Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The streets of Gaoyang City were empty and silent late at night, with only the long, drawn-out sound of the night watchman's clapper echoing through the alleys. A carriage broke the tranquility, pulled by two strong horses, its hooves clattering rapidly and in unison. The wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement, making a particularly clear rumbling sound on the deserted street, heading straight for the county government office.

Inside the carriage, the lights were dim. A young boy and girl sat side by side, still wearing the uniform blue school uniforms, with only a worn-out padded jacket hastily thrown over them for warmth. The boy, about thirteen or fourteen, still had a childlike face, yet the features of a teenager were already emerging. He was fidgeting restlessly, occasionally peeking out through the cracks in the window. The girl was a year or two older, with delicate features and a calmness beyond her years in her eyes, but her slightly pursed lips and her clasped hands, with knuckles turning white, betrayed her inner tension.

The boy lowered his voice, his tone filled with surprise and doubt: "Sister, this carriage... it looks so familiar. That's right! It's Lord Zhang's carriage! I've seen it a few times in front of the county government office! In the dead of night, the county magistrate's confidant personally led people to the school to summon us. Could it be... could it be that my brother really... killed someone, and the authorities want to question us?" His voice was filled with fear and disbelief.

The girl immediately turned her head and glared at him in the dim light. Her voice was soft but rebuked: "Brother Jiang! Stop talking nonsense! Don't you know what kind of person my elder brother is? He wouldn't even step on an ant! Do you really believe the gossip of those scoundrels in the school?" She tried to make her voice sound calm, but the slight tremor betrayed her.

Young Hu Jiang shrank back, but still couldn't help muttering, "But...but it's the middle of the night. If it's not something extremely important, why are you in such a hurry? And you said we shouldn't disturb anyone..." He was also very confused. He didn't want to believe that his older brother would kill someone, and he felt inexplicably terrified by this sudden midnight summons.

"Silence!" Qian Ming, who was sitting in the front of the carriage and could hear their whispers even through the curtain, impatiently whispered to them, "The adults are asking you questions, so just go when they call you! Why all the suspicion! Sit quietly, we'll be there soon!"

The siblings immediately fell silent, leaving only the monotonous sounds of wheels rolling, horses' hooves striking the pavement, and their suppressed breathing in the carriage. In the dim light, they could only see the unease flickering in each other's eyes.

……

A side hall in the back of the county government office was brightly lit. Unlike the somber atmosphere of the main hall, it was furnished more elegantly, resembling a small study or living room. Zhang Jingwei had changed out of his official robes and was wearing casual clothes. He sat in the main seat, where several plates of delicate pastries and two pots of slightly steaming, brightly colored fruit juices, such as plum juice or apricot syrup, were laid out on the round mahogany table in front of him.

Hu Xi and Hu Jiang were led in by Qian Ming. It was their first time inside the county government office late at night, and they were both a little uneasy. They were even more taken aback when they saw Zhang Jingwei sitting upright and the snacks on the table that seemed out of place with the solemn atmosphere.

Hu Xi reacted faster, pulling his younger brother forward and curtsying respectfully: "Student Hu Xi (Hu Jiang) greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate." His voice was clear and his manners impeccable.

Zhang Jingwei smiled warmly and waved his hand, "No need for formalities. Please sit down. I'm truly sorry to have woken you up so late. These snacks and fruits are my way of compensating you; staying up late can make you hungry, so have something to eat." His tone was casual, as if he were genuinely inviting his juniors for a late-night chat and snacks.

Hu Xi pulled Hu Jiang to sit down carefully on a chair next to her, but did not touch the snacks. She raised her clear eyes and looked at Zhang Jingwei, asking directly, "I wonder what brings Your Excellency to summon my brother and me here so late at night?" She asked directly, but also remained respectful.

Hu Jiang, being younger, couldn't hold back any longer and followed up his sister's words urgently, asking, "Sir... my older brother, did he... did he really kill someone?" After asking, he nervously clenched the hem of his clothes and looked at Zhang Jingwei expectantly.

Zhang Jingwei suppressed his smile, sighed softly, nodded, and said with certainty, "Yes. He confessed to me himself."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Hu Jiang jumped up from his chair as if pricked by a needle, his face flushed, and his voice rose. "My older brother... he's even hesitant to kill a chicken, muttering 'A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen' for ages, and in the end, he has to close his eyes and let someone else do it! How could he possibly kill someone? A living person, no less! Sir, are you mistaken?!" The young man's emotions were agitated and straightforward.

Zhang Jingwei looked at him quietly, and waited for him to finish speaking before slowly saying, "But... he confessed himself. In court, in front of everyone, he signed and sealed the document. The details of the murder he described were very clear."

Hu Xi's face also paled a bit, but she was more composed than her brother. Her brows furrowed as she pondered, and she softly suggested a possibility: "Could it be... that Big Brother was forced by someone, or... that he has some unspeakable secret?" She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingwei raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face: "Oh? From what you're saying... are you questioning whether I handled the case unfairly and forced a confession?" His voice wasn't harsh, but it carried an invisible pressure.

Hu Xi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head: "This student dares not! This student just... just can't believe that my elder brother would do such a thing, and was just making wild guesses. Please forgive me, sir."

"Alright." Zhang Jingwei's smile returned, and his tone became amiable again. "I was supposed to be asking you questions, but instead you're the ones asking me." He picked up a piece of pastry, took a bite himself, and gestured for them to relax. "Hu Xi, take a look. Do you recognize this?"

As he spoke, he gave Yuan Liang a wink. Yuan Liang understood and gently placed the dark brown lacquered wooden dressing case, which had been found in Hu Hai's house, on the table in front of Hu Xi.

Hu Xi's gaze fell on the dressing case. After examining it closely for a few moments, a look of confusion and a perfectly measured surprise appeared on his face. He shook his head and said, "Your Excellency, this is not my possession. The lacquer work, the carvings... these are all of the finest craftsmanship. It must be from the 'Yangshulin' shop in the city, right? A dressing case like this would cost at least ten thousand coins. My family is poor. I usually use the most ordinary wooden boxes and pottery jars. How could I possibly afford such a valuable item?"

"Oh? From 'Yangshulin'?" Zhang Jingwei nodded as if he had just realized. "It is indeed quite valuable. Well... in school, did you see any of your classmates using a similar dressing case?"

Hu Xi thought for a moment and replied, "Yes. Hu Rong, the eldest daughter of Master Hu Sheng in our village, has one. Although she is from the same village as us, she usually lives in the Taoist temple. I have seen her use it when she occasionally comes back to the village."

Zhang Jingwei paused slightly in his teacup, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, but his tone remained calm: "Hu Rong? Are you sure she's studying at my private school? I don't recall her name on the enrollment roster." His private school provided subsidies for impoverished students, but registration was still required.

Hu Xi explained, "Oh, sir, she didn't register using her secular name. Her Taoist name is 'Jingyao'. When your academy was newly established and recruited its first batch of students, Master Plum Blossom Fairy registered her using her Taoist name. So, she should be listed as 'Jingyao' on the roster."

“Jingyao… Hu Rong…” Zhang Jingwei repeated softly. Suddenly, instead of anger, a meaningful, almost gleeful smile appeared on his face. He turned to Yuan Liang and Qian Ming, who were standing to the side, and said softly, “Hmm… Qian Ming, I’ve got it. Tomorrow morning, notify the Dean to investigate this matter. If it is indeed due to the negligence of the Academic Affairs Department in failing to verify the association between the Daoist name and the secular name, resulting in unclear student records… all relevant instructors and administrators will have one month’s salary confiscated! As a warning to others.”

Qian Ming bowed: "Yes, young master."

Zhang Jingwei then turned to Hu Xi, as if the little incident had never happened, and continued to ask, "So, you're quite familiar with the two girls from Hu Sheng's family?"

Hu Xi carefully replied, "Jiaojiao...I'm not very familiar with her. She doesn't seem to study at the academy, and she's a bit aloof. Hu Rong and I have known each other since childhood, after all, we grew up in the same village. Although her family became successful later and we saw each other less often, we would still exchange a few words when we bumped into each other at the academy, so I guess we have some kind of relationship."

Hearing "Hu Jiao," Hu Jiang, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but interject, his tone a mix of youthful mischief reminiscing about the past and present guilt: "Hu Jiao! I know her well! When we were kids, she was always bigger and stronger than most girls. Once, she stole my spinning top, and I beat her up. She couldn't beat me, so she ran into her pigsty and cried! Haha... But that was in the past. I heard she's learning martial arts from her master now, so I wouldn't dare mess with her again." He got carried away and forgot the occasion.

"Brother Jiang!" Hu Xi whispered, then looked apologetically at Zhang Jingwei, "You must not speak rudely in front of an official."

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand, indicating that it was alright, and asked with interest, "Oh? She also learned martial arts? I know that. But I'm a little curious. As far as I know, her father, Hu Sheng, doesn't seem to love the two sisters much, and is even somewhat... indifferent. Why would he specially send her to the academy? The tuition is not high, but it still requires some money."

Hu Xi shook her head: "It wasn't given by her father. It was their master, the Plum Blossom Fairy. The fairy master believed that girls should also study and understand principles, so she paid tuition for the two sisters and sent them to school. Hu Rong's studies are actually very good." Her tone carried a hint of approval for her classmate.

“Plum Blossom Fairy…” Zhang Jingwei murmured the name, his eyes filled with even more contemplation.

Qian Ming, who had been listening in silence, stepped forward and added in a low voice, "Young Master, we went to Xinqing Temple to investigate this Plum Blossom Taoist as you instructed. The people there said that she had been traveling around for several months and her return date was uncertain. She won't be back anytime soon."

“Wandering? A few months ago?” Zhang Jingwei tapped his fingers lightly on the back of the chair twice. “Something’s strange… but the arrangement is quite ingenious.” The last sentence sounded like he was talking to himself, his voice very soft.

He quickly composed himself, his gentle smile returning, and said to Hu Xi and her brother, "Alright, that's all for tonight. Thank you very much, Hu Xi, and Hu Jiang." He glanced at the almost empty glass of juice in front of Hu Jiang and teased, "Drink less juice, or you won't be able to sleep tonight."

He paused for a moment, then made arrangements: "It's too late, and it might be inconvenient for you to go back to the school, and it would also disturb other people's sleep. Please stay in the guest rooms of my residence tonight; I've already had them prepared. I'll send someone to take you back early tomorrow morning."

Hu Jiang was still just a kid. Hearing that he could stay overnight at the county magistrate's mansion and have good food, most of his earlier nervousness and anxiety dissipated. Before his sister could reply, he grinned and said, "Hehe, thank you for your hospitality, sir!"

Hu Xi had a vague feeling that the young county magistrate's seemingly casual questions were all pointed at something. Allowing them to stay overnight was probably not just for "convenience." But she dared not ask further, and could only rise and bow respectfully again: "Thank you for your consideration, Your Excellency. We obey."

As the siblings were led to their room by servants, Zhang Jingwei's smile gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression. He gazed out the window at the deep night, his eyes seemingly piercing through the darkness, landing on an unknown yet gradually becoming clear focus.

“The Plum Blossom Taoist is traveling around, Hu Rong entered the school with her Taoist name, Hu Jiao learns martial arts, her dowry is expensive, with white sticky paste, a human skin mask, and the ‘Hu Xi’ that Hu Hai saw…” He listed the clues one by one in a low voice, his eyes flashing sharply, “It seems that we will have to meet this… ‘Jing Yao’ Taoist friend and her sister who knows martial arts first thing tomorrow morning.”