At night, when all the servants had gone to sleep, the He family's hall was still brightly lit.

Madam He II stood in the middle of the room, next to her was Cui'er, the maid who went up the mountain with her today. He Yuanliang and He Yuansheng and his wife sat on either side. He Rufei sat on a chair beside her, looking at Madam He II with a serious look, no one knew what he was thinking.

"Aunt, what did you say to Xiao Huaijin in Yuhua Temple today?" After a while, He Rufei spoke, "Now that Xiao Huaijin has returned to Beijing, the situation in Beijing has been disrupted again. At this moment, every step is critical. The Xiao family and our He family... are not the same kind of people."

"I didn't say anything." Madam He Er spoke softly, her eyes calm, "I just glanced at his fiancée."

Xiao Jue's fiancée is He Yan - a name that no one in the He family wants to mention because it always reminds them of the bad things in the past.

He Rufei smiled and said, "Aunt, what are you doing? My cousin has passed away. Even though we have the same name, you don't think that this He Yan is your dead daughter, do you?"

"I've told you a long time ago," He Yuanliang had already put away his usual smile, his face looked extremely ugly, "Don't mention He Yan anymore, He Yan is dead, it's all in the past, are you trying to kill our whole family!"

Cui Er knelt on the ground, shaking all the time. She had been bribed by Madam He Da for a long time. Normally, Madam He Er had to report every move to Madam He Da even when she was at home, not to mention when she went out. This time when she went up the mountain, it was the same. She was not able to eat with Madam He Er, but only saw Madam He Er talking to Xiao Jue from a distance. After returning home, she couldn't wait to tell Madam He Da about this matter, hoping to get credit and reward.

But now, Cui'er regretted it. The He family did not hide the secrets from her... It was not because of trust, but because it would be useless for a dead person to know the secrets.

She had no chance to let the secret out.

"She's dead," Madam He Er looked at him, her originally dull eyes actually showed a hint of anger, "She couldn't harm the He family, it was the He family that harmed her!"

"What do you mean?" Mrs. He's face turned cold and her tone was very dissatisfied. "Are you resenting us now? You knew it when you made the decision. Besides, this is also for the entire He family!"

"What do you mean by for the whole He family?" Madam He Er sneered, "When I made the decision, did I have the power to choose? She didn't die for the whole He family, she died for your greed. You killed my daughter, but you don't feel any guilt or regret. She is already dead, I just want to see my daughter again, even if we have the same name and surname, even if I know it is impossible, I still want to see my daughter!"

By the end of the conversation, he was already hysterical.

"Second brother," He Yuansheng frowned slightly, "Is this how you usually discipline your wife?"

He Yuanliang said angrily: "She is a lunatic! I told you that keeping her is a disaster!"

"Kill me now," Madam He Er laughed miserably, with a look of despair and madness in her eyes. "If you kill me, you won't be afraid of the secret being known. If you kill me, I can go to the underworld and reunite with my daughter. I want to see in heaven how long the wealth and glory you have stolen from others can last. Even if I become a ghost, I will curse you every day in the underworld. All your wishes will be in vain, and you will not have a good end!"

These words sounded particularly strange in the night. He Yuanliang said angrily: "They are crazy! They are all crazy!"

He Rufei's eyes were cold, and she said calmly, "Second Aunt, don't say that. Even in the underworld, my cousin may not be willing to reunite with you. After all, you were the one who pushed her down that path. You are not qualified to be her mother. Even in the underworld, she will resent you."

Madam He Er was stunned by what he said. After a moment, tears welled up in her eyes and she sobbed in pain.

"Aunt, stop talking about life and death all the time. Have you forgotten how sad your second sister would be if you died?"

Madam He Er's crying suddenly stopped: "...Xinying, Xinying knows nothing!"

"Of course I understand that my second sister knows nothing," He Rufei smiled noncommittally, "otherwise she wouldn't be alive today and married to Xu Zhiheng."

"It doesn't matter if Second Aunt doesn't want to say it. I'll go to the Xu family tomorrow and Second Sister will tell me everything you said." He Rufei played with the ring on her hand, "But Second Aunt, you have to know that He Yan is dead, but you have more than one daughter. If you want to kill another daughter, you can do whatever you want."

"I won't... I won't tell anyone," Madam He Er knelt down with a plop and crawled in front of He Rufei, "Don't hurt Xinying, she doesn't know anything!"

He Rufei helped her up and said with a smile: "Xinying is so well-behaved and sensible, how could I hurt her. Second Aunt, don't worry, but I think your condition is getting worse and worse, and it's really not suitable for you to go out. So, just announce to the public that you are seriously ill and can't get out of bed, and find a doctor to treat you." He looked sympathetic, "Second Aunt, take good care of yourself, and after a while, these things will be over and everything will be fine."

"Come here..." He ordered the guards outside to come in, "Send the second wife to the courtyard. She must rest and recuperate from today onwards and not see strangers."

Madam He Er was dragged out of the hall. The argument with He Rufei had exhausted all her strength. No one else in the room said anything. After Madam He Er left, He Yuansheng frowned and said, "Is this really a good idea? I always feel that keeping her will cause trouble sooner or later."

He Rufei glanced at He Yuansheng, with a flash of contempt in his eyes. This man had no talent in official career, but he got an official position by relying on He Yuansheng's relationship. Even so, he was still as cowardly and selfish as ever. As for his wife and daughter, as long as it involved his interests, he would kill them without hesitation, but he was unwilling to make the final decision. In comparison, He Yuansheng was much more decisive than him.

"Don't worry, uncle," He Rufei smiled faintly, "With Xinying here, auntie will know her limits. Besides, if something happens to auntie now, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. At this juncture, the He family should be careful and cautious."

"If not," Mrs. He asked worriedly, "then what should we do now? If Xiao Huaijin really knows something, won't everything we have done be in vain?"

When He Yan was still alive, He Rufei would discuss all matters of the He family with He Yuansheng and his wife, but after He Yan's death, the He family has been following He Rufei's arrangements. In the eyes of the He family, the biggest danger has completely disappeared with the death of He Yan, and what awaits the He family in the future is only endless glory and wealth. However, now that Xiao Huaijin has joined the game, the situation has changed, and that security now has many loopholes, and people can't be completely assured.

"I will go to the Xu family tomorrow." He Rufei narrowed his eyes. "Second aunt has kept the secret for so many years. With my second sister by her side, I think even if I talk to Xiao Huaijin, she won't say too much. In comparison, I am more worried about Xu Zhiheng."

"Xu Zhiheng?" He Yuansheng asked, "What happened to him?"

"A worthless person, timid as a mouse, unworthy of great use." He Rufei spoke of Xu Zhiheng with great disdain. This person always spoke in a high-sounding manner, but unfortunately he would immediately become timid and cowardly when faced with something. That day at the palace banquet, he was so scared that he almost exposed himself just by seeing someone with the same name as him. But he didn't even think about how the dead could be resurrected. It was obvious that someone was behind this, just to make them lose their composure.

He could still remain calm, but Xu Zhiheng might not be. If Xu Zhiheng could not withstand the intimidation and became dizzy and did something wrong, it would not be a big deal if something happened to him, but given his temper, he would definitely tell all the secrets he knew and drag the entire He family into it.

If he wasn't afraid of making a move now, He Rufei would have wanted to silence Xu Zhiheng more than He Er Madam. Because to some extent, Xu Zhiheng knew as many secrets as He Er Madam.

Even if it was to appease the military, he had to meet Xu Zhiheng as soon as possible.

"That's all." He Rufei stood up and rubbed his forehead. There had been too many sudden events in the past few days and he was not completely unaffected. When he walked to the side of the maid named Cui'er, he seemed to have sensed something and looked down. The girl was kneeling very low, shivering, revealing a white neck, looking particularly vulnerable.

"What should we do with this girl?" He Yuanliang asked.

He Rufei looked at Cui'er with pity, then walked past her expressionlessly and said, "Kill her."

A woman's screams rang out in the house.

…

The next day, He Yan went to Xu's house.

When she went there, by coincidence, she saw a carriage from the He family stop at the gate of the Xu residence, and He Rufei got off the carriage. The servants of the Xu residence welcomed him in familiarly. He Yan stood in the corner across the street, most of his body hidden in the shadows, his eyes lowered to hide the mockery in his eyes.

In the eyes of outsiders, He Rufei was probably here to see her sister. Only He Yan knew that He Rufei had just seen He Xinying at Yuhua Temple yesterday, and today He Rufei hurried over, fearing that she might be looking at someone for a small matter but asking questions for a big one. She also understood one thing in her heart, that there were spies from the He family around Madam He Er, and it was likely that she was no longer free. It seemed that her appearance had made He Rufei somewhat panicked.

There was no point in staying here, so she turned around and walked towards the teahouse where she had an appointment with Fuwang.

In the He family, Xu Zhiheng saw He Rufei and pulled him into the study room as if he had seen a savior. He closed the door and turned around, asking impatiently, "How is it? Have you found out about the woman named He Yan? What is her background and why did she come?"

He Rufei looked at him with contempt: "We haven't seen each other for just a few days, and you're so scared that you don't even dare to go out?"

"You don't know... you don't know..." Xu Zhiheng had a headache, "You didn't talk to Wu An Hou that day. Her demeanor and movements are very similar to He Yan, and her eyes always make me feel that there is something more. Even if there is no resurrection of the dead in the world, she must know something. She came for us!"

He Rufei sat down on a chair in the room and said slowly, "Even if she came for us, there is still a solution."

"What do you mean?" Xu Zhiheng asked.

"Don't you doubt whether she is the real He Yan?" He Rufei said, "Then kill her again. It doesn't matter whether she is real or not. As long as she is dead, it will be fine."

"How is this possible?" Xu Zhiheng was shocked: "She is Xiao Huaijin's fiancée now. How dare we touch Xiao Huaijin's people?"

Xu Zhiheng had no connection with Xu Xiang, so the Xu family would naturally avoid conflicts with Xiao Jue if they could. He Rufei couldn't tell Xu Zhiheng that Xiao Jue had set his sights on the He family because of Xu Xiang's relationship, otherwise Xu Zhiheng, such a cowardly waste, might even inform Xiao Jue in an attempt to get a chance of survival.

He Rufei said, "My people have already checked. The He family had a feud in Shuojing. Although the matter has been resolved, and no one will bring it up because of Xiao Huaijin, the other party may not be without resentment because their son died. I guess the death of the young master of the Fan family has something to do with He Yan. If someone killed He Yan..." He smiled slightly, "It's a natural reason for the Fan family to seek revenge for this."

Xu Zhiheng was somewhat tempted, but still had concerns, "If you do this, Xiao Huaijin might find out... He is General Feng Yun."

"I am also General Feihong!" He Rufei suddenly shouted.

Xu Zhiheng was startled, but he saw that the man in front of him had an unusually gloomy look in his eyes, as if his words just now had touched He Rufei's sore spot. He reacted, "That's not what I meant..."

"Forget it," He Rufei waved his hand impatiently, "I will take care of this matter, just know it, don't do anything stupid to cause me trouble in the meantime. I didn't come here just for you today, where is Xinying?"

"What do you want to do with my wife?"

"Yesterday she and her mother went up the mountain to worship Buddha. On the way, they met Xiao Huaijin and He Yan. I don't know what they talked about." He Rufei said.

As soon as these words came out, Xu Zhiheng immediately became nervous, "I will find her right away!"

He Xinying was drying her books in the yard. When she knew He Rufei had come and asked her to come over, the first thought in her mind was not joy, but nervousness.

Xiao Liu asked her, "Madam, why do you look unhappy?"

He Xinying took a mirror and looked at herself. Seeing that her lips in the mirror were all pale, she asked Xiao Liu to get some lip balm and took a deep breath. Then she put on a smile and walked towards Xu Zhiheng's study.

When they arrived at the study, He Xinying called out, "Husband, big brother."

Xu Zhiheng hurriedly asked her to sit down.

"Brother passed by your house today and came to see you." Xu Zhiheng said with a smile, "Brother cares about you very much."

He Xinying thanked him obediently.

"I heard that you and Second Aunt went to Yuhua Temple to worship Buddha yesterday," He Rufei looked at He Xinying and said with a smile, "Second Aunt has not been in good health recently, and worshiping Buddha will also be beneficial."

He Xinying nodded: "Yes, I saw that my mother was not in good spirits, and I was worried."

"Father has invited a famous doctor to come to the mansion to take care of Second Aunt's health. You are not too worried." He Rufei said soothingly. Then, he changed the subject and asked casually, "I heard that you two met General Feng Yun and his fiancée in the temple yesterday?"

He Xinying's heart tensed, but she didn't show it on her face. She showed a surprised expression, "I didn't expect that my elder brother also heard about it! My mother and I thought it was quite strange when we saw the two of them. We didn't expect that General Feng Yun, such a cold and indifferent person, would actually believe in Buddhism?"

"Belief in Buddhism has nothing to do with this." He Rufei picked up the teacup and took a sip, then smiled and said, "What did you talk about?"

He did not ask "Did you talk?" but "What did you say?" It seemed that everything they did in the temple had been known to others. He Xinying was even more nervous. She didn't know what happened to her mother when she returned to the He family last night. Looking at He Rufei's expression, it seemed that he knew everything.

But He Xinying was not completely stupid. She sighed upon hearing this, looking a little sad. "Brother also knows that after my sister died, although my mother didn't say it on the surface, she was sad in her heart. I heard that Governor Xiao's fiancée had the same name as my sister, so I wanted to go and see her."

"Mother only asked one question, 'Your name is He Yan'. I was afraid of offending Governor Xiao, so I didn't wait for her to finish. I apologized to Governor Xiao and Miss He and took her away."

Hearing this, He Rufei also sighed, but the scrutiny in his eyes still made He Xinying's back shiver. He stared at He Xinying and suddenly asked, "So, is that Marquis Wu'an really so similar to your sister?"

Xu Zhiheng looked at He Xinying, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on He Xinying's palms.

She was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Brother, why are you like this? In broad daylight, can you please not say such scary words? Although I don't have much contact with my sister, I can see that the Marquis Wu'an and my sister are not the same at all. My sister is well-behaved and polite, but the Marquis Wu'an is lively. When she talked to Commander Xiao, she was not afraid at all. If it was my sister, she would definitely not be like this."

He Rufei stared at her, as if trying to tell whether what she said was true or false. Just when He Xinying felt that her smile was a little stiff, He Rufei looked away and said, "That's right."

The oppressive pressure was suddenly relieved and He Xinying breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have something else to do. Now that I've seen you, I should leave." He Rufei stood up, as if he had thought of something, and turned back to look at He Xinying and said, "It's been a while since things have been peaceful outside. You'd better stay in the house and don't run around."

He Xinying said hurriedly: "I understand."

He Rufei went out, and Xu Zhiheng said, "I'll see you off, big brother." Then he left the study.

He Xinying sat alone in the room. After a long while, she slowly reached out and touched her chest. For a moment, she felt that her heartbeat almost stopped. Although Xu Zhiheng said that He Rufei was just "passing by", He Xinying knew very well in her heart that he came for her and for what happened yesterday. However, compared with Xiao Huaijin, He Rufei seemed to focus more on He Yan.

Why?

She didn't dare to think further, but had to guess. He Rufei's last sentence seemed to be a caring reminder, but He Xinying intuitively felt that it would not be easy for her to leave the house in the future.

Do I have to stay in this house forever, cut off from the world? He Xinying shuddered involuntarily. If she was like this, her mother's situation would be even worse.

What should she do?

…

On the other side, when He Yan finished his second cup of tea, Fu Wang arrived.

As soon as he came in, he went straight to He Yan's room, saying, "Young Master, I finally got you here!" Fu Wang had also learned to be smart. He couldn't go there every day, or the Xu family would be suspicious. But if he didn't come, he was afraid of missing He Yan. So he took out some money and asked the waiter of the teahouse to help watch. If He Yan came, the waiter would go to the door of the Xu family to inform Fu Wang, so that Fu Wang could come as soon as possible.

"When I knew you were here, I wanted to come over, but today there are distinguished guests in your house, so I dare not leave my post without permission. I had to wait until the distinguished guests left before sneaking over here."

He Yan knew he was talking about He Rufei, so he didn't ask any more questions. He just smiled and asked, "Since you are so eager to see me, it seems that Nanny Qin's matter has been settled."

Fuwang cursed in his heart. This gentleman was really rude. He didn't even say hello and just talked about business. It was too inhumane. But he didn't dare to say it out loud. Fuwang smiled and said, "There is good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?"

“Good news.”

"The good news is that Nanny Qin is not dead. I have been trying hard to find her for you these days, and I have indeed found some clues. Although I may not be able to find her, I am sure that Nanny Qin is still alive. She is most likely at her lover's home outside the city. But the lover is very cunning and often can't be found. She has to move to another place every few days. If you trust me, give me another eight or nine days, and I will definitely find Nanny Qin's whereabouts."

"Eight or nine days?" He Yan said slowly, "It's a bit long."

"No," Fuwang cried, "I have to run around everywhere. This matter is of great importance. You trust me, but I don't trust others. I'm afraid I'll mess it up by accident, so I can't just do it casually."

He Yan smiled, took out a silver ingot from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Fuwang smiled brightly, put the silver into his arms, and said solemnly: "As long as you need it, I will do my best to get it done for you even if I have to go through fire and water."

He Yan was too lazy to listen to his glib talk, so she just asked, "What's the bad news?"

Fuwang was stunned for a moment, looked around, and as if afraid that others might hear him, he leaned over and whispered, "The bad news is, is there anyone in the Xu residence who is still investigating the whereabouts of Nanny Qin?"

He Yan moved his fingers slightly and asked, "Xu Zhiheng?"

Fuwang's eyes widened: "How did you know?" He said anxiously: "Yes, it was Master Xu. When I was asking around these days, I found that Master Xu was also asking people to find out the whereabouts of Nanny Qin. But it was also because of this that I was able to take advantage of their help and investigate smoothly without being discovered."

"Sir, if you really want to find Nanny Qin, you have to see her before Master Xu finds her."