The next morning, when Ling Zhang woke up in Yuwen Tong’s bed, he was calm and not surprised at all. He had guessed that under no circumstances would Yuwen Tong take him to his own bedroom.
There was an arm around his waist, and he knew whose it was without having to turn his head back to check.
Maybe because he went to watch stars and the moon with Yuwen Tong the night before, he was now much more composed than he was the day before. Calmly, he moved Yuwen Tong’s arm off him.
A chuckle came from behind and with that the arm sprang around his waist and dragged him back. Hot air was breathed over his neck. “You woke up.”
“Let go of me. I want to get up.”
“Okay,” Yuwen Tong replied and then landed a kiss on his neck. “Off you go.”
Since the neck was a very sensitive area, that kiss almost brought all Ling Zhang’s hair rising. He immediately jumped off Yuwen Tong’s bed, turned around and shot him a dark glance. “Do that again and I’ll kick your ass.”
Yuwen Tong couldn’t help but chuckle.
Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look, dressed into his overgarment, straightened his clothes and then, without even flicking another glance at Yuwen Tong, swaggeringly walked out of the room.
Hearing the bodyguards outside repeatedly calling “Childe Ling”, Yuwen Tong couldn’t conceal the smile on the corners of his mouth no matter how hard he tried. ‘If some day, these guys address Ling Zhang as “Mistress”, I would probably be the happiest man in the world,” he thought.
Beneath the meaningful and delighted gaze of bodyguards, with a relaxed expression on his face, Ling Zhang walked out of the Green Bamboo Mansion. And then, to the stare of Xia Feng and some others whose faces were full of shock as if the sky was going to collapse, he returned to his bedroom.
“Xia Feng, get some hot water here. I need to take a bath and then change clothes.”
“Ye–Yes, Young Master!”
Xia Feng collected himself. ‘Young Master wants to take a bath and change clothes? Surely it’s not what I think…’
As if half-conscious, Xia Feng arranged for hot water to be delivered to Ling Zhang’s bathroom. “Young Master, would you like me to help you bathe?”
“That won’t be necessary. You may leave.” Ling Zhang paused, thought for a few moments and then declined.
Xia Feng swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue, answered “Yes” and then took the servants out of the room.
Then he flicked a glance at the Green Bamboo Mansion next door, and with that deep distress showed on his face. He secretly made up his mind to keep his young master under close protection. ‘On no account should I let the man living next door do this to young master again!’
If Ling Zhang came to know what Xia Feng had pictured in his mind, he would definitely laugh so hard as to spew his tea onto Xia Feng’s face and query him, “What the hell has got into you?”
After taking a bath and changing clothes, Ling Zhang went to Ling Zhaowen’s place.
“Uncle, has everything been handled in Lu family?”
“There’s no hurry. Have you had breakfast?” Ling Zhaowen, who happened to be having breakfast, invited Ling Zhang to dine with him. “Come and grab a bite.”
Ling Zhang sat down and a servant immediately placed a bowl and a pair of chopsticks before him.
Breakfast was a bowl of congee with slices of lean and vegetable in it, five little steamed stuffed buns, a dish of sautéed bok choy, and six meatballs made of mashed pork and mushroom purée.
Ling Zhang quietly had breakfast with his uncle, who then informed him, “Everything’s properly dealt with. The mourning hall and all other related stuff have been removed. Ling family hired a taoist priest who’s going to hold a ritual in their house to expel bad luck the day after tomorrow which is believed to be an auspicious date for a ritual of this kind. I want you to go with me.”
“All right,” answered Ling Zhang. “Did Yuwen Tong tell you about grandfather?”
“Yes. He told me that your grandfather would arrive tomorrow.”
“I’ll go out of the city and pick him up.”
“It may not be a bad idea. Remember to take some men with you. Although Zhang Chong’s dead, some of his minions might still make trouble for us.”
“Yes, Second Master.”
“There’s a lot going on in the Prefecture Yamen and I might be too occupied to be able to spare any time to come back during the next few days, so you’ll have to spend more time at home keeping things in order. As regards the Marshal… If my guess is right, Dai Cheng is paying us a visit later today. Make sure we’re ready for it.”
“Good.”
“Zhang’er, you didn’t raise any objections when I mentioned your engagement to the Marshal that day. Are you still against it?”
Ling Zhaowen suddenly brought up his engagement. After a fleeting trance of surprise, Ling Zhang replied, “Uncle, I’ve already promised Yuwen Tong that I would go to the capital city with him. The engagement still stands.”
Ling Zhaowen’s eyes lit up and he couldn’t help but slap himself on the lap and observed excitedly, “Good! I’m very glad to know that you’ve thought it through and changed your mind!”
Ling Zhang fell silent. The excitement on his uncle’s face brought him wondering how eager his uncle was to see him marry Yuwen Tong.
He felt an urge to tell his uncle not to count his chickens before they were hatched, but after some thinking, he forbore from doing so, believing that he could always tell his uncle if he really decided to break off his engagement to Yuwen Tong, that it was unnecessary for him to cast a chill over his uncle on this occasion.
“I’m definitely going to inform your grandfather of this the moment he returns. He’d be very happy to hear this good news.”
Ling Zhang was at a loss for words.
After breakfast, Ling Zhaowen had a short rest and then left home heading for the Prefecture Yamen. When he was about to reach the yamen, somebody got in the way and stopped his palanquin.
“What’s the matter?”
“Second Master, someone is blocking our path saying that he’s here to deliver a letter.”
‘A letter?’ Ling Zhaowen knitted his eyebrows, opened the palanquin curtain and saw a stranger standing in front.
“Who are you?”
“You’ll find out after reading the letter, Tongzhi Ling.”
‘This accent… He’s from the capital city.’ Ling Zhaowen took the letter that Li Fu had checked, opened it, ran an eye over it and his face slightly changed.
As if having guessed what Ling Zhaowen was thinking about, the man who had delivered the letter said, “They’ll be waiting for you at the Fengtai Pavilion, Tongzhi Ling.”
After saying this, the person walked away and soon disappeared into the crowd.
Ling Zhaowen stared at the letter in his hands, deep concern on his face.
“Did anything happen, Second Master?” asked Li Fu in a low voice.
“Let’s go to the yamen first.” Ling Zhaowen put away the letter.
People of Yuwen family had invited him to a meeting at the Fengtai Pavilion. Yuwen Tong was living right in his house. He wondered why some other members of Yuwen family specially invited him to have a meeting elsewhere.
The only matter that concerned both Ling family and Yuwen family was the engagement between Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong.
Ling Zhaowen was not as naive as his father. At the very beginning, he had suspected that the reason why people of Yuwen family had never staked out their position on this engagement was because they were not very happy about it, but after Yuwen Tong came to Tanyang and offered Ling family a lot of help, Ling Zhaowen’s suspicions had dissolved, but now…
‘It seems that some people of Yuwen family see this matter differently.’
“Li Fu, make some inquiries and find out the identities of those who invited me to room A on the second floor of the Fengtai Pavilion. Remember, try not to be spotted, and keep it secret. Don’t tell Zhang’er about this matter for the moment.”
“Yes, Second Master.”
At the corner of the street.
“Is it done?”
“Yes. I saw Ling Zhaowen read the letter with my own eyes.”
“Good.”
“Supervisor, what if Ling Zhaowen refuses to come?”
“He doesn’t dare.”
…
It was almost noon. Li Fu returned to the Prefecture Yamen.
“How did it go? Did you ascertain who those people are?” asked Ling Zhaowen.
“I did. There are three of them. The owner of the Fengtai Pavilion said that those three people’s clothing was low-key, but they were clearly rich. Their accent suggest they are from the capital city. They are very arrogant and have their noses in the air. I made some inquiries and found that they seem to have been staying in an inn in eastern city for two days,” replied Li Fu.
‘Those must be them.’ Ling Zhaowen thought for a while and then said, “Go there with me at noon. Stay alert. We shall leave at the first inkling of trouble.”
Li Fu nodded, “How about I go to the Fengtai Pavilion right now and make some arrangements in advance?”
“All right. Try to do it undetected.”
“I understand.”
At noon, Tao Feng invited Ling Zhaowen to have lunch with him.
“I’m sorry, Your Lordship, but I have an appointment and have to go to the Fengtai Pavilion this noon.” Ling Zhaowen had no choice but to decline.
Tao Feng gave a smile. “An appointment in the Fengtai Pavilion at noon? Is it the Marshal that you’re going to meet?”
“Not the Marshal, really. You may rest assured that I’ll mention the banquet to the Marshal after I return, Your Lordship.”
Tao Feng chuckled happily, “Now we’re talking. It seems that none of my thoughts can escape your eyes.”
After a quite wordy conversation, Ling Zhaowen managed to take his leave of Tao Feng and walked out of the Prefecture Yamen. Li Fu, who had been waiting outside, saw him and gave a bob of the head, indicating that all necessary arrangements had been made.
Ling Zhaowen got on the palanquin and went to the Fengtai Pavilion.
“Are you here to have lunch, Lord Ling?”
“Somebody’s expecting me in room A on the second floor.”
“Oh — ” the owner drawled meaningfully and then informed Ling Zhaowen in an undertone, “Those three people arrived here a short while ago. They’re already in the room.”
Ling Zhaowen nodded and went upstairs.
Li Fu rewarded the owner of the restaurant and thanked him.
The owner happily put the money away and added, “Those three people seem to be from some powerful background. I’m afraid they have a high-ranking backer. Please remind Lord Ling to be careful lest he fall victim to their tricks.”
“I will,” Li Fu responded and then walked upstairs as well.
Because of Yuwen Tong, all residents of Tanyang were very respectful of members of Ling family. If it weren’t for the fact that the battle the night before had alarmed them, many of them would have gone to the gateway of Ling family and prostrated themselves there to show their worship of the legendary war hero.
But people of Ling family found this rather embarrassing.
On the second floor, Li Fu knocked at the door of room A for Ling Zhaowen.
“Come in, please,” said someone inside the private room.
Li Fu opened the door and his eyes swept around the private room. There were indeed three people inside. Originally, all of them had been sitting, and it was not until they saw the door open that one of them stood up.
Li Fu took a small step backward to make way for Ling Zhaowen.
“May I ask if you are they ones who request my presence here? Please pardon me for my ignorance, but I don’t know who you are,” said Ling Zhaowen before any of the three people could talk.
The three men exchanged glances and then the one sitting in the middle seat, who was relatively shorter but looked more imposing than the other two, responded to Ling Zhaowen, “I’m Zhao Fugui, a supervisor of Yuwen family in the capital city. It was rather curt of me to invite Tongzhi Ling here. I hope Tongzhi Ling won’t lay any blame on me.”
“Well, I didn’t really take any offence, but I do suspect your identities. After all, there are now too many people who are aware of the Marshal’s presence in my house. Some even impersonated as members of Yuwen family to trick us into sending them gifts. Do you have anything that can prove you are who you claim to be?” Ling Zhaowen didn’t put up any pretence of politeness and there was even coldness in his tone of voice. He didn’t sit down but just stood at the door watching them.
This rather unfriendly manner brought frown to the faces of the three men. Supervisor Zhao asked, “What do you mean, Tongzhi Ling? Are you suspecting that we are frauds?”
“If you are really from Yuwen family, it would be far more reasonable for you to come to Ling family to meet me, but you chose to invite me to this place, making this meeting and yourselves stealthy. Is it not a natural thing that I suspect you’re frauds?”
“You! How dare you regard us as frauds!” a man standing beside Supervisor Zhao thundered. “Who do you think you are? You’re nothing but a petty official. What gave you the courage to lay scorn on us?”
“No matter whether I’m a petty official or a top-ranking one, I would never be polite to frauds. So tell me, are you frauds or are you really members of Yuwen family? Show me some proof.”
“This is outrageous! Ling Zhaowen, you’d better get rid of that attitude!”
Ling Zhaowen sneered and reprimanded, “So you have no proof? Then I’m afraid you’ll be taken into custody awaiting trial. You dared to impersonate members of Yuwen family. I have to admit that you really have quite some balls!”
