With Yuan Long and the others arranged for, Ning Chen put his horse to a gallop and went to Old General Chen's residence.

Old General Chen was getting on in years, and his injuries had left him crippled, so he could be said to have retired by now. He was rarely seen.

The waves behind on the Yangtze drive the waves in front, and a new generation takes the place of the old. (TL Note: 長江後浪推前浪 — a proverb about the young displacing their elders, as each wave on the river pushes the one ahead of it.)

Old General Chen had spent his whole life guarding the Great Xuan and guarding His Majesty, and now he had handed the baton on to Ning Chen and stepped back, his work done and his mind at ease.

The old general was playing with his birds. When he heard Ning Chen had come he had him shown in at once.

"Old General. Playing with your bird?"

Old General Chen thought there was something odd about Ning Chen's expression, but he did not dwell on it, and asked with a laugh, "What brings you here, boy?"

Ning Chen gave him the outline of it.

Old General Chen's brows drew together a little. "That isn't right. You hurt Nanyue badly enough last time. Nanyue shouldn't be raising a blade against the Great Xuan for three to five years... There's a plot in this for certain."

Ning Chen said, "I feel something is wrong with it too, but I can't see where the thread starts."

"The border is in danger, though, and the safety of the Great Xuan's realm hangs on it, so I still have to go... Old General, I came today because once I've gone I'd like you to go into the palace more often and keep His Majesty company. With you here, my mind is at rest."

Old General Chen nodded. "Right!"

Ning Chen stayed a while at Old General Chen's residence, then left, and once outside he rode straight for Li Hanru's house.

Sure enough, His Majesty had given the running of…