“Are you sure you recognized the Lu family people?”

Inside the Li residence, Li Jingting furrowed his brows, his face full of displeasure.

The servant knew this young master had a bad temper, especially harsh to the servants—prone to scolding and beating—so he replied nervously.

“Reporting to Young Master, I saw clearly. It was indeed the famous Lu Yanjun, the eldest young master of the Lu family in Qingzhou Prefecture, and another younger one who looked tender-faced—should be the third young master from the Lu family’s second branch.”

Li Jingting said in a deep voice, “That country bumpkin, how did he get connected with the Lu family?”

“Could it be through the Li family connections back when he was still with us?”

The more Li Jingting thought about it, the more he believed it was true. The thought that Gu Qingyan had enjoyed fifteen years of wealth and honor—and could easily know people from the Lu family—gnawed at him like ants biting his heart, filling him with jealousy and hatred.

Why did he grow up in a remote mountain valley, looked down upon and mocked even after returning to the Li family?

Yet Gu Qingyan grew up cherished like gold and jade.

Back then, he had tried repeatedly to get into Hongshan Academy by asking Xu Shi and the Li family for help, but they only retreated, saying the academy’s requirements were extremely high and ordinary people couldn’t get in.

He wasted so much effort before finally making acquaintance with Lu Yanhé, through whom he got into Hongshan Academy.

But now, the servant told him Gu Qingyan even knew the renowned Lu Yanjun.

That was the famous talented scholar of Qingzhou Prefecture, completely different from the unruly Lu Yanhé—he was the true heir of the Liu family.

Why?!

Li Jingting’s heart was consumed by jealousy: “Gu Qingyan should’ve stayed in that poor mountain valley all his life. Why does he have to come back?”

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes: “Go, summon Madam here.”

“Tell her I’m sick and want her to come quickly.”

The servant hurried to deliver the message.

Soon, Xu Shi arrived, her face anxious.

Entering the room, she kept asking with concern, “Ting’er, what’s wrong with you? Do you need a doctor? Studying is important, but your health is the most important. If something happened to you, I’d be devastated.”

Li Jingting concealed his impatience and sighed softly.

“Mother, do you know Gu Qingyan has returned to Qingzhou Prefecture?”

Xu Shi’s expression changed slightly: “What? He’s back?”

She frowned deeply, her eyes filled with complicated feelings. She had thought the boy would die along the way, but unexpectedly he safely made it to Lingchuan County.

Now that Bai Yu was executed and almost implicated the Li family, luckily she was smart enough not to leave concrete evidence.

Seeing her complicated expression, Li Jingting thought she must be feeling sorry for the child she raised, and his hatred grew.

“Mother, not only has he returned, but he also passed the exams and is here for the prefectural test.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Shi’s face changed drastically.

“How is that possible?”

Li Jingting said firmly, “Absolutely true.”

Xu Shi’s expression shifted uneasily: “No, that’s impossible. He couldn’t have passed the county exam.”

Noticing Li Jingting’s serious look, Xu Shi dismissed the servants.

“That boy was weak and sickly when he was with the Li family, didn’t like studying, and was lazy even in clan school. How could someone like that pass the county exam?”

She knew her own son, Li Jingting, loved studying and worked hard day and night after returning home, but was sick during the county exam and failed.

If Li Jingting couldn’t pass, how could Gu Qingyan?

Xu Shi firmly believed that in terms of talent, character, appearance, and future prospects, Li Jingting was far superior to Gu Qingyan.

Li Jingting frowned and said sternly, “Mother, Lingchuan County doesn’t have many scholars; maybe he just got lucky.”

“Gu Qingyan grew up in Qingzhou Prefecture, attended the clan school, and even knows Lu Yanjun of Hongshan Academy. It’s not strange he passed.”

Xu Shi was confused: “Lu Yanjun? The famous top scorer Lu Yanjun? But how would he know someone like that?”

Li Jingting was impatient: “Where he knows them isn’t important. What matters is if he really passes the prefectural exam and wins honors, then what face will my son have to show to others?”

“Since I returned to the Li family, my cousins have always excluded and slandered me. If they find out Gu Qingyan passed the county exam and my son didn’t, they will ridicule me endlessly.”

“Mother, you have to help me.”

Seeing her son so downcast, Xu Shi immediately felt sorry: “Of course I’ll help. I’ll send someone to call him here and scold him, make him go back to Lingchuan County.”

Li Jingting grabbed her hand: “No, since he’s determined to take the exam, he won’t listen to you. Calling him here would be useless.”

“What then?” Xu Shi frowned.

In her memory, the child she had raised for fifteen years was always obedient and never disobedient.

Li Jingting looked at Xu Shi: “Mother, we must find a way to completely cut off his path in the imperial exams.”

His fierce gaze made Xu Shi’s heart skip a beat.

But she quickly patted his hand: “The Li family raised him for fifteen years, let him enjoy worldly riches, yet he’s still not satisfied. It’s time to teach him a lesson—to let him know that life is divided into high and low, noble and lowly.”

Mother and son exchanged a look and plotted their vicious plan.

Gu Qingyan returned home, thinking about how to see Hongdou.

He wanted to check on her and see if she was alright—he couldn’t help but worry.

With the prefectural exam approaching, Gu Qingyan decided to take Zhang Nian out the next day.

“When you knock on the door later, just do as I say,” Gu Qingyan instructed.

He feared showing himself might get him recognized and cause trouble for Hongdou if she wanted to stay with the Li family.

Zhang Nian nodded and soon knocked on the back door of the Li residence.

“Who is it?”

The gatekeeper glanced up and down, waving impatiently, “If you’re not here for business, leave quickly. This isn’t a place for you.”

Zhang Nian pressed the door and, following Gu Qingyan’s instructions, slipped a silver coin through: “Big Brother, I’m here to find my sister. Please help deliver a message.”

After taking the silver, the gatekeeper’s face changed: “Why didn’t you say so? Who are you looking for?”

“The sister who serves Madam, Hongdou. She hasn’t been home for a long time. The family is worried and asked me to come check.”

“Wait a moment then.”

The gatekeeper shut the door with a click and went inside.

Zhang Nian ran back to the ox cart: “He’s willing to help deliver the message. He went inside to ask.”

“Well done,” Gu Qingyan praised, rubbing his head.

He added, “When Hongdou comes out, quietly tell her it’s me, then lead her over here to talk. Don’t let anyone notice.”

Zhang Nian smiled and nodded.

They waited left and right at the door, but no one came back. Both began to suspect that the little steward had taken the silver but wasn’t doing his job.

After about a tea break’s time, the door finally opened.

“Hey, you, come here.”

Zhang Nian approached but didn’t see anyone else inside.

“Big brother, where’s my sister?”

“She’s serving by Madam’s side; she can’t come out casually. But she sent a message saying she’s doing well in the Li family and that you don’t need to worry or keep coming to look for her.”

Zhang Nian frowned. That meant they wouldn’t get to see her. He turned to reply.

“Hey, wait a moment,” the steward called after him, pulling something wrapped in a handkerchief from his chest.

“This is from Sister Hongdou. She asked me to send it for you to give to your parents.”

Zhang Nian quickly took it and thanked him, then walked toward the alley entrance.

Back at the ox cart, after hearing this, Gu Qingyan frowned.

“This is making things worse — they ended up taking something from Hongdou.”

He suspected Hongdou thought things at home were hard, so she was using her own savings to help.

“Young master, from what he said, the sister is doing well. Should we return the item to her home?”

Gu Qingyan agreed, “That’s the only option.”

At least now they knew Hongdou was doing okay in the Li family and was able to send something to help her family.

He took the handkerchief, but his hand suddenly felt heavy.

“That’s not right.”

He untied the knot on the handkerchief and revealed a gold bracelet inside.

“Gu, big brother, what’s wrong?” Zhang Nian asked, puzzled.

Gu Qingyan’s face darkened.

“This isn’t right.”

“This gold filigree bracelet with inlaid jewels of seasonal flowers is one of Madam Xu’s favorite pieces, a valuable betrothal gift from the Li family at her wedding.”

Even though Hongdou had served Madam Xu for many years and received some rewards, there was no way she’d be given something so precious.

Besides, Madam Xu was stingy with those around her. The most generous reward Gu Qingyan had ever seen was ten taels of silver.

“What exactly did that steward say?”

Zhang Nian grew nervous.

“He said Sister Hongdou serves Madam and can’t come out casually. She’s doing well in the Li family and told us not to keep coming to see her. Then he gave this bracelet and said to bring it back to our parents.”

The words themselves weren’t strange, but Gu Qingyan’s heart sank.

He bitterly smiled.

“They must know I’ve returned to Qingzhou Prefecture and are deliberately setting a trap to frame me.”

“What!” Zhang Nian’s expression changed drastically.

“What should we do? Should I return this item?”

“It’s too late,” Gu Qingyan said grimly.

Footsteps came from outside, blocking the ox cart.

“Everyone out of the cart. A valuable piece of jewelry has gone missing from the Li family. You’re suspected of stealing it.”

Zhang Nian panicked and instinctively tightened the reins, silently regretting not being cautious enough, putting Gu Qingyan in danger.

He gritted his teeth, even planning to rush through.

But Gu Qingyan held his hand back.

“Don’t worry,” Gu Qingyan said as he jumped down from the cart.

Surrounding them were Qingzhou Prefecture’s officers, clearly tipped off and looking hostile.

“You’re the ones who stole from the Li family?”

Zhang Nian’s face reddened with anger.

“What nonsense! My young master topped the county exam and has a bright future. How could he steal? You’re slandering us.”

“Oh, the top of the county exam? I thought you were the champion,” the officer sneered.

“The victim has already reported to the court. Be wise and hand over the item now. Hmph, if we find it by searching you, your punishment will be worse.”

Gu Qingyan’s expression remained calm.

“Who is the victim?”

“The Li family, naturally,” the officer snorted.

Gu Qingyan was not surprised.

“I was walking openly on the street. You accuse me of theft without evidence? Do you know the laws of Great Zhou say false accusers will be punished?”

“Guilty or not, we’ll find out by searching.” The officer gave a signal.

Several officers were about to approach when Gu Qingyan shouted coldly, “Stop.”

“Do you know who I am?”

The officers looked at each other, momentarily intimidated.

But the leader sneered, “You’re just the fake young master the Li family raised for fifteen years, still thinking you’re the son of Minister Li. Be smart…”

Gu Qingyan cut him off.

“I refuse to be ‘smart.’”

“I, Gu Qingyan, am an honest scholar, upright and principled. Since you accuse me of theft, let’s go to the court and settle this properly.”

“If I’m guilty, I accept punishment. But if innocent, the laws of Great Zhou are not a joke.”

Before he finished speaking, the officials across from them grew somewhat fearful.

“Boss, this guy is too stubborn. Could it really be a false accusation?”

The lead official steeled himself. “Let’s just search them first and see!”

“Stop them!” Gu Qingyan shouted sharply.

Zhang Nian immediately acted, blocking two or three of the officials.

The officials tried to get closer, but the black ox lifted its legs and kicked each of them flying.

Gu Qingyan didn’t wait for them to make a move, and said again, “I don’t trust you. If you want to search, then let’s go to the court and search carefully. Not here in this alley where you can twist the truth however you want.”

“You want the court? Fine. If you want to look for trouble, I won’t stop you.” The officials sneered, clearly having thought of something.

The ox cart quickly turned toward the courthouse.

Zhang Nian was anxious, “Brother Gu, what do we do? If they really find something, your reputation is finished.”

“What’s there to fear? A righteous man fears no shadow. I’m not afraid of these ghostly tricks.”

After saying that, he whispered a few words into Zhang Nian’s ear.

Only then did Zhang Nian feel a little reassured.

Gu Qingyan’s face was grim. The Li family’s move was meant to cut off his future, to leave him branded as a thief, which would forever bar him from further imperial exams.

Such a cruel scheme.

Opening the scroll titled The True Young Master’s Six Successive Imperial Exam Victories, it was indeed Li Jingtin behind the scenes causing trouble.

Li Jingtin thought, Once Gu Qingyan becomes a thief, imprisoned and punished, he will be a criminal for life and no longer be a threat.

A criminal.

Gu Qingyan laughed.

Zhang Nian glanced back at his elder brother’s smile and grew even more worried — had Gu Qingyan been provoked into madness?

“Anian, go beat the injustice drum,” Gu Qingyan said.

Without hesitation, Zhang Nian went down and began to beat the drum.

The officials who followed tried to stop him but were too slow; the drumbeat echoed loudly throughout the courthouse.

“Boss, this isn’t good. He’s a tough one. If—”

“There is no ‘if’.”

The officials were confident, but things quickly moved in an unexpected direction.

Just as Zhang Tongpan, the magistrate in charge of the case, was about to begin, he hadn’t yet verified their identities, but when he saw the name card Gu Qingyan handed him, his face changed drastically. He whispered two words to the person next to him, who then headed toward the back room.

Gu Qingyan remained calm, but the officials grew uneasy.

“What did he hand over?”

“Why hasn’t Magistrate Zhang started the trial yet?”

“If only we had searched outside forcibly earlier.”

They silently regretted it. The worst was yet to come — Ding Zhifu, the prefect who rarely appeared publicly and mostly delegated trials to Tongpan Zhang, hurried over.

“Who is the plaintiff?”

Ding Zhifu looked around, his gaze settling on Gu Qingyan. He asked kindly, “Are you the plaintiff? What grievance do you have?”

Gu Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief.

Apparently, Pei Xuan’s status was even more honorable than he expected. One name card had already summoned the prefect himself.

He cupped his hands and bowed. “Your honor, the plaintiff is not present. I am the defendant.”

“What?”

Ding Zhifu frowned and glared at the officials. “What’s going on here? We’re in court—why isn’t the plaintiff here?”

The officials quickly tried to reply.

Gu Qingyan stepped forward. “Your honor, I am from Meiling Village, Lingchuan County. Due to a mix-up at birth, I stayed with the Li family for fifteen years. A year ago, I returned to my ancestral home and have been diligently studying since.”

“I worked hard to become the top scorer in the county exam and came to Qingzhou Prefecture to take the prefectural exam. But just after arriving, I was stopped by these officers who accuse me of stealing a valuable piece of jewelry from the Li family.”

“I could not bear the insult, so I beat the injustice drum to plead for your fair judgment.”

The officials realized this was bad and quickly spoke up.

“Your honor, the Li family sent us to report that this man stole Lady Li’s precious wedding jewelry. That’s why we came to search.”

“But this man is slippery—he not only stopped us but turned the accusation around. It’s despicable.”

Ding Zhifu frowned deeply.

He, of course, knew about the embarrassing mess the Li family had caused—their child had been switched at birth, raised by another family for fifteen years, only to come back and have their well-raised child driven away.

Such behavior made even the wealthy families of Qingzhou Prefecture mock them.

However—

Magistrate Ding’s gaze fell on Gu Qingyan. Everyone thought that the fake young master had been cast out and would be left lonely and helpless.

But unexpectedly, he was connected to the Pei family. Since he had a Pei family calling card, Ding knew he had to be fair and just.

As for the accusation of theft?

Ding thought it was impossible. If Gu Qingyan was related to the Pei family, how could he possibly steal Lady Li’s bracelets?

He narrowed his eyes: “Gu Qingyan, do you have anything to say?”

“I do,” Gu Qingyan replied loudly. “Regarding the matter from years ago, I was still an infant and can’t comment on it. But since I left, I only returned to Qingzhou yesterday, having been in the city less than a day.”

“If you say I stole, where is the proof? Moreover, since returning to Qingzhou, I have never set foot in the Li household. Where would I have stolen Lady Li’s bridal jewelry from?”

“Let me put it this way: if I had stolen it, how long has it been since? Why did the Li family immediately point the finger at me, and why did these officers block my ox cart on the main road?”

“Those who know will say it’s the magistrate’s office’s clever planning; those who don’t might think you are in collusion with the Li family to frame me.”

“I ask the magistrate to see through this clearly.”

The officers’ faces changed dramatically.

What scared them even more was that Gu Qingyan was so defiant, yet Magistrate Ding did not blame him, but instead showed signs of approval.

“What you say is reasonable. Now tell me, when did Lady Li discover her things missing? Why suspect him? Is there any evidence?”

The officers were sweating profusely. “Well, the Li family came to report it, insisting it was him.”

“If there is no evidence, how can they be so sure?” Ding snorted coldly.

The officers hurried to explain, “The Li family said it was Lady Li’s bridal jewelry, very precious, not easy to sell quickly. So once we search, we’ll find it.”

“Your honor, why not search him first? Surely the stolen goods will be found.”

Magistrate Ding frowned and looked at Gu Qingyan.

Gu Qingyan’s expression remained calm. He said clearly, “Your honor, since this is a theft case, it should be confronted in court. Why is the claimant not present?”

Magistrate Ding smiled: “Reasonable. Go find the claimant and bring them to court.”

During the break, Magistrate Ding glanced at Gu Qingyan’s calm demeanor and secretly admired him a bit.

Deputy Magistrate Zhang quietly asked, “Your honor, if he really stole the items, how should we rule?”

Ding said calmly, “Look at his expression — no sign of panic. It’s impossible.”

“Suppose he thinks he didn’t steal but actually did, what then?” Zhang said. He saw this was clearly a setup by the Li family.

Such tactics were common among powerful families. Gu Qingyan was young and vulnerable, so it was understandable he was caught up in this.

Ding raised his brow: “Then we’ll see what Lady Li says.”

“But the Pei family…”

“The Pei family can’t twist the truth, and neither can Lady Li.”

Suddenly, they received a summons from the magistrate’s office. Madam Xu’s face was filled with panic.

“Ting’er, what do we do now? Didn’t you say the officers would just arrest him? Why must I appear in court?”

Li Jingtin frowned, quietly wondering where things had gone wrong.

“Mother, don’t worry. It’s probably just that the claimant must be present for the trial.”

He quickly came up with a plan and reassured her: “Mother, as we agreed, even though you’re not his birth mother but raised him for fifteen years, no matter what he says, it won’t hold. It will only make him look ungrateful and cruel.”

Madam Xu calmed down a bit.

She sighed: “Originally, I didn’t want to utterly destroy him, but he didn’t know his place and insisted on coming to Qingzhou, obstructing us mother and son.”

When she went out, she found Li Jingtin waiting at the door.

Madam Xu frowned: “Ting’er, aren’t you coming with me?”

“Mother, if I appear, it will stir up hidden disputes. You are a woman and more likely to gain the magistrate’s sympathy.”

Li Jingtin persuaded her, but in his heart, he thought that if the worst happened, Madam Xu, as the foster mother and a gentle woman, would surely be safe.

It was different if he went himself — if he got himself into trouble, it wouldn’t be good and could ruin his promising future.

Madam Xu grew even more uneasy, but under the watchful eyes of the officers, she could only nod and take two maids to accompany her to the magistrate’s office.

Mother and son feared that their clan would learn about this matter, so they deliberately kept it secret and did not inform the Li family.

A year had passed, and Gu Qingyan finally saw Madam Xu again.

But he never expected it would be under such circumstances.

Madam Xu had not changed since a year ago, but the look in her eyes was icy cold, with undeniable disgust.

Gu Qingyan’s heart chilled. He didn’t know how he had offended Madam Xu — could it be that the fifteen years of mother-son affection had truly vanished without a trace?

As soon as they entered the courtroom, Madam Xu loudly scolded, “It’s him! The Li family raised him for fifteen years for nothing, and he’s still not satisfied. After leaving the Li family, lacking money, he schemed to sneak back and steal!”

“Your honor, you must stand up for this poor woman! Had I known he was such an ungrateful wolf, I never would have raised him.”

Madam Xu was young, crying with tears streaking her face like falling blossoms, evoking pity.

But Magistrate Ding and Deputy Magistrate Zhang were people who had seen thousands of criminals. From the moment she stepped in, they knew she was lying.

Magistrate Ding cleared his throat lightly: “Madam Xu, you say he stole his own bridal jewelry, but do you have evidence?”

“I do.”

Madam Xu wiped her tears: “The gatekeeper can testify. This morning, he bribed the gatekeeper and sneaked into the Li household.”

“As soon as he left, my bridal bracelets went missing and were nowhere to be found. The gatekeeper was scared and confessed. Who else but him would do such a thing?”

Listening to her tearful accusation, Gu Qingyan’s heart sank cold.

“From the Li family’s back gate to Madam Xu’s courtyard, it takes at least the time of burning an incense stick just to walk.”

“There are four senior maids and twelve junior maids in Madam Xu’s courtyard. With so many people around, how could I have sneaked in unseen and stolen her bracelets? Am I supposed to be invisible?”

“The bracelets were stolen only this morning, but Madam Xu’s accusation got to court even faster than I got home — truly astonishing.”

Madam Xu looked up and caught his cold gaze.

Her heart skipped a beat, then fury welled up.

So he really was an ungrateful wolf. Fifteen years of raising him and he still couldn’t be tamed. She had only accused him of stealing, but he didn’t even dare to admit it and dragged her shamefully to court.

After this commotion, there would be more talk back at the Li household. When Minister Li found out, he would say she couldn’t hold her position.

The more she thought about it, the angrier Madam Xu grew.

She sneered coldly: “I raised you for fifteen years, and this is how you repay me.”

“Your honor, he grew up in the Li household and naturally knows it well. It would be easy for him to steal without anyone noticing.”

“He wouldn’t have had time to sell the bracelets — they must be either on his person or in the cart. Your honor, if you search him, you will find the stolen goods. The evidence is solid. You must stand up for this poor woman.”

“If you know the items are there, why not search him? If nothing is found, then this woman will accept it.”

Magistrate Ding frowned, clearly realizing that Gu Qingyan was very likely being framed, and Madam Xu was certain the items were in the cart.

He recalled the Pei family calling card and was about to negotiate from that angle when he heard Gu Qingyan speak.

“Alright, you may search him.”