Yan Sanhe was secretly shocked.

So this Wu Guanyue had the blood of two generations of royal families flowing in his veins.

“I don’t understand Wu Guanyue’s early life, much less know he had such a connection with Old Matriarch Ji.”

Xie Zhifei said, “I only know he was later trusted by his uncle the emperor and step by step became a power minister.”

“A power minister—is that like your father?”

“My father is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from him.”

Xie Zhifei patiently explained.

“A power minister means below one person, above ten thousand people—with overwhelming power and influence, even able to cover the sky with one hand.”

Yan Sanhe was stunned before saying, “For a person to climb to that height, to cover the sky with one hand, they must have real ability.”

“You’re right.”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Yan Sanhe.

“They say this person was extremely intelligent and very capable. After taking power, he reformed many of the Chen Dynasty’s abuses. The Chen family all hated him to death, but the common people supported and loved him.”

At this point, Xie Zhifei smiled self-deprecatingly.

“Now you should understand why after all these years in exile, he still can’t be found!”

Yan Sanhe hummed in acknowledgment and picked up her tea bowl for a sip.

To calm her shock.

The Wu clan royal family was destroyed by the Li clan, the Li clan royal family was destroyed by the Chen clan, and finally the Chen clan royal family was destroyed by the Wu clan…

What kind of karmic cycle was this?

Setting down the tea bowl, she asked again, “Is there more to Wu Guanyue’s story?”

“There is!”

Xie Zhifei seemed to have grown tired of standing. He found a bamboo chair to sit in and also moved one for Pei Xiao, gesturing for him to sit and listen.

Pei Xiao had actually been sitting on the well’s edge all along, ears perked up, not missing a single word.

He walked over and kicked Xie Zhifei’s toe.

“How come you know so much? When did you investigate all this?”

“Are you going to listen or not? If not, get lost.”

“Hey, did you light a firecracker?”

Pei Xiao glared at him. “I just exclaimed once—is that necessary? Hurry up and show me that dimpled smile of yours.”

Show your grandpa!

Xie Zhifei felt like he’d been molested by his “ancestor.”

Third Master didn’t know the ancestor’s mood was extremely complex at this moment—the kind where if she didn’t make a few cutting remarks, she couldn’t go on living.

My maternal grandmother who never left her inner chambers—how did you get entangled with such a person?

“Wu Guanyue married at twenty. His wife was chosen by the Princess Imperial. Later, he took several concubines.”

“Wait!”

Yan Sanhe suddenly interrupted, “When he was twenty, Old Matriarch Ji was eighteen and had already been in the capital for two years.”

Xie Zhifei met her gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Yan Sanhe thought for a moment, then added, “I’m just wondering—who wronged whom first between them?”

Xie Zhifei frowned. “Does it make a difference?”

“It does!”

Yan Sanhe said, “If the old matriarch wronged him first, then the possibility that the old matriarch’s inner demon is Wu Guanyue becomes heavier by one degree—because of guilt.”

“What if Wu Guanyue wronged her first?”

“For a heartbreaker, I don’t think the old matriarch should be so persistent.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze shifted. “Master Pei, what do you think?”

I think your words have hidden meaning.

But I have no proof!

Pei Xiao cleared his throat. “I think if Wu Guanyue wronged the old matriarch first, she would have been very willing to go to the capital to enjoy her fortune and wouldn’t have said such harsh words about never coming back.”

Yan Sanhe said, “The brain that ate the egg is indeed different—Master Pei is clever.”

Pei Xiao: “…”

Is this divine woman praising me or cursing me?

I’m coaxing you!

Yan Sanhe said, “Third Master, please continue.”

“Strangely, though he had wives and concubines, he only had one son under his knees. They say he valued this son extremely highly.”

Xie Zhifei’s eyes suddenly became chilly.

“In the bloodbath, only the father and son survived in the end. That’s everything I know.”

The words ended abruptly there.

Yan Sanhe sketched out Wu Guanyue’s general image in her mind—intelligent, power-hungry, ruthless, loving toward his son, someone who must have revenge, and also someone who robbed the rich to help the poor!

Such a complex person…

Yan Sanhe looked at Pei Xiao. “Master Pei, Sister Zhen said one thing correctly.”

“I know.”

Pei Xiao sighed with deep feeling. “This person is far more capable than my maternal grandfather. The Ji family truly can’t compare. Yes, my maternal grandmother had excellent judgment.”

“Third Master.”

Yan Sanhe looked at Xie Zhifei. “If I wanted to go to Great Qi Kingdom, what would I need to prepare?”

Xie Zhifei wasn’t the least bit surprised she would say such a thing.

Wu Guanyue disappeared in Great Qi Kingdom, and with the common people supporting him so much, the greatest possibility was that the father and son were hiding under assumed names in some inconspicuous small place in Great Qi Kingdom.

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei now called her by full name quite smoothly.

“It’s very simple. Have Mingting go to Nanning Prefecture’s yamen to get travel documents. With Mingting’s status, he might even obtain a letter from the prefect.”

“What use is a letter?”

“Great Qi Kingdom has a Provincial Administration Commission established by the Emperor. With a letter, they can help search for people. However…”

Xie Zhifei frowned slightly. “Don’t hold too much hope.”

Before Yan Sanhe could speak, he sighed again. “It might be a waste of time.”

Yan Sanhe really wanted to ask him—

Third Master, what’s wrong with you? Why do you keep saying discouraging things? Aren’t you best at coaxing people with your dimples?

“I want to go to Great Qi Kingdom to try my luck.”

Luck?

Xie Zhifei turned his head away and sneered coldly.

If luck could find people, what would the Jinyiwei be for?

Yan Sanhe stood up and walked before Pei Xiao.

“I have a thought.”

“What?”

“I believe your maternal grandmother must be accompanying us somewhere we cannot see.”

“Ahhh—”

Pei Xiao jumped up from the bamboo chair and threw himself into Xie Zhifei’s arms, then looked up to meet Xie Zhifei’s gaze.

Pei Xiao: Brother, the divine woman is scaring me!

Xie Zhifei: Brother, what guilty thing did you do to fear even Old Matriarch Ji?

Xie Zhifei pushed him away. “Yan Sanhe, why do you say that?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange?”

Yan Sanhe pointed at the bamboo chair where Sister Zhen had sat.

“If we’d arrived one step later, that bit of the past between Hu Sanmei and Wu Guanyue would have been buried in the earth with Sister Zhen.”

Xie Zhifei asked, “You think she’s secretly protecting us?”

“I think… she herself wants to find an answer.”

Yan Sanhe’s cold black eyes looked at him. “An answer about the past.”

Xie Zhifei looked at her.

From top to bottom, from eyes to lips, then to her hanging hands.

He didn’t know why, but a thought suddenly surfaced: If that person could have lived to her age, she probably would have had such fine looks too!

“Whatever you do, I support you. Mingting and I will arrange the Great Qi Kingdom matter.”

Xie Zhifei smiled, his dimples deep.