The announcement of the imperial examination results was still some time away. This year, due to a large-scale cheating incident, the entire capital was on edge, devoid of the usual relaxed atmosphere after the exams.
All examinees were detained in the capital, questioned daily. While some were released unharmed after questioning, others disappeared without a trace. Those suspected of cheating were held in isolation, with no visitation allowed, creating a sense of unease among everyone.
To facilitate the investigation, the emperor gave Qi Mingxuan the authority to mobilize part of the imperial army, so that he could find out the mastermind of this matter as soon as possible.
As the investigation expanded, certain officials involved were also taken in for questioning. Those who initially thought they could escape the consequences now panicked, and began to circle around, hoping to get themselves out.
Once in a state of panic, people tend to cause all kinds of troubles, which would undoubtedly speed up their exposure time.
Unexpectedly, the progress of the matter went smoothly. However, the deeper they dug, the stronger the resistance they faced. They knew someone was intervening. Just when they had traced it to a fourth-ranked official, the investigation hit a dead end.
It seemed like this fourth-ranked official was the mastermind behind the cheating incident. Although everyone didn’t believe it in their hearts, whether to continue the investigation required a decision from higher authorities.
The emperor was determined to proceed with the investigation. Who could argue against that?
As the case unfolded, it became more intricate, involving a broader range of individuals. As expected, the announcement of the imperial examination results was delayed.
Li Shu initially thought he had no connection to this incident. Unexpectedly, a fellow examinee from the same examination room insisted he was involved. If Li Shu and this person had no interaction, it would have been manageable. Unfortunately, this person not only knew the original owner but was also one of his few friends.
There were numerous exchanged letters between the two, and in this critical period, these letters could serve as damning evidence.
Caught off guard, the Left Prime Minister was dealt a blow.
On the same afternoon, soldiers surrounded the Left Prime Minister’s mansion and took Li Shu away. Compared to the panicked Li family, Li Shu remained overly composed, as if he were just a spectator rather than the accused.
[Host—] 1314 was panicking, [What should we do now?]
After all, 1314 graduated from the System Academy with excellent grades. It knew how serious this matter was. Once found guilty of cheating in the imperial examination held, it could mean the end of the host’s official career.
[Don’t worry.] Li Shu leaned against the wall. Perhaps due to his status, the conditions in his cell were surprisingly decent, it was not filthy or disorderly.
On the first day of detention, no one came to interrogate Li Shu. Apart from someone regularly delivering meals, the cell was off-limits to even the prison guards.
Initially, the system was anxious, but gradually, the anxiety dissipated, replaced by various questions: [Host, what is going on?]
[It’s just a political game; it depends on which side ultimately prevails.] After spending a day in confinement, the initially tangled threads became clear one by one. His involvement should be because the investigation had reached a crucial point, and someone used him to warn the Left Prime Minister against hasty actions. After all, once his matter was confirmed, it might implicate the entire Left Prime Minister’s lineage.
As Li Shu expected, the Left Prime Minister had already received a warning letter.
After taking a look, Li Cheng placed the letter on the candle flame and the fire quickly turned it to ashes. The candlelight flickered and reflected on Li Cheng’s face, concealing his original expression.
Beneath the solitary moonlight, An Yu, who was dressed in black almost merged into the night. Kneeling on one knee, he reported to Qi Mingxuan, “As the master expected, the Left Prime Minister received an unidentified letter, and he burned it after reading.”
“Mmm,” a man’s faint voice came from the darkness. “Is the eldest son of Li Cheng, who participated in the imperial examination, innocent?”
“It’s well-known that the eldest son of the Left Prime Minister is in poor health and rarely leaves the house, especially after a severe illness last year. He only went to Xian Guo Temple once before the new Year. He did exchange letters with Li Qingfang, but they were ordinary and unrelated to the imperial examination.”
Li Qingfang was the one who implicated Li Shu.
“Are you saying he’s being framed?”
As the son of the Left Prime Minister, aiming for an official position through the imperial examination was not the most optimal choice. He had no reason for such an extra step. After pondering, Qi Mingxuan set this matter aside and asked, “Did you get any information about the person I asked you to investigate?”
From the moment he glimpsed that person in front of the examination hall to now, he lost track of them again.
“According to the information provided by the Master, that young master entered the third examination hall, was taken away by a carriage after the exam, and hasn’t appeared in the capital since. We checked in inns, restaurants, tea houses, study rooms… there’s no trace of the young master staying anywhere.” An Yu lowered his head and spoke respectfully.
He also found it strange that a living person couldn’t be traced.
“Hmm…” Qi Mingxuan contemplated for a moment. “You mentioned earlier that the Prime Minister’s eldest son visited Xian Guo Temple before the New Year?”
“Yes, the timing aligns perfectly with the master’s recovery at Xian Guo Temple.”
Same time, same examination hall—was it really just a coincidence?
Qi Mingxuan didn’t believe in coincidences. He decided to visit the eldest son of the Left Prime Minister in the prison tomorrow. Would that person be the one he had been searching for?
The night was getting deeper and deeper, Li Shu was sitting against the wall and sleeping lightly. He had only revealed half of the information during the day. If the mastermind and the Left Prime Minister didn’t reach an agreement, there was a high chance they would come for him tonight.
Murder staged as suicide out of guilt. This way, the case lacked evidence—this could completely implicate the Left Prime Minister.
So, he never fully slept, just waiting for those people to attack.
“Meow—”
A sharp cat’s cry rang out, followed by the flapping of bird wings. Li Shu opened his eyes, clear-minded.
They had arrived.
The prison guard was silently taken down; there were already few guards here, providing great convenience to the intruders.
The chains were unlocked, dropped, and the cell door was pushed open.
One person, two people…
Li Shu closed his eyes. The tips of his ears moved slightly, and the corners of his mouth raised an inconspicuous arc. It seemed the mastermind valued him quite highly, sending six people for an assassination against a sick and weak young master.
His head was lowered at such an angle that people coming in from the outside could not see his face clearly. The approaching footsteps were light, and no one spoke; everything unfolded in extreme silence.
A hand rose, a knife fell, and fresh blood gushed out.
“Is it done?” someone whispered.
“It should be. You go check if he’s still breathing. You two, quickly arrange the scene as the employer requested.”
For them, these aftermath tasks were routine. Darkness couldn’t hinder their actions, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner until the person checking for breath screamed.
“What’s going on? Why are you shouting randomly?” someone complained in dissatisfaction. “It’s not the first time we’ve done this, why are you still so timid?”
“No, big brother, you, you see—”
The voice filled with extreme fear made everyone unconsciously look over. They saw the tall and burly man in black getting effortlessly lifted by a weak-looking young man in prison clothes. The young man scrutinized them with narrowed eyes, sending shivers down their spines.
“What are you here for? Huh?”
Li Shu’s voice was not loud, with a rising tone at the end, like a feather scratching at one’s heart. It felt as if the words resounded directly in the minds of the men in black, leaving them speechless and horrified, especially the one who had just killed Li Shu.
After many years in this line of work, he was sure he hadn’t made a mistake. The unfolding scene was far beyond their understanding, leaving them stunned for a moment.
At some point, the wind rose, shadows danced in the trees, and the moonlight was blocked. In the darkness, they seemed to see several large tails growing behind the young man, swaying without wind.
“Mon—Monster!” someone couldn’t bear it and shouted loudly.
“What are you saying?” Li Shu narrowed his eyes slightly. His eyes were long and upturned at the ends, resembling a fox demon that sucks people’s vitality.
Clouds dispersed, the moon appeared, and darkness was expelled. The men in black found that the weak young man was still standing in front of them. They cautiously looked behind the young man, and didn’t find any large tails. They still exchanged fearful glances.
“Who.. Who are you exactly?” ‘Don’t be a monster!’ The black-clothed men cried inwardly. They thought they had taken a good deal, not realizing it was a deal that cost lives.
“Me? You came to kill me, and you still don’t know who I am?”
‘We were supposed to kill the Left Prime Minister’s son, but you don’t look anything like the legendary sickly young master!’ The black-clothed men couldn’t tell the story of their suffering.
[Host, the male protagonist is coming.]
Qi Mingxuan, who was wearing night attire, approached with An Yu who was silently following. The two moved swiftly, using qinggong skills to reach the place where Li Shu was detained.
As they approached, they sensed something was wrong. An Yu half blocked Qi Mingxuan and whispered, “Master, be careful.”
It was too quiet. For various reasons, Li Shu was kept in a separate cell. However, the current silence was abnormal. They hadn’t encountered a single guard on their way, which was obviously unusual.
Thinking of something, the pressure around Qi Mingxuan’s dropped instantly and he accelerated his pace.
At that moment, a shrill scream came from somewhere. Qi Mingxuan and An Yu exchanged glances and jumped towards the direction of the sound.
“Let go!”
When Qi Mingxuan and An Yu arrived, they saw a man in black swinging a sword towards Li Shu. Without much thought, Qi Mingxuan rushed forward, deflecting the sword and shielding Li Shu. An Yu quickly joined the fray.
The man in black had already suffered under Li Shu, and was now no match for the two. He quickly fell into a disadvantage and was defeated.
After subduing the person and handing him to An Yu, Qi Mingxuan walked to Li Shu’s side. He quickly assessed the person, ensuring they were unharmed before letting out a faint sigh of relief.
“Are you okay?”
Even Qi Mingxuan himself didn’t notice the concern in his words, but An Yu noticed it and was shocked. Since that incident, he had never seen his master care so much about anyone.
Li Shu lowered his head, not answering. He couldn’t understand why the male protagonist came here at this time.
“Don’t worry, they won’t harm you anymore.” Thinking that the young man was frightened, Qi Mingxuan carefully reassured him. But from childhood to now, he had never comforted anyone, and after much thought, this was the only sentence he could come up with.
“I’m fine, just…” Li Shu raised his head, and glanced at Qi Mingxuan, puzzled. “Why are you here?”
Qi Mingxuan: “…”
This question successfully stumped him.
Author’s Note:
Little theatre:
Qi Mingxuan: What if I say I came to break him out? Will he believe it?
But I wouldn’t really kidnap him.
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