The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 124- 126

Chapter 124: Spitting Blood from Rage for the Third Time

On that very night, the prison guard went back to relieve the afternoon shift. At the sight of him, Jia Yin couldn’t help becoming excited and tried to find an opportunity to talk to him.

But the prison guard ignored all his signals. Gradually, Jia Yin came to realize that something was wrong. He stopped gesticulating and started yelling to attract the prison guard’s attention.

Since other prison guards looked in Jia Yin’s direction, that prison guard had no choice but to walk up to the cell of Jia Yin. “Stop that! You’re faced with imminent death. Why are you still making trouble? If you wish to kick the bucket earlier, I can do you a favor!”

“You–!” Through gritted teeth, Jia Yin lowered his voice and questioned, “You dug up the case, didn’t you?”

“Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t. What are you going to do about it?” replied the prison guard in a flinty tone of voice.

“You took my gold. You owe it to me to offer me help!” Jia Yin said angrily.

“Offer you help? Jia Yin, who told you that I took your gold? That case was empty. There was nothing in it. You should consider yourself lucky I didn’t kick your ass for cheating me. Yet you still have the nerve to request my help?” The face of the prison guard fell sullen.

“That’s not possible!” Jia Yin raised his voice. “I buried that case myself. Nobody but me knew about its existence. There’s no way that anybody had taken the gold in it before you. It has got to be your doing. Stop denying it!”

“Bah!” The prison guard reached out his hand and gripped Jia Yin’s neck. “If you don’t lower your voice, I’ll snap your neck right now!”

“You–You don’t have the balls to do that. If I suddenly die here, somebody will come to investigate! You won’t be able to get away with it!” said Jia Yin with great difficulty, trying hard to remove the hand around his throat, a scarlet flush on his cheeks.

“Then go and tell on me. You’re just a convict awaiting execution. Nobody cares if you die a day or two earlier. The worst-case scenario would be for me to lose my job, but nothing more than that,” the prison guard smiled wryly, tightening his grip.

Jia Yin immediately tried harder to remove the hand from his neck, the misery on his face deepening. “Are you not afraid that I expose you taking my gold?!”

“Nobody will believe you in the absence of any proof. If I say the case was empty, nothing can prove otherwise.”

“You…”

“Let me tell you something, Jia Yin. You’ll never make it out of here. Even if Lord Tao were willing to spare you — and that’s a big ‘if’ — by no means will people of Ling family let you get away. Have you any idea which big shot has come to the support of Ling family? The sound of his very name will scare the shit out of you!”

After saying this, the prison guard gave Jia Yin a hard push, who lost his footing and fell backwards onto the ground. Then he let out a pained groan and dissolved into terrible cough.

The loud noises caught other people’s attention. A couple of prison guards walked over and asked, “What’s going on?”

Cells of Mrs. Jia and relatives of Jia family were not far away. The noises brought them into panic. “Master? Are you okay?”

Coughing repeatedly, Jia Yin was unable to make a response.

“This old fox was trying to play tricks again. I taught him a lesson,” said the prison guard who had squeezed Jia Yin’s neck.

Other prison guards took a look at Jia Yin and, after confirming that he would survive, ignored him and reminded the prison guard, “Don’t kill him. Otherwise we’ll have trouble giving Lord Tao a plausible explanation.”

“Rest assured. I know where the limit is,” replied the prison guard.

The couple of other prison guards walked away and sat down near the peephole where there was more light. Maybe because they had just laid eyes on Jia Yin, one of them brought up what had happened outside. “Hey, guys. Did you hear the rumor today?”

“What rumor?”

“Tsk. That bigwig living in Ling family!”

“I heard about it.”

Some were unaware of which big name the two men were referring to, but seeing that the two men became excited when merely mentioning the person, others couldn’t help feeling somewhat curious.

“If the rumor is true, then members of Ling family are going to make rapid advances in their careers. They won’t have to stay in this godforsaken place any longer.”

“Why the fuck did they get to have such good luck?”

“Shh! Guard your tongue. If this by any chance reaches the ears of His Lordship, all of us will be incriminated.”

“Ur… Don’t you guys tell anybody else.”

“Were I engaged to a dignitary of such high status, I would have let it be known to everybody. People of Ling family are so good at keeping secrets. I mean, not a single person has ever found out about this marriage contract over the past so many years.”

“Tell me about it. This is what people say ‘A lean camel is bigger than a horse’. After all, Old Master Ling used to be a high-rank official in the capital city. It’s not too surprising that he found Childe Ling such a good spouse.”

“Humph. Jia family is not half as powerful as Ling family. As far as I could tell, even if Jia family had not been convicted this time, they would still end up in jail sooner or later. Even their backer in the Prefecture Guards won’t be able to make any difference. There’s no way that Ling family will let them get away with what they have done.”

Overhearing this conversation, Jia Yin, who was in the cell, paled visibly from anger. He had no access to information about what had happened outside, so he naturally was unaware of which big shot had come to Ling family, but judging from the conversation, that big shot seemed to have become an in-law of Ling family, and Ling family was going to have a meteoric rise, but members of Jia family were in prison. Such sharp contrast sent waves of rage through him, brought his stomach into churning, and he nearly spat blood again.

‘Why did Ling family get to be so lucky? Previously, fortune had been smiling at Jia family all along.’ Jia Yin was bitterly unreconciled to the situation.

“Puh!” Finally, Jia Yin spat out a mouthful of blood from rage and passed out.

Prison guards heard the sound and walked up to the cell of Jia Yin. After seeing what had happened, they looked at each other in astonishment.

“Let’s report this to His Lordship and ask him if we should send for a physician.”

“This Jia Yin guy was reduced to spitting blood from anger by merely a couple of remarks. What a good-for-nothing.”

“Tell me about it. Ha-ha….”

Mrs. Jia and relatives of Jia family, who were further away from the spot that those prison guards had been sitting, had failed to distinguish their previous words and thus had no idea why Jia Yin had spat blood. Panic-stricken, Mrs. Jia repeatedly called Jia Yin’s name, but Jia Yin was in a coma and unable to make a reply.

“Shut your mouth or see it torn!” A prison guard walked over and rebuked her aloud.

Mrs. Jia was scared and didn’t dare to call Jia Yin’s name again.

After being informed that Jia Yin had spat blood and blacked out, Tao Feng instructed, “Send for a doctor and treat him. Make sure he lives long enough to face execution.”

Given the deep hatred between Ling family and Jia family, people of Ling family definitely would prefer to see Jia Yin beheaded at the entrance of the food market, so he might as well do Ling family a favor.

…

“How are you feeling?”

Yuwen Tong had a palm against Ling Zhang’s back, and the other on Ling Zhang’s lower abdomen where the Dantian was.

The medicated bathwater in the bathing pool was gradually growing clean. Slowly and constantly, beads of sweat were flowing down Ling Zhang’s fair-skinned body into the bathing pool. Yuwen Tong’s eyes were in pain as he watched this scene — pain caused by his efforts to subdue the surges of desire he had been feeling. This would be the last time that Ling Zhang took a medicated bath, and it would also be the last time that he helped Ling Zhang unblock his meridians. He had to take advantage of this opportunity to teach Ling Zhang a special breathing exercise.

“Did you find it?” Yuwen Tong asked again, trying hard to stop himself from concentrating his attention on Ling Zhang’s body.

After a while, Ling Zhang opened his eyes and answered in excitement, “I did!”

“Okay. Do it this way one more time. Focus on that warmth in your Dantian and try to concentrate your Qi in there every time you breath.”

“I will!”

Bursting with impatience, Ling Zhang immediately closed his eyes. Following Yuwen Tong’s previous instructions, he performed Qi circulation once again. His Dantian felt nice and warm. Compared with the previous few times, the prototypical internal energy in there seemed to have grown significantly. It was warmer and made him feel very cozy.

Pressing his palm against the Dantian of Ling Zhang and feeling the patch of his skin that was manifestly warmer than other parts, Yuwen Tong clenched his teeth and managed to forbear from kneading and stroking it in the knowledge that there was a high risk of wasting all previous efforts of Ling Zhang if he alarmed Ling Zhang.

Consumed with the excitement of feeling that small amount of internal energy, Ling Zhang was totally oblivious of the battle that was raging in Yuwen Tong’s head.

After quite a while, Ling Zhang managed to convince himself to open his eyes and stopped the Qi circulation that had been giving him a curiously comfortable feeling. “I did it.”

“Yes, you did. From now on, practice this breathing exercise for two hours every morning and every night.”

“I will!”

Ling Zhang was very excited.

“This is just a breathing exercise. Will I be able to feel it more distinctly after you teach me the mental cultivation method of internal energy?”

“This breathing exercise is meant to help you lay a foundation for the mental cultivation method of internal energy I’m going to teach you. Keep practicing this during the next half a year. After that, I’ll teach you something else and then you’ll get the secret of it, and your internal energy will also reach a whole new level instantly.”

Ling Zhang’s eyes lit up as he heard this. He wished only if he could experience what Yuwen Tong had just described right away.

“Be patient.” Yuwen Tong lowered his head and looked at him.

Ling Zhang gave a bob of the head. “I understand.”

Yuwen Tong twisted his head aside, looked at Ling Zhang’s cheek, ear lobe, neck, etc, and then moved his hands off Ling Zhang’s Dantian and back.

“Okay, then. So much for the medicated bath. You may rise now, and you don’t have to do this ever again.”

Ling Zhang answered, “I see.” Actually, he had begun to enjoy this. The first few medicated baths had indeed been torturous, but after toughing them out, the next few baths had turned out to be considerably more tolerable, and he could feel the improvement he had made after each of them. This medicated bath, like each of the previous six ones, had also made his five senses more acute. Currently, he could keep practicing fist technique for two hours in the guards’ yard without feeling tired.

His horse stance was very steady now, so Wang Dashan had taught him an elementary-level fist technique, which he had been practicing every morning over the past few days.

“You may practice some simple fist techniques and leg techniques. After those matters are handled, I’ll teach you some external martial art that best suits you.”

‘External martial art?’ Ling Zhang’s heart lurched and he abruptly turned his head back to look at Yuwen Tong.

Unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong was standing very close to him and his lips nearly touched Yuwen Tong’s face when he twisted his head back. Dismayed, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why–Why are you standing so close to me?”

The bathroom was filled with humid vapor, which was why he had failed to feel Yuwen Tong’s breath, though Yuwen Tong had been standing so close.

Staring at Ling Zhang’s tender and rosy lips, Yuwen Tong succumbed to the temptation, lowered his head and kissed Ling Zhang.

When their lips touched, Yuwen Tong fell powerless to stop.

Ling Zhang was not surprised by this kiss. A moment ago, he had noticed that the look in Yuwen Tong’s eyes had been alarmingly deep, and there had seemed to be flames of desire in the depths of his eyes. Though he had had a puzzled look when he had asked that question, actually he had already come to realize what Yuwen Tong was going to do, so he was not surprised at all that Yuwen Tong kissed him, and he would have been astonished if Yuwen Tong hadn’t kissed him.

As a matter of fact, he found that Yuwen Tong’s kiss was not bad. Instead, it was a little intoxicating.

But Ling Zhang felt that he was too inexperienced, that Yuwen Tong had led him by the nose during every kiss, and his reaction had always been under Yuwen Tong’s control. Ling Zhang was somewhat unreconciled to this kind of situation. Besides…

‘Why do I let him kiss me so frequently? Am I really going to marry him?’

Ling Zhang quickly collected himself and shook his head repeatedly.

Yuwen Tong was thrown into perplexity by his reaction. “What’s wrong?”

‘Am I a bad kisser?’

Chapter 125- Here’s His Majesty’s Handwritten Edict. Stay Out of This

‘If this was the real reason, it would be kind of hurtful,’ thought Yuwen Tong in embarrassment.

A flush in his cheeks, Ling Zhang had also come to realize what he had just done, appearing somewhat awkward. “I–”

The unmistakable discomfort on his face brought Yuwen Tong into deeper misunderstanding. A somewhat vexed look in his eyes, Yuwen Tong asked, “Did I make you uncomfortable?”

‘Ah? What kind of question is this?’ Ling Zhang raised his head to look at him and saw the vexation in Yuwen Tong’s eyes. Light suddenly dawned on him and the next moment, all his embarrassment disappeared from his face and he dissolved into chuckles, surprised that a man like Yuwen Tong would also be vexed at this kind of matter.

His chuckle made Yuwen Tong more annoyed, and his face fell tense. Eventually, with a sullen look in his eyes, he abruptly stepped out of the bathing pool.

Believing that he got angry and was about to leave, Ling Zhang hurriedly tried to stop him. “Wait a moment. I’m not…Hey!”

Before Ling Zhang could finish his sentence, Yuwen Tong picked up a blanket, turned around, wrapped it around him, scooped him up in his arms and carried him out of the bathing pool, heading towards the outside.

Ling Zhang was startled. “What are you doing?”

“Wiping out the humiliation,” replied Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.

“What humiliation are you referring to?”

‘Surely it’s not what I think it is?’

Yuwen Tong lowered his head and flicked a glance at Ling Zhang. “You tell me.”

Ling Zhang directly gave him a dirty look. “Put me down. I don’t want any part in your so-called–”

Before he could finish his remark, Yuwen Tong gagged him.

It had not happened in his memory when he was carried to the inner room, nor when he was laid on the bed, nor when Yuwen Tong removed that blanket from him. In order to “wipe out the humiliation”, Yuwen Tong went to quite some trouble to “serve” Ling Zhang, who was struck all of a heap and was totally unaware of what was going on.

Ling Zhang had no idea how much time had passed, but when he collected his thoughts panting heavily, he found that he was lying in bed and the blanket around him had been removed by Yuwen Tong…

Propping himself on his hands with Ling Zhang lying down below, Yuwen Tong watched him with smiling eyes. Clearly, the intoxicated expression Ling Zhang had had on his face had greatly pleased Yuwen Tong.

“Shall we continue?” asked Yuwen Tong.

‘Continue what?’ Ling Zhang instantly pushed Yuwen Tong aside. “Cut the shit. I want to change clothes. Go back to your own place right now! You might miss Yao Yi’s message if you don’t hurry.”

Ling Zhang’s words would have been more convincing if there had not been a pink flush on his cheeks and he had not been trying to avoid Yuwen Tong’s.

Yuwen Tong stretched out his hand and gently scratched Ling Zhang’s cheek, feeling that the soft, tender touch was incredibly good.

Ling Zhang raised his hand and was just about to push Yuwen Tong’s hand away when he caught sight of the deep look in Yuwen Tong’s eyes and paused.

The air in the room seemed to have instantly warmed up. Ling Zhang uneasily turned his glance away, afraid to look at Yuwen Tong’s eyes, but this time Yuwen Tong didn’t do anything. He withdrew his hand and walked away from Ling Zhang’s bed. “Get dressed right away or else you might catch a cold. I’m going back.”

Ling Zhang abruptly raised his head to look at Yuwen Tong. The look in the depths of Yuwen Tong’s eyes suggested that he was subduing something. Seeing this, Ling Zhang briefly paused again and then said, “Okay.”

Yuwen Tong turned around, went to the bathroom, retrieved his clothes and left.

Ling Zhang also got out of bed. While changing, he absent-mindedly replayed in his mind Yuwen Tong’s deep look a moment ago. As he came to realize that Yuwen Tong valued him, a sense of security spontaneously rose in him.

He was not a woman, but the feeling of being cherished like treasure, which transcended gender or identity, still touched him.

‘Did I make the right choice to agree to go to the capital city with Yuwen Tong?’ He had a premonition that he probably would have to marry Yuwen Tong after he went to the capital city with him.

“Young Master, Yao Yi’s letter arrived. Marshal requests your presence.” Suddenly, the voice of Yuwen Tong’s bodyguard came from outside the window.

Ling Zhang immediately rose to his feet. “I’ll be there soon.”

“What did Yao Yi say? Did it work?” asked Ling Zhang after entering the Green Bamboo Mansion, bursting with impatience.

Yuwen Tong signaled him to calm down. “It took the army longer than we’d expected to find the den of those bandits. Currently, all bandits are under control. Their correspondence with Zhang Chong and some other evidence as well as the hidden stockpile of armaments have also been found. This operation in the Grand Mang Mountain is extensive. Zhang Chong will get wind of it by tomorrow morning at the latest. Yao Yi informed us that we should get prepared.”

Ling Zhang immediately nodded. “Okay. Should we go to Lord Tao’s place right away?”

According to the plan, they were to meet Lord Tao and have him give the order to shut all city gates lest Zhang Chong lead the Prefecture Guards into the city and took all residents hostage, which would reduce them to a passive position.

Unexpectedly, Yuwen Tong fell silent.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ling Zhang nervously, sensing that something was not right.

Yuwen Tong fished out a thin, folded pamphlet and handed it to Ling Zhang. There was a pattern of a dragon on the cover of the pamphlet.

Ling Zhang was sent into a brief trance. Then he took it and opened it.

“The emperor ordered me to stop my intervention in this matter. Dai Cheng must have got this handwritten imperial edict quite some time ago. It was after the situation on the Grand Mang Mountain was verified that he asked Yao Yi to have this edict delivered here,” observed Yuwen Tong.

After reading the pamphlet, Ling Zhang felt anger rising inside him. “What is he trying to do? Why does he wants you to stay out of this? Wouldn’t he have still been kept in the dark about these things in Tanyang if it weren’t for your investigation?”

Yuwen Tong sneered, “Isn’t the reason manifest enough? The emperor stands concerned that my prestige is already alarmingly high, that troops might switch their allegiance from him to me if I’m the one who successfully settle this issue, that it will impose a threat to his reign if my prestige among Tanyang residents grows unduly high.”

“This is ridiculous. Has he by any chance already forgotten to whom he owes this country’s survival? He’s treating you like a potential usurper.” Ling Zhang was filled with indignation.

But Yuwen Tong seemed very composed. Apparently he had foreseen this as well. “What kind of man he is has come to my knowledge quite some time ago, and I didn’t defend the Great Yue so that I could be a deputy ruler of it. Currently, we should go and have Tao Feng give the order to seal off the city first. We can discuss other issues after this thing is over.”

Ling Zhang knitted his eyebrows, rose to his feet and said, “I’ll go and inform my uncle.”

Yuwen Tong was not allowed to intervene, so Ling Zhang had to ask his uncle for help.

Fortunately, news of Yuwen Tong’s presence in his home had already spread out, and Tao Feng had also had an audience with Yuwen Tong. Though Yuwen Tong couldn’t overtly intervene, Tao Feng would guess what was going on and he wouldn’t decline.

“Be careful. I’ll have my bodyguards secretly follow you protecting you,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang nodded and watched Yuwen Tong, intending to say something, but then he felt it was not the right time, so he forbore from doing so, turned around and left the room.

‘I have to inform Tao Feng immediately. Otherwise city gates will be opened at daybreak and things will be tricky,’ he thought.

‘Yuwen Tong’s issue…’ Ling Zhang had an increasingly clear realization of how bad the terms Yuwen Tong had been on with the emperor. Though the wording of this handwritten imperial edict was mild and tactful, the meaning was definite. The emperor was unmistakably telling Yuwen Tong that he didn’t trust him. ‘Why did the emperor shed his pretence of cordiality so thoroughly? Was he not afraid that such bitterly disappointing deed might send Yuwen Tong into an armed revolt? Or does he by any chance have somebody to back him up and have nothing to fear?’

Previously, Yuwen Tong’s lack of due respect for the emperor had worried Ling Zhang. But now, he realized that this so-called emperor didn’t deserve to be respected at all. During these years, though there had been a semblance of peace in the Great Yue, arbitrary corvee and exorbitant tax levies had been a heavy burden on people’s shoulders all along, and most officials had been indulging in corruption. The whole country had been rotten to the core for a long time.

‘Instead of carrying out an anti-corruption campaign and giving the people real peace, all this emperor has been doing is suspecting meritorious officials and military officers. Has it ever crossed his mind that he wouldn’t have been sitting on that throne if it weren’t for Yuwen Tong?’

Anger built up in Ling Zhang while he was thinking about this. He felt that an emperor like this was totally unworthy of Yuwen Tong’s service, that one day, when the emperor believed he didn’t need Yuwen Tong any more, he would surely try to get rid of him.

‘No. When this mater is over, I must warn Yuwen Tong to take adequate precautions. Everything might not go smoothly in the capital city as well after we go there. We must make contingency plans.’

With a cold face, Ling Zhang stormed to the gateway of Ling Zhaowen’s dwelling.

“Young Master?” Wang Dashan, who was guarding the gate, was somewhat surprised to see Ling Zhang coming at such a late hour.

“I need to see my uncle. It’s urgent,” said Ling Zhang.

Wang Dashan hurriedly let him in, asking in a low voice, “Did anything happen? Should we make any preparations?”

Ling Zhang paused, turned his head back and looked at him. “Elder Brother Wang, tell all our brothers to stay alert. I’m afraid there’s going to be an upheaval in Tanyang tomorrow. All you have to do is protect Ling family. If things go south, my uncle’s safety shall be your first priority.”

The look on Wang Dashan’s face immediately became serious. “Young Master may rest assured that we will do all we can to keep them safe!”

“Thank you.”

“This is what I do. Please go inside, Young Master. I’ll go and make arrangements right now.”

Ling Zhang nodded and walked into the courtyard.

It was Li Fu who had been on night duty outside Ling Zhaowen’s bedroom. He was not surprised to see Ling Zhang come at midnight. “Please wait a moment, Young Master. I’ll go and wake up His Lordship.”

Li Fu walked inside and woke up Ling Zhaowen, who simply put on a coat and walked out. “Zhang’er, did it begin?”

Ling Zhang nodded. “Uncle, I’m afraid I’ll have to put you to the bother of paying a visit to the Prefecture Yamen with me and having Lord Tao give the order to keep the city gates shut.”

Ling Zhaowen was startled. According to the original plan, Yuwen Tong was the one who should do this. “Did anything happen to the Marshal?”

“Nothing serious. Just a minor hindrance. I’ll tell you on our way there. Please go and get changed right now,” replied Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhaowen gave a bob of the head and said no more. He went back inside, changed and soon walked out, saying, “Let’s go.”

The two of them hastily left the residence, heading for the Prefecture Yamen along streets of Tanyang at midnight.

“Exactly what happened?” asked Ling Zhaowen in a muted voice. He and his nephew were the only ones in the horse-drawn carriage.

“It was His Majesty. He ordered Yuwen Tong to stay out of this matter of Tanyang. It is said that Dai Cheng has taken over,” answered Ling Zhang, a cold look on his face.

Ling Zhaowen’s brows furrowed. “Dai Cheng?”

“The commander of the Garrison Battalion stationed in southern capital city and also the commander of the troops dispatched here this time. He’s one of His Majesty’s henchmen,” Ling Zhang explained.

Ling Zhaowen kept silent and pondered for a while. Clearly he had come to grasp something. “What did the Marshal say?”

“He wanted us to guard Tanyang. As long as the situation in Tanyang stays stable, Zhang Chong won’t be able to spare any time to deal with us after Dai Cheng’s army arrives. It won’t take long. All we have to do is hold our ground. Though he cannot offer us any overt assistance, he can secretly direct the defense of the city,” Ling Zhang informed Ling Zhaowen.

Ling Zhaowen nodded and his frown lightened somewhat. “I’m glad to hear that.”

After saying this, he lapsed into silence again, pondering over something, his frown deepening.

The horse-drawn carriage hurriedly drove to the back door of the Prefecture Yamen. Seeing the carriage coming, a Yamen runner guarding the door was alerted, yelling, “Stop! Identify yourselves!”

Chapter 126- The Night Before the Conflict

“It’s me,” responded Ling Zhaowen.

The Yamen runner recognized Ling Zhaowen’s voice and Ling family’s carriage. Startled, he asked, “Lord Ling?”

Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhang got off the carriage and walked up.

“Lord Ling, Childe Ling, may I ask what it is that you came here for at such a late hour of the night?”

“We are here to seek an audience with Lord Tao. It’s urgent. Please pass word of our presence,” said Ling Zhaowen, a grave expression on his face.

The Yamen runner noticed the seriousness on Ling Zhaowen’s face. Though unaware of exactly what kind of urgent matter it was, he still answered immediately, “Please wait a moment, Lord Ling. I’ll go inside and report right now.”

“I appreciate it,” said Ling Zhang.

The Yamen runner nodded and immediately went through the back door.

Tao Feng was woken up. On hearing that Ling Zhaowen and Ling Zhang had come here to meet him at such a late hour, he was taken aback, mistakenly believing that something had happened to Yuwen Tong. “Then let them in! Hurry!”

“Yes, Your Lordship!” The Yamen runner hastily ran out.

Flustered, Tao Feng quickly get dressed and hurried out of the room.

“Lord Ling, what happened? Why did you come here at such a late hour of the night?”

“Lord Tao, there’s a matter of urgency that we need your help with,” replied Ling Zhaowen before flicking a glance at the others present.

Tao Feng took the hint and immediately had others leave the room. Then he asked, “What is it?”

“Please give the order to seal off the city. All city gates must stay closed tomorrow,” said Ling Zhaowen.

“What?” Tao Feng was astounded. Sealing off the city would generate extensive influence on people’s life. Even on that occasion when County Magistrate Lu Kui was murdered, the opening of city gates was only delayed for two hours to hunt the murderer. Keeping city gates shut for a full day was no small thing.

“Exactly what happened?!” Tao Feng asked anxiously, fearing that it was something he was unable to cover up.

“Zhang Chong has been plotting to revolt all along. You probably have some conjectures about this, I suppose?” asked Ling Zhaowen.

Tao Feng gave an involuntary shudder and then nodded. “I do. Are you saying that Zhang Chong is going to put it into action?”

‘This can’t be happening. Yuwen Tong is right here in Tanyang, and it’s by no means the right time to stage an uprising. Under no circumstances would Zhang Chong choose to revolt at this time!’ Tanyang thought.

“It’s not that Zhang Chong wants to mount a rebellion but that it has come to His Majesty’s knowledge that Zhang Chong has been offering assistance to the Sixth Prince who’s been plotting to usurp the throne. An army dispatched from the capital city has crossed the boundary of Tanyang already and will arrived at the city gate tomorrow morning at the latest. And Zhang Chong will probably get wind of it by daybreak. Lord Tao, there’s no time for delay. Zhang Chong and his men could enter the city at any moment and all lives in the city will be at stake,” Ling Zhaowen observed quickly.

Tao Feng was deeply shocked. Then he said with a grave countenance, “Are you sure about this? You have to know that if this is not true, the consequences of delaying opening city gates for a full day will be our dismissals from our posts as well as implication of our family members!”

“Lord Tao, I assure you the truth of my statement is absolute. You’re fully aware of the identity of the one living in my house, aren’t you? In no circumstances will I risk the lives of myself and my family,” commented Ling Zhaowen.

Tao Feng immediately turned around and started pacing the floor restlessly. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and said, “All right. I’ll give the order right now. All four city gates will stay shut tomorrow.”

“Lord Tao, maybe it’s better if we don’t alarm anybody else for the moment. You may send some of your trusted men to the four city gates to keep an eye out, and then give the order shortly before daybreak. Maybe it’s short notice this way, but it’ll lower the risk of leak which might lead to Zhang Chong’s immediate action. Secondly, by doing this, we can prevent Zhang Chong’s men in the city, if there are any, from hindering us,” said Ling Zhang.

Tao Feng looked at him, thought for a while and then replied. “You’ve got a point, Childe Ling. Let’s do it your way.”

In this way, he would also get some time to observe the development of things and find out whether Ling family were telling the truth. If it was a false alarm, he would be able to do some damage control.

But Tao Feng knew very well that there was a ninety-nine-percent chance that this matter was true.

Since Yuwen Tong had been quietly staying in Tanyang for so many days, Tao Feng believed that he must have been making covert preparations for something. He had been wondering all along, and now what Yuwen Tong had been planning finally dawned on him!

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he had found out the truth. Tao Feng secretly rejoiced. ‘I thought Ling family made peace with Zhang Chong, but it turns out that their real game is this!

Once Zhang Chong is brought down, all the sufferings that he has inflicted on me these years will be avenged!’

“Your Lordship, the southern city gate is of greater importance than the other three. Please concentrate the defence on it. It’s not convenient for me to be seen in public for the moment, but I secretly go to the southern city gate and offer you assistance if the necessity arises,” said Ling Zhang.

Tao Feng gave a bob of the head, “Okay.”

But Ling Zhaowen didn’t agree with this plan and intended to raise an objection. Ling Zhang looked at his uncle with an appealing expression. Ling Zhaowen paused, a hesitant look on his face.

At this time, another issue suddenly occurred to Tao Feng. “Where’s the Marshal? Why…isn’t he intervening?”

Ling Zhang answered, “His Majesty dispatched Dai Cheng here, who is capable of keeping Tanyang safe, so the Marshal’s intervention won’t be necessary.”

Tao Feng was sent into a brief trance. ‘What the hell? Dai Cheng?’

“Is the army entering the city through the northern city gate?”

“The western city gate.”

“The western city gate?”

Tao Feng fell more puzzled. ‘The army will have to make a long detour if they want to enter the city through the western city gate, which will take them many days longer. Why the western city gate?’

“Your Lordship, everything will be made clear after Zhang Chong is apprehended. Please pardon me for being unable to tell you any details beforehand.”

Tao Feng was somewhat displeased, since he was now on the side of Ling family after all, and Ling family should not keep anything back from him, but at the thought of Yuwen Tong, Tao Feng felt that their deed was justifiable. “All right. I believe you.”

But Tao Feng was still somewhat surprised that Yuwen Tong was staying out of this. It was not until after instructing his henchmen to lead some men to four city gates that he came to grasp something, but it was not enough for him to draw any conclusions.

“I’ll go to the southern city gate as well. None of us is getting any sleep tonight, I guess,” said Tao Feng when Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen were taking their leave.

“Your Lordship, maybe everything will turn out as you wish after this night. Won’t that be better?” commented Ling Zhang.

Tao Feng exchanged glances with Ling Zhang and both of them smiled. Then Tao Feng said, “You’re right.”

The moment they left the Prefecture Yamen, Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Zhang with a displeased face. “There’s no doubt that the southern city gate is going to bear the brunt. Why are you going there? It’s so dangerous!”

“Uncle, I won’t be able to set my mind at rest if I stay elsewhere,” replied Ling Zhang. He wanted to see it with his own eyes because it was not only the sole way to spare himself the worry but also the sole way to vent his spleen.

Ling Zhaowen didn’t want him to go, since it was too dangerous.

Ling Zhang had no choice but to try to convince his uncle. “You may rest assured that I’ll take care of myself and come back in one piece, uncle.”

“How is it possible for me to rest assured? If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to face your grandfather, or your father, or your mother? This madness of yours is killing me!” said Ling Zhaowen angrily.

Ling Zhang’s face slightly changed. He could understand why his uncle mentioned his grandfather and his mother, but his father? ‘Will my father give a damn about this? Ha.’

“Uncle, if there’s any danger, I promise I’ll flee as quick as possible. Okay?” said Ling Zhang. He even used the word “flee.”

Ling Zhaowen was still worried, but Ling Zhang was now an adult unwilling to let others make decisions for him. If he forced him to stay at home, Ling Zhang might stealthily sneak out, which would be more dangerous.

“It’s okay if you want to go there, but you must bring Wang Dashan and his men with you.”

‘Wang Dashan and his men? No way. They are meant to protect Ling family and uncle. None of them is leaving,’ thought Ling Zhang.

But since it had taken him so much doing to get his uncle swayed, Ling Zhang pretended to agree, planning to figure out another way afterwards.

Then the two of them returned to Ling family and went straight to the Green Bamboo Mansion to meet Yuwen Tong.

“Tao Feng has agreed and sent some men to all four city gates, but the gate guards won’t be informed for the moment. He will wait until an hour before the opening time to give the order,” Ling Zhaowen told Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. He had sent a guard to each of the four city gates. If there were any problems, they would help solve them in time.

“Marshal, I’m afraid the situation will be extremely dangerous tomorrow. Do you think it’s advisable that you go somewhere else for the sake of safety?” After a short while’s hesitation, Ling Zhaowen still chose to express his concern.

Yuwen Tong smiled, “Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Ling. You may rest assured that I can protect myself even if the nightmare scenario arises. Zhang Chong won’t be able to cause me any harm.”

Ling Zhaowen nodded. In fact, he had felt somewhat embarrassed when he asked Yuwen Tong whether he would like to go somewhere safe. Given Yuwen Tong’s identity, he would never choose to leave in this kind of circumstances. By making that suggestion, he had risked arousing suspicion of tricking Yuwen Tong into disgracing himself. Fortunately, Yuwen Tong understood his good intentions well and didn’t think any differently of him.

This was destined to be a sleepless night for them. Tanyang was shrouded in quiet, but there was also tension secretly spreading. Some dogs barked for a while and then hush descended once again. Residents in the city who heard the barks still had an inkling that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual.

“Is it possible that something bad happened?”

“I don’t think so, because I didn’t hear any gong sounds.”

“But my dear, I keep feeling somewhat uneasy.”

The man kept silent for a few moments and replied, “It’s okay. I’ll go and check after daybreak. Stay at home with the kids before I return.”

“All right.”

Guards on duty at the four city gates had also sensed a ghost of unusualness in the atmosphere, but none of them had any idea exactly what was going on. They just felt that time seemed to be going slower than usual, as if daybreak had somehow been delayed.

Tao Feng had quietly brought his men to the southern city gate, but he didn’t alarm the guards.

Ling Zhang had also arrived, but he was not with Tao Feng. Beside him stood Yuwen Tong.

“If Uncle Ling finds out you ordered Wang Dashan and his men to go back so soon, he’s definitely going to be mad,” Yuwen Tong smiled.

“I told Elder Brother Wang and others to stay out of my uncle’s sight,” said Ling Zhang, believing that it would be fine as long as his uncle didn’t find out that he had sent security guards back. As for what might happen the next day, he planned to cross the bridge when he came to it.

“Rest assured, I won’t let anything happen to you,” said Yuwen Tong.

Hearing this, Ling Zhang felt his ears slightly burning. “I’ll take care of myself. You’re the one who should be careful. Make sure you don’t take any risks. I really don’t know how I can face people of the Great Yue if anything happens to you.”

Yuwen Tong chuckled, “Why people of the Great Yue? Are you saying that you yourself don’t care about me?”

“I–I’m among people of the Great Yue, so of course I care.” Ling Zhang darted a dirty look at him. “Stop twisting my words.”

“Fine. All I want to know is that you care about me. For your sake alone, I won’t let anything happen to me.”

Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.

Yuwen Tong took the liberty of distorting the meaning of his words once again.

When the night was at its darkest, a courier pigeon flew into the Prefecture Encampment, bringing with it news that was going to throw the whole encampment into shock.

“What?!” After Zhang Chong was woken up and read the letter delivered by the courier pigeon, an extremely horrifying momentum burst out of his whole being, his fists clenched, his eyes bloodshot. “Yuwen Tong!”