Madam Zhu was slightly stunned. After taking a light breath, she ducked under the large umbrella.

Once she was close, Xie Erli tilted the umbrella toward Madam Zhu’s side.

Noticing, Madam Zhu reached out and straightened the umbrella handle.

Xie Erli imperceptibly frowned. “Come closer.”

Madam Zhu gave a soft “Mm” and reluctantly moved a bit toward him.

Except in bed, this was the first time husband and wife had been so close. Both their expressions showed some discomfort.

The four walked outside the courtyard, hiding behind a wall.

Xie Erli asked his wife in a low voice, “How is Second Sister-in-law?”

Madam Zhu: “The bleeding won’t stop. Uncle Pei is applying needles.”

Xie Erli: “Did Uncle Pei say why the child was suddenly lost?”

Madam Zhu looked up at the man, finding it strange he would ask this in front of two unmarried brothers.

“Uncle Pei didn’t say why. He just found it strange, kept exclaiming it was inconceivable.”

Xie Erli: “Go immediately and see if Uncle Pei is free. Mingting has urgent business with him. We’ll wait here.”

Madam Zhu hesitated. “This…”

“First Sister-in-law, it really is urgent.”

Xie Zhifei: “And it concerns your Zhu family.”

The words “Zhu family” made Madam Zhu’s heart jump hard. “Alright.”

“Wait!”

Xie Erli stopped her, bringing the umbrella to her hand. “Take this.”

“No need.”

Madam Zhu glanced at the man, lifted her skirt, and rushed into the courtyard through the rain.

This woman…

Xie Erli’s face darkened slightly.

Young Master Pei surreptitiously nudged the person beside him with his knee: What’s the situation with your elder brother and sister-in-law?

Xie Zhifei shot him a cold look: Mind your own business.

This wait lasted a full cup of tea’s time before Pei Yu came walking over angrily with an umbrella.

He didn’t dare vent his anger at the two from the Xie family, instead glaring at his own brat, his voice suppressing fury.

“Speak quickly. What do you want from me?”

Why are you taking it out on me!

Young Master Pei’s aggrieved little glance swept toward Xie Erli.

Xie Erli quickly said, “Uncle Pei, my father-in-law’s coffin has split three times. Up to now we still can’t place him in the coffin. What do you think…”

Where did Pei Yu’s anger come from?

From Second Madam’s inexplicable miscarriage and inexplicable bleeding.

The pulse was his diagnosis.

The pregnancy-preserving medicine was his prescription.

If something really went wrong, how could he, Pei Yu, continue to hold his head up at the Imperial Medical Bureau?

He originally had a bellyful of suspicions. Hearing Xie Eldest’s words reminded him of the Ji family’s old matriarch—how could he not understand?

“No wonder! I said it was like seeing a ghost—usually three to five needles stop the bleeding, but today over ten needles did nothing. I’ve already sent someone to fetch the gynecology expert…”

“Uncle Pei, hold on.”

Xie Zhifei: “If we don’t resolve this at the root, forget the gynecology expert—even if the King of Heaven came, it would be useless.”

These words struck right at Pei Yu’s heart. “Right, right, right! Quickly tell Eldest Master Zhu to fetch Miss Yan.”

Xie Zhifei: “Uncle Pei, would Eldest Master Zhu believe it?”

Pei Yu was stopped by the question. Thinking of the Zhu family’s temperament, he finally understood why the three had called him out.

“I’ll speak!”

He lifted his leg to leave, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped.

“We can’t go running over on our own initiative. One of you go call the three brothers over. We absolutely cannot do this ’emperor not anxious but eunuchs are’ thing—doing it would be useless anyway.”

Xie Erli reached out and pulled Young Master Pei. “Mingting, come with me. Third Brother, you stay here.”

Pei Mingting looked at Xie Fifty: Why are you dragging me? I’ve been running around until I’m nearly dead from exhaustion.

Xie Fifty raised his chin at him: Be good. Third Master will treat you to a performance at the pleasure quarter later.

…

In the mourning hall.

The three Zhu Manor brothers all stopped their work, looking at each other.

Eldest Brother Zhu: “Third Brother, you speak first?”

Third Brother Zhu: “The inauspicious position is in this courtyard.”

Eldest Brother Zhu: “What about Second Brother?”

Second Brother Zhu had just experienced the pain of losing his son, his eyes all red. “Six divinations all showed a great calamity, with unpredictable misfortune.”

Third Brother Zhu: “What about you, Eldest Brother?”

Eldest Brother Zhu shook his head.

His expression could no longer be described as grim. Having lived thirty-two years, he’d never deduced such an ominous result—

“Catastrophic annihilation!”

“What?”

Second Brother Zhu and Third Brother Zhu simultaneously cried out in shock, then one’s hands trembled while the other’s feet shook.

Especially Second Brother Zhu—he was nearly on the verge of collapse.

Just then, Pei Xiao arrived under the eaves with an umbrella. His gaze swept around the three men before he spoke unhurriedly:

“Eldest Brother Zhu, Second Brother, Third Brother—my father requests your presence.”

Imperial Physician Pei requests an audience?

Second Brother Zhu jumped up with a start, his heart pounding like a drum. “How is Madam Zhu?”

Madam Zhu was Second Madam’s given name.

Pei Xiao said nothing more, tossing out “You’ll know when you get there” before turning and running off.

Running to the corner outside, Xie Erli was waiting. “How did it go?”

“I did everything as Eldest Brother said.”

“Then let’s go quickly.”

…

The three brothers arrived faster than imagined, especially Second Brother Zhu, who came almost simultaneously with Xie Erli.

The three brothers held umbrellas, surrounding Pei Yu.

The heavy rain drowned out their conversation. Xie Erli could only see his three brothers-in-law’s figures beneath their umbrellas, standing like stones, completely motionless.

As the saying goes: a mouth without whiskers gets things done poorly.

Pei Yu was an elder, a prominent figure at the Imperial Medical Bureau. He’d personally experienced the Ji family incident. For something like heart demons to come from his mouth carried a certain weight.

“Eldest Brother.”

Xie Erli turned. “What?”

Xie Zhifei’s expression was grave. “Even if the three Zhu brothers believe it, there’s still a huge problem with this matter.”

Xie Erli knew what the huge problem was—

Yan Sanhe wasn’t in the capital, but the matter was so dangerous.

“Third Brother, in your opinion, what should be done?”

“Don’t ask me.”

Xie Zhifei sighed. “I truly don’t know.”

As they spoke, the three Zhu brothers suddenly turned toward Xie Erli and the others.

Young Master Pei whispered, “They’re coming, they’re coming.”

Eldest Brother Zhu walked before the three. “Erli, Third Master, Young Master Pei, would you three please come with me?”

…

In the study, a single lamp burned dimly.

All six men looked quite bedraggled, their lower halves soaked by rain.

Eldest Brother Zhu spoke directly. “Imperial Physician Pei has told us everything. Like this, Zhifei—treating a dead horse as if it were alive, you go and invite Yan Sanhe here.”

What do you mean “treating a dead horse as if it were alive”?

So after Uncle Pei spent all that saliva, you, Eldest Master Zhu, still don’t believe it!

Xie Zhifei, before his eldest brother could speak, adopted Yan Sanhe’s tone and said lightly, “Since you don’t believe, there’s no need to invite her—and we can’t anyway. Mingting, we’re leaving!”

Young Master Pei’s tone was even more arrogant.

“In the middle of the night—aren’t we just making trouble for nothing? Does it even concern us?”

The two spoke and lifted their legs to leave. Xie Erli didn’t stop them, letting them go.

“Eldest Brother.”

Second Brother Zhu, crying urgently, rushed over regardless and extended his hand to block their path.

“I believe, I believe.”

He sniffled. “Take me to see Yan Sanhe.”

See?

Xie Zhifei sneered inwardly. Is my Sanhe someone you can see whenever you want?

“She’s not in the capital.”