Chapter 117: Clearing Suspicion

"You need not be nervous. I just wanted to ask where your hometown is."

He had asked an abrupt, off-topic question. The other man clearly seemed more relaxed now, no longer expecting anything that might confuse or trouble him.

"We are from Yunzhen County. It is quite far from here, so we set off months in advance to make the journey."

The man in front of him was quite candid, and he took the opportunity to share some interesting anecdotes about his home. But how had he come to know the examinee surnamed Liu?

"I met him in a small county town when I was on my way to the provincial examinations. Since I was a stranger there too, he took good care of me, and we kept in touch quite a bit during those few days." The man spoke with sincerity, though a look of deep regret suddenly crossed his face. He seemed to realize that some things were better left unsaid, so as not to stir up painful memories.

He turned to question the other two men. They were also fellow townsmen of Liu. They had been in extreme distress and anxiety these past few days, feeling that it was their own fault for not waiting for him to return to the inn that night. However, after the banquet ended that evening, Liu had stayed behind specifically. It appeared that Elder Lu had discussed something with him, but there was no way to prove it.

The most crucial step now was to go see the Hanlin Academy academician and ask if there were any other circumstances. Among those they had met, only this old man had had any contact with them; no one else had the opportunity.

"What wind has blown you here?" Elder Lu asked, looking puzzled. He had rarely interacted with them, and it was uncommon for an Inspector to come to the Hanlin Academy in person. The sudden visit suggested that the situation had taken a grave turn.

"During the banquet you hosted, one of the examinees was murdered after it ended. Do you know if anyone had contact with him?" Lin Fei was a straightforward man. He didn't engage in unnecessary pleasantries and blurted out exactly what was on his mind.

The old man shook his head. "I had intended for him to cooperate with me on a scheme, but it was discovered by someone else, so I simply gave him some silver as a gesture of thanks and left it at that."

Elder Lu spoke slowly. It was unlikely that this old man would incite someone to harm that examinee. They had no grievances, after all. If someone had suddenly developed such a murderous intent, who knew what other motives might lie behind it?

"We have disturbed you unnecessarily." Lin Fei left quickly.

If that was the case, there were no more suspects. Yet, the examinee's life could not have been taken in vain. Who was challenging the imperial court? Killing examinees for no reason—wasn't that a sign of dissatisfaction with the civil service examinations?

But the matter was far from simple. The three close associates of Liu had all received threatening letters to varying degrees. They could not sit still for a moment and quickly reported it to the authorities. When Lin Fei learned of this, he read the three letters over and over, but found nothing peculiar. They merely threatened the three men not to get too close to other examinees.

What? It was nonsensical. He felt he needed to ask an expert for help.

"Stop reading. If this continues, the examinations in a few days might be postponed," the other said with intense anxiety. No one had expected such a terrifying thing to happen. At first, they had thought it was just part of the test, but it seemed like a puzzle—one that was perhaps solved, and perhaps not.

"The culprits are these three people," Han Qing said with conviction.

The man in front of him clearly did not believe it. How could it be those three?

"Are you sure?"

"One of them wrote these three letters anonymously to the others, and to clear his own name, he deliberately misled the government." Han Qing had glanced at them and grasped the gist of it. The content of the letters was obvious—why make such a scene?

"But these three had no motive to kill, and they have no alibis."

That was the strangest part. It seemed everyone felt it was impossible for these three to have killed Liu, which was precisely why the perpetrator had a better reason to escape suspicion.

"Do you remember what Elder Lu said last time? If one catches his eye, one's official career will surely flourish."

"What does that have to do with Elder Lu?"

"What if I had received one of these letters too?"

"Ah?" Lin Fei was stunned for a moment. He had been the one to solve the puzzle, so he had won the man's favor, which naturally would incite jealousy in others. Yet, those people hadn't moved against him directly. Instead, they had used someone willing to be a pawn.

"They wanted to act, but this is the Office of the Governor of the Capital; it is not a place where they can act recklessly," he said calmly, pointing out the issues. While others were confused, they dared not reveal anything inside. The others might be different.

"Invite all three of them to the residence. They will naturally confess if there is something to say," Han Qing advised. Others might not be effective, but what he said was of true value. Some might even feel fear. Was what was being said true or false?

The three examinees were invited to the Governor's office, all of them looking uneasy. Especially after hearing recent rumors, they could not remain calm.

"We deeply regret that your friend was murdered. We have been searching for key clues and the culprit behind it, and we only just learned some of the truth yesterday," Han Qing said nonchalantly, observing the expressions and demeanor of the three men.

He found the flaw. The examinee from Yunzhen had been trying to hide his inner turmoil, but his hands were far too restless. It was clear that he was feeling panic and fear—this was far more than simple nervousness.

"I suspect there were no signs of blade wounds, nor was there any possibility of poisoning. How could the man have lost consciousness without a trace?" he continued. The man's face grew darker.

"While leafing through books these past few days, I discovered a mysterious thing called a 'Gu.' It is said that those under the influence of a Gu can be made to follow the commands of others. Based on the signs mentioned, your friend likely fell victim to one."