The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 310- 312

Chapter 310: Yuwen Tong’s Urgent Departure to the North-West

Together, Ling Zhang and his father walked to the side hall which Yuwen Tong, Ji Yin and the other four were already in.

They all took their seats at the dinner table and, after the welcome reception, transferred to the study.

“This time around, the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom joined hands to attack us and their massive armies are advancing towards the border as we speak. I have to pay a visit to the border encampment. There’s no doubt that troublesome problems will arise in the capital city after I leave, and there’s also the issue of the ongoing rebellion in Cangzhou. The other sides might try to stir up trouble as well.”

Standing in front of a map, Yuwen Tong marked all the strategically important areas with big circles.

“I’ve already had Yue Qi bring some men to Cangzhou to aid the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor). They will do their best to keep the fighting from spilling over into areas outside Cangzhou. Except for Cangzhou, Jiangzhou is the closest to the capital city and the garrison there is the most likely to take action. The garrison of Shengzhou have secretly moved southward on my orders and are ready to intercept them. They won’t let them approach the capital city. As regards the south… our biggest problem in the south is the troops stationed in the south-west. The south-west garrison are the farthest away from this city, and it’s the most inconvenient for them to come compared with armies in other cities, but if they do decide to come to the north, it will be a trouble. I’ve also taken some precautions against that possibility, making sure that they won’t make it out of the south-west before I return if they make their move.

Of course, the best-case scenario would be for all these three forces to be overpowered by the time I return from the north-west.”

“Whom will you send to the south?” Ling Zhang asked him.

Yuwen Tong gave a smile and looked at Ling Zhaowu, who answered for him, “He Xiao.”

Ling Zhang’s eyes widened with astonishment. “He Xiao?!”

Wasn’t He Xiao on bad terms with Yuwen Tong? He had always been worried about what this person might do in Tanyang, but Yuwen Tong had mysteriously told him several times that such worries of his were unnecessary. He had thought that Yuwen Tong had made some other arrangements, but it’d never crossed his mind that He Xiao had been working for Yuwen Tong!

Ling Zhang was just as astounded as he’d been the day when it came to his knowledge that the Right Prime Minister was actually on Yuwen Tong’s side as well.

“You…” Ling Zhang looked incredulously at Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong said, “That was not really an intentional arrangement. The relations between me and He Xiao are known to very few. The original reason why the two of us put on that act in the first place was to help He Xiao get an opportunity to pursue his talents. After all, he would never have been appointed to a position of responsibility had the emperor found out about his relations with me. The Right Prime Minister took my side because of the arrangements I made in the capital city a few years ago after the spate of postponements of the delivery of provisions for the army in the north-west which nearly caused them to be exterminated. My original intention was merely to make sure the North-western Army would never be short of provisions again. It was in that year that he, Zhao Zheng and Shi Zhong the current Assistant Minister of Revenue started climbing up the hierarchy. As for the General Zhongwu and other officials that are covertly or overtly in support of me, most of them had dealings with my grandfather in the past. The North-western Army is huge, and at least one third, if not half, of the imperial court are related to it. If I’m to guarantee that our military operations in the north-west wouldn’t be hindered by our own people, I’ll have to make sure that these officials on the home front do their jobs, so I put a lot of effort into it. I never thought that one day these resources would be used in this way. It counts as a great help to me.”

In fact, recently Ling Zhang had come to understand what his grandfather had meant by saying “That Yuwen boy’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeves’. He was indeed quite cunning, far more cunning than he’d expected. Humph.

Yuwen Tong unnoticeably stroked Ling Zhang’s back in an effort to placate him.

Ling Zhaowu tossed them a glance and then looked away from them.

He recalled some things… In a sense, he knew Yuwen Tong better than any of these people present, and had guessed that Yuwen Tong had already had everything well planned out in advance.

At this time, Ji Yin said, “Then how to handle these people in the capital city is the only thing to be discussed.”

Yuwen Tong inclined his head, secretly withdrew his hand and said, “There will definitely be unforeseen events as soon as I leave. There are two underage princes. Zhou Ming’an the Eighth Prince is ten years old. His mother is the Concubine Jin whose father is Fang Quan. The reason why Fang Quan has never exhibited his abilities in the imperial court is because he didn’t have the chance owing to the previous domination of the five adult princes: the Crown Prince, the King Duan, the King Hui, the King Yu and the Sixth Prince, but now all his obstacles have been removed. Although my intention is pretty obvious, he won’t give up without putting up a fight, which is why I hope you will offer me some help after I leave this city, Mr. Ji.”

Ji Yin gave a nod. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

Yuwen Tong briefed them on his plan. Both Ji Yin’s and Ling Zhaowu’s face went grave, and at the same time they were secretly taken aback by Yuwen Tong’s watertight design. From the vantage point of the present, Fang Quan didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, no matter what he did. Instead, if he took action, he would be doing Yuwen Tong a big favor, eliminating all Yuwen Tong’s hidden enemies.

“And I also have to ask you to keep Brother Zhang and my granduncle’s family safe,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang said, “I can protect myself, and I’ll take care of your granduncle’s family.”

Yuwen Tong gave a smile. Although he’d been oozing confidence when he was telling them his plan, there was worry in his eyes when he looked at Ling Zhang. If he had a choice, he definitely wouldn’t part from Ling Zhang, especially in these circumstances.

“What about your uncle’s family? Do you want us to keep an eye on them?” asked Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and then replied, “If they’re sensible enough to lay low and stay out of trouble, help them survive; if they’re not, they’d have only themselves to blame for their doom.”

Ling Zhang said, “I see. I’ll play it by ear.”

Holding his hand, Yuwen Tong kept silent for a few moments and then exhorted, “Please be really, really cautious. Everything I did was to build a future for us, so you must stay safe. Otherwise all my previous efforts would be for nothing.”

Ling Zhang gripped his hand and gazed earnestly at him, “You must stay safe as well.”

“Ahem, ahem,” Ji Yin softly coughed, reminding the two of them about the presence of their elders.

Ling Zhang came back to his senses and released his grip, embarrassed.

Yuwen Tong, however, appeared quite collected and continued confiding his arrangements to them.

…

The supplies to be transported to the north-west weren’t ready yet, but Yuwen Tong had to set out on the journey first.

The next day, Yuwen Tong would exit the city and depart for the north-west. This was his last night in the capital city, and during the day he had gone to the imperial palace and then the Right Prime Minister’s residence, and it’d been after dusk that he returned.

The atmosphere in the city was still tense and subdued. News of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom massing at the border had spread through the whole city; the deceased former emperor’s coffin was still in the imperial palace, waiting to be transferred to the imperial mausoleum; meanwhile, the rebellion in Cangzhou was still ongoing… Not only were officials having apprehensive faces in court meetings, common citizens were also in panic and fear. Soldiers on patrol could be seen on the streets from time to time, but there were very few ordinary residents walking outdoors.

“Have you got everything arranged?” Ling Zhang, who had been waiting in the corridor, hurried up to Yuwen Tong at the sight of him coming back.

Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. “All arrangements have been made. You’ll have to handle the rest of it.”

Yuwen Tong would put Ling Zhang in charge of his whole intelligence network in the capital city, and Ling Zhang would be the only one with the authority to mobilize the resources. Yue Qi had secretly led a group of men to Cangzhou, and staying in the capital city were Zhang Liu, Miao Shisan and Miao Shiba. All the others would go to the north-west with Yuwen Tong, including Yao Yi and Xie Shi.

“Miao Shisan has taken over the intelligence network in this city for some time. He should be able to answer all your questions.”

Ling Zhang inclined his head and said, “I’ll be careful. I’ve had Wang Qing prepare a batch of precious vulneraries and life-saving drugs. The most important ones have been put into several boxes. You may carry them with you. As for those less important ones, I’ll have them delivered there.”

Yuwen Tong said, “Okay.”

“And…” Ling Zhang suddenly fished out a pamphlet and handed it to Yuwen Tong. “These are the diagrams of the formations that I recalled afterwards as well as the formations that my grandfather taught me in the Millennium Pavilion after I consulted him. I’ve checked them all, and I think a couple of them should be useful to you.”

Yuwen Tong took it and his eyes brightened after he ran an eye over it. “This is pretty good stuff. It’ll be a great help to me.”

“It’s just that your troops might not be able to master these formations in a hurry. It’ll take some time,” observed Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong gave a smile. “Don’t worry. There are a lot of people adept at formations in the army, and there are also soldiers who have received special training. They’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong put an icy cold little thing into his hand and said under his breath, “This is half of the commander’s seal for dispatching the Northern City Garrison Battalion. The Right Prime Minister has the other half of it. Although I have faith in them, you’re the one I trust the most. If anything unforeseen happens – and that’s a big if – this half of the commander’s seal will prove useful. You’ve made the acquaintance of the commander and the deputy commander of the Northern City Garrison Battalion. Both of them knew about the relations between us. As long as you show this thing to them, they will help you.”

Ling Zhang tightened his grip on the half of the commander’s seal in his hand and said in a deep voice, “I see.”

Having finished talking about this matter, the two of them cuddled in the corridor of their courtyard house.

This was Yuwen Tong’s last night in this residence. All necessary arrangements made, this was the time he could spend alone with Ling Zhang, and nobody would disturb them.

“I really hope all this would end very quick, so that I would be able to return very soon. We’re going to get married after I come back,” said Yuwen Tong.

“Get married?” With his head rested on Yuwen Tong’s shoulder, Ling Zhang smiled, “Shouldn’t you put this country under your dominion as soon as possible, stabilize the situation and then get to the top of the hierarchy?”

“The highest position pales into insignificance compared to us getting married. Our wedding is of the utmost importance, and nothing takes precedence over it. I’ll return to this city before the auspicious date we picked.”

Ling Zhang held him tight. “You taking care of yourself is the most important thing, because you staying safe is the precondition of the well-being of the rest of us.”

Yuwen Tong planted a kiss on his cheek and responded in a low and deep voice, “I know.”

“There’s so much I want to talk with you about,” said Ling Zhang.

“Um,” said Yuwen Tong, “I know that. I promise I’ll come back in one piece.”

In the past, the capital city had never struck Yuwen Tong as home when he’d returned from the borderlands. In his heart of hearts, the encampment of the North-western Army had been his home, the place where he’d belonged. However, now the situation had been reversed. Never had he ever felt so eager to stay in the capital city. This place where Ling Zhang was had replaced the encampment of the North-western Army as his home, so he would do everything within his power to come back here safe and sound.

Someone was waiting for him to come home – someone he was going to marry.

Chapter 311: They’ll Have to Make It to the Capital City Alive First

Yuwen Tong had set off for the north-west. It’d been before dawn and shortly after the city gates opened that he exited the city, followed by Yao Yi and some others, galloping straight towards the north-west.

Watching the end of the road in the distance where Yuwen Tong’s receding back had disappeared, Ling Zhang stood on the spot, feeling as though he didn’t have any insides, as though his heart had left with Yuwen Tong and probably wouldn’t return to his chest until Yuwen Tong came back.

“Have faith in him. With you waiting here for him, he will come back safe and sound.” Ji Yin reached out his hand and patted his shoulder.

Ling Zhang twisted his head around. “Grandfather.”

“All we need to do is keep the situation in this city in check. This place will be your foundation, your headquarters. He’s gone to the north-west, and you could contribute to your future by removing the obstacles in your way,” Ji Yin continued.

Ling Zhang inclined his head. “I understand.”

“Then cheer up. The moment that Yuwen boy left, I sensed that there were a lot more spies out there staking out this compound. They’re already making their move,” said Ji Yin.

Face darkening, Ling Zhang looked through the front gates of the residential compound.

…

In the Fang Mansion, the residence of Fang Quan, the Eighth Prince’s grandfather.

“Your Lordship, Yuwen Tong has exited the city. Presently, Ling Zhang and some guards are the only ones left in the Ling Mansion.”

“Humph, good! This is virtually a godsend. It is as though the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had specially dispatched their armies here for our gain. I really should send them a long thank-you letter! Yuwen Tong’s got a lot of balls. He actually believes the Northern City Garrison Battalion alone are enough to defend this city, and also dared leave Ling Zhang and those people of the Yuwen family here. He’s indeed just an army guy with plenty of brawn but no brains.”

Fang Quan smiled smugly, “Did you have the letter delivered there?”

“Yes, I did. The couple of lords must be considering as we speak,” answered his henchman.

“Considering? What do they think there is that needs to be considered? This is a heaven-sent opportunity. Once my grandson ascends the throne, they’ll be the most meritorious helpers. The imperial court is currently understaffed and all the high-ranking vacant posts will be theirs in the future. Why are they still hesitating?” said Fang Quan with a cold snort.

His henchman immediately replied, “I was being short-sighted and I said the wrong thing. Right now the couple of lords are, without doubt, writing in reply. The Eighth Prince is predestined to rule, and nothing can stop that from happening.”

It was only then that Fang Quan withdrew his frosty eyes and asked, “What’s the situation in the palace like? How are the Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin doing?”

“Everything’s fine in there, Your Lordship. Her Highness and the Eighth Prince are still keeping vigil beside the bier, waiting for you to go to the palace.”

“There’s no hurry. Tell them to show more patience.”

“Yes, Childe Ling.”

…

In the residential compound of the Assistant Minister of Rites.

Yuwen Feng was still occupied with work in the imperial palace. Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Qi were the only ones in the residence.

“Father, Yuwen Tong left the city?” Sitting in his wheelchair, Yuwen Qi moved to the doorway of Yuwen Zhi’s study by giving the wheels one push after another.

Yuwen Zhi had a servant wheel his son inside, dismissed the servant with a motion of his hand and then said, “He exited the city this morning.”

“What plans do you have? Surely we’re not going to stand by and watch Yuwen Tong take the throne? Given what kind of person he is and the history between us, he would almost certainly make our lives hell!” said Yuwen Qi, an icy and resentful look in his eyes.

“It was because of him that my mother died; my loss of mobility was also his doing; and he even evicted us from the residential compound of the Yuwen family. Father, on no account should we let him accede to the throne. Otherwise I’m afraid all of us, except for my loving big brother, will suffer!”

Yuwen Zhi didn’t move. He just tossed him a glance and then slowly said, “Seeing as how you’ve ended up, what could you possibly do about it?”

“Father!” Yuwen Qi erupted anxiously. “I may not be able to do anything to make a difference, but you can!”

Yuwen Zhi smiled wryly, “Me? He’s disposed of all my pawns and ruined all my plans. What would you have me do?”

“You don’t remember? The Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince are still alive! It’s them who are the former emperor’s offspring and have claim to the throne. You forgot this?!” said Yuwen Qi.

Yuwen Zhi’s eyebrows slightly twitched. “The Eighth Prince?”

“Yes. The Ninth Prince is only two years old, but the Eighth Prince is already ten. It’s totally viable for him to ascend the throne first, designate a courtier to assist him in governing the country, and assume dominion when he reaches adulthood. If we put some effort into it, maybe you’ll be the one bearing the title ‘the Courtier Regent’!”

The look in Yuwen Zhi’s eyes flickered. His original plan had been to control the emperor and command the nobles, but all his arrangements had been upset by Yuwen Tong. As things stood, if he really managed to get the Eighth Prince enthroned, maybe he would still achieve his goal.

Seeing he was swayed, Yuwen Qi continued, “The Eighth Prince’s grandfather is Fang Quan. Father, do you think Fang Quan is going to willingly give Yuwen Tong the throne that is rightfully his grandson’s? He’s sure as hell been making plans. If you at this point in time offer him some help which he desperately needs, he would undoubtedly be very grateful to you.”

Yuwen Zhi, who had already begun to mull over it, tapped the table.

“Since there are rightful successors to the throne, Yuwen Tong should step aside. Presently, the Wan Kingdom’s and the Luohai Kingdom’s armies are about to attack, so we cannot do anything to him, but once he wins the war and returns to this city, we can just pin the label of ‘traitor’ on him and have him executed, and then nobody would be a threat to us.”

Yuwen Zhi stopped tapping the table at the last remark. Seeing the crazed enthusiasm on Yuwen Qi’s face, he observed, “Yuwen Tong is family after all.”

Yuwen Qi sneered several times, “Father, you are not really that naive, are you? Yuwen Tong has never regarded us as family. Moreover, once he dies, everything of the Yuwen family will be yours.”

Yuwen Zhi looked at him wintrily, “Even so, this is not how you talk to your father.”

Yuwen Qi’s countenance froze for a moment, and then the grim smile on his face faded. “I’m sorry, Father.”

“Someone send Second Young Master back to his chambers to have some rest,” Yuwen Zhi instructed.

Yuwen Qi furrowed his brows. “Why are you doing this, Father?”

“Since you’re less mobile than before, you might as well stay in your chambers. Don’t move around or make any trouble for me. Guard your tongue and be careful about what you say after your big brother comes back,” said Yuwen Zhi.

Gripping the armrests with all his might, Yuwen Qi clenched his teeth. “I look forward to hearing good news from you, Father!”

Yuwen Zhi made no response. After having Yuwen Qi wheeled off, he pondered in the study for a long time, a sepulchral expression on his face, his eyes glinting bitterly. Eventually, he made up his mind.

…

Apart from Yuwen Zhi and his son, there were also some others entertaining dark schemes in the meantime.

Though staying in the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang could still sense that there were turbulent undercurrents beneath the semblance of tranquility in the capital city.

During this morning alone, Miao Shisan had reported to him several locations of secret meetings of courtiers in the city.

“It turns out he was right. He’s been away for merely half a day, but these people are already girding up their loins.” Ling Zhang had a wintry look in his eyes.

“Childe Ling, the Right Prime Minister seeks an audience with you,” reported Zhang Liu, walking inside.

The Right Prime Minister? Ling Zhang’s countenance returned to normal. He rose to his feet and asked, “Where’s he?”

“In the ante-room. I was afraid that the Right Prime Minister would attract too many people’s attention if he waited in the gateway, so I took him to the ante-room,” said Zhang Liu.

Ling Zhang inclined his head. “Then let’s go.”

In the ante-room, Ling Zhang met the Right Prime Minister, who was in his forties and seemed in very good health. Unlike other officials at his age who were mostly pot-bellied, he was quite lean and had scholar quality written all over him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Lordship. May I ask what it is that you came at this hour to see me about?” said Ling Zhang without preamble on entry.

The Right Prime Minister wasn’t uncomfortable with Ling Zhang’s straightforwardness. Smiling, he folded his hands in front and replied, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Childe Ling.”

Ling Zhang said, “Take a seat, please, Your Lordship.”

The two of them sat down. After having a sip of the tea, without making a mystery of anything, the Right Prime Minister said directly, “I turned up uninvited because there’s something I need to consult with you about, Childe Ling. Presently, there are some hidden forces in this city eager to make their move. If we are to eliminate them in one fell swoop, we’ll have to work together in cooperation.”

Ling Zhang gave a smile. “You’ve got a point, Your Lordship. Yuwen Tong put some of his informers under my command before leaving the city. Fang Quan has been having quite some visitors lately. Although I’ve never been there personally, I have a shrewd idea what they’ve been discussing. What do you think is the best way for us to cooperate?”

The Right Prime Minister had been unnoticeably observing Ling Zhang all along. He had long since heard of Ling Zhang as well as many of his deeds, and was aware of how his reputation in the capital city was like. Before coming here, he had envisioned several scenarios, and Ling Zhang’s appearing composed and unhurried was one of them, but the confidence in Ling Zhang’s eyes was something he hadn’t expected. He had thought that no matter how poised Ling Zhang was, he was still a young man, that he dared to act arrogantly only because Yuwen Tong was at his back, that after Yuwen Tong left, faced with this situation, he would be more or less flustered and develop dependence on him who was the Right Prime Minister.

But now, as far as he could tell, when Ling Zhang looked at him, in his eyes was no fluster caused by fear of the current situation. Although Ling Zhang was asking him what would be the best way for them to cooperate, the expression in his eyes was suggesting that he was very confident. Clearly he had some time ago taken precautions against this situation and probably had already figured out a counterplot to tackle it…

The Right Prime Minister was sent confused as to whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. On the bright side, this would make things a lot easier, for both of them knew what they should do, and things in the capital city would be kept in check before Yuwen Tong returned. The downside to it was that he wouldn’t be able to manipulate Ling Zhang. This young man was not someone who would be deluded into doing anybody else’s bidding, which meant that his little tricks wouldn’t work on him, and he needed to cooperate with him in another way.

It was such a pity, for he had an unmarried daughter of marriageable age. Never mind. Given the circumstances, he could only play it by ear now. Presently the first priority was to ensure the stability of the situation in this city.

“If Fang Quan is to help the Eighth Prince succeed to the throne, he would have to do something to break the Northern City Garrison Battalion’s sole control of this city. My guess is that he will figure out a way to rope in the commander of the battalion. Meanwhile, he might also seek help from forces in provincial areas. Have you made any preparations, Childe Ling?”

“Forces in provincial areas? The military presence in Jiangzhou is his only option, I suppose?”

“Exactly. I wonder if you have devised a counterplan, Childe Ling.”

Ling Zhang smiled, “If the garrison of Jiangzhou want to come to his help, first they’ll have to consider whether or not they’ll be able to make it here alive.”

Chapter 312: Putting Out Feelers and a Kick Up the Backside

Ling Zhang’s tone was unhurried and confident, as though he had conceived a counterplan some time ago. On hearing this remark, the Right Prime Minister couldn’t help but give it some thought. Then he ventured, “Is it because the Marshal has made some arrangements before he left the capital city?”

Having no intention of keeping it back from him, Ling Zhang bobbed his head. “Yuwen Tong has long since taken precautions against this. Someone will intercept the garrison of Jiangzhou. Currently, all we need to do is keep the situation in this city under control.”

The Right Prime Minister’s face took on a pleasantly surprised expression as it came to his knowledge that his guess was right. “Who is it?” he asked.

“The garrison of Shengzhou.”

The Right Prime Minister was amazed. “The garrison of Shengzhou? Right now the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are attacking the north-west. The garrison of Shengzhou is supposed to be our second defensive line, the North-western Army being the first. If–”

“There’s no if,” observed Ling Zhang earnestly, looking at him. “If Yuwen Tong fails, even the garrison of Shengzhou wouldn’t be able to change the fact that we’re defeated. Do you think any of this would mean anything if things really come to that?”

The Right Prime Minister gazed thoughtfully at Ling Zhang. After a few moments, he solemnly said, “You’re right. If things do come to that, it wouldn’t make any difference whether or not the garrison of Shengzhou is in position.”

“The North-western Army’s victory is certain, and the army of Jiangzhou must be held back. The garrison of Shengzhou has covertly moved southward, poised to attack at any moment. Presently, what we need to do is keep the situation in this city stable. Cangzhou is too close to the capital city. Although Dai Cheng is wounded for the moment and his troops are occupied with fighting the rebel army, it’s best if we make sure nobody in this city reaches Dai Cheng. As a result, apart from defending this city, we also have to stay alert and prevent people in here from getting in touch with Dai Cheng. My suggestion is that we close half of the city gates and have everybody exiting the city undergo strict security check. What do you think, Your Lordship?” said Ling Zhang.

The Right Prime Minister’s countenance was now different from how it’d been a moment ago. If just now he had faintly meant to sound Ling Zhang out, then now he had no intention of putting out feelers whatsoever. “This is also one of the matters I came here to consult with you about, Childe Ling. Seeing as you also think this is a necessary measure, I’ll give the order to close half of the city gates immediately after I leave.”

Ling Zhang inclined his head. “I’ve been keeping watch on Fang Quan all along. Recently he and his allies haven’t found the time to take any action in response to the rebellion in Cangzhou. The rebel forces are a threat no less dire than the coalition of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom. They won’t summon Dai Cheng to this city unless they have to. Right now what concerns me more is that Dai Cheng might ignore the rebels and lead his men straight back to this city if the real situation here comes to his knowledge.”

The Right Prime Minister was astonished, both at the undertone contained in Ling Zhang’s words and by the fact that Ling Zhang had actually thought this far.

“Currently Dai Cheng is held back by the insurrectionary army. He wouldn’t be able to go after us even if he wants to.”

After a few moments’ silence, Ling Zhang commented, “Dai Cheng was one of the former emperor’s henchmen, after all. It’s always wise to play safe. We need to be prepared for the worst.”

Yuwen Tong had made arrangements for the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) to go to Cangzhou overtly and Yue Qi to go there covertly, both of whom had orders to keep the army in Cangzhou under control and prevent Dai Cheng from leading his troops back to the capital city, but before everything was settled, anything was possible. They must make some preparations so that they wouldn’t be flustered when unforeseen events happened.

The Right Prime Minister thought for a while and then said, “I can see what you mean, Childe Ling. I’ll… How about this? If you’re free tomorrow, I’ll invite Lord Zhao and Commander Xie of the Northern City Garrison Battalion to your house to have a meeting and discuss it.”

Ling Zhang said, “Of course I’m available tomorrow, but I’m your junior by many years, and I don’t want to breach the etiquette. Would it be convenient for you if I pay a visit to your abode tomorrow morning?”

The Right Prime Minister smiled, “Sure. I’ll be waiting at home for you to come tomorrow morning.”

Ling Zhang said, “I don’t dare keep you waiting, Your Lordship. I’ll go there at an early hour. Have there been any changes of situation in the imperial palace?”

The Right Prime Minister replied, “The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin have been keeping vigil beside the former emperor’s coffin. The Ninth Prince and the Concubine Liu are also present. Of the two princes, the Ninth Prince is only two years old. He and his mother are largely invisible. The Eighth Prince and the Concubine Jin, however, are getting almost all the attention in the imperial court. This morning, I received a message saying that Fang Quan had had letters delivered to several courtiers’ dwellings. The couple of them who visited Fang Quan earlier this day were the ones who had made definite replies. The others haven’t taken a clear-cut stand yet.”

Ling Zhang said, “Those staying low are probably sitting on the fence. All of them are uncertain factors and could be swayed at any moment, which is bad news for us. We need to keep close watch on them. I’ve been informed of the identities of those who visited the Fang Mansion today. Since our goal is to use Fang Quan to bring down all those against us once and for all, it’s inadvisable for us to take any immediate action. The way I see it, right now we could just put them under surveillance. What do you think, Your Lordship?”

The Right Prime Minister replied, “I can’t agree more. I’ve already sent some men to stake out the Fang Mansion. I’m expecting them to make their move. It’s just… Although some of them didn’t show up, they are hiding in the shadows. These people might also be a big trouble, probably bigger than the trouble Fang Quan could bring us, actually.”

“You mean people like the Jiang family?” asked Ling Zhang.

The Right Prime Minister was astonished once again. It could be said that so far Ling Zhang had thought of everything he had thought of, which showed that Ling Zhang had some time ago got enough acquaintance with these matters and people in this city. He said with a nod, “Exactly. After all, the empress dowager was a member of the Jiang family. The two underage princes have cousinship with people of the Jiang family, so they are probably more inclined to support the two princes than they are to support the Marshal. Given that the Ninth Prince is still young, and the Concubine Liu and her family are relatively weak compared with the Fang family, I guess they wouldn’t take any action. After all, the Eighth Prince has a greater chance. So the likelihood is that the Jiang family would contact the Fang family.”

Ling Zhang said, “I understand what you mean, Your Lordship. The Jiang family hasn’t made their move so far, but they will in a day or two.”

Currently, of these people in the capital city, all those with enough sense would have known by now that their every move was being watched. He had his eye on those people, and maybe those people had their eye on him as well.

“Your Lordship, please make sure you’re accompanied by enough guards when you’re outdoors, in case anything unexpected happens,” said Ling Zhang.

The Right Prime Minister gave a nod. “The Marshal had made some arrangements in this regard before he left. I and a couple of other courtiers are all under the protection of secret guards. Also, I always take my own guards with me. I’ll be as careful as I could. It’s your safety that concerns me. Although the security of this residence is no doubt very tight, you still need to be extra cautious.”

“I understand,” said Ling Zhang.

…

The purposes of this visit of the Right Prime Minister’s were to sound Ling Zhang out and to keep each other informed. Now that both these ends had been achieved, he soon took his leave after the two of them agreed to meet in his abode the next morning.

It was when the Right Prime Minister had left that Ji Yin and Ling Zhaowu walked over from the rear yard. Ji Yin, whose sense of hearing was amazingly sharp, had heard every word of their conversation and given Ling Zhaowu a general account of it.

“Is the Right Prime Minister the one who has the other half of the commander’s seal of the Northern City Garrison Battalion?” asked Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang bobbed his head. “Yes.”

“Tomorrow I’ll go to his place with you,” said Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang looked at Ling Zhaowu, somewhat surprised, but he came to understand what he meant at the sight of the solicitous expression in Ling Zhaowu’s eyes. “Father, we might encounter dangers after we leave this place. You–”

“I can protect myself. I’m not comfortable with the idea of you going there alone,” said Ling Zhaowu.

“Let Donglin and Chaofang go with you two,” suggested Ji Yin. Compared with Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowu both of whom were cautious about this trip, Ji Yin appeared much more relaxed, and the reason for it was because in Ji Yin’s eyes, these were all trivial matters. With his powers, he could easily hold back all people in this city, so he naturally didn’t take the subordinates of the opposing side seriously.

“I’ll have Wang Dashan and the other security guards deploy a large-scale formation in this residential compound, which I can guarantee no intruder would be able to make it out of alive.”

After saying this, Ji Yin directly left, found Wang Dashan and the others, and then started deploying the formation.

Four hours later, the formation was finished and with that the whole aspect of the Ling Mansion changed. Ling Zhang and all the others amid the formation sensed the changes. Those staking out the compound outside saw the front gates of it suddenly vanish into thin air and widened their eyes with horror, as though they had seen a ghost.

“Wha–What the hell is going on?!”

“How did the front gates of this residence disappear?”

“Not just the front gates. Look at that residence. It’s clearly still there, but if I stare at it for some time, I’d feel that there’s something weird about it, as though it was going to vanish into the void.”

The two speakers looked at each other in blank dismay. Eventually they each gave a cold shiver of fear.

…

In the Right Prime Minister’s residential compound.

“How did it go, Your Lordship?”

“He’s not what he seems either. No wonder the Marshal has got his eye on him. Previously I was confused as to why the Marshal didn’t let us meet Childe Ling first before he left the capital city, and why he dared leave him alone in the capital city. Now it all makes sense. It turns out that the Marshal knew some time ago that Childe Ling was capable of handling this situation, and I’m afraid he also did this to test us.”

“Judging from your words, it seems that Childe Ling is indeed more than what he seems.”

“Tomorrow Childe Ling will come here to meet you. We’re now all in this together, so we need to get to know each other.”

“Don’t worry, Your Lordship. We know what’s at stake. Tomorrow we’ll all be here.”

Later this day, Zhao Zheng showed up, and the Right Prime Minister brought him into his study.

When the Right Prime Minister had told him about his conversation with Ling Zhang during the day, Zhao Zheng just gave a smile, totally unsurprised.

“I came to know that he’s not a brainless playboy as early as the time when I first heard of his reputation. He told you about the garrison of Shengzhou merely to give us a word of warning,” said Zhao Zheng.

The Right Prime Minister also gave a smile. “I know. Originally it was me trying to sound him out, but eventually the reverse applied – he was tactfully warning me to toe the line. It’s actually quite interesting.”

“You said that you had only half of the commander’s seal. Now it would seem the other half is in his hands,” said Zhao Zheng.

The Right Prime Minister nodded. “My worry about this matter was the very reason why I paid him a visit to put out feelers to him today. Now whether or not he has the other half of the seal no longer concerns me.”

“By the way, about the Fang Mansion–”

“Your Lordship!” A sudden yell came from outside.

The Right Prime Minister exchanged glances with Zhao Zheng and then called the man in. “What is it?”

The man walked inside and reported the changes of the Ling Mansion to them. “… The front gates suddenly disappeared and we haven’t seen anybody go in or out of the compound ever since. It’s rea–really weird. What should we do, Your Lordship?”

“Are you sure of what you saw?” The Right Prime Minister was astounded.

Zhao Zheng said with a thoughtful look, “Take it easy. Tell us some details about the changes.”