"Congratulations to Your Majesty. Felicitations to Your Majesty!"

The officials of the court, civil and military, said it with one voice.

Then their eyes went to Ning Chen, and no two of their expressions were alike.

Everybody understood perfectly well that with the peace talks brought off, the first credit belonged to Ning Chen, and his office was going to rise another step.

Some were glad and some were not.

Li Hanru and men like him were of course pleased for Ning Chen.

But the Right Chancellor and men like him certainly could not be pleased.

The Xuan Emperor was greatly pleased.

"Ning Chen, come forward and hear the grant."

Ning Chen came forward at once and knelt.

The Xuan Emperor said, smiling, "When you went as envoy to the Wu Kingdom, this emperor said that if the talks were brought off this emperor would make you a General of the First Rank."

The Right Chancellor's face could not have been worse.

If Ning Chen were made a General of the First Rank, then his power really would reach the sky.

And it had to be remembered that the Fourth Prince was still only a General of the Second Rank.

If Ning Chen were made a General of the First Rank now, then if he did some great service later, the next step up was Grand Marshal of the Armies of the Great Xuan, the equal of Old General Chen.

Old General Chen had been easy enough to deal with, because he was short a leg and could not take the field, so his standing in the army had naturally declined. Put plainly, the name was there and the substance was not.

And Old General Chen was dead, so there was nothing left to worry about there.

But Ning Chen was another matter. A brilliant war record, and young on top of it... The cold sweat came out on the Right Chancellor's forehead.

Ning Chen absolutely must not be made a General of the First Rank.

Just then the Xuan Emperor spoke. "Ning Chen has done good service at the…