The Xuan Emperor watched Li Quanhai come at him, made a cold sound in his nose, and showed no alarm at all.

Ning Chen moved to get across and save him, and was already too late.

“Insolence!”

The fly-whisk in Eunuch Quan’s hand went out, wrapped itself exactly around Li Quanhai’s neck, and hauled him bodily back with one hard pull.

Then the fly-whisk snapped.

Bang!!!

Li Quanhai was slammed down hard onto the floor.

Eunuch Quan set a foot on his back.

Li Quanhai brought up a great mouthful of blood.

Eunuch Quan kicked him again and sent him flying.

Ning Chen took his chance and stepped in, put his blade against Li Quanhai’s neck and said sharply, “Don’t move!”

“Li Quanhai, what a dog’s gall you have, to dare raise a hand against His Majesty.”

Eunuch Quan said it in a fury.

Li Quanhai’s face went the color of dead ash. He knew he was a dead man.

The Xuan Emperor’s face was cold and he said in anger, “Li Quanhai, who set you to raising men sworn to die? Who set you to killing Ning Chen? Will you not tell the truth?”

“Nobody set this servant to it. It was all this servant’s own idea.”

The Xuan Emperor was angry enough to laugh. “A fine mangy dog. On the very edge of death and still—”

The Xuan Emperor had not finished when Li Quanhai’s head twisted over and drove itself onto the edge of Ning Chen’s blade.

Thuck!!!

The blood came out in a rush.

Ning Chen went rigid where he stood.

The Xuan Emperor came to his feet in shock too, his face all livid.

Ning Chen was in an awkward position. The man had died on his blade.

“Your Majesty, forgive me. The fault is your subject’s. Your subject knows he was wrong.”

The Xuan Emperor let out a long, deep sigh. “Never mind. It is not your fault… There is no stopping a man who is set on dying. It is a pity. The trail is broken now.”

Ning Chen’s face was full of shame.

The fault in this really was his.

Li Quanhai had raised a hand against His Majesty, so he must have made up his mind to die. Ning Chen had not thought it through, and he should have been ready for it.

Still, this Li Quanhai was loyal, at that. He had died to protect his mistress.

Eunuch Quan looked at Ning Chen with nothing to say at all. The King of Hell in the flesh. Wherever he goes, people die there.

One trip to the imperial study, and he manages to get the Empress’s own body servant killed. Astonishing.

Still, this Li Quanhai had it coming and worse. To dare raise a hand against His Majesty.

The Xuan Emperor waved a hand. “Ning Chen, go back for now. Send Nie Liang in to deal with the body.”

“Yes. Your subject withdraws!”

Ning Chen went out with his head down and his spirits gone. He had thought that even if this did not bring the Empress down, it would at least do her real damage… and a chance as good as that had been thrown away for nothing through his own carelessness.

Now Li Quanhai was dead and there was nobody alive to testify. They had no other evidence, and even if they had, the Empress would put the whole thing on the dead Li Quanhai.

Ning Chen could have slapped his own face twice over.

“Ning Chen, why the long face? Did His Majesty give you a dressing-down?”

Nie Liang looked at Ning Chen’s unhappy face, thoroughly cheerful about it.

Ning Chen gave him a flat look. “Commander Nie, is there bad blood between the two of us? Why does my getting a scolding seem to make you so happy?”

Nie Liang worked hard to keep his face straight. “Does it show as plainly as that?”

Ning Chen: “???”

“Your mouth’s open so wide I can see what you had for lunch… What is the matter with you people? Sitting there day after day waiting to watch me get a scolding from His Majesty?”

Nie Liang said, laughing, “I don’t know why either. There’s no bad blood between us. But it makes me very happy to see you get a scolding from His Majesty.”

Ning Chen had exactly nothing to say to that.

He and Nie Liang were a classic double act at present — No-Brains and Never-Happy.

“Stop grinning like an idiot. His Majesty wants you inside to collect a body.”

Nie Liang gave a start. “Collect a body?”

“Li Quanhai tried to kill His Majesty and I have cut him down… Commander Nie, you are responsible for His Majesty’s safety, and somebody has just tried to kill His Majesty, and here you stand grinning like an idiot… Tch, tch, tch. You’re finished.”

The soul went clean out of Nie Liang in fright. He left Ning Chen where he was and all but charged into the imperial study.

Once inside, he saw two bodies lying on the floor.

Nie Liang’s face went chalk white and he dropped to his knees with a thud. “Your subject has failed in Your Majesty’s protection. Your subject deserves to die. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”

The Xuan Emperor waved a hand. “It is no business of yours. Deal with the bodies.”

“Quan Sheng. Order the carriage for the Hibiscus Palace.”

The Hibiscus Palace.

The Empress could not sit still and could not stand still.

Li Quanhai being called away so suddenly had given her the feeling of a great disaster coming down on her.

“Your Majesty, please drink your tea.”

A maid changed the Empress’s cup for a fresh one of hot tea.

Where was the Empress’s mind for tea now? She said irritably, “Get out.”

The little palace maid was frightened into a shiver and withdrew quickly.

And just then a thin, high voice went up outside. “His Majesty the Emperor!”

The Empress’s heart jumped. She got up quickly, put herself to rights and came out to the outer hall… and the Xuan Emperor was already walking in with long strides.

“Your subject and wife greets Your Majesty!”

The Empress knelt quickly and made her obeisance.

The Xuan Emperor looked down and studied her, and his face was very ugly.

“Empress, this emperor asks you… What are you raising all these men sworn to die for?”

A shudder went through the Empress and her head rang and her face changed completely… Luckily her head was down and the Xuan Emperor did not see it, and the Empress got her expression in order again quickly.

She lifted her head, all bewilderment. “Your subject and wife is a dull creature and does not follow Your Majesty’s meaning.”

“Does not follow?” The Xuan Emperor smiled coldly. “You had Li Quanhai use the Nurture Hall for cover, take in orphans in secret and train them into men sworn to die. Has this emperor got any of it wrong?”

The Empress went white in the face, and cold sweat came out on her forehead.

“Your subject and wife is wronged, wronged… I beg Your Majesty to see it clearly!”

The Xuan Emperor made a cold sound in his nose. “Well? Is Li Quanhai not your man?”

“Li Quanhai is your subject and wife’s man, but as for these men sworn to die that Your Majesty speaks of, your subject and wife truly knows nothing about it.”

The Xuan Emperor said coldly, “Li Quanhai has already confessed. Do you still dare twist words and argue?”

The Empress cried out that she was wronged. She understood perfectly well that she could not admit this if they beat her to death for it… The moment she admitted it, she was finished for good.

“Your Majesty, your subject and wife is willing to be faced with Li Quanhai.”

The truth was that the Empress trusted Li Quanhai a great deal. He had waited on her from the day she first came into the palace, and she believed he would not sell her.

She suspected His Majesty was trying to bluff her.

The Xuan Emperor was indeed trying to bluff her, and by the look of it to no effect at all.

“Li Quanhai is dead.”

“He raised a hand against this emperor and Ning Chen cut him down.”

The Xuan Emperor said it flatly.

A shudder went through the Empress and she went white in the face. Li Quanhai is dead?

But in her heart she let out a great breath. She had not misplaced her trust after all. Li Quanhai had not sold her.

On her face she put on a look of shock. “Li Quanhai raised a hand against Your Majesty? How— how is that possible?”

The Xuan Emperor’s face was dark. “Empress, you set Li Quanhai to training men sworn to die. Was it that you meant to kill this emperor?”

“Your subject and wife would not dare, your subject and wife is wronged… I beg Your Majesty to see it clearly.”

The Empress’s face was full of terror.

“Would not dare? Was Li Quanhai’s attempt on this emperor a false thing, then?”

The Empress said in terror, “Your Majesty, your subject and wife truly did not know Li Quanhai’s nerve was past all measure and that he would dare raise a hand against Your Majesty… Your subject and wife is Your Majesty’s empress. How could she possibly do a thing that is rank treason?”

“It is a frame-up, it must be a frame-up… There is no telling who set that Li Quanhai on to raising a hand against Your Majesty. He was your subject and wife’s man, so once anything happened your subject and wife would certainly be the first to be suspected. Somebody is certainly framing your subject and wife.”

The Xuan Emperor’s brows locked together and his face was full of disgust.

“The Empress washes her hands of it very cleanly. Li Quanhai raised a hand against this emperor. Is there no fault in you at all?”

The Empress’s face was full of dread. “Your subject and wife chose her servants badly, failed to keep her people in hand, and was slack in her discipline of them… I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”

The Xuan Emperor made a cold sound in his nose and said, “Empress, that this emperor does not say a thing does not mean this emperor does not know it.”

“Some things you may have, because this emperor is willing to give them… What this emperor does not give, whoever puts out a hand for it, this emperor takes off his head.”

“Quan Sheng, carry the edict. The Empress has failed to keep her people in hand. A year’s salary forfeit, six months confined to her palace, as a warning to others.”

Eunuch Quan bent forward. “This servant obeys the command!”

“Empress, keep your doors shut here in the Hibiscus Palace and reflect on your faults.”

With that the Xuan Emperor cast a look of disgust at the Empress, turned and walked out with long strides.

“Your subject and wife sees Your Majesty out!”

The Empress watched the Xuan Emperor’s back until it was gone through the great door, and then her legs went and she sat down flat on the floor, her face a dreadful white.

But very soon her eyes turned dark and vicious and cruel.

That Ning Chen again.

“Ning Chen. Ning Chen… This empress is not finished with you. We’ll see about that.”

The Empress’s features twisted out of shape and she snarled it low through her teeth.

And at that hour Ning Chen had already reached the courtesans’ quarter.

He came into the room. Xiaoxing was feeding Yudie her medicine.

“Young Master Ning.”

Seeing Ning Chen, Xiaoxing rose and made her bow.

Ning Chen put out a hand. “Give it to me.”

Xiaoxing quickly handed the bowl over.

Ning Chen came and sat down by the bed, and looking at Yudie’s dreadful white face, his eyes were full of tenderness for her.

“How do you feel today?”

Yudie said softly, “Much better. The imperial physician came this afternoon and used the needles on this girl.”

Ning Chen inclined his head slightly, fed Yudie the rest of the medicine, and then took up a candied fruit and gave it to her.

Yudie looked at Ning Chen with the look of a woman who had something to say and had stopped herself.

Ning Chen said, smiling, “What is it? Say whatever you have to say.”

Yudie’s face was full of guilt. “Ning, dear, I’m sorry! This girl won’t be able to wait on you for a while.”

“If Ning, dear wants it, he can find one of the other sisters to keep him company.”

Ning Chen’s forehead filled with black lines.

“I’m not a sex maniac. I can hold out for ten days or so… And it suits me. I’ll rest a while and save it all up for you.”

Yudie’s face went red.

The two of them talked on, and as they talked Yudie’s voice stopped.

Ning Chen looked down and could not help smiling… Perhaps the medicine had taken hold. Yudie was asleep.

Ning Chen came out to the door.

Jiang Daniu and Tian Jiang were standing at the door, faithful as anything.

Only then did Ning Chen notice the red threads in their eyes. “You haven’t rested at all?”

The two of them shook their heads.

Ning Chen was brought up short, and clapped them on the shoulder. “You’ve had a hard time of it… Bear it a little longer. I’ll go back and have Gu Yichun send two men to relieve you.”

“Young Master Ning, we’re not tired!”

Ning Chen smiled, fished out a silver note and handed it to the two of them. “Take this silver. When the men come to relieve you… find yourselves a girl here and take your ease.”

The two of them grinned foolishly, wanting to take the note and not daring to.

Ning Chen pushed the note into their hands, turned and left.

“Working for Young Master Ning really is a fine thing.”

Tian Jiang nodded and nodded, agreeing.

Ning Chen rode Diaochan clopping back to the Ning house.

By now it was dark.

Ning Chen found Gu Yichun and had him send two men to relieve Jiang Daniu and Tian Jiang.

Then he found Uncle Chai.

Uncle Chai told him cheerfully, “Fourth Young Master, everything in the house is very nearly in order… Choose a lucky day and you can open the household.”

Ning Chen made a sound of assent.

“Fourth Young Master, this old servant will take you to see your bedchamber. It is all made ready for you.”

Ning Chen nodded and followed Uncle Chai to the master’s room.

The outer room was very large and finely finished… this had been a chancellor’s residence, after all, and the work was naturally not poor.

The bedchamber was inside, and not large… no more than a hundred square feet or so.

A small bedchamber is warmer, in the first place. And in the second a man sleeps easier in one. Too much open space and a man does not sleep easy.

The bedding on the bed had all been changed for new.

“The Fourth Young Master isn’t going out again tonight?”

Ning Chen nodded. “Uncle Chai, get me something to eat. I’m a little hungry.”

“Yes. Rest a while, Fourth Young Master. This old servant will go and see to it.”

Before long Uncle Chai brought food in.

Ning Chen ate and drank his fill, then took a bath and got into bed.

He had been up the whole of the previous night and had gone through the day on top of it, and he was past keeping his eyes open.

But once he was in bed he could not get to sleep for the life of him… perhaps because he had changed his place.

Since he could not sleep, Ning Chen began going back over everything that had happened in the last few days in his head.

He was in the middle of it when Uncle Chai’s voice came from outside the door. “Fourth Young Master, are you asleep?”

“Uncle Chai, is something the matter?”

“There’s a man from the Inspectorate. He says he wants to see you.”

A man from the Inspectorate looking for me at this hour. There must be something urgent.

Ning Chen turned out of bed, dressed and went out.

He met the man from the Inspectorate in the main hall. It was a red coat.

“Ning the Silver Coat.”

The red coat bent and made his bow.

Ning Chen looked at him. “How did you know I was here?”

“Your subordinate went to the courtesans’ quarter, and a man called Tian Jiang told him.”

Ning Chen made a sound of assent and asked, “What is it?”

“By Geng the Purple Coat’s order, I am to ask Ning the Silver Coat to come back… He says they have taken some sort of drug merchant.”

Ning Chen’s eyes lit up. There was a trail on the immortal powder at last.

(End of Chapter 213)