After Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng left, Ning Chen took a bath.

"Little Xixi, it's getting late. Ready for bed?"

Seeing the wicked grin on Ning Chen's face, Xiao Yanxi blushed. Her thighs pressed together of their own accord, but she still shook her head. "Ning, dear, your wound hasn't healed. You can't do anything strenuous..."

Before she could finish, Ning Chen took her hand and led her toward the inner room with a sly grin. "My wound's no big deal. A light wound doesn't take a man off the front line. Besides, if I can't do anything strenuous, Little Xixi, you can be on top."

Just then, Pan Yucheng's voice came from outside. "This officer, Pan Yucheng, asks to see my lord prince. I have something urgent to report."

Ning Chen sighed helplessly and gave Xiao Yanxi's shapely backside a light pat. "Go wait for me in bed. This prince will be right there."

Xiao Yanxi shot him a red-faced glare and went into the inner room.

Ning Chen went to the door, opened it and looked at Pan Yucheng standing outside. "Old Pan, have you ever heard the saying, 'One moment of a spring night is worth a thousand in gold'?"

Pan Yucheng said, "Zhang Tianlun is dead!"

"Uh..." Ning Chen's expression stiffened. Then he asked, "How did he die?"

"He tried to escape. The guards spotted him and twanged their empty bowstrings as a warning, but he kept going, so in the end they shot him."

Ning Chen said quickly, "Take me there."

The two of them went to the courtyard where Zhang Tianlun had been held.

When he saw Zhang Tianlun's body bristling with arrows, Ning Chen was stunned... This was way over the top. Was somebody borrowing arrows with straw boats? (TL Note: From Romance of the Three Kingdoms*: Zhuge Liang sent boats lined with straw toward Cao Cao's fleet in the fog, and Cao Cao's archers filled them with over a hundred thousand arrows, which Zhuge Liang then kept.)*

Ning Chen heaved a deep sigh.

Zhang Tianlun had been somebody, in his way. Twice…