Novel Full Shortly after daybreak on this day, residents of Tanyang who had got up at an early hour first saw Zhang Chong, the Commander of Prefecture Guards, hastily enter the city, followed by four deputy commanders, galloping straight towards the residence of Ling family. Almost at the same time, Lord Tao, head of the Prefecture Yamen, was also seen hurrying towards Ling family with his subordinates.
“What’s going on? Did anything happen in Ling family?”
“But it doesn’t look like it. Before dawn, I saw the butler and some servants of Ling family go to the market to do grocery shopping, and as far as I could tell, none of them were acting like anything had happened.”
“I didn’t get wind of anything either.”
“Then what on earth is all the fuss about? Shall we go and check?”
Since both of the two big shots of Tanyang hastily went to Ling family with subordinates at daybreak, people’s curiosity was aroused and a lot of them gathered at the gateway of Ling family, craning their necks trying to find out what was going on inside the residence.
At this time. Inside Ling family.
Neither Zhang Chong nor Tao Feng had uttered a word. They just stood still opposite each other with serious faces, their moods different from one another.
One of them received an urgent letter delivered by a courier pigeon late at night the day before, and the other shortly before dawn on this day. Both letters said that Yuwen Tong, the Supreme Commander of armed forces of the Great Yue, was living in Ling family in Tanyang, that Marshal Yuwen had come to Tanyang to see his betrothed who was Ling Zhang from Ling family, that this news had spread through the whole capital city and caused a major sensation.
‘Isn’t this going to cause a sensation in Tanyang as well?’ Though Tao Feng had a grave face, he had actually been in shock all along.
‘Yuwen Tong is such a big noise. With his current status and the number of troops at his command, he is actually the second most powerful man in this country. There’s not a single person who doesn’t know his name in the whole Great Yue. This person is right in our city but we’ve been totally unaware of his presence all along. He’s been in Tanyang for so many days! Yet we never got wind of it!
Ling Zhaowen is such a bastard. Marshal has been in his home all along but he has never disclosed a single word about it!’
At this moment, Tao Feng’s mood was an uncommonly weird mixture of delight and alarm.
What alarmed him was that he had never detected any trances of Yuwen Tong’s presence in Tanyang, and people of Ling family had been keeping this secret and never disclosed anything about it. Blindsided by this news, he had to recall again and again all occurrences during the past almost half a month in Tanyang to confirm whether there had been any unjust or misjudged cases in his jurisdiction, whether there had been any news that might jeopardize his reputation, for fear that a minor mistake might bring his official career to an end.
What delighted him was also related to Ling family — ‘Ling Zhang is engaged to Yuwen Tong! And it was Old General Yuwen who concluded the marriage contract. Now the news has spread through the whole capital city, which means that the whole Great Yue will soon know about this and it’ll be an unchangeable fact! This is such a good news. Since Ling Zhang is engaged to Yuwen Tong, it is only too obvious whose side Yuwen Tong will take. It’s definitely not me but Zhang Chong whose life is going to get tough!
With the support of Yuwen Tong, Ling family’s position in Tanyang will be firm and solid. Given the feud between Zhang Chong and Ling family, it will be an easy job to crack down on Zhang Chong if Ling family decides to use the power of Yuwen family!’ thought Tao Feng.
After being under the threat from Zhang Chong for so many years, Tao Feng finally saw a favorable turn of situation. How could he not be delighted? He felt that he might burst into laugh in his dream and wake up at night.
Thinking about this, Tao Feng moved his eyes onto Zhang Chong’s face with the intention to find some traces of his thoughts.
Unfortunately, that hideous scar on the face of Zhang Chong was so obtrusive that Tao Feng found it very difficult to gauge his mood.
Tao Feng coldly gave a snort, thinking, ‘Stop your ridiculous pretence. I know you’re as anxious as an ant running in a heated pan.’
The letter from the capital city that he had received told him that, for some unknown reason, the emperor had ordered the house arrest of both Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince after being angered by something they had done, that all people on the side of the Sixth Prince were in deep anxiety. Since Zhang Chong and the Sixth Prince had common interests in a lot of aspects, and now Yuwen Tong had suddenly shown up in Tanyang, Zhang Chong was no doubt in alarm and fluster.
It was very quiet in the residence of Ling family. Though two big names — the commander of Prefecture Guards and the governor — had both come here, all servants of Ling family acted as usual, each calmly performing their respective duties.
The two men waited for quite a while but no member of Ling family came to the hall to receive them. Zhang Chong was just about to lose his temper when Ling Zhaowen hurriedly arrived.
“Lord Tao, Commander Zhang, please pardon me for not having welcomed you with due formality. May I ask what the urgent matter is that brings both of you here so suddenly?”
Tao Feng immediately put on a smiling face. “Well, Zhaowen, you–”
“Of course you know what brings us here. Stop playing dumb.” Zhang Chong flintily gave a snort and interrupted Tao Feng, looking at Ling Zhaowen with his piercing eyes. “Tell me — is Marshal in your home?”
After a brief pause, Ling Zhaowen smiled, “I don’t quite understand your words, Commander Zhang.”
“Well, Zhaowen, I know you have some misgivings, but the news has already spread out, and soon people of Tanyang will know about it as well,” observed Tao Feng.
Ling Zhaowen’s face remained unchanged. “Lord Tao, may I ask… what the news is that you are referring to?”
‘You want me to admit that Yuwen Tong is in Ling family? It won’t be that easy,’ thought Ling Zhaowen.
Zhang Chong’s face went cold. “Tongzhi Ling, Marshal Yuwen is of noble identity. We can’t afford to let the slightest harm come to him. If you keep deliberately hiding things from us and something does happen because of it, all people of Tanyang will have to pay for the mistake of Ling family with their lives.”
Ling Zhang, who had just come with Yuwen Tong out of worry about his uncle, happened to hear this remark and his face fell cold.
“There’s no need for you to threaten my family, Commander Zhang. Tanyang is under the protection of the Prefecture Guards. What could go wrong?”
Hearing this, all people in the ante-room looked in the direction of the doorway and saw Ling Zhang as well as Yuwen Tong standing beside him.
Tall and well-featured, calm but having something awe-inspiring about him, Yuwen Tong blandly glanced at those people in the ante-room with his penetrating eyes, which gave all of them a sweaty back.
This mere first sight brought all people — aware or unaware of the man’s identity — into realization of who this person was.
‘Yuwen Tong is indeed in Ling family!’
‘The news from the capital city is true!’
“Inferior official Tao Feng is honored to kneel before you, Marshal!”
Tao Feng was the first to react, who immediately knelt down onto the ground and kowtowed to Yuwen Tong. On seeing this, all others collected their thoughts.
With a slight change of his countenance, Zhang Chong also made a bow with hands folded in front to pay his respect to Yuwen Tong, saying, “Inferior officer Zhang Chong is honored to bow before you, Marshal.”
“We’re honored to bow before you, Marshal.”
Zhang Chong’s four deputy commanders — Bai Jun, Wang Ming, Wang He and Dou Li, all followed suit. Their attitudes had involuntarily become respectful. Their will had been overborne by Yuwen Tong’s presence, which made it difficult for them not to behave respectfully in front of him. After all, this man was the Supreme Commander of armed forces of the Great Yue, a legendary war hero who had countless confirmed kills.
“There’s no need for formality,” said Yuwen Tong, walking side by side with Ling Zhang into the ante-room.
“Thank you, Marshal.” Seeing Yuwen Tong walking side by side with Ling Zhang, all of them had mixed feelings.
Naturally, the expression on their faces didn’t escape the notice of Ling Zhang or Yuwen Tong. The look in Ling Zhang’s eyes was still icy, but Yuwen Tong, who had a cold look on his face, observed, “The two of you never struck me as so well informed. My visit to Tanyang is a private matter, but unexpectedly, it still failed to escape the two of you’s notice.”
The questioning note in this remark took Tao Feng aback, who hurriedly replied, “Marshal, news of your presence in Tanyang spread through the capital city a couple of days ago. It was not until I received a letter from my mentor which was delivered by a courier pigeon that your presence came to my knowledge.”
“Is that so? Then how did Commander Zhang come to know this?” Yuwen Tong moved his eyes onto Zhang Chong.
The mood in the ante-room instantly fell serious, even somewhat subdued.
Zhang Chong’s face was rather stiff, but in face of Yuwen Tong who had just hurled a question at him, he had no choice but to lower his head and answer, “I beg your pardon for taking the liberty of doing this, but it was because of the news from the capital city that this matter came to my knowledge. Before I came here, I didn’t fully believe the news, but there are too many bandits in areas near Tanyang. The night before last, there was even a wildly arrogant burglar who posed a threat against Lord Tao. Out of worry for Marshal’s safety, I made a decision I was not in a position to make and came here to check.”
“Is that so? Who’s the burglar that dared to act in such unruliness?”
Yuwen Tong asked in a puzzled tone of voice. Meanwhile, the tension in the air dissolved considerably and the atmosphere grew milder.
Both Tao Feng’s subordinates and those of Zhang Chong couldn’t help heaving a sigh of relief and they abruptly found that their backs felt cold with sweat.
“Has Marshal not heard about it during your stay in Ling family? A burglar murdered the magistrate of Wu County whose name was Lu Kui, and then threatened Lord Tao.”
Zhang Chong affected a surprise he did not feel but fixed his eyes on Yuwen Tong, trying to find some traces on his face.
Yuwen Tong merely flicked a bland glance at him. “I never heard of it. This matter is under the jurisdiction of the Prefecture Guards and Prefecture Yamen. Of course I won’t act beyond my authority.”
Neither Tao Feng nor Zhang Chong believed this remark, but Tao Feng was very observant. He immediately walked forward and gave an account of the savage murder committed by the burglar.
“I see. But as far as I know, the Prefecture Guards recruits soldiers and expands the encampment every year. It’s still not powerful enough to wipe out those bandits?”
“There’s more to this matter than you know, Marshal. Those bandits are entrenched in mountainous areas with natural defence, which are easy to hold but hard to attack. There are mountains all around Tanyang. Those bandits are hiding in the depths of those mountains, taking advantage of the precipitous terrain and poisonous miasma to defend themselves. If I order my men to go in and launch a frontal attack, there will be extremely heavy casualties, so I have no alternative but to resort to a defensive strategy.”
“You are the commander of the Prefecture Guards, and it’s your job to handle bandits, so I’ll leave it up to you to use your discretion, but if any of those bandits sneaks into the city and acts so boldly as to murder an official appointed by the imperial court, that will be a dereliction of duty of yours.”
This pointed remark struck such alarm into Zhang Chong that his expression changed, and there was also thinly disguised panic on the faces of his four deputy commanders.
“It was indeed remiss of me not to prevent that from happening. I’ll see to it that the burglar is arrested and brought to justice as soon as possible,” Zhang Chong had no choice but to reply.
Zhang Chong felt that he had been put at a disadvantage to Yuwen Tong during his first confrontation with him. He was unreconciled but there was nothing he could do.
Having fully enjoyed this scene, Ling Zhaowen said, “Marshal, two lords, maybe we should sit down first and then resume our talking.”
Tao Feng, Zhang Chong and others all looked at Yuwen Tong. Their faces changed again when they saw Yuwen Tong sit down beside Ling Zhang.
Tao Feng was the first one to speak. “Now that Marshal has come to Tanyang, may I take the liberty of giving a reception in honor of Marshal’s arrival?”
“That’s a good idea. Soldiers of the Prefecture Guards are also looking forward to beholding Marshal’s elegant demeanor,” said Zhang Chong.
Yuwen Tong replied blandly, “I came to Tanyang to deal with some private affairs, and I have no intention of imposing on anybody.”
“Private affairs? Is the hearsay true?”
“What kind of hearsay is Commander Zhang referring to?”
“It is said that Marshal came to Tanyang for your marriage contract, that you are engaged to Childe Ling of Ling family.”
As Zhang Chong made this remark, all others rested their eyes on Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang who was sitting beside him.
Ling Zhang’s expression remained unchanged. Yuwen Tong responded calmly, “That’s true. I am indeed engaged to Ling Zhang.”
This reply confirmed that the rumor was true.
Zhang Chong’s face slightly froze.
Tao Feng immediately rose to his feet and smiled, “Congratulations, Marshal. This is such a joyous news!”
“Thank you, Lord Tao. I’d like to invite you to come here to have a drink on my wedding day.”
Ling Zhang fell speechless with embarrassment.
He flicked a glance at Yuwen Tong but forbore to cut the ground from under his feet.
Tao Feng rejoiced and replied, “I feel greatly honored to be invited!”
There was a sharp contrast between Tao Feng’s delighted face and the faces of Zhang Chong and his deputy commanders. Zhang Chong managed to retain his affected composure but faces of Bai Jun and the other three seemed rather frozen with shock.