Qian Ying sat in the first chair below the head seat, showing a hint of surprise as he looked at Lady Fan, as if searching her face for clues. Just as everyone in the capital knew that Han Zhi had been sent out of the capital in his youth to seek treatment from famous doctors due to his poor health, they also knew about the fierce dispute within the Han family over the inheritance of the title. When Han Zhengqing's father died in Datong, the title was left vacant. Han Zhengqing was still young at the time, so most assumed the title would go to the second branch of the Han family. However, Han Zhengqing's mother appeared before the Empress in tears, ciming that the second branch was harsh and attempting to seize the title that rightfully belonged to the main branch. Out of compassion for the main branch's weakened position and in honor of the father who had sacrificed his life for the country, the Empress advised the Emperor to settle the matter, and thus the Emperor allowed Han Zhengqing to inherit the title.

  Since then, the main and second branches of the Han family had essentially severed all ties. The second master of the Han family left with his family to live separately, taking up a minor official position in the Ministry of Works. Although these disputes had occurred over twenty years ago, Han Zhengqing never acknowledged this uncle.

  Now, Lady Fan had put aside these old grudges and especially sent a letter inviting the second master of the Han family to return and handle affairs in the household. Could it be that the Marquis of Jinxiang had begun to suspect the Eastern Pace? Or was it that Lady Fan, dissatisfied with Consort Fan's inaction, had made this decision on her own?

  Unable to make up his mind, he heard Lady Fan sigh quietly. "But in the coming days, I'll still need to trouble Steward Qian for some assistance. The first priority is to retrieve the heir's body from the public mortuary. We can't let him remain there like this..."

  According to the traditions of the Great Zhou dynasty, unless a crime involved treason punishable by death across nine generations, all other transgressions were generally forgiven once a person had passed, with proper burial honors. Moreover, Han Zhi's crime had not been fully proven before the Jinyiwei acted on their own, leaving no one to testify against him. This case was simply treated as closed by all parties involved.

  That was also why the Prince of Commandery had dispatched him to the Marquis of Jinxiang's residence to help manage the funeral arrangements. With the intervention of Lord Chen and the cooperation of Lai Chenglong, along with the ck of witnesses against Han Zhi, the situation was now being treated as an ordinary incident. Every year, two or three simir cases of unruly young men who died resisting the Jinyiwei occurred in the capital. As long as it didn't reach higher authorities or offend the censors, the usual procedures would be carried out.

  Qian Ying nodded and solemnly assured Lady Fan, "Please rest assured, My Lady. You are His Highness's aunt, and the heir was His Highness's cousin. His Highness is deeply saddened by this. If not for the heir's offense against the Song family and the swift actions taken by them, leaving no time for His Highness to intervene, matters would not have come to this."

  Everyone knew how to spin things favorably. While the truth was that the Prince of Commandery and Consort Fan had facilitated Han Zhi's death, they chose to pce the bme on the Song family to ease their consciences. Lady Fan chuckled silently to herself, showing no expression on her weary face, and nodded briefly before instructing him to handle the matters and returning to the inner courtyard with the support of Qiuju and Qiuhe.

  As Qian Ying watched her leave, his eyes turned sharply perceptive. He felt something was amiss. Lady Fan's behavior seemed too restrained, and the Marquis of Jinxiang's residence was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. If Lady Fan had been crying and full of resentment, it would have made sense. After all, her son was dead, and her daughter was set to marry far away. No mother could withstand such devastating blows without venting her grief and anger onto others. Especially since the Prince of Commandery had previously come to confront her about Han Zhi, and Consort Fan's stance had been so obvious. Yet Lady Fan seemed too composed, almost unnaturally so.

  Qian Ying quickly stepped out of the flower hall, took a few breaths of cold air in the corridor, and then instructed his attendant, "Go find out about Nanny Qi, who serves the eldest young dy. Have her come to see me."

  Nanny Qi arrived quickly, her hair neatly combed as she respectfully bowed in the shadows before Qian Ying.

  Qian Ying knew that Nanny Qi was a spy pnted near Lady Fan and Han Yueheng. He looked her over and, with his hands behind his back, asked, "Has the Lady shown any unusual behavior?"

  "The Lady and the heir were never close," Nanny Qi replied, her tone as stiff and monotonous as ever. "But regardless, I have never seen a mother so indifferent to her son. The Lady is far too calm. After hearing of the heir's death, she wept briefly, but then quickly composed herself and began delegating tasks..."

  This matched his thoughts. Qian Ying's gaze deepened, and he gestured for her to continue.

  "Yesterday evening, the Lady specifically sent someone to fetch an old woman from Xingyang at the Yuantong Escort Agency." Nanny Qi's tone finally revealed a hint of curiosity and wariness. "When I returned from leave, I heard that Lady was so absorbed in talking with this woman that she even forgot about arranging a meal. She didn't even meet with the steward when he returned from identifying the body at the Office of Surveilnce."

  "A woman brought from the family home in Xingyang..." Qian Ying's thin lips tightened as he stood motionless, deep in thought. After a moment, he instructed, "This is quite suspicious. Keep a close watch over the next few days, and see if you can find out more about this woman's background. Did you say she was brought in by the Yuantong Escort Agency?"

  Nanny Qi nodded. "Yes, she was brought in by the Yuantong Escort Agency. I overheard Qiu Yu, who serves the young dy, mentioning quietly that this woman might have previously worked in the Marquis's residence."

  After dismissing her, Qian Ying still found the situation perplexing. He immediately sent one of his attendants to report the matter to the Eastern Pace, while also organizing another team to visit the Yuantong Escort Agency the following morning to investigate the origins of this particur escort.

  When the Prince of Commandery received the news, he had just finished a discussion with his advisors. Upon hearing the report, he immediately sensed something was off. He vaguely knew of the Xingyang family's background and was aware that Lady Fan had cut off regur interactions with them for years, aside from seasonal greetings. Why, then, would she suddenly go to such lengths to bring an elderly servant to the capital? Just who was this woman, and why was she so important?

  Feeling that this matter likely involved Consort Fan, he decided to go speak with her. After informing her of the situation, Consort Fan's brows arched slightly, her phoenix-shaped eyes immediately filling with anger. A cold ugh escaped from her throat as she recalled the mysterious disappearance of Han Zhengqing's golden hairpin and the ter retirement of Lady Fan's nursemaid, Nanny Zhang. Back then, she'd thought that the familiar figure she'd glimpsed in the garden looked suspiciously like Nanny Zhang, and that her retirement had seemed far too deliberate.