There was a sullen anger in Fang Pu's face. "What nonsense is this?"

Ning Chen was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "I see how it is. You are a simp, and a seasoned one... you did want to climb into Xiliang's Grand Princess's bed. You just never managed it."

Fang Pu had never heard the word simp and did not know what it meant, but he could tell it was no compliment.

Ning Chen said mildly, "And my guess is that Fang Pu is not your real name either."

Fang Pu's expression stiffened a little.

Ning Chen waved a hand. "Who you are does not actually matter to this prince... and this prince has no interest in your grubby business with Xiliang's Grand Princess either."

As he spoke, Ning Chen's eyes came to rest on Xing Shan, and he said coldly, "Do you remember what I told you? Give the order to butcher the people of my Great Xuan, and I will see you die badly."

Xing Shan's face changed completely. He said in alarm, "Ning Chen, I am Xiliang's Judge of Causes, you—"

"What the hell is that to me?" Ning Chen cut him off coldly. "Never mind that you are only Xiliang's Judge of Causes. If the ruler of Xiliang himself came against my Great Xuan, he would die the same."

With that Ning Chen stepped in and kicked.

Thud!

With every eye there on him in shock, Xing Shan flew screaming out past the wall and fell away toward the ground.

Until a dull thud carried up to them.

Feng Qizheng ran to the edge of the wall and looked. Xing Shan lay face down in a pool of blood.

The Fourth Prince opened his mouth, and shut it again, and in the end said nothing.

Xing Shan was Xiliang's Judge of Causes, high in rank and heavy with power, and a good sum could have been squeezed out of Xiliang for him... Ning Chen knew all of that perfectly well, and killed Xing Shan anyway, without so much as a pause.

Che Mingzhe watched…