"This is the Zheng family?" Guo Qinglan looked up at the high courtyard wall behind her. "The same Zheng family that donated money to build the Lantern Mountain, hired a variety show troupe, and even sealed off the north city?"
She used to think the Zheng family were just rich and foolish, but now it seems they're not so simple.
"Yes! It's them. The Zheng family is not one we can afford to offend. I advise you to leave immediately. What's so interesting about these few weeds on the ground? You can find them everywhere. What do you, someone who wields knives and guns, know..."
Xiao Yu suddenly stood up and turned to look at Luo Xian, who immediately shut up and dared not continue speaking.
Guo Qinglan picked up the thorns from the ground with her handkerchief and showed them to Luo Xian, patiently explaining the mystery to him. Before she could finish speaking, Luo Xian slapped her hand away, and several small thorns scattered into the dark corner of the wall, disappearing into the thick night.
"What a joke! These are just some ordinary weeds, not evidence at all!" Luo Xian said coldly and firmly. "Men! Leave here immediately and gather your forces to search the south of the city. Do not miss a single one!"
After hesitating for a moment, the yamen runners decided to obey the magistrate's orders and left.
Cheng Ruyi stared at Luo Xian, feeling that his reaction was a bit strange, as if he was subconsciously protecting the Zheng family and covering for them.
Her biggest worry was that the government was colluding with the underworld, but Manager Huang also said that Luo Xian was just greedy for money and was about to be promoted, so he probably didn't want to cause any big trouble. In this situation, how did he plan to handle it?
Guo Qinglan stared at him for a long time before saying earnestly, "Luo Xian, although we haven't had much affection for each other in the ten years of our marriage, Xiuwei is your only bloodline!"
"I know, you go home first, I'll handle this!" After saying that, Luo Xian didn't wait for them and quickly left with a few trusted men.
Cheng Ruyi stood aside, her heart sinking after hearing Magistrate Luo's words, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
It seems we can't count on Magistrate Luo anymore; our only hope now lies with his wife...
Cheng Ruyi pictured Yun Le's small face earnestly telling her that she believed in her. She made up her mind, quickly walked to Guo Qinglan, and knelt down!
This woman is flexible and resilient. Right now, nothing is more important than saving lives. What does dignity matter? Kneeling down won't cost me anything!
She took a deep breath, looked up at Guo Qinglan, and said with utmost seriousness and sincerity, "Madam Magistrate, at least thirty-seven children were arrested tonight. The perpetrators are experienced, went to great lengths, and have a large number of men. I know the person behind this is definitely not simple, but these children are all under ten years old. Today, they should be enjoying the happiness of family life in the arms of their parents and relatives, instead of being trapped in a dark and hopeless place awaiting their despairing fate!"
"My daughter is only six years old. She is usually very well-behaved and sweet. Before I left home today, I told her that no matter what happens, she must believe in me and that I will definitely come to save her! Madam, I beg you to have mercy and save them!"
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and pressed it tightly against the ground, her posture very earnest.
She has been here for almost a year now. As a human being, she has come to regard the Cheng family as her own. Moreover, every member of the Cheng family has supported and relied on her unconditionally. She must not let them down!
Besides, there are so many innocent children. Human traffickers have always been condemned by everyone. If the magistrate's wife doesn't help, she can go to other parents, neighbors, or even the Zhou family. There must be a way!
While encouraging herself, Cheng Ruyi quickly thought of other ways to deal with the situation.
Guo Qinglan was instilled with a strong sense of justice from a young age under her father's guidance. She wished she were a man so she could join the army to protect her country, or she could roam the martial arts world to fight evil and uphold justice. Unfortunately, she was born a woman and could only marry and become a so-called "virtuous wife and loving mother".
She was resentful, and the fire in her heart had not been extinguished all these years.
Based on her understanding of Luo Xian, she knew that he had little affection for his daughter; no one in the world was as important as his own future!
So she had no intention of listening to Luo Xian. After hearing Cheng Ruyi's words, she became even more excited, her heart filled with fervor. She gently raised her hand and helped the other person up.
"Don't worry, the person behind this dares to cause trouble in Huaishan County. They really don't take our Guo family seriously. If we are humiliated like this, how can our Changfeng Escort Agency still have a place in the martial arts world!"
After Guo Qinglan finished speaking, she began to stretch her arms and legs, and did not forget to instruct, "Xiaoyu, you take this lady back to the yamen first, I'll go in and check it out!"
"Yes, Miss!" The young maid named Xiaoyu answered respectfully, then nodded to Cheng Ruyi, indicating that she should follow her.
Cheng Ruyi was shocked!
What kind of escort agency? How did it get involved with the martial arts world? Wait, is this county magistrate's wife planning to storm in alone? That's quite a feat.
"Wait...wait a minute, I'll go in with you! I have a way to find the children!"
*
It was so exciting! Cheng Ruyi never imagined that she would one day be eavesdropping on someone else's rooftop.
Although she was 100% certain that the Zheng family was the mastermind, strictly speaking, there was no actual evidence to support that claim.
Not to mention that there were only three of them, while the Zheng family had at least several times more people.
So, in order not to alert the enemy, she suggested that they first secretly investigate the Zheng family's situation before making a further plan.
Before she could finish speaking, the little fish girl lifted her up and jumped a few times, and they arrived at the roof of the Zheng family's main hall without anyone noticing. The county magistrate's wife next to her skillfully pried open a tile and was intently examining the situation below.
Needless to say, Little Fish Girl disappeared early in the morning.
After calming herself down a bit, Cheng Ruyi adjusted her posture and position to make it easier for her to view the layout of the entire Zheng family home.
The glowing red line ran through the main hall and pointed directly to an inconspicuous room in the corner of the back courtyard.
What are you looking at?
Cheng Ruyi, who was engrossed in watching, was startled by the sudden appearance of the little fish and couldn't help but exclaim in her heart: What amazing lightness skill!
Seeing that the magistrate's wife had also finished spying and gathered around, Cheng Ruyi pointed to the backyard and whispered, "Of all the rooms in the backyard, only one room has someone guarding the door. Moreover, the door to that room is right next to the alley where the thorns were found. This is definitely not a coincidence. It is very likely that the children are being held there."
After Cheng Ruyi finished speaking, Xiaoyu nodded and then added, "There are about thirty or forty people in the Zheng family, including the main family. Although most of them are ordinary people who do not know martial arts, there are too many of them. I am afraid that I cannot protect you if a fight breaks out. It is not advisable for us to have a conflict at the main gate. It would be best to find a way to sneak in."
"I just heard them say something about not finishing digging yet, getting lost, and doing it in batches, but I don't know what they meant in detail." Guo Qinglan also shared the key points she heard with everyone.
What hasn't been dug yet? Could it be... a tunnel?
Cheng Ruyi looked up at the north city wall behind the Zheng family and carefully observed that the distance between the two was quite close, only about ten meters. Could it be that the Zheng family dug a tunnel that could pass through the city wall and go directly out of the city?
The more I think about it, the more likely it seems. Otherwise, why would someone as wealthy and powerful as them choose to live in such a small house? There must be something about this house that they value, and now it seems that it is very likely that it is close to the north city wall!
Because the North Gate of Huaishan County is close to the wealthy area, it is usually less frequented. In addition, the North Gate and the East Gate are not far apart, so even if people want to go north, most ordinary people in the city will choose to go through the East Gate. Over time, apart from people living in the north of the city, almost no one passes through the North Gate.
In this way, it is indeed a perfect place to do bad things!
The sky in the distance was beginning to lighten, and it was almost dawn. The guards of the Zheng family had been on guard all night, and now they were most likely to let their guard down due to exhaustion and low spirits.
Seeing that now was the perfect opportunity, Cheng Ruyi asked, "We need to think of a way to lure the patrolmen in and take a look. Do you have any suggestions?"
Guo Qinglan and Xiaoyu looked at each other and then shook their heads.
Cheng Ruyi assumed the other party was a seasoned江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) figure, someone with extensive experience in such matters, as depicted in television dramas. However, she hadn't anticipated that Guo Qinglan had married immediately upon reaching adulthood, leaving her with no opportunity to venture into the martial arts world. Xiaoyu, on the other hand, had undergone rigorous training at the Guo family since childhood, and upon completion, was directly sent to serve as Guo Qinglan's bodyguard. Similarly, he lacked significant experience in the martial arts world...
After a moment of silence, Xiaoyu spoke first: "How about... I go to the main gate and fight them?"
“But wouldn’t you be exposing yourself like this? Besides, without you, the magistrate’s wife and I might not be able to get into the room smoothly.”
Cheng Ruyi guessed that Xiaoyu was probably the magistrate's wife's personal bodyguard, so her fighting skills were likely superior to the magistrate's wife's. The three of them should act together for safety, so she suggested, "Do you have a tinderbox or something on you? Or could you secretly set a fire?"
The two people opposite him lit up when they heard this, thinking that the suggestion was feasible, so they immediately took action.
Cheng Ruyi was once again dragged along at high speed. The patrolling guards became much more lax, and some even gathered in twos and threes to doze off. The three of them moved effortlessly and silently arrived on the roof of the suspicious room in the backyard in the blink of an eye. Then, the little fish girl lightly leaped and disappeared.
Soon, smoke began to rise from a corner of the front yard, and soon flames could be faintly seen. Then came a series of very noisy sounds, as if something serious had happened.
The guards were immediately drawn to the scene, leaving only the two gatekeepers in the backyard.
Then, a dizzying sensation swept over her. By the time Cheng Ruyi came to her senses, Little Fish had already knocked out the gatekeeper with two blows, kicked open the locked door, and pushed them all into the room.
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