The Xuan Emperor said with a smile, “You did well. What guilt is there in it?”

“You are the commander of this emperor’s own guard and you live as poorly as this. The oversight is this emperor’s.”

“You take no bribes and you keep this emperor safe, and that is loyalty. Your parents are bedridden year after year and you wait on them at their bedside, and that is filial duty.”

“Nie Liang, attend the edict!”

Nie Liang gave a start and said hurriedly, “Your subject receives the edict!”

The Xuan Emperor spoke slowly. “Nie Liang has discharged his duty scrupulously and is abundant in loyalty and filial devotion. He is granted five hundred taels of gold and ten thousand taels of silver… his annual salary is raised to five thousand taels.”

“Further, his younger brother has waited on their parents and is of high and unblemished character. He is appointed Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, to take up the post on a day to be chosen. Respect this!”

Nie Liang flushed red with feeling, and his eyes reddened too. He knocked his head to the floor in thanks at once.

“Your subject thanks Your Majesty for this boundless grace!”

And the man he was most grateful to at that moment was not the Xuan Emperor. It was Ning Chen.

That move of Ning Chen’s had been a masterly one.

First, his brother had failed the examinations again and again, and it had been a sickness in his heart.

Now his brother had an office and an income.

Second, the hardship at home was solved.

Third, His Majesty had seen his loyalty.

Ning Chen. How am I ever to repay you?

And at that moment Ning Chen was at the Fallen Phoenix Court, making up a story for the Ninth Princess.

The Ninth Princess was listening with great relish.

“Why would Lady White fall in love with Sun Wukong? He’s a monkey.”

Ning Chen said with a smile, “Because Lady White is a demon herself. She’s a great white snake.” (TL Note: Ning Chen is welding two different Chinese classics together. Sun Wukong is the Monkey King of Journey to the West*; Lady White is the snake spirit of* The Legend of the White Snake*. They belong to separate stories and never meet.)*

The Ninth Princess did not follow. “How does a great white snake become a princess?”

“Because all this happens in a country where everyone is a demon. To a demon, it’s people who are the strange ones.”

The Ninth Princess gave a flat oh. “Then why doesn’t Lady White find another snake? Falling in love with a monkey — how odd.”

“Because the monkey is powerful and can change his shape a thousand ways… and most important of all, the monkey has a staff that can grow larger and smaller.”

The Ninth Princess half understood and half did not. “So Lady White likes the staff. What a strange thing to like.”

“You don’t like it?”

The Ninth Princess shook her head.

Ning Chen had a dirty grin at the corner of his mouth. “You certainly will, later on.”

“Why?”

Ning Chen said with a smile, “You’ll understand later!”

“And then what happened?”

Ning Chen said, “In the end Sun Wukong got sick of how much ceremony there was in a royal house, and Lady White used her rank as a princess to bully him every day… so Sun Wukong lost his temper, left the world and became a monk. He wandered everywhere, punished the wicked and raised up the good, and in the end everyone honored him as the Victorious Fighting Buddha.”

“Princess, once the two of us are married, if you bully me I’ll go and be a monk too… and leave you hollow all day and empty all night.”

The Ninth Princess was a little embarrassed, and her small face went crimson. “I would never!”

“Then can I stop paying my respects to you three times a day?”

“You can’t. That’s the rule.”

Ning Chen was displeased at once. “There, you see… We aren’t even married and you’re already using your rank as a princess to bully me… What will it be like once we are? I’ll be bullied to death.”

The Ninth Princess grew anxious. “I’m not! This — this is the rule of the imperial house.”

“Once we’re married we’re husband and wife. A husband paying his respects to his wife every day — I’ll be laughed at when I go out… I have my face to think of too. You wouldn’t want people laughing at me, would you?”

The Ninth Princess thought about it and felt there was something in that. “Twice a day, then!”

Ning Chen shook his head. “Once every three days!”

“You can’t. Twice a day at the very least.”

“Twice a day — I’m afraid my body won’t stand it!”

“Eh?”

Ning Chen’s expression stiffened slightly. They had been talking and it had wandered off course.

“We’ll settle that after we’re married… And there’s one other thing. When the two of us go to bed together in future, do I have to ask permission?”

“You, you…”

The Ninth Princess had no experience of any of it, and at this her face went scarlet with embarrassment and she could not get her words out.

Ning Chen waved a hand. “All right! We’ll settle that after we’re married too… And one more thing. When we’re married, may I take a concubine?”

The Ninth Princess shot to her feet, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Ning Chen. “Don’t go too far!”

Ning Chen smiled bitterly. “Princess, it truly isn’t me going too far… Yudie’s father was wronged, and His Majesty has already cleared his name.”

“Think about it. Once his name is cleared she has to leave the courtesans’ quarter. She’s a frail girl with no family at all, alone in the world with nobody… If I don’t look after her, where is she to go?”

The Ninth Princess was taken aback. “Her father was wronged?”

Ning Chen nodded. “She’s very much to be pitied. The princess might think of it as taking pity on her… You’ll be the first wife and she’ll be a concubine. She’ll have to do as you say in everything.”

“And think it over. If you won’t let me bring her home, I’ll feel guilty about it and think I’ve wronged her… and in time that will come between the two of us.”

“The princess is lovely and generous and kind-hearted. You’ll understand me, won’t you?”

The Ninth Princess was thoroughly unhappy.

“Let me think about it.”

Think about it? Then there was something in it… Ning Chen said quickly, “Princess, shall I tell you another story?”

By the time he came out of the palace it was already afternoon.

On the matter of bringing Yudie home, the Ninth Princess was showing signs of giving way.

A little more work and she should agree.

Ning Chen was in a very good humor. He rode his beloved Diaochan, clop, clop, clop, to the Inspectorate.

He went to find Geng Jing first.

“Lord Geng, do me a favor?”

Geng Jing said, “Say it… There’s no lending you silver.”

Ning Chen rolled his eyes. “Lend me five thousand taels of silver.”

Geng Jing: ???

“Did I not make myself clear just now? Shall I say it again?”

Ning Chen said with a perfectly straight face, “It’s urgent.”

Geng Jing looked helpless. “When do you want it? I don’t have enough on me — I’d have to go home for it.”

“Mm? That’s not right. His Majesty gave you a great many things. How can you be short of silver?”

Ning Chen laughed. “I’m joking. I only wanted to see whether Lord Geng stands by his friends.”

Geng Jing had nothing to say to that. “Very funny.”

Ning Chen smiled and said, “But I really do have something to ask Lord Geng… When Liu Zhichen was beheaded, the men of the Liu family were sent into exile and the women were put into the courtesans’ quarter… Look into it for me and see whether anyone else of the Liu family can be found.”

Geng Jing nodded slightly. “All right. I’ll send men to look into it at once.”

“Thanks… I’ll owe you one.”

Ning Chen talked with Geng Jing a while, then left the Inspectorate.

He came to the courtesans’ quarter. Zisu had to be told that the Xuan Emperor had pardoned her.

“Ning, dear…”

Seeing Ning Chen, Yudie had none of her usual delight. She was tense instead.

“Is Ning, dear, going to send Sister Zisu back to the Ministry of Justice prison?”

Zisu was watching Ning Chen tensely too.

Ning Chen pinched Yudie’s soft little cheek and smiled. “His Majesty has pardoned Zisu. She’s free from now on.”

The happiness came too suddenly, and it struck them both dumb.

After a moment Yudie’s eyes reddened. “That’s wonderful. Sister Zisu is free at last!”

Zisu’s eyes reddened with feeling too, and she wept for joy.

She looked at Ning Chen. “And Zhirou?”

Ning Chen sighed. He looked at the hope in Yudie’s eyes and gathered her into his arms. “I’m sorry. You’ll have to stay in the courtesans’ quarter a while longer… But it won’t be long before you have your freedom too.”

Yudie was disappointed, but she understood… Ning Chen had told her that His Majesty would not pardon her before he married the Ninth Princess.

She had been in the courtesans’ quarter so long already… there was no hurrying it now.

(End of Chapter 333)