Several days went by in a flash.

The New Year holiday was already half over.

But the New Year wasn't over until the fifteenth.

Li Hanru and others had been at the palace day after day, pleading for Yuan Long and the rest.

As they saw it, the An Emperor wanted to take back military command and had seized the chance to lock the generals up in the Inspectorate's cells.

But that was far too hasty. These men had done great service, and they were Ning Chen's own. Punishing them so harshly over a small thing like this would make every soldier in the army lose heart.

Every time they pleaded, the An Emperor said she would consider it. But no edict to release them ever came.

Something else happened in those days, too.

On the sixth of the first month, the An Emperor had Ning Chen laid to rest.

What went into the ground was an empty coffin, of course... It was buried on Mount Anlong, beside the imperial tombs.

Ning Chen's own days were fairly relaxed.

Either he went to the palace to attend the bedchamber, or he stayed home and did the same there.

When he had a moment, he'd have a few drinks with Geng Jing, Nie Liang and the others.

And of course he paid plenty of visits to Yuan Long and the rest in the Inspectorate's cells.

Late that night, well past midnight.

The rocking bed finally went still.

Ning Chen, drenched in sweat and breathing hard, collapsed on Yudie's soft body.

He stretched his hands out to either side.

Zisu lay on one side, Xiao Yanxi on the other.

Between his silver tongue and coming at her with mouth and hand, he had finally talked Xiao Yanxi around... into serving him alongside Yudie and Zisu.

Thanks to the Nine Yang Decoction for Nourishing the Source, he hadn't been beaten off the field.

Two bowls of it a day these past few days had given him kidneys that nothing on earth could wear out.

The three women were exhausted, glistening with sweat.

As they…