Tao Wanniang was delighted when she saw the people who supposedly had a grudge against her. These were the same group of people who had extorted money from her at the restaurant that day.
"What? They're the ones who broke into my little restaurant to steal things?" Tao Wanniang looked the group up and down. Their disheveled appearance suggested they might have been tortured into confessing.
"Manager Tao, it wasn't us. When we went in, the restaurant was fine." Lin Dazhi pleaded immediately upon seeing Tao Wanniang, like a drowning man grabbing onto a piece of driftwood.
"Who are you? Do I know you?" Tao Wanniang asked, pretending to be stupid.
"I, my name is Lin Dazhi. Manager Tao, our dispute is just over half a tael of silver. I have no reason to set fire to your restaurant!" Lin Dazhi pleaded with a bitter face.
No matter how he explained, the officials just wouldn't believe him. When Tao Wanniang appeared, Lin Dazhi suddenly realized that the key to this matter lay with Tao Wanniang!
"But what a coincidence that the restaurant caught fire right after you left?" Tao Wanniang asked rhetorically, carefully observing the man's expression.
"Manager Tao, sister, it really wasn't us! Please, let us go! We didn't steal anything valuable!" Lin Dazhi cried.
"Manager Tao, please spare us! You're a magnanimous person. We'll leave here and start anew," the others pleaded through the cell door to Tao Wanniang.
"You've come to the wrong person. I'm the victim here. Whether or not there was arson, the authorities won't wrongly convict any innocent person, but they also absolutely won't let any petty scoundrel go free." Tao Wanniang spoke without joy or sorrow; she wanted to go see the next suspect.
The next suspect is Liang Laifu.
Liang Laifu looked anxious as he paced back and forth in the cell, overhearing Tao Wanniang's conversation with the other inmates.
“Tao, I didn’t burn down your restaurant.” Liang Laifu said directly upon seeing Tao Wanniang. “I bought kerosene because Xinlan at home wanted to burn some things. I came to your restaurant to see Xiao Qiao’er, but you were closed.”
"What a coincidence! I don't know whether I should believe it or not." Tao Wanniang looked Liang Laifu up and down. She was very skeptical that Liang Laifu would have the guts to do this.
“I would never do such a thing. I am now a bodyguard at the Mighty Escort Agency, with a bright future ahead of me. I have young children and Xinlan at home. Although she is spoiled, her dowry is generous and can ensure our stable and prosperous life. I have no reason to set fire to the place.”
"Isn't it just that you're still hung up on those five hundred taels of silver?" Tao Wanniang said sarcastically after listening to Liang Laifu's explanation.
Liang Laifu choked, then swallowed hard and admitted, "Yes, I just want to get back those five hundred li of silver."
“But I would never set fire to your restaurant,” Liang Laifu emphasized. “I really wouldn’t do it!”
Tao Wanniang spread her hands, helpless, and said, "It's no use even if I believe it. When the government handles matters, they value solid evidence."
"Tao, for Xiao Qiao'er's sake, I beg you to say a few words of justice for me. I would never do such a thing. I will not let my daughter have an arsonist as her father."
“Having a father who betrayed her is pretty much the same,” Tao Wanniang said coolly. “The government arrested you because there must be something suspicious about you. We can’t believe everything you say. Let’s wait for the officials to investigate.”
Tao Wanniang couldn't say for sure whether Liang Laifu and Lin Dazhi's groups were responsible for the arson, but things just happen!
After leaving the prison, Tao Wanniang met Lu Zhaoling, the Prefect of Jingzhao.
Meanwhile, the Prefect of the Capital was also observing Tao Wanniang. A small restaurant had burned down, and both the Prince Rui's Mansion and the General's Mansion had come to inquire. He later investigated Tao Wanniang and found that her identity documents had been arranged by people from the Prince Rui's Mansion. He had recently learned that she was the General's first wife, although the two had recently divorced. At this moment, the Prefect of the Capital still sighed inwardly.
This seemingly ordinary village woman had a life full of ups and downs!
"General, what are your thoughts on this case?" the Prefect of the Capital asked tentatively. It was not surprising that a divorced couple could appear together.
"I am merely accompanying Manager Tao and am unaware of the details, so I cannot comment," Ling Yunzhou said calmly.
"My lord, besides them being suspects, is there any conclusive evidence?" Tao Wanniang asked.
“If there were any, this prefecture would have already made a decision,” the Prefect of the Capital said with distress. “Both groups are suspects, but there is no conclusive evidence to prove that they were the ones who set the fire.”
“Then it shouldn’t be,” Tao Wanniang said. “My conflict with them was definitely not serious enough to warrant burning down my restaurant.”
“But the problem now isn’t who the murderer is, but that the restaurant is gone, and it’s affected several shops next door. Who will compensate the people for their losses?” Tao Wanniang sighed. “Or should we just accept our bad luck?”
"This..." The Prefect of the Capital was speechless for a moment, it seemed that he should just accept his bad luck! "Since the murderer has not been found, there is indeed no party to compensate."
"Please continue your investigation, sir. I'm sure you'll be able to give us justice," Tao Wanniang said politely. "I truly believe that neither Liang Laifu nor Lin Dazhi were the arsonists. Liang Laifu is driven by vanity, and Lin Dazhi is after petty gains. Arson would bring them no benefit whatsoever."
"The fact that they handed over the kerosene first was premeditated; they must have a grudge against me. And this is happening right under the emperor's nose in the capital; most people wouldn't dare to do this."
"Does Manager Tao have anyone she suspects?" The Prefect of the Capital was somewhat surprised to hear such words from Tao Wanniang. This country woman was no ordinary person!
Ling Yunzhou was afraid that Tao Wanniang would mention the eldest princess, so he said, "Lord Lu, these are all her side of the story. She hasn't been in the capital for long, so what enemies could she possibly have?"
Tao Wanniang glanced at Lingyunzhou. She wasn't stupid enough to directly call him the Princess. Why was he so nervous?
"The city is a melting pot of all sorts of people. What I fear most is that some people are just jealous of Manager Tao's restaurant's good business and impulsively set it on fire. Since Manager Tao believes it wasn't Lin Dazhi and Liang Laifu, this prefecture will release them after investigating." The Prefect of the Capital sighed. This case won't be resolved anytime soon!
Ling Yunzhou escorted Tao Wanniang from the government office back to the Tao family. On the way, Ling Yunzhou reminded her:
“Tao, even though we are divorced, I still want to warn you out of consideration for our past relationship: do not make any assumptions about the Princess. She is not someone you can mess with.”
"Ha, no need for the General to remind me, I'm not going to go through the trouble of trying to break a rock," Tao Wanniang said sarcastically. "Actually, if the General could marry the Princess, I wouldn't have any more wild thoughts."
"What do you mean?" Ling Yunzhou disliked Tao Wanniang's tone and frowned, questioning her.
“You don’t understand women. The princess has waited for you for so many years, isn’t it all for a result?” Tao Wanniang still trusted her intuition. “Remember, it’s a result of becoming a couple, not a separation. A woman’s jealousy can make her unrecognizable!”
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