Prince Duan stared straight at Ning Chen and for a good while did not come back to himself.
Good God. One foot in the sky and one on the ground—the man had him completely thrown.
After a moment Prince Duan came to himself, shook Ning Chen’s hand and laughed. “This prince did not misjudge you. You and I are of the same mind. A pleasure doing business.”
When he let go he hurried to set the wine pot upright, with real pain in his face… that was Plum Blush he had brewed with his own hands.
“Your Highness said just now that you have a great deal of silver put by in Xiliang and in the Wu Kingdom. How much, exactly?”
Prince Duan looked at Ning Chen, who was smiling in a way that would give a fox a run for its money, and his eyes turned wary. “That is silver this prince earned. What is earned from here on belongs to the two of us.”
Ning Chen made a face. “Then what other business does Your Highness have?”
Prince Duan’s eyes stayed wary. “You aren’t thinking of killing the donkey once the milling’s done?”
Then that did not sound right, and he changed it at once. “You aren’t thinking of tearing down the bridge once you’re across?”
Ning Chen smiled. “Your Highness thinks far too little of Ning here. The truth is that out of everything you have said, only one line moved me.”
“What line?”
“Your Highness said there is no grievance and no feud between us, and agreement wins for both sides… Ning here likes to think he still has a line he doesn’t cross. But a single copper can stop a hero, and cutting off his own road to money is not a thing Ning here is capable of.”
Prince Duan laughed. “You and this prince really are of one mind. Fond of silver and fond of beautiful women both. I hear Ning the Silver Coat spends eight nights in ten at the courtesans’ quarter?”
“When this prince first came to Xiuzhou the household wasn’t in order yet… This prince lived at the courtesans’ quarter for half a month.”
The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth twitched. Half a month? Weren’t you afraid you’d spend yourself to death?
Prince Duan went on. “Ning Chen, you are a clever man, and there is no use in this prince saying more… Let the trust between us be built slowly, as we work.”
Ning Chen nodded slightly to show he agreed.
“Your Highness, does that Gu Xingfa know a good many things?”
Prince Duan shook his head. “He’s a small hanger-on. What would he know?”
Ning Chen smiled. “On the one count of Your Highness counterfeiting an imperial edict and moving troops on your own authority… if that were sent up, it would be enough to give Your Highness trouble for a long time.”
Prince Duan was silent a while. “The truth is that Gu Xingfa is still of some use. It would be a waste to kill him.”
“But if you want him dead, this prince will do as you say, and count it this prince’s gift to you on our working together.”
Ning Chen smiled. “It isn’t that I want him killed. It’s that he knows Your Highness moved troops privately. I’m thinking of Your Highness.”
Prince Duan made a small scoffing sound. “No need to cover it over. That is the thing this prince admires in you… He is your enemy, so no courtesy is owed.”
Ning Chen smiled easily. “To fight a lion you have to be at least a Tibetan mastiff… He is a pug baring his teeth at me and meaning to put me in the ground. What does Your Highness think I ought to do?”
Prince Duan nodded.
“Somebody!”
One of Prince Duan’s guards came into the courtyard at the word.
“Your Highness, what are your orders?”
Prince Duan beckoned. “Put your ear here.”
The guard came over and Prince Duan said a few words low in his ear.
The guard nodded and turned and went.
In no time at all he came back in with Gu Xingfa.
“Your Highness!”
Gu Xingfa made his bow and then fixed cold eyes on Ning Chen.
Ning Chen ran a flat glance over him.
Gu Xingfa’s eyes went colder still. He cupped his fists. “Your Highness, might this officer be allowed to deal with it?”
Prince Duan smiled. “And how do you mean to deal with it?”
“Your Highness may be easy. This officer will see to it that he cannot live and cannot die either. For a man who dares set himself against Your Highness, grinding his bones and scattering the ash would not be too much.”
Prince Duan smiled easily and glanced at the guard standing behind Gu Xingfa.
The guard drew and put the blade clean through Gu Xingfa’s body.
Gu Xingfa turned his head with difficulty and looked, then looked at Prince Duan, with something unwilling and disbelieving in his eyes… He opened his mouth and the blood came in a rush.
He never got a word out. His head dropped, with nothing left to hold it up.
Prince Duan let out a long sigh and waved a hand. “Take the body out. Tell the soldiers outside that Gu Xingfa was in league with the late Prefect and Governor and planted the immortals’ flower… that when it came out he led troops on his own authority to surround and kill this prince and Ning the Silver Coat, that his crime deserved ten thousand deaths, and that he has now been put to death for it.”
“Yes.”
The guard left with Gu Xingfa’s body.
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes. This Prince Duan was a clever man, and hard and quick about killing. Interesting.
“Your Highness, is the Fourth Prince in on the growing of the immortals’ flower too?”
Prince Duan stopped short and looked at him, not following. “Why do you ask that?”
Ning Chen said, “The immortal powder goes to the Xiliang Kingdom, and it has to pass through the western frontier. The Fourth Prince holds the western frontier. Without his nod, how does it get out?”
Prince Duan shook his head, smiling. “The Fourth Prince knows nothing about it.”
“Of all the princes, the Second Prince was the cleverest, but a man too clever dies young. A pity… The crown prince has some brains too. The Third Prince is a brainless bully.”
“The Fourth Prince is the same. Bold enough, but short on strategy, and he doesn’t know it—blindly sure of himself… This prince could not possibly work with him.”
“Xiliang and Great Xuan have had a trade treaty all along. Getting the immortal powder out is not difficult, and it does not require the Fourth Prince.”
Ning Chen nodded slightly. He had his doubts about what Prince Duan had said.
Prince Duan stood up. “As for Yan Wenbo and Liu Zhichen, this prince will submit a memorial and clear their names… And when that girl called Zisu is got out, tell her to stop trying to assassinate this prince. If there is a next time, this prince will not be soft-hearted about it.”
Ning Chen smiled. “Yan Wenbo and Liu Zhichen were wronged, and it was the late Prefect and Governor who framed them. What has that to do with Your Highness?”
“When Your Highness submits a memorial clearing Yan Wenbo, Zisu ought to be grateful.”
Prince Duan stared for a second, and then laughed out loud. “Working with a clever man does save trouble.”
“Ning Chen, it’s New Year the day after tomorrow. You’ll never get back to the capital in time… Come and keep the New Year at the household instead. This prince has the best wine and the most beautiful dancing girls.”
“Though the dancing girls are for looking at and not for touching. This prince picked every one of them himself, and there are times he can’t bring himself to touch them either.”
Ning Chen shook his head. “Better not. A treat for the eyes and hell on the bird.”
“And this is not the moment for the two of us to be seen close together.”
Prince Duan nodded slightly. “Then this prince won’t keep you… First thing tomorrow, someone will bring you the charge sheets for Qiu Mingde and the rest. They have all confessed and set their marks to it. Take them back to the capital and collect your reward, and call it this prince’s New Year gift to you.”
“The memorial clearing Liu Zhichen and Yan Wenbo will go straight to the capital.”
Ning Chen cupped his fists and bowed. “My thanks to Your Highness.”
Prince Duan made a sound of agreement. “Then this prince will go.”
“A moment, Your Highness. Haven’t you forgotten something?”
Prince Duan looked at him, not following. “What has this prince forgotten?”
“Diaochan.”
“What?”
Ning Chen smiled. “My horse.”
“So the horse is called Diaochan. How about giving her to this prince?”
Ning Chen shook his head. “It isn’t that Ning here is mean about it. That horse was a gift from Old General Chen.”
Prince Duan nodded. “Very well, this prince won’t take what another man loves. She is a fine horse, though. Just getting her back to the household cost this prince several men kicked and hurt.”
“When this prince gets home, he’ll have her sent to you.”
Ning Chen bowed. “My thanks to Your Highness. Go carefully, Your Highness.”
(End of Chapter 316)