After three hours, the Five City Metropolitan Police and Embroidered Uniform Guard patrol attendants changed shifts again.

Having chanted sutras all night, the monks were utterly exhausted. After greeting Lord Pei, they filed out in a great procession.

Pei Xiao walked to the ruins and nudged Xie Zhifei’s foot with his own.

“We’ve kept watch all night—we should go back too. If the Emperor above blames us, we’ll have something to say.”

Xie Zhifei hadn’t closed his eyes all night, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. “Has Huairen come out yet?”

Pei Xiao covered his mouth and yawned. “If he came out, wouldn’t Huang Qi have reported it?”

So he was still in the palace.

Which meant the new Emperor hadn’t made up his mind whether to thoroughly investigate the Zheng family case.

Xie Zhifei let out a long breath.

Sitting through the night, he clearly felt as if two people were fighting inside his body.

One was Zheng Huaizuo.

The other was Xie Sanye.

Zheng Huaizuo hoped the Zheng family case would have a day when the truth came to light, consoling the departed spirits.

Xie Sanye hoped this case wouldn’t be reopened—if it was reopened, it meant Yan Sanhe’s identity couldn’t be hidden.

The former Crown Prince’s orphaned child—even if he and Tang Jianxi risked their family fortunes and lives, they couldn’t protect her!

At that moment, Pei Xiao suddenly began stuttering. “They, they, they’re here.”

Xie Zhifei turned to look—it was indeed Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan.

Yan Sanhe walked over alone, her gaze coldly sweeping over Pei Xiao. “Young Master Pei, I have a few words to say to Third Master alone.”

So you find me in the way, is that it?

Pei Xiao lifted his legs and walked away.

After a few steps, he noticed Li Buyan leaning against a wall ahead. He quickly changed direction and walked another way.

Li Buyan shook her head again, her lips silently curving upward.

…

Spring nights were short—a trace of light already showed on the horizon.

Yan Sanhe sat down on the ruins in front of Xie Zhifei, lowering her head to look at his expression.

Yesterday after she finished speaking, this man hadn’t even eaten, using the excuse that he needed to watch the Zheng residence, and hastily left with Young Master Pei.

When leaving, his sword-like brows were tightly knitted, looking like he had heavy concerns on his mind.

“Is it bad that the heart demon involves the Zheng family? Before, didn’t you pressure me, insisting I must investigate the Zheng family case?”

A flash of shock crossed Xie Zhifei’s face as he looked at Yan Sanhe with deepening eyes.

After a long while, his long brows raised slightly.

“It’s not that it’s bad for the heart demon to involve the Zheng family. I’m afraid…”

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid…”

Xie Zhifei bit his teeth, speaking ambiguously. “…that investigating to the end will be dangerous and will implicate you.”

“I’m not afraid of being implicated.”

Yan Sanhe looked at him. “Resolving heart demons is my mission.”

Xie Zhifei braced his hands on his knees, trying to use a very calm tone.

“There’s no cracked coffin, no one suffering misfortune, no one seeking you out—what kind of heart demon is this? What heart demon do you plan to resolve?”

Yan Sanhe’s elegant brows pressed down. “So Third Master is afraid?”

“Yes!”

Afraid to death.

“Third Master’s courage only amounts to this much?”

“Yes, only this much.”

“Since it only amounts to this much…”

Yan Sanhe sneered coldly. “Then why did you pretend yesterday to run to the Zheng family burial ground to pay respects?”

He was pretending?

Xie Zhifei ground his teeth. “Yan Sanhe!”

“Xie Zhifei.”

Yan Sanhe stood up, looking down at him from above. “A person should keep their word. Someday, you’ll have to go below to see your good friend.”

My mother spent her whole life atoning. She said she hoped the person who raised me would live to a hundred.

Since we can’t hope for a hundred years, then let’s hope for the truth to come to light. When the time comes, I can also hold my head high when I meet Old General Zheng, meet my parents…

And Huaizuo.

Yan Sanhe turned and strode away.

Xie Zhifei watched the small retreating figure, not knowing whether he should cry in sorrow or laugh in joy.

At that moment, he suddenly heard someone in the distance shout, “Third Master.”

With this cry, Xie Zhifei’s expression changed.

It was Zhang Kui!

So early?

Zhang Kui jumped down from his horse, almost stumbling as he rushed to Xie Zhifei.

“Third Master, the boss wants you to bring Imperial Physician Pei to the military camp. Quickly.”

Xie Zhifei froze. “Who’s not doing well?”

“The horses—the war horses have all collapsed.”

The horses collapsed—why call for Uncle Pei?

Xie Zhifei instinctively looked toward Pei Mingting by the wall. “Imperial physicians can only treat people, not horses.”

Zhang Kui fell to his knees with a thud. “Third Master, I beg you—treat this dead horse as if it’s alive just this once. Otherwise the Bu Family Army is finished.”

Only then did Xie Zhifei react. “You’re saying all the horses collapsed?”

“All of them, every single one—not one left.”

Xie Zhifei stared in stunned disbelief.

…

Imperial Physician Pei thought to himself: what sin did he commit in this life to have a son whose elbow bent outward?

A dignified imperial physician treating horses?

Only this little beast could think of such a thing!

And also…

Driving the carriage this fast—did he want to bounce out the morning shit he hadn’t had time to take?

Treasonous son!

An hour later.

With his internal organs displaced from the bouncing, Imperial Physician Pei was supported by two little beasts, one on each side, into the military camp.

Bu Liu, who had been waiting anxiously, rushed up and without a word squatted down in front of Imperial Physician Pei.

Xie Zhifei smoothly pushed the person forward.

Before Imperial Physician Pei understood what was happening, he was already on Bu Liu’s back.

“This is the first time my father has been carried to see a patient.”

“Less nonsense. Keep up.”

The group arrived at the stable. The duck-on-a-rack Imperial Physician Pei had no idea where to start, so he first circled the stable once.

“Is there a problem with the water they’re drinking?”

“Already checked. No.”

“What about the grass they’re eating?”

“Also checked. No.”

No problems with food or water…

Imperial Physician Pei shook his head at Bu Liu, looking completely unruffled:

“Several hundred horses falling sick simultaneously is like several hundred people falling sick at once. This imperial physician has lived many years, and only one situation would cause this.”

Bu Liu’s eyes widened. “What?”

Imperial Physician Pei: “Plague.”

Hearing “plague,” Bu Liu actually calmed down. If it really was plague, it couldn’t be blamed on the Bu Family Army.

Imperial Physician Pei: “When did it start?”

Bu Liu: “Just before the hour of Yin this morning.”

Imperial Physician Pei: “Before then, did any horses die?”

Bu Liu: “One old horse.”

Imperial Physician Pei: “The corpse?”

Bu Liu: “I buried it.”

“Then it’s plague.”

Imperial Physician Pei waved his hand. “Report to the court. This imperial physician truly cannot treat animal plagues.”

“Doesn’t seem quite right.”

A voice cut in.

Everyone looked toward the sound to see Zhu Qing crouching beside a horse.

“It has no fever—body temperature is normal. Eyes aren’t red, no tearing. Heartbeat normal, tongue color also normal.”

He pointed at the horse’s eyes. “Imperial Physician Pei, look at this horse’s expression, and look at its eyes—it seems quite sad.”

Horses can be sad?

Sad about what?

You little brat still wet behind the ears—what do you know!

Imperial Physician Pei rolled his eyes and smirked, deliberately sneering coldly. “Then there’s one other possibility.”

Everyone’s gazes turned toward him again.

“There should be some unclean thing in your military camp.”

Imperial Physician Pei shot Zhu Qing a white-eyed glance, deliberately being mischievous. “Son, quickly go get your monks and Daoists to perform a ritual for these horses!”

His son: “…”

But Bu Liu’s heart skipped a beat, a scene suddenly floating into his mind.

When he hurriedly left Four Lanes, he happened to see Young Master Pei leading a group of monks to chant sutras at the Zheng residence.

Going to the Zheng residence to chant sutras was because the Zheng family’s wall had collapsed.

Performing rituals for horses was because the old general’s horse had died.

One before, one after—both connected to the Zheng family. Was it merely coincidence?

“Imperial Physician Pei, horses can not only be sad, they can also starve themselves in martyrdom to their master.”

Having said this, Bu Liu looked toward Xie Zhifei.

“Third Master, the old horse that died before was Old General Zheng Yu’s former mount.”

Xie Zhifei’s mind went “boom”—he couldn’t hear anything else.