With so many Zheng family members, investigating them one by one would take forever, wouldn’t it?

An extermination case wasn’t ordinary killing—it couldn’t be accomplished by a few common thieves. She could only prioritize the important over the trivial.

Pei Xiao smugly winked at Xie Zhifei: Listen—the spirit medium praised me!

Unfortunately, Lord Xie’s gaze didn’t connect with his, but remained fixed steadily on Yan Sanhe.

The Ji family case was like this, the Zheng family case also like this.

She could always find the most important threads in a tangled mess with the greatest speed, then follow those threads to unravel everything.

“General Zheng Yu and his four sons—which would you like to hear about first, Yan Sanhe?”

“Start with the four sons.”

“Eldest son Zheng Huan’an, second son Zheng Huankang—meaning peace and health. Third son Zheng Huancheng, fourth son Zheng Huanxin—meaning honesty and trustworthiness.”

Yan Sanhe remarked, “These names are interesting.”

Xie Zhifei added, “Actually, also convenient.”

Yan Sanhe glanced at him sidelong. Speaking of convenience, could anything be more convenient than your father Xie Daozhi’s naming? Xie Sanshi, Xie Sishi, Xie Wushi—how convenient!

Xie Zhifei understood that glance’s meaning, smiled, and didn’t elaborate.

“Eldest Zheng Huan’an served as an instructor at the Capital Guards Martial Academy.”

“Teaching soldiers martial arts?”

“Yes!”

Xie Zhifei continued, “The Zheng family’s blade techniques were reportedly quite formidable. Otherwise, Zheng Yu couldn’t have risen from a minor captain to eventually become a general. Zheng Huan’an, being Zheng Yu’s eldest son, should have inherited the authentic teachings.”

“Would this be considered a sinecure?”

“Yes!”

“Are there benefits?”

“Teaching soldiers martial arts yields few benefits. Most men who join our Hua Kingdom’s military come from poor families, staking their lives to secure a good future.”

“Does this position offend people?”

“Though this position lacks benefits, it’s also unlikely to offend anyone.”

“Why do you say so?”

“These soldiers will eventually go to battlefield. Training them well not only enables them to kill enemies but also saves their lives at critical moments. No one dares gamble with their own life.”

“His marriage partner?”

“Zheng Huan’an married Lady Xiao. They have two sons and one daughter beneath their knees.”

“Does he have concubines?”

“No Zheng family men took concubines.”

“Is it a family rule?”

“Reportedly so. Zheng family men could only take concubines if childless at forty.”

“Mm, very proper family conduct.”

Yan Sanhe suddenly offered this assessment.

As she commented, she swept Xie Zhifei with a meaningful glance.

Lord Xie looked up at the sky: Mm, the sky is very blue, the clouds very light.

Yan Sanhe’s glance did indeed reference the Xie family’s wife-concubine strife and legitimate-bastard conflicts, but held a deeper meaning.

Families with proper conduct necessarily had upstanding patriarchs who taught their children well.

How could such a family provoke such tragedy?

Yan Sanhe asked again, “What is Lady Xiao’s background?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “A colleague’s daughter. Her family also came from military background. Lady Xiao reportedly knows some martial arts herself.”

Yan Sanhe continued, “Tell me about the second son, Zheng Huankang.”

“Zheng Huankang served in the Ministry of War’s Military Armory Bureau, responsible for conscripting troops.”

Xie Zhifei knew Yan Sanhe wouldn’t understand. “Conscripting troops means tracking down deserters.”

“Are there many deserters in our Great Hua?”

“How to explain this…”

Xie Zhifei paused.

“For example, I, Third Master, should enlist by regulation, but being physically weak, my parents object. So they find someone to substitute—this requires investigation.

“Another example: I, Third Master, already reached the battlefield but deserted out of cowardice when no one was looking. When I can’t be found anywhere, the Military Armory Bureau goes to my home to see if there are adult brothers.”

“If there are, they conscript the brothers as soldiers?”

“Yes.”

“If there aren’t?”

“Then any young males are recorded. When the children grow up and reach adulthood, they’ll be conscripted.”

Yan Sanhe considered briefly. “There should be considerable profit in this, right?”

“The Ministry of War is the most expensive department, sustained by nearly the entire Hua Kingdom’s resources.”

Xie Zhifei continued, “Like in current peacetime, every family wants to push their sons in. Deserters only appear during wartime, and even then are rare.”

Yan Sanhe immediately understood. “So this is also an idle position.”

Xie Zhifei confirmed, “As idle as positions get.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “His marriage situation?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “Married Lady Xu. They have two sons and two daughters beneath their knees.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “What is Lady Xu’s background?”

Xie Zhifei answered, “Lady Xu is from Taicang in Jiangnan. Her family deals in silk trade—extremely wealthy. Lady Xu is reportedly quite shrewd and capable, keeping Zheng Huankang firmly under control.”

“The third son?”

“Though Zheng Huancheng also served in the Ministry of War, he was a civil official in the Military Affairs Bureau, responsible for maps.”

“Maps?”

“Military maps require updating reports every three years. Zheng Huancheng was responsible for field surveys—constantly away from home year-round. No profit, just hardship.”

Xie Zhifei reflected, then added, “Not only hardship but also responsibility. If military maps have problems during wartime, that’s a capital offense worthy of clan extermination.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Has the Zheng family’s third son ever made mistakes?”

Xie Zhifei shook his head. “Old General Zheng was a military commander himself. If he made mistakes, he’d be harming his own father. The case files have no records.”

Yan Sanhe continued, “His marriage situation?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “Married Lady Shen. They have three sons beneath their knees. Lady Shen’s natal family is also in the capital—she’s the youngest legitimate daughter of former Ministry of Rites Vice Minister Shen.”

Yan Sanhe echoed, “Former Ministry of Rites Vice Minister Shen?”

Xie Zhifei explained, “One daughter and three grandsons died tragic deaths. Upon hearing the terrible news, Vice Minister Shen became disheartened, resigned his post, and returned to his hometown to live as a wealthy idler.”

Yan Sanhe remained silent for a long moment before asking, “What about the fourth Zheng son?”

Xie Zhifei answered, “The fourth Zheng son served in the Left Guard of the Feathered Forest.”

Yan Sanhe queried, “What kind of position is this?”

Xie Zhifei explained, “It’s the Emperor’s personal guard unit, answering only to the Emperor’s commands, responsible for His Majesty’s safety and the Imperial City’s security.”

Yan Sanhe suddenly sensed something different. “Is this position very important?”

“Extremely important. Only those the Emperor trusts most can enter the personal guard unit.”

Xie Zhifei continued, “The Emperor trusting you also means trusting your entire clan. Countless descendants of prominent hereditary families in the capital rack their brains trying to get in.”

Yan Sanhe looked up at him, half-smiling. “Does this position have many benefits?”

“Not many benefits. Ordinarily it seems unremarkable, but…”

Xie Zhifei sighed. “Anyone who sees them, including my father, must show them courtesy.”

“Given the fourth Zheng son’s such special position, his marriage must also be extraordinary?”

“You guessed correctly.”

Xie Zhifei revealed, “He married the concubine-born daughter of Marquis Qingyuan, Lin Buqi—Lady Lin.”

Yan Sanhe frowned. “A legitimate son matched with a concubine-born daughter?”

“This concubine-born daughter wasn’t much different from legitimate daughters.”

Xie Zhifei explained, “Marquis Qingyuan’s wife and concubine were biological sisters who both served one husband. Lady Lin was raised from childhood by her legitimate mother as a legitimate daughter.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Do they have children?”

Xie Zhifei replied, “Lady Lin bore only one daughter beneath her knees.”

Yan Sanhe continued, “How is the Qingyuan Marquis estate now?”

Xie Zhifei stated, “Lin Buqi has many children. Losing one doesn’t matter much—things continue as before. But Lady Lin’s birth mother hanged herself three days after the Zheng family tragedy.”

Yan Sanhe’s heart lurched. “Was Lady Lin her only daughter?”

Xie Zhifei confirmed, “Yes.”

An only daughter dying tragically—what reason had the mother to continue living? Death would be release.

Yan Sanhe sighed.

“Tell me about Old General Zheng Yu now!”