As Xie Zhifei turned his gaze toward the window, Yan Sanhe lowered her head.

On the surface, one hundred eighty people died in the Zheng family.

But behind these one hundred eighty people, how many others grieved and sorrowed over their tragic deaths, even dying early themselves?

“I truly bear deep sins!”

Yan Sanhe said to herself inwardly.

She silently raised her eyes to look at Old Lady Zhao. “You just said you had a bellyful of words for me. Have you finished now?”

“No, no.”

Old Lady Zhao leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Young lady, we three women have a suspicion in our hearts.”

Yan Sanhe’s ears caught the old lady’s words, but from the corner of her eye, she watched Xie Zhifei’s profile.

What was wrong with him?

Why did he keep looking out the window?

“Old Lady, please speak.”

Old Lady Zhao looked mysterious: “I think the problem with the Zheng family matter might lie with Huantang.”

Yan Sanhe withdrew her gaze: “Why do you say that? Do you have any evidence?”

Old Lady Zhao answered very firmly: “Yes!”

Because their daughter had given birth to ghost fetuses, whenever the couple met their son-in-law, they would plead a few words, asking him to treat Qingyun well for their sake and absolutely not mistreat her.

At first, their son-in-law would always agree readily: “Father, Mother, rest assured—I won’t mistreat her.”

Several years later, when they brought it up again as usual, he added another sentence after those words: “I’m the one who wronged her!”

“My father and mother didn’t think anything of it at first.”

Zhao Fanglin: “That time when I went to the capital, we sat drinking together. When he’d reached about seventy or eighty percent drunk, he was slightly tipsy and grabbed my hand, saying, ‘Second Brother, I wronged Qingyun.'”

Zhao Fanglin would never forget the pained expression on Zheng Huantang’s face when he said those words.

At first he didn’t think much of it either, but upon reflecting carefully afterward, something wasn’t right.

It was his sister who brought misfortune to husbands.

It was also his sister who gave birth to ghost fetuses.

It was also his sister who caused her husband to lose the General’s favor.

In such circumstances, any other man would have long since issued divorce papers and remarried someone better.

Not only did Huantang not divorce her, he even took good care of the Zhao family members. Where was there even the slightest wrong done to his sister?

Zhao Dongrong: “The Zheng family case wasn’t done by someone named Wu. We wondered—did Huantang provoke some formidable enemy outside, or did some mistake occur, which is why he said those words about wronging Qingyun?”

Pei Xiao blurted out: “This doesn’t make sense! It’s unreasonable! Let me analyze it for you…”

“Mingting!”

Yan Sanhe spoke up to stop him, then said to the Zhao family mother and sons:

“I’ve noted all your suspicions and will investigate thoroughly when I return. If there’s nothing else to say, lead us to Old Master Zhao’s memorial tablet.”

Pei Xiao was shocked: “What for?”

Yan Sanhe: “To offer Old Master Zhao a stick of incense.”

Pei Xiao was shocked again.

Offer incense for what?

Old Master Zhao and they were people with no connection whatsoever?

Xie Zhifei, who’d been looking out the window, turned his face at this moment. Lifting his eyes, they met Pei Xiao’s pair filled with doubt.

He took a deep breath: “Since we’re already here, let’s offer one.”

Pei Xiao: “…”

These words sounded so awkward to him.

What did “since we’re already here” mean?

…

The memorial tablet was in the ancestral hall. Ordinarily, women couldn’t enter.

But Yan Sanhe was now acting in her capacity as an official investigating the case. The Zhao family members didn’t dare say anything and invited the three into the ancestral hall.

Light incense, insert incense, kneel and bow.

Yan Sanhe and Xie Zhifei performed each action meticulously.

When kowtowing, both simultaneously used their foreheads to touch the ground, producing a soft “thud.”

Utterly devout.

Pei Xiao felt a strange sensation rising from the soles of his feet to his lower abdomen.

Damn it, kowtowing to an unrelated person, and kowtowing so enthusiastically—had these two been possessed?

Should I kowtow or not?

Should I also kowtow until it makes a “thud” sound?

Pei Xiao ground his back molars and forcefully touched his forehead to the ground.

Thud—

These days, resolving an inner demon was getting harder and harder. Not only did it tax the brain, but the forehead too.

…

After offering incense.

Yan Sanhe walked to the outer room and looked directly at the eldest son Zhao Dongrong: “Do you have relatives or friends? Take the old lady away immediately to avoid trouble for half a month.”

Zhao Dongrong was startled by the sharpness in her eyes. “Miss Yan, this is…”

“Don’t ask why. Do as I say.”

Yan Sanhe: “Also, if your Zhao family encounters any difficulties, go to…”

“Come find me at the Five Cities Military Commissioner’s Office.”

Xie Zhifei removed the jade pendant from his body and pressed it into Zhao Dongrong’s hand. “Big matters, small matters—all are fine. I’ll help.”

Yan Sanhe glanced at Xie Zhifei: “That’s right. Finding him is finding me.”

Zhao Dongrong was so frightened he began to stammer. “Miss Yan, Magistrate Xie, this…”

Xie Zhifei patted his shoulder: “No need for courtesy. Miss Yan and I both have deep respect for scholars.”

Zhao Dongrong nodded half-believing.

Yan Sanhe looked at Old Lady Zhao in the distance: “If the old lady passes away, please also send us word. We’ll come to see her off.”

As the words fell, the expressions of both Zhao Dongrong and Pei Xiao changed dramatically.

Zhao Dongrong’s face showed deep emotion.

How could officials in the capital nowadays all be so humane?

Pei Xiao’s face showed horror.

Offering incense to someone’s old man wasn’t enough—they also wanted to see the old lady off on her final journey. This, this, this…

These two must be possessed by something.

…

Stepping out through the doorway threshold, Xie Zhifei whistled sharply. Zhu Qing and Li Buyan returned one after the other.

Both shook their heads at Yan Sanhe simultaneously.

Xie Zhifei spoke somewhat hesitantly: “Should we leave Zhu Qing to follow the Zhao family for a few days?”

“Let me think about it.”

After pacing back and forth several times, Yan Sanhe stopped before Zhu Qing. “After escorting them away safely, come back.”

Zhu Qing: “Yes!”

Xie Zhifei breathed a sigh of relief, patted Zhu Qing’s shoulder, then called for everyone to mount their horses.

Not daring to delay even half a moment, the four immediately set out to return to the capital.

They rode continuously for four hours. The sky suddenly darkened. Li Buyan looked at the horizon. “Sanhe, Third Master, I’m afraid rain is coming soon.”

Yan Sanhe: “Find an official relay station. Rest and recuperate, eat something. We’ll set out again after the rain stops.”

They did need to eat. They’d spent most of the day at the Zhao family drinking bellyful after bellyful of tea without eating a single grain of rice.

Soon they reached a relay station. The four ordered a table of food.

When the dishes were all served, rain indeed poured down.

Fortunately the rain came quickly and left quickly. After eating their fill, the four set out again.

This journey had no more stops. When the sky grew faintly light, the four reached the estate.

Hearing the commotion, Ding Yi and Huang Qi hurried over.

Ding Yi’s first words upon seeing Yan Sanhe were: “Miss Yan, I inquired thoroughly with Lord Zhu about the ghost fetus matter.”

Yan Sanhe: “What did Zhu Yuanmo say?”

“Lord Zhu calculated based on the approximate birth characters of the Zheng family twins. He said…”

Ding Yi paused: “Not only would this pair of twins not harm the Zheng family—they would bring prosperity to the Zheng family.”

“Now we have evidence.”

Pei Xiao’s weary face immediately perked up: “Begonia Courtyard definitely, absolutely has problems. Big problems.”

Yan Sanhe looked at the excitement on Pei Xiao’s face. Her hand hanging at her side clenched lightly as her lips curved into an arc.

She’d made this trip to the Zhao family and inquired with Zhu Yuanmo precisely to get Pei Xiao to personally say these words.

But it wasn’t enough.

She still needed one more person: Zheng Huantang.

To the side, Xie Zhifei looked at the curve of Yan Sanhe’s lips and pressed his throbbing temples.

Another step closer to this girl’s identity being exposed.