Holy shit!!!

Ning Chen was not happy. This woman actually had him over a barrel.

But as the saying goes, eat at a man's table and your mouth goes soft, take from his hand and your arm goes short. He needed to borrow grain from Xiliang, so he'd better stay polite.

Ugh... He was barely emperor, and already he had to grovel.

(TL Note: 裝孫子, literally "to play the grandson," slang for putting on a meek, servile act toward someone you have to keep happy.)

Still, he was putting this one in his little notebook, under her name. Sooner or later, he'd make this woman kneel in front of him. As for him... he'd settle for standing behind her.

Ning Chen smiled sweetly. "Lady Holy Maiden, please have Xiliang ship the grain as fast as it can."

Tantai Qingyue lifted her pointed little chin, proud and pleased with herself. "And you release the Xiliang people in Xuanwu City as soon as you can."

"You got it!"

Tantai Qingyue gave a small "Mm," turned and walked off. She looked indescribably smug, and inside she was over the moon... Ning Chen had always had the upper hand over her, and she had swallowed more frustration than she could say.

Ning Chen rolled his eyes at her back, over and over.

At the courtyard gate, Tantai Qingyue suddenly stopped and turned around. Ning Chen hurried to get his face in order and asked with a smile, "Something else?"

Her red lips parted. "There is something I forgot to tell you. I do not speak a single word of Tuoluo."

Ning Chen felt a headache coming on.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"No reason. I am just in a good mood, so I thought I would let you know!"

With that, Tantai Qingyue gave him a mysterious smile, turned and left.

Ning Chen was left utterly speechless. "What kind of nonsense was that?" he muttered. "Is she sick in the head?"

He turned and headed back into his room. With the grain borrowed from Xiliang, the soldiers at Beilin Pass could hold out…