The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 460- 462

Chapter 460: Negotiations with the Luohai Kingdom

In his last life, Ling Zhaowu, unconcerned about those silver ingots, had left the mansion after the residents killed Wang Xiangxin, paying no special attention to the person heading the group of Jiangzhou residents who’d intruded into Zhu You’s abode.

Though somewhat disappointed, Ling Zhang knew the recruitment of talents would take time. Currently, the first priority was to further stabilize the domestic situation and help the people restore their lives. As the imperial court had given people hope, those who had political aspirations would sooner or later recommend themselves one way or another.

When they had finished talking about those silver ingots found in Zhu You’s dwelling, Ling Zhang filled Ling Zhaowu in on what he’d seen and heard in Pingtao City, and showed him the couple of ideas he’d listed.

“Maritime trade is indeed quite lucrative and has huge market potential,” commented Ling Zhaowu after reading the note, “but it’s impossible to achieve success in maritime trade without the support of a powerful prop, and it’s inadvisable to rush into it when you’re not a hundred percent ready. You need to take baby steps. Rest assured, I’ll help you with everything you want to do.”

This would indeed take time. Ling Zhang knew that he was experiencing a carry-over of thrill caused by what he’d seen and heard in Pingtao City. He was so excited that he was only too anxious to immediately make arrangements for a commercial fleet to be built. However, from the vantage point of the present, neither he nor the Ling family was fully prepared to start a business of that scale. It was premature to talk about this matter at this point in time.

“You may well say that, Father. I got a bit carried away,” said Ling Zhang calmly after subduing that urge inside him.

Ling Zhaowu smiled. This was one of the reasons why he was proud of Ling Zhang – Ling Zhang was willing to heed others’ advice and always introspected about his problems when he needed to. Maybe because Ling Zhang had been through a rebirth, he seemed to seldom feel the kind of impulsions that most youngsters on occasions felt and found rather difficult to repress. Before Ling Zhang became the empress, this had struck Ling Zhaowu as faintly regrettable, but after Ling Zhang became the empress, Ling Zhaowu felt lucky that this was the case.

Next the father and son discussed the matter of opening stores. Now that they had plans to establish a chamber of commerce in Shengzhou to gain a foothold there, Ling Zhaowu had made quite some preparations. The necessity of keeping Ling Zhang’s and the Ling family’s involvement in this matter secret had made the task more difficult. Fortunately, Ling Zhaowu was very experienced in this regard. He made full use of those businesses and stewards that Ji Yin had gifted Ling Zhang with, and prepared to recruit his former subordinates. By “former subordinates”, Ling Zhaowu was actually referring to the group of men that he had licked into shape in his last incarnation, all of whom had been absolutely loyal to him. Ling Zhaowu knew each and every one of them like the back of his hand, and was also fully aware of the situation they were presently in. What would take some doing was to recruit them again and have them swear allegiance to him for a second time.

After coming to know about his father’s plans, Ling Zhang naturally brought up the matter that he’d been meaning to get to the bottom of. “Father, what did you do for a living in your last incarnation exactly?”

“I was in business. Haven’t I told you already? I was a merchant. In my last life, the situation in the three countries was quite chaotic, and for a business to thrive, its owner needed to have enough helpers, which was why I had a group of men under my command,” replied Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang looked at him disbelievingly. “Was it really as simple as that?”

Ling Zhaowu answered, “It was. I had no interest in any other things. Still, although I was uninterested in any other things, there were still a lot of people who tried to rope me in to become an official in the imperial court and work for them, but I turned down them all.”

“Who tried to rope you in?” Ling Zhang’s curiosity was piqued.

“Members of the imperial family, who were still alive at this time in my last life. Um, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom also made efforts to tempt me to serve them. The three countries were in tangled warfare, and on occasions Yuwen Tong would harass them, so all those people were eager to get more power and wanted to draw everybody who might be of help over to their sides,” responded Ling Zhaowu.

Though Ling Zhaowu had put it this way, Ling Zhang was certain that there was more to it. Why else should the monarchs of all the three countries have offered olive branches to him, if not for some particular skill of his? A common merchant could never have achieved that. However, his father seemed to be fairly unwilling to tell him the whole story in this regard. What was he keeping back?

“Father, didn’t you say that you would tell me everything you’d been through in your last life after Yuwen Tong and I got married and the whirl of chores was over? I want to hear it right now. Would you please tell me?”

Ling Zhaowu’s hand holding a teacup briefly paused and with that he raised his head to looked at the color of the sky and then said, “It’s pretty late. The one in the palace must be looking into the sky with a frown on his face at this moment. He sure as hell would come here to bring you back if you don’t return straight away.”

Ling Zhang, “…”

He looked at the color of the sky as well. Though aware that his father was using it as an excuse, night had indeed fallen already, and it was dinner time. In no hurry to return to the palace as he was, it was inappropriate to force his father to give up having dinner and continue to talk with him.

“You’re definitely keeping something back from me. I’ll let it go for the moment, but you’ll have to tell me the truth the next time I come here.”

Ling Zhang rose to his feet, looking at his father, unhappy.

Ling Zhaowu gave a little cough. “What are you talking about? Why would I keep anything back from you?”

However, Ling Zhang’s gaze gave him a surge of guilt and he avoided Ling Zhang’s eyes.

‘I knew it,’ Ling Zhang inwardly snorted, determined to drag the truth out of his father when he found the time. He said, “I’ll have dinner with you and Grandfather before I go back to the palace. Grandfather and the others may well have taken their seats at the table already. Let’s go.”

Ling Zhaowu rose immediately at these words, as though unable to endure Ling Zhang’s reproving eyes for a single extra moment.

His reaction made Ling Zhang more convinced that his father was concealing something from him. This was his first time seeing his father appearing so manifestly to have a guilty conscience.

What else had happened to his father in his last incarnation exactly? What was it that his father felt he had to keep secret from his own son? Ling Zhang cast around in vain for an answer. Had his father by any chance staged a revolt or tried to usurp the throne or anything like that? No, he couldn’t have. If that were the case, the monarchs of the three countries wouldn’t have raced to recruit him.

Bearing these questions in mind, Ling Zhang decided to have his father answer all of them when he found opportunity. Even if his father had really led a revolt or tried to usurp the throne in his last incarnation… he wouldn’t blame his father, considering how complicated things had been in his last life.

Unaware that his son had inwardly made all kinds of excuses for him, Ling Zhaowu went to join his old man for dinner with his son, feeling rather guilty. After dinner, he walked his son towards the front gates.

“You’ve walked me far enough, Father. Go back.”

The front gates were right ahead, but Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowu to stop. “Mu Rongfeng has been captured, and an envoy of the Luohai Kingdom will arrive in a couple of days. I might well start getting busy and wouldn’t be able to come back here to see you and Grandfather anytime soon, but… you may do some thinking during this time and figure out how to explain to me… ahem… what I want to know.”

Although the bodyguards he brought with him were all trustworthy, he couldn’t afford to let the matter of his rebirth come to anybody else’s knowledge.

Ling Zhaowu looked at his son for a while before he sighed, “It’s not that I enjoy keeping secrets from you. I’m just worried you’d be unhappy after hearing the truth. Whatever… I’ll be honest with you the next time we meet.”

It was only then that Ling Zhang smiled a happy smile, took leave of Ling Zhaowu and set out to return to the palace.

…

In the following two days Ling Zhang were occupied with all kinds of affairs in the palace. A diplomatic corps of the Luohai Kingdom would soon arrive in the capital city. Yuwen Tong, after conferring with a group of courtiers, decided how to teach the Luohai Kingdom a hard lesson.

Jiang Yu, Ling Zhang’s adviser, had returned to the Jiang family to concentrate on preparing for the next year’s imperial examination, which was also what Zhao Jiusi had been doing. Thus, he had only the twenty-four bodyguards at his service, but they were different from Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi – some of the things the latter two could handle properly were beyond their capabilities, which was why Ling Zhang was rushed off his feet.

…

After yet another day, the diplomatic corps of the Luohai Kingdom arrived. As Yuwen Tong had caught Mu Rongfeng red-handed in Haizhou, the Luohai Kingdom was utterly unable to cover up the fact that the Luohai Kingdom had covertly played a part in the Jiangzhou revolt. This time around Yuwen Tong had got the goods on the Luohai Kingdom, so members of the diplomatic corps were all harassed-looking. Though infuriated by the conditions Yuwen Tong demanded, they had no alternative but to subdue their anger with gritted teeth, for they were in the wrong, and even their crown prince had fallen into Yuwen Tong’s hands. They had to swallow it all, no matter how angry they were.

However, even if the Luohai diplomatic corps were here to make a sincere apology, which they were not, in no circumstances would they accept all Yuwen Tong’s terms, so there was inevitable haggling which seemed as though it would never end.

At first Yuwen Tong was willing to show them some respect, but after some time, his face darkened. Jiang Ke and Jiang Xi were standing on his left and right respectively, emanating such brooding air that the dean of the diplomatic corps blanched and stammered, and it took him quite a while to finish his sentence.

Yuwen Tong had made it very clear that he would make sure Mu Rongfeng never made it back to the Luohai Kingdom if the envoy didn’t accept his conditions right away. The Great Wen was not afraid of fighting another war. Although the Great Wen needed time to rebuild strength, the North-western Army would prove themselves the strongest force once again if another war came, so the Great Wen was not frightened of the Luohai Kingdom at all.

The Luohai Kingdom didn’t want another war either. The Great Wen hadn’t descended into civil strife. Instead, its domestic situation was getting more and more stable. The Luohai Kingdom had never got one over on the Great Wen during any of the previous wars, and now, given that the Wan Kingdom was taking a wait-and-see attitude, the Luohai Kingdom would no doubt be making a rod for its own back if it fought Yuwen Tong single-handed. Besides, their crown prince’s life was still in Yuwen Tong’s hands!

Scared by Yuwen Tong’s words, the dean of the diplomatic corps didn’t dare make another attempt to bargain over the terms and, teeth clenched, signed a new treaty with the Great Wen.

After signing the treaty, the dean’s back was covered with cold sweat, his clothes soaking wet.

The weather had been getting increasingly cold in the past couple of days, and everybody was wearing thick clothes, but the dean had still broken out in such a sweat, which suggested how great pressure he’d been under.

…

Mu Rongfeng was returned to the Luohai diplomatic corps as the Luohai Kingdom met all the conditions set by the Great Wen. Mu Rongfeng had a quite ugly look on his face when he was released. Apart from anything else, this was the greatest possible humiliation for a crown prince.

“Your Highness are more than welcome to stay in the Great Wen if you don’t feel like going back, but I’m afraid General-in-chief Nian and Prime Minister Dugu might well rejoice if you really decide to stay,” jibed Chu Liangyan who was also present.

Mu Rongfeng was infuriated to such an extent that for an instant he was on the verge of spitting out a mouthful of blood. He shot Chu Liangyan a malevolent glance and blustered, “Sooner or later the Great Wen will pay for this.”

Chu Liangyan smiled, “The Great Wen will always be here. Whatever it is Your Highness are planning to do, the Great Wen will never flinch from facing up to it.”

Mu Rongfeng coldly withdrew his eyes and stormed off without a backward glance.

There was intense partisan wrangle in the royal court of the Luohai Kingdom. He was the crown prince, but both Nian Feng, the general-in-chief who had most of the troops under his command, and Prime Minister Dugu, who was kin to the queen consort, had long coveted the throne. If he didn’t return, there would no doubt be great political upheavals in the Luohai Kingdom. Consumed with rage and resentment as Mu Rongfeng was, he had no alternative but to swallow it.

…

The matter of the Luohai Kingdom settled, what Yuwen Tong needed to do next was appoint a new commander of Jiangzhou garrison and a new Jiangzhou governor. Jiangzhou needed a capable governor as well as a competent commander able to regroup the garrison.

Chapter 461: An Invitation to the Imperial Bathing Pool

Jiangzhou was, for all intents and purposes, in the same situation that Cangzhou had previously been in. To restore order in Cangzhou, Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan had been transferred there. To select two suitable candidates to be assigned to Jiangzhou, the courtiers consulted with Yuwen Tong for two consecutive days before a decision was made.

After Yuwen Tong settled this matter, the first winter rain came, accompanied by fine snowflakes.

The capital city had entered winter. Ling Zhang paid a visit to the Ling Mansion and then returned to the palace. After stamping his feet for a moment, he went into the imperial bedchamber. Yuwen Tong had finished work early on this day and returned to the bedchamber before dark.

“Is Aunt Caiwei okay?” Yuwen Tong asked him.

Ling Zhang replied, “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

It was snowing and Ling Zhang had been worried about Fu Caiwei’s health, so he’d specially gone out of the palace to pay her a visit.

Yuwen Tong, who had heard Ling Zhang stamping his feet outside the imperial bedchamber a short while before, held out his hand to Ling Zhang and said, “Come here.”

Ling Zhang walked up to him, confused. “What’s the matter?”

Yuwen Tong took his hand and felt his clothes. “Put on more clothes next time you go out,” he cautioned.

Ling Zhang’s hand was held by Yuwen Tong whose warm palm was warming up his, making him feel so comfortable that he was unwilling to withdraw his hand. And then he put his other hand into Yuwen Tong’s.

Yuwen Tong, faintly turned on by this small movement of his hand, abruptly drew him into his arms. As he fell into Yuwen Tong’s embrace, Ling Zhang was instantly enveloped by a warm air, relaxedly let out a sigh, rubbed his face against Yuwen Tong’s chest and then slightly shifted his position to let his whole body into Yuwen Tong’s embrace.

After he finished shifting his position, Yuwen Tong hugged him tight, let him sit on his lap, and then caressed his ear with his lips. “Why are you so meek today?”

Ling Zhang softly snorted, “I’ve heard you say this many times. When was I ever not meek in front of you?”

Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle, slightly raised Ling Zhang’s chin and the two of them kissed for a while.

After a few moments, Ling Zhang pushed him away. “Soon they’ll deliver dinner here.”

Feeling somewhat regretful, with lingering longing in his eyes, Yuwen Tong hugged Ling Zhang and made out with him for another long moment.

“I want you to go with me to pay a visit to my great-uncle tomorrow,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang looked at him. “What for?”

“Yuwen Qian’s wife’s time is near,” replied Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang’s eyes widened slightly. Recalling Yuwen Tong’s plan, he was somewhat flustered, at a loss as to how to conduct himself in front of Yuwen Qian and his wife after they entered the abode of the Marquess Fuan the next day.

“Don’t worry,” Yuwen Tong consoled him, stroking his back. “We’ve agreed on it some time ago. Everybody in my great-uncle’s family has psyched themself up. After we adopt the baby, they’ll still be able to come here to see him from time to time.”

Ling Zhang lightly inclined his head. “I know. I’m just not sure what the proper way to conduct myself in front of Yuwen Qian and his wife tomorrow is.”

“The usual way. Tomorrow you may just behave the same way you behaved in front of them previously. You’re the consort, and they are beneath you. They should be worried about how to conduct themselves in front of you, not the other way around,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang was slightly surprised, looking at Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong continued, “It’s true they also bear the surname Yuwen, and in the past they were our elders and peers, but now they’re our subjects. Yuwen Qian’s child, after being fostered with us, will be a prince or a princess, and their birth parents will be their subjects as well. The moment I was enthroned, a chasm between the imperial family and subjects came into being. Nobody would be able to change that. Also, we’ll need to broaden and deepen that chasm when necessary. Remember, we’re the rulers, and they’re our subjects. You don’t have to take anybody’s feelings into consideration before doing anything, and you don’t have to explain anything to anybody. They can only revere you or fear you. None of them will dare judge you.”

Ling Zhang listened quietly. After a while, he replied with a heavy nod, “I see.”

Yuwen Tong was right. He was now the consort. He and Yuwen Tong were at the top of the social hierarchy in the Great Wen. The two of them were the only ones at the top, and all those beneath them could only look up at him. There were some rules that must be enforced and engraved in everybody’s heart. If the domestic situation of the Great Wen was to stay stable, emperorship must be of supreme superiority.

A smile curled the corners of Yuwen Tong’s mouth as he saw that Ling Zhang had caught on.

Ling Zhang, though young and inexperienced, always got Yuwen Tong’s meaning in one, and Yuwen Tong never had to spend much time explaining anything to him.

“When the new year starts, the conversion of the palace will start as well. The preparatory work may well last until after the imperial examination, and by that time, Jiang Yu and Zhao Jiusi will have returned to your help, and you’ll be able to delegate the other matters in your hands to them. I’ll put you in charge of the conversion,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang thought about it for a moment. “Originally I planned to deploy a large-scale defensive formation in the palace, but afterward it occurred to me that the Millennium Pavilion might have in hand some copies of the handbooks on formations they gave me. It’s too risky to deploy a defensive formation offered by the Millennium Pavilion, but currently I’m not capable of creating a new large-scale defensive formation that compares with any of those given by the Millennium Pavilion. What do you think we should do?”

Ling Zhang was not afraid of taking on responsibilities. Putting him in charge of the conversion of the palace was synonymous with putting the security of the whole palace in his hands. Now that Yuwen Tong had enough trust in him to let him loose on the project, he had no reason to be frightened of doing it. But how should he convert the palace to make it safer and more defendable? Ling Zhang had been bearing this in mind for quite some time.

Yuwen Tong said, “A defensive formation is of secondary importance. No matter how secure a formation is, there’s always a way to crack it. Also, people could easily grow dependent on it. It is people that we ultimately rely on for the security of the palace.”

At first Ling Zhang was baffled as to why Yuwen Tong stressed that it was people that they ultimately relied on, but after a few moments he slowly came to understand, his eyes gradually brightening. “Are you saying that…”

“This palace was built when the Zhou family was in power. The first emperor from the Zhou family was also a capable monarch, and the palace he built naturally has some merits. By converting it, we’ll actually be making adjustment to his work. How safe this palace is depends on the capabilities of its owner. If its owner is weak and careless, all defensive measures would be no good, no matter how strong they are; if its owner is smart and able, the situation would naturally be under control,” explained Yuwen Tong.

The point Yuwen Tong was trying to make was that the owner was to this palace as a commander-in-chief was to his army. If the commander-in-chief was competent, his army would naturally win the war; if the commander-in-chief was incompetent, the guards around the main tent, no matter how many there were of them, would be of no use.

As a result, it would be better to do it in an open and direct way than it was to deploy a large-scale defensive formation like an escape-proof net. The palace built in the former dynasty was vast, and the matter of defense had been taken into consideration during the building of it. Also, there were several underground passageways. Given that Yuwen Tong had no intention of expanding the imperial seraglio, what they needed to revamp was the underground passages and the main body of the palace. There could be a defensive formation, but the principal defensive measure would be the tight security maintained by the palace guards. Sometimes playing it above aboard was a smarter move than playing all kinds of tricks.

Ling Zhang was enlightened by Yuwen Tong’s words. He had seen the overall plans of the imperial palace, and at this moment several conversion plans popped into his mind in spite of himself. All he needed to do was compare them in detail and select the best one, and then he’d be ready to make preparations for the conversion.

As regards the future generations… Yuwen Tong had the ambition to unify the three countries, so there was no telling whether or not the capital city of the Great Wen would still be this one. Besides, the imperial court was now indeed short of money, and it was inadvisable to spend an extravagant sum of money on the conversion project.

Ling Zhang pondered more and more deeply, considering a widening range of details, gradually lost in thought. Seeing he was mulling over it, Yuwen Tong didn’t interrupt him. Every time Ling Zhang did some serious thinking with someone he trusted by his side, he lapsed into such a state as though he’d forgotten about himself, especially when the one beside him was Yuwen Tong. In this kind of circumstances, Ling Zhang would subconsciously obey Yuwen Tong, no matter what the latter wanted him to do…

Yuwen Tong tossed his book to a side of the desk and kissed Ling Zhang all over while that latter’s mind was wandering, indulging in ‘playing’ the apple of his eye in his arms.

It was not until a eunuch’s voice came from outside requesting permission to deliver the dinner inside that the two of them, both of whom were in their own worlds, were brought back to their senses.

On seeing that his belt had been unfastened and Yuwen Tong’s hands were moving around in his clothes, Ling Zhang got mad, shook off Yuwen Tong’s hands and hastened to rearrange his clothes. “What are you doing? I told you they’d soon deliver dinner here. Why did you still do that?!”

Yuwen Tong had been fully aroused while caressing Ling Zhang. Unfortunately for him, now was not the time to satisfy his desire. He had no choice but to subdue his urge, rose to his feet and helped Ling Zhang rearrange his clothes, his eyes still burning.

“Let’s go to the Imperial Bathing Pool to have a bath after dinner.”

Ling Zhang paused, briefly avoiding Yuwen Tong’s eyes. “Why go to the Imperial Bathing Pool? It’s too much trouble.”

Built by order of the former emperor, the Imperial Bathing Pool was splendid and deluxe. Not long ago, shortly after the eunuchs cleaned it, Yuwen Tong had had him go to that place with him, and he’d shouted so much in there that night that he’d almost gone hoarse. That place was virtually… virtually tailor-made for people wanting to indulge in debauchery. Yuwen Tong had turned him over and over to try different positions on that day. Ling Zhang shuddered at the very thought of that, but it was more because of the numb sensation shooting up his spine from the small of his back as his body automatically recalled those things than because of bashfulness.

Yuwen Tong, who knew him well, could divine what he was thinking just by looking at the expression in his eyes or a small movement of his body. The yearning in Yuwen Tong’s desire-laden eyes was deepening, as though he were about to swallow Ling Zhang whole.

Ling Zhang knew what the expression in Yuwen Tong’s eyes was like without even having to look at them. To prevent Yuwen Tong from doing anything crazy straight away, he hurriedly instructed the eunuchs to brought the dinner inside.

The eunuchs, who finally got the permission to enter, neatly served the dishes one by one and then quietly left.

These eunuchs, who’d been allowed to stay in the Infinite Fortune Palace to serve the imperial couple, had all been through very strict selection process and were very observant. During their stay in the Infinite Fortune Palace since the imperial couple had moved in, they had all come to know that once in the imperial bedchamber, their eyes must not dart around and they must guard their tongue, that the imperial couple didn’t like noises or talky people. Also, whenever the imperial couple were in a noticeably different mood, they’d have to leave as soon as possible. The only way to make sure they could continue to stay in the Infinite Fortune Palace was to always take their leave immediately after finishing what they were supposed to do.

Looking at those delicacies prepared by court chefs, all of which were appetizing in appearance, tantalizing in smell and delicious in taste, Ling Zhang naturally felt hungry. Yuwen Tong was just about to sit down beside him when Ling Zhang shooed him to the opposite side. Given the situation a few moments before, the two of them would, without doubt, end up making out if he allowed Yuwen Tong to sit beside him. No matter how they were feeling, at least they had to eat dinner in a normal way!

Chapter 462: Merry-Making in the Imperial Bathing Pool

The fire of desire inside Yuwen Tong flared up at the sight of the warning look in Ling Zhang’s eyes which were glaring at him, but…he did have to fill his belly first so that he would have enough strength to make out later.

Thinking about this, Yuwen Tong exercised his self-restraint, sat down opposite Ling Zhang and offered him more food. “Okay, I’ll stop. Dig in.”

Ling Zhang cast him a skeptical glance. Yuwen Tong recovered himself so soon?

Before he could give it more thought, his attention was drawn to the food in front of him which was giving off tantalizing aroma. As he started eating, he got even more heedless of whether or not Yuwen Tong had really managed to dismiss his longing from his mind.

While Ling Zhang was engaged in eating dinner, Yuwen Tong flicked a glance at Yao Yi who was standing guard beside the door.

Yao Yi gave a little nod, quietly left the imperial bedchamber and instructed the eunuchs, “Go and prepare the Imperial Bathing Pool. His Majesty and His Highness are going there to bathe.”

Not daring to risk causing any delays, the eunuchs hurried to the Imperial Bathing Pool, got all bathroom ware ready and then hastened to prepare hot water. Before long, hot water flowed through an ingeniously designed pipe, out of a dragon-head-shaped faucet on the wall of the bathing pool and then into the pool, and warm vapor gradually pervaded the room.

After dinner, Ling Zhang softly kneaded his stomach. Having had his fill, he felt all over comfortable. He had just returned from outside the palace, and in such a cold weather, with the rain and the snow, people could feel their bones ache from the chill if they forgot to wear enough clothes before going outdoors. Fortunately for him, he had internal energy now, which was why this weather wasn’t being much of an ordeal for him.

“Such weather is very rare in Tanyang. We only have this kind of weather when the temperature is exceptionally low,” said Ling Zhang, looking at the fine snowflakes dancing amid the sheet of drizzle, recalling what his life had been like in Tanyang.

Yuwen Tong said, “It’s even colder further north. At the coldest time of the year, even the streets in Youzhou and Shengzhou are deserted all day long, not to mention those in the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. Everybody stays indoors, and every year there are people who freeze to death. This year the cold is fairly endurable, otherwise the situation in Cangzhou and Jiangzhou might be dire.”

Ling Zhang thought of the people of Cangzhou and Jiangzhou at these words. “Both food and clothing have been delivered there. Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan went to Cangzhou in advance and made provisions, so things are going better there than they are in Jiangzhou. Although the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) is temporarily in charge in Jiangzhou, the people there still won’t have enough time and energy to rebuild their houses, what with the snow and the fact that the Jiangzhou rebel army has just been taken care of. There’s no telling how many of them would survive this winter with the food and clothing Haizhou provided them with.”

The mood in the room naturally grew serious as they switched to this topic. Since Yuwen Tong’s return from Jiangzhou, the restoration of order in Jiangzhou had been at the top of his agenda, followed by the matter of Mu Rongfeng. Both Yanzhou and Haizhou had spared some food supplies for Jiangzhou, doing their best to ensure the survival of those who had lost homes during the revolt or were suffering from food shortage. However, Jiangzhou was a large prefecture, and though Xiao Jiangyue had moved to Jiangzhou and was in charge on a provisional basis, helping with the placement of residents victimized by the rebel army, there was no way he could cover all the bases. On top of that, the soldiers under Xiao Jiangyue’s command needed food as well. They were stationed in Jiangzhou and money had to be delivered there to make sure they were fully paid on time.

All in all, some residents of Jiangzhou might not be able to make it through this winter.

The only part that could count as a comfort was that this year winter had come later than usual, and so had the first snow. Right now it was near the end of the year. Only when the Spring Festival and the winter was over would Jiangzhou have a chance for a fresh start.

Their talk about Jiangzhou, inevitably, lasted quite some time. Yuwen Tong suggested Ling Zhang stand up and walk around the imperial bedchamber, saying that it was bad for health to sit for long with a full belly.

“What I have in my stomach is my reserves of strength. If I start walking right now, the reserves would be depleted, and the dinner I ate would be for nothing.” Ling Zhang was somewhat reluctant at first. His full belly made him feel a little lazy and inclined to sit doing nothing.

Yuwen Tong reached out a hand and stroked Ling Zhang’s stomach and abdomen. “Why do I get the feeling you’re beginning to have love handles?”

Ling Zhang was instantly on the alert at these words. “Really?”

Yuwen Tong stroked his belly again, affecting an air of uncertainty. “There does seem to be some cellulite. Check for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Ling Zhang hastened to check for himself. Maybe because Yuwen Tong’s words had given him some kind of preconceived idea, the more Ling Zhang stroked his own belly, the more convinced he was of the existence of his love handles. A sense of insecurity rose in him and, not daring sit there any longer, he started walking around and around the bedchamber with Yuwen Tong on his own initiative.

Yuwen Tong inwardly snickered. Ling Zhang always got up early to practice kung fu except when he overslept; also, his internal energy had been accumulating, so he was in pretty good shape. He’d even grown taller recently. There was no cellulite on his abdomen whatsoever. Ling Zhang’s stomach was bulging only because he had just had his fill of food. The reason why he’d suggested Ling Zhang have a walk was that he worried that Ling Zhang might suffer from dyspepsia. Also, they’d go to the Imperial Bathing Pool to “do exercise”, so it was best if they warmed up a bit in this room.

Believing that they’d walked long enough, Yuwen Tong draped a thick cloak which had a neckerchief made of fox fur at the top across Ling Zhang’s shoulders. After bundling Ling Zhang up, he took Ling Zhang’s hand and made towards the Imperial Bathing Pool.

When Yuwen Tong had fished out the cloak, Ling Zhang had come to know what Yuwen Tong was planning to do, what had happened before dinner coming floating out of his memory. He and Yuwen Tong had stared at each other for quite a while before he allowed Yuwen Tong to put that cloak on him.

At the sight of the lust that had reappeared in Yuwen Tong’s eyes, he knew there was no way he could escape going to the Imperial Bathing Pool. In court meetings this guy was always poker-faced, but when he was in the bedchamber, all he could think of was having sex. Ling Zhang wondered whether it had ever crossed Yuwen Tong’s mind that his reputation as the emperor would be ruined if word got out about this.

While progressing, Yuwen Tong was secretly amused by the sight of Ling Zhang curling his lip, as though he was thinking about something. “The water in the pool is pretty warm. Soaking in it will help rid you of the coldness that invaded your body during the journey. I also had them prepare some wine. We may have a drink or two after we get there.”

Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance, knowing that all the “rid you of the coldness” and “have a drink or two” crap was nothing but excuses, that all Yuwen Tong wanted was sex!

Yuwen Tong gave a chuckle, leaned over and whispered beside his ear, “Exercise more often and your love handles will soon disappear.”

The corners of Ling Zhang’s mouth twitched. There were a lot of alternative exercises!

Holding Ling Zhang’s hand, Yuwen Tong lightly scratched his palm, playing around with Ling Zhang’s hand as though it were some kind of toy.

Though appearing reluctant, Ling Zhang was not really unwilling to go to the Imperial Bathing Pool with Yuwen Tong. When Yuwen Tong was proceeding shoulder to shoulder with him and ‘playing around with’ his palm, the warm neckerchief made of fox fur felt like the strongest sense of security Yuwen Tong had ever given him. It was so warm he wished this trip would last forever.

After arriving at the destination, Yuwen Tong unfastened the cloak for him, put it away, returned and then drew him into the inner chamber where the pool was.

“I had them make the bed for us in the bedroom next door. We may spend the night in this place after the bath. We’re not going back to the imperial bedchamber lest you catch cold on the way back,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang lowered his head to unfasten his belt. Yuwen Tong stretched out a hand to help, but he was actually more of a hindrance, for all he was doing was lightly kneading Ling Zhang’s waist.

Feeling itchy from Yuwen Tong’s hand movements, Ling Zhang said while dodging, “Now that you’ve had it all planned out, I think we’ll just stay here for the night, but remember to have them come here to wait upon you tomorrow morning so that you won’t be late for the court meeting. And, don’t you go too far when we’re in the pool. Last time, after what you did, my throat was sore for several days. I’ve had enough of the medicine prescribed by the court physician… Hey, stop it! Are you listening to me?!”

Eventually Ling Zhang’s temper began to fray and he glowered at Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong swept Ling Zhang into his embrace with his arm and kissed him. “I was a bit out of line the last time we were here. I promise I won’t do that again, and you won’t have to drink any more of the bitter, awful-tasting medicine prescribed by the court physician, okay?”

These words were followed by another kiss on Ling Zhang’s lips. Due to the vapor in the air, Ling Zhang’s brows and the corners of his eyes were covered in moisture, the sight of which made Yuwen Tong feel as though a fire instantly rose up inside him. His hand which had been fondling the small of Ling Zhang’s back started moving downwards and soon reached his perky, perfectly round keister…

Ling Zhang raised his head and Yuwen Tong nibbled at his lips. Gradually, their breathing went heavy and uneven…

…

…

The warm bathwater in the pool tapped at their bodies repeatedly as the two of them made out. Teeth gritted, leaning against the wall of the pool, Ling Zhang uncontrollably let out one groan after another, which made Yuwen Tong’s desire even more irrepressible.

…

The thick vapor lingered in the room for quite a long time. Outside the building was the rain accompanied with snow, but inside it was sheer warmth.

Ling Zhang had no idea for how long they were in the pool. He only knew that although Yuwen Tong hadn’t acted so “fiercely” as to cause him to shout himself hoarse, he still felt as though his soul had shattered in the extreme pleasure. He had no recollection of when Yuwen Tong had cleaned him and scooped him out of the pool, or when he’d been carried into the bedroom beside the side hall, or when he’d been put beneath the warm quilt. When the quilt was pulled over him, he subconsciously burrowed down beneath it and curled up. And then, without even opening his eyes, he let out a groan and fumbled beside him with his hand. Though quite groggy, he was unable to sleep without Yuwen Tong by his side.

Yuwen Tong hurried onto the bed and got beneath the quilt. As his hand touched Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang immediately burrowed himself into Yuwen Tong’s embrace and soon drifted into a deep sleep, totally unaware of anything around him, starting to have a sweet dream.

Yuwen Tong gingerly shifted his position. Holding Ling Zhang in his arms, he gently stroked Ling Zhang’s hair, fingering it carefully. Feeling he had nothing more to ask for with his lover in his arms, he slowly fell asleep as well.

…

The next day.

Yuwen Tong had already gone to preside over the court meeting when Ling Zhang woke up. Recalling he had to pay a visit to Yuwen You later, he got out of the heap of quilt, stretched, kneaded his waist and inwardly muttered a curse at Yuwen Tong who had made him exhausted once again the day before.

When he had finished washing and dressing himself, Yao Yi came to see him. “Your Highness, you should get something to eat. The court meeting will be over in two quarters and His Majesty will go from the consultation hall to the palace gates to meet you.”

Ling Zhang nodded, had some snacks and then went out. He reached the palace gates just in time to see Yuwen Tong coming. And then the two of them left the palace together.

This time around they left the palace overtly, and the imperial guard of honor led them all the way to the front gates of the Marquess Fuan. Yuwen You and all his family members came out to welcome the two of them.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong got out of the horse-drawn carriage hand in hand, raised Yuwen You to his feet and then led the group of people into the residence.