Song Tiancheng's eyes were ready to split.

"Ning Chen, you vile, shameless, scheming little cur. I— I won't let you go even as a ghost."

He had meant to take five thousand men and finish Ning Chen off.

He had given himself three days.

If he had not caught up in three days he would turn back, because after three days he would be too close to the Great Xuan frontier.

What he had not counted on was that Ning Chen had laid an ambush long before.

He was the Prince Regent of Wu. His power stood no lower than the woman emperor's.

To die like this — he could not accept it.

Ning Chen stood up and smiled. "Then go be a ghost!"

The words ended, and the blade rose and fell.

From that day on, Wu had no Prince Regent.

Ning Chen had the army make camp where it stood.

They waited seven full days.

On that day Yuan Long came to report that a small body of Wu troops was moving toward them.

Ning Chen's face lit up. He stood. "At last!"

"My lord marquis knew someone was coming?"

Ning Chen smiled. "Come. Ride out with me to receive the woman emperor of Wu."

The one who came was indeed the woman emperor.

She had brought a hundred-odd men in all.

Ning Chen welcomed her into the great tent.

Once they were seated Ning Chen poured her a cup of tea and could not stop himself from saying, "You're carrying a child. Ride as little as you can from now on."

"This emperor's affairs are none of your business!"

Ning Chen: "..."

"Just because I got rid of the Prince Regent for you, you think you're something again?"

"I'm telling you now — if anything goes wrong with my son, I'll string you up and beat you."

The woman emperor's face darkened with anger.

"Song Tiancheng is dead?"

Ning Chen nodded. "You're ruthless enough, I'll give you that — killing off every last one of Song Tiancheng's family."

The woman emperor looked at him. "And if it…