Ning Chen rode Diaochan, clop, clop, clop, to the Inspectorate.

Since coming back from Xiuzhou he had been to the Inspectorate exactly once.

Not even Geng Jing dared skip work and idle as openly as he did.

Of course, he was not coming to the Inspectorate for work now either... He was coming to show off.

He was a marquis, and if he did not show it off in front of Feng Qizheng and those other degenerates, it would be like wearing brocade at night.

At the Inspectorate gate Ning Chen swung down from the saddle.

The red coats at the gate were dumbstruck, staring blankly at the python robe Ning Chen was wearing.

Silver python on black. Only a marquis could wear it.

Ning the Silver Coat had been made a marquis?

Nobody dared suppose the robe was false. However far Ning Chen's nerve went, he would not put a counterfeit python robe on his back — that was a crime his whole household would be wiped out for.

"This subordinate greets Marquis Ning!"

Several red coats dropped to their knees.

Ning Chen smiled. "Get up."

"Thank you, marquis!"

They got to their feet and stared straight at the python robe.

Ning Chen turned a circle. "Well? Do I look sharp or don't I?"

The red coats nodded and nodded.

"Sharp. Sharp beyond all law and heaven."

"Too sharp. That python robe might as well have been cut to Marquis Ning's measure."

"Congratulations to Marquis Ning on the marquisate!"

Ning Chen laughed out loud, dug out a few taels of silver and tossed the coins to them. "It's freezing out. When you come off shift, go have a drink with the brothers and warm yourselves up."

The red coats thanked him over and over.

Marquis Ning is all right. Good-looking, good at the work, and open-handed on top of it... We have to put our backs into it and get onto Marquis Ning's staff someday. Just thinking about it feels good.

Ning Chen went into the Inspectorate and headed for one particular room.

On the way, everyone in the…