Chapter 31 Suzhou County Magistrate
Xiao Wanyao's eyes were filled with doubt as she pressed, "Your daughter? Is it Qiao'er? She was perfectly fine, how could she have disappeared?"
She gestured to the maid beside her, her tone softening slightly: "Get up first, speak slowly, don't rush."
Li Mama was helped to her feet by her maid, tears still streaming down her face, her throat choked with sobs, but she tried her best to speak clearly.
"Your Highness, Qiao'er was lost on the day of the Cold Clothes Festival."
That day, Qiao'er and her cousin went to the river to release river lanterns. It was crowded at night, and they got separated in the blink of an eye.
We searched for most of the night but couldn't find it, so we went to the government office to report it the next morning.
But Magistrate Zhou only had the clerk make a record and said, "Wait." And that wait lasted for seven days!
When we asked the yamen runners again, they only vaguely said "we're investigating." The missing person notice posted at the entrance of the yamen was so badly drawn that even we couldn't recognize our own child...
"Wait?" Xiao Wanyao looked incredulous. "A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl has been missing for seven days, and he just wants you to wait? Is the Suzhou government office just a decoration?"
Gu Boheng could no longer contain himself and roared at the butler waiting outside the door:
"Steward! Go to the government office immediately and 'invite' Zhou Wenbin here! If you're even a second late, you'll lose your official hat!"
I want to get a good look at how Zhou Wenbin became a county magistrate! In my Suzhou territory, how dare he treat the people with such disrespect!
He picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, which finally calmed his anger.
Firstly, Li Mama was a princess's dowry maid, yet she suffered such injustice. What difference is there between this and bullying the princess's residence?
Secondly, it was because Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Lin stumbled upon this matter; one was a prince, and the other was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
If he were to report this “neglect of the people’s well-being” to the Emperor, not only would his long-awaited promotion be in jeopardy, but he might not even be able to keep his current position!
Seeing that the prince consort was truly angry, the steward dared not delay for a moment, replied "Yes," and ran out with a sullen face.
Xiao Yunzhan didn't say a word from beginning to end, just quietly watching Li Mama until the people Gu Boheng sent ran far away, then he turned to the maid beside him and said, "Go and get the writing materials."
The maidservant responded and left, then he turned to Granny Li.
"Tell me everything you remember about Qiao'er, including her appearance, the color and style of her clothes when she disappeared, the jewelry she wore, and her hairstyle. The more detailed the better."
Granny Li sniffed, quickly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, composed herself, and said carefully, word by word:
"Qiao'er has an oval face and a small black mole the size of a grain of rice under her left eyebrow."
She has almond-shaped eyes, and when she smiles, she has a shallow dimple under her left eye.
She was wearing a blue cotton dress the day she disappeared, and the orchids on the collar were embroidered by herself; the stitches were very fine, and they looked like this.
As she spoke, she turned out the cuffs of her inner lining and showed them to Xiao Yunzhan.
Then she continued, "Her hair was styled in two buns, tied with a blue cloth ribbon, and she wore no other jewelry..."
In a short while, the maid laid out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table. The ink in the inkstone had already been ground and carried a faint fragrance.
Xiao Yunzhan walked over, his wrist hovering over the paper, his brush moving like dragons and snakes, the ink slowly spreading along the tip of the wolf-hair brush.
First, outline the double buns, then draw the oval face shape with soft lines.
Next, I carefully drew my eyebrows and eyes, and added a small black mole to the end of my left eyebrow...
Finally, she added a blue cloth skirt with a few small orchid petals embroidered on the neckline.
In less than half an incense stick's time, a portrait was completed.
Xiao Yunzhan put down his brush, glanced at the painting, and then gently traced the patterns on the purse with the tip of his brush before handing the paper to the maid and presenting it to Granny Li.
"Look, doesn't she look like Qiao'er?"
Granny Li leaned closer, looking at the features of the person in the painting, and tears welled up in her eyes again. "So alike! So incredibly alike! They're practically identical!"
Gu Boheng also came over to take a look, slightly surprised. Xiao Yunzhan's painting skills were indeed lifelike.
Because this Granny Li was a dowry maid of the princess, she was honest, dutiful, and capable. The princess arranged for her to be married, and every year she would bring her children to pay her respects.
He had met her a few times, and if asked to imagine what she looked like now, he couldn't.
But after seeing Xiao Yunzhan's painting, he was immediately able to confirm that it was Sun Qiao'er.
Having this painting would make finding people much easier.
But the thought of Zhou Wenbin arriving later made his heart sink: if the magistrate couldn't give a clear explanation, this matter wouldn't be so easily resolved.
Before long, the steward came running back, panting, and reported: "Your Highness, Magistrate Zhou has arrived!"
"Your humble servant Zhou Wenbin greets Your Highness the Princess, Your Highness Prince Rui, and Your Highness the Imperial Son-in-Law!"
Zhou Wenbin's voice came in first, and he followed into the flower hall, quickly scanning the people in the hall as he entered.
The others were alright, but the woman standing to the side, dressed in the princess's robes, her face streaked with tears, looked vaguely familiar.
But he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before, yet a vague sense of unease crept into his heart.
The "important matter" mentioned by the prince consort is probably related to this woman.
Xiao Wanyao didn't let him get up, but asked directly, "Magistrate Zhou, seven days ago, Sun Qiao'er went missing. Her family went to the government office to report the case. How did you handle it?"
Zhou Wenbin was startled and then recognized Li Mama as the victim who had gone to the yamen to report the case seven days ago!
He never imagined that the woman from that ordinary family would actually be from the princess's residence!
To make matters worse, Prince Rui and the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review happened to be here!
His heart pounded, but he forced a smile and replied, "Your Highness, I have already instructed my officers to investigate secretly."
"Investigate secretly?" Gu Boheng slammed his hand on the table. Already seething with anger, he was furious when Zhou Wenbin dared to use the same excuse.
"I'm asking you, what's the deal with that missing person notice posted at the entrance of the government office? What's that drawn on the picture?"
Even the Sun family's own family didn't recognize her! What's the point of posting it?
How are the painters in your yamen (government office) assessed?
It's been seven days already, what have you found out?
Do you think that the lives of ordinary people are none of your business, and that you can just sit in the county government office and coast along?
Zhou Wenbin bowed repeatedly, sweat trickling down his neck and into his collar.
"Your Excellency is wise! The reason I ordered the yamen runners to investigate secretly was because I was afraid that if we conducted a large-scale search, the villains might become desperate and harm Madam Sun."
That's why we haven't dared to make a fuss about it.
"Then tell me," Xiao Yunzhan's voice suddenly rang out.
"Where did you go to investigate in secret, and what did you investigate?"
Before Zhou Wenbin could answer, Pei Lin seemed to suddenly think of something and frowned as he asked a question.
"Lord Zhou, on the night of the Cold Clothes Festival, besides Sun Qiao'er, were there any other missing persons reports in Suzhou?"
In recent years, how many missing persons cases has the Suzhou government received?
How did you handle these cases? Where are the case files?
This series of questions, each word like a needle, pierced Zhou Wenbin's heart.
He usually doesn't care about the cases of ordinary people.
When the documents were delivered to him, he didn't even bother to look at them, and simply instructed his subordinates to file them. How could he possibly know the exact numbers?
He bent even lower, sweat streaming down his face. He dared not raise his hand to wipe it away, nor did he dare look up at the gaze above him.
He could only stammer, "This... I don't quite remember the exact number right now. But there are files in the government office; we can just pull them out and check..."
"Can't remember?" Gu Boheng lifted his left foot under the hem of his robe, but ultimately managed to hold back his outburst.
If Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Lin hadn't been there, given his temper, he would have kicked them long ago.
Now, all he can do is grit his teeth in hatred.
Pei Lin is the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and he values laws and regulations the most. If he were to discover that there are multiple missing persons cases in Suzhou that have not been dealt with.
I will definitely have to write a self-criticism for "lax governance".
That would be a huge problem!
“Zhou Wenbin! You receive a salary from the imperial court and wear this official robe. Do you think the safety of the people is so insignificant?”
Can't remember? I think you didn't even care!
Do you think that as long as no one makes a scene in the capital, these things can be easily brushed aside?
Xiao Wanyao grew angrier as she listened, "Granny Li is from my princess's residence. Her daughter is missing, and you dare to treat her so disrespectfully!"
Do you still have any respect for the laws of the imperial court?
If you can't give me a proper explanation today, I'll write a memorial and send it to the capital so the Emperor can judge for himself and see how you've been doing your job as magistrate!
Zhou Wenbin was so frightened that he trembled all over and immediately knelt down, banging his forehead against the floor tiles.
"Your Highness, please calm your anger! Your Highness, please calm your anger! This humble official knows his mistake!"
I will immediately send someone to retrieve the case files, including all the missing persons cases from recent years, and personally verify them!
As for this portrait, I immediately ordered dozens more copies to be made and distributed to all constables and city gate guards for thorough inspection. I dare not be negligent in the slightest!
"Go now!" Gu Boheng shouted sternly.
"The case file must be delivered to the princess's residence within half an hour! The portrait must also be completed and sent over!"
"If it gets too late, you'll have to strip off this official robe yourself and go to the capital to explain to the Emperor!"
"Yes! Yes! I will take care of it immediately!"
He didn't care about being embarrassed; he grabbed the portrait on the table and ran out.
Turning around in such a hurry, he tripped over the door frame and fell outside the foyer. He didn't even dare to cry out in pain, and scrambled to his feet and ran outside.
The flower hall finally quieted down, but the atmosphere remained heavy.
Gu Boheng breathed a sigh of relief, but still glanced at Xiao Yunzhan with unease.
The prince remained calm throughout, but the calmer he appeared, the more uneasy he felt, fearing that Xiao Yunzhan might be harboring a deep-seated rage beneath his outward composure.
Before half an hour had passed, Zhou Wenbin rushed in with several yamen runners, carrying a stack of files in his arms. The files nearly fell to the ground, but the yamen runners behind him hurriedly caught them.
He said breathlessly, "Your Highness... Your Highness, the case files have all been brought here! There are thirty-five files in total, covering all the missing persons cases from the past three years!"
"I've already had someone draw the portrait, and I reckon it should be finished by now. Once it's done, I'll post it immediately!"
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