The next morning, someone came from the palace!

The new emperor wanted to see him.

Ning Chen rode into the palace and was received in the imperial study!

It was only the second time they had met since the new emperor took the throne. The first had been at the enthronement ceremony.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

Ning Chen bowed.

"How dare you, Prince Who Holds the Realm? You come before His Majesty and don't kneel?"

Beside the dragon desk, in the spot that used to be Eunuch Quan's, stood a pale, beardless eunuch not yet forty, and he was loudly rebuking Ning Chen.

Ning Chen knew this eunuch. He had always waited on the crown prince, who was now the new emperor.

His name, Ning Chen remembered, was Liu Kuan.

Ning Chen frowned slightly. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to rebuke him, and it felt strange to hear.

His eyes went to the new emperor.

The new emperor's face darkened, and he snapped, "You cur! The Prince Who Holds the Realm is this emperor's teacher. Since when is it your place to rebuke him?"

Liu Kuan looked unconvinced. "Even if the Prince Who Holds the Realm is Your Majesty's teacher, he's still a subject... The rites between sovereign and subject can't be thrown into disorder. If everyone followed his example, where would Your Majesty's dignity be?"

"Insolent! You dare keep talking? It seems this emperor has been far too lenient with you, and you've forgotten your place... Strike yourself across the mouth!"

The new emperor was furious.

Liu Kuan dropped to his knees with a thud. "This servant obeys!"

And he raised his hand and began slapping himself across the mouth, smack after smack.

The new emperor looked at Ning Chen. "Don't take the cur seriously."

Ning Chen said in a low voice, "Eunuch Liu is not wrong. The rites between sovereign and subject can't be thrown into disorder!"

The new emperor smiled. "In public we're sovereign and subject. In private we're brothers... Between brothers, we don't need these empty formalities. This emperor knows…