Ai Wenguang screamed and went down with both hands over his head.
The whole yard was appalled.
Inspectorate or not, Ning Chen had no business beating an official of the court at his own pleasure.
But Ning Chen had not only beaten him. He showed no sign of stopping.
He took the long sword up and hammered it down on Ai Wenguang.
Ai Wenguang screamed and screamed and rolled all over the ground under it.
“You are the magistrate of Zhenyuan County. The people are all but starving to death and here you sit, wallowing in it, you dog, you thing lower than an animal.”
Ning Chen laid into him with the long sword in a fury.
Fortunately, there was a scabbard, otherwise Ai Wenguang would have been chopped into mincemeat long ago.
“Stop.”
The Empress’s brother roared it, his face livid.
Ning Chen stopped and turned his head to him. “And what end of this are you?”
The Empress’s brother said furiously, “I am the Empress’s brother, the reigning Empress’s own younger brother. This is my house. You dare do violence to men under my roof?”
“Ning Chen. I am imperial kin. You see me and do not kneel, and you do violence to my men. Do you know your crime?”
Ning Chen laughed coldly. “Shut your stinking mouth.”
That left the Empress’s brother standing there.
Ning Chen said heavily, “I am a silver coat named by His Majesty. These dogs of yours dared to slander me as a fake. Tell me where I was wrong to beat them.”
“You are the Empress’s brother. You ought to hold to the law of the Great Xuan, keep the face of the imperial house, and love the people as your own children… And what has a dog like you actually done?”
“You have let these wretched servants treat a human life as so much grass and carry off other men’s daughters. There is not one thing you have done that a man would do… Empress’s brother. Do you know your crime?”
The Empress’s brother shook with rage.
He was imperial kin. Not even the reigning sovereign had ever dressed him down like this.
A little nothing of a silver coat, throwing his weight about in front of him.
“And suppose every word of it were true? You’d still dare lay a hand on this Empress’s brother?”
Ning Chen laughed coldly, flicked his left thumb, and the long sword came three inches out of the scabbard. He walked at the Empress’s brother with long strides.
“The Empress’s brother has ignored the law of the Great Xuan, carried off other men’s daughters, treated a human life as so much grass, and made meat of the common people. His crime deserves death… Come back to the capital with me and answer for it.”
The house guards closed around him in a rush.
There was a hiss of steel.
The long sword was out of the scabbard, and the cold light of it flickered.
“The Inspectorate is working a case. Persons with no business here get out of the way. Anyone who tries to stop me is charged with the same crime, and it takes the entire household to the sword.”
Ning Chen came at the Empress’s brother a step at a time with the sword in his hand, and the weight of him was frightening.
The house guards were driven back, step by step.
With an ordinary man they would have gone at him all together long before.
But this was a man of the Inspectorate. That was the Hall of the King of Hell, and their consciences were badly against them.
“Worthless. What are you afraid of him for?”
The Empress’s brother was enraged. He looked at Pan Yucheng. “Pan the Gold Coat. Is this how you keep your subordinates in hand?”
Pan Yucheng frowned and said sharply, “Ning Chen. Stand down.”
Guilty or not, the Empress’s brother was imperial kin, and only His Majesty could pass sentence on him.
And behind the Empress’s brother stood the reigning Empress.
Even the Inspectorate did not dare move lightly against the imperial house.
Ning Chen’s head came around on Pan Yucheng, and he said it coldly. “Pan the Gold Coat. I went over hills and ridges and across a wide river and very nearly died of it… and you have been sitting here eating and drinking and enjoying yourself. A comfortable life you’ve had of it.”
“Have you been out and looked around you? The people have nothing to cover them and nothing to fill them and the bark has been eaten off every tree… and you sit here over your fish and your meat, your good wine and your pretty women. Is there one scrap of unease in you? One scrap of shame?”
“When the Son of Heaven breaks the law he answers for it like any commoner. What of it if he is the Empress’s brother? You may be afraid. I am not… Today he comes back to the capital with me and stands trial.”
Pan Yucheng’s face went livid. “Ning Chen. You dare defy an order?”
Ning Chen brought the long sword level and said it one word at a time. “Today I defy it. What of that? He is coming with me, and so are the officials here — every last one of them goes back to the capital and answers for it.”
“If anybody tries to stop me, don’t blame the sword in my hand for not knowing your face, or me for forgetting we serve together.”
Then the Empress’s brother began to laugh coldly.
“Pan the Gold Coat. It seems you stand lower with your own men than I do, and I hold no office and no power at all.”
Pan Yucheng’s face was cold. “Ning Chen. I am ordering you to put the sword down.”
“And if I don’t? Pan the Gold Coat defends these beasts in official dress at every turn. How much have you taken from them?”
That angered Pan Yucheng considerably. He said sharply, “Somebody. Take him.”
Two silver coats came toward Ning Chen.
“Ning Chen. Put the sword down. Don’t make this hard for us.”
Ning Chen watched them coldly. “Very fine. You shield criminals and put your hands on a man you serve with… You are not fit to wear that coat.”
Chen Chong let out a breath. “Ning Chen. Forgive me.”
The words were hardly out before the two of them rushed him.
Chen Chong’s hand went out like lightning and grabbed for Ning Chen’s shoulder.
Ning Chen leaned back out of it, caught the wrist before Chen Chong could pull it in, came up off the ground on the pull, drove himself into the man’s chest, shoulder first.
CRACK.
Chen Chong was knocked back several paces.
Ning Chen closed the gap in one stride, sprang like a hunting leopard, and brought a knee up hard into Chen Chong’s chest.
Chen Chong turned side-on, caught Ning Chen’s leg in both hands and flung him away.
Ning Chen landed, rolled, and came up with it… and then his whole body locked.
A long sword lay against his neck.
Pan Yucheng.
For a gold coat, Pan Yucheng’s skill was past any sounding.
Ning Chen had not seen him move at all, and the sword was already at his neck.
Ning Chen looked at him coldly. “Pan the Gold Coat is good, and no mistake.”
Pan Yucheng looked back at him without any expression at all.
Chen Chong and the other silver coat came and held Ning Chen down.
Then the Empress’s brother snatched a sword out of the hand of a man beside him, came at Ning Chen, and swung it down at him.
CLANG.
Pan Yucheng’s sword came up and took the Empress’s brother’s blade.
The Empress’s brother said furiously, “Pan the Gold Coat. This man drew a sword in my house and meant to murder imperial kin. By law he should be beheaded.”
“And he has no respect for you at all. Let me be rid of him for you.”
Pan Yucheng said, without any expression at all, “Ning Chen is a man of the Inspectorate, and a silver coat named by His Majesty… Whether he lives or dies is His Majesty’s to say.”
The Empress’s brother made a cold sound and drew the sword slowly back.
He looked at Ning Chen, and the smile spread over his face like a snarl. “Boy. Let me invite you to a fine piece of theatre, so you’ll know who says what happens in Chongzhou.”
Pan Yucheng bowed over clasped fists. “Empress’s brother. We’ll do without the theatre… Ning Chen has offended against his superiors and I will take him back to the capital and let His Majesty decide.”
“Pan the Gold Coat. Wait.”
“Without the boy this piece would be no fun at all.”
“It won’t keep you long. It goes up directly.”
Pan Yucheng frowned, and in the end he nodded without a word.
Half an hour or so went by.
The house guards brought several people in under escort.
Ning Chen turned his head, and his eyes contracted hard… It was the old physician, and Sixth, and the family of the man who had been bringing up blood.
Every one of them was trussed hand and foot.
The Empress’s brother beckoned. “Bring them over.”
While Ning Chen was busy with Chen Chong and the others, the Empress’s brother had sent men to take the old physician and the rest.
They were brought over and pushed down onto the ground.
Unease came up in Ning Chen. “What are you going to do?”
The Empress’s brother laughed coldly. “Didn’t you say this Empress’s brother carries off other men’s daughters and treats a human life as so much grass?”
“This Empress’s brother is going to let you see that every word of it is true… And what exactly are you going to do about it?”
The Empress’s brother said it, took up the sword, and walked toward the old physician and the others with that snarl on his face.
(End of Chapter 55)