Ning Chen settled the details of the partnership with Prince Duan and then left with the two hundred thousand taels in silver notes.

The trip had been well worth making.

The first reason he had chosen Prince Duan to work with was that the man could be relied on to keep his word, more or less.

The second was that Xiuzhou was Prince Duan's own ground. Hand the business to him, and he could sit still and take the benefit of it.

The third was that it tied Prince Duan to Ning Chen's boat with a knot he could not undo.

Back at the inn, they all rested for the night.

That night Ning Chen slept apart from Zisu and Yudie.

Because the next day they were going to make offerings to Yan Wenbo.

The following morning.

Ning Chen sent men out to buy incense and candles and the rest of what was needed.

Yan Wenbo had been sentenced at the time to the entire household to the sword, and Zisu had been taken out of Xiuzhou by Shang Lu, so there was nobody to claim the bodies. They had all been thrown onto the burying ground.

There was no gravestone, and the bodies had very likely been eaten by animals long ago.

The party came to the burying ground.

With no gravestone, all they could do was find a clear patch of ground and make the offerings there.

"Father, our Yan family was wronged, and now it has been put right... You can rest in peace when you go down below."

Zisu cried until she could not get a word out, and her heart was torn to pieces.

She had run herself ragged for more than ten years to reach this day.

Ning Chen knelt down on the ground. "Lord Yan, my name is Ning Chen. You and I never met, but Zisu binds us close together... Set your mind at rest. For the rest of my life I will protect Zisu, and keep her safe and happy."

It was already afternoon when they went back to the city.