Within 4 hours, Jia Family, promising and powerful in Tanyang, fell down. Even Zhang Chong didn't dare to save it.

Considering the sequence of events, people would find that Jia Family was destroyed by one person–Ling Zhang.

At this time, all people who were not stupid clearly realized one thing. That Ling Zhang was not a man to be trifled with.

The young man used to be moderate and feeble. But suddenly, he became a person who took actions quickly in a ruthless way. It made many people complain in their hearts that they had misjudged him.

As the old saying went, "A man of substance doesn't like to flaunt his true worth."

Ling Zhang was praised by almost all people who went to congratulate Ling Zhaowen that Ling Family had won a lawsuit.

"Childe Ling is a talented young man. He is stable and decisive when he does things. I really admire him."

"I just participated Childe Ling's Puberty Rite a few days ago. But he soon makes us see the adult's bravery. Zhaowen, your Ling Family has gotten a qualified successor."

Hearing different kinds of praises, the Second Uncle of Ling Family was still a little confused. He knew well about his nephew. How could he not realize Ling Zhang's change? He now looked like a different man. The Second Uncle of Ling Family was, at one hand, happy about his nephew's positive change, but also worried that such change might have derived from something terrible his nephew had been through.

Ling Zhaowen just thought about it in his heart and didn't show that on his face. Decent and polite, he accepted people's congratulations and praises.

Standing next to Ling Zhaowen, Ling Zhang was not glad nor sad on his face. His movements were deliberate. However, if someone could see the emotion in his eyes, he would be shocked by the indifference and coldness.

Before Ling Zhang was reborn, these people who congratulated him had avoided Ling Family and some even had added insult to injury. Only few of them had showed kindness to Ling Family.

Ling Zhang disliked their praises. To put it simply, their praises were like the sugar that was stuck by shit, which made him feel nauseated whenever he smelt or saw it.

"Childe Ling, you impressed me today. You're definitely the grandson of Shilang (Vice Minister) Ling. It can be expected soon that Ling Family will rise to power again." Tongpan came over and said.

Ling Zhang replied as coldness flashed across his eyes, "You overpraised me. What I did is just to seek justice for myself. I don't have enough ability to manage Ling Family. Besides, Ling Family always does its duty and remains indifferent whether granted favors or subjected to humiliation. In my view, Ling Family never declines. Naturally, there is no such a thing as to rise to power again."

Ling Zhang of course knew what Tongpan really meant.

The tenure of his grandfather was very short. His grandfather got that position because of an accident, which rendered him a laughingstock for quite a while in the capital. Even now people in capital still teased his grandfather when they talked about his name.

This Tongpan used to be an official in capital. How couldn't he know what had happened in those years?

So he wasn't praising Ling Zhang when he said Ling Zhang was like his grandfather.

It was also a joke in Tongpan's eyes that Ling Family would be powerful again. Because they always looked down upon Ling Family. So 'rise to power again' apparently wasn't some sort of compliment.

Disputed by Ling Zhang softly, Tongpan wore a sullen look when he left.

After Tongpan went away, other people also gradually left.

With no one by the side to disturb them, Second Uncle decided to talk about what had happened with his nephew and asked his nephew what made him change a lot. However, Tao Yi came over at that time.

Tao Yi was the son of Tao Feng, Ling Zhaowen's immediate supervisor, so Second Uncle of Ling Family had to give him face.

"What you did today gladdens people's hearts. Jia Yuanling is unscrupulous. He dares to frame you in a dirty way and even acts so arrogantly. People like him should be put in prison and banished," Tao Yi said smilingly.

Ling Zhang's attitude to Tao Yi was a little better, because Tao Yi helped him a lot today.

"Thank you and your father for helping me today. Otherwise Ling Family can't win easily."

"Such a bad thing happened in my father's term of office. My father, as the magistrate of Tangyang, would never turn a blind eye to it. As for me, it's no bother for me to help you. I dislike Jia Yuanling. If Jia Family hadn't frequently invited us over for today's gathering, I and my father wouldn't even be there."

"I'm glad that you and your father went and helped me," Ling Zhang said with a grateful look.

"Don't be so polite. No one wants to miss such an exciting thing. But... you should pay more attention to Zhang Chong. He won't leave the matter at that. Today you exposed him to public disgrace. He will try to revenge you one day," Tao Yi said seriously.

Ling Zhang also looked serious. He said, "I know. I'm prepared. Jia Yuanling said that Ling Family blocked their way. Jia Family is close to Zhang Chong. I'm afraid our Ling Family has already been Zhang Chong's eyesore. If today's thing doesn't happen, they will surely scheme something else against us. If I were really wronged today, I could imagine how difficult Ling Family's situation would be."

"It's good that you're psychologically prepared. In Tanyang, the power of Prefecture Guards is too much. Even my father can't control Zhang Chong."

Although people didn't talk about it openly, everyone was clear in their heart. But Tao Yi dared to speak it out today. What did he mean?

"According to our dynasty's laws, no one could be more powerful than Zhizhou, the chief of a prefecture. The situation of Tanyang is very dangerous now. Didn't Lord Tao present memorial report to the royal court to deal with it?" Ling Zhang followed Tao Yi's words to say.

Tao Yi shook his head and said, "He has done it. But you know, banditry is a serious problem in Tanyang. So Tanyang's Prefecture Guards keep more soldiers than other places. Many things... Alas, I believe you understand it even if I don't say much."

Tao Yi's tone was... Was it a gesture of being friendly? Did it mean what he himself did in front of Tao Feng took effect?

Ling Zhang thought about it quickly in his heart. Then he sighed, "It will be better if the royal court sends massive forces to destroy the banditry around Tanyang."

Tao Yi forced a smile, "I'm afraid no one wants to take this trouble except Marshal Yuwen."

Marshal Yuwen?

Ling Zhang frowned secretly for a while and his focus was immediately distracted, "Marshal Yuwen?"

"Yes. Have... Have you ever heard about Yuwen Family in capital?" Tao Yi asked.

Ling Zhang nodded. His eyes became cold for a moment. Then he said, "Yes."

He knew him so much!

Tao Yi continued, "Marshal Yuwen is the model of men in capital. No. Not only in the capital, he is also the example of the whole country's men. He totally changed the declining tendency of Great Yue's war against the enemies within ten years. And he even forced the enemy country to beg for peace by ceding territory many times. Without Marshal Yuwen, Great Yue will... Ahem, in short, Marshal Yuwen can do anything. He is invincible. It's said that army of Great Yue always advances triumphantly when fighting with Wan Country. The capital must have gotten the good news of victory by now."

Tao Yi's eyes were shining. He grew more excited as he spoke. Now he couldn't calm down at all.

However, Tao Yi didn't notice that Ling Zhang looked calm all the time and he was even a little indifferent.

"Really? It sounds that he is excellent," Ling Zhang said perfunctorily.

When news about his engagement with Yuwen Family had spread out from Tanyang, they instantly sent a written breach of engagement with a tough attitude. In case that other people didn't know it, they even publicized it in Tanyang's street, which had brought disgrace to Ling family and ridded his family of the last hope to survive. Did the Marshal Yuwen come from that Yuwen Family?

In his last life, only the servants from Yuwen Family had come to break off the engagement. Ling Zhang still remembered the servants' arrogant faces. The way they looked at Ling Family was like they were looking at some dirty things.

Ling Zhang understood why Yuwen Family wanted to break off the engagement with him. But he couldn't understand the way they did it.

That year, it was Yuwen Tong's grandfather who had proposed to engage because Ling Zhang's grandfather had saved him. Ling Family didn't get it by begging them doggedly and shamelessly.

In fact, Ling Family had helped Yuwen Family. But they didn't want to admit it and even tried to disassociate themselves from Ling Family. When they heard of the engagement, even though it was the time that Ling Family was going to be destroyed, they still came to break off the engagement without any delay. Ling Zhang could accept all that. But he couldn't forgive that Yuwen Family distorted truth and mocked his grandfather in an arrogant way.

'So, Marshal Yuwen? Bah, he'd better not show up in front of me, or...'

"Father." After returning to the backyard of the Yamen, Tao Yi met Tao Feng.

"How is it going? What did Ling Zhang say?" Tao Feng asked.

Tao Yi briefly recounted the conversation between him and Ling Zhang. In the end, he concluded, "I don't think that Ling Zhang is simple, and he is a careful speaker who is very independent. It is different from the rumors that Ling Zhang is gentle to the point of being weak. Either he had been playing dumb, or he was cornered by what happened in Jia family this time."

"Which do you think it is?" Tao Feng asked.

Tao Yi thought for a moment, "If Ling Zhang is the same as the one in the rumors, even if he is cornered, he will only point at Jia Yuanling's nose to curse, and finally sever the relationship with Jia Yuanling. But he acted vigorously and speedily today, and he set the traps when talking and doing everything. He sent Jia Yuanling to the prison step by step, and even forced Zhang Chong to abandon Jia Yuanling because of today's situation. So, I tend to the first reason that his being gentle and weak is just an illusion."

"Then why did he suddenly expose himself?" Tao Feng asked again.

"Apart from the fact that Jia Yuanling really irritated him, I think he also realized the dangerous situation of Ling family. The conversation just now showed that he understood exactly what Ling family's situation is now, so he can no longer hide his true nature," Tao Yi answered.

After answering it, Tao Yi appeared to be somewhat confused, "I just don't understand why Ling Zhang pretended to be gentle and weak?"

Tao Feng was also thinking about it, "This is also what makes me puzzled. Although Ling family lost a lot power after Ling Zhaowu's disappearance, Ling Zhaowen has taken the position of right Tongzhi through his hard work. And if Jia family didn't play up to Zhang Chong, it would be an ordinary despotic gentry family that cannot compete with Ling family – a family of public officials for generations. The previous Jia family was not a threat to Ling family. And it also doesn't make sense saying that they feared Zhang Chong; at least before what happened today, there was no sign that Zhang Chong would do something to harm Ling family. Besides, this is not necessarily related to whether Ling Zhang has pretended to be weak or not."

"Father, I have a question. How did Ling family block Jia family's or Zhang Chong's way?" Tao Yi asked.

Tao Feng explained to him, "You are in the capital all the year round, so you don't know the mobilization of some officials in Tanyang. Jia Yin's younger brother, Jia Zhong, once wanted to get the right Tongzhi position. But, finally, Ling Zhaowen got the position."

Tao Yi frowned, "Jia Zhong? All Tan Yang's people know clearly how Jia Zhong got the position of Xianling. How dare he want the position of right Tongzhi?"

T/N: Xianling, a seventh ranked official, lower than Tongzhi.

"Of course, he dared not do it before Jia family played up to Zhang Chong. But after successfully associating with Zhang Chong, Jia Zhong wanted to rely on Zhang Chong, the backer, to get the position. Your father, of course, would not allow Zhang Chong to extend his power to the prefecture Yamen. And it happened that Ling Zhaowen was the most suitable candidate at that time, so I got in first and blocked the way of Jia Yin. Although Jia family didn't exhibit any displeasure apparently, they actually hated Ling family because of it. Zhang Chong has always wanted to extend his power to Yamen, and of course it became their common purpose to deal with Ling family," Tao Feng said.

Tao Yi was angry after hearing it, "It is Zhang Chong who is behind the stunt."

"Ling Zhang also said just now that if only the imperial court could dispatch massive forces to destroy the serious banditry. That is also my wish. Father, should we just watch Zhang Chong tyrannically abuse his power? You still have to stay in the position of Zhizhou for six years. So you have to take insults from him in the following six years? Why... Why don't you present a memorial report again to beg our emperor..."

Tao Feng interrupted Tao Yi's words, "It's useless. I have presented memorials for many times these years, but our emperor turns a blind eye to this."

"I don't understand," Tao Yi frowned.

Tao Feng shook his head, "I have made you stay in the capital for a long time to learn about the situation. Haven't you seen clearly about it yet?"

"Please tell me, father." Tao Yi said.

Tao Feng poked lightly on his son's forehead, "You just look smart. It's not that our emperor doesn't want to solve these bandits, but the thing is too complicated with too many factors and forces involved. And the most important one is related to Marshal Yuwen."

"Related to Marshal Yuwen? Why?" Tao Yi was puzzled.

"The banditry around Tanyang has existed for a long time, and their forces are complicated. Besides, they have developed connections to various powers. Destroying the banditry means to change the entire situation in Tanyang and surrounding areas, including Prefecture Guards. This is not just an ordinary destruction of the banditry but a serious matter. We can hardly find someone in the court who has the courage to solve the matter perfectly. It is not because these officials are incompetent but because those behind the banditry are too powerful. Once someone is involved, just like a dragon gets stuck in the mud, he would get in trouble, maybe even ruin himself."

"Those who have the ability, such as Yuwen Tong, are the last persons that our emperor would send here to deal with banditry."

"Is it because Marshal Yuwen can't leave the northwest frontier behind?" Tao Yi asked.

Tao Wei shook his head, "Not really. After ten years, the northwest frontier has been as stable as an iron bucket under Yuwen Tong's management. As long as he is alive, the northwest can be stable."

"So, why?" Tao Yi asked.

"Because Yuwen Tong has reached the top of honor. As the Grand Marshal of the Northwest Army, he is the only one in the whole Great Yue. Our emperor ... Emm, in short, our emperor will never allow Yuwen Tong to deal with the matter and turn the entire Tanyang and the surrounding places into another northwest," Tao Feng said.

Tao Yi suddenly got enlightened and he finally understood what was going on, but the more he understood it, the more unfair he felt.

"Our emperor is gauging the heart of the gentleman with..."

"Stop." Tao Feng hissed.

Tao Yi shut up unwillingly.

His father would not want him to talk about the emperor. He should be cautious in the capital, and he should also be cautious when he returned to Tanyang.

Not as free as... Right, Ling Zhang.

When he just talked to Ling Zhang about Marshal Yuwen, Ling Zhang listened very seriously. He definitely admired Marshal Yuwen, too. Although he couldn't tell Ling Zhang everything, it was definitely not a problem to talk about Marshal Yuwen with him.

Ling Zhang, who returned to Ling family with his uncle, did not know that Tao Yi had made some strange conclusions about him arbitrarily. If Ling Zhang knew it, he would be angry to spit blood.

"Zhang'er, tell me every detail about what happened." Upon returning to Ling family, Ling Zhaowen could not wait to pull his nephew into the study.

When Ling Zhang stepped back into his own home and looked at everything that was familiar to him, his eyes quickly reddened. However, before Ling Zhang got a minute to calm himself, he was pulled into Ling Zhaowen's study.

Ling Zhaowen's study was also a familiar place to him. Looking at everything familiar in the study and his uncle's face with eager care, his eyes reddened more.

Ling Zhaowen was startled, "What's wrong? Did Jia family do something else to you?"

"It's outrageous. Twenty years' banishment for Jia Yuanling is letting him off lightly. It is a waste of your time to treat him as a friend all the time! A fair face may hide a foul heart. He is worse than a beast!"

Ling Zhaowen scolded, nothing like the conservative and composed image he showed outside, and he could not wait to curse even the eighteen generations of Jia family.

Ling Zhang looked at the angry face of his uncle, and all kinds of grievances crept into his mind. He wanted to call "uncle" again, but he found that he couldn't, because the choked voice would be exposed.

Ling Zhang simply walked over and hugged his uncle like what he did in his childhood.

Ling Zhaowen turned silent like a smothered firecracker, his body getting stiff. He had never been hugged so intimately since his nephew was ten years old.

What kind of grievance could force his own nephew to be like this?

Ling Zhaowen felt distressed and his heart ached for the possible injustice his nephew had suffered. The frozen body gradually relaxed, and he took Ling Zhang tightly in his arms as he comforted Ling Zhang by patting his back like what he did when Ling Zhang was a child, saying in a comforting tone that sounded quite awkward after years of negligence, "Don't be afraid. Your uncle will kill whoever dares to bully you and let them regret living in this world."

Ling Zhang blinked his eyes, and secretly wiped the teardrops that accidentally fell out with his uncle's clothes, tightening his hands around his uncle. Not until quite a moment later did he let go of his uncle.

Ling Zhaowen noticed that his nephew had loosened his hand and he took back his hands too while saying, "Jia family bullied you this time. Even though Jia Yuanling has been sent to the prison, I'm not going to let this go. You can rest assured that uncle will get justice for your grievances!"

Ling Zhang's heart was slowly moisturized by a burst of warmth. Almost greedily looking at the living uncle, he nodded vigorously, "Thanks!"

Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowen what had happened in Jia's mansion in detail, and it was not until now did Ling Zhaowen come to know many details he hadn't known before.

Meanwhile, Ling Zhaowen was observing his nephew carefully.