That night Ning Chen at last enjoyed the blessing of the man of Qi to the full.
Zisu finally opened herself to him without reserve, and lined the road to welcome him.
The next day, in the morning.
Ning Chen made ready to pay a visit to the Tong’an Hall.
The Tong’an Hall was the Ghost-Shadow Sect’s foothold in the capital.
He was a man at leisure now. Once he had gone with Zisu and Yudie to make their offerings, he meant to wander the jianghu, and to pay the Ghost-Shadow Sect a visit.
It would not be long, he was sure of that.
The Tuoluo Kingdom would tear up the treaty.
Nanyue would raise troops and invade.
The Wu Kingdom would break off the peace talks.
And by the time they wanted to ask him back, he would already be gone from the capital.
By then the frontiers would be alight with war on every side, and when His Majesty could not find him, His Majesty would go into a towering rage.
Not one of the men who had attacked him in court that day could expect to come out of it well. They could wait, and take the full force of His Majesty’s anger.
But before he could go, Ji Mingchen arrived.
“Minister Ji.”
“Marquis.”
Ning Chen said with a smile, “I’m nothing but a humble commoner now. I can’t carry those two words anymore.”
Ji Mingchen’s face was perfectly serious. “In my heart, in the Great Xuan today, there is only one man who can carry those two words, and it is you.”
Ning Chen said with a smile, “That’s fine in private. If those censors and their mouths get wind of it, they’ll be attacking you in court before long.”
Ji Mingchen gave a cold snort. “Do you think I’m afraid of being attacked?”
Ning Chen smiled and turned to something else. “Was there something you came for, Minister Ji?”
“That weapon you had me make. I’ve brought it.”
As he said it, Ji Mingchen had one of the men who had come with him hand Ning Chen something wrapped in black cloth.
Ning Chen took it and opened the cloth.
It was a weapon like an iron spike.
It was rebar, in fact — only with the ribs ground to an edge, one end filed to a point, and the other wrapped in leather cord, which took the shock and made it comfortable in the hand.
Ji Mingchen did not stay long. They talked a while and then he left.
Feng Qizheng came in from outside, saw the strange-looking weapon in Ning Chen’s hand and asked with open curiosity, “What is that thing?”
“A weapon.”
“Isn’t that just a short club?”
Ning Chen said with a smile, “That’s right. It’s a short club… but it has the killing weight of a blunt weapon and the edge of a sharp one.”
Ning Chen swung it a few times as he spoke. The thing was pretty heavy.
“Want to try it?”
Feng Qizheng took it, swung it a few times and shook his head. “I’m used to a saber.”
Ning Chen smiled and called for Gu Yichun.
Ning Chen had the two of them cross weapons, to test what the rebar could do.
Gu Yichun took a saber. Feng Qizheng took the rebar.
The two of them opened up the distance between them.
“Forgive me.”
Gu Yichun pushed off with his foot, rushed at Feng Qizheng and brought the saber down in a straight cut.
Feng Qizheng swung the rebar, and it brought a sound of tearing air with it as it smashed into the flat of Gu Yichun’s blade.
Clang!!!
Gu Yichun’s saber was snapped clean through at the middle.
Both of them stood there stunned.
Gu Yichun’s saber was the work of a master too, a good blade, sharp and tough, and it had broken in two from a single impact.
“Damn… what is this thing made of?”
Feng Qizheng’s face was all astonishment.
Ning Chen laughed quietly. It was about what he had expected. In this world, rebar counted as a divine weapon.
“Ning Chen, this thing is mine now.”
“I thought you liked a saber.”
“Can’t a man change his taste? When I go to the courtesans’ quarter, I can hardly sleep with the same woman every night, can I?”
The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth twitched. This fellow always had some crooked reasoning ready.
Feng Qizheng could not put the rebar down. “I don’t care. This thing is mine.”
Ning Chen gave a slight nod.
He looked at Gu Yichun and said, “Get ready. Pick ten good men. They’re coming out of the courtyard with me.”
“Yes. I’ll see to it now.”
Gu Yichun was a man who understood how things were done, and did not ask where they were going. Whatever Ning Chen said, he did.
Feng Qizheng asked, curious, “Where are we going?”
“Out of the capital. Wandering the jianghu… wherever the road takes us.”
Feng Qizheng said, excited, “Excellent! I’ve wanted to see the country and its customs for a long time.”
Ning Chen rolled his eyes. What you want to get a look at is the girls in every province.
“I’ll pack my things, then.”
Ning Chen nodded.
Feng Qizheng suddenly stopped short and said, “If we all go, won’t the residence be short of guards?”
“It doesn’t matter. Once we’re gone, who is going to lay a hand on the servants of this house? Besides, every maid in the Ning residence is a palace maid. Who would dare touch them?”
Feng Qizheng made a sound of understanding, turned and left.
Ning Chen found the time to pay his visit to the Tong’an Hall.
The next day, at dawn.
Gu Yichun drove the carriage, and inside it were Ning Chen, Yudie, Zisu and Xiaoxing.
Feng Qizheng, along with Jiang Daniu, Tian Jiang and the others, rode alongside.
The party left the capital.
When the court rose, the Xuan Emperor came to the imperial study.
Nie Liang came in and knelt before the dragon desk. “Your Majesty. Ning Chen has left the capital.”
The Xuan Emperor gave a start. “Left the capital? When did he leave?”
“Word has just come from the garrison. Ning Chen went out through the city gate two hours ago.”
The Xuan Emperor frowned. “Who gave him leave to go out of the capital? The boy has no brains at all. He has no power and no post now. If he leaves the capital and something happens to him, what then?”
Nie Liang wanted to say, But Your Majesty never said Ning Chen was forbidden to leave the capital… Of course, that was something he only dared think.
“Where has he gone?”
Nie Liang shook his head. “Your subject does not know.”
The Xuan Emperor’s expression was displeased. “He left alone?”
“In answer to Your Majesty, he took the girls Yudie and Zisu with him, and better than ten guards went along to protect them.”
The Xuan Emperor thought for a while, then said, “Then it will be Xiuzhou. Yan Wenbo and Liu Zhichen have been cleared, and if Ning Chen has those two girls with him, he will be going back to make the offerings.”
“Very well. You may withdraw.”
When Nie Liang had gone, the Xuan Emperor said in a low voice, “Quan Sheng. Draw up an edict. Prince Duan is to protect Ning Chen at any cost. If anything happens to him, this emperor will hold him answerable for it.”
“This servant obeys the command.”
“Wait.” The Xuan Emperor called Eunuch Quan back, thought a moment, and said, “Send out the Shadow Guard. Have them follow in secret and protect him.”
A look of alarm crossed Eunuch Quan’s face, and then he said hurriedly, “Yes. This servant will see to it at once.”
Very few people know that besides the Inspectorate, His Majesty has another and far more frightening instrument, and that is the Shadow Guard.
Even the ministers of the court do not know the Shadow Guard exists.
The Shadow Guard were trained for the Xuan Emperor by Eunuch Quan.
Apart from the Xuan Emperor and Eunuch Quan, nobody knows who the Shadow Guard really are… one may be some unremarkable young eunuch, another may be a guardsman, or one of the imperial guards.
These men are hidden throughout the palace, and every one of them is a master of arms.
And at that same moment, in a certain hidden room, a plump and pale young man in fine embroidered robes sat with his head down, eating cakes.
Across from him was an old man past fifty.
“For Ning Chen to leave the capital at a time like this is a bad move on his part, but for us it is a chance that does not come in a thousand years.”
The plump young man pushed the last cake into his mouth and said thickly, “His wits have gone out the window over a pretty face, that’s all. With those two women along, he is certainly going to Xiuzhou to make offerings.”
“Send more men out. Ning Chen is not to reach Xiuzhou alive… He may be nothing but a base commoner now, but as long as he is alive, my mind is never at rest.”
(End of Chapter 383)