Chapter 135: Apprehension and Interrogation

Translator: DragonRider

Yuwen Tong was well aware that he would definitely be faced with immediate trouble if he didn’t stake out his position on this issue right now.

“I’ve already sent Yao Yi and some others to catch them. You’ll get your chance to vent your anger on them in whatever way you like.”

“What if I want them dead?”

“I’ll hand you a saber myself.”

“Humph.”

It wasn’t until after hearing this remark that Ling Zhang withdrew his stare at Yuwen Tong and said, “I’ll decide after they’re brought here.”

Yao Yi finished the job very soon. On that very night, Zhao Fugui and the other two men were restrained, brought to the courtyard of the Green Bamboo Mansion and dropped onto the ground.

“Ouch!” The three men heavily landed on the ground and yelled in pain.

“Which bastards were so bold as to abduct me?! Are you courting death?!” Cursing, they picked themselves up and wanted to find out who had dared to kidnap them. ‘Do they not know we work for Yuwen family? They must be seeking to meet their end!’

But on rising to their feet, they caught sight of Yuwen Tong who was watching them flintily. Instantly, they buckled at the knees, knelt down to the ground and broke out in a cold sweat. Face ghastly white, Zhao Fugui called in a trembling voice, “Mar–Marshal.”

“Am I eligible to kidnap you?” asked Yuwen in a cold tone of voice.

“No, no, no, that’s not what I mean, Marshal. It’s me who’s courting death. I’m as blind as a bat. I failed to guard my tongue. What I said is punishable by death!” Zhao Fugui raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

The other two men were also terribly scared, trembling all over, too afraid to utter a word.

“Indeed, you should pay for what you did with you lives. Under whose order did you act so boldly as to threaten my future father-in-law? Was it Yuwen Zhi?”

“No, no. It’s just a misunderstanding… misunderstanding!” After cursing Ling Zhaowen, who had told on him, numerous times in his mind, Zhao Fugui quickly replied, “Master cares about you the most, Marshal. It was because he worried that you might fall prey to the tricks of Ling family that he sent us to Tanyang to warn them. If they have any sinister motives, our warning would surely serve as a deterrent to them.”

“Oh? So Yuwen Zhi did not send you here to pressurize people of Ling family to call off the engagement on their own account? I wronged you?”

“No, no, nobody’s wronged. As servants, we did that for your own good, Marshal. Please don’t blame yourself.”

These words sent all those looking on speechless. ‘What a plausible lackey this guy is!’

“You dared to come here and threaten people of Ling family right under my nose. I doubt whether there’s anything you don’t dare to do. Where’s Yuwen Qi?”

“We–Well…”

Yuwen Tong flintily stared at Zhao Fugui, who felt a cold shiver of fear run through him and replied, “Second Young Master is waiting for us in a small town in Yan Zhou.”

“I expressly bade him to go back to the capital city, yet he still chose to stay. It seems that I went too easy on him,” Yuwen Tong observed angrily. “Yao Yi, take these three people away and have them talk about what they’ve done.”

“Yes, Marshal!”

Finally, Zhao Fugui and the other two had an inkling that something was not right. Horrified, Zhao Fugui hurriedly crawled up to Yuwen Tong and grabbed the tail of his robe. “Marshal, I’ve realized my mistake. Please have mercy on me!”

Yuwen Tong’s face went cold.

For fear that Yuwen Tong might get angry, Yao Yi and some others quickly grabbed the three men and dragged them away.

“Marshal, please have mercy on us! Please!”

“Marshal, we’re servants of Master. What you are doing will compromise Master deeply!”

“Marshal–”

The next moment, all yelling stopped. Yao Yi and some bodyguards gagged Zhao Fugui and the other two.

“They’re just a couple of lackeys. Why are angry with them?” said Ling Zhang blandly after walking over.

Yuwen Tong responded immediately, “Of course my anger has nothing to do with a couple of lackeys. I’m angry because they were so bold as to disturb Uncle Ling and you.”

“They were merely following orders. Even if you kill them, it won’t make any difference.” The mastermind was still hiding in the capital city. Those who didn’t like the idea of him marrying Yuwen Tong would definitely dispatch a second, even a third subordinate like Zhao Fugui. If he was to have them handled once and for all, he must go to the capital city.

“They are your family. Are you sure that you still want to marry me when so many people are against it?”

Yuwen Tong gave a smile and then watched him and replied in a serious tone of voice, “I should be the one asking this question. Are you afraid?”

‘Are you afraid of these obstacles? Even if you are, I won’t let you give up.’ Yuwen Tong gazed fixedly at Ling Zhang but didn’t tell him these thoughts.

Ling Zhang appeared very composed. “I’m not afraid.”

‘Why would I be afraid? I have a score to settle with those people. It is them who should be afraid.’ Ling Zhang thought.

…

The next morning, Ling Zhang went outside the city to meet Ling Xingzhong and the others. He took twelve security guards with him in case anything unexpected happened.

Originally, Yuwen Tong had intended to go with him, but Dai Cheng chanced to pay him a visit, so he had to stay. He offered to have his bodyguards see Ling Zhang out of the city but Ling Zhang declined.

“I’ve already had twelve security guards with me. There’s no need for any more people.”

Even a team going on a tiger hunt wouldn’t require so many members.

Besides, the duty of Yao Yi and other bodyguards was to protect Yuwen Tong. If any of Zhang Chong’s minions by any chance had survived the battle, they might seek to make trouble for Yuwen Tong.

After waiting nearly an hour outside the city, Ling Zhang caught sight of the horse-drawn carriages of Ling Xingzhong and the others.

Delighted, Ling Zhang hurried up to them.

“Grandfather!” He first greeted Ling Xingzhong.

Due to several days’ tiring journey and his worry about the situation in Tanyang, Ling Xingzhong seemed fairly drawn.

Ling Zhang was grieved to see this. “Let’s go home right away, grandfather. It’s very undutiful of me to have put you through all this.”

Ling Xingzhong patted Ling Zhang’s hand. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You’ve always been a dutiful kid. Grandfather is very gratified.”

After saying this, he gave Ling Zhang an appraising look and observed with a frown on his face, “Why do I feel that you’re thinner than the last time I saw you? Is it because you’ve been worrying about too many things these days? I’ll tell the chef to prepare some nourishing food for you. Look at you. Your cheekbones show.”

It was obvious that his grandfather himself was the one who was thinner. Ling Zhang was almost reduced to tears. “I’m okay. It’s because I’m still growing. Actually I’m much stronger now.”

He stretched out his arm to let Ling Xingzhong feel it. Ling Xingzhong felt his arm and found that his grandson had indeed become somewhat stronger, which dissolved his worry.

“Your aunt and the others are on the second carriage. Go and greet them. Then we’ll go home.”

“Okay.”

Ling Zhang went to the next carriage and saw Fu Caiwei. Ling Maomao had fallen asleep midway and had not woken up.

Watching Ling Maomao, Ling Zhang reached out his hand and gently scratched the boy’s cheek, then said to Fu Caiwei in a muted voice, “I’m sorry to have put you through two long journeys, aunt.”

“All that matters is that our family are safe. It’s well worth a couple of journeys. I can see that your face is so much thinner. Have you been picky about food again during my absence?” Fu Caiwei’s gaze rested on his face, a reproachful look in her eyes.

He used to be a picky eater in childhood but had got rid of that habit long ago.

Ling Zhang embarrassedly repeated what he had just said to Ling Xingzhong. Fu Caiwei reluctantly accepted his explanation.

“There’s a lot of things going on in the yamen, so uncle didn’t come here to meet you, but he’ll return at noon.”

“Nobody cares whether he comes here to meet us or not. Your presence alone makes aunt very happy.”

Ling Zhang chuckled, “Then let’s go home.”

“Okay. You must have had a bellyful of wind. Get on the carriage.”

“That won’t be necessary, aunt. Maomao will be woken up if I get on.”

The group of people slowly headed for the city gate. Yang Liuzi and the others were very happy to see Ling Zhang, and their delight deepened when they saw Wang Dashan and other security guards. Instantly, all of them fell into joyous chatting with each other.

However, Xie Shi, who was a man of few words, kept silent.

“Thank you for your trouble, Guard Xie. Your protection of my grandfather and others is the very reason why I’ve been at ease.” Ling Zhang walked up to him, thanked him and then brought up the matter of Yuwen Tong. “He’s okay as well. Originally, he had wanted to come here with me, but Dai Cheng paid him a visit, so he had to give up. Yao Yi and others have also returned. They are all in my home.”

Xie Shi gave a faint smile. “I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for telling me this, Childe Ling.”

“That’s totally unnecessary. Now I don’t know what to say,” replied Ling Zhang.

Xie Shi smiled again and steered the conversation away. “Childe Ling, have you accepted our Marshal’s offer?”

Caught off guard by this question, Ling Zhang blushed with embarrassment and gave a cough. “Why ask about this?”

However, Xie Shi had got the answer from Ling Zhang’s reaction. “In the past, all the Marshal cared about was winning battles. Even if he got any leisure time, he would spend it on drinking and riding. He has never got any soul mates by his side. All of us grew up with the Marshal. After the old general passed away, the Marshal’s parents also died one after another. The Marshal had been lonely all along. For such a long time, you are the first person that the Marshal would gaze at with that kind of special look in his eyes. All of us are very glad that the Marshal met you. The spirit of the deceased old general must be secretly blessing and protecting him, which is why the Marshal has put an end to the days of being alone.”

Ling Zhang listened very carefully and then said, “Why do you trust me so much? Are you not afraid that I was lying to him?”

“There’s no need for you to disparage yourself, Childe Ling. You’re a very good person. All of us have faith in you.”

Ling Zhang nodded. “I’m grateful for that. No matter whether I’ll marry Yuwen Tong or not in the end, never will I do him any harm. I, Ling Zhang, is not an ungrateful man.”

“I’m very much relieved to hear this remark of Childe Ling. But all of us want to see you and the Marshal get married. Nobody else will get our recognition.”

Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows. “Such certainty might prove inadvisable.”

Xie Shi smiled yet again, “You’ll understand what I mean when you get to know the Marshal better, Childe Ling. The Marshal has come to the belief that you’re the one he’s meant to be with, and it’s never going to change.”

‘It’s never going to change?’ Ling Zhang made no comment but felt undeniable delight.

The procession slowly progressed into the city. Seeing Ling Zhang, all residents on the street spontaneously made way.

“It’s Master Ling coming back home, right?”

“Of course. Whom else do you think Childe Ling went out of the city to meet?”

“Is Childe Ling by any chance really going to marry Marshal Yuwen?”

“Sure thing. The news has spread through the whole world. They’ll definitely get married.”

“If only I could go and see the ceremony on their wedding day.”

“Thinking about it is all that you can do. Their wedding is no doubt going to take place in the capital city. You think you stand a chance of going to the capital city?”

“Stop acting like you can go there.”

“Well, I can’t either. But my damn husband wants to go real bad. Incidentally, did you go and kowtow this morning?”

“I did. Pity I didn’t see Marshal Yuwen.”

“Alas. Neither did I. What a pity. I wonder when Marshal Yuwen would come out. All I want is a glimpse of him.”

Ling Zhang on horseback, who had distinctly overheard the conversation, fell speechless.

Xie Shi, who was beside him, asked in perplexity, “To whom did they kowtow?”

After a few moments’ silence, Ling Zhang replied, “To your Marshal.”

This answer sent Xie Shi into a surprised trance. ‘What? They kowtowed to the Marshal? What’s going on?’