This wait lasted a full half hour.
When everyone was yawning continuously, Yan Sanhe entered bringing a body full of cold air.
“I finally understand why Zhu Xuanjiu would commit evil deeds for Prince Zhao.”
“Miss Yan, please wait.”
Zhu Yuanmo’s gaze shifted. “Old steward, you first…”
His words stopped halfway, forcibly stuck.
At this moment, the old steward’s expression was abnormally fierce, his voice shaking like a bellows: “Miss Yan, what did you just say? He, he, he helped…”
Everyone looked at Zhu Yuanmo: What, the old steward still doesn’t know the truth?
Zhu Yuanmo shook his head, explaining: “That day when I left you with Second and Third Brother at Mother’s grave, I originally intended to tell you all. But then I…”
The old steward couldn’t hear anything else. He only wanted one answer: “Master, he, he helped…”
“Yes.”
Zhu Yuanmo: “Don’t get agitated yet. Let’s hear Miss Yan finish speaking.”
The old steward picked up his teacup, wanting to drink some hot tea to calm down, but his hands shook terribly.
Young Master Pei quickly stepped forward to take the teacup and feed it to his lips.
Behind him.
In Li Buyan’s cool pupils, a bit of a smile slowly appeared.
After half a cup of hot tea, Zhu Jing’s complexion improved considerably.
Only then did Yan Sanhe speak.
“Because of Empress Xiaoren, Zhu Liuyao repeatedly instructed Zhu Xuanjiu to help the Crown Prince ascend. This was the old master’s dying wish.
Not only did Zhu Xuanjiu not obey, he even secretly acted to harm the Crown Prince. What kind of mentality is this?”
Stop asking.
If you ask, we can’t answer either.
Young Master Pei urged: “What mentality? Speak quickly!”
“Zhu Xuanjiu should have had two mentalities.”
Yan Sanhe: “The first is the mentality of kindred spirits.”
Kindred spirits?
Xie Zhifei suddenly thought of a possibility: “You mean both he and Prince Zhao were born of concubines?”
“Correct!”
Yan Sanhe nodded. “Legitimate birth versus concubine birth—one character difference, worlds apart.”
Those of legitimate birth possessed the character for legitimacy. Everything that fell upon them from birth was taken for granted.
But concubine-born weren’t like that. Whether favor or family property, to obtain them relied on one thing: striving.
Zhu Xuanjiu obtained the position of Zhu family head through not only ambition but also base, despicable methods.
So when he discovered the concubine-born Prince Zhao also had ambition, was also secretly using underhanded methods to plot something…
He immediately categorized Prince Zhao as kindred.
Kindred spirits cherish kindred spirits.
Xie Zhifei frowned. “Zhu Xuanjiu was like seeing another version of himself.”
Yan Sanhe met Third Master’s gaze. “One who endured bitterly, was ruthless and merciless, who wouldn’t rest until achieving his goal.”
Young Master Pei: “What about the second mentality?”
“Zhu Xuanjiu’s second mentality is also the most critical mentality for why he acted to help Prince Zhao.”
Yan Sanhe forced out two words through her teeth: “Father hatred!”
Everyone’s hearts shook violently.
Zhu Xuanjiu actually hated his own father?
Why?
“We said before that Zhu Xuanjiu had extreme dependency on Concubine Fu. In childhood, he didn’t enjoy Concubine Fu’s wholehearted maternal love. He believed Concubine Fu was plundered by Fifth Master and others.”
Yan Sanhe: “Then who plundered Concubine Fu most deeply?”
Li Buyan slapped her thigh. “I know—his father.”
“Correct.”
Yan Sanhe looked at Li Buyan approvingly. “Precisely the old master, Zhu Liuyao.”
Back then, it was Zhu Liuyao who actively took a fancy to Lady Fu and made her his concubine.
Zhu Liuyao was the family head. If he wanted Concubine Fu to go east, she didn’t dare go west.
No matter how much Concubine Fu disliked Zhu Liuyao, she had to smile with him, sleep with him, in exchange for her own fine clothes and good food and her son Zhu Xuanjiu’s good life.
“This matter was originally one willing to buy, one willing to sell. But in Zhu Xuanjiu’s eyes, Zhu Liuyao became a genuine plunderer, the villain.”
Yan Sanhe: “Zhu Liuyao died peacefully. The reason for his peaceful death wasn’t because Zhu Xuanjiu spared him, but because he hesitated indecisively between legitimate and concubine-born.
Zhu Liuyao constantly observed Zhu Xuanjiu. To smoothly ascend, Zhu Xuanjiu had to live with his tail between his legs. Otherwise, with his ruthless cruelty—he dared even move against his legitimate mother—how could Zhu Liuyao have escaped?”
Everyone listened dumbstruck, only feeling a chill rising from the soles of their feet.
Even the usually composed Xie Zhifei couldn’t help asking: “Then what?”
“Then let’s look at what the first thing Zhu Xuanjiu did after ascending was.”
Yan Sanhe: “Renovate the Zhu family residence.”
This action had one layer of meaning—he wanted to cover up bad deeds and trap his first wife, Lady Mao. But there was another deeper layer of meaning—he was rebelling against his father, Zhu Liuyao.
Yan Sanhe’s gaze shifted to Zhu Yuanmo.
“Your Zhu family has passed down through many generations. The rules were passed down generation by generation. Aside from renovating the residence, he was powerless to do anything else, and couldn’t act too obviously either.
After all, the surface appearance of father’s kindness and son’s filial piety was performed for everyone to see. Only regarding assisting the Crown Prince…”
“None of us in the entire family knew.” Zhu Yuanmo slowly continued the words.
“Correct. Aside from the old steward who accidentally overheard, no one else in your Zhu residence knew this matter existed.”
Yan Sanhe laughed coldly. “From the time Zhu Xuanjiu became aware, until he sat in the family head position—he endured for nearly thirty years. The longer and deeper the endurance, the stronger and fiercer the final rebellion becomes.”
You want me to help the Crown Prince smoothly ascend—I refuse.
You want to repay Empress Xiaoren’s kindness—I refuse.
You’re already lying in a coffin—what can you do to me?
“This is the real reason Zhu Xuanjiu violated his father’s dying wish and secretly acted to help Prince Zhao.”
Yan Sanhe: “He wanted to use this matter to trample his father Zhu Liuyao underfoot, to avenge his birth mother Concubine Fu’s submission to Zhu Liuyao, to avenge Concubine Fu’s years of compromise.”
The candlelight flickered.
In the study, aside from low breathing sounds, not another sound could be heard.
How deep must one person’s hatred be to do beastly deeds like Zhu Xuanjiu?
How deep must one person’s selfish desires be to, like Shen Wei, drink dry every last drop of his daughter’s blood?
Yan Sanhe drank some tea. Her throat moistened with water vapor, her voice clear.
“Resolving the heart demon to this point, everything is reasonable and logical. The circle has been completely drawn. Next is the person to light incense.”
One wave had just fallen.
Another wave came crashing down.
Young Master Pei said weakly: “Yan Sanhe, can you let people catch their breath?”
Xie Zhifei rubbed his chest. “Mine hurts a bit here.”
Li Buyan: “My brain isn’t good. I need to digest.”
“Miss Yan.”
But Zhu Yuanmo braced himself against the table corner and stood up.
His heart had died completely regarding Zhu Xuanjiu. Father hatred, hatred of whoever—there would be his deserved retribution.
“Using Third Master’s elimination method, can I try lighting incense first?”
Yan Sanhe also stood. “That’s also my meaning.”
Eliminate the impossible. What remains is possible.
“Aiyou, aiyou!”
Young Master Pei moaned toward Li Buyan. “Quick, help me up. My legs are weak.”
Li Buyan looked disgusted. “Your legs are weak—why moan at me?”
“Moan because what if Elder Brother Zhu can’t light the incense later…”
Young Master Pei, imitating Xie Zhifei’s manner, forcefully rubbed his chest and moaned even more pitifully. “We really will only have a dead end.”
“Enough nonsense.”
Yan Sanhe’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Prepare to light incense. It must be faced eventually.”
Li Buyan looked at Yan Sanhe’s expression and walked to Pei Xiao’s side, laughing “he he.”
“Young Master Pei, I won’t help you up. Your back—jump on. I’ll carry you.”
Young Master Pei: “…”