Xie Siyu raised his head to the moon, all swagger and cool as you please, and shot back, "Is going to Xiuzhou against the law?"

Ning Chen: "???"

"So you're admitting the two of you went to Xiuzhou before you came back to the capital?"

Xie Siyu shook his head. "No! We came back to the capital from Mangzhou, and that road doesn't go through Xiuzhou."

Ning Chen stared at Xie Siyu for a while, then changed the subject. "Brother Xie, want a drink?"

Xie Siyu grunted. "I'll drink!"

"I'll go and get you some wine."

Ning Chen jumped down off the roof and went in for a jar of wine. Then he threw it up to Xie Siyu on the ridge.

The banquet was ready.

Pan Yucheng and the rest came too.

Ning Chen and his guests drank on far into the night.

Once the banquet had broken up, Ning Chen went to Zisu and Yudie's room.

"What brings Ning, dear, here?"

Yudie's eyes lit up with delight. Ning Chen had spent the last few days with the princess and had not come to them once since the wedding.

Ning Chen walked over and sat down. "I've just seen Old Geng and the rest off. I drank too much. Pour me a cup of tea."

Zisu poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Ning Chen drank it and turned the teacup over in his hands. "This is Xiuzhou's Fine Porcelain Blue, isn't it?"

Zisu smiled faintly. "This isn't Fine Porcelain Blue. It's only ordinary blue porcelain."

Ning Chen looked at her with a smile. "Old Geng sent me a Fine Porcelain Blue wine service today. It looks much like this."

"Did the two of you go to Xiuzhou on your way back to the capital?"

Zisu shook her head. "No. The road back to the capital doesn't go through Xiuzhou."

Ning Chen's eyes narrowed.

"Then where did this tea set come from? I don't remember seeing it in the household before."

Zisu smiled. "I went over to the West Market a few days ago, liked the…