Ning Chen had reached Xiuzhou by now, and had settled in at an inn.
They had eaten in the open and slept in the dew the whole way. Once he was settled, Ning Chen took a hot bath with Yudie and Zisu waiting on him, and was about to call everybody down for a good meal.
“Young Master Ning, somebody is asking for you.”
Gu Yichun’s voice came from outside the door.
Ning Chen answered him and went over and opened it.
Outside, besides Gu Yichun, there was a middle-aged fellow in close-fitting black.
He had seen this man before. One of Prince Duan’s people.
The middle-aged fellow bowed with his fist in his palm. “Young Master Ning, His Highness asks you to come to the residence for a talk.”
“His Highness is very well informed.”
When he had said it, Ning Chen told Gu Yichun to keep Yudie and Zisu safe, and left with Feng Qizheng.
They rode hard the whole way and came to the prince’s residence.
The middle-aged fellow brought Ning Chen and Feng Qizheng to the main hall of the residence.
Prince Duan came out to meet them.
“This humble commoner Ning Chen greets Your Highness.”
Ning Chen leaned hard on the words humble commoner, watching Prince Duan’s reaction as he said them.
Prince Duan’s face was all smiles. He waved a hand and said, “No need to stand on ceremony. Come inside.”
Once they were in, a round table stood in the middle of the main hall with wine and dishes already laid out on it.
“Ning Chen, it has been a hard road.” Prince Duan called it out with a smile. “Come, we’ll eat and talk together.”
Ning Chen took his seat.
Feng Qizheng was not entitled to a place at the table. He stood behind Ning Chen with two jars of wine in his arms.
Prince Duan said with a smile, “Coarse tea and plain rice. It is no match for the capital. Don’t hold it against us.”
“Your Highness is too courteous.”
Prince Duan had the wine poured and then looked at Ning Chen. “That was a pretty heavy fall you took this time. With your abilities, it should not have happened.”
Ning Chen smiled easily. “That’s life. It’s the ups and downs that make it interesting.”
“Your Highness is very well informed. I have only just reached Xiuzhou and you know it already.”
Prince Duan said with a smile, “It isn’t that I am well informed. It’s that I received a secret edict from His Majesty.”
“Mm?”
“While you are in Xiuzhou, this prince has to keep you safe. If anything happens to you, this prince’s fault in it would be a great one.”
Ning Chen was taken aback, and a wave of feeling went through him. He had not expected it to be His Majesty’s own order.
“His Majesty’s grace is beyond anything Ning Chen could repay if he died ten thousand deaths.”
There was not the least falsehood in that line.
The favor His Majesty showed him was no less than what he showed his own sons.
Set against Ning Ziming, His Majesty was more of a father to him. He doted on him, and beyond that there was the debt for knowing what he was worth… Ning Chen would not forget that.
It was for exactly that reason that he had not run off to the Wu Kingdom.
Prince Duan raised his cup. “Come. This prince drinks to you.”
“I could not accept that. This humble commoner drinks to Your Highness.”
Ning Chen raised his cup, touched it against Prince Duan’s and drained it in one.
When he had finished it, Ning Chen said with a smile, “This wine is nothing special.”
Prince Duan was taken aback. There was not much face left for him in a line like that.
Ning Chen said, “Has Your Highness heard of Immortal Dew?”
“Immortal Dew?”
So Immortal Dew had only caught fire in the capital. The word had not reached Xiuzhou yet.
Ning Chen said with a smile, “I brought Your Highness two jars of Immortal Dew. Why not try it?”
When he had said it, he signaled Feng Qizheng to hand the wine to Prince Duan’s people.
Prince Duan was somewhat unconvinced, and signaled his man to pour.
When the wine came out, Prince Duan’s eyes went wide. “This is wine?”
He raised the cup as he spoke and smelled it, and his eyes lit.
“If the scent of it were not so rich and full, this prince would have taken it for water.”
Ning Chen raised his cup. “Your Highness, I drink to you.”
They touched cups, and Ning Chen drained his in one.
Only then did Prince Duan drink his down with an easy mind.
“Good wine. Very good wine… pure and clear, and the scent of it rich and full.”
Ning Chen said with a smile, “This Immortal Dew has caught fire all over the capital lately. It is what His Majesty drinks too.”
Prince Duan was a man who knew his wine.
“Nectar of the immortals. Set beside this, this prince’s wine really is very ordinary.”
Ning Chen said with a smile, “It is good wine, no question. Only there is little of it made and the price is high… A jar of this Immortal Dew costs ten taels of silver.”
“Ten taels of silver?” Prince Duan said with a smile. “This wine… is worth the price.”
They talked a while, and then Prince Duan stood up and said, “Ning Chen, come with this prince.”
Ning Chen gave a slight nod, rose, and said to Feng Qizheng, “Wait for me here.”
Prince Duan took Ning Chen to the study.
He fetched out a box and handed it to Ning Chen.
Ning Chen opened it and looked. Inside was a sheaf of silver notes, better than two hundred thousand taels by the look of them.
Prince Duan said with a smile, “This prince said the business from here on would give you half the profit… This is only half a year’s worth.”
Ning Chen was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Prince Duan to be a man who kept his word.
He could not be certain whether this really was half the profit, but two hundred thousand taels was no small figure either.
“Ning here has no power and no post now. Prince Duan could perfectly well have broken the agreement. This is no small figure.”
Prince Duan laughed aloud. “Ning Chen, you think far too little of this prince… A man without good faith has nothing to stand on.”
“Two hundred thousand taels of silver is certainly no small figure… Or would you rather take it that this prince has the evidence of his crimes in your hands and has no choice but to give way?”
Ning Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I am nothing but a humble commoner now. That evidence should not be able to do Your Highness any great harm… Or Your Highness might try finishing me off — kill the man who knew and close his mouth, and be done with it once and for all.”
Prince Duan shook his head and said, “Ning Chen, other men cannot see through it, but this prince sees it plainly… Sooner or later you will return to the halls of state.”
“Our working together profits us both. Block this prince’s road to money, though, and this prince will certainly have you killed.”
Ning Chen began to laugh. “Your Highness is being very frank.”
Prince Duan said with a smile, “Mainly it is that killing you carries far too much risk. This prince has power and money both. There is no need to run a risk like that.”
Ning Chen stuffed the silver notes into his robe and asked, “Would Your Highness like to earn more silver?”
Prince Duan was taken aback. “Of course. This prince has no quarrel with silver.”
“Then do you think Immortal Dew could catch fire in Xiuzhou?”
Prince Duan’s eyes lit. “You have a way in?”
“The owner of the Immortal Dew wineshop and I are the closest of friends, as near as brothers.”
Prince Duan’s eyes were burning. “If you can get Immortal Dew here, this prince guarantees that in Xiuzhou a jar of it will sell for twenty taels of silver.”
Ning Chen inclined his head slightly. “You put up the shop and the men, I put up the wine, and we split the profit down the middle. How is that?”
Prince Duan’s eyes shone.
“Ning Chen, this prince was not wrong in the least to work with you.”
“Only why not get hold of the brewing method? We would make far more that way.”
Ning Chen shook his head. “The owner of the Immortal Dew wineshop is my own blood brother by a different father and a different mother. Anyone who dares set his mind on the brewing method in his hands should not blame me for turning on him and cutting the acquaintance.”
Prince Duan’s expression stiffened slightly, and then he said, “Fine. So long as you get the wine here, leave the selling to this prince.”
Ning Chen laughed quietly. “Your Highness, selling wine is only the first step of our working together. I have other roads to money in hand.”
Prince Duan’s voice was urgent. “What roads?”
“All of it can wait until I am back in the capital… But Your Highness may rest easy. So long as we work together, I guarantee you will make a few million taels a year without breaking a sweat.”
Prince Duan was struck dumb and staring. “Do you mean that?”
Ning Chen smiled and gave a slight nod. “If you don’t make it, I’ll make up the difference.”
Prince Duan laughed until his eyes narrowed to slits. “This prince believes you.”
“Ning Chen, this prince has half a mind to have a statue made of you and set it up to be worshipped. You are simply this prince’s god of wealth.”
Ning Chen: “……”
“When do you go back to the capital?”
Ning Chen shook his head. “I don’t know yet.”
“Go back soon. Every day you put it off is good white silver lost.”
Ning Chen’s forehead filled with black lines. He said with a smile, “I’ll do what I can.”
(End of Chapter 387)