Zisu looked at Ning Chen and said nothing.

Ning Chen spoke slowly. "Prince Duan is worse than dead now. That's your doing, isn't it?"

Zisu countered, "What proof do you have?"

"If I set out to look into it, I'll find proof."

Zisu said sullenly, "Then go and look into it. I'll wait for you to come and arrest me — duty above blood... After all, profit comes first, and Prince Duan sends you so much silver every year. Set against all that silver, one weak woman weighs nothing."

Ning Chen: "......"

He gave a resigned sigh. "You know I wouldn't. Don't lose your temper... I'm just worried you didn't do it cleanly enough. Murdering a prince of the blood is no small matter."

Zisu gave a cold snort. "I never thought the first man to suspect me would be you."

"I only want to help you!"

Zisu said, "If you want to help me, then don't ask anything at all... Besides, nobody but you has suspected me."

Ning Chen frowned. "What about Geng Jing? Why would he send me a set of Xiuzhou's own blue porcelain out of nowhere?"

"Maybe it was just a coincidence."

"Childish! Do you really think Geng Jing could sit in a Purple Coat's chair at the Inspectorate if he were a fool?"

Ning Chen sighed. "And Brother Xie helped you with this too, didn't he?"

Zisu's fine brows drew tight. "What does he have to do with it? Don't wrong an innocent man."

Ning Chen let out a helpless sigh. He knew Zisu was stubborn and had a mind of her own. He turned to Yudie. "You knew about it too, didn't you?"

Yudie nodded gently.

"Zhirou, you—"

Zisu was angry. It had not occurred to her that Yudie would admit it just like that.

Yudie said softly, "Elder Sister Zisu, if we can't even trust Ning, dear, who is there left to trust?"

"If Ning, dear, can work out that this has something to do with you, so can other people."

Zisu kept her face set and did not answer.

Ning Chen looked…