The Xuan Emperor saw the whole court, civil and military, come over to Ning Chen, and the panic on him was there for anyone to see.

"This emperor has raised a pack of white-eyed wolves. They are great ministers of the court, and yet they cannot make out the truth, they cling to their own skins, they throw in with a thief."

Ning Chen's head came up sharply, and the edge in his eyes was like a knife.

He closed on the Xuan Emperor a step at a time.

The Xuan Emperor gave ground step by step as Ning Chen came on, and said in alarm, "Ning, Ning Chen... what do you want?"

Ning Chen said it one word at a time. "Two questions. First: who are you? Second: where is His Majesty?"

The Xuan Emperor put up a hard front with nothing behind it. "Ning Chen, don't you even know this emperor now?"

Ning Chen stared coldly at the false emperor... He knew His Majesty was this false emperor's protective charm, and that the man would not tell him where so easily.

And he did not dare touch the false emperor either. If the man went over the wall like a cornered dog, the real His Majesty might be in danger.

"I warn you. If a single hair of His Majesty's is missing, I swear it... I will grind your bones and scatter the ash."

The false emperor shuddered, and his face went white.

Ning Chen stopped where he was and said mildly, "My lords, go home. Within ten days this prince will give you an account of it."

"But I ask my lords to keep what happened in the hall of court to yourselves, so it does not set the common people in a panic."

The civil and military officials looked at one another.

Li Hanru spoke first. "This old man trusts the Prince Who Holds the Realm."

Ji Mingchen, Li Zhixing, the Right Chancellor and the rest came out hard behind Ning Chen.

The others declared themselves one after another, saying they were willing to trust Ning…