Prince Qing noticed the look on Ning Chen's face. "What's wrong?"

Ning Chen shook his head and brushed it off. "Nothing!"

Then his eyes fell on the man lying battered on the floor. "Who is this? He looks a little familiar."

Prince Qing teased, "The little singer who scared you up onto the roof beam yesterday."

The corner of Ning Chen's mouth twitched.

Prince Qing went on, "He's Myriad Nations Society. He's the one who leaked where you'd be and got you ambushed."

Ning Chen frowned slightly. "Looks like the Myriad Nations Society reaches even further than I thought, if even a little singer belongs to it."

Prince Qing said, "As far as I know, the Myriad Nations Society takes anybody, from royal kin and imperial in-laws all the way down to peddlers and porters. All it takes is someone to vouch for you, and you're in.

But scum like this, who eat at your table and work for outsiders, are only the Society's small fry. They do the job for the money."

Suddenly Prince Qing fixed her eyes on him. "You're not the least bit surprised. Don't tell me you already knew the Myriad Nations Society was behind the attack?"

Ning Chen raised an eyebrow. "Don't forget, I took one of them alive to talk."

Prince Qing let out an "oh." "So this prince worried for nothing," she huffed.

Ning Chen said coolly, "You said it yourself, the Society takes anybody, from royal kin on down... How would I know you haven't joined it?"

Prince Qing: "...Is it me who's sick in the head, or you? I'm a prince of the blood of the Wu Kingdom. What would I want with them?

Could they give me more power? Could they give me more silver?"

Ning Chen spread his hands. "Exactly. That's why I never suspected you!"

"Never suspected me? Then why'd you say that to Lord Fu?"

Ning Chen rolled his eyes. "That was ordinary suspicion. And more to the point, it was a warning that your residence isn't clean."

Prince Qing gave a short laugh.

Ning Chen couldn't…