The old residence.

After Ji Yunshu and the others returned, they gathered in the hall.

Song Zhi was also present.

He poured hot tea for everyone one by one.

He was very interested in this case as well.

After all, when the City Defense Bureau went to arrest Fang Tong and the others, he had been mistakenly arrested on the spot, so he could be considered someone with one foot already in this case!

After learning about everything that had happened today, he heavily sighed and said: “I truly never expected that the talented scholar from Nanshen back then would be so wrongfully accused, and even more unexpectedly, the one who wronged him was his fellow classmate. Before today, I was still discussing matters and debating passages with Fang Tong and Jiang Wen. I had thought that before the examination, we could look out for each other and not be flustered and clumsy. Who would have known that in the blink of an eye, how did things turn out like this? Indeed, one cannot judge a person by their appearance!”

Fang Tong had a very sunny appearance—at first glance, he didn’t seem like someone with deep scheming.

Yet unexpectedly, he was exactly that kind of person.

And before today, Song Zhi had found several kindred spirits in scholarly pursuits. He had even specially bought several books for Fang Tong and personally delivered them, thinking that since they were all scholars with similar backgrounds, if they could become friends, it would be wonderful.

But this idea had obviously gone up in smoke.

Ji Yunshu looked at Song Zhi’s extremely regretful expression and said: “Young Master Song, some things are inherently unclear. Human hearts are difficult to fathom. If we could all see them accurately, there would be far fewer murder cases in this world.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right! It’s just pitiful that a talented scholar was so wrongfully accused, and before his death, he couldn’t clear his own name.”

Jingrong spoke up: “But fortunately, the case didn’t continue being wrong. Now that it’s been cleared up, it can be considered restoring Du Mubai’s innocence. Under the nine springs, he can at least rest easy about this matter.”

Everyone nodded.

Then Song Zhi asked: “So, after the charges are established, what will happen to Fang Tong and the others?”

Bai Yin angrily snapped: “What will happen? Even if they were beheaded, it wouldn’t be excessive! If this were on the grasslands, I would have already cut down people like that with one stroke. How would they still have the life to be locked up in prison?”

Full of bloodthirsty intent!

Song Zhi was stunned and said: “Bai Yin, everything can be resolved. How can you have such thoughts? A life for a life—if you killed them, you yourself would have committed a capital crime. The loss wouldn’t be worth the gain! Besides, they only wrongfully accused someone; they didn’t actually kill Du Mubai.”

“Only a bookworm like you would be so kindhearted.”

“I’m not kindhearted, I’m just speaking the truth.”

Bai Yin glanced at him with a half-smile.

Too lazy to argue with him.

At the end of the day, Song Zhi was a scholar, while Bai Yin had spent so many years on the grasslands witnessing constant fighting and killing. Naturally, their viewpoints couldn’t align.

Setting that aside, Ji Yunshu picked up the question Song Zhi had asked earlier and answered: “According to what Fang Tong and Jiang Wen said, they believed Bing Zheng was an honest person, so they trusted that he wasn’t lying, which is why they testified for him! So in terms of the mastermind, it should be Bing Zheng. Their charges won’t be very serious, and their examination qualifications won’t be revoked either. It’s just that even if they pass the metropolitan examination, participating in the palace examination will be impossible.”

Song Zhi: “So does that mean they’ll never be among the top three candidates in their entire lives?”

“You could say that.”

It was just like when someone committed an offense and it went on their permanent record!

Years of diligent study through cold windows, having participated in the metropolitan examination twice already, and this year would have been the third time. Yet in the end, it all came to nothing.

For scholars, what a devastating blow this must be!

The hall fell silent for a while.

Jingrong took a sip of hot tea, his gaze falling on Ji Yunshu as he asked her: “The Ministry of Justice has already agreed to reopen and overturn the case. So next, where do you plan to start investigating?”

Ji Yunshu contemplated for a moment.

She thought carefully.

Then said: “Although the cases of Du Mubai and Su Qiao have been merged into one, the points that need investigating must still be divided into two.”

“Which two points?”

“One point is why Su Qiao’s skull was placed inside a stone made of plaster by someone? Where are the rest of her skeletal remains? And when and where was the stone placed into that pile of boxes containing gambling stones? All of this must be thoroughly investigated, because after all, this is the origin of the case.”

“What about the other point?”

“That would be Du Mubai!” Ji Yunshu said. “The young servant who watched over the study hall mentioned that early that morning, he hurriedly went out as if to meet someone. So who exactly did he go to meet? Could that person be the murderer? I think if we could find out this point, perhaps we’d have leads to continue investigating.”

Two cases merged, but the leads remained separate.

In other words, Ji Yunshu had previously agreed to help Li Cheng investigate one case, but now had to investigate two.

Clearly Li Cheng had gotten the better deal.

Jingrong said: “I believe many people at the Hanlin Academy must have known Du Mubai. If you want to investigate who he went to see that morning, it should be possible to find out. But are you also going to…”

He trailed off.

Ji Yunshu finished his sentence: “That’s right, I still need to open the coffin for examination.”

This man truly understood her.

“Du Mubai was killed by someone. As long as it was murder, the skeletal remains will definitely have left clues.”

Resolute.

Six years ago, Du Mubai’s body wasn’t transported back to his hometown, but was buried on the mountain by people from Yi Zhuang.

Opening the coffin now would surely reveal a pile of white bones.

Ji Yunshu continued: “Actually, regarding Du Mubai’s case, I think we need to question one more person. Perhaps… he knows something.”

“Who?”

“Xue He!”

The person who served as a protégé alongside Du Mubai at the Marquis of Pingyang’s residence.

Ji Yunshu: “Since the two were both protégés, they must have had interactions. Everyone says Du Mubai didn’t have many friends and wasn’t good at socializing. The one who spent the most time with him should be Xue He, his fellow protégé. Perhaps he knows who Du Mubai went to see that day!”

However, Jingrong had an opposing thought.

He said: “Have you considered… this case might be related to Xue He? The competition between protégés is something that goes without saying.”

He didn’t directly say Xue He was the murderer.

After all, it was just suspicion.

Ji Yunshu’s beautiful eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow slightly at his words.

She also recalled the matter of Bing Zheng deliberately revealing flaws—behind it all, there must be some connection to something.

She said: “Anything is possible.”

Just as she finished speaking—

Song Zhi said: “The Xue He you mentioned, I’ve met him.”

All eyes fell on him in unison.

“It was that time before, when Fang Tong took me to attend a poetry gathering. Those twenty taels of silver—I won them back by beating his poem.”

“And then?”

“After he gave me the silver, he went upstairs and I didn’t see him again. Everyone says he’s a talented scholar who will definitely achieve high honors this year. Back when Du Mubai had his protégé status revoked, he also had his protégé status revoked. After that, he failed the examination and didn’t take it again until this year when he came back to test. I also heard that it seems someone is backing him up.”

Backing him up! These two words coming from Song Zhi’s mouth actually sounded somewhat comical.