The million taels was raised in no time at all.

These sons of bitches really do have money, Ning Chen said inwardly.

But the play had to go on.

He said loudly, “Your Majesty, Nanyue is bullying us past what any man can stand. This war has to be fought… Your subject begs Your Majesty’s leave!”

Li Hanru jumped out at once to argue him down. “Your Majesty, the payment is in hand now… Paying this silver buys the Great Xuan three years of peace. This war cannot be fought.”

Shen Min said immediately after him, “Your Majesty, Ning Chen only wants war merit for himself. His purpose is not a good one… This war cannot be fought.”

“Your subject seconds it!”

“Your subject seconds it too!”

Every soft-boned man of the peace party stepped out.

The Xuan Emperor was silent for a long while, and then made a sound of assent. “Enough. Then the war will not be fought.”

“Beloved Minister Li, Beloved Minister Shen… go back and tell the Nanyue embassy that we are willing to pay the silver. This emperor leaves the matter to the two of you.”

Li Hanru and Shen Min said it together. “Your subjects obey the command!”

The Xuan Emperor said heavily, “This emperor is tired. The court is dismissed!”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty… this war has to be fought. Nanyue’s ambition has no bottom. It cannot be avoided…”

Ning Chen still wanted to try for it.

But the Xuan Emperor was long gone.

Ning Chen sat down on the floor with a miserable face and his head hanging.

“Ning the Silver Coat, stop struggling. This war is not going to happen.”

Li Hanru said it with contempt all over his face.

Shen Min said in a snide voice, “Ning the Silver Coat has the makings of a great general. Why not go and fight it by yourself? We will wait for you to come home in triumph.”

The soft-boned men of the peace party let out a roar of laughter, looking at Ning Chen, delighted at another man’s misfortune.

Ning Chen looked at them and said with a cold face, “I feel a sudden rush of inspiration. I want to compose a poem.”

The officials’ faces changed and they turned and went.

It certainly would not be a good poem.

This fellow was about to write a poem to swear at them with.

“Don’t go, my lords. This poem of mine will be a song for the ages. Don’t you want to hear it?”

The officials went faster still.

Ning Chen got to his feet, brushed off dirt that was not there, and watched them go. “Pah… a pack of experts.”

His Majesty must be furious.

After all, these men would not put out a copper for a war, and when it came to ceding land and paying indemnity and giving away the honor of the state, they were open-handed enough.

Ning Chen shook his head and walked out of the great hall in an excellent mood.

At any rate the money for next year’s campaign was raised.

“Young Master Ning?”

Ning Chen was on his way out of the palace when somebody called him from behind, and he knew Eunuch Quan’s voice.

Eunuch Quan came after him at a short quick trot, out of breath.

“His Majesty wants you.”

Ning Chen made a sound of assent.

Then Ning Chen turned his head to look at him. “Old Quan, you’re a master among masters. Shouldn’t you be walking like the wind? How do you get out of breath after two steps?”

Eunuch Quan smiled. “I am only hiding what I can do.”

Ning Chen said oh. So it was deliberate — a show of frailty for the world, so that if anyone ever moved on the Xuan Emperor and he struck suddenly, he would get twice the effect for half the work.

The two of them came to the imperial study.

“Your subject greets Your Majesty!”

“No ceremony. Get up!”

The Xuan Emperor raised a hand and came straight to the point. “How far along is that cannon of yours?”

Ning Chen blinked, and then said, “Your subject has not started on it. He means to wait until the Nanyue embassy has gone.”

The Xuan Emperor inclined his head slightly.

“This emperor has raised a musket battalion. About five thousand men at present.”

“Later, when you have the cannon made, this emperor means to build a cannon battalion as well… When you go south, take all of them.”

Ning Chen nodded.

“When the cannon is made, you may take your pick of the Dragon Guard outside the city… When you go south you can take a part of them with you.”

Ning Chen’s brows drew in. “That won’t do. The Dragon Guard is the line that holds the imperial capital. If your subject takes them away and anything happens—”

The Xuan Emperor waved a hand. “Nobody told you to take all of them. You may take thirty thousand. The remaining twenty thousand and the garrison are enough to keep the capital safe.”

Ning Chen nodded. “Your subject thanks Your Majesty for his boundless grace!”

The Xuan Emperor sighed. “Ning Chen, this war has to be fought, and it has to be won.”

“Your subject understands!”

Lose this war and it would not stop at other countries starting to have ideas. The bones of the court would go softer still.

The Xuan Emperor went on. “By the way, a letter has come from the Tuoluo Kingdom asking us to release the King of the Left Court… They are willing to send the Great Xuan ten thousand warhorses a year in tribute, and a hundred thousand head of cattle and sheep, and gold and silver besides. What do you say?”

Ning Chen smiled. “One King of the Left Court, and all that in exchange for him? It’s worth it!”

“You mean to let him go?”

Ning Chen nodded. “He is only a King of the Left Court. If they dare go back on their word, your subject is willing to march north again and take the ruler of the Tuoluo Kingdom alive.”

A satisfied smile came onto the Xuan Emperor’s face.

“If every man in the Great Xuan were like you, would these barbarians dare try anything?”

“Ning Chen, this emperor has already sent men to clean that house out. You can move in in a day or two.”

Ning Chen said quickly, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness!”

The Xuan Emperor looked at him, and then turned it around. “Huai’an came back from outside the palace yesterday and did not seem very happy. Was it you who upset her?”

Christ!!!

I’m the one who isn’t happy, thanks very much. I ate until I was sick, Ning Chen said inwardly.

“Your Majesty, your subject certainly did not make the princess angry. I even took her to the Heavenly Blessing Tower for roast duck.”

The Xuan Emperor said, “Huai’an is young and a little willful. You must make allowances for her.”

On what grounds?

She isn’t my woman.

That was what he thought, and what Ning Chen said quickly was, “Your subject obeys the command!”

The Xuan Emperor made a sound of assent and waved a hand to send Ning Chen out.

Once out of the palace Ning Chen went on his own two legs to the Inspectorate. Diaochan had been left there yesterday; otherwise he would have gone to the courtesans’ quarter to catch up on his sleep long before this.

He came to the first department, where Feng Qizheng and the rest of the animals were sitting around talking and passing wind.

They all blinked when they saw Ning Chen.

Feng Qizheng even went to the door and made a show of looking out. “You’ve come in this early today. The sun hasn’t come up in the west, though.”

“Piss off. I’m a fine young man who loves his post and works hard at it.”

The whole room turned up its nose at that.

Since Ning Chen joined the Inspectorate he had hardly put in a proper day’s work. Late in and early out was the usual thing, and he had never once stood a night watch.

Chen Chong gave a dirty grin. “You haven’t gone weak on us and been thrown out by Yudie, have you?”

Ning Chen gave him a flat look.

“You two don’t seem to have been to the courtesans’ quarter these last couple of days.”

Feng Qizheng put his head up and said with a perfectly serious face, “I’ve given it up. I’m never going to the courtesans’ quarter again.”

“Hm?” Ning Chen looked at him strangely. “If you can give up women, I’ll give up food.”

Chen Chong gave a low, dirty laugh. “The girls at the courtesans’ quarter won’t take his business anymore. The man is an animal in bed, and any girl he’s slept with can’t take a customer for days afterward.”

Feng Qizheng made a sound in his throat. “The courtesans’ quarter isn’t the only place in the capital. I went to the pleasure houses last night, and the girls there are every bit as good.”

Ning Chen shook his head. “There you are. How were you ever going to give up women? A dog that won’t eat shit still has to go and smell it.”

Feng Qizheng rolled his eyes at him.

Ning Chen talked nonsense with them for a while, changed into plain clothes, said his goodbyes and left.

He did not ride Diaochan either. He went wandering up the street with no destination, at the pace of a man taking a turn about his own garden.

It looked aimless. In fact Ning Chen was watching everything around him the whole time.

He came to the Cloud Wind Inn, made certain nobody was following him, and went in.

“Sir, eating or staying?”

The young waiter came up to him eagerly.

Ning Chen smiled. “I’m looking for your manager.”

While he was saying it a middle-aged man in a long gown and a scholar’s cap came down the stairs.

The young waiter looked back. “Manager, this gentleman is asking for you!”

The middle-aged man looked at Ning Chen, and something flickered in his eyes. He waved the young waiter away to his work, came quickly over to Ning Chen, glanced outside, and said in a low voice,

“Young Master Ning, please come with me!”

Ning Chen followed him upstairs into a private room.

The middle-aged man shut the door, turned, and knelt down in front of Ning Chen. “This small man is Gu Yichun. I greet Young Master Ning!”

Ning Chen looked him over. The man was dressed as a scholar in his long gown, but his breathing was long and steady, his step was solid, and the temples stood out on his head. He was a first-rate fighter.

“Stand up and talk!”

Gu Yichun stood up.

Ning Chen asked, “You know me?”

Gu Yichun said quickly, “This small man has known Young Master Ning since you were seven… Only this small man was in the dark, and Young Master Ning did not know I existed.”

Something moved behind Ning Chen’s eyes and he understood at once. “You are the man who guarded me in secret at Changshou Village?”

“This small man is.”

Ning Chen bowed over his clasped hands. “Thank you. Ning Chen will keep your protection in his heart.”

Gu Yichun said quickly, “Young Master Ning must not stand on ceremony. To say such a thing is more than this small man can bear… If it were not for Lord Ning, this small man would not be alive now. I owe the house of Ning a life.”

“He is he and I am I… A great debt is not thanked for. When the chance comes, Ning Chen will repay it.”

Then Ning Chen turned it around. “He said he had left me something and told me to come and get it.”

“One moment, Young Master Ning!”

Gu Yichun went out in a hurry.

After a while Gu Yichun came back carrying a wooden case in both hands.

“Young Master Ning, this is what Lord Ning left for you.”

Ning Chen took the case and opened it without ceremony, and inside it was a thick sheaf of silver notes.

He counted them. There were two hundred thousand taels.

Good God. Ning Ziming did his share of stealing.

Ning Chen shut the lid and looked at Gu Yichun. “Do you know what is in here?”

Gu Yichun nodded.

So Ning Ziming had trusted this Gu Yichun a great deal, or he would not have given him so many silver notes to keep.

And the important thing was that this was two hundred thousand taels, and Gu Yichun had never let a greedy thought into his head.

This man was worth using.

Gu Yichun said, “Lord Ning gave this silver into this small man’s keeping a long time ago. The plan was that when Young Master Ning came of age, this small man would take you away to somewhere nobody knew you and you would live out your life safe and comfortable.”

Ning Chen let out a long breath.

“If he had sent me away sooner, there would not be half this trouble now.”

Two hundred thousand taels was enough for three wives and four concubines and a comfortable life to the end of it… which was in fact the life he had always wanted.

Ning Chen put the thought away and asked, “Besides this, is there anything else?”

Gu Yichun said, “There is this inn.”

Ning Chen inclined his head slightly.

If he had known Ning Ziming had left him silver, he would not have needed to be so careful about coming here quietly.

“Gu Yichun, I am about to open a household of my own, and the house is short of guards. Will you come with me?”

Something hesitant showed on Gu Yichun’s face.

Ning Chen smiled. “It doesn’t matter if you would rather not… I’ll leave you this inn. It’s enough to keep you without worry.”

“It isn’t that this small man is unwilling. To work for Ning the Silver Coat would be an honor to this small man. It’s only…”

Ning Chen frowned. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Gu Yichun hesitated, then said, “This small man is willing to serve Ning the Silver Coat like a dog or a horse. It’s only that this small man has a whole band of brothers…”

“A whole band of brothers? Blood brothers?”

Gu Yichun shook his head. “This small man once drifted about in the jianghu and put together a small band of his own. Later we offended a man of rank and all of us were thrown into prison.”

“Luckily we met Lord Ning. He thought this small man had some skill and put out a hand to save us… After that this small man worked for Lord Ning, and my band of brothers ate at my table.”

Ning Chen could not help laughing.

“So it’s your band of brothers you can’t leave. That’s easily settled… My household is short of hands. Let them come and work for me. However many there are, I’ll take them all.”

Gu Yichun’s eyes brightened and he knelt quickly. “This small man thanks Young Master Ning on their behalf.”

“Get up! Don’t go down on your knees at every turn… Your brothers can all handle themselves?”

Gu Yichun nodded. “They all made their living in the jianghu, and they can all use their fists and feet a little… They are rough men, though. I hope Young Master Ning will not think the worse of them.”

Ning Chen laughed out loud. “I want house guards who can fight. I’m not sending them in for the palace examination.”

“In the next couple of days, settle up this inn… Two days from now I’ll send somebody to find you.”

(End of Chapter 194)