Yan Sanhe turned and walked before Xie Zhifei, her gaze unfathomably deep.

“How should we investigate, Xie Chengyu? I’ll follow your lead.”

“This matter can only be conducted in secret.”

“How do we conduct it in secret?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.”

Xie Zhifei pointed to his head. “This matter came too suddenly. My mind is still complete mush. You need to give me time to think.”

“I won’t rush you.”

Yan Sanhe’s voice grew increasingly calm. “To learn about the events of that year, we simply need to find the people from that year and the case files from that year.”

“The case files are impossible. Don’t even think about it.”

Xie Zhifei flatly refused. “As soon as we make a move on the case files, we’ll definitely alert our targets. We need to take our time and plan carefully.”

Pei Xiao quickly added, “Yan Sanhe, have you forgotten? We couldn’t even get the case files for Lian Tangqi’s spring examination fraud case.”

“I haven’t forgotten. I’m just making a suggestion to see if there’s any possibility.”

Yan Sanhe sat back in her chair.

“Zhu Yuanmo, I promised Third Master that from here on, I’ll follow his lead in everything. If he says to plan carefully, then we can only plan carefully.”

“Third Master’s words are correct.”

Zhu Yuanmo looked gratefully at Xie Zhifei. “In any case, matters have reached this point—there’s no use being hasty.”

Xie Zhifei slowly rose. “Since you’re following my lead, I have a few things to instruct. The first matter is to keep this absolutely secret.”

Zhu Yuanmo: “Rest assured, Third Brother. Aside from us three brothers, no fourth person will know. As for Weili, I’ll personally go instruct him.”

My brother doesn’t need worrying about—he fears death more than anyone.

Xie Zhifei added this thought silently, then continued: “Secondly, I cannot go to the Zhu residence. The villa has few people and is quiet—the three elder brothers should come here instead.”

“Agreed.” Zhu Yuanmo nodded.

“Finally…”

Xie Zhifei rubbed his brow, thinking there wasn’t much else to say. “Let’s wish ourselves good luck.”

As these words fell, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy again.

Zhu Yuanhao really couldn’t stand this oppressive silence. He pulled three copper coins from his robe and tossed them on the ground.

Two coins landed showing one head and one tail.

The third coin spun for more than ten circles before actually standing upright.

He was so shocked he didn’t know what to say. “Miss Yan, look at this?”

Yan Sanhe walked over and picked up that coin. “No need to look, no need to divine. Everything depends both on human effort and Heaven’s will.”

“Well said.”

Xie Zhifei clapped once. “There’s one person from that year we can visit first.”

Yan Sanhe: “Tang Jianxi.”

Xie Zhifei looked at Yan Sanhe, light shooting from his eyes. This girl could always think along the same lines as him.

That’s right—Tang Jianxi.

Though he had become a recluse, he and the Crown Prince were fellow disciples. Moreover, Chu Yanting had participated in the Crown Prince’s armed rebellion.

Though Tang Jianxi didn’t concern himself with the Crown Prince’s affairs, he would certainly have paid attention to Chu Yanting’s every move. After all, Chu Yanting held a completely different place in his heart.

“Miss Yan, who is Tang Jianxi?” Zhu Yuanmo asked.

“One of the Former Crown Prince’s junior disciples.”

Yan Sanhe: “A person connected to the heart demon I resolved.”

“What?”

While secretly alarmed, Zhu Yuanmo felt the need to ask more. “Did the previous heart demon also involve the Former Crown Prince?”

This question made Yan Sanhe and the others pause slightly.

That’s right—how was it connected to the Former Crown Prince again?

“The previous heart demon was only tangentially related.”

Yan Sanhe didn’t elaborate further. “This one goes straight to the Former Crown Prince.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanmo fell silent.

“That person Tang Jianxi…”

Young Master Pei shook his head uncertainly. “He may not be willing to talk.”

“If I go, he should be willing.”

Yan Sanhe turned to ask Xie Zhifei. “May I go?”

Xie Zhifei thought for a moment. “You and Second Master Zhu go together.”

Yan Sanhe immediately understood the purpose of bringing Second Master Zhu along.

Tang Mingyue was probably close to giving birth. The child’s birth chart, how to name them, their future fortune—these were all specialties of the Zhu family.

Zhu Yuanzhao also knew what use he could serve. “I can also help them check the feng shui.”

Yan Sanhe: “Xie Zhifei, when do we depart?”

Xie Zhifei: “Three days from now.”

Yan Sanhe: “Why must we wait three days?”

Because you just woke up and your body is still weak.

Because when you investigate heart demons, you’re more reckless than a desperado.

“I say three days from now, so there are reasons for three days from now.”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze settled on Yan Sanhe, his eyes looking aggrieved. “What did you promise me?”

Fine, fine.

I’ll listen to everything you say!

Yan Sanhe quieted under his gaze for a moment. “Then three days from now it is.”

“Second Brother Zhu.”

Xie Zhifei’s head turned slightly. “Leave first thing tomorrow morning, by yourself, hire a carriage, and wait for Yan Sanhe at a place called Yuelai Inn in Yongqing County.”

One leaves first.

One leaves later.

This way they won’t attract attention.

Only now did Yan Sanhe understand why Xie Zhifei wanted her to wait three days—he truly was being extremely careful.

Zhu Yuanzhao nodded. “I’ll discuss with Big Brother and find a good excuse to leave the capital. After all, with Mother having just passed away, if I travel far now, it will arouse suspicion.”

“For now, let’s leave it at that. Everyone disperse.”

Xie Zhifei stood, then suddenly thought of something and sat back down. “Big Brother Zhu, don’t move the five corpses in the Tianshi residence yet. Just leave them there.”

Zhu Yuanmo was startled and looked at his two brothers in confusion.

He had just woken and didn’t know about this matter yet.

“Also, carrying out three coffins within half a year—the Zhu family is at the center of attention right now. This is one matter Big Brother Zhu needs to be careful about. There’s another matter…”

Xie Zhifei paused.

“You need to prepare your explanation for His Majesty. If His Majesty becomes suspicious, rather than risk it, you might as well observe mourning for two years using Mother’s passing as an excuse and temporarily relinquish the Bureau of Astronomy.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanmo was deeply alarmed.

These past days he’d been busy with the heart demon matter and hadn’t been to the ministry for some time.

According to the laws of Hua Nation, when both parents pass away, officials must observe mourning for three years.

The Bureau of Astronomy was a special position that didn’t require mourning, but carrying out three coffins in succession was indeed unusual. Others might not matter, but His Majesty’s side definitely required careful handling.

Seeing Zhu Yuanmo’s expression, Xie Zhifei knew he’d taken it to heart.

“Yan Sanhe, three days from now I’ll find a way to secretly send you away. These next few days, don’t go anywhere—just rest and recover at the villa.”

His gaze lingered on Yan Sanhe’s face for a moment, then turned to Pei Xiao.

“Mingting, come with me.”

Zhu Yuanmo also rose. “Second Brother, Third Brother, let’s go back too.”

Xie Zhifei: “Big Brother Zhu, leave through the back gate.”

“Right!”

Pei Xiao: “From now on, all of you use the back gate. The front gate attracts too much attention. We need to separate.”

Zhu Yuanmo looked at Pei Xiao and said softly, “Later I’ll draw a talisman for Young Master Pei as well. You must carry it with you at all times.”

Young Master Pei was completely blunt. “While you’re at it, help check the feng shui of our residence too.”

Zhu Yuanmo: “No need to check.”

Young Master Pei: “Why not?”

Zhu Yuanmo: “The kind hearts of Imperial Physician Pei and Young Master Pei are the best feng shui for your Pei family.”