“The pavilion master of Qunfang Pavilion said…”

Ding Yi recalled.

“He said this man was like the wildest stallion—not only wild, but proud, and as aloof as anything.”

Aloof to what degree?

People who didn’t meet his standards—no matter how high their official rank, he’d rather smash his qin than bow and scrape.

Proud to what degree?

Those boarding his boat to hear him play must be properly dressed, with clean hands and faces, and while listening, couldn’t make the slightest sound.

If anyone dared make a sound, he would unceremoniously ask them to leave the boat.

Wild to what degree?

He claimed that among qin masters under heaven, he was second, and no one dared claim first.

Young Master Pei sneered coldly: “How is it that such a person wasn’t killed? Especially in a place like Jinling Prefecture.”

What kind of place was Jinling Prefecture?

High officials gathered densely, roots intertwined complexly—no simpler than the Four-Nine City. That Dong Chengfeng, at the end of the day, was merely a qin master.

What gave him the right to be so arrogant?

Who allowed him to be so arrogant?

“Young Master Pei.”

Ding Yi’s face reddened: “Actually, he wasn’t just popular with women—he was also popular with men.”

Men?

Cut-sleeve relationships?

“No wonder!”

Young Master Pei sneered again: “Without someone backing him, how could such a person survive past the first day, let alone the fifteenth? He’d be tripped up and killed sooner or later.”

Yan Sanhe glanced at Pei Xiao. “Among men, who favored him?”

“Miss Yan, I couldn’t find out.”

Ding Yi shook his head: “I only heard the pavilion master say that men would often leave his boat early in the morning.”

Li Buyan loved hearing about such romantic affairs. “So did he prefer men or women?”

Ding Yi’s face turned red as a monkey’s bottom: “The pavilion master said women would also leave his boat early in the morning.”

He swung both ways?

Li Buyan gave a heartfelt thumbs up: Impressive!

Yan Sanhe had no curiosity whatsoever about romantic affairs between men and women.

Having resolved many heart demons, she understood one thing: Often, what you hear and see may not necessarily be true.

She was more curious about how a qin master came to have contact with the former Crown Prince.

“How many years did Dong Chengfeng stay on the Qinhuai River?” she asked.

“About three years.”

“How old was he at the time?”

“They say just over twenty.”

“Later, where did this person go?”

“Miss Yan, that also couldn’t be found out.”

Ding Yi: “The Qunfang Pavilion master said this person came like a gust of wind and left like a gust of wind. Overnight, he vanished, and no one knows where he went.”

Yan Sanhe: “Which year did he disappear?”

Ding Yi: “Reportedly the autumn of Yuanfeng twenty-six.”

He left the Qinhuai River in Yuanfeng twenty-six.

That year, the former Crown Prince’s witchcraft case hadn’t yet occurred.

The Zhao Prince was still in the northern territories.

The Han Prince wasn’t yet the Han Prince, just a young man in his early twenties, about the same age as Dong Chengfeng, and was also in the northern territories with the Zhao Prince.

Yan Sanhe mentally calculated, then asked: “Did you find out any reason for his disappearance?”

“Miss Yan, there are three versions.”

“Which three?”

“One says he took a fancy to a woman and eloped with her.”

“The second?”

“One says he took a fancy to a man and eloped with him.”

“The third?”

“They say he met a noble from the capital who kept him.”

Why did all three versions revolve around “romance”?

Yan Sanhe couldn’t help shaking her head.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Zhifei asked. “Is something off?”

“The wildest stallion—what woman could tame him? What man could subdue him?”

Yan Sanhe: “Kept? Even less possible! Wild horses only belong running on grasslands, making heaven and earth their home.”

“Could it be the noble from the capital was the former Crown Prince, and the one who kept him was also the former Crown Prince? The former Crown Prince wielded overwhelming power—even the most wild, proud, untamed person would have no choice upon encountering him.”

Young Master Pei stroked his chin, muttering to himself: “Otherwise, how would he have the former Crown Prince’s possessions?”

After finishing, he suddenly felt the atmosphere in the room was strange. Looking up, he found everyone’s gaze fixed steadily on him.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Young Master Pei startled: “I’m just wildly guessing.”

Xie Zhifei laughed in exasperation: “With your guess, doesn’t that make the former Crown Prince also favor men?”

Ding Yi: “Then what would Tang Zhiwei be? What about all those primary consorts and secondary consorts in the Crown Prince’s estate?”

Li Buyan: “In Chu Yanling’s letters, neither she nor Tang Jianxi ever mentioned this.”

Zhu Qing: “It doesn’t sound very possible!”

Huang Qi glared: “Master, you can’t speak nonsense.”

“I said I’m just wildly guessing!”

Young Master Pei gritted his teeth: “How did you all take it seriously?”

“We must take it seriously!”

Ah?

Everyone’s gaze shifted in unison toward Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe met Xie Zhifei’s eyes: “Where would the Crown Prince’s movements be recorded?”

Xie Zhifei paused: “You mean to check whether the former Crown Prince went to Jinling Prefecture?”

Yan Sanhe placed the white jade pendant she’d been holding onto the table. “These past few days, looking at this jade pendant, a question came to mind.”

Xie Zhifei: “What?”

Yan Sanhe: “This was carved by the former Crown Prince himself. How could the Crown Prince’s possessions be casually given away?”

Xie Zhifei immediately understood: “You mean Tang Jianxi was his junior martial brother, with an extraordinary relationship, which is why he received one.”

“Then what about Dong Chengfeng?”

Yan Sanhe looked at him: “If he didn’t have very deep contact with the former Crown Prince, like Young Master Pei said, how would he have this jade pendant?”

Right!

Everyone suddenly understood—this was the crux of the matter.

“I should be able to find out.”

Ah?

Everyone’s gaze shifted in unison toward Zhu Yuanmo.

Zhu Yuanmo: “The capital and Jiangnan are separated by thousands of miles. Such a long journey—unless traveling secretly, they would definitely consult the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious time.”

Yan Sanhe: “From so long ago, can you still find it?”

“Miss doesn’t know.”

Zhu Yuanmo: “Since the Grand Ancestor, all divinations, fortunes and misfortunes have been recorded. Not only that, but every day of the three hundred sixty-five days after the Grand Ancestor became emperor—the celestial phenomena, clear or cloudy weather—all have been recorded.”

Yan Sanhe stared in amazement: “Then your Imperial Observatory must be very large.”

“Behind the Imperial Observatory, there are specifically over ten rooms used to store these records.”

Zhu Yuanmo stood: “While I still have some authority, I’ll make a trip to the ministry right now.”

“Wait, Elder Brother Zhu!”

Xie Zhifei: “It’s too dangerous for you to personally search for the former Crown Prince’s records. We won’t do it openly—we’ll do it secretly. Let Zhu Qing and Hero Li go.”

Zhu Yuanmo took his advice: “The Imperial Observatory’s security isn’t strict. I roughly know where the items are. I’ll draw a map right now and explain the location to you.”

Zhu Qing looked at the sky outside: “Then we act tonight.”

Li Buyan nodded: “Strike while the iron is hot.”

……

When the Imperial Observatory Director said security wasn’t strict, it truly wasn’t strict.

Zhu Qing kept watch while Li Buyan did the work, coordinating seamlessly.

In just the time to brew a cup of tea, Li Buyan found that booklet from a trunk.

Zhu Qing pulled out a luminous pearl. Li Buyan flipped through a few pages, then her hand suddenly stilled.

“Bring the pearl closer.”

As Zhu Qing brought the pearl nearer and looked down intently…

A moment later.

The two raised their heads and looked at each other, both seeing deep astonishment in each other’s eyes.

—