Ning Chen did not raise the clearing of Yan Wenbo and Liu Zhichen.
Because of his relationship with Yudie, raising it himself would have had the opposite effect.
Because the moment Yudie was a free woman again, he would bring her back to the Ning household.
And His Majesty would never allow another woman through the Ning family’s door ahead of the Ninth Princess.
Better to wait for Prince Duan’s memorial to arrive and let somebody else raise it — Li Zhixing, the Minister of Justice, for instance.
Taking the case as a whole, Li Zhixing was the officer in charge of it, and there could be nobody more suitable to raise it.
“Ning Chen, you have had a hard road. Stay and eat with this emperor… and when you have eaten, go and see Huai’an, and then go home and rest properly.”
Ning Chen’s face pulled tight, and inwardly he smiled bitterly.
He would rather have done anything on earth than eat with the Xuan Emperor. Was that eating? It was pure torture, with far too many damn rules.
When the Xuan Emperor ate there were plenty of dishes, but by the time the whole procedure had been through, the food was cold—and a man still did not get enough.
“Quan Sheng, serve the meal!”
“Yes!”
Ning Chen got through that meal with the Xuan Emperor in a storm of silent complaint… and then took his leave with an empty stomach.
Because he had not had anywhere near enough.
Ning Chen came to the Fallen Phoenix Court.
He was announced, and went in behind a palace maid.
Come to think of it, he had not seen the Ninth Princess in two or three months… Last time, coming back from the frontier, he had been so busy that never mind visiting the Ninth Princess, he had not even been home.
He had barely come into the courtyard when he heard a light, sharp cry.
A figure in red with a sword in her hand was working through a sword form in the courtyard, moving like a dragon in water, light as a startled swan.
Ning Chen gave a start in spite of himself. The Ninth Princess knew how to fight?
But after watching a while he was surprised into a smile.
This was not swordwork. It was sword dancing.
The form was splendid, and splendid to no purpose.
Still, the Ninth Princess must have some real grounding under it.
Then Ning Chen’s eyes went to the two richly dressed men at the side of the court.
One was the Fifth Prince, whom Ning Chen had met before… He was sitting at the stone table, not minding the cold at all, stuffing pastries into his mouth, and did not look especially bright.
The other had hard brows and eyes and dark, weathered skin, and even sitting he was plainly tall and powerfully built.
The Ninth Princess brought her sword in and looked toward the stone table. “Fourth Brother, how was that?”
The tall, powerfully built man smiled, nodded and clapped.
Just then the Ninth Princess saw Ning Chen coming in, and her smile was lovely and her small face bright, with something bashful in the way she held herself.
She was Ning Chen’s betrothed now.
“Your subject greets the Ninth Princess!”
Ning Chen bowed.
The Ninth Princess looked at Ning Chen, her voice clear. “When did you get back?”
“Only today.”
Ning Chen said it looking at the Ninth Princess, and inwardly he was marveling… two or three months without seeing her, and the Ninth Princess’s chest had swelled the way a balloon does when you blow into it.
Nothing to Yudie’s, but it would be more than one hand could hold now.
The Ninth Princess was very pleased. Ning Chen had not come to see her at all when he got back from the frontier, which had displeased her considerably… but this time he had come the day he reached the capital, and what displeasure she had went up like smoke.
“I’d never have thought the Ninth Princess could fight.”
The Ninth Princess lifted her sharp little chin proudly and said, smug, “This princess has trained since she was small. If you ever dare bully me, take care I don’t beat you.”
Ning Chen was surprised into a smile. You’re a princess. Who would dare bully you?
“Your subject would not dare.”
The Ninth Princess said happily, “Ning Chen, come… let me introduce you.”
The Ninth Princess took Ning Chen over.
“This is my Fourth Brother. He has held the western frontier for years and makes certain Xiliang doesn’t dare encroach an inch on our Great Xuan. What he has done is no less than yours.”
Ning Chen bowed with his fists cupped. “Your subject greets the Fourth Prince.”
“And this is my Fifth Brother. You’ll have met him?”
Ning Chen nodded and made his bow to the Fifth Prince. “Your subject greets the Fifth Prince.”
The Fifth Prince smiled his simple, honest smile, looked at the pastries on the plate, picked out the smallest one and handed it to Ning Chen with visible reluctance.
“Your subject thanks the Fifth Prince for the gift.”
Ning Chen took it and bit into it at once. “Very good!”
The Fifth Prince gave a simple, happy laugh, watched Ning Chen, and picked one up and started eating himself.
The Fourth Prince looked Ning Chen over. “Ning the Silver Coat of Great Xuan. I have heard the name a long time—even on the western frontier I have heard of you.”
“Took the King of the Left Court alive and recovered the frontier… Ning Chen, you’ll do.”
Ning Chen smiled slightly. “The Fourth Prince flatters me. I was only lucky.”
“There is no need for modesty. I have spent years with the army and I know well enough what a battlefield is. There is luck in it sometimes, but in the end it comes down to what a man can do.”
As the Fourth Prince said it he walked to the middle of the courtyard. “Ning Chen, come and try a few passes with me.”
Ning Chen gave a start. “This… how would I dare raise a hand against the Fourth Prince?”
The Fourth Prince smiled. “I hear Ning the Silver Coat fears nothing in heaven or earth, and here he is worrying about my rank… We are both soldiers. There is no need for every last piece of ceremony.”
Ning Chen frowned slightly. Who the hell is spreading that around? Saying I fear nothing in heaven or earth. That’s praising me to death.
The Ninth Princess’s small face lit up. “Ning Chen, go on! Knock Fourth Brother down.”
Ning Chen: ???
The Fourth Prince had nothing to say to that. “Huai’an, you aren’t even married yet and your elbow has already turned outward?”
The Ninth Princess’s small face went red. “It’s Fourth Brother’s own fault for being so puffed up, saying nobody in the younger generation is a match for him… Ning Chen, go on!”
There was nothing for Ning Chen to do but walk over and open the distance from the Fourth Prince. He was about to draw when the Fourth Prince said, “Blades are not for the palace. Let’s try hands and feet.”
Ning Chen nodded, unbuckled the saber at his waist and set it aside.
The Fourth Prince crooked a finger at him. “Come on.”
“Forgive me, Fourth Prince.”
The two of them went at each other at the same moment.
Thud, thud, thud!!!
Fists came and feet went in a run of heavy impacts, and the two of them were locked together.
The Fourth Prince’s skill was real. Every stroke came in heavy and hard.
Thud!!!
Fist met fist head on.
Both of them went back several steps.
“Ning Chen, are you all right?”
The Ninth Princess was all concern.
Ning Chen smiled and shook his head to say he was fine.
He shook out his wrists, then settled into a strange guard—his left arm bent, covering his ribs and his face, his right hand swinging loosely a few times.
There was a question in the Fourth Prince’s eyes, but he did not think much of it.
He came at Ning Chen in one long stride and drove an iron fist at him.
Ning Chen bent at the waist and moved his head aside, and it was gone.
Seeing it, the Fourth Prince put in a run of punches.
But Ning Chen’s head went like a pendulum, and he slipped every one of them easily.
Thud, thud!!!
Two heavy impacts, and the Fourth Prince had taken two punches to the belly. Pain came over his face and he staggered back holding his stomach.
“Yes!”
The Ninth Princess jumped up and down with delight, clapping for Ning Chen.
The Fourth Prince looked thoroughly put out.
He set himself in a guard and was about to go on when Ning Chen cupped his fists. “The Fourth Prince is brilliant and formidable. Ning Chen concedes.”
The corner of the Fourth Prince’s mouth twitched. “You have more in you than that. Go on.”
Two punches into him and he wants to run? Not a chance.
Ning Chen rubbed his wrist with pain all over his face. “I am really no match for the Fourth Prince. I yield.”
“Fourth Brother, don’t press him… Ning Chen’s hand hurts.”
The Fourth Prince’s forehead filled with black lines. He hit me twice and his hand hurts? You don’t spare a thought for whether your brother’s stomach hurts?
(End of Chapter 320)