As they walked along, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Did you see my uncle's face just now?"
Jiang Sihe nodded with a smile. How could she not have seen it? His face was colder than the ice and snow in winter.
"It's really tough on my second grandma. Over the years, she's collected quite a few young ladies from the noble families in the capital, but Uncle doesn't even give them a second look..."
Jiang Sihe couldn't help but probe, "Could it be that there's someone in his heart?"
Pei Xueji first shook her head. "Impossible. In the early years, he didn't have the time to think about such things. He was solely focused on his studies. Later, after he entered officialdom, he only cared about the power in his hands. When would he have the time for romance..."
"Maybe you just don't know..."
Jiang Sihe couldn't help but want to dig deeper. Was there really someone deep in his heart, which was why...
"If there has to be someone, it can only be that princess who went to Dongyue for a political marriage..."
Jiang Sihe felt her heart skip a beat.
So there really was someone!
"I was young back then. I only heard that the two of them were a perfect match. It's a pity that the princess had to go for the political marriage..."
The princess who went for a political marriage to Dongyue? Wasn't she the queen of their country that Princess Yuemi mentioned today...
"Was it also your uncle and the queen of Dongyue who facilitated this peace negotiation?"
Pei Xueji couldn't help but nod. "Ahe, you're so smart! I had to eavesdrop to find out about such things in the court. How did you make the connection?"
Jiang Sihe had just guessed casually, but unexpectedly, Pei Xueji had confirmed it for her.
"You eavesdropped?"
"Before the people from Dongyue were about to come, I overheard Uncle instructing Yan An that the letters between him and the queen of Dongyue could only be delivered by Yan An and no one else. This matter sounded so important that I didn't dare to mention a single word to anyone. How did you figure it out? Did I let anything slip?"
"I thought of it myself. You didn't say anything..."
Pei Xueji patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
Before the two of them could enter the courtyard, Pei Yanchao had already caught up from behind.
"Uncle, you got away from Second Grandma so quickly?"
Pei Yanchao's face was hidden in the darkness. Jiang Sihe couldn't see his expression clearly. She only heard him say in a cold and deep voice,
"You ran quite fast. I saw her taking Pei Wan'er towards your courtyard..."
Pei Xueji looked completely puzzled. "What is Second Grandma doing taking Pei Wan'er to my courtyard?"
"Don't you know yourself? How many picture books have you hidden in your room? You know that Mother hates you reading those things the most, yet you still hide them under your bed..."
Pei Xueji snorted. "Did Pei Wan'er snitch? I knew that since I didn't give her any face today, she would definitely try to get back at me..."
"If you don't give others a handle, how can they use any means against you!"
Pei Yanchao took a step forward. He heard Pei Xueji behind him pull on Jiang Sihe's arm.
"Ahe, you go talk to Uncle in the study first. I have to go back and hide my picture books. Otherwise, Second Grandma will definitely burn them all..."
After saying that, without waiting for Jiang Sihe to reply, she ran away like a gust of wind...
Jiang Sihe watched Pei Xueji's figure and couldn't help but feel that this matter was a bit strange.
She looked ahead. That person's upright figure was like a tall poplar in the night. In the light and shadow, she saw his slightly curved eyebrows and couldn't help but say,
"Lord Pei, it was you who snitched, wasn't it!"
It was a statement, not a question. Jiang Sihe saw his figure pause and knew that she had probably guessed correctly again.
Pei Yanchao turned around from the darkness and looked at Jiang Sihe seriously. "Some things are better not known to Pei Xueji. She has a simple mind..."
"Does Lord Pei think that I have a deep and scheming mind?"
Jiang Sihe couldn't help but retort.
Pei Yanchao couldn't figure out where he had offended this young girl again.
After Jiang Sihe said that, she took a step forward. Pei Yanchao was stunned for a moment by her sudden approach.
"Lord Pei, I admit that I do have a deep and scheming mind. I also have my own selfish motives for approaching Princess Yuemi this time..."
Even though Pei Yanchao was usually cold and calm, he couldn't withstand Jiang Sihe getting so close. Their breathing seemed to be intertwined.
He took a step back and asked seriously, "What do you mean?"
"About a month ago, Tianxiang Pavilion under my mother's name sold about three catties of eupatorium fortunei..."
Jiang Sihe knew about this matter thanks to Imperial Physician Zhang asking her to investigate the incense for her eldest sister.
If she hadn't investigated the incense for her eldest sister, she wouldn't have gone to Tianxiang Pavilion under her mother's name.
Nor would she have seen someone purchasing eupatorium fortunei from Tianxiang Pavilion...
A small amount of eupatorium fortunei can be used as a material for incense, but a large amount can be used to make poison...
She started from Tianxiang Pavilion and investigated other spice shops in the capital. She found that not only Tianxiang Pavilion but also other spice shops in the capital sold some eupatorium fortunei during those days.
Jiang Sihe guessed that the other party was buying in a scattered way to reduce the target. But unfortunately, she saw it when she was checking the spices in Tianxiang Pavilion.
Because in her previous life, the eldest mistress was implicated. She remembered that it seemed to be a problem with the spice shop, so she naturally associated it with something wrong.
Following this lead, she couldn't find the person who bought it.
The shop assistant in Tianxiang Pavilion told her that the person who bought the eupatorium fortunei was not from the capital. The person first asked someone to deposit the money in the bank.
Then he spent a large sum of money to ask the bank clerk to buy it for him. After investigating, she only found out that the person who bought the eupatorium fortunei was not from the capital.
She then investigated where all these eupatorium fortunei were finally sent?
It wasn't until she met Princess Yuemi today that she was sure of one thing.
That was, the person who bought the eupatorium fortunei might be related to Princess Yuemi...
Because the eupatorium fortunei was finally sent to Lingyin Temple.
The first place she wanted to go as soon as she arrived today was Lingyin Temple. This was definitely not a coincidence!
Jiang Sihe told Pei Yanchao what she had guessed in her heart and then asked him, "You knew that Princess Yuemi and Lord He were exchanging letters, but you didn't expose them. Did you also want to find out the person behind the scenes?"
Pei Yanchao was shocked by her meticulous thinking. His gaze on her was filled with more admiration.
Just from a single spice, she had managed to peel away the layers and find out so many things...
"Why didn't you say it earlier?"
"I wasn't sure before. It was only when Princess Yuemi came and wanted to go to Lingyin Temple today that I connected them together..."
It wasn't appropriate for the two of them to stand at the door of his courtyard for too long.
"Let's go to my study and talk..."
After Pei Yanchao said that, he walked in front to lead the way, and Jiang Sihe followed behind.
After entering the study, Pei Yanchao poured her a cup of tea.
Jiang Sihe couldn't help but look around this study. It was her second time here, and she inexplicably remembered the scene where she had fantasized about Pei Yanchao before. She felt her cheeks getting hot...
When she found Pei Yanchao looking at her, she quickly lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you, Lord Pei!"
"Why don't you call me uncle anymore?"
Jiang Sihe was lightly teased by him and couldn't help but look up at Pei Yanchao in surprise.
She saw a faint smile on his handsome face, which was as clear as a painting...
Jiang Sihe quickly turned her head away and tried to calm her erratic heartbeat...
Come on, Jiang Sihe. Don't be carried away by his good looks...