It was ten days before Ning Chen set out from the frontier for the capital.

Because he was going back to the capital, he could not take many men and horses.

So the Ning'an Army stayed at the frontier.

Ning Chen took only five hundred of the Ning'an Army back to the capital with him.

Tong Yuanzhou would send men on to the capital with the stores later.

Ning Chen's own share was stored for the time being with the baggage train under Lei An.

Several months apart, and with the ride back to the capital on top of it, it came to nearly half a year.

Ning Chen missed Yudie and Zisu and the Ninth Princess... and the Xuan Emperor.

His heart was set on getting home.

Light riders and fast horses the whole way, and they made good speed.

That day Ning Chen and the rest stopped to rest and re-form.

Wu Tiezhu came up at a quick step with a courier.

Ning Chen looked at the man's runner's uniform and his brows drew together. That was the dress of an eight-hundred-li express courier and nothing else.

"An eight-hundred-li express. His Majesty's word. Marquis Ning, receive the edict!"

Ning Chen knelt. "Ning Chen receives the edict!"

"His Majesty's word. Marquis Ning is to return to the frontier and await orders... Respect this!"

Ning Chen was taken aback and looked at the messenger. "Is that all?"

The messenger nodded.

Ning Chen's forehead filled with question marks.

An eight-hundred-li express, and it did not say what the matter was? Only that he was to go back to the frontier. This was very strange!

"Only His Majesty's word, nothing else?"

The messenger shook his head. "This small man only carries out what he is ordered. All I received was His Majesty's word."

Ning Chen could not shake the feeling that there was something wrong with this. How could His Majesty hand down an order with neither a head nor a tail to it?

"Think it over again carefully. Have you left anything out?"

The messenger said, "This small man's own life…