Yan Sanhe turned to look at Zhu Yuanmo.

Zhu Yuanmo shook his head slightly, and only then did Yan Sanhe understand—Madam Mao still knew nothing.

“It’s related to the malevolent energy in this residence.”

Yan Sanhe said, “Don’t worry, this is only temporary. Once the heart demon is resolved, you’ll recover.”

Madam Mao was somewhat skeptical. “You’re not deceiving me?”

“I’m not deceiving you.”

Yan Sanhe continued, “But you must eat more. Even without an appetite, you must eat. When the sun is good at midday, go outside and get some sun. You can sit or lie down—just don’t keep yourself cooped up in this room all the time.”

A glimmer of light appeared in Madam Mao’s eyes. “Alright, I’ll listen to Miss Yan.”

Yan Sanhe rose to leave. Zhu Yuanmo exchanged glances with his two brothers and quickly followed her out.

“Miss Yan, what exactly is causing my mother to…”

“I don’t know either.”

Yan Sanhe turned around, her tone firm: “But we’ll find out sooner or later.”

Zhu Xuanjiu had never taken concubines, so his household was relatively simple. Among his children, only three sons remained, plus a married second daughter who hadn’t been questioned yet.

The grandchildren were too young and didn’t need to be asked.

Yan Sanhe thought for a moment. “All three of you brothers come with me.”

Second Master Zhu’s expression shifted.

Something wasn’t right.

The daughters-in-law and daughters were being questioned one by one—why were the sons being lumped together like a pot of mixed porridge?

“Miss Yan, don’t we three brothers really need to be questioned one by one…”

“To save time.”

Yan Sanhe glanced coolly at Zhu Yuanmo and turned to leave.

It seemed this Zhu Yuanmo truly was a conscientious family head—he hadn’t even told his two blood brothers about having only six months left to live.

As she was thinking this, something in her peripheral vision caught her attention—a osmanthus tree in the front right of the courtyard. She stopped abruptly.

“Didn’t you say all the flowers and plants had come back to life?”

Yan Sanhe pointed at that osmanthus tree. “Why is this one still somewhat withered?”

Zhu Yuanmo looked up and saw it was true.

He hadn’t come to his mother’s courtyard these past three days. The first two days his body was weak from blood loss, and yesterday he’d gone to the yamen to handle some urgent matters. He’d left Second Brother to pay more attention to their mother.

Seeing his elder brother looking at him, Second Master Zhu said, “I was focused on Mother’s health and didn’t pay attention to these things.”

“Elder Brother, Second Brother.”

Third Master Zhu had sharp eyes: “This pine and cypress also seems somewhat withered.”

Zhu Yuanmo’s eyelids twitched violently several times. He hurried to examine every tree and blade of grass carefully.

Upon this inspection, cold sweat broke out.

The entire courtyard’s flowers, plants, and trees all seemed somewhat yellowed and withered.

Yan Sanhe said, “Third Master Zhu, go check the other courtyards to see if they’re the same as this one.”

Third Master Zhu said nothing and turned to leave. Before long, he hurried back.

“Miss Yan.”

He said breathlessly, “I can’t really tell. It doesn’t seem any different. It’s winter now, so the grass and trees are all somewhat yellowed and withered.”

Second Master Zhu said, “I’ll go take a look.”

“No need.”

Yan Sanhe said, “Who in this residence is responsible for trimming the flowers, plants, and trees? Summon him.”

Second Master Zhu was momentarily stunned. He glanced at his servant outside the courtyard, and Chen Yan immediately went to fetch the person.

The person responsible for maintaining the Zhu residence’s flowers, plants, and trees was named Zhu Bin, in his early fifties, with a dark and stocky build.

He was a hereditary servant of the Zhu family—three generations had performed this work in the residence.

Seeing all three masters present, Zhu Bin’s face showed some terror. “First Master, you summoned me…”

“Help us look at the trees in this courtyard and see what’s different from those outside.”

Though Zhu Bin didn’t understand why, when the First Master gave an order, how dare he be negligent?

After running back and forth between inside and outside the courtyard more than ten times, Zhu Bin suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud before Zhu Yuanmo.

“First Master, this humble one has never dared slack off in Madam’s courtyard. Everything receives the same fertilizing and trimming. Just the other day, this humble one was still…”

Zhu Yuanmo could no longer hear any sound, his gaze fixed directly on Yan Sanhe, his heart pounding.

Yan Sanhe walked before Zhu Bin: “So the trees in this courtyard are slowly withering to death, is that correct?”

Though Zhu Bin didn’t know who Yan Sanhe was, seeing the First Master’s gaze fixed on her, he quickly said, “That’s correct.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “The trees outside this courtyard are slowly recovering?”

Zhu Bin nodded repeatedly: “Right now they look wilted, but once the weather warms, they’ll come alive again—growing leaves, sprouting buds, blooming flowers.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “You couldn’t be mistaken?”

“Honored one, flowers, plants, and trees are like people. Which person will live, which person will die—an experienced imperial physician knows at a glance.”

Zhu Bin continued, “This humble one has done this work for decades. I absolutely cannot be wrong.”

Yan Sanhe raised her gaze and met Zhu Yuanmo’s eyes. Both simultaneously had the same thought: This courtyard also has a problem.

“Find an excuse to have Madam move out first.”

Yan Sanhe turned. “I’ll wait for you in the guest courtyard.”

Zhu Yuanmo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Third Brother?”

Among the three sons, Old Master Zhu favored the second, but Madam Mao was partial to her youngest son. With the youngest before her eyes, she could eat an extra half bowl of rice.

Third Master Zhu nodded. “Leave it to me. I’ll persuade Mother.”

…

While Yan Sanhe had slept for three days, the capital had rained for three days, and the weather had suddenly turned much colder.

Entering the guest courtyard’s main hall, charcoal braziers were placed in all four corners, burning vigorously.

As Yan Sanhe frowned, Li Buyan had already started moving the braziers.

After moving the four braziers to the corners, Li Buyan touched Yan Sanhe’s foot and gently mouthed two words: “Sinister.”

Indeed, it was sinister.

All the flowers and plants in the residence had revived, yet those in Madam Mao’s courtyard were withering to death.

Zhu Weixi and Third Madam were both fine, yet Madam Mao was aging day by day.

Clearly, Madam Mao’s courtyard had been personally selected by Old Master Zhu—it had the most yang energy and was most auspicious for her.

After a long silence, Yan Sanhe said in a low voice, “All things in the world have spiritual energy. The final fate of the flowers and plants should be Madam Mao’s ultimate outcome.”

Li Buyan’s heart jumped. Just as she was about to speak further, she saw the three masters of the Zhu residence entering the courtyard and quickly stepped back several paces to stand behind Yan Sanhe.

A maid served hot tea to everyone, placed a pot of water on a small red clay stove to heat, then closed the door and left.

“Zhu Yuanmo, what should good feng shui for a residence be like?”

Yan Sanhe asked a question that surprised the three Zhu brothers—this seemed completely unrelated to resolving Old Master Zhu’s heart demon.

Zhu Yuanmo’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times. “Miss Yan, to put it simply, it’s four characters: concealing wind and gathering qi.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “How so?”

“Concealing wind and gathering qi is the most auspicious yang residence terrain in feng shui—water in front, mountains behind, encircled by mountains and embraced by water, with purple qi coming from the east.”

Zhu Yuanmo continued, “Though you cannot see it with the naked eye, Miss, in fact the Zhu family residence’s Four Symbols—that is, the four directions—are all very particular.”

Yan Sanhe said, “Tell me about it.”

“The four directions are respectively the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. The Azure Dragon is east—to the east of the Zhu residence is a small river with winding, flowing water.

“The Vermillion Bird is south—extending several dozen li directly south from the Zhu residence is the Chaobai River.

“The White Tiger is west—directly west of the Zhu residence is a long, broad avenue.

“The Black Tortoise is north—extending several dozen li directly north from the residence is Mount Dayan.

“To be honest, Miss, when this residence was originally being sited, just to achieve this external configuration for concealing wind and gathering water, our ancestor spent a full three years.”

Yan Sanhe drew in a sharp breath.