"......Why are the constables targeting Li Heng? Did something happen?"

The stars were sparse in the moonlight, and Kang Xian's voice drifted from the room. Zhou Pei, hidden beneath the window, listened intently. Now, the young princess felt an increasing curiosity towards this young teacher. She guessed that something might have changed regarding the assassination attempt of a few days ago, but what she heard next was not the case.

"It's said to be about a case from last year, somewhat related to the assassination of Song Xian. It also seems to involve the disappearance of another official and a family annihilation..."

A'gui, who had always been trusted by the Prince Consort, answered from inside the room. Hearing his words, Zhou Pei blinked in astonishment outside, stunned for a moment. Inside, Kang Xian had likely frowned.

"How did it become so serious?"

"The matter isn't certain, there's no substantial evidence, but I know Chen Feng from before, and he's very capable when it comes to solving cases. What he's investigated now isn't much, but it reminded me of some other things."

"Hmm?"

"Master, do you remember that Young Master Ning was very interested in martial arts around that time last year?"

"Ha, of course I remember." Kang Xian chuckled inside. "But his understanding of such matters was often inaccurate, I don't know what kind of legendary stories he'd read. I told Prince Qin at the time that although he seemed mature in many things, he was quite spirited in this. However, with his skills, it wouldn't be strange if he later found some ways to learn. It seems he really learned something, but all in all, after hearing the details of the assassination a few days ago, what I admire most about Li Heng is his decisive character."

"Precisely. However, Master should also remember that he once asked about Song Xian and the assassins..."

"I don't believe he's involved in this."

"I find it hard to believe as well, but this is what I thought of after hearing Chen Feng's words today. Chen Feng didn't know this, but his investigation at the time wasn't about Song Xian's assassination, but the disappearance of an official named Gu Yanzhen."

Kang Xian thought for a moment, "Gu Yanzhen... I've met this person a few times, he's quite talented. Did he pass the imperial examination?"

"He was appointed to a substantive post last year, and returned to Jiangning in March and April to visit friends. He was scheduled to take office as the magistrate of Leping County in July, but he disappeared in June after leaving Jiangning. Later, his body and his servant's were found outside the city. A family surnamed Yang was also killed. At the same time, several servants in Gu Yanzhen's household were also killed, seemingly to silence them because they knew something. The assassin was the same female assassin who assassinated Song Xian, and it was believed that Gu Yanzhen's death was also related to the female assassin. Chen Feng found some suspicious things at the time, but the superiors couldn't catch the assassin, so they had to close the case hastily. Due to the lack of leads, they couldn't continue the investigation at the time."

"How is this related to Li Heng?"

"The family who died with Gu Yanzhen wasn't virtuous. The Yang brothers, Yang Yi and Yang Heng, were famous thugs in Jiangning, known for their ferocity. Even the smaller gangs didn't dare to provoke them easily. The Yang family, Yang Yi also had two sons, who were grown adults, and supposedly had good martial arts skills. He also had a wife, a total of five people. This family didn't usually cause minor troubles, but it's said that they would take on some kidnapping and extortion jobs every so often. The government couldn't convict them, so they probably had many lives on their hands. The most likely speculation at the time was that this family took on a job from Gu Yanzhen to kidnap someone in the city..."

At this point, Kang Xian suddenly snorted in the room, "A court official, colluding with such bandits!"

"...Who they kidnapped is now difficult to ascertain. The most likely person is someone Master knows, the girl from Bamboo Tales, Nie Yunzhu."

The room fell silent for a moment, Kang Xian was probably digesting this information, and also connecting things to Ning Yi. Then, Lu A'gui continued to speak.

"It's said that Gu Yanzhen had some relationship with Miss Nie when she was still in the Golden Phoenix Brothel. After he passed the imperial examination and returned to Jiangning, he still couldn't forget Miss Nie, but Miss Nie had already left the brothel..."

"Hmph, I know about Gu Hong's reputation as a talented scholar, he probably had close relationships with many people in the brothel, but he has good taste in liking Nie Yunzhu. Although Yunzhu came from a brothel, her heart and character are truly good."

"That's right, according to what I know, Miss Nie's relationship with Young Master Ning was already quite deep at the time, but even so, Gu Yanzhen was probably still reluctant to let her go. It's said that he even proposed marriage on the street and was slapped in the face. Chen Feng combined this with Gu Yanzhen's past behavior and speculated that Gu Yanzhen asked the Yang brothers to kidnap Miss Nie, but after investigating, Miss Nie hadn't disappeared at the time, so he investigated the men related to Miss Nie, but didn't find anything at the time."

"...The Yang brothers, kidnapped Li Heng?" Without saying much, Kang Xian understood the speculation. "What happened next, you said the Yang brothers, their entire family was annihilated?"

"All five family members, none survived."

"...When did this happen last year?"

"June."

"That's impossible." Kang Xian shook his head. "Li Heng was still asking about martial arts in May, he was clearly still a weak scholar at the time. The assassination of Song Xian was also in May. Even if he really found some martial arts master at the time, or even directly took that female assassin as his teacher, his skills wouldn't be that good. How could he have martial arts that could be cultivated in a month... Oh, if that female assassin went to annihilate the other party's family, and then killed Gu Yanzhen, that would be possible..."

Kang Xian's guess was naturally reliable, but then, Lu A'gui denied it: "But the strange thing is that the deaths of the Yang brothers and Gu Yanzhen were likely not the work of a martial arts master. According to Chen Feng's investigation at the time, it was likely a person in a disadvantageous position who killed the Yang family, and also killed Gu Yanzhen and one of his guards on the same night... A total of seven people."

Zhou Pei outside the window had already widened her eyes. She hid here to hear these things, and couldn't imagine that her teacher could be involved in such things. Sure enough, soon after, the two people in the room probably made a speculation as well.

"Li Heng did it?"

"I think it's possible, but the process of the matter is now very difficult to reconstruct..."

"What is Chen Feng's idea?"

"Someone was kidnapped by the Yang brothers that day. This family was notorious for being vicious, four men and one woman, all killed by that person in a disadvantageous position. If the person kidnapped was Young Master Ning, he didn't even know martial arts at the time. The reason Chen Feng made such a speculation is because after killing the Yang family, this person was also seriously injured, but the other party made a choice at the time. He stayed near the Yang brothers' residence, didn't leave, but made some traps, and spent an unknown amount of time waiting for Gu Yanzhen, the one who hired the thugs..."

Kang Xian nodded: "...Ruthless, cutting off the roots."

"Some traces were left at the scene, indicating that when the person stayed in the nearby woods, he vomited twice at the same location, and chewed a large amount of bitter leaves. This shows that he was seriously injured at the time, and may have been in constant pain, causing vomiting, and in order to persist in seeing the arrival of the one who hired the thugs, he chewed leaves to stay awake... This kind of thing is not something that ordinary people can do. I ask myself that I would be difficult to do in that situation. Most importantly, since he had already killed the Yang family, and was seriously injured, what ordinary people can choose is to leave first..."

Lu A'gui said these words, Zhou Pei outside the window had already slightly opened her mouth, shocked by the meaning of these words, kidnapped by desperate thugs, turned around and killed the other party's family, seriously injured, sitting in the woods chewing leaves to stop the pain, combined with the image of the young teacher in her mind, she didn't know what kind of shocking feeling it was for a while. Did her teacher really do such a thing, thinking about it now, she thinks... it's very possible, that teacher, might really be able to do it.

"That feeling of being targeted is very uncomfortable, this kind of temperament is the foundation for doing great things..." Kang Xian said, then, a sense of realization welled up in his words, "Oh, that's right... His hand was burned, and his bone was broken, but he didn't say much at the time..."

Lu A'gui probably nodded: "Young Master Ning mysteriously disappeared for a few days at the time, and said he was injured helping a friend, and his hand was wrapped in bandages until before the new year. Chen Feng didn't know about this, I only remembered it after he mentioned it. In this way, things match up."

"Naturally, Chen Feng can't be allowed to know." Kang Xian said a sentence, then paused, "This matter... is there no evidence?"

"Actually, I'm just guessing, maybe it's a coincidence. Chen Feng only discovered Young Master Ning's relationship with Miss Nie in the past few days, so he was moved and came to investigate. It won't be easy to bring it up."

"Whether it's easy or not, whether it's true or not, the matter can't be brought up. Court officials, hiring thugs for kidnapping, Gu Yanzhen himself also deserved to die, and the Yang family also deserved to die, but..." Kang Xian said a sentence, then stopped again, "Ha, I've been wondering these past few days, on the day of the assassination, Li Heng's actions were mostly intelligent, but his skills have actually become agile and powerful, worthy of the name 'Bloody-Handed Butcher'. Truly amazing... well done. A'gui, you go take care of this matter, that Chen Feng... can he be reasoned with?"

"He's been investigating, but it's just a constable's habit, he's not pedantic, and as long as you tell him about Young Master Ning's contributions to disaster relief, he knows what to do."

"That's good, I heard you mention his speculation, this person's ability is still very good. Since you are familiar with him, see what kind of ambitions he has as an official, since he is a capable person, then find a way to find a better position in the Jiangning Prefecture, find a way to vacate one. Anyway, most of the people in high positions are just holding down a job, don't bury talent."

Hearing that this person is savvy enough to communicate with,

Kang Xian also spoke cordially, if what Lu A'gui said was that this person was pedantic enough, and would do anything for justice, the old man's preparation to do at this time is estimated to not be a good thing. He only heard Lu A'gui say "yes", nodded in agreement, and then, he heard the door rang.

Zhou Pei listened to these words, and thought about it, still in shock, and quickly got up to run away, but after all, she had been squatting for too long, her body moved, and she sat down on the ground, and quickly used her hands and feet to climb to the side, and then, she heard Lu A'gui's voice "Little Princess" rang.

The little girl shrugged her head, knowing that it was useless to leave, then, she heard Kang Xian's voice in the room, without too much surprise, just said: "Xiao Pei, come in."

"Woo..." The little girl pinched her ears, and walked in disappointedly, "I won't be a traitor, Prince Consort Grandpa, don't kill me..."