Geng Jing looked at Ning Chen’s face, all hangdog misery, and his own smile grew brighter still.

Ning Chen set the imperial edict down without a word and left that place of sorrow.

Back at the first department, Chen Chong and the others gathered around him.

“Ning Chen, did you get His Majesty’s reward?”

“What fine things did His Majesty give you?”

Ning Chen grew sadder still.

“Old Feng, where’s your house?”

Feng Qizheng’s face was all puzzlement. “What do you want my house for? I’m a man alone in the world. I don’t have a daughter to marry off to you.”

“No. His Majesty granted me three feet of white silk… and told me to go and hang myself outside your gate tonight.”

“Eh?”

Feng Qizheng was struck dumb.

Then he seized Ning Chen by the wrist and hauled him along. “Then let’s be quick about it, don’t waste time!”

Ning Chen was angry enough to grind his teeth. He threw the hand off and put a kick into him.

“Ning Chen, what did His Majesty actually give you?”

Chen Chong asked it, curious.

The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth twitched. “He gave me nothing at all!”

At that they truly were struck dumb, every one of them.

“Are you serious?”

Ning Chen ground his teeth. “Do I look to you like a man who’s lying?”

They all stared hard at Ning Chen, still finding it difficult to believe.

“It isn’t possible. His Majesty dotes on you the way he does. How could he not reward you?”

Ning Chen said, out of temper, “You’re asking me. Who am I supposed to ask?”

Gao Ziping clapped Ning Chen on the shoulder. “Never mind. The courtesans’ quarter tonight, on me!”

Feng Qizheng put an arm round Ning Chen’s shoulders. “Tomorrow night, on me!”

“The day after, on me!”

Ning Chen was much moved by it. These animals did stand by a man when it counted, at least.

But his feeling did not last three seconds, because Feng Qizheng then put both hands on his hips. “Come on then, Ning Chen. Call me Daddy?”

The rest of them were watching Ning Chen too, smiling all over their faces.

Ning Chen’s face went black. Animals, every one of them, exactly as he had thought… He should never have been moved at all.

“Get out of it, all of you!”

Feng Qizheng gave a low, dirty laugh. “No Daddy, no courtesans’ quarter.”

Ning Chen looked at him, smiling all at once. “Who asked you to pay? When I go to the courtesans’ quarter I always go for nothing, and I sleep with the prettiest girl there besides… Now, isn’t that a maddening thing?”

The laughter went out of the whole crowd of them at once.

Every time they went, they spent their money and slept with an ordinary girl.

This beast Ning Chen slept with the prettiest girl and did not spend a copper.

Truly — compare a man with a man and you would die of it; compare goods with goods and you would throw yours away.

Ning Chen walked off with his head up, pleased with himself.

Because if he did not go now there was a risk of a beating… These animals had their features twisted out of shape with envy, every one, and there was no guarantee they would not thump him.

Ning Chen left the Inspectorate and rode his beloved Diaochan back to the Ning residence, hooves going clop, clop, clop.

As for the questioning of those fake holy men from the Elixir Bureau, he took no part in it.

Because by his reckoning the imperial edict would come down within a few days and he would be marching very soon… so he meant to enjoy himself properly while he could.

That evening he did not go to Yudie.

He had been training, and eating better along with it, and his body was a good deal sturdier than it had been… but set beside animals like Feng Qizheng he was still thin and weak, and strength had become his greatest failing.

So: the body mattered, and there could not be revelry every night.

Ning Chen rested well that night, and in the morning, after breakfast, he had Steward Wu make a carriage ready, and then drove the carriage to the courtesans’ quarter.

At about this hour the women of the courtesans’ quarter, wretched all night, were generally only just going to bed.

But Yudie was already awake.

Ever since she had come to know Ning Chen she had received no guests, and stayed in her room all day.

At first the guests had a good deal to say about it.

But when they heard that Yudie’s first guest behind the curtain had been Ning Chen, Ning the Silver Coat, nobody dared say anything more.

Even the old madam of the courtesans’ quarter did not dare force Yudie out to receive guests.

First, Ning Chen was a silver coat of the Inspectorate.

Second, Ning Chen was the hard man who had dared put a blade into the Empress’s brother.

Third, Ning Chen was an immortal of poetry reborn.

So anyone who wanted to see Yudie would have to beat Ning Chen in every one of those particulars.

And was that possible? Leaving aside who else had the nerve to put a blade into the Empress’s brother… on the writing of poems alone, the great men of letters did not dare take Ning Chen on.

Seeing Ning Chen, Yudie was a little surprised.

“Is Ning, dear not on duty today?”

“It’s my rest day… I’ve time today, and I’m taking you out to see something of the city.”

Yudie was delighted, and jumped where she stood, and her smile was bright as morning.

“Then wait a moment, Ning, dear. I’ll go and tell the mistress of the house!”

Ning Chen grunted his assent.

Yudie ran off with a light step.

The women of the courtesans’ quarter were in truth much to be pitied. They had almost no freedom at all.

If they wanted to go out into the streets they had to have the old madam’s approval, and then somebody had to go with them.

And having been wretched all night, who had the heart to go walking about the next day? There were not hours enough to make up the lost sleep.

Ning Chen waited a while, and Yudie came back, her small face dimmed, and something hurt in her.

“What is it? The old madam wouldn’t have it?”

Yudie made a small unhappy sound of assent.

“Sister Lianxue has gone out, so I can’t leave… Ning, dear, I’m sorry.”

Of the girls of the twelve houses, only one could go out at a time.

That was to keep any two of them from making some plan together — from arranging it quietly between them and taking the chance to run.

“Never mind. Wait here for me. I’ll go and speak to her.”

Yudie shook her head again and again. “Ning, dear’s standing is a high one. You must not go begging the mistress of the house for my sake… It would give people something to say against Ning, dear.”

Ning Chen made a small scoffing sound.

He was nothing but a hawk and hound of the imperial house. High standing, his backside.

“Never mind that. What reputation does anybody in the Inspectorate have? Wait for me.”

Ning Chen went out, and with Xiaoxing leading him, came to the old madam.

Under the influence of films and television, Ning Chen had expected the old madam to be a fat woman in heavy paint, thoroughly vulgar.

What he had not expected was that the woman in front of him had fine pale skin, did not look old at all, was very good-looking, and had kept her charm… though there was a shrewd, calculating cast to her face that spoiled the effect somewhat.

“This girl presents herself to Ning the Silver Coat!”

Ning Chen took out an ingot of gold and set it on the table. “I want to take Yudie out.”

The old madam glanced at the gold, unmoved, and shook her head, and said sweetly, “Ning the Silver Coat, this is against the rules!”

Ning Chen added another ingot of gold.

The old madam shook her head again.

Ning Chen added another.

And who would have thought it? The old madam still shook her head.

“Ning the Silver Coat, it is not that this girl is being hard… Yudie is the daughter of a convicted official. If something were to happen, this girl could not answer for it.”

The old madam explained it with her face full of difficulty.

Inwardly, in fact, she was full of contempt… Pah. Does he take this old woman for one of those third-rate articles who has never seen money? Three ingots of gold and he thinks he’ll take Yudie out. Not a chance.

The old madam was a woman who had eaten and seen a great deal in her time, and thought nothing whatever of that much gold.

Ning Chen coming to the courtesans’ quarter was no business of hers, but if he wanted to take Yudie out, that was hers to say.

Ning Chen gave a slight smile, and put the three ingots of gold away inside his coat.

Shk!!!

Cold light showed all at once.

The long blade lay against the old madam’s neck.

The old madam gave a shudder of fright and very nearly went down on the floor.

Ning Chen asked mildly, “Now. May I take Yudie out?”

Ning Chen had supposed this was certain to settle it. But who would have guessed — the old madam, though she was shaking all over with fright, still managed to get it out. “No.”

Ning Chen: “???”

“The old madam of the courtesans’ quarter attempted to injure a silver coat of the Inspectorate and was cut down on the spot… How do you like that for a reason?”

The old madam went white in the face and the cold sweat came out on her forehead, but she would not give an inch all the same. “Ning the Silver Coat, don’t try to frighten this old woman… this old woman wasn’t raised on frights.”

“Ning the Silver Coat put a blade into the Empress’s brother for the people of Chongzhou. You’re a man of iron bones… I don’t believe you would kill an innocent.”

The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth twitched. He felt he had been taken hold of.

“If Ning the Silver Coat is a real man and wants to take Yudie out, it isn’t out of the question… A thousand taels of silver.”

Ning Chen smiled coldly. “Say what you like, it comes back to silver in the end… And I really did think you weren’t afraid to die.”

“Pah… This old woman is doing it for Yudie. The silver is asked for Yudie’s sake… Do you know what Yudie’s first night was worth? Ten thousand taels at the least, and a night with her a thousand at the least… And what do you do but take her first night and come here day after day to eat and drink and take your pleasure, all for nothing.”

“And that foolish girl Yudie has never asked you for one copper… Every night you stay, she pays for you out of her own pocket.”

Ning Chen was struck dumb.

(End of Chapter 116)