The Third Round

Northern Zhangyuan, where night fell earlier than in the Central Plains. Beneath the stars, military tents stretched one after another across the border. Warhorses snorted, blowing white vapor into the night wind.

From the Military Advisor's tent came wave after wave of soft coughing. Fan Lingyue sat before her desk, wrapped in a thick sable cloak despite the not-too-cold October night. Her delicate, beautiful face was deathly pale with illness, enough to make one's heart ache.

"How is it?" Fan Lingyue asked softly.

"We barely pulled one round back," the young general beside her replied respectfully.

"An unforeseen variable."

Fan Lingyue sighed softly. Great Xia's fortune had already shown signs of defeat, yet an unexpected meddler had appeared, causing her arrangements to change again and again.

"Have you investigated whether this person was among those who left the palace with Zhangsun Wuyou that day?" Fan Lingyue continued.

"It has been confirmed. He was indeed among them," the young general answered.

"Inconceivable."

Fan Lingyue fell silent. Such an exquisitely capable person had entered the palace to become a eunuch. It made no sense, whether in sentiment or reason.

Moreover, it could not be false, much less a scheme by the Xia Emperor or Zhangsun Wuyou. The reason was simple: no emperor's heart could be broad enough to allow a Fake Eunuch into the harem.

Though Fan Lingyue's mind was monstrous, she was not a god after all. Naturally, there were things she could not foresee. Ning Chen's background was also clean beyond clean, without the slightest secret—but that was precisely why she could not understand where the problem lay.

A sheet of blue cloth lay spread across the desk, clearly and plainly recording everything the Northern Mongol spies had uncovered regarding Ning Chen's identity.

An ordinary birth, an ordinary life. His parents had died early, leaving him without family or kin. He had studied for several years, yet displayed nothing outstanding. Half a month ago, forced by life's hardships, he had signed up to enter the palace as a eunuch.

Fan Lingyue closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then said to the general at her side, "Force him out of the imperial palace."

"Yes." The general bowed in acknowledgment.

Ning Chen did not know that he had already caught the eye of the most terrifyingly ingenious Military Advisor in the world. Otherwise, he would certainly have reconsidered the matter of leaving the palace.

At that moment, Ning Chen stood outside Qing Ling's room. He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He knocked again, and still there was no response.

"That shouldn't be."

Ning Chen muttered to himself. Changsun preferred peace and quiet. So long as she was within Weiyang Palace, Qing Ling generally did not need to attend her side. Thus, Qing Ling spent most of her time in her own room.

After waiting for ages without a response, Ning Chen returned to his own quarters without much enthusiasm. Since his timing was poor, he would just make do and practice by himself first. It would not kill him, and he could treat it as strengthening his body.

The moment Ning Chen left, Qing Ling suddenly opened her eyes inside the room. Then she spat out a mouthful of blood—her old wound had been triggered once more.

"I was still too hasty." Qing Ling sighed, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and said weakly.

Too much had happened lately, making her feel an ever greater need to recover her strength. But her previous injuries had been too severe, with more than half her cultivation foundation damaged. Recovery was not something that could be achieved in a day or two.

There were quite a few people Changsun could use, but very few she could truly trust with all her heart. Since Qing Ling's injury, she had spent most of her time healing, making the burden on Changsun's shoulders even heavier.

"If only he could be used."

A flicker of weariness passed through Qing Ling's eyes. In truth, she and Changsun had discussed Ning Chen more than once. Setting aside his usual chaotic antics, the breadth of mind Ning Chen had displayed was genuinely astonishing.

Unfortunately, this fellow was always thinking of running away, giving them both an enormous headache.

He did not covet glory, wealth, money, power, or women. He was neither a great villain nor a perfect sage. He was riddled with flaws, yet they could not find a true point at which to lay hands on him.

She knew that Changsun cherished talent and valued feelings even more. Otherwise, even in a fit of rage, she would not have forgiven Ning Chen time and again. This time, confining him was chiefly meant to make him settle down and completely abandon the thought of leaving the palace.

Yet neither she nor Changsun had expected that Ning Chen's performance against the Zhenji Kingdom envoys would so greatly shock the world. Such intelligence was breathtakingly brilliant.

Thinking about it, the calmest place in the entire imperial city was likely Weiyang Palace. Ning Chen's sudden rise had already stirred towering waves outside, yet within Weiyang Palace, it had not even raised a small ripple.

She could tell that Ning Chen himself did not take it seriously. Apart from looking somewhat distressed when the Empress Dowager confiscated his hundred taels of gold, he had not taken anything else to heart at all.

At Qingyue Pavilion in the center of Weiyang Palace, the Ninth Princess left after paying her respects. Yet Changsun's chambers remained lit throughout the night. To the east, candles likewise burned all night in Qing Ling's room. Only Ning Chen's room, farthest away, had gone dark early. Who knew whether he was asleep or doing something else.

The sky had only just begun to brighten when court was about to begin. A young eunuch came to summon Ning Chen. For the first time, Changsun had taken the initiative to bring him into court with her. Unfortunately, it was too early, and someone wore a sleepy expression, looking thoroughly unwilling.

Compared with the previous two times, Changsun had placed no small amount of hope in Ning Chen this time. Yet she could never stand his lazy manner of caring about nothing. She wanted to rebuke him, but swallowed the words back down.

Not far away, the Zhenji Kingdom envoy arrived with five white-robed scholars. They were all young, no more than twenty at most. Yet none carried much scholarly air. Looking carefully, they did not resemble scholars at all, but rather fortune-tellers.

Ning Chen immediately perked up. If they were talking about scholars, Great Xia's Confucian establishment flourished in full prosperity. The court was filled with great scholars, while Grand Tutor, one of the Three Grand Ministers, was the foremost figure of the current Confucian school. It could be said that what Great Xia lacked least were scholars. If the Zhenji Kingdom envoy truly wanted to compete seriously in learning, it would be no different from asking to be beaten.

Besides, was this round supposed to contend over luck or national fortune? Could these five fellows truly be fortune-tellers?

He was not familiar with fortune-tellers, but he had met a remarkable one before. When he and Li'er had gone out to buy shoes, they had encountered that man. He had not thought much of it then, but looking back now, the man really had some skill.

That charlatan had said he would not be able to escape, and Qing Ling had indeed caught him and dragged him back.

There were experts in all three hundred and sixty trades. Ever since learning that true qi existed, fortune-tellers were no longer something so hard to accept.

The Xia Emperor still sat upon the highest dragon throne in Heavenly Edict Hall, his imposing face without the faintest trace of a smile. As the emperor ruling the strongest dynasty beneath heaven, every move he made could shake the world. The emperors of Great Xia, in every generation, had never fallen short of the name of emperor.

Once Ning Chen entered the hall with Changsun, several gazes turned toward him of their own accord. The ministers all knew this young eunuch was truly extraordinary. If not for the limits of his status, every faction would surely have sought to recruit him.

Unfortunately, he was a eunuch.

Because eunuchs of the previous dynasty had once thrown the government into chaos, the current dynasty suppressed eunuchs severely. It was nearly impossible for eunuchs to hold power. Thus, despite the enormous contribution Ning Chen had made earlier, the Xia Emperor had rewarded him with only a hundred taels of gold.

As for Ning Chen, he truly did not care about such things. What he cared about was those hundred taels of gold.

Court was as boring as ever, especially with the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's detestable face present. Yet the third challenge truly caught everyone by surprise.

A maze!

There was a maze within the Great Xia Imperial Palace, built by craftsmen of the previous dynasty. Why such a maze had been constructed inside the palace was no longer known. But everyone knew that its design was extraordinarily complex. Once inside, one should not even think of getting out in less than three to five days. The Zhenji Kingdom envoy's third challenge was simple: Great Xia and Zhenji Kingdom would each send one person inside. Whoever emerged first would win.

By rights, this challenge should have given Great Xia every advantage. After all, the maze was within the Great Xia Imperial Palace. They would know at least something about the terrain, and could not possibly fare worse than Zhenji Kingdom.

However, even fools knew things would not be so simple—and there was not a single fool present.

The issue lay with the five white-robed scholars brought by the Zhenji Kingdom envoy. They all wore the faces of charlatans. If there was no trick involved, not even ghosts would believe it.

"It truly tests one's luck," a Confucian official in the hall sighed.

With this maze, one could get out in three to five days if lucky. If unlucky, starving to death inside was perfectly normal.

What remained was simple: choose someone to enter. But that choice required tremendous consideration.

The ministers' gazes instinctively turned to Ning Chen. It was not that they truly expected anything; it was simply that this young eunuch had already given them too many shocks. One more would hardly be surprising.

Seeing everyone look at him, Ning Chen smiled shyly, lowered his head, and said nothing.

If someone else can pass this round, then do not come looking for me. So long as they won, his agreement with the Ninth Princess would be fulfilled. As for who would charge through the trial and fight monsters, that was not so important.

Watching his ministers' performance, the Xia Emperor's brows unconsciously furrowed. He said indifferently, "Is there any minister willing to volunteer?"

Below the throne, a great scholar was about to step forward, only to be held back by another Confucian official, who gently shook his head. This was not the time to show loyalty through bravado. No matter what, they could not lose this round, or Great Xia's losses would be far too great.

At the front of the ranks, Duke Xiyu, one of the Three Grand Ministers and dressed in magnificent robes, glanced at the five people behind the Zhenji Kingdom envoy. He smiled softly and transmitted his voice, "Taishi, these five are not simple."

"The Five-Body Shared Mind Technique is but a petty trick, unfit for the stage." Grand Tutor, dressed in plain and spotless Confucian robes, did not change expression as he replied calmly.

"With a deliberate plan against an unprepared foe, Great Xia has already lost the first move," Duke Jingwu cut in honestly.

After that brief exchange, the Three Grand Ministers returned to silence, quietly watching events unfold. They would not interfere in this matter.

"Do you have a solution?"

The ministers' inaction left Changsun dissatisfied. Helplessly, she glanced at Ning Chen beside her and asked.

"That depends on whether the Empress Dowager and His Majesty are willing to part with it." Ning Chen smiled somewhat embarrassedly. His method was a little violent and a little shameless, but it worked.

"What do you mean?" Changsun asked curiously.

Ning Chen stepped forward and whispered several words into her ear. At once, Changsun's expression changed again and again, darkening until it seemed she could summon thunder and rain.

"Are you certain?" Changsun asked through clenched teeth.

"More or less." Ning Chen's habit of false modesty struck again.

"Hm?" Changsun narrowed her eyes, and a dangerous gleam flashed through them unnoticed.

"One hundred percent." Ning Chen's heart tightened, and he immediately changed his tune.

"Granted. Go make preparations. I will discuss the rest with His Majesty," Changsun said calmly.

"Yes." Ning Chen answered, then left through the rear of the hall.

Behind the great hall, Ning Chen leaned close to a general clad in dark blue-black armor and said a few words. Then the two exchanged a conspiratorial, wretched smile and hurried together toward the Imperial Medical Institute.