Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 1216 - 1218 Chu Hai Surrenders_1

Chapter 1216: Chapter 1218 Chu Hai Surrenders_1

As Bai Ruozhu turned to enter the Astrology Tower, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned back to ask Jiang Yichun, "Why haven’t you ever asked the National Master why he took me as a disciple?"

Jiang Yichun tugged at the corner of his mouth, "You would naturally tell me if you wanted to."

"Alright, I’ll tell you when we get back home." Bai Ruozhu said with a smile, he really was the one who understood her best.

When Bai Ruozhu returned to kneel before the spirit, she noticed Ning Yu spacing out, undoubtedly contemplating what she had said earlier.

In the blink of an eye, the seventh day arrived, which was the day of the National Master’s burial.

The National Master’s funeral was unlike that of ordinary people; he had requested to lie in state for seven days before his burial, and he had chosen the burial site himself. Interestingly, it was the mountain top behind Jingxin Temple outside the City, which was covered with maple leaves in the fall.

If it had been an ordinary person, the body might have decomposed after lying in state for seven days, and even if the weather wasn’t hot, it wouldn’t have been ideal. But the National Master was no ordinary man; upon his passing, he returned to the way he looked before the backlash, a situation so astonishing it could only be described as fantastical.

And after seven days, the National Master’s body still looked as if he were alive, as if he were just sleeping, with no breath to speak of. Bai Ruozhu would have thought so too.

This must be the Taoist body cultivated by a true transcendent.

The National Master’s burial was arranged by the Ministry of Rites. Bai Ruozhu and Ning Yu went through the motions of the ceremony, and at the auspicious time, the National Master was buried at the top of Hongye Ridge. Naturally, Ning Yu chose the specific spot using his Feng Shui skills. Bai Ruozhu was envious and felt that she should also learn some of the Astrology Tower’s skills so she wouldn’t bring shame to her Teacher’s name in the future.

After the funeral, news came from Jianqi that Chu Hai had entered the Palace to see the Emperor.

At the end of it all, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t set her mind at ease and, after informing Ning Yu, she too went to the Palace.

She went straight to Cining Palace, only to find Chu Hai kneeling in the Main Hall, with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor seated at the head.

Bai Ruozhu was led in by Hao Mu. She greeted the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and while the Empress Dowager asked her to wait by the side, the Emperor snorted coldly and said, "Bai Family, you kneel too, Chu Hai and Diao Yao stayed at your house in the Capital City, and what they have done is also under your protection!"

Bai Ruozhu had no choice but to kneel down, yet she did not offer a single word of explanation.

"Your Majesty, Bai Ruozhu was unaware of our backgrounds. Initially, when I was poisoned, I sought her help to cure it. At that time, they were traveling to Jiangnan for the Eight Academy Competition. Along the way, Tu Bai encountered danger, and Diao Yao used the pills given to her by her Sect to save Tu Bai but asked Bai Ruozhu to detoxify me as a condition. It was to save Tu Bai that she took us in," Chu Hai hurried to explain.

"You seem rather eager to clear her name," the Emperor snorted coldly.

"As a person from Jianghu, I abide by the rules of Jianghu. Bai Ruozhu saved me, and indeed knew nothing about our origins. Our affairs should not implicate her," Chu Hai added.

The Emperor glanced at Bai Ruozhu but did not raise more accusations against her, simply not allowing her to rise.

"Is everything you’ve said earlier true?" the Emperor asked.

"For the safety of my sister, I can only reveal the truth. Diao Yao indeed knows nothing about it. I plead with Your Majesty to grant her a chance to live, and let me take sole responsibility for everything," Chu Hai said, bowing his head to the Emperor. But Bai Ruozhu saw his jaw clenched; for a man as cold and proud as he, bowing to the Emperor must have been distasteful.

"Nonsense! How could Mother ever poison your mother? Was a foreign woman worth such concern from Mother?" the Emperor suddenly slammed the table and exclaimed.

Bai Ruozhu, seeing the situation, hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. What exactly is going on?"

The Empress Dowager sighed and briefly recounted the contents of Chu Hai’s confession to Bai Ruozhu. Although Bai Ruozhu knew all of this already, she still had to pretend as if she knew nothing before, considering she had the whole Bai Family relying on her support.

After listening, Bai Ruozhu showed a surprised expression and said to Chu Hai, "You have been in Capital City of Danliang Country for some time now; you should have learned about the kind of person the Empress Dowager is. How could she harm your mother? Your family suddenly faced catastrophe, and since you couldn’t figure out who was behind it, how did you suddenly conclude that it was the Empress Dowager’s doing? This is clearly a trap set for your mother, ensnaring her in their scheme to achieve their own goals with her anger."

The Emperor’s expression turned more solemn. If it weren’t for the matter of Diao Yao being hidden in the Leng Palace, he would have dismissed Chu Hai’s story as just internal strife among Western Regions’ aristocrats. But now, he couldn’t help but suspect that the planning of all this was related to Danliang Country as well.

Bai Ruozhu saw the Emperor’s reaction and spoke no further. At times like these, saying too much could easily make the Emperor suspicious of her.

"Take this man away. I want to investigate this matter thoroughly," the Emperor ordered someone to take Chu Hai away, and when Chu Hai was being led out, he looked at Bai Ruozhu with eyes full of apology.

At that moment, Bai Ruozhu was still kneeling on the ground. The Emperor coldly scrutinized her but didn’t say anything to allow her to stand up.

Unable to bear it, the Empress Dowager softly said, "Your Majesty, Ruozhu was also unaware, and she did make efforts for the Imperial Court when she saved Tu Bai."

The Emperor did not respond to the Empress Dowager’s words. Instead, he fixated on Bai Ruozhu and asked, "Why did the National Master suddenly take you as his disciple before he died? Just because you have rising purple Qi? He only met you that one time, right?"

Bai Ruozhu was relieved that she had met the National Master; otherwise, she would have missed him just like that. He was her teacher in her previous life, after all.

"If I said the National Master was also my teacher in a previous life, would Your Majesty believe me?" Bai Ruozhu asked in return.

The Emperor remained silent, but the Empress Dowager said, "The Former Emperor mentioned that the National Master’s Taoist magic was profound and that he could perceive past life karma. No wonder he said Ri Zhu was fated to meet him."

"Oh?" The Emperor finally spoke, "What did he do in his previous life? And what did you learn from him?"

"He was just a doctor, and I learned medical skills from him," Bai Ruozhu answered truthfully. She was a medical student abroad in her previous life, but of course, she didn’t specify that she was a dentist.

The Emperor remained silent for a long while before saying indifferently, "Stand up. You’ve been mourning for seven days; it’s time to go home and check on things."

Bai Ruozhu hurriedly stood up to express her gratitude and then retreated to the Cining Palace.

As soon as she left the palace, she saw Jiang Yichun already waiting at the palace gate. He strode forward, and without care for the nearby guards, he scooped her into the horse carriage in one motion.

Settled in the carriage, Bai Ruozhu’s face was still a bit flushed. She complained, "What are you doing? Everyone saw that."

"So what if they saw? Can they concern themselves with my heartache for my wife?" Jiang Yichun said as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and silenced her rebuttal with a kiss on her lips.

When the kiss ended, Bai Ruozhu breathed heavily. Having been apart for a few days, his eyes were practically glowing green with longing.

At that moment, the horse carriage came to a halt. Jiang Yichun, a little annoyed, let go of her and, reluctantly getting down from the carriage, he then extended his hand to help her alight.

As she got out, she saw that the horse carriage had stopped outside the Bai Residence Gate.