News of what had happened at the city gate, like a gust of wind, soon spread through the whole capital city. The caravan had not reached the residence of Yuwen family yet, but all people of Yuwen family had already heard about it.
Yuwen Zhi’s face was terrifyingly sepulchral. The servant who had just delivered the message was so nervous that he was involuntarily trying to keep his breathing shallow.
With a frown on her face, Zheng shi, worriedly twisting her handkerchief, said, “Master, that Ling Zhang guy is so arrogant and domineering. If we really allow him to marry into this family, he will no doubt make our life unbearable.”
Yuwen Qi remarked indignantly, “He’s such a tough bastard. How did he come to survive the journey?!”
“Tell me about it. He’s in the capital city now. The very thought of having to face such a male courtesan every day makes me feel sick,” Zheng shi said in disgust.
Then she added, “Master, you need to figure something out. Surely you won’t just stand by and let it be? My niece is a thousand times, if not ten thousand times, better than that Ling Zhang guy. Anyway, if that Ling Zhang guy really marries into this family, I’ll go back to live with my parents. On no account will I stay here letting him bully me.”
“Mother, this is Yuwen family, and you are the mistress. Who is he to have you make way for him?” observed Yuwen Qi in displeasure.
Zheng shi winked at him, signaling him to keep quiet. Then she continued her talk with Yuwen Zhi. “Master, Yuwen family used to be home to so many martyrs who died honorable deaths for our country. Surely you won’t let a male courtesan ruin the reputation of this family, will you?”
Yuwen Zhi replied in a flinty tone of voice, “Enough.”
But Zheng shi persisted with her efforts. “I’m saying this for the sake of our family. Currently, our family enjoys very high prestige among all people in this city, but once we allow that male courtesan to marry into this family, we’ll instantly end up becoming a laughing stock of them!”
“I think that’s enough, Mother,” another man suddenly said, who had been sitting quietly in a right-hand seat all along. “You are dramatizing things.”
When faced with Yuwen Qi, Zheng shi was able to hush him, but when faced with this person, Zheng shi didn’t dare to do the same thing.
“Feng’er, surely you also disagree with letting that male courtesan marry into our family, don’t you?” Zheng shi asked worriedly.
Yuwen Feng was the eldest son of Yuwen Zhi, whom servants of Yuwen family usually addressed as “First Young Master”. He was now working in the Ministry of Rites. What was quite coincidental was that he was the current Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Both Yuwen Feng and Yuwen Qi were natural sons of Zheng shi, but Yuwen Qi was arrogant and domineering, while Yuwen Feng was usually poised, calm and very discreet.
In Yuwen family, except for Yuwen Zhi, Yuwen Feng was the one held in the greatest awe by servants.
“Mother, you are the Second Mistress of Yuwen family, a woman of high status who are not supposed to utter words like ‘male courtesan’ without thinking twice first. People might look down upon our family because of this.” Yuwen Feng even dared to lecture his own mother.
Surprisingly, Zheng shi was afraid to contradict. “I–I said that because I’m in my own house with no outsider present.”
“A ready tongue is an evil. We need to be cautious with our words and actions at all times.” Yuwen Feng didn’t fall for his mother’s excuse.
Yuwen Qi went impatient and felt an urge to contradict his brother but hesitated. Evidently, he was somewhat afraid of him. Eventually, he merely gave a frown.
“We haven’t met this person named Ling Zhang yet, so don’t jump to conclusions. Indeed, what he did at the city gate today seemed rather arrogant, but he successfully established his authority and made it distinctly known to everybody how much my cousin cared about him. Actually Ling Zhang is not the one we should be afraid of. He knows very well that my cousin is the key to everything. No matter what kind of man he really is, by no means is he someone to be taken lightly,” commented Yuwen Feng.
Yuwen Zhi’s face was still cold and sullen, but he gradually calmed down while hearing Yuwen Feng’s words.
“My cousin and the team will soon arrive. We’d better try not to anger him. Now let’s go outside to welcome him.”
Yuwen Qi responded contemptuously, “I’m not going, not when that Ling Zhang guy is among them.”
“That’s true, Feng’er. You really think we should go outside to welcome that man? Your father and I are elders, even to your cousin,” said Zheng shi.
Yuwen Feng shook his head, rose to his feet and said, “These words of yours were unthoughtful, Mother. It’s true that you are an elder to him, but he’s the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Great Yue. Even His Majesty has to send the King Duan to welcome him. Surely you won’t think your status is even higher than that of the King Duan, do you? If this comes to the knowledge of any outsiders, they will only say that we are undisciplined and unobservant.”
A vexed look appeared on Zheng shi’s face. Though her eldest son was telling the truth, she still felt his words quite displeasing.
“Master–” She twisted her head aside and looked at her husband with the intention to ask him for support.
Unexpectedly, Yuwen Zhi rose from his seat, as if ready to go outside to welcome the group, and said, “Let’s go.”
Zheng shi clenched her teeth. Though bitterly unconvinced, she had no alternative but to stand up and follow in her husband’s wake.
…
“I’ll go to the imperial palace to have an audience with the emperor first. You may go to your house first. I’ve already sent Yue Qi there in advance. He’s familiar with that area. If you need any help, just talk to him. I’ll go there to see you after finishing the business in the imperial palace,” Yuwen Tong informed Ling Zhang.
Ling Zhang was surprised. “I don’t have to visit the residence of Yuwen family first?”
Yuwen Tong’s face went cold. “That can wait. Just go to your own place. Tomorrow I’ll take you to visit my uncle. And then we’ll go to the residence of Yuwen family.”
Originally, he had wanted to convince Ling Zhang to live in the residence of Yuwen family, but after so many terrible things happened during the journey, people of the secondary Yuwen family, who were headed by his second uncle, couldn’t even be bothered to state their stand, so he decided to show a tit-for-tat disregard for their feelings.
After thinking for a while, Ling Zhang responded, “All right. Then I’ll go back to my own residence first. You should be careful. His Majesty…”
“I’ll take care,” Yuwen Tong said.
Originally, the King Duan had been walking side by side with Yuwen Tong, but Yuwen Tong had suddenly slowed down and gone to the horse-drawn carriage to talk with the one inside about something.
A thoughtful look flashed across the eyes of the King Duan. With that, he flicked a glance at the horse-drawn carriage and soon took his eyes off it.
When they reached a fork, the King Duan and others watched as all people of Ling family and half of Yuwen Tong’s bodyguards left the columns and turned into a branch.
“Marshal, where is Childe Ling going? That road does not lead to the residence of Yuwen family,” the King Duan couldn’t help but said in surprise.
Yuwen Tong replied, “Ling family have their own residence in the capital city.”
‘Really? Why is this my first time hearing this?!’ the King Duan wondered in astonishment.
Even those officials behind him were amazed. ‘When did Ling family purchase a residence in the capital city?’
“King Duan, how about we go into the imperial palace together?” asked Yuwen Tong.
The King Duan’s eyes lit up. “You want to seek an audience with my father?”
Yuwen Tong inclined his head. “Exactly. Naturally the first thing I should do after returning to the capital city is visit His Majesty to pay my respects. I’m his servant and this is part of my obligation.”
The King Duan dissolved into laugh. “You are just as courteous as always, Marshal. All right. I’ll go to the imperial palace with you right now.”
Thus, news of this reached the ears of Yuwen Zhi and some others who had been waiting at the front gate.
Yuwen Zhi’s face instantly went cold once again.
Yuwen Qi immediately said, “I told you so. There’s no need whatsoever for us to welcome him. Now this whole thing has become a big joke.”
Yuwen Feng flicked him a disapproving glance.
Zheng shi had never wanted to come. Feeling that she had been humiliated, said, “Let’s go back right now.”
Yuwen Qi immediately guided her towards the inside of the residence and observed, “It was all elder brother’s fault. If it weren’t for his insistence on us coming here, we would never have ended up becoming a laughing stock.”
Yuwen Feng, who was following in their wake, heard these words but his face remained unchanged. What worried him was that Yuwen Tong had not chosen to return home first. The only plausible explanation for this was that Yuwen Tong was angry. It seemed that he had been angered by Yuwen family’s turning a blind eye to the fact that someone had resorted to assassination and poison to have Ling Zhang killed.
Yuwen Feng halted and said to Yuwen Zhi, “Father, I’d like to have a talk with you in the study.”
Yuwen Zhi inclined his head and then headed for the study with his eldest son.
Seeing this, Zheng shi and Yuwen Qi were rather upset, feeling that they were keeping something back from them.
In a quite unhappy tone, Yuwen Qi commented, “Elder brother is always like this. He regards us as fools.”
His mother neither rebuked him nor agreed with him.
…
Meanwhile, news of Ling Zhang’s going to another residence instead of Yuwen family soon spread through the whole capital city.
“This is so surprising –Yuwen Tong didn’t take him to pay a formal visit to his elders. What’s this supposed to mean exactly? This is not really the way to show that he values his betrothed.”
“Tell me about it. Is it because Yuwen Tong actually does not think as highly of that Ling Zhang guy as he appeared to at the city gate?”
Soon all kinds of rumors started circulating, most of which had it that Ling Zhang didn’t mean much to Yuwen Tong.
The Ninth Princess also heard the news.
“Your Highness, it seems that the Marshal doesn’t really value Ling Zhang that much. What happened at the city gate was merely because that Ling Zhang guy was too plausible. The Marshal fell prey to his instigation and mistakenly believed that someone was trying to make him lose face, which was why he acted like that,” said a handmaid of the Ninth Princess.
The Ninth Princess removed her veil revealing her elegant and well-featured face. With a sarcastic expression in her eyes, she replied, “Of course I know. He’s but a man knowing nothing about being tender and gentle, yet he intends to compete with women for the heart of a man. This is ridiculous.”
“Your Highness, the Marshal has entered the imperial palace. Should we go there right away? You may spend more time with the Marshal. In the palace, you don’t have to wear the veil. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. The Marshal will be transfixed with shock when he lays eyes on your beauty,” the handmaid added.
With a smug expression on her face, the Ninth Princess said, “Let’s go. We should be quick.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
…
Wheels of the horse-drawn carriage kept rolling forward with a continuous purr. After traveling and looking for quite some time in the large capital city, Ling Zhang finally found the messuage that Yuwen Tong had purchased.
There were a lot of citizens following in their wake. Originally, these people had been following Yuwen Tong. When they had seen the carriage of Ling family take a turn, they changed their direction out of curiosity.
Yao Yi flicked a glance at those people and, in a somewhat resigned tone of voice, said to Ling Zhang, “Please don’t be angry, Childe Ling. Those residents follow the Marshal every time he returns to the capital city. Now you are also quite a celebrity, so they followed you here.”
Ling Zhang gave a smile. “Please spare me the embarrassment. I’m well aware of what kind of reputation I have.”
At this moment, Yue Qi, who had been waiting at the doorway of the residence, walked up to the horse-drawn carriage with some others.
After Ling Zhang got out of the carriage, Yue Qi and others made a bow with hands folded in front. “Your humble subordinate Yue Qi, along with ten bodyguards, respectfully welcome you to your residence, Childe.”
Ling Zhang had heard Yue Qi’s name several times, but this was the first time he saw Yue Qi in the flesh.
“Your reputation precedes you, Guard Yue.”
Yue Qi was slightly surprised. As he saw the amiable smile on Ling Zhang’s face, he couldn’t help but embarrassedly gave a smile. “You have a fair sense of humor, Childe. I’m but a boor.”
Ling Zhang observed, “You are by no means a boor. Quite the opposite, you have a wide range of capabilities, all of which I’ve been fully informed. And I owe you a debt of gratitude for your work in this residential compound. You gave me a place of my own the first day after I arrived in this city.”
Having never expected that Ling Zhang was such a courteous man, Yue Qi and others were somewhat pleasantly surprised. All of them replied, “You are too kind, Childe.”
“Childe, please allow us to lead you into the residence. You must be tired and could use some rest.”
“Childe, may I take the liberty of helping you carry your baggage?”
All bodyguards looked at Ling Zhang, curiosity gleaming in their eyes.
Ling Zhang gave a soft cough and replied, “I’m obliged to you for your help.”
