before he said something else to the envoy.


    ¡°He agreed,¡± said the envoy.


    ¡°We should have him give us the location of the island first, in case anything unexpected happens on our way out of this place,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Feeling that he had a point, Ji Yanlai had the pirate tell them the specific location of the island. The envoy translated it in a dull voice, and Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin had to memorize it first. As for whether or not the pirate was telling the truth, they would have to take him back to the vessel to find out.


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s ears suddenly wiggled. ¡°There¡¯s movement at the front gates of this palace. They¡¯ve come. We need to get out of here straight away.¡±


    With that, he and Ji Yin, pinioning the envoy and the pirate respectively, left the dungeon.


    They did not unblock the acupoints of the guards at the entrance when leaving. Their blocked acupoints would spontaneously return to normal in two hours, by which time Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong would have departed. Even if the king found out that the prisoner had been taken away, there wouldn¡¯t be anything he could do about it.


    ¡­


    No sooner had Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin left the royal palace than a secret bodyguard of Yuwen Tong¡¯s informed the imperial couple of it.


    Having come to know that they had got the job done so soon, Yuwen Tong perfunctorily talked with the king for another few moments and then quickly returned to the vessel with Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Set sail.¡± Yuwen Tong gave the order for the fleet to unmoor and depart the moment he boarded.


    The armada sailed off when the king of the statelet was still wondering why Yuwen Tong, who had previously said he wouldn¡¯t visit the palace anytime soon, had suddenly come and then taken his leave after merely exchanging some banalities with him. It was not until the fleet had gone far away that he was informed that one of the pirates in the dungeon was missing.


    The guards either had not seen the faces of the intruders clearly or had been put to sleep. None of them knew who had broken the prisoner out.


    However, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang¡¯s appearance at the exact time of the prison break was too much to be a coincidence, so the king eventually became suspicious of the two of them, but firstly he did not have any proof; secondly the two of them had already left; thirdly the two of them had an armada at their service, which his men did not stand a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of defeating. Furious and anxious as the king was, there was nothing he could do but watch the fleet of the Great Wen disappear from view.


    ¡­


    On the vessel.


    Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin brought the pirate over. The envoy, still under hypnosis, resumed interpreting for the pirate devotedly.


    After being informed of the location provided by the pirate, Yuwen Tong unfurled a map, studied it with the others for a while and then had the pirate point the location out to them on the map before they finally reached a conclusion as to where the island should be.


    The pirate¡¯s legs had been shaking since the moment he had set eyes on this large vessel. He fully believed Ji Yanlai¡¯s words now and was very obedient, not daring keep anything back from them. However, his face still registered fear as he talked about that island.


    ¡°He said there¡¯re demons on that island which kill and eat people, along with countless monsters, that although there¡¯s treasure, nobody would be able to get any of it off the island alive; it¡¯s a very dangerous place. He doesn¡¯t want to go back there. He begs you to let him go,¡± said the envoy monotonously.


    The pirate, kneeling on the ground, kept kowtowing to them, manifest horror and panic in his eyes. They could tell that he was not lying.


    ¡°Tell him we want to know more about the demons that kill and eat people, and those monsters too,¡± instructed Ling Zhang.


    The envoy translated it to the pirate, who haltingly said, ¡°There are terrible-looking monsters on the island which eat people. And there¡¯s also a tribe of cannibals. It¡¯s those scrambling for treasure who kill people. The whole island is strewn with dead bodies.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t that island emerge from the sea only two years ago? How come there are living things on it?¡± Ling Zhang was bewildered.


    Theoretically, this island should have been underwater for a very long time before its sudden emergence, and it should be basically uninhabitable after that. Yet somehow a tribe had settled on it already? And it was a tribe of cannibals who seemed to exist only in rumors? And what were those monsters that ate people?

 Chapter 549 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (7

    But this pirate did not seem to be lying. He was looking at the others, shuddering, his eyes full of fear.


    They asked him why there were living things on that island, but he was unable to give them an answer. Clearly such matters were beyond his grasp.


    There was nothing else they could drag out of the pirate, and they had no other way to find out the answer, but it was quite certain that the island was fraught with danger. Yuwen Tong instructed that everybody get ready and do only what they were told to do, that nobody take any rash actions after they reached the island.


    The pirate, desperate to leave, had been huddling on the floor in fear all along since he had noticed that nobody on board was paying him any attention, a hint of despair in his eyes.


    ¡°That island is a horrible place. If you get trapped there, you¡¯ll end up eating each other after running out of food, no matter how many men you bring with you!¡± said the pirate in a terrified voice, as though some unpleasant memories were coming back to him.


    After hearing the pirate¡¯s words, Ji Yanlai said, ¡°The fog that the island is wreathed in is probably some kind of concealment Formation. He said the fog had lifted briefly after the quake. I think it was because the Formation was affected by the quake.¡±


    Ling Zhang had several times used this kind of Formation which gave rise to fog when functioning, so Yuwen Tong, Yuwen Jin and the others were fairly familiar with it. However, it struck them as somewhat incredible that someone had deployed a large-scale concealment Formation around an island on the sea.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Formation on our island as well,¡± said Ji Yin implicitly.


    A couple of people couldn¡¯t understand why he brought this up, but the others immediately caught on to what Ji Yin meant.


    They didn¡¯t have to worry about the fog, because it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Ji Yanlai to find a way out.


    ¡°Even if the fog is not part of a concealment Formation, I¡¯ll still be able to find us a way out,¡± said Ji Yanlai, looking at Ling Zhang. ¡°His Highness could do it as well.¡±


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Your intuition,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    The look in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes flickered as he exchanged a glance with Yuwen Tong.


    The Force of Blood in Ling Zhang had been strengthening with the progress he had been making in his internal-energy cultivation, and he was indeed capable of finding a way out by following his instincts, though the process would consume a lot of his mental energy.


    Yuwen Tong gave Ling Zhang¡¯s palm a little squeeze and said, ¡°So we don¡¯t have to worry about how to get out of there.¡±


    ¡°Clan Leader, if that¡¯s the case, your father should have come out some time ago. How come he¡¯s still trapped on that island and you were suddenly unable to sense whether he¡¯s safe or not?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of Ji Yanlai, bemused.


    Ji Yanlai pondered for a while and then replied, ¡°I think there¡¯s really something very special on that island. I don¡¯t know if that thing is dangerous, but considering my father is trapped or mesmerized by it, it is by no means some common treasure. You need to be extra careful.¡±


    The last remark of Ji Yanlai¡¯s was quite significant. It took Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong only a brief moment to get a general idea of what he meant. The corrupting effect of great wealth is formidable, let alone that of something that had more than just huge monetary value. If some of them failed to resist the temptation and tried to kill each other, things might get ugly.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Yuwen Tong summoned the officers and made some arrangements.


    ¡­


    Even if the fleet kept sailing at full pelt, it would still take them a couple of days to reach the island.


    At night, when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were alone in their cabin, Yuwen Tong asked him, ¡°Where¡¯s that gemstone?¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised for a moment, then he produced the gemstone he carried with him. There was a patch of milky white substance inside it, but after having it on him for some time, Ling Zhang had felt that the milky white substance had thickened, as though its sentience had been growing.


    Yuwen Tong produced his own. When the two gemstones were put together, the two patches of milky white substance started flowing towards each other slowly as though being pulled by some kind of special attraction.


    ¡°Keep it with you at all times,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Though so far he still hadn¡¯t been able to figure out the secrets of these gemstones, he had a hunch that they were indeed quite unusual, that maybe these stones would really prove to be lifesavers at a crucial juncture.


    Ling Zhang understood what Yuwen Tong meant. ¡°I will. You should keep yours with you too,¡± he said.


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head.


    ¡°The Clan Leader saw these gemstones as well that day, and I noticed the surprise on his face, which was quite uncharacteristic of him, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it afterward. Do you think we should go and ask him if there¡¯s anything special about these gemstones?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong responded, ¡°Him not saying anything about it that day was actually a tacit admission that the words of the envoy from that western statelet were true.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought and felt that Yuwen Tong was right. Now that they¡¯d come to know these gemstones were indeed useful and harmless, there was no need for them to get to the bottom of it.


    ¡°We should rest well and recharge in the next few days. That pirate said the island is dangerous. Though we brought some men here, it¡¯s inadvisable to let down our guard. Every one of us should prepare some food and water before departure, just in case,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ve been wondering about this for quite some time ¨C that island emerged from the sea only two years ago; it¡¯s isolated and the conditions there are poor, so how come a tribe has moved there and settled on it already? And then there are also those monsters. All these living things need food and fresh water to survive. How have they been getting either of them?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s always something fishy behind an oddity. This island emerged without warning, and then rumors suddenly started circulating about gold and rare treasures strewn all over the island. Now somehow we and the Fangcun Kingdom are both going there. If all this is part of someone¡¯s plan, they definitely have some ulterior motive.¡±


    Most people, after discovering good unowned things, would want to take possession of them, especially a large amount of gold, which is very tempting, and rare treasures nobody have ever seen before. How was it possible that someone was telling everybody about the island and trying to draw them to it to take the treasures away?


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s got to be someone behind this, but given that so many people went in there and only a couple of them made it out alive, it¡¯s sure as hell not because they want the treasures shared that they¡¯re luring people there,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    But what were they up to exactly?


    Ling Zhang was unable to figure it out. Surely they were not so psychopathic as to entice people onto the island so that they ¨C the culprit ¨C could watch them kill each other?


    Besides, Ji Yanlai¡¯s father was also involved in this matter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of person Ji Yanlai¡¯s father is, but I hope he harbors no evil intentions,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    It was not that he tended to measure the motive of an upright man with the yardstick of a knave, but that he indeed knew nothing about the former leader of the Millennium Pavilion whom he had only heard some rumors about, though his grandfather seemed to be very respectful to this former clan leader.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°He gave you that jade pendant, so we owe it to him to help rescue his father, but we should also stay alert. You can never be too careful.¡±


    After hearing this, Ling Zhang fished out that jade pendant from inside his clothes. It was still giving off a strong smell of medicinal herb, and its luster had been getting milder and brighter. Ji Yanlai and his grandfather had both told him that he would be able to slowly unravel the mystery of it after he reached the tenth layer of the internal-energy cultivation method. Now, only one step away from reaching the tenth layer, he wondered whether he could figure out some of its secrets.


    Ji Yanlai had once said that he had this jade pendant to thank for his rebirth, and he had never doubted it, but nobody had ever explained to him the reason for the rebirth of his father, a man who had neither the Blood of the Phoenix Clan nor a jade pendant like this.


    Would he get an answer from Ji Yanlai¡¯s father after they found him on the island?


    Yuwen Tong held his hand, helped him tuck the pendant back into his collar, then settled himself on the bed with Ling Zhang sitting on his lap and slowly stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s loose hair. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We have plenty of time to look for the answer. So far neither the jade pendant nor anything else has done us any harm. It¡¯s unnecessary for us to be overcautious.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a soft ¡°Um¡± of agreement and then leaned against Yuwen Tong. Looking at the starlight streaming into the room through the window, he said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Seen from the sea, the stars appeared to be much brighter than they did when seen from the land. The weather on this day was pretty good, and the sky was studded with twinkling stars, the light of which was being reflected by the rippling surface of the sea, making the two of them feel as though they were among the stars.


    Yuwen Tong pulled the blanket on the bed over them both. It was much colder at night than it was in daytime.


    Ling Zhang contentedly intertwined himself with Yuwen Tong and they warmed each other with their body heat. At first it was only mutual caress, but gradually they were both turned on. For fear that people might hear him, Ling Zhang clenched his teeth, letting out only faint, muffled groans, but for Yuwen Tong, such sounds were even more provocative. He wrapped the blanket around Ling Zhang¡¯s whole body, gripped the sides of Ling Zhang¡¯s waist with his hands and heavily impacted on him again and again as though trying to merge into him.


    Eventually, when the pleasure became unbearably intense, Ling Zhang wrapped his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck and got Yuwen Tong¡¯s shoulder between his teeth, involuntary sob issuing from his throat.


    The impacts became even harder, and Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were glinting alarmingly in the darkness like a wolf¡¯s, fire blazing in them.


    ¡°Stop ¡­ ¡±


    Yuwen Tong kissed Ling Zhang on the sweaty sideburn and croaked, ¡°Hang on a little bit longer.¡±


    Ling Zhang tightened his embrace to a squeeze, gritting his teeth against the urge to shout. While provocative moans were escaping his lips, he was playing vulnerable in spite of himself, trying to have Yuwen Tong show sympathy for him and let go of him. However, these two tactics seemed to be having the opposite effect ¡­


    The combination of the necessity to show self-restraint and the different surroundings made this sexual experience considerably more satisfying than any of their previous ones, and Yuwen Tong was on the verge of losing control.


    It was quite a long time before the room fell silent again. Ling Zhang was limply lying prone on Yuwen Tong, panting heavily. Beneath the blanket, Yuwen Tong¡¯s consoling hand was slowly fondling Ling Zhang¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Stop crying,¡± he said before resuming pecking Ling Zhang¡¯s sideburn.


    Ling Zhang felt somewhat ashamed. He had sobbed so loud in the last few moments. If anybody had heard him, it would be such a disgrace.


    What was worse, there were many people with extraordinary hearing on this vessel.


    Ling Zhang buried his face in Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest like an ostrich, unwilling to raise his head again. ¡°I¡¯m positive someone has heard it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A gentleman does not to listen to things which do not conform to the rites. They¡¯re all sensible people. You and I both have exceptional hearing as well, and we¡¯ve never heard anything from out of our usual earshot when we¡¯re intentionally dampening our hearing, have we? Besides, our cabin is fairly far away from those of the others, and it was insulated against noise. On top of that, the sound of the waves are pretty loud, so they couldn¡¯t have heard you.¡±


    It was after Yuwen Tong pacified him that Ling Zhang rid himself of the feeling that he would never be able to summon up the courage to walk out of this cabin again. He raised his head and promptly gave Yuwen Tong a dirty look. ¡°It was all your fault.¡±


    Yuwen Tong found himself momentarily unable to breathe and almost lost control again, but he restrained himself, gave Ling Zhang a kiss and said, ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be mad.¡±

 Chapter 550 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (8)

    ¡°It¡¯s right up ahead,¡± said the pirate, pointing in the direction of a fog bank they were heading for. Having been trapped on this vessel for days, he had come to realize that he stood no chance of fleeing it and learned to be cooperative. He hoped these people of the Great Wen would spare his life. He didn¡¯t want to die.


    As he had pointed them in the right direction helping them get to the destination so soon, Yuwen Tong granted his request, allowing him to stay on the vessel with a couple of men who would be guarding and protecting him.


    ¡°This is weird. Why are we not seeing the Fangcun flotilla? Have they by any chance entered that area already?¡± said Ling Zhang.


    The visibility in the area ahead was too poor for them to tell the direction. They could see from a long way off that those waters were shrouded in thick mist, but there was no other flotilla staying in the vicinity.


    ¡°Probably. Given how anxious the king of that statelet was, I don¡¯t see why they would linger outside after having come this far,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got a lot of balls, I¡¯ll give them that. Do you think we should go in there immediately as well?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    He looked at the dense fog. His grandfather and Ji Yanlai both believed that the cause of the fog was a large-scale concealment Formation deployed around the island, but what with its magnitude and the sea, he was unable to tell how it worked by merely looking at it from the outside. However ¡­


    He perceived instinctively that there was danger in the mist, that the only way ¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s our way in, if we¡¯re going to get in there,¡± he said, raising his hand and pointing south-east.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°You sensed something?¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°I can feel it¡¯s quiet there, and all the other areas strike me as dangerous.¡±


    With that, he shifted his gaze to Ji Yanlai, who agreed with him. ¡°Your hunch is right.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what kind of secrets there are on this island. Someone actually went to such lengths as to deploy a concealment Formation of this scale around it,¡± said Ji Yin, looking in the direction of the dense fog in the distance.


    ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ll find out after we get in there,¡± observed Ling Zhaowu.


    Yuwen Tong turned on his heel and called the officers over. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, so we¡¯re not going to the island today. Send word that we¡¯re spending the night here. Tomorrow, after daybreak, half of our men are to go with me into the fog, and the other half are to stay here waiting for further instructions.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    ¡­


    The fleet formed up, staying outside the fog bank, sailors and marines bustling around on the vessels. It was not easy to keep ships from drifting off course in these waters. Fortunately there was no strong wind or wave, and the situation was in hand.


    The next morning, warm sun poured onto the surface of the sea and before long it was fully light.


    The fleet resumed progressing towards the fog bank.


    Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and some others were standing on the deck, watching the fog gaining on them.


    Everybody was on the alert after the vessels sailed into the fog. Ling Zhang cleared his mind and let go of all emotion, sensing the subtle guidance which felt as though it were from a superior plain of existence, trying to navigate the fleet through the thick mist.


    The other ships were following the flagship closely, and all ships had lighted torches on them lest they lose sight of one another. Everybody tensed up.


    After a long time ¨C two hours or maybe four ¨C they finally sailed out of the gray fog bank, and the visibility gradually improved.


    Once all the ships were out of the mist, they were greeted by an island standing right ahead.


    The island was neither large nor small and bristled with weird-looking rocks. It had been two years since this island had emerged from the sea, but the rocks were still caked in scorched algae, the color of which was of varied shade. Overall, most of the rocks were dark gray, and those of light colors, which were few and far between, appeared rather obtrusive.


    There were also many withered big trees standing on the island. They had long since died, but their trunks were still tenaciously erect.


    The patches of strange-shaped rocks were interspersed with green bushes. Some grass seeds carried to this island by the wind had taken root, sprouted and grown up. In a word, this island was not entirely lifeless. At least there were plants here, though they were sparse.


    The fleet slowly sneaked up on it. This place was very quiet ¨C so quiet they couldn¡¯t even feel any breezes, and there was no sign of danger whatsoever. None of what that pirate had mentioned was in sight ¨C no tribe of cannibals, no people-eating monsters, no pirates trying to kill each other to get more treasure. The ships anchored off at intervals by the coast were the only proof that this island had had other visitors, but those ships were lying motionless on the coast, looking as though they had become a part of this bizarre island, as though they had once been alive but were now dead.


    ¡°Keep your eyes peeled, all of you. Do not let your guard down in any circumstances.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave another instruction as the fleet approached. His voice could travel very far. He had given orders in this way when they had been on the sea outside the fog bank. With his powerful internal energy, he was able to make himself heard by the whole fleet, including those very far away from him. However, on those previous occasions there had not been any echoes, but this time he heard loud reverberation.


    Hearing echoes on the sea was indeed rather odd. Ling Zhang, Ji Yanlai and some others all slightly frowned.


    It was as though this whole place were in some kind of invisible, gigantic container, which struck them as peculiar and unpleasant.


    Before they arrived in this area, Yuwen Tong had conferred with the officers about this operation. When they had pulled up to shore and anchored off, teams of marines disembarked and formed up on the coast, guarding against possible unexpected situations.


    Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and the others also got off the vessel. Once on the coast, they discovered that there was no sand beneath their feet, that the ground was mostly rocky, wet and slippery. The coast was rather steep too, and they could see a forest of grotesque rocks interspersed with bushes.


    ¡°Our arrival wasn¡¯t really quiet, but none of those on this island showed up to see what¡¯s going on. It would seem we¡¯re not very welcome here,¡± said Ling Zhaowu into the silence, his eyes casually sweeping around.


    Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and the others exchanged glances but none of them said anything. They all knew what Ling Zhaowu meant. They could hear the breathing of many people hiding in the seemingly deserted forest of grotesque rocks in front of them. Though those people were trying very hard to keep their breathing shallow, Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and the others could still hear it because of their exceptionally good hearing.


    ¡°It sounds like human¡¯s breathing. They¡¯re either that so-called ¡®tribe of cannibals¡¯ or the pirates that have arrived before us,¡± breathed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Jin on the side, whose internal energy was not as powerful as theirs, couldn¡¯t hear the breathing of those people, but he had deduced a lot from Ling Zhang¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let me take some men and check out the lay of the land first, Sire,¡± suggested Yuwen Jin.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head and, at a single motion of his hand, a naval officer who had been standing by for some time waved a flag and with that a team of soldiers went to the front and formed into a line, holding their shields aloft.


    It was only then that Yuwen Tong said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Given those people¡¯s heavy breathing, their kung fu skills are just average. It¡¯s arrows and traps that we should watch out for. Don¡¯t go in there unprepared. We need to take their measure first.¡±


    The vanguard was also part of the army, and it was always advisable to minimize the casualties.


    Yuwen Jin nodded and stepped aside, laying his hand on the hilt of his saber hanging from his belt, ready to whip it out to fight at any moment.


    ¡°Sire, we still haven¡¯t seen any ships of the Fangcun Kingdom so far. Haven¡¯t they arrived before us?¡± asked Ling Maomao surprisedly, standing behind them. Ji Xiaocong on the side was also bemusedly looking around.


    Yuwen Tong explained, ¡°The Fangcun fleet did not anchor off in this area, and I could hear no movements of ships within a radius of dozens of li (a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters), which means they either are still trapped in the fog bank or have landed on this island in another spot. Although this island is large, there¡¯s no way the islanders, no matter how many of them there are, could handle two huge groups of intruders without making any noises. Seeing as they¡¯re so quiet, I believe it¡¯s more likely the Fangcun fleet is still in the fog.¡±


    After hearing this, the others found it difficult to tell whether they were happy that they had beaten the Fangcun fleet to this island, or secretly complaining that the King of the South Ocean and his men were so lame. Now that the Fangcun fleet still hadn¡¯t reached this island, they would have to take the brunt of attacks from the islanders. Had those people arrived before them and taken action already, a lot of obstacles would have been removed, making things a lot easier for latecomers.


    ¡°If only we¡¯d known about it beforehand and slowed down a bit. Now we¡¯ll have to clear the way for them,¡± Yuwen Jin snorted in a low voice, sounding rather sulky.


    ¡°How about I take some men and go there to have a look?¡± Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Dashan and the others are all¨C¡±


    ¡°Let my men handle it,¡± Ji Yanlai suddenly said.


    Ling Zhang looked surprisedly at him. Ji Yanlai continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been sitting idle throughout the journey. It¡¯s about time we contributed something. Don¡¯t worry ¨C my men will get the job done, even if there are surprise attacks or defensive mechanisms.¡±


    Ji Yanlai had brought several elders of the Millennium Pavilion and fifty guards with him, all of whom had kung fu skills, and half of them were as good at fighting as Yao Yi and the others. Moreover, all of them had a good knowledge of Formations.


    Yuwen Tong, without any pretence of courtesy, said with a head bob, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head and gestured for an elder standing by beside him to take action. The elder nodded and then swooshed into the forest of grotesque rocks with the guards behind him. They were so quick their figures blurred.


    At the sight of this, Yuwen Jin who did not know any inside information was dumbfounded, his mouth wide open. He had thought that those guards¡¯ kung fu skills and swordplay were a little above average at the most, but now it turned out that their Lightness Skills were so good.


    On entering the forest of grotesque rocks, the couple of elders and the guards were greeted by arrows, but they had anticipated such attack, so none of the arrows could do them any harm. In fact, those arrows served only to give away the positions of their shooters, who soon found themselves sneaked up on by the targets they had tried to shoot.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I found out sooner their kung fu¡¯s so badass?¡± Yuwen Jin was shocked once again.


    Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin appeared unimpressed.


    Ji Xiaocong, however, proudly raised his chin a little and looked at Ling Maomao standing beside him. ¡°You see that, Brother Maomao? I told you so.¡±


    During the journey, Ji Xiaocong had told Ling Maomao about the caliber of the guards of the Millennium Pavilion.


    Ling Maomao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s indeed very impressive.¡±


    Ling Maomao had been learning kung fu from Ji Yin and had made some progress over the years, but now, watching those guards fighting the enemies, he felt that he was probably no match for any of them and couldn¡¯t help but admire them.


    Ji Xiaocong leaned closer to him and said beside his ear, ¡°But I¡¯m even better than them. You may rest assured that I won¡¯t let you come to any harm on this island.¡±


    Ling Maomao glanced at him and, after a few moments¡¯ silence, said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face immediately creased into a smile so toothy his eyes were slits.


    While the two of them were whispering to each other, the adults ahead of them were all watching the situation in the forest of grotesque rocks. As those hiding among the rocks were captured and thrown out one after another by guards of the Millennium Pavilion, the attackers¡¯ identity gradually revealed itself.

 Chapter 551 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (9)

    All those thrown out were naked except for would-be loincloths woven from leaves covering their private parts. On top of that, they were all suntanned, their faces and arms bearing weird totemic markings, their hairs so knotted and straggly they looked like birds¡¯ nests. It was unmistakable that these people were uncivilized savages.


    Some of these savages were carrying bows which appeared very primitive, but everybody present could tell that it had been with these shabby-looking bows that those arrows had been fired without warning a few moments ago.


    ¡°Eek? Why are this savage¡¯s teeth so repulsive?¡± Yuwen Jin suddenly jumped away from a half-unconscious savage whom he had just observed, a disgusted look on his face. That savage had been tossed out by a guard of the Millennium Pavilion and, maybe because of the hard fall, was now dizzy, his eyes unfocused, his mouth open, all his revolting, oddly black teeth revealed.


    Ling Zhang, looking at Yuwen Jin¡¯s face etched with intense distaste, replied with an affected seriousness, ¡°That pirate said that cannibals are the only ones on this island apart from people-eating monsters and those from the outside world. This savage doesn¡¯t look like a monster or one of those coming here for the treasure. Do you think it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s a member of the tribe of cannibals that you¡¯ve been curious about?¡±


    Yuwen Jin felt a cold shiver of fear run through him at these words, looking at Ling Zhang with a horrified expression on his face. ¡°Y¨CYou can¡¯t be serious!¡±


    Almost all those in the vicinity, as they heard Ling Zhang¡¯s words, felt the hairs on the backs of their necks bristle and involuntarily took several steps backwards, the expressions in their eyes changing as they looked at the savage again. The marines on guard duty also felt their flesh creeping but didn¡¯t dare back away. They had no choice but to hold their weapons tight, poised to slash at the savage the moment he rose from the ground!


    Yuwen Tong turned to look at Ling Zhang, squeezed his hand and gave him a Stop-scaring-them glance.


    Ling Zhang looked back at him with a Don¡¯t-you-think-it¡¯s-very-likely? expression of innocent surprise on his face.


    Yuwen Tong gave a little cough. No matter whether it was true or not, it was unwise to scare their men in these circumstances.


    The guards of the Millennium Pavilion were all kung fu masters and moved very fast. Those savages lying in ambush were overpowered one after another and eventually all of them were captured.


    The couple of elders led those guards back to the coast. ¡°There¡¯s nobody else lying in ambush, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head and, looking at those savages lying on the coast and groaning in pain, asked, ¡°What do you suggest we do with these people?¡±


    ¡°Pity that pirate is on the vessel. He¡¯d be able to tell us who these people work for were he here,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Since they want us dead, let¡¯s just kill them,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°There seems to be no way we can communicate with them anyway.¡±


    The others raised no objections. These savages had murderous expressions in their eyes when looking at them, and the language they spoke was totally incomprehensible. It was inconvenient to bring these savages on the trip, and there might be some unexpected trouble if they were left on this coast, so the best option was to kill them.


    The guards of the Millennium Pavilion disposed of all the savages quickly and cleanly, dug a hole in the ground and buried the bodies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and find out what¡¯s in there,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Jin, heading the vanguard, led the way. Ji Yanlai had two elders and the guards go with the vanguard to check out the lay of the land. Yuwen Tong assigned a small number of men to stay watching over the ships and took all the others on a trip to other areas of the island.


    ¡°If things go south, you guys may sail the ships away into the fog bank. Here are some Guiding Bugs. They could smell a kind of special fragrance from dozens of li (a Chinese unit of length, equal to 500 meters) away, and the fog has no influence on their sense of smell. You may use them to find the right direction and navigate your way through the fog bank,¡± said Ji Yanlai, handing a casket to a naval officer assigned to stay on a ship.


    Ji Yanlai had put some special spice in several spots along the coast and also had a bag of it on him. With the help of the Guiding Bugs which were sensitive to the fragrance, the marines would be able to sail the ships out of the fog bank and back to this island. They didn¡¯t have to worry about getting lost.


    ¡°But remember, do not go too deep into the fog bank. It¡¯s best if you stay in a particular position after entering it,¡± Ji Yanlai added.


    The officer thanked Ji Yanlai and then looked at Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong gauged the distance between the fog bank and the coast before he said, ¡°If there¡¯s an emergency, blow the horn first, and if we don¡¯t come back, sail into the fog and hide.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± answered the officer assigned to stay.


    ¡­


    They set off to go deeper into the island. The forest of grotesque rocks stretched out as far as the eye could see. Those lying in ambush on this side had been wiped out, so they wouldn¡¯t encounter any other danger anytime soon, but there was no telling what they might be faced with if they kept going deeper.


    ¡°Just now we made a lot of noises, but nobody apart from those savages came out to see what was going on. I wonder whether the others did not hear it or decided to take a wait-and-see attitude.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they didn¡¯t hear it, but it¡¯s possible they¡¯re taking a wait-and-see attitude.¡±


    The terrain on this side of the island was somewhat steep. It took them half an hour to scale the escarpment, on top of which they found themselves greeted by a relatively flat area with sparse mounds in it.


    ¡°This is weird. I¡¯m still not hearing the breathing of any living things nearby. Were those savages really the only ones that had come?¡± said Ling Zhang in an undertone to Yuwen Tong standing beside him.


    Yuwen Tong was also observing. Ahead of them, Yuwen Jin and the others were still progressing, gingerly watching their step lest they trigger anything dangerous. ¡°Let¡¯s go a little deeper into it. Although there are some weird-looking rocks down there, the terrain up there is almost flat. Nobody would try to lie in ambush in a place where they can¡¯t find anything to hide behind.¡±


    ¡°Look! Do you think that¡¯s the stone city that pirate mentioned?¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong looked up in that direction and saw that through the gaps between some stony mounds in the distance, tiny patches of what seemed to be rooftops could be vaguely seen.


    But it was unmistakable that there were buildings there.


    ¡°He said that the stone city was the only area of the island that had buildings, so in all likelihood the stone city is right there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave the order to head for the buildings behind those stony mounds, but he cautioned everybody to stay alert and be very careful where they stepped.


    All the marines on this mission had been training regularly and were quite capable, but they might be ambushed if they underestimated the enemies.


    The vanguard led by Yuwen Jin, cooperating with the guards of the Millennium Pavilion, were clearing the way inch by inch for those behind them.


    ¡­


    To everybody¡¯s surprise, they proceeded for half a day but the trip was very uneventful.  They had encountered no danger apart from those savages on the coast by the time they had detoured around those stony mounds and seen what was on the other side.


    It was a vast valley.


    In the middle of the island lay an immense valley, at the center of which stood a large stone city. That pirate had not been lying. It was indeed a stone city. Every part of it was made of stone: the high city walls, the gatehouses, the towering buildings inside, etc. It was magnificent. There were stone houses of different sizes neatly ranged around the center. The building at the very heart of the city was the tallest, and the buildings surrounding it became shorter as their distances from it increased. Those on the perimeter were all single-storied houses meant for commoners.


    Its city walls and gate towers forcibly reminded them of those of cities in the Great Wen, or those of cities in the Central Plains. The layout of streets in the city was clearly of Great-Wen style as well. What was different was that all the buildings in it were made of stone, including the roofs.


    This was genuinely a city, which probably had accommodated over 100,000 residents when the construction work had been finished.


    But now the whole city appeared lifeless, giving off an air of decay and faded grandeur.


    Moreover, maybe because it had been soaked in water at the bottom of the sea for too long, everything in the city was a dull, peculiarly gray; on the walls and rooftops were remaining scorched algae, which also filled gaps in the walls. Though having withered, they really looked very ugly.


    Standing on a height, they had a panoramic view of the whole city, which was in fact a long distance away.


    To get there, they needed to go downhill and enter the valley first, then cross an area bristling with rocks, bushes and giant stone statues disposed in a particular pattern which seemed to be some kind of misdirection Formation.


    ¡°That¡¯s a misdirection Formation. On the surface those stone statues appeared no different from common ones, but once someone intrudes into the Formation, they start moving ¨C if the Formation is still in working order,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°In the Xia Dynasty, people used this kind of misdirection Formations on a frequent basis. Normally, cities of strategic importance had this kind of Formations deployed around them. There are large controlling and connecting mechanisms underground. Once the Formation is activated, everybody in it loses their sense of direction. It¡¯s very useful in wartime. At ordinary times those statues are positioned on the two sides,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Yuwen Jin opened his mouth and hesitated for a brief moment before he said, ¡°So it¡¯s a misdirection Formation deployed in the Xia Dynasty. Does this mean that this island was above the sea at that time? And this city was built in that period?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but the Formation is probably no longer in working order, given that this island was at the bottom of the sea for that long.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Did you not hear what that pirate said? There are a lot of people on this island. Just because we haven¡¯t seen any of the others yet doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist. Maybe some of them know how to fix the Formation,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ji Yanlai gave a little cough and said nothing more.


    Ling Zhang knew what words they held back. It was very likely Ji Yanlai¡¯s father was in there, and who knew whether or not he had repaired the Formation?


    ¡°But there¡¯s indeed nobody else around,¡± said Yuwen Jin, looking around him.


    ¡°Uncle Jin, you can¡¯t be too careful,¡± interjected Ling Maomao.


    Yuwen Jin smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­ just now you said that in the Xia Dynasty there was a row of statues on either side of a Formation like this. Wouldn¡¯t that look weird? I mean, it¡¯d look like a graveyard,¡± Yuwen Jin continued. ¡°By the way, how come you guys know so much about it?¡±


    It would seem the last question had hit home.


    Ji Yanlai pretended not to have heard. Ji Yin, looking at Yuwen Jin¡¯s face etched with strong desire for an answer, said, ¡°I read about it in a book.¡±


    Assuming an expression of dawning comprehension, Yuwen Jin gave a soft ¡°Oh¡±, but there was thinly disguised disbelief in his eyes.


    Ling Maomao decided not to interpose again, lest Yuwen Jin ask another question. He found that actually Yuwen Jin had become suspicious of them some time ago, that the latter just had never asked about it.


    Ling Zhang sneaked a glance at Yuwen Jin and was somewhat amused at the Sooner-or-later-I¡¯m-going-to-find-out look on his face.


    ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re going into the valley,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Jin immediately replaced the inquisitive look on his face with a serious one and said, ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±


    Ling Zhang slid him another glance and then breathed to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Smart move.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Though he¡¯s become suspicious, there¡¯s no way he could guess what the Millennium Pavilion really is. Let him be.¡±

 Chapter 552 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (10): Bizarre Snakes and Dead Bodies

    The path leading down to the bottom of the valley was rough. Around the edge of the valley floor was a dried-up river bed, which indicated that there used to be a river flowing around the valley floor.


    After traveling across the dried-up river bed and through the area strewn with twisty boulders, they reached a large wood consisting of thick-trunked, deep-rooted, withered trees, all of which had long since died, but the trunks of which were still tenaciously erect.


    ¡°They look like phoenix trees, don¡¯t they?¡± Yuwen Jin walked up to a trunk, scrutinized it and then cut off a branch with his sword. ¡°Eek? This is weird. It seems I¡¯m mistaken.¡±


    ¡°These are indeed phoenix trees, but they¡¯re slightly different from the ones we normally see in our country,¡± said Ji Yanlai, a thoughtful look on his face.


    On hearing the words ¡°phoenix trees¡±, Ling Zhang recalled that giant phoenix tree he and Yuwen Tong had seen on the lake island in the Millennium Pavilion in Sanguan Mountains. He had never seen a phoenix tree as impressive as that one ever since.


    And now, standing in front of a large wood full of scorched phoenix trees, Ling Zhang was somewhat confused as he heard those words of Ji Yanlai¡¯s. ¡°You mean there are different species of phoenix trees?¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head and opened his mouth to speak but, having misgivings about explaining the matter in the presence of outsiders, closed it again.


    Ling Zhang was astonished as he noticed it. Even this was supposed to be kept a secret?


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving, and do not drop your guard,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    They resumed the trip into the valley. When no one was watching, Ji Yanlai said to Ling Zhang, ¡°These phoenix trees are of the same species as the one in Sanguan Mountains, the kind that, as rumor has it, phoenixes are attracted to.¡±


    Amazed, Ling Zhang looked at the large area of phoenix trees and asked, ¡°Was there a particular reason why people planted so many of them in this place?¡±


    In fact what Ling Zhang wanted to ask was whether or not this had anything to do with the Millennium Pavilion or the Ji family.


    Ji Yanlai, who knew what he meant, shook his head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know that either, but I think there wasn¡¯t. At least I¡¯ve never heard of a place like this before.¡±


    Ling Zhang, face thoughtful, looked at Yuwen Tong, who said in a low voice, ¡°I believe we¡¯ll find some clues in the city.¡±


    Though Ji Yanlai said that he had never heard of it before, both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong felt that there was a high chance this place had something to do with the Ji family ¨C or with the Blood of the Phoenix Clan coursing through their veins, to be precise, because why else would Ji Yanlai¡¯s father come to a place with so many phoenix trees and refuse to leave after having lingered here for such a long time?


    They began trudging through the wood, Yuwen Jin vigilantly looking around, his hand on the hilt of his saber.


    The wood was very quiet, but though the path was rough, they had not encountered any danger so far.


    ¡­


    ¡°Watch out!¡± There was a sudden commotion at the front.


    It turned out that a snake came out of nowhere launching itself at Yuwen Jin. A guard of the Millennium Pavilion, walking side by side with Yuwen Jin, quickly pulled him aside and cut off the head of the snake with his sword, saving Yuwen Jin from the fate of being bitten.


    But the commotion did not die away. On the contrary, after people in the vicinity saw what that snake looked like, a loud collective gasp was heard.


    That was a very bizarre snake which had peculiar short wings on its flanks!


    Ling Zhang had never seen such weird snakes before. ¡°What is this thing? Why does it look so strange?¡±


    Yuwen Tong also frowned, stopping Ling Zhang from getting any closer to the dead snake, growing warier of the ground and the trunks of phoenix trees around them. ¡°Keep your eyes peeled, everybody. Just now we didn¡¯t hear anything before this thing showed up. There might be more of such creatures in here.¡±


    All the others became more watchful at Yuwen Tong¡¯s words.


    Ji Yanlai crouched down beside the dead snake and considered it for a moment before he said, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of one species of snake that can fly.¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°Which species?¡±


    ¡°Teng Snake,¡± responded Ji Yanlai.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    He looked at that dead snake on the ground again in silence. It was about the same size of a common snake and did not look like a legendary animal at all.


    ¡°That pair of short things on its flanks are more like fins than wings.¡± Ji Yin also looked at the snake. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really flying. It just reared up quickly. Some other species of snakes can do that as well.¡±


    It was after hearing these words of Ji Yin¡¯s that the others appeared slightly relieved. They really couldn¡¯t believe such creatures as Teng Snakes did exist in this world.


    Before long, as expected, another few such snakes showed up. It was only then that they found these snakes were coiling around the trunks near the roots of the dead trees. Since some of the tangled roots had curled up and the color of the snakes was very similar to that of the roots, it was very difficult for the soldiers to distinguish the snakes from the roots when the snakes were not moving, which was why they had not spotted them beforehand.


    A soldier got bitten on the neck by a snake which reared up into mid-air without warning. Blood instantly started flowing from the bite profusely. The snake¡¯s fangs turned out to be longer and sharper than those of a common snake, and it seemed to be slightly poisonous too, for the bitten soldier soon passed out and sank to the ground.


    Mr. Mu, who had been traveling with them all along, walked up to the soldier and dressed the snake bite for him. ¡°It¡¯s a venom that induces coma. It¡¯s not lethal. He¡¯ll be asleep for about two hours before coming around.¡±


    These snakes were quite troublesome, for a single bite from any of them could send a man comatose immediately. After this incident, everybody focused their attention on the roots of the trees, trying to find those snakes and kill them all. Because of this, they discovered some rather horrifying facts. There were actually dead bodies behind some of the phoenix tree trunks. The bodies were terrifying because they had not been reduced to what they were by natural decomposition but looked as though the victims had been flayed, their bones removed. Some of the bones still had remaining flesh on them, most of which had rotten already and were giving off a funky odour, but surprisingly, some of the flesh was still fresh. Those eccentric snakes were coiling around the trunks near the roots because they wanted to eat the rotten meat of the corpses.


    Ling Zhang and the others walked up and all of them furrowed their brows at the sight of the disgusting scene.


    Ling Maomao, after a glance at it, immediately spun around and flung up his hand to cover Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see this. It¡¯s repulsive.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes blinked behind Ling Maomao¡¯s palm. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, obediently standing still.


    Yuwen Jin was no longer in the mood for telling jokes to lighten the atmosphere, and his face darkened as well. ¡°Somebody did this to them. Who could have been so cruel as to skin these people and take their bones after murdering them?¡±


    Ling Zhang, with a rather cold face, recalled what that pirate had told them. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? That pirate said that there¡¯s a tribe of cannibals on this island.¡±


    His words were followed by a moment¡¯s silence. When they had first heard about a tribe of cannibals, they had felt that it was a tribe of uncivilized people eating animal flesh raw and drinking blood, but now, looking at these corpses the flesh of which had presumably been eaten by those savages, they all felt the hair on the backs of their necks rise. Such brutality was way beyond their imagination.


    ¡°It would seem that pirate was telling the truth. There are indeed monsters and cannibals dwelling on this island,¡± said Yuwen Jin, looking from that weird snake to the pile of corpses.


    ¡°Maybe these are not the worst,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The others looked in the direction of the stone city in the distance, a leaden sensation setting in the pits of their stomachs.


    ¡­


    What with the discovery of the strange snakes and the corpses, everybody was rather quiet, focusing their attention on guarding against possible danger.


    They found some other snakes and killed them all, and their hearts sank even deeper as another few piles of corpses were spotted.


    It was not until they were out of the grove of phoenix trees that their faces softened somewhat.


    ¡°Some of those corpses in the woods are pretty fresh. I think those cannibals go in there to dump bodies regularly, but we haven¡¯t seen any of them apart from the group of savages on the coast. This is so confusing,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re in that city,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°If they live in the city, then they¡¯ll have to get through that Formation consisting of stone statues you guys just talked about before reaching the woods. Since they can get in and out of the Formation freely, it¡¯s probably not in working order any more, right?¡± asked Yuwen Jin, pointing in the direction of the gigantic stone statues ahead. It seemed that he had been bearing in mind what Ji Yanlai had said.


    Ling Zhang gave it some thought. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡±


    ¡°It seems that these statues haven¡¯t moved for a very long time. I mean, there are no tracks on the ground,¡± said Yuwen Jin, motioning for the vanguard to go with him to check those stone statues.


    Yuwen Tong resignedly stopped him. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Yuwen Jin glanced back at him, coming to a half, and gave an obedient ¡°Oh¡±, but then he shifted his gaze to those statues again. Clearly his curiosity was piqued.


    ¡°We made a lot of noises on our arrival. Someone might have activated the Formation to stop us from getting to the city. It¡¯s inadvisable to intrude into it precipitously,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°I¡¯ll lead you through it. I happen to have read about how to crack this kind of large-scale Formation in a book during my spare time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuwen Tong nodded. Then he called Yuwen Jin over and told him to follow in their wake with the others, that he was not to do anything he was not told to do.


    It struck Yuwen Jin that his second cousin, who had been forbidding him to do all kinds of things, was treating him as a child. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he breathed to Yuwen Tong, ¡°Don¡¯t say that out loud, cousin. You¡¯re embarrassing me. Apart from anything else, I¡¯m a general.¡±


    Yeah, a world-famous one.


    Yuwen Tong snorted.


    Yuwen Jin, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Why are you snorting? Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re my cousin, I don¡¯t dare beat you up ¡­ Well, I indeed don¡¯t dare do that,¡¯ said Yuwen Jin inwardly.


    Ling Zhang standing on the side slightly shook his head, snickering.


    With Ji Yanlai leading the way, they all entered the area bristling with stone statue. At first the whole place was very quiet, as though their concern that the Formation was still in working order was totally unnecessary, but soon the fact told them that that was more than just a speculation ¡­


    The ground suddenly began to quake and those giant statues started moving with a rumbling sound, crushing the rubble on the ground, Yuwen Jin practically jumping out of his skin.


    ¡°Holy shit! These things are really moving! I can¡¯t believe this is really happening!¡±


    The statues were moving fast, and everybody was on the alert and combat-ready.


    ¡°Nobody move. Stay where you are,¡± cautioned Ji Yanlai aloud.


    None of them dared wander around. When all the statues had changed their positions, they looked forward and found that the stone city which had been ahead a few moments ago was now nowhere to be seen. All they could see was towering stone statues, which blocked their view. They couldn¡¯t even see the woods of phoenix trees behind them which they had traveled through on their way to this place. It seemed that they were trapped in a forest of enormous statues, which apparently stretched as far as they could see in every direction.

 Chapter 553 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (11): Gemstones and Pirates

    The stone statues moved, and everybody was trapped inside.


    ¡°These statues look exactly the same. If intruders are trapped in here for too long, they¡¯ll be disorientated. On top of that, these statues change their positions when the intruders take the wrong path, which makes it very difficult for people to get out,¡± said Yuwen Tong after observing the surroundings.


    Ji Yanlai nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, so stay close to me. Do not wander off or else you¡¯ll be trapped in here forever. But if any of you do straggle behind the others and get trapped, do not panic. Just protect yourself and make sure you¡¯re not bitten by some monster that shows up out of nowhere. The rest of us will get you out of here after we kill the one controlling this Formation in the city.¡±


    Everybody else was astonished by the cadences employed by Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°Ahem ¡­ All of you have heard the Clan Leader¡¯s words, I suppose? Do not straggle. Try your best to keep up,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± chorused the soldiers.


    Ji Yanlai, leading the way, said, ¡°It¡¯s been many years since this Formation of stone statues was deployed, and now trapping intruders is the only thing it could do. The combination of these statues and well-trained assassins would turn this Formation into a killing machine, which is the very purpose it¡¯s meant to serve.¡±


    He sounded rather regretful, but all his listeners were astounded.


    ¡°Clan Leader, if what you say is true, it¡¯ll be very difficult for us to extricate ourselves from this Formation,¡± Yuwen Jin blurted.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I promise I¡¯ll get you guys out of this place, no matter how difficult it is to do that.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, ¡°¡­¡±


    He quietly turned his head to look at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, an Are-you-sure-this-guy¡¯s-reliable? expression in his eyes.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both remained silent. Ji Xiaocong, walking side by side with Ling Maomao, snickered.


    Ling Maomao looked apprehensively at him, fearing that Ji Yanlai might hear Ji Xiaocong if the latter snickered too loud.


    Ji Xiaocong, smirking, mouthed, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Ji Yanlai, who was indeed quite capable, safely led all the others through the Formation consisting of stone statues. For fear of being trapped in the Formation, everybody stayed close together. None of them dared risk wandering off.


    ¡°This is weird. I thought we¡¯d met more of those creepy snakes in there, but not a single one showed up,¡± said Ji Yanlai confusedly after walking out.


    Yuwen Jin looked speechlessly at him for a moment before he asked, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ve actually been looking forward to seeing more of them?¡±


    Ji Yanlai inexplicably shifted his gaze to him. ¡°I just find this surprising, but I¡¯m not inclined to be bitten.¡±


    ¡°The exit is right ahead. Judging from what we saw on the escarpment, we should be arriving at the entrance to the stone city after getting out of this Formation,¡± said Ji Yin, pointing forward.


    They quickened their pace, heading for the exit.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Yuwen Feng said.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s, Ji Yin¡¯s and the others¡¯ countenance also changed slightly at this moment.


    ¡°Everybody stay sharp. There¡¯s an ambush out there,¡± cautioned Yuwen Tong.


    Some people were lying in ambush at the exit, and there were a lot of them.


    They gingerly progressed to the exit where they were greeted by a hail of arrows. This kind of greeting was so familiar to them that all of them were rendered speechless.


    ¡°Yet more cannibals?¡± huffed Yuwen Jin disgustedly, feeling nauseous as he recalled those corpses they had seen in the grove of phoenix trees. ¡°These fucking cannibals are so good with their noses. Are they trying to hunt us like their prey, by any chance?¡±


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    The very thought that Yuwen Jin might be right made their flesh creep.


    Even Yuwen Tong had a complicated expression on his face, his eyes turning cold.


    Those cannibals were hiding right behind the statues at the exit, clearly having been planning a sneak attack. They seemed to have very little knowledge of strategy, given that all they did was keep shooting arrows, but they were not utterly unorganized, for they did know how to mount a surprise attack.


    Ling Zhang and all the others found these cannibals loathsome and showed them no mercy, killing them on sight ruthlessly.


    ¡°Fuck. This is my first time being regarded as food. You people really should have assessed your chances before deciding to mess with me.¡± Yuwen Jin was the angriest of them all. Leading some men, he detoured around some statues, outflanked those cannibals lying in ambush and eventually encircled them ring upon ring. The soldiers, who felt their skin crawl at the thought of what they were in these cannibals¡¯ eyes, were particularly ferocious when slaughtering the enemies, looking even more horrifying than those cannibals.


    Before long, this batch of cannibals who tried to blindside them were wiped out.


    It was after these people-eating freaks were all dead that they felt slightly relieved.


    ¡°Dispose of the bodies,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong.


    The very sight of those cannibals¡¯ corpses made him feel disgusted.


    When they had been on the coast, the guards of the Millennium Pavilion had dug a hole to bury those cannibals¡¯ bodies, but on this occasion none of them were in the mood for burying these enemies properly. They directly dumped the bodies in a corner, intending to let those peculiar snakes feeding on rotten meat take care of them.


    After dealing with this disturbance, they walked out of the Formation consisting of statues.


    In front of them were the lofty outer walls of the stone city.


    ¡°What are those things inlaid in the city gates? Are they what I think they are, by any chance?¡± murmured Yuwen Jin, looking up at the towering city gates.


    ¡°They¡¯re gemstones,¡± replied Ling Zhang.


    The gates of the mighty stone city ahead were inset with big gemstones. There were red ones, blue ones and white ones, which formed a pattern of a giant phoenix.


    ¡°No wonder that pirate said that there¡¯re gold everywhere in this stone city. These gemstones in the city gates alone are enough to convince me,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    The others were awed as well. None of them had bargained on the founder of this stone city being so extravagant as to have mounted gemstones in the city gates.


    ¡°But why a phoenix?¡± Someone was bewildered.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ji Yanlai. That grove of phoenix trees had already aroused his suspicions, and now they were seeing such a giant pattern of a phoenix.


    Ji Yanlai appeared to be baffled as well, a slight frown on his face.


    Ji Yin standing on the other side walked up to the gates, scrutinized them and then said, ¡°All these gemstones are real. This is so surprising. I mean, didn¡¯t that pirate say many people found this place and scrambled for the treasure? Why haven¡¯t these gemstones been gouged out?¡±


    Indeed!


    Immediately, everybody¡¯s attention was distracted by Ji Yin¡¯s words. These gemstones were real and so big, and they were inlaid right in the gates. Why hadn¡¯t any of those people gouged them out?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s probably because they couldn¡¯t be gouged out,¡± said Yuwen Jin tentatively.


    ¡°According to that pirate, those people tried to kill their own men to get a bigger share of the treasure, which means they love money as much as their lives. There¡¯s no way they gave up just because it¡¯s difficult to gouge these gemstones out. If they¡¯re indeed unable to extract these gemstones, they would sure as hell have taken the gates apart, but as we can see, the gates are still intact,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    This was indeed quite fishy.


    ¡°There¡¯re people in there,¡± Ji Yanlai suddenly said.


    Some sounds of heavy, uneven breathing could be heard, which indicated that those people were agitated.


    Ji Yanlai gave the couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion a significant look, who inclined their heads and led the way towards the gates with the guards.


    Yuwen Tong looked at Yuwen Jin who then gave the signal by raising his hand, and with that the soldiers promptly split into two groups and hid themselves behind the two gates respectively. In the blink of an eye, Ling Zhang and some others were the only ones left in front of the gates. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong made towards the gates together, the breathing of those inside growing more uneven with every step they took.


    When Ling Zhang and the others approached the gates as well, the two gates burst open without warning and two groups of men charged out. All of them were holding weapons, dressed like ruffians and had heavy, brutal-looking faces, their sabers stained with congealed, brown blood, the murderous air about them almost palpable, madness written all over their faces, hurtling towards Ling Zhang and the others.


    The couple of elders and the fifty guards of the Millennium Pavilion were the vanguard, who immediately intercepted those men.


    ¡°Pirates,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°These people¡¯s clothes are very like that pirate¡¯s.¡±


    On top of that, all of them appeared fierce-looking, their eyes ferocious, forcibly reminding people of bandits.


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be in their right minds. I mean, why do they keep charging at us when they¡¯re clearly no match for us? Can¡¯t they feel pain?¡± said Ling Maomao.


    Ling Zhang and the others also noticed. These pirates were in a weird mental state and appeared crazy. Even those wounded ones, as though unaware of their injuries, were still coming at their opponents, seeming determined to stop at nothing to kill their adversaries. They were deliriously shouting something while fighting, but Ling Zhang and the others couldn¡¯t understand them. It was probably a language spoken in some microstate near the South Ocean.


    ¡°Kill them,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    The guards of the Millennium Pavilion stopped being merciful and directly killed those pirates charging at them.


    Yuwen Jin, having noticed that there were no other enemies apart from those pirates, came out of hiding and went to help the guards.


    ¡°Look, that guy got stabbed and should be in great pain, but there¡¯s no sign of suffering pain on his face whatsoever, only craziness,¡± said Ji Xiaocong, pointing at one of the pirates.


    Mr. Mu, after watching for a long moment, yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t kill them all. Take a prisoner or two so that I can have a look.¡±


    The couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion quickly captured two pirates and brought them to Mr. Mu. The two pirates were acting quite dementedly, but their Mobility Acupoints had been hit, so they couldn¡¯t move and just kept fiercely shouting at Ling Zhang and the others.


    Mr. Mu examined the two men before saying, ¡°They¡¯re not ill or under the influence of any poison or Gu worms, and they have no unusual injuries, which is very strange.¡±


    On hearing this, Ji Yanlai walked over. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Mr. Mu stepped aside. Ji Yanlai walked up to one of the pirates and with that his eyes staring at the pirate suddenly became eerie and brooding, looking as though they were two bottomless ponds, as though they had the power of enchanting people¡¯s souls.


    At first the pirate was still struggling, but gradually he calmed down, his eyes turning glazed, the dementedness on his face abating. After another few moments, a hint of life finally appeared in his eyes, his face registering a different emotion ¨C fear.


    ¡°Aargh! AAAAARGH!¡± The pirate abruptly started yelling in horror, as though seeing something blood-curdling.


    At the same time Ji Yanlai suddenly averted his gaze and closed his eyes, frowning.


    ¡°Clan Leader.¡± Ji Yin took a step forward to support him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ji Yanlai opened his eyes again and said, ¡°I saw some odd scenes through his eyes.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong exchanged a glance and with that both of them stepped closer to Ji Yanlai. ¡°Scenes?¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head. ¡°Tons of gold, countless bones and insubstantial, black figures.¡±


    Both Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t have a clue how Ji Yanlai had seen those things. It struck them as understandable that Ji Yanlai had seen gold and bones, but what were those insubstantial, black figures?


    ¡°These pirates should be under some kind of enchantment,¡± said Ji Yanlai.

 Chapter 554 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (12): Gold and Bones

    Enchantment?


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of stuff fraudulent?¡±


    Ji Yanlai shook his head. ¡°Witchcraft does exist, but it¡¯s not with magic powers that an enchantment is performed. For an enchantment to work, a certain kind of medication is required, which mainly affects the target¡¯s mind. It bears some similarity to mind control.¡±


    Except for members of the Millennium Pavilion, nobody present had ever heard of this before.


    ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t find the cause,¡± said Mr. Mu.


    ¡°This stone city strikes me as very ominous. We need to be extra careful,¡± Ji Yanlai continued.


    Frowning slightly, Ling Zhang looked through the city gates and saw a deserted street flanked by stone houses, each of which was lower than the one next door closer to the middlemost building which was the highest of all. He felt that this stone city was more like a labyrinth than a place to accommodate people. On top of that, the whole city was dusty and gloomy-looking. Even the gemstones inlaid in the city gates were not very shiny but appeared faintly lackluster, which was why it had been after they approached the gateway that they had noticed the gates were inset with gemstones.


    He had found this stone city rather repellent when he had got close to it after walking out of the Formation consisting of stone statues, but due to the sneak attacks from the cannibals and the pirates, he had not dwelled on the reason for it, but now, having heard Ji Yanlai¡¯s words, he came to realize that that feeling of his had been disquiet. This stone city struck him as dangerous, making him feel subdued.


    ¡°You ¡­ ¡± Ling Zhang subconsciously turned to look at Yuwen Tong. ¡°Maybe you should just ¡­ ¡±


    Yuwen Tong knew what he wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    Ling Zhang hesitated. Ji Yanlai, as he noticed this, said, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, and there¡¯s no telling what other dangers those staying outside the city might be faced with. It¡¯s best if we stick together.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Maomao, come over here.¡±


    Ling Maomao walked over, and Ji Xiaocong, who had been in his company all along, naturally followed in his wake.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I want you two staying close to us all the time, and do not get separated.¡±


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong both promised they would do as he said.


    Then Ling Zhang shifted his gaze to Ling Zhaowu.


    Ji Yin standing beside him said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of your father.¡±


    Feeling treated like a child, Ling Zhaowu gave a little cough and expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Father-in-law.¡±


    Everybody having prepared themselves, they entered the stone city.


    At first all of them were vigilantly looking around, but after a while someone gave a sudden exclamation of amazement as his eyes fell on the ground. ¡°Wh¨CWhat are these paving slabs made of? Gold?¡±


    Gold? Everybody looked down and were flabbergasted.


    The streets in this city were actually paved with gold slabs!


    But for some unknown reason, all the paving slabs were carpeted in black dirt which kept people from seeing the gold. It was at the sparse spots where the hardened dirt had peeled off that people could see small patches of gold slabs.


    Someone among the crowd gasped, awed by the extravagance of this stone city.


    ¡°The city gates are inset with gemstones, and the roads are paved with gold slabs. How rich did this stone city used to be exactly?¡± Yuwen Jin couldn¡¯t help but wonder aloud.


    Many people involuntarily lowered their heads. Some even crouched down and removed patches of dirt beside their feet, revealing the shiny gold beneath immediately.


    ¡°Eek? They are not really gold slabs. It seems they¡¯re just stone slabs with a thin layer of gold on top.¡± Yuwen Jin also squatted down and, studying those slabs, let out an apparently relieved sigh. ¡°This makes me feel better. I¡¯d be overwhelmed if all these were gold slabs the thickness of a fist.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Although the gold layer was not as thick as a fist, the total amount of the gold would still be huge if all the paving slabs in this city had been gilded.


    ¡°Nobody has taken any of this gold or those gemstones in the city gates. This is so strange,¡± said Ji Yin.


    On hearing his words, all the others, awestruck by the roads paved with gold, instantly came to their senses.


    That was true. Leaving the others aside, those pirates who valued wealth as much as their lives would on no account walk away from these gilded slabs. Why hadn¡¯t any of them been taken away?


    ¡°Either they were forced to give up these gilded slabs because of some danger, or there¡¯s some treasure that struck them as more alluring,¡± said Yuwen Tong in a quiet voice. Ling Zhang and all the others standing beside him heard these words.


    They had been on the alert all along and hitherto had not found anything dangerous. It did not seem likely that those pirates had given up because of danger.


    So the second possibility should be the truth.


    ¡°Keep moving. Do not touch the gold on the ground,¡± ordered Yuwen Tong.


    Most people sensibly followed the orders, but there were also a few soldiers mesmerized by the gold on the ground. Though they managed to restrain themselves, their eyes were still fixed on the gold in spite of themselves.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead corrugated in a slight frown as he noticed this. It was not that he found these soldiers¡¯ desire for money unacceptable, but he had a hunch that if things went on like this, these soldiers might be blinded by the treasure on this island and do unexpected things.


    Apart from Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong and some others also observed this.


    ¡°We should give them a word of warning, and after that, how long they could resist the temptation will solely depend on their own willpower,¡± said Ji Yin.


    They consulted with each other for a while before Ling Zhang cautioned aloud, ¡°All these gilded paving slabs are cursed. Those pirates we killed just now were living proof of it. Anyone who succumbs to temptation and loses his sanity will end up just like those pirates!¡±


    The soldiers had always held Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong in awe and veneration; in addition, Ling Zhang specially mobilized his internal energy when speaking, so his warning made all the soldiers¡¯ hearts lurch. Those temporarily entranced by the gold, in particular, felt as though something had just hit them hard and immediately jerked out of their reverie, their faces ghastly white, not daring glance at the gold on the ground again.


    Having noticed that it worked, Ling Zhang was secretly relieved. It seemed that he would have to remind them from time to time during the remainder of the trip.


    ¡­


    ¡°The streets are deserted.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, leading some men, searched the areas on the two sides but not a single living thing was to be seen. It was as though the cannibals and the pirates they had encountered not long ago had all been their hallucinations. This city was unduly quiet.


    ¡°Check the houses.¡±


    The houses flanking the main street appeared to be stores and all the doors were wide open, allowing people to see what was inside.


    There had probably been a lot of furnishings in these houses a long time ago, but now all of them were in wild disorder, their floor strewn with sundry items which had grotesque shells attached to them. Not only these sundry items but also the walls and beams of every house along this street bore traces of these mollusks.


    The soldiers entered these stores and began to search the inner rooms and the dwellings in the alleys.


    ¡°AARGH!¡± someone suddenly screamed.


    This was the first scream, which was closely followed by the second and the third. The soldiers either were veterans of a hundred battles or had been training on a frequent basis, so they scared much less easily than ordinary people did, but they still screeched in horror one after another. It seemed that they had seen terrible things.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s, Yuwen Tong¡¯s and the others¡¯ faces all changed and with that they hurried into the nearest store and went to the inner room.


    On entering it, they spotted what had made the soldiers shriek in fright ¨C bones and dead bodies strewn across the floor.


    They were all human bones and could be seen everywhere in the inner room. Some skeletons were still complete, but most had fallen apart. The shin bones or arm bones of every skeleton, complete ones and incomplete ones, were chained to some large iron chests, and the chains were quite rusty and covered with shellfish.


    These iron chests were tightly closed, but the locks were broken. Judging from the traces, it hadn¡¯t been long since they¡¯d been broken and someone had opened the chests.


    As regards the corpses ¡­ These dead men were wearing different clothes. Some of them had rotten, but some were quite fresh. Those fresh ones had terrified expressions on their faces, their mouths wide open, their eyes staring fixedly in the direction of the doorway.


    It had been these weird-looking dead bodies that had frightened the soldiers.


    All those dead bodies were in the innermost corner of the room. They seemed to have been cowering and trying to hide before death, but they had still died eventually, and they had seen something horrifying before breathing their last.


    What with the strong foul smell filling the room, they all walked out, an ugly look on each of their faces.


    Mr. Mu, having roughly examined those corpses, exited the room and said, ¡°All of them were scared to death.¡±


    Scared to death?


    They had seen something terribly frightening and literally been scared to death, but none of them had any visible wounds.


    ¡°What on earth did they see?¡± Ling Zhang frowned.


    Yuwen Tong appeared rather grave. ¡°The problem is not that the cause of their deaths was horror, but that as things stand, this house is not the only place that witnessed this kind of occurrence.¡±


    The others¡¯ countenance changed once again at these words.


    Soon a soldier rushed over and reported, ¡°Sire, we found bones and dead bodies in a house over there, along with chests of gold, gemstones and jade ware.¡±


    ¡°Sire, there are dead bodies, bones and treasure in that house as well!¡±


    ¡°Sire, we discovered ¡­ ¡±


    The reports of all soldiers that had returned were of the same contents.


    In other words, every house in this area had bones, corpses, gold, gemstones and jade ware in it.


    This had not been a chance event. It had happened in a lot of locations.


    Moreover, currently this was the only area they had searched. The stone city was vast, and more than half of it apart from the palace in the center had not been checked yet.


    They had all come to realize what this meant.


    ¡°It would seem the reason why none of those that came to this island in the past two years returned home was because they died here,¡± said Ji Yin slowly.


    Everybody kept silent.


    Yuwen Tong broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. No matter what, we need to find somewhere to spend the night. Brother Zhang, you may take some men and search nearby areas with your father, grandfather and the Clan Leader, but don¡¯t go too far. Make sure you come back in time. I¡¯ll go and make arrangements for the soldiers to find someplace to rest.¡±


    Ling Zhang inclined his head.


    When Yuwen Tong had left, Ling Zhang said to the others, ¡°Maomao, Cong, I want you two and Mr. Mu to stay with the Clan Leader. I¡¯ll go this way with my father and my grandfather.¡± Then he turned to the couple of elders and continued, ¡°You may go that way. The others are to split into groups of six and fan out to search the city, but don¡¯t go too far. There might be unknown dangers in this place. If any of you find anything, come back immediately.¡±


    The others nodded and split up.


    Ling Zhang, Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu entered an alley beside the street which had just been searched by the soldiers as well, and which led to another street.


    The sun would go down soon, and the alley was rather dim, for the houses blocked the sunlight.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯re people still alive in this city, but they¡¯ve been laying low all this time. I wonder what they are up to,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    ¡°Alas. I can¡¯t understand why the former Clan Leader hasn¡¯t left this place ¨C if he¡¯s really here,¡± sighed Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang did not speak. He looked up in the direction of the midmost palace in the distance, which was quite high and stood there like a giant beast, overlooking the whole city, making him feel subdued. It wasn¡¯t really a pleasant sight, for it struck him that their each and every move in this city was being watched.


    ¡°Zhang¡¯er?¡± called Ling Zhaowu as he noticed that Ling Zhang¡¯s mind was wandering.


    Ling Zhang came out of his reverie and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that that towering palace gives me a very foreboding feeling.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhaowu and Ji Yin looked up at it and with that both of them frowned slightly.


    ¡°This place is indeed quite queer. It¡¯s strewn with gold and jewelries exactly as rumor says it is, but none of the rumors mention anything about the cannibals on this island. The one who started those rumors has lured one batch of people after another here to be killed in the past two years. I wonder what he¡¯s up to,¡± Ling Zhaowu said.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart suddenly gave a lurch at these words of Ling Zhaowu¡¯s. He looked up at the lofty, distant palace. ¡°If there¡¯s indeed an answer, it should be in that palace.¡±


    Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu exchanged a look. Both of them were inclined to go there, but it was getting dark, and neither of them knew anything about what was in there. They could easily fall prey to possible traps if they went there precipitously, so they dropped the idea.


    ¡°There is, in addition, another thing that strikes me as very weird. Those dead bodies we saw outside the city had had their flesh eaten by either the cannibals or the spooky snakes, but the corpses inside this city are all intact. Even their clothes are undamaged. We haven¡¯t seen any creepy snakes or cannibals since our entry into this city. The only living things we encountered were a group of demented, presumably enchanted pirates,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Are you saying that both the cannibals and the snakes are avoiding this city?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu.


    Ling Zhang nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s possible that they¡¯re hiding elsewhere, seeing as we¡¯ve searched only a small part of the city.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve taken a prisoner or two,¡± remarked Ji Yin.


    Neither Ling Zhang nor Ling Zhaowu said anything. Those cannibals had been so repulsive. Who could possibly have thought of taking prisoners? Besides, even if they had taken some cannibals prisoner, they wouldn¡¯t be able to drag anything out of the prisoners, for they couldn¡¯t understand the language spoken by the cannibals.


    Next they searched the other houses, and what they discovered was no different from what they had found previously. There were corpses and treasure chests in every house. The more isolated the house was, the more dead bodies there were inside it. It seemed the victims had believed that such houses were safer, that by hiding in this kind of secluded corners they stood a better chance of eluding whatever it was that they were scared of, but eventually they had still died in those houses.


    ¡°Mr. Mu said all of them had been scared to death. Either there was indeed something in here, or they had some frightening hallucinations,¡± said Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang said with a thoughtful look on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, Grandfather. The two pirates we took prisoner, the Clan Leader said he saw through their eyes gold, bones and insubstantial, black figures, that they were under some kind of enchantment. Judging from the terror on the pirates¡¯ faces, I think maybe the victims in here were indeed all under some kind of spell and had some hallucinations which caused their deaths.¡±

 Chapter 555

    They would feel slightly relieved if those things really proved to be hallucinations, for at least it would mean that those terrible, seemingly paranormal monsters didn¡¯t exist.


    Wait ¡­ monsters?


    Ling Zhang once again recalled the words of that pirate who had managed to flee this island. He had said that there were treasure, cannibals and people-eating monsters on this island. Could it be possible that by monsters he had been referring to the hallucinations they had had rather than those creepy snakes?


    Ling Zhang told Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu about this speculation of his.


    Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu felt that his conjecture was plausible, for those pirates¡¯ words didn¡¯t make sense. Surely there weren¡¯t really any people-eating monsters in this world?


    ¡°We should go back. It¡¯s already dark,¡± said Ling Zhaowu.


    The three of them returned to the spot where they had parted from the others not long ago. Yuwen Tong and the others had found a fit place for them to camp out. It was an open field near the city gates.


    What with the bones and dead bodies, those houses struck the soldiers as quite spooky, despite the fact that there was also gold inside them. Yuwen Tong was not inclined to have the soldiers sleep in those houses either, for he did not want his soldiers to end up like those dead men found in the houses. Therefore, he would rather have them encamp elsewhere, though the conditions were poorer.


    When Ling Zhang and the other two returned, the soldiers came back as well.


    None of them found any useful information. All they had discovered was deserted houses. No living people had been spotted.


    ¡°Were those pirates who ambushed us earlier this day the only ones alive in this city, by any chance? All the others are dead?¡± said Yuwen Jin speculatively, a frustrated look on his face.


    The others frowned. Ling Zhang glanced at Ji Yanlai¡¯s countenance and said to Yuwen Jin, ¡°Stop taking wild guesses. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re the only ones alive here. This stone city is huge. They should be hiding somewhere. Even those pirates managed to escape. It doesn¡¯t make sense if the couple of them were the only ones who made it out of this place. Maybe those from the Fangcun Kingdom are in this city as well.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, catching on, hurriedly said, ¡°It was just a casual remark. How is it possible there¡¯re no other living people?¡±


    Ji Yanlai, however, didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by this. ¡°I¡¯ve been sensing my father being here again since our entry into this city, but although I know he¡¯s in here, I have no idea where he¡¯s hiding exactly. Just now I looked for him but didn¡¯t find any clues. It seems we¡¯ll have to resume the search tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt relieved, glad to know that Ji Yanlai¡¯s father was still alive.


    ¡°Everybody stay alert tonight. Those laying low during the day might show up at night,¡± cautioned Yuwen Tong, having heard Yuwen Jin¡¯s remarks.


    Yuwen Jin gave a great shudder, the look on his face indicating that the prospect of that gave him the willies.


    Ling Maomao standing beside him was taken aback by his sudden shudder. Ji Xiaocong burst into laughter, which was so silvery it seemed to dissolve the gloom in the others¡¯ minds.


    Because of this distraction created by the three of them, the grave atmosphere lightened appreciably, and everybody was much more relaxed.


    ¡­


    The soldiers encamped in orderly fashion and settled themselves to rest. There were flaming torches positioned on the perimeter of the encampment, the light of which brightened the areas in the vicinity, so that the soldiers would notice if anything dangerous approached.


    Their dinner was fairly fresh food they had got from the harbor, but it was only enough for one meal. From tomorrow, they would have to eat dry food. As dry food was long-lasting, it accounted for most of the food supplies they had prepared, but even so, their food could only last them four days at the most, which meant they had to leave in three or four days, otherwise they would starve to death on this island.


    Though the supper contained meat, everybody found it rather unappetizing, what with the many bones and dead bodies they had seen during the day.


    ¡°Eat. We need to regain our strength,¡± said Yuwen Tong, his eyes sweeping across the others as he took the lead in eating.


    Having seen this, the others steeled themselves and finished their supper, but none of them seemed to have enjoyed the food.


    ¡­


    After supper, everybody except for the soldiers and guards on night duty chose to have some rest.


    It had been a rough day, and the soldiers were all tired.


    Yuwen Tong did not stop them from sleeping, and the encampment instantly fell silent.


    Ling Zhang did not sleep, and neither did Yuwen Tong. Ji Yin and most of the others, though not talking, were awake as well. All of them were kung fu masters and, thanks to their internal energy, could stay awake for several consecutive days without feeling weary. A few moments¡¯ meditation would be enough for them.


    They were keeping silent in order not to disturb the soldiers¡¯ rest. This place was very quiet, and their voices would sound louder than usual if they spoke.


    On top of that, they all subconsciously felt that this might not be an uneventful night, so they decided to store up energy.


    ¡°You two, come over here and get some sleep.¡± Ling Zhang beckoned Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong over.


    The two of them were the youngest of all these people, and Ling Zhang had been treating them as children unawares, but in fact Ling Maomao had reached adulthood already, and Ji Xiaocong would come of age soon. Both of them were no longer children, constituted young kung fu masters and didn¡¯t really need constant care.


    But neither Ling Maomao nor Ji Xiaocong defied him. They both obediently walked over and lay down on the straw sleeping mat.


    The two of them were both sensible and aware that they were supposed to do as their elders said so that their elders could set their minds at ease. Besides, they both knew very well how much Ling Zhang cared about them.


    Having lain down, Ji Xiaocong held Ling Maomao¡¯s hand and twisted his head aside to smile at him.


    Ling Maomao, after a brief pause, closed his hand over Ji Xiaocong¡¯s.


    Ling Zhang, whose attention seemed to be focused on something in the dark, did not notice these small movements of theirs, but Yuwen Tong did, raising his eyebrows slightly.


    Yuwen Tong did not say anything or remind Ling Zhang, feeling that Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong had the freedom to do what they wanted, that if the two of them really decided to be together, it would be their own choice.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yuwen Tong whispered into Ling Zhang¡¯s ear.


    Ling Zhang related to Yuwen Tong what Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu had said during the day.


    Yuwen Tong gave a slight inclination of the head. He and Ling Zhang had guessed that as well. ¡°Hallucinations were the most likely explanation. Now our problem is that we don¡¯t know how those pirates fell prey to the enchantment. It would be best if we could figure out a way to avoid it.¡±


    Apart from anything else, though his soldiers were more courageous and better at fighting than ordinary people, they were still common persons who, unlike him and some others, had no internal energy which provided some resistance to mind control and things like that.


    ¡°Many of the treasure chests in here have never been opened, presumably because of the hallucinations as well. Assuming that¡¯s true, they must¡¯ve fallen prey to the enchantment the moment they entered. Otherwise the chests wouldn¡¯t have been utterly untouched, even if the pirates put the treasure back afterward,¡± said Ling Zhang in a hushed voice. ¡°At least none of the gilded paving slabs were taken away, which is really weird.¡±


    His conjecture was not ungrounded, but if that was the case, how had those pirates fallen victim? Why hadn¡¯t the same thing happened to them ¨C Ling Zhang and the others ¨C when they had entered the city?


    ¡°In addition, that palace in the center strikes me as quite ominous,¡± continued Ling Zhang. Then he told Yuwen Tong what he had felt during the day. ¡± ¡­ it¡¯s like a monster that¡¯s been staring at us all the time. Though it¡¯s night-time now, I¡¯m still having this feeling that someone¡¯s watching me. It¡¯s unnerving.¡±


    After hearing this, Yuwen Tong frowned and switched his gaze to the palace vaguely silhouetted in the darkness. Then he drew Ling Zhang into his embrace, letting him lean propped against his chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll keep us safe.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked at him and opened his mouth, feeling an urge to say that he just felt somewhat uncomfortable, that he was not afraid, but after giving it some thought, he closed his mouth again and shifted his position slightly to make himself more comfortable in Yuwen Tong¡¯s arms. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s very reassuring.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, lowered his head and surreptitiously gave him a kiss.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong lying on the side, both of whom were still wide awake, were rendered speechless.


    They were not sure whether or not they should continue pretending to be asleep.


    ¡°Ji Yanlai¡¯s father might be right in there,¡± said Ling Zhang in a very soft voice.


    ¡°You sensed something?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard to say. What I¡¯m feeling is quite complicated,¡± replied Ling Zhang after a few moments¡¯ silence. ¡°It strikes me as perilous, but ¡­ but for some inexplicable reason, I¡¯ve been itching to go there to take a look.¡±


    On hearing this, Yuwen Tong promptly tightened his hug, his face growing serious. ¡°When did it start?¡±


    Ling Zhang answered, ¡°Right after I entered the city and clapped eyes on it, but at first I did not think much about it, and now the longer I look in that direction, the stronger that feeling gets. On top of that ¡­ ¡±


    He raised his head and breathed beside Yuwen Tong¡¯s ear, ¡°Ji Yanlai has been staring at the palace in the dark for quite some time. Did you not notice it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s face fell and with that he put his hand on Ling Zhang¡¯s cheek. ¡°Then stop looking in that direction. We leave this city at first light.¡±


    Clearly Yuwen Tong found Ling Zhang¡¯s words disquieting and did not want Ling Zhang to go any closer to that palace.


    Ling Zhang did not move but continued lying there with his side against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest. He really stopped looking in that direction, though still feeling a faint eagerness to do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe that feeling. It feels dangerous but also harmless,¡± added Ling Zhang under his breath.


    ¡°Even so, I¡¯m still not letting you go there,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gone this far. It¡¯d be a pity if we give up like this. Besides, I¡¯m sure my grandfather will go there, with or without us. And I can¡¯t let him do that alone,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    It was a few moments¡¯ silence before Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and help them. You are to stay outside the city and wait for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang leaning against him put his arms around Yuwen Tong and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked down at him. ¡°Be good.¡±


    ¡°You should be the one waiting outside the city,¡± muttered Ling Zhang, now putting his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s waist. ¡°I¡¯m not weak. I almost defeated you the last time we had a kung fu competition.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and pecked Ling Zhang¡¯s forehead before he said in a barely audible voice, ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re not as good at kung fu as I am. What concerns me is that there might be something having undesirable effects on you in there. If anything happens to you, this journey of us will be a devastating memory I can¡¯t bear to have. I don¡¯t want to hate them.¡±


    Ling Zhang paused momentarily. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. Under no circumstances will I let you go in there in my stead.¡±


    It was a long moment before Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go there together.¡±


    Ling Zhang, after a long while, gave an ¡°Um¡± of agreement, but his lowered eyelids concealed the emotions in his eyes. If things did go south, he would have Yuwen Tong leave this city, even if the cost would be his own life.


    Lying on the mat beside the two of them, Ling Maomao had entered the dreamlike state between waking and sleeping and thus did not notice the momentary gleam in Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes. They were very close to Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, so Ji Xiaocong heard part of the conversation, though their voices were very low. He did not look in the direction of that palace in the dark. Apart from Ling Zhang, he had also been feeling an itch to get close to that place since nightfall.


    But he had never shifted his gaze to that edifice. His eyes had been fixed on Ling Maomao all along.


    Now, after he had heard Yuwen Tong¡¯s and Ling Zhang¡¯s words, the glitter in his eyes looking at Ling Maomao became even brighter. ¡°Brother Maomao,¡± he called in a quiet voice.


    Ling Maomao was almost asleep, but he still vaguely heard Ji Xiaocong¡¯s voice. With difficulty, he momentarily lifted his eyelids and put a hand on Ji Xiaocong¡¯s side to pat him in an obviously consoling manner. However, before Ji Xiaocong could say anything, he succumbed to drowsiness and drifted off.


    Grinning soundlessly, Ji Xiaocong did not remove Ling Maomao¡¯s hand but happily put his on it and closed his eyes, contentment written all over his face.

 Chapter 556

    Ling Zhang, after his talk with Yuwen Tong, said no more. During the first half of the night, all those supposed to be sleeping were fast asleep, and those still awake were sitting or lying in repose with their eyes closed.


    Ji Yanlai had stopped gazing into the depths of the dark. Ji Yin, along with the couple of elders, were meditating, their eyes closed. For the moment there was no telling whether or not any of them was also being affected.


    Most people were sound asleep, and in their dreams many of them forgot about the terrible things they had witnessed during the day.


    However, as Zi Hour (23:00-00:59) neared, something in the dark seemed to be closing in on them. What with this weird, subdued atmosphere, all the unsleeping ones opened their eyes, and almost all of them sensed the approaching danger.


    Ling Zhang sat up from Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace and looked off into the darkness.


    At first it was just a perception of a looming crisis, but gradually they began to hear some strange sounds of breathing, which were shallow but very fast. Those people seemed to be in intense excitement. Some of them were leaping from rooftop to rooftop, others streaking along the streets, all of them threateningly advancing towards this camp.


    ¡°Form up!¡± yelled the couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion. The guards immediately formed up into a defensive formation in front of the others.


    The soldiers on night duty, whose hearing was not as good as the others¡¯, were all unaware of what was going on, but they still promptly woke up their companions. Everybody was on the alert and combat-ready.


    The first pair of eyes came into sight because of the reflection of firelight off them. Those eyes were crimson and bloodshot. And then a man leapt up high, fiercely coming at them like a beast at its prey, his eyes terrifying, the aura of murderousness around him almost palpable, his teeth bared.


    The sudden appearance of the first man was closely followed by that of the second, the third ¡­


    All the others, like the first one, were crimson-eyed and weird-looking, their clothes bloodstained, baring their teeth, appearing more like wild beasts than humans.


    ¡°Holy shit! What¡¯s wrong with these people? Are they insane? They look much scarier than those pirates!¡± shouted Yuwen Jin in confusion, staring at those eccentric men and whipping out his saber after scrambling to his feet.


    ¡°They suffered Chi-Disorder,¡± said an officer standing beside him.


    ¡°Chi-Disorder my ass! Did you not hear what the Clan Leader said during the day? They¡¯re under some kind of encampment, which means they¡¯re jinxed,¡± demurred Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°All these people are under a spell,¡± said Ji Yanlai, ¡°one that¡¯s very difficult to undo. They can be stopped by nothing but death. Even if we knew the countercurse, we wouldn¡¯t have enough time to save all of them. Unlike those pirates, all these people have kung fu skills.¡±


    ¡°Then we kill them,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Given the strong smell of blood these people were giving off, they probably had taken a lot of lives.


    The soldiers bent their bows, took aim and fired arrows at those peculiar-looking men approaching from the distance, while guards of the Millennium Pavilion had engaged the enemies at the front.


    Ling Zhang and the others were not just watching either. Since the enemies were in large numbers and seemed to be pretty good at kung fu, the guards and soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to wipe them out anytime soon, so Ling Zhang and the others all made their move.


    Ling Zhang and some others engaged the couple of odd-looking men that appeared to have the best kung fu skills.


    It was after getting in a fight with them that Ling Zhang found that these people, though jinxed, indeed looked as if they were suffering from Chi-Disorder, for every one of them was shielded in his own Chi which was leaking out continuously, their clothes bulging, and they were attacking with no consideration of their own safety whatsoever. They were fighting purely out of instincts and were not afraid of getting hurt at all. Ling Zhang hit his target hard with a palm strike, causing the man to spit out several mouthfuls of blood. Were the man a normal person, he would have sunk to the ground already, but surprisingly, that weird-looking man was still charging at Ling Zhang, as though trying to get himself killed.


    Ling Zhang, not inclined to waste any more time, directly finished the target off.


    Although these queer men had kung fu skills and appeared rather creepy, it didn¡¯t take long to wipe them out, because many of their opponents were kung fu masters.


    It was after these people were exterminated that Mr. Mu found an opportunity to examine their bodies.


    ¡°Their symptoms are indeed like those pirates¡¯,¡± said Mr. Mu after performing an examination.


    Yuwen Jin took some soldiers to count the number of those maniacs¡¯ bodies. Before long, he returned and informed the others, ¡°Thirty-four.¡±


    ¡°I wonder who these people were. It seems¨C¡±


    Ling Zhang abruptly raised his hand, interrupting Yuwen Jin, the look on his face instantly becoming cold and grave.


    Startled, Yuwen Jin immediately shut his mouth and then he saw Ling Zhang swoosh into the darkness without warning and disappear from view in a flicker of his figure.


    ¡°Brother Zhang?!¡± Yuwen Jin yelled involuntarily.


    Yuwen Tong looked this way just in time to glimpse Ling Zhang¡¯s back rapidly vanishing into the dark. His countenance changed and he streaked in that direction without a second thought.


    Yuwen Jin was astounded. ¡°Cousin?!¡±


    All the others shifted their gaze to him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yuwen Jin¡¯s face was somewhat pale. ¡°Brother Zhang and my cousin both went that way. I don¡¯t know if they sensed anything.¡±


    Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu both looked apprehensive. The former was just about to go that way to find out what it was about when Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked out of the shadows shoulder to shoulder, Yuwen Tong carrying a half-dead man in his hand, who was pleading, ¡°Mercy, Your Majesty! This is really just a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!¡±


    At the sight of them returning, all the others were relieved, but when their eyes fell on the man Yuwen Tong was carrying, they were all baffled. ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡±


    Yuwen Jin walked up, cocked an eye at the man and was amused. ¡°Ha, you¡¯re that captain of the guards working for the King of the South Ocean, aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s your name again? And why are you here?¡±


    The man carried by Yuwen Tong was none other than the captain of the guards of the Fangcun monarch, otherwise known as the King of the South Ocean. He was of middle height and average-looking. Nobody except for those who knew him could tell he was the captain of royal guards. However, this man was pretty good at kung fu and, because of his consummate lightness skills, was not a person to be trifled with. But at this moment, he was carried by Yuwen Tong and seemed to have been beaten within an inch of his life, his face severely swollen.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re General Yuwen, aren¡¯t you? Long time no see. I¡¯m Wei Dong. We met before. You¡¯re a noble and busy man, and I¡¯m not surprised you forgot my name.¡± Wei Dong let out a pained groan after Yuwen Tong tossed him to the ground, then pulled himself up and quickly started cottoning up to Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Get your hands off me. You¡¯re staining my clothes.¡± Yuwen Jin stopped Wei Dong from holding his arm and then said, ¡°What are you doing here? Have you been spying on us? When did you come to this island? And why didn¡¯t you seek me out and say hi? One moment the King of the South Ocean was fawning on us, but the next, he was trying to distance himself from us.¡±


    With an apologetic smile on his face, Wei Dong said, ¡°We¡¯ve only just arrived, and I didn¡¯t know it was you that entered the city. Had I known about it, I would definitely have come here to say hi some time ago. You may rest assured that our king will come here immediately after I return and inform him of it. Our countries have always been very close to each other. We¡¯d never try to distance ourselves from you.¡±


    Yuwen Jin snorted and looked at Ling Zhang. ¡°Brother Zhang, was it because you spotted this guy that you rushed out? You can do whatever you want with him.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced at Yuwen Tong standing beside him, who had an ugly look on his face.


    Ling Zhang, feeling somewhat guilty, said, ¡°I¡¯m letting you handle him. Ask him when the King of the South Ocean arrived here, where he¡¯s hiding at the moment, and what he knows about all the oddities in this city. Let him go if he answers these questions with honesty; bury him with those bodies if he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t, Your Highness. I promise I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know. Please don¡¯t be mad at me,¡± Wei Dong hastily said.


    Yuwen Jin grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and took him away for interrogation.


    After they went far away, Ling Zhang hastened to apologize to Yuwen Tong. ¡°Just now I sensed that man¡¯s Chi and immediately went to catch him for fear of him escaping. I didn¡¯t have the time to tell you. Please stop sulking.¡±


    All the others were somewhat confused at these words, looking at the two of them in bewilderment, wondering why Ling Zhang was apologizing for such a trivial matter.


    Beneath the others¡¯ gaze, Ling Zhang was somewhat embarrassed, but the sight of Yuwen Tong¡¯s sulky look made him rather shamefaced.


    He knew that it must be because Yuwen Tong had been affected by his previous words that Yuwen Tong had got alarmed and, mistakenly believing that he was heading for that palace, immediately followed in his wake.


    But he was not that impulsive and still had his sanity. He would never do that kind of reckless thing.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Something else happened?¡± asked Ling Zhaowu, looking from Ling Zhang to Yuwen Tong and back again.


    Ling Zhang gave his father a simple explanation, saying that he had not had time to tell Yuwen Tong before leaving, which had caused Yuwen Tong to be worried.


    Ling Zhaowu said, ¡°Do not do that again. This place is quite spooky. Don¡¯t worry us.¡±


    Ling Zhang hurriedly promised he wouldn¡¯t do that again and then sneaked another glance at Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance.


    There was no longer any anger on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, but Ling Zhang still couldn¡¯t set his mind at ease.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what Wei Dong has to say first. Just now he probably tailed those freaks and came here to check out the lay of the land, believing that his lightness skills were good enough for him not to be caught. I think those people from the Fangcun Kingdom are hiding somewhere nearby,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Since he started talking about serious matters, the others took the hint and left to watch Yuwen Jin ¡°interrogate¡± Wei Dong, paying no more attention to what was going on between him and Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang, straggling behind the others with Yuwen Tong, secretly tugged at Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Stop being angry. I¡¯ll give you a heads-up the next time I decide to make my move.¡±


    Yuwen Tong came to a halt and looked at him with a serious expression in his eyes. ¡°Promise?¡±


    Ling Zhang, knowing that Yuwen Tong was giving him an out, immediately replied, ¡°I promise!¡±


    It was only then that Yuwen Tong snorted and stopped being angry with him about his suddenly venturing into the darkness.


    Wei Dong was honest and cooperative. Maybe because the King of the South Ocean had given him some kind of instruction, Wei Dong answered every question Yuwen Jin asked him.


    ¡°We arrived here last night, but it was on the other side of the island that we found our way in. We encountered some cannibals and got in a fight with them. Not until they were all driven away did we gain entry into this city. On entering this place, we got into another fight, this time with a band of pirates hiding there. We lost a lot of men. At that time none of us knew about the existence of these demented people in the city. Last night I nearly got torn apart by them. We fought for a whole night and finally managed to repel them. It was daybreak when I got to sleep, but before long I was woken up by some noises coming from this area. We didn¡¯t know what was on this side and were afraid of encountering those freaks again, so we didn¡¯t dare take any action and decided to stay put and see what would happen next. It was not until night fell that our king sent me here to take a look. As you know, my kung fu is just average, but my lightness skills are pretty good; I can make my escape when things go south ¡­ Ah, of course, I don¡¯t dare flee when faced with His Majesty and His Highness.¡±

 Chapter 557 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (15): The Start of Obsession

    Wei Dong, though his face was so swollen the others were forcibly reminded of a pig¡¯s head, was still trying to ingratiate himself with his captor, looking much the worse for wear.


    ¡°Stop playing docile. There¡¯s really a tribe of cannibals inhabiting this island?¡± Yuwen Jin inquired of him.


    ¡°Yes, there is. We¡¯re surprised as well. Nobody knows where they originally come from. Beyond that forest of grotesque rocks were quite some bushes and a long sweep of plains. There¡¯s fresh water there, and their tribe is right on the side. Those cannibals were eating human flesh when we arrived. We were terribly repelled. They even made an attempt to catch us. There were not many of them, but they got a lot of balls. Our king was angered and we flattened that tribe and drove them away. They fled along the coast,¡± recounted Wei Dong.


    All the others were rendered speechless. It seemed that the cannibals they had encountered on the coast had been the very batch chased away by those from the Fangcun Kingdom.


    ¡°And the band of pirates?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Oh, those guys. They encamped right at the city gates through which we entered the city later. I saw a lot of chests in their camp. Those houses ¡­ You¡¯ve searched those houses, I suppose? They moved the chests containing gold out of the city into their camp and kept a close eye on them,¡± replied Wei Dong.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t go crazy?¡± inquired Yuwen Jin.


    Wei Dong shook his head. ¡°No, not a single one of them, but they were all covered in blood and seemed to have killed a lot of people. They were very vigilant too. Our guide, the one from that mini-state near the South Ocean, tried to communicate with them and make some inquiries, but they immediately drew their weapons and came at us. We had no choice but to fight. Most of them were killed, but the surviving ones fled into the city and disappeared without a trace.¡±


    Ling Zhang and the others were rendered speechless once again. He kept having this feeling that the batch of demented pirates they had killed at the city gates had been forced into the city by those people from the Fangcun Kingdom.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with you people? Why do you have to chase away everybody you run into? Do you have any idea how much trouble you¡¯ve caused the others by doing that?! Do you?!¡± demanded Yuwen Jin.


    Wei Dong huddled on the ground in fear, perplexed. ¡°W¨CWell, some of them wanted to eat us, and the others tried to kill us. We had to fight back.¡±


    He did have a point, and Yuwen Jin did not know how to contradict him.


    Yuwen Jin quietly mobilized his internal energy to help suppress his rage. It was a few moments before he continued, ¡°And those freaks?¡±


    This time Wei Dong shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about them either. They came out of nowhere. Last night we were caught unprepared and lost a lot of men, so tonight we were more vigilant and decided not to spend the night in the city, and we didn¡¯t make a fire. And then they just ¡­ ahem ¡­ They just came to your camp. You guys are really badass. You killed them all.¡±


    However, Ling Zhang and the others were not very happy to hear this. It turned out that even these lunatics had come here to attack because those people from the Fangcun Kingdom had failed to wipe them out last night.


    Yuwen Jin scowled at Wei Dong. It was a long moment before he huffed, ¡°You Fangcun people are so fucking useless!¡±


    Wei Dong was baffled as to why Yuwen Jin was insulting him and his country.


    ¡°Did you meet anybody suspicious apart from those lunatics on your way to this area?¡± Ling Zhang inquired of him.


    Wei Dong shook his head. ¡°No. Just those freaks.¡±


    Ling Zhang and the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    This meant that they had killed all the other living people on this island except for those from the Fangcun Kingdom.


    Right now they and those Fangcun men were the only ones left in this stone city.


    Yuwen Jin shook his head. ¡°It would seem we specially came here to take care of problems for the Fangcun Kingdom.¡±


    Wei Dong did not dare speak, but he had got a shrewd idea of what had happened.


    ¡°One last question. How did you navigate your way out of the fog bank?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    After hearing this, Wei Dong appeared rather awkward and replied, ¡°It was our astrologist who guided us out of it.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. Are you telling us that your astrologist could see stars in that dense fog? Stop with the lying!¡± Yuwen Jin reprimanded him.


    Wei Dong flinched. ¡°How am I supposed to know whether he could see stars or not? All I know is he led us to this island. Our astrologist is one of the most respected men in the Fangcun Kingdom. Even our king holds him in high esteem. Our astrologist has lived a very long time. He helped steer our country through many crises. He¡¯s the lucky star of the Fangcun Kingdom.¡±


    The others lapsed into silence.


    ¡°Have any of you heard about such a person in the Fangcun Kingdom before?¡± Yuwen Jin asked Yuwen Tong and the others in a muted voice.


    Yuwen Tong exchanged a glance with Ling Zhang who then said, ¡°I have, but I¡¯ve never heard of any psychic ¡­ ahem ¡­ any particular deeds he did. I thought he was just like those stargazers working in the Imperial Observatory, whose work is to observe stars when necessary to provide useful information about the best time to sow the seed or to hold a sacrificial ceremony.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    He twisted his head around and thundered at Wei Dong, ¡°You hear that?! That¡¯s what a stargazer normally does!¡±


    Wei Dong said, ¡°You¡¯re talking about your stargazers, not our astrologist. Our astrologist is quite badass.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, however, was unconvinced. He inexplicably felt that he was on the losing side. ¡°Humph. Who knows whether you¡¯re telling the truth or not?¡±


    Wei Dong asserted, ¡°Of course I am. You¡¯ll know when you meet him.¡±


    Yuwen Jin glared at him. This guy dared to talk back?


    ¡°Enough,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Release him.¡±


    On hearing this, Wei Dong smiled, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. You¡¯re just as wise as they say you are.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, glowering at him, reluctantly untied the rope for him.


    ¡°Go back and tell your king to come here to meet me early tomorrow morning,¡± instructed Yuwen Tong.


    Wei Dong said, ¡°Yes, of course, Your Majesty. I promise I¡¯ll deliver the message.¡±


    The moment Wei Dong left, Yuwen Jin said, ¡°Why did you let him go, cousin? What if he plays tricks on us?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t dare,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang also said, ¡°He may flee, but the Fangcun Kingdom can¡¯t.¡±


    Yuwen Jin caught on. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°I wonder who that astrologist of theirs is.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we see him tomorrow.¡±


    It was not the astrologist that worried Ling Zhang and the others, for they were confident that Ji Yanlai could handle that person.


    What concerned them was the key information contained in Wei Dong¡¯s words ¨C


    It had been after being chased into the city by those Fangcun soldiers that those pirates had gone crazy.


    ¡°They probably touched something,¡± said Ji Yanlai, gazing at the city in the dark. ¡°If you guys trust me, follow my lead tomorrow, lest you touch anything bewitched unawares.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Of course we trust you, Clan Leader. Thank you in advance. We¡¯ll be relying on you tomorrow.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°You¡¯re here to help me rescue my father, so there¡¯s no need to thank me. In fact, I should thank you, you hypocrite, humph.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a little cough as the others averted their eyes and looked into the sky, pretending not to have heard those words.


    Ji Yanlai, however, continued speaking. ¡°As far as I could tell, you¡¯re already regretting having come here with me and probably have inwardly cursed me scores of even a hundred times. If I don¡¯t do something to make a contribution soon, you¡¯d even hold grudges against me, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows but did not deny that he had inwardly cursed Ji Yanlai. ¡°Your outstanding powers of observation surprises me, Clan Leader.¡±


    The others were baffled as to why Yuwen Tong regretted it. It was true that this island was indeed rather odd and maybe dangerous, but presently all of them were unscathed and there hadn¡¯t been any casualties so far, had there? Besides, it was not like Yuwen Tong to regret having done anything. This was so strange.


    ¡°Did something happen, cousin?¡± Yuwen Jin asked Yuwen Tong in a quiet voice.


    ¡°This is not about your cousin. It¡¯s about your brother-in-law,¡± observed Ji Yanlai, sending all the others dumbfounded. At the word ¡°brother-in-law¡±, Ling Zhang choked on his own saliva and started coughing badly.


    Yuwen Tong hastened to thump him on the back. Ling Maomao hurriedly brought over a canteen and, patting him to help with his breathing, said, ¡°Drink some water, cousin.¡±


    ¡°Please tell us the details, Clan Leader. What happened to Zhang¡¯er?¡± Ling Zhaowu became worried about his son, his face growing grave.


    The others also appeared serious, looking at Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yin sighed, ¡°Clan Leader has nothing to do with it. It¡¯s that palace.¡±


    ¡°The palace?¡± Ling Zhaowu frowned, shifting his gaze to that towering palace in the distance. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Attraction. The palace holds an attraction for us. It¡¯s in our blood,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    Attraction? Many people present couldn¡¯t quite understand. What did this have to do with blood?


    But Ling Zhaowu instantly cottoned on to it, knitting his eyebrows. After a glance at Ling Zhang who was still clearing his throat, he asked Ji Yanlai, ¡°Should we be worried?¡±


    Ji Yanlai shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I could only tell you that I don¡¯t see there¡¯s anything life-threatening lying ahead. The worse-case scenario would be for us to suffer some minor injuries. Nobody¡¯s going to die.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Relax. Since you came here to help me find my father, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep you guys safe and make sure you return home in one piece.¡±


    Ling Zhaowu opened his mouth but closed it again.


    Yuwen Tong had an inscrutable expression on his face. ¡°Your words are very reassuring, Clan Leader.¡±


    Ling Zhang secretly tugged at his sleeve and imperceptibly shook his head.


    Ji Yanlai was not bothered by Yuwen Tong¡¯s remark. ¡°That place holds an attraction for us, but it¡¯s too soon to decide whether there are any dangers in it. Maybe it houses unimaginable benefits. There¡¯s no need to concern yourselves. Seeing as what¡¯s in there drew my father into it and he refuses to leave after such a long time, it¡¯s by no means an ordinary thing.¡±


    ¡°Can you sense anything in it, Uncle?¡± asked Ji Xiaocong.


    Ji Yanlai shook his head, looking at him. ¡°You¡¯re afraid?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong shook his head as well. ¡°I¡¯m not, but I don¡¯t want Brother Maomao to encounter any dangers after going in there with me.¡±


    Ji Yanlai fixed him with a silent gaze.


    The others were also surprised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cong. I can protect myself,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    Ji Yanlai stole a glance at him and then averted his eyes, making no remark.


    Ji Xiaocong withdrew his gaze and looked at Ling Maomao. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll stay close to me, Brother Maomao.¡±


    Ling Maomao looked back at him and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My kung fu is as good as yours. I can keep myself safe, and I can protect you too.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong raised his smiling face. ¡°Okay. Then I promise I¡¯ll stay close to you.¡±


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Ling Zhang took a sip of water and then stood there in perplexity, looking at Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, feeling that something was not quite right.


    At the sight of the bemusement on his face, Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh, wondering why Ling Zhang still couldn¡¯t understand. The expression in Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes when he looked at Ling Maomao was obvious enough. Ling Zhang was probably the only one who still saw the two of them as children.


    ¡­


    Owing to this interlude involving Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, the nervousness in the atmosphere dissolved appreciably.


    But there were also some who were still confused. Yuwen Jin, for example, could make neither head nor tail of the so-called attraction or blood.


    He wanted to ask about it, but Yuwen Tong gave him a warning look and he held back his words, appearing hard done by, feeling distressed because of his unsatisfied curiosity which was churning in him like a cat scratching at his heart frantically.


    It had been an eventful night, and there was only two hours or so before daybreak. After clearing the camp of the dead, they settled themselves on their mats again to rest.


    ¡°How much truth do you think there is in Ji Yanlai¡¯s words?¡± Yuwen Tong asked Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°He has no reason to lie to us. Besides, I¡¯m feeling the same thing. There¡¯s some kind of craving bubbling in my blood. Maybe there¡¯s indeed some good stuff in there.¡±


    Yuwen Tong asked him, ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    If Ling Zhang wanted it, he would get it for Ling Zhang, by hook or by crook.


    Ling Zhang briefly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not short of good stuff. I¡¯ve got everything. What do I need extra good stuff for?¡±


    All he wanted was for him and Yuwen Tong to grow old together.


    Yuwen Tong, however, looked at that palace, a different expression appearing on his face. If there was indeed something good in there, he would do everything he could to help Ling Zhang get his share of it.


    Ling Zhang looked up and frowned slightly as he saw the expression in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes staring at the palace. A vague thought crossed his mind, but he failed to catch it. Still, he subconsciously hoped that Yuwen Tong would not become obsessed with whatever it was that was hidden in the palace.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Stop looking at it.¡± Ling Zhang turned Yuwen Tong¡¯s head back so that they were face to face with each other. He gazed into Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Whatever that thing is, I really don¡¯t care about it. Do you not remember? The objective of this journey of ours is to help Ji Yanlai rescue his father. We do that and then our part as his friends will be done. We¡¯re not here to get that thing.¡±


    The expression in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes flickered and with that he looked down at him. ¡°Take it easy. I understand.¡±


    But Ling Zhang, looking at him, still felt faintly uneasy, his eyebrows contracting in spite of himself.


    Yuwen Tong stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s furrowed forehead to unfurl it. ¡°Stop worrying. We¡¯ll be meeting those people from the Fangcun Kingdom tomorrow. You should get some sleep.¡±

 Chapter 558 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (16): The King of the South Ocean

    Those from the Fangcun Kingdom arrived very early the next morning.


    The King of the South Ocean and his son, along with their guards and some men from that statelet, were all present.


    The king was very tall, but very fat too. He had a conspicuous pot belly, and his face was so heavy that his eyes were barely visible, and they literally turned into two slits whenever he smiled, which forcibly made people wonder whether he could smile and see things at the same time.


    What was more obtrusive than his vastness was his attire. It was yellow in color, had patterns embroidered in gold thread all over it and was adorned with countless small gemstones, which were shining and twinkling so glaringly in sunlight that those looking at him felt their eyes might be rendered sightless.


    Ling Zhang gasped, his eyes stinging as he watched the king heading his way from the distance.


    Previously, when visiting the imperial palace in the capital city of the Great Wen, the King of the South Ocean had always worn his royal robes, which had not been so shiny, but at that time Ling Zhang had heard about what kind of clothes the king preferred to dress himself in when at home. However, during the couple of days of their wedding anniversary celebration, he and Yuwen Tong had both been too occupied to spare any time to find out what kind of clothes the king wore in informal occasions. After the celebration, the King of the South Ocean and his men had taken their leave without delay, and the two of them had never had any chances to see what the king¡¯s tastes in clothes were like.


    And now, with the answer right front of him, Ling Zhang was thankful that he had not gone to check it out at that time, otherwise his eyes would have suffered greatly.


    The others, like Ling Zhang, were also having difficulty keeping their eyes open, their faces wearing rather odd expressions as they saw the fatty in the distance trot towards them enthusiastically the moment he spotted them. The man was so fat that he looked like a giant ball, and the ground seemed to quake slightly every time his foot landed on it. He was not only wobbling alarmingly but also unpleasantly sparkling. What were they supposed to feel about this sight?


    The King of the South Ocean, obvious of the shock he had sent the others into, broke into a trot in enthusiasm as he saw Yuwen Tong in the distance. ¡°Oh! Your Majesty! You¡¯re really here! I didn¡¯t dare believe it when Wei Dong told me he met you and His Highness. It never crossed my mind you¡¯d come to this place. Nothing would¡¯ve stopped me from coming here to pay my respects to you last night had I known about it beforehand,¡± he yelled.


    With that, he reached out a hand to hold Yuwen Tong¡¯s, intending to give him a hearty handshake.


    The corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth twitched and the handshake lasted merely a split instant before he withdrew his hand. Yuwen Tong could barely forbear from wiping his hand. What with the trot, this fatty was sweaty all over, and even his palm was wet with sweat!


    The king, utterly heedless of Yuwen Tong¡¯s lukewarmness, attempted to give Ling Zhang a handshake as well but was stopped by Yuwen Tong.


    Unabashed, the king laughed, ¡°It surprises me Your Majesty are still so possessive of His Highness. I mean, even His Highness having a handshake with someone else would make you jealous. Ha ha ¡­ ¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Why had he not discovered during the celebration that this King of the South Ocean was such a frivolous guy?


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since I bade Your Majesty and Your Highness farewell in the capital city. Alas. It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®A one-day separation from a dear friend feels like three years¡¯. My longing for a reunion with you two has been churning inside me like the billowy sea. It never occurred to me that I would meet you here in this place. This is such a great happiness for me!¡± sighed the king in a touchy-feely voice.


    His tone was so saccharine all the others felt goosebumps. Ling Zhang gave an involuntary shudder. This King of the South Ocean guy really should work on his use of idioms. Had he no shame?


    The corners of Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth twitched again and with that he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to miss us that much, King of the South Ocean. I don¡¯t quite like the idea of a man missing me or my consort.¡±


    The smile on his face totally unaffected, the king said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. It is in a very pure manner that I¡¯ve been missing you and your consort. It means nothing but my highest esteem! But if it unnerves Your Majesty, I¡¯ll bury it in the deep recesses of my mind.¡±


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    The conduct of this King of the South Ocean guy was virtually astounding.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both had complicated expressions on their faces, at a loss as to how to comport themselves next.


    A silvery chuckle was heard. Ji Xiaocong, standing behind Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang with Ling Maomao, snickered.


    Ling Maomao secretly drew Ji Xiaocong behind him as he noticed that the others were looking his way.


    ¡°Oh, this little gentleman has skin like that of a white jade statue ¨C no, like that of an immortal, the likes of which I¡¯ve never seen before. You¡¯re as pretty as the moon,¡± the king exclaimed, looking at Ji Xiaocong with mingled delight and astonishment.


    Ling Maomao scowled at him. Ji Xiaocong standing behind Ling Maomao finally failed to refrain from laughing. ¡°Ha ha ¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Cong.¡± Ling Maomao resignedly turned his head to look at him.


    ¡°His way of speaking is so interesting,¡± chuckled Ji Xiaocong.


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment, my little gentleman,¡± beamed the king.


    The others were somewhat speechless. They would have kicked this guy¡¯s ass if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he, despite his frivolity, had an earnest look in his eyes which had narrowed into two slits for smiling.


    ¡°I have a son about your age. Please allow me to introduce him to you,¡± said the king, still beaming. Then he turned on his heel and called, ¡°Come over here and pay your respects to His Majesty and His Highness, my boy!¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    A green figure emerged from the large crowd of men from the Fangcun Kingdom, so different from the others he was like a crane among chickens ¡­


    The eldest trueborn son of the king, like his father, was also wearing robes studded with glittering gemstones, and they were green in color. The light reflected by them made the others¡¯ faces oddly greenish.


    Also having a big smile on his face, he walked over with an air of warm friendliness. Unlike his father, he was not fat but quite lean, tall and pretty handsome.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Majesty, Your Highness!¡± said the prince, getting on his knees and kowtowing.


    Ling Zhang once again felt his eyes stinging, but he had to maintain a straight face and incline his head. What with his tears that had oozed out due to the glare, he blinked his eyes. Such visual stimuli were unduly intense.


    ¡°What do you think? My son is very like me, right? Handsome and charming. He¡¯s a young version of me,¡± said the king.


    The others nodded embarrassedly. The prince was slender and well-featured, but his father was so fat his features were barely distinguishable. There was a sharp contrast between the two of them. What made the king think he and his son looked alike?


    And this guy dared make pretence to being handsome and charming. Had he no shame?


    ¡°My little gentlemen, this is my son. You three should be of similar age. I think you¡¯ll enjoy each other¡¯s company.¡± The king wasted no time recommending his son to Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong.


    The prince was very enthusiastic and seemed to have a knack for striking up friendships with others. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to meet you guys. I¡¯m Hu Qian. I¡¯m seventeen years and two months old. I¡¯ve just had my rite of passage. What are your names, please?¡±


    Ling Maomao, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Ling Maomao. I¡¯m eighteen.¡±


    With that, as though fearing that Ji Xiaocong would say something, he hastily added, ¡°This is Childe Ji. He¡¯s fourteen.¡±


    ¡°I see. Brother Ling and Brother Ji have amazing temperament, and I¡¯m really impressed. I had no peers to talk with during the journey, and now I finally got myself some company,¡± said the prince.


    Ji Xiaocong couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Just call me Cong.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d better do as you ask instead of standing on ceremony, Cong,¡± said the prince immediately.


    Ling Maomao, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    He imperceptibly edged sideways in an effort to hide Ji Xiaocong more safely.


    The prince, as though not having perceived it, happily started to discuss this island with Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong.


    Having seen what the king and the prince were like, Ling Zhang finally came to understand why Wei Dong had comported himself that way. That guy was a perfect illustration of the saying ¡°A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow¡±!


    ¡°We can dispense with the formalities. Wei Dong said you arrived here a day earlier than us, so I think it¡¯s safe to say you know more about this island than we do. I¡¯d appreciate it if you shared your knowledge of this place with us, King of the South Ocean,¡± Yuwen Tong said to the king who seemed to have inclination to continue exchanging usual pleasantries.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything Your Majesty want to know, all you have to do is ask. I promise I¡¯ll answer your every question with utmost honesty. But I haven¡¯t found the time to have my men search this city either. You might not know about this ¨C we encountered some cannibals and a band of pirates halfway to this place, and the night before last we lost a lot of men in a fight with those maniacs. We haven¡¯t made any progress yet, but my men are already exhausted,¡± said the king, his face crumpling up.


    On the surface he seemed frank, but in fact he was keeping something back.


    The others were rendered speechless at the sight of the king¡¯s facial expression, feeling that this guy was pretty cunning, that his answer was much less honest than the one given by Wei Dong the night before.


    However, Yuwen Tong was no pushover. The King of the South Ocean wouldn¡¯t be able to palm him off with such excuses.


    ¡°I heard that you brought an astrologist with you. He¡¯s helped you figure out what kind of good stuff is hidden in this city, I suppose?¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    The king smiled, ¡°Your Majesty are as well-informed as always. May I present my astrologist?¡±


    He turned his head and summoned the astrologist who then stepped out of the crowd. All the others, slightly scarred by the two previous experiences, subconsciously narrowed their eyes for fear of having their eyes blinded once again.


    But the next moment, they saw that out of the crowd walked a geriatric wearing sumptuous, wide-sleeved robes. He was dressed entirely in white. Not only his robes but also his hair and beard were white. He was squinting, presumably because of his poor eyesight.


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to kneel before you, Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡± The astrologist came forward and paid his respects to the imperial couple. He was a little tremulous when dropping to his knees, which indicated that he was indeed of advanced years.


    Yuwen Jin on the side walked up to him and supported him to his feet. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re that astrologist, old man. I heard you know how to interpret the patterns formed by stars, that you helped the fleet navigate out of the fog bank, cracking that spooky misdirection Formation, which was fairly impressive. Can you really read the signs of the sky? How did you see the stars in that dense mist?¡±


    Yuwen Jin finished these words in one breath. Though his tone was a little presumptuous, he asked all the questions that the others had about this astrologist.


    The astrologist quietly listened as he spoke. It was after Yuwen Jin stopped talking that he beamed, ¡°You¡¯re of great presence and imposing mien, General. I am indeed an astrologist, but my eyesight is not much better than that of a blind person. I couldn¡¯t even see stars clearly when the visibility is excellent, not to mention in fog. Reading the signs of the sky is a task far beyond my capabilities now. That day I just looked up into the sky with my eyes barely open and then randomly pointed in a direction, which later turned out to be a lucky guess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not telling the truth.¡± Yuwen Jin did not believe him.


    ¡°Ha ha. I am, General. I really did nothing more than toss a casual glance at the sky. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may ask ¡­ ¡± The old man turned his head around with the intention to have the king testify for him, and his narrowed eyes searched the crowd for the King of the South Ocean. As he caught sight of Ji Yanlai standing beside Ling Zhang, his glazed eyes abruptly widened and became piercing. ¡°You¨CYou¡¯re ¡­ ¡±

 Chapter 559 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (17): Kidult

    Translator: DragonRider


    ¡°Stop stuttering and finish your sentence,¡± said Yuwen Jin on the side. As he noticed that the old man was gaping at Ji Yanlai, his eyes roved and he added, ¡°You see? This is our astrologist. He¡¯s a real professional. He pointed us in the right direction without even glancing at the stars. That means he¡¯s better than you, right?¡±


    Yuwen Jin had some time ago perceived that there was something unusual about Ji Yanlai, and he knew Ji Yanlai must be from uncommon background, but Yuwen Tong and the others refused to disclose any details about it, so Yuwen Jin pretended not to notice and had not asked any questions about it. And now, since this geriatric was so surprised to see Ji Yanlai, Yuwen Jin decided to use Ji Yanlai to sound the old man out.


    Unexpectedly, the old man was not angry at all. On the contrary, he instantly adopted a respectful attitude and, bowing slightly, said, ¡°Yes, yes, of course. This gentleman is no doubt better than me. I cannot hold a candle to him. By comparing me to this master, you¡¯re giving me credit I don¡¯t deserve, General.¡±


    Yuwen Jin, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    This was weird. Why did this old man give in so easily?


    Ling Zhang and the others also looked at the old man, and even the King of the South Ocean was somewhat astonished, as though not having bargained on the old man being so humble in front of Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yanlai, who was now the focus of attention, looked at the old man placidly. It was a few moments before he said, ¡°So you¡¯re a descendant of a stargazer who migrated east in earlier times.¡±


    The astrologist bowed lower. ¡°So you¡¯ve come to know my origins. I¡¯m sorry for my ancestors¡¯ deeds.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to hold you responsible for what happened in the past, and there¡¯s no need for you to feel ashamed. I came to this island for something important. If you have any useful information, tell us right away. I don¡¯t have time for such hypocritical exchange of courtesies.¡±


    Ji Yanlai put it bluntly, but the astrologist did not dare contradict him. After a glance at the king, he said to Ji Yanlai, ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t know much about it either. All Wei Dong told you last night was true. This is our first time traveling through the city to this side.¡±


    ¡°You should have got some information from those pirates you encountered, seeing as you have a guide who¡¯s a native of that mini-state near the South Ocean,¡± said Ji Yanlai, looking at him.


    The astrologist surreptitiously raised his head and stole a glance at Ji Yanlai but promptly lowered his head again as his eyes met Ji Yanlai¡¯s. ¡°We did captured a couple of pirates, but they didn¡¯t provide much useful information. In fact, the only useful message we got from them is that the palace in the center of this city is very dangerous. They said that there¡¯re monsters in there that eat people, that anybody who ventures into it will end up being eaten. They would rather die than go to that palace. We wanted them to lead the way for us, but they wouldn¡¯t budge an inch, so we had to kill them eventually.¡±


    The others frowned slightly at these words. They were dead?


    At this time, the king came to realize something. Having observed that the astrologist was very respectful to Ji Yanlai, he asked tentatively, ¡°May I ask who this gentleman is?¡±


    Yuwen Tong slightly shook his head at him, unwilling to give an answer to the question.


    The king briefly narrowed his eyes, which then quickly roved for a moment, and then he immediately changed his attitude and said, ¡°Our astrologist is telling the truth. Our original plan was to enter the city yesterday afternoon, but those pirates refused to be cooperative and scared my men with those absurd, exaggerated stories, which was why we had to delay it until today.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a thoughtful look on his face. It seemed that those captured pirates had died pretty violent deaths, and that was why the Fangcun soldiers were having misgivings about going to the palace.


    What did the midmost palace house exactly? Why had those pirates been that afraid?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t some pirates flee into the city? Why were they unafraid?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of the King of the South Ocean.


    The king replied shamefacedly, ¡°Actually, those people didn¡¯t flee into the city. We forced them into it. Those pirates were captured by my men. No matter how hard we tired to scare them into entering the city, they refused to be budged. It was after we killed some of them that the rest got frightened and followed the orders. I did that only because their attitude struck me as very strange. I felt that the palace was not the only place they were afraid of. They seemed to be frightened of entering the city. Alas. I only did what I had to do.¡±


    The others¡¯ countenance remained unchanged. They all knew better than to believe the king¡¯s claim that he had only done what he had had to do.


    ¡°And then?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Maybe because he had been affected by the astrologist¡¯s attitude, the king was very cooperative this time, answering every question he was asked. ¡°And then we heard noises coming from this place. At that time we didn¡¯t know that those pirates were already dead. It was after Wei Dong told me about it that I came to know they had died. If only Your Majesty had taken a couple of them prisoner. Now we have no way to find any clues.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°We killed them because they had all lost their minds.¡±


    The king was shocked. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? They were fine when entering the city.¡±


    ¡°When did they enter the city?¡±


    The king told him. Yuwen Tong looked at those beside him.


    All the others¡¯ faces changed slightly. When they had encountered the band of pirates, the latter had been in the city for only two hours, but all of them had gone crazy already.


    ¡°Wait. Your Majesty, are you saying that those pirates went crazy after being in the city for merely two hours?¡± asked the king.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± replied Yuwen Tong.


    The king swiveled his head around to look at the men he had brought with him. ¡°But I led them through the city, and we didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness. This place is so dangerous,¡± exclaimed the prince, seeming to be scared by the thought of what could have happened to them during the trip they had just made.


    ¡°You traveled through the city without pausing?¡± Ji Xiaocong asked him.


    The prince immediately answered with a smile, ¡°Yeah. Our astrologist led the way for us. It was a safe trip.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong gave an ¡°Oh¡± of dawning comprehension before he shifted his gaze to the astrologist.


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    The king did not seem to feel that his son had let slip anything. ¡°Indeed. Our astrologist is quite capable,¡± he said.


    But the astrologist said, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve such compliment, I¡¯m afraid. There¡¯s a real master here, and I don¡¯t dare make pretence to being an expert.¡±


    The others¡¯ eyes immediately moved to Ji Yanlai.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would seem those pirates, who had no guide, went somewhere they were not supposed to go after entering the city.¡±


    Ling Zhang and the others, having seen what the band of crazy pirates and those eccentric men had been like, all looked at Wei Dong behind the king after hearing these words.


    ¡°Did Wei Dong have a guide as well after he entered the city last night?¡±


    Wei Dong was taken aback as he noticed all the others look at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I just heard some noises and then spotted those freaks. I followed them all the way to your camp. On my way back, I was anxious to deliver His Majesty¡¯s message to our king, so I didn¡¯t wander around ¡­ My goodness. Does this mean I escaped death unawares?¡±


    ¡°Did you approach the palace in the center?¡±


    Wei Dong thought back for a moment. ¡°No. I heard some noises the moment I entered the city. At first I thought it was those pirates, but then I found that it was that band of maniacs. They were heading in this direction. My lightness skills are not bad and I believed that I would be able to escape if things went south, so I shadowed them here to take a look. On my way back I took a shortcut, which was why I did not get close to that palace. Are you saying that there¡¯s something fishy about that palace?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but we¡¯ll find out when we get there,¡± said Ji Yanlai, becoming somewhat impatient. ¡°There¡¯s no point wasting time in this place. Let¡¯s go there directly and take a look. I¡¯ll give you guys a heads-up if there¡¯s danger coming.¡±


    Ling Zhang and the others were here to help Ji Yanlai rescue his father. Despite those remarks Ji Yanlai had made last night, their objective was still unchanged and very clear.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go there together, all of us,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡­


    That lofty palace appeared less spooky during daytime than it did at night, but as they approached it, Ling Zhang still felt somewhat uncomfortable. It was as if something in his blood was being summoned, rendering him faintly restless and uneasy. He had no choice but to secretly mobilize his internal energy to suppress these negative emotions and keep his cool.


    Yuwen Tong, who was very observant, immediately turned his head to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re feeling uncomfortable?¡±


    Ling Zhang, not inclined to worry him, shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just heightening my five senses so that I can sense approaching danger in time.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a special pedigree, and the internal-energy cultivation method he had adopted could help enhance the Force of Blood in him. Whenever he mobilized his internal energy, his five senses would be heightened, and the Force of Blood in him would naturally be enhanced as well. Yuwen Tong knew about this, so he nodded. ¡°You must tell me if you don¡¯t feel well.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    They gradually approached the palace. When they entered the last area, Ling Zhang perceptively sensed the wind was changing direction, that the sky instantly became leaden, and there was a peculiar, nauseous smell in the air.


    Before he could say anything, Ji Yanlai cautioned, ¡°Wait. Everybody stop.¡±


    The others looked at him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a large-scale Formation in this place. I think it¡¯s an Illusion Formation,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    An Illusion Formation?


    ¡°There¡¯s something queer about the wind, the smell and the sky,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°This is an Illusion Formation meant to hoodwink intruders. Even I nearly fell prey to it ¡­ ¡±


    Ji Yanlai frowned, and so did Ling Zhang and all the others. Barely any large-scale Formations could stay unchanged after so many years like the one consisting of stone statues outside the city. An Illusion Formation, in particular, required frequent maintenance. In other words, this Illusion Formation had been deployed not long ago.


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s father was probably the only person on this island who was capable of deploying a Formation which Ling Zhang and Ji Yanlai could not detect until they approached it.


    Ji Yanlai appeared grave. ¡°You guys stay put.¡±


    Then he instructed the couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion, ¡°Undo this Formation.¡±


    Ji Yin joined them. The elders, all of whom were Formation masters, quickly scattered with the guards of the Millennium Pavilion.


    ¡°Will we be able to undo this Formation?¡± Ling Zhang was somewhat apprehensive.


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°This Formation is not flawless. Otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have detected its existence immediately after entering it. There is a way out.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang gave it some thought. ¡°Maybe the one who deployed this Formation predicted who would come here.¡±


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s countenance which had been calm all along changed briefly and with that he sighed, ¡°I wonder why the hell he made so much trouble for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang teased him, ¡°This at least means he¡¯s not in danger, that you don¡¯t have to worry too much about him.¡±


    Ji Yanlai shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not his safety that I¡¯m worried about. What worries me is that the mess he left behind might be too much for me to clean up.¡±


    Ling Zhang kept having this feeling that the father-son relations between Ji Yanlai and his old man seemed to be different from what he had imagined, or different from common father-son relations.


    ¡°My father is a kidult. You¡¯ll see when you meet him,¡± said Ji Yanlai somewhat resignedly, as though knowing what Ling Zhang was thinking about.


    A kidult? Ling Zhang blinked his eyes. ¡°Tha¨CThat doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±


    Ji Yanlai flicked him an odd glance. ¡°You¡¯re too young.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±

 Chapter 560 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (18): Was It a Curse or a Paradise?

    560. Spin-Off ¨C A Journey to the South Ocean (18): Was It a Curse or a Paradise?


    Ji Yanlai did not seem to be many years his senior ¡­ Well, actually he was. Ling Zhang had almost forgotten that Ji Yanlai was about Yuwen Tong¡¯s age, though he did not know for sure which one of them was older. It was because of Ji Yanlai¡¯s powerful internal energy that he appeared so young. Previously, when Ji Xiaocong and Ji Yanlai had stood together, people could tell that they were uncle and nephew, but now the two of them looked like brothers ¡­


    Ji Yanlai was unwilling to continue talking about his father. It seemed that his father¡¯s actions were giving him headaches. Ling Zhang, however, was becoming more and more curious about this former clan leader whom he had only heard some rumors about.


    The couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion were handling the matter with high efficiency. After less than an hour, they undid the Formation.


    The moment the Formation was undone, what had been hidden behind it was revealed.


    Dead bodies were strewn higgledy-piggledy over the whole area. The carpet of corpses covered the streets, the corridors and stretched all the way to the palace in the center which was the highest building in the city.


    These dead bodies were the very source of the rank odor Ling Zhang and the others were smelling.


    However, the odor was mixed with a peculiar fragrance, which was why it smelled so weird ¡­


    Ling Zhang and some others had psyched themselves up for this, so they were not surprised. But those blindsided by the combination of the sight of these dead bodies and the funky odor were on the verge of vomiting. Some directly threw up.


    ¡°Wha¨CWhat¡¯s going on?¡± The King of the South Ocean almost fainted for the pungent foul smell.


    ¡°This fragrance ¡­ ¡± Ji Yanlai¡¯s eyes suddenly became wary.


    ¡°Clan Leader!¡± called Ji Yin, emerging from around a corner. ¡°There¡¯s a whole Soul-Devouring Tree here.¡±


    ¡°I knew it,¡± muttered Ji Yanlai coldly.


    A Soul-Devouring Tree? Ling Zhang had never heard of this kind of thing before. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A tree that emits a hallucinogenic fragrance which can cause people to lose their minds. They became extinct a very long time ago, leaving only some items made of wood from their trunks, which are normally used as tools for mind control. In the Xia Dynasty, an evil warlock once used a statue of Buddha made of that kind of wood to manipulate Buddhists. He controlled over a thousand people¡¯s minds with that statue, reducing them to his marionettes, and did a lot of inhumane things,¡± replied Ji Yanlai.


    A mere tool made of wood from a Soul-Devouring Tree could be used to control that many people¡¯s minds, and in this place, there was a whole tree ¡­


    Ling Zhang felt that he was in over his head.


    ¡°Can it be destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We can just burn it.¡±


    Ji Yanlai looked at Ji Yin, who said, ¡°This way.¡±


    Following in Ji Yin¡¯s wake, they weaved their way through dead bodies strewn across the ground to an open space on the other side, in the middle of which was a well beside which was a tree that seemed to have long since died. The tree had only its trunk left, looking bare and inconspicuous, but they smelled a bizarre scent emanating from it at their approach.


    Ling Zhang took Yuwen Tong by the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer to it.¡±


    They had brought flints with them. Yuwen Tong gave the order for the tree to be burnt. Not until flames shot up the trunk did Ling Zhang feel relieved.


    ¡°Every one of us inhaled a certain amount of that scent. Will anything happen to us?¡± Ling Zhang asked Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°No, because we didn¡¯t inhale much. In order for the scent to produce the desired effect, you have to either perform certain kind of mind-control on those smelling the scent or have them keep inhaling it for a long time. It works in the same way as this Illusion Formation ¨C people trapped in it for too long lose their minds,¡± responded Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°So this scent was the very thing that caused those pirates and those demented men to hallucinate and eventually go crazy?¡±


    Ji Yanlai inclined his head.


    Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong, who said to Ji Yanlai, ¡°There are dead bodies in almost every house in this city. All of them seem to have inhaled this kind of hallucinogenic scent before death. But how come those people died indoors while these people died in this place? And some of them even made it out of this Formation to kill people?¡±


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Ji Yanlai inexplicably looked at him. ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Ji Yanlai continued, ¡°Anyway, the source of the scent has now been burnt. I was not here to see how it happened at that time. I only know a little bit more about it than you guys do. I¡¯m not really an omniscient immortal being.¡±


    ¡®If you say so,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong resignedly.


    The corpses had been gathered and piled up in a corner. They had wanted to burn the bodies, but there were too many of them, and it would take a very long time to burn them all, so eventually they decided to leave them be.


    All the soldiers assigned to gather the corpses had covered their mouths and noses with cloth, but they still vomited violently after the job was done.


    Yuwen Tong looked in the direction of the palace and then decided to give his men a break. ¡°I want all of you to stand guard outside this palace lest anybody else intrude into it. And send some men to the ships to get some food supplies back here, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± answered the officer ordered to stay, who soon made arrangements for fortifications to be built on the perimeter, and for some men to return to the ships to get more food supplies.


    ¡°The others are to follow me,¡± commanded Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Jin said, ¡°Cousin, this palace looks huge. There might be another entrance. Do you want me to take some men and check?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°No. That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°Judging from its structure, I think this building is a shrine for sacrificial offerings,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°Hey, look. Is it just me or are there really some things in the palace gates?¡± the King of the South Ocean suddenly said, pointing in the direction of the palace gates at the top of the steps.


    The others turned to look where he was staring. The pair of giant palace gates were tightly shut.


    As chance would have it, the sun was slanting onto the palace gates, in which some things were reflecting it.


    ¡°They seem to be shining ¡­ Wait. Do you think they are gemstones? Like those mounted in the city gates?¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Gemstones? What gemstone?¡± The king and his men were baffled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see them?¡± Yuwen Tong and the others looked at him.


    The king and his men, perplexed, all shook their heads.


    The astrologist asked, ¡°You mean the city gates?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, city gates,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Sire, didn¡¯t we see that the gates had been detached from the walls when we entered the city? You said the pock-marked gates looked very ugly,¡± the astrologist said to the king.


    The king, having recalled it, said, ¡°Yeah, yeah, but there were no gemstones in the gates.¡±


    On hearing that the gates had been detached from the walls and were pock-marked, Ling Zhang and the others immediately came to realize that the gemstones had been extracted.


    ¡°So there¡¯s nothing fishy about the city gates we saw. It¡¯s just nobody had passed them before us,¡± mused Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Nobody apart from us has ever found them in the past two years?¡± asked someone standing on the side incredulously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask those pirates why they¡¯ve been so unprofessional in their treasure hunt,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    The others lapsed into silence.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and check those palace gates.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± The king stopped them. ¡°The pirates said there¡¯re monsters in there which eat people, remember? I don¡¯t quite believe the story either, but you can¡¯t be too careful.¡±


    ¡°I think they were just hallucinating,¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    ¡°Still, it does no harm to be extra careful,¡± said Ling Zhang. ¡°I¡¯ll go. You guys may stay behind me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong held his wrist. ¡°No.¡±


    At this time Ji Yanlai walked up the steps. ¡°You¡¯re wasting time. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Ling Zhang flushed slightly, casting a reproachful glance at Yuwen Tong, who was unswayed and refused to release Ling Zhang¡¯s hand, appearing somewhat serious.


    Ling Zhang looked at him and said, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stay. Let go of me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong didn¡¯t slacken his grip. ¡°You¡¯ve been so disobedient lately, wandering around whenever I¡¯m not keeping an eye on you.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    He tossed Yuwen Tong another glance, feeling that Yuwen Tong was behaving a little weirdly. Disobedient? He was not a child.


    But since Yuwen Tong refused to let him go, he could do nothing about it and just let Yuwen Tong continue holding his hand.


    After Ji Yanlai walked up the steps, the elders and guards of the Millennium Pavilion all followed in his wake, and so did Ji Yin.


    Ling Zhang kept motioning Yuwen Tong to go up there, but the latter wouldn¡¯t budge. With his hand grasped by Yuwen Tong, he couldn¡¯t go anywhere.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were behind the two of them. Seeing that the two of them were standing still, Ling Maomao asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, cousin?¡±


    Ling Zhang swiveled his head around and smiled, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Ling Zhang secretly tugged at Yuwen Tong¡¯s sleeve, but Yuwen Tong merely edged an inch forward and then stopped.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Cousin, we¡¯re going up there.¡± Ling Maomao had no idea what was going on between the two. Suspecting that they were having some kind of disagreement again, not daring antagonize either of them further, he hastened to lead Ji Xiaocong around them and up the steps.


    Looking resignedly at Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang asked him in a quiet voice, ¡°Are you still mad?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°No.¡±


    But the lines on his lower jaw were a little tight.


    Ling Zhang felt a little guilty at the sight of this, wondering if it was because he had been too impulsive that Yuwen Tong was angry. But it struck him that there had been nothing wrong with his conduct just now. He wanted to go up there to check because he really believed he could handle it. Now Ji Yanlai and his men were all standing in front of the gates. Even the king and the prince were ascending the steps, heading for the gates.


    ¡°The gates can be pushed open. Step back a little, all of you. Do not get too close,¡± said Ji Yanlai, standing at the top of the steps.


    All the others backed away a few paces and with that Ji Yanlai pushed the palace gates open.


    The gates were opened with a high-pitched creak. The space inside seemed to be cavernous, given the loud echoes.


    However, nothing happened. When both of the gates were wide open, there was still no people-eating monster coming out.


    ¡°It¡¯s very dark in there. Light the torches,¡± said Ji Yanlai.


    Yuwen Jin had some torches lit before leading a team of men into the palace.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here!¡± yelled Yuwen Jin, now at the far end of the hall.


    His voice echoed loudly.


    It was after the others in the gateway filed into the palace as well that Yuwen Tong moved, still holding Ling Zhang¡¯s wrist. Ling Zhang had no choice but to walk side by side with him.


    At the sight of them walking inside hand in hand, the prince standing beside a gate smiled at them, ¡°You¡¯re so happily married, Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled apprehensively, but a faint flush spread over his ears. He was rather embarrassed, feeling teased by a youngster.


    Yuwen Tong, however, was quite composed, as though the prince weren¡¯t there.


    The prince did not take offence. With a nonchalant smile, he trotted in Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong¡¯s direction.


    Ling Zhang, looking left and right, discovered that the dome of this palace was very high. There was no skylight in it to let sunlight in, so they could not see what it was like up there. The palace was quite spacious, but it was empty except for four pillars and some fragments of wooden furnishings on the ground. Even the walls were empty. There was no mural or anything like that.


    But from the walls and the pillars hung some lamps which were no longer fit to burn. Yuwen Jin and the others removed the lamps and positioned their lighted torches in the lamp holders instead, which illuminated the palace.


    Ling Zhang looked around him and was astonished by the emptiness of this place.


    ¡°Here!¡± came Yuwen Jin¡¯s yell from behind an enormous stone screen covered with sculpted reliefs.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked around the screen and were greeted by an even more commodious hall, which was not empty but had a gigantic gold chair decorated in relief. The back of the chair bore a totemic pattern of a phoenix flying above flames, presumably one that had just been reborn from the ashes.


    And then they noticed the floor, which was very smooth and looked like transparent crystal. Beneath the crystal surface was a carpet of red gemstones, some of which were a different shade of red and formed a huge pattern of a fiery phoenix. After Yuwen Jin and some others inserted their torches in the lamp holders, torchlight was shed over the floor, making it seem as though it were burning, which was a breathtakingly magnificent sight.


    ¡°Are th¨Cthese real gemstones?¡± The king stood transfixed with shock. Too plump to stoop down to get a closer look, he directly sat on the floor, staring in awe.


    Not only him but also all the others were flabbergasted, unable to speak.


    ¡°This pattern depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes,¡± said Ji Yanlai, scrutinizing the floor.


    It was a long moment before the others came to themselves. Ling Zhang raised his head and said to Ji Yanlai, ¡°You said this is a shrine for sacrificial offerings. Was it phoenixes that this place was dedicated to, by any chance?¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡°At least it has something to do with that.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heartbeat quickened somewhat. He and Ji Yanlai both knew very well what a phoenix meant to them, and this place, curiously enough, somehow seemed to be a shrine dedicated to phoenixes ¡­


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s countenance was no more relaxed than Ling Zhang¡¯s, and there was a slight frown on his brow. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ling Zhang was confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re not feeling restless?¡± Ji Yanlai looked at him surprisedly.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°I¡¯ve been circulating my internal energy and inwardly reciting the cultivation method all along. Right now I feel fine, except for that my heartbeat is slightly quicker than usual.¡±


    Ji Yanlai said, ¡± ¡­ That¡¯s smart. I¡¯m not feeling very well either, and my temper seems to have become much shorter too.¡±


    That was why Ji Yanlai, who had been quite composed during the journey, had appeared progressively impatient as they had approached this shrine.


    ¡°We should be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt Yuwen Tong¡¯s hold on his hand tighten somewhat.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mural here, and words too!¡± yelled Ling Maomao, who was standing in front of a wall on the right side with Ji Xiaocong.


    ¡°Same here!¡± cried Wei Dong before the opposite wall.


    Both walls bore huge carved murals, but they were quite monotonous, for their subjects were still phoenixes.


    The only part that made them somewhat different was that there was a line of words engraved beside the mural on either wall, which were in a language that was unfamiliar to Ling Zhang. ¡°Do any of you know what language this is?¡±


    Ji Yanlai walked up, took a look and then said, ¡°It¡¯s a written language peculiar to a microstate which existed before the Xia Dynasty.¡±


    ¡°You know what these words mean?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    ¡°¡®This palace belongs to a phoenix, a sacred beast. Mortals that enter without permission will be cursed¡¯,¡± replied Ji Yanlai slowly.

 Chapter 561 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (19): A Subterranean Palace

    Everybody else was astonished at these words and shifted his gaze to Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the words engraved beside the mural mean,¡± explained Ji Yanlai.


    Curse? A phoenix¡¯s palace?


    The word ¡°cursed¡± made Ling Zhang feel rather uncomfortable.


    ¡°What about these words?¡± inquired Wei Dong aloud.


    Ji Yanlai walked up to him, glanced at the words and then a hint of surprise appeared on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ling Zhang, drawing Yuwen Tong towards that wall.


    ¡°The meaning of these words is different from that of those on the other wall,¡± responded Ji Yanlai, a faintly grave expression in his eyes. ¡°These words mean ¡®This is a paradise left by a sacred beast. Anybody that gains entry into this place will get all they want.''¡±


    Ji Yanlai¡¯s voice was not loud, but everybody heard him.


    Yuwen Jin was the first to voice doubts. ¡°What the hell was whoever left these words trying to say?¡±


    The two lines of words conveyed two different meanings, which struck people present as bewildering.


    ¡°Look. The eyes of the two phoenixes in the murals are different too,¡± said Ji Xiaocong.


    The others walked over, checked the murals and found that the phoenix beside the words about a curse had ferocious eyes. It was flying above flames, its fierce eyes staring at the people looking at the mural. Though it was just a pattern, people present still found it intimidating and somewhat terrifying as they met its eyes.


    The phoenix in the other mural seemed to be flying in a relatively relaxed and leisurely manner, and its eyes were equable too, which were watching those standing in front of the wall with a seemingly loving air.


    ¡°This is weird. Their meanings are entirely different.¡± The King of the South Ocean wiped the sweat off his forehead. As a fatty, he had indeed had a hard job to get a clearer view of the gemstones beneath his feet.


    ¡°There are stairs here, Father. Sit and have some rest.¡± The prince supported him to a flight of stairs and sat him on the bottom step. For some unknown reason, neither the king nor the prince dared to sit in the gold chair at the head of the stairs. Though a king, he felt that it would be a little pretentious for him to sit there, so he had no alternative but to perch on the stairs.


    The others did not feel that there was anything wrong with this action of his. Even Ling Zhang, when looking at the gold chair high up at the head of the stairs, had an odd feeling that he was unworthy of that seat. He wondered if it was because of the atmosphere created in this palace, seeing as he and Yuwen Tong had sat in all kinds of high seats.


    ¡°Have any of you noticed that the statement on this side says this place is a phoenix¡¯s shrine, while the other says this is a paradise left by a phoenix? Speaking of a shrine, I think this does constitute one, but what about ¡®paradise¡¯? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± said the king after wiping his sweat away.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°The monarch of that mini-state near the South Ocean specially assigned someone to be your guide. He didn¡¯t tell you anything in this regard?¡±


    The king, who had not bargained on Yuwen Tong suddenly asking him this question, paused briefly and then smiled a faintly embarrassed smile. ¡°He just told me that there¡¯s something precious in this city, something that can prolong life. I don¡¯t quite believe it, but he does, very much. Look, the guide he assigned me is right here. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask him.¡±


    The man sent here by the monarch of that statelet was his henchman, short and swarthier than anybody else present, wearing court robes. Along with the team of men he was heading, he had been staying with the King of the South Ocean and the others all along. During this trip, he had barely talked with anybody apart from the king¡¯s men.


    Right now he was somewhat astonished to hear the king call his name, presumably because it had never occurred to him that the king would disclose what they were looking for just like that. He looked faintly unhappy, but he had only a small number of men at his service, and the air about Yuwen Tong and the others were quite intimidating, so, though unwilling, he still stepped out of the crowd and attested the king¡¯s words eventually.


    ¡°Something that can prolong life? He really believes such things exist?¡± said Yuwen Jin.


    The king said, ¡°Well, the country he rules is a small one. Besides, who can resist the temptation of something conducive to longevity, if such a thing does exist?¡±


    The king¡¯s way of speaking was also fairly interesting ¨C it was quite straightforward.


    ¡°Does this strike you as a place where that kind of things exist?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    The king replied, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what confounds me. I mean, even if there¡¯s nothing that can lengthen life in this place, we should have found something else, because after all, this is a shrine.¡±


    ¡°This so-called shrine was built by humans, and phoenixes were sacred beasts with unmatched powers. How is it possible that one of them used to inhabit this place? Those words engraved on the walls are in a language spoken in a statelet that fell before the start of the Xia Dynasty, and phoenixes became mythical long before that. There¡¯s no way any of those people saw a real phoenix. Some Formations were deployed here during the building of this shrine, but those who built this place were smarter than most builders, and they made those Formations barely perceptible. On top of that, they also created a mysterious atmosphere, which is why people find this place awe-inspiring after entering,¡± Ji Yanlai suddenly said.


    It was uncharacteristic of him to say so many words in one breath. Seeing that Ji Yanlai appeared to have regained his composure, Ling Zhang gathered that Ji Yanlai had been using his internal energy to suppress his anxiety as well.


    The restlessness that seemed to have something to do with his blood was an irrefutable proof. Although this place had never been inhabited by a real phoenix, there was undoubtedly something else in here.


    Therefore, the hidden Formations were not the only cause of what they were feeling.


    Ji Yanlai was just trying to soothe the others. Except for the king, all the others began to show signs of impatience as well, which indicated that they were, to a greater or lesser degree, being affected.


    ¡°Cong, play a tune for us,¡± Ji Yanlai suddenly added.


    The others were baffled, but Ji Xiaocong, smiling, had produced a flute and started playing.


    The sound of the flute was silvery, the tune refreshing and slow. As it resounded through this shrine, a subtle and seemingly magical air spread, dissolving the subdued atmosphere in this place, clearing the minds of people inside.


    They felt the faint impatience in them ebbing away, and their faces grew much more relaxed.


    Ling Zhang looked at Ji Xiaocong, astonished by this skill of his. No wonder he was the heir of the leader of the Millennium Pavilion. It was amazing that he, at an early age, had developed such power of soothing people. Ling Zhang remembered his grandfather saying Ji Xiaocong had very strong Force of Blood as well.


    Thanks to the tune, everybody was much calmer. The king applauded. ¡°That was really good, Childe Ji.¡±


    He did not notice any changes in the ambience and just felt that Ji Xiaocong played the tune with great skill.


    Ling Zhang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, and it was only then that he perceived that Yuwen Tong had loosened his grip on his wrist. Though still holding it, he was not exerting as much strength as he had been a moment ago.


    Ling Zhang was surprised. He had not thought of this question until now ¨C what if Yuwen Tong¡¯s mood was being affected as well?


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you experiencing any discomfort? Emotionally, I mean,¡± Ling Zhang immediately inquired of him.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    With that he added, ¡°Ji Xiaocong¡¯s a pretty good flute player.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Just now I didn¡¯t notice it. If you feel that anything affects your mind, you must tell me.¡±


    After giving it some thought, he continued, ¡°Now that there¡¯s nothing here, we should get out of this place.¡±


    ¡°Hey, guys, there¡¯s a passage here!¡± At this time, Yuwen Jin¡¯s voice came from behind the tall staircase.


    The others saw him emerge from behind the staircase and call to them, pointing somewhere behind it.


    When the others had been observing this hall and the murals, Yuwen Jin had taken some men with torches to search the other side, where he had found the passageway behind.


    Ling Zhang had originally wanted Yuwen Tong to leave this place, but now he had no choice but to follow the others to take a look.


    The so-called passage was actually a corridor.


    The corridor was behind a door, which had now been opened. Also, daylight was pouring in, to which their eyes were not yet accustomed.


    However, though there was light here, they could only see the patch of sky overhead in this narrow, patio-like place, what with the high dome. They wouldn¡¯t be able to see the sun unless it moved to the middle of the patch of visible sky, and the light coming in was limited too.


    Opposite the corridor was another staircase which went down beneath the ground and ended with a pair of big gates, which were tightly shut and seemed to be the entrance to somewhere.


    ¡°Wow. Could it be a treasure house?¡± said the king.


    ¡°We need to be cautious, Sire. It could be a treasure house, but it could also be dangerous,¡± cautioned the astrologist beside the king involuntarily.


    ¡°Should we go down there to find out?¡± asked Yuwen Jin.


    They stood at the top of the staircase in the corridor, looking down at the gates. It was rather dim down there. There was a lampstand on either side of the gates. Yuwen Jin had two torches placed in the lampstands, the light of which enabled them to see the gates more clearly.


    ¡°This building is so weird. Why are these stairs leading underground?¡± said Yuwen Jin, confused.


    ¡°It looks like a subterranean palace,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°The gates are unlocked.¡± The two guards who had just positioned the torches tried pushing the gates, found them unlatched and heavily pushed them open only to see a shadowy figure flash out of view. Taken aback, the guards demanded, ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    Someone was in there?


    Ling Zhang and the others hurried down the stairs and through the gates, but there was nobody in sight.


    ¡°Just now a black shape flashed past us. It was too quick for us to see their face,¡± said one of the guards.


    Ji Yanlai frowned momentarily before he took the torch from a guard¡¯s hand and walked into the dark.


    The couple of elders hastily followed in his wake.


    ¡°It might be our former clan leader,¡± said Ji Yin, following Ji Yanlai as well.


    The former clan leader? Ji Yanlai¡¯s father?


    Seeing that his grandfather had entered, Ling Zhang was just about to follow when he, recalling that Yuwen Tong was beside him, restrained himself with enormous difficulty and turned aside to look at him. ¡°Do you think we should go in?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Yeah. We need to find out what¡¯s in there. We¡¯ve gone this far.¡±


    Ling Zhang, eyes on him, appeared bemused. Yuwen Tong had said differently when they had been outside this place.


    They all entered the underground space, which was indeed a subterranean palace. On entering it, they were greeted by what seemed to be an entryway, which was very broad and flanked by two passageways along which flaming torches were positioned at intervals, but the depths of which were pitch-dark.


    Ji Yanlai and his men had taken the right one, so Ling Zhang and the others followed suit.


    He was more disposed to trust Ji Yanlai¡¯s instincts than he was to wander around aimlessly. Besides, he himself also found that the passageway to his right appealed to him more.


    However, the passageway was surprisingly long. By now they had trooped along it for quite a while and taken several turns, but there was still no sign of the end of it.


    Ling Zhang came to a halt. ¡°Wait a moment. Don¡¯t you think this passage is too long?¡±


    But Ji Yanlai and the others walking in front of them made no reply and just kept progressing.


    Ling Zhang was astonished. ¡°Grandfather? Clan Leader?¡±


    Those ahead of him, still walking very fast, quickly disappeared into the darkness. Ling Zhang¡¯s heart gave a horrible jolt. Feeling that something was wrong, he called, ¡°Grandfather?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong held his hand tight. ¡°It¡¯s no good calling to him. Those behind us are gone as well.¡±


    Startled, Ling Zhang jerked his head around and, sure enough, saw that behind them was nothing but blackness. Those in their wake all along had suddenly vanished. He had heard the sound of their breathing only a moment ago. How did this happen?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where are they? They lost us? But how¡¯s that possible? We haven¡¯t seen a single fork so far.¡±


    With a grave look on his face, Yuwen Tong pinned Ling Zhang to his side and stared into the darkness for a moment before saying, ¡°There¡¯s something fishy going on here. I don¡¯t think staying here is a good idea. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Forward?¡±


    ¡°We might not get to the entrance if we double back. Only by moving forward will we be able to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±

 Chapter 562 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (20): A Reverie – the Past (Part 1)

    Yuwen Tong did have a point. Ling Zhang looked over his shoulder into the impenetrable darkness in which the path they had just just trodden was shrouded, believing that, unless he was very much mistaken, they had stepped into an Illusion Formation unawares. By now they had lingered here for a few moments, but none of the others had caught up with them, which would on no account have happened if the circumstances had been normal.


    Had Yuwen Tong not been holding his wrist all along, even the two of them might have got separated.


    Without further ado, Ling Zhang resumed proceeding with Yuwen Tong. Every Illusion Formation had flaws. The two of them were both observing this passageway.


    After they walked for some time, a bright light suddenly appeared ahead of them without warning. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong did not hasten up there but slowly and vigilantly approached it. It was a door which was ajar and seemingly led into a room. When the door was within their reach, Ling Zhang gingerly opened it. His hand had just touched the door when he had a foreboding feeling and promptly withdrew his hand, but it was still too late. An overwhelming wave of drowsiness swept over him, routing all his resistance efforts.


    ¡°Watch out. It¡¯s ¡­ ¡± he trailed off.


    ¡°Brother Zhang!¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s voice came vaguely to Ling Zhang, who, feeling Yuwen Tong¡¯s grip on his hand loosening, came to realize that Yuwen Tong standing beside him had probably fallen prey to the trick as well. The next moment, he blacked out.


    After they passed out, a white light suddenly emerged from and enveloped each of them ¡­


    ¡°Eek? These two are pretty interesting.¡±


    A voice emanated from the shadows.


    However, Ling Zhang could no longer hear anything.


    He felt himself struggling before slipping into a coma. Before long, he found himself rid of the grogginess and with that he abruptly opened his eyes, instantly wide awake. ¡°Yuwen Tong!¡±


    But there was no hand around his wrist, and Yuwen Tong was not beside him.


    Also, he was not in that passageway any longer. The surroundings ¡­ This was so weird ¨C he seemed to be in Shengzhou!


    No. He couldn¡¯t be. Shengzhou Pass did not look like this any more. This place was more like the Shengzhou Pass that he had seen five years ago, when the three countries had not been reunified yet ¡­


    No, that couldn¡¯t be the case either. This place seemed to be different from the Shengzhou Pass he had visited at that time as well.


    Astonished, Ling Zhang perceived that he must be in a reverie. What other explanation was there for him being sent to Shengzhou Pass which was thousands of miles away in only a few moments?


    ¡°Lao Zhang, you¡¯re going downtown?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yesterday I shot a fox. I¡¯m going downtown to trade its fur for something I need.¡±


    ¡°A fox? You lucky dog. This piece of fur is almost intact. I think it¡¯s worth at least a hundred taels of silver!¡±


    ¡­ Voices suddenly came from nearby. Ling Zhang looked in that direction and found that the speakers were two men in a hurry to enter the city. One of them was carrying a piece of fox fur, and the other loads of green vegetables on a shoulder pole. Both of them were from out of town and heading for the gates of Shengzhou Pass not far away.


    Looking at the two of them and listening to their conversation, Ling Zhang found this reverie incredible. It was so real. He might really have been hoodwinked were he not aware of what he had been doing a few moments ago. Moreover, he keep having this feeling that there was something queer about this Shengzhou Pass in front of him, but he was unable to figure out the reason for the moment.


    ¡°Well, that depends on whether I¡¯ll have the luck to meet a buyer that generous. By the way, are you delivering vegetables to Marshal¡¯s Abode again?¡±


    The two men resumed talking. The hunter carrying a piece of fox fur on his back asked the vegetable grower beside him a question.


    Marshal¡¯s Abode? Ling Zhang was somewhat confused. He had not heard the word ¡°Marshal¡± for a very long time. It had been ten years, and he had almost forgotten Yuwen Tong¡¯s former title.


    ¡°Ha ha. A gentleman living in Marshal¡¯s Abode likes my vegetables. The cooks working in there always clean me out every time they see me selling vegetables,¡± said the vegetable grower proudly. ¡°Pity my wife and I don¡¯t have that much time. Otherwise we¡¯ll make a larger vegetable patch, and then I¡¯ll be selling cartfuls of vegetables.¡±


    The hunter said enviously, ¡°You should really count your blessings. I mean, a gentleman living in Marshal¡¯s Abode is struck on your vegetables. Maybe even Marshal Yuwen himself has been eating them.¡±


    The vegetable grower said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but look how good my vegetables are. I think they¡¯re fit even for Marshal Yuwen, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Marshal Yuwen? Could it really be that coincidental?


    Frowning, Ling Zhang looked at them. After giving it some thought, he decided to go and ask them about it. He found it hard to believe that a reverie could be so real.


    However, he was standing right before the two of them, but neither of them seemed to notice him. He made towards them, but they still did not glance at him. He had no alternative but to reach out a hand in an attempt to stop them. ¡°Excuse me. May I have a moment?¡±


    The two men, appearing as though they still had not heard or seen him, walked straight past him.


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows and withdrew his hand. Were these men unable to see him, by any chance?


    He had every reason to have such a suspicion, for apart from anything else he was in a dreamy place.


    Ling Zhang caught up with them. ¡°A moment, please, sirs.¡±


    He attempted to grab the hunter¡¯s arm to stop him, but there was nothing in his hand after he closed it.


    When his hand went through the man¡¯s forearm, Ling Zhang was really stupefied.


    This was his first time seeing this kind of thing happen. It was so odd.


    His speculation that the two men were unable to see him proved right.


    ¡± ¡­ Fortunately we have Marshal Yuwen protecting the Great Yue. Otherwise Shengzhou wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed all these years¡¯ peace.¡± The two men were still talking with each other.


    The Great Yue? Ling Zhang came to understand why this place struck him as fairly queer. The armor worn by the soldiers guarding the gates of Shengzhou Pass was of the style adopted during the reign of the emperor surnamed Zhou, not the improved version that the army had been equipped with after Yuwen Tong ascended the throne. A few moments ago he had glimpsed the armor but had not noticed the fine discriminations.


    So he was in a reverie of the past?


    He was baffled. A reverie was supposed to deceive the one in it into believing that everything they saw was real, to have them immerse themself in it so deeply they were unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy, and to cause them to lose their mind eventually, but why was this particular reverie doing the opposite? There were obvious flaws everywhere. It was as though whoever had put him into this dreamy place was trying to make sure he knew this was not real. Why were they doing this?


    In addition, wasn¡¯t a reverie supposed to display false scenes created based on the thoughts of the one inside it? Before the change of dynasty, he had merely traveled past the boundary of Shengzhou and had never been to Shengzhou Pass. This place had long since become part of the jurisdiction of the Great Wen by the time he had first visited Shengzhou Pass.


    What was going on exactly?


    Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity. Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find the answer by staying where he was, he gave it some thought and then followed the hunter and the vegetable grower towards the city in an effort to find out if everybody in here was unable to see him, and whether or not the soldiers would let him through when he had no security pass or anything like that.


    At the gateway, he found that none of the soldiers was looking at him, as though he did not exist at all.


    Ling Zhang, following in the wake of the hunter and the vegetable grower, successfully entered the city without being asked any questions.


    He tried to touch those soldiers but, as expected, failed.


    This feeling was so weird. Were he not still clear-headed, he would suspect that he had been reduced to a spirit.


    Once inside the city, he found what he was seeing both familiar and unfamiliar.


    Most of the occupants in this border city were soldiers garrisoned here, and civilians, curiously enough, were in the minority. Looking at those soldiers in old-fashioned armor, Ling Zhang was somewhat bewildered. For an instant he was in a dreamy state, feeling as though he had spent the past ten years in a dream, one that he had woken up from only a while ago ¡­


    Then he abruptly jerked out of his trance and was instantly on the alert, inwardly cautioning himself not to be deluded by these scenes, that all these were unreal.


    But what did he need to do to get out of this place?


    Normally, a reverie was meant to cause the one in it to lose their ability to differentiate reality from fantasy, but he had been clear-minded all along. Why did this reverie even exist? None of this made any sense.


    What did he have to do to extricate himself from this utterly counter-intuitive situation?


    And then there was Yuwen Tong. Had he fallen victim to an eerie reverie as well?


    As he thought of Yuwen Tong, he recalled the Marshal¡¯s Abode that the hunter and the vegetable grower had mentioned a short while ago.


    What was Yuwen Tong like in this reverie? Was it possible that Yuwen Tong, with whom he had fallen prey to the trick together, was in this dreamy place as well?


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart gave a lurch and with that he set off to look for Marshal¡¯s Abode.


    No matter what, he needed to go there and take a look first.


    If there was something in this reverie that could pique his interest, it would be that place. Maybe he would be able to find a way out of this reverie in there.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong abruptly opened his eyes with a start, waking up from his dream, having difficulty breathing from a strong sense of loss, his heart throbbing painfully.


    He had just had a dream, in which there had been something important, something he could not afford to lose.


    He closed his eyes and tried to think back to the dream but could recall nothing.


    Yuwen Tong opened his eyes again, feeling fretful and, quite inexplicably, a stab of intense unease.


    ¡°Marshal, there¡¯s nothing in particular we have to deal with today, so Jiang Ke and I are going out of the city to do some hunting. We could do some recon for good measure and see if those bastards from the Wan Kingdom have been making trouble lately.¡± Jiang Xi, his former deputy commander, walked inside, rubbing his hands in a somewhat rapturous way.


    Yuwen Tong looked up at him. For some unknown reason, he felt a trace of mingled wariness and distrust as he saw the man, who was his most trusted lieutenant, one he was most familiar with.


    Jiang Xi seemed to be startled by the piercing look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wh¨CWhat¡¯s the matter, Marshal?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him from head to foot. It was when Jiang Xi felt the hair on the back of his neck rising that Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Hunting? You¡¯re having itchy feet again?¡±


    Jiang Xi was shamefaced at these words, but he still said, ¡°I¡¯ve been cooped up in this city for over a month, and those bastards from the Wan Kingdom have been too afraid to mess with us lately. I can feel myself getting moldy with idleness.¡±


    ¡°If you have too little to do, help me deal with these military affairs.¡± Yuwen Tong pointedly glanced at the pile of documents on his desk.


    ¡°Well, Jiang Ke is the one you need when it comes to this kind of stuff, Marshal. The very sight of these documents gives me headaches. I really want to help, but I¡¯m afraid this task is beyond my capabilities,¡± Jiang Xi hurriedly said, fearing that Yuwen Tong might really assign the paperwork to him.


    ¡°Yesterday I told you to ¡­ ¡± Yuwen Tong, having seen through him some time ago, began to speak with the intention to remind Jiang Xi of his unfinished tasks, but he had only uttered a couple of words when he suddenly found himself unable to recollect what happened yesterday. His forehead corrugated in a frown in spite of himself.


    ¡°Marshal?¡± called Jiang Xi tentatively after giving a shudder as he saw Yuwen Tong¡¯s face turn serious without warning.


    Yuwen Tong knitted his brows. He had an eidetic memory and had never forgotten anything. How come he couldn¡¯t even remember what happened yesterday? Not only his memories of yesterday but also those of all the recent events were rather vague. He could only recall fragments of them.


    He opened some of the pamphlets and account books on the desk and read them carefully. Before opening them, he had tried to recall the contents of them only to find his recollections of them very fuzzy, but after he opened them, those hazy memories quickly became distinct, as though they had been hidden in the depths of his mind and were now being awoken, which struck him as really weird.


    Yuwen Tong impassively closed those pamphlets.


    The tongue-in-cheek air about Jiang Xi had disappeared, for he had perceived Yuwen Tong¡¯s long silence and the uncharacteristically grave expression on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Marshal?¡±


    He had lost some of his memories. Apart from what presumably had occurred in this reverie, he had forgotten many trivial matters as well, and this had happened after a mere sleep. Though his mind was in a turmoil, Yuwen Tong¡¯s countenance, now even colder and more serious, gave little away.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Yuwen Tong. Though Jiang Xi was his most trusted lieutenant, he was subconsciously unwilling to confide to Jiang Xi that there was something wrong with his memory. This kind of thing had never happened before. Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke were not only his most trusted lieutenants but also deputy commanders, and normally nothing would stop him from telling them that he was having difficulty remembering things, lest anything go awry in the handling of military affairs. If the enemy launched an attack at this point in time, things would be even more troublesome. He was not the kind of person who would comport himself with such irresponsibility ¡­


    However, Yuwen Tong found himself unable to place trust in this Jiang Xi in front of him, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself.


    ¡°You may leave. Come back after you return with Jiang Ke,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Though still a little worried, Jiang Xi, who could tell that Yuwen Tong was adamant, had no choice but to take his leave.


    ¡°Yao Yi,¡± called Yuwen Tong.


    Yao Yi standing guard outside the doors immediately entered. ¡°Marshal.¡±


    Looking at his most trusted bodyguard, Yuwen Tong opened his mouth and was just about to tell Yao Yi about his suspicion and have him look into it when he was on the alert and closed his mouth.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes changed briefly.


    This couldn¡¯t be happening. Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke were his most trusted lieutenants, and Yao Yi was his most trusted guard. In fact, Yao Yi had been his guard since childhood and was also the leader of his secret bodyguards. There had never been any secrets between the two of them.


    Due to the spate of anomalies, Yuwen Tong immediately came to realize that there was something queer going on.


    ¡°I¡¯m going on a tour of inspection of the encampment.¡±


    Yao Yi was surprised but still answered, ¡°Yes, Marshal.¡±


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang soon found Marshal¡¯s Abode. Looking at the mansion, he felt a dawning comprehension. It turned out that the marshal¡¯s residence in Shengzhou Pass had been like this in that year.


    He had walked in the city for quite some time now. The important part was that he still had not met anybody able to see him.


    Though aware that this Marshal¡¯s Abode was fake, he felt an affection for it nevertheless.


    He made towards the gates. No sooner had he entered the residence than he caught sight of a team of men filing out. The one heading the team was the very person he had been looking for ¨C Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. He was just about to walk up when he noticed that Yuwen Tong was wearing informal marshal¡¯s dress. He had not seen Yuwen Tong clothed in such attire for a long time, which was why he was somewhat astonished.


    Yuwen Tong walking out of the gates looked up in the direction of Ling Zhang, presumably having sensed something.


    Ling Zhang gasped. He thought that Yuwen Tong saw him, but the next moment, Yuwen Tong knitted his brows confusedly and then withdrew his gaze.


    Ling Zhang was thrown into puzzlement. Yuwen Tong was unable to see him?


    So this Yuwen Tong was also ¡­ unreal?


    Yuwen Tong had suddenly felt a gaze upon him when walking through the front gates. From early in the morning until this moment, he had been leery of everybody around him. Only when that gaze had been upon him had he felt relaxed, that he could trust the owner of it, and he had also felt something more profound. He had subconsciously looked in that direction only to find that there was nobody there.

 Chapter 563 - Spin-Off – A Journey to the South Ocean (21): A Reverie – Obsession (Part 2)

    Yuwen Tong, surprised, felt a sudden, strong sense of loss which almost rendered him unable to breathe.


    After taking another couple of steps forward, Yuwen Tong came to a halt again and stared at the position where nobody was standing.


    Ling Zhang was wondering whether or not this Yuwen Tong was fake when he observed Yuwen Tong pause again a few paces off and gaze fixedly at him.


    ¡°You can see me?!¡± Ling Zhang asked happily. If Yuwen Tong could see him, then it would mean that he was not fake!


    ¡°Are you seeing anything there, Marshal?¡± Yao Yi asked, bewildered.


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    The delighted look on Ling Zhang¡¯s face froze at these words.


    Yuwen Tong walked over in two strides, brushed past him and left the residence without a backward glance.


    Ling Zhang felt a sudden pang of misery and involuntarily gasped. Then he turned on his heel and looked at Yuwen Tong who had just walked out of the residence.


    Yuwen Tong took the reins of North Wind the horse from a soldier¡¯s hands, stroked the horse¡¯s head, patted him and then mounted, preparing to leave.


    But before leaving, he kept having this feeling that someone in the gateway was looking at him. He was sure that he was being watched, but the gateway was indeed deserted.


    Yuwen Tong frowned. Nothing around him had felt right since he had woken up from his dream in the morning. Clearly it was about time he gave North Wind the instruction to leave, but he found himself unable to do it. It was unmistakable that there was nobody in the gateway, but all his thoughts seemed to have been confined to that non-existent gaze, and every step he took away from there made him distressed.


    ¡°Marshal?¡± All those in the vicinity looked perplexedly at him.


    As Yuwen Tong did not move, none of the others dared depart.


    Then they saw him suddenly dismount and make towards the gateway.


    Yao Yi and the others also dismounted from their horses and bewilderedly watched Yuwen Tong doubling back.


    Ling Zhang could not help but tense his muscles as he saw Yuwen Tong abruptly pause again and walk back squarely towards him. ¡°You ¡­ Can you see me or not? We¡¯re trapped in this reverie. We need to figure out a way to get out of here right away. Nothing here is real. You must not believe any of it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong stood still on the bottom step and raised his head slightly to look at the empty gateway. He could not ignore the strong sensation of being watched. On top of that, he seemed to be hearing someone¡¯s voice. It was very indistinct and he could not make out any words, but he was positive that he was hearing it.


    Seeing that Yuwen Tong was looking at him but showed no inclination to speak, Ling Zhang got anxious and made an attempt to grab his arm. ¡°You ¡­ ¡±


    As his hand closed around Yuwen Tong¡¯s arm, he gripped something solid.


    Ling Zhang, ¡°!!¡±


    He could touch it!!


    And Yuwen Tong, at the same time, felt a hand grasp his arm. The touch was so real that the look in his eyes immediately changed.


    He had not been hallucinating. There was really someone here. It was just that he ¡­ could not see them.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yuwen Tong asked involuntarily. With that he could not help but wonder whether he had gone crazy, and why he was speaking to a deserted gateway.


    Ling Zhang standing opposite him was astonished at this question. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? You can see me? I¡¯m Ling Zhang!¡±


    After saying this, having received no response from Yuwen Tong, he was very anxious and stared into Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes. Slowly he discovered that something was not quite right, that Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes were not really on him but merely gazing in his direction.


    Wh¨CWhat was going on? Ling Zhang was perplexed. He raised his hand, waved it in front of Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes and found that they were not moving, which meant that Yuwen Tong could not see him.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    What on earth was going on?


    He had just loosened his hold when Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand abruptly shot out like lightning and grabbed his.


    Ling Zhang gave a great shudder and immediately looked up at Yuwen Tong, whose face registered shock.


    Yuwen Tong had just felt a breeze brush by his face. That had been a very weird sensation, as though someone had been waving their hand in front of his eyes. He had instinctively reached out his hand, but unexpectedly, he had really grabbed someone¡¯s hand. How could he not be shocked?!


    ¡°Who are you?! What kind of skulduggery is this?!¡± demanded Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang was rendered speechless.


    What the hell was going on? Yuwen Tong was unable to see him but could feel him? Judging from the shock on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, he was probably astounded as well.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± asked Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly heard the voice again, which issued from right in front of him. This time it was no longer vague but quite distinct. It was a silvery, pleasant, male voice.


    He did not scare easily, otherwise he would probably have sent for a Taoist priest or a Buddhist monk without a second thought!


    Was he having an encounter with a ghost in broad daylight?


    ¡°Of course I can. Are you a human or a ghost? Why are you here? And what do you want?¡± demanded Yuwen Tong, now positive that there was a man or a ghost standing in front of him, because he was not only gripping an arm of this man or ghost but also hearing him speaking.


    ¡°Thank goodness. Finally you can hear me.¡± Ling Zhang felt greatly relieved as he heard Yuwen Tong persist with his questioning. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop when I asked you to just now? We¡¯re now trapped in a reverie. None of these things or people is real. Do not fall for it. We need to figure out a way to get out of here as soon as possible.¡±


    Yuwen Tong heard his every word but could not quite understand him.


    A reverie? What kind of paranormal thing was that? Everything here was unreal?


    But he still forced himself into calming down, trying to grasp what the invisible speaker meant. ¡°Are you saying that everything here is fake?¡±


    But Ling Zhang was silent for a moment. Yuwen Tong did not recognize his voice. But he should have, unless this Yuwen Tong did not know him.


    Why?


    ¡°Speak.¡± Yuwen Tong, having received no response, became inexplicably uneasy and unhappy, his grip on the speaker¡¯s arm considerably tighter.


    ¡°Yeah. None of this is real.¡± Ling Zhang answered the question, but a suspicion had risen up in his breast. Was this Yuwen Tong, who was standing before him but did not recognize him, real or not?


    ¡°Why?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him. There was a vague, strange feeling in him which was telling him that this invisible speaker might be telling the truth. Hadn¡¯t all the oddities he had seen since he had got up this morning been quite preposterous? But he would not be convinced so easily that everything he was seeing was not real. By comparison, this invisible speaker, who could be a human or a ghost, was more suspicious. ¡°How am I supposed to believe you when I couldn¡¯t even see you?¡±


    Ling Zhang was now unsure whether this Yuwen Tong was real or not, and he did not know how to explain it, so he decided to figure out why Yuwen Tong did not recognize him first. ¡°Why do you not recognize my voice?¡±


    ¡°Should I recognize it?¡± Yuwen Tong asked back.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t recognize my voice? I suspect that you, like everybody else here, are not real. Maybe I¡¯m just wasting time on you. I¡¯m going to find the real Yuwen Tong,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Not real? What did he mean by ¡°the real Yuwen Tong¡±? For some reason Yuwen Tong felt a flash of anger. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Though uncertain about whether or not this man was real, this jealous tone struck Ling Zhang as quite characteristic of the Yuwen Tong he knew.


    ¡°Tell me who you are,¡± added Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Ling Zhang,¡± answered Ling Zhang, fixing Yuwen Tong with a gaze.


    Ling Zhang? Something flashed across Yuwen Tong¡¯s mind as he heard this name. He kept having this feeling that there was something he should have recalled by now, but he was unable to figure out what it was.


    Looking at the seemingly distressed expression on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face, Ling Zhang, though not sure whether this Yuwen Tong was real or not, couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    Yuwen Tong shook his head. ¡°It strikes me that I forgot something, and I can¡¯t remember what it is.¡±


    Subconsciously, Yuwen Tong disclosed his true thoughts, as though not at all guarded with Ling Zhang. After saying this, he seemed to be momentarily astonished.


    Ling Zhang caught on to what was going on as he heard Yuwen Tong say that he forgot something.


    He had been wondering why he was so clear-minded in this reverie. Now, it would seem he was not in his own reverie but in Yuwen Tong¡¯s!


    ¡°You fell prey to some kind of illusion charm. You¡¯re in a reverie. All occurrences here happened ten years ago. I think the illusion enchantment caused you a temporary loss of memories of everything that happened from this point in time onwards,¡± Ling Zhang explained.


    ¡°An illusion charm? Even if that kind of thing does exist, what I¡¯m seeing is too real to be a reverie,¡± said Yuwen Tong after collecting himself. He would not fall for this story so easily.


    Ling Zhang could tell from his tone and facial expression what he was thinking about. Having been married to Yuwen Tong for so many years, he knew Yuwen Tong too well not to guess it.


    ¡°I¡¯m just as surprised as you are by how real this reverie looks. The only explanation is that the one who did this has consummate skills. But spell-casters could only take advantage of those who have obsessions and send them into reveries, in which they would immerse themselves in what they want to see and eventually lose their minds. I¡¯m a little confused as to why you want to travel back ten years ¨C no, over ten years, actually ¨C I don¡¯t know what year it is according to the Great-Yue calendar. Why do you want to return to this particular point in time? Are you thinking of waging a war against the Wan Kingdom? You¡¯ve already subjugated that country. Why bother doing this? Or is it because you miss the battlefield that you want to come back to this time? But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case either, because if you miss the battlefield, you would have been on a battleground rather than in Marshal¡¯s Abode. I could tell that the atmosphere in the city is pretty relaxed, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be a war coming. If it¡¯s not about waging a war against the Wan Kingdom, what or who is it that is in Shengzhou Pass and has been bothering you? If it¡¯s a person, I don¡¯t remember you mentioning anybody apart from Jiang Ke, Jiang Xi, Yao Yi and some others. Have you by any chance been keeping something back from me? Like you used to be in a relationship with someone in Shengzhou Pass, whom you broke up with for some reason afterward? Although my father told me you were not seeing anybody at this time, but what if you were? Come on, be honest with me. If you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll forgive you after we¡¯re rid of this reverie; if not, there will be consequences.¡±


    Yuwen Tong standing in front of him was speechless.


    After a long silence, he managed to cotton on to the meaning of these words.


    But Ling Zhang felt his heart drop during Yuwen Tong¡¯s silence. ¡°Why are you silent? Am I to take this as a tacit admission that there¡¯s indeed someone you couldn¡¯t forget in this place? That you¡¯ve been concealing it from me all this time? Why? We¡¯ve been married for so many years, but you¡¯ve never mentioned it. It never occurred to me you had such a deep obsession. I was so stupid to believe that ¡­ ¡±


    Ling Zhang could not bring himself to finish his sentence. The more he thought about it, the more intense his foreboding was. His heart was sinking deeper and deeper and he felt as though a bucketful of ice had cascaded into his stomach. Yuwen Tong had never breathed a word of it. At the thought that Yuwen Tong had been keeping his feelings for someone else hidden fathoms deep for so many years that they had evolved into a strong obsession, Ling Zhang¡¯s insides went cold. He could not help but persist with his questioning. He did not dare believe it. What he was supposed to do if it was true?

 Chapter 564 - A Journey to the South Ocean (22): A Reverie – Obsession (Part 3)

    Yuwen Tong had just managed to grasp the main idea of the tirade when he was further flummoxed by the next battery of questions, and this time he did not have the time to sort them out.


    ¡°No. I was never in a relationship with anybody,¡± answered Yuwen Tong almost immediately after Ling Zhang finished speaking.


    He did not know the one he was talking to, but curiously enough, for some reason, he panicked every time the invisible speaker sounded upset.


    ¡°Everybody in Shengzhou Pass knows I¡¯ve been single for many years. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask anybody else in this city,¡± added Yuwen Tong in the hope that the invisible speaker would drop the idea of him being in a relationship with someone. It struck him that this person he was unable to see was very close to him. If what this person said was true, it would mean that the two of them had been together for many years, that they were closer to each other than either of them was to anybody else.


    Yuwen Tong found this conclusion satisfying and pleasant, which was a feeling he had never had before. It was like the loneliness in his heart was replaced by contentment which filled his whole being. Such satisfaction was more intense than anything he had ever felt before, and he was becoming obsessed with it and fascinated by it in spite of himself ¡­


    Yuwen Tong was not a fool. He trusted his instincts. Though still somewhat skeptical, he had believed more than half of the story. So this was really the Shengzhou Pass over a decade ago? He would subjugate the Wan Kingdom over a decade from now? This news was so surprising and spirit-lifting.


    ¡°If what you said is true, I have no idea why I came back here either. Seeing as you and I are so close, you should know about the reason better than I do,¡± Yuwen Tong continued.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart which had been sinking inexorably seemed to be pulled up a little. In a rather perplexed tone, he asked, ¡°Y¨CYou don¡¯t have an old flame?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡± Ling Zhang was both relieved and faintly flustered. A few moments ago he had been so anxious that he had let his jealousy get the better of him. Yuwen Tong had never lied to him before.


    If by any chance Yuwen Tong still remembered everything that had happened in this reverie after they got out ¡­


    Ling Zhang gave an involuntary shudder, not daring follow that train of thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you silent?¡± asked Yuwen Tong in spite of himself as he perceived that the invisible speaker had been silent for a long moment, brow wrinkled.


    Ling Zhang looked at him. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that just now. Please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± Yuwen Tong was puzzled. ¡°Why would I?¡±


    Ling Zhang did not know how to explain it.


    ¡°If you still remember this conversation after you come around ¡­ Ahem ¡­ I mean if you still remember, will you please be cool about it as well?¡±


    Now Yuwen Tong caught on to it. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Well ¡­ I can¡¯t guarantee you that. Apart from everything else, I don¡¯t have any memories of what happened between us, and you shouldn¡¯t take advantage of me.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s face immediately crumpled up. He would never dare take advantage of Yuwen Tong. He would be immensely thankful if Yuwen Tong was not angry with him after recalling this.


    Worried that Yuwen Tong¡¯s memory about this would be enhanced if they continued talking about it, Ling Zhang hastened to change the topic. ¡°Since it¡¯s not a person that you¡¯re obsessed with, it must be a particular matter. But ¡­ I¡¯ve never heard you mention any regrettable things that happened at this point in time. Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke never said anything about it, and neither did Yao Yi or any of the others. If something did happen, they should have mentioned it.¡±


    Thinking about this, Ling Zhang was bemused as well, unable to think of anything that Yuwen Tong might have been keeping in mind for all these years, no matter how hard he tried.


    Yuwen Tong, who could tell from Ling Zhang¡¯s tone that the latter was well acquainted with Jiang Xi, Jiang Ke and Yao Yi, was no longer suspicious about Ling Zhang¡¯s words. However, he was also curious as to what it was that he had been obsessed with. He could not recollect anything that had happened at this point in time and might have been lingering in his mind for so many years.


    He thought back to what he had done recently. Though his memories were vague, he could still do some analysis.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not something that has happened already, it would be something upcoming. Do you remember anything of importance that¡¯s going to happen around this time?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired of him.


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°I can¡¯t say I do. What year is it specifically according to the Great-Yue calendar?¡±


    Yuwen Tong told him the year and the month.


    Ling Zhang inclined his head. ¡°So it¡¯s ¡­ ¡±


    He was suddenly stupefied.


    Yuwen Tong sensed that there was something queer about Ling Zhang¡¯s pause. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Something particular happened around this time?¡±


    Ling Zhang stood transfixed for a long moment before he replied in a somewhat hoarse voice, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not sure if this is the reason ¨C you ¡­ you went back to the capital city four months ago, didn¡¯t you? Why did you return?¡±


    Something was not right. There was definitely something behind it.


    Yuwen Tong had just told him the year and month they were in, and Yuwen Tong was not supposed to be in this border city at this time. He should be in the capital city!


    In the real timeline, he and Yuwen Tong had returned to the capital city from Tanyang by now. They had been in the capital city for only a few days.


    But why was Yuwen Tong in borderlands? This did not make any sense.


    Yuwen Tong could tell from Ling Zhang¡¯s tone that something was not quite right. He answered earnestly, ¡°Seeing as you know about me returning to the capital city four months ago, you should also know that I was recalled there by His Majesty. He wanted to betroth someone to me and have me cede part of my power. Naturally I did not agree. I had some of my subordinates play a little trick, and then the Wan Kingdom sent some soldiers to the border to harass our garrison. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi put on an act. Afterward, a dispatch was delivered to the capital city, and he had to let me come back here.¡±


    Ling Zhang had a faintly cold sensation in his limbs. He had heard his father¡¯s sketchy account of this matter, and had asked Yuwen Tong what he would do if he had never met the butler of the Ling family, a question to which Yuwen Tong had given him an answer similar to this one. Yuwen Tong had some time ago made some arrangements in the Wan Kingdom and could extricate himself from the situation without breaking a sweat.


    However, it had been in his last life that this thing had happened.


    In his last life, the Ling family had been exterminated by now, and he himself had died in a mass grave ¡­


    Considering the sequence of the previous events, it seemed that Zhang Chong had just staged a revolt, and news of it would soon spread to the borderlands.


    Ling Zhang exhaled deeply and gripped Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand back tightly. ¡°Now you believe my story, I suppose? Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll be in danger if we don¡¯t get out of here right away! Come on!¡±


    Yuwen Tong, however, perceived that there was something fishy going on as he noticed that Ling Zhang¡¯s tone suddenly became urgent, and the look in his eyes slightly changed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get out of this reverie even if I want to.¡±


    ¡°All you have to do is disbelieve everything in this place. This kind of stuff could only deceive those willing to indulge themselves in daydream. It¡¯ll disappear the moment you realize this!¡± Ling Zhang, holding Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand, said in an almost beseeching tone, ¡°You need to get us out of here right now. My grandfather and the others are definitely in danger as well. They need our help. Maybe Maomao and Cong are waiting for us to rescue them as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong suddenly felt a throb of pain in his heart. He sensed Ling Zhang¡¯s panic and fear.


    Why did this invisible person suddenly get scared after being informed of what year it was? Was it because he guessed what was going to happen next?


    He could not bear this. If this was really just a reverie, he should put an end to it. He could not bring himself to see Ling Zhang being so frightened for a single extra moment.


    However, after quite a while, the surroundings still remained the same.


    Yuwen Tong knitted his brows. He believed Ling Zhang¡¯s words and had convinced himself that everything in this place was not real. Why had nothing happened?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried.¡±


    Ling Zhang was glued to the spot at Yuwen Tong¡¯s words.


    ¡°You said that a reverie is based on someone¡¯s obsession. Maybe it¡¯s no good believing none of this is true. Maybe subconsciously I still want to face whatever it is that¡¯s going to happen.¡± Yuwen Tong made an attempt to explain it to Ling Zhang from another perspective and to console him. ¡°Since all this is in the past, it¡¯s no use to fear it. Facing up to it would be a much better choice than to run away from it. And what happened in the past could not affect the reality, so you don¡¯t have to concern yourself.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled a rueful smile. It was not himself but Yuwen Tong that he was worried about. He had no idea why Yuwen Tong¡¯s reverie was so unusual. Clearly Yuwen Tong had never experienced any of this in this life.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to experience any of this. You ¡­ ¡±


    Why was Yuwen Tong so obsessive about facing up to these things? Had he been wrong to confide his rebirth to Yuwen Tong? Even he himself had made peace with it, but Yuwen Tong had still been bearing it in mind, and it had actually become an obsession with him.


    ¡°Try another way. There¡¯s got to be another way out of this.¡± Ling Zhang refused to give up.


    But as luck would have it, things took a turn very soon.


    A rider on a fast horse galloped towards Marshal¡¯s Abode.


    ¡°Dispatch delivery!¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s an urgent letter for you, Marshal!¡±


    Yuwen Tong spun around and saw the fast horse abruptly come to a halt a short way off the gateway before the messenger dismounted and hastened towards him.


    Ling Zhang subconsciously grasped his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t take that!¡±


    Yuwen Tong paused, but after a while, he still turned on his heel and took the dispatch.


    Ling Zhang attempted to snatch the letter from Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand but failed. It seemed that Yuwen Tong was the only one he could touch in this place, that everything else was insubstantial.


    ¡°Don¡¯t read it!¡± cautioned Ling Zhang anxiously.


    But presumably because he was no longer in physical contact with Yuwen Tong, the latter did not seem to hear him. He had no choice but to hold Yuwen Tong¡¯s hand and repeat, ¡°Don¡¯t read it!¡±


    This time Yuwen Tong heard his voice, but he remained silent. If this urgent letter was about something that he would be obsessive about for over ten years, how else could he untie his knot and extricate the two of them from this reverie, if not by reading it?


    Therefore, he opened the letter.


    Ling Zhang, unable to stop him, helplessly watched him unfold the letter.


    Yuwen Tong read it very carefully, inwardly frowning. The letter was about Zhang Chong¡¯s rebellion and did not mention anything else. How was Zhang Chong¡¯s insurrection supposed to become a knot in his heart? He was under no obligation to suppress the uprising, and neither was he concerned about the stability of the Zhou family¡¯s dominance. All he wanted was for the borders to stay safe.


    So it was not about Zhang Chong. Was it about Tanyang, by any chance?


    Yuwen Tong suddenly turned around and walked back into the residence.


    Ling Zhang hastened to follow in his wake. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I need to find something.¡±


    Yuwen Tong immediately returned to his study where fished out a casket which contained some fairly old-looking letters. Ling Zhang was baffled as to why Yuwen Tong took out these things.


    But after a few moments he came to know that Yuwen You had written these letters to Yuwen Tong¡¯s grandfather a long time ago, that all of them were about Ling Xingzhong returning to Tanyang after resigning from his post.


    Ling Zhang was astonished.


    ¡°The Ling family ¡­ Your surname is Ling.¡± Yuwen Tong ¡°looked¡± up at Ling Zhang. ¡°Who¡¯s Ling Xingzhong to you?¡±


    Ling Zhang opened his mouth and, after a long moment, replied, ¡°He¡¯s my grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Chong staged a revolt. The Ling family were in Tanyang. What happened to them? And where were you at that time?¡± Yuwen Tong inquired almost immediately.


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s forehead corrugated in a frown. The longer Ling Zhang kept silent, the more convinced Yuwen Tong was that this matter had something to do with the Ling family, with Ling Zhang.


    But what was it exactly that he was so obsessive about?


    ¡°Did something happen? Was it because I failed to find out about it in time to save you that¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± said Ling Zhang aloud. ¡°You have nothing to do with it. You¨C¡±


    ¡°Marshal!¡± someone suddenly yelled, running inside and interrupting Ling Zhang.


    It was Jiang Xi who rushed in, a rather ugly look on his face. ¡°Marshal, something happened. We¡¯ve just got the message.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Previously ¨C about a month or so ago ¨C rumor started circulating in Tanyang about Ling Zhaowen, son of Ling Xingzhong the former Minister of Rites, colluding with bandits in an attempt to murder a county magistrate surnamed Lu for his money. Those bandits killed County Magistrate Lu¡¯s whole family. Ling Zhaowen¡¯s token was found in the Lu family, and then all members of the Ling family were arrested. Afterward, Ling Xingzhong produced a marriage contract he had signed with the old general some years ago, which was about the engagement between you and Ling Xingzhong¡¯s eldest grandson, Ling Zhang. Because of that marriage contract, Zhang Chong did not dare do anything to the Ling family. But Master Zhi found out about it and immediately sent a butler to Tanyang where the latter called off the engagement in the name of the Yuwen family in front of everybody. With the engagement annulled, the Ling family no longer had any relations with the Yuwen family. Zhang Chong, having no misgivings about persecuting them, had all of them arrested and exposed to scorching sun for a long time. It¡¯s said that Ling Xingzhong and his son both died of severe dehydration. His eldest grandson also suffered a terrible fate. I heard that he put up fierce resistance and they broke his legs and tossed him into a mass grave where he was later found to have been stoned to death. That matter caused quite a stir. Due to the marriage contract the Ling family had, everybody in the capital city focused their attention on Tanyang. Some of those scum even sent some men to Tanyang to watch the execution. Some of them even went to see how Ling Zhang was killed and secretly told stories about it after returning to the capital city. Yue Qi was not in the capital city at that time, because he was looking into the matter of the King Hui. When news of it reached his ears, Master Zhi has already sent the butler to Tanyang to break off the engagement. Yue Qi was unsure as to whether or not the marriage contract was true, so he sent a message back and went to Tanyang to check. But Zhang Chong has suddenly staged a revolt, and why he did it was anybody¡¯s guess. Presently, the whole Tanyang is encircled ring upon ring. I¡¯m afraid the investigation would be progressing very slowly.¡±

 Chapter 565 - A Journey to the South Ocean (23): A Reverie – Obsession (Part 4)

    When Jiang Xi had finished speaking, the mood in the study became terribly subdued. It was a few moments before Jiang Xi sensed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere. ¡°Marshal, do you think it¡¯s possible that the marriage contract is real?¡±


    BOOM!


    All of a sudden, the desk in the study and everything on it were reduced to powder by internal energy.


    Yuwen Tong had a horrifyingly ugly look on his face, the expression in his eyes intimidatingly cold.


    Jiang Xi found himself holding his breath, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. ¡°Marshal.¡±


    ¡°This was what you meant by saying I had nothing to do with it?¡± enunciated Yuwen Tong. ¡°Are you going to tell me you were not the one that died in the mass grave?¡±


    Jiang Xi was flummoxed. ¡°Wh¨CWhat?¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him, his eyes flinty.


    Jiang Xi felt as though he were being cut by an icy blade. Not daring to ask another question, he hurriedly left the study.


    ¡°Speak.¡± Yuwen Tong clenched his hands. He was unable to see Ling Zhang, which was pushing his restlessness and resentment to the point of getting out of control. He could only ball his hands into fists.


    A pair of hands enveloped his fists. ¡°None of those things ever happened. I¡¯m really still alive. Don¡¯t you remember? You met the butler of the Ling family on your way back to the capital city. It was raining. The butler and the others encountered some bandits dwelling in the mountains and almost got killed. You and Yao Yi and some others were passing by and rescued him. At that time, he had the Letter of Annulment written by my grandfather on him. You saw it and went to Tanyang. Because of you, nothing happened to my family, and Zhang Chong was dead. I killed him myself.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s true that nothing happened to the Ling family, why did you sound that scared just now? And why did Jiang Xi say that?¡± Yuwen Tong did not believe him.


    But, a Letter of Annulment? What was that about? This was completely different from Jiang Xi¡¯s version of the story.


    ¡°This is a reverie. You were not even here at this time,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    If he had been afraid before Jiang Xi made those remarks, he had, surprisingly, regained his composure after Jiang Xi told Yuwen Tong everything.


    Yuwen Tong had never experienced any of those things in this life. How was it possible that he had ever seen any of them? This reverie was based on what Yuwen Tong had heard from him about his last life. As someone who had been through a rebirth, he should not find it surprising that this reverie created by modifying Yuwen Tong¡¯s memories included some things that had never really happened. He needed to keep his cool and must not be hoodwinked.


    ¡°Do you still remember how we first met each other? It was in a wood not far away from the encampment of the Tanyang garrison. At that time, some soldiers of the garrison were making trouble for my family¡¯s herb farm. You happened to be in Tanyang, paid me a visit and helped me drive those soldiers away. You insisted on sharing a horse with me. I had some misunderstandings about you and was ill-disposed towards you. I was unwilling to get close to you and my back was so tense that I felt very uncomfortable after dismounting and almost fell over. You saved me from falling and later gifted Maomao with a jade pendant.


    After we returned to my home, you plausibly pleased my grandfather who then forced me into calling you Big Brother.¡±


    Big Brother ¡­


    Yuwen Tong had a momentary headache as a vague scene flashed before his mind¡¯s eye, as though such a thing had indeed happened before. He remembered an awkward, reluctant voice calling him Big Brother, lifting his spirits greatly. Who had been that person that had called him that? It had been a well-featured teenager, who had been a little thin, but whose eyes had been as pretty and sparkling as stars when smiling.


    The scene existed in his mind¡¯s eye for only a split instant, but Yuwen Tong was positive that that had been Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang was not lying.


    But what was going on now? This reverie did not make any sense.


    ¡°Let me take a seat first. I¡¯ve stood for too long and my legs are getting sore,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    In fact he was not experiencing any discomfort. He said this only because Yuwen Tong had been standing and tense all along.


    The furious air about Yuwen Tong had gradually ebbed away, but he was still very suspicious, because these things were so contradictory.


    The two of them sat down. Ling Zhang said, ¡°I know you have questions, and I¡¯ll tell you everything. Just hear me out and then get out of here with me.¡±


    ¡°You may begin,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Knowing that Yuwen Tong would not leave unless his doubts were dissolved, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to recount to Yuwen Tong his rebirth and what had happened after they made each other¡¯s acquaintance.


    Actually the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes had gradually become different when Ling Zhang had finished relating his rebirth. After Ling Zhang told him about the things the two of them had been through together, Yuwen Tong had an entirely different expression in his eyes, feeling as though Ling Zhang had turned from a non-existent figure to a real person. The two of them were sitting propped against each other on the chilly ground in a dank passageway.


    Yuwen Tong opened his eyes first and found the two of them wreathed in a dim, white light which issued from the gemstones they were carrying.


    Ling Zhang, who had also opened his eyes, glanced around him. After catching sight of the torches on the ground which was still aflame, he hastily picked it up and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Yuwen Tong gave a non-committal ¡°Um¡±, rose to his feet as well, took the torch from Ling Zhang¡¯s hand and then swept Ling Zhang into his embrace one-handed.


    Having been drawn into his embrace, Ling Zhang was silent for a moment and then suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re not angry, right?¡±


    It was a long moment before Yuwen Tong replied, ¡°I¡¯ll decide what to do with you after we get back.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a little snort. ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for that. At that time you did look very much like someone going on a date with a lover or something.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It was indeed a date with my lover ¨C I met you at the front gates, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nerve saying that. I called your names several times but you didn¡¯t even acknowledge me,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Neither of them brought up anything else that had happened in the reverie.


    Suddenly, a voice cackled, ¡°I knew there¡¯s something weird about you two kiddos. It never crossed my mind you¡¯d get out of the reverie so soon.¡±


    Ling Zhang, taken aback by the unexpected voice, hastily freed himself from Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, looked in the direction of the source of the voice and saw a man in ragged clothes, who was about his grandfather¡¯s height and middle-aged, but who did not sport a beard and had a scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead, his hair so tousled it looked like a bird¡¯s nest. He was holding a lighted torch and standing on the other end of the passageway, looking at the two of them.


    The scarlet mole alone was enough for Ling Zhang to divine who this man was. Unlike Ji Yanlai¡¯s and Ji Xiaocong¡¯s moles which made the two of them seem otherworldly and resourceful respectively, this man¡¯s scarlet mole lent him an air of geniality reminiscent of a statue in a Buddhist temple. However, judging from his clothing and his tone of voice, he was sure as hell anything but amiable.


    ¡°You¡¯re Clan Leader Ji¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Ji Yanlai¡¯s father.¡±


    The middle-aged man frankly admitted to his identity.


    ¡°Was it you who deployed that Illusion Disposition in this place, Old Clan Leader?¡± Ling Zhang looked at him.


    The former clan leader shook his head, ¡°No. It was the little guy underground who did it. I had nothing to do with it. But it came as a surprise to me that you extricated yourselves from the reverie so soon. Even I was trapped in there for several days before figuring a way out of it. You two kiddos have some good stuff on you. It¡¯s said that only when carried by a pair of true lovers would they serve their purpose. This is my first time seeing this sort of rare treasure. It would seem you two kiddos are pretty lucky.¡±


    The former clan leader was clearly much more talkative than Ji Yanlai, the current clan leader.


    Ling Zhang guessed that the old man was referring to the gemstones he and Yuwen Tong were carrying, the light of which had gradually faded away after he and Yuwen Tong had came around, and which now looked no different from common gemstones.


    ¡°You two don¡¯t have to be guarded with me. I really have nothing to do with the reverie. I know you¡¯re friends with my son, so I won¡¯t attack you. Oh, this kid has the Blood of the Phoenix Clan, which makes him my clansman. I¡¯m a good former clan leader, and I never harm my own clansmen,¡± said the former clan leader.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to attack us, so you just sat there watching us suffer?¡± asked Yuwen Tong.


    The former clan leader said, ¡°You kid really have a knack for annoying people. You misunderstand me, which is unbecoming to an emperor. You yourselves were the only ones capable of breaking the reverie. I couldn¡¯t offer you any help even if I wanted to. My own son is still lying there.¡±


    With that, he moved his torch backwards.


    By torchlight, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong caught sight of Ji Yanlai and the others, all of whom were lying unconscious on the ground. Seeing that they were all present, Ling Zhang hastened forward to check them one by one. Having confirmed that they were just comatose, he felt relieved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This trick wouldn¡¯t hurt anybody who mean the little guy no harm. They will come back from the reverie in one piece if they harbor no evil intentions,¡± said the former clan leader.


    Ling Zhang knitted his brows. ¡°What counts as an evil intention?¡±


    The former clan leader replied, ¡°An intention of stealing it, for example.¡±


    Ling Zhang exchanged a glance with Yuwen Tong. ¡°Steal? Who¡¯s the little guy you just mentioned?¡±


    The former clan leader said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve safely got out of the reverie, it seems you¡¯re predestined to meet it. I guess it does no harm to lead you there to have a look in advance. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ling Zhang was surprised. ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t wake up anytime soon,¡± said the former clan leader. ¡°If any outsiders get in here, they¡¯ll be trapped in the reverie as well and won¡¯t be able to do anybody any harm. Besides, I deployed a misdirection Formation outside. Those people wouldn¡¯t be able to get this far. You two are lucky to have my son in your company. There¡¯s no way you could get through that Formation without his help. I don¡¯t want to brag, but my skill in deploying Formations is unequaled.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    He looked at the former clan leader and felt that the old man was indeed far more talkative than Ji Yanlai.


    ¡°Alas. It never occurred to me that you experienced a rebirth. Over a decade ago, I performed divination and found that the fortunes of this world would change due to a particular occurrence, and a halidom of my clan would emerge. At that time I was wondering who would possess that much power. Afterward, I performed divination again and discovered that that particular person was one of my clansmen. Ha ha. I even sneaked back into Sanguan Mountains to observe all my clansmen in there. I secretly kept a close eye on them for a very long time in an effort to find out which one of them had the powers to accomplish what even I was unable to accomplish. But when the positions of the stars changed, that person still had not shown up. I almost began to suspect that my divination was getting rusty. Now it turns out that that guy is a clansman that has never been included into the clan. Speaking of which, I was the one who made your mother¡¯s jade pendant, which is the very one you¡¯re wearing. I make a jade pendant of this kind on a yearly basis ever since I mastered the skill. When making them, I never thought that some day any of them would actually serve its purpose. It never occurred to me that one day one of them would actually do what it was meant to do. This really came as a revelation to me,¡± said the former clan leader.

 Chapter 566 - A Journey to the South Ocean (24): Handsomely Rewarded

    Presumably because he had been cooped up in this hellhole where he had had nobody to talk with for too long, the old man, having struck up a conversation, seemed unable to stop speaking, and he was particularly enthusiastic about Ling Zhang, calling Ling Zhang ¡°kiddo¡± every time he addressed him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Much as I want to accept your gratitude, I know very well that I¡¯m the one who should say thank you, because the halidom wouldn¡¯t have presented itself were it not for you. You changed many people¡¯s fates and put an end to the troubled times, which was really a meritorious deed,¡± said the former clan leader.


    Ling Zhang shook his head. ¡°It was my marriage partner rather than me who brought the troubled times to an end.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had been silently walking side by side with him all along, did not interpose. Maybe because of the carry-over from the reverie, his spirits were not very high.


    The former clan leader glanced at Yuwen Tong. ¡°You two are supplementary to each other. Neither can thrive when separated from the other. Previously the bane of your life was at work, which was why things turned out that way in your last life. Fortunately the situation was not beyond redemption.¡±


    Yuwen Tong still remained silent.


    The former clan leader gave a little cough. Probably having perceived that Yuwen Tong was not in a good mood and preferred to be left alone, the old man felt somewhat bored and shifted his attention to Ling Zhang again.


    ¡°I daresay your destiny was entwined with that of the Phoenix Clan the moment you were born, kiddo. You have the Blood of the Phoenix Clan, and now everybody acknowledges you as an incarnation of a real phoenix. Your life is worth much more than mine,¡± added the former clan leader.


    Ling Zhang, who had not bargained on him making such remarks, was at a loss for words, but then something occurred to him. ¡°You should be able to tell that my father ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Oh, your father. Although I don¡¯t know why he was reborn either, I think it was kind of a twofer,¡± replied the old man.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    A twofer?


    The former clan leader, apparently amused by the flummoxed expression on Ling Zhang¡¯s face, continued, ¡°Maybe the halidom was grateful to you for helping it reappear in this world, so it gifted you with a father.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    At this moment, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°What is this halidom?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s right there,¡± responded the former clan leader. ¡°See for yourselves.¡±


    After walking for quite some time, they finally reached the end of the passageway. They had taken so many turns that Ling Zhang was almost disorientated. But the passageway inclined gently all the way downward, which meant that they had been going deeper underground from start to finish. Now they were probably at the lowest point of the island. Waves of scorching heat were billowing up towards them, and they finally saw some light, but the light was red in color.


    ¡°There are downward steps ahead. Be careful,¡± said the former clan leader before resuming progressing.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong exchanged a glance and then followed in the wake of the old man. They turned out of the end of the passageway and were greeted by a cavern, high-roofed and enormous. The most conspicuous part was the fiery flowing magma at the bottom, which was slowly circling a circular platform in the midmost, and which was the very source of the scalding heat.


    The circular platform had a hollow center where a giant egg floated on the magma. The magma beneath it was bubbling, but the egg, curiously enough, was floating contentedly on it, unscathed ¡­


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong both stopped dead on the flight of steps. Neither of them had bargained on seeing such a large egg. In addition, there was nothing else special apart from this white egg in this cavern, which forcibly made them suspect that this egg had been the very thing that the former clan leader had been referring to by ¡°halidom¡± and ¡°the little guy¡±.


    ¡°Old Clan Leader, wh¨Cwhat is this?¡± Ling Zhang felt his legs buckle slightly as his eyes alighted on that egg. This place was baking hot, but the heat was nothing compared to the shock brought to him by the sight of the egg.


    Was it what he thought it was, by any chance?


    ¡°This is the Ma¨CMagnificence of our clan!¡± The former clan leader, for some reason, suddenly changed the form of address, and he sneaked a surreptitious glance at the white egg. Seeing that it was as quiet as always, he was secretly relieved. ¡°It was also the creator of the reverie you mentioned. That was really not my doing.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    It was not the reverie that they wanted to talk about!


    ¡°This egg ¡­ Wh¨CWhat laid it?¡± asked Ling Zhang, his voice somewhat tremulous.


    ¡°A phoenix. Haven¡¯t you guessed it already?¡± answered the former clan leader, looking bemusedly at him.


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath, toppling backward as though on the verge of fainting.


    Yuwen Tong flung out an arm to stop him from falling.


    The large white egg floating on the magma suddenly stirred. At the sight of this, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were further stupefied.


    ¡°H¨CHer Magnificence seems to like you pretty much. Sometimes I have to keep talking to it for ten days or even half a month before it makes a reaction, but it jumped happily the moment you came here,¡± said the former clan leader.


    Ling Zhang, however, felt somewhat giddy. He had thought that mythical beasts like phoenixes were only legends, that they did not exist. Why was there a hatching phoenix egg in this place?!


    ¡°Is it really a phoenix egg?¡± repeated Ling Zhang.


    The large white egg jumped again as though in response to Ling Zhang¡¯s words.


    ¡°Come down here and give it a stroke. It¡¯s fun.¡± The former clan leader called to them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The phoenix egg is absorbing most of the heat of the magma. You won¡¯t be scalded.¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked down the steps, watching the white egg bouncing excitedly on the surface of the magma as they approached, astonished.


    ¡°Am I still in a reverie?¡± Ling Zhang asked Yuwen Tong in an undertone, his voice heavy with uncertainty.


    Yuwen Tong thought about it for a brief moment. ¡°If you are, whose obsession was it that created this?¡±


    Ling Zhang twisted his head aside to look at the egg. ¡°Well, I never dared think of getting myself a phoenix egg.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°And I¡¯ve got myself a treasure already.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked confusedly at him. What kind of treasure?


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    The white egg was still bouncing.


    The former clan leader said, ¡°Try stroking it.¡±


    Ling Zhang leaped across the magma, landed on the platform, stooped down and tentatively reached out a hand.


    The egg, having sensed that he was about to stroke it, stopped bouncing, quietly waiting for Ling Zhang¡¯s hand to touch it.


    As his hand came into contact with it, Ling Zhang found that the egg was warm, its shell smooth to the touch. It was an amazing sensation. Ling Zhang could not help laying his hand on the egg and with that he heard a muffled thud as though there was heartbeat coming from inside the egg. He could feel that what was in there was alive, which struck him as incredible.


    His hand slid on the shell in spite of himself, the egg quietly letting him stroke it. Ling Zhang felt a wave of mingled delight and thrill sweeping over him.


    ¡­


    A couple of days later.


    Twelve men ¨C Ji Yin, Ling Zhaowu, Ling Maomao, Ji Xiaocong, Ji Yanlai, the couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion and the former clan leader, were standing in the cavern, watching the white egg.


    ¡°So there are really such things as phoenixes in this world.¡± Ling Zhaowu found the scene unbelievable.


    The couple of elders were so excited they directly dropped to their knees and kowtowed to the phoenix egg.


    Ling Zhang felt somewhat guilty as he saw this, for during the past few days, when the others had been unconscious, he had been playing with the phoenix egg and petting it.


    Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang behind him and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Nobody knows.¡±


    Fortunately, the former clan leader, though talkative, was not big-mouthed and did not tell any of the others that Ling Zhang had been petting the egg for several days.


    The phoenix egg was responsive to Ji Yanlai and Ji Xiaocong but irresponsive to all the others.


    Eventually, Ji Yanlai, Ji Xiaocong, Ji Yin, the former clan leader, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong whose involvement in this matter was hard to define were the only ones left in the cavern. Ling Zhaowu, Ling Maomao and the couple of elders had all left. Nobody except for the twelve of them were aware of the existence of the phoenix egg. The elders transferred those who were still unconscious out of the underground palace. Most people slowly came to, but the others, what with their evil intentions, never woke up.


    It took the King of the South Ocean and his son a long time to come around, but they were both okay. The couple of men from that mini-state were not so lucky.


    And neither were some greedy attendants.


    ¡­


    In the cavern.


    ¡°You lingered on this island for such a long time. How did you find this place?¡± Ji Yanlai inquired of his father.


    The former clan leader did not seem to mind his son¡¯s attitude towards him. ¡°I deduced it with my divination skill, which I think you¡¯ve realized is much better than yours. You¡¯ve still got a lot to learn, kid.¡±


    Ji Yanlai rubbed his forehead resignedly. ¡°You should have sent me a message, which would have spared me the ordeal of coming here to rescue you in great haste!¡±


    ¡°I was worried! What if someone came and stole the little phoenix after I left? And I wasn¡¯t trying to mislead you. This place is shielded by a barrier of enchantments cast by the little phoenix, which is why you can¡¯t deduce anything about this island,¡± said the former clan leader.


    ¡°Old Clan Leader, Clan Leader, this matter can wait.¡± Ji Yin made an attempt to smooth things over. ¡°What should we do now? Let Her Magnificence stay here?¡±


    Ji Yanlai, his face still sulky, averted his face from his father.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Ji Xiaocong looked at the former clan leader, smiling.


    The old man¡¯s face creased into a beam as he saw his grandson call him with a sweet smile. ¡°You¡¯re so much more docile and considerate, Cong!¡±


    Ji Yanlai pretended not to have heard these words.


    ¡°This is the perfect place for Her Magnificence to hatch out, so the egg should not be transferred elsewhere. I¡¯ll stay here keeping guard over it. You may put your minds at ease and go back,¡± said the former clan leader.


    With that he flicked a glance at Ling Zhang, opened his mouth but then closed it again.


    Ling Zhang looked confusedly back at him. ¡°Old Clan Leader, if you need any help, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    ¡°Can you stay here, kiddo? Her Magnificence seems to like you pretty much. The air about you strikes Her Magnificence as quite pleasant,¡± said the former clan leader.


    Ling Zhang was amazed. Before he could make a reply, Yuwen Tong standing beside him knitted his brows and said, ¡°He can¡¯t.¡±


    The former clan leader, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    The phoenix egg gave a jump as though displeased with Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°As my consort, he¡¯s supposed to return to the palace with me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting him stay here.¡±


    The phoenix egg floating on the magma was infuriated, turning from a white egg into a red one.


    ¡°Her Magnificence is angry,¡± said the former clan leader apprehensively.


    All the others sensed it ¡­ The temperature in the cavern rose considerably in the twinkling of an eye. Everybody present found the heat somewhat unbearable.


    Ling Zhang was astonished. This was his first time seeing the egg become red.


    He walked up and tentatively reached out a hand.


    The former clan leader cautioned, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Zhang intended to withdraw his hand, but the red egg quickly cooled down on its own initiative and became white again before it jumped up and touched Ling Zhang¡¯s hand.


    Ling Zhang really felt overwhelmingly flattered. ¡°Th¨CThank you for liking me, Your Magnificence, but I¡¯m an empress, and I have children waiting for me at home. I can¡¯t stay on this island for long. I hope you understand.¡±


    The phoenix egg stopped bouncing, staying still in the magma, appearing to be heartbroken.


    ¡°Tell us how long it¡¯ll take for the egg to hatch first,¡± Ji Yanlai said to his father.


    The former clan leader said, ¡°I don¡¯t know that either, but I think it won¡¯t take long ¨C a couple of years at the most.¡±


    A couple of years ¡­


    ¡°The answer is no. End of discussion,¡± said Yuwen Tong immediately.


    The others also lapsed into silence. That was indeed too long a time. It was not really necessary for Ling Zhang to stay here. If the egg would hatch in a week or two, they might be able to convince Yuwen Tong. It was impractical to have Ling Zhang stay in this place for a couple of years.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang could not stay to keep the phoenix egg company, but because of the imploring looks in the eyes of those from the Pavilion and the air of dejection about the egg, Ling Zhang eventually decided to stay for another couple of days.


    ¡°The food and supplies on the ships are running low. It¡¯s about time we set off to return. Every day that we stays here causes our food supply to dwindle,¡± said Yuwen Tong. Lingering here for a couple of days was the best they could do. This was no laughing matter. Ling Zhang was his consort, not the large white egg¡¯s playmate.


    Though it was a phoenix, he would not allow it to take his consort from him.


    The phoenix egg, as though having come to know that Ling Zhang would leave in a couple of days, was not as active as it had been during the past few days, but it still enjoyed Ling Zhang¡¯s company very much.


    Ling Zhang, feeling faintly guilty, naturally spent as much time with it as he could. Actually he was playing with the egg all the time except when he was eating, drinking or sleeping.


    ¡­


    Three days passed and it was time for them to leave.


    Ling Zhang went into the cavern to bid farewell to the phoenix egg and the former clan leader.


    ¡°You really can¡¯t stay?¡± The former clan leader was still unwilling to see Ling Zhang leave.


    Ling Zhang smiled an apologetic smile at him. ¡°I really need to go back.¡±


    The former clan leader sighed, ¡°Okay. Come back here to see it again when you have the time.¡±


    Ling Zhang did not dare make any promises, for this place was too far away from the capital city. A journey between the two locations took too long, and he had very little spare time. There was no doubt that he and Yuwen Tong would have to work their asses off to handle all the state affairs that had piled up during their absence.


    Ling Zhang, when saying goodbye to the phoenix egg, was also very upset about him having to leave, for he had grown very fond of the phoenix egg in the past few days. It was really quite adorable.


    Originally he had held the egg in awe and veneration, but now, looking at it, he felt as though he were looking at his own child.


    When he reached out a hand to stroke the phoenix egg, the latter jumped, appearing a little anxious.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t stay here to keep you company any longer. I need to go back to the capital city.¡±


    The phoenix egg emanated a crestfallen air. Were it able to speak, it would definitely have demanded that Ling Zhang stay. If it had had limbs, it was guaranteed to cling on to Ling Zhang¡¯s leg, refusing to let him leave.


    However, though unable to hold Ling Zhang¡¯s leg, it abruptly jumped out of the magma onto the platform when Ling Zhang was leaving.


    The thud startled both Ling Zhang and the former clan leader.


    ¡°Why did it jump out? Do you think the e¨Ceggshell has ¡­ has cracked?¡± Ling Zhang, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up, hastened to the egg and picked it up to examine it. Having checked that the eggshell was still intact, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Be careful, little guy. Don¡¯t jump too high. What if ¡­ ¡±


    What if the eggshell cracked? If that happened, the damage would be irrevocable.


    The phoenix egg stirred in his arms. Ling Zhang held it for a while before he put it back into the magma and then reluctantly got off the platform.


    Unexpectedly, he had just walked away when the egg jumped onto the platform again and followed in his wake, bouncing along. When it rolled to his feet, Ling Zhang was alarmed and, his heart now hammering against his Adam¡¯s apple, hastily scooped it up again.


    ¡°I think it wants to go with us,¡± said Yuwen Tong, walking down the steps and looking at the egg. He did not look very happy about it, for this egg had hijacked too much of Ling Zhang¡¯s time recently. If they took this egg with them, it would sure as hell eat away more of his time.


    The former clan leader, looking at the phoenix egg in Ling Zhang¡¯s arms, clapped a hand to his lap. ¡°Yeah. Why didn¡¯t I think of it? Now that Her Magnificence shows an inclination to go with you, let¡¯s get out of here right away. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡± Ling Zhang was bewildered as he saw the old man eagerly set off to leave. ¡°Wait a moment. She needs to stay under the conditions in this place to hatch out. How is she supposed to hatch if she leaves with us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. A phoenix egg doesn¡¯t have to stay in a place like this to hatch. It¡¯s just that this place makes her feel more comfortable,¡± said the former clan leader.


    Ling Zhang was dumbstruck. Was that true?


    After the former clan leader made a decision, the phoenix egg was very happy, stirring constantly in Ling Zhang¡¯s arm. Anybody could tell what the little phoenix meant.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡­


    Thus, there was an egg on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong¡¯s ship when they set off to return. During the day the egg was only docile when Ling Zhang was with it. At night, it even attempted to follow Ling Zhang into his room. Yuwen Tong grabbed it and tossed it to the former clan leader.


    The old man hastened to catch it, so alarmed that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. The phoenix egg seemed to be frightened by Yuwen Tong as well and did not dare to look for Ling Zhang again that night, but it appeared a bit down all night. It remained absolutely motionless no matter what the former clan leader said to it.


    This egg added a lot of fun to their homeward journey. However, not many people knew about its existence. To keep it confidential, Yuwen Tong had the others move downstairs, so that only those privy to the fact that there was a phoenix egg on the vessel were on the third floor.


    During this journey to the South Ocean, apart from a phoenix egg, they had also obtained large numbers of gemstones.


    Yuwen Tong took all the gemstones but left the gold and other treasures to the others.


    ¡­


    The homeward voyage took a long time. After they returned to the capital city, the phoenix egg was settled in the palace.


    The former clan leader and Ji Xiaocong were accommodated in the Ling Mansion, standing guard over their Magnificence.


    Ji Yanlai took the others back to the island.


    Ji Xiaocong was supposed to go back as well, but with the pretext of guarding the phoenix egg and some help from the former clan leader who, whenever addressed as ¡°grandfather¡±, became so happy as to be willing to grant Ji Xiaocong¡¯s every wish, he managed to get permission to stay in the capital city, but Ji Yanlai still made it very clear that Ji Xiaocong must return to the island in three months, that he would not be allowed to leave the island again until he had his rite of passage.


    What with this, Ji Xiaocong appeared depressed for quite some time, but Ji Yanlai, a hard-hearted man, was not hoodwinked.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stayed out of their business. Ling Zhang was still somewhat baffled as to what was going on. Yuwen Tong, however, had some time ago come to know about the chemistry between Ji Xiaocong and Ling Maomao, though he had never lifted the curtain.


    Thus, the phoenix egg stayed in the imperial palace of the Great Wen for quite some time, and it was several years before the phoenix hatched out spontaneously.

 Chapter 567 - Daily Life (1): Drunk

    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, after returning from the South Ocean, entered a period of extreme busyness. Yuwen Tong, in particular, had a mountain of memorials to the throne on his desk. The moment Ling Zhang walked into the imperial study and caught sight of the intimidatingly high pile of memorials, he had a foreboding and promptly wheeled around with the intention to slink away.


    Yuwen Tong, quick of eye and deft of hand, immediately grabbed him. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    Ling Zhang, with his wrist gripped by Yuwen Tong, was unable to free himself. His intention to sneak away thwarted, he felt somewhat guilty beneath Yuwen Tong¡¯s penetrating gaze. ¡°I¨CIt occurred to me that they delivered tons of account books from the Chamber of Commerce to me. My father seems to be rather anxious about it. I need to go back and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh,¡± said Yuwen Tong. ¡°Didn¡¯t you assign Zhao Jiusi to handle those account books? You also told him to keep a close eye on Maomao to make sure he takes the learning seriously. A few moments ago, when I was on my way here, I saw that even Ji Xiaocong was stopped outside the hall. Don¡¯t worry. With Zhao Jiusi supervising Maomao, he won¡¯t dare slack off.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled an awkward smile. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Help me sort out these memorials first,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    With that he drew Ling Zhang towards the desk.


    Resigned, Ling Zhang obeyed. At the sight of the pile of memorials as high as a mound, Ling Zhang felt his head pound and ache dully.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started,¡± Yuwen Tong said to him gently, but the look in his eyes brooked no argument. It was unmistakable that he would mete out the usual ¡°punishment¡± to Ling Zhang if the latter dared make another attempt to slip away.


    Beneath Yuwen Tong¡¯s gaze, Ling Zhang felt his scalp prickle. What with this and the pang of guilt in him, he did not dare even think of decamping and had no choice but to steel himself and reach to the pile of memorials.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang stayed in the imperial study the whole morning and finally finished classifying the mountain of memorials into several categories. Before he could take a breather, Yuwen Tong drew him over, sat him in a chair and forced a writing brush into his hand.


    ¡°Those are yours,¡± said Yuwen Tong, smiling tenderly and pointing at the pile of memorials beside him.


    Ling Zhang cast him a despairing glance and then, resigning himself to his fate, started reading and commenting on the memorials.


    All the memorials beside him were about insignificant matters but required official, written replies from the emperor. Most of them could be handled by writing ¡°Perused¡± or ¡°Approved¡± on them. Only a few of them needed to be given some thought.


    Those that Yuwen Tong had to deal with, however, were all troublesome enough to make Yuwen Tong frown. A mere glance at one of them gave Ling Zhang headaches and he never looked in that direction again.


    ¡­


    Days ticked away.


    It took Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong three solid days to finish dealing with all the memorials. After that, Ling Zhang refused to visit the imperial study again. Even when Yuwen Tong tried to coax him into going there in a tantalizingly low voice, he did not fall for it.


    He would rather be faced with piles of account books than with those memorials.


    When the two of them finally managed to get almost all the backlog dealt with, Ling Zhang¡¯s birthday drew near.


    Because of the tenth wedding anniversary celebration, they did not throw Ling Zhang a big birthday party. On that day, they just held a banquet in the palace and invited Yuwen You¡¯s and Yuwen Feng¡¯s family and those in the Ling Mansion.


    All invitees were family, so the atmosphere at the banquet was relaxed. Everybody talked and drank freely.


    After the meal, the youngsters gathered together to playing cards, while the elders sat down and started talking about the past, bragging about their respective feats. Ling Xingzhong, Ji Yin and Yuwen You were the eldest. Ling Xingzhong was mostly recounting his experience when he had been an official; Yuwen You shared what he had been through when on the battlefield with his elders as a youngster; Ji Yin related to them how he had earned his fame in the martial arts world, which was a story of a distinctive style.


    Ling Zhang and some others, as juniors, naturally had to roll logs for the elders. Every time an elder finished a story, they had to give a response, otherwise the old man would toss them reproachful glances which would make them feel bad.


    Thus, although it was Ling Zhang¡¯s birthday, and this day was supposed to be all about him, he ended up becoming a member of the claque.


    On the other side, of all the youngsters playing cards, Yuwen Yue was the most bossy one. She was a princess, the one Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong and almost everybody else doted on, and she had always been bluff and rather tomboyish. After learning how to play cards, she had immediately become an invincible card player. With Ling Maomao at her back and the help from Ji Xiaocong who had amazing extrasensory perception, she dominated all rounds, defeating the others by large margins.


    ¡°You lost! Give me the money!¡±


    Ling Zhang, who happened to hear these words, slightly frowned and twisted his head around to look in that direction.


    He saw Yuwen Yue standing there with her foot on her stool, one hand on her hip and the other on the card table. Her voice was particularly loud, her mien farthest removed from that of a princess. Compared with the girls from Yuwen You¡¯s and Yuwen Feng¡¯s families, she was virtually barbaric.


    ¡°Hem, hem.¡± Ling Zhang could not help but give a little cough to warn her. ¡°Crescent.¡±


    Yuwen Yue was filled with excitement. Having won several rounds in a row, she felt a winner of the game of life. Suddenly she heard her dad call her name in a dangerous voice.


    Everybody in her vicinity lapsed into silence. Yuwen Qi sitting opposite Yuwen Yue winked at her frantically for a moment before Yuwen Yue caught on, quickly removed her foot from the stool and sat herself on it, instantly turning into a pretty teenage girl. Then she said in a soft voice, ¡°Those who lost this round, give me the money.¡±


    All the others, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Even now she still remembered the money.


    As Ling Zhang sitting on the other side saw her dismiss the air of a bandit about her, he silently withdrew his gaze and let out a sigh. Neither he nor Yuwen Tong was a person of unbridled personality, and the palace ladies serving their daughter were all quite courteous. How come their daughter had become a girl like this? Wh¨CWhat would she be like when she grew up?


    Ling Zhang was deeply concerned about his daughter¡¯s future. Yuwen Tong sitting beside him squeezed his hand, appearing quite composed.


    ¡­


    This palace banquet lasted until night. Ling Zhang overestimated his tolerance to alcohol and drank himself into a near stupor.


    Yuwen Tong supported him towards the imperial bedchamber. Halfway to the destination, Ling Zhang suddenly straightened himself and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Crescent?!¡±


    Yuwen Tong was startled by his loud voice. ¡°She¡¯s returned to her own palace and probably has turned in by now.¡±


    Ling Zhang was incredulous. ¡°Really? Why do I remember seeing her playing cards a moment ago?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°She played cards in the afternoon. It¡¯s night now.¡±


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows, his scarlet face full of confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s not even dark yet. Y¨CYou¡¯re lying. I need to find Crescent. She must sit like a princess. She¡¯s not allowed to act like a hooligan. That kind of conduct is so unbecoming to a princess.¡±


    Yuwen Tong hastened to stop him, holding him in his arms. ¡°You¡¯ve told her that already, and she¡¯s changed. She sat there very meekly all night.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s changed?¡± Ling Zhang, immobilized by Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace, looked incredulously at him. His eyes, though still sparkling and limpid, were somewhat unfocused. He was limply leaning against Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, unable to stand straight.


    ¡°Of course. I saw it myself.¡± Yuwen Tong hastened to attest it, then scooped him up and strode through the gates of the imperial bedchamber for fear that Ling Zhang might catch a cold if exposed to the chill for too long.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Sobering Soup?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, Your Majesty.¡±


    A eunuch immediately served the Sobering Soup.


    Yuwen Tong took a seat, sat Ling Zhang on his lap and took a bowl of Sobering Soup, intending to feed him. The moment Ling Zhang smelled the Sobering Soup, he knitted his brows and twisted his head aside with great fluidity. Clearly he was not inclined to drink it.


    Yuwen Tong found his reaction both cute and amusing. ¡°Be a peach and drink this, or you¡¯ll get headaches.¡±


    ¡°No. It stinks,¡± Ling Zhang answered concisely.


    The eunuch on the side, at the sight of the imperial couple doing this, flushed and then sensibly took his leave, not daring stand there any more.


    ¡°Be good. Drink this.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Resigned, Yuwen Tong had no alternative but to take a gulp of the soup, drag Ling Zhang over and press his lips onto Ling Zhang¡¯s.


    Ling Zhang let out a couple of muffled grunts and eventually had to accept the Sobering Soup from Yuwen Tong¡¯s mouth, his brows knitted, trying hard to push Yuwen Tong away. ¡°Let go ¡­ Let go of me. It reeks. Don¡¯t kiss me.¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang had red cheeks, red nose, red corners of eyes and an injured and stubborn look on his face and was too drunk to know what he was doing, Yuwen Tong felt aroused, waves of hotness sweeping over him.


    Longing crept into his eyes in spite of himself, and his voice became husky. ¡°I¡¯ll stop kissing you if you drink this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± demurred Ling Zhang without a second thought.


    Yuwen Tong chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re drunk but not stupid.¡±


    Despite Ling Zhang¡¯s objection, Yuwen Tong forced the whole bowl of Sobering Soup down Ling Zhang¡¯s throat with his mouth. Ling Zhang hated his guts, but no matter how hard he hit and cursed Yuwen Tong, the latter refused to stop. Eventually something occurred to him, which made him feel hard done by. The corners of his eyes became watery and he looked close to sobs.


    The apple of Yuwen Tong¡¯s throat bobbed quickly. Looking at his sweetheart in his arms whose face wore a hurt expression, he suddenly let out a long sigh, lowered his voice and said, ¡°You little devil has filled my heart already, but you still won¡¯t stop stuffing it. Here, take a look. See? Hasn¡¯t my heart been filled with you already? You didn¡¯t leave an inch for me.¡±


    With that, he kissed the corners of Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes. When he spoke again, his voice sounded somewhat dangerous. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Seeing you cry only makes me want to make you cry harder.¡±


    There was no telling whether or not Ling Zhang understood these words, but he did not dare push Yuwen Tong any more. However, he was still looking at Yuwen Tong with that injured expression. He blinked his eyes and a bead of tear slid down his cheek.


    As a gleam of craving appeared in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, he craned over, kissed Ling Zhang, scooped him up and made towards the bedchamber.


    Ling Zhang subconsciously put his arms around Yuwen Tong¡¯s neck, buried his face in Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest and said stiffly, ¡°You¡¯re bullying me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bullying you.¡±


    ¡°You are. And you made me drink that stinky stuff.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, without pausing, carried him to the bed, put him down onto it, stooped over him and, gazing at him, said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to drink any more stinky stuff. How about we do something that¡¯ll make you happy?¡±


    Ling Zhang looked back at him. After a few moments, he shifted his gaze to the bedside and said, ¡°I¡¯m not happy.¡±


    Yuwen Tong chuckled dangerously, ¡°You will be very soon.¡±

 Chapter 568 - Daily Life (2): Big Brother

    The two of them fooled around the whole night. The next morning Ling Zhang did not wake up at his usual time. Yuwen Tong, after returning from the court meeting, found him still asleep but did not awake him.


    Ling Zhang was having a dream about some events that had happened in the past.


    It was when he and Yuwen Tong had first met.


    At that time he had been mistaken about Yuwen Tong, who had plausibly pleased Ling Xingzhong who then had asked Ling Zhang to address Yuwen Tong as Big Brother.


    Ling Zhang was now re-experiencing that moment in his dream. He was unwilling to do as his grandfather asked.


    Yuwen Tong sought help from Ling Xingzhong, who insisted that Ling Zhang do as he said, but Ling Zhang found himself unable to utter those two words. It was as though something was stuck in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he still could not use that form of address. On the surface he appeared composed, but in fact he was so anxious he had broken out in a sweat. ¡®Just do it,¡¯ he said inwardly to himself. ¡®Do it and it¡¯ll all be over.¡¯


    However, the harder he struggled, the more difficult it became for him to utter those words. Such was his anxiety that his eyelids were twitching. Yuwen Tong sitting opposite him hypocritically defended him, and his grandfather began to scowl at him.


    ¡°Bi¨CBig Brother!¡± Somehow he finally managed to force the words out of his mouth.


    But the moment the words left him, he woke up from the dream and found himself all sweaty.


    ¡°You dreamed of the past?¡± A voice suddenly came from beside him.


    Taken aback, Ling Zhang jerked his head aside with a start and saw that Yuwen Tong was lying beside him on his side, looking at him with burning eyes.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s temper frayed as he recalled that in the dream Yuwen Tong had glibly tricked his grandfather into forcing him to call Yuwen Tong ¡°Big Brother¡±, which had rendered him so anxious he had almost been reduced to tears. ¡°How do you know I was dreaming of the past? How do you know I was not calling someone else?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes squinted and became penetrating. ¡°I doubt there¡¯s a second person who dares to have you address him as Big Brother.¡±


    Ling Zhang snorted, ¡°You will be surprised.¡±


    Having just struggled out of that dream, Ling Zhang was fully relaxed and not inclined to move, so he, lying there languidly, said these words to annoy Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong suddenly leaned over, laid all his weight onto Ling Zhang, pinned Ling Zhang¡¯s hands to the pillows and stared deep into his eyes. ¡°Anybody who dares accept that form of address from you shall be beheaded.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked back at him. ¡°Why are you being so possessive? Calling someone ¡®Big Brother¡¯ is not that big a deal.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lowered his head and, circling Ling Zhang¡¯s lips with his own, said, ¡°I¡¯m the only one you¡¯re allowed to address as such. Now be a peach and call me that again.¡±


    Ling Zhang, whose lips were itching for the caress, subconsciously wanted to open his mouth, but his lips had just begun to move when he cottoned on and snorted lightly, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yuwen Tong gazed into his eyes.


    Ling Zhang curled his lip. Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Under no circumstances would he grant Yuwen Tong¡¯s request so easily, not after what Yuwen Tong had done to him in his dream.


    Yuwen Tong sighed, ¡°That was the only time you called me ¡®Big Brother¡¯. You¡¯ve never called me that again since that day. Actually you¡¯ve always called me by my full name ever since. I¡¯ve been looking forward to hearing you call me ¡®Big Brother¡¯ all these years, but my wish was never granted.¡±


    Ling Zhang lapsed into silence.


    So Yuwen Tong had a wish of this sort? But Yuwen Tong had never told him about it. How was he supposed to know that Yuwen Tong had been expecting this?


    ¡°You really want to hear me call you Big Brother that bad?¡±


    Their bodies were tight against each other, and Ling Zhang began to sweat again due to the heat. Their breaths were mixing between the tips of their noses, causing him to relax his limbs unawares. He wanted to lie in Yuwen Tong¡¯s embrace like this forever. Having come to know that he had never granted this wish of Yuwen Tong¡¯s which the latter had had for so many years, Ling Zhang could not help feeling a pang of guilt.


    ¡°Yeah. I do,¡± breathed Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s lips twitched and after a brief moment, faintly abashed, he averted his gaze and said, ¡°Big Brother.¡±


    His voice was low and, what with his embarrassment, sounded slightly unsteady, but the look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes was instantly replaced by one of deep longing. He abruptly wrapped his lips around Ling Zhang¡¯s, fondling them. ¡°Again.¡±


    Ling Zhang, with his lips caressed by Yuwen Tong¡¯s, knew very well what this atmosphere meant. In addition, he himself also had a subtle feeling. It was as though the relations between them became more different with every time he addressed Yuwen Tong as Big Brother, as though their relations were tinged with something else and thus made his heartbeat quicken. He involuntarily swallowed hard and said, ¡°Big Brother.¡±


    They were not brothers, but after he uttered the two words, he felt as though a brotherhood was forged. This, coupled with the marital bonding between them, made him feel as if ¡­ as if they were in that kind of relationship.


    Yuwen Tong gave a faintly husky chuckle, enwrapped Ling Zhang¡¯s lips with his own and then his tongue started exploring Ling Zhang¡¯s mouth.


    Ling Zhang docilely opened his mouth. Apart from that subtle feeling, there seemed to be something else. It was as though ¡­ as though he had really become Yuwen Tong¡¯s junior, as though he was making out with his own big brother, willingly letting his brother do whatever he wanted to him ¡­


    He exhaled deeply and heavily.


    The very thought of this made his body burn up further.


    Yuwen Tong, fully aware of the bodily responses of Ling Zhang¡¯s, naturally perceived the influence the two words had had on Ling Zhang. After a while, he released Ling Zhang¡¯s lips and, looking down at him, said in an imperative tone, ¡°Again.¡±


    Ling Zhang, immersed in that subtle mood, caught sight of Yuwen Tong¡¯s possessive eyes and subconsciously chose to obey. ¡°Big Brother.¡±


    With that, his toes curled in spite of himself, rubbing themselves against the quilt. He was somewhat shamefaced, but maybe it was more because of the verbal stimuli.


    Yuwen Tong reached out a hand downward, held Ling Zhang¡¯s leg, slowly bent it, and then his hand edged across Ling Zhang¡¯s thigh all the way to his ankle and closed around it, his thumb kneading it.


    ¡°Again.¡±


    ¡°Big Brother!¡±


    Yuwen Tong started at Ling Zhang¡¯s fair-skinned, ruddy toes which then curled slightly. His breathing was getting progressively heavy.


    When Ling Zhang sensed that Yuwen Tong was eyeing his toes, in particular, that feeling became even more subtle.


    Yuwen Tong slowly lifted Ling Zhang¡¯s foot and gently put it against his cheek which then started sliding down Ling Zhang¡¯s leg until ¡­


    ¡°Um!¡± Ling Zhang gasped, his chest heaving more violently, his eyes becoming somewhat unclear.


    They had been married for many years and had made out countless times, and yesterday they had messed around all night, but today Ling Zhang was feeling something he had never felt before, and he had never been so aroused.


    Yuwen Tong also perceived it, and he kept stimulating Ling Zhang verbally with the air of a big brother, Ling Zhang¡¯s body beneath his hands convulsing slightly ¡­


    ¡­


    The two of them fooled around the whole morning. This experience felt more special than any of the previous ones.


    The eunuchs in the vicinity of the imperial bedchamber had some time ago left. The imperial couple¡¯s voices were the only sounds in the large residence.


    Nobody came to disturb them. People outside, except for the guards and eunuchs serving in the bedchamber, found that the imperial couple had still not shown up, and mistakenly believed that the two of them had drunk too much yesterday and thus needed more sleep, which was understandable because yesterday had been the consort¡¯s birthday.


    This allowed the two of them to make out to their hearts¡¯ content.


    It was at noon that Yuwen Tong carried Ling Zhang to the bathing pool, in which he massaged the small of Ling Zhang¡¯s back for an hour before they walked out of the pool, toweled themselves and put on dry, soft clothes.


    Ling Zhang stretched lazily, looking somewhat listless. The day before he got drunk and made out with Yuwen Tong for long hours, and today they had made out again all morning, which was why he was feeling rather groggy.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Yuwen Tong, naturally, had food brought to him as quick as possible.


    ¡°We should do this again next time,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    Though it had indeed felt different, Yuwen Tong¡¯s movements had been particularly rough ¨C too rough for his liking, if truth be told.


    Moreover ¡­ hem ¡­ he kept having this feeling that there was something queer about it.


    Seeing that he was not very struck on that idea, Yuwen Tong did not mention it again, but he himself was the only one who knew whether or not he was planning a next time.


    ¡°A lot of the presents you got yesterday have not been unwrapped. You want to find out what they are after the meal?¡± Yuwen Tong asked when eating.


    Ling Zhang was not in high spirits and probably was not inclined to leave the imperial bedchamber, so Yuwen Tong made an attempt to find him something to do to while away the time.


    Ling Zhang was indifferent to it. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°All right.¡±


    Yesterday he had received tons of presents. Though the courtiers had not been invited to the banquet, they had had gifts delivered to the palace.


    Ling Zhang was not very enthusiastic about the gifts from the courtiers but was quite interested in those from the attendees at the banquet yesterday. After all, all the attendees were family, and gifts were more about the goodwill of the senders. He wanted to see what his family had given him.


    ¡­


    Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin had each sent him a picture drawn by himself, as they had done in every previous year. They had done this at Ling Zhang¡¯s request.


    His paternal and maternal grandfathers were both of advanced years. He would rather they sent him some pictures than other things, because he could preserve the pictures for a very long time and see them from time to time. Getting a picture from either of his grandfathers was also some kind of commemoration of the previous years. Ling Zhang carefully stowed the pictures from his grandfathers in the place where he kept the others. He had marked the years on all of them.


    The gift from Ling Zhaowu was an account book and a rare fruit from South Xinjiang, which, allegedly, when ingested, would increase the person¡¯s internal energy by an amount they normally had to practice for ten years to attain.


    The account book was about the gains of the newly established businesses of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. The fruit was the most practical gift. His father wanted him to become stronger and stronger and enjoy growing longevity. Both gifts were very practical, and it was very characteristic of Ling Zhaowu to send him these things.


    Naturally Ling Zhang valued them very much.


    Ling Zhaowen and the others who were not in the capital city, had had some men deliver the gifts to him on fast horses. They were some specialities and clothes made by Fu Caiwei.


    These things, though not valuable, meant a lot to Ling Zhang. The very sight of the clothes made by Fu Caiwei reminded him of his childhood.


    Ling Zhang eagerly took them out and tried them on. ¡°No one knows my size better than my aunt does. Look, she hasn¡¯t seen me for years, but the clothes she made still fit me the best. She never makes mistakes when it comes to making clothes for me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong inclined his head. ¡°Your aunt has an eidetic memory.¡±


    In fact Fu Caiwei had wanted to make some clothes for Yuwen Tong as well, but after giving it some thought, she had dropped the idea, because Yuwen Tong was the emperor. Though he was her nephew¡¯s husband and constituted a junior, Fu Caiwei found it difficult to regard him as one. The very thought of it struck her as stressful.


    Yuwen Tong was fully aware of it. Knowing Fu Caiwei¡¯s and Ling Zhaowen¡¯s goodwill was enough for him. He did not need them to treat him exactly the same way they treated Ling Zhang.

 Chapter 569 - Daily Life (3): A Birthday Present

    The children got him some wood carvings. There were five of them in total: Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang, Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Yuwen Yue ¨C all five members of the family.


    It had been Yuwen Qi that had done the wood carving; Yuwen Lin had drawn the pictures; Yuwen Yue had supervised them on the side. These wood carvings, the fruits of the collective efforts of the three teenagers, had been beautifully wrapped up in a big gift box.


    ¡°No wonder a couple of days ago Mr. Mu told me in private that Qi asked him for some vulnerary ointment, that I¡¯d better find out what it was about. After I returned here, I asked Qi about it, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me, and you dissuaded me from persisting with my questioning. His behavior was rather abnormal in those days. Now it turns out he was doing this.¡± Ling Zhang fingered the five wooden figurines, a tender look in his eyes. Knowing that his son had carved these stroke by stroke and even hurt his hand, Ling Zhang felt a sense of mingled heartache and warmth.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°Those were a token of the kids¡¯ affection for you, and I felt obliged to give them an opportunity to finish them.¡±


    Ling Zhang chuckled and, after fingering the five wood carvings caressingly for a few moments, ranged them on top of the headboard. The boy¡¯s techniques of sculpture were poor and his works looked rough, but what mattered was the efforts he had put into this. Besides, this kind of natural style of simplicity imparted a novel flavor to this room full of exquisite furnishings.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± beamed Ling Zhang, paying his son¡¯s work an unsparing compliment.


    Seeing that he was happy, Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I got you a gift as well. Check it out.¡±


    Ling Zhang turned to look at him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yuwen Tong did not reply but told him to open it to see for himself. Ling Zhang found among the pile of presents the one sent by Yuwen Tong. It was in a casket, which was not very eye-catching, so he had not noticed it sooner.


    Ling Zhang, his curiosity now piqued by the shroud of mystery that Yuwen Tong cloaked the gift in, sat down and attempted to open the casket.


    After a few moments¡¯ exertion of strength, he found that the casket would not open.


    Ling Zhang was confused. Was it because he was not doing it right? He exerted more strength, but the casket was still tightly shut.


    ¡°Is the lock broken?¡± he asked. What other explanation was there? Surely Yuwen Tong would not make trouble for him by tampering with the gift box?


    Yuwen Tong smiled but made no reply.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Feeling that his intelligence was being challenged, he picked up the casket and scrutinized it.


    He spotted the problem almost immediately. The lock of the casket was actually a red herring. It could not be opened in a conventional way.


    Ling Zhang, having developed a certain level of proficiency in Formations over the years, found without much difficulty the correct way to open it.


    Click.


    A crisp sound was heard.


    After he slid back the fine clasp, the lid of the casket spontaneously sprang open and with that a flow of pleasant clinking issued from it. This was a music box!


    The pleasant clinking was a beautiful melody. There was a revolving cylinder in it. Every time the cylinder moved a notch, a note was sounded. The mellifluous tune lightly resounded through the imperial bedchamber. Ling Zhang had never heard anything like this before.


    He gazed at it in amazement. He had once heard his grandfather mention this kind of music boxes. It was said that in the Xia Dynasty, a craftsman of genius had made a music box and presented it to the then emperor, which had caused a sensation that had lasted some time, but hardly any music boxes had been made ever since!


    ¡°Th¨CThis is a music box? The fabled kind? Where did you get it? And when did you bring it here? Why didn¡¯t I find out about it sooner?¡± Astonished, Ling Zhang asked a battery of questions, goggling at the box, a manifestly curious, excited and searching look in his eyes.


    Seeing that he was happy, Yuwen Tong came to know that the trouble he had gone to to prepare this gift had been worthwhile.


    ¡°You like it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Who wouldn¡¯t like this amazing thing?


    ¡°Don¡¯t prolong the agony. Where did you get this?¡±


    Seeing that Ling Zhang was eager to know, Yuwen Tong slowly replied, ¡°I bought it from a descendant of that master craftsman. Actually I have your uncle to thank for that. He was the one who wrote me a letter and told me about it before I sent some men to make contact with that artisan.¡±


    ¡°My uncle?¡± Ling Zhang was surprised.


    Yuwen Tong nodded.


    The descendant of that master craftsman lived in an area which used to be southern Wan Kingdom. He led a fairly secluded life, worked as a carpenter and was quite famous in that prefecture.


    But nobody could have bargained on him being a descendant of that master craftsman of the Xia Dynasty. Ling Zhaowen, when dealing with a case that the artisan had been involved in, had struck up a relationship with him, found out about this secret afterward and come to know that the man possessed a duplicate of that music box which took one of his elders over ten years to finish.


    After being informed of it, Yuwen Tong had not tried to force the artisan into selling the music box. He had just made a deal with that man. Having got the box, he had planned to give it to Ling Zhang at their tenth wedding anniversary, but at that time the music box had had a glitch and the artisan had been trying to fix it. The box had not been delivered back to the capital city before the anniversary, so Yuwen Tong had decided to wait until Ling Zhang¡¯s birthday to give it to him.


    When Ling Zhang had heard the story, he stroked the edge of the music box and, listening to the slow melody, asked, ¡°How long could this tune go on?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°If you don¡¯t close the lid, it¡¯ll keep playing until it can¡¯t continue.¡±


    In fact the tune was not complex, and it would repeat itself when it ended. Beautiful as it was, it would no doubt become boring some day, but this was a birthday present from Yuwen Tong, so Ling Zhang, though having heard the tune several times now, found it as charming as always. Worried that the box might malfunction if it played for too long at a time, he reluctantly closed the lid and the clasp after listening for another few moments.


    ¡°Why did you close it?¡± Yuwen Tong asked.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Because I want it to stay in working order for a longer time.¡±


    Yuwen Tong caught on to the undertone contained in Ling Zhang¡¯s words. This music box was a present from him, so Ling Zhang wanted it to be in good shape forever.


    ¡°If you like this kind of stuff, I¡¯ll have the Ministry of Works send some men to learn from that artisan. No matter how long it¡¯ll take ¨C one year, two years, three years or even a decade, I¡¯ll make sure someone masters the skills necessary to make this kind of music boxes.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Those skills are like family heirlooms. He won¡¯t easily agree to impart them to other people.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll make a deal with him,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang put the music box beside the wood carvings from his children, turned around and said to him, ¡°This is the only one I want.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lifted his eyebrows, walked over, put his arms around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist and rocked from side to side with him for a moment. ¡°My gift really means so much to you?¡±


    Ling Zhang also raised his eyebrows, looking back at him. ¡°If I¡¯d acted like it meant little to me, you would have got angry at me by now.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡±


    Ling Zhang gave a little snort. Not that kind of person? He knew very well what kind of person Yuwen Tong was.


    ¡°I got you a music box. What will you give me when it¡¯s my birthday?¡± Yuwen Tong, complacent about his stroke of genius, asked about his future birthday present.


    Ling Zhang intentionally furrowed his brows and said, ¡°You¡¯re an emperor, and you still want a gift?¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at him quietly for a moment. ¡°Presents from you are special to me.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh,¡± said Ling Zhang, ¡°but I think it¡¯s too much trouble, so I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence, his face falling, but his arms were still around Ling Zhang¡¯s waist.


    Ling Zhang snickered and gently scribbled on Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest with his fingers. ¡°There, there! Stop sulking. You¡¯ll know what the present is when your birthday arrives. If I tell you right now, it¡¯ll ruin the surprise. Be patient.¡±


    It was after hearing these words that Yuwen Tong relaxed and said, ¡°I will.¡±


    Ling Zhang slightly shook his head. They had been married for so many years, but Yuwen Tong was still like this.


    However, though on the surface he was complaining, the gleam of happiness in his eyes was ill-concealed.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong was not really mad at him. Even if Ling Zhang would not prepare any gifts for him, he still would not be angry with Ling Zhang. He had feigned anger only to play along and have some fun.


    Yuwen Tong had never played the emperor card in front of Ling Zhang. They had been married for over ten years, and sometimes even Ling Zhang himself found it amazing that he always had an urge to hug Yuwen Tong whenever they were together, that he began to miss Yuwen Tong even if they had parted for only a very short time. No wonder people said that the two of them were unbelievably gooey over each other, that it was astounding the two of them still had such feelings for each other after being married for ten years.


    Ling Zhang on occasions wondered what it would be like if some day the chemistry between them waned.


    The very thought of that struck him as insupportable.


    He could not bear Yuwen Tong no longer clinging to him like this, or Yuwen Tong cold-shouldering him, or Yuwen Tong stopping showing him all this affection and love that he had been showing all these years. When they had got married, he had thought that he could always leave the palace if things did not work out, but now, he felt that he might be reduced to doing something horrible if some day that did happen.


    Yuwen Tong felt Ling Zhang¡¯s arms around his waist tighten and also perceived the subtle change in Ling Zhang¡¯s mood. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he immediately asked.


    Ling Zhang raised his head and looked deep into Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, making no reply.


    It struck Yuwen Tong that the expression in Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes was somewhat uncharacteristic, but before he could take a closer look, Ling Zhang averted his face and buried it in Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest, lightly rubbing his cheek against it. ¡°Ten years, twenty years, thirty years ¡­ You¡¯ll always be mine.¡±


    Yuwen Tong was momentarily astonished before he got a shrewd idea of what this was about. His lips curving in a faint smile, he looked down at Ling Zhang and said, ¡°Thirty years is too short. We have a lifetime.¡±


    With that he scooped Ling Zhang up. ¡°Come on. Last night you promised me you¡¯d be my model so that I could finish my picture. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    At these words, Ling Zhang instantly extricated himself from those emotions, all his miscellaneous thoughts vanishing. ¡°What picture?¡± he asked vigilantly.


    ¡°What do you think? The picture you undertook to help me finish last night.¡± Yuwen Tong carried him into the side hall, where there was a private study of theirs.


    The night before Ling Zhang had got drunk, and he did not remember much about what had happened. In addition, he and Yuwen Tong had fooled around all night. He could only vaguely recall that Yuwen Tong had wheedled him and requested him to help him finish some picture. At that time he had been giddy due to the intense pleasure and thickly agreed.


    And now, having sobered up, Ling Zhang had a hunch that Yuwen Tong was up to no good, that he would sure as hell play tricks on him.


    ¡°Last night I was drunk. What could I possibly have agreed to do for you? Don¡¯t you dare take advantage of me. I¡¯m not helping you draw any pictures!¡± Ling Zhang refused.


    Yuwen Tong, having sat him onto a desk already, said to him, ¡°You will. You made me a promise and you will honor it.¡±


    With that he reached out a hand to undress Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang¡¯s foreboding proved right. ¡°Why the hell are you taking off my clothes?!¡± he demanded.

 Chapter 570 - Daily Life (4): Drawing

    Yuwen Tong, though claiming that he wanted to draw a picture, was actually attempting to unclothe Ling Zhang, which instantly put the latter on full alert.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to draw a picture? Why are you disrobing me?¡± asked Ling Zhang as he gripped his own collar to prevent Yuwen Tong from stripping him.


    ¡°Because I want to draw a picture,¡± answered Yuwen Tong, as though explaining the obvious.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    A You¡¯ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look of disbelief written all over his eyes, he did not slacken his grasp. Yuwen Tong, unable to continue undressing him, added resignedly, ¡°Last night you agreed to let me draw a picture on your back.¡±


    Ling Zhang¡¯s eyes widened with amazement. Dr¨CDraw a picture on his back?


    How was that possible? He would never agree to such ¡­ such preposterous request from Yuwen Tong!


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You¡¯re lying, trying to take advantage of my loss of memories of last night!¡± averred Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I¡¯m not. You gave me your word. Last night you ¡­ ¡±


    What Yuwen Tong recounted to him next instantly made Ling Zhang¡¯s face flush with sudden heat, for Yuwen Tong¡¯s account of the story was so embarrassing. Now he had also vaguely recalled some details about what happened last night. It seemed that he had indeed undertaken to do something for Yuwen Tong.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was drunk, and you wheedled me into agreeing to that. It doesn¡¯t count as a promise,¡± demurred Ling Zhang hastily.


    Yuwen Tong looked at him quietly for a moment. ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯re going back on your word? I¡¯ve been expecting this since last night, and I¡¯ve even got the pigments ready ¨C I spent quite some time preparing them after the court meeting. I even went over in detail how to draw it several times in my mind.¡±


    Ling Zhang glanced at Yuwen Tong¡¯s reproving eyes and quickly looked away, feeling a trifle guilty. But this was not his fault. Clearly Yuwen Tong had cajoled him into agreeing to do that when he had been ¡­ been in that state. Why was Yuwen Tong acting like he, Ling Zhang, was the one in the wrong?


    Yuwen Tong was still gazing at him silently. It was a few moments before Yuwen Tong said, ¡°You¡¯re really not letting me draw on your back?¡±


    He sounded crestfallen, the delight on his face gone. Seeing that Ling Zhang refused to budge, he released his grip on Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes and, head down, began to quietly stow away the paint set on the desk that had been in readiness for quite some time ¡­


    Ling Zhang watched as he silently put away the stuff. Though Yuwen Tong was not speaking, it was unmistakable that he felt hard done by.


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Yuwen Tong was doing this on purpose. He was putting on a wronged-husband act!


    ¡°Okay, okay, stop sulking. I¡¯ll let you draw it, but you must tell me how long my back has to bear that picture. I don¡¯t want anything like that to stay on my skin forever. And don¡¯t you dare draw anything indecent!¡±


    Yuwen Tong stopped stowing things away and looked up at him. ¡°Do I have your word?¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ You have my word.¡±


    Asshole. Yuwen Tong sure as hell did that to guilt-trip him into relenting.


    The moment Ling Zhang agreed, Yuwen Tong quickly returned everything to its original position and then held Ling Zhang¡¯s neckband.


    Ling Zhang was still clutching his collar, showing no intention to remove his hands.


    Yuwen Tong just looked at him.


    Ling Zhang, after a few moments¡¯ silence, slackened his grip.


    Yuwen Tong immediately disrobed him. He did it so quick Ling Zhang had a sneaking suspicion that Yuwen Tong could do magic.


    When all Ling Zhang¡¯s clothes had been taken off, Yuwen Tong¡¯s burning eyes raked his body, the expression in them evidently different from how it had been a few moments ago.


    ¡°Let me get this straight ¨C you¡¯re not to do anything other than draw the picture,¡± said Ling Zhang hastily. His waist was too sore to endure any more strenuous exercise. They had made out for long hours last night, and then spent the whole morning doing the same thing; even when walking, he felt somewhat ¡­ ahem ¡­ weak. If they fooled around again, he might collapse.


    Yuwen Tong scooped him up and made towards the soft couch on the side. After settling Ling Zhang on it, he said, ¡°Lie prone and you¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    Ling Zhang, without feeling sheepish, directly rolled over and lay prostrate. Having agreed to it, he wondered what Yuwen Tong was going to draw on his back.


    Yuwen Tong planned to draw a picture of blooming peonies on Ling Zhang¡¯s back. He had some time ago worked out in his mind what the picture should be like. In fact he had been thinking about it from the moment he had come up with the idea of drawing it, and had gone over it in his head countless times. He was more familiar with Ling Zhang¡¯s back than anybody else did. Even Ling Zhang himself did not know as much about his own back as Yuwen Tong did. Such was Yuwen Tong¡¯s familiarity with every inch of his back as though a vivid image of it had been engraved in his heart. Every stroke of his painting brush was quite confident.


    When the first stroke of Yuwen Tong¡¯s painting brush landed on his back, Ling Zhang felt a weird sensation and somewhat itchy, and his body wriggled momentarily in spite of himself.


    Yuwen Tong laid his free hand on Ling Zhang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Ling Zhang restrained himself, lying still, but this whole thing still struck him as rather odd. He muttered, ¡°Why do you suddenly want to draw a picture on my back? I mean, even I myself wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. Actually you¡¯ll be the only one who could see what it¡¯s like. What¡¯s the point of all this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, hunched, gently drawing on Ling Zhang¡¯s back, replied, ¡°That¡¯s what makes it a treasure just for me.¡±


    Ling Zhang, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    He rolled his eyes upwards, unable to understand what Yuwen Tong was thinking.


    But he still could not help but tense his back. The touch of the soft, silky painting brush sliding across his skin felt itchy and peculiar. When the brush moved to the small of his back, in particular, he always involuntarily focused all his attention on it, his whole body tensing up in spite of himself.


    Because of the muscular tension, the lines of his body became more perceptible. The perfect contours of his figure were like those of an elaborate statue. Every inch of his skin and the muscles beneath were in fine proportions. Though Yuwen Tong could not be more familiar with it and was able to draw a detailed picture of it with his eyes closed, he still could not help holding his breath.


    The pigments were showing a sharp contrast with Ling Zhang¡¯s white, smooth skin, which was an unduly intense visual stimulus.


    Yuwen Tong could not even keep his breathing steady, but he was still unperturbed when he resumed drawing.


    Slowly, Ling Zhang¡¯s body relaxed and, lying prone on the couch, he set his mind at ease and began to review the previous few days. Surprisingly, after some time he got used to Yuwen Tong¡¯s painting brush which had been moving around on his back. He felt somewhat sleepy, his eyes becoming watery with drowsiness, his eyelids growing heavier.


    ¡°You may have a nap if you want. I¡¯d have finished the picture by the time you wake up,¡± said Yuwen Tong quietly, having perceived his sleepiness, his eyes still fixed on Ling Zhang¡¯s back on which his painting brush was slithering steadily and lightly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Ling Zhang in an undertone. Several times his drowsiness was dissolved by the force of a stroke when he was on the verge of falling asleep, because he still could not help but care about it. But after another few such moments, he relaxed completely again and drifted off.


    Hearing Ling Zhang¡¯s breathing become even, Yuwen Tong came to know that he had fallen asleep, put down his painting brush, gingerly wiped the sweat off his palm. Though he had been meaning to do this for quite some time, he still found himself faced with a big test when given an opportunity to fulfill his wish, and right now he was feeling faintly stressed.


    It took him a long time to finish the picture, and Ling Zhang was asleep during the whole process.


    When he woke up, Yuwen Tong had put the finishing touches to the picture.


    The pigments were very special and dried quickly, and they would stay on Ling Zhang¡¯s back for as long as a year unless someone used a particular potion to dissolve them.


    Ling Zhang, having awoken, recalled why he was here. No longer feeling a painting brush moving back and forth on his back, he came to know that Yuwen Tong had finished the job, but it surprised him that the study was so quiet. He propped himself up on his elbows from the couch and, intending to find out whether or not Yuwen Tong was still present, twisted his head around only to see that Yuwen Tong was standing right behind him, staring at his back, enthralled.


    Taken aback, Ling Zhang asked crossly, ¡°Why the hell are you standing here like a ghost?¡±


    All Yuwen Tong¡¯s attention was drawn to the picture of blooming peonies on Ling Zhang¡¯s back. Though he had known what the picture would be like when conceiving the composition of it in his mind, he was still awed by the beauty of it when it was finished.


    The picture stretched from Ling Zhang¡¯s left shoulder all the way down to the small of his back, with peonies blossoming in profusion on layers of overlapping green leaves, dignified and graceful. They were so beautiful as though they had come to life on Ling Zhang¡¯s back. No, they were even more beautiful than real peonies, because they had the power to bewitch people¡¯s souls.


    When Ling Zhang was propping up his upper body, the picture, moving with his back, looked as charming and celestial as its owner.


    Yuwen You did not make a reply to Ling Zhang but reached out a hand, which slowly stroked Ling Zhang¡¯s back. Eventually, he smiled dreamily, ¡°I would have drawn it sooner had I known it¡¯d be so beautiful.¡±


    Ling Zhang looked confusedly at him and was astonished at the sight of the fascination etched on Yuwen Tong¡¯s face. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s just a picture. Surely it doesn¡¯t stack up against those drawn on paper? By the way, you still haven¡¯t told me what you drew exactly.¡±


    ¡°Peonies.¡±


    ¡°Peonies?¡±


    Ling Zhang was bewildered. Why had Yuwen Tong drawn peonies on his back? Wasn¡¯t this weird? He was a man and did not have that kind of feminine charm. Wouldn¡¯t a picture of peonies look awkward on him? But since Yuwen Tong appeared so entranced as though he could not even speak fluently, Ling Zhang¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    He rose from the soft couch, grabbed his overgarment and threw it over himself. ¡°I¡¯ll go and check it out in a mirror.¡±


    With that, he left the study and returned to the inner chamber where he took off his overgarment in front of a large dressing mirror.


    Yuwen Tong followed him inside just in time to see him take off his overgarment before twisting his head around to look into the mirror which reflected the picture of blossoming peonies on his back. Yuwen Tong found himself holding his breath, his hands clenched.


    At this time Ling Zhang, having got a clear view of the picture on his back, was momentarily stunned. He really had not bargained on Yuwen Tong drawing a picture of blooming peonies like this. To be honest, it was actually ¡­ pretty nice. Yuwen Tong had done a really good job.


    But ¡­ he still found it somewhat eccentric. It would be understandable if a picture like this was on the back of a woman with unmatched beauty. He kept having this feeling that his back bearing such a picture did not feel quite right. He twisted his head around and said to Yuwen Tong, ¡°When can I get rid of this?¡±


    Yuwen Tong walked over and asked in a somewhat husky voice, ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°It feels weird. Doesn¡¯t a man having a picture of peonies on his back sound weird to you?¡±


    ¡®Weird? No, it doesn¡¯t strike me as weird at all,¡¯ thought Yuwen Tong, considering intently the picture on his back.

 Chapter 571 - Daily Life (5): Anger

    Ever since the picture of peonies had been drawn on his back, Ling Zhang had been feeling that something was not quite right. Though fully dressed now, he was still as uneasy as if he were naked.


    And Yuwen Tong refused to wash it off for him, saying that it would disappear spontaneously over time.


    Ling Zhang was so annoyed he did not speak to Yuwen Tong for two days. At night, when in bed, he put an extra quilt between the two of them and forbade Yuwen Tong from crossing it.


    Every day Yuwen Tong could only look at Ling Zhang whom he was not even allowed to hug, but he still would not be budged on the issue. Whenever he thought of the picture of peonies on Ling Zhang¡¯s back which was dignified and of otherworldly beauty and could only be seen by him, a sensation of hotness swept over him. He wanted to make out with Ling Zhang every night, but the latter was angry with him and he should feel thankful that he had not been forced to sleep in the study. Making out every night was out of the question.


    ¡°Father, did you have a fight with Daddy?¡± Yuwen Yue asked Yuwen Tong after sneaking into the room.


    Yuwen Tong impassively asked back, ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    Yuwen Yue hesitated for a few moments before replying, ¡°I made you some snacks and asked Daddy to deliver them to you, but he refused and forbade me to give them to you.¡±


    When she had finished speaking, a somewhat guilty look appeared on Yuwen Yue¡¯s face. She had come here empty-handed, carrying no snack.


    Yuwen Tong gave a little cough and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been suffering from a toothache recently. I can¡¯t eat sweet stuff, which was why Daddy told you not to bring me any.¡±


    Yuwen Yue gave an ¡°Oooh¡± of dawning comprehension. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait a couple of days and make another batch, specially for you!¡±


    Yuwen Tong was delighted. ¡°I thought you were never into this kind of things. Why did you suddenly want to make snacks?¡±


    Yuwen Yue liked kung fu and was uninterested in needlework or cooking. Yuwen Tong, who never compelled his daughter to do anything, was astonished to hear that she had made some snacks by herself.


    ¡°I learned the skill from the handmaids. That day, when I visited Grandfather, Uncle Mao told me Great-aunt liked snacks. She brings me clothes made by herself every time she comes here, and I like every one of them. I¡¯ll make her some snacks the next time she visits us. I hope she¡¯ll like them,¡± said Yuwen Yue.


    Yuwen Tong was slightly surprised, but after giving it some thought, he patted Yuwen Yue¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re doing the right thing. Great-aunt cares about you, and you, as a junior, should show her love in return.¡±


    Yuwen Yue inclined her head and smiled, ¡°But you¡¯re the one I love the most, Father. Please teach me another couple of moves so that I can counter-attack fast. I need to defeat Qi!¡±


    Yuwen Tong looked at her. ¡°Why do you want to defeat your big brother so bad?¡±


    Yuwen Yue said, ¡°Because he never takes me with him when going out of the palace. Lin always follows him, and he refuses to bring me along as well.¡±


    Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows and affected an anger he did not feel. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s unacceptable. How dare they go out to play without bringing you along? Wait here. I¡¯ll go and fix them.¡±


    Yuwen Yue hurriedly explained, ¡°No, no, please don¡¯t. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re unwilling to play with me. Qi is just worried I might get in danger. Alas, just stay out of this, Father. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson myself.¡±


    Looking at her pretty, adorable face which seemed to be getting more and more like that of Ling Zhang when he had been younger, Yuwen Tong found himself unable to refuse. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll teach you a couple of moves, and then you can fix them for me.¡±


    Yuwen Tong brought Yuwen Yue to the drill ground, while Ling Zhang was still examining Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s schoolwork.


    He never had to worry about Yuwen Lin, for even the teacher said that Yuwen Lin studied well, that he was very smart and good at drawing inferences about other cases from one instance.


    Yuwen Qi was clever as well, but this guy used all his intelligence on learning kung fu. Most books in his study were about military strategy and tactics, and the remainder were about either folk tales or some non-academic subject. Not a single orthodox book could be found in there.


    On this day, like always, he obviously had not put as much effort into schoolwork as Yuwen Lin had.


    Ling Zhang, with a stern look on his face, dressed the boy down. ¡± ¡­ If you ever dare be so perfunctory about your homework again, you¡¯ll be grounded and I¡¯ll never allow you to leave this palace again!¡±


    Yuwen Qi was startled. ¡°I won¡¯t dare, Daddy. Please don¡¯t ground me. Uncle Mao and I are going to the hunting ground in West Mountain in a couple of days.¡±


    Ling Zhang sneered, ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about going out to play?¡±


    Yuwen Qi noticed the displeasure on his face and immediately lapsed into silence, standing there with an air of obedience, not daring utter another word.


    ¡°Read this discourse on politics carefully from first to last. I want you to state your opinions about it in my bedchamber the day after tomorrow in the morning. If you dare take it lightly again, I¡¯ll have you copy out all these books ten times!¡± said Ling Zhang, pointing at the pile of books on the desk.


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s countenance changed with fear. Looking at that discourse on politics, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll work hard at it!¡±


    Yuwen Lin was standing leisurely on the side, watching his brother being scolded. As the top student, he would never have to experience the misery Yuwen Qi was feeling at this moment. Yuwen Qi always badgered him into helping him write his essay whenever he, Yuwen Qi, did not feel like doing it. He had tried in vain to convince Yuwen Qi many times, and this time he decided to let Yuwen Qi put some serious efforts into schoolwork.


    As a result, when Yuwen Qi surreptitiously winked at him asking for help, Yuwen Lin pretended not to notice.


    The moment Ling Zhang left, Yuwen Qi jumped at Yuwen Lin. ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk, Yuwen Lin. Why did you ignore me when I winked at you just now? Are we still brothers?!¡±


    Yuwen Lin, his clothes clutched by his brother, was being shaken so violently he was dizzy. ¡°S¨CStop it! Don¡¯t be so rude, okay? I told you you needed to take the essay seriously, that Daddy¡¯s a bit moody these days, that he sure as hell would be mad at you if you only made a perfunctory effort, but you wouldn¡¯t listen, and now you¡¯re blaming me for it?! Besides, how was I supposed to offer you any help when Daddy had his eye on you?¡±


    Yuwen Qi released his grip, sat himself onto the chair and said dejectedly, ¡°The very sight of the discourse on politics gives me headaches. I wanted to write a presentable essay as well, but the headaches wouldn¡¯t disappear no matter how hard I willed them to. It was all our teacher¡¯s fault. He shouldn¡¯t have given me this homework. No, it was Father¡¯s fault. He shouldn¡¯t have pissed Daddy off. Why is he so insensi¨C (muffled grunt).¡±


    Yuwen Lin, having clapped a hand to his brother¡¯s mouth, hissed, ¡°Shut up, you moron. If these words reach Father¡¯s ears, you¡¯ll be a dead man! Don¡¯t get me in trouble, idiot!¡±


    Yuwen Qi was almost suffocated. When Yuwen Lin slackened his grip, he gasped, ¡°W¨CWere you trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°I should have suffocated you, you fool.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who are you calling a fool? I¡¯m your big brother, and you¡¯re supposed to show me some respect.¡±


    Yuwen Lin ignored his verbal threat. He was worried, because the secret bodyguards would no doubt report to his father what Yuwen Qi had just said. In the past few days Daddy had been mad at Father, despite the fact that Father had been trying to please Daddy all along. What if Father took it out on them? Yuwen Qi was a dope and deserved to be punished, but he did not want to be dragged into it.


    Yuwen Qi, seeing the vexation written all over his face, leaned over and breathed, ¡°Hey, why are you looking so fretful? Those secret bodyguards wouldn¡¯t bother to report such a trivial matter to Father. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Yuwen Lin rolled his eyes upwards. ¡°Normally they wouldn¡¯t, but just now Daddy was here! Daddy has been mad at Father and hasn¡¯t spoken to him for days. You know what Father is like. He couldn¡¯t even bear to be separated from Daddy for one day. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll ask his secret bodyguards in detail what Daddy did today. If Father asks any questions about us when the bodyguards report to him, we¡¯ll be dead men, you dummy.¡±


    It was after hearing his brother¡¯s words that Yuwen Qi realized the severity of the matter, but he still muttered, ¡°It was indeed insensible of Father to piss Daddy off. Why should we take the blame for it?¡±


    Yuwen Lin gave him a dirty look. ¡°Drop it already!¡±


    Yuwen Qi sighed, ¡°What should we do? They¡¯ve heard me already.¡±


    Yuwen Lin, his chin rested on his hands, pondered for a while before he said, ¡°How about we figure out a way to have Daddy forgive Father? If we do that, maybe Father will let us off the hook.¡±


    Yuwen Qi, however, found the task difficult to fulfill. ¡°How are we supposed to do that when we don¡¯t even know the reason why Daddy¡¯s mad at Father? Besides, no matter how angry Father is, we could always have Crescent talk to him and placate him ¨C it works every time.¡±


    Yuwen Lin sighed again, feeling that his big brother, who was merely his senior by a couple of months, was literally incurable.


    ¡°Crescent has snitched on you to Father, because you refused to take her out of the palace to play. She might¡¯ve snitched on me for good measure. Right now she¡¯s only too anxious to see Father punish us, and you¡¯re expecting her to help us? She¡¯d only kick us while we¡¯re down.¡±


    Yuwen Qi was astonished. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. She really did that?¡±


    Yuwen Lin said slowly, ¡°A few moments ago, I had a eunuch deliver something to her, but she was not in. The eunuch said that she went to the imperial study.¡±


    Yuwen Qi, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    This was unbelievable. How could she do that? He had just refused to take her out of the palace. Why had she tattled on him to their father?


    Yuwen Qi was almost driven up the wall.


    ¡°Then what should we do? I don¡¯t want to copy out the books and be punished by Father at the same time. I¡¯ll be dead it that happens!¡±


    Yuwen Lin also became fretful, but what he was vexed with was how to find out the reason why Ling Zhang was angry with Yuwen Tong, so that he could suit his methods to the situation.


    ¡­


    Ling Zhang, having examined his sons¡¯ homework, went to check on his daughter only to find that she was not in.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Her Highness went to the imperial study, Your Highness.¡±


    Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. She went to visit that jerk Yuwen Tong?


    Ling Zhang, not at all inclined to see Yuwen Tong, did not go to the imperial study and planned to get some fresh air in the imperial garden. However, halfway through the trip, he heard from a eunuch that Yuwen Tong was teaching Yuwen Yue kung fu on the drill ground.


    Ling Zhang was instantly speechless. Yuwen Tong was still in the mood for teaching their daughter kung fu?


    Not bad. It would seem that Yuwen Tong had not realized his mistake at all.


    His temper beginning to fray, Ling Zhang dropped the idea of going to the garden, spun around and stormed towards the front gates. ¡°I¡¯m going out of the palace!¡±


    Wang Dashan and the others naturally followed in his wake without a second thought, but before setting off, Wang Dashan sneakily gesticulated in the direction of a spot a certain distance away behind him.


    ¡­


    On the drill ground, Yuwen Tong, having taught his daughter a couple of new moves, prepared to go to the place where the princes studied to see Ling Zhang.


    They were just about to set off when Yao Yi rushed over and said, ¡°This is bad, Sire. His Highness went out of the palace, and he looked pretty mad when leaving!¡±


    Yuwen Tong was confused. ¡°Who was it that ruffled his feathers this time?¡±


    Yao Yi did not have a clue either. ¡°Just now His Highness was going to the imperial garden for some fresh air, but halfway there he was informed you were teaching Her Highness kung fu and suddenly got angry and then directly left the palace.¡±


    Yuwen Yue gasped and looked at her father with unease. ¡°Father, do you think Daddy¡¯s mad because I¡¯ve been practicing kung fu? D¨CDidn¡¯t he consent to it that day?¡±


    Yuwen Tong thought about it for a while before he replied, ¡°You have nothing to do with it, Crescent. Go back. I¡¯m going to find Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Yuwen Yue. This time she did not dare ask Yuwen Tong to take her out of the palace with him, because she could also sense that on this occasion Ling Zhang seemed to be really mad.

 Chapter 572 - Daily Life (6): A Trip Out of the Palace for Fun

    Ling Zhang left the palace without bringing a guard of honor and directly went to the Ling Mansion. On that day, at the palace banquet, he had talked with his father about having the trading fleet add an extra voyage to the Fangcun Kingdom to their yearly schedule, but the two of them had not had the time to enter into details. Today he was free, so he decided to finalize the plan with his father, which would save his father a trip into the palace.


    Wang Dashan and the others were all momentarily surprised as they saw that Ling Zhang was really here to confer with Ling Zhaowu about something.


    ¡°So our young master is not really angry?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? His Majesty sure as hell misunderstood him.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s not that big a deal ¡­ ¡±


    They exchanged apprehensive glances and then quietly averted their faces.


    ¡­


    Yuwen Tong, after being informed that Ling Zhang was heading for the Ling Mansion, appeared fairly hesitant for a while, which was rather uncharacteristic of him.


    Leaving everything else aside, the Ling Mansion constituted Ling Zhang¡¯s ¡°boyhood home¡±, and if it came to those people¡¯s knowledge that he had pissed Ling Zhang off, they would not be so keen to listen to him justify himself.


    However ¡­ the Ling Zhang he knew probably would not show any sign of his anger on his face, because if he did, he would have a hard job explaining to them why he was unhappy. Ling Zhang would never let anybody else know what had been drawn on his back.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Yuwen Tong¡¯s disquiet was allayed appreciably, and he began to ponder what he needed to do to get back in Ling Zhang¡¯s good books.


    Ling Zhang was angry at him because he refused to wash off the picture of peonies on Ling Zhang¡¯s back. In fact Yuwen Tong had considered effacing the picture as Ling Zhang wanted him to, but after giving it some thought, he had, knowing Ling Zhang as he had done, realized that this was probably the last time Ling Zhang would allow him to draw a picture on his back, that if he washed it off, he would regret it for a very long time, which was why he could not bring himself to do it.


    ¡­


    In the imperial palace.


    Yuwen Yue, having watched her father leave, excitedly set off to her big brother¡¯s place, planning to challenge him to a fight and defeat him with the two moves she had just learned.


    Unexpectedly, Yuwen Qi, at the sight of her, gave a violent shudder and directly surrendered himself. ¡°I admit defeat, Crescent. Please have mercy on me.¡±


    Yuwen Yue was stunned. The reason why she had specially learned these two moves was because she wanted to defeat her big brother fair and square. How could her big brother admit defeat when they had not even fought yet?


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to admit defeat. Let¡¯s scrap right now. Father has just taught me another two moves, with which I¡¯m sure I can flatten you!¡± Yuwen Yue disagreed, insisting on Yuwen Qi having a kung fu competition with her.


    Yuwen Qi was vexed with her. If he won the fight, Yuwen Yue might snitch on him to their father again; if he was to let her win, how to do it without her realizing it would be a tricky problem.


    ¡°No, you must have a competition with me. If you refuse, I¡¯ll talk to Father and have him make you do it,¡± said Yuwen Yue.


    Yuwen Qi, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    That was exactly what he feared the most.


    ¡°Okay, okay, you¡¯re the boss. Come on. Let¡¯s get it over with!¡±


    When the two of them were fighting, Yuwen Lin was enjoying the show on the side.


    Losing the fight had not been easy for Yuwen Qi, but his sister, having ¡°defeated¡± him, was glued to the spot, looking incredulously at him. ¡°I really won?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you really won. The new moves you¡¯ve just learned are so badass!¡± Yuwen Qi hastily said.


    However, Yuwen Yue, instead of being elated at the victory, indignantly hurled her weapon to the ground and flared, ¡°You let me win!¡±


    Yuwen Qi was flustered. ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°You definitely let me win. I haven¡¯t used any of my new moves yet!¡± huffed Yuwen Yue.


    ¡®Oh, crap. I forgot that,¡¯ Yuwen Qi muttered inwardly.


    Yuwen Lin on the side lapsed into giggles, clearly deriding Yuwen Qi as brainless.


    Yuwen Yue¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°You¡¯re insulting me! I don¡¯t need you to let me win!¡±


    Yuwen Qi hastened to placate her. ¡°No, I really did not let you win. I was just momentarily distracted.¡±


    Yuwen Yue did not buy it. ¡°What distracted you?¡±


    ¡°Daddy gave me a punishment because of my poorly-done homework, and I¡¯ve been having a tough time trying to figure something out to get Daddy to stop being angry. Crescent, would you please be the best sister you always have been and help me pacify Daddy?¡± Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes roved and with that he made an attempt to convince Yuwen Yue to help.


    Yuwen Lin tossed him a disdainful glance.


    Yuwen Qi gave a little cough, pretending not to have seen it.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s left the palace. There¡¯s nothing I could do.¡± Yuwen Yue fell for Yuwen Qi¡¯s story and finally cooled down.


    ¡°He left the palace? Why did Daddy leave the palace?¡± Yuwen Qi was astonished. Yuwen Lin also looked at Yuwen Yue.


    Yuwen Yue recounted to her brothers what had happened on the drill ground earlier this day.


    ¡°This is bad. Do you think Daddy¡¯s really so angry as to have abandoned us?¡± said Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Yue had not deemed this a serious matter, but after hearing his words, she knitted her eyebrows and demurred, ¡°Nonsense. Daddy would never do that.¡±


    Yuwen Lin walked over to them and said, ¡°Stop taking wild guesses. Daddy left the palace probably because he wanted to pay a visit to the Ling Mansion to keep our great-grandfathers company.¡±


    ¡°What should we do now? With Daddy being in the Ling Mansion, even if we figure out a solution, we wouldn¡¯t be able to put it into action,¡± said Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°Father has left the palace as well, presumably to talk to Daddy. I think Daddy would have calmed down by the time they return,¡± said Yuwen Lin.


    Yuwen Qi was anxious. ¡°No!¡±


    Yuwen Lin looked bemusedly at him. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®no¡¯?¡±


    Yuwen Qi leaned over and breathed, ¡°You see, this time around it¡¯s very obvious Daddy is really angry, and Father has been vainly trying to coax him out of anger for days, right? If we manage to cheer Daddy up at this point in time, we¡¯d get all the credit, wouldn¡¯t we? And Father is guaranteed to reward us, and better still, I¡¯ll be rid of the threat of the punishment of copying out those books.¡±


    The corners of Yuwen Lin¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not trying to get yourself scolded again?¡±


    Yuwen Qi was actually suggesting they step on their father¡¯s toes. If their father found out about it, they would sure as hell rue the day they made the decision. Unlike Crescent, the two of them would never get any special amnesty from their father.


    There was no telling whether or not their father, considering how easily he got jealous, would be angry with them instead of grateful.


    Yuwen Lin disagreed, believing that it was too much of a risk.


    But Yuwen Qi felt that his plan was very practicable, and even Yuwen Yue was convinced. The two of them made up their minds to get out of the palace to see Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Lin, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Though wanting no part of this whatsoever, he was worried that the two of them might get themselves in trouble if they left the palace together, so he had no alternative but to go with them.


    The three of them brought many guards on their trip out of the palace, who kept the princes and princess under heavy protection. On top of that, there were some secret bodyguards following in their wake covertly.


    The Ling Mansion was located to the south-west of the palace and fairly far away. It would take over an hour to walk from the palace gates to the residence.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin on horseback, Yuwen Yue sitting in a carriage, the large group headed in the direction of the Ling Mansion.


    ¡­


    This was Yuwen Yue¡¯s first time going out of the palace with her big brothers without their parents¡¯ company, so she naturally did not have to take as much heed of the code of conduct as she did in the presence of the imperial couple, which was why she had been peering out of the carriage window all along.


    At the Rosefinch Avenue, they chanced upon a wedding procession.


    The wedding procession was heading east, which was different from the direction they were going. Yuwen Yue and her brothers had not brought a guard of honor, but they were in the company of so many guards that the wedding procession, who could tell that they were from special background, came to a halt, unsure as to whether or not they should make way.


    Yuwen Qi, a reasonable youngster, waved his hand and said, ¡°A wedding is too celebratory an event to be delayed. Make way for them.¡±


    The team moved to the roadside to allow the wedding convoy to pass. A man on the opposite side thanked them repeatedly and then the procession resumed its eastward progress.


    The bride should be from a large, wealthy family, given the many chests of trousseaus and the long line of men carrying them. Yuwen Yue, awestruck by the scene, exclaimed in spite of herself.


    When the bridal sedan chair passed by, the curtain of it was lifted by a breeze, revealing the gorgeous-robed bride inside, whose bridal veil was adorned with beautiful, shiny, gold beads.


    Yuwen Yue stared unblinkingly. When the bridal sedan chair went far away, she still could not take her eyes off it and even attempted to hang out of the carriage window, but the middle-aged handmaid beside her stopped her in time.


    Still, after the wedding convoy went past, Yuwen Yue felt that she had not looked her fill at all. ¡°Qi, Lin, let¡¯s follow them and find out who¡¯s marrying the bride!¡±


    Yuwen Lin knitted his brows disapprovingly. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere. That kind of conduct is unbecoming to a princess.¡±


    But Yuwen Qi believed otherwise. As he saw Yuwen Yue watching the receding wedding convoy with a twinkle in her eyes, it struck him that as her big brother, one who had brought her out already, he was obliged to grant as many of her requests as he could and make sure that she enjoyed herself.


    ¡°You really want to go along for the ride, Crescent?¡± asked Yuwen Qi.


    Yuwen Yue, sensing that there was still hope, hastened to bob her head. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yuwen Qi said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll follow them and take a look.¡±


    Yuwen Lin demurred, ¡°Don¡¯t you put her up to this. We¡¯ve breached the rules once already by making way for those people just now. It¡¯d be frivolous of us to follow the bridal sedan chair with Crescent. If by any chance someone finds out you¡¯re a prince, it would make the imperial clan seem flippant. And if it comes to Daddy¡¯s knowledge that you¡¯re responsible for it, he¡¯s guaranteed to mete out punishment more severe than copying out those books ten times. I suggest you think twice.¡±


    Yuwen Qi was momentarily stunned at his warning. ¡°But nobody will find out who we are if we do it secretly.¡±


    Yuwen Lin glanced at the guards and the pedestrians in the vicinity before saying, ¡°Although we¡¯re not in the company of a guard of honor, we brought so many men with us, and we went out of the palace through the front gates, so it¡¯s safe to say all those with discerning eyes have guessed our identities. How are we supposed to cover our tracks?¡±


    Yuwen Qi also glanced at the people in the vicinity and found that there were indeed many of them sneaking surreptitious looks at them, their faces respectful, their eyes full of curiosity.


    Yuwen Qi scratched his head, shifted his gaze to the wedding convoy disappearing from view, and then said to Yuwen Yue, ¡°Crescent, Ling¡¯s got a point. We should drop the idea, but I¡¯ll take you out another time.¡±


    Dejection clouding her face, Yuwen Yue looked disappointedly at Yuwen Qi. ¡°We really can¡¯t go?¡±


    ¡°Crescent, you¡¯re a princess. Do not forget that,¡± cautioned Yuwen Lin.


    Yuwen Yue bowed her head and gave an ¡°Oh¡± of reluctance.


    Yuwen Qi could not bear to see her like this. He came up with an idea and said to Yuwen Lin, ¡°We can turn into that street first, change clothes and then bring only a couple of guards and secret bodyguards with us there.¡±


    Yuwen Lin was almost rendered speechless. ¡°What the ¡­ Why do you want to see it so bad? It¡¯s just a wedding.¡±


    ¡°Alas.¡± Yuwen Qi leaned closer to him and breathed, ¡°Can you not tell Crescent is eager to see what it¡¯s like? Unlike us, she can¡¯t get out of the palace whenever she wants, and there are a lot of things out here she¡¯s never seen before. Beautiful as the palace is, she¡¯s been in there too long to still find the scenery enjoyable. Let¡¯s take her there to see the fun and then come back. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Yuwen Lin¡¯s forehead twitched at these words and with that he looked over his shoulder at their sister who was sitting in the rear of the carriage, looking somewhat crestfallen. After a long moment¡¯s hesitation, he finally relented. ¡°Fine, but only a brief look, and then we come back immediately. We cannot linger there for long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t stay there for long. We satisfy Crescent¡¯s curiosity and then return right away,¡± Yuwen Qi promised.


    The team resumed progressing. After turning into the street ahead, they found an inn and had a guard get two rooms for them. The three of them entered the inn with the others, changed out of their sumptuous robes into plain clothes their guards had just bought on the street, which constituted a disguise of some sort, then left the inn, followed by some guards and secret bodyguards, setting off to look for the wedding convoy.


    A wedding convoy as large as that would not make only a short trip. They would normally make a circuit of the city before entering the groom¡¯s residence at the agreed auspicious hour.


    Yuwen Qi, adept at making inquiries because of his regular trips out of the palace, soon found out about the current location of the wedding convoy and promptly led Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Yue in that direction.

 Chapter 573 - Spin-Off – Oddity (1)

    As expected, the wedding convoy was still on the street. Those people had just reached East Street and were progressing at a gentle pace.


    The bridegroom was flushed with delight, and his bride was sitting in the bridal sedan chair, a large trousseau-delivering team following in their wake, the whole street seething with onlookers.


    Yuwen Yue was too short to see much, so Yuwen Qi lifted her bodily up and perched her on his arm. Thanks to his years¡¯ kung fu practice, his strength was much greater than that of common people, which proved quite helpful on this occasion. Squeezing his way through the crowd with his sister on his arm was not at all difficult for him.


    Yuwen Lin had been staying close to them all along, not daring let them out of his sight. Wherever Yuwen Qi went, he always followed on his brother¡¯s heels for fear of losing him.


    The whole place was swarming with people. This was Yuwen Lin¡¯s first time getting so close to so many people, and he was rather unaccustomed to this situation, grimacing occasionally because of the jostle.


    ¡°Have you two looked your fill? If you have, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Yuwen Lin yelled at his brother and sister ahead of him.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Yue were having such a fun time they did not hear their brother¡¯s voice at all. Yuwen Lin had no choice but to call out to them once again.


    Yuwen Qi glanced at the rapturous Yuwen Yue sitting in the crook of his arm before he twisted his head around and said to Yuwen Lin, ¡°Just a little while longer.¡±


    Yuwen Lin sighed, ¡°There are too many people here. It¡¯s not safe, and it¡¯s so crowded.¡±


    Being jostled around made him feel very uncomfortable, and the mixed smell in the air was not very pleasant. Yuwen Lin wrinkled his nose, only too anxious to leave.


    At this time, the wedding convoy was about to process out of East Street and turn into South Street. Yuwen Qi, carrying Yuwen Yue, was edging along with the crowd. Yuwen Lin, for fear of losing them, gripped the back of Yuwen Qi¡¯s overgarment, their guards following in their wake, all their faces beaded with perspiration.


    ¡°Childe Qi, Childe Lin, Lady Yue, we should get back. There¡¯re too many people here. It¡¯s not safe,¡± cautioned the captain of the guards.


    Yuwen Qi twisted his head back to look at his sister. ¡°Crescent, we need to get back. It¡¯s too crowded. You could easily bump into something and get hurt. If Daddy or Father finds out, we¡¯ll be punished.¡±


    Yuwen Yue wanted to keep going and see more of it, but seeing that both her brothers were against the idea and probably would not budge on the issue, she said with a grudging inclination of the head, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The guards, protecting the three of them, tried to lead them out of the crowd, but there were too many people heading their direction, and it was next to impossible to get out of the place against the tide of rubberneckers. In fact, they were being pushed backward one pace after another by the throng pressing along with the intention to follow the wedding convoy to South Street.


    ¡°Step aside or there will be consequences!¡± The guards whipped out their sabers fastened to their belts.


    At the sight of the blades, everybody in the vicinity was startled and, no longer daring squeeze their way towards them, hastily moved to the sides.


    ¡°Get out of the way or we will make you!¡± shouted the guards. The onlookers were disgruntled, but the guards¡¯ forbidding and serious faces deterred them from protesting.


    They were just about to walk out of the crowd when something unexpected happened among the wedding convoy turning into South Street behind them. A sudden commotion burst forth from the crowd. Yuwen Qi and the others had no idea what was happening. They only saw that some people behind them started running in their direction.


    Yuwen Qi frowned, held Yuwen Yue tightly in his arm, grasped Yuwen Qi with his other hand and then the three of them began to streak forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Qi?¡± piped Yuwen Yue, clinging on to him with alarm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but with that many people running this way, we could easily get hurt. We must stay ahead of them!¡± said Yuwen Qi aloud.


    Clearly the guards were thinking about the same thing. If the flood of people caught up with them, they could easily get trampled underfoot.


    Some citizens ahead were standing motionless on the spot, unaware of what was going on.


    Knowing that they must not stop to explain to them, Yuwen Qi gripped Yuwen Lin and, carrying Yuwen Yue, swiftly navigated through these people and eventually they forced their way out of the throng, tearing towards the other end of the street, but many of the guards got separated from them, only four still on their heels.


    ¡°Guards!¡± cried Yuwen Lin, jerking his head back.


    Yuwen Qi, still gripping his arm, tossed a backward glance at the citizens scuttling around in alarm and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There are secret bodyguards nearby. We can¡¯t go back. We need to leave this street as soon as possible.¡±


    Nobody knew what had happened. Those onlookers had suddenly turned and started fleeing as though some cacodemons were chasing them.


    The two brothers, having been practicing kung fu for years, ran faster than most others. After reaching the less crowded section of the street, they promptly sprinted towards the area where there were few people and soon left those citizens behind.


    It was only then that Yuwen Qi felt a slight sense of relief and said to Yuwen Lin, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt something happened back there. With so many people running for their lives, some of them might get trampled to death. We need to get the City Patrol here straight away.¡±


    Yuwen Lin was panting heavily from the running. He did not have as much stamina as Yuwen Qi did and the running was clearly a challenging task for him. He looked around for a moment before he pointed in the direction of a high building ahead and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get there first.¡±


    Yuwen Qi inclined his head, rushed into that tavern, the others at his heels, and directly charged onto the third floor. They were so quick that the waiters downstairs failed to stop them. After the guards behind produced their ID plates, the waiters were further deterred from asking any questions. At this time, there were people running for their lives everywhere in the street. The customers in the hall on the ground floor were all baffled as to what was going on, peering out apprehensively.


    ¡°He¡¯s killing people! The bridegroom suddenly went crazy and started hacking people at random with a saber. He even slashed at the bride!¡±


    ¡°Many of those in the vicinity failed to dodge in time and were hacked to death.¡±


    ¡°My goodness. How come he suddenly lost his mind?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? He¡¯s still attacking people back there. You guys had better run as far away as possible!¡±


    To prevent accidents, the taverner decisively had the waiters shut the doors. ¡°Close all the doors! Hurry!¡±


    The waiters, along with the customers, closed the tavern doors, leaving only a window through which they were now stealthily peeping, trying to find out what was going on outside exactly.


    At this time, Yuwen Qi, who had just dashed onto the third floor with Yuwen Yue in his arm and Yuwen Qi in his wake, randomly forced their way into a room with a window facing the street, startling the customers inside. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± demanded one of the customers.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Yuwen Qi produced his ID plate. The customers were taken aback at the sight of it and tremulously got on their knees with the intention to pay their respects.


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± instructed Yuwen Qi, cold-faced. Then he hurried to the window and craned out of it, looking down. Now he could see the whole street.


    A man in red, none other than the bridegroom who had been oozing rapture and contentment on horseback only a few moments ago, was slaughtering people with a saber. Apparently he knew kung fu and was pretty good at it. None of those in the vicinity was capable of stopping him. Moreover, there seemed to be something wrong with his mental state. His eyes were crimson, and his face was hideous with blood. Like a lunatic, he seemed unable to control himself, leaving a trail of common citizens lying on the ground in his wake, all of whom had been hacked by him.


    Yuwen Qi saw that some quick-witted ones, probably knowing that they would not be able to outrun the man, directly flung themselves flat on the ground. The demented bridegroom ignored those feigning death on the ground and went after those still running away from him.


    ¡°Any secret bodyguards here?¡± shouted Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°Childe Qi!¡± Six secret bodyguards leapt inside through the window.


    ¡°Can you restrain that guy?¡± asked Yuwen Qi.


    ¡°We can give it a try,¡± said one of the secret bodyguards, who had also seen what had happened on the street.


    All secret bodyguards were kung fu masters and, theoretically, should not have taken such a conservative attitude, but the problem is that the demented bridegroom down there was also a kung fu master, one who seemed to be suffering from Chi-Disorder.


    ¡°Go and stop him. Do not let him kill any more people!¡± commanded Yuwen Qi.


    The secret bodyguard in charge nodded and assigned two men to stay protecting the princes and the princess. The other four leapt out of the window, drawing their weapons from their belts, flying towards the demented bridegroom.


    Some of the guards separated from Yuwen Qi and the others, having noticed the dementia of the bridegroom, were trying to overpower him. The secret bodyguards joined them and instantly surrounded the bridegroom.


    Seeing this, the citizens in the vicinity hastened to take advantage of this opportunity to flee.


    It was after the guards and secret bodyguards intercepted the insane bridegroom that Yuwen Qi felt relieved and put down Yuwen Yue whom he had been carrying all along.


    ¡°Keep a close eye on my sister,¡± he instructed the guards that had just caught up with them.


    The guards nodded.


    Yuwen Yue was shocked, her face slightly pale. However, born bolder than others girls, she did not appear terrified.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Qi. Will the secret bodyguards be able to stop that man?¡± Yuwen Yue asked.


    Yuwen Qi, watching the fighting down there, said, ¡°I think so.¡±


    The two secret bodyguards in the room looked outside and then one of them said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. That man has been intercepted already.¡±


    ¡°What on earth happened to that bridegroom? Why did he suddenly go crazy?¡± Yuwen Lin was bewildered.


    Yuwen Qi shook his head. ¡°He seems to be suffering from Chi-Disorder, but his symptoms are far more severe than those of Chi-Disorder. It was like he lost his sanity in the blink of an eye.¡±


    Yuwen Yue standing on the side had an odd expression on her face, not daring believe that a very handsome bridegroom, who had been on horseback only a short while ago, had suddenly turned into a mass murderer for no reason. Previously it had struck her that the bride sitting in the sedan chair had a happy life ahead of her, but now that thought had disappeared. Now she only felt that the bride was so unlucky, because the man she was marrying had gone crazy without warning.


    ¡°I wonder what happened to the bride,¡± said Yuwen Yue.


    ¡°Your Highness, just now someone said that the bride received a slash from the groom. There¡¯s no telling whether she¡¯s still alive or not,¡± answered a secret bodyguard dutifully.


    Yuwen Yue gasped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Wasn¡¯t she his bride? How could he hack his new wife? That¡¯s just horrible.¡±


    Yuwen Yue was traumatized by this experience and got the impression that all bridegrooms could go crazy at any moment. And after she grew up, for a very long time she was scared of getting married. When Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin had come to know about it, the two brothers bitterly regretted having brought Yuwen Yue out of the palace on this day.


    Of course, that¡¯s another story. At this time there were many wounded citizens lying on the ground. The secret bodyguards, though having intercepted the groom, had not overpowered him yet, which was rather surprising. The main reason was that the man had very powerful internal energy. The secret bodyguards attempted to use hidden weapons covered with hypnotic drug to bring him down, but all the hidden weapons were deflected by the man¡¯s internal energy which enveloped him like some kind of invisible shield.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. How come this man¡¯s internal energy is so powerful? I¡¯ve never seen anybody with such internal-energy prowess apart from Father and Daddy,¡± said Yuwen Qi, amazed.


    The two secret bodyguards on the side were also somewhat bemused. One of them said, ¡°If my memory serves me correctly, this guy is He You, the eldest son of He Shijing. His father is the owner of Nantong Chamber of Commerce, who has moved to this city from the south and settled down only earlier this year. Since he owns Nantong Chamber of Commerce, I¡¯m sure His Highness has done some background check on him, but none of us has ever been informed his son has such kung fu prowess.¡±


    The other one was also perplexed. ¡°This is weird.¡±


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin exchanged a glance, both feeling that there was something fishy going on.


    ¡°The City Patrol has arrived.¡±


    The City Patrol showed up, accompanied by yamen runners. They quickly evacuated the nearby residents and transferred those lying on the ground to places where they could get medical treatment, though some of them might have already died. But the demented bridegroom was still fighting those surrounding him. It was as though he had inexhaustible stamina and internal energy, which made it very difficult to restrain him.


    Fortunately the secret bodyguards were also not common people. Though killing the groom seemed to be impossible, on no account would they let him escape.


    ¡°Alas. Given the severity of this incident, Father would definitely be informed very soon. If it comes to his knowledge we slipped out of the palace and nearly got hacked by this maniac, he¡¯d sure as hell go ballistic,¡± sighed Yuwen Qi, watching the fight down there apprehensively with the air of a man on his deathbed.


    They had come out with the intention to please Ling Zhang and then claim merit for themselves in front of Yuwen Tong, but now, before they could do anything meritorious, they had got themselves into trouble.


    Yuwen Lin, however, was much more composed than his brother on this occasion. ¡°If we had not left the palace, nobody would have stopped this lunatic, and more citizens would have been injured. Don¡¯t worry. We have sort of made up for our mistakes. Our punishment from Father should be no worse than being grounded.¡±


    But being grounded meant that there would be no more trips out of the palace, which was clearly a severe punishment in Yuwen Qi¡¯s eyes.


    Yuwen Qi subconsciously looked at Yuwen Yue beside him, but after giving it some thought, he came to realize that though his sister was unscathed, he had brought her out and put her in danger, so it was evidently impracticable to ask her to intercede for him. ¡®Alas,¡¯ he sighed inwardly.


    ¡°Eek? Uncle Mao?¡± Yuwen Lin suddenly exclaimed, astonished.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Yue both immediately hurried to the window and looked outside. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Yuwen Qi pointed in a direction and with that they spotted Ling Maomao accompanied by Ji Xiaocong. It seemed that they had specially come here after being informed of the incident.


    ¡°Uncle Maoooo!¡± called Yuwen Yue.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong both heard her, looked up in her direction and were amazed to see that the three of them were in a tavern. Then the two of them shifted their gaze to the guards and secret bodyguards fighting the madman, and with that their faces darkened somewhat.


    At the sight of this, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin flinched, realizing that they were toast.


    A few moments ago Ling Maomao had been shopping with Ji Xiaocong on another street. After hearing about the incident, the two of them had specially come here to find out what was going on. They had not bargained on seeing Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Yuwen Yue, all of whom were supposed to be in the palace at this moment. At the thought that these three kids had been on the scene of the mass murder, Ling Maomao broke out in a cold sweat.


    If anything happened to any of these three children, he could not imagine how devastated and angry his cousin would be. The whole imperial court would be shocked.


    Ling Maomao¡¯s face fell, which made him look rather intimidating. Ji Xiaocong on the side nudged him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s restrain that guy first.¡±


    Ling Maomao took a deep breath, withdrew his eyes which had been glaring at Yuwen Qi and the others, and said, ¡°That man seems to be suffering from Chi-Disorder, and his internal energy is quite powerful. How can we restrain him?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong smiled, ¡°I have an idea.¡±

 Chapter 574 - Spin-Off – Oddity (2): Punishment

    Ji Xiaocong pulled a piccolo from his shoulder bag, held it to his lips and started to play a tune.


    He was performing the piece with his internal energy. The intrinsically sedative effect of the melody, coupled with the mind-control techniques he was using while playing it, enabled him to placate people and even manipulate their moods.


    Remarkably, the demented bridegroom, crimson-eyed, his internal energy leaking out, looking as if his body could explode at any moment, began to slow down due to this unexpected tune.


    He was responsive to the piece!


    The whole street was silent except for the sound issuing from the piccolo. The groom paused, twisted his head aside, listening hard, and after a few moments shifted his gaze in the direction of Ji Xiaocong.


    The churning internal energy shielding him started thinning out, the blood streaks in his crimson eyes fading away, his face contorting with distress.


    The secret bodyguards, taking advantage of this opportunity, mounted a concerted attack and restrained him as his defense weakened.


    Ji Xiaocong was still playing the tune, the overpowered groom struggling violently. After some time, he completely cooled down and his eyes slowly became glazed. Before long, he sank to the ground.


    It was only then that Ji Xiaocong stopped playing the piece and wiped the fine sheen of sweat from his brow.


    Ling Maomao looked at him. ¡°Are you feeling any discomfort?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. This guy¡¯s symptoms look familiar, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Ling Maomao was astonished for a moment before his eyebrows contracted. ¡°You mean this reminds you of those people on that island?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong inclined his head. ¡°He¡¯s just like them, those under some kind of enchantment. They went so crazy as to enhance their powers at the cost of their own vital essence and try to kill each other, utterly unable to control themselves.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s frown deepened further. ¡°But how come the same thing happened to someone in this place?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong said, ¡°That¡¯s what we need to look into.¡±


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong walked up to check the groom lying on the ground. An undercover bodyguard was holding a finger to the man¡¯s nose to see if he was still breathing.


    ¡°He fainted. For the moment his condition doesn¡¯t seem to be life-threatening,¡± said the bodyguard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him die. This man went crazy without warning in suspicious circumstances. Keep an eye on him. We need to get to the bottom of this matter,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    The undercover bodyguard nodded.


    Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong also performed a simple examination on the bridegroom and found that the man¡¯s symptoms were indeed very familiar ¨C exactly the same as those of the men they had encountered on the island in the South Ocean, actually.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to tell my cousin and the others about this as soon as possible,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    Nobody could have foreseen that such a thing would suddenly happen to this man on his wedding day. It was so unexpected they could not help worrying that the same thing would happen to someone else. Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, both having witnessed how horrible those people on that island had been, naturally did not want a repeat performance of that kind of thing in the capital city.


    ¡°His Majesty and His Highness have both gone to the Ling Mansion,¡± said a secret bodyguard on the side.


    Ling Maomao nodded and said to Ji Xiaocong, ¡°Give me a moment to get the three kids down here.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong smiled, ¡°All right.¡±


    Ling Maomao entered the tavern, found Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Yuwen Yue, all of whom were hiding in a room on the third floor and afraid of showing their faces, and marched them downstairs.


    ¡°Now you guys have the sense to be frightened. I¡¯m not going to scold you, but I think you¡¯ll have to justify yourselves in front of your father and daddy in a few moments,¡± said Ling Maomao, his face flinty.


    Both Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin did not dare utter a word and, taking their sister with them, obediently followed Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong towards the Ling Mansion.


    At this time, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had been informed of what had happened on East Street. Their countenance changed momentarily as an undercover bodyguard reported that their three children had been on the scene.


    Immediately after walking through the front gates of the residence, Yuwen Qi, Yuwen Lin and Yuwen Yue, tremulously following in Ling Maomao¡¯s wake, caught sight of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, both standing in the doorway of the living room, glowering at them with stern faces.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin shuddered. Yuwen Yue standing beside them quietly cowered behind her brothers. On this occasion she was also scared, not daring run to her parents to play cute as she would normally do.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good trying to hide. You think I can¡¯t see you standing behind your brother?¡± said Ling Zhang frostily.


    Yuwen Yue shivered and, biting her lower lip, edged out again to stand side by side with Yuwen Lin, her head down, not daring look at Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Daddy, Father, it was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought Crescent and Lin out of the palace. I deserve to be punished.¡± Yuwen Qi slumped to his knees.


    Knowing that there was no way he could get away with what he had done, Yuwen Qi decisively admitted his mistakes in the hope that his father would appreciate his voluntary admission of error and show him some leniency.


    Yuwen Lin also knelt down. ¡°I¡¯m the one to blame.¡±


    Yuwen Yue hastily followed suit, her eyes swimming with tears, looking at Ling Zhang with an injured expression on her face. Seeing that Ling Zhang remained poker-faced, she switched her gaze to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Those eyes were exactly the same as Ling Zhang¡¯s. Looking at them brimming with tears, Yuwen Tong felt as though he were seeing a hard-done-by Ling Zhang, his scalp prickling with heartache, unable to bring himself to maintain his grim face, no matter how hard he tried. He resignedly looked up into the sky, let out a sigh and had just lifted his foot with the intention to walk up to her and support her to her feet when an outstretched arm was placed before his chest, blocking his path.


    The exquisite pattern of phoenix embroidered on the sleeve was shining in the sunlight as though it were about to come to life and fly. The arm¡¯s owner was standing with his back to Yuwen Tong and did not twist his head around, but Yuwen Tong could not take another step forward.


    Yuwen Yue kneeling on the ground was speechless.


    She stealthily gulped and, gazing at the arm that stopped her father, found herself thinking about only one thing ¨C she was toast, she was so toast. Even her father did not dare save her. Who else could come to her help?!


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were the only two in the doorway of the living room. Her great-grandfathers were both nowhere to be seen. How could they not be here at such a crucial juncture?! Yuwen Yue was almost reduced to real tears.


    ¡°What happened exactly? Why did you slip out of the palace when you had everything you need there? And you even changed clothes and joined the crowd to see the fun. I want every detail. If any of you dare keep anything back ¨C anything at all ¨C I¡¯ll have you stay on your kneels until tomorrow morning!¡± huffed Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Qi and the other two shuddered simultaneously. Not daring look up at Ling Zhang, they surreptitiously exchanged glances. They wanted to agree on a story they could use to cover up their actions a little, but they could not speak and none of them was unable to understand what the other two were trying to convey through the winks.


    ¡°What are you doing? Working on some kind of lie?¡± enunciated Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Qi and the other two, not daring give each other covert winks any more, bowed their heads and made a full confession which included the reasons why they had sneaked out of the palace, and why they had joined the rubberneckers halfway through their trip.


    As Yuwen Qi mentioned their intention to please Daddy and get reward from Father, blue veins throbbed horribly in Ling Zhang¡¯s temples, and his hand in front of Yuwen Tong¡¯s chest balled into a fist.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Looking at the tight fist, Yuwen Tong had a sense of foreboding. He had had a hard job placating Ling Zhang, and now it would seem he was about to be scapegoated!


    ¡°Yuwen Qi! How dare you do such things without my consent?!¡± reprimanded Yuwen Tong hastily, his foreboding intensifying as he listened to the boy speak.


    Yuwen Qi was startled as he heard his father call him by his full name and rebuke him. He tremulously looked up at his father and almost blacked out at the sight of the flames of anger in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes, his head swimming. He was toast. Daddy and Father both seemed so angry. He had just been trying to reconcile them, hadn¡¯t he? He had done that out of his filial affection!


    ¡°I¨CI was just trying to help Daddy and Father make peace with each other. I thought I was performing my filial duties.¡±


    Yuwen Lin on the side barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes upwards as he heard these words. This idiot told the truth and even dared talk back.


    Unsurprisingly, Yuwen Tong sneered, ¡°Performing your filial duties? All you did was make trouble for me! I don¡¯t need your help to get my consort to¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! What the hell do you think you¡¯re talking about?¡± flared Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    Ling Zhang took a deep breath and, looking at his three kneeling children, said to Yuwen Qi, ¡°You¡¯re their big brother, and it¡¯s your duty to protect your little brother and little sister. Look how frivolous you are. Have you the faintest idea of what the word ¡®poise¡¯ means?! This is the example you want to set to your little brother and little sister? Do the words ¡®big brother¡¯ mean anything to you?!¡±


    With that, Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Lin, ¡°You¡¯ve always been the most poised one, but today you actually joined them in such stupid actions. Your age has been increasing, but your self-restraint seems to be decreasing!


    You two are both princes of the Great Wen. Countless subjects are watching you. Your each and every move is supposed to be an example to the people. You want me to tell everybody in our country that their princes are reckless and unreliable? You¡¯re to stay on your kneels until your minds clear!


    Yuwen Yue, I¡¯ve lost count of the number of times I¡¯ve told you to remember you¡¯re a princess, that you must not do anything unbefitting for your identity, but all my words just go in one ear and out the other. This time nobody can get you off the hook. You¡¯re to stay on your knees as well! If anybody dares intercede for you, your punishment will be prolonged by two hours!¡±


    On hearing these words, Yuwen Yue felt as though her insides had turned into ice. How much longer would she have to kneel here if nobody was allowed to intercede for her?


    Yuwen Yue looked around her. As she made eye contact with Ling Maomao standing on the side, her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up in them so quick as if by magic.


    Ling Maomao, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hem.¡±


    Ling Maomao ventured, ¡°Cousin, despite their recklessness, they constitute the saviors of many citizens. Earlier this day that bridegroom went crazy in suspicious circumstances. There would have been more casualties if the guards and undercover bodyguards they brought with them had not restrained that man.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong also said, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. That bridegroom was horrifyingly demented. His symptoms were somewhat similar to those of the men we¡¯d seen on that island in the South Ocean, those who¡¯d appeared to be under some kind of evil enchantment.¡±


    Ling Zhang had been in a foul mood all along, but after hearing these words, he furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°We checked him. I¡¯m eighty percent sure,¡± answered Ling Maomao.


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s expression also became grave. ¡°Where¡¯s that demented bridegroom?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Some undercover bodyguards brought him here and locked him up in a room. He¡¯s still unconscious,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong followed Ling Maomao, heading for the room where the crazy groom was.


    Yuwen Qi and the other two watched as they went far away. Then Yuwen Qi kneaded his knees and smiled a mirthless smile. ¡°It seems Father and Daddy are really angry. How much longer do you think we¡¯ll have to kneel?¡±


    Yuwen Lin rolled his eyes upwards. ¡°Be patient. When Daddy¡¯s anger dissolves, we¡¯ll naturally be allowed to stand up.¡±


    Yuwen Yue on the side breathed, ¡°My knees hurt.¡±


    Yuwen Lin looked at her and heaved a sigh before he took off his overgarment, folded it and placed it beneath Yuwen Yue¡¯s knees. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tough it out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lin,¡± said Yuwen Yue sheepishly. Yuwen Lin¡¯s overgarment was very soft and, having been folded, felt like a thick cushion. It was not as hard as the ground and made her feel better.


    The guard on the side noticed it but pretended otherwise. After standing guard for a while, he quietly turned on his heel, creating an opportunity for them to shift position.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin did not dare slack off and was still kneeling. Yuwen Yue, who had knelt for a long moment and was feeling miserable, squatted on her hams. Before long, seeing that the guard was not looking this way, she stealthily sat onto the ground.


    ¡°Qi, Lin, sit down and have a break,¡± Yuwen Yue said to her brothers in a hushed voice.


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin both shook their heads. Yuwen Qi appeared somewhat listless. Yuwen Lin, also rather upset, said to her, ¡°I¡¯m good. Remember to get up when Daddy and Father come back.¡±


    Seeing that they refused to sit, Yuwen Yue gave an ¡°Oh¡± and, after a few moments, got on her knees again.


    Yuwen Lin looked perplexedly at her.


    Yuwen Yue smiled at him. Though grimacing for the pain in her knees, she was still kneeling bolt upright.


    Yuwen Lin looked at her for a while, then raised his hand and rubbed her head. ¡°You may just sit. Girls¡¯ flesh is too delicate to endure such punishment. Your knees will be less pretty if you kneel for too long.¡±


    Yuwen Yue said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve got your clothes beneath them.¡±


    The reason why her brothers were being punished was because they had taken her to see the fun at her request, and she felt obliged to undergo this with them. It was just some pain in the knees. She could handle this!


    ¡®But ¡­ it really hurts,¡¯ she sobbed inwardly, ¡®Daddy ¡­ ¡®


    Yuwen Yue knitted her brows, her lips pressed together, the corners of her mouth drooping. Now she really felt hard done by.


    After a while, someone covertly came over, looked through a carved window and, after seeing the three children kneeling on the ground, was reduced to prowling about in the room for heartache.

 Chapter 575 - Spin-Off – Oddity (3)

    ¡°They¡¯re really on their knees?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master. You were not there to see it. His and Her Highnesses knelt for so long their faces were pale.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s temper began to fray at these words. He used his walking stick to push himself up and, making towards the door, flared, ¡°This is unbelievable. How dare that brat give that kind of punishment to my great-grandsons and great-granddaughter? It seems the pup has grown fangs. Now he even dares throw his weight about in the Ling Mansion.¡±


    Ji Yin sitting on the side also felt a stab of heartache as he learned that the three children were still on their knees, but after hearing Ling Xingzhong criticize Ling Zhang, he still subconsciously made an attempt to defend his beloved grandson. ¡°The three kids are too naughty. Zhang¡¯er is just trying to teach them a little discipline.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong snorted, ¡°They¡¯re still young. There are many ways of disciplining children, and what he chose is clearly not among the right ones.¡±


    Maybe the old man¡¯s tolerance for juniors had been growing with his age. When Ling Maomao had made mistakes in his childhood, Ling Xingzhong would sternly dress him down, but now, ten years had passed, and Ling Xingzhong always beamed from ear to ear whenever he saw any of his great-grandchildren, as though he had long since lost the ability to be angry with them.


    Unlike Ling Xingzhong, Ji Yin cared about his grandson more than anybody else. He knew that his grandson was doing this to teach the three children who had put themselves in grave danger a lesson. Though feeling some heartache as well, he had decided to let his grandson do it his own way. Seeing that Ling Xingzhong was going out to stop Ling Zhang, he followed in Ling Xingzhong¡¯s wake and managed to stall his in-law by using various delaying tactics without raising the latter¡¯s suspicions.


    Over an hour had passed when Yuwen Qi and the other two finally got the long-expected help from their great-grandfathers.


    ¡­


    On the other side of the residence.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong reached the room where the demented bridegroom was locked up. Mr. Mu had also arrived.


    After examining the bridegroom, Mr. Mu said, ¡°This man¡¯s symptoms are indeed very similar to those of the pirates under the influence of the Soul-Devouring Tree on that island. You¡¯d better look into it as soon as possible.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°The clan leader burnt that tree. There should be nothing left of it.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°It was two years later that we landed on that island. There¡¯s no telling whether or not someone had taken part of the tree before we found it.¡±


    ¡°But that Formation was still intact at that time,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong gave it some thought. ¡°Let¡¯s ask the former clan leader about it.¡±


    In fact there were still many questionable points in the matter of that island: who had started the rumor, and whether that person had any relations with the former clan leader, to name but a few.


    The former clan leader was living right in the Ling Mansion, in a separate courtyard house. Every day, he either sneaked into the palace to see the phoenix egg or wandered along the streets and alleys in the city. Everything seemed to strike him as interesting, and because of his deceptive appearance, people were never guarded with him. Having been in this city for some time, he was now even more familiar with the many aspects of this city than most natives.


    Were Ling Zhang not in charge of an intelligence network, he would probably not have been as well-informed as the old man was ¡­ No. There were still some things that the former clan leader knew better about than he did. For example, which families had a quarrel on which day, and which married man had an affair with which married woman, etc.


    Ling Zhang could not understand why the old man was so curious about such things.


    The former clan leader¡¯s explanation was quite amusing. ¡°It¡¯s very lively and interesting. Watching others quarrel makes me feel as though I myself had a quarrel with someone, which is very enjoyable.¡±


    What kind of explanation was this? Ling Zhang had pulled a wry face after hearing those words.


    On this day the former clan leader was not in. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had wondered whether or not they should wait a few moments, but unexpectedly, they had just walked out with Mr. Mu when the old man returned from his stroll.


    ¡°I foresaw you¡¯d come to look for me. Did you have that lunatic brought back from the street?¡± inquired the former clan leader.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s in there,¡± said Ling Zhang.


    ¡°Let me take a look first.¡± The smile on the old man¡¯s face was replaced by an uncharacteristically grave look.


    He entered the room and, after checking the bridegroom, walked out with a frown on his brow. ¡°He¡¯s fallen prey to the scent of Soul-Devouring wood, but judging from his symptoms, not only has he inhaled the scent, someone must¡¯ve done something to him with Soul-Devouring wood.¡±


    ¡°The Soul-Devouring Tree has been burnt. Did someone get to it before us?¡± Ling Zhang asked him.


    The old man thought back carefully for a moment before he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That tree could not be seen when the Formation still functioned. The only explanation is that someone had got to it before I landed on the island ¨C or before I deployed the Formation.¡±


    ¡°Did you see anybody else when you landed on the island?¡±


    ¡°There were some cannibals, who drifted there from an island in the east, but they didn¡¯t enter the city. Those cannibals were quite eccentric. At that time I hadn¡¯t deployed the Illusion Formation in the city yet ¨C the one that scared all latecomers, but those cannibals detoured around the city and never went into it. I would¡¯ve paid a visit to their den had I had the time.¡±


    ¡°Was there anybody else apart from the cannibals?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can remember. Back at the time when I landed on the island, those cannibals were the only ones on it. After finding the phoenix egg, I was afraid someone might steal it, and there happened to be a Soul-Devouring Tree in the city, so I conveniently deployed that Formation. It never crossed my mind that so many people would go to that island. A lot of them died. It was terribly stinky.¡±


    Clearly the old man did not think there was anything wrong whatsoever with his Illusion Formation causing that many people to lose their minds.


    ¡°So you were not the one who started the rumor?¡± Ling Zhang asked.


    The former clan leader shook his head. ¡°When I first landed on the island, there weren¡¯t any rumors circulating about it. I performed divination and found that a halidom was going to present itself, and eventually some clues led me there.¡±


    ¡°It would seem someone found that island before Old Clan Leader and took some wood from that Soul-Devouring Tree. Then they told others that there was gold everywhere on the island, which later drew a lot of people there,¡± said Yuwen Tong.


    Ling Zhang pondered over it. If that was the case, then that person had started the rumor not because they wanted to lure people to their deaths, but because there had really been gold in that city.


    Who was this person that was so generous as to tell others about the location of unowned treasure?


    ¡°Now that things have come to this, all we could do is wait for the bridegroom to come around and then ask him whether he came into contact with something special. We need to find the Soul-Devouring wood and destroy it as soon as possible, given how dangerous it is.¡±


    ¡­


    With Mr. Mu¡¯s help, the groom soon came to.


    At first he was confused as to where he was, and he did not recognize Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong as the imperial couple. ¡°What is this place? Wasn¡¯t I at my wedding? Why am I here? And who are you people?¡±


    The bridegroom appeared to have forgotten his previous actions. And then the sight of his blood-soaked clothes and the blood-stained saber seemed to act like a stimulant and he recalled what he had done, his face contorting with horror. In a tremulous voice, he said, ¡°I¨CI killed all those people? Where¡¯s Mo? What happened to Mo?!¡±


    He instantly lost control of himself and looked on the verge of convulsion, yelling in distress, demanding to go and look for his bride.


    It was after Mr. Mu hastily shoved a pill into his mouth that he managed to calm himself down. ¡°Who are you? Why couldn¡¯t I go and see Mo? What is this place?¡±


    ¡°This is the Ling Mansion,¡± explained Mr. Mu. ¡°After you ran wild on the street, some palace guards happened to see you. They overpowered you and brought you here. His Majesty and His Highness have come to know what happened on the street. They want to ask you some questions.¡±


    The bridegroom looked vacantly at them, his voice still devastated. ¡°Can I see Mo?¡±


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong exchanged a glance and then granted the man¡¯s request.


    The bride was still alive but grievously wounded. Currently she was lying in bed at home.


    News of the bridegroom going crazy had spread through the whole city. The bride¡¯s family were frightened of him and hated him, because he had hacked a lot of people to death and also wounded many, including the bride. They were unwilling to let him see the bridge. Eventually Ling Zhang sent someone to talk with them and then the bridegroom, on the verge of a mental breakdown, finally was allowed to see the bride.


    Having checked that the bride was still alive and would survive the injuries, the groom heaved a sigh of relief and then limply collapsed to the ground.


    ¡­


    It was after quite some time¡¯s bustle that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong suddenly realized they had forgotten an important thing ¨C


    The three children were still on their knees!


    Both their hearts lurched and they hastened to the living room.


    The three little figures were still kneeling there, his grandfather sitting on the side with a walking stick in his hand, glowering at the two of them.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never come back. Have you any idea how long these poor kids have been kneeling here?!¡± demanded Ling Xingzhong, hitting the ground with his walking stick, his face sulky. ¡°Tell the kids to rise, now!¡±


    The three of them did not dare to stand up without Ling Zhang¡¯s permission.


    Beneath Ling Xingzhong¡¯s furious gaze, Ling Zhang told the three children to get to their feet.


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s faces were both somewhat waxen. Yuwen Yue, though having a folded overgarment beneath her knees, had still suffered a lot and could not even straighten herself.


    Ling Xingzhong tossed his walking stick and hurried forward to support her.


    Ling Zhang was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Grandfather. Please stay.¡±


    Yuwen Tong on the side instantly scooped up Yuwen Yue.


    Looking at her pallid and miserable face, Ling Zhang was also rather upset.


    ¡°I won¡¯t dare do that again, Daddy. Please stop being mad at me.¡± Yuwen Yue looked at him, her eyes swimming with tears.


    Ling Zhang sighed, ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not mad at you any more. Don¡¯t do that kind of thing again.¡±


    It was only then that Yuwen Yue felt relieved. ¡°I won¡¯t dare.¡±


    Kneeling on the ground had been such a torture. She might have collapsed had her daddy not returned.


    Ling Zhang shifted his gaze to Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin, let out another sigh and said to a guard, ¡°Send for Mr. Mu.¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s knees were bruised and numb and they could barely walk.


    Seeing this, Ling Xingzhong was so angry he raised his walking stick with the intention to hit Ling Zhang. Fortunately Ji Yin was quick enough to stop him. ¡°Easy, easy, my in-law.¡±


    ¡°Easy? Do you not see what he did to these kids? If anything happens to any of them, I might as well kill myself,¡± huffed Ling Xingzhong.


    For fear that his grandfather might develop some kind of illness due to his anger, Ling Zhang hastened to admit his mistakes in a low voice. Still, when he offered to support his grandfather, the old man shook Ling Zhang¡¯s hands off. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help!¡±


    Ling Zhang, feeling upset, had no choice but to withdraw his hands.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin were both at a loss what to do.


    Yuwen Yue gave a little sob. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Great-grandfather. It was insensible of us to worry Daddy. We won¡¯t dare do that again.¡±


    Ling Xingzhong said, ¡°Great-grandfather is not angry. Great-grandfather is heartbroken.¡±


    Ling Zhang felt even worse.


    ¡°Well, enough talking. Let¡¯s have the kids¡¯ bruises treated first. Other matters can wait. Even if you want to punish him, you¡¯ll have to wait until Mr. Mu dresses their bruises,¡± Ji Yin said to Ling Xingzhong.


    It was only then that Ling Xingzhong¡¯s face softened slightly, but he was still avoiding looking at Ling Zhang.


    Yuwen Tong furrowed his brows momentarily and had just opened his mouth to say something when Ling Zhang stopped him with a slight shake of his head.

 Chapter 576 - Spin-Off – Oddity (4)

    Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s bruises were rather severe. Mr. Mu applied some ointment to them and then lightly kneaded their knees for quite a while.


    The massage was very painful, but Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin merely gritted their teeth against the pain, not daring utter a word.


    The sight of this gave Ling Xingzhong another pang of unbearable heartache.


    In fact, Ling Zhang was upset as well. He had been very angry after being informed of the matter, but afterward he had forgotten about the whole thing due to his busyness. It had surprised him that the three children had been so obedient as to have been kneeling there all along until his return.


    After unblocking Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s meridians, Mr. Mu said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. They¡¯ll make a full recovery after the bruises on their knees heel. They should try to avoid strenuous exercises in the next few days. Apply this ointment to their bruises and then knead their knees for a quarter of an hour every night.¡±


    Yuwen Yue¡¯s injury was relatively minor. Mr. Mu handed Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang some ointment, which was supposed to be applied to their daughter the same way it should to Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin.


    Because of the three children¡¯s leg injuries, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong decided to bring them back to the imperial palace.


    Ling Xingzhong¡¯s face was still sulky when Ling Zhang took his leave. On their way back to the palace, Ling Zhang was rather quiet.


    ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s our fault, not yours. Great-grandfather¡¯s anger won¡¯t last long. Don¡¯t be upset,¡± said Yuwen Yue beside him in a low voice as she perceived his silence.


    Ling Zhang¡¯s heart softened and he felt more strongly that he had excessively punished the children. Guilt was bubbling inside him, but he showed no sign of it on his face.


    He knew his daughter too well to be unaware that the little guy would become unruly if it came to her knowledge that he could be rendered soft-hearted this way.


    ¡°Today you admitted your mistakes with full awareness of them and also underwent your punishment without cheating, so there will be no further punishment after we return, but if you commit the same wrong again, I still won¡¯t let you get away with it easily, and Great-grandfather¡¯s intercession wouldn¡¯t be of much help to you. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    In the other horse-drawn carriage sat Yuwen Tong bluffly, flanked by Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin, both of whom were so nervous their bodies were rigid.


    ¡°Was it you who had your great-grandfather called over?¡± Yuwen Tong slowly asked.


    Unlike Ling Zhang, he did not go soft just because Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin had hurt their knees. Those were just some bruises. It was not like they had broken their legs or something. They would fully recover after a few days¡¯ rest cure. He had seen far worse injuries than theirs on the battlefield. Besides, this time the three children had indeed done the wrong thing.


    Yuwen Tong would have fallen out with Ling Xingzhong when the latter had dressed Ling Zhang down were the old man not Ling Zhang¡¯s grandfather.


    On hearing his voice, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin felt the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end, involuntarily sitting bolt upright. ¡°It wasn¡¯t us who did that. A servant in there saw it and informed Great-grandfather.¡±


    ¡°A servant?¡± Yuwen Tong looked at him. ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Li, the butler,¡± answered Yuwen Qi, inwardly making an apology to Butler Li. He had no choice. He did not dare lie to Yuwen Tong.


    Yuwen Tong snorted, opened his mouth with the intention to say something but eventually closed it again.


    His chance encounter with Butler Li in that year had been the reason why he had found out about the existence of the written marriage contract. Furthermore, these years Butler Li had been working in the Ling Mansion with toilsome service and with high merits, taking good care of the other members of the Ling family, which had spared Ling Zhang from a lot of worry.


    Yuwen Tong made no comments on Butler Li¡¯s action, but he would not let his two sons off the hook so easily.


    He glanced at his eldest son, who had first done his homework poorly and then attempted to get away with it by pleasing Ling Zhang. This little guy wanted to do something he would get compliments for? Humph.


    Then he shifted his gaze to the other boy, who looked sensible and poised but was actually quite secretive for his age. Humph.


    Cold sweat broke out over Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s backs at the two glances from Yuwen Tong. They had feared Yuwen Tong ever since they could remember, and that fear had not changed a bit until this day.


    Knowing that they were guaranteed to be punished after they got back, the two of them started wailing inwardly.


    When they had returned to the palace, Ling Zhang walked Yuwen Yue back to her place, told the handmaids to take good care of her and then went to visit his two sons.


    ¡°Do you think Daddy¡¯s being unduly stern with you?¡±


    Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin hastened to shake their heads.


    Yuwen Qi said, ¡°It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought Lin and Yue to see the fun without your knowledge.¡±


    Yuwen Lin followed suit. ¡°I should¡¯ve talked Qi and Yue out of it. It was my fault.¡±


    Ling Zhang did not speak. It was after he sat down that he said, ¡°Tell me why you brought your sister to see the wedding.¡±


    Yuwen Qi lapsed into silence. Yuwen Lin flicked him a glance and then replied, ¡°It was me who was itching to go and check it out. Crescent was just¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough. I want an honest answer,¡± Ling Zhang interrupted him, sounding serious.


    Seeing this, Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin had no alternative but to tell Ling Zhang the reason why they had brought Yuwen Yue into the crowd.


    ¡°Crescent has been cooped up in this palace for too long. She¡¯s hardly been to anywhere else except for the few occasions when she¡¯s been brought to the Marquess Huaiwen¡¯s or the Marquess Fuan¡¯s, and she¡¯s never seen any of the celebratory events outside. When we chanced upon the wedding convoy, she was very happy, but she didn¡¯t dare get out of the carriage to follow the procession to see the fun like the other girls did. I thought that it did no harm to go along for the ride and prolong her delight a little, that nothing could go wrong with me, Lin, the guards and the secret bodyguards protecting her. It never crossed my mind that things would turn out like that. Nobody knows what happened to that bridegroom.¡±


    After saying this, Yuwen Qi appeared rather frustrated. He would never have taken Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Yue there had he known beforehand that the bridegroom would lose his mind on the street. Who could have foreseen he was a lunatic?!


    Ling Zhang asked, ¡°What did you do after finding that something was wrong?¡±


    Yuwen Qi gave him a blow-by-blow account of what had happened, omitting no detail.


    Ling Zhang, having asked all the questions he wanted to ask, said, ¡°I punished you because you brought your sister out of the palace without my permission and then was reckless enough to mix into the crowd to see a wedding. You came perilously close to disaster. You deserve the punishment.¡±


    Both Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin hung their heads slightly in shame.


    ¡°However,¡± Ling Zhang continued, ¡°You two are considerate to your sister. Although your decision was fairly impulsive and you failed to cover all the bases, as her big brothers, you two did a good job in those circumstances. After sensing danger on the street, you did not hesitate and decisively ran in the same direction that the crowd was heading. You also told the guards and the secret bodyguards to intercept the demented bridegroom, creating opportunities for many citizens on the scene to escape. Your actions were brave and you performed your duties as princes. You did nothing wrong in these actions of yours ¨C they¡¯re commendable, actually. I¡¯ll talk to your father and make sure he metes out no further punishment to you. Have some rest and nurse yourselves back to health. In the next three days there will be no kung fu lessons, which means you¡¯ll be having literature classes in the morning and resting in the afternoon.¡±


    Yuwen Qi¡¯s and Yuwen Lin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you, Daddy!¡±


    Ling Zhang, after talking with his sons, went to the imperial study.


    Seeing him enter, Yuwen Tong asked, ¡°Are you here to intercede for them?¡±


    Ling Zhang was unsurprised that Yuwen Tong had guessed it. ¡°Not all their actions were wrong, and they¡¯ve been punished already. Maybe you should let them off the hook, considering the praiseworthy part of their deeds.¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that constituted a punishment. Those are just some bruises. Your grandfather¡¯s probably the only one who¡¯d make a fuss about it.¡±


    Ling Zhang smiled, ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    Yuwen Tong said, ¡°I don¡¯t even have the heart to say a word about it, but he kept shooting you dirty looks.¡±


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Stop sulking. My grandfather¡¯s at his advanced age, and he likes the kids. Back there Qi¡¯s and Lin¡¯s bruises looked rather severe. It¡¯s a natural thing that he got angry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend him. I didn¡¯t say I was going to do anything to him,¡± said Yuwen Tong, disgruntled.


    Ling Zhang said, ¡°Tonight I¡¯ll make you dinner in person.¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes brightened at first, but the next moment his face fell again. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, and it¡¯s not you that I¡¯m mad at. Why should it be you who¡¯s going to do something to please me? I¡¯m not eating it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ling Zhang raised his eyebrows.


    Yuwen Tong, ¡± ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ling Zhang almost dissolved into laughter at the sight of his countenance.


    In fact he had come to understand why his grandfather had done that right after his return to the palace. His grandfather had been worried about him ever since he had been married to Yuwen Tong ¨C since Yuwen Tong¡¯s enthronement, to be precise. The old man feared that his grandson might be hard done by and unhappy in the palace. It had been ten years, and he now had children, but his grandfather was still concerned about his well-being. Earlier this day, his grandfather on the surface had seemed to be angry with him, but in fact Ling Xingzhong had merely been, in his own way, trying to prevent Yuwen Tong from blaming his grandson. Apart from everything else, as the old man had acted that way, it would be insensible of Yuwen Tong to dress him, Ling Zhang, down.


    However, his grandfather did not know that Yuwen Tong had no intention of criticizing Ling Zhang. Yuwen Tong was even sterner with Yuwen Qi and Yuwen Lin than Ling Zhang was, and he was not the kind of person who would cosset his sons either. Most importantly, Yuwen Tong had discerning eyes and ¡­ always put Ling Zhang first.


    Naturally, Yuwen Tong was too smart not to have divined the reason why Ling Xingzhong had displayed that kind of anger. What had annoyed Yuwen Tong was mostly, Ling Zhang believed, Ling Xingzhong¡¯s lack of trust in him.


    ¡°My grandfather is indeed a little intransigent. Thank you for being tolerant of him,¡± said Ling Zhang quietly.


    Yuwen Tong gave a little snort and said, ¡°I¡¯m a magnanimous man.¡±


    Chuckling, Ling Zhang leaned closer and pecked Yuwen Tong¡¯s lips.


    The look in Yuwen Tong¡¯s eyes changed slightly and with that he pulled Ling Zhang into his embrace and deepened the peck.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The next day.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything matching that description in my house. A lot of things have been moved in there recently ¡­ ¡± said He You the bridegroom weakly, dark circles under his eyes. In merely one day, the handsome, high-spirited bridegroom had been reduced to such a sorry sight.


    The He family had been taken into custody, their residence cordoned off.


    The bridegroom was totally unaware of what had happened to him and did not know anything about Soul-Devouring Trees. Even his father, He Shijing, had no idea how things had come to this. The whole family were on their knees, wailing.


    Common people were unable to recognize Soul-Devouring wood, so Mr. Mu paid a visit to He You¡¯s house and searched it in person. Eventually, he found a wooden, carved writing brush holder on a desk in the study.


    Soul-Devouring wood was very durable. Though having been soaked in sea water for years before re-emerging with the island, it was still tenacious. Unless you counted the fact that its fragrance could drive people crazy, it was indeed excellent for carving. Still, nobody, except those with a death wish, would use it to make a writing brush holder.


    ¡°Where did you get this writing brush holder?¡± a guard inquired of He You.


    He You looked at it and answered, ¡°My father bought it for me not long ago. It¡¯s only just been placed there.¡±


    He Shijing was marched inside for interrogation. At the sight of the writing brush holder, guilt registered his face.


    Anybody could tell that he knew something about it. Xie Shi, the interrogator, naturally did what he was supposed to do and dragged a full confession out of He Shijing.


    Xie Shi walked out of the room with a rather serious face. ¡°That writing brush holder was an article of tribute. He Shijing illegally took possession of it.¡±


    An article of tribute?


    Everybody¡¯s face became grave. Tribute was supposed to be delivered into the palace. But who had made this writing brush holder out of a piece of Soul-Devouring wood and attempted to have it delivered into the palace? And why had He Shijing secretly pocketed it?


    He Shijing was just the owner of Nantong Chamber of Commerce. Rich as he was, he did not have any contacts in the imperial court who could have helped him tamper with the tribute.


    But He Shijing owned a large security company.


    Half a year ago, the Nanya governor had commissioned his company to deliver a batch of tribute to the capital city to congratulate the imperial couple on their tenth wedding anniversary.

 Chapter 577 - Spin-off – Oddity (5)

    This writing brush holder was exquisite. He Shijing had illegally pocketed it because its special fragrance and delicate sculpted reliefs had caught his fancy; on top of that, his son¡¯s wedding had been nearing, and if he replaced one of the articles of tribute with a counterfeit, he would be in possession of something he could secretly boast about for a long time, though it was not a reward from the emperor that he rightfully deserved. After swapping the writing brush holder, he had kept it in a storeroom for a very long time, not daring use it for fear of someone finding out about it. When the imperial wedding anniversary celebration had ended and no inquiry had been ordered into tribute-related affairs, he had taken it out and placed it in his son¡¯s study.


    It had never occurred to him that what he had given his son was something that would hasten his son¡¯s death.


    The looks on Ling Zhang¡¯s and Yuwen Tong¡¯s faces became even uglier after they heard Xie Shi¡¯s account of events.


    In other words, if He Shijing had not taken possession of the writing brush holder, it would have been delivered into the palace and placed in either one of the palace chambers or one of the marquesses¡¯ houses as a reward. Either way, there would have been severe consequences.


    On top of that, Ling Zhang recalled one particular thing. ¡°At the palace banquet last year, several courtiers sent you writing brush holders as gifts. Because of the specialness and rarity of the material that they were made of, you paid them a compliment. Do you still remember that?¡±


    Yuwen Tong, who had an eidetic memory, naturally remembered it, but what with this, his face turned even sulkier.


    ¡°Afterward, rumor started circulating in the whole court about your love of collecting writing brush holders. There was even a craze. A lot of people sent you writing brush holders in those days, all of which are now covered in dust in storerooms,¡± added Ling Zhang.


    In fact Yuwen Tong never had a hobby of collecting writing brush holders. At that time Ling Zhang had taken a liking to carving, and Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had gifted him with a couple of sculptures made with exceptionally fine workmanship, and Ling Zhang, fascinated by them, had studied them for quite a while, spending less time with Yuwen Tong. Though Yuwen Tong had not been happy about it, he had still delightedly accepted the presents from the courtiers at the palace banquet and then put them on Ling Zhang¡¯s desk immediately after his return.


    The couple of people who had gifted Yuwen Tong with writing brush holders were all high-ranking courtiers and every one of them had a contact or two in the palace. They had come to know that Ling Zhang had taken to carving lately, so all their gifts had borne exquisite sculpted reliefs. For fear that Yuwen Tong might find out about their intentions, they had not dared send anything fancy, which was why they had presented him with writing brush holders, currying favor with Ling Zhang indirectly, and with Yuwen Tong directly.


    Ling Zhang had liked the gifts pretty much, and Yuwen Tong, pleased, had naturally been amiable to the couple of courtiers for some time.


    But because of that matter, Ling Zhang had received too many writing brush holders for his liking. Those courtiers, seeing that the method no longer worked, had stopped doing it.


    As things stood, it was very likely that the rumor had spread and someone had specially carved a writing brush holder out of a piece of Soul-Devouring wood, and the carving was of uncommon delicacy. It was only too obvious whose attention that person had intended to attract.


    Now what they needed to find out was whether the writing brush holder was from the Nanya governor or someone else.


    Soon the men assigned to go to Nanya to look into the matter left the capital city, along with some secret bodyguards and some staff members of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.


    Someone had made an attempt on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, which was something neither the Ling family nor the imperial family could tolerate.


    ¡­


    ¡°Does this strike you as fishy? I mean, a writing brush holder might not necessarily take our fancy. Using something as rare as Soul-Devouring wood to make a writing brush holder as a present was too ¡­ ¡±


    Ling Zhang felt it inappropriate to use the word ¡°extravagant¡±, for after all, this thing was evil, but it was indeed something of a rarity. For those knowing what it could do, it was priceless, at least far too valuable to be carved into a writing brush holder. Even if the targets were him and Yuwen Tong, there were much better choices than sending them a writing brush holder made of that kind of wood.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yuwen Tong agreed. ¡°It was rather reckless. Now the only thing we could do is wait for the results of the investigation in Nanya.¡±


    Before the results of the inquiry being conducted in Nanya came out, security was tightened in the capital city as well as in the imperial palace.


    Meanwhile, He Shijing was punished for illegally taking possession of an article of tribute. And then there was the matter of He You. Though he had not been in his right mind when committing the crime, it did not change the fact that he had killed and wounded a lot of people, so naturally his actions would not go unpunished. Before long, the He family broke apart.


    The incident had been traumatic for citizens in the capital city, who were forcibly reminded of it every time they heard the word ¡°bridegroom¡±.


    For a very long time no wedding was held in the city.


    ¡­


    Half a month later, the results of the investigation in Nanya were delivered back to the capital city.


    After reading the report, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong did not speak for a long moment.


    The whole thing was a huge misunderstanding.


    It had been the Nanya governor who had sent the writing brush holder to the capital city, but it had been his brother-in-law, a merchant engaged in maritime trade, who had found the material.


    The piece of wood had been purchased from a band of pirates in a statelet near the South Ocean.


    It was said that the band of pirates selling the wood, for some reason, had been subjected to brutal infighting after they made a fortune somewhere. Such had been the internecine strife that hardly any of them had survived. And then another gang of pirates had double-crossed them, taken away all their treasures and sold them all except for those made of gold. When selling the piece of wood, the pirates had thought that it was no different from common wood.


    The merchant, what with the special fragrance of the wood, had mistakenly believed that it was some kind of precious eaglewood and happily brought it back to the Great Wen. Rumor had it that on his way back, several of the seamen guarding the storeroom on the ship had suddenly gone crazy and fought each other. One of them had got killed during the fighting. The merchant had just thought that they had eaten something they were not supposed to eat or come into contact with something evil in the South Ocean. He had not given the incident much thought and, after his return, had sold all the goods from the South Ocean. The piece of wood, due to its inconspicuousness, had been forgotten and carelessly left in a storeroom.


    In that year, the merchant¡¯s whole family had been stirred into a tempest. All his concubines had quarreled fiercely on such a frequent basis as though they were under the influence of some kind of medication. The merchant had been away from home most of the time and thus unaffected.


    Afterward, the Nanya governor had requested him to help him find proper material and a competent wood carver to make an elaborate writing brush holder for him.


    The merchant had found the piece of Soul-Devouring wood when rummaging around in the storeroom and given it to a wood carver.


    The wood carver had indeed made a most exquisite writing brush holder out of it, but the secret bodyguards, when making inquiries about the matter, had heard some locals say that the wood carver lost his mind after finishing the writing brush holder and killed himself when trying to carve his own body into something. The matter had been a popular topic of conversation among natives of the prefecture for a very long time. The merchant probably had perceived something, but the writing brush holder had already been sent to the capital city as tribute by the governor, so he had not dared utter a word about it.


    The Nanya governor, having had his brother-in-law get him a writing brush holder at a high price, had originally planned to have it beautifully wrapped and then delivered to the imperial couple as special tribute, but unexpectedly, he had afterward got a message from the capital city which said that the emperor had lost interest in writing brush holders. Quite disappointed, he had had his writing brush holder delivered to the capital city as common tribute.


    What had occurred next was the incident involving the He family.


    This matter had given rise to a lot of unnecessary worries and incriminated many people. It was all because the pirates had not recognized the Soul-Devouring wood, and neither had the merchant, who had even mistaken it for eaglewood, which had eventually led to such a tragedy.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know what it was either when we first saw it. It was after Ji Yanlai told us it was Soul-Devouring wood that we came to know about its specialness. Come to think of it, it¡¯s indeed very ¡­ hard for ordinary people to find out what it could do,¡± said Ling Zhang, not without difficulty.


    They had overthought the situations.


    None of them had realized that Soul-Devouring wood was so rare that not many people could recognize it.


    No wonder it had been made into a writing brush holder.


    That He You guy had been unlucky, and so had been his victims. Alas. It was such a shame that a wedding had ended up like that.


    Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had felt as though confronted by a formidable enemy, worrying that someone harboring evil intentions had attempted to wreak havoc on this country with Soul-Devouring wood ¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s just burn it.¡±


    The writing brush holder was burnt. The former clan leader, after being informed of it, felt that it was a pity.


    ¡°It¡¯d be very difficult to find a chunk of it as big as that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no necessity for such things to exist.¡±


    The former clan leader lapsed into silence, but the regretfulness on his face was undisguised.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t visited the phoenix egg for days. It¡¯s been there alone all this time. Imagine how lonely it¡¯d have felt had I not gone there to keep it company from time to time.¡± The old man complained to Ling Zhang.


    Ling Zhang said apologetically, ¡°I was too busy in the past few days. I¡¯ll find some time to keep it company on a daily basis in the next few days.¡±


    The phoenix egg had been placed in the imperial palace and heavily guarded. Except for the guards, secret bodyguards, Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong, the former clan leader and a couple of others, nobody knew inside the chamber was a real phoenix egg.


    The phoenix egg bounced up and down excitedly throughout Ling Zhang¡¯s visit. The floor was carpeted with soft fluff, so he did not have to worry about the egg cracking its own shell.


    Having undertaken to spend more time with it, Ling Zhang went to visit the egg whenever he had the time.


    What with this, he did not even have much time to spend with Yuwen Tong any longer.


    Yuwen Tong was very displeased with the phoenix egg because of this. Were it not for Ling Zhang¡¯s request, he would not have sent anybody to guard the egg. In fact, he would be very happy if it was stolen.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mythical beast. Who could possibly stop it from hatching out?¡±


    Yuwen Tong¡¯s argument was almost indisputable.


    Ling Zhang, however, did not regard the phoenix as an unborn mythical beast. He just saw it as a naughty child. After all, mythical beasts existed only in legends. Nobody knew what kind of creature a phoenix really was. But it was undeniable that phoenixes were powerful, because if they were not, members of the Ji family, with only thin phoenix blood in them, would not have been so badass.


    Therefore, Ling Zhang wanted very much to see what the baby phoenix would look like after hatching out.


    The former clan leader said that the phoenix egg was quite struck on the air Ling Zhang emanated, that it could speed up the incubation, so Ling Zhang came to visit it every day.


    He hoped that some day he would witness the egg hatching.


    It was a pity that he could not share this kind of delight with the others. His three children did not know what was in this chamber. He and the former clan leader were the only ones coming here regularly. On occasions Ji Xiaocong visited the palace to keep the egg company as well.


    ¡­


    Days slowly passed by. Spring came and went and came again. Two years later, in a palace of the Great Wen, an unusual sound suddenly issued from an egg.


    At that time, Ling Zhang was somewhere else. Having faintly sensed something, he hastened to the palace where the phoenix egg reposed, accompanied by Yuwen Tong.


    The former clan leader and Ji Xiaocong who had just disembarked from a ship and come to the capital city, along with Ji Yin, Ling Zhaowu and Ling Maomao, arrived a short while later.


    The palace and nearby areas were evacuated. Not only the guards but also the secret bodyguards were commanded to leave.


    ¡°It¡¯s hatching out?¡±


    They still did not quite dare believe that the phoenix egg was really about to hatch.


    Ling Zhang and the others stared at the egg in the middle of the palace with bated breath, hardly daring blink.


    All of a sudden, with a cracking sound, a crack appeared in the eggshell.


    A clear, melodious, long-drawn-out squawk was heard both in and outside the palace. Without warning, large numbers of birds flew over, circling around above the palace. In the distance, more were heading in this direction, making a sight far more spectacular than the one made by the birds attracted to the palace when Ling Zhang had played the tune at the tenth wedding anniversary celebration.


    The guards were standing guard in the distance, not allowing anybody to approach. However, watching those flying birds, the guards, the eunuchs and the citizens were all astounded.


    Those in the palace were still gazing with bated breath. After the clarion, drawn-out squawk, the baby phoenix in there lapsed into silence and there was no movement for a long moment.


    Ling Zhang and the others were beginning to get anxious when they saw the first shard of eggshell detach, and with that what was inside the egg gradually revealed itself ¡­

 Chapter 578 - Spin-Off – Ling Maomao, Ji Xiaocong, Birthday (I)

    Ji Yanlai, when giving Ji Xiaocong the permission to stay in the capital city, had made it very clear that Ji Xiaocong must return to the island to continue his cultivation three months later.


    Ji Xiaocong, not daring raise any objections, had had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°Brother Maomao, my fifteenth birthday is in a month, and it¡¯ll be another two years before I turn seventeen. I won¡¯t be able to come back here to visit you again until after my rite of passage.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong sounded very downcast. He did not want to return to the island. ¡°My uncle is an old bachelor. He never feels the need for love life, which is why he can¡¯t understand me and keeps trying to have me stay on that island.¡±


    Ling Maomao tenderly looked at him. There was ardor in the depths of his eyes, but it was well concealed. ¡°Clan Leader¡¯s doing this because he looks out for your best interests.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Your fifteenth birthday should be a grand occasion as well. Do you want to invite some guests over to celebrate it with you?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong smiled, ¡°If you think I should do that, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Ling Maomao, looking at his limpid, smiling eyes, adjusted his breathing before saying, ¡°You may invite those you feel close to and celebrate your birthday by having an uproarious party in the Ling Mansion.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do whatever you say,¡± said Ji Xiaocong.


    Looking at him, Ling Maomao added, ¡°Can I go to the island to attend your rite of passage when you turn seventeen? Are there any taboos?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes were sparkling for beaming, the scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead conspicuous and attractive. ¡°There¡¯s no taboo. You may come. I want you to come.¡±


    Ling Maomao was secretly relieved. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    In order to make sure Ji Xiaocong had fun on his fifteenth birthday, Ling Maomao specially called over his good friend and asked him how to make a fun party.


    Yuwen Yi had just had his sixteenth birthday and was only one year Ji Xiaocong¡¯s senior, but unlike Ji Xiaocong who had been on an island all the year around, Yuwen Yi, as the eldest son of Yuwen Feng the Marquess Huaiwen, had grown into a poised youngster with a good sense of propriety, though only sixteen years old. Also, like other young members of the Yuwen family, he was very tall for his age ¨C almost as tall as Ling Maomao, actually. Yuwen Yi was gregarious and had a lot of friends in the capital city. He had attended countless banquets of every description. Unlike Ling Maomao who always preferred to keep a low profile, he did know about a lot of things.


    ¡°How to make a party fun and lively depends on who the invitees are. Are they friends about your age, or relatives, or young nobles, or children of ordinary officials, or commoners? Different arrangements are supposed to be made according to their identities,¡± said Yuwen Yi with the air of an expert.


    Ling Maomao said, ¡°Cong doesn¡¯t have any other friends in this city, so we plan to invite mainly the elders we feel close to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple. Elders value the proprieties. All you have to do is make sure everything¡¯s done with due ceremonial. Where are you holding the party?¡± Yuwen Yi asked him.


    ¡°Right at home,¡± replied Ling Maomao.


    ¡°That¡¯d make it even easier. Just have somewhere with enough room cleaned and a banquet prepared according to the etiquette. If the guests are into opera, you may hire a troupe, which would make the party more uproarious,¡± said Yuwen Yi.


    Ling Maomao said, ¡°I¡¯m worried it¡¯d be a little tedious, and Cong might not like it.¡±


    After all, the Ling family entertained the imperial couple on a regular basis and had long since become used to the various kinds of banquets and different levels of formality. If there was anything that might lend an air of novelty to the party, it would be a theatrical troupe. Operas would make the atmosphere lively, and Cong, who liked uproarious occasions, should be struck with them.


    Yuwen Yi said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we could do about that. Under no circumstances should you get anything showy to a party attended by elders, because it¡¯ll make them think you¡¯re frivolous.¡±


    Ling Maomao¡¯s eyebrows contracted slightly. ¡°Apart from a troupe, is there anything else?¡±


    Seeing the frown on his brow, Yuwen Yi gave it some thought and said, ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary to add anything else to the banquet, because the elders wouldn¡¯t like it. If you do that, they¡¯d be displeased, which would make the party less pleasant. But after the banquet, you may hold a card party or something like that in your garden, during which there will be a lot of things you could do.¡±


    It occurred to Ling Maomao that he would no doubt have to invite Yuwen Qi and the others, and Ling Xuxu was also at home. It was a pretty good idea to organize some interesting activities after the banquet.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan. Help me work out the details.¡±


    Yuwen Yi raised his eyebrows and leaned closer. ¡°Brother Mao, I¡¯m more than willing to help you, but first you have to tell me what kind of effect you want.¡±


    Ling Maomao looked at him. ¡°Effect?¡±


    Yuwen Yi leaned over and whispered something in his ear.


    Ling Maomao¡¯s countenance changed slightly and with that he looked seriously at Yuwen Yi. ¡°Stop that nonsense. The two princes and the princess would be present as well, along with my little brother. They¡¯re all family. Besides, my relations with Cong are not what you think they are.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong was still young ¨C he had not had his fifteenth birthday yet. There were some emotions that Ling Maomao had been subduing all along, and he had no intention to show them to anybody else prematurely.


    But it surprised Ling Maomao that Yuwen Yi, who had alarmingly discerning eyes, had perceived it already after seeing Ji Xiaocong merely a couple of times.


    Ling Maomao was now somewhat regretful about having called Yuwen Yi over.


    Yuwen Yi blinked his eyes. ¡°Okay, okay, take it easy. Your secret is safe with me. You know what kind of person I am, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m a veritable tomb where other people¡¯s secrets are concerned. Brother Mao, you didn¡¯t use to be so serious. Ever since you returned from the border and started learning kung fu from your master, you¡¯ve been getting more and more solemn. You¡¯re as solemn as your grandfather now.¡±


    Ling Maomao could not be bothered to make a reply to these flippant remarks. Yuwen Yi had no choice but to steer the conversation back to a sensible topic.


    When the two of them were discussing details of the plan, Ji Xiaocong, as chance would have it, arrived to see Ling Maomao. ¡°Brother Maomao.¡±


    Yuwen Yi stopped speaking and winked at Ling Maomao. ¡°Your Cong has come.¡±


    Ling Maomao gave him a dirty look and warned him to guard his tongue in front of Ji Xiaocong.


    Ji Xiaocong walked inside and was momentarily surprised to see Yuwen Yi before he said with an inclination of the head, ¡°Childe Yuwen.¡±


    Yuwen Yi greeted him as well. Having sensed that Ji Xiaocong probably had something to say to Ling Maomao, he rose to his feet, preparing to take his leave. ¡°It just occurred to me that there¡¯s something else I have to attend to. I need to go back. I¡¯ll see you guys in a few days.¡±


    Ling Maomao saw him out.


    ¡­


    A couple of days later, Yuwen Yi came again as expected, bringing with him a lot of interesting gadgets which could help people while away the time, such as Chinese ring puzzles.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like those fancy stuff. All these things help pass the time and are suitable for all ages. There are also some festive lanterns. I specially ordered them for you after I returned home the other day. All of them were signature lanterns on the last Lantern Festival. You may have a couple of them hung in the room on that day. They¡¯ll look beautiful and add to the fun.¡±


    Ling Maomao checked them out one by one and found all of them satisfying. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re totally welcome.¡± Yuwen Yi helped himself to a seat and then took a sip of tea.


    ¡°But to be honest, Brother Mao, Childe Ji has been in this city for quite some time now, and I hardly saw you bring him to a banquet or something like that. He¡¯s not even inviting any friends to this birthday party of his, only some elders, the two princes, the princess and your little brother. Are you not worried that he might feel lonely?¡± Yuwen Yi suddenly asked.


    Ling Maomao, who knew what he meant, said, ¡°Cong¡¯s identity is special.¡±


    Seeing that he showed no inclination to continue speaking, Yuwen Yi said incredulously, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Ling Maomao replied, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Yuwen Yi jumped to his feet indignantly. ¡°You¡¯re killing me with such suspense!¡±


    However, Ling Maomao seemed not to be swayed. Yuwen Yi could not help shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable. All right, since you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t push you. Anyway, I just asked about it out of goodwill, nothing else. Now that you guys are okay with it, it¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    Yuwen Yi rolled his eyes upwards. ¡°Come on. If you keep acting like this, I¡¯m afraid your Cong might get bored of you some day. He strikes me as the kind of person who likes uproarious occasions. What could he possibly find in common with a guy as solemn as you?¡±


    Ling Maomao was silent for a brief moment before asking, ¡°Am I really that boring?¡±


    Yuwen Yi looked at him. ¡°Of course you are. Every time we¡¯re at a banquet, all youngsters from noble families except for me and the couple of others are afraid of you, because you barely speak.¡±


    Ling Maomao lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Was he really that uninteresting?


    ¡°You guys are the only friends I need.¡±


    Yuwen Yi smiled. ¡°If you say so. Everybody has their own individuality, and I¡¯m in no position to ask you to change yours. We all know what kind of person you¡¯re, and that¡¯s enough for us. Of course, the most important part is that it won¡¯t diminish your Cong¡¯s fondness for you.¡±


    ¡­


    When Yuwen Yi had left, Ling Maomao began to contemplate whether he had really been getting too serious for others¡¯ liking.


    He felt that he was not serious, that he was just a little taciturn. Why did he strike so many others as serious?


    ¡°Brother Maomao,¡± called Ji Xiaocong cheerfully, scampering up to him. ¡°What were you thinking about? Just now I called you but you didn¡¯t hear me.¡±


    ¡°Cong, do I strike you as taciturn and boring?¡± Ling Maomao, having given it some thought, chose to put it explicitly.


    He did not care whether the others found him unpleasantly serious, but if Cong did, he would try to change himself.


    Ji Xiaocong was momentarily astonished. ¡°Why would you wonder about something like that? I don¡¯t think you boring or taciturn. When I¡¯m with you, I can understand what you mean without you telling me about it. What does it matter if you¡¯re a conversationalist or not? Besides, I¡¯m much more talkative than you, and if you are talkative as well, I won¡¯t be able to dominate our conversations, and I¡¯ll lose my listener.¡±


    Ling Maomao gazed deep into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll always be listening when you¡¯re speaking.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face immediately creased into a beam, his eyes as sparkling as stars. ¡°I know, which is why I don¡¯t find you uninteresting. I can never get bored as long as I¡¯m with you. By the way, earlier this day I paid a visit to the big white egg. It kept rolling around in the chamber. I think it¡¯s in a pretty good mood. We may go and see it together in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    After he parted from Ling Maomao, smile faded from Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face and the look in his eyes gradually turned cold.


    Why did Brother Maomao suddenly think himself taciturn and boring? Was it because someone had said something to him?


    It took only a few moments¡¯ inquiry to find out who had visited Ling Maomao earlier this day.


    ¡°Yuwen Yi,¡± muttered Ji Xiaocong, a little crease appearing between his eyes. ¡°Brother Maomao sees him as a friend. If I do anything to him, Brother Maomao is guaranteed to be mad at me. But he needs to be stopped from talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡­


    For two days Yuwen Yi had been feeling itchy and uncomfortable all over, and he kept scratching.


    Sometimes he even felt something crawling on his skin, but when he took off his clothes to find it, there was nothing there. What with this, he was in constant unease.


    Having scratched for two days, he was no longer in the mood for going out to have fun. Fretful, he sent for a physician, who, at the sight of the large patch of red spots on his back, exclaimed in alarm, ¡°Childe Yi, you were bitten by some kind of worm.¡±


    Yuwen Yi was taken aback. ¡°What kind of worm? In the past two days I kept having this feeling that something¡¯s biting me, but I couldn¡¯t find it, no matter how hard I tried.¡±


    The physician examined him, told him what the worm was called and then said, ¡°This kind of worms burrow into your clothes and leave their hair there. Their hair¡¯s too fine to be seen by our eyes, but if your skin comes into contact with it, you¡¯ll feel itchy and keep scratching. Given your symptoms, I think this is the cause. What you¡¯ve worn in the past two days should be ditched, and all clothes should be fumigated with a bug repellent before you put them on. And then there¡¯s this ointment. Apply it to your back after bath on a daily basis and you won¡¯t feel itchy again. Oh, there are red spots on your arm as well. It seems there¡¯s some hair in these clothes as well. I suggest you burn them all.¡±


    Yuwen Yi hastened to have the clothes he had worn in the past two days disposed of and the remainder fumigated. Then he applied the ointment to his back, which gave his skin a cool sensation and relieved the itch, making him feel much better.


    ¡°This is so weird. Recently I¡¯ve never been to any particular places. How did those worms get into my clothes?¡±


    When Yuwen Yi paid another visit to the Ling Mansion, Ling Maomao was surprised to smell the strong scent of medication from his clothes. ¡°What is that smell?¡±


    Then he noticed that Yuwen Yi did not look very well and asked, ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    Yuwen Yi said, ¡°Alas. Don¡¯t get me started.¡±


    After hearing his recount, Ling Maomao was speechless. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    Yuwen Yi¡¯s eyes widened innocently. ¡°I have no idea either. I¡¯ve been a real homebody lately, doing nothing but help you plan the party. I didn¡¯t go anywhere else.¡±


    Ling Maomao shook his head. ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°Much better. I¡¯m not scratching any more,¡± replied Yuwen Yi. If the itch had not been relieved, he would not have been able to come out, because he would be scratching constantly since the moment he left home, which was undignified, and he would be too irascible to even sit.


    ¡°You need to be more careful. Do not let some worms mess up your life,¡± said Ling Maomao.


    Yuwen Yi said with a long sigh, ¡°The problem is I don¡¯t even know where I got those worms on me.¡±


    When leaving the residence, Yuwen Yi chanced upon Ji Xiaocong, whom he greeted with a smile. ¡°Childe Ji.¡±


    ¡°Childe Yuwen.¡± Ji Xiaocong, who from a long way off smelled the scent of medication he was giving off, was fully aware of what it was about.


    Yuwen Yi exchanged usual pleasantries with Ji Xiaocong for a few moments and then quickly left.


    Ji Xiaocong turned on his heel to watch his retreating figure. The look in his eyes flickered momentarily.


    Yuwen Yi had only walked a little distance when he felt a chill creep down his spine, swiveled around and was baffled as he saw that Ji Xiaocong had gone far away and there was nobody else around.


    What the hell was going on? Why had creepy things kept happening to him in the past few days?


    Yuwen Yi¡¯s itch disappeared completely after he returned from the Ling Mansion. He heaved a long sigh of relief. These worms which had come out of nowhere had almost rendered him mentally drained.

 Chapter 579 - Spin-Off – Ling Maomao, Ji Xiaocong, Birthday (II)

    Ji Xiaocong¡¯s birthday finally arrived. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, as a token of their affection for the juniors, both attended this birthday banquet, bringing their adopted children with them. Together, they enjoyed some opera performances.


    At night, after the banquet, Ling Maomao led the invitees to the garden to sit and rest.


    In the garden, they found that the whole place was adorned with beautiful, festive lanterns. In a roomy pavilion was placed a table on which reposed snack, cards and some other doodads. The pavilion had windows in all its four walls, all of which were now open, and so was the door facing the pond. They could clearly see the lanterns in the garden from inside the pavilion.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± exclaimed Yuwen Yue.


    The others also found it enjoyable.


    Ling Xuxu had specially asked for leave and left school early, but it was not until this moment that he discovered these lanterns. ¡°When did you have them hang these lanterns, Big Brother?¡±


    ¡°In the afternoon,¡± said Ling Maomao before he shifted his gaze to Ji Xiaocong. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong nodded and smiled a happy smile. ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Brother Maomao.¡±


    His smile was as bright as a blooming flower and more beautiful than all the festive lanterns out there. Ling Maomao was unable to wrench his eyes from it.


    None of the others, except for Yuwen Lin, noticed this. It was a few moments before he averted his eyes, muttering inwardly, ¡®No wonder these two have been spending so much time together. It turns out they¡¯re in a relationship. Alas. What is love exactly? Why is everybody so obsessed with it? Daddy and Father spend every day together, but it still doesn¡¯t seem to be enough for them, and they on occasions perform public displays of affection in the presence of us. Some day I should just find myself a presentable girl and get married. I don¡¯t want to end up like Daddy or Father. That kind of behavior¡¯s so annoying.¡¯


    ¡­ Yuwen Lin could only think about these ideas. He would never have the guts to disclose any of them to Ling Zhang or Yuwen Tong.


    Seeing that Ling Maomao was staring unblinkingly at him, Ji Xiaocong could not help smiling more broadly, further mesmerizing Ling Maomao standing opposite him. It was a long moment before the noise of fireworks jogged Ling Maomao back to his senses.


    ¡°Brother Maomao, when did you prepare these fireworks? I didn¡¯t notice any of it,¡± said Ji Xiaocong. This indeed came as a surprise to him.


    Ling Maomao said, ¡°Yesterday. I still remember that ten years ago, when my cousin married His Majesty, the two of us scampered and scurried all around the palace and got all sweaty. Afterward, when the fireworks started, we badgered my cousin to let us go there and set off some fireworks ourselves. Unable to dissuade us, my cousin had some men bring us out to play. For fear that we might get our eyes hurt by the flying shreds of fireworks, the guards always whisked us off immediately after lighting a fuse.¡±


    Ji Xiaocong also recalled it. How could he not remember it? At that time they had been in the old capital city. That stay of his in that city had been the happiest experience he had ever had.


    ¡°And after that we kept pestering His Highness to allow us to stay in the palace for some days. At that time, he and His Majesty had just got married and wanted to spend as much time alone with each other as possible, so we were kind of the third wheel. There were several occasions when His Majesty cast us accusing glances, which told me that he was eager to chuck us out of the palace.¡±


    On hearing this, Ling Maomao dissolved into chuckle.


    At that time he had been a young boy who could be a pain in the neck when being naughty, but now, come to think of it, it struck him that the main reason was that his cousin had doted on him. He had always been clinging to his cousin during his childhood, and his cousin had hardly turned down any of his requests.


    ¡°Wow. It surprises me you guys used to be so naughty as well, Uncle Mao,¡± said Yuwen Yue.


    The others also switched their gaze to the two of them, their eyes full of curiosity. Ling Xuxu, in particular, found it unbelievable that his serious big brother used to be just as naughty as he was, the expression in his eyes unmistakably suggesting that he wanted to hear more stories about it.


    ¡°Can I tell them more, Brother Maomao?¡± asked Ji Xiaocong.


    Ling Maomao looked at him. ¡°How much do you still remember?¡±


    Ji Xiaocong smiled, ¡°I remember everything.¡±


    Ling Maomao was somewhat amazed.


    ¡°Like His Majesty, I was gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory as well,¡± explained Ji Xiaocong.


    Ji Xiaocong recounted many things that had happened in the past. Back then, when he had come to the capital city with his uncle and first met Ling Maomao, Ling Maomao had been a young boy, but when taking his hands, Ling Maomao had emanated such an air as though he had grown up instantly. At that time, Ji Xiaocong had almost spent every day with Ling Maomao.


    ¡°There was a time when His Highness lived in the Ling Mansion, and Brother Maomao and I shared a bed with him, making it so crowded he ended up all sweaty every time. In the morning, when we woke up, he would, smiling, hit our foreheads with his knuckle and say that we were like two stoves, a big one and a small one.¡±


    Ling Maomao had a somewhat distant look in his eyes. He had not bargained on Ji Xiaocong having vivid memories of such details.


    ¡°At that time Brother Maomao¡¯s mother was also at home, and she would make us a lot of goodies. Brother Maomao and I were offered special snacks every day. Sometimes we ate too many of them and were unable to eat our meals, and then there would be less snacks the next day. Those snacks were really delicious. I liked them very much. Every time when I finished mine and seemed not to have my fill, Brother Maomao would secretly give me the remainder of his helping. I, having little self-restraint, would accept it and later find myself unable to eat my meal again. On one occasion, when the grown-ups found out that I ate too many snacks, Brother Maomao was given a talking-to, and after that he no longer dared slip me that many snacks. He only dared give me a small portion at a time, and every time he did that, he would say, ¡®Cong, we must not eat too much or else we won¡¯t be able to eat our meals and then the grown-ups will slap our hands. Be good.''¡±


    ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe Uncle Mao used to say things like that to coax people when he was a young boy!¡± yelled Yuwen Yue.


    Ling Maomao¡¯s face was somewhat flushed. It had never occurred to him that Ji Xiaocong had recollection of even this matter.


    Ji Xiaocong lifted his eyebrows at him. ¡°I remember a lot of other things.¡±


    Ling Maomao gave a little cough. ¡°You don¡¯t really have to tell them everything.¡±


    ¡°He has to! We want to hear everything!¡± Yuwen Yue¡¯s voice was the loudest.


    Ji Xiaocong burst into laughter and most willingly granted Yuwen Yue¡¯s wish, Ling Maomao next to them resignedly tossing them disapproving glances.


    After talking for a long while, they began to play cards. Yuwen Yue, as always, was the one with the most unbridled enthusiasm at the card table. While Ling Zhang was not around, she stood with her foot on a chair, her hand on her hip. ¡°Hurry up, Lin! What¡¯s taking you so long? Your cards won¡¯t change no matter how long you stare at them!¡±


    Yuwen Lin rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Mind your manners, will you? If Daddy sees you like this, you¡¯re guaranteed to regret it.¡±


    At the mention of her daddy, Yuwen Yue subconsciously swiveled her head around to look back. Seeing that Ling Zhang was not in sight, she was instantly emboldened. ¡°Stop trying to scare me. I don¡¯t scare easily. Just do it already!¡±


    Finding her mien unsightly, Yuwen Qi sitting opposite her clapped his hands to his face.


    Ling Maomao, the eldest of them all, reached out a hand and hit her on the forehead with his knuckle. ¡°Settle down.¡±


    Yuwen Yue found his poker face somewhat intimidating and obediently sat herself on the chair, but before long she lapsed back into her old ways.


    Ji Xiaocong was sitting right opposite Ling Maomao. Every time Yuwen Yue shouted in a manly fashion, he dissolved into laughter, seeming to appreciate her individuality very much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep a lookout for His Highness. If he approaches, I¡¯ll give you a heads-up immediately.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Uncle Cong!¡± Yuwen Yue leaned over the table and gave Ji Xiaocong a high five.


    There were not enough seats at the table for all of them, so Ling Xuxu was sitting behind Yuwen Yue on her right, acting as her adviser. Seeing that she was about to play the wrong card, he hastily cautioned, ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of waiting. This is it!¡± Yuwen Yue was very impatient.


    Ling Xuxu withdrew his hand, covered his face with it and wailed, ¡°Oh, my princess, do you really know how to play cards?!¡±


    Yuwen Yue was having a good time. ¡°It¡¯s all about the fun. Wait a moment! Lin, why did you play that card? This one doesn¡¯t count. Take it back! I¡¯ll play another card!¡±


    Yuwen Lin said calmly, ¡°You can¡¯t just take it back.¡±


    ¡°Says who?!¡± Yuwen Yue bawled.


    Ji Xiaocong sitting opposite Ling Maomao burst into laughter again.


    Ling Maomao appeared rather resigned every time he saw Ji Xiaocong¡¯s eyes watering for laughing. Why had he not discovered sooner that Crescent and Cong clicked in this regard? The former was hilarious, while the latter seemed to find everything about her amusing.


    ¡­


    On the night of Ji Xiaocong¡¯s fifteenth birthday, the youngsters stayed up very late. It was not until Ling Zhang, agitated beyond endurance, sent someone to remind them about the time that they put an end to the party.


    ¡°I expect more of you.¡± Ling Zhang began to lecture his daughter again.


    Yuwen Tong next to him smiled an unsympathetic smile.


    After another half a month, the time came for Ji Xiaocong to set off to return to the island. Ling Maomao, reluctant to let him leave, went to see him off.


    Originally Ji Yin had wanted to see Ji Xiaocong off in person, but as Ling Maomao was doing it, he dropped the idea.


    Guards of the Pavilion, along with those of the Ling Mansion, following in the wake of their young masters, escorted them from the capital city all the way to Haizhou. Outside Pingtao City were berthed some ships of the Pavilion, which would take Ji Xiaocong safely back to the island.


    Before embarkation, smile faded from Ji Xiaocong¡¯s face and he looked earnestly at Ling Maomao. ¡°Brother Maomao, promise me you¡¯ll come to attend my rite of passage when I turn seventeen.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± said Ling Maomao with an inclination of the head. He would be there, no matter how many difficulties he had to overcome. He wanted to bare witness to the moment when Ji Xiaocong changed into adult clothing.


    ¡°You must not forget me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay too much heed to that Yuwen Yi guy.¡±


    ¡°Um ¡­ Um? ¡­ You don¡¯t like him?¡±


    Ling Maomao was surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I dislike him. He strikes me as an interfering busybody.¡±


    Bemused, Ling Maomao made an attempt to explain, ¡°Yuwen Yi has a bold and uninhibited character. If he said something you find offensive, don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯ll fix him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never overthink any of his words. It¡¯s you who might do that.¡±


    It struck Ling Maomao that there was some kind of misunderstanding between them, but Ji Xiaocong was supposed to embark soon, and he did not want Ji Xiaocong to be bothered by this matter after his return, so he said, ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t give too much heed to him, and there¡¯s no way he can convince me.¡±


    It was only then that Ji Xiaocong looked satisfied, and he once again cautioned Ling Maomao not to forget to pay a visit to the island to attend his rite of passage when he turned seventeen.


    Ling Maomao gave him his word and then watched as Ji Xiaocong embarked.


    When the ship set sail, Ji Xiaocong showed up on the deck and waved Ling Maomao goodbye.


    Ling Maomao, watching him receding into the distance, took in a large gulp of air and waved back.


    It would be two years before their next meeting. The ship had not gone far, but he had started missing Ji Xiaocong already. Two years struck him as too long.


    ¡­


    Two years later, on the same pier, a tall and upright young man boarded a ship. Gazing determinedly in the direction of someplace in the sea, he stroked the gift in his traveling bag.