The Crown Prince’s personal visit was such an honorable matter for the Xie manor.

Those who had come to pay respects outside all gasped in shock.

Xie Erli hastily wiped away his tears, instructed Xie Buhuo to “watch the mourning hall,” and rose to pull Xie Zhifei up.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhifei pushed him away with one hand, his gaze continuing to stare fixedly at that coffin.

Xie Erli had no choice but to go greet the guest himself.

Yan Sanhe looked deeply at Xie Zhifei once, then silently walked out of the mourning hall, her gaze searching in all directions through the crowd.

Li Buyan noticed. “Looking for someone?”

Yan Sanhe: “Xie Xiaohua.”

Li Buyan was secretly amazed. This girl had forgotten even the couple Xie Erli and Zhu Weixi, yet still remembered Xie Xiaohua.

She pointed into the distance.

Xie Xiaohua was currently following behind Xie Erli, bowing to welcome the Crown Prince’s great entourage.

The Crown Prince came hurriedly in private dress, with only Shen Chong following behind.

Just as Xie Erli was about to kneel in salute, he was helped up by the Crown Prince.

“No need for excessive courtesy. Minister Xie was a pillar of the nation. I’ve come to offer him a stick of incense.”

Xie Erli grasped His Highness’s hand, unable to speak through his tears. “Thank you for Your Highness’s… consideration.”

Zhao Yishi patted his hand and strode toward the main hall.

Passing by Yan Sanhe, his gaze swept over slightly. Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan hadn’t knelt to pay respects like the others, only bowing slightly.

Yan Sanhe waited for him to enter the mourning hall, then whispered to Li Buyan “help me watch,” and her body flashed outward, lightly appearing behind Xie Xiaohua.

Xie Xiaohua sensed someone behind him and turned to look. “Miss Yan?”

Yan Sanhe pointed behind the wall, indicating he should follow.

The two walked one after another to a corner, to behind a large tree. Yan Sanhe turned around, her voice lowered to the minimum:

“Xie Xiaohua, has your master had any large expenditures recently?”

At the mention of the master, Xie Xiaohua’s eyes brimmed with tears.

He thought for a moment and said, “Last month the master had an expenditure of two thousand taels.”

Two thousand taels?

Not even enough to pick one’s teeth.

Yan Sanhe looked at him. “Was there anything in the tens of thousands? Around fifty or sixty thousand?”

This figure frightened Xie Xiaohua until his face turned green.

“Miss Yan, the master has always been frugal. It’s impossible he would use so much silver. Besides, the public accounts don’t have that much money!”

Then something’s wrong!

Yan Sanhe pondered for a moment. “Could there be a possibility that he spent a large sum but you don’t know about it?”

“The silver from the manor’s outside shops all goes through Second Master’s hands into the public accounts. Unless the master privately had Second Master withhold it…”

Xie Xiaohua’s tone was firm. “Otherwise it’s absolutely impossible.”

Yan Sanhe nodded. “I understand. Go attend to your duties!”

Xie Xiaohua grabbed Yan Sanhe’s sleeve. “Miss Yan, why are you asking about this? Did my master owe someone outside…”

“Don’t ask, and don’t mention it to anyone.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze pressed down. “If you want to find out why your master committed suicide!”

Xie Xiaohua was so frightened he covered his mouth, nodding desperately.

“Take good care of your Third Master.”

Yan Sanhe was silent for a while. “He’ll at least listen to some of what you say.”

Thinking of the mouthful of blood Third Master had coughed up, two streams of hot tears flowed from Xie Xiaohua’s eyes.

“Miss Yan, what the master worried most about before he died was Third Master. Last night he even went to the city gate to wait for him.”

Yesterday?

At night?

Xie Zhifei hadn’t mentioned a word of this!

Yan Sanhe’s pupils contracted. “What did they say?”

“Ah?”

“Tell me every single word!”

…

“Third Son, Father only hopes that from now on you’ll have fewer hardships, more joy, and can live to a ripe old age. Then it will be worth it—everything will be worth it.”

Yan Sanhe repeated this sentence over and over, not even noticing when Xie Xiaohua left.

These words were clearly not quite right, especially the two words “worth it.”

The opposite of “worth it” is “not worth it.” These two phrases share a common premise—giving something.

Giving something and getting something, so it’s worth it.

Giving something and not getting something, so it’s not worth it.

Then what exactly had Xie Daozhi given?

Was it merely that large sum of money?

On the way to Ensi Hall, this was all Yan Sanhe’s mind pondered.

Inside Ensi Hall, it was completely silent.

Seeing it was Miss Yan, a maid wiped her tears and came forward. “The old madam cried herself exhausted and just fell asleep. Miss Yan, please sit in the hall.”

“No need. Tell the old madam to take care of her health. I’ll come see her another time.”

As Yan Sanhe walked out of the courtyard, she turned to glance at the east wing where the old madam lived.

Yang-shi had only this one son.

Mother and son had relied on each other to reach this point, already at the pinnacle of wealth and glory. Their lives were almost complete, yet unexpectedly the white-haired must send off the black-haired.

What use was cleverness and calculation?

What use were fine clothes and jade food?

In the end, still a pitiful person!

“Buyan, let’s go back.”

Li Buyan spat out the piece of grass she’d been chewing on, walked to Yan Sanhe’s side, and said in a low voice:

“What about Third Master’s side? Should we check on him again? From a distance, he looked…”

“No one can comfort him. Not even me.”

“Why?”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze was dark. “Because none of us are in his situation.”

Because none of us are him!

…

The two came silently and left silently.

Walking to the main gate, they looked up. Both those inside and outside the threshold froze.

Zhu Qing stepped back and bowed. “Miss Yan, Miss Li.”

Li Buyan: “Why did you come?”

Yan Sanhe: “You’ve finally come.”

Li Buyan looked at Yan Sanhe and closed her mouth without speaking.

Yan Sanhe took out a pouch from her bosom. “Please deliver this to Third Master for me.”

Zhu Qing’s eyes suddenly welled with heat.

Miss Yan had just come from the mourning hall. What couldn’t she give Third Master herself that she needed him to deliver?

She was afraid Third Master would refuse her, so she thought of this method.

“Also help me give him a message.”

Yan Sanhe spoke softly. “Tell him I don’t manage accounts. From now on, all accounts are given to him to manage.”

“Yes!”

Zhu Qing accepted the pouch and stepped aside to let Yan Sanhe and the others pass first.

Yan Sanhe’s other foot crossed the threshold. “Buyan, go bring the horses.”

“Alright!”

“Zhu Qing, come here.”

Zhu Qing followed Yan Sanhe to the corner by the wall. “Does Miss Yan have other instructions?”

“Do you believe your master would commit suicide?”

“I…”

“I don’t believe it!”

Yan Sanhe covered her mouth and spoke rapidly. “Help me do something. Find a way to ask your Second Master whether his father had any large expenditures in recent months that went through his accounts.”

Zhu Qing lifted his eyelids to look at Yan Sanhe, not expecting her to also be looking up at him at that moment.

Their four eyes met. Zhu Qing’s heart shook—how to describe Miss Yan’s gaze?

There was no sorrow in it, no worry, only two clusters of light, very bright and very determined, as if nothing could stump her.

“Miss Yan, rest assured. Leave it to me.”

Just then, Li Buyan led over the horses and asked, “Back to the villa?”

Yan Sanhe quickly descended the steps. “No, to the courier station to find Han Xu.”

Li Buyan was slightly stunned. “You still remember Han Xu?”

Yan Sanhe: “I dare not forget her.”

Li Buyan brought her head close. “What are you looking for her for?”

Yan Sanhe whispered in her ear, “To ask her to help investigate someone.”

Li Buyan: “Who?”

Yan Sanhe: “Yan Xi!”

Li Buyan’s expression changed.

Hadn’t the matter all passed? Why investigate him again?