On the road back to the capital, hearts yearned to return like arrows, and the two carriages traveled almost day and night without stopping.

When Zhu Qing tired of driving, Third Master took over.

When Huang Qi tired of driving, Li Buyan took over.

When the horses tired of running, they simply changed horses at the post stations.

Most moving of all, the carriage bodies handmade by the monks—crude though they were—weren’t just ordinarily sturdy. After running most of the journey, they still hadn’t fallen apart.

But the people had fallen apart.

Master Pei spent entire days curled up in the carriage. In his own words, he’d been jolted to within one breath of death.

Yan Sanhe also spent entire days curled up in the carriage, sleeping and sleeping some more. She seemed determined to make up for all the sleep she’d missed these past two months.

Most abnormal on this journey was Third Master Xie.

He spoke little, ate little, and his face had become haggard.

Zhu Qing watched with pain in his heart, thinking how fresh-faced Third Master had been two months ago.

Standing in a crowd, he had both the physique and the looks—which young lady or little wife didn’t take a second glance?

But now…

He’d practically become a wild man!

Not only had he become a wild man, his sweet tongue had disappeared too, turning into a sharp-mouthed gourd. No matter how Pei Xiao teased him, he only responded with one word: Scram!

Seeing this, Li Buyan secretly grabbed Zhu Qing’s sleeve during a rest period and asked: How does your Third Master normally… release his tensions? Should we help find someone on the road to, you know, help him release them?

Zhu Qing was so embarrassed even the soles of his feet turned red.

Thinking: What kind of person asks such things! What kind of young lady asks about these matters?

Twenty-five days later one evening, the two carriages simultaneously, as if by agreement, had all four wheels snap at once.

The six people could only abandon the carriages and ride horses.

They hadn’t ridden long when they saw in the distance that official post station where they’d once rested—the very place where Zhou Ye had made off with their silver.

Thinking of Zhou Ye, everyone simultaneously turned to look south toward Nanning Prefecture as they dismounted, feeling sorrowful.

“Third Master!”

A voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Xie Zhifei turned around, frowning. “How are you here?”

Seeing his master, Ding Yi first froze, then his eyes grew watery.

“My lord, how did you become like this?”

Strange clothing aside, dust-covered face aside, unkempt beard aside—why had he gotten so thin his chin had turned pointed?

Looking like this was already pretty good!

Xie Zhifei touched his beard. “I asked you a question—how are you here?”

Ding Yi wiped away tears. “This servant waited and waited for you to come, my lord. Getting anxious, I came out to meet you.”

Father and eldest brother must have gotten anxious.

Xie Zhifei turned to ask Yan Sanhe: “Stay one night, take a hot bath, eat a full meal—how about it? If I go back looking like this…”

The Xie family would be scared to death!

Yan Sanhe nodded. “After eating, come to my room.”

Ding Yi’s eyes grew as big as saucers.

What did he just hear?

Miss Yan invited Third Master to her room, a man and woman alone together…

“Why aren’t you hurrying to have the innkeeper prepare hot water and food?”

Xie Zhifei couldn’t stand Ding Yi’s foolish appearance and flicked him on the forehead. “Did you bring a few sets of my clothes?”

Ding Yi nodded repeatedly. “Brought them, brought them. Yours and Master Pei’s clothes were both brought.”

Xie Zhifei: “What about Miss Yan’s?”

Ding Yi froze. What did Miss Yan’s clothes have to do with him?

Rage rose in Xie Zhifei’s heart and another flick landed on Ding Yi’s forehead. “A servant who can’t understand his master’s heart—what use is he? Castrate him and send him to the palace.”

Ding Yi was so frightened he nearly cried.

What had he done wrong?

Hoping and longing, and what he’d longed for was his lord wanting to cut off his little brother?

Zhu Qing shook his head helplessly, pulled the man aside, and instructed in a low voice: “From now on, whatever the lord has, Miss Yan must also have.”

Ding Yi: “Huh?”

“No ‘huh’!”

Zhu Qing: “In a bit you should also go to Miss Yan’s room. Think carefully in advance about what you can and can’t say, don’t anger the lord. The lord’s temper hasn’t been good lately.”

…

Bath, meal.

Wearing a post-stepmother face, Third Master Xie walked into Yan Sanhe’s room.

Behind him followed Pei Xiao, and behind Pei Xiao followed Ding Yi.

Yan Sanhe had already had Li Buyan brew tea.

She pushed a tea cup toward Third Master Xie. He picked it up, took a sip, and nearly spat it out.

“Yan Sanhe, what kind of ghost tea is this?”

“Kuding tea, to cool your temper.”

Xie Zhifei looked at Pei Xiao: Do I have a temper?

Pei Xiao snorted: It’s practically shooting to the heavens!

Xie Zhifei: Is it that obvious?

Pei Xiao: What do you think?

Yan Sanhe: “Ding Yi, what’s the current situation with the Ji family?”

Having received Zhu Qing’s hints, Ding Yi was extremely respectful. “Miss Yan, the Ji family’s situation isn’t very good.”

Pei Xiao’s expression changed instantly. “Not good how?”

Ding Yi glanced at him. “Master Ji has been tortured; Twelfth Young Master is critically ill; Ninth Miss, she…”

Pei Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. “What about her?”

Ding Yi: “Two months ago, Ninth Miss committed suicide by ramming her head against the wall in prison.”

A thunderbolt exploded on level ground, shocking everyone into stunned silence.

Pei Xiao was even more thoroughly split in two by the thunder—half in horror, half in disbelief.

Xie Zhifei’s face went pale. “Why did she ram her head?”

“This servant inquired carefully. They say there were two reasons. One was that her engagement had been broken off earlier, which already weighed heavily on her heart.

The other was because on the day of the house raid she was… and then in prison she heard some gossip, so then she…”

“Committed suicide over some gossip?”

Li Buyan laughed coldly. “What a waste that my miss and I nearly died making such a big commotion for her sake.”

Pei Xiao slammed his fist on the table. “Li Buyan, what the hell are you saying?”

“Human words!”

Li Buyan’s chest heaved. “What, did I say something wrong?”

Pei Xiao said angrily: “Who’s like you—shameless and without dignity?”

Li Buyan sneered: “Precisely because I’m shameless and without dignity, I’m still alive. If Ninth Miss could learn even a fraction, even half a fraction from me, she wouldn’t have died.”

“You…”

“No matter how fiercely you argue, can she come back to life?”

Yan Sanhe’s eyes were as cold as ice. “How was the aftermath handled?”

Ding Yi bit his lip. “Madam Pei claimed the body and hastily buried her. It was also for this reason that the Ji family’s female relatives have now been moved to the Flower God Temple.”

Yan Sanhe glanced at Pei Xiao, who had already lost his soul. “What is the Flower God Temple about?”

“It was originally a nunnery, later used to confine the female relatives of disgraced officials. With some silver, you can see them.”

Ding Yi: “Master Pei, now Madam Pei goes every few days to bring food and clothes. Their days are better than in the Northern Bureau.”

Pei Xiao’s eyes were vacant, as if he hadn’t heard.

Yan Sanhe continued: “Which branch is Twelfth Young Master from?”

Ding Yi: “He’s Master Ji’s youngest son.”

Yan Sanhe: “Where is he?”

Ding Yi: “The male relatives are all in the Northern Bureau prison. Imperial Physician Pei goes in every ten days to give him acupuncture.”

Yan Sanhe’s expression remained calm as she asked again: “Has the court determined the Ji family’s sentence yet?”