The water stains by the lotus pond weren't fresh; they must have been there for some time. If you were to look for them now, the people who got wet would probably be completely dry by now.

"White Robe, take some men and summon the people from the second and fourth branches of the family!" Gu Xin said in a deep voice. "Immediately, no matter what they are doing."

"Yes, Third Miss!" the woman in white replied, then called over Constable Gao, and the two of them went to the other side.

In the second house, Madam He, the second wife, paced back and forth in the courtyard with some unease, having just heard the shouts coming from the third house.

For several days in a row, two people had been missing from the house. Every time she heard cries from the third branch of the family, she couldn't put her mind at ease.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Bai Shilin, the second son of the second wife, yawned as he came out, approached Madam He, and looked in the direction of the third wife's family. "Was that Third Aunt's voice just now? What happened to Third Aunt?"

"You heard that too?" Madam He frowned and looked at Bai Shilin.

Bai Shilin's personality is not like that of the Second Master Bai, but rather more like that of the Third Master Bai. He is good at eating, drinking, and having fun at a young age, and he rarely gets up this early throughout the year. He is the kind of person who cannot be woken up by thunder.

Therefore, Madam He was even more alarmed. This boy could hear the third wife's cries, which showed how loud her voice must be!

"Of course I heard you. I didn't eat enough last night, so I woke up hungry in the middle of the night. There were so many people guarding outside, unlike before, so it wasn't convenient. I just endured the hunger, drank some water, and went back to sleep. And now I've woken up hungry again." Bai Shilin rubbed his stomach.

"Silly boy, just eat if you're hungry! You can ask someone to cook something in the main kitchen, do you think they won't allow it? At the very least, you can have some pastries! Drinking cold water is bad for your health! Come on, I'll take you to the small kitchen to see if there's anything to eat!" Madam He's attention was immediately diverted; all she could think about now was her son being hungry.

Bai Shilin was pulled by her to the small kitchen.

In the study, Master Bai also came out. He looked somewhat haggard, as if he hadn't slept well all night, and stubble had grown on his face.

"Father," Bai Shijun stepped out from the side, his face grave, "I just heard Third Aunt's voice. Has something happened again?"

"Hmm, possibly." Master Bai nodded heavily, then frowned and looked at Bai Shijun. "You've already taken a bath this early in the morning?"

"I was keeping watch over my elder brother last night, and when I came back to rest, I couldn't fall asleep no matter how much I tossed and turned. I was feeling a bit groggy just now, and I was worried that the princess would call for questioning again this morning, so I took a shower to clear my head," Bai Shijun said calmly.

"Shijun, are you hiding something from your father?" Second Master Bai stared at Bai Shijun for a while, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged, he asked uncertainly.

"Huh? What does Father mean?" Bai Shijun was taken aback and asked in return.

"The princess has ordered everyone to immediately drop what they are doing and go to the third residence!" At this moment, a man in white appeared in the courtyard with his men and announced loudly.

The father and son exchanged a glance, then dropped the previous topic and walked away together with furrowed brows.

Bai Shijun really looks like Bai Erye. When the father and son walk together, their movements and expressions are the same. Even their height and weight are identical at a glance. Strangers can tell they are father and son without asking.

The man in white looked at the father and son approaching, paying particular attention to their dry hair. He wasn't sure if they were still within the scope of suspicion.