Xie Zhifei’s eyes widened.

After a long while, he smiled softly.

Third Master Xie’s smile wasn’t a proper smile—it carried a hint of roguish mischief. Yan Sanhe felt this person must have seen through her soft heart.

Being soft-hearted wasn’t shameful.

She sat down on the round stool beside the bed, “Xie Chengyu, I have some ideas about the Zheng family case. Do you want to hear them?”

“Yes.”

Xie Zhifei braced himself on the edge of the bed and sat up, vigorously rubbing his haggard face. He really didn’t want her to see him looking like this.

“Go call them all in. That way you won’t have to repeat yourself.”

“Before I call them, I have a few things to say.”

“Go ahead.”

“This time investigating the case, we’ll split up and work separately.”

Yan Sanhe: “This approach has two advantages: first, it saves time; second, it’s less likely to draw attention.”

“Same thought I had.”

Xie Zhifei looked at her, “Being careful and thorough is never wrong.”

Yan Sanhe: “This time, I won’t act rashly, and you shouldn’t either. We’ll discuss everything, and every step must be steady and safe.”

Xie Zhifei’s eyes curved: “Again, same thought… Is there more?”

Yan Sanhe: “After you recover, go back to the Xie residence. You and Pei Mingting coming and going from this house is too conspicuous. If something comes up, come at night.”

The last words had a somewhat ambiguous tone. She quickly added two more words: “…to discuss.”

“Still the same thought as mine.”

Xie Zhifei said earnestly: “But I’ll have Ding Yi come by once a day to exchange information.”

Yan Sanhe stood up, “Then it’s settled. I’ll go call them in.”

“Wait.”

Xie Zhifei raised his head, quietly looking at her for a moment, then said in a low voice: “Yan Sanhe, just forge ahead with investigating this case. Don’t be afraid of anything. I’ll always protect you.”

Yan Sanhe was stunned, then the corners of her lips curved: “Oh my, has the sweet talker returned?”

“Yes!”

He’s back.

…

Seven people crowded into the side room, making it feel cramped at once.

Young Master Pei sat cross-legged behind Xie Zhifei’s bed, holding a string of prayer beads, looking like he’d been wounded by love and wanted to enter monastic life.

Li Buyan had a stool but didn’t sit, leaning against the doorway, perfectly illustrating what it meant to have no proper standing posture.

Zhu Qing, Ding Yi, and Huang Qi sat thigh-to-thigh on the chaise lounge like students about to be scolded by their teacher.

Third Master Xie had the air of someone sitting up in a dying illness, squinting at Yan Sanhe, while Yan Sanhe stood with arms crossed, her back against a cabinet, completely calm.

Everyone had a feeling, as if they’d returned to that small courtyard in the Nanning Prefecture magistrate’s office.

Seven people, seven lives, one heart.

“We’ll investigate this case from the periphery, with each person having a different assignment.”

Yan Sanhe looked at Young Master Pei: “Mingting, you only need to do one thing.”

By now, Mingting wasn’t a name he could call her by anymore.

Hmph!

Young Master Pei silently retorted in his mind and put on a haughty expression, “Tell me, what do you want this young master to do?”

“One hundred eighty members of the Zheng family died unnatural deaths. With so many wronged souls, they must have invited monks and Daoist priests to perform rituals.”

Yan Sanhe’s tone didn’t change, “Find the people who performed those rituals back then and indirectly inquire about the Zheng family from them.”

Clever!

Although monks and Daoists were people outside the mundane world, they also had hearts that loved to gossip, especially when so many people had died at once.

Who knows what they might have heard?

Young Master Pei might be haughty, but he accepted the task readily, “Fine, leave it to me.”

Yan Sanhe tilted her head slightly, “Zhu Qing?”

Zhu Qing: “Miss, please give your orders?”

Yan Sanhe: “After the great fire at the Zheng residence, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the patrol guard arrived first on the scene. You and Ding Yi work together to find out who arrived at the Zheng residence first that year.”

Zhu Qing frowned: “Miss Yan, won’t that easily alert them?”

Yan Sanhe: “Just secretly find out the names. Don’t ask anything.”

Young Master Pei really couldn’t hold back and wanted to challenge her: “What’s the point of doing this?”

“My father prescribed medicine based on symptoms when treating patients. When we question people, we also need to find the right person before asking. These are all government officials—who we can question without causing trouble or leaking information, we need to discuss carefully.”

Yan Sanhe glanced coolly at Pei Xiao, “In plain terms, everything must be done with ensuring our safety as the prerequisite. Young Master Pei, do you understand now?”

Young Master Pei made a dismissive sound, indicating he understood perfectly!

Seeing Young Master Pei act like he’d been replaced by someone else, Zhu Qing quickly smoothed things over, saying: “Miss Yan, rest assured, I’ll be extra careful.”

“Good.”

Yan Sanhe ignored that fool surnamed Pei, “Huang Qi?”

Huang Qi shuddered, “Yes.”

Yan Sanhe: “You and Li Buyan will work together on two things. First, find a way to locate the night watchmen from around Four Lanes in Yonghe year one and ask about that year.”

Huang Qi secretly glanced at Li Buyan, thinking to himself that this was a test of his ability to sit unmoved by beauty!

Li Buyan smiled: “What’s the second thing?”

Yan Sanhe: “The whereabouts of those daughters who married out of the Zheng family—you’ll slowly inquire about them, but only inquire, don’t alert anyone.”

“Wait.”

Young Master Pei started nitpicking again, “Why question the night watchmen but only inquire about the married daughters?”

“Because night watchmen are common people. These people are timid—scare them a bit, spend some money, and you can get information from them. And they’re afraid of trouble, so after taking the money, they won’t dare talk.”

Yan Sanhe: “As for the married daughters, I’ll question them personally.”

Fine, it’s all your reasoning.

Young Master Pei immediately deflated and obediently shut his mouth.

Yan Sanhe’s gaze shifted to the bed.

Xie Zhifei smiled faintly, “Tell me, what do I need to do?”

Yan Sanhe: “Old General Zheng’s former subordinates, those who went to battle with him and went through life and death together—you’re responsible for inquiring about them.”

“Alright.”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Pei Xiao, “I’ll inquire, you’ll question.”

“We’ll start this matter from the periphery, feeling our way in bit by bit.”

Yan Sanhe took a deep breath and continued slowly: “Nine years have passed since this case. Many of the people from back then may no longer be in this world. It will be difficult to investigate, but…”

Yan Sanhe suddenly smiled, her smile extremely brilliant.

“We were able to find heart demons from decades ago, so why not from nine years ago?”

“My mother used to say that truth may be late, but it will never be absent.” Li Buyan had somehow already walked to Yan Sanhe’s side.

The flickering candlelight fell on the master and servant’s faces, and the hearts of the other five people all stirred.

They had confidence now!

…

Meanwhile, a thousand li away.

Jinling Prefecture.

On the Qinhuai River, a luxurious pleasure boat slowly moved forward.

Prince Han Zhao Yanjin handed a secret letter to Dong Xiao, “Take a look.”

After reading it, Dong Xiao smiled slightly, “Congratulations, Your Highness. You’ll be entering the capital before long.”

Zhao Yanjin’s face showed pleasure: “Boren, what should my next step be?”

Dong Xiao looked around. Zhao Yanjin raised his hand in indication, and the singing girls and attendants all withdrew. The personal guards closed the cabin doors.

Only then did Dong Xiao speak: “Who does Your Highness think is the biggest obstacle on the road to the throne?”

“Need you ask?”

The Prince of Han ground out a few words from between his teeth: “Naturally it’s my lame elder brother.”

“Not so!”

Dong Xiao shook his head: “Your Highness’s greatest obstacle is the Grand Prince. If we add the word ‘virtuous’ before Grand Prince, Your Highness’s road to the throne will be harder than ascending to heaven.”