Ning Chen followed Eunuch Quan up to the same private room as before.

The moment he stepped in, he saw that besides Tian Xuan there was an old man with one leg missing.

It was the first time Ning Chen had ever seen him, but he knew at once who it had to be. Old General Chen.

“Uncle. We meet again.”

Ning Chen came forward and bowed over clasped hands.

Then he turned and made Old General Chen a grave, formal bow. “This commoner, Lan Xing, greets Old General Chen.”

It was their first meeting, but Ning Chen had been a soldier himself, and he held a particular respect for an old general who had spent his whole life in the saddle.

“You’re Lan Xing?”

He was stirred. He looked Ning Chen up and down, then frowned. “It’s freezing out. Why are you dressed so thin?”

Ning Chen smiled bitterly. “It’s a long story.”

Seeing that the boy didn’t want to say more, Old General Chen didn’t press him. Instead he asked, curious, “How did you know who I am? Have we met before?”

“This is the first time this commoner has laid eyes on Old General Chen. But I’ve heard the tales of your deeds since I was a child, and my admiration runs on and on like the waters of a great river.”

Ning Chen laid the flattery on without so much as a blush.

This was Old General Chen. Even the reigning emperor treated him with particular courtesy. If Ning Chen could get himself attached to a man like that, the benefits would be considerable.

He took it very well and let out a booming laugh, strong for a man his age.

“I should be thanking you for that lyric. So the heroes really do come up young! To write a work for the ages at your age — remarkable.”

His impression of Ning Chen was excellent, and he wasn’t stingy with the praise.

Ning Chen said modestly, “Old General Chen praises me too highly. This commoner doesn’t deserve it. Set beside you, I’m a firefly against the bright moon.”

“Hahaha. This boy’s got a silver tongue. And he stands in front of me without cringing and without swaggering. If I’d met you when I was young, I’d have taken you onto the battlefield with me.”

Ning Chen said quickly, “The truth is, since I was small my dream has been to put on armor, go out and kill the enemy, and win glory for my country. For that I studied the military texts and worked at the art of war.”

There was no lie in that. He genuinely missed the days of killing shoulder to shoulder with his brothers.

“You’ve studied the art of war as well?”

The Xuan Emperor was surprised.

Ning Chen said modestly, “I won’t hide it from you. I didn’t begin my letters until I was twelve. I was starving for knowledge and read day and night. I only looked at the art of war now and then. I understand a little of it, that’s all.”

“Honestly, my scraps of skill aren’t worth mentioning in front of Old General Chen.”

Old General Chen asked without thinking, “How old are you?”

Ning Chen bowed slightly. “A few months short of sixteen.”

The Xuan Emperor and the others were stunned.

The Xuan Emperor couldn’t help himself. “Not yet sixteen. Then counting generously, you’ve had three years of study. Three years, and you can write a work for the ages? How did you manage it?”

Ning Chen said, a little embarrassed, “Maybe I’m what they call a once-in-an-age talent?”

The corners of the Xuan Emperor’s and Old General Chen’s mouths twitched.

“You, boy. Not very modest, are you.”

Ning Chen said, smiling, “Too much modesty is just hypocrisy. Poetry is the only thing I have worth showing. Uncle, Old General Chen — buy a couple of poems? I’ll give you a discount.”

Ning Chen felt like the Little Match Girl. Except all he wanted was to stop being cold and hungry.

Every world was the same, apparently. Money’s hard to earn and shit’s hard to eat.

The Xuan Emperor waved a hand. “No hurry. You said just now that you’d looked into the art of war. Then I’ll have to test you and see whether you’re bragging. If you speak well, you won’t be short-changed.”

He wanted to see whether Ning Chen might surprise him somewhere other than poetry.

Something lit in Ning Chen’s eyes. He said, smiling, “Uncle… you’re putting me in a difficult spot.”

“What, afraid?”

“Not afraid, exactly. But if I get it wrong, take it as a bit of fun. Whatever you do, don’t let it affect our business.”

The corner of the Xuan Emperor’s mouth twitched. So he’s worried I won’t buy his poems.

But what is the matter with this boy? Weather like this, ground frozen hard, and he’s dressed that thin?

When Old General Chen asked him just now, his face was full of anger and bitterness. Something has clearly happened to him.

I’ll have someone look into it afterward.

“Lan Xing. Lately the Tuoluo Kingdom’s cavalry have been harassing the Great Xuan’s border again and again, plundering the common people. We’ve sent troops to garrison it, but the Tuoluo live as nomads. Their horses are fast. They come without a shadow and go without a trace.”

“So by the time the Great Xuan’s soldiers get word and arrive, the Tuoluo forces have already pulled back. Do you have any way to deal with it?”

Ning Chen shook his head.

Tian Xuan was disappointed. “No way at all?”

“It isn’t that there’s no way. It’s that I can’t say it. Uncle, this is state business. Presuming to discuss affairs of state will get a man beheaded.”

Tian Xuan blinked, then laughed. “Speak freely and boldly. Old General Chen is sitting right here. What are you afraid of?”

The old general laughed as well. “Whatever you have in mind, say it. I guarantee nothing will happen to you.”

Ning Chen hesitated. This Tian Xuan can sit down with Old General Chen, which means his standing is very high. So he really is Prince Fu.

With Prince Fu and Old General Chen both vouching for me, discussing state affairs should be safe enough.

“Shall I say it, then?”

Tian Xuan nodded. “Speak freely and boldly.”

Ning Chen held up three fingers. “I don’t know the border situation well. I can only think of three approaches. If they’re no good, take it as a bit of fun.”

Tian Xuan and Old General Chen glanced at each other, shaken. He doesn’t know the situation, and he’s come up with three?

“Don’t drag it out. Say it.”

He urged him on.

Ning Chen nodded and asked, “Is there brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone?”

The Xuan Emperor blinked, then had the shrill one fetch them at once and hand them over.

The ink was ground, the brush filled.

Ning Chen leaned over the table and wrote fast.

Before long he set the brush down and handed what he’d written to the Xuan Emperor.

The Xuan Emperor took it and glanced at it. His eyes lit up sharply, and he passed the paper to Old General Chen.

“Good. Good. Good — a fine plan!”

Old General Chen finished reading and said it three times over, slapping his thigh in his excitement.

Ning Chen was honestly worried he’d wreck his one good leg.

“These three methods only treat the symptom, not the cause. The real answer still comes down to the edge of the Great Xuan’s own soldiers. Even if you can’t wipe out the Tuoluo Kingdom, you have to hurt them and frighten them before this stops for good.”

The Xuan Emperor nodded slightly, looking at Ning Chen with open appreciation.

He was suddenly very glad he’d brought Old General Chen along today.

If he hadn’t, he would never have discovered Ning Chen’s talent for military matters.

What Ning Chen didn’t know was that over the past month, that lyric of his had caught fire. The whole city was talking about it.

Everyone was looking for the young man called Lan Xing. Old General Chen included.

But a month had gone by and not one person had laid eyes on Lan Xing.

Unable to find him, Old General Chen took to pestering the Xuan Emperor daily.

The old man went in at sunrise on his crutch and came out at sunset.

The Xuan Emperor got so worn down by it that he finally brought Old General Chen along. They had in fact come several times and never managed to catch Ning Chen. Today they’d been lucky.

Ning Chen had given a false name, so he clearly didn’t want anyone knowing who he was. The emperor knew perfectly well who he was — but it wouldn’t do to send men to the Ning estate to fetch him.

(End of Chapter 13)