Zheng family burial ground.

Yan Sanhe examined the graves one by one.

Her feeling wouldn’t be wrong—the heart demon had indeed come, but as Xie Zhifei said, there was no cracked coffin, no one suffering misfortune, no aggrieved party.

The more she thought about it, the more puzzled she became, so she came to the Zheng family burial ground to see if there were any abnormalities.

But after circling three times, all the graves were intact.

Something was wrong.

Yesterday when she passed the Zheng residence, she felt as if approaching a coffin.

The Zheng family wall cracking and collapsing felt like a huge coffin cracking open, so why was the ancestral burial ground still intact?

By rights, it should have cracked too!

Yan Sanhe murmured, “Buyan, this heart demon seems different from previous ones!”

“Could it not be the Zheng family, but the old Emperor’s?”

Li Buyan folded her arms. “Should we have Third Master make arrangements for a night exploration of the imperial mausoleum to see if the coffin cracked?”

Yan Sanhe shook her head. “The imperial mausoleum has tomb keepers—it’s not that easy to explore. Young Master Pei said even having this thought could result in nine familial exterminations.”

Li Buyan: “Just tell me—is there this possibility?”

Yan Sanhe: “Yes!”

Li Buyan narrowed her eyes. “The heart demon currently corresponds to the Zheng family, correct?”

Yan Sanhe: “Correct, it’s the Zheng family. I can sense it.”

Li Buyan: “We originally planned to investigate the Zheng family, right?”

“Right!”

Yan Sanhe: “Young Master Pei promised Wu Shunian, I promised Xie Zhifei.”

“Then that’s settled.”

Li Buyan shrugged. “Whether or not it’s the old Emperor’s heart demon, investigate first. When the aggrieved party comes looking, demand more from them.”

Before Yan Sanhe could speak, Li Buyan snorted coldly. “What you need to do cannot be abandoned because of Third Master’s few words.”

“It has nothing to do with Third Master.”

Yan Sanhe’s eyes held a subtle light. “This heart demon involves the late Emperor—it’s dangerous. His worry is justified.”

Li Buyan pursed her lips dismissively. “The Zhu family’s heart demon was also dangerous. That very day Second Madam died with her unborn child. You even sensed you might die, but now you’re fine.”

It’s different, silly girl.

The Zheng family’s blood case began because of me!

Yan Sanhe didn’t elaborate, dusting off her hands. “Let’s go. We’re going down the mountain.”

Just reaching the mountain’s base, Xie Zhifei had somehow arrived, Zhu Qing beside him.

Their four eyes met, and Xie Zhifei stepped forward, his voice gentle. “Last night, a major incident occurred at the Capital Garrison.”

Yan Sanhe raised her head to look at him.

“Overnight, the horses of the Three Great Camps and the Court of Imperial Stud all collapsed. No cause could be found. If we must give a reason…”

Xie Zhifei paused, then continued, “It’s because an old horse died. That old horse’s former master was Old General Zheng Yu. Bu Liu had been caring for it. All the horses’ decline also started from the Bu Family Army first.”

Yan Sanhe’s eyelashes trembled violently.

At that moment, Zhu Qing gathered closer, speaking quietly, “Miss Yan, I observed carefully—those horses aren’t sick, and it’s definitely not plague. They’re sad—you can see it from their expressions.”

“Ten thousand horses in shared grief?”

The words that escaped Yan Sanhe’s lips startled the three people beside her, especially Xie Zhifei, whose blood surged wildly.

Ten thousand horses in shared grief?

Grieving for whom?

“Ten thousand horses in shared grief points to Old General Zheng Yu. The Zheng family wall’s collapse points to the Zheng family. Connecting this to the late Emperor’s funeral bell not ringing and the new Emperor’s celebration bell not sounding…”

Yan Sanhe’s voice was very calm. “Xie Chengyu, it seems this heart demon is quite significant!”

Xie Zhifei’s pupils suddenly contracted, involuntarily recalling Zhu Yuanmo’s words: “Concerns the nation’s fortune!”

“Whose heart demon?” he asked.

Yan Sanhe pinched the bridge of her nose, lowering her voice word by word:

“I just examined the Zheng family ancestral burial ground—no cracks. If the Crown Prince has this ability, have him find a way to check the imperial mausoleum to see if it’s the old Emperor’s. That can’t be ruled out either.”

She suddenly smiled. “But this heart demon’s direction seems to have a fight-to-the-death intention. What do you think?”

What do I think?

What can I see?

Xie Zhifei raised his head, gazing at the white clouds on the horizon, suddenly feeling as if Heaven had extended a giant hand, wanting to dig out from the mud all the secrets of this world.

“Yan Sanhe.”

He lowered his head, concealing completely the worry in his eyes deep in his heart. “Tonight, Huairen wants to see you.”

Yan Sanhe met Xie Zhifei’s gaze, silent for a long time, finally nodding once.

…

Although lanterns still glowed red on both banks of the Yongding River, it was extremely quiet. No one dared seek pleasure during the late Emperor’s mourning period.

The boat left the dock. Zhao Yishi removed his great cloak and walked in, his gaze impassively sweeping over Li Buyan.

Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao stood up—one brewing tea for him, the other moving a chair.

At the square table, Yan Sanhe sat properly drinking tea, not even glancing toward His Highness the Crown Prince.

Pei Xiao squeezed his eyes at Xie Zhifei: Why has the spirit medium become arrogant again lately?

Xie Zhifei’s tongue scraped his back molars.

Is that arrogance?

That’s because her seniority is higher.

Zhao Yishi sat down opposite Yan Sanhe. “Shen Chong, move a chair for Miss Li.”

The air suddenly stilled.

Li Buyan smoothly replied, “Your Highness, I was sitting and got tired, so I just stood up.”

Zhao Yishi’s fingers on the table rubbed together. “If you get tired of standing, sit down again later.”

Li Buyan: “Fine!”

Beside them, Pei Xiao, who was pouring tea, twitched at the corner of his mouth.

For some reason, his heart felt uncomfortable. His peripheral vision glanced at Zhao Huairen, and he found this person annoying too.

The young lady already declined you—why are you still approaching to show concern?

Can’t you just treat the young lady like air?

“Young Master Pei, the tea is overflowing.”

Pei Xiao started. “Ah, my eyes are failing.”

“I’ll do it!”

Shen Chong took the small clay stove from his hands. “Young Master Pei, go sit.”

Pei Xiao sat down without a word. Looking up, he found both Xie Zhifei’s and Yan Sanhe’s gazes directed at him.

What are you looking at?

What’s so interesting!

Pei Xiao lowered his head to drink tea, his peripheral vision glancing toward the person standing behind him. His heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles, scraped by a hundred claws—altogether uncomfortable.

“Miss Yan.”

Zhao Yishi got straight to the point. “I imagine Chengyu has already told you about many things.”

Only now did Yan Sanhe glance at Zhao Yishi. “He said what needed saying.”

Zhao Yishi: “I want to ask Miss Yan for something.”

Ask?

Yan Sanhe: “Speak.”

Zhao Yishi: “I ask Miss Yan to help investigate the Zheng family case secretly.”

With these words, except for Yan Sanhe, everyone’s expressions changed.

“From the strange sounds in the late Emperor’s coffin, to the bells not ringing, to the wall collapsing, and now the horses having problems… very likely all are related to the Zheng family case.”

Zhao Yishi’s tone was sincere and gentle.

“His Majesty has commanded me to lead the Three Judicial Offices in thoroughly reinvestigating the Zheng family case. I don’t trust the Three Judicial Offices people, but I trust you, trust Chengyu, trust Mingting. Please don’t refuse me, Miss Yan.”

Yan Sanhe’s expression was placid. “Why seek me?”

Zhao Yishi: “Because Miss Yan is a demon resolver. Resolving demons is solving cases.”

Yan Sanhe: “What if I refuse?”