“Miss Yan is back, Miss Yan is back!”

Watching Lanchuan running toward her, Yan Sanhe had a feeling of being separated by lifetimes.

“Where’s your master?”

“Miss Yan, why have you gotten thinner?”

Lanchuan’s eyes were full of heartache: “Your complexion doesn’t look good either, and your eyes are red.”

“I’m tired.”

She rubbed Lanchuan’s head: “Come on, let’s go see your master together.”

Her master, having heard the news, was waiting at the courtyard gate, one hand supporting herself against the wall, the other covering her lower abdomen, giving Yan Sanhe a radiant smile.

Tang Yuan stood beside her, eyes curved with joy, her face full of happiness.

Yan Sanhe walked over, her gaze falling on Li Buyan’s lower abdomen, biting her teeth in a cold smile.

Li Buyan knew what her cold smile meant. “My mother says that feeling even half a pang of sympathy for an ex is being cheap.”

“So?”

“So I’m just following your orders, without adding anything of my own.”

Li Buyan raised three fingers: “I swear.”

Yan Sanhe said nothing, only looking at her.

Li Buyan smiled frankly: “I swear by my mother.”

“Miss Yan, Miss Yan!”

A familiar voice approached from far away.

Li Buyan grumbled, “You’ve barely stepped through the door and he’s already here on your heels, not even leaving time for you and me to have a private conversation. Is he rushing over to kowtow to you?”

The person who arrived was Zhu Yuanmo, running until his head and face were covered in sweat.

Upon seeing Yan Sanhe, without a word he knelt down, kowtowing three times with loud thumps.

He really was rushing to kowtow.

Yan Sanhe silently accepted this, and only after he got up did she ask: “Are all the matters settled?”

“Everything is settled.”

The white bones and the old steward were placed in one coffin and left the family home;

On the same day, they also carried out the empty coffin that had been arranged at the temple;

The two coffins were carried together to the Zhu family ancestral cemetery. Using a feng shui excuse to send people away, the three brothers personally moved Zhu Xuanjiu’s white bones into the empty coffin for final burial.

“Where was he buried?” Yan Sanhe asked.

“Still buried beside Mother.”

Zhu Yuanmo sighed: “We three brothers discussed it—what he owes Mother, he must repay.”

Can he repay it all?

Yan Sanhe looked at Zhu Yuanmo’s full head of white hair and sneered coldly in her heart, but said nothing.

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

Seeing this, Tang Yuan hastily called out: “Master Zhu, please come inside for some hot tea!”

“There’s no time. I only came to take a quick look after hearing from Third Master that Miss Yan had returned.”

Zhu Yuanmo wiped his sweat: “Tomorrow the new Emperor ascends the throne. The Astronomical Bureau is extremely busy, and I must return to the office immediately.”

Yan Sanhe nodded: “Go ahead!”

Zhu Yuanmo not only didn’t leave, but instead glanced at Tang Yuan and Yunchuan behind him.

Tang Yuan quickly pulled Yunchuan away.

Yan Sanhe knew what Zhu Yuanmo wanted to ask and repeated word for word what she had told Xie Zhifei.

“The incense lighter was Dong Xiao, who served beside the Prince of Han. He was the former Crown Prince’s zither master, using zither music to help the Crown Prince sleep. After three years together day and night, he and the former Crown Prince understood each other well and regarded each other as confidants.

When the three-year contract ended, the former Crown Prince kept his promise and let him go. He always felt grateful. What I can say is only this much. There are other things I promised him I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Zhu Yuanmo didn’t want to pry in the first place.

As long as the heart demon was resolved and the Zhu family could live peacefully, he would chant “Amitabha” and seek nothing more.

“Miss Yan, the strange sounds in the palace…”

Why are they all coming to tell her about this, one after another?

Yan Sanhe coldly interrupted: “Unless the coffins crack, I’m powerless to help.”

Zhu Yuanmo knew Yan Sanhe’s temperament and quickly cupped his hands: “Then I’ll go attend to my duties first. If Miss Yan ever needs the Zhu family’s help in the future, just say the word.”

Yan Sanhe: “I will come trouble you.”

Li Buyan waited until he had gone far, then snorted: “I actually hope it does crack, just to see what other bad deeds he did besides that affair.”

The matter with the Zheng family, most likely—Yan Sanhe thought to herself.

“After this heart demon is resolved…”

Li Buyan whispered in Yan Sanhe’s ear: “Have you dreamed of anything?”

“Yes!”

Yan Sanhe said in a low voice: “Actually, I’m not from the Zheng family either. On the day I was born, someone delivered me to the Zheng family.”

My god!

Li Buyan’s hair stood on end. “Then which family are you from?”

“I don’t know. The dream didn’t tell me.”

“Yan Sanhe.”

Li Buyan’s face was full of astonishment: “Your background is really damned complicated!”

“Indeed!”

Yan Sanhe supported her: “Come on, let’s go inside and talk.”

The best lies are half truth, half false.

It’s not that she was unwilling to tell.

There’s no secret in this world that can be hidden forever and ever.

The one hundred and eighty lives of the Zheng family were related to her. If the case were to be investigated thoroughly, her background would be impossible to hide sooner or later.

The fewer people who knew, the safer they would be.

“Don’t be downcast. After the next heart demon is resolved, your background will come to light.”

“Mm.”

“Cheer up.”

“Alright.”

“Han Xu arrived in the capital. He sent a letter a few days ago saying he’ll come see us when he’s done with his business.”

“Good.”

“Yan Sanhe, let me make you a vow.”

“What?”

“If your background isn’t found for one day, I won’t marry for one day, and I’ll keep you company. How about that?”

Yan Sanhe stopped walking and turned her head to look at Li Buyan.

Li Buyan narrowed her eyes and said slowly: “By the way, your ladyship here just rejected Young Master Pei!”

Yan Sanhe: “…”

“Why did you reject him?” she asked.

Li Buyan sneered: “His family can’t even look favorably upon you—how could they look favorably upon me?”

Yan Sanhe: “What about you? Do you look favorably upon him?”

Li Buyan said with dissatisfaction: “Yan Sanhe, you should ask it differently.”

Yan Sanhe: “How should I ask?”

Li Buyan: “Is he worthy of me!”

Yan Sanhe pursed her lips inwardly.

He really isn’t worthy!

…

“Achoo, achoo, achoo!”

The abbot of Jietai Temple flattered him: “Did Master Pei catch a chill yesterday?”

I sneeze and I’ve caught a chill? Why don’t you say someone is talking about me?

Young Master Pei maintained an official, businesslike face. “Have you arranged everything at your temple for tomorrow’s sutra chanting?”

“Everything has been arranged.”

“I’ll remind you one more time—this matter absolutely cannot be handled carelessly.”

“Master, rest assured. We’ve selected the masters with the highest Buddhist nature and highest comprehension.”

Tomorrow the new Emperor would ascend the throne. The palace had its palace ceremonies, and temples and monasteries had their religious protocols.

When the auspicious hour arrived, all monks and Taoists would chant sutras in the great hall on behalf of the new Emperor, praying for peace in the nation and prosperity in national fortune.

The transition of imperial power, just like the changing of seasons, would inevitably involve some fluctuations in fortune and destiny.

Praying and chanting sutras at this time, though unable to change destiny, could at least bring peace to people’s hearts and spirits.

The abbot looked around, grabbed Master Pei’s arm, and dragged him toward a place without people.

Seeing this scene, Pei Xiao knew this fellow was going to bribe him.

But upon reaching the deserted spot, the abbot leaned his head over and said with half-covered mouth: “There’s a matter—I don’t know if I should mention it or not?”

You’ve already started the topic, and you’re still asking if you should mention it!

“Speak!”

“It’s like this.”

The abbot swallowed.

“Didn’t you arrange for our temple to toll the bell nine hundred and ninety-nine times, three hundred and thirty-three times each day for three days?”

Pei Xiao’s sword-like eyebrows shot up: “What, did you toll it fewer times?”

“My dear Master, how would we dare with such an important matter!”

The abbot’s expression was somewhat odd. “It’s just… the last toll each day doesn’t make a sound.”

“What?”