Although the Twenty-four Herbs drink was unbearably bitter, Ying Xun finished it in one gulp while facing Ming Shu, his face contorted. After drinking, he turned the earthen jar upside down, and only two drops of liquid remained.

Ming Shu couldn’t stop laughing, giving him a thumbs up and praising: “Impressive.” Before Ying Xun could react, she changed the subject and asked about Madam Lu.

“Officer Ying, if Huang Xing Zhi’s mother is Mama Lu, then she would have a strong motive too. How could it be such a coincidence that her daughter died in the Wei household, and then she, as the mother, concealed her identity to enter the Wei household as a servant?”

“A motive is useless without evidence,” Ying Xun was already walking toward the street exit. It would have been better not to investigate—the investigation only revealed more problems, making the muddy waters of the Wei household even deeper.

“You’ve investigated Mama Lu’s movements in the front courtyard that day, haven’t you?” Ming Shu asked while walking alongside him.

After learning from her about Mama Lu’s habit of reporting to Wei Xian daily, Ying Xun had hurriedly left—he must have investigated this matter.

“Yes. She went to the front courtyard to find Wei Xian, but the banquet hadn’t ended, so she waited behind the screen in the banquet hall. Wei Xian was too busy to see her, so she didn’t stay long before returning to the rear courtyard.” Ying Xun knew what she wanted to ask and waved his hand, continuing, “I’ve checked Mama Lu’s position at that time—she could indeed have seen what happened in the hall. If she saw the Palace Commander switch the wine cups and noticed Wei Xian drink the drugged wine, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

Following this line of thought, Mama Lu discovered Wei Xian had been poisoned and immediately rushed back to the rear courtyard. She had the key to access the East Garden from the rear courtyard. She could have entered the East Garden unnoticed, found Wei Xian unconscious near the river, and dragged him to the riverbank to push him in.

On this point, Ying Xun knew Ming Shu’s thoughts aligned with his.

“What you’re suspecting now is exactly what I previously deduced,” Ying Xun didn’t give Ming Shu a chance to speak. “However, it’s useless. Everything is just speculation—there’s not a shred of evidence proving Mama Lu went to the East Garden.”

Mama Lu had Du Wen Hui as an important witness who could testify that she returned to her room before Wei Xian left the banquet and never left Du Wen Hui’s room during the incident. The luminescent powder comparison also yielded no results. Without substantial evidence, everything remained mere conjecture.

At this point, Ming Shu felt discouraged. Everything she could think of, Ying Xun had already considered. If even he couldn’t find evidence, how could she?

When they reached the alley entrance, Ying Xun said: “I’ve already made an exception by telling you so much. What now? Are you still going to follow me?”

Ming Shu shook her head and said: “Why don’t you try asking the doctor who treated Du Wen Hui? I remember Second Madam Wei mentioned that Wei Xian had a hidden ailment—the doctor should know something. Also, the midwife who delivered for the Wei family’s two concubines…”

“Lady Lu, are you trying to teach me how to investigate?”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Ming Shu closed her mouth.

“Go home quickly! Stop following me!” Ying Xun said irritably, leaving without even saying goodbye, heading straight toward the eastern fork in the road.

Ming Shu didn’t follow him anymore, parting ways while holding her unfinished preserved plum drink.

It was still early, so Ming Shu made another trip to the Wei household.

The main gate was ajar, with Ding Xuan standing in front of it in mourning clothes, giving instructions to two servants. After the servants left to carry out their tasks, he was about to enter when he heard from the side: “Manager Ding.”

Ding Xuan turned his head, the undamaged half of his face toward Ming Shu: “Lady Lu?”

Ming Shu ran up in two steps and greeted him. Ding Xuan returned the greeting and asked: “Lady Lu, are you here to see Second Madam?”

“Yes.” Ming Shu nodded.

“I’ll take you in.” Ding Xuan said. Being familiar with each other, he didn’t plan to make Ming Shu wait outside while he announced her.

Ming Shu waved her hands: “No, no, I won’t go in. I just want to say a few words to Second Madam—please trouble Manager Ding to relay them for me.”

She came to find Liu Shi but didn’t want to see her, fearing she might start crying, making a scene, or threatening suicide—Ming Shu couldn’t handle that.

“Please speak.”

“Please tell Second Madam that I’ve inquired at the Kaifeng Prefecture office. Second Young Master Wei is fine now and hasn’t been tortured. Officer Ying Xun is also intensifying the investigation into Commander Wei’s murder case. They won’t wrongly accuse anyone, so please ask Second Madam to ease her mind and not worry too much,” Ming Shu said.

“Lady Lu is kind-hearted. I will relay this to Second Madam,” Ding Xuan nodded and said warmly, “To offer help at such a critical time—Lady Lu is truly compassionate.”

“You’re too kind,” Ming Shu hurriedly said.

“Does Lady Lu have any other matters?” Ding Xuan smiled and asked.

“No.” Ming Shu shook her head, but as Ding Xuan turned to enter, she suddenly remembered something and called him back, “Wait, Manager Ding, I have something else to ask you.”

“Please speak, my lady.”

“That night when the Duke’s heir’s wife encountered the ‘ghost’—was it you who instructed Ling Xue to delay Madam Xu’s maid to facilitate your plan?” Now that the truth about the ghost incident was revealed, there was no need to hide anything, so Ming Shu asked directly.

She had previously only solved the mystery of Ding Xuan’s ghost impersonation but had overlooked Du Wen Hui’s maid Ling Xue that night.

Hearing this, Ding Xuan pondered: “Ling Xue? I never instructed her to do that. She’s Mama Lu’s person and only takes orders from Mama Lu—she’s not under my management, and I couldn’t command her.”

Not instructed by Ding Xuan? Ming Shu’s brows furrowed—was it a coincidence? How could there be such a coincidence?

“Lady Lu?!” Seeing Ming Shu suddenly lost in thought, Ding Xuan called her name twice.

Ming Shu came back to her senses, and Ding Xuan then said: “This humble one still has several urgent matters to handle. If Lady Lu has no other business, I’ll take my leave.”

“No more business, please attend to your duties. Farewell.” Ming Shu didn’t detain him further, returning home with a mind full of doubts.

Upon returning home, she found Madam Zeng busy packing trunks and boxes in the attic, preparing to transport them to the new house. Naturally, Ming Shu couldn’t let Madam Zeng work alone, so she immediately began helping her mother.

The doubts in her mind hadn’t dissipated as she packed while thinking about the Wei family matters.

When Ding Xuan impersonated the ghost to frighten Madam Xu, he chose a time when she was alone in her room. The maid had only gone to fetch water and should have returned quickly—he shouldn’t have had much time to scare Madam Xu. Yet coincidentally, the maid’s water-fetching took unusually long, giving him ample time.

This didn’t seem like a coincidence. If Ding Xuan wasn’t lying, it seemed more like someone was secretly helping him.

No, not helping Ding Xuan—helping Du Wen Hui.

Ming Shu’s movements slowed as she recalled seeing Du Wen Hui and Mama Lu at the Wei mansion that day, feeling something was off. Logically, Mama Lu was sent by Wei Xian to monitor Du Wen Hui, and everyone could see Du Wen Hui feared Mama Lu. With such a relationship, how could Du Wen Hui still let Mama Lu manage the entire household after Wei Xian’s death? That day, Du Wen Hui seemed to rely on and trust Mama Lu greatly—wasn’t that strange?

Additionally, on the day Ding Xuan played the ghost, Ling Xue suddenly delayed Madam Xu’s maid, helping him, and Ling Xue took orders from Mama Lu…

Could it be that while Mama Lu was openly helping Wei Xian monitor Du Wen Hui, she was secretly assisting Du Wen Hui?

And the reason Du Wen Hui’s testimony was considered highly credible was because her relationship with Mama Lu wasn’t a normal master-servant relationship, but rather one of monitor and monitored. By common understanding, Du Wen Hui had no reason to help Mama Lu.

But now… if Du Wen Hui and Mama Lu’s relationship wasn’t what they thought, then Mama Lu’s alibi wouldn’t stand.

She thought perhaps Ying Xun could break through by focusing on Du Wen Hui, questioning her separately again.

“Mother, I need to go out for a while.” Ming Shu had a sudden revelation and wanted to find Ying Xun immediately to tell him about this subtle discovery.

“It’s already dark, where are you going?” Someone pushed open the door and happened to hear Ming Shu’s voice.

Lu Chang had returned.

Ming Shu only then realized that the outside had unknowingly turned dark. It wasn’t appropriate to find Ying Xun at this hour. She could only swallow her thoughts and called out: “Brother.”

Lu Chang seemed to have something on his mind today and didn’t pursue Ming Shu’s intentions. He went straight upstairs upon entering. Ming Shu noticed from behind and followed him up two steps, staring at what he was carrying: “What’s that?”

He was holding a locked wooden box with two official seals attached—judging by the signature, it appeared to be from the Court of Judicial Review.

“The Court of Judicial Review? Is it an important case?” Before Lu Chang could answer, Ming Shu’s sharp eyes had already spotted the seal’s signature.

The Court of Judicial Review was the official department specifically responsible for criminal cases from various regions. Any major local cases had to be reviewed by them.

“Don’t touch!” Lu Chang’s voice was very deep. He stopped at his door, turned around, and pushed Ming Shu outside. “I have confidential matters to attend to. Don’t call me for dinner—you all eat without me, and don’t come looking for me tonight.”

He spoke while closing the door.

Ming Shu heard the sound of the bolt being drawn inside—Lu Chang had locked himself in the room.

What case could be in that box?

The sky had darkened. Lu Chang lit all available candles in the room, and only after securing all doors and windows did he place the wooden box on the desk.

He stood motionless before the desk, staring at the wooden box for a long while before reaching out to remove the seals and open the brass lock.

Inside was a thick stack of case files.

On the cover were vermillion characters—

Jiangning Prefecture, Jiangning County: The Jian Family Massacre Case.

Ming Shu didn’t sleep well that night. After finally falling asleep, she had some strange dreams, leaving her head heavy when she woke up.

She lay in bed for a while to recover before getting up to wash and go downstairs. As she reached the bottom floor, she caught sight of Lu Chang’s back as he was leaving.

“Brother?!” She called out, but Lu Chang didn’t turn around, disappearing straight through the doorway, still carrying the wooden box from last night under his arm.

“So mysterious!” She walked into the hall dissatisfied. “Mother, what’s wrong with Brother?”

Madam Zeng was just bringing out breakfast, and seeing Lu Chang already gone, she was also very surprised: “What’s wrong with this child? Not eating dinner, and now not eating breakfast?”

Ming Shu shrugged, sitting at the table: “If he won’t eat, I will.”

While speaking, she glanced outside, but Lu Chang’s figure was long gone. This behavior was rare for Lu Chang—she wondered if he had encountered some difficult matter and felt somewhat worried.

After breakfast, Ming Shu hurriedly went out as well, going to the Kaifeng Prefecture office to find Ying Xun again.

But she made another fruitless trip—Ying Xun had led people to the Wei household early in the morning. Ming Shu didn’t know if Ying Xun had found some key to solving the case. Without overthinking it, she also headed to the Wei household.

Rushing to the Wei household, she arrived at just the right moment, seeing Ying Xun leading several officers out of the main gate.

“Officer Ying.” Ming Shu ran to his side in a few quick steps.

“Why is it you again? I don’t have time to waste words with you today.” Ying Xun’s expression was very grave, his tone equally poor.

Ming Shu didn’t mind his attitude and spoke as quickly as possible: “I have some clues to tell you. The relationship between Du Wen Hui and Mama Lu might not be what we thought—her testimony might not be reliable.”

Hearing this, Ying Xun showed no surprise and only said: “It’s useless to say this now. Lu Chun Lian has fled.”

Lu Chun Lian was Mama Lu’s maiden name.

Ming Shu was shocked at first, then slapped her forehead, remembering that Aunt Xu had mentioned earlier that Madam Lu had already requested to resign from Du Wen Hui—she hadn’t expected her to leave so quickly.

“When did this happen?”

“Early this morning, before dawn.” Ying Xun answered, then quickly instructed his subordinate officers: “Get more men and split up to check the east and west city gates. See if Lu Chun Lian has left the city. If she has, find out which direction she went. If she hasn’t, guard the gates and bring her to me if you see her!”

The officers dispersed after receiving their orders, and only then did Ying Xun turn back to look at Ming Shu.

Ming Shu blinked, saying nothing, only questioning with her gaze.

Ying Xun silently sighed: “Come with me.”