As darkness fell, the crowds at the city gates gradually dispersed.

Xie Zhifei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

What kind of mess was this?

A dead old eunuch had actually drawn half the capital’s residents to come gawk—even more than this morning’s crowd.

“Third Master, where are we going?” Zhu Qing asked.

Of course Xie Zhifei wanted to go directly to see Yan Sanhe—he had a bellyful of things to say—but he feared the Grand Grandson’s side might have matters.

“Let’s wait at the gambling house first.”

Master and servant headed straight for the gambling house, only to have Mei Niang’s first words be: “He just sent someone with a message saying he has matters and for Third Master and Young Master Pei not to come tonight.”

“Did he say what matters?”

Mei Niang shook her head.

Xie Zhifei glanced at Zhu Qing. Without a word, Zhu Qing turned and left the gambling house, heading straight for the Grand Grandson’s estate.

Xie Zhifei gave Mei Niang a few instructions before rushing toward Yan Sanhe’s place.

As he neared the alley entrance, Young Master Pei’s shout came from behind. “Xie Fifty, wait for me!”

Xie Zhifei waited for him to approach. Before he could ask, “The palace business was that quick?”

Young Master Pei looked around and said in a low voice, “Let’s talk when we get home.”

Only then did Xie Zhifei notice Pei Xiao’s face was deathly pale, even his lips were white. He cracked his whip. “Let’s go home.”

Dismounting, entering the gate, Young Master Pei ran desperately toward the inner residence.

“Surname Pei, why are you running?”

Not only did Surname Pei not respond, he ran even faster.

What’s wrong with this fellow?

Xie Zhifei quickly chased after him.

“Sanhe, Yan Sanhe!”

When Pei Xiao reached the second gate, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hearing the noise, Tangyuan came running out. “Young Master Pei, Miss is in the side hall, waiting for…”

“Move aside, don’t block the way.”

Pei Xiao didn’t have time to shove the person aside. Tangyuan stumbled and nearly fell.

Xie Zhifei, catching up, steadied her with a light touch. “Don’t mind him. That fellow is rushing to be reborn.”

“Xie Fifty, you understand nothing! I have something more important than being reborn!”

Pei Xiao ran to the side hall in one breath, gasping for air, words stuck in his throat.

Mother, mother—he was dying of breathlessness.

Xie Zhifei caught up while rubbing his back, simultaneously raising his eyes to look into the side hall.

Only Yan Sanhe sat alone at the square table, looking utterly desolate no matter how one looked at her.

Xie Zhifei: “Where’s Hero Li?”

Yan Sanhe: “Out on an errand, will be back shortly. Where are Zhu Qing and Huangqi?”

Xie Zhifei: “Also out on errands, will come shortly.”

Yan Sanhe: “Should we save food for them?”

Xie Zhifei: “Save some.”

To the side, Young Master Pei glared resentfully at the two: Two bastards, not even asking me what’s wrong…

“Mingting, what happened on your end?”

Hearing Yan Sanhe ask, Young Master Pei quickly pushed away Xie Zhifei’s hand and rushed to the table, plopping down.

“Yan Sanhe, today I encountered a fierce ghost.”

Yan Sanhe said indifferently, “In broad daylight, where would ghosts come from?”

“Listen to me!”

Young Master Pei scooted his bottom toward Yan Sanhe. “Today I brought eighteen monks to the palace to chant sutras for Imperial Consort Li’s deliverance. Guess what happened?”

“What happened?”

“I heard Imperial Consort Li’s crying.”

“And then?”

“The crying came and went. The palace maids all said it was Imperial Consort Li’s ghost coming to claim lives.”

Young Master Pei scooted closer to Yan Sanhe. “What, what on earth is going on?”

“People have three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls. After the physical body dies, if the souls are unwilling to leave, they’ll linger around the body crying. This shows Imperial Consort Li died with heart unwilling and feelings reluctant. In other words, she was forced to death by someone.”

Forced to death?

Cold sweat poured down Young Master Pei. “Who could force her to death?”

Yan Sanhe asked back, “What do you think?”

“Let’s eat first.” Xie Zhifei: “After eating, use your pig brain to think it through properly.”

Young Master Pei instantly exploded. “Xie Fifty, you damn…”

His words cut off abruptly.

Young Master Pei’s two eyeballs stared fixedly at Xie Zhifei. After a long while, he slowly lowered his head.

That’s right—who in this world could force an imperial consort to death?

“Yan Sanhe, is there a way to resolve this?”

Yan Sanhe: “Chant the rebirth sutras for a full forty-nine days. That should resolve it.”

“Forty-nine days?”

Young Master Pei’s face fell. Wouldn’t that mean going to the palace every day?

“Let’s eat first.”

Yan Sanhe picked up her chopsticks. “After eating, I have something important to discuss.”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Young Master Pei and deliberately asked, “About who?”

“Lu Shi.”

Lu?

Shi?

Young Master Pei’s dead-fish eyes instantly perked up.

That’s right—all of this was related to Lu Shi. They needed to unravel this mystery quickly.

“Eat!”

Young Master Pei began wolfing down his food without regard for decorum.

Xie Zhifei picked up Yan Sanhe’s rice bowl, transferred some of his rice into it, then before Yan Sanhe could change expression, quickly said, “After eating, I also have something important to tell you.”

Yan Sanhe: “…”

…

The meal was eaten extremely quickly. Afterward, the three moved to the study.

Tangyuan had already prepared the tea.

Without waiting for the two to pick up their teacups, Yan Sanhe quickly recounted everything she’d witnessed and heard following Lu Shi today, along with the points she found suspicious, in complete detail.

After hearing it, Third Master and Young Master Pei were completely dumbfounded.

In the silence, the study door banged open.

“Found it out! Singing Spring Garden’s predecessor was the Qingyu Troupe. Later it changed its name to Singing Spring Garden. The owner’s surname is Cheng, given name Fuyao. Cheng Fuyao said Lu Shi gives him a hundred taels of silver every month. Oh…”

Li Buyan grinned. “Third Master and Young Master Pei are both here.”

Third Master ignored this character and looked at Yan Sanhe. “If I remember correctly, Tang Jianxi seemed to have mentioned this theater troupe.”

Yan Sanhe: “Third Master, be confident. Remove the ‘if’ and ‘seemed.’ On Tang Qiling’s birthday, the Qingyu Troupe performed at the Tang residence.”

Throughout my life, when have I ever had confidence before you?

Xie Zhifei muttered inwardly, “Now it’s my turn to speak. Last night’s scholar incident—it was discovered that Lu Shi was secretly fanning the flames behind the scenes.”

This single sentence left Yan Sanhe dumbfounded.

Lu Shi was fanning the flames?

Why?

A thought vaguely surfaced in her mind. She couldn’t help looking at the person beside her.

That person was also turning to look at her, dark eyes flashing with almost the exact same gleam as Yan Sanhe’s.

“Master!”

Zhu Qing pushed through the door, his expression calm. “His Highness, following His Majesty’s command, departs for Zhejiang first thing tomorrow morning.”

Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao’s gazes met: Going to Zhejiang for what?

Zhu Qing closed the door and said in a low voice, “Supposedly three memorials from several years ago were found in Yan Ruxian’s room. One of them impeached Li Shen and Li Huai for manipulating tax revenues.”

In the study, instant silence fell like chickens.

After a long while, Young Master Pei slammed the small table heavily, furious beyond measure. “That damn dead eunuch raised by dogs! His guts were way too big!”