Chapter One Hundred Fifteen: Uncovering the Truth

"What are you spouting nonsense for? The officials are anxiously searching for evidence, and your casual remark is utterly preposterous."

Some examinees spoke with deliberate sarcasm. They felt he was hogging the limelight and hoped to curry favor with the officials—truly killing two birds with one stone.

But Lin Fei was no fool; he had no patience for such flattery. He cut them off directly.

"If what you say is true, then explain: why would he poison himself?"

Han Qing shook his head. To others, this seemed like a difficult puzzle, but they had seen through it from the very beginning.

"Because there is no murderer at all. From the poisoning to the victim's reaction, this entire sequence of events could only have been a trap set by someone intentionally."

What?

This only left the crowd more confused. They could not understand at all.

"Are you saying that Magistrate Lu staged this?"

Young Master Zhu, standing nearby, chimed in casually, looking slightly shocked.

"That is a question for Magistrate Lu: what does he think of a student's answer to the exam question he set?"

He looked calmly at the official, as if he could pierce through the hidden truth at a single glance, requiring no further explanation.

"Hahaha..."

Magistrate Lu laughed heartily.

"You are indeed different from the others. You saw through this test so quickly. May I ask how you discovered the flaws?"

Magistrate Lu looked full of gratification. With such talent, the imperial court would surely flourish. To be able to solve this mystery without any hints was proof enough of this man's brilliance.

"From the moment the examinee drank the poisoned tea to the moment the antidote took effect—the time elapsed was far too short. That was the first inconsistency."

Could there be a second? He paused.

"The physician who just entered had a look of anxiety; his performance was clearly staged. It is evident that you did not invite a real doctor from a clinic, but likely had a servant from the residence dress up as one."

Magistrate Lu nodded. This man was truly immeasurable.

"Here is a letter of recommendation. If you ever need my assistance in the future, you may come to me at any time."

The official was a man of his word. What was originally just an exam question had exposed the coldness of human nature and allowed an outsider to instantly break the deadlock—something he had not expected.

Even the previously nervous Inspector Lin Fei felt a bit disgruntled after hearing the explanation. However, the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy did not care for them at all and preferred to send the examinees away, as such crowded places were nothing but trouble.

"You are a great hero! I thought I was going to lose my head, and all along it was just a trap set by that old man?" Lin Fei asked, slightly shocked. He found it strange, as he had never seen anyone in Luojing memorize the habits of such people in such detail.

"You flatter me. I merely made a few logical deductions. Besides, what they did was riddled with flaws. The color of the tea bowls the old man used had already given him away," Han Qing said slowly. It was no earth-shattering feat; he simply needed the locals to recognize him so that future opportunities would naturally come his way.

"I will go and oversee the security matters; you stay here at the Jingzhao Prefecture," Lin Fei said.

Han Qing nodded. Life in the residence was smooth and comfortable, with food and drink provided. Why should he give up such a high-quality life for the sake of some future pride? He would never think that way.

After this incident, the other examinees became cautious, wondering if Magistrate Lu would set another test. They wanted to seize the opportunity; once they climbed the ranks, they would never have to worry about food or clothing again.

However, this minor episode reached the ears of officials in the court. Some naturally learned of Han Qing's name and made inquiries, discovering he was currently residing in the Jingzhao Prefecture. Magistrate Lin, who usually appeared indifferent to government affairs, had acted quite quickly.

Several minor officials who came to visit were all turned away. The excuse was that the examinees were under immense pressure and should not deal with outsiders unless it was an emergency. Since Magistrate Lin had spoken, the underlings did not dare to refuse. They could only leave their gifts behind and wait until after the imperial examinations to find excuses to interact. They could not afford to be too impatient; they had to take it one step at a time.

But who could have foreseen that the next day, a bailiff from the yamen would report that a body had been fished out of a pond north of the city?

Normally, such a murder case would be handled by the Ministry of Personnel. But the strange part was that the victim was Liu Sheng—the very examinee who had attended the banquet at Magistrate Lu’s residence and had even followed the Magistrate’s instructions to stage the performance. He had only returned to the inn two days ago. How could such a bizarre thing happen?

The news was shared with them so that if any examinees had clues, they could report them to the court immediately. Once this news broke, the examinees at the inn were thrown into a panic. Some had worked for half a lifetime to reach this position and finally had a chance to turn their lives around. They did not want these strange events to ruin their future.

"How do you still have the leisure to read?"

"If I don't prepare for the imperial examination by reading, what should I do?"

"That case north of the city—are you really not planning to investigate it?" Young Master Zhu knew his capabilities; if Han Qing stepped in, he could solve it quickly.

"The high officials are already there. I am just a nobody. If I were to run over now and point fingers, wouldn't I be putting myself in the crosshairs?" He knew his situation very well.

"Even if you don't go, the people from the court will come to ask you themselves soon enough."

He nodded without hesitation. There was nothing to fear. The misfortune that befell that examinee had nothing to do with him.