“Miss Yan.”

Xie Daozhi suddenly looked toward Yan Sanhe: “To establish the eldest legitimate son, or to establish the worthy and able—which is better?”

Yan Sanhe said nothing.

She knew Xie Daozhi didn’t truly want an answer from her.

“I’m well-versed in history. Throughout the ages, those who raised the banner of ‘establish the worthy’ ultimately ended with rivers of blood and the realm in turmoil.

Because who is worthy or not, no one knows. But whether someone is eldest legitimate or not is always clear at a glance.”

Xie Daozhi: “So though the Crown Prince has this fault and that inadequacy, he is the safest, most stable heir.

If he were deposed, princes from various regions would imitate the Prince of Han. You scrambling, me grabbing—needless to say brothers killing each other, the entire Hua Kingdom would fall into unprecedented crisis.”

Yan Sanhe: “So what?”

Xie Daozhi stood and made a fist salute toward the palace direction.

“I, Xie Daozhi, receive the ruler’s salary and should fulfill the ruler’s affairs. Not to mention serving country and people, serving realm and state—just the sage texts I’ve read won’t allow me to stand by and watch.”

Yan Sanhe: “Fulfilling the ruler’s affairs has many forms. You could submit memorials, you could remonstrate unto death. Did you do any of these?”

“Miss Yan arrived in the capital recently and doesn’t know what happened in the court these past years. In the struggle between Crown Prince and Prince of Han, those who submitted memorials went to prison, those who remonstrated unto death died in vain. So many sacrificed themselves.”

Xie Daozhi’s expression showed grief.

“The Late Emperor was an enlightened ruler whose achievements compare to Tang Taizong and Song Taizu. But in this one matter, allow me to speak great disrespect—he was confused.”

Yan Sanhe sneered inwardly.

This comparison was truly apt. Tang Taizong killed brothers and imprisoned his father to reach high position. Song Taizu launched the Chenqiao Mutiny, donned the yellow robe, and seized the realm. Both were the most ruthless of men.

“The crisis facing the Crown Prince then—you’ve investigated this far, your hearts are all crystal clear.”

Xie Daozhi’s lips turned somewhat gray. “But there’s one matter you definitely couldn’t investigate.”

“What matter?”

“The Late Emperor summoned us important court ministers one by one to discuss deposing the heir.”

Xie Daozhi would never forget that day.

In the imperial study, there wasn’t even an attendant—only sovereign and minister.

The Late Emperor asked as if casually: “What does Daozhi think of the Crown Prince?”

Hearing these words, Xie Daozhi broke out in cold sweat. Those on the throne—forget asking questions aloud, even furrowing their brows carried deep meaning.

Asking about the Crown Prince showed he was dissatisfied with the Crown Prince to the extreme.

In his urgency, inspiration struck. He answered: “How the Crown Prince is, this subject cannot say well. But the Crown Prince’s heir is a worthy heir.”

These words subtly reminded the Emperor that the Crown Prince’s heir was the future heir he personally cultivated.

Deposing the Crown Prince meant deposing the Crown Prince’s heir too.

“After His Majesty heard my words, he didn’t speak for a long time. Finally he waved his hand dismissing me.”

Even now recalling this, Xie Daozhi still felt waves of fear.

“But I knew clearly in my heart—one phrase ‘worthy heir’ couldn’t hold for long. As soon as the Prince of Han returned victorious, His Majesty would change the heir no matter what.”

Yan Sanhe: “So you turned your attention to the Zheng family?”

“Miss Yan, with Northern Territory victory reports coming frequently, the situation was urgent. Making arrangements elsewhere was already too late. I could only work on the Prince of Han and Zheng Yu.”

Reaching the crucial point, Xie Daozhi clenched his hands into fists.

“The Prince of Han’s fief was in Jinling. The people I sent out brought no good news for a long time. But on the Zheng family side, I discovered something suspicious.”

Yan Sanhe: “What suspicious thing?”

Xie Daozhi: “Haitang Courtyard.”

These three words made Pei Xiao and the others’ hearts leap to their throats. Their gazes couldn’t help but glance at Yan Sanhe before quickly looking away.

Xie Zhifei, covering his chest, sat up straight, staring at Xie Daozhi, inwardly on guard.

Yan Sanhe remained very calm: “Explain in detail—what did you discover?”

At this moment, nothing could steady hearts better than this question. Pei Xiao even felt an impulse to kneel before her.

Truly worthy of being a spirit medium—so composed.

“No one had ever seen the true faces of the Haitang Courtyard twins from birth to age eight. People born on the fourteenth of the seventh month are indeed ghost fetuses…”

Xie Daozhi’s gaze suddenly fell on Xie Zhifei, carrying some affection.

“Ghost fetuses bring misfortune to people, but there are many ways to resolve it. Locking two children in Haitang Courtyard never seeing daylight—that’s the stupidest method. Why would Zheng Yu do this?”

Yan Sanhe’s eyes instantly darkened.

In this world, no one understood ghost fetuses better than Xie Daozhi. His third son was a ghost fetus.

Third Master wasn’t just a ghost fetus, but one with extremely poor health.

For his sake, the Xie family had fortune tellers calculate his fate, had monks and Daoist priests chant scriptures. Even now they held an annual ritual for him.

No wonder he became suspicious of Haitang Courtyard.

Yan Sanhe: “Anything else?”

“Yes!”

Xie Daozhi: “Shortly after the twins were born, all the wet nurses and servants in Haitang Courtyard were driven out. Why? Is that normal?”

Yan Sanhe’s pupils reflected candlelight. She deliberately asked: “What’s abnormal about it? If they didn’t perform well, they should be replaced.”

“Miss Yan.”

A strange smile gradually appeared at the corner of Xie Daozhi’s lips.

“Do you know how difficult it is for families like ours to find a wet nurse? We investigate three generations of ancestors. Unless the wet nurse committed a grave error, we wouldn’t easily dismiss her.”

Yan Sanhe fell silent.

There were many clever people in this world. Clever people with scheming were fewer. Xie Daozhi was one of them.

Seeing Yan Sanhe say nothing, Xie Daozhi continued.

“There’s one matter Miss Yan probably doesn’t know. After the deposed Crown Prince’s defeat, servants in his residence were confined there for half a year. A rumor circulated among the servants, even spreading to the Imperial Guards.”

Yan Sanhe showed some surprise: “What rumor?”

Xie Daozhi: “Some said that on the night the Crown Prince raised his rebellion, they heard an infant’s crying.”

Yan Sanhe’s eyelid trembled violently.

That crying was her first cry upon entering this world after her mother Liang Shi applied the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles.

At the time, Mother Liang stamped her feet anxiously, even shouting at her: “My child, cry more softly!”

These details were all recorded in Mother’s notebook.

She never imagined that this cry had truly been heard.

Her nails dug deeply into her palms. Yan Sanhe felt no pain and forced herself to say: “You believe rumors? Perhaps someone heard wrong?”

“Rumors aren’t credible.”

Xie Daozhi’s right hand touched his left, gripping hard. “But the more unfounded something is, doesn’t it arouse more suspicion?”

Yan Sanhe’s expression changed subtly: “So you had no concrete evidence about the Zheng family matter.”

Xie Daozhi’s face showed slight exposure: “I wanted to find concrete evidence, but…”

“But what?”

“No return.”

“What does that mean?”

Xie Daozhi’s hands clasped together, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

“Twins’ appearances must be similar. As long as someone took one look, they could confirm whether Haitang Courtyard had any problems.”

Yan Sanhe’s eyelid jumped heavily.

“So you sent someone to break into Haitang Courtyard?”