Chapter 356 - Yuwen Tong Became Suspicious? (2/2)

Ling Zhang was baffled even further, gazing at Ling Zhaowu bemusedly.

“On that day, after I confided my secrets to you, you returned to the palace in haste, and maybe because you roused his suspicions, that very night he sent Miao s.h.i.+san here to ask me what I said to you. I told him that you just conferred with me about the drugstore, that I reminded you to take good care of Yuwen Tong who’d been busy with government affairs. Yuwen Tong didn’t send anybody else afterward, and neither did he personally ask me about anything. He’s a secretive man, and I’m not sure whether he bought it or not,” said Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang was stupefied. He hadn’t known anything about any of this, for Yuwen Tong hadn’t shown any sign of it whatsoever, and neither had he asked him any questions about that matter.

Ling Zhang wondered whether or not Yuwen Tong had found out anything, his mind in a turmoil.

Seeing the faintly perturbed expression on his face, Ling Zhaowu consoled him, “Calm down. There’s no need to be nervous about it. Now think carefully about whether or not you mentioned to him anything concerning this matter, how you behaved after you went back there that day and how he reacted.”

Ling Zhang managed to collect himself. He was quite positive that he had never let slip a single word about the matter of his rebirth. Presently Ling Zhaowu was the only one who knew about this secret of his… Maybe not the only one – Ji Yanlai might have knowledge of it as well. He jerked his head up to look at Ling Zhaowu. “Do you think it’s possible that the Clan Leader told him about it? On that day, when we were in the Sanguan Mountains…”

Ling Zhang related those meaningful words that Ji Yanlai had said to him on that day.

This was the first time that Ling Zhaowu had heard about this matter, but he didn’t show any surprise on his face. About the secrets in the Millennium Pavilion, he knew something that most others didn’t know of, and he was also the most acquainted with Ji Yanlai’s abilities aside from members of the Millennium Pavilion.

Ling Zhaowu shook his head. “He wouldn’t do that. For the sake of the confidentiality of your lineage alone, he would never breathe a word of that matter to anybody, because for the Millennium Pavilion – or for descendants of the Phoenix Clan – this is top-secret. As he has seen you and confirmed it, he would undoubtedly keep this secret to himself. Even if he had disclosed it to anybody, this person wouldn’t be Yuwen Tong, the man who’s about to ascend the throne.”

Ling Zhang caught on to the undertone contained in Ling Zhaowu’s words. “He’s worried that Yuwen Tong might do something to people with the Blood of the Phoenix Clan?”

Ling Zhaowu looked at him. “This is not about what worries him or whom he trusts. It’s about the responsibilities he has on his shoulders. Just like Yuwen Tong – after he accedes to the throne, there will be some compromises he must not make, and the same thing goes for you.”

The faint discomfort inside Ling Zhang dissolved completely at Ling Zhaowu’s words. “If Ji Yanlai didn’t tell him, it’d be impossible for him to have found out my secret, because I’ve never mentioned anything about it to him.”

“What about that evening?” asked Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang answered, “After I returned to the palace, I had lunch and then went to the consultation hall. Maybe it was because of those things about my last incarnation that you told me earlier that day, I was a little emotionally unstable and he noticed it. At that time he asked me if something had happened. He suspected that I was keeping something from him. I explained to him and I think he believed my story.”

Ling Zhaowu let out a sigh, looking at him. “But obviously he didn’t, given that he specially sent Miao s.h.i.+san here to ask me about it. Still, seeing as from merely your erratic mood, he perceived that you were hiding something from him and became suspicious of me, he really cares about you very much – so much that it surprises me, actually.”

Ling Zhang was torn between anxiety and feverish excitement. He feared that Yuwen Tong had found out something about his secret, but at the same time rejoiced at Yuwen Tong’s concern for him.

“If that was all that happened, there’s no way he could have found out your secret, but he definitely knows that you’re concealing something from him, and I’m afraid he’s secretly had his men spy on me when I was not paying attention,” said Ling Zhaowu, looking calm and composed. He didn’t mind that Yuwen Tong might have had someone spy on him, but…

“Although I never disclosed my secrets to anybody else, I haven’t been trying to hide anything either. I’m afraid he’s already noticed some of those contradictory facts about me.”

Ling Zhang was taken aback. “Will he find out about it?”

Ling Zhaowu shook his head. “This kind of thing is preposterous and unbelievable. Even if you tell it to someone on your own account, they might not necessarily believe you, but there’s no doubt Yuwen Tong has become suspicious of those contradictory things about me, and he would try various devices to get to the bottom of it. When he fails to find anything out about it, maybe he would start to consider this possibility.”

Ling Zhang’s lips clamped tightly together and he began to feel panic again.

“Before he starts considering that incredible possibility, he would probably come here to sound me out first. Let me handle him. You may just go back and act normally and don’t show any sign of it,” said Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhang bobbed his head. “Okay.”

For an instant Ling Zhaowu seemed to have something to say, but eventually he held back the words on the tip of his tongue. It occurred to him that Yuwen Tong had been so observant as to notice the changes in Ling Zhang’s mood, and right now Ling Zhang was clearly a little fl.u.s.tered. One could hardly hide any mood swings from their partner having an intense bond with them. Ling Zhaowu felt that maybe he shouldn’t have said these words to his son.

But what was done was done, and it was impossible to take his words back. He could only wait and see what kind of att.i.tude Yuwen Tong would take when he came here to talk with him.

Ling Zhaowu gave it some thought but didn’t show any particular emotion on his face for fear that Ling Zhang would feel more stressed.

Ling Zhang stayed in the Ling Mansion for the whole morning and then returned to the palace before lunch. When he arrived at the gateway of the Infinite Fortune Palace, he paused and unnoticeably took in a large gulp of air before walking through the gates.

Miao s.h.i.+ba, who had been following in Ling Zhang’s wake, gazed at Ling Zhang’s back, a thoughtful look on his face. That pause just now was a little weird. It was as though Childe Ling was psyching himself up for something. This was so strange. This place was home for Childe Ling. Why was he acting like it were some kind of battlefield? This matter was definitely not what it seemed. He needed to report it to the Marshal straight away.

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