Seeing red lanterns hanging, Xie Zhifei felt it inappropriate to enter rashly.

What if he’d gotten it wrong?

He pointed at the Pei residence carriage, “Go ask the coachman about it.”

“Yes!”

Zhu Qing had only taken a few steps when he saw Imperial Physician Pei and his son being seen out by a steward, with Huang Qi following behind them.

The father and son spotted Xie Zhifei at a glance.

Pei Yu beckoned to him.

Xie Zhifei quickly jogged over and, after sweetly calling “Uncle Pei,” obediently extended his hand.

After three fingers touched his pulse, Pei Yu glanced at Xie Zhifei and instructed, “Take good care of yourself,” before boarding his family carriage and leaving in a cloud of dust.

The two brothers walked forward with arms around each other’s shoulders.

After walking a bit, Xie Zhifei looked back at the lanterns, “Someone died in this household—why are red lanterns still hanging?”

“Hai, it’s a long story.”

Pei Xiao had a mysterious expression.

“Imperial Physician Shen’s youngest daughter was expelled from the family years ago for unknown reasons. She wandered outside for nearly twenty years and died out there. This evening, her coffin was brought back.”

Truly unexpected.

Xie Zhifei asked curiously, “How did an inner-chamber woman survive wandering outside for twenty years?”

“Nothing surprising about that—she was an itinerant physician!”

“She knew medicine?”

“She’d been smelling medicinal herbs since she was in her mother’s womb—how could she not know?”

“Then why don’t you know any?”

Pei Xiao threw a punch, “You bastard, always bringing up sore spots!”

The punch was light, with no weight at all. Xie Zhifei bumped him with his shoulder, “Tell me quickly, how did she die?”

“I heard she collapsed while examining a patient and never woke up.”

“How old was she?”

“Forty-one.”

So young?

What a pity.

Xie Zhifei felt something else was off, “How did the coffin end up back at the Shen residence? Shouldn’t it be ‘marry a chicken, follow a chicken’…”

“Not even a feather of a chicken.”

Young Master Pei: “Never married. An old maiden her whole life. If the coffin doesn’t go to the Shen residence, where else? A person must return to their roots!”

Expelled from the family in her youth,

Survived by practicing medicine outside,

Forty-one years old and unmarried…

Xie Zhifei’s eyes fixed intently—this story sounded rather unusual.

“Who brought the coffin back to the capital?”

“Said to be some patients she’d treated.”

“The old imperial physician agreed to let the coffin through the door?”

Speaking of this, Pei Xiao sighed heavily.

“She’s his biological daughter after all—Old Imperial Physician Shen and his wife were naturally willing. But the sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters-in-law below made a huge fuss, refusing to let the coffin through the door no matter what, saying it was inauspicious.”

No wonder the lanterns weren’t changed.

Xie Zhifei asked, “So what’s being done now?”

Pei Xiao: “Isn’t that why they called me over?”

Xie Zhifei: “What can you do?”

“I can do plenty, young master.”

Pei Xiao: “I’ll have people place the coffin in a temple outside the city. Tomorrow I’ll hire eighteen monks and eighteen Daoists to chant sutras and perform rituals—first conduct a funeral service, then bury her directly.”

“Where will she be buried?”

Xie Zhifei: “The Shen family plot?”

“Just a simple burial somewhere—no need for all that trouble.”

Pei Xiao shook his head, “This is what you’d call everyone compromising!”

Having heard this, Xie Zhifei couldn’t help but sigh, “This is what they call ‘every family has its own difficult scripture to recite.'”

“Exactly!”

Pei Xiao sniffed toward Xie Zhifei, “You’ve been drinking? Who with?”

“Cai Si and a few others.”

Xie Zhifei lowered his voice, “About the Zheng family matter—any leads yet?”

“How could it be that fast!”

Pei Xiao covered his mouth and looked around several times before saying, “This matter is extremely dangerous. We have to work covertly, can’t be careless at all. One wrong move and it’ll cost lives.”

Xie Zhifei hadn’t had time to respond when he heard him sigh again, “I really shouldn’t have been so quick to agree to that Wu woman.”

“Smack—”

Xie Zhifei slapped his back with one palm.

Damn it, want to back out now?

Too late!

Pei Xiao nearly had the shit knocked out of him by that slap and roared in fury:

“What are you doing? Can’t I complain a little? These past few days I’ve been having nightmares every night. Look—the wrinkles around my eyes are showing.”

“Enough complaining.”

Xie Zhifei helped rub his back.

“Be careful in your actions. You’re busy tomorrow—get back early.”

Young Master Pei’s ruffled feathers were smoothed down, but he was reluctant to go back. The brothers were each busy with their own affairs—how long had it been since they’d seen each other?

“By the way, with those two aunties gone, how do you feel?”

“What feelings?”

“Lonely, empty, hollow!”

Pei Xiao wore a mournful expression, “Fifteenth, tell me—am I a masochist?”

I’m even more of a masochist than you!

Xie Zhifei suddenly thought of something and looked him up and down, “Do you still have feelings for Yan Sanhe?”

“Old feelings my ass!”

Men—they can pick things up and put them down.

He just rather missed that night when he was outside the window and Li Buyan was inside, talking.

“I just want to bicker with that troublemaker. That girl talks in quite an interesting way.”

Anyone would do for bickering.

As long as you’re not thinking about Yan Sanhe!

Xie Zhifei hooked his arm around his shoulder and spoke in a low voice about the recent situation in the court.

The situation was still worrying!

The Crown Prince’s faction and the Prince of Han’s faction were fighting more and more fiercely. On the matter of who would succeed Lu Shi as Left Censor-in-Chief, they’d practically reached the point of direct confrontation.

The Prince of Han’s party, relying on the Prince’s favor, acted quite arrogantly.

The people behind the Crown Prince were all veteran officials—these people weren’t to be trifled with either.

The situation was already very clear: once His Majesty passed away, the final result would be either your death or my survival.

…

After their conversation, they each went home.

Before returning to his residence, Xie Zhifei made a circuit of the side courtyard, drank a cup of tea, then left.

This was a new habit he’d recently developed.

Though he knew full well she wouldn’t return so early, he still hoped that one day when he walked into the side courtyard, that person would coolly greet him:

“Oh, Third Master’s here!”

In his twenty years of life, Third Master had never longed for someone like this. Whenever he had free time, he’d start fidgeting restlessly.

Where had she gotten to?

Was the journey going smoothly?

Was that bastard Han Xu taking good care of her?

Returning to the Xie residence, the night was already quite late.

Just as Xie Zhifei reached the second gate, he saw his eldest brother coming toward him, and couldn’t help feeling surprised.

“Elder brother, where are you going so late?”

Xie Erliu stopped and sighed, “The Zhu family just sent word that my father-in-law isn’t doing well. Your sister-in-law and I are going to have a look.”

Xie Zhifei: “Where’s sister-in-law?”

Just as the words fell, Lady Zhu, supported by Chuntao’s hand, hurried over.

Xie Zhifei went to meet her, “Sister-in-law, should I come with you?”

“What would you go for? Get a good night’s sleep.”

Lady Zhu suddenly remembered something, “If your brother and I don’t make it back tonight, check on your nephew first thing in the morning.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry.”

Xie Zhifei saw them off, then turned to walk toward his courtyard.

Reaching the courtyard, he looked up at the sky. The moon that had been hanging in the heavens had somehow hidden itself in thick, black clouds.

Xie Zhifei’s eyelid inexplicably twitched.