Ning Chen’s pupils shrank.
He went forward at once and felt for Ning Ziming’s breath. His face darkened… Dead.
Ning Chen’s eyes went to the roast duck leg lying on the floor.
He thought for a moment, then moved Ning Ziming’s body quickly into the corner and set him sitting with his face to the wall.
Then he picked up the food box, backed out of the cell and locked the door.
Seeing Ning Chen come out, the jailer hurried over at a trot from a little way off.
Ning Chen said evenly, “From now on, without my order, no one is to visit Ning Ziming and no one is to go near his cell.”
The jailer said hurriedly, “Yes!”
Ning Chen came out of the prison and went straight to Geng Jing’s room.
Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng were both there.
Geng Jing asked, “Have you seen Lord Ning?”
Ning Chen did not answer. He shut the door, set the food box on the table and said, low, “Something has happened.”
Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng looked at each other and asked in one voice, “What is it?”
Ning Chen’s face was dark. “Ning Ziming is dead.”
Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng were both greatly startled.
Ning Chen opened the food box and pointed at the roast duck inside. “Somebody has set me up… This duck was poisoned.”
The two of them came over and looked at the box.
“This is the Heavenly Blessing Tower’s duck?”
Ning Chen nodded.
Pan Yucheng said quickly, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get to the Heavenly Blessing Tower.”
Ning Chen shook his head. “Going there now will not do much good. The murderer isn’t fool enough to sit waiting for me to arrest him… So there’s no hurry about it.”
Pan Yucheng frowned. “What is the point of poisoning Lord Ning at a time like this?”
Ning Chen said with a cold smile, “It is aimed at me, of course.”
“A marquis of the Great Xuan poisons his own father — a man out of his senses. If that name once sticks… how is somebody of such bad character fit to become the imperial house’s son-in-law?”
“And once that name gets about, cutting down the Empress’s brother with a blade, speaking up for the people — all that good repute comes down in a heap.”
Geng Jing’s brows drew tight. “Don’t worry. We will all bear witness for you.”
Pan Yucheng nodded along with him.
They believed Ning Chen without question.
The edict was down and Ning Ziming was to be beheaded in three days. For Ning Chen to poison him now, he would have to be mad.
Geng Jing went on, “I have a way. We seal the news, put a hood over Lord Ning and behead him in three days… and cover the poisoning over entirely.”
Pan Yucheng followed straight on. “I have a way too. We can make it look as though Lord Ning killed himself out of guilt.”
“Lord Ning is a civil official. He learns he is to be beheaded in three days, cannot bear it, kills himself out of guilt and means to go with his body in one piece. The reasoning holds together.”
But Ning Chen shook his head. “We must not do that under any circumstances.”
The two of them looked at him, not understanding.
Ning Chen said, low, “I’m afraid it is exactly what the other side wants us to do… At a beheading the identity has to be verified, with the ground packed with common people all around. If it is exposed then… that is the crime of deceiving the sovereign.”
“And Lord Geng would be the first man called to answer for it.”
Pan Yucheng said, “We can buy the supervising officer and the executioner.”
Ning Chen shook his head. “So can the other side.”
Pan Yucheng frowned. “Then what about making it look like suicide out of guilt?”
Ning Chen sighed. “Where did the poison for the suicide come from? After the Left Chancellor escaped from the cells last time, His Majesty was already very dissatisfied with the Inspectorate.”
“Now a great officer of the Second Rank takes poison and dies in the Inspectorate’s own prison, and His Majesty will not be dissatisfied. He will begin to doubt whether the Inspectorate is fit for its work.”
“The Inspectorate has always been a nail in the eye and a thorn in the flesh to every official at court… They will certainly not let a chance like this go by to bring it down.”
Geng Jing inclined his head slightly. “Ning Chen is right… The Inspectorate has offended too many great men. If it loses His Majesty’s trust and the protection of the throne, every last one of us will come to a bad end.”
Geng Jing’s brows knotted hard. “Then what do we do?”
Ning Chen thought a moment. “We split into two. Old Pan and I go to the Heavenly Blessing Tower.”
“Lord Geng, you go into the palace to see His Majesty — and impeach me.”
Geng Jing gave a start.
Ning Chen smiled. “Remember one thing. I went to see Ning Ziming on my own authority and the two of you knew nothing about it.”
“Don’t go trying to carry the blame for me. Report it exactly as it happened… His Majesty must not be allowed to doubt whether the Inspectorate is fit for its work.”
“His Majesty misses nothing. When he hears it he will scold me a little and that is all… If he starts doubting the Inspectorate, then we really are in trouble.”
Geng Jing nodded. “Very well. I’ll go into the palace now.”
The three of them came out of the room.
Geng Jing went into the palace to see the emperor.
Ning Chen looked at Pan Yucheng. “Old Pan, the Inspectorate must have a file on the President of the Secretariat?”
Pan Yucheng looked at him, puzzled. “What do you want the President of the Secretariat’s file for?”
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes. “Beheading Ning Ziming at once — that proposal came from the President of the Secretariat.”
Pan Yucheng gave a start. “You suspect the hand behind this is the President of the Secretariat?”
Ning Chen shrugged. “Bold in the guess, careful in the proving.”
“Old Pan, I’m going to the sixth department first… You get me the President of the Secretariat’s file and I’ll read it on the way. We’ll meet at the gate in a while.”
“And call Old Feng and the rest.”
Pan Yucheng made a sound of assent and turned to go.
Ning Chen carried the food box to the sixth department and saw Meng Jianbai, the gold coat of the sixth department.
“I greet the marquis!”
Ning Chen smiled. “Old Meng, there’s no need for all this ceremony between us… Check this for me and see what poison was put in the food in this box. I’ll come and find you later.”
Meng Jianbai nodded.
Ning Chen came out of the sixth department and went to the Inspectorate gate… Pan Yucheng and the others were already waiting.
“Here. This is what you wanted.”
Ning Chen took the file and swung up onto his horse. “Let’s go.”
“Ning Chen, what’s happened?”
Ning Chen looked through the file in his hand and said offhandedly, “Nothing. I’m taking you all to eat at the Heavenly Blessing Tower.”
“What’s the fun in the Heavenly Blessing Tower? Let’s go to the courtesans’ quarter.”
Ning Chen glared at him.
They came to the Heavenly Blessing Tower.
“This small man greets my lords… Ning the Silver Coat, back again?”
The manager of the Heavenly Blessing Tower came bustling up, looking very pleased with himself.
He remembered that Ning Chen had been in at noon.
Ning Chen smiled. “The duck was good today. I’ve brought some colleagues to try it… Put us in a private room.”
Ning Chen watched the manager’s reaction without appearing to.
Every time he came it was the manager who received him.
Today was the same, and that food box had been put into Ning Chen’s hands by the manager himself.
“Right away… Gentlemen, upstairs, please!”
The manager led the way, all attention.
Ning Chen took his eyes off him. It was not very likely the manager had done the poisoning.
The Heavenly Blessing Tower was an old house with a great trade, and the manager was making money hand over fist. There was no need for him to run a risk like that.
They went into the private room and sat down.
The manager attentively poured the water and made the tea.
Ning Chen said evenly, “Manager, the duck I took away at noon today was one leg short.”
The manager was struck dumb. “This — this…”
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes at him. “That food box today — did you bring it out from the kitchen and put it in my hands yourself?”
The manager thought, then shook his head. “No. I had Zhang Kui see to it… It will have been that young rascal. His hands have never been clean. If he hadn’t been at the place several years, and quick enough at the work, I’d have thrown him out long ago.”
(End of Chapter 338)