The Former Crown Prince’s coup attempt failed. His Majesty was furious and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Three Judicial Offices to investigate thoroughly.

Anyone connected to the Former Crown Prince—their homes were raided, they were beheaded, their clans exterminated…

During that period, the very air throughout the capital was permeated with the smell of blood.

No matter how carefree Tang Jianxi was, he couldn’t help worrying vaguely whether the purge of the Former Crown Prince would fall upon his own head.

During that time, he couldn’t eat or sleep. In just half a month, he’d lost a great deal of weight.

He’d even written a divorce letter and left it with his father-in-law and mother-in-law. If something happened, at least Qiao’er and the Tao family could escape calamity.

Yet after a year of fear and trepidation, the mountain remained peaceful and quiet. Nothing happened.

Many years later, he learned from Martial Sister that in the eyes of the world, he, Tang Jianxi, was a book-learned scholar of eccentric and withdrawn temperament, prone to anger and rage—a useless scholar who had already been at odds with the Former Crown Prince during his time as a student in the Tang family.

All of this had been deliberately spread by Chu Yanting.

Chu had told him to become a hermit, and truly severed the paths between the mountain and the outside world completely and thoroughly, leaving not the slightest trace of future trouble.

“I’m the youngest. Martial Brother Chu always said the older ones must protect the younger. All these years, my greatest wish has been to find his grave, but I…”

Tang Jianxi choked up, unable to speak. “…But I don’t even know where his grave is. I’ve failed him… I…”

“Zhenge!”

Tao Qiao’er took out a handkerchief to wipe between his fingers, softly consoling, “When we go back, we’ll search. We’ll definitely find it. Then I’ll bring several jugs of the finest wine, and you can drink with him until you’re both drunk.”

“Master Tang, I want to come too.”

Li Buyan stood up, her face full of boldness. “What I, Li Buyan, respect most in this lifetime are people with loyalty, righteousness, and responsibility. I only regret being born decades too late. Otherwise, I would definitely have befriended such a person properly.”

Young Master Pei was stirred by her words, his heart surging. Just as he was about to echo her, Third Master Xie’s glare shot over: First figure out whose side you’re on!

Young Master Pei’s eyelashes trembled. He obediently shut his mouth.

Right—I’m the Crown Prince’s man.

The Crown Prince’s grandfather is the one sitting on the Dragon Throne. If I go toast wine to the Former Crown Prince’s people, wouldn’t I be opposing the current Emperor? Am I tired of living?

Yan Sanhe completely missed the exchange of glances between the two men. When investigating Jingchen’s heart demon, there had been two things she couldn’t understand. Now both had been explained.

The first was that during Yishui’s eight years at the Jiaofang Bureau, the person who appeared in the early period was Chu Yanting, and the person who appeared later was Tang Jianxi. The two never appeared simultaneously.

This was Chu Yanting’s protection of Tang Jianxi.

The second point: why did Jingchen, before her death, burn all her letters one by one, leaving no trace whatsoever?

This was Jingchen’s protection of Tang Jianxi.

They all used different methods to protect the people important to them.

At this time, Tang Jianxi’s emotions gradually calmed down. Tao Qiao’er pulled him behind the screen to wash his face. When they emerged again, there were no more tear stains at the corners of his eyes.

“I’ve made fools of you all.”

Tang Jianxi’s gaze fell on Li Buyan. “My Martial Brother doesn’t much like seeing outsiders. I appreciate the young lady’s kind intentions.”

Though Li Buyan’s mind wasn’t the sharpest, at critical moments she understood quite clearly.

What “doesn’t like seeing outsiders”—this was to prevent her from getting involved and causing trouble.

“Actually, I was just saying it casually. Master Tang needn’t take it seriously.”

Li Buyan built herself a way out. “Miss, continue asking!”

Yan Sanhe didn’t waste the ladder Li Buyan had constructed. “Master Tang, next I need to ask about the Tang family’s case. Prepare yourself mentally.”

“Regarding the Tang family’s case, I have nothing to say.”

Tang Jianxi’s gaze made a circuit of all six people. “I advise the young lady not to ask either. You’re here to dissolve Jingchen’s obsessions and break her demon, not to throw your lives away.”

His tone was calm and gentle, but after hearing it, all six felt their blood churning.

Yan Sanhe was quite unwilling to give up.

“Master Tang, set aside your identity as Tang Qiling’s student, set aside your bond with Tang Zhiwei. Put your hand on your conscience and answer me one question—this question is unavoidable regarding Jingchen’s heart demon.”

“Speak.”

“Were there irregularities in Tang Qiling’s case?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t ask “was it an injustice?” because even if it was unjust, they couldn’t overturn the verdict.

Since they couldn’t overturn it, what meaning was there in whether it was unjust or not?

But irregularities were different.

Irregularities meant there were suspicious points.

What those suspicious points were—Tang Jianxi wouldn’t say, and they didn’t want to hear.

Tang Jianxi was silent for a long while, so long that everyone thought he wouldn’t answer. Then suddenly he smiled coldly and nodded very forcefully.

Seeing him nod, Yan Sanhe immediately turned to look at Xie Zhifei.

Xie Zhifei seemed to have been waiting for her gaze all along.

Their eyes met, and they understood a phrase from each other’s eyes: That’s enough. Stop here.

The rights and wrongs of Tang Qiling’s case—stop here.

What kind of person Tang Qiling was, whether good or bad—no need to ask further.

What to ask next…

“We discovered that the person who redeemed Tang Zhiwei from the Jiaofang Bureau was someone called Li San. But after Li San redeemed her, he vanished without a trace.”

Yan Sanhe’s black and white eyes looked at Tang Jianxi. “Clearly Li San was just someone who handled the matter publicly. The person behind him—was it you?”

Tang Jianxi shook his head.

“Was it Chu Yanting?”

Tang Jianxi nodded.

Yan Sanhe’s pupils constricted. “By what method did Chu Yanting redeem her from the Jiaofang Bureau?”

Tang Jianxi shook his head, then said in a low voice, “The young lady said before—one day in the mountains equals a hundred years in the human world.”

He learned Martial Sister had been redeemed only because he’d made a wasted trip to the Jiaofang Bureau. Yanting hadn’t revealed the slightest bit of information to him.

He remembered the feeling when he walked out of the Jiaofang Bureau that day—such relief and release, even though he had no idea where Martial Sister had gone.

It wasn’t until a year later, when the two words “Wang’an” appeared, that he suddenly understood—Yanting had painstakingly arranged for Martial Sister to be at Water Moon Convent.

Water Moon Convent was wonderful—far from the mundane world, far from court struggles. No one knew her former identity. She could live peacefully.

“Master Tang, behind Chu Yanting, was there the Crown Prince’s involvement?” Yan Sanhe asked.

Tang Jianxi nodded forcefully.

Yan Sanhe turned her head again to lock eyes with Xie Zhifei.

They’d guessed correctly.

The Former Crown Prince hadn’t harbored resentment because of Tang Zhiwei’s rejection, nor had he ignored Tang Zhiwei because of Tang Qiling’s case. Rather, he’d been protecting her from behind all along.

This also explained why Yishui had smooth sailing at the Jiaofang Bureau.

Yan Sanhe: “The Three Friends of Winter are pine, bamboo, and plum. Master Tang is plum, Chu Yanting is bamboo. Then there’s another who is pine, correct?”

Tang Jianxi nodded.

“Pine ranks first. This person is your and Chu Yanting’s eldest martial brother?”

Tang Jianxi nodded.

“Tang Zhiwei and Chu Yanting didn’t follow their elders’ intentions to marry because both had feelings for others.”

Yan Sanhe slowly drew in a breath. “If I’m not mistaken, the person in Tang Zhiwei’s heart was your eldest martial brother, correct?”