The hour of the Rat, midnight, in the Gaoli palace.

The Gaoli ruler was not nearly as hardworking as the Xuan Emperor. He had called his favorite consort in early and was busy tumbling dragon and phoenix with her. (TL Note: 顛龍倒鳳, "turning dragon and phoenix upside down" — the dragon is the sovereign and the phoenix his consort, and the phrase is a polite way of saying they were in bed.)

Just then his old personal eunuch's voice came urgently from outside. "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened... The Nanyue State Preceptor is dead!"

The Gaoli ruler, who was hard at work plowing, gave a start and went limp on the spot.

He had just made an alliance with Nanyue, and the Nanyue State Preceptor had died in the Gaoli Kingdom. That was no small matter.

The Gaoli ruler pushed the bed curtains aside and put his head out, looking worn, and asked urgently, "What happened?"

The personal eunuch said quickly, "The Prince Who Holds the Realm of the Great Xuan poisoned the Nanyue State Preceptor."

"What?"

The Gaoli ruler's eyes went wide and fixed with shock.

If the Nanyue State Preceptor had died of illness, or met with some accident of his own making, that could have been dealt with. There would have been room to explain.

But Ning Chen had poisoned the man on Gaoli soil. How was he supposed to explain that to Nanyue?

The personal eunuch went on. "Ning Chen poisoned the Nanyue State Preceptor... Nanyue's Fourth Prince Kang Luo was so frightened he has fled in the night."

The Gaoli ruler turned to stone.

It was a long while before he came to himself with a jolt. "And Ning Chen?"

The personal eunuch said, "He is still at the Welcome Tower."

The Gaoli ruler said quickly, "Send men to seize him at once. Don't let him get away."

The personal eunuch hesitated. "Your Majesty, that is the god of war of Great Xuan. He cannot be touched... I beg Your Majesty to think again."

The Gaoli ruler stopped short.

It was true. That was…