Ning Chen said, smiling, "Really annoyed?"

"You know how it was. The thing was urgent, and if I had not come forward in time His Majesty might have issued an edict in his anger and had old Master Shen killed."

Li Zhixing said, "So you made this official lose face in front of the whole court, civil and military?"

Ning Chen swung down out of the saddle and walked beside Li Zhixing, leading the horse.

"Lord Li, this prince was wrong. This prince apologizes to you — won't that do? Or didn't you want old Master Shen saved?"

Li Zhixing turned his head away. "This official would not dare accept it."

Ning Chen felt inside his robe and pressed a few silver notes on him.

"Will this do?"

Li Zhixing took the silver notes without letting anything show and tucked them into his sleeve. "Not enough."

Ning Chen: "???"

"Five hundred taels is not enough?"

"They say the owner of the Immortal Dew wine shop is my lord prince?"

Ning Chen nodded.

Li Zhixing said, "Ah... This official has sent men several times and they have never managed to buy any."

Ning Chen gave a roll of the eyes. "All right. I will have some jars sent over to you."

"Ten jars. Twenty years in the cellar at the least."

Ning Chen frowned. "You dare squeeze this prince?"

"Hm. Even at that, this minister is asking too little." Li Zhixing dropped his voice. "What this official is going to show my lord prince in a moment is worth ten thousand jars to my lord prince, and no loss."

Ning Chen's eyes narrowed. "Show me what?"

"My lord prince had better come home with this official first."

Ning Chen gave a slight nod.

The two of them left the palace and came to the Li residence.

"If my lord prince will wait a moment."

Li Zhixing went away for a while, and when he came back he sent everyone else out of the room and handed Ning Chen a letter.

"My lord prince should look at this."

Ning Chen took it…