With Fang shi and Liu shi keeping her company, Fu Caiwei appeared to be in much better spirits.

On being informed of this, Ling Zhang felt a great sense of relief, but unexpectedly, a message from outside the palace took him aback that very night.

Fu Caiwei didn't feel very well, and his family asked him to go back.

At that time, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were about to have dinner. After hearing the message, they mistakenly believed that something serious had happened, and hurriedly left the palace.

When they arrived at the Ling Mansion, Ling Zhang found that his family all seemed relaxed and fairly delighted. Astonished, he hastily asked someone about it and was told that Fu Caiwei was not ill but pregnant.

Fortunately Mr. Mu was present, and Fu Caiwei's constitution was not weak, so aside from some minor discomfort, she was okay.

Ling Zhang was sent into a half-stupor. This came as such a surprise to him.

Yuwen Tong also reacted quickly. He sent someone to Yuwen You's place, requested Fang shi and Liu shi to help hire some reliable and experienced midwives and send them to the Ling Mansion to wait upon Fu Caiwei, but what with the lateness of the hour and the short notice, those midwives wouldn't be able to move into the Ling Mansion until at least the next day.

After getting over the astonishment caused by the news, Ling Zhang went to confer with Ling Xingzhong and some others. "Grandfather, I want to give up my courtyard house to my uncle and aunt. It's more spacious and could accommodate more handmaids and midwives."

In addition to more spare rooms that could accommodate more people, that courtyard house also had a small garden, which meant Fu Caiwei would have a better living environment and a wider area to walk around for relaxation if she moved there. On top of that, because of the relatively special location of that courtyard house, people living in there were less likely to be disturbed.

"You can't do that. If you give up your courtyard house to them, you yourself would have nowhere to live. Besides, your identity is different now–"

"Uncle," Ling Zhang interrupted Ling Zhaowen who tried to decline the offer, "I could settle myself in any of the other houses. After you and my aunt move over there, you may let Maomao stay in the courtyard house you're now living in and have them transfer my stuff to that house. I'll live with Maomao."

"Brother Zhang has a point. Right now there are many things in the imperial palace that Brother Zhang has to deal with, and there's also the wedding ceremony. After we get married, Brother Zhang will naturally live in the palace. Right now Aunt Ling's health is of the greatest importance. That courtyard house is unoccupied most of the time. You might as well move into it and put it to good use." Yuwen Tong expressed similar opinions.

Since he had put it this way, Ling Zhaowen naturally couldn't bring himself to decline again, but he didn't agree to the suggestion either.

Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowu also didn't say anything immediately. It was not that they didn't care much about Fu Caiwei, but that they were still worried about Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang was a member of the Ling family. How could he not have a decent courtyard house of his own at home? Although he was going to marry Yuwen Tong, there was still some days before the wedding. Furthermore, according to the rules, after the nuptials, nobody but Ling Zhang could live in that courtyard house of his.

Among all these people, Yuwen Tong was the one who wanted the most for them to agree, because in that case, Ling Zhang would have no reason to spend another night in the Ling Mansion. There had been several occasions when Ling Zhang called the Ling Mansion 'home'. He regarded the Ling Mansion as his home, but privately Yuwen Tong preferred Ling Zhang to call the place the two of them stayed together 'home'.

"Here's what I think." Ling Zhaowu broke the silence. "Zhaowen and Caiwei should move to Zhang'er's courtyard house, because Zhang'er is trying to show his love for his uncle and aunt and Caiwei's personal safety is of great importance. The courtyard house you two are living in right now should be cleaned and Zhang'er will move into it. Given that Maomao is now indeed old enough to live independently, we may have the smaller courtyard house next to mine cleaned and let Maomao live in it. That smaller courtyard house is separated from the one you're moving into only by a wall. We may replace the solid wall with a hollowed-out ornamental one with an arch in it, so that the two houses will remain separate and you'll be able to check on Maomao whenever you want."

Ling Zhang hurriedly said, "My father is right. Let's do it this way, Grandfather, Uncle."

Ling Xingzhong was the first to give a nod of approval. "All right."

Ling Zhaowen was still a little reluctant, feeling that Ling Zhang was sacrificing too much for them.

"Uncle, the house you and Aunt are living in is quite spacious as well. It's more than good enough for me," observed Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong said, "That's right. We'll definitely expand this residential compound after we get married, and we'll re-plan the layout of it when the time comes. Presently, the most important thing is for Aunt Ling to have a comfortable place to live. I've sent my aunts a message and they'll bring some experienced midwives here, which means we'll have yet another batch of people to settle in. It'll be more convenient if you move into a bigger house."

Since he had put it this way, Ling Zhaowen felt it inappropriate to decline the offer once again, so he inclined his head, looking at Ling Zhang, a somewhat guilty expression in his eyes.

Ling Zhang pulled a wry face. "Uncle, you always tend to overthink situations."

A decision made, Ling Zhang instructed Xia Feng to have some servants pack his things before the night was out and clean the courtyard house, making it convenient for his uncle and aunt to move into it the next day.

...

Ling Zhang returned to his own courtyard house to sort books. Yuwen Tong went to have a talk with Ji Yanlai.

"How do you like this place so far, Clan Leader?" asked Yuwen Tong.

Ji Yanlai replied, "It's pretty lively, and your arrangements are pretty thoughtful. There's nothing I find myself unaccustomed to."

All the guards guarding the courtyard house Ji Yanlai was staying in were from the Millennium Pavilion. Members of the Ling family were all aware of his identity, and they had some time ago enjoined the servants not to disturb him. He could do anything he wanted in that courtyard house and nobody would say anything about it.

...

As Yuwen Tong took his leave, Ji Yanlai mulled over something for a few moments and then summoned Ji Yin.

"Elder, there's something I need to consult with you about, and you'll have to make arrangements for some men to get it done."

Ji Yin was somewhat puzzled. He knew very well what Ji Yanlai had come to this city to do. It surprised him somewhat that Ji Yanlai suddenly needed him to do something for him. "At your service, Clan Leader."

Ji Yanlai said, "I didn't prepare any presents before leaving the mountains, so I need you to help me deliver a big gift to him."

Ji Yin listened quietly as Ji Yanlai told him what the big gift he wanted to send Yuwen Tong was. Privately he was a little surprised, but after giving it some thought, he felt that it would indeed be a great favor to Yuwen Tong, so he responded, "Rest assured, Clan Leader, I promise I'll have it handled properly."

Ji Yanlai said, "When it's done, make sure he knows it's us who make that happen. This great present from us would be an extra favor to him, one he'll definitely bear in mind."

"Yes, Clan Leader," replied Ji Yin.

...

Yuwen Tong, after taking leave of Ji Yanlai, went to Ling Zhang's place, helped him sort the books, left the other matters for Xia Feng and the servants to deal with, and then the two of them returned to the palace.

The next day, Fang shi and Liu shi, taking some midwives famous in the capital city with them, went to the Ling Mansion. News of Fu Caiwei's pregnancy had quickly spread out, and the mistresses of many large families started showing up at the front gates of the Ling Mansion, bearing gifts. Ling Zhang, for fear that they would disturb his aunt's rest, had the servants stop them, thanked them for their kindness and dismissed them.

...

What with Fu Caiwei's pregnancy, Ling Zhang was very worried, but both the preparatory work for the wedding ceremony and the whole bunch of unresolved issues in the palace were something he could not extricate himself from. For several consecutive days he was so occupied that he couldn't even take a breather. It was two days after Tao Feng's arrival in the capital city that he heard about it.

"Did he bring his wife with him?" asked Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong replied, "Yes, he did. She already paid your aunt a visit yesterday."

Sprawling in a chair, Ling Zhang said, "I'm glad to hear that. My aunt would be more at ease in the company of an old acquaintance. Now that Tao Feng has come to this city, I wonder how Tao Yi has been doing. Pity I'm up to my neck in work and couldn't spare the time to go out of the palace to check on him."

Massaging Ling Zhang's hand, Yuwen Tong said, "Tao Feng has arrived, and the envoys of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom will also arrive soon. Almost all the officials invited to attend the enthronement ceremony are in this city now. Also, there's been some good news from Cangzhou, saying that the rebel forces are beginning to show the inclination to accept the offer. I think the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor) will manage to handle it before my enthronement, and by the time when I grant amnesties to convicted criminals at the ceremony, the rebel forces would have basically disintegrated. Aside from these, we've achieved consensus on all the emergency decrees to be issued. All that's left now is to knock them into shape. As for the other matters, we'll have plenty of time to deal with them after the enthronement."

Ling Zhang grabbed Yuwen Tong's hand and said, "That's enough. Stop massaging me. You yourself are wiped out as well."

"The preparatory work for the enthronement ceremony is almost finished, I suppose?" Ling Zhang asked him.

Yuwen Tong said, "Yeah. The last remaining matter is to finalize the ritualistic rigmarole, which will be taken care of before the enthronement. Now I could finally take a breather."

Ling Zhang gazed at him quietly for a brief moment and then said, "But I still have tons of business to attend to. Things in the imperial palace are so complicated, much more complicated than I expected. I'm in over my head. The very mention of any of those miscellaneous things in the imperial harem gives me headaches. I'm beginning to regret it now."

Yuwen Tong, "..."

"You'll find yourself more than able to handle those things after you familiarize yourself with them. Rest assured, things would be a lot easier in our case, because there will be only two masters in this palace, so there won't be that many troublesome issues. All you have to do is focus on the wedding ceremony. This palace is burdened with too many thorny matters and sooner or later I'll rid it of them once and for all, so stop wasting your time and energy on them."

Ling Zhang looked at him. After quite a while, he lightly snorted, twisted his head aside and sniffed, "Every emperor has numerous concubines in his imperial harem. You really could resist the temptation?"

Hearing this, Yuwen Tong continued massaging Ling Zhang's shoulders. With an utterly unperturbed look on his face, he said, "How about I abdicate in favor of you?"

Ling Zhang, "..."

"Say something sensible."

Yuwen Tong replied in a quite innocent tone, "You were the one who started saying insensible things first. You know very well both my heart and my body belong to you now, but you still said those hurtful words. It cut deep. If you don't trust me, I might as well give up the throne."

Ling Zhang faintly blushed at these words. "I was just saying that."

Yuwen Tong snorted, "I don't think so. We're getting married, and there'll only be the two of us. I have no interest in anybody else, and you're to stay away from those unsavory characters as well."

Ling Zhang opened his mouth and wanted to say something but eventually held back the words on the tip of his tongue. After a few moments' silence, he said, "I see. I won't bring this up again."

Yuwen Tong planted a kiss on his cheek. "Um."

Ling Zhang had originally wanted to ask Yuwen Tong, who was going to be an emperor, how he planned to tackle the unavoidable issue of his heir, but then it had occurred to him that currently the first priority was the enthronement, that maybe he should wait until after the enthronement ceremony to talk about this matter with him, so he had forborne from mentioning it. Besides, he had also recalled that his father had once told him Yuwen Tong never married in his last incarnation, and with that he had found some of the words in his mind difficult to say. A moment ago, it had been on the spur of the moment that he made that remark.

Yuwen Tong, who could tell at a glance that his mind was wandering, immediately asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Ling Zhang shook his head. "Nothing."

Yuwen Tong unnoticeably furrowed his brows. He saw distinctly that just now a flicker of sadness had flitted across Ling Zhang's eyes.

Yuwen Tong had meant it when he said that some day he would rid the imperial palace of many of those trivialities once and for all. For the moment he just couldn't spare the time to put it into action. Apart from state affairs, the matter of the two princes of the Zhou family also needed settling.

Ling Zhang, in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong had had everything planned out, temporarily put aside those trivial things in the palace and focused on the preparations for the wedding ceremony. He and Yuwen Tong were both men, and there was only one precedent for this in history, which was the marriage between the Emperor Gaozu and his male consort, so most of the ritualistic arrangements for the wedding had been finalized by the Ministry of Rites according to that precedent case. However, although an emperor surnamed Zhou had abdicated the throne, all those with decent perception were fully aware of what had really happened. The Yuwen family would become the new imperial household, and Yuwen Tong would be the first emperor of the Yuwen dynasty, so his and Ling Zhang's wedding would by no means be a complete repeat performance of that precedent case. There would be a lot of changes. In addition, Ling Zhang had suggested some of the unnecessary formalities be cut off, so the Ministry of Rites had to make a whole new wedding plan according to which the ceremony would be held.

Staff members of the Ministry of Rites were busy preparing Yuwen Tong's enthronement. Ling Zhang made some changes to the wedding plan and then had it delivered to the Ministry of Rites. The Minister of Rites, after seeing those major changes, didn't dare finalize the plan and asked Yuwen Tong for instructions.

Yuwen Tong, looking at the wedding plan placed in front of him with a placid expression on his face, said, "Is there a problem with the wedding plan?"

"Sire, it's not that the wedding plan is problematic. It's just that Childe Ling made a lot of changes to it, and he also cut off several parts. I'm afraid there might be complaints about such big changes," answered the Minister of Rites.

"Complaints? From whom?" Yuwen Tong looked at him.

Though Yuwen Tong's tone was calm, the Minister of Rites still hastily slumped to his knees with a start. "Sire, the imperial wedding is supposed to be the grandest and the most solemn ceremony aside from your enthronement ceremony. If we change it too much, I fear that some conservatives who set store by the old rites will raise their eyebrows."

"The old rites? What do you mean by the old rites? Do you still regard yourself as a servant of the Zhou family?" asked Yuwen Tong coldly.

The Minister of Rites instantly fell prostrate with a thud. "I shouldn't have said that. I didn't meant it, Sire. I beg your forgiveness."

Even many of the other courtiers present hung their heads, feeling cold sweat on their backs.

"Yuwen Feng, from now on you'll be in charge of the Ministry of Rites. Take this wedding plan back. All the preparations for the wedding ceremony shall be made according to it," instructed Yuwen Tong.

On hearing this, Yuwen Feng, who had been on his knees behind the Minister of Rites all along, looked up at Yuwen Tong. After a brief eye contact with Yuwen Tong, he replied, "Yes, Sire."

Yuwen Feng rose to his feet, stepped forward and took the wedding plan. The Minister of Rites was so nervous he wouldn't say boo to a goose, lying prone, trembling constantly.

After quite a while, Yuwen Tong said blandly, "You may rise."

It was only then that the Minister of Rites managed to summon up the courage to pull himself up, his robes wet with sweat.

Although Yuwen Tong didn't mete out any punishment to him, everybody present knew that he was toast, that even if he was allowed to stay in the imperial court, he would never get any career advancement again. The reason why Yuwen Feng hadn't been named the Minister of Rites right away was because Yuwen Tong hadn't officially acceded to the throne yet. After the enthronement ceremony, Yuwen Feng would definitely become the new chief of the Ministry of Rites.

...

The matter of the wedding plan had been resolved. As for the other remaining issues, they'd have to wait until after the enthronement ceremony to figure out how to settle them. Ling Zhang finally extricated himself from those seemingly never-ending tasks. Right now, there was seven days left before the enthronement ceremony.

Almost all departments in the capital city were occupied with preparations for the enthronement ceremony, but Ling Zhang, contrary to those officials, was now totally free, so he exited the palace, heading straight for the Ling Mansion.

This was the first time in so many days that he found himself out of the palace. When he had arrived home, he first went to inquire after his paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather, and then to see Fu Caiwei.

Fu Caiwei looked well and in a pretty good mood. Several experienced midwives had been watching over her and reminding her of things she needed to pay attention to. Also, Mrs. Tao, Fang shi and Liu shi came to keep her company quite often, and she herself had given birth to a child before and thus was not under as much stress as she had been when pregnant with her firstborn, so she was now carefree and in good spirits.

After inquiring after Fu Caiwei, Ling Zhang went to see Ling Zhaowu. The father and son found a quiet spot to sit and talk.

"You've got everything handled?"

"For the moment, yes. You and the others..."

"Don't worry. There are a lot of us in this place, and there's nothing we cannot settle. Besides, thanks to you and Yuwen Tong, nobody dare make trouble for the Ling family. As regards your trousseaus, your maternal grandfather and I have got all of them ready. All we have to do is just wait for the day of your and Yuwen Tong's wedding to come."