Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince and his entourage had already arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou, the most prosperous places in the Qing Dynasty. Instead of staying in the villa prepared by the prefect, they stayed at the home of Cao Yin, a bondservant of Emperor Kangxi and the Imperial Textile Commissioner of Jiangning.
The Cao family already owed the imperial court money, and now that the imperial envoy was staying at their home, it was difficult for them to feign poverty or hide anything. The Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince, along with their entourage, stayed in the Cao family's villa. The Cao family dared not mistreat them, so they were provided with a luxurious mansion, fine food, and beautiful maids. To claim poverty and inability to repay the debt would be tantamount to contradicting themselves.
From the beginning until now, they have received countless officials of all ranks in Yangzhou. Some came to plead poverty, some to boast of their achievements, some to seek protection, and some to recommend themselves. In any case, most of them did not mention the matter of repaying the money.
On this day, the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince were playing chess in the pavilion of the villa.
“I think if we want these people to pay back their money, we have to make someone stand out first, right, Fourth Brother?” Thirteen said. He knew that Fourth Brother was always a calm and collected person. They had been staying here for almost half a month, but no one had paid back a single penny, and Fourth Brother didn’t seem to be in a hurry.
"Aren't we living in the house of this troublemaker?" Fourth Master picked up a black ball and silently surrounded Thirteen's white flag.
Thirteen looked at the chessboard, frowned and sighed, "Fourth Brother's chess skills have improved a lot. I am completely humbled. However, the Cao family has always treated us well, and they come to pay their respects every day, but they never mention repaying the money. We can't just confront them directly, can we?"
The Fourth Prince's expression hardened as he said, "They rely on being the Emperor's bondservant to live in the south of the Yangtze River, and their family has multiplied for two generations. Look at this villa; it's no less impressive than our residence in the capital. The Cao family is merely a textile manufacturer; how could they have such wealth? If they are receiving the Emperor's salary but embezzling and accepting bribes, and if I find any evidence against them, it won't be as simple as just paying back the money."
Upon hearing what Fourth Master said, Thirteen lowered his voice and said, "But Fourth Brother, we have just arrived here and do not know much about the Cao family. How can we catch them by the skin?"
Fourth Master glanced at him and said, "I only have a way." After saying that, he ignored Thirteen's questioning and started playing chess in silence.
After finishing their game of chess, the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince, along with Li Wei, Su Peisheng, and a few attendants, left the villa to stroll through the streets of Yangzhou. Yangzhou, as one of the most representative cities in Jiangnan, was bustling with merchants and throngs of people.
Although Fourth Master and his companions were dressed casually, they still stood out on the street, but their aura revealed them to be no ordinary people. They walked slowly, without any particular destination, simply strolling around, stopping and looking wherever there was excitement.
Before they knew it, Fourth Master and his entourage arrived at the gate of the Yangzhou government office, where they saw a young girl with blond hair standing hesitantly before the drum. Someone nearby asked her, "Little girl, what grievance do you have that you wish to see the magistrate?"
The little girl turned and looked at her. She had an oval face, big, bright eyes filled with hesitation, and a cherry-like mouth. She pouted and said, "My brother has been missing for many days. I came here to ask the magistrate to look for him."
The man squatting to the side said, "Do you know that many people have mysteriously disappeared these days? Is your brother the only one? You should go back. The officials in charge of the government can't be bothered with your affairs."
His words made the little girl even more hesitant, and she stood in front of the drum, unsure of what to say.
Fourth Master and his men pretended to be passing by and overheard the conversation. Then, at Fourth Master's instruction, Li Wei said to the little girl, "Since we're here, why not give it a try? Maybe the magistrate will take it seriously. Yangzhou is a beautiful place, and it's strange that people are disappearing without a trace."
After hearing what Li Wei said, the little girl felt the same way. Since she was already here, why not just do nothing? Her mother was waiting for her brother to come back and had cried herself blind.
The little girl finally picked up the mallet next to the drum and began to strike the drum one strike at a time.
Before long, the sound of sticks hitting the ground could be heard from inside. The little girl was led inside by a man who looked like a yamen runner. Fourth Master and his entourage, along with some other people, also went in to watch the excitement.
This is similar to how courts handle cases now, where, apart from the defendant and plaintiff, the public is allowed to watch.
Fourth Master and his men walked into the crowd and silently watched the little girl kneeling in the yamen. The warning batons beside her rang loudly. After a shout of "For the sake of martial arts," an official wearing a straw hat with a red top and a crane-patterned court robe walked out from a side room.
"Smack!"
The moment the police ruler struck, the noise ceased instantly, and the crowd looked with awe at the Yangzhou Prefect sitting beneath the plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hangs High."
"Who are those kneeling below? What grievances do they have that I, the official, wish to resolve? Report them to me immediately!" The Prefect of Yangzhou's voice wasn't loud, and it even sounded somewhat friendly.
The little girl quickly lowered her head and said, "Your Honor, my surname is Ding and my given name is Die'er. I have come to find my brother. He has been missing since ten days ago and has not returned. I humbly beg Your Honor to help us, for there must be a reason for this."
These words sparked a murmur among the crowd.
After exchanging a puzzled look, Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master continued to listen to how the case was progressing.
"Ding Die'er, your brother may have gone out with friends, or perhaps he's been held up by something. It's only been ten days since he returned, and you've already come to order me to look for him. Isn't that making a mountain out of a molehill?" the prefect said, clearly displeased.
"Your Honor," Ding Die'er said, "this matter is not limited to my family. There are many others in similar situations. Men have disappeared from families around my home. Therefore, I suspect these disappearances are connected, and I implore Your Honor to investigate." Ding Die'er's words sparked another round of whispers among the crowd. It seemed that similar disappearances of men had indeed been frequent in Yangzhou recently. While it hadn't yet caused widespread panic, it was certainly not an isolated incident.
Upon hearing this, the prefect thought for a moment and said, "Do you have a portrait of your brother? Otherwise, how can I help you find him?"
Ding Die'er came from a poor family and simply couldn't afford to have her family members' portraits painted. In this era, portrait painting services were still a privilege reserved for a select few from the wealthy and powerful. Ordinary people, struggling to even feed themselves, couldn't possibly afford to pay for portraits.
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