The Jiang family refused to receive any visitors, their front gates shut just as tight as they had been before the house arrest was lifted. Those who went to the Jiang family to deliver calling cards or visit Jiang Yu were all denied entrance. Jiang Yu seemed to have made up his mind not to receive any caller.
As seeking an audience with Jiang Yu directly was not an option, some people tried to bribe the others living in the Jiang family’s residence. Jiang Shennian had been appointed to the yamen of a provincial town, and Jiang Chengfeng had gone back to Cangzhou. Both of them hadn’t brought many people with them. Jiang Shennian had taken only a couple of personal servants and bodyguards, and Jiang Chengfeng merely his wife and several attendants, leaving all the others in the large residence of the Jiang family. At first there had indeed been someone who accepted bribes, but when Jiang Yu had been informed of it, he had harshly rebuked him and then evicted him from the Jiang family, regardless of the fact that the man bore the same surname as his or was blood relations with him.
After Jiang Yu made an example of that person, other members of the Jiang family immediately restrained themselves and didn’t dare go outside again, making it impossible for outsiders to make contact with anybody of the Jiang family.
Naturally, none of these things that Jiang Yu had done escaped Ling Zhang’s notice.
Yuwen Tong had once said that Jiang Yu was full of dash, and at that time Ling Zhang had been rather dubious about it, because after all, back when he’d been in the Imperial College, he and Jiang Yu hadn’t really been on very good terms with each other, but this time around, from what Jiang Yu had done in the Jiang family, Ling Zhang saw how decisive Jiang Yu was.Read manga at our MangaBob.com
Jiang Yu was indeed a capable assistant, but if he was unable to sort out his family affairs, Ling Zhang wouldn’t let him stay, no matter how capable he was. Still, Jiang Yu didn’t disappoint him. In this regard, Ling Zhang found Jiang Yu fairly admirable, feeling that he knew when to eat humble pie and when to hold his head high, that once he made a resolution to do something, he would spare no efforts to achieve the goal and wouldn’t let anything get in his way. Even if there were some obstacles, he would remove them personally.
There was one respect in which Jiang Yu bore some similarity to who he used to be when he’d been in the Imperial College – his pride which had remained changed. Previously when he’d been in the Imperial College, he had mostly taken pride in his family background, and now the source of his pride was himself. It was a qualitative change – from shallow arrogance to a pride originating from the very marrow of his bones.
As a result, Ling Zhang was very complimentary when talking with Yuwen Tong about Jiang Yu.
At first Yuwen Tong had managed to put up with it, but after some time, his temper began to fray. “Jiang Yu, Jiang Yu. Can you remember a single recent day when you didn’t talk about Jiang Yu?”
Ling Zhang was astonished and baffled, wondering why Yuwen Tong suddenly got angry. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Stop mentioning him so often, or I’ll go back on my word. It’s not like I don’t have anybody else as talented as Jiang Yu. I can replace him with someone else at any moment,” said Yuwen Tong.
Ling Zhang, “…”
Looking at Yuwen Tong’s sulky face, Ling Zhang had a general idea of why Yuwen Tong was unhappy. Pulling a wry face, he replied, “I’ve just been observing him during the past couple of days. He’s been doing a good job and has indeed lightened my burden. Besides, it was you who advised me to let him stay.
And don’t say anything about replacing him again. So far I’ve been quite satisfied with Jiang Yu’s performance. You may keep those talents of yours. By the way, aren’t you in need of more competent subordinates?”
Hearing him defending Jiang Yu, Yuwen Tong nibbled his cheek playfully in annoyance and said, “I told you to stop talking about him. Why don’t you listen to me? Are you doing it on purpose? I can’t believe you’re deliberately angering me when you know that I’ve been so busy that I have to carve out time for meals.”Read manga at our MangaBob.com
The first half of Yuwen Tong’s words gave Ling Zhang an urge to answer back, but when he heard the latter half, his heart ached for Yuwen Tong, melting instantly. He wiped his cheek wet with saliva left by the sloppy kiss and said, “Okay, okay. I won’t mention him again. Start eating. You got my cheek so oily. Do you have time for a nap after lunch?”
Yuwen Tong responded in a displeased tone, “No. There are a lot of thorny matters to attend to. Before the enthronement I was busy, but after the enthronement I’ve been even busier. Fortunately Old Master Ji has come back to give me a hand. Otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to carve out time for a bite.”
After hearing this, Ling Zhang dismissed everything about Jiang Yu from his mind, affectionately putting more food in Yuwen Tong’s rice bowl. “Eat some more. I’ll prepare some food for you in the afternoon. A bowl of dumplings, I think.”
Yuwen Tong sneaked a look at Ling Zhang. Perceiving that Ling Zhang was thinking about him only and didn’t have any room in his head for anybody else, he inwardly gave a snort and his displeasure ebbed somewhat. He felt that even if he were a fool, he should have promptly stopped Ling Zhang from taking Jiang Yu as attendant on that day after he distinctly sensed that there was something questionable about Jiang Yu’s motive. Now it was inappropriate for him to dismiss Jiang Yu, which was a troublesome problem.
…
After having lunch with Yuwen Tong, Ling Zhang also started bustling around. As Yuwen Tong was otherwise engaged and unable to help with the wedding preparations, Ling Zhang had to take care of everything. Though Jiang Yu was sharing his burden, there were still a lot of things that he needed to keep watch on.
At mid-afternoon, Ling Zhang hastened to the kitchen, made some dumplings and started steaming them. He instructed a cook to keep an eye on the fire and then left to resume his work. When the cook came and told him that the dumplings were ready, he hurriedly changed and brought the freshly made dumplings and some sauce to the hall in the front.
The moment he entered the hall, the aroma of the food attracted everybody’s attention. Ling Zhang greeted them, placed the meal box in front of Yuwen Tong and served the dumplings. “Take a break and grab a bite.”
Miao Shiba and some others had accompanied him to the hall. Every time Ling Zhang came here to deliver food to Yuwen Tong, he would bring a portion for each of the courtiers in the hall as well.
To be honest, over time, more and more courtiers’ minds started wandering at mid-afternoon every day, and all of them were thinking about the various delicious foods delivered by Ling Zhang on a daily basis. They heard that it was cooks of the Infinite Fortune Palace who made those foods. They were not delicacies from land and sea, just some home-cooked dishes, but they were so tasty that the courtiers found their flavors unforgettable.
At this moment the courtiers thanked Ling Zhang and then retreated to the side hall of their own accord. Every one of them was sensible enough not to be the third wheel at this point in time.
Yuwen Tong put a plump dumpling with plenty of filling into his mouth and chewed it up, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Was it a cook who made the filling?”
Ling Zhang flicked him a glance. “You found that out from its taste? I was rather busy earlier this day and didn’t have the time to make the filling, so I had a cook make it for me, but I made the dumplings myself.”
Actually he had only made Yuwen Tong’s portion of dumplings personally. Other people’s portions had been made by cooks.
Yuwen Tong picked up a dumpling, looked at the creases on the surface and observed in an annoying tone of voice, “I can see that.”
Ling Zhang, “…”
“You don’t like them?”
Yuwen Tong said, “Of course I do. I’m feasting my eyes. This is the only portion of dumplings in the world that was made by you. It’s rare and precious.”
Ling Zhang gave him a dirty look, as though saying, “Spare me the act. You’re overdoing it.”
Yuwen Tong gave a smile and asked, “Have you had some yourself?”
Ling Zhang shook his head. “I need to pay a visit to the Ministry of Rites and then go back to the Ling Mansion. I’ll be back before dinner.”
Yuwen Tong slightly furrowed his brows, picked up another dumpling and held it to Ling Zhang’s lips. Ling Zhang opened his mouth and shut it on the dumpling. Chewing, he added, “Don’t give me any more. I’m sure there are a lot of goodies at home waiting for me. If you fill my belly right now, I won’t be able to finish those at home.”
Yuwen Tong, “…”
“Isn’t it inconvenient for your aunt to prepare food now? What kind of goodies could there possibly be that you find so appealing?”
Ling Zhang responded, “My aunt has a quite healthy constitution and it hasn’t been a tough pregnancy for her. The middle-aged handmaids suggested she walk around more often and she took their advice. In the morning I had a servant deliver a message to the Ling Mansion, saying that I’d be back in the afternoon. She had the servant tell me that she’d make some delicious food for me. I’ll go back there right after visiting the Ministry of Rites, and I’m sure I won’t be late for the food.”
Yuwen Tong could tell that Ling Zhang was only too anxious to get out of the palace immediately. Knowing that he had a ton of work to do and couldn’t leave at all, he became rather unhappy.
“So you’re going to abandon me just like this. I’ve been working off my feet in this place, but you… Humph.”
Having no intention to start a frivolous verbal duel with him, Ling Zhang wiped his mouth and descended the stairs in a couple of strides. “Well, enjoy the dumplings. I’m going to the Ministry of Rites.”
Yuwen Tong bit a dumpling off his chopsticks, staring at Ling Zhang’s retreating figure, a glum look on his face.
…
Ling Zhang first went to the Ministry of Rites. After a flurry of bustle in the department, he finally extricated himself, planning to go home.
He had just walked through the front gates of the Ministry of Rites when he heard a commotion. Someone was quarreling with the guards on duty in the gateway, demanding an audience with the Minister of Rites. The man said that he was a family servant of the Marquess Huaiwen (AKA the Marquess of Moderation) and needed to see his master about something urgent.
Ling Zhang paused briefly and then made towards the man. “What’s going on?”
The incumbent Minister of Rites was not the one who’d been rebuked in the hall that day but Yuwen Feng, who had been promoted from the Assistant Minister of Rites to the Minister of Rites after Yuwen Tong’s enthronement. Also, the title “the Marquess Huaiwen” had been bestowed upon him. On top of that, the title of “the Marquess Fuan (AKA the Marquess of Fortune and Peace) had been conferred on Yuwen You, making him the second marquess of the Yuwen family. The two of them had been the only two people on whom titles of nobility were bestowed at the enthronement. In Yuwen Feng’s case, the title of nobility had been directly given to him, skipping Yuwen Zhi. What with Yuwen Zhi’s involvement in the attempted rebellion of Fang Quan and his conspirators, he had been convicted and condemned to be exiled to the south-west, but as Yuwen Zhi had been ill all along, his sentence hadn’t been carried out yet. Fang Quan’s accomplices hadn’t been executed yet as well, so nobody had raised any objections so far.
Currently, the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen assigned to Yuwen Feng was still under construction, so Yuwen Zhi was still in Yuwen Feng’s original residence.
A moment ago when Ling Zhang had been with Yuwen Feng, he had noticed that Yuwen Feng’s face had been smileless all along. Also, he appeared even thinner than before. In fact he was almost skeletal, looking quite scary. Ling Zhang suspected that even the title of nobility hadn’t brought Yuwen Feng much happiness. On the contrary, owing to the matter of Yuwen Zhi and the work in the Ministry of Rites, Yuwen Feng seemed as though he could collapse at any moment. Even Ling Zhang couldn’t help but worry that Yuwen Feng was ill, preparing to talk with Yuwen Tong about it after he returned to the palace and see if Yuwen Tong could find someone else to temporarily take charge of the Ministry of Rites so that Yuwen Feng could go back home to nurse himself back to health.
Hearing the man say he was a servant of Yuwen Feng’s, seeing the anxious look on his face, Ling Zhang came to a halt and then walked up to the man.
The man was a servant who had been serving Yuwen Zhi’s branch of the Yuwen family for many years. At the sight of Ling Zhang coming, he hastily got down on his knees to pay his respects. “It’s an honor to see you, Childe Ling.”
“You may rise. What is it that you want to see your master about in such haste?” said Ling Zhang.
The servant hesitated, an awkward look on his face, uncertain about whether he should tell the truth or not.
Before Ling Zhang could ask again, a guard reprimanded, “Childe Ling asked you a question. Answer it!”
Taken aback, the servant hurriedly kowtowed and replied, “Please have mercy on me, Childe Ling. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s really because I’m not allowed to disclose it. I…I…”
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