Ning Chen was surprised. “You said just now that things were hard at home? But Commander Nie stands high in His Majesty’s favor… When he tells you that, isn’t it really that he doesn’t want you throwing silver away on the girls of the courtesans’ quarter?”

Nie Feng shook his head with a bitter smile, and for fear Ning Chen would not believe him, he laid the whole situation out.

It turned out that Nie Liang was not nearly as well off as he looked.

He might stand high in His Majesty’s favor, but his yearly salary and allowances together came to no more than two thousand-odd taels.

And his parents at home had been bedridden for years. The cost of physicians and medicine alone was an enormous outlay… Add in all the other expenses of the household, and his salary barely stretched far enough to live on.

Nie Feng was at home waiting on their parents and had no income of his own, so things were tight.

The truth was that a man as high in His Majesty’s favor as Nie Liang could have raked money in with no trouble at all.

But perhaps it was simply his character: he had never taken silver from anyone.

Part of it was his post, too. When an ordinary official took silver, it was no more than bribery, and the crime did not carry death.

Nie Liang was another matter. He was answerable for His Majesty’s safety, and if he took silver and it ever came out, it became a thing that endangered His Majesty’s life… The entire household to the sword would be getting off lightly.

So he did not dare.

Ning Chen looked Nie Feng over. The clothes on him were not new, and the hems had been washed pale at the edges… which meant he was not lying.

Nie Feng bent from the waist and pleaded. “I beg Ning the Silver Coat to keep this quiet for me. Last night some old classmates pressed the invitation so warmly that I could not refuse, and that is the only reason I came.”

Ning Chen gave a slight smile. That much he believed.

Because he had been to the courtesans’ quarter more times than he could count, and this was the only time he had ever run into Nie Feng.

And the man had stayed the night on the first floor… The first floor of the courtesans’ quarter was the cheapest there was.

“Are you married?”

Nie Feng was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile. “My family is poor, I’ve failed the examinations several times over, and I have nothing to recommend me… How would I dare waste some girl’s life?”

Of Nie Liang’s salary, once the medicine his parents needed year in and year out was paid for, nearly all of what was left went on Nie Feng’s studies.

“Is your brother married?”

Nie Feng’s smile turned bitter. “He and his wife agreed to part, some years back.”

Ning Chen was taken aback. Then he reached into his robe and drew out a silver note for ten thousand taels. “Take this.”

Nie Feng looked at the ten-thousand-tael note, jumped, and waved both hands. “No, no… If my brother found out about this, he’d beat me to death.”

Ning Chen laughed. “You’ve misunderstood. This was your brother’s silver to begin with… Your brother and I are partners in a business, and this is the return for this year.”

“He should have had it before the New Year, but I was away on a long journey and have only now come back… Since we’ve run into each other, I’ll trouble you to pass it on to him.”

Nie Feng’s whole face was doubtful. “Really?”

Ning Chen asked, “Who am I?”

Nie Feng was taken aback for a moment. “You’re the model every scholar looks to. You’re Ning the Silver Coat, the hero of Great Xuan.”

“A scholar does not cheat a scholar, and the hero of Great Xuan cheats nobody at all… Take it.”

Ning Chen pushed the note into his hands.

“One more thing. From now on, when somebody asks about your family’s affairs, don’t lay it all out in that much detail… It could easily make trouble for your brother.”

Ning Chen clapped him on the shoulder, then walked off smiling.

Study was supposed to open the mind and sharpen the understanding. This Nie Feng had read himself into a fool who answered whatever he was asked.

Nie Feng was no longer young, and he had failed the examinations several times over… which proved he was not made for study. To put it plainly, he was not very bright.

As for why Ning Chen had given Nie Feng the silver.

First, Nie Liang was a decent man.

Second, Nie Liang stood high in His Majesty’s favor and had charge of the palace guard, the imperial guards and the garrison.

Nie Liang was loyal, and winning him over would be very hard, but at the very least he must not be allowed to become somebody else’s man.

So the silver was well spent.

Out of the courtesans’ quarter, Ning Chen put his horse to a gallop and rode to the Ministry of Justice.

He had forgotten that it was still the New Year season. Li Zhixing was not on duty and so was not at the Ministry of Justice.

Ning Chen bought a few things and went straight to Li Zhixing’s residence.

He stayed at Li Zhixing’s residence for about an hour.

When Ning Chen came out, he went on to the residence of Ji Mingchen, the Minister of War.

And Li Hanru, and Shen Min… Ning Chen called on every one of them in turn.

For once Ning Chen learned what it was to spend money like running water and throw gold around like dirt.

Counting the ten thousand taels to Nie Feng, he had spent thirty thousand taels of silver that day.

These were all high officers of the court. Three or five hundred taels was not a sum you could put on the table at all.

To send them silver, the figure had to be one that moved them.

The silver was not given for nothing, though.

Take the silver, and you have to do the work.

In the army he did have some standing now.

But at court his footing was thin.

He needed a following of his own. He could not go on being attacked at court with nobody to speak up for him.

By the time he came out of Shen Min’s residence, it was nearly dark.

Ning Chen did not go to the courtesans’ quarter either. He went straight home.

The last time he came back from the frontier, he had not even had time to go home.

“Fourth Young Master, you’re back?”

Word that Ning Chen was back brought Uncle Chai running so fast that nobody would have taken him for a man with a bad foot.

“Uncle Chai, slow down. Don’t fall!”

Uncle Chai’s face was all smiles, and every wrinkle in it had smoothed out.

But it turned very quickly to distress. “The Fourth Young Master has gotten thin. He must have had a hard time of it out there.”

Fussing away, he hurried to have someone get a meal ready.

“Uncle Chai, don’t go to any trouble… I’ve eaten several meals already today.”

He had spent the day calling on Li Zhixing and the rest.

Since he had come in the name of New Year calls, there had naturally been a little eating and drinking at every stop.

“Uncle Chai, how was the New Year?”

Uncle Chai nodded, beaming. “It was all very good!”

“On the Fourth Young Master’s birthday, His Majesty sent a great many things as gifts. This old servant recorded them all and put them in the storehouse.”

“At the New Year His Majesty sent a good many things too… Oh, and His Majesty sent dishes from his own table… This old servant meant to keep them for the Fourth Young Master, but they went bad inside of two days.”

Ning Chen laughed in spite of himself.

Every year on the last night of the old year, His Majesty sent dishes to the great ministers of the court.

The meaning of it was that ruler and minister were of one heart.

But the dishes were never meant to be eaten. They were an honor.

“Fourth Young Master, there is one more thing. This old servant decided it on his own, and hopes the Fourth Young Master will not hold it against him.”

Ning Chen laughed. “What is it? You make it sound very serious.”

Uncle Chai said, “It was at the turn of the year. This old servant decided on his own to give every one of the servants a red packet of one tael of silver.”

A red packet is simply a red envelope.

It is a custom of wealthy households. At the end of the year, to reward the servants for a hard year’s work, they hand out a little silver, more or less — a year-end bonus.

“Hah… And here I thought it was something. Didn’t I tell you? Small matters like this, Uncle Chai can decide on his own.”

Ning Chen smiled. “Let’s do this. Add another two taels of silver for each of them.”

“This…” Uncle Chai could not bear to part with it. Another two taels apiece came to nearly two hundred taels of silver. But Ning Chen had said it, and there was nothing more he could really say. He nodded. “Very well. This old servant will see to it tomorrow.”

Ning Chen made a sound of assent. “Uncle Chai, call Brother Dazhuang here for me.”

“Yes. This old servant will go at once.”

Before long Uncle Chai came back with Chai Dazhuang.

“Fourth Young Master!”

Chai Dazhuang bowed respectfully.

Ning Chen smiled. “Brother Dazhuang, there’s something I need your help with.”

Chai Dazhuang said quickly, “Whatever the Fourth Young Master needs, only give the order and I’ll see it done.”

Ning Chen said, “I’ve bought a house in Mangzhou that needs somebody to look after it, and there’s nobody else I’d trust with it… I’d like Brother Dazhuang to go and keep it for me. But it means leaving the capital, so it depends on whether you’re willing.”

(End of Chapter 322)