Yan Sanhe had already figured it out.
Precisely because she’d figured it out, lying in bed felt like lying in a frying pan—unbearable.
The case files being sealed indicated this was no small matter.
Xie Zhifei coming in the dead of night wasn’t merely to tell her the files were inaccessible—he was also implicitly conveying that regarding Jingchen’s case, he might not be able to help her much.
Because his surname was Xie.
Li Buyan clearly hadn’t figured it out yet.
Seeing that although Yan Sanhe remained motionless, her breathing was obviously disturbed, she asked, “What about Xie Daozhi? Didn’t he become an official after passing the imperial examination? Ask him—he should know.”
“Not appropriate.”
“Why not?”
Yan Sanhe gazed at the night, silent for a moment before saying, “If Third Master could ask Xie Daozhi, he would have asked long ago. The reason for not asking—first, he doesn’t want to drag the Xie family into this; second, this matter cannot be made public.”
Tang Qiling was the former Crown Prince’s teacher, and the former Crown Prince fell due to the witchcraft curse case. The current Emperor was the greatest beneficiary of the witchcraft curse case.
If this matter became public and alarmed those above, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Li Buyan felt her head aching. “If it can’t be made public, how can we investigate this case? Jingchen’s heart demon—there’s no way to avoid the examination fraud case!”
“Indeed, we can’t avoid it.”
Yan Sanhe slowly turned on her side, her eyes remarkably bright in the darkness.
“Starting tomorrow, go sit in wine shops and teahouses. Since Yan Ruxian intervened in the spring examination fraud case, Tang Qiling’s old case will definitely be brought up for comparison. You might hear something.”
“That’s a good approach—start gathering intelligence from the periphery.”
“Go to places frequented by scholars and students. They care about these things.”
“I know.”
Yan Sanhe moved her injured foot.
“Buyan, help me massage this foot twice daily. I need to recover quickly and can’t keep troubling Third Master and the others.”
“Why not? That man would be delighted to have you trouble him!”
“This was my business to begin with.”
Yan Sanhe glanced at Li Buyan. “If they help too much, I feel I can’t even hold my head up in his presence.”
Li Buyan smiled, climbed up, walked to Yan Sanhe’s bedside, pulled a handkerchief from under her pillow, and tucked it into her hand.
“Sleep. Stop worrying. When you reach the mountain, there will be a path. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go out to gather information.”
“Buyan.”
Yan Sanhe took the handkerchief and suddenly said softly, “At the Xie residence… we can’t stay much longer.”
…
The person suffering as if in hot oil wasn’t just Yan Sanhe.
Xie Zhifei lay in bed, unable to find comfort lying flat or on his side, his heart filled with restless anxiety.
As soon as Zhao Huairen mentioned the sealed case files, he knew trouble was brewing. He found an excuse and hurried back to the Xie residence.
Normally, he and Mingting would have spent the night at their other estate.
The situation was problematic.
Problematic because the case files were sealed.
Problematic because of Tang Qiling’s sensitive identity.
That’s why he laid everything out to Yan Sanhe, without any concealment.
Different people do different things.
Over these years, having witnessed his father’s conduct in official circles, he understood one principle: do things beneficial to the Xie family; stop doing things harmful to the Xie family.
Tang Qiling was the former Crown Prince’s man; his father was the current Emperor’s favored minister.
If he recklessly insisted on investigating Tang Qiling’s case without knowing his limits, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, he could help with other matters—even if it meant turning the Music Bureau upside down, he wouldn’t fear it. His father and Zhao Yishi would both cover for him.
Only in this one matter could he and Pei Mingting merely stand aside and watch.
Yet his heart couldn’t let it go.
“Master, Young Master Pei is here.”
This late?
Before he could speak, Young Master Pei already swept in like a gust of wind, kicked off his shoes, and sprawled on his bed, playing dead.
Xie Zhifei sat up and looked at him. “Ancestor, what’s wrong now?”
“Can’t let it go.”
The ancestor placed both hands behind his head, eyes staring at the canopy. “What backing does she have in the capital? Just Li Buyan following her, and she’s impulsive and brainless at that.
She’s helping us resolve Jingchen’s heart demon out of loyalty to Fourth Aunt. She showed us compassion and righteousness. If we abandon her at the crucial moment, doesn’t that make us heartless and unrighteous?”
Young Master Pei sat up abruptly.
“Besides, she saved the Ji family!”
“So you’re thinking…”
Xie Zhifei deliberately drawled, leaving his words unfinished.
With Young Master Pei’s temperament, he immediately continued, “We still need to help her. Even if we can’t do it openly, we can help secretly!”
Xie Zhifei leaned back against the headboard, his gaze fixed on Young Master Pei—a look containing laughter, some fervor, some appreciation, and some tenderness.
This person was always like this: sharper-tongued than anyone, but softer-hearted than anyone.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Young Master Pei grew annoyed under his gaze. “I don’t go in for cut sleeves. Keep staring and you’ll still have no chance.”
“The spirit medium asked me to pass along a message to you.”
Xie Zhifei answered irrelevantly. “She said between men and women, romantic love is shortest, but friendship lasts longest.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it!”
Young Master Pei sat stunned for a long while, his throat moving slightly. After a long pause, he squeezed out one sentence: “Going from luxury to simplicity is hard!”
Xie Zhifei laughed softly. “The way you treat her, she’s not wrong to call you Pei Mingting.”
Young Master Pei: “…”
“Even now, she still calls me by my full name.”
Xie Zhifei kicked him. “Congratulations, Young Master Pei. You’ve become the spirit medium’s close friend before me. From now on, please say a few good words about me in her presence.”
Young Master Pei felt a surge of pride, then realized something was off and kicked back. “I’m talking serious business with you, and you’re spouting this nonsense?”
“This is serious business.”
Xie Zhifei’s smile faded. “Since you two are friends, you should help each other. Young Master Pei is absolutely right—we’ll help secretly, not make a big fuss about it.”
Young Master Pei perked up. “Tell me, how do we help secretly?”
Xie Zhifei: “Fan the flames.”
Young Master Pei’s eyebrows knitted together. “Young Master Pei brought only himself tonight, not his brain.”
Xie Zhifei: “No need for a brain. It’s simple—just have some street urchins shout about Yan Ruxian interfering in the spring examinations.”
Young Master Pei’s brain still hadn’t caught up. “Then what?”
“Then…”
Xie Zhifei glanced out the window. “From this case, people will talk about that case. Then we’ll have nothing better to do than drink in wine shops, take tea in teahouses, and conveniently eavesdrop.”
“Brilliant!”
Young Master Pei slapped his thigh. “Why didn’t I think of this? How is your brain constructed to come up with solutions so easily?”
Easily?
This Third Master has been racking his brain since leaving the estate. That casual air is all an act!
“Starting tomorrow, we split up and take action.”
“I’ll follow your lead.”
Young Master Pei’s knot of worry untied, drowsiness swept over him. He yawned enormously, eyes watering. “Bring Li the Hero along too. She’s useless at everything else, but first-rate at gathering information.”
No need to invite her!
If he could think of this strategy, that girl surely could too. Li Buyan definitely wouldn’t be at the residence tomorrow.
Xie Zhifei tossed a pillow toward the foot of the bed. Young Master Pei caught it, yawned again, and said softly:
“Fifty, when she said those things, was she subtly suggesting I struggle a bit longer on the romantic path?”
“Benefactor, the sea of suffering is boundless. Turn back to shore. Amitabha!”
“Xie Fifty, get lost!”