Horse Bandit Officer (VII)
Zhao Mugen was busy at the meat stall during the day and would not go home until the sun went down.
Only today, he closed his stall early, bought two bags of cakes and a fat fish, just to go back and reunite with his wife and children, so he was in high spirits and shouted to everyone he met.
"Hey? Mugen is back?" The old lady next door came out to dump the waste water and happened to meet Zhao Mugen walking in the middle of the road, so she called him.
"Yes! I closed the stall early today so that I can go back and cook a fish with Ai Ye!" Zhao Mugen smiled so brightly that even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were filled with joy.
But this refreshing feeling did not last long. When he caught a glimpse of the tall and graceful man, he regained his composure.
He knew him, he was the new county magistrate of Hanlu.
When he took office, he and his companions went together to join in the fun.
Who would have thought that at this moment, this great official would come to his humble home for the first time for some unknown reason.
Holding cakes in one hand and a big fish in the other, he took small steps without stopping and hurried forward as soon as he saw the old man's head.
"I am Zhao Mugen, a commoner, and I pay my respects to the County Magistrate!" Zhao Mugen was so anxious that he put down the things in his hand and staggered to the ground.
This time it's a Shura field.
Xiao Lin and Mu You immediately felt something was wrong and took a step back.
But Tong Huan did not retreat at all. He looked down with disdain and met Zhao Mugen's hunched back with cold eyes.
Although his voice was so small that it did not attract the attention of Ai Ye and Zhao Mugen, Xiao Lin still heard it.
Xiao Lin clearly heard Tong Huan mutter, "Him? A butcher?"
She didn't want to presume to guess what others were thinking, but whether it was the cold words that Tong Huan uttered or the expression on his face, besides self-mockery, there was also a hint of contempt.
What? He's the son of a bandit, and he earned his position by working for others, and now he has the confidence to look down on others?
Naturally, Tong Huan did not allow the couple to leave immediately. Instead, as the neighbors gathered around them, he spoke wildly in public.
He lost his mind, squatted down, put his hand on Zhao Mugen's shoulder, and said suddenly: "Can you give me back the mugwort leaves?"
Tong Huan's voice was so soft that Zhao Mugen panicked: "Huh?"
"Please let Ai Ye go, okay?"
"County... County Magistrate, I... don't understand what you mean..."
"I say," Tong Huan continued to shout. Ai Ye suddenly felt something was wrong and was about to step forward to stop him, but it was too late. "You secretly abducted Ai Ye here just to satisfy your sexual desires and trapped her in this world. Do you have a dark heart? You trapped her for ten years! I have also been looking for her for ten years! Now you want to take her for yourself. Why...why don't you return her to me!"
Tong Huan's whisper gradually turned into a roar, attracting everyone around him, who all looked at the joke of the Zhao family and the new official in a chaotic manner.
Zhao Mugen was grabbed by the collar by Tong Huan, his eyes full of panic and helplessness.
He really didn't understand. He was just an honest butcher and had never offended any officials. Why did Tong Huan ask for his wife the first time he met him?
Mu You stood aside, and seeing that more and more people were gathering to watch, he understood the situation and took three steps forward before it was too late. In front of everyone, he struggled to pull Tong Huan and Zhao Mugen apart.
Only after the shove did Tong Huan regain his composure.
Ali was frightened by the scene before him and burst into tears. Tears also welled up in Ai Ye's eyes, and the bitterness of grievance reached its peak.
The sound of neighbors talking came into his ears, and Tong Huan's eyes finally lit up.
"Sir! Please wake up!" Mu You deliberately stood between the two of them, using his broad shoulders to block Zhao Mugen's helplessness, and tried to raise his voice to wake Tong Huan.
Apparently, Mu You's shaking worked. Tong Huan quickly raised his hands to wipe away the tears from his cheeks, rolled up his sleeves, brushed off the dust on his body, and stood up again.
The people looked at him strangely, like huge rocks pressing down on him, making it hard for Tong Huan to breathe.
He realized that he had lost his composure, so he straightened his clothes, helped the fallen Zhao Mugen up, and then bowed to apologize to Ai Ye.
"I'm sorry for my misbehavior. I came here to ask Miss Ai Ye for a favor."
Tong Huan rolled his eyes, forced back the tears, put one hand behind his back and placed the other hand in front of his abdomen, with only Ai Ye in his eyes.
However, Zhao Mugen and Ai Ye were unable to recover. Even when Tong Huan made up an excuse, they still could not respond.
Seeing this, Xiao Lin quickly stepped forward and added, "That's right, Sister Ai Ye, County Magistrate Tong is here for only one thing."
Seeing that he was trying to change his awkward situation, Ai Ye also took the opportunity to ask, "Master, what's the matter? If I can help, I will do my best."
Tong Huan's teeth clenched, a fishy smell oozing from the side of his tongue, but his gaze remained fixed. "I would like to invite Miss Ai Ye to the yamen. I have a plan to suppress bandits, and I need your information."
When they heard that it was related to suppressing bandits, the crowd around them couldn't help but become a little more lively.
But the noise was so loud that even with Xiao Lin's sharp ears, he couldn't tell whether they were cursing or discussing something.
"Okay." Ai Ye pulled at Ali's sleeve and wiped the tears from his face. He then coaxed him into the house with Zhao Mugen. Only then was he able to turn around and face Tong Huan. "I'll go with you, Master."
Every "Master" uttered by Ai Ye was like an ice cone, instantly chilling Tong Huan's heart.
But people's words are scary, and in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Tong Huan could only agree for the time being, and then asked Xiao Lin and Mu You to accompany him and take Ai Ye back to the county government office.
The road was clearly very long, so long that just walking along it was enough to make Xiao Lin's feet numb.
The road was very short, so short that before Tong Huan could figure out everything that had happened, the upper of his shoes was stained with the scent of ink from the study.
Xiao Lin and Mu You followed behind the two men, not knowing whether to go forward or backward, until Tong Huan gave the order, they stepped over the threshold.
However, even with one more person in the study, it was still as helpless and silent as before.
Then, Ai Ye was the first to break the silence: "Master, what is the matter with you looking for me?"
I thought Tong Huan would lose his composure since no one was around. Xiao Lin and Mu You both gathered around him, but he just turned his back, took a deep breath, and said, "I want to ask you for a favor regarding the Hanlu human trafficking."
As he was talking, Tong Huan lifted up his shoes and walked to the bookshelf. He picked out a few sorted books with his fingertips and placed them on the desk one by one.
Afterwards, Tong Huan continued to lower his head and took out a few portraits from the pile of books and displayed them in front of Ai Ye.
He took another deep breath, as if making up his mind, and then he spoke slowly, "Before I came here, I was gathering information on the Hanlu human trafficking gang. The reason they were so arrogant before was because they had some kind of cover. The previous county magistrate abused his power for personal gain, creating a new way for them to abduct women and children so that he could share the profits. This also led to their rampant rampage."
Ai Ye listened without saying anything. Instead, he leaned over and took a closer look at the portraits, but none of them looked familiar.
She only moved a few inches closer, and Tong Huan's eyes unconsciously enveloped her whole body. However, no matter how earnest he was, Ai Ye was still unwilling to look up at him.
So he had to put aside his selfish thoughts and continued, "I've been searching everywhere and finally learned from a black market tipster that the leader of this gang is Zheng Ju. It was he who personally colluded with the former county magistrate, leading to the capture of so many women and children. Even if I spent years searching, I still couldn't find any information about them."
Following Tong Huan's words, Ai Ye gently picked up Zheng Ju's portrait.
She couldn't see clearly, so she could only take a quick look at him - he looked like an ordinary farmer, and if she didn't think about it too much, she would naturally think he was an honest man.
But it is precisely under this honest appearance that he hides a face uglier than anyone else.
"Now that you've become the people's father and mother, I imagine you'll make the decision for us, right?" Ai Ye put Zheng Ju's portrait back and said quietly, still not daring to look Tong Huan in the eye. "Since you're the one making the decision, just make your own arrangements. Why would you need me for anything?"
"No." Tong Huan changed the subject and pressed Zheng Ju's portrait with his fingertips, breathing unsteadily, "I want to know what you went through during those years you were abducted..."
"How many years was I kidnapped? I..."
"I need to understand the details and then deploy personnel to infiltrate it."
Since Tong Huan had said this, no matter how Ai Ye tried to evade, she had no excuse. If she continued to prevaricate, it would be her fault.
"Sister Ai Ye, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."
Xiao Lin stood aside and accidentally caught a glimpse of Ai Ye's trembling fingertips. He thought that she still had some grudges about what happened in those years and found it difficult to talk about it, so he took the initiative to comfort her.
But facing the warmth from Xiao Lin, Ai Ye smiled faintly, met Tong Huan's eyes, then dodged them again. Finally, in front of Xiao Lin and Mu You, she recounted the years after her coming of age:
"That day, Ah... Ah Huan and I went to the street to buy food. I was drugged and passed out. I was in a dark, shabby room. My hands and feet were bound with thick hemp ropes, and my mouth was stuffed with rags. I wanted to call out but couldn't, and I couldn't move. The surroundings were damp and cold. The corners were filled with debris, rats and ants were rampant, and the stench was overwhelming. I was terrified, tears welled up, but no one paid any attention..."
Just a few words made Tong Huan clench his fists. A sharp pain came from the palm of his hand, but it did not stop him.
"Later, a man came in. I begged him to let me go home, but he turned a deaf ear to me and whipped me instead. I was in so much pain that I screamed in agony, but he only grew more complacent. For the next few days, I was held captive here, fed only a bowl of stale porridge each day. If I disobeyed, I would be beaten. My skin was covered in whip marks and blood. The pain was unbearable, and I couldn't sleep at night..."
"But I thought, I can't die, I have to find a way out. But this thought didn't last me more than a few days before the buyer showed up. One day, the leader brought a strange man with him. He looked me up and down with a lewd look, as if he were examining a commodity. The traffickers bargained with him and finally settled on ten taels of silver..."
"The night before I left, I was locked in a woodshed. It was pitch black, with only moonlight streaming through the broken window. The next day, they forcibly dragged me onto a carriage, chained my hands and feet, and stuffed my mouth with rags. I was jostled along in the carriage until I finally landed in a remote village. After that... there's no need for me to continue describing what happened after that..."
"No need." Tong Huan's breathing gradually became heavier, and the corners of his mouth twitched as he forced a smile. "After they locked you up, how did they conduct the transaction?"
This question actually touched upon Ai Ye's blind spot. She was blindfolded most of the time in the base, and could only see clearly when she was eating.
"If you want to know who the thieves are in Hanlu, you might as well ask the fourth daughter of Liu Mancang's family to come here. She was the one who was truly harmed by Zheng Ju and his gang, and she must know much more about the inside story than I do."
Ai Ye's gradual retreat only made Tong Huan feel that the distance between him and her was getting farther and farther.
He opened his mouth and said, "What about you? Aren't you a victim?"
However, Ai Ye was resolute. "Your Excellency's plan is to target Zheng Ju and his gang. Only by destroying them can we punish the rest of the human trafficking gangs. The human trafficking is rampant in every filthy corner of this world. There is always a first come, first served, but I believe that as long as you are determined, sooner or later, you will be able to restore a clear sky to women and children all over the world."
The more Ai Ye spoke, the lower she bowed. Seeing that she was about to kneel on the ground, Tong Huan immediately spoke up to stop her from being so humble.
"Come here." Tong Huan turned his back, unwilling to see Ai Ye groveling like this. "Help me find you, Si Niang? Come here."
"Yes, sir."
Xiao Lin and Mu You were the first to leave the study and ran away hand in hand early to avoid trouble.
Ai Ye finished, lowered his head and closed the red door.
However, she did not leave, but stood in front of the door, reluctant to let go.
The heat was unbearable, the cicadas were chirping noisily, and the hot wind blew by, bringing the hustle and bustle of the distant market, but it could not blow away the gap between the two people.
A faint light shone through the crack in the door, reflecting on Ai Ye's pale face.
Her fingertips twisted the greasy coarse cloth - that was her livelihood - and then the corners of her eyes turned red, and tears silently slid down, dripping straight onto the back of her hand, condensing into a drop of water.
She didn't dare to make a sound, so she could only bite her lips and suppress her crying deep in her throat.
Isn't Tong Huan in the same situation? He knew that Ai Ye was only one door away from him, but he tried his best and couldn't push open the thin door.
Ai Ye's hand gently stroked the door panel, and her fingertips touched the cold wood grain, as if she could feel the warmth of the person inside the door through it.
That's enough.
They are no longer on the same path, so why force it?
The wind passed without leaving a trace, but the door remained closed, as if no one had ever come and no one had ever left.
Si Niang came to the county government office with Ai Ye. Ai Ye originally wanted to stay away from this place of trouble, but he could not resist Si Niang's pleading, so he had to agree to her and walked into the mansion hand in hand with her.
By the time they arrived side by side, it was already late at night.
It was a dark summer night. The flickering candlelight in the county government office cast a cold, faint glow on the blue bricks in front of the hall. The soft ringing of wind chimes on the eaves, sometimes near and sometimes far away, and the intermittent chirping of insects added a touch of loneliness.
The documents on the desk were piled up like a mountain. The ink was not dry yet. The pen was placed aside and a thin layer of frost had condensed on the ink in the inkstone.
Tong Huan sat at the desk, his brows furrowed, sorting out the clues he had collected during this period of time with his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Fortunately, he was not alone. Chu Mo, who had disappeared for a long time, had stepped into his study at some point.
The evening breeze made the pages of the book rustle, and it was this sound that brought Ai Ye and Si Niang in.
At this moment, Xiao Lin and Mu You were still sharing cakes on the side. When they saw Si Niang, they immediately wiped the powder from the corners of their mouths and jumped up from their seats.
"This humble woman pays homage to the great Lord of Heaven."
When Si Niang saw Tong Huan, she was about to bow, but he stopped her and waved his sleeve, motioning her to sit down.
Although Si Niang learned from Ai Ye why Tong Huan summoned her, she was troubled by the fact that Tong Huan had been concentrating on comparing a pile of manuscripts since she entered the study and had not looked up for a long time.
But her confusion didn't last long, as Tong Huan's voice reached her ears: "Si Niang, do you know why I summoned you here?"
"The people... the women know..."
"Then please tell me everything you've seen and heard. If it helps, I'll reward you handsomely."
Tong Huan looked stern. Si Niang raised her eyes cautiously, then looked back at Ai Ye and spoke hesitantly, "I'm not very clear about the details. I just remember that they trapped the abducted women in a room together. They stole our names and used them as code names. I was the fourth woman abducted, so I was named Si Niang..."
"I only remember that the room was huge, holding more than 30 people, but it was also very small, so small that even if there were only 30 or 40 of us, we had to squeeze in together. Our mouths were gagged, our hands and feet were tied, and the food they brought us was rotten, dumped into the trough. There were no bowls or chopsticks, so we had to eat with our hands..."
"After that, every day, there would always be a few men who would come and select women. After they took a fancy to one, they would agree on a price, and then the woman would be dragged away, and she would never be seen again."
Tong Huan asked, "While you were there, did you think about how to escape?"
Si Niang shook her head. "They took away even our hairpins. We can't even die, so how can we escape?"
Indeed, the traffickers regard these living women as gold and silver, so how could they allow them any chance to commit suicide or escape?
Ai Ye couldn't help but ask, "Why did you insist on placing an undercover agent in the stronghold? Wouldn't it be easier to just lead the troops to suppress the bandits?"
"A direct attack on their lair will cause the bandits to panic and have no choice but to flee. Furthermore, they are cunning and live in deep valleys, making it difficult for officers and soldiers to block the way. The only worry is that they will take advantage of the chaos to abduct some women and children. This will give them a chance to linger. This time, I will definitely capture them all in one fell swoop."
After hearing this, Ai Ye suddenly kept silent.
Returning to Si Niang's words, her news extinguished Tong Huan's last hope - since he couldn't escape, his plan of infiltration would be difficult to implement and extremely dangerous.
However, Chu Mo quickly gave him a beam of fire: "Ah Huan, there is no way to escape, you can find a way yourself."
His words were like a bolt of enlightenment to Tong Huan, and his thoughts immediately came back to him.
He was careless. If there really was an escape route in the stronghold, the abducted women and children would have escaped long ago. However, they had no tools, so they were trapped in the mud house and could never break free from the iron chain.
If there is no road ahead, then make one.
Having said that, finding someone to go and lurk in the stronghold became the most difficult issue.
After all, after this trip, you may encounter difficulties, or even worse, die on the tip of a knife.
Looking for yamen runners? But yamen runners are all men, so it's not easy to disguise them.
Looking for a Wu Mai? The government office didn't have any Wu Mai, so they could only buy one from a theatre troupe. Furthermore, the Wu Mai were too young for Zheng Ju to be interested in.
It is really hard to find a woman who is of marriageable age.
Tong Huan was so anxious that he paced around the study by himself, and the paper in his hand fell to the ground slowly with the cyclone around him.
When everyone was in trouble, someone finally broke the silence.
"Let me go." Xiao Lin held Mu You's arm and pushed him away. "I'll be the undercover agent."
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