Ding Qian's face was all terror, and his voice shook. "I'll— I'll talk, I'll tell you everything."

"It was my cousin. He's the one who had me spend heavy money to bribe Li Gui and Wang Bo and the rest, and blacken my lord prince's good name."

Ning Chen's brow lifted. "Who is this cousin of yours?"

"The steward of the Grand Commandant's residence, Li Tianfu."

Ning Chen and Geng Jing looked at each other. The hand behind this was the Grand Commandant after all.

"Old Geng, go to the Grand Commandant's residence yourself and take the man."

Geng Jing did not hesitate for an instant. He nodded, turned and went out at a quick step.

Ning Chen looked at Ding Qian and said evenly, "Go on."

Ding Qian said, trembling, "That's all this small man knows."

Ning Chen's face darkened. "It seems you don't want the rest of your fingers."

Ding Qian went white with fright, and cold sweat came out on him.

"Spare me, my lord prince, spare me, my lord prince... My cousin only had this small man find a few reliable men to blacken my lord prince's name. This small man truly doesn't know anything else."

Ning Chen said coldly, "Then tell me why you turned up outside the clinic."

Ding Qian said shakily, "My cousin set me to watching the woman called Zisu, and to pinning down the road she takes each day between the clinic and my lord prince's house."

Ning Chen's eyes darkened. "And then?"

Ding Qian shook his head. "This small man was only there to watch. Anything past that, I don't know!"

Ning Chen frowned slightly. It seemed this Ding Qian was only a small fish, and the man who mattered was this Li Tianfu.

"Jiang Daniu, take him down and keep him under close guard!"

"Yes!"

Toward evening Geng Jing came back, and brought Li Tianfu back with him without trouble.

Li Tianfu was a pale, fat man of forty or so.

"This humble commoner, Li Tianfu, presents himself to my lord prince!"

"Li Tianfu. Do you know Ding Qian?"