“What did you just say?”

The Xuan Emperor asked again, not certain he believed it, wondering whether he had misheard.

The young eunuch said quickly, “Reporting to Your Majesty! Young Master Ning is back in the capital and on his way to the palace.”

“Wretch. That wretched creature…”

The Xuan Emperor was suddenly furious.

The young eunuch shook from head to foot, cold sweat springing out on his forehead.

The Xuan Emperor turned to Eunuch Quan. “He dares enter the capital without a summons. Coming back is one thing, but not a word to anyone first… he is beyond all law and heaven.”

“Go and tell Nie Liang. When Ning Chen comes into the palace, he is to kneel outside the imperial study for this emperor.”

The young eunuch said, “Yes! This servant obeys the edict.”

Once the young eunuch had withdrawn, the Xuan Emperor’s face was black.

“More beyond the law every day. Back in the capital without a word to anyone. Does he think anything of this emperor at all?”

Eunuch Quan hurried to soothe him. “Calm your anger, Your Majesty!”

“What are you standing there for? Draw up an edict for this emperor, granting Ning Chen a marriage with Huai’an… that wretched creature, he has this emperor all hands and elbows.”

“This emperor meant to wait until he came back to the capital, lead the officials of the court, civil and military, out of the city to meet him, and grant him the marriage with Huai’an in front of them all. He has thrown this emperor’s whole plan into disorder.”

Eunuch Quan said quickly, “Yes!”

There was a sour taste in Eunuch Quan’s mouth. He had known His Majesty was not really angry… with Ning Chen, His Majesty always picked it up heavily and set it down lightly. Big thunder and no rain.

The favor His Majesty showed Ning Chen had long since surpassed the favor he showed Eunuch Quan himself.

If His Majesty had truly been angry, he would have asked how many troops Ning Chen had brought back with him.

If Ning Chen had come back with a hundred and fifty thousand men, that would be rebellion.

But His Majesty had not asked once, and that was proof enough of how far he trusted Ning Chen.

The three of them arrived at the palace.

Never mind that Ning Chen was a general come home in triumph—Pan Yucheng’s standing as a gold coat alone carried the right to enter the palace and go before the throne at any hour.

The three of them came to the door of the imperial study.

Nie Liang came over with his men.

Seeing Ning Chen back safe, a smile came over Nie Liang’s face, and it came from the heart.

“Congratulations on coming home in triumph, General Ning.”

Nie Liang was teasing him.

Ning Chen rolled his eyes. “Give it a rest. Would you go and announce me?”

Nie Liang grinned. “Ning Chen, receive the edict!”

Ning Chen stared, then knelt at once.

Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng knelt with him.

Ning Chen said, “Your subject receives the edict!”

Then he waited a long while, and Nie Liang said nothing. He looked up. “Commander Nie, proclaim it!”

Nie Liang’s eyes were full of mischief. “I did proclaim it.”

Ning Chen’s forehead filled with question marks.

Nie Liang laughed. “His Majesty’s edict is that you kneel right here.”

Something dropped in Ning Chen’s chest. Had Pan Yucheng’s worry come true after all? Had Zisu sold him out and said he’d given her the two muskets?

But that didn’t add up either. Even if Zisu had said it, His Majesty would not have taken her word for it. He would certainly have sent men to investigate.

And it was ten days or so from Mangzhou to the capital. No investigation could have come back that fast.

And even if His Majesty had believed Zisu, he wouldn’t have had Ning Chen kneeling. He’d have had him arrested.

Ning Chen’s face was all confusion. “Commander Nie, why would His Majesty issue an edict like that?”

Nie Liang shook his head. “I wouldn’t dare guess at His Majesty’s mind… think hard. What have you done wrong?”

Ning Chen looked utterly innocent. “I am upright by nature, law-abiding, loyal to my sovereign and devoted to my country… when have I ever done anything wrong?”

Nie Liang: →_→

Even Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng couldn’t help looking away. Neither of them had ever met anyone so shameless.

Nie Liang couldn’t stop himself. “Doesn’t it prick your conscience, saying that?”

“In all seriousness, though, you fought a beautiful war… His Majesty has been in a fine mood these past few days. Normally he shouldn’t be punishing you at all.”

Then something seemed to occur to Nie Liang. He frowned. “Did you come into the capital without a summons?”

“Uh…” Ning Chen nodded, embarrassed. “I’m a general appointed in an emergency, I don’t even have a tiger tally, and I brought hardly anybody back with me…”

Ning Chen was still talking when Eunuch Quan came out.

“Hey! Old Quan, has His Majesty sent for me?”

Eunuch Quan looked at him with no expression at all. “Ning Chen, do you know that returning to the capital without leave is the great crime of treason, and that it is wiped out to the third generation of the family?”

Ning Chen jumped.

But a moment later he thought it through: there was only him left in the Ning family now. Where would you find three generations to wipe out?

Eunuch Quan looked at Ning Chen and suddenly asked, smiling, “Gave you a fright, didn’t I?”

Ning Chen looked back at him, the corner of his mouth twitching.

So His Majesty was not holding his unsanctioned return against him. This wretched eunuch had just been messing with him.

Ning Chen silently put out his hand, four fingers folded down, leaving only the middle one.

Eunuch Quan looked baffled. “What does that mean?”

“It means thank you.”

Eunuch Quan looked at the nasty little smile at the corner of Ning Chen’s mouth, snorted, and didn’t believe a word of it.

Then his face composed itself and he unrolled the edict in his hands.

“Ning Chen, receive the edict!”

“Your subject receives the edict!”

Eunuch Quan’s thin, high voice rang out: “Ning Chen went far to the frontier, put down the treacherous, killed the rebels, and recovered the rivers and mountains of the Great Xuan. His labors are great and this emperor’s heart is well pleased!”

“Ning Chen is accomplished in letters and arms both, a brilliant young man, and has won great merit in the field recovering our Great Xuan’s lost lands… the Ninth Princess, Huai’an, having come of age, is granted to Ning Chen as his wife, the wedding to be held on an auspicious day. Respect this!”

Coming of age means a girl of fifteen, and it carries the sense of binding up the hair… which is to say, she is old enough to marry.

This was an edict granting a marriage.

Ning Chen was struck dumb.

And not only him—Nie Liang, Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng were all at a loss.

Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng most of all. His Majesty had made them kneel as a punishment, and they had been on edge with their hearts in their throats.

And then straight on top of it came an edict granting a marriage.

“Ning Chen, are you going to receive the edict or not?”

Ning Chen’s head was swimming, but he knew that this was one moment when he absolutely could not defy an edict… never mind how heavy the charge for it was, defying one now would be taking his ultimate in the Xuan Emperor’s face at point-blank range.

But if he married the Ninth Princess, what became of Yudie?

He had asked Yudie, and Yudie was willing to be a concubine.

But whether the Ninth Princess would be willing to let Yudie through the door was another question.

Seeing Ning Chen still kneeling there dazed, Eunuch Quan was seriously worried he would defy the edict… this fellow was capable of anything, however outrageous.

“Ning Chen, are you going to receive the edict or not?”

Ning Chen made a small noise, took the edict, and said loudly, “Your subject thanks His Majesty for this great kindness!”

A smile came over Eunuch Quan’s face. “Congratulations, Young Master Ning!”

“Heh heh… thanks.”

Ning Chen’s smile was worse to look at than crying.

Still, the Ninth Princess was willful but kind-hearted. She should be able to accept Yudie, shouldn’t she?

He’d find a chance later to sound her out and see what the Ninth Princess thought.

Watching how unwilling Ning Chen looked about the whole thing, Eunuch Quan could have taken off a shoe and beaten him with it… His Majesty grants a marriage, a princess of the blood is given to you, and you act as though you’re the one being put upon?

“His Majesty’s order: Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng are to go back. Ning Chen stays.”

Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng stared. The two of them were full of worry, and they gave Ning Chen a look that said he had better pray for himself.

“Young Master Ning, come in with me and give your thanks.”

Ning Chen followed Eunuch Quan into the imperial study.

“Your subject, presenting himself to Your Majesty!”

Ning Chen knelt.

The Xuan Emperor sat behind the dragon desk, looking at Ning Chen. “Ning Chen, you entered the capital without leave. Do you acknowledge your crime?”

This again?

Ning Chen said quickly, “Your subject acknowledges his crime!”

“Since you acknowledge it, then tell this emperor why you entered the capital without leave… if the reason is sound, this emperor can forgive you.”

Ning Chen said, perfectly serious, “Your subject missed Your Majesty!”

The Xuan Emperor’s expression froze. That was too sickening for words… and yet the corners of his mouth were harder to hold down than an AK. (TL Note: an AK-47 pulls upward when fired, and the shooter has to fight the muzzle back down.)

Ugh… disgusting. Nauseating. What a bootlicker, Eunuch Quan grumbled privately.

(End of Chapter 286)