The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 316- 318

Chapter 316: The Siege of the Jiang Family

Father…

Ling Zhang gazed at Ling Zhaowu, somewhat stunned. He’d never expected to hear such words from his father, which he found quite enlightening.

“Dai Cheng and Wang Cai are the second threat you’re faced with. Currently, apart from the Southern City Garrison Battalion and the garrison of Cangzhou, the garrison of Yanzhou are also in Cangzhou. Though they have suffered some casualties, they are still a massive force. Once he turns against us, we won’t be able to defend this city against his attack. Also, you should dismiss the illusion that the rebel army in Cangzhou are holding Dai Cheng back. All those rebels were originally common folk. They rose in revolt because they had no other choice. The uprising could be suppressed by force, but it’s also possible that the rebels would accept amnesty and surrender if the terms are appealing enough.

When you’re considering how to use the Fang family to eliminate all restive rivals in one fell swoop, you’re overlooking the fact that the Fang family and the Eighth Prince should be the least of your concerns.”

A deathly hush descended in the room after Ling Zhaowu finished his remarks.

The Right Prime Minister suddenly rose to his feet, stepped up to Ling Zhaowu, made a bow with hands folded in front, and then straightened himself to look at the others. “Brother Ling is right. Presently, the Jiang family and Cangzhou are our greatest threat.”

Zhao Zheng also came to himself. “The Jiang family have been quiet all along over the past few weeks, but I’m afraid that might be a spurious impression.”

“Now that we’ve come to realize this, it’s not too late to act. We still have time. The Jiang family have shut their front gates and stopped receiving visitors, so even if they have covertly done something, it shouldn’t have been very fruitful, given the restrictions they’re under. The Jiang family is different from the Fang family. Those roped in by the Fang family are no doubt uncertainties, but those that could be swayed by the Jiang family don’t necessarily have the intention of helping the Eighth Prince, so we should not show the Jiang family any mercy. We must snuff it out before it gets too strong,” added Ling Zhaowu.

“What do you have in mind, Brother Ling?” The Right Prime Minister looked at him.

“Just fabricate a charge against the Jiang family and have the troops besiege their house. Kill anybody who tries to go in or out of the house without permission. The Jiang family have lost their power, and the imperial household couldn’t even protect themselves. The Jiang family naturally wouldn’t be able to make any trouble if they couldn’t leave their house. Take a firm hand with them, so that those swayed by the Jiang family would see that taking the Jiang family’s side is not a smart move,” said Ling Zhaowu.

“Maybe we should just kill them,” suggested Commander Xie.

Ling Zhaowu looked at him. “If we kill them right now, there will be resistance, which is totally unnecessary.”

“The Jiang family… Well, it’s common knowledge that the Jiang family maintained a growing network of influential contacts in Cangzhou for many years. If the Jiang family are found involved in the Cangzhou insurrection, that should be a crime serious enough for their residence to be ringed by troops,” said the Right Prime Minister.

Ling Zhaowu gave him an appreciative look, feeling that this man was worthy of his post, that he thought faster than anybody else after coming to realize the situation. He probably had already figured out what the next step should be.

“I’ll handle the Jiang family. I need you to cooperate with me, Commander Xie.” The Right Prime Minister looked at Commander Xie.

“No problem. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“What about Cangzhou?” Zhao Zheng sounded a trifle hesitant. “Can we just kill Dai Cheng?”

“Killing Dai Cheng is a must. Hasn’t Yuwen Tong already sent someone to Cangzhou to keep things in check? We need to give him a hand,” observed Ling Zhaowu. “Speaking of killing Dai Cheng, you are all civil officials and I’m afraid your knives might not be sharp enough. Leave it to me.”

Ling Zhang was secretly amazed, but he didn’t show it on his face.

The Right Prime Minister and the others watched Ling Zhaowu casually talk about killing Dai Cheng, and then looked at Ling Zhang’s calm face, all of them rather shocked.

…

“Your Lordship, who’s that Ling Zhaowu guy exactly? This person doesn’t seem like a nobody at all. Not only were his remarks pungent, he was also emanating a blood-curdling air.”

After Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu left the residence, Zhao Zheng and the couple of others clustered around the Right Prime Minister and one of them expressed his opinion in a carry-over of fear.

The Right Prime Minister shook his head. “I don’t know that either. It seems that the Marshal indeed never does anything without a plan. Ling Zhang and his father have a force at their back which is unknown even to me. It is these two people who are the most powerful weapon Yuwen Tong deployed in this city.”

All the others were privately taken aback at these words.

The Right Prime Minister cast them a glance. “I think all of you heard that remark of Ling Zhaowu’s just now. If any of you once had connection with the Jiang family, I suggest you forget about it completely. Otherwise…”

His piercing eyes swept across them, lifting the hair on their scalp.

…

On their way back home, Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu. “Father, is there anything you’re not telling me?”

Ling Zhaowu’s conduct at the meeting had come as a great surprise to him. For an instant, he had even felt that the man sitting beside him were Yuwen Tong. The air about him had been so reminiscent of Yuwen Tong’s…

Ling Zhaowu said, “I’ll tell you some secrets when the time is ripe.”

Their eyes met. Ling Zhang gazed fixedly at him, eager to ask him whether or not those secrets had anything to do with the questions that had been baffling him all this time, but for some reason, he was unable to say those words that had sprung to the tip of his tongue. Subconsciously, he felt that that was too absurd.

After a few moments’ silence, Ling Zhang sat up straight and withdrew his eyes.

“Just now you told them to leave that to you. When do you plan to do it? Yue Qi had orders from Yuwen Tong to go to Cangzhou to deal with two things. Offering assistance to the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) is one of them. The other is to kill Dai Cheng.”

“It’s not me who’s going to do anything. Right now I have limited powers and I’m not capable of handling a task like that. It’s your grandfather who’s going to do it,” replied Ling Zhaowu.

“Grandfather?” Ling Zhang was astonished. “Grandfather is going to Cangzhou?”

“Your grandfather had Ji Chaofang go to Cangzhou. He set off on the journey when we left home this morning. The Millennium Pavilion probably has covertly planted some men in Cangzhou as well. Though not in big numbers, they’re all capable of handling important tasks. Dai Cheng won’t be able to survive.”

“Did you mean it when you said that Dai Cheng would choose to offer the rebels amnesty in exchange for their surrender if he stays alive?”

“If I were Dai Cheng, I would do that. After all, the capital city is of far greater importance than those rebels. Dai Cheng is the Zhou family’s henchman. If the Zhou family falls, he will fall as well. Do you think he’d be happy to see this situation?”

After a moment’s silence, Ling Zhang said, “I was being unthoughtful.”

Ling Zhaowu immediately responded, “It’s not your problem. You’ve done well enough.”

Ling Zhang’s lips clamped together. He wouldn’t have come to realize this if it weren’t for his father’s warning, because he’d placed too much confidence in the arrangements made by Yuwen Tong, believing that the General Zhongwu and Yue Qi would by no means fail in their task of killing Dai Cheng. Maybe it was not that Yuwen Tong hadn’t considered this, but that there had been nothing else he could do. After all, he had done everything within his power.

Ling Zhaowu could tell what Ling Zhang was thinking about. He wanted to console him but eventually forbore from doing so in the knowledge that sometimes it took some pressure to have people realize their inadequacies and how to improve themselves. His son had been doing pretty well, given that he had just reached adulthood but had to face a situation involving the most cunning and deceitful schemers in the world. He was not someone who had grown up in the most powerful political family in the capital city, and he didn’t have any erudite, visionary elders to offer him guidance; he was inexperienced and hadn’t really seen much of the world. He had come this far step by step with Yuwen Tong, and it was almost like the fate had forced him to where he was. Ling Zhaowu’s heart ached for his son. If possible, he would go back in time to prevent his son from taking the path which would lead him to where he currently was. He wanted his son to have an ordinary life, a family with a wife and a couple of children, but these were only his own thoughts which he couldn’t impose on his son, because after all, he owed his son too much, and presently all he could do was stand by his son’s side protecting him.

“Father?” Ling Zhang’s voice was tinged with surprise.

Ling Zhaowu looked out of the window and found that the horse-drawn carriage had come to a halt. They had reached the front gates of the Ling Mansion.

On entering the house, the two of them saw that Ji Yin was waiting for them. Ji Yin asked, “How did it go?”

Ling Zhang gave him a sketchy account of the meeting in the Right Prime Minister’s residence. “Fortunately my father reminded us in time. Grandfather, why didn’t you tell me when you sent Brother Chaofang to Cangzhou?”

Ji Yin flicked a glance at Ling Zhaowu and replied, “Well, I’m a forgetful old man now.”

“Grandfather, when it comes to a matter of such great importance, you must consult with me first!” said Ling Zhang.

Ji Yin promised, “Okay, okay. I promise it won’t happen again.”

After saying this, seeing Ling Zhang’s sulky face, Ji Yin hurriedly added, “Actually it was only this morning that I thought of that, and when I did, you and your father had already set off for the meeting. I was afraid that something unexpected might happen in Cangzhou if I didn’t take action immediately, so I had Ji Chaofang depart and then asked your father to tell you about it.”

Noticing that Ling Zhang’s face softened somewhat, he hastily changed the topic. “What do they plan to do with the Jiang family?”

“They’ll falsely accuse the Jiang family of colluding with the rebels in Cangzhou and have their residence besieged,” said Ling Zhang.

Ji Yin gave a nod. “Do you want me to deploy a formation around the Jiang family to trap them in there?”

Ling Zhang looked at him, finding it a tempting offer, but eventually he restrained himself from accepting it. “We made too much noise when we deployed the formation in this place, and some people have come to know about it. If the same thing happens to the Jiang family’s residence, people would easily connect it with me, and the move would have the opposite effect.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll use another formation, and I guarantee you nobody will see it through,” said Ji Yin.

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After saying this, Ji Yin started explaining it to Ling Zhang, whose eyes gradually brightened as he listened. “Are you certain nobody would find out about this formation, Grandfather?”

Ji Yin looked at him with a you-need-to-trust-your-grandfather kind of look in his eyes.

Ling Zhang dithered over it for a moment and then inclined his head. “Okay. Then I’ll put you to the trouble of paying a visit to the Jiang family after our men ring the residence tomorrow morning.”

The Jiang family was a trouble in any sense. Putting it under their complete control was the only way to make sure it wouldn’t get in their way.

…

Early the next morning, news of a serious event spread through the capital city.

Someone accused the Jiang family of conspiring with the leader of the insurrectionary army and submitted some evidence, and there was also testimony of a witness, which caused an uproar in the imperial court.

Soon the residence of the Jiang family was encircled. At first people of the Jiang family shouted that they were wronged. They tried to resist and came into conflict with the soldiers laying siege to the residence.

“Anybody who tries to break through the cordon shall be killed on the spot.”

Jiang Shennian nearly passed out with rage at this remark. “How–How dare you?!”

All members of the Jiang family gathered in the front yard, Jiang Yu and Jiang Chengfeng supporting Jiang Shennian, eyeing the soldiers outside angrily.

“This is outrageous! You people actually have the balls to frame us for a crime we didn’t commit. I dare you to hurt a hair on the head of any of us without an imperial edict!” railed Jiang Chengfeng.

…

In the north-west.

Yuwen Tong was galloping forward on his journey from the capital city to the borderland. He had barely had any rest. Every time his subordinates had suggested he get some sleep, he had merely stopped his horse and sat in repose with his eyes closed for a while before resuming the journey.

“Marshal, are you worried about Childe Ling?”

At the sound of Ling Zhang’s name, Yuwen Tong’s eyes instantly softened, his face still impassive. “Those matters in the capital city are not difficult to settle, but he has never faced that kind of situation before. The very thought of him staying there alone concerns me.”

Chapter 317: Fang Quan’s Hesitation

In the residence of the Jiang family.

“This is unbelievable. With some fake evidence from an unknown source, they falsely accused us of being in cahoots with the rebels. They’re just bullying us because we lost our power and influence! Who does Chu Liangyan think he is? He’s just a filthy old bastard who’s too low to be our servant, and now he dared inflict such humiliation on us. This is ridiculous. He really thinks he’s the one calling the shots now. But surely he’s not stupid enough to believe he can cause the Jiang family any harm with what he got?”

Jiang Chengfeng was hurling abuse. Faces of other members of the Jiang family clouded over with anger.

“They’re indeed not causing us any harm, but they’ve already achieved their ends by having us trapped,” observed Jiang Shennian with a sepulchral face. “It turns out I underestimated Chu Liangyan. I thought that the Fang family would be a distraction to them, but it never crossed my mind that they’d leave the Fang family aside and deal with us first.”

“Chu Liangyan was still targeting the Fang family two days ago. How did he suddenly come to put us in his crosshairs?” said Jiang Chengfeng in a confused tone, trying hard to subdue his rage.

“I heard that yesterday Ling Zhang paid a visit to the Right Prime Minister.”

“Ling Zhang? He’s just a fledgling. What could he possibly have to do with this?”

Jiang Shennian kept silent, but his face was darkening, the expression in his eyes suggesting that the news concerned him. After a while, he remarked, “No matter what, we need to figure out a way to make contact with people out there, otherwise our plan will come to grief.”

A lot of people were blindsided by this misfortune that had befallen the Jiang family.

“How did it go? You still couldn’t send a message to the Jiang family?” Fang Quan walked out of the imperial palace, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

“No. Nobody can get in or out of the Jiang family’s residence for the moment. Even their food is delivered into it by soldiers Chu Liangyan designated. He said that he’s doing that to prevent the Jiang family from finding any opportunities to get in touch with the rebel army.”

“This is outrageous!” Fang Quan heavily smacked his fist onto the table. “Chu Liangyan is such a hateful son of a bitch!”

“I also heard that this morning a guard of the Jiang family’s tried to force his way out but got killed. Those soldiers besieging the Jiang family are all Commander Xie’s henchmen. They’re aggressive and could be neither enticed by the carrot nor browbeaten by the stick, and they kill without any hesitation. Our men put out feelers once but were nearly seen through. It’s too difficult to get through them.”

“Your Lordship, we can’t let things go on as they are. Should we figure out a way to offer the Jiang family some help?”

Fang Quan replied through gritted teeth, “There are both testimonies of witnesses and evidence showing that the Jiang family are working hand in glove with the rebel forces. If we are to save them, we’ll have to disprove those testimonies and evidence, but we don’t have that much time. There’s been no news from the men we sent to kill Yuwen Tong. I’m afraid they’ve failed in the mission already. Given how long it has been since his departure, Yuwen Tong has probably reached the borderlands already. None of us knows how long it would take for Yuwen Tong to fight off the Wan Kingdom’s and the Luohai Kingdom’s armies, so we should focus on assisting the Eighth Prince to ascend the throne, in case anything else unexpected happens. We don’t have enough manpower to spare to get the Jiang family out of the trouble.”

“Well… Are you suggesting that we give up on the Jiang family?”

Fang Quan thought for a few moments and then asked, “Is there any news from Jiangzhou?”

“If people there made a reply promptly, their courier pigeon should arrive by the end of the day, but so far there hasn’t been any news from them…”

Fang Quan clenched his teeth. “No matter whether their answer is a yes or a no, there’s no doubt they will give us a reply. The reason why there’s still no news is either because they want us to raise our offer or because they have misgivings about it…”

“Then what do we do? The garrison of Jiangzhou are unwilling to help; Commander Xie refused to be bought; the Jiang family are trapped… With what we’ve got at the moment, we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of helping the Eighth Prince accede to the throne.”

“Calm down!” snarled Fang Quan. “All we have to do is wait. We wait for the reply from Jiangzhou! And about the Jiang family, I’ll give it some more thought.”

“You need to figure something out as soon as possible, Your Lordship. Please go and support our new domain MangaBob.com.Thanks!.Her Highness and the Eighth Prince are in dire danger in the imperial palace as well. If by any chance those people decide to make a risky move and directly kill the two of them, we’ll lose everything.”

“The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin are closely guarded by our men. It won’t be easy for them to get a chance to do that.”

…

Meanwhile. In the Ling Mansion.

“How did it go? Is there any news?” Seeing Miao Shisan walk inside, Ling Zhang gazed at him with expectant eyes.

Miao Shisan briefly paused and then replied, “Not yet. The Marshal must be traveling day and night and probably doesn’t have the time to write a letter. Given the time of his departure, it is reasonable to infer that the Marshal has just reached the borderlands. Barring accidents, we will receive a letter carried by a courier pigeon from the borderland.”

The expectation gleaming in Ling Zhang’s eyes slowly ebbed away. Lips pressed together, he stared at Miao Shisan. “Is that true? You guys are not keeping anything back from me?”

Miao Shisan immediately answered, “We don’t dare lie to you, Childe Ling. This is a crucial juncture, and I have a sense of perspective. I don’t have the slightest inclination to keep anything back from you.”

It was only then that Ling Zhang’s tense lips relaxed. “Report to me immediately if there’s any news.”

“Yes, Childe Ling,” answered Miao Shisan, secretly feeling relieved. He indeed hadn’t received any messages from the borderlands yet, but having served Yuwen Tong and been in sync with him for so many years, he knew very well that given the current situation, the Marshal’s journey had definitely been quite eventful. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been unable to spare the time to even write a letter back.

“There’s no need for you to concern yourself, Childe Ling. No news is good news, actually. It means that the Marshal has safely reached the borderlands,” observed Miao Shisan.

Ling Zhang slightly inclined his head. “Yeah.”

He knew Yuwen Tong well enough to be sure that Yuwen Tong wouldn’t forget to write him a letter knowing he was missing him and worried about him in the capital city, unless he really couldn’t spare the time. If Yuwen Tong didn’t even have the time to sit down and write a letter, Ling Zhang could only imagine how busy he was, and how many matters he had to deal with.

“Has the latest battlefield report arrived from the border?”

Miao Shisan said, “Not yet. Judging from the contents of the last battlefield report, it can be deduced that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are attacking a border city in Youzhou from two sides. I know Jiang Xi. He will definitely be able to hang in there until the Marshal’s arrival.”

Ling Zhang lightly balled his hands into fists. Youzhou bordered both the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom, but the Sanguan Mountains was an impassable barrier behind it. Presently, what was under attack from the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom at the same time was actually a city in Youzhou which bordered the Luohai Kingdom but originally had had nothing to do with the Wan Kingdom. The Luohai Kingdom worked hand in glove with the Wan Kingdom, ignored Shengzhou which was well defended by Yuwen Tong’s main force, opened its borders to let the Wan Kingdom’s army enter the Luohai Kingdom, detour around the Sanguan Mountains and launch an attack on the fortification line near Youzhou, doubling the pressure the garrison of Youzhou was under. The garrison of Youzhou were different from the garrison of Shengzhou. The latter had many years of experience in fighting enemies as well as a powerful intimidating air about them, while the former had less combat power than Yuwen Tong’s main force did, which added to the difficulties they were faced with!

Once the enemies broke through the defensive line in front of Youzhou, then Gan City of Youzhou which was the second defense line would bear the brunt of the attack. If Gan City was also taken, then Youzhou would fall. Although there were still some barriers between Youzhou and the capital city, the distance between the two was rather short as the crow flew…

“Jiang Ke has sent two batches of reinforcements to Youzhou, but he doesn’t dare draft the main force there for fear that the enemy would attack Shengzhou after he sent the main force southwards. If Shengzhou falls, the situation would be perilous, so presently Jiang Xi is under heavier pressure. The Marshal is aware of this, so he’s probably traveling in greater haste than usual. It’s not because he encountered any dangers or something, so you don’t need to be worried about him, Childe Ling,” said Miao Shisan.

Ling Zhang took a deep breath, clenching his fists. “How can I not be worried? It’s just that I know the only thing I could do is defend this city.”

Suppressing his vexation and unease, Ling Zhang asked, “Has Shiba come back?”

“Not yet. Fang Quan urgently summoned his allies to consult with them about what countermeasure they should take. From the vantage point of the present, it won’t be easy for Fang Quan to find a way out, so I’m afraid Shiba is going to have to stake out the Fang Mansion for a little while longer,” responded Miao Shisan.

“Tell me if he sends any messages back.” Ling Zhang rose to his feet and then hurried to see Ji Yin. “Grandfather, is all in readiness?”

Ji Yin inclined his head. “Everything’s ready. We may do it tonight. I assure you they’d be trapped in their residence for a very long time. Fang Quan and his allies would by no means waste much time on the Jiang family. There’s no doubt they would give up as soon as they come to realize it’s not within their power to save them.”

Ling Zhang heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll go with you tonight.”

Ji Yin clapped him on the shoulder. “All right.”

Ling Zhaowu walked up to them. “You’re going to deploy a formation around the Jiang family?”

Ling Zhang bobbed his head. “Have you drunk your medicine today, Father?”

Ling Zhaowu was moved by the fact that his son still kept in mind that he needed to drink medicine daily. “Mr. Mu supervised me drinking it. I don’t dare forget that.”

He had a son and some other family members to protect now, so he wouldn’t let himself die easily. Even if Mr. Mu forgot to remind him, he himself would remember to take the medicine.

“Fang Quan still hasn’t received a reply from Jiangzhou?”

Ling Zhang answered, “No. It seems that the garrison of Jiangzhou has chosen to stay out of this troublesome situation.”

Ling Zhaowu said, “Not necessarily. Who could resist the temptation of the rewards for assisting a prince to take the throne? Yuwen Tong is no longer here, and the defense of this city is not as strong as before. Moreover, the Eighth Prince, the one they’d be supporting, is at least a member of the Zhou family, the imperial household, who counts as a rightful heir to the throne. If I were offered such a golden opportunity, I would definitely get on board. As long as the commander of Jiangzhou garrison is not a fool, he would without doubt agree. As for why he didn’t make an immediate reply, I’m afraid it’s because he wants Fang Quan to raise the offer.”

Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu, feeling that his father seemed to always have a particularly shrewd idea of what these people were thinking, as though he’d been through a lot of this kind of political struggle and was very experienced…

“Father, do you know the commander of Jiangzhou garrison, by any chance?” Ling Zhang still asked in spite of himself.

Ling Zhaowu smiled, “No, I don’t.”

Technically, this version of him indeed didn’t know that man.

“If things do go as you predicted, there will be a letter from Jiangzhou. When Fang Quan gets the reply, he probably would be even less likely to make any efforts to rescue the Jiang family,” said Ling Zhang.

“Absolutely. With the garrison of Jiangzhou at his back, the Jiang family would pale into insignificance,” observed Ling Zhaowu.

However, the garrison of Jiangzhou would never be able to make it to the capital city. Would Fang Quan change his mind and try to save the Jiang family at that time? But none of these mattered much now, because Fang Quan wouldn’t be able to save the Jiang family in those circumstances even if he wanted to, which meant that his last resort would be…

A rabbit will bite when it’s cornered. A dog will leap over a wall in desperation. Fang Quan was no exception.

If they were to continue plotting against the Fang family, they needed to be careful of the Fang family’s counterplot.

Ling Zhang was on the alert, believing that he had to remind Miao Shisan and the others to be more cautious.

Chapter 318: Jiang Shennian’s Choice

The borderlands.

“Marshal, are you going to that border city in Youzhou?” asked Jiang Ke the deputy commander.

“Given the domestic situation of the Wan Kingdom, the troops they sent to Youzhou are probably all they’ve got. It’s an all-out attack and they’re hell-bent on taking that city. Youzhou must not fall. I have to be there directing the operations personally. You stay here and keep your eyes peeled,” said Yuwen Tong. “Time is short, so let’s get started. Call all the others in.”

Jiang Ke said no more, immediately walked off and called the core group of officers in to have a meeting.

Four hours later, after all necessary arrangements were made, Yuwen Tong set out for the border city in Youzhou without more ado.

…

The capital city.

Ling Zhaowu’s words turned out to be prophetic. A reply from the garrison of Jiangzhou did arrive. They’d just procrastinated for two days.

During the past two days, Fang Quan who didn’t dare give up on the Jiang family entirely had been trying to get in touch with them all along, but all his messages went unanswered, which rendered Fang Quan somewhat helpless and at the same time put him on the alert. Please go and support our new domain MangaBob.com.Thanks!.When the reply from Jiangzhou arrived, though they were asking for a lot in return for their help, Fang Quan had no choice but to accept.

At the same time, Ling Zhang also received a message from Jiangzhou saying that Jiangzhou garrison had been mobilized, that they were now gathering supplies and would march north in two days at the latest.

Miao Shisan sent a message to the garrison of Shengzhou who had covertly moved south, telling them to get ready. He then made two copies of the letter from the garrison of Jiangzhou, one of which was delivered to the capital city, and the other to the commander of Shengzhou garrison.

At this time, all troops of the garrison of Yanzhou had entered Cangzhou and been put under the command of the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). Ling Zhang was still expecting an up-to-date battlefield report on the fight against the rebel army in Cangzhou…

“According to the agreed protocol, Dai Cheng should send us a battlefield report today, but it’s already midnight, and the report still hasn’t arrived. I think either something happened to the messenger or the front… or something happened to Dai Cheng. Either way, it’s not good news for us. I hope Yue Qi and Ji Chaofang would kill Dai Cheng in time,” said Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang was also worried. “I’ve already had Miao Shisan deliver a letter to the General Zhongwu, telling him to be prepared, lest he get caught off guard when Dai Cheng’s men turn their coats.”

Ling Zhaowu inclined his head. “That might not be a bad move. At least we’ll have some time to do damage control if things really go south.”

During the next two days, the capital city lapsed into a weird lull.

In the meantime, Ling Zhang went to the residence of the Assistant Minister of Rites to pay Yuwen Feng a visit, but Yuwen Zhi refused to let him in, so he didn’t see Yuwen Feng that day.

Ling Zhang didn’t insist. He had some time ago had enough of Yuwen Zhi’s unruly deeds. Since Yuwen Zhi had a death wish, he had no reason to stop Yuwen Zhi from getting what he deserved, so he decided to just let it be, feeling that maybe it was a good thing that Yuwen Feng was under house arrest and didn’t have to get involved in this matter. As regards what might happen to Yuwen Feng in the future, Ling Zhang believed it was best if he let Yuwen Tong worry about that.

…

In the residence of the Jiang family.

“Father, what should we do? There hasn’t been any news from the outside for ages. I wonder whether or not Fang Quan and the others have ever tried to reach us. They’re such a bunch of morons,” huffed Jiang Chengfeng.

“From the vantage point of the present, we can’t get any messages out, and they can’t send any messages in here, which means it’s not that Fang Quan and the others are not trying, but that this bastard surnamed Xie laying siege to our house is being too stubborn.” Jiang Shennian was also very angry. “If things keep going on like this any longer, Fang Quan would definitely give up trying to save us in order not to waste any more time, so we’ve got to figure something out to save ourselves.”

“Save ourselves? How? That bastard surnamed Xie neither listens to reason nor bows to force, and Chu Liangyan is too cowardly to even meet us face to face, and those soldiers’ skulls are just thick as that of their commander. If we are to save ourselves, we’ll have to at least figure out a way to meet them first, won’t we?” said Jiang Chengfeng.

“They’re keeping us under house arrest but didn’t kill any of us, which means they have misgivings. It would be detrimental to Yuwen Tong’s reputation if any members of the Jiang family are killed under his men’s watch… Give me some more time to think it over. We need to get them to come here and meet us on their own account,” said Jiang Shennian.

Jiang Yu, who had been keeping silent all along, walked out and asked, “Grandfather, are you considering resorting to the ruse of self-injury?”

Jiang Shennian gave a nod. “I don’t really have a choice.”

Jiang Yu’s lips clamped together. “I think that’s going to be a long shot. The encirclement of this place is so tight that nobody out there could get any news of us. Will anybody give a damn about whether we’re alive or dead?”

“If a member of the Jiang family dies here for no reason, it would be a stain on Yuwen Tong’s reputation and jeopardize his chance of taking the throne, so they WILL do something about it!” said Jiang Chengfeng.

Jiang Yu flicked a glance at him. “I’m just worried that by laying siege to our house, they’re just putting on an act for outsiders to watch, and they don’t really care whether or not any of us will die in here. After all, none of us knows if Yuwen Tong values his reputation. He’s a military officer, not a civil official who sets great store by his repute like a bird by its feathers.”

Jiang Chengfeng furrowed his brows. “Stay out of this. We need to give it a try.”

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, shifted his gaze from his father to Jiang Shennian and said, “Grandfather, I’m just afraid it’s within their power to make our lives hell, given that they have the power to besiege us. We don’t want to end up being hoist by our own petards, so we need to cautious.”

Jiang Chengfeng spat with a frown, “Shut your mouth.”

Jiang Shennian, however, had a thoughtful face. “Yu’er may have a point. It’s best if we reconsider this.”

“Father! We must not dither. We have to take immediate action. Otherwise Fang Quan will give up on us completely. This is a chance for the Jiang family to make a comeback. Surely we’re not going to let it slip away?” demurred Jiang Chengfeng.

Jiang Shennian raised his head to look out into the sky. After quite a while, he said, “How can you be so sure Fang Quan is going to succeed? Yuwen Tong is the most formidable antagonist I’ve ever met. Seeing as he dared to go to the borderlands leaving Fang Quan and the Eighth Prince in this city in these circumstances, there’s no doubt he has taken some precautionary measures. Had we not been under siege, we’d still stand a chance of helping the Eighth Prince accede to the throne, but now… Fang Quan and the others don’t have what it takes to make it happen.”

“I think you’re overestimating our enemies and underestimating ourselves, Father.” Jiang Chengfeng was unconvinced. “Moreover, the Eighth Prince is kin to us. If Yuwen Tong, rather than a prince of the Zhou family, is enthroned, what good could it possibly do us? Yuwen Tong has no love for any of us.”

“But we have no quarrel with Yuwen Tong, after all. ‘To take no action is better than to take any.’ Given the current circumstances, there’s no action we can take that doesn’t involve great risks, so I think we might as well just stay put,” observed Jiang Yu.

Beside himself with rage, Jiang Chengfeng almost turned around to slap his son across the face but caught himself just in time. “What’s got into you exactly? Do you by any chance still have feelings for Yuwen Tong?!”

Jiang Yu’s face darkened and he glared at Jiang Chengfeng, an incredulous look in his eyes. “What do you mean by that remark, Father? I’m your son, not your enemy. All I did was just express my opinions. You can’t belittle me just because I don’t see things the way you do. I’ve long since dismissed those pointless ideas from my mind, and I thought everybody could see that I did. It never crossed my mind my own father would make such a wild accusation against me. Is this what your son is like in your eyes? A shameless, lovesick puppy? Are you disparaging me or yourself?!”

“You–!” Jiang Chengfeng was rendered speechless by Jiang Yu’s sharp retort, his face dark with fury.

“That’s enough,” said Jiang Shennian. His sulky eyes raked over Jiang Chengfeng and Jiang Yu and eventually rested on the latter. “Yu’er, this is not how you talk to your father.”

Jiang Yu hung his head. “I’m sorry for my problematic choice of words, Grandfather.”

Jiang Chengfeng was still glowering at Jiang Yu, who directly rose to his feet and continued, “But Grandfather, it was for the Jiang family’s sake that I said that. The Jiang family is like a big tree – we’re quietly standing here with our roots deep in the ground, posing no threat to anybody. Actually, being besieged and trapped in here has its compensations. If we are under house arrest, we would have a good chance of survival no matter whether it is the Eighth Prince or Yuwen Tong who accedes to the throne eventually, so please be discreet about every decision you are going to make next, Grandfather. After all, once we take action, it would mean that we tilt in favor of the Eighth Prince. Moreover, chances are that those people out there would inflict something worse than death on us if we make our move. The future emperor will seek to settle old scores with his enemies. If the Eighth Prince succeeds to the throne, we’ll be useless pawns for him; and if Yuwen Tong takes the throne, we’ll surely be exterminated. Not matter what your final decision is, you’ll have my full support, and I’ll do everything within my power to fight for the Jiang family’s survival, so please, Grandfather, be cautious about the decision you make.”

After saying this, Jiang Yu made a bow with hands folded in front and then left.

Consumed with fury, Jiang Chengfeng bellowed, “This unfilial son is getting more unruly by the day!”

Jiang Shennian silently looked at him, inwardly let out a sigh and unnoticeably shook his head.

“Father, don’t listen to a word of that brat. We need to act as soon as possible,” said Jiang Chengfeng.

However, Jiang Shennian was wavering in his determination. “Let me give it some more thought.”

“Father!”

“Enough. You may leave. I need quiet.”

“…Yes, Father.”

After Jiang Chengfeng left, Jiang Shennian limply sprawled in his chair and exhaled deeply.

Jiang Yu’s words had helped him come to realize that in these circumstances, for the Jiang family staying put was a far better choice than taking action. After all, the Jiang family no longer wielded great power in the imperial court now. If he laid low, the Jiang family would probably end up becoming an ordinary family, but at least they’d still be alive; if he attempted to stage a comeback, he’d be risking the lives of all his family, and it’d take only one single wrong decision to cause all of them to meet their ends.

More importantly, the overall political situation out there was not really favorable for them. It seemed that the Zhou family’s days as the imperial household were really numbered. Yuwen Tong’s army of supporters was too massive to be equaled. Even if they really managed to take the capital city, one day they would still have to face Yuwen Tong’s troops on the battlefield, and when that day came, would they stand a chance of winning?

Jiang Shennian ruminated over it for a very long time, looking as though he had just aged several years.

Jiang Shennian even couldn’t help but wonder whether or not it was really because of his old age that he was being overcautious and so indecisive, lacking the dash and courage he used to have when he’d been in his youth.

Still, aside from anything else, he had to take into consideration the lives of over a hundred members of the Jiang family.

…

“Young Master?”

Jiang Yu paused and looked up into the sky. For quite a while, he gazed motionlessly as the servant watched in fear. Eventually, without uttering a single word, Jiang Yu withdrew his eyes and continued progressing.