Xiao Pingshan said, "There is sense in what my lord prince says. But the Great Beginning Pavilion has to be a Xiao's."

Ning Chen gave him a look. "Where's the difficulty? Find a man to marry into the house. Then whose surname the children take is your honored daughter's to say, isn't it?"

Xiao Pingshan stopped. It had simply never occurred to him.

"My lord prince's wisdom is above the common run. I am instructed."

Ning Chen didn't know what to say to that. That counts as wisdom above the common run? The man's wits must be somewhere near the floor.

"Let's go. Let this prince take in the scenery of the Great Beginning Pavilion."

"My lord prince. This way."

Ning Chen took Pan Yucheng, Feng Qizheng and a few others and went up the steps behind Xiao Pingshan's party.

The scenery on Great Beginning Mountain was very fine. Green covered it from foot to crown, cloud and mist wound around it, and it might have been a mountain of the immortals.

The summit, when they reached it, was flat.

A great house stood off at the far end of it.

Putting a house that size on a mountaintop must have cost a great deal of money and a great many men.

Only from close up did you feel how grand it really was.

"My lord prince. Inside, please."

Xiao Pingshan took them into the Great Beginning Pavilion and through to a wide hall.

"The high seat, my lord prince."

Ning Chen didn't trouble to refuse. He went up and sat down.

Xiao Pingshan sent for tea.

Then he turned to Xiao Tianle. "Go to the library tower and fetch the Flowing Cloud Saber Art and the Unborn Sword Art, the ones we found recently."

"Yes."

Ning Chen added, "And might I trouble Young Master Music to bring the map of the Great Beginning Pavilion's intelligence network too."

That gave Xiao Tianle a start, and she looked to Xiao Pingshan without thinking.

Xiao Pingshan set his back teeth, then nodded. "Bring it quietly. Don't let this get about."

If the…