After Di Shan had been taken out, Ning Chen and Geng Jing said nothing for a long while.

“The truth is that from the moment immortal powder turned up, I guessed the man behind it was somebody inside the palace. I just never thought it would reach this far.”

Geng Jing’s voice was low.

Prince Fu, the crown prince… both of them were people of consequence in the imperial house.

One was the emperor’s brother.

One was the emperor’s son.

“Ning Chen, how did you know Di Shan had anything to do with Li Quanhai?”

Ning Chen said, “When we took Di Shan, that move he used on Old Feng, with the hand hooked like an eagle’s claw… The day Li Quanhai went at His Majesty, he used the same move.”

“And the assassin I took named Li Quanhai as the man who trained the men sworn to die… Du’e and Li Quanhai are about the same age, so I guessed the two of them must be brothers in the same school.”

Geng Jing nodded slightly and gave Ning Chen a look of approval.

“Lord Geng, were you there when the Second Prince dropped dead without warning?”

Geng Jing shook his head.

“The Second Prince dropped dead without warning in his own palace. I only had word of it afterward myself.”

“Di Shan says the murderer was the crown prince. Do you think what he says can be trusted?”

Ning Chen was silent a while, then sighed. “Di Shan was asking to die in order to protect Li Quanhai… With Li Quanhai dead there is nothing left to hold him back. I can’t think of any reason for him to lie.”

Geng Jing gave a bitter laugh.

“Ning Chen, I’m afraid the imperial house is in for a rain of blood and a stinking wind.”

Ning Chen glanced at him. “Di Shan’s word alone still isn’t enough to bring a charge against Prince Fu and the crown prince.”

Geng Jing nodded slightly. “All the same, this has to be laid before His Majesty first… Without His Majesty’s order we have no authority to search a prince’s residence.”

Ning Chen nodded.

To go and search a prince’s residence without an order — if they took the drug merchant, well and good… If they did not, it was framing a prince, and that was a charge nobody’s shoulders would carry.

Geng Jing looked at him. “His Majesty won’t have retired yet at this hour… Come into the palace with me?”

Ning Chen grunted his assent.

“Your leg’s hurt. Can you sit a horse?”

Ning Chen shook his head with a bitter smile.

Geng Jing said, “Come on, then. I’ll drive.”

The two of them walked out of the cells.

Geng Jing drove, and the two of them went straight for the palace.

The palace gates were shut by now.

But Geng Jing was the head of the Inspectorate, and had the right to enter the palace at any hour.

In the Hall of Cultivated Heart the Xuan Emperor was reclining on a couch, reading memorials.

Eunuch Quan said quietly, “Your Majesty, the hour is late. Won’t you rest a little earlier tonight?”

“Mm. In a moment.”

The Xuan Emperor answered him, and then sat up, reached for the imperial brush, and began writing his instructions on the memorial.

Only when he had read through the last of them did the Xuan Emperor yawn.

He stretched and made ready for bed.

Just then a young eunuch came in with quick little steps and knelt on the floor. “Your Majesty, Lord Geng and Ning the Silver Coat beg an audience.”

The Xuan Emperor was slightly taken aback.

“Have them brought in.”

For Geng Jing and Ning Chen to beg an audience at this hour, there was certainly something urgent.

Eunuch Quan’s whole face was sour. Geng Jing and Ning Chen had no sense at all — coming at an hour like this, was that not keeping His Majesty from his rest?

Ning Chen and Geng Jing walked into the Hall of Cultivated Heart.

The Xuan Emperor saw Ning Chen leaning on his blade and limping, and his brows drew together a little, and before either of them could make their bows he said, concerned, “You’re hurt?”

Ning Chen bowed. “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Inspectorate found a body of men sworn to die hidden outside the city today… Your subject took a small hurt in the fighting.”

“Men sworn to die?” The Xuan Emperor said heavily, “The same men who tried to kill you last time?”

Ning Chen nodded. “Yes.”

“Quan Sheng. A seat for him.”

“Yes!”

Eunuch Quan carried a stool over for Ning Chen.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Ning Chen sat down and felt a great deal better… The whole walk in from outside the palace had hurt him until the cold sweat stood out on him.

The Xuan Emperor looked at Geng Jing. “What became of these men sworn to die?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty. Most of the men sworn to die have been put down by your subjects, and the bandit at the head of them was taken.”

The Xuan Emperor nodded slightly, to show it was well done.

“Did the questioning turn up anything?”

Geng Jing said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the bandit at their head is called Di Shan, and he is Li Quanhai’s younger brother in the school. Those men sworn to die were trained by the two of them together.”

The Xuan Emperor’s face darkened all at once.

“Geng Jing. Go on.”

Geng Jing glanced at Ning Chen, then knelt on the floor. “Your Majesty, by Di Shan’s own account, he says… he says…”

The Xuan Emperor frowned. “He says what? Geng Jing, since when have you hemmed and hawed?”

Ning Chen took it up. “Your Majesty, let your subject say it… We have learned from Di Shan’s own mouth who is behind the immortal powder.”

The Xuan Emperor asked heavily, “Who?”

“By Di Shan’s account, the drug merchant who has been controlling officials of the court with immortal powder is hidden in the prince’s residence.”

Having said it, Ning Chen looked at the Xuan Emperor and could not help being taken aback.

There’s something odd about His Majesty’s face. Anger, and no shock at all?

That isn’t right. Shouldn’t His Majesty be on his feet in shock? Or shouting them down for a mouth full of lies, for talking nonsense?

It was Eunuch Quan beside him whose jaw all but hit the floor.

“Geng Jing. Ning Chen… Is the report reliable?”

Ning Chen said, “Reporting to Your Majesty. Di Shan held out at first and would not talk, and it was to protect Li Quanhai, his elder brother in the school… When he learned Li Quanhai was dead the whole man came apart… Your subject thinks that what he said is likely true.”

The Xuan Emperor’s face went livid, and murder stood plain between his brows.

Ning Chen said, picking his way carefully, “Your Majesty, Di Shan gave up one other thing.”

The Xuan Emperor fixed his eyes on him. “What thing?”

“By Di Shan’s account, the Second Prince dropping dead without warning… it was the snow-chill worm that killed him, and the murderer was somebody else entirely. The Left Chancellor was only a scapegoat.”

The Xuan Emperor’s face went livid. The Second Prince had been the son he loved best… and every mention of the Second Prince was the tearing open of a wound that had only just closed.

“Snow-chill worms?”

Ning Chen explained in full what the snow-chill worm did.

The Xuan Emperor’s face went livid, terrible to look at, and he asked through his teeth, “You say the murderer was somebody else. Who?”

Ning Chen hesitated, then set his teeth and said, “Di Shan says it was the crown prince.”

There was a roaring in the Xuan Emperor’s head. He went white in the face, and his body swayed.

Clack! Eunuch Quan gave such a start that the fly-whisk dropped out of his hand to the floor.

Ning Chen’s whole face was worried. “Your Majesty… are you all right?”

Eunuch Quan snatched up the fly-whisk and threw Ning Chen a savage glare… A word like that is a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. How could His Majesty be all right?

“Your Majesty, calm your anger. Your Majesty’s health is what matters, Your Majesty’s health…”

Geng Jing knelt on the floor in fright and did not dare lift his head… and inwardly he cursed Ning Chen for a blunt fool who put things far too directly.

He was truly afraid that His Majesty would be in a fury and have the two of them dragged out and beheaded.

A long while passed, and then the Xuan Emperor, his eyes fixed hard on Ning Chen, said, “Who did you say?”

Ning Chen smiled bitterly to himself. You already have the answer. What’s the good of asking a second time?

Ning Chen got to his feet, steadied himself on the stool and forced himself down onto his knees through the pain. “Your Majesty, some days ago I went to call on Old General Chen… and just then, at the general’s residence, I met the crown prince.”

“Afterward the crown prince and I left the general’s residence together, and outside the gate the crown prince made your subject a present of a jar of wine.”

“Your subject could never bring himself to drink that jar… Meng Jianbai, the gold coat of the Inspectorate’s sixth department, is a man who loves his wine, and your subject had a favor to ask of him, so he gave him the jar… Today, when your subject was hurt and went to the sixth department to have it treated, Meng the Gold Coat told your subject there were snow-chill worms in that jar of wine.”

The Xuan Emperor came to his feet in a rush, and then his eyes fastened on Ning Chen and stayed there.

Ning Chen raised his head and met the Xuan Emperor’s eyes, and his own were clear.

“Geng Jing. You tell this emperor. Is what he says true?”

Geng Jing shivered with fright, cold all down his back, cold sweat springing out on his forehead. “Reporting to Your Majesty. Di Shan did indeed say this… but of the wine Ning Chen speaks of, your subject knows nothing.”

(End of Chapter 221)