Chapter 58 What About Him

Lots of musk!

Musk... Musk again! In past lives, countless concubines suffered unexplained miscarriages, countless royal heirs died young! So the root cause is here! It's her, the Queen! Her heart suddenly turned cold! *

Zhou Yan'an frowned, and his fingers gently brushed over a few inconspicuous marks and special accounting techniques on the account book.

He looked very carefully, not even missing the texture of the paper and the depth of the ink.

After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "The seal and accounting format above are the secret codes commonly used by the Purchasing Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Palace."

“It’s extremely difficult for outsiders to imitate.”

He twisted the paper again and leaned in to smell the scent of ink.

"Also, the paper, ink color, and year match."

He raised his head and looked at Chen He and Chu Yue, who also had solemn expressions, with an unquestionable tone of certainty:

"This account book is most likely true."

Although Zhou Yan'an came from a poor family, he had broad knowledge and his judgment was extremely important.

This undoubtedly puts an iron stamp on the authenticity of the account books.

Chu Yue's expression also turned very ugly. Her hands on her knees unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt, and her knuckles turned white.

"Musk..." Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were full of shock and disbelief.

"This thing is overbearing and extremely harmful to women's bodies, especially pregnant women. It is a taboo in the palace!"

"The Imperial Hospital has extremely strict control over this item. Every penny and every ounce is accurately recorded. Without a special decree and the signatures of at least three people, including the Imperial Physician and the Court Judge, it cannot be used lightly!"

She paused, as if she had thought of something terrible, and a trace of fear and understanding flashed in her eyes:

"But in the past six months, there have indeed been several concubines and ladies in the palace who, after their pregnancies were stable, suddenly became unstable and eventually suffered miscarriages."

"The imperial doctors at the time were baffled and thought it was just an accident, the mother's frailty, or just bad luck."

She suddenly raised her eyes to look at Chen He, and lowered her voice even lower, with fear:

"Could it be that... all those accidents are related to the musk in this account book?"

Chu Yue's voice, tinged with residual fear, was particularly clear in the quiet room.

The speculation about musk and miscarriage in the harem was like a layer of cold frost, hanging over the hearts of every sober person.

The air seemed to be stagnant, leaving only the flickering sound of the lights and the subtle chewing sounds of a little foodie.

Shen He broke the suffocating silence.

Her voice was not loud, but it carried a calmness that pierced through the fog.

"If this account book is real..."

Her eyes were as calm as water.

"That silver-faced man..."

"Whose owner is he to give this to me?"

"What is his purpose?"

*Narrator: This is more than just an account book; it's like a hot potato, a dangerous bait.*

Chen He frowned slightly, as if he had thought of something, and suddenly changed the subject.

"besides……"

Her gaze suddenly turned to Zhou Yan'an with a hint of inquiry.

"Xue Minglan."

"Outside the fire scene, why did he appear so coincidentally?"

Zhou Yan'an's hand holding the teacup paused almost imperceptibly.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

He picked up the teacup and brought it to his lips, but only took a sip of the warm tea to hide the complex emotions that flashed through his mind.

Xue Minglan? Oh, of course he'd be there. He wasn't worried about the fire; he was eager to see me, Zhou Yan'an, burn to ashes!

Those peach blossom eyes that always showed a bit of nonchalance and playfulness were now filled with a sneer that no one could understand.

That note that led him into the inner room and nearly got him burned... Now that I think about it, who else could it have been except that lunatic Xue Minglan?!

madness!

He was actually misled by such despicable means!

This was simply the greatest shame and humiliation in Zhou Yan'an's life!

What was the purpose of leading him into the inner room?

What else could it be?

Kill with a borrowed knife! Use that fire to get rid of this "eyesore" of his!

He had long seen Xue Minglan's almost pathological possessiveness of Shen He. That kind of madness that wanted to hide her away, to prevent anyone from coveting her...

Zhou Yan'an's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Chen He.

She was looking down in thought, her profile outlined in soft yet tough lines under the light.

Perhaps Xue Minglan couldn't stand any man getting close to Ah He.

This thought made Zhou Yan'an feel inexplicably irritated and a subtle chill.

He put down the teacup, and the bottom of the cup hit the table with a light "click" sound.

He met Chen He's clear and inquiring eyes, but he subconsciously avoided them.

How to say it?

Tell Chen He that he doubted her, distrusted her, and foolishly stepped into the trap because of a torn note that sowed discord?

The shame that stemmed from his own misjudgment burned into his self-esteem like a branding iron, making it difficult for him to speak.

Or should I tell her that Xue Minglan wants to kill him because of his almost perverted obsession with her?

That would only add to her troubles and might even stimulate Xue Minglan to do something even crazier.

More importantly, it was the distrust that made him feel indebted when facing Shen He's frank gaze.

Zhou Yan'an lowered his eyes slightly, and his long eyelashes concealed the surging emotions in his eyes.

An emotion called guilt, like a dense vine, silently wrapped around his heart, making him feel a little breathless.

Chu Yue was still trapped in the huge impact brought by the musk. Hearing this, she just frowned and obviously didn't think much about it.

Guyu finally finished the last bite of fish, burped contentedly, and looked curiously at the people who had fallen silent.

Xiao Jingchi in the corner had already fallen asleep, snoring evenly and lightly, completely unaware of the undercurrents of all this.

In this silence that was so heavy that it seemed to drip water, a vague muttering came from the corner.

“Hmm…”

It was Xiao Jingchi. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, his face wrinkled.

"Sister He..."

His voice was soft and nasal, like someone who had just woken up.

"Jing Chi is sleepy..."

The children's simple and straightforward needs are like a small hammer, gently breaking the suffocating atmosphere.

Chen He's tense nerves relaxed a little in an instant.

She looked at Xiao Jingchi, a barely perceptible softness flashing across her eyes.

"well."

She lowered her voice very softly, as if she was afraid of disturbing anything.

"Jing Chi is sleepy, so let's not talk about it tonight."

As she spoke, she reached out and picked up the heavy dark blue account book from the table.

She handed the account book to Zhou Yan'an.

"Zhou Yan'an, take this... first."

There was no hesitation in her actions, and this trust made Zhou Yan'an's fingers holding the account book tighten slightly.

"Be here first tonight."

Chen He let out a light breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders, yet it was as if an even heavier burden was pressing on his heart.

“How should we deal with this next…”

Her eyes looked out the window at the dark night, with a hint of confusion in them, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"I need to...think about this."

Live your life again, be cautious at every step, and make no mistakes.

She calmed herself down and looked at Chu Yue and Gu Yu.

"I won't go home tonight."

"Just rest here in this small courtyard in the palace."

Chu Yue heard this and said, "I'll accompany you!"

Chen He nodded, feeling that it was good to have her company. Then, she turned her gaze to Zhou Yan'an, who had remained silent, and a faint, playful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"Zhou Yan'an."

"This is a girl's house."

She spoke in a light tone, as if the heaviness just now was just an illusion.

"There are differences between men and women."

She blinked.

"It's not convenient for you to stay overnight tonight, Master Zhou."

With just a joke, he was gently excluded from the circle.

Zhou Yan'an raised his eyelids lazily when he heard this.

His peach blossom eyes glanced at Xiao Jingchi, who had closed his eyes again and seemed to have fallen asleep again.

The guilt in his heart and the unspeakable lie made him feel a little...unable to respond to Shen He's teasing.

He raised his eyebrows in a nonchalant manner.

"Oh?" he said, his voice drawn out, with his usual cynicism. "What about him?"