Ning Chen said, smiling, "Fan Taihe is the Censor-in-Chief. He is called the vice-chancellor, and he is the head of the censors. He is somebody in that court."

"Graft, bribe-taking, filling his own purse... With his standing, the most it would cost him is his office."

"If he gave up the man behind him and that man found out, he would die badly."

"Between losing his office and dying, which do you think he would choose?"

"What is more, he has a hold on Old General Chen at the moment. If he set his teeth and impeached Old General Chen, His Majesty could not shield him openly."

"One set of evidence for Old General Chen's safety. Worth it. And we have not come off badly either. Fan Taihe's leg is broken, and I gave those censors a beating they will remember."

Feng Qizheng nodded slightly. "We have not come off badly... But how are we to find the man behind Fan Taihe?"

Ning Chen said in a low voice, "The man is hidden deep and will not show himself easily... The enemy in the dark and us in the light. He did catch me unprepared this time."

"But it does not matter. I have no office now and I am at leisure, and I am much less of a threat to him. When he lets his guard down, digging him out should be easier."

"And since I have the time now, in a few days we go traveling."

Feng Qizheng said, puzzled, "What is traveling?"

"Wandering among the hills and rivers."

Feng Qizheng said oh. "You mean going to the courtesans' quarter. Why put it so deep?"

Ning Chen was taken aback. "What has that to do with the courtesans' quarter?"

"Going to the courtesans' quarter is wandering among the hills and rivers, isn't it? The girls at the courtesans' quarter have hills and rivers on them."

The corner of Ning Chen's mouth twitched. He was struck dumb.

"Old Feng. Your grasp of those four words goes beyond every great scholar of letters in all of history... My respects."

Feng…