“Yes, who wanted to frame him?”

Young Lord Pei looked puzzled. “To convict Tang Qiling, the evidence must have been ironclad. Otherwise, the former Crown Prince would have helped overturn his conviction long ago.”

Zhu Qing said, “Young Lord Pei is right. You can’t just rely on some speculation to say Tang Qiling was wrongly accused.”

Huang Qi added, “The Three Judicial Offices don’t just sit around idle. Every one of them is very capable.”

Yan Sanhe turned around and walked before Xie Zhifei, bowing her head slightly to meet his eyes at the same level.

Xie Zhifei’s heart stopped beating.

“Let’s change our line of thinking.”

Yan Sanhe said, “If the Crown Prince hadn’t walked out from that vermilion gate today, what would the result have been?”

Xie Zhifei was startled by her question.

Without waiting for Xie Zhifei to answer, Yan Sanhe continued on her own. “The confrontation would have become increasingly intense, more and more people would have died, perhaps even rivers of blood?”

Xie Zhifei nodded.

Yan Sanhe asked, “Who is responsible for the Yan Ruxian fraud case?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “The Crown Prince!”

Yan Sanhe asked, “The case just began being investigated, and such a huge incident erupted. Who would His Majesty blame?”

Xie Zhifei answered, “The Crown Prince!”

Yan Sanhe continued, “The Crown Prince said the matter only emerged this morning, yet by evening the scholars had gathered to cause trouble. Is this speed normal or not?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “Too fast.”

Yan Sanhe said, “This shows that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes. Do you admit this?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “I admit it.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Then I’d like to ask Third Master—who would be fanning the flames behind the scenes?”

Who?

That person was right on Xie Zhifei’s tongue. He only needed to open his mouth slightly to blurt it out.

“You must know who that person is, but you have no evidence!”

Xie Zhifei nodded forcefully.

“When something happens without any evidence, yet the event still occurred, then…”

Yan Sanhe raised her eyebrows slightly. “Then we discard all evidence and work from just one angle.”

Xie Zhifei asked, “What angle?”

Yan Sanhe replied, “Whoever benefits most from this matter is the one fanning the flames behind the scenes.”

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, in an instant everyone sat frozen in place.

Fear even appeared simultaneously on Zhu Qing and Huang Qi’s faces.

Scholars causing trouble, His Majesty blaming the Crown Prince—who benefited most?

The Prince of Han.

Tang Qiling committing fraud, the Tang family being raided, the former Crown Prince implicated—who benefited most?

The current Emperor.

Young Lord Pei clutched his heart, unable to bear it. “Yan, Yan Sanhe, this matter, this matter…”

“This is just my speculation. You and Third Master should let it go in one ear and out the other—don’t take it to heart.”

Yan Sanhe didn’t let him continue.

“Next, I want to investigate that old eunuch Yan Ruxian—how Tang Qiling’s residence came into his hands. If Young Lord Pei and Third Master know, please tell me.”

Young Lord Pei stared blankly at Xie Zhifei: Do you know?

Xie Zhifei smiled bitterly. “When the residence came into his hands, perhaps even my eldest brother hadn’t been born yet.”

To prevent Yan Sanhe from scaling walls into Yan Ruxian’s residence again, he quickly added, “Moreover, this person cannot be investigated. Yan Sanhe, palace people—whoever investigates them meets misfortune.”

Another person saying he couldn’t be investigated.

Just how many unspeakable secrets was this deep palace hiding?

Yan Sanhe’s hand resting on the table slowly clenched into a fist.

Xie Zhifei glanced at that fist from the corner of his eye, feeling somewhat reluctant. “How about… we think of another method.”

Yan Sanhe also smiled bitterly. “The other method is to see Lu Shi again. Many of the answers are hidden in this person.”

Xie Zhifei suddenly felt unable to sit still. He stood up with a whoosh and paced back and forth in the flower hall.

“Yan Sanhe.”

He stopped before Yan Sanhe and took an extremely deep breath.

“Why do you say the answers all lie with Lu Shi? Just because he impeached Yan Ruxian for spring examination fraud today? What if this is just a coincidence?”

Yan Sanhe met Xie Zhifei’s slightly cool eyes and spoke gently.

“Grandfather said that plum blossoms possess four virtues—first budding represents Yuan, blooming represents Heng, setting fruit represents Li, and maturing represents Zhen.”

“So what?”

“So I want to know—among the Three Friends of Winter, why does he merit occupying one as bamboo? Tang Zhiwei was so blinded by romantic love she rejected the Crown Prince for him—that could be said to be confused by passion. But what about Tang Qiling?”

A crack appeared on Xie Zhifei’s face.

Yan Sanhe looked away, staring at the bluestone tiles on the floor, as if talking to herself yet also speaking to Xie Zhifei.

“Tang Qiling had evaluated countless people—was he also confused when he accepted him as a disciple?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

…

Candlelight flickered.

Outside the window, the rain gradually weakened.

No one in the flower hall spoke. Except for Li Buyan, who didn’t like using her brain and was nodding off drowsily, the remaining five people’s expressions were more solemn than the last.

The most burdened was Xie Zhifei. With his peach blossom eyes seeming covered by a layer of gloom, he couldn’t see Lu Shi at all—the Embroidered Uniform Guards were protecting him front and back.

He raised his eyes to look at Pei Xiao: Do you have a solution?

Pei Xiao shook his head silently: Hell if I do! Even my father can’t get in now.

Xie Zhifei: Then what do we do?

Pei Xiao: Hell knows! I’d rather be a ghost right now so I could float into the Lu residence and get answers.

Xie Zhifei: You brat, are you hung up on ghosts?

Pei Xiao: I’d rather be a ghost right now so I could get clear answers.

Without looking at the silent exchange between the two, Yan Sanhe already knew the situation was very difficult.

Just then, Li Buyan covered her mouth and yawned. Taking the opportunity, Yan Sanhe said, “We’ve been tired all day. Let’s rest first. Whatever needs discussing can wait until tomorrow.”

Xie Zhifei nodded in agreement. “Zhu Qing.”

“Master.”

“Go tell the Crown Grandson about today’s scholar incident—that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes. Have him secretly investigate who it was.”

“Yes!”

“Everyone else, go sleep.”

Young Lord Pei wasn’t stupid—he could hear the implication in Third Master’s words and asked one more question. “What about you?”

Xie Zhifei looked at Yan Sanhe. “I have something to say to her.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” Yan Sanhe quickly stood up.

“Yan Sanhe, are you afraid of me?”

Afraid of you?

Yan Sanhe’s bottom settled back down, and she crossed her arms over her chest, her expression very composed and calm.

Xie Zhifei turned his head sideways, his gaze sweeping across Pei Xiao, Li Buyan, and Huang Qi’s faces one by one. His meaning was extremely obvious.

Pei Xiao thought: “…” Damn it, why do I feel so superfluous!

Li Buyan thought: “…” Dog of a man!

Huang Qi thought: “…” Let’s sleep. Not adding to Third Master’s troubles is already enough trouble!

…

When only two people remained in the flower hall, Yan Sanhe realized just how powerful the aura of the man opposite her was.

The candlelight cast his features in an extremely gentle light, completely different from his man-eating appearance at the Censorate entrance.

Her gaze had nowhere to rest and could only look outside.

Outside was pitch black. The raindrops striking the windows sounded somewhat unreal, just like that heart-wrenching shout. Even though the event had passed, it still felt like a dream.

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei took a deep breath.

“From now on, try not to put yourself in dangerous situations. A person only has one life. Heaven let you survive—not so you could take risks.”

These words sounded somehow wrong.

Yan Sanhe looked at him rather strangely.