Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1280: Chapter 1282: Not a Single One is Allowed to Leave_1

Soon, the dark guard had reported the findings to Jiang Yichun and Bai Ruozhu, whose handsome face had become so cold it could almost freeze.

”Go, dress up as the dead kitchen maid and scare that young man into telling the truth in front of the Government Office’s people,” Jiang Yichun ordered with an icy face. The dark guard shivered; his master was truly enraged this time.

Once the man had left, Bai Ruozhu took his hand and said, ”Don’t be angry, even if the poisoned item was served, I could have detected it, it wouldn’t harm me. It’s just pitiful for that innocent kitchen maid. Sneaking a bite isn’t deserving of death, sigh.”

”That’s why the malicious woman must receive the punishment she deserves,” Jiang Yichun thought, hating that it was not convenient for him to take action right now, or else...

At that moment, very light footsteps could be heard from outside. Bai Ruozhu knew that Jin Jing lived opposite them. She gave Jiang Yichun a look and both of them quietly opened a crack in the door to eavesdrop on the movement from across.

Soon, Jin Jing had left her room, and Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun exchanged glances before quietly following her.

Jin Jing didn’t go anywhere else but to her father’s room.

”Dad, it’s really a pity about the drug the Holy Maiden gave to Mom; what should we do now?” Jin Jing asked worriedly.

Jin Wanliang frowned, ”Why did you use all of it? Didn’t we agree that just half would be enough to poison someone to death?”

Jin Jing stamped her foot and said, ”Wasn’t I afraid she wouldn’t finish her porridge? If I used too little it would be ineffective, and since she is a female physician, what if she could alleviate it herself? I just thought to be more ruthless, and make it so she had no chance of recovery. Who knew that stupid kitchen maid would ruin it all!”

”Now that the drug is gone, don’t act rashly anymore. We’ll think of another plan later. Once they reach Gaochang City, they won’t be able to escape,” Jin Wanliang said, a cruel glint in his eyes. That young man dared to refuse him, to disrespect him; he must make him suffer.

”Dad, do you think that female physician might have found something out? Maybe she planned to give me trouble so she switched the porridge with the kitchen maid’s?” Jin Jing suddenly asked.

Jin Wanliang considered this, ”It’s not impossible; that woman is wicked enough.”

Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun silently retreated back to their room, and soon Jin Jing also returned to her own room.

”That father and daughter are no good; they think everyone else is as vicious and scheming as they are,” Bai Ruozhu fumed. If she had found poison in the porridge, why would she give it to an innocent kitchen maid? She’d make sure to mix it into Jin Jing’s meal and let her taste her own medicine.

”Sooner or later, we’ll deal with them, and anyone who can provide such drugs, including the Holy Maiden, is no good either,” Jiang Yichun gritted his teeth.

Bai Ruozhu’s lips twitched; she herself had given him poison before.

At this time, dawn had already broken and neither of them felt like sleeping, so they got up to prepare to leave. However, the shopkeeper blocked the door, saying that none of the guests in the inn could leave until the officer arrived for permission, otherwise, they would be chased down by the officers even if they left on the road.

”Who will be responsible for the delay in our journey?” Jiang Yichun asked coldly.

”Young master, I can’t do anything about it. A life was lost, and we have to wait for the officer to speak before people can leave,” the shopkeeper said.

Jiang Yichun gave a cold snort, ”In the Western Regions, isn’t human life cheap? We’ve seen plenty of dead along the way.”

The shopkeeper said with a forced smile, ”You’re talking about the Beast Teams of the Barbarian Tribes, they kill without blinking an eye, but here in the Western Regions, it’s different. Even if a commoner is murdered, the Government Office will seek justice. The Holy Hall does not permit the contempt of life.”

Bai Ruozhu tugged at Jiang Yichun, ”Let’s have some breakfast and wait and see.”

Jiang Yichun nodded and found a table near the corner to sit down. The group spread out over several tables and ordered some side dishes for breakfast.

The breakfast here was quite strong-flavored. Although there was Plain rice porridge, more people opted for the steaming Sour Spicy Soup. The taste of the soup was similar to the one Bai Ruozhu once made in Back Mountain Village. On a whim, Bai Ruozhu drank an extra bowl, and her body warmed up.

By this time, the sun had risen high, and a team of officers had rushed over on horseback from the Official road. Their attire was different from that of the people of Danliang Country, and they also had the emblem of the Holy Hall embroidered on their chests.

In the Western Regions, the Holy Hall was almost everything. Although they had a Royal Family to manage the country, the Holy Hall was the faith of the Western Regions, and the king was also a follower of the Holy Hall.

”What exactly happened? Where is the victim?” the lead constable asked.

”Officer, follow me.” the shopkeeper led the officers to the kitchen maid’s room. The coroner in the team examined the kitchen maid’s body and concluded she had been poisoned to death. However, the shopkeeper stated that the kitchen maid had no troubles that would lead to suicide, so it was impossible that she had taken her own life.

”That means it’s murder. Seal off this place! No one is allowed to leave until we find the murderer,” the constable shouted to everyone in the Inn.

At this moment, a young waiter in the Inn suddenly burst out as if mad, shouting, ”My lord, I confess, I confess! Auntie, don’t haunt me; I didn’t harm you, I didn’t do it!”

Wasn’t this young waiter Muzi, whom Jin Jing had bribed?

The corners of Bai Ruozhu’s mouth lifted slightly. It seemed the people below had done their job well, frightening Muzi to the point of near insanity.

”Confess everything. If it wasn’t you, then who poisoned her?” the constable signaled, and immediately two officers stepped forward to restrain Muzi, fearing he might try to run away.

Muzi knelt on the ground, crying, ”I was blinded by greed, tempted by the silver Miss Jin gave me. She told me to deliver the porridge with the added ingredient to Madam Bai upstairs. I didn’t know how the kitchen maid ended up eating it, but I truly didn’t know that eating the porridge would kill a person. Miss Jin even scolded me for not doing a good job. Auntie’s ghost came looking for me to take her revenge, but shouldn’t she go looking for Miss Jin? Miss Jin was the one who poisoned!”

Muzi, out of sheer terror, had directly implicated Jin Jing.

At that moment, a shrill voice came from upstairs, ”Nonsense! When did I bribe you? Who are you to me?”

Jin Jing greeted the officers with a bow, saying, ”My lord, I lost some medicinal drugs yesterday. Those were meant for self-defense in case I encountered the Beast Team of the Barbarian Tribe. As the lord knows how ferocious the Barbarian Beast Teams are, naturally, the Drug Powder is somewhat potent. I was worried someone might steal it for nefarious purposes, and now, to think that the thief would use it to harm someone and then try to frame me, could it be that he was bought off by someone plotting against me?”

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Bai Ruozhu, almost outright accusing her of setting her up.

Bai Ruozhu found it amusing. Jin Jing really knew how to argue her way out.

”My lord, please see the truth. How could I steal from a lady skilled in Martial Arts? I never received any Drug Powder from her, let alone put it in the porridge myself. It was she who instructed me to deliver it to Madam Bai. I never knew what grudge she had against Madam Bai and thought it was just a Laxative or something. I was momentarily blinded by the silver she gave me,” Muzi said as he burst into tears, ”If I had known it would kill the kitchen auntie, I really should have thrown that bowl of porridge away secretly.”