“Your Majesty, it’s all over the streets now that your subject poisoned his own father — to marry the Ninth Princess, to grab wealth and glory, to prove his loyalty.”

“Your subject has become a creature without a shred of conscience, an unpardonable villain.”

Ning Chen glanced at the Xuan Emperor and answered plainly.

The Xuan Emperor actually laughed — though it was the laugh of a man pushed past his patience.

Marry the Ninth Princess, murder his own father to show his loyalty… these people had no idea how much effort he’d spent bringing Ning Chen and Huai’an together.

“Utter stupidity… whoever is scheming against you behind the scenes is both a fool and a snake!”

“This emperor will issue an edict this instant — every loose mouth, every idiot who swallows the rumor, round them all up and charge them.”

Ning Chen said quickly, “Your Majesty, that would only make things worse… you might choke the rumor off in the open, but you can’t stop the common people from whispering it in private.”

The Xuan Emperor frowned. “Ning Chen, you know the saying — three men make a tiger. If this rumor gets out, it does your name real harm.”

“Left unchecked, the more it’s passed around the wilder it gets — enough to ruin your name for good.”

Ning Chen bowed. “Your subject understands!”

“Which is why a single move is all it takes to break it!”

The Xuan Emperor looked at him, curious. “And what move is that?”

Ning Chen hesitated, then said, “All it takes is one edict granting Ning Ziming the poisoned cup.”

Something flickered in the Xuan Emperor’s eyes; he caught on at once.

He glared at Ning Chen. “You little brat — that head of yours turns fast, doesn’t it?”

Ning Chen smiled, all fawning. “Your Majesty’s genius commands the age. Your subject’s scrap of cleverness isn’t fit to fetch Your Majesty’s shoes!”

The Xuan Emperor let out a cold snort and shot him a look.

“This emperor understands. Go on back for now!”

“You’ll be marrying Huai’an any day. Watch your step, and don’t go stirring up any more trouble, you hear?”

Ning Chen bowed. “Your subject obeys the command!”

“Your Majesty, your subject has one more favor to ask.”

The Xuan Emperor couldn’t help glaring at him again. “Speak.”

“Would Your Majesty have Eunuch Quan take note of who goes after your subject at court tomorrow.”

The Xuan Emperor thought for a moment, understood, and gave a small nod.

By the time Ning Chen left the palace, the sky had gone dark.

He rode his beloved Diaochan, clop, clop, clop, all the way to the courtesans’ quarter.

Yudie took one look at him, her whole face full of worry. “Ning, dear, are you all right?”

“Me? What could be wrong with me?”

Ning Chen looked at her, puzzled.

Yudie lowered her voice. “People are saying terrible things about you everywhere now.”

Ning Chen laughed. “That I poisoned my own father for wealth and glory, to prove my loyalty?”

Yudie nodded.

Ning Chen smiled. “It’s a misunderstanding. Don’t give it a thought!”

“You take it lightly enough. But a rumor you don’t stamp out has a way of turning real the more it gets told.”

Zisu lifted the curtain aside and stepped out from the inner room.

She must have just woken; there was a lazy drag to her voice, and her little face was flushed pink.

Ning Chen couldn’t help a laugh. “The mouth belongs to the person it’s on. I can hardly stop up other people’s mouths.”

As he spoke, his grin turned slowly lecherous, his eyes on Zisu’s soft red lips. “Though it seems there’s one mouth I could stop up.”

Zisu’s pretty face flooded scarlet in an instant. She shot him a sour glare… then gave a petulant little huff and swept out.

Ning Chen laughed, crossed to the low table before the screen, and sat, half-reclining against the couch.

Yudie came over, lifted the teapot, and poured him a cup, still anxious. “Ning, dear, is nothing really wrong? Sister Zisu is right — a rumor told and retold becomes the truth.”

“Relax, I have a way to handle it!”

Ning Chen picked up the cup and looked at Yudie kneeling on the couch, the willowy line of her waist and the tilt of her hips drawn into one perfect, tempting curve, and a dirty grin tugged at his mouth despite himself.

“Yudie, is your body feeling better?”

Yudie was taken aback for a moment. Catching the heat in his gaze, her little face reddened, and she dropped her head and said softly, “It still aches a little… but if Ning, dear wants me, this girl can manage.”

Her sweetness made his chest tighten. It was all the fault of that quack Zisu — she was the reason he’d gone at Yudie like an animal the night before.

“Get your strength back first. There’s plenty of time ahead — no need to rush it tonight.”

A little while later, Zisu came in carrying a medicine bowl.

She set the medicine down on the low table.

Ning Chen glanced at it. “The Nine Yang Decoction for Nourishing the Source?”

Zisu nodded.

Ning Chen gave her a flat look. “You still have the nerve to hand me this? Yudie isn’t feeling well… if it hits me like yesterday, that’s on you — and you’ll be the one having a rough night of it.”

“I’ve already cut the dose. It should be fine… and if you end up like last night, you’re flat-out faking it.”

Zisu had every confidence in her craft.

Ning Chen didn’t waste breath arguing. He picked up the bowl and drained it in one go — if it hit him like the night before, Zisu had brought it on herself.

A while later, a wave of heat came climbing up from his lower belly and shot through him all at once, leaving his whole body burning, his mouth dry, his throat parched.

He grabbed the teapot off the table and gulped straight from it, several long swallows.

Zisu watched him warily. “Well?”

Ning Chen took another few gulps of tea. “I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble Miss Zisu to put that mouth and tongue of hers to work.”

Zisu backed up a few steps, poised to bolt at any second.

Last night her lips had swollen up — and her voice had gone hoarse on top of it.

“Ning, dear, if you’re in real discomfort, this girl can do it.”

Ning Chen smiled. “It’s fine. Today’s a lot better than yesterday — I’m not so ravenous.”

Zisu glared at him. “See? Told you — I already weakened the dose.”

Ning Chen smiled ruefully. “Do me a favor and cut it a little more next time… You two chat. I have something to see to — I’m taking off!”

And with that, Ning Chen bolted.

The dose was weaker, sure — but the urge was still fierce.

He’d worn Yudie out the night before, and his heart ached for her; he left the courtesans’ quarter afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold back.

Outside, the cold wind hit him and he felt much better.

He climbed onto Diaochan and made for home.

Halfway there, a dark shape stepped out of an alley off to the side.

Ning Chen gave a start and drew his service sword on instinct.

Then he saw who it was — Silence.

He slid the sword back into its sheath and said, none too pleased, “Next time, come to me in the open. The more you skulk around, the easier you are to notice.”

“Force of habit,” Silence said in a low voice.

“What do you want?”

Silence said, “I just had word from my mistress — the situation’s changed. Song Tiancheng has most likely found out about her and you.”

“There are men of Song Tiancheng’s among Great Xuan’s officials. It puts you in a bad spot.”

Ning Chen let out a noncommittal grunt.

Silence gave him a strange look. “The marquis isn’t worried?”

Ning Chen scoffed. “So what if he knows? Does he have proof? Without proof, there’s nothing he can do to me.”

“My mistress says she’s afraid Song Tiancheng will move against your child.”

Ning Chen’s eyes narrowed to points.

“She sent you to me, so I take it she already has a plan?”

Silence nodded, drew out a letter, and handed it to Ning Chen. “My mistress says once you’ve read it, you’ll know what to do.”

Ning Chen took the letter and tucked it into his robes, then asked mildly, “You’ve been lying low in the Great Xuan capital a long time. You must have gathered quite a bit of intelligence?”

“That depends on what the marquis wants to ask,” Silence said.

Ning Chen thought for a moment, then asked, “What do you know about Great Xuan’s Fourth Prince?”

(End of Chapter 341)