To divorce his wife, the top scholar preferred being cuckolded to wearing a red hat.

Su Mingyue poured Liu Zhi a glass of water: "Liu Zhi, how are you feeling now? Are you feeling any better?"

“Miss Su’s medicine is miraculous; I am now perfectly fine. The villagers all say that my father harmed so many people by drinking the blood of the mountain rat, calling him a sinner for all time, an unforgivable sinner. It hurts me to hear that. He didn’t mean to harm anyone; he was deceived. If time could be turned back, he certainly wouldn’t have chosen to drink the raw blood of the mountain rat, harming not only the people of Qingqing Prefecture but also himself and my mother.”

When Liu Zhi returned to the village, he was deeply saddened to hear the villagers' evaluation of his father.

My father drank the mountain rat's blood that day because he believed what outsiders said and genuinely thought that the mountain rat's blood could strengthen the body. If someone hadn't been encouraging him, he wouldn't have drunk the mountain rat's blood raw.

“I’ve heard about your father’s situation. We heard some things in the village during the day. They said that the reason your father chose to drink raw blood was because a man who buys mountain goods persuaded him to drink it, saying that raw blood has miraculous effects. For the past six months, your father’s health has been deteriorating day by day, and hearing that raw blood has miraculous effects, he naturally wanted to try it. That mountain goods merchant was brought in by Liu Gui. Has your father said anything to you about Liu Gui or that mountain goods merchant?”

"When he brought the man home that day, the peddler was telling him about the miraculous effects of eating raw blood, and the man even drank a bowl of it in front of his father. He also said that his strong body was due to drinking the raw blood of the mountain rat. The man was indeed in good health and looked very strong."

"Does that mountain peddler look like a local? Does he look like someone from Western Qi? People from Western Qi are much stronger than us Southern Li people."

“Yes, he does.” Liu Zhi said excitedly, “His accent doesn’t sound like the one from Qingzhou City, it sounds like the accent from Xiqi. Liu Gui said he’s a mountain goods collector who travels all over the country, so his accent is indeed different from ours. Miss Su, is there something wrong with that person?”

“Liu Gui is dead.” Su Mingyue stated directly, “He disappeared the very night your father drank the raw blood. Today, his body was found on the mountain; he had been killed with a single stab.”

Liu Zhi was at a loss for words upon hearing this.

Is Liu Gui dead?

Why did he die? That peddler was definitely suspicious. My father's infection with the virus wasn't accidental; it was intentional. Liu Zhi was a smart man, and he immediately grasped the key point.

"Now that we have this suspicion, the most urgent task is to find that peddler. He was brought into the village by Liu Gui, and now that Liu Gui is dead, the trail has naturally gone cold."

“They came to my house that day, and I happened to be home. But I was studying in my room and didn’t come out, so they probably didn’t know I was home. If they had known I was home and seen the peddler’s true face, I probably wouldn’t be alive now.”

"Do you still remember what that person looked like? Can you draw him?"

"I'll try my best." Liu Zhi nodded, then thought of something: "My cousin Liu Yun is quite good at drawing. You can call her over. I'll do the drawing, and she can draw it. She should be able to capture his likeness."

Although Liu Yun had never received formal training in painting, she had a natural talent for it from a young age, and could draw anything realistically.

Su Mingyue sent someone to fetch the Liu Yun sisters.

After Liu Zhi described it, Liu Yun quickly drew the man's appearance.

Su Mingyue immediately recognized the person in the portrait as a disguise.

While facial features can be altered, height is definitely not fake.

The other person was taller than the average man and had a larger frame.

After poisoning someone, a person usually won't leave easily because they want to see for themselves whether the people have been poisoned and how to deal with them if they have been poisoned.

"I'm certain she's still in Qingzhou City. The portrait is here; her face may have changed a bit, but her height and bone structure are the same. Have someone keep a close eye on her." Su Mingyue handed the portrait to Xiao Zhan, telling him to investigate the rest, as he was the professional.

Xiao Zhan took the portrait and went out.

As soon as he went out, Yang Deyou came looking for him: "Your Highness, the situation in Qingzhou City is getting better every day. The supply of food and medicine is sufficient. It seems that the lifting of the lockdown is not far away."

Previously, Qingzhou City was lifeless and gloomy, which made him, as the general guarding the city, feel distressed.

Seeing Qingzhou City getting better day by day makes him truly happy.

"It will take a while, depending on the situation. I need to find someone here. You are the one who usually checks people coming in and out of the city. Can you check if you have seen him?"

Zhao Deyou glanced at the man in the portrait and shook his head: "I'll call a few people over. They're the ones who usually check travel permits and documents. They have better eyesight than I do, so they might be able to recognize him."

"Go ahead, come to my tent in a bit."

Before long, Zhao Deyou brought over a few junior officers.

They were all junior officers who usually guarded the city and were responsible for checking travel permits and such.

One of the young officers, Guan Xing, asked Zhao Deyou, "Brother, did something happen that you summoned us before the Prince?"

"Don't worry, it's alright. I'm giving you a chance to make a contribution. Be smart in time and try to win the prince's favor. If the prince takes a liking to you, we'll be set for life."

Zhao Deyou led his men inside: "Your Highness, I have brought the people who usually check the travel permits with me. Please ask them."

Xiao Zhan raised his head.

Of the three, Guan Xing was the tallest and the most robust. The other two were also tall, but they looked short next to Guan Xing.

He unfolded the portrait: "I am looking for someone. You see many people when you are guarding the city gate. I would like to ask if you have seen this person."

The other two examined it carefully, but Guan Xing's pupils contracted as he looked at the painting.

"Take a good look. If you've seen it before, quickly inform the Prince. This is a great opportunity to earn merit."

"It looks familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before but I can't quite remember." The other two scratched their heads, unable to give a clear answer.

Guan Xing looked at the portrait with certainty: "Your Highness, I have seen him before."

Xiao Zhan looked over.

Zhao Deyou also looked at Guan Xing and thought to himself: This kid is good, he has a good eye.

Xiao Zhan looked over: "You've seen it before? When?"

"It was some time ago, but I don't remember exactly when. He seemed to be a peddler who brought a cart full of mountain goods and some unusual items into the city. Because he was dressed strangely and his goods were quite rare, I took a closer look."

“He is indeed a seller of mountain products,” Xiao Zhan nodded.

"Your Highness, he's just a man who sells mountain products. What do you want with him?"

“A villager from Willow Village has died, and I suspect he is the murderer. Liu Gui has also been dead for some time, and his body was only discovered yesterday. According to the villagers, they only saw him with a peddler that day, so the peddler is a prime suspect.”