Li Cheng didn’t believe what the woman said.

He immediately questioned: “You say Du Mubai and Su Qiao were long devoted to each other—is this true or false?”

The woman said: “My lord, this commoner woman dares not lie. Every word I speak is true.”

“You’re lying!”

“My lord…” The woman immediately knelt down, lowering her head, her whole body trembling. Clearly she was frightened by Li Cheng. She quickly said: “If my lord doesn’t believe it, you can send people to Nanshen to investigate. The girls at the brothel where we were all knew about this matter.”

Li Cheng’s expression was ugly.

In his impression, Du Mubai was a refined gentleman, upright in character. If he had already pledged himself privately to another woman in his hometown, how could he then express his feelings to his own elder sister?

What difference was there between this and a frivolous libertine!

Ji Yunshu had long noticed something wasn’t right with Li Cheng. Whenever it concerned matters of Du Mubai’s romantic feelings, he became unusually agitated.

There must be something fishy here!

She spoke up asking: “Young Master Cheng, you refuse to believe Du Mubai had a sweetheart. Do you know something?”

Li Cheng paused, then quickly said: “What could I know? It’s just… Du Mubai was a retainer in my household. I never heard him mention anything about Su Qiao, much less any sweetheart, so I don’t believe it.”

Whether his eyes or his tone.

He was lying!

But Ji Yunshu looked at him a few times. Though somewhat suspicious in her heart, she didn’t ask further. Instead she turned to ask that woman: “Do you know which day Su Qiao came to Gaoding?”

The woman thought about it: “Approximately… around this time of year.”

“Did she have any relatives in the capital?”

“She and I are both orphans, with no father or mother, much less relatives.” The woman’s voice choked several times.

“Since she came to Gaoding for Du Mubai, did she tell you what matter concerning Du Mubai it was for?”

“She told me that Du Mubai was a very scholarly person who would never steal others’ poetry verses. She also didn’t believe he would commit suicide because she always said Du Mubai was a proud and aloof person who, no matter what, could never commit suicide. So after she saved enough money to redeem herself, she immediately came to Gaoding to investigate how exactly Du Mubai died. She just never expected… that she would die.” The woman cried more and more bitterly.

Tears kept falling!

Ji Yunshu knitted her brow, softly pondering: “If Su Qiao came to Gaoding to investigate Du Mubai’s cause of death, then after Miss Zhao’er settled her in the inn, where did she keep going when she went out from time to time?”

Jingrong beside her heard her words and picked up where she left off, saying: “If Su Qiao had no relatives in the capital and didn’t know anyone, then to investigate Du Mubai’s cause of death, she must have gone to find people who were rather close to Du Mubai at the time.”

A reminder!

Li Cheng: “People close to Du Mubai? You mean?”

He didn’t understand, but Ji Yunshu understood.

She reopened Du Mubai’s case file and saw several names on it.

“Fang Tong? Jiang Wen? Bingzheng?”

Hmm?

Weren’t these the people who invited Song Zhi to the poetry gathering last time?

What relationship did they have with Du Mubai?

Ji Yunshu looked at Jingrong, saying: “You’re right. Su Qiao would definitely first go find people who were close to Du Mubai! And back then Du Mubai lived in the Scholar’s Lodge, in the same room with these three people. Moreover, it was also these three people who first discovered Du Mubai’s corpse. So… if I were Su Qiao, I think I would first go find them.”

Jingrong nodded, the corner of his mouth curving in a smile.

Li Cheng understood at once and immediately ordered the guards waiting outside: “Go, quickly investigate these people—where are they now?”

“Yes!”

The guards received the order and immediately went to investigate.

At the same time, Ji Yunshu helped the woman kneeling on the ground to stand.

“Miss, please rise first.”

The woman wiped her tears, looking at the refined-looking young man before her, and said: “My lord, I’ve told you everything I know. If there’s nothing else, then I’ll take my leave first.”

Ji Yunshu nodded: “Very well.”

The woman performed a courtesy and walked away, her body trembling.

Afterward, Li Cheng was puzzled: “But if Su Qiao came to investigate Du Mubai’s death, why would she die?”

Jingrong’s expression was indifferent as he said: “Perhaps… Du Mubai’s death truly had suspicious circumstances, and at the time, Su Qiao may have discovered something, so the murderer hardened their heart and silenced her.”

“Really?” Li Cheng asked.

“I said ‘perhaps’!”

“But at the time all the departments thoroughly investigated. Du Mubai truly died by suicide!”

“I said ‘perhaps’!” Jingrong emphasized again.

His expression cold and severe.

Li Cheng swallowed and simply shut his mouth.

The three people waited in the hall all morning.

Until the guards returned from their investigation and reported: “My lord, we’ve found them. According to the records at the Ministry of Rites, these three people six years ago were indeed examination candidates in the same cohort as Du Mubai, and they indeed lived together. However, they all failed the exams at that time. Three years ago, the three came again to take the examination, but still failed. And this year, all three came to Gaoding again to take the exams, and like before, they’re still staying at the Scholar’s Lodge.”

Li Cheng: “It’s best they’re all in Gaoding, so we don’t have to search everywhere for them. Go immediately with men to the Scholar’s Lodge and bring them here for questioning!”

“Yes!”

The guards received their orders and left.

…

Song Zhi had also gone out early this morning. He browsed in the bookshop for a long time. Because last time during the poetry competition he won those twenty taels of silver from Xue He, this time he spent money to buy the books he liked. Before leaving, he picked out two more books. Last time he heard Fang Tong say that he too couldn’t afford books, which is why he ran to the bookshop in the bitter cold to read books there. So Song Zhi thought that since they were all scholars, he’d help if he could. He bought two extra books to deliver to him.

Song Zhi asked the bookshop clerk about the location of the Scholar’s Lodge, then took the books and went.

Along the way, he walked extremely slowly. Gaoding was really too large. After winding around for a long time, he finally found that Scholar’s Lodge.

This lodge specially used to receive scholars was very large. Unlike ordinary inns, it was like an academy, just more rudimentary.

But for those poor scholars, having a place to stay was already very good.

Song Zhi had just reached the entrance, his feet not yet inside.

A small doorkeeper ran over. Seeing his unfamiliar face, he asked: “Who are you? You don’t live here, do you?”

Song Zhi: “I indeed don’t live here. I’ve come to find someone.”

“Find someone? Who?”

“Fang Tong.”

The small doorkeeper was very familiar with Fang Tong: “Oh, him! He’s inside.”

“Then please trouble you to tell him that Song Zhi is looking for him.”

“You’d better go in and find him yourself. But before you go in, you need to register, so things don’t get confused later. This is the rule.”

“Fine!” Song Zhi agreed.

Then on the register the young boy handed over, he wrote his name and some routine information. Only then was he permitted to enter.