Xie Zhifei leaped onto his horse and headed straight for the villa.

Passing Four Lanes, he pulled on the reins with one hand, slowing the horse’s pace.

Looking up.

Still that same withered tree.

Except the tender buds on the tree had already grown into leaves, green and verdant, facing the spring light with an indescribably moving loveliness.

Dead wood meeting spring—this wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Not only did Xie Zhifei not find it attractive, a trace of panic surged in his heart. His heartbeat accelerated, and he felt certain something was about to happen.

Behind him, Ding Yi saw his master had stopped and was about to urge him forward when Zhu Qing’s blade-sharp gaze looked over.

He shrank back in fright, questioning with his eyes in two words: What for?

Zhu Qing’s brows pressed down, replying with his eyes in two words: Shut up.

Just then, desperate shouting came from the distance.

“Third Master, Third Master!”

Seeing the arrival was Huangqi, Xie Zhifei quickly rode to meet him. “What is it, why the urgent shouting?”

Huangqi dismounted and walked to Xie Zhifei’s side. “Third Master, a quarter-hour ago, my master was summoned into the palace.”

No wonder his heart was racing—it was responding to this matter.

Xie Zhifei’s expression remained calm. “Put your heart back in your belly. Your master usually seems unreliable, but at critical moments he’s someone who can handle things.”

Huangqi knitted his brows. “Third Master, the one who came wasn’t a palace attendant, but Imperial Guards.”

What?

Xie Zhifei stiffened.

He hadn’t anticipated the new Emperor would send Imperial Guards to summon Pei Xiao. A trace of worry flashed through his eyes.

“Zhu Qing.”

“Master?”

“Go to Duanmu Palace once and hear what His Highness says.”

“Yes!”

“Huangqi.”

“Third Master?”

“Go wait for your master at the palace gate. If he hasn’t emerged by nightfall, have your old master find a way to fish him out.”

“Yes!”

Ding Yi watched the two gallop away, quickly spurring his horse forward several steps. “Master, Young Lord Pei he…”

“Hopefully it will be danger without disaster!”

Xie Zhifei turned his head. “You go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and inquire whether Cai Si was also summoned to the palace.”

Just as the words fell, a streak of white light cut across the sky, followed immediately by a rumbling sound.

The horse grew restless and agitated. Just as Xie Zhifei was about to pull on the reins, suddenly one foot stepped into empty air, and his entire body plunged sharply downward.

In that instant.

In his ear rang Zhu Yuanmo’s words: I don’t even need to divine—just that feeling of stepping into empty air tells me it’s an omen of great evil and calamity.

…

“Thunder on Qingming?”

Li Buyan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, shaking his head like a rattle drum. “Not a good omen.”

Yan Sanhe didn’t raise her head, continuing to burn her paper offerings.

“Burning so much, Grandfather Yan alone can’t use it all.”

Li Buyan’s injury had healed seven or eight parts. His squatting motion was as agile as before. “Among this, there’s some being burned for the Zheng Family, right!”

What belonged to the Zheng Family should be burned at the Zheng Family ancestral graves.

This was being burned for Father, Maternal Grandfather, and Mother.

Yan Sanhe casually hummed acknowledgment, stirring the tree branch in her hand. “Big ghosts and small ghosts are all troublesome. Burn more, and their days can be a bit easier.”

Footsteps sounded. Looking back, it was Xie Zhifei.

Li Buyan exclaimed “Oh,” smiling as he asked: “The weight has arrived—where’s the steelyard weight? Has it come?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Li Buyan stood up. “Never heard ‘weights and measures can’t be separated’?”

Think you’re the only one who can speak in roundabout ways?

Xie Zhifei’s gaze looked at the person on the ground, casually saying: “He’s busy with something.”

Li Buyan nodded with satisfaction. “Knowing when to retreat from difficulty—a child worth teaching!”

Xie Zhifei suddenly raised his head. “Who’s retreating from difficulty?”

Li Buyan looked at Xie Zhifei incredulously, tossing out “Keeping secrets—truly brothers” before swaying away.

Xie Zhifei squatted down. “What riddle is this great hero speaking?”

Yan Sanhe wasn’t someone who gossiped. Since Young Lord Pei hadn’t told Third Master, naturally he had his reasons for not telling.

She shook her head to indicate she didn’t know either, then asked: “Qingming Festival—what are you doing here?”

“Inviting you to burn some paper and offer incense for my good brother.”

Xie Zhifei lowered his head a bit, looking into her eyes. “Going or not?”

His good brother was Zheng Huaizuo.

“Going!”

The man’s lacquer-black pupils reflected firelight, the tenderness in his eyes suddenly surging forth. Watching made Yan Sanhe’s spirit waver, and as if possessed by ghosts and spirits, she added another sentence:

“Who told Third Master to be so full of feeling and righteousness!”

Xie Zhifei smiled silently, the unease in his heart also fading somewhat. “We’ll set out in half an hour.”

…

Fearing heavy rain, the two abandoned horses for a carriage, with Xie Zhifei personally driving.

Strangely, when the carriage reached the mountain’s base, the heavens only flashed lightning and rumbled dully—not a single raindrop fell.

Seeing a fair and clean young lady descend from the carriage, Bu Liu’s knife-like eyes stabbed directly at Xie Zhifei.

Xie Zhifei remained unhurried and completely open. “Yan Sanhe, the person in my heart.”

Hearing this, Bu Liu’s entire body instinctively turned around, fearing that if delayed even an instant, his rough and crude appearance would frighten the young lady.

Young master, you should at least have sent word ahead! Looking like this…

Aiya!

If only I’d known, I would have dressed up today.

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei had drafted this speech all along the way.

“This is Bu Liu, General Bu, my good brother who once served under Old General Zheng Yu. He and I became acquainted through conflict when capturing Tatar spies.”

Hearing he was once a soldier under Old General Zheng, Yan Sanhe immediately walked before Bu Liu and cupped her hands. “General Bu, my apologies.”

She, she, she cupped her hands to me!

Bu Liu had never seen such a forthright and generous young lady, nor had he ever seen any young lady with pupils so black, so bright.

He hastily squeezed out a smile. “Miss Yan, I’m just a rough fellow, you, you don’t mind.”

Yan Sanhe: “A rough fellow who protects home and country, who was born with a righteous and benevolent heart—I respect you before it’s too late. Why would I mind?”

Bu Liu: “…”

His eyes glanced over at Xie Zhifei: Young master, excellent eye!

Of course!

Must be excellent.

Xie Zhifei coughed once. “This rain doesn’t know when it will fall. We should quickly go up the mountain.”

Bu Liu thought the delicate young lady might have difficulty, so he quickly led his horse over. “Miss Yan, I’ll lead you up the mountain.”

“No need, I can climb!”

Not only could Yan Sanhe climb, her breathing remained steady throughout.

Bu Liu suddenly understood why the young master wanted to bring her along—the old general seeing her would surely be pleased!

In just under half an hour, the three reached the Zheng Family graves.

Bu Liu arranged the previously prepared offerings before the graves one by one, lit two candles, placed an incense burner between the candles, and inserted three sticks of incense in the burner.

Everything ready, Xie Zhifei stepped forward to kowtow and pay respects.

After he finished kowtowing, Bu Liu also kowtowed three times.

Yan Sanhe didn’t move, only quietly watching from the side.

After kowtowing, Xie Zhifei and Bu Liu began burning paper. In the firelight, both men thought of past events, their expressions very grave.

Bu Liu felt it wasn’t right that Yan Sanhe neither knelt nor bowed.

Although she hadn’t performed the rites, since the young master had brought her along, she should at least fulfill some filial piety.

He grabbed a handful of spirit money and stuffed it into Yan Sanhe’s hands.

“Miss Yan, you burn some too.”

“Alright!”

Yan Sanhe squatted beside Xie Zhifei and tossed several pieces of spirit money down.

The paper touched fire and quickly ignited.

Just then, a tremendous thunderclap struck down, startling all three.

In the same instant, over ten li away in the capital, lightning suddenly flashed and thunder roared. Fierce wind mixed with torrential rain poured down.

The rain was heavy and urgent, practically pounding down.

The thunder was even more outrageous, truly earth-shaking.

Pedestrians on the roads, terrified, ran with heads covered.

Amid the chaos, with a tremendous boom, the earth of the capital trembled lightly several times.