"How can you be sure that this matter will be attributed to Zhao Bi’s doing?" Zhu Yu was somewhat curious.

"Do you remember the person in the South Study Room who told me about the events of that year? Although my family members died of poisoning, the servants who didn’t have the opportunity to join the banquet died from broken necks.

At first, no one noticed this anomaly, but it was discovered after he asked for a detailed inspection of their causes of death."

When Lu Qing spoke of the events of that year, his voice unconsciously grew a few degrees colder: "Back then, Lu Chao also reviewed the records of the Historian regarding that fierce battle before someone ascended to a high position.

It mentioned an external general who was brave and skilled in battle, repeatedly establishing military accomplishments, but due to his ruthless methods, was not favored by the benevolent Holy Emperor.

Thus, this foreign general was not heavily utilized afterward, and his whereabouts were spoken of very vaguely.

However, to prove this person’s cruelty, there’s a description preserved; Lu Chao couldn’t directly bring it out for me to see, so he specifically copied that section.

It essentially says that those who fell into this foreign general’s hands, be they soldiers or commanders, whether or not they were branches of the Imperial Family, met with terrifying ends. This included breaking their bones one by one using Inner Strength, causing extreme pain, yet showing no signs on the surface.

And this person did it often purely for the amusement of tormenting those with differing stances.

If considered a traitor, the methods were even more brutal."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu’s expression became somber: "That so-called foreign general... is the senior brother of the High Priest Yishaen from Fan Country, as mentioned by the Fake Castle Master, right?

The one who once followed Duke Yan, Zhao Bi, repeatedly establishing military merit, desiring to bring honor to his family and master?

The Fake Castle Master insisted that this senior brother was the one who harmed your family, and later was quietly silenced.

The Fake Castle Master is not someone to be trusted, so could the truth be even more different from what he told us, and that senior brother is actually still alive?"

"Whether he is alive or not is actually irrelevant." Lu Qing’s voice had a touch of ridicule as he laughed, "What’s important is that his actions left a lasting impression on many back then. All old officials in the court remember to some extent.

He claimed allegiance to that person, yet who he truly followed, those old foxes in the court knew very well, as did that person.

So if Gu Lingyun’s manner of death inadvertently reminds people of that senior brother, then their plan could be considered a success.

After all, whether that senior brother is truly alive or if he passed on his skills to someone next to Zhao Bi, Zhao Bi won’t be able to explain.

This move is akin to throwing ink on someone; it aims not for anything concrete but to ensure you cannot cleanse yourself."

"This kind of situation where explanations fall on deaf ears is quite... infuriating!" Zhu Yu spat the words through clenched teeth, "Though stringing along for the big catch seems necessary, sometimes just thinking about it brings little comfort.

After all, for these many years of the long line being cast, that sly old Zhao Bi was living quite comfortably."

"No matter, the more you gain, the more painful it is to lose." Lu Qing seemed to be in a better mood hearing Zhu Yu’s frustration, "Just wait, there’s likely a big show coming up."

That night, before sleeping, Lu Qing recalled Zhu Yu’s earlier mention of the story "The Farmer and the Snake" and asked about it, prompting Zhu Yu to tell an altered version of it.

Lu Qing looked at Zhu Yu intently in the dark: "I can’t fathom how someone straightforward and lacking in schemes like Zhu Cheng, who is rash in action yet skilled only in metallurgy and forging, along with your mother’s gentle temperament, managed to raise a knowledgeable, bold, and meticulous daughter like you."

Zhu Yu grinned, casually finding an excuse: "Perhaps extreme conditions create opposites."

Lu Qing seemed to agree, letting out a soft sigh: "Makes sense, so perhaps heaven left me alone before, only to compensate by bringing the best person in the world to me."

A few days later, the Capital indeed fell into chaos. For safety, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu stayed in, but the comings and goings of Runes and Liu Yueyao kept them well-informed of outside events.

Gu Lingyun’s corpse was indeed found. Initially, it began to decompose and was discovered in a secluded, rundown house, hardly recognizable at first.

Once identified, they found her tendons and bones broken inch by inch, and when the news spread, it instantly caused an uproar.

The commoners in the Capital gawked more at the cruel methods, while the old officials, especially those who were once close to Duke Yan, grew deeply suspicious.

In all these years, no one had seen the foreign general again, nor had any news of his fate emerged.

But this famous female manager of the Headdress and Shoes Workshop in the Capital, known to frequently visit Duke Yan Mansion these years, and how she, through Duchess Yan, nearly monopolized business in the circle of aristocratic ladies, was well-known.

Rumors persisted, even reaching the goods sold in the palace were recommended by Duchess Yan.

In any case, the two sides maintained close ties, and the Workshop’s fame soared due to Duke Yan Mansion.

When the phoenix robe debacle surfaced during the Duchess’s birthday, Duke Yan immediately claimed the Workshop intended to frame him. Soon after, the Workshop was deserted, seemingly having fled. Before long, it emerged that the person had died miserably in a remote ramshackle dwelling...

Thus, rumors swiftly surfaced that the phoenix robe incident had exposed Duke Yan’s ulterior motives, and in an attempt to shift blame onto the cloth merchant, he’d resorted to murder just to silence her and protect his secrets.

The Duke Mansion did not respond to the matter, and since Duke Yan’s detention, the once thriving Duke Mansion closed its gates, and family members seldom ventured out. It’s unclear if the rumors reached beyond the courtyard walls.

Interestingly, at a time when others dared not associate with Duke Yan, Lu Zhang made a visit to see his maternal grandmother shortly after Duke Yan was reprimanded and detained by Emperor Jin.

Once those heavily armed Zhao Family government soldiers were brought back to the Capital, Lu Zhang no longer visited his maternal kin.