The Imperial Medical Bureau’s rest days rotated in shifts. Today happened to be Pei Yu’s turn.

Even when resting, those who practiced medicine spent time pondering medical texts. To one side, his first wife, Lady Ji, was examining account books sent by the steward.

“The young master has arrived.”

Pei Yu tossed aside his medical text and scolded: “He still remembers to come home? All day long, can’t even catch a glimpse of his shadow…”

The words caught abruptly. Behind his son followed Li Buyan—someone he himself had saved with his own hands.

Pei Yu quickly rose. “Does Miss Yan have any instructions?”

“First, to thank Imperial Physician Pei for saving my humble life.”

Li Buyan cupped his hands in salute to the couple. “Second, my young lady asks Imperial Physician Pei for some poison.”

Pei Yu’s vision darkened, his body swaying several times.

Li Buyan: “Imperial Physician Pei, don’t be nervous. It’s for proper business, not to harm people.”

Medicine and poison were inseparable.

When necessary, poison could also cure illness.

Therefore, the Pei Family’s storeroom would always stock some, more or less.

Pei Yu glared fiercely at his own son. This brat had no gate on his mouth, constantly exposing his family’s meager resources to outsiders.

His son felt wronged too. “Xie Wushi told me to come get it.”

If he told you to eat shit, would you go?

Pei Yu took a deep breath. “Miss Li, how many people will consume it?”

Li Buyan didn’t know Yan Sanhe’s true plan either. She roughly estimated: “Probably several dozen!”

His heart dripped blood.

Poison was more expensive than ginseng. How much silver and effort would it take to prepare some?

Though heartbroken, Pei Yu walked out without the slightest hesitation. “Miss Li, please wait a moment.”

Wait a moment meant waiting inside the room.

Inside the room were only Pei Xiao and Lady Ji. Li Buyan didn’t want to talk much with either, so she lowered her head to drink tea.

As mistress of the household, Lady Ji couldn’t let the atmosphere turn cold. “Miss Li…”

“Mother!”

Pei Xiao jumped up. “Has Mother’s head been hurting lately? Let your son massage it for you.”

What was his own mother’s nature?

How old was Miss Li?

Where was she from?

Were her parents still living?

Was her marriage arranged?

Which family was it arranged with…

All would be asked one by one after “Miss Li…”

With Li Buyan’s temperament, could she let her ask?

Pei Xiao quickly walked behind Lady Ji to rub and press her temples.

Lady Ji’s head had caught a bit of cold wind during confinement, developing a headache ailment that couldn’t be cured.

That her precious son remembered her illness made Lady Ji’s heart bloom with joy. She instantly forgot all about “Miss Li, Miss Zhang,” and chided her son affectionately:

“No need for you to do it. It’s rare you’re home—let’s sit and talk together, mother and son.”

Hearing this, Li Buyan stopped drinking tea and very tactfully walked to the courtyard.

As she left, Pei Xiao’s heart followed.

Men—sometimes they were just cheap. In their hearts thinking don’t look don’t look don’t look, but their eyes couldn’t help stealing glances.

Li Buyan stood beneath the tree.

The weather was fine. Sunlight fell in the courtyard—flowers were red, leaves were green, wind was warm. From the corner of her eye, she glanced toward the room—

She saw Pei Xiao standing behind Lady Ji. While his hands rubbed and kneaded her temples, he bent down and whispered a few words in her ear.

Lady Ji immediately smiled until her mouth couldn’t close.

The spring colors in her eyes vanished, the gentle warm breeze vanished. In Li Buyan’s eyes remained only the mother and son before her.

Pei Xiao raised his head and saw Li Buyan in the courtyard standing motionless, eyes staring fixedly at him, yet not quite seeming to look at him.

What was wrong with this person?

Why were her eyes even reddening!

Pei Xiao abandoned Lady Ji and quickly walked out.

Li Buyan exclaimed “Aiya,” rubbing her eyes. “Sand got in my eyes.”

“Really got in?”

“Otherwise…”

Li Buyan deliberately teased: “…will you blow it out for me?”

You, you, you…

Pei Xiao’s face reddened. He was about to pull out a handkerchief for her to wipe herself when Lady Ji’s voice came from behind: “What’s wrong with Miss Li?”

Frightened, Pei Xiao quickly stuffed the handkerchief back. “She got sand in her eyes.”

Li Buyan grinned. “It’s fine, all better now.”

Just then, Pei Yu walked in holding a porcelain bottle in each hand. “The white bottle is poison, the blue bottle is antidote. Absolutely don’t…”

“Won’t mistake them.”

Li Buyan took them, nodded to Pei Xiao, tossed out “Waiting for you half an hour” and turned to leave.

“Father, Mother, I’m leaving first too.” Pei Xiao hurried after her.

Lady Ji was stunned. She turned to look at her husband, muttering quietly: “…Wasn’t there still half an hour?”

Pei Yu watched his son’s retreating back, his gaze gradually sinking.

“The eldest’s marriage matter must be expedited. Settle on someone early.”

…

The Spring Breeze Tower venue was reserved;

All those in the capital who handled funeral matters received invitations from the Five Cities Commandery Commander-in-Chief;

One bottle of poison, one bottle of antidote—one white, one blue—sat on the desk.

Huangqi had never poisoned anyone in his life. Just thinking about it excited him. “Miss Yan, let me administer this poison.”

“I’m sorry, I plan to do it personally.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze swept across. “Tomorrow arrange it this way: Young Lord Pei receives guests in the main hall, Third Master in the private room.”

Split into two groups?

Xie Zhifei: “What guests will the private room receive?”

Yan Sanhe: “Anyone who prepared bodies for Old Master Zheng, Fourth Master Zheng, or the Begonia Garden—all invited into the private room.”

Xie Zhifei was about to ask “why” when, in a flash of lightning and flint, his mind recalled those three case files.

“The key focus of your investigation is these three locations?”

Yan Sanhe nodded.

The case files stated in black and white:

The black-clothed men had scouted beforehand, placing knockout drugs in several wells in the Zheng residence. When the entire estate fell into deep sleep, they began methodically conducting the massacre.

Wherever they went, they encountered almost no resistance.

Only three locations were exceptions.

The first was Old Master Zheng’s courtyard—

Whether from alertness or some other reason, Old Master Zheng suddenly awoke in his sleep. Barefoot and empty-handed, he rushed forward to meet them.

In the end, he suffered six knife wounds and fell dead.

The second was Fourth Master Zheng’s courtyard—

Fourth Master Zheng had returned from drinking with colleagues. Due to the hot weather, he’d ordered servants to set up a daybed in the courtyard.

Sleeping hazily in the night, he heard sounds outside. He grabbed his knife and rushed out, but due to drinking too much, his stamina failed. In the end, his throat was sealed with one knife.

The final exception was the Begonia Garden in the northeast corner—

For unknown reasons, Zheng Huantang and his son hadn’t been affected by the knockout drug. They fought desperately with the black-clothed men, ultimately both dying under the black-clothed men’s blades.

Zheng Huantang’s first wife and daughter perished in the great fire.

This last location was what Yan Sanhe would focus on investigating.

Actually, flaws could be seen from the case files—

Were Zheng Huantang’s first wife and “daughter” truly burned alive?

If they were truly burned alive, they would certainly have cried for help. Would the black-clothed men simply allow them to emit piercing cries for rescue?

Highly unlikely!

Also.

That “daughter” who was burned to death—where exactly did she come from?

Where was she hidden?

Who completed the substitution at the most crucial moment?

“Old Master Zheng, Fourth Master Zheng, and Fifth Master Zheng all fought desperately with the black-clothed men. Their three bodies must certainly differ from others—this is what we need to investigate. Besides this…”

Yan Sanhe’s tone was steady without a ripple.

“I don’t know if you remember—in the Zheng case, there were two pieces of evidence, both pointing to Wu Guanyue and his son.”

“I remember.”

Xie Zhifei: “One was half an ivory waist token; the other was extracted from the belly of Zheng Huantang in the Begonia Garden—a thin, palm-sized piece of ox hide.”

Pei Xiao frowned. “How do you remember it so clearly?”