The wanted posters were consumed at an alarming rate. For several consecutive days, the artists were working diligently, heads down, sketching tirelessly.
Upon learning that Guan Qing had not yet been captured, Ma Bing sprang up from her chair without hesitation, instantly abandoning the artists with whom she had shared the toil for days.
“I’m going to help catch him too!”
Several artists, exhausted and pale-lipped from staying up, looked up in unison, watching her departing figure with a mix of envy and reluctance, trying their best to persuade her to stay: “Miss Ma, won’t you draw a few more pictures?”
“Yeah, it’s too hot outside—you might get sunburned. Isn’t it much better to stay inside and draw portraits?”
“We’ve just brought another stack of drawing paper over!”
Without turning her head, Ma Bing quickened her pace, as if pursued by ghosts. “No, no… I’m leaving!”
If she didn’t run away now, she would end up vomiting from drawing too much.
In all her life, this was the first time she had found drawing so terrifying!
She needed to go out and get some sun—getting sunburned wouldn’t be so bad after all!
It is worth mentioning that Li Qinghe also spent each day carrying the wanted posters, running around the city and its outskirts, asking passersby if they had seen the fake Guan Qing. He worked extremely hard.
Friends urged him to rest, but instead, he encouraged them to join the search.
Puzzled, one friend asked, “Now that we know he was a substitute examinee and Musheng was framed, we were merely victims of an unexpected disaster. We can just wait for the official announcement from the county office. Why bother with all this effort?”
Li Qinghe replied, “That’s not how we should think. We have long benefited from the grace of the imperial court, so we must share the emperor’s burdens. The more people helping, the better. Wouldn’t finding him sooner bring peace of mind earlier?”
What difference does it make whether we find him sooner or later? Would the court really make us retake the exam anyway?
Since there’s no difference, why bother rushing?
Seeing that they couldn’t persuade him, his friends simply gave up.
Gradually, people outside began to hear about it. Some said Li Qinghe was foolish, others pitied him for being dragged into the mess, while a few praised him for his righteousness.
Even Tu Yao, speaking privately with Xie Yu and others, couldn’t hide his admiration: “This man handles crises calmly—he truly has the spirit of a chivalrous gentleman.”
Although his actions were partly self-serving, the fact that he could carry them out was already quite rare.
It’s not a problem for people to have minor schemes or calculations; even officials should have some depth. The real danger lies in those who only seek benefits without wanting to put in effort.
Unknowingly, Li Qinghe had gradually caught the attention of the senior officials.
During the fugitive’s escape, the emperor inquired about the progress almost daily, and the entire Kaifeng Prefecture was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere, so oppressive that it felt hard to breathe.
Fortunately, this stalemate was broken on the sixth day: the fake Guan Qing was finally captured.
Early that morning, several villagers outside Kaifeng were heading to the fields with their farming tools when they accidentally spotted a stranger drinking water by the river.
The village was small, rarely visited by outsiders. Suddenly seeing an unfamiliar face, they couldn’t help but stare a bit longer.
Under normal circumstances, the stranger would often stare back. But this person acted like a frightened bird, covering his face and running off.
“Are we tigers? Why is he running away?”
The villagers stood there, stunned for a while before regaining their senses.
Wait a second, wasn’t there an official notice issued a couple of days ago about an escaped criminal?
Encouraged by their numbers and confident on their home turf, the villagers quickly discussed their options. One fast runner was sent back to report to the authorities, while the others, abandoning their farming, chased after the fleeing stranger.
The result was predictable.
Even a mighty dragon can’t overpower local ruffians, let alone a scholar who had been hiding and fleeing for days, exhausted.
In the end, the villagers not only captured the suspect but also followed the trail to find his mule and belongings, delivering everything to the authorities.
The Kaifeng Prefecture officials: “…”
“These villagers are quite capable!”
Yuanpei clicked his tongue, quickly estimating the distance from the village to the capture site: “He ran quite far.”
If the magistrate hadn’t promptly issued the wanted notice, he might have slipped away.
“Does he look like the one?”
Recently, Ma Bing had been accompanying the Kaifeng Prefecture constables on their missions, and they gradually accepted her as one of their own. At this moment, she spoke first, and no one found it odd.
The constable cautiously replied, “He’s been on the run for days, with a beard and dirty face, so we haven’t had a good look yet. But I think it’s him.”
Huoping was more certain: “Where else would so many fugitives come from in Kaifeng Prefecture? And why would he run if he wasn’t guilty?”
Yuanpei rolled up his sleeves: “Why talk so much? Whether it’s him or not, just bring him in for verification!”
After a brief silence, Xie Yu finally asked the most critical question: “Does he have any official identification documents on him?”
Ma Bing and the others were momentarily stunned before suddenly realizing.
Right, how could we have overlooked such a simple method?
The constable nodded: “That’s exactly why I dared not confirm. He does have documents, but they’re under the name Cao Qing. Without a comparison, we’re afraid of making a mistake.”
Not Guan Qing?
Wait, he wasn’t Guan Qing to begin with.
So who exactly is this Cao Qing, and what is his connection to Guan Qing?
After his arrest, Cao Qing remained extremely silent, refusing to speak no matter how the constables questioned him.
In the end, it was Magistrate Song who stepped in, fiercely declaring: “This kid just needs a good beating. Starve him—no food for him!”
Magistrate Song not only withheld food from Cao Qing but also deliberately brought fatty chicken and duck in front of him when he was starving, eating with great relish, his mouth dripping with greasy aroma, even his belches filled with the scent of meat.
After two days of this, Cao Qing finally couldn’t hold out anymore.
His eyes turned green with hunger, and in a weak voice, he said, “Feed me a full meal, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Magistrate Song was extremely pleased, proudly raising his head to Xie Yu and others: “See that? You’re all still too green!”
After devouring the food like a whirlwind, Cao Qing stared blankly into the air for half a day before slowly exhaling, his spine bending as he slumped onto the floor. “Ask your questions.”
Because the case involved many people, Tu Yao personally came to preside over the trial. The vice-governor and Magistrate Song sat in secondary seats, while Xie Yu and others listened in. Ma Bing also squeezed into the group of constables and managed to find a standing spot.
Magistrate Song first paid respects to Tu Yao. Seeing no further instructions, he began his questioning.
“Were you the substitute for Guan Qing?”
At the mention of Guan Qing’s name, a strange and peculiar smile appeared on Cao Qing’s face.
He lifted his head, looking from beneath his tangled hair, half-smiling as he said, “Why don’t you go ask him yourselves?”
Everyone sensed something was off. Magistrate Song slammed the bench hard with his wooden mallet: “Dare you answer the official’s question!”
Cao Qing had a deep sense of fear toward the man who had tormented him for days. He pursed his lips and indeed became more obedient.
“Yes.”
“Did Guan Qing’s family know about your substitution? Did the local officials know? Did the examiners at that time know?” Though he scolded, Magistrate Song was indeed a master at interrogation, quickly zeroing in on the key points.
These questions were clearly pivotal in determining the political landscape of the court moving forward!
Surprisingly, Cao Qing still managed to smile.
He glanced at Magistrate Song, then shifted his gaze to Tu Yao on the bench, “Since Your Honor has already guessed, why bother asking?”
How could such a major case be carried out by an ordinary citizen alone?
There must have been collusion from within.
“Answer!” Magistrate Song wasn’t buying into this.
“Yes.”
“What is your relationship with Guan Qing? Why did they choose you to take his place?”
“I was originally Guan Qing’s attendant. In my early years, I accompanied him to the county school,” Cao Qing’s eyes carried a hint of mockery. “Born lowly, yet I read better than he did.”
Seeming to realize he had already come this far, further concealment would be useless. Cao Qing paused, then poured out the rest of the crucial details.
“Back then, Guan Qing’s family felt he had no hope of passing the imperial exams, so they bribed the local authorities in advance and also corrupted the imperial supervisors sent by the court…”
Magistrate Song signaled the scribe to record all of this, then asked for the names of those officials. After verifying the details, he had Cao Qing sign and seal the confession before presenting it to Tu Yao for review.
“The last question: where is the real Guan Qing now?”
That strange smile appeared again on Cao Qing’s face. He chuckled softly, then his laughter grew louder. “There only needs to be one Guan Qing in this world.”
The real Guan Qing was dead—a revelation that shocked everyone.
Wasn’t the point of a substitute exam for the original candidate to gain fame while the fraud reaped the benefits?
But now, the original candidate was actually dead?!
Why did Cao Qing do this?
Did he really believe he could pull off such a deception?
If Guan Qing remained unseen for long, wouldn’t the Guan family grow suspicious?
“This fame was earned by me! Mine!” Suddenly struck at his sore spot, Cao Qing instantly became frenzied, veins bulging as he shouted, “Why should I give it back to him!”
“Your original identity was fake from the start—what are you even talking about!” Yuanpei scoffed.
Ma Bing suddenly looked at him, then quickly lowered her head.
“Identity, identity, always identity!” Cao Qing began to struggle violently, rattling his chains noisily. Several constables rushed forward with their batons, forcing him face down onto the floor.
This posture was undoubtedly painful, but Cao Qing seemed numb to it, still shouting and screaming, his eyes bloodshot.
“I believe I am a hundred times better than him. Is being born into poverty a reason to be treated as inferior?!” he roared like a trapped beast.
“I was born into poverty, my father died early, my mother was sickly, and I had to care for several younger siblings, stretching every penny. I studied while working odd jobs, only to be mocked by others.
With no money to support my education, I used to herd cattle and sneak into the school to listen to lessons, chased away like a stray dog… while the students inside the school failed to grasp what I had already mastered. I knew I would pass the exams. But I was blocked by exam fees and travel costs.
One tael and a half—can the honorable officials here imagine how long it took me to save that meager sum? Three years! In the short span of a human life, how many three-year periods are there? In those three years, one imperial exam cycle, so much can change, yet I had to waste it on such a shameful triviality.
Finally, I saved enough money, but I missed the exam because I couldn’t afford a carriage…
I hate it! Shouldn’t I hate it?!
But what about him? He was simply born into a good family, lived idly, and did nothing, yet had everything handed to him. For the sake of a mere scholar’s title, he was taught by the finest tutors, given every book, and allowed to go wherever he pleased, yet he repeatedly failed for six or seven years! If heaven had even the slightest kindness toward me, would I have ended up like this? Would I?!”
At this point, Cao Qing gave up struggling and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing bitterly.
What he had fought so hard to obtain, others treated as worthless.
Tu Yao sighed deeply, “Even so, that still doesn’t justify murder.”
Cao Qing, immersed in his grief, ignored him.
“My family was sick, I had no way out, so I became a study companion for Guan Qing. Finally entering the county school, those scholars wouldn’t even look at me. They dared not bully Guan Qing, so they tormented me instead, sneering, ‘What’s a servant doing here?’”
From the moment he arrived at the Guan household, Cao Qing’s entire worldview was shattered.
He couldn’t understand how someone could live such a life.
All this time, what had my persistence amounted to?
What meaning did all those years of hardship have?
Was I born inferior?!
“I am not a servant!” Cao Qing cried out. “I only worked there as a hired hand, and I never signed a contract of sale!”
Initially, Magistrate Song and others were furious at Cao Qing’s lack of remorse, but upon hearing this, they couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for him.
“You said the county school students tormented you—was it Musheng and his gang? Was this your revenge?” Magistrate Song asked again.
With tears streaming down his face, Cao Qing spat out hatefully: “Not just him—none of those scholars were good people!”
Ma Bing couldn’t help but ask: “All of them?”
That can’t be right. Otherwise, the feng shui in Taizhou Prefecture must be really bad—this is like a cluster of bad seeds!
Cao Qing let out a sharp, contemptuous snort but said nothing.
Even if some didn’t personally harm him, they had seen what was happening and turned a blind eye!
They must have thought he was inferior, unworthy of the noble scholar’s help!
Magistrate Song turned to Tu Yao: “Your Excellency, do you have anything else to ask?”
Tu Yao looked at Cao Qing and solemnly said: “Bring Musheng and Li Qinghe forward to identify him.”
Magistrate Song and others exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of Tu Yao’s intent.
Cao Qing had already confessed—did it really matter whether they did this or not?
Xie Yu, recalling Tu Yao’s previous praise of Li Qinghe, seemed to understand something.
Soon, Musheng and Li Qinghe were brought into the courtroom. As expected, they carefully examined Cao Qing and compared him to their memories, but finally shook their heads, saying they had never seen him before.
Never seen him?
Everyone was greatly surprised.
At this point, could it be that your revenge was aimed at the wrong person?
Cao Qing flew into a rage: “Have any of you ever looked at me as your equal! Bastards, bastards! It should have been you who died!”
As he struggled, his hair bun came loose, and his messy hair covered half his face. Suddenly, Li Qinghe let out a startled “Ah!” as several images flashed through his mind.
He remembered!
Back then, when Guan Qing went to the county school, there had indeed been someone following behind him. But that person was extremely timid and insecure, never daring to look up at them.
As a result, even after Guan Qing left, no one ever knew what his attendant really looked like.
Cao Qing laughed maniacally, his face full of mockery: “How ridiculous! So ridiculous! Back then, you insulted and humiliated me, yet now you come crawling to make friends. Face to face, you don’t even recognize me. How absurd! Hahahaha! Truly ridiculous beyond words!”
Who knows what Li Qinghe felt when he visited the inn that day?
Upon hearing this, Li Qinghe’s face flushed with shame and embarrassment.
Though the words were harsh, they were true.
Prompted by Li Qinghe’s realization, Musheng also suddenly exclaimed: “So it was you!”
Cao Qing spat at him.
Musheng hastily dodged, his face turning pale, then red, then green—like a spilled paint box.
“You, you are simply outrageous!” Song Tuiguan frowned. “Mu Sheng, I ask you, did you indeed insult Cao Qing back then?”
Mu Sheng was about to argue, but seeing Song Tuiguan’s terrifying dark face, he backed down. “I, I just said a few words, nothing serious. How can a real man be so petty? Besides, I wasn’t the only one…”
“Ridiculous! Absurd!” Tu Ya, who had remained calm until now, suddenly slammed the bench several times with great force, causing everyone’s ears to ring. Pointing at Mu Sheng, he shouted, “You have studied the classics, so you should cultivate your character, be cautious in speech and conduct. How can you behave like this? Have you swallowed all your books and fed them to dogs? You are already so arrogant before gaining power and have shown no remorse until now. If you ever attain power, won’t you ride roughshod over the people?”
His anger was tremendous. Mu Sheng and Li Qinghe immediately knelt on the ground, begging for mercy. “Your Honor, forgive us! We know our mistake!” Mu Sheng’s face turned pale, and sweat poured down his back.
What did this mean?
He had thought his injustice was cleared, and he could retake the exam in the next session. But what did Tu Ya mean?
Did he think he was not qualified to be an official?
Was he going to block his path to success?
Tu Ya came from a prominent family with many relatives in court and held the position of Governor of Kaifeng, enjoying the emperor’s favor. If he really wanted to prevent someone from becoming an official, he certainly could!
No, no, no, they couldn’t do this to him. He had passed the exam legitimately; he had not broken any law!
He just said a few words about that fellow, what was the big deal?
No, no, no…
After berating Mu Sheng, Tu Ya turned to Cao Qing. “Did he insult you?”
He was referring to Li Qinghe.
Li Qinghe immediately tensed up, gripping the ground tightly.
If Cao Qing falsely accused him, he would be unable to defend himself.
Though somewhat reluctant, Cao Qing shook his head.
His impression of Li Qinghe wasn’t particularly good, but neither was it bad.
Back at the county school, although Li Qinghe had looked down upon speaking to him, he had never spoken ill of him. Once, when Mu Sheng and others were particularly harsh, he had even shouted out of annoyance, “Teacher is coming…”
Li Qinghe exhaled in relief, a sense of guilt rising in his heart.
After much hesitation, he turned his head away, his voice dry and hoarse. “I’m… sorry…”
If he hadn’t pursued popularity and remained indifferent back then, if he had just spoken up in protest, would everything have been different?
No one expected his sudden apology, and the courtroom fell into a terrifying silence.
Cao Qing stiffened, tightly closing his eyes. Tears still flowed uncontrollably.
If I had known it would come to this, if I had known…
What use was there saying anything now!
Tu Ya sighed as well, feeling both relieved and pained.
By now, the whole truth was basically clear:
Cao Qing, too poor to take the imperial exams, had originally planned to work as a companion reader for Guan Qing to earn money before taking the exams. Unfortunately, he was deeply hurt by those scholars before saving enough money, which twisted his mind.
At that time, the Guan family, knowing Guan Qing had no hope of passing the exams and aware of Cao Qing’s financial difficulties, tempted him to take the exams in Guan Qing’s place. Seizing the opportunity for revenge, Cao Qing readily agreed. He successfully obtained the status of a juren (a degree holder from the provincial exam), and on the way to the capital for the spring exam, he turned against Guan Qing, killing him and his servant, then fully assuming Guan Qing’s identity.
By then, passing the imperial exams was no longer Cao Qing’s true pursuit. Perhaps he himself realized he couldn’t hide for long, so he decided to go all out and frame the students from Taizhou Prefecture.
However, everyone still couldn’t figure out how he had precisely made Mu Sheng step on that piece of paper.
When asked, Cao Qing was actually quite proud.
“Now you see, you officials aren’t that great!”
That piece of paper had been pre-coated with rice grains. Once stepped on, it would stick to the sole of the shoe, becoming more firmly attached with each step.
Since the street was crowded with people, making it unsuitable for implementation, Cao Qing waited until the day of the palace exam at the palace gate to act. In fact, he had prepared several cheat sheets in advance, just in case something went wrong, thinking whoever stepped on the paper coated with rice grains would be the target.
Before entering the palace, everyone was nervous, jostling together, and no one noticed when a piece of paper appeared on the ground.
Whether it was fate or divine justice, it was indeed Mu Sheng who stepped on it!
Then he approached and dropped a pre-rolled cheat sheet into Mu Sheng’s boot.
“That fellow loved to show off, and his handwriting was everywhere, so I imitated it carefully,” Cao Qing sneered at Mu Sheng. “I originally thought that even if he didn’t step on it, if someone else had his handwriting, he would still be implicated.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and he actually got lucky. Too bad.
But the students from Taizhou Prefecture were frightened and performed poorly, ending up at the bottom of the third tier, so it wasn’t a total loss.
“What about the other cheat sheets?” Song Tuiguan asked.
Before entering the palace, everyone was searched. Since Mu Sheng’s cheat sheet was found, how did Cao Qing manage to sneak his in?
To everyone’s surprise, Cao Qing grinned. “I ate them.”
Everyone was stunned.
It had to be said, that was indeed the only way.
“But how do you explain the ashes in the copper basin at the inn?” Xie Yu asked.
He had been thinking about this question but couldn’t find an answer.
If even the target of the frame was chosen at the palace gate by chance, how could Cao Qing have foreseen and burned something in Mu Sheng’s room in advance?
Cao Qing smirked. “So you see, scholars look honest, but maybe the officials should ask again to see if someone is lying?”
He had gotten up early that day and sneaked into their rooms when Mu Sheng and others left the inn, setting things up in three rooms.
At that time, almost everyone was busy seeing off the examinees to the palace exam, hoping to catch some good luck, and no one noticed him.
Who knew only one was discovered?
Song Tuiguan and the vice-governor exchanged glances, then both looked at Tu Ya. “Your Honor?”
Needless to say, Tu Ya had already guessed. The other two must have discovered the ashes in the copper basin afterward, were terrified, and feared being implicated, so they secretly disposed of them.
Otherwise, Xie Yu and others wouldn’t have had such difficulty in their investigation from the start, going completely in the wrong direction:
It wasn’t Cao Qing who chose Mu Sheng, but fate that chose Mu Sheng!
It was this kind of inexplicable coincidence that defied logical explanation.
Officials led by Tu Ya felt somewhat ashamed.
After studying the classics for so many years, had they only learned to be timid and fearful?
Unable to withstand even this small test, how could they be entrusted with important responsibilities in the future, or expected to serve the court above and comfort the people below?
The case was solved, although due to its wide-ranging implications, dealing with the involved officials would take time, but at least there was some resolution.
Tu Ya submitted his report to the palace overnight and didn’t return until the next morning.
Cao Qing was sentenced to execution in autumn for murder and exam substitution, while several members of the Guan family involved in the fraud were sentenced to exile three thousand miles away—these were straightforward cases.
As for the subsequent officials involved, it was inevitable to take this opportunity to dig deeper, which might take no less than three or four months to complete.
Regarding Mu Sheng’s actions, Tu Ya reported everything in detail. The emperor was very displeased, immediately stating, “This young man’s character is flawed; he is not fit for high office!”
With one sentence, Mu Sheng’s official career was destined to end at the juren level.
As for Li Qinghe, since he had not directly participated in the wrongdoing back then, and later worked hard to seek justice, even humbling himself to apologize to Cao Qing, the emperor had a favorable impression of him: “It is commendable to admit one’s mistakes and correct them.”
After returning to the Kaifeng Prefecture, Tu Ya personally visited Cao Qing in prison.
Cao Qing sat motionless in a corner, waiting for death.
He couldn’t understand why someone of such high status would come here.
I’ve already confessed; are you here to mock me?
“I have already submitted a memorial, hoping the court will abolish the system of paying a deposit for the imperial exams.”
Cao Qing suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes brimming with tears. “Your Honor?!”
Tu Ya sighed. “It’s a major issue that will take time. As for you…”
It was already too late.
Coming from a privileged background, he had never worried about money. Although he knew it was difficult for poor scholars to take the imperial exams, before Cao Qing’s case, he had never imagined that some students would be unable to participate in the exams simply because they couldn’t afford a mere one or two taels of silver.
One or two taels—what could that buy in Kaifeng?
Yet it could ruin a scholar’s future.
“Your Honor!” For the first time, Cao Qing sincerely knelt before Tu Ya.
He trembled all over, burying his face in the straw on the ground, and bowed deeply.
Why, why couldn’t it have happened a little earlier?
Tu Ya felt a complex mix of emotions, finally bending down and gently patting Cao Qing’s back. “It is the court’s fault.”
Cao Qing had already been in prison for several days, and his body was smelly, but Tu Ya didn’t mind at all. He just felt it was a great pity.
What a pity!
Besides him, there must be many other candidates who were buried in obscurity for the same reason, truly lamentable.
“Stand up,” Tu Ya said.
Cao Qing roughly wiped his face and straightened his back. “This humble subject is guilty and dares not rise.”
Tu Ya looked at him for a long time and solemnly said, “Your situation is pitiable, but your crime deserves punishment. Even though you have countless reasons, they are no excuse for murder. According to the laws of the Great Lu, you have been sentenced to execution in autumn. Do you accept it?”
Cao Qing had already seen the verdict and accepted his fate, but he had been unwilling.
However, now that Tu Ya asked again, he felt that the resentment that had been stuck in his chest for so long finally dissipated.
For the first and last time, someone had treated him with respect.
He took a deep breath, bowed again, tears streaming down his face. “This humble subject accepts.”
With this bow, he concluded his entire life.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage