What?

Return to the capital?

Li Buyan rushed over.

Lu Da rushed over.

If Ding Yi didn’t have to press down on the hole in Zhu Qing’s lower abdomen, he would have wanted to rush over too.

Yan Sanhe nodded to Liu Fei: “Commander Liu, may we few speak?”

Liu Fei was very perceptive: “I’ll go watch over Brother Zhu.”

Moments later, Ding Yi also rushed over, both hands covered in Zhu Qing’s blood.

Yan Sanhe took a deep breath.

“There’s something I never told you about because I thought after the Zheng family’s wronged souls dispersed and the war horses recovered, the less said the better.

Buyan, do you still remember before I lost consciousness, I took you every day to the western suburb farmhouse to investigate the scene where Yan Xi was shot to death?”

Li Buyan nodded: “I remember.”

Yan Sanhe walked beside Xie Zhifei and reached out to grasp his hand. However, her words were still directed at Li Buyan:

“Do you still remember when we first entered the capital to investigate Old Madam Ji’s heart demon, we encountered the Ji family being raided?”

Li Buyan: “I remember!”

Yan Sanhe: “Do you remember you got into a conflict with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and someone shot an arrow at you?”

Li Buyan: “I remember—it was Shen Chong who shot it.”

Xie Zhifei’s hand shuddered violently. Yan Sanhe looked up at him, gripping his hand and secretly applying pressure.

“On the night Yan Xi died, Shen Chong and two of the Crown Prince’s guards were standing watch outside the room. Shen Chong, as the Crown Prince’s number one man with such excellent martial skills, surprisingly didn’t see even the shadow of the assassin…”

Li Buyan thought of that day when she and Young Master Pei encountered the assassination attempt at Spring Breeze Tower. Complex emotions surged in her eyes.

“Could the arrow that killed Yan Xi have been shot by Shen Chong? No wonder I felt that arrow was somewhat familiar. But it’s impossible… why would he want to kill Yan Xi?”

Yan Sanhe: “It’s not what he wanted to do by killing Yan Xi—it’s what Zhao Yishi wanted to do by killing Yan Xi.”

Li Buyan’s heart tightened: “What for?”

“He faced the predicament of listless war horses and the empire in grave danger. He had to find out the true cause of Old General Zheng’s death, yet didn’t want us to trace back to discover there was someone behind Xie Daozhi.”

Yan Sanhe paused. “So after Yan Xi revealed the truth, he ordered Shen Chong to kill him with one arrow.”

“Y-Yan, Yan, Yan Miss.”

Ding Yi’s voice trembled uncontrollably: “Y-you mean our, our Old Master, the Old Master… still isn’t the true culprit?”

Yan Sanhe closed her eyes briefly at Ding Yi, then raised her head to look at Xie Zhifei’s profile.

“Chengyu, there are some things I’ll explain in detail when I have time, but Zhu Qing can’t wait. We must rush back to the capital immediately to get him…”

“No!”

“Listen to me!”

Yan Sanhe gripped with her other hand as well.

“The most dangerous place is also the safest place. In the capital, under the Emperor’s nose, Zhao Yishi wouldn’t dare make a move against me!”

What did that mean?

Those black-clothed figures just now were also sent by His Highness the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince wanted Yan Sanhe dead?

Everyone’s ears roared, hearts pounded, gazes fixed on Third Master Xie—all shocked.

Xie Zhifei’s lips were frighteningly pale, as if a knife had been viciously stabbed into his heart. He hurt so much he couldn’t even speak.

How could it be Huairen?

Huairen’s expression was always gentle, his gaze always bright, his tone of speech warm and steady. Close up, one could even smell the extremely clean scent on his body.

Xie Zhifei desperately lowered his head, his voice suddenly breaking: “How could it possibly be him?”

Yan Sanhe avoided his gaze. “Ding Yi.”

“Y-Yan, Yan Miss?”

“You and Lu Da take Zhu Qing ahead toward the capital. Don’t delay a moment on the road. After entering the capital, go directly to the Pei family and beg Imperial Physician Pei to save his life.

The Pei family has Resurrection Pills. If luck is with us, we might be able to save Zhu Qing’s life.”

Ding Yi didn’t dare make a sound, only using his eyes to look at Xie Zhifei.

“My words are Third Master’s words. Move quickly.”

“Yes!”

At this moment, Lu Da suddenly spoke: “Young Miss, what about you?”

Yan Sanhe glanced outside the pavilion. “I have them. You can rest assured. We’ll meet at the separate residence.”

“Yes!”

Soon, the carriage sped away.

Yan Sanhe walked before Liu Fei. “Commander Liu, I’d trouble you to select two guards to drive the carriage back to the capital for us.”

Liu Fei was startled: “Yan Miss, what if those black-clothed figures come again?”

“With one strike unsuccessful, they absolutely won’t come again.”

Yan Sanhe: “You also take your men back to camp. We’ve never met. You were just practicing drills outside the city.”

Liu Fei: “This… if General Bu asks…”

“Don’t tell him either.”

Yan Sanhe looked at the motionless Xie Zhifei beside her, speaking in a low voice: “The fewer people who know about this, the safer General Bu and your Bu Family Army will be.”

…

The Imperial Mausoleum.

An eagle fluttered its wings and landed on Shen Chong’s arm.

Shen Chong removed a small bamboo tube from the eagle’s leg, pulled out a slip of paper, and after one glance immediately headed for the study.

“Your Highness, the operation failed. At the critical moment, a military force wearing armor and wielding large sabers suddenly appeared. We lost fifty-two men.”

Zhao Yishi silently looked at him.

Shen Chong immediately knelt. “This subject requests Your Highness’s punishment.”

Zhao Yishi was silent for a moment. “Have someone watch the separate residence. Do nothing else.”

Shen Chong froze.

“Beating the grass alerted the snake, so the snake will burrow into its hole.”

Zhao Yishi dipped his brush tip in some ink. “For Yan Sanhe, the safest hole is at the Son of Heaven’s feet.”

Shen Chong hesitated for a long while.

“Your Highness, should we investigate that military force in secret? This subject thinks it’s eight or nine chances out of ten it was the Bu Family Army—only the Bu Family Army all use large sabers.”

Zhao Yishi’s face changed drastically. He threw the brush in his hand viciously at Shen Chong’s face. “The Bu Family Army all went north—what Bu Family Army is left?”

Struck by the blow, Shen Chong’s whole body shuddered as he realized he’d said something stupid.

This matter must sink to the bottom of the water. Not even half a bubble could rise to the surface, or if it drew His Majesty’s attention, His Highness would suffer the consequences.

“Don’t act rashly anymore.”

Zhao Yishi’s chest rose and fell several times as he forcefully suppressed the irritation in his heart. “Just watch the separate residence closely.”

“Yes!”

…

At the separate residence.

Young Master Pei was dragged from his bedding by Huang Qi.

“Master, people have come outside, all saying they’re looking for Yan Miss. Please go take a look quickly!”

“Scram!”

Pei Xiao kicked Huang Qi away, his body slithering like a mud loach back into the bedding.

What Yan Miss, what Li Miss—Young Master doesn’t know them and doesn’t want to hear about them. Starting today, Young Master plans to be a turtle and begin hibernation.

Don’t care about anything, don’t think about anything.

“Those people are also ones Master knows. They say they had a dream that Yan Miss was in danger…”

Before he finished speaking, his head was covered by the blanket.

Huang Qi pulled off the blanket. The person on the bed had vanished. He quickly chased out and discovered his master wearing two slippers, shuffling toward the outside.

Were dreams something one casually had?

If Yan Miss was in danger, that meant Li Miss was in danger.

If Li Miss was in danger, that meant that bastard was in danger.

Pei Xiao was anxious as burning fire.

Reaching the second gate, he looked up and froze.

One gentleman from the Zhu Manor.

His cousin Ji Haidong.

The sallow-faced Han Xu.

Xue Zhao from Muli Mountain.

And also…

Actually the old nun Huiru from Water Moon Convent!