Ning Chen came out of the marquis's residence and drove a cart straight for the palace.

The palace channel had to be opened.

If the emperor drank it and called it good, how could the wine be anything but good?

Ning Chen carried three jars of wine to the door of the imperial study.

As it happened, Nie Liang was on duty that day.

He looked at Ning Chen holding three jars of wine and was thoroughly at a loss. "My lord marquis. What is this?"

"I've come to bring a gift!"

Nie Liang: "???"

Bringing a gift into the palace?

Ning Chen handed two of the jars to Nie Liang. "One for you, one for Old Quan... I can't hand it to him in front of His Majesty, so tell him to come and get it from you later."

"Hold on to them, don't drop them. This wine is expensive... Ten taels of silver a jar, and money alone won't necessarily get you one. It took a great deal of trouble to lay hands on these."

Nie Liang was stunned. "What wine costs ten taels a jar?"

"It's called Immortal Dew. Wine the immortals drink... I'm telling you, take one mouthful of this and you could die this minute with nothing left to regret."

The corner of Nie Liang's mouth twitched. "Ha. Thank you so much."

The Xuan Emperor was reading memorials.

A young eunuch came in and knelt. "Your Majesty, Marquis Ning begs an audience!"

The Xuan Emperor nodded slightly. "Let him in!"

The young eunuch withdrew.

A moment later Ning Chen came in.

The Xuan Emperor glanced up and gave a slight start. "What are you doing with that wine? Have you come to drink with this emperor? This emperor has no time... Go amuse yourself with Huai'an."

It was not at all the way an emperor spoke. It was the way an elder tells a boisterous young relative to go play somewhere else and stop bothering him.

Ning Chen bowed his head. "Your Majesty, your subject has come to bring you a gift."

The Xuan Emperor…