“He’s awake, he’s awake, Third Master is awake.”

Xie Zhifei’s long lashes fluttered several times before he opened his eyes—

Above was the familiar bed canopy, inside the canopy several familiar faces, each looking at him with worry.

Pei Xiao’s lips had sprouted a string of blisters. “You fucking bastard, you finally know how to wake up. This young master guarded you for three days and nights—look, my face has aged.”

Li Buyan pointed at her eye corners: “I have two more wrinkles here.”

Ding Yi wept with joy: “I lost a full five pounds.”

Huang Qi: “I haven’t shit for three days.”

What nonsense?

Xie Zhifei closed his eyes in disgust, expressing one meaning: All of you scram!

The four of them sensibly scrammed, leaving only Yan Sanhe by the bed.

Xie Zhifei, eyes closed, groped for her hand. “Did I really sleep three days?”

His voice hoarse and dark, but hearing it, Yan Sanhe’s heart finally settled.

Yan Sanhe pulled free of his hand, picked up the tea cup, carefully fed him a bit.

“Slept three days, used up a five-hundred-year-old ginseng root that the Crown Prince brought from the palace.”

“Was I so seriously ill?”

“Exactly this serious. Half the Imperial Medical Academy came, all saying it was critical. Young Master Pei panicked so much he was jumping around, nearly went mad.”

Only talking about him—what about you?

Xie Zhifei looked at the red veins in her eyes, softening his voice: “Made you worry.”

Yan Sanhe glared at him warningly. “No next time!”

Xie Zhifei nodded obediently like a child who’d done wrong. “Yan Sanhe, I dreamed of the old general.”

“The old general?”

Yan Sanhe’s brow furrowed, then relaxed after a moment: “Three days ago, the moment you passed out, the warhorses all recovered.”

The warhorses recovered, which meant the Zheng family heart demon had been resolved, which also meant Xie Daozhi was indeed the informer.

Xie Zhifei’s heart ached. Suddenly thinking of something: “That incense stick?”

“Still burning.”

“Still burning?”

Xie Zhifei’s brow furrowed deeply: “Why?”

“Don’t know.”

Yan Sanhe smiled silently. “Never mind it for now. First tell me about dreaming of the old general—I want to hear.”

“Dreamed he was defending the city at Black Mountain City. The great battle was about to begin. He was chatting and laughing with the soldiers, not at all afraid of death.”

Xie Zhifei’s voice was leisurely: “Dreamed he said Zheng family men don’t ask whether something’s worth it, only whether our hearts are at peace.”

Yan Sanhe’s nose stung. She quietly watched Xie Zhifei for a while. “Actually, besides the three layers of meaning you mentioned, the old general dying in battle had another layer.”

“What?”

“To protect me.”

Yan Sanhe: “He knew Zhang Tianxing’s capabilities, knew Zhang Tianxing would definitely rescue me. To completely sever this connection, he chose to die in battle.”

Xie Zhifei thought of Grandfather’s letter to Yan Xing, silently nodding.

Yan Sanhe also thought of that letter.

“I never understood before why the old general would entrust me to Yan Xing. One civilian, one military, temperaments as different as south and north—completely different people.”

“Understand now?”

“Understand now.”

Yan Sanhe said almost inaudibly: “In their bones, they’re the same kind of person.”

These words were like a fine needle lightly piercing into Xie Zhifei’s blood and bones.

This world was truly strange.

Xie Daozhi harmed Zheng Yu.

Zheng Yu’s youngest grandson’s soul fell into the Xie family.

Zheng Yu entrusted the Crown Prince’s orphan to Yan Xing.

Yet Yan Xing was Xie Daozhi’s stepfather.

Was it reincarnation?

Or karmic retribution?

“If I’d known you’d dream of him, I would have had you bring him a message.”

“What message?”

“To thank him for me, and tell him I miss him very much.”

Yan Sanhe turned her face away, her voice lowering.

“Especially after learning my true identity, I miss him terribly—what he looked like, what his temperament was. I want to repay him, but he’s already gone.”

“He doesn’t want your repayment—he only wants you to live well.”

“Yes, live well.”

But no one could understand that those who survived through so many people’s sacrifices didn’t actually want to live that much.

She’d rather the one who died was her.

Yan Sanhe, mindful of Xie Zhifei’s health, only let her emotions flash briefly. “By the way, Xie Daozhi resigned his office.”

Resigned?

Xie Zhifei’s expression changed slightly: “The Emperor approved?”

Yan Sanhe: “Heard he just submitted the memorial. Now he’s at home claiming illness.”

Xie Zhifei’s breathing grew somewhat heavy. “Did you tell Huairen about the Zheng family matter?”

“Couldn’t hide it. I told him myself.” Pei Xiao’s voice rang out beyond the window.

After a pause, he simply pushed open the window, leaning half his head in.

“Huairen said Lord Xie did nothing wrong, no need to report it to His Majesty. Said the matter stops with him, also instructed us not to spread it around.”

Xie Zhifei’s eyes filled with bitterness.

Huairen suppressed the matter out of consideration for him. If it reached His Majesty, just the one act of sending news to the north would warrant the Xie family’s extermination.

“Where’s Zhu Qing?”

“Here. Whether to go or stay, he’s waiting for your word.”

Pei Xiao looked at Xie Fifty’s complexion, sighing: “Don’t think too much. First get your health back. Whether he stays or goes—it’s all small matters.”

Small matters?

Xie Zhifei’s face slowly darkened.

Seeing his expression, Pei Xiao wanted to slap himself.

He shot Yan Sanhe a pleading look, then with a “clap” shut the window, his gaze turning viciously toward Huang Qi at the courtyard gate.

Huang Qi, watched until his heart trembled: “Master?”

Pei Xiao ground his teeth: “If you little brat dares betray the hand that feeds you and make this master sad and upset, I’ll bury you alive first.”

Huang Qi: “…” He’d have to dare first!

The voices from the courtyard carried into the room. Yan Sanhe didn’t say another word, only asking: “Hungry? I’ll have Tangyuan make you something good.”

“After eating, I want to see Bu Liu. Will you permit it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? As long as your body can handle it, even if you want to drink or go to a pleasure house to hear music, I’ll permit it all.”

Xie Zhifei froze, then gave a light tug. Yan Sanhe toppled forward, falling onto him.

Two arms came around her, very forcefully, like iron pincers, wanting to embed Yan Sanhe into his body.

“Yan Sanhe, do you regret it?”

A sentence with no beginning or end, yet Yan Sanhe understood.

Back when resolving Yan Xing’s heart demon, she could actually have watched Xie Daozhi suffer misfortune, watched the Xie family suffer misfortune.

“Before Xie Daozhi admitted to the Zheng family matter, I didn’t regret it, because your father said he had a dream where Yan Xing called him ‘child.’ If Grandfather forgave him, I forgave him.”

“And now?”

“Now I regret it.”

“Because of the Zheng family?”

“Because of the Zheng family.”

Yan Sanhe: “If I forgive him, I’d be failing the eight years the Zheng family raised me, failing the old general’s devotion to me. If not for your sake…”

The arms embracing her paused. Yan Sanhe’s words also paused, but she still spoke the truth.

“I would kill him.”