Chapter Thirty-Eight: Clues

As a Marquis family, the He family might be powerless against the Duke of Ning’s mansion, but crushing the Lei family would be an effortless task. Therefore, Lei Qianjun had to provide the He family with an explanation. In Lei Qianjun’s view, that explanation had to be his own life.

After reading Lei Qianjun’s suicide note, He Zhong’an finally understood his intentions. With a long, weary sigh, he asked, "Are there no men left in the Lei family? Did they have to send a woman?"

"The Lei family has split. In my grandfather’s line, there are only my two uncles, and they have already fled with their entire families," Lei Cao’er said, her tears finally drying.

"Then why didn't you run?"

"My grandfather was incredibly kind to me. I do not want him to be misunderstood after his death. I must explain to Third Master He that it was the people from the palace who forced his hand." Lei Cao’er knelt firmly. "If Third Master He is still not satisfied, you may kill me instead. I am here to seek penance on my grandfather’s behalf."

He Zhong’an frowned, thinking to himself, *With Lei Qianjun dead, who will handle things for me in the future?* Finding a craftsman who could work in perfect sync with him was truly no easy task. Looking at the kneeling girl, he sighed, "I never truly cared about your grandfather’s actions. I just didn't expect..." He sighed again. "There is no need for apologies. I will not make things difficult for the Lei family regarding this matter."

Hearing this, Lei Cao’er looked up blankly, staring into He Zhong’an’s eyes as if to verify the truth. Upon seeing his unwavering expression, she suddenly collapsed to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. It was as if her entire shell of strength had been shattered, and she wept like a small, pitiable child.

He Zhong’an sighed. When the powerful act on a whim, common folk are forced to pay with their lives. Lei Qianjun, who had honed his craft to such a masterful degree and become a master artisan in the palace, was no fool; he was a man of exceptional intellect. That such a man would reach this decision showed it was the only solution he could conceive.

When her crying subsided, He Zhong’an offered a few words of comfort and asked, "What do you plan to do now?"

Lei Cao’er shook her head blankly, like a puppet that had lost the ability to respond to the world. He Zhong’an noticed her hands—they were not the hands of a typical young woman. They were covered in calluses and cracks, the hands of someone who worked hard. A closer look at the placement of the calluses revealed they were not from ordinary labor, but from extremely fine, precise work.

"How much of your grandfather’s true craft did you inherit?"

"Except for the secret techniques of the Lei family, he taught me everything else."

"Can you make pocket watches and music boxes?"

"My grandfather did not keep them from me. I can."

He Zhong’an said, "Stay with the He family from now on." While he pitied her, he also felt the need for a technical consultant at his side. She might not be her grandfather, but she had grown up around masters; she had the eye for detail and the experience. Not to mention, she held the keys to the Lei family’s network.

Lei Cao’er nodded vacantly.

He Zhong’an asked casually, "Who forced your grandfather? Was it Qin Shouzhong?" He had already concluded it was Qin. He knew exactly what kind of man Qin was—someone who would betray his own soul without hesitation if there was profit to be made.

"It was not Eunuch Qin. It was someone from within the palace."

He Zhong’an felt a sudden jolt. A flash of insight struck him, and he seized it, his thoughts racing. With a solemn expression, he looked at her and said, "I will ask you one more time, and you must answer truthfully. Are you certain it was someone from the palace, and not the Imperial Household Department?"

The palace and the Imperial Household Department were as distinct as the back courtyard and the front gate of the He estate. The palace staff served the Emperor and his consorts directly, while the Imperial Household Department managed construction and artifacts, remaining at a distance. The Department dealt with the outside world frequently—for instance, He Zhong’an could go directly to Qin Shouzhong, but meeting a specific eunuch from the palace was a different matter entirely.

"I am certain. My family has worked for the Imperial Household Department for years. I know exactly how many eunuchs there are and what each one is responsible for. Even if I didn't know, my family would. I have never seen that eunuch before."

"It must be the palace, then." He Zhong’an fell into deep thought. *That is strange.* It wasn't that he found it odd that Pei Zhao would do such a thing, but rather that the path taken felt wrong. As a local power broker in the capital, it was normal for the Duke of Ning’s mansion to have connections within the palace, but such ties were taboo and rarely used lightly.

Putting himself in Pei Zhao’s shoes, He Zhong’an would have used the Imperial Household Department—and Qin Shouzhong—to handle such a task. Qin was not a reliable ally, but it would only have cost some money. Why use a deeper, more dangerous palace connection?

*There is only one reason: they are so accustomed to using those palace connections that it has become instinct. This means they have deep influence within the palace.* He Zhong’an’s eyes brightened. *Is Pei Zhao the one who holds such influence? Absolutely not.*

Pei Zhao, the second young master of the Duke’s mansion, was at his core nothing more than a playboy. He could not possibly hold such sway, nor would the Pei family entrust such power to him. The person behind this had to be the true owner of the Fengyu Firm. Linking this to the timeline of the firm’s rise, He Zhong’an felt a sudden chill.

In the ancient struggle for power, the palace was the most brutal and intense arena of all. And now, he felt he had finally touched the edge of that circle. In palace intrigue, one step led to heaven, and the next to hell. But He Zhong’an had no possibility of retreat. Now that things had reached this point, no matter who stood before him, he had no choice but to charge forward.

"If I can truly get to the bottom of this, I will have the winning hand."

He Zhong’an arranged for Lei Cao’er’s care and immediately set off to see Qin Shouzhong. Yet this time, he was made to wait for a long while at the Imperial Workshop.

When Qin Shouzhong finally arrived, he said, "Oh, Brother He, my apologies, my deepest apologies! The Workshop is so busy. I am truly sorry."

He Zhong’an sneered inwardly. He knew Qin Shouzhong’s nature well: a man who kicked the weak and bowed to the strong. News of Pei Zhao’s move against the He family had already spread; how could Qin not know? Compared to the Duke of Ning’s mansion, the status of the Marquis of Wuning was clear, and Qin’s attitude was equally transparent. If not for the way He Zhong’an had previously leveraged him, he wouldn't just have been made to wait—he wouldn't have been granted an audience at all.

He Zhong’an skipped the pleasantries. "I just came from Uncle Zheng’s place. Mind if I have a cup of tea here at the Workshop?"

"Uncle Zheng?" Qin Shouzhong’s heart skipped a beat at the name. "I don't believe I know who you mean..."