When the men drawn from the other departments had joined up with the men of the first department, Ning Chen took them all into one room.

"This assignment is a heavy matter. From now until we move tonight, nobody leaves this room."

"Old Gao, Old Chen, the two of you see to it... If anybody has to go to the privy, one of you goes with him."

Ning Chen said it heavily.

Gao Ziping and Chen Chong took the order.

Ning Chen left the Inspectorate and did not come back for four hours.

Geng Jing had come back from the palace too.

"You've gathered all these men. What are you going to do with them?"

Geng Jing asked it curiously, there in the room.

Ning Chen said, smiling, "Rescue Old Pan and Old Feng."

Geng Jing could not help getting to his feet. "There's word of them?"

Ning Chen shook his head.

Geng Jing frowned. "Then what are you... What is it you're actually doing? All this mystery."

Ning Chen said, smiling, "Drawing the snake out of its hole. Though I'm not certain yet whether it will work. When it does, I'll explain it to you properly."

In the sealed room of a certain house.

The Right Chancellor and a plump, pale young man — the Fifth Prince, that is — sat facing each other.

"The Inspectorate has found Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng?"

The Right Chancellor was badly shaken.

The Fifth Prince's brows drew tight. "Don't be in such a hurry. I think there is something odd about this."

The Right Chancellor asked quickly, "What do you mean?"

The Fifth Prince narrowed his eyes. "I keep feeling as though Ning Chen has found out I'm playing a part."

The Right Chancellor was badly startled, and his face changed sharply. "This... you've been exposed?"

The Fifth Prince shook his head. "I'd say I've played it very well. In more than ten years, nobody but you people has known I was playing the fool."

"But Ning Chen keeps giving me the feeling that he has found out I'm playing a part...…