Two days later, at dawn.

Lu Shi, dressed in crimson robes, walked into the great hall under everyone’s anxious gazes.

When Yan Sanhe received this news, it was already afternoon.

She was strolling in the small garden.

These past two days, she had been somewhat distracted—unable to eat, tea tasted bland, couldn’t sleep. Li Buyan said she was like a woman who’d fallen out of love, her soul snatched away by that man Lu Shi.

“Sanhe, Sanhe.”

Li Buyan’s calls grew more urgent with each one, making Yan Sanhe’s heart sink continuously. She turned and hurried over.

“Did something happen to Lu Shi?”

“He…”

Li Buyan gasped for breath—she’d practically run with all her might to get here.

“Sanhe, today he wore crimson robes and actually impeached… impeached the Emperor. He’s gone mad, truly mad.”

Yan Sanhe’s body swayed in shock. “Impeached the Emperor for what?”

“For what?”

Li Buyan scratched her head, stamping her feet anxiously. “Ah, Third Master told me word for word, all literary and formal, I can’t remember it all.”

“Don’t rush, think slowly.”

Yan Sanhe prompted her, “Is it related to Yan Ruxian’s case?”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Li Buyan nodded repeatedly. “He said that Yan Ruxian dared commit such heinous crimes because of the Emperor’s selfish indulgence and poor judgment of character. He said that the Emperor’s refusal to hand Yan Ruxian over to the Three Judicial Offices for trial was using private matters to disrupt the law.”

Li Buyan remembered it all now.

“He also said that the eunuch faction interfering in court politics was the Emperor disregarding ancestral laws. And he said the Emperor should issue a self-criticism edict to announce to all under heaven. Sanhe, what’s a self-criticism edict?”

Yan Sanhe’s temples throbbed continuously at this question.

“Only the Emperor can issue an edict. A self-criticism edict is a verbal or written statement where the Emperor reflects on or reviews his own faults and errors.”

Li Buyan: “In plain words, it’s admitting mistakes, right?”

“Correct!”

Yan Sanhe: “Throughout history, Emperors have only issued self-criticism edicts under three circumstances.”

“Which three?”

“First, when the relationship between ruler and ministers is improper; second, when natural disasters cause calamities; third, when the imperial family or imperial power faces crisis.”

Li Buyan was dumbstruck. “That all sounds very serious.”

“It is extremely serious. Throughout history, the number of Emperors who issued self-criticism edicts can be counted on one hand. The severity is second only to the Emperor’s death or going to war. Moreover…”

A wave of chilling cold surged through Yan Sanhe’s heart. “Self-criticism edicts are written voluntarily by the Emperor—never before has a subject dared to force an Emperor to write one.”

“Good heavens.”

Li Buyan’s eyes widened. “What exactly is this Lu Shi trying to do?”

What’s he trying to do?

Yan Sanhe sneered coldly. He wants to pierce through the heavens.

“Where is Lu Shi now?”

“In the palace, hasn’t come out yet.”

“Where’s Third Master?”

“Third Master found me, told me all this, then left in a hurry on horseback.”

Li Buyan: “I saw him looking so rushed and chased after to ask. He shouted at me, telling this troublemaker to quickly pass the message to you and not delay matters.”

Under the autumn sun, Yan Sanhe broke out in a cold sweat.

Xie Zhifei was always laid-back in his actions—unless the fire burned his backside, he would never jump up. For him to be this urgent, something must be wrong.

“Buyan.”

She pressed her throbbing temples, gritting her teeth. “This situation isn’t good.”

Hearing this, Li Buyan panicked immediately. “Then, then… what do we do?”

“Miss, Miss.”

Tangyuan came running over. “That Young Master Han who came a few days ago is here again, waiting for Miss in the courtyard.”

“Han Xu?”

Yan Sanhe’s whole body jolted. “Perfect timing. Buyan, let’s go.”

…

In the courtyard, Han Xu’s figure standing in the sunlight looked warm no matter how you viewed it.

Yan Sanhe strode over. “Fort Master Han, you came early.”

Han Xu turned to look at her and nodded. “Let’s not waste time. Let’s talk in the study.”

With these words, Yan Sanhe knew Han Xu must have discovered something.

“Buyan, go brew a pot of fresh tea. Tangyuan, prepare dinner. Fort Master Han, please!”

“Hey, wait for me before you start.”

Li Buyan winked at Han Xu. “That person intrigues me too much.”

Han Xu nodded without speaking.

Once hot tea was served, Han Xu’s gaze swept over Yan Sanhe’s face. Without any pleasantries: “Where would you like to start hearing?”

Yan Sanhe was equally straightforward. “Start with the Lu family, from when he was young.”

“The Lu family is from Liuhe County in Jinling Prefecture. For generations they made their living quarrying stone. The famous rain flower stones of Jinling Prefecture came from their family.”

Han Xu: “The turning point came in Lu Shi’s grandfather’s generation. Four sons fought over the family property, making a terrible mess. Later the family was divided, and the family business gradually declined.

Lu Shi’s father was an only son, weak and isolated within the clan. To have more sons, the family arranged for him to marry a legitimate wife and take two concubines.”

“Wait.”

Yan Sanhe interrupted: “Lu Shi’s birth mother was one of those two concubines?”

“Not exactly.”

Han Xu: “Until her death, she remained a maid servant—never officially recognized.”

Li Buyan was shocked: “So Lu Shi could only be considered an illegitimate son in the Lu family?”

Han Xu’s tone was bland. “Miss Li left out a few words—an illegitimate son of unknown origin.”

“Unknown origin?”

Li Buyan rubbed her ear, thinking her hearing had problems. “How could the origin be unknown?”

“Let me continue, Miss.”

“Speak, speak quickly!”

“Lu Shi’s legitimate mother was surnamed Jiang, from Yangxian County in Jiangnan. Lu Shi’s birth mother was surnamed Yuan. Yuan Shi fled to Yangxian County as a refugee from flooding.

The Jiang family head saw that at her young age she was pretty—a beauty in the making—so he bought her for two taels of silver.”

Han Xu: “Yuan Shi had an extremely poor reputation locally. I heard that at the Jiang house she had unclear relationships with the men. Several of Madam Jiang’s sisters-in-law couldn’t tolerate her, so they forced Madam Jiang to take her as a dowry maid.”

Li Buyan interjected: “Were these unclear relationships hearsay or was there solid evidence?”

“I’m only responsible for gathering information. Miss Li can judge the truth herself.”

Han Xu picked up his tea cup and took a light sip.

“After Yuan Shi arrived at the Lu house, seeing that Young Master Lu was fair and clean, she immediately set her sights on him. Taking advantage of a moment when the mistress Madam Jiang wasn’t paying attention, she actively climbed into Young Master Lu’s bed. Reportedly…”

He paused here.

“This Yuan Shi was quite skilled in bed, able to pleasure men thoroughly. Young Master Lu tried several times to elevate Yuan Shi to concubine status but never succeeded.”

Yan Sanhe frowned. “Why not?”

“Madam Jiang felt this Yuan Shi wasn’t someone who could be content, so she had her parents-in-law observe her for a few more years. If she later bore a son or daughter, it wouldn’t be too late to elevate her then.”

Han Xu: “With this observation, they really did discover something. That Yuan Shi was someone who couldn’t go a single day without a man. In just one year’s time, she had climbed into the beds of all the young men in the Lu family’s four branches.”

Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan looked at each other in bewilderment.

What kind of creature was this Yuan Shi?

A fox spirit?

Did she survive by absorbing men’s yang energy?

“No one knows who Lu Shi’s biological father is. Even Yuan Shi herself couldn’t say clearly whose seed the child was.”