The servant of the Shen residence nodded quickly. "Yes. This small man saw it with his own eyes."

Ning Chen looked down at him. "What is your name?"

"This small man is called Zhu Liu."

"Good. Zhu Liu, tell this prince everything you saw and heard that night, in every detail."

"Yes!" Zhu Liu knelt on the floor with his head down and said, stumbling over it, "It was one night half a month ago, around the hour of zi. This small man had risen in the night to use the privy, and saw old Master Shen take that dancing girl into a room."

Ning Chen gave a slight nod. "Did old Master Shen notice you at the time?"

Zhu Liu shook his head. "No. If old Master Shen had noticed, this small man would very likely have had his mouth closed for him."

"How far were you from old Master Shen?"

"This small man was hiding behind a tree at the time, not more than a hundred paces or so from old Master Shen."

Ning Chen went on, "Was there a moon that night?"

Zhu Liu said, "There was. The moon was very bright."

Just then Nie Liang, outside the hall, gave Ning Chen a nod.

Ning Chen gave a nod back. "Zhu Liu. Get up."

Zhu Liu got shakily to his feet.

"Back away."

Zhu Liu took a few steps back.

"Farther back."

Zhu Liu went back twenty-odd steps.

"Turn around. Look out through the hall doors."

When Zhu Liu had turned, Ning Chen called out through the doors, "Commander Nie. Now."

Nie Liang led a woman by the hand and walked her slowly past outside the great hall.

"Zhu Liu. Was it like that, what you saw that night?"

Zhu Liu nodded. "Yes. Exactly like that."

"Commander Nie. Again."

Nie Liang walked past a second time.

Ning Chen looked at Zhu Liu. "Did you see clearly?"

Zhu Liu nodded.

Ning Chen called out through the doors, "Commander Nie. Bring them in."

Nie Liang came in with four palace maids.

"Zhu Liu. Tell this prince which of these…