Now he was deeply trapped in prison, crying out to the heavens with no answer, calling to the earth with no response. In two days, he would be sent to the frontier!

Hopeless!

Andrew Bennett slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant.

Yesterday, he had gotten dead drunk at a bar, and when he woke up, he was in jail. He figured he must have died of alcohol poisoning and then transmigrated.

Did the heavens grant him a chance to transmigrate not to let him live again, but because his death was too easy?

In ancient times, exile was a punishment second only to the death penalty.

In his previous life, even though he was beaten down by society, at least he lived in a peaceful era. If only he could be reborn—without hesitation, he would have stolen his parents’ savings to buy a house.

Then, with his mom’s help, he’d break his stock-obsessed dad’s hand so he couldn’t be a sucker in the market.

At this moment, the sound of chains scraping came from the end of the dim corridor—it must be the door opening.

Then came footsteps.

A jailer led a handsome but haggard scholar and stopped in front of Andrew Bennett’s cell.

The jailer glanced at the scholar: “Half a stick of incense.”

The scholar cupped his hands to the jailer. After watching the jailer leave, he turned to face Andrew Bennett.

The scholar wore a moon-white robe, his jet-black long hair tied with a jade hairpin. He was very handsome, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, and thin lips.

Memories of this person surfaced in Andrew Bennett’s mind.

The second son of the Xu family, William Bennett.

Second uncle’s biological son, Andrew Bennett’s cousin, who passed the provincial exam this autumn.

William Bennett looked at him calmly: “The soldiers escorting you to the frontier took three hundred taels from me. That’s all the silver our family has left. Go in peace; nothing will happen to you on the way.”

“What about you?” Andrew Bennett blurted out, as if compelled. He remembered that the original host didn’t have a good relationship with this cousin.

Because his aunt disliked him, except for second uncle, the rest of the Xu family didn’t care much for Andrew Bennett. At the very least, his cousins kept their distance.

Besides, in the original host’s memory, this cousin was a master of sharp-tongued banter.

William Bennett said impatiently, “I’ve already been stripped of my title, but with the academy teachers’ protection, I don’t need to be exiled. Just mind your own business. When you get to the frontier, keep your temper in check—survive a year if you can.”

William Bennett studied at the famous White Deer Academy in the capital and was highly regarded, having just become a licentiate. So, after second uncle’s incident, he wasn’t imprisoned, but he wasn’t allowed to leave the capital and had been running around for days.

Andrew Bennett fell silent. He didn’t think William Bennett would fare any better than himself. He’d likely not only lose his title but also be demoted to a lowly status, with his descendants forever barred from the imperial exams and unable to rise again.

Moreover, in two days, the Xu family’s women would be sent to the entertainment bureau and subjected to humiliation.

William Bennett was a scholar—how could he still have the face to live in the capital? Perhaps being exiled to the frontier was a better fate.

A thought struck Andrew Bennett. He lunged forward, gripping the iron bars with both hands: “Are you planning to kill yourself?!”

Uncontrollably, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart... Even though he didn’t really know him.

William Bennett brushed his sleeve expressionlessly: “What does it have to do with you?”

After a pause, his gaze dropped a few inches, avoiding his cousin’s eyes, his expression softening: “Live on.”

With that, he turned and strode away!

“Wait!” Andrew Bennett reached through the bars and grabbed his sleeve.

William Bennett stopped, silently looking at him.

“Can you get the case files? The files on the missing tax silver case.”

Chapter Two: Monster Mischief

William Bennett frowned: “What do you want those for?”

I want to solve the case... Andrew Bennett said in a low voice, “I want to know what happened, so I can die with understanding. Otherwise, I won’t be reconciled.”

If he said outright that he wanted to solve the case, William Bennett would probably think he was crazy, so Andrew Bennett changed his wording.

After all, the original Andrew Bennett was stubborn and headstrong by nature.

William Bennett pondered for a moment, then said, “I’ve read the files. I can tell you about them...”

These days, he’d been running around for the Xu family. The case was too big; no one dared to help, and with nowhere to turn, William Bennett changed his approach, trying to break the deadlock by recovering the tax silver.

Relying on the Xu family’s old connections, the academy’s influence, and some silver, William Bennett bribed a clerk at the capital’s magistrate office to copy the case files for him.

But he had no experience in criminal investigation or judgment, so he had to give up.

Andrew Bennett raised his hand to interrupt, “Write it down. Telling me is pointless.”

All the case details were in the text; he needed to ponder and chew over them. If he had to listen, his mind wouldn’t be able to calmly analyze and think.

Andrew Bennett’s logical reasoning skills had always been outstanding in his previous life—he was a top student in his grade.

In the past, William Bennett wouldn’t have bothered with him, but thinking that this might be their last meeting as brothers, perhaps a final farewell—

He agreed to his brother’s last request and said softly, “Wait a moment.”

He strode away.

The footsteps faded down the corridor. Andrew Bennett sat down with his back against the bars, his heart anxious and conflicted.

He wasn’t confident he could turn things around. Wanting to solve the case was a desire, but his unwillingness was real.

This was the only way he could think of to save himself—he had to try, to struggle even at death’s door.

In modern criminal investigation, crime scene investigation, surveillance, and autopsy are the three essential components.