Just as the old emperor released that sigh, Prince Han’s personal attendant hurried into the study.

“Your Highness.”

The attendant bowed while speaking: “News has come from the palace. The Director of the Bureau of Astronomy, Zhu Yuanmo, has submitted a memorial stating that the inauspicious star in this northern expedition falls upon Your Highness.”

“What?”

Zhao Yanjin’s face darkened. “Summon Dong Xiao immediately.”

Dong Xiao came as soon as he was called. After hearing this news, his face also turned grave.

“Before Your Highness could turn the Zhu family into废子 (discarded pieces), the Zhu family has already struck at Your Highness first. The Crown Prince’s side moves so swiftly!”

Zhao Yanjin ground his teeth in hatred. “Boren, quickly help me think of a solution.”

“His Majesty deeply trusts the Bureau of Astronomy’s words.”

Dong Xiao: “There’s no remedy for this matter. Your Highness was one step too slow—you can only quietly await His Majesty’s decision.”

“No.”

Zhao Yanjin slammed his fist heavily on the table. “This prince cannot sit and await death. I must go to the northern territories.”

“Then there’s only one solution.”

Dong Xiao: “Your Highness must prove to His Majesty that you’re not an inauspicious star, that Zhu Yuanmo is spouting complete nonsense.”

Zhao Yanjin: “How do I prove it?”

“The Bureau of Astronomy can only be loyal to His Majesty.”

Dong Xiao: “Find evidence that Zhu Yuanmo has been very close to the Grand Prince and the Crown Prince. This will prove Your Highness is not an inauspicious star—it’s all a conspiracy and scheme from Duanmu Palace.”

“Excellent!”

Zhao Yanjin paced excitedly back and forth in the study.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked at Dong Xiao, the corner of his mouth revealing a cold smile. “Have people watch Zhu Yuanmo, how about it?”

“That’s still not enough.”

Dong Xiao: “Your Highness, consider this—His Majesty will depart in three months. Zhu Yuanmo will surely accompany him. Along this journey, what will Zhu Yuanmo say on the Crown Prince’s behalf? What underhanded moves might he make in secret?”

Murderous intent slowly rose in Zhao Yanjin’s eyes.

…

The next day.

Just as Li Buyan was sending a message to the Han family courier station, Young Master Pei rushed to the villa like a gust of wind.

“Yan Sanhe, Yan Sanhe.”

Yan Sanhe was so startled she sat up from her bed. She quickly threw on an outer garment and walked out of her room.

“What happened?”

In the bitter cold, Pei Xiao had run himself into a sweat.

“I suddenly remembered something. A few days ago, when I went to that temple to verify the monks’ registry, the old abbot complained to me.”

“Complained about what?”

“Complained that I, Magistrate Pei, didn’t think of their temple when good fortune came.”

When Pei Xiao heard this, it clearly implied something more, so he asked a few more questions.

The result was that old monk sighed, saying that the person placed in that coffin last time carried deep sins, causing them to recite so many rebirth sutras.

Having already handled the matter, Pei Xiao was too lazy to think deeply about it and glossed over it with a few jokes.

But last night, unable to sleep, somehow this matter surfaced in his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong, so he ran to the villa first thing this morning.

Yan Sanhe immediately detected the oddity. “How did the old monk know the person in the coffin carried deep sins?”

“Right? How did he know?”

“You didn’t ask in detail?”

“I…”

Young Master Pei choked. “I thought Shen Duruo was driven out by Imperial Physician Shen Senior, so anyone driven out by their parents must have deep sins. How could I think to…”

Yan Sanhe made an immediate decision. “Wait while I wash up. We’ll go to the temple right away.”

Young Master Pei’s eyes kept drifting toward the room. “Where’s the Li hero? Why haven’t I seen her?”

“She went to handle something for me.”

“Why are you making her handle things so early in the morning?”

Pei Xiao frowned deeply. “You, as a master, really lack human compassion.”

Yan Sanhe: “…”

“Where did she go? Is it far? We’d better meet up with her, then go to the temple together.”

Pei Xiao muttered and grumbled: “That temple is outside the city. The two of us don’t have the strength to truss a chicken. What if…”

“Stop with the ‘what ifs.’ Let’s do as you say—meet up first.”

Yan Sanhe turned to go back inside.

Pei Xiao shouted at her retreating figure: “I’m also thinking of our safety!”

…

After meeting up with Li Buyan, the three headed straight out of the city.

After noon, they arrived at the temple.

When the abbot heard Magistrate Pei asking about this, his face showed surprise. He quickly summoned the monk responsible for this matter.

A young monk came—rather handsome and refined in appearance.

“I also heard it from the night watchmen.”

“Night watchmen?”

Young Master Pei: “Which Shen family members? What are their names?”

The young monk shook his head. “Not from the Shen family. The Shen family’s night watchmen all wore respectable clothes. Those several were covered in dust from travel, every one of them sun-darkened.”

“I understand now.”

Pei Xiao clapped his hands. “The ones who transported the coffin to the capital—I even met them once. They also came here?”

The young monk nodded. “They kept vigil for seven full days before leaving.”

The Shen family had paid handsomely. The young monk didn’t dare neglect them. At night he brought food for the Shen family members, and also some for those men.

Everyone has curiosity. With nothing else to do, the young monk struck up a conversation with those men.

Through this conversation, he learned that Imperial Physician Shen’s daughter had actually been a traveling physician in life, and moreover, remained unmarried her entire life.

This made him even more curious.

So he pressed those men with questions.

One old man sighed and said: “How would we know why? My wife also asked, more than once. Physician Shen only said she carried deep sins, and practicing as a traveling physician was her atonement.”

…

On the return journey, the carriage was silent. Nothing but silence.

Young Master Pei couldn’t stand it. He coughed and said:

“Yan Sanhe, I don’t think we need to inquire about that Concubine Xia anymore. The matter is already decided. Li hero, what do you say?”

Li Buyan instinctively glanced at Yan Sanhe. “I think it’s about settled too.”

What does it mean to carry deep sins?

It means doing great evil, committing grave crimes—dying without a resting place.

Serving as an internal spy, planting cursed dolls, causing the deaths of several hundred people in the Crown Prince’s household, causing the Crown Prince’s followers and the families supporting him to all be destroyed.

These are truly deep sins.

“No wonder the four Shen brothers all refused to let the coffin enter their home.”

Young Master Pei clicked his tongue, his face full of regret. “If I’d known she was that kind of person, I shouldn’t have helped.”

“This also explains why she died in a foreign land at such a young age—guilt in her heart.”

Anger entered Li Buyan’s eyes.

“Actually, living to forty-one shows quite the thick skin. If it were me, in the midnight hours, all those wronged spirits entering my dreams, coming to claim my life—I couldn’t last three to five years.”

Yan Sanhe said nothing.

She acknowledged that Young Master Pei and Li Buyan’s words were all correct, but as Imperial Physician Pei had said—physicians have benevolent hearts.

A person who, in order to practice medicine, would act against their conscience and cause so many deaths—what kind of physician was that? Where was the benevolent heart?

Never mind being a traveling physician—she wasn’t even worthy of being human!

Lost in thought, the carriage suddenly stopped.

“Miss Yan, Second Master Zhu is here.”

Zhu Yuanzhao?

Chased them here?

Yan Sanhe immediately lifted the curtain and stuck her head out.

Zhu Yuanzhao had come on horseback, his face frozen blue-white in the cold wind.

“Miss Yan, please go look at the ice cellar quickly. He’s different from before again.”

Before Yan Sanhe could speak, Young Master Pei behind her whooshed to Li Buyan’s side.

Li Buyan looked at him.

Young Master Pei, with a face thicker than a city wall, showed no shame or embarrassment. “This is called ‘ice cellar post-traumatic stress.'”

Li Buyan: “Another term for it is ‘coward!'”

Young Master Pei: “…”