Qian Ying sat in the first chair on the lower seats. Hearing this, he looked at Little Fan Shi with some surprise, as if trying to discern something from her face. Just as everyone in the capital knew that Han Zhi had been sent out of the capital as a child due to poor health to seek famous physicians everywhere, everyone in the capital also knew about the Han family’s fierce dispute over the title back then. Han Zhengqing’s father had died in Datong, leaving the title vacant. At the time, Han Zhengqing was still young, and everyone estimated the title should fall to Second Master Han of the second branch. But who knew Han Zhengqing’s mother would bring Han Zhengqing to weep before the Empress, saying the second branch was harsh and wanted to seize the first branch’s title. The Empress pitied the first branch’s weakness and felt that the elder master had sacrificed himself for the nation, so she advised His Majesty to settle the matter early. His Majesty indeed let Han Zhengqing inherit the title.

From that time on, the Han family’s first and second branches essentially severed contact. Second Master Han took his household and split off to live separately, taking up a position as Vice Director in the Ministry of Works. Although these disputes had occurred over twenty years ago, Han Zhengqing simply didn’t acknowledge this uncle.

Now Little Fan Shi disregarded these past grievances and specifically sent a letter asking Second Master Han to return and handle estate affairs. Could it be that the Marquis Jinxiang had already grown suspicious of the Eastern Palace? Or was Little Fan Shi dissatisfied with Elder Fan Shi’s standing by and watching, thus acting on her own initiative?

He was still uncertain when he heard Little Fan Shi sigh again faintly: “But these days, I must trouble Chief Clerk Qian to help look after things. The first urgent matter is to retrieve the Heir Apparent’s corpse from the mortuary. We can’t just let him…”

According to Great Zhou’s old customs, as long as it didn’t involve treason requiring extermination of nine generations of relatives, all other crimes followed the unwritten rule that death ends all matters. Collecting the corpse and posthumous honors were still granted. Moreover, Han Zhi’s crimes hadn’t been proven before the Imperial Guard acted first and reported later. With the dead unable to testify, everyone tacitly accepted this case as quietly closed.

This was also why Prince Dongping had specifically sent him to the Marquis Jinxiang Estate to help arrange the funeral. With Elder Chen and others’ intervention, Lai Chenglong’s tactful understanding, and Han Zhi’s death leaving no testimony, Han Zhi was now merely an ordinary wastrel who died confronting the Imperial Guard for running an illegal gambling den and letting his brutal servants harm several lives. Such incidents occurred two or three times annually in the capital. As long as it didn’t alarm those above or offend the censors, what needed handling should proceed as normal.

Qian Ying quickly nodded and solemnly guaranteed to Little Fan Shi: “Madam can rest assured. You are His Highness’s own maternal aunt, and the Heir Apparent is His Highness’s cousin. His Highness is also extremely distressed over this matter… If not for the Heir Apparent offending the Song family and the Song family striking too quickly for His Highness to intervene, it absolutely wouldn’t have resulted in today’s outcome.”

Everyone could speak fine words. Though Prince Dongping and Elder Fan Shi had brought about Han Zhi’s death, they pushed it onto the Song family to ease their consciences somewhat. Little Fan Shi sneered silently in her heart, but her face showed not half an expression. Exhausted beyond measure, she nodded and dropped the words “then I’ll trouble you,” before being supported by Qiuju and Qiuhe back to the rear courtyard.

But Qian Ying’s gaze suddenly sharpened. He instinctively felt something was wrong with this matter, with Little Fan Shi’s behavior, and that the Marquis Jinxiang Estate exuded strange peculiarities everywhere. If Little Fan Shi had been crying incessantly and harboring resentment, he could still understand—after all, with her son dead and daughter going far away in marriage, no woman could withstand such a huge blow. Even if there had been no previous discord or misunderstanding, she should vent and transfer her anger to others. Not to mention Prince Dongping had previously come to the door to demand accountability over Han Zhi, and Elder Fan Shi had acted so obviously. Little Fan Shi was being unreasonably understanding.

He quickly walked out of the flower hall and stood in the covered corridor, letting the cold wind blow on him for a while before instructing his attendant: “Go inquire about Nanny Qi who serves at Elder Miss’s side. Have her come see me.”

Nanny Qi came very quickly. Her hair was combed meticulously without a strand out of place. She respectfully hid in the darkness and curtsied to Qian Ying.

Qian Ying knew Nanny Qi was an informant planted beside Little Fan Shi and Han Yueheng. He looked her up and down, then asked with hands behind his back: “Does the madam show any abnormalities?”

“The madam’s relationship with the Heir Apparent has never been very good.” Nanny Qi’s tone was as rigid and dull as the impression she gave others, flat and without fluctuation: “But no matter how poor it was, I’ve never seen a mother this cold toward her son. The madam is overly calm. When she heard the news of the Heir Apparent’s death, she merely cried once, then immediately composed herself and began assigning tasks…”

Just as he had thought. Qian Ying’s gaze grew deeper. He waved his hand, indicating she should continue.

“Yesterday evening, the madam specifically sent someone to Yuantong Escort Agency to receive an old woman who came from the Yingyang hometown.” Nanny Qi reached this point, and her tone finally changed, carrying a trace of doubt and vigilance: “When I returned from leave, I heard the madam was talking with this old woman and even forgot about having a meal set out. Even when the steward returned from the Garrison Command after identifying the corpse, the madam didn’t have time to see him.”

An old woman received from the Yingyang hometown… Qian Ying’s thin lips pressed tight. He stood motionless, not knowing what he was thinking. After a long while, he instructed her: “This is indeed very strange. These days, be more attentive and find a way to investigate this old woman’s origins clearly. You just said she was received from Yuantong Escort Agency?”

Nanny Qi nodded: “Received from Yuantong Escort Agency. I vaguely heard Miss’s maid Qiuyu quietly mention that this old woman seems to have previously worked in this marquis estate.”

Qian Ying sent her back, feeling this matter didn’t make sense no matter how he looked at it. He immediately dispatched his senior attendant to the Eastern Palace to report, and on the other side arranged personnel to go to Yuantong Escort Agency first thing the next morning to inquire clearly about the origins of this escort commission.

When Prince Dongping received the news, he had just finished discussing matters with his advisors. After hearing the report, he immediately felt something was wrong. Regarding the Yingyang side, he vaguely knew that aside from seasonal gifts, Little Fan Shi had had no contact for many years. Why would she suddenly specifically commission an escort agency to escort an old woman to the capital? What old woman was so important?

He felt this matter was deeply connected to Elder Fan Shi. After thinking it over, he went to Elder Fan Shi’s quarters and told her about it.

Elder Fan Shi’s eyebrows moved slightly. Her pair of phoenix eyes immediately filled with murderous intent, and a cold laugh leaked from her throat in a sharp voice. She recalled Han Zhengqing’s mysteriously lost golden hairpin from back then, and later Little Fan Shi’s wet nurse Nanny Zhang who supposedly retired. Back then she had felt the figure she saw in the garden looked somewhat familiar, and that Nanny Zhang’s retirement was too deliberate.