Pan Yucheng frowned and said stiffly, “What kind of man do you take me for? Some petty coward who clings to his own skin and sells out his friends to get ahead?”
“Pan the Gold Coat has it exactly right!” Yuan Long’s face was grim. “General Ning, I’m a rough man, so I’ll say it plainly… I’ve campaigned north and south at your side, and I admire you. Even if it kills me, I won’t sell you out.”
Ning Chen waved a hand and laughed. “I’m not asking you to be faithless men who sell out a friend to get ahead.”
“The memorials have to be written. They just need some polishing.”
Pan Yucheng and Yuan Long looked at him, not following.
Ning Chen blew a fire striker alight, burned the note the woman emperor had left, and then said:
“The two of you each submit a memorial. Say that my meeting with the Wu woman emperor did not go well, and that it started because I ran my mouth—that I said I’d carry her off and make her my concubine.”
“Plenty of people heard me say that to Pang Yun back then.”
“Then say I made all kinds of advances at the Wu woman emperor, that the two of us ended up fighting, and that we parted on bad terms… and be sure to make it clear that the two of you were outside the tent at the time.”
Yuan Long’s head was full of questions.
Pan Yucheng thought it over for a moment. “I understand.”
“Once our memorials go in, if word gets out that you had an affair with the Wu woman emperor, His Majesty will assume that you made advances at her and that she spread the story herself, out of spite.”
Ning Chen nodded slightly and said with a bitter smile, “It might not work. But right now I can’t think of anything else.”
Yuan Long still didn’t follow. “But why does it have to say that Pan the Gold Coat and I were outside the tent?”
Pan Yucheng said, “Ning Chen is protecting us… he really did boast about making the woman emperor his concubine, and he really did cross blades with her before. Everything in our memorials is true. It won’t fall apart under investigation.”
“And if it all comes out anyway, we can clear ourselves on the grounds that we were outside the tent and had no idea what was happening inside.”
Yuan Long was moved. He hadn’t expected Ning Chen to be thinking of them even now.
Ning Chen, meanwhile, wanted to weep and had no tears for it.
This whole business had taught him a lesson: some women can’t be touched. They’ll get you killed.
One night with the Wu woman emperor and it might cost him his life. Far too high a price.
Come to think of it, Yudie was better—soft, considerate, sweet-natured and obliging. He could have her however he wanted, in any position he liked.
Ning Chen picked the white silk handkerchief up off the table. He meant to burn it, but on second thought he kept it… if he ever got the chance to see the Wu woman emperor again, he’d throw it right in her face.
That madwoman had really done a number on him.
“Let’s go. Back we go.”
Ning Chen struggled to his feet, his legs shaking under him, and nearly sat straight back down on the floor.
Pan Yucheng and Yuan Long hurried to steady him, half amused and half sorry for him.
Pan Yucheng muttered, “This Wu woman emperor really takes no pity on a pretty face.”
Ning Chen’s face twitched. He pretended not to hear.
He’d been wounded to begin with, and then the Wu woman emperor had worked him over who knew how many times. He felt hollowed out.
Outside the tent, the cold wind hit him and Ning Chen came fully awake.
He hauled himself up into the saddle.
He was about to give the order to head back when a rider came galloping toward them at full speed.
The man reached them and swung down off his horse.
“Report… General Ning, the Wu army is withdrawing!”
Ning Chen stared for a beat, then went so blind with rage he nearly pitched headfirst out of the saddle.
That madwoman of an emperor was fucking devious.
If someone told the Xuan Emperor now that he’d had an affair with the Wu woman emperor, the Xuan Emperor would believe it without question.
He’d been in a tent with the Wu woman emperor for about two hours, and the moment she got back she pulled her army out… if there was nothing between them, why would the Wu withdraw?
Ning Chen forced out a smile. “That’s good news. Let’s head back.”
On the ride back, Ning Chen was as limp as a cut of meat with the bones picked out of it, slumped over his horse’s back, arms and legs dangling uselessly.
Diaochan seemed to sense how exhausted he was and walked very steadily.
Ning Chen hung his head, watching the ground slide away beneath him, but his mind was racing.
The Wu woman emperor was no easy mark.
Two memorials from Pan Yucheng and Yuan Long probably wouldn’t be enough to put the Xuan Emperor and the court off the scent.
He had to get ready early.
Back at the frontier pass.
Ning Chen gave the order for the army to pull back inside the walls.
The city gate had already been repaired.
Ning Chen called in Mu Anbang and the others and held a short meeting.
He ordered Mu Anbang and Lei An to lead the Changling Army back to Lingzhou the next day.
Yuan Long and Qi Yuanzhong would not be returning to the capital.
They would take the rest of the army and hold the frontier.
His Majesty might send a new commander in chief later to replace Yuan Long and Qi Yuanzhong.
But for now, there was no one better suited than those two.
Ning Chen also left the musket battalion and the cannon battalion with them.
His reason for keeping Yuan Long and Qi Yuanzhong here was also to leave himself a way out.
If the business between him and the Wu woman emperor ever blew up… this was where he would run.
Once it was all arranged, Ning Chen sent them off to their work.
He himself dropped fully dressed onto that grimy little cot and fell into a dead sleep.
Ning Chen was worn out.
He’d gone to that meeting already wounded, and then the Wu woman emperor had worked him over who knew how many times.
Body and mind, he was spent.
He slept straight through to the next day.
The army surgeons came to change the dressings on his wounds.
Pan Yucheng brought over a bowl of hot meat broth.
Ning Chen washed down two pieces of dry rations with the hot broth and felt a good deal better.
He had come here to fight a war, and somehow he’d ended up getting slept with by two women.
One was Zisu—they had never been man and wife in fact, but they had shared by way of mouth and tongue.
The other was the Wu woman emperor, who had nearly slept him right out of his life.
For some reason, thinking of Zisu left him faintly uneasy.
That woman had walked off with two stolen muskets.
Zisu, Zisu, don’t go stirring up any real trouble. I only have one life and I can’t take much more of this from you people, Ning Chen prayed silently.
Ning Chen had brush, ink, paper and inkstone brought to him.
He wrote a memorial recommending his officers and men for commendation, and laid the flattery on so thick for the Xuan Emperor that it turned his own stomach.
He was hoping that when the business with the Wu woman emperor did blow up, the Xuan Emperor might remember how obedient he’d been and leave him one way out.
Ning Chen had the memorial sent back to the capital by fast rider.
Ning Chen looked at Pan Yucheng. “Have you and Yuan Long written your memorials?”
Pan Yucheng nodded. “Written. They went off to the capital ahead of yours.”
Ning Chen gave a nod and grunted.
Pan Yucheng said, “The Changling Army is heading back to their garrison. Do you want to see Mu Anbang and the others off?”
“When do they leave?”
“The army’s packed and ready. Probably about two hours from now.”
Ning Chen nodded. “All right, let’s go take a look.”
The Changling Army was packed and ready.
When Mu Anbang and Lei An heard Ning Chen had come, they hurried over to meet him.
“This officer will lead the men back to garrison now. Take care of yourself, General Ning.”
Ning Chen inclined his head slightly. “Go on ahead. I should be returning to the capital myself before long to report… I’ve already sent the commendation memorial on to the capital.”
Mu Anbang and Lei An bowed and said together, “Thank you, General Ning!”
Ning Chen smiled. “Safe travels.”
Mu Anbang hesitated, then said sincerely, “I hope that one day I’ll get to follow the general into battle again.”
Lei An nodded along, over and over. Fighting alongside Ning Chen was a fine thing.
Ning Chen laughed. “There will be a chance.”
(End of Chapter 282)