In ancient times, she gave birth to seven daughters and was divorced by her husband's family.

"This traitor!"

Aslan was so angry that he trembled and slammed his fist into a nearby pillar.

He wasn't angry that his son went to a brothel, but that his son was so clever and incredibly stupid!

"Father, what do we do now? Will Second Brother be alright?" Ru Bao was completely lost, tears streaming down her face.

Aslan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Go back to the inn first, don't go anywhere else."

"It's normal for brothels to have customers... It's impossible to just randomly arrest everyone like this!"

"Arresting everyone like this is just to prevent the real culprit from escaping!"

Ru Bao breathed a sigh of relief, "So brother is alright?"

Aslan's face was grim. "Of course your brother is fine, but this matter is a bit tricky... After all, your brother is Bingyu's son! If the prefect of Qingzhou finds out... we're finished!"

"The prefect of Qingzhou is Bailu's adoptive father. How could he not avenge Bailu?!"

......

The prison of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Dark and damp.

The air was filled with the pungent, sour smell of excrement, so strong it was nauseating.

Zhu never imagined that her life would intersect with such a place.

He was put in solitary confinement in a small cell.

His expensive brocade robe was now filthy and clung to his body in a grotesque and disheveled state.

A few strands of wet hair clung to his forehead, making him look even more haggard.

Fear overwhelmed him, causing him to completely lose the composure he usually feigned.

"let me out!"

He rushed to the cell door like a madman, gripping the cold iron bars tightly with both hands, and roaring with all his might.

"Do you know who I am? My mother is Zhao Bingyu! The biggest merchant in the Western Regions!"

"You blind bastards, how dare you imprison me! My mother will never let you get away with this!"

"What's all the noise about! What are you yelling about!"

A burly jailer with a fierce face walked over carrying a thick iron bar and slammed it hard against the bars in front of Ru Zhu.

"Cang! Cang!"

The ear-piercing metallic clanging sound made my eardrums ache.

He was so frightened by this fierce aura that he involuntarily took two steps back.

"If you dare to wail again, I'll cut out your tongue and use it as a snack!" the jailer threatened viciously.

Ru Zhu dared not shout loudly anymore, but he was still unwilling to give up.

He slid down against the wall, repeatedly whispering his mother's name nervously.

That was the only lifeline he could grasp at that moment.

His unusual outburst eventually drew attention.

The news quickly reached the ears of the prefect of Qingzhou.

The prefect of Qingzhou sat behind his desk, listening quietly. His eyes, hidden in the shadows of his brow bone, were as sharp as those of a hawk.

"Zhao Bingyu?"

He repeated the name in a low voice.

That name sounds so damn familiar!!

His expression became somewhat complicated.

After a long pause, he made a decision.

"Bring the man who claims to be Zhao Bingyu's son here."

"I will personally conduct the trial."

Soon, Zhu was dragged out of the dark, sunless cell by two strong jailers, one on each side.

The blinding light stung his eyes, and he instinctively squinted. When his eyes finally adjusted and he could see clearly what was before him, his heart skipped a beat!

He saw the middle-aged man sitting upright behind his desk, wearing a blue official robe and with a serious expression.

The man simply sat there quietly, without even glancing at him, yet he exuded a powerful aura that made it hard for him to breathe.

"Who is there? State your name." The prefect of Qingzhou did not look up, but simply flipped through a file in his hand and asked in a calm voice.

“I…I am called Ru Zhu.”

“My mother is Zhao Bingyu,” he added eagerly.

The prefect of Qingzhou slowly raised his head and his gaze fell on him.

"Zhao Bingyu from the Western Regions?" the prefect of Qingzhou asked slowly.

"That's right! It's her!" Ru Zhu thought the other person had heard of her mother's name, and a glimmer of hope rose in her heart, so her voice became a few decibels louder.

The prefect of Qingzhou did not immediately express his opinion, but instead asked several questions about Zhao Bingyu at a leisurely pace. Zhu Du answered fluently.

After the question was asked, the room fell into a long silence.

The prefect of Qingzhou simply watched him quietly, which made Zhu feel uneasy.

He waved his hand and gave the order to the squad leader beside him.

"Carefully verify the identities of the others who were brought to Lanyue Tower tonight. If they are not directly involved in the human trafficking case and are just ordinary tourists, record their statements and release them."

"..."

Zhu breathed a sigh of relief.

The squad leader bowed in response.

The prefect of Qingzhou paused for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Ruzhu once again.

"This person will be temporarily detained pending further investigation."

"???"

Zhu was completely dumbfounded.

"Why? Why am I the only one locked up?"

He screamed in panic.

"I didn't do anything! I just went to have a drink! Why won't they let me go?"

The prefect of Qingzhou seemed not to hear his shouts, lowered his head, and began to look at the files on the table again.

Two jailers immediately stepped forward and dragged Ru Zhu away like a dead dog, as he was still struggling and shouting.

This time, when the cold prison door slammed shut behind her, Ru Zhu's heart sank into an abyss.

He finally realized, his mother's name...

Here, instead of being a talisman, it becomes a death warrant.

"..."

Inside the inn, Aslan and Rubao sat restlessly, anxiously awaiting news.

When they finally learned that everyone who had been arrested together had been released one after another, except for Zhu, who was still imprisoned.

Aslan's face instantly became serious.

Without the slightest hesitation, he had Ru Bao change into presentable clothes, tidied himself up, and then prepared a carefully selected generous gift before heading to the Qingzhou government office to request an audience once more.

In a side hall of the government office, they met the prefect of Qingzhou.

"Your Excellency, Prefect."

Aslan bowed deeply, his posture extremely humble.

He handed the gift to the servant beside him, his tone extremely sincere.

“Our child is young and ignorant, and acted rashly, offending the government and causing trouble for the adults. We, as parents, are truly ashamed that we have not disciplined him properly.”

"We are willing to pay the fine, no matter how much, just hoping that the adults can take pity on him because of his youth and ignorance... and forgive him and let him out."

Ru Bao also followed her father's example, timidly bowing and looking at the prefect of Qingzhou with red eyes.

She's completely different from the shrew she used to be.

"My lord, my second brother is really not a bad person. He's just concerned about his image and wanted to treat someone to a meal... Please, let him go."

The prefect of Qingzhou sat in the main seat. "Mr. Aslan, is that right?"

He raised his eyelids and looked at the man from the Western Regions in front of him.

"I remember you are from the Western Regions. Why have you traveled thousands of miles to the territory of my Great Wu?"

Aslan's heart sank.

The tone of the other person's question gave him a sense of danger.

"In reply to you, sir, we are here to do legitimate business, to purchase some silk to transport back to the Western Regions for sale," he answered cautiously.

"Doing business?"

The prefect of Qingzhou smiled.

"I do remember something else."

"Back then, when Zhao Bingyu left Dawu, she personally made a promise in front of the Bai family and the government officials—"

"You Zhao family members... will never set foot in the territory of Dawu again, nor will you harass the Bai family, especially Lady Bailu."

His voice suddenly turned stern.

"What? It hasn't been that long, and you've already taken your promises for granted?"

"Now you've come to my territory without a word, and you dare to shamelessly claim that you're just doing business?"

"I see you're still up to your old tricks and want to do something to Lady Bailu again!"

These words struck Aslan and Rubao like a bolt from the blue, leaving them both stunned.

They never expected that the other party would bring up Bailu (White Dew).

It's unbelievable that this matter is associated with the White Dew solar term!

"Sir, you've misunderstood! A huge misunderstanding!"

Aslan broke out in a cold sweat and quickly waved his hands to explain.

"We're here purely for business, and have absolutely nothing to do with Lady Bailu... or the Bai family!"

"I will not believe a single word spoken by a person who is untrustworthy!"

The prefect of Qingzhou suddenly stood up, flicked his sleeves, and his attitude was resolute.

"I have already sent someone on horseback to deliver a message to Lady Bailu! She happens to be inspecting her properties nearby!"

"Your precious son can stay in this jail!"

"Once Lady Bailu arrives, how to handle this matter—whether to release her or punish her—will be entirely up to her!"

Having said that, he gave Aslan no further chance to explain and strode away from the side hall.

Only Aslan and Rubao remained standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment, as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

They are truly in business, not trying to harm Bailu.

However, due to their previously poor reputation, the prefect of Qingzhou no longer trusts them...

This is really troublesome!

The White Dew arrived sooner than they had imagined.

In the afternoon, she appeared in the back hall of the Qingzhou government office.

When Aslan first saw this woman, who only existed in the gritting descriptions of his wife and children and whom they had resented for so long... he was slightly stunned and somewhat lost in thought.

The woman before me, with her delicate features and the aloofness and detachment that emanated from her very being...

They all look very similar to Zhao Bingyu when she was young.

For example, Bao is more like it.

"You must be Aslan."

Bai Lu spoke first, her voice as clear and gentle as a mountain stream.

Her gaze was equally calm, passing over Aslan and landing on Rubao, who was glaring at her from behind him.

Aslan snapped out of his daze, nodded somewhat awkwardly, and felt a dryness in his throat.

"What are you doing here?" Bai Lu asked directly.

Before Aslan could figure out how to phrase it, Ru Bao, standing to the side, bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"What's it to you! This is Dawu, not your home! We can come and go as we please!"

Her hatred for Bailu had penetrated to the bone.

Upon seeing the real person, all the resentment and hatred welled up in my heart.

"If it weren't for you, you jinx, would my second brother have been locked up? Your arrival is never a good thing!"

"Ru Bao, shut up! Don't be rude!" Aslan's expression changed, and he quickly scolded his outspoken daughter in a low voice.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his unease, and turned to Bailu, his attitude extremely sincere.

"Lady Bailu, please forgive my daughter's rudeness. We came to Dawu this time truly to conduct a business transaction, with absolutely no other intentions. My son, Ruzhu, is young and ignorant, and has mistakenly entered this place of trouble, but truly..."

"It was just a misunderstanding."

As he spoke, he solemnly took out a stack of invoices and a purchase contract signed with Boss Wang from his pocket and handed them over with both hands.

"These are our purchase documents and receipts, bearing the signatures and seals of both parties. You can inspect them at any time."

Bai Lu didn't speak, but simply extended her slender fingers and took the stack of documents.

She examined it very carefully, turning each page one by one, not missing a single clause or amount. For a moment, the only sound in the back room was the rustling of the pages turning.

After a while, she raised her head and looked at the prefect of Qingzhou beside her.

"Father."

"Yes," the prefect of Qingzhou replied immediately.

"I would like to request that you send someone to immediately check the recent accounts of Wangji Silk Shop in the city, and then verify the quantity and type of goods that their caravan has already loaded onto the wagons, to see if they match this contract."

"Alright." The prefect of Qingzhou did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered his clerk to take men to carry out the order.

The government is extremely efficient.

The results of the investigation were in less than an hour.

Aslan and his daughter were telling the truth; the accounts of Wang's Silk Shop and the goods in their caravan matched the contract perfectly. They had indeed come to buy silk.

As for Ru Zhu, it was indeed just bad luck that he wanted to invite Boss Wang to a brothel for drinks and entertainment, but he happened to run into the government's crackdown.

Bai Lu listened quietly to the clerk's report, her long eyelashes drooping, and remained silent for a moment.

"Father, now that it's been found out it was just a misunderstanding, please release them," she finally said.

Aslan and Rubao both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

However, Bai Lu's next words made their hearts leap into their throats again...

"However, I have a condition."

Her gaze was cold and aloof as she looked directly at Aslan.

“Please speak, Lady White Snake,” Aslan said respectfully.

"Once the business is done, leave Dawu immediately."

There was no warmth in Bai Lu's voice.

"Never come back again."

Ru Bao laughed.

"Why!"

She could no longer control her emotions and screamed.

"Why can't we come to Dawu? Is Dawu your family's property? This is where my mother used to live! What right do you have to kick us out!"

She stepped forward, staring at Bai Lu with bloodshot eyes.

"I absolutely hate you! It's all because of you!"

"If it weren't to prove you wrong, would we have rushed into starting our own business? Would we have lost those 20,000 taels of silver?"