The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 415- 417

Chapter 415: The “Sh” Sound of Snoring

This was a sleepless celebration night. Because of the imperial wedding, there was no curfew in the capital city on this night. The fireworks show lasted hours and didn’t stop until shortly before midnight. Such were the spirits of the common folk that after midnight the streets were still seething with people, and the city was still a sea of joy when the banquet in the palace came to an end.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong took their leave first, and then the guests cleared out of the garden one after another. When Ling Xingzhong and Ji Yin were leaving, Ling Zhang showed up and walked them to the front gates of the palace before returning.

“My paternal grandfather drank some wine at the banquet and left at such a late hour. Also, he didn’t look very well. It really worries me.”

After returning from the palace gates where he’d parted from his elders, Ling Zhang said to Yuwen Tong while on his way to change clothes, “Great-uncle is even older than my paternal grandfather, and he drank even more wine tonight than my grandfather did, but he looked quite robust as though he hadn’t drunk any wine at all.”

On hearing this, Yuwen Tong, who was also changing out of his many layers of robes, replied, “Great-uncle started learning kung fu from my great-grandfather when he was a little boy, so his constitution is pretty strong. He used to serve in the army when he was at a younger age. It was after finishing his service in the army that he returned to the capital city to enter on a political career. He loves tai chi chuan and has still been practicing it every morning.”

Thinking about his paternal grandfather’s situation, Ling Zhang couldn’t help but feel worried. “It’s true that kung fu is a must for men. My paternal grandfather doesn’t like exercise very much.”

Yuwen Tong was the only one Ling Zhang would talk about this kind of private topic with. It was no good trying to persuade Ling Xingzhong. The old man was pretty stubborn, but there had been a time when he’d been learning some simple tai chi chuan moves from Ji Yin to stretch his limbs and improve his health, probably because he’d been motivated by Ji Yin’s young appearance. He’d actually been in better shape than he’d been when he’d first come to the capital city. It was because of the wine and the long hours of banquet that he didn’t look very well.

“If it bothers you so much, I’ll take you back to the Ling Mansion to check on him tomorrow morning.”

Yuwen Tong had wanted to suggest he send a court physician to the Ling Mansion, but then he’d recalled that Mr. Mu was there, so it was totally unnecessary to send a court physician. He could only let Ling Zhang return home to take a look the next morning, for it was the only way to help Ling Zhang find complete peace of mind.

After changing clothes, Ling Zhang thought about it for a brief moment and said, “I’ll send Wang Dashan back to check on him. That’ll do.”

There was no court meeting the next day, but a holiday like this was very rare for Yuwen Tong, and Ling Zhang couldn’t bring himself to have Yuwen Tong waste it by accompanying him to the Ling Mansion.

“Since there’s no work tomorrow, you should go back home. You’ve been meaning to bring Maomao and Ji Xiaocong in here to let him play, haven’t you?”

“I’ll have Wang Dashan and the others bring the two of them here for good measure. Although there’s no court meeting tomorrow, you still have a lot to attend to. I’ll stay to keep you company.”

No word was more persuasive than “I’ll stay to keep you company.” Yuwen Tong didn’t insist Ling Zhang go back to the Ling Mansion the next morning.

“We sat there for quite a long time. How do you feel? Are you feeling any discomfort?”

Reading between the lines, Ling Zhang slightly averted his eyes and replied, “I’m fine.”

But in fact, having sat there for several hours, he did feel a little uncomfortable. Yuwen Tong made no remarks on it, stepped up to him, took his hand and said, “Get an early night.”

The two of them washed and then went to bed. The red candles were still burning in the imperial bedchamber. When Ling Zhang walked to the bedside, his memories of what they’d done during the day came flooding back. He slightly paused in a faintly unnatural way, unable to believe he’d actually done those things.

“Get some sleep. Tomorrow I’ll tell them to pay a visit to the Ling Mansion. You don’t have to get up early.”

Yuwen Tong drew him onto the bed. Ling Zhang was indeed exhausted this night. After getting onto the bed, he shifted his position, curling up in Yuwen Tong’s embrace. When he found his lying position comfortable, he closed his eyes and let out a little sigh. Seeing Ling Zhang lying in his arms like Whitie the fox, Yuwen Tong found this scene quite pleasant and also heaved a sigh of contentment. They had made out during the day, so Yuwen Tong, considering Ling Zhang’s physical condition, restrained himself and slept with Ling Zhang in his embrace.

Ling Zhang soon drifted off to a very deep sleep, and maybe because he was too tired to dream, his sleep was almost dreamless. He just vaguely heard the constant sound of fireworks exploding, along with those words that Yuwen Tong had whispered in his ear earlier this night, feeling secure and content.

It was pretty late when he woke up the next day, the sun nearing its zenith. The wedding candles were still ablaze in the imperial bedchamber, Yuwen Tong absent. Ling Zhang groggily opened his eyes, let out a cough and then rolled over to bury himself in the quilt.

“Slow down a little, Cong. I can’t catch up with you.”

Probably because he’d woken up and recovered his keen sense of hearing, he indistinctly heard a familiar voice which he could immediately tell belonged to Ling Maomao. Half asleep, he didn’t feel that there was anything wrong about it, and nor did he wonder why he was hearing Ling Maomao’s and Ji Xiaocong’s voices in the imperial palace. Subconsciously, he mistakenly believed that he was still in the Ling Mansion, and a hazy thought crossed his mind: why did these two little guys get up so early today?

In a dreamy state, his senses were gradually blunted by drowsiness again. Shortly after retreating into a heap of covers, he fell asleep again. What with his problematic lying position, he started snoring.

Yuwen Tong hadn’t entered the imperial bedchamber yet when he heard the snoring. He involuntarily smiled an amused smile which curled the corners of his lips, and told Yao Yi to keep an eye on Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong. He himself went into the bedchamber and took off his overgarment. After entering the inner chamber, he saw a big heap of scarlet quilt on the bed, beneath which loose, long, black hair could be seen and the snoring was issuing from.

Yuwen Tong could tell why Ling Zhang was snoring just by looking at his lying position which struck him as somewhat admiring. He walked up to the bed, reached out a hand to stroke him and shake him gently by the shoulder. “Wake up, Brother Zhang. It’s almost lunchtime.”

The person beneath the quilt was still snoring, showing no inclination whatsoever to listen to him and wake up. “Sh…Sh…”

Yuwen Tong was sent into chuckle by the sound. He didn’t use much strength when shaking Ling Zhang, because he didn’t really have the heart to wake him up, so he simply got into bed himself, lifted a corner the quilt, and drew Ling Zhang, who was huddling, into his embrace, intending to have a noontime snooze with him.

On smelling the familiar scent, Ling Zhang immediately burrowed himself into the familiar embrace. The snoring paused for a few moments before continuing, but this time around, it was much lighter, with only a faint intermittent “sh” sound. On hearing it, Yuwen Tong was astonished for a moment and then started snickering uncontrollably, his whole body shaking.

The violent tremble in Yuwen Tong’s body awoke Ling Zhang, who, eyes half open, stretched out a hand to push aside Yuwen Tong who had waken him up.

Naturally Yuwen Tong was unwilling to let him out of his embrace, apologizing, still shaking for snickering, refusing to loosen his hug.

Ling Zhang, who was somewhat annoyed and fully awake, demanded in a faintly nasal voice, “What are you doing?!”

“I’m sorry. You may get back to sleep. I won’t do that again. Sleep,” said Yuwen Tong, exercising all his self-restraint to subdue his urge to laugh.

Ling Zhang snarled, “Then why were you shaking? I was just sleeping. What’s so funny about that?!”

How was he supposed to get back to sleep when his temper had driven all his drowsiness away? Ling Zhang was very irritated. Clearly he’d been in such a sound and comfortable sleep. He wondered what had got into Yuwen Tong who’d awoken him.

However, at this moment, even him being in a temper struck Yuwen Tong as pretty interesting. With the twinkle of a smile in his eyes, Yuwen Tong leaned over, kissed him and said, “Don’t be mad. I couldn’t help it, because your snoring was so interesting.”

“Bullshit. I was never a snorer!” Ling Zhang didn’t believe it. Nobody had ever mentioned to him anything about him snoring.

As a matter of fact, Ling Zhang indeed seldom snored. He only snored when he was too tired or in a problematic sleeping position, just like he’d been a few moments before.

Yuwen Tong aped Ling Zhang’s snoring beside his ear. When doing an impression of the “sh” part, he burst into snicker once again. Ling Zhang was somewhat incredulous. “You’re definitely lying.”

“I’m not,” affirmed Yuwen Tong, an innocent look on his face.

Ling Zhang, who was pissed off, pushed him aside and sat up. “Who snores with that kind of ‘sh’ sound? You really need to work on your mimicry.”

‘You, of course,’ Yuwen Tong answered inwardly, but judging from the irritation on Ling Zhang’s face, he realized that Ling Zhang would definitely get angry if he didn’t compromise. “Okay, okay. I’m just joking. You see, it’s pretty late now, and you’ve already woken up. You haven’t eaten anything for a long time. Are you hungry? Lunch is almost ready.”

If Ling Zhang snored with the “sh” sound again, he would be the only one hearing it anyway. This was an enjoyment of him alone, and it was okay if Ling Zhang refused to admit it, for he could still find pleasure in it.

It was after being reminded by him that Ling Zhang noticed it was almost noon. Yuwen Tong was not wearing pajamas but fully dressed. Clearly he had left the bedchamber and then returned. Then Ling Zhang recalled he’d hazily heard Ling Maomao’s and Ji Xiaocong’s voices when he’d been half asleep, so he asked Yuwen Tong, “I seem to remember hearing Maomao ask Ji Xiaocong to slow down. Did you bring them both to this palace?”

“Yeah. This morning I had Yao Yi and Wang Dashan go to the Ling Mansion to check on your paternal grandfather. Last night, after he returned home, Mr. Mu sobered him up and soothed his nerves. He had a good night’s sleep and looked much better this morning. He also practiced tai chi chuan to have a stretch as usual. There’s no need to worry. As for the matter of the two boys, we agreed on it last night, so I had Yao Yi and Wang Dashan bring the two of them here for good measure. In a few days your maternal grandfather and Ji Yanlai will set off to return to the Sanguan Mountains to start making preparations for the transfer of the Millennium Pavilion. You’ll be fulfilling your promise by letting the two of them stay here for a couple of days.”

Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang about the arrangements he’d made earlier this morning, and then conveniently pulled Ling Zhang out of bed to let him stand for a while to be rid of the lingering sleepiness. “What about you? Does your body still feel uncomfortable?”

After hearing Yuwen Tong’s words, Ling Zhang gave a big yawn, stretched and replied, “I’m fine. All the discomfort has gone.”

Then he walked out barefoot to relieve himself. Yuwen Tong stared unblinkingly at Ling Zhang’s white-skinned feet as the latter trotted out. When Ling Zhang had returned, he reminded Ling Zhang to put on his shoes. “You’ve just got out of bed, and the weather is getting cold. You are not to walk around barefoot again.”

Though he could hardly wrench his eyes off that pair of feet, he still couldn’t allow it.

Ling Zhang obediently put on his shoes and said, “Okay. I’m not a kid. You think I’m Ling Maomao’s age or something?”

Chapter 416: Brother Ling, You Need His Majesty’s Help as Well?

Yuwen Tong said, “Leave Maom

ao out of this. He’s not running around barefoot any longer.”

The corners of Ling Zhang’s mouth twitched. Was Yuwen Tong implying that even Ling Maomao had more common sense than he did? They had just got married. He couldn’t help but slide Yuwen Tong a sideways glance and give two snorts.

Yuwen Tong dissolved into chuckle with amusement. “Okay, okay. Go and wash yourself and get dressed. You really need to fill your belly as soon as possible. It’s been empty for too long.”

Ling Zhang involuntarily stroked his belly. After being reminded by Yuwen Tong, he found that he was indeed hungry. No longer in the mood for discussing Yuwen Tong’s “poor choice of words”, he washed his face, dressed and then walked out of the bedchamber.

As chance would have it, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, who’d been having a blast, came out of nowhere. At the sight of Ling Zhang, they quickly ran up to him.

“You finally woke up, Big Brother. You should’ve got up some time ago. It’s almost lunchtime!” exclaimed Ling Maomao, who’d been having some serious fun, his forehead and cheeks drenched with sweat.

On hearing this, Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look. With the advantage of being the big brother, he easily faced the little boy down. “I’m your big brother. You’re in no place to judge me.”

Ling Maomao curled his lip. “Which is so unfair.”

“Brother Ling.” Ji Xiaocong popped out from behind Ling Maomao and greeted Ling Zhang. Just like Ling Maomao, he was also all sweaty.

Ling Zhang furrowed his brows. “What have you two been doing? Racing each other? You’re soaking wet. Where are your changes of clothes? Go and change. You may catch cold if you don’t hurry. You’re not to have lunch before changing out of these wet clothes.”

Being the big brother indeed meant something. At the sight of the frown on Ling Zhang’s face, the two little boys didn’t dare disobey, obediently went back into the house, toweled themselves and changed clothes.

At lunch table, the two of them were sitting shoulder to shoulder, both looking well-behaved.

Ji Xiaocong was too young to eat all on his own, so there was a court lady standing behind him, keeping an eye on him in case he needed help. Ling Maomao flicked her a glance and said, “There’s no need for you to be here. I can take care of Cong.”

On hearing this, Ling Zhang looked at him and saw Ling Maomao pick up a piece of rib, get rid of the bone in it and put the meat into Cong’s bowl in a quite skillful way.

In the Ling Mansion there were too many people, and it was too much trouble to get the whole family together for meals, and it was difficult to make sure the food was to everybody’s liking too, so the Ling family had most of their meals in their respective courtyard houses and only ate together occasionally. Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, who’d been getting their freak on with each other, always ate and slept together, and they’d even forgotten about Ji Yanlai, Ji Xiaocong’s uncle, so Ling Zhang really hadn’t known that Ling Maomao had become so good at taking care of Ji Xiaocong.

“Maomao, did you look after Cong this way when you two were at home?”

“Yeah, and Uncle Ji praised me for it, saying that he entrusted me with the task of looking after Cong from that day on.”

The corners of Ling Zhang’s mouth twitched at these words. Knowing what kind of person Ji Xiaocong was, Ling Zhang believed that Ji Yanlai probably felt it a good thing to have someone take care of his nephew, not taking into consideration Ling Maomao’s age at all.

Ji Xiaocong took a bite of the meat in his bowl and said, “Brother Maomao always removes the bones for me.”

“Good job.” Ling Zhang paid Ling Maomao a compliment.

The words had hardly left him when a piece of meat dropped into his bowl, which was also boneless. Ling Zhang, who didn’t feel anything particular at the sight of the meat, picked it up and ate it. It was not until the meat was in his mouth that he came to realize that something seemed to be not quite right. Then he noticed that Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were both looking at him, a somewhat quizzical expression on their faces.

Ling Zhang knitted his brows. “What’s the matter?”

“You need His Majesty to remove the bones for you, Brother Ling?” Ji Xiaocong bluntly expressed his confusion, so quick that Ling Maomao failed to stop him.

Ling Zhang, “…”

He chewed with difficulty for a moment. The meat still tasted pretty good, but the gaze from the two little boys was almost making the hair on his scalp prickle.

“No. Your big brother didn’t have breakfast and is now very hungry, but you’ve been talking with him non-stop, so he doesn’t have the time to remove the bones.”

Yuwen Tong on the side explained to them in a matter-of-fact tone. After hearing this, the two boys inclined their heads, comprehension dawning on their faces. Ling Maomao, appearing quite guilty, said, “Sorry, Big Brother. We’ll stop talking and let you enjoy your meal.”

Ling Zhang managed an “Um” in response and then twisted his head aside to glare at Yuwen Tong.

Although Yuwen Tong had been serious when making those remarks just now, Ling Zhang, who knew him very well, was sure that inwardly Yuwen Tong was probably laughing himself into convulsions.

In fact, at ordinary times, Yuwen Tong picking meat from the bones for Ling Zhang was not really a rare occurrence, and Ling Zhang had got used to this kind of romantic addition to marital life, so he didn’t feel that this was something worth making a fuss about, but on this occasion, the two little boys were both present, and he had just complimented Ling Maomao when Yuwen Tong had picked a piece of meat from bones for him. He was positive that Yuwen Tong had done it on purpose!

“Hurry, eat your meal. Don’t let your belly stay empty for too long,” urged Yuwen Tong, offering him more food with an affected air of concern, scarcely able to conceal the amusement in his eyes.

Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong both looked in their direction again, but because of Yuwen Tong’s previous words, the two boys didn’t suspect anything, looked away and resumed eating.

After the boys took their eyes off him, Ling Zhang stamped on Yuwen Tong’s foot under the table and hissed, “Behave yourself.”

He was the big brother now, and he couldn’t afford to have his authority undermined in the presence of the two little boys.

While Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong were not paying attention to them, Yuwen Tong leaned over, gave Ling Zhang a kiss and said, “Okay, I’ll stop. Finish your lunch.”

Ling Zhang was within an inch of losing his temper. Seeing Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong hadn’t noticed, he felt a sense of relief and stamped on Yuwen Tong’s foot again.

…

Yuwen Tong took a day off this day, but he’d still had a hectic morning. After that, he cleared his afternoon to have some rest with Ling Zhang.

The two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, were amazingly energetic. They’d been running around for a whole morning and got themselves all sweaty, but after a noontime snooze, they ran outside to play again. Ling Zhang made arrangements for Liu Yi and some others to keep an eye on them. Also, Yuwen Tong’s secret bodyguards were guarding the palace in various positions, so he didn’t have to worry about the boys’ safety.

Ling Zhang, who had slept until noon, was in very good spirits.

“I need to go back home when they send the two boys back. My uncle will depart for Shengzhou soon, and I want to pay a visit to the Ling Mansion and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Okay. Given that Xu Lingyun previously talked with your uncle about the situation in Shengzhou, he definitely knows what to expect, so there’s no need to worry.”

“My uncle is pretty confident, so I have nothing to worry about. It’s my aunt that concerns me. I fear that she might miss my uncle too much.”

“Aunt Caiwei appears a gentle woman, but she’s stronger than you give her credit for. Seeing as she brought up both you and Maomao, she’s by no means a common woman. You shouldn’t underestimate her.”

Ling Zhang chuckled, “You seem to know her better than I do.”

“Well, the spectators see the chess game better than the players.” Yuwen Tong was quite thick-skinned.

“I think you’ve got a point. There’s indeed strength beneath my aunt’s gentle appearance. Although she looks quite tender, she’s quite competent in dealing with family matters, and she always knows her own mind.”

Back at the time when they’d been in Tanyang, Fu Caiwei had been in sole charge of all the family matters and been handling them pretty well, so although she seemed to be a vulnerable woman on the surface, actually she was quite strong-minded and would by no means miss her husband in a far away city too much and compromise her health.

Having finished talking about the matter of the Ling Mansion, they switched to the topic of the Yuwen family.

“Incidentally, Yuwen Jin’s sister-in-law’s expected date of confinement will soon come, right? Yesterday I noticed that there were several pregnant women among the womenfolk, who were the first to leave the banquet. Should we send a court physician to the Abode of the Marquess Fuan and have him stay there?”

A flicker flitted across Yuwen Tong’s eyes at the question. He hadn’t told Ling Zhang in detail about his intention to adopt his nephews yet, what with the heavy workload he’d had previously. He wanted to find an opportunity to inform Ling Zhang of it.

“My great-uncle told me about it some time ago. I’ve already sent a court physician there, and he’ll stay there until the baby’s birth. Some midwives have also moved into the Abode of the Marquess Fuan. There’s still some time before the expected date of confinement – around a month. I think it’s at the end of the year that the baby will be due.”

Ling Zhang didn’t think much about it, feeling it understandable that Yuwen Tong had been paying close attention to his great-uncle’s family.

“Yuwen Feng’s wife is going to have a baby soon as well, isn’t she?”

Yuwen Feng’s wife was a woman who always preferred to keep a low profile and barely had any social life. Ling Zhang had once heard that it’d been Zheng shi who had Yuwen Feng marry her, and what she’d seen in Yuwen Feng’s wife was her meekness, honesty and obedience, but Ling Zhang had only heard about it from others and didn’t know it for sure. After all, this was a matter concerning Yuwen Feng’s womenfolk, and it was inappropriate for him, an outsider and a man, to make inquiries about it, for if he did that, it might compromise that woman’s reputation.

“Yeah. I’ve already made some arrangements for a court physician and some midwives to move into the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen as well.”

Ling Zhang gave a nod. Although for an instant he felt that Yuwen Tong seemed to have an intimate knowledge of what had been going on in the two families, the hazy thought merely flashed across his mind and he didn’t dwell on it.

“Oh, by the way, about Yuwen Jin’s plan to go to the Shadow Battalion, he’s going to depart in a day or two, right?”

Yuwen Jin wanted to take the Imperial Martial Arts Examination (IMAE), and toughening himself up in the Shadow Battalion was the best choice for him.

“He’ll have to wait another few days. Qi San will go back there to deal with something. He’ll take Yuwen Jin with him.”

“Something happened?”

“It’s about the reorganization of the Shadow Battalion. My identity is different now, and the Shadow Battalion is directly affiliated to me, so it has to be reorganized accordingly. The Shadow Battalion is still growing. If I reorganize it at this phase, things will be easier in the future.”

“Where is the Shadow Battalion exactly?”

Yuwen Tong whispered a place name in Ling Zhang’s ear. The latter’s eyes widened with deep surprise at it.

“I’ll take you there to have a look if the occasion arises. Although this name is low-key, the view there is actually pretty good. Back at the time when my grandfather first found that place, he was amazed by the particularly advantageous natural conditions of it. It’s a hidden spot, easy to hold but hard to attack, and it also boasts all kinds of natural barriers, which makes it a suitable training ground. My grandfather immediately included that place as part of his fief. Afterward, the Shadow Battalion was set up and gradually grew to what it is today. Every member of the Shadow Battalion deserves some credit for the honor I’ve got during my many years’ military career.”

“You’re the emperor now. Does the Shadow Battalion still have to stay secret?”

Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. “For one thing, there are practical needs for it, and the benefit of having the Shadow Battalion stay secret far outweighs the drawback of it; for another, most members of the Shadow Battalion couldn’t afford to have their identities exposed. For them, hiding in the shadows is the right thing to do. The Shadow Battalion has a mechanism for the placement of retired secret bodyguards. They’ll be taken good care of after retirement.”

Ling Zhang also knew that there was more than one way of life in the world. Besides, there were practical reasons for their existence, so the Shadow Battalion must continue to exist.

Apart from the Shadow Battalion, those personal bodyguards of Yuwen Tong’s had also chosen to continue serving Yuwen Tong as his personal bodyguards. Their roles had changed from personal bodyguards to imperial guards, and they were still the strongest defensive force under Yuwen Tong’s command.

The two of them spent the whole afternoon doing nothing except for making out. The wedding candles in the imperial bedchamber were still ablaze. Candles made of the kind of material gifted to Yuwen Tong by the Fangcun Kingdom could last a very long time.

Chapter 417: An After-Wedding Visit to the Ling Family (1)

Both of them were very busy in the following two days. They’d taken merely a single day off, but state affairs, palace chores and civic issues had all piled up, which would take Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang a very long time to attend to.

Two days later, Ling Zhang found Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong who were having a blast, marched them back to the house and had them bathe and change, preparing to take them out of the palace and back to the Ling Mansion.

Before leaving, Ling Zhang was very surprised to see that Ling Maomao looked a bit down. During the last two days Ling Maomao had had so much fun with Ji Xiaocong that he’d almost forgotten where his home was. How come he suddenly became so dispirited? Worrying that he didn’t feel well, Ling Zhang, when helping him change clothes, asked him what was going on.

“Father is going to Shengzhou to take office, and Cong is leaving as well,” said Ling Maomao, looking dejected.

Ling Zhaowen was a strict father and the very sight of him struck fear into Ling Maomao’s heart, but now, when the moment of parting neared, the little boy was the most upset one in the family.

Although Ji Xiaocong was Ling Maomao’s junior by several years, he was intellectually precocious and adorable-looking, so Ling Maomao really liked him very much and saw him as his own little brother. Judging from how close the two little boys had been recently, they had, without doubt, been getting along very well. It really saddened Ling Maomao very much to know that he and Ji Xiaocong were about to part from each other.

Ling Zhang knew how it felt to be in that kind of situation. Although he could offer Ling Maomao some words of comfort, the boy still needed to experience by himself how life was like.

“Your father is going there to work, and you’ll be able to see him in half a year. During his absence, you need to take good care of your mother for him. You’re a man now, and this is what a man should do. You won’t let your father down, right?”

Ling Zhang didn’t want to comfort Ling Maomao too much or coax him as though he were still a three-year-old kid. Ling Maomao had become much more sensible after coming to the capital city, and he might’ve become more silent if he hadn’t had Ji Xiaocong as his playmate. Children are all very sensitive. Since Ling Maomao was now sensible enough, it was time to have him know about the responsibilities he was supposed to take on.

A rather serious look appeared on Ling Maomao’s depressed face at these words of Ling Zhang’s. “I know. I’ll take care of my mother when my father is away.”

“I’m glad to hear that. When your little brother or little sister is born, you’ll be someone who has a little brother or a little sister. You’ll be a real big brother. Except for your father, you’ll be the one who could best look after and protect your mother. Only by taking good care of them will you be able to face your father. I’ll help you. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you may come here and ask me. Also, your grandfather and uncle will be at home. They’re both your elders. You may ask them as well. You keep saying that you want to grow up and be someone like me. Well, if you get these things handled, it’ll mean that you grow up, and I won’t keep anything back from you whenever you ask me a question.”

Ling Maomao’s eyes brightened further with Ling Zhang’s every word. The twinkle in his eyes were not the kind that a child had when seeing something interesting, but one of determination.

“I will!” promised Ling Maomao with a firm nod.

Becoming someone like his big brother was very tempting in Ling Maomao’s eyes. For this goal alone, he would exert himself.

“As for Cong…” Ling Zhang was at a loss for words. He could tell that Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong really liked each other pretty much, but apart from anything else, Ji Xiaocong was no common person. He was a nephew of the Clan Leader of the Millennium Pavilion, and there was a very high chance that some day he would become the heir of his uncle, because the Blood of the Phoenix Clan in Ji Xiaocong was also very strong. Judging from how much the Millennium Pavilion set store by its members’ endowment, Ji Xiaocong’s future was almost predictable.

Ji Xiaocong was nearing the best age to start practicing kung fu to lay a foundation for his future achievement, which meant that it would be very difficult for Ji Xiaocong to get another chance to come out to play. This was probably also the reason why Ji Yanlai had brought Ji Xiaocong to the capital city this time.

In a couple of days Ji Yanlai would return to the Millennium Pavilion to deal with the matter of the transfer of his clan. Ling Zhang could ask Ji Yanlai to let Ji Xiaocong stay in the Ling Mansion until the transfer was finished, but given that the transfer would take a long time, Ji Yanlai might not be comfortable with the idea. On top of that, Ji Xiaocong meant a lot to the Millennium Pavilion, so they probably wouldn’t agree to leave Ji Xiaocong in the capital city either.

“Keep Cong company before the day he leaves, and make every day you two could be together count, so that you won’t have any regrets, and these days will be good memories when you recall them in the future. Maybe you two will have another chance to see each other when you’re older.”

Ling Maomao slightly bowed his head, his lips pressed together. He knew what Ling Zhang meant, but emotionally speaking, he found it rather difficult to accept this fact. Apart from everything else, he was still a child and was unable to not feel upset about parting from a little brother he liked pretty much.

Ling Zhang also knew that it was impossible to rid Ling Maomao of his unwillingness to be separated from Ji Xiaocong, so he just clapped the boy on the shoulder and said, “Undergoing these things is also part of what it takes to grow up. Don’t be afraid to face up to it.”

It was quite a while before Ling Maomao replied with an inclination of the head, “I see.”

A few moments after Ling Zhang dressed Ling Maomao, Ji Xiaocong, who had changed clothes as well, came. On entering the room, the boy broke into a trot and called, “Brother Ling, Brother Maomao.”

After that, he trotted up to Ling Maomao on his own account, looked at him happily and asked him, “What do you think of my new clothes?”

Looking at the joyous smile on Ji Xiaocong’s face, beneath Ling Zhang’s encouraging gaze, Ling Maomao nodded and responded earnestly, “They’re gorgeous. You look gorgeous in everything, Cong.”

These words instantly boosted Ji Xiaocong’s spirits and he reached out a hand to grab Ling Maomao’s sleeve. “There are a lot more, and all of them are new. They told me that they’re presents for me from His Majesty and Brother Ling.”

Ling Zhang gave a smile. These were just some small gifts, but they were also the best gifts, given that they made the boy so happy.

“Thank you, Brother Ling.” Ji Xiaocong thanked Ling Zhang earnestly after finishing his talk with Ling Maomao.

“I’m glad you like them,” said Ling Zhang, rubbing the boy’s head. “Are you two ready? If you are, we may get going right away.”

“I’m ready,” replied Ji Xiaocong, holding Ling Maomao’s sleeve.

Ling Maomao looked at him, held his hand and said to Ling Zhang, “I’m ready too.”

“Then let’s go. It’s inappropriate to keep the elders waiting long.”

Ling Zhang rose to his feet and made towards the doors, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong following in his wake.

“When will we be able to come to this place to play again?” Ji Xiaocong asked Ling Maomao as they walked out of the Infinite Fortune Palace. During the past couple of days, the two of them had been to almost every corner of the imperial palace, playing hide-and-seek and adventure games. Every area of the huge palace had their own features, and the two of them had been under constant protection, so they had had really a good time, which was why they were reluctant to leave.

Ling Maomao said, “When you come to this city again, I’ll tell my big brother and have him bring us to this palace once again, but you must write me a letter in advance before you come. I’ll have to go to Shengzhou with my mother in half a year, and I have no idea how long I’ll have to stay there, so you’ll have to have your letter sent to Shengzhou. I’ll come back to the capital city immediately after I receive your letter.”

Ji Xiaocong, who was fairly surprised at these words, twisted his head aside and looked at Ling Maomao for quite a long time before he nodded vigorously. “Okay.”

However, after saying this, the boy also gradually became somewhat dispirited. “But I don’t know when my uncle will bring me to this city again. My uncle doesn’t like going out. This time he brought me here only because my mother and the others were not at home and he needed to take care of me.”

Ling Maomao was also upset about it. “Then…Then I’ll call on you.”

Ji Xiaocong’s eyes brightened considerably at these words. “Really? If you drop by, I’ll take you to see a lot of beautiful things.”

Ling Zhang looked at them and said to Ling Maomao, “Maomao, if you make a promise, you’ll have to fulfill it. Don’t make promises you cannot keep.”

Surprised, Ling Maomao looked at Ling Zhang.

Ji Xiaocong grabbed his hand tight and said nervously, “Brother Maomao, promise me you’ll look me up.”

Ling Maomao recalled that his elders had once told him the place Ji Xiaocong lived in was very mysterious, that outsiders were not allowed to go there, and they didn’t know where that place was, but looking at Ji Xiaocong’s expectant eyes, Ling Maomao still nodded vigorously and promised, “I will.”

Ling Zhang didn’t try to stop the boy. He had already warned Ling Maomao that promises were not to be taken lightly, but Ling Maomao had still given Ji Xiaocong his word, which showed that at least Ling Maomao had thought about it. As for whether or not he’d be able to honor it, it would depend on the future developments. He knew specifically which island the Millennium Pavilion would transfer to after moving out of the Sanguan Mountains, so it was not really impossible to find them. The only problem was whether or not they’d be able to get onto that island.

Considering their relations with Ji Yanlai, it wouldn’t be difficult for Ling Maomao to get the permission to get onto the island. It all depended on whether or not he really wanted to go there.

Maybe because of this promise, the two boys’ moods both lightened noticeably. After they got into the horse-drawn carriage and left the palace, the two boys leaned out of the window to look at the street, chirping non-stop, as though those dispirited moments were now water under the bridge.

Looking at them, Ling Zhang couldn’t help but recall his own childhood, but most of his memories of him being with his playmates were rather unpleasant, and those things were in the long past, so he instantly lost interest in reminiscing.

Yuwen Tong was also in the carriage, so this counted as the kind of visit that newly-weds, by convention, paid to the bride’s family on the third day of their wedding.

Yuwen Tong had prepared a lot of things early in the morning, all of which were presents for the Ling family. They filled a horse-drawn cart which was following in the wake of the carriage.

Naturally, the imperial guard of honor caused a sensation, with a great number of residents looking on excitedly on roadsides. Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong huddled at the carriage window, looking outside and happily discussing something, which certainly attracted a lot of people’s attention.

However, neither Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Tong tried to stop them. They just warned them not to hang out of the window.

“Why do I get the feeling that these two kids have gained some weight during the past couple of days?” Yuwen Tong suddenly said.

Ling Zhang was astonished. They gained some weight? He studied Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong carefully but didn’t find either of the boys to be any different from they’d been a couple of days ago. “Why am I not seeing the difference?”

Yuwen Tong smiled, “Your paternal grandfather and the others will definitely say the same thing after we get there.”

Catching on, Ling Zhang pulled a wry face and said, “I see what you mean now.”

Yuwen Tong had noticed that when Ling Zhang had looked at the two boys, for an instant there’d been a distant look in his eyes, as though he’d recalled something unpleasant. He knew Ling Zhang well, so he naturally could tell what that was about. He’d felt a throb of pain in his heart as he’d realized it. Back at that time, Ling Zhang probably had barely had any playmates, and it hadn’t been easy for him to find some peers he could hang out with, but eventually all of them had turned out to be unworthy of his friendship. Yuwen Tong believed that if he were Ling Zhang, he would never have been happy about it either. Those people deserved to die ten thousand deaths for their doings.