The Xuan Emperor’s brows knotted, and he looked at the Right Chancellor.
The civil and military officials whispered among themselves.
The Xuan Emperor’s face went cold. “Beloved ministers. The Wu army is on our border. What is to be done?”
There was not a sound in the hall.
Ning Chen stepped out of the ranks without warning. “Your Majesty. As things stand, sending Lord Shen to the talks gives us little chance of success… It must be a man of high place and great power who goes, to show respect to the Wu Kingdom. Only then is there any possibility at all.”
The Right Chancellor suddenly felt that something was wrong, and turned his head to look at Ning Chen.
Ning Chen turned a brilliant smile on him, then looked at the Xuan Emperor and went on. “Your Majesty. Your subject proposes that the Right Chancellor go to the talks.”
“The Right Chancellor of our Great Xuan stands below one man in this court, and above ten thousand. That rank and that standing are enough to show how sincere our Great Xuan is about these talks.”
Something dropped in the Right Chancellor’s chest.
Why is Ning Chen recommending me for the talks? Can Ning Chen have found something out?
And if Ning Chen really has found something out, then I absolutely cannot go as envoy to the Wu Kingdom, or I will not come back alive.
He knew about Ning Chen and the woman emperor of Wu. He was only hampered by having no proof of it.
“Your Majesty. The road to the Wu Kingdom is long, and your subject is old and failing. I fear I am not equal to it.”
Ning Chen said, smiling, “The Right Chancellor is too modest. This humble commoner hears that the Right Chancellor’s nephew is far away in Mingzhou as governor, and that not long ago he sent men a thousand li to bring the Right Chancellor eight beauties, every one of them the loveliest thing under heaven.”
“Eight beauties. With a constitution like the Right Chancellor’s, who would dare call him old and failing? Even a young man like me could not keep up with him.”
Something dropped in the Right Chancellor’s chest, his breath caught, and fear came over him.
How does Ning Chen know about that?
Every official in the hall turned and stared at the Right Chancellor.
Even the Xuan Emperor.
The Right Chancellor is so proper about everything, and he plays as hard as that in private?
The Right Chancellor forced himself calm, looked at Ning Chen, and said with a show of composure, “There is no such thing. I am afraid you have been listening to rumors. This old man is not a man given to women, and His Majesty knows it.”
Ning Chen said, smiling, “A horse goes weak on the road only because it is thin; a man is no rake only because he is poor… The Right Chancellor’s place is high and his power great. He stands below one man in this court, and above ten thousand.”
“With the Right Chancellor’s standing, never mind eight beauties — he could keep eighty.”
The Right Chancellor’s face went black, and he wanted to swear out loud.
Ning Chen keeps saying it — below one man in this court, and above ten thousand. Isn’t that a way of reminding His Majesty that my power runs too far?
“Young Master Ning has his joke. Everything I have came from His Majesty. It is my duty to keep myself clean and not fail His Majesty’s grace.”
“Not fail His Majesty’s grace — well said. The Right Chancellor is a man of high principle!” Ning Chen cried, and turned the talk. “By that account, then, the Right Chancellor agrees to go as envoy to the Wu Kingdom?”
The Right Chancellor’s expression froze. When did I agree to anything?
He bowed in a hurry. “Your Majesty. Going as envoy to the Wu Kingdom is a duty this old subject would not stand back from… only this old subject is old and failing, and his cold leg came on him again the other day. The will is there and the strength is not.”
The Xuan Emperor’s face darkened a little.
But what angered him was that his whole court cried out every day about taking a burden off their sovereign, and when the moment came that mattered, not one of them was good for anything.
“Since the Right Chancellor is unwell, let it go… Beloved ministers, who is willing to go as envoy to the Wu Kingdom and bring the talks about?”
“Bring the talks off and make the Wu Kingdom pull its army back, and this emperor will reward him richly!”
There was not a sound in the hall.
The Xuan Emperor’s face grew uglier still.
Li Hanru stepped out of the ranks. “Your Majesty. Your subject recommends Ning Chen… Ning Chen is a marvel of arms and of strategy. If the talks fail, he can lead troops against the Wu army instead. He can attack if he advances and hold if he falls back. There is no second choice for this embassy to the Wu Kingdom.”
Li Zhixing stepped out of the ranks. “Your Majesty. There is much sense in what Lord Li says. Your subject seconds it!”
Shen Min said, close behind him, “Your subject seconds it too!”
The Xuan Emperor’s eyes came to rest on Ning Chen.
Ning Chen bowed and said in a loud voice, “Your Majesty. This humble commoner is not like those worthless creatures who can only shout slogans… This humble commoner is the blade in Your Majesty’s hand. Whoever Your Majesty tells your subject to cut down, your subject cuts down.”
“But your subject is a plain man with no rank, and his standing is low. If he goes as envoy to the Wu Kingdom, the Wu Kingdom will take it for a slight, and I am afraid the talks would not come off and the quarrel would only sharpen.”
The mouths of the civil and military officials twitched. Who is he calling worthless creatures?
The bastard is insufferable… If you want an office, ask for an office. What do you have to curse us for?
The Xuan Emperor glared at him. “Ning Chen, receive the edict!”
Ning Chen knelt. “This humble commoner receives the edict!”
The Xuan Emperor said, “From this day, Ning Chen is restored to his former office!”
“Your subject thanks Your Majesty for this great kindness!”
Ning Chen cried it out.
Fan Taihe and his people went livid.
It took enormous trouble to drive Ning Chen out of the court, and after only a few months he is restored to his former office!
The Xuan Emperor looked at the civil and military officials. “Do my beloved ministers have any objection?”
The officials held their tongues.
They had objections, but did not dare speak them… Whoever opposed it now would have to go as envoy to the Wu Kingdom in Ning Chen’s place, and that was a matter of life and death. They would not go.
The Xuan Emperor gave a cold snort. “If you can bring the talks about this time and persuade the Wu Kingdom to pull its army back, this emperor will make you a General of the First Rank when you return.”
Ning Chen said, “Your subject thanks Your Majesty for this great kindness. Your subject will spare nothing and will not disappoint Your Majesty’s hopes.”
Bring the talks about, persuade the Wu Kingdom to pull its army back… that takes one sentence, doesn’t it?
The Xuan Emperor’s face was full of satisfaction, and he nodded slightly.
“If there is nothing else, court is dismissed!”
The Xuan Emperor waved a hand, turned, and left.
“Congratulations, Marquis Ning!”
Li Hanru and several others crowded around him.
“Come to my house when you have time. Drinks on me!”
Ning Chen talked with them a while, then turned and walked quickly after Fan Taihe.
“Lord Fan. Have the days been good to you while I was out of the capital?”
Fan Taihe kept his face stiff. “The marquis is kind to think of it. This minister has been doing very well.”
Ning Chen said, smiling, “Is that so? A demotion of three ranks, a year’s salary forfeit… Lord Fan really has been living the good life.”
Fan Taihe’s face was ice.
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes a little. “Lord Fan. This marquis is back. I am afraid the days will not be good to you from now on.”
Fear flashed at the back of Fan Taihe’s eyes, and he hurried away.
Ning Chen looked around, walked quickly, and caught up with the Right Chancellor.
“The Right Chancellor steps out as though he were flying. Not the slightest sign of that cold leg.”
The Right Chancellor stopped and bowed. “The marquis is joking. I am only keeping on my feet by force of will.”
“This marquis is restored to his former office. The Right Chancellor does not look very pleased about it.”
The Right Chancellor said, smiling, “How could this old man not be pleased that the marquis is restored to his former office? Come to think of it, I have forgotten to congratulate the marquis.”
Ning Chen waved that away. “No need to stand on ceremony. If you really want to congratulate me, when are you going to take me to your Elegance Garden for some fun?”
The Right Chancellor’s face changed on the instant, and he fixed his eyes on Ning Chen.
Ning Chen looked back at him, all smiles.
The Right Chancellor was truly shaken this time, and it was a while before he came back to himself. “What Elegance Garden? This old man truly does not understand what the marquis is saying.”
Ning Chen’s smile was brilliant. “Don’t play the innocent, Right Chancellor. You go there in disguise, and slip in and out by the Elegance Garden’s back door… Tell me. What is hidden in that Elegance Garden?”
“Are the beauties your people send you all kept in the Elegance Garden? Taking your pleasure alone is not as good as taking it with everybody. Ask me along one of these days.”
“Don’t be so stingy, Right Chancellor. The tightest bond in this world is between men who have shouldered a gun together and whored together… Unless the Right Chancellor looks down on me and does not want me for a friend?”
Alarm showed on the Right Chancellor’s face, and he could not hide it. “Marquis. This old man does not know what you are talking about. This old man has business to attend to, and takes his leave.”
(End of Chapter 403)