At this moment, Yan Sanhe inexplicably recalled something Lu Shi had once said—
“Not because his heart was soft, not because his strategies were shallow, but truly because the current Emperor’s ambitions are vast, methods ruthless, schemes profound—looking across the realm, none can match him.”
From this it could be seen that the estrangement between former Emperor and former Crown Prince—the ruler-minister barrier, the father-son barrier—should also be part of his scheming.
This also proved that despite Lu Shi exhausting his life’s effort, ultimately he could only force him to issue a self-reproaching edict—how entirely reasonable.
“Many things have become much clearer. Prince Zhao was the one scheming behind the scenes.
Yan Ruxian was the dog he released. This dog contacted Tianshi, obtained the former Emperor’s true birth characters and the method for performing witchcraft curses.”
Yan Sanhe: “Then Prince Zhao used his eyes and ears planted in the Eastern Palace to implement the entire plan. Do you know what became of Gu Lao Liu, Cairen Xia, and Female Physician Shen?”
Chu Yanting had mentioned them in his manuscript, so she believed Tang Jianxi would naturally have paid attention to these three.
Tang Jianxi had indeed paid secret attention.
“Gu Lao Liu’s informing was deemed meritorious, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard rewarded him with fifty taels of silver. The day after receiving his reward, someone severed his head and threw it in a cesspit, while his body was hung from a tree.”
Yan Sanhe: “Who did it?”
Tang Jianxi ground his teeth.
“Either his master did it, or it was someone like me—a fish that slipped through the net. Despicable scum like that—killing him ten thousand times wouldn’t be death enough.”
Yan Sanhe: “What about Cairen Xia?”
Tang Jianxi: “Cairen Xia died at the Crown Princess’s hands.”
Li Buyan interjected, “If it really was her, the Crown Princess also avenged the Crown Prince—well done.”
“Female Physician Shen is the one I suspect most.”
Tang Jianxi glanced at Li Buyan.
“After the military uprising, the Crown Princess’s remaining people were all imprisoned. Female Physician Shen was among them. Half a year later, she was suddenly released, then vanished without trace.”
“Why was she released?”
Yan Sanhe: “And why did she vanish without trace?”
Tang Jianxi shook his head. “I’m far from the capital, couldn’t gather inside information—only know the general outline.”
Yan Sanhe’s intuition told her something was wrong. She quickly asked, “What’s Female Physician Shen’s full name? Where is she from? Who are her parents?”
“Shen Duruo. From the capital. Father is Shen Wei, from a family of hereditary physicians. Mother is of the Pu clan. Shen Duruo has four older brothers above her. She’s the Shen family’s youngest daughter.”
Yan Sanhe froze.
How did things circle around and around, only to return to familiar faces?
Wasn’t Shen Wei Imperial Physician Shen, who’d even treated her foot injury before?
“Imperial Physician Shen?”
Zhu Yuanzhao at her side was also greatly shocked. “He performed the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles on my wife.”
Hearing Zhu Yuanzhao knew the Shen family, Tang Jianxi quickly pressed, “And Shen Duruo? Do you know where she is now?”
“Dead. Her coffin was delivered to the Shen family the day Zhu Xuanjiu breathed his last.”
Zhu Yuanzhao: “According to Young Master Pei, she was apparently driven from the household by Imperial Physician Shen. These years she’d been working as an itinerant physician outside, only returning home as fallen leaves to their roots after death.”
Driven from the household?
Tang Jianxi snorted coldly. “Probably did something unconscionable!”
“This…” Zhu Yuanzhao couldn’t answer.
Yan Sanhe: “What about the Eastern Palace’s remaining servants? Are they all still alive?”
“Alive?”
Tang Jianxi’s lips moved several times before saying mournfully:
“Who could survive? All dead. I roughly estimated—over twenty thousand died because of the witchcraft case. Those implicated are countless.”
Meaning, from the entire Eastern Palace, ultimately only Shen Duruo survived.
This defies logic!
Yan Sanhe looked at Zhu Yuanzhao. “After returning to the capital, we must thoroughly investigate this Shen Duruo.”
Zhu Yuanzhao nodded.
Indeed, thorough investigation was needed.
Once this person was investigated, the witchcraft case would basically be resolved, and those crows’ heart demons might also be untangled.
“Tang Jianxi, is there anything else you want to say?” Yan Sanhe asked.
Tang Jianxi shook his head.
This was the last secret in his heart, originally intended to take to the coffin.
Yan Sanhe picked up those manuscript pages. “Let me keep these three manuscripts for you.”
Tang Jianxi said nothing.
“‘When all returns to dust, I hope someone can turn this hourglass over and let the world see this true truth.'”
Yan Sanhe said softly, “Perhaps I am that ‘someone.'”
Tang Jianxi looked at her, shaking his head. “Miss Yan, it’s not that I won’t give them to you—it’s too dangerous.”
“Only by standing with death at our backs can we scheme for distant goals.”
Yan Sanhe said decisively, “If you’re not afraid, why should I be?”
Tang Jianxi was moved in an instant.
He even suddenly understood why this young woman, at such a tender age, happened to be a demon resolver.
Because only young people are fearless!
“Miss, guard them well. If…”
His throat moved, saying with difficulty, “If you can’t stay in the capital anymore, you can come live in the mountains for a while. Mingyue likes you.”
Are you calculating that I’ll face danger ahead?
Please don’t let that happen!
Yan Sanhe carefully folded the papers and tucked them into her bosom. “I’ll come up the mountain again, and it will definitely be openly and aboveboard—I won’t cause Mingyue trouble.”
“Good, good, good.”
Tang Jianxi said “good” three times in succession, quite emotional. “At that time, I’ll drink and celebrate with Miss Yan—we won’t return until drunk.”
“I don’t really drink, but Third Master does.”
Yan Sanhe showed a slight smile. “Let him accompany you.”
Speaking of Xie Third Master, Tang Jianxi felt even deeper gratitude and quickly said, “I look forward to that day coming soon.”
I look forward to it too.
“Official business is finished—let’s chat about miscellaneous matters.”
Yan Sanhe turned her gaze to Zhu Yuanzhao. “If you have anything you want to ask, divine, or assess, do it tonight. Tomorrow at first light we descend the mountain.”
Zhu Yuanzhao quickly said, “Master Tang, let me draw a talisman for the child in Miss Tang’s belly to bless him with lifelong peace and safety.”
“One talisman isn’t enough. Mine, my wife’s, my daughter and son-in-law’s—all need them.”
Tang Jianxi pointed at Zhu Yuanzhao’s nose, saying resentfully, “Your Zhu family—such wickedness!”
Zhu Yuanzhao lowered his head in shame.
…
When everyone returned to the residence, the old steward was waiting at the gate.
“Miss Yan, the rooms are still the same rooms. This old servant will lead you there.”
Yan Sanhe smiled at him, then turned to clasp her fists toward Tang Jianxi.
“We’ll rest for two hours then depart. For Madam’s side, for Mingyue’s side, please convey our apologies.”
Tang Jianxi felt somewhat reluctant. “That girl Mingyue—when she wakes and finds you gone, she’ll cry again.”
“Tell her I’ll come stay long-term in the future. She’ll be happy again.”
“This child just has a simple nature.”
“Simplicity is good—it’s a blessing.”
Yan Sanhe suddenly thought of something.
“Zhu Yuanzhao, teach Master Tang some formation techniques. This mountain is tranquil—it cannot tolerate worldly disturbance. Who knows if later there’ll be someone even cleverer than me who’ll find this place.”
Zhu Yuanzhao knew these formations were to protect the Tang family. Without hesitation, he nodded.
Tang Jianxi, however, reached out to block Yan Sanhe’s path, looking down at her, seeming to have a thousand words.
Finally, he extended his hand, placing that thin piece of white jade in Yan Sanhe’s palm.
“Take this. It’s protected me for over twenty years.”
“Does it work?”
“Yes.”
Tang Jianxi raised his head to look at the starry sky. “He’s watching from heaven.”
—