Chapter 540 - A Big Reunion in the Capital

It was after Yuwen Yue noticed the uncharacteristic countenance on Yuwen Tong’s and Ling Zhang’s faces that she came to realize she had spilled the beans. She hurriedly shut her mouth and looked at Ling Zhang, appearing somewhat apprehensive.

Yuwen Qi and all the others had shifted their gaze in this direction. Ling Zhang, not inclined to embarrass Yuwen Tong in the presence of the children, did not dress Yuwen Tong down. “Show Daddy what you’ve learned. If your moves are up to standards, you’ll have Daddy’s permission to continue learning it,” he said to Yuwen Yue.

Yuwen Yue had been worried, but unexpectedly Ling Zhang not only did not tell her off but also said that he might allow her to continue learning kung fu. Her eyes instantly lit up. “I’ll show you right away, Daddy!”

Yuwen Yue was into kung fu and did have a knack for it. Yuwen Tong had only demonstrated to her the couple of self-defense moves several times, but she had lodged them firmly in her mind.

As she had indeed mastered those moves well, Ling Zhang permitted her to continue to learn kung fu, but he also stressed that she must pay more attention to her manners when out of the palace, that she should at least restrain herself in the presence of outsiders.

Yuwen Yue, having been allowed to learn kung fu, was very happy and naturally promised she would behave herself. This was the reason why for a very long period following this day, this only princess of the Great Wen enjoyed a sterling international reputation for being beautiful, elegant and refined, and nobody knew that in private she was actually a tough girl who was ready to roll up her sleeves, mount a horse and go to war if the occasion arose, and whose kung fu was as good as, if not better than, that of many men.

…

After another half a month, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei, along with Ling Xiaobao, returned to the capital city. At the same time, Ling Zhaowu also came back from out of town. Apart from members of the Ling family, many officials of provincial cities and envoys of foreign countries also arrived in the capital city one after another.

Ling Zhaowen, of all prefectural officials returning to the capital, had got the most attention, outshined only by foreign envoys. Aside from him, there were also Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan, a married couple, and Jiang Yu.

Ling Zhaowen was the only one in the Ling family who was pursuing a political career, and he had been doing pretty well. After the reunification of the three countries, in particular, he had requested to be transferred to a prefecture which used to be southern Wan Kingdom. It had just been subjected to the Great Wen’s rule, so the people there naturally had been unaccustomed to a lot of things, and there had even been many conflicts, and some even had tried to take advantage of the unstable situation to make trouble. At that time, it had not been easy for one to perform his duty as a governor. Ling Zhaowen, however, had done a very good job. The residents in Nanhe which used to be in southern Wan Kingdom had smoothly integrated themselves into the Great Wen, and the situation in all the cities there had stabilized, and people’s livelihood had been improving steadily, their sense of national identity strengthening, the gulf dissolving.

Many people in the capital city conjectured that in a few years Ling Zhaowen would be transferred back to the capital city. This, coupled with his identity as the empress’s uncle, drew even more attention to him.

Xu Lingyun and Xiao Ziyan, high-ranking officials in a prefecture located in the area which used to be northern Luohai Kingdom, had been doing well in their official career as well. They had rendered meritorious service in Shengzhou and then Cangzhou, and now they had made quite some achievements in this prefecture as well. On top of that, Yuwen Tong had always valued their talents pretty much, so many people in the capital speculated that this time around Xu Lingyun would stay in the capital city after the celebration. They just wondered which position the emperor would appoint him to.

As for Jiang Yu, he used to be the empress’s adviser. After the three countries were reunified, the empress had had him enter the imperial court before Yuwen Tong made him assistant governor in a prefecture located in an area which used to be northern Wan Kingdom. That place was barren and dry and only a small part of it was suitable for growing crops. Also, as it bordered a couple of micro-states in the Western Regions, international communication and trading was no small matter. At that time, many people had wondered how far Jiang Yu would go. It had transpired that Jiang Yu had done a very good job and made quite some achievements. Trading between the Great Wen and the micro-states in the Western Regions had returned to normal; in addition, commercial activities at the border had been booming, and the living conditions of people there had improved greatly. Jiang Yu’s superior thought very highly of him and had sent several memorials to the throne to report Jiang Yu’s meritorious deeds.

All these people had always been in the limelight, and they had got more attention and given rise to more discussion because of their achievements. Apart from them, there were also many officials who had made their presence felt not long ago.

Now the territory of the Great Wen had been expanded, and there had been more and more talents showing up in various cities. Yuwen Tong, by reunifying the three countries, created opportunities for these people to display their talents and fulfill their potential. In the past few years, residents in the capital city from time to time had heard about people making remarkable achievements in their respective fields, but they had never seen any of those people in person.

Because of this celebration, these talents would be making their first public appearance in the capital city. Apart from ordinary residents of this city, the dignitaries and even Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were looking forward to seeing them.

As a result, after Ling Zhaowen returned, he and Fu Caiwei had brought Ling Xiaobao to the palace to have an audience with Yuwen Tong, but Ling Zhang had never found a chance to pay the Ling Mansion another visit. Every day he and Yuwen Tong were busy dealing with envoys or officials from various prefectures who had come to seek audience with them. Most of their attention was on those newly-emerged talents. Testing them was a matter high on Yuwen Tong’s priority list. Also, Ling Zhang had told his father to do some careful background check on them. These people would become the pillars of the Great Wen if they kept improving themselves the way they had been doing.

…

When Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were occupied with meeting a variety of visitors, some members of the Millennium Pavilion finally arrived in the capital city.

This time around Ji Yanlai had a higher profile than he had the last time. His bodyguards alone numbered dozens. On top of that, he had also brought many elders of his clan.

All of them were wearing modified versions of maester’s robes, and their carriages were quite sumptuous. Their bodyguards, different from common guards, had a faintly otherworldly air about them, which made them obtrusive compared with others entering the capital city.

Most importantly, their identities were a mystery to almost everybody. People only knew that their passes were of the highest clearance, that they entered the city without being asked any questions by the guards.

“Wow. Who are these people? It seems they’re from some powerful background!”

“Their pomp is even greater than that of the princesses and princes of those foreign countries. They’re equaled by only the envoys of the Fangcun Kingdom who arrived yesterday.”

“Guards of honor have to comply with certain stipulations. How come these people are keeping such a high profile but nobody knows who they are?!”

“Is it the king of some newly established country in the south, by any chance?”

“It doesn’t seem like it. They strike me as kind of otherworldly. Do you think it’s possible they’re some sort of Taoist sect? Look at their clothes. They seem like special Taoist robes, don’t them?”

“Yeah, yeah. Those people working in the Imperial Observatory, those who specialize in astrology or astronomy or something – I’ve seen them wear similar robes.”

“…”

Residents who had seen members of the Millennium Pavilion entering the capital city were discussing it animatedly, but the carriages of the ones they were talking about had directly gone to the imperial palace.

After seeing them visit the palace, residents of the capital city seemed to be silent for a while, but after that they started discussing the matter with even greater gusto.

“Wow. These people did not go to a courier hostel. They directly went to the imperial palace. Wh–What’s going on?”

When the residents were agitatedly indulging their passion for gossip, Ji Yanlai, along with Ji Xiaocong and a group of elders, had arrived at the front gates of the palace.

After a guard sent word of their arrival and the routine security check, Ji Yanlai took Ji Xiaocong and a couple of elders into the palace, leaving the others waiting outside.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were both surprised to learn that Ji Yanlai had come to the city with such pomp, wondering why Ji Yanlai was doing this. Was he not afraid that their cover might be blown?

“I’m honored to kneel before you, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”

Ji Yanlai had entered the audience hall, followed by the others. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had not seen Ji Yanlai for many years, but Ji Yanlai looked as though he had not changed a bit during the past decade. Ji Xiaocong was the only one that was now different – he had grown into a slender-figured teenager. He was very like Ji Yanlai and also had a scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead, looking like a handsome young man in a painting that had come alive, and his temperament was extraordinary too.

“You may rise,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang rose, walked down the stairs and supported Ji Yanlai to his feet.

“Clan Leader, we haven’t seen each other for so many years,” said Ling Zhang.

“Ten years,” said Ji Yanlai, looking Ling Zhang all over. After a while, he added, “You are indeed suitable for the internal-energy cultivation method of our clan, Your Highness. You’ve made great progress over the last ten years. The air about you is growing increasingly different.”

Ling Zhang smiled, “I’m glad you’ve come to this city again. There are a lot of things I’ve been meaning to ask you about. You’ve got to do me this favor.”

Ji Yanlai inclined his head. “Don’t worry. So far there hasn’t been a single question I couldn’t answer when it comes to internal energy.”

Ling Zhang chuckled and then looked at Ji Xiaocong standing beside Ji Yanlai. “You’ve grown so much taller, Cong. It’s been a long time. Do you still remember me?”

Ji Xiaocong smiled an unreserved smile, a hint of slyness at the corners of his mouth, looking casual, candid and natural. “Of course I do. I was naughty and caused you a lot of trouble in my childhood. Thank you for your being tolerant of me.”

The forthright look in his eyes forcibly reminded Ling Zhang of the smart young boy Ji Xiaocong used to be. “Maomao has been looking forward to seeing you since the moment he was informed you’d come,” he said.

Ji Xiaocong’s smile was tinged with shyness at these words, but his eyes became even brighter than they had been a moment ago. “I’m eager to see Brother Maomao too.”

He put it explicitly, but Ling Zhang detected a note of mingled naturalness and closeness in his voice, so he concernedly asked Ji Xiaocong a couple of questions about his life these years, his attitude as cordial as it had been the last time they had met.

Ji Xiaocong answered the questions one by one.

Then Ling Zhang glanced at the couple of elders of the Millennium Pavilion and said to Ji Yanlai, “Clan Leader, this visit of yours has a high profile. Are you planning to reveal the existence of the Millennium Pavilion to the world?”

Ling Zhang knew what kind of person Ji Yanlai was. Also, he was linked to the Millennium Pavilion in many ways and had an affinity for the clan, so he directly asked Ji Yanlai about it without beating around the bush.

Ji Yanlai said, “Revealing its existence to the world might bring us some unexpected trouble, but this time around I have no choice but to cast aside those misgivings.”

Ling Zhang’s face turned grave at these words. Had something happened in the Millennium Pavilion, by any chance? But if that was the case, why had his maternal grandfather not mentioned anything to him?

The next moment he heard Ji Yanlai continue, “I’ve got some information about my father’s whereabouts just recently, but I’m unable to find anything out about his safety through divination. This time I did it because I had no other choice. Anyway, things are a little complicated. I’ll tell you the details later.”