On this day, Pei Tan rested at home, which was his true home, the Pei family's mansion in Chang'an.

  It's been at least half a month since he appeared in the Temple of Great Rites. Not only did the Temple of Great Rites need to avoid suspicion, but Pei Tan also needed to do so. Before becoming the Minister of the Temple of Great Rites, he was a recluse who didn't always deal with dead bodies and crimes.

  When the Bai family servant opened the door, his face changed: "What's going on?"

  Then I saw a white-skinned man with a smile-like expression at the door, and upon closer inspection, he was wearing eunuch attire, with an overall demeanor that was neither masculine nor feminine.

  "This is indeed Pei Si Kong's mansion, it was really hard for me to find."

  Pei Tan likes quietness and bought a house in a remote location, where even horse-drawn carriages have to slow down.

  "Ah, ah, who are you?"

  The eunuch with a ambiguous tone and an air of mystery opened his mouth: "Go call out Pei Siqing"

  "Come and get the imperial edict, we won't go in anymore."

  "Receiving the imperial edict? The family servant wiped the sweat from the back of his head and said, 'I'll go call my young master right away!'"

  Pei Tan arrived at the gate a little later, wearing an ordinary green shirt, and no one could tell that he was the Da Li Temple Master who held the power to mete out punishments and make judgments.

  The eunuch saw Pei Tan come out, narrowed his eyes, and slowly took out the yellow imperial edict from his sleeve.

  At once, all the attendants at the gate of the Pei manor knelt down on the ground.

  Pei Tan adjusted his clothes and slowly knelt down: "Your subject has received your orders."

  The eunuch opened the imperial edict and read it out in a shrill voice:

  "By the Emperor's decree: Since Pei Tan, the eldest son of the Pei family from Hedong, took office as the Vice Minister of Justice, he has repeatedly solved extraordinary cases and achieved great merit. I am deeply pleased with him. The current daughter of the Minister of Imperial Sacrifices is intelligent, elegant, warm, kind, and virtuous, with outstanding appearance and demeanor. She and Pei Tan are a match made in heaven, a perfect couple. I hereby grant them permission to marry, and bestow upon Pei Tan the hand of the Princess of Bin. All wedding arrangements shall be handled jointly by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory, and the marriage shall take place on an auspicious day."

  The imperial edict was a long string, and the eunuch's delicate voice read it as if he couldn't catch his breath. After the imperial edict was finished, there was a silence all around.

  As the recipient of the imperial edict, Pei Tong, on the contrary, was even more kneeling down without any expression.

  Same reaction.

  That white-faced eunuch waited for a while with a cold face, but couldn't hold back his temper and started to force a smile as he stared at Pei Tan: "Pei Temple Master, what's going on? Hurry up and lead the edict to thank the emperor!"

  Pei Tan seemed to have just reacted, slowly lifting his head, and the eunuch's gaze was staring at Pei Tan.

  Pei Tan lowered his eyes, stretched out both hands upwards, and the eunuch's hand loosened, letting the imperial edict roll into Pei Tan's hands, as if it was imbued with a hint of mockery.

  "Your Majesty, I thank you for your longevity." Pei Tan's calm and cold voice sounded.

  The eunuch who transmitted the imperial edict still didn't leave, his eyes slanting to look at both sides. After a moment, he said: "Temple Master Pei isn't in the Grand Temple, our family had to walk quite a distance under the scorching sun to find you..."

  He blocked the door and refused to leave, and the kneeling servant of the Pei family did not dare to get up.

  "Your Excellency has worked hard in delivering the imperial edict. Please accept this small amount of silver to buy some tea."

  As soon as the words fell, the servant beside him suddenly came to his senses and hastily took over the ingot of yellow gold from Pei Tan's hand, bowing his head carefully and handing it over to the eunuch.

  The eunuch finally tore open his flesh, since ancient times, when reporting good news to the door, the imperial grace is vast, which family reports good news without giving some reward?

  "Our family should first congratulate Pei Siqing, but it's not everyone who has the opportunity to have Your Majesty grant a marriage in person."

  After uttering this ambiguous sentence, the eunuch left the Pei residence.

  Pei Tan held up the imperial edict and slowly got up from the ground. The servants of the Pei Mansion dared to move, and they all stood up in a flurry.

  Bai's inner heart was obviously not as calm as he appeared, including the Bai household servants around him, who all had pale faces.

  What was most shocking was the content of this imperial edict.

  The daughter of a nobleman, with the surname Li, these few words are enough to make one's bones clear.

  A servant in the house seemed to be squeezed out of his lips and teeth with a terrified expression: "Guanglu Qing? Isn't that Zhang Huai Taizi's..."

  ——

  Half an hour later, Pei Tan appeared outside the Dali Temple, in a lush and secluded courtyard, where even the sun seemed unable to penetrate the profound and serene atmosphere.

  The yamen runners at the gate of the Temple of Great Rites saw the unexpected appearance of their master, who had been absent for many days, and were shocked, bowing their heads to pay respects to Pei Tan: "Your Excellency...

  Person...

  Pei Tan walked all the way into the courtyard, where a girl in a green skirt was standing with her back to him, completely unaware of his approach.

  Seeing this, Pei Tan stopped in his tracks.

  It wasn't until half a day later that Jing Yuanyu finally sensed some movement and subconsciously turned her body around.

  "Really?" On her beautiful face, full of surprise and a hint of unexpectedness "When did you... come?"

  Pei Tan stood still, seeing Jing Wanyu's one hand covered in red blood, and the other hand still gripping a pair of scissors.

  From Pei Tan's gaze, Jing Wanyu sensed something, and after a while, she seemed somewhat embarrassed, turned around and put down the scissors in her hand, then carefully picked up what was on the table, turned around and faced Pei Tan again.

  Pei Tan saw that in those slender hands, a pair of wings was faintly fluttering, and only then did he see clearly that it seemed to be a sparrow.

  Jing Wan'er looked down and smiled slightly: "This morning, I found this bird fell into the courtyard, it seems to have injured its wing."

  There were still blood-stained gauze scattered on the stone table behind her, and just now she was bandaging this little bird.

  Jing Wan'er carefully held the bird and placed it under the shade of a tree. She thought that after it recovered, the bird would fly away on its own.

  These hands can dissect bones, yet also save lives.

  Taking care of the injured sparrow, Jing Wan'er turned her face again: "Sir, you're coming at this time... Could it be that there's a case?" It was just noon, and the sun was scorching. Pei Tan came over, dressed neatly, as if he had some serious business to attend to. Mentioning that there might be a case, Jing's expression became even more uncertain.

  Pei Tan pushed open the door of his study, and everything inside was just as it had been before.

  He looked around.

  Jing Wan'er followed him in from behind. The study was located in a shaded area, and the room was cool and refreshing, giving people a sense of serenity on this sweltering day.

  She glanced at Pei Tan's face and vaguely saw something.

  "What's wrong with you, sir?"

  "It's nothing."

  Pei Tan did not want to say more, and Jing Wanyu did not ask any further questions. After a while, she looked at the desk, the study had been without its owner for days, and the teapot on the table was dry.

  It's high noon now, and nobody would venture out under the scorching sun, but Pei Tan was still wearing a long shirt.

  "Is everyone thirsty? Wan'er will pour tea for the adults." As she spoke, the young girl had already walked to the desk and picked up the teapot.

  Jing Wan'er turned around and found Pei Tan staring at her, she couldn't help but pause for a moment.

  It turns out that Pei Tan has been absent from the Temple of Great Wisdom for so long, and the impact of the previous case on him is obviously deeper than imagined.

  As Jing Wanyu took the teapot and left the study, Pei Tan slowly walked to the desk, apparently someone had been cleaning the study for him every day. The table was spotless and dust-free, and there was a hint of refreshing fragrance in the air.

  It was about half a day later when Jing Yuanner finally came back with a teapot.

  A young girl in a green dress, her hands freshly washed, as if seeing her is like catching a glimpse of the refreshing spring breeze.

  Tea poured into the cup, refreshing the heart and spleen.

  Pei Tan picked up the tea and swirled it, looking at the small piece of leaves spinning on the surface. Jing Wanyu smiled slightly: "Wanyu sees that Master's complexion is flushed with heat, this thin lotus leaf clears heat and cools down, Master can try a sip to relieve fatigue."

  A small piece of mint leaf is so magical.

  Pei Tan took a few sips and found Jing Yu'er looking at him: "What are you looking at me for?"

  Pei Tan had been resting at home for days, and the Dali Temple had no cases recently, so Jing Yu'er naturally wondered what was troubling Pei Tan.

  The maiden smiled and said, "Will you stay in the temple for a meal, sir, or just sit for a while before leaving?"

  Since I'm not sure, I might as well ask.

  "Call Pei Xian over," he said slowly, staring at the tea water.

  The county guard was left behind by Pei Tan to guard the Temple of Great Rites, but now the temple is being watched from all sides and there's no reliable person guarding it, how can one be at ease?

  Seeing this, Jing Wanyu's heart was slightly enlightened, and she said: "Wan'er will go call now."

  Along with Pei County, another Da Li Temple official came up.

  "Sir, just now a letter was delivered to the gate and it said that they went to the Pei Mansion but couldn't find the Dalisi Temple, so they could only send it to the Dalisi Temple."

  Didn't find him at Pei's residence? Pei Tan just left home a moment ago, the messenger must have followed behind him.

  The letter was placed in an unmarked envelope, the wax seal still wet, a feeling of not wanting to leave any traces for anyone else to see.

  So mysterious and enchanting, Jing Yu'er couldn't help but blink her eyes.

  Pei Tan opened it and took out the letter inside, which looked valuable from its appearance

  The family of the clan, the exquisite invitation card commonly used, with an embroidered orchid on it.

  Pei Tan looked at the content of the post without saying a word, and from his expression, it was really impossible to guess what kind of magical thing he had written.

  "Has the person who delivered the notice left?" Pei Tan looked at the bailiff.

  The official was taken aback and said: "He actually said he would wait for your response..."

  Pei Tan folded up the letter, pondered for a moment and said: "Go to the door and take a look. If that person is still there, tell him that this official will make time to visit the Duke of Guanglu."

  The yamen runner nodded and left.

  Jing Wan'er didn't miss this sentence, what made her even more concerned was, Guanglu Qing? This name made Jing Wan'er's heart jump immediately.

  Pai Tan paced lightly in the room, which was already a very restless expression for him.

  Don't mention him, Jing Wanyu had a faint chill.

  Pei Shuaiwei looked at his own young master and said in a low voice: "Why would the son of Zhang Huai Taizi give you a letter?"

  A single sentence from Crown Prince Zhao's orphaned son was enough to plunge everyone into silence.

  Because Zhang Huai Taizi was not the crown prince of the current Emperor Zhongzong.

  This prince was the son of Gaozong and had long since passed away. The only descendant he left behind, as mentioned in the imperial edict, was the "Gentleman of the Palace Guard".

  The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan Office is in charge of the Imperial Clan Office, and Pei Tan's Grand Master of the Dali Temple is also ranked third. In terms of status, no one is higher than anyone else.

  However, although the official position may be the same, the person holding this position is not necessarily the same.

  "The orphaned son of Zhang Huai Taizi." Jing Yuanyu murmured.

  At this time, Pei Tan looked at the two people in front of him who were closest to him, but couldn't say it out loud.

  In Chang'an City, probably no one wants to mention Crown Prince Zhang Hua again. He was a crown prince but was forced to commit suicide and died miserably. Among his three children, the eldest son was executed, the youngest son died of illness, and only one son survived until today.

  So only this son would be called the "posthumous son" of Zhang Huai Taizi.

  This orphan was exiled for over ten years before being summoned back to Chang'an.

  Born into a noble family, but living worse than a commoner. Turbulent and homeless, now

  In such a person, but got entangled with Pei.