Excuse me, who is coming?

Chapter 21: Excuse Me, Who's Next?

What was Ning Chen doing?

Ning Chen was brushing his teeth with a homemade, rudimentary toothbrush made of pig bristles that shed hair as he brushed.

"Ptooey!"

"Ptooey!"

Early in the morning, Ning Chen was idly squatting in front of the door, brushing his teeth and spitting out pig bristles with such concentration that he didn't even notice when Qing Ling arrived.

"Mmmph."

Ning Chen grunted a muffled greeting.

"Her Highness wants to see you. Come with me."

Qing Ling had no time for pleasantries. She grabbed Ning Chen and tried to pull him away.

Ning Chen was startled. Before he could even rinse the green salt out of his mouth with water, Qing Ling dragged him off.

"Wait, let me get some water."

"No time! You'll have plenty of time to drink later."

"..."

Ning Chen felt miserable. Could 'later' be the same as 'now'? If you're so brave, why don't you try holding a mouthful of salt yourself?

With Qing Ling pulling him along, the considerable distance from Weiyang Palace to Heavenly Edict Hall was covered in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Along the way, Qing Ling quickly summarized the situation in the hall. Listening to her, Ning Chen felt immense contempt for the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's behavior. It was truly astonishing how shameless a person could be.

In truth, the most difficult part of the "needle in boiling oil" challenge was the person who would retrieve the needle. Previously, the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's demand that the opponent choose the person was a reasonable request. However, the Great Xia emperor and his officials had underestimated the extent of the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's shamelessness.

Currently, only five representatives from Zhenji Kingdom were in the hall, and all of them were martial artists. How could Great Xia choose?

Grandson had realized this point, which was why he called Ning Chen over. If a martial artist had true qi protecting their body, briefly putting their hand into a pot of boiling oil wouldn't cause much harm. This put Great Xia at a significant disadvantage in terms of choosing a suitable person.

Ning Chen followed Qing Ling to stand behind Grandson, quickly whispering a few words and giving some instructions.

"Will it work?" Grandson asked, a hint of worry in his brows.

"Her Highness will see for herself," Ning Chen nodded, softly.

"Qing Ling, go make the arrangements."

Grandson nodded slightly, signaling his approval. At this point, this was their only option. For this first round, winning was best, but at the very least, they needed a draw.

Qing Ling had heard Ning Chen's idea and also had doubts, but she still obeyed the order and went out to make the arrangements.

Below the main hall, the officials and the Zhenji Kingdom envoys were seated on opposite sides, enjoying the banquet food and watching the singing and dancing. Ning Chen was incredibly jealous.

He hadn't even finished brushing his teeth, let alone eaten. Thinking about this, his gaze towards the Zhenji Kingdom envoys grew even more annoyed. He flashed his signature slightly bashful smile, but in his heart, he was already cursing their entire families.

Suddenly, Ning Chen felt a gaze on him. He glanced back out of the corner of his eye and was instantly startled.

Consort Wan!

Among the women Ning Chen had seen, in terms of beauty, Mu Chengxue and Ninth Princess Xia Xinyu were absolutely second to none. In terms of dignity, Grandson was naturally unmatched. Even Qing Ling, setting aside personal bias, was a rare beauty.

However, when it came to feminine charm, Wan Yunshang was absolutely the most outstanding. Seven parts beauty, three parts allure, perfectly combined—she was a complete femme fatale.

Of course, this wasn't to say the aforementioned women lacked charm compared to Wan Yunshang; it was mainly that certain aspects were major flaws, severely deducting points. Simply put, Mu Chengxue was too cold, Ninth Princess was too young, Qing Ling was too fierce, and Grandson... he didn't dare comment on that.

Was it good to be stared at by a beautiful woman? If someone said yes at this moment, Ning Chen would surely smile broadly and slap them.

Bowing his head lower and lower, Ning Chen secretly prayed that Wan Yunshang hadn't recognized him. He had offended this esteemed Consort Wan on his first day in the palace. At the time, she didn't seem to mind, but who knew what she was truly thinking?

Fortunately, Wan Yunshang's gaze merely swept past and didn't linger, allowing Ning Chen to breathe a slight sigh of relief, and his tense body relaxed somewhat.

Ning Chen didn't know that Wan Yunshang had almost forgotten about that day. However, seeing him just now reminded her. It was all because the person sitting in front of him was Grandson.

Wan Yunshang withdrew her gaze, her lips curving into a slight smile that was captivating and enchanting, making the hearts of several ministers who unconsciously glanced her way skip a beat.

Grandson naturally noticed that glance but didn't make a fuss, quietly waiting for Qing Ling to prepare things.

In this banquet where kings and nobles gathered, eunuchs were the least noticed. Even if an observant person saw the unfamiliar young eunuch behind the Empress Dowager, they wouldn't pay much attention. After all, in Great Xia's millennia of history, eunuchs had never been the focus of attention.

The Xia Emperor's expression remained calm. The emperor's majesty was awe-inspiring without needing to be expressed. If anyone claimed he was utterly useless and incompetent, having protected such a vast empire for nearly twenty years, no one would believe it.

Grandson had sent someone to inform the Xia Emperor last night, so today, Grandson was the main player.

The Xia Emperor was not in a hurry, quietly waiting for Grandson's arrangements. No one understood Grandson's character better than him; she would never intervene without absolute certainty.

The message Grandson had sent last night was simple, just one sentence: "Great Xia will not lose the first round."

The meaning was clear: either a draw or a victory.

The Xia Emperor believed there couldn't be a better outcome, so he let Grandson make the arrangements.

The Zhenji Kingdom envoy was also waiting quietly. He was even less in a hurry. He was already in an unbeatable position and didn't need to rush this moment.

After a long wait, Qing Ling finally returned, standing behind Grandson, her eyes signaling that everything was ready.

Grandson nodded slightly, then subtly looked at the Xia Emperor and gave a gentle nod.

"Setting up the Oil Pot."

Receiving the signal, the Xia Emperor no longer remained silent and issued an imperial decree.

Before long, a massive oil pot, complete with a stove, was moved to the entrance of the Heavenly Edict Hall. The vigorous flames beneath the pot danced wildly, looking quite terrifying.

"Please, Envoy, designate a person," the Xia Emperor said.

Upon hearing this, the Great Xia officials involuntarily trembled. It wasn't that they were cowardly; it was purely out of fear.

In reality, they were overthinking it. No matter how audacious the Zhenji Kingdom envoy was, he couldn't possibly force a Great Xia official to jump into an oil pot in the Great Xia court.

The chosen person wasn't hard to guess: it would be someone powerless, insignificant, and without influence, such as a palace maid, a guard, or... a eunuch.

Thinking a step further, guards were martial artists, so that was impossible. Palace maids were women, and even if one wasn't a gentleman, they wouldn't want to bear the ignominy of bullying a woman. That left only... eunuchs.

Ning Chen was very clever and understood the situation better than anyone. That's why his head was bowed lower than anyone else's. If the occasion hadn't been so inappropriate, he probably would have turned tail and run.

Everything that needed to be said had been said. Why should he be the one to do this thankless task?

"This young eunuch, please."

The Zhenji Kingdom envoy stepped forward, glanced at the oil pot, and after confirming it was alright, turned and scanned the hall. His eyes immediately landed on Ning Chen, whose head was bowed the lowest. His status was suitable, his age was suitable, and he wasn't a martial artist—he was simply the perfect candidate for the oil pot.

If Ning Chen knew what the Zhenji Kingdom envoy was thinking, he would surely cry out in injustice! He was a martial artist! He really was!

Unfortunately, he was just a low-level practitioner who hadn't even reached the lowest rank, and he had lost his only bit of internal energy these past two days. It was no wonder others didn't notice.

Seeing that the Zhenji Kingdom envoy had chosen Ning Chen, Grandson was stunned. Amidst her worry, there was also a hint of anticipation. Her worry stemmed from her consistent efforts to conceal Ning Chen's existence, precisely to protect him from the hidden dangers within the palace. Therefore, no matter how much merit Ning Chen accumulated, she never showed any recognition, and even before the Xia Emperor, she deliberately withheld Ning Chen's name.

However, after their brief time together, Grandson grew increasingly aware that she couldn't forever obscure Ning Chen's brilliance. Thus, amidst her worry, there was always anticipation. She also wanted to see how far this brilliance could shine once freed from her constraints.

Compared to Grandson's complex feelings, Qing Ling's thoughts were much simpler. Her only concern was whether this boy would throw today's court into disarray.

Was Ning Chen happy? No! Did he want to gain merit? No! Because he was a eunuch, how could he get promoted? Head eunuch? Chief eunuch?

This was a fundamental issue. He would have to escape sooner or later; he couldn't stay in the palace his whole life.

The reason he helped Grandson was partly to appease her anger, and also because Grandson had been relatively kind to him.

The current situation was the last thing he wanted. He knew that from today onward, the Empress would have countless eyes on him. Neither Consort Wan nor the Xia Emperor would allow someone they knew nothing about to be by Grandson's side.

The imperial family was the most heartless. The Xia Emperor was like this, Consort Wan was like this, and even Grandson was like this.

Sensing Ning Chen's hesitation, Grandson let out a low reprimand, saying, "What are you panicking about? Be bold and do it! If anything happens, I will take responsibility!"

Ning Chen's mind cleared a little after being scolded. He knew there was no escaping this time.

Taking two steps forward, Ning Chen still looked back at Grandson, a worried glance that meant, You better keep your word!

Grandson ignored him. She was the Empress; if she couldn't even protect a small eunuch, then there was no point in her being Empress.

The oil pot in the hall gradually began to bubble. The dancing flames in the stove scorched faces. Ning Chen waited until the bubbles in the oil pot were at their most violent, then extended his hand over the oil pot. He then gave the Zhenji Kingdom envoy, who was seated in the hall, a brilliant smile and mouthed, "Go screw yourself."

The Zhenji Kingdom envoy's face darkened. Although he didn't know what the young eunuch had said, he could tell from common sense that it wasn't anything good.

However, the thought that the boy's arm would soon turn into fried mudfish inexplicably brightened his mood.

Ning Chen plunged his left hand in, and his expression instantly became a sight to behold.

He put it in!

In the hall, the eyelids of the officials twitched. The timid ones instinctively looked away, unable to watch further.

Hiss, amidst gasps, Ning Chen's eyes turned red, and his entire body trembled. His arm, in particular, shook violently, causing oil to continuously splash out and fall into the stove, igniting with bang bang flames.

Seeing this, the Zhenji Kingdom envoy smiled even more brightly, as if what was in the oil pot wasn't a young eunuch's arm, but the entire Great Xia Dynasty awaiting slaughter.

However, the next moment, the smile on the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's face silently froze.

Before the oil pot, those trembling hands, mostly covered by oil-soaked sleeves, clearly pulled out a needle as fine as hair.

Clink, a sound, perhaps there, perhaps not, the needle dropped to the ground. The young eunuch, with a face full of pain, also squatted down, clutching his arm, his teeth chattering loudly.

"Summon the imperial physician!" In the main hall, Grandson commanded in a deep voice, startling everyone.

"Well done!"

An official, forgetting court etiquette, suddenly slapped the table and shouted excitedly.

Immediately following, a chorus of cheers erupted, praising the brave, unfamiliar, pain-defying young eunuch.

A faint, fleeting hint of satisfaction flickered across the Xia Emperor's taut face.

The imperial physician arrived quickly. A guard stepped forward to help Ning Chen, taking the meritorious eunuch away with the physician.

Grandson swept a heavy gaze over the Zhenji Kingdom envoy and said, "Qing Ling."

"Yes."

Qing Ling understood, walked to the front of the hall, and placed the fallen needle back into the oil pot.

After this simple action, Qing Ling turned to face the five Zhenji Kingdom envoys in the hall and calmly said, "I hear the Zhenji Kingdom values martial arts, but I wonder how true that is."

As her words fell, Qing Ling took a light step forward, her tone cold:

"Excuse me, who's next?"

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