Ning Chen blinked. “A gift from His Majesty? Because of the musket?”

Eunuch Quan nodded.

Ning Chen rolled his eyes. “All that talk, and it isn’t from you at all?”

Eunuch Quan said with a smile, “This eunuch could hardly lay his hands on that much gold.”

Ning Chen rolled his eyes again. “Who do you think you’re fooling? You’re the head of all the palace eunuchs and His Majesty’s favorite… Never mind what His Majesty gives you. What the men below hand up by way of respect, day to day — you couldn’t spend it in a lifetime, could you?”

Eunuch Quan said quickly, “Young Master Ning, you can’t go saying things like that.”

“Can’t I?” Ning Chen narrowed his eyes and looked at Pan Yucheng. “Old Pan, how about we open an investigation into Eunuch Quan?”

That gave Eunuch Quan a fright.

Pan Yucheng shook his head, resigned. “Stop making trouble.”

Ning Chen shrugged and said to Eunuch Quan with a smile, “Well, since all this is from His Majesty and nothing to do with you… I take back what I said. You and I are still enemies.”

Eunuch Quan smiled bitterly.

“Young Master Ning, this eunuch may have earned no credit, but surely he’s earned something for the effort… To find you, this eunuch waited hours at the Ning estate, and only came around by way of the Inspectorate when he couldn’t wait any longer.”

Ning Chen’s eyes lit up. “So Ning Ziming and the Chang woman and her sons all know?”

Eunuch Quan nodded.

“And did they get that look on their faces? Envy and jealousy and hate?”

Eunuch Quan thought about it. “Their features were twisted out of shape with it.”

“Ha! Old Quan, that was beautifully done.”

Old Quan?

It was the first time anyone had ever called Eunuch Quan that. It didn’t sound bad, though.

“Young Master Ning, His Majesty grants you a thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of fine silk. Kneel and thank heaven’s favor, quickly… so this eunuch can go back and report.”

Ning Chen bowed over his clasped hands. “Thank you for His Majesty’s gifts!”

Eunuch Quan was resigned to it. By the rules Ning Chen was supposed to kneel to give thanks.

But this fellow had never had much use for rules… He generally didn’t kneel even when he saw His Majesty.

Still, His Majesty didn’t hold it against him, so it was hardly for Eunuch Quan to say more.

His Majesty’s favor toward Ning Chen was extraordinary. It went beyond what he showed his own sons and daughters.

“Young Master Ning, Pan the Gold Coat has told me what happened… How is your injury? This eunuch will have to report the matter to His Majesty when he returns.”

Ning Chen said offhandedly, “My injury’s nothing.”

“No… Young Master Ning is very badly hurt.”

“I really am fine.”

“No. You are not fine. You are very badly hurt.”

Eunuch Quan said it a second time.

Ning Chen blinked, turned his head, and found Eunuch Quan giving him a look.

Ning Chen understood at once… Eunuch Quan was helping him.

Putting a blade into a silver coat was a serious crime. Eunuch Quan was getting him out from under it.

“Right. I’m very badly hurt.”

Eunuch Quan said with a smile, “Young Master Ning should rest and mend properly. This eunuch will go back and report… A silver coat appointed by His Majesty himself, and somebody dared to injure you. His Majesty will certainly not let that go lightly.”

Ning Chen was delighted. This rotten eunuch isn’t so bad after all.

“Eunuch Quan, wait a moment!”

Ning Chen went over, scooped up several ingots of gold, came back and pushed the whole lot into Eunuch Quan’s hands.

“Young Master Ning, this won’t do, it won’t do at all—”

“Take it. Everybody who sees it gets a share… If you won’t take it, I’ll— all right, I can’t beat you in a fight. But I can write a poem tearing you apart. Don’t think I won’t.”

Eunuch Quan shook his head and laughed in spite of himself.

“Then this eunuch thanks Young Master Ning.”

Ning Chen said, smiling, “Actually there’s one more thing I’d trouble you with… Would you have your people take all this to the Ning estate? Set it out in the main hall.”

Eunuch Quan blinked, and then he understood… Ning Chen meant to turn their stomachs.

“Certainly. This eunuch will send men at once.”

“They won’t steal my gold, will they?”

Eunuch Quan said heavily, “Goods granted by the throne. Who would dare take any? Has he no further use for his head?”

Ning Chen laughed. “Then I’m easy about it.”

Ning Chen kept a dozen or so ingots and picked out a few bolts of the best silk to keep as well, and let Eunuch Quan’s men take the rest to the Ning estate.

“Old Pan, these are for you.”

Ning Chen set five gold ingots and a bolt of silk on the table in front of Pan Yucheng.

Pan Yucheng shook his head. “I don’t need it. Keep it and use it yourself.”

Ning Chen has been at the Inspectorate this long and hasn’t drawn a month’s pay yet. His purse must be thin.

“Didn’t I just say it? Everybody who sees it gets a share… The gold is for you. The silk is for Miss Nanzhi.”

“Old Pan, chasing a girl costs something. Don’t set your whole heart on freeloading. The one thing I can’t stand is a freeloader… Er. Myself excluded, obviously.”

Pan Yucheng glared at him, but he didn’t make Ning Chen take the things back.

“Old Pan, how far have you gotten with Miss Nanzhi?”

Pan Yucheng ignored him.

Ning Chen laughed. “Come on, tell me… The way you’ve been running off to the courtesans’ quarter every day, progress must be quick. Have you drawn first blood yet?”

Pan Yucheng said flatly, “Miss Nanzhi caught a chill. I have been looking after her these few days.”

“So that’s how it is… Still, Miss Nanzhi didn’t refuse to be looked after, which means she has you in her heart… Old Pan, keep at it!”

“By the way, we’re going to the courtesans’ quarter tonight. Care to come?”

Pan Yucheng set his face. “I will not. I am a gold coat of the Inspectorate. Running off to the courtesans’ quarter day after day — what would that look like?”

Ning Chen sniffed at that.

“Suit yourself. We’re going.”

Ning Chen scooped up his gold and his two bolts of silk and turned to go.

At the door Ning Chen stopped again. “Old Pan, I really did used to dislike you a lot… Then I found out you’re all right.”

“Thank you for beating the hell out of Chen Lezhang. You settled it for me.”

Pan Yucheng looked over at him. “You worked it out?”

Ning Chen smiled smugly. “I’m not a blockhead like Feng Qizheng and that lot. I could have worked this one out with my heel.”

“Lord Geng wouldn’t beat a gold coat, and I don’t know any of the other gold coats… So the only man who beat Chen Lezhang is you.”

“Old Pan, I had no idea you were this good. It’s only that you’re such a quiet one about it.”

Pan Yucheng’s face went black. “Get out.”

“Right away!”

Ning Chen ran off with his armful of things.

Pan Yucheng shook his head, resigned, and the corner of his mouth lifted.

Feng Qizheng and the others saw Ning Chen come out and hurried over.

“Gold? Where’s that from?”

Feng Qizheng spotted the gold in Ning Chen’s arms at once, and his eyes lit up.

“Old Pan gave it to me. There’s some for everyone. Go quick, it’ll be gone if you’re late.”

At the word gold, all three of them bolted for Pan Yucheng’s room.

Ning Chen snickered and ran off with his armful.

Ning Chen had only just gotten outside the Inspectorate when Feng Qizheng and the other two caught up with him.

“Ning Chen, you degenerate.”

The three of them had gone to Pan Yucheng to ask for gold… and been shouted out of the room.

“That’s inhuman… beat him.”

Chen Chong bared an arm and pushed his sleeves back.

Feng Qizheng grinned. “Ning Chen, I’ll give you a chance to apologize… The courtesans’ quarter tonight, on you. Say one word against it and you can have a taste of my fist.”

Ning Chen grinned wickedly. “Buying is no problem! But there’s one condition… Call me Daddy.”

“Daddy!!!”

All three of them said it at once, in perfect unison.

The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth twitched. There’s no dignity at all in these people… Feng Qizheng and Chen Chong, those two degenerates, all right, fine. But Gao Ziping, who’s always so steady — not a second’s hesitation out of him either.

(End of Chapter 94)