Geng Jing smiled. "Hand the medicine to me, Lord Grand Commandant. I'll pass it on to Zhou Anshi."

The Grand Commandant said with a smile, "The medicine has to be decocted and taken fresh... I've brought the men to decoct it with me."

"I know the Inspectorate's rules. I have already submitted the matter to His Majesty... His Majesty grants that this old man may decoct the medicine for that boy Anshi here."

"If my lord prince and Lord Geng are uneasy, you may inspect the drugs this old man has brought, and you may set men to watch us at it."

Ning Chen's and Geng Jing's faces changed.

With His Majesty's leave granted, there was no way for them to bar him.

Ning Chen stared at the Grand Commandant. "Since you knew Zhou Anshi suffered from heart palpitations, why didn't you bring the medicine yesterday?"

The Grand Commandant smiled. "This old man has been ill at home for years and hears little of the world... I only learned this morning, at the capital prefect's office, that they had taken that boy Anshi to the Inspectorate."

"This old man knows the Inspectorate's gate is not easy to walk through, so I went and petitioned His Majesty!"

Geng Jing's smile turned bitter. It seemed Zhou Anshi's death could not be kept quiet after all... With His Majesty's leave granted, he could hardly defy the edict.

"Lord Grand Commandant, I'll tell you plainly... Last night Zhou Anshi's heart palpitations came on him, and he is dead!"

The Grand Commandant went rigid on the spot.

After a moment his eyes opened round with rage, fixed on Geng Jing. "What did you say?"

Geng Jing let out a breath. "Lord Grand Commandant, please contain your grief!"

"Anshi, Anshi... my poor grandson, how could you have the heart to make this old man see white hair send black hair to the grave?" (TL Note: 白髮人送黑髮人 — "the white-haired seeing off the black-haired," the Chinese phrase for the wrongness of an old man burying a young one.)

The Grand Commandant howled aloud.

Ning Chen narrowed his…