The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 355- 357

Chapter 355: Fu Caiwei’s Pregnancy

With Fang shi and Liu shi keeping her company, Fu Caiwei appeared to be in much better spirits.

On being informed of this, Ling Zhang felt a great sense of relief, but unexpectedly, a message from outside the palace took him aback that very night.

Fu Caiwei didn’t feel very well, and his family asked him to go back.

At that time, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were about to have dinner. After hearing the message, they mistakenly believed that something serious had happened, and hurriedly left the palace.

When they arrived at the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang found that his family all seemed relaxed and fairly delighted. Astonished, he hastily asked someone about it and was told that Fu Caiwei was not ill but pregnant.

Fortunately Mr. Mu was present, and Fu Caiwei’s constitution was not weak, so aside from some minor discomfort, she was okay.

Ling Zhang was sent into a half-stupor. This came as such a surprise to him.

Yuwen Tong also reacted quickly. He sent someone to Yuwen You’s place, requested Fang shi and Liu shi to help hire some reliable and experienced midwives and send them to the Ling Mansion to wait upon Fu Caiwei, but what with the lateness of the hour and the short notice, those midwives wouldn’t be able to move into the Ling Mansion until at least the next day.

After getting over the astonishment caused by the news, Ling Zhang went to confer with Ling Xingzhong and some others. “Grandfather, I want to give up my courtyard house to my uncle and aunt. It’s more spacious and could accommodate more handmaids and midwives.”

In addition to more spare rooms that could accommodate more people, that courtyard house also had a small garden, which meant Fu Caiwei would have a better living environment and a wider area to walk around for relaxation if she moved there. On top of that, because of the relatively special location of that courtyard house, people living in there were less likely to be disturbed.

“You can’t do that. If you give up your courtyard house to them, you yourself would have nowhere to live. Besides, your identity is different now–”

“Uncle,” Ling Zhang interrupted Ling Zhaowen who tried to decline the offer, “I could settle myself in any of the other houses. After you and my aunt move over there, you may let Maomao stay in the courtyard house you’re now living in and have them transfer my stuff to that house. I’ll live with Maomao.”

“Brother Zhang has a point. Right now there are many things in the imperial palace that Brother Zhang has to deal with, and there’s also the wedding ceremony. After we get married, Brother Zhang will naturally live in the palace. Right now Aunt Ling’s health is of the greatest importance. That courtyard house is unoccupied most of the time. You might as well move into it and put it to good use.” Yuwen Tong expressed similar opinions.

Since he had put it this way, Ling Zhaowen naturally couldn’t bring himself to decline again, but he didn’t agree to the suggestion either.

Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu also didn’t say anything immediately. It was not that they didn’t care much about Fu Caiwei, but that they were still worried about Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang was a member of the Ling family. How could he not have a decent courtyard house of his own at home? Although he was going to marry Yuwen Tong, there was still some days before the wedding. Furthermore, according to the rules, after the nuptials, nobody but Ling Zhang could live in that courtyard house of his.

Among all these people, Yuwen Tong was the one who wanted the most for them to agree, because in that case, Ling Zhang would have no reason to spend another night in the Ling Mansion. There had been several occasions when Ling Zhang called the Ling Mansion ‘home’. He regarded the Ling Mansion as his home, but privately Yuwen Tong preferred Ling Zhang to call the place the two of them stayed together ‘home’.

“Here’s what I think.” Ling Zhaowu broke the silence. “Zhaowen and Caiwei should move to Zhang’er’s courtyard house, because Zhang’er is trying to show his love for his uncle and aunt and Caiwei’s personal safety is of great importance. The courtyard house you two are living in right now should be cleaned and Zhang’er will move into it. Given that Maomao is now indeed old enough to live independently, we may have the smaller courtyard house next to mine cleaned and let Maomao live in it. That smaller courtyard house is separated from the one you’re moving into only by a wall. We may replace the solid wall with a hollowed-out ornamental one with an arch in it, so that the two houses will remain separate and you’ll be able to check on Maomao whenever you want.”

Ling Zhang hurriedly said, “My father is right. Let’s do it this way, Grandfather, Uncle.”

Ling Xingzhong was the first to give a nod of approval. “All right.”

Ling Zhaowen was still a little reluctant, feeling that Ling Zhang was sacrificing too much for them.

“Uncle, the house you and Aunt are living in is quite spacious as well. It’s more than good enough for me,” observed Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong said, “That’s right. We’ll definitely expand this residential compound after we get married, and we’ll re-plan the layout of it when the time comes. Presently, the most important thing is for Aunt Ling to have a comfortable place to live. I’ve sent my aunts a message and they’ll bring some experienced midwives here, which means we’ll have yet another batch of people to settle in. It’ll be more convenient if you move into a bigger house.”

Since he had put it this way, Ling Zhaowen felt it inappropriate to decline the offer once again, so he inclined his head, looking at Ling Zhang, a somewhat guilty expression in his eyes.

Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. “Uncle, you always tend to overthink situations.”

A decision made, Ling Zhang instructed Xia Feng to have some servants pack his things before the night was out and clean the courtyard house, making it convenient for his uncle and aunt to move into it the next day.

…

Ling Zhang returned to his own courtyard house to sort books. Yuwen Tong went to have a talk with Ji Yanlai.

“How do you like this place so far, Clan Leader?” asked Yuwen Tong.

Ji Yanlai replied, “It’s pretty lively, and your arrangements are pretty thoughtful. There’s nothing I find myself unaccustomed to.”

All the guards guarding the courtyard house Ji Yanlai was staying in were from the Millennium Pavilion. Members of the Ling family were all aware of his identity, and they had some time ago enjoined the servants not to disturb him. He could do anything he wanted in that courtyard house and nobody would say anything about it.

…

As Yuwen Tong took his leave, Ji Yanlai mulled over something for a few moments and then summoned Ji Yin.

“Elder, there’s something I need to consult with you about, and you’ll have to make arrangements for some men to get it done.”

Ji Yin was somewhat puzzled. He knew very well what Ji Yanlai had come to this city to do. It surprised him somewhat that Ji Yanlai suddenly needed him to do something for him. “At your service, Clan Leader.”

Ji Yanlai said, “I didn’t prepare any presents before leaving the mountains, so I need you to help me deliver a big gift to him.”

Ji Yin listened quietly as Ji Yanlai told him what the big gift he wanted to send Yuwen Tong was. Privately he was a little surprised, but after giving it some thought, he felt that it would indeed be a great favor to Yuwen Tong, so he responded, “Rest assured, Clan Leader, I promise I’ll have it handled properly.”

Ji Yanlai said, “When it’s done, make sure he knows it’s us who make that happen. This great present from us would be an extra favor to him, one he’ll definitely bear in mind.”

“Yes, Clan Leader,” replied Ji Yin.

…

Yuwen Tong, after taking leave of Ji Yanlai, went to Ling Zhang’s place, helped him sort the books, left the other matters for Xia Feng and the servants to deal with, and then the two of them returned to the palace.

The next day, Fang shi and Liu shi, taking some midwives famous in the capital city with them, went to the Ling Mansion. News of Fu Caiwei’s pregnancy had quickly spread out, and the mistresses of many large families started showing up at the front gates of the Ling Mansion, bearing gifts. Ling Zhang, for fear that they would disturb his aunt’s rest, had the servants stop them, thanked them for their kindness and dismissed them.

…

What with Fu Caiwei’s pregnancy, Ling Zhang was very worried, but both the preparatory work for the wedding ceremony and the whole bunch of unresolved issues in the palace were something he could not extricate himself from. For several consecutive days he was so occupied that he couldn’t even take a breather. It was two days after Tao Feng’s arrival in the capital city that he heard about it.

“Did he bring his wife with him?” asked Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong replied, “Yes, he did. She already paid your aunt a visit yesterday.”

Sprawling in a chair, Ling Zhang said, “I’m glad to hear that. My aunt would be more at ease in the company of an old acquaintance. Now that Tao Feng has come to this city, I wonder how Tao Yi has been doing. Pity I’m up to my neck in work and couldn’t spare the time to go out of the palace to check on him.”

Massaging Ling Zhang’s hand, Yuwen Tong said, “Tao Feng has arrived, and the envoys of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom will also arrive soon. Almost all the officials invited to attend the enthronement ceremony are in this city now. Also, there’s been some good news from Cangzhou, saying that the rebel forces are beginning to show the inclination to accept the offer. I think the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) will manage to handle it before my enthronement, and by the time when I grant amnesties to convicted criminals at the ceremony, the rebel forces would have basically disintegrated. Aside from these, we’ve achieved consensus on all the emergency decrees to be issued. All that’s left now is to knock them into shape. As for the other matters, we’ll have plenty of time to deal with them after the enthronement.”

Ling Zhang grabbed Yuwen Tong’s hand and said, “That’s enough. Stop massaging me. You yourself are wiped out as well.”

“The preparatory work for the enthronement ceremony is almost finished, I suppose?” Ling Zhang asked him.

Yuwen Tong said, “Yeah. The last remaining matter is to finalize the ritualistic rigmarole, which will be taken care of before the enthronement. Now I could finally take a breather.”

Ling Zhang gazed at him quietly for a brief moment and then said, “But I still have tons of business to attend to. Things in the imperial palace are so complicated, much more complicated than I expected. I’m in over my head. The very mention of any of those miscellaneous things in the imperial harem gives me headaches. I’m beginning to regret it now.”

Yuwen Tong, “…”

“You’ll find yourself more than able to handle those things after you familiarize yourself with them. Rest assured, things would be a lot easier in our case, because there will be only two masters in this palace, so there won’t be that many troublesome issues. All you have to do is focus on the wedding ceremony. This palace is burdened with too many thorny matters and sooner or later I’ll rid it of them once and for all, so stop wasting your time and energy on them.”

Ling Zhang looked at him. After quite a while, he lightly snorted, twisted his head aside and sniffed, “Every emperor has numerous concubines in his imperial harem. You really could resist the temptation?”

Hearing this, Yuwen Tong continued massaging Ling Zhang’s shoulders. With an utterly unperturbed look on his face, he said, “How about I abdicate in favor of you?”

Ling Zhang, “…”

“Say something sensible.”

Yuwen Tong replied in a quite innocent tone, “You were the one who started saying insensible things first. You know very well both my heart and my body belong to you now, but you still said those hurtful words. It cut deep. If you don’t trust me, I might as well give up the throne.”

Ling Zhang faintly blushed at these words. “I was just saying that.”

Yuwen Tong snorted, “I don’t think so. We’re getting married, and there’ll only be the two of us. I have no interest in anybody else, and you’re to stay away from those unsavory characters as well.”

Ling Zhang opened his mouth and wanted to say something but eventually held back the words on the tip of his tongue. After a few moments’ silence, he said, “I see. I won’t bring this up again.”

Yuwen Tong planted a kiss on his cheek. “Um.”

Ling Zhang had originally wanted to ask Yuwen Tong, who was going to be an emperor, how he planned to tackle the unavoidable issue of his heir, but then it had occurred to him that currently the first priority was the enthronement, that maybe he should wait until after the enthronement ceremony to talk about this matter with him, so he had forborne from mentioning it. Besides, he had also recalled that his father had once told him Yuwen Tong never married in his last incarnation, and with that he had found some of the words in his mind difficult to say. A moment ago, it had been on the spur of the moment that he made that remark.

Yuwen Tong, who could tell at a glance that his mind was wandering, immediately asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Ling Zhang shook his head. “Nothing.”

Yuwen Tong unnoticeably furrowed his brows. He saw distinctly that just now a flicker of sadness had flitted across Ling Zhang’s eyes.

Chapter 356: Yuwen Tong Became Suspicious?

Yuwen Tong had meant it when he said that some day he would rid the imperial palace of many of those trivialities once and for all. For the moment he just couldn’t spare the time to put it into action. Apart from state affairs, the matter of the two princes of the Zhou family also needed settling.

Ling Zhang, in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had had everything planned out, temporarily put aside those trivial things in the palace and focused on the preparations for the wedding ceremony. He and Yuwen Tong were both men, and there was only one precedent for this in history, which was the marriage between the Emperor Gaozu and his male consort, so most of the ritualistic arrangements for the wedding had been finalized by the Ministry of Rites according to that precedent case. However, although an emperor surnamed Zhou had abdicated the throne, all those with decent perception were fully aware of what had really happened. The Yuwen family would become the new imperial household, and Yuwen Tong would be the first emperor of the Yuwen dynasty, so his and Ling Zhang’s wedding would by no means be a complete repeat performance of that precedent case. There would be a lot of changes. In addition, Ling Zhang had suggested some of the unnecessary formalities be cut off, so the Ministry of Rites had to make a whole new wedding plan according to which the ceremony would be held.

Staff members of the Ministry of Rites were busy preparing Yuwen Tong’s enthronement. Ling Zhang made some changes to the wedding plan and then had it delivered to the Ministry of Rites. The Minister of Rites, after seeing those major changes, didn’t dare finalize the plan and asked Yuwen Tong for instructions.

Yuwen Tong, looking at the wedding plan placed in front of him with a placid expression on his face, said, “Is there a problem with the wedding plan?”

“Sire, it’s not that the wedding plan is problematic. It’s just that Childe Ling made a lot of changes to it, and he also cut off several parts. I’m afraid there might be complaints about such big changes,” answered the Minister of Rites.

“Complaints? From whom?” Yuwen Tong looked at him.

Though Yuwen Tong’s tone was calm, the Minister of Rites still hastily slumped to his knees with a start. “Sire, the imperial wedding is supposed to be the grandest and the most solemn ceremony aside from your enthronement ceremony. If we change it too much, I fear that some conservatives who set store by the old rites will raise their eyebrows.”

“The old rites? What do you mean by the old rites? Do you still regard yourself as a servant of the Zhou family?” asked Yuwen Tong coldly.

The Minister of Rites instantly fell prostrate with a thud. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t meant it, Sire. I beg your forgiveness.”

Even many of the other courtiers present hung their heads, feeling cold sweat on their backs.

“Yuwen Feng, from now on you’ll be in charge of the Ministry of Rites. Take this wedding plan back. All the preparations for the wedding ceremony shall be made according to it,” instructed Yuwen Tong.

On hearing this, Yuwen Feng, who had been on his knees behind the Minister of Rites all along, looked up at Yuwen Tong. After a brief eye contact with Yuwen Tong, he replied, “Yes, Sire.”

Yuwen Feng rose to his feet, stepped forward and took the wedding plan. The Minister of Rites was so nervous he wouldn’t say boo to a goose, lying prone, trembling constantly.

After quite a while, Yuwen Tong said blandly, “You may rise.”

It was only then that the Minister of Rites managed to summon up the courage to pull himself up, his robes wet with sweat.

Although Yuwen Tong didn’t mete out any punishment to him, everybody present knew that he was toast, that even if he was allowed to stay in the imperial court, he would never get any career advancement again. The reason why Yuwen Feng hadn’t been named the Minister of Rites right away was because Yuwen Tong hadn’t officially acceded to the throne yet. After the enthronement ceremony, Yuwen Feng would definitely become the new chief of the Ministry of Rites.

…

The matter of the wedding plan had been resolved. As for the other remaining issues, they’d have to wait until after the enthronement ceremony to figure out how to settle them. Ling Zhang finally extricated himself from those seemingly never-ending tasks. Right now, there was seven days left before the enthronement ceremony.

Almost all departments in the capital city were occupied with preparations for the enthronement ceremony, but Ling Zhang, contrary to those officials, was now totally free, so he exited the palace, heading straight for the Ling Mansion.

This was the first time in so many days that he found himself out of the palace. When he had arrived home, he first went to inquire after his paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather, and then to see Fu Caiwei.

Fu Caiwei looked well and in a pretty good mood. Several experienced midwives had been watching over her and reminding her of things she needed to pay attention to. Also, Mrs. Tao, Fang shi and Liu shi came to keep her company quite often, and she herself had given birth to a child before and thus was not under as much stress as she had been when pregnant with her firstborn, so she was now carefree and in good spirits.

After inquiring after Fu Caiwei, Ling Zhang went to see Ling Zhaowu. The father and son found a quiet spot to sit and talk.

“You’ve got everything handled?”

“For the moment, yes. You and the others…”

“Don’t worry. There are a lot of us in this place, and there’s nothing we cannot settle. Besides, thanks to you and Yuwen Tong, nobody dare make trouble for the Ling family. As regards your trousseaus, your maternal grandfather and I have got all of them ready. All we have to do is just wait for the day of your and Yuwen Tong’s wedding to come.”

Ling Zhang, who recalled that talk he’d had with Ji Yin on that day, said, “The other day I told maternal grandfather not to make the list any longer, but he still wanted to include another two things. I wonder what they are.”

Ling Zhaowu said, “Not some rare treasure. Don’t concern yourself.”

“By the way, has Yuwen Tong asked you any particular questions lately?” Ling Zhaowu suddenly inquired.

Ling Zhang didn’t quite understand. “Particular questions? What do you mean, Father?”

Ling Zhaowu looked at him and replied with a smile, “It seems that he hasn’t.”

Ling Zhang was baffled even further, gazing at Ling Zhaowu bemusedly.

“On that day, after I confided my secrets to you, you returned to the palace in haste, and maybe because you roused his suspicions, that very night he sent Miao Shisan here to ask me what I said to you. I told him that you just conferred with me about the drugstore, that I reminded you to take good care of Yuwen Tong who’d been busy with government affairs. Yuwen Tong didn’t send anybody else afterward, and neither did he personally ask me about anything. He’s a secretive man, and I’m not sure whether he bought it or not,” said Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang was stupefied. He hadn’t known anything about any of this, for Yuwen Tong hadn’t shown any sign of it whatsoever, and neither had he asked him any questions about that matter.

Ling Zhang wondered whether or not Yuwen Tong had found out anything, his mind in a turmoil.

Seeing the faintly perturbed expression on his face, Ling Zhaowu consoled him, “Calm down. There’s no need to be nervous about it. Now think carefully about whether or not you mentioned to him anything concerning this matter, how you behaved after you went back there that day and how he reacted.”

Ling Zhang managed to collect himself. He was quite positive that he had never let slip a single word about the matter of his rebirth. Presently Ling Zhaowu was the only one who knew about this secret of his… Maybe not the only one – Ji Yanlai might have knowledge of it as well. He jerked his head up to look at Ling Zhaowu. “Do you think it’s possible that the Clan Leader told him about it? On that day, when we were in the Sanguan Mountains…”

Ling Zhang related those meaningful words that Ji Yanlai had said to him on that day.

This was the first time that Ling Zhaowu had heard about this matter, but he didn’t show any surprise on his face. About the secrets in the Millennium Pavilion, he knew something that most others didn’t know of, and he was also the most acquainted with Ji Yanlai’s abilities aside from members of the Millennium Pavilion.

Ling Zhaowu shook his head. “He wouldn’t do that. For the sake of the confidentiality of your lineage alone, he would never breathe a word of that matter to anybody, because for the Millennium Pavilion – or for descendants of the Phoenix Clan – this is top-secret. As he has seen you and confirmed it, he would undoubtedly keep this secret to himself. Even if he had disclosed it to anybody, this person wouldn’t be Yuwen Tong, the man who’s about to ascend the throne.”

Ling Zhang caught on to the undertone contained in Ling Zhaowu’s words. “He’s worried that Yuwen Tong might do something to people with the Blood of the Phoenix Clan?”

Ling Zhaowu looked at him. “This is not about what worries him or whom he trusts. It’s about the responsibilities he has on his shoulders. Just like Yuwen Tong – after he accedes to the throne, there will be some compromises he must not make, and the same thing goes for you.”

The faint discomfort inside Ling Zhang dissolved completely at Ling Zhaowu’s words. “If Ji Yanlai didn’t tell him, it’d be impossible for him to have found out my secret, because I’ve never mentioned anything about it to him.”

“What about that evening?” asked Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang answered, “After I returned to the palace, I had lunch and then went to the consultation hall. Maybe it was because of those things about my last incarnation that you told me earlier that day, I was a little emotionally unstable and he noticed it. At that time he asked me if something had happened. He suspected that I was keeping something from him. I explained to him and I think he believed my story.”

Ling Zhaowu let out a sigh, looking at him. “But obviously he didn’t, given that he specially sent Miao Shisan here to ask me about it. Still, seeing as from merely your erratic mood, he perceived that you were hiding something from him and became suspicious of me, he really cares about you very much – so much that it surprises me, actually.”

Ling Zhang was torn between anxiety and feverish excitement. He feared that Yuwen Tong had found out something about his secret, but at the same time rejoiced at Yuwen Tong’s concern for him.

“If that was all that happened, there’s no way he could have found out your secret, but he definitely knows that you’re concealing something from him, and I’m afraid he’s secretly had his men spy on me when I was not paying attention,” said Ling Zhaowu, looking calm and composed. He didn’t mind that Yuwen Tong might have had someone spy on him, but…

“Although I never disclosed my secrets to anybody else, I haven’t been trying to hide anything either. I’m afraid he’s already noticed some of those contradictory facts about me.”

Ling Zhang was taken aback. “Will he find out about it?”

Ling Zhaowu shook his head. “This kind of thing is preposterous and unbelievable. Even if you tell it to someone on your own account, they might not necessarily believe you, but there’s no doubt Yuwen Tong has become suspicious of those contradictory things about me, and he would try various devices to get to the bottom of it. When he fails to find anything out about it, maybe he would start to consider this possibility.”

Ling Zhang’s lips clamped tightly together and he began to feel panic again.

“Before he starts considering that incredible possibility, he would probably come here to sound me out first. Let me handle him. You may just go back and act normally and don’t show any sign of it,” said Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang bobbed his head. “Okay.”

For an instant Ling Zhaowu seemed to have something to say, but eventually he held back the words on the tip of his tongue. It occurred to him that Yuwen Tong had been so observant as to notice the changes in Ling Zhang’s mood, and right now Ling Zhang was clearly a little flustered. One could hardly hide any mood swings from their partner having an intense bond with them. Ling Zhaowu felt that maybe he shouldn’t have said these words to his son.

But what was done was done, and it was impossible to take his words back. He could only wait and see what kind of attitude Yuwen Tong would take when he came here to talk with him.

Ling Zhaowu gave it some thought but didn’t show any particular emotion on his face for fear that Ling Zhang would feel more stressed.

Ling Zhang stayed in the Ling Mansion for the whole morning and then returned to the palace before lunch. When he arrived at the gateway of the Infinite Fortune Palace, he paused and unnoticeably took in a large gulp of air before walking through the gates.

Miao Shiba, who had been following in Ling Zhang’s wake, gazed at Ling Zhang’s back, a thoughtful look on his face. That pause just now was a little weird. It was as though Childe Ling was psyching himself up for something. This was so strange. This place was home for Childe Ling. Why was he acting like it were some kind of battlefield? This matter was definitely not what it seemed. He needed to report it to the Marshal straight away.

Chapter 357: A Battle of Wits Between the Son-In-Law and Father-In-Law

After returning to the Infinite Fortune Palace, Ling Zhang didn’t do anything that might give himself away, but Yuwen Tong still became suspicious, because Miao Shiba had reported Ling Zhang’s abnormal behavior to him.

This was even more serious than Ling Zhang’s not giving himself away in front of Yuwen Tong, because it meant that Ling Zhang cared about this matter so much that he went to such lengths as to restrain himself constantly to conceal it from him!

At this moment Yuwen Tong was unable to describe what kind of mood he was in. He only knew that something intense was churning inside him and gnawing at his heart. He couldn’t tolerate this. Under no circumstances would he tolerate anything about Ling Zhang getting out of his control. This kind of strong feeling was like nothing he had felt before.

Previously, when Ling Zhang hadn’t learned how to conceal his emotions, he had been able to perceive it when there was something Ling Zhang wasn’t telling him, but now Ling Zhang had become so good at keeping secrets that even he couldn’t tell whether or not he was hiding anything!

If some day Ling Zhang was going to leave him, would he be able to conceal it just as well?

A violent shock wave abruptly burst outwards from Yuwen Tong. Miao Shiba, who was on one knee before him, started and hurriedly mobilized his internal energy to defend against it, terribly astounded. It had never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would react so dramatically. In his opinion, this matter was no more serious than Ling Zhang keeping something back from Yuwen Tong, and it was probably not something important, but now, having seen Yuwen Tong’s reaction, he was scared, not daring to imagine what might have happened had he not reported it to Yuwen Tong.

“You didn’t catch any snatches of the conversation between him and Ling Zhaowu?” asked Yuwen Tong, eyeing him coldly.

Head down, cold sweat breaking out over his back, Miao Shiba immediately answered, “Childe Ling had me stay at a distance from them.”

Miao Shiba hadn’t done anything wrong in the task. He had orders to follow Ling Zhang to protect him, not to keep watch on him as though he were a prisoner. Ling Zhang was also his master, and he had to obey Ling Zhang. Besides, it had been Yuwen Tong himself who had instructed Miao Shiba and the others to do that.

But now Yuwen Tong regretted it, for the consequence of that instruction was that he was unaware of what Ling Zhang was concealing from him.

“Send Miao Shisan to deliver a message. I’ll pay a visit to my father-in-law tonight. Remember, do not alarm anybody else.”

Miao Shiba was astonished at this order. “Yes, Sire.”

…

Ling Zhang was going over an account book delivered to him by Li Sicai and Wang Qing when Yuwen Tong arrived. He raised his head and asked in a slightly surprised tone, “Didn’t you go to the consultation hall?”

“I’ve got everything taken care of. You’re looking over an account book?”

“The Fangcun trading fleet sent me a message, saying that they’d departed with the Fangcun mission, and there’s a much larger variety of medicinal herbs on the list,” said Ling Zhang, handing the account book to him.

Running his eyes over the account book, Yuwen Tong said, “Your identity is different now. They would be utter fools if they don’t curry favor with you.”

After reading it, he observed, “The income is not bad.”

It was far more than not bad. Shrewd businessmen were queuing up to get on board.

Ling Zhang said, “Tomorrow my father will go to the drugstore and take charge. I’ve had some men put the word out on the street that I’ve transferred the drugstore to my father.”

At the mention of Ling Zhaowu’s name, the look in Yuwen Tong’s eyes subtly changed, but it lasted only a split instant and escaped Ling Zhang’s notice. “Your father was never in business. I wonder if he’ll be able to handle it. On that day you told me that you would put your father in charge of all the businesses. Do you think it might be too much to ask of your father?”

Ling Zhang’s eyes lightly moved away in a seemingly natural manner, but Yuwen Tong still detected the unnaturalness of that fleeting eye movement. Then he heard Ling Zhang say, “Although my father was never in business, his business ideas are more far-sighted than mine. Besides, Wang Qing and Li Sicai would be assisting him, so I believe he’ll be fine. Nobody’s good at doing business when they begin. I’ll let him take his time. There’s no hurry.”

Yuwen Tong looked at him, a searching expression in his eyes. Ling Zhang set great store by that drugstore and had an ambition to have it grow into a business empire. If Ling Zhaowu had no experience whatsoever, Ling Zhang would never have entrusted Ling Zhaowu with the drugstore.

On top of that, Ling Zhang seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him, which further confirmed his suspicions.

Without the slightest change of his countenance, Yuwen Tong said, “You have a point. Your father seems to have no intention to become a government official. Since he’s interested in doing business, it might not be a bad idea to let him give it a try.”

Ling Zhang inwardly heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that Yuwen Tong bought it.

What he didn’t know was that Yuwen Tong didn’t believe it at all and had made up his mind to get to the bottom of this matter.

…

That very night, after Ling Zhang fell asleep, Yuwen Tong left the palace.

Ling Zhaowu was waiting for him in his courtyard house. Yuwen Tong directly went to see him without alarming anybody else. “Father-in-law,” he called.

Ling Zhaowu slightly raised his eyebrows, asked him to take a seat and then said, “Earlier this day you had a man deliver a message to me, saying that you needed to talk with me about something tonight. I don’t know why you’re making it seem so mysterious. Is it something about Zhang’er?”

Yuwen Tong started making tea. He was doing it in a relaxed and natural manner, but his tone of voice was a little curt. “I’m here because there are a couple of questions I need you to answer for me, Father-in-law.”

Back when Miao Shisan had come to deliver the message to him during the day, Ling Zhaowu had fathomed out what Yuwen Tong wanted to do and had psyched himself up for it. “Go ahead,” he said.

“Father-in-law, would you please tell me how you came to know about the existence of your nephew after you woke up from a coma that lasted over ten years? As far as I know, your brother wasn’t even married when you left home. In addition, you were comatose for many years, so your knowledge and experience should have stayed at the same level that they were at before you fell unconscious over a decade ago. How come you didn’t at all seem unaccustomed to anything and instead knew about many things you should be unaware of after you came to? I’ve looked into it and I know that you’d never left the Sanguan Mountains during the years of your coma.”

Ling Zhaowu’s heart gave a slight lurch. Unsurprisingly, Yuwen Tong had indeed become suspicious of him.

“The truth is, I didn’t know that matter you just mentioned. At that time my brain was damaged, and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t even know who I was. Those words were nothing but fits of delirium. You can’t take them seriously. As for why I was not unaccustomed to my new life after I came around, you weren’t in Tanyang at that time – how do you know I wasn’t unaccustomed to anything? I knew I’d missed too many things, and I didn’t want to waste any more time, so after I came to, I did everything I could to find out what had happened during the over ten years when I’d been unconscious, so that I would be able to communicate with Zhang’er without any difficulty when I met him and wouldn’t have to spend any time getting to know about those things. My brother knows about this better than anybody, because he was the one I asked questions the most often during those days.”

Ling Zhaowu’s explanation was watertight and unassailable.

But maybe because his explanation was unduly watertight, Yuwen Tong didn’t feel relieved. Instead, his heart sank.

“I heard that your fist techniques are pretty good, and you have amazing comprehension in that regard. Have you ever practiced any fist techniques before?”

Ling Zhaowu said, “Before I fell into a coma, I’d had some acquaintance with kung fu. Though not an expert, I have a grounding of sorts, so when I started practicing fist techniques again, I progressed a bit quicker than a common person would.”

Then Yuwen Tong asked another couple of questions in succession. Ling Zhaowu gave plausible answers to all of them, but Yuwen Tong was fully aware that Ling Zhaowu was just skirting around the real issue and evading the crucial point.

“Father-in-law, did you experience anything special during the two years before Mr. Ji saved you and brought you back to the Millennium Pavilion?”

Ling Zhaowu gave a smile and then answered, “People of the Millennium Pavilion are very good at hiding their tracks, and at that time, I was bigoted and obsessed with finding the Millennium Pavilion. I went in the wrong direction all the time, sometimes heading in precisely the opposite direction of the Millennium Pavilion. I made a lot of wasted trips, trying to find proof that the Millennium Pavilion still existed. It took me two years to trace it to Shengzhou, but afterward, I got into trouble. I was seriously wounded and I thought that my death was certain. Survival was something that never crossed my mind at that time. If I experienced something special, it would be the countless trips I wasted by going in the wrong direction.”

This answer still had nothing to do with what Yuwen Tong wanted to know about. The expression in his eyes had gone faintly cold, but as he was keeping his eyes down, Ling Zhaowu couldn’t see it clearly.

“Thank you for your answer, Father-in-law. This is the last question – what did you say to Brother Zhang that he’s unwilling to tell me about? On that day, after Brother Zhang returned to the palace, he was in an erratic mood, and the same thing happened earlier this day as well. Twice he started to have abrupt mood swings after talking with you, Father-in-law, so please tell me the truth. We both care about Brother Zhang, and I think you would like me to do my best to protect Brother Zhang, rather than letting him get hurt because of some needless oversight. If something like that happens, you and I would both be upset.”

Ling Zhaowu lapsed into silence. Yuwen Tong sitting opposite him looked up at him, radiating a palpable sense of power.

Ling Zhaowu didn’t feel uncomfortable because of the stressful air Yuwen Tong was emanating. It was the undertone contained in Yuwen Tong’s words that was making him hesitate. Zhang’er was going to marry Yuwen Tong, and it was Yuwen Tong who would be living with Zhang’er, and who would be by his side all the time and capable of keeping him safe. If, what with this matter, the two of them no longer trusted each other as much as they did presently, he would have to take most of the responsibility for it, but the matter of rebirth was preposterous and unbelievable, and there was no telling what the consequences might be if he disclosed it. If by any chance Yuwen Tong was unable to accept the fact, it would hurt Zhang’er even worse.

Seeing Ling Zhaowu was totally unaffected by the air he was emanating, Yuwen Tong slightly narrowed his eyes and said, “I don’t care whether those answers you gave me just now were true or not, because after all, those are your private matters. As long as they don’t do Brother Zhang any harm, I won’t interfere, but please give me an honest answer to this one, Father-in-law.”

Ling Zhaowu looked at him. “Do you really have to find out about it? It’s unthreatening to both you and Zhang’er. Also, Zhang’er’s mood swings are just temporary. I can tell you definitely that this matter will not compromise the relations between you two, and after I told Zhang’er about it, he just cared about you even more. There won’t be any trouble if you just let it go. It won’t be a threat to your power or status, and neither will it be a threat to your safety, and it certainly won’t be a threat to the relationship between you two. Technically speaking, it’s nothing more than a little secret between me and Zhang’er, between a father and his son. Why are you so insistent on knowing the details? I’m Zhang’er’s father, and there are certain things that he is the only one I’m willing to disclose to. I don’t owe it to anybody to tell them about any of those things. Is it really so difficult for you to tolerate something like this? Zhang’er is your partner, not a bird you can keep in a cage. He deserves some space and privacy.”

Yuwen Tong’s eyes became penetrating, staring at Ling Zhaowu. “So you’re not telling me, right? There’s no need for you to beat around the bush, Father-in-law. Both Brother Zhang and I know very well how I feel about him, and I think you’re fully aware of the reason why I have to get to the bottom of this. There are a lot of things about you that are contradictory, which means you’re keeping a lot of secrets. I don’t know whether these secrets are about good things or bad things, and I’m okay with turning a blind eye to them, but right now you’re affecting Brother Zhang, which makes you a danger to him. Even after I ascend the throne, I won’t be able to have everything under my complete control. I have to eliminate the danger promptly when it approaches him.”