Eunuch Quan had no idea what any of that meant, but it sounded impressive. What did it mean, Old General Chen had beaten Fan Taihe’s brains loose?

The Xuan Emperor’s expression was strange. “Fan Taihe says in the memorial that his leg was not broken by Old General Chen. He broke it himself in a fall, by accident, and Old General Chen had nothing to do with it.”

“And he begs this emperor not to punish Old General Chen over the matter.”

Eunuch Quan was struck dumb and staring. There really was something wrong with the man’s brains.

The Xuan Emperor looked at Eunuch Quan. “Would you say Fan Taihe has taken the wrong medicine?”

Eunuch Quan bowed his head and said quietly, “Your Majesty, this is a good thing. It appears Lord Fan’s broken leg had nothing to do with Old General Chen after all, and it was all a misunderstanding.”

The Xuan Emperor gave a cold snort.

“A misunderstanding? He was beaten in front of every official in the court as they came out of it. Were all those pairs of eyes blind?”

“These censors want a name and not their lives, and Fan Taihe above all. He is the head of the censors. How could he pass up a chance like that to make his name?”

“Somebody has plainly got a hold on him and forced him to change his story, and the reason he gives is so stiff that this emperor is embarrassed for him.”

“Quan Sheng. Go ask Ning Chen afterward… What did he trade with Fan Taihe to make the man change his story?”

Eunuch Quan gave a start. “Does Your Majesty mean this is Young Master Ning’s work?”

“Who else could it be? And if this emperor has not guessed wrong, the censors he beat senseless today will also change their story and say they fell down.”

The Xuan Emperor paused and said with narrowed eyes, “It appears Ning Chen has got a very serious hold on Fan Taihe. He would not have changed his story otherwise.”

Eunuch Quan said quietly, “Your Majesty, this old servant will go ask Young Master Ning at once.”

The Xuan Emperor waved a hand. “Never mind. Fan Taihe changing his story spares this emperor a headache… Ning Chen has done this emperor a service too, of a kind.”

“This emperor was worried that with his office gone he would be bullied. It seems the worry was needless… Seeing that he can protect himself, this emperor’s mind is at rest.”

The Xuan Emperor was silent for a while, and then asked suddenly, “Quan Sheng. When Ning Chen asked this emperor to pardon the girl Yudie, there was another girl. What was her name?”

Eunuch Quan thought. “In answer to Your Majesty, Zisu.”

The Xuan Emperor shook his head. “Zisu is Yan Wenbo’s daughter. This emperor remembers that… There was another girl at the time, and she had something to do with Pan Yucheng of the Inspectorate?”

Eunuch Quan knew at once who was meant. He said quickly, “Your Majesty, that girl is called Nanzhi.”

“Yes. That was the name.”

The Xuan Emperor sighed. “This emperor meant to marry the Ninth Princess to Ning Chen. Now that he holds no rank at all, it will not stand up in law or in feeling.”

“He has done the Great Xuan one extraordinary service after another, and in the hall of court this emperor could not protect him… In the end it is this emperor who owes him.”

Eunuch Quan bowed quickly. “Your Majesty, Young Master Ning charged this servant to be sure to tell Your Majesty… Your Majesty’s grace in knowing him is carved into him, and he will never forget it as long as he lives.”

The Xuan Emperor nodded slightly. “Quan Sheng. Draw up an edict.”

“Yes.”

When the edict was written, the Xuan Emperor set the seal to it.

Eunuch Quan was about to go deliver it when a young eunuch came in and knelt. “A report for Your Majesty. The Ninth Princess begs an audience.”

The Xuan Emperor’s expression stiffened slightly, and then he let out a helpless sigh.

“Let her in.”

“Yes.”

The young eunuch withdrew.

The Xuan Emperor looked at Eunuch Quan. “You go.”

As Eunuch Quan went out he met the Ninth Princess coming in.

The Ninth Princess had no powder on at all and none of the elaborate headdresses either, only a single gold hairpin. Her face was drawn and her eyes were red and swollen. It seemed she had been crying again.

Ning Chen had drunk too much at noon with Old General Chen and the others.

He had come home and lain down only a little while before.

The drinking had been satisfying enough. The whole of it was Old General Chen cursing men’s mothers and fathers.

It ended with Old General Chen turning the table over.

The last time Old General Chen turned a table over was at the Top Scholar Tower, when he was short a leg and drowning his sorrows in drink day after day.

Only that time Old General Chen turned the table over for himself… This time it was for Ning Chen.

Ning Chen was sleeping soundly when somebody woke him.

“Don’t make a noise. Let me sleep a while longer.”

Ning Chen opened his eyes and looked, but he had drunk too much and his head was swimming, and he could not see who it was. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

“Fourth Young Master. Fourth Young Master… Wake up, quickly. There is an edict come from the palace. Get up and receive it.”

The words receive the edict brought Ning Chen part of the way awake.

He had no power and no post now, and the palace was unlikely to be issuing edicts to him… If there was an edict, it was very probably about the thing he had asked Eunuch Quan to raise.

Ning Chen struggled up into a sitting position, poured a few mouthfuls of cold tea down himself to clear his head a little, and then made his unsteady way out to the main hall.

“Hey. Old Quan.”

Ning Chen waved, with a foolish grin all over his face.

Eunuch Quan sniffed. “How much have you had? You reek of wine.”

Ning Chen said, laughing, “Not much… Don’t rush off. We will have some more together.”

Eunuch Quan did not dare drink. He had to be ready to wait on His Majesty at any hour… On an ordinary day he took a cup or two and never dared take more.

“Ning Chen, receive the edict!”

Ning Chen knelt unsteadily. “Your subject… no. This humble commoner… this humble commoner receives the edict.”

Eunuch Quan said, “By the sovereign’s great grace. It is now established that Liu Zhichen, Magistrate of Qinghe County, was a loyal and upright servant who was wronged and died of it, and this emperor’s heart is sore for it… From this day, the freedom of Liu Zhichen’s daughter Liu Zhirou is restored, and she is granted to Ning Chen as a maidservant. The Ministry of Revenue is to issue the registration papers. Respect this.”

The smile on Ning Chen’s face stiffened, a little at a time.

“Old Quan. What does it mean, granted to me as a maidservant?”

Eunuch Quan said, “It means the girl Yudie is to stay at your side.”

Ning Chen’s face darkened. “His Majesty issues an edict restoring Yudie’s freedom, and then has her stay at my side as a slave and a servant. How is that any different from not pardoning her at all?”

Eunuch Quan said quickly, “There is a difference. The girl Yudie will not have to stay at the courtesans’ quarter anymore.”

Ning Chen laughed coldly. “His Majesty restores Yudie’s freedom and then grants her to me as a maidservant… Because she is His Majesty’s gift, she can only stay at my side as a maidservant for the rest of her life, and without His Majesty’s nod I cannot give her a name, or it is deceiving the sovereign. Is that what it means?”

Eunuch Quan sighed and said in a low voice, “Young Master Ning. Once you have a principal wife, you may take the girl Yudie as a concubine.”

“As I came out of the palace I met the Ninth Princess. She has grown very thin, and her eyes were red and swollen from crying… Ning Chen, His Majesty issues an edict like this, and you ought to understand what it means.”

Ning Chen frowned. Could it be that His Majesty had still not given up, and meant to bring him and the Ninth Princess together?

But he was a man at leisure now with no rank to his name… In law and in feeling both, there was no possibility left between him and the Ninth Princess.

Yet hearing Eunuch Quan say that the Ninth Princess had grown thin and that her eyes were red and swollen from crying, it still hurt him.

The Ministry of Rites had been two months and more in the preparations, and the wedding was three days off… and then this had happened. What the Ninth Princess had lost was not only her reputation.

Eunuch Quan said, “Ning Chen, His Majesty could perfectly well not have issued this edict, and he issued it anyway… You ought to understand the pains His Majesty has taken.”

“Beyond that, there is another edict.”

Ning Chen gave a slight start. “What edict?”

“His Majesty has pardoned the girl Nanzhi at the same time… You ought to understand that one Pan Yucheng is not standing enough to make His Majesty issue an edict.”

Eunuch Quan said it with great weight. “The imperial grace runs wide. Do not fail it.”

“Ning Chen, I will say this straight from the heart. If you raise Yudie to be your principal wife… there will never again be any possibility with the Ninth Princess.”

Ning Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly and called out, “This humble commoner thanks His Majesty for this great kindness.”

(End of Chapter 380)