“Master?”

Zhu Qing caught up with Xie Zhifei.

“How does Master determine it wasn’t her doing?”

“The future Princess Consort—unlimited glory ahead. Yan Sanhe isn’t worth her taking the risk, at least not before she truly becomes Princess Consort. On this point, Du Yiyun didn’t lie.”

Xie Zhifei paused: “Second, Yan Sanhe going out today was coincidental. Running into Du Yiyun was also coincidental.”

Zhu Qing: “Then who could it be?”

Yes, who could it be?

Apart from Du Yiyun, Yan Sanhe in the capital only made friends, never enemies.

Xie Zhifei’s gaze surged with coldness.

…

At the Military Commission gate.

Young Master Pei stretched his neck, standing on tiptoe constantly watching.

A carriage drove over from the distance, stopping before him.

Young Master Pei found the carriage blocked his view. He quickly stepped forward dozens of feet.

At this time, urgent hoofbeats reached his ears. Young Master Pei’s heart leaped with joy.

Finally back.

Xie Zhifei dismounted. Young Master Pei rushed over: “How was it? Was it that little bitch?”

“No.”

“How are you so certain?”

“No motive.”

“You are the motive.”

Young Master Pei pointed at Xie Zhifei’s face: “She’s obsessed with you…”

“My face isn’t worth as much as the Princess Consort position.”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze swept around: “Where’s Li Buyan?”

Young Master Pei: “Still at Jinxiu Silk Shop. She says she wants to study how, in broad daylight, a living person just suddenly disappeared.”

“You don’t properly watch her for me—what are you doing here?”

Xie Zhifei was truly exasperated with this lord. How could his heart be so carefree? “What if Li Buyan…”

“Third Master Xie.”

Who’s calling?

Several people turned to look—it was actually Shen Yande, the eldest from the Shen family.

Shen Yande hurried forward: “Third Master, a word in private.”

Xie Zhifei had no such mood. He said coldly: “I have urgent business. We’ll talk later.”

“Third Master.”

Shen Yande quickly reached out to firmly grab him: “Mine is also urgent.”

“Get lost!” Xie Zhifei’s pupils contracted like needles. His hand swept out, directly flinging Shen Yande three zhang away.

“Third Master, my good Third Master.”

Shen Yande rushed over regardless: “I truly have urgent business. A matter of life and death. At least hear me out.”

Saying this, he stretched his neck long, pulled down his collar, exposing a section of white gauze.

“Third Master, someone tried to kill me. Right after you all left that day.”

Kill him?

After we left?

Xie Zhifei keenly sensed something wrong. His gaze met Pei Xiao’s: “Speak. Who tried to kill you?”

“I didn’t see the person.”

Shen Yande’s face was mournful: “I only saw a black shadow—whoosh—flash from my front to my back.”

“Then what?”

“Then he put a blade to my neck and made me answer his questions.”

Xie Zhifei: “What did he ask?”

Shen Yande spilled everything he’d kept in his belly for several days. At the end, he added:

“Today I first went to the Buddhist Registry Bureau to find Young Master Pei and ask about my younger sister’s matter—how did the resolution go?”

But he came up empty.

“By coincidence, I actually ran into Young Master Pei here.”

Shen Yande squeezed out a smile toward Pei Xiao: “Conveniently wanted to… wanted to… come to the Military Commission to report.”

The blade had pressed forward another inch—it would have cut his carotid artery.

As the third chair at the Imperial Medical Bureau, dignified Master Shen—how could he swallow this grievance?

“Third Master, Minister Xie, our Shen family has done the Zhu family a favor. The Zhu family and you Third Master have entanglements. This case, you must no matter what…”

Suddenly, a large hand appeared at his neck, thumb pressing right on his wound.

Xie Zhifei applied force with his hand. Shen Yande’s face changed with pain.

“Third, Third Master, what are you…”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Xie Zhifei’s face was fierce as a demon: “Why did you wait until now to tell me?”

“I…”

Shen Yande was startled: “I was afraid, wasn’t I?”

Xie Zhifei pushed the person away and signaled Pei Xiao with his eyes. The two hurriedly walked into the office.

“Third Master, don’t leave! Young Master Pei, Young Master Pei…”

Pei Xiao turned and walked over, his tone gloomier than the weather.

“Third Master currently has a major case. He has no time for your matter. When he’s free, we’ll discuss it. Also…”

He said viciously: “Want to live? Your younger sister’s matter, your assault—not one word outside. Otherwise, your entire Shen family will die without burial places.”

Shen Yande’s soul scattered.

He, he, he—what was he saying?

…

Entering the office, Xie Zhifei stopped walking.

Pei Xiao quickly caught up, whispering: “Things look bad. Today Yan Sanhe’s disappearance must be connected to that black-clothed person.”

Xie Zhifei thought the same.

“The Shen family matter happened several days ago…”

He slowly analyzed: “Yan Sanhe rarely goes out even once in a thousand years, yet encountered this. Clearly someone has been secretly watching her all along.”

Pei Xiao felt his hair stand on end at these words: “Is, is it that person from Chonghua Palace?”

Xie Zhifei couldn’t be certain: “By logic, Chonghua Palace shouldn’t be watching Yan Sanhe. She has no grudge or enmity with them. It wasn’t Yan Sanhe who kept him from the battlefield.”

“Right!”

Pei Xiao scratched his forehead: “If watching someone, it should be Zhu Yuanmo.”

As the words fell, both their expressions changed simultaneously. They saw horror in each other’s eyes.

For a long while.

Xie Zhifei took a deep breath: “Huang Qi?”

“Third Master?”

“Immediately go to the Zhu family and tell Master Zhu two things.”

“Third Master, which two?”

“First is that Yan Sanhe has disappeared. Have him help cast divination to determine Yan Sanhe’s fortune and location. Second…”

Xie Zhifei’s breathing grew heavy.

“Someone is secretly watching him, watching their Zhu family. Have him rack his brains, think of a way to trace this person’s source. Who exactly is it?”

“Yes!”

Pei Xiao watched Huang Qi’s back: “Xie Wushi, what do we do now?”

“Go to Jinxiu Silk Shop.”

Xie Zhifei: “Li Buyan was right. How could a living person disappear into thin air? There must be something suspicious about the shop.”

Pei Xiao: “Then let’s go quickly.”

“No rush.”

After experiencing this chaos, Xie Zhifei’s inner heart instead calmed down. He gripped Pei Xiao’s shoulder, saying calmly:

“Rushing leads to mistakes. Must stay steady.”

Pei Xiao looked at the hand on his shoulder, thinking to himself—when did this kid become so composed?

…

Jinxiu Silk Shop was surrounded by Five Districts Military Commission soldiers in three layers inside and out.

When Xie Zhifei and the others arrived, Li Buyan sat in the courtyard, brows knitted in a daze.

Beside her stood the shopkeeper, assistants, and seamstresses, all with heads lowered and fear on their faces.

On the ground lay five or six groaning assistants. One had even drawn blood.

Xie Zhifei walked over: “How is it? Found anything?”

Li Buyan raised her eyelids to look at the newcomer: “I’ve forced every single person in this shop to answer. All say they didn’t see anything.”

Xie Zhifei saw her reddened eyes. He signaled Pei Xiao with his eyes to help comfort her.

Who knew Pei Xiao kept his eyes lowered, his expression dazed, not catching Xie Zhifei’s cue.

What was this kid looking at?