Ning Chen looked at Pan Yucheng and said it one word at a time. "I suspect that His Majesty, as he is now, is a fake."

Pan Yucheng was struck dumb, and stood rooted where he was.

It was a long time before Pan Yucheng swallowed, wet a throat gone dry, and asked, "What proof do you have?"

"Old Pan, don't ask me for the particulars yet. My own head isn't straight... Come with me."

Ning Chen took Pan Yucheng to the study.

He swept the brush across the page and wrote several letters.

"Old Pan, make the trip yourself. Put every one of these letters into Yuan Long's hands and have him send men to carry them out in secret."

Pan Yucheng gave a slight nod.

The letters were written to Liang Jingwu, commander in chief at Beilin Pass, to Tong Yuanzhou, who held the southern frontier, and to others like them.

Then, under cover of the dark, Ning Chen left the Ning residence for the Carefree Escort House.

Once he had Silence in front of him, Ning Chen came straight to the point. "Find a man for me."

"My lord prince has only to say it."

"I don't know his real name, but they call him the Ghost Doctor. Find him for me."

Silence said, "The Ghost Doctor. I have heard the name... Is he in the capital?"

"I don't know... but there's a good chance of it."

Silence said, "Most of our people are in the capital. If the Ghost Doctor is in the capital, finding him is not hard... but if he is not in the capital, it will not be so easy."

Ning Chen grunted. "This man matters."

"Good. I'll put everything I have into finding him."

Ning Chen gave a slight nod. "Has the woman emperor written lately?"

"She has. My mistress told me to pass word to my lord prince: settle the Great Xuan's business as fast as you can and go to the Wu Kingdom."

Ning Chen said, "Write her a letter for me. Press her about building Xuanwu City."

"Yes."

Ning…