Days passed, yet the murderer remained elusive. Instead, the rumors surrounding Lu Yanhe were spreading like wildfire.

When Zhang Nian returned from buying groceries, she entered the house and said, “Brother Gu, everyone outside is talking about the murderer. They’re saying it must’ve been Lu Yanhe who did something disgraceful, and now someone’s getting revenge.”

“Oh? Everyone’s saying that?” Gu Qingyan was a bit surprised.

After all, when he had made inquiries in Qingzhou before, most people had nothing but praise for the Lu family.

Zhang Nian grinned. “Of course. Now that everyone knows Lu Yanhe’s true colors, they’re all saying he deserved to die.”

Gu Qingyan felt something was off.

Why would the Lu family allow this kind of rumor to spread? Before, Dean Lu had gone to such lengths to pin the blame on him decisively.

Zhang Nian continued, “Yesterday, the servants from the two scholars’ households came by to thank you for saving their young masters. They also said they knew you couldn’t possibly be the killer.”

Gu Qingyan’s eyes sharpened—he understood now.

Dean Lu was certainly overbearing, but this time it wasn’t just the Lu family that had been poisoned—three scholars had died, and two others were still unconscious.

Anyone admitted to Hongshan Academy was the pride of their family. Now that some of them had died so senselessly, how could their families let it go?

The more Gu Qingyan thought about it, the more something felt wrong.

“Tell me, why was Dean Lu so eager to have me executed?”

Zhang Nian cursed, “He’s just like Lu Yanhe—both scumbags, mad dogs biting at random.”

Gu Qingyan turned to Hongdou. “Have you ever met Dean Lu? Do you know what kind of person he is?”

Hongdou shook her head at first, then nodded. “I haven’t met him in person, but the older girls at the brothel say he’s gentle in temperament, very strict with Lu Yanhe, and has an honorable reputation as a scholar and teacher.”

Gu Qingyan narrowed his eyes. “Everyone can see there’s something fishy going on. Even if he was overwhelmed with grief at first, once he came to his senses, he should’ve realized how suspicious it was. So why is he still so insistent on having the prefect convict me?”

“Isn’t it strange? His son died, yet as a father, he doesn’t seem interested in finding the real killer.”

Zhang Nian and Hongdou exchanged glances, unable to answer.

Gu Qingyan tapped the table thoughtfully. “He’s either hell-bent on revenge or trying to make me take the fall and cover up the real murderer.”

“But why would he do that?” Zhang Nian asked in confusion.

Hongdou nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. The one who died was his own son. Even if not Lu Yanhe, Lu Dalang was still the Lu family’s hope.”

Gu Qingyan fell silent.

Yes. Why indeed?

He wanted to go out and investigate, but he was under house arrest. Prefect Ding was already showing him leniency by allowing him to remain at home instead of a cell.

Leaving the house was out of the question.

Suddenly, Gu Qingyan turned to Zhang Nian. “Ah Nian, help me look into something.”

Zhang Nian immediately nodded.

—

Elsewhere, Prefect Ding was suffering under the relentless pressure from the Lu family.

Everyone looked suspicious, but once investigated, all leads turned into dead ends. No one had the motive or opportunity.

“Prefect, both the doctor and coroner have confirmed—the victims were poisoned with heartbreak grass.”

“This herb, also called rot-gut grass, grows by mountain roadsides and is known to be highly toxic. Ordinary folks all know to avoid it.”

“Though it’s technically a medicinal herb, it’s so poisonous that every pharmacy keeps it under tight control. After checking all the shops, every inventory was accounted for. So the person who used it must have gathered it personally.”

Prefect Ding nodded, then suddenly asked, “Heartbreak grass is very bitter. To poison so many, they’d need a large quantity. How did they pull that off?”

“Exactly. If the food or wine tasted bitter, they would’ve noticed with just one bite,” Assistant Magistrate Zhang agreed.

Prefect Ding asked quickly, “What about the chefs at Qingzhou Pavilion? Were they brought in for questioning?”

Assistant Zhang replied, “Yes, we brought them in. Most of them never left the kitchen. Aside from a few who were scolded by Lu Erlang for poor cooking, they hadn’t made enemies with anyone.”

“We released only those with clean records and no conflicts.”

Prefect Ding frowned. “Something doesn’t sit right.”

“Bring them all back. Question them again.”

Just as Assistant Zhang was about to leave, a constable entered.

“Sir, Dean Lu is here again.”

“What does he want now?” Prefect Ding asked irritably.

The constable said, “Dean Lu claims he’s found evidence.”

—

Gu Qingyan was brought back to the yamen. On the way, he already had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered the courtroom, the accusations began.

“Yes, it’s him.”

A doctor stood with his head lowered, sweat pouring down his face, but he spoke clearly. “That day, he carried a woman covered in injuries into the clinic and asked me to treat her. I heard him cursing Lu Erlang, saying he wasn’t fit to live and that he wished he could poison him.”

“Later, he even asked me what kind of herb could kill someone. I told him heartbreak grass—once ingested, not even the gods could save you.”

“Sir, I was just speaking offhand. I had no idea he’d actually go and poison someone, and so ruthlessly—he killed four people at once!”

Gu Qingyan’s heart sank.

He saw Dean Lu seated nearby, composed and calm.

Hongdou trembled with anger. “You’re lying! Young Master never said those things!”

The doctor wiped his sweat. “Miss, you were unconscious at the time. Of course you didn’t hear it.”

Prefect Ding said grimly, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you mention it when Assistant Zhang’s men questioned you earlier?”

“I—I didn’t know it would turn into such a big thing!”

The doctor pleaded, “So many people died… I was afraid of retaliation. I thought it was just an offhand comment. I didn’t even sell him the poison. It had nothing to do with me!”

With that, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed. “Sir, I swear this has nothing to do with me!”

Dean Lu spoke calmly, “Prefect Ding, I’ve investigated thoroughly. Because of the maid Hongdou, Gu Qingyan bore a grudge against my son. Upon hearing about heartbreak grass from the doctor, he had the idea.”

“Heartbreak grass is everywhere—easy to collect. After he gathered enough, he bribed a servant at Qingzhou Pavilion to enter a day early and lace the food and drink with the poison.”

“Summon Wang Wu, the servant from Qingzhou Pavilion.”

Wang Wu entered the courtroom, shaking all over, even more frightened than the doctor.

He immediately knelt and confessed. “It was him. He gave me ten taels of silver, said he was attending a banquet the next day and wanted to see the place in advance so he wouldn’t be embarrassed as a first-timer.”

“I didn’t know he was going to poison anyone—I just took the money and opened the door.”

“Afterwards, I realized something terrible had happened. I was afraid I’d be blamed, so I didn’t dare speak up.”

Dean Lu’s voice was steady. “Sir, Gu Qingyan bore hatred for my son. Now that we have eyewitness testimony, the case is solved.”

Before the words even finished, Gu Qingyan burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?” Dean Lu snapped.

Gu Qingyan couldn’t stop laughing. “I’m laughing at how ridiculous this is. You, the esteemed dean of Hongshan Academy, a role model for scholars across the land—resorting to bribing a doctor and a servant just to frame me and halt Prefect Ding’s investigation.”

He truly hadn’t expected Dean Lu to appear with two ‘witnesses’ in tow.

“You’re at death’s door and still making excuses,” Dean Lu sneered.

“Prefect Ding, the evidence is clear—why haven’t you ruled on the case?”

Gu Qingyan let out a cold laugh and looked at the physician. “You’re saying I asked you about poisons?”

The physician responded quickly, “Yes, precisely.”

“Crane’s crest, Thousand Mechanism Herb, Nux Vomica, Lovesickness, Celestial Immortal,” Gu Qingyan recited each name one by one.

“To be frank, I, Gu, have studied medicine extensively and am well-versed in pharmacology. Just among the colorless and tasteless poisons capable of killing a person, I can name seventeen or eighteen off the top of my head.”

“If I truly wanted to kill someone, why would I need to ask an old hack like you? Do I seem like someone who would leave such an obvious trail behind?”

The physician’s face turned pale. His fists clenched, and the upright posture he had been holding collapsed entirely.

Dean Lu sensed something was wrong. “So what if you’ve memorized medical texts? Poisons are rare in the world, but Heartbreak Grass can be found everywhere.”

“Then perhaps I shouldn’t have asked what kind of poison can kill someone, but rather, what kind of poison doesn’t need to be bought and can be picked anywhere,” Gu Qingyan replied.

He turned to look at Dean Lu. “Since you’re trying to frame me, why not make your testimony a little more solid? Or was time too short, and you were afraid Prefect Ding would uncover the truth—so you hastily pinned this on me?”

Dean Lu sneered. “Wang Wu saw you sneaking into the Qingzhou Pavilion’s kitchen with his own eyes. How do you explain that?”

Gu Qingyan asked, “When exactly did you bribe him with ten taels of silver to sneak into Qingzhou Pavilion?”

Wang Wu trembled as he replied, “It was around the third watch of the night, just before the rooster crowed. That’s when people are most tired. No one else noticed except me.”

Gu Qingyan scoffed. “The third watch of the night, huh?”

“Qingzhou Pavilion is the most renowned restaurant in the prefecture, bustling with guests from dawn to dusk.”

Wang Wu quickly retorted, “That’s during the day! At midnight, the restaurant is closed. I happened to be on gate duty that night.”

But Gu Qingyan suddenly asked, “In the middle of the night, pitch black with no lights—did you really see my face clearly?”

“I did! Young Master Gu is handsome—I’d recognize him at a glance!” Wang Wu insisted.

Gu Qingyan laughed heartily and said loudly, “My lord, when I said I’m well-versed in medicine, I wasn’t lying.”

“When Wang Wu walked in just now, I noticed his eyes were murky and dull—classic signs of night blindness. At night, his eyes might as well be blind. How could he possibly see anyone clearly?”

“He likely hid this condition out of fear of being found out. During night shifts, he must’ve just squatted at the gate, not daring to move around. There’s no way he saw anyone clearly, let alone guided me into the building.”

Wang Wu’s face went pale in shock, his lips trembling as he struggled to speak.

Prefect Ding picked up on this and scolded sharply, “Wang Wu! Tell the truth!”

Wang Wu kowtowed hard, his forehead bleeding. “My lord, I do have night blindness. I couldn’t see clearly—but I heard his voice. It was him, I’m sure of it!”

But at this point, anyone with half a brain could tell that the testimonies of these two “witnesses” were falling apart.

Prefect Ding sneered, “Still not confessing the truth? Guards, prepare for punishment!”

Dean Lu suddenly stood up. “Lord Ding, how can you punish the witnesses?”

Prefect Ding’s expression darkened.

Gu Qingyan spoke again, “There’s no need to punish them—because Dean Lu already knows very well who the real killer is.”

An uproar broke out in the courtroom.

The families of the other three deceased students shouted:

“Brother Lu, you know who the murderer is?”

“Then who poisoned and killed my son?”

“Brother Lu, why would you help cover it up? Don’t tell me… the murderer also shares the Lu surname?”

The courtroom buzzed with increasingly heated whispers. Some even speculated that the Lu family was involved in a feud among brothers, which had led to this horrific murder case.

Dean Lu cried out in alarm, “Don’t let this brat sow discord! He’s trying to deflect the blame to save his own skin!”

“Hmph, not necessarily,” someone in the crowd sneered. “Brother Lu, your son is dead, and you don’t seem too eager to find the real killer. You keep dodging the point—maybe what this young man says isn’t false after all.”

Dean Lu’s heart sank.

Sure enough, the next moment someone knelt down and cried out, “My lord! The Lu family might not care who the real killer is, but we do!”

“Please investigate thoroughly, my lord, and avenge my son! He went to the Lu family’s banquet in good spirits, and ended up dead in a gruesome manner. If we don’t find the killer, he’ll never rest in peace!”

“Please, my lord—find the real culprit!”

It was clear Prefect Ding thought the same.

The case of the poisoned students at Qingzhou Pavilion had shaken the entire prefecture. Everyone had heard of it.

If the real killer wasn’t found and the truth not brought to light, it would tarnish Prefect Ding’s record forever.

“Dean Lu, the testimonies of these two witnesses are inconsistent and unreliable.”

Prefect Ding declared, “I understand your deep love for your son, Dean Lu—but this matter is serious. It must be investigated thoroughly and carefully.”

Dean Lu’s face twitched. After a moment, he suddenly covered his face and sobbed. “My lord, the weather is hot, and my son has been dead for five days. If we don’t bury him soon, his body won’t be preserved.”

“Everyone, our children were poisoned at the same time and died on the spot. Can you really bear to see them lying here, alone and cold, unable to be laid to rest?”

These words stirred deep emotions among the victims’ families.

The thought of their children bleeding from every orifice and subjected to autopsy, still unable to be buried, brought tears to many eyes.

Dean Lu continued, “This is all my fault. I spoiled Yanhe too much, allowed him to quarrel with Chief Gu, and I should never have used the Lu family’s influence to try and mediate. If I hadn’t insisted on that banquet at Qingzhou Pavilion, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened. I take full responsibility.”

“My lord, I am filled with regret. I ask for nothing more than to take my son’s body home and give him a proper burial. That is the last thing I can do for him as a father.”

Gu Qingyan’s eyes turned cold.

Dean Lu had a way with words. With just a few sentences, the others began to look at Gu Qingyan with resentment again.

As if their children wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t shown up.

Magistrate Zhang quickly interjected, “The case is not yet resolved. The bodies cannot be taken away.”

Dean Lu cried, “Then when can they be taken away? With each day the bodies lie above ground, our children suffer more.”

“Yes, my lord! Since it’s already confirmed they were poisoned with heartbreak grass, why can’t we take the bodies?”

“We only want them buried quickly and properly. They died so tragically, we want to give them a proper funeral—so they’re not alone in the afterlife.”

Governor Ding also began to sense something was off.

His gaze darkened as it fell on Dean Lu.

Dean Lu wore a sorrowful expression. “My lord, if you allow me to take Yanhe home earlier, I’m willing to withdraw the case. Let’s say the boy had bad luck and brought it on himself. Is that acceptable?”

The entire courtroom was stunned.

“How can that be?”—everyone else disagreed.

Dean Lu let out a bitter laugh. “Since Yanhe’s passing, his mother has fallen gravely ill, and we haven’t even dared to tell his elderly grandmother.”

“Some time ago, a Taoist priest from Qingcheng Temple told us that Yanhe would face a great misfortune in his life. If he couldn’t overcome it, he would die young. And if his body isn’t buried within seven days, he’ll be reincarnated as an animal.”

“My lord, he was my only son, my flesh and blood for twenty years—how can I bear the thought of him being reborn as a beast, never again as a man?”

In these times, people believed in fate—and in reincarnation.

Sure enough, sympathy spread among the crowd. Dean Lu had always been a respectable man, and now, seeing him weep bitterly, he seemed truly pitiable.

Even Governor Ding, who had earlier found Dean Lu’s behavior suspicious, began to soften.

Governor Ding sighed. “Dean Lu, I understand your desire to bury your son.”

“How about this: the coroner will perform one final examination to ensure the records are accurate. Then you may take the body home for burial.”

“But as for withdrawing the case, don’t mention it again. A poisoning case that took lives must be thoroughly investigated.”

Something’s wrong.

Very wrong.

Gu Qingyan’s gaze locked onto Dean Lu, watching him sob with grief and desolation.

Yet just moments ago, Dean Lu had bribed a doctor and a servant, trying to frame him for murder by poison.

When that fell apart in court, he swiftly changed tactics, focusing on retrieving Lu Yanhe’s body for burial.

He was a father who had lost his son—a powerful and influential one. Why was he so desperate to withdraw the case?

It defied reason.

Unless Gu Qingyan was right—Dean Lu was hiding something even more important than his son’s life.

Outside the court, an ox cart rolled to a stop.

Zhang Nian, face filled with urgency, dashed inside. But a voice called out behind him, “Young man, wait a moment.”

“Madam, I have urgent business. Please go ahead.”

Zhang Nian shouted as he rushed into the courtroom.

He didn’t notice behind him, the old woman stepping down from the ox cart with a soft sigh.

“What an impatient lad. I only wanted to thank him… but I suppose I won’t get the chance.”

Zhang Nian burst into the hall and, seeing Gu Qingyan unharmed and unpunished, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Qingyan asked in a low voice, “Did you find it?”

“Found it. There’s a large patch of Duanchang Grass on the mass grave hill. A small area has clearly been harvested,” Zhang Nian reported.

As expected.

Gu Qingyan had just recalled that during his last visit to the mass grave searching for someone, he saw wild grass covering the hillside, including Duanchang Grass.

“Lord Ding, I may have found the source of the Duanchang Grass.”

Governor Ding asked urgently, “You found it? Where?”

Gu Qingyan replied in a clear voice, “Duanchang Grass is a common poisonous plant. If picked in populated areas, it’s likely to be discovered and leave traces. The mass grave outside Qingzhou Prefecture is rarely visited, yet there’s a large quantity of Duanchang Grass there.”

Governor Ding was initially pleased, but then frowned. “Even if we know the source, we still can’t confirm who picked it.”

After all, in a place like the mass grave, not to mention picking Duanchang Grass, even murder and arson could go unnoticed.

Gu Qingyan said, “There’s another condition.”

“Duanchang Grass is bitter. To get people to consume it without realizing, the perpetrator must have exceptional culinary skills. Otherwise, with so many people present that day eating the same dishes, someone would’ve noticed.”

Governor Ding stroked his beard and said, “I thought the same. But there are twelve people working in Qingzhou Pavilion’s kitchen. Except for two who were scolded by Lord Lu Erlang for poor cooking, the rest have no apparent connection to him.”

“We interrogated all twelve,” said Judge Zhang. “Nothing unusual.”

The two most suspicious ones were even tortured but still refused to confess.

“The adults had already suspected this. After all, it’s incredibly difficult to mask the bitterness of Duanchang Grass in food or wine.”

“The twelve kitchen staff are the prime suspects, but they all provided alibis for each other. The Qingzhou Pavilion kitchen is an open space — raise your head and you can see what others are cooking. It wouldn’t be easy to poison the food unnoticed.”

Governor Ding asked again, “Gu Qingyan, do you have anything else to add?”

Gu Qingyan frowned. He hadn’t been to the scene, hadn’t examined the bodies, nor read the testimonies — the scope of his suspicion was too limited.

“I just think it’s extremely difficult to mask the bitterness of Duanchang Grass. Why don’t we call in the manager of Qingzhou Pavilion and ask if there’s anyone in the kitchen with particularly high culinary skill — someone who could conceal the bitterness?”

“Then ask if anyone took time off in recent days, possibly to harvest Duanchang Grass.”

“Third, ask whether anyone acted abnormally after the incident — anyone unusually calm, or who went missing after interrogation.”

“This person must be bold and meticulous. Killing so many at once, it must have been driven by deep hatred. If they won’t confess, then investigate deeper — we’re bound to find a flaw.”

Governor Ding nodded. “Send for them.”

“How laughable.”

Dean Lu sneered, “Lord Ding, don’t waste time over a few glib remarks from a brat. Good cooking skills and poisoning are two completely different things.”

“My lord, I only want to take my son home as soon as possible. I can’t wait any longer.”

“Everyone, our children lie here cold and alone — how cruel. As parents, how can you be so heartless?”

Gu Qingyan frowned, more convinced that Dean Lu was hiding something.

Governor Ding was also conflicted. The autopsy was complete, and it was reasonable for the families to want to take the bodies home for burial.

But with not even a trace of the murderer yet, burial at this point was indeed inappropriate.

Dean Lu wept bitterly. “At this point, I only have one wish left. I beg your lordship, for the sake of Hongshan Academy’s long-standing contribution to nurturing scholars, please grant my son some dignity.”

Governor Ding frowned deeply and sighed, about to agree.

A voice came from outside the hall: “Dean Lu speaks of dignity — but has he forgotten how disgraceful he once was?”

Everyone turned their heads.

An old woman was slowly walking in from outside.

Zhang Nian was startled and whispered, “Brother Gu, I ran into this old lady outside the city just now. She insisted on hitching a ride into town.”

Governor Ding shouted sternly, “Who are you? This is a court of law — silence!”

But the old woman was undaunted.

She walked slowly up to Gu Qingyan and said, “Young man, you’re a good person. That day when I poisoned the food, I didn’t mean to kill all of you too.”

“But I waited so long for all three sons of the Lu family to be together. I had no choice but to involve you innocent people.”

Gu Qingyan could clearly see the guilt in her eyes, and a sense of relief — but not the slightest trace of regret.

This was someone who, the moment she poisoned the food, had already cast aside concern for her own life or death.

The hall erupted.

“She’s the one who poisoned them!”

“Who is she?”

“She looks familiar… she’s the old cook from Qingzhou Pavilion!”

Voices rose all around, but Dean Lu was the most agitated. He lunged forward, trying to strangle the old woman. “It was you! You poisoned my son! I’ll make you pay with your life!”

“Restrain him!” Governor Ding shouted.

In the chaos, the old woman laughed freely.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come find me, but you never did. So I came on my own to turn myself in.”

“Before leaving, I even wrote a letter and sent it to Dean Lu. I never thought — back then he was as cruel as a tiger, but now he cowers like a rat. His own son is dead, and he does nothing.”

“Let me tell you — it was I who poisoned the food at Qingzhou Pavilion. I am Zhao of the Hua family, Longning Residence, Qingzhou Prefecture.”