After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

The government office was very efficient; it only took three days to thoroughly investigate the Guo family's case. The clerk personally summarized the interrogation process and sent the relevant files, including the autopsy results, to the post station.

As expected, all the fireflies who went to the Guo family home, except for Steward Guo's daughter, died. The cause of death was suffocation after being drugged. There were several ways to suffocate; one person was strangled, and based on the finger marks left on the deceased's neck, it was determined to be Steward Guo's doing. Another person was smothered with a pillow, and there were still remnants of cotton wool in her nostrils. The remaining two were strangled with ropes; one of them briefly regained consciousness and resisted, and one of her fingernails was split open.

As Lu Zhiyuan looked through the case file, she asked, "How long has this person been dead? How decomposed is he? Are the finger marks on his neck clear?"

The clerk respectfully said, "The autopsy results are at the back of the file, with detailed records. The place where the perpetrator buried the body was very unusual; the soil was dry, allowing the body to retain its appearance as much as possible at the time of the murder. The smaller body was quite frightening. The perpetrator was very casual when burying the body; basically, it was buried exactly as it was when the murder occurred."

Lu Zhiyuan: "Where is Steward Guo's daughter?"

The clerk probed, "Is Madam asking about Guo Ying?"

Lu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow: "Guo Ying?"

The clerk smiled: "She's the daughter of Steward Guo, the wife that Guo Kuan, the young master of the Guo family, later married. When she was little, she was called Niu Niu, following her father's name, Guo Niu Niu. Later, she was taken away by slave traders and sold to several families, changing her name several times. Later, she became a street vendor named Lan'er. Then, she impersonated the daughter of the prefect and married young master Guo Kuan under the name Li Molan. Li is her mother's surname. Now she has changed her name to Guo Ying and is registered in the prefectural government as the adopted daughter of a criminal."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded: "Have you found this Guo Ying?"

The clerk bowed slightly and said, "I found her. She's in town. She used the money she took from the Guo family to buy a big house. If it weren't for your arrival, Madam, Guo Ying would probably have taken in a son-in-law in that new house."

After saying that, he added, "The Guo family is truly pitiful."

Lu Zhiyuan flipped through the autopsy results: "Where are the Guo family's house and shops?"

The document stated, "The Guo family's original residence was sold by the perpetrator, who was also the Guo family's steward, and his daughter, Guo Ying. The current owner is unwilling to vacate the property. We inquired with Young Master Guo, and he indicated that Young Madam Guo should make the decision. Young Madam Guo is the manager of this inn, and she also inquired with him just now. Young Madam Guo's opinion is that since the residence has already been sold, there is no need to buy it back. The perpetrator, who is also the steward, is willing to compensate Young Master Guo with the residence under his name."

The Guo family's shops have all been recovered, just as Lu Zhiyuan had said. They were all transferred to Guo Ying's name through a sale by Steward Guo. The shopkeepers and employees remain the same, and normal operations continue. The government office has already completed the formal procedures to transfer the house and shops to Guo Nianzhi's name. Guo Nianzhi is Afu; Nianzhi is the name Guo Kuan gave him to be registered in the Guo family genealogy.

Afu has a new name, and Guo Kuan's poison is under control to about 70-80%. With careful care, he should live for another six months without any problem. With the matter at the post station settled, Lu Zhiyuan is also preparing to leave.

Upon learning of her departure, Afu's mother found her, her face showing restraint. She said that Guo Kuan wanted to see Lu Zhiyuan not because of the poison in his body, nor because of the Guo family's affairs, but because he knew a secret, a secret related to the imperial court. He knew he didn't have long to live, and he also knew that Lu Zhiyuan was of extraordinary status, most likely with a high-ranking official background. He wanted to tell her that secret as a way of repaying a debt of gratitude.

Three days later, I returned to the courtyard, and the feeling was completely different.

The courtyard had been cleared of all its clutter, making it both clean and empty. The makeshift kitchen had also been demolished; the current kitchen was a converted room from Steward Guo's original room, with a hired nanny as the cook. Guo Kuan's room had also been thoroughly cleaned. The room was large and divided into two sections. The outer room was where Guo Kuan lived, for easier care. The inner room was for the servant. The servant was the same one who had previously served Guo Kuan in the Guo household, but had been brought back by Afu's mother.

The bed and bedding were new, though they still had a slight odor, which was barely noticeable thanks to the incense.

Compared to three days ago, Guo Kuan was in much better spirits. Dressed in loose clothing, he leaned against the bedding. His gaze was calm, and his expression composed. At this moment, he did resemble a scholar.

Upon seeing Lu Zhiyuan, Guo Kuan struggled to stand up. Lu Zhiyuan did not stop him, letting him try a few times before giving up on his own.

The mere act of standing up left Guo Kuan drenched in sweat. He gave a weak smile and raised his hand, saying, "Excuse me!"

“You’ve done your best.” Lu Zhiyuan sat down. “I’m here to hear the secret.”

Guo Kuan looked at Lu Yun.

“His name is Lu Yun, and he’s my friend.” Lu Zhiyuan looked directly at Guo Kuan: “There’s no need to hide anything, including the secret you mentioned.”

Guo Kuan nodded and fumbled under his pillow to retrieve two envelopes. One envelope was clean; inside was half a bloodstained token. The other envelope was folded and then flattened. It had obvious bloodstains. Placing the envelopes and the token together confirmed that the bloodstains had been applied at the same time.

"Before marrying A-Mian, I traveled extensively," Guo Kuan said awkwardly. "A-Mian and I have known each other since childhood, practically childhood sweethearts. Later, my aunt and uncle passed away because of me and my father. A-Mian became an orphan and was taken in by our family. My father, my mother, and I all know that we have wronged A-Mian and her parents. If we hadn't gone to the post station that day, if my father had resolved his conflicts with others beforehand, perhaps things would have been different."

Guo Kuan closed his eyes: "Self-blame, guilt, and regret made us unsure how to face A-Mian. As A-Mian grew older, this awkward feeling became increasingly uncontrollable. My father was good at escaping, and my mother used harsh treatment of A-Mian to cover up her past mistakes. She stubbornly believed that A-Mian's parents had deliberately sacrificed for us, trying to use this to threaten the Guo family to treat A-Mian well and take responsibility for her. I am the child of my father and mother, inheriting my father's escapism, learning my mother's harshness, and also having inexplicable feelings for A-Mian deep in my heart."

Lu Zhiyuan: "Is it not travel, but escapism?"

Guo Kuan nodded: "Yes, I wanted to use this method to escape my marriage with A Mian, or to figure out my marriage with A Mian. I went to Yanzhou, the one that is very close to Ganzhou. As soon as I entered Yanzhou, I was robbed of my silver. To make ends meet, I found a job writing erotic poems for girls in brothels."

Guo Kuan blushed.

He was a scholar who aspired to take the imperial examinations and become an official for the people; such an experience was indeed difficult to talk about.

Xianglai Pavilion was the most popular and bustling brothel in Yanzhou, with the most girls. Guo Kuan stayed there for half a month until one day he was surrounded by a group of men in black. They pulled out a portrait and interrogated him, demanding to know if he had seen that person.