Outside, the night was dark and gloomy, but inside, the lamps shone brightly. He Lian was searching through the bookshelves, flipping through the books one by one, until he found a dusty old book with a thick, yellowish-brown cover that was almost as thick as his thumb. After carelessly wiping off the dust with his sleeve, he sat down at the desk and began to flip through the pages, until he came across an illustration of a plant that looked exactly like the one in Zhong Sun's four-sided courtyard, at which point he stopped turning the pages.

  As expected, the flower is called Shu Suan, which is both a medicine and a poison. The toxicity lies in its prohibition for pregnant women.

  He Lan, who was overly focused, rubbed his temples with a slight headache. When he came back to himself, the distant horizon had already turned white.

  In her previous life, she had studied Chinese herbal medicine to harm people in a way that was imperceptible. In this life, although she no longer had the intention of harming others, the knowledge she had stored in her mind was still used for defensive purposes.

  He Le'an folded the page of Shu Sang, thinking that when she was close to the bed, her nose would be uncomfortable and keep sneezing. She still remembered that the smell of winter melon seeds commonly used for postpartum women made her a bit sensitive. So he continued to check the relevant records, and as he tore open the surface calmness little by little, he felt a chill gushing out from the bottom of his heart.

  The sky was already bright, but He Le'an, who had not slept all night, did not feel the slightest bit of sleepiness. She took her book to look for Xū Xié, but the maid told her that he had gone out the previous night and had not returned yet. So she waited for him at Láng Jiāo Jū from dawn till noon, but he still hadn't come back. As she waited and waited, she eventually fell asleep leaning against the windowsill. In a daze, it seemed like someone had put something on her, and she suddenly woke up to see Xue Shi Zi staring blankly at her.

  "Sorry, I woke you up." Xue Shizi withdrew his hand that had just covered her with the cloak without any embarrassment.

  He Le'an rubbed his eyes and shook his head, "I wasn't sleeping well anyway, how did you come in——"

  "You also know that Xiaoyi Wang and Ce Fei went to the capital earlier, now the palace only has the heartbroken Yiqin Wangfei and a not-so-comfortable Zhong Sunwu. My mother asked me to help with some matters, I just got free and came over to discuss some things with you." Xue Shizi said.

  The Yiqin Prince's Manor had only one daughter for two generations, and the princes who inherited the title were all married-in. The relatives on the side were not many, and it was pitifully sparse. The eldest son who could take responsibility when something happened was temporarily not by his side, so it was normal to ask his son to help with errands. He Le'an thought for a moment, then handed over the page of the book he had folded in his arms:

  "I rushed to the Zhi Yi Bo Fu with Hui Yu to see Zhong Sun Si, and on the windowsill closest to her bed, a Shu Sang was placed. As I approached her bedside, my nose felt uncomfortable and I couldn't stop sneezing, which raised my suspicions. After a closer examination, I discovered... that her death may not have been as simple an accident."

  Xue Shizi glanced at the folded page, then flipped open another similarly folded page in her gesture, her expression gradually cold. All she said was: "I have been sensitive to winter melon seeds since childhood. When I was a child and approached women who were about to take winter melon seeds, I kept sneezing. I didn't think it was strange at the time. But when I took care of Old Zhuo Yibo's illness earlier, I made a detailed study of the medicinal diet and found that some medicines can become deadly poisons if taken incorrectly."

  He raised his eyes and looked at the obvious dark circles under her eyes on her pale face, "Was it for investigating these that you didn't sleep all night?"

  "It's all about timing and fate, but Zhong Sun's fourth daughter is a pitiful woman; if she can finally rest in peace this time, that would be for the best."

  Xue Shizi suddenly smiled, "Thank you, First Generation Yi Qin Wangfu." He seemed to understand why they liked her so much.

  He Le'an had originally planned to tell Xie Xie first, and then have Xie Xie inform Xue Shizi. Now that the big stone in his heart has been dug out, when Xue Shizi took his leave, he didn't detain him at all, but instead waited anxiously in the hall for Xie Xie. By dusk, he finally returned hastily.

  He gently picked her up, who was drowsy and about to fall asleep, into the bedroom, tucked her in, and then softened his voice: "Roughly speaking, I already know. You sleep first, we'll talk when you wake up."

  When she saw him, He Le'an's stubborn persistence in her heart collapsed. She nodded softly, "Uh-huh."

  **

  In the Ziyibo Fu, the east wing where Zhong Sun Si lived was heavily guarded by the Imperial Guard of the Yi Qin Wang Fu. Xue Shizi entered with the accompaniment of the master of the house, using the token of the Yi Qin Wang Fei, and saw that it was just as Le An had said. On the windowsill closest to the bed, a Sichuan mulberry tree was placed. He walked straight to the bedside, examined it for a moment, picked up the silk medicine pillow emitting a refreshing fragrance, and with a clever force, tore it open, causing the dry and crisp Cassia seeds mixed with winter melon seeds to scatter all over the bed.

  "Dongfang, please call over the maids who have been serving in this courtyard earlier. I have some questions to ask them." Xue Shizi said, "Especially the maids who came with Zhongsun Si's dowry."

  Dongfang Xiangmu was summoned down and, after being instructed at the door, soon a group of trembling maidservants were brought in by Xiaojie.

  Xue Shizi glanced over the familiar faces in the room, asking a few harmless questions in a light tone. Only then did Zhong Sun's senior maid speak up: "This purple herb was brought by the young master from East Five Miss's courtyard after learning that Madame was feeling unwell. The petals can be used to make a tea that reduces swelling. It is said that East Five Miss has been drinking this since childhood, and Madame has also started drinking it every morning, praising its remarkable effects."

  Another maid took over and said: "The silk pillowcase was made by the servant girl, and the cassia seeds inside were personally selected by the mistress."

  "Lately, apart from Miss Zhangsun Wu coming to visit the lady, there were also Miss Xue Si and several other young ladies from various manors. The lady had been feeling rather stifled these days, so she went out for a stroll in the garden that day, but unexpectedly fell into the lotus pond. After being rescued by a servant who knew how to swim, the family doctor was summoned at once, but..."

  The remaining maids spoke out about the situation they knew, "Since Madam had become pregnant, Lady Zhiyi no longer required Madam to pay her respects every day. Normally, Madam rarely stepped out of the courtyard, and those who came and went were just us servants."

  Xue Shizi hinted for them to retreat, and then pointed at the Shu mulberry tree and asked Dongfang Qi Mu, "Do you know that it's also called Shu mulberry? Did Dongfang Wu Zhen really take its flower petals since childhood to relieve edema?"

  "I don't know its alias, but Niú Qiāng has indeed used Zi Wū Huā to relieve her difficulties since childhood." Dōng Fāng Kè Mù furrowed his brow and said, "Zhòng Sūn Shì is after all ài èr's lawfully wedded wife, and also the princess of Yí Qīn Wang Fǔ. The child in her belly is also his own flesh and blood. Even if he really had some scheme, he wouldn't be so cruel as to harm his wife and child in exchange for something, you——"

  Xue Shizi said, "In the East, one person's heart can be very terrifying. In this world, there are many people who turn bad and don't recognize their six relatives." He said with deep meaning, "Just like him to you, his own brother, he has never shown mercy. Don't pretend to be weak and confused in front of me. You also know that the gap between you and your mother was caused by him trying to take the position of heir."

  **

  He Le'an slept soundly and woke up at midnight, her maid had already prepared bird's nest congee and various pastries. As she ate, Xu Xie told her about the investigation at Zhi Yi Bo's residence today, "After screening, we don't think that Chong Sun Wu or any other girl is suspicious, what does An Er think?"

  She thought for a moment, swallowed a piece of cake and said, "I don't dare to make any other judgments, but if you say that this matter was calculated by Dongfang Er Mu, I really think it's terrible. He plotted against Zhong Sun Si's innocence in order to become the young master, and then harmed Zhong Sun Si again to pave the way for his future rise in the capital, so that he could marry a noblewoman. It's too hasty and suspicious to abandon him like this, and it's also too difficult to look at."

  "Oh?" He propped up his chin with his hand and gazed at her leisurely. He raised his hand to wipe away the crumbs from her lips.

  He Le'an turned her eyes, picked up a piece of pastry, and slowly chewed on it before continuing: "Well, let's put it this way. If I were Dongfang Er, who only wanted to use Zhong Sun Si as a stepping stone, I wouldn't have had him killed so quickly. But in order to marry into a high-ranking family in the future, having children is out of the question. The simplest and most direct method to induce a miscarriage without anyone noticing would be to bribe the servants in the mansion to put medicine in the food. And then, it would be easy to silence them afterwards, without leaving any trace."

  "It won't be like now, being easily found out by you."

  "She said, 'Eastern Two has been calculating for so long, do you think he would be so easy to expose such a big loophole if he really wanted to harm Zhong Sun Four? Although he circled around Eastern Five in a big circle, the spearhead still points directly at himself. Is he that foolish?'"

  Xie Ze grabbed her hand and took a bite of the pastry, gesturing for her to continue.

  He Le'an said with a smile, "Those who come out to mix will eventually have to pay back. He calculates others, and others will also want to calculate him. We can follow the maids to investigate and see if we can find anything else."

  She paused for a moment before continuing, "Although Zhong Sun Wu was raised by Princess Yi Qin from a young age and is no different from the legitimate children, everyone knows that she is just a humble illegitimate child. This situation is actually quite embarrassing, especially when standing next to Zhong Sun Si, who is a legitimate child. The glances from others will create an even more striking contrast, and sometimes it's easier for people to feel jealous."

  "Just born as a human being, but it's just a birth, the treatment is heaven and earth apart." He Lian thought of his state of mind in his previous life and smiled: "The human heart is a very strange thing. The difference between kindness and resentment is often only a line. Some people will be infinitely grateful for others' good intentions towards themselves, while some people will think that others' good intentions towards themselves are just insignificant charity."

  He handed her a cup of warm tea, "The Yiqin Wangfu has been through two generations of marriage, and its value is no longer high, but it is still a royal title, which is enough to stand in a place like Fengzhou City. It has also been downgraded to the generation of Aqi."

  "It was all to expand the influence of the Yi Qin Wang Fu that he became a relative and went to the capital. According to the rules of the Eastern Palace, he shouldn't have taken the life of Zhong Sun Si at this time." He said, "And as for Zhong Sun Wu, in my impression, she has always been diligent and cautious, if she has been pretending to be like this for so many years, then this woman's heart is too deep."

  He Le'an smiled and said, "I dare to infer that you are being cautious in seeking proof."

  He gently scratched her nose with his hand and said, "Mm, eat quickly, it's late."

  **

  When the crowd was still lamenting the death of Zhong Sun Si Yi, a more shocking and unbelievable news spread to the Jian Ning Hou Fu Bie Yuan - just last night, Lao Zhuo Yi Bo was killed by thugs in the wing room.

  All sorts of rumors swept through Fengzhou City, and it's unclear who started them. After Old Lady He brought He Le'an back to live in the city, the commotion never stopped. The speakers may have been careless, but the listeners had intentions. Some people even compared the misfortune that befell the Zhuo Yi Bo residence. Then people began saying that Old Zhuo Yi Bo's death was caused by He Le'an's evil curse.

  He Le'an was about to put on a white dress to pay her respects at the Zhuo Yibo's mansion, but rumors that her mother was not actually related to Old Master Zhuo suddenly exploded, and no one believed it until Shao Da Shu personally confirmed that this false rumor was actually true.

  Facing He Lao's gloomy face, He Le'an smiled wryly and said, "Three years of mourning, we can't wait."

  The old lady let out a long sigh and said, "It's come to this, drawing a clear line is good, it's all good."

  He Le'an pursed her lips. She wanted to ask something, but was entangled in what to ask first. Mrs. He patted the position beside her and said, "Come over here, grandma." As soon as He Le'an sat down, she pulled her hand over and held it tightly, as if falling into a certain memory, and said softly, "No matter whether you are born or not, your aunt's feelings for your mother are absolutely not fake."

  "What I know about your mother's background is not much," said the old lady. "All I know is that she was the daughter of an old friend, and her whole family was killed by ruthless mountain bandits. At that time, your mother was hidden in a rice jar by her nanny and barely escaped with her life. As they were fighting on the border for two years, no one knew that your mother was not their own child."

  Later, He Shi married into the Zhuo Yibo's household and inadvertently learned about this from your uncle. Due to some trivial matters, she had many misunderstandings with your mother. She was really fed up with these grievances, so she went to the Hou's household to escape. Who would have thought that tragedy would strike in such a way...

  "What's the use? Everyone knows, so we won't bother with the Zhōu Yì Bó estate anymore. The rumors that have been circulating can also be put to rest now. No matter what your uncle was thinking when he confirmed this, let's just consider ourselves rejected and not attend the funeral rites. Being accused of being heartless is better than being labeled greedy."

  He Le'an meekly agreed, and on her way back to her own courtyard, she still couldn't help but detour to the Buddhist hall to burn incense for her mother. After some thought, she also lit three sticks of clear incense in the direction of the residence of Zhuo Yibo's family. She knelt down and bowed - no matter what, Old Master Zhuo and Madam Zhuo had true feelings for her mother.

  Having heard all sorts of rumors and gossip, He Le Ying was afraid that He Le An would be unhappy, so she came over to accompany her and chat. Seeing that He Le An seemed not to care about the matter, she asked about the situation at Zhuo Yi Bo's residence. Only then did she say: "Sixth sister also knows about the Qi Ning Hou Fu in the neighboring town, they were planning to settle down with Shao Ying Xue, but unfortunately because Shao Ying Xue had to observe a three-year mourning period, this marriage was cancelled."

  "He Xiaoyuan was engaged to He Lize in prison, General Wei Wu agreed, but He Lize himself publicly refused, because it's not the time to talk about marriage now. Who will give what to whom, and make a fuss, that's also three years later."

  He Le Ying said: "It's almost July, the young master of the East has returned to Beijing and taken care of the aftermath of Zhong Sun Si. The culprit who killed Lao Zhuo Yi Bo is still at large, and it's unknown who is so bold as to dare to harm the old meritorious official. I heard from my father that the capital attaches great importance to this matter and has even sent an imperial envoy over!"

  The lanterns had just been lit, and he quietly descended from the sky, seeing her sitting in front of the dressing table staring blankly at a stone hairpin. He then wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "You still have me."

  He Le'an's tense body relaxed again due to the familiar breath, she snuggled into his arms like a spoiled child and muttered: "Mm-hmm." She had experienced many ups and downs in life, and could see through many things more clearly than ordinary people. However, reason was one thing, emotions were another.

  "Sorry, Ye Ming."

  "In order to observe the three-month mourning period, I'll just mention that Mother and Old Zuo Yibo had a predestined relationship in the past, and you have to sneak around quietly if you want to see me."

  Xie looked at her through the mirror on the dresser and said, "Fool, why must we say these things between us."

  He Le'an turned around and hugged him back, as if whispering. Smiling, "It's really warm." No matter how many times her heart had been cold, this person could always easily warm herself up, whether she was wrong or right, smart or silly, he was willing to tolerate her.

  "If you like it, you can even sleep with it."

  "Hmm, I'll think about it seriously."

  "I've already compromised, and you're still considering it? I won't let you go." Yet, he held on even tighter.

  "He's my territory, no room for you to say no." She rubbed her cheek against his chest, her voice soft and gentle, and she herself was soft and gentle, falling into his eyes, truly lovable.

  She suppressed her urge and shifted her attention, "As for Zhong Sun Si, there is no direct evidence pointing to Zhong Sun Wu. After Zhong Sun Si's death, she took care of the grieving Yi Qin Wang Fei while ill, still with the same impression, but I don't know why, the more perfect she was, the more I started to suspect her. Ah Qiu and his concubine returned from the capital and decided to stay in Fengzhou City for the time being, accompanying Yi Qin Wang Fei out of grief first, he also has a biological younger sister and brother who came back from their maternal family."

  He Lian continued to listen, "Dongfang Ke Mu once asked Dongfang Er why he would give Shu Sang to Zhong Sun Si. He said it was the maid's suggestion and didn't know that Zi Wu Hua is also called Shu Sang, which pregnant women should avoid using. We investigated the maid he mentioned and found that she had been silenced long ago. The trail has temporarily gone cold."

  During this time, I discovered one thing. After Dongfang Chui went to the capital, he had gone to visit Rui Qinwang, but Rui Qinwang didn't see him." Xie Dao said, "If Rui Qinwang was searching for something and only wanted to interact with people who owned that thing or were related to it, then the gradually declining Weiwu General's Manor would be somewhat suspicious. Can you think of anything about Weiwu General's Manor?"

  He Le'an thought for a moment, shook his head and said: "At that time, I didn't agree to follow my grandmother back to Fengzhou City. As for the affairs of Fengzhou City, I'm not very clear about it. The Weiwu General's Mansion and the Ruiqin King have some connections, and I only knew a little from Shao Yingxiu's mouth. But one thing is certain, such things can only be owned by officials with weighty official ranks, and Weiwu General is not yet qualified..."

  "What if his goal from the beginning was to be a relative of the Wu Mu General's household?"

  His voice was low and deep, she suddenly lifted her head from his arms, "You you you said! No no, wait!"

  He Le'an's voice was somewhat urgent and flustered, she bit her tongue tip, calling herself to calm down, took a deep breath before saying: "Ye Ming, my timeline in my mind is a bit mixed up, in the previous life, Old Zhuo Yi Bo passed away two years ago." She had always thought this was because she didn't become a concubine in this life. So she never deeply thought about other things.

  She thought for a moment, then said firmly: "No, Lao Zhuo Yibo shouldn't have that thing either. After he was enfeoffed as a marquis for his military achievements, he went to the capital to thank the emperor and then retired to his hometown. In all these years, he has been low-key and hasn't shown any intention of fighting for power or profit."

  "We assume that Lao Zhuo Yibo doesn't have that thing," said Xū Xié Dào. "But for some reason, Rui Qin Wang suspects he does, and since he's suspicious, it must be investigated. If the Weiwu General's estate was indeed used by him, then who would be the one to investigate? It's not hard to guess - in recent years, the only one who frequently comes to the capital and has a 'connection' with Rui Qin Wang is He Lì Zé."

  "I'm not making groundless conjectures, but when I investigated the cause of Lao Zhuo's death, I found that He Litian had been to Zhuo's mansion that night. Coincidentally, someone proved that he left when Old Zhuo was still alive. Afterwards, rumors in the city about you also made me suspicious, as if someone intentionally shifted the focus. Unfortunately, the person who initially spread the rumor happened to be silenced."

  He Lan felt that there was a black hand stealthily reaching out to them. As he hesitated, he pulled her back into his arms and gently comforted her, "I'm telling you this not to scare you, but to prepare you mentally, or to make you more cautious of the people and things around you, so that you can be more careful and not easily taken advantage of by anyone. Don't be afraid, I'm here."

  "Uh-huh."

  **

  He Le'an had not yet sorted out all the things from beginning to end, when news came from the capital. Xiao Shi died, and it was rumored that he was framed by Cheng Shu Mei, who had just gained favor, but there was no conclusive evidence. The Xiao family was in an uproar, especially Xiao Shi's parents, who rushed to the capital to seek justice. Xiao Qi also planned to enter the capital, but his parents wanted him to stay behind and take care of the family.

  That day, unexpectedly yet reasonably, they met again under the narrow corridor of the flower garden in the Hou Mansion's side courtyard. She remembered that he had sent her medicinal paste last time and wanted to thank him, but before she could speak, he let out a cold hum and intentionally bumped into her shoulder with force, then continued walking forward by himself, “……”

  He Le'an, who was knocked into a stumble and almost fell, was supported by Ren Xiangyu in horror. He turned around and said: "Xiao Qi, are you stupid?!"

  "What?!?" Xiao Qi furiously turned his head around and glared at He Le'an with contempt.

  He Lian took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "I know you! Are! Stupid!"

  "Ah!" Xiao Qi was furious, and he suddenly rushed towards her. However, He Le An turned around and ran away, but because he knew martial arts, she was easily caught by him. His face darkened as he said: "He Le An, don't provoke me!"