Qin Wan invited Zhan Yang into the Marquis’s residence. In the front courtyard’s guest reception hall, she dismissed everyone else to speak with Zhan Yang privately.
“Minister Li inquired about who purchased the former residence of Shen, the previous Minister of Justice?”
Zhan Yang nodded, “Yes, he sent an attendant to ask. It seemed casual, but… considering he exposed Lord Shen’s case last year, there’s no reason for him to be concerned about an abandoned residence after all this time. One of my colleagues happened to overhear the inquiry and mentioned it to me, which made me feel something was amiss.”
Seeing Qin Wan’s contemplative expression, Zhan Yang’s eyes showed a look of confirmation. “Imperial Princess, is this related to Prince Jin’s case?”
Qin Wan responded with another question instead of answering directly, “Why did you choose to tell me this?”
Though Zhan Yang’s face remained stern, he briefly lowered his gaze in slight discomfort. “Although Imperial Princess is a woman, your handling of criminal cases shows unprecedented fairness and strictness. Moreover, since you hold no official position in court, you face fewer constraints. If there are any oversights in Ning Buyi’s case, I trust Imperial Princess won’t let it remain unclear.”
Qin Wan felt her heart stir at these words. Seeing Zhan Yang’s trusting gaze, she pondered briefly before saying, “In Ning Buyi’s case, we never understood why he set up that ritual site. Though he died of poison, he showed no regret at death. It didn’t seem like he was trying to save his own life. I suspect he had other motives, or rather, someone was directing him from behind.”
Zhan Yang’s brows furrowed as his expression grew serious. “But… that ritual site was extremely malevolent. According to Master Zhang, a ritual involving seven deaths could defy heaven’s will. Whether it was Ning Buyi’s own doing or someone else behind him, their purpose must have been extraordinary.”
Qin Wan gazed at the sky outside, hesitating internally. When Zhan Yang told her that Li Muyun was also investigating Ning Buyi’s case files, a thought suddenly occurred to her. Previously, they all believed Ning Buyi’s actions were solely to save himself, or to fulfill some personal desire, whether for wealth or to save others. At least they thought he had acted on his initiative. But now Qin Wan thought differently.
When Ning Buyi committed his crimes, he had no apparent connection to Li Muyun. Yet half a year after the case was closed, because she had tracked down that old residence, Li Muyun came to investigate Ning Buyi’s case again. Li Muyun, the old residence, its former owner Wei Qin, and Wei Qin being the former owner of the Ranmo Painting Gallery – it all seemed to be connected by an invisible thread, linking Ning Buyi and Li Muyun distantly together. Even though Qin Wan couldn’t find any evidence proving they knew each other, she instinctively felt they must have some unknown connection. Meanwhile, Li Muyun was the one who pushed forward Prince Jin’s case last year.
He had exposed her father, and after the Shen family’s downfall, Prince Jin’s case lost its chief investigator, and Prince Jin “committed suicide out of guilt” immediately. Could it all be a mere coincidence? As a court official, whatever Li Muyun’s purpose, the first thing Qin Wan thought of was court factions. Following this line of thought, she wondered if Ning Buyi’s case might also be connected to court struggles.
A ritual requiring seven deaths to defy heaven’s will – could “heaven” refer not only to the actual heavens but also to the current Emperor?
This thought sent a chill down Qin Wan’s spine.
If these events were viewed as a game of chess, it was a game unlike any Qin Wan had seen before. One or two invisible hands were moving pieces in the shadows, and Ning Buyi might have been just a piece that accidentally showed itself. Once this piece emerged, those behind the scenes decisively sacrificed it, thus ending that series of bloody murders. Qin Wan didn’t believe a ritual could change any mandate of heaven, but it seemed that in the past half year, things both inside and outside the court had indeed begun to unravel. The Northwestern Army had problems, Prince Rui died unexpectedly, the struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng intensified at court, and now, the Crown Prince and Empress were in dire straits!
Even without this ritual, all of these events might still have happened, but as Qin Wan connected all the clues, she increasingly felt that Ning Buyi’s case wasn’t as simple as it appeared on the surface. And if Ning Buyi was the first piece to emerge, who was behind him?
Was it Li Muyun? Qin Wan first asked herself, but quickly shook her head. No, it couldn’t be Li Muyun.
Not only was it not Li Muyun, but she even felt that Li Muyun was also one of the pieces.
Because Li Muyun and Ning Buyi had too many similarities.
Ning Buyi was the most famous painter in the capital, moving among the noble and official families, yet he had no confidants, no close friends, and no old acquaintances. After years of working in the capital, his social connections were completely clean. Similarly, Li Muyun was the same – after years in the capital, whether within the confined space of the Ministry of Justice or throughout the court and capital, he had no close colleagues. Moreover, he never aligned himself with any faction.
Ning Buyi was the perpetrator of the serial murders, and his solitary nature was certainly to hide his true self. By the same logic, could Li Muyun be the same?
Thinking of this, Qin Wan suddenly recalled another similarity between Ning Buyi and Li Muyun.
Yan Chi had mentioned that Ning Buyi’s father died from false accusations, and Li Muyun seemed to have had a similar experience. The dark struggles in officialdom often harmed innocent people, and both Ning Buyi and Li Muyun could be considered descendants of such victims. Qin Wan’s heart suddenly tightened – could her guess be correct?
Zhan Yang stood to the side, watching Qin Wan’s expression change repeatedly, and wondered, “Imperial Princess? What’s wrong?”
Qin Wan came back to her senses. She had thought so much in an instant, and now her mind was truly in chaos. There were many theories, each with its logic and clues to follow, but if her suspicions were all true, then this game of chess involved far more than just a few deaths…
“I suspect Ning Buyi’s case might be connected to the power struggles at court.”
As soon as she said these words, Zhan Yang’s brows furrowed.
“Imperial Princess means that Ning Buyi set up the ritual not to save himself, but to help someone at court seize power?”
Qin Wan nodded, “That’s my suspicion, but there’s no concrete evidence yet. Ning Buyi killed so many people, yet showed no remorse at death, not even anger or resentment. His words carried both the relief of liberation and a sense of lonely courage in pursuing some greater cause. I didn’t notice it then, but thinking about it now, he seems like a strategist who disregarded his own life, willing to do anything for his master’s grand ambitions.”
Zhan Yang listened with a mounting alarm. As a mere captain of the guards, he didn’t share Zheng Baishi’s level of concern and had never imagined Ning Buyi’s case could reach such an inconceivable level. “Imperial Princess means… there was someone behind Ning Buyi, possibly any powerful figure at court… a prince?”
Zhan Yang mentioned “prince” because the current most intense struggle was between the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng. This was also Qin Wan’s first thought, but several things were strange. The Crown Prince was already the heir apparent – unless he planned to kill the Emperor, he wouldn’t need to resort to such evil sorcery. While Prince Cheng was a possibility, in Ning Buyi’s case, the fifth victim was Feng Zhang. Given Prince Cheng’s relationship with the Loyal Duke’s mansion, would he have Ning Buyi kill Feng Zhang?
Yan Qi and Feng Zhang were cousins, and though Qin Wan believed that if Yan Qi’s desire for the throne was strong enough, he wouldn’t care about Feng Zhang’s life, something still felt off. Ning Buyi didn’t have to choose Feng Zhang – he had prepared for a long time and knew about Feng Zhang’s relationship with Yan Qi. He had plenty of opportunities to choose another target, yet he still chose to kill Feng Zhang. This made no sense emotionally or logically.
Qin Wan frowned, “While it could be a prince, there are aspects that don’t add up. However, if my speculation is correct, several princes at court are quite possible suspects.”
Zhan Yang’s eyes darkened for a moment, “But I heard Master Zheng say that Minister Li is one of the few upright officials at court. The Crown Prince tried to win him over several times, but Minister Li skillfully declined. Master Zheng said Minister Li’s character was quite admirable.”
Qin Wan gave a bitter smile, “If Minister Li’s character is truly as it appears, that would be good. But what if he has other motives? Many court officials appear unaligned while secretly being someone’s loyal subordinate. Minister Li could be the same.”
Zhan Yang nodded, increasingly feeling that Ning Buyi’s case had too many suspicious points.
After a moment’s contemplation, Zhan Yang said, “I’ll keep an eye on movements within the prefecture office. If there’s any other news, I’ll come to inform Imperial Princess.”
Qin Wan was somewhat surprised that Zhan Yang would help her like this, but she currently lacked manpower, and the Lin’an Prefecture office where Zhan Yang worked could not obtain much information. Therefore, Qin Wan nodded, “Captain Zhan, thank you very much…”
Zhan Yang hurriedly said, “No, if I had discovered these suspicions about the case first, I would have continued investigating too. It’s just that if this case is as complex as Imperial Princess suggests, there’s very little I can do. So if Imperial Princess needs anything, I’ll help without hesitation!”
Hearing Zhan Yang’s earnest words, Qin Wan sighed internally, “You trust me so much, but have you considered that my intense interest in this case might stem from my motives? If one day you discover you’ve helped the wrong person, would you regret it?”
Zhan Yang rarely smiled, but hearing Qin Wan’s words, his lips curved upward, “Imperial Princess need not worry. I never regret my actions. I trust my judgment of people.”
With matters having reached this point, further discussion would be pointless. Qin Wan said, “Very well. Since you trust me so much, I won’t let you down. If this case truly has hidden depths, I will tell you. Regardless of my motives, we share the same goal of bringing the truth to light.”
Zhan Yang stood up, “Having Imperial Princess’s word is enough for me!”
After their lengthy conversation, Zhan Yang couldn’t stay at the Marquis’s residence much longer and soon took his leave. Qin Wan, feeling grateful, personally escorted him to the mansion gates, watching as he mounted his horse and galloped away before returning to Pine Wind Court.
Qin Wan leaned back in her warm chamber, feeling unsettled all afternoon. After that day’s conversation with Li Muyun, she had wondered if he might suspect her, but she hadn’t expected him to investigate Ning Buyi’s case files. This strongly supported her suspicions. And what did it mean that he was asking about who had acquired the Shen residence?
After a year, Li Muyun had no reason to be fixated on the Shen family’s residence. Was he asking because he suspected her? That day he had asked about her relationship with her father – was he trying to find out if she was the one who bought the residence?
The more Qin Wan thought about it, the more this theory made sense, making her even more vigilant. Her every move might already be under Li Muyun’s surveillance. If Li Muyun learned about her plans with Sun Muqing to establish a cenotaph for her parents, would it deepen his suspicions?
Being a soul in another’s body made her safe in one sense, but Qin Wan inexplicably felt uneasy.
The next morning, as Qin Wan was preparing to enter the palace after breakfast, Fuling hurried in from outside.
“Miss, something has happened…”
Qin Wan frowned and quickly looked at Fuling, “What happened?”
Fuling stepped forward and said, “The Marquis just returned from court. During the morning audience, His Majesty stripped the Crown Prince of his authority over the Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Revenue, ordering him to reflect on his actions in the Eastern Palace. The accusations against His Highness at court haven’t ceased, and in this situation, no one dares to protect the Crown Prince…”
Qin Wan was stunned. The Crown Prince had only managed these two ministries, and now with both powers stripped away, wasn’t he effectively powerless?! The Emperor ordering him to reflect in the Eastern Palace wasn’t a good sign either. If the court’s momentum turned against him, the Crown Prince’s situation would only become more precarious!
And the Empress was still under house arrest…
Though Qin Wan hadn’t seen Qin Shu, she could imagine his expression. With the Crown Prince in such straits, he, as the Crown Prince’s father-in-law, would likely be affected too. The Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household had gone from universal admiration to its current state in just a few months.
Though Qin Zhaoyu’s marriage into the Eastern Palace had brought supreme honor, the mansion’s fortunes were now tied to the Eastern Palace – this wasn’t entirely a good thing!
Qin Wan frowned slightly. Fuling asked from beside her, “Miss, do you want to do something?”
Qin Wan shook her head. Not only could she do nothing now, even if she could, she wouldn’t act rashly.
Just yesterday she had suspected Ning Buyi’s case was connected to court struggles, and today the Crown Prince was in trouble. Qin Wan wondered if the person behind Ning Buyi might be Prince Cheng or another prince, but besides Prince Cheng, who else at the court had such influence?!
The Sixth Prince’s mother was of humble birth, and he had maintained an extremely low profile over the years. As for the Eighth Prince…
Qin Wan thought of Consort Wan. Though she came from the Song Duke’s mansion, one of the three great ducal houses, and her background wasn’t low at all, she had remained very quiet in the palace these years. The Eighth Prince also rarely appeared in public view. Could it be her?
The situation was becoming increasingly complex. The dead, the living, the tangled threads seemed to be blocking Qin Wan’s vision. And the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household seemed to be still some distance from the eye of the storm. Since that was the case, she wouldn’t do anything.
“Prepare for a palace visit to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.”
At Qin Wan’s command, Fuling immediately left to have the carriage prepared.
After making some preparations, Qin Wan left Pine Wind Court. But before she had walked far, she saw Madam Hu hurrying over with an anxious expression. Seeing Qin Wan, Madam Hu quickly approached, “Wan’er! Where are you going?”
Knowing Madam Hu’s intentions, Qin Wan said, “I’m going to visit the Empress Dowager.”
Madam Hu sighed, “If you’re entering the palace, that’s perfect. You may not know yet, but something happened to the Crown Prince today. Your uncle originally wanted to go to the Eastern Palace, but His Majesty isn’t allowing anyone to see the Crown Prince now. I wondered if you could make a trip to the Eastern Palace – not to see the Crown Prince, but to visit your Eighth Sister and see what the situation is.”
This wasn’t an unreasonable request. Qin Wan nodded, “Alright, I’ll visit the Eastern Palace then.”
Madam Hu immediately relaxed, visibly showing how panicked she had been. She had thought Qin Zhaoyu’s marriage to the Crown Prince was secure, but now such an unexpected event had occurred. Qin Shu, as a male official, couldn’t meet the Crown Prince, and while she was Qin Zhaoyu’s mother, visiting the palace at this crucial moment would invite gossip. Thus, Qin Wan was the best choice – her status was quite exceptional, and even if there was some impropriety, His Majesty would likely say nothing!
Madam Hu collected herself and gave Qin Wan a few more instructions, not daring to delay her any longer, and soon sent her off.
The carriage headed straight for the palace gates, arriving at Zhengyang Gate shortly after.
Qin Wan alighted from the carriage and, after some thought, went first to Shoukang Palace. However, upon arrival, she saw Elderly Maid Chen and others standing guard outside, with the main hall’s doors half-closed. Elderly Maid Chen first paid her respects, then said softly, “Imperial Princess, Princess has arrived and is currently speaking with the Empress Dowager.”
Qin Wan realized that even though the Empress was under house arrest, there was still the Fifth Princess helping the Crown Prince, and the Fifth Princess’s words carried more weight than anyone else’s.
Qin Wan graciously said, “Then I won’t go in yet. Did Young Lord Yan Ze not come today?”
Elderly Maid Chen invited Qin Wan to sit in the side hall, saying, “He hasn’t entered the palace today. He came every day for the past two days, perhaps something detained him.”
Qin Wan thought of Sun Muqing’s words – Prince Yi wasn’t feeling well.
Qin Wan nodded and sat quietly to the side, not asking why Yan Zhen had come. Seeing Qin Wan like this, Elderly Maid Chen’s eyes filled with even more admiration, and she too waited quietly nearby. Soon after, the main hall’s doors opened, and Yan Zhen emerged supporting the Empress Dowager’s arm. Learning of Qin Wan’s arrival, the Empress Dowager stopped and called out to her. Qin Wan came out from the side hall, and after paying her respects, the Empress Dowager said, “Why didn’t you come in when you arrived?”
Elderly Maid Chen smiled, “Imperial Princess knew Princess was speaking with you and didn’t want to disturb.”
The Empress Dowager sighed helplessly, “It wouldn’t have mattered… I’m going to the Eastern Palace now, would you like to come along?”
Qin Wan was surprised, but this suited her purposes. She nodded, “Then I’ll accompany you!”
Yan Zhen looked at Qin Wan with a meaningful expression, then smiled, “Imperial Princess Yongci and Sister-in-law are sisters, of course, she should go.”
The Empress Dowager smiled, and soon her procession was assembled. Watching the Empress Dowager’s magnificent entourage head toward the Eastern Palace, the palace servants who had been shocked by the news of the Crown Prince’s loss of power earlier that morning now had different thoughts. The Empress Dowager sat high in her palanquin, while Qin Wan and Yan Zhen walked at the side. Yan Zhen glanced at Qin Wan a couple of times before suddenly coming close and saying softly, “Did you come today to gather information?”
Qin Wan smiled, “Indeed, I was entrusted by my aunt to check on Eighth Sister.”
Yan Zhen nodded, “Given the current situation, it’s indeed difficult for your uncle and aunt to enter the palace themselves.” She continued, “Tell them not to worry, I will plead with Grandmother and Father.”
Qin Wan responded appropriately on the surface but sighed internally. This young princess probably didn’t yet realize how dangerous the Crown Prince’s situation had become. She increasingly felt that Yan Chi’s previous analysis was correct, but she didn’t know if the Emperor would soften his stance because of the Fifth Princess.
Seeing Qin Wan’s silence, Yan Zhen also stopped speaking. When they reached the Eastern Palace, they saw additional Imperial Guards posted outside. These guards only took orders from the Emperor, and although it was said the Crown Prince was merely reflecting on his actions in the Eastern Palace, the presence of so many Imperial Guards indicated this was effectively house arrest.
Yan Zhen had known this already, but the Empress Dowager’s expression darkened at the sight.
Even if others were forbidden from seeing the Crown Prince, no one dared stop the Empress Dowager. Her palanquin proceeded into the Eastern Palace. The palace servants, upon receiving word, went to announce their arrival. Soon, Yan Che emerged from the main hall. “Grandmother, why have you come? Zhen’er, you…”
His words trailed off as he hadn’t expected Qin Wan to come along.
A fleeting chance crossed his face, but Qin Wan had already bowed, “Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Yan Che waved his hand and hurried forward to support the Empress Dowager, who smiled and said, “I haven’t visited for many days. Since Zhen’er and Wan’er were both with me, I brought them along.” Turning to Qin Wan, she added, “Go speak with your sister?”
Qin Wan nodded. Yan Che gave her a deep look and instructed Tang Fu, “Take Imperial Princess Yongci to see the Crown Princess.”
Qin Wan curtseyed and followed Tang Fu.
When Qin Zhaoyu received the news, she saw Tang Fu leading Qin Wan over. Tang Fu smiled, “The Empress Dowager and Crown Prince are in the main hall. The Empress Dowager asked the Imperial Princess to come speak privately with you, so you needn’t hurry to attend them.”
Qin Zhaoyu nodded, “Very well.”
The sisters exchanged glances, and Qin Zhaoyu said, “Come in with me, this is your first visit.”
Qin Wan followed Qin Zhaoyu into the courtyard noncommittally, observing the layout. While the palace pavilions and courtyards were generally spacious, and this small courtyard was certainly exquisite, Qin Wan still couldn’t feel much human warmth. But these weren’t things she should consider, nor did they matter. She put aside these thoughts as she entered the room.
Qin Zhaoyu personally poured tea for Qin Wan. “What did Father and Mother say?”
Qin Zhaoyu was quite quick to react. Qin Wan replied, “Aunt didn’t say much, just asked me to come see you in the palace and inquire about the situation.”
Qin Zhaoyu gave a bitter smile, “I expected you would come. In the current situation, they can’t easily visit the Eastern Palace. Only someone of your status can move about freely.”
Qin Wan remained noncommittal. The smile faded from Qin Zhaoyu’s face, her brows furrowing seriously, “During today’s morning court, several Ministry of Revenue officials whom the Crown Prince had vouched for were found to have evidence of corruption. Someone sent this evidence to the Censorate, and this morning, the censors collectively petitioned the throne. This angered His Majesty, who stripped the Crown Prince of his authority over both ministries in his fury.”
Qin Wan hadn’t known the details of the morning court session, but Qin Zhaoyu knew clearly, suggesting she had a good relationship with the Crown Prince.
Qin Zhaoyu continued, “These people could have been cleanly removed, but with the evidence presented, it proves the Crown Prince backed the wrong people.”
Qin Wan frowned, “Who sent the evidence to the Censorate?”
Shaking her head, Qin Zhaoyu replied in a low, serious tone, “We don’t know.”
Those simple words were enough to show how passive the Crown Prince’s position had become.
Qin Wan asked, “Not Prince Cheng?”
Qin Zhaoyu’s face showed a mocking smile, “It couldn’t be Prince Cheng. He’s been making small moves these days, and if he had such evidence, he would have eagerly attacked the Crown Prince already. These pieces of evidence are very detailed, even secretive – someone must have spent considerable effort gathering them.”
Before they could identify their enemy, the Crown Prince had already lost one round – an extremely unpleasant experience.
Qin Zhaoyu’s expression was poor; clearly, she hadn’t expected the situation to turn against the Crown Prince so quickly.
“Besides Prince Cheng, who else at court might contend with the Crown Prince for power?”
Qin Wan’s question wasn’t just about the current Censorate activity, but also about another possibility in Ning Buyi’s case.
After pondering briefly, Qin Zhaoyu shook her head, “Only Prince Cheng.”
“What about Consort Wan and the Eighth Prince?”
After Qin Wan’s question, Qin Zhaoyu narrowed her eyes for a moment, “It’s not impossible, but the Song Duke’s household is even less influential than the Loyal Duke’s. The most outrageous thing Consort Wan has done in these years was arranging for the Song family’s daughter to marry the An Yang Marquis’s heir. After that, she became even more well-behaved. I suspect she wouldn’t dare think of power struggles now unless both the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng lost their chances. Do you suspect Consort Wan?”
Qin Wan had no specific reason, she was simply considering all possible suspects within reason.
“Not really. From what I know, Consort Wan is indeed very proper. I just don’t know where else to look right now.” After a pause, Qin Wan asked, “What do you plan to do now? When will the Empress be released from confinement?”
Qin Zhaoyu gave another bitter smile, “We dare not make any rash moves now, we can only wait. As for Mother, she likely won’t be released anytime soon.”
Qin Wan listened impassively. Fearing Qin Wan might not understand, Qin Zhaoyu lowered her voice, “Mother has always been farsighted, and there are many from the Northern Army faction at court. Though the Supporting General is far in the north, if Mother were released and made some arrangements, people would speak up for the Crown Prince. The situation wouldn’t be like it is now. Whatever Father’s considerations, he won’t release Mother from confinement anytime soon. Moreover, Father has given strict orders this time – we can’t even send messages into Kunning Palace.”
Qin Wan’s heart sank, “What about the Empress? After so long, she must have guessed.”
Qin Zhaoyu sighed, “Mother never planned to submit from the beginning. After so long, even if she did submit to Father now, it would be useless.”
Qin Wan was somewhat confused. Logically, the Empress and Emperor were marriage partners, and the Empress was a very wise woman. After so long, she should know the court situation had become very unfavorable to them. Given her character, she wouldn’t just sit and wait for destruction.
“The Emperor and Empress have been married for many years, Her Majesty…”
Qin Zhaoyu continued to smile bitterly, “You don’t know…”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, not understanding Qin Zhaoyu’s meaning. Qin Zhaoyu sighed, “Mother never competed for favor. To be more direct, for many years her relationship with Father has been very distant – she even pushed Father toward Noble Consort Feng and other consorts.”
Seeing Qin Wan’s surprise, Qin Zhaoyu added helplessly, “I only gradually learned about these things after entering the palace.”
Qin Wan felt strange. Previously, she had rarely entered the palace, and whenever she saw the Empress, she always appeared dignified and generous. Though when the Emperor and Empress appeared together one could sense they weren’t particularly close, she hadn’t realized their relationship was so cold. Yet today Qin Zhaoyu spoke of it this way.
Women in the imperial harem, especially the clever ones, always tried to maintain the emperor’s favor, whether openly or secretly. Was the Empress doing this to demonstrate her motherly dignity and tolerance? But such a strategy was quite dangerous – one wrong move could lead to the emperor truly favoring others.
Seeing her lost in thought, Qin Zhaoyu continued, “Now we can only rely on Fifth Princess. Though she’s naive and about to marry, despite her disagreements with Mother, she knows what’s at stake at times like this. Sometimes… I think Mother predicted today’s situation and that’s why she arranged for her to marry far away, but… perhaps I’m overthinking it.”
Qin Wan was startled by this. Perhaps it was because she had received too much information these past two days and thought too much, but she suddenly felt that this invisible net might have ensnared the inner palace as well. The cases at court, the mysterious relationship between the Emperor and Empress, and the Empress arranging Yan Zhen’s distant marriage – could there be some unknown connections between all of these?