Hearing Ling Zhang mention his parents, Ling Zhaowen slightly changed countenance and his eyes went dim.

"I know, you are always curious about your parents. But you are so sensible that you just keep it in your heart and never ask."

After sitting down, Ling Zhangwen motioned Ling Zhang to sit before continuing,

"The topics of your parents are forbidden in the family because we are worried that you may be sad after hearing it. Your father left home after your mother died, and that made you cry every day. Your grandfather and I were worried that sadness would do harm to your body, so we forbade the servants to mention your parents in front of you. And then we made a lot of efforts to shift your attention and let you recover from grief."

"I didn't expect that after so many years, you suddenly remember what your mother taught you about the formations. But now that you've remembered, and become an adult, I should tell you something about your parents. Before this, you should tell uncle what else you have remembered besides the formations?"

Ling Zhaowen carefully looked at Ling Zhang. Obviously, he was worried that Ling Zhang had kept something in mind.

After listening to his uncle, Ling Zhang became curious. His uncle's words showed that they had kept something about his parents from him?

When thinking about it, Ling Zhang raised his hand to touch the jade he was wearing. His mother left him this magic medical jade that can detoxify hundreds of toxins, and he had been very curious what his mother's origin was.

"My impression of them is very vague. Besides these formations, I can only vaguely remember that my mother had left some books about formations, and then my father set fire to them. He said that they were ominous things, and they caused my mother's death."

Ling Zhaowen nodded, "That was true but I didn't expect that you can remember. Anything else?"

Ling Zhang shook his head, "Except it, I can hardly remember other things."

After all, Ling Zhang's mother died when he was very young. Suddenly recalling the knowledge of the formations was surprising enough as he even couldn't remember what his parents looked like.

Ling Zhaowen figured out what Ling Zhangwen had probably remembered and then pondered for a moment, as if he was considering about how to start the conversation.

Seeing Ling Zhaowen being so hesitant, Ling Zhang took the initiative to ask, "Uncle, those words my father said, is it true? Those formations books had something to do with my mother's death?"

"The knowledge of those books itself is innocent, and what your father did at that time was venting his anger on the books." Ling Zhaowen sighed, as if feeling the heavy burden of the past.

"Venting his anger? Why?" Ling Zhang was puzzled.

"Your mother was very weak before marrying into our family. Although she was very intelligent, she was always in poor health, and in a situation of oversensitive her intelligence would increase the severity of the illness. She was not willing to give up the formations knowledge, and often bothered to teach you. She seized every moment to impart all the formations knowledge to you as if every day was the last day of her life. Your father tried to stop her, but failed. So he always felt that the knowledge of the formations, which your mother regarded as a treasure, was an ominous thing that caused your mother's death. And he was so distressed that he burnt them after your mother died," Ling Zhaowen explained, grief-toned.

Ling Zhang suddenly froze when unexpectedly knowing that his mother's illness increased because she bothered so much to teach him. So in a sense, he also caused his mother's death?

"Don't take it to heart, it's not your fault. You were just a kid that time, and you knew nothing." Ling Zhaowen saw through what Ling Zhang was thinking and comforted him.

"What illness on earth did my mother have?"

Ling Zhang only remembered that her mother died of a serious illness, and he could vaguely remember that time he was accompanied by strong smell of herbs.

"It was the weakness of the internal organs. Her body constantly became weak, and was finally incurable." Ling Zhaowen answered with a heavy heart.

"What caused it?" Ling Zhang asked.

"I only know that your mother was born with the weakness and she had always been dependent on herbs to maintain her health. It was a risk for her to give birth to you. If she had dropped everything to maintain her health, she could have lived longer. However, she had been tiring her body and consuming her energy." Ling Zhaowen replied.

"The knowledge of the battle arrays was extremely laborious for her, and she always seemed to be worrying about something."

"What was she worried about?" Ling Zhang simply did not understand. Since his mother had married his father, although Ling family was not the top noble family, they had a life without worrying about food and clothing, and the family was in harmony. What else was his mother worried about?

"I don't know. Your mother never told us, but she thought highly of you. And she seemed to have high hopes for you." Ling Zhaowen said.

Ling Zhang was shocked. 'My mother had high expectations for me?'

But since her death, he had slowly forgotten all the knowledge of the battle arrays, and he didn't think of them even when he died in his previous life.

He failed to live up to his mother's expectations.

Thinking of this, Ling Zhang felt upset. 'I was so incapable in my previous life that I not only failed to live up to mother's expectations, but also failed to save Ling family. Everything was terrible.'

"Uncle, do you know what my mother expected me to do?" Ling couldn't help asking.

Ling Zhaowen shook his head and sighed, "Maybe your father knows, but he disappeared."

Yes, his father disappeared. He disappeared and had also burnt all the battle arrays books that Ling Zhang's mother left.

If they hadn't been burnt, maybe he wouldn't have forgotten the knowledge so thoroughly, and maybe he could have done something in his previous life.

But to this day, should he blame that person because of those things happened in his previous life?

Ling Zhang clenched his fists, and stifled what he thought just now in his own heart. Those complaints were because he was not strong enough, and he shouldn't think about this senseless thing again.

Holding back all the thoughts, Ling Zhang asked Ling Zhaowen, "What is it that you want to tell me, uncle?"

Those things he didn't know must be so important that they made his uncle so solemn.

"It's about your mother's origin." Ling Zhaowen said, "I think you must be curious."

Ling Zhang made a bitter smile, how could he not be curious. He had never been to his maternal grandparents' home. When he was a child, his paternal grandfather only told him that his maternal grandfather's home was far away from Tanyang, even farther than the capital, so the two families never saw each other.

But how far was it?

"Cough!" Suddenly, there came an abrupt cough from the outside, interrupting what Ling Zhaowen was about to say next.

Ling Zhang and Ling Zhaowen were both startled, and they quickly stood up and looked outside the study.

The door of the study was opened, and Ling Xingzhong came in from the outside, giving Ling Zhaowen a stern look as he came in.

"Father."

"Grandfather."

Ling Zhaowen looked at Ling Xingzhong with somewhat guilty conscience.

But Ling Zhang slightly frowned. 'Why did grandfather appear so coincidentally to interrupt uncle's words. Why?'

Couldn't they tell him his mother's origin?

"Huh." Ling Xingzhong sneered at Ling Zhaowen angrily, "Without telling me a word, how dare you mention it to Zhang. Are you ignoring me?"

"Marshal, what are your orders?"

The rain stopped, and it was dark. Outside the inn's window was the night view of the Liantang Town. Under the darkness, those lanterns shed soft lights. The wet and cold draught of air blew into the room from the window, it was so cold.

The person who came into the house looked at the window and said, somewhat worriedly, "Marshal, it's cold at night, better close the window."

Yuwen Tong didn't care about this hint of chill, "Yue Qi, tomorrow you continue leading half of the people to the capital, and report my whereabouts to our emperor. Just tell him I am going to Tanyang to find my marriage partner."

"Yes... Ah?" Yue Qi, who was the leader of Yuwen Tong's personal bodyguards, froze in astonishment.

Marriage...marriage partner?!

'Marshal has got a marriage partner?'

No, when did Marshal get engaged? He had been by Marshal's side for nearly ten years, how could he never hear of it?

'So Marshal tells a lie to avoid the possible bestowed marriage from His Majesty?'

Yue Qi couldn't help guessing, and began to worry, "Marshal, what you said just now... is it true? If His Majesty knows you tell a lie, it will be the lese-majeste."

Yuwen Tong looked at him, somewhat displeased, "Who told you it is a lie?"

It ...Really was true? Yue Qi disbelieved more, "But Marshal, you once said you are not engaged!"

"I just found I am. Well, save the nonsense, do as I ordered." Yuwen Tong said. His exquisite facial features looked more handsome that nobody could compare under the dim light. But his expression was cold and even serious; that really was a waste of such a good appearance.

Being scolded, Yue Qi dared not to ask more. Although feeling so shocked, he also chose to believe in Yuwen Tong.

"Yes, this subordinate will complete mission successfully."

"Marshal, do you need to take more people to Tanyang? It is said that the banditry is serious there, not too safe a place to go."

Yuwen Tong refused, "No."

"Marshal, you must be careful then," Yue Qi said.

"I know." Yuwen Tong answered briefly.

Yue Qi exited the room, before walking out he specially looked at Yuwen Tong. He wanted to ask the Marshal who was his marriage partner, but unfortunately he did not have the courage.

After Yue Qi went out, Yuwen Tong continued to read the topographic map of Tanyang in his hands. This map was very detailed, and it was absolutely the very rare kind. But because of Yuwen Tong's noble identity, it was not too hard for him get such a map.

He looked at places that the bandits might hide one after another, finally his eyes landed on the Prefecture Guards station of Tanyang and became cold, "Zhang Chong."

......

In Ling's home, Tanyang.

Ling Zhaowen's words were interrupted because of Ling Xingzhong's sudden appearance. So Ling Zhang did not learn his mother's origin from his uncle.

If Ling Zhang had only been suspicious of his mother's origin being complex, then he was absolutely certain this time.

But he just didn't know what kind of origin can made his mother master so strong formations. Even though Ling Zhang knew little about the art of war, he also knew that these formations were very precious. And they were absolutely those existence that cannot easily be imparted to the world.

Which family in the Great Yue was proficient in this? Ling Zhang couldn't even find any possible candidate after ransacking his brains. If he must pick one from those families, it must be the Yuwen family. As a family of general for generations, they were proficient in art of war and formations, but his mother's last name wasn't Yuwen, and he felt her family wasn't related to Yuwen family.

His paternal grandfather once said that his maternal grandparents lived far away, even farther than the capital.

Besides, he and Yuwen Tong had been engaged, that was out of the question.

But if not, what exactly was his mother's origin?

And why didn't his grandfather let his uncle tell him?

Ling Zhang had no idea for the moment, so finally he could only sigh and temporarily lay down this matter.