Chapter 298: None of Them Are Reassuring

As soon as Gu Kang finished speaking, everyone was startled.

They were clearly investigating Mr. Wen's case, but it unexpectedly turned into such a huge case, even involving the upcoming Spring Examination.

The imperial examination is a major affair of Southern Qi's politics, involving many groups and interests.

It is also the emperor's key method for selecting talent to strengthen the court, especially as Southern Qi's administration has become increasingly chaotic in recent years, urgently needing a batch of young fresh blood to enter the court for sweeping reforms.

At this critical moment, an imperial examination cheating case suddenly surfaced, and the matter blew up, even larger than Mr. Wen's case.

Even the Crown Prince, seated in his high position, couldn't help but gasp sharply.

Could it really be as Gu Kang said, that the third young master of the Gu Residence hired a killer and kept this talented scholar under house arrest in his own annex?

He even used the scholar's writings to polish his image, passing them off as his own throughout Shang Jing.

Moreover, he submitted the scholar's articles as the pieces for the upcoming Spring Examination, which makes the problem even bigger.

Xiao Ting's expression hardened.

"How daring, Gu Kang! If you speak without evidence and spout nonsense, don't blame this hall for being unkind!"

Gu Kang kowtowed and said, "Every word the commoner speaks is true."

"Earlier, Gu Huai sold that boy's sister to Ren Ya Zi."

"Ren Ya Zi originally intended to take the woman to the Western Rong, but something went awry en route, and he sold her to a traveling merchant instead."

"The merchant, having some conscience, felt great sympathy for the poor woman and bought her, making her his wife."

"The boy's sister is named Zhao Zitong, who sensed that her mother's death was mysterious and unexplained."

"She begged her husband to investigate, and they only discovered that her brother had left with a noble young master in Shang Jing."

"That merchant had some connections in Shang Jing and actually traced it back to the Gu family; coincidentally, the commoner also bears the surname Gu. Through a series of coincidences, the commoner stumbled upon this matter."

"In the meantime, the commoner had already uncovered some clues, but accusing Gu Huai is certainly not an easy path."

"Originally, the commoner intended to first take the Spring Examination to earn a name, then stand up for the pitiful Zhao family."

"But unexpectedly... I appealed to the Crown Prince to intervene in this wrongful case; now that the commoner dares to speak these words, there must be evidence!"

At that moment, Gu Huai disclosed, one by one, the burial site of the Zhao family's boy and the items the boy had hidden in a tree hollow.

The more Gu Huai spoke, the more agitated his expression became; he suddenly leapt up and lunged at Gu Kang.

"Well, Gu Kang, we were at least compatriots back then, and you actually..."

Whether it's a frame-up or not, let's first find the things.

Watching, Xiao Yin slowly rose, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth; he especially enjoys these treasure‑hunting affairs.

"Ling Feng! Take your men and accompany the Ministry of Justice brothers on a trip."

"Gather all the items and bring them here; be extremely careful on the road. Don't let anyone exploit a loophole and turn this into a headless murder case."

When Xiao Yin mentioned the three characters "some people", he gave a meaning‑laden glance at Gu Cheng standing beside him.

Gu Cheng's eyebrows knit fiercely as he stared in disbelief at Gu Kang.

Because his younger brother had just risen violently and been pinned to the ground by a few petty officials, he pleaded for help to Gu Cheng.

He dared not imagine that the situation had changed so drastically; even with his wit, he was at a loss before the current circumstances, his heart pounding hard.

Gu Huai clearly lost his composure, staring longingly at his elder brother Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng muttered to himself, "fool," and averted his gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Bitterness surged in his heart, whether concerning Gu Huai or the earlier Gu Nanxiang.

His younger brother and sister were especially troublesome; they were overly clever but unstable, which gradually led to the current predicament.

He never expected that his brother's articles were not his own, but penned by another.

Over the years, his brother used those articles, deceiving him and his father countless times, to the point that his father believed the third son Gu Huai was a formidable figure.

He thought the third son would far surpass Gu Cheng, and thus spent far too much time on him.

Gu Cheng even wanted to cultivate him for the court, making him his future right‑hand man.

Then, supporting the Crown Prince together, the two brothers would become Southern Qi's senior ministers, but they never imagined everything was a scheme by the third brother.

This scoundrel not only deceived everyone in Shang Jing, but also his own closest elder brother; for a moment Gu Cheng felt a chill in his heart.

He didn't know why things had turned out this way.

He didn't know how much effort it took to reach the Crown Prince and become his aide.

He hadn't yet shown his abilities ahead, yet the inner household suffered incident after incident, each trying to drag him down; Gu Cheng couldn't help but feel fear and worry.

With Xiao Yin's side providing protection, even the Gu side had no time to do anything.

Gu Kang kept this matter airtight; even Gu Jiu Ling didn't know his younger brother still had such a ruthless trick.

She couldn't help but revise her view of Gu Kang, realizing the kid wasn't foolish, and his scheming was also brutally ruthless.

Soon, the petty officials, following Gu Kang's orders, brought the testimonies and physical evidence into the Ministry of Justice's main hall.

Because this case involved the imperial examination, the students awaiting news heard that a larger examination fraud case had been uncovered from Mr. Wen's case.

Rumors spread quickly in private, and soon more students gathered outside the Ministry of Justice hall.

At this point, even Xiao Ting, if he wanted to suppress the matter, could not.

Miss Zhao Zhao Zitong, together with her husband, knelt in the Ministry of Justice hall, and the moment she saw Gu Huai, she clenched her teeth and shouted angrily.

"It's him! The black‑hearted one! My brother once regarded him as a confidant, but he sent people to poison my mother, then claimed she died of a sudden illness, theatrically bringing a doctor to my home to treat her."

"After burying my mother that day, he sent my brother away, ordered people to seize me and sell me to Ren Ya Zi, intending to ship me to the Western Rong."

"Heaven has no mercy; our whole family has suffered this disaster."

"My brother's talent would have guaranteed success in the capital's examinations."

"Now his writings have been stolen, his mother and sister harmed, and he himself is dismembered."

"I beg the Crown Prince to severely punish these villains."

Soon, a few coroners entered, bringing the dismembered young Zhao boy.

On top of that corpse, talismans were still pressed.

Afterwards, even those who wrote the talismans were also brought in.

Zhao Xiaolang's birth date and time were all personally delivered to them by Gu San Yezi.

The most crucial piece of evidence is that piece of paper hidden by the Zhao family's young lord in a tree hollow.

Sure enough, the text on the paper is exactly the passage that Gu Kang had just memorized.

With so much evidence clear and obvious, the scholars outside have long been furious to the extreme.

These people came to Shang Jing to take the exams, seeking nothing more than a degree; they never expected that aristocratic youths could manipulate others' fates in this way.

Immediately, the crowd became stirred up, and they all demanded that the Gu family give them an explanation.

Xiao Yin stood up and said with a light smile: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please go to the palace and request an imperial edict; I will now go to the Gu family to find those writings."