"Old Feng, keep your men on the south gate. Not one man gets out!"

Feng Qizheng said, "Yes!"

Ning Chen looked at Yue Congyun. "Take your men and go help Yuan Long."

"This officer obeys!"

Yue Congyun left a few dozen of the Ning'an Army behind to guard Ning Chen and took the rest with her.

Ning Chen had Prince Rui brought along and rode back to the Governor's residence.

The downpour had thinned to a fine drizzle.

But there was still killing in every street and every alley in the city.

The Zhaohe little runts were dying by the hundred.

It wasn't only the Ning'an Army and the Southern Frontier Army now. The city's own people had risen against them.

They came with sickles, hoes, rakes, whatever they farmed with, and when they found a Zhaohe soldier on his own they swarmed him and let out everything they had been holding in.

The Zhaohe army had come into this city burning and killing and plundering. Every one of these people had lost family or friends to those animals.

Back at the Governor's residence, Ning Chen changed into dry clothes first.

In the room, Prince Rui was shaking all over, his eyes full of terror.

Partly it was fear.

Partly it was the pain. Diaochan had broken one of his legs.

Dry at last, Ning Chen came into the room.

He looked at Prince Rui and came straight to it. "Where are the late emperor's remains?"

Prince Rui said, shaking, "If I tell you, will you spare my life?"

He no longer dared call himself this emperor!

Ning Chen laughed coldly. "What do you think?"

Prince Rui said, "I'm dead either way. So why should I tell you?"

Ning Chen was so angry he laughed. "What a model of filial piety you are. Those are your own father's remains. Aren't you afraid he'll settle accounts with you down below?"

Prince Rui laughed coldly. "I have no such father. And when I get down there I'll have a question for him — why did he leave the throne to Zhang Chengyun,…