Yudie had a marvelous hand at brush and ink, and she stripped the disguise from this man called Zhang Xiang.

Then she brought the finished portrait for Ning Chen to look at.

"You're certain he looks like this?"

Yudie smiled faintly. "This girl is only seven or eight parts sure."

"Seven or eight parts is enough!" Ning Chen said with a smile.

Just then Cui Yukang came back.

Ning Chen saw that something was wrong in his face and asked, "You didn't take them?"

Cui Yukang bowed. "My lord prince, Wang Bo and Li Jue are dead."

"Dead? How did they die?"

"Poison. The killers are two candidates from the same inn, Shen Wanzhou and Zhou Anshi."

"The four of them drank together in the evening, and afterward Wang Bo and Li Jue died of poison."

Ning Chen's eyes flickered. He had just heard those two names from Li Gui — both of them were favorites to place high this time.

"Where are the killers?"

"At the capital prefect's. Shen Wanzhou and Zhou Anshi shared a room, and arsenic was found in it."

Ning Chen said nothing.

Then he looked up sharply at Li Gui and said with a cold smile, "Your employer has started killing to keep mouths shut. If Cui Yukang hadn't brought you to the prince's residence, you would have gone the same way as Wang Bo and Li Jue."

Li Gui's face went dead white, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Cui Yukang, take him to the Ministry of Justice and hand him to Lord Li. Explain how it came about."

"This officer obeys!"

Ning Chen sighed. This was no longer simply killing to keep mouths shut. It was taking the chance to get rid of the favorites to place high.

Somebody was cutting down the Great Xuan's future pillars.

Three men dead, and the spring examination had not even begun.

Ning Chen rubbed his brow. If he was not mistaken, at court tomorrow the censors and inspecting officials would certainly use this to impeach and attack him.

The next day, at court, the…