Negotiating Terms

With two of the three couplets matched, Ning Chen put brush to paper, about to write the final line.

However, just then, the Zhenji Kingdom envoy seated among them subtly moved his left hand beneath his sleeve. A gust of palm wind swept out, striking the incense stand by the entrance to the hall.

The military officials below froze. By the time they came back to their senses, it was already too late to stop him.

"Whoosh!"

The fierce palm wind swept past, and the little incense that remained burned away in an instant.

"Time is up. You have lost," the Zhenji Kingdom envoy said as he rose, his voice cold and arrogant.

The sudden turn of events had come too swiftly. Whether it was the Xia Emperor or the assembled ministers below, all wore iron-gray expressions. Yet the Zhenji Kingdom envoy had acted too covertly; they had no evidence.

Before the writing desk, Ning Chen was stunned for a moment. Then his expression turned faintly cold. The brush that had been about to write the couplet abruptly changed course, and its meaning shifted at once.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,

Filial piety, brotherly respect, loyalty, faith, propriety, righteousness, integrity!

The ministers present were initially confused, but after considering it briefly, their expressions immediately became wonderful.

The meaning was hidden in plain sight. Even the military officials could understand this simple line. The ancients upheld the eight virtues: filial piety, brotherly respect, loyalty, faith, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame. Of the seven words in the line above, only shame was missing. The meaning could not have been clearer—he was nakedly mocking the Zhenji Kingdom envoy for being shameless.

"Well matched!" A great Confucian scholar in court rose and shouted.

The defeat had already been decided, but Ning Chen's stroke had truly allowed Great Xia to vent its anger. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven; filial piety, brotherly respect, loyalty, faith, propriety, righteousness, integrity. Shameless—truly shameless!

The Zhenji Kingdom envoy's face turned somewhat ugly. Even the joy of winning a round had been largely spoiled. Could Great Xia's fortune really not yet have reached its end? A mere young eunuch had ruined his plans time and again.

"Young eunuch, I have another question," the Zhenji Kingdom envoy said with a cold laugh. "Among rice, millet, beans, wheat, broomcorn millet, and foxtail millet, which mongrel is your teacher?"

The ministers of Great Xia erupted in outrage. This was already outright insult.

Ning Chen turned sideways to face the Zhenji Kingdom envoy directly. Without yielding an inch, he replied coldly, "Among the many classics and commentaries—the Book of Songs, Book of Documents, Book of Changes, Book of Rites, and Spring and Autumn Annals—why ask your father?"

"Good!"

The ministers were greatly stirred. What a "why ask your father"! This little eunuch was tremendously gifted, truly an interesting fellow.

At the banquet, Changsun's eyes held considerable gratification. They might lose the contest, but not their dignity. At least this boy had not embarrassed her.

"Enough!"

Upon the dragon throne, the Xia Emperor rose and set the conclusion to this literary contest. "Great Xia admits defeat in this round. We await the envoy's third round tomorrow."

"I certainly will not disappoint Your Majesty," the Zhenji Kingdom envoy said coldly.

After court adjourned, because Ning Chen had shone so brilliantly today, many civil and military officials cast him approving looks. The Xia Emperor specially bestowed one hundred taels of gold upon him as a reward.

Unfortunately, before the gold had even warmed in his hands, Changsun took it away. She did not leave him a single coin.

Ning Chen remained depressed all the way back, but since Changsun had spoken, who could he argue with?

Yet before his gloomy mood had passed, news from within the palace nearly frightened Ning Chen out of his wits.

The corpse of the old eunuch from the Eunuch's Quarters, who had been missing for more than half a month, had been recovered from Qingyuan Lake near the Eunuch's Quarters.

After hearing this news, Ning Chen paced back and forth in his room all day. Several times, he nearly gave in to the urge to flee at once.

Now that the old eunuch's corpse had been discovered, if someone connected the time of his disappearance with the day Mu Chengxue had entered the palace to assassinate someone, it would not be difficult to discover that the old eunuch had most likely vanished that day.

If that happened, their batch of newly admitted young eunuchs would inevitably have to undergo another inspection.

Telling Changsun and begging forgiveness was absolutely not an option. He was still guilty in her eyes. If one crime were piled atop another, who knew whether Changsun, in a fit of rage, might simply have him beheaded.

Changsun treated him well, but he could not gamble his life on her forgiveness.

"Run away. Yes, I have to run away!"

Ning Chen stopped walking, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes. He had to leave. The palace would find out sooner or later. If he did not go now, he would not be able to leave even if he wanted to later.

But how could he get out of the palace?

He had knocked out a young eunuch just this morning. Changsun was watching him even more closely now. Escaping was practically impossible.

"Ah, my head hurts."

He had finally made up his mind, only to find himself powerless to act. Ning Chen fiercely clawed at his hair, unable to think of any solution at all.

"That's right, the Ninth Princess."

Suddenly, Ning Chen's eyes lit up. He thought of Great Xia's Ninth Princess, beautiful as a blooming flower. He could not outmaneuver Changsun, but he could find a way to work through Xia Xinyu.

Over these past two days, to keep Xia Xinyu from marrying into the Zhenji Kingdom, he had jumped into an oil cauldron and matched couplets. He had put in such tremendous effort without earning even one coin, and now his very life might be in danger. No matter what, the Ninth Princess had to pay some interest.

Great Xia and the Zhenji Kingdom had each won one round. Tomorrow's final round would decide the Ninth Princess's fate. The first two rounds of courage and wisdom had, in truth, been contests of scheming.

Great Xia governed through Confucianism and had been deeply influenced by Confucian thought. When it came to being shameless, they were not merely a little inferior to the Zhenji Kingdom envoy.

Fortunately, his skin was thick enough to plug this enormous hole.

As long as he could win, let integrity go to hell.

As for the final contest of luck, he did not believe for a second that the Zhenji Kingdom envoy would truly compete in luck. His surname was Ning, not Fool. Such an obvious matter could only deceive a few rigid old Confucian scholars in court.

If Great Xia won, they would surely send a woman from the Imperial Clan Relatives to the Zhenji Kingdom for a political marriage. If he wanted to leave the palace, slipping into the marriage procession would be the best opportunity.

His only chance was to make this a fait accompli before Changsun could react.

Of course, if Great Xia lost, the one sent for the political marriage would become the Ninth Princess, and the situation would become much more troublesome.

But no matter what, the Ninth Princess was the best person with whom he could negotiate. The reason was simple: whether Great Xia won or lost, she would be the person most capable of influencing the Xia Emperor's decision.

And the Xia Emperor's Imperial Edict was the only key that could get him out of Weiyang Palace.

What he needed to consider now was how to persuade Xia Xinyu to request this Imperial Edict from the Xia Emperor on his behalf.

Fortunately, the Ninth Princess came to Weiyang Palace every morning and evening to pay her respects to Changsun, so it would not be difficult to meet her.

Sure enough, at sunset, Xia Xinyu came drifting over. She wore an emerald-green gauze robe, a pleated skirt embroidered with scattered flowers and misty green grass, and a sheer cape like thin smoke over clear water. Her shoulders were as if carved, her waist slender as silk, her skin like congealed cream, her aura like an orchid in a secluded valley. Delicate and boneless, she possessed three parts added beauty.

Without question, Great Xia's Ninth Princess was the most beautiful woman in the world. Favored by heaven and earth alike, she was only sixteen, yet she already displayed beauty capable of toppling cities and kingdoms.

"Princess."

Ning Chen waited along the path and happened to run into her as if by chance.

Xia Xinyu recognized the person before her and deliberately stopped.

By now, the entire imperial city knew that a young eunuch named Ning Chen had stolen the limelight in court, repeatedly crushing the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's arrogant swagger.

However, she knew that Ning Chen was still confined. Yet apart from those in Weiyang Palace, only she understood the reason why.

"Mother has not lifted your confinement yet?" Xia Xinyu asked curiously. Logically speaking, after rendering such great merit, his confinement should have long since been revoked.

"Hehe." Ning Chen gave an awkward laugh and did not answer. Forget lifting his confinement—even the one hundred taels of gold bestowed by the Xia Emperor had been confiscated by Changsun.

Xia Xinyu was perceptive and naturally understood the meaning behind Ning Chen's smile. She could not help wondering what exactly her mother was thinking.

Wait. Xia Xinyu suddenly looked at Ning Chen in surprise. She had nearly overlooked the fact that, during his confinement, he should not logically have appeared here.

"Young eunuch, you must have been waiting here because you have something to say, right?" Xia Xinyu narrowed her autumn-water eyes slightly and spoke softly.

Ning Chen's heart trembled. As expected, this Ninth Princess was not as gentle and innocent as she appeared. Then again, how could there be anyone truly simple within this imperial palace?

Since the matter had already been laid bare, Ning Chen no longer beat around the bush. He said respectfully, "This servant wishes to join the marriage procession. I hope the Ninth Princess can grant this favor."

Xia Xinyu's brows furrowed slightly. After giving it brief thought, she understood most of it and could not help asking strangely, "Why are you so determined to leave the palace? You have tried to flee time and again. Do you know that if you are caught and brought back this time, even Mother will not be able to protect you?"

"I hope the Ninth Princess will help," Ning Chen said again respectfully instead of answering.

"Why should I help you?" Xia Xinyu stopped pressing him and asked calmly.

Ning Chen considered for a moment, then said seriously, "I can do everything in my power to help Great Xia win the third round. That way, Great Xia can not only keep Bairuo Plains, but the Princess will not have to travel far away to a foreign land."

A strange light flashed through Xia Xinyu's eyes. She pursued the question, "How do you know you will certainly win? And how do you know Great Xia's other ministers certainly cannot accomplish it?"

"The facts are there for all to see," Ning Chen replied calmly.

It was a casual sentence, and though its edge was deeply concealed, it still could not hide the pride carved into Ning Chen's bones. He would not look down on everyone beneath heaven, but neither would he belittle himself.

Having lived through two lifetimes, what he had gained was not merely age.

To grow old without dying was to become a demon. By that logic, his current state was not far from being a monster.

"I truly did not expect Mother to have someone like you by her side." Xia Xinyu looked at Ning Chen before her, and a smile suddenly curved across her lips as she spoke softly.

"You flatter me, Princess."

Having dropped his disguise, Ning Chen no longer put on an excessively respectful manner and responded lightly.

"All right, I must go pay my respects to Mother. As for your condition, I will consider it carefully." Xia Xinyu smiled gently, then took light lotus steps and continued toward Changsun's residence.

Only after Xia Xinyu left did Ning Chen finally let out a deep breath. The women in this palace truly were no easy lamps to save oil. They would never speak so absolutely as to leave themselves no room to turn.

Still, he believed Xia Xinyu would weigh the matter carefully. After all, the condition he requested was merely a sentence from her, while breaking her promise and forcibly keeping him behind was truly not a wise choice.

Xia Xinyu had lived in the palace for sixteen years, so she naturally understood this principle better than anyone. He was also confident that if Xia Xinyu truly broke her promise, then in the days to come, he would make her pay a sufficiently heavy price.

He respected Changsun, and before her, he was so obedient that he did not even dare speak loudly. That was because Changsun had recognized his talent and protected him. But that did not mean he could tolerate the contempt and bullying of others.

When all was said and done, he had never been someone who could swallow humiliation in silence.

After doing what needed to be done, Ning Chen remembered that Qing Ling had saved him last night, and he had not yet thanked her.

Also, he still could not understand the passages of text on the back of the Golden Pages.

He feared that if he kept practicing like this, he might end up training himself into an idiot one day.

The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Ning Chen took out the Golden Pages from his robe and glanced at them, then scampered eagerly toward Qing Ling's residence.

Compared with Imperial Princes and princesses, he still preferred spending time with Qing Ling. She might be fierce, but her fierceness was adorable.