Ning Chen led his men through the city and out the other side.

Whip and spur the whole way, riding under stars and moon.

There was plenty of obstruction along the road.

But in all the world today, who would dare stand in the way of the Great Xuan's Idle Marquis?

It cost him some time all the same.

On the eighth day Ning Chen finally got back to the capital.

The whole capital was in solemn mourning.

During the national mourning all entertainment was forbidden, and the whole country grieved together.

The city was white from end to end, and the common people were in mourning hemp.

Ning Chen's eyes stung. When he left, His Majesty had said that when he came home in triumph, he would lead the civil and military officials out of the city to meet him.

But what met him now was this white city from end to end.

He drew a deep breath and held the tears back.

Ning Chen forced the grief down and went to the palace.

But what he learned there was that His Majesty's body had already been taken to the imperial tombs.

The Fifth Prince, it turned out, had learned that the troops stationed along the road could not stop Ning Chen at all, and so he had moved the burial forward.

Once the tomb door was sealed, everything would settle into the dust.

An emperor's tomb chamber is full of hidden mechanisms. Once the tomb door is sealed it cannot be opened again.

And nobody would dare open it either.

Ning Chen wasted no time. He led his men straight for the imperial tombs.

The imperial tombs were ringed on every side by the Dragon Guard, the garrison and the imperial guards, so tight that not a drop could leak out.

In front of the imperial tombs, the burial ceremony was already over.

Weeping on every side!

The civil and military officials were weeping past speech.

The Fifth Prince wept most bitterly of all, and several times came close to fainting.

Ning Chen brought his men up to…