Given that Ji Yanlai had brought his nephew out of the mountains and had not disguised himself or made any efforts to cover his tracks, Yuwen Tong's speculation about Ji Yanlai's intention of putting an end to his secluded life had proved right.

It was in the afternoon on that very day that Yuwen Tong left the imperial palace and went to the Ling Mansion.

Ji Yanlai, taking his nephew with him, settled in the Ling Mansion. He was acting in a very natural and carefree manner, as though this was more of a sightseeing tour for him.

"Nobody is able to stop you now, and you've succeeded in what you set out to do. I think it's time for us to talk about our deal," said Ji Yanlai.

Yuwen Tong replied without preamble, "Brother Ji, previously you didn't name your price. Now you may be honest with me about it."

Ji Yanlai said, "We've been cooped up in the mountains too long, which is why, inevitably, many of my people feel they could use some fresh air. They want to find somewhere in the outside world to settle down. Since this whole country is now in your pocket, we naturally will need your authorization to get a place like that."

Yuwen Tong said, "The retreat in the Sanguan Mountains where your clan have been living in seclusion is like an Arcadia, but it's indeed quite boring to be cut off from the outside world for too long. Your terms strike me as understandable, but you're not the next person, Brother Ji, and given that you've asked this condition, I suppose you've already found somewhere that takes your fancy."

On hearing this, Ji Yanlai flicked Yuwen Tong a thoughtful look and then said, "You don't seem surprised at all, as though you some time ago divined what terms I'd make. Maybe you've also got a shrewd idea of which place I want."

Yuwen Tong made no reply and just gave a smile.

Ji Yanlai, who didn't mind, said, "Well, you didn't guess wrong. There's indeed a spot that catches my fancy. Rest assured, I have no interest whatsoever in getting involved in any power struggles, and I won't be so insensible as to move somewhere close to your turf and make an eyesore of myself. It's an island that I want. What with its special geographical location and surroundings, it's completely uninhabited. Also, it's not big – just big enough to accommodate my clan, actually. Us making it our settlement won't affect you in any way."

Yuwen Tong looked at him, waiting for him to be more specific.

At the sight of the expression on Yuwen Tong's face, Ji Yanlai came to know that his previous speculation had proved right, that Yuwen Tong had indeed guessed his terms beforehand.

"The island I want lies to the east of the Morning Star Island. There's a certain distance between the two. Around the island are hidden reefs and whirlpools, which makes it inconvenient for ships to approach. It's not really a fairyland anybody would dream of going to. If truth be told, my clansmen are probably the only ones capable of navigating through those underwater rocks and whirlpools unharmed and living on that island. On top of that, there are navies stationed on the Morning Star Island, who would keep watch on us for you, so there's no need for you to worry about anything."Read manga at our MangaBob.com

Yuwen Tong's face creased into a smile. "I know what you mean, Brother Ji. Since I made you a promise that day, I naturally will accept this condition of yours. Apart from nearby hidden reefs and whirlpools, that island also bristles with dense woodlands and rocks, and I'm afraid it won't be easy to make it habitable in a short time. Do you have any plans to deal with that, Brother Ji? I can offer you some help if you want."

Ji Yanlai tossed Yuwen Tong another glance and responded, "No wonder you succeeded in taking the throne. I like your straightforwardness. If you really mean to help, just tell the navy on the Morning Star Island to let us through the waters. We can build ships by ourselves, and transforming the terrain of the island is also within our power. All these are just trivial matters. Aside from instructing the navy to stay out of our way, I also need you to give my clansmen legal identities, which will be beneficial to both of us, because some day some of my people might have to leave the island to go to the mainland to attend to some business, and somebody in charge might want to check the records to find out who they are."

Yuwen Tong observed, "That's a trivial matter as well. I'll send someone to Haizhou. He won't get onto the island. If there's anything you need, just talk to him and he'll handle it."

Ji Yanlai said, "Then it's settled."

Yuwen Tong said, "Yeah. Brother Ji, tell me when you're going to Haizhou so that I can make arrangements in advance."

Ji Yanlai said, "There's no hurry. I'll have to go back to our mountain retreat to deal with something after your enthronement and your wedding ceremony, and I'll tell you when to send your man after I return."

Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. "I see. I'll be occupied with the enthronement preparations and some other pressing matters for some days, so I'm afraid I won't be able to stay in your company for long. If there's anything you need to talk with me about, you may have someone deliver a message to me or directly go to the imperial palace to see me."

Ji Yanlai raised his eyebrows. "All right."

Both Yuwen Tong and Ji Yanlai were the kind of people who preferred to dispense with formalities and get straight to the point. After talking about their deal and then having dinner with the others, Yuwen Tong returned to the palace. Ling Zhang stayed, intending to spend the night in the Ling Mansion.

Having agreed on the terms with Yuwen Tong, Ji Yanlai, who had no other business to attend to, started acting like a tourist even more. At night, he said he wanted to take Cong outside to have a walk on the street and enjoy the night view of the capital city.

Since Ling Zhang had decided to stay in the Ling Mansion, he naturally had to accompany them. Thinking that they were going for a stroll, he conveniently brought Ling Maomao with him. Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen were playing chess with Ling Xingzhong and uninterested in wandering around on the street at night. Ji Yin, who was making efforts to sort out the preparations for Ling Zhang's wedding, decided not to go either.

A large group of people left the mansion, Ling Zhang followed by Wang Dashan and some other bodyguards, Ji Yanlai by five guards of the Millennium Pavilion headed by Ji Donglin.

Ji Yanlai cast a look over his shoulder at those in their wake and asked, "Doesn't it strike you as a little dramatic to have so many people on your heels?"

Ling Zhang replied, "My personal safety concerns not only myself now. Besides, I wouldn't have been allowed to come out if I don't bring them with me."

His elders wouldn't permit it, and Yuwen Tong would immediately return from the palace and tell him off. For the sake of Yuwen Tong and his own safety, Ling Zhang didn't think bringing Wang Dashan and the others with him was too much trouble.

Ji Yanlai curled his lip and made no more remarks. Soon all his attention was fixed on the streetscape. He was not wearing the gorgeous robes that he had worn in that great hall of the Millennium Pavilion on that day. Instead, he was dressed in plain blue attire, his hair casually tied at the back, looking like someone who didn't care much about his appearance. However, owing to the kind of natural aloofness in his temperament and his handsome face, the scarlet mole in the middle of his forehead seemed to hold the power of enchanting any eye that beheld it, and the air of aristocracy about him deterred most people from looking him in the face.

Because of the company of a man like this, Ling Zhang believed that it had been a very wise decision to bring Wang Dashan and the others with him. Ji Yanlai was too obtrusive.

However, Ji Yanlai seemed to be totally unaware of this. He was enjoying the streetscape in a very relaxed and contented fashion, his eyes full of curiosity – yes, curiosity. Though his pair of eyes appeared placid, noble and apathetic, Ling Zhang could still tell that right now Ji Yanlai's heart was actually brimming over with excitement and curiosity.

Maybe because on first acquaintance Ji Yanlai had joined them for broiled pheasants unasked like someone who was always ready to strike up friendships with others, it struck Ling Zhang that Ji Yanlai was actually very easy to figure out, that he was the kind of person who was not secretive and always explicit about his true thoughts.

Along the way he and Ji Yanlai were bringing up the rear, Ling Maomao and Cong walking in front hand in hand. Ji Yanlai was feasting his eyes on all kinds of things on the street, while Ling Zhang was keeping an eye on Ling Maomao and Cong.

Though the two boys were new friends to each other, the friendship between Ling Maomao and Cong had clearly developed considerably already. Ling Maomao's hold on Cong's hand was pretty firm, which made him look very much like a big brother. Cong was constantly asking all kinds of questions as his attention frequently shifted from one thing to another. Ling Maomao, gripping Cong's wrist tightly to keep him from running into the crowd, was casting about desperately for answers to Cong's questions, many of which were unknown to him, and he had to twist his head back to seek help from Ling Zhang. Ling Zhang, who was watching over them all the time, came to his cousin's help whenever he was needed.

"Wow, what's that?!"

They had progressed along this street for only a few moments, but Cong and his uncle had asked at least ten questions already. Of course, the boy's questions were very different from his uncle's, but in a sense they were actually... the same.

"That's an acrobatic feat. The ball-shaped bundle of coloured silk ribbons has some small bells attached to it to attract people's attention. The bells jingle constantly when the performers are tossing and catching the ball. Right now there are too many people here, so we can't see any of the performers. We could only see the colorful ball. You want to go and see it?" said Ling Zhang.

Cong shouted a reply before Ji Yanlai could say anything. "Yes, Brother Zhang! Please take us there to have a look!"

After saying this, he shifted his gaze to Ling Maomao who was holding his hand. "Brother Maomao?"

Ling Maomao looked over his shoulder at Ling Zhang. "Big Brother, I'd like to see it as well."

Though Ji Yanlai hadn't said anything, his eyes which were staring in the direction of the uproarious crowd was making his intention very clear.

Ling Zhang, "..."

"Okay then, let's go and have a look. Liuzi, take some men over there and have the crowd make way for us. Be careful not to hurt anybody."

"Yes, Young Master."

Yang Liuzi led some men to the audience and forcibly had the boisterous crowd part to allow Ling Zhang and the others to get through.

Residents of the capital city, who saw dignitaries on a frequent basis, were no stranger at all to being forced to make way. They were all very cooperative but also quite curious about who was coming.

What with the many upheavals that had happened in quick succession in the capital city, the atmosphere in this city had been subdued for a very long time, and it had been quite a while since the last time an exuberant gathering like a night market had been organized. It had been only when news of Yuwen Tong's victory over the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom spread back to the capital city that the mood in the city changed somewhat. Afterward, when the prince had abdicated in favor of Yuwen Tong, the atmosphere had seemed to break some kind of impasse and residents had resumed having night markets. Recently, many officials from provincial cities had been coming into the capital city, adding to the gaiety of the occasion.

However, as many high-ranking officials had been brought down during the previous political turbulence, those who had survived had been laying low and staying at home all the time since the abdication ceremony. They were either engaged in enthronement preparations or busy with other matters. Very few of them were still in the mood for a walk on the street at this point in time.

Lookers-on shifted their gaze from the acrobats to Ling Zhang and his companions. Unsurprisingly, Ji Yanlai attracted everybody's attention immediately.

"Wow, he's so good-looking. Who is he?"

"Good-looking? He's more attractive than all those with pretence to beauty that I've ever met."

"That's a man. I've never heard of any men as good-looking as him in this city before."

"There's also a child."

"Look at the other guy. He's pretty charming as well. Who is he?"

"Someone from out of town?"

"I think so. I've never seen him before."

Another man said with a hiss of surprise, "No. One of them looks somewhat familiar to me..."

Eventually someone noticed Ling Zhang and recognized him. Ling Zhang had first arrived in the capital city with the air of someone who was going to make themself known to the whole city, and on this day, it could be said that there wasn't a single person in this city who had not heard of his name yet, which was why his being recognized on this street caused quite a sensation.

Almost immediately after he was recognized, all residents nearby quieted down, and even the acrobatic troupe stopped dead.

Although the official wedding ceremony hadn't been held yet, there was a general consensus among all residents in the capital city that Ling Zhang was the future consort.

When a consort arrived, all subjects present were supposed to kneel and keep quiet to pay their respects to him or her, but the problem was that Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were not officially married at the moment. Though everybody knew he would be the consort, according to the rules, he shouldn't be addressed as such until the title was officially conferred upon him.

Then what should they do? All residents on the scene were at a loss what to do. Some of them reflexively sank to their knees but didn't know what they should say. Others didn't kneel but wondered whether or not it was appropriate for them to remain standing. Eventually they were all on their knees, unaware of what to say. For a moment it was a fairly peculiar scene.

Ling Zhang, "..."

He hadn't thought that it would come to this. These people knelt down before him in such a sudden fashion that he was sent into a stupor.

"You may rise, all of you." Unable to figure out what he should say, Ling Zhang had no alternative but to ask them to stand up.

The residents all felt relieved, rose to their feet and then continued gazing at Ling Zhang silently.

The acrobats stopped performing. Seeing that the acrobatic feat they wanted to see was suspended, Ji Yanlai, Ling Maomao and Cong all appeared rather disappointed, their enjoyment spoiled.

Ling Zhang intended to have the acrobatic troupe resume their performance, but all these people had now come to know his identity and looked faintly scared of him, and if by any chance the acrobats made any errors out of nervousness, it would be a real bummer. Moreover, because of these people's kneeling down to him, residents in the distance had noticed and were all looking in this direction. If they kept walking around, they would only end up being the focus of attention from start to finish, and the liveliness of this occasion and the pleasure of strolling the streets would be lost as well.

Resigned, Ling Zhang had to admit that he had become a spoilsport by being recognized.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that this saunter of ours has come to an early end," Ling Zhang said to Ji Yanlai.

A heavy pleasure seeker as he was, Ji Yanlai was a reasonable person. He said, "Never mind. I'll stay in the capital city for another couple of days anyway. I can do this another time."

Ling Zhang thanked him and then shifted his gaze to Ling Maomao and Cong. "We have to go back. As compensation for this, I'll have my men buy some goodies and interesting stuff and bring them back, so that we can have some fun in the residence."

Ling Maomao was a big boy now and knew when to heed adults' words. In addition, this city was strange to him and he was still a trifle uptight. A moment ago when the large crowd had knelt down in their direction, he had been somewhat frightened. On hearing Ling Zhang's arrangement, he obediently bobbed his head. "Okay, Big Brother. Let's do it your way."

Cong was still young, but children could be very sensitive to the change in the atmosphere in some circumstances as well. He had evidently sensed the strange gaze from the eyes of people nearby, which was different from how it had been just now. He gave a nod and said nothing, just inching his little body behind Ling Maomao in an effort to hide from those looking in his direction.

Ling Zhang's eyebrows contracted slightly. Without saying anything else, he pivoted around and started to lead them back. At the same time he instructed Liu Yi to take some men and buy some food and toys and then bring them back to the Ling Mansion.

They had gone out in high spirits but returned fairly dispirited. All of them seemed a little bit down.

Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen, who were playing chess in the ante-room, along with Ji Yin who was sitting on the side counting something on his fingers, were all somewhat puzzled as to why they had come back so early. "Eek? Why are you back so soon? It's been less than an hour."

Seeing they appeared in low spirits, Ling Zhaowu asked, "Did something happen when you were on the street?"

"It was my fault. I should've taken into consideration the possibility of someone recognizing me." Ling Zhang gave them an account of what had happened out on the street.

All his elders lapsed into silence and were absorbed in thought for a few moments. Then Ling Xingzhong observed, "Your identity is different now, and it's indeed inappropriate for you to walk on the street like this. We just haven't adapted ourselves to these changes. What happened tonight should be taken as a word of warning for us."

Ling Zhaowen felt sorry for Ling Zhang. "You mean from now on Zhang'er couldn't even go out into the street?"

Ling Zhaowu remained silent, but the slight frown on his face showed that his heart also ached for Ling Zhang.

"'You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs,' as the saying goes. You and Yuwen Tong had been celebrities already even before your identities changed. There's a very high risk that you'll be recognized. For the sake of your safety, you need to wear a disguise before going out into the street. Surely Yuwen Tong has someone at his command who knows how to disguise people, I suppose?" said Ji Yanlai matter-of-factly.

Comprehension dawned on the faces of all others at these words, as though they had just woken up from their dreams, and with that the atmosphere lightened instantaneously.

Ling Zhang smiled, "That's so true, Clan Leader. I'm sorry for spoiling your enjoyment tonight. I should've made some preparations beforehand."

Ji Yanlai said, "Like I said, it's no big deal. I'll do it another day."