Abandoned Woman Busy Farming-Chapter 1656: Not Allowed to Leave the Capital

After Officer Li left the Palace, he routinely went to the Bai Residence. Upon inquiring, he learned that Bai Ruozhu was not at home but had gone to see the people affected by the fire disaster.

He was somewhat moved, but having worked in the Department of Justice for so long, he remained very rational at all times, emphasizing the importance of official duties. If Bai Ruozhu was truly innocent, he needed to clarify the situation to clear her name.

When Officer Li found Bai Ruozhu, she was washing the eyes of a ten-year-old girl.

He patiently stood to the side until Bai Ruozhu finished, then she turned her head to see him.

"Officer Li, how long have you been here? Looking for me?" Bai Ruozhu was not surprised that Officer Li from the Department of Justice would come. With the Grand Princess involved, it would be negligence on their part if they didn’t come to talk to her.

"Not long. I didn’t want to disturb Miss Bai while treating the patient," Officer Li said politely.

Bai Ruozhu gestured for him to follow and said, "Let’s talk outside then."

"Alright."

The two left the temporarily arranged consultation room, and Officer Li began discussing the purpose of his visit.

"Miss Bai, don’t worry too much. It’s a procedural matter; I just need to ask you a few questions," Officer Li said.

Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Please go ahead."

"Someone reported that you once gave your uncle Bai Yibo a type of wine that made him completely lose control and do rebellious things in the village. Is this true?" Officer Li asked.

Bai Ruozhu let out a laugh, "The one who reported must be Du Zhongshu, right? He used to be a good friend and business partner of mine, but because the Du Family was greedy, they secretly altered contracts and got caught. The previous rumors about my family were related to him. It’s not surprising he’d spread rumors about me again. As for his claim about my uncle causing trouble while drunk, that’s true, but how does it relate to me? Everyone in the village knows we’ve separated from the family and don’t live together. He bought the wine and drank it himself; how could I have tampered with it?"

"Because Du Zhongshu said that Bai Yibo’s condition was very similar to the night of Duke Zheng’s death. The Grand Princess also has some suspicions about you, but you need not worry. The truth will be uncovered. However, during this time, you cannot leave the Capital without permission," Officer Li explained.

Bai Ruozhu furrowed her brows, "My family needs to return home to worship our ancestors."

"I’m sorry, the Emperor has already issued an oral decree," Officer Li said, bowing his hand.

Bai Ruozhu understood that the visit was just a formality and that the real purpose was to inform her not to leave the Capital. She felt a bit displeased but could only agree.

After returning home, Bai Ruozhu had no choice but to inform her family of the situation. With the delay, she feared she wouldn’t make it back before New Year.

"Father, why don’t you all go back first? I’ll catch up once the case is resolved," Bai Ruozhu said.

Lin Pinger was unhappy to hear this, "No, we should return together. Leaving you here alone is not acceptable. It would be so lonely during the New Year."

"Isn’t Achun still here? Dengdeng will also stay with me, so you won’t have to face hardship on the road. There’s nothing to fear during New Year; Sister Hongxiu and Aunt will be in the Capital too, and with the Bo Family and my friends around, it won’t be quiet," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.

Lin Pinger felt a pang of envy and murmured, "They aren’t family."

Bai Ruozhu placed a reassuring hand on her mother’s shoulder, "The matter of ancestor worship can’t be delayed. You should go ahead, and I’ll catch up later. If I truly can’t make it, we’ll reunite in the Capital."

With such reasoning, Lin Pinger couldn’t oppose further, but remained unhappy and often cursed Du Zhongshu, lamenting that she once thought of him as a good young man but never expected him to be so unscrupulous.

Bai Ruozhu secretly shook her head; Du Zhongshu had already changed, and his deviousness probably didn’t stop there.

Officer Li’s visit forced her to consider the mysterious circumstances surrounding Duke Zheng’s death. Her porcelain bottle being found in the ruins seemed premeditated.

At first, she thought Du Zhongshu was merely spreading rumors that couldn’t harm her significantly. She underestimated him, realizing now that she had been too complacent.

Later, when Jiang Yichun arrived home, he immediately sought out Bai Ruozhu to ask about the situation, as he had already heard some rumors.

"Achun, I suspect this is all orchestrated by Du Zhongshu. The initial rumor-spreading was just a smoke bomb to divert our attention. Then he used a similar trick as my uncle’s drunken mishap to murder Duke Zheng, with my medicine bottle found at the scene. It seems methodically planned, and I remember helping him detoxify before, sending him medicine. It’s not surprising he has my bottle," Bai Ruozhu said.

Jiang Yichun’s expression turned icy. He wanted to comment on Bai Ruozhu’s poor choice in friends, but swallowed the remark. She must be very frustrated right now, so he decided not to add to her troubles.

"I’ll find a way to deal with that Du Zhongshu. You don’t have to worry about it," Jiang Yichun said.

Bai Ruozhu quickly shook her head, "No, the Department of Justice is watching this case. If something happens to him, I’d be the prime suspect."

Jiang Yichun burst out laughing, tapping her nose, "Why are you thinking of violence so quickly? Am I such a cold-blooded, murderous husband?"

Bai Ruozhu rolled her eyes at him, "Hmph, with your cold demeanor and gritted teeth, how could I not think that way?"

This light banter lifted Bai Ruozhu’s spirits a lot, making her temporarily put aside the issue with Du Zhongshu.

Later, when her second brother arrived, he sought out Bai Ruozhu, and Jiang Yichun got up, saying, "I’ll go play with Dengdeng. You siblings can talk."

Bai Ruozhu was pleased with her husband for being so considerate, but Jiang Yichun secretly thought, "Anyway, you’ll all be going home soon. Afterward, I’ll have plenty of time to be with Ruozhu, so this little time doesn’t matter to me."

His mood was like that of a benevolent benefactor, then cheerfully went to find his son to play with.

"Little sister, I heard all about it," Bai Zepei said, his eyes darkening a bit, "I once thought that after obtaining my title and serving as an officer, I could protect you and our family, but I didn’t expect I still can’t change anything."

Bai Zepei’s dejected and guilty look made Bai Ruozhu feel especially distressed.

"Second brother, what are you saying? This is a small matter. If it weren’t for you serving in the Imperial Study Room, the Emperor might have directly ordered the Department of Justice to interrogate me," she quickly consoled him.

Bai Zepei didn’t argue with her, but sighed and said, "This case involves you, so I cannot continue to serve in the Imperial Study Room. Since we’ll be taking leave to return home, I might as well ask the Emperor for leave tomorrow and take a good rest." freёnovelkiss-com

Bai Ruozhu was stunned for a moment, then finally said, "Second brother, you don’t have to..."

Bai Zepei interrupted her, "We are family, so I naturally understand that these matters have nothing to do with you."

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