As soon as Bai Zheng entered the house, she was clung to by Bai Nianming. With slightly red - rimmed eyes, he said in a tearful voice, "Sister! You scared me to death!"
A warm feeling welled up in Bai Zheng's heart. She couldn't help reaching out and rubbing the head of this second younger brother. "Scared of what? Only beautiful women are fated to have a tragic life. Your sister is no beauty, so she's surely blessed with good fortune."
"Zheng'er, are you really okay?" Lin Shi, who followed closely behind, was full of worry on her face. She circled around Bai Zheng three times. Seeing that Bai Zheng was truly okay, the stone in her heart finally dropped.
"Has sister come back?"
A young man in a cyan robe and gray fur coat rushed in from the door. He had slightly thick and tough eyebrows and slender eyes. His undeveloped body was thin but straight. Wasn't this Bai Nianjin, the 12 - year - old eldest son of Bai Yinan, Bai Zheng's younger brother?
Apparently, he got the news that Bai Zheng had returned safely. He came back in a hurry with the search team. Grabbing Bai Zheng's arm, he looked overjoyed.
"It's good that Zheng'er is safe. Your father can finally feel at ease." Although there was some relief in Lin Shi's eyes when she looked at Bai Zheng, there was more deep - seated worry that couldn't be dispelled. After saying this, it seemed that she was about to shed tears again.
Bai Zheng was a bit puzzled. She looked at Bai Nianjin beside her and saw that his eyebrows were deeply furrowed. After all, he was still a young boy, and his eyes were also a bit red.
Bai Zheng looked around. Although the maids and servants in the mansion were a bit happy because of her return, most of them looked tired and even pale. Several young ones had red and swollen eyes.
Her heart sank. She said to Bai Nianming, "Nianming, has something happened to father?"
"Sister!" Maybe he had held on for a long time. The young Bai Nianming finally couldn't hold back his tears. "Father has been arrested!"
"What?" Bai Zheng didn't understand. Seeing Bai Nianming sobbing and presumably unable to explain clearly, she quickly turned to Bai Nianjin and asked, "Nianjin, what on earth is going on? Who arrested father?"
Bai Nianjin bit his lips and then said, "This afternoon, a group of people suddenly came into the mansion. They said that there was a flood in the Southern Town area, and the 200,000 taels of silver allocated by the imperial court for disaster relief had been embezzled. They came to search the mansion. Then, then..."
As he was speaking, Bai Nianjin also began to tremble slightly.
Bai Zheng composed herself and guessed the general situation. She then continued his words, "Then they found some evidence in the mansion and said that father had embezzled the silver, right?"
"Sister guessed right. Those people said they found letters between father and local officials in father's study. The content of the letters pointed out that it was father who had embezzled that silver!"
Lin Shi let out a wail and burst into tears, "Your father has always been cautious. How could he possibly embezzle 200,000 taels of silver? He wouldn't dare even if he had ten guts! Your father must have been framed by a villain!"
Bai Zheng quickly stepped forward and gently patted Lin Shi's back to help her calm down, but she was carefully calculating in her mind.
The flood in the Southern Town area had spread throughout Yongding before Bai Zheng disappeared.
The Southern Town area was located in the south, so it was not easy for ice to form in winter. This year, the weather was extremely strange. Continuous heavy rain left the low - lying Southern Town area with sparse vegetation around with no resistance.
This year was rather unlucky for the Great Zhou. There were severe droughts in many places in summer, and a fierce war with the Western Liang had just ended. The national treasury was already a bit empty.
Nevertheless, the current emperor, Feng Linche, was a diligent and benevolent emperor. After learning that the people in the Southern Town area were displaced due to the flood, he allocated 200,000 taels of silver for disaster relief.
Bai Yinan was not the main official in charge of this disaster - relief event. However, as a vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the 200,000 taels of silver had all passed through his hands. It was indeed possible to suspect him of embezzlement.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Bai Zheng's lips, but a cold light flashed in her eyes. "It seems that the person behind this needs to be taught a lesson."
Lin Shi trembled in fear. "Zheng'er, what do you mean?"
Bai Zheng resumed her gentle look and helped Lin Shi to a nearby chair. "Mother, don't worry. Daughter is back, and father will come back soon."
For some reason, Bai Zheng's gentle voice made Lin Shi feel extremely at ease. Her daughter, who had always been impulsive, somehow had become full of aura.
Bai Nianming stopped crying and stared blankly at Bai Zheng. "Sister, is what you said true? Will father come back soon?"
Bai Zheng took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. Then she pinched the flesh on Bai Nianming's face with a smile. "Silly brother, father loves us so much. How could he bear to stay away for long? He knows I'm back, so he'll surely come back soon."
After saying that, she said to the personal nanny of Lin Shi beside her, "Nanny Song, take madam and the young master to have dinner. Uncle Fu, Nianjin, let's go to father's study."