At the word “poems,” the Xuan Emperor’s eyes brightened a little. “What poems?”

Nie Liang hurriedly recited the two poems Ning Chen had written the night before.

The Xuan Emperor had an excellent memory. He heard them through once… then picked up a brush and wrote both out on paper.

“Fine poems… the second one especially. Another work for the ages.”

The Xuan Emperor did not hold back his praise.

But when he saw the title of the poem, his brow furrowed and his temper went up. “Worthless thing. To give a poem this fine to a woman of the pleasure houses — it’s a shameful waste of a fine thing.”

“This emperor meant to let him rest a few more days, seeing as he’s only just out of prison… and instead the good-for-nothing still has the energy to go chasing women?”

“Quan Sheng. Draft an edict… Ning Chen is ordered to get himself to the border in five days’ time. He is not to return to the capital until the Tuoluo Kingdom problem is solved.”

Eunuch Quan bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty!”

The Xuan Emperor frowned and glanced at Nie Liang. “This Yudie woman — has her background been looked into?”

Nie Liang bowed. “Reporting to Your Majesty, it has. Yudie is the daughter of Liu Zhichen, the former magistrate of Qinghe County in Xiuzhou.”

“Liu Zhichen was sentenced to beheading by Your Majesty for corruption and taking bribes… the men of the household were exiled three thousand li, and the women were sent into the courtesans’ quarter.”

“Yudie is quick and clever, accomplished in the lute, chess, calligraphy and painting, in poetry, lyric and song… She became the leading girl of the courtesans’ quarter, and until she met Ning Chen last night, she was still a maiden.”

The Xuan Emperor’s face grew darker and darker.

“The daughter of a condemned official?”

“That worthless boy. Of all the women in the world, he picks the daughter of a condemned official? Is he trying to be the death of this emperor?”

Nie Liang was too frightened to breathe.

The Xuan Emperor’s gaze turned hard. “Nie Liang. Go and have this Yudie woman put to death, quietly… A man this emperor values cannot be entangled with a woman of the pleasure houses. It would do his reputation no good in the years ahead. People would hold it against him.”

Nie Liang’s heart lurched. “Your subject obeys!”

“Come back.”

He was on the point of withdrawing when the Xuan Emperor called him back.

The Xuan Emperor sighed. “Never mind. She is the boy’s first woman, after all. Put her to death and he’ll only end up resenting this emperor for it, won’t he? Let it go, let it go… leave her be. She’s a maiden, at least — so leave her there to wait on Ning Chen.”

Nie Liang was thunderstruck.

His Majesty’s word was law and could not be unsaid. This was the first time he had ever seen His Majesty take an order back.

His Majesty really did dote on Ning Chen far too much.

The Xuan Emperor rubbed at his brow. He had actually been thinking of marrying the Ninth Princess to Ning Chen… except the boy seemed to have no interest in the Ninth Princess at all.

That was the part that truly made him angry.

He’d sooner have a woman of the pleasure houses than his own daughter… and every time he thought of it, he wanted to hand down an edict having Ning Chen gelded.

Ning Chen had no idea that in sleeping with Yudie, he had come within a breath of costing her her life.

If not for one merciful impulse of the Xuan Emperor’s, Yudie would have been as good as dead.

Ning Chen slept like the dead. In weather this cold, burrowing under the quilt to sleep was pure bliss.

Then a hammering at the door jolted him awake.

“Fourth Young Master, come out quickly, the palace—”

It was Steward Wu’s voice.

Before he could finish, Ning Chen snarled, “Piss off. Knock one more time and I’ll geld you myself and send you to the palace.”

The cursing woke him the rest of the way. Steward Wu had said something about the palace.

“Dumbass… what was that about the palace?”

Steward Wu called back, “Someone’s come from the palace. The Fourth Young Master is to receive an edict.”

An edict?

Ning Chen didn’t dare drag his feet. He got out of bed, threw a heavy cloak over himself, and came out.

He arrived at the main hall.

Ning Ziming was on duty that day and was not at the estate.

Besides the Chang woman and her sons, there was a eunuch bearing the edict and several guards.

Ning Chen was about to step inside when the edict-bearer’s shrill voice rang out. “Ning Chen! Receive the edict outside the door!”

Ning Chen blinked. Why outside? It was freezing out there.

But he didn’t argue the point. He knelt at the foot of the steps — it wouldn’t take long, would it?

Then he waited a good while, and the edict-bearer never said a word.

Ning Chen looked over, suspicious, and found the man standing there with the edict held in both hands, eyes narrowed to slits, as if he’d fallen asleep.

Christ… did this little eunuch go out whoring last night too? He looks more wrecked than I am. Standing up and asleep.

“Eunuch, sir — read the edict!”

Ning Chen couldn’t help prompting him. He had nothing on but his underclothes with a cloak thrown over the top, and by now the cold had gone past bearing.

The edict-bearer might as well have been deaf. He kept his eyes narrowed and did not react at all.

“Hey? Eunuch, sir, stop sleeping… read the edict, would you?”

At last the edict-bearer stirred. He opened his eyes, looked at Ning Chen, gave a cold little snort and said, “His Majesty’s word is this: Ning the Silver Coat has too much heat in his blood, and is to cool himself down properly.”

Huh?

Ning Chen’s head filled with question marks.

What is that supposed to mean?

His Majesty says I’ve got too much heat in my blood?

Damn it!

Does His Majesty know I went to the courtesans’ quarter last night?

Nothing else he’d done had anything to do with heat in the blood.

Doesn’t His Majesty let the Inspectorate walk the pleasure houses?

“Eunuch, sir, how long do I have to cool down for?”

The edict-bearer ignored him.

Ning Chen was seething inside. What the hell is this? Is His Majesty so bored his balls ache?

It’s got to be that the beauties in the inner palace are each uglier than the last, and he’s jealous of me.

You’re jealous, you go walk the pleasure houses yourself. Why take it out on me?

Almost forgot — His Majesty is the sovereign of a whole country. Walking the pleasure houses wouldn’t do.

Poor Majesty. Facing down an old witch like the Empress every single day. What a miserable life… you couldn’t pay me to be emperor.

Having run through a whole catalog of complaints in his head, Ning Chen started feeling sorry for the Xuan Emperor all over again.

But an hour went by, and the edict-bearer showed no sign of opening his mouth.

The Chang woman and her sons were gloating openly.

His Majesty had handed down a rebuke. It looked as if the little bastard was falling out of favor.

“Ah… choo—”

Ning Chen sneezed. It was too cold. It had frozen the snot right out of his nose.

Only then did the edict-bearer open his eyes and ask, “Has Ning the Silver Coat cooled down some?”

“Cooled down. Very cooled down… I’m about ready to ice over.”

Only then did the edict-bearer unroll the edict and read out in his shrill voice, “By order of His Majesty: Ning Chen is ordered to depart for the border in five days’ time and is not to fail in this… if he does not settle the matter of the Tuoluo Kingdom, he is not to return to the capital!”

The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth twitched. What in the world has gotten into His Majesty?

Never mind. The heart of an emperor is deep as the sea, and there’s no reading it.

“Your subject receives the edict!”

The edict-bearer handed the edict to Ning Chen, then took his men and left.

Ning Chen got up on shaking legs, rubbing his knees… and happened to catch the Chang woman and her sons gloating.

“A bunch of morons. Like you weren’t on your knees too.”

Having sworn at them, Ning Chen limped away.

An imperial edict is the Xuan Emperor himself present in the room. Who would dare not kneel?

The Chang woman and her sons had been kneeling for over an hour as well. The only difference was that they were inside and Ning Chen was out.

Shivering, they had to be helped to their feet by their maids.

“Mother, what does His Majesty mean by this?”

“Haven’t you worked it out yet? The little bastard is about to fall out of favor.”

“His Majesty is sending him to the border to fight? Does the bastard know the first thing about war?”

“So much the better if he doesn’t… best of all if he dies at the border and never comes back.”

Ning Chen, meanwhile, went back to his room, tossed the edict onto the table, jumped into bed and wrapped his little quilt tight around himself… It was too cold. He was frozen through.

Before he knew it he had drifted off again.

Elsewhere, the edict-bearer returned to the palace and reported back to the Xuan Emperor.

The Xuan Emperor had been rather pleased with himself for punishing Ning Chen a little… but when he heard that Ning Chen had gotten so cold he’d sneezed, his face went black at once.

“You dog. This emperor told you to punish him a little, not to freeze him into a sickbed… you useless piece of work. If he falls ill, this emperor will have your head off.”

The Xuan Emperor, furious, hurled the memorial in his hand at the edict-bearer.

The edict-bearer’s vision went dark with fright. He dropped to his knees with a thud, cold sweat breaking out all over him. “Mercy, Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty’s mercy…”

(End of Chapter 82)