The Xuan Emperor’s brows drew together slightly. His face went cold, and he looked at Li Zhixing.

“What does Beloved Minister Li mean, that Ning Chen has no regard for the law of the realm and acts exactly as he pleases?”

Li Zhixing bowed. “Your Majesty, yesterday Marquis Ning took the prisoner Zisu out of the Ministry of Justice prison by force.”

An uproar went through the ministers.

Taking a prisoner out of the prison by force was the same as breaking her out.

Here was a chance for the censors and the mouths, and they judged the moment had come to make themselves conspicuous in public.

“Your Majesty, Marquis Ning is bold beyond all bounds and treats the law of the Great Xuan as a child’s game. He ought to be punished severely.”

“Your Majesty, Marquis Ning has only this moment been made a marquis. This is plainly presuming on favor. He must be punished severely, or there is no telling what disorder he will raise hereafter.”

“Your Majesty, taking a prisoner out of the Ministry of Justice prison by force — that was plainly Marquis Ning breaking her out. The crime is past all pardon.”

The Xuan Emperor watched the censors and the mouths jumping about with a cold eye.

He was about to speak when Old General Chen said, “Your Majesty! Marquis Ning did indeed take Miss Zisu out of the prison, but there was a reason behind it.”

“Marquis Ning was afraid the Tong’an Hall physician could not save Liang Jingwu’s daughter-in-law. It was a difficult labor, and if it went wrong, two lives would be lost together.”

“Miss Zisu is a prisoner, yes, but she is also the personally taught student of Shang Lu, the Physician Immortal, and her skill in medicine is high… Ning Chen did not take her out to break her out of prison. He took her out to save Liang Jingwu’s daughter-in-law.”

“And it was Miss Zisu’s help that brought Liang Jingwu’s daughter-in-law through it. Mother and child both well!”

The force went out of the censors at once.

But some were still not satisfied, and objected. “Even if there was a reason behind it, it does not cover over the fact that Marquis Ning committed a crime.”

“That’s right. Marquis Ning took a criminal out on his own authority. That is a challenge to the statutes of the Great Xuan.”

“Your Majesty, a nail is a nail and a mortise is a mortise. The two cannot be muddled into one. Marquis Ning acted to save a life, but he did break the statutes of the Great Xuan. Your subject asks Your Majesty to punish him severely.”

The truth was that these censors had no deep and bitter grudge against Ning Chen.

What they were doing looked like guarding the law of the Great Xuan, but it came to nothing more than making a name, getting themselves a fine reputation, and above all being conspicuous in public.

If they could bring down a few officials of high standing, then they had what they came for.

Afterward, whenever people mentioned them, they would say that so-and-so was a great and loyal servant, loyal to his sovereign and devoted to his country, a man who did not fear power and dared to fight it.

And once a man had a name, the name kept him alive… Even if he blundered later and His Majesty meant to punish him, His Majesty would have to weigh what people said of him and what the public thought.

So these men were not aiming at anyone in particular.

Nor was it only people they aimed at. Write a poem, write a book, write a song, do anything at all, and they would spray it.

Put plainly, they were exactly like the keyboard warriors and the experts of the present day, all of it for traffic and eyeballs.

Whatever the matter was, they would climb onto the moral high ground and pick a few arguments, put forward some different view, make a show of standing too far apart from everyone else — and it was all to draw attention to themselves.

To put it in one line: a pack of capering clowns who eat filth without dirtying their mouths and want the credit both ways.

The Xuan Emperor watched these capering clowns jumping about with a cold eye and said mildly, “Who told you Miss Zisu was a criminal?”

“Miss Zisu’s father Yan Wenbo was wronged. The entire household of Yan was put to the sword, and this emperor has done that family an injustice.”

“Miss Zisu is the only blood of the house of Yan left. This emperor issued an edict yesterday pardoning Miss Zisu and clearing her of guilt… Quan Sheng, this emperor told you to carry the edict. Why has Beloved Minister Li not received this emperor’s order?”

Eunuch Quan was brought up short for a moment, then dropped to his knees in fear and trembling. “Your Majesty’s pardon. Yesterday this old servant caught a chill and his head was heavy and swimming, and he let the matter slip.”

The Xuan Emperor’s face darkened. “You worthless thing. A matter of this importance, and you could forget it?”

“This old servant is guilty. He begs Your Majesty’s mercy, begs Your Majesty’s pardon!”

The Xuan Emperor gave a cold snort. “In view of your serving this emperor for decades without a day’s change, diligently, and never once making an error in your work, this emperor will let you off this time.”

“But if the death sentence may be remitted, the living punishment is not so easily escaped… You are fined a year’s salary!”

Eunuch Quan was moved to tears of gratitude and cried out, “My thanks for Your Majesty’s mercy!”

The Xuan Emperor’s gaze moved on to the censors. “Do my beloved ministers have any doubts left?”

The pack of mouths looked at one another… Was His Majesty taking them for morons?

Did he really think they could not see that His Majesty and Eunuch Quan were simply putting on a play?

You want to protect Ning Chen, fine, but there’s no need to treat us like fools.

Still, none of them dared say anything more.

When the emperor has given you his explanation and you keep your teeth in it, that is asking to die.

The Xuan Emperor swept a glance around the ministers and said mildly, “This emperor is tired. That will do for today… The court is dismissed!”

With that he rose and left.

Elsewhere, Ning Chen had come into the palace too.

He came to the door of the imperial study and waited.

The Xuan Emperor always came to the imperial study first when he left court.

He had not waited long before he saw the Xuan Emperor’s procession coming, because Ning Chen had timed his arrival to the minute… He dropped to his knees.

“Your Majesty, it’s Marquis Ning!”

Eunuch Quan, following close behind the dragon palanquin, gave a quiet reminder.

The Xuan Emperor had seen him too.

At the door of the imperial study the palanquin came down, and the Xuan Emperor rose and walked over.

“Ning Chen, what production are you making of it this time?”

Ning Chen looked perfectly meek. “Your Majesty, your subject has done wrong. He has come to ask for punishment.”

The Xuan Emperor looked him over a few times, then turned and walked toward the imperial study, saying offhandedly, “Come in and say it.”

“Yes!”

Ning Chen got up and was about to go in when Nie Liang stopped him.

Nie Liang quietly took out a silver note and held it out.

Ning Chen was brought up short.

“Marquis Ning, don’t give my brother any more silver. If His Majesty learns of it, we will both be dragged in.”

He had wanted to give the silver back for some time; he simply had not seen Ning Chen lately.

Ning Chen’s brows drew together slightly. “Commander Nie, I think you and I count as friends?”

“There is hardship in your household. As a friend, I put out a hand. Isn’t that what a man should do?”

Nie Liang smiled bitterly. “I take Marquis Ning’s kindness as it is meant, but I truly cannot accept this silver… My household is poor, but so long as I hold my office I have a salary, and we get by well enough.”

“If His Majesty came to know of this and I were stripped of these clothes, there would be no money coming into the house at all, and then we truly could not get by.”

“If Marquis Ning really counts me a friend, please take the silver back.”

Ning Chen thought for a moment and said, apologetically, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through.”

With that he took the silver back, then said with a perfectly serious face, “Leave this to me… I guarantee I’ll solve the hardship in your household for you.”

Nie Liang’s face was all confusion.

Ning Chen only smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t have you take silver, and I can still solve the hardship at home… Wait for my good news.”

With that, Ning Chen walked into the imperial study.

The moment he was inside, Ning Chen knelt down looking perfectly meek. “Your subject greets Your Majesty! Your subject did a wrong thing yesterday. He asks Your Majesty to lay a punishment on him.”

The Xuan Emperor looked at him, already clear in his own mind about why Ning Chen had come.

It gratified him. Ning Chen had grown up at last, and had learned to hold the imperial house in awe.

The Xuan Emperor spoke. “Tell it. What wrong have you done this time?”

(End of Chapter 331)