Chapter 166 - Uninterested (2/2)
Xie s.h.i.+ gave a smile, picked up a sweet dumpling with his chopsticks, swallowed it and then continued, “Childe, is there anybody you’d like to visit in the capital city? If there is, we’ll deliver a visitor’s card to their place for you tomorrow.”
Ling Zhang thought for a few moments and replied, “There’s indeed a particular person. Those gifts I brought here for Lord Tao have to be delivered to two different places, so I do need to send them visitor’s cards first. I’ll get the cards ready later.”
Xie s.h.i.+ inclined his head. “All right.”
After saying this, he kicked Yue Qi off the stool and sat down on it himself.
Yue Qi who got kicked was in a daze. After quite a while, he realized what had happened and came at Xie s.h.i.+.
Seeing them roughhousing, Ling Zhang couldn’t help smiling. The white fox cub in his arms gave a soft cry and watched Yue Qi and Xie s.h.i.+ playfully fighting, amus.e.m.e.nt gleaming in its sparkling black eyes.
Ling Zhang had thought that he would feel very uncomfortable during the first few days after his arrival in the capital city when he was unaccustomed to it. However, with the company of this group of men, he didn’t feel lonely any more.
Xie s.h.i.+ and Yue Qi, after roughhousing for a while, challenged each other to a kung fu compet.i.tion. The drill ground happened to be nearby. After they started fighting, all others came to spectate.
“The two of them started fighting once again. I wonder who will be the winner this time.”
“Well, Yue Qi is drunk and Xie s.h.i.+ is a wily old fox. Yue Qi is definitely going to lose.”
Ling Zhang, whose interest was aroused by their words, carried the white fox cub and followed in their wake to watch the fight.
These two men proved themselves to be kung fu experts subordinate to Yuwen Tong. Their moves were fierce and powerful. Gusts of wind generated by their punches and palm strikes could be distinctly felt even by people outside the drill ground.
Gradually, Ling Zhang was fascinated. His eyesight was much better now, which enabled him to distinguish the rapid movements of these kung fu experts.
Xie s.h.i.+’s fighting style was ferocious and aggressive, while that of Yue Qi was flexible and artful. This fight between these two men was also an intense confrontation between two fighting styles, which was a real feast for spectators.
Watching the fight, Ling Zhang spontaneously thought of the mental cultivation method of internal energy recorded in the secret manual in his bosom.
He wondered whether his kung fu would some day be as good as that of Xie s.h.i.+ or Yue Qi if he started practicing it.
And he had also promised Yuwen Tong that he would make a definite reply to him after settling down in the capital city.
In fact, he knew that deep down there, he had made up his mind some time ago.
Thinking of this, he finally recalled Yuwen Tong who he had completely forgotten. It had been quite some time since Yuwen Tong went to the imperial palace. He wondered how things were going in there.
…
“Are you sure you want to marry that Ling Zhang guy of Ling family?” The emperor stared at Yuwen Tong.
Yuwen Tong replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. I’m positive of this. I’ve already started making preparations.”
“Oh?” The emperor’s face remained unchanged. “So soon?”
Yuwen Tong said, “I’m afraid that he might change his mind, so I want the wedding held as soon as possible. I might be reduced to living in regret for the rest of my life if I don’t hurry.”
The emperor fell speechless.
‘Why does Yuwen Tong like that Ling Zhang guy so much?’ he wondered.
“Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China), Ling Zhang is a man after all.”
“Your Majesty, I know very well that Ling Zhang is a man. Never have any women taken my fancy, so I think I’m only interested in men.”
The emperor fell speechless once again. ‘Yuwen Tong is a gay?’
Even the King Duan standing on the side had a somewhat weird expression on his face. ‘How could this have never occurred to us before?!’
“What a pity. Originally, I wanted to marry a princess to you,” said the emperor in a regretful tone of voice.
“Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I’m afraid I’m unworthy of such blessing,” Yuwen Tong responded.
“It wouldn’t do you any harm to have a try, would it?” the emperor was somewhat unresigned.
Yuwen Tong kept silent for a few moments and then replied in a very explicit manner, “I’m uninterested.”
Both the emperor and the King Duan were reduced to an embarra.s.sed silence.
‘This remark is almost synonymous with an admission of his inability to be s.e.xually aroused by women!
Has Yuwen Tong any idea what he just said? There won’t be any room for maneuver!’
However, both of them also knew what kind of person Yuwen Tong was –a man of great credibility, who never went back on his words.
Having just been informed of such a piece of “grave” news, the emperor was clearly not in the mood for continuing this private talk with Yuwen Tong. Finally, seeing his travel-soiled clothes, he let Yuwen Tong take his leave.
“Bring Ling Zhang with you to the welcome reception tonight,” the emperor suddenly added.
Yuwen Tong thought for a while and replied, “I’m grateful for your patronage, Your Majesty, but he is still weak after the horrifying experience during our journey and needs more rest.”
On hearing the words “horrifying experience”, the emperor naturally recalled the “near misses” that Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had been through on their way to the capital city. After his countenance changed several times, he asked, “Have you found out who acted so boldly as to resort to a.s.sa.s.sination, Aiqing?”
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