In the living room of Yuwen Zhi's branch of Yuwen family, Zheng shi smashed a teacup to pieces and spat disgustedly, "All that fuss over a small drugstore! Yuwen Tong is such an ungrateful character. Never once has he helped with our family business, and now he is openly offering support to that brat of Ling family!"

Su Yaoyao standing on the side was startled. "Aunt..."

Su Yaoyao had been staying in the residential compound of Yuwen family all along lately, keeping Zheng shi company and helping taking care of Yuwen Qi. As the saying goes, 'It takes at least a hundred days for a tendon injury or a fracture to heal.' Since both Yuwen Qi's legs had been broken, it would only take longer than that for him to recover. Zheng shi had sent for almost all famous physicians in the capital city and finally Yuwen Qi had made an acceptable recovery. However, though he could walk now, physicians had advised him not to run or jump, and he had trouble standing longer than a certain amount of time at a time. After hearing the physicians' diagnosis, Zheng shi had hated Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong for quite some time, regarding the two of them as her foes.

"Master once personally wrote to him, asking him to offer some help with Su family's business, but he categorically refused without any consideration of our face. Now he became a backer of an outsider whom he hasn't married yet, showing a total disregard for his respectability. Isn't he deliberately trying to revolt us?! Fortunately I haven't married you to him. I cannot imagine how hard life would've been for you had you married that ungrateful bastard who was heartless enough to force his uncle into breaking his cousin's legs!" Zheng shi huffed to Su Yaoyao.

Su Yaoyao had a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, what with not only Zheng shi's words but also her recollection of the apathy and disgust for her shown by Yuwen Tong on that day.

"Don't be mad, Aunt. Anger is bad for your health," consoled Su Yaoyao, massaging Zheng shi's back.

Zheng shi sniffed coldly, "How could I not be mad? Your cousin's legs..."

Zheng shi's eyes reddened as she said this. In a resentful tone, she continued, "I promise I'll have them pay for it. They want to run a drugstore in the capital city? In their dreams!"

But Su Yaoyao was somewhat worried. She still remembered the terrifying look in Yuwen Tong's eyes that day. "What are you going to do about it, Aunt?"

Zheng shi replied, "I'll make sure that country bumpkin's drugstore goes bankrupt, reduce him to a laughing stock of this city and have him evicted!"

"What did you just say you're going to do?" A voice was heard. Yuwen Zhi walked inside, looking at Zheng shi with a cold face.

Zheng shi had also come to hate Yuwen Zhi when he'd broken Yuwen Qi's legs, but Yuwen Zhi was the patriarch of this family and her husband, so Zheng shi didn't dare show her resentment in his presence for fear of angering him. She replied humbly, "Master, Yuwen Tong is such an ungrateful bastard. He's openly become a backer of that rustic of Ling family. Back then when you personally wrote a letter to him, he showed a total disregard for your feelings, but today he went to that yokel's support without a second thought. Isn't he trying to humiliate us? How can we swallow this?"

Yuwen Zhi's expression went even colder at Zheng shi's words. "So what do you plan to do?"

Zheng shi answered, "Since that country bumpkin wants to run a drugstore, we need to make sure he doesn't have his way. Qi'er suffered so much because of him. We cannot let him get away with that."

But Yuwen Zhi appeared indifferent. "All you need to do is take good care of Qi'er. Do not get involved in any other matters."

Zheng shi was unwilling to obey. "I know you promised that ungrateful bastard you won't make trouble for Ling Zhang, but as long as we do it secretly, Yuwen Tong wouldn't be able to find out. It's not like he has three heads and six arms or something. Besides, even if Yuwen Tong finds out, what could he possibly do to us without any proofs?"

Yuwen Zhi flintily looked at her and said in a frosty voice, "Which part of my words do you not understand?"

Zheng shi gave a start at his icy eyes and tone. In the knowledge that Yuwen Zhi got angry, she didn't dare make any more remarks.

Yuwen Zhi said, "None of you are to make trouble for Ling Zhang or offend Yuwen Tong without my permission!"

Unresigned to the situation as Zheng shi was, she didn't dare contradict Yuwen Zhi, so she had no choice but to reluctantly undertake that she wouldn't.

After Yuwen Zhi left, Zheng shi who was unconvinced cursed him, but Su Yaoyao's tense back muscles relaxed — she feared Yuwen Zhi very much.

"Worthless wretch! Coward!" Zheng shi angrily called her husband names.

Su Yaoyao, taken aback, hurriedly looked left and right. Seeing servants were all waiting outside, she let out a sigh of relief. "Aunt, if by any chance uncle hears you..."

Zheng shi was indignant, but she was indeed afraid of Yuwen Zhi. After hearing this, she swore no more, though her face was still sullen. She just observed bitterly, "He doesn't dare cross Yuwen Tong for fear that Yuwen Tong might disown us. That day he showed Qi'er no mercy whatsoever, and now he still chose to swallow insult and humiliation."

Su Yaoyao held back the words that had sprung to the tip of her tongue. Who was not afraid of Yuwen Tong?

Zheng shi clenched her teeth. "No. Even if I cannot do anything about this myself, on no account will I let that rustic of Ling family have his way. Yaoyao, I want you to take a message to your parents for me. There's a particular matter I need them to handle for me."

Su Yaoyao was startled and wanted to decline. Even Yuwen Zhi didn't dare mess with Yuwen Tong. Her father was merely a common official in the capital city. What could he possibly do?

Zheng shi seemed to have noticed that Su Yaoyao was hesitating. With a cold face, she piercingly stared at Su Yaoyao. "You don't want to do that for me?"

Su Yaoyao started at the change of Zheng shi's countenance and tone and broke out in a cold sweat. She replied, "I'd love to. What is it you want me to tell my parents, Aunt?"

Zheng shi gave a cold snort somewhat contentedly and then told Su Yaoyao her plan.

...

Three days after the opening of the drugstore, some rumors suddenly started to spread in the capital city, all of which were directed at the Ling's Drugstore.

Someone had died after taking the medicine bought at the Ling's Drugstore.

The Ling's Drugstore didn't retail medications. Since it was located in the trading center in the west of the city, its customers were merchants who went to the center to do business and only purchased things in bulk, not common residents who typically bought drugs at drugstores on the streets.

Anybody with some discernment could tell that these rumors were quite unfounded. All those who had purchased medicinal herbs from the Ling's Drugstore had checked the goods and knew that there was no quality problem.

However, not everybody was discerning enough to tell rumors from the facts. Many residents in the capital city didn't know such inside information. After hearing that someone had died because of the medication of the Ling's Drugstore, they kept snowballing the rumors like crazy, and soon it spread through the whole city. Citizens blinded by the hearsay gritted their teeth when circulating it, as if they'd seen it with their own eyes, disdaining and cursing the Ling's Drugstore, claiming that they'd never buy any drugs from it.

Ling Zhang knew that somebody definitely had done this on purpose to make life difficult for him, but if he didn't do anything about it, the business of his drugstore would no doubt be affected.

Merchants from other cities who were unaware of the truth naturally would be deterred from going to the Ling's Drugstore.

Ling Zhang asked with a cold face, "Have you ascertained the source of the rumor?"

Li Sicai answered, "It started at a food market near the South Alley in the east of the city, which is a place all sorts of people go in and out of every day. It's very difficult to confirm who's the initiator."

All these rumors circulating in the city were about the death of someone, but nobody knew for sure who had died exactly. Though even the identity of the victim was unknown, numerous residents believed that such a thing had indeed happened. Li Sicai was also very annoyed, but the food market was crowded with people of every description: common citizens, servants, ruffians and hooligans, businessmen living in and outside the city, thieves etc. It was a very messy place. Some said that it was a woman who had started the rumor; some others said that they'd heard it from a market trader. Li Sicai had asked them one by one, but all those market traders and businessmen told him that they'd heard it from someone else. The large number of floating population made it very hard to find out the truth.

Apart from foes, those who were in conflicts of interest with the Ling's Drugstore could also be the one who'd worked against Ling Zhang, so it was not easy to narrow down the list.

Ling Zhang said, "Tell those looking into this matter to continue the investigation. Now our first priority is to clarify this issue. We cannot let the rumors put us in a one-sided situation."

Soon, new hearsay contrary to those rumors started circulating, stating the location and clients of the Ling's Drugstore, saying that the drugstore didn't retail drugs, that none of the registered clients had ever made any complaints about poor quality, that someone had been deliberately spreading malicious rumors to ruin the reputation of the Ling's Drugstore.

The trading center in the west of the city was very large, and all residents in the capital city knew what kind of place it was. After hearing that the Ling's Drugstore was in the trading center in the west of the city and only took bulk orders, some people stopped spreading the rumors. Malevolent rumors had spread very quick, but the clarification circulated just as quick. The two statements were mixed together. Most people were in doubt about both of them, and the rampant circulation of the malicious rumors was curbed.

But before long, a new rumor was started, saying that the sole reason why Ling Zhang had successfully opened a drugstore was because of Yuwen Tong's support, that all medicinal herbs in there were actually of inferior quality, that all the merchants who'd made deals with Ling Zhang had done it on Yuwen Tong's account, and the medicinal herbs of the Ling's Drugstore were no good.

This time, Ling Zhang didn't have to clarify it himself. The Jiang's Drugstore Chain came to the defense of the Ling's Drugstore. The general storekeeper personally took some medicinal herbs and let customers examine them, proving that herbs of the Ling's Drugstore were of high quality. Apart from the Jiang's Drugstore Chain, owners of some other drugstores who had seen Yuwen Tong's attitude towards Jiang Hong, were fully aware of what was the right thing to do and naturally wouldn't lag behind again. All of them made an effort to explain the issue, not sparing themselves.

With these people's help, the second bout of circulation of rumors was also contained.

But soon a third rumor was started. This time it was directed at not the drugstore but Ling Zhang himself. It was said that Ling Zhang had driven a wedge between Yuwen Tong and his uncle Yuwen Zhi, incited Yuwen Tong to force Yuwen Zhi to divide up family property, that Ling Zhang was a male courtesan.

Apart from slanderous words about Ling Zhang, events that happened twenty years ago were also part of the rumor, which said that it was by sheer fluke that Ling Xingzhong had been promoted to Assistant Minister of Rites, that he had no solid learning at all and had left the capital city with his tail between his legs after being satirized by officials in the capital city, that Ling Xingzhong was just as narrow-minded and unforgiving as Ling Zhang was.

Ling Zhang had kept his temper when the rumors had been only about him, but on hearing that his grandfather had been defamed, he flied into a rage.

"Have you found anything?" asked Ling Zhang, a cold look on his face.

"We've found a couple of suspects and are investigating them one by one," answered Li Sicai.

If the first rumor had been the only one, they might have still been in perplexity, but those people had started another two rumors, which had allowed Li Sicai to find some traces.

"Give me the names. I'll handle it myself," instructed Ling Zhang.

"Yes, Young Master," replied Li Sicai and then informed Ling Zhang of the suspects' names.

Icy-faced, Ling Zhang rose to his feet and said, "There's another matter I need you to deal with."

Li Sicai look at him, "At your service, Young Master."

With a flinty look in his eyes, Ling Zhang said, "Even if it were by accident that my grandfather was appointed as Assistant Minister of Rites, they should not forget that it was not my grandfather but the former emperor who made that mistake. My grandfather wouldn't have got the job had the former emperor not issued that erroneous imperial edict. Though the former emperor must be true to his word and was unable to rescind an issued imperial edict, it doesn't change the fact that he was the one who made a mistake. Those who regard my grandfather as a laughing stock only dare ridicule him in private. Never has anybody been so bold as to talk about it in public. Whoever started this rumor is questioning the former emperor's decision. After all, in that imperial edict, the former emperor expressly praised my grandfather as a talented and knowledgeable man. By spreading this rumor, aren't these people actually laughing at the former emperor and accusing him of muddle-headedness and incompetence?"

Li Sicai took action very quick, and the way he counter-attacked was radical and efficient. Instead of circulating hearsay on the sly, he chose to do it in the Taibai Tavern, the busiest place where the youngest intellectuals congregated.

It was from the mouths of young intellectuals that some statements began to spread. They indignantly assailed the rumors, charging the initiator with calumniating the former emperor.

When the criticism reached the mastermind's ears, the whole city was talking about this matter.

"Why is this happening? Who started the rumor about Ling Xingzhong? I never instructed any of you to do that!"

"Have mercy on me, Master. It wasn't us who started the rumor. None of us told those people anything about Ling Xingzhong. We have no idea who started it."

In the residential compound of Su family, Su Zhi, Zheng shi's brother-in-law, was beside himself with rage and alarm. At the request of Zheng shi, he'd had some of his men spread rumor. Much unwilling to offend Yuwen Tong as he was, it'd been with Zheng shi's assistance that Su family had managed to gain a foothold in the capital city, so he couldn't disobey Zheng shi and ordered his men to gingerly spread those rumors about Ling Zhang.

But he'd never expected that eventually things would come to this. Though his position in the government was low, he was not stupid and immediately came to realize that someone was taking advantage of their rumors and spreading the hearsay about Ling Xingzhong on purpose, but why this person was doing this was unknown to Su Zhi. What he did know was that once anybody found out he was the one responsible for the circulation of the rumors, in no circumstances would he be allowed to go unpunished.

His eyes instantly went murderous as he looked at his two servants, who perceived it and were horrified. "Please have mercy on us, Master. Please!"

...

Meanwhile, Yuwen Tong had just exited the imperial palace. After rumors started spreading that he was trying to pressurize Yuwen Zhi into meeting his demand that the two of them divide up family property and live apart, the emperor had summoned him and Yuwen Zhi to the palace and asked them about it.

Sure enough Yuwen Tong had denied it, and so had Yuwen Zhi. Eventually, the matter had been left unsettled.

Yuwen Tong's eyes got cold as he thought of the one who'd started the rumor.

When he returned to the Ling Mansion, angry accusations of young intellectuals in the Taibai Tavern had reached his ears.

Countenance unchanged, Yuwen Tong got a shrewd idea of why those intellectuals were doing this.

"Childe Ling had Li Sicai do that," explained Li Sicai.

Yuwen Tong, who hadn't seen Ling Zhang since his return, inclined his head and asked, "Where's Brother Zhang?"

"Li Sicai found some people who might be initiators of the rumors, and Childe Ling has personally set out to investigate them," answered Yao Yi.

After thinking for a few moments, Yuwen Tong turned around and started walking outside, planning to find Ling Zhang.

Li Sicai had narrowed down the list to some women responsible for buying groceries for a couple of rich families. These women worked for different families, and it was very easy for them to hide themselves, for entering a large residential compound was like entering another world. It had been their repeatedly starting rumors that had given Li Sicai the opportunity to track them down.

Ling Zhang had looked into the background of these families and found that all patriarchs of them were officials working in the capital city, but there was nothing noteworthy about any of them; none of them had had any dealings with Ling Zhang or had any powerful backers; they'd always kept a relatively low profile compared with other officials in the city and their ranks were rather low; no sides would consider them worth co-opting, which was why none of them belonged to any particular faction.

After going through the background information of these families, Ling Zhang didn't directly visit any of them to query their patriarchs. Instead, he found a way to have those women sought out and interrogated them one by one.

The couple of women were all very scared when faced with Ling Zhang, especially when their eyes fell on the "ferocious-looking" bodyguards beside him. They made a full confession immediately after being threatened. Someone had paid them to do that. The one responsible for contacting them was a market trader living outside the city who entered the city to sell vegetables in a stall every day.

At their words Ling Zhang came to know that these women had done this multiple times — there was actually a fixer they were in regular contact with.

After dragging out of those women how to make contact with that market trader, how they usually got things done, and some other details they needed to pay attention to, Ling Zhang took some men and went to look for that market trader.

As that market trader was someone those women went to the market to contact on a regular basis, he definitely went there very often. Even if he wasn't there, there was no doubt that some others would be able to offer information about where he might be, so it wouldn't be difficult to find him.

As a result, when Yuwen Tong arrived at the market, he was told that Ling Zhang had just left. He hurriedly went in the same direction.

...

"Tell me. Who paid you to spread those rumors?"

"It wa–was a peddler near the end of the bridge in front of the food market in the east of the city."

A peddler?