“Knock, knock, knock!”

When daylight brightened, someone knocked on the window.

Li Buyan threw on clothes and walked to the window, pushing it open.

Seeing the person outside the window, her face showed not a trace of surprise. Anyway, those who came knocking at the window for no reason were either this bastard or that bastard.

Young Master Pei, with a face showing he’d stayed up all night: “Where’s Yan Sanhe?”

“Sleeping. Speak up—what’s the matter? Don’t tell me the Head Steward isn’t going to make it.”

“He’s not doing too well.”

Li Buyan’s yawn was cut off halfway, scared into stopping abruptly: “How is he not going to make it?”

Young Master Pei: “My father said there are two reasons.”

Li Buyan: “Which two?”

Young Master Pei: “One is his advanced age—he can’t withstand wave after wave of shock. The other is he himself doesn’t want to live.”

Li Buyan: “Where is he now?”

Young Master Pei: “Already returned to the Zhu estate.”

Li Buyan: “How many days does he have left?”

Just as Young Master Pei was about to speak, Yan Sanhe walked to the window and said hoarsely: “Send someone to tell him he must wait until the Zhu family’s heart demon is completely resolved before closing his eyes.”

Completely resolved?

Forget it!

Young Master Pei: “Yan Sanhe, let me demonstrate something for you.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze passed over him to look at Xie Zhifei behind him.

Xie Zhifei wore yesterday’s robe, standing with hands behind his back. His complexion wasn’t too good, but when he smiled slightly at her, he was still graceful and dashing.

“Demonstrate what?” she asked.

“Watch carefully.”

Young Master Pei extended his left hand, an egg in his palm.

He released his hand. The egg fell and shattered with a crash.

Yan Sanhe: “You want to tell me that getting the Emperor to light incense is like an egg striking a stone?”

Smart!

Young Master Pei extended his right hand—a steamed bun.

With a flick of his hand, he threw the bun out. It rolled several times on the ground and disappeared from view.

Yan Sanhe: “You also want to tell me that if we dare have the Emperor light incense, it’s like a meat bun beating a dog—going but never returning.”

Young Master Pei gave Yan Sanhe a thumbs up.

Well understood!

Young Master Pei stepped back several steps and winked at his good brother Xie Wushi: “My task is complete. You’re up next.”

Xie Zhifei walked to the window, his gaze looking deeply at Yan Sanhe: “Rest for a few days for now.”

Through the latter half of the night, he, Ming Ting, and Zhu Yuanmo discussed until exhausted—truly not a single solution.

“I don’t plan to act rashly. I promised you.”

Xie Zhifei’s lips curved slightly: “Hand out.”

Yan Sanhe extended her hand.

Two pieces of malt candy.

She smiled helplessly: “Oh my, two pieces today.”

Xie Zhifei: “When the young lady is obedient, shouldn’t she be rewarded?”

Yan Sanhe: “…”

…

Yan Sanhe had never encountered a situation where a heart demon was resolved but no one could light the incense.

For three consecutive days, she shut herself in the study, practicing calligraphy.

Writing most required a calm heart.

Back when resolving Tang Zhiwei’s heart demon, no matter how difficult it became, she could still focus single-mindedly.

But now for some reason, with each character she wrote, she felt her heart grow more chaotic.

When she first sensed this heart demon, she had a strong premonition—her own chances were grim.

As the heart demon was smoothly resolved day by day, this premonition was almost forgotten. But now it seemed… everything was coming true.

Yan Sanhe didn’t want to die.

Her own background hadn’t been investigated clearly. The one hundred eighty lives of the Zheng family still rested on her shoulders. She had no right to die.

But how should matters progress?

The time left for Zhu Yuanmo and the Zhu family truly wasn’t much.

Yan Sanhe’s heart was chaotic. Xie Zhifei’s heart was even more chaotic than hers.

First, with the year’s end approaching, the office had many matters.

Second, he had to make connections everywhere for the Imperial Grand Prince.

Hosting drinks, accompanying laughter and entertainment—these had formerly all been pleasurable small matters to him.

But now with a huge stone weighing on his heart, how could he have that mood? He felt like every night he was selling his smile.

Within days, a row of blisters formed at the corner of Xie Zhifei’s mouth. When he opened his mouth, the pain pierced to the bone.

Young Master Pei’s days were also difficult.

Though the Shen family performance was finished, he still had to handle the cleanup work. Qingliang Temple had to put on a show, otherwise if the Shen family grew suspicious, matters would branch unexpectedly.

Additionally, the high officials and nobles of the capital all had the habit of offering incense on New Year’s Day.

To compete for the first incense stick, many people found connections leading to him.

This year, whether due to bad fortune or because the court was going to war, the number of people competing for first incense was particularly numerous.

He was vexed beyond measure.

The three Zhu brothers needn’t be mentioned—their days were worse than death. The three brothers looked both aged and haggard.

Only Li Buyan lived without care.

This was her first New Year in the capital. She should at least make it somewhat proper, so these past days, she and Tang Yuan and Lanchuan ran to the markets daily, carriage after carriage bringing New Year goods home.

Lanchuan had grown up in a nunnery since childhood. Where had she seen such lively markets? Every day returning home, she was so happy her mouth couldn’t close.

Looking at her brilliant smile, Yan Sanhe suddenly thought of what the late Crown Prince Zhao Rongyu had said to Tang Jianxi:

To live freely is not to be human; to be human is not to live freely.

Perhaps influenced by Lanchuan, on this day when they went out, Yan Sanhe’s heart stirred and she went along too.

The New Year market was bustling with crowds everywhere.

Some people’s faces held smiles, some held worry—just fitting that old saying: wealthy people celebrate New Year; poor people pass a hurdle.

Today’s outing aimed to get several new outfits for the four of them. They went to the renowned Jinxiu Silk Shop.

A row of carriages already stood at the shop’s entrance.

The shop assistant glanced at Yan Sanhe’s group. He couldn’t even spare a smile. Not a single hairpin on their heads—daring to run here? Had they any sense?

Li Buyan pulled out a bank note from her chest and waved it at the assistant: “This aunt wants the best seamstresses, the best satin!”

Seeing the denomination on that bank note, the assistant immediately smiled like a flower: “Esteemed guests, all four, please come in!”

The place for tailoring was on the second floor.

The four went up to the second floor, only to see several servant women clustering around a woman in red about to descend.

Their gazes met. Du Yiyun’s eyes immediately surged with fury: “Truly unlucky. Didn’t check the almanac when going out today.”

Maid Ni’er scolded the assistant behind them: “Are you all blind? What sort of people do you welcome through the door?”

Looking for trouble?

Li Buyan pushed Yan Sanhe behind her: “Some people look so unlucky that even checking the almanac is useless.”

Ni’er: “You…”

“You what you?”

Li Buyan’s eyes revealed fierce light: “Get far away from this aunt. Don’t dirty my eyes.”

With fierce light exposed, Ni’er’s head shrank back. She didn’t dare speak.

Seeing Ni’er was useless, Du Yiyun said angrily: “A lowly maid—where do you get the dog’s courage to speak before your master?”

Li Buyan’s mouth, in Young Master Pei’s words, was lined with daggers.

“Tsk, speaking so unpleasantly—must have gone to the latrine without wiping your mouth.”

Li Buyan pulled out a handkerchief, smiling but not smiling: “Take it. Wipe properly. No need to return it.”

“Outrageous!”

Du Yiyun’s eyelids jumped with anger. Picking up the handkerchief, she flung it at Li Buyan’s face.

There’s even more outrageous!

Li Buyan’s toe lightly lifted, tapping Du Yiyun’s knee.

Du Yiyun only felt pain in her knee. It bent—plop—she knelt down toward Li Buyan.

Li Buyan’s face was full of wicked delight.

“Aiyo, why does Miss Du need to perform such great courtesy? I’m only a lowly maid!”