They rushed back to the Zhu residence at full gallop. When they reached the ice cellar entrance, Zhu Yuanmo was already waiting at the door, his face equally anxious.

Yan Sanhe stood before him. “Why the urgency? Stay calm.”

Zhu Yuanmo smiled bitterly. He wanted to stay calm.

Everyone descended the steps.

Upon entering the ice cellar, Yan Sanhe looked up. Even she was secretly shocked.

The corpse was still that corpse, but the entire face showed completely different colors on the left and right sides.

The left side was blue-white—the normal color a deceased person should have. The right side showed the original black-blue color.

Not only the face, but both hands resting at the sides showed the same.

Zhu Yuanmo stepped forward and lifted the corpse’s burial trousers. The two legs—one white, one black.

“Miss Yan, what is happening?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t answer but asked instead: “When did you discover this?”

“Two hours ago.”

Zhu Yuanmo: “I come down to check every ten days. Today happens to be the tenth day.”

Yan Sanhe: “The previous ten days—no changes?”

Zhu Yuanmo: “None.”

Yan Sanhe lowered her eyes, pondering for a long while, then said:

“This means our investigation direction is correct. The crow’s resentment is slowly dissipating, so the dark energy on his body is also slowly dissipating. This also means the heart demon will soon come to light.”

“It’s Shen Duruo.”

Young Master Pei poked his body out from behind Li Buyan. “It’s her—no mistake.”

Seeing the two Zhu brothers looking his way, Young Master Pei recounted what they’d just learned at the temple.

After listening, Zhu Yuanmo walked to Yan Sanhe’s side. “Miss Yan, it really does seem to be her.”

Now Yan Sanhe no longer hesitated.

“Buyan, immediately go inform Third Master Xie that we don’t need to investigate Concubine Xia anymore. Also tell him it’s time to meet with Imperial Physician Shen.”

…

Xie Zhifei had just returned from the Grand Prince’s villa when he met Li Buyan.

Third Master Zhu had come to deliver news—Prince Han was the inauspicious star for this expedition. The memorial had been sent to the dragon desk, and everything awaited His Majesty’s decision.

This was simply heaven-sent great fortune!

Xie Zhifei, wearing his hungover face, personally went to deliver the news to Huairen.

Zhao Huairen had been staying at the villa these past days. Upon hearing the news, his dark eyes stared directly at Xie Zhifei as the corners of his lips curved upward, wider and wider.

Seeing that smile, Xie Zhifei suddenly felt his heart soften somewhat.

He really should smile more often.

It looks good.

“Stop investigating?”

After hearing Li Buyan’s words, Xie Zhifei was on the verge of tears.

Two thousand taels of silver had already been sent out.

The people sent to inquire about Concubine Xia’s household had departed before dawn and should be five hundred li away by now.

He’d already learned most of Concubine Xia’s general situation over drinks.

Now they tell him to stop investigating?

Xie Zhifei smiled bitterly. “Tell me earlier next time! I wouldn’t have drunk half the night.”

Zhu Qing placed strong tea by Xie Zhifei’s hand. “Master, should we recall them?”

“Don’t bother with that trouble.”

Xie Zhifei looked up at Li Buyan. “Tell Yan Sanhe that the matter of finding Imperial Physician Shen still requires detailed discussion.”

Li Buyan didn’t like this kind of ambiguous answer. “When do we discuss? Where do we discuss?”

Xie Zhifei was about to speak when Ding Yi rushed in. “Master, the eldest master is here.”

“My brother?”

Xie Zhifei sprang to his feet, shot Li Buyan a look indicating she should sit and wait, then hurried out to greet him.

Seeing his third brother, Xie Erli immediately lowered his voice. “Find a private courtyard. I have something to say.”

“Come to my courtyard.”

Xie Zhifei instructed Ding Yi and Zhu Qing behind him: “Stand guard outside the courtyard. Don’t let even a fly in.”

Remembering someone was waiting inside, he added: “Have the hero return first. I’ll go to the villa tonight.”

…

Even with people standing guard outside, Xie Erli still wasn’t reassured.

Upon entering, he closed all doors and windows tightly. Still uneasy, he checked once more before collapsing into the grand armchair.

That’s right.

All that composure, all that courage…

It was all an act.

In truth, from the Hanlin Academy to the Military Commissioner’s Office, his legs had been weak the entire way, cold sweat layering his back until his inner garment was soaked through.

“Brother, you really…”

“Shut up. Sit closer to me.”

Xie Zhifei moved over.

Not close enough.

He leaned his head over too.

Even so, Xie Erli still covered his mouth and said in a low voice: “The edict doesn’t say the Crown Prince committed treason—it only says the Crown Prince used witchcraft to curse the Son of Heaven.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t understand. “Brother, what’s the difference?”

“A great difference.”

“Though both are capital offenses, treason is heinous betrayal, while witchcraft is slightly lighter—being deluded by evil spirits. The Late Emperor showed the Crown Prince a measure of benevolence in the end.”

“What use is this benevolence?”

“You don’t understand. This edict will be written into the historical records.”

Xie Erli: “Decades pass, centuries pass—when future generations trace back this period of history, all they can consult are the historical records.”

Hearing this, Xie Zhifei finally grasped some meaning. “Meaning that centuries from now, when people open the historical records, they’ll feel this Crown Prince wasn’t so bad as to be utterly heinous?”

“Roughly that meaning. Also…”

Xie Erli leaned forward even more.

“There were over ten impeachment memorials in total. I checked carefully—not one came from Prince Zhao’s faction. Quite a few were from the Late Emperor’s own people.”

Xie Zhifei even stopped breathing. “What does this indicate?”

Xie Erli forcefully suppressed the fear rising in his heart and said in a low voice:

“It indicates His Majesty never wanted the Crown Prince to become emperor. That measure of benevolence was solely because the Crown Prince was his son.”

These words were thunderous and enlightening.

Xie Zhifei had only one thought—

What role did the Late Emperor play in the Crown Prince’s Witchcraft Case?

…

Yan Sanhe heard about the edict and impeachment memorials that night.

After listening, she remained silent for a long time.

Xie Zhifei didn’t rush her, just sat beside her slowly drinking tea. Young Master Pei wanted to speak several times but was stopped by his eye signals.

After a long while, Yan Sanhe spoke. “What kind of person is the current emperor?”

Xie Zhifei: “Decisive in killing.”

Young Master Pei: “Wise and martial.”

Xie Zhifei: “Knows people and uses them well.”

Young Master Pei: “Personally practices frugality.”

“Be more specific.”

Yan Sanhe frowned. “Don’t just slap on grand labels.”

Specific?

Xie Zhifei thought, then said: “Went to the battlefield at just over ten years old, was enfeoffed as prince at seventeen, guarded the northern territories for nearly thirty years.”

Young Master Pei: “Because of him in the northern territories, those foreign tribes didn’t dare invade. The northern people all call him ‘the Prince on Horseback.'”

Xie Zhifei: “When he was prince, he kept a low profile, extremely unobtrusive.”

Young Master Pei: “Actually, more than just him wanted to vie for the throne—anyone surnamed Zhao had stirrings in their heart. He was the one who hid deepest.”

Hiding deepest means striking most ruthlessly.

Yan Sanhe snorted coldly through her nose. “Any flaws?”