The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 196- 198

Chapter 196: A Test

Some other thoughts occurred to Ling Zhang after he heard Yuwen Jin’s remarks, and with that he couldn’t help but tossed another glance at Jiang Yu. ‘Though this Jiang Yu guy is overweening, he’s quite handsome…’

“That won’t be necessary, Childe Jiang. Mr. Feng here will handle it.” Yuwen Tong looked at Feng Zhangshi who was standing on the side.

With that Jiang Yu also shifted his gaze to Feng Zhangshi, who saw the well-concealed warning in Jiang Yu’s good-looking eyes and immediately replied, “The professor teaching Childe Jiang is the very one I’m taking Childe Yuwen and Childe Ling to meet. The two of them and Childe Jiang will be classmates. If Childe Jiang leads the way, the three of them would be able to get acquainted with each other sooner, which I believe will do them some good.”

“See?” Yuwen Jin immediately whispered indignantly. “That Feng Zhangshi guy doesn’t dare cause even the slightest offence to Jiang Yu. Now Jiang Yu is getting what he wants. I don’t like him, nor the idea of him coming along with us.”Read more new novels on ReadNovelFull.com

Ling Zhang looked at Feng Zhangshi, who accidentally made eye contact with him. Ling Zhang’s eyes seemed very calm, but Feng Zhangshi involuntarily tensed his back muscles. This pair of eyes were even more frightening than the look that Jiang Yu had given him just now. A layer of fine beads of sweat oozed out of Feng Zhangshi’s back as he came to the realization that he’d pleased Jiang Yu but offended Ling Zhang. He knew what kind of person Jiang Yu was, but Ling Zhang, who had struck him as modest and courteous a few moments ago, suddenly seemed to be in a shroud of uncertainty.

Before Feng Zhangshi could figure out a way to rid himself of this dilemma, Yuwen Tong abruptly observed in a flinty tone of voice, “There’s no need for that. Lead the way, Feng Zhangshi.”

Feng Zhangshi jumped in the knowledge that even Yuwen Tong was displeased with him now. Too afraid to glance at Yuwen Tong’s eyes or use any other finesse, he hastily turned aside and responded, “This way please, Marshal.”

Yuwen Tong took Ling Zhang’s hand and the two of them walked past Jiang Yu. Yuwen Jin hurriedly followed in their wake, throwing Jiang Yu a smug glance in passing.

Jiang Yu’s face abruptly darkened and with that he turned around to look at the receding figure of Yuwen Tong. Seeing him holding Ling Zhang’s hand, he finally shifted his gaze to Ling Zhang.

Originally students looking on nearby had wanted to gather around, but when they saw Jiang Yu rejected by Yuwen Tong, they refrained from doing so, eyes following Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang. After appraising the two of them for a while, they looked at Jiang Yu, a mixed expression in their eyes, all kinds of thoughts flashing across their minds.

Jiang Yu watched Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang hand in hand walk far away and then turned around to inquire of those standing beside him, “So that’s Ling Zhang?”

“Uh… I think so,” replied one of his lackeys beside him. None of them had ever seen Ling Zhang before, so they couldn’t say for certain.

Jiang Yu’s brow briefly corrugated in a frown and then returned to normal.

…

“Fortunately, you rejected it, cousin. Had you let that Jiang Yu guy lead the way, I would definitely have bailed,” said Yuwen Jin, flicking Feng Zhangshi a frosty glance.

Though having been given a dirty look by Yuwen Jin, Feng Zhangshi didn’t dare to utter a word in the knowledge that he had offended not only Yuwen Tong but also Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin.

“It didn’t seem like your first meeting with Jiang Yu. You two have history?” Ling Zhang inquired.

Yuwen Jin replied, “It’s not me who has history with him. It’s my elder brother. On one occasion, my elder brother bandied words with him at a banquet, and he snitched on my elder brother after returning home. Jiang Changfeng, that old bastard, impeached my father at a meeting in the imperial court. Fortunately His Majesty’s wise enough not to fall for Jiang Changfeng’s trick. Since then, there’s been open hostility between our two families.”

Ling Zhang flicked a glance at Feng Zhangshi in the middle of Yuwen Jin’s remarks and had intended to interrupt, but then he found that Yuwen Jin, who had a fairly good sense of propriety, knew how to choose the right expressions when mentioning the emperor, so eventually he didn’t cut him off.

“Just now Jiang Yu was very nice to your cousin and didn’t seem like someone who’d make trouble for you in revenge for a petty quarrel,” commented Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Jin curled his lip. “My cousin was also the only one he bothered to talk with just now. I think he cares about nobody but my cousin.”

Yuwen Tong’s face went cold. “Bullshit. It’ll do you a lot more good if you focus on your study instead of these unsavory characters.”

While saying this, he held Ling Zhang’s wrist tighter, softly rubbing his thumb against it in an effort to fawn on him.

Ling Zhang: ….

Just now he had failed to realize the situation. ‘We are not at home but in the Imperial College. There are students all around. It’s so undignified to be hand in hand like this.’ Ling Zhang instantly made an attempt to free his hand.

He had just moved when Yuwen Tong tightened his grip further and also turned his head aside to look at him in confusion.

“Haha. Cousin, if these words of yours reach Jiang Yu’s ears, he would definitely be angered to death.” Yuwen Jin, instead of being deterred by Yuwen Tong’s rebuke, dissolved into happy laugh.

Feng Zhangshi on the side was trying his best to pretend he hadn’t heard any of their words. ‘Everybody saw how fervent Jiang Yu was a moment ago, but it turns out that in Yuwen Tong’s eyes, he is merely an unsavory character. If this comes to Jiang Yu’s knowledge, he would indeed be infuriated. Many students of this college are children of dignitaries, but only a couple of them are really of noble blood, and Jiang Yu is definitely one of them. Given Jiang family’s position, nobody in this college will dare mess with Jiang Yu, but though Jiang Yu is grandson of Jiang Changfeng who’s the most powerful civil official, Ling Zhang… is the betrothed of Yuwen Tong, the most powerful military commander who wields dominant military power and saved the situation for the Great Yue against overwhelming odds, and Yuwen Tong cares about Ling Zhang so much…’

Thinking of this, Feng Zhangshi raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead, feeling that he shouldn’t have succumbed to Jiang Yu’s threatening eyes and said those words, that it was an unwise move resulted from a momentary lapse of judgement.

During the rest of the trip, Feng Zhangshi was noticeably more deferential than he had been previously. He also paid more attention to Ling Zhang’s needs. There were several occasions when he specially paused to tell him what the nearby building or field was for, or to brief him on professors of the Imperial College, etc. Ling Zhang quietly flicked a glance at him, feeling somewhat puzzled as to why Feng Zhangshi suddenly adopted a considerably different attitude towards him.

Yuwen Tong appeared natural, as if there was nothing strange about this at all.

Yuwen Jin briefly curled his lip and didn’t even bother to give another glance at Feng Zhangshi.

After they arrived at the destination, Feng Zhangshi took Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin to see the professor who was going to test them. He was an elegantly-bearded old man with piercing eyes, brimming with energy and vitality. Seeing Yuwen Tong, he simply made a bow with hands folded in front, neither humble nor arrogant, which was very different from the highly servile and deferential way that Feng Zhangshi had behaved.

This was what teachers in the Imperial College were like. No matter what his intention truly was, he was clearly different from people like Feng Zhangshi.

As he stared at Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin, both of them involuntarily straightened themselves and tensed their back muscles.

“Since you’ve enrolled in the Imperial College, you are now students of this school. I don’t care who you are out there. In this place, you have to follow my instructions. If you cannot do that, you may leave right away.”

Of course Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin wouldn’t give up because of this mere remark. Ling Zhang knew very well what kind of person he himself was, and Yuwen Jin had been repeatedly reminded and warned by his elders some time ago. As a result, after hearing these words which had clearly been meant as a deterrent, they just respectfully expressed their willingness to obey him, giving no other reaction.

Yuwen Tong sitting not far away didn’t interpose, and neither was there any change of his countenance in response to the words of the professor. He just sipped his tea in a natural manner.

The old man sneaked a glance at Yuwen Tong out of the corner of his eye. As he saw the bland look on Yuwen Tong’s face, the corners of his mouth involuntarily twitched. ‘The meaning of my words was explicit enough. Why do these people seem so calm?’ he wondered. Other children of officials had reacted very haughtily after hearing similar words of his. This was the first time that he had seen someone who appeared totally unaffected.

After a soft cough, the old man continued, “Now that you’ve heard my words, you should act in accordance with them in the future. Now tell me what the two of you have learned before, and what you are capable of.”

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin in turn told the old man what books they had read, what their perceptions of those books were, what they were capable of, etc.

It took them quite some time to finish all this. The old man also had each of them write an essay on the spot, which was also a time-consuming task.

At first Ling Zhang was somewhat punctilious. Rumors about the chaotic situation in the Imperial College didn’t make him scornful of this professor. He respected and was willing to obey any teacher who was truly learned. What relieved him was that the old man was indeed knowledgeable. He not only commented on the books Ling Zhang had read but also expressed his views on Ling Zhang’s perceptions, some of which were approving, and others critical. All these were pertinent instructions. Ling Zhang, hearing them, unconsciously dismissed all other thoughts from his mind and concentrated on learning knowledge as he used to do in the Tanyang Academy.

Therefore, when he was writing his essay, he was also very intent, taking it seriously.

Yuwen Jin beside him was also focused, but because of his obsession with the idea of learning military strategy and tactics and then applying them on the battlefield, every time he was writing an essay, he frequently felt an urge to stand up to walk around or do something else, which was a somewhat bad habit.

All of a sudden, with a slap, Yuwen Jin was hit by a teacher’s ruler. The old man standing beside Yuwen Jin glared at him. “Your sitting position is very problematic. Are there any nails on your chair? I want you to sit bolt upright!”

After being hit by the ruler, Yuwen Jin not only gasped in pain but also was taken aback. Seeing the stern look of the old man, he immediately behaved himself and didn’t dare fidget any more, as if the old man were his father.

Ling Zhang merely stole a glance in that direction and then resumed writing his essay.

The old man cast a look at him, stroked his beard with satisfaction and then glared at Yuwen Jin again, which frightened Yuwen Jin deterring him from looking sideways again.

Yuwen Jin, in his head, was yelling at the top of his lungs, but he didn’t dare to utter a single word.

‘Why did nobody tell me teachers of the Imperial College punish students with rulers?! I’m not a three-year-old kid! It hurts so much!’

As the old man turned around to walk away, Yuwen Jin hurriedly winked at Yuwen Tong with the intention of having his cousin offer him some help, but Yuwen Tong just leisurely enjoyed his tea without giving any response, as if he hadn’t noticed his distress signal at all.

Yuwen Jin lapsed into despair, gazing at the paper on the desk, teeth gritted. It was not until after quite a while that he wrote a sentence with difficulty.

At this time, Ling Zhang, who had already filled his paper with words, took out another piece of paper and continued writing.

Yuwen Jin sneaked a glance at it and widened his eyes, unable to believe that Ling Zhang had written so many sentences. He himself hadn’t even finished half a page yet. ‘A comparison between people can be so hurtful,’ he thought. Previously, he had believed that he and Ling Zhang were on a level, because Ling Zhang’s admission to the Imperial College had been the result of a sudden decision of the emperor.

Chapter 197: Sparking Public Debate

Yuwen Jin had an aggrieved look in his eyes. He had thought that Ling Zhang disliked school as much as he did, but now it turned out that Ling Zhang liked school, which he believed boded ill for his future – there would be nobody receiving punishment from the teacher with him, and his father would definitely compare him with Ling Zhang and scold him every time he was punished by his teacher. ‘How am I supposed to survive if that’s the case?’ he wondered.

‘No…’

He hoped that Ling Zhang would stop writing so many words, stop writing so quick, stop behaving so well and allow him a chance of survival, but there was no telepathic connection between the two of them. Ling Zhang was unable to receive his “distress signal” and soon finished another page. Seeing this, Yuwen Jin was nearly reduced to tears.

Ling Zhang completed his essay before Yuwen Jin could finish his. The old man, after reading it, gave a nod. ‘Although this kid’s essay is not as good as those of honor students in this college, it’s coherent and well-grounded. His viewpoints are different from those of most students but not really unorthodox, and some of his perceptions are pretty unique,’ he thought.Please visit our ReadNovelFull.com

The old man, secretly satisfied, stroked his beard. Yuwen Tong’s presence had made it very clear to him who Ling Zhang was. He had thought that academic performance of a student like Ling Zhang, whose admission to the Imperial College had been granted by the emperor, and who came from a small city and was rumored to be rather arrogant and domineering, definitely couldn’t hold a candle to that of other students. And he had expected to see an essay riddled with mistakes or one of strained interpretation, but unexpectedly, this essay could be deemed excellent.

The old man unnoticeably flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong out of the corner of his eye, and then looked at Ling Zhang who was respectfully standing before him with a calm face. ‘There are indeed some resemblances between these two people. They’re both composed and unhurried,’ thought the old man.

“Though there are some defects in your essay, it also has something to its credit. The central theme of it is unique and rigorous, but it also shows a lack of depth. Now that you’ve enrolled in the Imperial College, you should concentrate your mind on studies and learn from others with modesty. Do not muddle along because of external influences. Otherwise you’ll be stranded where you are and end up among the mediocre, and all your time spent in this college would be for nothing.”

The old man exhorted Ling Zhang in a serious tone of voice. Though pleased with Ling Zhang’s essay, he didn’t show it on his face.

“Thank you for your admonishment, professor. I’ll keep this in mind at all times,” replied Ling Zhang.

The old man stroked his elegantly-trimmed beard, uttered “Um” and then told him to wait on the side.

Ling Zhang stood on the side. Though still looking very calm, he was secretly relieved somewhat. Actually he hadn’t focused his mind on learning for a long time, and he’d worried that he might have forgotten all he’d learned, but after he hit his stride, things had taken a favorable turn. Moreover, although he hadn’t really spent much time on study during these days, he had acquired a lot of perceptions unobtainable from books, which had significantly broadened his horizons. The Imperial College set great store by Confucianism, and many opinions in Confucian classics had been corroborated by what he had seen with his own eyes. Because of this, he had gradually formed his own perceptions. In fact, many of the views in that essay were not a full display of his true thoughts. It was not because he wanted to hide his weak points, but because he was aware that these viewpoints of him were divergent from the teaching principle of the Imperial College, that if he wrote them down, he not only wouldn’t get the old man’s recognition but also would be harshly scolded by him.

He’d also found that though he stayed up all night reading those books the day before, he still felt fairly energetic and what he’d memorized during his last-minute preparation was still in his mind. It seemed that after his proficiency in internal energy reached the first layer, not only his five senses had been heightened, his memory had become much better as well.

“Thi–This is the best I can do…”

Yuwen Jin’s tentative voice broke the silence in the room and also interrupted Ling Zhang’s train of thought.

The old man standing before Yuwen Jin was frothing at the mouth, glaring at him with rage. Yuwen Jin, shoulders in, had an aggrieved and scared face, fearing that the old man might hit him with the ruler again.

Ling Zhang, “…”

Eventually the old man sharply criticized Yuwen Jin for his one-page essay which he’d managed with great difficulty. Yuwen Jin, head hanging low, was in such deep shame that he wished the ground could have swallowed him up.

“I did my best.”

The old man, “…”

Seeing this, Ling Zhang felt somewhat sympathetic towards him.

Yuwen Tong, however, was still as unconcerned as always. Watching his cousin standing there like a frightened bird, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood, which slightly surprised Ling Zhang.

Though Yuwen Jin’s essay was criticized by the old man as unreadable rubbish, in the end he was still assigned to the same class as Ling Zhang’s, and the two of them were supposed to promptly attend classes in the Imperial College from the next day on.

Yuwen Jin, though having received a harsh scolding, was still very happy to know that he was now Ling Zhang’s classmate. “Fortunately, we’ve still been assigned to the same class.”

And then he implored Yuwen Tong, “Cousin, can you please not tell my father what happened today?”

Ling Zhang shook his head, feeling that Yuwen Jin was very tenacious in some way.

After Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin left the campus, news of the two of them having enrolled in the Imperial College soon spread through the whole city. Leaving aside reactions of people from other walks of life, in the Imperial College alone there was a wide variety of opinions.

“The Marshal accompanied Ling Zhang here?”

“Yeah, Jiang Yu wanted to lead the way for the Marshal but the Marshal rejected his offer, which made him seem so awkward.”

“Pooh, his family background is the only thing he could rely on, yet he actually believes everybody would show him respect because of who his father is. Marshal Yuwen is not the kind of person who’d give a damn about his respectability.”

“It seems that we’ll be crossing paths with Ling Zhang quite often from now on. Who gave him the test?”

“That old man surnamed Gu.”

“Him? This Ling Zhang guy was so unlucky. The old man chewed him out, didn’t he?”

“Well… not really. Actually it’s said that Professor Gu was fairly satisfied with his essay, which is kind of surprising. It was Yuwen Jin who got chewed out.”

“The old man has always been as stubborn as a mule, yet he took into consideration Marshal Yuwen’s face?”

“Could it be that Ling Zhang’s essay was actually not bad?”

“Pooh, I don’t believe that’s true. He’s a countryman. Back then in that year, it was by sheer luck that his grandfather got the position of assistant minister, which he resigned from very soon because of his incompetence. That Ling Zhang guy is his grandson. How able could you possibly expect him to be?”

“Tell me about it. That Ling Zhang guy is so cocky and bossy. He dared to talk back to the Ninth Princess when he hadn’t even entered the city yet. Rumor has it that he also angered Lord Yuwen so bad that he hasn’t left home for over half a month. I wonder what the Marshal sees in him and why he cares about him so much.”

“Let’s meet him and find out when he comes to school tomorrow.”

…

Ling Zhang, after sparking a heated debate in the whole Imperial College, leisurely went back home. Wang Dashan and others had been waiting for him. On hearing that Ling Zhang had passed the test, they all offered their congratulations to him.

“What’s the Imperial College like, Young Master? Is it a messy place?” asked Wang Dashan. He and a couple of others had got a bad impression of the Imperial College when they’d been told about the rather chaotic situation in it.

After a few moments’ thinking, Ling Zhang replied, “It’s not bad. At least the professor giving me a test is truly a learned man.”

Today he and Yuwen Jin had merely gone there to take a test, and they hadn’t got acquainted with any students except for Jiang Yu.

On hearing this, Yuwen Jin standing on the side had a sulky face. ‘I was hit and got a harsh scolding from that old man. How is it ‘not bad’?

Besides…’

“Seeing that Jiang Yu guy will be a daily occurrence for us, and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep from beating him up.”

“Who’s Jiang Yu?” Wang Dashan and the others, who were unaware of who Jiang Yu was, asked about it when they saw that Yuwen Jin seemed to be quite contemptuous of this person.

“Jiang Changfeng’s grandson. Earlier this day, he was so presumptuous as to try to stop my cousin, showing a total disregard of me and Brother Zhang. The very sight of him disgusts me,” remarked Yuwen Jin.

Wang Dashan and the others, though uneducated, were quite scrupulous where Ling Zhang was concerned. In addition, ever since they’d come to the capital city with Ling Zhang, they had dealt with a lot of people and grown very wary of people in this city.

“So that Jiang Yu guy is a troublesome character?” queried Wang Dashan.

“Jiang Changfeng is the incumbent Prime Minister and His Majesty’s uncle. His grandson probably has a lot of followers in the Imperial College.” Liu Yi also expressed his opinion.

‘The Prime Minister’s grandson?’ Others also pricked up their ears and looked at Yuwen Jin.

Beneath their gaze, Yuwen Jin felt his flesh creep. “Wh–Why are you giving me this look?”

“How does that Jiang Yu guy look?” inquired Qiu Bing.

“Ah?” Yuwen Jin was puzzled. “Just like everybody else – two eyes, two ears, a nose and a mouth. He’s not even as handsome as me.”

“Oh,” Qiu Bing replied, “so he’s less attractive than you.”

Yuwen Jin wondered, ‘Why would any man care so much about his appearance? But Jiang Yu is definitely not as handsome as me.”

“Then why did he stop the Marshal?” asked Zhou Xiang.

Yuwen Jin responded, “Who knows what got into him? He even insisted he lead the way for us. My cousin didn’t even know him. He came to us of his own accord and his eyes were on my cousin from start to finish, as if Brother Zhang and I were just passers-by.”

‘His eyes were on the Marshal from start to finish?’

Qiu Bing and the others who had just relaxed became vigilant again, clustering closer around Yuwen Jin.

Ling Zhang, seeing they were scaring Yuwen Jin, told them to take their leave so that Yuwen Jin could be at ease.

Of course Wang Dashan and others wouldn’t disobey Ling Zhang. Though looking somewhat worried, they still cleared off.

Yuwen Jin heaved a sigh of relief. He didn’t know why these security guards were acting like this, but he kept feeling that he had just had an escape from something unpleasant, which he knew wasn’t true.

“Brother Zhang, I think I’ll go back home first. I’ll come back and pick you up tomorrow morning.”

After saying this, he hurriedly slunk away.

Yuwen Jin had just left when Ling Zhang’s face slightly darkened. ‘That Jiang Yu guy doesn’t seem to have any particular intentions for the moment, but him having history with Yuwen Jin means that he regards me as an enemy as well. I should indeed keep an eye out for him in the future.’

…

“Your Highness, according to your instructions, I found someone suitable in terms of both appearance and personality. Would you care to meet him?”

In the residential compound of the King Duan, Zhou Mingyuan had just returned from the court meeting when his henchman came to his report, as if claiming credit.

“Where is he? How’s his background?” queried the King Duan, his countenance slightly changing.

“He lives elsewhere in the city. As regards his background… You might find this quite coincidental – this person happens to be a student of the Imperial College as well, but his father is merely a county magistrate in Youzhou. Because of his achievements in his official career, His Majesty granted special permission for his son to study in the Imperial College. It’s been only half a year since his son enrolled,” replied his henchman.

Zhou Mingyuan gave an inexplicable smile. “Bring him to me when it’s convenient. I’d like to see him in person.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” answered the henchman. “Have you heard that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Jin showed up in the Imperial College together today? It’s said that Marshal Yuwen personally accompanied them there.”

“Um. It turns out Yuwen Tong is quite protective of that Ling Zhang guy,” observed Zhou Mingyuan.

“Tell me about it,” his henchman responded. Then he added, “I also heard that Jiang Yu of Jiang family chanced upon them and offered to lead the way for Yuwen Tong but Yuwen Tong rejected his offer categorically.”

“Jiang Yu? I almost forgot that he is also studying in the Imperial College. You’re to keep a close watch on him. I’d like to spend some time and reconnect with my cousin when the occasion arises.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Chapter 198: I’ll Let You Play a Dirty Trick First

Yuwen Tong believed that he had nothing in common with Jiang Yu. It was true that Jiang Yu was Jiang Changfeng’s grandson, kin to the emperor, but even the emperor himself didn’t really carry much weight in his eyes.

Jiang family had come up in the world by dint of the authority of the empress dowager. Prior to that, there had been merely a couple of members working as middle-ranking government officials in their family, while among every generation of members of Yuwen family, there had been one or two top-ranking generals, so Yuwen family held much greater influence in the circle of military officers than Jiang family did in the circle of civil officials. Furthermore, for some reasons, Jiang Changfeng had always been deliberately avoiding running in the same circles with him, which was a fact they both had tacit knowledge of.

He said to Ling Zhang, “People of Jiang family wouldn’t mess with you provided they’re smart enough. If that Jiang Yu guy is really insensible, just do what you have to do. I got your back.”

Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. “It is Yuwen Jin who has history with him, and whom you should say this to.”

Yuwen Tong, after giving some careful thought to this remark, replied very vigilantly, “I’m just worried that you might be implicated by Yuwen Jin. That kid’s born a troublemaker.”

‘Good. The blame has been safely shifted to Yuwen Jin.’

Ling Zhang looked at him with meaningful eyes. “Rest assured, now the whole capital city knows how cocky I am, and I’m not the type of person who would swallow it after being bullied.”

“Yeah. Others may swallow it all they want, but we must not do that. No matter how messy the situation in the Imperial College is, there’s no need for you to be afraid. Just go and do whatever you have to do. The emperor knows exactly what kind of place the Imperial College is, yet he still put you in there regardless, so you don’t have to go easy on anybody; if anyone dares mess with you, just sort them out. Even if you leave a trail of awful shambles in your wake, the emperor would have to clean it up if he doesn’t want to face my anger.”

Ling Zhang didn’t know what to say.

He raised his hand and kneaded his temples. ‘Yuwen Tong’s arrogance is going wild.

But this guy is indeed capable of doing that. Even a prince and a princess have been brought down by him, so of course he’s not afraid of any relatives of the emperor. If he’s bolder…’

Thinking of this, Ling Zhang flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong and sized him up.

Yuwen Tong straightened himself. “What’s the matter?”

‘There’s nothing wrong with the words I said just now. I think I’ve made my stand pretty clear. Why is he still giving me this look?’ Yuwen Tong’s mind was working really fast as he reviewed his previous words trying to find out whether he had said anything wrong.

“I won’t forget your words. I’ve put Wang Qing in charge of the drugstore. If anything urgent comes up, I hope you can go there and handle it for me.”

Ling Zhang withdrew his gaze and entrusted Yuwen Tong with the drugstore, deciding not to dwell on that dangerous idea.

‘So this is what it’s about.’ Yuwen Tong was secretly relieved. “I’ll keep an eye on it.”

Since Ling Zhang would be in the Imperial College studying during daytime from the next day, Yuwen Tong was somewhat upset at the thought that he would no longer be able to see Ling Zhang during daytime. In the study, he pondered over something for a while, and then Ling Zhang, who was sharp-eyed, saw him fold a piece of paper and stuff it into his bosom. This piece of paper bore somewhat special patterns on the back, which looked familiar to Ling Zhang. It was the very paper that Yuwen Tong brought back after going out to have someone select some auspicious days for a wedding on that day. On that paper were probably the dates selected.

Ling Zhang was perplexed, wondering why Yuwen Tong pondered over this matter alone in the study and also kept that piece of paper in his bosom.

“What are you doing?” Ling Zhang inquired.

Seeing him come in, Yuwen Tong replied, “Nothing special.”

Ling Zhang was skeptical. Seeing Yuwen Tong had no intention of telling him, he put this matter aside and then remarked, “I gave it some thought and feel that I should go to the drugstore to take a look. Do you… want to come along?”

Yuwen Tong rose to his feet and walked out. “Why not?”

After the two of them left the house, a personal bodyguard of Yuwen Tong’s had a courier pigeon deliver a letter to Tanyang. If Ling Zhang read that letter carried by the pigeon, he would see that it was full of dates and hours transcribed by Yuwen Tong.

The two of them arrived at the trading center in the west of the city and then directly went to the rear yard of the drugstore. There were piles of lumber and other materials in the yard, which were going to be used for converting this place into a drugstore. Artisans were going in and out of the place, looking quite busy. Wang Qing, who was in the rear warehouse supervising craftsmen revamping it, saw Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong arrive and intended to pay respects to them but was stopped by Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong had been in border areas almost all the year around, and not many people could recognize him even in the capital city, so naturally these artisans had never had any chance to see Yuwen Tong. They just paid some extra attention to him, feeling that that Yuwen Tong’s attire was out of the ordinary as that of Ling Zhang was.

Wang Qing followed Ling Zhang’s instruction and didn’t address Yuwen Tong as “Marshal”. Whenever someone asked him about it, he told them that Yuwen Tong was one of the owners of this store.

After being informed that Yuwen Tong was one of the owners as Ling Zhang was, craftsmen became more respectful to him and worked quicker and harder.

“Young Master, as you’ve seen, the rear warehouse is taking shape as the revamp progresses.”

Wang Qing led Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong into the rear warehouse. It was rather disorderly, so Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong took a quick look and then walked outside.

“The revamp of this place is mostly being conducted according to the suggestions offered by the general storekeeper of the Jiang’s Drugstore Chain. Before the revamp started, I’d visited some other drugstores and found that they were indeed generally the same. I also hired a couple of experienced artisans to handle some particular details.”

Wang Qing was scrupulous when talking about this. Instead of blindly following all suggestions of the general storekeeper of the Jiang’s Drugstore Chain, he had paid a couple of visits to other drugstores in advance. All artisans he’d hired were skilled and practised. Overall, the revamp of the rear warehouse had been progressing smoothly despite the fact that there had been some minor difficulties.

Ling Zhang was satisfied with it after taking a look, feeling that Wang Qing was a very poised man worthy of his trust.

After walking around in other areas of the drugstore and coming to know how the revamp was going, Ling Zhang relaxed and reminded Wang Qing, “Make sure these craftsmen are paid with the agreed amount of money at the agreed time.”

“Rest assured, Young Master, I promise their payment won’t be a single coin less than agreed. I even awarded bonus to those who did a good job and offered constructive advice,” responded Wang Qing.

Ling Zhang paid Wang Qing a compliment, for Wang Qing had done better than he had expected.

Wang Qing had followed Ling Zhang and traveled thousands of miles to the capital city not only because of Ling Xingzhong’s instructions but also because he had ambition and intended to further his career by serving Ling Zhang, so naturally he spared no effort to perform his duty. On top of this, previously he had been acting as an assistant of Li Sicai and Xia Feng in the Ling Mansion, and the revamp of this drugstore was the first task that he had been put in sole charge of. He was unwilling to be outdone by Xia Feng or Li Sicai, which made him even more motivated. Seeing Ling Zhang was satisfied with his work, he was also secretly delighted.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, after having a look at the drugstore, went to the trading center. It was said that there would be a large-scale bazaar in this place the next day, which was why more trade caravans were delivering goods here. Even though the roads in the trading center were quite broad, they were still packed with people.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong mainly wanted to get some information about the types of goods being traded in this trading center. At first, Ling Zhang was doing it purely out of curiosity, but as he saw more of this place, some other ideas were conceived in his mind. ‘After I have my own trade caravan and gain more experience, I’ll be able to start some other businesses apart from selling medicinal herbs from Tanyang, such as speculative reselling of sundry goods between the south and the north. As long as one is bold and resolute in action, all of them could be lucrative businesses,’ he thought.

He found that in the trading center, apart from merchants from the Wan Kingdom, there were also merchants from the Luohai Kindom and the Fangcun Kingdom. The Luohai Kindom was in the north where the climate was severely cold, but there were also many precious medicinal herbs growing there, which was why most goods from that kingdom were fur and medicinal herbs; the Fangcun Kingdom was an island country, and goods from there were all marine products. Except for dried seafood accounting for only a small proportion, all of them were decorative commodities like coral products, pearls, etc. The Great Yue also had territorial sea, but some of these goods were indeed specific to the Fangcun Kingdom, among which there were also some done with ingenuity beyond common people’s imagination.

Ling Zhang’s eyes were dazzled, and of course he had also broken out in a sweat due to the jostling.

Yuwen Tong had been staying by his side protecting him from start to finish. When they finally walked out of the place, Ling Zhang was starving, so the two of them hurriedly found themselves a restaurant to have a meal.

“I can transport these goods here myself if I have a trade caravan with enough capacity.”

After eating and drinking his fill, Ling Zhang allowed free rein to his imagination picturing him making tons of money.

For Yuwen Tong, building a large-scale trade caravan was not difficult. The tricky part was how to keep people from finding out that he was the boss. The emperor was already wary enough of him because of the military power he currently wielded. If he also possessed huge wealth, the emperor would probably spring to his feet from the throne and hack him to death.

However…

“Although people of Yuwen family seldom talk about this, after so many generations there’s indeed been a considerable amount of savings accumulated. If you marry me, all those will be yours.”

Ling Zhang tossed a quick glance at him and suddenly commented, “Those will be mine sooner or later. Why would I waste time dwelling on them? What I should think about is money that can be made through other means.”

At first Yuwen Tong didn’t get the point. After a brief moment’s surprise, a giant, enormous smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if a big flower had magically sprouted from his face with unstoppable momentum.

It was as if a moment ago he had been an unhurried and poised marshal, but the next moment he had become an utter fool. He even gave a giggle.

Ling Zhang didn’t know what to say.

And then Yuwen Tong put his arms around him, rubbed himself against him and kept chuckling beside his ear. “You agreed.”

Ling Zhang, with his sharp eyes, looked over the screen and saw guests goggling at the two of them while walking by the door. Instantly his cheeks started burning and he tried to free himself from Yuwen Tong’s embrace with great force. “What did I agree to?”

“You agreed to marry me,” replied Yuwen Tong delightedly.

“When did I agree to that?” Ling Zhang failed to have Yuwen Tong let go of him. On the contrary, he was held even tighter and involuntarily began to pant.

“Didn’t you just say that mine would sooner or later be yours?” asked Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang: “…”.

“Do you by any chance want to give them to someone else?”

Yuwen Tong immediately replied, “There’s nobody else. They’ll be all yours!”

“Then I said nothing wrong,” remarked Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong thought carefully for a few moments, released him and then looked down at him.

Ling Zhang felt his flesh creep somewhat beneath his gaze. “What’s the matter?”

Yuwen Tong lowered his head and kissed him on the lips. “I’ll let you play a dirty trick first.”

Ling Zhang clicked his mouth and looked at him with an innocent face. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Yuwen Tong gave two snorts, kissed him again and then sat back into his seat.

After they left the restaurant, on their way back, Ling Zhang secretly curled up the corners of his mouth.

‘Yuwen Tong has only himself to blame. He stared at that piece of paper pondering over something without telling me what it’s about, as if that piece of paper were some kind of treasure that could have me marry him if he stared at it long enough. Where did he get it, anyway? It’s definitely not from the Imperial Observatory, otherwise the whole city would have known it by now; it’s probably not from someone holding a wide reputation for divining auspicious dates, otherwise all people in this city would still have guessed the truth from Yuwen Tong’s visit. Exactly who helped him select the dates?’ Ling Zhang thought.