“Zhang Kui?” Ning Chen narrowed his eyes. “Where is he?”

The manager said, “He’s off this afternoon. He said a matchmaker had found him a wife and he had to go and take a look at her.”

“The lad’s no youngster anymore and it’s time he married… so this small man gave him the half day.”

Ning Chen’s eyes flickered. “Does this Zhang Kui have any particular habits? Gambling, say, or the pleasure quarter?”

The manager said hurriedly, “My lord has hit it exactly. Whatever this one earns in a month goes either on the tables or on the girls at a pleasure house.”

Ning Chen took a sip of tea. “Do you know which gambling house he likes? Or which pleasure house?”

The manager shook his head. “That this small man does not know… But I have heard the other hands in the place say he likes the Yingchun Pavilion. The girls are cheap there.”

Ning Chen made a sound of assent. “Does anyone in the place know where Zhang Kui lives?”

“Yes!”

Ning Chen nodded. “And do you know which cook made my food today?”

The manager said hurriedly, “Cook Li. He is an old hand at our place. We could hardly put a new man on Ning the Silver Coat’s food.”

Ning Chen turned his head to Gao Ziping. “Old Gao, go to Zhang Kui’s house… If there’s nobody home, try the gambling houses nearby.”

Gao Ziping nodded. “Right.”

“Old Chen, would you check on this Cook Li with the manager… And remember, don’t beat the grass and startle the snake.”

Chen Chong made a sound of assent.

Ning Chen looked at the manager. “What I have asked you today and what has happened — let all of it rot in your belly… One word of it gets out and the Inspectorate’s prison will be your home from then on.”

The manager went white with fright. “My lord may rest easy. This small man knows nothing at all, and I guarantee not one word will go out of me.”

Ning Chen inclined his head slightly. “Go on, then.”

When Gao Ziping, Chen Chong and the manager had gone out, Pan Yucheng could not help asking, “Why not take the whole lot of them back to the Inspectorate and question them at leisure?”

Ning Chen shook his head. “No need for that… Loose on the outside, tight underneath is enough.”

“Our enemy is no fool either. He can’t have left many threads lying around… What I doubt now is whether this Zhang Kui is still alive.”

“And if we take them all back and question them, where are we going to eat roast duck this good afterward?”

Pan Yucheng had nothing to say to that. “You’d still eat it?”

Ning Chen laughed. “Do you stop drinking water for fear of choking?”

Feng Qizheng looked puzzled. “What are you two talking about?”

Ning Chen smiled. “Saying today’s roast duck is good enough to die for.”

“Is it? Then I’ll have to eat more of it, then.”

Ning Chen gave him a roll of the eyes.

Chen Chong was back before long.

“You saw him?”

Chen Chong nodded.

Ning Chen said, “When we’ve eaten, keep a quiet watch on this Cook Li. See who he has dealings with, and whether there’s anything out of the ordinary.”

Chen Chong looked puzzled. “Ning Chen, what has actually happened?”

“I packed up some food and wine here at the Heavenly Blessing Tower today and went to the prison to see Ning Ziming… The food was poisoned. Ning Ziming is dead.”

Chen Chong and Feng Qizheng were both greatly startled.

Ning Chen looked at Feng Qizheng. “When we’ve eaten, keep a quiet watch on the Heavenly Blessing Tower’s manager. See whether there’s anything out of the ordinary about him.”

“Right!”

Chen Chong said suddenly, “Guess who I saw just now?”

Pan Yucheng asked, “Who?”

“The Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince… They’re eating in that private room down the corridor.”

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes, and there was a flicker in them.

The Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince appearing at the Heavenly Blessing Tower at this moment. Was that a coincidence?

Pan Yucheng said, “Should we go and pay our respects?”

Ning Chen looked at Chen Chong. “Did the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince see you?”

Chen Chong shook his head. “No.”

Ning Chen said, “Then there’s no need to go. We know nothing about it.”

They had nearly finished eating when Gao Ziping came back.

Ning Chen took one look at Gao Ziping’s face and had his answer. He asked evenly, “Zhang Kui is dead?”

“How did you know?”

“It was to be expected.”

Gao Ziping said grimly, “It was dressed up to look like a hanging, but the real cause of death was a broken neck. Somebody wrung it.”

Ning Chen gave a flat oh and signaled Gao Ziping to sit down and eat.

Feng Qizheng asked curiously, “Ning Chen, why aren’t you the least bit surprised?”

Ning Chen laughed lightly. “Surprised at what? A small fish like that gets used up, and then they kill the man who knew and close his mouth. Isn’t that the usual way of it?”

When they had eaten, Ning Chen, Gao Ziping and Pan Yucheng went back to the Inspectorate.

Feng Qizheng and Chen Chong stayed behind to watch the Heavenly Blessing Tower’s manager and Cook Li in the kitchen.

Ning Chen carried two jars of wine to the sixth department.

“Old Meng, I’ve brought you two jars of the Heavenly Blessing Tower’s osmanthus wine.”

Meng Jianbai’s eyes lit up. He was a man who loved his drink, and good wine pleased him more than silver did.

“My thanks, Marquis Ning!”

Ning Chen asked, “How did the thing I gave you turn out?”

Meng Jianbai’s face went serious. “Marquis, that roast duck had a deadly poison in it. It seals the throat the moment it touches blood.”

“The duck was a leg short. Did somebody eat it?”

Ning Chen nodded. “Somebody was poisoned to death… Can you find out what poison it was?”

“It is snake-toad poison.”

“Snake-toad?”

Meng Jianbai nodded. “A toad that feeds on venomous snakes. There is nothing more poisonous… But there are no snake-toads in the Great Xuan. They are found only in the Xiliang Kingdom.”

Ning Chen’s eyes narrowed to points. “Xiliang?”

Meng Jianbai nodded.

Ning Chen smiled. “Thank you. Keep this to yourself… I’ll bring you good wine another time.”

“And check those two jars of osmanthus wine before you drink them.”

Ning Chen had barely come out of the sixth department when Gao Ziping came striding toward him.

“Ning Chen, someone has come from the Ministry of Justice!”

“The Ministry of Justice?”

Gao Ziping said, “Li Zhixing, the Minister of Justice. He wants to take Lord Ning to the Ministry of Justice for the beheading in three days.”

Ning Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Has Lord Geng come back?”

“I haven’t seen him.”

“Come on. Let’s go and look.”

Once the Inspectorate’s prisoners were sentenced, they were generally handed over to the capital prefect’s for the execution.

But sometimes a prisoner’s standing was out of the ordinary, and then it went to the Ministry of Justice instead.

Ning Ziming had only died that afternoon and here were the Ministry of Justice’s men already… The timing was a little too neat.

Ning Chen found Li Zhixing in Pan Yucheng’s room.

“I greet the marquis!”

Li Zhixing stood and bowed.

Ning Chen raised a hand. “Lord Li, no ceremony.”

Li Zhixing hesitated, then said, “Marquis, I know what Lord Ning is to you… but this official is the officer of execution, so I must ask the marquis to bear with me.”

Sending a few men to bring Ning Ziming and the others to the Ministry of Justice would have done well enough.

But thinking of what Ning Chen was to Ning Ziming, Li Zhixing had decided to come himself, so that Ning Chen should not take offense.

“You are the officer of execution?”

Li Zhixing nodded.

Ning Chen asked, “By His Majesty’s order?”

Li Zhixing shook his head. “The President of the Secretariat has charge of the matter… He put it into this official’s hands. I am truly sorry, marquis.”

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes. This President of the Secretariat again.

“It is I who should be sorry. Ning Ziming is dead.”

Li Zhixing was greatly startled, and looked at Ning Chen with astonishment all over his face.

(End of Chapter 339)