“Don’t worry, I didn’t kill Zhu Zhifu. He was already dead when I got there,” Zhao Huanxi said to Xu Nian’an from afar.

Xu Nian’an nodded.

In front of the large crowd with countless eyes watching, she didn’t say much to Zhao Huanxi. Clenching her fists, she just watched him walk away.

Lu Feng approached, leading a horse.

Xu Nian’an asked him, “Lu Gongzi, do you know what exactly happened?”

“The heir of Cheng Guogong, Zhu Zhifu, disappeared three days ago. He was just found dead in an abandoned house in the northern part of the city. When the constables arrived, apart from Zhu Zhifu, the only person in the house was Huanxi,” Lu Feng replied with a serious expression.

“Lu Gongzi, could One trouble you to go to the Central Army Commander’s Office and inform Guogong Yé? Huanxi has had past grievances with Zhu Zhifu, and now with such an incident happening, the Zhu Family will surely insist that Huanxi killed Zhu Zhifu. It’s not the accusations I fear, but rather that they might act impulsively, bribe someone to harm Huanxi in prison. Zufu needs to handle this matter quickly,” Xu Nian’an said to Lu Feng.

Lu Feng nodded. “Of course. Now that this has happened, you should also return home as soon as possible and not linger outside.”

Xu Nian’an nodded in agreement, and the two immediately went their separate ways.

Xu Nian’an headed to Linglong Street to find the Mo Yu’er shop. Zhao Huanxi had mentioned before that the peony jade pendant was custom-made there.

She instructed Mingli to knock on the door, but there was no one inside the shop. A young apprentice from the neighbouring shop came out and, upon seeing them, said, “Jin Shifu is injured. He’s not doing business today.”

“Injured? When did that happen?” Xu Nian’an asked.

“This morning. Some assailant barged into his shop and tried to kill him. Luckily, two customers happened to interrupt. The assailant was later caught and taken to the authorities,” the young apprentice replied.

“Do you know where Jin Shifu lives?”

Having been neighbours for years, this was something he naturally knew.

After obtaining the jade craftsman’s address, Xu Nian’an decided not to go there herself. She had only brought two maids and a coachman on this outing. If anything unexpected happened, it would only cause more trouble.

Returning to Jing Guogong Residence, Xu Nian’an went to Jiaxiang House and saw that Zhao Jiazhen had already returned. Yin Furen had also received the news and was as anxious as an ant on the hot pot.

“Mom, I’ve got the jade craftsman’s address. Please quickly send reliable people to bring him to our residence,” Xu Nian’an said to Yin Furen.

Yin Furen had already heard about the jade pendant from Zhao Jiazhen. Upon hearing this, she hurriedly said, “Since we know the jade craftsman’s address, he should naturally be sent to the authorities to clear Huanxi of any charges. Why bring him to our residence?”

Xu Nian’an replied, “The jade craftsman can only prove that someone ordered a jade pendant identical to the one Sanlang gave me. He cannot prove that Sanlang didn’t commit the murder. Cheng Guogong Residence can easily claim that we orchestrated everything in advance to exonerate Sanlang. It’s better to bring him here first, question him thoroughly, and wait for Zufu‘s return before deciding on the next steps.”

With the jade craftsman’s address in hand, Yin Furen stepped out to instruct the guards to handle the matter.

Xu Nian’an and Zhao Jiazhen exchanged a glance, tacitly understanding each other, and headed to Zhao Jiazhen’s boudoir.

“How could this happen? I’ve recorded every piece of information summarised by Hu Gang recently, yet there’s no clue at all!” Zhao Jiazhen said as she handed the newly updated booklet to Xu Nian’an.

As Xu Nian’an flipped through it, she asked, “Have you sent someone to contact Hu Gang?”

Zhao Jiazhen nodded. “I’ve already sent someone, but he’s tailing someone and has gone off somewhere. He might be hard to locate.”

After flipping through the booklet, Xu Nian’an found no leads and said to Zhao Jiazhen, “There are only two possibilities right now. First, the Second Branch noticed Hu Gang and his team tailing them and deliberately created a false trail, appearing to be under surveillance while secretly having someone else handle things. Second, this matter is still led by the Fifth Branch, with the Second Branch either fanning the flames or not involved at all.”

Zhao Jiazhen paced anxiously around the room and said, “What should we do now? Huanxi has been arrested by the authorities as the murderer. Who knows if he’ll suffer while in custody?”

“Before I returned, I asked Lu Gongzi to find Zufu. As long as Zufu personally speaks to the authorities, they shouldn’t dare to easily subject Sanlang to torture,” Xu Nian’an replied.

Zhao Jiazhen turned to look at her. Seeing her calm expression, she realised that no matter how worried she was, there was nothing she could do to help from outside the prison. Forcing herself to calm down, she walked over and asked, “Did you go to find the jade craftsman?”

Xu Nian’an nodded. “And I learned that someone tried to kill him at his shop early this morning.”

Zhao Jiazhen frowned. “This doesn’t make sense. The one sent to order the jade pendant must have been a mere underling. Even if the jade craftsman remembered their appearance, it’d be nearly impossible to find them among the masses. Why kill the jade craftsman? And even if they wanted to kill him, why wait until now?”

Xu Nian’an stared into the void, letting out a faint, cold laugh. “Yes ah, why indeed?”

At noon, none of the three had much appetite. They barely ate a little to fill their stomachs.

Just as the maids cleared away the dishes, the jade craftsman was brought in.

The craftsman, surnamed Jin, had a wound on his upper arm. It wasn’t severe, but he was clearly shaken. Now suddenly summoned to a Guogong Residence, he felt deeply uneasy.

“Don’t be afraid, we just want to ask a few questions,” Yin Furen said, doing her best to suppress her worry for Huanxi and speaking calmly to reassure the jade craftsman. She then signalled to Xu Nian’an.

Xu Nian’an untied the jade pendant from her waist and had a maid bring it to Craftsman Jin.

Yin Furen asked him, “This jade pendant, you made it, right?”

Craftsman Jin took the pendant with his uninjured hand, carefully examining both sides, and nodded. “Yes, I made this.”

“Do you still remember who asked you to make it?”

Craftsman Jin said, “I remember. It was early in the Tenth Month last year. A young man, dressed richly and quite handsome, came to my shop with a piece of mutton-fat white jade and handed me a drawing. He asked if I could carve the jade into the design shown in the drawing. I said I could, but I had other work on hand and wouldn’t be able to start until the Eleventh Month. He said that wouldn’t do, as he needed the pendant ready by the Eleventh Month to give as a gift. So, he paid me extra silver to prioritise his order. He also told me the drawing was his own design and strictly forbade me from making the same pendant for anyone else.”

Yin Furen asked, “So, how many of these pendants did you end up making?”

Craftsman Jin replied, “Originally, I only made one. I handed it over to that young man on the 2nd day of the Eleventh Month. But the next day, a servant-looking fellow came by and said the pendant had been lost while the young man was drunk, so he asked me to make another one. I worked day and night and made a second one.”

Yin Furen quickly asked, “Do you remember what the servant looked like who came to find you?”

Craftsman Jin thought for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t remember. He had an ordinary appearance. But I do remember the handsome young man who initially asked me to make the pendant.”

Yin Furen: “………” What use is it to remember my son’s appearance?

Seeing that Yin Furen had stopped asking, Xu Nian’an took the opportunity to speak. “Can you tell us more about the attempt on your life this morning?”

Craftsman Jin, still shaken, replied, “It’s a strange thing, really. Broad daylight, and yet someone barged into my shop to rob me. I had already handed over the money, but he still tried to kill me. Luckily, two customers came in at the right time, and they scared him off, or I wouldn’t be alive now.”

Xu Nian’an asked again, “Did he say anything while robbing you or trying to kill you?”

Craftsman Jin thought for a moment and shook his head. “He didn’t say anything. He just drew his knife as soon as he entered and demanded the money. I gave him the silver, but he still tried to stab me.”

“Did he only stab your arm?” Xu Nian’an asked.

“The first stab was to my arm. He tried to stab me again, but then there was a noise outside. I wanted to shout, but he pressed the knife to me. He probably feared that if he killed me, he wouldn’t be able to escape, so he didn’t kill me. He just ran out after opening the door,” Craftsman Jin explained.

Xu Nian’an glanced at Yin Furen and said, “Mom, I’ve finished asking.”

Yin Furen wanted to ask if they needed to keep the jade craftsman, but she hesitated.

Xu Nian’an shook her head.

Yin Furen instructed someone to give the jade craftsman some silver and sent him on his way.

“This jade craftsman knows nothing. Could it be that we’ve misunderstood? Could the attack on him today have nothing to do with Huanxi’s case?” Yin Furen furrowed her brows deeply.

“No,” Xu Nian’an replied, her tone thoughtful. “The attacker the craftsman encountered doesn’t make sense. If he was really just after money, he shouldn’t have tried to kill the craftsman after he handed over the silver. If he had already gone as far as to rob and kill, how hard would it have been for him to slit his throat? Why target the arm instead?”

Zhao Jiazhen suddenly realised, “So you mean, the jade craftsman himself isn’t the key? The act of trying to kill the craftsman and the person who did it are the real key?”

Xu Nian’an nodded in affirmation.

Yin Furen, not fully aware of their quiet investigation of the Second Branch, was a bit confused and was about to ask for clarification when a maid entered holding a food box. She said, “San Naiani, this was personally delivered by the shopkeeper of Yuyingqiao, saying it’s from your order this morning.”

Xu Nian’an stood up to personally take the food box and placed it on the table beside Yin Furen. She opened the top layer of the two-tiered box, revealing a wooden box inside. Inside the wooden box were several slips of paper with writing on them.

Xu Nian’an moved the food box aside and poured all the slips of paper from the wooden box onto the table. She said to Yin Furen and Zhao Jiazhen, “Mom, San Jie, these are the reports I had my Si Meifu hire some street spies to gather on the Second and Fifth Branch. Let’s see if there’s anything related to the case of Zhu Zhifu.”

Yin Furen was taken aback. She could understand spying on the Fifth Branch, but why the Second Branch?

Seeing Zhao Jiazhen silently begin to follow Xu Nian’an’s instructions, Yin Furen grew more certain that the two of them were hiding something from her. But since it concerned Huanxi, she didn’t ask further and reached out to pick up one of the slips of paper, beginning to read.

The information was scattered and chaotic, and neither Yin Furen nor Zhao Jiazhen had ever done something like this before. They couldn’t piece together any useful clues from such fragmented reports and could only set aside what seemed suspicious.

In the end, Xu Nian’an took the booklet that Zhao Jiazhen had recorded and carefully compared it with the selected messages, organizing them and deep in thought.

Yin Furen called Zhao Jiazhen to the inner room and asked her about the Second Branch.

At this point, Zhao Jiazhen felt there was no need to keep anything hidden, so she told Yin Furen everything that Xu Nian’an had analyzed with her, leaving no detail out.

Yin Furen was left speechless, her mouth moving in a daze as she muttered, “Heavens… heavens…”

Meanwhile, in the Lingde Hall, Nanny Li listened to the maid who had returned with the news, her face turning ashen as she asked the maid, “Are you sure you didn’t hear wrong?”

The maid answered, “I’m sure. Da Taitai was so anxious that she sent someone to the Central Army Commander’s Office to find Guogong Yé.”

Nanny Li turned and made her way to the main room. Upon entering, she dismissed the maid and closed the door behind her. She approached Lao Taitai who was sitting at the side, quietly holding her prayer beads and striking the wooden fish. With a hurried voice, she whispered, “Lao Furen, there’s news from outside that… Zhu Zhifu is dead.”

The wooden fish came to an abrupt stop. Lao Taitai suddenly opened her eyes, gazing at Nanny Li with a sharp look, “Dead? How could this happen?”

Nanny Li, in a panic, waved her hand in frustration, “I don’t know. Could it be that the soldiers were too rough and accidentally killed him?”

Lao Taitai paused to think for a moment, then asked, “What is the current situation?”

“The plan is proceeding smoothly, except now the living person has become a dead one. The son of the First Branch has been taken away as the murder suspect,” Nanny Li replied.

“And the soldiers?” Lao Taitai inquired.

“Not sure. They should have gone to hide outside the city as previously arranged. Lao Furen, now with the person dead, Cheng Guogong Residence is sure to seek revenge. Keeping the soldiers around is a threat. Should we…” Nanny Li trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air.

Lao Taitai raised her hand, signaling for calm. “This is a sensitive time, we mustn’t act rashly. As long as the soldiers stay hidden and don’t make any moves, no one will be able to trace them. It’s better this way. With the evidence gone, even if the son of the First Branch jumps into the Yellow River, it won’t cleanse him of the crime!”

The eldest grandson of Jing Guogong was implicated in the murder of the heir to Cheng Guogong. The case was too sensitive for the Shuntian Prefecture to handle, so it was transferred to the Imperial Court of Judicial Review by the afternoon.

When Guogong Yé received the news, he rushed to the Imperial Court of Judicial Review and just so happened to encounter Cheng Guogong, who was furious and holding a sword, demanding the death of Zhao Huanxi to avenge Zhu Zhifu. The two nearly fought in the Imperial Court, but were stopped by the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, Zhan He, who intervened to prevent the confrontation.

Cheng Guogong, still seething with anger, likely went to the palace to seek out his dear sister, Consort Zhen.

Meanwhile, Guogong Yé went to visit Zhao Huanxi in prison. The officials at the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, however, didn’t dare to treat Zhao Huanxi harshly. Though he had been caught at the scene of the crime, they couldn’t yet confirm that he was the murderer. Given his status, he was placed in a single-cell jail with a simple bed, rather than being thrown into a harsher confinement.

At that moment, Zhao Huanxi sat despondently on the bed made of brick, feeling a deep sense of defeat. It was frustrating how easily he had fallen into someone else’s trap. He couldn’t help but think that if Dong Jiejie had been in his place, she would never have been so easily tricked.

Zhao Huanxi’s mind raced with confusion and doubt. He had clearly instructed the jade craftsman not to make a second jade pendant identical to the one he had commissioned. So why had a second one been made?

It became increasingly clear to him that someone within his own residence had set him up, going as far as to murder Zhu Zhifu in an effort to frame him. The realization left him grappling with the severity of the situation and the question of how it could all be resolved.

He had once been certain that he would inherit his grandfather’s title as the legitimate eldest grandson, but now, he found himself questioning his worthiness and ability to bear such a responsibility. Without Zufu’s protection, how would he face the consequences of this mess on his own?

He was certain that this matter was done by someone from the residence. But who could it be? Zhao Huanxu? He has a leg injury, so it’s impossible. Wu Shenshen? She always used to incite Si Shenshen to go against Mother, so she doesn’t seem like the type to have the courage for this. That only leaves…Zumu, his step-Zumu.

No wonder Mother used to secretly call her “Old Pious Woman”, it turns out she was really capable of committing such a heinous act.

“Huanxi.” Suddenly, his grandfather’s voice came from outside the prison cell.

Zhao Huanxi looked up and saw that it was indeed Zufu standing outside the cell, dressed in a bright purple official robe, his white hair at the temples making him look even more frail and elderly.

Zhao Huanxi felt a lump in his throat. He got off the bed, walked to the bars of the cell, and bowed deeply to Guogong Yé, saying, “Zufu, forgive me. It’s all Sun’er‘s fault for being foolish and causing you trouble again.”

Guogong Yé looked him up and down. Seeing that he wasn’t injured, he asked, “What exactly happened?”

Zhao Huanxi then told him everything that had occurred today, exactly as it happened.

Guogong Yé was no fool. After listening, he understood what was going on.

He remained silent for a moment, then said to Zhao Huanxi, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll have you out of here soon.”

Zhao Huanxi nodded.

Guogong Yé turned and began to walk away, but after taking a few steps, he stopped, not looking back, and simply said, “Huanxi, this matter… is my fault. Zufu owes you an apology.”

Zhao Huanxi stared at his back, his mouth slightly agape, still not quite processing the words, when Guogong Yé had already left.

At the Jing Guogong Residence, Xu Nian’an had not yet figured things out when Hu Gang returned.

Yin Furen quickly ordered him to come and see her.

Hu Gang saluted the three of them and reported to Yin Furen, “Taitai, Shuxia was ordered by San Guniang to monitor the Second Branch. A few days ago, One noticed that the people from the Second Branch seemed to be suspicious, so today Shuxia set up a trick to confuse them. One then discovered that Ning Family’s Third Master was imprisoning seven or eight men in Kejia Village, outside the city. Shuxia was worried about alerting them, after having one person to stay behind to watch, Shuxia came back to report first.”

Ning family is Er Taitai's maiden family.

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian’an quickly rummaged through the papers on the desk, pulled out one, glanced at it for a moment, and said to Yin Furen, “Mother, the people imprisoned by Ning Family’s Third Master are very likely the ones who kidnapped and held Zhu Zhifu. From the information given by my Si Meifu, it mentioned that three or four people were seen repeatedly coming and going in a small alley north of the city, buying various foods. Because there were so many of them, the people who were tailing them didn’t dare to get too close to investigate. If they needed three or four people to go out for food, then there must have been quite a few people left behind at the house. These people suddenly disappeared yesterday afternoon.”

“Where did these people come from?” Yin Furen asked.

“Eight days ago, Nanny Li from Lingde Hall went to Xiahe Village. These people most likely came from there,” Xu Nian’an replied.

Yin Furen paused, and after a moment, clenched her fist, saying in a voice full of hatred, “It really is that old pious woman!” She instructed Hu Gang with an angry expression, “Take people and bring those men back immediately!”

“Mother, it’s not the right time to act rashly. We should wait for Zufu to return before making a decision,” Xu Nian’an intervened.

“But Huanxi is still in prison!” Yin Furen said anxiously.

Zhao Jiazhen interjected, “This case has likely spread throughout the city by now, and there are probably many eyes on our residence, both openly and secretly. If we make a move now, it will certainly be blown out of proportion. If we go and bring those people back, then Zumu could turn the tables and accuse us of conspiring with the Second Branch to frame her and the Fifth Branch. What would we do then? Do you still expect the Second Branch to testify for us? It’s better to wait for Zufu to return and make the decision.”

“And if it was truly Zumu who did it, Zufu likely… wouldn’t let her go to court.” Xu Nian’an’s words calmed Yin Furen.

Yes ah, if it really was that old pious woman’s doing, in order to protect the reputation of the long-deceased Zhao Mingcheng and preserve the honour of the Jing Guogong Residence, Guogong Yé would definitely not let that old pious woman go to court. But what about her Huanxi? Would he have to take the blame for that old pious woman?

Thinking of this, a trace of resentment arose in Yin Furen’s heart.

If it weren’t for Guogong Yé’s partiality and his long hesitation in appointing an heir, how could her Huanxi have suffered such misfortune? If Huanxi can safely escape this ordeal, so be it. But if he cannot…

She clenched her fingers tightly, for the first time harbouring a thought that even she found terrifying.

Xu Nian’an asked Hu Gang, “I heard Zhu Zhifu went missing three days ago. Do you know the details?”

Hu Gang replied, “Over the past two days, our people have picked up some gossip from the streets. Previously, wasn’t there a pregnant mistress of the Fifth Branch‘s Er Yé, whom Zhu Zhifu had taken in (he’s referring to Zheng Man’er)? After the woman gave birth to a son, she got together with Zhu Zhifu. Late last month, it’s said that while drinking with friends at Changqing Tower, someone brought this matter up. Zhu Zhifu bragged shamelessly, saying what’s the big deal about sleeping with Zhao Huanxu’s mistress? Back then, even our San Yé‘s wife…”

At this point, he stopped, seemingly struggling to find the right words.

“And what? It’s his words, not yours. Just say it,” Yin Furen said, her face turning pale with anger.

Hu Gang lowered his head and replied, “He said that San Yé’s wife almost ended up being slept with by him as well.”

Yin Furen slammed a teacup from the table, shattering it into pieces, and cursed, “He deserved to die! That foul-mouthed beast!”

Zhao Jiazhen anxiously glanced at Xu Nian’an, only to see her looking calm as she said, “So this is the excuse they’ve come up with to accuse Sanlang of kidnapping and murder.”

“Last year’s Eleventh Month the jade pendant was made. At the end of last month, Zhu Zhifu said those offending words about Huanxi. Zhu Zhifu disappeared as soon as Huanxi’s academy went on break. These people have been scheming against Huanxi for at least half a year, yet we so easily caught them leaving such an obvious trail. Could there be a trap in this?” Zhao Jiazhen said, deeply troubled.

Yin Furen had intended to say that with Fifth Branch’s malice and stupidity, doing such a thing wouldn’t be surprising. But recalling what Jiazhen had just told her about the Second Branch, she grew uncertain. Turning to Xu Nian’an, she asked, “Is there any other useful information?”

As Xu Nian’an arranged the slips of paper, she said, “Understanding why Zhu Zhifu disappeared makes some clues clearer. On the 27th of last month, people from the Fifth Branch went to Changqing Tower, and someone from the Ning Family also went there. On the afternoon of the 29th, unidentified individuals were spotted in Tianhuai Alley, and a servant from the Ning Family was also seen there. Starting from the 30th, there’s been no trace of either group. For the Second Branch to track the Fifth Branch like this, if they weren’t involved, they could’ve just waited for the incident to expose the Fifth Branch. But now, with Ning Family members secretly detaining people from Fifth Branch, things are far more complicated.”

Yin Furen was completely confused by her reasoning. She raised a hand to her forehead and said, “Let’s wait until your Zufu returns to discuss this further.”

The room fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Yin Furen felt something was amiss. She released her hand, raised her gaze, and looked around before sitting upright and asking, “Where’s Xuan Jie’er?”

Zhao Jiazhen: “…” Oh no, in the rush, she had forgotten about Xuan Jie’er.

“She said she had something to discuss with Nie Gongzi, so I let her go. Just now, I hurried back and forgot to look for her,” she replied.

Yin Furen, too preoccupied to scold her, immediately instructed Hu Gang, “Quickly go and bring Xuan Jie’er back. At a time like this, nothing else can go wrong.”

Just as Hu Gang was heading out, Qianhe entered and said, “Taitai, there’s news from the front courtyard. Guogong Yé has returned.”

Yin Furen abruptly stood up, ready to head out, but Xu Nian’an called out to her, “Mom, since Zufu has returned, he must have already gone to see Sanlang. There’s no need to rush to him. If he wishes to see us, he’ll send someone to summon us.”

Zhao Jiazhen instructed Qianhe, “Send someone to the front to check again.”

Qianhe agreed and sent out a younger maid. Before long, the maid returned and reported, “Taitai, Guogong Yé has gone to Lingde Hall.”